On an assignment from Princess Luna, Pennington Inkwell and his assistant, Moonstone, attempt to thwart a dragon with the power to change the weather.
Two months after bringing the changelings to Canterlot, Princess Luna calls Pennington Inkwell and his assistant back to Equestria. A new threat has come to Equestria: a deranged dragon with the ability to control the weather. Taking the opportunity to atone for his past actions, Penn and Moonstone leap into action, setting out to find the attacker and stop them. Little do they know that they'll be delving into secrets far more dangerous than wandering unprotected through dragon country.
Meanwhile, Twilight Sparkle and Calalily Curl meet a strange pony who seems to know more than he ought to about Pennington's past. On his word, the three set out to save Pennington from an unknown traitor waiting to spring a trap on him. But is Delta Raider to be trusted?
A Sequel to "Happy Adventuring, Twilight!" and Part 2 of the Happy Adventuring Saga.
Luna and Celestia cast worried glances at one another as dark clouds rained down on Canterlot. The phenomenon had been going on for some time, now, as blizzards, heat waves, and torrential downpours covered Equestria's skies. Cloudsdale's weather factories had been shut down completely more than a week ago, and pegasi had been scrambling everywhere to try and get the rogue weather under control all across the country. The first precautions had been taken to make sure that Discord wasn't behind the misbehavior, but he was still firmly locked in stone. On the other hoof, the strange weather didn't seem chaotic, it was contrived as an attack. There had been lightning storms in Ponyville that kept even the bravest of ponies indoors, flash flooding in Manehatten and a drought in Appleoosa. The Wonderbolts and their entire training academy had their hooves full trying to counteract the tornadoes assaulting Cloudsdale, and even the Princesses' own measures to protect Canterlot had resulted in only dimming the storms to a constant downpour.
"Sister, this is strong magic... Something very, very dangerous." Luna muttered, turning away from the sight of their failure to stop the downpour.
"Luna, we're trying to protect the entire capital without knowing what kind of magic has the best effect. It makes sense that we might not be able to stop it entirely-"
"Tia, whatever this is, it's assaulting the entire country!" Luna stamped her hoof in frustration. "If we can't stop it, Equestria is going to become inhospitable! And you're rationalizing why we can't even protect our greatest city?"
Celestia was quiet for a moment,then let out a resigned sigh. "Luna, what would you expect me to do? We've never seen anything like this before and we don't know how to fight it. The only being who was capable of harming Equestria on this scale was Discord, and we all know that he's locked away in stone, so that option is completely out of the question. We could try to use the Elements of Harmony, but they would need something to stop or to change. We can't do much until we know what we're dealing with!"
"Celestia, I might be able to help you with that..." A voice from an unseen being spoke up, making himself known. Looking around, Celestia discovered one of the stained glass windows had a new addition: a draconequus, sitting in the corner of the window depicting Nightmare Moon's banishment. It wasn't Discord, of course, but a familiar face that the two loved to see: Eclipse Tumult. Celestia had found the creature in the Royal Labyrinth one day, scared to death of being turned to stone the same way Discord was. Taking him in, the two alicorns had slowly gained his trust, and his experience outside Equestria and unique perspective had always proven invaluable to them.
"What is it with draconequui and stained glass?" Celestia rolled her eyes, feeling slightly more at ease with him there. He was in a relaxed pose in the window, staring up at the image with his hands behind his head, laying lazily on the bottom border. Eclipse had grown much more at ease in the castle over time, but he never failed to start being worried when there was something worth worrying about.
"Hey, when your entire life force is drawn from extradimensional energy, you might find it relaxing to take a two-dimensional break once in a while, too! It simplifies things..."
"Did you say that you know what this is, Eclipse?" Luna asked, not wasting any time.
"Well, I have a general idea, but for it to be true, that dragon would have to be old... very old..." He scratched his chin in thought. "The last time I saw anything like this, it was just after you and Celestia turned Discord to stone..." He glanced down for a moment, and the glass's colors turned a shade darker. He was obviously still remembering what had unfortunately happened to his brother. After a moment, however, he quickly snapped back out of it, raising his head again. "Anyway, the last time that I saw this kind of weather, it was stemming from an artifact of immense power: the Windego Gauntlet."
"The what?"
"It's an ancient artifact, capable of controlling the weather at will. Ponies have actually had almost no interaction with it in the past..." He shrugged. "The last time I saw it, it was in the possession of a very angry, very grouchy dragon with no semblance of a friendly disposition towards ponies..." He frowned. "Actually, the last time I saw the gauntlet, it was actually being used to brutally murder Quill the scribe..."
"You mean, the same Quill that wrote the original beastiary and compiled the founding of Equestria?" Celestia asked, receiving a nod in reply.
"The dragon claimed to have known Quill in another life, and saw the 'reincarnation' of his dear friend as being unnatural, and going against the laws of life and death. So, using the gauntlet, he completely wiped Quill's existence from the face of the planet..." Eclipse leaned back. "If you ask me, the dragon was getting a little paranoid and seeing things that weren't really there. I mean, I was a creature that simply appeared out of thin air, and even I think that reincarnation stuff is a load of bull."
"Do you know where this dragon lives?"
"In the mountains just south of the border. It's a dangerous climb for anypony, and if he knows that somepony's coming, he won't make it any easier..." He shook his head gently back and forth. "I think that our only option is to send one, maybe two ponies down there to try to delegate and, if necessary, assassinate. This dragon is bad news, Tia."
"Could the Elements stop him?" Luna looked up at her sister.
"At this distance? I have my doubts..." Celestia replied. "Eclipse, do you think that we could get Twilight and her friends through the mountains?"
"Maybe if there weren't going going to be hail, blizzards and tornadoes raining down from above..." Eclipse shook his head. "And even then, I wouldn't place my money on the odds of all six surviving. It would be a bad idea."
"Well... There is one pony that could probably get there..." Luna furrowed her brow in thought. "But, I'm not sure if he'll be willing to come back."
"You mean your protege?" Celestia raised an eyebrow. "I thought that you said that he was gone, self-exiled?"
"Not exiled, just looking for something he can't find in Equestria... Trying to understand himself."
"And you think we can convince him to run off on another 'adventure?'"
"Pennington Inkwell may have sworn off 'adventuring,' but that doesn't mean that he hasn't stopped having adventures. If Equestria is in danger, I think that we can rest assured that he's coming back..." Luna smiled. "And whether he likes it or not, he has a talent for retrieving ancient and dangerous objects. If there's anyone we can trust to get the job done, it's him." Luna levitated a scroll and quill in front of herself, already beginning her letter.
"And has he recovered from the changelings' attack?"
Luna paused, memories of her friend's hospitalization and process of rehabilitation flashing through her mind in rapid succession. Partially due to his own coercion into trapping her in the guard tower, she had unable to do anything to help him, let alone help herself, when he had been forced to make what she could only imagine was the greatest sacrifice of his life.
"Enough of his strength has returned to lift his sword, according to Moonstone's reports. All he can accomplish is the most basic of levitation spells. That will have to be enough." She quickly resumed writing her letter.
Celestia gave her focused sister a concerned stare. Ever since Pennington had left Equestria, Luna had seemed to lose a bit of her normal spirit around the castle every time that she got a new letter from him and his assistant. Just as Celestia had with Twilight's friendship reports, Luna would read Pennington's letters at dinner so that Celestia and Eclipse could hear the stories of his death-defying adventures or the chilling descriptions of the beasts he encountered. She'd always seemed very proud whenever he had been able to tell them about his slow and few steps on recovery from being under the changeling queen's direct control. It was obvious that she missed him a lot.
I guess we all do... But now, we need him to come back. I just hope that he's up to the task.
"You were showboating!"
"I was not!" Pennington insisted as he jumped up onto the rooftop with Moonstone. He was only slightly worse for wear as he slipped his sword back into its sheathe on his back. "Besides, did you see the looks on their faces? Totally worth it!"
The young dragon and the pony stared at one another for a moment before breaking down into laughter. Moonstone couldn't help but feel a large amount of satisfaction as Pennington seemed to have a moment of carefree joy, something of which he'd had very little ever since he'd cut off most of his horn. She and Luna had tried hard to make certain that his replacement would allow him to recover his strength, but it had been more than two months since the incident, and Pennington could hardly do anything more than lift his sword to fight, rather than forming one from magical energy, like he used to.
Pennington nodded back towards the alley that he had come from while Moonstone checked to make sure that the wrappings on his legs were still secure. His legs would bleed rarely, now, but he had taken well to the style, and often claimed that it gave him an edge in hoof-to-hoof combat. "Well, either way, they just got 'Penn'd!'"
"They what?"
"You know, like, when you write something down, it's 'to pen it down?' Except that it's a play on words because it's my name! Get it? I was thinking it could be my new catchphrase!"
"Keep looking, buddy..." Moonstone shook her head with a tired smile. "You know, I think that-"
"Pokud si myslíte, že bych vymyslet!" A foreign voice called out across the rooftop. Turning around, both Pennington and Moonstone were surprised to see a masked figure standing across the rooftop, angrily brandishing a large sword. "Překvapení!" The figure was wrapped from head to hoof in a light-colored fabric, a practice not uncommon in Saddle Arabia for dark-coated ponies to spare them the sun's heat, but Pennington and Moonstone didn't need to see anything more than his shaded eyes and hear the angry tone to know that he was there because of Pennington's recent meddling.
"Moonstone, get behind me..." Pennington stepped forward, his sword levitating off of his back again.
"Ah! Equestrian! I should have known!" He figure's eyes scrunched up in what could easily be imagined as a twisted, despicable smile. "Although, I never met an Equestrian who was a capable fighter, before!
Pennington stared down the length of his sword, but Moonstone watched a smile tugging at his lips. "And I never met a Saddle Arabian who was fond of witty banter."
"Well, you know how it is..." He swung his saber slowly back and forth. It was a scimitar, much like Pennington's, but thinner and longer, obviously meant for a faster-paced fighting style. "The language is beautiful, but we don't know what we've been given..."
"I assure you, the same applies to any people speaking en masse. That's why the scholars must keep the beauty and embellishments of a language alive."
"You seem a clever pony. I hate to kill you."
"You seem a clever pony. I hate to fight." Pennington's sword lowered slightly, becoming less threatening. "We have no quarrel, why not just let both of us walk away?"
The stranger let out a long sigh, shaking his head. "Well, unfortunately, you've made my employers very angry... If they lose their business, I don't get paid. If I don't get paid, I need to find new clients. And this was a good setup for me."
Pennington's sword raised again as he realized that there was no avoiding the confrontation. "So, you're a mercenary, then?"
"I prefer 'problem-solver for hire.'"
"Do you know what they were doing down there? What they were doing to those poor girls?" Pennington stamped his hoof in frustration. "It was deplorable!"
"What the people who pay me do when my back is turned is no concern of mine." He shrugged. "The world is full of 'deplorable' ponies and 'deplorable' actions. You can either kill yourself trying to mount a crusade or try simply to survive and not have such a thing happen to yourself." His sword brandished back and forth again. "Unfortunately, it seems that you've chosen the first option..."
A flash of light on the blade was all the warning that Pennington had of the attack, and he waved his sword in a broad arc, knocking his opponent's sword over his own shoulder in an almost deadly near-miss. By levitating his sword for his opening attack, his opponent had revealed himself to be a unicorn capable of magic, and a skilled one, as well. As the sound of the opening blow rang through the air, the sword returned to its owner, floating my his side.
"Twilight would tell you to run." Moonstone spoke softly from behind him.
"Twilight's not here."
"So would Lily. And Whipstitch. Even Zecora, I would think..."
"None of them are here to tell me to run." Pennington didn't remove his eyes from his opponent. "And I know that you won't tell me to."
After a beat of silence, Moonstone floated up into the air, flapping her wings as she took a bird's-eye view of the fight.
"Congratulations. Most ponies don't survive the first surprise."
"Well, I'm not 'most ponies.' I've fought scum like you before, who don't care who they fight for. There aren't many depths to which you won't sink."
"Anyone will sink to my depths if they become desperate enough... But I get the feeling that our idle chatter is about to come to an end?"
Pennington nodded, placing his sword in front of himself again as he readied himself.
"Well, here I-" the sword shot forward again, barely deflected to the side, "COME!" The stranger rushed forward while Pennington was still focused on redirecting his first attack, striking him in the jaw with his hoof and knocking him to the ground. Even as he struck the ground, however, Pennington rolled with the blow, and barely missed the killing blow as his opponent's sword stabbed downwards and into the roof, just behind him. Rolling up onto his hooves, Pennington struck out with his own blade, hacking horizontally towards his opponent's head.
There was an ear-shattering ringing as the mercenary's sword somehow rose up and parried in time, sending Pennington's scimitar flying in the opposite direction. There was a moment of silence as Pennington's sword landed several rooftops away, coming to a landing with a soft clatter. The two fighters exchanged a glance for a moment, the attacker seemingly surprised.
"You don't have a very strong grip on that thing, do you?" He grinned. "Horn trouble? It happens to the best of us..." His sword rose up over his shoulder, taking aim to spear Pennington through the heart.
"Run for it, Penn!" With a cry, Moonstone dropped down from the sky, taking a hold of the cloth just above the pony's eyes and ripping it backwards, exposing them to the full brunt of the sunlight as she took hold of his horn and blew a searing-hot fireball into his face.
"Graaaah!" The mercenary cried out in pain and bucked forward, sending Moonstone flying from his back and pulling his eyes away from the blinding sun. Leaning down, he gingerly raised a hoof to his scorched visage, his eyes still screwed shut. "I'll- I'LL KILL YOU FOR THAT!" As he finally managed to pull his rapidly watering eyes open again, Moonstone and Pennington were already far away on the other roof.
"Thanks for the help, Moonstone..." Pennington panted as he reached down, picking up his sword in his mouth. Looking back to his opponent, Pennington took up a firm stance, hiding how badly shaken the near-death experience had left him.
"You- you're not going to stay and fight, are you?"
Pennington spat out the sword, allowing it to float into the air via his magic again. "I have to. Now that it's personal, he won't leave you alone until he's gotten his revenge... And he'll hate me almost as much if I get away. We won't be safe until he can't hurt us, any more."
"GAAAAAH!"
Pennington dodged and rolled to the side and Moonstone took to the air as the mercenary's sword sped past like a bullet. The pony, himself, was already running towards them, the cloth covering his face having been burned away to reveal a feral snarl.
Pennington's eyes narrowed, taking the sword back into his jaw and beginning to advance, as well. The mercenary's sword circled back around, missing Pennington by only inches as it returned to him. The two finally reached the same rooftop, each running towards the other, the hilts gripped firmly in their mouths. Moonstone watched as the two of them were about to collide, and the adversary turned his head to rear the sword back, readying for the killing blow yet again. To his surprise, Pennington dropped and rolled, spitting out his scimitar and forcing the saddle arabian to fall on top of him, striking his head against the ground. As he slowly sat up, trying to regain his bearings, there was a flash of golden light as Pennington levitated his scimitar into the air with one swift motion, striking upwards and slicing off the mercenary's horn, which clattered to the ground. As the killer began to scream with pain, Pennington arched his back and stood up, forcing him off his back and onto the ground.
"Now, he'll leave us alone... Or he'll lose more than his horn, next time. And maybe he'll think more about his clients from now on."
Moonstone looked back at the unconscious pony before following Pennington down from the rooftop.
Penn's different. It's not always obvious, but... he's changed since Canterlot. As she finished the thought, however, a familiar, unavoidable sensation of something rising up from her stomach shuddered through her body, and she opened her mouth, expelling a burst of fire that materialized into a scroll, as if burning in reverse. Picking it up from the ground, she opened it and began to read.
"Who's it from, Moonstone?"
"It's- it's from Princess Luna! She says that she needs us back at Canterlot as soon as possible!"
Only able to hold one object at a time with his magic, Pennington quickly finished cleaning his blade and returned it to the sheathe on his back before levitating the scroll to read for himself. Moonstone could almost see the cogs turning in his head as he tried to determine whether or not the emergency described was enough to warrant returning to the city.
Pennington took a deep breath as he stepped off of the train and into Canterlot. His chest was tight and he frowned with anxiety as he looked around the city. Even in the few months since the attack on the royal wedding, Canterlot had rebounded beautifully, with all the residents and even the princesses having banded together in the aftermath. At least, that was what he'd heard. The last time that he had been here, the ponies and the city had been in shambles, both with gaping wounds ripped into them by the changeling army.
I know that no one blames me for what happened. They say that I couldn't have done anything to stop it... But that's not true. I was the one who delivered the plan right into their hooves. I was the one who showed Chrysalis the way in and helped subjugate Princess Cadenza... I- A gentle claw gripping at his shoulder snapped him out of his self-depreciation.
"Penn? How are you holding up?" Moonstone asked quietly.
Pennington shook his head, trying to clear away the depressive fog in his brain. "I'm- I'm fine."
Moonstone's eyes narrowed as she climbed down off of his back and stood in front of him to look directly into his eyes.
"I know that you're fine. No injuries, you're not sick, and you're all in one piece. Perfectly fine." Her gaze softened as she continued staring. "I'm asking how you feel. In your heart."
After another moment, Pennington looked down, giving in. "Miserable... Still guilty."
Moonstone smiled slightly, obviously happy that she hadn't needed to use her "gift" to find the truth from him. "Well, that makes me glad that we saved a few of these from our last visit to Ponyville!" Reaching into his saddlebag, she pulled out a small candy wrapped in plastic. Unwrapping it, she held it up to Pennington. "Come on! There's nothing to cheer you up like one of Bon Bon's caramels!"
Pennington gave a weak smile and levitated the candy up and into his mouth, where he began to gently suck on it, feeling the firm caramel melt and soften on his tongue.
"Better?"
He gave the smallest of nods.
"Good! Now let's get going! Luna's waiting, after all!"
Luna and Celestia quietly waited together in the grand hall. Each of them were looking up at the stained glass, remembering the past battles of Equestria, both their own and the more recent of their pupils.
"And you're certain that we couldn't try to get the elements of harmony there, Eclipse?" Celestia asked quietly.
The draconequus, who was reclining across the throne, refusing to sit in it properly, shook his head. "If we tried, it would be almost certain that one of the six ponies would be killed, either by the dragon or the natural elements being hurtled at them.
"And with a skilled guide?"
"Trying to protect them all would be too much to ask of any pony. I know what you're thinking, Celestia, but this will be hard enough for Pennington on his own." Luna shook her head. "Besides, this is the only way we can-"
"He's here." Eclipse interrupted her, standing up and walking between the two alicorns. "Make up your minds, he won't wait long."
Celestia and Luna looked quietly at one another.
"What if he fails?"
"Then we try again. But right now, he's our best option."
Celestia let out a long sigh.
"Sister, please trust me..."
"Fine, Luna. But he's your protege. He'll follow you almost blindly, and his life is in your hooves depending on what you tell him."
Luna cast an anxious glance towards the doors, then slowly swung the them open with her magic.
"After Chrysalis, I doubt he follows anyone blindly."
As the doors revealed Pennington standing there, Luna almost didn't recognize him. When last she'd seen him, Pennington had been blue from his head to his hooves, both literally and metaphorically, with his blue mane matching his dark coat. He had mentioned once in passing that his blue mane was simply dyed, but she'd never taken it as significant. Now, however, it looked as if he had grown it out in its natural colors: autumn-esque shades of red and orange. When he had left, his legs had all been wrapped in white gauze to hide the wounds remaining from the changeling's near-assimilation. Now, he seemed to have healed, and had removed the wrappings around his legs, at least for their current meeting. The pony who had left Canterlot with his head hanging and his tail between his legs, believing his destiny to have been a lie his entire life, now entered more somber, more serious, with a large sword strapped to his back by a leather belt across his chest. Moonstone followed quickly and quietly behind, hurrying to keep up with his pace. After walking to her, Pennington bowed his head and lowered himself to one knee, bowing in front of her.
"I believe you asked me to come, your highness?"
Rolling her eyes, Luna picked him up with her magic and placed him back on four hooves. "That's Luna to you, Pennington. I would prefer if you recognize that there is no formality between us, nor has there EVER been. But yes, I did ask you to come here..." Turning her back to him, she walked to one of the windows, staring at the rivers of water running down on the other side of the stained glass. "I trust your journey was pleasant?"
After a few seconds, Pennington finally gave a tired smile, relaxing slightly as he recognized Luna's typical desire for a personal connection with others, tossing aside any formalities.
"Well, the weather was a bit more wet than we would have preferred when we were getting off the train... And getting on the train. In fact, all over Equestria!" He shook his head. "It looks like weather ponies all across the country went crazy! We drove through a blizzard, a windstorm verging on pulling us off the tracks, lightning struck us on at least ten separate occasions, narrowly avoided landslides, mudslides, and even an avalanche!"
"Not to mention that they were handing out complimentary umbrellas at the station..." Moonstone muttered.
"If only we could blame it on the weather ponies..." Luna shook her head. "But most of them are trying to counteract the storms that they can... It's all out of control."
"Or rather, under someone else's control." Celestia shook her head, joining them at the window.
"Someone else? How?"
"Pennington, you're an acolyte of Quill the Scribe, are you not?" Eclipse's voice came from the back of the room, forcing all four of them to turn around.
"Well, 'acolyte' is more often a term pertaining to religion, but the intent is correct... I haven't seen you since you needed some help with Whipstitch, Mr. Tumult." Pennington smiled.
Eclipse stepped out from behind the throne, nodding in reply. He lacked his normal chipper demeanor, however. "Well, are you familiar with how Quill was killed?"
Pennington frowned slightly, glancing at Moonstone for a moment before looking back at Eclipse. "Well, according to the records and legends, his dragon companion went mad and killed him in ice and fire..."
Eclipse raised an eyebrow, a smile tugging at his lips. "That's more accurate than I expected... But you may want a more complete version of the story. I can tell you what happened."
"Quill's dragon companion, Scorch, was actually a much older dragon than Moonstone. He was in was most dragons would consider the age of young adulthood. He had played the companion to several other ponies, before, and I think that watching people constantly grow old and pass away was beginning to get to him, and he had a nervous breakdown. It's been known to happen in creatures of exceedingly long lifespans, and is usually considered the equivalent of a mid-life crisis on a much larger scale. He claimed that Quill was simply the same ponies he'd met before, living the same life in a different time period each time. He called Quill an abomination against nature and completely obliterated him, using a powerful artifact to freeze him, stab him through the chest and into his heart, and then violently electrocute him with the force of 1000 thunderstorms..." Eclipse shook his head. "Quill was one of the few ponies I wish I had known better during the days when Discord had been trying to take over Equestria."
"And we think that it may be Scorch or one of his progeny who is doing this, using that same magical artifact to control the weather in a deliberate attack on Equestria from the southern mountain ranges." Luna shook her head. "The object itself is called the 'Windigo Gauntlet,' and it seems to be able to control the weather and weather-related elements..."
"So... Let me get this straight." Pennington shook his head, obviously trying to grasp the situation. "You want me to go on a quest to steal an object of near-unimaginable power from literally right on the claws a dragon more than a thousand years old who killed one of the greatest and bravest ponies who ever lived? By freezing him solid, stabbing him through the heart, and electrocuting him? All while avoiding what is likely going to be dangerous weather, terrain, and probable outright attacks on myself and Moonstone?"
"That summarizes the situation, yes." Celestia smiled. "Sounds like the kind of challenge you would enjoy, doesn't it?"
The words seemed to strike Pennington deeply, his face turning first to surprise, then quietly burning anger. Without a word, he turned around, walking towards the door.
"I don't do things for the challenge any more, Celestia, and I certainly don't just do it for pleasure..." He growled. "Find some other pony to do your work. I'm sure you could find an adrenaline junkie among your guards. In fact, I have a few friends at the NLR who would be happy to try something like that!"
Luna shot a glare towards Celestia before turning her attention to her departing student. Surprisingly, it was Moonstone who spoke first.
"The ponies who died in the invasion, Penn!"
Pennington froze in his tracks, pausing for a moment before turning back to look at her. "What about them, Moonstone? What would you like to say about the lives I'm accountable for?" The mentioning of the memory, most of all in the very room where he had lost his horn, had struck another, much more tender nerve.
"You said that you left Equestria to try to atone for them, right? You told me that you hoped that someday you could feel like you deserved to live among them again..." She shook her head. "Well, Luna and Celestia are asking you to save Equestria!" She pointed to one of the windows, indicating the rain. "Ponies are freezing and drowning and being swept up in tornadoes! Ponies are being stuck deliberately by lightning and buried in mudslides! And if they aren't now, then they will be soon! If you could stop this... If you could save them all, wouldn't you think that would be enough? Don't you think being a voluntary hero could redeem you from your coerced villainy?" She slowly let her arm fall to her side again. "And if you died in the attempt, wouldn't that give everything you ever have been, are and will be to try and save them? Wouldn't you die a martyr? For THEM? Wouldn't that be enough?" She stamped her foot, her claws clattering against the tiled floor. "This is your redemption! You can't just throw it away because of your stupid PRIDE!"
Pennington looked down at the ground, his back still to them making it impossible to see his face. After a few seconds, he took a deep breath inward, practically floating up into the air before releasing it in a long, raspy sigh from the back of his throat.
"Moonstone?"
There was a beat of silence as everyone waited to see what would happen.
"I'm going to need maps. Lots of maps."
Moonstone smiled with a quick nod. "I can find everything we'll need in the Archives!" Before running off to the Royal Archives, she turned back to Luna with a smile.
"You can thank me for changing his mind later. And, no offense, but make sure that your sister doesn't tick him off again. He's still pretty bitter about the whole 'my life is a lie and everything I've ever done was really for myself' revelation." With a wink, she flew up into the air and out of the room, leaving to find the materials she knew he would need.
Celestia quietly cleared her throat, breaking the silence. "Well, we've prepared a room for you while you're getting ready, Pennington. Dinner is at 7:30, and we'll send a guard to let you know when it's time to eat. Feel free to use whatever you feel you need to in order to be ready for this journey."
"Actually, your highness, I already had plans for dinner, but thank you nonetheless." Pennington smiled, turning back to face the two of them, now smiling. "And I believe that I'll be able to find everything that I need back in Ponyville, in my own home. If Moonstone and I can find all of the reference materials we need today, then we won't even need to spend the night here." With a short, small bow of his head, he left the room just as quickly as he had entered, leaving both princesses surprised. After a beat of silence, Luna finally spoke up.
"You almost ruined it, Tia. Did you really think that teasing him about his old habits was a good idea?"
"I'm sorry, Luna. I guess that I don't have Moonstone's silver tongue." Looking around the room, Celestia noticed that a new object had appeared that hadn't been there before: A white mask in one of the shadowed corners of the room. With a thought, she levitated it up to eye level. The face was like a skull, with deep, sunken eyes and a pointed muzzle lined with teeth sculpted to look as if they were razor sharp. The teeth were pulled into a disgusting, sadistic grin, unevenly painted red along the center to look as if they were bloodstained.
"Don't put it on." Luna spoke softly.
"Then this is the mask he talked about in his letters? It's really still following him?"
Luna nodded, even as the mask disintegrated away in Celestia's grasp, disappearing first into smoke, then nothing at all.
"Should we worry about it?" Eclipse asked.
"It won't do any good if we do. Unfortunately, like so many of his problems right now, it's his own demon to deal with."
Pennington hesitated for a moment at the door, sheltered under the black umbrella affixed to his saddlebag. He didn't enjoy standing in the rain, but he needed a moment to steady himself. It wasn't as easy, going around without Moonstone at his side. He felt exposed without her, but he knew that she was probably somewhere deep in the archives, gathering all of the information she could about what they were going to face and the path they would likely take. Taking a deep breath, he lifted up his hoof, rapping it firmly on the door.
Well, no turning back now...
The door swung open after a few seconds with a sky-blue glow, revealing a pink-coated alicorn standing behind, a wide grin across her face.
"Mom! Pennington's here!" She called, turning her head back towards the inside of the house."
"Well, don't let him stand around out there!" Twilight Velvet's voice called back, obviously in another room. "Invite him in!"
Cadence stepped to the side, allowing Pennington to enter. Pennington took a few steps inside, using his magic to shut the umbrella and shake off the excess water outside before placing it inside, leaning against the door frame. After only a few seconds, he was bowing to the princess, head low and standing on one knee.
"It is always a pleasure and an honor, Princess Cadenza..."
Cadence rolled her eyes, but nodded her head in acknowledgement. "The feeling is mutual, Pennington, but you don't have to be so formal! Here, we're all family! You don't need to bow, and just 'Cadence' is fine!"
Pennington felt a twinge of pain at the undeserved amity, especially since the last time he'd seen her had been at the reception of the wedding he very nearly ruined. According to her wishes, he did rise to his hooves. Before he could speak, however, Shining Armor entered the room, as well, prompting a respectful salute.
"Captain Armor, it's good to see you doing well..."
"At ease, Inkwell!" Shining Armor chuckled. "Just like Cadence said, we're all family here! I'm not 'Captain Armor' and she's not 'Princess Cadenza.' We're your friends." He grinned wider as Pennington relaxed slightly and lowered his hoof again. "Now, come on inside. My mom is making her famous spicy chili!"
As Shining and Cadence walked into the next room, Pennington couldn't resist the smile tugging at his lips. When they had been told what had happened, the two of them had not only been willing, but eager to shift all of the blame onto Chrysalis. It was still beyond Pennington's comprehension that they had been so willing to forgive him, but for the first time in a long time, he felt a warmth in his chest that reminded him that he was loved. The melancholy grin still stretched across his face, he followed the two of them into the next room: the dining room. The couple were seated, along with Twilight's father, around a medium-sized dining table with five places set, including a place for himself.
Not waiting for Pennington to sit down with them, Nightlight stood up from his seat, walking to Pennington and giving his hoof a firm shake.
"Glad to have you back again, Pennington! How have you been?"
Pennington smiled as Twilight's father walked him to his seat. "Well, I've been as well as you could expect, I guess. I've really been out there, traveling from place to place, taking action where I see it's needed. It's rewarding enough, but I still don't feel like I've really found what I'm supposed to be doing with my life..."
"Taking action? Like what?" Shining Armor asked, leaning forward.
"Well, some vigilante work, a few old acquaintances who needed a favor or two that only I could accomplish, and some studying on the side for my beastiary." Pennington smiled. "Actually, just a few days ago, I helped to disband a trafficking outpost in Saddle Arabia."
"Like, drug trafficking?" Cadence asked, her eyes widening.
Pennington suddenly became aware of the fact that he was sitting at a dinner table, and cleared his throat nervously. "For the sake of our appetites, let's go with that story..."
The awkward stares he received may have lingered, had Twilight Velvet not entered the room, levitating several steaming bowls.
"Well, everyone, I hope you enjoy!" She grinned as she sat on the other side of her husband, placing bowls down in front of all the ponies present. After making certain that everyone had a bowl, she placed one in front of herself and turned to Pennington.
"So, Pennington, tell us all what you've done over the past months! We're all eager to know! Have you found what you're looking for?"
Pennington took a moment to ponder the question, then shook his head. "I really didn't have a plan when I left, I just knew that I couldn't stay put and twiddle my hooves. I've been all over, but I still can't figure out what I'm supposed to be doing. There's nothing I've found that I'm as good at or enjoy as much as my old 'adventuring...'" Taking a moment to blow the piping spoonful of chili, he took a large bite, chewing thoughtfully. It was sweet, while still keeping a refreshingly edged burn on his tongue from the spice. He let out a small hum of pleasure at the taste, chewing well before swallowing.
"I told you it was good!" Shining Armor chuckled, his bowl already beginning to noticeably drain.
Twilight Velvet smiled. "Thank you very much! Well, I think that you'd like an update involving that manuscript you gave me, wouldn't you?"
Pennington nodded, taking another large bite.
"Well, I thought that what you had was fantastic! Right up to par with what I expected from Scorching Quill. I could tell that it was a first draft, so I made some revisions and edits. I added a bit of my own 'flair,' if that doesn't bother you!"
"No, no! Not at all! It's your story, after all!"
"Well, all that it really needed was an ending! I considered Daring simply returning the amulet to where it belonged or locking it away someplace safe, but it just seemed a little too 'tame.' So, instead, I had her destroy it and have to fight the alicorn spirit living inside!"
Pennington, who had been taking a long drink from his glass of water, snorted violently, spitting back into the cup and placing it down before beginning to violently cough. Nightlight rushed over to his guest, patting his hoof against his back as he gasped for air. After almost a minute had passed, Pennington finally stopped coughing, drawing in haggard breaths.
"I'm- I'm sorry! I can change it! In fact, I could go and throw the entire thing away, right now!" Twilight's mother glanced nervously around, trying to make sense of Pennington's reaction. Almost immediately, Pennington raised a hoof, signaling for her to wait.
"Are- are you kidding? I LOVE it! You just caught me by surprise!" He wheezed, sitting down again, leaning against the table. "I never would have thought of something like that! It's brilliant!"
"Pennington, your hoof..." Cadence whispered, nodding towards the offending limb, with which he was reaching for his glass of water again. There was a small, dark circle forming on his hoof, where blood was mingling with fur. Immediately, Pennington's hoof retreated back under the table in a flash, and he picked up the drink with his magic.
"It's nothing! My hoof just got dipped in the chili when I started coughing." He gave an unconvincing grin as he took a long sip to clear his rasping throat. "I'll just go to the bathroom to clean myself up!"
"Pennington, I know my mom's chili..." Shining Armor spoke quietly. "That wasn't it."
"If you'd just excuse me, for a moment?" Pennington stood up, not waiting for a reply from the others at the table, and walked back to the room where he had first entered the house, immediately going to his saddlebags and pulling out a roll of gauze. He quickly began to wrap the bandages around his hoof with practiced ease. He shook his head as he looked at the multiple spots of bloody fur, each one where a changeling hole had been in his leg. He was halfway through wrapping his second front leg when he heard the sound of hooves entering the room.
"I'm sorry to ruin dinner so suddenly..." He muttered, not bothering to turn around: he had been able to sense who it was from the gentle, loving energy radiating out across the room. "I thought that this might not happen... That I could make it through a meal with you without-"
"You carry gauze with you now?" Cadence asked softly, both concern and surprise in her voice.
Pennington sighed, turning around to face her as he used his magic to move on to bandaging his back legs. "It's nothing serious. More of an inconvenience, really... It's just-" He took a deep breath, pondering his words carefully. "This doesn't that often. Usually if I'm around another changeling-"
"A changeling. Not another."
"With all due respect, Princess, I've been involuntarily leeching off just your ambient 'love aura' since I stepped through the door." He shook his head. "Like it or not, they'll always be a part of me. I fell too deep and too far for any of us to do anything about that. I thought that I would be able to last at least an hour before I started bleeding." He glanced up at the clock. "Fifteen minutes, give or take a few. The beast is still pretty strong, even after all this time." Finishing the wrapping on his last leg, he smiled and placed the remainder of the bandages back into his bag.
Cadence stepped forward, slowly, and when Pennington made no indication that he was opposed to her drawing near, she walked to him and bowed her head slightly.
"I'm- I'm sorry if being around me caused this to happen..."
Pennington stood for a moment, simply in shock. "N-no! That's not what I meant! I mean, it's MY fault! Not yours! I just... I didn't want to face you again before I had control over myself! I just- I..." After a few seconds, Pennington's muddled thoughts began to pull themselves into coherent sentences. "Princess, we wouldn't be here if I had just worn the wrappings the way I usually do. The whole reason I came here without them was because I felt like, after what I did to you and Captain Armor, I needed to prove that I had what had caused it all under control before I deserved to face you again!" The confession finally having escaped, he looked down at the ground, tears welling up in his eyes. "I just... I lost what was a crucial battle of wills, and it nearly destroyed Equestria as we know it... It nearly killed you! That's another reason I left: I didn't deserve to live among the ponies I almost ruined life for. But now, I'm forced to come back, and I come to a point where we're face-to-face all over again, and I can't even hide what's buried in my skin and inscribed across my bones..."
Cadence spoke softly, lifting up his chin to look her in the eyes. "Yes, those old wounds in your legs are because of your decisions and what you consider a 'weak will...' But so is this." Reaching up, she parted the hair around her horn, showing a golden, bejeweled ring nestled at the base. "You saved my life because you were strong enough to stand up to Chrysalis. You were the one who warned us about what would happen, and you were the one who made the most sacrifice to set things right..." She moved her hoof from the base of her horn to the tip of his, gently tapping its nerveless point, creating nothing more than a soft "thud."
"Shining Armor and I would have been lost to one another forever if you hadn't fought as bravely as you did... Don't you think that it's time you stopped blaming yourself?"
Pennington pondered the question for a moment, then shook his head. "No, but it is time that I redeemed myself."
"I don't know about this, Twilight..." Spike muttered as they both stepped through Pennington's front door. "I mean, didn't Pennington say that you should only do this if you were in a life-threatening or Ponyville-destroying situation?"
"Ponies' lives are being threatened, Spike!" Twilight shook her head as the glow from her horn faded away. "If it weren't for my casting a shield over us, we would have been struck by lightning a dozen times just making this short walk from the library to Inkwell Commissions! Ponies can't leave their homes! Sooner or later, somepony is going to need to try to get outside to go and get food or some other necessity! And then, ZAP!" She took in a deep breath. "I'll have to send Pennington a letter telling him to stay away from Ponyville until this is all over... But he told us that if the town was ever in danger, we could find everything that we needed to fight back here, in his home!"
As Twilight walked back behind the empty counter of his shop, Twilight couldn't help but remember the first day that she had met Pennington. I walked into this shop and stood in front of this very counter, thinking that I was staring at a pony who needed to learn about friendship... Imagine my surprise when we wound up teaching each other more than we could have imagined! She chuckled, taking only the briefest of moments to stand in the same place he had been sitting, praising her for defeating Nightmare Moon and Discord and offering her an "Element of Harmony Discount" on the story she had asked him to write. It didn't take long for the seriousness of the situation to creep back into her thoughts, however, and she returned to the original reason that she and Spike had come: to fight back the lightning storms that would reduce the town to cinders if left unchecked.
Without a word, she walked through his kitchen and into the hall near the back of his house, where she soon found the door to his study with its traditional dozen locks and bolts. Every one of them could only be opened from the inside, with the sole exception of a spell allowing outside entry.
"Man, when Pennington says 'Do not disturb,' he means it..." Spike muttered.
Rolling her eyes, Twilight placed the tip of her horn against the topmost of the mechanisms. During one of his visits, Pennington had taught her the combination of words that acted as the key to his sanctum, allowing her to enter at any time.
"Ostentatious paradigm shift..," She whispered. As soon as the words had left her mouth, the locks moved on their own, each taking a turn to disengage and open the way inside. After only a couple seconds, the door swung open on its own, allowing them inside.
"Ostrich-para-what-now?" Spike scratched his head.
"Penn said he wanted to choose a set of words that would be near-impossible for anyone to guess on their own. That way, no one could get inside unless he wanted them to. They're just fancy words." Twilight smiled. As they stepped inside, Twilight and Spike found themselves entering what seemed to be almost an entirely new world. Pennington's study was the one room that he seemed to have spent a decent amount of money furnishing, including a large, dark wood desk, a wide array of shelves from wall to wall a few feet above their heads, and a massive skylight in the roof that acted as a two-way mirror, allowing them to see out while no one could see in.
Through the skylight, they could easily see a reminder of why they had come here. The sky was completely overcast with dark clouds that refused to leave, raining down lightning on the town by the second, with bolts striking almost anywhere and everywhere, focusing on places where large groups of ponies had gathered. There was definitely something unnatural about it all, and Twilight suspected that it was a deliberate attack on the town. Walking to the only bookshelf that was self-contained, rather than wall-to-wall, Twilight stared up at the spines of the layers of books.
"Now, then... Which ones did Pennington say to pull?" Spike muttered, walking up next to her.
"The three copies of Daring Do and the Dangerous Descent into the Dragon's Den!" Twilight's eyes scanned the tomes with practiced ease, picking out the alliterative title.
"Oh, right... How could I forget that?"
As soon as she had spotted all three of the identical books, Twilight used her magic to try and remove them all from the shelves. As soon as they had all been pulled out as far as they would come, there was a sound of several loud gears turning, and the shelf swung away from the wall like a door, revealing a stairwell downwards into the darkness. Twilight and Spike both glanced at one another in shock, before Twilight's face broke into a large grin.
"I guess he still has a few surprises for me, doesn't he?"
As they both stepped inside, however, Twilight stopped, examining a note on the door/shelf.
My dearest Twilight,
If you're here, then you must be in danger. Ponyville itself must be in danger. This is a safe place, and you can simply shut the door behind you and be locked away where no one can reach you. But if you're here looking to help, then there are a few things that you should know:
1. IF YOU ARE NOT IN IMMEDIATE DANGER, TURN AROUND. THIS IS FOR EMERGENCIES ONLY, NO MATTER HOW GREAT YOUR CURIOSITY.
2. Read everything before you touch anything. I've left a summary of every artifact on its container. Almost nothing in this room should kill you immediately if you handle it properly.
3. If you find a mask in here, DO NOT PUT IT ON. This is the MOST IMPORTANT note to remember. I've found dozens of strange and powerful items over the years, and I've held on to many of them, both for myself and the general needs of the New Lunar Republic. However, no artifact that is supposed to be in here takes the form of a mask! There is one that may have somehow sneaked its way inside. Especially on the face of a pony as strong as you are, that mask is far more dangerous than whatever is threatening Ponyville.
Follow these rules, read everything you should (just as I know you will, regardless), and you should be able to stop whatever threat you encounter. If all else fails, stay safe, my dear. There is a small switch behind this note that can lock down the Vault in an emergency. Use it if you need to, but keep yourself safe and alive.
I love you,
Pennington.
P.S. If you're not Twilight Sparkle or one of her friends, GET OUT OR I WILL KILL YOU MYSELF.
"Seems a bit passive-aggressive, doesn't he?" Spike shook his head.
"Well, he DID write these the night before he left, and he wasn't exactly in his normal state of mind. I'm not surprised if it reflected in the notes..." Twilight gently tugged it off the wall, walking down into the dark cellar. "Come on, Spike! Let's see what Penn has for us!"
After hesitating for a moment, Spike followed her down, having no idea what they would find in Pennington's "Vault."
Moonstone took a deep breath as she walked into Pennington's study, smiling at the familiar scents of dry paper, wet ink, and the remnants of the smoke from the stove in the corner. She had to admit to herself, she had missed this place while they were traveling. Even the limited view of the sky, usually something that would bother a dragon, was a familiar vantage point that she had missed. Staring up through the skylight, she watched a series of flashes roll through the clouds.
Twilight told us that there were lightning storms here in Ponyville, but it seems rather tame... She thought to herself as she walked over to Pennington's desk. To her surprise, when she fluttered up to the top of the desk, Spike was nestled in Pennington's chair, staring up at the clouds and gnawing at his nails.
"Oh! What's up, kiddo? What are you doing here?"
For once, Spike didn't seem bother by the fact that Moonstone was older than him and treated him as such, simply pointing up at the skylight and swallowing loudly.
"J-just watching Twilight trying to get rid of the lightning storm..."
Moonstone looked up again, and as she did, another series of flashes lit up the sky, this time outlining a figure of a pony with an oversized pair of wings. It only took that brief moment for Moonstone to recognize one of the favorite of Pennington's artifacts: his artificial wings.
"You two went into the Vault? For THIS?" Moonstone gave Spike a wary glance, more worried about him and Twilight than the storms outside.
"H-hey! I tried to tell her it wasn't a good idea!"
Moonstone shook her head sadly. "Penn is not going to be happy..."
High above Ponyville, Twilight Sparkle floated in the midst of the dark storm clouds, patiently waiting for the next bolt of lightning. Despite their painful application, as per Pennington's instructions, the wings had been surprisingly intuitive, relying more on her thoughts for their flight and trajectory than on any kind of flapping motion.
Looking around Pennington's vault, it hadn't taken her long to devise a plan to draw the lightning away from Ponyville's inhabitants, even if it was only a temporary solution. Casting one additional spell onto the wings, she had given them a strong magnetic field that drew in all the thunderbolts within a wide radius. Unfortunately, there weren't the ordinary thunderclouds that pegasi on the weather patrol were used to dealing with. These were what Rainbow Dash had called "feral lightning," much more powerful and potent than what was considered safe for even the strongest of storms.
Thankfully, with a bit of ingenuity Twilight had, just as the note had claimed she would, found everything that she had needed in the vault. So, along with the iron wings, she had taken into herself what Pennington had labeled an "Electrical Symbiote." The note had explained that the creature, which appeared to be some kind of living bolt of energy, would scatter itself along her nervous system and feed off of unnecessary electrical impulses. On the bright side, however, the symbiote would purportedly increase her reflex speed, boosted her physical strength and speed, and even boost the efficiency of the firing of neurons in her brain, increasing her already formidable intelligence.
It also seemed to enjoy gorging itself on any lightning that struck her.
Armed with these two artifacts, she had taken to the skies, flying rapid circles over the town, picking up most, if not all, of the lightning strikes and allowing the ponies of the town to finally move freely. Spike, in turn, had run from door to door, announcing that there had been a reprieve to the onslaught and that ponies could go out to try and collect their needed supplies before retreating back to their homes.
She cringed as three more bolts struck her together, pouring their energy into her body in mid-flight, leaving their entry points on the wings glowing red with heat and sending painful shocks through her body. Still, her focus refused to be swayed, and she remained airborne and flying, feeling the pain dissipate quickly after as the electrical creature she held inside of her body consumed it all like candy.
Still flying in circles and being constantly barraged by lightning at every second, Twilight wiped what felt to be a bucketful of sweat from her brow. One of the unfortunate side effects of the symbiote, her body temperature had been steadily rising, giving her a burning feeling all over her body and what she estimated was a frighteningly high fever. She knew that she would have to stop soon and remove the wings and the creature from herself.
At the current rate that my body temperature is increasing, the rate at which these wings are draining nutrients and other necessities from my body, and the probable pain of removing the parasite again, I have approximately fifty-seven minutes before I'll be required to stop and rest to remove them.
There was a brief flash out of the corner of her eye, hardly noticeable among the blinding lightning. She didn't pay any mind to it. At least, she didn't until a large blade stabbed through her wing, piercing through it like a hot knife through butter.
"AH!" Staring at the sword that was now lodged in the artificial wing, Twilight tried to understand where it could have come from or why it was there, but her enhanced mind quickly called up the memory of where she had seen it before like a photograph. She could see that blade again, mounted on Pennington's wall in his study.
"TWILIGHT SPARKLE! GET DOWN HERE!" From far below, Pennington's voice made its way up to her through the wind and the rain. Though it was much fainter in volume than it must have been on the ground, she couldn't help but cringe at the untempered rage that it carried with it, not at all faded by the distance.
"I CAN'T!" Twilight shouted in return. "If I do, the lightning will hit YOU down there!"
There was a short pause as Pennington took a brief moment to think.
"INKWELL COMMISSIONS. NOW!"
Twilight took a deep breath, trying to steady her nerves in spite of the pain, which she had quickly become accustomed to. Unfortunately, Pennington didn't seem to have become accustomed to much at all over the months. She had only seem him a couple of times since he had left, and his letters had often ranged from detailed accounts of the day to a checklist of meals and essential actions, culminating in the last box reading "still alive." Whenever he came back to town for his mandatory visits, the first thing he would normally do is hug her tightly, holding her tight and close, like a foal would hug his stuffed toy for comfort after a nightmare. Twilight couldn't help but wonder what he may have gone through that he hadn't included in his letters to her.
Not every horror comes from monsters and changelings. Not for him, any more. I just... I don't know whether to describe him as "unsettled" or "unstable." She thought to herself as she dipped lower in the sky, emerging from the bottom of the clouds.
"Spike! Is everypony back inside?"
"The Cakes offered to let ponies short on food stay in Sugarcube Corner, and everypony else ran to Sweet Apple Acres! They should all have enough food and water to last until the storm is over!" Spike shouted from his vantage point in the town square. "Pennington was just-"
"I know! Get back to Inkwell Commissions, Spike, I'm coming back down, and the lightning is going to start striking again!"
Spike nodded and took off running, quickly reaching Pennington's home and running through the front door. As soon as he was safe, Twilight flew downwards, already beginning to cast the release spell on the iron wings. She couldn't help but cringe as she felt the metal that had integrated itself into her body began to retract from inside, gathering in her back. By the time that she had reached Pennington's front door, the wings had almost completely returned to their base state: looking like a large amount of scrap metal piled on her back and held together by a group of chains. With a sigh of relief, she lifted the weight off of her back with her magic
"Okay, Spike! I'm ba-A-A-A-AAACK!" As she stepped through the door, a massive shock rocked through Twilight's body, causing her to cry out in pain. After a few short seconds, she slumped to the side, her physical strength gone. Thankfully, as she fell, she found herself leaning on a familiar blue stallion.
"Sorry for the shock, Twilight. But I've found that it's the best way to get that thing out of a pony's body..." He sighed as he gently took a hold of her hoof, lifting it up and out of a clear-walled container of water. Inside, Twilight could see the small arc of electricity bouncing back and forth between the walls, alive and obviously unhappy to have been drawn out of its host.
"You could have warned me, you know..." She sighed, tiredness washing over her.
"You could have listened to me when I told you not to go in there unless you were in life-or-death situations."
"Ponies were in life-or-death situations! Not everypony keeps three months' worth of ramen noodles in their attic!" Twilight argued, pulling away from Pennington to stand on her own hooves again. "Now, all of Ponyville is either at the Cake's bakery or Sweet Apple Acres, and they're not going to have to choose between starvation or electrocution!"
"Why didn't you just put some kind of shield around the town, or escort them under a protective bubble?" Pennington shook his head. "And what about lightning rods? Your library has one! Couldn't you go and install a bunch of them?"
"We didn't have time! We needed to get everyone in town someplace safe, and I'd exhaust myself holding up a shield that big or for that long! And if you want to go out and install a lightning rod on every rooftop in Ponyville, you can be my guest!" Twilight could feel some of her strength return as she spoke, and she stamped her hoof against the ground in frustration.
Pennington turned his head, staring straight into her eyes. "Twilight Sparkle, you are the most aggravating, single-minded, and stubborn mare in all of Equestria!"
"And you are the most hard-headed, reckless, and institutionally insane stallion in all of Equestria!"
The two stared at one another for a moment, palpable tension in the air. Slowly, however, the corners of Pennington's mouth pulled up into a smile. Almost instantly, the grin became a chuckle, which ignited a fit of laughter from Twilight. The two of them fell into a bout of laughter together that melted away the stress in the air, each one releasing all of their pent-up emotion at once, and stepping forward and embracing each other in a tight hug.
"I missed you so much..." Pennington whispered. "When I heard that Ponyville was being attacked like this, I nearly panicked..."
"I missed you, too." Twilight smiled. "But I always felt better when I remembered that you had left me a way to protect myself and everyone else right here..."
As they finally released one another, Pennington took a deep breath, stepping back again.
"I really needed that. You scared me to death when I saw you out there..." He said quietly, his eyes slightly watery. "Don't ever do that again, okay?"
Twilight looked down, sighing. "But what if Ponyville is in danger again? I can't just stand by and let things happen if that's the case!"
Pennington's smile fell, and he let out a long sigh.
:"Twilight, I left this behind to protect you! If you don't use it for that, why should I leave it open to you?" He shook his head.
"Because it can help ponies! Save lives!"
Pennington remained silent for a moment, as if in thought, then shook his head, dismissing the argument. His attention turned to the container of water, where the electrical creature was still zipping back and forth. Staring at the glass, his horn flashed with light, flickering with a faint blue aura. The water-filled box shivered slightly as he grunted with effort, his eyes screwing shut. One side of the container lifted almost an inch into the air before slamming to the ground again, the water sloshing from side to side inside.
"Penny, I can-"
"Moonstone! We've got the electrolyte parasite! Come and help me out!"
"You've got Twilight! Get her to help you!" Moonstone's voice came back from somewhere in the house.
"Penn, it's no problem..." Twilight tried to reassure him as she picked up the box of water with her magic, holding it in the air alongside the iron wings. "I can carry it back down to the vault..."
Pennington looked up at the box, staring for a moment before quickly turning away again, walking past the counter and into the hall at a hurried pace. Twilight couldn't help but cringe, realizing that the relative ease with which she could carry both the water and the wings may have struck a chord with the once-strong unicorn. Knowing that bringing it up to apologize would only call attention to his disability, Twilight silently followed after him, holding the container slightly lower to the ground.
"So, this is some kind of magical mask?" Spike held the object in question at arm's length, examining it. "What's so special about it?"
Moonstone was several steps away from him, looking at the mask like Spike had often seen Twilight look at the snakes when visiting Fluttershy's cottage: a mix of fear and dread. "Well, Penn says that if a pony puts it on, they'll gain extreme strength, speed, near-invulnerability-"
"Cool! So it gives you superpowers?"
"-a thirst for blood with a particular preference for ponies, the uncontrollable desire to eat flesh of any kind (also with an affinity for ponies), and becomes the vessel of an ancient and sadistic cannibal god called Cha'Qued."
"Oh..." Spike stared at the mask again, slightly appalled at what he was holding. "But, that's just a myth, right? An old ponies' tale? I mean cannibal gods don't exist, right?"
"Maybe not..." Moonstone pressed a thoughtful claw against her chin. "But it doesn't matter, because it's power definitely is. Every time that we've moved from place to place, Penn would try to break the mask with any tool he could find, but it refused to shatter. He would toss it into an incinerator and it would refuse to burn. He tied a stone to it and dropped it down a well, and it appeared on his nightstand the next morning. He even had an old friend of his bury it in a block of explosives and blow it to kingdom come!" She shook her head. "No matter what we do to it, we can't even chip the surface. And no matter how far behind we leave it, it always finds him again. It wants to be worn, and by one pony in particular..."
Spike stared at Moonstone, slowly setting the mask down on the floor and stepping away.
"Penn says that whatever secret there was to destroying it was lost when the temple it was kept in collapsed..." Moonstone continued, staring at the mask. "I never tell him, but... When I look at it with my 'gift,' there's a glow in those eye sockets. A red glow, always angled as if it was staring at him."
Spike felt shivers run down his spine.
"I-I think that's enough ghost stories for one night, d-don't you?"
Moonstone finally looked up at him, her gaze solemn and her face grim.
"Yeah... enough ghost stories. Penn and I aren't here for a friendly visit, after all."
"Then... what are you here for?"
There was a pause as the door to the study swung open, revealing Pennington. He wordlessly walked inside, pulling the triggers on the bookshelf to open the door to his vault. As the thick metal door opened, revealing the dark passageway, Pennington took a deep breath, as if the musty air of the secrets he had locked away over the years brought him comfort.
"We're here to prepare for an adventure... A quest." He trotted over to the two young dragons and snatched up the mask in his hoof, glaring at it for a moment before spinning around and hurling it through the murky entrance, where they could hear it clatter against the ground as it skittered across the floor.
"We're going to find the dragon responsible for this weather, take the magical artifact from him, and put an end to this insanity across Equestria, or I'm going to die trying."
Pennington cringed. He thought that he had gotten used to Twilight chewing him out over his "insanity" and yelling at him for being so "ridiculous," but his time away from Equestria had obviously re-established his sensitivity to the near-screaming. Twilight had sprung to her hooves when he had recounted his meeting with Luna in Canterlot, but he was sitting in front of the small wood-burning oven in the corner of the room, which Moonstone had started a roaring fire in. He was quietly writing out a message on a scroll, almost deceptively calm.
"We're going after the one attacking Equestria through its weather."
"You mean the ancient, gigantic, bloodthirsty DRAGON?"
Pennington took a deep breath, releasing it only after several seconds of trying to stay calm.
"Yes."
"Are you CRAZY?" Twilight shook her head, pacing back and forth across the study. "I mean, first of all, how are you planning to get there? On hoof? Do you have the necessary equipment for mountain climbing? Do you have any kind of plan for dealing with this radically changing weather? And what about if you actually manage to find this dragon? Are you just going to politely ask him to stop? Are you going to brandish your sword at him and expect him to be intimidated?"
Pennington felt a more-than-small amount of indignation beginning to build.
"Well, Princess Luna seemed pretty confident that I would be able to do it..." He muttered, his aggravation beginning to show.
"Princess Luna thought that you would be able to keep your changeling side at bay, too, and you wound up being forced to work for Queen Chrysalis until you cut off your own horn! She CAN make mistakes!" Twilight shouted, stamping her hoof and breathing heavily with rage.
No one moved for several seconds after Twilight finished, and the tension in the room seemed to peak during this pause. Twilight had lost her temper, as sound as her logic had been. Looking down at his note and keeping his back to Twilight, Pennington hastily scribbled the last few lines, then rolled and tied a ribbon to the scroll. Calmly and quietly, he stood up, turned around, and passed the note to Moonstone, not even looking at her.
"Moonstone, this is a letter to the Sure Shot, my friend from the New Lunar Republic. If anyone with any kind of sense in their heads is running the emergency response teams, every all-terrain vehicle should be being used right now to transport ponies from poorly-equipped rural areas to the safer urban environments with more protection, like Canterlot."
"So, what does the letter say?" Moonstone asked, glancing back at Twilight for a moment before returning her full attention to Pennington.
"I'm just going to ask for a ride when they make their way here to Ponyville. It shouldn't take them another day or two to get their rescue efforts here, and the Cliffjumper's gotta be out there, somewhere. That's why Twilight probably could have waited one more day and probably wouldn't have needed to open the Vault." He finally turned back to Twilight, taking another deep breath. "That's how I plan to get to Equestria's southern border, since the trains have been shut down completely in most places. I'll stop at the NLR for supplies, equipment and possibly some short training sessions, and then I'll set off on hoof the way that I have on every adventure I've ever been on to get through the mountains and find my way to Scorch. Hopefully, we'll be able quell his fury with some kind of precious gift... If not, it might come down to fighting." His eyes narrowed as he stared directly into Twilight's. In her eyes, he could see that she was regretting her earlier words to him about his failure at the mercy of the changelings. "If I need to fight Scorch to stop him, then I will. That's why I'm here: I need the Vault's artifacts if I want to stand any kind of chance."
Trying to calm down, he took another deep breath. Twilight is scared right now, and deep down, so am I. What she said was said out of fear for me. I have to keep that in mind.
He finally turned away from her again, knowing that they both had chewed one another out enough, and walked towards the dark doorway of the Vault.
"As for the changelings, neither of us were expecting the Queen to show up on my doorstep... And your brilliant mind didn't seem to think that my changeling side was a problem at the time, either. Luna can't account for everything, but that doesn't mean that she doesn't know what I can or can't do... Didn't Celestia ask you and your friends to stop Discord on your own? Didn't Celestia ask you and, in your words, you alone to save the entire Crystal Empire?" He shook his head, descending down into the darkness of his secret basement. "And you were able to do both of those things, in the end, with a little help from your friends."
"That's right!" Pennington heard Moonstone finally speak up, and the sound of fluttering wings warned him to brace himself as she landed heavily on his back, nearly knocking him off-balance. "And Penn isn't going to be alone, either! I'll make sure that he stays alive and gets the job done!"
Penn could tell from the sound of additional hooves on the stairs that Twilight was following him into the Vault.
"But Celestia had expected me to do it all on my own, and I wasn't able to... Who's to say that Luna isn't overestimating you the same way?"
"I think that the fate of Equestria says so." Pennington muttered. "Would you rather that I just sit here at home until the country is ripped apart and ponies really do start starving in their homes? This needs to be done, Twilight, so I'm going to do it!" Looking back at Moonstone, Pennington nodded towards a small lantern in the ceiling, and she nodded and flew up to light it. As a bright glow filled the room and illuminated everything inside, Twilight finally caught up to Pennington, standing beside him.
"You mean, 'we're going to do it,' right?"
A wave of warmth washed over Pennington for a moment as she gently placed her hoof on his shoulder, feeling somewhat melancholy as he realized the truth of the situation.
"Twilight... You can't come with me on this one."
The words seemed to inflict a physical blow to Twilight, causing her to step back in shock and stare at him in confusion.
"What? Why? Didn't I save you in the desert? Didn't I help protect your mind from the hive? Didn't I rescue you from Carnival Cat?" (At this point, Moonstone cleared her throat indignantly.) "Haven't I proven that I'm good enough for your crazy adventures?"
"Twilight, the desert and storm-ridden mountain ranges are two very different monsters to challenge, Twilight! Not to mention that you had the Elements of Harmony, your friends, and Zecora guiding you when you went into Everfree!" Pennington walked to one of the transparent compartments in the wall, lifting up the note to peer inside before a flash of his horn disengaged the lock with a grunt. "I can't protect you if there's an avalanche, and like it or not, with most of my magic gone, you would be trying to cast spells for the both of us and getting distracted. If I'm on my own with Moonstone, I can focus on a magic-less effort." Reaching inside the open compartment, Pennington pulled out a wand about as long as his foreleg, topped off by a sapphire the size of his hoof.
"Moonstone, in terms of dragon values, how much would the Tidal Wand be worth?" He passed the item to the dragon, who had climbed down to stand beside him.
"But- Pennington, I know we can do this together! You don't need to risk going on your own!" Twilight shook her head, following after him. "You don't need to worry about me, I can take care of myself!"
Moonstone, tapping the gem with her claw and examining it closely, nodded in approval. "In terms of size, it's okay... But the enchantment alone should make increase its worth tenfold. It would make a suitable gift if you wanted to quell his anger... for trespassing or something minor. We'll need more than this if he's angry enough to declare war on an entire country on his own."
Pennington nodded. "And if we need to fight him, getting him to munch on it would be enough to summon at least an entire lake's worth of water down his throat, and possibly his lungs." Turning away again, Pennington shook his head.
"Twilight, we're going to be long and far away from just about any help once we leave Equestria. The Eastern NLR stops at the Tigerous Forest, but the Southern Branch doesn't go beyond our borders. Suppose, for example, that we met another monster comparable to the dune worm in the mountains? Sure Shot won't be there to rescue us and nurse our wounds back to health. The stakes are much higher, and though you're skilled in magic far beyond anything I'll ever be, I still don't think you're ready..." Opening another cabinet, Pennington pulled out a thick, heavy black cloth.
"The Invisibility Cloak?" Moonstone asked. "I don't think he'll value that much... So you're bringing it for strategic reasons?"
Pennington nodded, placing the cloak on the ground in the center of the room, and then laying the Tidal Wand on top of it.
"Wait... Why don't they go farther south?" Twilight asked.
Pennington and Moonstone looked questioningly at one another for a moment, and Pennington moved on to more containers while Moonstone approached Twilight.
"Twilight, you do know that dragons are naturally carnivores, right? Children like Spike and I can live or even thrive on a lithovoric diet because we've been fed it since hatching, but most dragons need meat."
"Well, of course I know that! I learned all about dragons when I first adopted Spike!" Twilight nodded. "Celestia told me that I was to only feed him assorted rocks and minerals until he was five, and then try to move him towards pony food supplemented by gemstones!"
Moonstone nodded. "Dragons' ability to adapt is one reason they've lived so long as a species. Now, we reach the problem with traveling south of Equestria-"
"Moon Moon! What about the Sapphire Stone?"
"Are you joking?" Moonstone spun around, eyes wide with surprise. "The last thing we need is two of him!"
Pennington, who was holding the artifact in question, a blue statue of two jackals standing back-to-back, glanced at it, then back at Moonstone, a silly smile overtaking his serious expression.
"Or you, Penn!"
Pennington's smile lessened and he placed it back in its compartment, muttering something under his breath and moving on to the next one.
Shaking her head, Moonstone turned back to Twilight. "He never learns, does he? Anyway, as I was saying, the reason that traveling south is the fact that, the moment you set hoof outside of Equestria, you are in dragon country. And that is where Celestia's treaty with them runs out. The moment you cross over the border, you go from 'delegate' to 'delicacy.'" She heard a light snicker from Pennington as Twilight took a moment to process the idea that ponies could be considered fair game for food.
"That was almost poetic, Moonstone," Pennington said as he returned, holding another object. This one was an intricate ruby pendant on a thin chain. The jewel itself was encased in a lattice of silver, looking almost as if the had been spun by spiders, rather than crafted by pony hooves, that kept it in place and attached to the chain. "How about this?"
Moonstone turned and took it from him, examining the object.
"Well, the workmanship is certainly intricate, and dragons have an eye for quality." She lifted it up, holding it between her eye and the lantern, peering through it. "Definite clarity in the gem itself..."
"What- what's that?" Twilight asked.
"The Ruber Locomotus," Pennington replied. "You can place it on any kind of analogue for a body and it'll come to life. The only downside is that you'll have a homunculus without any physical needs that has only one driving instinct: to destroy the one who created it." He sighed as Moonstone passed it back to him, nodding her head, "Physical damage to the body doesn't seem to deter it, some kind of invisible force will continue to hold it together. So you can create life that only exists for the sole purpose of ending yours. Ironic, isn't it?" With little thought, he tossed it alongside the Tidal Wand, forming what was quickly becoming the most powerful mess of trinkets in Equestria.
"That- That's amazing!" Twilight shouted, rushing over to inspect it more closely.
Moonstone raised an eyebrow, somewhat dubious. "So, Twilight, you understand why you can't come, right?"
Twilight, who was almost completely focused on the pendant, seemed not to hear her.
Pennington rolled his eyes. "Twilight, are you listening? Twilight?"
"Twilight?"
"SPARKY!"
"Huh?" Twilight finally looked up from the amulet, giving him a somewhat confused expression.
"You understand why you have to stay here, don't you?"
"Well... No! If ponies are fair game where you're going, then I would only be in as much danger as you!" Twilight shook her head. "And that's nothing new! Not to mention that there's safety in numbers!"
Moonstone shook her head. "Twilight, you have to keep in mind that a hungry dragon would be more than a match for both of you at your full strength, and the more ponies on this expedition, the more likely they are to be discovered! Not to mention, Pennington has something that you don't. Something that will increase his odds of surviving dramatically."
"What?"
Pennington smiled and stepped up next to Moonstone, gently patting the spines on the top of her head. "A member of the Adelind bloodline. Moonstone has family in the South, and they might be able to help us stop Scorch."
"Adelind?" Twilight asked, tilting her head.
"Moonstone Chalcedonia Alis Adelinda, in fact!" Moonstone smiled and gave a small bow. "But you can just call me 'Moonstone!'"
"When Moonstone was first introduced to us, Luna just used her first name for simplicity's sake," Pennington continued. "But names are actually a bit more important to dragons than they are to us."
"The respect for my family might garner enough respect from other dragons to stop them from eating Penn," Moonstone nodded, "but I wouldn't hold enough sway for them to pass up two tasty morsels. That's another reason Penn and I need to go alone."
Twilight shook her head. "But I have Spike! He could-"
"What's his last name?" Moonstone folded her arms across her chest.
"What?"
"It's not the fact that I'm a dragon, Twilight! It's because of my blood. So where does Spike's blood come from?"
"I... I named him. He never needed a last name, because he was a member of my family..."
Moonstone shook her head. "Then all he would be able to do is stand by and watch as you're eaten like a candy bar."
Twilight looked down, tears beginning to form in her eyes. "But... I want to help you, Penny. I don't want to lose you all over again!"
"Twilight..." Pennington sighed and walked to her, sitting down and putting a hoof around her shoulders. "If I could do anything to lift this burden on you, I would... but sometimes we need to do things we don't want to. Being asked to do dangerous things is just a part of being trusted by Princess Celestia and Luna: we need to step up to the task sometimes. You fought Discord and saved the Crystal Empire, now it's my turn to save Equestria from danger." He nuzzled her cheek, giving it a gentle kiss.
"But- why did it have to be you? Again? Hasn't Luna had enough proof of who you are?" Twilight shook her head.
Pennington chuckled, pulling her to lean against his shoulder. "You know, I really can't say. She thinks I'm the only one who could do it on my own! And for me... This might be my chance to make right what happened at the wedding, so I'm taking it. I think, maybe if I do this, I can find some way to feel at peace again. I'll be able to stop searching for something to redeem myself. I think that I might need this as much as Equestria does."
"But what if you die? I'll never see you again!"
Pennington took a brief pause, then nodded. "That's true. But if I don't do this, then there are lots of ponies, families, friends, and even lovers, who will lose one another forever... The needs of the many have to come before the needs of the few, but the few also need to be willing to put themselves aside. I'm ready and willing to put myself aside, Twilight, but... that forces you to do the same thing, whether you want to or not." He placed his hoof under her chin, looking straight into her eyes. "This isn't like in the border town when we first met. I'm not hiding anything from you, and I'm not going to sneak away while you're asleep... but you can't follow me this time. I know that this is scary. It might even be scarier for you than it is for me. But if I don't do this, there are countless other who will surely go through the very heartbreak you're afraid might happen to you. So, I'll ask you this with them all in mind: Can you bring yourself to put yourself aside for countless others?"
Twilight looked up at him for a moment, then resigned herself to leaning against him, tears rolling down her cheeks.
"O-okay... But next time, I want to go with you!"
Pennington smiled, nodding and leaning down to kiss her cheek again. "Okay. Next time, we'll go on an exciting adventure together. One with volcanoes, tropical forests, and maybe even a few native tribes that we can stir up and barely escape with our lives!"
Twilight reluctantly found herself laughing through her tears, the giggles coming out in short bursts. "Maybe we could discover some ancient artifact or circumvent a thousand-year curse?"
"Sounds like fun! I think I know just the place we could go once I get back!" Pennington's grin grew wider as his hoof wrapped around her waist and pulled her closer.
Moonstone, recognizing the tender moment, nodded quietly towards the stairs and, with a confirming nod from Pennington, ascended back up into the study, where Spike was patiently waiting.
"So, what are you guys doing down there?"
Moonstone smiled, turning around and quietly shutting the door to the vault.
"Just preparing ourselves for what's to come, Spike." With a short flap of her wings, Moonstone was up on top of Pennington's desk. Hopping down into his wheeled chair, she took a reclined position, putting her claws behind her head. "So, what do you say you tell me all about the Crystal Empire? It was too far out of our way for Penn and I to visit on our way back."
Somewhat concerned, Spike glanced at the closed door to the vault.
"Aren't they-"
"They need a little quiet time, and it's perfectly simple to open from the inside!" She chuckled. "From the looks of it, they've both been under a lot of stress lately. It'll be healthy for both of them to have some private time to relax."
Spike gave one more concerned look at the door before shrugging and walking over to the desk to join Moonstone in the oversized chair.
"Well, you should know that I'm the one who saved the entire Crystal Empire! It all started with a letter from the Princess!"
"Doesn't it always?"
Dear Sure Shot,
My old friend, I apologize for the lateness of the hour. As you know, Equestria is in peril, and you are likely being called to help with the relief efforts, seeing as the Cliffjumper is the most reliable ship in the NLR. If you aren't in Equestria already, brace yourself, this weather's going to push your baby and her crew to their limits! In a similar manner, Princess Luna has called me to help, though the mission is going to push me to my limits. To make a long story short, I'm going to be leaving Equestria and trekking through the dragon lands in the South in order to find the malevolent claws orchestrating this attack and put an end to it. Unfortunately, this means that I need a ride to the border. I've already made a request to be placed aboard the Cliffjumper once relief efforts reach Ponyville, and Princess Luna approved it. I don't think I need to tell you that this mission is of the utmost importance, and you should be getting a debriefing letter soon.
I look forward to seeing you again soon.
The clock moves hour by hour,
Pennington Inkwell
Dear Pennyton,
You don't need the whole "lateness of the hour" thing in your letters, any more! We all know how to recognize a letter from Moonstone at this point. Not many ponies use dragon mail, so the security on your letters ain't so harsh, any more!
Anyhow, you're right. The Cliffjumper and I are on our way to Equestria right now, and if we get assigned to Ponyville immediately we oughta be there in two days. We'd all be happy to have you riding with us again, you're always welcome on my ship! I'll have Constant and Close keep a bed open in the medical bay for you, haha!
However, I think that, since you gave me a warning, I should give you one in return. Since this is an emergency operation, the NLR demanded we take on a few extra crew members so we'll be prepared if something goes wrong. That includes Quick Strike... I didn't like the look on her face when I told here you were coming. She said something about a "pop quiz." Ms. Yearling is here, too, though she didn't seem to be thinking anything bad. She just looked kind of... what's that word? Melancholy? Constant says that's right.
Anyway, since I know you're a distrustful stickler for security, here's your confirmation code: The clock is wound tight and the hours pass quickly. A late hour is but an illusion to the moon.
The next day, with Twilight's help, Pennington and Moonstone made their way to Sweet Apple Acres, where the majority of the ponies who had been in Ponyville had taken up shelter from the storm.Supposedly, he only wanted to be in a place where Sure Shot would find him easily, but Twilight couldn't help but wonder if he had ulterior motives. When the two of them had arrived, Applejack had immediately ushered them inside, where they were met by two steaming mugs of hot cider, and the two cousins had exchanged everything that they knew about the storm's origins and where it was coming from.
"Well, turns out that we weren't the only farm to take in folks for shelter," Applejack sighed, shaking her head, "but there ain't been much we can do other than that. Some farms have been completely washed away, blown over the horizon, or even burned down!"
Pennington nodded, taking a thoughtful sip. "Any news from Appaloosa?"
"Flooded. All the rivers broke their banks after just a couple days of the rain."
"San Palomino?"
"Frozen. They had to start chopping down their own trees just for something to burn!" Applejack shouted, slamming her hoof against the table.
Pennington took a quiet moment to think before speaking again.
"What about my parents?"
Applejack looked as if she were about to speak, but closed her mouth again, stumped.
"Well, I'm not sure where Aunt Celia was when the storms started... She could have been at any of the farms!"
Pennington looked down, disappointed and worried.
"Aw, come on, Penn! I'm sure they're fine!" Applejack tried to grin, giving him a friendly punch on the shoulder. "Come on, we Apples are a tough bunch! Yer makin' us look bad!"
This finally eked a chuckle out of the unicorn, who nodded and picked up his posture.
"Yeah... I'm sure they're fine!"
Moonstone, who was quietly curled up inside of their fireplace, opened one eye to look at Applejack.
"Hey, AJ, do you play any instruments? A little music might lighten the mood for all those ponies out in the barn. It should only be another day before Sure Shot gets here, but a mass exodus is going to need high morale..."
Applejack's expression brightened and she gave an eager nod. "Ah can play a mean banjo when I wanna! And I know we got a few ponies out there who can play! That ain't a bad idea, Moonstone."
"I try..." Moonstone grinned smugly before shutting her eye again, seemingly going back to sleep. She had hardly left the fireplace since they'd first arrived, far more comfortable among the flames and ash than anywhere else.
"Well, Applejack, thank you for your help in letting everypony stay here, but Spike and I should really get back to trying to find some kind of spell to break through this weather control," Twilight smiled, looking between Pennington and Applejack. "Penn, you wanted to stay here for when Sure Shot arrives, right?"
Pennington nodded, then gave her a questioning look. "Aren't you..."
"I'll make it to the Cliffjumper when it gets here. For now, I need to be trying to find every solution to this, myself!" Twilight smiled, walking to Pennington and giving him a quick kiss on the cheek. "I'll be back before you go, so you better not dare try to skip saying goodbye properly!"
Pennington chuckled, returning the kiss on her own cheek. "I was just going to tell you the same thing. I'll see you tomorrow. Be careful, okay?"
Twilight nodded, then turned to Applejack. "Thanks again, Applejack. I know that this is putting a real strain on your family..."
"Don't worry about it, Twi! You and Spike just go get workin' on some kinda spell to get us outta this pickle!" She smiled, giving her friend a quick hug.
With a stern nod, Twilight cast a shield around herself and Spike, and the two of them were out the door and gone. Once Twilight had left, Pennington turned back to his cousin with a chuckle.
"I guess this leaves me at your mercy, huh AJ?"
Applejack rolled her eyes, smiling and putting a hoof around his shoulders. "All these years I wanted to hear you say that, and Ah finally miss out on the chance to abuse it by somehow learning to like you!"
"Why would you tell her I was here?" Pennington hissed, his voice a mix of anger and fear.
"Well, Ah didn't know that you made her mad like that!" Applejack replied. "The last time ah saw you two together, y'all were gettin' along like peas in a pod!"
"And now, we have an absolutely livid unicorn on our hooves because you couldn't keep your big, honest mouth shut!" Pennington quietly peered over the edge of the hay loft, down into the large crowd of ponies that had gathered at Sweet Apple Acres for safety.
"Well, I guess I can't stay here! What would you say are my chances of getting through the orchard and into Everfree alive?"
"Without protection from the lightning? Slim to none, cousin..." Applejack shook her head.
Pennington sighed, shaking his head hopelessly. "I'm going to have to confront her, aren't I?"
Applejack's eyes grew wide as her gaze shifted over Pennington's shoulder and past his head.
"Somethin' tells me she's gonna save you the trouble, Penn..."
A wave of fear washed over Pennington as the familiar burning sensation of unbridled rage tingled on his skin, radiating out from the pony behind him like heat from a bonfire. Swallowing loudly, Pennington made eye contact with Applejack for what he supposed might be the last time of his life.
"Cousin, I just want you to know: If she kills me, I'm blaming you." Slowly and full of dread, Pennington turned around, finding himself nose-to-nose with a particular pink-coated unicorn, strands of her aqua-and-green mane brushing against his muzzle.
"Lily, I promise... I can expla-" Pennington's poor excuse was cut off before it could start as her hoof flew up, bashing against his head and sending him careening off the edge of the hay loft, landing on his back with a loud grunt.
"You didn't call..." Callalily growled, jumping down on her own and landing on all four hooves. Without waiting for Pennington to speak again, she ran over and plowed her front hoof deep into his stomach, knocking any and all air from his body and leaving him gasping. "You didn't write!" Spinning around, she leaned forward and kicked him with both of her back legs, sending him tumbling across the floor as the other ponies in the room made way for the fight. As Pennington coughed and let out a low moan, Lily jumped up and landed on his back, forcing the low moan into a pained grunt. "I had to request an audience with Princess Luna, herself to find out where you were, only to find out that you had left the country and DIDN'T TELL ME?" Nearly screaming at the top of her lungs and breathing furiously through her nostrils, Lily pounded her hoof into the back of his head once again, knocking it harshly against the ground. "Pennington Honeycrisp Inkwell, you have got a LOT of explaining to do!"
Moonstone and Applejack were both watching this unfold from above, each peeking over the edge of the hay loft. Applejack was chuckling to herself while Moonstone cringed at each blow.
"Ya know, it's hard to believe that those two have been best friends since they were foals..." Applejack muttered, still grinning. It wasn't often that she got to see her bravado-filled cousin getting a beating, let alone a beating by someone other than herself.
"Seems more like a case of 'crazy ex-es' to me..." Moonstone whispered in return.
"Well, there's a bit of that, too... They made quite the couple back in the day!" Applejack turned to Moonstone, giving a mischievous wink. "Lily made the choice for them to split, but that never meant she gave up on him!"
Looking at Applejack's smugness, Moonstone raised an eyebrow of suspicion. "You knew this would happen, didn't you?"
Applejack's grin was all the answer she needed.
"HEY!" In a rainbow-colored blur, Lily was picked up off of Pennington's back and tackled against the wall, Rainbow Dash having come to Pennington's rescue. In a flash, Lily was pinned to the nearest wall of the barn, and Rainbow Dash remained hovering in the air, the full strength of her wings keeping her there. "Who do you think you are, treating Penn like that? Don't you know who he is?"
"He's an idiot! The biggest idiot in the entirety of Equestria!" Lily cried, struggling to try and move herself away from the wall that she was pinned to.
"You take that back!"
After an intense coughing fit, followed by a moment to catch his breath, Pennington finally stood up. Shaking his head, he walked over to the two mares, finally striding up beside Rainbow Dash and looking up at Lily with a melancholy sigh.
"It's okay, Rainbow. I quite honestly deserve the beating."
Looking between the author and his enraged attacker, Rainbow Dash's jaw dropped. "Of course you don't! Why would you ever think that you-"
"Just please, let her down, Dash." Pennington sighed, a resigned tone taking the pegasus's defensive fury down a notch. Cautiously, Rainbow backed away from the wall, allowing Lily to go back to standing on her own hooves. As she backed away, however, she made a quick motion with her hoof, pointing first to Lily, and then to her own eyes, indicating that she would be ready to stop any continued violence.
Lily quietly brushed the dust off of herself, examining for injury before turning back to Pennington, eyes practically glowing with barely-contained rage.
"I ought to rip your horn off and strap you to a chair so you can't go anywhere..." She growled.
"I already beat you to that first part, remember?" Pennington looked up at the pointed tip of his prosthesis, then back to her eyes.
"Why didn't you tell me what you were doing? What was so horrible that it stopped you from sending me a letter now and then?" Lily whispered, eyes beginning to water up as the remaining rage melted into frustrated tears.
Pennington was silent for a moment before taking a deep breath, closing his eyes and releasing the tension in his body. "Would you have let me stay gone? Or let me leave Equestria at all when I had been so badly wounded? I'd lost my horn, gone through devastating trauma, and was weaker than I'd ever been, and my first instinct was to go an risk life and limb! Would you have let me go running around willy-nilly?"
Lily stared at him for another moment, turned her gaze towards the ground, and slowly began to walk away, tears finally breaking free and rolling down her face.
"You could have let me know you were leaving... shown that it was a little hard for you to just leave me behind completely and move on with your life."
As she walked away, an unsettling silence fell. After a few moments, Pennington finally seemed to stop trying to look tough, grimacing and gripping at his stomach. "I certainly taught her how to throw a heck of a punch..." he muttered.
"Who was that?" Rainbow Dash asked, coming down to a landing next to him.
"Just the best friend I could ever ask for."
"You don't tend to ask for very much, do you?"
Pennington sighed, shaking his head. "Worrying about me is just how she shows that she cares..."
"Yeah... cares." She rolled her eyes. "Anyway, are you okay?"
"Yeah, just got the wind knocked out of me." Pennington nodded.
"Okay... Just one more question." Leaning close, Rainbow Dash looked from side to side to check whether or not anyone was listening before she spoke. "Can you PLEEASE tell me about your next Daring Do book?"
Pennington blinked several times before turning to Rainbow Dash, a mixture of confusion and disbelief prompting him to simply stare in silence while she returned the stare with a pleading look of her own.
"Oh, yes. I almost forgot I told you about that..."
Rainbow Dash's grin grew wider.
"Unfortunately, I'm not the one to ask, this time. I've asked a friend of mine to help me by working on the next novel while I was gone on my trip! I haven't had the time to do any writing of my own!"
As Rainbow Dash's smile fell to a disappointed frown, Pennington couldn't help but feel a twinge of responsibility for her sadness.
"But... I had more than a few adventures worth talking about while I was gone! Traps, assassins, secret organizations, and even an ancient curse! Maybe a spoken story will be enough to tide you over?"
"You- you mean it?" Rainbow Dash's smile returned, bigger and brighter than ever. "You mean you'd tell me stories straight from your unwritten adventures! Stories that nopony will get to read? That's SO AWESOME!"
Pennington couldn't help but smile, as well. He'd never thought of his storytelling as a big deal, but Rainbow Dash's perspective was a reminder of his own worth. He'd hesitated to tell her that he was secretly the author of the Daring Do books, simply working under another name, and at the time, the news had caused her to faint from shock. Now, though, Rainbow Dash was a blur to the line that separated his life in Ponyville from the life he lived under his pseudonym, which had always been kept very much apart. Nodding up towards the hayloft, Pennington stiffly walked to the ladder, trying to ignore the bruises that he knew were already forming from Lily's onslaught.
"Besides, a little storytelling will give me the chance to sit down for a while and recover..."
Pennington took a deep breath as he unrolled his sleeping bag. Things were significantly quieter once everypony had gone to sleep, though there hadn't been much room in the barn with almost the entire population of the town there, so Big Macintosh had offered to share his room with Pennington. Moonstone hadn't moved from the fireplace, so they had all assumed she would sleep there.
Opening the door, the stallion in question entered the room with a sleeping bag of his own on his back. The two shared a brief moment of eye contact before Big Mac untied his own bedroll and laid it on the floor alongside Pennington's.
"Big Mac, aren't you sleeping in the bed?"
"Nope."
Looking back and forth between the two sleeping bags, Pennington's brow furrowed in thought.
"Then who is?"
"You."
Pennington shook his head. "Big Mac, you're doing more than enough by letting me-"
"Bed's yours."
The two shared a brief stare, each inspecting the other for signs that he would relent. Upon seeing no such signal from Big Macintosh, Pennington let out a long sigh and rolled his bag back up before climbing under the quilted covers.
"Thanks, cousin."
"Ain't nothin'." Forever the silent stoic, Big Macintosh went and turned out the light before climbing into his own sleeping bag. The two sat in silence for a moment, when Big Macintosh uncharacteristically broke it.
"Good to see you two not fightin'."
It took a moment for Pennington to understand what he was talking about. "You mean Applejack and I?"
"Eeyup."
"Thanks... I guess that time Trixie came back really brought us together. At least, we're not beating the crud out of one another, any more..." Rubbing the sensitive bump on the back of his head, Pennington cringed. "Now Lily just beats me, instead."
There was another brief moment of silence.
"Callalily Curl?"
"Yeah... I guess I made her a bit angrier than usual."
"You hit her?"
"No, of course not! I could never raise a hoof to her!"
"Good. She hit you?"
"Several times, actually..."
"You let her?"
"... Yeah."
"Good."
"Say that to my aching body..."
"... Good."
The two both chuckled again before falling into a relaxed silence in the dark.
"Goodnight, Big Mac."
"Night."
"Penn! Hey, Pennington!"
Pennington moaned and turned over in the bed, Moonstone's voice being an unwelcome distraction from his current endeavor: deep, restful sleep.
"Penn! Wake up, would you? Sure Shot is here!" Moonstone sounded both excited and irritated at the same time, jumping up onto the bed and shaking his shoulder.
"Fine... Fine! I'm up!" Pennington groaned, turning back over onto his back and sitting up. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he looked out the window, seeing that the light outside was as bright as it could get with the sun hidden behind clouds. "What time is it?"
"Almost noon."
"What?" Pennington suddenly felt much more awake from the surprise. "Why didn't anyone wake me up earlier?"
"Because I haven't seen you sleep that well in weeks! Besides, with Sure Shot's crew, we really had all of the hooves we needed! But I figured you wouldn't want to miss everything!"
"Thanks, Moonstone." Pennington smiled and gently ran his hoof through the black spines on the top of her head, much like tousling a child's hair affectionately. Rolling himself out of the bed, Pennington took only a couple minutes to make sure that the blankets were laid back out the way that they had been when he had first entered the bed, then immediately marched downstairs, still walking slightly stiffly after Lily's beating. The rest of the house was empty, with no sign of the remaining members of the Apple family, though that didn't surprise him if Sure Shot had already arrived. Moving the entirety of Ponyville's population was going to be a taxing endeavor.
"Woah..." Moonstone paused at one of the windows, looking outside. Pennington smiled as he walked over to join her, already knowing what she was seeing. Outside was the what many considered to be the unofficial "flagship" of the New Lunar Republic: the Cliffjumper. The Cliffjumper was a massive, six-wheeled all-terrain vehicle. Each wheel was kept a small distance away from the massive body, which was tapered to a point on both ends and constructed in a smooth pod shape with a flattened top to form the main deck (which Pennington had lovingly dubbed "the all-terrain almond"). It easily dwarfed the Apples' house at double the length of their barn and almost as tall. Emblazoned on the side was a massive version of the NLR's emblem, an upturned crescent moon with wings spreading outwards from its edges and a massive spire pointing towards the heavens, all tinted in deep shades of blue. The top was crowned by a ring of harpoon guns and other weapons, and the entire vehicle simply radiated intimidation and power.
"Certainly impressive isn't she?" Pennington grinned. "Honestly, from the moment Sure Shot was assigned to captain her, he's claimed he could die happy. He once called her 'a galleon of the shores.' I would say it's more like a massive battleship..."
"Do you think he's compensating for something?" Moonstone muttered.
"Oh, definitely!" Pennington laughed, walking to the door of the house that attached to the barn. "He's always thought that his wings were just a little too small..."
In the barn, the relief efforts were quiet and organized, calm in the face of the danger Ponyville had been facing up until now. Ponies were quietly filing out through the door to the barn, protected by a magical barrier provided by Twilight Sparkle and several other unicorns working together. Ponies would enter the tunnel under the barrier and walk all of the way to the Cliffjumper before climbing the ladder onto the secondary deck, which seemed like a hollowed-out chunk near the front of the ship with several ways inside. Though the lightning seemed to be trying its hardest to reach the ponies, it was constantly either stopped by the magical barrier or drawn to the harpoons on the top, which were essentially acting as lightning rods. Several earth ponies and pegasi that were obviously part of the crew were helping organize the remaining Ponyvillians into a single-file line and tending to anyone who needed medical aid or other help. A single, green-coated pegasus was presiding over the events, watching over everything with a wary eye and a crossbow strapped to his back.
"Sure Shot! You're as dependable and swift as always!" Pennington called out, stepping into the barn with a grin. The pegasus, hearing his name, looked up and grinned, floating down to the ground and trotting over to Pennington, who offered a friendly hoof.
"Pennyton Inkwell, I should have known I'd find you anywhere there was trouble brewin'!" He replied, taking Pennington's hoof in a firm grip and tugging on it, pulling the two of them into a friendly hug, only briefly grasping one another before letting go again.
"The Cliffjumper's looking like a real beauty!" Pennington smiled, nodding towards the door. "Did I spot an extra pair of wheels on her?"
"Yeah, that's right! The NLR decided, after the changelings managed to get into Canterlot, she needed to be a fully equipped battle vessel, as well as a hunting machine. The wheels give extra stability and structure support." Sure Shot gave him a sly grin. "They made a few other additions that aren't so obvious! My baby could take on a whole hive without breaking a sweat!"
Pennington rolled his eyes. "Yeah, probably for all of ten seconds."
"Hey!"
Chuckling, he shook his head and patted Sure Shot on the shoulder. "I'm just kidding! I'm sure that the Cliffjumper is nigh-invincible, right? Why don't we go aboard and you can show me around?"
Turning back towards the work going on, Sure Shot shook his head. "We're gonna to be the last ones aboard, I'm pretty sure. These residents are the reason we're here. Picking you up is just a little bonus!"
Pennington nodded. "Right. Primary objectives first, after all."
For the first time, Sure Shot seemed to notice Moonstone standing alongside Pennington, and took a moment to stare in surprise before smiling and nodding to her.
"You're the little dragon who keeps scorchin' our mailponies, right?" He chuckled and offered her a friendly hoof. "Name's Sure Shot!"
"And you're the pegasus who once lit Penn's hair on fire to give him the idea for his pen name, right?" Moonstone smiled and shook his hoof. "Mine's Moonstone."
Sure Shot gave her a suspicious look for a moment, then laughed. "Ha ha! I like you, Moonstone! You got spunk!"
Pennington sighed, rolling his eyes. "You know, I should have just told you some made-up story about how I came up with 'Scorching Quill.'"
"I would have known." She grinned, hopping up onto his back.
"So, how are the twins?" Pennington sighed, changing the subject back to Sure Shot.
"You mean Close and Constant? Invaluable as ever. They saved at least three crew members' lives this month!" Sure Shot started walking back towards the relief efforts, motioning for Pennington to follow him. "The best doctors you could ask for inside and outside Equestria!"
Catching up to his friend, Pennington gave him a gentle nudge and a knowing grin. "And how's Constant, in particular?"
"Beautiful as ever, and getting prettier every day," he chuckled. "I really couldn't ask for a better girlfriend. I just wish her sister wasn't so overprotective..."
"Well, that's the danger of dating a twin without your wingman!"
"You were supposed to be my wingman!"
"Weeell, that's debatable. There's only so much one wingman can do about a pony like Close Care! The only thing warm or soft about her is probably the numb feeling you get once her venom starts to take effect!"
Both of them laughed together at the fact that the doctor pony was, indeed, often emotionally cold enough to make the idea of having poisonous fangs not out of the question. After only a few seconds of laughter, though, Sure Shot cut himself off abruptly. Looking up at his friend, Pennington saw the pegasus gesture in the direction of the unicorn-provided shield with one of his wings. Looking in the indicated direction, a purple-coated, white-haired unicorn was staring directly at them with an unamused expression on her face. Immediately, Pennington stopped laughing, as well.
"You- you don't think she heard us, do you?"
"Let's both pray to Luna that she didn't..." Sure Shot replied.
"You see there's a reason that I keep my mouth shut on occasion." Moonstone rolled her eyes.
"So... How's life with Twilight?"
"Well, as rough as ever... With me needing to leave again, things are just... a little rocky. It's not that we have problems with each other, it's just that we don't get to spend enough time together!"
"Well... Go spend time with her!" He nodded towards the group of unicorns, then at Pennington's own horn. "Doesn't matter how strong you are, if you can make that glow, you can at least fake helping well enough to go over there!"
Pennington looked at the group of unicorns, then back at his friend, and finally at Moonstone, who was still sitting on his back.
"Well, what are we waiting for, Penn? You heard him!" Hopping down to the ground again, Moonstone pointed to Twilight. "Get over there and spend some time with her!"
With a smile, Pennington ran to the pathway, joining the other unicorns alongside Twilight while Moonstone and Sure Shot watched. As soon as he was out of earshot, however, Moonstone turned on Sure Shot, her winged arms crossing over her chest and her eyes growing narrow in suspicion. Noticing her sudden enmity, Sure Shot gave her a confused look.
"I want to know what you're holding in the bowels of the Cliffjumper." She stated flatly.
"What?" Sure Shot looked nervously from side to side, making sure that no one had heard her. "Well, there's an engine, a few different systems for ensuring stability-"
"There's something dark in there." Moonstone's eyes narrowed again to a full-on glare. "I may be a child, but I'm not stupid, Sure Shot. There's something inside your boat shrouded in secrets and lies. I can even see it from outside, just looking at that ship! There's something evil inside there, and I want to know what it is before I or Penn set foot or hoof on it!"
Sure Shot blinked several times in surprise before letting out a long sigh. Looking from side to side to make sure that no one was listening, he put his hoof around Moonstone's shoulders and gently guided her to a quiet corner of the room, where he could speak slightly more freely. Bending low so that their faces were at the same level, he took a deep breath.
"Fine, but you cannot tell Penn. This could be bad, and I mean very bad if he finds out..."
"There are lots of things that it would be 'very bad' for Penn to know." Moonstone's eyes narrowed. "I'm certain I can stop myself from filing this one under 'blabber about in day-to-day conversation.' Now quit stalling."
Sure Shot stared at her with a mix of admiration and amusement. "Well, on our way here, we encountered a dangerous entity that could pose a threat to all of Equestria... We captured it, but didn't have the time or means to dispose of it properly, so we've been ordered to transport it to the Crystal Empire. It's locked up tight in the brig, and has no means of escaping, so the Cliffjumper should be safe to board. In fact, I can almost guarantee that it's perfectly safe."
"Who is it?"
"That is something I'm under orders not to tell anyone." Sure Shot shook his head. "That's everything I can say without gettin' reprimanded by my higher-ups."
Moonstone gave him another suspicious look, but he didn't appear to be lying to her. Taking a deep breath to try and steady her nerves, she nodded her affirmation. "Am I allowed to know why I can't tell Penn?"
"Moonstone, this is Pennington Inkwell we're talking about! He wouldn't be able to resist trying to get down there and take a peek at it!"
Moonstone wanted to argue the point, but she knew that Sure Shot was right.
"Captain! Everyone's aboard!" One of the crew members called out from the other side of the barn.
As the two of them finally took their attention off of one another and looked around, it was true: all of the Ponyville residents who had been in the barn had managed to board the Cliffjumper. The only ponies remaining were a few crew members, the unicorns holding up the barrier around the path to the ship, and Moonstone and Sure Shot. With a smile, Sure Shot turned to look at her.
"So, you ready to see what she looks like on the inside?"
"If what you're keeping secret hurts Penn, you're going to have a lot to answer for..." Moonstone sighed, resigning herself as she began walking towards the shielded tunnel. "Both to Princess Luna and to me."
"Who do you think ordered me not to tell you two what it was?" Sure Shot muttered in reply.
"So, what do you think?" Pennington asked cheerfully as the two of them walked quietly down one of the narrow hallways in the ship. As it turned out, the Cliffjumper was divided into three decks. The uppermost deck, aside from being home to the Control Room and the Captain's Quarters, was home to several of the rooms most strongly associated with dune worm hunting, including a dissection room, the storage for the extra harpoon ammunition and weapons, and even a refrigerated room for storing the few precious pieces of the creatures that could be used or sold. The middle deck was mostly devoted to the crew, with their living quarters and dining hall on the same level. It was also home to the brig, where troublesome members would be sent for detainment. Many of Ponyville's residents had been packed into these rooms for the trip to Canterlot, with both civilians and crew staying four or five ponies in a room. Any remaining ponies had needed to go down to the bottom deck, which was used mostly for supplies and storage, when the space wasn't filled by one of the three engine rooms (one for each pair of wheels), assorted bits and pieces of machinery for keeping the wheels turning, or the gigantic fuel tank. Even with these limitations, Sure Shot had bragged that the Cliffjumper could store enough food and water to last its crew an entire month.
