[Six years after the defeat of Tirek. Early Evening, West bound train from Gallopagos Island]
The click clack of the train going over the rails set a steady beat, reminding her of the underscore a friend of hers relied on for what she called music. It was also they rhythm of the simple drum line of many of her colt friends songs. Granted Jacob and Nico had retired now, although Jacob at least was still writing music. The pair of them released one last album as Pontera after the Tirek incident both decided to give up their costumes and stay in New Canterlot, both of them accepting teaching positions at the school. Jacob had made a big deal of destroying his Bloodmoon costume, happy to get rid of it. She expected that Nico kept his, Vinyl was rather fond of it.
Of course she couldn't fault Jacob for getting rid of the costume. The pair had been made prime targets mid tour because they looked like alicorns. Tirek was not amused to find the pair were only a pegasus and unicorn in elaborate costumes and not true alicorns or even pegicorns. They both were rather lucky he hadn't killed them after he took their cutie marks, though when Phillydelphia fell, Princess Luna was already starting her attack on him, so Tirek was likely distracted.
She was glad of that. Despite Jacob's evident lack of a spine when he was out of costume, she did love him, she simply wished he had more confidence in himself. Of course he had all the confidence in the world for her, something she was finding herself lacking at this point.
She sighed softly. Bleu Scale had taken over the school and had done fairly well with it, still the dragon's ventures out to start up the new city of Cindervale left the school in her own hooves most of the time. Not something she minded, but it was a rather large reminder of her own issues seeing the new prodigies start their carriers in music.
Platinum Scale, despite being centuries dead was still one of the hottest, if not the hottest, musicians in the world right now. Bleu had, with the aid of Princess Twilight Sparkle, brought back every single song the mare had ever done, including a few that were never preformed for the public. The next closest singer in every ones mind was Sweetiebelle Reignolds, and the young mare was known to sing Platinum's songs. Despite Platinum not being on the charts officially due to some loop hole or another, there was not a musician or music aficionado in all of Equss that did not know the mares name, or for that matter, her own name.
It was this sort of thing that worried her.
They knew her name because she was the first to release a song by Platinum. She was the one to start the school dedicated to Platinum. She was the one who helped launch Sweetiebelle into stardom from said school.
She was famous because of what another did, not her own skill.
Octavia hated that feeling.
No one wanted to hear her play, they all wanted to hear about the school, or what might be next from Platinum. Heck she had only been in Gallopagos to open the doors to the branch of Platinum's school of music that had opened there. She had left on the first train out a little before eleven pm. She couldn't stand it any longer than that.
Even the orchestra that she had been so proud to be a part of in the past was just a lingering reminder that it was some one elses name attached to it. She had kept in practice, of course, still carrying her cello with her where ever she went, though she hadn't joined the Platinum Swan in some time for a performance.
She had doubts, she had worries, first and for most was, if she was really that good of a musician when no one cared if she played any more. She made her name off of some one elses skill and not her own. She hated that. Was she even good enough to accept the fame that she had? She certainly didn't feel that way. Even after all this time.
Things like that had bothered her for years now. She doubted she would have any of her feelings sorted by the time she made it back to New Canterlot.
She hated this. She wished she had taken up the offer from Bleu to fly here. But that would not have helped. She hated Gallopagos. Not for any real reason aside from the fact this was were her moment of greatest sorrow had occurred and years were spent weeping and lashing out at any thing that came near. It was the place where close friends of hers had died. A place that was nearly destroyed and only through sacrifice and pain had been even partially saved. The place was left a graveyard by Tirek. Even now six years later bodies still washed up or were uncovered as the city was expanded. Even with her husband practicality running it, from New Canterlot of course, he still hated water, she didn't like it.
The train ride gave her far too much time to stew in her own thoughts as the red eye roared away from the city on Gallopagos island, still a days travel to go before it reached New Canterlot.
The city had a new name now, just as the half dragons had named themselves Kirin, the city had been renamed after LionHeart. His son was not taking up the name by order of his late mother Rarity. Elusive could chose to call himself by that title later in life if he wished, but for now the six year old Kirin god was simply allowed to be a foal.
That thought warmed her a little as it brought her mind to her own children.
After being put through a wall at least three more times, once by the mare he was trying to date, Hunter and Orange had married. In fact her first grand foal was on the way. That made her feel older than anything else.
Pip had joined the Guard, after Tirek. Still Jer'rahd had arraigned and set up the toughest Guard training program to date. Only half the group made it through the new program. Few had accused her husband of playing favorites after that. It was a mere formality any way, Pip had suffered his trial by fire and had come out only slightly singed. Which was more than she could say for him when he and his mare friend had a fight. Spitfires daughter took very closely after her mother. She really didn't feel the need to threaten or try to intimidate the young mare any more. Scootaloo was a hard one to threaten any way.
Diamond Tiara had been a surprise in the end and Brush had been adamant that she no longer harass the poor girl. Of course Berry had then started tormenting her which caused Brush no end of frustration. He was out of school and going to a college he chose that he thought would help with his painting skills. She doubted he needed help, but she wasn't going to fight, even when she found out it was the college Diamond Tiara was attending.
Ice Berry. At times she wished her daughter had not learned to talk. At this point she never shut up any more. Being Twilight's student and recipient of one of Spike and Bleu's first eggs always gave her something to talk about. Beryl was a bit of a pain as far as baby dragons went at three years old he was into everything. He had calmed down a little and often was Berry's voice of reason, unless he got excited. Even with Twilight's assistance most of Berry's time was devoted to keeping the little dragon from burning down everything. Something both she and her husband were fond of, because it meant Berry didn't notice the plethora of colts and fillies who had taken a interest in their rapidly growing daughter. Berry had hit a growth spurt and were it not for her lack of wings she might be confused for an alicorn with her height and build.
Dawn was another matter entirely. Their second youngest daughter seemed to have gained both her parent's fearlessness, more than a hoof full of their aggression and every drop of their blind luck and stubbornness. She had also gained her father's sense of right and wrong and had gotten into at least six fights in her first year of school dealing with those she thought were bullies.
Of course being a Kirin, she was already twice the size of most fillies and colts her age and almost as dangerous as an adult. Of course after confirming that his daughter was neither the aggressor nor the bully herself, Jer'rahd was useless in trying to curtail his daughters behavior. Both Berry and Dawn could play their father like a fiddle to get nearly anything they wanted. So could Orange to a lesser degree, but the older mare at least had the decency not to. Of course Jer'rahd said that Pip and Brush did the same with her, but she disagreed.
Then there was their youngest. Although technically Rynthia was the same age as Dawn, younger by only a few days. They had adopted her after a discussion with Applejack. While neither of them wanted to separate the twins Wolf and Fox from their sister, Applejack's family had no idea how to deal with raising a god. Granted neither did Jer'rahd and Luna, but they were better equipped to deal with issues that might arise than the farmer was. Applejack and Fluttershy took in the twins and Rynthia was added to the Kaisur household. She had developed a bit of magic, though she was usually subdued. The Windigo that had come to see her wondered if she had not taken some of their essence when she was conceived and would hold the knowledge of their mother and father.
So far that did not seem the case, which she occasionally showed that she knew things that she shouldn't it didn't seem to be in the same degree as the Windigo had suspected. It may have simply been that she was very smart. She seemed to follow in Rhede's hoof prints in considering every angle before deciding any thing.
Tia claimed she was on par with Twilight at that age.
She and Dawn got along quite well and covered each others weaknesses when getting into trouble. Thankfully between their father and mother, most of their plans were consistently foiled. Although Jer'rahd let a number of harmless antics happen, simply to let the pair think they were getting something past him so they would lower their guard if they did anything dangerous. Not as if the pair couldn't worm their way out of punishment if only Jer'rahd caught them.
Then there was the stallion himself. His loyalty too her was unwavering even now. He was still reckless and violent, but that had been tempered considerably by knowing that Tirek had used the powers stolen from him to kill innocents and murder two of his best friends. He had of course responded by dragging Twilight, Bleu and Spike with him on a crusade. The group of them spent a nearly all of the first year tracking down and destroying any lost legend, hint of danger, or hidden monsters that Twilight's studies or Spike's powers could find. When he returned he seemed back to normal, though much more melancholy than he had been in a long time. No one else seemed to notice and if they did they thought it was simply something else. Prewedding jitters, post wedding worry, issues with the new tasks brought on by his rank of Guard Captain. Only Luna, Starfall, and Bleu saw the issue with him, and they were all going through it as well. It did seem to make him a bit clingy for a while, though Luna hadn't minded that.
Luna smiled despite herself with that train of thought. She had plenty of ponies that loved her. Far more than she had ever expected. Often times she simply had to bleed off the excess power of love she was absorbing or she might explode, and that was just from Jer'rahd. Funny how it took becoming a creature that feeds on love , to notice how loved you were.
The trip to Gallopagos was to hash out relations between a small group of Changelings that wished to settle one of the smaller islands to the north that was still in Kirin territory. To tell the truth there was no need for her to be there. The Kirin and the River Ponies were as accepting of the Changelings as the Crystal Empire, not fully mind you, but more so than most other races were.
While a increase in her power and the spread of what could now be called her race, was one thing, it was the rest of Equss's reaction to her now being Queen of the Changelings that caused her worry.
Despite her defeat of Tirek, her returning her sisters power to her and even giving up the power of the moon and her godhood to Twilight Sparkle, many of the races of the world thought her too dangerous to live and wanted her destroyed. They recalled Nightmare Moon, and they recalled Chrysalis. To see both combined added more worry and stress for them than they had liked.
It was not popular opinion, but it reared it's head at inopportune times making negotiations difficult.
It also annoyed and saddened her that many of them seemed not to care about what she did to stop Tirek, what she herself had lost and nearly lost in her fight against the monster. To them she was just another beast that needed to be destroyed.
The loudest voices were of coursed silenced, both by Tia's diplomatic efforts, Twilight's logic, and the fact that Jer'rahd broke a full grown dragon's jaw with a punch when the ambassador was dumb enough to voice his opinion about Luna while within Jer'rahd's earshot.
Even with the protests quelled, the fear distrust and outright hatred was still easily tasted by Luna. And it wasn't just nobles and ambassadors. She had taken to disguising herself anytime she was to be seen in public to avoid the fear that seemed to pop up with nearly everyone when she was around.
After all she had done, she was still forced to live in a world that still hated and feared her.
She didn't know why she accepted the ticket. She hated trains, they were so noisy and loud. While she wasn't one to argue against noise and some volume, there was no showmanship to a train, no flair or spark that was in the slightest bit interesting. It followed a rail and never left it as it simply went from place to place unless there was a problem.
She liked the idea of travel. It was something she sorely missed every day. Being stuck in one place was never something she wanted. She loved the open road sleeping some where new every night going where ever your hooves guided you. It was the perfect life for her.
Granted it was hard to make friends like that. And since she had become stationary she had made several. Cheerilee, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie of course, you can't live in New Canterlot without that pink menace trying to become your friend and not leaving you alone until she was. Heck she had even made amends with Twilight Sparkle and was at least tolerated by AppleJack. She still couldn't stand Rainbow Dash however and the feeling was mutual. Two showy ponies in one place always ended in a one up contest.
She didn't mind staying in Golden Oaks library. There were plenty of books she had never read and she still put on the occasional show when she was able, usually for some event or another. So there wasn't much she was missing.
She just wished it had been her choice to stop traveling and settle down.
Claymore had taken that away from her. Even though she had gotten her revenge on him and destroyed the Troll he had become so utterly that barely a smear of his blood remained, he had ruined her life as it had been completely.
She loved Trevor dearly and did not regret his birth, but because of it she had been forced to give up her life as it was. A pregnant mare couldn't be on the road pulling a cart. A new mother couldn't take the foal on the road when there was no guarantee money would come from a performance. A mother of a young foal couldn't take him on the road, the colt needed schooling in a proper facility.
It was always something that kept her in one place and made her accept New Canterlot as a home despite her wanderlust. Even now she could feel it. The call of the road. Trevor was with his grandmother, visiting her in Gallopagos. Trixie had gone with the cheapest rates and was now on the red eye back to New Canterlot. Trevor would stay there for two weeks before taking his first train ride alone back home. He was fifteen now being born a year after what many called the War of Gods. Still Trixie couldn't help but be amazed by him. She and others had been worried that as he grew older he might trigger memories of Claymore in Trixie if he resembled his father. Thankfully he didn't have any trace of his father in him, save perhaps broader shoulders. Trevor was a wiz in magic as well taking fully after his mother. He had even been accepted into Celestia's school for gifted unicorns. When he hatched the dragons egg was possibly the proudest moment in her life. The egg had been one of the old ones too, Bleu Scale had donated her first clutch to the school but there had been a small number of eggs left from the War of Night a thousand years ago. Trevor had hatched one of them, thus matching Twilight Sparkle's skill at his age without having a surge to do it.
She hated trains, they took too long, why were they called trains any way? They should have been called rail runners. Locomotive was dumb too. Did they run on Chaos? Was that the loco part? What did that mean any way? The buffalo called them iron horses. Why did they call trains iron horses and not the Guards covered in iron? Maybe trains were named after the trains that trailed after brides at weddings. Why would they do that, they weren't even similar? Wait wedding? Oh crap.
Lyra dropped her head back bouncing it off the seat behind her as she stared at the ceiling of the thundering train car. The train was pretty much empty this late at night. She had seen maybe two others aside from herself and Octavia. Granted the gray mare was the reason she was out here any way. Lyra had been selected to preform at the new Platinum's Music School opening in Lionheart city. While the rest of the Platinum Swan had stayed over for a few days, she and Octavia had left as soon as possible. Octavia for some reason she wouldn't say and Lyra because she had been missing Bon Bon the whole time.
That was the crux of why she was headed back. Bon Bon expected her in two or three days, Lyra wanted to surprise her.
The lime colored mare's horn glowed as she pulled a felt covered box from her instrument case, setting it on her lap before flipping it open and looking down at it's contents.
It was a simple hoof ring. Nothing fancy, just one pink diamond chip along side a pair of amethyst slivers and a bit of jade.
It really wasn't that expensive, though her mare friend would have yelled at her if she thought Lyra was spending too much money on something. Bon Bon was already fussing when a good portion of Lyra's Guard hazard pay for the Tirek invasion went missing. She had explained it away some how, but really she had bought this. Of course that was five years ago.
Lyra had spent the last five years trying to find an original and decent way to propose to Bon Bon. Hot air balloon, picnic lunch. She had wanted something no pony had done before and everything she could think of some one else had done.
It had been five years, she had been thinking of ideas the whole time and she still didn't have anything yet that was new.
It had been a wonderful gesture given her and Celestia's situation and in truth it was a perfect political move as well. Princess Luna..... Queen Luna, had never been very popular with the populace, nor with other nations. She didn't like negotiations, thought most treaties were boring and barely had more patience than Jer'rahd when it came to nobles.
When it was a military situation however there were few if any ponies better, and she was married to one at least on par with her, was sister to another, had been friends with three others and her eldest son was yet another.
To be honest the whole Kaisur family was down right scary. Twilight had often made use of that. Jer'rahd had taken over for Hospice Moskau as Guard Captain of the six Sixty Sixth monster hunters, as well as keeping his job as the head of the 42nd training division and shock troops. Something he was not fond of which made it more amusing, particularly since he was also forced to look after the newly renamed Blue Blood family.
Peach Blossom had taken over for her brother when he moved to the Crystal Empire full time. The pony was level headed and had a decent enough sense of humor. He was also one of the few others that Jer'rahd actually listened to. Starfall Silvertail took over for Nicker Fury and for the first time had a rank slightly above Jer'rahd, something that caused her no end of annoyance and amusement.
The choice to do this was a smart one. Starfall and Peach Blossom could keep Jer'rahd in line better than Celestia or herself ever could. Luna didn't even try, she actually egged him on a bit which caused no end of trouble to the negotiations with the Yaks, though she had to admit it was quite helpful in dealing with that meglomanical mare who had been stealing cutie marks in the name of unity. The doctors said the mare might walk again some day with a bit of assistance.
Granted it was Starlight Glimmer's own fault that she had tried to take every ponies cutie marks by force when coercion hadn't worked. And it really was some horrid luck for the mare that Twilight had brought Ice Berry along with her along with the small company of Guard. Reports from the scouts made it seem like the town was just suffering some after affects of Tirek. Twilight didn't think there was a cult to the monster. Well a cult leader, and a bunch of confused ponies.
The incident cemented home a number of things for her.
She was not prepared to be a Princess, no matter how much Queen Luna and Princess Celestia had been training her.
And she was still in no shape to be trying to protect any one. She had tried before and failed. She trained and tried to save some one again and failed, only this time her failure cost one of her best friends and her husband their lives. Because she couldn't stop Tirek in Gallopagos countless numbers died, because she failed to plan for every option and ran in like Rainbow Dash to a fight.
She wasn't ready to take on all this, particularly when she couldn't save the ones she cared for most.
It had been six years and Celestia finally forced her to return to Gallopagos. Perhaps her former teacher had thought it was time to try and heal the wound, or that Twilight needed to make peace with her failure.
Twilight wasn't sure how, Rarity's face was everywhere. Coco Pommel had made good on her word and started a product line that erupted into a permanent line that was now a company that produced at least sixty percent of the clothing for the entirety of Equss. Double R. Rarity Reignolds and her little symbol were everywhere. Coco was a shrewd designer and business mare, though if anyone had thought the death of the Element Bearer of Generosity would put a lock on the Element, Coco was the key. The company donated to relief efforts for disasters, schools, what ever charity happened to crop up. They had started a massive parade event for Hearth' Warming and while the Parade was no longer in their complete control as civic functions and other businesses joined in, it was still called the Rarity's Day Parade. She was even the primary sponsor for the new ESO and Sweetiebelle's band the Rarities.
Twilight was supposed to oversee the christening of the new school, to be the celebrity guest there along with Sweetiebelle.
Sweetie had grown up looking far too much like her sister. The young mare claimed she bore no ill will towards Twilight for her sisters death. Though Twilight sensed otherwise.
Whatever idea of healing Celestia had thought to happen with this trip didn't happen. It only made things worse for her..
She hadn't been able to take her time there and had grabbed the first train back to Canterlot. She was still unfamiliar with flying and she was in no shape mentally to try and teleport the distance.
So here she was, two minutes to midnight sitting on a train, staring out the window as the train back to New Canterlot started out over the long rail bridge crossing The Great Hooper Sea back to the main land. More miserable than she was to start with.
The train conductor smirked as he glanced back at the trainee with him. Huh Train-ee, he'd have to remember that pun later.
“I can't believe who's on board. Did you see her?” the younger pale white stallion stammers trying to fix his dull brown mane, before hiding it all under his cap, the pony had an odd tattoo on his face, something he claimed he did for his mare friend after she was injured in a explosion, he wasn't sure of the details, and didn't bother to ask the shy stallion.
“Aye lad, happens, Princess can't ride around on gold chariots all the time.” the older conductor nods a smirk crossing his black muzzled face. He chuckles softly shaking his own red mane, there were touches of gray in it and on his coat, but he was far from over the hill.
“The Princess is HERE? Which one?” the stallion questions, his brown eyes getting wider.
“Wait yah weren't talking about her? Did yah mean tha former Princess then Lad?”
“Queen Luna is on board too?” Jacuzzi asks. “ And don't call me Lad, Rail.”
The older stallion blinks, the kid couldn't be that dumb.
“Cripes lad,sorry, yah missed those two? What were yah fiending for tha musicians? I mean ah know tha Lady Octavia Melody and Miss Lyra Heartstrings is a fine pair of mares, but they might be a bit old fer yah.” Rail Tracer chuckles.
“Who?” the stallion asks forcing the older one to face hoof.
“Seriously youngins, yah all only seem to like those screaming noise machines that are called instruments now adays.”
“I like Sweetiebelle Reignolds...”
“Whatever, who the buck are you talking about then lad?”
“The Great and Powerful Trixie!”
“Tha what?” Rail Tracer asks.
“She came through Hollowshades a few times when I was younger , she told the best stories and put on some of the greatest shows of magic I've ever seen. She vanished after the War of Gods and I thought she had been killed , but that's definitely her back there, a little older of course, but still. Do you think she'd give me an autograph?” Jacuzzi smiles. “For Holystone I mean, she would love it.”
The answer caught in the old engineers throat as the entire train suddenly lurched to a stop, sending both ponies tumbling forward to crash into the boiler, the younger pony cursing wildly as the heat burned his side. The older stallion hollers as well smashing into the throttle and breaking the lever. Both of them scrambled to make it back to their hooves before another lurch sent them tumbling back against the door of the engine car. Rail Tracer screamed out as the door bursts open and he falls out of the back of the train,only to be grabbed by the tail and pulled back into the train cab by Jacuzzi as the train roars onward.
The pair of them look back to see the rest of the train had been ripped free of the engine as it struck the inside of a sickly yellow shield. The first few passenger and transport cars plunging off the broken rail bridge into the water below or onto the black sand beaches of the island in the middle of the shield.
“What the buck is that?” Jacuzzi asks.
“I dunno, this should have all been water fer tha next few hours.” Rail Tracer gapes.
“Did you maybe miss it in the past?”
“Been running this route for three years ever since the bridge was finished and that was never there.”
The sickly yellow shield shimmers as the out of control train roars on across the broken bridge, the further away the pair got the easier it was to see the massive island that had formed in the center of the rail bridge across the sea. Ruins dotted the island and what looked like a massive dormant volcano in it's center. From the black sandy beaches to the ruins of a city larger than New Canterlot and Manehatten combined the island was encased in a dome of energy the likes of which Rail Tracer hadn't seen since the Royal Wedding of Princess Cadence and Prince Shining Armor.
New Canterlot was in high spirits, for today was a very special day, one that many thought of more highly of than the wedding of Queen Luna and Lord Jer'rahd. Several businesses had closed, and others were offering special discounts for the event as well as themed items.
Thanks to Discord and Pinkie prying more than a little, it was now well known that it was Princess Celestia's birthday, something that the populace had long been curious about, but never been sure of. Celestia was never one for giving out her age, or being the reason for a party beyond the Summer Sun Celebration. Despite that, it was supposedly the Princess of the Sun's 15000th birthday exactly, and ponies every where were determined to celebrate it in style.
Of course this meant that all the great pony party planners packed the palace with a plethora of perfect presents. Nearly two dozen ponies and other creatures filled the 'party war room' that Discord had set up. Pinkie Pie, Cheese Sandwich, Frivolous Celebration, and Roxo the Clown were just some of the ones in attendance. There was initially some disagreement about who would lead the troop party planners, but after careful consideration, cupcake bribery, and a nice speech from Discord, Pinkie Pie was put in charge, with the motion seconded by Cheese Sandwich.
The pink mare wasted no time in getting things going. The decorations around the throne room were minimal, as she knew the difference between parties for grown ups and parties for kids, and she had planned accordingly.
This of course meant that they weren't ceiling to floor deep in balloons and streamers, just knee deep. Also there was a taller table that wasn't as decorated and was constantly staffed with some more adult beverages. Jer'rahd and Berry Punch were in line before the tender had finished setting up.
The Platinum Swan was set to perform too, their stage taking up a corner of the large room.
The birthday mare was in her usual place on the throne, looking rather amused about the whole process. Pinkie Pie was currently bouncing about her chatting up a storm as the Sun Princess tried to hide her annoyance behind a practiced mask. She had tried negotiating, threatening and now she was nearly begging for this to be over.
"There is no need for all this Pinkie. I'm somewhat beyond birthday parties at this point." the Solar Princess said. "Nonsense, Princess. Every pony should have a birthday party." the pink Bearer of Laughter replied. "I'm not getting out this one, am I? " Celestia sighed. "You're pretty much down ritual suicide to escape." Pinkie grinned. “And you won't do that cause Twilight would get mad and she's scary when she's mad.”
Pinkie noted Celestia's attention had shifted from Pinkie as the Princess turned to look over the crowd of ponies here. Pinkie Pie glanced back as well, it was mostly castle staff at the moment, with some of the few family members Celestia had, and some visitors. Though there was also a pony Pinkie didn't know trotting right up to them.
The unicorn stallion was a dull gold with shades of silver in his coat almost like spots. His mane and tail were charcoal black. He wasn't wearing any clothing though Pinkie couldn't identify what his cutie mark was. He was strangely quiet as well and even the balloons he walked through seemed to move away before he touched them.
Pinkie Pie of course greeted him with her customary over the top hellos, and questions... and was completely ignored. The ponies form suddenly melted away the dull gold coat sliding off him like water. What was left was a black scale armored stallion larger than even Celestia. Like the Princess the, stallion's mane and tail moved with a unseen wind, though unlike Celestia's his seemed to be made of black fire and smoke. His long horn was serrated along the top and his pale white glowing eyes spoke of a barely hidden cruelty. Draconic wings suddenly snapped open from his back knocking Pinkie Pie aside into the balloons scattered over the floor.
The stallion lunged forward suddenly, his horn lancing at the Princess. Celestia shifted just as quickly the jagged horn missing anything vital though it left a cut along her shoulder as she moved, the attack punching a hole through the back of her gold throne with seemingly no effort..
Celestia flapped her wings, lifting into the air as she glared down at the stallion her mane and tail alighting with fire. Most of the room scattered though the Guards were rushing in.
“I do not know who you are, but if you think that was going to stop m............” Celestia stated but was cut off as the stallions horn suddenly glowed a sickly yellow and the wound he inflicted felt like it was starting to crawl.
Celestia started screaming as her flesh began to wither and crack, her beautiful mane and tail began to go from pastel colors to gray, her wings and horn started to crumble and finally her eyes went milky white, her wing beats ceased and she fell to the ground with a crash of fine porcelain her mummified form breaking apart on impact.. Pinkie's poofy mane and tail immediately when flat and her eyes went wide with shock and tears fell from them. "You...... You....... You killed her." She said, her voice full of horror. That's........That's impossible. Celestia can't die. She's........she's.........she.......sh...........immortal. A voice as cold as an arctic wind and as emotionless as stone replied: "Not anymore."
[ Six years after the defeat of Tirek, New Canterlot Castle ]
She awoke to screaming that seemed to be right in front of her muzzle. Her wings whipped as she lashed out with her claws, jerking upright struggling with the confining blanket. The material shredded under her claws and the simple brute force she brought to bear. Her wings however got tangled in the shreds of her blanket and her airborne escape was thwarted as she fell back to the bed, bouncing off it and crashing into a book shelf. The large piece of furniture remained upright though all the shelves within it were dislodged falling free along with their contents to crash down atop of her. The whole while something was screaming like a banshee right before her.
It was when she finally took a panicked breath that she realized she was the one screaming.
It was also about that time that the rest of the shelves in the book case dislodged their contents onto her head with a resounding thud.
She whimpered, wincing as the room's light's suddenly came.
Dawn Star Kaisur looked up with squinty eyes from under the tattered remains of her blanket and the mess that was left the book shelf by her bed. The orange scaled and gray furred Kirin whimpered running one of her fore claws up through her platinum blue mane. The shaggy mess of it falling over her face and hiding her green eyes.
Before her in the doorway was a zebra foal just past her super fluffy phase with deep red stripes, a curly black mane and a red crystal horn poking up from the mess of her mane. Her clear blue eyes looked over the chaos in the room with a clear look of annoyance on her face, mirrored by the stuffed ursa major teddy bare with her.
Rynthia Pelt Kaisur was clearly not amused at her sisters antics at three in the morning.
“Dawn what is wrong, what happened?” Rynthia demands with a small snort.
“That didn't even sound close to a rhyme.” Dawn replies stretching out a little under the mess, her fairly long form shifting some of the toys and books piled on her causing a tin Guard pony to bounce off her muzzle.
“Because it's three in the morning time, I just woke up I can't think of a ….. word....” Rynthia mutters.”Rhyme! That's it!”
“So yeah, like I said Jer, the pair of us will be coming around again in about a week. Velkorn says that Luna should be about ready to pop by that point.” Rhede commented.
[“ I said no such thing! I expect Luna not to be due until the end of the month, this fool just wants to speed things up so he can get back to Manehatten and to that parade or whatever it is.”] Velkorn shouted from behind Rhede.
“You know he didn't understand anything you just said right?” Rhede called back.
“Then it's his own fault he has yet to learn, personally I think it was quite a sick burn.” Velkorn laughed.
“Ooh trying to taunt him into learning zebra now... nice. Doubt it will work, also please don't copy something Rainbow Dash said.” Rhede chuckled.”That sounds way to weird coming from you.”
[“That was the proper usage of the term Rhede.”] Velkorn huffs.
“Any way we'll be back in a week, bye until then Jer, don't let Luna go too foal crazy. Or Celestia for that matter.” Rhede finished.
The sound cuts out and the glowing red light in the room goes out leaving it in darkness once more. There was a faint click and the recording crystal started up again illuminating the room in a red glow.
“Hey Jer, what's up? Velkorn and I are still in The Crystal Empire, but we're headed to Manehatten before coming back to Canterlot......”
Jer'rahd Kaisur, opened his eyes looking down at the glowing crystal on the small desk before him, his eye shut softly again as he listened to the last message he ever received from Rhede and Velkorn play for perhaps the thirtieth time that night alone.
The therapist hadn't liked the idea that he had kept the crystal, he didn't think it healthy. For that matter neither did Luna, but she allowed him to keep it provided he didn't dwell on it.
She wasn't here to stop him at the moment and it was not as if he could sleep any more without her nearby.
His time under Tirek's power had given his nightmares more fuel than they ever needed. Where he could some times make it through most of the night before, now he was lucky if he stayed asleep an hour before waking in a cold sweat, or a char-coaled pillow.
He had little trouble staying awake for days at a time,Orange and Luna both thought it was bad for him, and they were likely correct, though aside from making him more irritable he could manage several weeks straight before he started to doze off unexpectedly.
A day or two while Luna was away didn't mean much in the grand scheme of things. He would have gone with her to Gallopagos, though some one needed to stay around to make sure the girls got off to school in the morning. The royal sisters and Elusive were attending the school in the Ponyville district, just as Pip and the Lily's had. It meant a bit of travel in the morning, but Rynthia got go to class with her brothers, and Dawn had other foals her own age to play with. Plus it was much easier to post Guards at a little school house in a less crowded part of New Canterlot.
Being near Luna was the only thing that stopped his nightmares. Even after she gave up her godhood to Sparkle her presence still allowed him to sleep. No matter what he faced, or what terror came after him in the waking world none of it even came close to what happened in his nightmares.
He had managed the nerve to consult a sea pony shaman at one point, though the tenticly beast creeped him out considerably. He or she? Maybe it? Any way they weren't able to help. What ever was done to him by Aqua's adviser was locked into place when he became a false god.
He wished he could have gone with Luna, perhaps make it more bearable for and to be honest when he had nothing to do he was a wreck. He couldn't sleep, the girls were asleep and all his other children were away. Berry was studying crystal magic in the Crystal Empire with her dragonling Beryl. He had bought a section of land where his old house used to be and given it to Pip as a graduation present. There was a decent sized house there now that Pip shared with Scootaloo. Orange and Hunter both lived in the Crystal Empire. His oldest daughter had taken a job at the hospital that they named after Velkorn and Hunter was currently training the Crystal Pony Guard with everything he learned teaching the 42nd. Even Brush had gone off to college in Manehatten. It wasn't the first choice for an artist of his caliber, but Jer'rahd knew the real reason he went and hoped the mare remained worth his son's effort.
Despite being the regent lord of the Kirin he had only been to the island perhaps twelve times in the last four years. Of course he didn't need to be there unless something big came up. Communications between New Canterlot and Gallopagos had been made triple redundant since the Tirek incident.
The last time he was there was to finalize the suggested route for the rail bridge. A massive duel set of tracks running across the shortest point between the south west edge of Gallopagos island and the main land near Manehatten was on the other side of the Hooper sea. From there it was a short trip north to the Crystal Empire. there was talk of building a rail bridge to Baltamare too, but there were issues with that. Horseshoe bay used to be the Darklands and strange things still happened there.
The pylons were put in place and were maintained by the River Ponies, who used the stone and corral foundations as farms for various fish and shell fish farming. They also maintained the tracks out over the water. The metal was some sort of ore the Sea Ponies mined that didn't rust and the trestles were designed in such a way that there had only been minor damage the last time a Level Three DR hurricane hit the area.
All in all it was a great engineering project, a leagues long rail system that stretched over an open sea connecting the island to the shore. What was amusing was at first they decided to name it after him.
He refused of course, trying to foist it off onto Sparkle, but it seems engineers only named ships and the like after females, Solid study structures were named after males. Luckily he still managed to deflect it by letting the name be taken by Rarity's father.
Magnum Reignolds bridge
With the construction of the bridge he and Luna had briefly considered heading out to live in Gallopagos or near it on the main land. He would be able to handle the day to day events of running the Kirin nation from closer by and Luna could keep tabs on the Changelings. Many Changelings had moved onto the island as well, the place likely boasted at least half of all the Changelings that existed. The Kirin territories were one of the few that had nearly accepted the Changelings fully. Most places on Equss still discriminated in some way or another, either by not hiring them or refusing to serve them in shops, and those were the more polite issues.
Most of the acceptance was due to some of Jer'rahd's first rulings declaring the discrimination unlawful. Granted his exact words were,' If you won't accept my wife, then you can set up shop some where else.' Kicking that many shops and Businesses out of Lion Heart city was of course expected to be a fiasco and bring about a recession in the new nation. That didn't happen as several Apple Family Farms,a number of former Blue Blood,now Kaisur, businesses, and the main headquarters of Coco Pommel's production line all set up shop in Gallopagos making it a major business power nearly over night.
They had decided to not move there for three reasons.
First was Luna's aversion to the place, due to her history with the region.
The second was Jer'rahd's aversion to all the water around the island. He had panic attacks just going to and from the island.
The third was because it meant Rynthia would be further away from her brothers and the pair of them would be away from Elusive. The Kirin god wouldn't have any foals his age to play with easily with Dawn and Rynthia gone. So they stayed in New Canterlot.
Jer'rahd blinked noting the crystal had stopped. His train of thought had distracted him for a while and the thoughts of his daughters actually brought a half smile to his face. A rare thing this late at night.
He moved to tap the crystal again, listening to his best friends voices again when a scream and a crash cut off such thoughts and sent him barreling out of his bedroom and down the hall, nearly knocking the door off it's hinges.
He slowed from his dead gallop as he came within sight of the door and his youngest daughter standing half in and out of it talking to what sounded like Dawn. He moved up behind the little zebra peering into Dawn's room curiously. The place was a brilliant mix of gold and white colored walls and furniture. Daring Doo posters and ones of cute kittens and puppies covered the walls along with some artwork that dawn herself had painted with her claws.
Her bed was almost against the far right wall with a pile of stuffed creatures taking up nearly the entire rest of the wall, piled nearly to the ceiling. The right side of the room had a school work desk and a overflowing toy box. Straight across from the door was a small window into the courtyard and a large book case that was currently half on the floor leaving a big pile of books and various nick knacks from his and Luna's trips he had brought back for her.
Buried underneath this pile was the wiggling form of his second youngest daughter.
“Is every thing alright?” Jer'rahd asked, looking down at the two fillies. Rynthia looked like he felt. Tired as if she hadn't slept much, though most likely she had been woken up by her sisters noise. Dawn seemed alright, although the moment she saw him her eyes started watering and she burst out of the book pile and rushed over to him. She scrambled up his side onto his, back grabbing tightly around his neck and burying her face into his mane. It was something he had gotten used to as she was growing up, every time something scared or startled her she immediately went to him like this.
Granted with the little Kirin's face buried in his mane, he couldn't understand anything she was saying when she started blubbering.
“Muffdenbutthawiththeantherbirthdaynighandsleepandpartyandhorn......” Dawn rambles.
Jer'rahd blinks looking back at her before looking down at Rynthia questioning.
“She had bad dreams, it is exactly as.... you think......... as you see?” Rynthia ponders.
“As it seems?” Jer'rahd offered getting a faint grumble from the small Zebra.
Rynthia had met her cousin Sunshine in her guise of Zecora a number of times and she was determined to rhyme like her. The problem was she didn't seem to be able to wrap her head around the whole process just yet. Of course Jer'rahd wasn't sure what a six year old needed to meditate or focus on, but he wasn't going to argue with her if she wanted to try. Most of the time it was cute and when she managed a rhyme she got rather excited and wound up being even cuter.
“Gunnawaubwithpinkandcakeandwheresauntie?” Dawn blubbers.
Jer'rahd glanced to Rynthia who yawns softly and shrugs having no clue what Dawn had said that time.
“What was that Dawn?” Jer'rahd asks.
“I wanna see auntie......” Dawn mutters into his mane.
“ Celestia? Why?”
“Wannamakesureshesokay.”
Jer'rahd blinked though he sighed. Seeing his sister in law was not one of the things that he wanted to deal with right now, but if Dawn wanted to he would put up with the Sun Goddess.
Jer'rahd smiled, softly picking Rynthia up his magic and setting her on his back as well. He would need to go slower as Rynthia didn't have claws to hold onto him with, but he would still get where he was going faster than with one of them walking on their own. If things were going like they should Celestia should be in the throne room taking over some of Twilight's Night Court duties.
The trot to the throne room was uneventful, save Dawn clinging tenaciously to his neck.
Canterlot Castle had been rebuilt nearly the same as the old castle, though this time it was built utilizing modern construction creating a much stronger base. Something that was tested by setting off a few controlled explosions against certain walls. While the walls still took a good bit of damage, the resulting damage didn't weaken the rest of the structure any and thus that section could be replaced without any effort. The insides were of course decorated again, though a number of changes had been made, most corridors were designed to funnel enemy troops to choke points and to offer easily set up cover for defenders.
Celestia had also moved all the stain glass windows from the throne room to a side hall, partially for security, but mostly because many of them were still being rebuilt and she was tired of birds flying through the open areas and trying to nest in her mane while she held court.
Jer'rahd nodded to the Guards out side the doors as he walked up, noting the pair of them snapping upright much straighter.
“Relax, I'm off duty.” he comments not seeing either of them ease up a fraction. Some times being well known as a hard ass drill instructor and the Guard Captain of the Six Sixty Sixth was a pain.
Looking to the closed doors he was a little surprised that he couldn't hear the usual shouting that always seemed to happen during the night court.
He glanced tot he two Guards who simply shrugged.
“She sent the petitioners out about twenty minutes ago sir.” the pegasi on the right side stated.
“If you're not here to participate in the court you might as well head in, she told us not to let in any more for the court but didn't say anything about Guard Captain's or family sir.” The unicorn half dragon on the left comments.
“Right thanks.” Jer'rahd nods pushing open the door. He was a little worried that Dawn was still clinging to him rather than poking at the Guards like she usually did. She found it hilarious trying to get them to move when they took the statue poses.
Pushing open the door he stepped into the great echoing hall. The carpets and drapery did little to ease the echos of the throne room. Granted that was what Celestia wanted. She didn't have to speak up very much to be heard and she could whisper without being heard, though any one away from the throned dais could easily be overheard.
Jer'rahd's eyes narrow seeing both Peach Blossom and Starfall in the room on either side of Celestia talking about something.
Peach Blossom looked older, it was something that rather bothered Jer'rahd. The orange cream pegasus was now in his mid thirties, a far cry from the young stallion he first trained when he awoke sixteen years ago. His new job, foals, wife, and the loss of several ponies close to him over the last sixteen years was easy to spot in his tired gaze and slightly sagged form. There was still the fire in his eyes that Jer'rahd recognized and he was still built like a brick wall, but his age was still starting to show.
Starfall was much the same, though the mare had tried to hide it, the signs of birthing twins, and another colt last spring showed. Her mane and tail were frazzled and like Peach Blossom her eyes showed far more age than her body, though she was showing the signs of much more easy living than she was used to. Still she could kick his flank so he wasn't going to say anything.
She glanced his way and smiled putting her hoof over her face to hold back a bit of laughter. Peach Blossom glanced over as well and slapped his face with a hoof as Jer'rahd approached.
Then there was Celestia herself. She hadn't changed in the slightest. Same eyes, same mark, same arrogant glare, same flattening of her ears at the sight of him, same need for 'wide load' to be painted on her flank.
She was sitting on her throne glaring at him as he walked in, though her expression softened at seeing the two fillies on his back, he could see a small black and white Kirin colt hiding under one of her out stretched wings at the side of the throne..
Elusive blinked at seeing Jer'rahd and grinned a bit, the small colt was a lot like Pip, he wanted to learn to fight, though his mothers both wanted him to study magic and science. Still Jer'rahd had managed to give him a few lessons here and there.
“I told you he'd show up.” Starfall laughed. “That's twenty bits or a back rub you owe me.”
“You couldn't have waited another ten minutes to walk in the door. “ Peach Blossom groaned looking at Jer'rahd.
“Speak the name of the Demon and he shall appear.” Celestia added rolling her eyes.
Dawn perked up at Celestia's voice, leaping off Jer'rahd's back and nearly knocking Rynthia off as well, though Jer'rahd managed to steady the now annoyed Zebra with his tail before helping her get down.
Dawn hit the floor in a run, bounding over towards the Solar Goddess like a ferret hunting . She lept up onto the throne plowing into the seated Celestia and knocking the wind out of her hugging her tightly around the neck..
The two pegasi look at Jer'rahd who shrugs, before they look back at Celestia who was struggling to breath around the Kirin's tight grip.
Celestia sighed slowly untangling her self from Dawn after a number of reassurances that she was fine.
“I'm fine Dawn... What's wrong?” Celestia asks using her patented paternal voice. The only one that didn't work on was Jer'rahd.
“Bad dream......” Dawn pouted.
Celestia blinked looking down at Elusive curiously, though the alicorn Kirin was still more focused on Jer'rahd as he approached.
“Alright. Are you okay? I need to have a word with your father a moment, how about you Elusive and Rynthia go play for a moment.” Celestia adds as Jer'rahd watched the three foals wander off from the throne. Dawn nearly immediately tackled Elusive to play fight him. She only did that with a few of the foals she was friends with. Really just Shin, Talon, and, Elusive, it was supposed to be a throw back to the dominance thing imprinted in the first Kirin. But Dawn was smart enough to know she couldn't do any real damage to the godlings, so they got most of her attention.
“So what happened this time?” Jer'rahd asked. “You wouldn't be expecting me if something didn't happen.”
“Three hours ago an island appeared in the middle of the Hooper sea. The island appears to have some ruins of a settlement on it and a large dormant volcano, which explains the black sand and ash covering everything. Most of the island is covered with a sickly yellow shield that is preventing any one from getting past the beach surrounding the island. The shield itself is odd as from a distance you can see the contents of the island, but the closer you get the less transparent it becomes until it's just a wall of magic right at the edge.” “Peach Blossom reports.
“Not a reason to send for me in the middle of the night so go on with the rest.” Jer'rahd sighed realizing that the three of them were drawing things out because the reason was going to be a kick in the teeth and he had a inkling of what it was. No not three. Celestia seemed just as pissed as he was getting.
“The island came into being, taking out several leagues worth of track of the rail bridge across the water...” Starfall continued.
Jer'rahd sighed cutting off Starfall.” Who was on the train?”
“You need to ask?” Celestia states.
“No, but for once I am hoping I'm wrong.” Jer'rahd muttered.
“You're not. Five ponies were on board the train at the time. The main car managed to just miss getting trapped, but the shield came into being right between the engine and the passenger cars. One of them was cleaved in half along with the bridge. The rest of the cars slammed into the inside of the shield jumping the damaged track and crashing onto the island. Good News. It was the Red eye so there were only five passengers, plus the two conductors in the engine car aboard. “ Starfall continues. “Bad News, both Luna and Twilight were aboard it. There was also the Ponyville librarian, Trixie Lulumoon, a member of the Platinum Swan and the assistant headmaster of the Platinum School of Music, Octavia Melody, third..... well the third is on par with your issues.”
“ As troubling as Luna and Sparkle being there?” Jer'rahd asked some what surprised..
“Yup. A former highly decorated member of the Six Sixty Sixth and a former member of Princess Cadence's Royal Guard. Lyra Heart Strings.” Starfall continued.
“Oh buck.... Bon Bon's mare friend.” Jer'rahd growled slapping his face with a hoof. “Who ever did this dun goofed big time.”
“Indeed.” Celestia agreed.
“Plan?” Jer'rahd asks.
“Search and rescue of course. The Changelings can feel Luna still, but they say it is through a haze. Still that means she is still alive and if Luna can survive a train wreck so can Twilight. Also the moon is still moving so that's a good sign.” Celestia states
“Here's something. With the exception of the librarian these are some rather high value targets. Ransom perhaps?” Peach Blossom comments. “Or a way to get revenge on you all for something?
“No one forms an island just to foal nap a couple of ponies.” Jer'rahd grumbles.”Besides I think I know what this is, it's something Sparkle and I couldn't find on our hunt. Searched for the blasted thing for a month.”
“Oh?” Celestia asked “ Do tell.”
“I would if I could but I don't recall the specifics. We need to get Spike here, he knows more about it than I do. Celestia can you send him a message or one to Bleu as for us, then we have some preparation to attend to.“ Jer'rahd states. “Peach Blossom I need you to alert the Guards to be on the look out for a gray donkey with an odd accent or not speaking modern Equestrian at all. His clothing is likely to be a few thousand years out of date... Actually have Agent Sweetie Drops do it, it'll keep her occupied, though make sure she knows that we prefer him alive and unharmed, when Spike gets here I'll have him give her the full description.”
“A Donkey?” Peach Blossom questions.
“Yeah he's sort of the herald of the bigger threat. We really need Spike or Sparkle for this I only recall bits of the whole thing, but I know enough what to look for. Starfall can you get Pip and Scootaloo here, I'm going to send them to the Crystal Empire.”
“What for? They are some of the best Guards we have, shouldn't they be here to help?” Starfall asks.
“Because he's sending his foals to be watched by Cadence again. That I agree with, and having two of the best guard Elusive will give me some peace of mind as well.” Celestia stated rising from her throne looking over at the three foals talking in the corner.
“Should we send ours as well?” Peach Blossom added looking at Starfall who seemed to be daring him to try and send her away with the foals.
“I doubt it. This is less for protection and more for foal sitting duty. Celestia and I are going to be rather busy.” Jer'rahd states.
“Really now?” Peach Blossom questions, “Only you and the Princess? And I guess we just stay here?”
“ I need some one I can trust to keep an eye on things here. Besides they have my mare friend and sister, and his wife.” Celestia stated flatly looking at peach Blossom with a glare that was enough to make the pegasus flinch. “Do you really want to be in our way?”
The winds whipped across the plains, stirring the pools of water that dotted the landscape. There was a crisp scent in the air, the sort you smell just after a rain shower in the summer, though there wasn't a cloud in the sky.
She turned her head slightly looking over the fields, far in the distance to her left was a mountain range that spanned the horizon. To her far right, she could see the start of a jungle. A massive tropical swath that ran all the way to the ocean at the end of the continent. Before her lay the empty plains and deserts that were at the very heart of the country.
Behind her....
She didn't want to look behind her.
She knew what she would see, knew what she had done, and she couldn't face it.
She felt herself turning any way, her hooves thudding on the soft earth as she spun about until her fore hooves splashed into the edge of a puddle.
Before her now was exactly what she expected to see, naught but ruin. The trees had putrefied and turned black and sickly green, the stones that were once a city had crumbled to dust, crops laying rotted in the fields far beyond saving, even if there was any one left to try. Carrion birds circled the skies, though occasionally one or more of them suddenly stopped dead in the air and fell from the sky, live taken from them as her gaze passed over them.
Littering the destitute streets, clogging the gutters with their blood and excrement,were bodies. They may once have been Ponies, Zebras,or they may have actually been neither it was difficult to tell. Bursting pustules covered a number of them, some were hairless or had patches of their flesh that necropsied and fallen free of the rest of their forms leaving rotted chunks and gaping wounds over the corpses. Still others seemed in perfect condition and they had just simply died. A few of the corpses were still standing upright, their bodies not even having realized that they had died yet. Others were little more than smears against the street, or bloated sacs of pus, disease, and maggots.
The was a faint dripping sound and she lowered her head, looking down into the puddle as a shift in the wind brought the scent of wet copper, rancid meat, and bile with it. The puddle at her hooves was patch marked with splotches of red that rapidly diluted in the still water..
Through the faint ripples of some one elses blood running down her features, Rynthia gazed upon the reflection of her blood soaked form.
=============================================
Rynthia jerked awake with a start, her hooves lashing out as she flailed. One of them smacked to the side of the chariot wall. She winced with a small yelp yanking her leg back as she sat up stuffing her hoof into her mouth sucking on the injured limb where she hit it.
The royal chariot had been upgraded since Tirek's attack had destroyed the last one, now it was fully enclosed, though the window at the front could be opened to speak with the pullers. The craft was heavily enchanted as well so even a single pegasus could easily draw it though the air, and even a fall from the sky would barely rattle the occupants.
The small red striped zebra filly pulled her hoof from her mouth looking at it and seeing no damage on the saliva splattered tip. She flinched feeling a hoof press into her hair , ruffling the mop of wavy black mane .
She growled, her ears flattening as she waved her hooves over her head to drive off the offending hoof, her crystal blue eyes looking up and glaring daggers at the offender and his grinning visage, her eldest brother, Pipsqueak Kaisur.
The white and brown spotted earth pony colt grinned at her from under his helmets visor. The young Guard had already made Lieutenant in four years time and was steadily working his way higher in ranks despite what a number of ponies were muttering about favoritism. Rynthia didn't understand why, Pip worked hard for what he had, and father made it a practice to stay out of his affairs leaving him under command of Peach Blossom and the Royal Guard.
Pip was still short, barely much bigger than he had been as a teenager. At just over twelve apples high he was only a bit bigger than aunt Starfall and just under aunt Rainbow Dash. Despite that he was very well muscled, to the point he probably could have hoof wrested her uncle Big Mac to a stand still. Despite this he wasn't bulky, though it was clear he was not some pony to trifle with.
“You doing alright kid? You were thrashing around there a bit.” Pip asked with a chuckle.
“Just a nightmare, second one tonight so I guess it's a …... couple....., matched set....? “
“Pair.” Pip adds with a chuckle. “Seems like a few of those going around the castle. You think it was something you ate? Ma hasn't been cooking again has she? I get nightmares from just thinking about her Spinach Casserole. Knowledge from every Changeling Chef that ever existed and she can still burn water.”
Rynthia shook her head looking around the cabin of the chariot. The bags that had been packed the night before were strapped to the back and roof of the chariot. As always there was at least one chest that was kept in the cabin for them. Toys and books that they were only allowed to read or play with while on a trip so that they seemed new or exciting. Rynthia didn't quite fall for the tactic, but she had to admit some of the books were interesting.
Currently Dawn was half buried in the toy box, only her whipping tail and kicking back legs sticking out as she muttered something about 'missing a blue crayon' as she dug through the box, her little wings fanning madly.
The floor of the chariot had a couple of coloring books spread across it, including a number of scattered crayons. Rynthia took note that the blue one her sister was looking for was on the floor under the edge of one of the books.
Elusive sat on the bench across from her and Pip looking out the window back behind the chariot towards Canterlot Castle. It was long past out of sight though the Kirin god seemed intent to watch.
Dawn was clingy when it came to her mother and father, but she could be distracted from it. Elusive couldn't though he wasn't as clingy, he hated being away from either of his mothers for very long. Being sent out on his own like this had always seemed to bother him. Particularly after Talia and Elecktra went back to Gallopagos a few years ago.
Rynthia sat up putting her hooves on the back of the bench where she and Pip sat looking out the window to the front of the chariot.
Slowly flapping wings made of green flame filled her vision as the lightly armored mare pulling the chariot flew on.
Scootaloo was much like Pip in that she seemed all muscle, though where Pip's was readily apparent Scootaloo's was not. The orange furred mare seemed to not have an ounce of fat on her. She did just as much training on the ground as she did in the air to get that figure however. She had grown much larger than her mother and practically towered over Pip. She too had quickly risen the ranks of the Wonderbolts, though unlike Pip who simply ignored those who stated he didn't earn his position, Scootaloo went out of her way to prove she earned everything she did.
Aside from Rainbow Dash and Starfall there were none on the Wonderbolts team who could fly better than she could. Some were faster and could fly longer, but there were none more nimble in the air, and she was constantly training to better her speed and endurance. She was also the youngest member of the Shadowbolts, becoming only the seventh ever to earn that rank and position.
Rynthia glanced up feeling Pip shift next to her. The spotted earth pony had a wide grin on his face as he looked out of the window to the mare pulling the chariot. The little zebra blinked glancing up to Scootaloo then back to Pip who seemed far too interested in how the Wonderbolts uniform looked on his mare friend to notice Rynthia waving her hoof in front of his face for a few seconds.
“Hmm what is it kid?” Pip asked.
“What is going on? Why are we being sent to the Crystal Empire?” Rynthia asked in a flat tone.
“Oooh serious question, you didn't even try to rhyme.” Pip nods. “Nothing really, just some political nonsense with new territory came up and Ma, Da, Aunt Twilight and Auntie Celestia needed all their attention to go deal with it.”
“There is no trouble?” Rynthia asked skeptically as Pip rolled his eyes.
“Of course not. Other wise your big brother would be there kicking flank, not taking a vacation in the Crystal Empire with you.” Pip grins ruffling her mane again.”Don't worry about it you were all coming up here for spring break soon any way. Oh of which we have the next weeks worth of class assignments from Ms Cheerilee for you to do. You are skipping a week of school.”
“If there is no trouble why are we not on the train?” Rynthia asked flatly.
“You saying Scootaloo's not fast enough for you?” Pip raised an eyebrow his ears flattening making the small silver studs piercing each of his ears click against his helmet. “ Don't let her hear you say that.”
“That is not what I meant.” Rynthia snorts in annoyance.
“I know. Don't worry about it though. Pretty sure it's nothing since there was no evacuation of any one else. Though I will warn you. Berry and Beryl are still in the Empire so expect a great deal of chaos from those two.”
“More so than when Auntie Bleu, Pinkie, and Discord get together?”
“Maybe not that much. But you know how Berry and Dawn get. On the plus side I hear Talons visiting Shin and Glimmer already. It's been a while since all six of you have been together.”Pip comments.
Rynthia nodded glancing over to the white furred and black scaled Kirin looking out the window. Something was bothering Elusive, that was rather clear even if Pip didn't notice it. If the small colt hadn't been harassing her brother for the whole trip with questions about the Guard, then something was wrong. She would have to find out what later. If she had the time while keeping her sister out of trouble. Despite being the youngest of the Royal foals, she often felt like the eldest trying to keep the others in line.
As if the universe itself agreed with her, Dawn promptly fell all the way into the toy bin, the lid falling shut and latching with the flailing Kirin trapped inside.
Elusive stared out the back of the cart looking out at the farm and grass lands below. He could just make out the broken clouded peak of the Maneterhorn in the distance.
Cloudsdale had been rebuilt there at the top of the broken mountain, though rather than make it mobile again the city was anchored to the top of the Maneterhorn, with large cloud towns sent out from it with big weather orders. While not official part of New Canterlot, most ponies considered it the largest city in Equestria. A place where all three races of ponies architecture blended together nearly seamlessly. The soft and sturdy Earth Pony structures of Ponyville, the towering Unicorn spires of Canterlot, and the Pegasi cloud homes and sky ways of Cloudsdale. Other cities had boasted the same, but none to the degree that New Canterlot did. With Cloudsdale anchored to the mountain a more permanent spell was set on the clouds and the mountain that had many earth ponies and unicorns working in the weather factories now too.
Elusive shook his head clearing out another of his mother's factoids.
He didn't like this. Something felt very wrong about what was going on here. And it wasn't just the nightmares he'd been having... those horrid, horrid nightmares. The little Kirin god felt something else was wrong. His mom had been tense and his mother hadn't come back from her trip when she was supposed to.
Then there was uncle Jer'rahd.
Mom and Uncle Jer'rahd never got along. Elusive wasn't sure why. Uncle Jer'rahd was great.
He was brave, and strong and didn't take anything from any one. He always did his best to protect everyone and could beat all of the bad guys in no time at all.
The fact that Uncle Jer'rahd looked mad when he was talking to mom was nothing new, but that the pair of them were not arguing and were planning something together, that worried him.
He loved both his moms, but they both annoyed him too. Mom was the Princess of the Sun and Mother was Princess of the Night. The former kept treating him like he was still a baby, and the latter wanted him to learn Pi to the hundredth place as well as it's relevance in the universe before he was three. Then some day's they would switch minds and it seemed all Mother wanted to do was hug him and Mom wanted to teach him history or magic or something.
If Aunt Luna and Uncle Jer'rahd were watching him he spent most of the time learning how to properly hold a weapon or playing games like chess. When he wasn't being mauled by Dawn any way. He liked Dawn and rather enjoyed play fighting with her, but she was never serious and had the attention span of a gold fish sometimes. He liked Rynthia better. She was calm and smart and liked to read and didn't try to steal his food when she thought he wasn't looking.
Still he enjoyed that Uncle Jer'rahd was willing to teach him how to fight.
Both his Moms were really annoyed when Uncle Jer'rahd got him a small Guard spear for Hearths Warming last year.....
=========================
[ Last Hearth's Warming.]
“Kaisur what the buck are you thinking?” Celestia shouted.
“That he might like this as a gift?” Jer'rahd stated sipping a mug of mulled cider in the family area of the Apple Family's home where they had all gone for the holiday. He stared at the tree and the foals around it , a large red santa hat covering his head and drooping over one eye.
“ That is not at all safe!” Twilight ranted, her voice hissing as she tried not to yell in front of the foals.
“It's a spear, it's not supposed to be safe.” Jer'rahd commented.
“He's a foal.” Twilight growls.
“It's educational.” Jer'rahd explained.
“What if he hurts himself!” Celestia growled, having no qualms at shouting at Jer'rahd. The foals were used to it by now any way and mostly ignored it.
“Well that will be a very important lesson, won't it?” Jer'rahd snarked.
“What would you do if we gave Dawn a sword?” Twilight snorted.
“Nothing, she ate the one Luna gave her already.” Jer'rahd admitted.
=================================================
[Present]
Uncle Jer'rahd had been quite adamant that he know the rules of owning a weapon before he was allowed to even touch a real one. He had spent a number of months learning the care and responsibilities of having a spear and the one he was given was blunt any way. His Mom's even put a number of safeties on the spear that made it unusable at all until aunt Luna fixed it.
Of course it didn't help him now because it was still hanging on the wall back in his room in the Castle. The only time he ever took it down was when he wanted to practice, and both his Mom's did their best to find something else for him to do if they saw him with it. He hoped he didn't have to defend any one while traveling.... granted he could always throw Dawn at them, she was more dangerous than a dull spear any way.
Despite all that he never wished that Uncle Jer'rahd was his dad. He had heard a number of horror stories from Pip about training with Uncle Jer'rahd that he was scared to try himself. Besides he loved both his moms and that was part of the problem right now. He was worried about what had happened to his mother. He doubted he was going to be able enjoy this trip until he found out.
“I'm afraid so Princess.” The large purple dragon before her stated closing the book he held. Spike had grown a lot in ten years, but the last six had him hit a massive growth spurt. His natural form was now enough that he could barely fit into the throne room and even if he shrank as small as he could he was still larger than even Princess Celestia.
Bleu had grown a lot as well, She was a great deal leaner now too. She could still shrink down small enough to ride on Jer'rahd's back, but her natural size was now just smaller than Spike's. The scary part was the pair of them could still alter their size to be even bigger. Right now both of them could take forms that were nearly the same size as Forge Scale had been when he fought The Beast and both of them were still young yet.
Bleu and Spike had produced three clutches over the last six years. They hadn't hatched any of them themselves giving all of them to Celestia and Twilight for use in their school. Neither of them seemed that worried about not raising and of the eggs themselves. Given how both of their upbringings with ponies had shaped their lives to this point it made sense that they wished the same for their whelps.
In truth Dragons often were not concerned with their offspring any way and they were often raised by what ever dragon was free at the time or felt like it being family or not. Not all of them were like that of course, but Dragons seemed to follow the 'it takes a village to raise a child' mentality literally.
Still Bleu did pop up in the Crystal Empire every so often to tease one of her first to be hatched Beryl, and to steal sweet tasting crystals from Berry's research. The first batch had all been hatched by a host of unicorn students, three Zebra unicorns and in one case, a particularly gifted Diamond Dog pup with alchemy. The other two clutches were awaiting the next generation of students.
“Is this everything we know about him?”Jer'rahd asked looking over a book Spike produced.
The purple drake nodded, his coloration having darkened considerably to a royal purple and forest green rather than the bright coloration he had as a whelp. Bleu was still mostly blue, though as always she simply took what ever color suited her most at the time, Her current patten matched Spikes with sky blue scales instead of purple and green spines that matched her mates.
“If he didn't have any hostages this sounds like it might be easy for you guys to handle.” Bleu comments. “ Seems more like a reason to send out the Guard now.”
“I certainly hope not.” Celestia snorts. “ We just recovered from one massive battle we don't need another. We are handling this.”
“I thought as much.” Spike nods. “ So why did you want us here?”
“We needed a ride out to the island. And I didn't want to burden just one of you with both me and lardo here.” Jer'rahd stated.
She screamed again her cry echoing off the black crystal halls. She galloped through the palace , the smell of brimstone and burning cloth filling the air as she ran, the things hot on her hooves. She needed to find a window, or a way outside so she could take to the air. Her pink magic grabbed at the doors slamming them shut behind her as she ran.
It was to little avail as the things broke though the heavy crystal doors like they were paper and continued their pursuit. Roars sounded behind her like the yowls of a large angry cat, she spared a glance back over her shoulder only to see the gnashing teeth and and sparks of fire close enough that the end of her tail was singed. She ran faster, her scream for help a long drawn out thing that echoed in the hall and seemed to get even louder.
She suddenly noticed it was getting louder. She stopped screaming to breath, but the sound continued, a second glance back showed the things were all making the cry now, mocking her panic as they hunted her.
She darted around a corner rushing down another long hallway before slamming head first into something. She yelped as she stumbled, looking up as she scrambled back to her hooves seeing nothing. She took a step forward again and smacked into what felt like a wall. There was nothing before her but a long hall. She slapped at it with a hoof, the paint on the wall made to look like a hall scraping off at the slap showing the brick underneath.
She whirled looking up at the towering beasts standing over her, unkempt fur and black scales, black wings like a bats and long tails covered in spikes. The creatures slowly advanced on her now as she pushed her self back against the wall, screaming out as they fell upon her.
Princess Glimmering Armor Sparkle sat up with a scream in her bed, her wings flaring out as she sat up, knocking a number of stuffed animals and one small Changeling out of her bed with her cry.
The yelp as the changeling hit the dark floor next to her bed sounded to Glimmer like a monsters bark and the pink pegicorn prim pony princess panicked. She screamed out again trying to launch herself into the air. Her blankets and sheets tangled about her tethering her to the bed briefly giving her the impression that the thing had grabbed her and forcing her to flap even harder. The sheet hooked on the edge of the bed gave way just as the door was flung open and Shining Armor burst in
Shining Armor blinked at the darkness of the room before he let out a yell as a large mass of something plowed into him at high speed. The winged bundle of teal sheets and blankets crashed into him, sending him rolling backwards into the hall and across it into the wall on the far side in front of a rather surprised Cadence.
The Empress of the Crystal Empire stepped back a little as her husband and the bundle of sheets that she assumed was her daughter judging by the pink wings and blue tail sticking out of the mass of cloth flailed wildly.
She glanced at the door as a black blur darted out of the darkness and scrambled up her back to hide under her wing.
Cadence tensed a little at the thing at first, though she relaxed considerably feeling the little hooves gripping her back.
She ignored the flailing of her husband and the cries of of her daughter a moment to look back at Shin huddled under her wing.
The small changeling was in his normal form for once. A black unicorn with a red horn and green hair with the usual holes in his mane and legs. Green gossamer wings hugged to his black carapaced back. This was a sure sign he was upset, he was rarely in the form he was born in any more.
Prince Shintasha ( Shin ) Sparkle had learned some time ago how to change his form. Since then he rarely wasn't something else. He also never seemed to take the same form twice, though he often did color variations of his favored forms. He also never copied any one perfectly unless they asked and even then there was usual some tell that kept the copy from being perfect.
Oddly enough it didn't matter what form he took, Cadence could always tell who and what he was. Sure he might startle her at some point, the sea monster in the park fountain was a prime example of that, but she could always recognize him as being him.
Despite being the eldest child he remained smaller than any of the others even though he was seven. Still Cadence wasn't sure how much of that was actual growth or how much was he just liked to remain small. Another oddity was that none of the other Changelings in the Empire could hear him. Luna had looked into that and found that while there was nothing wrong with him, he was isolating himself from all the others. It wasn't an unheard of thing among the natural born Changelings, it was simply unusual, of course he was an unusual foal. It some times happened when they came upon information in the hive mind that they didn't like. Many were worried that it meant he didn't want to take over the rule of the Changelings.
Shin had yet to reveal what it was that he had found over the hive mind but if it was brought up he would usual change into something like a desk or a rock so that he could avoid talking about it.
He had also become some what clingy..... alright, excessively clingy. He was just about always hugging or draped over some one, be it herself, Shiny, or his sister. The other royal foals were not immune from it either, though only Elusive and Rynthia seemed unbothered by the attention. Dawn never sat still for long and Talon and Glimmer both seemed uncomfortable with him being hugy for too long.
It was not that he was shy, far from it. Usually he was all up in every ones personal space looking everything over and getting into everything. The only one of the royal foals who seemed more adventurous was Dawn. Shin was just... well, clingy.
Cadence glanced over to her husband who was currently getting pounded on with tiny hooves as Glimmer screamed something about monsters. The Empress of the Crystal Empire sighed as she grabbed the blanket in her magic pulling it off the pair and revealing her bruised and battered husband getting bounced on and punched on by his daughter.
The pink pegicorn princess immediately stopped looking down at Shining with wide eyes and smiled sheepishly before quickly getting off her father.
Glimmer was already a tall lanky filly, towering above all the other royal foals save Talon. Likely she would be as tall as, or taller than her mother when she was fully grown. Shining was already dreading dealing with her possible suitors.
The young filly was as close to a storybook Princess as she could get. Long flowing, light blue, mane and tail, baby blue eyes and a regal manner about her that as far as Cadence knew hadn't been trained. She had even attempted to learn Royal Canterlot speak, thankfully for every ones eardrums, she gave both it, and the use of the royal 'We', up after only a few confusingly loud days.
Interestingly enough she was also careful with her image, remembering what happened to those in her books that abused their status or treated others badly. All any one ever saw was a perfect polite little angel.
Which was a load of shit.
Yes, her daughter was compassionate, kind, and tried to be friendly with every one, but she had a devious streak that showed itself far more often than Cadence liked.
If some one didn't treat her with the proper respect, or did something Glimmer didn't like they would usually have something bad happen to them.
Hot sauce in tea, frogs in their bath tub, waking up with their manes a completely different color. While none of the pranks were dangerous or permanently damaging the results were always very noticeable and some how themed around the perceived slight her daughter had received.
For the longest time every one blamed Shin for the pranks given the distrust of changelings and the ease which some one who could alter their form could sneak around.
Glimmer however always came to her brothers defense offering both Shin and herself a perfect alibi. In fact Cadence herself had only gotten lucky at one point and caught her daughter in the act of trying to swipe a particularly irate nobles wig. Since then she had noticed what to look for and kept a closer eye on her daughters antics, though she still missed most of them..
There were a few how ever that Glimmer didn't do anything to no matter how mad she got at them. Cadence was of course one of them, because Glimmer knew her mother knew and what would happen. Her brother was another, because Shin was her alibi in most cases and it wouldn't do to make him mad at her. Talon some how avoided her ire, though Cadence wasn't sure how, the Hippogryph foal was not one to sugar coat anything. Rynthia was also immune simply because Rynthia had figured it out too and she had a way of unnerving any one simply by staring at them.
While Dawn had been on the receiving end of more than a few of the retaliatory pranks, the little Kirin not only thought it was good fun, but had turned it into a prank war of escalation. A prank war that had destroyed three rooms of the palace and left both of them, and a number of Guards, bald for a few weeks.
How a couple of four year olds had managed what they did Cadence never wanted to find out.
The only other pony that Glimmer never did anything to was Jer'rahd. While she was no longer afraid of most Kirin, Jer'rahd still absolutely terrified her and if he was in the Crystal Empire she did her best to stay as far away from him as possible.
Jer'rahd was a little upset by this and had tried to make friends with very little success. Which hampered his and Luna's abilities to watch over her pair of foals when she and Shining had to travel some where or wanted some alone time.
If Jer'rahd hadn't seemed upset over Glimmer's fear of him and done his best to curtail it, Cadence might have thought he had planed it to get out of foal sitting duty.
“So what happened here?” Cadence asked looking down at the bundled ball of black fur huddled under her wing and the filly trying to fix her mane and ignoring that she had just trampled her father who was still laying beside her with a look of bemused annoyance on his face.
“Nothing of real importance mother … simply a unpleasant dream....” Glimmer states haughtily.
“Yep.” Shin comments from under her wing.
“Wait is that Shin? Was he in my room again?” Glimmer demands.
“Yep” Shin commented.
“What did I tell you about that!?” Glimmer grumbles.
“Not too.. though I had a bad dream and momma and pappa weren't in their room.” Shin explained.
“You should have woken me up before coming in!” Glimmer orders.
“I tried, then I tried to wake you up again when you didn't hear the knocking, then you woke up screaming and flung me aside with your wing.... Mr. Bumbles smacked me in the nose.” Shin protested poking his head out from around Cadence's wing his little fangs partially bared in annoyance at his sister.
“That was the blue bear right?” Shining questioned.
“The large green one dear.” Cadence corrects. “ The one aunt Tia got her.”
“I thought Queen Luna got her that one.”
“No Luna got her the purple rabbit, Mrs. Fluffikins.” Cadence corrects again.
“Then where did the Diamond Dog doll come from?”
“Princess Little Piddles came from the Pinkie Pie Fun Fair when it rolled though here.” Cadence states. “Twilight won that one for her.” .
“Oh....” Shining sighed defeated in recalling any of the names for the massive collection of plush animals his daughter had.
The two foals however had completely ignored their parents and were currently making faces at one another. Shin was much better at it .
“Alright you two that's enough. It's nearly morning and Talon should be here first thing. Dawn, Rynthia and Elusive should get here by lunch time. So both of you go back to your rooms and to bed or you'll be too tired to play when they get here.” Cadence comments flatly.