"What do I think?" Moonstone muttered from her position on his back. "Well, the lighting adds a certain atmosphere. I certainly think it could use a few windows..."
"Knowing Sure shot's reckless driving, they'd be shattered within a day!" Pennington chuckled, even as the Cliffjumper hit yet another large bump, jostling all the ponies inside like candies in a pinata. "We'll just have to make ourselves content with electric light until the weather is gentle enough for us to go out onto the top deck!"
Moonstone sighed an nodded, looking up at the string of lights in the hallway. They provided only the necessary light to see clearly, seeing as energy was a valuable commodity, giving the long hallway an almost haunted look. She'd been told that there were brighter lights in private crew rooms and places where other important work took place, but the hallways were so filled with shadows, she could have sworn that the entire vessel was run by King Sombra.
"So, how many ponies are we bunking with?" She asked, turning over and reclining against his neck. "It'll only be a few hours to Canterlot, right?"
"That's right. But if we need to bunk down, we have a room on the Deck A with Twilight and Spike."
Moonstone nodded quietly, even as the speakers positioned near the ceiling in the hallway crackled to life.
"Pennington Inkwell, please report to the bridge! I repeat, Pennington Inkwell to the bridge," a female voice called out.
Pennington didn't seem surprised, trotting to the end of the hall and finding a small intercom. Holding down one of the buttons, he spoke into a similar device.
"Alright, Close, I'm on my way up, now. Give me ten minutes, copy?"
"Over!" the smaller speaker chirped in reply.
"What's this about?" Moonstone asked as Pennington opened the door to a stairwell at the end of the hallway, beginning to ascend.
"Probably just catching up. It's been almost a month since I stopped at the eastern station of the NLR. I'm sure that Sure Shot and the others are all curious what we've been up to."
"Ah. And how are your legs?" Moonstone asked, turning back to sitting up, keeping a grip on his neck for stability.
Pausing to look down at his gauze-wrapped hoof, Pennington gently tugged back on the edge, revealing a red underside to the bandage and bloody fur.
"They hurt. In fact, they've been aching and burning for a while, now. The bandages should last another hour or two before we need to replace them."
Looking over his shoulder, Moonstone gave a worried frown, even when he replaced the gauze and began walking again.
"Penn, what if we run out of bandages on our trip? There's not going to be any place we can stop to get more once we're outside the border."
"We'll make do."
"But what if the openings in your skin get infected?"
"Then we'll have to make do."
"What if the scent of blood draws predators?"
"We'll have to be good fighters and better runners."
"What if-"
"Moonstone, we've prepared as best we can. If something happens that we can't handle, there was never anything that we could have done about it, anyway!" Pennington shook his head. "I know you're trying to look out for me, but you're just stressing yourself out over what we can't change. Try to relax, okay?"
Taking a deep breath, Moonstone nodded, sitting back from his shoulder.
"Fine. But I'm still going to ask those doctor ponies if they have extra bandages we could have."
Pennington smiled, and she could tell that her words had made him just a little happier.
Pushing open the door to the bridge, Pennington stepped through. The Cliffjumper had a wide array of controls, headed by a traditionally large steering wheel. Several ponies were manning different stations, including one at a large lever that seemed to be the vehicle's gearshift. Sure Shot, himself, was standing at the front, looking out the forward windshield, which was the only window on the entire ship.
"You wanted to see me, Sure Shot?" Pennington smiled, raising his hoof in a salute. Sure Shot turned around for a moment, surprisingly solemn. With a wave of his hoof, he motioned for Pennington to join him. Caught off-guard, Pennington balked for only a moment before stepping forward and walking to the front. The view was terrifying. Rather than follow any particular path, the Cliffjumper was taking a direct route to Canterlot, rolling up and down hills, rolling over dislodged rocks and earth, and the horizon showed only more terrifying weather. Tornadoes and hailstorms were visible to the right, and torrential downpours and massive sinkholes were falling to the left, and the Cliffjumper seemed to be trying to maintain a path between the two of them, taking the least powerful forces of each.
"Penn, what do those look like to you?" Sure Shot pointed up into the clouds. Looking directly up above them for the first time, Pennington noticed a large black mass hovering just above the Cliffjumper, keeping pace and looming over them.
"It... looks like bad news. Looks like it's definitely something meant for us... Perhaps some new variation on the weather magic to form a predatory entity?" Pennington muttered, his eyes narrowing. "But what does it look like to you? You always had the better pair of eyes."
Sure Shot shook his head. "I think you're right. It looks like bad news. I think-" Before he could finish his sentence, there was a flash of emerald light from the dark cloud. A verdant fireball flew downwards, slamming against the carved out section of the forward bow that the bridge looked down on. There was a palpable shudder in the floor from the force of the impact, and the fire dispelled and spread across that part of the bow, leaving a large scorch mark. As the flames burned out, however, there was something left over. It appeared to be a pony at first, but only for a brief moment as the twisted horn, sleek black body, and hole-riddled limbs made themselves clear. Though Moonstone gasped in shock, Pennington somehow felt absolutely no surprise. Deep down, it had been obvious to him that they were nearby, though he had been trying to put it out of his mind, remembering what had happened the last time that he'd been anywhere near changelings.
But there's no denying it, now... Not only are they not going to just leave us alone, but they're about to rain down on us in fire and brimstone! They're forcing themselves back in... WHY? Why can't I just GET AWAY? An uncontrollable rage began boiling up, first in his chest and then welling up and overwhelming his senses. Overcome by his rage, Pennington turned to Sure Shot, struggling to keep his movements slow and under control. With the last of his self control, Pennington spoke five words.
"I'll protect the forward bow."
With those words, he gently lifted Moonstone up and off of his back, setting her on the ground, then spun around and sprinted from the room. Something deep and savage was eating away at his senses, and he only had one sane objective left in his mind.
I need to get my sword. I need to get my sword. I need my sword...
"ALL HOOVES TO BATTLE STATIONS! WE'RE UNDER ATTACK! I REPEAT, WE ARE UNDER ATTACK! ALL HOOVES TO BATTLE STATIONS!"
Sure Shot's voice held an edge of panic as he shouted into the microphone connecting to the Cliffjumper's speaker systems. Once his announcement was finished, he pressed a large red button at the top of the P.A. system's control panel, and a loud siren began grinding away at the ears of everyone on board, awakening anyone who may have missed the announcement.
"Sir! They seem to be beginning their descent!" A pony cried, looking down at a small screen. "They're going to be all over our hull in a matter of minutes!"
Moonstone watched as Sure Shot walked to what appeared to be a nearby closet. After using one hoof to punch a code into a small number pad, the door slid open to reveal a wide array of weapons, including swords, knives, a few select harpoons, and hanging against the back wall: two large, black crossbows, each modified with what appeared to be a large magazine on top and a hooves-free reloading system. Using his wings to pick himself up into the air, he began taking what seemed to be extra clips of arrows and strapping them to his back legs.
"Lock down all the hatches to the top deck and forward bows except for the emergency exits! If they want to get inside this ship, they going to have to march over an empty quiver and my dead body!"
"Yes, sir!"
"Quick Strike is to lead our best hoof-to-hoof fighters up onto the main deck, and if she can be reached, I want Twilight Sparkle to head up our defensive magic team."
"And what about the brig, sir? Should we let her go? I mean, it'll stop the atta-"
"Lock. It. Down."
"Yes, sir..."
The realization hit Moonstone like a ton of bricks. The mass of darkness representing something steeped in secrets and lies in the belly of the ship, the reason that Pennington couldn't be allowed to know what was down there, the fact that the entire hive changelings were attacking them...
Luna help us all... They captured the queen.
"GRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!" There was a near-deafening scream as Pennington, having only left a few minutes before, returned, sprinting every bit as fast as he had been when he left. There was only the faintest of blue glows as the door leading directly out to the front deck swung open of its own accord, and without so much as a pause to look at the jump, Pennington raced through the room and out the door, leaping out into the air with his sword floating just behind him, suspended by the only magic he could use. For only the briefest of moments that he was in the room, Moonstone's "gift" showed her his true state: his body was bathed in a red glow, as if there were colored smoke coming off of his very skin. He was completely and utterly enveloped in rage.
"Until I return, Close Care is this ship's captain!" Sure Shot shouted, now holding one crossbow in each hoof, several more clips of arrows strapped to his hind legs and stomach, and a single longbow stung across his back. Turning towards the open door however, a snarling changeling was just making its landing. Faster than Moonstone would have had time to begin panicking, however, an arrow was already embedded between its eyes. Before the now-dead body could so much as topple to the floor, Sure Shot had flown forward, giving it a firm kick to chest and knocking it back outside. With a nod to the ponies present, he exited the bridge, shutting the door behind him.
After only a brief moment of waiting for her senses to return, Moonstone sprinted to the window, looking out on the forward bow. Just as she had expected, Pennington was there, and fighting a veritable army of changelings all on his own. To say that he was fighting ferociously would have been an understatement. For the moment, Pennington fought like a pony possessed, having shed his normal, non-lethal fighting style for a grim method of hacking and slashing away at anything that came within his reach. Moonstone watched with a mix of awe and horror as his sword ripped through the ranks attacking him like a hot knife through butter, separating carapaces and armor like cracking the shell of a nut, and the blade was almost a blur as it swung from side to side. In three swipes, Pennington would decapitate one foe, dismember a second, and disembowel a third. After losing almost a dozen changelings to his rage, the warriors stepped back and lowered their horns, preparing to blast Pennington into oblivion.
"Penn, look out!" she shouted, though she knew it was useless. He couldn't hear her.
Seeing what was about to happen, Moonstone could almost see Pennington smile. Putting his weight up on one of his front hooves, Pennington spun himself in a circle. In a much large circumference, his scimitar spun with him, slicing through horns, skulls and the occasional brain. The entire group fell to the ground, some dead and some stunned. Amid the wind and the rain and the hail, Pennington was standing in a growing pool of green blood and assorted limbs and organs, still screaming at the rest in blind rage. Moonstone could feel the urge to vomit rising up, but she forced it back down again.
It was hard to tell when they figured out when exactly they figured out who they were fighting, but they eventually began shapeshifting into copies of Twilight Sparkle, Callalily Curl, Sure Shot, and even Princess Luna, herself, before attacking.
Pennington didn't even seem to flinch at impaling his sword through their chests, hacking off their limbs, or slitting their throats. He simply screamed louder.
The longer he spent out in the fight, the darker his coat became, and his red hair was beginning to turn black.
"He can't stay exposed to them like this much longer." She muttered. "This needs to end quickly..."
In the pale light of the storm outside, Moonstone could see a familiar lavender aura building up on the deck. There was a brief moment where Moonstone thought that it was some kind of trick by the changelings to further mimic Twilight. However, as a bubble-like shield rose off of the floor of the Cliffjumper and lifted the changelings away from its surface, Moonstone felt hope again. Though it had only been a few minutes since the attack had begun, the hope was a welcome relief. The shield grew and spread outwards, pressing away the changelings (and, thankfully, not Pennington) and forcing them off of the Cliffjumper, leaving only the ponies who had been fighting.
Down below, when the changelings that he had been fighting were forced away, Pennington's sword kept swinging up at them, poking its way in and out of the spell to get in a few more swipes before he finally uttered one last, guttural scream and fell to the floor. Moonstone thought that he had slipped into unconsciousness when the scimitar fell to the ground, but the silent shudders running through his body assured her that he was still very much conscious.
It might be the first time he's been aware of anything since he saw that first changeling...
It was some time before they were able to bring Pennington back inside. The Cliffjumper had needed to slow down by a large amount so that the unicorns could maintain their shield around the main body, so it wasn't dangerous for him to be out there, but if any pony so much as set their hoof on the front deck, his sword would raise up from the ground and brandish itself in their direction, forcing them to immediately back away again. Eventually, however, Pennington dragged himself to one of the hatches in the center of the deck, opening the trapdoor entrance and slipping inside, leaving his sword laying on the deck for Moonstone to retrieve. After a few questions and assurances called out to him at a distance, Close and Constant Care had carried him away to be treated for shock in the Medical Bay, with Twilight, Moonstone, and even Sure Shot close behind.
Pennington didn't object when Close and Constant calmly and quietly bandaged his wounds, and gave only the smallest of nods when Close told him that they would need a sample of his blood, submitting to the needle without a word. He wasn't the only injured party on the ship, but the other ponies had already been tended to and were in stable condition. Sitting in the cot next to his was a yellow-coated, red-maned earth pony mare that Twilight seemed to recognize. She seemed perfectly happy, a large smile plastered across her face, but Moonstone could see that she was in pain.
"Hey, Penn! So, what are you in for?" She chuckled, turning to face him. "Did you break your hoof punching them, too?"
Pennington's eyes rolled to her for a moment, then rolled back to staring into blank space.
"He was using a sword, Quick Strike." Twilight shook her head. "Physically, he started reverting back towards his changeling side. It should fade once he's away from them again, but for now, it's left him very weak. Mentally... Well..." There were large tears welling up in her eyes.
"Oh, Penn's been through worse!" Quick Strike chuckled. "That pony's got a brain of steel, and a head just as hard! Isn't that right, Penny?"
Pennington's eyes rolled back to Quick Strike. For the first time since he'd crawled back inside, he spoke.
"Don't..."
"Don't what, Penny?"
"Don't..."
Her grin growing wider, Quick Strike raised a hoof to her ear. "Sorry, Penny, I didn't hear that!"
Moonstone and Twilight looked nervously at one another.
"Don't call me PENNY!" Pennington shouted, slamming one of his bandaged hooves against the bed. This final outburst seemed to break him out of his near-catatonia, and he looked around at all of the ponies present. After a few moments, he stopped and stared at Twilight. Reaching out his hoof, he gently rubbed her cheek, and his expression softened to one of complete and total relief.
"It's okay, Penny. You're safe, now." She whispered, smiling through her tears.
"They... they looked like you." Pennington blinked several times, beginning to cry as well. "And Lily and Luna and even my parents... I just couldn't let myself think about what I was doing... I- I-"
Pennington was cut off as Twilight stepped forward and wrapped her hooves around him, pulling him as close as she could from the awkward angle at the side of his bed.
"I guess they got into his head more than any of us thought, if they knew about Lily and his parents..." Sure Shot muttered. "I'll have to ask the higher-ups to double-check the security protocols."
From the moment that Sure Shot opened his mouth to speak, Pennington's eyes locked on him. They weren't a gaze of gratitude or assurance, but one of loathing. Quietly breaking his hug with Twilight, he leaned forward, glaring at his supposed friend.
"In what possible UNIVERSE could you think that keeping Queen Chrysalis on your ship was a GOOD IDEA?" He hissed, his pupils momentarily constricting into changeling-like slits with each accentuated word.
"You what?" Twilight turned to him, jaw dropping in disbelief.
With all eyes on him, Sure Shot didn't flinch, though he did give Pennington's quasi-changeling state a wary eye. After a few seconds, he let out a long sigh, shaking his head.
"We found her in the Plains of Lore. She only had a few bodyguards with her, and they were out scouting for something. It could have been food, maybe a new location for their hive, I dunno. We saw our opportunity to capture Equestria's enemy number one, and we took it. We managed to subdue her and lock her in the brig. We just didn't think-"
"Didn't think you'd have an army willing to give their lives to rescue her? Didn't think you'd bring down the wrath of the entire hive on a civilian transport?" Pennington growled, a lower undertone accenting his voice the same way a changeling would speak.
"Pennington Inkwell, calm down! You're just going to make things worse if you keep getting so excited!" Close Care, who had returned holding a clipboard full of papers, gave him a stern glare. "Right now, your body can't figure out what to produce when you get excited, and it seems to be favoring the changeling equivalent of adrenaline: dopamine. The more vehement you become, the more you encourage your changeling half!" Narrowing her eyes, the doctor gave him one of her signature strict glares. "I will not hesitate to put you on a sedative to calm you down to recover!"
Disbelievingly, he pointed his hoof at Sure Shot, only able to emit a series of frustrated grunts. "But- But he- But- Are you even hearing him?"
"You, of all ponies, should know that the Captain is, has been, and always will be an idiot of the highest degree. But for the moment, that isn't my concern. My current problem is your health. So I am ordering you to sit down, calm down, and rest."
With one final glare, Pennington sat back in his bed again, folding his front legs over his chest.
Satisfied, Close Care turned back around, focusing her efforts on making sure that her other patients were being tended to.
With a long sigh, Pennington's eyes slid shut, though he didn't move. After a few seconds his grimace of anger faded, and he let out a long sigh.
"Lily, you don't need to hide. I know you're there."
There was a brief moment of silence before Lily walked into the room from the hallway, staring at him with a mix of grief and horror.
"Penn... What did you do to yourself?" She muttered, coming up alongside his bed. Despite his regression, the holes in his legs had thankfully remained shut, though both his coat and his mane were both several shades darker, with his fur being a midnight blue and his hair being reduced to the color of rust.
Opening his eyes again, Pennington gave Lily a gentle, reassuring smile, doing his best to hide the sharp incisors.
"Come on, Lily. You know that this is far from the worst condition you've seen me in! I mean, this is nothing an afternoon in the dying tub and a good night's sleep can't fix, right?"
Lily sniffled softly, refusing to cry, and nodded. "That and a firm smack upside the head for even going out there to begin with!"
Pennington chuckled, nodding. "I'll tell you what: you can smack me around as much as you like tomorrow In Canterlot, okay?"
Lily nodded, her smile growing wider. "You better brace yourself!"
With a light chuckle, Pennington closed his eyes again. "Guys, I think Close Care is right. I'm going to try to sleep, now... I don't suppose I could have a little peace and quiet?"
Lily nodded, turning to leave, as did Sure Shot. After leaning up and kissing him on the cheek, Twilight followed them. Soon, only Moonstone was left with him. Taking a spot in the cot alongside him, she laid down, placing her claws behind her head in a relaxed manner.
"So... why are you really pretending to go to sleep?" She whispered.
Pennington opened one eye, giving her a sideways glace.
"Sneaking out."
"Cool. Where are we headed?"
"Ramen... Then trouble."
"Trouble? My favorite destination." She grinned, turning over and turning her back to him. "Wake me when we're leaving..."
Sneaking out of the medical ward was easy. The Care sisters needed to sleep eventually, and after a re-wrapping of his legs and a double-check to make sure that his fur was getting at least somewhat close to its normal colors, he had easily walked out of the medical ward. Their first stop had been the kitchen, which was one of the few places that was staffed 24/7 on the Cliffjumper, where Pennington had ordered an extra-large cup of ramen noodles. When this request was met, Pennington had led Moonstone down several hallways, levitating the cup and using his horn to light the way, until they arrived near the center of Deck B. There, they found a pair of ponies standing guard outside of a secure-looking steel door.
Or, rather, they were sitting guard.
Well, by the strictest definitions, they were sleeping guard.
"Why are they asleep?" Moonstone whispered.
"Guarding changelings is harder than it looks. Without any food source, a particularly strong changeling will sometimes start to draw in the vitality of other beings in the area..." Pennington whispered in return, quietly stepping around the guards' unconscious bodies. "That's why starvation is such a big deal for them. The hunger of one is the hunger of the whole hive."
"Poetic, isn't it?"
Plucking a key from the sleeping guard, Pennington unlocked the door to the brig. Just as he was about to open the door, he turned back to her.
"Moonstone, where is my sword?"
"Back in our room, with Twilight."
After a moment of thought, Pennington nodded to himself. "Good. It'll be better if I don't have it for this." Taking a long sip of his ramen in preparation, he levitated Moonstone up and onto his back and opened the door, stepping inside.
In her typical fashion, Chrysalis had made herself completely at home in her "room," lining the walls with the changelings' signature green slime. The entire atmosphere seemed to change once they were inside. What had once been the tight-but-safe corridors of the Cliffjumper were left behind, and Moonstone couldn't help the feeling that they were trapped inside the room with a monster.
"You... KILLED them..." A deep, feminine voice growled as a pair of glowing green eyes appeared on the other side of the room.
Of course, at this point, Moonstone realized that they were, indeed, trapped inside the room with a monster.
"We killed a lot of changelings together, Chrysalis. Are you angry that I did it without you, this time?" Pennington replied, his voice equally low.
"You killed thirty-eight of MY hive!" Chrysalis hissed. From deep within the darkness, she lunged forward to attack, but the only thing that assaulted Pennington and Moonstone was the sound of metal colliding with metal. Calmly and quietly, Pennington took another sip of his ramen, slurping up several strands of noodles as the glow from his horn intensified, revealing the changeling queen in her entirety.
Chrysalis was chained to the wall, spread-eagle, with only enough chain for her to swing back and forth and move each of her hooves a few inches. There was a large, black ring around her horn inhibiting her magic, and her once-lithe figure showed signs of malnourishment.
"I defended a civilian transport from an attack by a foreign entity." Pennington replied curtly.
"I FELT THEM DIE!"
"SO DID I!" In a motion so sudden, Moonstone was nearly flung off of his back, Pennington slammed against the bars of the prison, his hooves pressing against them and his horn passing between them, allowing him to come as close to her as he possibly could without entering it with her.
The two stared at one another for a moment before Pennington backed away again.
"Let me out of here." Chrysalis growled.
"No."
"I command you to let me out of here!"
"NO!"
After another moment of silence, Pennington began to laugh. It wasn't a laugh of a pony who had just heard a joke, it was much more free. It was the laugh of a pony who had come to the realization that life was a joke and death was the punch line. It was unrestricted by any semblance of sanity, like a pony whose mind had finally snapped under pressure. He laughed giddily, his head leaning back as he chortled. "No! NO, NO, NO!" He repeated the word over and over again, singing it like a playground filly would sing a tease to one of her playmates. "Nononono noooo NOOOO nonono no no NO!"
As the laughter faded again, he wiped a tear of joy from his eye. "I realized these past couple months that I didn't want to say 'buck you' at the wedding, Chryssie! That was low of me. Crass. Uncultured, even! No, no, no, what I REALLY wanted to say to you was..." He leaned in close to the bars, a massive, sadistic grin spreading across his face.
"No."
Moonstone gently tapped Pennington's shoulder, drawing his attention away from the prisoner he seemed to have claimed as his own.
"Penn... are you okay?"
"Okay? Moonstone, my dear, sweet dragonet, I'm SO beyond okay! I am giddy! Delirious with joy! Absolutely ecstatic!" To illustrate his point, he gave a small dance, trotting in place and spinning in a circle. "Go ahead, Chrysalis! Tell Moonstone just how happy I am! Tell her how my joy is filling up your hungry little tummy right now!" Pennington waited a beat, staring into the cell. Chrysalis simply glared back at him. All at once, Pennington threw himself aggressively against the bars, snarling loudly like a feral beast.
"TELL HER!"
Whatever her position, Chrysalis's pride seemed indestructible. She stared straight back at him, never breaking eye contact. She didn't look away from him, nor did she respond to his taunts.
Pennington remained pressed against the bars, but the face-splitting grin returned. Shaking his head, he slowly backed away again, the senseless laughter continuing as a low chuckle.
"You... you are just shameless. That's all it is. Your pitiful, parasitic existence doesn't really leave you much lower to go, does it?"
"You're insane." Chrysalis made the statement flatly and calmly. If anything, she seemed more in control of her situation than Pennington. "You freed yourself from the hive simply to go insane."
"Well, look how far the mighty have fallen now..." Pennington hissed. His bandages had long ago become overwhelmed by the bleeding in his legs, and there was a trail of his blood left behind as he paced back and forth, now seething with anger.
"Yes. Look." Chrysalis's eyes narrowed. "One of us committed murder three dozen times today. The other is chained to a wall."
"Well, at least I'm not the one in a cage." Pennington's nose turned upwards haughtily as he spoke.
"You'd think so, wouldn't you?" Chrysalis replied, swaying back and forth helplessly on her chains. "Tell me, what was it that finally pushed you over the brink? Was it suddenly losing my guiding voice, or the disconnection from the hive entirely all at once? Because something in you broke that day. What did you have to give to me in order to buy back your life? Your pride? Your passion? What did you destroy inside of yourself to reject us all at once? Your sense of wonder? Your idealism? What part of your soul did you grind into dust to make yourself so strong against us? Or, at least, what your twisted mind would define as strength."
"Shut up."
"Was it your faith?"
"SHUT UP!" Pennington grimaced and dropped to the ground, covering his ears with his hooves like a child.
"You destroyed your faith in yourself to sink to new lows..." Chrysalis smiled for the first time. "You say that I have no shame, but your shame fills you to the brim. It defines you."
A final shudder ran through Pennington stood up again, now having returned to the near-serene state he had entered the room with. Taking a look at his half-full cup of ramen noodles, he levitated it through the bars, placed it directly below her, and smiled.
"You look sick, Chryssie. Eat up. You'll need your strength once you reach the Crystal Empire."
With one final flash of magic from his horn, Pennington knocked the cup over, causing its contents to spill all over the floor just below her. With that final action, he turned his back on her.
"Remember my last word to you, Queen Chrysalis. No."
"And remember mine, Pennington Inkwell. Pathe-"
There was a resounding clang as Pennington shut the door to the brig behind him.
"Pennington?" Moonstone finally found the courage to speak when they were almost back to the Medical Bay. He'd slowly been growing weaker and weaker over time on their way back, and now he was dragging his bloody hooves step by step and taking deep breaths.
"Yes, Moonstone?"
"Since when do we gloat over our foes?"
The question was simple, innocent, and pure. But it seemed to strike Pennington to his core. He stopped walking, inhaled deeply, drinking in the air around him, and collapsed, falling to the floor on his knees. As Moonstone jumped down off of his back and ran around in front of him, there were tears running down his face. The two of them held eye contact for only a moment, but in that moment, Moonstone saw straight into him. There was only a flickering light of hope in his heart, surrounded by darkness. After the moment had passed however, Pennington let out a sob and buried his face in his hooves, his tears mingling with his blood in the soggy bandages.
Moonstone didn't stop him or try to comfort him. She didn't shush him as he moaned and wailed into his hooves, the sound muted just enough to avoid waking up the ponies in the nearby rooms. This was his moment of despair, and finally releasing the pent-up grief and sadness was necessary for him to heal. So, rather than try to comfort what she knew was beyond her jurisdiction, she simply sat next to him on the floor, leaning against his side and making sure he stayed warm.
First of all, the area he was standing seemed to extend infinitely in every direction, disappearing into darkness. Secondly, he seemed to be standing in several inches of what appeared to be blood, lapping at his hooves in tiny waves. The third and most obvious indication was the large pony skeleton pacing back and forth in front of him. The figure was one he had unfortunately grown used to seeing, and he tried to put on a relaxed demeanor, closing his eyes and taking in a deep breath. The mixed metallic and sickly-sweet scents of the blood filled his lungs and overwhelmed his sense of smell. After several seconds, he let out a long sigh, opening his eyes again. The skeleton was still pacing back and forth, angrily glaring at him. The only difference Pennington would find from any generic pony's skeleton was in the skull, which held a full face and was supple enough to change its expression. The unnaturally wide row of fangs that comprised its mouth and covered the majority of the muzzle were pulled into a taut frown, and the empty eye sockets were narrowed towards him, closing around two orbs of red light.
Taking another moment to sigh, Pennington glanced around his surroundings disinterestedly.
"You've redecorated... I don't like it."
"You preferred the wooden shed with the dissected corpses?" The skull spoke in a low, gravelly voice, seemingly unimpaired by the fact that fifty percent of his mouth was composed of sharp fangs.
"Well, no... But it was imaginative. This is just boring!" Pennington lifted one hoof, staring disgustedly at the blood dripping off of the tip. "This is more something for someone having deep thoughts or a meaningful discussion, not a cursed ex-god."
"I AM A GOD!" the creature roared, stamping his front hooves in rage. Shock waves were sent out through the ground like an earthquake, making the blood tremble and ripple.
"Well then, Cha'Qued, why don't you tell me what you're doing, gracing a mere mortal with your presence like this?" Pennington growled maliciously as he returned the glare, staring straight into the skull's eyes without abandon. Somehow, the shift from calm to threatening was every bit as disturbing as the other creature's shift from tense to enraged. "Because I have had a very. bad. day. There isn't much more I'll be willing to put up with, especially when I'm supposed to be blissfully unconscious."
There was only a brief moment as they both looked straight into one another, and each refused to blink.
"I just wanted to tell you, it's not going to be over until you end her, yourself." Cha'Qued spoke softly, almost able to sound as if he hadn't just gargled with a cup of acid and pebbles. "You need to kill Chrysalis if you want it all to be truly over."
Pennington's brow furrowed with frustration, and he turned away, putting the skeleton pony behind him.
"I got the closure I needed. She's going to suffer in the Crystal Empire, Cadence will see to that."
"You say that as if you hadn't already devised a thousand fitting punishments, yourself!" he scoffed, walking forward until the two of them stood side by side. "You know what she did to you- to Equestria- better than anyone, doesn't that make you the one who deserves to be her judge? Her executioner?"
"I don't deserve that position for anyone other than myself." Pennington turned to look at him, eyes narrowed in a harsh glare.
"You didn't seem to think that while you were fighting..." a raspy chuckle, like somepony grinding sandpaper against steel, shuddered through Cha'Qued as the numerous sharp teeth moved upwards in a smile ten times more disturbing than his scowl. "Fine work out there, by the way! Dismembering them with such brutality, shedding so much blood... Even when they looked like your friends and loved ones, you just kept hacking away. That's one of the reasons I stick around, really. You're my type of pony, deep down..." The skeleton reached up and put a hoof around Pennington's shoulders. "It's a shame most of it was cleaned up by the time I managed to get out there for a quick meal."
Pennington shuddered, shaking his head as unpleasant memories began to resurface, and stepped away, forcing Cha'Qued off of him.
"They made the choices leading them to that fight. It was war, for the lives of the ponies on this ship!"
"Is that why you stabbed the first one that looked like Twilight three times through the heart? Is that why you twisted your blade inside Lily's stomach after you stabbed that changeling? Is that why you didn't even TRY to just knock at least a few unconscious?" The insidious grin grew wider and wider, extending all of the way along his cheekbones, splitting them in half to make way for even more fangs. "If that murder was justified, was your brutal, unbridled, violent rage righteous in your twisted system of right and wrong? And more importantly, was that delicious satisfaction as well-deserved as it felt?"
Pennington wanted to deny what he was saying, but the demon was right.
"Say what you came here to say, Cha'Qued. And then let me rest in peace tonight."
From the light splashing, Pennington could tell that he was walking up behind him. Holding up a single hoof, Pennington motioned for him to stop, which he did. "I'll kill Chrysalis for you. I'll go out and slaughter every last changeling in that darn hive, even in the whole world, if you want... You'll never have to lay your eyes on another changeling for the rest of your life. If you really wanted to try and make that contorted conscience feel better, I'll even escort this convoy to Canterlot and kill that stupid dragon changing the weather."
Pennington didn't even bother to look over his shoulder as he walked away, shaking his head.
"If you want me to put that mask on my face, you're going to have to make me a far better offer than that."
Lily hated long nights.
She had been tossing and turning in her bed for hours, now, and rest simply evaded her every time she closed her eyes. Letting loose yet another long sigh of frustration, she turned to stare up at the ceiling. There was an uneasiness in her stomach that gave her chills, and she had a growing suspicion that something was wrong.
With a small groan of defeat, Lily rolled her way out of the bed, landing on her hooves. After taking a few seconds to stretch, she walked to the door to her room and stepped out into the hall.
Maybe I just need some fresh air...
Nodding to herself, she walked to the end of the hall, eventually winding up outside the bridge. After a moment of hesitation, she gently knocked her hoof against it three times, sending the dull thudding echoing through the empty halls. After a few seconds, the intercom on the wall crackled to life.
"Hello? Who is it?"
"Is that you, Sure Shot?"
There was a moment's pause, and then the turning of a lock being opened. After only a moment more, the door slid aside, revealing the sleepy-looking pegasus rubbing at his eyes. Lily couldn't help but smile upon seeing him.
"It's been a while, hasn't it, Calalily?" he chuckled, stepping aside to let her onto the bridge. As she walked inside, Lily nodded in agreement.
"I guess it was always Penn who kept us all together as kids, after all..." Lily smiled, knowing that she sounded every bit as tired as Sure Shot looked. "I haven't seen you since you and Constant showed up at my door with Penn, asking for my help to heal him..." She took a deep breath, walking to the frontmost window. "I guess you really did get that ship you always wanted, didn't you?"
"Well, I guess. It's really the NLR's, when push comes to shove!" Sure Shot shook his head, joining her at the window. They were sitting just on the outskirts of familiar territory: Canterlot's suburbs. From the look of it, the Cliffjumper was no longer moving, having reached the final destination. "So... what brings you to my helm?"
"I couldn't sleep..." Lily sighed, looking out over her home. "I thought I'd come visit you on my way to get some fresh air."
"I thought it might be something like that..." Sure Shot sighed, sitting down on his haunches. "I know that we're supposed to be safe inside the bubble the princesses put up around the city, but I just can't shake this... this bad feeling..." He shook his head, as if trying to dispel an unwanted thought. "It's just, after what Penn said, I realized that he was right... I was a moron for thinkin' Chrysalis was a good idea to keep here... I put my crew and passengers in the way of danger, and a lot of them got hurt! Most of all my foalhood buddy..." He pointed down to the front deck, where Lily could barely make out a familiar blue pony looking out over the railing. Pennington didn't seem to mind the rain. In fact, he never had, even as a foal. His mane was matted down against his body, showing that he had been drenched for some time. It was more somber than she was used to seeing him act, simply standing and staring that way into the darkness, but she knew that he was likely doing so for a good reason. If he was willing to drop his confidence and shed his bravado, then it meant he was taking things seriously.
"It doesn't help that he shoots a glare at me about every five minutes... I don't know how he even knows I'm up here!"
Lily giggled quietly, eliciting a bemused grin from the archer.
"Well, at least one of us is gettin' a laugh out of it!"
"Ha ha, sorry..." Lily shook her head, trying to take the idea of Pennington being so angry at one of his foalhood friends seriously. After a few moments, however, a somber memory came back to her mind, putting aside the levity. "He really gave the changelings no mercy... You've known him for a long time, but how often have you seen him honestly and completely lose himself to rage?"
Sure Shot took a deep breath, shaking his head. "I guess... not much. I was just glad he was on our side today, I wouldn't want that sword poking through me!"
Lily looked back out the window and onto the deck again. Pennington was almost a fixture on the boat, now, like some kind of gargoyle of regret. The only thing allowing her to realize that he was still even alive was the fact that he had leaned forward and placed one of his hooves on the railing, placing his weight on it and resting his chin on his foreleg.
"Well, I have to admit, you'll probably want to give him plenty of space after what he found out about Chrysalis..." she muttered. "If he hadn't lost his horn, you probably would have had a sword made out of magic swinging at your head back when he woke up in the medical bay."
Sure Shot nodded. "Well, I'll apologize later, after this has all blown over. I sent Luna a letter, and she agreed that Chrysalis is gonna be moved to an armed transport to get to the Crystal Empire."
Lily nodded. "And he's just been standing out there?"
"Well Moonstone was with him at first, but he sent her off in the direction of the castle about 20 minutes ago..." Sure Shot put a thoughtful hoof to his chin. "They didn't talk much, though. He's just been staring out into the distance."
With a final nod to herself, Lily rose up onto her hooves, walking towards the door on the wall of the bridge.
"Hey, where are you going?"
"I'm just... getting some fresh air. I can't leave him out there alone like that." Lily shook her head, a melancholy smile spreading over her face. "The things I do for that boy... One of these days, he's going to be the death of me!"
Sure Shot reclined further into his seat with a smile.
"Now, come on, Lily! We both know he'd still throw himself in front of a train before he saw any harm come to ya!" He gave her a wry wink, "Just 'cause things didn't work out for you two don't mean that either one of you gave up on each other!"
Lily cringed at the grim reminder of her past, but did her best not to let him see.
"Well... We each need at least ONE pony to believe in us. We can't afford to give up on each other." She opened the door, allowing a blast of cold, wet air to come in from outside, blowing her hair back.
"Be careful! That ladder'll be slippery!" Sure Shot called out. "Keep a firm grip!"
Looking down, Lily shuddered. It was almost two stories down to the forward deck from the bridge.
"Will do, Captain Shot..."
Pennington let out what had to be his 30th long sigh, tapping the mask against the metal railing and listening to the light ringing of ceramic striking steel. He knew that he was moping, and that standing around and sighing wouldn't do anything to help his situation, but it felt good. The rain beating down on his back was like a cold shower, both tensing his muscles in reaction to the temperature and pounding on them to relax them again.
Releasing his already weak grip, he let go of the mask. The satisfaction of watching it plunge into the darkness and out of sight was hollow, giving him no pleasure because he knew it would be back before he knew it.
"Penn! What are you doing out here?" A familiar voice called to him through the rain, prompting him to look up. Making her way to him through the rain was Lily, already almost completely drenched. Her normally tidy mane was beginning to disintegrate into a mess of individual strands that she was trying to push out of her face.
"Lily, get back inside! I'm just... getting some fresh air!"
"Pennington Inkwell, you need fresh air like a rainforest needs a glass of water!" Lily said as she finally reached him, leaning up on the railing alongside him. "So, why don't you tell me the truth?"
There was a brief moment of silence as Pennington argued with himself about what to do. He knew that he couldn't lie to Lily. Even if he did manage to somehow fool her, his conscience would goad him into telling the truth. But the truth would take time. Too much time.
How does she ALWAYS manage to show up when I'm trying to just get some quiet time to mope and wallow? He shook his head as the sarcasm ran its way through his mind.
"I'll tell you inside."
Judging from her satisfied smile, that had been Lily's entire intent in coming out to meet him.
Leading the way, Pennington opened up a hatch in the deck, leading them back down into the safety of the ship. It wasn't surprising to him that the two of them were leaving a puddle roughly the size of a lake as they walked down the hall, but it was likely that it would dry up before anypony else needed to come through.
"So, care to tell me what you're doing, standing alone in the rain?" Lily asked, her tone carrying only a small amount of scorn with the curious words. "You could get sick out there."
It's like listening to my mom... He rolled his eyes, scoffing at her remark.
"Me? Sick? We both know I have the immune system of a minotaur."
"Well, since getting sick obviously wasn't your intent, I'd like to know what was!"
Pennington instinctively felt the urge to argue with her, to say that she didn't need to know, but there was the greater urge brought on by years of trust to simply confess his strife to her. The two of them had always shared everything with one another over the years, ever since they had been young, and Lily had always been there for him whenever he would arrive back home, battered and broken from his previous adventure, with a fresh roll of bandages and a warm bed.
If anypony deserves the truth out of me, she does...
"I... I was just thinking about what happened today, with the changelings." Pennington forced the words out, as hard as they seemed to be for him to say out loud. "I practically slaughtered them, and all totally in anger and hatred. I didn't care about fighting honorably or who I was fighting. I could feel every light of life die as I butchered them... right here." He prodded at the center of his chest with his hoof. "I had to shove any feelings aside out there in order to keep fighting, and the anger made it easy. I-" His voice choked in his throat as tears began to build in his eyes. "I- I just didn't care that they were dying! I reveled in it! And now, I look back, and I'm every bit as much the monster that Cha'qued is-"
Pennington was cut off as Lily threw her front hooves around his shoulders, gripping him tightly.
"Don't say that. Don't you dare say that!" She shook her head, her chin rubbing against his shoulder as she refused to let go. "You did what you had to. You always do. If you needed to kill to protect all of us here on this ship, then you knew you would! I know you, Penn, and those feelings aren't you! That's the pain and the suffering you've been through, turned right back on the ones who gave them to you, and it's only right! You hate them for what they did! And so do I! And you used it! You put that into what was right-"
"And it made it 'not right!'" Pennington shook his head, stepping back from Lily, forcing her to let go so that he could look straight into her eyes. "Lily, all those years ago, I picked up that sword and promised myself I would only use it to fight for what was right! And that was hatred and anger and revenge! It was everything that's boiled and churned inside of me for the past two months, whipped into a froth by guilt! I broke my promise, and murdered them! I murdered them brutally!" He shook his head, turning away and pressing his damp forehead against the wall, his false horn making a light scraping sound against it. "I crossed a line! A line that I never should have! And there's no way that, in my heart, I can try to tell myself that it was right! There's blood on my hooves again, and more ghosts waiting to stand as witnesses against me when it's my time to go!"
Silence fell as Lily didn't seem to know what to say, and Pennington waited for her answer.
"It was war, wasn't it?"
"It was a rescue mission." Pennington gritted his teeth, only opening them enough to make his words intelligible. "I could have just freed Chrysalis and let everyone go home alive..."
"And put Equestria back in danger of invasion! Not to mention her wrath if she got free-"
Pennington gently tapped his head. "Trust me, she would have liked nothing more, but even Queen Chrysalis wouldn't have put the hive in danger through fighting in this weather..."
"But if they had gotten inside-"
"The queen was literally the only thing on their minds! All they could think about, all they could do, was try to reach her! Every single pony would have been perfectly alright if they had just stayed out of their way!" He slammed his hoof against the wall.
"Penn, we both know Sure Shot wouldn't have let her go!"
"Then I should have fought him for it!"
"YOU COULDN'T HAVE!" With surprising strength, Lily grabbed both sides of his face, tearing him away from the wall and forcing him to look straight into her eyes, the tips of their horns gently brushing against one another.
"You need to get over yourself enough to look at what was happening, Pennington Inkwell! And if I have to slap the sense into you, you know for a fact that I will! The entire ship was mobilizing for a fight! It was an all-out war with Equestria's most wanted criminal on the line! It wasn't just a question of one prisoner, this was the defense of justice and the memories of the ponies who were lost because of her!" Lily pointed down the hall, in the direction of the brig. "You were one pony acting under Sure Shot's orders to defend the ship! If you had stepped down from this fight, there would have been five more to take your place, but the ponies inside would have been in greater danger! And the Pennington Inkwell I know and love never steps down when his friends need him! But there was no way of solving this peacefully! Even if you had done everything you possibly could to avoid the conflict and explain what was happening, every single pony on this ship would have fought you as fervently as the changelings! This was war, and there was only one way you could bring yourself to do what needed to be done! That rage wasn't wrath, it was coping! You put aside your own mind and feelings to help every pony in Ponyville! You were fighting for me! For Moonstone! For- for Twilight! Do you understand?" She placed a gentle hoof on his cheek, tears filling her aqua-green eyes. "That was all in your head, not your heart. You were a soldier today, fighting for Equestria, itself. But being a soldier isn't easy... That's why they're heroes. So please, stop thinking that you're anything less than... than magnificent. You were so strong, you just collapsed under the pressure after the danger had passed..."
Pennington couldn't help himself. Taking his turn to return her earlier hug, he took a firm hold of Lily as all of the barriers and gates that he had erected to keep his despair at bay crumbled away, and a flood of emotions came flowing out through his tears, bursting out through his choking sobs, and slowly ebbing out into the bandages around his legs in his own blood.
"If you think what you did was wrong, Penn, then become better... Let it go so you can become better and rise above it! Learn from it, but don't lock it away in your heart forever..." Lily whispered into his ear, gently stroking down the back of his neck as he sobbed. "Because nothing can stop you from becoming every bit who you want to be... The only thing holding you back is yourself..."
"He asked you to get what?" Luna stared disbelievingly at Moonstone.
"Every record Canterlot has on Quill the Scribe." Moonstone nodded. "Hidden archives and all."
Luna turned away, her brow furrowing in frustration.
"That's a lot of material."
"He wants a lot of answers, and he just went through a real ordeal. No thanks to you, might I add, your highness..." Moonstone folded her arms over her chest, giving Luna the critiquing stare she usually reserved for Pennington's harebrained plans. "If he loves Quill half as much as he says he does, he's probably looking for some kind of solace in the records of his hero's life."
Luna nodded, lost in thought for a moment.
"I'll allow access to the restricted areas of the archives, but he'll need to come here, himself."
Moonstone nodded. "Thank you, Luna."
"But I will be keeping the Royal Records off-limits, for now," she added, turning back to Moonstone. "He's still my student, and there are some things that he isn't ready to know..."
Moonstone nodded again, though her eyes shifted uncomfortably to the side.
"Luna? Do you think we're right to not tell him everything? To keep secrets? I mean, you just tried that on the Cliffjumper and-"
"The Cliffjumper was a mistake... This is worth too much for us to have made a mistake. If you, Celestia and I are correct, Moonstone, we're not keeping anything from him. He'll learn everything we're hiding and more in due time... And when he does, Equestria will be all the better for it. We're simply allowing him to take his own time to discover, rather than simply giving him everything without working for it. It will be better for him."
"And what if we're wrong?"
Luna paused for a moment, looking outside at the rain splattering against the window of her bedroom.
"I sincerely doubt that we'll need to worry about that..."
As she quietly browsed through the gift shop of the Canterlot Train Station, Lily had to admit that, despite his infuriating reckless streak, Pennington had followed through on his promise: to show her Equestria in a way she would never forget. The past two weeks had taken her from Vanhoover to Manehatten, from Applaloosa to Neighagra Falls, and everywhere in between.
When Pennington had surprised her with a train ticket for their cross-country journey, Lily had been scared out of her mind, at first. Despite his insistence that he was taking "educational sabbaticals" for his final school project, she'd known that he was really going on high-flying, dangerous trips, risking life and limb solely for the sake of adventure, itself. He'd been coming to her whenever he returned, both to patch up his wounds for the next day and to share his near-unbelievable stories. Fortunately, this seemed to be almost exclusively a sightseeing tour, much more at her pace of excitement. What was the most exciting of all, however, was that school was over. Despite Pennington's many long absences, they had both graduated right alongside their closest friends. And no more school meant more time for other things... like romance. They'd stolen kisses in Stalliongrad, cuddled close for warmth at the top of Smokey Mountain, taken long carriage rides through Manehatten's gardens, and even hidden away together in the forbidden caves beneath Canterlot, playing like foals in the scintillating light and darkness made by their horns and the mirrored surfaces. The two of them were closer than they ever had been before, and for once, her constant worries had subsided. There was no need to worry about money, Pennington had said that the trip was a "graduation gift from Daring Do." She didn't constantly wonder where he was, at the end of the day, there was always a train waiting to carry them through the night, and they would cuddle together in the same bunk, so he was with her every hour of every day, never sneaking off to risk life and limb out of sight. Her worries and stresses seemed to melt away when he was with her, and it all felt so... right. Nothing was wrong in her world as long as he was there, right alongside her.
Looking around the shop, Lily found her mind slowly drifting back towards the present. In every place they had visited, she had bought some kind of souvenir to preserve the memories, usually a key chain or something. As she was browsing Canterlot's assorted knick knacks, she finally settled on a pleasant-looking quartz pendant, a small-but-powerful reminder of their romps through the glittering caverns. Satisfied with her purchase, she paid for the item and placed it around her neck as she stepped back out into the station, standing on the platform to wait for their train to arrive.
It was a surprisingly slow day at the train station, with only a few other ponies standing, most patiently waiting without a word. Looking around, Lily couldn't see Pennington anywhere, but with a quick nod and a smile to herself, she knew he would be back soon. After all, the train would be there in a matter of minutes, she could see it coming in the distance. Until then, she quietly glanced around, trying to find something to hold her interest while she waited. A solution came surprisingly easily as her eye was caught by a bright white object near the corner of the platform. Walking over, she levitated it up with her magic and brought it up for closer inspection.
It was some kind of ceramic mask, and a horrifying one, at that. It was a grisly pony skull, with the teeth replaced by rows of long, needle-like fangs, painted in places to look as if they were bloodstained from a recent carnivorous meal.
Definitely creepy, but it's probably the kind of thing Penn would get a chuckle out of... She lifted the item up into the air, waving back and forth. "Did anypony lose a mask?"
Several seconds of befuddled muttering and shaking heads convinced her that the item didn't belong to anyone nearby.
The owner probably got on the train and didn't even realize they dropped it... I'll show it to Penn, then turn it in to the lost and found! With a chuckle, she turned it over, taking a look at the opposite side. There was nothing remarkable about the inside of the mask, it was the same ceramic as the outside, simply molded to be able to fit onto a face without any kind of string or strap by fitting over the muzzle. It meant that the wearer wouldn't be able to talk, so it was probably used for either decoration or some kind of silent theater. With a shrug, she raised the mask to her face and slipped it over her own muzzle, imagining with a grin the double-take Pennington would probably take when he saw her wearing something so fearsome.
To her absolute horror, the moment that it was on her face, the mask took on a life of its own, clamping down on her muzzle and pressing itself violently against her skin as the ceramic surface began to stretch and morph backwards, sending tendrils reaching back towards the back of her head to anchor itself to her.
"MMPH! HMM-MMPH!" She tried to scream as terror began to overtake her senses, but all that she could manage was muffled grunts as the object morphed to fit the form of her own face, fitting perfectly on it and allowing no movement short of the stretching and compression of the ceramic pressing itself against her skin. She fell forward as she used both of her front hooves to grasp desperately at the mask to try and tear it off, even grinding her face against the train station platform as she writhed and wrenched at the mask.
"Lily? LILY!"
Lily heard Pennington calling her name only moments before the world seemed to drop away beneath her, and she plummeted several feet to the ground. If she hadn't been so terrified beyond the capacity for rational thought, she would have realized that she had fallen off of the train platform, and there was a badly dulled impact to her head that was cushioned by the mask, likely the metal tracks.
She wanted to scream. She wanted to scream and cry and shout at the stupid mask to just let her go. She could feel to cool ceramics sinking into her pores, trying to become one with her face and skin, and a strange tension at the corners of her mouth, pulling it wider and up into the mask's sadistic grin.
So thirsty... So... HUNGRY... The urges, the needs, almost completely overwhelmed her mind, washing away her fear and flooding over her need to break away. For the first time since the mask had taken a hold of her, she opened her eyes, desperately searching for something to quench her thirst.
Unfortunately, the fear returned as quickly as it had come when she realized that the oncoming train was not going to do that.
As the train's brakes screeched and its whistle blared its shrill note, a massive force plowed into her from the side, tackling her off of the tracks and into the dirt on the other side. In a dizzy spin, she was in the air, and then roughly thrown to the ground as she rolled, and there was a firm grip on her shoulders as a second pony was pulling her along for the ride. It took only a moment for her to realize that there was a pony standing over her, pinning her to the ground, and less time for another overwhelming urge to cause her to open up her mouth and bite down on his leg, her new fangs sinking into his flesh with ease and beginning to soak up the blood.
"AAH!" The voice cried out in pain, and yet another strong force collided with her head, this time knocking away her mouth and sending her fangs raking back through his flesh, picking up a few delicious morsels before he jumped away, out of her reach.
She wanted more. She was hungry. There were no pretty words for the voracious sensation, and the gaping pit growing in her core begged to be filled in a way that overwhelmed her and motivated her unlike anything ever had in her life. In one deft movement, she flipped herself up onto her hooves to stare down the sack of flesh that would sate her hunger.
"Lily, I know you're in there, fight it! Reject it! Turn it away and rip it off!" Pennington shouted. His front right hoof had several long gouges in it that were bleeding profusely.
Did... Did I do that to him?
The scent of the blood was warm, wet, and so absolutely decadent, it sent shivers down her spine. This... this was the scent of something that could quench her thirst.
I... I can't! That's disgusting!And it would hurt him!
The sight of that blood spilling out onto the ground was agonizing. Her hooves trembled as she took an unwilling step forward, the primal urges becoming more than she could endure.
"I-I'm sorry..." She whispered, realizing that the mask was now allowing her face to move, but moved as if it were a part of her as well. "Please... help me..."
Help me what? Get the mask off, or quench my thirst?
She took another step forward towards him, and Lily saw something she never had before. Pennington narrowed his eyes in anger, lowered his horn, and growled. In the face of danger, he was settling down, getting serious, and not simply enjoying the thrill.
"Let her go, Cha'Qued..." He growled, a white mist beginning to float off of his horn.
To her complete horror, Lily's body moved on its own, chuckling softly and speaking in a raspy tone, with the mask's movement's tugging on her face to move it in the proper way, just as she had pulled on it to speak.
"So, Inkwell, do you take my deal, then? You're wounded, and I hold your loved one... She's so delicate..." Lily's head turned to look down at her own body, chuckling again. "She's like your little porcelain doll, isn't she? Something for you to love and stroke whenever you come back to your home, but not a part of your real life. She just couldn't handle it, and you LOVE it when she reminds you of that, don't you? It gives you a rush to remember that you're better than everyone else. You can handle what she can't, and you get off on it! Well, Inkwell... you're in over your head with me! And I'm going to prove it!"
The white mist hovering in the air finally began to pull itself together, forming into the shape of a wide sword, which hovered at eye level.
"Lily, I'm going to help you. Don't worry, you're going to be just fine..." He whispered, staring straight into her eyes.
When she dashed forward, Lily thought that she was moving faster than Pennington was going to be able to react. The entire world burred around her as her body sprinted with uncanny speed. With only a small rotation, the sword moved downwards, catching her fangs just before they tore through his throat. Leaning forward, her unwilling body pressed the assault, grinding her new fangs deeply into the blade, eating away at the magical object to try and reach him, and she took a step forward, pressing the opposite side against his neck. She knew that, unless he could stop her, she was going to tear out his throat, guzzle down his blood straight from the source, and then scarf down his cold, dead flesh.
No... Please, NO! No, I don't WANT to hurt him! I don't WANT to kill him! He's my best friend! I LOVE HIM!
YOU CAN'T DO THIS!
Just as the magic construct was about to break, Lily turned away with every ounce of strength she had. With the sudden change, the sword's edge grated against her cheek and back fangs, and she toppled forward, her own body's strength sending her rolling over and over again.
Before she had even stopped tumbling, her body righted itself, rolling up onto her hooves and whirling back towards him. As she turned, though, the sword was already coming at her, swinging in a wide arc. Deep in the part of her brain that was still her own, she braced herself for the end.
But her hoof shot up in front of her face, again acting on its own, and there was a loud thud as the blade connected with something much more solid than her own skin. After a moment, the reason she wasn't missing a hoof became clear: a large, white plate had grown out of her skin like armor, protecting her. The force of Pennington's blow seemed completely negated, and the sword began to retreat back towards its owner before settling at the midway point between the two of them.
"That's new..." Pennington muttered, still staring as the shield retreated back under her skin.
"GRRRAAAAAAAAH!" Lily's body gave a feral roar as she threw herself at him, the entity possessing the mask having been obviously enraged. Her body was faster and stronger than she has ever imagined with could be, and she found her fear and desperation return.
Please, Penn... Help me! Help me, or just run! I- I can't-
Oh, Celestia help us...
Callalily Curl sat bolt upright in her bed, drenched in sweat and with her heart throwing itself wildly against her ribcage out of fear. It was difficult for her to realize that the memory had simply been a nightmare. With a long sigh, she leaned back again, falling against her pillow.
She'd had this nightmare often. It would recur at least a few times every year, and every time, it was like going through the whole experience over again. Thankfully, as she glanced at the clock on her bedside table, she knew that it was over, at least for a couple months. As part of her tradition for calming down, she closed her eyes, recalling the feeling of freedom when, after a long and horrifying battle, Pennington had managed to strike the mask. It had been difficult for him, made even more so by the fact that he had been losing blood by the minute, but as Cha'Qued had him pinned to the ground and was about to tear out his throat, Pennington had summoned one last blast of magic, striking her face head-on.
At the attack, the mask had shattered like glass, and its hold on her vanished. Pennington had always told her that the demon was just weak because she was an unwilling vessel, but Lily knew better. As the mask had crumbled away, Cha'Qued had spoken his last words to her and her alone.
So weak... You disgust me. One day, I'll have HIM. I'll be unstoppable.
It had never wanted her, to begin with. The entire fight had been a gambit to either kill Pennington, or make him take the burden off of her and onto himself.
After that day, she had forced him to tell her everything that had happened, rather than just sharing stories at his leisure, which became a tradition between them. That was part of the reason she had been so angry when he left without telling her: he always told her. It was "for safety," but they had never established whose.
That was also the first night it felt like there was a gap between the two of them, because the mask had been right: she knew that she would never be able to compete with him and his "adventures." It would always be a difference between them that couldn't be reconciled,that he was capable of surviving them and she wasn't.
Pennington, please! It's enough, you don't need to go anymore! Just please, stay here, where we can be together! Lily heard her own voice echoing back to her from across time. It had been almost 4 years since they'd had their final conversation as a couple. It had been just after she'd gotten her shop in Canterlot. Please! We can be together, we'll never have to worry about each other again!
Pennington had been shocked, taken aback by the very idea, and shook his head in denial.
You want to do something crazy? Is that it? Then let's do something crazy, together!
Lily shook her head, rolling out of the bed. Despite the attempt to move on, the memory continued on like a record that refused to stop.
We can settle down, be together for good, and put the past behind us! If you want to get really crazy we could... we could even start a family, together! Just you and I! You don't need to go looking for adventure, it's right here! MAKE your life an adventure, don't leave it behind!
Lily scoffed at how desperate she had been as she stepped out into the hallway. The Cliffjumper didn't have a shower in every room, and she knew that the shared ones for the crew would be full to capacity, so she settled for putting an eleastic into her hair and pulling it back into a ponytail. She'd been a silly kid when she and Pennington broke up. She'd been desperate, and thought that stripping bare her own dreams of a peaceful life for him to see would be enough to stop him from pursuing his own.
She'd been a silly kid.
Lily... I just can't... I just need to keep going. THAT kind of adventure... It's not what I'm looking for!
Penn had been cheesy about it, too. He'd turned to stare out into the distance, like some wistfully wandering spirit. Lily had always resented him for that, because she knew he was being absolutely serious about it, but it had still felt like he was mocking her own drama.
I'm sorry, Lily, but... I have to go. I just have to. Promise me you won't hate me for it? I just... I can't settle down, yet. I'll always love you, but-
Just go... GET OUT OF HERE!
She pondered the miracle that they had been able to reconcile at all as she stepped out onto the deck of the ship, where many ponies were already hurrying to find a way off of the Cliffjumper. Sure Shot was shouting orders and instructions at ponies who didn't have a place to go. Thankfully, Lily could almost spot her apartment complex from the Cliffjumper. All of the ponies who were in such a rush were getting absolutely soaked in the rain, and she quickly ducked back inside.
Somehow, though, they had managed to retain their friendship, and deep down, she had to admit that she still loved him every bit as much as she had before his "second life" had made such a forceful invasion into her own. They were the very closest of friends, just like they were when they were foals... but everything beyond friendship had been undone. Unfortunately, Penn wasn't planning on going back on his decision any time soon. He had moved on and found a pony who could keep up with him. And she was happy for him and Twilight... even if it did break her heart every time she saw them.
"Um, excuse me, do you know where I could find Pennington Inkwell in this sea of ponies?"
Lily's train of thought came to a grinding halt as she realized that she had almost run into somepony as she stared down at the ground.
"Um, I'm sorry, I'm afraid I haven't seen him. You could probably find out from.... from the captain..." She trailed off as she finally looked up at the pony she was talking to. She was wearing a purple cloak and a large gray hat, along with a think-rimmed pair of red eyeglasses. What Lily could see of her mane and tail was a spectrum of shades of gray, though it was still darker than her hat in most places, and her coat was a khaki color. The cloak seemed mainly functional for keeping out the elements, and was only held together in the front by a single clasp, and she could see a pair of wings beneath it.
"Is something wrong?" the pony asked, lifting an eyebrow. Lily couldn't help but notice that the pony seemed quite a few years her elder, as well. She was possibly older by an entire generation, if the laugh lines around her mouth and the crow's feet at the corners of her eyes were any sign. Most ponies didn't get wrinkles until they were at least nearing their late 30's.
"No, nothing! It's just that you... well, to be honest, you remind me of somepony..."
"I get that a lot. I just have one of those faces everyone knows, I guess. I don't suppose you could point me towards the captain, Miss Callalily?"
"Yeah, he's that way, out on the deck," Lily paused as she turned to point behind her. "Wait... How did you know-"
"Pennington used to talk about you all of the time." The mare smiled as she walked past with a grateful nod. "Thank you very much!"
Lily continued to stare for some time until she lost the stranger in the crowd, and set her mind to the puzzle of trying to remember whom she had been reminded of.
"Everything I could get my claws on!" Moonstone chirped as she set the last of the books down in the pile.
"Thank you. I'm going to do some reading, now..." Pennington picked up the nearest book and began flipping through it.
"If you don't mind my asking, Penn, why the sudden study session? Is Twilight starting to rub off on you?"
"No... But I realized that I don't have any idea of what I'm getting into..." he muttered as he turned back to the table of contents, then absentmindedly set it down apart from the others before picking up another one. "If I look at Quill's life, maybe I can find something about Scorch, or at least what it was that made him go loco the first time. This could be for the same reason!"
"Oh! So, 'know thy enemy," right?" Moonstone chuckled. "Well, I guess that's a good idea, if not a roundabout way of doing it!"
"Well, I always read at least one book about Quill before I leave for a... trip." Pennington momentarily stumbled over his words, and Moonstone could tell that he had stopped himself again.
"You know, Penn," she muttered as she picked up the book. flipping through the pages on her own, "you can call it an adventure. There's nothing wrong with that word."
"It just... It floats off the tongue a little too easily." Pennington shook his head, setting down a second book beside Moonstone. "If I start saying that, it might be just as easy to slip back into the habits that got me here."
"I never thought I'd see the day Pennington Inkwell would be afraid of a word!" a voice scoffed from across the room.
At the sound of the voice, Pennington's head immediately snapped upwards. It took him only a moment to recognize the mare who had entered the room. When he did, Moonstone saw something in his expression that she hadn't seen for some time: joy. Without even taking a moment's hesitation, Pennington dropped the book to the floor and ran up to her. Stopping just short, he hesitated, staring at her as if asking for permission. After a moment of silence, she smiled and nodded in return, prompting him to jump forward and wrap his hooves around her in an affectionate embrace.
"Miss Yearling! What are you doing here?" He laughed, releasing her after a few seconds. "Your cloak is soaked! Would you like me to take it?"
"Just checking up on my old student. It seems that I should have done so sooner..." She gently reached up and pulled the big, red glasses off of her scarlet eyes. "If you're scared of a word like 'adventure,' there's a big problem!"
As Pennington helped her with her cloak, Moonstone searched back through her memory for the name he had used.
"Yearling... You mean 'A.K. Yearling?' Canterlot University's Head of Archaeology? The mare who traveled the world and collected myths and legends into one of the greatest compendiums of worldwide lore of all time?" Much to Moonstone's surprise, as the cloak and hat were removed and Pennington draped them across the nearest chair, what emerged was an almost exact lookalike to the titular character of Pennington's book series, Daring Do. Right down to the rough mane and olive-colored jacket.
"The one and only! I'm flattered you're familiar with my work!" She smiled, giving Moonstone a nod. "You've got a sharp assistant, Penny. Luna must be treating you well. I hope you haven't gone soft, Quick Strike and I would have your hide tanned on the dojo floor!"
Pennington shook his head and Moonstone could swear that she could see him physically suppress the urge to correct her for using his hated nickname with a momentary shudder. "If I went soft, I'm pretty sure Moonstone would make sure I got whipped back into shape, Ma'am!" Putting his hoof around her shoulder, Pennington led her to their small pile of research. "Ma'am, this is Moonstone, my assistant. Moonstone, this is Miss Yearling, my teacher!"
"Better known as one of about five ponies in the entire world that he answers to directly." Yearling grinned. "I taught Pennington everything he knows about writing... and about seeking out legends."
"And she provided the inspiration for my main character!"
"A fact I will always regret..." she shook her head, sighing with a tired smile. "Do you know how many times a day I have to deal with ponies who think I'm your 'Daring Do' character?"
"Probably not enough! After all these years, you deserve the attention!" Pennington laughed, bringing her a chair. "Without your research, the New Lunar Republic and the Solar Empire wouldn't have stood a chance of being able to predict half of the disasters we've averted!"
Her tired smile quickly grew smug as a youthful gleam shimmered in her eye. "Well, I won't deny my due credit, but you talk as if I'm all washed up!"
"So, you taught Penn how to 'adventure?'" Moonstone asked, tilting her head. "But, I always thought he was self-taught, or that it was just his talent?"
"Even ponies with a 'talent' need some teaching! In Penny's case, a LOT of tutoring." Yearling gave Pennington a mischievous grin. "I wouldn't even have taken him if the academy hadn't made me bring along an entire crew! But when he barged into a tomb headfirst and managed not to be killed by the traps inside, I realized that I just might have found somepony with actual talent."
"On the other hoof, there was also the fact that one of the flying daggers made a pretty good attempt at making my insides my outsides..." Pennington muttered, rubbing his hoof over his heart.
"Well, not everypony can be as great as I am!" she chuckled. "Besides, a few stitches later you were fine, you big baby! I always thought you did that on purpose so you could get some one-on-one time with that cute nurse!"
"You know, Miss Yearling, I happen to have a girlfriend, now..." Pennington muttered, rolling his eyes. "Besides, everyone knows better than to hit on Close Care!"
"Yes, I heard about your affiliation with Miss Sparkle..." Yearling gently tapped her chin. "I guess I should congratulate you on your relationship, but I'm going to warn you..."
"I know. Relationships complicate things. You told me the same thing when I started dating Lily."
"And she nearly died because you ignored it!" Yearling snapped, glaring at him angrily. From the way he stumbled backwards when she did, Moonstone began to suspect that Pennington was actually afraid of her.
"That's- that's not going to happen!"
"And that's the same attitude that has always stopped you from achieving true greatness... You're fearless, but only because you hide behind foolhardiness. If you ever stop to look back, or if you ever take the time to think through what you're doing, you'll make better decisions. But instead, from day one and on every expedition since, you've simply run headfirst into danger!"
"If I remember a few of your stories correctly, ma'am, you were the same way at my age..." Pennington flinched as her scowl deepened. "Look, what happened to Lily happened because I was keeping secrets. I don't keep things from Twilight! She's strong, smart, and knows enough to keep herself safe! I don't keep stuff from her, and she has the makings of a better adventurer than either of us!"
"Oh, really? Did you tell her about Mozun Akai?"
The words seemed to physically assault Pennington, who stepped back away from her, blinking several times and shaking his head. With her "gift," Moonstone saw something deep inside of her stir. A knotted darkness that churned and broiled in his heart, traveling up his spine and into the base of his skull, where a second, smaller knot was lingering. It looked almost like the black heart she had seen when she'd first seen the Cliffjumper, but not nearly as huge as Chrysalis's presence had created. As she continued to stare, scrutinizing the knot, she suddenly found herself swept away in a vision.
She was standing in the middle of what looked like some kind of far away village. Most of the houses were made from mud bricks and thatched roofs, and it was easy to tell from the tall trees surrounding the area that they were in the center of some kind of tropical forest. What grabbed her attention much more thoroughly, however, were the ponies.
They were all dead.
There were bodies littered throughout the area, almost all of which were mangled and torn open, but they seemed to fall under three general types of injuries. The rib cages of some were splintered and ripped open, revealing several missing (or worse, partially missing) organs. Others had large portions of skin removed, and large scoring marks across the muscle beneath, as if teeth had been dragged across them. The third group all had their throats ripped out or open, and pale, white skin was visible beneath their fur and along their faces and muscles. Of all the bodies, these were the cleanest, mostly because they hadn't been leaking blood for the past hours. It seemed to have all been drained. Only one pony was alive, standing in the center of the wreckage: Pennington, holding Cha'Qued's mask in one hoof and glaring into the eyes. He seemed to be screaming at it, periodically stopping as if he were receiving a response, only to begin yelling again, motioning to the carnage around them. After a few moments, she realized that the eerie silence was accompanied by a lack of smell, taste, or even the feeling of the ground beneath her claws. Her eyes had only granted her sight.
As his screaming seemed to reach a peak, Pennington hurled the mask with all of his strength, throwing it like a frisbee over her head. As she turned to watch its flight, she realized that she had been missing an entirely different view behind her.
It was some kind of massive ziggurat, and she imagined that it must have been a true sight to behold when it was still standing, with ornate decorations along the outside in complex patterns and a vibrant array of colors painted on each tier. However, it was now in ruin, having seemingly collapsed in on itself. Some of the larger levels near the base had completely collapsed, allowing those above to fall inside, and others had split in half, or shattered into massive debris. The mask landed among the rubble, and she noticed that there was red liquid seeping from the creases between the teeth. When she turned back, not wanting to stare at it for too long, she caught a glimpse of Pennington disappearing into the foliage, abandoning the carnage.
As quickly as it started, it was over. Moonstone blinked several times, shaking her head as she snapped back to reality. It was a jarring transition to return, but it didn't seem as if she had been gone for more than a second or two. Pennington was still recoiling from Yearling's question, and nothing seemed to have changed.
OKAY, then... Note to self: my "gift" is getting stronger as I keep using it... Try not to look too closely at dark things unless you REALLY want to know more.
"No, I haven't told Twilight about Mozun Akai, and I don't intend to."
"Then she doesn't know everything she should!" After a few more seconds of glaring, Yearling finally closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, Pennington. But our business is dealing in secrets and myths, and you insist on trusting over and over." When she opened her eyes again, she seemed much more calm, even apologetic. "I just don't want to see you hurt the way that I've been. You were supposed to learn from my mistakes when I was teaching you. Yet you don't! Is it your attitude of refusing to learn? Is it my fallacy to think that I could teach you experience? Is it because of some kind of stupid optimism and faith I lost years ago?" She wiped a tear from her eye, shaking her head.
Pennington, who had been shrinking away, seemed to become slightly more confident and stepped up to her, placing a hoof on her shoulder.
"Hey, between you, Sensei Quick Strike, and Princess Luna, I've had the best teachers Equestria could offer. There are just some things that I have trouble learning from others! I'm kind of stupid that way!" He gave a gentle tap on his head for emphasis. "But I'm starting to learn my lesson, even if it is painful..." He moved his hoof up to his horn, giving it a gentle tap.
Yearling nodded, rubbing away the wetness in her eyes. "So... are you still trying to find a way to get rid of that stupid mask?"
Pennington chuckled, nodding his head. "Are you still fighting that weird blue monster?"
She laughed as the last wisps of the tender moment slipped away. "Actually, I haven't seen him lately! I'm starting to think he might have retired!"
Pennington laughed outright, this time. "Well, that won't do any good! You're going to get lazy without some kind of nemesis! Your job will be too easy!"
"Oh, it just means I'll be able to take on tougher adventures than I ever have before!" Yearling waved away his concerns with her hoof. "Maybe I'll finally be able to go explore the catacombs out in the Kirin Quartz Plains! I always wondered what was out there that was causing all of those weird magical storms!" After taking a moment to chuckle again, she became somber once again.
"But something's bothering you, isn't it? If what I heard you say when I came in is true, it sounds like you have a problem."
"Hm? What do you- oh. Right, that little problem with 'adventuring.' I've just been considering a change of syntax."
Yearling raised an eyebrow as she took a chair from a nearby desk, sitting down and giving Pennington an expectant look.
"I suspect there's a story behind it?"
Pennington cast a glance back at Moonstone, sitting down on the floor like a foal waiting for his teacher to tell a story.
"Moonstone, would you mind helping me tell this one? You were there for most of the parts I wasn't."
Yearling didn't seem to talk much while Pennington related the events of the royal wedding to her, not withholding a single fact from her, even about his own involvement. She asked only a couple questions now and then, mostly about his connection with the changeling hive and how it had come to be. Unfortunately, these took a half-hour long story and escalated it to almost two hours, including their escapades with Trixie and the Carnival Cat. He'd gotten up and paced several times during the course of the stories, but he had eventually settled back to his sitting position on the floor, looking up at Yearling as he spoke.
When they finally finished, Yearling leaned forward, resting her chin on one of her hooves thoughtfully. After several minutes, she finally spoke.
"You've come a long way from trying to kiss up to me on your first dig, Pennington Inkwell. You started off unskilled, stupid, and foolhardy. Before all of this, you were just stupid and foolhardy. For better or for worse, you were right: you're learning a lot of things the hard way that you refused to learn from my lessons!" Leaning even further forward, she reached out and gave him a firm blow to the back of his head. "Now, I'd say that you're just foolish."
"What?"
"Well, you used to be foolhardy, throwing yourself into things without thinking about them at all. That was never good. But now, you're looking at your actions to point out everything wrong with them!" She shook her head, leaning back again. "You're not just thinking things through the way that you should, you're taking every opportunity to hate yourself for what you do. You're letting your guilt run your brain!"
"Well, yes. But... don't you think I deserve it? I mean, I hurt a lot of ponies... Isn't it only fair that I feel a lot of pain over it, myself?" Pennington looked down, revealing the very shame she was talking about.
"Having the courage to do what other ponies don't and can't often comes with unexpected consequences. Sometimes they're good, sometimes, they're bad. We can think out what we're doing to avoid the worst of them, most of the time... but sometimes we make a mistake. We go someplace we shouldn't, we rescue an item that should have stayed hidden, or we even fight on the wrong side of a war we don't understand..." She quietly reached over and picked up the mask, which had appeared on the nearby desk while they were talking. "We make mistakes, and the consequences can be deadly. We work with strange and dangerous forces when we investigate the unknown. That's why so many ponies are afraid of it." With a small toss, the mask landed in his lap. "But you need to remember that you don't see everything. You probably already received all of your punishment. And if you haven't, then you will. But not by your own hoof. The universe is kind of funny that way."
Pennington looked down at the mask, and Moonstone noticed that knotted secret make a particularly violent spasm.
"But..."
"No buts! Pennington Inkwell- no- Scorching Quill! You need to get over this self-pity and self-loathing and get yourself back on track! There are a lot of ponies counting on you, and a lot of lives to be saved!" She stood up from the chair with a smile, giving him a sly wink. "And I'm too busy to do it, myself!" She grinned and gave Moonstone's spines a quick rustle. "Keep him on track, okay?"
Moonstone nodded, returning the grin. "I do my best to keep him going in the right direction, ma'am!"
With practiced ease, Yearling retrieved her cloak and wrapped it around her in one smooth motion. Soon, her hat and glasses had been replaced, as well, once again hiding her identical look to Daring Do. After a moment, she stepped forward, wrapping her hoof around Pennington and pulling him into a tight hug.
"And be careful out there... Dragon country is no place for a pony!" she whispered.
"Hey, come on! I learned from the best, didn't I? You just make sure you don't have a heart attack while I'm gone, or something!"
This elicited another smack upside the head for Pennington.
"Normally, I'd have you put on pack mule duty for a quip like that! Unfortunately, you're not my student any more, so I'll have to settle for reminding you of all the times I saved your sorry rear!"
"Well, it's certainly good to see you two reunited!" Luna called out as she entered the room.
"Princess Luna!" Immediately, Yearling bowed down on one knee, while Pennington gave a respectful nod.
"Please, there's no need to bow, I was just coming in to check on how Pennington's studies were progressing!"
"Well, your highness, we've made a lot of progress!" Moonstone chirped. "We found out where it is that Scorch was living when he killed Quill with the gauntlet, and dragons rarely, if ever, change where they live. We'll at least have a place to start once we arrive!"
Pennington gave her a look of surprise.
"What? While you were telling the stories I wasn't in, I was reading!"
"Well, that's good! Knowing your destination should make finding Scorch and the gauntlet leagues easier." Luna game them a wry smile. "Your transport to the border should be leaving tomorrow morning. Will that be acceptable?"
"The sooner, the better for Equestria. Tomorrow morning should give me just enough time to finish getting ready!"
"Wonderful! The HMS Surprise will be waiting for you at the gates of the castle tomorrow. I trust you'll be ready at dawn?"
"I'll be ready, Luna. In fact..." Pennington glanced to Yearling, giving her a warm smile. "I think I'll be more ready for an adventure than I've been in months!"
"So, tell me again why we're not taking the Cliffjumper?" Moonstone asked, folding her arms over her chest as they made their way to the gate.
"Would you like your reasons in alphabetical order, or chronological?" Pennington shook his head. "Chrysalis is still on it, and being taken north, the opposite direction we need to go. The Cliffjumper is the only all-terrain ship in Equestria capable of carrying the population of an entire town, and it's needed elsewhere. Finally, I'm still furious with Sure Shot."
"So we're taking the HMS Surprise?"
"Well, the name sounds like it'll be a lot of fun! At least we've got that to look... forward... to." Pennington stopped as the Surprise came into sight. It had a large, rectangular chassis suspended on four wheeled "legs," each of which had three separate wheels in a triangular formation. It was large, but not nearly as large as the Cliffjumper, being only about twelve meters long and five wide. On the side was a large emblem: a pair of orange wings wrapping around a rising sun, composed of layers of orange, red, and white circles, all centered around a bright red spire pointing into the heavens.
"That... doesn't look like the New Lunar Republic..." Moonstone muttered.
"No, it isn't!" Princess Celestia's voice called out from behind them.
"HOLY-" Pennington jumped almost a foot into the air, reaching back and drawing his sword when he hit the ground. As he spun around, however, Princess Celestia was, just as it had seemed, directly behind them. Pennington stared at her, then at his sword, then chuckled nervously and slid it back into the sheathe on his back. "Heh, heh, heh... Sorry, Princess. You startled me."
Princess Celestia didn't seem to bat an eye at his weapon, but simply smiled. "Well, I'm certain you're nervous for your upcoming venture. It's nothing to worry about."
"I thought that Luna had made the arrangements for our travel..." Pennington turned back towards the ship as Celestia stepped forward and alongside them.
"Well, Luna made the arrangements by passing them on to me, I'm afraid. She wanted to accompany the Cliffjumper to the Crystal Empire, herself. She's going to go and talk to our niece about bringing some of our excess population there for protection from the weather. So, I called up one of the Solar Empire's most reliable captains! She says she'll be happy to bring you to the border."
"And a little beyond!"
Once again, Pennington nearly jumped out of his skin before spinning around to confront a voice that had spontaneously appeared behind them.
In less than a moment, he found himself face-to-face with an unfamiliar mare. A quick glance revealed a cream-colored coat and lavender mane, accompanied by a pair of deep blue eyes and a smug grin. She was a pegasus, and a quick glance to her cutie mark revealed what looked to be a mountain peak.
"Eyes up front, sailor."
Pennington took a brief moment to realize what she meant, and his eyes immediately snapped up and away from her flank. "Just... checking your immediate qualifications."
"Mm-hmm." She raised a disbelieving eyebrow. "You like what you see?"
"A pilot with a cutie mark in mountaineering? Could be a lot worse. My best friend is a pilot with a skill in archery." Pennington quickly recovered from the opening faux pas with a brisk, businesslike tone.
After a moment of giving him an inspection of her own, she smiled again, offering her his hoof. "The name's Summit. Glacier Summit."
Pennington nodded, grabbing her hoof and giving it a firm shake. "Inkwell. Pennington Inkwell."
"Well, Inkwell, you ever traveled with a Solar Empire transport, before?" She nodded back towards her ship.
"Can't say that I have. Until now, I've only traveled via the NLR or by finding my own ride... Is she any good?"
"Is she any good? Is she any good?" Summit glanced disbelievingly back at the ship, then at Pennington. "You never had it this good in the NLR!"
"Well, then I'm looking forward to what Celestia's fan club has to offer!" Pennington grinned mischievously before trotting out into the storm.
"Better than whatever you lunar nutjobs can muster!" Summit replied before taking off after him, running to beat him to the ship.
Celestia raised her hoof to cover a soft chuckle as she and Moonstone were left alone. "It is cute how those two compete..."
"Who, Penn and Glacier?" Moonstone asked, "But they just met!"
"No, the New Lunar Republic and the Solar Empire. They have the same goal, but one small difference in how they approach it creates so much tension. It's all friendly competition, though, and I suppose it's healthy. After all, if they didn't compete, they might grow lazy!"
Moonstone shrugged, giving Celestia a small curtsey as she spread her wings. "Well, your highness, I suppose that this is where we part ways."
Celestia nodded, her face growing more solemn. "I have to agree, Moonstone. I trust that you know the importance of your own mission?"
"Of course, Princess."
"Then good luck... to both of you. The fate of Equestria rests on your shoulders."
"Well, it's not exactly 'roomy...'" Pennington muttered, looking around the cramped insides of the Surprise.
"Well, she isn't any bigger on the inside than she is on the outside!" Glacier replied, seemingly irked at his immediate criticism. "But don't let her size fool you, she's every bit the finest ship in Equestria!"
Before Pennington could make a comment regarding the Cliffjumper, he was interrupted by a tap on his shoulder. Turning around, he saw Moonstone coming to a landing on his back.
"Penn, I think we should thank our more-than-gracious host, right?"
"Oh! Right... Thank you, Glacier. We really are in your debt..." Pennington gave a bow, nearly throwing Moonstone off-balance.
"Oh, please. This is nothing for a member of the Solar Empire." Glacier shrugged off the gratitude, though Pennington was certain he caught a smug grin as she turned her back to him. "The Surprise is the only ship that can get you where you want to go, so it's our job to do so!"
"Glacier! We need to get going before this gets any worse! There's reports that there's freezing rain along our way, and you know what that does to the tires!" A muddy-red unicorn mare stepped through the door, her purple locks held back over her shoulder by a small ribbon. She stopped for a moment, staring at Pennington and Moonstone.
"You two the passengers?"
"Yes, we are..."
"Ah! There you are!" Glacier stepped up to her, placing a hoof on her shoulder. "Crankshaft, these are the two we're taking down to dragon country. Pennington Inkwell, and his assistant, Moonstone!"
"Penn and Stone, huh?" She gave the two of them a critical stare, then smiled. "Yeah, you two look about right to be trying to get down into dragon territory. Stepping forward, she shook Pennington's hoof. "Name's Crankshaft! I'm Glacier's copilot and mechanic!"
"Nice to meet you!" Pennington chuckled. "So you're the mechanic? I have to admit, I never was very good with motors and engines. That was always the realm of my buddy, Sure Shot."
"Wait, you're friends with Sure Shot?" For a brief moment, her calm exterior fell away, revealing a childlike excitement. It took less than a second for her to collect herself, however, and she quickly returned to her calm exterior. "I've, uh, heard a lot about him. He's supposed to pilot the best ship in Equestria-"
"Except for the Surprise..." Glacier interjected.
"The Surprise even took a few design specs from the Cliffjumper." She shrugged, but Pennington could swear that he could catch a blush underneath her red fur. "She's a real monster to pilot, but she'll get you where you're going, no matter what!"
"I'm hoping so!" Pennington grinned. "Sure Shot's a great pilot, and all, but he's a lot more stupid than he looks!"
"Oh... I doubt it..." Crankshaft whispered. After a moment of thought, she coughed loudly. "Anyway, like I said, we need to get going soon! So, how much longer will you need to get ready?"
"Can you give me two hours?" Pennington smiled sheepishly. "I need to grab a few supplies and say a few goodbyes."
"I can get you an hour and a half... Every minute we spend here is another minute for conditions out there to get worse..."
"You've got it!" Pennington grinned, making his way back towards the door. As they stepped back out into the rain, Moonstone shook her head.
"Penn, you already went to see Thunder Strike, he said that he didn't have anything for you! You said all of your normal supply stores are closed, too! Where are you going to get what you're looking for?"
"I'm not really looking for anything Moonstone, but I'd be dead the moment I set hoof back in Equestria if I didn't say goodbye to Twilight and Lily!" he chuckled, trotting through the rain.
"You're absolutely sure that I can't come?" Twilight begged for at least the tenth time.
"Twilight, I'm certain. You need to stay here, with your family. Stay safe." Pennington gave her a short, gentle kiss. "I'd never forgive myself if you got hurt on this trip. And I think I'd die if you were killed... For both of our sakes, you need to stay here, where it's safe. With the princesses."
Twilight looked down, shaking her head. "But isn't it more dangerous for you to go alone?"
"Well, I have a bad habit of hogging all of the danger to myself!" he chuckled. "Besides, between the two of us, I think Moonstone and I are too stubborn to die!"
"Well, he's right on that count." Moonstone folded her arms with a smile. "Penn has this bad habit of managing to get out of situations where the odds are against him. The higher it's stacked, the more miraculous his escape."
"Just don't go getting yourself into even more trouble while I'm gone!"
Twilight chuckled, looking around at their surroundings: the Canterlot Library, the place she had practically lived before moving to Ponyville.
"I don't think I'm going to get into much trouble here..."
"That peace of mind is worth more than you know." Pennington kissed her forehead.
"But you need to write to me every day!" She poked a firm hoof into his chest. "If you're going to leave me at home like some kind of china doll, I want to know what you're doing out there!"
"I'll add you to the mailing list." He winked playfully at Moonstone. "After all, I have to write to you, Luna, Lily... I won't be surprised if Whipstitch asks for a letter now and then, too!"
"Penny, I'm serious!"
"So am I! I can't carry enough paper for all of these letters!" he exclaimed. "But I'll make sure that I always write to you, Twilight. Don't worry. If you worry, you'll start to turn into Lily!"
"You better write..." Twilight grumbled, trying to resist the smile at his playful jab at Lily.
"Of course I will."
"And so help me, if you die out there-"
"You'll kill me. I know."
Twilight took a deep breath, then stepped forward, gripping him tightly.
"Don't... don't you dare not come back... I love you."
"I'll be back, I promise." Pennington returned the hug, holding her every bit as tightly. "I love you, too..."
Lily sighed as she placed another kettle on her stove. Pennington had already come to say goodbye and, just like every other time he'd left, she had done her best to talk him out of it. Just like every other time, she'd tried to convince him of how crazy what he was doing was. Of course, it was hopeless, especially when his mission now had the princesses' endorsement.
I hate feeling so helpless... She thought to herself as she walked along the shelves of her kitchen. It was a cold and blustery day. the kind that often led her to the save area of her apartment: her tea collection. She had chamomile, honey bush, lemon, ginger, lemon WITH ginger, peppermint, spearmint... but she finally decided on her own special herbal blend, pulling the box down as her magic set a freshly filled kettle on the stove.
Lily let out a long sigh as she slowly backed away from the stove and fell into a chair behind her. With the entire country in crisis and Canterlot acting as the sole refuge from the storms, most of the businesses had closed so that their buildings could be used as shelters, including her own. And without her business, she had nothing. No places to go, no responsibilities to fill, and no hobbies to keep her occupied. Even my self-defense classes are cancelled...
I guess I could always test out a few new styles and dyeing techniques on myself while I'm locked up in here. All I'd have to do is step outside to see if any of the color washes out...
As the kettle began to leak steam from its spout, her thoughts were interrupted by a harsh knocking on the front door. Startled from her reverie, she quickly rose to her hooves and rushed to the door, pulling it open to reveal a thoroughly soaked chestnut pegasus waiting outside.
"H-hello," he forced the word out through chattering teeth. "Are y-you Miss C-c-callalily?"
Lilly nodded, not sure what to make of the situation. Recent events had made her worried and wary of the ponies around Canterlot, many of whom had been taking advantage of the crisis to cover robbery and looting. The royal guard had been doing their best to try to crack down on the crime, but already had their hooves more than full caring for refugees.
"M-my name is Raider! Delta Raider..." He gave a quick, stiff attempt at a polite bow before straightening again. "I was t-told that you are the pony that I would have to go through in order to reach P-Pennington Inkwell?"
Lily nodded, trying to resist the urge to bring the shivering pegasus inside to offer him a steaming cup of tea and a warm towel. "I'm afraid you just missed him. He was here a few hours ago..."
Raider's eyes widened in fear and he stepped forward, closer to her. "He- he hasn't left yet, has he? Please, tell me that he isn't gone!"
Lily stepped back when he stepped forward, somewhat startled by his sudden desperation. "I- I don't know! He said that he was going to visit Twilight, but I think he's already left for the South! Do you need help? Is something wrong?"
"Something's wrong, alright..." Raider muttered, his shoulders slumping as he lowered himself to sit on the floor, seemingly resigned to despair. "He's walking straight into a trap!"
"Ugh! Now I see- UFF- why everything was bolted down!" Pennington grunted angrily as he was nearly thrown from his cot for the hundredth time. Moonstone, who had buckled herself down into a chair in the corner, nodded as the Surprise made its way over yet another hill at top speed, flying into the air for a couple seconds before landing again. While effective at shock absorption, the four "legs" of the ship couldn't negate the sudden shifts from gravity to weightlessness and back again, leaving the passengers forced to strap themselves down to whatever piece of furniture in their bunk that they could stand to stay in for the duration of the trip. The two of them almost had to shout to make themselves heard over the elements outside pounding away at their little transport.
Moonstone nodded, grasping a large paper bag with both hands like a lifeline. "I've been in- uff- less jarring windstorms!"
Judging by the slow transition her complexion was making from violet to green, Pennington prayed that she wouldn't vomit during one of the zero-gravity periods.
"So, I guess that, for you, we're going home, huh?" Pennington chuckled, trying to draw his mind away from the imagery of what gem-encrusted vomit looked like in zero-gravity. "I mean, you said that you were born in the- ugh- dragon homelands, right?"
Moonstone thought for a moment, then shrugged as best she could. "I didn't spend long there! As soon as I was old enough, I volunteered to go to Canterlot to serve under the princesses! What I do remember isn't really worth remembering!"
Pennington paused for a moment, thinking over her words. "Why were you so eager to leave?"
"Well, being the middle child of a dozen hatchlings in a place where 5 or more generations could live in the same area- uff- kind of makes it hard to stand out!" Moonstone shrugged again. "I needed to go out and make a name for myself!"
Pennington couldn't help but feel intrigued at the idea of so many dragons gathered in one place.
"But why Equestria? I mean, there's lots of other places where dragons are- uff- more readily accepted! Wouldn't you want to see more of your kind?"
Moonstone shook her head again. "The Adelind family has been providing Equestrian nobles with dragon companions for generations! Our Equestrian interactions are my family's legacy!"
Pennington nodded.
From the looks of it, the world I'm about to step into is leagues different from the one I know- OH LUNA, SHE'S GOING TO THROW UP ON ME, I JUST KNOW IT!
Mozun Akai, Mozun Akai, Mozun Akai! Everybody wants to know about Mozun Akai!
Pennington and Moonstone sat in silence as the Surprise finally came to a stop They gave one another a questioning look, their mutual confusion apparent. Moonstone had seemed to have finally felt better after some time on the move, and had even ventured out of the safety of her seat belt long enough to open a drawer under Pennington's cot to retrieve a blanket as the room had grown colder from the elements outside. She had eventually made her way back to her chair and wrapped herself up before buckling herself in again. As the two sat in silence, the door to the room swung open, revealing Crankshaft.
"Alright, everyone! There's a pretty big rock slide blocking the path outside, so we're making camp here for the night!" With a flash of her horn, Moonstone's seat belt and the straps over Pennington's cot opened, letting each of them up now that the ground had ceased moving beneath them. "You can get up and move around for a while, but I wouldn't recommend going out for a walk! Is there anything the two of you need?"
Pennington shook his head as he rolled out of the cot and onto his hooves. "Not unless you girls have a masseuse on board..." he joked as he craned his neck from side to side.
"If we did, I'd never get around to fixing anything on this ship!" Crankshaft replied with a chuckle. "Well, if you find yourself needing anything, my door's always open! Try to get a good night's sleep, we'll be getting an early start tomorrow!"
Turning to go, there was only a quick swish of her violet tail before the door swung shut, leaving Pennington and Moonstone alone again.
Sitting back on his haunches, Pennington intertwined his front hooves, groaning with strain as he pushed them outwards and away from his body, followed by a quick exhale of pleasure.
"Ooof... That feels good!" he muttered before returning to standing on all fours and arching his back, resulting in several loud pops, much to Moonstone's cringing displeasure.
"That's just gross..."
"Admittedly, a very bad habit. Quick Strike just about skinned me the first time she heard me pop my neck! But I'll be darned if it doesn't feel good!" With another sigh of satisfaction, he walked over to the cot, pulling open one of the drawers stashed away underneath it and rummaging through his saddlebag. "Well, I guess that there isn't much else we can do today, is there?"
Moonstone glanced around the room, somewhat confused. "I'd have thought that a pony like you would have gone stir-crazy after an entire day of being strapped down for safety. I know that I'm dying to stretch my wings!" To illustrate her point, she gave a few short flaps to propel herself into the air. In a gross miscalculation, however, her skull collided with the low ceiling, sending a resounding pair of thuds through the room as she hit, reached up to grab her aching head, then collided with the ground.
"OW!"
Pennington snickered, his back still turned to her as he continued rummaging through his bag.
"Believe it or not, after the first time you get lost spelunking, you learn to deal well with small spaces... Ah, here they are!" With a firm tug, Pennington finally retrieved a small bottle from his bag. It was one that Moonstone had grown familiar with soon after she'd started living with Pennington: his nightly pills. Rather than his normal tradition of popping the bottle open and swallowing a pair of the tablets without a second thought, Pennington paused, shaking the bottle lightly and listening to the ensuing rattle. With a thoughtful hum to himself, he shook his head and quietly stashed them away again.
"Not tonight..."
As the stinging in the crown of her head relented, Moonstone tilted her head in confusion.
"Don't you need those? I mean, don't they help with your sleep paralysis?"
Pennington let out a long sigh, returning to rummaging through his bags. "And help me go to sleep, to begin with, yes... But we didn't have time to visit Zecora amidst all of the chaos. We're going to have to ration them out to last through this trip."
"And by 'we,' you mean 'me.'" Moonstone folded her arms over her chest.
"No, I can do it myself. The math isn't that hard." Pennington seemed to be forcing a chipper tone, now, as he retrieved more items from his bag: a package of ramen noodles and what looked like a small canteen. "I take the pills after a stressful day, and I ignore them when it's just easy travelling."
Moonstone frowned. His logic was sound, but the idea of him skipping out on his medication was still irritatingly unsettling.
"Well, I'll be the judge of when you should or shouldn't take it!"
Pennington rolled his eyes as he snapped the dried noodles into smaller chunks, wedging them through the opening of the canteen before giving it a firm shake. Over time, he'd grown used to Moonstone's overprotective insistence (due largely in part to several angry letters from Luna regarding him taking unnecessary risks with his health). And as he'd learned to relent to her when she was making sense (which was always), Moonstone had learned the boundaries of where her influence was needed (There were none).
"Fine, fine! You can play 'witch doctor.' So, are you still hungry after the rations Glacier served us?"
"Judging from the rations you're wasting, I'd say you are..."
"Wasting? Hey, if I'm going without my pills tonight, the least I can do is give myself some comfort food!" Pennington indignantly replied, setting the canteen on the floor and jabbing at it with his hoof, his satisfied expression the only sign that he had activated the heat pack inside, setting his noodles to cook.
"Alright, good point. But don't whine to me later if you're wishing we had a meal in some barren cave halfway through dragon country!" she smiled, rolling her eyes as she strode up next to him and hopped up onto the edge of the bed, kicking her feet back and forth. She was promptly joined by Pennington, who cradled his partially-cooked meal in the air with his magic. The two shared another moment of silence, but they'd both grown used to the other thinking through their words before speaking. In the empty space, however, Moonstone could feel a lingering pressure, a weight that had been on her mind all day. An issue that couldn't be brought up tactfully, not if what she knew was true. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes, steadying herself.
"Hey, Penn?"
"Yeah?"
"Could I ask you something... personal?"
Pennington chuckled and leaned back, flopping onto the cot with a soft bounce.
"Moonstone, practically the only place you don't follow me in my life is the bathroom! I think we've passed the point of needing to ask for permission to ask personal questions. Fire away!"
"Can you... Can you tell me about Mozun Akai?"
There was a loud clatter as the canteen dropped to the floor, Pennington's focus on his magic seemingly shattered. A new silence, one much colder and impersonal, settled. Pennington drew in a long, deep breath, to the point where Moonstone began to feel concerned for him, before finally stopping, holding back the exhalation for almost a full minute. When he did, he released it slowly and deliberately, drawing it out even longer than his inhalation. Finally, he reached up, stretching one foreleg over his face, covering up his eyes.
"I had hoped that you hadn't heard Miss Yearling bring that up... She's one of a small hooffull that know what happened there..."
Moonstone blinked, unsure of whether or not his answer was in the affirmative or the negative.
"Who else-"
"Cha'Qued, Yearling, CC, Lily, Concerto, and... Full Sails. Knowing Sails, however, I would guess that a few others may have learned about it, by now." Pennington listed off the names with ease, his voice lowering to a frustrated growl upon the last name. "If I had my way, that list would be one name shorter."
Moonstone's eyes widened. "Who's Full Sails?"
Pennington finally rolled back up into a sitting position, closing his eyes and shaking his head. "Well, Mozun Akai and Full Sails are largely the same story..." As he opened his eyes again, one of his back hooves kicked open another drawer, revealing Cha'Qued's mask staring out at them with its bloodthirsty grin.
"It's the story of how I found the mask..."
"Hold on, let me get this straight..." Twilight held up a hoof, motioning for Lily and the strange pegasus that she had brought with her to stop talking. Trying to sort her thoughts rationally, she gestured to the stranger. "You said your name is Delta Raider?"
"Named after the Las Pegasus delta, actually..." the pegasus chuckled nervously under her scrutiny. "I was born there. My parents were big fans of... dynamic-sounding names."
"Mm-hmm. And you're one of Pennington's old friends?"
Delta nodded. "I had the chance to go on a few important expeditions with him several years ago!"
"And you're here because you wanted to warn Pennington that there's a traitor on board the HMS Surprise?"
Delta nodded again.
"Do you have anything to prove this claim?"
Delta paused, then shook his head, looking down at the ground.
"Look, Twilight," Lily interjected, stepping between the two of them. "I know that it seems like we don't have any reason to believe him, I was just as skeptical! But then he said something that, well, kinda left me without any other choice..."
Twilight already-raised eyebrow raised even further, entering an area of skepticism that she usually reserved for the "rough drafts" of Pennington's harebrained schemes.
Lily looked from side to side, then leaned forward, whispering in her ear.
"He knows about Mozun Akai!"
Twilight blinked in confusion, stepping back to stare at Lily.
"Monsoon what-now?"
"Mozun Akai." Delta quietly corrected, stepping up besides Lily, giving her a quizzical look. "You mean, Pennington never told you?"
Twilight's hoof pressed against her head, massaging her temple as she unconsciously began drafting a friendship letter on the deteriorating effects of keeping secrets in a relationship. A letter that Pennington was going to receive as soon as she had a moment to dictate to Spike.
"I'm learning that there are a lot of things Pennington doesn't tell me..."
Lily and Delta stared at one another for a moment, then nodded.
"Mozun Akai was a small village nestled in the eastern region of the Tigrous Forest, all that remained of a once-great civilization..." Delta began, sitting back on his haunches and rustling his wings anxiously against his sides. "Two ponies entered, hoping to learn more about them and their traditions before the nation was lost to time, entirely: Pennington Inkwell and Full Sails."
Pennington shook his head, seemingly physically burdened by the weight of the memories. He held Cha'Qued's mask in his hooves, staring at it with a hollow gaze.
"If I'd known what I would find there... If I had known that I was going to release the final member of a long-dead pantheon... I would have run from that place. I would have turned tail and run back to Ponyville on the spot." A cold shiver ran through his body. "Instead... Well, I learned one of the hardest and most costly lessons I've ever known:"
"The difference between a locked safe... and a prison."
The village of Mozun Akai was all that remained of a once-mighty nation, one that had stretched from the coasts of the Borealis Ocean to the lush Moors of Myth. Nestled between rolling hills and mountains on the farthest-eastward edge of the Tigerous Rain Forest, it was as if the land itself had risen up to protect its people against the cataclysm that had ravaged their lands. Their culture was lush, made fat by their status as the keystone of trade, and their ponies grew strong and bright under the loving watch of their gods. Of what they called "Noc Lo Qunn" or "Night of Death," archaeologists were able to discover little. By all that had been recovered on expedition after expedition, it seemed as if nothing could have destroyed them with such ferocity or swiftness, like wind passing through a cobweb. The last sign of their former grandeur was a massive ziggurat that towered in the center of the city, ornate and terrible as it blotted out the sun till midday and the moon until it reached its apex, forcing those who lay in its shadow to forever live without light for half their lives.
It was to discern truth from legend that Pennington Inkwell and Full Sails made their way across the Plains of Lore and into the forest beyond. It was only a matter of time until they reached the village: the first outsiders to have set hoof in the village since the cataclysm. They were welcomed warmly, their trespassing having been permitted by letter in the preceding months by the High Priest and Princess Celestia. The two ponies, unicorn and pegasus, were placed in the home of one half-zebra mare named Arinth. By day, they explored the lost culture, delving deep into its people and its lore, soaking in history and myth and culture all at once. By night, the two shared their findings with one another, the thoughts of their minds and the peculiar emotions elicited by the massive temple in their hearts mimicking one another as kindred spirits do. Emotions of fear and wonder and awe, all crowned by an overwhelming curiosity, raged within them, for the great palace of the gods was open on every side, revealing dark halls and passages leading inside that they had been forbidden to enter. As was the custom of two stallions finally out from beneath the oppression of their elders, their nights were long, rebelling against sleep so that they might use the nights to their greatest potential.
The village was centered about that great ziggurat, with paths and streets moving outwards in concentric circles. Houses and all manner of buildings faced inwards, keeping a constant vigil against some threat from within, rather than remaining wary of the dangers of the outside world. Pennington would happily flight from place to place in the village, gathering up all of the knowledge he could of the Pantheon of Mozun and their gods and goddesses, while Full Sails would examine the time-honored traditions and rituals of the natives, a rare window back through time. It was often, though, that both would cast a longing glance at the open gateways into the temple, and inquire from their guide why none would enter. They never received any answer but "Son lo qunn!" or "It is death!" whispered in hushed tones. This, however, only served to light a fire in the young and foolish adventurers' hearts, which ached and yearned for the unknown forces that lay behind the darkness.
It was not until the final night, when they planned to depart the city the next day, that the two's hushed whispers moved finally towards the breaking of their singular rule. Swinging down from his top bunk, Full Sails spoke in hushed tones, trying to pass the message to the other without reaching the ears of their hostess.
"Come on, Penny! This is our last chance to see what's in there!" he pleaded.
Pennington's eyes remained shut, though his ears gave a twitch of annoyance.
"Don't call me Penny... And if anyone found out, it would set back relations by years, perhaps even permanently!" he replied, turning over onto his side and putting his back to his comrade.
"But think about it! If we could figure out what's in there, it could be exactly what we've been looking for!" Dropping down, Full Sails grasped Pennington by the shoulders, turning Pennington back to face him. "The ponies here are so superstitious, I doubt they've touched that place in centuries!"
Pennington's eyes narrowed angrily as he was forced to stare at Sails.
"Come on... it'll be an adventure..." Full Sails hummed.
Pennington groaned and rolled over again, forcing his way out of Sails' hooves.
"And if we find something in there, can you imagine how PROUD Miss Yearling's going to be?" he continued, his voice dripping with honeyed temptation.
"Can you imagine how hard she'll pound the two of us if she finds out we broke our ONE RULE?" Pennington sighed again.
There was a brief moment of silence.
"Well, I'M going! More glory for me, then!" Sails shrugged as he hopped out the window, quickly swallowed up by the darkness of the night.
A moment passed. Thirty seconds. A minute. With every beat of his heart, Pennington heard the drumming in his brain, a familiar itch began scratching at his skull, screaming and whimpering to be sated.
Adventure... Adventure... Adventure... It echoed in his brain like wind whistling down ancient stone hallways. He tried to will it away, but it stayed, refusing to leave him.
"He's going to get himself killed out there..." he muttered, taking to his hooves and springing out the window. He already knew that he would regret his actions, though to what magnitude he could not comprehend.
As they descended into the darkness, both ponies found themselves blind. It wasn't the cold, empty darkness that had greeted them every night of their lives, however. Stepping into the blackened maw of the tunnel, they were assaulted, smothered, and engulfed completely, falling in and being swallowed up in an instant. It stifled every sense, caught in their throats in protest of being swallowed up into their lungs, and slowed their movements in a thick, syrupy fog. The two continued in spite, training their remaining senses against the possible traps.
Full Sails felt his hoof sink slightly into the floor, followed by a soft click and whirr of centuries-old mechanisms finally sliding into place. Instinct and practice, however, moved into place even faster. As the blades swung out, Sails was already in the air, feeling only a small breeze below him. Coming to a landing, he dug his front hooves into the ground, feeling a second breeze pass in front of his face. Unable to stop, he instead tilted forward, arcing his back up and over into a front flip. He could hear the insect-like buzzing of barbed projectiles hum underneath him. As his head passed upwards and flung himself forward, there was a roar and a flash of heat on his back as a surge of flames came up from the floor behind him. In the sudden light, he saw the path ahead, filled with even, wide holes. Knowing what lay ahead, he sprung upwards, planting his hooves firmly against the wall. Even as the spikes began to shoot up from the floor in unknown and unseen patterns, Sails was safe, springing from wall to wall above them. Finally, as the flames shot outwards again, he could see that he had passed beyond the spikes again. With a final roll to confirm himself beyond the traps, Full Sails jumped back up onto his hooves, alert to any remaining danger. Fortunately, he seemed to have passed the trap. There was a soft clatter of hooves as Pennington landed next to him.
"Good to see you made it!" Sails whispered.
"Come on, something as simple as that? Yearling would kill me!" Pennington replied. Each knew well the stupid grin that was unavoidably plastered across the other's face.
"Yeah, but that last bit couldn't have been easy without wings..."
"A little magic may have made for some easy hoofholds."
There was a soft chuckle between the two of them before silence fell again. There were more traps and danger to spare, but the talents of the two exceeded those of the original builders, and it was a matter of a few hours before they could tell that they had come close to the center. Their hearts were pounding in their chests, but not at the pace they expected. They could feel their blood pulsing through their heads, but it didn't match the beating at their cores. It was slow, rhythmic, and methodical, radiating out from the core of the temple in waves. As they drew closer and closer to the end of the final hall, light began to glow outwards, gradually lighting the way until the two of them could see one another with their own eyes once more. After so long in the dark, the familiar faces were almost alien to them. Finally, as they moved forward, they found themselves standing at the threshold of the final chamber. Both ponies' jaws hung loose and eyes widened with wonder at the sight within.
At the heart of the temple lay a massive cavern, seemingly almost bigger than the pyramid, itself, lit by some unseen ambient power. Every inch of the walls was covered in massive, colorful frescoes, all of the way up to the ceiling. However, the most astounding and mind-boggling trait lay in the center.
Two massive beams, one horizontal, one vertical, both unlike any kind of magic they had ever seen. Rather than magic, it seemed more as if the entirety of space and time had been torn open and warped to hold it in place. The entire night sky, nebulae of all colors, the wonders of the universe all were contained within, all swirling about. In the center where the two crossed was a mask. A horrifying mask. It wasn't the face of a pony, it was wider, full of bloodstained, sharpened teeth. The jaw was jointed in four different places, making the smile wider and infinitely more menacing. Pennington was immediately drawn towards the mask as Sails quickly began moving around the auditorium, examining the walls.
"Penn! Look at this! It's amazing, a record of these people's culture! Look at this! This creature... it has the same face as that mask!" Sails waved Pennington over to the wall, indicating the painting he was standing in front of, depicting a massive, snake-like creature battling with what was easily recognizable as the Mozunian Pantheon. Most unsettling was that the massive monster wore the same mask from the center of the room. Strange creatures unlike anything either of them had ever seen, all grappling with a great serpent of bones and blood, tearing them apart with its fangs one after the other. The progression of the mural around the wall showed one member of the Pantheon after the other, the serpent tearing each of them apart in paints of a striking red hue, somehow retaining its vibrancy after the many long centuries. As he continued to examine the frescoes, Full Sails came to the final showdown between the monster and a gigantic figure he recognized as Mozun, himself. The High God over all others in the pantheon, he seemed to be the most successful in fighting back. But in a bloody, gruesome image, the beast overcame him, plunging into his chest and tearing out his heart. The final image was of the great god crossing his arms over his chest, seemingly sealing the demon inside.
"Penn, are you seeing all this? Can you believe it?" Sails looked over to Pennington, who was still staring at the mask. With a grin, the walked over to his friend, poking an elbow into his side. "So, are you happy you came around to my side of things?" he whispered smugly.
Pennington nodded, pointing up at the mask. His eyes had not left the captivating item since he had entered the great auditorium.
"What kind of strange magic is that holding it in place? I've never seen anything like it!" Pennington whispered, his voice weakened by awe. The longer Sails stared into the great columns of void, the more stars and galaxies and great nebulae he could see inside, all impossible to recognize. Out of the corner of his vision, he could see Pennington's hoof rising up towards the mask. Panic for his partner raced through his chest like lightning, and Sails knocked it away with his wing, stopping Pennington from making contact with the mysterious item.
Pennington recoiled violently, turning in anger to the pegasus who was his friend.
"What was that for?" he hissed angrily, an unfamiliar rage flaring up in his voice. "I only wanted to touch it!"
Sails could hardly believe what he was hearing. Pennington had always been the more wary of strange magics and the more cautious of rumored curses, and now he was recklessly plunging forward into this cosmic spell with his hoof, trying to reach inside. Just as he was about to reprimand his friend of the possible danger, however, a low vibration rolled out through the room, causing his entire body to shiver and recoil inwards, churning his stomach like a great blow to his belly. Turning his head towards the source, he found himself staring into the gaping eye holes of the mask, now with two burning red embers glowing from some unknown flame within. As he opened his mouth to speak, a second great rumbling washed over him, seemingly twisting and convulsing his innards again, warping his words into a groan of agony, causing him to collapse to the cold stone floor.
Except that it wasn't cold. The floor was warm. And wet. When he could bear to open his eyes again, Sails found the room transformed. Rather than the center of a great stone ziggurat, he was trapped within the pulsing, bloody walls of some great living creature's body. Strips of tattered flesh hung from the walls as crimson lifeblood oozed downwards, showing that the hollow chamber was not natural, but torn open by some impossibly great and terrible force. Still unable to will his legs away from the rest of his prone body, Sails watched in horror as Pennington, seemingly unaffected by the great power exerting its dominance over them, stepped forwards once again, reaching up towards the mask. Sails' weak protests went unheard, but not unpunished as another wave of pain racked over him. He could only watch helplessly as Pennington reached up and finally touched the great monstrosity.
There was a blinding flash of red light, one that was unhindered by Sails eyelids, screwed shut in a futile attempt to avoid it, and a deafening screech, like metal scraping across gravel whilst a chorus of unknowable creatures screamed in agony. When the light faded, it was several minutes before Sails could see again, the blindness brought on by the horrible light fading alongside the pain keeping him prone. Those minutes seemed to stretch into hours and even years, punctuated only once in a millennium by Sails calling out for his comrade, his voice weak and hoarse. He received no reply. When he was finally able to see again, Sails found himself alone, both Pennington and the mask gone. The great tears in the cosmos were gone, as well, sealed shut now that they had failed in their great purpose.
As soon as he was able, Sails sprinted back through the halls to the outside, only narrowly avoiding the traps in his panic. His heart pounded in his chest, the sound of his own blood rushing through his ears as he prayed his heart would not manage to break free from its own place in his torso. When he finally caught sight of the lighted doorway to the outside, Sails could already see mangled corpses scattered across the ground, and could hear the voices of the remaining ponies screaming in terror, though the sound was quickly growing softer and losing individual voices.
When he finally reached the outside, all was silent. Silent as the grave. Sails saw only one standing pony, his face buried in the torn-open neck of another pony, the light of life already long-gone from the poor victim's eyes. Slowly and without moving suddenly, Sails reached onto his back, freeing the small dagger he kept nestled between his wings. It wasn't much, he hadn't come prepared for a battle, but it was all that he had.
Slowly, the pony that he had once known as Pennington Inkwell lifted his head, revealing a blood-soaked face that was not his own. The mask- that horrible mask- had warped itself into the shaped of a pony's skull and latched itself onto Pennington's head, tendrils of pale ceramic wrapping around all the way to the base of his skull, constricting tightly. His head turned to face Sails, giving him full view of the ghastly, fanged monstrosity. The entity looked at first like it was about to attack, then seemed to relax as it warped into a ghastly grin. Slowly, it walked towards Sails, stretching Pennington's neck and occasionally stopping to stretch other parts of the body it had taken, like the legs or even stopping once to arch its back, resulting in a series of pops and cracks that made Sails cringe.
"Ooooh, it feels so GOOD to be OUT of there!"
The monster may have had Pennington's body, but it didn't have his voice. Its words sounded like the last cries of somepony drowning in gravel, but calm.
"Who- who are you?" Sails stuttered, tightening his grip on the dagger. "What have you done to Pennington?"
"Pennington? Oh, you mean this sack of meat and bone I'm using... His smile somehow grew wider as the glowing embers in the dead eyes grew brighter. "'Pennington' is long gone. This body is MINE now! And I... AM CHA'QUED! His calm demeanor escalated to a roar as he leaped at Sails, who only had barely enough time to lift up the dagger in defense, jamming it directly between the mask's eyes to hold it back as it gnashed furiously at his throat, scraping off fur and skin as its teeth extended outwards, desperately trying to tear him apart. It took every ounce of strength in Sails' body to hold him at bay, pressing forward into the dagger with one hoof and holding tightly to Pennington's horn with the other, pushing backwards against him.
Crack!
There was a moment of silence. Cha'Qued ceased his attack and Sails stared in disbelief. At the point of his trusty dagger, the mask had cracked.
"AAARGH!" Cha'Qued leaped backwards, off of Sails and back into the village square. Lifting up his hoof to inspect the damage, Cha'Qued's smile vanished into a deep and frustrated scowl as he felt a large vertical crack beginning to split the mask open. Several profanities hissed out through his teeth before he turned his wrathful gaze onto Sails again.
"One final 'gift' from that accursed Mozun... Even while dead, he continues to weaken my power!" He lowered his head, pointing his horn directly at Sails. No matter. When I have left this gods-forsaken place, it shall return in full! I need only FEAST! Punctuating his words, a beam of red light blasted outwards from his horn. Sails rolled out of the way just in time to watch the stone wall behind him dissolve away into nothing but a fine mist.
Okay, fighting magic, remember what Yearling taught you! Sails' mind raced, returning to everything that he had seen of this new enemy. Move quickly, oscillate your speed to stay- He drew up short as another burst of red light passed inches in front of his face. -unpredictable. Then... Sails watched Cha'Qued closely as he charged his next attack. Putting on a burst of speed, Sails took to the air as the spell struck just behind him, melting several inches off of his tail. STRIKE!
Pushing as quickly as his wings would carry him, he tossed the dagger to himself, landing the blade in his hoof before taking grip and throwing it with all his might.
Pennington Inkwell had always called him a fool for using throwing knives, claiming that the sword was a better weapon, and that Sails was prone to come up short on ammunition when the time was right (which had proven itself true on many an occasion). However, today, Full Sails would not have traded all of those hours of practice for anything in the world. The knife struck its mark perfectly, stabbing directly into the crevice it had made before. Though the difference in depth was only a few millimeters, the fissure's length spread almost all of the way along the center of the mask, and the knife remained embedded within, even as Cha'Qued screamed in agony. Before his hoof could reach up to remove the offending blade, Full Sails was already upon him, slamming into him with all the force he could muster from his aching body and plunging his hoof into the butt of the blade, driving it even further into the mask and beginning to force the two halves apart as it fell to the left, working the blade in and under the broken ceramic, prying the mask away from Pennington's face.
The impact sent both ponies tumbling across the ground for a great distance, ending with Sails on top of Cha'Qued, pinning him down. Breathing heavily, Sails reached down and took hold of the knife in his teeth, pulling upwards on it with all his might to pry off the left half of the mask.
"Get... OFF... MY... FRIEND!" He shouted through his locked jaw as Cha'Qued's screams rose higher and higher in pitch. In his writhing, one of Cha'Qued's hind legs broke free. Before Sails could pin it back down again, the hoof was already planted firmly on his stomach, and one impossibly strong kick sent him flying uncontrollably through the air and over the trees, straight out of the village. With that blow, Sails knew that the battle was over. He could feel almost half of his ribs snapped and one lung quickly collapsing. Reaching the apex of his arc, he could barely breathe from the blow to his diaphragm and he knew that there was likely internal bleeding due to the trauma.
It was over. There was nothing more he could do.
The world turned beneath him as Sails plummeted downwards, and he waited for the inevitable landing that would mark his final resting place.
With a skull-rocking impact, Sails found himself not impaled on a tree branch or sitting in the center of a small crater in the ground, but rather immersed in ice-cold water. He had landed in one of the forest's many rivers. Trying to ignore the agony, he struggled lightly, bringing himself to the surface just long enough to take enough of a breath to keep him buoyant. Beginning to ride slowly down the current, Sails was shocked at the sudden silence.
There was nothing wrong this deep in the jungle. No great god-killers on the loose, no bloody remains of a panicked village, only the chirping of the birds and the sound of rushing water. It almost made the past few minutes seem impossible, like some kind of bad dream.
"GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAHH! GOT YOU!" Cha'Qued's voice roared as he came leaping out of a nearby bush, murder in his eyes. Full Sails could do nothing to stop the attack, he couldn't even move. The cruel mistress of time seemed to move into slow motion as he watched Cha'Qued fly through the air at him, pouncing like a great tiger. But as he grew closer, Sails could see his trusty knife embedded within, still working the mask away from Pennington's face.
And then, a miracle. With one final crack like a cannon firing, the mask split completely, shattering into pieces in mid-air. The face underneath was one of shock, though Sails wasn't certain to whom it belonged.
Out of control, Pennington's body flew over Sails, plunging into the icy water and never surfacing. Sails waited for as long as he could, fending off the darkness at the edge of his vision, pleading and begging whatever gods existed that Pennington would come back up. Unfortunately, his wounds overtook him before he saw his wish fulfilled, and he plunged into unconsciousness, floating slowly down the river towards the ocean.
Moonstone was staring at the floor, trying to fully understand the images in her mind that Pennington's story had conjured up.
"But- how did you survive?"
Pennington chuckled, leaning back and laying sideways on his bed. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you, Moonstone."
Moonstone finally looked up, giving Pennington a quizzical glance. "All of THAT, and how you LIVED is what I wouldn't believe?"
"Yup."
Moonstone flopped back onto the bed alongside him, letting out a long sigh of frustration.
"Try me."
"I was washed out to sea, where I was rescued by a siren named Concerto. A pretty swell guy, considering their reputation! He nursed me back to health and gave me a lift back to shore." There was a brief moment of silence, Pennington's words hanging awkwardly in the air.
"... I don't believe you."
"I told you so."
"So..." Moonstone rolled onto her side, looking up at Pennington's face. "The mask followed you from that day on?"
Pennington nodded, letting out a long sigh in the process. "Ever since that day, he deemed me a 'worthy host' and refuses to latch onto anyone else except to try to blackmail me into putting him on voluntarily. A voluntary host is the only way he can act with his full power."
Moonstone nodded. "But... whatever happened to Full Sails? You talked about him earlier like he was still alive."
"Oh, he is! He survived..." Pennington nodded, staring wistfully up at the ceiling. "He always hated me for what I did that day. He's been chasing after me for revenge ever since. Makes me glad I never told him where I lived during our days as partners!"
Moonstone could feel her eyelids beginning to grow heavy. She had been so engrossed in Pennington's storytelling and so isolated from the outside world in their cabin, she hadn't even realized the time passing. Looking up to see if Pennington was exhibiting the same symptoms, something else caught her eye. Not only were Pennington's eyes closed and a smile on his face, but his entire body had relaxed, and she could almost feel the relief coming off of him in waves.
"You know, it's been a long time since I got to tell that story to anyone. It feels good to get it off my chest.... to not be hiding that from you any more."
Moonstone nodded quietly, trying and failing to suppress a yawn as she stretched out on the bed.
"I guess maybe I'll have to share one of my secrets with you to make us even, huh?"
Pennington shrugged. "If you feel like it. I won't force you to tell me anything..."
Moonstone returned the shrug, feeling her body slowly shutting down to go to sleep. "Maybe later. Thank you for telling me about Mozun Akai, Penn."
"Hey, when we met you said we were going to have to trust each other. So I trust you..." Pennington's mouth stretched wide as he let a yawn of his own escape. "Well, I'm going to head to sleep, you should probably get some rest, too!"
Moonstone nodded, scooting herself closer to Pennington's warm body as she pulled the blanket up over them.
"Well, you're getting a little close tonight!" Pennington chuckled.
"There's no fireplace to sleep in, so you're the warmest thing in the room. Now shut up and go to sleep..." she muttered.
Before Moonstone had even had the chance to open her eyes, she was already sailing through the air as Pennington bolted upright in his bed. Her heart nearly leaped out of her chest as she spread her wings, twisting through the air and landing on the chair on the other side of their bunk, claws out and the assuring pressure of venom pumping into her fangs. Looking over, Pennington was already up on all four hooves, eyes wide open in panic and sword floating at the ready. Both of them were bathed in blood-red emergency lights, dying the whole room and both inhabitants a deep crimson.
EVERYBODY STRAP IN! THERE'S AN AVALANCHE COMING AND WE NEED TO MOVE NOW! THINGS ARE ABOUT TO GET ROUGH!
As Glacier Summit's voice rang out over a loudspeaker in the corner of the room, Pennington and Moonstone both glanced up, then at each other, each knowing that the other was considering grievous bodily harm to their host. After a moment to collect themselves, each took up their positions, pulling the belts taut over their bodies. Moments later, the entire room lurched violently forward, accelerating in a matter of seconds to a blinding speed, making Moonstone feel as if a massive weight were pulling her body down into the seat. The acceleration, however, was only the beginning. As suddenly as they had taken off, the ship began to jump violently up and down and to either side, threatening to pound them to a pulp against the walls if they so much as thought about unbuckling their restraints. Feeling panic swelling up in her chest, Moonstone glanced at Pennington, strapped to the cot. His expression was tense and terse, frightened, but not panicked.
Up and down, up and down, constantly swinging from left to right with no sense of rhythm or rhyme, the Surprise felt like a living thing leaping from one point of safety to another as the world fell to chaos around it. There was a near-deafening screech of feedback from the speaker in the room, followed by Crankshaft's panicked voice.
LEFT! LEFT!
I KNOW!
LOOK OUT ABOVE!
There was a loud crash against the roof in response, sending a shudder through the entire ship. Moonstone felt her heart skip a beat. She quickly looked to Pennington for assurance, hoping to find solace in his calm.
Pennington was staring back at her, his eyes wide with fear and searching for the same solace.
THAT'S TOO STEEP, GLACIER! WE CAN'T-
YES WE CAN!
There was another moment of zero gravity, longer than any of the others, that made Moonstone's heart feel as if it had stopped completely, before the entire ship began to fall, swinging to the side until they were entirely perpendicular to the ground, the ship hanging vertically. Moonstone could feel herself held onto what was now the ceiling as Pennington hung from the wall, both still held securely in place against gravity.
"Penn?"
"Hang on tight, Moonstone."
GLACIER!
I CAN DO IT! I CAN- I'M SLIPPING! CRANKSHAFT, BUCKLE IN!
Moonstone cast one last look at Pennington, each of them horrified.
Silence. Silence and stillness. The entire world frozen still as the last grip of the Surprise was lost and they fell. They all fell.
Moonstone felt the first impact throw her against her restraints, then back against her seat, the impact knocking her unconscious.
And they all fell into darkness together.
Twilight found herself at a loss for words. The story she had just been told was fantastical, horrifying, and unbelievable. A light cyan glow surrounded a mug of hot chocolate as Lily slowly passed the beverage to her, which she gladly reached up and took in her hooves.
"I... I don't understand. If Sails was so badly injured, how did he survive to tell you all this?"
Delta shrugged, shaking his head. "I think he might have fallen into some kind of hallucination from there, but... he told me that he got rescued by a siren when he reached the ocean!" He held up a hoof as Twilight opened her mouth to protest. "I know, I know... Makes the whole thing sound even more impossible, doesn't it? But that's the story he was sticking with, I couldn't get anything else out of him."
Twilight nodded quietly.
"So, Pennington... he killed all those-"
"NOT Penn!" Lily interjected, jabbing her mug at Twilight angrily. "It was Cha'Qued using him. When you have that mask on your face, you lose control. It's not just forcing you to do what it wants, it makes you lose your will to fight it! What happened there wasn't Penn's fault."
"Cha'Qued used Pennington to kill the entire village... No wonder he was so upset about the ponies who died because of the changelings! And now he follows Penn around, reminding him day after day of what he did!" Twilight shook her head. "That's horrible..."
"And no wonder he never told you about it!" Spike muttered. "I don't think he'd want anypony to know about that."
Lily shook her head. "No, he wouldn't. So be careful with whom you speak about this, both of you." Lily gave Twilight and Spike wary glances. "Just the name 'Mozun Akai' can open some very unpleasant doors."
Twilight and Spike both nodded quietly as Lily stood up from her chair.
"Delta, you're absolutely certain that one of the ponies Pennington is traveling with is a traitor?"
The pegasus nodded. "I'm not certain who, but I know that they're on board that ship, and that if they're not stopped, the HMS Surprise will go down in flames!"
Twilight shook her head. " I still think you're wrong about that, Delta Raider. Celestia's Solar Empire are all specially screened and loyal to Celestia, just like the Lunar Republic!"
"My friends inside the Lunar Republic were the ones who TOLD me about this!" Delta stamped his hoof angrily. "The only reason I can't tell you who they are is because if they were discovered by the saboteurs, they could be in some major trouble!"
"But I have it on Celestia's word-"
"Twilight!" Lily rose to her hooves, slamming her empty mug down on the coffee table. "I don't know whether your faith in Princess Celestia is right, but I do know this: Pennington has an awful habit of getting into danger in situations that should be safe! Remember what happened on his last camping trip?"
Twilight shuddered at the memories of twisted carnival music and corrupted ponies Lily's words raised.
"Twilight, I think he's right. And if Penn is about to be ambushed, he's not nearly as strong as he used to be! He needs help!" Her eyes narrowed in determination before turning to Delta. "I'll go with you, Delta Raider. We'll have to leave as soon as possible."
Delta nodded, standing up and quietly ruffling his wings.
"So, let me get this straight..." Spike stepped forward, pointing critically to Lily and Delta before pointing at the torrent outside. "You two, a single unicorn and pegasus, are going to go out in lethal weather and travel across the country? For the sole purpose of making it to a country FULL of giant dragons who will happily snap you both up in one bite for an afternoon snack? To catch up with a pony who is not only travelling in one of the best ships in the country, but has almost an entire day's head start?"
Twilight nodded. "Spike's right. We at least have to see if Luna can get you some kind of transportation, or maybe Princess Celestia can even call the Surprise back before anything goes wrong!"
"There's no time! If we want to catch up to them in time, we have to leave now!" He reached into a bag on the floor, pulling out a large map and laying it across Lily's table. Covering what looked like a map of Equestria were countless red lines, forming a massive, warped spider's web.
"Everypony knows there are caves and tunnels under Equestria, from the lairs of Diamond Dogs and trolls to the yearly migration paths of tatzlwurms! What most ponies don't know is how those passageways are connected! If we plot it out properly, we can avoid all the weather issues and travel just as quickly as Penn and the Surprise!"
Twilight's eyes were immediately glued on the map, soaking the information into her brain as fast as she could. She recognized a small tangle of tunnels underneath Ponyville from her experience with the Diamond Dogs, but most of the pathways were foreign to her.
"Now, I've already plotted the most efficient route to the border of Equestria..." Delta tapped the map's depiction of Canterlot, dragging his hoof along several winding lines to form a continuous path to the southeast. "Most of these should be safe from cave-ins, flooding, or other dangers. The only thing that brings down Diamond Dog engineering is an earthquake, and those seem to be one of the only things Equestria isn't suffering from, at the moment!"
"I've met Diamond Dogs before, they weren't exactly accommodating..." Twilight muttered. "Are these abandoned?"
"Correct. Since their culture is based on gem mining, Diamond Dogs are nomadic, moving from one rich area to another. The tunnels they leave behind aren't maintained, but last for decades!"
Lily nodded quietly, items in the room floating behind her with a blue glow of magic as they all levitated their way into her bag, which had somehow been brought into the room when Twilight wasn't looking.
"I never even liked taking the subway here in Canterlot... But I'm ready to do this." Lily's smile seemed forced to Twilight, but she didn't being it up.
"Well, I'm not! Why can't we just ask Princess Celestia for help? I can get a letter straight to her!"
"I never said that we can't!" Delta shook his head as he rolled the map up again. "We even need to pass pretty close to the castle on our way into the tunnels. But we can't stand around and wait for the ruler of a country under attack to respond to a letter!"
Twilight raised an eyebrow. While his reasoning made sense, Celestia had always been quick to respond to her letters, even when times were at their worst or most stressful for her! She couldn't help feeling slightly insulted at the idea that Celestia wouldn't answer when she needed help.
"Twilight, I know you care about Pennington, but I won't force you to come with us..." Lily spoke softly. "You've already done more for him than anypony else has, and this lead is shaky at best. No offense, Delta."
"None taken... I think?"
"If you want to stay here, nopony will blame you." Lily stopped to put a hoof on Twilight's shoulder. "This is illogical and crazy and... ugh!" She removed her hoof from Twilight and dragged it down her own face. "I can hardly believe I'm doing it, myself."
Twilight shook her head.
"No, you're right. If there's a chance Penn's in trouble, we can't afford to wait. We just have to make sure that we're not running in blindly." She turned back to Delta and nodded gratefully. "Even if you couldn't bring any proof, I really appreciate you braving this storm to get this message to us, Delta!"
Delta nodded, giving a quick salute. "It's my honor as a member of the New Lunar Republic, ma'am!"
Twilight gave him a quick salute in return before turning back to Lily.
"I'm going to go and fetch Spike and the rest of my own things, I'll be back as quickly as I can. Don't leave without me, okay?"
Lily nodded, pulling Twilight into a tight hug before unlocking the door for her to leave. Casting a barrier over her head to shelter her from the rain. she sprinted into the night, her mind racing with the new information that had been thrust upon her.
I still can't quite believe that story. The idea of Pennington wearing that mask and doing all of those horrible things... It doesn't seem right.
Spike had been easy to convince to come along on their journey, claiming that he was eager to learn more about other dragons. Trying to convince the rest of her friends that a small party of four was the safest, however, was markedly less so. The last time that she had left following Pennington, she had been gone for more than a month without warning. Upon discovering that the real-life Daring Do was in danger, Rainbow Dash had been one of the most eager to take up the fight.
"Well, if he's in danger, there's no way we're going to just stand by and wait!" she shouted, sprinting for the door. She only made it two steps forward, however, when Applejack brought her to a stop with a rough yank on her tail.
"Hold your horses, RD! From what Twilight said, it sounds like this is gonna be a pretty exclusive trip!"
Twilight nodded. "I'm going to be bringing Spike with me so that I can keep Princess Celestia up-to-speed on the developments, but aside from that, I think that the rest of you should stay behind."
"WHAT?" Rainbow Dash exclaimed, pulling her tail back into her own hooves. "Come on, Twi! You're joking, right?"
"I wish I were, Rainbow, but it's true."
"Moonstone was pretty clear that if we wind up in dragon country, we're all going to be considered more of a delicacy than anything!" Spike shrugged from his perspective on Twilight's back. "The more ponies that come with us, the more likely it is that somepony's going to get eaten!"
"Well, that WOULD certainly put a damper on things..." Rarity muttered, shaking her head.
"But Twilight, you know I can handle myself out there!" Rainbow Dash started punching at the air for emphasis. "I'm not afraid of any dumb dragon!"
"Right... just like you handled that dragon that tried to make its home in the mountains outside Ponyville?" Applejack asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Yeah!" Rainbow Dash grinned for a moment, then turned on Applejack as the memory in question returned to her. "HEY, wait a minute!"
"As much as I cannot approve, darling, I'm afraid that you may be right." Rarity sighed, followed by nods from the majority of her other friends. "But DO stay safe on your journey! I don't know about the sound of this 'Delta Raider' fellow! Anypony can spin up a good story to make themselves sound important!"
"And don't forget to bring back souvenirs this time!" Pinkie cheered, bouncing up and down with excitement. "Like those cool metal wings Penny has!"
Twilight chuckled at her friend's levity. Pinkie always knew how to make an aura of dread fade away.
"I don't think I could see myself coming back with wings, but I'll do my best! First of all... Spike, take a letter!"
Spike nodded, reaching into her bag and retrieving a scroll and quill.
Dear Princess Celestia,
I was recently contacted by a pony making rather outrageous claims. He came to me and another of Pennington's friends, claiming at a traitor from the Solar Empire is aboard the HMS surprise and planning to kill Pennington in an act of sabotage. I write to you asking for your assurance that these claims are as baseless and ridiculous as they seem.
Your faithful student,
Twilight Sparkle.
Spike wrapped a ribbon around the letter and held it up in front of his face. He happily took a deep breath and burned it away, sending it to Celestia directly.
To everyone's surprise, however, the letter did not simply disappear, instead dissolving into a blazing mess of smoke and ashes.
"Spike!" Twilight screwed one of her eyes shut to avoid the shower of soot. "This is no time to be fooling around!"
"I- I don't get it!" Spike stuttered, quickly retrieving another scroll. "I was trying to send it, honest!" A few seconds later, he had rewritten the letter and tied another ribbon. Taking a deep breath, he once again lit the letter ablaze, only for the same destructive result.
"You don't think the storm's messin' with whatever kinda magic sends dragon mail, do ya?" Applejack asked, scratching her head.
"No, I saw Penn and Moonstone sending letters just fine yesterday!" Twilight narrowed her eyes, staring at her own muzzle in thought. "I can't think of anything that would cause Spike to stop being able to send letters to Princess Celestia!"
"Well, you might be out of luck, Twi!" Rainbow Dash sighed, shaking her head. "No mailpony is willing to go out in these storms, so there's no getting it to her the old-fashioned way!"
Twilight sighed, filing the problem under "solve later" in her mind. For now, there were more pressing matters.
"Then I'll have to get my message to her the oldest-fashioned way! Face-to-face!"
Giving each of her friends a heartfelt hug goodbye, she dashed out into the storm, casting a barrier above herself and Spike as she sprinted towards the castle.
"I'm sorry, Miss Sparkle, but Princess Celestia is no longer available." The guard sighed, shaking several drops of rain off his already-soaked armor. "She and Princess Luna have moved to an undisclosed locale to monitor the progress of the storms after opening the castle to refugees."
Twilight blinked in disbelief.
"But, you know where she is, right?"
The guard let out another long sigh and rolled his eyes.
"It is an undisclo-"
"I know what 'undisclosed' means!" Twilight shouted, her panic momentarily overwhelming her. There was a brief pause as she took a deep breath.
"In that case... can you send her a message for me? From her protege?"
The guards looked at one another, then nodded in affirmation.
"We don't know when they'll be returning, but we can try to do so as soon as they do."
"Along with about a thousand others..." the second guard muttered.
Twilight nodded, taking the fifth parchment letter from Spike's claws. He had tried two more times on their way to the castle to send the letter, but the result failed to change. She cast a quick waterproofing spell before passing it to the guard, who tucked it inside his armor with a solemn nod. With a long sigh of her own, she gave him a grateful nod, a quick salute, and walked away, heading back towards Lily's apartment.
If the Princesses actually left to try to look into stopping this storm, things must be much, much worse than they're letting on... Could the fate of Equestria really hang in the balance?
Twilight stared down into the open sewer grate, then back at Delta and Lily.
"You're kidding, right?"
"Hey, you've got to get underground to get into an underground cave network!" Delta sighed, hopping down into the hole with a quick flutter of his wings.
Lily cast Twilight a sympathetic glance before following their guide down, grabbing at a ladder just inside the opening and sliding down.
Twilight took a deep breath, glanced back at Spike to confirm he was holding on tightly, and jumped down into the sewer, catching them with her magic a few inches off the ground. After inspecting that the walkways were still there, she let herself touch the ground beside Lily.
While not yet overflowing, the sewers were a raging river violently rushing through the channels that ran beneath Canterlot.
Delta was already walking down the tunnel, glancing over his shoulder to make sure that they were following. Twilight and Lily glanced at one another, shrugged, and began trotting to catch up.
"Now, watch yourselves, ladies!" Delta gestured to the flood surge powering through the sewer beneath them. "They bypassed the water processing plants to avoid flooding! If you fall in, that's a one-way trip out of the bottom of the Canterlot mountain! You'll find that it's a long way down!"
Twilight nodded, unconsciously moving a little closer to the wall.
"So, got any ideas of how we're going to catch up to the Surprise? Or even find it once we do?" Lily asked, her horn glowing as she wrapped her long mane behind her in a tight bun.
"Well, my sources at the NLR DID get me one other important piece of information! I know where Pennington's supposed drop-off point is! If we start from there and follow the path of least resistance back into Equestria, we should be able to intercept them!"
"Those guys at the NLR sure know a lot of things that are supposed to be secret..." Spike muttered.
"Oh, we're VERY good at collecting top-secret data! For those who operate in darkness, we need to know as much about our enemies as we can!" He ran his hoof along the brick wall, as if looking for something. "If we don't know what we're doing, we can't do it, now can we?"
"For instance, we were well aware of the timing of Nightmare Moon's return! However..." He glanced back over his shoulder at Twilight, his expression sheepish. "We had no idea that she would arrive in Ponyville, rather than Canterlot! If you and your friends hadn't been there, she could very well have taken all of Equestria under her reign!"
He stopped short for a moment, leaning his head against the wall and tapping his hoof against one of the bricks. Shaking his head, he resumed walking after a few seconds.
"For another matter, due to their secretive nature and poor political negotiations, we used to know much less about changelings than we do now!" He continued along the wall, looking more and more concerned as what he was searching for seemed to evade him. "If we had known, we might have been able to infiltrate their ranks and discover their plan before they ever made it to Canterlot!"
He drew up short, eagerly pressing his ear against the wall again, tapping it in the same manner, this time with success.
"With the right information, we can prevent calamities, so that's what we pour resources into! Not like those headstrong solar idiots..." He leaned forward, pressing his hoof into the brick her had placed his ear on. With a satisfying click, it slid back into the wall, activating a spell in the wall. Magic energy began to leak from the mortar, floating up into the air and shaping itself into letters.
Each dog shall have their day. Each star shall have its mirth.
Twilight tilted her head, confused. Lily, who was standing alongside her, shook her head and sighed.
"A security phrase? On some dingy old tunnels?"
Delta shrugged, turning and clearing his throat.
"A thousand years is but a fleeting moment to the Earth!"
The spell dissipated again, slipping away back into the mortar, which glowed for a moment with energy. After a second, the bricks separated, floating backwards and into the wall before moving aside along the wall of the tunnel within. A hole large enough for two ponies to comfortably pass through side by side had opened, revealing a dark hall of earth and stone behind it. Delta smiled, obviously pleased with himself.
"Well, tunnels like this ARE how the changelings got here! It even has the most recent passphrase!" He chuckled, making a sweeping motion with his hoof. "Ladies first?"
Twilight and Lily looked at one another, rolling their eyes with a pair of matching grins before stepping forward and passing through the entrance together. They both lit their horns as they heard Delta pass through behind them and the bricks quickly settle back into place.
The three of them were completely cut off from the world, and Twilight could feel it. The chaotic weather above gave no signs down here other than a musty, damp feel to the air, which was stale and old from lack of motion since the tunnel was last opened. The entire place was spooky, and the only thing fending off Twilight's heebie-jeebies as Spike's familiar weight on her back and the sound of the other hoofsteps beside her.
Pennington took a deep breath. Here, in his "Scorching Quill" persona, he was standing in the center of the Royal Court of Canterlot, trying to keep calm as several night guards inspected him and his bags for any signs of subterfuge. His heart pounded in his chest with a mix of anxiety and excitement. He was not usually the type to get nervous, but he had no idea of whether or not he was ready for the task set before him.
"Oh, hey! My kid loves this book!" One of the guards chuckled to himself as he pulled a copy of "Daring Do and the Dangerous Descent Into the Dragon's Den" from Pennington's bag.
"Well, I would guess it's certainly lighter reading material than this..." another muttered, retrieving Pennington's copy of "The Tale of The Isle of Yggdraisa." "This one looks ancient!"
"It is. And VERY rare." Pennington muttered. "If we could please cut the commentary?"
The guards glanced at one another, then shrugged, placing the books back into his bag.
"Well, no weapons, no strange items, nothing worth being concerned over! You're cleared. We'll escort you, Mr. Quill."
Pennington nodded and followed after the first guard while two more flanked him from behind. The guards weren't the ones making Pennington nervous, nor was the familiar path to the Royal Archives they followed. What made Pennington's heart race was the fact of whom he was going to meet there.
Come on, Penn! Get a hold of yourself! If Yearling saw you this scared, she'd pull you off even the simplest of digs!
As they turned the corner into a small study area, the guards motioned for Pennington to sit at a small desk and wait. Pennington obeyed, happy to take the weight off his hooves.
A few minutes later, a pony entered the room. She was tall and slender, with a long, tapered horn and a pair of broad wings. Her coat was a dark, deep blue and her mane glittered with the stars of the night sky. She entered the room at a furious pace, casting angry glances at her guards. Stepping forward, she glanced at Pennington and cleared her throat.
"Mine sincerest apologies, Mr. Quill. However, despite what falsified circumstances mine sister may have ascribed, thine services are far from necessary!" She snorted angrily through her nostrils, turning to leave.
"If there be any need for reparations, ye may speak with mine guardians regarding the matter!"
Pennington was caught off-guard for a moment by Princess Luna's brevity. Thankfully, when Princess Celestia had contacted the New Lunar Republic, she had mentioned that Luna would most likely be reluctant about the idea of a speech tutor. Thankfully, he had spent the trip to Canterlot thinking on the subject.
"Welp, okie-dokie! Gotta say, it leaves me just positively tickled pink to have the chance to have this little tete-a-tete with you, your majesty!" Pennington hopped down out of his chair, approaching the princess and giving her a quick bow. "Whenever you make a quick jump on the 6 o'clock down to Ponyville, gimmie a ring and I'll raise a little hooplah! We'll have a real boot and rally of a time, you got my bits-back guarantee!"
I guess there ARE benefits to all of your extended family being country hicks!
Luna blinked, obviously confused. She tilted her head at first, then shook it, as though trying to shake off the confusion from his words. Pennington smiled knowingly and patted the seat next to him.
"Alternatively, your highness, you could stay, and I could explain exactly what it was that I just said."
Luna glanced at the seat, then back at her guards. Taking a deep breath, she took the seat next to him, glaring back at her guards.
"I suppose... That I have a few short moments that I may spare for thee and thy jargon..."
Pennington smiled, opening up his bag and retrieving "The Tale of The Isle of Yggdraisa."
"Wonderful. Then we can begin with something that I hope, perchance, you might be familiar with?"
Pennington's head was pounding when he woke up. Opening his eyes, he could feel the blood rushing into his head as he hung from the ceiling, suspended by the safety harness. The room was only lit by the flickering light of lightning coming in through a huge tear in the wall. In the unreliable light, he could make out Moonstone's unconscious body, still strapped tightly into her chair, though the room's sideways angle meant that she was now strapped down to the ground. Penn let out a soft grunt of effort as he reached down, unlocking his restraints. He landed on the ground with a loud thud, but uninjured. He made his way over to Moonstone, making a quick inspection of her.
She seemed to have been kept safe in her own restraints , just like he had. Noticing a painful-looking dent in the wall behind her head, he pried open her eyelids with magic, using the light of his horn to inspect her eyes.
He let out a sigh of relief. Both her pupils constricted evenly and appropriately to the light. There was no sign of a concussion.
"Ugh... Penn, get that thing out of my face..." Moonstone muttered, blinking and shielding her eyes from the light of Pennington's horn.
Pennington smiled and stepped back, letting Moonstone unbuckle her own harness and offering her a helping hoof up. As she rose to her feet, she glanced around the ruined cabin and let out a low whistle.
"So... what happened?"
Pennington shrugged, stepping towards the gaping hole in the wall. "You know about as much as I do, I just woke up..."
As he poked his head outside, his eyes widened in shock. He was staring at a massive cliff face, a sheer ninety degree angle of uncut stone at least ten stories tall. Above that was what appeared to be a snow-capped mountain, with a massive blizzard raging above punctuated by gigantic forks of lightning striking violently at the peak, blasting off chunks of stone. He could barely make out several dark patches and large indents in the snow above, indicating where the Surprise had fallen and rolled down the mountain before presumably tumbling off the cliff above. Astounded at the fact that the entire ship hadn't flown to bits in the fall, he quietly returned inside the vessel.
"Well?"
"Doesn't look great, Moon Moon..."
Moonstone rolled her eyes at the nickname.
"I wouldn't have had to look outside to tell you that, Penny!"
"Don't call me Penny..." Pennington muttered, looking to their side. The doorway into the rest of the ship was open, as if inviting them deeper. "Anyway, I don't think this ship's going to run again..."
"That bad, huh?" Moonstone tapped her chin in thought. "We better check up on Glacier and Crankshaft."
"I was thinking the same thing." Pennington hopped up, grabbing onto the lower side of the horizontal doorway and pulling himself through to the other side. The hallway was completely dark aside from the light of his horn. Even the red emergency lights had gone dark. Pennington reached up with his magic, disengaging the lock on the door to the bridge. Moonstone jumped up into the air, beginning to fly inside, only for her eyes to widen and her to immediately drop back down to the ground. She rushed back past Pennington, shoving him to the side as she sprinted to the other end of the hallway, retching and vomiting violently in the far corner.
Pennington took a deep breath, bracing himself for the worst as he jumped up and climbed through.
Twilight and Lily had fallen to the back, with Delta leading the way and Spike providing him with extra light whenever he needed it. Twilight had to admit that they were making good time. According to the map, they had already made it back to beneath Ponyville and beyond, currently somewhere beneath the Everfree forest. Delta was certainly keeping them moving at a fast pace, his light physique as a pegasus stopping him from tiring out quickly. She and Lily had managed to get him to stop for a break on three separate occasions, though he always seemed annoyed at their lack of endurance.
It was hard to accurately judge the passage of time in the dark, but eventually, Spike's incessant yawning told them that it was time to set up camp. Dinner was meager, at best, since they couldn't light a cooking fire in the confined tunnel. Lily had brought a wide array of mutigrain bars and a few jars of jam they used to keep themselves from gagging on the dense cardboard-tasting "food." The only one eating well was Spike, who had been constantly picking up small gems and jewels from the ground and walls. They were the more common types of gems, which explained why they hadn't been mined out with the rest of the tunnel, but now and then he'd find a ruby or diamond to nibble happily on.
Their beds were minimal, just a few blankets spread out on the ground. None of them had been able to find a store in Canterlot that hadn't sold out of sleeping bags, pillows, or other bedrolls, so they simply had to settle for what they could gather from inside Calalily's apartment. It was little more than a placebo measure, simply keeping her from rolling in the dirt, but she was grateful for it, anyway. She had fallen asleep in much more uncomfortable positions while studying herself to sleep, so she told herself that it couldn't be too hard to sleep on the ground.
Soon, all of the lights had been extinguished and the sound of the hurricane-like weather above finally made itself noticeable, a low rumbling of thunder and whistling of the winds passing over above the ground. This, however, was promptly blotted out by the sound of the two boys snoring. Twilight grinned and rolled her eyes, turning onto her side to try to get to sleep before the noise became unbearable.
"Psst... Twilight!"
Twilight turned back over, finding Lily facing her, her horn giving off just enough of a glow to illuminate her face.
"What is it?" Twilight lit her horn in return, letting Lily see her face.
"I just wanted to say... thank you. For coming, I mean." Lily glanced down at the ground, then back up, her eyes full of gratitude. "When I hear about Penn being in danger, I kind of tend to lose it and act without thinking. I know that this chase is probably going to be for nothing, but it means a lot to me that you came."
Twilight smiled, nodding in return.
"It's no problem for me. I wanted to go with him to begin with to try to watch his back out there, anyway!" She began to chuckle near the end of her sentence, causing her voice to rise. Lily quickly placed her hoof against her lips, looking fearfully towards the two boys. After affirming that they were both still asleep, she let out a sigh of relief.
"There's one other thing that I wanted to ask you..." She glanced back nervously at Delta. "Does any of this seem strange to you?"
"What, the secret underground passage, or the total stranger coming out of nowhere knowing things about Penn's mission that no one else does?" Twilight sighed. The issue had been on her mind once they had been in the tunnel for a few hours. "I don't think Delta's telling us anything close to everything..."
Lily let out a sigh of relief.
"I thought I was the only one!"
"Not to mention the fact that Spike can't seem to send letters, any more!" Twilight closed her eyes, shaking her head. "If somepony's targeting us, we're already isolated and have no way of contacting the outside world." She frowned, liking the situation even less now that she had stated it out loud.
"Do you think he's leading us into a trap?"
Twilight pondered the question, thinking through the day's events.
"Well, he did prove that he's a member of the New Lunar Republic when he passed that test to get in here... He knows the security phrases..."
Lily rolled her eyes, waving the argument aside.
"Pfft, please. Penn always fills me in on the newest passphrases when he gets them, and I'm not even in the NLR!" She paused, tapping her chin. "Although, that one must be REALLY new, because I've never heard it before..."
Twilight blinked in confusion. "You mean... he just sends you the passphrases?"
Lily nodded. "Yeah... Doesn't he send them to you?"
Twilight shook her head. "I guess... you two are still pretty close, huh?"
Lily laughed, turning onto her back. "Not nearly as close as we look... or as we used to be."
"He's lucky to have a friend like you..." Twilight mimicked her, feeling a small pang of jealousy of how close Lily was to Pennington. "You make sure he's okay, no matter what it costs to you, he confides all his big secrets in you, and when he doesn't even know he needs help, you're the first one to rush out the door to help him."
Lily chuckled.
"He's way luckier to have a girlfriend like YOU! A pony who not only can keep up with him, but keep him in line? I heard from him about all the promises you force him to make, and he actually keeps them! That's more than I was ever able to get out of him when we were dating..." Lily rolled back to face her, letting out a long sigh.
"So, what do you think? Of Delta, I mean?"
Twilight pondered for a moment, yanking her train of thought back on track.
"We shouldn't trust him blindly, but if I remember that map right, we're on the right track." She sighed. "Unfortunately, we have to do one of the only things Pennington can't." She turned over to give Lily a smug wink. "We're going to have to wait patiently and let that answer come to us."
This elicited a giggle from both mares, which caused Delta to groan and roll over, nearly waking up. Both girls quickly extinguished their lights, followed by more nervous giggling.
Crankshaft's eyes fluttered open, her head pounding with excruciating pain. She could tell that she definitely wasn't inside the Surprise, any more. She cringed as her pain increased when she flicked her eyes up and down. She appeared to be inside some kind of cave, judging by the entrance she was facing. Her heart broke as she saw the mangled remains of the Surprise just outside, twisted nearly beyond recognition.
The memories began to slowly return to her. Glacier had misjudged an outcropping in the mountain that had broken underneath them. That had started an avalanche underneath them. The two of them had tried to outspeed it, but they were being pulled down with it. Glacier had gone for a jump to another safe part of the mountain, but only landed their front two tires. From there, they'd lost their grip and fallen down the mountain.
A small fire had been started in front of her, turning the cave from a frigid hole in the mountain to a cozy hideaway from the elements.
Looking up, she could see two figures entering the cave, each carrying several roughly-cut logs. However, upon seeing that she was awake, Pennington dropped the logs and rushed to her side, gently placing a hoof under her head and looking straight into her eyes, inspecting her for injury.
"Crankshaft! Oh, thank Luna you woke up!" He gave her a weak smile. "Don't try to move, you got hit pretty hard in there... I was worried that you might not wake up at all."
"Wh-what d-do you-"
"Shh. Take it easy. Talk later, eat now." He reached over to the fire, retrieving a small pot near the edge she hadn't noticed. Steam flew up into his face as he pried off the cover with his magic. In the corner, his magic retrieved a spoon from his saddlebag. He fed a steaming spoonful of hot soup into her mouth. Crankshaft swallowed the soup, not even taking the time to chew the soft noodles.
She sighed with relief as she felt the hot liquid begin to warm her from the inside out.
"Wh- wh- wh-" She felt her words catch in her throat, her mouth refusing to for the words. Her brow furrowed, focusing on forming the words. "Whe- Where's G-G-G-Gla-"
Pennington's eyes filled with concern, and he glanced over at Moonstone, who stared back at him with a dower expression.
"Wha-wha- what's wr-wrong wi-wi-with m-m-me?" Crankshaft's heart began to race faster and faster in her chest as panic set in. Her mouth refused to form her words, and they seemed to catch in her throat.
"Well, I'm no doctor..." Pennington whispered, tears welling up in his eyes. "I think you got a concussion in the crash. You're lucky to be alive, being in the cockpit like that." It was only now that Crankshaft noticed that his fur on his back and his front hooves was matted with blood. As she stared, he looked away, staring into the fire.
"I'm... sorry." Tears began welling up in his eyes, and he was obviously trying not to stutter, himself. "Glacier didn't make it. It looks like she wasn't buckled in."
Crankshaft felt grief rising up in her throat and overwhelming her as she realized her best friend in the world was dead. She couldn't hold back the wail as she leaned her head against Pennington's chest. She couldn't even muster up the will to hold herself back as she completely lost all control of herself. Occasionally, she would try to eke out a few words, only to stumble and feel the grief well up inside her to the point she felt like she was going to explode, even with the single moment of blockage.
Pennington didn't move, letting her exhaust herself against him. As she cried, Moonstone added more fuel to the fire and took up a seat against her, leaning her warm body against Crankshaft's stomach to counteract the cold floor.
When she had finally exhausted herself, Crankshaft's head was pounding even more with splitting pain, but she ignored it. She didn't care, she was completely overwhelmed with her emotion. She could feel her heart breaking. Every time she thought she had started to calm down, it would hit her again that she had lost her ability to speak and her best friend in the same day.
Pennington let her cry, only taking the time to use his magic to retrieve his quill and a scroll from his bag. He passed them both to Moonstone, who gave him a curious tilt of her head. The two exchanged no words, but she quickly set herself to work scratching down a quick letter. After a matter of minutes, she passed it back to Pennington, who quickly glanced it over and nodded. Without so much ceremony as a ribbon, Moonstone folded the note and sent it away in a burst of lavender fire.
Eventually, almost an hour later, Crankshaft's exhaustion caught up with her. She quietly drifted off to sleep, still leaning against Pennington. The last thing she felt before she lost consciousness again was a firm hoof around her shoulder and a warm body pressed against her stomach as Pennington pulled a blanket over the three of them.
We're going to need an extraction. The Surprise is down, and the pilot dead. Her co-pilot has suffered a serious head injury that resulted in a disabling concussion. We appear to have crashed somewhere in the highest of the Macintosh Hills, more akin to mountains. Please send a retrieval team at the nearest opportunity. Pennington and I are prepared to continue the journey on hoof, but she is in no condition to be going anywhere.
Please hurry. She is in need of medical attention and, most likely, grief and trauma counseling.
Sincerely,
Moonstone
Luna and Celestia cast anxious glances at one another. They had been forced to read the letter in silence because of the massive number of other refugees present in the dining hall.
"I don't understand..." Celestia sighed, shaking her head. "How could this have happened? Glacier and Crankshaft were two of the Solar Empire's best and brightest rays! I thought for certain that they would have been able to accomplish their mission with ease..."
Luna gave her sister a reassuring pat on the back. "There are risks to everything, dear sister. Sometimes, a pony's luck runs out at the worst of times."
Celestia nodded quietly, collecting herself. "I suppose we'll need to send somepony to retrieve Crankshaft..." She cast a worried glance out the window. "But with the storms getting worse and worse, I fear what may happen to any rescue team we send..."
Luna nodded. "I remember the area that they're speaking of. It usually isn't too difficult to pass by, but I would guess that the storms there have turned especially violent to be able to bring a vessel like that to ruin. We may not be able to send anypony until the weather has returned to normal."
Celestia sighed again. Things certainly weren't in their favor today. While many of her little ponies were lovely house guests, many more were unbearably inconsiderate, and even Canterlot Castle's massive stores were beginning to feel strain under the pressure. Even with everypony working together to make the situation bearable, it was beginning to truly wear at her. She had yet to hear from her faithful student or any of her friends, either. She thought that they might have at least had SOME questions for her regarding the progress with the weather. Eclipse had taken to hiding in his room, frightened by the massive influx of ponies into what was usually a very empty castle. While the reclusive draconequus had made great progress with his social anxiety with the staff of the castle, he was far from ready for meeting total strangers, and especially this many.
Wait... CLIPS! That's IT!
Celestia ran from the room, leaving her confused sister behind. She had an idea, though many would call it crazy. Thankfully, she had a friend who could make crazy happen.
"Thou wouldst be inquiring regarding one's well-being, rather than what objects currently reside at a high elevation?" Luna muttered, the look on her face pointing to the fact that she thought she had missed something.
"And a short summary of recent events." Pennington nodded and smiled, happy to see Luna's progress. She had long ago reached the point of easily carrying on a conversation with a pony rather easily, but she still had a few habits of speech that would distance her from other ponies.
"Luna, you need to try a little harder to remember..." He chided. "Ponies don't use 'thou' or 'wouldst.' Just say 'you!' And you can almost completely forget the 'st' suffix, it's barely used anywhere any more!"
Luna groaned in frustration, pounding her hoof against the table.
"Perchance, if there were more dignity in this new era, this wouldst- WOULD- not be so difficult!"
Pennington raised an eyebrow, but tried not to take her frustration at face value.
"That's progress, Luna. Interpersonal interaction has come to be considered more important than antiquated traditions or outward appearances."
"Antiquated?" Luna gave him a fierce glare as a surge of angry magic lit her eyes from behind. It was the kind of glare that would send most ponies scurrying away, proclaiming the return of Nightmare Moon. Thankfully, by this point, Pennington had received it so many times that he didn't even flinch at her wrath, simply turning back towards the volume laid before them.
"It was a comment on the mannerisms, not the age of the pony demonstrating them, Luna. Now, if you wouldn't mind, I'd like to review the syntax one might encounter in Los Pegasus. Your sister is often asked to travel there for public appearances and engagement with the social elite, and it is likely that you will soon be following in her hoofsteps. A social blunder there could create much more scandal than any amount of correct pronunciations and proper dining habits will ever recover."
Luna muttered something under her breath before turning back to the tome they were studying: an autobiography of a long-time film star by the name of Terra Strong.
"Now, I'd like you to start reading aloud, word for word. Stop at the end of the first page and summarize to be certain that the meanings of the words are coming across."
Luna sighed and began to read, detailing a conversation between the actress and her producer regarding the impossibility of her playing multiple characters in the same production. Pennington watched, a small smile tugging at his lips. As difficult and seemingly unnecessary as it was to her, Luna was trying. If anything, that was one of the biggest signs of her reformation since her time as Nightmare Moon, embarrassing herself and driving herself to complete boredom at her sister's request.
But still, her studies were moving at a snail's pace, at best. He was going to have to change his methods if he wanted her to be ready for interacting with the majority of Equestria within the next year.
He did have an idea. It was the kind of idea that most ponies would call crazy. The kind of idea that would make Lily check him for a fever, then slap him for considering while healthy.
When Pennington awoke, he noticed that he was significantly less warm than when he had fallen asleep. Opening his eyes, he realized that he was now alone beneath his blanket, while Moonstone and Crankshaft were standing near the opening of the cave, staring out into a raging blizzard.
He threw off the blanket, rising to his hooves and quickly running through his morning stretches. As he was stretching, Moonstone turned around and walked towards him. She definitely didn't look happy, but Pennington really couldn't blame her. They were marooned in the middle of a mountain range on the border of Equestria with an injured escort who needed to be brought back for medical attention before her condition got any worse. He still wasn't certain about what to do, himself. They could try to bring Crankshaft back to Canterlot, but doing so would put more ponies at risk of the weaponized weather. If they proceeded onwards with Crankshaft, her health would almost certainly continue to decline. Pennington didn't know any kind of healing magic, and concussions were serious matters. If they split the group, it would be almost certain death for both parties.
"Morning, sleepyhead." Moonstone gave him a weak smile. "Don't suppose you dreamed up some magical cure for all of this, did you?"
Pennington chuckled softly, shaking his head. "Afraid not, Moon Moon."
"Hey, don't call me-" Moonstone stopped mid-sentence as a large belch of fire rose up from her gullet, exploding in Pennington's face.
"YEOWCH!" Pennington stumbled back, waving his hoof up in front of his face to make certain that he hadn't been ignited. "Okay, geez, it's just a joke!"
"Sorry! I didn't mean to!" Moonstone snatched the letter from where it had landed on the ground, quickly breaking the royal seal and unfurling it at arm's length so that Pennington could read over her shoulder.
Dear Moonstone,
It troubles me greatly to hear about the tragedy that has occurred, and you are correct. Crankshaft must be brought to Canterlot as soon as possible. I have arranged for a transport to arrive, but it will be difficult for them to reach you. I hate to have to ask this of you three, but you must meet them at the top of the nearest of the mountains. Eclipse will be sending a border patrol to come and meet you, where they will fly Crankshaft back to Canterlot, hopefully able to move above the storm. They should arrive in the early afternoon today, you must be atop the nearest mountain to be seen. This will be a dangerous extraction, but it is Crankshaft's best chance at survival. I wish you all the best of luck.
Sincerely,
Princess Celestia
Pennington's jaw dropped, and he glanced several times between the letter in her claws and the storm raging outside.
"Is... is she joking? I mean, generally, I'm all for crazy, but this... this is..."
"It's Crankshaft's only shot at survival, Penn..." Moonstone whispered. "She's getting worse. About an hour ago, she started throwing up and couldn't stop for almost thirty minutes. Halfway through THAT, she started having dizzy spells so bad that she couldn't even stand up." She took a deep breath, closing her eyes in resignation.
"Either we climb the mountain or she dies."
"I packed for dragon country, Moonstone. I don't have anything to protect us from the cold except THIS!" He reached for the blanket with his magic, holding it up to eye level. "I don't even have any mountaineering gear! If I still had my magic, I could try materializing SOMETHING to help, but... we're not equipped." He stamped his hoof on the ground in frustration, "Speaking of what we could do if I still had my magic, I could just carry her up to the top with levitation! Then we wouldn't have to worry about any of those dizzy spells knocking her off of a cliff or stopping us so long we freeze to death! I could-"
"Stop right there." Moonstone pressed her finger to Pennington's mouth, stopping the torrent of words spilling out of his mouth. "What's going on with you, Penn? Usually, you'd jump at a challenge like this! Or at the very least, you'd be pragmatic enough to see it's our only choice." She tilted her head, giving him a concerned look. "What's going on?"
"S-sorry, Moonstone..." He muttered, turning away and walking towards the back of the cave. "I guess I'm just... angry. But there's nobody to be angry AT, so I just turned it inwards..." His head sunk low, as though a weight had been placed on the back of his neck. "It's been MONTHS, and the best I can still do are simple levitation spells, and even those are weak! And now, when magic could mean the difference between life and death, I'm stuck with this!" He reached up, swatting at the prosthetic horn. "I know Luna keeps saying that there's nothing wrong with it, but that just means I'M the problem! And if I'M the problem, then it means that this scenario, this LIFE..." he pointed towards Crankshaft, who was still sitting out watching the storm. "...is all on me if we fail." He took a deep breath, sinking down to his knees. "I don't know if I could take another life on my conscience, Moonstone. If you had asked me a year ago, I could have gotten her up and down the mountain in time for lunch. But now? I'm so much weaker, I don't know if it's even... if it's even possible." He hesitated before the last word, finally sinking his head down and burying it in his forelegs to hide his tears.
Moonstone fell silent for a moment, not entirely certain how to react. She'd never seen Pennington give up like this. Even when he was under Chrysalis's control in Canterlot, he had fought for his morals to the point of sacrificing his own horn. When Carnival Cat had put him under her spell, she could still see a cry for help deep behind his eyes, even when his actions spoke otherwise. Even when he had been trying over and over again to follow Twilight's lessons to retrieve his magic abilities, every time he had stormed away in frustration, he had returned the next day willing to try again.
She walked to his side, sitting down and leaning against him.
"If you ever think something is impossible, you haven't looked at it the right way. Always see anything as possible, you just haven't figured out how, yet."
Pennington didn't respond, his side simply shaking back and forth from his quiet sobs.
Moonstone thought for a moment, feeling her spines press down against her head as she turned upwards and pressed herself against Pennington.
"Someone once told me that. I thought it was silly. You can't turn wood to gold or summon gemstones from thin air, no matter how you think about it. A pegasus can't raise the sun, no matter what angle they approach it from." She sighed, a small smile playing at her lips. "But the more I think about it, the more I realize they were right. I was thinking that they were impossible from the start, so they were impossible. But you know, I don't think I've ever heard you say 'impossible.' Never say 'die.'"
Pennington still didn't react to her.
"Another person once said something I thought was pretty great. Well, not 'said.'" She tilted her head from side to side nonchalantly. "I read it, back when Luna and Celestia had me working in the archives. But do you know what they said? It went something like this..."
"I can see it. Right there in your eyes. I can see 'impossible,' living in your brain, like a parasite. Every step you take down life's path with that thing living inside you kills you just a little more. If you keep it there, it'll weigh you down until you lay down and die, never to move forward again. So, I want you to stop. Don't try to go forward, not one step. Not until you kill it. When you take impossible and kill it, I'll be waiting just ahead for you to catch up."
Pennington tilted his head, turning to look at her.
"Of course, you already know that one..." She muttered, casting him a sideways glance. "That was Daring Do and the Dangerous Descent into the Dragon's Den."
"Are you really using my own quotes against me?" He whispered.
"Well, you said that we'd win if we had the you from a year ago." Moonstone shrugged. "Personally, I prefer the you of the present, he's much easier to teach. But, I figure that if you want your past self here, his words are the best we can do."
"Past me was an idiot..." he muttered, burying his face again.
"So is present you, just of a different variety. I have a very strong suspicion that future you will be, as well. Doesn't mean you weren't right. If there's any pony in the world that I would trust to get us to the top of that mountain, it's you." She gave his shoulder a soft pat. "And I think that Princess Celestia believes the same thing, if the letter is any indication."
"Do... don't you think the princesses ask too much of us, sometimes?" Pennington whispered. He could hear Twilight's same words from their goodbye echoing through his mind, but he felt himself starting to believe her, this time.
"Nah." Moonstone dismissed the thought quickly. "That's why they picked you. You don't have those kind of limits, and you know it. You can do anything, because you already killed impossible in your mind." She smiled, rising to her feet again. "Now, I'm going to go and get ready with Crankshaft, we'll have to leave soon if we want to make it to the top in time. When you take impossible and kill it..." She turned and gave him a wink, catching him peeking from between his hooves.
Two things struck Twilight when she woke up. The first was the fact that she was being gently shaken on her shoulder by Lily. The second was that her neck was incredibly sore from sleeping on the ground in the tunnel.
"Twilight? Are you awake?" Lily whispered, her horn casting a low enough glow to avoid hurting Twilight's eyes. Twilight groaned with the pain in her neck, only for Lily to quickly shush her and press her hoof against Twilight's mouth.
"Shh! Don't wake up Delta!" She hissed, glancing over to see whether or not the pegasus had moved from his spot. Delta was soundly asleep, undisturbed by the noise.
"Wh-what is it?" Twilight asked, rubbing her eyes. "Is something wrong?"
Lily turned back to face her, Twilight finally catching a glimpse of her unsettled expression.
"That's what I wanted to ask you, actually..." Turning back down the tunnel, she nodded her head in the direction they had come from. Holding back another groan, Twilight levitated Spike down from her back and rose to her hooves, following Lily as quietly as she could. Lily led the way until they were out of earshot of the boys before sitting back on her haunches, taking a deep breath.
"So, what is it?" Twilight asked, taking a seat beside her. "Something bothering you?"
"I- I think I rushed into this." Lily shook her head. "I mean, things just aren't adding up when you really think about it!"
Twilight nodded. The long hours in the tunnels had given her plenty of time to consider their situation and all of the things wrong with it.
"Well, we ARE following a pony we just met down into the bowels of the earth based on a claim with no proof..." Twilight chuckled nervously.
"No, I'm following him. I just pulled you along for the ride." Lily ran her hooves down the sides of her face, tugging at her cheeks with worry. "But you suddenly losing contact with Princess Celestia at the same time she and Princess Luna uncharacteristically leave their people mid-crisis?"
Twilight took a deep breath. "You're not wrong. It's highly suspect."
"And then there was the passphrase to open the tunnels..." Lily whispered. "I've never heard it, before. Penn always kept me up to date on the security phrases! It might be some kind of emergency one for situations like this, or one just for the tunnels, but it still gives me a bad feeling..."
Twilight nodded. "Not to mention, I'm not certain that I believe Delta's story about Pennington and that mask. He'd never do something like that!"
"Actually..." Lily's eyes narrowed. "That was the other problem I had. When he told the story, there was something he got wrong. Something big."
Twilight narrowed her eyes, looking back towards Delta's sleeping form.
"What was it?"
Just as Lily was about to speak, however, a massive sound shattered the silence, nearly deafening them. It sounded like when Twilight would snap her chalk in half, but ten thousand times louder. Both girls jumped into the air, the lights from their horns flickering as their concentration was broken.
"WHAT WAS THAT?" Lily shouted, trying to make herself heard over her own deafness.
"I DON'T KNOW!" Twilight shouted back, her mind racing with images of cave-ins, rocks and dirt raining down on them from above, their bodies crushed in an unmarked tomb.
Their was another crack, this one sounding closer. Twilight's heart skipped another beat.
Delta and Spike ran up behind them, searching the tunnel walls frantically.
"What's going on? Was there a cave in?" Spike asked, grabbing onto Twilight in fear.
"It's the weather up above!" Delta shouted. "It must be crushing the tunnel!"
There was a deep rumbling, now. Twilight could feel it shaking her bones, a rolling force that rocked the very earth under her feet. Delta's eyes widened in fear, and he rushed back towards the campsite, diving to his bags.
"Get back! Girls, GET BACK!" He screamed, waving them towards him. Twilight and Lily didn't bother to question him, rushing back to where they had made camp and standing at the far side, staring down the tunnel to try and catch a glimpse of what was coming.
"What is it? What's going on?" Lily shouted, the light from her horn growing brighter to try and extend her sight.
"I thought that there was enough bedrock here to keep us safe, no fault lines or anything!" Delta pulled something from his bag, tucking it under his wing. "But there must be too much water! It's coming down!"
"WATER?"
Twilight could feel a strong breeze beginning to blow down the tunnel. She began to summon up her magic, ready to put up a barrier. She watched Delta rush past her, back towards the source of the breeze and out of her reach.
"What are you DOING?" Lily shouted, pressing herself close to Twilight.
"Just TRUST me!" he retorted, pulling the mysterious object out from under his wing. Twilight couldn't quite make out what it was until he pressed it to his face. When she did realize, her breath caught in her throat.
It was a mask, mottled green with wide, circular holes for the eyes. It was almost blank of other features, smooth, but not polished. As Delta placed it on his face, tendrils reached out and wrapped around his head, fixing it in place. More vines grew out from the helmet, reaching down his neck and wrapping around his body. After a few short seconds, he was entirely encased in a suit of living armor. As the last of the vines fused together, an overwhelming aura of power radiated off of Delta. Twilight had never felt anything like it outside of the princesses or the Elements of Harmony.
Her attention was drawn away from Delta as the danger finally came into sight: a massive wall of water barreling down the tunnel at breakneck speed. She raised a barrier around herself, Lily, and Spike, praying that her own magical power would be enough to keep them safe. Delta would have to fend for himself.
Twilight felt Spike's grip on her leg tighten as the water was about to overtake them, and she gritted her teeth in preparation. She had no idea just how much pressure the water would bring down on them, but she would put everything she could into keeping herself and her friends alive. She closed her eyes, focusing her mind.
She focused.
And focused.
And focused.
Twilight opened one eye, wondering where their watery grave was. Her jaw dropped in shock at what she saw.
Delta was still standing, a glowing green barrier holding the flood back from overtaking him. His hooves were firmly rooted to the ground, bracing himself against the obvious strain on his body. Twilight felt her jaw drop.
"How is he doing that?" Spike whispered.
Adjusting his stance, Delta lifted one hoof off the ground. The same green glow holding back the flood gathered around his hoof until it became nearly blinding. After a moment, he slammed it back into the ground, shaking the ground beneath them. Just like the ones that had covered his body, vines and roots sprung out from the walls of the tunnel, weaving themselves together into a sturdy wall. More vines crept their way up, filling the last cracks and reinforcing the seams. Finally, he seemed to relax, stepping back and admiring his work.
"Whoa..." Spike whispered.
Twilight and Lily could hardly add anything more than that, both stunned into silence.
Delta walked back, forcing them to stare at the featureless mask over his face. Looking more closely, Twilight could see that it wasn't a single color, but mottled with a wide array of greens and browns, as though an entire forest had been shrunken down into the tiny space. Twilight still couldn't see through the wide eye holes, instead peering into only a dark void. Slowly, the vines pulled back from his hooves, peeling away as though they were growing in reverse. By the time he had reached Twilight and Lily, he was wearing only the mask again. Reaching up, he pulled the mask from his face, revealing his normal visage underneath. He took a deep breath, sighing with relief as a shudder ran through his body. His body finally seemed to go through one more release, leaving his shoulders sagging and him panting for breath.
"Phew! That... was a close one!" He looked up at them with a smile. "You can go ahead and relax, that wall should hold."
Twilight took one last look at the wall, examining it. It looked sturdy enough, alright. She slowly lowered her shield, but not her guard.
"That was AMAZING! How did you do that?" Spike ran up to Delta, staring up in admiration. "I've never even seen Twilight use plants like that!"
"Heh, if I told you my secret, buddy, I'd be in deep trouble with the NLR!" He gave Spike a pat on the head. "Let's just say that they gave me a couple old relics to make sure my mission was a success!"
Twilight blinked, tilting her head.
"That mask..." Lily whispered. "Does it remind you of- WAAH!"
She was cut off as a jet of water blew out of the wall, striking her and washing her down the tunnel. Twilight spun around to try to block the hole, only to be struck by another stream from a widening crack. Even Delta was caught off-guard, unable to return the mask to his face before he and Spike were washed away after her. More cracks formed before finally joining together and exploding into a massive hole, flooding the tunnel halfway to the ceiling and creating a fierce current.
Twilight couldn't get her bearings. The entire tunnel was pitch-black, and when she tried to light her horn, it would only let her see that she was being washed away at breakneck speed. Finally gathering her strength, she seized upon her own body with her magic, levitating herself up and out of the water. By the light of her horn, she spotted two silhouettes being washed down behind her, and she quickly grabbed them, as well. When she was finally out of the water, Spike coughed and retched violently, clearing the water from his lungs and throat in a cloud of steam. Delta hung limp in the air, a large gash near his temple revealing that he had been knocked unconscious. Twilight felt a wave of relief at saving her number one assistant and her guide, but her heart skipped a beat as she realized that somepony was missing. Spinning herself around, she stared down the tunnel, fruitlessly casting her light as far as she could.
Applejack let out a long sigh, staring out the window at the rain. She had to admit, just when it couldn't get any worse, she was beginning to get depressed. There was nothing that the Elements could do to help, and most of the city had moved to Celestia's castle. The rest of the ponies who thought they could survive in a harsher environment, like the Apples, had stayed in the outer parts of the city, where the Princesses' protection was at its weakest. The entire city felt like it was straining under the pressure of the weather's assault, leaving a tension in the air that was ready to snap at any moment. Frustrated, she pounded her hoof on the windowsill, rattling the glass.
"It just ain't FAIR! How can somebody be attackin' us from so far away, we can't do nothin' about it?" She stormed away from the window in a huff, turning her attention back into the claustrophobic apartment their family was staying in. She didn't tend to spend many nights away from the barn, and she was beginning to feel herself going stir-crazy without the farm.
Just as she was about to turn her anger on a nearby wall, a fierce knocking on the door interrupted her.
"AH GOT IT!" Apple Bloom raced to the door, almost as fast as Applejack had ever seen her move. Obviously, she was taking being cooped up even worse than she was.
Of course she is! A little filly's gotta have room to play and grow! There's no place to put all that energy she usually uses for crusadin'!
"Aunt Celia! Uncle Page! What're you doin' here?" Apple Bloom's voice rang through the apartment, seizing Applejack's attention. She quickly ran to the front door, seeing the familiar ponies standing in the doorway.
The first was a mare was an earth pony with a red vest and similar hat to her own, her curly green mane and burnt orange coat completely soaked and pressed against her body. Standing behind her was a dark blue unicorn, his mane dark enough to nearly be considered black with several streaks of lighter blue.
"Applejack!" Celia rushed forward past Apple Bloom, quickly grabbing Applejack by the shoulders. "Please, tell me you've heard from your cousin!"
"Wha- you mean Pennington?" Applejack's eyes widened.
"Yes! We've been searching all over Canterlot for him, but he doesn't seem to be anywhere!" Her grip on Applejack tightened. "Please, I know that the two of you don't get along, but he made it out of Ponyville, right?" Celia was searching Applejack's eyes for answers, and Applejack could tell that her aunt was becoming desperate.
"Y'mean cousin Penn's missin'?" Apple Bloom looked up at the unicorn, who nodded solemnly.
"Celia, honey, you look like you're about to strangle the poor girl!" Front Page stepped forward, gently prying one of Celia's hooves from Applejack's shoulder. "I'm sorry, Applejack, we wanted to make a friendly visit as soon as we found Pennington, but he doesn't seem to be anywhere in Canterlot. And, well, considering that the evacuation took place at the one place in Ponyville our son hates the most..." He shrugged, though Applejack could see in his eyes he was only barely faking the nonchalance. "Our minds sprang to the idea that he may have been left behind."
Applejack opened her mouth to speak, only for a thought to cross her mind. Pennington was secretive to a fault, especially from his family. If she were to tell his parents something they weren't supposed to know, it was possible that she could give them a massive shock when they were already nearly in a panic.
"Well, ah can't tell you where he is..." Applejack chose her words carefully. She had only recently managed to gain her cousin's trust, and she didn't want to lose it because of a slipped secret. "But ah think I might know somepony who can!"
"Applejack, please..." Celia pleaded. "We HAVE to find him!"
Applejack nodded, grabbing a raincoat from the coat rack near the door.
Pennington took a deep breath, holding the cold air in his chest until it became warm. He was trying his best to ignore the subfreezing temperatures sinking into his bones, but every time they had to stop moving, it got harder and harder to move again. There wasn't much he could do, though, when Crankshaft had been having dizzy spells more and more frequently. It was at least the third time that they had been forced to stop because she couldn't keep her balance.
He gave a gentle tug on the rope tied around his waste, double-checking his knots. They'd tethered themselves together for safety, but it had taken almost all they rope they had. Moonstone was staying with Crankshaft to keep her warm.
It's funny... Quill died after being frozen, right? he thought to himself, taking another deep breath to try and hold back the shivers rising up from his core. I just might die like that, too...
"Okay, we're good, Penn!" He heard Moonstone shout, indicating that Crankshaft's dizzy spell had finished.
Pennington nodded and looked up the mountain, trying to plot their path. He couldn't see much more than a few yards because of the driving snow, however, so he had been playing things by ear. He grunted with effort as he took his first steps forward again, forcing his aching joints to move. He had to look confident, give no signs of hesitation. He still was doubting himself, but Moonstone was right about one thing: if anypony needed to believe that what they were doing was possible, it was Crankshaft. If she were to give up hope, nothing he or Moonstone could do would be able to save her. His own doubts didn't matter, he had to stop her from having any.
It doesn't matter if I think it's possible, I still have to do it.
They were almost a third of the way up the mountain, but it had been at least two hours. They were running out of time. He forced himself to move faster, feeling the rope do taut. He couldn't pull Crankshaft along, but he could at least give her a sense of urgency by keeping the line tugging at her.
Looking up again for the next few yards of path, he spotted an outcropping of rock above, casting a shadow below on where they'd be walking. Something tugged at the back of his mind, like a half-remembered dream. He tilted his head, keeping his eyes on the formation as he moved forward.
Just as he was about to reach the border of its shadow, he felt a violent yank on the line pull him back. Fearing the worst, he rooted himself to the ground as best he could, widening his stance and using what little magic he could to grab hold of the rope. If someone was going to fall off a mountain, he wasn't going to be the weak link that let them plummet.
"PENN!" Moonstone's voice cried out, forcing him to turn back and look.
Crankshaft was collapsed on the ground, her breathing fast and labored. He almost couldn't see her, already nearly buried in the deep snow. Moonstone was stood next to her, shaking her violently by the shoulder.
"Come on, Crankshaft! You can't give up now, we're so close! You can make it, I know you can!"
Pennington ran to the two, his heart pounding in his chest. There was no way that all of this could be for naught, could it? He couldn't let it end here. Instinctively, he tried to lift her with his magic, but it was simply too much for him, his horn simply fizzling out again. Shaking his head, he braced himself, then buried his face in the snow, digging his head under her belly. With a massive strain upwards, he rolled her unconscious body onto his back, laying her across him and his saddlebags. Moonstone's eyes widened, not that Penn could really see with his face feeling as though the flesh were freezing from the snow caked across it. His knees were already shaking, threatening to buckle under the weight.
"Can you do it?" Moonstone cried, trying to make herself heard over the rushing wind.
Pennington didn't answer, forcing himself to take the first step forward. It didn't get any easier from there, taking even more energy to force himself to take the second step. The third step was the hardest, the adrenaline from plunging his face into the snow already beginning to wear off. Beneath his belly, he felt a warm presence press itself against him, Moonstone's spikes on her back digging into him. Thankfully, he was already so cold and numb, the pain didn't even register. She pressed upwards, supporting him and Crankshaft from below. After that, things didn't get much harder, staying at about the same level of excruciating exertion with every step. It felt like an eternity before they were even back at the point below the outcropping.
It's familiar, I KNOW it! And if I ever needed memory of a safe haven...
He blinked, an image appearing in his mind's eye. It was sudden and overwhelming, as though he had been pulled away from the mountain and brought into the past. He could see it, the thing that had been bothering him, the detail tugging at his brain.
Then, as quickly as the memory had come, it was gone, leaving him standing in the cold again.
Well, I'm either hallucinating, or...
"Moonstone! Melt the snow!" He pointed straight ahead of them, to the wall of white that was in front of them.
"WHAT?" Moonstone slid out from underneath him. "Are you insane? We need to keep moving!"
"Please! Just TRUST me!"
Moonstone stared up at him, then at the seemingly solid wall. She was thinking frantically. Every second was crucial to their survival, and stopping for that kind of exertion would be fatal if he was wrong.
Pennington groaned, running forward as best he could with Crankshaft on his back and plunged his hooves into the snow under the outcropping, beginning to dig into it. He ignored the pain of the cold eating at his hooves, even pulling what he could away with his magic. The more he dug, the more solid the snow became, compressed down into ice by the constant battering of the wind. He kept trying, pulling away as much as he could. He felt Moonstone's claw on his shoulder, making him pause.
"Penn! There's nothing here! You're manic!"
"That's right! There's NOTHING here!" Pennington returned, plunging his hoof in again. "It's a CAVE!" When his hoof collided with the ice, the surface finally gave way, letting his hoof plunge through and reach open air on the other side.
Moonstone's eyes widened and her jaw dropped in disbelief. She shook her head and jumped forward, taking a deep breath and unleashing the biggest fireball she could. The violet flames burned their way through the ice with ease, widening the hole to almost double its previous size. Pennington began simply punching at the edges, making the gap wider and wider as Moonstone continued on to the other side, where she began melting the snow from inside the cave. In only a couple minutes, they had made a hole wide enough for Pennington to crawl through, still carrying Crankshaft on his back. The inside of the cave was pitch black aside from what little light was coming in through the hole, but without the constant buffeting of the wind and snow, it felt like the warmest place Pennington had been in his entire life. He walked almost ten yards inside before finally letting himself collapse to the ground, rolling Crankshaft off of his back and onto the cold rock floor.
"This... This is incredible!" Moonstone muttered, walking up next to them and beginning to inspect Crankshaft for injury, letting just enough fire slip out with her words to warm her without burning her. "How did you know this was here?"
"Guess I've been here before..." Pennington muttered. "Must have forgotten about it..."
"Well, she's not going to die here and now," Moonstone muttered, gently patting Crankshaft before walking back up to the hole they had made, inspecting the mouth of the cave. "If you hadn't remembered this place when you did, we would have been done for!"
Pennington opened his mouth to respond, only to be cut off by an ear-splitting crack and a shaking in the ground. It sounded as though the entire mountain were bearing down on them. Outside the hole, a tidal wave of white came crashing down, obliterating the very spot they had been standing mere minutes before. Pennington felt his entire body tense and clench at the deafening roar as Moonstone stood in awe at the avalanche's raw power. Pennington knew that they had only narrowly escaped nature's wrath, and he said a silent prayer of thanks to whatever gods had given him the knowledge of the cave in time. As he watched the mass of snow and ice roar past the cave opening, he noticed the stalactites quivering on the ceiling above Moonstone and rocks beginning to drop near her. He scrambled to his hooves as quickly as he could, even as cracks began to form in the roof above her. There was no time to think, only to act.
Sprinting forward, he seized her with his magic, leaping forward to her to make his weak power as strong as possible. Before Moonstone could react, he was already pulling her backwards and past him, whipping his head backwards with the force of his effort to pull her back. As soon as she had sped backwards past him, Pennington tried to plant himself on the ground to jump back out of harm's way, as well... only for his hoof to strike a patch of ice on the floor. Before he had even realized that he was on the ground, he had slid his way forward and directly into the place Moonstone had been standing prior. The last thing that he saw was Moonstone reaching out, her panicked cry being drowned out by the roar of the cave collapsing on top of him.
"Applejack, where are we going?" Celia asked, marveling at the grand castle around them.
"Well, Aunt Celia, if there's anypony who could tell you where Cousin Penn is, it would be his teacher, right?" Applejack smiled, trotting down the hall. "Ah'd be willin' to bet my bits that she'd be happy to help ya out!"
"Well, yes..." Front Page seemed just as bewildered as his wife. "But I can't imagine that Penny's teacher would be this deep in the castle! I mean, we already passed at least three sets of guards, already!"
"Well, bein' the Element of Honesty has its advantages! Makes it a lot easier to go see-" Applejack drew up short, turning around to face her aunt and uncle with a look of incredulous surprise.
"Wait... Do you two really not know who Penn's teacher is?"
"Applejack, please stop playing the pronoun game!" Front Page stamped his hoof. "Between A.K. Yearling, Quick Strike, Cheerilee, and all the rest, Pennington has had so many teachers over the years, I honestly couldn't even begin to guess who-" Without warning, Page's eyes nearly jumped out of his skull, and he and Celia both dropped to a single knee and bowed their heads.
"Applejack? What are you doing here?" a familiar voice asked. Turning around, she found herself face-to-face with the Princess of the Night, herself, looking pleasantly surprised at Applejack's presence. Luna looked over Applejack's shoulder, spotting Celia and Page. "And who are these ponies with you?"
"Princess Luna! Just the pony ah was lookin' for!" Applejack grinned, giving the Princess's hoof a vigorous shake before turning around again. "This is my aunt, Celia Deeproots, and uncle, Front Page!"
"It's an honor, your highness!" Front Page exclaimed, not moving from his prone position.
"We're so sorry for the intrusion, Princess!" Celia exclaimed, also not seeming to move. "My niece was looking for somepony and seems to have gotten off-track!"
"What're y'all talking about? She's right here!" Applejack pointed up at Luna with a grin. "Sorry for showin' up without writing ahead, Princess, but these are Penny's parents! They were hoping you could tell them where to find him!"
"WHAT?" Celia jerked upwards, staring at Applejack with the most shocked expression she'd given, yet. Even Front Page looked up, his respectful bow broken with the revelation.
"You mean that Pennington's teacher is-"
"It's a genuine pleasure to meet you two." Princess Luna smiled and offered her hoof to them, though only Celia took it, seemingly without even thinking about the action. "I just passed off the responsibility of protecting the city to my sister for the day, but I do believe I could make some time for my protege's parents before I go to my bedchambers for the morning. Please, follow me!"
With a warm smile, Luna lead the way around the corner. Both of the ponies looked at Applejack, seemingly still trying to comprehend the new information. Applejack grinned, patting each of them on the shoulder.
"C'mon! Penn really never told ya?" With a grin and a wink, she followed after Luna, disappearing into the next hall.
As Celia and Page rushed after them to catch up, Luna began speaking, seemingly nonchalant with the two without any of the pomp and circumstance of the royal court.
"Now, I believe Applejack mentioned that the two of you were desirous to know Pennington's present whereabouts?"
"Ye-yes your highness! But how-"
"According to his last letter, Pennington is currently in the center of the Macintosh Hills, making his way to dragon country in order to find the source of this attack on Equestria."
"WHAT?"
Applejack cringed at Celia's outburst, having only heard her speak like that only a few times before. That was her "Pennington is in so much trouble" voice, the one she usually reserved for breaking up fights between him and his cousins.
"How could you let him do something so dangerous?" Celia raced past Applejack and in front of Princess Luna, giving her a glare that carried with it the force of a thousand suns. "He'll be KILLED out there!"
"Miss Deeproots, I understand your concern, really..." Princess Luna gave Celia a sympathetic frown. "But given his repertoire as Scorching Quill, I believe that he is more than capable of-"
"I don't CARE if you sent Scorching Quill with him! I wouldn't care if you went with him, yourself! You sent my little foal out into THIS?" She pointed out the nearest window, indicating the massive storm raging outside. "Into DRAGON TERRITORY?"
Luna blinked, somewhat taken aback at Celia's outburst.
"I did not send Scorching Quill with him, Miss Deeproots... Pennington IS Scorching Quill." She glanced back at Front Page, who was still at the back of the group, then back at the earth pony in front of her.
"Did you not know that?"
Celia seemed to have completely shut down, staring into space blankly in disbelief while Front Page looked at the floor, seemingly lost in thought.
"Whelp, looks like the cat's outta the bag..." Applejack muttered.
Princess Luna sighed, opening the nearest door to reveal a small conference room, complete with a large table and almost a dozen comfy-looking chairs.
"It seems that we have much to discuss... Please, take a seat."
Moonstone rushed forward to the pile of rubble where Pennington had been only moments before, immediately beginning to tear away at the stones as best she could. She desperately grabbed every rock she could manage to pick up and threw them to the side, her heart pounding in her chest uncontrollably.
"No, no, NO! NO! Penn, PLEASE, be somewhere in there!" she cried, tears welling up in her eyes.
Well, of course he's somewhere in there... a gravelly voice muttered. As Moonstone pulled away the next stone, she found herself face-to-face with Cha'Qued's mask. She screamed and stumbled backwards, landing hard on the ground.
"Y-YOU! Why didn't you DO anything?" She shouted, pointing an accusatory claw at the twisted visage. "I thought you wanted him ALIVE?"
I wanted him to be MINE. Do not mistake the incident with the Carnival Cat for any kind of desire to protect him. I was protecting my territory. The mask didn't even need to roll its eyes for Moonstone to hear the patronizing tone in its voice. If he is stupid enough to throw his life away and spill his own blood, then he is certainly not intelligent enough to be my acolyte.
"GRRRRAAAAAAH!" Moonstone raced forward, grabbing the mask and throwing it aside with the rest of the rubble as she began digging again, her vigor renewed.
"Come on, Pennington! You're alive in there, I know it! Please be alive!"
She threw aside stone after stone, the small rocks eventually giving way to larger and larger ones until she was left tugging at a boulder as large as herself, fruitlessly trying to move it away with all of her might.
"Please... please be alive..." tears were running freely down her face, now, and her frantic words had become a muttered prayer. Finally, her strength was completely spent, leaving her pounding her head weakly against the stones. "Please... do one more impossible thing... be alive..."
It was almost a full minute before she could hear it.
A low humming, beginning to increase further and further in pitch. She opened her eyes, staring into the cracks between the stones.
A thin vapor was beginning to leak out, weak and easily mistaken for her own labored breathing, but as the hum grew higher and higher, the mist came out of more and more of the cracks in the rocks, thickening and coalescing together as the glimmer of magic became apparent. Moonstone stood back as the cloud completely enveloped the pile of rubble, blocking it from view. For a moment, it seemed to begin to move outwards, thinning out again. Moonstone felt her heart skip a beat.
"Please..." she whispered.
The cloud seemed to react, all at once drawing itself back inwards and disappearing completely. The hum, which had escalated to a deafening whine, disappeared, as well. Everything was silent again.
The boulder Moonstone had been leaning against cracked down the center, splitting apart to reveal something glowing inside...
A sword. A scimitar, seemingly crafted from blue light. A sword Moonstone had thought she'd never see again.
More swords appeared, smashing their way through the stones one by one, each splitting the rocks and forcing them apart. Moonstone watched as the first layer of rocks either split or were forced back, then the second, each speared upon yet another magic sword. There were more than Moonstone could count. Finally, the swords seemed to end, leaving a much smaller pile of stones. The swords disappeared, each dropping the stones they had smashed, and the magical humming began anew, escalating much more quickly, this time. After only a few short seconds, there was an explosion and a blinding flash of light, sending the rest of the rocks hurtling further into the cave or out the entrance, only missing herself and Crankshaft by sheer luck. When the light was gone, Pennington was revealed, hovering in the air and aglow with magic power. The light quickly faded and he fell to the ground, collapsing without any sign of even trying to stand under his own power.
"PENN!" Moonstone rushed forward, wrapping her arms around Pennington as tightly as she could with relief as her tears of mourning changed to streams of joy running down her face. "You're okay!"
"I... I did it..." Pennington whispered, his voice hoarse. "I... I..."