“Dawn's coming!?” Glimmer shouted in a panic before galloping back into her room. “ I have to hide everything!!!”
“She's not that bad any more......” Shin yells. “ She didn't eat or break any of my stuff even accidentally last time. And she only ate your pillow cause she dreamed it was a giant marshmallow!”
“Should I hide the good silverware?” Shining asked with a smirk.
“Oh please she hasn't stuffed everything in her mouth since she was three. Luna and Jer'rahd broke her of that habit …. thankfully.” Cadence muttered the last picking Shin up off her back as he turned into a fairly large pink lobster and scuttled off to his room. “ We only need to worry about her if she gets a hold of a lot of sugar. So warn the cooks....”
“Got it......” shining adds watching Shin scuttle off before gathering up the torn blanket with his magic.
“You think Jer'rahd and Auntie Celestia are going to have a issue with this thing?” Cadence muttered
“I don't know all the details, but Peach Blossom seemed more annoyed than worried. Evidently he and Starfall have been left in charge while Jer'rahd and Princess Celestia go after Luna and my sister. The whole things being kept rather quiet, though the public's likely to find out sooner or later, hopefully after the fact. I say we prepare just in case, Breezy and Dusty are getting involved too.”
“Wait those two... does that mean......”
“Yeah, that thing is gonna be there.”Shining shuddered
“Oh dear.... Jer'rahd and my aunt, with that thing, and the pair of them are pissed off......” Cadence frowned her ears flattening.
“Should we prepare to house a bunch of refugees from Gallopagos again?” Shining groaned.
“Perhaps we should...... and anything bordering the Great Hooper Sea too..... just in case.”
Talon Strike Mist the Third, flattened his ears to his head and tried to ignore his parents arguing. The hippogryph foal was little annoyed at the pair of them, but he knew their arguments always ended in one of two ways. One they would wind up trying to make him another sibling, or two they would get into a physical fight which would end up with them trying to make him another sibling.
To be perfectly honest with how headstrong his mother was and how much a slacker, slash, jerk his father could be it was a wonder their home wasn't swarming with hippogryphs.
The hippogryph sighed, his wings fluttering a little as he fluffed up his feathers. The dark gray fur and main feathers covering him were almost blue in coloration with flecks of white on them. Puffs of white showed through from his down feathers under his main ones making him briefly resemble a storm cloud breaking up into a puffy white one. He whipped his tail, the long cat length tufted with a lighter blue coloration that matched his short cut mane. He sighed rubbing his claws over his beak and stretching his back legs out, his hooves scraping over the deck as the arguing continued.
He wasn't sure what it was about this time, though it seemed once again something was going on in Equestria. There was a sizable force being deployed. A mix of Ponies, Griffons, and Harpies that now lived in the new Griffon nation after the last place they lived was all but destroyed and ceded to the remaining harpies.
Talon flipped a page in his book , barely paying attention to the words, it was just the charter of the Council of Gods, nothing he hadn't read twenty times before any way. There were a number of glaring errors in it he needed to point out at the next meeting of the council.
Talon was smart, in fact he was considered by many to be genius. At age five he had gotten into a debate with Princess Twilight Sparkle over the nature of Starswirl's third therom of energy. The only reason she had managed to win that debate was that she had contact with a echo of Starswirl who could point out how he had come up with that particular theory.
He likely could have already been leading the Griffon Nation save one glaring issue. While smart enough to run it he didn't have the emotional stability to do so. Despite his intelligence he was still only six, and what he saw as a logical thing, others saw problems he didn't, he also had no clue how to go about political double speak. When he was told something he took it at face value.
He wasn't really concerned with why his parents were fighting this time. In truth it was probably nothing more than his mother was cranky. She hadn't been sleeping well lately and it showed with how she looked. Dad had probably said something insensitive and she lost it.
Talon had been having bad dreams as well, but it was the usual. The same phobia he always had in dream form. While it panicked him while asleep, he could logically dismiss it when he woke.
Still this would be a fun few days He was going to stay with Empress Cadence and Emperor Shining Armor. Their libraries had books he had yet to read, and there was always a host of intellectuals staying there either in the libraries studying or debating something. He would love to check in on Berry Kaisur as well and see what she discovered from her crystal research.
Then their was his friend Shin. While the changeling god wasn't on par with him mentally, Talon rather enjoyed his company, even when he got clingy. Games of hide and seek with Shin always wound up a challenge as there was no telling what he could change into at any given time.
He was less excited to be seeing Glimmer. Mostly because he would surely be stuck attending a tea party, or something like that with her. Still he put up with her because it was polite and she was nice enough to him that he didn't want to upset her by refusing.
He was also rather excited because he had heard that the trio from New Canterlot were coming as well. While that made him suspicious of what was going on, the lot of them were often together on holidays or when their parents were called away for something.
He rather liked them all though Rynthia was the only one who was even close to rivaling him mentally. Elusive tried, but he couldn't get his head around half the things that Talon knew.
Then there was Dawn.
He had no idea how to think about Dawn. The Kirin whelp was a walking disaster of madness and chaos. He didn't understand half of what she did and the other half he couldn't understand how she did it. She wasn't a god,well neither was Glimmer, but all of them were often forced to try and keep up with her rather than the other way around. She got along with everyone and seemed to know every one. No matter what was going on the little Kirin always seemed to be trying to enjoy herself some how. It was an odd carefree state that he envied at times, perhaps she was the only normal one of the group and this was how all six year olds were really supposed to act. He thought that unlikely as he had some experience with Griffon chicks his own age and none came close to how Dawn acted. Still his experience had been clouded with others, some thought him odd with his mixed parentage, or thought him frighting for what he was, or even worse, treated him as if he was better then them because he was royalty or they tried to gain favors.
There was always something that kept him from making any friends, he blamed some of it on himself as he didn't try to get along with any one his age.
Perhaps that was why he rather liked the other Royal Foals.... none of them cared about that.
Granted they were all gods or royalty themselves so they might have known where he stood. Or in Dawn's case, never paused long enough to think about it.
Still, despite his worries he was going to try to enjoy himself, no matter how many tea parties he was forced to sit through.
This had been quite interesting. It had not even been a day since his master had sent him out to gather information, and in truth he was completely amazed by what he found.
Mechanical transports, towering structures that put a castles to shame, magic everything,from trinkets to advertisements, the wealth of power abounded here.
And these things were not just for the lands rulers, things like these 'trains' and 'high rises' were made for the commoners. It made him quite interested in what royalty of this age possessed. Surely they would not all have the same level of luxury, after all what would be the point of royalty if you didn't lord what you had over others
Then there were the creatures themselves that wandered about him. Ponies of all kinds, Griffons, Minotaur, Zebras, Diamond Dogs, Donkey's, and a number of races he didn't recognize at all. All of them in the same spaces, chatting, or walking with each other, no bloodied conflict, none of them seeming to think themselves worth more than others....
Madness.
It had been harder to infiltrate in this age of wonders simply due to the culture shock. He could blend in fairly well as members of his own race still wandered about, though the awe he displayed was hard to repress.
At least he thought it would be harder.
Amazingly no one seemed to care very much, and aside from a few utterances of what he assumed was some sort of new swear word that sounded like 'tourist', most ignored him unless they were trying to sell him something. There were a lot of creatures trying to sell him things.
The market he wandered through carried things he had never seen before, and all manner of foodstuffs that were rare and hard to come by. Grapes, strawberries, pastries, sugar, flavored drinks, tea, Again he was struck with the curiosity of what this ages rulers feasted on if the finest things he had ever seen were now commoner fare. Such rare delicacies were being sold to the rabble for what seemed to be a pittance. He needed to sample some of them, just to make sure they were real.
It barely took any effort to lift a pouch from a distracted Griffon and see what sort of odd coins existed in this day.
The metal disk itself was a gold coloration, but it did not seem to be gold. One side of the coin had the image of the sun, and the other one of the moon. The mint was from a place called Equestria, so he assumed that was the land he was in.
He shoved the bag under his cowl, it was a bad idea to be caught with ill gotten gains, better to spend them and be rid of the evidence. After a short bit of time he was decked out in a new outfit and had sampled a number of the new foods, with the taken purse nearly empty he considered his next move, though he was readily distracted.
While pondering how the apples of this era had grown large, pretty, and rather bitter compared to what he recalled, he spotted the Griffon he had relieved of his wealth speaking rather loudly with a pair of ponies in some sort of uniform. He decided it was time to be else where. A library would be best for recent history, though many of those wandering around were reading odd gathered bits of paper with words covering them. Perhaps one of those could be acquired.
Slipping into an ally he scooped one of the parchments up from a rubbish bin where it had been discarded before making his way to a park like area away from the markets and the uniformed ponies.
Seeing few others around he took a seat on a stone bench, sinking a little lower into his new cloak to look over the paper.
The words were illegible to him at first, but a swift spell quickly fixed that.
Manehatten Times, the name meant nothing to him, nor did what he assumed was the date stamp at the top. The numbers were arraigned as they should be but he was unsure what ANM meant. What ever event reset the era seemed to have happened only a thousand and sixteen years ago.
The parchment was indeed garbage. Most of what was written in it seemed to be little more than gossip on some Princesses or another. There were sale papers and some things about recovering from an attack by something called Tirek. There was also mention of a Queen Luna, and a Empress and Emperor of a place called the Crystal Empire. Perhaps this Queen was the one who ruled this particular area. Judging by the words she did not seem well liked.
Just the paper was not going to be enough, there was barely any proper context in it , he needed to find some one more knowledgeable about the local areas or a library of some kind. There was far too much information to be had, and he needed to be sure he had all his facts straight or his master would not be pleased.
Far above the city another cloaked figure sat on the edge of a roof, her red cloak fluttering behind her in the wind as she looked out over Manehatten though a pair of binoculars.
She had been close by supervising another mission when the order was given to her straight from the Princesses mouth.
A Code Black.
There had only been one Code Black since she had been put in charge and created the system to denote a missions importance. And that code had been given when Queen Luna's youngest daughter was an assassination target. The call wasn't given because of the attempt, the call had been given because both Princesses, Queen Luna, and Lord Jer'rahd had immediately acted on it without consulting her or any one else. Thankfully she had been able to talk them down from making the Zebra race extinct, but only barely.
This time she only had a general idea of what was going on. She was aware however of three things.
First was that Princess Sparkle and Queen Luna were missing and that Guard Captain Kaisur, Queen Bleu Scale, Princess Celestia, and King Spike Sparkle were going to do something about it.
The second was that she had a named target and a brief description of said target for capture and the target had been sighted entering this city.
The third was that her mare friend was one of the ones missing and her target had information that might help with a rescue, or failing that … a recovery.
Special Agent Sweetie Drops didn't like to think like that, but her target was here and so was she and capturing him was all she could do.
With Lyra's life possibly on the line all the monsters of Tartarus themselves could get in her way and it wouldn't be enough to stop her from finding this Donkey named Bray.
The figures looked around nervously as they followed the Kirin Guard, neither had ever been to Canterlot Castle before and they certainly had never been invited directly by name.
The crowning of the new Princess of the Night had only been a few months ago and every one was still rather nervous about how Princess Twilight would do in the position. Most of the fears were based on if she was ready for the position, not if she was capable or not. The events of what had come to be known as the Great Hunt left little doubt for any one that she could handle herself.
Most were more worried about the ex Princess who was now only the Queen of Changelings. Partially as they didn't know what she would do now that she no longer had to care about Equestria, and yet still lived in Canterlot Castle.
The pair of earth ponies trotting through the halls following behind the silent black and purple armored Guard certainly had no clue about any of that, nor were they really thinking about it.
Mr. and Mrs. Shallot were just a pair of farmers who lived to the west of the Unicorn range on a small plot of land and grew onions and a few other crops. None of their products ever made it out of their local area, as it wasn't a big farm, nor were they really interested in expanding or modernizing their fields. In truth they rarely left their homes save for the occasional visit to Canterlot, Although after the War of Gods they had no reason to come to New Canterlot any more, in fact they had become even more recluse never leaving their homestead at all save for the occasional trip to the farmers market in small town near their farm..
The mare of the two, named Sweet, was a dusty yellow color with short cropped green hair that hung in bangs over her tired looking blue eyes. She was in her sixties, though she still got around easily enough and had no issue working in the field with the younger mares. She wore a simple brown dress that quite possibly was the fanciest thing she owned other than her wedding dress, and that still sat in a box, sealed away in the attic of their homestead, the white gown never going to be anything more than moth food at this point. Her cutie mark was of three small purple balls made up of many tiny star like flowers.
The stallion, Chives, was a reddish brown hue with a black mane that had faded mostly to gray and seemed to have put forth very little effort put in to making it tidy. He wore a charcoal suit, much like his wife's, that might have once been nice but had seen better days. He wore the ill fitting thing with no small amount of protest, not caring who it was who called them to this city, but his wife's argument won out and he wore it.
He walked with a slight limp, though he kept the same speed as the Guard with out any real effort. The injury was an old one from his youth, though it still pained him occasionally now. His cutie mark was of a simple iron plow. His brown eyes were partially hidden under his brow, unlike his wife who was only confused at why they were here, and wished to be home already, he completely hated it. He had a reason of course. Canterlot had taken some one he cared about away from him for a time, and had then taken them away forever. Still one did not ignore a direct order from the Princess, or at least some one using her seal.
But upon arrival, it turned out it wasn't the Princess they were going to see.
The Guard led them to a rather unassuming door deep in the halls of the newly rebuilt Canterlot Castle. There were still things being worked on and they could hear the noise of construction echoing down the still mostly empty halls.
The armored Kirin knocked on the door his black ears perking at the faint response from beyond it. With a small flourish he pushed open the door, ushering the couple inside before closing it behind him and returning to what ever duty was interrupted by their arrival and escort.
The room it self was a rather subdued affair. On the far wall from the door they entered there were a number of book shelves between a pair of doors leading out some where. There were two windows to their left that looked out to the Royal Gardens and showed a number of what looked like Guards darting around tending statues for some reason. The windows let in the sunlight and were the rooms only source of light, though it was enough to see everything clearly.
The wall to their left held more filled book cases. The carpet on the floor was a blueish gray and was soft under hoof after the marble hall way they had trotted down. A small wooden desk sat near the middle of the room with a pair of high backed chairs in front of it facing the desk. A few other chairs like them were tucked in the rooms corners as if ready for more than just two visitors. Another chair was on the far side of the empty wooden desk , though this one was occupied.
Seated in the chair behind the desk was a platinum blue maned pegasus mare. Her fur was a blueish lavender gray in color and her eyes were bright aqua as she looked them over. The mare looked rather familiar, but neither of the earth ponies could place her.
“Mr. and Mrs. Shallot, welcome, please have a seat, I hope the trip was pleasant for you.” the mare commented with a soft smile.
The couple glance to each other and then back to her before moving to take their seats, the stallion stifling a small groan as he flexed his sore leg, old wound or not there was only so much walking he could take.
“ Can I get you anything? Tea? No? Alright I suppose I shouldn't delay and simply get down to why I had you summoned here.” The mare asked noting their head shakes.
“That would be nice. I really don't want to be back in this bucking city again.” Chives grumbled his wife shushing him before nodding to the pegasus who seemed unphased by the attitude or vulgarity.
“I understand your dislike of Canterlot, far too much has happened here and many lives were lost needlessly due to the greed and desire of others. We have much to do to ensure tragedies of that magnitude never happen again, but we cannot predict everything I am afraid. “The mare sighed leaning back in the chair, her wings folding tight against her back.“Now then I suppose I will start with the most basic, yet important question for you I have. What are your views on the currently freed Changeling race?”
The pair of older ponies blink at that, though Sweet frowned and looked away while Chives just seemed to get angrier.
“They should all be destroyed...” the stallion grunted.
The mare looked between the two frowning a little herself.
“Is that belief based on what they did to your family, or is it your own opinion? Please answer truthfully.”
Chives snorts though Sweet speaks up before he could answer.
“To be honest they weren't much of a concern to us, just some far off boogie mare, even after the wedding of Princess Cadence and that Shining Armor fellow it wasn't our concern. But after they attacked the last time.... well …. our daughter lived here in the city then and........... she was killed by them......”
The mare behind the desk nodded softly. “I am sorry to hear that. I understand her name was one of those put on the monument to the fallen.”
“Fat lot of good that does. Now is there a point to making my wife cry and if there is get to it so we can get on with our lives...” Chives snapped.
“There is Mr. Shallot and I am sorry for beating around the bush in this, but I needed that answer. The Changeling race as a whole is no longer what they were under the control of Queen Chrysalis. Most had no more control over their actions than a puppet on a string. The ones that did have been …... brought to justice to say the least. All that remains are a hoof full of natural born Changelings who barely know how to act with out their former Queen and larger number that were not born as they are now.”
“ If you're trying to play on our sympathy for them that's long gone.....”
“Dear shush...... Miss.... ummm”
“Luna. Just call me Luna.”
“Miss Luna, I don't know what you are hoping to accomplish by telling us this.....” Sweet begins.
“Sorry, I am getting to that Mrs. Shallot. Please bear with me. The ones not born as Changelings were turned into them by the hive itself in order to have more bodies for the war machine Chrysalis created. There are a number of races that have been changed and with Canterlot having been destroyed many records were lost and we are just now getting them back. We have been matching up who these Changelings say they are with the records to confirm them. Many of them are very old by pony standards, but a rather sizable number are much younger. Having only been Changelings for around thirteen years or so.”
“Alright so there's some young ones … so wha.....” Chives stops his rant suddenly, his eyes going wide as he nearly leaps out of the chair as he stared at the pegasus mare.” Wait... you.....you don't mean.”
Sweet blinks not quite having put two and two together yet. She glanced between the two ponies in a bit of shock and confusion.
“The great monument listing the names of those who died during the War of Gods is being taken down. Far too many names have been removed from it, the rest will go on what looks to be a much smaller monument. Spring Shallot is one such name that is being removed from the monument.” Luna stated feeling the swell of panic and hope from both of them.
“Where is she?!?! Where's my daughter?!?!? “ Chives demands rearing up and slamming his hooves down on the desk as Sweet also rose quickly to her hooves.
“Calm down Mr . Shallot. She is here. And I will bring her in to you, but you need to understand a few things first.” Luna placated. “First is that she is a Changeling now, and no longer a Earth Pony. In truth this changes nothing for her save the way she eats and some of the things she can do. It does unfortunately mean that there are a great many out there who do not trust her and might have issue with her very existence, hence my questions and a rather excessive background check that has been carried out on you two over the last few months. Two, she was considered a drone by the Swarm and thus she has little to no memory of the last thirteen years of her life. We have therapists who are working with her and others on coping with this loss of time, but neither of those are the biggest issue.”
Luna exhaled, her form shifting in a slow burn of green fire showing her body as the black carapased Changeling Queen she was. She looked over at the two of them after her change and smiled a little. The pair of them both looked shocked, though the panicked hope was still there, even Chives anger was muted by the other emotions.
“The biggest issue is that she needs a family that loves her to help her get herself back on track with her life. I am not saying it will be easy for any of you, but I am suggesting that it will be much easier if she is around those who love her no matter what she looks like now. This is why I needed to gauge your reactions at first. It does no one any good to reunite families when all it will cause is strife simply due to something that was neithers fault.”
“My Daughter, Miss Luna....Please...” Chives demanded though gritted teeth.
Luna smiled softly again, looking to the door behind her on her left. The soft click from it announcing it's opening. The Shallots both tense looking at the door as a short and some what stocky Changeling with brown hair and gold eyes hesitantly steps though the door. Her gaze shifts between the two earth ponies there and then to Luna still seated behind her desk who nodded.
“Spring..... is that … is that you...? Sweet begs inching closer.
The changeling mare nods “ Yes... it's... it's me momma......”
Both the mare and the stallion rush forward nearly tackling the mare as all three of them burst into tears at the reunion while Luna looked on.
The Queen of the Changelings sighed softly to herself as she watched the reunion. If only all of the reunions were like this.... still more might be.... she only had.... seven hundred and twenty eight more to go.
[ Current Day, 1100 hours, first day after the appearance of the island. Crystal Empire. ]
Talon sighed softly trying not to squirm in his seat. The chair was uncomfortable and clearly designed for some one smaller than he was. Of course it wasn't as if he couldn't change the size of the chair with his powers, but given his lack of control over his abilities trying to make the chair just a little bit bigger might result with it shrinking to nothing, or growing so big it broke the room. Glimmer wouldn't deal well with either of those outcomes and so he sat uncomfortably, with Mr. Tibberhouse the hedge hog to one side of him, and General Floof Bottom Gertrude the Third to the other. Honestly he was curious as to how Glimmer recalled the names of these creatures, Floof Bottom just looked like a pink pony with two too many legs.
Then there were the hats.... he didn't need to get started on the hats again. Everything had a hat, his was a corsairs hat that one of the sky sailors from his dad's ship had let him borrow, it was far better than anything Glimmer would give him. Glimmer herself had a ridiculously fancy crown that looked like some kind of green mushrooms for some reason.
He sighed taking a small bite out of a cookie chewing slowly wishing it was something a little more substantial but lunch was still and hour away. He turned his attention to the host of this little tea party, the Princess on the other side of the table. Every one called her a Princess though she wasn't a God, something he himself forgot more often than not with how she acted. Her magic was also quite strong even as young as she was , but like him she had limited control.
Right now Glimmer looked kinda bad. Normally he would clearly point out when some one looked like crap, his mother called it a 'lack of a filter', his father called it rude. Still when it came to speaking with Glimmer he listened more to his mother when dealing with her, girls knew like or something. His parents had dropped him off just after dawn and had left immediately after talking briefly with Emperor Shining Armor and Empress Cadence.
It was just another hint that something was going on, much like Glimmer's appearance. Granted that didn't explain why she had her brother Shin locked in a toy box on the other side of the play room with a number of things piled atop it to keep him from doing more than looking out a small hole in the side of the box that was used as a handle. Talon was too terrified to ask why at this point, or to interrupt the inevitable arguing between the siblings.
“Let me out!” Shin hollered his voice muffled from the things piled on top of the box.
“No, this is pay back for you coming into my room again last night....” Glimmer snapped.” Also so you stop hanging off us while we have a tea party.”
“But it's dark in here, I'm scared of the dark.....” Shin protested.
“No you're not, you don't even have a night light in your room.” Glimmer grumbled.
“I said sorry, let me out or .. I'll tell Momma!” Shin yelled.
“And you'll be stuck in there even longer next time.....” Glimmer turned to glare at the pair of cat like eyes staring at her from inside of the toy box.
“So that's how it is... now we see the violence inherent in the system … HALP HALP I'm being repressed!!” Shin shouted.
Glimmer slaps her forehead with a hoof dislodging her crown.
“Will you shush?”
“Nope.”
What do you want?” Glimmer sighed finally.
“Cookies!” Shin countered.
Glimmer grumbled softly righting the tiny crown on her head with a hoof, her magic gripping the plate of cookies from the table, floating it over to the side of the toy box before the hole only for what looked like a red octopus tentacle to squeeze out of the hole and grab a bunch of the cookies before pulling itself back into the gap.
“That better not have been your tongue!” Glimmer snapped yanking the plate away.
The long tendril like appendage sticks back out of the gap and wiggles along with the sound of a very loud and rude raspberry. Glimmer growled louder as Talon tried not to chuckle at the absurdity.
Any retort that Glimmer was planning to make was cut off as the large door to the play room burst open with a loud thud, swinging wide and smacking into the wall at the end of its swing with a crash.
Glimmer tensed up at the noise as Talon glanced back his wings ruffled a little from the double thuds.
Standing in the door way was a orange scaled and gray furred Kirin filly, one fore claw lifted up still, having kicked open the door. The platinum blue haired filly's mane and tail puff were a mess, though that was mostly because she had spent the last ten minutes of the chariot ride with her head out the window. Behind her on either side of the door were a fairly amused looking black scaled Kirin colt and an annoyed looking zebra filly with red stripes.
Behind those two was a tall smirking orange pegasus mare with a short purple mane and a much shorter white and brown spotted earth pony who had face hooved at his little sister's entrance.
“Dawn what did mom say about kicking in doors like that?” Pip asked with a small sigh as the trio wandered into the now open door way.
“Not to enter a room like Daddy does when he goes to see Auntie Celestia.” Dawn responded.
“And what did you just do?” Pip demanded.
“Entered the room like Pepaw Rose does when he goes to visit auntie Celestia.” Dawn answered flatly.
Pip was about to respond to that, despite Scootaloo's decent into full fledged laughter behind him, though he instead opted to shut his mouth for a moment and phrase himself carefully.
“Right, well, try not to do that either..... “The exasperated older brother of the Kirin finally stated. Pip looked over at the other two in the room scanning the place curiously. “Hey Glimmer, Talon. How are you two doing? So where's Shin hiding thi.......”
The short colt had made it as far as half way through the door when a loud crack against his rump made him flatten his ears and turn his head back to glare as his mare friend who had decided to slap his flank with a hoof.
Scootaloo had opted to try and appear innocent by studying a random spot on the ceiling.
“You know what, you all play nice I need to have a word with Scootaloo here.” Pip grumbled, glaring back at the giggling pegasus
“And by 'word' he means smooching...” Scootaloo added sticking her head through the doorway behind Pip getting a chorus of ewww's from the foals before Pip pushed the cackling mare out the door closing it behind him with a thud.
Rynthia shuddered at the thought of what her brother and Scootaloo were headed off to do, though she made her way further into the room, her eyes locked on the rustling toy box.
Glimmer was focused soly on Dawn as the Kirin filly took off her saddlebags setting them by the door. Clearly the pink pegicorn was waiting for Dawn's usual chaotic antics and was tensing up for her to make a dash for the tea party or something.
Dawn was not even paying the slightest bit of attention to Glimmer and seemed to deflate a little when Pip left. The Kirin filly trotted a good dozen more steps into the room and flopped down on the big carpet near the rooms small, cold, fired place. With out so much as a word to the others she gripped the rug rolling it over her self as she curled up in the middle hiding herself from view.
“Ummmm” Glimmer questioned glancing over to Rynthia as the Zebra filly peered into the small hole looking at the trapped Shin.
“So what did you do this time?” Rynthia asked the Changeling.
“Shin did nothing. Shin is innocent of this crime.” Shin protested.
Rynthia rolled her eyes pushing the piled toys off the box only for a large green tiger to bounce free of the box and pounce her to the ground.
“HI RYN!” Shin shouts huggling the prone Zebra filly his tail whipping wildly.
Elusive shook his head a bit offering a small nod to Talon who returned it. The Hippogryph fully expected the Kirin colt to bring up a new idea for something that they should build or create, though he seemed more subdued than usual.
Usually Elusive would have an idea or a plan to put something together when Talon was around, be it a couch fort, a model zeppelin, or a water balloon catapult. The little Kirin had better control on his magic than any of the rest of them and could easily put things together with it, but he needed Talon to add his input to make sure that the idea would actually work.
Granted after the water balloon Catapult, Mark six, saturated several blocks of down town with it's test firing he was a little leery of Elusive's plans. Sure it was fun and the design was reworked for Guard use, but the number of complaints and broken windows had both of them grounded for a month.
“Hey Glimmer. Shin keep you up all night or something?” Elusive asked taking a seat at the table after moving one of the stuffed toys away. The Kirin didn't even try to go for the cookies, something was wrong.” You look terrible.
“I look terrible?” Glimmer stuttered. “What the heck happened to you three? You all look awful too.... well in Dawn's case , more awful than normal.”
“Shush 3P, I dun wanna hear it.” Dawn growled rather aggressively from her little rug cocoon .
Glimmer's expression softened considerably as she glanced at the bundled Kirin then to the others, looking worried.
“So what happened?” Glimmer asked, a great deal calmer and with more concern in her voice. As mad as she could get at the others she still rather liked them all.
“Nightmares.” Rynthia stated pushing the Shin tiger up off of her as she stands only to have a smaller house cat version of the Changeling tiger land on her back and curl upon it batting at her fluffy hair.
“Cookie?” Shin offered the zebra with one of his paws though the filly shook her head.
“Nightmares...” Talon asked glancing over to Elusive who nodded in response laying his head on the table.
“It began about a week ago, though the effects of sleep loss are just now beginning to …... tell, appear...?”Rynthia ponders.
“Show.” Glimmer offered causing the Zebra filly to sigh.
Talon looked at Glimmer and her rather haggered appearance then to the tired looking Rynthia, the half asleep Elusive and then over to the Dawn burrito on the floor. The only one not showing signs of sleep deprivation was Shin..... granted Talon didn't know what that would look like on some one who could be anything they wanted.
“How bad.....?” Glimmer asked.
“Ponies died.......” Dawn growled from in the carpet.” Aunt Tia..... Mommy and daddy.......Pippy everyone....
“The results of my linage coming true....” Rynthia adds getting a few confused looks from every one but Talon and Shin. The Hippogryph knew about the lore behind Zebras and Gods. Shin just seemed to but upset over it and hugged the Zebra filly harder.
“Same..... I dun wanna be like my real mom was....” Shin muttered getting a bit of a look from the others again.
“I've been getting chased through my dreams every night by Kirin..... I know they're not bad , but it's just terrifying.....”
“I dunn wanna talk about it.....” Elusive grumbled. “ It embarrassing and horrific. Also Dawn if you say anything about it I'll tell mom who ate her red velvet cupcakes!”
Dawn had poked her nose out from under the rug though with a snort and a small splattering of sparks she pulled it back under.
“I regret my dreams are filled with an excessive amount of insects.” Talon comments. “ I am … not fond of bugs.”
“That would explain the anthill thing last summer.” Elusive commented.
“Not my finest moment.” Talon agreed.
“Wait Shin's practically a bug, if you're afraid of bugs how are you okay with him?” Glimmer asked glancing over at the pouting purple Persian cat perched on top of Rynthia's back.
“He's not buggy, he's my buddy.” Talon corrects suddenly getting jumped on by an over sized green hamster launched from Rynthia's back.
“So everybody's had bad dreams?” Dawn asked unrolling from the rug.
“Yeah, real bad ones. Since like last weekend.” Glimmer commented.
“Like wise” Elusive commented as Rynthia nods.”Which is very odd as mother is guardian of the dream realm and I never get nightmares when she's around.
“Mom used to be, but my dreams are normally nightmare,....... less,.... without..” Rynthia snorted.
“Free.” Talon adds as Rynthia rolled her eyes.
“I don't think it's just us.” Shin states suddenly though a mouth fully of cookies. “The other foals in school seem kinda out of it too.”
“Pip said that nightmares were going around.” Rynthia added. “ Like a sickness moving about a … village.... city?”
“Town.”Shin stated.
“Dreams don't work like that.” Talon pondered. “ This is something else. Think, was there anything in the dreams that stood out? All I had were bugs.”
Not that I recall. There was just a bunch of horrific, Kirin chasing after me.” Glimmer shudders. “ No offense Elusive.”
“Hey” Dawn snapped.
“Some offense Dawn.” Glimmer corrected.
“What?” Dawn blinked.
Shin shook his head as Rynthia thought about it.
“So no correlation..... Bugs, Kirin, monsters, and self doubt and fear.....” Talon grumbled.
“And a big scary monster guy!” Dawn added.
“A what?” Talon asked as Dawn darted over to the toy box digging around for some crayons and running back to the table pushing all the plates and saucer's aside much to Glimmer's annoyance as she tossed a sheet of paper on the table and started to draw.
“A big scary monster thing. Black scales burning hair.....”Dawn hastily drew as she spoke.” Dragon wings and a spiky horn like this.” Dawn continues to sketch the rough image. It was fairly easy to see the thing was supposed to be an alicorn of some kind, though Dawn's liberal use of black made the image seem even more warped and distorted than the thing probably was. Still the other foal's eyes grew wider with recognition.
“That..... that looks like the Kirin that were chasing me.......” Glimmer muttered.
“I think that might have been who opened the door that let in the bugs.....” Talon commented.
“He looks like I looked.” Shin whimpered.
“That was the chef who gave me that thing.” Elusive growled.
“That was one of the bodies still standing.....” Rynthia gasped.
“We all saw this?” Talon muttered.”This is no normal nightmare.”
“So we need a smart pony.” Glimmer commented.”
“Ummm.” Talon muttered.
“Oh you know what I mean with magic......” Glimmer placated.
“Sissy?”Dawn asked.
“Yup.” Rynthia commented.
“You mean Berry?” Shin asked as the other two nodded.
“Oh no....” Elusive rolled his eyes dropping his head back to the table.
===============================================
[ Manehatten, 2300 hours. Last night.]
“Tonight......... hurricane.........”
The lights flashed madly as the guitars and drums beat down on the last chorus of the song.
“I want you......... hurricane...........”
The crowd was screaming as the lights flickered and beams of multicolored light danced across the stage and the crowd.
“To tell you........ I love you.........”
“Love you.....”
The back up singers echoed the line, the group of five looking little more like normal unicorns and a pegasi mare with the instruments. The all wore faux leather jackets, chains and spiked or really bushy manes giving the group a some what punk appearance.
“Tonight........ hurricane.............”
Sweetiebelle stood at the front of the stage, belting out the remaining lyrics to her last song for the night. Like the others she was dressed in punk attire, though her mane was currently super fluffed and it felt like it weighed more than she did sitting on her head. She didn't even want to think about how much hairspray she had used.
This was only their second show as the main act in something beyond what was set up by the ESO. Playing for the charity organization was all well and good, but Discord had decided that they needed to show they could carry themselves without the support the ESO gave.
“To hold you once more................”
Sweetiebelle had agreed, which brought them to this point.......
“Touch......”
…..a whirl wind of a concert, with two local bands leading off before them. The other bands were alright, but they didn't have Button Mash in the control booth like she did.
“Burning touch........”
What started as a simple concert like their first one, had turned into a near impossible stage show with magic flares, strobe lights and smoke machines. The back drop changed every time the tone of their music shifted and the sound system seemed to become a living thing as the stallions hooves danced over the board.
“Give me touch.............”
The crowd had gone from mildly entertained with the first two bands, to completely losing their shit by the time the Rarities had gotten to their second song.
“Burning touch!”
Sweetiebelle and the Changelings shout out the last line as the song dies out suddenly, and the lights go dark.
The roar of the crowd was deafening, and as she made her way back stage she could see her band mates nearly vibrating with the flood of love energy they had absorbed from the crowd. Despite just coming from a nearly hour long performance the five of them looked ready to run a marathon with how they were bouncing around.
Sweetiebelle grabbed a bottle of water with her magic splashing it over her face and smearing the make up that had already started to run from her sweating under the lights. She glanced enviously at the other members of the band and how easily they changed outfits.
She had been right that the budget saved was sizable, of course what was saved from costumes and make up went into Button's props, not that she minded yet, two shows on their own and they had nearly doubled the crowds from when they toured with the ESO. She didn't regret the few years with the charity organization and she still had ties to both them and Coco Pommel's company, but she had agreed with her manager Discord, that they needed to break away to be able to grow.
Sweetiebelle smirked at the thought of the Draconequus. He wasn't here now, having going with Pinkie Pie to her folks place for a visit. She had never seen him so nervous as when Pinkie dragged him off to the rock farm.
Still the Hurricane tour would have it's manager back in about four more shows. He would meet back up with them before they crossed over the ocean to Japony.
Despite every ponies disbelief that Discord would do the job properly, he had more than proven himself capable and exstreamly shrewd in his dealings and plans. Oddly he never seemed to add to the usual chaos of the music scene and simply seemed content to enjoy the madness that was already present.
He did take a cut of the profit himself however, not much but it still seemed weird at first until one realized that he was saving it up for something, likely something for Pinkie Pie with how much he doted on her.
Pinkie Pie had slowed down a little in the last few months since Sweetiebelle had seen her last too. She had put on some weight as well, no surprise with how many sweets she ate, still that took forever to catch up with her she had to be in her thirties now. Sweetiebelle felt fat from just one doughnut, not that it stopped her from eating a whole box when she was hungry however. It just meant she had to work it off.
Button Mash was kinda the other way around. While sweetie had slimmed down a bit more as she finished growing, Button had bulked up. Not with fat as many expected, the brown colt was built like a boulder now and would probably give Applebloom's brother a run for his money in the muscles department.
None of their equipment was light and Button carried and set up nearly all of it himself for every show they had with the ESO and now completely by himself with the tour. That constant exercise clearly showed and Sweetiebelle couldn't help but giggle at every pony who had taunted him for being out of shape when he was younger. He had mares drooling over him now. But he was of course oblivious and Sweetiebelle wasted no time in showing whose colt friend he was.
“Belle.” A voice crackled though her head set.
Speak of the pony....
“Yeah Button, what's up?” Sweetie asked.
“I've got the Storm Cloud idling outside for you, though the crowd is still screaming for more.” Button comments. “None of them have left... in fact I think a few more have shown up from some where. What do you want to do?”
Sweetiebelle blinked looking back at the Changelings behind her. The five of them had some how been convinced to join her band at the start and now she couldn't imagine doing this with out them.
“They want more?” the blue maned Carol asked
“They want more.” The pink maned Melody agrees.
“I'm game.” Shanty the green maned Hippogryph Changeling grinned
“So what do we do?” The green bodied and maned Aria asked."This is our second show today. That thing at the new Platinum school this morning then this. We've been working all day..."
The only male in the group, despite his currently looking and sounding like a female grinned, pushing his orange mane behind his ears. “What do you think we are gonna do?”
“ Encore?” Aria shrugged.
“Encore.” Sweetiebelle agreed. “Button line me up another set. B-2 spread this time.”
“On it.” Button stated.
Sweetiebelle slicked her sodden hair back with a sigh tying it into a long pony tail as the others turn back towards the darkened stage and screaming fans.
She was tired, sore, hot , and looked like she fell asleep with her makeup on. Two concerts in one day and then the flight across the sea was murder. But the stage called her and the fatigue was pushed aside for later.
That stifling insufferably repressive presence was gone.
Dead or sealed away, it really didn't matter much at this point which had happened, though if it was the latter action needed to be swiftly taken before it returned. She needed to act now and if this worked she would be able to claim an even more power than she had thought she could attain Something long kept from her.
She had spent a number of years trapped here unable to do anything after that ungrateful child trapped her here. But after even this short of time she found she could feel the lines of power crossing this place, faintly at first, though with years of practice she had a better command of what she could do.
She couldn't do much as she could feel the presence of one of the Goddesses brushing over her prison every night as if checking up on her lingering about as if waiting for her to move. But now that that presence was gone she could act.
The Book of Orbsah that had never been named would have grinned had she the features left for it. Her prison of glass trapped her on the lunar surface. Her warden was gone and she could freely tap into the power of the silvery celestial orb without fear of discovery or repercussion. She could possess the moon itself and use it to dominate the lands below.
[ New Canterlot, three years after the defeat of Tirek. ]
Soarin sat across the table looking at the white and brown spotted earth pony colt before, his eyes fixed on him with a low glare.
Pip on the other hand seemed preoccupied with fiddling with a small dull metal stud that was a new addition to one of his ears. Soarin wasn't sure what it was, but the casual dismissal annoyed him more whether the colt intended it or not.
The small white and brown spotted colt was a solid wall of muscle. His mane and tail were still cut ridiculously short from the training he had complete a few weeks ago though it was rapidly growing back.
Soarin crossed his hooves in front of his face, staring at the colt over them. He knew why the colt was here with his daughter and he knew there wasn't much he could do about it at this point. Scootaloo was set on this one.
He and a few of the 42nd trainers had talked before and during the basic training that Pip and his daughter went through. He pulled some strings and made more than a few of the trainers focus as much on Pip as they could. The goal was to make his life a living hell to the point where he would fail and his daughter would see how unworthy of her he really was.
That plan had back fired spectacularly. Not only had Pip managed to pass with flying colors, but he did it to such a degree that he surpassed everyone else in the training. Granted Scootaloo was just under him in her overall scores in both skill and leadership. Of course after he called in his favors he found out that former Princess, Luna had done the same thing in regards to his daughter in order to make her life miserable so she would fail for the same reason he targeted Pip.
Then there were the nobles who also called in their favors to make sure no one got any special favors by being related to famous ponies, a number of them actually monitoring and staying around the training area to ensure that everything was going according to how things were supposed to go to the point that they offered suggestions to make things worse.
This madness of course ended with just over half the trainees dropping out over the course of the thirteen weeks of training. Those that remained were the scariest bunch that had ever graduated. As a show of it they took one of the insults that had been used to refer to them by the nobles and some of the trainers and made it a title to fit the class.
Devil Dogs.
Even the lowest preforming of the class was on par with if not higher than the first class turned out by the 42nd training regiment.
And his daughter and the target of his ire finished at the top of the class. His daughter was already setting up to take the training to become a Shadow Bolt. Something that would seem a cake walk compared to what she had already been through. Soarin recalled his own training for the position and remembered how it nearly killed him.
Pip turned his attention to the kitchen where Spitfire and Scootaloo had wandered off a few minutes ago to get dinner. Before he turned meeting Soarin's gaze.
“I really can't stand this you know.” Soarin states flatly his gaze trying to bore into Pip.
“Sir?” Pip asked hesitantly.
Soarin flattened his ears.
“I have one daughter, just one, and the first colt she brings home that she likes turns out to be Kaisur's son. I have seen what he's done to those who want to date his daughters and I am sure you have too. Plus I'm not even certain after that nightmare of training you CAN be intimidated by me, Shadowbolt or not. So yeah thanks for taking away the one thing I've wanted to do since Scootaloo was born from me!”
“Umm I'm sorry?”Pip comments blinking up as Soarin slams his hooves onto the table growling as his wings flare out the blue stallion climbing onto the table to stand over Pip to glare at him
Spitfire glanced to her daughter then back out the crack in the door to the two at the table talking with a small smirk. Soarin had no idea what he was doing and had gone off on a rant about his daughter that made little sense. Judging by the look on Pip's face he clearly wasn't expecting the ridiculous tirade. If intimidation didn't work, pure insanity seemed to be. She was quite aware of what her husband had set up with his friends regarding the training and was some what proud of him for being devious. Only some what as his actions had also made things ten times more difficult for their daughter, though she expected Luna had a hoof in the mess as well.
“Well?” Scootaloo muttered from behind her. The orange pegasus was now taller than she was, taking more after her father. She looked ridiculous with her purple mane and tail nearly cut off completely from the training. At least it was growing back.
“What do you think of him?” Scootaloo questioned.
Spitfire pondered a moment more, wondering when she should go out there and rescue the poor colt from her husband before Pip thought Soarin was having a psychotic episode. Seriously her stallion was trying to out intimidate some one used to Guard Captain Kaisur. Oddly he seemed to be succeeding just by acting irate and loony.
Now what to say to her daughter, she rather liked the colt particularly after learning he had saved Scootaloo's life in the fight with Tirek, but she couldn't just out and approve. Scootaloo might decide to break it off if she approved of the colt too much. Spitfire doubted even the training got rid of her rebellious streak. Reverse psychology never worked on her daughter before either. One plan left.
“Well?” Scootaloo demanded.
“He's got a cute butt.” Spitfire chuckled glancing back at Scootaloo as her daughter paled at the comment. Perfect.
[ Current Day. One hour from Gallopagos Island, midair, early morning after the appearance of the island. ]
“So that's the gist of it.” Spike rumbled, flapping his wings one more time as he soared along through the air. Bleu flew along beside him, nearly touching wingtips though it was some what a necessity so she could hear what he said. Their passengers didn't seem to have any trouble shouting things at each other. “So our best bet it to destroy that bell the moment we see it, if it rings the island and any one on it vanish again for a unknown amount of time.” Celestia commented. “ Much as I would wait for Twilight and my sister to appear again, it does not mean I would wish too.”
“That is what the scroll I found said. It seems the last pony to encounter this sort of thing was Starswirl himself. And even he didn't know from how far in the past the island was displaced from. Though the scroll does tell the story of how he and his friends used six artifacts to beat back the islands owner to the point where the Capricorn rang the bell and escaped.” Spike added. “The true origins of the place are lost.”
“ What the bucking flap is a capricorn?” Jer'rahd demands.
“It is what happens when a Seapony and a Ram have a child. They are exceeding rare given most Rams have an aversion to water due to their thicker coats and live in the higher places in the world. I met one once a few thousand years ago, but I've not seen or heard of one since.” Celestia stated.
“Is there anything on this planet that can't cross breed?” Bleu grumbled.
“I've never heard of a dragon bucking a Harpy.” Jer'rahd stated. He blinked and lowered his head one hoof going to his ear and a small box attached to it. “I'm here, go ahead Captain.”
“Is that Captain Nightfeather? Is she set where she is?” Celestia shouted.
“Damn it, shut up, I'm talking here.” Jer'rahd snapped. “Not you Nightfeather Celestia's bitching like a Diamond Dog in heat again. No it would not be a good idea to repeat that... Alright, hold that position and don't let anything pass towards or away from the bucking island. Have the Seaponies keep an eye on the damn sea floor as well. When the Regents get here tell him to move between the Gallopagos blockade and the bucking island........ What about the mainland blockade.”
The gray and orange Kirin paused listening in for a moment.
“No that's fine, not a damn thing you could have done, just let Agent Sweetie Drops know her targets in Manehatten. I want the main roads and shipping lanes into and out of the city monitored for any sign of that Ass. He is to be taken alive if possible, ONLY if possible, don't risk yourselves if he fights back, put him down hard. I don't want so much as a damn doctor's check up out of this operation. If he won't come quietly, he can come in a bucking bag. Don't bucking bother asking him a second time.” Jer'rahd ordered through the com. “Kaisur out.”
"So what about the citizens of the island Spike?” Celestia asked. “ What happened to them.”
“All but one seem to be dead according to the notes. Bray was reported as the last living citizen of Tamberlane. There's a small note here about when Starswirl encountered him he carried himself like nobility and claimed he was the King of the island. Still he was shown as little more than a sniveling, if loyal, servant of the monster of the island. Grogar.” Spike lists off thinking of the scroll he had summoned.
“So the plan is simple, destroy the bell, rescue the hostages, kill this guy, sink the island, and then go home.” Bleu chuckled. “ Sounds easy enough.”
“You two will back off to the blockade the moment you drop us off. I want you away from that damn place.” Jer'rahd stated.
“What? No! They got my sister in law..... two of my sister in laws, and my assistant Dean in that place. Nuts to me backing off.” Bleu growled turning her head to glare back at Jer'rahd who had sunk down to stare at a scale on Bleu's back as they started passing over the water.
“No deal Bleu. Things are going to get crazy enough even if Celestia's fat ass still recalls how to fight properly. I don't need any friendly fire incidents. I'd allow Spike, but I need some one to keep you the buck out of the way and to relay any information we might need. Nothing we've seen yet stops dragon fire messages until this bucking shield went up.”
“Screw you Kasiur.” Celestia snapped.
“Pass, my dick might be big, but there's no way even it would get past your butt enough to do that.” Jer'rahd yelped grabbing onto Bleu as she nearly fell out of the sky laughing at his comment.
Celestia growled smirking a little at the flailing gray Kirin clinging to the erraticly flying dragons back. Jer'rahd was inventing quite a number of new curses before Bleu finally leveled off.
“Is it just me or is he particularly crude today?” Spike commented.
“He's not around the foals, likely he's repressed and censored himself a lot and that's all coming out now that he's angry.” Celestia explained. “I'm still going to kill him the moment Lulu gives up on him, I really will.”
“You've been saying that for years.” Spike chuckled.
“Yes and my sister has yet to get rid of him......” Celestia grumbled.
=============================================
[Crystal empire 1300 hours.]
“Isn't this exciting of course it's exciting! I don't know what'll happen, maybe it'll work the way I thought or maybe it'll explode.... TWICE!” A red maned mare with a dark blue coat shouts as she bounces around, her white lab coat fluttering around her tall lithe frame as she pranced her gold eyes sparkling.
“That only happened..... four times....” Beryl sighs. The small blue dragon muttered something else before pulling a welders mask down over his face and tucking his arms behind the umpires chest guard he wore. Despite being younger than the royal foals the dragonling seemed much more mature at four than Berry was at nineteen. Still despite being smart and mature he was still only four and Berry didn't let him do anything but watch and comment on her experiments as of yet. Still when he got in a mood Beryl could be as bad as Dawn. If he was cranky like this he was clearly tired.
The four Guards that accompanied the foals to Berry's lab were pressed back against the wall and two of them had magical barriers raised between the foals, Berry, Beryl and the strobeing white crystal box situated on a table in the center of Berry's lab / apartment.
Talon was watching curiously, rather interested in learning more about what she was working on. Still he was quite happy with the presence of the shield between him and what ever this thing was.
Elusive stood next to his Hippogryph friend trying to appear fearless, though he clearly wanted to hide some where. His dread at seeing Berry was thankfully short lived as the mare was too distracted to try to hug him to death for being adorable like normal. Still it was possible.
Shin was hugging tight to the black Kirin god's back, currently in the form of a turtle with a purple bandana over it's eyes. The Changeling looked far less bold than his friend and was trying to urge Elusive to back up further.
Rynthia wasn't really paying attention. She stood near one of the Guards looking up at a book case near the door , pulling a few tomes off and flipping through them curiously.
Glimmer was right behind one of the female Guard's legs, she had covered her face with her wings as if that would help her if it what ever it was exploded. Living in the Empire had made the two of them wary of some of the things berry had done. The fact that she had a giant black crystal Spider she rode around from time to time didn't help matters to make the Empire foals any less terrified of her semi reckless nature.
Dawn was, of course, standing on her older sisters back dressed in her own lab coat and goggles with both her fore claws on Berry's head looking at the shining Crystal thing on the table with no small sense of awe and a bit of drool.
“Can it do that? Can it 'splode twice?” Dawn demanded.
“Yep it can and it has..... “ Berry grinned madly. “It was awesome!”
A sudden brighter flash of yellow light caused nearly all of them to cry out at the change. A low hum could be heard, one that rapidly grew louder until there was a sudden loud 'DING!' of a bell and all the lights and noise stopped.
The group of them all looked at the table and the odd white crystal shaped box on it. Berry rushed over to it looking it over curiously with Dawn peering around her head with nearly the same expression. The unicorn frowned slightly as her horn glowed and her magic pulled on a small part of the crystal box, the front of it opening with a hiss of steam. She lowered her head peering inside the box at a small dish that was covered in some sort of paper. Pulling the dish out of the box with her magic she slowly peeled back the paper on top exposing a gooey mess of cheese and red sauce that made Elusive shudder.
Dawn leaned closer to the table top sniffing the item before sitting back on Berry's back and holding her nose in disgust. “ Bleah 'falfa.”
The unicorn grinned wider taking a sniff herself and laughing .
“YES, IT WORKED!!! Equss's first TV dinner is completed!!!” Berry cackles.
“Except for the twenty some other first ones you've made.” Beryl sighs not removing his mask.
“But this one's stable!” Berry grins.
“I give it four minutes. That was how long it took last time.” Beryl sighed.
“What?” Talon asked.” What is a 'tee vee' dinner?”
“This.” Berry points to the dish with a hoof.
“No I mean... what does it mean?” Talon rolled his eyes.
“Oh well T means Telekinetic, V means Vibration. Dinner is what you eat as a last meal of the day unless you have a midnight snack.” Berry rambled “You know like a good oat cake some honey wafers, a nice chocolate mousse... okay I made my self hungry, Beryl did we eat yet?”
“I did.” The baby dragon stated.” Your last meal was dinner last night.”
“Oh well, lemmi go make a sandwich then. Mmm peanut butter....” Berry states prancing away from the table and the 'food ' on it. She ducked into a side room with Dawn on her back still.
“Wait why aren’t you gonna eat that. It's a dinner isn't it?” Elusive asked just as the dish suddenly exploded, sending bits of alfalfa mash, gooey cheese, and red sauce every where. The room was quickly splattered with the mess though most everyone was more concerned with Elusive's sudden high pitched shriek as a glob of cheese hit the shield in front of him. The black scaled Kirin wasted no time rushing off and diving behind one of the Guards Leaving shin floating in mid air looking like a over sized humming bird.
Berry poked her head back out of the small kitchen with a spoon in her mouth and Dawn still on her back munching on a cookie now . She pulled the spoon out of her mouth pointing at the mess thankfully only splattered against the Guard's shield and the rest of the room, not the foals or Guards themselves.
“That's why. TV is still a unstable thing. While having something this small would be a boon to small guard outposts or traveling ponies and even ships that can't have proper stoves or fires for their meals the process makes the food predominantly inedible at this point. Still that one remained solid longer than I expected so my corrections must have been on the right path. The hardest part about this is that by telekineticly vibrating the molecules in the object you create heat which cooks the food, unfortunately due to the laws of motion and object at rest tends to stay that way unless acted on by an outside force, though an object in motion also tends to stay that way unless acted on by an outside force . In this case and most cases that stalling force is friction or gravity. For some reason however the TV cooker keeps agitating the molecules far longer than it should and thus leads to some catastrophic cooking errors. Not as bad as mom is in the kitchen, but still pretty bad.” Berry rambled. “ It's likely some sort of harmonic resonance that I haven’t figured out yet with the crystals I use, probably just some more fine tuning. So what did you all come here for again?”
“Errr to ask some questions....” Elusive started to ask though he's cut off as Dawn unrolls her drawing in front of Berry's face.
The tall unicorn looks at it a moment as she cleans the rest of the peanut butter off the spoon with her tongue.
“Oh for the love of Celestia don't put the spoon back in the jar after you've licked it...” Beryl shouted and was ignored as Berry did just that.
“That's kinda a neat drawing of Daddy.. did you draw that yourself Dawn? Not bad at all, you should talk to Brushie though, he's the big time artistic one in the family.” Berry continues.
The others blink at that statement though Dawn huffs in annoyance.
“S'not Daddy.” Dawn pouted.
“Oops Kinda looks like him in that bone armor of his, Gray fur, black armor. Ah well sorry about that. Any way what else was going on?” Berry chimed looking at Elusive and the others.
“Hey Berry, you've still got a class at two you need to get too.” Beryl shouts. “You've got twenty minutes to clean up and get out the door. Professor Snipehunt isn't gonna like it if you're late again.”
“Oh please it's just Equestrian Lit, if it wasn't required for the doctorate no one would even take it at all.” Berry sighed looking at the glare the little dragon was giving her. ” Fiiiiiiine.... let me get a shower and I’ll go. Sorry guys but I’m in too much a rush to play today it seems.”
Berry picks Dawn up in her magic floating the annoyed Kirin filly over to her friends before heading into the back part of her lab. “ Stop by tomorrow I think I’m clear of classes after two....”
“After four.” Beryl Corrects.” You always forget the Griffon Kingdoms history class.”
“Cause it's really really boring.” Berry yells back out of her room. Talon ruffled his feathers in annoyance at that.” Sorry Talon.”
“Berry just so I do not seem a crook, might I borrow this … tome..... manual......” Rynthia shouts.
“Book?” Beryl asked getting a glare from the Zebra.
“Sure I guess. Which one?
“Dreamscapes and nightmares.” Beryl answered noting the books cover as Rynthia looked it over. “The one your mom gave you.”
“Oh sure go ahead.” Berry yelled the sound of a shower starting is cut off as the red maned Berry pokes her head out of the door again , her mane soaked to her head and plastered over her form. Two of the four Guards blushed and tried to look away while the lone female guard of the bunch smacked one of them with her wing giving him an angry glare. “Just bring it back before you leave. I guess mom started you on that stuff too, never could wrap my head around it fully no matter how many lectures Princess Twilight gave.”
Thank you, I will bring it back to ... here...., your apartment..... I have no idea where I was going with that one.” Rynthia muttered tucking the book into a saddle bag as the non blushing Guards forced all the others out to let Berry get cleaned up in peace.
“It's not Daddy...” growled Dawn glaring down at the picture in her claws.
Discord tilted his head slightly to the left, then back to the right as he stared at the oddly positioned rock, Holder’s boulder, or what ever it was called. He was told the story of it once, but it got filed away into useless information with a small tag listing it as a 'Do not touch' simply to keep the rest of the Pie family happy.
Still watching a rock was better than the alternative which was speaking with Pinkie Pie's siblings.
Marble was alright if as skittish and boring as Fluttershy. The sole interesting thing about her was she had a harem of colts and Stallions vying for her affection and the quiet mare panicked every time it was brought up.
Maud on the other hoof was actually a rather frighting creature who was not thrilled that Pinkie and he were a thing....... maybe... to be honest it was hard to tell what Maud was thinking, her tone didn't change so he couldn't even tell if she was being sarcastic or anything, That she was married to his former rival in love for Pinkie didn't help matters, even though the pair of them had buried the hatchet so to speak.
Discord hoped no one dug it up again, there were only so many times he could ruin Celestia's flower bed in order to bury something.
Limestone he almost enjoyed, but she was more than willing to turn her attitude on any one , including Pinkie and that didn't sit well with him even if the pink pony didn't seem to notice or mind.
Then there were Pinkie's parents. They seemed alright, but Discord still got chills thinking about the talk he had with Igneous about his daughter. How a simple earth pony farmer had managed to scare the pants off of him when he didn't even wear pants was beyond even the former god of chaos.
“There you are Dissy. What are you doing out here?” shouted a voice along with a faint pronging sound like a spring as Pinkie Pie bounded over jumping up to land on his shoulders choking him in a hug.
Discord couldn't help but smile at that, if there was one choice he had made in his life that he felt was the right one, there were plenty he felt were right of course but this is for expositions sake, it was what he did for Pinkie Pie.
While not a secret to many the pair had actually wed a few years ago, with only Twilight and Celestia protesting the union, which meant it happened any way simply due to Regent Jer'rahd Kaisur presiding and having the pair of Princesses escorted out of the rebuilt Darwhinny Keep the moment they started to object.
In truth the angry Kirin was perhaps one of the few friends he had actually made since his second escape from lawnornimentitus. Bleu of course was one as well, but as a Element of Laughter herself it was almost a given. Jer'rahd didn't put up with much of his usual chaos, but he tolerated far more of it than Celestia, going so far as to offer suggestions sometimes when a prank or idea would target Celestia or Twilight. Of course this meant Luna was fully off limits, not officially mind you, but Discord didn't feel like making the Demon of Dullahan mad at him for any reason.
“Just came out for a bit of air is all, it was getting to be a bit much inside. “Discord mutters as Pinkie drops back to the ground noticing that Maud and Cheese were walking up as well. Well, Maud was walking, cheese was bouncing around her like an erratic green cheese moon orbiting a big ball of salt water with a little bit of land.
“Oh that was just moms cooking. You get used to it.” Pinkie Pie grinned. “ Any way you missed the big announcements!”
“Oh?” Discord glances back noticing that Cheese Sandwich had frozen in place with a stunned look as he was reminded of the announcement.
“I'm pregnant.” Maud states flatly as ever before offering a brown paper bag to her husband.
Cheese snatches the bag breathing heavily into it before falling over on the ground and rolling around still breathing into the bag.
Discord watches him roll by with a smirk debating the best way to make his former nemesis suffer more.
“Isn't that great, I think it's great and it gets better.!!” Pinkie pie shouts hopping over Cheese as he rolls past.
“ I cannot imagine how.” Discord chuckled debating on polka dot paint or taffy.
“Cause Maud is two months along and so am I!?” Pinkie chimes in.
Discord was about to snap his fingers and let Cheese roll though some blueberry salt water taffy when he froze in place.“What?” Discord turned slowly crouching to eye level with Pinkie his eyes wide.
“Oh right I knew I forgot to tell some one the news. Yeah evidently I’m pregnant too, Maud and I are gonna have foals about the same time. You're gonna be a daddy too, like Cheese is.” Pinkie Pie announced chipperly.
Discord slowly blinked staring at the bouncing pony. He slowly reached over to Maud who offers him a paper bag as well. He quickly grabs it and starts breathing into it rapidly falling over onto the ground and rolling around like Cheese Sandwich.
“I think he took it well.” Pinkie nods as Maud watches the pair of soon to be fathers roll around them on the ground hyperventilating.
The snap and crack of bone and the tearing and ripping of sinew being unraveled along with the hum of arcane power filled the caverns. A large gathering of creatures huddled in the darkness watching the swirling mass of blood and dark magic slowly growing in the air over the center of the chamber.
>”Not enough.”< Booms a voice, the utterance more like a curse.
A lash of energy whips our of the swirling mess, wrapping around one of the figures huddled in the dark yanking it into the growing mass. The large troll screamed as its fur and flesh were stripped from its body in large swathes, peeled from it's form to join the swirling mass that had snatched it up. Sinew and muscle unraveling like cords from it's bones as the blood flowed freely sucked into the vortex without a drop touching the sandy cavern floor. The foul beasts eyes ruptured, it's organs pulled out and drawn into the mass like some one slurping up spaghetti until all that was left of the luckless Troll was bloodied bones and even these were soon powdered to joined the mass.
The others in the chamber wished to flee , butt hey couldn't the thing that called them, that controlled them, that had made them, had told them they could not, and thus they could not. Still several had backed off as far as the order would allow, though even those trying to hide were still snatched up if they had something the mass in the rooms center wanted.
>”Good... that should be adequate.”<
The mass started to condense, the bone matter and sinew forming together bit by bit to create a form in the center of the swirling mass, little more than a thread bare skeleton at first. Parts fly off as they are discarded as being unneeded, the wet splatters of meat hitting rock echoed briefly before the sound of the other trolls fighting over the scraps drown out any more noise beyond the hum.
The red and brown mass of magic and body parts solidifies further, showing the vague outline and shape of what seemed to be a pony. Muscle and skin formed over it as the organs joined and fused together, glimpses of a gray rectangle of some kind could be seen in the chest of the creature before the skin closed over it .
White fur formed over the creature, the colors shifting and changing at each small movement changing the very coloration of the fur dependent on how the body was standing near a light source.
More sinew and bone formed along the back, thick muscles and sharp bones jutted from near the shoulders of the pony like thing, forming a pair of large wings that suddenly started sprouting glimmering white feathers that matched the coat.
A mane and tail of rainbow colored hair sprouted from it's flank and head, flowing out with a life of it's own like a sunset reflected in a still pond.
No mark adorned the stallions flank, though more bone formed at his temple, swirling about it in a great spiral of a horn that seemed to be made of clear crystal.
The stallions eye's opened slowly, light gray orbs focused on nothing as the body jerked suddenly stretching limbs and wings wide, it's mouth open in a violent scream before a harsh shudder and a jolt of power silenced it causing the form to relax as it floated lower, drifting down to the cavern floor.
The alicorn stood motionless for a moment it's eyes half closed with it's head lowered.
It jerked again. It's head whipping up, eyes wide as is gasped, the sharp intake of breath echoing around the suddenly silent cavern before it staggered back coughing loudly and trying to draw breath with middling success.
After about ten minutes of this the alicorn's breathing was under control again and it lifted it's head. Gray eyes regarding the remaining Trolls all of whom moved back darting off into the rooms dark corners again. It stepped forward, the soft sand under hoof shifting with the stallions weight.
The white alicorn grind looking down at the hoof print he had left in the sand.
For the second time in the untold history of Equss, Zachle, the Gray Grimiore walked the lands.
[ New Canterlot Castle Three years after the defeat of Tirek.]
“ So have you two gotten your unit placements yet?” Jer'rahd asked tearing into a piece of garlic bread looking over the table at Pip curiously.
“Not yet, though there was talk of putting me out on our border with the Diamond Dog nation.” Pip responded after taking a small sip from his glass.
“Oh nice. That was my first assignment too. Course that was in the middle of a full blown war, nothing much there now but an occasional rescue operation for some lost travelers or the occasional bandit.” Jer'rahd admits looking down at his plate briefly staring at the mixed vegetables and the small piece of chicken that sat, still untouched, on the plate. He hated the taste of the bird, though he was told by his doctor... aka his eldest daughter Orange who was sitting at the far end of the table from him, that Kirin needed at least some meat based proteins in their diet. Jer'rahd had protested that he was pretty much immortal and he didn't need any set food groups to get by. And Orange had of course responded with the results of a bad diet, starting out with a rather detailed description of constipation that made Jer'rahd relent almost immediately.
Orange, Ice Berry and even Brush had shown up for Pip's graduation ceremony and some of them got to meet Scootaloo for the first time. Brush's mare friend Diamond Tiara couldn't miss time from her business classes and Hunter did everything in his power to avoid Jer'rahd, though they sent their well wishes to Pip any way.
Berry had liked Scootaloo from when they went to school together and introduced her to Beryl, the little dragon was barely a year old and he was already wearing an expression like he was tired of being shown off to every one by the energetic filly. Scootaloo had seemed a little distraught that the dragonling was one of Bleu and Spike's clutch, but she recovered from the information rather quickly.
Brush was the same as his sister and knew Scootaloo from school. He was rather fascinated by the coloration of her wings when they were lit up, likely he had a few paintings in mind for them.
Orange watched Scootaloo warily for a while though the pair had had a small discussion before dinner about pegasi medicine and training regimes for full wing movement, after wards Orange seemed to open up to her a little more.
Jer'rahd really didn't have any issue with her. She was cute enough and Pip was happy with her so he was fine on that front, plus her training scores were impressive showing she was no slouch. Not that he doubted that she would be, knowing who her parents were.
“Might have the same posting myself. There's a Griffon embassy in the northern reaches that tends to rotate a few neutral nation Guards through it every so often when talks between the Harpies and Diamond Dogs happen.” Scootaloo added.” Seems kinda boring to me, but it sounds good for a first post.”
“Trust me, boring is far preferable to the alternative. Besides you don't need to worry about that anyway . Sky Shroud Keep has a brawl or three every time the Griffons, Harpies, and Diamond Dogs meet. Things might be a little different now but I doubt it. Expect to practice submission holds quite a bit if you are posted there.” Jer'rahd contemplates glancing over to Dawn who sat next to him in her high chair. The little Kirin was making her usual mess and had mashed her tiny bit of chicken into paste and was scooping it up with the remains of a small chunk of ruby she had been gnawing on. He had tried a gem stone once to see if he could eat them and all he wound up tasting was his own teeth.
Scootaloo was blending in rather well. She was eating dinner with every one with very little issue and seemed to fit in, if not perfectly, well enough for her first meeting with the Kaisur family.
Well mostly. There was the one section of the table next to Jer'rahd that every one else did their best to try and ignore.
Luna sat staring at the orange pegasus with a look that would kill lesser ponies and probably stun a number of stronger ones. Luna was still not happy that Pip had risked his life for the mare in the battle with Tirek, Let alone that said mare was now dating him, her youngest son. If one could glare daggers, Luna's eyes were firing balista bolts. She had bent numerous pieces of silverware in her magic, cut through the ceramic plate with a butter knife.. as well as part of the table, and turned most of her food into unidentifiable mush with out eating any of it. Still to Scootaloo's credit, she seemed unphased by the 'disproving mother' glare directed at her, that or she simply didn't notice it.
In either case watching Luna's frustration growing at trying and failing to intimidate the orange pegasus was amusing Jer'rahd to no end.
Jer'rahd sighed looking back down at the chicken. Maybe he could hide it.... perfect idea. Time to smother this awful bit of supposed food.
“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO...” Dawn pauses to inhale a breath, clinging to the door frame with two claws while flailing her wings and tail. “.... OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I dun wanna take a nap!!!”
Cadence frowned, her eyes narrowing as she carried the comically flailing Kirin foal into one of the Guest rooms that had been prepared for the Royal Foals to sleep in. Or tried too, the orange Kirin had a death grip on the door frame. Cadence had been a foal sitter to spoiled noble brats, rambunctious Diamond Dog pups of dignitaries, and one very smart and sneaky little purple book worm. She had raised a shape shifter who could be anything he wanted at all, and a daughter with a devious streak a league wide without anything other than a few minor issues.
Then there was Dawn.
She wasn't spoiled, she wasn't devious, she wasn't even that sneaky. In fact she was just like every other 'normal' six year old Princess Cadence had ever foal sat in the past.
The problem was she cranked 'normal six year old' up to eleven, yanked off the knob then fiddled with the exposed wires until it rose to fourteen.
This coupled with the fact she never seemed to tire until right up to the moment she passed out made things even worse. Cadence had no idea how to read her, her personality and the subtle hints that most foals gave off about themselves were allover the place with this one. She also acted like she didn't try to hide from, fight, or argue her way out of a nap even single time she came to visit, only to fail every time.
While it was true the foals were getting too old for naps and Cadence was certain that Rynthia and Talon had books stashed some where, at least they were quiet, Cadence was the one who really needed the nap.
After the group returned from visiting Berry and the hour of their nap approached, Dawn had begun perhaps one of the most rambunctious games of hide and seek/ tag, that she had ever started. Some how she managed to get every one of the foals, but Rynthia and Talon, involved and had also managed to get the entire castle staff and nearly all the Guards involved in one way or another.
There were quite a few times where Shining and Cadence had thought they found her hiding some where only to discover it was a maid or a off duty Guard the little filly had managed to convince to join the game without telling them the real stakes.
She and Shining had cornered her once only for the little Kirin to yell out' SMOKEBOMB!' and throw something at their hooves . The couple reared back wondering how she got anything like that only for a small rubber frog to bounce against their legs, though the Kirin had taken advantage of the momentary distraction and run off again.
Still involving the Guards had turned out to be the foals down fall as every one she and Shining had found, then set out to help look for the hiding foals. After hours they were all finally found in one of Sombra's old storage rooms. One that required four spoken passwords and a interpretive dance to get into, how they managed it still boggled Cadence's mind.
Shining had won the coin toss and so he was putting, Shin, Glimmer, and Elusive into bed. Talon and Rynthia had already climbed into their beds and were watching as Cadence struggled to keep a hold of Dawn. The orange Kirin was a slippery one, even trying to hold her with magic wasn't a hundred percent sure to keep hold of her, and Cadence didn't want ANOTHER encounter with the filly’s claws. Dawn wouldn't intentionally try to hurt her, but with how she was flailing about...
“Dawn.” Rynthia stated loudly drawing the Kirin's attention away from clinging to the door frame.
The little zebra nodded slightly at the Kirin. Dawn grinned and suddenly let go of the doorway, kicking off it with such speed that she slipped free of Cadence's magic and rolled across the floor. Shining moved to intercept her though the Kirin ignored the window he was guarding and lept right into bed.
“Turn out the light, sleepy time now.” Dawn stated flatly diving under the covers and making odd little 'honk shoo ' noises like she was already asleep.
Rynthia slapped her face with her hoof as Cadence and Shining stared at the hidden Kirin. A slow glance to the others showed most of them already asleep, or at least pretending to be. The pair of adults looked to each other and bolted out of the room before anything changed from the quiet peace that had settled.
Shutting the door behind them and warding it just in case, Cadence glowered staring over at Shining Armor.