Moonstone pulled away from him just long enough to see his eyes slowly drift shut as he fell unconscious.
"Penn? PENN? Stay with me, buddy! Stay with me!" She pressed her hands to both sides of Pennington's face, gently slapping him to try to keep him awake. "We're in the middle of a blizzard, you can't fall asleep on me, now! Come on, Penn! COME ON!"
Pennington, however, was already unconscious. Moonstone was alone with two unconscious ponies in a cave on a mountain in the middle of a blizzard, about to miss Crankshaft's rescue.
She took a deep breath and wedged herself underneath Pennington, carrying him to Crankshaft and dropping him beside her. Sitting down beside them, she did the one thing that she knew she could: she exhaled a small fireball onto the ground, the warmth spreading outwards as it fizzled out with no fuel. Taking another breath, she repeated the action again. And again. And again. She would for as long as she could... No, for as long as she had to.
"Oh, dear. Hypothermia and total magical exhaustion, not pretty..." a voice came from further in the tunnel. Moonstone spun around, ready for anything. She found herself barely able to make out the figure of a unicorn coming down from further in the cave. He was lanky and tall, a small pair of glasses at the bridge of his nose. His thick coat was a light green while his unkempt mane was streaked with gray and blue.
"Please, allow me to help."
Moonstone looked from the stranger to the two unconscious ponies, then to the last remaining signs of the avalanche outside having nearly completely blocked their way out. Turning back to him, she bowed her head, clasping her claws together.
She had gotten careless, been captured for her foolish mistake, and was now completely cut off from her hive in the very heart of the empire ruled by her complete antithesis. Not only that, but she had been able to feel her hive suffer without her as they desperately tried to rescue her, only to be fought off by the Equestrian guards. The very weather itself had turned against them, it seemed, creating typhoons that batted her changelings about like dust on the breeze. Now, she was chained to the wall in the Crystal Empire, her restraints made specially to pass through the holes in her legs to make certain she could not simply change her shape and slip out of them. Even her horn had been fitted with a specially-made inhibitor to both stop her from using magic and to hide her location from her subjects. Her trial had been postponed until the current weather crisis had passed, but Princess Cadence herself would be her judge. The situation seemed almost impossible to escape, even if her hive were able to make it this far north without being frozen to death. She hung her head, closing her eyes in thought as she raked her mind for options.
"Tut tut, Chryssie! Don't tell me you've given up?"
The voice was an unfamiliar one, and Chrysalis's eyes snapped open, revealing a pony standing outside the bars of her cell. Except, the longer she stared at the stranger, the more her instincts told her that this was no ordinary pony. Her body was more slender than a pony's, with long, white legs and gold-tipped hooves. Her mane was long and flowing, like liquid gold, and her long, whip-like tail ended with a tuft of the same shimmering hair, both turning blood-red near their ends. She wore small, ornate golden jewelry inlaid with rubies to match her hair, a crown and necklace like a princess would wear. Her eyes locked with Chrysalis's, showing no sign of fearing the bound queen.
Looking into her eyes, Chrysalis found that, for once, she was the one whose instincts told her to run. There was something off about this pony, the same predatory hunger Chrysalis had seen in her own reflection countless times.
"Honestly, where's your pride? The Queen of the Changelings, giving in to something this... mundane?" She tapped her hoof against the bars, shaking her head.
Chrysalis wasn't certain how to react. She hadn't felt fear like this since she had become Queen, resting at the top of the metaphorical food chain. Finally giving a long exhale, she broke her eye contact with the pony's icy blue eyes.
"Another pony come to mock me, then?"
"Oh, please! I'm here to offer you a deal!"
Chrysalis's head snapped forward again, only to find the pony hovering in the air just in front of her, their muzzles mere inches apart. She gave Chrysalis a sinister smile, running her hoof down the side of her face.
"I can get you out of here quite easily. But, I know how valuable your freedom is to you, as paltry as the act would be for me... So I want something from you, in return!"
Chrysalis's gaze narrowed in suspicion.
"What do you want from me, pony? My crown? My hive? A lifetime of servitude?"
The pony giggled, floating backwards.
"What, a downgrade in rank, a musty hole in the ground, or a servant who'd be waiting for her first opportunity to stab me in the back?" She spun around in the air, showing off a large spear handle protruding out from her spine. "Please, my little changeling, I don't want anything like that." She continued floating backwards, the bars passing through her body as though she were a ghost as she floated outside the cell again.
"All I want is one little favor. Something you're probably going to do anyway, to be honest!"
Chrysalis tried not to show how much her new companion was putting her off. She was clever and, apparently, powerful: a dangerous combination, she knew firsthoof.
"And that would be?"
The pony melted away into a sparkling blue mist that floated back into the cell, wrapping around her bonds and eating away at them like acid until she was free.
"Cause a little chaos. Keep Equestria walking on eggshells. I want them frightened and suspicious. I want these ponies suffering..."
Chrysalis rubbed at her hooves for a moment after dropping to the floor before ripping off the magic suppressor and transforming into a duplicate of one of the guards she had seen patrolling past her cell every few hours.
"You're right. I WAS already going to do that." Her mind wandered for a moment, an old grudge quickly resurfacing. Now that she was free, she knew exactly where she'd gain the most satisfaction after returning to her hive.
"Ah, Scorching Quill! Shall we be continuing mine lessons in grammatical appropriation today?" Princess Luna asked as Pennington entered their usual studying area in the library.
"No, Luna, we won't." Pennington smiled when he saw her expression change from one of boredom to one of confusion. "I've actually planned something very special for you. Now, I just need two things from you..." He reached into his bag, retrieving a scroll and tossing it onto the table. "One, pack your things, you're going on a trip. Two, cast this spell on yourself before you leave the castle."
Perplexed, Luna picked up the scroll, unrolling it to examine what lay inside. As she did, a train ticket for the Ponyville express fluttered to the floor.
"This... is a simple illusion spell."
"Correct! I've arranged for you to spend a week with a colleague of mine for a bit of what most ponies call 'immersion therapy!'" Pennington grinned, trying to make the smirk look as little like a smirk as possible. "The illusion is just to stop you from being recognized while you're there!"
Luna blinked in disbelief, looking between him and the train ticket. "But what about-"
"Already taken care of. Celestia will be covering all of your duties while you are supposedly on a trip to parley with representatives from Griffonstone!" Pennington gave her a sly wink. "No excuses, Princess, I already thought of everything."
Luna blinked, then narrowed her eyes in suspicion.
"And what if I do not desire to take this sabbatical, Mister Quill?"
"Well, then I'm afraid I'll simply have to give Princess Celestia my summary stating that you need to go back to basic schooling. I'm certain that there are any number of ordinary language professors who would be happy to while away the hours singing your praises instead of actually TEACHING you... or informing you of every intricacy of the use of pronouns versus proper nouns and the nuances of the use of the past participle!" Pennington began to walk away, pulling a quill and scroll from his bag and began to feign scribbling across the top.
"Dear Princess Celestia..."
"NO! Fine! Fine..." Luna begrudgingly picked up the train ticket again. "Thou truly art ruthless, Scorching Quill..."
Pennington spun around, giving a grandiose bow at the waist.
"I do try my best, your highness!"
Luna rolled her eyes as she rose from the table and walked away. "I suppose I shall be travelling to the address at the bottom of the page, then?" She tilted her head, raising an eyebrow. "Inkwell Commissions? Referring me to another writer, Mister Quill?"
Pennington shrugged as he walked out of the room.
"Even I need a vacation, now and then!"
The moment that Pennington had escaped Luna's sight, he took off at an absolute sprint, madly dashing for Lily's salon. He didn't acknowledge the odd stare he was getting as he tore through Canterlot He didn't even wait for her to welcome him as he ran to the back room and leaped into the dying tub, feeling Lily's temporary red dye already washing out of his fur.
"PENNY! You're soaking the floor, and nearly splashed the other customers!" Lily rushed after him, already chiding him before she was even in the room. "What in Equestria has you in such a hurry?"
"Sorry, Lily! Just gotta get back to Ponyville ASAP!" Pennington spoke quickly as he violently scrubbed the shampoo into his fur with a nearby brush. "Gotta beat the 2 o'clock train!"
"2 o'clock- what's so urgent?" Lily asked, dumping another bottle of shampoo on top of his back and grabbing a brush, as well. "Did you get yourself into trouble again? Am I going to have another mob of reporters showing up at my doorstep asking me why Equestria's most popular author was in my salon?"
"No, no, no! Nothing like that! I just... have an important customer coming to Inkwell Commissions on that train, and I can't afford to miss them!" Pennington dunked his head into the water before Lily could call him out on the half-truth, scrubbing out the last of the dye and returning him to his normal blue hues. A few seconds later, he leaped out of the bath, making Lily shriek and sending water everywhere.
"PENNINGTOOOON!"
"SorrygottagoI'llmakeituptoyou, bye!" Pennington snatched what looked to be a pile of scrap metal from the back corner of the room and ran out the door again, dropping a sack of bits on the counter as he threw the metal amalgamation onto his back. A few minutes later, any ponies paying attention would have noticed a silver-winged blur taking to the sky, quickly hiding itself above the clouds.
When Lily opened her eyes, she wasn't underground. She was laying in the center of a forest, surrounded by trees with trunks thicker than she had ever seen, easily as large as houses. Far above her, there was no sky, only the canopy of branches letting through the dimmest of sunlight. Beneath her hooves was luscious, verdant stretches of grass and mossy knolls that made her mouth water. Everything felt alive and full of energy, yet the area was as silent as the grave. There were no sounds of animals, no cries of birds above. Looking around for any signs of a landmark to gather her bearings, she caught sight of another figure at the base of a far tree, though they were definitely no pony.
It was massive enough to almost be mistaken for a boulder, at least three or four times Lily's own height, and made from a light gray stone wrapped in vines. It seemed weathered with every part of its body rounded and smooth, aside from a few barely-visible carvings in its surface Lily could make out. It was almost similar to a pony, standing on four hooves, but instead of a head or tail, it was simply rounded on both ends, similar to a river stone. Creeping across the stone were dozens of vines and other plants, seemingly without any roots or connection to the ground, simply growing out from the stone, itself. A soft-looking bed of moss had completely overtaken its back, as well, and the entire thing looked every bit as much a part of the forest as the trees, themselves.
At her sharp intake of breath, the figure seemed to hear her, slowly turning in her direction and confirming that, indeed, the creature had no head, nor even any discernible face, for that matter. Fearing confrontation with the behemoth, Lily took a step back, her heart rate steadily climbing.
Do not fear, little one. I shall not harm you.
Lily blinked in confusion, whipping her head from side to side to try to find the source of the voice.
I am the one before you.
Lily looked back at the figure, who had begun walking towards her with massive, lumbering steps. It looked ancient and foreboding, but the voice was warm and soothing, a filled with a motherly love. As it drew closer, the sheer size of it struck her anew. It was almost the size of a small house or a large trailer, depending on one's living situation. Remarkably, it seemed that the closer it came, the less Lily feared it. Finally, the behemoth was standing only a few feet in front of her, leaving her gaping upwards at it. Without another word, it folded its tree trunk-like legs underneath it, laying on the ground just before her.
"H-hello..." she stuttered, trying to determine if it was polite to stare at the point on the body where the head ought to have been or to find another place to make metaphorical eye contact.
Greetings... As the voice spoke, Lily noticed a collection of flowers spring to life in the moss on its back, sprouting up seemingly unbidden by any magic. The tiny white blossoms grew up in clusters, sparking Lily's memory at their familiarity.
"Caryophyllaceae Stellaria!"
Ah, you're familiar with them. The starwort, meaning-
"Meaning 'Welcome to a stranger!'" Lily's excitement bubbled up uncontrollably, bursting out and cutting off the strange being.
The creature leaned to the side, pulling one hoof out from underneath it and extending it towards her. Lily's momentary confusion was immediately dispersed as it nodded its "head" (or rather, the front part of its body where its head would be) towards the patch of flowers. Hesitantly at first, then with more excitement, she climbed up the creature. Somthing about this being radiated safety and peace, something she didn't tend to experience often, and she couldn't stop herself from enjoying the break from her constant anxiety and worry. Grabbing at the vines as necessary to pull herself to the top, she rolled into the bed of moss and flowers. Before she could get back onto her hooves, the stranger was already doing the same, rising from the ground and beginning to stroll deeper into the forest.
"So, who are you? And where am I?" Lily looked upwards at the canopy, the gentle rocking of the creature's hoofsteps threatening to rock her to sleep. "The last thing I remember was... I was underground, in the tunnel..." Her eyes widened as the memory came back to her. "The wall holding back the flood burst! I was being washed away and... am I-"
You did not pass back into the earth, I made certain of that. From underneath Lily, the small white blossoms fell away to the ground, replaced by tall stalks of oblong leaves, familiar red berries hanging from the outwards branches.
"Raspberries?" Lily asked quietly, plucking one with her magic and tossing it into her mouth. It was sweet and tart, full of delicious juice in the tender flesh. "What would you have to be sorry for?"
The regret is for having to let the wall crumble and bring that misfortune upon you. The voice continued. As for where you are now and who I am...
I am Ravia, Goddess of the Forest and last of the Mozunians. Right now, you are asleep: safe and sound, but far from your comrades.
Lily nearly choked on the berries she had collected and was munching away at, coughing violently to clear her throat before rolling onto her stomach and jumping to her hooves, rushing towards the front of the creature to once again look it in the "eyes."
"Last of the WHAT?"
Last of the Mozunian Pantheon. You may know us as the gods and goddesses of what you called... The creature drew up short, throwing Lily off-balance. She teetered for a moment, unsure if she was about to topple headfirst off, before a sharp tug at her back leg helped her regain her balance. Turning around, she spotted the flower bed full of some of the darkest crimson roses she had ever seen, one of which had curled around her back hoof to save her.
"Mourning..." Lily muttered unconsciously.
Come to think of it, there was no word in your language for my people. We were destroyed long before we had made contact with Equestrian kind... Ravia shook the front portion of her body dismissively, returning to walking.
Suffice to say, we were once the greatest empire to grace the continent... perhaps even the entire world.
"I- I think I know what you're talking about..." Lily returned to the flower bed, using her magic to clear an area of the thorny flowers before taking back her sitting position. "Your people lived in Mozun Akai, didn't they?"
Yes, Mozun's grave. Even in death, our king watched over and protected his people. You are well-versed in both the language of flowers and history, I see. I was correct to spare you, I knew I could sense a kindred spirit beating in your heart...
"But, what about Cha'Qued? Wasn't he part of- WOAH!" Lily was cut off as a massive growth sprung up underneath her, forcing her to roll to the side or be thrown off. Staring up at the massive bramble, she could see at least a dozen different plants, some that even she didn't recognize.
"Adonis vernalis, clinopodium vulgare, vaccinium deliciosum, ulex europaeus..." she trailed off as another flower bloomed just before her eyes: an orange lily. Hatred, unwanted memories, and sheer animosity incarnated before her.
Cha'Qued was the one who destroyed EVERYTHING! He devoured us from the inside out! The only thing that could stop him was the sacrifice of Mozun, himself! How DARE you even CONSIDER that he was one of our own!
"I-I'm sorry! I didn't know!" Lily stammered, fearful at the sudden change in tone. "I knew he was bad, but I didn't know that he did all of THAT!"
Ravia stopped again, her body heaving upwards and downwards again as the bouquet of hatred died away, once again leaving only the bed of moss.
It is forgiven. I know that Cha'Qued's escape included an attempt to erase all history of our people. You know more than most would, I suppose... Not to mention, I cal tell that you have encountered him before, I can sense his stain upon your soul... He leaves something of himself in every pony he touches, a corruption not easily washed away.
Lily looked down at the bed of moss, inspecting it for any more sudden growths before laying down again.
"So, if you're apologizing for the wall breaking, does that mean that you're in that mask I saw Delta wearing?"
Indeed. Without my people and their faith, my power has waned, leaving me in such a state. It is only with the help of a willing host that I may exert my true power.
"Well, it's not your fault." Lily sighed. "That flood was gigantic, I can't even imagine the kind of power you would need to keep it at bay!"
Oh, the failure of the wall was purposeful. It held well enough to prevent the collapse of the cave, as well as seal again once I had separated you from your friends. I am apologizing that it was necessary, to begin with.
"Wait, you flooded the tunnel ON PURPOSE? Why?"
You were drawing too close to the truth, Calalily Curl. You were endangering our mission.
"Endangering the mission? How was I stopping us from saving Pennington? I WANT to save Pennington!" Lily shook her head in confusion. "And drawing too close to what truth?"
That Delta Raider is not whom he says he is. Saving your beloved is merely the front we used to acquire your trust. Our true mission...
Lily watched as a new bounty of round yellow flowers sprung up, their tiny petals creating an almost spherical head.
"Achillea millefolium..."
Is to eradicate the destroyer of nations before he finds a new host and takes countless more lives.
"War..." The meaning of the bloom slipped through Lily's lips as a whisper.
Our true mission is to find Cha'Qued and bring him to Full Sails, who has recovered the secret to his destruction.
Lily felt the blood drain from her face and her pulse stop at the name.
When Lily's eyes snapped open, she wasn't entirely certain that they had. She was laying in pitch blackness, her body still soaking wet and beginning to shiver with the cold. She sat up, casting a dim light from her horn to grasp her surroundings. Ravia had been correct: she was definitely unharmed, notwithstanding her risk of hypothermia. Looking down at where she had been laying, she found a familiar bed of moss and lichen growing beneath her. With a small amount of effort, she recalled the firestarter spell Pennington had taught her and created a smoldering mess of it. The moss burned about as poorly as could be expected of something so damp, but it was enough for her to warm herself, and there were no other sources of fuel in the tunnel to be found. As she warmed her hooves over the fire, only one thought filled her mind.
I have to warn them. I have to warn Twilight and Spike they're travelling with somepony who's lying straight to their faces. I have to warn Pennington that Sails has sent somepony after the mask...
She shook her head from side to side as the last embers of warmth finally died a few minutes later, leaving her once again with nothing but the ground beneath her hooves. Even her saddlebags had disappeared in the flood. She had nothing but her horn and her wits to survive now. Thankfully, a few last rivulets of water helped her find her orientation of where she had come from, but she knew that trying to backtrack to Twilight was useless without a map.
I need to get my bearings, figure out where in Equestria I am... She glanced upwards at the roof, sighing softly. Easier said than done, I'll have to make it to the surface.
"Well, this tunnel has to end eventually..." she whispered to herself, beginning to walk in the direction the water was flowing. "At least this is more bearable than one of Penn's camping trips..."
"I think I see..." Celia muttered, looking down at the surface of the table in thought. "But, why wouldn't Penny have told us any of this?"
Applejack glanced back at Princess Luna, somewhat curious, herself. The four of them had been in the conference room for almost two hours, now, as Princess Luna had described Pennington's position as her student to his parents, along with most of his other exploits as Scorching Quill. Celia and Page had admittedly taken it better than she had expected. Her aunt had always been the overprotective type, especially with her son, but she had avoided flying out of control as Princess Luna had spoken.
Luna took a moment to ponder the question before answering.
"Tell me, Miss Deeproots, what will you do with this information? Now that you know your son's secrets, how will you attempt to protect him?" She pressed her front hooves together, placing her chin on them and staring down Celia. "He will place himself in every danger he can find in order to complete his mission to assemble his new beastiary. Working so closely with me will make him many more powerful enemies than he already has. He will live day to day by only his wits and his heart, with his dragon companion as his only other voice of reason."
Celia blinked a few times, and Applejack was almost certain she caught a twitch in her eye.
"And it will be exactly the life he has sought so desperately in all his adventures he shared with Equestria. He will not return the same, but I know-"
"WHAT DO YOU KNOW?" Celia screamed, slamming her hoof on the table. "WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT MY LITTLE BOY? Do you know his favorite color? The songs that used to rock him to sleep each night? Do you know the fears that he bawled over or the victories that reduced him to tears of joy?" Celia's eyes were welling up with tears, now, as Princess Luna remained stoic, unaffected by the verbal assault.
"You don't know anything!" Celia slammed her hoof onto the table once more for good measure, and rose up out of her chair, taking hold of her husband's foreleg. "And now you sent our son to go and fight your battles for you? I don't know how you can sleep at night..."
Applejack looked back at Princess Luna, expecting her to do something to stop Celia from leaving. Instead, Luna simply looked down at the table, a small pile of papers teleporting in front of her.
"Dear Princess Luna... Today, I saw the most beautiful sunset with Moonstone. We've traveled to Griffonstone in the hopes of helping the recover a long-lost cultural relic. Unfortunately, all of our leads resulted in a dead-end, resulting in a rather unfriendly reaction from the local residents. While I'm unsure if the reaction is due to our failure or a cultural divide, the city itself is astounding! The entire city was built on a similar concept to Canterlot, with all structures being built upon large rock outcroppings from a local mountain, but residing at the highest point! Once Moonstone and I had overcome the symptoms of altitude sickness, we found our way to a near-abandoned area of the city and climbed up onto the dilapidated roof of an old house. From there, we watched the sunset, and it was perhaps one of the most beautiful I've ever seen. The entire city is above most cloud cover of the nearby landscape beyond the mountain, and after the sun had fallen below the clouds, crimson rays still managed to break through from below, making it look as though we were staring down at an ocean of glowing coals. When the sun was finally gone and the moon began to rise, Moonstone's body temperature kept the two of us warm and cozy while that same ocean of coals became a sea of cotton irradiated with moonlight, glowing brighter and brighter until it finally burst through! It is all we've been able to talk about since, even as we write this letter, we're arguing over what imagery could draw the closest to that beautiful sight. If you ever have the chance, you must come here. Tomorrow, we resume our search for the lost artifact."
"Your faithful student, Pennington Inkwell..." Luna finished, setting the page down and beginning to search for another.
Celia had stopped at the doorway, keeping her back to the princess, but seemingly listening to her as Luna shuffled through her papers, plucking another out to read.
"Dear Princess Luna... Today, Moonstone and I managed to make our way back to the border of Equestria, as per your request. Your sources were correct, there was an illegal drug smuggling ring operating out of an old changeling spy outpost. In order to confirm it, Moonstone and I had to draw close, closer than was safe. I apologize, but I was forced to violate your instruction to only observe and report. We were spotted earlier than I had thought, I suppose that my stealth skills have suffered since the loss of my magic and my access to many noise-dampening spells. Upon our discovery, I quickly created a lie that I was a potential investor in the business hoping to introduce magical means of transport via dragon mail. They did ask for a demonstration, and Moonstone performed beautifully considering she only vaguely recognized the address as being from Canterlot! (On a side note, you may wish to investigate 413 Cherry Grove Lane, as that was the address they asked us to send it to.) The two of us have really come to be fantastic partners when it comes to adapting to another's plans on the fly."
"Unfortunately, things went horribly awry. Until then, I had explained that my talent was cartography, making me an ideal pony to spearhead this new delivery system. In a case of horrifying serendipity, one of the couriers was a Scorching Quill fan, believe it or not, and recognized my cutie mark! Once my identity was outed, the situation quickly devolved to violence. To make a long story short, I did escape alive, but without dealing any major damage to their infrastructure. Moonstone, however, used the distraction to snatch the map they had selected the delivery location from, and in doing so obtained a list of all their customers in Canterlot, which we have enclosed. I am sorry for ignoring your instructions, but this will hopefully give the Royal Guard the new lead that they need to finally track down these felons."
"Your faithful student, Pennington Inkwell."
"P.S. Please don't tell Quick Strike that I couldn't defeat them all in unarmed combat, or I'll be called back to the NLR so she can demote me back to a white belt in her martial arts class!"
"Celia, I could not pretend to know Pennington nearly as well as his own mother, it would be unbelievably presumptuous of me to do so..." Luna sighed, setting the letter down. "But in his letters, I've learned so much about him. I know that he sleeps best after a day where his life was on the line. I know that he would go to the ends of the Earth of pursue even the smallest speck of the unknown. I know that he never finds his bed softer or his sleep more restful than when he's spent a day proving that he can take care of himself. I know that, while his residence is in Ponyville, he constantly finds himself filled with wanderlust and a need to escape... a trait, I believe, he received from his mother, who showed him the beauty of this world every time he got to follow along on one of her business trips."
In the entirety of Luna's reading of Pennington's letters, Celia hadn't moved from the doorway, but Applejack could tell from the sound of her staggered breathing and her shaking shoulders that she was crying. Front Page glanced back at Luna, then at Celia again.
"Celia, honey..."
"Quiet! Just... be quiet, Page..." She whispered, finally turning back around to face Princess Luna with tears streaming down her face. She took a deep breath, regaining her composure and steeling her expression into one of determined wrath.
"And is that why you chose him, Princess Luna? So that you can get a subscription to his weekly travels sent to you in the mail? So you can have a pony willing to die for you doing your work outside of the castle and off the records?"
Luna sighed, looking to the side.
"I chose Pennington as my student because I saw untapped potential in him. He is still in an early stage of his life, and he has already accomplished more in that short time than most ponies could if they strove and worked for their entire lifetime. I want to see him reach his full potential, and my sister and I are the only ones with enough influence to give him those opportunities. I believe he could be a great hero with the proper guidance. A pony as steeled in their convictions and with a talent as potent as his can change the entirety of Equestria, and much for the better. I chose him for both his own benefit and the benefit of all my subjects."
Celia finally seemed to relax a bit, her shoulder sagging with exhaustion.
"You know, to him, YOU were always the hero..." Front Page smiled, putting his arm around Celia's shoulders and pulling her close. "I used to tell him bedtime stories about you."
Luna blushed slightly, chuckling to herself.
"I believe I may have read some of them in one of his published works... They are quite remarkable, but I assure you, I am simply a pony, just like any other. It is how we inspire others that makes us heroes." She finally rose from her chair, walking to join them at the door as Applejack quickly followed behind. "And the two of you certainly are heroic if you raised a pony such as Pennington Inkwell. I am afraid that I must retire for the day, but please, feel free to call upon me again." Waiting a moment to acknowledge Celia and Page's grateful nods, she strolled back into the hallway, disappearing around a corner in a few seconds to leave the three ponies standing alone.
"Well, I guess that's the answers to at least a few questions, settled..." Applejack smiled, patting Celia on the back.
"But...why would he keep all of this from us?" Page asked, turning to face her.
"Ah don't reckon ah know. All I know is, he's gotta keep his secrets for a reason, right?" She shook her head. "The only reason he even filled me in was because the whole gosh-darn TOWN was in danger!"
Celia and Page glanced at one another, then back to their niece.
"Why do I get the feeling I've been missing out a lot of good... front-page material?"
Twilight was trying her absolute hardest not to panic, but she could practically feel the air growing thinner and the walls of the tunnel closing in on her. She had been wading through belly-high water for hours, now, and she was growing exhausted from carrying Delta's unconscious body.
"Is... he going to be okay?" Spike asked, glancing up at Delta's hovering body.
"I gave him a quick once-over while you were coughing up the last of that steam," Twilight said, only having to speak up slightly to make herself heard over the sound of her hooves wading through the water. "He doesn't have a concussion, and the gash in his head isn't nearly as deep as it looks. He's going to be out for a while, but he should be fine when he wakes up..." Her face deepened to a scowl. "And he's going to have a lot of questions to answer when he does!"
"And what about Lily?"
Twilight stopped in her tracks for a moment, taking a deep breath to try to steady herself. Unfortunately, she failed. Tears she prayed Spike couldn't see began streaming down her face.
"I-I don't know, Spike... There's no way we could track her through these tunnels! We're just going to have to hope, okay?"
Her terribly unscientific answer seemed to unsettle Spike enough to send him into quiet contemplation.
Pennington was sitting someplace warm. He was on a blooming mountainside. It was springtime, and he was sat up against the outer edge of a red-and-white checkered blanket, with a spread of delicious treats laid out before him. Sandwiches of flowers he'd never seen before, fruits of exotics lands brought from a personal garden and hay of a quality that could only be achieved with loving care and time.
"Well, honey?" a familiar voice asked.
Looking up, Pennington found himself staring into Lily's eyes, questioning him with a soft confidence.
"It looks like... a feast one would not forget in a lifetime." The words slipped out of Pennington's mouth without his own thought.
Lily giggled and picked up one of the sandwiches with her magic, taking a large bite and humming with pleasure.
"Dif yoo know-" Lily paused for a moment to swallow her mouth full of food. "Did you know that these flowers..." she paused to nod her head at the blooms filling her sandwich, "Only bloom perennially in this mountain range? This is the only place AND time you can get them fresh!"
Pennington involuntarily glanced down at the sandwich and picked it up with his own magic, taking a bite of his own. It was surprisingly tasty, zesty and with a citrus accent he couldn't place. He wasn't in control of his own actions, watching the memory as only a passive observer.
But it wasn't even his memory. All that he could do was think, and the more that he thought, the more he knew that he had never been to this place before, never been on this picnic. Even Lily was off, she was acting unusually confident, her anxiety gone completely, and while she'd always had a knack for plants and flowers, she didn't usually enjoy cooking nearly this much. He knew that the two of them had never come to the Macintosh Hills together, not even on their post-graduation trip across Equestria.
As he finished chewing, his head turned over his shoulder, instinctively checking for anything behind them. There was only the rest of the mountain and a small, dark opening nestled under an overhang that seemed to beckon him with the unknown. Lily's annoyed sigh drew his attention back to the picnic.
"Aren't you EVER able to go someplace without checking over your shoulder, dear? Please, we're safe here, there's no sign of the war for leagues, no wild creatures for you to fend off, nothing that can hurt us!"
"Well, you know me, Ixi... I'm never comfortable unless I have the high ground..." he muttered, the words once again not his own.
Lily rose to her hooves, stepping over the picnic and over to where he was sitting, where she pressed her hoof against his chest. Still against his will, Pennington surrendered to her touch, slowly tilting backwards until his center of gravity finally shifted enough to send him toppling to the ground. Lily kept her hoof on his chest, pressing down into him and towering over him with a smug grin and a half-lidded stare.
"You know, I can think of ONE time you don't mind losing the high ground..."
Pennington had to admit, he would very much have liked to take back control of his body, right now.
"Well, why not come down here and... press your advantage?" his mouth said.
If this was a dream, he was really hoping to wake up. Admittedly, this wasn't the first time he'd had a dream like this about Lily, but...
Finally, relief came as his vision grew cloudy and the rest of his senses faded, slowly fading into blackness, again, and he muttered a quick thanks to Luna, just in case she had been the one to free him. Lily was like a sister to him, and having THAT kind of dream about her... didn't appeal to him, any more. It was only just before the last incorporeal wisp of the dream had faded that he finally put his hoof on what had bothered him:
The cave, the one he had spotted behind him when he had been looking over his shoulder, had been something he'd seen before, only with a more pronounced overhang and a wider opening from decades upon decades of erosion...
The same cave that he and Moonstone had hidden inside of.
And then we got Crankshaft inside...and then there was an avalanche...
Even as the darkness overtook him, he was also losing his ability to keep a train of thought.
The rockslide... Moonstone... Moonstone! MOONSTONE!
The name barely slipped through Pennington's lips as a whisper. With it came a rush of intense pain, causing his body to tense and seize up. His chest was full of stabbing pains, his legs and hooves throbbing with each pulse of his heartbeat. His head felt as though someone had attempted to bash it in with a hammer, and every one of his muscles ached more than even his most brutal sessions with Quick Strike. He didn't move for almost a full moment, focusing only on keeping his body as still as possible until the sharpest of the pains had faded. After another minute, or so, he attempted to crack open his eyes. There was resistance, at first, some substance having glued them shut. With some effort, he felt the adhesive crack, then give way, allowing him to finally see his surroundings.
He had been laid down in a bed, with a massive and heavy blanket weighing down on him and keeping him warm. He slowly and deliberately turned his head to the side, trying to see more of the room. There wasn't much to see, but they were in some kind of furnished cave, with the door to the next room carved out of the stone walls carved smoothly and cleanly, definitely by magical means. Whomever lived here didn't seem to care much for decorating over functionality, with only two other pieces of furniture in the room: A stove in the corner warming the room, and a single chair.
Sitting in the chair was Moonstone, having seemingly dozed off at his side. Her head was pressed against his stomach like a pillow, and she was snoring softly. Pennington felt a wave of relief wash over him as he noted that she seemed to be unharmed.
Was she just...waiting for me to wake up? Pennington's eyes welled up with tears, his vision blurring and tracks of tears making their way down his face. Not being able to move enough to wipe away the wetness bothered him, but it felt trivial compared to everything else.
Moonstone stirred in her sleep, murmuring unintelligibly as she turned her head and pressed her face into the warm blanket. After another mumble, her eyes cracked open, blurry and unfocused for a moment.
Of course... my breathing was probably steady and regular until I woke up...
It didn't take long for her open eyes to lock with his, and she immediately snapped to attention, jumping out of her seat and rushing to the top of the bed.
"PENN! Oh, thank the STARS you're alive!" For a moment, she looked as though she were about to leap up and hug him, but quickly reconsidered.
"What... happened?" Pennington forced the raspy words out through his throat. "Where-"
"Shush, shush, hush!" Moonstone pressed a talon against his lips. "Don't force yourself too hard, right now. After you saved me from that rockslide, you nearly got yourself killed. Luckily... it turns out these hills aren't quite as empty as we thought." She glanced around the room with a smile. "There was a unicorn living up here who found us and offered to help. We're in his home, right now, and he's been helping take care of Crankshaft."
Crankshaft! I almost forgot... How could I have forgotten?
"We... missed the..."
Moonstone nodded before he could finish the sentence.
"We missed the rendezvous a few hours ago. You've been out for almost 12 hours..." She sighed, shaking her head. "You idiot... you're not supposed to get yourself killed for me!"
Pennington forced out a weak chuckle, grimacing at the pain in his ribs from the action. He wanted to blame the pain for the second round of tears beginning to overtake him, but he knew that wasn't the truth.
"That's what we do, partner. We can't save ourselves, so we save each other..."
Moonstone smiled, her own tears beginning to roll down her face.
"G-geez, Penn...Well, don't ever scare me like that again!" She folded her arms across her chest, giving him a halfhearted scowl. "If you hadn't gotten your magic back when you did, I'd be writing a eulogy for Luna to read, instead of an APOLOGY!"
"My... magic?" Pennington blinked in his confusion. He tried to grasp a memory of magic in his mind, but there wasn't a memory to find after the rocks had fallen. "But, I thought it wasn't coming back..."
"Well, you certainly did SOMETHING magical!" Moonstone ducked out of his sight for a moment, only to return holding a shriveled and mangled twig, looking as though it had been roasted to a crisp. "You completely burned out your prosthetic horn! We're going to have to get a new one from Luna!" She folded her arms over her chest, once again trying and failing to muster up an angry expression.
"Heh... sorry?"
"Well, the best way you can make it up to me..." she climbed up onto the bed by his head, crawling under the blankets and gingerly moving up against him. "Is by getting better, and fast."
Pennington closed his eyes, Moonstone's warm body doing more to make him feel warm and protected than any blanket.
Twilight wasn't asleep, even if she looked it. She was waiting, and quite patiently, if she were to say so, herself.
While he was still unconscious, she had affixed Delta Raider to the wall of the tunnel with magical shackles, leaving him spread-eagle and facing her. The mask he had worn was hidden inside her saddlebag, with at least five different sealing spells on it. Spike had fallen asleep hours before, riding on her back until the last of the water had finally washed away into deeper tunnels and crevices, leaving them walking on muddy ground. When the floor was finally solid enough for her standards, she had laid Spike against the wall of the tunnel to sleep while she worked on binding spells for Delta and the mask. She had even cast a light sleeping spell on Spike. She didn't want him to wake up until she had gotten the truth out of Delta.
Following that, she had laid down to wait. Even feigning sleep, she kept a close eye on the mask, watching it carefully through her nearly-closed eyes. It didn't seem to have shown any extraordinary properties since Delta had taken it off, but if there was one thing she had learned from Pennington, it was that appearances could be deceiving. Either it wasn't going to act of its own accord, or it knew that she was still awake.
"Ugh... wha?"
Twilight's eyes shot open as Delta's voice filled the claustrophobic corridor. She slowly rose to her hooves, taking a moment to stretch.
"T-Twilight? Why-"
"Because I want answers." Twilight took a deep breath, turning to face him. "And you're going to give them to me."
Delta struggled against the magical bands pinning him to the wall, fruitlessly trying to pull them away.
"Twilight, what's wrong with you? We're on the same side, here!"
"ARE WE?" Twilight's temper flared for a moment, magical energy collecting around her horn and beginning to form into a white mist around her. "The only reason I trusted you was because Lily vouched for you and told me that that stupid story you told us was true! Now, Lily is GONE, and the last thing she tried to tell me was that you got your story WRONG!" The white mist began to gather and coalesce in front of her, even keeping time with her as she began to pace back and forth in the claustrophobic tunnel.
"Now, the pony I trusted, the pony who actually KNEW something was off about you, has been conveniently washed away, and I'm stranded underground in Celestia-only-knows where with YOU! Speaking of Princess Celestia, Spike's letter-sending hasn't worked since we left Canterlot! Now, I have TRIED to be VERY patient with you, Delta Raider, HOWEVER..." She cut herself off as the last of the mist collected and a flash of light momentarily lit the tunnel, forming a lavender rapier, which she pointed directly to Delta's throat.
"However... I am nopony's fool."
She almost regretted her actions when she saw Delta's horrified expression staring down the edge of her blade, but she had been over the script in her head at least a hundred times while he was unconscious, until it was ready to explode out of her. She hated knowing nothing about the situation around her, and she had only put up with her lack of knowledge for this long because Lily had asked her to. Now, she was going to take back control and get the facts.
"Wh-what do you want from me?" Delta stuttered, his eyes still fixed on the blade.
"Answers." Twilight pulled the blade to the side, making a satisfying "swish" as it cut the air near the tip. She began pacing again, this time slower and more thoughtfully. "First of all, why are you REALLY trying to find Pennington?"
"I told you! The Surprise is a trap! I-"
Swish
"I... I... ulp..." He stuttered to a stop when Twilight's sword was back at his throat.
"The truth."
Delta seemed to hesitate, prompting Twilight to inch it closer.
"Y-you wouldn't... You'd disappoint your precious princess!"
Twilight knew he was right. The sword was a bluff, though she could't let him know. She could never bring herself to kill, not so long as there was another option. Even threatening him like this was entering a moral gray area...
But if he's trying to stop Penny... Equestria could be on the line! Think, Twilight! What would Pennington do? What about Sure Shot, or Quick Strike?
"Try me..." The tip of the blade actually made contact with his skin, pressing ever-so-gently against his windpipe. "As far as I know, everything I care about could be at stake... My family, my friends... Pennington."
To her surprise, Delta actually snickered at her words, the blade drawing a small trickle of blood as the action pressed his neck more against it.
"You claim to care about HIM? You want me to tell you the truth, when you refuse to even tell it to yourself?" Delta leaned forward, his fear seemingly having disappeared. Twilight drew the rapier back, stopping him from stabbing himself with the action.
"You know that the Princesses have sent him to his end... and yet you don't say a word! You think you frighten me, but you're so terrified of Celestia that you won't even speak up to save your lover!" He was practically cackling, now.
Twilight stepped back, memories beginning to bubble up from deep in her mind, memories of secrets she'd been banned from telling a single soul, the impossible truth that Celestia had shown her in her moment of doubt...
"Be... Be quiet! You don't know what you're talking about!"
"You claim to love him, but you won't even speak a word against your precious Princess of the Light to tell him that his own assistant is-"
"BE QUIET!"
The mist swarmed around his muzzle, clamping it shut and forming a form-fitting mask.
Twilight's breath was coming fast and in short bursts. She was hyperventilating. She had to calm down.
I- I was wrong... I need Spike for this! I need- She spun around to wake the dragon, only to find herself staring at... another pony. He was tall, wearing a set of dark-colored armor, though that was all Twilight could make out in the semi-darkness. He was carrying Spike on his back, already bound with what looked to be steel cord.
"Wha-"
Before she could gather her senses enough to finish her inquiry, the stallion's hoof came up from below, striking her in the jaw and knocking her unconscious.
When Pennington woke again, Moonstone was gone. She had obviously woken up before him, probably leaving for some fresh air or to stretch her legs.
Come to think of it, I could really use a chance to get on my hooves, as well... He yawned and stretched as best he could beneath the covers, cringing and forcing his way through the sharp pains in his legs and chest that it brought.
"Oh! Y-y-y-y-you're aw-aw-aw...."
Pennington turned his head towards the voice, scarcely believing his ears. Beside his bed stood Crankshaft, several bandages wrapped around her head, but otherwise looking much cleaner and healthier than he remembered.
"Crankshaft? You're okay!"
"Y-y-y-" Struggling to get the word out, she simply nodded.
Pennington felt a wave of relief wash over his body.
"Are you feeling okay? Moonstone said our host made sure you got treatment..."
She nodded again, giving him a tired smile.
Pennington's smile grew wider, and he momentarily turned his attention back to his own body, experimentally bending his legs one by one to make sure the joints were still working properly.
"Well, do you think you could help me up? I was never exactly one for bed rest..."
Crankshaft's expression changed to a nervous frown, and she glanced to the door of the room and back.
Pennington shook his head, forcing a smile through the pain as he forced himself into a sitting position.
"Nah, I've always bounced back pretty quickly! Come on, lend me a hoof?"
Crankshaft cast another nervous glance at the door, then nodded, reaching up and helping pull him to the edge of the bed, where he let his hooves dangle downwards. Gritting his teeth, Pennington turned his weight over the edge and dropped down onto his four hooves.
"HRRK!" Pain swept over his body, forcing a muffled scream out between his teeth, but his hooves held. Crankshaft looked terrified, bringing her hoof up to cover her mouth.
Pennington forced all of his concentration on relaxing his body. Tensing up his muscles would only increase his pain, at this point. After a few seconds, the worst passed, allowing him to straighten his posture and rise to his full height. He gulped down air as best he could, finally releasing the breath he had been holding through the pain, then did his best to flash Crankshaft a confident smile, though he could tell from her worried expression that it was an unconvincing one.
"Well... that will certainly wake you up in the morning..." he whispered. Taking another deep breath, he took a shaky step forward. Finding that his body wasn't racked with crippling pain from the action, he stiffly moved another hoof forward, then another, slowly making his way towards the door.
As Pennington reached the edge of the door, he felt his front leg give way, the knee buckling under his weight. He screwed his eyes shut, bracing himself for the pain of colliding with the wall.
Instead, he felt something warm and soft. Opening his eyes, he saw that Crankshaft had darted to his side, catching him before he completely stumbled. With a grunt of her own, she push him back up, letting him regain his stance.
"Thanks..." Pennington whispered.
Crankshaft smiled as she glanced up at him.
"It- It's the l-l-least I can d-do..."
"WHAT are the two of you doing out of bed?" A stern voice chided. Looking up, Pennington found himself face-to-face with another unicorn. The stranger had an olive-colored coat and streaks of gray running through his blue mane. Judging by the wrinkles on his face, he was definitely older than the two of them, perhaps closer to Ms. Yearling's age, and he wore a thick pair of half-moon glasses perched at the end of his snout.
The voice, however, wasn't his, as was quickly revealed as Moonstone appeared from behind his shoulder, holding a large mug of something steaming with heat.
"Heh... I couldn't resist trying to get some fresh air..." Pennington sheepishly muttered, trying to brush off Moonstone's angry glare with humor. "And... I wanted to thank our gracious host!" Pennington bowed his head in lieu of offering a hoof to shake. "You saved our lives, Mister..."
"Turvian! Mister Turvian." The host finally broke his silence, giving Pennington a smile. His chipper voice seemed to completely contradict with his uptight-looking exterior, but Pennington welcomed the reprieve from Moonstone's wrath. "And once your assistant had filled me in on what your quest was, well, I knew I had made the right choice." He nodded his head towards the room through the doorway.
"Tea?"
Pennington glanced over at Crankshaft, whom he was only now realizing he was still leaning on, even unconsciously. She hadn't seemed to make any objections, smiling and giving him a nod.
"Tea... sounds wonderful. Seems like a good opportunity to fill me in on what I missed while I was out."
"Indeed... And I have several questions I would like to ask you, myself!"
Moonstone hopped down from Turvian's back as the pony disappeared back through the door, giving Pennington an all-too-familiar glare.
"You shouldn't be walking after what happened..."
"Honestly, Moon Moon? I barely even remember what happened." Pennington shook his head, placing a hoof against his temple. "The last thing I remember is the rocks coming down on top of me. As far as I know, I shouldn't be ALIVE after what happened, let alone walking."
"Exactly!" Moonstone placed her claw against his chest, pushing him back towards the bed. "Now, just go back to-"
"But since I got lucky, I'm going to recover as fast as I possibly can." Pennington pushed back against her as best he could, feeling her unconsciously relent. "Equestria is still counting on us, remember? We don't have the time to waste."
Moonstone opened her mouth to object, only to sigh and turn her gaze to the ground, letting out a long sigh of defeat.
"Well... come on, then. Turvian seems to have a knack for weird magic, maybe he'll have advice for us." Moonstone turned and walked away, Pennington and Crankshaft following her into the next room.
As he entered what appeared to be a combination of dining room and kitchen, Pennington could scarcely believe his eyes. Utensils and cooking implements were scuttling about on their own, as if they were alive. A teapot filled itself under the sink, then hopped its way onto the stove top, which Turvian absent-mindedly ignited with a soft click. The table set itself as Moonstone made her way to their saddlebags, carefully set to dry by a fireplace, and removed a large map. Climbing up onto a chair, she spread the map over the table and made a small motion to the candlesticks in the center, which hopped over and anchored the corners before igniting themselves to give her more light.
"What-"
"Magic, my boy!" Turvian cut him off, taking several boxes of tea leaves from the cupboard. "Equestria is so LIMITED in their ways of thinking about magic!" Taking a moment to examine several of the boxes, he casually tossed three of them away, where the teapot jumped up and caught each of them, swallowing them whole through the opening in the top.
Pennington was unsure of what to make of the whole situation, still marveling at the constant activity as a chair pulled itself away from the table for him, helping him to rest his battered body into a sitting position. "I haven't seen anything like this since... well..."
"Since Discord's disparagingly short return?" Turvian finally turned back to his guests, now levitating three teacups and saucers. The one he placed in front of Pennington was a beautiful white-and blue china set, Crankshaft's seemed to be formed from some kind of stainless steel, though he saw no evidence of it having been machined or forged into the shape, and Moonstone's was crafted from a transparent crystal, though she hardly noticed as she poured over the map.
"Princess Celestia's fixation on harmony and the repression of chaos is truly a crime against her people!" Reaching beneath the table, he somehow retrieved a blank white mug, already full of tea. "If she could simply embrace both sides of magic, Equestria would blossom exponentially!"
Pennington and Crankshaft glanced at one another, each seemingly unsure of what to say.
"Well, actually..." Pennington spoke up as Turvian took a sip from his red mug, "Celestia and Luna adopted a draconequus as their Royal Advisor!"
Turvian's eyes nearly bugged out of his head as he turned his head to the side and spit out his tea in shock.
"Wh- WHAT?"
"He's right..." Moonstone muttered, refusing to be distracted from the map. "Eclipse Tumult. Discord's less powerful and more reasonable younger brother."
This seemed to send Turvian into deep thought, tapping his green mug against his chin.
"Then perhaps Celestia is not as ignorant as I thought..." He turned his gaze upwards to the ceiling. "That, or she's getting desperate to weather the coming storm..."
"No, she and Luna took him in before the weather turned foul..." Pennington watched as the teapot hopped up onto the table, pouring tea without any instruction into the remaining cups. "I have to say, this is really remarkable! I mean, I'd looked a small amount into whether or not chaos magic could be implemented alongside a harmonic system, but I never thought I'd see it applied like this!"
"Huh? No, no, no! I'm not talking about the actual weather!" Turvian looked back at Pennington, jabbing his orange mug forward to punctuate his words as the teapot rushed to catch the tea splashing out of it. "I mean the great calamity on the horizon!"
He glanced around the table, looking for any kind of recognition from his guests.
"Nothing? Really?" He sighed, staring down into his lilac mug of tea. "Either she's keeping you all in the dark, or Celestia really has no idea it's coming..."
"Wait, great CALAMITY? What are you talking about, what's coming?" Pennington leaned forward, ignoring his tea completely.
"Oh, I don't know!" Turvian shrugged his shoulders. "But haven't you felt it? There's a hum in the air, a charge of magic power unlike anything we've ever seen, hiding just behind the horizon..." He took another sip from tea, his tone growing darker and more solemn. "Great and terrible powers have been coming out of the darkness to try to secure their safety before it arrives, and I don't just mean this foul weather..." he glanced up at Pennington, extending his hoof and dropping a small object on the table in front of them.
Pennington's heart skipped a beat.
It was a small hairpin, adorned with a pair of red and black bat wings.
Catherine's hairpin.
Crankshaft was simply confused, tilting her head to the side, while even Moonstone's intense concentration was broken, the sight of the object sending her scrambling out of her chair and flying to the other side of the room.
"WHAT IN FAUST'S NAME IS THAT DOING HERE?" she shrieked, taking a perch on a bookshelf above the fireplace.
Pennington reached down, picking up the familiar token. Just touching it sent shivers through his body and made his mind feel clouded. He could almost swear he could hear the old tunes of a Wurlitzer organ ringing in his ears again and smell popcorn and cotton candy on the breeze. Catching himself becoming lost in his memories, he tossed it away, landing it perfectly back inside his saddlebag.
"I... I kept it." Pennington muttered.
"You WHAT?"
"It's a reminder that I'm NOT infallible..."
Moonstone flew back across the room, landing mere inches away from Pennington's face.
"BULL."
Pennington glanced down, not wanting to make eye contact with her.
"I... I don't know WHY I kept it, okay? Maybe it's just a little leftover magic from Cat's mind control, or something, but I just... I just DID!"
Turvian took another sip from his tea.
"Well, you are NOT keeping that!" Moonstone stormed to the bag, rummaging through until she found the pin and throwing it into the fireplace.
"I doubt that will work..." Turvian mumbled through his tea. "Besides, if the two of you met the Carnival Cat and survived, a harmless trophy of her defeat might earn you more respect from the other horrors awakening than you might think..."
Moonstone gave Turvian a searing glare, followed by a suspicious one to Pennington. Ignoring Turvian's advice, she turned away from the fire, leaving the pin to burn.
"But you see? Usually, the Cat would wait decades before appearing somewhere in Equestria, somewhere unexpected, where her actions would go unnoticed. She may be overt, but her methods are subtle... Instead, I could sense her presence in the Everfree forest several months ago, near Ponyville, of all places! Such a populated area would have given her enough energy and power to survive anything, even this coming calamity..." Taking a sip from his blue mug, he nodded towards the far corner of the room. Almost out of sight, at first, Pennington finally made out two pinpricks of red light. Eyes, and familiar ones.
"Even the old gods have returned to find sanctuary, hoping against hope that Equestria's heroes will protect them alongside their ponies."
I run from no one. I fear NOTHING!
Pennington, Crankshaft, and Moonstone cringed at the voice in their heads. while Turvian seemed unperturbed.
"And now the Alicorns are taking up the Draconequui as allies..." Turvian shook his head. "Everyone able to recognize the source of their anxiety has taken up arms or are raising defenses, even as we speak, where consciously or unconsciously."
"Then... what is it? What's coming?" Pennington asked quietly.
"My boy, I doubt that there is a creature on Earth or Tartarus who could answer that question. You might find some answer from King Sombra or Nightmare Moon, if you were to inquire about the timing of their returns, but I doubt they're much for conversation. Only time can give us the answer..." He completely tipped back his blank white mug, finishing the last of his tea. "As for myself, I've found my sanctuary here, at the top of the mountains! I can conduct my research in peace and quiet, and nopony expects a living creature up here. Certainly, calamity will find me, but it will find me having done all I can to hide myself and prepare."
Pennington exchanged nervous glances with Moonstone and Crankshaft.
"Speaking of my peace and quiet, Miss Adelinda, I suppose you've found what you were searching for?"
Moonstone nodded, jumping up onto her feet on top of her chair.
"It'll take us a little off-course, but not by much... But my family is close by! If I had known the Surprise would take us so close, I would have plotted it out as an original stopping point, to begin with!" She tapped her claw against the map. "If we move quickly..." she took a moment to glance up at Pennington and Crankshaft, "Or, well... as quickly as we can manage... we should be able to make it to them in a day's journey! From there, they could help us make it to Scorch, if we're lucky, or at least help us resupply!"
"Wait, we're really that close?" Pennington leaned over, trying to see the map.
"Yep! Finally, luck seems to be back on our side!" She grinned and rolled the map back up, hopping down to toss it back into Pennington's saddlebag.
"As for Miss Crankshaft..." Turvian held his mug out, letting the teapot finally refill it. "I don't mind taking her up to meet with a rendezvous tomorrow, we're close enough to the peak as it is..."
Pennington smiled, giving Turvian a grateful nod. "You have no idea how much we appreciate what you've done for us... You saved our lives."
Turvian snorted and hopped down from his chair, leaving his now-full mug of tea behind.
"Please, my wife would never let me hear the end of it if I abandoned strangers in need like that. I'd get lectures for days about how I need to be more kind and show more generosity! That mare loves her studies into the Elements..." He shook his head.
"Your.. wife?" Moonstone glanced around the empty room.
"She... passed several years ago." Turvian turned away, letting a long sigh slip through his lips. "I expect she'll have much to say to me when I go to join her, so I still try to follow what she told me."
"Oh... I'm sorry..." Moonstone looked down, immediately seeming to regret the inquiry.
"Don't be. You asked a question. Unlike the more... closed-minded of Equestrians, I do not consider that a crime." He shook his head, forcing a smile as her turned back to them.
"Speaking of which, I do have one question for you, Mister Inkwell."
"Huh? Um, ask away..." Pennington shrugged his shoulders, finally taking a sip of his tea. It had cooled to the perfect temperature while they talked, and despite having entire boxes of leaves thrown into the pot, was free of anything but the calming taste of lilac flowers.
"How did you come to have that vein of chaos running through you?" Turvian tilted his head, as if examining Pennington from a distance. "Even now, I can see it stitching your injuries back together, changing your body to match your own perspectives and expectations of health."
"I... what?" Pennington looked down at his body, taking measure of how he was feeling. He was no different than he normally would be after taking a beating.
Turvian gave him another examining stare, then shook his head. "Forget I said anything. It simply looks as though the winds of change favor you today..."
And with that, their host was gone, disappeared into another unknown room of the home.
Princess Luna had not enjoyed these new "lessons."
From the moment she had arrived, her host had proven to be a reclusive hermit, never leaving his study and simply talking to her through the door. On the first day, she had watched the front desk of Pennington's store, selling books and taking orders for commissions. He had left her simple instructions on how to work the register and several pre-made sheets for the orders on commissions.
The day had mind-numbingly slow, with only a few ponies coming in and giving her hard-to-understand orders, but she had somehow muddled through, eventually managing to work around the gaps in their manners of speech.
"And, thou- erm, your commission is to be about... vampires?"
"Yup! Oh! And I want it to end with the hero and the mare trotting off together into the sunset! Buuuut... there's a twist!"
"A... twist?"
"Yeah! As the sun finally dips behind the horizon, the mare turns and looks... and sees that he has a bite mark on his neck!"
"I... see..." Luna sighed and scribbled down the notes, gave the pony their total. The turn the story's ending had taken hadn't included anything being twisted, but it was unexpected. It... twisted her expectations!
When she had turned in the day's commissions, closed the store and locked the register, her host had thanked her and cracked open the door just enough to hand her a small envelope. Inside was a personal check for the day's wages (a drop of water in the ocean of the royal treasury, but still satisfying) and instructions for the next day, stating that she was to report to the seamstress next door for her next day's work.
The seamstress had been even more... eccentric than Pennington, but much more open to discussion. Luna had been told not to reveal her true identity, so she had been forced to create a false identity for herself on the spot. She had claimed that she was an old acquaintance of Pennington's from Canterlot, come to spend a week trying to find work due to recent unemployment. It was only a half-truth, which made it easier to tell, but Luna's delivery seemed to leave much to be desired, as the seamstress had simply said,
"If you didn't want to tell me, you could have just said so."
That day had included many more ponies arriving in the shop and placing orders, but they were much less detailed than the ones at Inkwell Commissions, making it much easier to for her to find a steady rhythm of scripted lines that she had invented during slow periods to say, rather than having to interview each customer.
When she reported back to Pennington, she once again received a check for her wages and an address to report to the next day. Her host spoke very little, though he had mentioned that she should get a good night's rest.
The next day, Luna reported bright and early to a nearby candy store, run my a friendly mare who introduced herself as Bon Bon.
This had been her most challenging day, yet. While she spoke very little to the customers, she needed to stay attentive and fast as they rained down upon the store in droves, all trying to place their orders at the same time. Bon Bon had often come up to help her when she became overly flustered or fell behind on the orders, but by the end of the day, Luna felt as though her brain had been put through a strong electrical shock, shorted out from the effort of keeping all the orders separate and correct in her mind. That night, through the crack in the door came an envelope AND a bag of caramel squares that Pennington insisted were the best in all Equestria.
Luna felt no need to argue the point as she happily munched and read over her next day's assignment. She finally seemed to be receiving a chance to relax, spending the day in Rarity's Boutique. Rarity had lived up to the title her element bestowed upon her, seeing Luna's exhaustion the moment she had arrived. Without a moment's delay, she had dragged Luna by the hoof to the spa, where the two of them had been pampered, fed, and revitalized. Now, she was laying in a hot bath with Rarity, who was so relaxed, she appeared to almost be asleep.
Luna looked down at herself, still feeling slightly strained, and she knew the reason why.
"Miss Rarity, if I were to do something, would you promise that you would not tell anypony? Especially Pennington?"
Rarity lifted one cucumber slice to look at her, somewhat surprised.
"Well, that would depend very much on what you do, darling... But provided no harm is done, I suppose it wouldn't hurt to simply keep it between us girls!"
Luna took a deep breath and dispelled the illusion around her body, finally releasing the spell for the first time all week. Rarity nearly leaped out of the water in surprise, knocking off both cucumber slices in her rush.
"P-P-PRINCESS LUNA!"
"Shhhh!" Luna hissed, glancing to the door to see if Rarity's outburst had drawn any unwanted attention. Letting out a sigh of relief, she sunk deeper into the water, all the way to her chin.
"But, your highness, what are you doing here?" Rarity glanced around, as well, as if she were expecting to find someone watching her reaction as some sort of prank. "And WHY were you supposed to be working as my assistant for the day?"
"If I am to be honest, Miss Rarity... I have no earthly clue! I was sent here by my speech tutor in order to better learn to communicate with others! But rather than actually TEACHING me, my new teacher simply put me to work! I've been to a different store every day, with no way of knowing where I'll be next, and I've learned nothing of speech! I've learned that ponies are willing to pay great amounts for mediocre texts, that Whipstitch the Seamstress can fix almost anything with a needle and thread, and that my subjects seem to enjoy Miss Bon Bon's candies more than anything else short of the Cakes' confections! But I've learned NOTHING of grammar, enunciation, or any of the things my teacher has been attempting to educate me on!" She thew her hooves up in the air and slammed them back into the water, a satisfying spray of water sloshing out of the bath from her action.
Rarity's jaw hung open for a moment, then closed again. She lost her focus on Luna for a moment, as if lost in thought.
"And you said that your host was... Pennington Inkwell? The pony at Inkwell Commissions?"
Luna nodded. "But only barely. He has never left his study the entire time I've been here, and only talks to me through his door!"
Rarity chuckled, shaking her head. "Well, I don't know him very well, you would have to ask Whipstitch about him. But from what she HAS told me, he rarely does something without good reason. We creative types usually have roundabout ways of doing things, and I believe that I may have some insight into his methods."
"What? What is this supposed to accomplish?" Luna tipped her head backwards, leaning against the side of the tub. "At this point, I am desperate enough to take any answer..."
"Well, your highness, I've had no trouble understanding you today. Your speech has come across as refined, but not archaic, darling!"
Luna paused, her mind wandering back to the week's events. Rarity was right. Suddenly, the true lessons of the week began to sprawl out before her. From Pennington and Whipstitch, she had interacted with ponies enough to develop the reflexes to speak in ways they would understand, and given her more practice in understanding context than Quill had given her in all of their lessons combined. Bon Bon's store had forced her to rely on those reflexes and to communicate quickly and succinctly with the store owner, cementing those habits into place. She had learned more in three days than Quill had taught in three months!
But there was still one question that eluded her.
"You're right, absolutely right, but why would Pennington be so secretive? What is he hiding in his study?"
Rarity simply shrugged, replacing her lost cucumbers with a fresh pair.
"I couldn't say, darling, except that when the fit of inspiration is upon me, I've been known to disappear into my own workshop for days at a time! Perhaps you simply caught him at a bad time?"
Luna sighed and sat back, dissatisfied with her answer. There was something else at play, here, and she would reach the bottom of it.
Luna's eyes flickered open, rising from her dream and back to reality. Celestia was standing above her, at the side of her bed, heavy bags under her eyes and showing signs of exhaustion.
"It's your shift, sister..."
Luna nodded, her mind slowly returning to the present. Equestria was still under attack, and Celestia was here to retrieve her for her turn to protect Canterlot.
"Are there any signs of the storm growing weaker?" Luna asked as she rolled herself out of bed.
"None. In fact, I would almost say it's become stronger... though that could just be my tired body playing tricks on me." Celestia turned an, in a very undignified manner, flopped onto the same spot Luna had been laying. Celestia had her own, bed, of course, but Luna imagined that the convenience of not having to walk across the hall was more than worth it to Celestia.
"Have we received any word from Pennington and Moonstone?"
"See for yourself..." Celestia levitated a scroll over to Luna from the bedside. Luna quickly unrolled it, reading through Moonstone's report as quickly as possible.
"Pennington is alive and healing after... being crushed in a cave-in?" Luna shook her head. "According to Moonstone, it looks as though all of the magic energy of the past two months came to the surface at once, completely frying his prosthesis, but keeping him alive. They've taken up shelter with a pony named... Turvian? Am I pronouncing that right?" There was no reaction from Celestia. After waiting a moment, Luna continued.
"Turvian doesn't seem to be a big fan of yours, he appears to be proficient in... chaos magic... Hmm. Interesting..." Luna continued. "And she says that they're close to her family's home, so she's going to... follow through with the plan on schedule... a little early, even..." Luna trailed off, thoughts of her dream resurfacing.
"Celestia... are you certain that we're doing the right thing? Are we really doing what's best?"
"Hmm?" Celestia rolled over in the bed, turning to face Luna. "Luna, you've been the most avid in affirming that he is the pony we think he is. Do you think we're mistaken after all of the affirmation we've recieved?"
"No, it's just..." Luna looked out the window, trying to pinpoint the source of her dread. "I know what we're doing is for all of Equestria's sake... but what if we're crossing a line, here?"
"What we're doing is eventually going to happen, it's fate." Celestia punctuated her words with a yawn. "His whole life is leading him to it, if our research is right. All we're doing is playing our role. Now you should get going. We both know Eclipse can only hold up the barrier by himself for a short time."
Luna looked down, then nodded and walked from the room, gently closing the door and locking it behind her. Celestia needed her rest, and Luna needed to think about if what she was doing was right.
Lily took a deep breath. A REALLY deep breath. The kind of deep breath where she wished she had bottomless lungs so she could KEEP taking a deep breath. After holding it for several seconds, she finally let it loose in what had to be the biggest, most anxious sigh of her life.
The good news was that she had found a branching tunnel that seemed to have a current of fresh air coming out. The bad news was that the tunnel in question went downwards, and at an angle of about 65 degrees. For a pony trying to descend safely, it may as well have been a sheer vertical drop for all of the control she would have over her descent.
What is it that Penny always says? "A bad option is better than no option?"
She hesitantly stepped up to the edge of the slope. It was definitely not natural, but she could feel a breeze coming up from below. It was the best option she'd found since she'd begun searching... how many hours ago? It was getting hard to tell.
Okay, I HAVE to get to the surface, now. I'm starting to lose track of how long I've been down here!
Lily slowly inched one hoof, then two onto the slope. Slowly, she let them slide down until only her back hooves and her rump were back on the edge.
She took anther deep breath. She could try to use her magic to slow herself down, but this was going to be like the world's worst playground slide.
"Well, here we go..." With a final inch forward, she was completely on the slope, sliding downwards on the loose dirt at a somewhat manageable pace. She started to feel relief as she realized that she wasn't going to just plunge into her possible death.
Then she noticed that the walls were beginning to move by just a little faster... and faster... and faster.
"No, no, no! Nononononononono NOOOOOOOO!" she shrieked as she lost control over her speed. She tried to take a grasp of her own body with her magic to slow herself down, but just as she had managed to focus enough to concentrate, she felt her front hoof strike a study rock on the path, knocking her legs out from underneath her.
"AaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" She could only scream as she tumbled down into the darkness, now completely out of control. All she could do was raise her hooves up to protect her head as she plunged deeper and deeper.
Without warning, Lily felt the tunnel level out, but before she'd had the chance to try to catch herself, she was already airborne, a pink, tumbling, screaming cannonball launched from a tunnel that seemed to have lead only to emptiness.
Finally, with one last plunge, Lily's world came to a complete halt.
She could tell that she had landed, though her eyes were still perceiving the world as spinning wildly. With the best lurch to the side she could manage, she violently vomited, expelling the last of the food she had previously eaten before she was separated from Twilight and Delta. After a few more retches, she felt much better, and it felt as if the world had finally slowed to a stop. Glancing at her surroundings, she finally looked down to see where she had landed.
She was standing at the top of a pointed island in the middle of a lake of lava. Down below, she could see several young dragons staring up at her, looking every bit as dumbfounded as she was. She watched one of them turn to the other.
"Did... Did a pony just win 'King of the Crag?'"
One of the dragons, who was sprawled out on the ground in a way matching someone who'd just been knocked from a high position, jumped up to his feet, spinning around growling loudly.
"Not if I can help it! GRRAAAH!"
The dragon leaped up at Lily, spreading its wings to help cover the height difference and coming at her fangs-first.
Lily had idea idea what she had just stumbled in on, she had no idea where she was, what she was doing, or how she was going to reach her goal. She was alone, she was tired, hungry, and burning up from the hot air around them. As all of her pain and anger and desperation bubbled up at once, she only knew one thing: She'd had enough.
"Just... STOP!" Lily's good sense and self control were gone as she reeled back her hoof, greeting the dragon with the strongest blow she could muster straight into his gullet.
Crunch.
"OWWWWWWAAAAAAAAAH!" The dragon reeled back, tumbling down the hill for a second time, hands gripping at his jaw. As he landed, Lily could see bits and pieces of his fangs dropping from his gums as a tickle of blood fell from his mouth.
"MAH TEEF! MAH TEEF! SEE BROK MAH TEEF!"
Blinking in shock as her senses returned, Lily looked down at her hoof. A vision from her nightmares greeted her: a pale white plating, like bone above her skin, had coated her limb, protecting her from harm. Cha'Qued's plating from when she had been possessed. She could almost hear Ravia's words echo back in her mind.
Not to mention, I can tell that you have encountered him before, I can sense his stain upon your soul... He leaves something of himself in every pony he touches, a corruption not easily washed away.
Is... is that what she meant? That he left me with... this?
"Did that pony... just beat up Snarl?" The same dragon asked, sounding even more shocked.
Lily instinctively went to apologize, but was interrupted by one of the other dragons turning to stare up at her.
"HEY! What's your name, pony?"
Lily hesitated. Giving her full name or her real name came with risks, but lying to the dragons could make them angry, if any of them had a gift like Moonstone's.
"I-Ixia! My name is Ixia!" Her middle name. Penn liked to use it when they were foals instead of her last name, he said it was prettier. She would respond to it as if it were her first name, and it was technically the truth.
"Well, guys, looks like Ixia won!" The second dragon shrugged. He was large, but definitely overweight, by dragon standards. Everything about him seemed to indicate a lazy personality.
"WHAT? You're going to call a PONY the winner? No WAY!" another one sneered. This one was the polar opposite, tall and lanky, with a high-pitched voice.
"Well, I dunno 'bout you guys..." the last dragon,seemingly the token female of the group, spoke up, "But THAT... was the most radical jump I've ever seen! I mean that wasn't a three-sixty, that was, like, a thirty-six-HUNDRED!"
"BUH SEE BROK MAH-"
"Well, that's what you get going at everything headfirst, moron!" The female flicked him in the forehead, prompting him to jump to his feet, spread his wings, and take to the skies, bawling his eyes out.
"WAAAAAAAAH-HAA-HAAH! Juff wai 'ill mah folks heer about tiss! Yoo'l beh sorreh!"
"Wait, did he just say he's going to tell his PARENTS he got beat up by a PONY?" The lanky one tapped his chin. "I get the feeling a few baby fangs aren't all he's going to be losing today..."
Lily watched all of this with morbid fascination. She had no idea if she'd be able to fight her way out of there, especially considering that she had NO IDEA how she'd made that bone plating come back, and it had already disappeared again.
"Well, come on down, Ixia! Looks like you won King- er- Queen of the Crag!" The overweight dragon waved for her to come down and join them.
"Wait a minute, wait a minute!" The lanky dragon held up his claws. Are you seriously calling her the winner? Because if you are, I don't like where this is going!"
"Well, all in favor?" The larger dragon held up his hand. The two of them both looked at their female companion, who shrugged.
"Dude, if you don't give her props for a flying attack with, like, ten flips and zero wings, that would be the bigger crime here!" With that, she raised her claws, as well.
"And against?"
The lanky dragon raised both claws, sticking out his tongue, only to quickly put one of them back down again when both of the others began to growl at him.
"So... Um... nice to meet you?" Lily spoke carefully as she reached the bottom of the hill, being extra careful not to trip again. "What was... what was going on here? Before I got here, I mean!"
"Well, we were pretty bored, and everybody wanted to do something else, we we agreed that whoever won 'King of the Crag' would get to decide what plan we followed." The heavyset dragon shrugged. "It was looking like we were all going to be stuck playing all day, since it's Snarl's favorite game. Then you knocked him down with that awesome move, and... well, here we are."
"How'd you do that, anyway?" The female dragon leaned in.
Lily looked up, trying to spot where she'd come from. High above she could barely make out the sight of the hole, a pinprick above the lava moat of the island.
If I hadn't come out of that at the speed I did... I'd be fried...
"Well, you see that hole up there? It's got a really steep tunnel behind it! I just started rolling, and well... Got launched at the bottom!" She shrugged.
"And cannonballed straight onto Snarl! Not bad!" The female dragon punched her in the shoulder with what Lily would only imagine was a gentle force for dragons.
Note to self: check that for a bruise later...
"Wait, so if you all say I won..."
The lanky dragon slapped his claws against his forehead.
"I can't believe we're doing this..."
"I dunno, could be fun!" The girl shrugged.
"So, what's the plan, boss?" the heavyset dragon asked, placing his hand on her shoulder.
Lily took a deep breath, steadying her nerves and trying to choke back the tears welling up behind her eyes. Finally, she'd found some help.
Luna finally reached the high tower, where she could spy Eclipse grappling with the handle of what seemed to be a gigantic umbrella. Rolling her eyes, she grasped onto the last fading embers of Celestia's shielding spell, reigniting it under her own power. It was a painful exertion, but nothing she couldn't handle, just as she'd handled the night before, and the night before that.
"PHEW!" Eclipse slumped to the ground, collapsing in a seemingly boneless heap under the pelting rain. "How do you two DO that all day and all night? I can barely go five minutes!"
"Remember when you first met my sister? How she trapped you in a bubble shield that kept you contained so you couldn't escape?"
"How could I forget? I thought I was going to be the next lawn ornament..." Eclipse muttered.
"Like that, but bigger."
"Well, I MEANT to ask where you got the energy, but whatever... That's like asking Dizzy where he gets all his power."
Luna's train of thought paused, realizing that she may have stumbled onto a kindred spirit in her crisis of conscience.
"So... Do you ever regret it? Even though it was for the greater good?"
"What, the two of you managing to catch me?" Eclipse took his regular form again, stretching out on the floor to his full height before staring up at her from below. Even though he could only do very little to help in keeping out the storm, he had seemingly designated himself to keep them company. It probably helped that being in the guard tower kept him as far from other ponies as possible.
"No... I meant Discord's imprisonment. I know you thought about it a lot before we brought you here."
"Still do..." Eclipse sighed, rolling so his back faced Luna. "I mean, he was hurting people! Ponies, animals, even me, sometimes..." He let out a long sigh, and Luna suddenly felt guilty for breaching the subject. "But I still regret that things had to go the way that they did... That he resents me for not helping him escape all of these years..."
Luna's eyes drifted to the side and downwards, her perspective turning inwards, thinking of her own actions.
"You're worried about Penn, right? Your protege?"
Luna was caught off-guard when she came back into focus. Eclipse was back on his feet and staring her straight in the eyes.
"You think you sent him off to die for the greater good of Equestria?" Eclipse backed to the other side of the balcony, taking a seat against the railing. The rain seemed to be the only thing that could tame his disheveled mane, and it was actually rather entertaining to watch the rivulets of water run in haphazard directions all over his body, defying gravity and physics. "Luna, the situation is a lot more complicated than with my brother, and Pennington is doing it willingly. If something happens to him, it's not your fault."
With a tiny amount of her spare magic, Luna teleported in a small stack of papers, all with special preservation spells to prevent them from being ruined by the weather. They were held together by a leather strap bearing an insignia matching Pennington's cutie mark. It was his partially-complete beastiary of Equestria.
"But... It is..." she whispered, unbuckling the strap and removing several pages. When she had the pages she wanted, another thought brought a book from the Royal Archives to the tower: Quill's original beastiary, preserved in much the same way to protect it from the wild elements.
Flipping open the book, she shoved it towards Eclipse, followed by Pennington's notes.
"I knew what he would find out there... and if he survives... he won't be the one coming back!"
Eclipse stared down at the two texts, his jaw hanging loosely open.
"But... that's impossible, isn't it? This, this right here is IMPOSSIBLE! Right, Luna? And if it IS possible, there's no way you and Celestia did this without consulting me, right?"
Luna was glad that their shield couldn't stop a heavy rain from still falling on the castle, it gave her a way to hide her tears.
Twilight's vision was blurry as she slowly came back to consciousness. At first, she could only make out a few blurry shapes in semi-darkness. She tried to raise her hoof to rub at them, only to find that she couldn't move it high enough before something tugged it back with the sound of clinking metal pieces.
Blinking several times to clear her vision, instead, she looked down at her hoof, only to see a heavy metal band clamped around it, connected to a short set of chains on the floor.
It was only then that she remembered what had happened. She had been trying to interrogate Delta when they were attacked by another pony, and she'd been knocked unconscious.
With a thought, she tried to use her magic to begin breaking the chains, only for her to feel some kind of blockage, something keeping her magic bottled up inside of her body.
Did... Did they use an inhibitor ring?
Before she could follow the train of thought any further, her attention was caught by the sound of a door opening. Looking to the other side of the room, she saw a thick steel door swing open, revealing three ponies approaching her. Two were stoic-looking guards in midnight-blue armor, while the third was a face she was rapidly coming to hate: Delta Raider.
"Well, would you look at that! She's finally awake! Your timing is impeccable, Miss Sparkle!" He chuckled darkly, an act that seemed more honest than anything Twilight had heard from him up to now. "First, you decide to interrogate me just outside the entrance to our Southern Headquarters, and now you awaken practically on cue!"
"Alright, who are you, really? Where am I? What do you want from me?" Twilight made sure the questions came hard and fast, trying to take control of the situation.
"Oh, we already have what we want from you, Twilight Sparkle..." Delta reached into a saddlebag at his side, retrieving a small photograph, which he held just out of Twilight's reach for her to see.
It was a photograph of her unconscious body, laying helplessly on the floor, bound in chains and a thin black line indicating her inhibitor ring around her horn.
"We have leverage over our enemies." With another gleeful chuckle, Delta placed the photograph back in his bag. "One copy to Princess Celestia, and she'll be at our beck and call. One copy to Pennington Inkwell, and he'll bring us exactly the artifact we desire..."
"As for who we are? I suppose there would be no harm in telling you, seeing as you've already done so much for our cause..." He stepped slightly to the side, showing the emblem emblazoned on the chest piece of the guard behind him.
It was a pale blue crescent moon, accompanied by three stars placed equidistantly from the center, standing on a hazy cloud of blue. At first, Twilight felt only a passing recognition, as though the source was just on the tip of her tongue.
Then, all at once, it clicked. She had seen that crescent moon once before, on another piece of armor. The armor of a warrior queen who had nearly destroyed Equestria as they knew it.
The stars will aid in her escape.
"Twilight Sparkle, welcome to the OLD Lunar Republic: the TRUE acolytes of the night sky!"
Twilight's jaw hung loose. She was dreaming, she had to be. This was a nightmare.
"Aww, it looks as though Celestia's prize pupil might need a moment to collect herself! Why don't we leave her with something to think about?" Reaching into his bag, Delta retrieved another photograph, which he tossed to the ground in front of her as he and his guards retreated back through the door.
"And don't even consider trying to escape... You're clever, I certain you can determine what the consequences will be."
Looking down, Twilight gasped as she saw Spike, chained to the wall in a cell seemingly identical to her own.
"Breakfast is at midnight, Miss Sparkle! I'd suggest you get some sleep now so you don't miss it!" Delta called back as he and the guards disappeared from the room, slamming the heavy door shut behind them.
After a moment to make sure she was really alone, Twilight sighed and sat back on her haunches, trying to take account of the situation.
There's no way that Princess Celestia would let herself be bossed around by these terrorists, she'll be counting on me to escape on my own. Obviously, they don't understand whom they're dealing with! But on the other hoof, Pennington... If that photograph doesn't terrify him out of his mind, it'll make him angry. I hate to say it, but he's definitely the "White Knight" type who'll fall for this kind of ploy in a heartbeat. It's the most obvious trap in the universe, but I doubt he'll care if I'm the one in danger...
So, I have to get out of here and rescue Spike. After that, I can try to get a hold of him to let him know I'm safe. Or before. I don't need to BE safe, I just need him to think I'm safe so that he doesn't come trying to rescue me...
When I first met the NLR, Penn and Sure Shot laughed off what I said about them being a terrorist group. Guess I had the wrong ponies...
Pennington took a quick inventory of what they had, laying everything out on the bed he'd been sleeping in since they arrived.
They had managed to avoid losing any of the artifacts that they were planning on using to appease Scorch, the Tidal Wand, Ruber Locomotus, and Invisibility Cloak were all still safely tucked in his saddlebags, along with pens and paper for letter-writing and any beastiary entries. Turvian had been kind enough to offer them new rations for the rest of their trip, and Pennington was sure they'd be set for the rest of their mission. Aside from rations and their offering to Scorch, though, they had cast aside everything else when they'd left the cave at the base of the mountain, trying to lighten their load. He'd managed to save Cat's hairpin from the fireplace and place it back in his bag, though he still wasn't quite sure why he'd felt so bidden to do so.
I don't even have rope, Moonstone forgot to pick it up after Turvian untied it to bring us here! I ALWAYS need more rope on these trips!
Moonstone had plotted out the trip to her family's home, and she had been right. According to the map, it wouldn't take them far off-course, and Pennington was more than ready for any help they could find there.
Pennington had to admit, he was worried. This was just about the most unprepared he'd ever felt in his life.
"Ummm, P-Penn?"
Pennington turned away from his bags, catching sight of Crankshaft poking her head through the door.
"Hey! Come on in, I'm not busy!"
Crankshaft nodded and stepped into the room, joining Pennington beside the bed. In one of her hooves, Pennington could see that she was tightly clutching an envelope. He was tempted to ask her about it, but he didn't want to force her to talk too much while she was still becoming accustomed to trying to speak with a stutter.
"You know, I didn't get to see her much from the outside, but the Surprise really, well, surprised me! I mean, I know the topography of what we dealt with just to get this far into the mountains, and I would never have believed that such a tiny vehicle could survive for that long under these conditions!" He smiled and gave Crankshaft a friendly nudge with his shoulder, noticing that she was blushing and looking down at the ground.
"I don't know what you're planning on when you get back, and I'm sure that the Solar Empire's going to take good care of you for your injury in the line of duty, but... I know that the Cliffjumper's crew is always looking for talented mechanics! I could definitely put in a letter of recommendation for you to Sure Shot! Not to mention he owes me, BIG TIME, after the last time I saw him."
Glancing over, he saw that Crankshaft was staring up at him, her eyes glimmering with a mix of excitement and tears. He wasn't entirely sure what to say, turning back to his inventory.
"I mean, the NLR is a great place for ponies who want a fresh start, but it's not for everyone, so- mmph!"
Pennington was cut off as Crankshaft reached up and pulled his face to hers, holding him in a momentary kiss before running from the room, leaving him shocked, perplexed, and suddenly very embarrassed.
Glancing back at the bed, he saw that she had left the envelope there, with his name scrawled on the front. Still somewhat in shock, he quietly opened it, unfolding the letter inside.
Dear Pennington,
I'm sorry to have to speak to you like this, but it would likely take me the better part of an hour to try to say it out loud. Moonstone and I have been talking, (Mostly Moonstone) about what's happened in the last 48 hours, or so, and she told me about what you did after I fainted on the mountain. About how you dug me out of the snow and carried me on your back, as if you were going to take me all the way to the top of the mountain. I know that unicorns aren't inherently built for heavy labor, and that earth ponies like myself are built quite heavily. It's why we excel at physically-oriented jobs, like being a mechanic.
You were determined to save my life, and you did. You could have just left me in the Surprise to freeze, assumed that I had died alongside my best friend. You could have just written me off as dead weight when you discovered my concussion, thinking like I did that there was no way I could survive. Moonstone says you were afraid, every bit as much as I was, when you heard that we had to try to make it to the top of the mountain. I can barely believe her, you never showed it one bit.
I want you to know you saved my life, not just once, but at least three different ways. You refused to admit defeat and... well, that's an inspiration to me. I promise that I won't waste this second chance, and I promise that if you ever find you need help from a stuttering mechanic like me, I'll be happy to help you.
You're my hero. Thank you so much for not giving up on me. I hope our paths cross again when you come back to Equestria.
Sincerely yours,
Crankshaft.
The words pierced through Pennington like an arrow. He HAD been afraid, he had been terrified! He had thought that what they were doing was impossible, that they were all going to die up on that mountain. The only he had kept going was for Crankshaft, because he knew that he and Moonstone were all that she had. He hadn't done all of this for himself, he had done it for her.
In that moment, Pennington felt something change inside of him, an ache in his chest ease and melt away. He finally felt a hole in his heart mended.
In his mind came back every happy face from his book signings, every little filly or colt who had run up to him and told him "I want to be like you when I grow up!" Every pony who had ever given him a smile, a thanks, who had told him that he was an inspiration to them to do the things they thought were beyond them.
His own words, seemingly an eternity ago, echoed back to him, words he'd once spoken to Twilight.
Please, just try to see it... To those ponies out there, there isn't much difference between Daring Do and I. The two of us may as well be the same because we basically are, and all that they have ever seen is a pony who cannot be harmed, a pony who always comes out on top! And that makes them braver...
And Pennington remembered what he had lost.
Glancing back over his equipment, Pennington now saw a veritable feast of potential. Even without any of this, he knew that he would be more than ready for Scorch, because he had what he'd always had, and the only thing he'd ever needed:
Equestria's hopes and dreams. Ponies looking to him as a mirror to show their own potential back to them, ponies searching for someone to show them the truth: that nothing was impossible, not for those who kept the love of adventure close to their hearts.
He had found his purpose in life all over again.
He gingerly folded the letter and tucked it back into the envelope, taking care that he made the fold between two lines of text so that he could save it for later preservation. He knew just where he'd keep it when he made it home again.
"PENN!" Moostone called from the next room. "Come here, we've got something for you!"
Pennington took a deep breath to brace himself, then trotted to the next room, trying to work his stiff and sore muscles back to their full capacity.
As he found himself back in the dining area, Turvian and Moonstone were both sitting at the table, both smiling from ear to ear.
"So, should I be expecting an ambush, or what?" Pennington joked, taking a seat at the table across from the two of them.
"No! What I have here is simultaneously a gift for you and a mission!" Turvian smiled, taking his hoof and slamming it onto the table, something tightly wrapped in his grip. "Miss Adelinda was kind enough to inform me of your magical dilemma, and I believe that I may have a theory!"
"It wasn't a problem with your body!" Moonstone grinned and jumped up onto the table. In a few strides, she had crossed the table and rapped her knuckles against his forehead. "It was all in your head!"
"Miss Moonstone tells me that you suffer from recurring sleep paralysis, accompanied by a phobia of paralysis, correct?" Turvian didn't wait for a response from Pennington. "Well, what else but a re-enactment of one of your nightmares could break through the mental barriers preventing you from using magic? You believed your magic to be lost completely, as irrecoverable as your lost pride upon losing your horn! In that case, you could never find your magic, again in a million years!"
Pennington was slowly coming to understand, though he could scarcely believe it. "So, you're saying... I only couldn't use magic... because I thought I couldn't use magic?"
"My boy, I took the opportunity to study your injury whilst you were asleep, and I see no reason why you should not be able to make a near-full recovery! Perhaps even to come back stronger, with the right prosthesis! That is where THIS comes into play..." Uncurling his hoof, Turvian revealed what appeared to be a false horn. This one looked almost prismatic, a sheen across the surface that split any light that touched it into its colored components and sending them washing across its surface like oil on water. The base color seemed to be white, when Pennington could catch glimpses of the true color beneath the surface.
"It's hardly subtle..." Moonstone smiled, picking up the piece and offering it to Pennington. "But right now, it's our best shot. I'm going to need you at a hundred percent if we're going to do this, buddy..."
"It's hardly what?" Turvian asked, taking a sip from a a mug that flashed between white and rainbow-banded.
Pennington reached out, taking the false horn in his hooves. It was unexpectedly heavy, like it was made from stone or metal, but Pennington couldn't quite place the material. Glancing over at Moonstone, seeing the hope in her eyes, he nodded, placing it against the fragmented base of his horn. To his surprise, felt it slip perfectly into place, and a newfound power course through his body, pouring into and through him. He inhaled sharply, feeling the magical energy finally flowing through his body again. He closed his eyes, focusing on this new feeling, making that power a part of himself again, just as it had been before.
"I... can't thank you enough, Mister Turvian... You saved our lives, and quite possibly all of Equestria's lives with them, and now you helped me find a piece of myself I'd been missing for a long time..." Pennington whispered, finally looking up at their host with tears in his eyes.
"No need to thank me, Mister Inkwell. In all honesty, you've done me a huge favor, as well!" Reaching beneath the table again, Turvian produced a familiar book.
Discord Days: A Dissertation on the Need for Chaos
By Pennington Inkwell
"This book, along with what you described to me of a draconequus in the Royal Court, have convinced me that it may be time that I rejoined Equestrian society... Perhaps I could even be of some use in the coming calamity." He looked around the room, letting out a melancholy sigh. "I will miss the peace and quiet of this place, though..."
Turvian hopped down from the chair, giving Pennington a pat on the shoulder as he passed by.
"May the gods smile on you on your journey, and good luck..."
With that, Turvian was gone, retreating into his back room once again.
Pennington took a deep breath looking back to Moonstone.
"Do you really think that this is going to help me get my magic back?"
"There's nothing to go and get!" Moonstone hopped down from the table and onto Pennington's back. "Like we said, it's all in your head! Not to mention, Turvian said something about this thing tapping into that chaos magic he said he saw running through your body!"
"Yeah, I still don't know if I'm too sure about that..." Pennington shook his head. "I mean, Whipstitch told me chaos magic's a lot more complicated than that!"
Moonstone shrugged. "I don't pretend to understand it, either, but it's supposed to make your magic stronger, so I'm not going to question- UUUURP!"
Moonstone was cut off as an undignified belch burst out of her mouth. Rather than a scroll or letter, however, a single, small item fluttered to the floor, no larger than a postcard. Pennington reached down, retrieving it with his hoof. On the side facing them was a short note, followed by a set of coordinates.
To find her alive, meet us here. You know what we want in exchange. -Sails
"Sails? As in, Full Sails?" Moonstone swallowed loudly. "There's no way we can go there, right?"
Pennington turned the letter over, hoping to find a clue on the other side. As he did, his blood ran cold as ice. He and Moonstone both stared at the photo for a moment, each dumbfounded.
"But, how did he-"
Pennington flung the photograph across the room, where it landed in the fireplace and quickly disintegrated.
"It doesn't matter. What matters is that we're going to go and get her." Pennington gritted his teeth, striding back into the bedroom with a newfound determination. Sitting on the top of the bedspread, on top of all the other objects was one item in particular: Cha'Qued's mask, its dozens of sharp teeth twisted into a gleeful grin. Pennington wordlessly picked up the mask, staring at it with all of the loathing he could muster, and shoved it into his saddlebag.
"Penn, you can't be thinking of giving Sails-"
"We'll have to make this quick, that way we can make it to Scorch before more ponies are hurt in Equestria." Pennington muttered, ignoring Moonstone's argument.
"They picked the WRONG day to try to provoke me..."
"Why's that?" Moonstone asked quietly, starting to look somewhat fearful as Pennington quickly packed the rest of their belongings.
"Because I finally remembered why I love going on adventures. I remembered why I do the things I do..." Pennington started to host the saddlebags onto his back, then changed his mind. Slowly and deliberately, he set them on the ground and ignited his new horn. The saddlebags rocketed upwards, slamming into the ceiling with enough force to send cracks through the stone roof.
Pennington and Moonstone both cringed as he released his grip and the bags fell back to the floor, significantly misshapen.
"First day with the new horn, buddy?" Moonstone joked.
"Look, I'm used to having to try one hundred and ten percent to do even little things, I'm going to need time to adjust..." Pennington muttered, fixing the saddlebags on his back by hoof. Finally, for the last touch, he strapped his sword's sheath onto his back, tightening the strap across his chest and taking only a moment to adjust so that the grip was just above his shoulder.
Princess Celestia was soundly asleep when the letter arrived. Its arrival barely woke her, landing on the pillow next to her. Her eyes groggily half-opened and she picked up the letter with her magic, bringing it up to her face. There was messy hoofwriting on the back of the note she couldn't make out in the darkness of Luna's bedroom, but between the terrible penmanship and the lack of proper stationery, she could be absolutely certain that it wasn't her faithful student's work.
And with her need to be well-rested to protect Canterlot, she had no need for junk mail. She'd already received at least a dozen letters she could do nothing about from concerned members of her elite forces in the Solar Empire, and they had been promptly corrected for their misuse of the emergency mail lines. She certainly would not stand for those letters to be interrupting what little rest she could get in a time of crisis.
With an annoyed mumble, she crushed the letter and tossed it into Luna's trash bin alongside several empty cans of sugary energy drinks and smashed controllers. With that taken care of, she turned over in bed and went back to sleep.
"Uff... Ixia... think you could ease up a little?" the female dragon (whom she'd discovered was named Opal) croaked. "It's getting hard to breathe!"
Lily snapped out of her fear-induced stupor, realizing that she was nearly strangling her new friend. She had suggested a competition to see which dragon could fly the highest with her on their back, but she hadn't expected them to be able to fly nearly this high. She could practically reach a hoof up an tough the clouds.
On the bright side, she had managed to accomplish what she'd been hoping for: she'd climbed more than high enough to get her bearings. She was just outside the border of Equestria, past the last of the Macintosh Hills.
Unfortunately, to keep up the act, she'd had to go up twice more, and this was her highest trip, yet. Her entire body was quivering, and she was praying to whatever divine forces existed that she wouldn't drop.
The border between Equestria and Dragon Country was clear, a short trailing off of the snow and forests of the border, then a sudden shift to a barren wasteland of stone and flame. Just as harsh was the way the violent storms stopped at the border, a more precise line than she had seen from any weather team. Still, there was an undeniable majesty to the hills, especially with them half-shrouded in storm clouds and wind-carried snow. It was almost enough to make her forget just how she was getting that scenic view.
She took deep breaths and tried to focus on the snow. The pure, calm, white snow on the hills.
Except for the blue speck.
Lily blinked, straining her eyes.
It was undeniable, a blue speck making its way down the hill. Occasionally, it would disappear into the white of the storm, only to reappear, a little further down and closer to its goal.
"Well, would you look at that!" Opal chuckled. "Looks like you're not the only crazy pony out today!"
"There's only one pony who would be out in this kind of weather..." Lily whispered.
"That's him! Opal, that's my friend!"
Opal turned around to look at her, then turned back, tilting her head. "You know, I gotta admit, you've got friends as crazy as you are, Ixi!"
"You've got to get me down there, he needs my help!"
"Seems like he's doing pretty- ooh, falling rock... Nope, now he's on top of it. Huh, not bad... for a pony, I mean. Dude's got some moves."
"Alright, well, I need his help! Come on, Opal, lend me a hoof- erm- claw, here!"
Opal hummed thoughtfully to herself.
"Did I win the game?"
"Yes!" Lily tightened her fearful grip on Opal. "You won! You can be the new boss, as soon as you bring me to him!"
Opal shrugged, turning their flight onto a gut-wrenching decline.
Pennington was on a roll, both figuratively and literally. Since they had left Turvian's home, it had seemed as though the mountain had been actively pushing them along, from gigantic avalanches they were forced to ride out in the treetops to rockslides that rained huge boulders on them like hailstones. In the most recent threat to their lives, Pennington had managed to leap onto the top of one of the stones, sprinting in reverse to keep his balance as they rocketed down the mountain.
Every time that another obstacle had sprung out in front of them, Pennington had smiled. He wasn't frightened, any more, seeing each one as yet another challenge he could already overcome. With a final kick backwards, he leaped off of the rock, letting it continue down the mountainside. The moment he touched the ground, his legs gave way underneath him, sending him tumbling head-over-hooves through the snow for almost ten meters before finally sliding to a stop, letting his burning muscles chill in the snow as he cooled off from the long sprint.
"Having fun?" Moonstone asked, coming to a landing beside him. She had taken to the air, rather than trying to hold on to Pennington while he was dodging and riding boulders. She was giving him a smug grin as she bent over to meet his gaze.
"Perhaps a little too much, honestly..." Pennington sat up and pressed a hoof against his spinning temple. "But at least we're moving much faster than I expected!" After a few seconds, his goofy grin turned sour and his eyes turned downwards with shame.
"But I guess we can't afford to fool around, huh? Twilight's depending on us..."
Moonstone sighed, helping Pennington rise to his hooves.
"No, you're totally right. Riding out two avalanches, weaving your way through a rockslide, and fighting off a pack of mountain wolves definitely should have been taken off of the day's itinerary. Then, we'll have more time to go and rescue poor, helpless little Twilight Sparkle!" She grinned and jabbed her elbow into Pennington's side. "Don't get yourself worked up! Twilight can take care of herself, and she can do it much better than you can!"
"Well, that's true, but, the Old Lunar Republic isn't like anyone she's dealt with before! They're.... they're..." He slowly trailed off, his gaze turning upwards to the sky.
"They're what?"
"LOOK OUT!" Pennington seized Moonstone with one hoof and sprung to the side, narrowly avoiding being crushed by something dropping out of the sky. When the cloud of powdery snow had cleared, a dragon rose up to her full height. She was clearly feminine, and older than Moonstone, but what was more interesting was the fact that she appeared to have a set of four hooves wrapped around her body from behind. As her gaze turned towards Pennington, Moonstone reversed their roles, protectively placing herself between Pennington and the stranger. The dragon didn't seem interested in them, however, looking back over her shoulder.
"Hey, Ixia! These the ones you were talking about?" She paused for a moment. "Ixia? Boss? We're on the ground, you know..."
All of the hooves let go at once, and Pennington's jaw dropped as he saw Calalily Curl leap off of the dragon's back and shove her face into the snow repeatedly, seemingly kissing the mountain.
"Oh, ground, ground, sweet, glorious ground! I promise I'll never leave you again!"
"LILY?" Moonstone rushed forward, scarcely able to believe her eyes, while Pennington was still too dumbfounded to speak. "What are you- How did you- WHAT?"
Lily finally snapped back to her senses, looking up with her face covered in snow. She leaped up and seized Moonstone in her hooves, gripping her in a gigantic bear hug.
"MOONSTONE!"
"Looks like I got you to the right place!" The dragon folded her arms and smiled to herself. "Now, I'm going to go tell the boys they've got a new boss!"
"Wait!" Lily dropped Moonstone again, rushing back over to the strange dragon. "Opal... Thank you so much. I really needed your help. This means the world to me!"
"Heh, guess you owe me one, then!" She smirked and flicked Lily on the horn with her claw. "Maybe one day I'll come collect!" Without another word, Opal took to the sky and quickly disappeared in the low cloud cover.
Pennington's jaw was still gaping open as Lily turned to face them again, only emitting a few grunts as he tried to collect his thoughts enough to form words. Lily didn't wait for him to speak, stepping forward and using her magic to lift his jaw back into place.
"Penn, I know that this is REALLY confusing, but we don't have time to explain! Twilight and I got tricked by Full Sails and then we got separated! Now she's alone with somepony who's trying to get the mask!" Lily grabbed Pennington and pulled him into a bone-crushing hug. "It- It's all my fault! I was the one who thought we should trust him when he knew about Mozun Akai!"
Pennington drew in a deep breath, giving Lily a gentle pat on her back.
"It's alright, Lily.... you got tricked. It happens to everypony, and the OLR is a lot craftier than most. I already got the ransom letter." Pennington stepped away, breaking out of Lily's embrace to examine her, himself. "We're on our way to rescue Twilight... But what happened to you? You look like you've been through Tartarus and back again!"
Lily felt her face flush as Moonstone nodded her head in agreement.
"He's right! You look like you got tossed through a rock tumbler, dragged through a swamp, and you reek of sulfur!"
Lily chuckled nervously, trying not to envision what her mane looked like after everything she'd been through in the past twenty-four hours.
"I... I'll tell you later. For now, we have to save Twilight!"
Pennington and Moonstone glanced at one another, each nodding in affirmation.
"Let's move and talk at the same time..." Moonstone muttered as she clambered up onto Pennington's back. "The OLR sent us coordinates for a rendezvous to exchange the mask for Twilight."
"Just like any story, start at the beginning..." Pennington began heading down the mountain, motioning for Lily to follow. "And when you get to the end, stop."
Lily took a deep breath, drinking in the feeling of safety that being with Pennington provided. She had just told him what could possibly have been the worst scenario of all time, and he had taken it all in stride, already having her completely convinced that he had the situation under control.
Twilight had run the numbers, then run them three more times. She was confident in herself, even if she could only be 87.3% certain. She'd only gotten a quick glance at the inhibitor ring in the photograph, but she could tell that it was low-grade, a Class C inhibitor, at best, with a threshold of 2.21 GigaSwirls of magical energy. It was plenty enough for most law enforcement dealing with disruptive troublemakers.
Luckily, Twilight had been breaking 3 GigaSwirls of output since she was twelve years old. After breaking free of that, a single teleport would be more than enough to get her out of her current restraints. The real problem came with what she would do afterwards. They still had Spike held hostage, and she couldn't be certain where he was being held. If she escaped, she would have to find Spike before they... enforced their punishment.
She did have one plan. But it wouldn't be an easy feat.
Now, all she had to do was wait until-
"Breakfast!"
A slot at the bottom of the metal door slid open and a tray of food unceremoniously slid inside.
Twilight hesitated for a second. She knew that the odds were in her favor, but what she was going to do was still a risky maneuver. Both her life and Spike's were in her hooves, and once they were free, she had no idea how they were going to escape the Old Lunar Republic. But it was now or never, and she had known that they were going to be dealing with danger and the unknown when they left Canterlot.
"Um, guard? GUARD? Guard! I need help! I believe my shackles were too tight! My legs fell asleep and I can't get up! I can't reach my food!"
There was no answer to her pleading.
"GUARD! GUUU-AAAAARD! I thought the Old Lunar Republic would be smart enough to keep their prisoners properly taken care of! How am I supposed to eat if you're cutting off my circu-"
She was cut off by the slot at the bottom of the door slamming shut and the sound of several more locks engaging in the door.
A smug grin spread across Twilight's face. It was the oldest trick in the book to distract the guards with some kind of physical malady... and there was no doubt in her mind that the OLR wouldn't fall for it. In fact, they would do the opposite and tighten the security on her cell. Her door would be locked tight, with no way for her to get out quickly... and no way for guards to rush in and stop her if she tried anything.
Twilight rose up to her hooves and took a deep breath. She focused on the shackle around her right hoof, trying to pry it open with her magic. She felt the inhibitor blocking off her magic, causing pressure to build like water in a pipe. She pushed harder, ignoring as the discomfort escalated to a splitting pain down the center of her forehead. The pain only grew, developing a burning, flushed feeling seeping out across her skull as she strained harder and harder.
All at once, there was an ear-splitting pop, like a firecracker going off just above her head, and all at once her magic was free to flow freely, like a flood free from a dam. The shackle instantly split wide open, both halves flinging themselves in opposite directions and embedding themselves in the walls of her cell.
Twilight knew she didn't have time to celebrate her newfound freedom. Overloading the inhibitor had been louder than she thought, and she could already hear angry voices from the other side of the cell door. She sent out a quick magical pulse, amplifying her normal sensitivity to magic. She could count one hundred and forty seven magical signatures in the area, some living and others static. However, there was only one, familiar magical signature she was interested in. Locking onto it with laser precision, she teleported.
Twilight could feel barriers to the spell, forces trying to keep her in her cell and out of the other. Unfortunately for the Old Lunar Republic, she still remembered what Pennington had taught her in the changeling hive: after breaking free from a magical inhibitor, the former prisoner would experience a boost as all their built-up magical power returned to them. The more powerful the inhibitor, the stronger the released energy would be. This, combined with Twilight's natural capacity for magic, allowed her to break through the wards as through they were tissue paper.
At first glance, her destination looked identical to her point of origin: an empty cell. Her head swiveled from side to side, confused. Was it possible she had overshot her target? Could the OLR have predicted her prison break and set a false signature to distract her?
"Spike? SPIKE?"
"TWILIGHT!"
Twilight spun around as quickly as she could to face the voice just behind her. There was Spike, chained to the wall just as the photograph had shown her. Snapping his shackles required little more than a thought. As soon as he was free and back on the ground, he sprinted to Twilight and wrapped his arms around her neck. They were on a time crunch, it wouldn't be long before her magical high would be replaced by an equally proportional power crash, leaving her severely weakened.
However, she spared a few seconds for this. In her experience, dragon hugs were among the warmest and most comforting in existence.
"How did you-"
"No time to explain, Spike! For the next five minutes and thirty... one seconds, you need to just hold on to me tightly and do exactly as I say, alright?"
Spike nodded, climbing up onto her back and clinging to her neck.
"So, what are we going to-"
His words were cut off as the two of them vanished once again.
"And that's when I saw you and, well, you know the rest..." Lily finished, finally stopping to pant for breath after her frantic recounting of the past forty-eight hours. Pennington had been lying when he'd said they'd be walking and talking, they had been practically sprinting towards the bottom of the mountain.
Just as Lily felt as though she couldn't keep the pace for an instant longer, Pennington came to a full stop. He glanced curiously around at their surroundings, then back over his shoulder to Moonstone. They had stopped in a large, snow-covered clearing, surrounded by a ring of trees that protected them from the wind. All of the trees were massive, and Lily's rough estimate was two or three hundred years old, at the youngest. It made sense, the Macintosh Hills had always been considered impossible to settle in due to their steep inclines and unpredictable weather.
"I'd say this is the place, mind double-checking my internal compass?"
Moonstone rolled her eyes, climbing down off Pennington's back and reaching into his saddlebag.
"I've BEEN checking it since we left! Knowing our luck, we could have accidentally gone down the wrong side of the mountain!"
Pennington ignored her sarcasm, opting to instead start sorting through his second saddlebag.
"First things first, you did the right thing, Lily. It turns out that Delta wasn't lying entirely, the Surprise DID crash."
"It WHAT?"
"But not because of sabotage! We were caught in an avalanche and fell off a cliff."
"YOU WHAT?"
"Anyway, to make a long story short..."
"Why do I get the feeling we should REALLY make time to NOT shorten this?"
"Moonstone and I are back to running solo. Now, I have a rather unfortunate theory about who exactly we're dealing with..." Penn didn't bother looking away from his work whenever Ixia interjected, instead continuing to take inventory of the relics in his bag, tapping his hoof from one to the other as if trying different combinations to a lock. "From the sound of things, combined with some information I know from the NLR... I think you and Twilight were led straight to the front doors of an OLR base." He sighed, shaking his head. "I suppose this answers my question of how much worry about me is TOO much... Whatever quantity you and Twilight combined makes!"
"Wait, wait, wait! 'O'LR? What exactly is that short for, and why does it sound bad?" Moonstone asked, walking back into sight with her face buried in a map.
"The Old Lunar Republic..." Pennington spat the word "old" as though it had a bad taste. "Consider it the New Lunar Republic's grandfather. Their really old, jaded, prejudiced grandfather that refuses to change with the times..." He tried tapping out another combination of items, seemingly pleased with the result. "The New Lunar Republic is dedicated to helping Princess Luna in any way we can now that she has returned. We and the Solar Empire, as much as we hate to admit it, have the same goals: supporting our preferred princess any way we can!"
"The Old Lunar Republic, on the other hoof, don't think their Princess HAS returned. They believe Nightmare Moon is the rightful and sole ruler of Equestria. They consider Celestia a tyrant and Luna an impostor, and they'll stop at nothing to bring Luna into singular power! That way, she can reveal her 'true self' and bring forth endless night!"
Lily's jaw was hanging agape, while Moonstone nodded to herself.
"Right of conquest, combined with a charismatic leader and a cheated victory by the Elements? It makes sense there'd be a splinter cell thinking she was right..."
"Funny enough, it's actually the NLR that should be considered the splinter from the main group!" Pennington chuckled to himself. "The split happened a few hundred years ago, when Celestia realized Nightmare Moon was going to return and decided she needed a predictive force that could act on their own to combat prophesied threats like her!" He was practically beaming with pride. "The Solar Empire protects Equestria from clear and present danger, and the New Lunar Republic works to predict and minimize that danger!"
Pennington seemed to be cheering up from all of the history lessons. Lily, on the other hoof, was growing more and more worried.
"So, not only did I lead Twilight into a trap, but I led her into a trap from Celestia's worst enemies?"
"Oh, I wouldn't fret about that!" Pennington waved aside her concerns, tapping out another pleasing combination of items. "The OLR may think they know what they've gotten themselves into, but those old farts don't know Twilight Sparkle the way I do! There's no way she's going to stay down!" He quietly tapped his chin in thought. "This actually is amazing information, Lily! Now we've known they had a base down here, but we were never able to narrow it down until now! With this data, the NLR might be able to take this southern border base and get those pesky OLR away from dragon territory before they manage to strike some sort of deal!"
"Wait... I thought that we were here to exchange the mask for her, like they asked?" Moonstone asked as she folded the map up and placed it back into Penn's bag.
"No, my dear Moonstone!" Pennington's hoof lightly tapped item after item on the ground, until nearly every one of them had been added in a seemingly random succession.
"We're here to scout out for any overt traps! Then, if all goes well..." He finally looked up, an absolutely giddy grin plastered across his muzzle.
Twilight almost couldn't process what was around her, she was teleporting too quickly. In one instant, she was standing in the center of a long line of barracks, and the next, her ears were being assaulted by the chaos of a busy kitchen. Without much thought, she grabbed the nearest boiling pot and threw it into the air with her magic, sending food flying everywhere. When she managed to teleport herself into the center of a library, she almost stopped her spell, but she knew she couldn't get distracted. She vanished once again, this time standing in the middle of what looked like some kind of strike center. It was child's play for Twilight to apply a firestarter spell across the room, lighting every map, loose paper, and even a few chairs on fire before wishing herself away. When she landed in a long hallway, she aimed a blast of magical power at the ceiling, dissolving it away in an instant. Before the rubble could come crashing down on her head, Twilight was gone. This time, she landed standing on the center table of a board room, surrounded by almost a dozen elderly ponies in dark robes. Before she left again, Twilight instinctively grabbed the nearest stack of papers before she disappeared again.
"W-where- are- we- GOING?" Spike shouted, clapping his hand over his mouth to hold back his gagging. Even Twilight was beginning to feel the side effects of teleport sickness, her stomach churning and her head beginning to spin.
"I'll- tell- you- HRRK!" A new wave of nausea washed over her, the strongest, yet. Even if her magic power could keep up, Twilight's body couldn't. The time had come. Finally, she gathered up all of her remaining power and made one final, desperate leap through spacetime. She turned her aim upwards, trying to feel out a safe space to land. The spell was an even more massive toll on her body than the rest, and she could feel herself pushed past the edge.
This time, they were knees-deep in the snow, suddenly transported to a frozen mountaintop. Combined with the sickness already turning her stomach inside out, this was to much for Twilight. With a massive heave, she dropped to her knees and vomited. Somewhere, the rational and observant part of her brain could hear Spike doing the same behind her. After almost a minute, Twilight shakily rose back to her hooves and shook her head, trying to clear away the last of the fuzziness.
"W-why?" Spike stuttered, wobbling on his feet and leaning against her for support.
"I needed... to disguise... our trail!" Twilight panted. "If we just... teleported out... we'd be easy to track down!" The cold was quickly snapping Twilight back to her full senses. Part two of her plan had to be put into action: letting Pennington and Celestia know she was safe. "N-now, Spike, take a-"
"B-bleegh!" Spike doubled over, another round of vomit splashing at Twilight's hooves.
"What do you mean, 'she escaped?' She's only been here for a few HOURS!" Delta screeched, causing the guard to cringe and step back.
"It would appear that she was... stronger than we anticipated. She broke free of her restraints, then... well..." the guard glanced down the hall. Delta knew what he was looking at, the flickering light of flames and the panicked screams of ponies attempting to stop the chaos were easily seen and heard.
"GAH! DISMISSED!" Delta screamed before storming away in the opposite direction. He shook his head and stamped each step against the ground. "How can one unicorn cause THIS MUCH chaos?"
We should not have underestimated her after she saw through your ruse so easily. Ravia's voice whispered.
"Thank you, goddess of the obvious..." Delta muttered under his breath. "I don't suppose you have a solution to present, along with your criticism?"
Nothing presents itself. What plants exist here remain in slumber from the cold, they make poor sentries.
"Of course they do..." Delta rubbed at his temples as he absentmindedly paced down another hall. "And what about the evergreen trees? Can't you use those?"
They are old and their roots run deep. They must be persuaded, they cannot be forced or rushed. But, given time, I can call them to our aid.
"Well, a little bit of rushing would not go unappreciated..." Delta muttered, slamming face-first into another pony. "HEY! Watch where you're- YIPE!"
Delta was cut off as he realized exactly whom he had crossed paths with, and he snapped to the fastest salute of his life.
"S-so sorry, sir! Won't happen again, sir!"
"I would hope not..." Replied the pegasus, staring down at him sternly. He was a full head taller than Delta, with a brown coat and dark, black hair pulled into a short ponytail behind his head, colored only by a single streak of blood red. His brown eyes flicked down to Delta's saddlebag, then back up at their owner. "I trust you're making good use of the resources we acquiesced for you?"
"You mean Raiva? Y-yes! Yes! We get along like two peas in a pod! Really bonding, truly inseparable!" Delta laughed too loudly and too quickly to follow up the comment, and both of them knew it. Once again, his superior's gaze traveled to the bag.
"She says you've been calling her 'Goddess of the Obvious' and refusing to follow her advice."
The string of curses that wound their way through Delta's brain was nearly unrivaled in all of Equestria for an entire week.
"W-well, we've had some difficulty getting along, but it's nothing serio- HRRK!" He was cut off as the other pegasus struck him with the back of his hoof, throwing him against the wall with uncanny strength. Before Delta could even think to defend himself, the other pony was holding a previously-unseen dagger to his throat, leaving him no room to move.
"Do I need to remind you of the price of failure, Delta Raider?" he hissed. "I WILL have that mask, one way or another! Even if getting it requires me to step over your limp, lifeless husk of a body! Now, I went to unbelievably great lengths to find Ravia and draw her out of hiding! I gifted you the temporary partnership with her because I saw potential in you to be a great agent to the Republic, and you are squandering this opportunity and making a complete clown of yourself and this great organization!" With one of his wings, another knife slipped out from between the feathers, and he stabbed it into the wall, cracking the stone and wedging it just beside his ear. Delta cringed, willing every molecule of his body to suppress the urges to whine for help or beg for forgiveness. Both would be useless.
"You will get me the mask of Cha'Qued, or I'll be forced to withdraw all that precious support I've given you... Including your position here. You'll be back to studying SPELEOLOGY just north of the CRYSTAL EMPIRE!"
Delta nodded vigorously, praying to the stars that his compliance would placate the pony. Blissfully, he was finally released, the two knives disappearing back between the other pegasus's feathers. As he walked away, Delta's superior officer gave him one last scathing glare.
"Do not fail this exchange. Recapture Sparkle, create some illusion, bluff your way through the entire trade, if you have to. But that mask will be mine by next moonrise... or else."
Delta held up a trembling hoof in salute, no longer able to stop his entire body from shaking to match the frantic pounding of his heart.
"Yes sir, Lieutenant Colonel Sails, sir! Luna nos custodit!"
Full Sails turned back, and Delta could swear that he could almost nearly see a smile tugging at the pony's lips.
"You're sure this is a good idea?" Moonstone asked as she and Pennington rolled yet another large snowball into place alongside the others.
Pennington stopped, tapping his chin in thought.
"Well, I know for a fact that it's a horrible idea, but the idea is to pull off some of the worst ideas we can think of, and then make the saps from the OLR deal with them! And THAT is... probably also a horrible idea."
Moonstone sighed, shaking her head. I wish I could say that kind of plan was something DIFFERENT from our usual... "And I guess that's why we're doing it, and they're taking the simple route of a hostage exchange?"
"Yup! They're simple and cruel, we're complicated and..."
"Morally ambiguous?"
Pennington shrugged. "Well, we certainly aren't going to be playing nice, let's leave it at that."
Moonstone reached to the improvised holster on her back and retrieved the tidal wand, tapping it anxiously against her other hand as she unconsciously bit her lip. There was one issue she still had that wasn't related to the situation at hand, one nagging thought that was eating away at her patience.
But if I try to get to the bottom of it now, Penn could be distracted when we're confronting Full Sails! Or, worse, while we're setting up these traps! If something goes wrong, it could shut on US, instead! But I need to know-
"What is it, Moon Moon?" Pennington asked, rolling his eyes. "I don't need truth-o-vision to see something's bothering you!"
Moonstone sighed, quickly giving up. Of course, since she'd gotten so used to reading Penn's emotions, the opposite had to apply.
"I was just.. wondering..." She had to force the words out one at a time. As much as she wanted to know the answer, the question was still awkward. "Why do you still have... Carnival Cat's hairpin? I mean, she was evil and cruel and horrible! She brainwashed you into marrying her, nearly killed me, and tried to steal the souls of everyone in Ponyville for some kind of nefarious scheme! Why would you want a memento from THAT?"
Pennington glanced from side to side, as if checking for any eavesdroppers in their remote location. Taking a deep breath, he sat back on his haunches with a satisfying crunch from the snow beneath.
"Fine. You want the truth, Moonstone? The complete, unabridged truth?" His glance turned away from Moonstone, shamefully rolling down towards the ground.
"I was happy with Catherine, okay? I know that it was all mind control and magic corrupting me, I KNOW! But still, somewhere deep down, I have to admit it! Things were just so... simple when I was with her! The Crystal Capitol, the Lost Tribes of Tallus, the Lost Library of Gallopsandria... I didn't need to find them the way I do now! I was losing my mind with her, true, but she was everything in the world I wanted, everything I ever needed!" Penn threw his hooves into the air and rolled backwards into the snow, burying all but the tip of his muzzle.
"I lost myself in Catherine, but losing myself meant losing this... wanderlust that consumes every waking moment! It was the only time in my life I've ever wanted to settle down for good!" He took a deep breath, wistfully waving a hoof around. "I mean, I don't want that any more, not in the least! Now, I'm back to wanting nothing but to keep moving, seeing all that there is to see in the world and journeying to far-off places! But now that I've gotten a taste of it, I WANT to want it, again! I mean, I'm longing to long for something that is the total antithesis of everything I've worked for! Do you have any idea the paradox I've been living?"
"Sounds... complicated..." Moonstone sat beside him, quietly staring down at the frustrated stallion with a mix of bewilderment and curiosity.
"I keep the hairpin because... well, maybe it's because, deep down, I want to go back to her. Back to that drugged up, addiction-riddled, mind-controlled bliss. It's the only time I ever wanted to really... stop. That itch that's always pushing me over the horizon just disappeared. Losing my identity was probably the greatest relief I felt in my entire life. I know it was bad. It was unhealthy, I'm fully aware! For the love of- like you said, she was downright evil!" With a long sigh, his gesturing hoof plopped back into place in the Pennington-shaped hole in the ground.
"But hey... Who's perfect?"
Moonstone leaned back, eventually falling back and joining Penn in laying in the snow.
"You know, sometimes you still confound me..." she muttered with a smile. "I don't think I understand everything you said perfectly, but... I got the gist of it."
"And? Any sage advice?"
"Nope. I'd tell you to stay away from Carnival Cat, that she's evil and horrible and all of those other things, but you already know that. I'd tell you I think you should see a shrink about all this, or at least talk to Luna about it. Being an immortal AND royalty, I'd guess she'd have a few words of advice about unhealthy relationships and forbidden love." She stretched out her arms, making a tiny angel shape in the snow. "But everything I could say from my limited experience is something you've already figured out. You've been a lot more self-aware since the changeling invasion..."
Penn sighed, those obviously not being the words he wanted to hear.
"Hey, I haven't exactly had a lot of experience with killer clow-"
"She was the ringmaster."
"Right..."
"Hey! Are you two done over there?" Lily's voice called out. "I'm all set on my end!"
"Just a minute, Lily!" Penn returned. With a soft grunt, he rolled back up onto his hooves and waved in the direction of Lily's voice.
"Well, advice or no advice, thanks for opening up to me..." Moonstone sighed, taking her turn to pull herself up out of the snow."I guess it doesn't matter that much if you keep the hairpin. Cat's gone for good, anyway!"
Penn groaned. He groaned and kept groaning as he walked over to the nearest tree. He groaned as he slowly knocked his forehead against the tree repeatedly.
"Why, why, WHY would you SAY something like that?"
Moonstone chuckled, giving him a friendly pat on the shoulder as she walked past him in Lily's direction.
"Guess your overconfidence is contagious!"
As she was walking away, Moonstone could hear him muttering under his breath.
Once Spike had recovered completely, they had quickly written up two letters assuring Princess Celestia and Pennington of her safety.
It was only then that Twilight had discovered that Spike was still unable to send letters with his flames.
"You've got to be kidding me!" Twilight shouted. "I don't get it! Why can't you send any letters? What's locked us out?"
"S-sorry, Twilight..." Spike whispered. "I don't know what's wrong with me..."
Twilight drew up short. For the first time since they'd been captured, she realized just how horrible all of this must have been for him. He'd been held hostage and chain up against a wall and threatened in Celestia-only-knew what ways for being associated with her, pulled through a gauntlet of teleports that left him violently vomiting in the middle of a snowstorm, and now she was yelling at him because he wasn't able to send a stupid letter!
"Oh, sweetie, come here..." Twilight wrapped up Spike in her magic and pulled him close against her, wrapping him up in a tight hug. "It's not your fault! I'm sorry I yelled. I know you haven't been able to since..."
Her mind finally seized on the solution like a steel trap.
"Since we MET DELTA!" She held Spike at hoof's length, quickly prying open his mouth with her magic and staring down his gullet.
"You haven't eaten anything he's given you, have you?"
"Nuh-ahh!"
"Of course not! You've been munching on gemstones from the Diamond Dog tunnels the whole way here!" She released her hold on his jaw, allowing it to slam shut again. "And Delta's a pegasus, so he couldn't have put any kind of counterenchantment on you to stop the letters! Which means... He has to have another artifact that's stopping you from being able to send letters! And since he hasn't given you anything, it's a proximity effect!" She quickly scooped him up in her magic and planted him on her back. "We just have to get back out of range!"
She reached into her bag, retrieving one of her spare quills and nearing the metal nub from the feather. As a foal, she had learned a simple charm that allowed her to magnetize small ferrous objects. At the time, it had resulted in her organizing her quills by amount of wear on their nubs and attach them to the family refrigerator. Then, dissatisfied with the results, she had tried organizing them by length of their feathers, width of their feathers, number of impurities in the iron of the numbs, number of follicles on each feather, and angle at which the feather curved. It was only when she had managed to accidentally magnetize the entire fridge that her parents had insisted she stop.
She had never thought that the childhood charm would save her life, one day. With a simple thought, the nub became a small magnet. Relaxing her telekinetic grip on it, she allowed it to turn freely in the air. Turn it did, spinning clockwise, then counterclockwise, swinging back and forth until it finally settled on a direction to point in: north.
Twilight smiled and turned in the opposite direction.
One of two things was going to happen. She was either going to get out of range of Delta's dampener on Spike's natural magic, or she was going to intersect with Pennington's path to dragon country. Either way, she had her heading.
"Stupid Full Sails..." Delta muttered, storming his way up the tunnel to the surface. "Oh yeah, make the hostage exchange without any hostages! Easy as pie! After all, it's my fault the guards are too incompetent to keep one stinking unicorn prisoner from getting out for SIX HOURS! I deserve to have my life threatened for that!"
I get the impression this is sarcasm.
"Oh, hush, you little tattletale..." Delta sighed. "You weren't exactly helpful, either!"
I am not on your side. I am on the side of destroying Cha'Qued.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever..." Delta unceremoniously bumped his saddlebag against the wall in an effort to rattle Ravia's mask form. "I guess that this is going to be our last time working together, anyway, so we don't have to like each other."
Indeed.
"Just be ready when Inkwell inevitably sees through all of this and we have to take Cha'Qued by force."
Delta's body was coursing with adrenaline, leaving every muscle tight and his heart pounding. At first he thought it was excitement at having nearly completed his mission, but as he placed his hoof on the door leading to the surface from their mountain base, a familiar chill ran down his spine.
It was the same chill that had raced through him just before every bad thing that had ever happened to him. He'd felt that sense of foreboding when he'd decided to take an impromptu vacation from his mind-numbing work in the Crystal Empire. It was the chill that had run down his spine when he'd chosen to gamble everything on a roll of the dice. The tingle that had tried to warn him when he'd tried to ambush a stranger for the first time in a dark Las Pegasus alleyway. Three broken ribs, a fractured foreleg, and a sprained wing later, Sails had offered him a job in the Old Lunar Republic as a way to pay off his debt.
Delta had never believed in premonitions, but that feeling had accompanied every horrible thing to ever happen to him in his life, and we wasn't about to disregard it a third time.
As Luna finally made her way back into Inkwell Commissions, she took a deep breath and let out a long sigh. Her trip to the spa with Rarity had been relaxing, but Rarity's insistence that she hardly raise a hoof for herself for the rest of the day had left her feeling somewhat frustrated. Quill's insistence on her disguise suddenly made much more sense, and she'd quickly set it back into place.
She quickly and quietly locked the door to Pennington's shop, closed the blinds just as she'd been taught, and made her way into the homely portion of the building. She made an effort not to cringe at the kitchen, where practically every conceivable surface was covered in dried-out cups of instant noodles, and nonchalantly picked up an envelope that was waiting for her outside the door of his study. She paused for a moment, silently tearing it open and viewing the check inside. Rarity had obviously given her a generous amount, even by her standards, and Luna made a note that she would likely refuse to cash it, given that she had earned none of it.
Admittedly, her days hidden among the citizens of Ponyville had been stressful, but she had secretly delighted in it. The time away from her royal duties and the constant care of the castle staff had been invigorating, allowing her to simply live one day to the next. She had made leaps in her speech lessons that she couldn't wait to display for Quill when she returned the next morning, and she was eager to see the look on his face when she would walk into the room, flash him a chipper smile, and ask him what was "up."
Perhaps I could finally start making inquiries regarding his own life? Celestia has been pestering me for details, and I continue to arrive empty-hoofed time and time again...
As she stood in the center of the hallway, her eyes wandered to the multiple locks on the study door. In all of this time, her host had still remained locked inside.
"Tonight IS my last night in Ponyville..." Luna whispered to herself. Moving gingerly towards the door, she pressed her ear against the heavy oak wood. "T'would be a shame if I never got to see my host..."
Inside, Luna could hear the gentle rise and fall of a sleeping pony's breathing and the soft crackle of a dying fireplace. Her host was most definitely asleep, and soundly so.
Luna had always had more of a mischievous streak than her sister, even when they were small fillies. While Celestia had enjoyed practical jokes and manipulative ruses, Luna had been out getting herself involved in anything that caught her eye or looked exciting to play with. Age and responsibility had tempered those impulses, of course, but she still held a few tendencies that could get her into trouble from time to time.
It was because of those tendencies that Luna started poking at the locks on the door with her magic. She wasn't going to bother Pennington, or anything, she just wanted to see the face of her host.
To Luna's surprise, the door pushed back, causing her magic to disperse and fizzle out.
His study door has magical wards on it? What kind of author needs that? Luna thought to herself, stepping back and raising an eyebrow. She took another attempt at unlocking the door, but quickly realized that if she wanted to force her way into the study, she would have to break several obviously costly enchantments with raw magical strength.
I suppose... he truly does value his privacy above all else, doesn't he? Luna felt a prick of guilt for her halfhearted attempt to break into the pony's sanctum, and turned to leave. She was a princess, after all, she was above such pettiness in the name of her own curiosity! The small prick of guilt quickly grew into a ripple of shame at her childish actions. Thankfully, there had been no harm done, and she had learned her lesson and could continue upstairs without another thought.
H-help me!
Luna stopped in her tracks, her focus tightening to a singular point. Alicorns were gifted with exceptional senses, including hearing, but she wasn't certain what direction the voice had come from, or whether it was even spoken aloud.
She closed her eyes and spread the influence of her magic over the area, trying to feel out whether there were any sleeping ponies nearby whose dreams were crying out to her. It wasn't common for a nightmare to reach out to her without her purposely focusing on entering the dream realm, but it wasn't unheard of if the pony was close by.
Somepony, please! Wake me up!
The voice was clearer this time, and the words affirmed her suspicions: somepony close by was having a nightmare, and an awful one if it was enough for their pleas to come to her unbidden. It took only seconds for Luna to narrow in on the pony in question, feeling the fear radiating out from the foul dream. To her surprise, she could feel that the dreamer was only a few short feet away: in Pennington's study.
Luna didn't waste time, opening her mind to the Dream Realm. Before her stood a double of the door to Pennington's study, this time a representation of the pony's own mind. This door gave her no resistance, allowing her to pass through easily.
Luna looked around, trying to get her bearings in the strange pony's dream. To her surprise, her surroundings were uncanny, but familiar.
It was her fillyhood castle, the same one that she and Celestia had been raised in, but decrepit and overgrown. Walls were crumbling and there was little of the upper floors or even the ceiling left.
This place was ancient even before my banishment. I suppose it is to be expected that it would fall into disrepair after our migration to Canterlot...
Her ears perked as she caught the noise of movement from above. Looking upwards, she caught a glimpse of a pony running about at the top of the walls, a flash of blue fur that lasted only a moment before disappearing behind the remains of the roof. Following quickly after them were multiple other shapes, flapping wings and long, scaly tails that Luna recognized in an instant as one of Equestria's more dangerous creatures.
Cockatrices? It would appear that this pony is indeed having a nightmare... Spreading her wings, she took to the air, hoping to find a better angle from which to address him.
"HI-YAH!"
Princess Luna had been raised to be a proper princess, full of grace and dignity, and never caught without a prim and proper response to any situation.
"OH, SH-"
Which was why she was very happy Celestia was not present to see her get absolutely nailed in the face by a flying cockatrice.The two of them tumbled through the air, finally landing on the ground in a heap of feathers and rage. upon getting its feet back on solid ground, the cockatrice turned on her, locking its petrifying gaze on Luna's eyes.
"Oh, please," Luna muttered, blowing the apparition into stardust with a thought as she rose back onto her hooves. "In the words of the younger generation: get on my level."
This time, she was much more careful flying up to the roof, watching two more cockatrices fly over her head as she raised only the top of her head above the roof to get a better look at what was going on. It would have been a simple matter for her to dispatch whatever threat appeared and simply call the matter resolved, but destroying a nightmare without some investigation into the root of it left a high possibility for the bad dreams to recur. For the moment, it would be better to observe what was troubling Pennington and assess the root of his problems.
As she floated back up to get a better look, however, she was greeted with a familiar pony, one covered in blazing red fur and furiously batting away the cockatrices with his eyes closed.
SCORCHING QUILL? Luna barely contained her surprise, taking a moment to look around for any evidence that the dream had been tampered with or invaded. She had met ponies capable of lucid dreaming before, but never one capable of invading another's dreams to lend aid outside of herself.
But... where did the other pony, Pennington, go? This isn't an invasion, it's a transposition! But where is- LOOK OUT!
Thankfully for her hiding place, Luna didn't cry out loud when Quill took a step back and off of the roof. For a moment, his eyes opened, but his expression was one of determination, not surprise. Using the wall of the castle for a momentary hoofhold, he kicked out with his back legs, knocking the final cockatrice up and into the sky, where it disappeared in a twinkle of light.
Luna considered catching Scorching in her magic, but decided to remain an observer. If this was a nightmare, there should have been no way to fight back so effectively... So what could have been enough for his cries to reach me in the waking world? And what is Scorching DOING here?
KA-CRACK!
Luna was caught off-guard as the portion of the roof just above where Quill had fallen broke off, falling after him in a chunk of masonry much bigger than any pony. In an act of pure instinct, Luna finally intervened, wrapping her magic around the boulder to stop it from plunging down on top of him... only to watch helplessly as it fell through her aura as though it didn't exist.
"NO!" Luna dashed forward, helpless and confused at her inability to stop the stone. Peeking over the edge of the roof, she cringed as she saw only a single hoof peeking out from under the rock. Once again, however, she found herself in an unprecedented situation.
If a pony dies in their nightmares, the shock is always enough to wake them up... so how can this dream still exist?
Slowly, carefully, she began to float down towards the ground, trying to make sense of the puzzle. Perhaps Scorching's death wasn't enough because Pennington is the dreamer? But in that case, where did Pennington go? Could he have- is that hoof still moving? Pulling her wings against her body, Luna dropped to the ground as quickly as she could, free to ignore the consequences of gravity in a dream.
There, poking out from underneath the boulder, was a blue hoof, tapping and scratching vainly at the ground, as if in some attempt by the owner to pull themselves out from under the rock.
"Oh my stars... HOLD ON! This should only take a moment!" she cried, trying once again to magic away the stone... only to find that it did not budge. Her magic had no effect. Throwing herself at the object, she tried to push it away with raw strength, empowered by her dominion over the dream realm, but still it refused to budge. It was almost as if...
"It's real... or a manifestation of something real, at least..." she whispered, looking down at the pony's red hoof, still struggling harder and more quickly, as if beginning to panic.
Wait, wasn't it blue a moment ago?
As if to answer her question, the fur changed color before her eyes, returning to the blue coat he had to assume was Pennington's.
Luna had no time to think about the meaning of the colors, however. If this rock crushing and suffocating him was a manifestation of something in the real world acting on his body, then it meant that this pony was in REAL danger... and she was mere meters away from him, sleeping standing up in the hallway.
"Wake up! You MUST wake up!" she cried, summoning back the door out of Pennington's dream. "You are in REAL danger! I shall be there momentarily to assist you!"
As Luna snapped back into wakefulness, she wasted no time, turning back the REAL door to Pennington's study and lowering her horn. This time, she did not poke or prod at the enchantments on the door, taking her raw power to them like a sledgehammer to a glass window. There was a moment of pitch-black darkness as her true power snuffed out all light around her. After only a second, the light returned to the hallway, and the door had been rendered to a small pile of ashes at her hooves.
Without waiting for an invitation, Luna barged into the room, horn at the ready to deal with any threat or intruder.
The room was empty of any other pony than the author, now slumped over at his desk with his face buried in his hooves. Luna rushed to his side, checking him for injury but finding nothing. Reaching over, she gave his shoulder a gentle shake, trying to awaken him.
His body was completely limp, slumping over to the side and turning his head to face her. It was only now that the sound of his rapid breathing was no longer muffled, bordering on hyperventilation. His eyes were open, but sightless, darting from side to side rapidly. A short glance to the side revealed a soft twitching in his hoof, an echo of his movements in the dream realm.
It was only now that Luna recognized the symptoms. A dreamer caught on the wrong side of lucidity, whose mind was wakeful but body remained asleep, leaving them trapped. Many considered it to be the work of witchcraft or fae curses before Luna's banishment. Since then, medical science had advanced greatly, especially in the area of sleep studies and dreams, which Luna had eagerly devoured in her spare time. Now this malady had a much more mundane name: sleep paralysis.
The physical body being paralyzed causes the mind to create a matching scenario... that explains why I could not catch the boulder. I could try harder to wake him, but I know no remedy other than to wait for his body and mind to come back into-
Pennington's entire body seized and shuddered as he desperately gasped for air. Without noticing Luna, he leaped out of his chair and began to trot around the room, shaking himself from his head to his hooves several times over.
unison.
"I- I'm alive... I'm awake and alive..." He repeated the words to himself like rehearsed mantra. "I'm awake and-" For the first time, he finally seemed to notice Luna, glancing back and forth between her and the pile of dust that was formerly his reinforced doorway.
It was only now, getting her first good look at her host's face, that Luna finally understood the reason for the constant transpositioning of Scorching Quill in "Pennington's" dream.
"...Scorching Quill?"
Pennington's eyes slowly moved around the room, as if inspecting it for some flaw or mistake.
"... No, I'm definitely awake this time, huh?"
"SCORCHING QUILL?"
Pennington sighed, his horn glowing with blue light to move a new log into the tiny furnace that served as his fireplace.
Moonstone watched carefully from the treetops, her heart pounding in her chest with anxiety. Penn had insisted on facing the Old Lunar Republic's negotiator on his own, allowing her and Lily to take up tactical positions and watch that he didn't get flanked.
They had also failed to pull together any kind of disguise for Pennington's new false horn, which meant that he was going into negotiations quite clearly disabled. Up until now, his loss of his magic had been kept a secret due to his high standing in the New Lunar Republic giving him numerous enemies that would gladly take advantage of it. Now he was risking that carefully crafted illusion for Twilight.
"I'm starting to wonder which one of them has the worse luck..." she muttered, fidgeting nervously with the tidal wand. "Twilight for getting captured, or Pennington for the timing..."
Suddenly, she caught a new scent in the air, carried on the wind. The scents of ponies, three of them. Narrowing her gaze, Moonstone spied a hole opening in the snow, revealing a hidden passageway that three ponies emerged from, a single pegasus and two unicorns, all wearing black armor. Moonstone could see that the two unicorns were armed, one with a long polearm of some kind and the other with a short sword. The pegasus carried no weapons, but had a large saddlebag. Every place that he stepped, the snow dispersed and fresh, green grass sprung up.
"What on earth-"
What in HEAVEN, little one.
"WAAUGH!" Moonstone jumped into the air, clutching at her chest with both hands as her feet kept a tight grip on the branch below her. Glancing over, she saw Cha'Qued's mask balanced on the branch beside her, glaring in the direction of the oncoming ponies.
"Could you NOT DO THA-"
That pony carries an unearthly power with him... something DIVINE. Cha'Qued continued, ignored her completely.
It makes me... HUNGER. More than I have in centuries...
"Wait, you're telling me that pony has some kind of GOD on his side?" Moonstone hissed, glancing back at the oncoming party. "Who? What kind? What do we DO?"
YOU do nothing. I do nothing. We wait. Should Inkwell find himself overwhelmed, he will know that he needs a GOD to fight a god. And when that time comes, I will be ready to take my rightful place with him as my host... and I will FEED AGAIN upon the flesh of GODS!
Moonstone took a moment to examine the mask's precarious position before leaning to the side and bumping her shoulder against the other branch, sending the mask plummeting down and out of sight, landing in a Cha'Qued shaped hole in the snow.
Time is short... Pennington thought to himself, eyes darting between the three ponies approaching them. The two unicorn guards looked to be trained as differently as they were armed, one with a polearm with a wide, axelike blade at the end, the other a short, straight sword with a broad width to its blade.
One with a bardiche, the other with a falchion... Obviously meant to cover one another's weaknesses.
The one wielding the bardiche moved carefully, leaving carefully measured hoofprints in the snow but never any sign larger than necessary that he had been present. His build was lithe, but a single moment's observation showed no trembling or wavering in the spear levitated just over his shoulder: his magical grip was like iron. The other was of sturdy build, for a unicorn, his short legs only slightly wider than the blade of his falchion. He was obviously the one accustomed to close-range combat.
Pennington knew that taking his eyes off either of them could quite possibly be a lethal mistake. However, it was the pegasus they were flanking that drew the majority of his attention.
The pegasus didn't look like much of a fighter, but everywhere he stepped, the snow parted and blades of grass sprung up, leaving a trail of green hoofprints behind him, healthy as midsummer. He was obviously wielding some kind of powerful magic, and that made him dangerous. For the moment, however, all was calm and silent aside from the sound of crunching hooves on snow. Pennington took a deep breath and carefully trotted forward, coming to a stop at the center of the clearing.
"Pennington Inkwell, we meet at last..." The pegasus in the center smirked, offering his hoof.
Pennington forced himself to smile in return, if only out of courtesy, as he reached out and shook the pony's hoof. "I don't believe I've had the pleasure, Mister..."
"Raider, Delta Raider." The pegasus eyed Pennington up and down, his eyes lingering on his saddlebags. "I presume that you have the agreed-upon item?"
Pennington raised an eyebrow, feigning surprise.
"I wasn't aware that Full Sails was outsourcing his devious deeds these days! How am I supposed to know that you're the pony I'm supposed to be negotiating with?"
The two guards tightened their grips on their weapons, but Delta held up a hoof, motioning for them to wait. Slowly, he reached into his saddlebag, producing a small sachet, which he offered to Pennington.
"Sent with Full Sails' highest regards..."
Pennington took the sack, loosening the drawstring and pouring the contents into the snow. Out came a multitude of coins, collecting in a small pile.
"Pennies?" Delta asked, surprised at the revelation.
Pennington sighed, tossing the empty bag over his shoulder. "It's an inside joke. With your credentials out of the way, we can negotiate."
The statement seemed to entertain Delta, who chuckled and shook his head.
"There will be no negotiation, Inkwell. You will give me the mask of Cha'Qued, and Twilight Sparkle will be released safely and unharmed. This is not up for debate."
Pennington's eyes narrowed, his temper flaring as he considered the fact that Twilight could possibly have already been harmed. Somehow, however, he managed to keep an exterior of stone-faced solemnity.
"I want to see Twilight. You can't deliver her unharmed if you've harmed her already."
It was Delta's turn to glare suspiciously, and he shook his head. "Shows of good faith are for those who HAVE good faith, Inkwell. You will see Twilight when the mask is in my hooves, which had best be within the next ten seconds if you wish for the 'unharmed' clause to remain a part of our deal..."
In that moment, Delta Raider gave away the whole game. His front hooves shifted his weight back and forth as his tail twitched ever-so-slightly back and forth. The tone of his voice should have dropped when issuing the threat, but like the rest of his body, he was unconsciously forcing it to stay static and still. Delta Raider was bluffing, and badly.
Pennington smiled, and a bead of sweat rolled down the side of Delta's face.
"She already escaped, didn't she?"
Delta's expression dropped, then twisted into an angry snarl.
"GET THE MASK!" He shouted, lunging for Pennington's saddlebag. Pennington didn't move, allowing Delta to rip the bags from his back while the two guards held their weapons to his throat. Delta desperately searched through each saddlebag, first with his hoof, then by turning them upside down and dumping their assorted contents onto the ground. The only item he seemed to take note of was a large blue crystal, which he held up in Pennington's face in an accusatory motion.
"You were supposed to bring the mask! What is THIS?"
"Oh, that old thing? It's more of a party favor than anything else..." Pennington smiled, reaching out to take it, only for Delta to pull it back out of reach. "It's an ancient artifact that was once used in the migration of earth ponies to equestria! They used it to cross the ocean by freezing it solid! It allows you to change the state of water between solid, liquid, and gas!"
Delta gritted his teeth, tossing the gemstone to the side.
"Thanks for the history lesson! WHY do you have THIS instead of the mask?"
Pennington wrapped his magic around the stone, awakening the old magic within. The snow around them melted away into a slurry of slush, and Delta and his guards plummeted through a now-open hole in the ground. Pennington chuckled, leaning over the edge.
"Because it's good at covering up pitfall traps in the snow!"
Pennington barely dodged in time, however, as the bardiche-wielding guard planted the end of his weapon into the wall and catapulted himself back out, followed by Delta flying his way back to the surface. Grinning with anticipation, Pennington sprinted for the edge of the clearing.
"Don't let him get away!" Delta cried, and Pennington felt the hair on the back of his neck stand on end: the chase was on.
Ahead of him, Pennington could spot a familiar pair of trees. Bolting for the landmark, he dove to the ground, sliding smoothly on his belly underneath. Hiding behind the trunk, Calalily magically raised the rope they had buried under the snow and held it as taut as she could with her magic. Unable to stop in time, Delta and his guard both ran headfirst into the improvised trap, each caught under their chin by the rope and knocked flat onto their backs. Before they could recover, Lily had taken the rope and looped it several times around the unicorn, deftly tying a knot in it and snatching up the weapon before he could recover. By the time he had realized what was happening, Lily was already holding the bardiche in a position to strike, causing him to freeze in place.
"Try anything funny, and I won't be afraid to use this! I HAVE HAD A REALLY BAD DAY!"
Pennington smiled and placed his hoof on Delta Raider's chest, pinning him to the ground.
"Nice knotwork, Lily!"
Lily blushed, clutching the unfamiliar weapon close to her chest for a moment.
"It's not that hard, I can do a braid in half the time..."
Pennington wanted to sit there and continue praising Lily, but he needed to place his focus elsewhere. "Now then, Delta Raider, you're going to go BACK to Full Sails with your tail between your legs, and you're going to TELL HIM-"
As he turned back to Delta, however, Pennington felt something huge strike his chest, catapulting him up into the air. His eyes widened and he could only manage a weak squeaking sound as all the air was forced from his lungs and he felt what was definitely at least one of his ribs fracturing. He twisted himself in the air, trying to find something to grab onto to soften his landing. Instead, he watched as one of the trees seemed to come to life, rearing back one of its branches of its own accord and bringing it down onto his back. The impact sent an explosion of pain through his body as he was sent face-first into the ground, burying him in a large snowbank.
Pennington wasn't certain how he was injured, being completely buried in the snow had numbed nearly every one of his senses, there was only pain.
What.... what could have-
It was several seconds before Pennington could feel something gripping onto his hooves. Slowly, he was forced upwards and back into the air, suspended by his hooves. As his head pushed its way out of the snow, Delta Raider loomed over him. Now, however, his face was covered by a green mask, featureless aside from a pair of empty black eyes. Looking down as he was brought completely off the ground, Pennington could see that he was being held aloft by tree roots wrapped around his hooves.
"I don't think you understand just how high the stakes are here..." Delta growled, walking up to Pennington. He paused only for a moment before reeling back and striking Pennington in the jaw. The world began to spin as Pennington saw stars spinning about in his vision. He tried to muster the presence of mind to give a witty retort, but he was barely clinging to the edge of consciousness.
"Where. Is. Cha'Qued?"
"You... can't control him..." He eked out the words through ragged breaths. "I'll never... let you... have it..."
The roots holding Pennington began to draw apart, turning him onto his back and forcing him into a spread-eagle position. The tension grew tighter and tighter, until it felt as though his limbs were about to ripped from his body. Finally, just before he was torn apart, the roots stopped. Delta carefully placed his hoof squarely on his chest, applying only the lightest pressure to create agonizing pain.
"We won't ask you again. One."
Pennington's breath came in short, ragged gasps. Between the pain of his broken rib with every breath and his efforts to repress the urge to scream, he doubted whether he could answer if he wanted to.
"Two."
Somehow, in this moment, Pennington thought of Equestria. Of Princess Luna waiting for his next letter that would never come, of his parents and how they would never know where he was lost in the storms ravaging Equestria, of an empty study in Inkwell Commissions that would never be filled again. For the first time in his life, Pennington felt an emotion he'd thought he would never understand:
Pennington was homesick.
"Thr-" Delta was cut off as a massive roar tore through the serene mountain air. As Delta turned to face the direction the sound had come from, Pennington felt a flutter of hope in his chest, mixed with dread.
A few seconds later, the ground began to shake, and a new creature reared up into the air over the horizon, towering over the evergreens. It was a gigantic white centipede, with a body of rolled snow and legs of broken-off branches. It easily towered five stories high before diving down and beginning to crash its way through the trees, set on a collision course with them.
Delta stepped back in shock, and Pennington felt the tension of his restraints loosen as his concentration was shattered.
"What- what IS THAT?" He shouted as the threat grew closer and closer, uprooting trees and screeching an unholy noise at them.
Pennington forced out the weakest of chuckles, drawing Delta's attention back to him, if only for a moment. He only managed to choke out a single word.
"Run..."
Delta glanced nervously back and forth between Penn and the monster before spreading his wings and taking to the air. The giant centipede turned its course accordingly in hot pursuit, and Pennington let out a sigh of relief. Somehow, by some miracle, the plan had worked.
"By the stars..." a familiar voice whispered. "Penn, what did he DO to you?"
Pennington let out a sigh of relief.
"Took you... long enough... Moon Moon..."
"Don't talk, save your energy." Moonstone's disembodied voice came from beside his ear. His sword floated out of its sheathe on his back, making quick work of the vines holding him up. A new wave of pain washed over Penn as he fell back into the snow, forcing him to grit his teeth and groan as he tried to keep his voice low.
"Sorry... At least you were right! The invisibility cloak confused the Ruber Locomotus enough to keep that snow golem from coming after me for the moment. You even managed to put a few of my scales on him when you pinned him earlier!"
Pennington nodded, the comment not helping the fact that he now knew what a chewed-up piece of gum felt like.
"How long do you think we have before that thing tears him to shreds?" Moonstone may have been invisible, but luckily her footprints in the snow gave Pennington a good point of reference for where to look when she was speaking.
There was a low rumble and the sound of snapping wood, quickly followed by the monster's pained roaring.
"Oooor vice versa... We need to get away while we can, either way."
Pennington nodded, trying to muster the energy to clamber back to his hooves. His first attempt to lift one of his hooves off the ground was met with a weak trembling. "I- I don't think... I can move..." he wheezed.
There was a brief moment of silence, then a long sigh from Moonstone. All at once, she appeared before him, holding the black cloak in her hands. In the distance, the creature roared anew, and the shaking in the ground began to grow stronger. It was on its way.
"What are you-"
"Shh!" Moonstone hissed, laying the cloak over him. "You need this more than me! I'll try to outrun that thing, Lily said there was a lava pool a few miles west of here, right? I can destroy it there!"
"You'll never... make it!" Pennington felt panic beginning to set in. "TAKE... the cloak!"
Moonstone ignored his plea, tucking the cloak in around his body and piling snow around the edges.
"Lily already made it to the rendezvous, try to get there when things have calmed down. If you can't... well, we both know she's going to come looking for you."
"Please! Don't-"
Moonstone, however, ignored him, taking to the air and quickly disappearing into the sky.
Pennington's chest clenched as he felt burning tears began to streak down his face.
Useless! How can I be so useless? There has to be something I can do!
He tried again to move his hoof, this time able to muster up the strength to pick it up off the ground. The icy snowbank was beginning to numb the pain away and help him get his strength back, if only enough for him to think clearly. He froze as he watched Delta Raider fly back into sight, hovering just above the ground. Delta glanced back and forth, searching for Pennington. Pennington didn't move a muscle, even holding his breath under the cloak. After a few seconds, Delta roared in fury, punching his hoof against the nearest tree so hard the wood splintered under the blow.
"NO! That's IMPOSSIBLE! There's NO WAY he could have walked away from that! WE HAD him!"
Now that he had the chance, Pennington could get a better look at the mask. It was smooth and covered in mottled greens and browns, and seemed to have grown organically around his head, gripping onto his skull.
Speaking of impossible... There's no way, right? Could it be?
Delta tilted his head, heeding a voice Pennington couldn't hear.
"Fine! We'll go get them! But if we don't find Inkwell, they're going to WISH I had left them out here to freeze!" With that, Delta flew away towards the place Pennington had sprung his trap.
Pennington let out a long sigh of relief. If they didn't know that he had the cloak, it was unlikely they would be able to find him quickly, so his priority now was trying to find a way to get away and go save Moonstone from her own stupid decision.
If I get up, I'll leave hoofprints, so I'll need a destination in mind before I start. I can't lead them to the rendezvous point, there's no way Lily and I could survive. There's no way I'll ever catch up to Moonstone without magical help, either. I need a plan, and I can't just wait around for them to come back and figure out I never left...
But what am I supposed to do? I can hardly even move! All I've got is this cloak, my sword, and my magi-
My magic.
I HAVE MY MAGIC!
Pennington wanted to slap himself as his mind seemed to conjure up a thousand different ways he could have used his magic to free himself, or to stop Moonstone from sacrificing her own safety. Before he could begin to berate himself, however, Pennington turned his head, forcing his face into the snow and snapping him out of his shock.
Okay, no time to dwell on the past, I need to think for the moment! Now, I have magic, an invisibility cloak, and a sword. I think I MIGHT have enough strength to stand, as well. My foe is incredibly powerful and seems to be phytokinetic. What would Twilight do? She'd play it smart. Safe. Take no chance. Whatever happens, my greatest asset is the element of surprise. If I come out from under this cloak or leave any kind of hoofprints in the snow, I'll lose that.
So I don't take off the cloak, and I don't walk on the snow! ...right. Totally NOT impossible.
Above him, Pennington saw Cha'Qued's mask fade into existence on one of the overhanging tree branches, staring down at him with a condescending look.
He has the power of a god on his side. You cannot hope to win without my power. Become my vessel, and I will happily annihilate them both!
Pennington rolled his eyes, although he was unsure whether or not Cha'Qued could actually see it.
Your friends, your family, your country all depend upon you completing your mission, and you risk it all for your PRIDE? Without me, this fight is impossible, and you will condemn them all!
Pennington took a deep breath, focusing on his horn. The spell used to be second nature to him... If he could only perform one spell right now, he prayed it would be this one.
"If you ever think something is impossible..." he whispered, screwing his eyes shut in concentration, "you haven't looked at it the right way."
White mist began to float off of his horn, seeping out from under the cloak and beginning to coalesce outside.
"Always see anything... as possible!" He grunted, finally lifting up the first of his hooves on the ground and slowly beginning to push himself back up into a standing position. His concentration nearly shattered as he felt his injuries filling him with shooting, stabbing pain, but he held on tight to the image in his mind of the items he was trying to create. Slowly and on shaking legs, Pennington finally rose up into a standing position. Staring down, he saw the precious results of his magic: four copies of his wide-bladed sword laying in the snow. He carefully placed one hoof onto each of the blades, then used his magic to drape the cloak over himself once again, hiding the entire assembly. As he was about to try and lift with all his strength, Pennington remembered what had happened to his saddlebag back in Turvian's home. Instead, he closed his eyes, slowly increasing the power of his levitation on the swords at the smallest increments he could.
"W-woah!" The transition to floating on the air was a jolt, even with all of his caution, and he nearly lost his careful footing. Eventually, however, he leveled out, and was hovering in the air above the snow. With a grin a mile wide, he carefully began to move forward, hovering in the direction Delta had gone.
What will you do, fool? You cannot resolve this peacefully, and he WILL take your life if you give him another opportunity! Do you even have the strength to do what needs to be done?
Pennington took a deep breath to steady his nerves. He didn't want to admit it, but he did truly have only one chance to beat Delta. If not Delta would definitely come after the ones he loved again. Delta Raider had crossed an unspoken line by going after Twilight and Lily. His mind wandered back to his last thoughts when he thought he was going to die, of his family and of Equestria, all of which would be destroyed if he failed his mission. His sword, the real one, floated back to its sheathe, ready at any moment to strike again.
"I'm still a field agent of the New Lunar Republic... If Equestria is at risk, I have all the strength I need in order to fulfill my duty. He'll never see me coming until it's too late."
Hypocrite. You refuse me because I will spill blood, yet you are prepared to kill in a heartbeat for your precious princess and your country!
Pennington considered responding, but he couldn't be certain they were alone, and risking his position wasn't worth making a point to a Nightmare Night mask with an over-inflated ego. Instead, he simply continued onward in the direction where they had left Delta's guards.
Several minutes passed in solemn silence, Pennington trying to think of any other way than the obvious bloody solution to the situation at hoof. As he finally reached the original clearing, however, he discovered something that ripped all of his careful plans to shreds.
There stood Delta and his two guards, all standing and staring at a massive tangle of roots. Poking out of the top was the head of a purple unicorn, struggling back and forth fruitlessly.
"Wow! I thought that Celestia's prized pupil was supposed to be SMART!" Delta jeered, laughing maniacally. "Instead of running and getting help, you just stumbled your way right back into our hooves!"
"RRGH! You're NOT going to get away with this, Delta Raider!" Twilight replied, even as another root curled up around her horn and gave it a threatening bend, causing her to stop struggling. Even immobilized by the threat of losing her horn, however, Twilight still gave Delta a searing glare. "I'm GOING to get free again! And you'd better hope Pennington gets to you before I do!"
Delta chuckled, turning his back to Twilight and facing out into the clearing.
"WELL, INKWELL? WHAT'LL IT BE? I HAVE TWILIGHT SPARKLE, NOW!" He shouted, making a grand gesture to Twilight. "YOU HAVE TEN SECONDS TO CRAWL OUT OF WHATEVER HOLE YOU'RE IN BEFORE I START SNAPPING BONES, STARTING WITH THAT PRECIOUS HORN! TEN! NINE! EIGHT!"
Pennington's heart felt as if it had stopped with fear. He was frozen, even as Delta counted down the seconds. There was no time for a sneak attack and no way his magic was well enough in control to speed up his plan.
"SEVEN! SIX! FIVE!"
He could try flinging his sword with his magic, but there was almost no chance he would be accurate enough to hit or fast enough to outspeed the guards' movements to block.
"FOUR! THREE! TWO!"
The safety of Equestria was on the line if he died here. He couldn't give in to the demands of a terrorist. The needs of the many had to outweigh the needs of the-
"ONE!"
Pennington flung off the cloak, revealing himself to everyone.
Not her. Not Twilight... Equestria isn't worth her.
The eyes of the mask scrunched up in a mouthless smile as Delta locked his eyes on Pennington.
"Well, well, well... that explains why I couldn't find you. You've been a worthy opponent, Inkwell. I can see why Sails told me to be hesitant about you!"
Pennington glared at him with every ounce of hatred his body could muster as he slowly descended back to the snow.
"PENN! What happened to you?" Twilight asked, her voice cracking with emotion. "Did- did HE do that to you?" Pennington had no idea what he looked like, but Twilight's reaction was enough to show him that he looked at least half as bad as he felt. "Run away! RUN! I'll be okay, just run!"
Pennington sighed, shaking his head.
"Run? I can hardly stand..." he whispered, mostly to himself.
"Now, no more games, no more running... No more fighting it, Inkwell!" Delta announced as he strode across the clearing. With a stamp of his hoof, more roots grew out of the ground, tightening around Pennington's throat and yanking him violently to the ground. Delta placed a hoof on his head, driving the face of his bowing opponent into the snow. Slowly, deliberately, Delta leaned down and whispered into his ear. "This is your last chance to save her and to save yourself."
Twilight wasn't certain how long she had been running through the snow, it was hard to tell the passage of time with the overcast sky and stark white landscape. Spike had been doing an admirable job keeping the two of them warm as they trekked through the snow, but his bursts of fire breath had been growing less refreshing as the cold settled in on her.
"Are y-you SURE we're going t-the right w-way?" Spike stuttered for the twelfth time.
"Yes!" Twilight repressed the urge to roll her eyes.
"Well, could you TRY to cast that spell again? I'm f-freezing!"
Twilight sighed and came to a stop. Her first few attempts to cast a warmth-retaining spell had failed, but she had to admit that the last of the effects of the "crash" after removing the magic inhibitor seemed to have faded away. She took a deep breath, concentrated, and tried a third time to cast the spell.
The effect was instantaneous, as it should have been. A wave of warmth like a warm blanket wrapped around her, taking the chill from her bones. On her back, Spike let out a sigh of relief as he experienced the same effect shutting out the harsh winds of the mountains.
"Thank you!" he whispered, giving her neck a light hug from behind. "That is MUCH better!"
Twilight smiled, more than satisfied with the results of her spell. Her magic had finally returned to normal, and she was feeling confident in herself.
There's definitely a spell I could use to track down Pennington faster than this! Maybe if I-
Her trail of thought was quickly cut off, however, by the sound of roaring in the distance and a shaking in the earth. Instantly, Twilight was on high alert, trying to spot the source of the noise. Far off, Twilight could see the trees beginning to shake, being knocked aside my some kind of massive creature headed straight towards them.
"Twilight, up there!" Spike shouted, pointing into the sky. Twilight's eyes followed his finger, spotting a familiar form fluttering weakly above them.
"MOONSTONE! DOWN HERE!" Twilight called, waving her hoof to try and get Moonstone's attention. Moonstone seemed to notice, turning her flight down towards them. "I think she heard me!"
"Um, Twilight?" Spike whispered, "I don't think she did..."
Twilight's excitement turned to dread as she realized Moonstone had stopped flapping her wings altogether. "Spike, hold on!" She took off at a full sprint, trying to intercept the falling dragonet. Twilight reached out with her mind, wrapping Moonstone up in her magic and catching her just before she hit the ground. As the moment of panic passed, Twilight let out a sigh of relief and brought Moonstone closer, inspecting her for injury. Moonstone seemed unharmed, just exhausted.
"What happened to you?" Twilight whispered, half-expecting Moonstone to answer. From behind her, Twilight heard Spike swallow nervously.
"P-probably THAT!"
At that moment, the source of the noise in the distance became clear: some kind of gigantic snow millipede reared up over the trees, letting loose a massive roar and locking its stony eyes on the three of them.
Twilight's eyes narrowed and she braced herself for a fight. The creature dove back to the earth, bearing down on them at breakneck speed, and Twilight rooted herself to the ground, ready to make her stand.
"Um, Twilight? Aren't we going to run? Or teleport? Or SOMETHING?" Spike asked, tightening his grip on her.
"As soon as I test a theory..." Twilight muttered, throwing up a magical shield around them.
The giant snow creature finally closed in, slamming its head against Twilight's domed shield and snapping its mandibles over and over at them. Twilight felt a splitting pain beginning to form in her skull as cracks formed in the shield, but she managed to keep her eyes open long enough to get a close look at the creature.
By the time the thing had reared back for a second attack, Twilight already had all of the information she needed.
With a thought, she dropped her shield, wrapping her magic around herself and leaping through space, teleporting herself behind the thing's back and catching herself with a levitation spell.
"HEY, UGLY!"
Surprisingly, the monster actually responded, turning around to face her. Twilight spotted her target, took aim, and blasted at its head. Her aim was true, blowing a steaming hole completely through its head. Twilight grabbed at a small object left behind from the blast, wrapping it up in a sealing spell before lowering herself to the ground and releasing her levitation spell. With a content smile, she trotted back to where Spike was waiting.
"Whoa... Did you just kill it?"
Twilight smiled, holding up the item she'd picked up and sealed: the Ruber Locomotus. "It was never alive to begin with! It was just a golem created by this!"
Spike's reaction was cut short as Moonstone started back into consciousness, grabbing desperately at him in a lucid panic.
"G-get away! Gotta get away! I c-can't-"
"Wh-whoa! Moonstone, it's okay! You're safe!" Spike gave her a warm smile, and Moonstone finally seemed to realize where she was and return to the present, glancing around her and finally spotting Twilight and the ruby in her magical grasp.
"Twilight? Spike? What are you-" she seemed to catch herself, shaking her head. "There's no time. I need your help! Penn's in trouble! Deep, deep trouble!"
Twilight and Spike glanced at one another, neither looking surprised at the news. Twilight had many, many questions, but only one that she knew she had time to ask.
"Which way?"
Moonstone pointed back in the direction she had come from. "That way! This was a distraction gone wrong, Penn's fighting some maniac with another god-mask like Cha'Qued! When I left, he was beaten into the ground and I hid him under the invisibility cloak!"
Twilight would have been lying if she said she didn't feel some eagerness at the idea of giving Delta Raider a piece of her mind. "Alright, you and Spike just hop on, and I'll get us there as fast as possible!"
To her surprise, Moonstone shook her head, turning to face in almost the complete opposite direction.
"Twilight, I have to ask you for a favor. I know where we can get help, but I'm too tired to make it in time." Moonstone pointed towards the horizon to the south. "I need you to teleport me as far as you can THAT way."
Twilight blinked, trying to process what Moonstone was asking.
"You... want me to just teleport you? Without a DESTINATION? That's crazy! You could wind up halfway inside a boulder, or with your head inside a tree!"
"Which is why you also need to put me high in the air. I can't fly, but I can glide my way to the ground safely if you give me the height." Moonstone gave a couple hesitant flaps of her wings and nodded.
"You literally just fainted and dropped out of the sky trying to fly!"
"TWILIGHT! There isn't TIME to argue about this!" Moonstone shouted, stamping her foot. "Somewhere out there, Penn's slowly freezing to death in a snowbank, waiting to find out who's going to find him first, Lily or Delta! I am NOT the priority here! I promise you it'll all be okay! But you need to TRUST me!"
Twilight rubbed at her head, completely divided over what to do. Normally, this kind of situation would call for her to weigh pros and cons, run the numbers and probabilities to make a decision. This time, however, Moonstone was right: there was no time. She was going to have to go with her gut.
"Fine. But this is YOUR idea, alright?"
Moonstone nodded, closing her eyes and bracing herself. Twilight sighed, focused her mind on the direction Moonstone had pointed, and cast the teleport spell. The fact that she was focusing on a general direction, rather than a definite point, made the spell simultaneously easier and more difficult to cast. Easier because the energy usually used in fine-tuning could be redirected to pushing the limits of her distance. More difficult because Twilight had to overcome years and years of conditioning to never cast a teleport spell without a definite destination.
"R-ready?" She grunted, the magic building up in her horn reaching critical mass.
"Do it!" Moonstone replied, trying to hide her fear with a determined scowl.
Twilight took a deep breath, gritted her teeth, and cast the spell. Moonstone vanished with a flash of purple light and a loud pop, and she and Spike were once again alone.
"Are you... sure that was a good idea?" Spike muttered, giving Twilight a questioning glance.
Twilight shook her head, trying to shake off the aftereffects of casting a spell like that. "Penn always says a bad plan is better than no plan at all, right? We just have to trust that Moonstone knows what she's doing." She nodded to her back, motioning for Spike to hop on. "For now, we've got our own mission to take care of!"
Spike gave one more concerned glance in the direction Moonstone had been sent, then sighed and jumped onto Twilight's back. "Right! Rescuing Pennington Inkwell!"
Twilight nodded, taking off at a full sprint in the direction Moonstone had come from. It would be a few minutes before she could teleport again, so running would have to do for now.
"Soooo, what's the plan?" Spike asked, gripping tightly to her mane in an effort to hold on.
"I'm sure we'll think of something on the way! Moonstone said Penn was safe as long as Delta doesn't find him under the invisibility cloak, right? We have to just figure out a way to find him, first!"
"And what if Delta already found him? Or what if he finds US, first? He's got a freaky plant-commanding mask, and we don't!"
Twilight didn't want to admit that Spike was right, but it was a very real possibility that things would go wrong. Silently, she began to take inventory of the contents of her saddlebag, trying to think of some kind of plan.
"W-well, we've got the element of surprise! That's got to be worth something, right?"
Princess Celestia took a deep breath, trying to steady herself as another wave of dizziness washed over her. She and Luna had been taking protecting Canterlot in shifts since this disaster started, and the constant work was beginning to catch up to her. Luckily, her little ponies in the Solar Empire had collaborated with the New Lunar Republic to assemble a team of elite mages that would be able to take over the task come nightfall and rotate their ranks well enough to continue indefinitely.
A relief Celestia knew would be short-lived as she turned her attention back to the ponies of Equestria as their leader in troubled times. It had been almost five days since the assault on Equestria had begun, and even the ponies safe in the castle were beginning to grow restless and nervous. She knew that she would need to make an appearance soon to assuage their fears before things got out of hoof.
"Celestia..." A familiar voice spoke from just behind her, because apparently teleporting while in sight was impossible for draconequii. She let loose a sigh of relief.
"Eclipse! I'm so glad you're here! I was starting to go crazy from all of this silence! I-" As she turned to face her good friend, however, Celestia was met by an expression she had not seen from him in a long time: an angry, accusatory scowl. She was taken aback at the look on his face, her concentration on the shielding spell nearly breaking. "E-Eclipse? What's wrong?"
Eclipse folded his arms over his chest, then rolled his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Celestia, I've been talking to Luna..."
"Oh? About what? Some new video game? Another attempt at sneaking in legislation to banish zap apples from Canterlot?"
"I know about your plan for Pennington, and I can't let you follow through with it."
Celestia was not one to be caught off-guard easily. When Luna had started expressing doubts about what they were planning, she had considered the possibility that she might go to their Royal Adviser for guidance. She knew Eclipse wouldn't understand, not yet. Luna didn't have her skill for explaining.
"Eclipse, it isn't what you think-" To Celestia's shock, Eclipse rushed forward, grabbing her by the shoulders and shoving his face up to hers, forcing her to keep eye contact with him.
"CELESTIA! You do NOT understand the depth of the pit above which you have precariously placed yourself!"
Celestia was actually flabbergasted, this time. Eclipse had never been this aggressive with her, not like this. Eclipse was timid, quiet and reserved. Certainly he made a show of trying to appear smug or powerful around ponies, but it was just a facade to hide his own anxiety. But this time, looking into his eyes, Celestia saw something she had never found there before: rage. Rage and resolve, a determined fire he had never displayed in all her time knowing him.
It shook her, shook her enough to finally break her concentration on the protection spell. Luckily, it was at that moment that the mages below took control of the spell, keeping Canterlot safe. Celestia's eyes glanced upward for a moment, inspecting to make certain the sky was truly safe
"Eclipse, please, let me explain. There's more factors in play than I think you understand!"
Eclipse continued his piercing glare, but wordlessly backed away, a sign that he was going to allow Celestia to explain herself. Celestia took a deep breath, restoring her composure after Eclipse's outburst.
"Eclipse, are you familiar with the legend of the Guardians of Equestria?"
Eclipse's only response was to raise a single eyebrow at her.
"You've been living in Equestria since before Luna and I came to power, Eclipse! You can't tell me you've honestly never heard it!"
Eclipse sighed, rolling his eyes.
"I didn't exactly get out much for the past thousand years, Celestia. Why don't you refresh me on the subject?"
Celestia sighed in return, more in exasperation than anything else. When making a genuine effort, Celestia had found that Eclipse was every ounce as good as his older brother at antagonizing her.
"It's a story that was told to Luna and me as little fillies, even from the cradle. Long, long ago, when the earth beneath our hooves was still young, this land that has come to be Equestria was blessed with four guardian spirits. Whenever the inhabitants of the land were threatened by dangers beyond their ability to fight, four great heroes would rise from the precipice of disaster and save them all. Is any of this sounding familiar?"
Eclipse merely gave a non-committal shrug.
"The Weaver of Fate? The Smith of Destinies? What about the Winter Blossom and the Scribe of Legends?"
Celestia knew that Eclipse recognized the names, especially by the way his eyes widened when she mentioned the Smith, but he still refused to say a word.
"Every time that Equestria was facing certain destruction, the heroes would be reborn among a new generation! They would live their lives as normal creatures, learning to love just what it was they would protect, and when they met their destinies, they would be reborn as the legendary heroes!" Celestia raised an eyebrow, expecting a reaction out of her friend. "None of this is ringing any bells?"
"Some might say that you have to die to be reborn, Celestia."
The statement caused a hiccup in her train of thought, and Celestia stumbled for a moment to pull together her thoughts.
"I know you're planning on sending Pennington to go through the Adelind Trials. Luna told me everything." He leaned down, placing a clawed hand on Celestia's shoulder. "The magic of the old dragon houses is ancient and powerful, powerful enough to drive any single pony out of their mind!"
"Tia, I know that you worry for Equestria's safety day in and day out, but you can't honestly tell me that you think these fillyhood fairy tales are TRUE, do you?"
"Can we afford NOT to believe in them?" Celestia urged. "If the Guardian Spirits WERE to come back, think of the peril Equestria would have to be facing! If they were ever reborn, it would mean that Equestria faces a threat so great, it is beyond Luna, myself, even the power of the Elements of Harmony!"
"Celestia, there's good reason these stories haven't been told in more than a thousand years! Because they're just that: stories!" Eclipse stepped forward, trying to wrap his arms around Celestia in a reassuring hug. "There aren't any Guardian Spirits, just an entire kingdom full of brave and strong ponies who can face any danger that comes their way! Ponies like you."
Celestia pushed him away, shaking her head.
"Every legend starts somewhere, Eclipse. There's a nugget of truth at the heart of this 'fairy tale,' and even when I was just a filly, I was determined to find it!" Walking to the door, Celestia stepped back into the castle, motioning for Eclipse to follow. Eclipse seemed to hesitate for a moment before sighing and walking after her.
"Now, it hasn't been easy, but being a princess does have certain advantages when it comes to gathering information!" Celestia smiled as she paced her way down the hall. "There are records everywhere, if you know where to look!"
"Celestia, please! These are bedtime stories, meant to help fillies and colts not be afraid of the monsters under their beds! At least, until Luna came along!"
As Celestia rounded the next corner, she trotted her way over to a seemingly blank wall. With a smug grin, she cast a familiar spell. One by one, the bricks in the wall began to separate and shift, revealing a hidden room.
"Are you sure about that?" Celestia asked, lighting the torches in the room.
The room was small, hardly the size of her closet, but it was more than large enough for her purposes. Scrolls and maps lined the walls, marking the places she had managed to find evidence over her years of searching. Ancient texts laid upon custom pedestals crafted with the finest of preservation spells, and ancient artifacts stood under glass domes, testaments to the legacy of their former owners. It was every scrap of information about Equestria's guardian spirits that Celestia had gathered over her long life. She lovingly lifted away the glass of one dome, tenderly picking up the item inside: a small blanket, carefully embroidered with the mark of the Weaver of Fate, a silver needle trailing iridescent thread. Even after all of this time, the family heirloom her parents had given her still gleamed with a comforting glow.
"I never stopped believing, Eclipse. Not in 'fairy tales,' not in the heroes I never got the chance to meet, and not in the idea that they'd return one day, in Equestria's darkest hour..."
Eclipse stood agape, peering into the room from the hallway.
"Which is why we can't afford to waste time! We have to guide the new incarnations to their destinies, to their memories of their true selves! All of Equestria could depend on it!"
"Celestia..." Eclipse whispered, breathless and in awe.
"Look, I can even identify their last incarnations! Quill the Scribe was actually the Scribe of Legends, obviously, but did you know the Winter Blossom was his wife, Ixia? And the Weaver of Fates was actually-"
"CELESTIA!"
Celestia was cut off as Eclipse shouted her name, snapping her out of her excitement. As she turned back to face him, she could see tears flowing from his eyes. He rushed across the room, grabbing her by the shoulders and forcing her to look into his eyes.
"Celestia, look at yourself! You're OBSESSED!" Eclipse gestured to the walls, trying to illustrate his words. "You've slipped so far into this narrative you've created over all these years, you've lost your grip on the boundaries of reality!"
Celestia felt her hopes falling out from underneath her.
"But look! The Sixth Trial of Clover the Clever! The enchanted gypsum sewing needle of Threadmane! Even the undying coal from the forge of Ember Glow!" She reached out, magically retrieving one of the books from their pedestal and turning to a familiar page.
"Look at this! It's supposed to be the mark of the Scribe of Legends! Two scrolls flanking a compass rose! It's Pennington's cutie mark! And look at the beastiary! Pennington's and Quill's are EXACTLY alike! Right down to the hoofwriting! It's irrefutable! He's writing it from MEMORY, even if he doesn't realize it!"
Eclipse sighed, pushing away the book. "You're seeing connections where there aren't any, Celestia, and now you've set Pennington on the path to a test that will drive him to madness to try and vindicate it! And you're never going to be able to take it back!"
"Eclipse, I've always trusted your judgement, can't you just trust ME, for once? Look at all of this, really look at it!"
"I am, Celestia, but I'm also looking at YOU! Not only are you putting another pony's mind on the line, but Luna's trust in you, as well! She cares about Pennington!"
Celestia was beginning to feel indignation welling up in her chest. All of this proof, all or Equestria hanging in the balance, and Eclipse STILL refused to listen to her.
"Oh, so you DON'T believe all of this, Tumult? Your actions have certainly spoken otherwise."
Eclipse backed away slightly, raising a questioning eyebrow.
"Oh, you thought I didn't notice YOUR student?"
"Celestia, Whipstitch came to ME, not the other way around!"
"Oh, and it has NOTHING to do with her heritage? Nothing to do with the fact that she's the spitting image of Threadmane, the last incarnation of the Weaver of Fate?" Celestia rolled her eyes in exasperation. "You know I'm right!"
"Why else would YOU, of all creatures, take a PONY as a STUDENT?"
The moment the accusatory words had left her mouth, Celestia regretted it. Eclipse's expression shifted instantly, from pity to pain. The comment had cut deep, and Celestia could see it by the tears in his eyes. Suddenly, the indignation was washed away by sorrow.
"E-Eclipse, I'm sorry! I lost my temper! I-"
Eclipse didn't reply, simply disappearing with a snap of his fingers.
"WAIT! I... I didn't mean it..." Celestia whispered. She looked around the room, then back down at the ancient blanket that had once laid alongside her in her cradle. Her parents had always told her that the Weaver had made it and given it to her mother, promising her that their family had been blessed by fate to "watch over the heavens themselves, ensuring the safety of all those beneath them."
Am I wrong? All these years of searching, making contact with the Adelind bloodline and countless expeditions based on hunches and whispers of rumors? Could it all be wrong? Am I just...
Celestia stamped her hoof, setting the blanket back in its place and replacing the glass dome.
"No! I can prove that I'm right! The Adelinds can prove Pennington is the next Scribe, and that the Guardians are back! I just need to buy Moonstone a little more time..."
Luna smirked as she made her way through another successful boss fight of Blackened Spirits. She had been occupying most of her "free time" sleeping and recovering from protecting Canterlot. When she couldn't sleep, however, she spent her time on the most soul-crushingly difficult games she could find, if only for the sheer satisfaction of grinding them into the dust. It gave her confidence that the seemingly insurmountable threat facing Equestria could be defeated with equal diligence.
"Now, let's see what's behind door three..." Luna whispered, her character struggling and straining with the massive stone doors on the opposite side of the boss area.
The doors revealed a wide open expanse of ivory towers and paved cobblestone: the lost dragon city of Radian.
And, sitting on the steps leading down into the city, what appeared to be a very put-out draconequus. Reaching over, she plugged in the headset she usually reserved for multiplayer and placed it over her ears.
"Eclipse, is that you?"
The draconequus nodded.
They had talked multiple times about the effects of chaos magic on save files, but Luna knew that now was not the time or the place.
"I presume that your meeting with my sister did not go as well as we had hoped?"
"Certainly worse than we predicted..." Eclipse muttered, his voice creeping out of the speakers of her headset.
Luna sighed, shaking her head.
"Then I suppose that we have no choice but to act of our own accord to save Pennington Inkwell from his trusted assistant... But I am certain that Celestia will try to delay us. Are you prepared to fight that battle?"
In the game, Eclipse rose to his feet, and Luna could see the aura of his magic beginning to spread across the lost city as pixels jumped about and changed colors erratically.
"I made the mistake Celestia is risking, even if she means well. I once thought that I could save many through the sacrifice of one... Not only was I wrong, but I have regretted it every day since." He turned to face out of the screen, locking eyes with Luna's true self, burning with determination. "I will NOT let her live with that same guilt!"
Luna nodded approvingly.
"Then our course is set. We must rescue Pennington from the trap we've sent him into, and save Celestia from a millennium's worth of delusion."
Pennington coughed, trying to breathe around the tree roots gripping on his throat. This was a bad situation, he had to admit, but he'd been in worse. At least Delta wasn't actively trying to kill him, he still needed information. If Pennington had any chance, however, he was going to get more information out of Delta than Delta would get out of him.
"Why? Why do you want Cha'Qued so badly? You won't be powerful, you'll be a prisoner in your own body!" he pleaded. To his surprise, a voice replied in his mind, a feminine voice that radiated raw strength and power.
We will not become the vessels of that MONSTER! We will destroy Cha'Qued, once and for all!
That was not the answer Pennington had been expecting. Pennington lifted up his head as best he could, staring at the mask with an incredulous expression.
"Are- Are you SURE you two are working for FULL SAILS?"
"Of course! He's the pony who stopped YOU after you slaughtered Mozun Akai!"
After you SLAUGHTERED my people!
Pennington thought for a moment as realization dawned on him... and began to laugh.
"Heh heh... Ha! Ha ha ha! HAHAHAHAH-URRK!" His laughter was cut short as the roots yanked him back down again, bashing his muzzle against the ground.
You think this is FUNNY? The death and destruction you've caused? The innocent blood you've spilled? YOU DARE LAUGH? You are every ounce the same monster as your god!
Pennington shook his head, blinking away the tears from his muzzle.
"Y-you've got it backwards! You've got the whole story backwards! THAT'S what's so funny!" Pennington pressed his front hooves against the ground, pushing his chin just out of the dirt. Reaching out with his magic, he took hold of his sword and swiped it just under his throat, slicing the roots holding him in place.
He didn't have time or the energy for a showy leap out of the way, so he merely tucked in his legs and rolled out of the way as more roots sprung up to grab at him.
"FULL SAILS was the one who put on the mask and killed Mozun Akai! He was the one who got the taste for flesh and the hunger for its power!" Pennington shouted, limp-running his way towards Twilight. More roots sprung up to try and grab at him, only to be swiftly mowed down by his flashing blade.
"It won't be THAT easy for you! I still have-" Delta was cut off as he looked back at where Twilight Sparkle was trapped, only to see a large opening had been cut in the roots. A glowing blue sword was floating in the air beside it, waggling smugly back and forth. Both his guards lay unconscious on the ground, and there was no sign of Twilight Sparkle.
LIAR! TRICKSTER! IT WAS YOU!
"If you want Cha'Qued destroyed, then we're on the same side!" Pennington shouted, trying to make another roll out of the way. Unfortunately, this time, he seemed to land on the same point where he had been batted out of the air. Pain like a great burning knife stabbed into his back, causing him to spasm violently and ending with him laying on the ground, panting heavily to try and regain control of himself and mitigate the pain.
"A-AAAH!"
Delta Raider walked over, planting a hoof that felt like it weighed a ton down on his chest, even as more roots grew up and wrapped solidly around each of his legs to pin him to the ground.
"You have to believe me, I want nothing more than to be rid of that awful thing!" Pennington forced the words out, even as the pain began to grow worse and worse as Ravia began to pull him into the ground, the earth climbing up over his body and beginning to bury him alive. "Please! PLEASE! I've been searching for so many years, but the way to destroy him is LOST! It was lost when the temple fell! It was LOST! If Full Sails told you that he would help you destroy Cha'Qued, he was LYING! You have to believe me, PLEASE!" It wasn't long before nothing but Pennington's face was left exposed, peering up through a hole in the dirt and snow to what could be his last moments of life. It was one of his worst nightmares made reality.
We do not HAVE to do anything for YOU... Ravia whispered as Delta leaned down to look him in the eyes.
"Now, we were told not to return to Sails without the mask, but I AM willing to settle for telling him we destroyed the only pony standing between him and his success!"
"PLEASE, PLEASE! I'm BEGGING you, you've got this all wrong! I'm NOT- urf-furm hmm!" Pennington felt a lurch as he was pulled further down, the dirt filling his mouth and cutting him off.
It was in that moment, however, that a purple blast of magic struck Delta from the side, knocking him out of sight.
"PENNINGTON!" Spike hopped into Pennington's field of view, immediately setting himself to work scraping away handful after handful of dirt. "Don't worry, bud! We're here! You're safe!" He balked for a moment, his eyes dwelling on the iridescent white horn. "Whoa. Nice new bling."
Pennington violently spat out a mouthful of dirt, straining to try and free himself as best he could. Unfortunately, it felt like every attempt to move merely pointed out another part of his body that was taking its turn to send the a new wave of pain over him.
"Spike! I-I can't get out, digging won't work! There's roots holding me down here!" he couldn't tell if the tears running down his face were from the pain, the fear, or the relief of his rescue.
Spike nodded, turning to look away for a moment. "TWILIGHT! You're going to have to do this, I can't dig him out!"
"Just a- SECOND!" Twilight's voice replied, and Pennington could hear the snapping of wood and flashes of purple magical light. Spike cringed, then glanced back at Pennington with a wary look.
"Any other ideas to dig you out, big guy?"
Pennington tried to think clearly for a moment.
"The swords! Use one of the magic swords I used to cut Twilight out of the roots! It's wide enough to make a good shovel AND cut through the roots pinning me down!"
"The swords you used to what-now?" Spike raised an eyebrow in confusion.
"When Delta had her captive, I cut her out of there with one of my magic swords!"
"Penn, we just got here, like, ten seconds ago! I don't under- WOAH!" Spike ducked as a magical blast barely missed his head. "Okay, you know what? We don't have time for this! I'll go find a sword, or something!"
Pennington tried to understand what was happening. He KNEW he had seen Twilight earlier. It was undeniable that Delta had captured her, right? There's no way he could have fallen for some simple illusion magic.
Unless... I'm so used to having Moonstone here to see through illusions, the possibility didn't even occur to me!
"Found one!" Spike reappeared, now holding one of the magical scimitars. "I didn't even think you COULD do this spell any more!" With a grunt of effort, he plunged the tip of the sword into the ground, shoveling up a large scoop of dirt.
"I've... had a bit of a reawakening." Pennington sighed, moving away what dirt he could with his magic until only the roots keeping him pinned were left.
"Okay, stay still..." Spike whispered, lifting the sword above his head.
"Do I have a choice?" Pennington muttered as Spike slashed at the roots, finally freeing him. Slowly, Pennington tried to sit up, only for the pain in his back to rise again and paralyze him.
"Um, Spike? I'm going to need your help..." Pennington sighed. "I hurt my back... I don't think I can turn myself over like this."
"No worries, Penn! I gotcha!" Spike leaned his shoulder into Pennington's side, pushing him into an upright position. Pennington shakily rose to his hooves, finally getting a decent look at his surroundings.
The entire clearing was a battlefield, pockmarked with smoldering craters. Delta's body had been completely covered in wooden armor, and he was grappling with a very angry-looking Twilight Sparkle, barely holding back a trio magical rapiers Twilight had summoned with the same spell Pennington had been using.
"This way, Penn!"
Pennington couldn't believe his eyes as his head turned towards the source of the voice. A second Twlight, the Twilight he had rescued, was waving to them from the trees. Pennington glanced at Spike for an explanation, but he looked equally confused, shrugging his shoulders.
"Come ON! There's no time! I'll explain later!" Twilight urged desperately, running back into the trees.
"I mean, have you got any better ideas?" Spike whispered.
Pennington took a moment, searching his feelings. SOMETHING was off here, but he couldn't tell what. He started to walk forward, only to stumble as he knees buckled beneath him. Spike rushed forward, looping one of Pennington's front hooves around his shoulders. Together, the two of them limped their way out of the fray and into the trees, following Twilight's hoofprints.
"What if it's a changeling?" Spike hissed.
Pennington shook his head.
"I'd KNOW a changeling, remember? I can still feel it when one's nearby, even if I'm not part of the hivemind any more. We just have to trust Twilight, I guess."
"Well, I'm still gonna be ready for anything..." Spike muttered, curling his claws into fists.
Pennington nodded.
Not that there's much I can do in this state, personally...
"Over here!" Twilight finally reappeared, waving from a small hollow where the trees parted. Penn and Spike slowly made their way to her.
"You look like you've really taken a beating, Pennington..." Twilight whispered, looking Pennington up and down before stepping forward and giving him a careful hug. "Are you okay?"
"I'm sure I've taken worse beatings... though I can't remember when." Penn tried to chuckle, only for the stabbing pain of his ribs to immediately cut him short.
"Care to explain HOW you're in two places at once, Twi?" Spike asked, crossing his arms over his chest. "In all the years I've known you, you've never done anything like this!"
"Well, it's all rather simple, Spike!" Twilight's expression turned from concern to a malicious grin. All at once, Spike was wrapped up in an emerald glow and levitated into the air his arms pinned to his sides.
"H-HEY! What's the big idea?"
Fear clutched at Pennington's chest anew, and he tried to step back, only to stumble and fall on his rear.
"N-no! That's not- It CAN'T be!" he stuttered.
"Twilight" advanced on him, her grin growing wider and wider until it nearly split her face in half, and her eyes glowed with a sickly green light.
"Oh, it CAN, Inkwell! Ha ha ha! HAHAHAHAHA!" She cackled as green fire washed over her body, reversing the transformation. In an instant, Queen Chrysalis stood before them, in all her regal glory. Pennington reached over his shoulder, trying to grab at his sword, but was instantly frozen in place by Chrysalis's magic.
"I don't know who this 'Full Sails' fellow is, but I ought to THANK him! He made this too easy! You're as helpless as a newborn grub!"
"How? How did you-"
"Hide from your 'changeling sense?' Please, Pennington, you insult me! Hiding my presence is a simple matter for a QUEEN! You have never been safe from me!" She punctuated her declaration with an angry hiss as she leaned down into his face, sending flecks of spit all over him.
"HEEEEEEEELP! SOMEPONY, ANYPONY!" Spike cried, struggling with all of his might against Chrysalis's magic.
"QUIET, you scaly pest!" Chrysalis hissed. "No one is coming for you, and I'll get to you just as soon as I've finished with HIM!"
Pennington swallowed the gigantic lump in his throat. Chrysalis was right, there wasn't any rescue coming. This time, Pennington was going to have to save himself, or else Spike was going to pay the price right alongside him.
"W-well, Chrysalis? What are you going to do to me? Drain all the love out of me like a juice box? Take me back to your hive and make me just another drone? Humiliate me and keep me prisoner until the end of my days?"
Chrysalis chuckled, giving Pennington a wicked grin that made his blood run cold.
"Penny, Penny, Penny.... You're forgetting I've been INSIDE YOUR HEAD, remember? I know you're just biding for time until you can find a way out of this! I'm not going to monologue or give you a way out. I'm just going to kill you."
Pennington blinked, surprised at the realization.
You know, it occurs to me just how much I rely on villains explaining their motivations or elaborate traps...
Chrysalis slowly lowered her horn, pointing it directly over his heart.
"Any last words, Inkwell? I'd like to hear you BEG before your death rattle..."
Pennington narrowed his eyes, glaring at Chrysalis with every last ounce of strength he had left.
"I wish I'd never helped you overthrow King Entropy. Without me, you'd still be just another drone."
Chrysalis's expression twisted into a feral snarl.
"DIE, INKWELL!"
Pennington closed his eyes, bracing himself for the end.
Instead, there was only the sound of a dull whack and the crunch of something large hitting the snow. Pennington waited a moment, then cracked open one eye.
There was Calalily Curl, standing over Chrysalis's unconscious body with the bardiche gripped tightly in her front hooves. Her breathing was heavy and fast, and the expression on her face showed that she was bordering on coming completely unhinged.
"AND STAY DOWN, BUG-BREATH!" she screamed, giving Chrysalis's head another bashing with the butt of the handle.
Chrysalis's magic faded away, letting Pennington move again and finally dropping Spike to the ground.
"Lily?"
Lily instantly swapped to a battle-ready pose, holding the weapon threateningly at him.
"Whoa, Calalily, take it easy..." Pennington whispered in his most soothing voice, taking a hesitant step towards her. "You win... danger's passed."
Lily finally came back to her senses, dropping the weapon out of shock.
"I- I can't believe I just did that."
"Lily! You're okay!" Spike rushed forward, gripping Lily in a tight hug.
"Spike? Where have you been all this time? Did you get separated from Twilight in the tunnels, too?"
"No! Twilight and I got captured by Delta, but we escaped! Then, we ran into Moonstone, and she sent us this way to come rescue Penn!"
Pennington felt a thrill of hope in his chest. "You ran into Moonstone? Where is she? Is she okay?"
Spike sighed, shrugging his shoulders.
"Last we saw of her, she asked Twilight to teleport her as far into the Dragon Lands as she could! We don't know where she was going or where she wound up!"
The dragon lands? But why would she run THERE?
"But where's Twilight?"
A loud explosion in the distance answered the question before anyone had a chance to respond.
Lily's eyes widened. "She's fighting DELTA? She's can't! Delta has a mask, it's like Cha'Qued, but for another god named Ravia! She doesn't stand a chance!"
"As much as I'd argue otherwise, I'm never going to argue in favor of letting Twilight Sparkle fight alone... But if you'd allow me just a moment..." Pennington gently pried the weapon from Lily's hooves. Turning back to face Chrysalis's unconscious body, he brought the weapon down with all of his might once, twice, and three times, each time more violently than the last.
Finally, he passed the weapon back to Lily, admiring the beating he had given Chrysalis with the blunt side of the axe head.
"Sorry, I just REALLY needed that. I haven't gotten a good punch in since Delta put on that mask."
"Well, all of that aside," Spike muttered, absentmindedly giving Chrysalis a kick of his own, "What are we going to do about HER?"
Pennington thought for a moment, glancing at their surroundings. A solution quickly presented itself, and he began gathering up snow with his magic and packing it on top of Chrysalis.
"Queen or not, a bug's a bug, and bugs don't deal well with the cold. This ought to put her into hibernation. When Moonstone gets back, I'll send a letter to Princess Luna to let her know where she's buried."
"Huh. Pretty clever! Looks like Twilight's rubbing off on you!" Spike chuckled as Pennington and Lily quickly packed snow around Chrysalis's body.
"More than you'd believe..." Pennington muttered. "Speaking of whom, we can't just let Twilight keep fighting alone like that. We have to DO something!" He tried to turn and walk back towards the battlefield, only to find himself held aloft by Lily's magic.
"In the state you're in? ARE YOU CRAZY?" Lily shouted, turning him around to face her.
"She's got a point, Penn. You look REALLY down for the count! You couldn't even run for your life from Chrysalis! What are you gonna do against some guy with a god-mask, or something?" Spike added.
Pennington sighed.
"Guys, I DO have a plan, you know."
Lily and Spike glanced at one another, then both back at him, both raising one eyebrow in suspicion.
"Is this one of those times you SAY you have a plan, but it's just one word, or something? Because I don't think I can handle that kind of sass from you right now." Lily sighed, pressing her hoof against her forehead.
"Nope! When Ravia and Delta were about to bury me alive-"
"About to WHAT?"
"-they mentioned that Full Sails had told them that he was going to DESTROY the mask, not put it on!"
"Okaaay, but what has that got to do with-"
"Well, what if we could convince them that we're on the same side?"
Lily and Spike both looked at each other again, and Lily slowly lowered Pennington to the ground. Pennington smiled, walking over to a nearby tree and glancing around at the other side. Just as he expected, there was Cha'Qued, clinging to the bark as though he had been hung there. Pennington took hold of the mask, waving it at Lily and Spike with a grin. "Heh, he always comes running when he thinks there's gonna be a fresh body."
"Okay, cool magic trick..." Spike muttered, "but how does that help us convince the ones who nearly KILLED you to stop, you know, trying to kill you?"
Pennington smiled.
"Well, that starts with step one. Forgive me if I'm overstepping my authority here, but, Spike? I need you to take a letter for a very particular pony..."
Twilight was panting heavily, trying to catch her breath in the brief interlude between Delta's attacks. Spotting an opening, she tried to attack with one of her magical rapiers, only for it to be stopped by the wooden armor that had grown all over Delta's body. She gritted her teeth, frustrated with her inability to pierce his armor, or even find a weakness in it. There was no naturally occurring wood she knew of that was this resistant to damage.
Delta, meanwhile, stamped his hoof, and Twilight watched as leaves began to pluck themselves off of the trees from all around them, hanging in the air and all pointing directly at her. All at once, the leaves straightened themselves and grew stiff, and Twilight could tell that she was standing in the middle of a field of knives.
"Let's see you teleport your way out of THIS!" Delta shouted, stamping his hoof. On his mark, the leaves all shot towards Twilight.
Of course, teleporting out of it was exactly what Twilight did, popping out of existence and reappearing on the other side of the clearing. As she watched, however, the razor leaves all changed direction immediately, still heading towards her. Realizing that she was being tracked, Twilight conjured up a magical wall of fire around herself, watching with satisfation as the leaves that struck it disintegrated one by one. When the hissing noise stopped unexpectedly early, however, Twilight parted an opening in the wall just in time to dodge out of the way of a single, giant blade that tried to impale her. As she rolled back into a standing position, she summoned up a fireball, hoping to burn the leaves away in their entirety. Just as she got the satisfaction of watching the rest of the leaves burn away, a thick root sprung up from the ground and wrapped around her waist.