“Remind me to strongly suggest neutering both Luna and Jer'rahd so they don't have any more foals like that.”
“How about we just agree they owe us again and get a free vacation and foal sitters out of it.” Shining suggested with a nervous chuckle. “Same as last time.”
Inside the nap room the six foals sat up suddenly looking to the door as Shin darted up to it and put a oversized bunny ear to the door before hopping back towards the others. “Okay sounds like they left.”
“I think you might have over done it this time Dawn.” Elusive pointed out.” Auntie Cadence looked really mad.”
“It'll be fine.... did you do it?” Dawn stage whispers with a grin as she sits up in the bed.
“Yes. We managed to get all the materials back here. With your over the top drama no one noticed Shin, Elusive and I hiding the packets of materials we needed.” Glimmer sighed.
“We have the spell prepared and with a little work with the material components we will be ready to go. “ Talon commented as he and Rynthia hop out of bed to gather the small bits of materials to grind them together. The mixture would make a soft blue paint that would be put on the head boards of the beds. According to the book Rynthia borrowed, this would allow any one with the mark on their bed to meet others with the mark in the dream world.
The foals were not sure if it would work , though now that they had a face to go with their nightmares they didn't want to have to deal with it again on their own.
“ …. So over here's where the new orchard is gonna go. We cleared a buncha tha dead trees from around where tha fight took place a while back and tha lands been sitting here unused. There's a small plot of wild Zap Apples were already cultivating on tha far end, but I wanna get a regular orchard set up here too.” Applebloom explained gesturing to the clearing with a hoof to her sister, brother and their respective mates.
“Looks like it's be a nice sized orchard. Prolly bout a hundred or so trees. “ Applejack comments. “ What do yah think Mac?”
“Hundred and thirty six.” Big Mac states after staring at the field for a while, though most of his attention was on his three year old son, Zap, running around with the disaster trio of Apple Blossom, Dandelion , and Butterscotch who half played with their little cousin half plotted how they could get him his cutiemark while visiting their aunt. Rainbow Dash kept glancing back as well as she flitted around Mac like a drunk bumble bee already showing she was rather far along with their second foal, and none too thrilled about it this time either. At least with as much as she complained to every one about it. The part that worried him most however was the sheer number of Elk around who were keeping a closer eye on the foals than even he was. Applebloom must have said something.... either that or they all still recalled the last visit and what happened with the maticore.
Applejack paused a moment looking over at Fluttershy, who was highly distracted by the little creatures that helped the Elk shoot their bows. AppleJack couldn't remember what they were called , but evidently they had some what of a bad time of it after the Wedding of Cadence and Shining Armor as Chrysalis had landed in their village. It was interesting story and many of them wound up here after that. Still her mare friend seemed happy chatting with the little things, so she wasn't gonna interrupt.
“ So I got a question. Why are you guys setting up a village so far away from the crater. Don't you need to keep an eye on that Tirek tree or something?” Rainbow Dash asked suddenly.
“We are. Couple Patrols over there too. We already shut down some crazy minotaur who wanted to drop an amusement park in the crater. But thing is any one like me who can hear tha spirits can hear Tirek in his prison. And lemmi tell yah, he don't shut up, ever.” Applebloom grumbled rolling her eyes.
“Well that splains that, but not tha sudden need to increase yer food production. I see a lot more than just some apple orchards being cleared. I see some rows of pecan, walnut , pear and a lotta other trees filling all tha space around here. Plus them shelters you got don't look like their made tah be permanent housing.” Applejack points out.
“They're not. That big clearing over there's where the actual Lololog village is gonna be. There are going to be a great number of Elk coming to live here considering this place is being thought of as the new capitol after all I’ve been doing to get all tha Elk in Equss back together. We're waiting right now though.” Applebloom stated.
“Waiting on what?” Dash questioned.
“Turns out there's a ton more Elk on other continents than there are here in Equestria. Aside from the Subterranean Watipi, we've got some flying Avarial's and a couple different seagoing tribes. The Mer knew about a few other races over seas and talked some of them into coming here. They are bringing with them a few tree shapers that can rework and reshape the trees themselves into homes and buildings. Gonna see if they ken make my house an apple tree.” Applebloom chuckled.
“Speaking of the Watipi....” Big Mac grinned with Dash and AJ showing the same sly smile.
“Ah crap ya'll were waiting fer me to mention them wern't yah?” Applebloom frowns her ears flattening to her head.
“Well given last we heard one of tha leaders of that tribe was courting yah. I spect we would be interested in what our little sis was up to.” Applejack chuckled.
“ Ugh.... Drakast is back home with some business, an Flowing Stream'll be back here later he's on patrol around tha crater today.” Applebloom sighed.
“ Ahh so yah picked tha Elk here? Seemed a impressive feller, little on tha thin side , but most Elk's seem that way tah me.” Applejack nods sagely.
“No ah didn't pick Flowing Stream.” Applebloom sighed hiding her face with her hoof.
“Awesome you went with tall dark and mysterious. Nice, gotta love the exotic ones.” Rainbow Dash laughs.
“Hmmph.” Big Mac snorted glaring at his wife.
“Oh don't even give me that Macky, or need I remind you that this is the second foal I let you put in me....” Dash snorted back, patting her belly as she glared at the larger earth pony.
“Err nah … didn't choose him either........” Applebloom grumbled.
“Oh? So back tah being single then. Nothing wrong with that, you got a lot to do....” Applejack nods.”
“Ain't single either.....”
“Found some one else?” Dash asked as Applebloom shrugged
“Errr... yah running out of options here Bloom.” Applejack commented her eyes narrowing.
“Ah didn't chose either of them, ah chose um both as mai consorts.” Applebloom blurted out slapping her hooves to her face as she turns red and the three stare at her.
Dash of course broke the silence first. “Holy crap, you bagged both of um, damn girl, you go!”
The other two Apples glared at the cyan pegasus before Applejack glared up at her sister.
“Two of um... that don't really sit right......”
“Look shush and listen... and it ain't just them two, there's three others as well from differing tribes. Seems ah'm a heck of a lot bigger of a deal than ah thought ah was and any Elk any where that's heard of me is doing their damnedest to link their tribes tah mine in some way or another. Some of them are even willing tah kill each other over the chance. Now ah ain't much fer building mah own harem like I’m a Saddle Arabian, but ah like all these bucks, and tha one Doe, in some shape or another and this is all adding up to what Twilight called political marriages. From what ah ken tell some Elk do this sorta thing any way, but it's usually one Buck and a buncha Does in a herd. Mai situation's just the other way around. Ah got a buncha bucks, and one Doe, rather than a buncha Does and one Buck. It feels weird but ah got a couple of friends and family saying go for it.”
“Go for it!” Dash cackles.
“See” Applebloom grinned.
“What other family is gonna tell yah tah be dating a buncha Stallions!?” Applejack ranted. “ It's Braeburn ain't it.. that womanizer.......”
“Well a bit but lately it's been Granny Smith.” Applebloom stated.
“What? Applebloom, Granny's been dead fer two years now, she sure didn't tell yah that when ah was here with her last.” AppleJack snorted.
“Yah act like yer not talking tah some one who talks with tha dead half tha time, how tha heck you think ah knew about that pot ah recipes she hid in the back hidden panel of tha cabinet at tha house. Or tha bit's she saved up in tha floor boards. She told me about all that. And she told me tah do what ah wanted an jus have fun with all these Bucks. They're all okay with the others and there all interesting tah me in their own ways....”
“But....” Applejack begins before big Mac raised a hoof cutting her off.
“S'fine . We gotta accept her choices sis . She ain't a filly any more. Big Mac stated calmly before turning to his little sister. ”So what are their names?”
“Flowing Stream and Drakast you know. There's MapleBerry from tha Ice Crystal Tribe, Clam Shell from tha Mer Tribe, that's one of tha coastal ones. Harlequin, she's from a far southern tribe, dun know much about them yet, and Aensland from the one tha tree shapers are coming from.” Applebloom recalled.
“Thanks sis, that's all ah needed.” Big Mac grinned and ruffled his little sisters mane before turning and walking off.
“Where's he going?” Applejack questions watching her large brother head off.
“Where do you think?” Dash chuckled.” He's the big brother and all these Elk wanna be with his little sister. So he's going to have a 'talk' with them.”
“Oh.” Applejack smirked. “ Maybe ah should help out....”
“Ah crap!..... BIG MAC! YOU GET YER FLANK BACK HERE RIGHT NAO! AH BARELY GOT UM ALL CALMED DOWN AFTER UNCLE JER'RAHD CAME THROUGH!!” Applebloom shouted galloping after her brother.
The air smelled stale and a unseasonably cold wind blew across the large black sand beach that was the only clear spot on the island not covered by the sickly yellow dome. The Dragons had landed on the shore line and despite Bleu's protests taken off not long after, leaving the white alicorn Princess and the gray and orange scaled Kirin alone on the shore, something the Kirin walked away from rather quickly.
Jer'rahd and Celestia's goal was the far end of the beach, where one of the collapsed train trestles was. The thick sea stone pillar had toppled over when the island formed under it. The back end of the crashed train was just on the other side of that fallen trestle. The cars that had been cut off by the forming of the isle lay scattered on both sides of the shield, though the passenger cars that were their goal were on the other side of the yellowy wall.
The two moved at a sedate pace as they crossed the black sand, the size of it more like a desert than a simple shoreline. The pair could see old rusted farming equipment and the fallen remains of barns and small sheds on this side of the shield. Clearly this used to have been farm land at one point in the island's past.
“So do you expect him to fight?” Celestia asked.
“Yes.” Jer'rahd responded glancing down as his hoof crunched on something that looked like a petrified corn stalk, or maybe a femur, he wasn't going to investigate.
“And you didn't bring your armor?” Celestia asked watching Jer'rahds tail whip.
“It doesn't fit any more, I was planning on giving it to Pip, but he has no way to take it off an on. It's back in New Canterlot with all that other crap Sparkle is studying. Where did she get half that stuff?”
“Some of it came from Sombra's collections in the empire. Some of it, like the mirror was recovered from the Blue Blood estates when they were seized. Cadence remembered that her grandmother told her it was supposed to be magic, but she doesn't know what kind.” Celestia sighed looking over the barren landscape. “She wants to make sure everything’s safe before we secure the more dangerous artifacts in Slate's Armory back at the Empire.”
“The Element's were moved there already.”Jer'rahd sighed. “ Not happy with that, but it's not as if we could use them now any way.”
“True.” Celestia sighed as the pair of them stop at the edge of the dome.
“Train cars exactly as reported. Nothing moving that I saw coming up.” Jer'rahd grumbled looking at the now solid yellow dome. The massive shield had been translucent though it had grown more opaque as they approached it and now it was solid yellow.
'That doesn't mean anything.” Celestia snorted.
“You don't have to tell me that, Luna's not gonna be taken out by a bucking train wreck after all we've been through.” Jer'rahd smirked.
“Neither will Twilight, though I do worry about the other three. “ Celestia nods poking the dome with a hoof noting how it was more springy of a shield than a solid one. “ So what now?”
The room was silent and pitch black, a hidden vault in the newly rebuilt castle that housed numerous objects of curiosity and study. Here were the remnants of the Royal treasury. Here were items from the WCP classified section. Here were objects of power waiting to be studied , sealed and shipped to be locked away.
Dust covered everything in the silent room, A testament to Princess Twilight Sparkle's busy schedule that she couldn't keep up with the amount of items to be studied that she had access to.
A faint flicker of light was seen as a steady hum began. The light grew brighter and the sound turned more to like a soft static as the air was filled with the smell of grass and plant life with the lingering sent of popcorn and hotdogs cooking. There was a louder buzz and one of the cloth covered items moved suddenly, a figure emerging into the under side of a tarp.
There was a yelp and a series of curses as the figure staggered forward, caught in the tarp as it got hung up on the object, tripping the form up before finally it fell free and sending the hidden form tumbling into the piled objects with a massive crash.
The figure froze in the darkness, breath held as it's ears perked up listening to any sounds of alarm or any one coming to investigate. After there was no response to the crash the figure fought to pull free of the tarp finally yanking it's head out and whipping it's head. There was a faint glow around the figures horn and the room lit up showing the piled tons of junk scattered around in chests and boxes, most of them covered with tarps or other things to keep the dust from them.
The light fell upon the uncovered object. A ordinary looking standing full length mirror with a horse shoe shaped rim lined with pink gems. It's standing base was also lined with horseshoes and attached to the top was a smaller window with the outline of a pony inside of it.
A small sigh emerged from the figure as they approached the mirror one amber hoof lifting to steady the item on it's stand. The unicorn reflected in the mirror had a light amber coat with a brilliant yellow and red striped mane and tail and her cutie mark was of a red and yellow shimmering sun.
“Ugh what the heck happened to this place. Did they move the royal treasury? Bah no matter, it shouldn't take me long to find the crown of magic.” Sunset Shimmer smirked.
An explosion rocked the whole island, jarring Luna awake suddenly as a series of other Equss shattering kabooms followed, the reverberations of the sound bouncing around the rock dying down just enough for the screams to be heard before there was another explosion.
Luna winced as she lifted her head feeling like she had been in a train wreck..... oh wait, she had. She kept her eyes closed a moment taking stock, she didn't seem to have any life threatening injuries , though she was quite sore though the bruises likely had long since faded. She opened her eyes next and took note of her surroundings, she was in some dark room that was most decidedly not a hospital. Moldy stone walls, strange metallic bars that seemed to be sapping her magic and a large number of chains around her neck and limbs.
The mare sighed. Yup, she was a prisoner again.
The Changeling Queen shuddered a little recalling the last time she was taken prisoner, but at least she wasn't in a hanging display cage waiting to be mounted by a dragon god this time... So far any way.
Still the explosions rocking the room sounded promising. She could feel the spice of anger, the sharp tang of rage, and the delightfully sweet and crisp taste of love. A mix she knew very well after these last six years.
Who ever had captured her had made the mistake of letting Jer'rahd know she was here. At this rate she might never actually see what had captured her... at least not intact. Still something felt off, there were other feelings too, but not nearly as many as they should be. There was a sharp bite of sour hate and spite she didn't recognize, another fiery tasting anger and love mix that was surely her sister. A grape like taste of wonder and curiosity coupled with annoyance and hint of anger, that was surely Twilight Sparkle. Luna had no idea how the purple mare managed to 'feel' grape flavored, but she wasn't the only one who tasted it. Perhaps it was the same way Applejack managed to taste like an apple.
There was an oddly minty taste mixed with love and anger and two others that she couldn't identify and were too weak to taste over the flood of other emotions in the area. She didn't see any one else here with her however. It just seemed like the one room divided by cell bars with a staircase going down on the far side of it. Perhaps they were above or below her?
All of the emotions felt muted as well. As if something was masking it, perhaps the bars or the chains she wore had traces of star metal? It didn't feel like that though, it felt like some great power was trying to quash her abilities.
Another massive explosion shook her out of her confusion as a wall on the far side of the bars collapsed in a shower of stone and dust. A figure stepped through the hole, hidden in the dust cloud, all Luna could see was it's silhouette and a two points of light glowing bright red and green.
“What kept you dear?” Luna chuckled smiling.
“Had to drop the kids off at the sitters first. You know how that goes. You alright Luna? Any holes?” Jer'rahd smirked His amber tail flicking against his legs clearing off the dust from his fur.
“No more than I had before I left. Mind getting me out of this place? The mildew's playing havoc with my nose.” Luna sighed.
“In a minute. She's in here!” Jer'rahd called out back through the hole. Luna glanced up curiously at what would be more of a priority to her husband than getting her free.
A figure stepped through the hole and at first Luna thought it her sister, though the black coated mare was decidedly not Celestia. Wavy lengths of amber mane and tail flowed around her lithe form, a long spiraled horn topped her head and a pair of green eyes studied Luna curiously as the figure entered the room. Her cutie mark was an open book with a green quill over it, the pages of the tome blank. Luna's eyes widened at the pair of wings the mare had on her back as she recognized the pony immediately.
“You?!?” Luna gasped.
“Is Celestia delt with?” Jer'rahd asked?”
“Of course my grandson.... just as promised.” The mare tittered.
“Good... Hail Avaianna...” Jer'rahd stated with a grin.
Luna blinked then narrowed her eyes, the mare let out an annoyed sigh and rolled her eyes.
“ By the stars, wow, you are REALLY bad at this.” Luna stated flatly.
The two of them blinked and looked at Luna.
“Seriously? Hail Avianna? You might as well have had Jer'rahd say 'Hail Celestia' with how stupid it sounded. What's next? Having Twilight yell 'Hail ignorance?' Oh no.. no, no I got it, Applejack saying 'Hail Pears' Do that one it'll be funnier especially if you can do the accent right.” Luna chuckled.
“What?” Jer'rahd asked.
“Oh please. I was the Princess of dreams for centuries, do you not think I can tell when some one it trying to do a fear shock nightmare on me?” Luna grumbled standing up and shaking free the chains like they were nothing, the metal links fading into dust.
“First off Avianna's trapped on the moon. Second I want you to stop wearing my husband's form, that's not even his current form it's how he used to look when he was still a pony and not a Kirin. What ever you are, you are insulting him by trying to take his visage.” Luna growled her horn flaring tuning the bars before her to dust as well. “ I might not have the full power of this realm any more, but I have always been a lucid dreamer and everything in this place is mine to command. You truly thought you could hurt me in my own dreams?.... no that's not it you want terror and fear don't you? Is that what gives you power?”
Another flare of her horn and everything fades around her, the cell the walls and the rubble, even the image of Avaianna fades leaving her looking at the form of Jer'rahd alone.
“Not that it matters as I know the feel of you now and you will not manage this again. Who or what are you?” Luna demanded.
The image of pony Jer'rahd faded away suddenly with a shimmer like that of a road on a hot day. The form underneath was a black scale armored stallion larger than she was. The creatures mane seemed to be made of fire and smoke and flowed with an unseen wind. His long horn was serrated along the top and his pale white glowing eyes spoke of a barely hidden cruelty. Draconic wings sprouted from it's back as it hissed and snapped at Luna baring fangs that would be more at home in a lamprey or leeches maw, the whipping of it's horn forced her to take a step back before the creature crouched and exploded up ward. It's wings leaving a flurry of rubble behind it as they tore through the ceiling and vanished into the void of the dream scape.
“What was that thing?” Luna questioned not liking that it still bore a slight resemblance to her husband. She would have to look into it later with Twilight once she found out what had happened. The former Princess of the Night shook her head and shrugged, forcing herself to wake up for real this time.
It took Luna a moment more to make sure she wasn't still asleep. She bit her tongue lightly feeling a bit of pain signaling the lack of dreaming. Not that she would ever tell Jer'rahd or Pip that she checked whether or not she was dreaming the same way they did. Let them think she just knew if she was asleep or not. Granted she used to know.
She opted to check simply because her situation seemed exactly the same. She was in a cell, wrapped in chains with a staircase leading down on the other side of the room.
It took her a few moments to realize things were not exactly the same. First there was a large door off to her left on the other side of the bars. The same place her dream Jer'rahd had burst through the wall. This place also didn't smell of mildew and mold, it smelled of old dust and dirt with a hint of salt, likely from the ocean though she couldn't tell how far away it was or if it was something else.
She could still sense the emotions she had before and oddly they were still muted, though she could see where the source of four of them came from. There were others in the cell with her, chained up as she was.
One was obviously Twilight Sparkle and Luna noted there were three brownish red rings around her horn. Looking closer they didn't seem to be made of any kind of metal, but oddly seemed some sort of leathery flesh, Luna could have sworn she saw them pulsate slightly.
Next to her was the only other mare she immediately recognized. A lime green unicorn who's horn also sported two of the odd rings and was chained the same as she and Twilight. Lyra Heartstrings, her niece Cadence's former bodyguard and lately a frequent sparing partner with her husband. She was also in a rather delicious relationship with the head of the Blackhoof, Agent Sweetiedrops. The pair of them together was many a Changelings favorite meal as they tasted just like a Fillyscout's thin mint cookie.
The fourth pony was one she felt she should recognize. A gray earth pony with a black mane and tail and musical notation as a cutie mark. For some reason Luna's mind wandered to Platinum Scale and Sweetiebelle while looking at the mare, but she was unsure why.
The final member of the group was one whom Luna also felt she should have recognized, but her name eluded her. A pale blue unicorn mare with white and silvery mane and tail. He cutie mark was not far off a crescent moon with a wand along one side, or perhaps it was a swish of magic. In either case she was the only other one awake and she looked like she was having a panic attack of some kind, the chains she was bound with rattled softly adding a constant metallic clinking to the room. Her horn was also wrapped with two of the fleshy rings.
Luna theorized they might be the source of the muted emotions she felt. Though she needed to take stock of everything first, and calm down the blue mare. Looking down she saw was in her Changeling Queen form, despite having been in her 'just another pegasus, nothing to see here' form while she was on the train,her husbands favorite form to tell the truth. The rings evidently canceled out changeling powers too.
She thought back to the train she recalled it crashing, she and Twilight had quickly put a bubble around the train car the moment they felt the first jarring crash of the first car hitting the shield. Less than a second later the bubble hit the back of the car ahead of it and was flung off the track. Their shields managed to make sure the cars behind the passenger car were not crushed into them nor were the occupants. Still as the car hit the ground and rolled, the group of them was bounced around rather abruptly with Twilight and Luna doing their best to shield the others in the car.
When everything had finally come to a stop Luna recalled dropping her shield to check on everyone and then …. nothing.... A sleep spell perhaps? Avery powerful one to have affected both her and Twilight. Still the rings on their horns noted something of some power.
Thinking of those things made Luna think to focus on her magic briefly. Nothing complex, just a simple light spell. She winced the moment she tried, turning green very quickly and cutting off the attempt as waves of nausea hit her like a … well like a train derailing a hitting the ground she supposed.
After a great deal of effect she managed not to revisit what she had eaten earlier, though her stomach and head still felt like they were stuffed full of pus and bile.
A groan from beside her cut off any further thought though the nausea remained. she looked over as Twilight lifted her head, her wings trying to flutter a little, though they were bound as securely in chains as the rest of her.
“Glad to see you are back among the waking world Twilight.”Luna stated softly, noting the gray earth pony opened her eyes at the sound of Luna's voice and look over at them as well. She did not seem bothered by the situation and Luna wondered if she had only been pretending to be asleep. The noise did little to ease the fidgeting and chain rattling of the blue mare however.
“I feel like I was in a train wreck.” Twilight muttered.
“You were... now don't use your magic it....” Luna began only to witness Twilight's horn glow for a moment and just as quickly dim. She took note that the rings around her horn bulged, showing flashes of purple inside them that matched Twilight's magic. Clearly they were feeding on it. Still the warning didn't come soon enough and clearly Twilight's belly was much softer than Luna's as the new Princess of the Night quite suddenly, and disgustingly, showed every one in the cell what she had for dinner.
Granted the stench of bile and vomit woke the green unicorn with a start, evidently acting like repugnant smelling salts.
“I warned you.” Luna chuckled.
“Yes, thank you loads for your timely warning as I was casting......” Twilight snarled trying to spit out the foul taste. “Where are we?”
“Far as I can tell we are at present in a dungeon or prison cell of some sort.” The gray earth pony spoke up shifting in her chains away from the pile of vomit.
“Have you seen any one yet?” Luna asked.
“No, I woke up before the rest of you, but no one has been by yet.” the earth pony stated flatly.
“Sorry if seems odd to ask, but do I know you? You seem rather familiar to me.” Luna asked.
“Octavia Melody. I'm the assistant.... I might as well say full time Dean, at the Platinum school of Music in Canterlot.”Octavia sighed softly as if bothered by the information she was giving. “I was in Gallopagos for the opening of the new school. One of your friends Bleu Scale is the primary Dean of the school. I do hope she has mentioned me at least once or twice your highness.”
“I knew I knew you from some where.”Luna admitted. “And call me Luna and call Twilight, Twilight until we can ascertain what is going on. No sense in giving who ever put us in this cell any information they may not know.”
“Given how you have five of those things on your horn, I think they may know.” Lyra muttered.” and Twilight's got three. How many have I got?”
“Two.” Twilight answered. “ Is every one alright?”
“As well as can be with a puddle of vomit on my hooves and chained to the floor.” Lyra snarked.
“Quiet. Something is coming.” The blue mare hissed suddenly pulling back as far as the chains allowed into the cells shadows, the clank of them finally going silent.
The group all turned to look at the door as it opened and a long shadow spilled out from the opening. The thud of hooves echoed in the small dungeon as a figure with solid red eyes stepped out into view.
The creature's fur was a grayish blue and at first glance it appeared to be an emaciated ram, but on closer inspection he was simply thin with whip cord like muscles under skin pulled far too tight on his frame. A pair of black gnarled horns rose from his temples, the pair of them faintly glowing sickly yellow with splotches of shadowy gray floating around in the colored mix. Prominent white eyebrows rested over his eyes in a way that seemed to give him a permanent scowl. Like his horns his hooves were jet black and in need of a trim, and every step he took seemed to kick up sparks against the stone floor. There were small sections around his joints and cloven hooves that were devoid of hair, though they seemed to have small patches of scales, like a fish or a snake, that were a inky blue black. He wore a red collar studded with gold disks and spikes with a small silver bell hanging from it over his chest.
“Oh good. I see that you have finally awoken. That doesn't always happen. You lot are the first visitors that have come here in....... eons I believe.”
Luna blinked at the voice. It wasn't the harsh sounding tones that most of the Ram's she had experience with spoke in. His voice was an eloquent baritone, with an air of class about it that screamed nobility. Captivity aside, Luna didn't like him immediately.
“ So this is how you treat all your guests? No wonder you don't get visitors.” Lyra snarked.
“Given the last six who came here caused all manner of problems.. I think this is a proper precaution.” The Capricorn smirked. “ Ah yes where are my manners? My name is....”
“Grogar the necromancer, ruler of the lost country of Tamberlane.” Twilight Sparkle stated flatly getting a odd look from the Capricorn.
“Correct... though how did you know that?” Grogar asked sounding a bit surprised.
“Trust me it's just something she does.” Luna sighed recalling her first reappearance as Nightmare Moon. “ Now that that is out of the way what do you want and why are we in this cell?”
“It's fairly simple the five of you....” Grogar blinks looking in the cell raising a brow and mouthing a number before he shook his head and muttered something about teaching Bray to count. “ The four of you are rather interesting. Two musicians and a alicorn. Yes, don't give me that look. I know the difference between a pony god and a pegicorn. I fought two of them for centuries. Then of course there is what ever you are. I cannot say I've seen your like before. The musicians I can use, I doubt my last sirens are still around and I would need to make more, they were quite useful. The alicorn could of course be held to give me what ever I wished from her subjects, as for you strange one..... It's been a long time since I've seen something new to cut apart and examine. Perhaps if you are interesting enough I might keep you around as a servant or a plaything, after I learn all I can from your corpse, I do so love the exotic types.”
“Yes, although that will not be happening.” Octavia snorted.
“Hmph. Bravado.... there is always at least one.” Grogar chuckled.” Surrender to the inevitable.”
“What was that ? Luna asked suddenly.
“.... I said, Surrender.....”
“You surrender ? Good I accept. Now the first thing you are going to do to prove you are sincere in this is to get a mop and clean up her lunch.” Luna stated crisply pointing at Twilight.” The second thing is to trim your hooves, they look ridiculous and they cannot be comfortable to walk on, a mane cut and some styling would not hurt either. After you are finally presentable we shall talk about the reparations for the destruction of the train line and then perhaps lunch.”
Grogar and the others blink at the smirking Changeling Queen, though the Capricorn growls.
“You clearly suffered some sort of head injury during that wreck....”
“And you clearly do not understand the nature of the nest of hornets you just stirred up. What ever plans you have, what ever army you have, what ever defenses you have set up, you had better hope they are very, VERY, good ones. Because you've done something you really shouldn't have and have angered the worst ponies you ever could.” Luna grins wider.
“Hmph like any would dare to come here after me. Nothing can threaten me in my land.” Grogar snorted.
“Starswirl did.” Twilight added catching on to what Luna was getting at. “ And with what's coming, you'll wish you only had to deal with him again.”
“That fool was lucky, no one can touch me here. No one is coming for yo.....” Grogar began before a massive series of booms shake the foundation of the building. The Capricorn's eyes widen at the sound as it repeats.
“Sounds like 'No one' is knocking..... I suggest you see who that is. Perhaps if you are civil the will allow you to choose your manner of execution.” Luna grinned wide showing rather prominent fangs as Twilight mimics the smile as best she can.
Grogar glares at the mares turning suddenly and storming out of the room slamming the door behind him, the sound of several locks being engaged echoing in the room.
The four of them stare at the door a moment before Lyra sighed.
“Well that was fun, so what do we do now? Wait like Princesses for our knights to rescue us?” The green mare muttered, though Luna could feel a small surge of love from her as she was clearly thinking about Bon Bon.
“I for one am not the damsel in distress type.” Luna snorts.
“Then how do you suppose we get out of here with out your magic? I am an earth pony but I'm not strong enough to break the chains.” Octavia commented.
“Maybe we didn't need to talk so much crap to him? I know you might be old hat at this Luna but this is my first foal napping thank you very much.” Twilight grumbled. “I'm freaked out about this now particularly without access to my magic....”
“I'm surprised Jer'rahd hasn't taught you how to deal with out it.” Luna commented.
“Given my connection to the Brilliant Dawn and how often I've been around the Waning Moon there's no way to mute my magic that I can't push past easily and that was before becoming a Princess. Although now there seems to be a way and I'm very curious to study one of these rings... with out it being on my horn.” Twilight muttered. “ So did we need to antagonize him?”
“In this case yes. I needed to cause a distraction.” Luna nodded.
“A distraction? For what?” Lyra questioned.
“Look to your right. Notice any pony missing?” Luna grinned.
The others glance to their right and notice little at the end of the cell but a pile of chains and opened locks.
“Wait what happened to Trixie?” Octavia blinked.
“Trixie is here?” Twilight's eyes widened. “That's who spoke earlier?”
“How did she get out of the chains?” Lyra demanded.
“A great and powerful magician never reveals her tricks...” A voice stated softly, a figure stepping up from the stair well across the room. “Besides, after everything I went through during the War of Gods do you really think I wouldn't learn every single possible escape artist trick that exists?”
The mare moved forward glancing hesitantly to the door.
“How did you get out there?” Lyra stammered.
Trixie smirked and pulled on the cell door, the door opening with out any effort.
“The door is not locked.....” Trixie smirked.
“But the rest of it , Grogar was right there.... Twilight stammered, “You've got those things on your horn too.....”
“Yes, yes, be amazed at the great and Powerful Trixie's skills. But do it later, right now we need to get out of here.” Trixie hisses.
“Agreed. Also Twilight tell us what you know of this creature?” Luna asked as Trixie started working on the locks to her chains. “We need to quickly find out luggage as well. I have a communication Crystal and I expect Twilight has her sword.”
Jer'rahd looked up at the wrecked train car Celestia was swinging in the air to beat against the yellowy shield. It had started as one of the more intact ones remaining and was now little more than a hunk of scrap iron.
“You're paying for that.” Jer'rahd stated calmly as the Princess of the Sun snorted and tossed the hunk of metal back across the beach.
“ Like any one would know that the mangled remains of the train car was not the result of the crash.” Celestia growled.
“They will because I'm gonna tell the Friendship Express head office. You should have just used a rock.” Jer'rahd threatened.
“Agreed, next time I will just use your head.” Celestia growled glaring at the Kirin.
“Seemed to work though. Look.” Jer'rahd nodded towards the shield as the formerly sickly yellow wall shifted and turned clear, showing more wrecked train cars and a single figure staring at the pair of them.
“Yet another curiosity and another alicorn. This will be quite the study session...” The Capricorn noted to himself looking Jer'rahd over with mild interest.
“What do you want?” Jer'rahd stated flatly.
“Is that not my line? You came knocking right in the middle of a rather interesting conversation I was having.” the Capricorn sighed.
“You've destroyed a trade line and are holding at least five of my citizens under this shield of yours. What do you want is a perfect opening line given the situation.” Celestia muttered.” Not exactly as polite as I suggested, but it works.”
“I don't do polite in these situations.” Jer'rahd snorted.
“You don't ever do polite.” Celestia sighed. “ If you do not wish for sudden and violent repercussions for your actions I suggest you drop your shield and allow us to retrieve those of my nation under this dome. If you comply the damage to the rail line can be considered accidental given that it is relatively new and was clearly not here the last time your island was present. This can be ended in a peaceful agreeable manner.”
“Buck are you going back to this again?” Jer'rahd sighed slapping his forehead with a hoof.
“Threats now? Alicorn or not, do you two have any idea who you are addressing?” The Capricorn snarled....” I am...”
“Grogar the necromancer, ruler of the lost country of Tamberlane.” Jer'rahd stated simply cutting him off.
Grogar blinked raising one eye brow as he looked at the Kirin. “That is twice today some one knew me and I am quite certain it has been nearly an eon since I was in this world.....”
“He does that.” Celestia sighed. “ The cutting ponies off part, not the randomly knowing what he shouldn't.“
“Regardless It seems you two have me at a disadvantage. Who are you?” Grogar stated.
“Do we have to do full titles?” Jer'rahd asked.
“We talked about this. Yes.” Celestia responds.
“I must have tuned you out, i never agreed to that.”
“Doesn't matter start naming and be sure to use the ones I gave you as well.” Celestia grinned.
“Only if you use the ones I gave you.” Jer'rahd smirked back.
“You can't give me titles.” Celestia snorted.
“Yes I can, I'm the Regent of Gallopagos. That's more than high enough rank to give you titles.” Jer'rahd smirked.
“None of those titles are suitable, nor clean enough for public record, let alone to say in the company of ….. any one.”
“You don't use what I call you , I sure as buck won't use what you call me.” Jer'rahd complained.
“You are still one of my Guard Captains, I could order you to use them.” Celestia snapped.
“And I can ignore you like I always do.” Jer'rahd snapped back.
Grogar simply stood there and blinked at the argument as it devolved into random name calling and who was more the important one of the pair. This was very very strange. Granted this whole day had been strange, prisoners acting like they were in charge and making threats and now these two.
“Umm, do you and your consort need some time alone? I can come back.” Grogar stated in a moment of silence between the two.
“WHAT!?!” They both yell out turning to glare at the Capricorn, who takes a small step back from the looks.
“Him my consort? I would rather neuter myself.” Celestia snarled.
“Seriously, that's a grievous insult. I have actual taste you know. I don't date mares with 'Wide Load ' tattooed on their flank.” Jer'rahd growled.
“For the last time Kaisur I do NOT have a fat flank!!!” Celestia roared.
“I call it like I see it and when you're in the area, that flank is all any one can see.” Jer'rahd grinned.
“Would you two get to the point?!?” Grogar yells tired of this nonsense.
“Basic Titles?” Celestia sighed after a moment.
“Basic Titles” Jer'rahd nodded.
“I am Princess Celestia of Equestria. Goddess of the Sun.”
“I'm Guard Captain Jer'rahd Kaisur, Regent of Gallopagos, better known as the Demon of Dullahan.”
“I thought you hated that title?” Celestia asked.
“It's grown on me over the years, sounds better than that Manehatten Monster. I was called that for a while there.”
“Good point. Though Monster of Manehatten rolls off the tongue better.” Celestia considered.
“Yes well that is all well and good, but I understood none of that save Goddess of the Sun and Guard Captain. I do not know either Gallopagos nor Equestria. Nor Dullahan or Manhatten for that matter. Still you two are quite foolish to have come out here without an army. Particularly after you claim to be so important of ponies..... and what ever you are.”
“Kirin.” Jer'rahd added.”Sorta.”
“Ahh Kirin... I'll have to make a note of that. Still you come and make threats in a mask of peaceful negotiation.... A thin mask at that....”
“I never claimed to be doing that peace thing, she did.” Jer'rahd stated.
“At any rate I shall not be giving up my guests and i think I shall be taking you two as well since you are here.” Grogar stated. “Capture them, but keep them alive... intact is optional.”
The Capricorn's horns glow brightly the same sickly yellow as the shield. Jer'rahd and Celestia blink their ears perking as the sound of sand shifting fills the air. Glancing back a score of skeletal creatures that looked to have once been donkeys or ponies burst out of the black sand and surround the pair. Old rusted armor of unknown heraldry clung to their forms with bits of dried flesh and blood splattered across it and clinging to the inside of it. Some of them had old weapons caked in rust and marked with chips and cracks, though most had nothing but their own boney flesh.
“This is an act of war you realize?” Celestia stated. “Foal napping and attempting to capture a ruler of a nation. And a regent of another.”
“Call it what you will, war means my armies and power grow. Next time I see you perhaps you will be more civil. If you can still speak after this.” Grogar stated turning away. A sudden blast of heat and light made him turn back just as quickly to look out the clear section of the shield again. The pair hadn't moved though the remnants of a green shield faded around the 'Kirin' and the white alicorn was brushing black ash from her back with a wing.
All around them was nothing but molten glass that was rapidly cooling, no sign of the skeletons he had summoned nor the armor they wore, most of which he knew was enchanted to deflect magic.
“What?!” Grogar stammers.
“Let me tell you what your situation is Grogar.” Celestia stated. “You have made several glaring mistakes.”
“ First off you seek war on a world sick of it. We've had more death and destruction than any one should ever experience in several lifetimes.” Jer'rahd growled. “Equss is sick of it.”
“Secondly you are holding in your land my consort, who is also the co ruler of Equestria and Goddess of the Moon. And my sister, who is his wife and Queen of the Changeling race as well as Lady Regent of Gallopagos.” Celestia listed.
“Your third mistake was thinking the pair of us even NEED an army to destroy you and Tamberlane utterly.” Jer'rahd growled flickers of flame dancing around his muzzle as one of his eyes glows a bright red.
“You have two hours to release those you have or we will be forced to come in and rescue them ourselves. Which will not end well for you.” Celestia stated her mane and tail flicking with flames.
“Two hours is just the hard limit. I suggest you let them out much much sooner.” Jer'rahd snarled as Grogar quickly turned the shield opaque again.
===============================================
The Capricorn regarded the blank wall of the shield a moment. This perhaps was a bit more than he expected, though it wouldn't be the first time he was threatened by those he sought to destroy and conquer. They had to think him daft to believe they would attack when he held their loved ones at bay.
They were foolish for letting him know that he had very valuable hostages now. Still he could not help shake the feeling that it was not a slip in their intimidation,but they told him who he had for a reason. Still he could not figure out why they would, nor why they would tell him who they were fully. Were they fakes? Was it a ploy to keep the hostages alive by making them seem more important?
That had to be it.
The only other option was that they didn't care if he knew and would do exactly as they said. But that was ridiculous, nothing could break Tamberlane's shield. Not even that wizard who stopped him before had been able to get past the island's barrier Without trickery and he was aware of the fault Starswirl found and had fixed it.
This was a bluff, simple as that. Still he should question his... guests, just in case.
Trotting back to their cell he pushed open the door his eyes narrowing as he considered how to question the odd mare, that had to be that Jer'rahd's consort. She seemed the type to be attracted to a brutish warrior type........
Grogar's train of thought suddenly derailed as he stared into the now empty cell. His teeth ground together as he looked around in anger seeing no sign of any of them.
[ Crystal Empire, late afternoon. Great Diamond Hotel ]
“Okay are we good?” a mare asked in the darkness.
“We moved between three hotels before staying at one we shouldn't be able to afford if I hadn't tapped into the Royal account while we were in New Canterlot. We wore disguises that were good enough to fool one of my uncle's top ponies last time we used them. We told everyone we were going to visit Spike and Bleu and told Spike and Bleu we were going to visit the north mountains to check up on Daring's expedition to search for the source of the Smooze, we then told Daring we changed our minds and were going to head back to New Canterlot. We used cash, assumed names and we know both Mom and Twilight are busy with something. We also know your parents are on tour in Japony right now with the rest of the Wonderbolts.” lists a stallion.
“And the rest?”asked the mare.
“Two forms of protection, chocolate syrup, whip cream, and strawberries, plus a decent wine. Room's ready to be warded for sound, flame, and explosions with a spell scroll built to withstand a Disaster Rating of at least two. Soon as I activate it not a soul will be able to find us nor interrupt us........again.”
Scootaloo sighed nodding. The pair of them had really only managed to get together every so often because for some reason their assignments were always on other sides of the country from one another. They wrote each other a lot and the pair had actually managed to develop the relationship beyond a couple of awkward dates. Still forces seemed to be conspiring against them which made the pair of stubborn ponies grow that much closer. Scootaloo blamed her dad while Pip was certain it was his mom, of course when they brought it up both Luna and Soarin fervently denied any sort of tampering at all, the whole time suggesting that they should perhaps think about dating someone else in twenty or thirty more years.
Jer'rahd and Spitfire were both useless in terms of assistance, as both of them thought their significant others actions were hilarious. Still they at least confirmed that the Changeling Queen and the second in command of the Wonderbolts were up to something.
“I can't believe we need to go this far just to have some alone time.” Pip grumbles.”Your dad is nuts. Every single break we have and he rigs something to block us.”
“Your mom's not much better. Remember the sudden emergency that turned out to be little more than a bunny stampede? The paper work alone killed all our time off.” Scootaloo sighed flicking her wing and lighting one of the candles in the room before moving to the next. The mare moved around the room wearing a large robe that had holes cut in it for her wings. Pip was sitting on the edge of the bed looking over the scroll and a few other items nearby.
“But enough about that. “Scootaloo purrs. “Nothing is gonna interrupt this time.”
“Maybe unless you count that big robe of yours.” Pip chuckled.
“The robes not important, it's what's underneath it.”
Pip grinned.”I do hope it's nothing....I rather enjoy it when you wear that.”
“I usually wear that.” Scootaloo chuckled “Along with nearly every other pony in Equss.”
“You say that like it's a bad thing.” Pip smiled.
“Not really, but I do know how you keep looking at me while I'm in uniform.. so I got an old one … I’m sure you can help me take it off, or at least the parts that matter. Now activate the damn scroll before....”
“HELP!!”
Pip and Scootaloo freeze at the scream, ears perking up as they slowly looked around.
“What was that?” Pip asked.
“I didn't hear anything” Scootaloo commented.
“Yeah me neither.” Pip nods getting ready to cast the scroll again.
“SOME PONY HELP!!”
“Buck,” Pip muttered.
“Seriously it's fine some one else will help.” Scootaloo stated.
“WHY WILL NO ONE HELP!?!?”
“It's probably something we aren’t trained to deal with....” Pip suggested.
“SOME ONE PLEASE HELP! THERES FIRE EVERYWHERE!!”
“Fire departments issue?” Scootaloo sighed.
“SOME ONE PLEASE HELP, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT IS BUSY WITH A FIRE ACROSS TOWN!”
“How does he even know that..... Any way there's fire exits he can get himself out.....” Pip groaned.” The scroll would keep us safe if the fire spreads....”
“THE FIRE EXITS ARE BLOCKED AND THERES FOALS AND SMALL ANIMALS IN HERE THAT I CAN'T RESCUME MYSELF DUE TO MY BROKEN LEG!”
The pair of ponies look at each other and lowered their heads in defeat.
“My uniform?” Pip asked.
“In the closet. I'll just wear this for unfun non sexy time....” Scootaloo growled tossing off the robe and pulling the Wonderbolt hood on over her head.
“Well you were right it does look good on you.” Pip grinned grabbing his weapon harness and Guard Id from the closet, slipping it on as he and Scootaloo head out of the room to see ponies rushing past talking about a building across the street burning.
“I swear by Twilight's mighty wisdom hoof if dad set this up I will kill him.” Scootaloo growled.
This infiltration was far easier than he had expected. Getting into the city was almost a joke. He had secured a few more of the coin purses without any effort and had purchased a small room in a inn near the water front for a few days. He had sent his first missive back to his master via a seagull he had caught and killed in an ally a few hours ago, the bird was far too used to ponies and thought he had food. The information he sent Grogar wasn't likely to be very useful, but it showed a number of promising leads for those who could be targeted first to leave the nation in disarray. He had yet to find a library, but he had stopped looking after finding a seedy little establishment by the dock. Poking his nose in he found something else he was looking for.
A bar.
He got glares and scowls from the sailors and longshore ponies in the run down place as he came in, but he couldn't care any less about what they thought of him at the moment. Besides after a few free rounds for them all, most of the bar was acting like the noble looking Donkey had been their best friend all his life.
Bray smirked a little from his table, the alcohol was weaker than he recalled, though this sort of pub clearly watered it down. Still the two tavern wenches pressed up on either side of him and the group of burly looking ponies gathered around was just what he needed. He knew they only were close because they thought he had money, he did, but not the amount they thought he had.
Still in this state it was easy enough to weave a spell to turn their false friendship into real loyalty. Enough so that he was certain one or both of the mares could easily be convinced to warm his bed that night, something else he had not had the pleasure of in a long long time. Bray knew he could do better than a couple of tavern wenches, but with as little time as he had it was better to take what he could get, and it was not if they were bad looking, particularly the light green pegasus. Though she could do with less makeup.
He was considering on what he was to do with his new 'friends' when the door to the bar was flung inward with enough force to send scraps of the wooden door across the floor all the way to the far wall, along with a sizable portion of the wall that the hinges had been attached to.
In the doorway was what appeared to pony dressed in a red robe with a hood that hid the figures face in shadow. As the figure shifted it's gaze to look around, Bray could see there was a mask covering it's muzzle under the hood as well as a pair of red tinged goggles. The legs were all wrapped in some sort of red leathery looking material as well, save the front left one, that one was wrapped in back.
The bar had gone silent and Bray was of the opinion that they didn't know who it was either. The pony turned it's head slightly giving the impression of scanning the bar room, before it's eyes seemed to lock on Bray.
Of course who ever it was was after him, he couldn't be lucky enough that it was after some one else.
He didn't recall stealing this ponies wallet so it was likely something else. Bray shifted uncomfortably as the figure advanced towards him shoving a table out of the way without so much as a glance. There was an air of menace around this figure that made Bray wary and more than a little fearful. Still he had not been in town a full day yet, there was no way any one would know who he was.
“You are Bray?” the figure stated coldly, the voice husky but clearly feminine.
Well shit. Still she wasn't certain so a quick lie could fix this.
“Yeah so what if he is, what do you want?” one of the bigger and dumber of his 'friends' stated turning to glare down at the hooded mare.
Bray slapped his forehead with his hoof. Bad idea using his real name, so much for the trickery option. Still he didn't know what she wanted yet....
“I've been authorized by Princess Celestia to bring you back alive for questioning, or in a bag.” The mare stated completely ignoring the pony as she focused soly on Bray. “ This is the only time you get this choice.”
Oh buck, Bray thought.
“Lady I don't think you know who you're messing with..” Another of the brutes stated, a griffon this time. The mare shifted her head a little looking over the crowd.
“Glassy eyes, faint odor of pickled beats fully defensive of the Donkey rather than the damage to the bar..... I know exactly what I am dealing with. I'm dealing with a swarm of magically en-scrolled ponies, and one very much under arrest ass.” the mare stated with a snort.
“Keep her away from me.” Bray stated suddenly as a few more of his new friends moved forward surrounding the mare.
“I see. Option two then. Just so you know, all I have on me is a sandwich baggy, so I’m gonna have to be real creative to fit you in it.” The mare stated flatly with no hint of humor in her voice despite the joke.... at least Bray hoped it was a joke, the mares tone made it seem she was simply stating a fact.
The largest pony who was the first to speak to her was also the first to act. The large earth pony brute swung a rather large hoof at the mare with a surprising speed for one of his size. The mare ducked under the hay maker and slammed both her fore hooves into the stallion’s belly, knocking the air from him and then using his own forward momentum to fling the brute overhear shoulder into the ones who had gathered behind her.
The brute hadn't even impacted the others before the mare was moving again. She pivoted on one rear hoof using the other to lash out and catch a griffon across the beak, dropping him like a sack of potatoes.
The others finally started to react and a pegasus rushed her scooping up a bar stool to swing her way. The mare side stepped the swing and lashed out with a hoof, a silver cord flung out from within the black wrappings on her leg and wrapped around one of the stool's legs catching it for her to yank backwards hard. The pegasus found his impromptu weapon yanked out of his hooves and smashed into his own face as he too dropped like a rock.
By this time the brute had gotten back up and rushed her again rearing up to tower over her as he brought both his fore hooves down in a ax handle slam.
The mare didn't even lift her head , but she turned and shot one fore hoof up , stopping the blow dead. Both bray and the brute gaped in surprise as the mare whirled about swinging around the brutes forearm and slamming both her rear hooves into the side of his head sending him flying across the room into a table that shattered under his weight, this time down for the count.
Bray's eyes narrowed, the brute's foreleg was as big as all of this mare... how...? Bray closed his eyes briefly muttering a spell opening them a little scanning the mare for magic. He yelped loudly shutting his eyes tight and trying hard not to scream at the massive flare of light that hit him the moment the spell activated. This mare was a walking armory of magic.
Bray blinked back the spots from his eyes feeling a wing on his arm guiding him off, a pair of forms pressed to either side guiding him away from the table. The bar wenches it seemed opted to help him escape rather than try and fight, a wise move. He followed along his vision swimming as they led him behind the bar towards a door leading to a back room.
A sudden yelp and a crash as something shoved into his side made him look down ,his vision blurry. Evidently one of the Diamond Dogs had been flung over the bar and crashed into the unicorn mare that had been guiding him, knocking her out cold.
Bray cursed glancing to the light green pegasus still trying to guide him away from the brawl. They managed to make it to the back door and Bray paused sparing a glance back at the fight.
The mare barely seemed touched, he could see a curl of her mane had come loose from under her hood, dark blue and pink in coloration, though she didn't even seem winded, and at least eight of his followers lay scattered on the floor around her. They were all clearly alive however, so it seemed she might be some servant of the law, unwilling to kill, he could use that if he faced her again.
Her head turned suddenly staring right at him,her goggle covered eyes locked with Bray's giving the impression of sudden anger. She shifted flicking her red wrapped tail suddenly. The motion was thrown off by a unicorn trying to blast her with a energy bolt,forcing her to dodge mid attack.
Bray knew that the attack was thrown off, because one of the daggers nicked his ear and ripped his new hat from his head along with a few strands of his mane and a bit of his scalp before sticking in the wall above the bar pinning the clothing to the wood. The second blade launched from that tail hit the only other part of him that was exposed, his right leg, sticking into the bone just below his knee.
He sucked in breath wincing as he glared down at the dagger, his eyes widening in terror as he saw the orange glow of runes getting brighter on the hilt of the blade. He didn't hesitate and quickly formed a shield around part of his leg and the weapon dropping to the floor to hide from the one above his head.
He barely manged to do so as both daggers suddenly exploded in explosion of spell fire.
Bray screamed as he shoved himself through the door behind the bar, the remains of his leg trapped in the bubble shield he had put around the weapon was little more than crimson mist and chunks of gore, everything below his knee was gone as was a fair sized section of the wall over his head and his hat.
He was wrong, this mare could very much kill, and if not for that unicorn she would have done so.
Bray cursed half laying over the green mare as she helped him rush out the back door into the alleys behind the bar. Bray cursed as he hobbled down the ally with her forcing himself to become calm. He had to fix this and he didn't have time to waste, the mooks in the bar wouldn't hold her long.
“Stop here a moment.” He commanded looking over to the mare as she let him down. It was a pity about this next bit, he had been hoping to bed her.
Sweetie Drops heard the scream as she broke a stool over the head of the last of the bar patrons. She had not been gentile,but she had refrained from being lethal. Most would recover with only minor injuries, the rest might need a hospital trip, but they would live.
The scream was not her doing however.
She darted out the way the Donkey had gone, bursting through a small kitchen and into an ally that ran around the back of the bar.
There was the target running out into the street at the far end of the ally. She took a step towards him looking to catch up when a whimper drew her attention. Laying in a pile of refuse was the green pegasus mare that had helped Bray escape. She was alive and swearing after the Donkey between whimpers, but she was covered in blood. Sweetie Drops winced noting that one of her legs had been completely severed just below the knee and was gushing blood all over the ally. She glanced up as Bray rounded the corner running at top speed.
She switched her gaze between the two and bit her tongue lightly.
“Dammit”
She dropped down next to the mare tapping her com as she did so, she tore a section of her cloak free for a tourniquet. She flinched noting the color fading from the mare as she went into shock.
“Control this is Agent Drops. Code alpha four two, mission code ,'Wide Load' copy? ”
“Control here Drops, Code identified and acknowledged, counter code 'shut the hell up Kaisur' This is Green Two, I'll be your handler this mission, what do you need?”
“Have you been filled in on my mission parameters?”
“Yes sir.”
“Good Bray has been confirmed in Manehatten, I had eyes on, but lost him. New data on subject he is a spell caster and at the very least knows a level three mind control spell. There are twenty one injured in the Bannered Mare at dock side at the south end. I'll need a level two team to fix their memories from the charm and a EMT for injuries and for a pegasus mare behind the bar, she was under control as well, though Bray removed her limb for some reason. She is currently going into shock I am bringing her back into the bar's kitchen after I make sure she isn't trapped.”
“Confirmed agent, EMT and Guard detail will be there in five. Recommend you get what info you can from the bar and vacate before they arrive unless you want to answer questions.”
“Acknowledged, Drops out.”
The mare looked over the injured pony a moment more before picking her up and carrying her back into the kitchen, She set her down and sighed. Same coloration almost.... cutie mark looked more like an anchor than a harp but at a glance she couldn't help make the connection between the pegasus mare and Lyra. That was sloppy. She let her emotions get in the way of stopping Bray. That wouldn't happen again. Saving this one mare's life might cost others theirs later on. Still despite her flash of anger she was supposed to take him alive, despite Guard Captain Kaisur's orders the Donkey might have information on how to get Lyra back..... and the Princess and the others...
She sets the mare on the counter in the kitchen , shoving everything aside to lay her down. She pulled a small crystal from her cloak , breaking it over the mares stump. The minor healing spell wouldn't stop the bleeding fully, but it would slow it more. The mare would be crippled, but she would live.
Sweetie Drops moved back through the door way into the bar. Her eyes drifted down to the bloody mess that had fallen on the floor ,the remains of Bray's right leg. The blood and goop had turned black and solidified into a jello like substance that reeked of death. The mare considered it, scooping some up in a small baggy and tucking it away before heading back out of the kitchen hearing the sirens in the distance getting closer.
Sweetie Drops took note of the missing right fore limb of the pegasus and frowned recalling Bray running, not limping.
She toggled the com again as she darted out the door, slinging a line to the top of a nearby building and pulling herself to the top of it.
“Control, another add on to Bray's file. He is a confirmed necromancer.”
Bray swore loudly as he ran, keeping his head down and shucking off his cloak and the fancy clothes the mare had seen him in. He needed to get far away from that place and that mare. She had stopped to help the pegasus, something he had bet on when he left her alive after he got what he wanted. Still he needed to make it to the water before she caught up with him. He knew there were River Ponies patrolling the water way, but he only needed to move further along the city and perhaps find a place to hide out until he could rest and get used to his new leg.
The donkey ran on, hobbling on a new green right leg, one slightly too tall for his body. It wouldn't be the first time that he needed to replace a body part. Bray had been around much longer than Grogar and had taught the Capricorn a number of things before his student surpassed him by leaps and bounds. Still when he was king he had raised the abandoned Capricorn foal like his own son, and there was still some of that feeling tying Grogar to Bray. So long as the donkey did what he was told, Grogar and the island were content to let him live.
Of course this current situation was new. He was being hunted, by some one excessively powerful with access to items and strengths he had never even seen before, at a power level unheard of in his time. The spell latices around her alone from the bit he was able to decipher were the work of a master with skill far beyond anything he had seen. The mare clearly had no qualms about killing him, and he doubted he would be able to use the same trick twice.
Bray made it to the water dropping down into it river and swimming down under the docks. The gills he had grafted in from a seapony years or eons ago still functioned, but the waters pollution burned them. Maybe those of this day were used to it, but he certainly wasn't. Still he quickly found what he was looking for under one of the docks. An old drain pipe that lead up into one of the abandoned factories on the waters edge.
He followed the pipe cutting though or moving the few rusty grates there were before emerging from the pipe into a dry vat of some kind, there didn't seem to be any way in or out of the vat save some small pipes at the top and the way he came in.
While resting in a waste disposal tank was not his idea a good time, it was better than nothing, and he had slept in worse places. Besides it was safe.
Still he needed to find a way to keep the mare and who ever she worked for off his back while he learned more about the new world.
Scootaloo landed, dropping off another load of small kittens that were in the apartment above the bakery. The room's owner and the foals he had there, were the first ones out of the building. She had also rescued an iguana, three rabbits, the six kittens, and a giant dog named Princess Little Piddles. She stopped short of saving anything that wasn't alive, mostly cause the floor was about to give out and parts had fallen into the apartment below already. Luckily there didn't seem to be any one else home this time of day and those in the bakery had all seemed to have gotten out already.
“Oh thank you Ma'am... I didn't know what I’d do if any of the fluffies were harmed....” stated a neon blue and pink crystal pony. The stallion looked surprisingly like Aloe from the Ponyville spa right down to the flowery cutie mark which turned out to be a 'blooming onion' and not a flower according to him. “I am sorry about your partner though.”
“Hmm? What about Pip?” Scootaloo demanded.
“He ran into that fire ten minutes ago and he hasn't come out yet. He can't have survived that... poor brave thing.”
Scootaloo snorted in annoyance.
“Oh is that all. Yeah he's fine.” Scootaloo stated.” It's only a fire, the structures not collapsed fully and doesn't seem in danger to do so also most of the smoke is being filtered out. Though all the open windows.”
“But.....” the stallion began, blinking as a figure walked out of the flames with a large bundled form on his back.
“Lieutenant are the Crystal Guard here?” Pip demanded.
“Not yet. But every pony's out of the building.” Scootaloo stated walking over to the earth pony who shook the soot out of his mane. “What's this then?”
“The cause of the fire I’d assume. Look's like one of the bakers left the stove on, and then passed out. I found him there on the floor still asleep. He needs medical attention from smoke inhalation and some mild burns, he's lucky the fire went up the wall instead of down over the floor. If the Guards not here soon I’ll need you to fly him over there while I handle things here.” Pip grumbled.
“I take by the fact you are addressing me by rank we are not getting back to our room anytime soon......” Scootaloo muttered as Pip nodded with a sigh.
Scootaloo groaned, the pair were the same rank, though Pip generally had the better logistics, while Scootaloo had the better instincts and on the fly planning. In action he followed her lead and the reverse was true with premission or post mission situations. Still they two of them worked very well together and rarely stepped on each others hooves
“Alright lieutenant..... “ Scootaloo sighed lifting her head to shout to the crowd. “Hey where's the bakery's owner?!”
“That would be me!” A fairly thin mare with a white mane and tail runs up to the pair of them wincing at the sight of the figure bundled in the curtains on Pip's back. “I'm Red Velvet... Is that... is that Maple Walnut? He's the only one of my bakers missing.”
“Not sure, brown mane and tail, unicorn, tree and a nut as a cutie mark.” Pip lists as the mare nods. “He's alive, but barely breathing. He's suffering from some burns and smoke inhalation. Lieutenant there's the Guard, good they have a flying chariot, take him over there while I ask a few questions.”
“Right.. Scootaloo sighed gently lifting the pony off Pip's back and gliding the bundled figure over the crowd towards the ambulance chariot.
“Fire proof curtains? Pip commented looking at the mare.
“Worth every bit if they helped save him.” Velvet responded.
“They helped. I don't suppose you know if anything was wrong with him?”
“I don't think so... I mean he said he wasn't sleeping much, something about horrid nightmares, but a few of us have had that lately, stress from several large orders I assumed. No pony has been getting much sleep for about a week now. Other than that no I don't think so.”
“He looked like he had passed out and left the stove on, what ever he was cooking likely caught fire and broke the fire crystal in the stove. There will be a full investigation, but that's just what I assumed from a glance. Don't quote me on it, my jobs not investigation.”
“ I won't .. but … how are you not burned you were in there quite a while...?” Red Velvet asked as Pip reached up, absent mindly rubbing one of the metal studs in his ear.
“Nothing to worry about miss. Let's just say I deal with fire quite often and have protection from it.” Pip commented his gaze shifting around the crowd gathered. His eyes narrowing as he noticed a number of ponies yawning, and nearly all of them looked tired, some with rather dark circles under their eyes including the Guards and rescue workers.
“Two hours? For bucks sake we should have given the fool twenty seconds.” Jer'rahd snarled pacing across the sand as Celestia sorted through the fallen train cars.
“Keep in mind Kaisur there is the small matter of the bell. While I doubt that was it around his neck we need to make sure that that bell does not get rung or we will lose those he has trapped. We might vanish as well along with the island.
“He can't ring it if I take off his head before he moves a hoof.” Jer'rahd snorted.
Celestia ignored him pulling out a few pieces of luggage with a small sigh. “ Looks like they went through the cars out here as well. There's a few letters and some ponies clothes. “Celestia stated pulling out a purple cape covered in stars and moons.
“Why are you going through the wreckage any way?” Jer'rahd demanded.
“To see if there might be any bodies on this side. We know five ponies were on that train and I want to know if he has them all or if some didn't make it.”
Jer'rahd nodded lightly leaving her to it as he moved to study the shield again. Something about this thing seemed odd. A shield of this size should have been using quite a bit of energy. Grogar showed no signs of strain or even that he was casting it, his magic also seemed two tone which was very odd, granted so was the Capricorn casting spells at all. He knew Ram's could cast some basic spells, but their skill was mostly shamanistic.
He paused his ears perking as he turned his head looking back at his side to the sheathed Waning Moon. The weapon seeming to tremble against his side with a rage of it's own. Jer'rahd frowned, there was only one time his weapon did that sort of thing, and he didn't like what it might mean. He turned away from the shield moving closer to one of the train cars half in and half out of the shield. Feeling the shake of his sword grow stronger Jer'rahd poked around in the sand and debris finding a box half buried in the sand. He cursed lightly yanking the box free, black sand pouring off it with a hiss.
“Shit.” Jer'rahd stated recognizing the box.
“What is it?” Celestia demanded moving over next to him and spotting the case, cursing under her breath as well.
“Twilight's not as well off in there as I hoped.” Jer'rahd growled as he opened the case.
Celestia's eyes narrowed as the open case revealed a silvery sword, the weapon was doubled bladed like the Waning Moon, but the twin blades were straight and double sided on either side of the white grip. The weapon glowed softly as a soft gold flame danced around the blade.
“The Brilliant Dawn.” Celestia stated flatly. She closed her eyes a moment exhaling. “ She wouldn't willingly leave this. “ She looked up at the shield, her jaw setting as her magic gripped the blade and pulled it free of the case, the golden flame around the weapon becoming a raging inferno of light as Celestia lifted the sword. The weapon recognizing it's co creator, much as the waning Moon did with Luna.
“I think perhaps that this may work out to our advantage any way.” Celestia commented looking over the blade.
“Provided you remember your training and don't manage to stab yourself with it.” Jer'rahd grumbled.
Fire. The air was filled with fire, one couldn't breath without scorching their lungs. The sky itself seemed ablaze, choked with thick black smoke and flames. The roar of the fires filled her ears, a symphony of devastation with a chorus of dying screams adding an accompaniment. The deep base like booms and crashes as wall and buildings collapsed and tumbled creating a terrible melody that seemed the end of all things.
Despite the state of it she recognized this place. How could she not? It was her home.
She turned as the monument arch over the great stairway fell, the stone shattering on the stairs and tumbling down them rolling over the chard and eviscerated bodies lining the stairs. There were one or two shrieks of those not quite dead as the massive stones rolled over them, though mostly the sound was just of rock striking rock with the occasional squelch as a rock pulped a body in passing as they tumbled down the steps towards the remains of the Ponyville district. Behind her a thunderous boom sounded as the Castle itself fell. The newly rebuilt structure was reenforced and rebuilt far stronger than ever before and now it was little more than a still burning pile of rubble, it was gone. The place she grew up was nothing now.
New Canterlot was no more.
Rynthia shivered, her eyes scanning over everything as she shook standing in the one spot that seemed to not be burning, but it was soaked in blood, blood that seemed to ooze off her hooves and her limbs. Her fur was sticky with it...
She had done this she had killed every......
“Wow Stripy, this is pretty dark.... have you been reading mommies horror novels again?” a chipper voice all but shouts from behind her.
Rynthia yelped leaping into the air, whirling in place to see a burning figure standing before her now. It appeared to be a black alicorn with an amber mane and tail, though the chard flesh and melting skin made her question that even.
Unlike the other burning figures this one didn't seem to notice it was on fire. Or even acknowledge it was in any pain. In fact it sounded like....
“Dawn?” Rynthia questioned.
“Who else would it be Stripy? Well maybe Fluffy Butt or Brainy.... both of them are pretty smart.” Dawn rambled. “ But I haven't seen them yet, soooooooo maaaay be the spell worked?”
“What!? Well this is new..... what, what has happened to you?” Rynthia stammered looking at the gory mess of her sister.
“Well despite what I wanted I took a nap cause you guys wanted me too. I went through a stupid dream about daddy getting killed by some stupid monster and I couldn't help but laugh at it cause no way ever daddy'd get killed by something that looked like a bowl of lime jello that had gotten loose. Then everything went all swirly and stary for a moment then I caught your scent and flew through a window and I wound up here.” Dawn answered. “ Though honestly I think I'd rather deal with the jello monster, this place is just icky...”
Rynthia blinked at that. A dream? Of course it was a dream, she would never do anything to New Canterlot, nor any one in it. The Zebra filly closed her eyes tight, the screams and crackle of the flames fading as she fought to control her fear of this happening, not something that was fully possibly, but when she opened her eyes she was greeted by her undamaged Kirin shaped sister floating in front of her, stretched out on her back on her back giggling as she spun around in mid air her wings fanning madly to keep her spinning.
Rynthia lifted her head looking around seeing nothing but darkness filled with countless stars. The Zebra filly drew in a sharp breath in awe as she floated in the stary void.
“Pretty ain't it?” Dawn grinned spinning in the air and chasing her own tail. “ Gets boring after a while, but it kinda changes every so often.”
“I did not expect that I would soar.... wait, you have been here before?” Rynthia asked.
“Yeah, when I was like real little I remember coming here with mommy all the time. I don't remember much but I know I'm kinda comfortable here. And I think all these little dots every where are other ponies.” Dawn sweeps her arms wide gesturing to the massive collection of stars in the void.
“This place still seems amiss, I do not think the spell was supposed to do this.” Rynthia commented.
“This is the place where mommy used to walk between dreams back before auntie Twilight took over.” Dawn stated getting a confused glance from Rynthia that her sister was teaching her something.
“The book said it would lead here but I never thought.....”
“It would be this pretty?” Dawn grinned cutting off the rhyme though Rynthia didn't seem to notice.
“Where are the others, are they near? Every one was supposed to be here.”
“Probably same as you were, stuck in a dream... I found you and I can smell Buggy and 3p. Auntie Cadence makes them use that icky soap for washing up and I can't not smell it.” Dawn gags.
“Then we have no time to wait, let us find them before it's too late.”
=================================================
[Six years after the defeat of Tirek, late winter.]
Elusive yawned softly looking out the window of his room in Darwhinny keep. He and Talon were both here, having been brought along by uncle Jer'rahd on one of his rare trips to the island. He wasn't sure why, but neither his mother [Twilight] nor mom[ Celestia] really cared for the island. Auntie Luna and Uncle Jer'rahd were the same way, but at least he understood Uncle Jer'rahd's dislike, his mom said he was allergic to paperwork and he had to do a lot of it when he came here.
Neither of his parents would really say why, though Elusive was smart enough to know it likely had to deal with his real mom and dad. That was a subject his mother never wanted to bring up, and when he asked it often made his mother cry so he stopped asking.
He wasn't sure why Talon was brought along though, likely to keep him company, though his Hippogryph friend spent all his time in one of the islands libraries. During the war with Tirek a sizable number of Kirin had stayed behind during the evacuation trying to save all the history of their race that they could. Most were killed by Tirek during the few days where he sought to obliterate the island. Though threw the sacrifices of those scholars, Gallopagos still had nearly all of it's thousand years of history saved, thus after the war it was the largest collection of historical knowledge outside the Crystal Empire, and the Kirin even had books that the Crystal Empire did not.
This made it especially weird that his mother didn't like this place.
Elusive rather liked it though. The old palace was gone, turned to dust along with most of the original city, but it wasn't the building, it was the land itself. It just felt.... like he was supposed to be here. He didn't know how to explain it.
Any further thought in the matter was cut off by a knock at the door to his room. He blinked at that, Talon wouldn't knock and he was the only one who Elusive expected to show up.
“Elusive, you awake?” a voice questioned making the white Kirin's ears perk as a gray furred and amber maned figure poked his head in.
“Uncle Jer'rahd sir!” Elusive stammered not expecting Jer'rahd to come visit him, particularly not while he was supposed to be holding court. “What did you need sir? I thought you were in court?”
“I still am, we broke for a recess. There's a case coming up I want you to sit in on. You don't need to do anything but listen. But I will want your opinion on it in the end.”
The seven year old Kirin blinked at that before nodding and following along after the larger Kirin. Mother and mom said uncle Jer'rahd wasn't really a Kirin, and he certainly didn't look like Elusive, but he was close enough to be counted as one now, and Elusive didn't care about the specifics any way.
Jer'rahd and Elusive were immediately flanked by two Guards that Elusive knew immediately, Elecktra and Talia. The pair of them had come back to Gallopagos with their families rather than stay to guard him in Canterlot, though the pair of them immediately took to their old duties the moment Elusive set hoof on the island.
The pair of them split off form Jer'rahd, guiding him to one of the balconies lining the great hall and to a seat that gave him a good view of the floor below, but where few if any others aside from those by the thrones could see him.
Jer'rahd sat down at a small desk in front of the thrones, choosing not to sit in either of them despite the fact he was the regent. The two thrones were reconstructions of the thrones used by his parents. One was a black onyx draped with greens and blues, though relatively unadorned with anything fancy. The other was a white pearl throne with three blue diamonds set in a pattern above the head of who ever sat in the soft royal purple velvet cushions. Unlike the black throne, this one was carved in insane details and designs.
The thrones of his parents. Well recreations any way.
“Look to those in the stands Lord Elusive. “ Talia commented.
Elusive swallowed as he looked down over the edge of the balcony at those gathered in the court directly below him.
On one side of the room in the rows of seats set up for the court were a mixed group of ponies and Kirin, most of them seemed to be of noble stature. At the very least their clothing seemed rich.