"Wha- WAAAAUGH!" Twilight cried as the branch flung her up and into the air. Her mind quickly raced through the options at hoof, and she quickly wrapped herself up in her own magic, casting a self-levitation spell. As she finally righted herself in the air, however, she had barely enough time to get her bearings before a gigantic venus flytrap sprung up from the ground, snapping at her heels.
"Okay, THAT'S just creepy!" Twilight shouted as she pulled herself out of reach. It was her turn to go on the offensive, now. Focusing on her target, Twilight waited for the perfect moment. When it presented itself, she unleashed a powerful armor-piercing spell that impaled completely through the flytrap, continuing on to strike Delta directly in the head.
"GAAH!" Delta cried out, grabbing at the point of impact. Seeing her opportunity, Twilight compelled her levitation spell downwards at breakneck speed, only barely in control of her descent as she swooped down on Delta, making a desperate grab for the mask.
Just as her hoof brushed at the mask, however, she was yanked back suddenly by her back legs, and another large root swung at her head. It took only a thought for Twilight to blast it to pieces, spraying a sweet-smelling sap all over her face and horn. Knowing she had been trapped again, Twilight tried to teleport... only for her magic to fizzle out.
"HAHAHA! Not so powerful without your magic, are you?" Delta cackled.
Twilight tried to reach up and wipe away the magic-negating sap, only to find her front hooves bound, as well.
"Why don't you take off that mask and we'll find out?" she sneered, the words seething with anger and frustration.
Delta chuckled again, wrapping a tendril around Twilight's horn.
"Imagine the promotions I'll get when I bring back the horn of Celestia's precious student?" he whispered. "Imagine the devastating blow to Celestia when the Lunar Republic sends it back to her in a velvet-lined box?"
Twilight's heart was pounding as she struggled against her bonds, trying to get free enough to get the magical sap off of her horn.
"RAVIA!"
Both Twilight and Delta were shocked to look to the source of the voice and see Pennington emerging from the forest, flanked by Lily on one side and Spike on the other. In his hoof was the mask of Cha'Qued.
"PENN! You can't let him get the mask!" Twilight shouted, redoubling her efforts to free herself. "It's not worth it!"
Delta sighed and waved his hoof in a circular motion, looping a root around Twilight's mouth and gagging her.
"How many times are we going to do this song and dance, Inkwell? I'm getting tired of repeating myself!"
Pennington smiled as he walked his way across the field. Twilight could see him limping badly and holding himself stiffly, as if every minute motion seemed to hurt him more.
"Just once more, Delta Raider." Pennington looked down at the mask, then at his opponent. With that, he tossed the mask to the ground, where it landed in the snow equal distances from both of them.
"I tried to tell you that you've got all of this wrong, but you wouldn't listen. Perhaps you'll listen to these words instead..." Pennington sighed, lowering his head.
"I surrender. I won't use the mask to fight now, and I never will. Let Twilight go and I'll even HELP you destroy it."
Twilight shook her head back and forth, silently pleading with Pennington not to do it.
Delta seemed taken aback by the turn of events, tilting his head as the eyes of the mask narrowed in a suspicious glare.
"What's the angle, Inkwell? There HAS to be a catch."
Pennington nodded. "I want it done here. Now. I want to see it happen with my own two eyes, and if Full Sails can't do it here, then wherever the mask goes, so do I."
Delta glanced back at Twilight, then to Pennington.
"You don't HONESTLY expect me to fall for that, do you?"
Pennington sighed, shrugging his shoulders. "Have Ravia use whatever godly test she wants. Whatever plant-y lie detector she uses, she'll tell you I'm telling the truth."
Lily finally took the opportunity to speak up. "Ravia! You told me you could sense we were kindred spirits! Look into my heart now, you'll know Pennington can be trusted!"
Delta took his time responding, and Twilight could tell that he and the spirit inside the mask were deliberating.
"Call off your crazy girlfriend and we'll entertain your offer."
Twilight made another struggle against her bonds, this time more as a show of defiance to the label.
"Twilight? Twilight!" Pennington called out, finally making eye contact with Twilight. As Twilight stared back, she could see something she hadn't seen there since he had lost his horn: determination.
Twilight considered for a moment, then nodded her agreement.
The roots all retreated back into the ground, releasing Twilight. Disgusted, she scooped up a hoofful of snow and stuffed some of it into her mouth, using the rest to clean off her horn as she swished the water back and forth in her mouth before spitting it onto the ground. She quickly trotted her way to Pennington, wrapping him up in as tight a hug as she dared give him.
"I'm so glad you're safe..." he whispered in her ear.
"I hope you know what you're doing..." Twilight whispered back, kissing his cheek.
"Very well, Inkwell, I'll send one of the guards back to let Full Sails know that you-"
"There'll be no need for that, Delta."
Twilight's blood ran cold as a new voice called out from behind them. As she turned to look for the source, she watched an unfamiliar pegasus with a chestnut coat and dark hair pulled into a ponytail. For a pegasus, he had a surprisingly sturdy build and stood several inches above everyone else present. Her breath caught in her throat, and a chill traveled down her spine. Even with the mask still on his face, Delta seemed to shrink back in fear, and she heard Lily whimper slightly. Even Spike took an uneasy step back.
Is that...
Pennington took a shaky step forwards and past her, him and the stranger locking in unblinking eye contact. The tension in the air was so thick, Twilight felt as though it were stifling her very breathing. Slowly, Pennington limped his way to the pegasus, still keeping their eyes locked on one another.
"It's been too long, Sails." Pennington held out a hoof to the pegasus, who carefully took it and shook it. The pegasus chuckled softly, looking Pennington up and down.
"You've looked better, Inkwell. And I see you got a new horn! Looks good on you."
"S-sir! What are you doing here?" Delta stuttered.
Full Sails turned to him, giving an unsettling smile.
Pennington took a deep breath, keeping his nerves steady. He and Full Sails may have had a friendly rapport, but he knew that Sails's smile wouldn't even waver as Pennington felt a knife slip into his back. He was as ruthless and unfeeling a killer as they came, and he couldn't let his guard down. Calling him here was more of a risk than he liked to generally take, but they were out of options.
I just have to pray that things go the way I think they will...
"I'll admit it, you're full of surprises, Penny! I haven't gotten a letter from you in what, five years? Longer?"
Pennington smiled.
"Well, usually, if I want to talk to you, I just have to look over my shoulder any time I have a feeling of overwhelming dread."
Sails chuckled, rolling his eyes.
"Flattery will get you nowhere, Inkwell. The mask of Cha'Qued, however..." he held out his hoof expectantly, "will get me off of your back once and for all."
Pennington took his turn to roll his eyes, limping to where the mask lay in the snow. Just as he was about to reach for it, however, a swath of roots grew up from the ground, wrapping around the mask and carrying it to Full Sails. Pennington stepped back, caught off-guard at the suddenness of the action. As Sails graciously plucked the mask from the roots, Pennington shook off the surprise. This was all according to the plan, Ravia had simply thrown off the pacing of his act.
"You're pretty full of surprises, as well, Full Sails! I mean, imagine the look on my face when your friends, here, told me you'd finally come around to MY way of thinking! I mean, Full Sails, wanting to DESTROY the mask of Cha'Qued? Of course I had to see that with my own eyes!"
Penn noticed Sails stiffen slightly, his wings parting ever-so-slightly from his body as instinct tried to propel him into the air.
"I mean, I couldn't believe it! I thought all the knowledge of the Mozunian gods died with Mozun Akai! The ziggurat had collapsed when I went back to look for more secrets there!"
Sails chuckled, turning the mask over in his hooves.
"That's the problem with you, Penny. You were always so narrow-minded. The answer didn't lay in the ruins of Mozun Akai, it was in the apocryphal scriptures in the seaside archives of Mount Aris!"
Pennington raised an eyebrow in surprise. It was clever of Sails to use the Aris Archives, it had been one of the first place A.K. Yearling had taken them for personal tutoring, and there was no way to know everything contained within in even a lifetime of reading. It was entirely possible an answer COULD lay there, but there was no way to verify it.
"Well, that IS something! In that case, I can't wait to see what you found that I didn't!" Pennington smirked. "Right here. Right now."
Sails blinked, obviously not understanding Pennington's words for a moment before his eyes narrowed and her turned back to glare at Delta, who was still wearing Ravia's mask.
"How much did you tell him?"
"J-just what you told us, sir!" Delta stammered. "That you sent us to get the mask so that you could destroy it!"
Pennington couldn't help but feel a mix of glee and trepidation as he could see the gears in Sails's brain turning. Glee that the plan was going has he had envisioned it, and trepidation as he wondered just what kind of wrench Sails would come up with to throw into the works.
"You FOOLS! Now he'll NEVER let us have it!" Sails shouted, shaking the mask in his hooves. "The chosen host MUST give up his place as Cha'Qued's vessel WILLINGLY before it can be destroyed!"
Pennington shrugged nonchalantly.
"I'll perform whatever ritual it is myself, if I have to! Under your careful supervision, of course!"
Sails spun back around, giving him a deathly glare.
"Oh, as if you could ever give up that power! You've ALWAYS wanted it!"
Pennington tilted his head in an exaggerated display of confusion.
"Power? You mean like the kind of power I could have used to free myself when I was about to be buried alive? Or power to restore my flesh with ease after heavy injury? Or the power to-"
"ENOUGH!"
Even as Full Sails cut him off, however, Pennington could tell that the damage had been done. The expression of Ravia's mask had changed from a suspicious glare to one of surprise.
This is true. Cha'Qued's dominion is over the flesh. If he were truly Cha'Qued's disciple, there would have been no need for him to attack us while injured. When Cha'Qued wiped out my people, I saw bodies that had been completely torn asunder stitch themselves back to perfection as easily as I might grow back the lost limbs of a tree, ponies so strong their own bones snapped beneath the pressure of their blows, only to mend again seconds later. Delta turned to Sails, the eyes of the mask beginning to narrow in suspicion towards their ally.
"She's right. If Penn is so addicted to the Cha'Qued's power, why not use it when we were ready to kill him?"
"Because THIS is what he wants! This is all an act!" Sails shouted, pointing an accusatory hoof at Pennington. "LOOK AT HIM! He's so SMUG because you're playing right into his hooves! He's playing the long game! HE called me! HE led us all here, to this remote location! HE was the one who is still refusing to give up his connection to it, even now! He's been playing all of us for FOOLS, because that's what he does! He makes up stories, stories so perfect he turns allies on one another and then wipes them all off the face of the earth once they're too weak to fight!" Sails dropped to one knee, bowing and lowering his head.
"Ravia, I beg of you, do not let this spinner of lies deceive you!"
Pennington shook his head. "I'll back up my big talk! Tell me how to destroy the mask, Sails! Share this precious information you've been so vague about!"
"You CAN'T!" Sails snarled, snapping his attention back to Pennington.
"Well, WHY NOT?" Pennington replied.
There was a brief moment where the tension in the air felt ready to snap. Pennington's breath caught in his throat as he waited. This was the moment of truth, the climax. It was true that he had been TELLING a narrative, but only the one he had pieced together from what Sails had supposedly said.
Delta shook his head, taking a step towards Pennington... only to stop as his head was yanked backward.
"RRgh! R-Ravia! What are you-" Delta's leg took another shaky step forward, obviously resisting the motion.
Delta Raider, you will heed my wishes! His head shook back and forth in denial, even as the eyes of the mask narrowed in frustration.
"RRRGH, NO!"
All at once, the mask separated itself from Delta's face, catching itself on legs of long vines before it hit the ground. Slowly, Ravia's mask crawled across the ground until it reached Lily's hooves, where it quietly lowered itself into the snow.
Delta, however, stamped his hoof, taking a position beside Full Sails.
"Ravia! Get back here!"
No! Until I am certain fact has been separated from fiction, I shall not act for either side. I shall stand with the only pony I find trustworthy, even if possibly misguided.
Lily's eyes widened in surprise as she picked up the mask, and Pennington could catch the flush of an embarrassed blush beneath her fur.
"U-um, thank you?"
Pennington smirked. Couldn't have picked a better pony, if you ask me... With a smug grin, he turned back to Sails and Delta.
"Well, fellas? What is it going to be? Help me destroy Cha'Qued? Or show your true colors and admit you were lying all along?"
Still glowering with anger, Sails slowly advanced across the snow, walking right up to Pennington until they stood only inches apart.
"If you won't renounce the mask, then I'll TAKE it from you, by right of conquest."
Pennington's chest tightened with dread.
"I won't. You know I can't even-" his words were cut short as a gust of wind blew past his face, and Full Sails's wing settled back against his body. Dread settled over Pennington as he slowly turned his head.
Between a translucent magical shield, three knives lay buried in the snow at Spike's feet, having only barely missed him by the smallest of margins to the left, right, and between his feet. He stared down at the objects, only realizing for the first time that he had been nearly killed. The color drained from his face and he stumbled back, staring in horror at the near-death experience.
"SPIKE!" Twilight immediately turned around, placing herself between Spike and Sails and carefully inspecting the dragon for injury.
"These knives cut through magic like butter. I had them made especially to counter that little trick of yours, Pennington, but they'll work just as well against your friends!"
Twilight turned on her heel, eyes burning with raging passion.
"HOW DARE YOU? He's just a KID!"
"Well, if you want him to reach adulthood, YOU'LL keep out of my way..." Sails turned to Pennington, raising an eyebrow to challenge him. "And YOU will accept my challenge."
Twilight lowered her horn, a magical blast gathering around her horn. Pennington could see another, larger knife shifting its way through the feathers of Sails's wing, one more than big enough to slice off a horn in a single blow.
The scenario played out in his head without even trying. Twilight would fire off an enraged magical blast. Sails would throw the knife at the same time. The knife would pass through the magic unimpeded, and the magic would pass around it. Both attacks would reach their targets. Twilight was no killer, but Sails was a sadist. He would recover, or even get away completely unscathed due to some hidden ward on his person, but Twilight would be scarred for life.
Pennington saw all of this in a moment. Instinct took over.
His hoof shot up, punching Sails across the jaw with everything he could muster. Full Sails's head only turned slightly with the blow, and a satisfied smile spread across his face. Pennington knew he was past the point of no return. Sails was going to get a fight, either with Twilight or with him.
Pennington punched him again, though he could feel the blow was weaker, now. Not wanting to let up the pressure, Pennington switched hooves, cracking Sails under the chin with his other hoof. That hoof was weaker than the first, both of his front legs lacking any type of power. Rearing back onto his hind legs, Pennington tried to compensate by leaning into his punches and alternating as fast as he could. He struck at pressure points in the head and shoulders, tried his hardest to break his jaw, pounded on Sails's temples to try and discombobulate him. Pennington felt a small thrill of joy in his chest as he noticed a trickle of blood beginning to drip down from his adversary's nostril. Drawing strength from his newfound hope, Pennington dropped back down to all fours and spun around, planting his back hooves into Sails's chest and bucking with all of his might...
driving him muzzle-first into the snow and bashing his spinning head against the ground as Sails remained immovable.
Pennington could feel Sails's condescending gaze on his back.
"You finished?" Sails asked, sounding only slightly annoyed.
Pennington tried to press his front hooves into the ground to stand back up, only for his trembling joints to give way as he realized he couldn't even support his own weight, any more.
Pennington didn't even register the pain of Sails yanking on his mane, pulling him out of the snow and pressing a blade to his throat.
"Then it's MY turn."
Before the blade could do its work, however, the world turned purple in a flash of light and warmth, and he felt a violent yank on his body.
This, however, proved to be what finally overwhelmed him. The world went dark as his eyes rolled back into his head, and the last thing he heard was Twilight's voice.
"We'll take it from here, Penn..."
Pennington tried to speak, tried to warn her, but he couldn't make his mouth move properly and his tongue flopped uselessly about in his mouth.
Twilight had never put much stock in the phrase "seeing red" as meaning "uncontrollable anger." Anger was an emotion just like any other, chemicals reacting in the brain, endorphins causing response in the body, where supersaturation would only cause it to shut down, not endow it with superpowers.
But now, as Spike hid behind her out of fear for his life, as Pennington's crumpled body lay on the ground beside her and she stared into the uncaring, collected eyes of Full Sails, she realized. This was a pony who cared nothing for others, who would threaten, beat, and even kill anyone who stood in his way. He and Pennington had greeted each other as old friends, but nothing could have been further from the truth. Full Sails was the antithesis of every virtue Twilight had ever learned about friendship. He was a monster, far more real and present than any bogeyman that Luna had put a stop to.
Now, the rage flowing through Twilight's veins was unlike any sensation she had felt in her life, her blood a cocktail of endorphins and violent chemical reactions as it boiled with righteous fury. It was like her brain had switched off, emotion taking the wheel as the rest of the world disappeared and her vision blurred at the edges, leaving only a clear image of the creature she was determined to destroy. Her limbs trembled, and she couldn't tell whether she was more frightened of what would happen to her if she tried to contain this violent energy or of what she would do to Sails if she chose to move. Her magical energy began to sputter and spark uncontrollably out of her horn, flowing faster and faster until her entire body was wreathed in an aura of lilac flames. There was only emotion, now, and that emotion was rage, indignation, and protective instinct, all boiled and distilled into purest compulsion to violence imaginable.
Twilight finally understood "seeing red."
The distance between her and Full Sails was only a short distance, maybe five meters, but it felt like miles. She moved at a crawl at first, as if unsure her own legs could hold her. Then, she escalated to a trot, and her fears all fell away as she was reassured of her own strength. A moment later, she was in an all-out sprint towards Full Sails. Her magic pushed her forward, the flames burning brighter until she was tearing across the clearing like a comet in the night sky. Just as she was about to slam into him, Twilight saw a flash of metal from his wing. She wasn't afraid of his magic-piercing knives, but she wasn't going to let him stop her from reaching him.
Twilight teleported, navigating the ether by pure instinct and appearing to Sails's left. By the time his eye had even turned to look at her, Twilight was already ready.
The magical blast that she unleashed shook the earth and sent shock waves through the mountain itself, triggering avalanches throughout the whole of the Macintosh Hills. Trees bent and shook at every side of the clearing, and the wind itself wrapped around the motion, punching a hole through the overcast sky above. The snow beneath the path of her blast was vaporized, the earth torn away and scorched in a trench that reached all the way to the trees on the opposite side and left only a row of charred trunks and smoke.
Twilight didn't stop, not consciously. She poured every ounce of rage, every trickle of magical power in her body into the spell, letting it taper and sputter out of its own. As it did, she felt her legs shake and wobble underneath her and her knees gave way, forcing her to kneel in the crater she had made.
"My, my, my... I can see why Celestia herself chose you."
Twilight's jaw fell in shock as she stared up.
There stood Full Sails, his body looking translucent and ghostly, as though he were only a poorly-projected image or an incomplete illusion. After a few seconds, he became opaque again, a sickening grin on his face.
"I mean, having the day YOU'VE had and still having enough power to cast an earthshatter-class spell like THAT? Most would call it impossible!" He gave her a sly wink. "Makes sense you'd be Penny's type."
"Wha... h... HOW?" Twilight was barely able to force the word out between ragged breaths.
Sails slowly revealed a small object clutched in his hoof: a shard of smoky-looking rock, glistening and translucent in the light.
"Fairytrail Ghost Quartz. They say it's the same type of charm that made Threadmane untouchable to chaos magic in their war against Discord, actually! Fascinating stuff, I just HAD to get my hooves on some..."
Twilight couldn't believe what she was seeing, even as her head began to spin. The ground seemed to come out from under her and everything lurched to the side. She felt a splitting pain in the side of her head for a moment, and everything went black.
"Oooh, tsk tsk... Looks like today's trials finally caught up to her. Poor thing..."
Lily's heart was beating a mile a minute. So far, Full Sails had made Pennington beat himself to a pulp, completely nullified Twilight's magic, and left both of them unconscious from sheer exhaustion, all without even donning the mask of Cha'Qued, which was sitting right at his hooves on the ground.
This was it. This was the nightmare scenario to top all nightmare scenarios.
"L-L-L-Lily? W-What do we do?" Spike whispered.
Lily shook her head.
"I don't- I don't know..."
She glanced down, staring at Ravia's mask sitting in the snow. For a moment she considered picking it up. As she reached down, however, Ravia's voice cut her short.
Now we see the truth. We will see if Sails keeps his word to destroy Cha'Qued.
Slowly, deliberately, Sails reached down and picked up the mask. Lily did the same, picking up Ravia and whispering into the place where an ear ought to be.
"And what if he DOESN'T?"
Well, I would hope that you could find sufficient motivation to help me destroy them both?
Lily stared down at the mask, incredulous.
"You mean... put you on?"
She didn't have time for an answer, however, as Delta's cackling rang out across the clearing.
"Ha ha HA! Well DONE, sir! That was incredible! Two of the OLR's most wanted completely dispatched without so much as breaking a sweat!"
Full Sails cast him a sideways glance, then locked his eyes on Lily and Spike.
"And you two? What's it gonna be? Fight or flight?" When Lily and Spike didn't answer, he simply shrugged and returned his attention to Cha'Qued.
"So! How do we start? Some kind of ritual circle? Incantations? A potion?" Delta chuckled, closing the distance between him and Sails to get a closer look at the mask.
"Oh, silence, you sniveling sycophant! If you're expecting a reward, you won't be getting any!" Sails snapped, causing Delta to recoil back. "Finally... it's felt like eons since I touched this ivory, decades since I felt the hum of its power!" Unconsciously, he licked his lips and Lily's blood turned to ice.
Even Delta seemed to be having second thoughts, now.
"Sir... you don't look like you want to destroy it..." he whispered.
"Congratulations! Looks like we might make an agent out of you, yet!" Sails shouted, rolling his eyes as he began to raise the mask to his face. In an instant, Delta snatched the mask out of his hooves.
"Are you KIDDING? All of this for your STUPID MASK?" Delta shouted. For a moment, Lily couldn't believe it. Delta had stolen the mask of Cha'Qued right out of Full Sails's hooves.
Then Lily realized that Delta Raider now had the mask of Cha'Qued.
"You KNOW, if you'd been up front about this, I wouldn't be this MAD! I thought we were destroying a threat to Equestria, not getting another artifact for your collection!" Delta raised the mask to his face, placing it over his own features.
"I risked my LIFE for this! Inkwell had artifacts too, you know! An invisibility cloak! Magic swords! A gem that could control water! IN A FROZEN TUNDRA!" The mask began to attach itself to his face, growing tendrils of bone that wrapped around his skull. "Without Ravia, I would have died!" Delta's voice was growing deeper and more gravelly, but the mask remained static, not moving with his mouth.
"You want this mask so badly? I'LL GIVE IT TO YOU, ALRIGHT!"
Sails didn't move, staring unblinking as the mask finished wrapping itself around Delta's head.
"Well? Aren't you going to say anything?"
Sails pondered for a moment. "So, you steal a sentient mask with mystical powers and bottomless hunger straight out of the grasp of the one who JUST proved himself the rightful vessel, and your BRIGHT idea is to IMMEDIATELY put it on your face?"
Delta froze, as if realizing for the first time the depth of his mistake. After a few seconds, he started from his stupor, desperately grabbing at his head in an attempt to claw off the mask. Lily knew, however, that it was too late.
"Spike? Close your eyes and cover your ears."
"Wh-what?"
"Imagine it's like a scary movie! Close your eyes and cover your nears! Hum a song, if it makes you feel better!" Lily urged, using her magic to press his hands against the side of his head. She tried to ignore Delta's desperate pleading as he shook his head back and forth.
"N-no! NO! It's too tight! STOP! STOP, PLEASE! NGGGGAAAAAAAH! MY HEAD!"
Lily shut her eyes, trying to block out the imagery her mind was conjuring up to match the noises. Slowly, Delta's pleading shifted to screams of agony. She kept her eyes shut as the screams were cut off by a stomach-churning pop and the sound of wet and sloppy chewing. Lily waited, only cracking open her eyes enough to feel her way to Spike and wrap her hooves around his head to make certain he didn't open his eyes or uncover his ears.
Finally, when the sounds had come to a stop, Lily opened her eyes. Full Sails was standing alone now, holding the mask, with fresh blood staining the teeth and a large red stain on the ground beside him. Slowly, she let go of Spike.
"What did I miss? Oh..."
Sails sighed, rolling his eyes as he held the mask up level to his face. "Was that really necessary? I'm hungry too, you know."
Lily was petrified with fear. She couldn't think. She couldn't move.
Calalily Curl, we must join now! Before he gets any stronger!
Sails sighed, placing the mask over his features.
Lily raised the mask to her face, staring into the empty features from the other side as her hoof trembled.
NOW, Calalily!
Sails breathed deeply, shuddering with pleasure. As he did, though, Lily couldn't help but notice something. After a few seconds, it became clear that Sails had noticed, as well. Reaching up, Sails pulled the mask from his face, staring at it in confusion.
"What? Nothing? Why? WHY?"
Lily recoiled as Cha'Qued's voice echoed in all of their heads at the same time.
You call allowing Ravia and that MEAL to beat Inkwell to the brink of death FOR YOU a conquest? You allowed a weakened opponent to toil himself to collapse and called it sport! You are WEAK.
For the first time, Sails seemed to become visibly flustered.
"No! NO! We are the same! We're kindred! I hunger just as you do!"
You hunger FOR power! MY hunger GIVES me power! You have proven nothing today but that you are a coward who refuses to fight his own battles! A queen among insects, perhaps, but you are no PREDATOR! No HUNTER! Inkwell toppled you at the pinnacle of power, and you think this is a feat that has proven you greater than him?
"NO! This WAS me! Even if I didn't do it with my own two hooves, this, ALL OF THIS was me!" When he was only greeted by silence, Sails slammed the mask against the ground, leaning down and screaming directly into Cha'Qued's face. "I set this up! I chased Pennington for years and years, trying to track you down and losing OVER AND OVER! And now, when I finally triumph with my wits, it's not GOOD ENOUGH for you?"
Lily's breath caught in her throat. She wasn't certain whether she should be hopeful that they were going to live or afraid that they were going to become the new targets of his wrath now that Cha'Qued had stopped talking. Sails paced back and forth, obviously lost in manic thought.
Calalily Curl. Now is the time. Please, I am begging you. Help me avenge my people. Place the mask on your face and we shall save your friends! Ravia's voice echoed in Lily's brain. Once again, she brought her trembling hoof up to her face, staring blankly into the empty abyss of the back of the mask. Far in the distance, she thought she heard the whistle of a train, felt greedy tendrils gripping at her head as her body became not her own. Immediately, she tore Ravia's mask away from her face, tears in her eyes.
"I can't..." she whispered, shaking her head. "I'm so sorry... I'm too scared... It's pathetic, I know, but I just CAN'T!"
Sails locked his eyes on Pennington's unconscious body, beginning to take long strides towards them. Long fangs grew out of his mouth and his jaw unhinged in an ugly, unnatural motion that made Lily want to vomit.
I can tell that you have encountered him before, I can sense his stain upon your soul... He leaves something of himself in every pony he touches, a corruption not easily washed away.
"Well, if Pennington has something I don't... Perhaps I can take it!"
Dark realization fell over Lily like a shadow as she understood the dark meaning of Sails's words. She looked back down at the mask for a third time. It was like there was a block that physically prevented her from placing the mask on her face, an invisible barrier between them. Gritting her teeth, Lily placed herself between Sails and Pennington's body, mustering up the best angry glare she could. Earlier, she had been able to just draw on desperation and adrenaline to make sudden shows of courage against Delta's guards and Chrysalis. Now, however, she was just tired. She was spent, completely and utterly.
As Sails came face to face with her, he tilted his head, the slightest hint of a smile playing on his distended mouth.
"Truly, Lily? You won't even don Ravia's mask?"
Lily shook her head, her breath coming in ragged gasps out of raw fear closing up her throat.
"I- I can't wear masks... not after Cha'Qued possessed me..." she whispered, shaking her head. "Do you know how hard it is to run a beauty parlor and not be able to wear face masks? It's ridiculous! E-even now, when my life is on the line, I'm too terrified to do it!" She stamped her hoof, trying to call up just a hint of courage to keep talking.
"B-but Pennington and Twilight already gave everything they could! And I can't just stand by and d-do nothing! S-so, if you want to get Penn, you h-have to-"
Sails rolled his eyes, no longer willing to wait for her to finish and lunging for her throat. Lily threw up her hoof in defense.
*Crunch!*
Lily's hoof once again had the white plating over it, protecting her from harm, and just barely holding back Full Sails's attack. Sails seemed surprised, eyes wide as he gnawed at her leg. He quickly released her, staring in surprise at her before his twisted smile widened.
"Keeping secrets, Calalily Curl?"
Lily shook her head, stamping her armored hoof on the ground to reaffirm her position. "Just scars, Sails..."
Full Sails growled, narrowing his eyes as he prepared himself to attack. Lily raised her hoof in a defensive position. She wasn't certain how long she could hold Sails off, but she couldn't think of anything else. No other place she could be.
It was in that moment that a dark shadow fell over the two of them. Just as Sails looked up, a massive spiked tail swung down, striking him in the chest and sending him flying across the clearing, all the way to the other side and past the treeline.
A gigantic dragon dropped down from the sky, landing on all fours and letting loose a deafening roar that shook what few leaves remained left on the trees.
"YOU SHALL NOT HARM THE SCRIBE ANY FURTHER, DEMON!"
The dragon stood proudly on four legs, with silver scales and a sapphire underbelly that glowed brightly as he let forth a wall of blue flame from his mouth and into the sky. Lily could hardly believe her eyes as it turned its long neck to look at her and she spotted a tiny purple wyvern sitting on top of its head.
"I GOT HELP!" Moonstone cheerfully announced.
It was at this point that Lily finally took her turn to faint.
Luna anxiously paced about her room as Eclipse sat in the corner, lost in thought.
"I still believe I could teleport to them and be back in time!" Luna muttered, even as Eclipse shook his head, dismissing the idea.
"Even I couldn't make it there and back in time with all the magic in the air from this weather manipulation, and we both know that teleporting is my specialty. And even if you knew where you were going and could make it there safely, there's no telling what kind of dangerous situation you'd be throwing yourself into. Last we heard from them, Pennington was in the middle of the Macintosh Hills, right on Equestria's southern border with the dragon lands." Eclipse sighed. "If you were delayed even slightly, ponies would realize you had left and think their princess abandoned them. We'd have a full-blown riot on our han- erm, hooves."
"Well, I tried sending him a letter, and all I got back was THIS!" Luna shoved the page of parchment into Eclipse's face, as if he hadn't seen it already. It was a hastily-written assurance from "Pennington" that Luna's warning had been received and that he would heed her warning to beware the Adelind family. Luna knew that it was fake. Pennington would never be that compliant if somepony accused Moonstone of betrayal like that. That meant that Moonstone had been warned by Celestia already and was intercepting Pennington's letters.
His trust in her has saved him many times, but now it will be his undoing!
"Can't you go into his dreams and warn him there tonight?" Eclipse asked. "I mean, face-to-face, plus using your magic for illustrations to drive the point home? Sounds like a foolproof method of getting a point across to me!"
Luna sighed, pressing her hoof to her forehead.
"Celestia KNOWS we're going to try to undermine her plans, and we BOTH know she'll have accounted for something that obvious. If I were to guess, I'd have to say that she'll be moving things forward, to bring him to the trials before nightfall, before he has a chance to sleep at all!" Luna turned back to Eclipse.
"What about YOUR powers? Couldn't you send a parasprite with a message, or a wayward cotton candy cloud, or something? Teleport Pennington to US?"
Eclipse sighed, shaking his head.
"Again, there's too much risk in trying to teleport over that long a distance with these magical storms. They've only gotten worse over the last twenty-four hours. And not even a full swarm of parasprites could make it that far by now, let alone a small enough number to be noticed missing from the evacuation efforts."
Eclipse was right, of course. All of his parasprites had been called from Equestria's borders to scour towns and cities for any ponies whom the first evacuations had missed, and had brought in dozens of stubborn individuals who'd thought themselves capable of weathering the storms alone. But now entire swarms were being reported missing, stricken out of the skies.
Luna groaned, walking over and lightly pounding her head against the wall.
"There MUST be something we can do to send warning to him in his waking hours!"
Eclipse sighed, glancing down at a watch that had appeared on his wrist.
"For now, you have an appearance to make in the grand hall in... five minutes."
Luna groaned. These "appearances" didn't consist of much more than tactfully walking past doors and down hallways, occasionally making her way through the grand hall itself in order to be accosted with countless questions she didn't have answers to, constantly rushed onward by guards that told those who asked questions that she was simply "very busy" and "Couldn't take questions." She hated it. It was all just a farce, creating the illusion that Equestria's rulers were busy and hard at work for their subjects, when in reality, they were just as helpless as the rest of them. Everything relied on Pennington's mission to retrieve the wendigo gauntlet being a success.
But at this point, it was all that could be done to keep up appearances in front of their subjects.
Our subjects... that's it!
"Eclipse?"
"Yeah?"
"I need to ask you for something big."
Eclipse shifted anxiously, but nodded.
"I need you to leave the castle and contact somepony for me." She snatched up a pen and paper from her dresser, hastily scribbling down an address and stamping it with her royal seal before pressing it into Eclipse's claws. "Go to this address, ask for the 'daring mare.' Those exact words."
Luna couldn't say that she was surprised as the color drained from Eclipse's face.
"Y-you want me to go outside the castle? Into the city?"
This had been a long-time problem. While she and Celestia had been successful in convincing Eclipse to leave Everfree to live with them in the castle, getting him to LEAVE the castle had been another matter entirely. After Cadence and Shining Armor had left for the Crystal Empire, he'd stopped leaving the castle entirely.
"Eclipse, I know you get nervous about leaving the castle, but-"
"And you..." Eclipse pointed at her, then back to himself, "Want ME... to go talk to ponies I don't know and have never met? And ASK THEM for something?"
Luna sighed, using her magic to force Eclipse down to eye level.
"I know it's a lot to ask of you, Eclipse. But as you said yourself, my hooves are tied keeping ponies calm. I have every confidence that you can do this. If I didn't think that time was of the absolute essence, I would go myself my "appearance" was through." She gently poked her hoof against his chest. "You have a stronger heart than you believe. Please, do this for me."
Eclipse blinked, surprised at her words, then groaned, tightening his grip on the paper in his palm.
"If I'm going to do this, I want you to try checking if he's dreaming the MOMENT you get back, okay? Maybe he's taking a nap, or something!"
Luna smiled, then nodded.
With another pained moan, Eclipse held up his hand, fingers poised to snap his fingers. "I don't want to do this, I don't want to do this, I don't want to do this..." he whispered repeatedly as he screwed his eyes shut. With a loud snap, he disappeared.
Luna sighed, donning her regalia with practiced ease and stepping out into the hallway, where an escort of guards were waiting for her. She rolled her eyes, but nodded in agreement as they all set out to ease the nerves of Canterlot.
Spike's jaw hung loose as he watched Moonstone hop down off of the huge dragon's head and into the snow. She quickly ran past him and to Pennington's unconscious body.
"Wha- wha- wha-" He stuttered, trying to wrap his head around what was going on. The large dragon seemed to be ignoring him, watching Moonstone carefully.
Moonstone reached down, placing her claws carefully on Pennington's neck. After a few seconds, she sighed with relief.
"His heartbeat's faint, but there."
"Good," the large dragon replied. "Then we shall bring him to the eyrie." Slowly, he snaked his tail underneath Pennington's body, only for Moonstone to swat hastily at him.
"You can't just pick him up like that! Do you have any idea how to handle an injured creature?"
The larger dragon rolled his eyes.
"Um... Moonstone?" Spike asked, finally getting her attention away from Pennington for a moment. Moonstone gave him an annoyed glare for the distraction until he pointed up at the giant dragon and raised a questioning eyebrow. "Care to introduce us?"
"OH! Right!" Moonstone's glare shifted to a smile as she gestured to the two-story-tall dragon. "Spike, this is my big brother, Noir! Noir, this is Spike!"
Spike stared up at the larger dragon, waving in a friendly manner. Noir bent his head down, getting a closer look at Spike. Spike couldn't help but get slightly nervous at the fact that this dragon looked like he could eat him up as easily as a piece of popcorn.
"Well met, 'Spike.' I am Noir Brightscales Sapphirus Adelind, firstborn of-"
"Noooir, I told you, he was raised in Equestria, none of that means anything to him!" Moonstone called out as she reached down into a small pocket in her scales and retrieved a small vial. Slowly, she uncapped the vial and placed it just beneath Pennington's muzzle. After a couple seconds, Pennington inhaled sharply and his eyes snapped open.
"G-gah! T-Twilight! Lily! I-"
"Penn! Penn take it easy, they're fine. Everyone's safe." Moonstone whispered, kneeling down beside his head and trying to soothe him. "Sails and Delta are gone. Everyone's okay."
Pennington's eyes flickered around, first to Lily, then Twilight, then Spike, and finally widened as he caught sight of Noir.
"I... feel like I missed a lot."
Spike chuckled, rolling his eyes. "Only about ten minutes." After a few seconds, he looked closely at the vial in Moonstone's claws. "What IS that stuff, anyway?"
"Smelling salts." Moonstone pressed the vial into his hand. "You wake up Twilight and Lily, I'm going to try to get a good assessment of Penn's injuries."
Curious, Spike took his own sniff of the vial. It reeked of ammonia, making him cough slightly as he leaned down, holding the vial to Lily's nostrils. The effect was seemingly the same, jolting her back into consciousness, albeit with much less panicking involved than with Pennington.
"Spike? What's... going on?" she asked, rolling herself into a sitting position.
"Well, this is Moonstone's big brother, Noir!" Spike grinned, motioning to Noir, who nodded politely. Lily's eyes widened, but she thankfully didn't faint for a second time.
"Moonstone has told me much about you, Calalily Curl."
Lily's face flushed slightly as she nodded politely.
"Ch-charmed..."
Spike knew that reaction he'd seen Rarity do the same thing countless times when she was nervous. It seemed to be the standard greeting under duress for ponies in Canterlot.
"Lily!" Moonstone called, grabbing her attention away from Noir. "I could really use a horn over here!"
Lily snapped out of her reverie, quickly getting back up on her hooves and shakily making her way towards Moonstone as Spike moved in the opposite direction, running over to Twilight. Upon catching the scent of the smelling salts, Twilight screwed her eyes shut harder as a pained groan rumbled up from her chest.
"Uuuuugh, my head..."
Spike chuckled softly. This was just like how Twilight would wake up the morning after one of her all-night study sessions. Slowly, she cracked one eye open, peering at Spike with one bloodshot eye.
"Spike?"
"Take it easy, Twilight. Everything's gonna be fine, now."
Slowly, Twilight's eye panned from side to side, taking the sight of everything in the clearing.
"Is... that another dragon?" she whispered, slowly pulling her face out of the dirt to open her other eyes. "Or am I dreaming?"
"Yeah!" Spike grinned, offering Twilight a helping claw in getting back onto her hooves. "Apparently, Moonstone's big brother is a BIG brother! He took out Sails with one big WHACK out of nowhere with his tail! He never saw it coming!"
Twilight seemed unsteady on her hooves, stumbling as she tried to take a step forward. Spike quickly ducked under her, helping her regain her balance.
"S-sorry, Spike. I think I might need your help to walk."
Spike nodded, looping one of her front hooves over his shoulder and letting her rest some of her weight on him. He couldn't help but feel a surge of pride at the fact that Twilight was standing at all.
"No problem for a number one assistant! As awful as he was, Full Sails was right about one thing: you've had a pretty rough day. I'm just happy to help lighten your load!"
Twilight smiled, tousling the spikes on top of his head. The tender moment was interrupted, however, by Moonstone.
"Twilight! I need another pair of eyes!"
Twilight sighed, and Spike couldn't help but feel annoyed with Moonstone's bossy attitude.
What's the rush, anyway? Everybody's safe!
As the two of them made their way over, Moonstone sighed, shaking her head. As they finally drew close enough to get a good look at Pennington, Spike heard Twilight's breath catch in her throat.
"Oh my stars... Penn, you're-"
"I'm fine..." Penn muttered, clearly avoiding eye contact.
"You're terrible." Moonstone stated matter-of-factly, rolling her eyes. "Twilight, I need a second opinion, make sure I didn't miss anything important. Lily, do you mind?"
"Um, those with weak stomachs might want to look away..." Lily glanced at Spike for a moment as her magic lifted up a black cloak from the ground and hovered it above Pennington's body. As she did, the cloak became transparent... as did Pennington from the neck down.
"The further we hold the invisibility cloak from Pennington, the less effective it becomes, which allows us to get a nice look at his injuries from the inside." Moonstone explained as Lily levitated the cloak further upwards. Spike braced himself as Pennington's body began to reappear in layers from the ground up. Pale bones and sinew came to light, along with dark, spindly blood vessels and pulsating organs. Spike honestly couldn't identify much of it, but Twilight's sharp intake of breath was enough to make him worried.
"I count three fractured vertebrae, two fractured ribs, a broken rib that's punctured one lung and caused it to collapse, and microfractures along... well, nearly everything, but those might be left over from when that cave collapsed on him."
"I just need... to catch my breath."
Twilight seemed to miss the fact that Moonstone had just stated Pennington had been in a cave-in, her eyes quickly darting across everything she was seeing with the same level of intense study she usually dedicated to pre-test cramming sessions.
"Any sign of a concussion?"
"His brain seems to be the one thing that ISN'T broken."
"Well, it looks like he might have broken one of his hooves, as well..." Twilight muttered. "I'm not surprised you missed it, though. The collapsed lung is a much more pressing matter."
Pennington rolled his eyes dismissively. If Spike wasn't seeing the crumpled organ, himself, he might not have even believed Penn was badly injured, just winded.
"What do you think we should do? It's not like we can just operate right here in the snow, right?" Lily asked, nervously glancing between Twilight and Moonstone.
"The blood is building up in his chest. That pressure is what collapsed the lung, and if we don't stop it soon, more blood will build up and pressure the heart enough to kill him." Twilight muttered. Spike knew that tone. This was Twilight being all-business, completely objective.
"We can make it to my family's home in about an hour, forty-five minutes if Noir really pushes it. We have powerful healing magic there."
Twilight shook her head. "That's too long, he could die en-route. If we can't stop the bleeding here, we have to relieve that pressure NOW. Normally, doctors would use a hollow needle or some kind of hose to let out some of the fluid, but we don't have either of those on hoof. We'll have to improvise."
There was a brief pause as everyone stopped to consider the situation, and Spike noticed Pennington's eyes briefly glance towards the hilt of his sword just over his shoulder. Spike suddenly had a sinking feeling in his gut that he needed to avoid THAT course of action if he wanted to have any chance of not having nightmares for a year straight.
"W-wait! Don't you already HAVE a path for getting it out?" Spike pointed at the spot where Pennington's rib had poked through his lung. Slowly, he traced a path up through Pennington's throat and up through his mouth. "If you can get some of the blood out like THAT, would we be able to make it in time? With magic?"
Spike could see the gears in Twilight's head turning for a few seconds before her grip on his shoulders tightened in a loving hug.
"Spike, you're a genius! I just have to-" There was a sound of a soft fizzling as Twilight's horn sparked helplessly for a moment. Spike didn't even have to look up and see her disappointment, her whole body seemed to sag with the weight of it as he tried to keep her standing.
"I- I think that's it... I spent everything trying to fight Full Sails. I haven't got any magic power left."
Moonstone frowned, turning to Lily. Lily, realizing what was about to be asked of her, stepped back, shaking her head.
"No! No, no! Nononononono-"
"Lily, you HAVE to! You're the last unicorn standing!" Moonstone urged. "If you don't, he's not going to make it long enough to get help!"
"N-no! I'm not a doctor! I'm not calm under pressure like the rest of you! I'll mess it up, or kill him even faster! I might... might..." She trailed off, her eyes caught on an object sitting on the ground: Ravia's mask. She tilted her head, confused for a moment.
"What do you mean?" Lily said to no one in particular.
Spike would have thought she was crazy at this point, but after today, he felt a bit more hesitant about ever calling anyone crazy ever again.
"Y-you think so?"
"Lily?" Pennington croaked, snapping her attention back to him. He coughed weakly, a trickle of blood leaking out of the corner of his mouth and staining the snow. "Remember... a year and a half ago? When you were... triple-booked?"
The color drained from Lily's face.
"That's not fair, Penn..."
"You said you'd do ANYTHING if I would... run Whipstitch's shop so she could help you..."
"I never meant-"
"Anything."
Lily looked down at the ground in shame.
"So I'm calling in... that favor. I'm asking you to... just believe in yourself... like I do. For five minutes."
Lily had tears flowing down her face, now. She took a long, shuddering breath, gritted her teeth, and nodded. She walked closer, her eyes narrowing in focus as her magical grip on the cloak adjusted and she prepared herself to multitask. Slowly, Spike could see a crimson pool in Pennington's chest begin to glow with blue magic.
"It'sjustredhairdyeit'sjustredhairdyeit'sjustredhairdye..." Lily repeated to herself as the pool began to slowly trickle its way out of Pennington's chest cavity and into his lung, making its way in through the edges of the rib's entry point.
"Okay, Penn... Take a deep breath in..." Twilight whispered, reaching down to take a hold of his hoof. Pennington nodded silently, obviously holding back a grunt of pain as the blood pooled in his lung. "Now hold it. Lily's going to pull the broken rib back into place, okay?" Pennington nodded, gritting his teeth. Spike couldn't help but notice Lily was still crying silently, but to her credit, she hadn't lost focus because of it. There was a small pause as everyone held their breath together, and the magic took hold of the bone and pulled it back into its proper place, exposing the hole in the lung for the blood to pour through. Pennington's eyes grew wide and he let out a long, strained groan before inhaling and exhaling quickly over and over. After a few tense seconds, he nodded, signaling for them to continue.
At this point, Spike had to wonder if he'd been right about this being the method LESS likely to cause nightmares. Somehow, however, he couldn't tear his eyes away from it.
"Okay, Penn, another deep breath..." Twilight whispered. Pennington complied, and Twilight gave an encouraging nod. "Now, exhale slowly."
Pennington let out a soft wheeze. At the same time, Lily began to move the pool of blood upwards in a small stream. The liquid finally made its way out of Penn's mouth, dropping down and creating a steaming red puddle in the snow. After nearly ten seconds, the last of the blood passed through. Lily finally gasped and the glow of her magic faded away, leaving both herself and Pennington taking in swift and short breaths of air, though for different reasons.
Spike heard Twilight hum quietly to herself in thought.
"As much good as that did, we should get moving. It still hasn't solved the problem of the bleeding hole in his lung, and I doubt you want to have to do that a second time mid-flight."
As Lily vehemently shook her head, Spike was surprised to see Ravia's mask slowly sliding across the ground towards Pennington.
I have done you a great injustice, Pennington Inkwell. I thought you a trickster and Calalily misguided. However, Sails was proven to be the one who had deceived me.
Pennington was still panting for air, but nodded as best he could.
"Happens... to the best of us... Sails is crafty."
As a goddess, I should be fair and just, but I acted rashly and out of wrath. Please, allow me to make some small start to reparations for my attempt on your life...
Pennington looked wary, but nodded.
A single tiny root sprung up from the ground, gently pressing itself into his mouth. Everyone watched through the invisibility cloak's inside view as it quickly made its way down his throat and into his collapsed lung. Once it had reached inside, it pressed itself to the wall of his lung and began to grow, more roots traveling out and pushing outwards, forcing his lung back into its original shape. After restoring it back to its full size, one of the tendrils pressed itself against the puncture wound and pulled it shut. A small spiderweb of roots grew to hold it shut and separated itself from the rest. Its work done, the root shrunk back to its original single tendril and pulled itself back out of Pennington's mouth altogether. Spike was the first to break the shocked silence.
"Whoa."
My domain is not over the flesh, but I know much of healing nature's creatures. That should hold well and staunch the bleeding until you reach this place of healing of which the dragons speak. A grouping of small branches grew up out of the ground, blossoming into blooms of bell-shaped greens with large white orbs inside them.
"Hazelnuts?" Twilight asked, confused.
"Filbert flowers." Lily smiled. "They mean she wants to reconcile."
Pennington took a deep breath, smiled, and nodded weakly.
"I think I could do that."
Moonstone breathed a sigh of relief.
"Alright, then! Lily, you focus on GENTLY levitating Penn onto Noir's back. Everybody else: you're gonna have to get on, yourselves! I'm still worried about the possibility of concussion, so I'm going to keep Penn awake and observe him on the way. There's a magical healing spring waiting for us about an hour's flight from here where we can all mend our wounds and get some rest!"
For the first time in what felt like ages, Noir finally spoke up once again.
"Friends of the Scribe shall be welcome in the Adelind Eyrie."
Spike had to admit, he liked the sound of that.
As they were all walking away, Spike caught a small snippet of conversation as Lily picked up Ravia's mask.
"So, WHY didn't you do that BEFORE I had to stick my magic into my best friend's chest?"
Spike chuckled softly. Somehow, after everything that had happened, he was more impressed with Lily than anyone else. Twilight had always been awesome, she'd already saved Equestria twice, but Lily was just a hairdresser from Canterlot. This was all way beyond anything she could possibly be used to. He felt proud of her, in a way. Calalily Curl had turned out to be far more than he expected.
"So, Lily, when the tunnel got flooded, you got washed all the way to Penn? Seems like we could have saved some time if we all just went with the flow!"
Lily's eyes widened, and she nearly lost her magical grip on Pennington's body.
"Spike? Have I got a STORY for you!"
Spike covered his mouth, trying to hold back a giggle. Now that the danger had passed and they were safe, things were finally starting to look up. Everyone was going to get a chance to heal and rest, he was going to get to meet more dragons, and they had made a new friend who just so happened to be some kind of ancient goddess.
Full Sails groaned, trying for the third time to get up. It had been ridiculous to let his guard down so much, even if he was only fighting Calalily Curl. He'd forgotten to account for Pennington's dragon assistant and where she might have disappeared to, and it had cost him his victory.
As he finally managed to get back to his hooves, he shook off the snow from his back and gave his wings a couple hesitant flaps. Nothing was broken, though he thought he might have pulled a muscle in his neck at one point.
As he looked up into the sky, he could see the same dragon that had ambushed him taking off back into the air. Sitting on its back were Pennington, Moonstone, Lily, the other dragon, and Twilight Sparkle. His eyes narrowed in suspicion. If the data he'd been given was correct, then he knew where they were going, and it WASN'T to bring Pennington to finish his mission. It was for Celestia's secret weapon to finish HERS.
He casually stretched his neck back and forth and his wings from side to side before taking off into the air, following as closely as he dared without being detected.
Twilight Sparkle would NOT stand between him and his rival.
Eclipse took a deep breath, trying to control his trembling. He was the Royal Advisor to Celestia and Luna. He was the last draconequus! At his peak, his magic could warp the very fabric of reality, itself!
So why was he so terrified of stepping out into the streets of Canterlot?
He wasn't even actually going to be walking down the empty streets, Luna had given him an address to teleport to. Nodding in affirmation that he wouldn't need to actually spend much time out in the open, he raised his hand, telling himself that he would snap his fingers and teleport on the count of three.
One.
I trust Luna, don't I? She wouldn't send me anywhere bad.
Two.
Besides, this is for Celestia. To stop her from making an awful mistake.
Three.
I just have to get there, find the pony in charge, and ask for the "daring mare." That's probably some kind of code, right?
Four.
I mean, if it isn't, then I'm going to have a REALLY awkward moment because I hardly understand what I'm doing.
Five.
No! If I start thinking about the three dozen ways this could go wrong, I'll never do it!
Six.
Wait, wasn't I supposed to go on three?
Eclipse sighed, rolling his eyes in irritation, mostly with himself. He glared angrily at his hand. His fingers obviously hadn't stuck to the plan.
If something goes wrong, I'll just teleport back and ask Luna what I should do. Yeah. Instantly disappear.
Feeling reassured at the idea of allowing himself to instantly bail out if something went wrong, Eclipse took a deep breath and snapped his fingers, teleporting himself across Canterlot.
The next thing that he knew, Eclipse was standing in the middle of a shop. Camouflage and dark colors covered every object on the shelves, ranging from night-vision goggles to body armor to survival gear like ropes and fire starters. Most of the shelves looked empty, however, with disturbingly large gaps between items and most of the racks and displays on the floor completely empty.
"If you're here for a sleeping bag or some kind of blanket, umbrella, or raincoat, I'm afraid we sold out two days ago." A gruff-sounding voice announced, causing Eclipse to jump nearly a meter into the air in surprise. As he spun around, he found himself looking at a heavy-built pegasus with a black coat and a mane of gray, a washed-out blue that betrayed his age, even if his fit condition didn't. "And I refuse to sell weapons to anypony until this crisis has passed. That's just asking for trouble."
Eclipse cleared his throat, trying not to let his nerves show.
"A-actually, I'm from the castle. Princess Luna sent me. I'm looking for... the 'Daring Mare?'"
The pegasus stared him up and down, examining him in a way that made Eclipse extremely uncomfortable.
"I apologize for the lateness of the hour." The pegasus stared at him, narrowing his eyes as he waited for an answer.
Eclipse was about to point out that it was only the early evening, but stopped as he remembered the significance of the expression. In case of an emergency, both Celestia and Luna had taught him the passphrases for their supporting organizations. This pegasus was asking him for the other part of the New Lunar Republic's code.
"The clock is wound tight and the hours pass quickly?"
"The clock moves hour by hour."
Eclipse couldn't help feeling relieved as the response confirmed that he was using the right code.
"A late hour is but an illusion to the moon!"
The pegasus smiled, nodding in affirmation and moving to the back wall behind his desk, activating a hidden mechanism to reveal a secret door leading down into the ground.
"I'll be back in a moment."
Eclipse nodded silently as the pegasus vanished into the dark passage. Left completely alone in the shop, Eclipse quietly clasped his hands behind his back and took the time to observe his surroundings more closely. If things went wrong, then there was an exit just behind him at a distance he could cover in about a second. Any weapons in the room were locked in a glass case under the front desk, but he couldn't take for granted that the pegasus wouldn't come back armed. A quick check assured him that there were no magical wards over the shop to stop him from teleporting out, either. For all intents and purposes, he seemed to have nothing to fear.
When the door opened again, the pegasus had returned, along with another pegasus mare trailing behind him. Even without her signature pith helmet and olive-colored vest, Eclipse instantly recognized her as the pony from the covers of numerous books in Luna's bedroom. With a quick flutter of her wings, she jumped over the counter and landed in front of Eclipse, offering him a friendly hoof.
"A. K. Yearling. You must be Mister Tumult, correct?"
Eclipse nodded, slightly dumbstruck at the fact that he was shaking the hoof of what appeared to be the real-life Daring Do.
"I'd heard rumors that there was a draconequus living in the castle, but I hardly dared to believe it! It's a real pleasure to meet you!"
"L-likewise, Miss... Yearling, was it?" Eclipse cleared his throat, trying to shake off his confusion. "Forgive me for asking, but you bear a remarkable resemblance to a certain... character I've read about. You wouldn't happen to know one 'Scorching Quill,' would you?"
The pony rolled her eyes, sighing with a melancholy smile.
"I know, Daring Do looks exactly like me. Trust me, not a single day goes by where I'm not reminded of it. I didn't think the books would get so popular, so I agreed to let Scorching use my likeness for his main character. How could I say no to my former student, after all?"
Eclipse blinked again, realization beginning to dawn onto him as to why Luna had sent him to find this particular pony.
"You were Pe- Scorching's teacher? He's actually the reason I'm here looking for you. We think his life may be in danger, moreso than he is equipped to deal with."
Yearling raised an eyebrow at his obvious slip, turning back to the shop owner.
"Thunder Strike, could the two of us have a moment alone? We need to speak freely."
The other pegasus nodded, trotting over and locking the front door before ducking back through the secret door and leaving the two of them alone. Yearling took a deep breath and hopped up on top of one of the displays, bringing her up closer to eye level with Eclipse.
"Alright. What kind of trouble has Pennington gotten himself into this time, and what makes it so bad you've come to me?"
Eclipse took a deep breath.
"Are you familiar with the legend of the Guardians of Equestria?"
"Actually, they're not EQUESTRIA'S guardians, they protect the land, itself. Legends about them date as far back as recorded history for every race that's ever lived here for any extended period of time." Yearling smirked. "But yes, I've gone on many, MANY expeditions looking for traces of them at Celestia's request. Heck, I wrote my senior thesis on definitively proving that their last incarnations participated in the war against Discord as Quill, Ixia, Threadmane, and Emb-"
"YOU were the one providing Celestia's information?"
Yearling shrugged. "Yes, so? I was just as intrigued as her, so I was happy to go dig up what I could."
Eclipse sighed, leaning back against the wall.
"Celestia is making a grave mistake based off of that information, Miss Yearling. She believes that the guardians have been reincarnated once again-"
"If that were true, then that would mean Equestria is in grave danger..." Yearling muttered under her breath.
"-and she's taken it upon herself to try and 'guide' the ponies she suspects of being their next incarnations to their 'destinies!' She thinks Pennington is the new Scribe, and she's sent him to go through the trials of the Adelind dragons!"
Somehow, Yearling didn't seem to panic at the news, taking a deep breath as she was briefly lost in thought.
"Miss Yearling? Miss Yearling, that kind of magic is too much for a single pony's mind! Celestia's sending him into a trap that'll drive him insane!"
Still, A.K. said nothing, her eyes narrowed in focus.
"Even if Celestia's foolish belief in these stories is right, it would pour a thousand lifetimes of knowledge into his head at once, destroying his identity! There's wouldn't be any Pennington left! Moonstone is stopping our letters, and unless he goes to sleep soon, Luna and I will have no way to warn him before it's too late!"
Yearling finally seemed to agree, nodding and taking a deep breath.
"So what did Luna send you to me for? Does she think I can convince Celestia otherwise after years of feeding her 'foolish belief?'" Her eyes narrowed in suspicion. "And you might do well to start believing in old legends, Mister Tumult, considering that you ARE one."
Eclipse took a deep breath. "I think Luna sent me to you for help because you know Pennington. You would know a way to get through to him when all else fails, right? Or at least, you might be the only pony in Equestria who stands a chance of catching up to him in time!"
Yearling sighed, the urgency of the situation seemingly lost on her. "I've read the journals of Quill and Threadmane, in their last days, the two of them believed that something was hunting them, and worried that the Guardian Spirits themselves might have been in danger. Shortly after that, Quill was killed BECAUSE he was the Spirit of the Scribe!" She sighed, sitting back on her haunches. "If that's the case, Celestia would be right to be pushing them like this. They'll need to be ready faster than whatever hunted them down."
"And what about Pennington? Don't you care about him at ALL?"
This made Yearling chuckle.
"Of course I care about him, he was the best student I ever had! I might even agree with Celestia, he does seem like the best fit for the next Scribe. But I think you're putting too little faith in him, Mister Tumult. Pennington's mind held up against the might of the changeling hivemind when they tried to convert him. I've seen him shrug off mind-altering magic in a matter of hours after the spell was broken as if nothing had happened! You could put ten lifetimes or ten thousand into his head, Pennington would still be Pennington. He's stubborn like that."
She chuckled softly to herself. "Pennington has spent so long in over his head, he's learned to thrive in it. You might say he's become quite the adept swimmer."
Eclipse felt his spirits beginning to fall as he realized the point A.K. Yearling was trying to make.
"So, you aren't going to help us?"
Yearling sighed, shaking her head.
"Short of flying across Equestria in this killer weather in a matter of hours, what could I do? If a princess and a draconequus can't get in contact with him, what can a pegasus do on her own, no matter how determined?" She shrugged her shoulders. "The only help I can offer you is this advice: you and Luna should have faith in her student, just as I have faith in mine."
Yearling chuckled to herself softly.
"Besides, a certain other one of my students would NEVER let anypony 'erase' Pennington but himself."
The flight to the Adelind Eyrie was blissfully uneventful and quiet, aside from the quiet mumbling of Pennington and Moonstone talking back and forth with one another. Spike and Lily quickly drifted off to sleep on the warm scales of their ride, and Twilight had to admit that she was tempted to follow their example. Seeing a dragon's-eye view of this part of the world, however, was too good of an opportunity to pass up. She watched beneath them as the stark white landscape freckled with green spots faded to an arid brownish-red, and the rolling hills and mountains abruptly stopped, as though it had all been stomped flat by the titans that dwelt on the other side of Macintosh Hills. Far below them, Twilight could see gigantic winged lizards going about their days, usually in solitude. Those that weren't alone were more often than not fighting with one another, sending up angry snarls and plumes of flame that threatened to burn off her eyelashes even at this great height.
Twilight had to admit, she was starting to really enjoy flying. In the back of her mind, she began working on the puzzle of finding a way to fly on her own, some day.
"So, these are the dragon lands..." She whispered. As much as she wished she could take notes and study more carefully, her saddlebags had been torn to shreds in the fight with Delta Raider, and judging by the look Moonstone had given her when she was eyeing Pennington's supplies, any attempts to "borrow" writing tools from him wouldn't end well. Instead, Twilight settled for mental notes, trying to commit every detail of their journey to memory.
After what she could only guess to be about 45 minutes of flying, their goal came into sight: a great spire of orange rock shooting up into the sky twice, no, three times as tall as Canterlot Castle. Dragons of varying sizes and body types were constantly flying in and out through numerous holes in the sides. Twilight's heart raced as they drew closer and closer, trying to analyze every dragon they passed. Each one was different and beautiful in a new way, their scales arrayed in every color of the rainbow, some shimmering like gemstones while others looked to be covered in scales of different metals. Amphiptheres coiled themselves around the craggy spires at the top of the tower, their legless bodies making them almost exclusively airborne creatures and nearly impossible to study for scholars. Far, far down at the base of the tower, wingless drakes and wyrms crawled across the ground, near-impregnable tanks and snake-like agile hunters working in tandem to gather resources and guard the borders of their territory. Every species of dragon Twilight had ever read about and some she never had rested between those two extremes, a gradient of the spectrum of dragon biology that only few of the most honored scholars had ever had the opportunity to see.
Twilight quickly glanced to make sure Moonstone was looking away, then snuck her hoof into Pennington's saddlebag and snatched as much paper as she could along with a well of ink and a fresh quill. For a moment, she and Pennington locked eyes, catching her in the act. She gave a sheepish smile as Penn rolled his eyes and gave her a silent nod of approval. With a barely-suppressed squee of joy, Twilight began taking down notes and making anatomical sketches as quickly as her horn could make the quill move.
"Father will be happy to see you, Moonstone. It has been many years since you left home." Noir declared, turning towards one hole in the massive structure. To everyone's surprise, Moonstone jumped up into the air before landing hard on the edge of his wing, forcing it down and taking them all in a sharp turn to the left.
"And I'll be happy to see him, but our first stop NEEDS to be the spring!"
Noir climbed higher into the air and flew in a loop around the tower, trying to avoid crashing headfirst into the structure. To Twilight's delight, this served to give her even more to study, and she began to wonder if her horn had recovered enough to start using a second quill to take notes twice as fast. Noir twisted his head to look around at his passengers, giving Moonstone a wary look. She stared straight back, her arms folded over her chest.
"I'll take the heat for not going to Dad first, don't worry about it. But we NEED to get these ponies to the spring, and we need to do it now!"
Noir raised an eyebrow, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.
"You're twice as stubborn as you were when you left, sister. I like it."
Moonstone gave her brother a smug smirk, walking back along his wing and onto his back. "If you think I'm bad now, you really don't want to see me when I'm mad."
A low chuckle ran through Noir's body as they circled around and through one of the holes in the spire, finally bringing them inside. Noir made it look almost effortless as they drifted from one room to another, passing through cavernous doorways and tight tunnels with only the slightest tilting and flapping of the tips of his wings. Twilight knew that there was no chance that she would ever be able to remember the path they took, even if she had been capable of navigating it. The Adelind Eyrie was a labyrinth of sandstone, one that twisted and coiled around itself in both the horizontal and vertical planes. It was all that she could do to be able to tell the general direction that they were moving in: downward and into the heart of the structure. The air took on a subterranean chill as they moved further and further inside, and it was several minutes before Twilight caught a more notable change: humidity.
Moments later, they finally emerged from the last passageway and into the largest cavern she had ever seen in her life. It was a massive cylinder of open air, stretching all the way from ground level to the top of the tower, letting in a bath of natural sunlight that washed over her like a warm bath. Looking down, she spied a pool of steaming water large enough to practically qualify as a lake. The walls were lined with holes and tunnels, and Twilight could tell that this was the literal heart of the structure, with access to every other area stemming from this hot spring. All roads led here, and the healing aura disseminated out from this place like blood from a heart. There was something almost holy about it all, leaving Twilight with the uneasy feeling of standing inside a cathedral.
Finally, Noir's spiraling descent came to a stop, landing gingerly on the shore of the pool and laying down on his stomach to bring them as close to the ground as possible. One blue wing stretched out and into the water, providing a gentle ramp for them. The landing finally startled Spike and Lily awake, both of them rubbing at their eyes and blinking in disbelief at their surroundings. Moonstone, however, seemed to take the situation all in stride, completely at home in the awe-inspiring surroundings.
"Okay, everypony into the water! Lily, Twilight, I want you both to work together to move Pennington into the shallows so he can lean against the edge to keep his head up. Then, I want each of you to head into deeper waters, at least up to your necks. Spend as much time as you can swimming underneath, though. Especially you, Twilight, you don't have many injuries, other than your horn and magical exhaustion." She placed her hands on her hips, staring at them expectantly.
"WELL? I'm not the one with telekinesis, here!"
Twilight and Lily both looked at each other. Twilight was considering making a remark about Moonstone's overly bossy attitude, but the look on Lily's face told her that both of them were too tired for a fight to be worth it. Carefully, the two of them wrapped their magical auras around Pennington's body and walked down Noir's wing and into the water. The moment Twilight's hoof touched the water, she gasped as she felt potent magic pouring into her body. Instantly, all of her aches and bruises seemed to melt away, leaving her with a comforting warm tingling throughout her body. A quick glance over at Lily confirmed that she wasn't the only one experiencing the sensation, with Calalily's eyes having sunk into half-lidded bliss. The feelings only grew stronger as they both waded deeper in, up to their knees and then their bellies. From the shoreline, Moonstone waved them towards the shore, to a place where the smooth stone floor was only halfway up their forelegs. Moonstone silently set one of Pennington's saddlebags as a pillow on the shore as they laid him on the ground, his head on the shore and his body barely covered by the water. When Pennington came in contact with the spring, his eyes widened and he let out a noise somewhere between laughter and a weak sigh of relief. Moonstone carefully stroked the side of his head as she reached into his bag and retrieved a small bottle. Tipping it into her hand, Twilight recognized the pills that she quietly slipped into Pennington's mouth: they were the medication Zecora gave him to stop his sleep paralysis.
"Okay, buddy... You did good today," she whispered, giving Pennington a warm smile. "Now you can rest. Sleep if you want, just move into the deeper waters when you feel strong enough to stand on your own four hooves, okay?"
Pennington nodded wordlessly smiling and closing his eyes. As his breathing fell into a steady rhythm, Moonstone finally seemed to relax for the first time since Twilight had seen her, her shoulders slumping as she fell back and onto the ground, spread out across the stone floor as all her tension melted away and she sighed with relief. She tilted her head to look at Twilight and Lily, giving them a sheepish smile.
"S-sorry about all that. I know I've been a pain in the flank all day."
Lily and Twilight both glanced at one another, Lily giving a knowing smile.
"I'm more impressed than angry. For someone your age, you sure know how to take charge of a situation in crisis." Lily chuckled softly. Twilight quickly nodded her agreement.
"And you didn't let up or cave to the pressure until you were certain it was over! That's incredibly commendable!" Twilight walked back up to the shore, picking Moonstone up in her magic before giving her a quick hug and setting her into the water alongside them.
Spike watched from the shore, grinning. Twilight suspected that the transformation of their vitality returning was probably easily visible from his perspective. "Sure, you were bossy, but bossy gets stuff done. It's hard to fault you for that!"
Moonstone let out a sigh of relief before rolling her eyes and swimming away from Twilight and back to the shore.
"Unfortunately, MY work isn't quite done. I still have to go greet my father and explain to him why we bypassed the proper tradition of greeting the head of the household and brought strange ponies straight to the sacred spring..." She sighed, rubbing at her temples. "Still, I doubt he'll be TOO mad at me. Even before I left, I could get away with a LOT." She fluttered her way over to Noir, landing on his back before giving Spike a mischievous grin.
"Hey, kiddo, you want to meet the head of one of the noble dragon households?"
When Spike gasped in surprise and looked at Twilight with a smile threatening to split his face, she knew she had already lost any chance of convincing him to stay without breaking his heart. She smiled and nodded, giving her silent permission for him to leave. In a flash, she had run up Noir's wing and onto his back, jumping up and down with excitement. Moonstone rolled her eyes and, with a flap of his wings, Noir was back in the air, carrying away the hatchlings to parts unknown.
Somehow, though, Twilight wasn't worried as long as he was with Moonstone. For the first time since they had entered the caves beneath Canterlot, she felt completely and totally safe. Looking over, she spied Lily laying beside Pennington, having quickly fallen asleep beside him even resting at the awkward angle on the shore. Realizing that her friend probably had the right idea, Twilight snatched hold of the second of Pennington's saddlebags and laid down in the water, letting the healing magic wash over her back and sides. With a long sigh, she shut her eyes and laid her head down on the second saddlebag... only to feel the sharp point of one of the gemstone-based relics inside poke straight into her temple. Quickly sitting back up again, Twilight realized why Lily had foregone using it as a pillow: it was a literal bag of rocks.
Twilight sighed and pushed the bag aside, laying her head on the smooth stone. The overwhelming comfort of the healing spring's magic overwhelmed any discomfort the lack of a pillow gave her, and she soon drifted off to sleep.
"Honor be to Sunstone Orthos Borealis of the Adelind blood! May his scales stay forever bright and his fire burn eternal!" Moonstone called out, bowing graciously and kneeling on one of her legs.
Spike's heart was beating a mile a minute as he forced himself to stay on one knee with his head bent down in respect, just like Moonstone had told him to until she properly introduced him.
Still, it was hard to keep his eyes off of a ten-story-tall dragon with orange-brown scales, teeth the size of cannons, wings that looked as though they could carry an entire nation on his back, and a pair of razor-sharp horns jutting out of the back of his head.
The elder dragon stared down at them with searing red eyes and an angry scowl. With one gigantic clawed hand, he reached down, and Moonstone obediently jumped on. He raised her up to eye level, inspecting her with utmost scrutiny.
"Moonstone Chalcedony Alis, you have directly disobeyed the orders of your father AND the head of your household!"
"I know, Father..."
Spike could barely hear her whimpered reply at their far distance.
Hey! That's not fair! This was an emergency! Why is he yelling at her?
"I specifically told you... to come home SOON!"
All at once, Sunstone broke out into a massive grin, nuzzling the tip of his snout against her belly.
"AAAAAAH! HAHAHAHAHA! DA-HA-HA-AAAAAD! STOP IIIT!" Moonstone shrieked, collapsing into a fit of giggles as he father tickled her relentlessly.
"Accept your punishment gracefully, daughter of mine! Or it shall only be increased!"
"DAAAAD! YO-YOU'RE EMBARRASSING ME IN- IN FRONT OF MY FRI-HE-HE-EEEND!"
Spike chuckled softly as he felt his guard lower again. Moonstone wasn't in any unfair trouble, and it looked as though her father was nicer than most other dragons he had met. When Sunstone's gaze shifted back down to the ground, Spike quickly ducked his head back down into the respectful bow, hoping he hadn't been caught staring. Finally, he stopped tickling Moonstone and turned his attention to Spike.
"And what is your name, little one?"
"Oh! I'm Spike!"
Sunstone raised an eyebrow, only for Moonstone to drop down and land beside him.
"Spike of Equestria, Dad. He has no bloodline names."
The older dragon nodded sagely, reaching down and offering his clawed hand as a platform. Spike could guess the implication, looking to Moonstone for affirmation. When she smiled and nodded, Spike grinned and hopped up onto the hand, letting it raise him up to eye level with the much larger dragon.
"It has been many, many years since I last visited Equestria, young Spike. Perhaps you and Moonstone could tell me of how things have changed over the years?"
Spike's eyes lit up at the opportunity and he quickly nodded.
"Of course! What do you want to know?"
"Well, perhaps you could tell me more of this 'Princess Celestia' I've received letters from? When last I saw Equestria, it was ruled by the Council of Thirteen."
Spike's eyes widened in surprise. The legend of "The Council of Thirteen" was only predated by the founding of Equestria, itself! If Twilight knew that their host was someone who had been present before Celestia and Luna became the rulers of the land, she would NEVER leave Sunstone alone until she had squeezed every ounce of information out of him she possibly could.
"Well, Celestia and her sister Luna rule Equestria as a constitutional diarchy, and they have for the last... gee, 1500 years, I think?"
Sunstone raised an eyebrow, bringing his hand to his shoulder so Spike and Moonstone could climb on.
"Really? Tell me more..."
Spike and Moonstone exchanged a glance, both thinking the same thing:
The first moment Luna was free, she dashed back to her room as fast as she could. Bursting through her door, Luna felt her heart sink as she saw Eclipse sitting dejectedly on her bed.
"What did Miss Yearling say? Will she help us save Pennington?"
She felt her hopes fall as Eclipse shook his head.
"She said we should just 'have faith in him.' Apparently we just don't believe in him enough. She even agrees with Celestia about Pennington being the next scribe, but thinks he'll come out the other side still himself."
Luna couldn't believe what she heard, at first. Seconds later, guilt began to bubble up in her chest.
I never thought all of this worry and panic stemmed from a lack of faith...
She quickly shook off the thought, peering out on the horizon. The sky had grown dark, and the last few vestiges of light from the sun had already disappeared from behind the clouds.
The sky is completely overcast. Nopony will notice if I put off raising the moon for a few minutes.
"I'm going to search out Pennington's dreams, try to contact him there. Guard the door."
Eclipse tilted his head in confusion. Luna rolled her eyes.
"Three... Two... One..."
Luna's bedroom door burst open with a flash of blinding light and a loud bang. When they both could see again, Celestia was poking her head into the door with a grin just a little too wide.
"Hello, Luna! I just wanted to let you know it was time for you to raise the moon!"
Luna rolled her eyes.
"I am aware, Celestia. Just as I am every. single. night."
"Oh! Well, never hurts to be sure, right? Well, toodles!" With that, the Princess of the Sun disappeared, closing the door behind her. Luna turned to Eclipse with a sigh.
"Even since we were little fillies, Celestia has been a master of the art of bothering someone every five minutes. She will return over and over with one well-meaning excuse after another. The first time she did this, it continued until nearly sunrise, and her stamina has only improved." She walked across the room, poking her hoof into his chest. "She KNOWS depriving me of sleep is torture. She will come with cake. She will come with 'urgent' matters from the Night Court. She will come declaring she has had a premonition of my endangerment! Believe none of it. Give her no quarter! Understood?"
Eclipse nodded, straightening his posture and giving a quick salute before dashing to the door and stepping outside. Luna sighed with relief and closed her eyes. Pennington's distance made her magic less effective, but if he was dreaming, she would find him.
The world around her faded away into darkness as her consciousness passed into the dream realm. Small pinpricks of light filled the void like the countless stars, each one a dreamer somewhere in Equestria. Luna could feel their joys, their fears, their hopes and their despair. The atmosphere lay heavy as worry dwelt in the minds of her subject, and she knew that the night ahead would be a long one. But for now, she had one dreamer in particular she searched for. She began to walk, trotting her way away from the bulk of Equestria's dreamers. The farther she went, the greater her strain grew, but she could still pick out one familiar aura just out of reach.
"Just a little... farther!" Luna grunted, reaching out even farther with her magic. To her joy, a bubble of light emerged from the darkness, floating within her reach. She reached out her hoof, trying to reach out and touch it-
Tink!
Luna blinked in confusion as her hoof simply collided with the bubble, bouncing off. She reached out again, pulling the bubble of Pennington's dream close to peer inside.
There lay Pennington, Lily on one side and Twilight on the other, all together in some kind of hot bath. The bubble was empty and hollow. Luna's breath came in a sharp draw as she realized that she wasn't looking at a dream. The image was reality. There WAS no dream she could enter.
But... why? HOW? How is he in such a deep sleep, yet still dreamless?
Luna kept her grip on Pennington's bubble, but turned to an ornate blue door with gold inlay of the moon and stars in their constellations: her own mind. She pushed open the door, watching as her own memories flickered by. She KNEW she had discussed Pennington's dreams with him before, mostly about the nature of his sleep paralysis affliction. All at once, the stream of her memories stopped, freezing on an image she had nearly forgotten about.
It was an image of Pennington holding what appeared to be a hollowed-out gourd, the top open to reveal a pile of white pills inside.
"These? A friend of mine makes them for me, she's a Zebra shaman living near Ponyville. No dreams, no sleep paralysis! I mean, I only take them after a stressful day, or they'd lose their effect! But they get the job done, so I'm more than happy to take them!"
Luna fell back onto her haunches as the door shut and vanished again.
"No dreams..." she whispered, staring back down at the orb in her hooves. "Medicinally induced dreamless sleep..."
If his mind had been simply empty, she could have filled it, but this was more than that. It was a physical block, outside reality affecting the dreamer. She was just as helpless to enter his mind now as she was to rescue him from his paralysis in the past.
"I MUST try!" Luna closed her eyes, focusing her power on trying to pierce the shell, force her way through the block and create a dream.
Luna opened her eyes, panting for breath as sweat poured down her face. After a few seconds, she blinked, unsure if she was still in the dream realm or not.
Eclipse was there waiting for her, his body covered in heavy soot. There was a painter's palette in one hand and a stuffed plush of Nightmare Moon with a blue tutu in the other. His face was covered in what appeared to be clown makeup and his mane had been turned a neon blue that glowed brightly enough to completely light the room.
"Any... luck?" he panted breathlessly. Luna lowered her head in shame, shaking it in the negative.
"Well, raise the moon and try again..." he sighed, glancing down at a watch that had appeared on his wrist, only for the front to pop open and a cuckoo bird to fly out and strike him between the eyes. "Celestia's back."
Luna opened her mouth to ask him a question about his appearance, only for him to slip back out the door.
"Thirty seconds longer, my distractions must be getting better."
When Pennington opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was Twilight's sleeping face. Relief washed over him and he smiled. His eyes flicked upwards, taking in the massive cavern they were laying in.
If it weren't for his own memories of the trip here, he would scarcely have dared to believe that he was sitting in the center of the home of one of the most ancient noble dragon families in the world. This was a sight that, most likely, no pony had seen since Quill the Scribe, himself!
He slowly and carefully tried to get his hooves underneath him, raising himself up out of the water. He was absolutely flabbergasted to find his body obeyed him perfectly, giving no pain or resistance. The splashing of the water running off his back and into the water echoed and reverberated in the silent cave, and he saw Twilight's face scrunch up as she sat on the verge of awakening. As quickly as he dared, Pennington waded his way into deeper waters until only his neck was above the water and all was silent aside from his breathing. As he drew away, he felt his heart swell at the sight that Lily had been just behind him, sandwiching him in his sleep between the two of them. Seeing both of them here and safe filled him with a deep satisfaction. If they were safe, then all the pain and injuries, everything he'd been through... was worth it.
The magic of this place... It's incredible! He took a deep breath, stretching his lungs to their maximum. The pain of his brush with death was now only a faded memory. I haven't felt this good since- Well, since the changeling hive, if I'm honest...
He took a deep breath, ducking his head down beneath the water and swimming further towards the center of the spring, where the floor gave way to a deep black hole. Rising up from underneath was the hottest part of the water, along with a slow stream of bubbles. Every time one of the bubbles popped against his body, a jolt of magical energy would run through Pennington, invigorating him more and more with excited energy until he felt as though he could explode with it. He grinned and took off swimming as fast as he could beneath the water, swimming three laps around the hole in what he could only hope was some kind of record time.
Finally, more out of obligation than need, he climbed his way back to the surface, taking another satisfying deep breath.
"Wow..." he whispered.
"It IS quite lovely, isn't it?"
Even in the center of the hot spring, Pennington's blood ran cold. Slowly, he turned himself in the water towards the voice.
Full Sails sat on the shore, quietly spinning one hoof in the water with an almost absentminded serenity.
"Just a few seconds and a couple drops on the back of my neck and I was fresh as a spring daisy! Considering you've been marinating all night, I can only imagine that you're at the absolute pinnacle of physical health. Lily and Twilight, too."
When the names left Sails' mouth, Pennington felt a surge of protective rage well up in him. It wasn't enough to make him leap out of the water and attack Sails, but Pennington quickly wrapped his magic around the pegasus and lifted him up into the air.
"You broke the rules, Sails. Give me one good reason I shouldn't snap your neck like a twig with my magic..."
Sails sighed and rolled his eyes.
"I promise you, my... assistant... had no knowledge of our clause regarding friends and family. I did not know about his actions, only the results he'd promised me."
Pennington narrowed his eyes, slightly increasing the pressure on Sails's neck and tilting his head to the side. "I'm still waiting for the GOOD reason."
"Bahneighn."
Pennington stopped. Bahneighn was a small country he'd visited two years ago, a grouping of islands operating under a single government. While he had been there, he had dove headfirst into the underbelly of their criminal world in search of an artifact being used by a mob boss to control the minds of the local police force. He'd quickly found himself in over his head, however, and was captured and thrown into a cell right alongside Full Sails.
"What about Bahneighn? It was a one-time collaboration to save both our hides."
"What about it is that you're in trouble too deep to climb out of. Again. I'm here to bail you out. Again."
Pennington couldn't repress a chuckle.
"You expect me to buy that? after everything you've done to me over the last forty-eight hours? You think that you can just name drop the ONE time we worked together and suddenly I'll believe every word you say?"
Sails narrowed his eyes, growing more serious. He reached behind his back, and Pennington readied himself. If Sails was going to try anything funny, he wouldn't live long enough to do it. Pennington felt the bottom drop out from his stomach as he saw Cha'Qued's mask gripped in Sails's hoof. Sails held up his other hoof, politely motioning for Pennington to wait for him to finish. Rather than his face, Sails placed the mask over his heart, holding the teeth directly against his chest.
"Cha'Qued, chi ro etia, ro akai los benias..."
Pennington's eyes widened.
"S-Sails, this is no time for playing around! Those words aren't to be taken lightly!"
Sails remained perfectly calm.
"Pennington Inkwell, you are in danger, and I am here to save you."
Both ponies waited. Penn held his breath, expecting the screaming to start any moment. After almost ten seconds, Sails spread his hooves apart, revealing himself completely unharmed.
"As you can see, Cha'Qued has NOT eaten my heart straight out of my chest. I am NOT lying to you."
Pennington had to admit, that was a convincing argument. That oath, when spoken out loud in the original tongue, offered himself as a bloody tribute if he were to lie. Sails was absolutely telling the truth. Or working with Cha'Qued to fool him.
Pennington raised one eyebrow and slowly returned Sails to the ground.
Twilight had no choice to obey the request as a set of small claws gripped at her shoulder.
"Spike... just a little longer..." she mumbled, rolling over onto her other side.
"Okay, first of all, I'm offended..." Moonstone grumbled. "Second, Penn's GONE!"
"...what?" Twilight cracked one eye open. Her body felt like it was made of overcooked spaghetti, completely relaxed and limp. With a monumental effort, she turned herself back over. Moonstone was standing over her and Lily with her arms folded over her chest. Lily was rubbing the sleep from her eyes, obviously as disconnected from the rest of the world as Twilight was. Moonstone was right, though: there was no sign of Pennington.
"He probably swam off or went exploring, he'll be back soon..." Twilight muttered. "You know how much he hates staying still..."
"Yeah, because I've never seen him spend 48 hours sitting perfectly still with a stack of paper, four quills, and six wells of ink." Moonstone narrowed her eyes. "Look, Penn isn't some stray dog who will just make their way home 'eventually!' He knows when it's not appropriate to just wander off alone-"
"Over here, Moon Moon!" Pennington's voice echoed across the gigantic chamber as he appeared in the mouth of a tunnel almost ten meters above them. "Just a sec! WOOHOO!"
Moonstone's eyes widened as she watched Pennington leap off of the ledge and into the air. Twilight was hardly surprised, watching him dive headfirst into the water. She tugged her hooves underneath her body and pulled herself out of the water, climbing back up onto the shore as Pennington swam his way back into the shallows. She grinned and gave Moonstone a nudge.
"Told you so."
Moonstone sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose as Pennington clambered out of the water to join them. Before he could say anything, she had jumped up and grabbed his ear, forcing his head down to her level.
"OW! Ow ow ow ow, Moonstone!"
"Twelve hours ago you were at death's door, and now you're showing off your high-diving skills? Are you INSANE?"
"Okay, okay! Just let go before you pierce my ear!"
Twilight couldn't hold back a giggle. Twelve hours ago, all of them had been beaten within an inch of their lives, nearly killed by an insane pegasus wielding magical artifacts. Now, it was like nothing had even happened, and Penn and Moonstone were back to their usual antics.
"Your home is pretty amazing, Moon Moon!" Penn smiled and tousled the black spines on the top of her head. "Kinda reminds me of the caves under Canterlot if they were dragon-sized!"
Twilight snaked her way around Moonstone and up to Pennington. Without warning, she leaned in and placed a warm kiss on his lips. The two of them remained locked in place for a few seconds, each one enjoying the feel of the other. Finally, Twilight broke the kiss, staring into his violet eyes.
"I missed you."
Pennington chuckled nervously.
"W-well, it's only been a couple days..."
Twilight felt a twinge of annoyance as the romantic moment seemed to fall flat.
"But honestly? I missed you, too." Pennington smiled and leaned forward to plant a peck on her cheek. "Seeing you and Spike sweep in like guardian angels was probably the happiest I've been in my entire life! Not to mention how you stood up to a nature goddess single-hoofed!"
Twilight felt her face grow hot with a fierce blush. "Well, you wouldn't have even needed rescuing if I had just listened to you and stayed in Canterlot..."
"Sails would have come for me, anyway..." Pennington's eyes narrowed in contemplation. "Taking friends and family isn't his style, I think that Delta Raider guy threw him off his game."
Twilight felt curiosity poking at the corners of her mind, a question she needed answered. "So... what exactly is the situation between you and Sails, anyway? You talk like you two hate each other, but when you saw him you both talked like you were friends! Well, up until the point when you started beating on each other..."
The question seemed to amuse Pennington, making him chuckle and shake his head. "I guess the best way of putting it is... You have best friends, right? Ponies you'd do anything to help, and you enjoy being around more than anypony else in the world?"
Twilight nodded.
"Well, think of Sails as my 'best frenemy.' We definitely enjoy one another's company and share a lot of interests, so we make the best of THAT, even if the foundation of our relationship is that we're deadly rivals. I mean, who else could I have a good conversation with about the cultural significance of the types of traps used to guard the last idol of Katamandu? We respect each other. We work by a set of rules we laid down a long time ago."
Twilight tilted her head, beckoning him to continue. She'd heard the term 'frenemies' before, but she'd always dismissed it as a meaningless oxymoron.
"We respect each other, even if we each want the other dead. We wouldn't stab each other in the back or kill him in his sleep because that would just be rude. It's just as much a game to us as it is a struggle for life and death, one with strict rules."
"Rules? Like what? What kind of rules are there for two ponies trying to murder each other?"
"Well, for instance, we're never supposed to involve friends and family-"
"Fat lot of good THAT did..." Moonstone muttered.
"-which is why I think I didn't spot Delta's body anywhere after I woke up. Sails definitely wasn't happy about that rule being broken, was he?"
Twilight blinked, realizing Penn was right. When she'd regained consciousness Spike told her what had happened to Sails, but Delta's fate had remained a mystery. Both of them turned to Moonstone, who shrugged.
"By the time I got there, all that was standing next to Sails was a bloody smear."
"We don't make lethal sneak attacks, first one back to civilization keeps the artifact, and neither of us are allowed to retire from adventuring until the other is dead." Penn sighed and shook his head. "It's a rivalry that won't end until one of us is gone."
Twilight had to admit, it was a rivalry unlike any she'd ever heard of before.
Moonstone cleared her throat, drawing attention back to herself.
"Penn, I think it's time you were introduced to my dad, the head of the household."
The statement snapped Penn out of his forlorn reverie, bringing a wide smile to his face.
"Sounds great. I'll wake up Lily and-" Penn started to walk over, only to be stopped by Moonstone placing a clawed hand at the center of his chest.
"Hey, let's let her sleep. She needs the rest after the insanity she's been through. I'll make sure somedragon comes by to make sure she's watched over and kept safe."
Twilight felt her blood run cold as her mind put the pieces together. Up until now, Moonstone had kept her fooled along with everyone else, but Twilight knew their reason for being in the Adelind Eyrie was twofold. She wrapped up Moonstone in her magic, yanking her to the side and pulling her away from Pennington.
"Could I.. borrow her for a second, Penn?"
Without waiting for a response, Twilight rushed several steps away out of earshot and pulled Moonstone close enough for their noses to nearly touch.
"What are you doing?" she hissed.
"Exactly what I'm SUPPOSED to be doing, same as you, Twilight." Moonstone crossed her arms over her chest as she whispered her response.
Twilight scoured her mind for a good reason to argue with that. "NOW? He's already ON a mission to save Equestria, do you really want to risk messing that up?"
Moonstone raised an eyebrow, silently judging her.
"Celestia told you the stakes, didn't she? This is bigger than just stopping one dragon! If calamity is coming to Equestria, we NEED the guardian spirits! Anything Penn could do to stop Scorch, the Scribe can do better!"
Twilight felt trepidation mounting in her chest. Moonstone wasn't incorrect, but something about this still felt wrong. Her thinking was cut off as Moonstone reached up and gripped her shoulder.
"I know it's sudden, but you've known we were going to do this for a long time. It's destiny, and we're instruments in its designs! No matter what we do, this will happen eventually!"
Twilight had nothing to say, so she shut her mouth tight. She weighed her options. If what Celestia had told her was true, if the mountain of evidence she'd put on display had been correct, Twilight's path was clear. This was empirically the correct decision, minimizing the risk to Equestria.
But for only the second time in her life, Twilight's "gut" was telling her something different than what Celestia had told her. The first time had been Nightmare Moon's return, and that had proven to be all according to Celestia's plan in the end. Celestia had always felt near-infallible when she'd had proper time to think and plan, and according to what she had told Twilight, she had been planning this for more than a thousand years.
"Everything will be fine, Twilight. This is SUPPOSED to happen." Moonstone smiled and patted the top of her head before walking away and back to Penn, leaving her alone with her thoughts. She didn't hear what Pennington and Moonstone said before they disappeared into the tunnels. Silence fell like a suffocating blanket. The only sound was breathing reverberating off of the walls. A mess of inhalations and exhalations...
...too many inhalations and exhalations.
Twilight took a deep breath and held it. Just as she suspected, even without the sound of her breathing, she could hear multiple sets of lungs working. She gathered up her concentration and sent out a magical pulse, feeling out any other creatures nearby. It wasn't long before she felt a hit in one of the tunnels above her. She could easily tell that it was a pony, not a dragon. She tightened her grip and dragged it out of the tunnel, quickly bringing the spy down to eye level.
"Huh. You know, I always knew you were good, but THAT was impressive..." Full Sails grinned from the place Twilight was keeping him suspended in the air.
"YOU!" Twilight felt rage flare up inside her, enough for her to ignore the possibility of waking up Calalily. "You FOLLOWED US?"
Sails shrugged nonchalantly, surprisingly unconcerned about the fact that Twilight could crush him in her grip with only a thought.
"There's one thing Penny didn't- HRRK!"
Twilight had tightened her grip around his windpipe. For a moment she wondered if she might have been a bit to forceful in her anger, but she dismissed the thought. She was mad, but she was in control.
"Don't call him 'Penny.'"
Sails nodded as best he could, prompting Twilight to release his throat. Sails let loose a raspy chuckle as he gasped for breath.
"Well, I was calling him that long before you were... but alright." He gave Twilight a sickly, lopsided grin. "There's one thing Pennington didn't tell you about our little game."
Twilight narrowed her eyes and increased the pressure across Sails's entire body. Sails glanced to the side and back.
"Am I the only one worried that the gutsy one still hasn't woken up yet?"
Twilight blinked, taking a moment to figure out what he meant by "the gutsy one." He looked in the same direction he had, her eyes coming to rest on Lily's still-unconscious body.
There was no way that Lily could have slept through all of this.
"Funny things, wyverns. A lot of dragons don't even have venom, but theirs can be used for a variety of different purposes in different dosages. Some people say small doses make the most wonderful sedatives." Sails shrugged. "I prefer a nice cup of valerian root tea, myself."
Twilight spun back on Sails, eyes wide with shock.
Moonstone wouldn't- she COULDN'T-
Sails leaned in close to Twilight, his smug smirk still on his lips.
"Still think I'm the one you should be afraid of, here?"
"Yes." Twilight's answer was unequivocal and without hesitation.
Sails's eyes rolled upwards in quiet contemplation.
"Fair enough." Chills ran down Twilight's spine as his smile turned to a terse frown and his eyes narrowed in a glare that felt like it was cutting straight through her. "But the one thing Penny didn't tell you is that I'm not going to let anyone else take him out except myself..." His expression shifted to a more casual eye-roll. "Or his own stupidity, but there's not much I can do to stop THAT." He squinted, examining Twilight carefully.
"Well, I guess it would make sense I can't see a bite mark on you, the spring probably healed it..."
Twilight's hoof sprung up to her neck, rubbing and fruitlessly inspecting it for any injuries.
Moonstone said we'd been asleep for more than twelve hours... when was the last time I slept for twelve hours straight? I keep a strict 8-hour schedule!
"Hey, can I ask you a question, Twilight Sparkle?"
Twilight was snapped out of her thinking by Sails once again. Her eyes narrowed in suspicion, but she was willing to listen.
"I was never gung-ho for the Old Lunar Republic, they were just the means to an end for me, they have resources. But I'm not exactly an Equestrian patriot, either. I never even bothered to learn what the Elements of Harmony are. Could you list them off for me?"
The question threw Twilight for a loop, nearly breaking her concentration on her magic. "Magic, Kindness, Generosity, Laughter, Honesty, and Loyalty."
"Loyalty... that's the one that gets me! Loyalty to whom? To an individual friend? To the greater good of a group? What about a city or a country? I always stay loyal to myself, does that make me virtuous?" Sails shook his head. "Say somepony, maybe Rainbow Dash, decided to abandon you in order to go save Cloudsdale from danger? Would she be acting disloyal, or just showing MORE loyalty to her home? Would that be evil?"
Twilight's eyes narrowed. Sails knew EXACTLY what he was talking about: Discord. Telling Rainbow that Cloudsdale was in danger was exactly how Discord had broken her, tricking her into acting against her element by abandoning her friends. Rainbow had always been more angry that Discord had manipulated her than curious about how the logistics of her element functioned. Twilight had tried multiple times to resolve the paradox of Rainbow's supposed disloyalty, and the only way Twilight could imagine her actions being defined as disloyal was because she had chosen to be loyal to Cloudsdale INSTEAD of her friends, the other Element bearers.
"What's your POINT, Sails?"
Sails raised one eyebrow. "Well, suppose Twilight Sparkle was more loyal to Equestria than to her friend? Would THAT be evil? And if so, and I were more loyal to the old friend than to the ruling demigoddess of Equestria..." he leaned in close enough for Twilight to feel his hot breath on her cheek.
"Would that make ME the hero and YOU the villain?"
"Honor to Sunstone Orthos Borealis Adelind! May your scales shine bright and your fire burn forever!"
Pennington could hardly contain his giddy glee as he bowed to the titanic-size dragon standing before him. This was everything he'd dreamed of since his days as a foal writing his very first story. Action, adventure, romance, and now he was standing in the heart of a real-life dragon eyrie!
"Honor be to the Scribe of Legends. May his tongue and his blade stay as sharp as his wit." Pennington was shocked to see the dragon bow his own head in return. Moonstone had given him a crash course in the etiquette of noble dragon houses, and she'd made it abundantly clear that he was the lesser being in this situation. He glanced at Moonstone, trying to find an answer, but she merely smiled and shrugged in return. There was something else that bothered him in Sunstone's words, however. He once again lowered himself to a single knee, bowing his head until his horn nearly touched the ground.
"I am honored by you, Noble Sunstone, but I- I do not believe myself deserving! I am a humble scribe of Equestria, but undeserving of said legendary status! I am merely your humble debtor for the honor of entering your home..."
Sunstone turned his glance to Moonstone.
"My daughter, what is the meaning of this? Have you been shirking in your duties?"
Pennington raised his head slightly to see Moonstone run out in front of him, shaking her head.
"No! Dad, he doesn't know anything because the ponies' leaders said he should not be told! Any chance that word could spread that he had been found was not worth the risk!"
Sunstone's eyes narrowed in suspicion and he sighed through his nostrils in frustration, sending a wave of heat across the room.