On the other side of the room in a near identical selection of seats were another group of ponies and Kirin, though there were a number of changelings on this side as well. A trio of ponies were sitting at the front of seats and given a bit of space by the others stood out to him for some reason.
Two males and a female. The older male looked horrified and distraught over something. The younger male and female about the same age as the older male seemed about ready to leap from their seats and murder some one.
The doors below him burst open and the crowd started to mummer among themselves. Two massive Kirin Guards brought forth a chocolate furred and golden maned unicorn pony bound in chains, marching him through the middle of the court to stand before the desk.
Two other official looking ponies moved forward to to stand on either side of the desk that Jer'rahd sat behind. One was a black furred male Kirin with a slick suit and slicked back hair, the other was a blond colored Kirin mare with a yellow colored mane and tail who seemed perpetually annoyed.
The prisoner seemed undeterred as he marched on with the air of triumph despite his chains.
“Last case of the day sir.” the male well dressed Kirin by Jer'rahd spoke.
“I know this one Fielding. Bailiff read the charges.” Jer'rahd stated briefly looking up at the pony in chains before lowering his head to go over a stack of paper work before him.
A massive minotaur that Elusive had some how missed coughed lightly and ran a hand between his horns and over his bald head. He wore a uniform like the Guard though Elusive could see a name tag on his massive chest that read 'Tannon'.
“Yes sir. The accused is Golden Savior, birth name of Bark Beetle, owner of Golden Holistics and Alchemy supply at three six one, 22nd street. Accused is charged with first degree premeditated murder, resisting arrest, attempting to start a riot, treasonous slander against the crown, and willful endangerment.” The minotaur stated.
“How do you plead?” Jer'rahd demanded not really seeming paying attention.
“Not guilty of course. Save to the slander bit. I think you are doing a shit job as regent.” Golden stated with a smirk.
“Noted, charge dropped as being irrelevant, I don't care what any one says about me and every one is welcome to their opinions. “ Jer'rahd stated waving a hoof in the air and signing something else as the Kirin mare made a note of what was said. “ What of the rest of it? Same plea?”
“Of course. I didn't kill any one, I swatted a bothersome insect.” The chained pony stated.
The entire court suddenly went silent at that. A few of the Guards spared a glance at Jer'rahd who had finally lifted his head from his paperwork to stare at the pony before him.
“Excuse me?” Jer'rahd demanded.
“Did I stutter? All I did was squash a bug. To be honest you should all be giving me a freaking parade, that's one less insect that we need to destroy. They should all be wiped out.”
“The Changelings you mean? All of them, infants as well?”
“Of course all of them especially the larva, they'll only grow up to threaten us, kill them before they get a chance.”
“Genocide. You're talking about the extinction of a race.” Jer'rahd stated flatly. The bailiff and the two Kirin on the other side of the table looked quickly between the gray and orange Kirin seated on one side of the table and the black and gold maned unicorn stallion on the other. The three of them and a number of Guards seemed rather nervous for some reason.
“Crap.... it's going off the rails. Talia we need to get the young lord out of here before he loses it......” Elecktra began though Talia shook her head looking down to meet Jer'rahd's gaze as he glanced up to them.
“Lord Elusive. I believe this is something you may need to pay close attention too.” Talia stated.
Jer'rahd sighed reaching a hoof up to scratch a bit of fur growth under his chin. It wouldn't be the first time he tried to grow a beard, though he would likely shave the moment it was long enough for Luna to poke fun of his attempt.
“I take you have some sort of issue with the Changelings then?” Jer'rahd stated calmly. His comment confusing the Guards around as several kept glancing towards his eyes as if expecting something.
Elusive was rather confused by their antics, but he didn't want to ask as he might miss what some one said.
“They attacked us, killed thousands, how many others have they foal napped, or drained to husks over the years, they should have all been wiped out when we had the chance...” Golden Savior ranted getting a few boos and curses from the crowd, though a rather sizable number of cheers or at least sounds of encouragement. Most of the praise came from the well to do side of the court, but not all.
“I take you did not read any of the books that have been published, seen any of the pamphlets passed out about Changelings, since their acceptance into Equestrian society?” Jer'rahd questioned.
“Slanderous Rubbish, that propaganda isn't fit to read...”
“Willful ignorance.” Fielding muttered.
“It is not willful ignorance to protect yourself from lies.....” Golden shouted.
“Tell me Bark did you lose any one in Canterlot to either of the Changeling attacks on the city?” Jer'rahd demanded.
“It's Golden!”
“Bark, answer the question.” Jer'rahd said flatly not seeming to care about the name change. “ Any family, friends, pets, anyone?”
Bark was silent a moment as he stared at the Kirin behind the desk.
“No. I was a resident of Manehatten at the time. Most of my family lives in Seaddle.” Golden admited.
“Places that the Changelings never came any where near. In fact places that we are well aware had few if any infiltrators in at all.” Jer'rahd commented.
“ Does it matter where I lived, it's easy to see the evil in these things. You only defend them because you're married to one. Your views are prejudice any way, you're likely controlled and shouldn't be allowed to lead any way. This court is a farce!!” Golden roared, the crowd behind him roaring along with him with angry shouts. Some yelling that he was correct others screaming about how he was a fool.
Jer'rahd sat still, his eyes closed as he listened to every one around him rant, his ears slowly flattening to his head as the screaming match continued. The Guards and the court ponies seemed unsure of what to do for a moment, though the Guards at least had moved forward trying to calm the crowd.
Elusive was rather confused at why his Uncle was letting this go on. He could have stopped everything didn't this pony kill some one?
Jer'rahd opened his eyes looking up at the balcony as the ranting continued. His red and green gaze meeting Elusive's aqua colored eyes before he lowered his head again focusing on the unicorn in chains before him. His horn lit green briefly, a color matched by a small gem on the desk before him.
“Silence.”
The order though spoken softly boomed though the hall, the reverberation of the sound crystal shaking the core of the building and causing a few of those gathered to fall out of their chairs in surprise. The Guard's tensed as they looked back at him though Jer'rahd looked a little sheepish at the sudden explosion of sound himself.
Jer'rahd's magic faded from the stone as he put a hoof over it and slid it over to the Kirin mare.
“Miss Sullivan please have the mages turn this down a few notches, that was a bit too much.”
“Yes sir. Though you must admit it was effective.” The mare stated taking the stone and putting it in one of her saddle bags.
“Now do I have every ones attention ? Good. Let us start with the beginning here. First off I did not marry a Changeling. I married the Goddess of the Night, one of the rulers of Equestria. Granted she did not marry a Kirin, she married a pony, but I digress. Princess Luna, became a Changeling voluntarily in order to save Equss itself from Tirek.......”
“More propaganda....” Golden started jerking back when Jer'rahd lept up from his chair slamming both hooves down onto the top of the desk with enough force to shatter one of the legs and put a large crack in the surface of it.
“BARK, SHUT UP WHEN I AM TALKING OR SO HELP ME I WILL PERSONALY TEAR OUT YOUR TONGUE AND FLOG YOU TO DEATH WITH IT JUST TO SEE IF I CAN!!” Jer'rahd roared his eye flaring a brilliant crimson.
A faint cough from above drew the pissed off Regents attention to the upper balcony where Talia and Elecktra glared down at him. Elusive had his head sandwiched between both of his Guard's hooves over his ears to block out the sound in case Jer'rahd started swearing.
Jer'rahd rolled his eyes and sunk back down into the chair, taking note of how much the desk swayed now, though a pair of Guards had already brought in another desk to replace it. This was clearly not a new thing.
“Sorry about that, let me continue this, where was I? Oh right, right now ninety percent of all Changelings, used to be something else. There are very very few natural blooded Changelings, and most of the ones that are natural born, at least seventy to eighty percent of them, were born in the last six years so they are still very young.” Jer'rahd continued. “ The mare in question, twenty two year old Hazel Lollipop was one such transformed Changeling. She was abducted during the invasion of Canterlot sixteen years ago when she was six. She was changed and forced to serve the hive under Chrysalis as a mindless drone and even after the death of Chrysalis she was a catatonic until five years ago when Luna started repairing the damage Chrysalis had done. When she was freed she underwent years of therapy due to shock at the fact she had just lost eleven years of her life that she would never recall or get back. Those PONIES seated behind you are her parents and her brother!!”
Jer'rahd points a hoof to the trio of ponies who sat in the front of the court. He rises from his chair trotting around the broken desk, moving to look Golden in the face, his fangs bared.
“They just got her back after thinking she was dead for ten years, their youngest child, who they thought was lost to them was returned. They bent over backwards to make her feel welcomed again, despite the fact she wasn't even a pony any more, they still treated her as their daughter, as family, because she was!” Jer'rahd growled his eye glowing brighter the more he spoke, the red light reflecting off the scales of his muzzle giving the impression that he was smeared with bright blood as the orange scales shimmered. “What you did Bark.... was stalk, foal nap, torture, and kill a young mare who had JUST started to live a normal life again. One of the few success stories we have regarding reuniting converted Changelings and their families. And because of your willful stupidity, because of your mindless and pointless thoughts of revenge that's all gone now.”
He pulled away from the stallion in disgust his tail whipping.
“I don't even need to look over the other charges against you. This cowardly act of murder out does any thing any of the other charges might have brought against you. The Guard found her body at your residence, your neighbors have already given their documentation when they reported the screams to the Guard. The evidence is overwhelmingly damning and I find you guilty as charged.”
“You can't do that, I demand a jury of peers!” Golden screamed.
“This isn't Equestria Bark Beetle. This is Gallopagos. The rules here were set six years ago. There is no jury of peers for this sort of crime because we do not often allow any murders to remain alive long enough to sit on a jury, those would be your only peers. Here you are judged by the Regent or one of the magistrates and that has been done. You have lived here for three years you cannot claim ignorance of the law. Even if you did ignorance of the law is not a defense for breaking it.”
The rumble of discussion in the room lifted to a small roar until Jer'rahd slapped a hoof against the remains of his desk silencing them.
“Normally an execution would be arraigned, but being as this is a hate crime that I want never to repeat any where ever again, I am going to set a precedence here. Perhaps this will make others think twice before attempting what you did.”
“Fielding, Sullivan take note.” Jer'rahd stated glancing to the court Kirin before sitting down on his chair again.
“Golden Savior, birth name of Bark Beetle, under Equestrian court you would be sentenced time by being turned to stone and left to rot for your crimes. I find that too lenient. Instead you are to be sentenced too Alpalcatraz prison in the Marena trench. Your horn will be removed, you will be hobbled and gelded before spending the rest of your life in the mines of the prison. Your name shall stricken from all records as having ever existed, your property shall be liquidated to pay for your victims funeral expenses and and family grief counciling as needed. What ever remains shall be used to promote better understanding between Changeling and Pony, attempting to combat ignorance like yours. Sentence is to be carried out immediately, take him out of here.” Jer'rahd ordered as the Guard moved forward collecting the pony in chains who was now screaming and begging fearfully as he was drug out. The rest of the room was silent , all of them staring at the regent with mixed looks of horror or acknowledgment of justice being served.
Jer'rahd looked over to the family of the victim and nodded to them slightly. “I know this will not bring your daughter back, but hopefully no one else will suffer as you did after this ruling. I thank you for coming out today despite how hard it must have been for you.”
Jer'rahd rose from the desk letting the Guards pull it away to replace it with the new one. “ Bailiff I believe I shall end court for today. Prosecutor Fielding, Defense Sullivan , please push anything else today until tomorrow I expect I will need to extend my stay to deal with the issues arising from this. But for today I'm done. Court adjourned.”
A little over an hour later Jer'rahd was walking down on of the new sandstone streets of the city alongside Elusive with his two Guards in tow.
“So what did you think Elusive? Do you have any questions about what you saw? About what I did?” Jer'rahd asked. “ Do not be afraid to ask them.”
Elusive moved along with him considering this as the small group made it's way down the street getting a few nods from some passerby's though most gave them a with berth.
“If you knew that he was guilty, why let him speak at all? Why not just sentence him?” Elusive finally asked. “ It would be quicker.”
Jer'rahd nodded. “A good question, but there was a reason for allowing him to rant as he did. Did you see how some of the others in court reacted. Some agreed with him. Changelings are still a rather sore subject for many despite there not being a reason for them to be anymore. If anything the Changeling race is more inclined towards peace and prosperity than any other race simply due to a peaceful, harmonious society will generate more love than a warring or violent one. Without a Queen seeking revenge, forcing them to follow her thoughts, it's unlikely natural born Changelings will even have any leanings towards violence. Ponies generally do not either, however ponies and many others will do things if they are scared that normally they would never do. In this instance many saw nothing wrong with how Bark acted. If I had simply sentenced him, word of what he had truly done would have been lost in the media screaming about how unfair the sentencing was. It was regrettably turned into a show for everyone, but with the full reveal of his actions and how he reacted to such displayed for everyone at once swayed more against him than in favor of. With the harsh sentencing I gave, word of this will be on every ones lips for some time and any one else who thought doing something stupid like that was a good idea will hopefully reconsider now that they know the penalty.”
“Wasn't that punishment too harsh? Every one seemed shocked by it, though I don't know what most of the words meant. Or what Alpacatraz is. But every one seemed horrified.” Elusive asked.
“Alpalcatraz is part of an agreement we made with the Seaponies through the River pony intermediaries. Several nations are in the same deal where the Seaponies take our worst prisoners to work their under sea mines, they in turn trade the ore back to use for what ever they may need. It lessens the risk to their own workers to have criminals working instead. If they do not work they do not eat, if they cause trouble they are executed. Even with those who have nothing to live for any more the survival instinct is strong enough to keep them going. The hobbling and Gelding are both done magicaly so there is no pain, it is to prevent them from .. ummm.. making any foals with any other prisoners while down there and the hobbling is primarily on their back legs to make it harder to rise up or attempt to fight. Horn removal however cannot be done magically and … it is obviously, not pleasant.”
“That seems rather harsh.....” Elusive mentions as the small group nears the docks.
“It is. But as I said I needed to send a message. What I hope you learn from this is you can't simply focus on what is in front of you as a leader, everything needs to be accounted for. Every choice you make will affect far more than just the immediate issue.”
“So this was a lesson.” Elusive snorted.
“ It was. So what would you have done?” Jer'rahd asked.
“I.... I don't know.....”Elusive admited as Jer'rahd chuckled.
“ Honest answer. It's fine, you have plenty of time. Twilight and Celestia will likely show you things such as this as well. While I think they are too soft, they think I am too hard. How we govern still works, but we have opposing view points and ways of looking at things. I'm sure you will discover your own balance in time Just be honest with yourself and others. Creatures will lie to you to win your favor or to sway you to what they want. Stay true to what you believe is right and don't get swayed. Any way we are here.” Jer'rahd stated stopping at a large open area in the middle of the street.
To the right Elusive could see a number of shops lining the road including one at the end that looked sorta like a big top tent, set at the very end of the street and taking up a whole block by itself. A number of windows with various forms of clothing ran along the facing side. In large letters across the top was a sign spelling out the name' Carousel Boutique.
To the left, the road ran down to a docks, numerous statues and monuments lined the street as it ran down and into the water The street seemed to just stop, a massive half circle bite taken out of the land. In the middle of the half circle what would be the center of a full circle was a towering white spire that rose up out of the water and glimmered brightly as the sun fell on it.
Before them in the middle of the road was a small fenced in area. A section of melted street that had not been repaved was the only thing inside the fence. The blackened circle little more than smoothed volcano glass with a fence around it. In the middle of the glass however, a black spear rested, embedded in the ground, the haft of the weapon was covered in various runes and a white strip of cloth fluttered lightly around the base of it, the material wrapped tight around the shaft.
“This is......” Elusive stammered.
“This is where your parents gave their lives to save others. The actions of your father saved the lives of numerous Kirin trying to board the ships that would let them flee Tirek and certain death. “ Jer'rahd pointed to the Spear then to the white monument in the water. “ The actions of your mother saved the fleeing ships and countless more lives including that of Twilight Sparkle and you.”
Elusive blinked noting a number of Kirin had slowed as they moved down the street, pausing to watch him and Jer'rahd.
“Every action has consequence. The ones your parents saved could go on to do great things, cure diseases, right wrongs. But ponies like Bark were also saved, had he died here the Changeling he killed would still be alive and the family he broke would still be whole.”
Elusive said nothing for a time.
“How... how can you tell ? Who's a good one and not?” The Kirin colt finally asked.
“You can't. You simply need to hope that what you do will have more benefit to every pony than any negatives. You can hedge your bets, study every angle and play the odds and you might be able to keep the good out weighing the bad. But sometimes you simply need to go with what your gut tells you and hope it's the right choice.”
“Do you think they made the right choice?”
“They saved countless lives with their sacrifice. It would have been best if they had been around to raise you, but life does not always work out the way we want. You either have to roll with what you are given or fight back tooth and hoof for every step. “Jer'rahd stated. “Some times neither is enough. Come on.”
Jer'rahd walked forward to the fence as Talia moved ahead unlocking a small gate that lead onto the blackened area.
Even more Kirin had gathered at this point watching and muttering among themselves as Elusive approached the spear.
Jer'rahd moved forward towards the spear gesturing towards it for Elusive.
“This spear is called Thurkear Ner. It is one of very few remaining artifacts that were created during the Equestrian Civil war or the War of Night as some call it. I helped make this weapon and a number of others like it for my best soldiers. I gave this spear to your grandfather personally. It was passed down to your father. It is currently yours.”
“It's stuck in the ground.” Elusive stated looking at the haft of the weapon, the runes covering it glowing brighter as he moved forward.
“If you are worthy of it, you can easily pull it free.” Jer'rahd stated flatly as a hush fell over the gathered Kirin.
Elusive blinked at that, moving over to the spear, one hoof reaching up to touch it, the weapon seeming to chime at his light touch. The little white Kirin swallowed, trying to wrap his hooves around the haft, pulling a little with no effect. He bit down on it and tugged harder, the weapon didn't move. Finally he wrapped the whole thing in his magic yanking hard on it and straining, his little tail whipping wildly before he fell back wards tumbling away from the weapon only to be caught by Jer'rahd before he rolled into the fence.
There were a few chuckles and a number of disappointed groans from those gathered. Though there was also a small amount of applause and calls of encouragement before the gathered Kirin moved on.
“I guess it doesn't think I'm worthy.” Elusive pouts.
Jer'rahd chuckled leading him out of the fence as Talia locked it behind them.
“It's not the spear that doesn't think you are worthy, it's just some metal trapped in stone easily freed with some effort. The weapon wasn't keeping you from taking it, it's you who does not think yourself worthy to pull it. After what I've shown you today you are likely highly conflicted that you have it in you to lead any one. Don't worry, as much as I would like you to grow up so I can pass the leadership of the Kirin off to you I don't expect to be able to do that for quite a while yet. You have a lot of growing and learning yet to do before you will need to concern yourself with all this political nonsense. There will come a time when you know you are ready and then you should be able to pull it free.”
Jer'rahd blinked looking down at the foal who held a piece of paper before himself and was working on some sort of design for what looked like a crane to try and pull the spear free. Elusive didn't seem too have been paying attention tot he older Kirin and was rapidly sketching something else out that looked like it involved several explosions and a lever with enough length that he would need to be on the moon to use it.
“Ummm.” Jer'rahd looked at the plains recognizing how much explosive Elusive was designing in and recalled the Catapult the foal and his friend had built. “Alright maybe that's enough seriousness for today, perhaps we should just get some ice cream on the way back. And maybe forget the plans....”
“This is by far the second most delicious looking dream I have ever been in.” Dawn state in awe as she drooled profusely.
“I can say I have been in worse, though I am curious what was first?” Rynthia asked still not noticing her own rhyming.
“Auntie Bleu had a dream full of sugar diamonds and candied gemstones one time when mommy and I were poking around. It was the best thing ever!!” Dawn proclaimed.
Rynthia nodded, looking around the odd landscape surrounding the pair. “ I understand how that would please, but I find it odd this dream is made of cheese.”
The two foals stood in the center of a large field that seemed to be layered mozzarella cheese, with various Swiss and Munster cheeses growing up out of the surface shaped like various plants. In the distance they could see a castle that bore a remarkable similarity to New Canterlot castle that was made entirely out of cheddar.
“Did we make a wrong turn Dawn, I don't know any one who would fear a cheese lawn?” Rynthia sighed.
“Nah... we somehow got into Brainy's dream I think. And this is a nightmare for him trust me.” Dawn smirked stifling a giggle.
“What?” Rynthia stammered looking at her sister.
“Sorry can't say, when we find him you'll have to ask him.” Dawn chimed, darting over and taking a big bite out of a 'tree' made of Gorgonzola. The 'plant' groaned and fell over sending a number of Gouda squirrels and birds darting out of the branches. The swarm made a dash for the other 'trees' as Dawn gave chase.
“Noooooooo get back here and git in mai belly!” Dawn yelled.
Rynthia slapped her face with a hoof turning to go after Dawn and try to get her sister to calm down and help her find Elusive when a scream snapped her attention to the castle in the distance.
“Sounds like Brainy to me.” Dawn stated floating over Rynthia.
Rynthia blinked looking up at her sister in surprise.
“Dawn I know you often try, but since when can you actually fly?”
“Same way you are rhyming without any effort. It's a dream, you can do what you want so long as it doesn't screw up some one elses dreams.... though I think that went out the window with that spell thingy. Any way Brainy's in trouble. Super Dawn away, WOOOSH!” The Kirin filly took off like a shot towards the castle making wooshing noises and other flying sounds like her comics did. Rynthia rolled her eyes and took off after her sister her hooves thudding on the yellow surface beneath her.
“.....and that's why we need to find the bell. Otherwise there's a chance that the whole island will vanish with us on it for whoever knows how long.” Twilight concluded.
“Delightful. Do you think the bell on his neck was the one we need to find?” Octavia asked.
“Not likely. It chimed a little as he moved so it's more likely a fetish, or maybe a focal point that may connect him to the bell, but it is unlikely the actual bell. Still it may be enough of a connection that he can activate it to BE the actual bell as he needs it. That would explain how he rang it quickly enough that Starswirl barely made it off the island.” Trixie pointed out.
“That's a good observation.”Twilight admitted. “Have you read Green Beard's theorem of metamagical manipulation?”
“You have three copies of it in your library, one of them autographed, of course Trixie has read it.” Trixie rolled her eyes. “Though Trixie thinks Seth the Scaleless' book on quantum entanglement and connectivity is a better read if a bit more technical.”
“Hmm true.... though I think you can stop calling it my library. You've lived there longer than I have now. I'm pretty sure that makes Golden Oak Library yours.” Twilight agreed.
“Well then Trixie would like you to come and get the last of your boxes out of the basement then. One of them smells funny and keeps making noises and Trixie is afraid to look.” Trixie sighed. “Though that is still a relief. Trixie was unsure how to remove the arch way where she has made Trevor's growth chart.”
“Hehe, at least your foal stood still long enough to measure his height every year. Dawn is far too wiggly and Pip's didn't change much at all.” Luna added in.
“There is also a mural he painted in one of the upstairs rooms.... just a bunch of colors he smeared every where when he was three, but Trixie thinks it looks wonderful....”
“I know the feeling. Pip made this amazing Macaroni picture when he was younger and some how it even survived the castle's destruction.....” Luna began.
Lyra and Octavia spare a glance at each other as the two mares begin to chat about their respective foals with Twilight chiming in about Elusive every so often. The non mothers both had friends already who wouldn't shut up about their foals, but at the very least these three didn't seem interested in asking when Lyra and Octavia might have foals of their own.
The five of them had gone down the stairs in the prison room after finding the main door was mage locked. Underneath their cells was a massive set of catacombs. The group was going to head back up and ambush Grogar when Luna caught the scent of salt and the sea again, stronger than before. The idea that there might be an exit to the water down here was enough for them to choose to press on. So far they had found nothing of note save some old bundled sticks and ancient rags near the end of the stairs, which they used to make torches. Lyra had helped out considerably by pointing out some of the crumbled stones near the base of the stairs were flint and could be used to make the fires. With no magic they were forced to carry them in their mouths, though they took turns as the torches burnt down. It was Lyra's turn at the moment, a fact some of them were quite thankful for due to her constant chipperness.
The catacombs looked to have once been the basement of the castle above as old empty barrels and rotted wood and crumbled stone rested against the walls like this was an old storage area. Under hoof there was nothing but black sand, though if one dug down a bit they could find the old stone floor under it.
The sand itself felt damp as if it was washed in by recent waves rather than blown in or sunk into the under-croft. The odd part was that they had been walking for some time and nothing seemed to change. They could see their own hoof prints trailing back into darkness, but they had come upon no walls aside from the one to their left they had followed, not even any pillars to support the ceiling. It was odd.
Still it wasn't too long until all of the group could smell the salt air and hear the faint echos of the waves crashing against rocks. They all rushed forward towards the sound the crashing progressively getting louder. Twilight had started to pull ahead of the galloping group when the purple mare suddenly vanished before them causing every one else to pull up short.
There was a loud yelp and an even louder splash. After a moment there was some thrashing and a good bit of cursing from below them.
Lyra moved the torch closer noticing that the black sand simply ended with a little cliff that seemed to be made of the same stone as the floor under the sand.
“Looks like it's an underground dock.” Luna observers leaning over the edge to look at the stone work.
“Interesting but I still don't see any light. Is it night time or is the entrance still too far away?” Octavia commented.
“Trixie sees a set of steps leading into the water, there seems to be a small boat of some sort over there at the edge of the light.” Trixie added looking over to the right.
“Oh yeah thanks guys... let me drown.” Twilight cursed.
“One you can't drown from water and two you have wings that you keep forgetting to use.” Luna rolled her eyes. “ How you continue to forget you are an alicorn is beyond me.”
“Well excuse me I'm still new to it.” Twilight snorted, her wings fanning lifting her out of the water.
“Sparkle look out!” Trixie shouted. Twilight turned her head glancing behind her to Where Trixie pointed, her eyes widened as a massive form rose out of the water behind her. Dark water dripped off it's body as the water foamed and frothed around it. Blackish green flesh covered it with small patches of scales here and there. Bare rotted muscle, and in some places bone, shown through places in it's skin and scales reflecting in the torch light. The creatures massive head was mostly skull, the skin and scaled flesh peeled back like a rolled up sock around it's neck. It had no eyes. but tiny points of red light flickered from within it's hollow eye sockets. The massive serpent opened it's mouth with a hiss, fangs dripping with oranges icor.
“SNAKE!!!” Screamed both Twilight and Lyra as the latter dropped the torch.
Twilight whipped herself back wards trying to get as far from the water as she could, though Octavia rushed after her trying to grab the panicked mares tail before she could get lost in the darkness.
Lyra however took a different approach to panic after she screamed she rushed forward and launched herself off the ledge over the water surprising the massive undead serpent by landing hooves first on it's open mouth , slamming the jaws shut with her weight.
Luna and Trixie watched as the lime green mare continued screaming as she very quickly began ripping the undead snake apart, jamming the unlit torches she carried into cracked sections of bone or simply bludgeoning it's head with her hooves as she clung onto it.
The massive serpent didn't sit still for this and started thrashing and jerking around trying to dislodge the green menace on it's face, The massive coiled body flung water into the air smashing against the rock walls and ceiling as it lashed about snapping and trying to smash Lyra to paste as it drove it's head into the walls, knocking holes in them and collapsing the tunnel out to sea behind it.
Luna blinked as Lyra slipped inside the hollow eye socket still screaming, though very quickly the snakes head started jerking around as the green unicorn started kicking the fool out of it from the inside.
The snake it self seemed to have gone mad from the intrusion and was repeated smashing it's head against the far wall trying to kill the pony that had crawled inside of it. The scene itself was sicking and disturbing as bits of stone, water, rotted snake flesh, scales, and bone were flung about in a shower of gore and destruction.
Finally there was one last resounding crack of bone and a very large section of the serpents skull was kicked free spiraling through the air to crash in the sand before Trixie, the shard larger than the mare it nearly hit.
The serpent thrashed a few more times, the red lights in it's eyes going out before it finally fell, crashing into the sand and flinging more debris into the air in a choking cloud. Luna and Trixie backed away from it coughing as the dust slowly settled showing a lime green mare still kicking the snake's skull into pulp.
“Well that was interesting.”Trixie admitted.
“She was part of the Six Sixty Sixth monster hunters. A well renowned member as well. Supposedly her first mission had her destroying a large serpent that had been attacking a village...... I think we just witnessed the how of it and possibly the why.” Luna muttered.
“Trixie has never seen any one panic into a fight before.”
“I have, though that doesn't make this sort of twist to a fight or flight response any less impressive.” Luna stated.
“Not to interrupt but would one of you lend me a hoof the Princess is still going nuts.” Octavia called from further away in the darkness. There was a sound of impact and another thunder of collapsing stones as the repeated panicked mantra of ' snake' went silent.
“Oh never mind, the wall seems to have stopped her.” Octaiva added. “ Hmm? Well now , it seems she found another room.”
Luna rolled her eyes before blinking, taking note that she could see , even though the torch had sputtered out. Looking up she noticed several holes the snake had punched in the walls showing what looked to be sunlight streaming through.
“Well now things are looking up.” Luna stated smiling at the sunshine.
“Did I get it?” Lyra asked looking around in a panic.
Dawn was giggling like a mad mare when they finally found the source of the scream. A large black scaled Kirin was running across the sliced baby Swiss cheese lawn while a trio of Gorgonzola diamond dog like monsters with mozzarella hair and a odd cone of Munster on one of their heads that red Dunce with several letters backwards, ran after him.
“I would think all of these surprises would have made be numb, but after seeing this I still think it's dumb.” Rynthia frowned watching the full grown Kirin running around screaming.” First of all why is he wearing a hat, and secondly who is that?”
Rynthia pointed to the galloping Kirin.
“That's Brainy. “ Dawn stated between bites of the ground. “ The dunce thing is because he's afraid of Auntie Twilight and Auntie Celestia being disappointed in him.”Dawn muttered chewing on the cheese. “ And you didn't hear this from me, but the cheese is cause of what happened to him a couple months ago. Auntie Celestia got a new cook at the castle and he specialized in Muleican food. Well the first dinner they had, the cook made enchiladas. Well turns out auntie Twilight is really afraid of them cause of all the cheese or something and when she freaked out she managed to fling the entire serving dish of enchiladas off the table and onto Brainy. So he gets covered in pipping hot cheese and his moms freaking out with Celestia trying to figure out what the heck is going on. Well he loses it and starts tearing around the dining room slinging cheese every where and smashing into things cause he can't see and he thinks the cheese was attacking him and his moms and then the Guards bust in and see Twilight panicking and this cheese monster running around and they start chasing it and the noise and shouting just make Brainy panic even more. It was one of the funniest things I've ever seen, but yeah, so now he's got a fear of cheese.”
Rynthia just stared at her sister as she told the story her ears flattening to her head.
“How is that something that I could miss? Seriously when the heck was this?”
“Mommy and you went off to see the snow ponies. Daddy and I were in the kitchen for a snack when it all started and we poked our heads out to look. Daddy managed to stop the Guards from attacking Brainy while Celestia tried her best to quiet both Twilight and Brainy down.”
Rynthia slapped her face with a hoof and sighed. “While the story has me taken aback, why is Elusive an adult and black?”
“By the stars Stripy, you can't just go around asking why some ones black!” Dawn gasped.
“Not sure I under stand that slight, but I mean he's supposed to be short, seven, and his fur should be white.”
“Oh that. Yeah that's what he looked like in a past life. Guess he was a full grown Kirin then.” Dawn nodded.
“What he was like before he was born? Does that explain why you were an alicorn.”
Dawn winced a little at that though she didn't respond. Rynthia thought her sisters actions were rather odd but Rynthia didn't think this was any sort of trick, still she would need to ask Dawn a few things later , right now there was a more pressing issue.
“I think Brainy needs help.” Dawn muttered watching as the other Kirin rushed towards a cheese tree as if to climb it, only to freak out at the sight of it and run off the other way as a horde of birds made of provolone started chasing him.
“On that I can agree. I suppose we can eat the villains, but pity there is no brie.”
With a last push the wall gave way fully with a loud crash as rocks tumbled into the other room. Moving in carefully Octavia and Luna glanced around the new area , both of them disappointed.
Lyra and Twilight moved in quickly afterward happy to get away from the dead snake with Trixie following up the rear.
“She plowed face first into a wall, how is she not even bruised?” Trixie demanded.
“It is very very difficult to hard a god. There are ways but they are not common. Most injuries that might cripple a normal pony are barely noticeable by us.” Luna commented.
“Sounds like fun to me.” Lyra commented.
“It usually is not for many reasons.” Luna sighed sadly prompting the others to let the conversation go.
The group had opted to try the hole in the wall rather the water logged tunnel, just in case there were more snakes in the water.
The room they entered was much like the catacombs they had left, though there were glowing torches along the walls and unlike the last room this one was filled with stuff that were still intact.
Chests, suitcases, ladders, boxes, wagons, random piles of clothing, weapons, and dozens of other things that seemed to come from both ancient times as well as modern filled the room. Luna even took note of a few pieces of a train, likely the one that they had rode in on. There was a large double door on the far side of the room and a shadowy lofted roof with exposed rafters and a few other items hanging from the old surprisingly sturdy look wooden beams running the length of the wide room.
“My Cello!” Octavia surprisingly shouted as she made her way across the room towards a large instrument case that Luna had overlooked before. Given the parts of the train it wasn't surprising that their luggage was here.
“I don't suppose you see a little box about yay big.” Lyra mutters gesturing with her fore hooves. While the ring she got to propose to Bon Bon wasn't that pricey she'd rather get it back than have to buy a new one.
“Trixie thinks there is something off here. Who brought all of this here and why is none of it dusty, not even the old stuff?” Trixie muttered.
“Good point.” Twilight commented, scanning over the stuff. She froze as she noticed something move, rather close to the gray earth pony.”OCTAVIA GET AWAY FROM THAT!”
“What?” the gray earth pony asked. She was currently standing on her back legs having set her cello upright before opening the case. Her ear twitched a little as she caught the movement from the corner of her eye. She turned to look at what at first seemed to be a wooden box at least until it suddenly sprouted ragged teeth and a large tongue as it lunged for the earth pony it's splintery wooden limbs like a scarecrow outstretched to grab her. Octavia's ears flatten at the otherworldly snarl the thing emitted and she pushed back hard with her fore hooves, falling away from her cello and onto her back as the creature's lunge carried it over the prone earth pony.
The gray mare kicked with her back legs, forcing herself to roll backwards avoiding another of the creatures that lept at her. She winced as her roll pushed her back into a wooden ladder, her head hitting the bottom rung. The creatures both turned, rushing at the prone mare only for her to reach above her head and yank the ladder down over her body smashing the tall wooden ladder down atop it's head, or whatever counted as a head. The second one moved to the side as the first struggled to push the ladder off it's body only to find that it's prey had stood up and twisted the ladder in her fore hooves pinning the creatures spindly arm between the rungs. The second made a dash for the mare only for her to fling open the ladders other legs into a locked V shape tipping it so it fell on top of the first monster. The pair of them started to thrash as Octavia turned her body dragging the ladder and it's captives across the floor and into a pile of ship parts knocking the large pile over atop of them.
The others had their own issues as a half a bakers dozen of the creatures had emerged to take on the four mares.
Trixie hung back staying out of the others way, without her magic she wasn't much of a fighter. The former show mare wasn't happy with that, but watching the others she was well aware of how far out of her league she was compared to them when it came to fighting.
It was like those games Trevor played with his friends. Trixie was like that rogue class, not good at direct combat, but useful in random skills, maybe even a bard or duel classed with a mage. The others on the other hoof.
Twilight flapped her wings as she reared up onto her back hooves blocking an attack with her fore hooves as her wings shoved her backwards across the floor sliding on her rear hooves to another pile of rubble. The creature that came after her looked like a metal crate with iron arms and legs and a body that seemed mostly mouth and teeth. Bug like eyes on stalks poked up from the top of the crate like body, the black orbs fixated on Twilight.
Turning to the pile of rubble quickly, Twilight yanked free the pry bar she had spotted, bringing the metal bar to bare gripped in her teeth. She blocked the next attack, knocking the things clawed limbs aside. The vibration rattled her teeth and probably cracked a few, but if her alicorn god hood still held , they'd be fixed before she even felt the first flash of a tooth ache.
Trixie watched Sparkle trade blows with the creature. Neither of them gaining an advantage,though Twilight's weapon put a large number of dents into the thing. The mare wielded the pry bar like a sword, darting in and out of range of the thing and striking it where she could. Had the monster been flesh and blood she likely would have split it open by now.
Trixie didn't know Twilight could use a sword, but she recognized that she knew far less about her former rival than she once thought. Still the bookworm could easily be considered a wizard with levels in fighter, or that one class... what was it, black blade or something like that?
Lyra had found a weapon as well and she had snatched it up in her forelegs without hesitation, turning to face the pair of chests chasing her. The two creatures were both odd as one had six legs with it's body looking like an old steamer trunk. As the lid flipped open it displayed a purple slimy looking tongue and rotted teeth that would be more at home in a dentists office on a 'don't let this happen to you' poster.
The second creature had eight ragged looking limbs with the body like a large purple hat box. It was smaller than the first but much quicker and seemed to have dripping fangs poking out of the box rather than a wide open maw.
Being faster didn't help it as Lyra shifted onto her back legs bringing what looked to Trixie like an old boat gaff around and into the smaller creature. She yanked upward on the pole lifting the smaller creature kicking wildly into the air. She started spinning the gaff around her head, slinging the smaller creature around , the weapon picking up speed with the flailing creatures weight hooked on the end.
The larger creature was hesitant though it tried to time it so the small creature spun past before it lunged only for Lyra to change the arc to bring the weapon up suddenly and down over her head smashing the smaller creature to bits on the larger steamer trunk , and causing the larger monster to stagger under the blow as two of it's limbs were ripped free from the impact.
Trixie thought Lyra fought like the descriptions of the barbarian class. At least when it came to snakes. Perhaps a ranger if serpents were a favored enemy. The mare was quite scary.
Queen Luna however was absolutely terrifying. Of the seven that came after them all, four had gone after Luna and two of them were turned to splinters before they even finished their first lunge at the mare. The former Princess of the Night didn't even seem to be fighting, she seemed to be dancing though the attacks. Her hooves or wings not blocking so much as guiding blows away with ease as she slipped between or past attacks directed at her. The monsters might as well have been standing still. That wasn't to say she was purely defensive, the first two scrapped chests showed the power of the few blows she did land, but with the other two she almost seemed to be playing with them.
Trixie blinked as she caught on, Luna wasn't playing. The Changeling Queen's eyes were keeping tabs on the others of the group with glances here and there. She was watching the others fight, perhaps gauging their skill? It was hard to tell what the Changeling Queen thought. Still when Lyra felled the smaller one Luna slid under an attack from one of the ones she was keeping busy and punched her hoof through it's body in one fluid motion.
Trixie was not sure what class to consider the Goddess of War. Probably one of them that was banned for being too broken.
Still it was the musician that surprised her most. Octavia was moving and flipping about like a mare half her supposed age, using bits of furniture, be it the ladder, random poles, chairs, or even the dazed creatures themselves, everything seemed to be both a weapon and a shield to her. Like the Queen every move she made seemed calculated, though she was more reactionary than Luna, and far less violent.
One of the creatures ripped free of the ladder and swung the half of it that remained intact at the gray earth pony. The mare dove at the ladder, stretching out so that she passed between the rungs without getting touched, although the other monster that was on her tail was not so lucky and met it's end at the forceful swing and subsequent destruction of the ladder.
Octavia's moves were like a dance as well, though where Luna's were impact laden and soaked in violence, Octavia's seemed more about positioning where she should be and using momentum, random objects, and even her own opponents against her targets. Unlike Queen Luna's movements Trixie found she actually recognized the style that Octavia was using. With that style Trixie pegged the gray earth pony as an easy bard duel class monk.
Trixie still wasn't sure why she was assigning classes to every one, perhaps she was just bored, or trying to distract herself from the fact she was a captive again. Most likely the latter, as she was struggling not to freak out.
It seemed like longer, but only two or three minutes later all of the creatures were either destroyed, or what ever passed for unconsciousness for them. Granted Luna made quite sure that they would never rise again, so dead was the proper word even though Twilight and Octavia hadn't struck any killing blows.
“Oh wow Octavia? Where'd you learn to fight like that?” Twilight asked moving over to check on the musician. “ I didn't know you knew any kinda kung fu.”
“Kung fu?” Octavia blinked and sighed. “That was not any sort of martial art I assure you.”
“You're kidding? “ Lyra commented. “ That was amazing what ever it was, I've never seen any one moves like that.”
“I have, though not quite that fluidly.” Luna admitted getting a look of sadness on her face as she thought of her friends who knew such skills who were no longer with her.
Octavia winced a little cracking her back before moving to check on her cello, opening the case to look over the instrument. “I've never trained in any sort of martial art. All that fancy hoof work was just Ballet from when I was younger before I picked up the cello.”
“Ballet? That was ballet?” Lyra demanded.
“Griffonese Ballet if I am not mistaken.” Trixie commented as Luna's eyes widened.
Octavia glanced back at at Trixie apraisingly. “ Indeed. You are familiar with it then? It is not as well practiced as it used to be, and rarely by any one without wings.”
“Trixie used to travel quite a bit and has been to the Griffon lands. Trixie has seen the training that those seeking to master ballet go through and Trixie would rather join the Guard, their training seems easier.”
“I doubt that “Twilight muttered looking at Luna, surprised when the Changeling simply shrugged.
“Jer'rahd has studied it as well, though he does not posses the dexterity required to preform it, he has incorporated some of the teachings into his own training.” Luna stated. “Miss Melody might I suggest you not rush ahead of the group like that again. This whole place seems like one big trap. The giant snake, the baited loot in here.”
“It's like one of my brothers games, ogres and oubliettes, we've got a party of adventurers and there's traps and monsters every where.” Twilight stated getting a curious glance from Trixie.
“It seems so. Though I am not a fan of those sort of games, they always wind up being to wordy to be good video games. Still we should be careful, and be quick. All the noise has likely attracted Grogar or other monsters and until these rings are removed I would prefer to avoid encounters. I am not comfortable fighting at partial strength.” Luna admitted.
The others nod in agreement as they all head for the door on the far side of the room, Lyra and Twilight carrying their new weapons and Octavia slinging her Cello onto her back.
Trixie paused at the door looking at the devastation wrought behind them. This was HALF strength?
Rynthia shook her head slightly looking at the carnage wrought by her sister. Dawn had plowed into the swarm of cheese monsters , claws and teeth ripping and biting as she not only fought but ate mouthfuls of them as well. Honestly it wasn't that far off Dawn's normal table habits when presented with a dish she loved. Her mother was not thrilled with the manner of her daughters eating, though her father seemed to have no issue with it so long as she cleaned up after ward. Seriously their father was such a push over.
The large black furred and scaled Kirin looked on with shock as the monsters designed to deal with him were quickly wiped out by a bottomless appetite.
Rynthia looked up at the larger Kirin and felt herself blush a little at the muscular stallion's visage. She whipped her head trying to clear the thought of it from her mind. Sure he was handsome like the princes in her books but this was Elusive, her auntie's son.... sure they were not really related, and if this is what he was going to look like when he grew up....
No... bad Rynthia..... you're only six she told herself.
“ I am unaware who you are, but thank you.....” the Kirin began before he screeched in panic as Dawn threw a chunk of string cheese at him. The 'attack' sent the stallion leaping into the air in a panic to get it off of him. Rynthia frowned as her handsome prince image was destroyed and at Dawn's lunatic cackling at her prank.
“Dawn your antics may have a price... at the very least that was not nice.” Rynthia shouted.
“I couldn't help it Stripey. This opportunity prolly will never happen again. “ Dawn cackled.
“Wait, Stripy? Dawn, Rynthia? What? Why are you grown up and why is Dawn a black alicorn?” Elusive asked.
Dawn's mood suddenly shifted as she stopped laughing and got up dusting herself off. She snapped the answer at Elusive before Rynthia had a chance too.
“Cause we're in a stupid dream Brainy, Swhy you look like your grandpa and Stripey looks like she thinks she's gonna look, Just focus on how we are supposed to look and you'll see how we are supposed to be.” Dawn snorted. “ And hurry up cause we gotta find the others.”
Elusive blinked glancing back to stare at Rynthia a moment making her feel some what uncomfortable as she wasn't sure what the colt was seeing, though after a moment or two elusive returned to how he normally looked
Rynthia frowned not thrilled with their situation at all plus she wanted some answers. “ Hold it Dawn something is amiss, I want to know how you know all this?”
“And why your attitude suddenly shifted when I mentioned what you look like.” Elusive added as the cheese fields around them faded.
“I dun wanna talk about it. Side's I told you already Stripey.” Dawn sighed.
“ You told me little of why you are like this, you know more than you let on, what is going on sis?” Rynthia stated.
“Yeah and how is Rynthia getting all her rhymes right?” Elusive added, finally back to the age he was supposed to be, though clearly a little surprised that they were all floating in a starry void.
“Cause I remember what I was when I'm here.” Dawn stated solomly and in a voice that didn't seem right coming from the small Kirin.” Birdy said I wouldn't remember, but I do when I'm here and I don't like it. It worries mommy that I know it..... I don't know I know it when I'm not dreaming, but I know I know when i am.”
“I don't think that helped.” Elusive added completely confused Rynthia nodding in agreement.
“GOOD!! I'm done talking bout this. I'm not supposed to be serious and moody, I'm six. I don't have to be grown up until I'm at LEAST nine and that's still FOOOOREVER away.” Dawn rambled. “ Let's just go find 3P, Buggy, or Puffyhead.”
Dawn started marching off over the cheese fields leaving Rynthia and Elusive completely confused about her. Granted that was sort of normal, so they quickly followed after her.
This mare was maddening. Glimmer fanned her wings in aggravation as the bucket of oatmeal she had set up as payback for being tricked into eating her alfalfa at dinner fell perfectly.... into a larger bucket that didn't even splash.
The white furred earth pony mare set the larger bucket she had produced out of no where aside and continued walking down the corridor as Glimmer seethed in the closet where she had been spying on her.
Her parents both left for about a week, choosing to go represent the Crystal Empire in the first Equss games. Evidently at one of the last Council meeting of the gods the Equestrian games were opted to be expanded to include all of Equss with countless new events being added for the best each nation had to offer. It sounded exciting, but she and Shin were not allowed to go due to the fact it was being held this first year in Stalliongrad in the far east. There had been a lot of political turmoil in the area in the last few years so neither of her parents thought it safe. So they had hired a live in sitter that evidently came highly recommended. Her father didn't like the idea, but as usual her mother convinced him.
The sitter was a white furred Earth pony mare. She had a darker pink mane and tail, though the former was covered in a large faded blue and white bonnet and the latter was in a bun and covered by a large , way out of style, blue school marm dress that the mare wore every where. She insisted on being called Mrs. Diane, though she acted like it was her first name rather than her last.
This was confounding her. While Glimmer normally didn't go after the foal sitters her parents hired to watch her and Shin, this one had aggravated her from the start. She had yet to call Glimmer by her proper name, calling her glimmy or glam and once she had been called Charlie. The white mare didn't seem old enough to be forgetful so Glimmer figured she was doing it on purpose, particularly since she called Shin by his full name once and when he corrected her she had called him Shin since. Glimmer tried correcting her and got a lecture about not correcting her elders. That was the speech where she had been called Charlie.
There had been other things too, earlier bed times, more naps, limited play time and harder focus on studies even though it was the weekend and nearing the end of the school year. The thing that pushed her over the edge was the trick from dinner last night. A promise that if she ate all her alfalfa she and Shin would get a special desert that the sitter had made.
Glimmer hated alfalfa.
Still she ate the horrid stuff, curious about what the mare might have made, it was clear she had been baking something as she smelled like flour and Glimmer was curious.
The special desert turned out to be Candied Alfalfa.
That had been the last straw for Glimmer.
Shin didn't have any problems with her, also he actually liked alfalfa...., it had to be a Changeling thing, also the mare was actually nice to him.
Despite that she was set on getting revenge on this mare and making sure she never came back.
Unfortunately everything she did failed.
Rubber snakes attacking from the cabinet, largely ignored as they landed on her. Mane dye shampoo didn't seem to change the color of the white mare at all. Hot pepper in the food, she added more pepper before eating it with no issue. Leaky drink glasses didn't work. Collapsing furniture some how managed to fall apart in such a way that it put itself back together in a more comfortable position. Trapped pies, falling buckets, everything Glimmer could come up with the mare either stopped, dodged, or didn't activate properly. It was like she had some weird sense that warned her of anything the pink pegicorn did before it happened.
Glimmer briefly considered upping some of her attempts, but some of the pranks she knew might actual hurt the mare and she didn't want to hurt her, just run her off, or at the very least let her know that she wasn't welcome here. She considered setting up something with some mice she knew she could find, but she knew the reaction to a mouse was often to try and kill it. Given this mare's completely disarming of everything Glimmer did, she didn't want to risk the mice getting hurt.
Late in the night the pink pegi corn snuck out of bed and into the adjoining playroom. Once there she searched a few of her books by the light of her horn looking over the lists of pranks and jokes that could be done. There wasn't anything there she hadn't tried or was willing to try.
She also found Shin's new copy of Haylights. While the foalish magazine was usually beneath her with it's simple puzzles and lame jokes and such, occasionally the morality comic thing caught her interest.
Gosling and Gander, a good foal/ bad foal comic. It was a simple 'do this and don't do that' scenario with little ducks playing the good foal and bad foal. She didn't care about the morals, as most times they were simple and obvious or completely ridiculous, but occasionally Gosling was shown playing a prank or doing something mean. Sometimes what ever the duck did was something Glimmer could do herself or at least base a payback off of. It was where she found the rubber snake trick.
Finding nothing this time but dining etiquette Glimmer left the magazine on the floor hoping perhaps even the slight mess to the room would annoy the foal sitter some how.
She rolled over onto her back with a sigh on the carpet. She couldn't think of anything to deal with the foal sitter. Maybe she could turn the oven up really high so she burned all the food and they had to order take out, or get one of the castle chefs back at least? Mrs' Diane had been insistent that she prepare all the meals and had Glimmers mother give the staff a few days off.
Knowing how the last four days had gone, the sitter would probably serve the burnt food, give a speech that it built character to suffer though something like this and then eat it herself like it was nothing after calling Glimmer, Greg or something.
“ARRRGH. This is driving me insane, why won't she go away!!!!” Glimmer flails on the floor in a shouted whisper.
“Oh giving up already? Pity it was getting rather interesting, despite the fact you never had a chance.” chuckled a voice.
Glimmer rolled over quickly to her hooves, her eyes shifting around the dark room lighting up the corners without seeing anyone.
“Who's there?” Glimmer stammered.
“Hmm oh dear seems I said that part out loud, ah well I was getting bored any way. You're a interesting one. You have a bit of a mean streak in you, but you are only willing to push it so far. You care about yourself the most, but you won't go far enough to actually hurt some one. You also care enough about others to worry about how they feel. While you are upset that Shin is being treated better than you, you don't blame or target him for it.”
“Hes my brother ….... now who are you?! We demand you show yourself.”
“Did you just slip into the royal 'we'? Oh my stars that is so precious.” The voice giggled and Glimmer blinked as it seemed right above her.
She slowly looked up to see a face that was vaguely pony like with a goats beard, mismatched eyes, a zebra mane, and a pair of horns that each seemed to come from a different animal atop it's head. The rest of the creature was oddly serpentine with differing legs and a draconic tail that was wrapped around the light fixture dangling from the ceiling. The long figure dangled down from above with it's head almost eye level with her. It met her gaze and smiled showing a single long fang in one side of it's mouth.
“Hello.” it said.
“AHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!” Glimmer said.... loudly.
The door was flung open as Glimmer back peddled tripping over her her own hooves as she fell over some of the toys she had left out and flipped back to crash into the toy box with a loud thud.
“Dissy the goal wasn't to scare the pink off of her.” stated another voice coming from the doorway.
“I know. I know, but I was getting bored and with as slow as that rabbit's writing this it'll take forever to get it done, let alone get to the point. Besides she was giving up.” the one called Dissy stated.
Glimmer peeked her head out of the box seeing the large creature still swinging from the light by his tail, talking with the foal sitter Mrs Diane.
“ Well if we had a clear reason why we were watching her it would be different. All we have is a vague hint to come and see her from Mirth.” The foal sitter sighed. “ And I'm bored too, and do you know how much wearing all this flour itches?”
“I can imagine dear. Still if the rabbit would get his act together to explain compassion properly we wouldn't need to be here. Is it animals? Is it kindness? Is it the law of the wild? Who knows? Make up your mind already!” Discord rolled his eyes, the orbs falling out of his head and tumbling over across the floor to stop at the toy box looking up at the peering Glimmer before rolling back to the hanging Draconians. “What is that!” Glimmer shouted pointing a hoof at the Draconequus as she peeked up from over the edge of the toyboy.
“Hmm what indeed. I'm a who Missy.” Discord ranted turning suddenly into a odd little big bellied biped creature, with a long nose, rosy cheeks and a very odd curling hairstyle that was decorated with hearths warming lights.
“Dissy we haven't been up here very much since she was born, and it's not like you're a household name any more.” Mrs. Diane giggled. Glimmer thought that was even weirder than the creature.
“Oh well then. Please allow me to introduce myself, I'm a beast of wealth and taste. I've been around a long long year, Turned many a pony's hair to toothpaste.....” the one called Dissy stated as music started in the back ground.
“No, No stop it, stop it, you're not going to do a song while I'm here. No singing!” Glimmer fussed.
“Fine...” Dissy snapped tossing his hands in the air, and the arms along with them. The two limbs bounce off the ground on either side of him and he sighed.” Oh lovely, disarmed by a seven year old, this day is going great.”
Mrs. Diane smirked picking up one arm with her hooves and reattaching it. “His names Discord, he used to be a pretty big deal until he met me, now he's still a big deal, just not in the same way.”
“My dear did I just detect a hint of innuendo from you?” Discord cracks a smirk.
“A little bit.” Mrs. Diane chuckled helping him with his other arm.
Glimmer however had had enough.
“ Nope, no that's it. I've had enough of this madness. I don't care who you are Dissy or Discord or whatever but you are not supposed to be here, I'm getting the Guards and you Mrs. Diane are the WORST FOAL SITTER EVEAH!!” Glimmer all but bellowed as she climbed out of the toy chest yanking a stuffed monkey from her head and storming off towards the door, her little pink hooves thudding heavily on the carpet.
Discord blinked at that wincing a little before turning his head quickly to Mrs. Diane whose eyes had gone wide with shock. The earth pony's eyes suddenly started to water and Discord quickly broke out a little mini umbrella.
“Now you've done it.” The Draconequus sighed as the white earth pony mare suddenly started to bawl.
“SHE SAID I'M THE WORST !!! AHHHH I'VE TRIED SO HARD.... AHHH WHAT IF THE CAKE TWINS REALLY HATED ME TOO BUT JUST PRETENDED CAUSE I LIVED WITH THEM AHHHHH!!!!!!!!”
Glimmer stopped and stared at the scene in confusion. Massive twin fountains of tears flooded from the mares eyes showering the playroom to the point where Discord had pulled on a yellow raincoat and hip waders. The strange creature also seemed to have constructed a boat some how and had gathered the stuffed animals in the room and put them in pairs on the small ship.
Glimmer took another step towards the door and hesitated as Mrs. Diane's bawling continued and her words turned into unintelligible gibbering. Discord seemed to be trying to calm her down , but it wasn't working very well.
Despite everything this mare had done, Glimmer felt bad. She hated feeling bad about doing something to some one who deserved it, but a lot of times she did. It was never enough for her to stop, particularly if she thought her target deserved it. If they got mad about one of her pranks she felt more justified..... but this..... This wasn't the sort of aftermath she wanted.
Glimmer sighed turning around and walking back over to the bawling mare, taking the little umbrella that Discord handed as she got closer. The play room was gonna be flooded soon.
“Hey... ummm Mrs. Diane.... “ Glimmer muttered , barely heard over the bawling pony. “ Hey! Look.... okay.. sorry i shouldn't have yelled at you... you're.... you're not the worst foal sitter ever........”
“Really?” Mrs. Diane whimpered loudly, with the largest snot bubble Glimmer had ever seen growing out of her nose.
“ Ummm yess.....” Glimmer blinked as Discord handed her a tissue which she took with her magic and held up to the mares nose.
The sound of a fog horn filled the room as the earth pony blew her nose and left the rag dripping with goo. Glimmer quickly flung it into a trashcan.
“Really” the earth pony sniffled.
“Yes.. you arn't a bad foal sitter.....” Glimmer sighed lying through her teeth if it would get the mare to calm down. She hadn't expected the reaction at all and it was making her feel as miserable as the foal sitter looked.
“Pinkie Promise on it!?”
“What?” Glimmer asked before Discord cut in.
“Now now, I don't think we need to go that far. Besides dear keep in mind that you have been intentionally playing the worst foal sitter you could for the last few days for this test.” Discord commented.
“OOOOOOH yeah....” Mrs. Diane stated, perking back up like she hadn't been sobbing uncontrollably for several minutes now.
“Wait!? She's been playing at being a bad sitter!?!” Glimmer demanded.
“Yes....” Discord admitted. “ Though I don't think she needs to any more. While you're not as good as ole Flutters or even the stripey one, trying to comfort some one who wronged you does fit with what we were looking for.”
“Alright now then for cake!” Mrs. Diane chuckled. “ You want some chocolate cake Glimmer?”
“It's not alfalfa again is it Mrs. Diane?” Glimmer grumbled before blinking. “Wait did you just use my actual name?”
“Yup, though I still say I should call you Charlie, that's a good name too.” The earth pony pulled off her hair kerchief letting a mass of surprisingly curly and bouncy dark pink hair free before she started wiping her fur down with the kerchief as she got rid of the school marm outfit. Her white fur turning pink under the ministrations before her cutie mark was finally revealed as a trio of floating balloons. Glimmer had seen those before. Though it took her a moment to process the sudden change from white school marm to bouncy party pony.
“Wait a minute … you're the mare from all the stained glass windows and that statue the ponies put out side the palace!” Glimmer stammered.
“Yup , Call me Pinkie Pie.” Pinkie grinned cleaning the last of the white off her hooves.
“Why is the hero of the Empire foal sitting!?” Glimmer asked. “ You supposedly saved every pony from King Sombra's attack and kept the Crystal heart from being taken by Sombra!”
“Cause I like foal sitting?” Pinkie asked.
“I'll take obvious answers to rhetorical questions for three hundred Alex.” Discord stated mashing a button on a pedestal with a blue square on the front that had his name on it Glimmer didn't even care any more that hadn't been there a second ago.
“But why have you been so horrible!?” Glimmer asked.
“It was a lesson” Pinkie stated. “ Plus we were in the script to be here.”
“A lesson?” Glimmer demanded.
“Yup we needed to see how you would react to some one who you normally would hate but couldn't do anything too. We wanted to see if you would escalate things and be a meanie pants or would show kindness and stop before some one got hurt.” Discord explained. “Really we didn't have too but that blasted rabbit needed to further the story along. We should have got the half lizard kid, but noooo we get the one for the other Element....”
“So wait.” Glimmer interrupts the rant. “I was treated like crap, to teach me a lesson, that I wouldn't need to learn unless I was treated like crap.....?”
“Yup” Pinkie agreed.
“That makes no sense!” Glimmer shouted.
“Thus you have achieved a understanding of Life the universe and everything.” Discord nodded sagely.
“42!!” Pinkie shouted as Glimmer rubbed her head, hoping the promised chocolate cake was at least very good chocolate cake.
Luna yanked her head back from the small bed, stumbling away from it before she sat down against the wall panting hard. Her aqua eyes were wide, as she stared at the sleeping form laying in the crib before her. The castle was almost complete, though her personal quarters had not been fully rebuilt and her family was currently staying in the guest quarters of New Canterlot Castle with this connecting room set up as the nursery.
Luna had been teaching Twilight Sparkle dream walking, the mare having taken to it quite readily, even going so far as pointing out things Luna had been unaware of. One of those things had led her to take a closer look at her daughter's dreams.
Rynthia was fine, her dreams were the usual mishmash of colors and sounds that all most every young foal had.
Dawn's were not.
They were much sharper and focused, full of pictures of things that Luna was not sure the foal had ever even seen. Granted with how often Dawn was riding around on Jer'rahd's back, it was hard to tell exactly where he had taken her so she bore it no mind at first.
Until her daughter dreampt of a cavern.
Luna recognized the cavern. It was one that had been buried in an explosion and was home to a number of atrocities in the past Luna that Luna had willingly ignored as Nightmare Moon. There was no way Jer'rahd would have brought her to that place under Winnysor castle, there was no way he even could have brought her there, Scarlet had destroyed it before the War of Gods.
This lead her to investigate her daughters dreams a little closer, even though she was no longer Goddess of the Moon she could easily mimic the spell she had used for so long. It was not nearly as strong as what Twilight could do. Luna was simply a spectator now, rather than a force that could do something in some one elses dream, but it was more than enough to wander through Dawn's dreams.
Exploring the landscape of her daughters dreams was an experience in of itself. Currently she was watching her daughter dream about playing in a sand box on a cloudless day with the specters of herself and Jer'rahd watching over her. It was all very peaceful and quite adorable in all honesty. Much better than Pips dreams had been since he was a teenager, they often featured Scootaloo and well..... after the first few times she stopped visiting his dreams. Dawn's dream was still in sharp detail and Luna still had not seen anything else odd. She was thinking to leave when she felt a flutter of reality that signaled anothers presence in the dream, glancing to the side she caught sight of Twilight trotting into the dream as well. Likely the new Princess was here to check up on Luna and see what was going on.
When the new Princess of the Moon appeared she nodded a greeting to Luna before freezing in place, staring at the sand box, taking a step backwards. Luna blinked and turned around quickly to see what had spooked Twilight, her own eyes widening at the sight of the sandbox.
Foals who have not yet found their identities in life will often show up in their dreams as they were in their previous life, if they were reincarnated. Foal's like Rynthia and Shin were new souls and as such had no previous life to fall back to, often their image of self took longer to form because of that. Dawn had been Dawn since Luna first noticed the oddity of her dreams. At the time Luna had assumed that Dawn was a new soul as well, just a rapidly adjusted one.
The presence of the Goddess of Dreams along with the former Goddess of Dreams in Dawn's dream shattered the delicate illusion of normalcy. Not to say the dream turned dark, it just grew less sharp as it reverted to how a dream was supposed to be. The day was still sunny, the shades of her and Jer'rahd still watched over their foal in the sand box.
But it was no longer Dawn playing in the sand box.
The figure was far too tall to be a foal and would have been taller than Luna had it not been sitting. It's red and aqua colored eyes seemed focused on the play castle it was building, though they darted up to the images of Luna and Jer'rahd occasionally. She sported a pair of wings on her back, one leathery and black like a proper Kirin's the other deep blue and covered with feathers. Her black coat almost seemed to shimmer in the light of the dream scape, and her amber mane and tail fluttered about as if in a unfelt breeze. Her mane was dotted with sparkling points of light that seemed to gather the most around the spiral horn emerging from her forehead. The figure was clearly an adult and had the cutie mark to prove it, a white crescent moon on a gray blue knight's shield.
Nocturne.
Luna had flashed out of the dream so fast she was back peddling across the floor of the nursery before she realized she was out of the dream. The Changeling Queen lay back against the wall staring at the cribs with her daughters in them. All that was in them was the orange scaled Kirin that she had given birth to and her adoptive daughter Rynthia. Both still sleeping soundly.
A bright flash of light filled the nursery followed by a soft pop.
Luna didn't look away from the crib, she didn't have to to know it was Twilight.
“Luna... what was that?” Twilight began. “ Why is Nocturne in Dawn's dream?”
“Because it seems....... that my daughter is Nocturne......... or was......” Luna stated calmly.
“How is that even possible?”
“Well Jer'rahd and I loved each other very much and.....”
“LUNA!”Twilight hissed.”This could be serious.”
“You think I don't know that?” Luna snapped back. “ Best case she's simply reincarnated from Nocturne and has no memories. Worst case Nocturne did something to be reborn.”
“Is that possible?” Twilight asked.
“Dawn did not put up that glamor in her mind. I was starting to think that it was my fault that her dreams were that clear. I traveled the dream realms quite often when I was heavy with her. Not like Jer'rahd would let me do much physically.”
“That can have an effect?”
“I have no idea as far as I know I'm the only mare since Starswirl created the spell to get pregnant while I still had control of the spell. Keep that in mind if you do any gender swap spells with Tia.” Luna snarked as Twilight blushed.
Luna sighed moving away from the wall to the crib looking down at Dawn who had managed to tangle herself up in the blanket and was gnawing on the end of her tail. She could see a small resemblance to Nocturne, though perhaps that wasn't fair given the fact that Nocturne was a composite of she and Jer'rahd, as was Dawn, but in a different way.
“Starswirl says it has nothing to do with the dream walking. In fact he has a few theories about whats going on.” Twilight stated suddenly evidently having tapped into her magic to speak with Starswirl on the moon. Luna had not even known he was there when she held the power. She had briefly seen his image when she gained the power, though that had been it. Twilight was studying under him in her free time.
“Some idea is better than nothing.”
“Nocturne was killed before Dawn was born so she very much could simply be the former incarnation of Dawn. A chance to raise a lost daughter you didn't expect. His words not mine. The glamor spell confuses him as well, but he knows of no spell that would affect a dream like that.”
Luna lets her horn glow shifting the blanket to cover Dawn up again.
“I am not going to take any sort of action just yet. I would like you to keep an eye on her with your nightly rounds and I will do much the same as I am able. Let me know of anything out of the ordinary Twilight.”
“Are you going to tell Jer'rahd?”
“I had not planned to.”
“You had better. Or I will.”
“ Don't, he's already been through enough in the last few years I don't want to add more to him.”
“You don't think he would take it well?” Twilight frowned.
“He would take it fine, on the outside, I doubt it would even seem to phase him. But it would eat at him as it is eating at me now. If we find nothing and she eventually becomes her own self, I won't worry about it. If she remains Nocturne in her dreams, or she develops manurisums similar to Nocturne, it may be an issue we have to address. But not now. It will be a few years yet before she would dream solidly of who she is supposed to be. Perhaps she simply needs time to become herself.”
“Are you going to be alright?”
“No, I am going to be wary, and simply hope that every one else considers my increased attention to Dawn as little more than normal mothers worry. And not that I expect my own daughter to grow up to try and finish what she started in a previous life.”
High pitched screams caused the trio to break into a run, and in Dawn's case a furious flapping of wings as she tore through the air.
The next dream they had come upon was a recreation of the Crystal Palace, though it was filled with blackish and gray crystals and flickering ominous red and green lights. They had yet to figure out whether the dream was Shin's or Glimmer's when they heard the first high pitched scream. Still not sure which of their friends was in trouble, the group rushed off into the palace galloping through it following the screams until they came upon the throne room.
The place was oddly deserted and looked as if it had been for a long time. The throne itself was in shambles the windows smashed out and every bit of the crystal making up the room seemed to have bite marks in it.
At the far side of the room numerous mutated black scaled Kirin were standing around something they had cornered. The took turns lashing out at whatever they had trapped. What ever it was , was big as occasionally one of the monster Kirin would be flung off into the air to crash against a wall. Granted when that happened the monster simply faded into dream stuff and another formed to take it's place.
Despite being menacing, they seemed confused as if they were dealing with something that they hadn't expected.
Dawn fluttered up to the ceiling looking over the large Kirin to what they had cornered. Glimmer lay curled in the corner, hugging something tight to herself and letting out a scream every time one of the monsters roared.
Between her and the Kirin however was a very large, young Hippogryph. Talon had used his magic and was several sizes larger than a normal adult Griffon now He held his ground between Glimmer and the monsters, lashing out with short flickers lightning or a pair of steel claws he was wearing.
Talon was holding them off, but he was visibly shaking in place and Dawn could tell why. His body was covered by a swarming black mass of bugs. Given she had seen the Hippogryph freak out over a toy spider, the amount of willpower he was displaying in not running off in terror was amazing for the seven year old. The monsters roared and he roared back, his cry little more than a high pitched shout despite his size, but Dawn thought it was awesome.
“They've got 3P and Brainy cornered.” Dawn snarled as she dropped back down to the others.
Elusive nodded to Dawn and rushed forward at the monsters without a moments pause. Dawn was off the second Elusive started moving leaving Rynthia staring after them.
“SPOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOON!!!!!” The orange Kirin shouted as her battle cry, latching her claws onto the head of the first monster Kirin she landed on, her claws scrabbling at the back of it's neck as she chomped down on it's ear.
Elusive plowed hard into the back legs of the monstrous creatures, knocking them off balance and sending them tumbling as he used his small bulk the best he could. He pressed his attacks, hitting the monsters where he could, following the advice of Uncle Jer'rahd and aiming for soft spots.
Rynthia sighed muttering under her breath about trying to plan something before rushing in, though soon enough she ran into the mix as well, striking at joints and soft spots like her father and mother had shown her with far more skill than Elusive displayed. Still after being attacked while still in her crib and foal napped a few years ago her parents did their best to teach her how to fight.
Dawn had never payed attention during any of Jer'rahd's self defense training, though in all honesty it was unlikely she needed much training. Dawn was fast, strong, and between her teeth, claws, and tail she was a veritable weapon all unto herself considering her young age. It didn't hurt that she acted like a furious wrecking ball of doom any time she went after anything.
Given the nature of the attacks against them, any real threat would have little issue in dealing with a hoof full of foals. These nightmare Kirin however seemed to have issues with things that were not afraid of them. It didn't take long before the lot of them started vanishing one after another until there was nothing left.
Dawn bounded around growling at corners as if expecting them to come back. Though Rynthia noticed she tried to take a bite out of the remains of the crystal throne as well.
Rynthia rushed over to check on Glimmer while Elusive checked Talon.
Talon was panting heavily and shuddering as he struggled not to panic. Bugs swarmed the over-sized Hippogryph, centipedes, roaches , flies, and countless others, all squirming and crawling across him in a writhing mass. The only spots on the Hippogryph that wasn't swarming with bugs were the shining steel pair of gauntlets on his fore limbs.
Glimmer was bruised up and dirty, she looked like she had been hit a few times, her mane and tail were all sorts of mussed up and she was curled around something that she was protecting with her wings and legs.
“Holy crap dude are you alright in there?” Elusive asked his magic grabbing at as many bugs as he could trying to rip them off Talon's face, only for more to seem to form around him. “Also where'd you get the gauntlets?”
“I am decidedly not alright.” Talon stammered though he swallowed hard his eyes shutting tight.” Is Glimmer alright?”
“She is little more than a bit bruised, though how are you two together, I am confused.” Rynthia asked.
“I heard her scream even in my nightmare so I came here and dragged my fear along with me to protect my friend.....” the Hippogryph stammered.” How did you get here?
“Pretty much the same way, though we followed Dawn's nose. She's gotten surprisingly smart.” Elusive points back at the orange Kirin who was rolling across the floor having attacked her own tail thinking it was a new enemy. Elusive slapped his hoof against his face.” Well she WAS smart.”
“Glimmer you can calm down now....... what is that thing, some sort of cow?” Rynthia asked her hoof resting lightly on the pink pegicorn's shoulder.
The creature Glimmer was curled around was a small odd looking creature. It looked some what like a pig, though with a long tail with a bit of fluff on the end like a cows. It had a pattern of angular patches on its yellowish tan fur that were a bright purple. The creature had long rabbit like ears and what looked to be a short elephant trunk for a nose. It's soft blue eyes were wide and it squeaked in fear as Rynthia approached as if trying to get away from her by pulling back under Glimmer's wing.
“It's okay, they're my friends...and Dawn.” Glimmer muttered to the creature, the beast seemed to relax a little at her words. “ I'm not sure what he is, but I don't think he's supposed to be here. Those things were attacking him and I couldn't let them kill him.”
Glimmer slowly uncurled and set the small creature down. Standing on it's own on little cat like paws it did not look any less strange to Rynthia. The creature looked around sniffing at Rynthia before slipping free of Glimmer's hold and hobbling over towards the trembling Talon.
“Oh dear his back legs still hurt... Charlotte come back....” Glimmer stated rising to her hooves and trotting after the small creature, though she froze as she saw the swarm of bugs all over Talon.
“Talon what.... bugs.... aren't you ...” Glimmer stammered.
“A knight has to protect a Princess...” Talon grumbled. “ I can't let my fear stop me....”
“Wait I thought I was the knight?” Elusive asked with some indignation.
“There can be more than one Knight.” Talon snapped.
“I am not sure of the uproar, on the board are there not four?” Rynthia asked.
“Wrong sort of knight “ Elusive snorted.
“What's the Taipair doing?” Dawn asked curiously rolling over to lay on her belly before Talon watching the small creature.
“The what?” Elusive demanded.
“Him.” Dawn points a claw at the little creature who suddenly opened it's mouth wide showing a distinct lack of teeth. A strong wind formed, pulling at them all as the suction started drawing everything towards the creatures wide open mouth.
The others yelped and panicked, though Dawn simply watched as the bugs swarming over Talon slowly started to turn to black mist and get sucked into the creatures mouth. In a few moments there were no more bugs covering Talon, though his gauntlets had also turned to mist and were vacuumed up by the small creature.
The beast closed it's mouth, licking its muzzle with a odd blue tongue and burped satisfied at the bugs it just ate.
“What is that thing?” Elusive demanded.
“Taipair. A dream eater, they're natives of the dream realm, they wander about eating bad dreams and unimportant ones that linger around past their time. It's why there's not a ton of random dreams lying about. I guess he tried to bite off more than he could chew with the monsters, but the bugs seemed right up his ally.”
“While this might not be news to you, he ate your gauntlets too.” Rynthia added as the Taipair moved back over to nuzzle against Glimmer.
“Seems you made a friend 3P.” Dawn giggled. “That's good luck.”
“It is fine, I'm not sure where the gauntlets came from. I did not have them when I came in, though I do recall they looked like my mothers war gauntlets.” Talon muttered though he suddenly froze again looking at Dawn.” How do you know so much about this creature?”
Dawn rolls her eyes. “ Long story, not telling it again, lets go find Buggy before those things come back.” Dawn stated rolling to her feet and pronking off.
“What happened to her?” Glimmer asked slipping the small creature up between her wings where it could rest it's hurt leg. “ I don't ever think I've seen her serious.”
“ We'll let you know when we figure it out.” Elusive sighed turning to follow after the orange Kirin.
The cold wind blew across the cloudscape before her, sending clouds racing across the sky, save one. Starfall looked down from the cloud she was sitting on high above the Peregrine Aerie. This was the first and last city of Griffon kind left on Equss. Tirek had nearly wiped them out as a whole, if not for Regent Breezy and Regent Dusty's actions, there likely would be no more Griffons on Equss at all.
Starfall was still unsure how she felt about that.
Wind Razor was dead, very dead, Starfall made quite sure of that. Perhaps she had been a little excessive in separating the body into multiple parts, burning it and then burying the parts at the ends of Equss, but she had to make damn sure that bird was gone.
The issue was, she still did not like Griffons as a whole. Despite getting to know Dusty better since she became the Griffon equivalent of a Princess, Starfall still didn't like them and part of her had wished Tirek had succeeded. She hated that part of herself.
Jer'rahd and Luna both knew this and as such when ever something needed to be discussed with the Griffons, she and Peach Blossom were sent to deal with them.
Starfall would have told Jer'rahd where to stick it, if it was just him ordering her, but Luna and Celesta were in on it as well. The pair were also making Jer'rahd meet with the Seaponies. Seemed the sisters had gotten it in their head that old prejudices needed to be set aside from every one. Of course this all stemmed from Twilight and Luna trying to get Celestia to at least tolerate Changelings. Misery loved company it seemed. Still Celestia and Jer'rahd were both trying. Starfall couldn't refuse if those two were at least trying.
Still she hated being here. Jer'rahd and Luna were willing to watch her foals whenever their schedules allowed, though Starfall more often left them with Rainbow Dash and Big Mac. Despite her great-however many times it was now, Granddaughter's penchant for being lax and reckless, when it came to the foals. Only Jer'rahd was likely a more protective guardian.
Both Jer'rahd and Dash were willing to pull any strings or any favors they could get for the foals. Given that Jer'rahd was friends with Discord and Dash was friends with Pinkie Pie, this amounted to a lot. Hence, she knew her three were enjoying the slightly out of season Pinkie Pie fun faire in New Canterlot, while she was stuck in the new Griffonlands.
Starfall's ears perked as she heard heavy breathing. She looked around before dipping her head to poke through the cloud she was laying on. A small figure was straining his wings hard to fly up to her. She watched for a moment as he drew closer, lifting her head out of the cloud just as the small Hippogryph flew up above her cloud then crashed down atop of it panting heavily, his back hooves twitching a little as he clung to the cloud trying to catch his breath.
Starfall tilted her head looking out over the edge of her cloud. She had come up as high as she could to stay out of the way of any Griffons that might be flying around below her. Her altitude was such that the cold of the wind would have been a bit of a problem with out her Wonderbolts flight suit, and even then she had buffered her cloud like a walled keep so she would have shelter from the wind. The steep climb had been a work out for her, she couldn't imagine the seven year old Hippogryph managing this.
Yet here Talon was, clearly what ever he wanted was important.
Starfall sighed as Talon slowly regained his composure. She worked a small bowl out of cloud stuff and reached a hoof up tapping against a slightly higher cloud, getting a mini rainstorm from it. She filled the bowl with water before offering it to Talon who drank greedily from it.
“Don't gulp it down, you'll choke, drink it slow.” Starfall said calmly her ears flattening.”What are you doing up here Talon? Does your mom know you're here?”
“She knows, huff, I was seeking you. Wheeew.... but I do not expect she knew you were this high up.” Talon gasped ruffling the feathers about his head.
Starfall wasn't sure what to think about the cross breed foal. Let alone that he was a god. The dark blue furred foal had the back end of a equine with matching tail dotted with white feathers. He had large feathery white and soft blue griffon like wings and feathers and his front end came with the lion like paws and claws of a normal griffon. He had a pair of pony like ears poking up through a mane of white and blue feathers and a short slightly curved beak like a griffon.
On one hoof he was sort of adorable in the way most foals were, but on the other hoof he was part griffon. Really she shouldn't be having such a stupid internal debate with herself simply due to the fact he was part griffon. The ruffled head feathers however gave her a clue as to why Dawn called him Puffy.
“Why were you looking for me?”Starfall asked.
“I have .. questions...”Talon gasped.
Starfall rolled her eyes. She should have guessed. Talon was smarter than most adults she knew and he had a desire to know things that rivaled Twilight's. Unlike Twilight however there were very few books left in the Griffon Empire for him to read. Most of the funds went towards rebuilding basic infrastructure first. Lucky for him they were close enough to the Crystal Empire that getting books for him was relatively easy, and it had become even more so when Princess Twilight decided that she would use her own funds to put a Library in the new Peregrine Aerie.
Starfall briefly considered simply ignoring him, but he was still a foal, half griffon or not. Not to mention he came all the way up here to talk to her, a impressive trip in itself for any one, not just a seven year old.
“How did you find me?” Starfall asked.
“It was not hard, you always tend to take to the air as much as you can when you come and visit Peregrine. The rest was simply triangulating the location of the densest cloud cover, coupled with fronts that had not formed naturally......”He continued on for a moment before realizing that Starfall was simply staring at him in confusion. “Sorry, basically I looked for the cloud that wasn't moving as much...”
“It is also rather dangerous to come up this far, especially for the untrained.”Starfall stated looking him over to see if he was suffering from any sort of flight strain, she shouldn't have worried, he was a godling after all.
“Which is one of the reasons I wished to speak with you. With how often you have come here lately I wonder if it is possible if you could help me with my flying ability.” Talon asked.
Starfall tilted her head a little the other way. “ Why not your mom and dad? Both of them are superb fliers or they wouldn't be in the Shadowbolts.”
“Father knows how to fly as a Pegasus. Mother knows how to fly as a Griffon. Neither of them can figure out how to adapt the two to where it would aid me. My wings are a cross between a Griffons and a Ponies as is my flight form. There were never many Hippogryphs to begin with and now there are even less. Of those that remain I am the only one that can fly either due to injury or not having wings.”
“So why me?” Starfall questioned.
“You are a legend in the air Mrs. Silvertail. If any one could help me improve my flight ability I would expect it to be you or Mrs. Dash. Though I regret I have met her only once.” Talon stated flatly.
Starfall considered a moment looking back down at the ground far below. She probably could figure out how to help him fly better. She knew how Pegasi flew of course, and she had studied Griffon flight in order to better kill them. Heck she even knew how harpies and dragons flew and was in the process of studying Kirin and Linorm to aid Dawn when she was old enough. Talon wasn't an enemy, the Griffons themselves were no longer enemies. Why was she even hesitating on this? A foal had flown up here on his own with considerable effort to ask her directly. A feat of that nature was something she should take note of as a Wonderbolts talent spotter alone.
“Mrs. Silvertail, might I ask another question?” Talon asked trying to straighten his feathered mane with his fore claws with next to no success.
“Hmm sure go ahead.”
“Why do you come up here every time you visit? You seem inclined to spend as little time around others as possible. I have seen you in New Canterlot and you do not flee like this so I do not think it is that you are anti social. It seems that it is more you are trying to avoid the Griffons themselves.” Talon pondered.
Starfall perked her ears at that. She tried to be polite when she had to speak with some of them, but the foal was right, every chance she distanced herself from the Griffons as much as she could, going so far as to flat out not allow her own foals to come any where near this place. She had one of her first major fights with Peach about his coming here. Old memories and fears it seemed were not easily squashed.
“Exactly how much do you know about me Talon?” Starfall sighed figuring the best way to answer was a story.
“I have read several pulp fiction novels about your exploits, but as you have never been known to give a clear story of your adventures I assume that most are grossly exaggerated.” Talon admitted.
“Some of them yeah. Okay most of them. Any way have you read the one by Kingsly?”
“Night flyer. That one was more of a horror suspense story, but yes.”
“That's the closest one to the truth. Kingsly wrote about how my daughter and I were stalked and hunted over Equss by a monster that was willing to kill any one to get what it wanted, which was my death. The story told of how it collected grisly trophies of those it killed and when it killed some one new it went out to eliminate that creatures whole family.” Starfall sighed. “He started that story by pointing out that it had already killed my husband and that was where it got the taste for me, killing my family until no one but myself and my daughter were left.”
“And that was the most truthful?” Talon blinked in shock.
“Yes, although in truth it wasn't a monster in any physical sense of the word. Wind Razor was just a Griffon. A solider with a blood lust that was trained into her by the Griffon war machine when they were fighting Equestria during the War of the North. She killed my husband and brother, then my mother and father. After that my sister and her lover met their end by her as well. I joined the Guard and I fought Griffons for most of my military life because of her. Habits and fears like that are hard to get out of and old hatreds are even harder to shake. “
“So because of what she did, you have an aversion to Griffons as a whole?” Talon pondered. ”Despite the fact that there are no Griffons living now that had anything to do with what went on in the past?”
“Pretty much. I know it doesn't seem to make sense, but that's how it is. I don't really want to deal with Griffons at all.”
“No it makes sense. It is negative reinforcement built up over a long time and thus not likely to be easily resolved.” Talon stated causing Starfall to stare at him and wonder if the Hippogryph was channeling Twilight. “So why are you here then if you want nothing to do with Griffon kind?”
“Because both my husband and my friends think it would be good for me to deal with Griffons off the battlefield. Despite how I feel about it I have to trust that they are right, because I know their vision isn't as colored as mine. I know they would do anything for me and that should be willing to do the same. It's that trust and loyalty to them that are the reason I'm here. I've got a job to do so I'll do it despite what I want.”
“You seem alright with my mother, and she is full Griffon.” Talon pointed out.
“Heh, ask her to tell you about what happened in her basic training, I took a lot out on her and the other Griffons in that group, I still do when I help Jer'rahd. But she stepped up and did well enough that when the Shadowbolts were formed she was one of the first I offered the training to. And she passed. She's part of the team so despite being a Griffon I trust her and Breezy. Everyone else here, not so much.”
“So she proved herself to you and thus you do not dislike her as you do all the others...” Talon pondered. “It seems that trust went both ways when you offered her the position and she accepted. There is an underlying loyalty there between you two that ignores racial barriers. Though that still does not answer my first question. I am far more interested now than I was before with the knowledge that you trained my mother and father. “
Starfall rolled her eyes. “You didn't need to analyze it.”
“My apologies it is something I tend to do more often than not. I have oft been accused of over thinking things.”
Starfall wondered briefly if that was his problem, he thought too hard on how he was supposed to fly rather than just doing it. It was something to think of later.
“At the very least given that I am only half Griffon, perhaps working with me might be a step forward to overcoming your dislike of the species.” Talon continued.
“You are trying rather hard to get me to do this.”
“My apologies again Mrs. Silvertail, but you have yet to grant me an answer.” Talon blinked. “ I am simply trying to weigh things in my favor further.”
Starfall smirked. It would be a while yet before her own foals needed flight training, maybe this would be a start, besides she likely already figured out his main issues. It was sure to be less boring than sitting on a cloud most of the time while she was here and Princess Celestia would probably consider it progress both politically, and for her own emotional state.
“Yeah sure. You came up here to find me I might as well.” Starfall smirked.
“I am very much aware of that, you needn't remind me every minute how much time he has left.” Celestia snarled from where she sat atop one of the ruined rail cars.
“Fine. He's spent an hour and fifty seven minutes of the two hours you gave him being stupid.” Jer'rahd snapped back.
Celestia didn't respond, instead her gaze lifted skyward and to a silvery orb slowly making it's way across the sky.
Jer'rahd followed her gaze and smiled.” Seems like Sparkles alive then.”
“Yes it seems that way, but it feels odd, like it's not her magic moving it.” Celestia grumbled.
“Think it could be the interference of the shield?” Jer'rahd asked suddenly a bit more concerned.
“It's possible. I never really had full control of the moons abilities for the thousand years Luna was gone. I cannot tell for certain.” Celestia admitted.
“There was nothing in Spike's book that said anything about Grogar being able to steal powers. Who else could be moving it? If he had killed her and raised her as a zombie under his control the power of the moon would leave and go to some one nearby that it considered worthy.” Jer'rahd pondered. “ At least according to what Sparkle and Luna have said.
“This is true. I suppose I should take it as a good sign then.” Celestia admitted.
“BWWHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAAHA!!!!!! IT IS DONE! THE MOON IS MINE!” Avianna screams out into the void.
Strands of aether gather in the air around the glass field where the book of Orbsah known as the Crystal Chronicle was buried. The wisps of energy flowing and forming above the book taking the shape of the mare who lived in the buried book. The energy became more solid forming into the shape of a light blue alicorn.
“Finally with all this power, I can destroy Equss and rebuild it as I see fit, with subjects who will only adore and worship me......” Avianna smiles wide looking up at the blue orb in the space far above her.
“Geez do you write your own lines? Cause if so you need to fire your script writer, I've read better lines out of a old beefcake action novel.”
“What?!” The magically constructed form of Avaianna whirls scanning the moons surface. She did not have to look long before spotting the speaker. A dark red furred and black maned earth pony stallion was sitting on a rock nearby not even trying to hide. The stallions cutie mark was a trio of crossed cupids arrows, and he bore a number of scars over his slightly transparent form.
“Who dares?”Avianna's eyes narrow as the figure chuckled waving a black hoof in the air, one connected to a blackened leg.
“Forgot me already? Well I suppose the last time we met I wasn't exactly in any shape to challenge you or comment on your flank. I was almost dead if I recall. Besides Jer held your attention pretty well.” The figure slipped off the rock cricking his neck as a zebra mare strides around the rock he had been sitting on glaring at him in annoyance.
[“Do you really think taunting her is a good idea?”] the zebra mare asked.
“What's she gonna do, kill us again?” the stallion snorted.
“Who are you?” Avianna demanded rather confused. She could feel something here, but she was unsure of what it was. There should be nothing up here at all on this barren rock.
“Just a few impatient friends I called.” another voice stated from the other side of her.
Avianna whipped her head to the side frowning as this figure she recognized. An old gray unicorn stallion with a long white beard and mane, wearing a ridiculous blue outfit covered in bells.
“Starswirl.” Avianna snarled.
“Part of me any way. The part that's caretaker of this place.” Starswirl sighed. “ I understand that later in life I chose you to be my successor. At least from what young Twilight has told me of my exploits after my echo came to inhabit this spell. I felt you a bit ago when you first started gathering magic to yourself. Since the Element's of Harmony are busy at the moment I opted to deal with you myself, along with a number of others who have a connection with the Moon.”
More figures start to appear from around various rocks or simply popping out of thin air around the alicorn.
A white Unicorn with a purple mane and a tall Kirin with black scales move up near the first two that appeared. The mare seemed rather high class and the Kirin seemed rather angry.
A solid black earth pony stallion with a mane, tail and eyes, the same color of his coat, with a blue flower as a cutie mark stared at her from another spot.
A black Pegasus in old Guard armor fluttered up onto a rock to look down at her. His hair a deep blue streaked with silver and almost glowing amber eyes danced as he smirked rather evilly at Avaianna.
A bright pink unicorn with a mane and tail that was awash with more colors than a Rainbow appeared out of nowhere What looked like a cat wearing some sort of pastry and riding a rainbow was his cutie mark.
A dark blue Pegasus mare stood off to the far side of Avianna, her white mane and tail whipping in a unseen wind.
A tan earth pony with a dark blue mane and tail, that seemed to move and flow about her form like a magical aura one saw on the Princesses, stood near the blue Pegasus.
Behind them stretching as far as Avianna could see were countless others. Guards, monsters, normal ponies and other species. Every one of them staring directly at Avianna.
“What is this?” Avianna demanded.
“We were having one heck of a wedding after party when we got a message from tall, gray, and bearded here. And we figured why not, it's not a party until a bad guy gets thrashed.” The gray Pegasus snarled.
Avianna growled her eyes narrowing as the energy crackled around her.
“You fools think you can beat me?! I am a god here?”
“No, you're just a ghost that hasn't had the sense to fully pass on yet” Starswirl stated, his eyes glowing softly. “And since you moved your consciousness from your book to my domain, you are fair game. You've pissed off a lot of creatures Avianna. And all of them want a crack at you.”
“Indeed.” boomed a loud voice that seemed to shake the moon itself. “I honestly thought I would have to wait much longer before you showed up some where where I could get my claws on you.”
“I hope you don't mind. I invited a few others who I thought might want to be here.” the red earth pony grinned even wider. “ They don't exactly have the same connection to the moon and it's wielder that the rest of us do, but hey, the more the merrier right.”
Avianna whipped her head glaring back at the sound of the booming voice, her eyes widening in terror as the mob of other creatures moved aside allowing a massive red dragon ,his scales flickering with spectral flames to advance towards her.
Trotting along side of the massive beast to his left was a battle scared Zebra stallion in full plate armor with only the helm removed, his blue eyes staring daggers at the alicorn.
To the other side of the Dragon was a equally large and imposing sky blue earth pony stallion with a black mane and tail streaked with red. His green eyes burned in anger as he stared at Avianna.
Astride his back was a gauzy fined Seapony whose mane floated around her like it was drifting in unseen ocean currents. Despite being exceedingly beautiful her face was contorted into a rage that made her look more like a monster than anything else.
Sitting atop the massive dragons head were another pair.
A black furred unicorn with odd insect like plates of armor covering her body , and flowing forest green hair rested on the dragons head, looking a little uncomfortable with her perch, though her attention was primarily focused on Avianna. Her gnarled horn glowed lightly as her bright green eyes stared at the alicorn. A black Kirin with glittering red scales around his joints rested next to her atop the dragons head. His gradually curved red horn emerging from a mass of his black mane. His green eyes glared down at her as he presented a fanged sneer towards the mare below him.
The Kirin atop the dragon narrows his eyes as the dragon stopped, his black mane fluttering in a unseen wind as he glares down at the spectral alicorn.
“Hello mother.”snarled Sombra.
************
The page flips up to show an angry Discord with a sleepy Pinkie Pie draped over his back wearing a purple nightcap decorated with stars and moons.
Discord frowned glaring at the text scene above him.”Why wasn't I invited to this party? I've got a lot of issues to work out with that mare too!!”
Pinkie Pie rolled her eyes hugging tighter to his back as she lightly nuzzled into his mane. Meanwhile Discord simply glared at the author.
“Cause you're not dead.” Pinkie Pie commented ruffling Discord's mane idly with her nose hoof. “Can we go back to bed now?”
“Oh yeah.” Discord admitted pulling the page back down to let the text continue.
********************************
It really didn't take long for the amount of ghosts milling about one very violent spot on the moon to attract notice.
Thankfully for most it was only Mirth that showed up, though the sliver and gold Griffoness was less than thrilled with what had transpired.
“You know I am rather ashamed of you all.” Mirth crossed her arms, the massive Griffon staring down at the assembled mass of ghosts.
“Still worth it.” Crystal chuckled as she nuzzled against Sombra, the pair of them no longer sitting on Forgescale's head.
“I mean Bonnie let you all wait around so you could have a big party for those two when they got married and what happens? You all keep the party going for years and then get in a big fight!” Mirth sighed throwing her claws in the air in exasperation. Some how the massive griffon had developed a blue beehive hairdo and was wearing a pink apron with a chicken on it while waving around a rolling pin like a 1950's sitcom mother.
The moon looked.... well much the same, though the spiritual side of things was a bit of a wreck. Several thousand ghosts all lingering around a big crater with a prone and thoroughly thrashed alicorn body at the bottom of it.
“Seriously, Starswirl you aren't even here, you're just an echo... Hooper you're in the wrong era... again, and most of the rest of you should be heading on to your next life already.” Mirth barked pointing at the gray Pegasus who feigned shock. “If Bonnie wasn't so busy with everything else that's going on she'd probably force all of you on your way to the next life, including those of you still hanging around for your friends.”
Mirth's eyes narrow looking at the Zebra mare and the red earth pony stallion, both of who tried to whistle innocently. Another glare from the first Griffon at the black scaled Kirin and white unicorn mare added another set of innocent whistles to the mix.
“Really now miss Mirth the end result was quite cathartic for several of them, and I am this was something that was needed.” Starswirl began before Mirth cut him off.
“Fine all of you go, get back to where you're supposed to be right now before Bonnie notices. Honestly she took up the role as a guide for the dead and she lets you all walk all over her... she's far too nice sometimes.” Mirth sighed rolling her eyes and shooing the lot of them away from the crater before floating down into it with a small flap of her wings.
The great Griffon paused crouching down a little over the fallen alicorn and clicked her beak. She briefly glanced up from the bottom of the crater as the ghosts went back to their own places in the sky. Satisfied that they listened she lowered her head back to Avianna her beak stretching into a rather malicious grin.
“And here I thought collecting the souls of five of the books in one go was a boon I would never see repeated. Yet here's the newest book, separated from the protection Zachle provided you in book form all on your own. “ Mirth sighed reaching down and picking up the limp form of the alicorn. “I'm glad Bonnie's busy, cause I hate her having to see this. But a soul like yours, you'll be in the reformation zone for a long time.”
A portal into nothing opens behind the griffon and a flick of her wrist flings the alicorn into it. The mare barely having time to scream out before it snaps shut behind her.
The Griffoness sighed looking up to Equss far above, or below her, depending on perspective, and let the smile fall from her face. With all that was happening, none of them had had a chance to peek out into the real world for some time. Bonnie and the others had a lot to do with all the deaths brought about by Tirek and they were just now catching up. Add to that welcoming Troph and Grace back into their ranks and they didn't have time for much.
Now that Mirth had paused to take a look at the place they had all given their lives to protect, she noticed something. Something that shouldn't be there. Or more accurately, some ONE who shouldn't be there.
“It's gonna be a busy week.” Mirth grins, with far less humor and far more menace than there should be for the source of the Element of Laughter .
===============================================
[Two years and six months after the defeat of Tirek.]
Luna glanced over to the sound of giggling foals, watching as both Rynthia and Dawn clamored over Jer'rahd as he lay in the grass of the court yard. She could hear a few of the patrolling guards talking about how soft their Guard Captain was after witnessing the scene.
She almost pitied them if Jer'rahd heard them talking. Knowing him, he likely did.
Her ears remained perked up as she kept an eye mostly on Dawn She had poured over memories and knowledge of the past from the Changelings for anything that might be similar to what she had seen. Unfortunately Chrysalis, or Crystal as most history books were starting to call her from the time before she was cursed, had never had access to the dream realm. The spells to control the sun and moon were created thousands of years after her initial ascension and were given to some one, who at the time, was a trusted friend of both Crystal and Starswirl. Twilight's discussion with Starswirl on the Moon had not added anything to her knowledge.
She had piggybacked into her daughters dreams a few times and seen much the same as she had before, a far too clear mask of who she was, one that was easily disrupted by Twilight's appearance in the same dreams, though nothing else seemed to change.
She and Twilight had determined however, that who ever had put up the glamour was trying to protect Dawn from others who might jump to conclusions, not hide Nocturne from being found out.
Despite her best efforts Jer'rahd had noticed her sudden aversion to their foal and she wasn't sure if he bought into her 'Changeling issues' story.
Still after all these months with no change Luna was inclined to believe that perhaps it really was nothing. Nocturne was not plotting revenge, she had simply reincarnated and her soul had returned as their actual daughter. That was oddly a comforting thought. A child who was spawned artificially between two ponies barely connected by anything other than duty. One that had no foal hood and needed to be destroyed, now had a second chance at being a foal with a pair of ponies who greatly loved each other.
It was that that made Luna suspect the Element of Magic as behind it. Still without any physical way to speak with the Element's of Harmony, that was little more than speculation.
Luna slowly rose to her hooves, finally deciding that she had spent too much time worrying about this.
She trotted over towards the trio. Jer'rahd slowly looks up as Luna lays down next to him, wincing as Dawn chews on his ear before tumbling off his head to the grass. Rynthia tottered over towards Luna falling over against her side letting out a light squee as she managed more than a few steps on her own without support.
Dawn hesitated a moment longer before bouncing off Jer'rahd's chest and half galloping half tumbleing over to crash against Luna's fore hooves. Luna looked down at the orange Kirin foal, the tiny half dragon looked up at her sitting back on her tail and rear legs reaching up with her foreclaws trying to grab at Luna's muzzle.
Jer'rahd raised a brow, though his ears flatten a little as his daughters left him to go over to their mother. If Luna didn't know better she would swear he was jealous. Oh wait, she did know better, and he was.
Luna lifted her hoof up poking the small Kirin on the nose, causing her to tumble back wards into the grass.
“.............. So then I tried proposing in a hot air balloon but the weather pegasi screwed up the timing of a rain storm that day and not only did we get soaked, but like seven other couples had the same idea I did and once I found that out I had to find something else.” Lyra ranted.
The group had entered what they assumed was some sort of massive castle. Countless rooms ran down seemingly endless hallways that went every where. The group had started by checking every room they came across for a way out only to find what seemed to be endless storerooms of random treasures or junk and of course, a series of undead monsters. There were far less of them than what Luna had expected. The monster rooms were more like cells for each odd undead thing they came across, but there were a number that were completely empty with no sign of who or what had been inside. There were also far more 'cells' than any other type of room they found. By the end of the first long hall they had stopped and only checked every few doors along or any of them that looked odd.
Despite the odds, some how Lyra had found the small box she had been looking for. They had to fight some sort of pony sized zombie frog monster, but by that point it was the fourth one like it they had met and the trick with it's tongue was no longer a surprise, or even an amusing bit of innuendo.
The box Lyra had been after contained a small engagement bracelet. Questions were asked and the secret love, that every one knew about any way, between Lyra and Bon Bon was revealed. It seemed Lyra had been looking for a perfect way to propose to Bon Bon, one that had never been done before. She had been telling the others about it as they continued to search for a way out.
Lyra had considered the old wedding ring in the champagne glass trick, that led to finding a glass big enough for the bracelet, though she had written it off because it was an old trick. She had asked Fluttershy to have a cute animal deliver it, Fluttershy was booked solid four weeks in advance for that. Every time she thought she had a new idea, Lyra found out that thousands of others had done it before her. She was getting frustrated.
“You know the possibility of successfully finding a completely original way to propose is approximately Three thousand seven hundred and fifty to one.” Twilight listed getting a odd look from the others.
“Never tell me the odds.” Growled Lyra.
“Seriously you did that in your head?” Octavia asked.
“What? Math is fun.”Twilight protests as Luna rolls her eyes.
“Nerd...” Trixie muttered.
“Hey!” Twilight snapped.
“So Pri..... I mean Luna.... how did Jer'rahd propose to you? Maybe that might give me an idea.”Lyra commented, cutting off any argument between twilight and Trixie.
“He beat me in chess.” Luna said flatly with a small smirk.
“What?” Lyra asked, though the others were curious as well, except for Twilight.
“Oh please. You walked up to him told him you two were getting married and he said okay. “ Twilight snorted. “ And you did it that way just to annoy your sister.”
“Given that we were already technically married under equestrian law for just how long we had been living together it mattered little to either of us.” Luna huffed. “Granted the reason I did that to Tia was because she declared that law void simply to remove that complacency so that we would have to marry properly. Of course she fully expected him to propose to me, given how annoyed I was at her antics, I asked first.”
“That's boring.......” Lyra sighed.
“But you must admit, it is not likely something some one has done before. Proposed to some one you were already wed too, just to annoy ones sister after she changed a law you did not agree with.” Octavia commented. “ Decidedly unique.”
“What about you Octavia are you married?” Lyra whimpered a bit.
“Have you received an invitation yet?” Octavia rolled her eyes.
“No.”
“Then clearly I am not.”
“But he proposed years ago.” Lyra sighed.
“Indeed, though we have had a number of issues with our work. Given that it is only after Tirek attacked that Pontera has stopped touring. Still with all that is going on with the school's expansion into other countries, Jacob and I barely have the time to start planning.”
“Yeah, now that was an awesome proposal too.” Lyra muttered.
“I disagree.... with part of it.” Octavia muttered.
“Really how did Jacob propose? “ Trixie asked. “Trevor loves Pontera so I am forced to know much about them as well, though Trixie does not know that name.”
“Jacob is his real name. His stage name is, or was, Bloodmoon.” Octavia stated turning a bit red with all the information she was sharing.
“Wait? Bloodmoon, as in, THE Bloodmoon? The self proclaimed alicorn of rock?”Luna asked raising a brow.
“Given that his brother Nico... or Blackhole Sun, is the self proclaimed alicorn of 'and roll', yes.” Octavia rolled her eyes.”It is quite stupid, but the fans seem to love it.”
“Tia and I were going to investigate that when we first heard of them.” Luna commented.
“Please don't, he'd likely have a heart attack if you or Princess Celestia showed up. It was one of his fears that they would draw attention with their clams. Neither of them are alicorns. Nico is a unicorn with rather potent illusion magic and Jacob is a pegasus. The pair of them could not find work as musicians at first until Nico came up with the insane plan of his. That gimmick along with Jacob's song writing skill made every one take notice of the little band called Pontera. I'm still not sure how Nico convinced Jacob to go along with it given how shy he is....”
“Mind you this is the same stallion that flirted with every female, no mater the age or species, while on stage.” Lyra snorted at knowing the inside of this joke.
The others look back at Octavia who sighed.
“He is a different pony when he is out of his costume, a COMPLETELY, different pony. As Bloodmoon he is loud, boisterous and frankly an annoying musician. Outside of that he is completely different. For example he actually proposed to me twice. Once, on stage in front of thousands of fans, though thankfully he didn't use my full name, nor did he call me out....”
“I believe the actual line was. “ And now to make all the groupies cry, Tavi babe, will you marry me? Lemmi know later though I'm busy now'. He then proceeded to launch into some loud and screamy song.” Lyra giggled.
“Yes well not only did he apologize for that later, a lot, he proposed in a different way, he actually wrote a song and had the rest of the band play back ground for it while out of costume.” Octavia smiled at the memory. “I think it took all his courage to do so as well because he normally cannot sing while out of costume. That proposal was rather sweet. It balanced out the idiotic one enough for me to accept.”
“And yet again , that's two more pretty rare proposals.” Twilight commented getting a grumble from Lyra.
The mint green mare looked to Trixie hopefully, though the blue mare simply shook her head.
“Trixie does not think she is ready for any sort of relationship. She has never been interested in mares and stallions still cause her.... issues, to be around.” the blue unicorn muttered.
Lyra nodded looking over at Twilight who had done her best to try to place Luna between her and the curious mare.
“Not a chance Sparkle.” Luna snorted slowing suddenly and letting the purple mare walk in front of her out in the open.
“Oh ho, does Twilight Sparkle have some one she fancys then?” Trixie asked.
“Is it some sort of scandal perhaps?” Octavia asked. “ I suppose the news that one of the Princesses was involved with some one would make headlines rather quickly.”
“Well...” Twilight muttered her ears droop as Luna smirked.
“I truly forgot how many do not know of your relationship Twilight.” Luna laughed.
“Cause we don't want every one to know.” Twilight muttered.
“Yet it is not as if you do anything to hide it. The castle servants simply know better then to pass along rumors when some one might be watching. And the Guard really do not wish to annoy Jer'rahd.” Luna stated.
“What do you mean annoy Jer'rahd?” Twilight frowned.” Did he do something to threaten every one again?”
“While we are not stopping any of them from talking personally. Most think that Jer'rahd an I are working to keep your relationship quiet. One cannot easily keep secrets with Changelings about and nearly all the Guards fear their Guard Captain. So when it was let slip that he may have issue with that sort of talk then they assume so would I and thus keep them selves quiet.”
“Who the heck thought that plan up.” Twilight asked.
“Starfall and Peach Blossom if I am not mistaken.” Luna admitted.
“Remind me to give them a raise.” Twilight muttered.
“Frankly I don't rightly care whether any one knows or not and I am sure Jer'rahd is the same.”
“Are you two going to continue to tease us with all this double talk or is the name of Princess Sparkle's lover ever going to be said?” Octavia huffs, not usually caring about rumors, but this was getting to her.
Twilight's ears flatten to her head. “ FINE........ it's Celestia..........”
There was a collective gasp, one that included Luna for some reason.
“Seriously? Our two Princesses are knocking horseshoes?” Lyra gaped.
“That is quite the age gap there, though I suppose since you ascended that means little more than her having a great deal more experience.” Octavia pondered.
“Trixie is simply surprised that Twilight Sparkle is in a relationship with something other than a book.” Trixie smirked. “ Though one would suppose a teacher student kink would still be high on her list.”
“Tis the quiet ones you need to watch out for.” Luna added watching as Twilight turned a deeper shade of red with each comment.
“Seriously.......” Twilight growls flicking a wing towards Luna. “I get comments on kinks I may or may not have and no pony asked the master of disguise over here how that affects her bedroom games?”
Luna blinked her ears flattening as she felt six eyes narrow on her. She glared back at Twilight noting the mares grin. Tia had been teaching Twilight rather well in proper diplomacy and misdirection.
“There is little to tell in that department. Given my ability to turn into anything there are still only four forms which Jer'rahd wishes to have... relations with.” Luna commented, turning a bit red herself.
“Only four? Let me guess is one of them Celestia? That way he gets both the sisters...?” Lyra asked Getting a sudden sharp bark of laughter from both Twilight and Luna. “What did I say?”
“Given Jer'rahd's hatred of my sister I am sure he would rather geld himself then consider the option.” Luna smirked, though Twilight kept laughing. “No the only four forms he desires are, the one I wear now, how I looked before I became a Changeling. That was how I looked when he first saw me. The third is my Nightmare Moon look, though that's rare. His favorite however is how I looked as a pegasus before I ascended.”
“Untold numbers of looks to choose from and he only likes four of them?” Lyra snorted.”That pony has some insane focus.”
“Some what romantic when you think of it however. All he seems to desire is you no matter which form you took before.” Octavia pondered. “Still with as long as you two have been around and how long you likely will live, that seems to me as if it might get old. I do hope he is creative at least.”
Trixie opted to stay out of the conversation and Twilight seemed ill by it. Luna considered it serving her right for starting this line of talks.
“He is some what lacking in imagination at times, but he is not against trying anything I suggest. “ Luna grins wide showing fangs as she glanced to Twilight. “That said were you girls not already taken I would suggest finding a Kirin for yourself. Not only are they.. ahem, bigger, than a normal stallion , they have stamina for days, and Jer'rahd is easily twice that.”
“Ugh I did not need to hear that.” Twilight bemoans.
“And I do not need to hear you and my sisters trysts while in my courtyard, but thine volume is on par with the Royal Canterlot voice.” Luna smirked wider like a cat with a caught mouse. “Perhaps you might shut your windows, or invest in a soundproofing spell?”
“GAAAAH!” Twilight wailed.
==============================================
[ Several months ago, just before Hearths Warming. Sweet Apple Acres.]
Rynthia trotted though the forest at the edge of the south orchard of Sweet Apple Acres, following a tall Zebra mare. To either side of her, were her brothers, Fox and Wolf.
Wolf was a lanky colt that never seemed to gain any weight no matter how much he ate, and according to Applejack if they hadn't gotten a small stipend from New Canterlot, he would have eaten them out of farm and field. His white fur was a little darker than his brothers, and his stripes a little grayer giving him a somewhat faded coloration all around. He kept his mane and tail long and loose, the stringy hair seeming like a rats nest most of the time as it mostly covered his blue eyes and fell down to his shoulders. Fluttershy joked she had lost a few of her combs trying to tame the mess. Despite being nine already he was still smaller than most foals in his classes. He interestingly had gotten a cutie mark already though. Not a very complex one, little more than a knife and a stick crossed on his flank, but he had developed it in the Coltscouts when he was going for a pocket knife badge. His talent seemed to involve wood work and he was able to whittle nearly anything with a great deal of skill, no small feat for any one without magic, or fingers.
On the other side of Rynthia was Fox. The other twin had outgrown his other half a few years ago and seemed to be taking more after his father than anything else. He was already nearly as tall as the zebra mare before them and had put on quite a bit of muscle by taking more and more tasks around the farm. While he had no cutie mark yet, no one in the school was willing to tease such a big colt for it, despite the fact he would never do anything. He seemed to take quite a bit after Big Mac, he didn't speak much and had a knack for farming. He had not grown any more stripes either since he was a foal and as such he looked more like a white pony with a few black markings on his back and legs than a proper Zebra. His mane was cut very short, the hair barely standing out on the back of his neck and head. His blue eyes hid an intelligence that his lack of words and massive frame disguised. Despite his longer legs he kept pace with his little sister, only speaking once at the start with an open offer to carry her if she got tired.
She and Dawn didn't often visit the farm except for around the holidays despite how close they were. Rynthia and Dawn both attended the same school as her brothers. It was the same one as Pip and the Lilys attended.
Of course due to the courtesy of her fathers position of Guard Captain there was also a Guard outpost at the edge of the school yard now too. While the post was supposed to be an advanced position in case anything came out of the Everfree, nearly every one knew the Guards posted there had standing orders to keep an eye on Rynthia, Dawn, the twins, and any one else related some how to the Kaisurs.
Ahead of them was Zecora. She was a tall mare with a sun like cutie mark. Recently she had let her hair grow out more and her black and white hair had grown nearly down to the ground. She currently had her hair pulled back in a loose bun and two large bundles of flowers rested on her back in a basket.
The twins knew her as a family friend of the Apples, but Rynthia knew her as an Aunt some where along the way. Her father said she was related to Aunt Tia and she hadn't really questioned it. Zecora evidently came by earlier, specificly to see her..... and to warm Applejack and Fluttershy that the Disaster Trio and Dawn would need help at the barn sometime soon.
Applejack and Fluttershy had both panicked at that and run off as Zecora agreed to take the twins along too.
As they reached the edge of the orchard a sudden boom from the other side of the farm made Rynthia wince as she fully expected Dawn to be in the middle of whatever that was.
There was very little snow on the ground, mostly patches in the shade that hadn't melted yet. The weather pegasi were gathering up all the snow clouds for a big white out on Hearths Warming Eve, so while it was cold it wasn't unbearably so.
Neither of her brothers seemed to be thrilled with the direction across the farm they were taking and Rynthia had a sinking suspicion as to why. She barely recalled having been out this way a few times in the past with her father, Jer'rahd, though she doubted they were going to visit his parents graves this time.
[“Have you two visited out here very often?”] Zecora asked.
[“Occasionally, usually on holidays when Uncle Jer'rahd heads out here.”] Wolf responded in heavily accented Zebra. Fox nodded as well as Rynthia's ears perked up. She was taught Zebra along side Equestrian, though like her rhyming she got certain things in both languages jumbled up. Still she was better than Dawn, who had only learned the bad words and a few inappropriate comments and insults. Her father was equal parts proud and mortified at that, though her aunt Bleu thought it was hilarious.
[“While I am glad you have come out here with me, really I only wished to speak with your sister.”] Zecora added.
[“And we wanted to get away from the farm as we could before it was time to clean up what ever the trio did this time.] Wolf stated as Fox nodded solomly.
The Disaster Trio of Butterscotch, Apple Blossom and Dandelion had taken up the mantle of the cutie mark crusaders after their favorite aunt and her friends and had caused no end of chaos trying to get their cutie marks. While the trio never managed to actually achieve a disaster rating as the original Cutie Mark Crusaders had, they had caused enough damage that every one kept a close eye on them.
Even now, despite all three of them having their cutie marks they were often at the center of some problem or another from trying to help some other pony get their cutie mark. Dawn and Rynthia were often their targets when visiting. While Rynthia didn't really care, Dawn was eager enough to encourage all sort of things, much to everyone's horror.
[“They truly do take after Applebloom and her friends far to much. Perhaps we should have cleaned out the clubhouse before they found it and became the new Cutie mark crusaders.”] Zecora sighed though she paused as they came within sight of a small wrought iron fence.
In recent years Jer'rahd and the Apples had made a concentrated effort to maintain the graveyard. New headstones were added and an iron fence was placed around it.
There was talk of expanding the Graveyard after Discovering that the Pie's were distant cousins of the Apple Family. Jer'rahd, Pinkie, and Applejack launched a full investigation, which mostly involved bugging Spike until he found a book that had the family tree in it, something which Jer'rahd quickly had several copies made of to prevent any sort of paradox in case the book didn't exist before hoof.
The information that was found in the book revealed something else of importance beyond where in the family tree the Apples and Pies were related.
It revealed the location of Ma Pelt's final resting place.
While exhuming her to move her to the Apple family plot was written off immediately it did lead them to her gravestone in a small plot of land at the edge of the Pie rock farm. And in doing so cemented the connection of the family's more solidly than the book did.
Right now however Rynthia's attention was mostly focused on the pair of graves they approached. The ones of parents she had never met. She was some what sad about that. To hear her father and mother talk of them they were the greatest pony and zebra to have lived. Aunt Celestia, Aunt Starfall, and Auntie Bleu had other choice things to say about them, but they all seemed to have great respect for them.
Rynthia wasn't sure how much was true and how much was respect for the dead, though she did note that when ever her real fathers name was brought up in her presence, Applebloom tended to look angry and often tried to change the subject immediately.
“I am not really sure from just what you show, how much of the Zebra language do you actually know?” Zecora asked softly looking down at Rynthia.
Rynthia blinked at that, not sure what to say though her eyes widened as her aunt seemed to effortlessly string together words into a rhyme that still made sense. She loved that.
“Umm I speak more Equestrian than Zebra, though does this have something to do with my Ma and......... father... Dad.... “ Rynthia struggled.
“Pa” Fox offered.
Zecora chuckled. “I see you are still doing your best to rhyme, relax it is a learned skill that takes time.”
“Well she's better at it than me.” Wolf admits taking a seat on a patch of grass before the two graves.
Fox sat down next to him laying out a small blanket for Rynthia to sit on rather than the cold ground. Zecora surveys the area before sighing softly and lifting the flowers off her back in a soft glow of red magic before setting one on each of the graves.
The air around the adult Zebra shimmered as the black and white mare was replaced by a red and white one with a small red crystal horn poking out from her forehead, not unlike the tiny one Rynthia had.
Rynthia felt a flush of embarrassment recalling the first time she had seen her Aunt Zecora, or Sunshine as she was really called, like this. She had been so amazed that there was some one who looked like her that she had acted like a fool. It was something Dawn still found amusing given how calm Rynthia normally tried to be, to balance out her sisters antics.
Neither Fox nor Wolf seemed bothered by Zecora's change. Evidently every one on the farm knew and Zecora didn't bother to keep it as close as a secret as she did before, something about her father and a surprise trip to the Zebralands before his wedding.
“Your father bore the Element of Generosity, your mother Compassion,the pair were part of the Element's of Harmony.” Zecora continued. “It is likely that their fame has become overblown, their true selves only a few left have know.”
“You are going to tell us about our real parents? Isn't that something Momma or uncle Jer'rahd should do?” Wolf asked.
“Neither of them are willing to speak ill of the dead, and likely would put little more than their best times in your head. While I am related to all three of you, pointing out these two were our families black sheep is what I must do. While tales of the Gods War had increased their fame, in the war before that, many atrocities were done in their name.” Zecora sighed.
“Why would you need to tell us this, is something they did still … wrong... incorrect.” Rynthia grumbles.
“Amiss.” Fox stated.
“The issues Applebloom has gone through, can easily be brought back to the fault of at least one of the two. Despite what those in the Zebralands have done, some of the fault can be placed on the other one.”Zecora muttered.
Zecora shifted and settled down, beginning to tell the foals the tales of Rhede and Velkorn during the events of the Dragon Wars and everything else up until the point where they were sealed in stone. She told the trio of their actions once they had woken again and all the way up to their eventual ends. She down played their heroics by pointing out why they did them and up played some of their darker moments.
Zecora only spared them a few things here and there but the picture that was painted of their parents was not a pretty one. It was filled with blood, near genocide, infidelity, infanticide, and curses. By the end of it all three of the foals were at the very least teared up, though Wolf was clearly angry.
“If they did all that, killing foals, helping make monsters and turning on their own why were they let loose again? Why would the Elements of Harmony even choose them?” Wolf snapped.” This has got to be lies.”
“What I said has not been a lie, they were far from perfect when fate chose them to die.”Zecora sighed.
“Why did you tell us this?” Fox demanded, the colt sounding much angrier than Zecora had heard him speak before, though given how he was rubbing the softly sobbing Rynthia's back she could understand why.
“As I said before this lesson was never meant for you two, it was not something I planned to put you through.”
“Yes, because making our sister sit though the story alone is much better.” Fox grumbled.
“There is a lesson, and a point here if you are willing to see. After everything I have told you and what you know , what might the lesson be?”
“They were …. they were still worthy of the Elements of Harmony..... despite what they did. They did horrid things but they tried to atone.... “ Rynthia muttered.
Zecora's ears perk up and a small smirk crosses her muzzle. “Indeed Rynthia, correct you are, in your families reasoning abilities, you are setting the bar. Despite what they did and what they lived through, they represented Compassion and Generosity too. Their actions could be considered atrocious at times, horrific I'd guess, their morals seemed cloudy their judgments a mess. But your mother cared for all, no matter the price, and your father was giving whether or not he was actually nice. “ Zecora looked back at the graves.
“In the end they both did their best to make up for their wrongs, I doubt either expected or wanted to be remembered in song. But that is what happens and how ponies cope, with the loss of ones loved they can only hope, that their friends might be remembered with warmth and good praise, and their misdeeds forgotten, behind all the praise.”
Zecora slowly rises to her hooves.
“That is the lesson, unless you still object, they both became heroes, worthy of our respect. Their beginnings however you would do well to recall, and know there is potential to be anything inherent in all. Despite telling you this, a tail that seems tragic, think of how many loved them because their friendship is magic.“
The three foals blink looking up at Zecora then to each other before all of them flatten their ears with confused looks on their faces.
“I have no idea what the point of this was.” Wolf muttered.
=======================================
[Tamberlane, outside the shield]
“The moon's going back down.” Jer'rahd commented.
“Well that didn't take long. I suppose she might be limited in power or trying to hide herself.” Celestia commented as the moon dipped back down below the horizon. “ We really need to come up with a solid way to inform each other that we are still alright in situations like this.”
“We shouldn't HAVE situations like this.” Jer'rahd growled. “ Any way the bastards times up. You wanna knock this time and break another train car or do I just cut the bubble?”
“ Go ahead, if we can break through this thing then we don't need to wait for a rescue. One of us can find the hostages and the other can find the bell.”
“You can fly, you go for the bell it might be in a tower or something.” Jer'rahd stated.
“Alright. But do not underestimate Grogar. Just kill him quickly.” Celestia agreed as Jer'rahd readies the Waning Moon to slice the yellowy shield.
[ Inside the Shield on Tamberlane, a few minutes prior]
“Well at least it's not a store room.” Twilight observes. “ It looks like a amphitheater.”
The room they entered was a massive bowl shape with a vaulted covered with images faded and chipped into obscurity. Rows and rows of half rotted and collapsed benches rested on stair like tiers sloping down towards the middle. At least three other floors of seating were above them on staggered balconies that ran around the whole room. In the very center was a raised circular stage of stone.
There were six obvious paths leading to doors at the back walls of the theater, one of which they had just come from all radiating out from the stage. The stage it self was littered with splintered wooden chairs and what looked to be ruined interments and Donkey and Equine skeletons.
“It looks as if there was a orchestra playing here. Something must have killed them quickly as several are still in their proper places.” Octavia noted as the small group moved down towards the center of the room.”I never liked this sort of stage.”
“This is creepy. What the heck happened here. There's no other bones any where else , just on the stage.” Lyra noted.
“Perhaps they died in practice?” Trixie suggested.
Luna and Twilight had not really been listening to the others. Both of them felt something off here and were watching the upper balconies expecting something to attack.
While they were not disappointed, they were wrong in the direction they looked.
Octavia was the first to see the spectral form rising up out of the center stage. She barely yelled out a warning before the others were moving. Lyra lept at it swinging her weapon at it, the boat hook slicing right through the specter with no resistance.
Other ghosts began to rise up in the concert hall from the stands, blocking the exits with their wispy forms. Luna lashed out at one with a hoof before yanking her hoof back with a yelp, her limb covered in ice crystals from the contact.
“Don't touch them. They're freezing.”Luna snapped to the others as she tried to stomp the frost off her limb.
“Ghosts!” Trixie yelped.
“There's no such thing as ghosts.” Twilight snapped back.” Though these things put up a pretty good argument to the contrary. They are likely just echos....”
“Sparkle do not get into a discussion with Trixie about ghosts while we are surrounded by them....” Trixie snapped as she rushed in the circle around the stage before climbing onto it wary of the spirit in the middle as she looked at the stage floor. “No trap doors or exits for performers, what kind of stage is this!?”
“A political one most likely.” Luna growled backing up towards the stage noting that there were more ghosts coming and even flying out without hitting one wasn't an option.
While the others were forced closer to the stage by the encroaching spirits, Octavia had yet to move from where she stood next to the circular dais. Her lavender eyes were locked on the first ghost to appear.
“Luna.” Octavia muttered her ears flattening to her head. “ I know who this one is........”
“What?” Luna asked looking back at the one in the center of the stage as she an the others were forced up onto the stage.
The ghostly figure was clearly a mare, she looked as she likely did in life. Lithe with a long mane and tail and very pretty features. Features that were marred by an obviously damaged spine which bent her back at an odd angle and great claw marks ripping through her chest and mid section as if she had been attacked by a great beast or dragon. Her fur was solid black with a high sheen of gloss to it like onyx and her long hair was pure silver. On her flank was a white octave cleft symbol cutie mark.
Luna's eyes widen at the sight of the ghost, who's own eyes snapped open to stare at the Changeling Queen, her eyes glowing blood red with hate.
“Oh shit...... it's his ex.” Luna yelped as the Ghost screams the sound echoing across the amphitheater and making everyone feel as if their bones were rattling. The spirit launches itself at Luna as she dove to the side, the ghost pony darting through the air and whirling back around for another attack as if she were a pegasus rather than a unicorn. Luna cursed barely managing to keep out of the ghosts reach though bits of ice and frost dot her wings and mane from the near misses.
“Well it seems she has a serious issue with you. Lady Regent of Dullahan..... or was that Demon of Dullahan and Regent of Gallopa-whatever. Honestly it matters little now that I have found you again.” Shouted a voice from one of the upper floors.
Luna spared a glance up as Grogar loomed over the railing looking down at the five trapped in the center of the room by the horde of ghosts. The vengeful spirit also looked up at Grogar and held it's place. In the air sparing glances at Luna.
“I call foul Grogar. Platinum reincarnated and that reincarnation is currently very much alive. There is no way this can be her.” Luna snarled.
'Reincarnation?” Grogar scoffed. “That myth? Simply because some individuals claim to have seen themselves in their past life in their dreams they think that reincarnation is real. Death is the end of everything mare. And when you master death you have mastered everything. Everything that lives, dies, and once it is dead it is mine. The greatest of warriors, the most talented musicians, the most powerful spell casters. Once they pass the veil they are mine for eternity. Next thing you'll tell me is that gods are real too. “
Twilight and Luna both blink slowly then look at each other before looking back at Grogar.
“They're not?” Lyra questioned.
“Of course not. All it takes is a few cheap tricks and the idiot locals think you're a divine being. I had a tribe of somethings calling themselves Shadow Walkers worshiping me as a god for close to a thousand years. Stave off a couple of deaths and a disease here and there then make a new life form or two out of leftover seapony and dragon parts and all the sudden you're a deity. Honestly though that was quite entertaining thousand or so years, perhaps I should look into doing that again. “Grogar pondered. “In any event I am the closest thing to a god that exists. I control death and the only guide that life has are base impulses imprinted from repeated reproduction of a species and what is learned. There are some odd quirks here and there that grant some more power than others, but in the end only death remains. Unless you are one such as I who have mastered the finale of life.....”
“Drones on a bit doesn't he?” Trixie muttered to Lyra who nodded.
“Oh sorry if I'm boring you. I had planed to keep you alive for a bit longer to study your oddities and in the musicians cases until I managed to get my lab set up again, but if this has gotten boring I can easily spice it up again!” Grogar snaps as the ghosts start to howl pushing closer and forcing the five onto the stage. Platinum's ghost remains above them glaring at Luna.
“Whats that no snarky comment? No quips or threats this time?” Grogar grinned.
“Why bother? You've yet to surrender, which means your end is already upon you. Clearly you have already met your destroyer as well, or else you wouldn't have mistakenly called me the Demon of Dullahan.” Luna grinned. “ there is only one stallion who goes by that title. And if he is here and you left him alone for any length of time, you dun goofed.”
“Perhaps but that is a goof easily fixed, and it will not matter to you in the slightest. Given you will be dead.”Grogar snorted, his eyes narrowing.” Kill th......”
Grogar's order was cut off as a scream of pain filled the air. The sound of it was louder than even the scream from the ghost of Platinum, seeming to reverberate in the very air and setting every one on edge/ Dust drifted down from the ceiling, a section of the balcony collapsed on the far side of the room and the sound of tumbling rock filled the air long after the scream itself slowly subsided as the whole island seemed to shake.
Some of the ghosts looked startled as well, most of them flickered and some faded out for good.
Luna bared her fangs in a smirk again as the noise subsided, the expression on Grogar's face was one of shock and terror and Luna could taste his fear. For once the emotion was delicious.
“What did I say?” The mare snapped as Grogar glared down at her.
“Hold them, do not let them go any where!” Grogar ordered turning and rushing off as the Ghosts packed themselves tighter around the small group.
The front rows of the theater were caked in ice, the very air around them cold enough already for the group to see their breath.
“Guard Captain Kaisur?” Lyra asked.
“Oh yeah.” Twilight agreed.
“I can't feel his presence very well, but I am certain it is him and my sister.” Luna stated glaring up at Platinum.
“Any ideas on how to get out of this?” Trixie asked.
“Not with all these ghosts. If I had my magic perhaps, but we cannot touch them. And we cannot scrape these rings off without damaging ourselves.” Luna grumbled. “Twilight?”
“Grogar doesn't believe gods exist nor does he believe in any sort of reincarnation. That puts him from I would say the dark ages, the thousands of years of blank history where there either were no gods, or the pre history age where the gods hid themselves away from the world. Given I don't recognize the architecture, nor his accent I can't place his origins any closer than that, nor can I see any use from this observation.”
“So we're stuck?” Lyra sighed.
“Trixie is not a fan of being trapped.....” Trixie muttered. “Nor the cold.....”
A sudden cord from behind them had the four mares turn to look back at their fifth group member.
Octavia had cleared off one of the stools from the ancient band and pulled out her cello. She was in the process of tuning it and a number of the ghosts had focused their attention on her.
“Octavia what are you doing?” Twilight asked.
“All I can do at the moment.” Octavia stated flatly playing a few more notes before adjusting the strings. Seemingly satisfied the musician stood up and drew the bow across her interment making an awful screeching sound that made every one, including the ghosts flatten their ears to their heads.
Snapping her bow up like a sword she pointed the tip into the air directly at the floating ghost of Platinum. The spirit seems confused as Octavia holds the position glaring at the ghost of the mare. Finally the ghosts eyes widen then narrow as her own ears flatten to her head her attention fully on the gray earth pony now.
“Accepted.” Platinum stated her voice reverberating in the room.” Terms?”
“You know the terms. You have enough musicians here to follow either of our leads. They will play back up for both of us to the best of their abilities. Winner take all of course.” Octavia stated.
“Accepted, lose and you are mine.” The ghost mare stated.
“Agreed. There are worse fates then to be stuck in a spectral orchestra.” Octavia snapped back as the ghost dropped back into the middle of the stage vanishing from view.
“What the heck is going on?” Twilight asked as Luna stared at Octavia in shock.
“A musicians duel. In the past some times the only way to play a venue was to directly compete against others. While it was generally less violent than a normal duel the terms were often ridiculous so the practice fell out of favor.” Luna shuddered. “Some ponies demanded others limbs, ears, that they gouge out their eyes. Become slaves, give up music or take their own life. Musicians would often do such things with out question as the loss of honor would mean they would never play again publicly if they refused. A discordant note and the gesture...... How did you even?”
“I am a teacher of the most prestigious school of music ever to exist Queen Luna. I would be amiss if I did not know the history of my craft even the sordid bits most prefer to forget.” Octavia stated.
“Awesome, win this and we're out. You got this Tavi!” Lyra cheered though her voice dropped off a little. “You can win right? I mean sure Platinum is considered one of the greatest but not THE greatest right....? Tavi?”
Octavia said didn't respond as she began checking over her instrument again waiting for Platinum's ghost to return.
“... and that completes my report sire.” Pip stated his form still stiff and at attention. Scootaloo stood nearby, though while she was also standing at attention, she had a rather dark expression on her features as she stared down Shining Armor behind his desk.
To be honest the young mare was rather unnerving him with that look, but their report bore consideration. He himself hadn't been sleeping that well for the last few nights, though in truth after raising two foals, he was used to it.
After the fire in midtown, the pair had been summoned to him directly at the castle to give their report. While this technically skipped a number of channels and probably pissed off their superiors Shining respected merit more than rank and given Pip and Scootaloo's short stint in the guard and what they had done, he already ranked them above a number of their superiors. Kaisur's efforts to reform the Guard were only partially successful. There were still a number of brown nosers and idiots in positions of power. Particularly in the Crystal Guard, though he was working on that, just at a slower pace because, unlike Kaisur, he actually knew what tact was.
Still while this bore investigation there were few if any that could investigate issues in dreams. The two main ones were currently indisposed on that island. Any others would likely be in Neighlantis. It was rumored they had studied such things.
As for those who could investigate and do the leg work, most of his Guards were busy with the Northern Expedition or assisting the Griffons. The only ones available were right in front of him, which explained Scootaloo's glare as they were supposed to be on vacation.
“At ease already. Also Scootaloo don't give me that look, I'm neither on your fathers nor Luna's payroll. I know this is supposed to be your vacation, but I don't have any one else available to investigate. This might be nothing, or it might have something to do with the island appearing, but given all that we've been through I'm not willing to take the chance.“ Shining sighed as the glare got worse. “I'm letting you off the leash to investigate this, you'll answer to me or any one higher than me.. which in the Empire is just Cadence. I'd suggest avoiding pulling resources from the Guard as the officers will likely get surly being pulled from their own tasks. Try the Crystal Citadel first. Maybe this is something they noticed, or heck it could even be a side effect of something one of the students is working on. Worst case you can probably ask Berry for some magical support if you need it........... Scootaloo.... stop looking at me like that........ Alright FINE. I'll try to arraign the pair of you to be put on outpost duty for a couple of weeks once this is over. That's the best I can do without Luna getting involved.”
Scootaloo considered and nodded lightly much to Shining's relief.
“Now then I suppose we can start this by going to wake the foals up from their nap and see if they had any nightmares.” Shining Armor sighed pushing himself up from his desk.
There was no screaming this time when they entered the dream, just a over bearing feeling of fear and dread. There were whimpering sobs and a dark voice muttering something just below the range of their hearing. This dream was dark and grotesque shapes and forms seemed to writhe around at the edges of their vision. When one turned to look there was nothing there but darkness, though looking in a different direction only showed new horrors at the edges of their sight.
None of the foals were comfortable with this place, and the tapir, Glimmer had named Charlotte, was trying to bury itself between the pink pony's wings.
Dawn slunk towards the whispering and sobs sniffing lightly at the air as she crawled along. The others followed closely behind.
The orange scaled Kirin stopped suddenly lowering down to her belly.
“Alright guys I think that's the big bad over there standing over Shin. We need to hit him hard and fast....” Dawn whispered.
“And how are we supposed to do that” Glimmer hissed.
“So long as you know you're in a dream you have control over that dream. Just imagine doing something that you can use as a weapon and try to form it like Puffyhead did with his gloves.” Dawn explained.
“Gauntlets.” Talon snorted. “Our powers also work here, though I think I am the only one with any sort of control of them.”
“Talon you are the only one who knows their own power, I doubt Elusive and I can hope to gain one suddenly and light our darkest hour.” Rynthia commented.
“Just focus on something to use as a weapon. Like Brainy's spear or something. We just need to rescue Shin.” Dawn muttered.
The others looked at each other as Dawn seems to concentrate, her form growing larger and darker. Rynthia frowned as her sister seems to shift back into the dark alicorn that she had been before. Of course the alicorn suddenly developed a bright pink skin tight uniform that looked like the superhero Filli-second from one of Dawn's comics. Of course given that Filli-second is her sisters favorite comic, it made sense.
Elusive was the next one who caught on. He didn't grow any larger, but he was suddenly wearing armor and wielding a spear not too far different from the one he had on a wall in his room. Though this one appeared to be the real thing rather than just a training weapon. In fact it looked like the spear stuck in the ground on Gallopagos.
Rynthia looked over to Talon as he grew in size, whether from his imagination or his own power she was unsure, but his fore claws were covered with the gauntlets once more and his furred and feathered form covered with forest green armor.
Glimmer........ Glimmer unnerved Rynthia a little. The mare suddenly burst into some odd elaborate dance number, sans music or flashing lights, but after a kaleidoscope effect and clothing magically forming on her body she stood on her back legs wearing a odd looking little blue miniskirt, a white leotard with boots on all four limbs. Her mane was done up into two small little buns with ridiculously long pony tails coming from each of them. She had a tiara on her head and some odd sort of wand with a crescent moon on it. Charlotte was also changed as now he was solid black, with cat ears and a silver crescent moon on his forehead, which the tapir promptly pulled off and ate.
“Sailor Sentai?” Talon asked.
“I love those stories.....” Glimmer muttered as if ashamed.
“It might work. Though I shall warn you I will not dress up in a suit and throw flowers.” Talon nodded getting a small sigh of relief from Glimmer as well as a bit of a pout to her lips.
Rynthia however seemed to be having trouble getting anything to form. She thought of her fathers sword, her Aunt's blade, the bone armor anything, but nothing appeared. The Zebra sighed noting the others had already started forward, while she was trying to figure out what to use.
Why was this so difficult for her? Was there nothing she favored? It couldn't be she was over thinking it, Talon and Elusive were the best at that. Even if she couldn't summon anything she couldn't let her friends fight alone, but she needed something to help.
The little red stripped zebra whipped her head trying to clear it of any thoughts. A soft jingling caught her attention as well as a unexpected weight on her chest.
Rynthia looked down rather surprised to see an odd silver and gold pendant dangling over her chest. She blinked and quickly took the jewelry off to get a better look at it. What was this? The pendant was richly carved and showed the old symbol of a scale like they had in court houses on it. It didn't appear to be silver, but highly polished steel, simple but still ornate.
Had she summoned it? She didn't know why, she couldn't think of any fictional heroes that wore jewelry like this, she wasn't fond of decoration herself.
Still the amulet seemed familiar, but she couldn't place why.
Shrugging she put it back on and started toward the others trying to sneak up on the monstrous Kirin. Maybe the amulet would help, but she couldn't do anything if she wasn't closer.
Rynthia may as well have not bothered. As she took a step forward all the others rushed him at once and were flung off the ground and into the air by a sudden blast of power from the gray creature. They hung in the air struggling and squirming being held aloft by nothing. Rynthia remained on the ground untouched by the magic as she seemed to have been too far back from the epicenter of it. She watched as costumes and gear burnt off her friends turning back into the dream stuff. Charlotte clung tightly to Glimmers back though the tapir seemed pinned between the pink pegicorns wings.
>” This is the best?”< the creature sneered, it's mouth unmoving. >”I knew I would be found out sooner or later, but by foals? Truly you mortals are pathetic.”<
It's gaze swept over them as it pulled them all in close. One of it's eyes glowing red, the other glowing a bright green, it truly did resemble her father. If her father was a disgusting monster any way.
>”A brat of a Princess, a pompous hippogryph, a foal with delusions of grandeur, and a nightmare reborn. You have such an array of fears , simple ...”< he looks to Talon, >” Complex,”< A glance to Shin who was still whimpering on the floor. >” Common.....”< a glare at Dawn, >” inane,”< A glance at Elusive. >” Still that is quite the variety, I should keep you all around to feed me more.... But time grows short and as easily as I stopped you here should provide more than enough of a meal as you consider your own uselessness.”<
The creature grind its mouth splitting up the side of it's face and running down it's equine like neck displaying more and more ragged predatory teeth as several more eyes popped out of it's torso to stare at the foals floating about them, covering it's body with softly glowing red and green orbs.
>“But why make it that simple?” <
The creature suddenly tossed Elusive away, the Kirin foal vanishing into nothing with a light pop. Dawn followed being tossed in another direction her alicorn form gone with the costume she wore. Talon was simply dropped and vanished. The monster pried Charlotte from Glimmer and tossed the pair in two different directions for them to vanish. Shin simply vanished from where he was huddled the creature barely sparing him a glance.
The monster sucked in a ragged breath of air, a long striped serpentine like tongue slipping from it's maw, licking it's lips from one shoulder all the way around to the other. It paused turning it's focus to the red and white Zebra foal before advancing on her.
>”Well well, seems I missed one.... Mmm another complex fear, layered too... ooh you are a treat.”<
“Wh... what are you....?” Rynthia stammered trying to muster the courage to get back to her hooves as the creature loomed over her.
>”Really now sister. Don't you recognize your older brother?”< The monster laughed again, the sound humorless and seeming to come from every where except the beast before her.>” Though I suppose you are adopted.”<
“You... you are neither Pip nor Brush....” Rhynthia stammered.
>” Of course not, I'm much older than them. I was born long ago from your father and a seapony, aged in fear and grown in terror, I just now have the freedom I have craved since his wife is no longer in control of this world.”< The monster grinned wider, the smile going further into it's torso showing larger teeth where his ribs should have been.
>” As for who I am? Father never decided to name me, blaming everything on a house guest who overstayed his welcome. So I named myself, would you like to know what I call myself little sister? Do you want to know the name Equss will scream when I finally gain the power to escape this place?”<
The monster leaned down to mutter something to the terrified Zebra foal before rearing up, it's whole body splitting open with a terrible maw full of teeth and multiple tongues not unlike a Tazel worm. It laughed again the sound booming from every where but the creature.
Shining Armor pushed open the door to play room frowning as he noticed a few things.
One, it seemed all the foals were already awake.
Two, it seemed they were trying to build some sort of fort out of the beds and other furniture of the room. The lot of them stopped suddenly, staring at Shining as he looked in the door at them.
Shin suddenly pointed at Dawn from his perch atop one of the beds to where she stood pushing a toy box up to help reinforce their fort.
“She did it!” Shin quipped getting a glare from Dawn right before she scrambled up the side of the flipped bed and tackled the shrilly screaming Changeling onto the other side of the fort's wall. Elusive slapped his forehead with a hoof and both Talon and Glimmer rolled their eyes.