"And you are beholden to those Equestrian princesses more than the ancient and holy traditions of your family?"
"O-of course not!" Moonstone stammered, taking a step back and dropping to one knee. "But you KNOW that even now, Scorch seeks him in the hopes of ending the cycle permanently! I could not justify the risk after what happened to Quill!"
Pennington risked turning his head upwards in surprise.
"You knew QUILL? Quill the Scribe is my hero, an Equestrian legend!"
Sunstone raised a clawed hand to his head, massaging the bridge of his snout.
"Very well, Moonstone. In light of recent events, your hesitation was... justified. In that case, young scribe, allow me to elaborate to you the oldest legend of the Adelind family."
Pennington eagerly sat his on the floor and craned his neck upwards, his heart pounding with excitement. A legend told directly from the mouth of a dragon who was likely, judging from his size, at least a thousand years old? Opportunities to be TOLD a story were rare for a storyteller, and this one promised to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience!
"Eons ago, the forefather of our house was a nameless dragon. He had no ties to blood or family, no friends and no reputation. He was no one, and treated as such. He carved a meager living for himself, if one could call the life of such a vagrant a 'living,' out of what scraps he could find, stealing and scrounging to keep himself alive. It was an honorless and miserable existence. When he foolishly stole from a dragon much larger and more powerful than himself, he was caught and rightfully punished for his crime. He was mortally wounded and left to suffer for his crimes. Shamed and in agony, he mustered up every last ounce of his will to survive and swore an oath: that he would never forget the state in which this awful world had left him. He promised upon his recovery, he would fight whatever powers had deemed him so worthless and create a new fate for himself: to stand over all dragons with the same nobility that had condemned him." Sunstone paused, looking down with a smile on his face.
Pennington looked around, discovering that he and Moonstone were no longer alone. A small crowd of young dragons had formed around them, most of them staring up at Sunstone with wide eyes and eager faces. The rest seemed to be focused on Pennington and Moonstone, some showing excitement and others sneering with disdain. Pennington wasn't entirely certain how to respond properly, so he just ignored them all and turned back to Sunstone.
"And then he DIED!" one of the younger dragons blurted out, only to be immediately shushed by so many of his siblings at once, Pennington felt the massive room raise to sweltering temperatures. Sunstone simply chuckled.
"It was then that our forefather's spirit left his body, yes. However, rather than simply vanishing as one with no ancestral home would, his soul was spirited away to a place between worlds, summoned by a power so ancient and great, it made him tremble in fear. There, a great and ancient voice made an inquisition of him, peering into and through him, straight to his heart. It asked him, 'Will you stay true to this conviction? Will you rise up and forge fate with your flame? Will you stand tall in adversity and create your destiny? Will you become the progenitor of legends?'"
The words sent shivers running up and down Pennington's spine. They were everything he'd wanted to be since the day he had discovered his talent at the heart of the Everfree Forest.
"That dragon swore to the fires of Creation's forge that he would be all that they asked and more. In return, Creation gifted him new life. He awoke in the very same wellspring in which you had spent your night, completely healed of all afflictions. He had no memory how how he had arrived there, but the magic of this place gifted him strength the likes of which he had never known. When he braved the black pit in its center, he found a treasure trove of gems and gold that boggled the mind, all for the taking. He was with everything that he needed to become one of the greatest dragons of all time, except one thing: a name. Within the treasure sanctum was one word, inscribed over and over. It was the name of the god who had once been worshipped here, to whom all the wealth had been an offering: Adelind. He took the name for himself, knowing a godly title was the only one capable of bearing the new honor he would bring it."
Pennington paused, trying to process through his mountain of sheer awe at the old legend and Sunstone's reverent delivery.
"I'm sorry, but... I still don't understand. What does any of this have to do with me or Quill?"
Sunstone raised an eyebrow.
"The story does not end there, Scribe. Adelind rose up and dedicated his lifetime to creating one of the most noble and respected dragon houses in history, even taking a mate from the ancient family of the Jeweled Serpents. He grew great and old, full of wisdom and fight, until his family name had spread to every corner of the dragon lands and even the lands beyond. Then, standing upon the mountain he had built from pebbles, he was approached by a strange creature from another land. No one was certain how the little thing had reached the innermost sanctum of our family stronghold without being detected, but when he found our forefather, he asked him a single question in that same,unforgettable voice: 'Have you stayed true to your conviction?' In that moment, he knew that standing before him was his savior, given physical form. And our ancestor, one of the greatest dragons ever known, laid himself prostrate before his savior, promising him the unending debt and gratitude of his house. THIS house." Sunstone motioned to the structure surrounding them.
"The stranger accepted that loyalty, and explained his purpose in coming: he explained that he was a spirit whom death could not take, charged with protecting the land to the north from destruction. He called himself the Scribe of Legends. However, while his spirit could not be taken by death, his body remained mortal. He could only rely upon long-lived creatures like dragons to aid him from one life to the next, to preserve his new body until his spirit could return to him. So, every generation, our forefather began the tradition of sending out hatchings to the north and the lands beyond, placing themselves among those with influence in order to find the Scribe's next incarnation and protect them until his spirit could return. It is our honor and duty. The one you knew as 'Quill' was the most recent life of the Scribe of Legends... until now."
Pennington felt the bottom fall out of his stomach as every pair of eyes in the room turned to stare at him. The only one not facing him was Moonstone, who still stood with her back to him. There was a sad slump to her shoulders and her arms hung limply by her side.
"And... what happens to the original spirit? When the Scribe returns?"
"Their minds are filled with the knowledge of a thousand lives, they become a part of that greater being."
Pennington felt fear scrambling at the inside of his chest. All of his experiences? His memories? His every soul? Just... absorbed by some "greater being?" It sounded like the stuff of nightmares, not legends. The way Moonstone was refusing to look at him didn't make him feel any better.
"And you... think that I'm this new 'incarnation?'"
Sunstone nodded.
"My daughter has been quite adamant in her letters, and she has always been a capable and reliable young hatchling." He pointed down at Pennington with one claw. "And you DO wear the sword of your predecessors, do you not?"
Pennington reached behind him, retrieving his sword from its sheathe and holding it out to examine. The blade was still a perfect, untarnished bronze, with not a single ridge of the spiraling inscriptions marred or out of place.
"This... belonged to Quill?" The idea that this blade, even as enchanted as it was, could be over a thousand years old completely boggled the mind.
"It was created by the Smith of Destinies, herself. Would you like to know its name?"
Pennington paused, then shook his head.
"I've spent a long time trying to pick a name for it. I'd rather not have one just given to me, instead." He took a step forward, placing a hoof on Moonstone's shoulder. "May I... have a moment alone with Moonstone?"
With a nod from Sunstone, Pennington picked up Moonstone in his magic and rushed to a nearby tunnel.
"Moonstone WHAT is all this about?" He hissed, spinning her around to face him. "They can't be serious, right? Tell me that this is some kind of joke!"
Moonstone's expression remained dower and her eyes still refused to make contact.
"It's ridiculous! I-I mean, we're out here looking to save all of Equestria, and your family wants to- to set me up as some kind of sacrifice!"
"It's not a sacrifice! Penn, it's- it's a rite of passage!"
"I don't CARE!" Pennington stamped his hoof.
"Why NOT?" Moonstone stamped in reply. "I didn't even need to look at you to see your eyes light up when you found out it was story time, but now you're SCARED, of all things! Why would a story scare you, especially one where you're the big hero? This one has unsettled you for a reason, and I think I know why!"
Pennington's eyes narrowed in anger. "Because I'm the one you're talking about sacrificing, I would think that's obvious!"
"It's because you KNOW it's true! Deep down, you know what you're waiting for, what you've been waiting for your whole life! My dad thinks so, I think so, Celestia thinks so-"
"CELESTIA?" Pennington grabbed Moonstone by the shoulders. "Celestia is in on this, too? This... ritualistic sacrifice?"
"Celestia believes that you're a hero waiting to WAKE UP!" Moonstone jabbed a clawed finger into his chest. "Luna believes in you, too, or else you wouldn't be here!"
Silence fell like a ton of lead, crushing down on Pennington's heart.
"What- what did you just say?"
Moonstone opened her mouth to speak, but Pennington quickly jabbed his hoof inside to stop her.
"You said I wouldn't be here if Luna didn't believe all of this. But I thought I was here because I was Luna's protege? Because she trusted me?"
Moonstone wasn't trying to speak, but the slow trail her eyes made to the floor spoke all he needed to hear.
"All this time... the reason she chose me. It wasn't my qualifications or my past exploits, not even the fact that I was the one who taught her how to speak all over again!" He staggered back, falling onto his hindquarters as his ability to stand failed him. "It was this. Always this. Leading me like a lamb to the slaughter..."
"Penn, it's not-"
"Who else knew?"
This time, it was Moonstone who stepped back.
"Who. Else. Knew?" Pennington growled, rising back up and beginning to advance on Moonstone. "Sure Shot? Quick Strike? ANYONE in the NLR? Crankshaft and Glacier? WHO?"
Moonstone pressed up against the wall, out of space to give him.
"J-Just Celestia and Luna! Not even their advisor knew about it! The only other one who knew was me!" she cried, turning her head and squeezing her eyes shut in preparation for whatever punishment she believed Pennington was about to dish out to her.
"She's lying to you again, you know..." a voice called out from the deeper, shadowed portions of the tunnel.
Pennington sighed. It looked like his time alone was up.
"I guess you're expecting me to say it..."
"I certainly am."
Moonstone's eyes snapped open with fear, peering into the darkness, then back at Pennington in confusion. Pennington backed away from Moonstone, turning to face the darkness.
"You were right, Sails. I was wrong."
"SAILS?"
Pennington ignored Moonstone, watching Full Sails and Twilight emerge into the light. Sails's head was held high with his signature proud smirk, but Pennington felt the crushing pressure on his chest double at the sight of Twilight's head hanging low enough for her to lick the ground.
"Please no..." the words slipped through his lips before he was even aware of it, but Twilight seemed painfully aware, flinching back at his whispered prayer.
"Oh, you even threw in my name this time! You must be REALLY sorry for not believing me!" Sails ruffled his feathers in a pleased manner. "We've got people who have been buried deep in the castle. They found Celestia's little conspiracy room the night she decided to share her most shameful secret with her most prized pupil..." He used one of his wings to give Twilight a faux-reassuring pat on the back.
Pennington didn't want to believe it.
"How long?"
"Ever since-" Twilight started.
"NOT-" Pennington caught himself shouting and clamped his mouth shut until the burst of outrage passed. "Not you." Sails?"
Sails stepped forward as Twilight stepped back, obviously trying to hide her shame in the shadows.
"Well, first could you verify a rumor for me? Did you REALLY find old Catherine's Carnival out in Everfree?"
Pennington shuddered, which seemed to be more than enough answer for Sails.
"Okay, you HAVE to share that story with me when all this is over! Anyway, our sources place it around the same time. Twilight went to Celestia all distraught, Celestia took her into her secret room, and they both came out tittering like schoolgirls with the latest gossip."
Twilight's head snapped up, an indignant look on her face, but catching a glimpse of Pennington's face seemed to silence her arguments before she could make them. Pennington wasn't even certain what kind expression he was making at this point, but it was enough to shut up everyone but Sails.
"So... the changeling invasion, the whole time you were trying to help me get my magic back, all this time we've been writing these letters back and forth about how much we love each other, even YESTERDAY! You've known? You've been LEADING ME ON this whole time?"
"No! No, Penn, it's real! It was always real! Please, just let me explain!" Twilight stepped forward, only to find herself blocked by one of Sails's wings. She glanced up at Sails, shocked.
"Are you protecting him? From ME?"
Sails nodded towards Pennington.
"Look at him. That statement could go both ways."
The fact that Sails was no longer smiling told Penn pages upon pages about his own reaction to current events. Normally, Sails would be giddy seeing him backed into a corner.
"You might want to take a walk, Penny. Get your head clear."
"As much as I'd love to, Sails, I can't exactly waltz out of here..." Pennington began to pace back and forth in the tiny tunnel. "There were more than three DOZEN dragons in there, and every single one of them got a good look at me! No dye, no disguise, just ME! This goes from the people in this world I trust the most all the way up to the princesses, for Faust's sake!" Pennington felt a wave of helplessness wash over him and he braced one hoof against the wall.
"By the stars... I've got no way out of this. Not without being hunted for the rest of my life... It was a perfect setup."
"No! There has to be a way out! Every time things get bad, you find the way out no one thought of! Just like Daring Do!" Twilight stamped her hoof. Pennington hardly noticed.
"You've outrun worse than a few lousy dragons and a couple of pansy alicorn princesses!" Sails griped. "You've been able to keep up with ME! You can outrun all those dimwits!"
"Can't outrun destiny..." Moonstone muttered. "And he can't outrun the thing that hunted down Quill and Threadmane in their last days. Without the spirit of the Scribe, he'll be marked for unavoidable death..."
Sails turned on Moonstone, holding the tip of one of the blades to her throat. "You stay out of this!"
It was reflex that made Pennington look over at Moonstone, an unconscious habit from every time he had found himself at a loss since the day they'd met. Moonstone looked almost empty, hollow. The eternally-burning spark of excitement he'd seen in her eyes since they'd met in the Restricted Archives was gone. She regarded him with a cold emptiness that mirrored his own growing despair. She wasn't seeing him, she only saw a vessel that she needed to fill.
He finally chose to make eye contact with Twilight. Her eyes were red and full of tears, but behind that salty veil, Penn could see the guilt that confirmed everything Sails had told him to be the truth. When Sails had told him that Twilight and Moonstone were plotting to kill him, Pennington had refused to believe it, no matter what oaths or examples the pegasus called upon. He had even deliberately chosen to go with Moonstone alone, just to spit in Sails's eye and prove him wrong. But now, everything had proven true. Twilight had been aware of Celestia's plans and done nothing but help. Luna had lied to him in every word of praise, simply waiting to lead him to be traded for some "legendary hero." He had never been chosen, not for his own merits.
Far in the darkness, Pennington saw the burning red eyes of Cha'Qued staring into him.
Is that why you picked me, too? he felt his face twist into a sneer as he thought the question.
You qualified upon your own grit as a warrior. You earned my attention. However, I will never lie to you. To bond with a being who is caught in a cycle like this one would render me unkillable. It rendered you... extra tantalizing.
Finally. SOMETHING Pennington had earned for himself.
It was also the reason the Cat attempted to endear herself to you... The oncoming cataclysm will require the congregation of great powers in order to survive.
Pennington's eyes widened.
"What? CATHERINE, TOO? Of course! Nothing, no partnership or relationship I ever had has ever been because of just ME except for one! I-I mean, what else? The only thing I ever EARNED in my entire life, the only thing entirely my own, is YOU!" He pointed an accusatory hoof at Sails.
Twilight took a small step forward. "Penny, you know that's not-"
"DON'T CALL ME 'PENNY!'" Pennington screamed at the top of his lungs, the sheer force of the noise sending Twilight stumbling back several steps.
Just like that, however, the rage was gone. It had burned itself out in mere seconds, leaving him an empty, charred husk. Pennington held back the urge to sob. He didn't have the energy to cry, any more. He turned his back on the other ponies and began walking back towards the open room.
"Whoa, whoa, Penn! Where are you going?" Sails called.
"Going to give this life to the one it was made for..." he mumbled. "What use am I just clinging on around here?"
"Hey! You're not giving up!" Sails shouted, flying up and over his head to land in front of him.
Pennington didn't even acknowledge the obstacle, the tip of his sensationless horn poking weakly against the taller pony's throat. Pennington leaned forward, but Sails refused to budge. He took a step back. He stepped forward, lightly bumping against Sails's body. It didn't budge. He repeated the motion, and the result was the same. He did it again. He did it again.
"Look at you..." Sails sneered, his voice seething with disgust. Pennington hardly felt it when Sails's hoof came crashing into the side of his face, leaving him sprawled out across the floor. He heard Twilight and Moonstone both cry out, but it stirred no emotion in him.
"Look at the mighty Scorching Quill! I was the one who was going to break you! You were the only one in the world who could match my intellect, my prowess! My ONLY worthy adversary! And you wind up losing to a pair of pretty purple faces! You're GIVING UP?" Sails kicked his hoof into Pennington's gut, driving the air from his lungs. If Pennington hadn't already been laying on the ground, it might even have affected his ability to stand.
Sails continued staring down at him for another few seconds before growling in frustration. With a decisive turn, he began pacing towards the end of the tunnel leading to the main room.
"To think I used to think so highly of you... Let a REAL adventurer show you how it's done. Maybe THAT will bring you back to your senses."
Pennington watched as Sails stepped out into the light. His sheer presence seemed to push back the dragons and form a path straight up to Sunstone. Sails flared his wings and stamped his hoof as he stood at attention, displaying his full height and stature.
"I am the Scribe of Legends! Show me this 'spirit,' I am prepared!"
Murmurs began to whisper around the edges of the room, bouncing and encircling all present until Sunstone raised his hand to signal silence.
"Pony, you wish to undergo the trial?"
"Yes!"
Part of Pennington wanted to call out to Sails, to tell him that he was taking a stupid risk for nothing and that it wasn't worth it. Apathy and despair buried the urge deep, dulling its ability to bring him to move. He could tell Twilight and Moonstone were both moving in on him, but his senses remained fixed on Sails.
"Very well. Prepare yourself to receive the ancient spirit!"
A milky-white substance began to leak from the walls of the open room, glowing with magical light. It started in small rivulets running down to the floor, only tiny pinpricks in the stone. Over a few seconds, however, the seeping portions of the walls began to grow and spread, expanding until nearly every inch of the cavern was filled with brilliant light. Time continued, the flow of white light beginning to slow to a trickle as the strange substance began to pool at the bottom of the room. As it made contact with Full Sails's hooves, he let loose an audible grunt, a growl of pain. The substance actively pooled up around him, climbing up his body and sinking into his skin as his growls began to escalate into full-on torturous screams. The light began to intensify as whatever was happening reached its peak, accompanied by the last sounds of Sails's strangled screaming.
When the light faded, Sails was laying on the ground. There was foam coming from his mouth and his body would occasionally twitch violently, but it was obvious that he was dead to the world.
"He has failed the trial." Sunstone declared. A trio of the younger dragons moved in and carried away Sails's convulsing body.
"Penn!" Twilight hissed, picking him up and setting him back on his hooves with her magic. "Let's go! Now, while they're distracted!"
"Y-yeah..." Moonstone stuttered. All of the color had left her face and her eyes were open wide enough to look like dinner plates. "Penn, I- I think I changed my mind..."
Pennington looked between the two of them. Each of their faces only made the emptiness in his chest ache all the worse.
He'd been beaten. Outmaneuvered. Nothing about this changed that it was still the perfect setup. And now Sails had thrown himself into its jaws. Even if he DID run, the Adelinds still had Lily, wherever she was. It felt as if everything he had ever cared about lay either within their claws or under Celestia and Luna's control.
His mind quickly wandered to try and correct the untruth. He could always run back to Inkwell Commissions, his parents would always welcome him back with open hooves, and he had finally mended his relationship with his cousins at Sweet Apple Acres. In his mind's eye, he crossed the street from Inkwell Comissions to his neighbor's business: Whipstitch Repairs. He could practically see Whipstitch's frustrated look as she glared into the mouse hole in her wall. Whenever Pennington had found himself stumped at a particularly action-packed or terrifying part of a story and at a loss for words, he enjoyed going to watch the cartoonish antics between Whipstitch and the small creature with which she shared her shop.
"One of these days, I'm going to take an axe and go in there after you myself, Mephistopheles!"
Of course, Whipstitch never did. The rivalry between her and the supernatural infiltrator never ended. She would always stand just outside the hole and peer in angrily with one eye, as if glimpses and peeks could possibly hurt it.
If she would just get in there, she'd get some real results, for better or worse! Pennington thought.
The image of Whipstitch straightened her posture and turned to stare at him, one eyebrow raised in surprise while the other pulled down in a scowl.
"Well, aren't YOU quite the hypocrite?"
Pennington's eyes snapped open, pulling him back to the present with a gasp.
Hypocrite? How am I...
Pennington looked down at his trembling hoof, holding it up to his face. He mustered up his courage and watched the shaking slow, then stop.
Whipstitch, or whatever vision of her he'd had, was right. He WAS being hypocritical.
He narrowed his eyes and began walking back towards the main room.
"PENN!" Moonstone ran up, grabbing at his tail and yanking it back to try and stop him. Pennington, however, didn't break his stride.
"What are you DOING?" Twilight shouted, running ahead to confront him. Pennington lifted her in his magic and gently placed her to the side.
Just as Pennington was about to enter the main room, he turned back to Twilight and Moonstone. Somehow, in spite of everything, he felt the familiar sensation as the corners of his mouth just couldn't keep themselves down, his lips parting in a giddy smile as the sheer absurdity of his next words began to boil over.
"I'm going to go tell a lousy ghost to stay out of my life, or else I'll give him a one-way ticket to Tartarus!"
Before either of them could respond, Pennington strode his way into the main room. Every pair of eyes watched him with baited breath, though Sunstone hardly seemed surprised.
"Are you prepared, young scribe?"
Pennington rolled his eyes.
"Yeah, just get on with it! I've got nothing to lose and everything to take back!"
Once again, that liquid light began to seep out from the walls, running down in trickles, then rivers. As the edges of the magic began to lap at his hooves, he gritted his teeth and prepared for the worst. When it touched him, though, his hoof simply went numb. Pennington blinked, holding up the appendage to examine it.
It was no longer his hoof. The fur had changed from his cool blue to a blazing red. More importantly, he could see the edge of an unfamiliar scar running across the center, looking like an old wound inflicted by a bladed weapon.
The Fang of Orochimaru... The head broke off of the spear when I pierced the Seal of Orichalcos...
Pennington blinked, not noticing the rising tide was up to his knees. That wasn't his memory. The Fang of Orochimaru was a legendary spear that had been broken into three pieces in a battle more than a thousand years ago! He had tried searching for the pieces, but never laid a hoof on it.
His eyes widened in shock as the world began to be drowned out in the light numbing and washing over his body.
And then everything went white, and the Adelind Eyrie was an eternity away.
Pennington shook his head. He was standing in a center of a massive city. Skyscrapers reached up to the sky, alongside towering factories belching smoke from brickwork columns. He looked down at his hooves, which were once again his own. He was standing in the middle of a impeccably paved sidewalk, made of polished marble and geometric patterns of gold filigree. The most beautiful trees were blossoming on either side of the main road, somehow growing flowers in every color imaginable on the same branches. Across the street, he could see a massive library through a set of glass display windows, with gigantic stacks of books and a perfect-looking pair of worktables, one with ink, quills, and paper and the other with needles, thread, colored leather and binding glue. It looked like everything needed to be a one-pony publishing company.
"I know... It's enough to make you drool, isn't it?"
Pennington spun in place, turning to face the stranger behind him head-on, only to stop, jaw hanging limp.
There, standing before him was a pony with a burgundy-colored coat and flaming red-and-orange hair standing on end. He wore a tattered cloak that half-covered the pouch-covered brown vest covering his chest. His cutie mark was a familiar pair of scrolls flanking a compass rose.
He- he looks just like the old illustrations!
The stranger offered a hoof.
"I'm Phoenix Quill, though I guess nowadays most ponies just know me as 'Quill the Scribe.' Nice to meet you. You must be my replacement!"
"I can unequivocally tell you it's the understatement of the millenium."
The two ponies both chuckled, though Pennington remained tense. Quill turned and stepped out into the road, motioning for Pennington to follow. He did, though not without a degree of hesitation. Soon, the two of them were walking down the center of the street. They seemed to be the only ones in the entire city, so there was no traffic to worry about blocking.
"I'm sure your first question is why we're in a huge city that's completely empty?" Quill asked, motioning to the buildings around them.
"Actually..." Pennington took a moment to collect his boldness. "I was going to ask why you'd bother answering questions if you're some ancient spirit that's just going to take over my body?"
Quill froze in his tracks for a moment. He raised his hoof to his mouth, and Pennington wondered if he had managed to shatter some kind of friendly facade. He took a step back, readying himself if the ghost should choose this moment to attack
"Pfft! HAHAHAHAHAA!" Quill burst out laughing, loud enough for his chortles to echo for miles. "I- I'm not- HAHAHAHA!"
Pennington realized Quill was NOT about to attack him.
"Did- Did you come here from the Adelinds?" Quill asked, wiping away a tear from his eye. "Oh man, I haven't laughed like that in a hundred years!"
Pennington nodded.
"You can't believe everything those old lizards tell you. It's all part of a ruse, to keep ponies from constantly showing up and trying to be the next guardians of Equestria! I mean, you SAW what happened to Full Sails... Imagine having ponies lined up for miles wanting to be a big hero and all winding up like HIM? It would be a catastrophe in and of itself!" Quill reached over and gave Pennington a light punch on the shoulder.
"Don't worry. Even if you WERE the next incarnation, it doesn't work like that. Imagine it like... having a library unlocked in your head! Every book can be opened and shut again as you wish, and reading a book won't turn you into the main character! It's the same with having a thousand lives crammed into your head! You don't remember them all at the same time, you can go back to each one as you need and find whatever you're looking for."
Pennington nodded. The concept made sense, put that way. This "Spirit of the Scribe" would eventually have too much information for any pony's mind to process, magic or no. If the memories were left shut until called upon, though, it would never be too much to handle at once. Still, there was something else in what he'd said that left him concerned.
"You... said that as if I'm not the right pony?"
Quill took a deep breath and shook his head.
"Sorry, Pennington... You're not the one."
Pennington looked down, a surprising amount of disappointment settling on his shoulders. "Oh. Does that mean, out there, I'm all... you know? 'Grabalagh?'" He made a twitching motion with his hoof and gargled a small amount of spit in the back of his throat.
Quill chuckled, this time with less enthusiasm.
"No, you're perfectly fine back in the world of the living. You're not the same as I am, but you're... well, close enough, I guess. You're a kindred spirit, one alike enough for us to forge this temporary connection."
Pennington didn't like being called "close enough," but it was a step up from "violently possessed and absorbed by an ancient power."
"So, if I'm not the one who's supposed to be the next 'Scribe of Legends,' or whatever... why are we even having this little talk?"
Quill sighed, coming to a stop and sitting down in the middle of the street.
"Because there isn't going to BE any 'one.' The Scribe's cycle has been broken."
Suddenly, the world around them began to melt away and transform, becoming a frozen mountaintop. Another Quill stood, broken and battered, with the familiar sword clutched in his magic. Across from him stood a young dragon, green with a dark black underbelly, wearing a golden gauntlet over one claw. Both were exhausted and breathing hard as they stared one another in the eyes. Both of them leaped at each other, Quill swinging the sword with a mighty warcry and raking it down one side of the dragon's face. The dragon, however, managed to plant the gauntlet directly on Quill's chest. Near-instantly, Quill was trapped beneath a thick layer of ice, plummeting into the snow like a rock. The dragon held its free hand up to the place Quill had sliced at its face and screamed in pain. The gauntlet closed tight and a rain of thunderbolts came crashing down onto Quill's immobile body, striking over and over, three or four or even five at a time. The number increased every time until the attack reached its climax with more bolts than Pennington could even count striking at the same time. The dragon smirked, his work done, and disappeared down the other side of the mountain. Quill's body lay in the snow, a patchwork of frozen flesh and smoking charcoal.
As quickly as it had come, the vision faded away and they were standing back in the empty city.
"Somehow, Scorch knew that the magic of the gauntlet, in a high enough dosage, could fracture the primordial magic that created our cycle. I still don't know what could have caused him to turn on me so suddenly... He had been such a kind dragon when he was a hatchling! Whenever I would become so involved in my work that I forgot about others, he would bring me back to the present..." Quill sighed. "Still, I finished shedding my tears over that eons ago. The magic that caused me to be able to carry my memories from one life to the next, for my SOUL to persist after my death, was shattered. Not destroyed, but fragmented. There will be no next incarnation."
Pennington scoffed softy.
"I think I can identify with you on that front... Being betrayed by someone you thought was your friend..."
Quill raised one eyebrow.
"You're talking about your partner, Moonstone?"
"Moonstone, Twilight, Luna... even Celestia. Pick one."
Quill waved his hoof, and once again everything around them changed. They were standing at the very top of the Adelind Eyrie, now. Amphitheres and narrow-bodied dragons with wide wings were sunbathing all around them, while even more were flying in and out of the massive hole leading down to the healing spring.
"Inkwell, do you know why wyverns are so rare?" Quill asked, staring intently at the horizon.
Pennington followed his line of sight, catching sight of two more dragons coming towards the eyrie. One was an emerald-feathered amphithere, but the other was too small to make out at the distance.
"Rare?"
Quill nodded.
"Extremely. They're at an evolutionary disadvantage compared to most other types of dragon. An evolutionary dead-end. They are unaccustomed to working or living on the ground, with no usable forelimbs or flexible bodies like their terrestrial brethren. But their heavy lower legs, while handy for plucking up prey from the sky, are disproportionately weighted for long-term flight."
As the dragons drew closer, the smaller speck grew to be a familiar shape. She was clearly struggling, her flight sporadic and her wingbeats uncoordinated with one another.
"Moonstone?"
"Other dragons can use their wings unconsciously, in the same way that you or I don't have to think about breathing. Wyverns do not have that luxury. Their lack of a dedicated set of limbs for flight means that they tire quickly and have a high caloric intake compared to other dragons, who can go for long periods without food." Quill sighed. "This makes them fast, but only in short bursts. They are dragons made for terrorizing populated areas, swooping in and out to steal prey and then disappearing into the sky before retaliation can be made. This makes them almost completely extinct and totally useless in the Dragon Lands, where food is scarce and requires long hunting treks."
Moonstone fluttered a few more desperate times before her wings flopped uselessly against her sides, sending her plummeting from the sky.
"MOONSTONE!" Pennington instinctively tried to reach out with his magic, to no effect. Moonstone came crashing down onto the hard surface of the top of the eyrie, rolling and sliding all of the way to the rim of the spring's room. Her body heaved up and down with violent coughing, and Pennington felt his heart breaking as he watched her suffer.
"Why do you care? Didn't she betray you?" Quill asked calmly.
"Maybe, but I'm not a MONSTER!" Pennington spat back, rushing to where she had landed. He tried to reach out to her, only for his hoof to pass through her, as if they were simple ghosts.
"If that's all that little Moony's got, she's never gonna be any use as a hunter!" one of the nearby dragons scoffed, only cracking open one eye to stare at her.
"Well, what else is she gonna do? She already proved she's got no future guarding our territory, she was getting beaten by fresh hatchlings with a decent pair of wings!" Another one chortled. "Maybe she can go down into the catacombs! They always need sharp eyes to dig out more gems!"
Pennington was seething with anger, turning on the source of the voice. When he had come to face it, though, the scene had changed. Moonstone sat dejectedly on her father's shoulder, head hung low with shame. There was a river of tears running down from her eyes and gathering in a puddle in the crook of Sunstone's neck.
"I- I can't do ANYTHING!" she sobbed as one of Sunstone's claws stroked her back. "I'm USELESS! Everyone says so!"
This was new.
In all of the time Pennington had known her, he had never once seen Moonstone cry. Not like this, completely, openly, unabashedly sobbing. Out of the two of them, she had always been the stoic.
Sunstone gently shushed as he tried to comfort his daughter.
"I know, Moonstone. I hear them, too... You know they're wrong, just as I do..."
"But they're NOT!" Moonstone screeched. "I can't fight, I can't FLY for long, I can't do ANYTHING!"
"Tut tut... That is not true. You can't do anything HERE... but that doesn't mean you have no way to contribute to our family's honor!" The statement was enough to get Moonstone to stop sobbing long enough to look her father in the eye.
"I was recently contacted by your sister in Equestria, Coral. She is nearing the age where she'll need to return home... She would like you to take her place. Watch for the return of our family's patron, and ensure his safe return to us."
Moonstone's eyes widened in shock.
"Dad! I can't! I mean, there's so many who would be better-"
"Who else would I send?" Sunstone cut her off. "Beryl? He would lose his temper and maul someone in a day. Jasper might be young enough, but she is already the size of one of their houses! All the other hatchlings young enough have yet to experience their endowment and discover their own magic!" he reached up, taking Moonstone into his claw and holding her up to eye level. "Moonstone, your gift will preserve you from being deceived by the creatures outside our home, and you possess strength even you yourself are not aware of. You have the rarest gift for a dragon traveling outside her home: you have understanding of other creatures. THIS is where you belong, I know it! And if you should find the Scribe, those who once mocked you will bow at the knee. You'll bring more honor than this family has known in a generation!"
Moonstone wiped away her tears with a sniffle.
"You- you really think so, dad?"
"Even if the Scribe does not appear, you will still have carried on our family's oldest tradition. That is honor and belonging aplenty..." Sunstone nuzzled her belly with the tip of his snout, causing Moonstone to collapse into a fit of giggles.
The vision began to blur and fade away, leaving Pennington and Quill back in the center of the empty street.
"Since the day she hatched, Moonstone looked only to make herself useful to those she loved, all while hearing legends upon stories upon tall tales about her family's mystical guardian..." Quill sighed. "And yet..."
"LET HIM GO!" Pennington heard Moonstone's voice, muffled as if she were speaking through water, but still distinguishable. She was sobbing again, practically choking on her own tears. "Let him go! I don't want some ancient hero, I want my FRIEND!"
"Is that..."
"Right now? Yes. She is breaking millennia of tradition and trying to violate the ritual. She is risking exile from her family. If they believe she stopped the return of the Scribe of Legends, not even her father will be able to protect her from the outrage..." Quill muttered, rising to his hooves again. "Come. There's more for you to see."
"More? Moonstone is putting herself in danger! I have to get back NOW!" Pennington cried, looking in vain for something that would resemble an exit.
"There is TIME!" Quill snapped, a flash of fiery rage appearing his eyes that even made Pennington afraid, snapping him out of his own paltry outburst instantly. "There is always time in this place..."
Pennington paused, glancing around them at the empty alabaster city.
"What is this place?"
Quill sighed.
"As near as we've ever been able to tell, the other guardians and I call it 'Limbo.' It's the place our spirits go after we die, but before we're reborn." He sighed, giving a melancholy look at his surroundings. "Amazing what you can build in a few dozen thousand years, isn't it?
Pennington's eyes widened and he took in his surroundings with new eyes.
"You... built all of this?"
Quill chuckled to himself.
"Not alone, of course! It took all four of us a long, long time! But we tended to get bored while we were stuck here, you know? Occasionally the odd lost soul would find themselves here on their way to the afterlife, but they were always just passing through. It was Ixia's idea to make a place they would feel less afraid of, you know? She always had the biggest heart out of all of us... always making certain everyone else was taken care of before herself."
"So, Ixia was a Guardian Spirit, too?"
Quill nodded, a wistful look in his eyes. "My beautiful Winter Blossom... In the greatest adversity, she blooms the greatest exquisiteness." He cast a sideways glace at Pennington. "But you already know that, don't you? As much as you've tried to deny it, you already know everything I could say about her."
Pennington didn't need one of Quill's magical visions to know what he was talking about.
"So... how have you been taking care of my precious Lily?"
Pennington gritted his teeth. He hadn't wanted to believe it, but the knowledge had been planted in his mind from the moment he'd discovered Quill was a guardian.
"Things... didn't work out between us."
Quill closed his eyes, and Pennington thought he caught sight of tears running down the side of his face.
"I never had the heart to tell her I wouldn't be moving on to our next life. I knew that it would break her heart... But now we're never going to see each other again in ANY life, and I wish more than anything that I had told her the truth so we could treasure one another one last time without reservation..."
Seconds later, though, Quill had returned to his smiling, cheery self without a trace of his tears or former sadness. He hurriedly rose back onto his hooves and rushed on ahead.
"Still! The past is the past, right? Nothing to do about it but forge ahead in the present!"
Pennington picked up his pace to try and match Quill, but the legend somehow kept a couple lengths ahead of them as they both trotted further down the street. After a few seconds, Pennington could make out movement in the distance. After a few seconds, he could pick out two small fillies chasing each other down the street coming in the opposite direction. The two of them quickly ran up to and past Quill, then himself. The one in the lead was a unicorn with a pristine white coat and light pink mane, while the smaller pegasus had a coat a shade of blue almost identical to his own, with a mane of lighter robin's-egg blue.
Pennington froze in his tracks as realization struck. He spun in place, trying to get another look at the fillies, but they were gone.
"Did you see something?" Quill inquired with a smirk.
Pennington narrowed his eyes.
"I've got to draw the line there. If you're going to show me magical flashbacks, make them obvious. Don't start blurring the lines or I'm going to wake up from all of this with serious issues."
Quill sighed and turned away from the center of the street. Pennington followed him into a nearby building, where what awaited him left him completely breathless.
It was a grand hall filled with the most exquisite decorations he had ever seen. Gemstones and precious metals he couldn't even begin to identify lined every wall in delicate filigree, rows upon rows of perfect suits of armor, each one unique in its design and standing at attention. Above them, long and detailed tapestries hung at every wall. Detailed portraits of grand heroes facing terrible beasts stood on display. All at once, all of the tapestries seemed to come apart into their individual fibers, only to reassemble themselves in new arrangements, their pictures changed to show the passage of time.
"Every time I've ever felt lost, Ember and Threadmane's work seem to bring me home again..." Quill whispered, chuckling softly to himself. "They never would allow their art to be displayed in anything less than the grandest venues... which they deserved, of course! Always have. I still get giddy just seeing my name on a book's spine, but Threadmane always thrived in the public eye..."
Pennington turned to reply, but noticed Quill pointing up at the ceiling. He craned his neck straight up to look, and was met by the most beautiful of the tapestries, yet. The fibers it had been woven from were a mesh of fabric, gold and silver in strands so fine that it was impossible to see where one would start and the other end. The image was of the same two fillies from before, both playing together in a large open field.
"Come on, Luna! You're still 'it!'"
"Sister, I cannot keep up! I'm tired!"
"Use your wings!"
"You KNOW Mother said they haven't grown in, yet!"
There was a short pause as the first voice seemed to ponder the problem.
"Then let's not play tag, any more! Let's play Guardians!
The tapestry rearranged itself, changing the image. Now the white filly Pennington clearly recognized as Celestia was standing proudly with one hoof against her chest while Luna had sunk lower, into a position ready to pounce with an adventurous look on her face and a small stick clenched between her teeth.
"I want to be the Scribe! That means I get the golden blade, ----------!"
"Very well, and I'll be the Weaver of Fates! That means I get to be the leader!"
"Ha! No one orders around the Scribe of Legends!"
Pennington blinked in surprise.
"Quill, the sword's name-"
"Later, Inkwell."
Pennington obediently returned his attention to the tapestry.
"Well, Scribe of Legends, what are we searching for today?
"An ancient lich king! I found a prophecy that states he will return and attack Equestria today!"
If Pennington hadn't known that these were the immortal rulers of Equestria, he would have actually found the whole exchange unbearably cute.
"What? You think that showing me Celestia and Luna as kids is going to make me forgive them for what they've done? Forget that they were willing to sacrifice me?"
Quill shook his head.
"What I am showing you is that the legend of the Guardians of Equestria extends far, far back, even beyond Celestia and Luna. It is one of the few stories left that predates even them. Celestia's birth was christened by Dreamweaver, Weaver's previous incarnation before Threadmane, and she grew up to be an almighty alicorn ruler whose rule spanned more than a thousand years! Imagine the faith that instilled in them? Their storybook heroes were REAL, and a few simple words from one proclaimed such a mighty diarchy that it moved the heavens!"
Pennington raised an eyebrow, which Quill quickly noticed.
"I'm not tooting my own horn here, I wouldn't ever say we were to great and mighty, but that is how Celestia and Luna saw us. If you're going to be a Guardian, you'll need to foster a close relationship with Equestria's rulers. Having their help will prove invaluable, and they will undoubtedly require yours."
Pennington rolled his eyes.
"I'll be FINE on my own."
"But Equestria wouldn't be."
Pennington felt bile beginning to rise up in his throat.
"And why should I care about Equestria any more? It certainly hasn't cared about ME, judging by the fact that I'm HERE!"
Quill sighed. It was a long sigh, long and deep with the weight and wisdom of years behind it.
"You know perfectly well Equestria is full of good ponies. The land itself seems to foster kindness and charity in any creature that sets foot or hoof or claw there. It is a place full of deep and primordial magic, one that changes others for the better. A few of them just made mistakes... Mistakes you have been left to pay for, but mistakes, nonetheless."
Pennington shook his head.
"You're not changing my mind about them."
"I don't expect to change anything about you. I only am asking you to remember. You've had an awful week, so awful that it's made you forget the good in those around you."
"Starswirl!" both voices cried out together, drawing Pennington's attention back to the tapestry. Celestia and Luna were older, now, both of them transformed into alicorns and taller than they had been, though not yet even the height of a normal-sized pony. Both of them stood beside another historical figure in a blue hat and cloak with a long gray beard.
"You are here to take us to meet the Pillars and the Guardians, correct?" Luna's voice asked, barely containing her excitement.
"You DID say that it was important for the future rulers of Equestria to meet alongside the Council of Thirteen!" Celestia declared.
"While you do quote me correctly, I am afraid doing so will not be possible, a third voice, undoubtedly Starswirl's, replied. "The war against the forces of chaos have worsened. There were rumors that a kraken was spotted rising outside New Shoal's port. The Guardians have all elected to leave together alongside the earth pony representatives to defend the city."
Pennington glanced over at Quill, who had a wistful smile on his face. He decided against interrupting to ask for more details.
"Then we must leave for New Shoal at once!"
"Absolutely out of the question, Celestia!" Starswirl snapped. "You and your sister would be no match for such a monster! The guardians will dispatch it swiftly and return when the city is safe. For now, you will remain here and continue your lessons."
"They never DID get to meet us before we died." Quill chuckled and shrugged to himself. "The kraken was just the first of countless battles that led into the war with Discord. We were constantly on the move, trying to stay one step ahead of him. Starswirl and the other Pillars fell, disappearing without a trace, and we were the last line of defense... until Ember Glow was taken."
Pennington had only heard whisperings and rumors about the wars with Discord. Nearly every record of the time was warped, destroyed, or conflicting with one another.
"When Ember vanished, I sent a letter to the royal sisters telling them where the last hope of the Pillars rested: the seed of Harmony. While Ixia, Threadmane and I mounted our rescue, Celestia and Luna discovered that the seed had grown to become the Elements of Harmony. Our last act as the Guardians of Equestria was to mount that rescue, distracting Discord long enough for them to reach the Elements. Ixia and Ember both..." Quill raised a hoof to his mouth, and once again Pennington could see tears rolling down his cheeks. "Both of them fell that day. Gruesomely, in Ember's case. Threadmane and I went our separate ways, leaving the fight to the alicorns. We remained only legends to them, never meeting face to face. I actively avoided them, in honesty. I knew that if we met, their first topic would be to thank us, and the last thing I ever wanted was to be reminded of that day..."
"But Celestia never forgot, did she?" Pennington muttered.
"No. Equestria praised her and her sister for their defeat of Discord, and the legends of the Guardian Spirits were washed away in a tide of new legends about the two alicorn rulers who saved their subjects by the power of their own virtues alone. But Celestia... Well, let's just say that she still has my letter. She kept it to remind herself that she and her sister had not done the deed alone..."
The tapestry changed again, showing Celestia standing in a small, candlelit room, surrounded by object hidden beneath glass, including a scroll, a small blanket, and even what looked like a lump of glowing black coal. She was staring at the scroll in particular, a dark look of sadness on her face.
"Every time danger rose in Equestria, Celestia would return to that letter and, I fear, be reminded of the day she needed help to save her people and that help's reward was to be forgotten. She considered it a token reminding her to remain modest and rely upon others as a good leader should. As the years passed, however..." The tapestry shifted, showing Celestia leaving the room and a door closing behind her. "She allowed herself to think that her lesson had been learned. She became healthy, a good and reliable ruler to her people, and her self-esteem flourished... then swelled. She allowed herself to repeat the actions of her subjects, sparing no mind to those who worked out of sight to help her. I believe I do not need to tell you the results?"
Pennington nodded. Finally, they had reached a story he KNEW.
"Nightmare Moon..."
Quill nodded again. The image above them displayed Celestia returned to the room, collapsed in the center of all the glass-domed relics and sobbing.
"Celestia swore that she would learn her lesson from that day. However, with no teacher, she learned the wrong one. She should have come to understand the need to appreciate others and direct praise and credit where it was deserved. Instead, she fell to the misguided fallacy that she was not sufficient to protect or rule Equestria..."
Slowly, black fibers began to weave themselves in from every side, closing in on Celestia's prone form until she lay alone at the center of a deep, black void.
"When the courts and nobles came demanding a constitutional monarchy, Celestia relented her power as Equestria's sole ruler to share with the courts. She believed that as soon as another threat to Equestria arose, so would the Guardians... and she would find what it was that made her inadequate. She began her search in secret, playing the part of the wise ruler to hide her fears..." Quill shook his head.
"So much pain and misunderstanding for so many years... So much self-blame. I can't tell you the number of times I cursed that infernal scroll, wished I had never sent that letter."
Pennington found it hard to believe. Even if Luna had always been his preference out of the two, he had admired Celestia for much of his life. Her composure and wisdom were legendary, unfaltering in even the most dire of situations. To think that the past could have weighed on her so heavily seemed ridiculously incongruous with her constant grace and poise.
"The one thing Celestia hadn't counted on, however, was just how good of a job she and her sister had done in securing Equestria. Despite her perceived faults, Celestia played the part so well that no nation ever found great fault with her enough to threaten her people. Her power and the power of the Elements kept the monsters of Equestria hiding in the shadows, never willing to expose themselves to the light. The one thing Celestia never expected was one thousand years of peace to break out. With no threat that she could not handle, the guardians never reincarnated to return to Equestria. We were rendered obsolete. No matter how much Celestia persisted in her deluded search, she found only hints and stories that kept tantalizing her to continue."
The tapestry shifted and brightened, showing Luna and Celestia standing together. Luna was smaller than he remembered her and with her flowing mane replaced by strands of light blue hair. She was standing in the room Celestia had created, eyes wide with surprise and admiration while Celestia gestured to the walls, which had become covered in notes and drawings with strands of red string connecting them.
"You saw firsthoof how confused and behind the times Luna was when she returned from exile. Celestia was more than happy to fill her in on a thousand years of incomplete discoveries, proof that she had not been idle during her sister's banishment. And Celestia had discovered something... another piece of cursed writing that I wished I had never put to parchment..."
The tapestry shifted again, this time showing two small pony figures amidst a swirling sea of black and blue clouds. One was definitely Quill, while the other was a pink figure with silver hair.
"In each of our final days, Threadmane and I both began to notice something... unnatural. A force moving about in the shadows, stalking us like a predator stalks its prey. Black smoke and blood, sewing destruction and pain in everything it touched... We exchanged many letters speculating what it could be or what it wanted with us."
The clouds shifted, forming a pair of massive jaws that clamped down on top of the two figures, causing them to vanish behind its sharpened teeth.
"We were hunted, our deaths made to LOOK like they were unrelated, but we both knew that it was something that KNEW us... knew the GUARDIANS. And it wanted us out of the way. It nearly succeeded, given the way my cycle was fractured."
"But what could-"
"I don't know." Quill interrupted, cutting Pennington off before he could ask the obvious question. "And I would like you not to ask again."
Pennington blinked, surprised. That was the single most succinct thing Quill had said since he'd arrived, and it reeked of falsehood. Still, out of respect, he turned his attention back to the tapestry.
"Celestia found those letters, and they filled her with unbridled fear that her heroes would be gone before she could find them or ask for their help. She feared that she may even already be too late and they had died hundreds of years ago. And so she decided to seek them out and restore them, by force if necessary. After all, if this unseen hunter had killed off her heroes, what chance could she, who was so imperfect and lacking, stand?"
Once again, the tapestry shifted, this time to Celestia and Luna both facing Moonstone, who was bowing.
"They began with the Scribe, Luna's favorite. They were hoping I could tell them exactly what it was that we had spoken of, then guide them to the rest of the Guardians. While Celestia found others to protect Equestria so she need not confront her fear of failing again, she and her sister began scouring the ponies of Equestria for those who showed the telltale signs: adventurous explorers, gifted writers, any pony that matched the old descriptions of yours truly..." Quill chuckled. "You know, it was actually hilarious how many times they came within inches of finding you, only to be stumped by your double-identity! Celestia even began disguising herself as a unicorn and frequenting Calalily's shop in order to try and catch 'Scorching Quill!'"
"I wonder if she found out Lily's policy on ponies looking for 'anonymous' tips about Scorching Quill..." Pennington snickered. On cue, the tapestry shifted, showing Lily angrily holding a white pegasus with bright blonde hair in her magic midway through throwing her out the front door.
"Found out? Three quarters of the names on Lily's 'denied service' list are Celestia's aliases, not nosy reporters!"
The two of them burst out laughing for a moment, Pennington feeling both the tension in both the room and the crick his neck ease a bit.
"Still, they DID find you... Because of one certain purple unicorn."
Pennington stopped laughing, all happy feelings having washed away.
"When you escaped the Carnival Cat unscathed, they felt their suspicions had been completely confirmed. When the opportunity arose for you to have a good reason to travel south, they told Moonstone to bring you to her family, by force if necessary."
Pennington sat dejectedly on the floor, not even bothering to look up and see what new vision the tapestry would transform into next.
"However, Luna was not so rooted in Celestia's beliefs. Since you left, she has begun to doubt her sister... out of fear for you."
Despite the fact that every fiber of Pennington's stubborn being was against it, hope began to stir in his chest.
"She met your parents, realized just how much YOUR friendship means to her, how much she values the perspective you bring into her life. She has sent countless letters attempting to warn you, only for them to be intercepted by Moonstone. She attempted to enter your dreams last night to warn you, only to find your medication had placed you in a dreamless slumber. She has attempted to dissuade her sister, but Celestia's dedication to her cause runs a thousand years deep. She cannot leave Canterlot or even the castle because of the magical storm threatening her subjects, but she is making every attempt within her power to put a stop to these plans..."
"Great... so Luna finally just wants me to be me once I'm gone. Too little, too late..." Pennington muttered.
"And Equestria is all the safer for it." Quill declared.
"WHAT?" Pennington jumped up onto his hooves, only to see Quill pointing his hoof upwards.
The tapestry had shifted now to a familiar sight: the HMS Surprise. It was suspended in the air, rocks falling away beneath its tires as the mountain crumbled beneath it... and every fissure in the stone leaking the same blue-and-black smoke that had been displayed earlier. A moment later, it shifted to a stylistic view of a mountain, a cavern carved out inside showing rocks tumbling down on him and Moonstone while the top of the mountain was erupting with the magical smog, sending down massive avalanches as a pair of red eyes glowed in the sky above.
"You've been FOUND, Pennington, and not just by me or Celestia. It was slow, but as you've actively pursued your destiny and your full potential, it was made aware of you. If Celestia had not found you first and prepared your path to the Adelind eyrie by bringing you and Moonstone together, I am certain that you would have died before your time at the hooves of this malevolent force."
"You have every right and every permission I can give to hate Celestia for manipulating you, but right now the world is proving her right."
Pennington was gobsmacked.
All of this was awful, terrible and horrible. He had been manipulated, offered up as a sacrifice, lied to, and all of it was... correct? It all felt so wrong! It WAS wrong! But... Celestia's actions were justified, somehow! How could the world validate something so WRONG?
"Then... what do I do? Just roll over? Let you stuff a library of lifetimes in my head? Act like Celestia and Luna and Moonstone and Twilight never did anything wrong because, hey, the WHOLE WORLD doesn't seem to think they did!"
Quill shook his head.
"No, you should always remember this. It'll be up to you whether or not this is the worst experience of your life or just a painful turn you were going to have to take on the road of life, eventually. Every good story has a chapter where even the readers start to wonder how things can possibly continue. But every time, they look to the back cover to see how many pages are left, and take comfort from that." He reached behind his back, producing a large red volume with no title and placing it into Pennington's hooves. Pennington glanced down at it, then at Quill. Quill had a melancholy look on his face.
"I'm sorry I can't give you more. But this is MY memories from MY life. You're going to have to be the new Scribe of Legends. It's a heavy burden, but I can't bear it any more... This is the start of YOUR cycle."
"W-wait, WHAT?" Pennington stumbled back, still gripping the book with one hoof. "Are you saying I'm going to start... reincarnating, or something?"
Quill nodded. "I've been ejected from the cycle, and it looks as if fate has chosen YOU to fill the vacuum."
Pennington felt doubt beginning to dig a pit in his chest instantly.
"No, nononono... I'm NOT some kind of legendary guardian, I can't even make it out of the trouble I MAKE for myself without help! And what about an afterlife? IS there an afterlife? Am I just not going to be allowed in? Am I going to be stuck just coming in and out of this limbo for the rest of time? What about-"
"Shhhhhhh..." Quill pressed a hoof to Pennington's lips. "You wouldn't BE here if you weren't worthy! And don't worry. There WILL be a reward waiting for you when it's all over, just like there is for me. I can't say much about the next life, but... it's there. We're just taking the long way around. The scenic route." He winked and grinned. "Imagine it like this: you're never going to lose your best friends for long, not even in death! You're not going to go through ANY of this alone."
Pennington took a deep breath, trying to calm the hundreds of implications running through his mind. Whatever place Quill was telling him he now held, he didn't know how to get out of it. Instead, there was a more easily-answered question on his mind.
"Aren't you going to show me some kind of magical flashback justifying Twilight's part in all of this?"
Quill cringed, sucking in air through his teeth.
"Do I REALLY need to tell you how much Twilight admires Celestia? Even since she was a little filly? Not to mention the fact she feels personally responsible for Equestria's safety because of how Celestia's pushed her into the role of leading the Elements of Hamrony?"
Pennington blinked.
"That's... that's IT? No adorable childhood memories or familial indoctrination? No deep-seated inferiority complex? No thousand-year plans or... or... mind-control spells? Changlings?"
Quill shook his head.
"Celestia said 'the fate of Equestria depends on it' and Twilight just... went with it because it was Celestia who said it and she thinks keeping Equestria safe all depends on HERSELF?"
Quill nodded.
"Come on, there's got to be more to it than that! There HAS to be!"
"Pennington, I know this is hard for you-"
"HARD? You think this is HARD for me? Well, isn't that just GREAT, Mister My-Wife-And-I-Have-Reincarnated-Together-Since-The-Dawn-Of-Time? You know this is hard for me!"
Quill had an unbearably condescending look on his face, as if he were holding himself back from saying something to the contrary.
"I LOVED Twilight more than any mare in the world, and she turned around and stabbed me in the back because Celestia fed her some old stories and patted her on the head!" Pennington began to pace back and forth across the room, no longer so enraptured by the workmanship as he had been before. "And she says I have an ego! She thinks that she has to do whatever it takes, sacrifice anything just because that's what she DOES: save Equestria!"
"Celestia is like Twilight's second mother. It is the strongest bond in her life outside of her actual family. You shouldn't be so harsh on-"
"The STRONGEST bond? I thought OUR bond was strong! Plenty strong enough for her not to go along with a plan to KILL ME!" Pennington spun on Quill again, but Quill didn't seem to be affected by his yelling, patiently waiting for Pennington to burn himself out.
"I would have done anything for her... She was what I held onto when I was under Chrysalis's control..." he whispered, slinking back beside Quill and flopping onto the floor to stare up at the tapestry. "Carnival Cat broke me by making me think she'd betrayed me... I guess she was right, just not about HOW... What if this breaks me, too?"
There was a pause, then a grunt as Quill laid himself down beside Pennington. The two laid side-by-side for a moment as the legendary unicorn pondered the question.
"Do you want to know what I think? As a pony who's been 'broken' many times over his lives?"
Pennington shrugged. "Can't hurt, I guess."
"Ponies like us... we're bones. The bones of Equestria, the bones of society. We take a lot of pressure and strain, but without us Equestria would fall apart. So it protects us when it can. That's why you have so many friends, like Lily and Whipstitch. Your friends try to protect you, but you're a tough pony to keep up with. When we get broken we take a long time to heal. Longer than it would for a pony with less consistent strain on them. But when we DO heal, when we do come back... we come back stronger. You're going to have to guard yourself for a while so you can heal. But you're not dead yet, and that means you WILL be back."
Pennington had hoped Quill wouldn't have something profound. If he hadn't, Pennington would have had excuse to pout and sulk and not move from that spot. Instead, Quill had made the point quite clear that Pennington was going to have to keep moving forward from this.
"How much longer do we have?" Pennington asked.
"I told you, time doesn't mean much here. But this isn't the place for you to heal, if that's what you mean..."
Pennington shook his head.
"I just... need a second to process all of this."
"That's much more reasonable."
Pennington wasn't sure how long he laid there beside Quill in absolute silence. It could have been ten minutes or even an hour. But the silence let him think.
"So... what do I do now? I don't want to be some legendary scribe, Quill. I just want to write my books and see things I've never seen before. I just want to keep being me, that's why I created a double identity in the first place!"
Pennington heard Quill chuckle again.
"Do you want to know a secret, Pennington?"
Pennington sighed.
"Who am I gonna tell around HERE?"
"If I'm honest, that's all I've ever done. In a thousand lifetimes, there has always been something new, some unexplored horizon to pursue. All I ever did was keep searching for what kept me excited, kept me marveling at this big, wide world we live in. You don't have to CHANGE to be what Equestria needs, you were chosen for who you ARE. Keep doing what you want. You'll be where you need to be when the time comes."
Pennington nodded, feeling somewhat relieved.
"Are the other guardians... they'll have expectations, won't they?"
"Yup..." Quill muttered. "We didn't think the cycle COULD break. I'm afraid that it'll be up to you to explain it to them. I was too much of a coward to say goodbye..."
Pennington nodded. At least that was a clear expectation.
"Hey, Inkwell? Would you promise me one thing?"
It was Pennington's turn to chuckle.
"For my hero? Anything."
"Take care of Ixia... I know you said things didn't work out between you, but..." Pennington heard Quill choking on a sob. Out of respect, he didn't look during the other stallion's moment of weakness. "Please... Just take care of her now that I can't..."
Pennington nodded.
"Always. I swear it."
"Th-thank you... I can't thank you enough..."
The two waited through another period of silence until Pennington felt nervous energy building up in his hooves.
I guess that's the limit for how long I can sit still... he thought to himself as he rolled up onto his hooves.
"Quill, before I go, I have one more question..." He craned his neck back and forth to work out the kink from staring at the ceiling for so long earlier.
"He has a pressure point at the back of his neck. Right at the center, at the midpoint between his wings but higher, level with the shoulders." Quill stated. "One unarmed strike and he'll be stunned for several minutes. Strike with a blade and you could paralyze him." He shook his head with a disappointed air. "Something's possessed him, Pennington. I chose not to enforce a... permanent solution... because I believed I could free him of it." He stepped forward, expression darkening as he put a hoof on Pennington's shoulder.
"I can't promise you I'll free him, Quill. I don't know the first thing about-"
"I'm telling you that the Scorch I knew would forgive you for not trying. I've seen the suffering he's caused from this side, every bit of it. Do NOT let him kill you. Scorch is NOT the cataclysm you were born to save them from. He's just another break... face it, heal, and get STRONGER."
Pennington nodded, mirroring Quill and putting a hoof on his shoulder to match.
"I promise, Phoenix Quill."
Quill smiled, moving his hoof to Pennington's forehead and giving it a firm push.
"Then it's time to WAKE UP, Scribe of Legends!"
Pennington's head began violently spinning as the world around them began to melt away. In his last moment of consciousness, he realized that he still hadn't asked one more question.
From the moment Pennington opened his eyes, he was acutely aware of how delicate the situation was that he had found himself in.
He was the center of attention in a room full of powerful, noble creatures who were all expecting him to fill the role of their heroic patron, but to announce himself as such would probably spark Twilight or Moonstone to do something rash to get "Pennington" back, likely landing them all in trouble.
His mind raced with possibilities as he pulled himself back up onto his hooves. If he told the truth, that the Scribe wasn't coming back and that he was taking Quill's place, it would destroy the tradition of the Adelind family along with the chance of help from them in the future. If he lied, Twilight and Moonstone would freak out and attempt to undo the "change," resulting in punishment by the dragons. Even if Moonstone stayed calm enough to see through the lie, that left Twilight.
Bahneighn.
That was it. Just like Sails, he needed away to send her a message.
He pulled himself up to his hooves, scanning the room. Every eye was on him, standing at the center of a small space that had been cleared around him. Everything depended on what he said next.
Somehow, this situation felt familiar.
He turned around, finding Twilight standing just behind him, one hoof curled protectively around Moonstone. The look in her eyes was one of worry and questioning, clearly not trusting him. Moonstone's face was tear-streaked and her eyes reddened, staring at him in abject horror. Pennington had to admit that the feelings of distrust were mutual, but there would be time for that later. He took a deep breath, leaning in to whisper.
"Sure reminds me of King Entropy's court..." he whispered under his breath.
Twilight's eyes widened, and she gave a near-imperceptible nod. Moonstone's breath caught in her throat, and Pennington turned away just as her expression began to shift. He turned on his heel, back to face Sunstone and the rest of the dragons.
"My dear friends of the Adelind bloodline! Once again, you have proven that your honor and loyalty know no bounds!"
Sunstone bowed his head at the praise.
"Of course! You are the patron spirit of our house, after all-"
"It's almost enough for me to forget that it was your BROTHER who ended my previous life, Sunstone Orthos Borealis!" Pennington pointed an accusatory hoof at the dragon.
Looking around, Pennington could feel memories beginning to surface. Just as Quill had promised, however, they weren't overwhelming him, but simply filling in gaps that he hadn't even known were there. Family relations and bloodlines, faces and names of other dragons in the family Quill had known, just simple jogs at his memory.
Sunstone was caught off-guard for a moment, his face flushing as he quickly corrected himself.
"I can assure you, Scorch was exiled and forsaken for his crime, given the harshest punishment we could muster!"
Pennington scoffed condescendingly, praying he could somehow keep the ten-story-tall dragon on the defensive with words alone.
"Harshest? He was given a slap on the wrist and politely told to leave! What happened to the noble warriors of the Adelind house? The days when this eyrie would burn with the light of a thousand suns should even the slightest impunity come upon their honor?" He spun about the room, turning his scowl on every dragon present. "I was banished one thousand years from the mortal plane, my body broken and battered and my very SOUL shattered by the one whom I trusted most, and you have ALL spent that time growing fat and lazy on your reputation alone! You have no ambitions and certainly none of your ancestors' convictions! I've half a mind to take it all back and START OVER!" He turned, pointing his hoof at Moonstone. "This hatchling was more willing to hold to her convictions by defying you attempting to stop my return! Moonstone Alis Chalcedony is more of an Adelinda than ANY dragon here, and more deserving to be head of this house of fattened cowards!" He turned away, picking up Moonstone in his magic and placing her on his back. Moonstone instantly wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, hugging him tightly. Pennington gave one last showy scoff before walking back in the direction of the fountain.
"I suppose it falls to me to clean up this mess once and for all... I expect so much more of you all when I next return, House of Adelind!"
And with that, Pennington trotted his way back into the hall, Moonstone on his back and Twilight following close behind.
"That was-"
"SHH!" Pennington cut Twilight off, feeling more malice than necessary sneaking into the act. He didn't trust their ability to speak freely, yet. If even one pair of the wrong ears were to overhear them saying that he wasn't actually the Scribe of Legends, his little stunt would almost certainly land all of them in more hot water than he was prepared to try and bail them out of.
The three of them traveled in silence through the numerous tunnels back to the spring. With every corner they turned, Pennington felt more and more familiar with their path, often taking a turn before Moonstone had even directed him to. He felt a growing sense that he had been here before, a map in his brain that hadn't existed on his first trip.
More of Quill's memories, no doubt... At least they're already making themselves useful.
As they entered the hot spring room, Lily and Spike both snapped to attention at the sound of approaching hooves.
"Twilight!" Spike exclaimed as he sprung from the water and raced across the room, wrapping himself around Twilight's leg in a tight embrace. Twilight gave a melancholy smile and wrapped her other hoof across his back, giving him a comforting pat.
Lily smiled at first, trotting across the room towards the group, only for her relieved smile to turn downwards as she caught a closer look at Pennington's face.
Take care of Ixia... Please, just take care of her now that I can't... Quill's words rang in Pennington's mind as he began to feel a tide of emotions not his own beginning to rise up. He swallowed forcefully, focusing on the only thing that he knew was purely his own: his anger. Whatever Quill had told him, he had still been betrayed by Twilight and Moonstone, and focusing on that hurt was enough to center him in his own identity.
"Penn... are you okay?"
Lily's voice was like cool velvet, instantly washing away his resistance. What few scraps of stubbornness were barely enough for Pennington to keep his composure.
"Just... I don't want to talk to anyone right now..." Pennington muttered. He slowly trotted his way over to his saddlebags and began sorting through his things.
There were only a few moments of blessed silence before Twilight spoke up again, her voice like a set of claws on a chalkboard.
"Penn... how did you do it? How did you survive the trial? We saw what it did to Sails, and-"
"Hold on, 'survive the trial?' What happened?" Lily interrupted Twilight.
Pennington sighed and closed his eyes, trying to determine how he wanted to approach the situation. He turned and glanced at Moonstone, knowing that lying in front of her would be useless. As he turned to her, however, Moonstone turned her gaze down, ashamed and unable to look him in the eye.
Pennington took a deep breath. He was going to have to be confident in himself if he wanted to fool Lily. He reached into his saddlebag and retrieved an amber-colored gemstone embedded in a leather belt with ornate silver filigree.
"The Topaz of Del Torah. It strengthens and clears the mind, and it was just enough to keep me from falling over the edge of madness."
Lily glanced anxiously back and forth between Twilight and Pennington, eyes wide. Pennington decided not to wait for her to ask more questions.
"Twilight and Moonstone were acting under orders from Celestia and Luna to bring me here all along. The dragons here have magic, old magic that affects the mind. They thought that it would transform me into some kind of ancient fearless hero. Sails went after it and it drove him completely insane. It almost did the same to me."
Lily's eyes went wide and she stared at Twilight in abject horror.
"Twilight? Is... that true?"
"W-well, I tried to stop him after I saw what happened to Sails-"
The sound of flesh striking flesh echoed through the chamber. Twilight stumbled back, Lily's hoofprint embedded in her cheek. Twilight stared in horror at Lily, who retaliated with a tearful glare.
"We trusted you! HE trusted you, more than any pony in the world!" Lily shouted. Twilight looked to Pennington, as if she expected him to step in. Pennington simply glared as he levitated a pen and a piece of paper from his saddlebag, beginning to scribble down a quick letter.
"How could you just throw that away?" Lily practically begged for an answer, as if she were hoping that Twilight would be able to provide some magical excuse that would make this all better.
"But- But Princess Celestia said-"
"I'll get to Celestia LATER, I'm asking YOU!"
Tears were beginning to brim up in Twilight's eyes. A few hours ago, that would have been enough to move Pennington to action. Now, it barely accounted for more than a short glance in her direction.
"I'm... sorry..." Twilight whispered.
Pennington polished off the first letter with a flourish and drew another sheet of paper from his bag.
"Well, it was all for naught, anyway. Celestia was wrong. There is no 'Scribe of Legends.' It's just an old mare believing in an old mare's tale."
This elicited a gasp of shock from Moonstone, who snapped her head up to stare at Pennington. Pennington turned to meet her gaze with an angry glare. Moonstone's expression shifted, first from shock to confusion, then confusion to indignation, then indignation back to shame.
She had seen straight through that one. An outright lie like that would never pass her inspection. But it looked as if her shame was enough to keep her cooperative.
Unfortunately, Moonstone's outburst had drawn Lily's wrath towards the little dragon.
"And Moonstone! I'm very disappointed in you!"
Pennington sighed, stepping forward to place his body between them.
"Moonstone didn't know any better. This has been her family's tradition since their bloodline started. She was just doing what she was told she was supposed to since the day she hatched..."
Lily drew up short, her wrath fizzling out under Pennington's tired objection,
"W-well, still... I thought she ought to know better." Lily muttered, backing down from the confrontation.
Pennington sighed, nodding before scribbling down another farewell at the bottom of the second letter.
"Well, I'm certain you'll have plenty of time to give Twilight a piece of your mind on the way home."
"WHAT?" everyone replied in sync.
Pennington took a deep breath.
"I need Moonstone to help me beat Scorch. As his niece, she might be able to talk him down without a need for conflict. If not, she can at least make a good fireproof distraction. The rest of you, however, will just be liabilities."
"N-no! I can help!" Twilight stepped forward, coming up beside Lily. "Look, I know a few spells that might be able to help! I can take care of myself, even against a dragon, my magic's back up to a hundred percent!"
"Penn, you can't seriously be thinking about doing this alone now, so soon after so many near-death experiences!" Lily continued. "As much as I hate to agree with Twilight right now, we can help!"
Pennington felt a claw poking at his shoulder. Looking down, he saw Spike standing beside him. Spike had been so quiet through all of this, Pennington had honestly forgotten that he was even there. Pennington felt a small twinge of guilt.
I shouldn't have called Twilight out about all of this with him here... She's like a mother or a big sister to him, shaking his faith in her like this is a cruel thing to do...
Spike, however, didn't seem shaken. He simply gave Pennington a sympathetic look.
"I guess there's some things a guy's gotta do himself, right?"
Pennington smiled, wrapping his hoof around Spike's shoulders and giving him a short, rough hug from the side before pushing him towards Twilight and Lily.
"That's right, bud."
As Spike walked towards the mares, Pennington picked up Moonstone and his saddlebags with his magic and placed them all on his back, turning in the opposite direction.
He knew the way out.
He didn't need to tell Lily to be careful, and he certainly had nothing to say to Twilight. He reached up, passing the pair of letters to Moonstone as they entered a new tunnel.
"Mind sending these for me?"
There was a beat of silence as Moonstone hesitated.
"Are you... really Penn?"
"Yup."
"How did you know Scorch was my uncle? Or which tunnel was the exit? Why did I feel like you were lying when you said that there was no Spirit of the Scribe?"
Pennington sighed. He'd known that this was coming, but he'd hoped Moonstone would give him a little more time to come up with some half-truths to feed her.
Well, lying to each other is what got us into this situation... he thought to himself as he glanced back over his shoulder. Lily and Twilight weren't following them, appearing to be locked in a heated argument back in the hot spring room. He turned into a side tunnel, finally ensuring that they were alone.
"I met the Scribe. It was Quill, or at least that was his last incarnation." Pennington took a deep breath. It was easy to take the absurdity of what had happened in stride when he didn't have to speak it out loud. Vocalizing it made it more... concrete. "But what Scorch did worked. The Scribe is never coming back." Moonstone gasped in surprise, but didn't interrupt. "So, Quill passed on what knowledge he had to me, which was just a few of his memories. That's how I know about Scorch and the layout of this place. But Quill told me that I have to start a new cycle. I'm not the next Scribe, I'm the new Scribe, I guess..."
A beat of silence followed as Pennington felt Moonstone shudder.
"Penn, I'm sorry-"
"Don't." Pennington shook his head. "Quill told me everything. I know that you thought that this was the only way you do anything for your family. Believe it or not, I understand."
"You... understand?"
Pennington sighed.
"Why do you THINK I basically named you the next head of the family? The whole clan was listening and I said you were the best fit, you think that was for nothing?"
Silence fell again. Pennington supposed Moonstone was taking the time to process her new position.
"But... what if I don't want to be the head of the family?" Moonstone muttered. "What if I just want to stay with you?"
It was Pennington's turn to be surprised.
"Why wouldn't you-"
"Because I've had more fun and learned more in the last five months than in my entire life!" Moonstone jumped down from Pennington's back and ran out in front, staring straight into his eyes. "It's true that, when I started all of this, I was just trying to do my part to be a worthwhile member of my family because I can't do much! But as time went on, I realized that I could help YOU! I realized that I wasn't useless, or that I only had one purpose I could fulfill! I could be a part of your life and make a real difference! I felt like... we changed things. We help people. Even when you left Equestria, we didn't stop trying to help people!" Moonstone's eyes began to fill with tears.
"When I'm with you, I feel like... I can make a difference. You're my best friend, and when I realized I might lose you... I- I couldn't-" Moonstone rushed forward, jumping up and wrapping her arms around Pennington's neck.
"I'M SO SORRY!"
Pennington reached around, pulling Moonstone tight against his chest. He leaned down, putting his mouth just beside her ear. "I'm not going to say 'it's okay' or 'don't worry about it,' but... okay. I accept your apology, Moon Moon." Moonstone was sobbing, now, sending hot streams of tears running down his shoulder.
With how mature she always acted and her constant nagging as the voice of reason, it was easy for Pennington to forget Moonstone was still a child.
"You screwed up. But you're far from the first one out of the two of us to do that, you know?" Pennington smiled, giving her a light pat on the back. "Remember after the Royal Wedding? What you told me? You said I ought to be celebrating because everything turned out okay! Well, everything turned out okay today, didn't it?"
Moonstone's sobbing finally slowed to a halt, and Pennington felt her nod as she kept her face pressed into his fur.
"Well, then we should celebrate! Once all of this business with Scorch is finished, we're going to go out and have a grand night on the town! All the smoky quartz and sapphires you can eat, and some fresh A-grade parchment for the book I'm going to write out of all this!"
Moonstone giggled slightly, pulling herself away enough to look Pennington in the eye.
"You- you sure?"
Pennington smiled and picked her up, placing her gently on his back.
"Well, we're not going to be doing much at all until you send those letters!" Pennington felt a small bit of joy coming back to him as Moonstone giggled and grabbed the letters from his hoof. After a few seconds, he heard her cringe and suck in air through her teeth.
"Oh, Penn... I'm going to have to rewrite these..."
"What? Why?"
"As happy as I am that your magic is back, your hornwriting is TERRIBLE! They're barely legible, and I'm USED to interpreting your chicken scratch writing!"
Pennington rolled his eyes as he felt her lean over and snatch a set of new supplies from his bag. Still, his exasperation aside, he felt a mountain of weight roll off of his shoulders.
He'd been betrayed by nearly everyone he knew, the one pony who HADN'T betrayed him had turned out to be his counterpart in some kind of eternal cycle of rebirth he had just been adopted into, he had discovered that the greatest privilege he'd ever had in his life had been a set up to try and transform him into someone he wasn't, and now he had reason to think that his entire life had been leading him to some kind of strange destiny...
But despite all of that, he and Moonstone were still partners. That was the one constant that had remained.
Somehow, he had to admit that it was the one thing he wasn't sure he could have gone on without, so... definitely a positive. At least today wasn't the total end of the world.
The Scribe of Legends will not be returning to Equestria. The death of Phoenix Quill was sufficient to break the cycle of that guardian spirit. I know that your intention was for me to be transformed, to be filled with a thousand memories that would all make that new pony who walked away grateful for your actions.
Once again, you were wrong.
Quill named me the new Scribe, starting a new cycle of rebirth. Every one of my memories is completely intact. You convinced Twilight to betray me. I hope you are prepared to comfort her in her heartbreak, because I never want to see her again. You enlisted Moonstone in your cause. Our friendship has proven too strong for you to break. I will finish my mission. I will defeat Scorch. By the time you read this, Moonstone and I will already be on our way to confront him. Consider it good fortune that I happen to still have a few friends in Equestria that make it worth saving.
However, I will not be returning to Equestria. I understand now that the life I had there was a fabrication of your making, at least from the point at which I became Luna's protege, if not earlier. Toying with the lives of the ponies around you to make up for your own insecurities is unacceptable behavior from the ruler of such a blessed land. Equestria will be without the Scribe of Legends, and I want you to understand that it is YOUR fault.
Go anywhere near any of the few friends that I have left, and I will know. I will protect them from you.
-Pennington Inkwell
Dear Princess Luna,
I am still here. I know you may have expected the next letter delivered by Moonstone to come from the Scribe of Legends, or something.
No. I am still here. And I know everything. I know you and Celestia set me up. I know that you didn't choose me because of my own merits, but because you believed I was the next incarnation of the Guardian Spirit. It is for this reason that I tender my resignation, both as your protege and as a member of the New Lunar Republic, effective immediately following the defeat of Scorch Verdis Stratae Adelind.
I will not be returning to Equestria. I will send you no more letters.
Luna, Celestia and Eclipse all sat together in an otherwise empty conference room. Luna and Eclipse sat at one end of the table while Celestia sat at the other. Both sides seemed to have resigned to frustrated glaring for the moment, both refusing to budge from their respective positions. Finally, Luna too a deep breath and leaned forward, a shadow falling over her face and intensifying her angry expression.
"Well, sister? It would appear that your 'necessary' plan has failed. Your supposed 'next Scribe of Legends' has turned his back on Equestria and on the two of us. Do you have anything to say for yourself?"
Celestia leaned forward, her face terse and unflinching.
"Pennington said that he has been declared the NEW Scribe, whatever that distinction means. Either way, the Scribe is here and alive. I remain confident that in Equestria's greatest need, he'll rise to the occasion!" Celestia leaned forward to match her sister. "I stand by my decision. The Guardian Spirits exist, Luna, and they've been reborn! That means calamity is unequivocally about to strike-"
"WAKE UP, Celestia!" Luna slammed her hoof on the table, sliding her letter across the table. "You- WE- took it upon ourselves to sacrifice a pony for the 'greater good' and were found out for it! It was wrong, morally, philosophically, on every level I can think of!"
"Not to mention that Pennington Inkwell is Scorching Quill." Eclipse leaned in beside Luna. "At the absolute least, you asked me to be your adviser because of my perspective. All it would take is one letter, one manifesto arriving at his publisher's door, and Pennington Inkwell could drag BOTH of you through the mud! He could destroy the trust every pony in Equestria places in you!" When Celestia's only acknowledgement was a short flickering of her eyes to the side, Eclipse snapped his fingers, disappearing from Luna's side and reappearing behind Celestia, dressed in a judge's robe and oversized curly wig. With a surly frown, he slammed a comically oversized gavel down on the table. Taken by surprise, Celestia jumped slightly in place and turned in her chair with reproach on her lips, but was instantly shut down by Eclipse leaning close enough for their noses to touch and staring straight into her eyes.
"Celestia, if the electorate learns about this, it will be proper grounds for them to demand that you and Luna abdicate."
Celestia's eyes widened and turned back to Luna, who gave only a grim nod. "Sister, do you not even feel bad for what you've done? What you tried to do?"
Celestia's expression instantly transformed, horrified at Luna's inquiry. "Of COURSE I do! Luna, you think that this didn't weigh on my conscience? Do you think I slept EASY knowing that four of my subjects would have to go through that? Every one of our little ponies is PRECIOUS to me!" Celestia laid one forehoof on the table and settled her chin on top of it before letting out a dejected sigh. "But it IS their destinies, whether I lead them to it or not. Is it better to take the active role in the revival of the Guardians and assure that they return safely before whatever was hunting Quill and Threadmane gets to them, or to do nothing and risk the lives of many, many more ponies by once again taking the passive role in Equestria's safety? Wouldn't that be on my conscience knowing I could have brought the guardians back sooner and prevented it?"
"If not sacrificing four of our subjects results in more being put in danger, then that is the fault of whatever caused that danger, not your own! But what we did to Pennington, what you seem to still be planning to do to three more ponies, is on OUR consciences! We are the direct cause!" Luna pounded her hoof against the table to punctuate her point.
There was a brief moment of silence between the two of them, and Eclipse took this moment to pause and tap his chin with a soft hum. "Hm. Reminds me of an old kirin expression: 'Calling the boulder.'"
Both princesses turned to the draconequus. Eclipse stared back, still tapping his chin.
"What?"
"Would you care to explain that expression to us, Eclipse?"
"Oh! Well, in a nutshell..." Eclipse reached into the pocket of his judge's robes, producing a large walnut. With a grin, he brought the gavel down on top of it, shattering the nut and sending pieces flying across the room. The pieces all evaporated into a glowing white smoke that floated into the air and formed glowing shapes.
"A kirin is climbing to the top of a cursed mountain, one said to exact a toll from every traveler that dares try to prove themselves greater than nature." The shapes changed accordingly, forming an unfamiliar puppet of a creature (which both princesses could only assume was a kirin) and a grand-looking mountain peak. The figure began traveling up the side of the mountain, slowly making its way towards the peak. "They climb higher and higher, until they almost reach the top, when they notice a large boulder get knocked lose by a roosting bird." The smoke began to spread wider and form into small bunches of identical shapes to the travelling kirin. Five of them bunched together in a small group while a sixth stayed a short distance away, solitary.
"Looking down the mountain, the kirin realizes that if left unchecked, the boulder would kill five of their fellows, squashing them to a pulp! From their place at the top of the mountain, they could certainly catch up to the boulder, but not stop it..." The remainder of the "mountain" bunched itself into a ball and began to advance on the five figures while the weary traveler sprinted alongside it. Everything began to slow and finally came to a stop, the stage set. "The traveler could push the boulder off-course, but it would certainly kill one other unsuspecting kirin! So, the question was whether to let the five die of nature's wrath or interfere and kill the one for the sake of the many?"
Both princesses stared at the scenario, then back at the draconequus. His silly costume and gavel were gone as he settled into a chair at the midpoint between them. With a wave of his hand, the illustration dissolved away.
"Well, it's just an old story... A folk tale, really."
"Hey, wait! How does it end?" Luna cried.
"What did they choose? What's the moral of the story?" Celestia added, equally frantic.
Eclipse chuckled and shrugged his shoulders.
"Kirins weren't exactly fans of beginnings, middles and endings like you ponies are. More often than not, the ending is left to the imagination, or made up on the spot. The moral, though..." his face turned dower as he trailed off. He stopped to look each princess in the eye with his piercing blue gaze.
"It was never tied to the CHOICE! The moral is that the mountain always gets its due. Both options are of unbearable weight and deadly cost. Acting beyond the bounds of one's understanding, fighting the natural order... It would have been better if the kirin had never climbed the mountain and brought that wrath down."
Luna and Celestia looked at one another, both puzzled by the answer. Eclipse sighed and shook his head in defeat.
"Look, if you don't get it: you shouldn't have started climbing this mountain, especially without understanding the full repercussions. But now you're here and the boulder is rolling too fast for you to stop. You made one choice with Pennington and you felt the cost it exacted from both of you..." he pointed to the tabletop, where both letters lay.
"Three more guardians. Three more vessels. Three more choices..." Eclipse sighed, shaking his head. "Three more dues to pay the mountain... You went around calling down boulders."
Luna fell silent, but Celestia mustered up yet another question to stop silence from falling.
"Eclipse, draconequii were guardian spirits of the kirin race, correct? You had a deep connection to the land in your home?"
Eclipse sighed, and Luna could tell that the question had pained him, but he nodded.
"Do you... feel anything coming? Here, I mean? Any idea what kind of calamity we could be facing that would bring Equestria's guardians back?"
Eclipse shook his head, not even needing time to ponder the question. Luna supposed that it was a good question. They had been so focused on the individual questions of the Guardians and how to deal with them, they hadn't been asking many other questions about the "big picture."
Celestia's determination made quite the effective blinders...
"I'll pull some strings at the New Lunar Republic, have any information from our field agents regarding doom prophecies or the like forwarded directly to ourselves."
Celestia shook her head. "No, if your ponies are good at anything, it's finding things that are trying to hide... or ponies that are trying to hide..."
Luna blinked, not understanding Celestia's implication at first. After a matter of seconds, however, it became obvious.
"You... want them to find Pennington, don't you?"
Celestia nodded. "I've financed plenty of expeditions looking into the guardians, I have a few crack teams in my pocket that can track down any foretellings of an apocalypse for Equestria. But even if we know what we're facing, we won't stand a chance without the Guardians. You NEED to find a way to bring him back!"
"Oh, well, NOW you need me to make an appeal to our friendship! Now that we've burned every bridge we've ever had with him!" Luna slammed her hoof against her forehead, feeling a more-than-small amount of exasperation with her sister. "From the sound of it, you're expecting me to have the New Lunar Republic hunt him down, yes? HOW exactly do you think they'll react when they find out that one of their most famous and decorated members is now 'Equestria's Most Wanted?'"
"I'm not saying that you need to start a manhunt, Luna! But for his safety AND ours, Pennington MUST remain in Equestria!" Celestia replied. "Whether he's the next Scribe or the 'new' Scribe or whatever the situation is, whatever Quill and Threadmane claimed was hunting them is STILL out there!"
"Quill was killed by the dragon we JUST sent Pennington to go fight, and Threadmane died peacefully in her bed, surrounded by her family!" Luna retaliated. "Celestia, you've become paranoid! Even if you were right about the Guardians having returned, the idea that there is some malicious force 'hunting' such powerful beings is completely absurd!" She turned to Eclipse, who had yet to move from his pensive pose at the centerpoint between them. "Eclipse, tell her how ridiculous she's being!"
Silence fell as both alicorns waited for Eclipse to answer. After a few seconds, Luna opened her mouth to get his attention, only for Celestia to wave her hoof and shake her head frantically. Luna gave her sister an annoyed glare, but Celestia pointed between her eyes and the motionless draconequus, urging Luna to look more closely. Luna considered brushing it off and speaking up anyway, but she decided to entertain Celestia one more time.
Then she noticed the tremor in Eclipse's hand. It was nearly imperceptible, but his chest was moving up and down rapidly in a telltale sign of hyperventilation. His eyes seemed to have locked on some invisible object a thousand miles away, wide with terror as a bead of sweat rolled down the side of his face. Luna felt a wet drop on her shoulder. Glancing up, she realized that while she and Celestia had been arguing, the entire roof of the conference room had been covered with a thick layer of electric-blue cotton candy clouds, a drastic change from Eclipse's normal pink. Another raindrop landed on the back of her hoof and she gave it a curious lick.
Pomegranate juice? That's certainly new...
She quickly raised a magical barrier over her own head, and Celestia followed suit while giving Luna a concerned look. Slowly, Celestia eased her way out of her chair and meticulously made her way towards the panicked draconequus. Luna mimicked her, both of them closing the distance at equal speed. Even when they were standing right beside him, it seemed as though Eclipse were completely oblivious to their presence. Celestia and Luna looked at one another, each one silently indicating a lack of answers. Celestia nodded towards his shoulder, silently urging Luna to try again at getting his attention. Luna replied with a nod of her own, daring her older sibling to take her own advice. Celestia sighed, then pointed her hoof back and forth between the two of them. Luna sighed, then nodded. Celestia nodded once, twice, then a third time.
"Eclipse?" Both of them asked in sync on Celestia's third nod.
All chaos broke loose, literally. Technicolor lightning rained down across the meeting room as a complete downpour of pomegranite juice opened up above them. With every flash of lightning, Eclipse seemed to change colors. In only two seconds, Luna watched him turn pink, green, blue, plaid, zebra-striped, and a color both of them would later only be able to describe as "wi-fi." Their ears were assaulted with that sounded like a dubstep remix of "What's New, Pussycat?" being carried along on the howling wind and Luna felt as if every strand of hair on her body were all standing on end at once.
And then, as quickly as it had begun, it stopped. The damage of the lightning strikes and the pomegranate juice sloshing around at their hooves still remained, but the rest of it all disappeared, leaving Celestia and Luna staring at an empty chair. Celestia looked shaken, standing perfectly still and blinking as she tried to process what had just happened. Luna looked around the room, trying to spot Eclipse. It was only after several seconds of searching that Luna finally spotted him right under their noses: curled into a shivering ball and hiding under Celestia's flared wing. Luna leaned down, trying to put herself at eye level with him.
"Eclipse? Are you... alright?"
Eclipse slowly turned his head to look at Luna, his eyes wide and wild with panic. Slowly and with ragged, jittery movements, he moved his head up and down. Luna moved to the next logical question.
"Did you... see something?"
Eclipse shook his head.
"What, exactly, was that about, then?"
Eclipse shook his head again.
"You don't want to tell us?" Celestia asked, trying to crane her neck to look at him without removing her wing.
Slowly, Eclipse uncurled his body and slunk out from under Celestia's wing.
"S-sorry... Just a panic attack. I- I should be fine..." he muttered, staggering towards the door. Celestia and Luna both looked at one another. It was easy to tell from Celestia's face that they were both thinking the same thing: Eclipse was lying to them.
"I- I just thought about having the whole New Lunar Republic after me and I guess I panicked! Heh heh!" Eclipse forced the joke out. "I don't envy Pennington one bit, not one!"
Luna and Celestia glanced at each other, both unsure.
"So... you're saying that we shouldn't send anyone after him?"
Eclipse stopped and turned back around to face them, face pale and gaunt. He shook his head slowly from side to side, looking more like a standing skeleton than a living creature.
"N-no... Bring him back. Celestia is right. Something is out there..."
With that, he raised his hand, snapped his fingers, and disappeared.
Celestia and Luna both looked at one another, their previous quarrel forgotten almost completely.
"He saw something." Celestia stated.
"Or at least he thought of something very, very unpleasant..." Luna replied.
"We should do something."
Luna looked over at her sister, one eyebrow raised.
"Well, I don't envy you the responsibility of trying to wring answers out of him..." Luna muttered, fluttering her wings anxiously. "For now, I'm afraid I have to write some rather urgent letters..."
Eclipse took a deep breath and held his hand out in front of his chest. He tried his absolute best to keep it still and level, but it remained twitching violently from side to side. He was completely out of control of his anxiety, and he had lost it in front of Celestia and Luna, the WORST possible moment. If he had been alone he could have covered it up, or perhaps played it off as a prank in poor taste on the guards to try and lighten the mood with Canterlot still under assault by the rain.
"I can't believe I forgot about..." he trailed off, not even wanting to speak the name out loud. He sighed and dropped his hand to his side, defeated in his attempt to calm down. Even just REMEMBERING her had sent him spiraling into a catatonic state...
Right! I was just remembering her! I've been repressing it for so long, it was a bit of a shock! It's not like... not like she's HERE, right?
Out of reflex, he craned his neck backwards to look behind him. There was only blissful empty space. He sighed as relief washed over him and turned back in the direction of his room. He picked up his hand and gave his fingers a firm snap, imagining himself standing inside his room. A second later, he had teleported to his proper place. He collapsed on his bed, arms spread wide as he stared up at the rain running down the skylight. This was his safe place, the place Celestia and Luna had promised him he would be protected.
As the familiar feel of his bed and the scent of his room, Eclipse began to finally feel his heart stop pounding quite so hard. He slowly rose up out of his bed again and looked around. When Celestia and Luna had discovered him, he had been living in the Everfree forest, where he had been hiding since Discord's defeat. To make him feel more at home, they had commissioned a forest mural from wall-to-wall. The mottled greens and dark shadows made him feel right at home. He took a deep breath as he looked around the room, examining all the shadows and crannies in the mural that he would have used as hiding spaces if the forest was real. It made him feel safe, took him back to the days when life had been simpler, before Equestrian princesses and Guardian Spirits or unwarranted feelings of existential dread during important meetings.
And it was then that something caught his attention.
Everything was different.
Not one object had been changed or moved, but the WALLS had. It was a different view of the forest, different trees and different skies. It was a totally different place.
Eclipse felt his heart skip a beat. Somehow, someone had taken the place he was safe and taken it away from him. His place had been invaded and tampered with, and he had a terrifying feeling at the base of his spine that he knew who it was.
A loud knocking at the door sent Eclipse leaping into the air out of fear, where he painfully slammed into the ceiling. He waited for the ground to come rushing back up to him, only to realize that he had been locked into the ceiling by his horns. Below him, he watched the door to his room swing open, revealing...
"Eclipse? Are you in here?" Celestia asked, glancing curiously around the room below. Eclipse sighed with relief. Apparently, he was still safe for the moment.
"H-hey, Tia..." he stuttered, waving awkwardly from his perch above. Celestia's eyes turned wide with shock as she looked upwards.
"Eclipse! What are you DOING up there?"
"Y-you know... just hanging out- HRRK!" Eclipse was cut off as his pun took a lethal turn, a thick rope wrapping around his neck and attaching itself to the ceiling.
"ECLIPSE!" Celestia's horn instantly lit up with magic, levitating him out of the rope and bringing him slowly back down to the floor. "Are you alright?"
Eclipse nodded, rubbing at his neck. "That- that's new... Never gotten THAT result from wordplay..."
Celestia sighed and shook her head. "You need to be careful, Eclipse... Your powers are unpredictable by nature, and it seems like you've been under enough stress to start losing control."
Eclipse nodded. "Sorry about... back in the conference room..."
Celestia nodded. "What WAS that? You looked as if you'd seen a ghost! And I've never seen your magic act so... bizarrely!"
Eclipse thought for a moment. Celestia had already given him the solution.
"S-sorry... I guess the stress of this whole week has finally gotten to me. So much magic literally in the air, the pressure of this fight you and Luna have been having, the guilt of being in any way involved with what happened to Pennington... When the way the two of you fighting reminded me of how Discord and I used to argue just before we... split. I had a flashback. I panicked."
Celestia gave him one of her signature warm smiles, pressing her head to his chest in a way that made his face flush hard.
"Thank you for worrying so much for us, Eclipse. Having you here stopped a hard wedge from being driven between Luna and I again..."
Eclipse felt guilt washing over him for lying to Celestia, but... what he had been thinking was impossible. There was no way she could be back. Better not to worry Celestia and Luna about the past.
"Um, Penn? Are you sure about this?" Moonstone asked, casting a nervous glance over the edge of the top of the eyrie. "Leaving Twilight, Lily, and Spike on their own?"
Pennington rolled his eyes once again as he fastened his saddlebags tight against his sides and climbed up Noir's wing and onto the larger dragon's back.
"I have every confidence that without Sails and his henchmen on their tails, they'll be just fine."
"And... you're not worried about how they're going to react to you leaving them without so much as a goodbye? Lily got PRETTY angry last-"
"Moonstone." Pennington cut her off with an angry glare and Moonstone quickly swallowed her words. With how quick he had been to forgive her, it was easy to forget how high tensions were running at the moment. She may have been on thin ice to stay in his good graces, but Twilight and the princesses were currently at the bottom of the proverbial lake.
"I'm just... worried about everyone. I don't want things to fall apart..." Moonstone muttered, her gaze lowering to the ground as she halfheartedly kicked at the sandstone beneath her feet.
Pennington took a deep breath and motioned for Moonstone to join him on Noir's back. Moonstone hesitated for a moment, then sighed and trudged up to join him.
"Do you remember why I left Equestria to begin with?" Pennington asked.
"It was because of the invasion. You felt guilty about playing a part in it."
Pennington cringed slightly and tilted his head.
"Well, that was a big part of it... but I also had a realization about myself. I realized that everything I had founded my life on might have been incorrect, that what I did might do more harm than good."
Moonstone nodded, recalling the many nights Pennington had spent waiting up until the early hours of the morning staring at a sketch of his own cutie mark and reading accounts of the aftermath of his more dangerous ventures. When he refused to listen to her advice to go to sleep and be 'true to himself,' Moonstone had assumed that it was simply a side-effect of the Scribe's incomplete identity, and it would be solved when he came into his inheritance.
"And it all fell apart, didn't it? You know I only started to feel like myself in the last couple days."
Moonstone nodded again. He was right, she had noticed a marked change in his confidence around the time that they had left Turvian's home. She'd declined to inquire too deeply about it out of fear that she might topple whatever source had restored his belief in himself.
"If something is founded on a false premise, it's most likely going to fall apart. You can't knock the foundation out without sending the whole thing coming down..." Pennington muttered, wrapping his hoof around her and pulling her close against his chest. A few seconds later, Moonstone felt a drop of water strike her shoulder, despite the clear skies above them. "They can be rebuilt, but... it takes time. A lot of it. And work, even more work than time, sometimes."
"So... you're going to try to work things out? With Luna? With Twilight?" Moonstone asked, a glimmer of hope in her heart.
There was a painful pause in the conversation, one just long enough for Moonstone to doubt she was going to get an answer
"Let's just... start by giving it time, okay? I'll decide later if it's worth putting any work into."
Moonstone sighed. At least it wasn't an absolute "no." That was a start.
"Noir? You know the way to Scorch's lair, don't you?"
Noir twisted his long neck around to nod at them.
"In that case, would you be so kind as to bring us there? Our other companions won't be accompanying us."
"Of course, Scribe of Legends. It would be my honor..."
Moonstone resisted the urge to call out her brother's formality, but resisted. This whole debacle had been embarrassing enough for her family. It was better to just let him have this last vestige of honor.
I COULD break the ice with that story about why he got his name... But then he'd probably fire back with a story about me... she tossed the idea back and forth, trying to weigh which one of them had more silly stories about the other. Probably best not to, we need to be focused if we're going to beat Scorch...
Moonstone watched Pennington reach into his saddlebag, retrieving his medication bottle and examining it for a moment. He pondered the pills for a second before shoving it back into its proper place with a frustrated scowl. After a long sigh, he curled up in the small of Noir's back and closed his eyes.
"No sleep paralysis pills?" Moonstone asked.
Pennington shook his head, not even bothering to open his eyes.
"Some conversations just... don't work via letter."