Shining rubbed the bridge of his nose with a hoof. Clearly they were fine and not only that, it seemed they had skipped their nap. Still he was impressed they had been quiet this long.
“Is Rynthia in here too?” Shining asked ignoring Shin's yelps and Dawn's overly loud mauling once the Changeling foal started giggling and the raspberry sounds started.
“She is sir... She's.... reading...” Talon stated flatly.
“Shh alright. I'll have the maids bring some snacks up in a bit....”
“Thank you daddy.” Glimmer chimes in as Shining closes the door.
The foals all held their positions in silence for a moment more before all of them scrambled behind the hastily built barricade.
“I still don't understand why we can't tell him?” Talon hissed. “ That thing threw us all out of the dream like it was nothing.”
“Because the moment we tell them we had a bad dream, they'll take away some of our treats cause that's what gave us the night mares or some of our stories.... “ Glimmer muttered. “They've done it before. Adults have weird ideas of what causes bad dreams.”
“Plus if they found out we were using dream magic spells they might get mad too.” Elusive added.
“You could blame it on me, I wouldn't get in trouble.” Dawn grinned.
“Yeah except you can't use magic.” Shin pointed out as Dawn pouted.
“I still want to know how you knew so much in there Dawn.” Talon pointed out.
“I knew what in where?” Dawn asked.
“In the Dream you sounded like you knew what was going on.” Elusive added.
“I did?”
“Yes, this isn't the time to be silly!”Glimmer snapped. “ Charlotte is still stuck in there.
“Who?” Dawn blinked.
“The tapir!” Glimmer growled.
“What's a tapir?” Dawn asked.
“Is she serious?” Glimmer hissed.
“She did say she didn't recall her dreams, there is of course more to my sister than it..... is..... appears?”Rynthia commented looking up from the book she had buried herself into.
“Seems?” Elusive offers.
“Yes that.”Rynthia sighed. “ This book has nothing on that name, nor the necklace I had on. This makes no sense to me.” Rynthia growls tossing the book aside and flopping onto her belly.
The odd time displaced theater was packed. Countless ponies and other creatures milled around the benches and aisles, speaking with each other in low mummers or varied shrieks as some of the still living met the dead ones. The curtain was down on the massive stage and as usual Pinkie Pie and Discord were bouncing around directing traffic and shouting at those on the other side of the stage curtain trying to get everything in some sort of order. The only difference this time was that a large golden furred Griffon was accompanying them. Jer'rahd rightly assumed it was the First Griffon, Mirth.
For once however, the Kaisur family was in the audience, not back stage. Jer'rahd smirked at that happy to enjoy watching one of these 4th wall destroying events for once rather than be stuck in it. It seemed however that nearly every one he knew was on this side of the curtain.
He, Luna, Dawn, and Rynthia sat next to Peach Blossom and Starfall. Bleu and Spike were behind them and Celestia, Elusive and Twilight were on the other side, with Cadence, Shining, Shin and Glimmer next to them.
Pip and Scootaloo had chosen to sit far away from Luna, as had Hunter and Orange and Brush and Diamond Tiara. Clearly they wanted to keep away from Luna's death glare, or in Hunter's case, Jer'rahd.
Most of the audience was in costume, and his group was no exception. Some how Luna had managed to convince every one to get costumes from a game she had been playing a lot of lately. Jer'rahd still wasn't much of a fan of the games Luna and his foals liked, but he was content with letting them enjoy the technological advances.
Starfall had dyed her mane gray and was wearing some sort of blue uniform with a bit of chest armor. A tattered cloak covered her back with a hood that hid most of her head save her face and a few wisps of her mane. She had an eye patch over her left eye and carried around something that looked like long crossbow, though Luna and Dawn had called it a sniper rifle.
Peach Blossom was dressed like he just came out of Appleloosa, a wide brimmed hat and a red poncho over a metal breastplate. He had on some odd pants, spurs and a belt with a large buckle that said 'BAMF' whatever that meant. His left front foreleg was made up to look like it was made of metal and he had a large weapon on his hip that Luna had called a 'big iron'.
Their two foals weren't dressed up in the same group costume as every one else. Starlight was dressed as a bunny in a mini Guard uniform, and Orchid was dressed as a fox. Jer'rahd wasn't too sure what the foals were supposed to be , but they looked cute enough.
Rainbow Dash was on the other side of Starfall and was dressed in a blue armored suit with a cannon like device on her foreleg. Her wings were also encased in the odd armor and despite being pregnant again, she seemed rather excited to be wearing the costume. Evidently she was one of Luna's teammates in the game.
Big Mac sat next to her with their first foal, Zap, sitting on his head so he could see the stage. Big mac was dressed in a some sort of Japony looking attire and his mane had been dyed black pulled back in a top knot and dyed black. Like Peach Blossom, he had grown a beard for the costume, though his only accessory seemed to be a ornate bow. One of his forelegs was bare and covered in designs inked into the fur that looked like an angry Seamore, or Steven magnet what ever the dragon was calling himself these days.
Zap was dressed like a fox as well, though one with much bigger ears that was wearing a elephant suit, probably from the same thing as Starfall's foals were.
Twilight's costume was a little odd and Jer'rahd honestly wouldn't mind seeing Luna in something similar. The lavender mare was wearing a skin tight suit with a odd mask that had eight glowing red eyes on it. Her mane and tail were dyed black and she also carried one of those sniper rifle things like Starfall did.
Celestia wore some sort of face visor thing with some sort of wing horn things that poked up over her ears and a blue dress that didn't do much to cover her legs. Her mane and tail were also black and she had an odd three pronged crossbow looking weapon. Her left foreleg was also done up in some sort of prosthetic looking armor and the rest of her limbs were covered in black leggings.
Elusive was a far cry from his mothers. His outfit looked cobbled together from junk. His mane was spiked up the ends of it looked like they were sizzling. One of his rear legs was done up to look like a metallic peg leg as was one of his forelegs. He had some sort of ball launcher and a giant spiked wheel on his back.
Shining Armor was wearing a black hooded cloak with a skull mask. He was also wearing a loth of leather and a big cloak . His two weapons were sort of bolt thrower things and evidently the inside of his cloak was laced with dozens them.
Cadence was floating in mid air, mostly nude and covered in metallic body paint. She sat in some yoga pose or another with a bunch of metal balls floating around her in her magic, she also had a bunch of dots on her forehead around her horn and her mane was slicked back to the point that it was hard to tell if she even had any hair. .
Shin.... Jer'rahd had no idea what Shin was supposed to be, he looked like some sort of little robot thing with a bird on his shoulder.
Glimmer was wearing an orange jump suit with goggles and some blue glowy chest piece. He couldn't get a good look as she was hiding behind Shining to keep out of his sight.
Jer'rahd was used to that by now, though it still upset him. He was impressed with Bleu and Spike's costumes more than any others.
Bleu had dyed her head spikes bright pink and wore some sort of bulky body armor with a equally big cannon looking thing that looked like she ripped it off a ship.
Spike carried a massive war hammer and was armored head to claw in what looked like super thick steel plate armor. It was a little more decorative than Jer'rahd liked, but it was the most impressive out of everyone he thought.
Fluttershy had put on a massively bushy bead and an eye patch. She had a back pack with smoke stacks coming out that hid her wings and one of her forelegs was some sort of giant claw. She had a much smaller hammer than Spike and was sitting next to angel Bunny who looked like he was some sort of cannon robot.
Applejack was dressed like a ninja robot thing with a green sword over her back. Jer'rahd probably wouldn't have recognized her in the odd form fitting armor and mask if she hadn't also been wearing her usual hat atop it all.
The disaster Trio of Butterscotch, AppleBlossom, and Buttercup were dressed as turtle with different colored bandana's over their eyes and various ninja weapons. Wolf was dressed as another of the turtles with a purple mask, and Fox had on a bathrobe and was dressed like a rat.
Like everyone else he had no idea what they were supposed to be.
Jer'rahd himself was also wearing a face mask with a red visor. His mane and tail were dyed white and he was put in a blue jacket with a 76 printed on the back. He had some sort of prop 'rifle' thing as well to go along with it. Oddly he rather liked the jacket but he could have done without the rest.
Luna was dressed like some sort of angel, with a halo and everything, her wings were changed to be white feathered and glowy yellow and her costume was deliciously tight in ,Jer'rahd's opinion any way, he wasn't sure how to take her being a blond however.
Rynthia was bundled up in a snow pony parka with a little squirt gun looking thing and a cylinder of something on her back, probably her collected candy.
Dawn was dressed in a pink and blue body suit with robotic bunny ears. She had a larger pink painted cardboard box with 'meka' written on the side, though that sat on the floor before them as it was a pain to carry. The little Kirin was currently stuffing her face with a bag of cheese triangles she had gotten from her earlier candy gathering.
Talon had joined in the chaos and was dressed in some sort of armored suit with a gorilla mask that had a pair of glasses on its nose.
Breezy had pulled his mane into some sort of topknot and had been trying to zip around on some sort of ice skates most of the night. He had a massive pair of headphones on his head and a 'gun' that seemed more like a speaker on a handle. He also kept talking about his mix tape whatever that was. It amused Luna though he was another one on her games team.
Dusty had dressed up as a demon version of the same costume Luna wore, the two had been glaring at each other all night because of that.
Of course taking the foals around to collect candy before this show had done wonders for tiring all of them, save Dawn, out. Of course Dawn and Rynthia had tried to quadruple their stash by offering to bring the 'Nightmare Moon tribute' candy directly too her. Granted their plan was then to conveniently 'forget' to give their mother the huge pile of candy and horde it themselves.
Unfortunately for them, Luna had been making the rounds as Nightmare Moon and had swooped in snatching up both of her daughters as well as the candy tributed from the alter and flying off with it cackling as the girls screamed out in panic. This had started a small panic riot from the other foals who were in the group with them. It had taken Jer'rahd and the other parents quite a while to calm them down It was mostly the other parents however as Jer'rahd couldn't stop laughing at Dawn and Rynthia's expressions when they were scooped up to help much.
Right now Rynthia and most of the others were barely staying awake. This 4th wall show was the last event of the night before they were to all be put to bed and he and Luna could figure out what to do with the several tons of candy that had been left in tribute to Nightmare Moon. Last year they had donated what they could gather to foals hospitals and orphanages across Equestria. Over the last few years they had gotten better at collecting the candy with the help of the Changelings and Nightmare Moon was fast becoming the fall's version of Santa Hooves to some foals.
Jer'rahd wasn't sure what the show was this year, but he knew Rhede and Velkorn were at the forefront of it. He really hoped it wasn't a musical. He had no desire to experience true terror this Nightmare Night.
Jer'rahd blinked as the audience grew quiet at the sound of a creaking door and hoof steps. The lights dim as a wolf repeatedly howled in the distance. A film started playing the light projecting on the curtains showing a foggy cloudy night. The clouds part showing the full moon in the sky. The scene pans down to show Velkorn in a simple spotted dress and Rhede in a bright red jacket.
The two seemed to be talking about something, though as the moonbeam struck Rhede he doubled over in pain with a loud cry. The fur around his head seemed to writhe as small vines and leaves began to form. The jacket shredded as bark pushed out of his skin, his mouth opened as she gasped in pain, showing rapidly growing fangs. His hooves were enveloped in the vines that turned into claw like appendages.
His eyes snap open slit like a cats and glowing gold.
Velkorn screamed as the weretimberwolf roared and lunged at the Zebra mare.
The curtain swiftly rose showing a movie theater seating with a number of ponies Jer'rahd recognized as members of the old 42nd. Velkorn was cringing and pressing into Rhede's side as the screams continued.
Rhede however was happily watching the film and munching popcorn with a wide smirk on his face.
Velkorn seemed to have enough and she rises and leaves the theater with Rhede tossing the Popcorn bucket aside and following after her. The scene changes to Velkorn storming off outside of the theater with Rhede following her.
====================================
Starfall, Bleu, Luna, and Jer'rahd all wince as music starts playing and Rhede started dancing a little to the music as he moved around Velkorn.
“Luna....” Bleu whimpers.
“Already on it, I've got a potent enough silence spell to block out the whole stage...” Luna muttered her horn already glowing. Starfall had quickly covered her foals ears with her wings and hooves just in case Luna wasn't fast enough.
>” Nope!”< A great golden Griffoness stated popping into existence in the the air above Luna. She taps Luna's horn with a claw disrupting the spell. She was swiftly tackled by Jer'rahd and yanked down to the seats with them.
“Seriously! Mirth? This will be torture!” Jer'rahd panicked.” I refuse to subject foals to Rhede's singing voice! I denied the Blackhoof from using it to get information because it was too cruel.”
>” Calm down. Rhede's only lip syncing, Munificence is on vocals for him.”< The Element of Laughter placated, noting the death glares from the four remaining Beasts of the Moon, plus Twilight and Celestia.>” This is supposed to be fun, not something that will traumatize every one for years. Just calm down, it's all good.”<
“It better be.....” Luna muttered. “ We are trying to make sure Rynthia has positive reactions to her father and mothers memories. Not screaming fear.”
>” Yes well I better get back before.....”< Mirth yelps as Jer'rahd yanks her back down into the seat with them. Dawn climbs on top of her father's head glaring at the First Griffon God.
“No, you're going to hang around a bit more, just in case he does sing and this is your idea of a joke.” Jer'rahd growled.” We won't suffer alone.”
>”Ummmm.”< Mirth weakly chuckled.
===================================
The beat continues in the back ground as Rhede catches up to Velkorn.
“It's only a movie.” Rhede chuckled following after Velkorn.
“I don't care what you say honey, this is not funny.” Velkorn snapped.
“You were scared weren’t you?” Rhede chuckles.
“While I might have been unprepared I can say I wasn't 'that' scared.” Velkorn sighed.
Rhede chuckled as Velkorn walked off again.” Yeah, you were scared.”
The pair of them move down an ally and the scene slowly changes behind them as they walk.
As they are walking Rhede starts to sing to the music and the whole audience visibly relaxes as it's quite clear that it is not Rhede singing.
“It's close to midnight and something evil's lurking in the dark.”
Rhede grinned, making a face at Velkorn trying to get her to smile.
“Under the moonlight, you see a sight that almost stops your heart You try to scream but terror takes the sound before you make it......”
Rhede grabs his throat with his hooves as if he's choking himself and nearly falling over backwards, making Velkorn smirk a little.
“You start to freeze as horror looks you right between the eyes, You're paralyzed.”
Rhede froze in place on two hooves nearly falling over again and finally gets a small laugh from the Zebra though she walks on.
He catches up quickly and the pair of them start walking past the Apple Family Graveyard, their hooves clicking onto the stage in time to the music, the scene behind them effortlessly changes, likely due to Discord's magic, or really skilled stage hooves.
“You hear the door slam and realize there's nowhere left to run You feel the cold hand and wonder if you'll ever see the sun You close your eyes and hope that this is just imagination But all the while you hear the creature creepin'up behind You're out of time.”
Velkorn finally seems at least calm as she smiles and the pair practically cantering along.
Rhede and Velkorn head off stage as the lights come up on the graveyard.
A bit of dirt starts to get displaced from in front of a grave and a hoof pushes up through the dirt. The creak of wood and stone can be heard as a stone tomb door slowly opens, a sarcophagus bucks and is pushed aside as another hoof emerges from the slight opening, pushing the stone lid off further.
Figures begin to shamble out of the graves moving from out of the graveyard and into the street. A goat like figure stands atop one of the monuments the lights flickering a bit behind him showing flashes of a figure. As the lights came up it showed a grayish blue furred creature that appeared to be an emaciated Ram. A pair of black gnarled horns rose from his temples, the pair of them faintly glowing sickly yellow with splotches of shadowy gray floating around in the colored mix. Prominent white eyebrows rested over his eyes in a way that seemed to give him a permanent scowl. Like his horns his hooves were jet black and in need of a trim. There were small sections around his joints and cloven hooves that were devoid of hair, though they seemed to have small patches of scales, like a fish or a snake, that were a inky blue black. He wore a red collar studded with gold disks and spikes with a small silver bell hanging from it over his chest.
Grogar started speaking, his tone carrying a weight of menace and no small bit of odd fitting pride.
“The foulest stench is in the air The funk of forty thousand years”
More zombies crawl out of the ground.
“And grizzly ghouls from every tomb Are closing in to seal your doom”
One of the undead shoves a sewer cover aside climbing up out of the hole in the street.
“And though you fight to stay alive Your body starts to shiver”
A few of the ghouls advance, one of them tumbling to the stage as it's leg falls off, clearly that wasn't make up.
“For no mere mortal can resist The evil of the thriller.........”
The spotlight turns to focus back on Velkorn and Rhede. The pair have both frozen in the middle of the street as a group of figures move out of the graveyard to surround them. The shuffling figures were mostly dressed in finery, though much of it was soiled in dirt and half rotted off them. Some of the figures were near skeletal, clearly actually dead, while others seemed to just be covered in makeup to make them look dead. Jer'rahd recognized Lyra and Bon Bon as well as Octavia and Trixie though he was unsure of the rest. Trixie seemed right at home on the stage, yet she was some how overacting being a shuffling corpse. Jer'rahd suspected Grogar had something to do with the truly dead zombies on stage and hoped Discord and Mirth had a tight hold of his leash.
He heard several gasps from nearby one from Dawn who was still on his head and one from Rynthia who had backed up to sit against Luna. Well the show was hitting its intended audience well enough.
As the undead closed in on Rhede and Velkorn, the stage shifting to spin around them as they went back to back, the lights dimming on everyone but Velkorn. Rhede seemed to vanish for a moment in the near total darkness. Velkorn seemed to notice he wasn't against her back either and she turned to look for him as the stage lights come up again. The focus of the spot lights was now soly on Rhede as the music hit a sudden fanfare. The Red stallion now looked just as dead as the rest of the figures on stage, his mane was mussed up and dark circles surrounded his eyes giving him the look of sunken eye sockets. His jacket and red fur were stained in dirt and his face seemed hollowed as his wide eyes stared back at Velkorn as she backed away from him.
The music started again and Rhede begins to dance. The other monsters behind him also start dancing and mimicking his movements perfectly as he shuffles around in time to the beat rearing up on his hind legs to throw his hooves in the air..
All of the zombies suddenly whip back around staring at the audience, one of their heads rolling off to the floor in the process. Rhede turns back around from a spin and seems normal again as he continues singing.
“Cause this is thriller, thriller night And no one's gonna save you from the beast about to strike.”
They all continue with impressive choreography, a few of them even lending their own voices, surprisingly in tune voices with the chorus.
“You know it's thriller, thriller night You're fighting for your life inside a killer.... thriller...... ”
Velkorn runs off with the zombie horde in slow pursuit. She turned running up the steps of an old manor house, shoving her way inside and slamming the door behind her, quickly bolting and locking it. The house was a massive thing, with one wall open so the audience could see what was going on inside. Velkorn darted through the house to a central living area. The place was covered in dust and most of the furniture was hidden under sheets with all the windows boarded up.
Jer'rahd was willing to call bullshit. Velkorn could have wiped the floor with those things, but then again this was a play......
The horde slowly followed after her, surrounding the house, Rhede no where to be seen.
Velkorn shoved a chair before the door backing away from it only for a zombies hoof to burst through the wall and make a grab at her. She shrieked, pulling away to another wall only for another foreleg to smash through that making a grab at her as well. The floor boards shatter as another creature rises up through them shrugging off the splintered wood. The windows and walls were rapidly reduced to rubble as the Zebra mare backed up into a corner shrieking as the zombies closed in.
Rhede himself bursts through the door, back in his zombie make up. He flings the chair aside as he and the others all close in on Velkorn.
The stage quickly blacks out as she screams out with a high pitched whine of music.
Suddenly everything goes silent save her scream and the lights come back on with her sitting in a chair in the theater lobby with a normal Rhede standing over her shaking lightly to wake her back up.
“Hey? What's the problem?” Rhede asked half concerned half amused. “Come on, lets get home.”
He helped Velkorn up and slips his black leg over her shoulder as she presses against her side trying to shake off the dream. As they head towards the door the music picks up again suddenly and Rhede slowly turned to look out to the crowd, his eyes slitted like a cats and glowing yellow.
Grogar took that moment to start cackling like a mad stallion, his laughter echoing across the whole theater as the lights slowly start to dim once again the curtain falling. ========================================================
The crowd was silent for a few moments though the silence was broken by one very loud voice. A loud voice that was still seated on top of his head and was yelling at the top of her lungs with almost the power of the Royal Canterlot Voice.
“AGAIN!!!!!”Dawn bellowed.
The applause happened quickly after that, though there was still a little bit of crying and whimpering , mostly from some smaller foals.... and the flower trio.... Rynthia hadn't let go of Luna yet and didn't seem likely to do so any time soon. Jer'rahd took note that Mirth had vanished, though that wasn't unexpected.
The gray unicorn smirked a little as he rolled his eyes lifting Dawn off his head with his magic before the giggling foal could scream out again.
“Heh... way to go Rhede, first time your daughter sees you and you manage to terrify her.” Jer'rahd grumbled.
“What the buck did you do idiot!?” Celestia shouted.
“What the buck do you mean, what the buck did I do, you saw what the buck I did. I cut the bucking shield, I didn't make a bucking earthquake!”Jer'rahd snapped back, his hooves spreading out as the ground under him quaked and the very air around them seemed to roar in pain.
Celestia was hovering a pony length off the ground looking down with some amusement at Jer'rahd's attempt to remain standing before the island started to calm, the noise subsiding.
“This is guard Captain Kaisur, all units report in.” Jer'rahd demanded into the com unit in his ear, before turning to Celestia. “The shield healed up too quickly, we can't get in that way. I also don't want to risk accidentally ringing the bell with another earthquake. But I bet we have Grogar's full attention now.”
“Gallopagos reporting in. We've got a minor tidal wave incoming, but it's already breaking on the reefs, No damage expected.” The com chirped.
“Mainland Royal Guard reporting. No sign of any tidal waves, it likely dissipated before getting this far.”
“ Neighlantis Guard reporting in. Confirming a swell from the island. Maintaining ordered position, negligible reef damage.
“Green two reporting. The chicken has been bloodied and has fled, Fox still in pursuit. Collateral damage still within acceptable limits, no Causalities.”
“Jupiter reporting in, we can see the swell radiating from the island. Looks like a pebble in a still pond, We note several buildings have collapsed on the island as well. Some kind of Earthquake?”
“Affirmative Jupiter.” Jer'rahd responded before considering a moment.” Neighlantis Guard do you feel secure enough to go scout the under side of the island?”
“Yes sir. We've a few dolphins ready to go. Anything we should be looking for?”
“How far down the shield goes and how secure the island is to the bedrock. It moved quite a bit during that quake. I'm pretty sure we have Grogar's full attention now so a quick peek might be feasible without alerting him.”
“Yes sir, will report findings. ETA one hour tops.
“Understood, don't take any unnecessary risks.”
“Yes sir.”
“Well?” Celestia asked.
“I told you I could get you a com crystal so you could listen in, but noooo.” Jer'rahd rolled his eyes.
“You were giving me the model from several years ago, those things are massive, brittle and leave a crick in your neck if they don't rip your ear off fully.” Celestia growled.
“ Whine whine whine.....Agent Sweetie Drops encountered Bray, but he escaped, there was a minor tidal wave from the earthquake and some of the Sea Ponies are going to scout under the island to see how deep the shield goes.” Jer'rahd stated.
“See how hard was that?”
“Very.... “ Jer'rahd looked up at the shield seeing part of it turn clear again and the form of Grogar rapidly approaching.” Look alive.”
“As opposed to looking dead?” Celestia asked.
Jer'rahd ignored her watching as Grogar slowed his advance, though an expression of anger was clear on his face as he looked over the shield before his attention focused on the pair of them.
“What did you fools do!?” the Capricorn screamed.
“Want me to do it again?” Jer'rahd smirked.
“NO! “ Grogar shouted in a panic before quickly regaining his composure.” I've dealt with the issues in here so I can now focus soly on you two.”
“I take that means you do not plan to surrender?” Celestia asked.
“What is it with you ponies and asking that? I hold all the cards to this little game you seem to think we are playing and yet you still bluff as if you have more than a couple of deuces and fives.” Grogar growled.
“By royal order the deuces are now wild, so at worst I have a flush,” Celestia stated.
“ I prefer chess. Also she cheats in every game she plays.” Jer'rahd whispers
“That was an example...” Grogar growled.
“You mean a simile.” Celestia corrects.
I DON'T CARE WHAT IT IS! THE WORD PLAY MEANS NOTHING TO ME, NOTHING! WHICH IS WHAT YOU ARE GOING TO BE IN FIVE SECONDS.!!” Grogar bellowed.
The ground around the pair shook again, but this was less the whole island moving and more something moving under the surface of the black sand beach they were on. Jer'rahd and Celestia looked behind them as the black sand beach erupted in a geyser of sand and seashells. Jer'rahd quickly put a shield over his head to protect himself from the raining sand, though he didn't bother covering Celestia who cursed glaring at him before trying to shake the sand from her wavy mane and her fur.
Rising from the beach were a number of large creatures. Massive undead snakes, hydra, and some sort of tentacled sea creature that made Jer'rahd shudder to look at. All in all there were about a dozen undead aquatic monsters surrounding them on the beach. All of them larger than the biggest land monster Celestia had ever seen. Surrounding the monsters were countless smaller ones, everything from undead sea life to zombie donkeys and skeletons.
“Well now.... I think giant monsters are your thing.” Celestia stated looking to Jer'rahd who sighed.
“Fine I got this.” Jer'rahd tapped the com in his ear.” Jupiter come in.”
“Here sir.”
“Lock on to this location and give a full salvo on the beach.”
“I need the clearance code.”
“Firm Crescent Plot.” Jer'rahd stated.
“Seriously?” Celestia rolled her eyes.
“Confirmed, now you get to see what fine Griffon Engineering can do.”
“Breezy fire the damn things.” Jer'rahd rolled his eyes his horn glowing as a series of green shields form a box around Celestia and himself.
“You think a simple shield will save you!! KILL THEM!” Grogar yelled as the swarm of monsters rushed forward.
Colonel Talia looked out over the sea, the rail bridge to the main land leading off to the horizon before her. The island that appeared was just out of sight, though the rail bridge had been barricaded at this end and a small portion of the Galopagos Guard had been posted here on this side of the island. There were small patrols along the beach on all sides of the island with the main brunt of the forces stationed in the middle on high alert, ready to rush to whatever side of Gallopagos a possible attack could come from.
She and Elecktra were in charge of the whole situation along with a few others that Regent Kaisur had found worthy of holding a high rank in the Guard here. The civilians had all moved to shelters, though Talia doubted they really needed to. After the attack of Tirek the defenses and evacuation plans of the island had been the top priority and even if something like Tirek attacked again, he wouldn't make it far.
Of course that was just the islands defenses......
Darkness enveloped the Kirin as she looked up to the sky. The entire beach as well as much of the shore town being cast in shadow. The whirl of engines was barely heard despite the amount of power and lift that was needed by the thing to keep it aloft.
Talia narrowed her eyes as she stared up at the armored underside of the beast. Bright blue lettering graced the bow of the craft.
CVN-75, HMS Jupiter.
To call it an airship would be like compareing a bath toy to a freighter that shipped other freighters. The craft itself was it's own city, one with two separate postal codes. Yet despite having the crew of a small city, close to a thousand strong all crew members were Guard trained, from the piolets right down to the latrine cleaners. The ship itself was finished earlier this year and this was the first combat it had seen.
The technology holding it aloft was a mix of Griffon technologies and Pony magical know how It boasted two hundred and thirteen decks, twenty mess halls, individual quarters for every member of the crew, plus some extra, a mini mall, several gyms, a full sized pool, and two movie theaters, and that wasn't even half the ship!
The rest was made up of supply rooms, armories, intelligence gathering areas and the twenty six crystal powered mage engines that kept the beast aloft. It had redundant systems on top of redundant systems and had a cloud stuffed gas bag above it made out of synthetic dragon hide. It could lose all but one engine and the gas bag and still stay aloft. It was the greatest technological marvel ever built on Equss.
And of course it was built for war.
The armament alone was to make the one or two groups who still had problems with Equestria and the Griffons hold their tongues. Each side had exactly three hundred mage canons mounted with eighty ballista and catapults mounted on the main deck. Included in this payload were a number of experimental armaments that were still in the testing phase.
She was designed with ship to ship and ship to ground combat in mind as well as a multitude of weather conditions and even HALO operations.
In short the very existence of this thing terrified everyone, Talia would have loved to have been at the last council of races meeting.
Then there was the mad stallion who designed the whole thing, a pony who was currently the Captain of this monster.
Regent Breezy Mist.
=======================
Breezy stood on the bridge of the ship looking over the crew there as they made their final adjustments.
The bridge was a simple affair one raised section in the middle with the captains chair, weapon and communication arrays on both sides with the pilot's seat and the co pilot's seat at the front. There was a 360 view of everything going on outside of the ship from this position transmitted by both magic mirror and a few highly armored windows. The bridge crew consisted of eight members aside from himself though the communications crystals kept him in touch with any where on the ship he wanted.
The cannons were ready, the crew was checking over the math and locking in the target. Breezy stood there stoic, chewing on the end of an unlit pipe a white ships captain hat pulled low over his eyes as he regarded everything. He wore a dark blue and red trimmed long coat that had slits in the back for his wings and a white pair of pants with red stripes. He would have grown a beard for this but his wife said no.
His eyes shifted as he looked over the bridge, frowning a little as his wife shifted in his Captains chair clearly board. Despite her currently being the regent lord of all the Griffons, this was Breezy's ship, he had imagined it and with the help of the overflowing coffers of Equestria he had built it and refilled the drained and destroyed coffers of the Griffon Empire. To the coin counters at least, he was a hero.
“Sir, target is locked, we are ready to fire on your order.” one of the Ensigns called back.
Breezy took the pipe out of his mouth and grinned wide. He had been waiting for this since the Jupiter had become air born, a chance to prove this was no waste of money and of course, to listen to his baby roar.....
“Fire.” Dusty said with a wave of her claw.
“No wait!” Breezy yelped, though it was too late.
=======================================
The sea under the ship, for lack of a better word, buckled. A massive trough of sea foam and water spread out as the concussive force of two hundred mage cannon fired at once. There was no sound for a few breaths and Talia wondered if something went wrong.
Then she and the other Guard with her were bowled off their hooves and tossed back across the beach as the report of the cannons sounded like a thunder clap going off inside their ears. The sonic burst was enough to shatter all the windows and some walls of the beach front houses that dotted the area. The ship it self was pushed back, engines whining to keep it in the same spot in the sky or at least level. Talia watched a shadow race away from the ship tearing across the sea as the amount of shells fired cast the ocean into a brief shade.
Ten seconds after the volley was fired there no longer was a beach.
Well there was a beach, just not on this side of the island except for a small patch under Celestia and Jer'rahd held there by the box of a shield. Every thing on the outside of the green box and yellow shield was gone, little more than fire, glass slag, and rushing sea water that quickly doused the fires. The train cars, the monsters, the out lying structures of the island were all, no more.
Jer'rahd winced a little as he glanced down seeing nothing but seawater rushing in to flood in space left by the lack of beach. He blinked, certain it was flooding in over some sort of massive white stone that had been under the sand, cracked and pitted from age. The water covered it before he got a good look and he became ill trying to look through the deep water.
Grogar on the other hand was staring out of his shield from where he fell back on his flank. The Capricorn was showing his first signs of fear, or he was simply in awe.
“Grogar shut your trap before you swallow a fly.” Celestia stated.
“Lord Kaisur come in over?” the com crackled.
“Who is this?” Jer'rahd growled.
“Jupiter sir, First Officer Wing Beat, are you alright sir?” Wing Beat asked.
“I am, though I felt that... also I think perhaps we need to half the volley size next time, that might have been too much.” Jer'rahd sighed.” My ears are still ringing a bit. Damage report?”
“According to our spotters a few more structures have collapsed on the island and another small swell is coming in, it'll break on the reefs as well as it's smaller than the first one. There is now a very sizable circle shaped inlet on your location. The spotter also noticed some sort of white stone work under the sand after the blast cleared and before the seawater rushed in. It didn't seem damaged by the attack.
“I saw that too, where's the Captain?”
“Arguing with his wife sir, she ordered us to fire before he had a chance too and since she's our Regent, her orders override his. He wasn't happy. They are probably going to fight again then hide in a closet or something to try and make another egg.” Wing Beat sighed, Jer'rahd could hear the Griffon's eyes rolling from here. Breezy and Dusty were the poster foals for dysfunctional relationships. Still if any one tried to tell them other wise the pair would turn on the naysayer, better to just let them be.
“Figures, there's no more beach on this side and the train cars are no longer recoverable. We're moving to secondary coordinates. To much water here.” Jer'rahd grumbled making a path of his shields to the nearest beach, dropping the rest of as he and Celestia walked over them. He paused glancing back to Grogar who was still staring at where the island used to be.
“You coming goat? I want to see what else you might try before you just give up.” Jer'rahd called.
Grogar snapped out of it glaring at the two of them. “ I have not yet begun to fight.” he snapped.
“Well good. This would be a dull trip otherwise. Keep it interesting.” Celestia scoffed as she and Jer'rahd walk around the shield to the undamaged beach on another side of the yellowy shield.
“Seriously?” Starfall deadpanned, rubbing her temples with her hooves.
“Yes sir.” The Guard stated glancing to the side as Guard Captain Peach Blossom beat his head into a wall while cursing to himself.
“And when exactly did you think to tell us about this intruder?”Starfall sighed.
The pair of them had been sitting at a desk set up in the throne room before the twin thrones of night and day. They could have had an office some where to deal with everything, but Starfall remember Rhede setting up something like this and thought it fitting to do the same.
“As soon as we determined that we were unable to stop her. Sir.” the Guard answered. The soldier in question was a purple Earth pony stallion with a red mane and a cutie mark of a apple with a pair of spears crossed behind it.
“And when was that Lieutenant Orange?” Peach Blossom asked his head resting against the pole.
“From the time she burst out of the room wearing Guard Captain Kaisur's old armor to now, around thirty minutes. We have tried a number of plans to stop her including some anti gravity spells and knock out clouds. She countered each of them and is clearly a skilled spell caster. We have some other... more exstream plans, but I decided to come speak with you first as there are some... discrepancies, about her that we are watching.”
“Explain.” Starfall stated.
“First off aside from the door she has not damaged anything else in the castle, nor has she attempted to harm any one who has not stood in her way, and even those that did were simply moved aside, albeit at a fairly high rate of speed so there have been a few minor injuries. Second after she vacated the room we investigated and found one of the artifacts inside had been activated, a magic mirror. There are no other ways to enter the room aside from the door and it was still mage locked. We do not have any information on this mirror at the moment, though we are rounding up the team that studied it as we speak. Thirdly the mare seems both lost and highly confused. She encountered one of our Changeling Guard and spent at least five minutes asking her questions, but she's all but ignored the other Guards including the Kirin.”
“Has any one gone up and asked her what she wanted yet?” Peach Blossom sighed.
“Yes sir. I did myself in fact. All she would say is she was searching for something , though she did ask if the Element's of Harmony had been lost again. She doesn't seem to be very focused on stealth or subtlety. It seems she is looking for the Element's of Harmony, in particular the Element of Magic from what I deduced. She did not believe me when I informed her the Element's had been moved from New Canterlot for safe keeping, nor did she seem very happy that I might be telling the truth. Also she didn't seem to know why it was called New Canterlot. I also believe she thinks she is on some sort of time limit, as she tends to rush a bit faster every time she gets distracted. She eventually demanded to speak with Princess Celestia. I suppose the conversation might have gone on further, but she was distracted by one of the Crystal Guard. She treated him much like the Changeling and she was still asking questions when i came here to report sir.”
“Why does something like this have to happen when we are in charge?” Peach Blossom sighed.
“Honestly I'm surprised it's just this. Lieutenant go find her again and guide her here. I'll have a word with her. With how she's acting it doesn't seem like she's a threat at the moment and I’d like to defuse any situation before there becomes one.”Starfall ordered.
“Sir are you sure that's wise? We have no idea what she is capable of or what she wants the Element of Magic for.”
“It'll be fine. She's just wearing Jer'rahd's old armor. There's weaknesses in that old thing that can be exploited if she decides to try something and at worst we can simply ask her to wait for Celestia to get back. Send the reserchers in here when you find them as well I'm sure they have questions about the mirror, if that is where she came from.”Starfall continued.
“Also round up any Changeling Guard, Elk, and Crystal Guard and have them stationed here. If she's curious about them she might not know what they are capable of and that might make her more hesitant.” Peach Blossom added.
“Yes sir”
=============================================
[Nine months ago, Sweet Apple Acres.]
Fluttershy smiled as she watched Dawn dart around in the forest around her. The little Kirin poking her nose into everything thing. There were more than a few birds and Squirrels she would have to sooth later after the little Kirin got to close to their nests. She was currently following along after a caterpillar that was making it's way over a fallen branch. Fluttershy expected that interest to last a few seconds at best.
Fluttershy had invited the little Kirin along on her trip to the forest. While her own three little ones had their chores to do, they also knew where their mother was going and didn't want to bother her.
Dawn had no such knowledge of the trip and was overly excited to be heading into the Everfree Forest, even if it was only just inside the closest edge.
The Butter yellow pegasus trotted along slowly watching Dawn chase after a butterfly with a small smile. Her own foals had grown a little past this stage since getting their cutie marks, though now they were more focused on finding out what their marks really meant. Not like it wasn't obvious to every one else.
Appleblossom's cutiemark was was a book and inkwell. Given some of the stories she told and the imagination she had, she was almost destined to be a great writer.
Dandilion was always the more rough and tumble of the trio, usually the most gruff and angry. Though Fluttershy knew how sensitive he actually was. His cutiemark was a small bunny with a injured paw. While it confused more than a few others, she knew he went out of his way to help any injured animal he came across. He put himself at risk more than a few times trying to help one. Given his interest in treating them and all she had taught him. He was going to be a excellent animal doctor, despite how hard he tried to hide his softer side from the others.
Butterscotch's was a surprise. The meekest of the trio, she was often thought to be the voice of reason in their capers. Though imagine every one's surprise when it was revealed she was also the mastermind behind many of them. Her cutiemark was a neatly filled pencil case with a ruler. She tended to almost lead and guide the others without making it seem she was in charge. And she expressed great interest in what Cheerilee did. She would clearly become a teacher.
While Fluttershy was thrilled her foals had grown up so much, there was also a part of her that wished that they would have stayed small a little longer. Taking in the twins helped curb that feeling a little, but even they had grown up enough to no longer be hanging around her all the time. It was one reason she was always happy to foal sit for the others. Rynthia, Elusive, and Dawn were still at the age where everything was a curiosity to them. She liked that, despite how loud and rambunctious they got at times.
Rynthia was with her brothers under the watchful gaze of Applejack back at the farm, which left just the two of them walking through the forest the last of the leaves falling, though the air had not yet gotten to the bone tapping chill that announced winter had come fully. Most of her forest friends had already flown south or gone into hibernation for the winter. She liked to visit this place when she could, but there were two days she always came out here, rain or shine. His birthday, and the day he died.
The forests edge gave way to a small clearing with a fair sized grassy hill in the middle. No matter the time of year the hill was always green and small flowers grew all over it. The area had been heavily enchanted by Twilight with a little help from Princess Celestia and Discord even.
She heard Dawn gasp loudly as they approached the hill.
She smiled enjoying this part every time as dozens of little faces poked their heads up out of hidden burrows and nests to watch them as they approached. Fluttershy shivered a little at the sheer adorableness of the bunny sanctuary’s residents. Many of them came out to greet her, being old enough to remember her last visit here. Most shied away from Dawn, despite the filly’s attempts to remain calm, something Fluttershy was unsure that the little Kirin was capable of.
Fluttershy dipped her wings a little, brushing a few of the bunnies with her wing tips petting them softly as she smiled, nodding lightly to Dawn to follow her up the hill. She glanced to her left as one of the larger white bunnies reared up and pawed at her white and black striped wing getting a small giggle from the pegasus mare.
At the top of the hill was an apple tree, a gift from Applejack to offer shade to the grave site. The grave itself was a surprisingly simple affair. A life sized statue made by the Pie family in his likeness and a small plaque on the base.
Fluttershy could recite the words from memory, she had been here enough for the carved memorial to be burned into her mind. But she came up here to read them every time.
'Here lies Angel Bunny, Hero of Equestria.' 'Savior of Cloudsdale, Veteran of the War of the Gods' ' May he remain forever in our hearts.'
Fluttershy sighed as she read the inscription feeling her tears whell up in her eyes as they always did when she came here.
“Angel Bunny had been my companion almost since I first came to Ponyville. I had found him in the remains of a nest that had been attacked by something. His siblings and mother were dead, I had thought he was too, but imagine my surprise when the little pink thing started moving.” Fluttershy explained as Dawn looked at her questioningly at the tears. “I took him home and did my best to take care of him. He was the first animal I rehabilitated on my own. I suppose I made a mistake here and there as I never did manage to release him to the wild, not like he ever wanted to go back to the woods anyway.”
Fluttershy sat down and pulled off her saddle bags offering a carrot from it to Dawn, motioning for her to offer it to one of the bunnys carefully.
“He stuck with me for far longer than he should have. He was a very old bunny by the time he finally went to sleep for the last time. Really it wasn't long after Tirek's attack that he passed on. It was because of him leading the other animals that as many ponies from Cloudsdale survived as they did. Remind me to take you up there to see the monument they made for him when they rebuilt the city. It's huge, he of course hated it.” Fluttershy smiled softly. “ My little grumpy bunny....”
Dawn frowned tearing up as well, though despite the fact one of the bunnies was chewing on the carrot she had in her claw her watery eyes were on Fluttershy.
“I dun like being sad, why did you bring me here.....” Dawn pouts....
“Oh... I'm sorry. I forgot about that. Still though. There are always going to be sad times in life. No matter how much you want other wise....”Fluttershy reached out stroking the orange Kirin's back with her yellow wing. “ It's why you need to hold on to the happier moments in life. The ones full of joy and laughter, so that when the bad times come you can remember those things and know that not everything is bad and you will realize it will get better. I mean look.”
Fluttershy swept out her zebra colored wing to the field and the countless bunnies dotting the hill watching the intruders and going about with their little bunny lives.
“I was beside myself when Angel Bunny died. I had known him longer than any of my other friends except Rainbow Dash.”
Dawn stared at Fluttershy, her lower lip sticking out as she pouted, on the verge of tears as well.
“I brought you out here because I enjoy this place. I thought you might as well.” Fluttershy tried to placate.
“Why would I like a place after a story like that?” Dawn flopped to the ground scaring off the bunny she had been feeding.
“Oh dear this is a bit harder than I thought it would be.....” Fluttershy fretted a moment her ears lowering before she blinks suddenly looking back at a small caramel colored bunny gnawing on the end of her tail. She smiles softly at that.” Because despite how sad I feel knowing that Angel Bunny is gone. This place makes me happy. It's full of life and joy. Many of these bunnies are actually Angel Bunnies children, or grand children... or great great great.... well you get the idea , bunnies are a ...'active' lot.”
Dawn blinked confused.
“There are always going to be sad things happening in your life. When that happens you need to remember all the good times. The laughter and the joy you had and it will help make the bad times more bearable. It won't take away the pain.... though it may lessen it.”
Dawn frowned.
“Don't be like that. You're a happy little foal. Laughter can cure a great many things. It's not always about being funny.” Fluttershy smiled softly reaching out to scoop Dawn up and hug the suddenly very squirmy orange Kirin.
“I dun like being sad.....” Dawn pouts. “ Dun like when anybodys sad.”
“I know sweetie. But it can't be helped some times..... Come on. Lets see if any of the warrens have any baby bunnies in them.” Fluttershy smiled as she gained the little Kirin's interest again.
Bray stood looking up at the sky. The sun had yet to budge and that worried him immensely. The moon had risen, briefly and then quickly sulked off back over the horizon as if it was ashamed it showed up early. The few ponies that he had been around when it happened didn't seem that concerned with the effect so Bray was forced to conclude it was normal. Despite one or two ponies running around screaming about the end of the world.
That was closer than they thought however.
Bray looked down and smiled. He was partially hidden under a cloak , though he could feel his new leg shifting and adjusting, slowly turning into a perfect replacement of his lost limb. A place like this had power to it. A power that was helping to speed up his recovery. A power that expanded his senses and told him the troublesome mare was no where to be found.
The grave yard was dark and quiet, relatively speaking. Despite the sun the place was in shadow. A massive steel mill rose at the edge of the graveyard and soared into the sky. The titanic brick walls surrounded three sides of the small graveyard. It was barely a forth of a block and to the casual observer it had perhaps maybe eighty to a hundred plots in it.
This was fully incorrect however. Bray could feel the number of dead in this place was closer to three or four hundred. The factory had been built over much of the grave yard, likely without the locals knowledge. But that wasn't the biggest surprise. Deep under that even was something even more exciting.
A mass grave. The number of spirits there was nearly beyond his ability to count. They had all been killed, an attempt had been made to cremate them and then they were buried together in a massive pile of bone and ash. Armor and gear had been laid to rest with them. A dumping ground for the dead that was long forgotten as the city grew larger and spread out over the land that the bodies had been laid to rest in.
They had been there. Perhaps for a thousand years, their souls in torment and filled with rage. They called to him, a siren song of anger and hate.
All of it was directed at the ponies of this city.
Bray knew what they were. He had encountered these creatures before, though they had been much more primitive then, the armor was metal rather than the wood and hide he had seen them with. Green skinned with massive tusks, bulging muscles and a creed of 'might makes right'. With how many where here it was clear this place had once been a battle ground.
Bray grinned wide as he poured necromantic energy into the earth. The dead on top of the mass grave would rise first, and would protect him while he raised the army that lay beneath his hooves. He could feel the angry souls screaming and raring to rush out and finish what they started in destroying the city so long ago.
Bray was going to make sure the Orcs got their second chance at taking Manehatten.
“ Sis! You here!?” Pip shouted pushing open the door and poking his nose into Berry's dorm room.
The pair of them had spent the last few hours speaking with a few ponies and trying to get a magical addition to their group for the purposes of studying what was going on. The pair of them both believed that it would all be fixed on Twilight or Luna's return, but there were issues cropping up now with the nightmares so they needed to find some one who knew more about the dream world then they did. Which unfortunately was harder than it sounded. Most scholars didn't bother with dream magic past making sure they didn't get nightmares. Of course judging by the looks on some of them their spells were not working very well lately.
The pair of them hadn't really had any nightmares, though that was mostly due to both Scootaloo and Pip being lucid dreamers. Pip from practice with his mother and Scootaloo from a great deal of effort after some nightmares she had as a foal. Now that they knew what to look for it was fairly obvious that there were a large number of ponies and Griffons suffering from sleep deprivation and restless nights.
Pip perked his ears as he looked around Berry's lab. She should be out of class and the door was unlocked.
“Look at this mess.” Scootaloo stated reaching up to scrape a bit of what looked like mashed corn off the wall. “ What happened in here?”
“I find it's better not to ask unless you really want an explanation, have a lot of time to kill or want to get dragged into a lesson.” Pip sighed almost fondly recalling the days when his sister didn't talk.
Scootaloo poked her head into the side bed room looking around before waving a hoof over to Pip. “ Found Beryl. Looks like he's napping, peacefully at that.”
“Ma said other races dreams tend to be different. Changelings, Zebras, Griffons, and Elk are close enough to ponies that dream walking is easy with them. Dragons, Diamond Dogs, and strangely enough Sea ponies have completely different mind sets and she wasn't even sure they dreamt at all.”
“That is as fascinating as it is boring.” Scootaloo grumbles, still annoyed their sexy time was on hold for the foreseeable future.
“Found her.” Pip states softly pushing open the door to the kitchen showing off Berry standing in the middle of the room with a half eaten pastry floating in the air beside her. The mare seemed to have been getting a snack when she fell asleep mid act.
Pip sighed rolling his eyes as Scootaloo stared at the frozen mare. The dark furred unicorn looked like she was in mid step though soft snores escaped her mouth along with pastry crumbs.
“Did she fall asleep eating a danish?” Scootaloo asked in awe.
“She did... not the first time either. She gets so wrapped up in study and her ideas that she'll randomly fall asleep when she hits her limit. She used to just collapse where ever she stood , though it seems now her muscle memories gotten better.” Pip grumbles.
“Would have loved to have been able to sleep in formation like this back in training.”Scootaloo grumbled.
“ I told you I would show you how.” Pip grinned. It's not that hard to get a quick nap in while hurrying up to wait.”
“So what now?”
“Lets have a look at the books she has to see if she has anything that might help. After that we just wait for her to wake up.”
“Does the book say anything at all?” Glimmer asked.
“No cause books don't talk.” Dawn taunted getting a pillow to the face from Glimmer for her joke.
“Nothing past what we already found out.” Elusive sighed.
“The spell I cast gave us a lucid dreams, but the Tantabus is strong, so it … insinuates?.......implies....?” Rynthia muttered.
“ Seems.” Shin commented getting a sigh from the Zebra.
“Did you find anything out about your necklace?”Talon asked looking through another book.
Rynthia sighed picking up a piece of paper with a image on it drawn in crayon. A simple silver disk with a pair of scales embossed in gold in the middle of it. There were random designs on the empty space around the scales, though they clearly were only there to fill in the blank spaces and draw more attention to the scale in the middle. The chain attached to it was a simple silver link necklace. Rynthia couldn't recall anything being on the back of it , but she didn't remember if she had looked or not, the dream was already rather fuzzy.
“ Should we tell some one about this? I think this is way beyond anything we can deal with.” Elusive sighed.
“I say no. No ones going to believe a foal...” Glimmer sighed. “ And even if we did convince one or two adults the moment it came up that they found out about the problem from a six year old, they'd get ignored. That's been pretty clear with how some of the ponies and nobles around here act.”
“Daddy wouldn't do that.” Dawn muttered.
“But neither father nor mother are available.” Rynthia grumbled.
“Both my moms would. “ Sighed Elusive.” I know they care about me, but given that neither of them seem to care that I don't want to learn magic or be a scholar. I doubt they'd believe something like this without proof. Best case Mother turns it into a research study for a few weeks.”
“I expect the same from my parents. They would accuse me of over thinking my dreams to find some sort of logic in them rather than just accept dreams mean nothing. “ Talon admitted. “In their defense they are usually right in that I try and find a reason for everything and over think everything.”
“They don't believe or trust me any way so why bother?” Shin muttered. “ I heard them. Most of them know I'm just a foal and they still hate and fear me....”
The others look over at Shin with a bit of worry.
“Bugs, death, Kirin, and …. cheese....” We know of our fears, but not much of yours and Rynthia's.” Perhaps that would help us some how if we did.” Talon suggests.
“Mine is simple. I fear that those who say I will become like the Zebra gods of old will be right. That I will bring nothing but hate and suffering.” Rynthia grumbled not even trying to rhyme.
“Mmm....” Shin responds clinging tighter to Glimmer's side.
“The Changelings have a hive mind...” Elusive commented his ear twitching as he thought back on what he had been taught. “ So that means when you say they don't trust you....... “
“You've actually heard them saying it.” Talon finished.
Glimmers eyes widen at that and she pulls her little brother a bit closer with her wing.
“I trust you Buggy.” Dawn stated suddenly petting the little bug on the head. “ Unless it's with cookies, then not so much.”
“Dawn last I recall you are the one not to be trusted with food.” Talon rolls his eyes.
“Or anything else for that matter. She ate my rock collection....” Elusive grumbled.
“It is your fault you left them out, tasty gems are what dragons dream …...after... for?”Rynthia frowned.
“About.” Shin giggled a little.
“So it's just the six of us then?” Talon points out.
“Indeed.“ Talon added.
“We've got three hours until dinner then an hour or two after that before bed time. We need to figure out something before then.” Glimmer points out.
“Save a little fluffy thing and the world.” Dawn grinned.” We got this.”
“Yeah.” Shin muttered.
“A little more confidence would not be a bad thing Shin.” Elusive stated. “We can handle this.”
“I certainly hope that it does happen that way, given we all sleep , we may not have a …... voice.... vote?” Rynthia stammered.
Octavia was nervous, she was on the verge of panic in fact. She fiddled with her cello strings again more out of nervous habit than need.
This was her third cello. Her first had been stolen and her second had been destroyed in the War of the Gods by Claymore. This third one had been a gift. Jacob had tracked down the creator of her first cello, pulled him out of retirement and had him make one more. Octavia didn't know how he did it,and he wouldn't say. Strotivari had stopped making instruments long before Octavia was old enough to know who he was, but by the time she had recovered from her injuries enough to play again, Jacob had had this waiting for her.
Jacob had named it for her. She thought the process was silly, but he had named his guitar as well and didn't think any instrument that was going to be well used should simply be an object. The way he treated and talked about his' 'Lady Macbeth' at first had made her uneasy, then a little jealous. She didn't understand the purpose of naming a instrument until he gave her this cello.
The Marquis.
This was s cello that was more a work of art than a instrument. It was willow backed with a prominent knot in the upper center, the top was a wide grain spruce marked with strong growth lines. The scroll was beech wood with willow ribs and it had a lovely dark orange finish.
The name however, was fit for a diplomat or a noble and the cello had a temperament to match. She was unaware if it was because Jacob had named it, or if she was imagining things, but she always viewed the Marquis as a overly stern father figure who demanded respect. Or else.
In her distraction she encountered one of the 'or elses' as she over tightened a string and the wire snapped. The gray mare cried out as the taut wire lashed across her arm leaving a large bleeding gash in her fore limb.
The others converged and she waved them off as Twilight bandaged the wound. The Marquis could have taken her eye or done more damage.
A wound like this was merely a warning from The Marquis. She forgot how long ago it was that she started seeing the cello as a individual rather than a thing, but it was easy to place a personality with the cello. It was a reason she always traveled with her cello. She had left The Marquis behind once and it had refused to play correctly for a week.
“Lyra please give me a new wire from my case, he never liked the steel core any way.” Octavia requested.
“ I thought you only used steel core on A and D?” Lyra commented.
“I do, but I switch to all steel when traveling to prevent stretching issues. I'd prefer all cat gut, but that has been getting expensive lately.”
“All you've got left in here is some synthetic.” Lyra muttered.
“What kind?”
“Looks like gold wrapped. That's gonna be a fairly focused tone.” Lyra concluded.
“It's fine I'll swap out the other steel core. I don't like that all I've got is full synthetic,but it will have to do.” Octavia sighed.
“Couldn't you simply take some of the strings from one of the cellos laying about here? Most are damaged but I'm sure there's a few that are still intact.” Twilight asked.
“No. Cello strings are usually placed on days before a concert so that they can be stretched taut and set to properly fit. There are a few ways to prepare a number of strings before hoof just in case, but pulling something off another cello and trying to fit it to mine would be impossible. Even if it would work. he would never allow for something like that to remain on him.” Octavia commented.
“Who wouldn't?” Trixie blinked.
“Her cello.” Lyra stated. “Look don't think to hard on it. A lot of professional artists name their instruments and claim they have personalities.....”
“I had no plans to do so. After all, my husband has a named sword that refuses to be wielded by more than a hoof full of individuals, as does Twilight.” Luna smirked as she pointed out this fact. Her ears flattened to her head as she looked into the air over Octavia with a frown. “How long will this take, because it seems Platinum has returned.”
The group looks up as the specter floated back into the hall. The ghost mare had her own cello one that made some of the more squeamish members of the group wince.
The cello was pale white, clearly bone, the top looked to be a rich oak stained so red it seemed ready to ooze blood.. The scroll was was matching oak with bone ribs and it had a deep purple haze around it. The strings were what made Octavia and Lyra wince. They looked to be catgut, though with how the rest of the cello looked they doubted it wasn't from something sentient.
“Tavi... are you sure about this?” Lyra muttered as Octavia began restringing The Marquis.
“Not in the slightest.” Octavia stated simply. “But this is something I need to do.”
“I am sure we can find another way out of here with out you risking your life or soul or what ever the prize is...” Twilight added.
Octavia sighed looking up at Platinum's ghost, then over at Lyra who frowned a little but nods.
“I mean no offense when I say this Princess, but I did not challenge Platinum for your sakes. I have my own reason.” Octavia commented her ears flattening to her head as the whole building shook once again in a rapid fire succession. The whole group turns their head up as more dust fell from the ceiling and something collapsed on one of the upper floors.
“I will assume Grogar is going to be busy for a time. While I am not going to stop you I do advice caution. If you need any assistance, my musical ability is limited, but I can play piano rather well even without a connection to the Hive Mind.” Luna offered.
“Trixie has skill in percussion. Nothing fancy but she can keep a tempo.” Trixie offers.
“You know my skill with anything with strings.”Lyra grinned.
The group looked to Twilight who sighed and shrugged.
“ I got nothing. I nearly broke every window in the house with a recorder when I was three and Pinkie Pie has thus far, thankfully, failed to teach me the accordion.” Twilight commented.
“Tried to test how much air could be forced through it didn't you?” Trixie chuckled.
“Yes...” Twilight growled.” How did you know?”
“Trixie nearly ruptured her music teachers eardrums, she was not allowed to touch wind instruments again.” Trixie chuckled.
Octavia smiled a little her mind running over everything that could be done with such a small group. The cello would still be forefront in this. She realized this would not just be a test of her own playing, but of her conductor skills as well.
“Alright then. Given I challenged her, she has the first play, we have only a bit of time to prepare before that. I think I know a few pieces we can work with. Do not feel too much pressure as it will be my playing that is judged , not yours. “ Octavia stated looking up at the ghost, who glared down at her.
“By the stars why did I think that was good idea?” Sweetiebelle bemoaned, the lithe mare was draped over the rooms only couch, hogging the whole thing for herself. Granted no one else seemed to mind as it was well known to be one of her sisters infamous red couches that had simply appeared on the ship one day. Aside from Button, no one else would touch it, and he only would when Sweetie was there too. The crew room took up a big portion of the ship and acted as a common area for the twelve pony skeleton crew that ran this ship.
The Storm Cloud had been refitted as a private vessel while the group was still in the ESO. At that point it had been used to carry both the band and other cargo for both the ESO and for Coco Pommel's companies. However Discord, showing a strange yet amazing prowess for contracts, had put a clause in that once Sweetiebelle's time with the ESO was up, the ship would be hers.
A normal crew for the ship would be closer to fifty or sixty. Sweetiebelle and Button Mash had poured most of the bits they had into adjustments and repairs to the ship. Granted Sweetie put most of hers in making the airship flashier, while Button went the more practical route. Though there were several points on the ship's interior that bore logo's from various video games.
Initially the five changelings with her were not going to contribute to the ship from their cut of the pay. Sweetiebelle had not even calculated for that any way. But upon finding out how much Sweetie and Button were doing to keep them in the air with a working ship the group of them donated a good portion of their pay as well. It was not as if they needed to eat and they had rooms on the ship. It was not as if any of them were used to fancy furnishings any way.
The extra money helped out to make the Storm Cloud much more reliable and likely in the best shape it had been in since it had been repaired after it's crash.
While it had been suspected the ship would never fly again properly, with the removal of the cannons, most of the armament and armor, the wooden frame was surprisingly easy to fix and reshape. It hadn't been cheap, but now they had their own airship that also doubled as a place to stay, transport, and with the banners and paint covering it, a mobile advertisement as well. Then there was the fact Button managed to rig up a sound system on the ship again as well as proper anchors and landing gear that the flight deck of the ship could be used as a stage if a concert was needed to be held in a field or in any of the Pegasi cloud cities.
The interior was still sparse with many second hoof mismatched sets of furniture. The battered old red couch and a cable spindle coffee table were just the start of it. At the very least the plumbing worked now. Still no hot water, though that was where the next check was going.
A Changeling sat on a ratty gray recliner nearby, his orange mane covering his face as he stretched out on the soft cushions. He was in his normal form which was easily seen to be a male. Ditty was fairly buff and his chitinous plates had a number of scars and marks on it from old wounds. He was not a new Changeling, he was one of the few that still lived that had been around since before Crystal became Chrysalis and the Changelings had been sealed in Tartarus, a time he refused to speak of. He was usually gruff and argumentative, though he was easily swayed by a pretty face or a sweet voice. Which was how he wound up here to begin with.
The main reason he was still with the group however was currently draped across his lap, her wings buzzing faintly as she hummed to herself. Melody was a pink maned Changeling female. She was one of the victims of Changeling conversion after the attack on Canterlot. Some how unlike many of the others she had not become a drone. It was Ditty who had taken pity on her and tried to help her adjust to her new life. Since then she had stuck to him like glue. She was one of the few who could get the moody orange maned male to do something he didn't want to do. Now that they were free to do as they wished Melody had claimed Ditty as her colt friend despite the older Changelings complaints that she deserved some one better. Melody had a family, one that had accepted her back. They weren't thrilled about her choice of colt friend, but they were one of the more open minded families it seemed.
Two more of the Changelings were on the floor playing cards on the wire spool. Sweetiebelle couldn't tell what the game was, but the green colored one seemed to be winning. Aria was a bit of an oddity. Mostly because she was the youngest one on the ship. She was also the only pure blood Changeling in the group. In fact she was only 17 having been born not long after the War of Gods. Sweetiebelle really wanted her to join despite the fact she was only eleven at the time the band formed. So following the proper channels to get her parents permission it was found out that her father was one of the Changelings that had vanished with Princess Luna and Princess Celestia not long after Tirek's attack. Her mother had been one of the ponies who had been taken in the attack on Canterlot. Her mother had never been more than a mindless drone and her father had taken advantage of that. Now her mother had been awoken and didn't even remember her time as a mindless drone, let alone she had born a daughter. Aria had opted to not bring it up and set out to go her own way so that her mother could try and fix her life as it had been. The poor mare had been Aria's age when she was taken and until her mind caught up with her body she still thought she was twelve. This said things about Aria's father that were best left unspoken. Luna had reluctantly agreed to let her go with Sweetiebelle though she did not seem happy that Aria did not care about what happened to her father or about being part of her mothers life. Given she was practically raised by others it made some sense however that she had no real connection to either.
Her opponent in the card game was a Hippogryph Changeling, the only non pony in the group, though that was the form Shanty most often took on stage. She had a bright yellow mane and matching wings and played the most insterments out of all of them. She was made a Changeling not long after the hive escaped Tartarus before Princess Cadence's wedding. She had been a drone until after the attack on Tirek and was one of the first that Luna had freed. She had spent some time looking into her old life, though given how easily she accepted the job it was fairly obvious there wasn't much there for her to go back to. The others commented that she occasionally had angry thoughts whenever she spotted a Griffon with a dark coat around, though she kept the reasoning masked. Not like it would take a leap of logic to figure out she had a dark colored Griffon as an Ex now.
“Well we did warn you that you would be hurting if you went too far... three encores and an autograph session, and lets not forget that what you and Button did after ward could be felt by every one even if we couldn't hear it. Going until about five am, it's a wonder you got any sleep at all.” Another Changeling said.
“If the ships rocking don't bother knocking.” Sweetiebelle grumbled glaring at the blue maned glasses wearing Carol. The oldest out of all of them, she had been around since before Chrysalis went mad and had spent time in Tartarus along with Ditty. She was also the second best singer in the group behind Sweetiebelle and had the best connection with the hive mind. She had a healthy fear of Princess Celestia but also seemed to know her personally from the one or two times they had met when they were working in the ESO. Celestia didn't seem to recognize her, though Carol never stayed in her normal form when within sight of Celestia. A bit of pressing only revealed that she knew Celestia before she ascended to godhood and that she was at least eight years the Sun Goddess senior. This led to debates about how long Changelings lived and there didn't seem to be an answer as the age changed with the altered species. None of them counted the time in Tartarus however as both Carol and Ditty agreed that time was weird there and no one seemed to age at all.
“ You're just mad cause you're not the one snogging him.” Melody giggled getting a glare from Carol.
“I could if I wanted to.” Carol sighed.
“Uh huh. From what I recall when you tired he completely ignored all your best attempts. And then you got dragged off by your tail by Sweetiebelle there.” Shanty chuckled. “ I would have loved to hear what was said. You avoided Button and Belle like they were the plague for a month.”
“I'm not telling.” Sweetiebelle grinned making Carol shudder softly as the only real pony in the room batted her eyelashes at the blue maned Changeling.
Aria's ears perked up. “ Speaking of which it sounds like he's back.”
Sweetiebelle lifted her head a little hearing the thud of the elevator reach the main deck. The Storm Cloud was moored over the docks as Manehatten was still in the process of building an airship berth. They had rented a rather cheap spot right next to some massive smelting plant. The smell took a little getting used to, though most of the noxious fumes were handled by specialty cloud filters, so while the location was smelly , it was safe. While they took care of anything harmful, they made everything smell like sulfur and hot metal.
Given the ship was still in the air despite being moored they had a small platform that could be raised and lowered to the dock.
The dock yard was fenced as well which kept most of the die hard fans at bay. Since none of them recognized Button, he could come and go as he pleased, so could the Changelings in other disguises, but most of them were stuffed as it was and rest was the name of the game. Button had gone out to get food as well as pick up a couple of spare fuses for the amps. While she was worried he would buy something frivolous as well, she doubted it would be much. The colt was better with money sometimes than she was. Unless he found an arcade any way.
The group of them go silent looking at the cabin door as they heard voices from outside. Not just Button, but what sounded like another mare and a stallion as well. The Changelings glanced at each other as Sweetiebelle stared at the door. Had some one snuck on with Button?? The mares voice was muffled but there was a noticeable accent to it.
“I know that voice.” Sweetiebelle muttered.
The door to the cabin opened and Button stepped in with a few bags hanging off his sides. The gamer pony blinked noting every one staring at him and simply rolled his eyes before continuing on to the store room to put away the supplies. Behind him walked what Sweetiebelle initially thought was a moving wall. The brown and gray spotted unicorn stallion had a buzz cut mane and tail that looked to have been a charcoal gray. He wore a heavy apron and a flipped up welders mask on his head. A large tool bag covered his cutiemark, though it barely rattled as he moved.
Behind him walked another large pony. She was a coffee colored mare spotted with freckles who was only a little smaller than the stallion before her, her red and lightish red striped mane was pulled back into a pony tail that draped over her shoulders. She had a bit of weight on her though it was easy to see the mass of muscle underneath the flab. Her tail was done up in sort of a half bun and her cutiemark was a apple sliced in half on a cutting board with a kitchen knife and several perfect apple slices on the board.
“BABS!!” Sweetiebelle shouted, all but launching herself off the couch and tackling the much larger pony, some how knocking her off her hooves and sending them both tumbling back through the door.
The two stallions and the Changelings looked back with a wince though there was shared laughter from outside the door.
“Told ya ah knew Sweetiebelle Reignolds. “ Babs shouted at the grumbling stallion. “ Dats ten bits yah owe me Silver.”
Octavia nodded “Alright I think we have the basics ready. Lyra can you....”
Octavia winced as she was suddenly cut off by a cello note, the hall suddenly erupting into sound. They all looked up at the ghastly specter floating above them above them.
Platinum glared down at them and smirked.
“I shall start this show....”
Octavia watched as blue fire flew from the ghosts hoof tips as she rosined up her bow, then she pulled the bow across the stings and it made an evil hiss, then another specter joined her in the air and they played at a fevered pitch.
Luna blinked at the composition. It was fast with a beat kept by the secondary cellist who was tapping his wings to the wood of his instrument, adding percussion to his playing on top of the strings. Platinum was taking off with her playing and the sound was unlike anything Luna had ever heard before.
The challenged one in a duel went first because it was they who set the pace for the duel. Be it classical, modern, or other wise, it was something the Challenger had to match or beat.. Luna glanced over to Octavia seeing the gray mares ears flat against her head as she stared at the playing specters. The expression on the cellists face was a mix of anger and frustration more than anything else.
Luna really had no idea what was going on, but she had to stop herself from tapping along with the beat that was presented by the dead musicians..
Then as suddenly as it started the music cut off dead. The only sound the clack of wood as Lyra dropped the bow of the fiddle she had picked up.
“Oh you unholy bitch.” Octavia snarled.
“Umm did I miss something?” Twilight asked.
“Yes..... She has turned my challenge into a test of improvisation and created a new composition on the spot. And she has brought the famous classical player Gasper Cantersando to be her back up to rub it in.” Octavia snarled.” She must have listened in on our planning and rather than go with something classic, or even knew age, she picked what would be our weakest style with the mishmash of talent we have, particularly since I am primarily a classical cellist.”
“Well that is smart, Trixie guesses... so what are we going to do?” Trixie asked.
Octavia contemplated a moment before she suddenly grinned. The smile on the mare causing the ghost of Platinum to blink in confusion.
“Trixie, Luna... I do not need your assistance with this. Lyra take a second cello and give me a base line. Anything will do simply make it constant.” Octavia ordered. “She seeks to undo me with a new song and a rapid rhythm? I think not.”
Octavia sat down in one of the working stools left on the stage glancing to Lyra as the mint colored mare readies herself and gives a nod. Lyra begins a small plucking beat before Octavia starts to play something that sounds more like a dirge than anything else.
The song seemed to be rather slow at first and the tempo oddly even. Luna did not recognize it either though the look on Platinum's face showed her surprise at this as well. Though soon the mares ears flatten as the performance goes on.
The music had more of a classical feel to it than Platinum's piece, though the notes and playing were far different than most classical pieces.
Octavia was draped lightly over her cello as she played , her eyes closed as she turned what had started as a high speed play session into something more akin to a classical rock hybrid. At least until she began laying into the song, the tempo speeding up rapidly the sound echoing across the entire hall keeping the living and dead in rapt attention as they stared at those playing.
Lyra kept up a base tempo with her hooves, only occasionally adding in a mimicry of Octavia's playing with the old bow she had acquired.
Octavia herself had gathered another bow in her mouth and occasionally drew it over the strings adding reverb to her own playing . The effect of it seeming like there were three or four of them playing instead of just the two.
The song slowly trailed off to die leaving the music lingering a bit longer after it's end than Platinum's sudden cut off.
Octavia opened her eyes and slowly rose from her stool as Platinum floated down to stage level even with the other cellist.
Both she and Octavia waved off their partners meeting each others glare barely a pony length apart from one another. Just as suddenly the pair of them began to play again.
The two of them were seemingly trying to out do one another with classical riffs that suddenly started getting faster and faster as the two played off each other and tried to out do one another. Suddenly Octavia drew one long note before Platinum suddenly switched to percussion on her cello.
The ghost suddenly started a beat with her hooves against the cello and Octavia frowned launching into playing matching and adding to the beat that was being offered.
The pair both seemed to carry on for a moment almost fighting with each other with their music. None of it was disjointed or even seemed off. Luna watched realizing Octavia was letting Platinum take the lead and she was playing off what the other mare was laying down, building off of it and adding to it as she went, turning what could have been a completely disjointed mess into a coherent tune.
Platinum switched tempos and beats quite often during the song switching between percussion and playing only for Octavia to meet and match the playing.
Both of them were going fervently, Octavia's normally perfect mane becoming unfurled as she worked the bow over the strings her glare never leaving Platinum's. The ghostly mare's hair started to rise and blow around her in a unseen wind. Both of their bow's where whirling over their instruments faster than the best sword work Luna had ever seen.
As the music raised to a fevered pitch the pair looked at each other each developing a small smile before as suddenly as it started, the music stopped. The mares both took a step back from each other , both on their hind legs and cradling their cellos.
Nothing was said, there was not so much as a peep in the entire chamber for a moment or two. Then Platinum nodded slightly, before she whirled around dramatically, the demonic cello fading to nothing as she turned to float off the stage, vanishing into nothing. The horde of ghosts around them started vanishing one after another soon after until no one was left in the theater but the living.
It took a moment more before any noise returned, though Trixie was the first to speak up.
“Impressive. You won.” Trixie stated.
“Way to go Octavia.” Twilight chimes.
“No... I didn't” Octavia smirked.
“ What?” Twilight stammered.
“ I was no way at the top of my game there. There were far too many factors against me. She heard that, and saw that I took everything she threw at me and gave it all back in spades. I didn't win, but I didn't lose either. Her playing was far superior. Though I think....... perhaps she accepted me as the one to keep her music alive.”
“Yeah yeah, what ever, you won, where did you learn to play like that? I've never heard you play anything but classical!” Lyra shouted.
“I was Vinyl's room mate for nearly fifteen years Lyra.“ Octavia smiled as she moved to put her cello back in it's case. “ Do you honestly think that mare didn't get me to participate in her little jam sessions? Now let us be away before Grogar returns. I doubt he would be as impressed by my playing.”
“He seems fine physically your grace, he's just not there any more.” The pale brown Earth pony mare stated. Her lime green hair was pulled back into a bun and she had a pair of brass framed glasses sitting on the end of her nose.
Queen Luna of the Changelings considers a moment looking at the door to the play room in the castle before she turned her attention back to Locust, the real Locust this time and not Chrysalis in a different body. The mare had reconnected with her family after Tirek's defeat, though they had rejected her and she had returned to the Crystal Empire only to find she had a job already as nanny to the Royal family.
It was rather sad, but her husband had moved on and remarried and her foals were terrified of her. Perhaps in time they might not be scared, but for now Locust was doing her best to simply keep busy.
“Do Cadence and Shining know?” Luna asked.
“They do your grace, but the Empress and Emperor do not know what they can do about it . Which is likely why they called for you to speak with him. There are a number of others who are getting more than a little worried about his disconnect.” Locust commented.
“He is still there. I can feel him, but he is blocking me as well. I cannot even tell his surface emotions.” Luna pondered. “ I will have a word with him. Is Glimmer in there?”
“Yes your grace. Would you like me to have her leave?” Locust asked.
“No I'll ask her myself. I can feel her concern for Shin. I would rather reassure her I'm not going to do anything but talk to him personally.” Luna stated moving forward to the door to the play room and pushing it open.
Shin was no where to be found, then again neither was Glimmer. Luna sighed turning her gaze straight up to the chandelier far above her and the two foals sitting atop of it.
“You said no one ever looked up!” Shin hisses at Glimmer.
“No one has before.....” Glimmer muttered.
“ The last place any one looks is up. That is a common tactic, children. It is also a bit of a falisy as those whose predominate method of movement is flight always look up first for a clear escape if one is needed. And I was a Pegasus long before anything else.” Luna explained calmly.
“Whats predominate?” Shin asked.
“ It means main or the most used.” Luna explained.
“Oh” Shin nodded. And Falisy?” Shin asked.
“False belief.” Luna narrows her eyes as she noted Glimmer doing something while Shin was clearly trying to distract her. “Glimmer what ever you are doing keep in mind that your mother has yet to withdraw her permission from me after the last time I foal sat and I can tan your hide with no repercussion if you do something you are not supposed to.”
“What?” Glimmer jerked nearly dropping a bag of something before scrambling to keep hold of it in her magic.
“I can sense your anger and fear and I expect you are attempting to defend your brother with some sort of attack.”
“You're not taking him!”Glimmer growled.
“ Why would I take him?” Luna questioned a little confused at the foals logic.” I am here to speak with him and find out what is wrong. Not run him off to where ever you think I would take him. “ Luna stated.
“ A likely story. He's a god and your just a queen you probably want to get rid of him to take over.” Glimmer snorted.
Luna blinked at that her ears flattening a little as she wondered where the filly got that idea. Though the sheer absurdity of it forced her to smile , then start to laugh. Before long she had to sit down to prevent herself from falling over she was laughing so hard.
Neither of the foals seemed amused. Mostly confused and Glimmer was angry.
“It's not funny!”Glimmer shouted.
“I'm sorry little one but it is quite funny. You have no idea how much Jer'rahd and I are waiting for Shin and Elusive to reach a proper age so we can give up the positions we have and retire. Jer'rahd has a calender marking down the days to Elusive's eighteenth birthday and I have one myself for Shin. While Jer'rahd is helping to train Elusive for the position I am simply letting you grow up as you like Shin. It is not as if you wouldn't be able to ask me questions through the hive mind, nor simply look back at the shared memories to find a proper way to govern any way. “Luna smirked. “ Now would you please come down here I am getting a crick in my neck.”
Luna walked past them over to a pile of cushions at the edge of the play room, flopping down on them in a rather ungainly manner, still stifling a chuckle or two. Jer'rahd would love to hear about this later. Still the issue hadn't been addressed.
She waited a time and neither of them seemed inclined to come down so she decided to speak.
“Shin is there a particular reason you have closed yourself off to the Hive Mind?” Luna asked calmly
There was a rustle at the top of the chandelier. Luna looked up again taking note that without the lights blinding her from right above her head she could see a number of cushions and boxes atop the swinging chandelier. Clearly the foals had built a fort up there for the long haul as it were. They probably had a few snacks and other things up there as well. No telling how many of Glimmer's prank toys as well. Cadence had warned her that Glimmer had been ordering from a magazine given to her by Pinkie Pie. Evidently when Pinkie and Discord foal sat last she and Glimmer had a rocky start though that had not lasted long.
“I dun want to.” Shin muttered.
“Care to explain why?” Luna asked.
“He doesn't have to if he doesn't want to .” Glimmer shouted.
Luna smirked a little. Glimmer was rather protective of her 'little' brother. Despite the fact Shin was older than her by almost two years. The little Changeling had opted to be as small and cute as he possibly could when he was in his normal; form. Something he rarely stayed in long unless he was upset. Right now he was in that form.
“No he does not, but if I do not know why he has sealed himself away I cannot begin to help him.” Luna explained. “ I understand you are worried about him Glimmer, has he told you why he has closed off the Hive mind?”
“........ no....” Glimmer admitted.
“I see. Glimmer would you mind stepping outside with Locust. I expect she has been getting some ice cream ready.”
“Bribery will get you no where!” Glimmer called out.
Luna smirked. She truly was worried about her brother. With how argumentative the two often were one wouldn't think she had much compassion for the smaller foal, but her loyalty seemed unwavering when it was them against the adults.
“I'm sure it wouldn't, but if Shin wouldn't tell you then perhaps he will tell me and simply doesn't want to worry you. I promise I shall not take him any where. But I do need to know. There are quite a number of Changelings who are worried about him and his silence. Sooner or later we will need to address this and I would rather it be sooner so that I can fix what ever is wrong before it becomes more serious.” Luna explains.” And next time I come I might have to bring Jer'rahd and Dawn with me.”
Luna tries to hide her smile as she watched Glimmer flinch. The threat of chaos that was Dawn being brought to the otherwise orderly life of the pink pegicorn princess's place. Was bad enough, but Glimmer was still terrified of Jer'rahd for some unexplained reason. Unfortunately rather than leave her be Jer'rahd tried to make her less afraid of him, with mixed results, though usually disastrous ones. Luna didn't like having to threaten the filly, but there could be a real problem with Shin that she needed to find as soon as she could. The hive mind could be tuned out or turned off. In fact quite a number of Changelings had done just that once they learned how. The exception to this was the natural born Changelings. Few if any of them did more than tune the chatter out they were still always felt and always present in the hive mind. Even the ones that had turned the hive mind off Luna could still feel. With the exception of Shin. Being a Godling he actually had far more control and power over himself than even she as the Queen did. Granted she wasn't a natural born Changeling either, she could change forms nearly at will, but there was often a delay and she rarely got her form right on the first try if she was unfamiliar with it. Something natural borns had no issue with.
There was a frenzied set of whispers up atop the chandaleer before there was a final sigh and Glimmer floated down off of the light. She fluffed her wings glaring at Luna with what likely was supposed to be a scowl, but looked more like a scrunched nose right before a sneeze.
“You better not do anything or else.” Glimmer warned with a last look up at Shin before she trotted over to the door heading out slamming the thick wood door behind her.
Luna sighed softly making a mental note to ask Cadence why her daughter seemed to have such a issue trusting adults. Though that was for later, now she had to get Shin to open up.
“Shin would you come down here and talk to me please?” Luna asked politely using the calm voice she usually spoke to her foals with.”I cannot start to help if I do not know what is wrong.”
Luna blinked in surprise as a pudgy red parrot fluttered down from the chandelier and waddled over to her shifting from a hedge hog to a particularly large stink bug and finally what Luna recognized as a blue breezy with a gold mane and antenna.
She had heard that Shin was very gifted at transformation, though to finally see it before her like that was surprising. She didn't often make it to the Crystal Empire to do more than deliver her own foals for foal sitting duty. Due to Glimmers fear of Jer'rahd meant it was more often than not Tia and Twilight who watched the Crystal foals. Glimmer didn't seem fearful of Elusive though. If Jer'rahd hadn't been so upset over Glimmer being afraid of him she might have thought that he was trying to avoid foal sitting duty. As such when ever Cadence and Shining wanted to do something and needed a foal sitter She and Jer'rahd usually wound up taking more work off Twilight and Celestia to do so. Though mostly it was Jer'rahd as a Guard Captain, As Queen of the Changelings she wasn't in a position to oversee any of the Equestrian Government any more other than to simply advise Twilight.
Shin moved closer flopping down on a pillow before her not meeting the taller changeling's eyes. Luna considered shifting to her smaller Pegasus form , but she didn't want to startle him any. She looked down at the holes in her hoof instead. There were three on her left leg and four on her right her rear hooves were mismatched with the same number though it was three on her right instead. She hadn't understood that. She knew why she had the holes as it was a mass versus joint issue if she took a form that had claws or fingers, but not why she wasn't symmetrical.
She glanced at the little foal as he shifted again, the emerald fire of his form change was very subdue as well. Where a normal Changeling went up like a burst of green flame, his was more like a tiny wave that rippled over his form almost faster than one could blink changing him from one thing to another. He had no holes in his limbs nor any in his wings, though Luna was informed he would develop those later in life once his shell hardened. His horn was also curved like Sombra's had been rather than jagged like his mothers and Luna's now. He was the foal of a Unicorn turned Changeling and a Half Dragon. There really was no telling what he might be able to do when he was older even before taking into account his godhood.
“ I dun wanna be a changeling any more.” Shin stated suddenly causing Luna's ears to perk up in concern.
“And why is that?” Luna asked calmly, hoping for him to open up more. He was barely seven and this was a rather shocking thing to have come up at such a young age. Granted it was also rather new for her, despite the number of foals she had cared for , none of them had wished they were something else, unless one counts the one time Berry wanted to keep being a spider after that one April Foals day. A Changeling could be anything and yet still be a Changeling. To not want to be one at all, particularly for one who has never been anything else was worrying.
“They're afraid of me. I don't want any one to be afraid of me.” Shin muttered.
“Who is?”Luna questioned.
“Nearly every one...... I can feel them being scared, I can hear them talk. They're afraid I'll be like my real mom or dad. I've remembered what they did, what every one said about them. There's ones who want to get rid of me to prevent that from happening.” Shin continued.
Outside Luna remained calm as she watched Shin and let him talk. For once she was glad that Shin had disconnected himself from the hive mind as it had taken her seconds to recall who and what had been discussed by the others. She was currently being very invasive and very loud in these individuals minds instructing them what 'was' and 'was not' appropriate in a hive mind that had a large number of Changeling foals attached to it. The proper term was Larva or Pupa, but she was too angry to care about the details at the moment. Luna made quite sure the offenders knew the next time they spoke threats or something inappropriate in front of foals, the results would not be pleasant in the slightest for them. It wasn't often that Luna forced any of the remaining Changelings to do anything since she had set out to awaken them all. That she was mentally coming down on some of them like a hurricane made the whole hive take notice. Even if she didn't remind those few of what they did, many others would.
“Is that why you turned off the hive mind?” Luna asked calmly.
Shin watched her clearly worried about the flash of anger he felt, though that emotion was rapidly cooling and it didn't seem directed at him. He nodded slightly.”After I went looking though memories and found out what they did and why every one was afraid of them.”
Luna frowned reaching out and pulling the pink bunny into her fore hooves, the Changeling God was surprised to the point he lost his form and reverted to the normal black carapaced foal he was. Luna hugged him rather tightly to her realizing what he must have seen. All the death and destruction those two caused, all the suffering over the course of their lives....
“Did you recall all of it? Even the time of your mothers life when she was Crystal? When she ruled the Crystal Empire? The good she did then, the friends she made? Everyone only focuses on what evils your parents did, because that's all that they can remember. Changelings can remember more. We can access the hive mind and recall histories that many have completely forgotten or most forget existed all the way back to the race's creation by Starswirl. Your mother went bad yes, but she was not always that way, and she only went bad because she was tricked by some one far worse than she was.”
“My Grandmother.” Shin muttered.
Oh buck he did go all the way back, Luna thought.
“You watched her history too..........”
“And Grandpa Forgescale's.” Shin shuddered.”He was big, but nice until grandma turned on him too.” Shin added.
Luna blinked before realizing that there had been no Changelings around during the Dragon Wars. Her own memories only added what she knew and saw and she had no contact with Forgescale until the end of the first war.
“Then there was my half brother Silver Claw..... Every one in my family has gone bad........ Why wouldn't I?” Shin pouts.” Least if I wasn't a Changeling I couldn't do as much.”
A number of things clicked for Luna at that and she realized that the foal was far smarter than he should be. With as deep as he delved into the hive mind she expected he was horrified by much of what had been seen.
“Not every one Shin. You are related to Jer'rahd..... Distantly, but you are. You are also related to Bleu as well.
“Two of the five beasts of the moon that helped nearly destroy Equestria a thousand years ago........” Shin stated dejectedly forcing Luna to roll her eyes.
“Who also turned around and helped save Equss at least twice since. Your mother also founded the Crystal Empire and beat Tirek the first time. She was largely responsible for the end of the three tribes era of pony history, was a primary force for good in the Celestial Crisis. Your father took out a band of Dragon marauders who were attacking the Crystal Empire to be it's first Emperor when he married you mother. Forgescale was one of the six directly responsible for the end of the Celestial Crisis and it was through him that ponies had the best relationship with Dragons that they have had until recently. A development brought about by Spike and Bleu. Now then are we done with the history lesson? Because all you are pointing out to me is that you can learn from past mistakes and not make them yourself.”
Luna looked down at the small Changeling in her forelegs. He was still being pouty.
“You are worried about turning bad, I was told once that because I worried about that so much about turning bad it was less likely to happen. So far it's proven true since I was told that. It's still something I worry about though. I did a number of bad things in the past and I have been doing my best to even now atone for them, despite the fact everyone says they have forgiven me.”
“I don't like any one not liking me. I didn't do anything wrong...”
Luna sighed.” You and me both buggy.....”
“You're buggier than me....” Shin fussed.
“Yes, but that's what Dawn calls you and it fits, because everything seems to bug you..” Luna grinned a little poking at Shin's nose with a wing. “Any way you can't make every one like you . Some are simply going to not like you for no real reason. It's the way of things. We can't change that.”
“I could give them some of my toys …..”
“While very generous of you buggy I doubt it would work.”
“But they are good toys...”
“I'm sure they are but some creatures don't need a reason to dislike some one. And others might only pretend to dislike you so they can get your toys once they find out you give them away. Before long you won't have any left. While it is good to be generous, try not to give more of yourself than you can spare. Your Auntie Twilight has several stories of her friends who did just that.“ Luna stated before trying to steer everything back on topic.” You have the memories of thousands of years that you can access, you will have an entire race of Changelings that you can ask for help. You've got your parents Shining and Cadence to help you, you have your friends Talon , Rynthia, Dawn and Elusive, and then you have a very protective sister as well. Those who are fearful of what you will grow up to be because of who your parents were clearly cannot see how many care for you and want you to do well. Everything shapes you guides you along. You will make mistakes ,but you will have others around you to help you recover from them. No matter how big...”
Luna trails off at the last and is silent for a few moments remembering her own mistakes.
“You needn't shut yourself away if you need to I will always be in reach if you choose. It's fine if you want to remain disconnected from the hive mind for a while. I think it gets too much use as is. The shared memories are a tool however, one that you should use. Except to cheat on your studies. Don't do that.” Luna grinned as Shin huffed in annoyance.” Everything you learn will be added to these shared memories so the more knowledge you gather the better.”
“I need to add more good memories.” Shin muttered.
“There you are. I see you have a goal now. There will come a time when you are ready to deal things on your own, but that won't be for a long time. You have a good while before you need to worry about anything beyond the issues of being a seven year old. If somethings bothering you again though . Please let me know, you worried quite a few of us when you cut yourself off from the hive mind with no warning like that. At least let me know before you do something like that again so I can let them know you are still alright.
“Okay........ “
“What's this? Trying to horn in on my territory now Luna?” A voice stated from the door.
Luna and Shin both look up to see Cadence sauntering over to them a half smirk on her muzzle and a smaller pink pegicorn nestled between her wings.
Luna rolls her eyes as Shin giggled. “No thank you Cadence. I already have a far too smart little striped puff ball, a little orange and gray whirlwind of trouble and a larger orange and gray whirl wind of trouble to deal with. As cute as he is I'm quite content just to visit.”
“Well that's good to know. Did you figure out what was wrong?” Cadence asked a little quieter.
“Hopefully.” Luna shrugged as Cadence lifted the little Changeling from out of her forelegs raising an eyebrow as Shin turned into a blue duck.
“Well then. If I heard Glimmer correctly You promised ice cream.” Cadence smirked.
“I suppose I did but I expected you had some here.” Luna admitted.
“Nope so we have to go to 143 flavors. They have seven locations up here now with a eighth on the way.”Cadence chimes.
“Cadence last time we went there you ate at least the entirety of twenty six of those flavors by yourself.” Luna grumbled getting to her hooves as Shin scrambles onto Cadence's back next to Glimmer.
“I can help.” Shin stated. “ I have some bits.
“Oh why thank you Shin...” Luna begins.
“But not enough to cover as much as mommy would eat and you told me not to give everything.........” Shin continued with a grin getting a glare from Luna.
“Why you little smart alec. You've been hanging out with Rynthia and Dawn too much, you're too cute to be this snarky.. Using my own words against me like that.” Luna pouted looking down at Shin perched on Cadence's back. “Fine.... but you get to explain to Auntie Tia why my food expenses were so high on this trip.”
“You could have woken me up Pippy. I would have told you I lent out the book.” Berry stated through a mouth full of toast with raspberry jam on it. Granted it was more jam than toast, but Pip wasn't going to say anything.
“We tried.” Scootaloo stated with a roll of her eyes. “If Pip hadn't figured out to just reset your alarm clock we would have never gotten you up. Why do you think you woke up in the bath tub soaked in freezing cold water?”
“Wouldn't be the first time.” Berry shrugged. “ At least it wasn't because I was on fire this time.”
“What?” Pip blinked.
“Don't ask. I'll just say there's a reason I have my own bed now and why Berry doesn't wear any perfume.” Beryl stated eating his own jam covered piece of toast, though his was more crushed gemstones than jam or toast. He was also wearing more of the jam than was actually going in his mouth.
“So what's all this about any way. I expected a visit, but not until the end of your trip. Figured you two would finally be trying to get some alone time while Mom and Mr. Soarin weren't here.” Berry muttered licking her lips.
“We tried... and once again we got caught up in something. Hence why we were after some one who might know about dream magic. “ Scootaloo muttered. “ We've got reason to believe there's a living nightmare or something running around. We interviewed a few ponies and the ones that could recall their dreams all described the same gray Draconian alicorn looking figure. Too many to be a coincidence.”
“Given how easy it is to find some one who's had trouble sleeping, and how willing ponies are to talk to a 'prince' about their troubles...” Pip grumbled. “ We only had to spend a few hours before we managed to get that much data.”
“ Hmmm Dream magics not a very popular field of study. Too many variables, every time you go to sleep you usually need to rebuild everything anew. We had a instructor for it last year but with the low turn out for her class and the fact most were just using it as filler credit where they could take a nap the class was canceled and Professor Kelp went back home. She wasn't doing to good up here during the winter time any way. Wasn't that the cold bothered her, it was more that the rivers and school pool all froze over. The little tank she had couldn't have been comfortable to stay in for months at a time.”
“Lovely so another dead end.”Pip sighed.
“Seems it. I took her class but there wasn't anything she could have taught me that mom already hasn't. The dream realm is connected to the magic realm which is connected to the spirit realm. Basically the three of them are like sheets of paper. Separate, but if you press to hard with your pen the ink will bleed through into the next realm and there can be holes poked in it and the analogy kinda breaks down from there.” Berry lectured. “ Basically the place the dead go can be reached by the realm unicorns can tap into with certain spells and with the trifecta. They're called the Dream, Astral and Tartarus relm's accordingly. Granted those names are only a recent thing put forth by Princess Twilight Sparkle. She's the first and foremost expert in other realms. In a nut shell what ever is causing these dreams could be from any of the three realms. It could also be something that some one has had a reoccurring nightmare about over and over again that simply escaped. The dream realm is weird.”
“Lets for now just assume what ever it is the latter. As that's the only thing we can effect. How do we deal with that?” Pip questioned.
“Beats me. I'd say the first step would be to find the dreamer. Taking them out, or getting them therapy might stop the night mare or it might be fully free of them now and anything doe to the dreamer would be pointless. This is more a philosophy majors thing than mine. I practice theoretical science and magic with a primary focus on crystals. You want some one to tell you how many faucets a gem needs to amplify a meta magic limiter in order to block a unicorn spell of at least level three I can tell you that. It's seventeen by the way. But how to find and stop nightmares? Way out of my league.”
“So mom didn't teach you anything different than what she showed me?” Pip asked.
“I doubt it. I know how to block travelers out of my dreams and I can go lucid in them if I want to. But past that nada. Though that dream blocking has proven very useful for keeping Mom and Auntie Twilight from surprising me in my sleep.”
“I expect so. Wouldn't want them to know about the colt who's picture is on your dresser.” Scootaloo stated off hoof.
Berry paled and Pip looked confused for a moment before he narrowed his eyes at Scootaloo who simply smirked. Beryl simply looked amused.
“I warned you some one would find out.” Beryl chuckled, his long tongue lapping most of the jam from his face.
“Scootaloo I will say this once. If you tell Dad about that picture, I will personally find a way to make the short time you will have left of your life very very horrid.” Berry nearly growls.
“Big talk. I've been threatened worse by ponies that I believed more.” Scootaloo grinned back at her.
Berry's eyes narrow as she glared at the orange Pegasus.” What do you want?”
“An explanation?” Pip asked.
“Seriously do you need one brother? After how Mom treats Scootaloo and how Dad treated every pony even remotely interested in Orange?”
“Point.” Pip shrugged. “So who is he?”
“Don't you dare go big brother on him Pip..... I swear......” Berry started before Beryl spoke up.
“His name's Trevor. He lives in New Canterlot and is a member of Princess Celestia school for gifted individuals.” Beryl commented.
“TRAITOR!” Berry cried out.
“Doesn't ring a bell.” Pip shrugged. “But I don't keep up with local academic news. Wouldn't take much to find records though.”
“No need I gotcha covered Pippy. He's one of the top students in most of his classes. Hatched a Dragon egg, one of the old ones every pony thought was dead. Has a fairly high interest in magical theory. He's four years younger than Berry, but they worked together on a few projects before she came up here. He's still got a couple years of primary school left. The two of them still send letters though and lemmi tell you, for such a brainy pony Berry can get reaaaaal gushy in those letters.”
“Oooh robbing the cradle...” Scootaloo chimed in, ducking quickly as Berry threw a slice of toast at her.
“Total mommas colt though. Won't do anything with out her permission. He's freaking out almost every letter worried she might read it. Mothers a bit of a issue, very hovery. She tries not to be but does it any way. She;'s a nice enough mare though. She lives down in Ponyville. “
“How do you know all this? Berry didn't hatch you until graduation.”Pip asked.
“Read her diary, she keeps all the letters in there too, cheap lock. For a sugar diamond I'll recite you some of the less clean parts.” Beryl stated.
“BERYL!!” Berry screamed out, leaping over the table and tackling the dragonling.
“Arrrgh!! Halp, Halp Guards!! I'm being killed.! Avenge me!!!” Beryl cries out as Berry tries to silence the squirming jam covered dragonling.
Pip sighed looking over at Scootaloo. “What are you trying to do here?”
“Simple Pip. If Berry asks for a research Guard for field studies while we are here given she's royalty of sorts, the highest ranked soldiers get picked for the duty. But first they will ask for volunteers. We volunteer, Berry stays here and we run off some where on our own for a few weeks.” Scootaloo explained.
“Not bad. But we need to figure out this dream thing first. And you better apologize for digging through her dresser to find that photo, she will figure out she didn't leave it in the open.” Pip whispers.
“Please, whats the worse she could do?” Scootaloo grinned. “ Besides you told me to look.”
“For something to try and wake her, not blackmail dirt. Berry's smart, magically gifted and thought the April Foal's day incident Da pulled was the funniest thing ever done by anyone ever. “Pip stated flatly. “She's powerful enough that she sucker punched the real Tirek through half the castle and she also takes after Da a little too much in her mind set when things upset her. Not to mention she can get Da to do nearly anything she wants and do you really want both my parents on your case?”
Scootaloo blinks considering that before paling a little.” Right, apology forthcoming....”
“....There's something wrong! They're coming back down!” A business suit clad Earth pony shouted. He points out one of the office windows that overlooked the lobby showing a stampede of ponies, donkey's, and a hoof full of other races running back out of a stairwell into the lobby.
“Blow the roof.” A noble sounding Griffon with a thick well groomed beard and a angry look in his eyes stated.
“But he's still up there!”the business pony protested.
“BLOW IT!” the Griffon shouted as he pushed the the Earth pony aside, moving over to a box with a T shaped plunger on it, his claw slamming down on the device.
On the roof a blue stallion with a sort hair cut and a bandaged wing looked out over the top of the massively tall building to city far below before swallowing hard and checking the fire hose fastened around his waist.
“By the stars, I promise I will never even THINK about going up in a tall building again.” The blue Pegasus muttered looking back over his shoulder as a small airship powered by a rapidly peddling earth pony comes up over the other side of the roof. The Pegasus's eyes widen at the sight of it and the large cross bow aimed at him from one of the passengers.
“Please don't let me die.....” The Pegasus muttered before leaping off the roof, the fire hose trailing behind him, dark blue tail whipping as he plummeted off the roof as it exploded the moment his hooves left the ledge.
The explosion lite up the city and took out the airship in a massive ball of fire, it also broke loose the winch and winding wheel of the fire hose sending the screaming Pegasus down ten more stories before the bouncing winch catches against the edge of the building causing the blue Pegasus to slam into a large glass window on the side of the building.
Bloody hooves kick against the glass as he struggled to get in, the high altitude safety glass and lack of any sturdy position kept him from breaking through. He kicked off the glass swinging out and bringing a Griffoneese cross bout out from his belt with his good wing firing repeatedly at the glass. The bolts slam into the glass shattering it as he swings back, breaking through the window and landing with a thud on the glass covered ground. The Pegasus groans as the winch finally slips free of the edge of the roof, the massive steel wheel falling past the window, the weight of it starting to drag the struggling Pegasus back towards the window. He panics, grabbing and yanking at the hose looped around his waist fighting to get it free before he's dragged off the edge of the building. His rear hooves slip out over the ledge before he gets it free falling back onto the floor with a sigh of relief.......
==================================== [Sweet Apple Acres, a few months before the appearance of Tamberlane, Hearths Warming Eve]
“This isn't a Hearths Warming story.” Glimmer protested loudly.
“Hey Die Hard, is so a Hearths Warming story. The whole thing takes place during Hearths Warming.” Scootaloo responded.
“Hearths Warming stories don't usually have explosions and Griffonese terrorists. Talon huffed, his feathers looking ruffled as he knew the movie Scootaloo was telling them and he took offense at the Griffons being the bad guys.
“I kinda like it.” Elusive stated.
“You would.” Glimmer snorted.
“Isn't Die hard the one that stared your dad?” Shin questioned.
Dawn didn't say anything as she was trying to eat a candy cane as big as she was and it was being difficult.
Scootaloo rolled her eyes as Pip chuckled. She and Pip had pulled foal duty for the night while the adults and the older foals were in the other rooms socializing or playing video games. The farm foals and the Pelt brothers were outside in the snow playing and finishing up a few of their chores as well as making sure the Trees were covered for the blizzard that was scheduled to come in tonight. Big Mac Rainbow Dash, Starfall, and Peach blossom were out there with them. Their foals were already in bed as young as they were. The slightly older group of Shin, Talon, Glimmer, Elusive, Dawn, and Rynthia were all in the main living room being watched by Scootaloo and Pip, though the latter was keeping a a close eye on Dawn. Despite her current feigned innocence with eating a Candy cane, the orange scaled foal had already made several attempts on the presents.
“ Guess they didn't like the story?” Pip chuckled.
“Clearly...” Scootaloo pouted looking at her colt friend.” Think you can do better?”
“Probably not, but I'll give it a go.” Pip shrugged getting the foals attention.
================================================
[ The Kitchen. ]
Soarin frowned looking out in the family room at Pip and Scootaloo, just waiting for a chance to pop out and break the pair of them up. He had already swiftly removed the few strands of mistletoe the pair had nearly walked under. Though in one case he had gotten caught himself under it with Celestia. The sun princess had played along and laughed it off giving the Pegasus stallion a quick kiss, though the looks he got from both Princess Twilight and his wife Spitfire made made that mistake almost more worrying than his daughter and Pip kissing.
The Apple family gathering was massive this year. Shining Armor, Cadence, Shin, Glimmer, and a hoof full of Crystal Guard, Jer'rahd, Luna, A hoof full of Changeling Guard, And Kirin Guard including Talia and Elektra who came from Gallopagos with their husbands to bring presents to Elusive. Elusive of course with Both Princess Twilight Sparkle and Princess Celestia. Spike and Bleu had shown up with a few Dragons and a couple Linorm, Including the young white dragon , Spines, who seemed far less thrilled to be there. Pip and Scootaloo who conveniently had the time off. Paint Brush Lilly, though Diamond Tiara had declined in hearing that Applebloom was going to be there, with a small entourage of Elk. Sweetiebelle and Button mash along with the rest of her changeling band was invited though they were the ones going to pick up Applebloom with their airship and they hadn't gotten here yet. Trust Sweetiebelle, the mare with a flying ship of her own to be late.
Ice Berry Lily and Beryl were here as were Orange and Hunter, though the latter was giving Jer'rahd a wide berth. Peach Blossom and Starfall were there along with their young foals Starlight and Orchid. Soarin and Spitfire were both invited as were Regents Breezy and Dusty Mist, along with their son Talon and a gathering of Griffon Guard. Rynthia and Dawn came with the Kaisurs, and Zecora showed up as well along with a Zebra stallion most of them seemed to ignore for some reason. Briar Rose and Moskau had turned down the invitation though they had sent the foals presents. Mr. and res Sparkle were here. Discord, Pinkie Pie, Cheese Sandwich and Maud Pie were all around some where as well. And of course there was Big Mac, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash and AppleJack, as well as their foals Butterscotch,Apple Blossom, Dandelion, and Zap a plethora of animals and a the Zebra twins Wolf and Fox.
With all those present large tents had been set up outside with heaters and tunnels of smaller tents connected them all to one another. The barn was also in use for the larger guests and Sweetiebelle's air ship had a spot to park somewhere in the field.
Given that every one who came brought a dish or ten of food with them there was plenty of food for every one and much of it was exotic fare given how many different races were here.
Right now Soarin however was more interested in his daughter in the family room alone with Pip …. well, and some foals, but still.
“Something wrong Soarin?” a voice asked behind him.
Soarin froze at the question his ears flattening to his head as he slowly turned back to look over his shoulder.
Standing there with a fairly large mug of Sweet Apple hard cider was a gray Kirin with orange scales and one green and one red eye. His amber mane and tail had grown rather long and he was covered in scars, the marks through his fur that were old wounds showing patches of orange scales that had grown over the scar tissue, so perhaps they were not really scars any more. There were a number of smaller ones though a prominent patch of fur was gone from his chest and a ring of orange scales was around one leg like a bracelet. Depending on the lighting the scales reflected the light as more red than orange giving the scars a look of raw wounds. Of course the whole intimidating look of the old fanged Kirin soldier was completely ruined by the bright green santa hat perched on his head half fallen over his red eye and hiding one of his ears.
“Ummmmmmm no nothing sir...” Soarin stated cursing his luck that the father of the cad dating his daughter would catch him plotting.
“Sure it's nothing....Scootaloo still telling the story of Die Hard?” Jer'rahd asked peeking his head around to look past Soarin into the room through the crack in the door before taking a sip of his drink.
“Nah... Glimmer and Talon didn't like it. Pity too , it was one of my best movie roles. Until the second one killed what little fame I built up there.” Soarin grumbled. The movie had been one of his side gigs when he was considering leaving the Wonderbolts before he and Spitfire had gotten married. That it was still popular even after the second one and his returning to the bolts was a testament to the greatness of it. The fact movie crystals had gotten much cheaper and the players were almost affordable enough for everyone to have one would just make his royalties pour in that much more.
“Wonder why. Isn't it a Hearths Warming Movie?” Jer'rahd asked.
“Yes..... see some one else gets it.” Soarin sighed, glad the topic was moving away from why he was here watching them. “Two types of ponies in the world, those that think Die Hard is a Hearths warming movie and those who are wrong.”
Jer'rahd chuckled taking another sip of his cider. To be perfectly honest the former pony unnerved him quite a bit. Soarin was large by Pegasus standards and he wasn't used to many ponies being taller than him. But here he was at a Hearths Warming party with the Princesses, the former Princess, Big Mac, and Jer'rahd, not to mention all the Dragons and Griffons. He felt like a dwarf even before Jer'rahd's terrifying presence kicked in.
“Still trying to get Scootaloo to pick some one other than Pip?” Jer'rahd asked calmly trying to hide a smile as the Pegasus visibly flinched and turned a shade or two paler blue.
“Ummmm. Well....” Soarin began a number of things running through his mind for getting out of this awkward and rather disturbing situation. This was the colts father after all...
“Good keep it up.” Jer'rahd stated calmly turning away from the door, his long serpentine tail swaying behind him.
“What?” Soarin stammered.
“What do you mean 'what'?” Jer'rahd asked. “If Pip can't get past or weather an over protective father trying to defend his daughter, he doesn't deserve the mare any way.”
“What?” Soarin stammered again.
“ Huh guess I am a bit odd then. I'm sure you've heard the legends of my actions against those who have tried to date Orange and to a lesser degree Berry?”
“There's still a fairly sizable betting pool at the barracks regarding Berry. “Soarin admits. “Oddly with Orange, Hunter won the pot for himself by betting on the long shot odds of ...well, himself. He was a sneaky one, playing low key but still trying until he actually succeeded. I lost near a hundred bits on that.”
“Yeah I did too.” Jer'rahd snorted. “Luna and I have an arrangement of sorts, she tries to drive off any interested in dating our sons and I try to drive off any who go after our daughters. The point isn't to make them old maids, or bachelors for life, but to see what fillys and colts care enough about our foals to push past what we do. I'm assuming you are doing much the same?”
“Well sorta......”
“Something wrong with Pip?”
“No, it's mostly that I expected her to date a bit more before she found some one she wanted to be with. I never really got the chance to drive any useless ones off.” Soarin admitted and Jer'rahd nodded.
“ I under stand that. Not sure many others would.... well at least not yet. Starfall never got the chance with Cloud Dancer, but I fell sorry for anyone who might like her and Peach Blossom's foals. Big Mac is gonna be much worse than any of us though I can already tell. And Stars help any one who likes Elusive, they have to deal with two Princesses, and a host of Kirin Guard.”
“And Rynthia and Dawn?” Soarin asked.
“Oh, I won't feel sorry for any one trying to date them at all.” Jer'rahd smiled a sadistic grin. “Tell you what , how about I give you a few pointers here and there. While I doubt you'll drive off Pip, I'm curious to see how he'd react to a few things I want to try on Berry, Dawn and Rynthia's potential suitors. What do you say?”
“I'd say there's something wrong with you, but you have my interest.” Soarin admitted.
“ But why can't we open presents?” Dawn bemoans rolling onto her back and giving her best 'cute look' she heard Scootaloo gasp, though Pip clearly remained impassive. Curse her brothers immunity to her powers of adorableness.
Because we have to wait until Hearth's Warming, Not Hearth's Warming eve.” Pip stated.
“Besides it's all socks and school supplies any way. Why are you in a hurry to open that?” Scootaloo chimed in getting a glare from Pip. “ Whoops wasn't supposed to say that”
“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!” Dawn cries out falling over her little wings fanning madly, clearly the only one of the foals who believed Scootaloo.
“Do you have to torment them so?” Pip sighed.
“Well it's not like I have any of my own to torment yet...” Scootaloo smiled evilly making Pip turn bright red, before she falls off the couch laughing.
The foals mostly ignore it as they were used to Scootaloo and Pip acting weird around one another, still that didn't help alleviate their boredom. Like Dawn they were all eager to tear into the massive pile of presents under the tree, unlike Dawn they could at least hide that fact.
Still Pip could tell they were far too excited and decided to pick up where Scootaloo left off with a story.
“ Alright. Elusive drag Dawn back over here, I can see her flailing closer to the gifts.” Pip points out as Elusive grabs the little Kirin by the tail and drags her back over to the small group on the carpet.” Since you didn't like Scootaloo's Hearths Warming story how about I tell one of my own?”
“Is it a Santa Hooves story?” Shin asked.
“No it's not a Santa Hooves story,He's in it though, also remind me to put out some cookies for him before we go to bed, always good to thank him for working tonight, particularly after how much he did for every one that first Hearths Warming after Tirek attacked. If not for the food and supplies he and his Caribou provided there would be a number of creatures that wouldn't have survived that winter at all.” Pip explained.”No this is a story about when I finally got a present I always wanted and all the nonsense that led up to that.”
The foals looked up with some interest, the talk of a presents gained their attention more than the brief history of Santa's greatest gifts to Equss six years ago. They had all been too young to recall that any way.
“Oh ? The present you always wanted huh? I thought we hooked up after school let out, not Hearths Warming....” Scootaloo chuckled batting her eyes at the clearly embarrassed Pip.
“It's not you...... Why are you being so flirty ,this isn't....... your dads listening at the door isn't he?” Pip sighed.
“Yup.” Scootaloo chimed.
“Please stop trying to make him angrier at me. And no it isn't about you Scootaloo it's about when I got this.” Pip stated shifting on the couch and pulling his sword from his belt, spinning the metal ring attached to the end around his hoof to bring the blade upright in the air before his eyes the lights of the tree glinting off the shadowed metal.
The revelation of the blade seemed to interest Talon and Elusive more, though Glimmer seemed far less enthused and the other three simply stared on as if waiting for an explanation of some kind.
==================================
[Canterlot a few years after the War of Gods ]
Bells filled the air chiming the hours as the scene shifts from the modern day to the snow covered streets of Ponyville and New Canterlot. Most of the reconstruction from the war had been finished last year, and this was the first year that everything seemed 'normal' in Equestria.
The view moves along until it reaches the Castle itself and shifts down to show the main doors leading to the Royal Quarters of Princess Luna and her Consort Jer'rahd Kaisur.
A trio of foals burst out of the door darting through the snowy court yard as a few Guards and servants look on for a moment. The smaller colt, wearing a dumb blue striped and pom pom topped stocking cap was clearly a young and tiny Pipsqueak, bundled up to nearly two times his size in coats and such. The other was a slightly larger Paint Brush Lily faring little better in the coat department. Behind them a little filly hobbled along bouncing in the snow, bundled tight enough to look like a tick ready to pop, Ice Berry Lily.
*“My old house, gone now, but it's not like I could ever forget it. And yes I was forced to wear that Dumb stocking cap.” Adult pip sighed.” Ma was always terrified we would catch our death of cold. After Brush got heat stroke one year in twenty degree weather she cut down on the covering a little.
The foals met up with a few others to run through the snow.
*”Cap aside it didn't matter, Hearths Warming was on it's way, the glorious and beautiful holiday that the entire foal year revolved upon.” Adult Pip narrated.
The scene shifted to down town New Canterlot that night. Trees and other decorations dotted the city making the land look like the starry night itself when viewed from above.
*”Down town Canterlot was prepared for it's yearly bacchanalia of peace in Equestria and good will towards all...” Adult Pip explained.
Ponies milled around doing shopping as a band played Hearths Warming Tunes off to the side for donations. A few carolers dotted the area, their songs mingling with the general noise of the place giving a excited mishmash of melody and off key music to the air.
The group of foals were seen again, along with a tall dark blue mare who was as bundled up as the foals were and a rather burly looking gray stallion dressed head to hoof in furs with a large scarf hiding his features save a piercing pair of red and green eyes. He stood nearby scanning the crowd and the ponies in it, more than the decorations in the store window.
*“J.C. Prancy's corner window display was usual a high water mark of the pre Hearths Warming season. Ponies packed earmuff to earmuff , jostled for in wonderment before a golden tinkling display of mechanized magical joy.” Pip explained “Keep in mind this was before all the trade deals and such with Crystal Empire came about. Magic crystals, movies, and video games were still quite rare and very expensive. Ten years ago half the stuff you take for granted didn't even exist.”
The window display was filled with running toy trains, little zeppelins, and tin Pegasi swooping around in the air, fake snow drifted down from above, dolls, tin soldiers, wind up carts, and boats, glimmering snowflakes of magic, and a large manikin in the middle on a rocking chair, dressed up as Santa hooves. The magic animating it made it turn it's eyes and head looking out over those gathered to see the display. Around the edges of the massive scene some of the other things the store offered were on display, a few small appliances, some tools and clothing, though in one back corner, half hidden by a enormous bathrobe, was what Pipsqueak was seeking. The small pony shifted away from his siblings making his way along the window display to what he was seeking.
*“And there it was, my holy grail of Hearths Warming gifts.” Pip smirked as he reminisced. “A drop forged reenforced, blued, pure water quenched, flame enchanted sword. It was the sort of thing that only rich Guards could afford, or those with connections. Forged by a Dragon smith named Crimson Strap-hanger, all his work was immaculate and beyond belief in terms of skill. Da had joked about trying to get him to make weapons for the Guards, but he refused to mass produce his works as he considered it more an art than anything else. “
Pipsqueak stared through the glass highly focused on the weapons displayed before him.
*“For months I had been scheming to get my hooves on one of these. My fevered brain seethed with the effort of trying to come up with the infinitely subtle devices necessary to implant the Crimson Strap-hanger designed blade indelibly into my parents subconscious.”
The scene shifted to Pipsqueak sitting on his bed in a room he shared with Brush looking over a set of paper adds for the sword smiths work.
“Pip!, Brush!” Luna yelled from the living room. “I want you out here in two minutes.”
Pipsqueak blinked seeing his chance he rushed over to the dresser pushing past Brush as he protested the treatment, though the smaller colt had much more muscle than his brother so the protestations were easily ignored. Snatching up the fliers, he darted into his parents room rummaging through the magazines that lay on the nightstand and shoving the fliers for the sword smith into the pages. The moment Luna opened her copy of Equestria weekly magazine she would be subjected to the sales pitch.
Out in the dining room a pair of ponies sat nervously. Jer'rahd was sitting at the end of the table his head buried in a newspaper muttering something about a hoof ball team trading a star player for another player. Berry sat next to him, trying to hide under the tablecloth. Pip and Brush came in and winced as they saw the reason for the muted actions of their family.
Thick black smoke mixed with greens and purples poured out of the kitchen door way, the crash of pans and pots could be heard as well as the occasional flash of light as the smoke started to develop it's own weather system.
Pipsqueak winced and took a seat next to Jer'rahd looking at the kitchen.
“Ma's cooking again?” he muttered.
“She got there first.” Jer'rahd muttered in response. “ Seems some one in Los Pegasus swallowed a yo yo.....”
“They put some silly things in the paper......” Brush pointed out in his usual dead pan.
“What do you mean silly? That's real news...” Jer'rahd protested trying to keep the levity high for the disaster they were to face soon.
*“Now Rynthia and Dawn both know about ma's cooking, but for you others let me share this much. Ma is many things, but a cook ain't one of them. Despite that, at the time she was doing her best to try and cook for us because that's what she thought a mother should do for her foals. She is the only mare I know who has managed to set fire to cold cereal she was just pouring milk on. She's burned water.... Not turned it all to steam by leaving the pot on too long, actually burned it, it was like a crispy black flavorless jello. She made a Spinach lasagna that gained sentience and tried to take over Equestria. Even since she became a Changeling and has some of the best cooks that ever existed stored away in that Hive mind, she can't cook. “Pip sighed “She tries, she really does, but when the poison control unit was summoned so many times that they set up their own clinic down the hall from our residence, you know there's an issue. Da is the only pony to ever finish a full meal of what Ma has cooked, something that has made more ponies scared of him than anything else he's done. Even so he was usually the one who cooked in the morning, going out of his way to get their first most days. But some days he wasn't quick enough.”
The saloon style doors to the kitchen pushed open and Luna practically pranced in. Her hair flowed behind her, slightly singed and she wore a pink apron, also singed, reading 'hug the cook'. By this point Berry had vanished under the table and Brush had done the smart thing and lingered back, he was probably hiding in his room still.
*“It was with a good bit of worry that Da and I watched Ma come out and set something before the two of us that might once have been hay bacon and eggs. What it seemed to be now, was a writhing abomination against the cosmos made of ninety percent grease and ten percent of the cutting board that she had used to chop vegetables that had given their lives to whatever this was.”
Jer'rahd lowered the paper as Luna went back into the kitchen and sighed softly, before his magic took Pipsqueak's plate dumping it onto his and then dousing the lot of it with pepper.
“Pip tell the Guard on the way out to let the hazmat team know they need to get another lead container ready, there's bound to be leftovers.” Jer'rahd muttered.
*“At the time I had a subtle plan to get them to arm me, by mentioning grizzly bears near Bon Bon's candy store. Then upon later reflection I realized that wouldn't mean anything since Fluttershy's animals came went there all the time for gumdrops.” Pip explained. “Besides when ma cooked it was better to cut and run before she asked if you wanted some more.”
Slipping out the door I let one of the Guards posted know about what was happening. Luckily due to the smoke and a few of the maids passing out in the surrounding corridors they were already on top of the situation.
*“One of them, if I'm not mistaken it might have actually been Hunter before he became one of the drill instructors for the 42nd, decided to try and make small talk, most likely to find an in with Orange. Clearly being punted through one wall wasn't enough for him. To see things like they are now, it might have been for the best he was a hard headed lout.” Pip explained.”Though I am with Da on this, she could have done better.”
“Hey colt... so what did you want for Hearths Warming any way?” Hunter asked as Pipsqueak moved past the posted Guards with Berry. It was easy to see the stallion didn't really care what Pipsqueak wanted and was looking to segway into something else if Pipsqueak took the bait, which he did.
“I want one of the official Crimson Strap-hanger sword....”Pipsqueak winced as he blurted that out, knowing what would be next.
“Nah kid, you poke your eye out.” Hunter explained with a chuckle. “So what do you think Orange might want.... hey kid.... where you going?” Hunter called as Pip grumbled rushing along to keep up with Berry.
“Likely she wishes to be left alone.” Brush stated from behind Hunter in his usual deadpan, the young Guard yelped in surprise as the other posted guard laughed at his companions efforts. “Do you really think one of the daughters of Princess Luna can be bought with baubles purchased on a Guard's salary?”
*“Normally Brush is quiet, has little to no emotion in his voice. He's gotten a bit better over time, though back then the only things that could usually rile him up were if some one was messing with Berry or bothering any of his other adopted family members. When he was younger he had a real hair trigger, and a ton of snark to go with it. And he had no trouble directing that ire towards a target he felt warranted it. He's mellowed out considerably, but I lost count of the fights I had to bail him out of that he started because some one insulted, or decided to pick on Berry, or the rest of us within his earshot.”
Heading to school Pipsqueak's ears drooped at Hunter's words. 'You'll poke your eye out', the veritable putting their hoof down logic grown ups tended to hit a foal with when they wanted something that could be considered dangerous. Thus far he had avoided having Ma or Pa utter those words, simply due to his not having told them directly what he wanted. But to hear another adult say them filled him with dread. If Berry or Brush noticed his mood they said nothing, though that wasn't odd in Berry's case, as they made our way to school. The usual Pegasi escort gliding far above, keeping a watch out for the Royal foals while also letting them have a semblance of normalcy in life.
*“Despite the plethora of Guards that always surrounded us, my brain pounded me with visions of creeping marauders working through the snow, bandits and Changelings with only me armed with a trusty sword to keep them at bay. My mind always showed me visions of myself in bright shiny silver armor weapon in hoof wading through hordes of enemies and sending them flying with a swing, bodies falling and flailing in comical ways as others begged for me to save them. The villains crawling along the roof, over fences and between holes in the walls, practically oozing out of every where to fill the courtyard with villainy. In the end they were left as nothing but piled bodies with their tongues hanging out and cartoonishly x'd out eyes showing their defeat.”
Pipsqueak looked up as some of his friends came up to meet him. Rumble and Feather Weight. Both were older than the spotted colt, and were clearly much larger, but they had been friends since that first Nightmare Night when Pipsqueak had come to Ponyville. It also didn't hurt that out of all the other foals these two were the only ones who didn't bring up the past very often, and focused mostly on the future. Pipsqueak liked that, thinking to much about how things used to be hurt more often than not.
“So what are you doing?” Pip asked catching up with Rumble.
“What does it look like I'm doing, picking my nose?” Rumble grumbled, more heavily bundled than the Kaisur siblings, So much so that his wings were pinned to his sides under three coats, something that aggravated him a great deal. His brother was way too over protective of him. Still after the war Thunderlane was all he had left so he would never complain directly to his face. He'd raise Tartarus about it to his friends though.
“Nice one smart ass. Any way I asked my dad about sticking your tongue to metal flag poles in winter and he says it'll freeze right to the pole, just like I told yah.” Featherweight added as he fluttered up to join them. Unlike Rumble and Pip Featherweight hadn't lost any of his family to the war, something that he never brought up if he could help it.
“Feh, what would he know about anything?” Rumble demanded.
“He knows cause he once saw a stallion stick his tongue to a railroad track on a bet and the fire department had to come out to get his tongue off the track cause he couldn't” Featherweight explained.
By that point they had made it to the Schoolhouse. Miss Cheerilee stood outside waving the foals in out of the cold. A Guard stood by talking in low tones with her, likely finding out the days events from the teacher to plan accordingly.
*“Miss Cheerilee had not been happy when a full guard compliment was added to the school, despite the additional funding that the post had brought to the school. The Guards posted at the school house were not really thrilled either. And the officer in charge, a Kirin unicorn mare named Captain Night Feather, was highly annoyed after all she had been through to have such a post as well. After a while however relations between the teachers and Guards got better, particularly after the incident with Diamond Tiara the year before. Da had been fit to tear the whole unit a new one for letting it get that far, though Miss Cheerilee had intervened on their behalf. The teacher was well used to dealing with angry parents, though dealing with a outraged Applejack, Jer'rahd, princess Luna, and Filthy Rich all at once surely taxed her skills. An arraignment was made and the whole situation was worked out with little change aside from the teachers and posted Guard getting along much better. Of course we now know that was also the incident that finally netted Miss Cheerilee a special some pony for Hearts and Hooves day, but I doubt any one wants to hear about that.” Adult Pip muttered the last bit as he noticed several of the foals gagging.
Class passed mostly uneventfully aside from Miss Cheerilee taking a few joke bad teeth that Snips and Snails brought in. At recess nearly all the foals found themselves out in the snow standing around the flagpole flying the Equestrian flag of the two sisters.
“ You're full of beans, so's your dad.” Rumble snorted having left half his coats in the classroom so he could stretch his wings.
“Says who?” Featherweight demanded.
“Says me.” Rumble growled.
“Oh yeah?”
“Yeah.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah.”
“Well I double dare you.” Featherweight challenged.
*“The exact exchange and phrase in the nuance of this ritual is very important.” Adult Pip narrates.
“You kidding? Stick my tongue to that stupid pole? That's dumb.” Rumble stated.
“That's cause you know it'll stick.” Featherweight smirked.
“You're full of it!” Rumble snapped.
“Oh Yeah?” Feather weight demanded.
“YEAH” Rumble snapped back.
“Well I Double Diamond Dog Dare yeah!” Featherweight stated.
*“Now it was serious a Double Diamond Dog Dare.” Adult Pip explained. “ All that was left was the sinister Triple Diamond dog dare.”
“This is dumb....” Rumbled commented looking at the widely grinning face of Featherweight. The thinner Pegasus knew he had him and he struck hard before Rumble could protest further.
“I triple Diamond Dog Dare you.” Featherweight smirked.
“Fine.....” Rumble growled, pushing some of the others gathered aside and stepping closer to face the pole. Everyone else watching intently. Rumbled licked his lips, sticking out his tongue and inched closer, until with a bit of a jerk his tongue touched the pole.
“This is nothing.....” Rumbled stammered trying to pull back. He blinked trying to pull back again his tongue not moving from the cold metal pole.” Stuck.... Stuck? STUCK!!!!!” Rumble started to freak out his eyes widening.
The other gathered foals stared at him, their eyes wide. As the Pegasus flailed trying to pull back wincing in pain each time. Every one around him stared, not sure what to do when the school bell rang. A few of those on the outside of the circle backed away rushing back towards the building before they were late to class.
Pip started off as well,leaving a panicked feather weight and a even more panicked Rumble looking after him.
“What are we gonna do?” Featherweight flailed.
“I dunno the bell rang...... maybe we can get a Guard unicorn to get him off?” Pipsqueak suggested.” but we can't be late.”
Featherweight nodded and the pair of them rushed off leaving Rumble there screaming.
Not long after all every one came back in, the foals in the class room were watching out the window as Miss Cheerilee, Nightfeather, a bunch of other Guards and the Ponyville Fire Department were working to get Rumble unstuck from the pole. Well everyone but Featherweight and Pipsqueak were watching out the window. Those two were pretending nothing was happening.
After an half an hour Rumble was escorted back into the classroom, a rather foul tasting healing salve on his tongue.
*“Miss Cheerilee of course went into the usual adult rant about how we should feel bad for putting Rumble up to it, but Rumble wouldn't talk about who pressured him into it, and he did bring it upon himself. Also both Featherweight and I knew the dark furred Pegasus was already plotting his revenge on us. It was epic of course, but that's another story involving tree sap, a bunch of bull frogs, and a very angry white bunny.” Adult Pip explained.” What happened next in class of course was too perfect.”
“Alright class. I have an assignment for you. A theme.”Miss Cheerilee stated to the groans of protest from every one. “The theme is 'What I want for Hearths Warming.' And I want it handed in tomorrow morning. Two pages, single spacing and in print, I've given up trying to read the scribbles some of you call cursive.”
*“This was the shining light at the end of my tunnel. “ Adult Pip smirked. “ I knew when Miss Cheerilee read my magnificent eloquent theme, that she would sympathize with my plight and everything would work out. Somehow. My mind filled of visions of her having some sort of mock celebration as she graded it, flinging A pluses around like candy as the other foals carried me around in jubilant celebration of my glorious paper.”
The walk home was uneventful. There were only a few bullies in the school to begin with and after what had happened between AppleBloom and Diamond Tiara, as well as the results of those who got on Pipsqueak's bad side, no one bothered them. The Guards flying overhead on their walk back didn't hurt either. The walk back was a great deal quieter as well, with Rumble being muted due to his tongue. None of us really envied him as his brother was going to flip out. We thought Thunderlane would calm down a bit after he started dating the new head of the weather patrol, a mare named Lightning Dust, but according to Rumble he just got worse and drove both of them nuts. Luckily it seemed Lightning Dust had gone through a bad run of things as well during the war and she put up with Thunderlanes over protectiveness far better than his last mare friend had.
*“Still, I had work to do that essay wasn't going to write itself.” Adult Pip added.
He had been at it for a few hours when a great deal of noise drew Pipsqueak from his paperwork. Barking hounds, roaring lions, and various other animal sounds filled the air along with the random shouting of Da and the occasional giggle from Berry.
*“I knew that sound. It was the Canterlot gardens menagerie. A sizable group of animals who lived in the parks and Royal Gardens around the palace. For creatures that lived in the middle of the city they were far too easily spooked, as shown by their absolute terror of Fluttershy. The thing was, after the war when ever anything spooked them they would immediately run to Da. Evidently after his return from getting rid of the monster that he used to have in him, suddenly every animal everywhere, not only had no fear of him at all, but many tried to seek shelter with him when something scared them. Ma swears it was something grace did to him, though she didn't have any proof.” Adult Pip explained to the foals. “Thankfully it didn't last long but because of that as Dawn and Rynthia know. Da's not a big fan of pets or wild animals in general. That may have something to do with his ongoing war against Tiberious. For a creature that is only supposed to live eight to ten years at best, that little opossum is clearly sticking around just to annoy him.”
Pipsqueak poked his head out of his room looking down the hall as a group of raccoons rushed across the living room being chased by Berry. Da was trying to shoo some birds out the door and Brush was attempting to run some bunnies out before they made too much a mess of the carpet. Ma was laughing too hard to help, likely due to the sight of Da being hugged and climbed on by nearly every animal he was trying to run back out the door. That and there was a massive bear, three times his size trying to hide underneath him.
It took a while but all the animals were finally pushed back out the door and brought back to their homes. Da quickly rushed to make dinner before Ma did, and left the clean up for Ma and the foals.
*”Like the cooking Ma insisted on trying to be a normal mother. The problem was she hadn't had to do anything for herself in so long with all the maids and guards that she wasn't very skilled at it. She had gotten much better than when she started, but that was because Da gave up trying to convince her to stop and just asked one of the maids to train her. We also pitched in for cleaning and up keep of the quarters. It kept things grounded, often made us all forget that were were really royalty. I mean who ever heard of royalty doing their own dishes?” Adult Pip explained.
After dinner it was Ma who answered the door when some pony knocked, only to be greeted by a massive crate.
“Umm hello?” Luna blinked. Looking around and not finding any one, though the crate had a large note on it. She looked at the Guards stationed by the door who nodded a little to her. “ What is this?”
“Hearths Warming Present for Drill Instructor Kaisur, your highness. We already scanned it , it's not a bomb or obviously dangerous, though it was from his latest graduating class so I would expect something.” The guard on the left stated.
“Might be dead fish covered in cow dung.”the Guard on the right smirked. Luna frowned knowing what class that one graduated from at least.
*“After Da's third training class a tradition started, where the graduating class sending the overseeing instructor a gift. Needless to say it wasn't usually a nice gift. I'm pretty sure auntie Celestia started it as she was in the third class. The first year was a box that simply exploded showering everything in cake batter. Another year it was a popcorn machine enchanted to not stop popping until it was destroyed. Still another year it was a pair of mares that volunteered to be covered in honey and try to join Da and Ma in bed...... That one didn't work out well for the mares. After years of stuff like that me and Scootaloo's class simply sent him a large bouquet of normal flowers. It drove him nuts trying to figure out what the trick to it was. Here's a hint, there wasn't one.” Pip grinned as Scootaloo snickered. “This time it was a little weird. Even for the Guard.”
Jer'rahd stood next to the crate, the massive box set out on the carpet in the living room. A green shield blocking the doorway to the kitchen so the foals wouldn't get hurt if it was something explosive, or annoying like the crate of parasprites that came one year. Luna stood across from him, ready to strike down anything that came out.
“Fra-gi-ley... What is that Prench?” Jer'rahd asked.
“Pretty sure it says 'Fragile'.” Luna corrected.
“Oh yeah.....” Jer'rahd muttered, jabbing a crowbar into the side of the crate and working it around to pop open the top.
As he looked inside there didn't seem to be anything but packing material.
“There could be anything in there....” Jer'rahd muttered.
“Maybe it's empty and they forgot.” Luna hoped.
Jer'rahd started digging through the mass of saw dust making a bigger mess than the animals had earlier.
“Huh... would you look at that?” Jer'rahd chuckled.
“What what is it?” Luna demanded as Jer'rahd laughed.
A moment later he pulled something out of the crate that seemed to be a limb. He waved it around a little letting the shield blocking Pipsqueak and the others out of the room. Setting the limb on the corner of the crate we could see it was mounted on a plaque of some kind and was a very shapely looking leg, likely a mares. There was a mesh stocking running from hoof to haunch and a good bit of flank was present on the top.
“You modeling for something you've not told me about Luna?” Jer'rahd smirked wide.
The fur of the leg was a dark blue coloration perfectly matching Ma's fur color. The cutiemark on the flank was a dead give away as well on who the model for it was.
“What....” Ma stammered.
“Don't suppose you still have the rest of the outfit to put on so I can see it all do you?” Jer'rahd snarked as Luna turned a brighter shade of red.
“What is it?” Luna demanded.
“A leg.... like a statue......” Jer'rahd explained.
“Yes very artistic.” Brush deadpanned staring at the leg only for Luna to cover his eyes with her wing.
“Hey there's more.” Pipsqueak pointed out looking into the crate.
Da looked inside and chuckled pulling out what looked to be a lamp shade and put it on top of the lamp. The effect making it look like the leg had part of a very tiny skirt to go along with it.
“You sure you don't have this outfit?”Jer'rahd chuckled. ' Hmm? There's a button.”
Pushing the button caused the cutie mark of the moon to glow, the light reflecting off the lampshade and illuminating a good portion of the room. They all stared for a moment or two before Jer'rahd started to laugh.
“Oh by the stars that is perfect.” The gray unicorn cackles” It's glorious, I love it.”
*“Despite Da's amusement at the lamp, Ma was far less than thrilled even if it was modeled after her. Then again, maybe it was because it was modeled after her she was annoyed.” Adult Pip chuckled. “ Of course you know this meant war. I knew Ma was hesitant about simply getting rid of it. Da would have set fire to it himself if she had asked, but it wasn't often that Da laughed like that. He was genuinely amused at something rather than his usual snarky or forced laughter. He knew it was a trap of course, his trainees had specificity gotten the lamp to annoy him by use of Ma. What we didn't realize until much later, was they had commissioned thee lamp to be made of Celestia's leg, but the artisan was aaDiamond Dogg glass blower whowasn'tt familiar with which Princess was which. He asked the Guard who commissioned it which Princess and was told 'the one on the bits we gave you.' Unfortunately for the jokers the bit the Dog picked was a newly minted one with both Princesses on it and the first side the Dog saw was the one with Luna on it. So rather than annoy Da with Aunt Celestia's leg, they got him Ma's.”
*“Now neither Da or Ma had ever really gotten a Hearths Warming tree before. This year however the Apples were headed away to a massive party in Appleoooza. Starfall, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash were being drug along as well. Bleu and Spike were still working out the kinks in what ever was going on in the Dragonlands and would only have time to swing by for a few hours to visit. Twilight and Celestia who would be visiting with Twilight's family in the Crystal Empire. Ma agreed to stay to make sure everything ran smoothly, though she immediately canceled court and gave as many ponies as she could the holiday off. Of course this left them to get a tree themselves and they had no idea how to do it. Ma just wanted to buy one, though Da was convinced by a third party to go out and hunt his own.”
Jer'rahd grumbled pushing his way through chest high snow, Berry sitting on his back bundled up in several coats and scarves and Pip and Brush followed along in the trail he was leaving as they ventured up the slope of the Manterhorn looking for a Hearths Warming tree. Not far away the leader of this group practically pronked along through the snow, having much less issue than the shorter Jer'rahd.
“Rhede, didn't they invent Hearths Warming tree lots so ponies wouldn't have to hike out to the middle of no where and waste their whole day?” Jer'rahd growled.
“Father i cannot feel my hooves.” Brush complained
“No Jer, they invented them cause ponies forgot how to have a good old fashion fun family Hearths Warming, and are satisfied with scrawny ,dead, overpriced trees that have no special meaning at all.” Rhede explained.
“Father I cannot feel my tail.” Brush complained from behind Pip.
“We're doing this how we did it in the old days, we're going out and were gonna cut down the perfect tree with our bare hooves.” Rhede cheered.
“Father I cannot feel my legs.” Brush protested.
“Great did you remember the ax, right ?” Jer'rahd demanded.
“Why, you have your sword right?” Rhede asked with a smirk.
“I am NOT using the Waning Moon to cut down a tree!” Jer'rahd shouted, a few Timberwolves howling in the distance at his yell.
“Father I cannot feel my fur.” Brush protested.
“Rhede.... my son is frozen from the neck down.....” Jer'rahd muttered.
“That's all part of the experience Jer.” Rhede chimed not seeming the slightest bit affected by the cold.
“I should have known something was up when Velkorn suddenly had a dental appointment......” Jer'rahd growled.
“ Oh it's fine she's just getting ready for a trip up to see the Snow Ponies before swinging back through Applooza to see all the Apples there. We'll be back just after Hearths Warming and we can hang out then.” Rhede commented. “THERE!!”
The red pony shouted and lept through the snow bounding towards a tree in the distance. For some reason the tree was highly illuminated as if a ray of sun coming down from above was showing the path to it, and the foals all swore they heard a choir of some kind.
“It's perfect.” Rhede grinned.
“Rhede, this tree too big.” Jer'rahd protests.
“It's not big , it's …. full.”
“It won't fit in our quarters...” Jer'rahd responded.
“Pretty sure it won't fit in the court yard Da.” Pip pointed out.
The tree itself was easily two stories tall and nearly as big around, it seemed less like a Hearths Warming tree and more like something that some pony wearing flannel and drinking maple syrup would float down a river to a saw mill while singing to every one that he's okay.
“It's not gonna go in the court yard young Pipsqueak, it's going in your living room.” Rhede chuckled.
“Well it is rather nice.” Jer'rahd admitted as Berry nodded.” What do you think Pip, Brush?”
“I like it.” Pip commented.
“I'll look at it later father, my eyes are frozen.” Brush bemoaned.
Rhede laughed.” It will be a symbol of a proper Hearths Warming....”
“Rhede seriously you better have a saw in that bag of yours. I am not cutting this down with my sword.......” Jer'rahd grumbled.
Much later Jer'rahd stood looking at the bound up tree. The top of it bent at an angle as it pressed against the ceiling. Luna and the foals stood near by looking up at it curiously.
“Seriously remind me to call into question Rhede's ability to gauge size next time it comes up.” Jer'rahd grumbled floating a knife over to start to work on the cord holding the tree bundled up.
“Is there going to be room for the star on the top?” Luna asked.
“Yeah should be..., might have to do a little trimming though, it is a very nice tree.” Jer'rahd admitted. “ I'll give Rhede that at least. Alright here we go.”
Jer'rahd cut through the cord only for the trees branches to spring out, striking out at the surrounding furniture knocking things every where and forcing Luna to quickly raise a shield to protect the foals as the branches knocked over book shelves, tables and other knick knacks off the walls as it suddenly blossomed out, much bigger than it had seemed before.
Pipsqueak took note however that the leg lamp was no where near the expanding branches , yet the brief glow of Luna's magic sent it sailing to crash to the floor along with everything else.
“Are you alright?” Brush asked not able to see more than Jer'rahd's tail in the mess of the tree.
“Yeah... I'm fine... it's rather sappy in here. Guess it needs a little more trimming.” Jer'rahd commented from inside the tree.” What was that crash?”
“It seems the tree expanding has broken your lamp. “ Luna said in a tone of voice that was almost tragic sounding, despite being obviously forced.
Jer'rahd backed out of the tree blinking as he headed over to where the lamp had fallen to the ground. The leg of it had shattered in several places and lay strewn across the floor. Jer'rahd let out a long sigh and shook his head.
“I just don't know what went wrong, I thought it was out of the way of the tree..” Luna tried to placate only for Jer'rahd to laugh.
“Jealous of a lamp ….” Jer'rahd smirked making Luna blush. “ One that was your own flank. Tisk Tisk. Bleu's gonna have a field day when I tell her this.”
“You wouldn't....” Luna threatened her ears flattening as Jer'rahd's grin got even wider.
*“For those of you who don't know how Ma and Da's relationship works.... well I can't really explain it, sure they got in arguments and fought like every other pony, but their arguments tended to be weird or not make much sense. At times they seemed to be doing their best to, not argue and then they wound up arguing about that. Neither of them want to upset the other in any way so most of their problems wind up being sorted in some sort of weird interpretive verbal dance. More often than not the threat of Bleu or Rhede being told something silly that one or the other did was enough to end the fight. “ Adult Pip narrated.” Of course this time ma didn't seem to want to let it go at that.”
“Doesn't matter that was still the ugliest lamp I have ever seen in my life.” Luna snorted.
“It was modeled after your leg.” Jer'rahd snorted in amusement.
“I don't care!” Luna fussed storming off leaving Jer'rahd to pick up the pieces of the lamp cackling all the while.
*“Da actually still has that lamp. He found some one to put it back together and he has it set up in his office. A lot of strange stories came about because of that and the Diamond Dog who made it saw a upswing in business because of it.“ Adult Pip commented. “Da even gave Twilight one for Hearths warming one year, based off auntie Celestia and had one made for Shining Armor of Cadence. None of the Princesses have forgiven him for that one yet.”