"The Scribe has departed." Sunstone commented, as casually as one might discuss the weather. "At his request, we will take you as far as the border with Equestria, and then you will all be on your own."
"He's going after Scorch ALONE?"
"Of course not. He has his companion, the most competent dragon in the eyrie!"
"THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEANT!" Twilight screeched, shouting at her maximum volume.
The dragon didn't turn to look at her, only turning his eyes away from examining his claws for a moment to give her a sideways glance.
"You have a problem with my daughter, pony? Do you believe her unworthy?"
Twilight immediately began to backpedal. "N-no! But she's not exactly the most experienced in combat! The last time she and Penn entered a battle alone, Spike and I arrived seconds before he was buried alive by his opponent!"
Lily turned away, trying to process all of this as Twilight launched herself into a tirade.
How could everything have turned on its head so quickly, and then back again? One second, they were doomed and at Full Sails's mercy, the next they were triumphantly sailing on the back of a dragon to safety, and then what felt like only a few short moments later, Lily had discovered that Twilight had been planning on betraying Pennington all along, and SAILS sacrificed himself to try and bring Pennington to his senses? It just made no sense.
And then there was this business with the "Spirit of the Scribe." Something about it BUGGED her, gnawed at the back of her mind like a half-remembered song. It had destroyed Sails, reduced him to a seizing, convulsing mess, yet Penn had escaped seemingly unharmed. Seemingly.
If there was one thing that Calalily Curl knew, it was that when dealing with her best friend, he was rarely as well as he SEEMED.
You are wise to be suspect... Ravia's voice whispered in her mind.
Lily sighed. "If I know Penn, he's throwing himself into danger to distract himself from the other problems in his life. Every time he's ever done this, he's turned up on my doorstep a week later, battered and bruised almost beyond recognition, refusing to go to a hospital..." she whispered. She stepped away and out of earshot of Twilight and Spike, finding Ravia's mask hanging from a root-like growth in the sandstone hallway.
What will you do now, Calalily Curl?
Lily knew it was a loaded question. She could feel it, Ravia was going to judge her for her answer. In fact, she'd been getting that impression ever since Delta Raider had died, that Ravia was singling her out.
"Well, I think Penn's throwing himself into a deeper deep end than ever... I think he might just actually get himself killed."
That is not a course of action.
Lily flinched slightly at the reproval.
"What do you want from me? I tried standing up and being strong! I ran and swam and rolled and flew and crawled my way across Equestria, braved the dragon lands, stared death in the face, and I wound up helping deliver him right into Twilight's hooves so she could betray him!" Lily paced faster and faster back and forth, so caught up in her own thoughts she nearly forgot who she was even talking to. "Every time I try to take action, I either back down immediately or screw it up even worse!"
And you would be so easily discouraged by failure? The mask had changed, looking now as if it had raised an eyebrow in surprise. When a tree is torn from the ground and knocked aside, it will grow leaves from its roots and dig its branches into the ground. A simple seed may find itself crushed beneath a boulder, but through persistence will split the stone and force its way through.
Lily stopped pacing, turning back to face the mask again.
"What are you saying? I'm NOT a plant!"
However, from what I have seen in the short time I have known you, I know that you share their greatest strength. In the face of adversity, you rise and blossom ever stronger, like a blossom in winter. Should you strike without holding back, there will be no force on the planet that could stop you.
Lily felt her face flush at the praise. Still, the words brought a new wave of confidence. Now that she thought about it, it was true. She had gotten so far on her own, even after she was separated from Twilight and Spike! She had managed to make her way through the underbelly of Equestria, braved a gang of dragons, and even stood up to Full Sails! She took a deep, shuddering breath and felt her racing heart calm slightly.
"Penn needs your help, Ravia... Is there any way I could ask you to-"
No.
Lily felt her spirits fall slightly.
He needs OUR help.
"You mean... you'll help me?" Lily stepped forward, staring straight into the eyes of the mask. It had changed back to a neutral expression, inscrutable to the naked eye.
As I said before, we are kindred spirits. And I have wronged Inkwell in the past, as well. He is unbalanced, and Cha'Qued still whispers in his ear. Should we not act, we will both have been negligent.
Lily nodded, turning the mask around in her hoof so the empty side faced her. Her heart pounded in her ears, deafening her and drowning out all other noise except the voice in her head.
"So... we have to work together, right?"
Yes.
She took a deep breath and shut her eyes.
"Not just you taking over my body and using me?"
I am NOT Cha'Qued. We are kindred spirits. We will excel together or not at all.
Her mind traveled back to her first conversation with Ravia, the dream of the ancient forest. The safety and peace she had felt there. Ravia's true form, the warm bed of moss. Lily took a deep breath and held it, bracing herself. As she did, however, her nose was filled with a sweet smell. It was an almost-sugary scent, as if she had stuck her face into a bowl of fresh fruit or a bowl of fruit-flavored cereal. She knew she smell. It was the scent of freesia flowers, a bloom meaning trust.
Lily swallowed, screwed her eyes shut a little tighter, and placed the mask on her face.
She let out an involuntary whimper as she felt the mask morph and shape around her head, memories of her possession by Cha'Qued all those years ago resurfacing.
And then it all changed.
The inside of the mask grew soft, as if she had thrown herself face-first into a bed of soft moss. A wave of warmth washed down her body, starting at the tip of her muzzle and travelling all the way down to the tip of her tail. It was like when she had met Ravia in her dream, but now the aura of safety and peace wasn't simply washing over her, it was springing up from deep inside her! She felt her bones grow heavy and solid, rooting her in place. She was full of power, immovable unless she desired otherwise. She knew that she had no need to fear as she felt a gentle pressure moving down the back of her neck and across her chest as vines grew over her body. She finally exhaled loudly, feeling her teeth and lips tingle with the power radiating from her core. She couldn't see when the last vine slid into place, only feel it, but it was unmistakable. It was a pressure on her body as all the immense power that had flooded into her was sealed down inside. She wasn't afraid, not any more. She felt ready to explode with energy, power and control beyond anything she had ever known.
There was another sensation, too. For as full of power as she was, Lily could feel an... emptiness. As if she were floating free in the cosmos of the night sky. There was a presence deep, deep below her, like some sleeping behemoth. With her newfound confidence, she followed her curiosity and focused on the earth beneath her hooves. The presence responded, giving a pulse like a heartbeat, one that rocked through her whole body, inviting her down to feel the life force of the planet, the veins and roots that hummed with the very power of creation. It was the source of every green and growing thing, the embodiment of that which they drew from for life, inviting her to drink deep and grow strong. It took all of Calalily Curl's willpower not to dive in and lose herself then and there.
"This... is incredible..." she whispered, breathless from the shock of her transformation.
I am she who has been given charge of the Earth, our mother from whom all life has sprung. In our partnership, I offer you that same power and that same holy calling. Nature, life, balance... All have been nearly lost to avarice and bloodshed. All must be protected.
Without warning, Lily felt something new, an ache that echoed across her body, starting in her hooves and traveling upwards. It made her muscles tense until they locked and her whole body became frozen in place. She gritted her teeth, resisting the urge to cry out or scream out of fear of alerting Twilight to what she was doing.
The land is suffering. The power of unnatural forces tears through it like the claws of a dragon in its prey. Scorch and the Windego Gauntlet are only the preliminary threat, minor in the grand game of natural and unnatural disasters bearing down upon your home. The tides of chaos are bringing change and destruction that could kill the land itself. Cha'Qued, the Daughter of Chaos, the Queen of Nightmares... All shall come, and revile against the balance of the earth. Even I cannot stem the storms, and where once my divine brothers and sisters would have joined forces, I am alone.
Lily let out a sigh of relief as the discordant feeling receded from her body, allowing her to move again. She shuddered slightly, though, as she felt a deep, hollow feeling in her chest. A deep longing, a pain she knew all too well: the feeling of wishing for loved ones with whom she had parted ways.
Will you join me, Calalily Curl?
Lily took a deep breath, thinking carefully over her answer. It was true that Ravia had just told her some terrifying things, but... something about this moment, about feeling Ravia within her and all around her made her feel invincible, as though harm could never come to her so long as they stayed together.
Not to mention, a calm and loving voice sounding so pained and lonely... It was wrong.
Lily gave her hoof an experimental flex, watching Ravia's green armor move and flex with her. She pounded her hoof downwards, testing her strength. The sandstone snapped and cracked with ease, leaving the hallway floor bisected by an encroachment of lichen bubbling up from the earth.
"No more being alone, Ravia. I'm with you. Now, which way do we go?"
Princess Luna couldn't sleep easy, but this entire disaster had thrown her nocturnal schedule off-track. Any moment of sleep was welcome, restful or not. It was a moment she wasn't worrying. In fact, it was a chance to do a little dreaming of her own. A little-known perk of being the Mistress of the Dream Realm was that she was exquisite at the art of lucid dreaming.
At the moment, she was currently reclined in the Cat's Eye Nebula, letting the celestial body wonder wash over her like a hot bath, tinting her fur a multitude of colors. She let out a long sigh, thinking about her actions of the past few hours leading up to her retiring to bed. She was certain she had done the right thing, but it may have been too little, too late.
"Luna?"
Luna started suddenly from her galaxy-sized bath, sending several constellations flying out of position. She twisted around as quickly as she could, finding herself staring at Pennington, who had balanced himself precariously on a still-turning spiral galaxy. Her breath caught in her throat, and she quietly wished away the manifestation of her guilt.
"This is my time to relax... gather my faculties so I can make the right choices..." she muttered, trying to settle back into her bath.
"You've done a fine job so far." Pennington sarcastically replied, distinctly not-wished-away.
Luna's eyes widened and she turned back to the intruder.
"Pennington? Is that really you?"
Pennington nodded. "Yup. Guess a field trip to limbo for a few hours and nearly getting my body snatched by an ancient spirit were enough for your 'lucid dreaming' lessons to finally sink in."
Luna felt her heart leap as she sprung up, crossing the distance between her and her student in a single leap. Upon coming close enough to hug him, however, Luna simply passed through him as if he were a ghost. She felt disappointment overtake her as she remembered that this was not a typical shared dream. This was Pennington coming to her, not the other way around. He had no power in the dream realm... which brought to mind another question as Luna floated freely through space.
"How are you doing this? I urged you to learn lucid dreaming to ease our communication, but it should still only function via my impetus!"
Pennington sighed, rubbing at his temple as he stared wistfully into space, even while Luna floated freely behind him. "Somewhere up here, Quill spent a few years in a monastery learning about..." His eyes screwed shut for a moment, as if he were struggling to remember something he had experienced himself. "'Astral projection,' I think it was called? I couldn't do much if I tried, but I can remember just enough of it to be here."
Luna covered her mouth with a hoof to hide her gasp.
"Then, you are-"
"I am ME, Luna! No thanks to you..." He muttered, turning to face her with an angry scowl.
"Pennington, I made a mistake, but I-" Pennington raised a hoof, cutting her off. Luna obliged, though it seemed odd to her. Pennington had always treated her with reverence, hung on every word she said since he had become her protege. Interrupting her was something new, a confidence he'd never shown.
"For once, Luna, I'm more in the loop than you are. I know what you did and why you did it. That doesn't mean I'm going to forgive you, but I am aware."
Luna thought hard about how to reply. "Then you know I regret my actions to the bottom of my heart, and wish to apologize, whether it be a fruitless effort or not."
Pennington continued glaring at her, though Luna didn't flinch away from it. She had felt far more hateful glares on her back before, and likely would again. After staring at one another for several seconds, Pennington finally relented, sighing and turning away. His dream-self distorted and grew translucent, a sign his focus had wavered.
"Ugh... you're not even the one I'm the MOST mad at. This is a waste of time."
Luna blinked, surprised at the off-hoof comment, but he had moved on before she had a chance to ask whom he could possibly have more reason to hate than herself.
"Look, I'm here to warn you." Pennington narrowed his eyes as his body solidified again. "First of all, Chrysalis escaped. I- Lily and I- managed to trap her under a pile of snow and send her into hibernation. If you can, send her a dream. Let her imagine she killed me then and there."
Luna tilted her head, ready to ask why she would do such a thing. Before she could speak, however, Pennington raised a hoof again to cut her off.
"Please, just let me talk, I don't have much time. Chrysalis will follow me to the ends of the earth like a rabid animal, including attacking Equestria and the NLR over and over. If she believes me dead, she and her hive will see reason and fall back to recuperate their losses. Equestria will have a long period of safety from them, possibly years."
Luna nodded, making a mental note of the task. Penetrating the Queen's mind wouldn't be easy, but it was possible, especially if Pennington was telling the truth and she was in deep hibernation. Her guard would be lowered.
"Secondly, and trust me, it pains me IMMENSELY to say it, Quill said... Celestia was right."
"WHAT?" Luna jolted upright, shocked at Pennington's words.
"The guardians ARE being hunted. Whatever it is, it was what crashed the H.M.S. Surprise. It wants me dead. Most likely, it's going to come for the others."
Luna pondered the information carefully.
"Then we must find the other three. The Weaver, the Smith and the Blossom-"
"NO!"
Luna hesitated, taken aback by the rage in his voice.
"They are safe exactly as they are. You and your sister will not THINK about hunting them down like you did to me!" He stamped his hoof, sending a ripple through the galaxy he was standing on.
Luna paused. "You are certain of this?"
Pennington's brow furrowed with worry, and that was all the confirmation Luna needed that he wasn't.
"That's the second reason I'm leaving Equestria."
"You're WHAT?"
Pennington stood up straighter, his expression turning steely with determination.
"I'm leaving Equestria. I won't tell you where I'm going or how long I'll be gone, if I'll come back at all. Quill stayed ahead of this thing hunting him for decades by keeping on the move and crossing borders constantly. I'll run interference, keep it occupied."
"You can't! Equestria needs you! You're the guardian, the Scribe!" Luna cried, shaking her head. "You cannot leave us unprotected!"
Luna watched in horror as Pennington's projected self metamorphosed before her eyes, his mane changing from a burnt umber to a blazing orange, and his blue fur seemed to light itself on fire as it transformed into a blinding shade of red. He stepped down off the galaxy, walking through the empty void to stand almost muzzle-to-muzzle with her. Luna was no longer looking at her adoring student. She was staring directly into the wrathful gaze of the Scribe of Legends, like a tapestry illustration brought to life.
Is this... the face of Phoenix Quill?
"YOU have given up all rights to tell me what I can and CANNOT do, Luna Noctis Selena Faust!" he snarled.
Silence fell between the two of them. Ordinarily, Luna wouldn't allow any pony to address her in such a cavalier manner, especially invoking her full name like that, but this felt deserved. Like any deep-space eruption, Pennington eventually burned himself out and returned to his usual colors, panting for breath. For the first time, Luna considered the staggering distance between them. The idea of projecting his consciousness so far and so clearly for this long... He understated how much of Quill's training he knows.
"Celestia asked that if you will not return of your own desires, I tell the New Lunar Republic to look for you. At this point, if I refused, I would not be surprised if she were to go behind my back and send the orders, herself."
Pennington stepped back and away from her, looking displeased, if not surprised.
"Then I'll-"
"Which is why today I sent letters to all high-ranking agents telling them to destroy all records of you in their files. It will slow their progress considerably to be forced to work by word of mouth and your civilian life alone."
It was Pennington's turn to be surprised, this time. His eyes widened and he tilted his head to the side in a suspicious glare.
"Why?"
"Because I have been forced to learn the same lesson twice. As Nightmare Moon, I betrayed my sister and Equestria. Now, in fear, I have betrayed you as myself, which has somehow felt equally insidious. I will do anything to make it right. I AM your friend, Pennington..." Luna paused slightly. This was the place most ponies would be caught up in their emotions and begin crying. The two of them had always been too professional for that kind of thing, though. Both of them refused to let their composure break in front of the other. Still, every word was packed with all of the potent feelings she could muster.
"And I am sorry."
This time, when silence fell, it seemed to be Pennington who didn't know what to say. The two stood in silence for a moment before Pennington let out a long, long breath. It echoed through the heavenly starscape they both were floating through together. Luna vainly let herself hope it was a sigh of defeat, a sigh of resignation.
"I know you could track my letters magically. I might write during periods when I'm on the move." Pennington muttered. "I want to forgive you, Luna... but I can't right now. What you did still hurts more than the pain of holding a grudge. This is going to take time."
Luna nodded solemnly. "I understand. Perhaps better than any other pony."
Pennington nodded in return.
"Oh, and Luna? One last thing before I go: don't trust the NLR."
"What?" Luna's eyes widened in surprise. As far as "things she didn't expect to ever hear Pennington say" were ranked, that was one of the highest.
"Full Sails knew everything. The guardians, the reason I was being led south, all the most sensitive information in the NLR. Even Twilight and Lily were intercepted and led into a trap set for me."
"Twilight Sparkle?" Luna was taken aback slightly. "As far as we knew, she was still in Canterlot!"
Pennington scowled, a sign that Luna was clearly mistaken.
"Her letters to Celestia were being blocked, and it's clear the message she left with the night guards was never delivered. The OLR is THERE, Luna! Right beside you! All of the way to the top. Choose who you trust very carefully."
Luna resisted the urge to growl at the mention of the terrorist group that committed atrocities in her name.
"Thank you, Pennington. I will remember that..."
Pennington nodded before giving Luna a sad look.
"Goodbye, Luna."
Luna didn't want to say goodbye. Not now.
"Please don't..." she whispered. Somehow, rather than when he was angry with her, rather than all of the screaming and shouting and wrath, it was those soft-spoken words that were making a heavy lump form in her throat.
"I... I'll miss your letters."
This managed to get a chuckle out of Pennington, though a melancholy one.
Luna's eyes snapped open, instantly awake. Above her, she could see the figure of her elder sister standing over her.
"Luna, it's your turn to-"
"No... NO!" she cried, shutting her eyes tight and pulling her covers over her head. "A little longer, please! I need to go back!"
"Luna, are you alright?" Celestia peeled back the covers slightly with her magic, exposing Luna's teary eyes to her bedroom's dim light.
Luna knew that going back to sleep wouldn't change anything. The dream was over. Pennington was gone. She frowned and threw off the covers, making certain they landed on top of her sister. It took only a small wisp of thought to don her regalia with her magic, and she had slipped out the door before Celestia could even uncover her head. As she passed by, she cast a wary glance at the guards standing outside her doors, seeing them with new eyes.
I have to know whom I can trust... she thought, trying to distract herself from the longing building up in her chest. She focused and trotted away towards the main hall. There was at least one trustworthy pony she needed to talk to as soon as possible.
"Spike, we need to get out of here!" Twilight hissed. "We can't let Pennington go challenge Scorch on his own!"
Spike shrugged. "He REALLY didn't seem like he wanted to be anywhere near you, Twilight. Maybe you should give him some space?"
Twilight staggered slightly, incredulous at her number one assistant's response. "Space? SPACE? He's going to go fight a giant dragon wielding an insanely powerful magical artifact on his own, and you're saying I should give him SPACE?"
The two of them paused for a moment, checking to see if Twilight's outburst had been noticed. If the dragons leading them down the hall had been eavesdropping on them, they made no indication of it. Twilight leaned in closer to Spike, hissing directly into his ear.
"Lily's probably already gone after him, too! She disappeared while I was arguing with Sunstone!"
Spike waved her away, giving her an angry look. "You're the one who betrayed him, Twilight! If I were him, I'd rather fight a dragon than deal with you right now, too!"
"I didn't-" Twilight opened her mouth to argue again, but found herself short of words. She sighed, admitting defeat. "That's all the more reason I want to help him! I have to make this right!"
Spike looked at her in a way that always made Twilight frustrated: he was being cynical of her. It was a look usually reserved for one of her overreactive "freak-outs." BUT THIS WAS NOT FREAKING OUT!
After a few seconds, he let out a tired sigh and shook his head.
"Well, don't say I didn't warn you, Twilight..."
Twilight grinned, glad to have him back on her side. Now for the foremost problem: the fact that they were being escorted to a dragon that would carry them back to the Equestrian border. She considered simply ASKING to leave on her own, but there was no way that would work. These dragons had been hanging on every word the "scribe" had told them with a religious fervor.
"Okay, Spike..." she whispered. "I'm going to cast a teleportation spell that will bring us to the roof. We can get our bearings up there. Then, we can use the water from the spring for a scrying spell that'll let me see where Pennington went- where are you going?"
Twilight watched, horrified, as Spike casually strolled up to one of the younger dragons escorting them, giving their tail a sharp tug. The other dragon, a green-scaled fellow with a wide head, turned to acknowledge him with a grunt. Spike leaned in, giving a smug grin.
"Hey, between you and me, you know, dragon-to-dragon, my pony friend over here gets REALLY airsick. Like, she blows chunks EVERYWHERE! You mind if we just walk home, instead? We know the way."
The older dragon blinked, slowly and out of sync, before giving a gruff shrug.
"Don't matter to us, long as you're gone. Ground exit's this way." He changed directions, leading them down a side passage. The other two walking with him went to follow, but he waved them off. The others seemed to have an equal investment in the situation, immediately sighing with relief and parting from the group.
Twilight stopped dead in her tracks out of shock. That had WORKED? After a moment, she picked up her pace to catch up to Spike, who was flashing her his biggest, most satisfied smirk.
"Okay, I admit it... I'm impressed!" she whispered. "Moonstone was wrong! Who says you wouldn't be helpful out here?"
It was a matter of minutes before they had emerged from the eyrie, back under clear and open sky. Their guide gestured around them, as if unsure whether or not they would recognize the outdoors.
"Welp... here we are. Pony land is THAT way..." he pointed out into a direction Twilight noted as being north with a seventeen-degree variation to the west. "And Uncle Scorch's lair is THAT way." He sighed and pointed in an almost opposite direction, south-by-southwest.
"Wait, why would you tell us that?" Twilight asked, narrowing her eyes in suspicion.
"Because you two need to learn to talk more quietly. And because I don't care what you do. Bye." With that, he gave one more shrug, then walked calmly back into the tunnel.
"Well... that was easier than I thought."
"Hey, I'm not complaining!" Spike chuckled as he ran up and jumped onto Twilight's back. "It's about time something was easy for us!"
Twilight couldn't disagree with that.
"Well then... Are you SURE you don't want to take my advice to give him a little space?" Spike asked. "It'll probably all be over by the time we get there, anyway!"
Twilight narrowed her eyes and began trotting in the direction of Scorch's lair.
He caught himself slipping for a moment, caught between Quill's instincts and his own. It was going to take a long time to get used to having a second set of memories in his head.
"Wha- what is it?" he muttered, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.
"We're here."
Immediately, Penn stiffened and straightened. He turned forward to look at their destination. In his mind's eye, he saw a memory of a verdant mountain covered in trees, capped by a layer of always-perfect powdered snow. Quill's memory of the place was one of welcome, of home and guidance from an old friend.
The mountain Pennington looked at shared no such traits or attitudes. Scorch's mountain stood as a barren and craggy spire piercing into the sky. The surface of the mountain was only burnt and half-melted stone, glassy in places and pulverized in others. It was pitted and diseased-looking, as if the malice of the dragon living within had rotted it from the inside out. Clouds twisted and contorted around it in the sky, writhing as if the heavens themselves were being tortured by the intruding spire. A cavernous opening sat at the base of the mountain, easily large enough to swallow a dragon the size of even Sunstone, and the top of the mountain was completely gone, as if blown off in a volcanic eruption.
A nervous shudder ran through the body of the dragon beneath them. "Scorch's madness has corrupted the land..." Noir whispered. Pennington could sense the larger dragon's trepidation as they began their descent.
Pennington stamped his hoof twice, grabbing the dragon's attention. "Just drop us at the entrance, Noir, we'll take it from there."
"A-As you wish, Scribe." Noir's tone was all-business, but Pennington could feel the muscles under his hooves relax slightly with relief. A few seconds later, they were back on solid ground. Pennington grabbed his saddlebags and easily dismounted from the dragon's back, followed soon after by Moonstone. He respectfully bowed his head, and Noir bowed his in kind.
"Thank you, Noir. Both for this and for coming to our rescue before. I am certain anyone would be honored to call you their ally." Pennington said, trying to think of something respectful and reverent to say. "Return to your eyrie with honor. Should we succeed, we'll need no return trip. Should we fail... well, we CLEARLY won't be needing one in that case, either."
The dragon bowed his head in return.
"It was my honor... Pennington Inkwell. You are a good friend to my sister and, as such, a friend of mine." He raised his head slightly, flashing Moonstone a crooked smile. "See you later, 'No Fly Zone!'" he muttered, jabbing at Moonstone's stomach with the tip of his tail.
Moonstone snickered and batted away the tail. "Yeah, yeah! Run on off to the hatchery, you big weenie! I'll catch you later!"
With a single massive wingbeat, Noir took back to the skies, vanishing into the clouds after only a few seconds. Soon, Moonstone and Pennington were left totally alone, their destination just ahead of them. Moonstone let out a long sigh.
"Why, oh WHY would you say we're not going to need a lift back? It's like you're PLANNING to die here!"
Pennington took his turn to snicker, tousling Moonstone's spines. "Because when this is done, I don't plan on going back to Equestria. At least not by any way Celestia or Luna could trace, they're going to be looking for me. So I'm going any place that ISN'T Equestria!"
Moonstone blinked, still looking confused. "But, if you're the new Scribe of Legends, shouldn't you be protecting Equestria?"
"Once we're done here, Equestria will be FINE without me for a while... and I've got a lot to process." Penn muttered, turning to face the dark cavern. "Quill told me that his cycle was SHATTERED... and I've got an awful feeling it's going to take more than a brand-spanking-new Scribe of Legends to fix that."
Moonstone fell quiet for a moment, her gaze turning towards the ground.
"So, you're even more vulnerable than I thought..." Her eyes were beginning to brim with tears.
Pennington sighed, and looked up into the pitch-blackness of Scorch's lair. He'd never considered reincarnation a viable backup plan, but... she was right. There was no guarantee of any kind that he would make it out of this alive, and he'd just been thrust into a literally BROKEN reincarnation cycle. From Moonstone's perspective, she had probably been banking a lot of comfort on the idea that if he died, he would simply reappear again later in her life, the same old pony in a new body.
Pennington gave her spines another tousle. "Come on, Moon Moon, give me a little more credit than that! I'm walking out of here alive, that much is a given!" He glanced down at her, flashing a larger-than-life smile, the kind he usually saved for book signings in-character as "Scorching Quill: Indomitable Adventurer." He reached into one of his saddlebags, grabbing the Tidal Wand and pressing it into her claws.
"It's just a matter of whether or not I'm going to get a cool scar!"
This prompted Moonstone to punch him in the shoulder, laughing despite the tears rolling down her cheeks.
"Shut UP, you dummy! We need a plan before we head in there!"
Pennington nodded forward at the cavern. "Well, we'd better make it a bad one, we don't have time to come up with something prudent! Equestria is being torn apart by this crazy weather as we speak!"
Moonstone chuckled softly. "One 'Inkwell Special,' coming up! Awful plan with a side of mishaps!"
Pennington focused on keeping his breathing even and steady. He and Moonstone had decided to walk in together, side by side so that it looked like neither of them was above the other. He had to keep calm. The last time anyone had seen or spoken to Scorch had been when he had murdered Quill. A dragon that insane and violent had spent the last millennium in complete isolation, which meant that there was no way to predict his behavior.
He kept his ears trained on the sound of Moonstone's footsteps to navigate in the pitch-black of the cave. They had long ago left the sun behind, relying on Moonstone's magical vision to guide them through turns and tunnels.
Finally, however, the darkness gave way to light. They emerged in a cavern large enough to hold the entirety of Canterlot castle. The majority of the floor was covered in precious gemstones and gold, a hoard large enough to rival even the Royal Treasury of Canterlot. Every piece of wealth glittered and shone in the unfettered sunlight streaming in through the top of the mountain, a stark contrast to the constant overcast skies Pennington had grown used to over the past days.
And there, basking in the sunlight, was a dragon.
Scorch's green scales seemed to glow in the sun, baked warm by its light. His black underbelly only seemed to deepen the shadows beneath him. A quick glance allowed Pennington all of the confirmation he needed: his right claw was wearing a golden gauntlet. Seeing it face-to-face, Pennington could see ghostly blue shapes crossing back and forth across the surface, complex inscriptions and an oily shimmer all over it. It was an item that radiated pure, unadulterated power: the Windigo Gauntlet. For a split second, he considered simply trying to grab the gauntlet with his magic and bolt for it. It looked as if Scorch was asleep, after all.
Immediately, however, the idea was cut off as Scorch opened one gigantic eye, locking it on the two intruders.
Pennington felt something was off about that pale blue eye, but he couldn't tell what. It was on the tip of his tongue, he knew it, but he couldn't put his hoof on it. But there was no time to think about that as Scorch rose up to his full height. He stood on four legs, each as thick as a redwood tree, and sported a pair of wings wide enough to each provide shade for an entire city block on their own. His chest and body were equally sturdy-looking, with wide, proud shoulders and a thick chest. His midsection was tight and tapered to a tail of moderate length compared to the rest of his body, but still long enough to be a legitimate threat if this came down to a fight. Scorch sported a heavy-looking jaw that looked as though it could bite through the toughest materials with ease.
In short, he looked like the perfect draconic specimen, a heavy hitter even among giants.
Pennington and Moonstone both fell to their knees, bowing before their host.
"Honor to Scorch, head of his household!" Moonstone cried.
"May his name be eternal and his bounties immeasurable!" Pennington finished, lowering his head until the tip of his horn nearly touched the floor.
Pennington didn't dare to move, but he could feel Scorch's gaze on his back like a searing sun. He swallowed as the scent of brimstone wafted through the room like a tidal wave. Finally, Scorch spoke. Even the calm speaking voice of such a massive beast rattled Pennington's bones.
"You are a long way from home, pony. To enter my home uninvited is to court death by my whim..." he growled.
"I- I come on behalf of the land to the north!" Pennington stuttered. His words felt unfamiliar, blocky and clumsy in his mouth. "I have brought tributes to your greatness, that I may humbly ask the boon of your wisdom!"
Scorch's eyes narrowed in suspicion, but he raised a massive foot and beckoned with one talon for Pennington to come closer. Pennington dutifully obeyed, rising to his hooves and walking towards their host. Once Pennington was well and truly standing in Scorch's shadow, a snort of hot breath from the dragon's nostrils signaled for him to stop. Pennington obeyed, resisting every instinct in his body to turn and run, to put distance between himself and this monster that could easily devour him a dozen times over in a single mouthful. Using his magic, he opened his saddlebag and began to remove the priceless magical artifacts inside.
"I b-bring to you as offerings... The Glacier Sapphire! The Ruber Locomotus! The Topaz of Del-"
"Trivialities." Scorch declared, raising the Windigo Gauntlet for Pennington to see. "I possess a treasure of GODLY power. Tributes such as these are more insult than gift!" He turned his nose upwards, and Pennington could see a glow of emerald flames in his nostrils. "Is this truly the best that Equestria can offer?"
Pennington blinked, surprised. In all honestly, the one thing that he and Moonstone hadn't been ready for was actually being able to negotiate with this supposed maniac. He had to think, and quickly. "N-no! I also- uhm-" Pennington mentally slapped himself. Stuttering was a death knell in a negotiating situation, and "umm" the final nail in the coffin for any chance of being taken seriously. Falling flat on his face this early into the conversation was unacceptable, something he would NEVER do under any other circumstance!
But he was SCARED. Pennington was terrified, a deep and primal fear that overwhelmed his senses and had turned his silver tongue to lead.
"We have come on behalf of the Princesses of Equestria!" Moonstone chimed in, still kneeling where they had entered. "Fully deputized with all of their power and authority!"
Pennington grabbed onto the lifeline Moonstone was offering to his frozen train of thought.
"Yes! Yes, we've come on the behalf of Princess Celestia Solaire Majestia Faust and Princess Luna Noctis Selena Faust, Diarchs of Equestria! Any request you, oh great and powerful Scorch, would make of them, we are empowered to fulfill!"
Scorch's eyes flickered back and forth between Moonstone and Pennington, one eyebrow arching ever-so-slightly.
"And what, pray tell, would you ask from me in return, proxy royals of the North?" he growled, his voice enough to send small coins by Pennington's hooves rattling across the ground.
Pennington took a deep breath. THIS was a question he had planned an answer to. Moonstone had steered them back to the dialogue they'd prepared before they entered.
"Only to know the means, your grandness, by which we may save our fair country from annihilation by tempests! Equestria is plagued by typhoons, matched in ferocity and destructive power only by the might of a dragon such as yourself!"
Pennington felt a new wave of urges to run well up in his chest as Scorch began to lean down towards him. Down, down the dragon's massive head came, bringing the scent of brimstone and heat that threatened to bake Pennington where he stood. Scorch's head tilted, pointing a slitted pupil down directly onto Pennington from above.
"Equestria is dying, all life on the brink of extinction. In but a few days, all of ponykind shall slip into the mire... and you rise from the land to enter as its champion?"
Even seizing and stuttering as it was, Pennington's mind put two and two together. This was Scorch's paranoia, the reason he had attacked Equestria, to begin with. He was looking for a sign that Pennington was the Scribe of Legends, a reason to attack.
"While to- to bask in your greatness is a privilege unparalleled, Scorch the Magnanimous, and your knowledge of our plight is a testament to the depth with which your heart can be t-" Pennington stuttered as he was struck again by a sense of... WRONGNESS with this. The eye above him was WRONG, but he couldn't tell why. It was on the tip of his tongue, he knew it was, but it was like there was a brick wall between him and comprehension. "T-troubled! Troubled for such inferior beings as ponykind... I am b-but a humble cartographer! Conscripted into service because I was the only one who knew the way! I would never call myself a champion of anything more than finding safe paths for bolder souls to take!"
Scorch blinked, it a small action on a being so large, yet it still sent a clap ringing in Pennington's ears.
"And why would a 'humble cartographer' carry such a sword as the one you have strapped to your back?"
Pennington blinked.
The SWORD! It had been Quill's sword, and now he had walked straight into Scorch's lair with it! He may as well have come in wearing a sign that said "Kick Me! (and then violently murder me!)" on his back!
"It- it was a gift! An ancient relic! I think it once belonged to some explorer, or something! It was more of a ceremonial item, really!" he stammered, fumbling with the belt across his chest until he had loosened it enough to remove it. He held the sheathed sword in his front hooves for a moment before setting it on the ground.
Scorch's eye narrowed.
"I know that sword well, tiny pony..." Scorch growled. "It is the sword that belonged to Equestria's last Scribe of Legends... Do you know whom that was, little faux royal?"
Pennington grimaced slightly. "Scribe of Legends? I'm afraid I've never heard of him... must be an old story?"
"The oldest, little pony... Stretching back to time immemorial. And that sword was last seen in the hooves of the former bearer of the mantle... and his predecessor. And his before him." Scorch lifted his gauntlet-covered claw, passing it over Pennington. Pennington screwed his eyes shut, a whimper slipping out through his lips as he felt a flash of heat. A moment later, the heat vanished, leaving him unharmed. Pennington cracked open one eye, revealing his sword sitting in a pile of ashes that had formerly been the sheath and belt. "The Golden Blade, _______..."
Pennington took a moment, rubbing at his ear with one hoof. Great, another problem with his senses he couldn't seem to reconcile.
"Oh, does that name bother you, pony?" Scorch muttered, a flicker of firelight at the back of his throat. "_______?"
Pennington blinked multiple times, trying to clear the fog that the unhearable word seemed to put into his brain. He rubbed at his ear again, but his mind was still occupied. The combination of overwhelming terror and selective hearing left his brain feeling like it was made of stone. He had thought that facing Scorch would be like when he had gone up against Full Sails. He'd always thought that Sails was the biggest, scariest monster out there, but even when he had looked Sails in the eyes he had been able to keep thinking ahead. His whole life, it was like he could predict what HE would write on the next page. From there, he would act accordingly, predict and react accordingly. Miss Yearling had often joked about adventurers having a "sixth sense," that the speed of their reactions bordered on the supernatural. But there was no predicting at this point. Pennington couldn't think ahead. He couldn't predict. He couldn't react.
There was no next page.
"PENN, LOOK OUT!"
Pennington was tackled to the ground as Scorch's tail swept above him. He felt a sharp, stinging pain on his face, but Moonstone's words were drowned out by Scorch's deafening roar.
"YOU THINK YOU CAN FOOL ME, QUILL? Scorch's tail slammed into the wall, crushing the rock and leaving a heavy indentation. "DO YOU THINK I AM THE SAME HATCHLING I WAS WHEN WE MET? ALL THOSE YEARS AGO?
Moonstone slapped Pennington's face again before reaching down and grabbing the sword and shoving it into his hooves. His ears were still ringing from Scorch's bellow, but he could read her lips well enough to tell what she was saying.
Get in there!
Pennington blinked for a moment, then nodded. He didn't need to think ahead. That was why they had made the plan. He gripped his sword in his magic, then the Glacier Sapphire. In Moonstone's hands, he could see that she was already holding the Tidal Wand.
"I WILL ERADICATE YOUR FILTH FROM THE LAND ONCE AND FOR ALL!"
He'd always said that a terrible plan was better than no plan at all. It was time to put that to the test.
Pennington leaped into the air, already feeling the rush of displaced air from behind him. A tidal wave roared up behind him, catapulting him forwards and upwards into the air. He brought the Glacier Sapphire up to his hoof and focused, only brushing the surface. Beneath him, a circle of ice formed on the cresting wave, allowing him to ride it upwards and around Scorch. As he drew close, Pennington made the leap onto the titanic dragon's back, landing unsteadily on his hooves with a halo of enchanted relics floating around his head in his magic. He didn't pause, he simply began running upwards. He had landed near the base of Scorch's tail, and the pressure point Quill had mentioned was between his shoulders.
Scorch roared, making it clear that he wouldn't let it be that easy. Pennington was hurtled upwards as the dragon's spine arched. As he was flung backwards, Pennington took note of the water level in the room: it was nearly up to Scorch's knees. Moonstone was standing at the entrance, gripping the Tidal Wand with both hands and a determined look on her face. She was, by the magic of the wand and sheer force of will, holding the flood back from washing out. Just as planned.
Just as he was about the crash into the stone wall, Pennington plucked one of the relics from the air, a rectangular chunk of jade. He gave it a nudge, pushing a section in the center until it sat perpendicular to the frame around it. In a perfect mimicry, a section of the wall opened up behind him. Pennington pulled himself tight as he flew through the new opening. Immediately, the ground was back beneath him, tumbling and rolling across the floor of the cavern in a brand new location: the entrance. He had emerged from another wall just behind Moonstone's back. Without even waiting for his momentum to run out, Pennington righted himself onto his hooves. He turned the tightest corner of his life, rushing past Moonstone and up to the wall of water. He let go of the first relic and returned the Glacier Sapphire to his grip, tapping it against the mass of seawater. The reaction was instant, transforming the pool of water to the world's largest ice cube and trapping all four of Scorch's limbs in place.
Moonstone let loose a sigh of relief as she lowered the Tidal Wand. "WHY didn't we use the Jade Pathway before?" she asked.
"Only works if you can see the other wall for the door..." Pennington muttered. "Now he's trapped, we need to find a safe way to get to his-"
GRAAAAAH! Scorch roared. Beneath the ice, Pennington could see the Windigo Gauntlet shimmering with golden light. Through mountain's volcanic opening, Pennington could see the clouds above them vanish into nothingness. Beams of blinding sunlight struck the icy floor, hissing and crackling as the sunbeams cut through the ice like butter. A rolling cloud of steam filled the room, leaving Pennington and Moonstone completely blinded, but the sounds of cracking ice and monumental footsteps made it clear Scorch's bindings hadn't held.
"Penn..." Moonstone stepped back, eyes wide with fear.
They had expected Scorch to come at them with... well, everything they considered WEATHER. Clouds, ice, rain and floods, just like he had all across Equestria.
"I guess that the sun technically counts as weather..." Pennington whispered, wrapping his hoof around Moonstone's shoulders and pulling her up against the wall. Step by careful step, he walked the two of them into the mist.
If we can't see Scorch, then he can't see us, right?
His question was answered almost immediately by a clap of thunder and a wall of lightning racing past them and back into the entrance, where they had been standing only seconds prior. Moonstone clamped both of her hands over her mouth to try and suppress her terrified scream, which was thankfully drowned out by the thunder.
"Come out, Quill, and I promise... I'll make it quick." Scorch's voice rumbled through the room, echoing off of the walls until it came from everywhere at once. It was enough to give Pennington chills.
Moonstone jumped up, grabbing Pennington's ear and yanking it down so she could hiss into it directly. "What are we gonna DO?"
Pennington had to admit, he was pondering the same question. He refused to risk throwing Moonstone into the heart of the fight, so her flying up with the sword was out of the question. The fact that there was no roof meant that not only did Scorch have unfettered access to all the powers of the gauntlet, using the Jade Pathway to get the drop on his weak point was near-impossible. Now their plan to trap him had failed, and-
A cold wind blew through the room, crystallizing the mist and creating a flurry of snowflakes suspended in the air. Scorch's head swiveled, locking eyes on his prey.
-and now their cover had been ripped away from them.
Scorch lashed with his gauntlet-covered claw, snarling and sending a trio of thunderbolts racing towards them.
Pennington stopped thinking. In fact, he didn't even feel himself move. For a second, it was like his body wasn't his own, acting on a long-forgotten instinct. Quill's instinct.
Quill reached up, plucked his sword from the air, and stabbed it into the ground.
The two of them watched as the lightning closed the distance between them... before every bolt struck the sword and traveled down the blade, grounding itself in the rock and dissipating.
WHAT?
Pennington and Moonstone both stared in shock, mouths agape. After a second, Pennington could feel the gears in his head finally beginning to turn. He could think clearly again.
Pennington rushed forward, ripping the sword out of the ground with his magic and holding it in front of him.
"PENN! What are you-"
"Just follow my lead!" Pennington called back, picking up his pace. He had a plan. A brand-new, extra-terrible plan.
He watched Scorch's movements carefully as he dashed his way through the floating snowflakes. When he saw Scorch beginning to raise the gauntlet again, Pennington rolled to the side, only barely avoiding a flash of searing light from above. He watched the column of golden light begin to shift, chasing after him. Pennington escalated to a sprint, running straight towards Scorch.
Is this what ants under a magnifying glass feel like? he thought to himself. As he drew close, Scorch reared back onto his hind legs to free his gauntlet-free claw and swing towards the tiny pony beneath him. Maybe this is what it's like just before a pony STEPS on an ant...
Luckily, Pennington was no ant. This was the opportunity he had been waiting for. Pennington levitated his sword back and behind him, catching a wide beam of light on its polished surface and redirecting it directly into Scorch's eye.
"GRAAAAH!" the dragon howled, bringing his claws up to his smoldering eyeball as he tumbled backwards. The titan crashed against the side wall, writhing in pain. Above them, the burning sunlight faded back to its natural strength as the clouds dissolved away, Scorch's concentration broken. "MY EYE! AGAIN! WHY do you ALWAYS attack the same EYE?"
Pennington ignored Scorch's roaring, closing the distance between him and the giant dragon in a matter of seconds. As he leaped up onto Scorch's back leg, he brought his sword up to his back and pressed down hard. With the steadying force, Pennington began to run his way straight up Scorch's black underbelly, defying gravity. Just as he crossed the halfway point of the dragon's torso, Scorch finally pried his claws away from his face. The injured eye now sported a large black spot among the blue iris, still smoking slightly. The rage-filled glare Scorch sent at him felt almost like a physical force, but Pennington was already committed to this path. He pressed forward, making his way toward's Scorch's shoulder.
He can't use the gauntlet up close!
Pennington felt an overwhelming dread, however, as Scorch's chest began to rise and warm under him, taking a deep breath. Somehow, in all of the chaos, Pennington had forgotten one crucial fact: that dragons could breathe fire.
Pennington didn't have time to think before his vision was filled with emerald inferno. Jumping away was no option, even his above-average ability wouldn't be enough, and a fall from this height would be certain to at least break a leg. None of the relics he had could control or protect him from fire, not at this intensity.
"OH NO YOU DON'T!" Moonstone shrieked, darting past Pennington's shoulder, a bolt of purple among the green. She closed her wings to grip the Tidal Wand with both hands, sending out a high-pressured spray that instantly dissolved to steam. Unable to use her wings, she was thrown back by the force, crashing into Pennington's chest. It was almost enough to throw him off of the near-vertical surface, but the grip of his magic held fast.
Pennington pressed forward, placing one hoof ahead of him, then a second. Painstakingly, the two of them advanced through the fire. Soon, they had reached the base of Scorch's neck, just below his shoulder.
"Think you can-"
"Just DO IT!" Moonstone shouted, not needing Pennington to explain the plan. Pennington nodded and wrapped one hoof around Moonstone's waist. With a massive heave, he flung her up and into the air, sending her rocketing away with the force of the water still blasting from the tidal wand. At the same time, Pennington took advantage of the sudden lack of backwards force to rush forward, finally reaching the point of safety from Scorch's flames in the crook of his shoulder. He dashed to the back of Scorch's neck as a massive claw came up to swat at him, certainly losing a few hairs from his tail as he narrowly avoided being crushed.
Finally, he had a second to catch his breath as he looked down. Scorch's pressure point was lower, just above his shoulder blades, totally inaccessible while he was leaned back against the wall like this. But now, Pennington was in prime striking position. Scorch was a quadrupedal dragon, rearing back like this wasn't something he could do forever. And now...
Now Pennington could negotiate from a position of power.
"It's over, Scorch!" he called, stamping his hoof. "The moment you move, I'll strike your weak spot! You'll be paralyzed!"
Scorch stiffened, and all sounds of the crackling of fire and the hissing of steam came to a stop. There was a moment of silence as the dragon seemed to ponder his options.
"Over? Hardly. Even paralyzed, I'll still have the use of the gauntlet. I could destroy you both with ease." he growled.
Pennington raised an eyebrow. "Ease? You seem to have been struggling so far!" His response was met with a gust of wind, one that whistled through the narrow space he was hiding in, but not with enough force to lift him away. He pressed himself lower against Scorch's body, making certain he couldn't be blown away if the winds grew stronger.
"H-hey! WOAH!" Pennington's blood ran cold as he heard Moonstone cry out. The wind hadn't been an attack on HIM.
"Wyverns are such weak fliers..." Scorch hummed smugly, raising up his gauntlet-covered claw so that Pennington could see it over his shoulder. There was Moonstone, gripped tight with her wings against her sides. The gauntlet crackled and hummed with electricity, ready to shock her.
Pennington's thoughts came crashing to a halt.
"Come out quietly, or the hatchling dies."
"She's just a kid..." Pennington muttered. "Scorch, she's a KID!"
"P-Penn... I don't- I don't wanna... EEP!" Moonstone whimpered, squeaking with fear as he tightened his grip.
"NOW, Quill!"
Pennington had no choice. Letting Moonstone get hurt wasn't an option. With his head hung low, Pennington walked his way up onto Scorch's shoulder. Scorch flexed his wings, pushing himself away from the wall and allowing himself to return to standing on four legs, pinning Moonstone beneath the Windigo Gauntlet.
"Well... what now?" Pennington growled. He eyed the relics he still had gripped in his magical aura, as well as his sword. There HAD to be a way to save Moonstone with what he had. He watched the Glacier Sapphire float by, followed by the Ruber Locomotus, then the Jade Pathway and the Topaz of Del Torah.
"Now, Quill... You die. Come down so I may dispose of you properly, once and for all. Your shambling corpse will no longer dwell among the living."
Out of the corner of Pennington's eye, he spotted an unwelcome sight. Floating by in his magic, alongside the rest of the items he had chosen to bring, was one he had not: Cha'Qued's mask. He paused, staring into the empty eye holes of the mask.
You wish to win? Cha'Qued's voice growled.
Pennington sighed. This was the moment Cha'qued chose to come to offer him a deal? That was low, even for him. "Yes..."
"Then it is agreed. Come down, Scribe, and face your final end." Scorch said, mistaking Pennington's reply for compliance.
Then HUNGER for it! Need to win like you need to breathe! Cha'Qued snapped, the mask glaring at him in outrage.
Pennington blinked, surprised at the uncalled for advice. He looked down at Moonstone, examining how she was being held, then at the items in his grasp. There WAS another option. It wouldn't be pleasant for Moonstone, but...
"Very well, Scorch!" Penn called, taking the Jade Pathway in hoof. "DOWN I COME!" He took a running start, then dove from Scorch's shoulder. As he fell through the air, Pennington carefully adjusted the Jade Pathway, calling on its power once again. But he didn't need to look at the relic to use it. He kept his eyes locked on Moonstone, her eyes wide with fear as she watched him plummet. The Jade Pathway couldn't make a doorway out of living flesh, so opening a way straight onto Scorch's back was out of the question. However, there was one restriction that it did NOT enforce that had always frightened Pennington in its deadly potential.
Pennington plunged into the doorway that opened in the ground beneath him. As he entered, however, something else exited. He twisted himself in the air, dodging around Moonstone and between Scorch's claws. On the other side of the doorway, Pennington kept his momentum, flying up from the place Scorch's claw had been resting. His speed carried him up into the air as Scorch stumbled forward, making landing on his shoulder an easy task. Pennington was running before his hooves touched the scales, taking off at a dead sprint to the center of Scorch's back. He used his magic to set the Jade pathway back to its default state, cutting off the magic keeping the doorway open. From below, Pennington heard a sickening squelch. As Scorch began to roar in unparalleled agony, Pennington tried not to throw up imagining the gory scene Moonstone was now sitting in the center of. He gripped his sword in his magic, everything else fading away as he drew close to his target spot.
Scorch has threatened my country... My friends... my FAMILY... Pennington could feel determination coursing through his veins. He knew what needed to be done. He's taken lives in Equestria with this attack, hurt more ponies than I can count! He hurt Quill! He hurt ME! He hurt MOONSTONE! Pennington jumped high into the air, the handle of his sword falling into his hooves. He's NEVER going to hurt ANYONE ever again! I SWEAR!
Pennington felt a pair of words on his tongue. Words that needed to be said. Words that fit. A name. The name of Quill's sword.
The name of HIS sword.
"BITE, INSCUNE!" Pennington roared, plunging the golden blade into Scorch's back in a two-hooved blow with all of his weight behind it.
The sword carried out the command with ruthless, unfeeling efficiency, sinking though Scorch's scales like a hot knife through butter. The world around Pennington seized and lurched downwards as Scorch's back legs buckled and gave out. Pennington yanked hard on the sword, pulling it down and further through the nerve bundle, severing it completely and making certain it would never heal. Pennington cringed as Scorch's roaring rose to a fever pitch, pushing the limits of his eardrums with its sheer volume. He gritted his teeth and ripped his sword, Inscune, from Scorch's flesh. He took a small jumping start before sliding his way down, riding down Scorch's back and tail to safely descend to the floor.
Once he was on the ground, he spotted Moonstone easily. She was still pinned to the ground, Scorch's massive clawed foot on top of her. She and the gauntlet were both totally soaked in blood, the consequence of the perfect severing that the Jade Pathway had created when he shut it on Scorch's leg. As gently as he could, Pennington wrapped Moonstone up in his magic and slid her out from beneath the disembodied claw.
"Are you okay?" He examined her up and down, trying to check for signs of injury.
"W-well... It hurts... to breathe?" Moonstone panted in a raspy voice. She pointed to her side with the claw that wasn't still keeping a death grip on the Tidal Wand. "Hurts here... and here..."
Pennington nodded. "Sounds like you broke a couple ribs. But you can survive that."
"Plus, I have... another memory... to repress."
Pennington chuckled, running his hoof through the spines on top of her head. "My bad, Moon Moon. I kinda had to improvise if I wanted to save you AND win."
Moonstone's eyes widened, staring over his shoulder. She grabbed at his ear, yanking him forward as something huge crashed down behind them. Pennington spun around, seeing Scorch's last functioning claw dragging away the remains of his other leg... and the gauntlet along with them. The gauntlet crackled and hummed with power, and the skies above them grew dark with heavy thunderclouds.
"I... am not... finished... yet!" Scorch declared.
Pennington pushed Moonstone behind him, stepping between her and her uncle. "Scorch, look at yourself! You're not even HALF the dragon you used to be! This is where you need to cut your losses and-"
Pennington didn't get to tell Scorch to surrender. Pennington didn't even get to finish his sentence. A colossal thunderbolt, greater than any that he had ever seen, tore through the air and struck Scorch from above. Left reeling from seeing the biggest thunderbolt in the history of thunderbolts, neither Pennington nor Moonstone saw what was coming.
All that Pennington registered was SOMETHING big striking him, and the numerous cracking sounds when he struck the far wall. The corners of his vision were already dimming when he finally collected himself enough to process what he was seeing.
Scorch had risen back onto three legs. His lower body was covered by a heavy layer of clouds, but the constant lightning strikes inside highlighted a silhouette of the disabled legs standing tall. His tail was sliding back into a resting position, and somewhere in the back of Pennington's mind, he registered that it was most likely the tail that had hit him.
The electricity... He's using it to move... He tried to say it out loud, but he didn't feel his mouth move. He couldn't hear anything, not even his own voice. His vision was blurring even further, darkness overtaking more than half of his field of view. He saw Moonstone running up to him, tears in her eyes as she screamed something over and over again. Maybe it was his name.
You are DYING, Inkwell...
Pennington's vision dimmed faster until his eyes became totally sightless, leaving him in a dark void without sound or sight. Pennington watched as only one clear image appeared in his vision: a familiar face. A pale face. A face with uncountable fangs.
You are DYING here, Inkwell. You are dying here and soon I shall fall into Scorch's claws by rite of conquest, as will all that you have ever laid claim to. Imagine the devastation Scorch could cause with my power? Unlike you, he will not hesitate to use it.
Pennington knew Cha'Qued was right, although he'd always expected dying to hurt more. This was just... numb. It seemed too easy. Another problem tugged at his mind, tethering it to the land of the living for a few extra seconds. Quill had told him that he mustn't let Scorch kill him. Quill had said that a greater threat was coming. He COULDN'T die here. He couldn't leave Moonstone alone. He promised Quill that he would look after Calalily.
And yet he was here. Dying.
Unacceptable.
Pennington held out a hoof to the face, offering a shake.
"Fine. Let's work out a NEW deal, Cha'Qued..."
The mask shifted to a bloodthirsty grin, its eyes glowing with a spectral, evil light.
"Each of you have persevered through the harshest obstacles we could LEGALLY throw at you, some with more grace and dignity than others!"
Pennington puffed out his chest somewhat, wanting to believe Quick Strike was talking about him. However, a quick glare from his superior officer quickly squashed that notion.
"And SOME of you skated by on the barest of minimums! This class of graduates has suffered the highest dropout rate of any on record! Meaning that you were once the elite of a generation of PANSIES!" There was a brief pause as Quick Strike glared down all of the ponies present. No one wavered under the pressure, though Pennington wondered if the ceremonial armor was helping all of them keep their nerve. Personally, he would rather be out of the clunky metal plates, it made it easier to dodge her "pop quizzes." Quick Strike had personally beaten the tar (and, supposedly, the "weakness") out of every mare and stallion present.
"However, that is no longer the case! You now belong to a greater good, and answer to a higher cause!" Quick Strike declared. Pennington stood a little straighter as she turned to face them all, a fierce fire behind her eyes. He could sense the transition to a more formal, rehearsed speech. This was the New Lunar Republic's final swearing in. "You are part of the best and greatest, and there is NO ROOM for failure! You will leave behind all weakness, and you are no longer a mortal! You are now all, each and every one of you, indestructible soldiers of the night!"
Another pony stepped forward and Quick Strike fell back. It was Miss Yearling. Pennington resisted the urge to flash a smile at his mentor, keeping the terse expression that was expected of him. Yearling's only acknowledgement was that her eyes lingered on him for an extra second, but in that second, Pennington could feel her pride in him as her student... and the disappointment both of them felt in the empty space beside him: the place Full Sails would have stood. But Sails had disappeared after Mozun Akai, and was listed as "missing in action" in the New Lunar Republic's files. Every pony who knew the truth of what had happened was assembled in this room.
"Do you swear to protect Equestria from all threats, foreign and domestic? To serve faithfully the Princesses of Equestria, and to seek out all those who would conspire against them, no matter how deep or dark their hiding place?" Yearling asked, narrowing her eyes. Her scrutinizing glaze raced over the assembled graduates.
"MA'AM, YES, MA'AM!" the graduates barked together, Pennington's voice among them. It felt strange to address Miss Yearling as his superior officer after all of this time of working together. In all of the time they were out on digs and expeditions, it was either "Miss Yearling" or "Professor Yearling." "Ma'am" was only for when they needed to be brief. If there was an absolute emergency, her students had permission to simply call her "A.K.," but even then, such a casual address was punishable by a week of pack mule duty.
"Do you swear to serve Equestria? To uphold its laws and to, at all times, serve as a paragon of its virtues? To keep always in your heart the elements of kindness, honesty, loyalty, generosity and laughter, even in the smallest portion, and to never be without them?"
"MA'AM, YES, MA'AM!"
Her portion finished, Yearling stepped back, making room for the next pony: a tall bat-pony with gleaming yellow eyes. Pennington hadn't spoken with him, but he knew the reason: he was their representative of the Canterlot Night Guard. Once graduation was finished, all the ponies planning on joining the night guard would leave with him for magical augmentation before receiving their assignments in Canterlot. He was tall and narrow, as if he had spent too long sleeping from the ceiling and been stretched out by gravity. While thin, he was by no means weak, and he had something most guards would never achieve: a powerful aura of intimidation. He scrutinized the new recruits, and as his eyes passed over Pennington, he couldn't help shifting slightly. It was like the stallion's gaze stared straight through him.
"Do you swear to serve the New Lunar Republic and protect it? To, with every faculty of your being, uphold and serve the values for which this organization stands: to fight for the right, even in the darkest places where no eye may reach? Will you swear to fight back the nightmares of Equestria with no mercy, giving them no quarter or safe haven, all so that Equestria's inhabitants may sleep soundly and safely under Luna's watchful moon? Do you swear to protect the princesses at all costs, to your release from your charge or your dying breath?"
All of the graduates snapped to a salute, but for a nanosecond Pennington hesitated. The words "no mercy" felt like they struck an off-chord in him. However, he knew that there were true nightmares out there. It was an unfortunate fact that the world was home to some vile creatures and nasty magic, things that would prey upon ponies and truly deserved the title of "nightmares." They used the cover of night to hide their atrocities. They were the reason WHY ponies were unjustly afraid of the dark.
His mind traveled back home, to his friends. He thought of Lily, likely hard at work trying to get her business in Canterlot started. He thought of Whipstitch and that... thing living in her walls. He thought of Ponyville, his home, and the ponies who lived there, blissfully unaware of how often they came close to total disaster. Those were the things worth protecting. If doing so meant that he needed to put away mercy for a moment to fight monsters, then... it was worth it.
"SIR, YES, SIR!" the graduates replied, now in perfect unison.
Pennington noticed the bat-pony's eyes linger on him for a second, and he wondered if his hesitation had been that obvious. If it had, the superior officer said nothing, simply falling back into line beside Yearling and Quick Strike. The final pony was one that seemed wildly out of place, even if the graduation required a royal witness.
"I understand that many of you likely did not come here in order to work under MY jurisdiction," Princess Celestia stated. "However, in my sister's extended absence, I sanctioned the creation of this organization to work in her name so that, should she someday return, she may return to an Equestria better than she left it: with ponies who love and watch over her nights just as fervently as she once- as she does." She looked over each and every one of them with a smile as bright and warm as a sunbeam, and none of them pointed out her small slip of the tongue. "Just like my sister, none of you fear the dark, and you choose to use that understanding to help others. Each and every one of you can look into the darkness and see the evil that tries to hide there, and you choose to fight it!" Celestia looked practically ready to burst with pride, though the more keen-eyed among them would have caught a tear brimming in one of her eyes.
"Each and every one of you are the reasons that I am not afraid of the dark. Take pride, my little ponies. Today, you stem the tide of nightmares, and ensure that every pony can sleep safely and soundly in Equestria!"
"MA'AM, YES, MA'AM!"
"It is my great honor and privilege, by the power vested in me and the authority of your superior officers, to declare you fully-fledged members of the New Lunar Republic!" Celestia stamped her hoof, finalizing the statement. "You are all dismissed, to report to your respective assignments at the next moonrise!"
The effect was immediate, with all of the new recruits finally relaxing, some even noisily celebrating and cheering. Within seconds, a line had formed of ponies wanting to shake Celestia's hoof, while another, smaller line led to the bat-pony captain, likely with questions about their future assignments. Pennington made his way across the auditorium to Miss Yearling. His mentor regarded him with a smile and a raised eyebrow, extending him a hoof.
"Good job, Penny, you made it. You're going to make a great field agent, I'd stake my reputation on it!"
Pennington smiled, giving her hoof a firm shake. "I couldn't have done it without you, Miss Yearling!"
"You've got that right!" Yearling chuckled. "But YOU still did it, don't forget that."
Pennington paused, a question on his lips.
"Miss Yearling, can I ask you something?"
The pegasus raised an eyebrow. "Not having permission never stopped you before, did it?"
"W-well no, but-" Pennington sputtered for a moment. "The oath, it mentioned 'no mercy' for the nightmares of Equestria... I wanted to know if- if you've ever had to-"
Yearling reached out, putting her hoof on his shoulder.
"Remember what I always said the best thing about being a Field Agent is? We make our own rules. If you don't want to kill, that's your prerogative. But, I'll say this much, after what happened at Mo-" She cut herself off as Pennington flinched away. Even just the name of the place brought back too many awful memories. "After what happened to Sails, I have no doubts about one thing:"
"You'll always have the strength to do what needs to be done."
One second Pennington was there, and the next, he was gone. The relics he had been holding all clattered to the ground, his magic vanished along with him. Moonstone hadn't even been able to process the blow until she saw his crumpled and mangled body against the far wall. When she turned around and saw Scorch back on his feet, her brain finally seemed to put the pieces together.
"PENN!" She sprinted as fast as she could across the room, the pain in her side forgotten in her panic. "NononononononononoNO!"
Even a cursory glance could tell her that Pennington was as good as dead. Scorch's tail had hit him like a brick wall moving at breakneck speed. Three of his legs were twisted and bent beyond recognition, while the fourth stuck out at an awkward angle. His lower body was twisted far beyond what she knew a pony's spine was capable of, and just looking at the unnatural bend in his neck told her that was broken, too.
"No... NO!" She rushed to another angle, trying to get a look at his face. Pennington's expression was blank, not a shred of emotion present, and the light in his eyes was quickly dimming. "Penn! PENNINGTON! Don't you die on me, don't you DARE!"
And just like that, Pennington was gone. Moonstone could tell, though she didn't know how. She didn't question it, she simply sunk to her knees. She knelt beside the bundle of broken bones and internal bleeding she had once called her friend, the Tidal Wand slipping from her grasp as she began to go numb with shock.
This wasn't right.
They had gone through so much, overcome so many obstacles and trials, tested their friendship to its absolute limits. They had planned and improvised, tried to negotiate and rightfully won the fight by every measure she could think of.
The good guys were supposed to win. Scorch was supposed to run off and lick his wounds, maybe to return later on a vendetta, but never the same threat he once was. That was how the stories went, all those stories Penn had written. All the stories she'd read. The heroes were supposed to win, right?
"Why... why?" Moonstone whispered. She tore her eyes away from Pennington's lifeless body, turning and looking Scorch in the eye. "WHY WOULD YOU DO THIS?"
"Because ..." Scorch's voice rumbled like the cracking of distant thunder. "The Scribe must be made to pay for his-"
"HE ISN'T THE SCRIBE!" Moonstone screamed, her voice cracking and failing under the strain. "HE NEVER WAS, YOU MANIAC!"
Scorch dismissed her words with a small hum, and the lightning across his body began to grow more intense.
"You are as naive as I once was, little one. Consider this a mercy..."
Moonstone's heart clenched as she realized that Scorch was about to follow through on his promise. There was no time to fly away, no safe radius from Scorch's power. She could only throw her arms up in front of her face as the bolts of lightning tore through the air, cracking and blackening the stone beneath it with an ear-shattering thunderclap.
Everything went white. The white of sun-bleached bones.
The lightning never touched her, not a single spine on her head.
Moonstone realized that the whiteness was not the pale oblivion of death, but a pale hoof being held protectively in front of her, directing the lightning into itself. As she turned to look at her rescuer, her blood curdled in her veins. It was grotesque. It was a pony, but... not. It was tall, possibly as tall as Celestia, but gaunt and spindly. It was like someone had taken a skeleton and stretched it like taffy. It was starved and sickly, as if it hadn't been fed in years. Its entire body was covered in scale-like plates of pale bone, covered in lines and seams that made the thing look as though it had been assembled from pieces, rather than grown as an organic creature. Even the thing's face was made of bone, an eternal expression of rage on its twisted features and its head sporting a pale white horn with a bloodstained tip. What truly unsettled her, however, was the fangs. Long fangs filled its jaw, all stained with blood, but they didn't stop there. The fangs continued down the monster's neck and through its body, stopping just below the midpoint of its stomach. Slowly, painfully, the thing parted its lips, releasing a raspy breath. As it did, the teeth parted slightly all of the way down its body, peeling it nearly in half lengthwise and allowing Moonstone a peek at a pulsating, blood-red mass inside.
Consciously she would never have spoken the name out loud, she would have refused to believe what she was seeing. Still, the sheer aura of the thing was enough to force it out of her, a breathless whisper of horror.
In Canterlot, Celestia had her hooves full trying to keep a mass exodus organized. The killer weather had finally stopped, and many ponies were already cheering and planning their celebrations as they walked out the front doors of the castle. It had taken both the Day and Night Guards to prevent a full stampede of stir-crazy ponies rushing for the exits. She, Luna, and even Cadence had each taken up positions to direct ponies the right way, and a quick chat with Spitfire had ensured that the Wonderbolts were already flying across Equestria to determine which railway lines were still usable to start bringing ponies home.
Even Eclipse was helping, in his own way. When Celestia had asked him to join her, the mere thought of exposing himself to so many ponies had frozen him in place... So Celestia had set him in the corner, one arm pointing to the way out. It was kind of funny that his instinctive fear response was to freeze up, considering his worst fear had been being turned to stone like Discord. Celestia could only smile at the thought. She could add it to the lengthy list of draconequus contradictions.
The first sign that something was wrong was when Eclipse moved. In full view of a significant portion of Equestria's population, Eclipse clapped both hands over his mouth and sprinted for the nearest open window. Celestia couldn't see exactly what was happening as he hung half of his noodle-shaped body out the window, but she could tell from his heavy shaking and small cloud of parasprites that he had likely just begun violently vomiting into the garden.
Perhaps bringing him out WAS a mistake... she thought to herself. She turned to the guard standing beside her. "Would you please go check on-"
She was cut off by a commotion on the far end of the Great Hall. She couldn't see what was happening as crystal guardsponies all huddled around Cadence, but she could hear her niece crying out in pain. Celestia's eyes widened as she realized that there was more happening than a simple case of chaotic anxiety. Just as she spread her wings to fly over to her, she fell victim, as well.
It was like the ground had buckled and kicked underneath her, destroying any sense of balance she had. Celestia's knees buckled and her head spun, and it took every ounce of concentration in her body not to collapse right in front of her beloved subjects. A splitting headache ripped through her skull and she felt her skin crawl beneath her fur, bringing on a wave of nausea that made her regret every meal she'd ever had. She took a deep, shuddering breath, trying to keep control as she felt herself breaking out into a cold sweat.
"Princess! Princess, are you alright?" she heard one of her guards asking.
Through all of the pain, Celestia forced herself to smile and nod, widening her stance to combat her wooziness as the worst of the symptoms reached their peak and then began to fade.
"Just- just a little tired..." she lied. "I suppose keeping that barrier up for several days straight took more out of me than I thought. I should be fine, thank you. Go and check on Cadence, her symptoms seem much worse."
As she straightened her posture, however, she shared a glance with Luna. Her sister seemed to be doing a much better job keeping her composure, but eons of dreamwalking tended to make one rather resistant to vertigo. Luna's expression was dark, a glower of aggression. Celestia nodded, each wordlessly agreeing that the other had sensed it.
Something was very, very wrong. She could feel it in her bones.
Moonstone was too frightened to move. She was caught between two nightmares, with Scorch on one hand and Cha'Qued on the left. She could only tear her eyes off of one to look at the other, only to be so afraid of not seeing what the other was doing that she would shift back.
"Another TRICK, Quill?" Scorch growled, one foreleg gripping the severed gauntlet from the outside. Moonstone watched as pinpricks of red light emerged from Cha'Qued's darkened eye sockets. His gaze looked down, lingering on the gauntlet and, more prominently on the pool of blood being squeezed out of the severed limb inside. When he opened his mouth to speak, Moonstone had to suppress the urge to vomit. The bottom of the jaw didn't move, but the entire top half of its head rose up slightly, bisecting it completely.
"A pound of flesh to protect the little one..."
Cha'Qued's voice made Moonstone's skin crawl, it was as if someone had tried to recreate a deep male voice, but the only material they had to work with was the sounds of grinding boulders and nails on a chalkboard. His gaze traveled upwards, to look Scorch in the eye... and he smiled. He smiled a wicked grin that pulled upwards and ripped him in half by the seam of his teeth.
"And the rest... a tribute: for the boon of a successful hunt."
Scorch reared back, readying another blast of emerald fire. The wind in the cave began to pick up in intensity, forcing Moonstone to pull her wings tight against her body.
"Time to feast."
As Scorch lunged forward, Cha'Qued vanished from the corner of Moonstone's eye. There was only a brief flash of flames before Scorch slammed his mouth shut. His stump of a foreleg instinctively reached up towards his throat and his expression shifted to one of confusion, then a satisfied smile.
"Is THIS your great plan, Quill? You think you can-" Scorch's expression shifted again, this time to one of genuine fear. "Wh- What are you DOING? Stop!" Scorch's face changed again, now grimacing in pain. "STOP!" Scorch reared back on his hind legs, releasing his grip on the gauntlet to scratch frantically at his underbelly.
"GET... OUT... OF... ME! GRAAAAAH!"
The titanic dragon began to violently convulse on top of his pile of gold, seizing and screaming at volumes that threatened to destroy Moonstone's eardrums, even with her hands covering them. Moonstone finally tore her eyes away from her uncle just as she began to make out alien movement beneath his skin, an unfamiliar shape rising out of the scales. Eventually, Scorch's screaming petered out, and Moonstone pulled her claws away from her ears. She immediately wished she hadn't.
The sound would haunt her nightmares. It was the sound of something FEEDING. Not eating, no, eating was civilized. Eating was controlled. This was FEEDING. It was slurping and lapping and crunching and gluttonous CONSUMING. She instantly had covered her ears again, but it was too late. That sound was in her head, in her memory, and there was no getting it out.
With her back turned to whatever gory scene was playing out behind her, however, she found herself staring directly at a bloody smear on the wall. It took time for a realization to make itself known through the fear dominating her mind, but it came all the same.
That's where Penn's body was.
It isn't there.
Moonstone ran. She sprinted for the exit as fast as her legs would carry her, running face-first into the dark tunnel that she knew led back to the entrance. The entire time, her brain was dominated by visions of what could happen to her in the dark, visions of teeth, a poor imitation of a pony's body torn in half to swallow her whole.
Penn had sworn over and over, to everyone who had ever asked, that he would never put on the mask. That meant one of two things had happened: either Pennington had gone back on every moral he had and willfully allowed Cha'Qued to possess him, or Cha'Qued had taken his dying body by force. Either way, this was the nightmare scenario. This was the thing they had no way to protect against.
As Moonstone burst from the entrance and out into the open air, she could hardly believe her eyes.
"Moonstone! Over here!" Twilight shouted, waving her hoof.
"NO! NO, TWILIGHT!" Moonstone made a beeline for the unicorn, pointing in the direction she and Spike seemed to be coming from. "GO! YOU HAVE TO RUN AWAY!"
Twilight balked at her words, the shock causing her to stop, but not turn. Her eyes widened as Moonstone closed the distance between them.
"Moonstone, is- is that BLOOD? Oh my Celestia, what HAPPENED?"
Moonstone jumped up onto Twilight's back, unceremoniously shoving Spike back so that she could ride just behind Twilight's head. "YouneedtorunawayRIGHTNOW!"
"But... where's Pennington?" Spike asked.
Just in front of them, there was a loud thud. Moonstone didn't need to peek from behind Twilight's head to know what it was, her shriek of horror was more than enough confirmation.
"R-right there..."
Not enough... Not NEARLY enough... Still HUNGRY...
It looked like it could have been a dragon once, but it had been forcibly torn to shreds, then reassembled from the pieces. Twilight could see muscle fibers, tendons, and pulsating blood vessels all wound up tight into thick ropes that layered over a sun-bleached skeleton. Anatomically, it made no sense, and it made her brain cry out in protest just by looking at it. The connective tissues were bundled in nonsensically with everything else, with no regard for structure or function, pathways for blood layered and cut off until they burst with pressure, only to seep back into the seams between layers. It was large, as well, nearly twice her height and three times in length from head to tail. Despite the layer of skinless flesh that made up the monster's body, it still looked practically emaciated, its body seeming to collapse in on itself the moment that it passed where its ribcage ought to end. Its tail made up more than a third of its length, thick and coveredIts legs were long and lanky, but forced Twilight to double-take. They didn't look exactly like dragon legs, even for a wingless drake like this. In fact, the back legs were distinctly wrong. Her breath caught in her throat as her eyes caught sight of the place where it made contact with the ground: the muscle and meat pulled away to reveal pale bone hooves.
"Twilight Sparkle..."
The voice felt like it was driving nails into Twilight's eardrums, causing her to flinch back and forcing her attention to its head.
Its face was a pale mask in the shape of a dragon's head, with a pair of curved horns and a narrow snout. It seemed to have no mouth at all, simply transitioning from the fanged upper jaw to the neck, leaving the sharp fangs hanging in the air. Its eyes were inky black sockets, lit from within by pinpricks of red light. The only natural-looking motion of the creature was the flaring open and shut of the nostrils, which leaked a rotten-smelling steam.
"Who- Who are you? WHAT are you? How do you know my name?" Twilight stammered. She almost immediately regretted her words, since it made the creature actually acknowledge her. Its eyes locked on her and it straightened its crooked posture as much as it seemed able to.
"You know me, Twilight Sparkle... Or do you not recognize a GOD when you see one?
A wave of the disgusting steam washed over Twilight as it leaned in closer, sniffing at her with a satisfied hum. It took all of Twilight's self-control not to retch at the smell, and she could hear Spike dry heaving behind her while Moonstone whimpered in her ear.
"A delectable morsel... But I shall grant you a boon of life. I've greater hunts to pursue."
Twilight blinked, unsure what to make of the statement. If this really WAS Cha'Qued, it made no sense. Everything she had ever seen, ever been TOLD, described him as insatiable, a monster without reason if he were ever set loose, and he was just going to... let her live?
"Why?"
The skull chuckled, a deep, gravelly sound that sent fear racing through Twilight's body. In the back of her mind, she registered that Spike and Moonstone were both cowering in fear behind her. If she instigated Cha'Qued, all three of their lives would be on her head.
"Your betrayal, of course. Whether conscious or not, your actions made Inkwell more... pliable. Just enough for me to engineer an offer he couldn't refuse... Let it never be said Cha'Qued is not a gracious god."
Twilight was gobsmacked. This wasn't... this wasn't possible, was it? This monster was NOTHING like the story Lily had told her about what happened at Mozun Akai! The very IDEA that Pennington would willingly put on Cha'Qued's mask was absurd! They had all fought too long and too hard to keep the mask out of Full Sails's hooves, there was no way that he would risk all of that, right?
Twilight's racing thoughts were cut short as the monster turned away from her. She watched as the fleshy strands of its body began to unravel on its back and long shards of bone began to emerge from just behind its shoulders. In a matter of seconds, it had woven itself a pair of wings, readying itself to take off. It didn't even require conscious effort on Twilight's part to realize what direction it was facing.
It was headed for Equestria.
Her mind conjured up the imagery of Mozun Akai, of a city decimated and a population ravaged. In her mind's eye, she saw countless ponies gutted and drained, lying in the dirt. At this moment, almost the entirety of Equestria's population was gathered in Canterlot for safety from the storms. If this truly WAS Cha'Qued, then...
Twilight lashed out with her magic, wrapping it around Cha'Qued at the same moment it beat its wings in an attempt to take off. In spite of her efforts, it did make its way up into the air, but failed to fly far. With a groan of exertion, Twilight redoubled her efforts, dragging it down and slamming it into the ground with enough force to kick up a cloud of dust. Twilight's head felt like it was spinning, and she didn't know whether it was fear, overexertion, or a combination of the two. She hadn't expended that much raw physical strength with her magic since she had saved Ponyville from the Ursa Minor. However, this was no time for getting tired so easily. There was no avoiding a battle now.
"Twilight!" Spike hissed. "What are you DOING?"
Twilight lamented the fact that she didn't have time to come up with a better plan.
"Spike? Moonstone? I n-need you both to write to the princesses, warn them that Cha'Qued is loose, okay? Then run as far away as you can, as fast as you can!"
"WHAT?" Spike cried.
"Twilight, we aren't going to just-" Moonstone started, only to be cut off by Twilight's teleport spell. She sent them as far as she dared to in the direction she had come from. In the back of her mind, she whispered a silent prayer that they would make it to the Adelind Eyrie safely.
This fight was one she doubted she could win, not against a "god." If Cha'Qued really had killed the rest of the Mozunian gods except Ravia, that meant that even Celestia and Luna likely couldn't stop him. She wished that her friends were here, the fact that she was standing alone terrified her. But the stakes were too high for her NOT to make a stand. All of Canterlot, possibly all of Equestria, was on the line.
And Twilight and her friends saved Equestria. It was what they did before, and what they would keep doing.
"Is this how you choose to repay my magnanimous gift, Sparkle?"
"I... I won't let you go on and keep killing!" Twilight declared.
This elicited another chuckle from Cha'Qued as he slunk his way out of the dust cloud. His beady red eyes were locked on her in a hungry gaze that made Twilight's blood curdle in her veins.
"And how will YOU stop me, little morsel? How can you stop my HUNGER?"
There was some kind of power behind the word. The moment the sound of it reached her, it seemed to seep into her body.
"G-GAAH!" Twilight cried out in pain as a shooting pain lanced through her abdomen. Her eyes began to water from the pain... and her mouth began to water from the smell. The smell of Cha'Qued's body, of fresh meat and spilled blood, enticed her in a way no food in her life ever had. She had never even TOUCHED meat, even if ponies were technically omnivorous, but every whiff of blood felt like a delicious promise if she was willing to take it. Her stomach was churning and bubbling in her gut, and each new motion sent fresh pain running through her. It was torture, absolute AGONY that sapped the strength from her limbs and forced her to her knees. She couldn't think, couldn't even consider anything outside of how HUNGRY she was. Every twist of her stomach was like dying over and over again, with no sign of relief except to eat something, ANYTHING. It was as if her stomach was eating her from the inside out.
She didn't even notice Cha'Qued growing closer until he was practically on top of her. He loomed over her for a moment, considering her tiny existence.
You know nothing of true hunger... thus you know nothing of me.
She had thought that the lack of a bottom jaw meant that Cha'Qued had no mouth. She had been wrong. A set of bloody fangs began to poke their way up through his flesh, a vertical row of teeth that started at the tip of his snout and extended down his neck and through his chest until they disappeared from sight somewhere on his underbelly. In excruciating detail, Twilight watched Cha'Qued's mouth tear the front of his body apart.
Do something! the rational part of Twilight's brain cried.
Inside of Cha'Qued's body were countless masses of razor-sharp fangs, lining the walls of his flesh and eagerly wriggling back and forth, ready to draw her inside... and he still smelled DELICIOUS...
"How could you ever stop what you cannot even comprehend?"
DO SOMETHING! Twilight's brain screamed.
Twilight wished she could.
She wished that she wasn't so hungry. She wished she wasn't so weak, so easily influenced. First Delta Raider had tricked her, then Celestia had convinced her, and now Cha'Qued was overpowering her. Whatever there had been of Pennington was clearly gone, and she knew that, even partially, it was her fault. She hadn't made it in time. She had come here to help, to apologize. To prove she'd had at least a shred of loyalty left.
"I'm sorry..." she whispered, closing her eyes.
Time slowed to a crawl, and Twilight felt something new... relief. The churning in her gut slowed, then stopped, along with the pain. Twilight's eyes snapped open as a sweet taste washed over her tongue, washing away the deplorable meaty flavor of Cha'Qued's scent. It was a taste Twilight knew well.
Pinkie's cupcakes?
In response, Twilight heard a peal of laughter ring through her memory, sending clarity washing through her brain. With a heave of her newfound strength, she flung herself backwards, pulling herself out of Cha'Qued's maw just as it closed in on her. As she glared at her opponent from a distance, Twilight knew what it was that had broken Cha'Qued's spell.
Even if they weren't physically present, Twilight's friends were always with her. The Elements of Harmony had given her a second chance, and she wasn't going to waste it.
"How?" Twilight straightened her posture. "With something YOU can't comprehend, Cha'Qued, and more powerful than even YOUR hunger!" She stamped her hoof and ignited her horn, a violet mist forming around her before solidifying into a set of four magical rapiers. It was the spell she would never have learned if not for Pennington. She glanced at the familiar shapes, steeling her resolve. If somepony as awful as Full Sails could be freed from Cha'Qued back at Mozun Akai, then there was no way that Pennington could be gone for good. Even if she needed to carve him out from the heart of that thing.
"The magic of FRIENDSHIP!"
Cha'Qued lunged forward as Twilight attacked with her swords, plunging them into Cha'Qued's open mouth and pushing him back. Twilight brought the blades into a cross formation and began to spin them, tearing into his insides like a blender and sending teeth and pieces of flesh flying. Cha'Qued let loose a roar of pain before clamping down on the blades, snapping them and shutting his horrendous mouth. Twilight let the spell fade, changing her focus. After a short teleport jump to put more distance between herself and Cha'Qued, she charged up a fresh spell. With no warning except a grunt of exertion, Twilight unleashed a sea of white-hot flames.
Cha'Qued didn't even flinch at Twilight's fire spell, stepping forward and easily walking through it.
"I have feasted on dragonflesh, and you think these measly flames can hurt me?"
The words caught Twilight off-guard, making her blink in surprise. In the moment between her eyes closing and opening again, Cha'Qued appeared mere inches from her, his head bent low beneath her.
"YIPE!" Twilight yelped, instinctively teleporting herself as Cha'Qued reared back. Twilight didn't need to be a genius to tell that, had she been a second slower, Cha'Qued's horn could have easily gutted her in a single blow. Not willing to risk it again, Twilight wrapped herself in her magic, levitating herself into the air.
Okay, if Cha'Qued is the "god" of blood and flesh, let's see if we can take a chunk out of his power?
As a filly, Twilight's first great hurdle had been transfiguration spells. After she had gotten her cutie mark, it had seemed that everything Princess Celestia wanted to teach her came easily up until her first transfiguration spell. It had taken nearly a week of careful study and contemplation before she had made her first breakthrough, a clumsy half-formed teapot made from a local flowerpot. When Celestia had seen the result, she had been entirely pleased with Twilight's results, but Twilight had been mortified for the princess to see anything less from her than perfection. From then on, she had practiced obsessively until transfiguration had become one of her strongest spells. Even today, Twilight made sure to do at least one every day, and considered at least FIVE mandatory for her warm-ups.
She unleashed a blast of magic at Cha'Qued, aiming directly for his head. Seemingly able to predict her strategy, Cha'Qued lifted his wings to block the spell. To Twilight's glee, the wings immediately were engulfed in a burst of light and vanished, dropping a pair of pony-shaped statues on top of his head. As Twilight prepared to strike again, however, she felt something sharp stinging at her flank.
"OW!" she cried, grabbing at the offending object with her magic and bringing it up close to examine.
It was one of Cha'Qued's dislodged fangs from her initial attack. The remaining flesh attached to it had morphed into a spindly, mosquito-like body with a pair of narrow wings. "Okay, that is just..." Twilight trailed off as she heard a loud buzzing sound rising on all sides. She snapped her head upwards, only to see herself surrounded by the fang-bugs, "...disgusting."
Twilight immediately hoisted herself further upwards as fast as she could, the swarm close on her tail. She twisted herself in the air to face them, hurling a disintegration spell at them. They were faster than her magic, however, easily parting to let the spell pass by. She knew that she couldn't outrun them forever, she was rapidly running out of magic AND breathable air at this altitude.
Then maybe I should stop running?
Twilight brought herself to a full stop, casting a barrier to keep the disembodied jaws from eating her alive. All as a single unit, the swarm backed away, then clamped down on top of her, trying to chew their way through. Twilight felt a growing headache as the barrier was placed under more and more strain, forces that the tiny wings should have found impossible to muster. Still, it wasn't enough to stop her from conjuring the spell she needed. With a grunt of exertion, she sent out a wave of magical power, one that transfigured everything in the immediate area. She let out a sigh of relief as the entire swarm dropped from the sky. Noting that they looked off from what she had been envisioning, she took a peek at the one she was still holding in her hoof. It looked as if the actual fang, itself, had refused to be transmuted, even if the fleshy body had been perfectly transformed into a porcelain figure of Princess Celestia.
Are his fangs magic-proof? Twilight thought to herself. That probably goes for all the bone parts of his body... Noted.
As Twilight had a brief moment of silence up in the clouds, she pondered the fact that her magic likely wouldn't be enough to stop Cha'Qued alone. As she thought about what she could do, Twilight felt the heat of the sunlight on her back. She thought about Celestia. She thought about the many, many lessons she had learned from her mentor over the years. Even if she DID have some flaws, Celestia had taught Twilight most of what she knew about magic. And there was one spell that she had taught Twilight, one that, per her instructions, Twilight had never cast.
Twilight shuddered to think that she might need it.
When Twilight flew back down, her eyes narrowed as she noticed that more armor plating had appeared on Cha'Qued's body. It was enough to shake her confidence in attempting another transfiguration spell, especially one at a distance.
Twilight changed gears with her magic, swooping down and blasting him in the side with a new spell. As she flew away and back out of reach, Twilight felt a swell of satisfaction as Cha'Qued roared out in pain again. When she turned back to examine her work, she could see that almost half of his body had been encased in a thick chunk of blue ice.
"YES!" she punched the air before diving towards him again. Once he was frozen solid, she could maintain the prison long enough to try some of the emergency spells Celestia had taught her for dealing with dark magic. Before she could finish the icy prison, however, Twilight watched Cha'Qued's tail thrash and lengthen. Starting at the tip and moving down, plates of bone armor emerged, covering the exposed flesh. The tail whipped around and slammed into the chunk of ice, sending cracks through it in its entirety. Twilight narrowed her eyes, changing her focus to keeping the frozen portion intact. "Oh, NO YOU DON'T!"
As Twilight's beam of ice magic closed in on its target, something unexpected happened. Long, insect-like limbs emerged from beneath the plates on its tail, lashing out at the energy and easily dispersing it. Twilight stopped the useless spell and shifted gears once again.
Accelero was a useful spell, but it was rarely used casually because of how taxing it was on the user. But if there was one thing Twilight knew how to do, it was make efficient use of her spells. As the rest of the world around her slowed to a crawl, Twilight already had the ritual prepared in her mind. The moment her hooves touched the ground, she was running, circling Cha'Qued while she still had time. With his actions in slow motion, Twilight could see the exposed veins of Cha'Qued's body literally boiling the blood inside, swiftly reducing her ice to steam. After that, Twilight focused on her preparations, only giving enough attention to her surroundings to duck under and weave around the bug-like legs springing from his tail. The ritual she was preparing was the most powerful she knew, and required one of the most complicated runic circles she could draw. As she went, she picked up stones and dirt from the ground, using her transmogrification spell to create the alchemical agents she needed and carefully arranging them at the focal points. Celestia had forced her to practice these particular transmutations over and over until she could perform them in her sleep, and Twilight was glad now for her mentor's rigorous requirements. When the circle was complete, Twilight released Accelero and slid to a stop directly in front of Cha'Qued's face. The monster wasted no time with banter, attempting to lunge at her the moment he laid eyes on her. Twilight didn't flinch or run this time, swiftly drawing the activation rune in the dirt with her hoof.
Immediately, a golden barrier sprung up around Cha'Qued, locking him inside. Twilight breathed a sigh of relief as the wall held fast, not even cracking under the strain. She closed her eyes, feeling the power of the ritual beginning to rise up, threatening to overtake her.
Celestia had taught her this spell just before sending her to Ponyville, a final resort if she were to ever find herself facing dark magic and great evil. It channeled the power of the celestial bodies directly, and was extremely dangerous.
"If you use this spell, Twilight, it must be when you are in the most dire of danger. It will call upon the same source that my power draws from, as well as my sister once did. But take great care, the power of the sun and the moon aren't anything to EVER take lightly! This spell will bring their judgement down on YOU, as well. And if they deem you unworthy..."
Twilight forced the latter half of Celestia's warning from her mind. This wasn't the time to hesitate.
"By the power of the sun, I purify..." she whispered.
The effect was instantaneous. The circle was struck by a massive pillar of golden light, blinding Twilight to what was happening inside. If the agonize roars of Cha'Qued were anything to go by, however, then it was having the desired effect. Twilight could feel the heat on her, as well, even on the other side of the barrier. She could smell the ends of her hair and fur beginning to smolder, and the light of the spell was enough to feel as if she were going blind, even through her eyelids. She felt as if the power were cooking her alive, threatening to burn and peel away layer after layer. Twilight gritted her teeth and stepped forward, focusing on letting the power pass over and through her, rather than resisting it. While it made the pain more bearable, it did little to lessen the heat. When she took a breath to whisper the next portion of the spell, it burned her mouth and lungs, scorching the surface of her tongue. Still, she forced herself to continue, refusing to be swept away by the power.
"By the power of the moon, I punish..."
The change wasn't instantaneous, as she expected, and at first Twilight thought she had somehow failed. After a few seconds, however, she felt the intensity of the light beginning to fade. As soon as she felt she could do so without going blind, Twilight cracked open one eye to look at what was happening.
The golden light was slowly being overtaken by an abyssal darkness, a column of sheer black that was eclipsing the sun's light. In a few more seconds, the deep dark had completely filled the runic circle. It radiated a tidal wave of negative energy, and Twilight was standing at ground zero. As she felt the dark beginning to creep into the corners of her mind and a heavy weight form in her chest, Twilight focused her mind on the memory of her friends. She thought of Pinkie Pie's giddy laughter, Rainbow Dash's unyielding loyalty, Applejack's frank honesty, and the generosity and kindness that Rarity and Fluttershy always kept in ample supply. Even with this, Twilight could feel the dark tugging at her heart, making her brain fuzzy and beckoning her for only a moment's indulgence. A curiosity about how deep the pit she hovered above prodded at her mind, and for a moment, Twilight considered seeking an answer. However, for once, she let curiosity pass. She didn't need to know everything, not so long as she kept her friends close in her heart. As swiftly as it had crept over her, the darkness allowed her to pass through to the other side, gently departing.
She let out a shuddering breath, somehow even more drained from the gentle, painless assault of the dark than she had been from the searing power of the light.
"And by the power of the countless stars, imprison..."
Within the tower of darkness, Twilight began to see small pinpricks of light, twinkling on and off again. They were few and far between at first, but quickly grew in number and frequency until the entire column had been transformed into a shimmering pillar of light in every color. Twilight's eyes widened as she stared into the eternity of space, galaxies and nebulae laid out before her, as if she were standing before a prism that had refracted the entirety of the heavens directly into her eyes. She felt herself beginning to slip away, losing herself in the sheer magnificence of the cosmos. She knew that she could look into it for an eternity and still not see the entirety of its magnificence, let alone comprehend it. Out of nowhere, Twilight felt a tug, a tether bringing her back to the present. In that moment of awareness, Twilight realized that she had stepped forward again, and was reaching out her hoof to the light. Immediately, she drew back, shocked at her own behavior. She had nearly trapped herself in her own banishing spell. Stepping away, she tore her eyes away from the spectacle and focused her attention on drawing the final rune in the dirt.
"And this is I do in the names of harmony, of righteousness, and of justice!"
There was a final, long, echoing roar from Cha'Qued before the spell concluded, leaving a deep crater inside the bounds of Twilight's ritual circle. She peeked down into the hole, feeling a wave of relief wash over her as she saw the withered remains of Cha'Qued sitting at the bottom, shriveled dry and torn to shreds. What bones remained had been scorched black with soot, and Twilight could see the mask laying in the place his head had been, returned to its familiar, pony-skull form.
Twilight breathed a sigh of relief before falling back onto her haunches, then onto the ground, spread-eagle with exhaustion.
She had done it. She had cast the "Heaven's Wrath" spell. It had almost killed her, if not worse, but she had stopped Cha'Qued. She knew she wouldn't be able to move for a while, but that was fine. Somepony would come soon. Celestia would know she cast it, even if Moonstone and Spike's letters didn't reach her.
She did have to wonder what had happened to Pennington, though... If he had been Cha'Qued's host, why hadn't he been left behind when Twilight banished Cha'Qued?
And that was when she heard it. The insectoid chittering. The grinding of bone against bone. Her blood ran cold in her veins as she rolled herself onto her hooves, trying to gather the energy to stand again.
The sun... the moon... the stars...
Twilight watched a new, alien creature rising up from the smoldering crater.
"N-no... that's not possible..."
Do you know who created them? Who placed the heavens in the firmament?
It looked like some kind of giant centipede, covered in the bone plating, which had grown into a full exoskeleton, now. Just the head of the monster was the size of Twilight's entire body. Its countless legs seemed to pay no mind to anatomy or sense, overlapping and shuffling around one another in constant agitation. Its mouth seemed to split it horizontally down the center, now, framed by a pair of massive pincers at the front of its body. It was huge, large enough to swallow her whole. Twilight watched as it opened its mouth, unleashing fleshy tendrils that began to descend towards her.
"N-no! NO!" Twilight cried, stumbling backwards. She tried to teleport, only to find her magic still depleted. In a matter of seconds, the tendrils had wrapped around her hooves, lifting her effortlessly from the ground. Every place that it touched her, Twilight's body went numb, no longer responding to her demands to struggle. Soon, she had been lifted high enough to stare eye to eye with Cha'Qued's hollow sockets.
"Then I shall tell you, little morsel. It was Mozun, King among Gods... AND I ATE HIS HEART FROM HIS CHEST!"
Cha'Qued roared at a deafening volume, his voice making Twilight's entire body shudder and shake.
Your power is not unlike his. In fact, you are the first to cause me any real pain in more than a thousand years. Die knowing that you sit in good company, Twilight Sparkle..."
Twilight tried harder and harder to struggle, but her own flesh and blood seemed to have been turned against her, refusing to respond.
"TWILIGHT! HANG ON!" A familiar voice cried out. Twilight's head snapped to the side, the only movement she could still make of her own free will. In a flash of golden light, the tendrils holding her were severed, freeing her and sending her plummeting towards the ground. Twilight braced herself for a collision with the hard dirt, only to find herself come to a surprisingly soft landing. Before she could even process what had happened completely, she had been spirited away on a bed of soft leaves and vines, finally coming to a stop a far out of Cha'Qued's immediate reach.
"TWILIGHT!" Spike cried, running up and planting himself face-first into her chest for the tightest of hugs.
"S-Spike? How did you- hrrk!" Twilight choked out the words, only to dry heave unexpectedly and fall into a coughing fit. From the corner of her vision, a small pair of entwined roots were offered by a friendly looking hoof.
"Marshmallow and ginger roots. Both good for a cough."
Twilight looked up, her jaw dropping at the sight of Ravia's mask and wood armor framing a mare's body, one with a familiar aqua-colored mane.
"LILY? Is that you?" Twilight eyed the intertwined plant roots with suspicion. "Or- or is Ravia controlling you?"
The figure made a "so-so" motion with her hoof.
"It doesn't matter that much when we've got the same goals, does it?"
Twilight glanced down again, then took the offered roots, popping them into her mouth and beginning to chew. The marshmallow root coated her raw throat with a thick syrup while the ginger offered a cleansing feeling to her senses.
In the distance, Cha'Qued reared back, tilting his head in a pleased manner.
"Ah... Ravia. I do so wish I had time for your- GRAAH!"
Twilight's eyes widened as a massive spike of intertwined vines sprung up from the ground beneath Cha'Qued, skewering him through the head. Her eyes shifted back to Lily, who had stamped her hoof lightly against the ground.
"Achillea flowers..." she muttered. In response, the spear sprung into multicolored bloom. Cha'Qued simply chuckled, his body seeming to disassemble to allow him to pull himself off of the spike, then pull itself together again once he was free, none the worse for the wear.
Twilight reached out a hoof, brushing it against Lily's side, just enough to get her attention.
"Lily... he's in there somewhere... He has to be..."
Lily turned to look down at her, then nodded silently.