===========================================
*“The next day at school was a interesting one, most if not all of the students had Brought Miss Cheerilee small gifts.. a few of them, which were still moving, were turned loose into one of the class terrariums specificity designed for that purpose. Miss Cheerilee had long gotten used to various creepy crawlies and very little bothered her. Still after Tirek's attack Berry managed to be the first in a while to make her scream out with a few hundred crystal spiders crawling out of a gift. Da was highly amused by that, as was Ma, but she at least hid it better.” Adult Pip commented. “I decided to splurge a little , something of a bribe I suppose and got her a rather pricy fresh fruit basket. It was one of the first times I had actually tapped into the allowance I got to do something. Looking back I probably had enough money in the account set up to just buy the Sword I wanted outright, well aside from the fact no adult would sell something like that to a foal.”
Miss Cheerilee stared at the fruit basket that walked into the room by itself. As did a number of other students. The massive pile tottered towards her desk on tiny hooves before being lifted up onto the desk, shoving a number of other gifts out of the way to thud on her desk. She stared at it a moment before pushing it out of the way to see the smiling face of Pipsqueak on the other side.
“Ummm.. thank you very much Pip.... you can go to your seat now.....” Miss Cheerilee stammered as the two stared at each other for a uncomfortable moment.
Once Pipsqueak went to his seat Miss Cherrilee stood up with a stack of papers handing them out as she went along the desks.
“Alright class these are your theme papers. I've graded them accordingly. Over all I am impressed, you did very well, with some exceptions of course.” Miss Cheerilee stated looking at Scootaloo and Sweetiebelle, along with another glare at Snips and Snails who didn't seem to register the look.
*“Franticly I yanked open the paper, visions of a perfect score in my head. With that paper in hoof I could easily convince Ma and Pa to get me that sword. I pulled open my folder and stared down in near bliss, there at the top of the paper was a big red......... C +.........................” Adult Pip complained. “ And down there at the very bottom of the page in bright red were the words I had come to loathe. ' You'll poke your eye out.' I stared up at Miss Cherrilee like she was a witch, shoving the paper into my saddlebag. Was there no end to this conspiracy of irrational prejudices against Crimson Strap-hanger and his wonderful smith work? Was there no way out of this web of overprotective adults Tartarus bent on making sure I didn't get my Crimson Strap-hanger?...Wait...... Santa.... of course.... I would ask Santa Hooves! There was no stopping it this time surely Santa Hooves could deliver despite what any pony else would say.”
========================
*“The annual Canterlot Hearths Warming parade was always a sight to behold, particularly since we always got to watch it from the main balcony of the palace as it passed by the front gates, turned around and went back down through Canterlot and back to where it started in the Ponyville district. There were market stalls with sweet treats and games and everything else set up across the entire parade route and down a few more side streets as well. Hundreds of floats of all shapes and sizes filled the street.“ Adult pip explained.” Floats filled with musicians, ones for stores and farms, some tossing small treats to the foals running around on the street, others playing music as they plodded along, all of them trying to advertize for their business or group without seeming to be moving billboards. It was glorious. It's still not bad nowadays either, but there's far less floats and some of the ponies don't even seem to be trying that hard, though we do have the Guard formations, marching bands and giant balloons shaped like game and foal's book characters.”
Brush, Pipsqueak, Berry, and Orange as well, looked down from the palace balcony watching the parade pass. Pipsqueak knew better than to tell his older sister what he wanted for Hearths Warming. The medical pony in training practically coined the phrase ' You'll poke your eye out.' Still Pipsqueak ignored that, greatly excited to see the last float come up after the one for Carousel Boutique. Sitting on the float was a massive Caribou. He was dressed in all red with white trim. The venerable looking reindeer smiled and waved to the foals in the crowd as the float carried him back down to the Ponyville district where he would set up a temporary work shop in the town hall.
*“Now just about every foal in New Canterlot knew that this wasn't the real Santa Hooves. A fake beard and cheap costume were not enough to fool any one over the age of three. He was clearly one of Santa Hooves's helpers. The Big Guy would be too busy this time of year to visit every where and ask what everyone wanted for Hearths Warming, so he had his assistants do it.” Adult Pip explained.” And the sooner you got to sit in one of the helpers laps to tell them what you wanted for Hearths Warming the more likely it would be you would get it.”
Orange had already moved out of the palace by that point. She had finished her last year of school and was now attending New Canterlot College to get her medical degree. She agreed to foal sit simply due to Jer'rahd and Luna being required to attended one of the holiday balls the nobles threw. Both of them tried every year to get out of it, but Twilight and Celestia always managed to get them to attend. Both of them would be annoyed later as they would be out all night with ponies they couldn't care less about, so Orange was called in while she was on a break from classes. Despite the young mares complaints about her adopted parents, she did care for the others like they really were her siblings.
*“The trip down to the Ponyville district was no different than when we were going to school save Orange was with us , Guards still kept an eye on us from afar, their orders to try and allow us as normal a life as we could get.” Adult Pip explained. “You lot don't have to worry as much about that as you didn't have a time in your life when you were not royalty of some sort. Given ma and Da's positions now it's kinda murky. Da's Regent of Gallopagos, Guard Captain of the Six Sixty Sixth, and Lord of the former Blue Blood estates. And ma was Queen of the Changelings, Former Princess of the Night and the current Princess of the Night's teacher/ assistant. We're not really 'royal' per-say anymore.”
The Ponyville District town hall was decorated out of the ears with Hearths Warming cheer. Clearly Pinkie Pie and Discord had out done themselves this time. The town hall seemed like a glowing beacon of light on it's own, decorated up like it was a tree, every inch of the old structure covered in lights. When Canterlot dropped on top of Ponyville at the end of the war, there wasn't much need for a separate smaller government building in the lower district of New Canterlot. Mayor Mare had been terrified her job was going to be taken away only for Auntie Celestia to place her in pretty much the same role as she had been before, only over the entirety of New Canterlot. She dealt with all the usual smaller civic functions of running a city leaving the Princesses to deal with the big stuff.
Inside the building was a two story mountain of presents and fake snow. A candy cane walk way lined with ponies in Caribou costumes lead up to where the massive form of Santa Hooves sat. Foals were led up a path to the big guy and once they told him what they wanted they were placed on a slide and sent back down to the bottom into piles of fluff. Berry, Brush and Pipsqueak hurriedly rushed to the spot in line at the end of the stairs only for a stallions voice to stop them.
“Hey! Where do you three think you're going?” The tall white Pegasus demanded. Looking down at the foals with the sort of annoyance only a tired adult could muster. His tiny daughter sat on his back looking over his wing at the other foals.
“To see Santa.” Brush deadpans.
“This is the start of the line.” The white Pegasus let out an exasperated sigh, clearly not the first time he'd had to explain it. “The end of the line is back there.”
Pip looked back to where he had pointed, twitching a little. The line seemed to stretch out another set of doors and all the way down past Bon Bon's Candy Shop. The three foals trudged to the back of the line, Orange staying close but stopping by to talk to a few of her friends. The group wound up at the very end behind Snails the town halls glow muted in the distance.
Snails slowly turned, the lanky unicorn had a dopey grin on his face and was bundled up heavily and for some reason was wearing an aviator's cap and goggles. His smile didn't falter as he looked at Pipsqueak and the others.
“I like Santa....” Snails stated flatly.
Pipsqueak rolled his eyes wondering if he would ever get to see Santa Hooves at this rate.
What seemed like hours later the small group had made it to the top of the mountain. Pipsqueak watched as Snails was picked up by a rather burly looking white pony that Pipsqueak almost didn't notice had wings until the huge slab of muscle floated Snails up to Santa's lap.
“TELL SANTA HOOVES WHAT YOU WANT FOR HEARTHS WARMING LITTLE COLT!” The large pony screamed out.
Whether it was suddenly being put in the giant Caribou's lap or the screaming of the massive pony Snails couldn't help but start panicking and screaming himself. Santa Hooves rolled his eyes as a unicorn 'helper' lifted Snails off Santa's lap and set him on the slide, sending the screaming foal down the twisty slide.
“NEXT FOAL, YEAH!” the bulky biceped pony shouted, fluttering over and gently picking up Berry. He set the small filly on Santa's lap before fluttering off.
The Caribou seemed to relax a little as Berry stared up at him. At least she wasn't screaming. “ And what would you like for Hearths Warming little filly?”
Berry without missing a beat pulled a list out of her coat and offered it to him. Santa adjusted his glasses looking over the list his eyes getting wider and wider as he read it.
“Ummmm, Santa thinks that some of these items are a violation of a number of treaties with other nations, three are outright illegal, and at least two of them defy the laws of reality as we know them.....” The Caribou stammered.
Berry pouted.
“Umm Santa thinks he can get the porcelain tea set however.” the Caribou quickly added getting a small nod from Berry before she was lifted up by the unicorn and set on the slide. Santa shuddered as she slid down the slope. “ Okay that was the first one that scared me a little....”
“NEXT FOAL!!! YEAH!!! “ the burly pony shouted picking Pipsqueak up and setting him down in Santa's lap.
“Ho ho ho...” Santa Hooves stated. “ And what's your name little colt?”
“Pipsqueak..” Pipsqueak stated. Sat on Santa's lap Pipsqueak's mind had gone blank, his ears flattened to his head as he desperately tried to recall what he wanted.
“Not to rush but we still have a lot of foals left to see tonight.” The unicorn stated.
Still stunned Pipsqueak couldn't respond.
“How about a nice hoofball?” Santa offers noting Pipsqueak's some what vacant stare and brief nod.
Santa nodded and the unicorns magic grasped Pipsqueak picking him up to set him on the slide. In a moment of panic it all came back and Pipsqueak stuck out his hooves stopping his decent trying to clamor back up the slide.
“NO!” Pipsqueak yelped as she caught himself crawling back up the slide to stare up at Santa who looked more than a little confused. “ No No, I want an Official Crimson Strap-hanger drop forged magically reenforced, blued, pure water quenched sword...”
Santa hooves stared down at Pipsqueak for a moment before shrugging a little .
“You'll poke your eye out colt.”Santa Hooves stated. The unicorn gave Pipsqueak a little shove with her magic sending the little colt down the slide as he screamed out his disbelief to the stars above.
“That star is crooked.” Jer'rahd grumbled looking up at the top of the tree.
“The star is perfectly fine Jer'rahd.” Luna sighed rolling her eyes as Jer'rahd stare up at the thickly decorated tree his magic fiddling with the top.
*“The tree was near perfect. We had used all the ornaments we had and then went out and got new ones and the back of the tree was still barren. In all this time I have yet to see a tree as perfect as that one.” Adult Pip chuckled.
“Do you hear something?” Brush asked.
“No .” Orange stated flipping another page in her medical book.
“Nah I hear it too.” Jer'rahd mentioned his ears perked. He slowly moved around the tree before peering past a few lights, reaching up with a hoof to push a couple of branches aside peering into the shadowy recesses of the massive tree.
“Huh I don't hear it now. Must have been something outsiAHHHHH BUCK!!!” Jer'rahd yelped as a small gray form launches itself from the tree attaching to his face biting and clawing sending the gray unicorn staggering back flailing with a large marsupial attached to his face gnawing on his horn.
Luna looked up as Jer'rahd flailed past her, tripping over the table to crash to the floor. “Ahh so that's where Tiberius has been hiding.”
Orange simply lifted her book off the table as Jer'rahd crashed over it trying to pull the opposom off his face.
“Berry go help your father. You, Pipsqueak, and Brush need to head to bed. Hate for Santa Hooves to be flying by and have to pass us up cause some little ponies where still awake.” Luna chided all but ignoring Jer'rahd's plight thanks to her pet.
Berry pronked over to the flailing form of Jer'rahd plucking the hissing beast from him. Tiberious instantly went from hate fueled rage machine to huggable little teddy bear the moment Berry picked him up. Still the little beady eyed beastie glared at Jer'rahd with murder in his eyes, a look that was returned by the prone unicorn. They both knew that so long as Tiberious kept himself friendly with both Luna and Berry Jer'rahd wouldn't touch him. Of course the oppossom had to suffer being cuddled and dressed up in doll clothes by Berry, but he clearly thought it was a small price to pay for the freedom to practicly do anything to Jer'rahd.
“Cripes what did you do to him this time?” Orange chuckled as the foals ran off to go to bed.
“Gave the stinky little rat a bath.” Jer'rahd muttered checking his horn for tooth marks.
*“The next day, all across Equestria the thunder of little hooves rushing from their rooms to the tree on Hearths Warming Morning could be heard across the continent. Auntie Celestia once said that it was the only time of the year where she raised the sun from a cloud above the city, far from the usual noise just so she could hear that sound as it thundered all over Equestria, unbridled wonder and joy. Ma has said since becoming a Changeling the massive rush of joy and love was enough to glut every Changeling on the continent.” Adult Pip chuckled. “ At that exact moment Berry, myself, and Brush had practically steam rolled over each other to get to the tree. Even the usually stoic Brush couldn't hide his joy at the sight of the massive tree, in all its glory, stuffed full of presents. We fell on it like locusts digging through the pile searching for any package that had our names on it.”
Jer'rahd, Luna and Orange came down the hall a little slower. With the early hour Luna and Jer'rahd would usual be getting ready for bed after the night court so their schedule was all sorts of off kilter. Orange was just not a morning pony. The occasional gasp and giggle was more than enough to rouse them.
Luna and Jer'rahd thudded down on the couch and orange went to go hunt down some coffee.
“Happy Hearths Warming …..” Jer'rahd yawned....” Hold up hold up.... Who gets to play Santa this year?” Berry?”
“No I think it's Pipsqueak's turn, Berry played Santa last year.” Luna stated.
The little unicorn pouted a bit though Pipsqueak got up to pick up a package looking at the tag ready to pass it out.
“Make sure to give Berry her gift first, she looks ready to dive into the tree.... again.” Jer'rahd smirked.
“Oh I think I see something from auntie Cadence over there too for you Pip. Cadence always seems to send such wonderful things.” Luna smiled as Jer'rahd rolled his eyes.
*“The carnage began in earnest once everything was passed out, shredding paper, and the noise of violence as packages were ripped open filled their air. The room looked like a battleground of presents, empty boxes laying about, their contents put on display. There was also a growing pile of clothing strewn across one of the empty chairs, flung there by what ever foal was unfortunate enough to be given clothing for a present.” Adult Pip chuckled.
Aside from the clothing every pony seemed thrilled with what they got, Berry was already trying to strangle to death a stuffed plush Ursa minor that was bigger than she was, and Brush was checking through the various colors of the paints he had been given.
“So what did Auntie Cadence send you Pipsqueak?” Luna asked.
Pip stood there staring in the box before staring at Luna as if to answer.
“i don't want to.....” Pip muttered.
“What go on and show every one.” Luna demanded.
*“Five years after my adoption by Ma and Pa and I had yet to meet auntie Cadence in person. But for all those years it seemed she had been laboring under the delusion that I was not only perpetually four years old, but also a filly.” Adult Pip grumbled.
Holding up the pink nightmare, Luna nearly squeed at the adorableness of it while Jer'rahd simply rubbed his temples with a hoof.
“Oh isn't that sweet. Go and try it on.” Luna chimes.
“I don't want to.” Pip grumbled.
“Pip go put on the present.” Luna ordered. “ She went to all the trouble to send something. You can at least try it on.”
Pip marched away dragging the mess with him as the others continued to pick things out from under the tree.
Not long after that Pip reluctantly returned dressed in the garishlypink onsie with large floppy rabbit ears and little bunnys on each hoof.
*“Immediately my hooves began to sweat as those fluffy bunny's on each hoof stared up at me sappily with their blue button eyes. As Ma lost herself in the cuteness and my siblings collapsed clutching their sides at my predicament. Lucky stiffs, Auntie Cadence never sent them anything like this. I simply hoped Rumble would never hear of this as the humiliation would make my remaining school years unbearable.” Adult Pip sighed.
“That is the most precious thing I have ever seen.” Luna gasped wide eyed.
“He looks like a deranged Angel Bunny......” Jer'rahd stated flatly.
“He does not.” Luna poked Jer'rahd's shoulder with her hoof.
“He does too, he looks like a Pink Nightmare.” Jer'rahd sighed. “Are you happy wearing that?”
Pipsqueak shook his head like mad , the ears of the suit flopping about wildly.
“Do you want to take it off?” Jer'rahd asked a little worried that Pip's head would roll from his shoulders with how fast he nodded. “ Tell him to take it off.”
“Fine you'll only wear it when Auntie Cadence visits.” Luna relented as Pip rushed away as fast as he could to remove the garment.
*“As a side note Aunt Cadence got Brush Paints, Orange some Jewelry and Berry a whole mess of things. I was the only one she seemed confused about. It wasn't until later when I finally met her she realized her mistake. Unfortunately like Ma she thought it was the most adorable thing ever too.” Adult Pip sighed.
Not that much later Orange had headed out to see a few of her friends, Berry had fallen asleep atop of her new stuffed Ursa and Brush had gone back to his room to try and see what he could do with some of his new paints. Pipsqueak was sitting between Luna and Jer'rahd. Fiddling with a Book on map making Twilight had given him.
“Well that was nice. “ Luna sighed stretching out a wing. “But look at this mess..... who's turn was it to clean up this year?”
“Brushes.” Pip Grumbled.
“Didn't he do it last year?” Jer'rahd asked.
“He's not in here to say otherwise, so he can get to do it again this year....” Pip stated getting a chuckle from Jer'rahd.
“So did you get everything you wanted for Hearths Warming.?” Luna asked softly.
“Yeah.. almost.” Pipsqueak admitted.
“Almost huh? Jer'rahd commented. “ Well that's life. There's always next Hearths Warming.”
Jer'rahd looked up at the ceiling then smirked a little pushing Pip's book away with a hoof. “ Hey.. what's that over there?”
“What?” Pipsqueak asked.
“Over there behind the desk.”Jer'rahd smirked.” Go check it out.” he started pushing Pip off the couch.
Pipsqueak walked over glancing behind the desk, he could see the corner of what ever it was just under the back edge of the desk as he walked up, likely what Jer'rahd saw. He clamored up in the chair to reach behind the desk, pulling out a long fairly thin package with some weight in it out.
“What's that?” Luna asked curiously.
“I dunno Santa must have left it.....” Jer'rahd stated getting a glare from Luna.
“Jer'rahd if that's what I think it is....”Luna growled.
“Oooh, vague threats... I'm getting chills. Do it again.” Jer'rahd grinned making a kissy face at Luna who rolled her eyes.
Pipsqueak ignored them, noting his name on the package and blinking in confusion before tearing into it with curious interest, and prying open the box underneath.
“Whoa....”Pip stammered as he stared into the box.
*“It didn't seem like any sort of sword I had seen before, particularly as it didn't have the reddish glow that was common of all Crimson Strap-hanger blades. The blade was more of a elongated diamond shape, with a short grip, wrapped in the same blue silk that Da's sword was wrapped in. On the end instead of a standard pommel was a metal ring big enough for me to put my hoof through.” Adult Pip explained.
“ Jer'rahd why did you give him that?” Luna grumbled.
“What do you mean? You made it for him.” Jer'rahd chuckled.
“Yeah for when he's older.” Luna muttered.
“He's about the same age I was when my grandfather started showing me how to use a sword.” Jer'rahd explained. “ Better to get the practice in now. Besides you enchanted that thing with enough protection spells he could probably stab himself with it and it wouldn't hurt him.”
“It doesn't look like a Crimson Strap-hanger.....” Pip blinked looking over the package which contained the sheathed blade, a scabbard and belt and a cleaning and sharpening kit.
“It's not, that guys a hack, not even a real dragon just a half dragon that's not bad at smithing. That blade was designed by an Earth Pony engineer and forged with the help of some skilled dragons by your Auntie Bleu. Then your Ma enchanted the fool out of it. The design is like that because you don't have magic or wings to aid in your control of the blade. You'll be able to use your hooves, teeth and even your tail to wield it.” Jer'rahd explained. “While it's not on par with the Waning Moon or some of the Nightmare forged blades, no better weapon has likely been crafted in over a thousand years. Any way I'll save the history lesson for later. I set up a dummy in the court yard, why not go have a few swings to test the weight and feel of it. Now this isn't a toy Pip, don't do anything stupid like try and poke your eye out or something.”
“Put on your boots and coat. It's still cold in the court yard.” Luna chided.
============================================================= [ Current Hearths Warming.]
“And of course I rushed outside to slash that dummy to bits.” Pip explained. “I named the blade Salamander a while back, it's got some interesting fire properties in it I couldn't use fully until now.”
The foals stared at him in a strange mix of interest and confusion.
“So did you ever poke your eye out?” Dawn asked suddenly.
Pip blinked and frowned, about to answer when a pair of young mare's popped up from behind the couch he and Scootaloo were sitting on.
“Of course he did cause that stuffs dangerous, here watch!” Applebloom shouted, slapping her cousin on the back of the head nearly knocking him off the couch.
A thud and a rolling sound drew the foals attention from Sweetiebelle and Applebloom to a large glass eye rolling on the floor towards them. As one, the foals all screamed at the sight and took off like a shot thundering out of the room screaming about being attacked by an eye ball.
Pip growled turning his head back up staring at the half Elk and the unicorn songstress as they giggled madly, neither of his eyes damaged in any shape of form.
“What did you do that for?” Pip sighed “They'll be riled up for hours now.”
“Cause it was funny.” Sweetiebelle giggled.
“Where did you even git that glass eye?” Applebloom asked impressed at the plan she had been a part of.
“Sent away.” Sweetiebelle shrugged floating the eye back over to her and into a saddlebag.
“Well glad to see you managed to pick Applebloom up on that ship of yours Sweetiebelle. How long have you been here?” Scootaloo asked, excited to see her friends, but not excited enough not to get up from where she had decided to lay over Pip's lap.
“Since Pip's meeting with Santa Hooves.” Sweetiebelle grinned.
“Ahhh crap.” Pip grumbled.
“Think yah might still have that bunny outfit Pip.... bet it'd look cute on yah.” Applebloom grinned.
Pip growled his ears flattening to his head trying to think of a way to get his cousin back without it becoming a international incident with the Elk. A small smirk crossed his features as he figured something out.
“You didn't bring your entourage with you Bloom?” Pip stated.” Figured those guys wouldn't let you out of their sight.”
“Just three of um. Sent um to the kitchen to help themselves to some vittles.” Applebloom chuckled. “Don't try tah distract me, ya ain't getting out of this that easily.”
“So the three of them are in the kitchen. Unsupervised...... with Da.....” Pip's grin widened as Scootaloo caught on.
“Not alone, but with my Dad too.” Scootaloo chuckled as the gears clicked and Applebloom adopted a panicked expression.
“Ahhh crab apples...” Applebloom cursed.
=========================================
[In the kitchen]
Jer'rahd looked at the three Elk bucks that were contesting for the hoof of one of his youngest relatives Applebloom. With Rhede no longer here and Big mac busy at the moment he felt perhaps it was his duty to let these Elk know exactly what might happen if they thought to use or hurt Applebloom.
“Soarin.” Jer'rahd smirked.
“Yeah?” The blue Pegasus asked looking up from the notes he was taking from Jer'rahd.
“Let's start a practical lesson here shall we.” Jer'rahd took a last swig of his cider, passing off the mug to the Pegasus before advancing on the three unaware Elk. “ Hold my drink.....”
[Tamberlane, under the shield, early evening. 19 hours after the island reappeared]
“It........ it's the most beautiful thing I have ever seen in my life.” Twilight squeed, practically drooling.
The small group had left the concert hall with little effort, only encountering one or two other undead guards that were easily by passed as the shambling horrors seemed to be in a rush to be some where else. Given the violent explosion earlier and the faint roar of fighting in the distance made it quite clear where they were headed. The problem was, that if the undead were fighting Jer'rahd and Celestia that meant that they were running out of time. Grogar could ring the bell at any point in time and send everyone and everything on the island back into nothing for a unknown period of time. Given that Grogar's comments showed that the time out of the world wasn't in stasis, none of them wanted to grow old and die in this place, and even the immortals of the group didn't feel like leaving those they cared about behind that long.
Once past the concert hall the rooms started showing more variety than the store rooms and vaults they had found before. Mess halls broom closets and various sitting rooms dotted the estate. There was little left of anything in most of them that hadn't rotted away to dust and one or two had windows that looked out into courtyards where they could see the yellow dome of a shield over them.
After hours of searching rooms, they had hit the jackpot.
A library.
A massive library. One on par with the Royal Archives before Tirek destroyed the castle. Towering bookshelves stuffed full of books that were all in surprisingly good condition.
Twilight and Trixie to a lesser degree were clearly excited by the place. Both the librarians set out immediately darting among the stacks and shelves looking over everything, mentally documenting the tomes present.
“This is astounding, some of these titles Trixie has only heard about as referenced from other ancient tomes.” Trixie commented.
“This is a history of Griffenstan during the dark ages. Even the Griffons don't have knowledge of that part of their past!” Twilight called out.
Luna sighed letting the two carry on for a time before looking at the others. “Octavia there seems to be only one door in and out of here, would you mind guarding that? Lyra, I know you've researched the monsters you had to take out as a Guard see if you can find something useful about Grogar, the island , or the bell.”
“What are you going to do?” Lyra asked.
“I'll go try to get those two to focus.” Luna sighed.
“Good luck,” Octavia chuckled heading over to the door.
Lyra nodded as well as Luna made her way towards the two nerds with a slight grumble.” I knew twilight was bad, but Trixie too? I suppose all that time in Golden Oaks....”
“Hey look, the written history of the potato.” Twilight exclaimed.
“There's four copies of that at Golden Oaks” Trixie complained.
“But this ones written in Seapony.” Twilight explained.
“Ooooh , yes we need that one then.” Trixie agreed.
==================================== [ White tail Woods. ]
“ BIG MAC you hold it right there buster!” Applebloom shouted, running up to her brother, noting that the subterranean Elk, Drakast was taking that moment to slip into a shadow and away from her brother and the several tones of broken stone that lay around him.
Of course there were a few does who were now looking at the big red stallion with greedy interest and more than a few fawns and others standing around with their mouths hanging open at what they had seen. Big mac had that effect when he put his mind to something.
She thought Drakast would be gone still, but evidently Mac had run into him as he returned early, probably to surprise her with a gift or something. The Watipi was always doing that, whether it was because he actually liked spending time with her, or he was just jealous of the time the others spent with her she didn't know, he was a hard one to read. Drakast also understood Equestrian just fine even if he couldn't speak it and she knew Applejack and Big Mac were learning Elk. Given the Watapi were more of the 'sneak around and use finesse' sort, the brunt display of force was probably a bit much.
“Hmm?” Big Mac grunted looking back at his little sister as she ran up to him. Despite the new burst of height from her transformation he still towered over her. Although the yellow doe/mare was doing her best to try and glare down at him.
“Don't you hmm me buster! What do you think you are doing?!” Applebloom demanded.
“Jus letting yer colt friend know where his standing is with me. Nothing mor'n that.” Big Mac droned.
“That's exactly what you shouldn't be doing....... whats all this any way?” She gestures to the rocks strewn about.
“They were having trouble clearing a boulder from tha field so I figured I'd help......”Big Mac stated simply.
“And you just happen to yank it outta tha ground and shatter it with Drakast nearby?” Applebloom accuses.
“Eeyup.” Big Mac grinned.
Applebloom was about to retort when a scream made her whirl around and look towards the other side of the village.
“Ah think yah fergot yah got two siblings sis.” Big Mac chuckled as Applebloom growled in frustration glaring at Big Mac before running off towards the screaming.
“DON'T YOU DARE THREATEN ANY ONE ELSE!!” Applebloom yells back racing off before Applejack hurt someone.
================================================== [ Tamberlane, outside of the shield]
Metal clanged as their swords met, the undead donkey screaming out and spraying Jer'rahd with rot and maggots. His hoof impacted the underside of the creatures jaw, tearing it's head clean from it's shoulders, his magic gripped the exposed spine and yanked, pulling the spinal cord from the creature and using it to smash another aside as the first collapsed. He spit out his blade catching it in his magic as he wiped the gore from his face off on the back of his foreleg quickly before he brought the blade around to cut another one in half.
The air was filled with the smell of rot, burnt flesh and a brimstone like scent that was the sand under them melting. Celestia was barely two paces from him, her control of magic much better than his and she swung the Brilliant Dawn and cast spells at the same time easily. Of course the Solar Princess had taken more to Starfall's style of combat and the leading edges of her wings were engulfed in fire as she wielded them like wing blades while using the double sword with magic or mouth as she needed.
Frankly Jer'rahd was impressed.
Not like he would ever tell her that however.
The ground around them was littered with mashed undead, burnt husks and liquid glass. Cutting them up didn't work, very well unless you took their heads and shattered enough of their bones to make it impossible for them to remain upright. Removing their back bone was also a bit of a pun, but it worked. Of course the others that spawned did so by pulling themselves together out of what was left, often forming an amalgamation of horror that looked like nothing that should exist. Burning them was easier.
Grogar had barely waited until they had ground under hoof again before throwing everything he had at them. The whole field was nothing but shambling corpses, most of which were fighting better than something as rotted and frail as these corpses were should have been. Most of them fought with the skill of expert soldiers, they didn't know fear and could shrug off even injuries from the Waning Moon and Brilliant Dawn as if they were nothing. The magic animating them was clearly persistent and large enough that even the magic nulling blades couldn't simply cut them down. Grogar remained behind his shield, his horns lit up with the odd two tone magic, clearly summoning more, or putting the fallen ones back together. It was a near never ending army that swept over the beach like a tidal wave to attack them.
Of course the never ending dead were going to lose at this rate.
Jer'rahd was by this point used to fighting overwhelming numbers of foes, those stronger than him, more skilled, or more resilient. Right now,the only thing the zombies had on him, was numbers. There were only three creatures on Equss that were more skilled than him in sword play, one he was married to, the other was currently watching over Canterlot, and the third was in the Crystal Empire probably trying to get a minute or two to himself to make out with his mare friend. He was also a false god, which still gave nearly all the benefits of being a real god, this included being nearly impossible to kill. Only a insanely powered spell, a star metal weapon with its magic nullifying properties, or another god could harm him permanently. And with all the contact he had with star metal over the course of his life, even wounds from that healed faster than normal. Supernatural stamina was also part of his deity like portfolio and he was already tough before he gained that, and that was before becoming part dragon. The zombies had nothing that could harm him enough to even make him itch.
Celestia was, he hated to admit, doing better than he was. She had the same durability as he did, perhaps even more so given she was a true god. Her sword skills were lax, clearly she had not practiced much, if at all since her time in Guard training, still she was at least on par with the zombies. She was using quite a bit more magic to wield the Brilliant Dawn than he was, but she had the reserves for it. The Sword recognized her as worthy of it, but she wasn't used to being around Starmetal as much as Jer'rahd was so it took more effort for her to utilize the blade in her magic. Granted there probably wasn't any one ever who had the same immunity to Starmetal as Jer'rahd did, he had eaten a near mountain of it the first time he turned into the Beast. Evidently Troph thought it would disrupt the magic that would seal the monster away again, all it did was just make Jer'rahd that much harder to kill. Still even with that handicap Celestia's fire was destroying the horde faster than he could, her flame was turning them to ash almost instantly on a solid hit leaving nothing left to reform.
It took nearly an hour of combat before there was nothing left of the zombies to fight. Grogar did not seem pleased about this. He was decidedly less pleased that while both Jer'rahd and Celestia were soot and gore stained, neither showed any injuries, nor any sign of even being winded.
“Was that your best?” Celestia asked curiously.
“You are on an island that was home to a number of ancient civilizations, and raided hundreds more for bodies. I have not yet begun to fight .” Grogar growled.
“Well you better start soon, because this is getting boring.” Jer'rahd snapped.
Grogar roared out in anger as a new horde of creatures burst up from the ground, towering constructs of amalgamated bodies, all teeth, claws, and flailing limbs.
“There we go.” Jer'rahd grinned.
================================================
[White Tail Woods.]
Applejack tipped her hat lightly at the Elk doe in front of her. The doe was a interesting looking one. Her fur pattern was alternating splotches of black red and white, her mane had been cut short and was dyed in numerous odd patterns and shapes. She had one gray eye and one bright blue one. Both of them were focused solely on the orange mare in front of her, her ears laid back against her head and a look on her face that Applebloom had never seen before, clearly fear. Harlequin was a shaman from her tribe or at least the equivalent of one and she was nuttier that a squirrel in a pecan tree. Nothing obviously dangerous, but she was very much like Pinkie Pie in terms of randomness.
Applebloom screamed out , plowing into the side of her sister sending them both tumbling away from the spotted Elk doe, who took the interruption as a reason to get out of sight in a hurry.
The two sisters tumbled across the field a little ways before Applebloom managed to pin the grinning Applejack to the ground, her added size and weight giving her the slight advantage over her older sister. Of course given how Applejack was laughing, Applebloom wasn't so sure her sister was really pinned.
“What did you say to her?” Applebloom demanded.
“Oh nothing much sis, jus welcoming her to tha family with a few ground rules is all...... Ah'm sure Mac's conversation was a bit harsher than mine.” Applejack chuckled.
“Don't give me that, the southern tribe's shaman are supposed tah be highly resistant to fear, that's part of a requirement for um tah be a shaman!” Applebloom shouted. “ Ah've never seen that sorta look on her face! What did yah tell her?”
“Nothing much, just some creative uses fer apples me and Dash came up with when we were talking with Jer one day.....” Applejack grinned as Applebloom paled.
“Uncle Jer isn't even here and he's screwing with me.. GAH! Wait... that wasn't Harlequin that screamed, where's Rainbow Dash?” Applebloom demanded.
The question was answered by a menacing cackle that echoed through the trees and made Applebloom lower her ears as she stared towards the sound with dread.
“What is it with this family!?” Applebloom growled. “You stay here and stop trying tah intimidate tha Elk interested in me..... ah gotta stop Dash, not sure from what but that was but that laugh can't be good.”
“Have fun with that.” Applejack grinned noting that her little sister hadn't forced her to agree to anything . Now where was that Watapi fella? ================================================================
[Manehatten docks, the Storm Cloud]
“ ….so he hits tha thing with his hammer destroying it utterly with one strike. And then as tha stallions sitting there staring in shock Silver looks up at him and says' that'll be four bits'” Babs concludes as Sweetiebelle and the female Changelings explode with laughter.
“Told him it was junk.” Silver Smith stated. The large stallion reminded Sweetiebelle of a cross between Big Mac and Pinkie Pie's sister Maud. He was quiet and some what monotone when he did talk, he was also freaking huge. Currently he and buttons were off to the side of the room talking shop about reinforcing the hull of the ship, or Reginsident Evil seven or something like that. The pair had moved off to the side with Ditty as soon as the girls had started up a conversation and mostly kept to themselves. As Babs finished her story the three of them were on their way out the door to check over the rest of the ship and meet the crew.
“Gonna step out and show off the ship Belle, you want anything from the gally?” Button asked.
“Nah I'm good. Let Captain Finch know that we'll be headed out tomorrow after noon even if Discord hasn't shown up. We got a long flight to the next gig.” Sweetiebelle stated.
“Not a problem, we should have all the supplies for the trip ready by the morning any way.” Button nodded heading out the door with the other two males in tow.
The girls glanced after their counterparts before Melody, Sweetiebelle and Babs grinned wider.
“Cripes Babs how can you even walk if you're shagging that one. I bet he's bigger than your cousin.” Sweetiebelle chuckled.
“Yer one to talk Belle, when the heck did that little nerd Button get that ummff? ”Babs demanded as Sweetiebelle giggled. “ And I thought all your singers were female, who's the Changeling stallion?”
“That ones mine.” Melody grinned.” Whether he will admit it or not.”
“He may not admit it but you've got him wrapped around your hoof like a scarf.” Sweetiebelle smirked.
“Yer one to talk Belle. How'd you turn Button from the nerdy little loner into that?” Babs demanded.
“He did it himself because he thought he might lose me if he didn't.” Sweetiebelle explained. “His mom barely even recognizes him any more.”
“Don't focus so much on Button, you'll make Carol Jealous.” Melody grinned getting a glare from the other changeling who had wandered off to the other side of the room the moment the trio started talking about their colt friends. The other two had gone back to their card game, but were listening in.
“Yeah seriously, you've got a stallion that looks like he was carved outta marble at your beck and call, you got no room to talk. ”Sweetiebelle laughed. ”Same thing with Scoots, little Pippy filled out nice.”
“Yeah, but all of us are way behind when it comes to Applebloom.” Melody chuckled.
“What? What happened with Applebloom?” I haven't really seen her since you guys came through a couple years ago. We barely have time to write each other now a days. I know she did that whole Elk thing and is living in Whitetail but what else she find a colt or something?”
“Mares got her self a harem, a bunch of strapping young bucks ready to serve!” Sweetiebelle giggled as Babs jaw fell.
“No way! Last letter she told me nothing was going on!” Babs gasped. “ I'm gonna twist that mares ear off next time I see her.”
“Best make it to next years Hearths Warming at Sweet Apple Acres then.” Sweetiebelle giggled. “ Seems to be the only time we can get her outta the woods.”
“With what she probably gets up to in those woods I'm surprised she can get out bed!” Melody added.
=======================================
[ Main deck of the Storm Cloud.]
“So what do you suppose they are gonna talk about in there now that we're gone?” Button Mash considered.
“Probably comparing us to each other.” Ditty suggested.
“Mm maybe.” Silver commented.
“What you mean like how jocks talked about mares flanks and stuff in school?” Button pondered.
“Pretty much. Was an art nerd myself. Never got into those conversations.” Silver added.
“Me either, though I was stuffed in enough lockers to over hear some of it.” Button sighed.
“Not much call for locker room talk when everyling can look like anything they want.” Ditty commented
The other two consider a moment before shrugging.
“Anyway, lets go let Finch know what's going on. When were you and Babs planning on leaving?” Button asked.
“Whenever she wants tah go. I'm caught up on most of my orders so I can open the shop a bit late tomorrow. “
“You have your own shop?” Ditty asked as they walked across the deck.
“Family owned. Father was a steel smith for the plant over there fer years. When he retired he bought a little shop to keep himself busy with small jobs the foundry wouldn't take. He still putters around the place a bit, but I do all the real work we get in. Usually have time to work on my own projects as well.” Silver stated. The other two listened in as this was the most they had heard him say at one time all night.
“Your own projects?” Button asked.
“Yeah, I make jewelry. Nothing too fancy, but ponies seem to think it's pretty and what I make'll last near forever.” Silver explained.
“Might have a job for you then soon as I get some bits saved up.” Button muttered.
“What's her horn size?” Silver asked flatly.
“Not sure if I would want a horn ring or a bracelet. I'm not a unicorn after all.” Button commented before he turned red. “How.......”
“Easy enough, you don't seem like tha stallion who wears jewelry, and yah were concerned bout price. Those stupid adds fer a ring that'll cost three months salary make everypony think a rings gotta be tha biggest most expensive thing ever. “ Silver snorted.” Diamonds ain't worth crap in tha long run cept as tools tah cut other gems. Better tah match tha stone to tha one gonna be wearing it. Belle would prolly be an amethyst, or if yer feeling it some purple opal. Got a bit of that at the shop left over from another order, I can cut ya a deal.”
“Mind holding off on the proposal til after we get back from Trotkyo?” Ditty asked. “ I got fifty bits riding on it.”
“He been thinking on this a while?” Silver asked.
“It's been a forgone conclusion since I first met him. Most of us are placing bets on time and location at this point. Everyone's been hedging their bets too, Finch tends to fly past the ship past the most romantic spots he can when traveling and some of the girls try to be the third wheel any time they're near a spot that they don't have money on. It's gotten wild.” Ditty explained.
“Opal.......” Button considered, not paying attention to the other two as he recalled Sweetibelle's sisters cat had been named that. “ Yeah that sounds good... Hey Finch what's going on?”
Button called out to a Griffon that was starting off the edge of the ship at something. He was wearing a white captains hat and a long blue over coat that covered his body. Turning his head Silver paused briefly noting the left side of the griffons face was badly burned. He had an eye patch over where his eye should have been and the rest of the visible flesh was scar tissue down his neck and over his exposed front leg. With how his coat rested on his left side he obviously didn't have a wing there either.
“Evening Button, Ditty,.... sir... Seems tah be some sort of ruckuses going on by tha smelting plant. Been keeping an eye on all tha fans gathered by tha gate too, though seems whatever else is going on on that other end of that street there has a bigger crowd of …...something. Didn't even see um gathering, but that groups bout twice tha size of yer fans.” Finch considered.” Not sure what's going on. Miss Belle didn't start another street party did she?”
“Don't think so, she's been here all day.” Button commented as Ditty shook his head.
“Until Babs showed up she's been mostly dead all day.” Ditty confirmed.
“Huh.” Figured it might be her doing as it looks like some sort of costume party or one of those zombie walk things that got popular with the young ones in recent years.” Finch shrugged.
“Zombie walk?” Silver questioned.” We don't have those around here. Mayor Goodrich has a irrational fear of zombies. I think he was traumatized as a foal or something. Spent half the city budget on some stupid zombie defense program a while back. If he wasn't such a good mayor otherwise he'd have been voted out of office after that. He even banned zombie costumes in the city limits during Nightmare Night.”
“Don't tell me he's banned the sale of Reignsident Evil 7? I was gonna pick it up before we left.” Buttons gasped.
“Nah, he likes games were yah shoot zombies, calls um training exercises.” Silver shrugged.
Ditty had borrowed the Captains spyglass and was looking out at the growing crowd as the others talked. There was something decidedly odd about the figures. First off their costumes were far too realistic, he could see patches of bone on some and others were mostly skeletal. Even a changeling would have trouble with that. The second thing he noticed was that most of them were large green skinned pigs. At least with what skin he could see. A quick check with the hive minds memories identified them as Orcs, a subspecies of Boar and Pig that went extinct over a thousand years ago. Nowadays most ponies only knew them from stories and video games. What bothered him the most was that there appeared to be one living creature at the forefront of the horde. A Mule or Donkey who looked more like he was casting a spell than speaking to a crowd.
(“Something wrong honey pot?”) Melody asked through the hive mind.
(“Don't call me that... and maybe. I'm gonna check in with the local Guard..... ah crap.....”) As Ditty was responding he watched as some putrefied hooves pushed out of the soil before the Pony climbing out of the ground added another to the horde, though a good half dozen more of them crawled out of the hole after the first, all in various states of decomposition and decay.
(“What is it?”) Melody asked only to be turned out as Ditty turned to Captain Finch.
“Finch, get the ship ready to move, wake any crew that are off duty we need all hooves on deck ready to bring on civilians. I'd rather not let fans rabid enough to camp out in front of our ship aboard, but they're too close to that horde. This might just become a rescue operation.” Ditty ordered. Finch nodded before hobbling off at surprising speed for his injuries.
“Ditty what's going on?” Button asked,not seeming to care that Ditty was giving orders on what was practically his ship.
Ditty had a second job on the ship beyond singing. Before Sweetiebelle had first started touring Ditty had expressed interest in joining the Guard. He had even gone through the training to do so. Instead of making it into the guard however he was pulled aside by another group that had use for his skills. At Queen Luna's recommendation he had joined a smaller group called the Black Hoof, a sub-sect of the Equestrian ambassadors. He wasn't sure of everything they did though there were a number of rumors. His job had been to continue on exactly as he was as a singer. He wasn't officially or even unofficially part of the Black Hooves, but he was considered a contact point as celebrities could go any where practically.
Button and Sweetiebelle had also agree that he should be the ships SSO, or ship security officer given his training as a Guard. The current reasoning he gave for not being a Guard was that he was talked out of it by Melody and into his current gig, which was partially true.
Ditty didn't respond to Button's question and only passed him the spyglass.
Button looked through it at the crowd a moment before whistling. “Wow, those are good costumes...”
“I don't think those are costumes Button.” Ditty muttered as he checked the hive mind for any nearby Changelings in the local Guard.
==============================================
[ Whitetail woods ]
“.....so basically right at the base of the tail and the little ruff of fur where the neck meets her chest.” Rainbow Dash muttered to the two Elk stallions sitting on either side of her.
One of them, Anesland, had a number of vines and leaves growing in his mane and tail. His tail was a fluffy long thing, curling and flicking like a cats with a large puff of dark green hair on the end. His fur was a soft green coloration and instead of hooves he had small claws at the end of each of his legs . He was far shorter than the other Elk and his antlers looked more like a pair of small trees growing from his head complete with their own leaves.
The other one, Clam Shell, was sitting half in and half out of a small pond, he had back swept horns rather than the antlers the other elk had and small fins on the side of his head and a short dark blue mane. His fur was silky thin like a seals and was of a grayish blue coloration. While he did have back legs like other Elk his tail was a massive flippered thing that swirled the water behind him.
“I dunno if it will be the exact same with her, but you play with that and Big Mac absolutely melts. Fluttershy confirmed about the tail base with AJ too and since they are siblings it's probably the same way for Applebloom too..........”
“RAINBOW DASH!!!! WHAT ARE.... you........ doing?” Applebloom rushed up skidding to a stop as the Pegasus looked up at her in a small bit of amusement. The two Elk with her turned away. though Applebloom noticed both of them were a bit red around their faces.
“Jeez what's the issue, just spotted these guys hanging out and got to talking to them a little cause they looked pretty cool.” Rainbow Dash shrugged.” My Elk's not that great, but I think we're doing alright.”
What... Geez sorry, with what Mai sister and brother are doing ah figured yah might be threatening them too.” Applebloom admits.
“Nah I figure your uncle did enough of that, besides I told yah I was totally cool with the idea.” Rainbow Dash placates. “ And seriously I can barely walk straight thanks to your brother, you really think I'd be up to busting a few heads?”
“Yeah I know, but ah heard tha scream....” Applebloom admitted.
“Oh that? Yeah that was probably one of the ones Fluttershy dragged off into the woods over there. “ Rainbow Dash gestured towards her left with her head as Applebloom tensed up again.
“Fluttershy's doing somethin!? WHY!? HOW?! Ahh crap!!!” Applebloom galloped off again the two stallions watching her run off.
“Hehe. I know that look guys, 'hate to see her leave but fun to watch her go', am I right? Any way I got a few more tips for yah, she's only part mare now, but some of this stuffs got to work and she really looks like she could use some relaxing.”
The two Elk continue to listen in as Rainbow Dash regales them with a variety of sex tips she had read in various magazines and what she was certain worked.
===============================================
[Tamberlane, outside the shield.]
Grogar frowned. This was not going as planed. In fact at this point he was pretty sure the plan had packed up and left for another planet this was so far off plan.
The usual plan was to investigate and then subtly convert the surrounding area drawing in bodies and other dead to feed the power of the island and his own power as well. In time the locals would catch on and try to stop him. Depending on the strength of the resistance he would either destroy his opponents and claim them for the island or ring the bell and retreat. It was what he had done time and time again for as long as he could recall. Despite what the mares seemed to think, the last time he had not been stopped by Starswirl, but by demonic entities of the air that called themselves Windigo. The island had appeared in the far frozen north and before he and Bray could even get their bearings they were assaulted by the creatures. That was the first time he had heard the island scream. The beasts had been feeding on it, sucking away it's power by their very presence. Killing them was useless, even if it was very satisfying, they turned into little more than snow, not even any bodies to claim. The most he had gained was a small settlement of ponies without any coloration and bland cutiemarks. Eventually the cold and the persistent attacks forced him to ring the bell earlier than he would have liked to retreat from time to recover. He had used up too much magic destroying what he could of the Windigo, and it took longer for the island to return to the world this time. Still Grogar had used the break to study and tap deeper into his powers creating an army so the next time the island appeared he could meet any force with force and stampede over the land and plunge it into darkness like a......... rainbow of darkness or something....... He'd think of a better name for his armies actions later.
If any of his armies were left any way.
This is the part where the plan went off the rails as it were.... much like the train..... shards he was punning now....
He had not expected to capture any locals alive, but he had, and they kept escaping him. Frankly it was getting old and he still was unsure how they got away from the ghosts, but that was what one of the spirits had told him. That was aggravating. but he had known he couldn't trust ghosts to do anything right, they were too flighty and often times held too much memory of their time alive to follow orders properly. If they were not so easy to make he would never bother with them.
Bray had reported back that he had infiltrated a city called 'Manehatten' and planed to create a force there to take it over so that Grogar could have a larger base of operations. He had then reported back that he had been attacked and his time table had been moved up. There had not been another seagull or fish message since.
Then there was the damned sun. Most of his army worked best at night and with that cursed orb seeming to linger in the sky far longer than it should he had to hold back many of his reserve forces.
And of course there were these two. The self proclaimed Demon and Goddess. Seeming little more than oddities at first they had proven threat enough to gain his full attention. What ever it was they had used to attack his island he wanted it badly. It was unlikely they would use the attack again as it had caused them some issue as well. But if he could kill him he could learn of their power.
The 'Kirin' was of the most interest to him, wounds did not seem to stay on him long and he was barely affected by anything that had been thrown at him. He did not seem to tire and he had been fighting all out for hours nonstop now. He used little magic, perhaps the earlier attack he had summoned drained him? It would make sense given all he used was a shield and occasionally some simple telekinesis. He did seem to have some mental issues as he was often talking to himself and fighting with his companion.
The alicorn was nothing to him, despite her impressive control of fire, she was nothing he had not seen before. He had met and killed a number like her. All claiming to be gods, all with rather potent abilities. He had claimed a number of them for his army in the early days as well. He had put a great deal of work into their creation as spectacularly powerful undead. Unfortunately sunlight was a limitation of his early work, he had found a work around, but he had yet to figure out how to implement it on some of his earlier creations. Why was that blasted orb still in the sky? Had he come during spring equinox? During a point of the year where the sun stayed up for months? In any even he could keep throwing fodder at them until they tired, died, or the sun went down. The two were aggravating, but their actions were utterly futile. Two individuals would not stop him for long. He would allow his own monsters out to play and that would be the end of it. He would crush them, recapture the escapies, and kill them outright this time, then go and rescue Bray from what ever idiocy his adopted father had gotten into this time.
“So help me if he managed to accidentally marry another Amazonian Elk I will disown him and then kill him for good this time.” Grogar grumbled.
Fluttershy was standing before a small group of cowering Elk. The butter yellow Pegasus was talking in her usual hushed tones to them and if not for the expressions on the stallions faces no one would likely have been able to tell anything was up.
Flowing Stream stood transfixed by the Pegasus, his face white as he nodded or shook his head. The tan buck wasn't wearing his usual gillie suit though he was armed with his bow and short daggers. Not that that mattered in the face of this particular threat.
The second one barely looked like an elk at first. Maple Berry was blueish white with much longer some what shaggy fur, the visible skin of his nose and various parts of his fur was black, probably to help retain heat from the far north where his kind lived. He only had single pronged horns though they were thick and curled back. He was built as well, with nearly the same height and mass as Big Mac. He had a pair of piercing blue eyes that were half hidden by his long mane, though they were locked on the small Pegasus before him as well.
The third Elk was an odd one. One of the Avarials. He was a cloudy grayish white with a nearly transparent mane and tail, and a pair of horns that seemed to be made of cloud stuff and wind. He also had a massive pair of white wings folded over his back. Dnom'aid Raelc's ears were flat to his head as he reconsidered his thoughts on seeking the hoof of Applebloom to bind their tribes, as he sat transfixed by the small mare. Perhaps he should pursue a less dangerous female, like a Linorm, or a Hydra.
“Fluttershy!?!?!” Applebloom said incredulously as she galloped up panting.
The yellow mare turned slowly and smiled lightly at the voice.” Oh hello Applebloom. I was just having a talk with your friends here. Very nice colts... err bucks.”
“Please tell me you aren't threatening them like mai sister and brother are....”
“Oh my, no nothing of the sort Applebloom.” Fluttershy stated though the three Elk behind her seemed to flinch and they all tried to back away before she turned around again, all three freezing in place as if they hadn't moved.” Isn't that right?”
The Elk all winced at that, the tone of her voice hadn't changed but there was a slight inflection to it that made the trio nod lightly in response.
“Well umm that's good I guess?” Applebloom blinked.” Not sure why Raelc is here but okay. I heard a scream though, didn't it come from here?”
“ I don't think so......” Fluttershy began before a loud explosion off to their left had all of them whip their heads around to the source before gallons of cherry juice suddenly crashed down over all of them, some how missing Fluttershy entirely.
“Wha... what!?” Applebloom demanded to no one in particular.
“DANG IT BUTTERSCOTCH!” Shouted a young voice that sounded like Appleblossom.
“IT WASN'T SUPPOSED TO DO THAT!” shouted another voice, likely Butterscotch.
“HOW DID YOU EVEN MAKE A CHERRY TREE EXPLODE?” Dandelion exclaimed.
“CHERRY BOMB!!” came the giggling response from Zap.
Applebloom simply stood there as Fluttershy rose to her hooves dusting off her legs and fluttering over the mess of cherry juice that seemed to cover the entire forest as she went to go check on her foals.
Applebloom's ears drooped and her eye twitched a little as a wispy voice chuckled next to her. Glancing over Applebloom noted the spectral form of a young Granny Smith.
“Well I'm glad you're enjoying yourself.” Applebloom muttered, noting that the Elk stallions had all fled.
“Wouldn't miss this fer anything.” Granny replied. “ And I didna have tah haunt any of um.”
“Arrrgh” Applebloom growled as she slapped her face with her hooves.
=============================================== [Tamberlane, outside the shield]
Jer'rahd tossed up a few shields forming a small box around himself and Celestia as his com chirped. The seething mass of undead parasprites outside the shield fell over the small box in a wave, trying to bite their way inside to strip the flesh from the pairs bones. Something thus far that they had not come close to doing, but the little shits were very persistent. Jer'rahd had let the Solar Princess deal with this for the most part as she had better area of effect attacks. The raising of Jer'rahd's shield had given Celestia pause in her attacks as she looked back to see what he was doing.
“Kaisur here, go ahead.” Jer'rahd stated into the com.
“Sir this is Captain Goose from Dolphin team four, Neighlantis Guard. I have the report of what we saw under the island...... and sir, you are not gonna like this.”the com crackled.
“That seems to be par for the course today, go ahead Captain.” Jer'rahd sighed .
“We did a sweep under the island. The island itself isn't attached to the seabed at all Also all the sea life that is under it has died, we sustained minor injuries after we were attacked by a school of undead herring, but nothing major. We swam up to check out the underside of the island to see how it was kept afloat when we were all nearly taken out by a flipper.”
“A flipper?”
“Yes sir. A great big one. It wasn't an attack I think it was still trying to stabilize after the bombardment. The texture of it was bony, it was covered in garbage and dead barnacles and looked more like stone than anything else. We followed it to where it connected to the body and then up to the head.”
“So what the islands a dead whale or something?” Jer'rahd asked. “It better not be another kind of tank or I'm gonna strangle Discord with his own tail.”
“No sir. From what we can tell it is breathing, filtering seawater through a series of gill like structures. Ensign Rickie claims he heard a legend about something like this and we are conferring with Lord Spike and Lady Bleu about it now.”
“Good, Spike will probably be able to find something. What's the legend about?” Jer'rahd asked.
“An old tale from the days of Neighlantis that spoke of a creature the Queen of Storms controlled.” the com buzzed. “ A Leviathan. Sir. We think the island is a Leviathan.”
[ Exerts from the a journal dating back to the untold time before the birth of Starswirl the Bearded, the time most races call the Godless Dark Ages. Entries translated from Ancient Griffonese by an overzealous librarian, and a super excited Goddess of Books. Overseen by the Queen of Changelings to keep them on track.]
Journal entry one. Three days after the Black Harvest
My remaining friends have told me that I should write in this journal. Cassiopeia in particular thinks this will help me come to terms with my grief, that Griffoness is quite insistent. I doubt the effectiveness of this immensely, but trying to argue with them is an effort in futility. Much like my attempts to save Sparrow.
I am so close I can feel it, but with the others constantly hanging around me I can get nothing done, so i am writing here to appease them. They are my friends..... the few I have made in my life that are true..... but Sparrow...... Sparrow was far more than that to me.
Perhaps there is something to this. Writing is certainly having an affect my emotions.
The philosopher's have already started. The kingdom, nay, the entire landmass we reside on was nearly wiped out. As such they wish to reset the year, don't they have better things to do besides make up arbitrary points in time?
The new calender will start from five days ago. The records will now list the time as ABH after Black Harvest. I fully expect this to last until some new king gets crowned. Few believe that when the plants rose up to destroy us for feeding on them so long that it only took six individuals, two ponies three Griffons and a Mer to stop them. Of course I can't blame them. Unicorns caused the Black Harvest, so why should any one believe two of them. Warpick and Caestus are not exactly poster foals for sane and rational, even discounting that they are both unicorn stallions. Cassiopeia and Cygnus are not thought of much better. We Griffons have been off and on enemies of the ponies for as long as either race can recall. And Sparrow.... Well she was thought an abomination from the day she was found. Few are worldly enough to know of the races of Mer. And nothing I could do would convince them otherwise.
My daughter is dead and none of the fools she sacrificed herself to save will even acknowledge it. What use is wielding the artifacts representing harmony if none can be attained from those you helped?
Perhaps it would have been better to let the plants win. At least then we would have remained together, and it is not as if I believe any of them should be saved any more.
I knew she would leave me one day, as all chicks do, but not like this...... not like this......
It occurred to me last night that I might not wish to lose these memories. Of who we were at this point of who Sparrow was. My thoughts have turned much darker as of late and I do not wish them to cloud my recollection of the past.
I should start with myself as I feel I have already fallen from what I once was and the recollection of who I am supposed to be may help me return to it, or at least see how far I have fallen.
My name is Tamberlane. I was one of the five Griffon Kings of the Sunrise. While I never took a slice of the land as my kingdom, my brothers still saw me as their equal. Now however I am the last of my brothers. I was old before these events took place, and I am told I look to have aged a hundred years more after ward.
In my youth my brothers and I stained our fur red with the blood of our enemies. We traveled like knights, righting wrongs and dispensing justice like Justicars. Then one by one we all found something that stopped our adventures. None of us met our ends mind you, we simply found reasons to no longer travel and adventure as we had. Some found love, others found communities they could not leave in the state they were in, all found a place they could justly rule, save for me. I found Sparrow.
I was the last of my brothers to give up on our quest. I was aiding a coastal village that had been ravaged by winter storms when the villagers found the creature. I had never seen it's like, though the villagers had before. Reactions were mixed to it however as some wanted to kill it and others simply wanted to drive it back into the sea. There seemed to be legends about these creatures that had been passed down for centuries and they were all considered bad omens.
They called them the Mer.
To me it simply looked like some one had taken a pony and sewn parts of a fish onto it. The creature was clearly injured and half tangled in some cast away garbage that had probably swept it up during the storm. What surprised me the most was that despite the growls and unintelligible noises it made it seemed intelligent. It also appeared to be protecting something. Ignoring the villagers I moved closer to investigate attempting to placate the creature so I could look it over properly. When I was close enough I could see the injury it had sustained and it was unlikely the creature would be able to move it's back half again even if it did survive. It didn't seem to have issue with the surface itself though it was clearly in pain and clutched tightly between it's finned blue forelimbs was what I was certain was an egg.
I had the villagers help me remove the debris it was tangled in and carry it back to the village. It bit me once or twice though it evidently calmed down a little upon finally realizing I was trying to help, I had far worse bites than something that had teeth like a Ponys trying to fend me off.
The creature lived perhaps another three or four months despite my best efforts to heal it. In that time I managed to learn a few things about it. Mostly that the villagers were right in that the race called itself Mer and like the ponies they had spread out over the world to live in the deep sea. This one called it self Arowana, she was a nest tender and the storm had broken their hatchery, sending the eggs they cared for scattering. She had rescued this one from being dashed on the corral, though she was caught up in the storms currents and was tossed about until she washed up here.
She lived long enough to see it hatch and tell me how to care for the little creature that came out of the egg.
Being a Griffon I was used to the concept of creatures hatching from eggs, the villagers were not. Soon after the egg hatched I left. They considered the gold and red hatching a bad omen, worse than having a adult Mer in their village. A cowardly and superstitious lot, but I would respect their wishes to leave. I chose a place a few leagues from the village near the water. It was a short flight back to the village and the place I chose was far enough off the trail that I would be undisturbed when I decided to build a home there.
I named the slimy little thing that came from the egg Sparrow.
It was hard enough to write the last bit. Writing this point shall truly be torture, but Cassiopeia is certain it will help. Given what she represents now I know she is only trying to help me and perhaps she is right, but I need time before I am comfortable writing about Sparrow. So I shall focus on the others first. Cassiopeia in particular. If there is some spite felt in my writing it is because she has been hovering over me for ten days now. Thankfully she is wise enough to not try and read what I write in this book. Or perhaps I should say she is compassionate enough.
Cassiopeia is the third in the line of Griffon Royalty under one of my brothers. In truth for the life of me I do not even recall which one it was. Probably Ignis, he was the most prolific of us all. In any event even at my age I can feel the blood boil a little when she is around, there has never been such a radiant beauty before my eyes, that came close to matching hers. Tawny gold and silver coloration, perfect form poise and the voice that could cause a dragon to weep. Had I met a Griffoness of even half her beauty in my younger days, I would likely have had enough chicks by now to form my own Aerie.
Of course I am far too old for that sort of thing now, something I am sure Cygnus is deeply glad of with how much she dotes on me.
Cygnus is the Griffon male that Cassiopeia has chosen for her mate. I am unsure what she sees in the black colored surly beast. Though I will admit I do like him as well, though I am not sure fully why. He is a deeply scarred bird, a soldier, though most of his wounds have come in fighting others off who wished to take Cassiopeia from him. Despite his desire to keep her all to himself, and really who could blame him, he was quite the giving individual. Between the two of them during the Black Harvest they saved a great many lives by simply giving up what they had to others. Cassiopeia has nothing left that marked her as Royalty and Cygnus has nothing at all but his spear, armor, and wife.
Despite this they are quite happy. They are building a small home not far from mine, set in a cliff face over the sea. I prefer something closer to the ground as I cannot fly as I used to so there was little aid I could offer them. It will be interesting to see the iconic warrior attempting to farm however.
At the very lest he knows how to fish, and although I am getting a bit sick of it at this point, I still welcome that he would give up some of his hard caught food to me, I would likely have starved by now without it.
============================================================== Journal entry 5. 12 days after the Black Harvest.
Warpick and Caestus........
Those two are something. One is a pure white unicorn stallion and the other a pure black unicorn stallion. Supposedly they are twins of some sort and that they occasionally seem of one mind in their conversations does not help alleviate their oddness. It also doesn't help that they some times finish what the other was saying.
Though I would not put that past Caestus trying to be funny. I have yet to understand Pony humor, though his brother thinks he is a riot.
These two have been neighbors of mine for years, they practically grew up with Sparrow. And I expect Warpick may have had feelings for her as it seems he has taken her passing just as hard as me. I would like to speak with him personally, but he has buried himself in busy work as I have and does not have the time to come out this way much. Both he and his brother are attempting to restore their village right now. The little sea town was spared the worst of the Black Harvest, though even the plant life in the sea rose up and many of the villages boats and fisher ponies were lost.
The white stallion is usually silent, and his brother has taken to adding a great deal of length to his brothers words as if trying to pick up the slack. The black stallion is a very chatty male, though often his words bring some sort of mirth or amusement, as if he is trying to distract everyone from the trying times. I will admit he has even managed a small smirk from me as I am now the last time he visited.
Warpick however is who you speak with if you want an unfiltered and blunt view of something. He is very practical and honest and was the one who dug Sparrows grave despite our injuries on the day we returned.
I haven't the heart to tell him she no longer resides in it.
=========================================================== Journal entry 6. 13 days after the Black Harvest.
I suppose I cannot put this off any longer. I must speak of my daughter Sparrow. I raised her from a hatchling playing the single panicked father to a T. No one had any clue on how to raise a Mer and I had only the vaguest idea of how to raise a Griffon chick. Many mistakes were made and I think I learned more about the Mer than any one else has ever though simple trial and error.
Sparrow was built much like a pony, albeit a bit thinner and with a long fluked lower body rather than rear legs. She was a spell caster as well, much like a Unicorn. She never learned to walk, she went straight from crawling to floating herself around with her magic at age three. She had a long sapphire blue mane and her scaled form was silvery white, her eyes were a reddish amber coloration that made them look like gold, and while she was rather thin she was also quite large from nose to tail tip she stretched nearly two griffon lengths.
I tried to train her in magic as best I could, though Griffon spells are quite different from pony spells, and no where near Mer spells. While she managed to make somethings I taught her work, she figured most of what she knew out on her own, as no Unicorn from the village would teach what they thought of as a monster.
She was no monster..... I was closer to a monster than she was, but ponies often take things at face value and to them, my sweet young Sparrow looked like a monster, and so she was. Warpick and Caestus some how ignored this and became friends with her, despite their parents desires to stay away from this place.
I would like to think it was enough, and I treated the two colts as if they were my family as well and for sixteen years, I was the happiest I think I had ever been.
================================================ Journal entry 7. 3 weeks after the Black Harvest.
The Black Harvest. The event that changed everything for everyone.
Accounts of what started it vary, but all accounts blame the Unicorns. Were there any kingdoms left to fight I expect all the Unicorns might be hunted down and killed. As it is they are shunned from most settlements and a few darker groups are offering bounties on their horns. Unicorns were always in two types, peaceful scholars and warrior mages. Mages are much harder to kill, with their numbers already decimated most unicorns are falling back from the lands creating their own safe places further north. Caestus and Warpick have considered leaving as well. They have had a few encounters with those seeking bounties already. Unfortunately for the hunters, neither of the brothers are scholars.
I have been told what happened by Cassiopeia and Cygnus, the pair claim to have been within sight of ground zero, and I have no reason to doubt them. My brothers tended to build their kingdoms near pony settlements for trading, or ponies built near them for the same reason.
The nearest settlement to Cassiopeia's aerie was a primarily unicorn one. From what she told me the Unicorns there were trying to find a way to get crops to grow and harvest themselves, thus cutting the need for Earth Pony labor entirely. What they managed to do however was to develop crops with enough sentience to realize what they were being told to do and to take offense to it. The battle in the city took weeks, every time the Unicorns deployed some magic to deal with the rampant plant life, the plants evolved defenses against them. Soon weed killer, fire , ice and numerous other spells wouldn't work. The plants developed poisons, exploding seed pods, tendrils that would whip fast enough to cut through stone and thorns like swords.
Ponies tire and need to sleep and eat. Plants have the sun the soil and the rains. They need not gather anything. The city was over run in a month with all the inhabitants dead or fled. The plant life started growing from there. Some became mobile, taking the shapes of beasts and ponies and marching from the city like soldiers. Every where they went they infected other plant life with their magic. Whole forests were out to kill those that had preyed on them, farm lands became battlefields and that which ponies needed to live now tried to kill them.
The plants didn't seem content to simply go after herbivores. Anything they considered an animal was a target, whole species of animals were wiped out, Griffons and Dirt Dogs were targeted, the Black Harvest spread out to consume everything.
We were some of the last to know about it. An isolated fishing village on the far side of the Eastern mountains? We rarely had news from outside the coast. However Cassiopeia knew of me from her father and sought me out with Cygnus. It was from her that we learned of the threat. The poor little chick thought I could do something about it myself. It seems her father had filled her head with tales of the great Tamberlane with untold skill and power at his command.
He never explained what those powers were to her though. Which was for the best or she would have likely gone elsewhere.
Journal entry 8. 3 and a half weeks after the Black Harvest.
I suppose I should clarify what I am.
It has occurred to me that I may not be the one reading this at a later time and if I finally give in to my darkness I do not wish everyone to think I was always this way.
I am a Griffon of course. Now the bearer of an artifact based on devotion, on loyalty to be exact, but I am also a necromancer.
Still your tongue before you pass judgment. I am not the sort that brings the dead back to life simply for my own amusement and power, I do not craft abominations. I am closer to a Chirugeon than some defiler of crypts.
My teacher called it White Necromancy. It is more the power to heal than anything else. Fatal wounds can be reduced to things that can be survived, severed limbs can be reattached and in extreme cases life can be restored to the dead.
The last is what I have been trying to do with Sparrow. I have placed her body in perfect timeless riposte in my basement, though returning the dead to life has never been my strongest power.
The primary difference between a White Necromancer and the foul necrophiliacs that most encounter is permission. The White Necromancer will ask the dead to aid him, the Black necromancer will order the dead to do what he says.
I can still speak with Sparrow, though each day she grows fainter as I fight to restore life to her form.
There is no point in recording the times any more. A new king has risen as as I predicted the ABH tag on the time has been all but forgotten. I will say it has been three months now.
I reread my last entry before I started again so I would recall where to pick up. I do not recall writing some of those things. It seems age is catching up to me.
Cassiopeia, Cygnus, Sparrow, Caestus, Warpick, and I were at my home trying to figure out something to do. I wanted nothing to do with an adventure, but the others, including my little Sparrow were dead set on trying to find a way to stop the Black Harvest. The plants were approaching us and several fishing boats from the village had gone missing, news from the few other close villages had gone silent as well. We had no ideas that we could think of to work as we were running out of time.
In the middle of our discussion there was a loud rapping on my door. Rising to answer and unsure of who would come to my home at this hour, I opened the door to find …. nothing.
The stars filled the sky, a full moon gave more than enough light for me to see, but there was no one outside. My claw bumped something as I went out further. Looking down I found a book. It looked brand new as if it had just been bound and treated, the pages still smelled of fresh ink and there were a few smudges, but it was written in perfect flowing Griffonesse script. Looking around again I saw nothing until movement caught my eye and I looked up. Silhouetted against the moon was a large form.
It was decidedly a pony and at first I thought it was a Pegasus, though it also looked as if it had a horn on it's head. I stared after it for a moment as it grew fainter, flying off some where before vanishing into the night. I have no idea what it was I saw, but that book set us on our path. It spoke of powerful artifacts called the Elements of Harmony, as well as where to find them and how they might aid us.
Of course I was skeptical, but the young ones.... the young ones thought it a sign, and since we had no other options we decided to seek these artifacts out.
The quest took us near a month, but the items were exactly where the book said. We had all grown closer on the trip and as such the artifacts easily allowed us to wield them. We realized that we would need to go back to the source of the Black Harvest if we wished to end it however. And so wielding the artifacts we set out back to where it all started our hopes high now that we had a clear way to win.
Attacking the heart of the enemy was not easy, particularly because our foe had no need of sleep, and every blade of grass was a watch dog. Fortunately for us plants have poor eyesight, yes even potatoes, and we flew in. The three Griffons carrying the others. The target was the garden where a massive collection of brambles had grown around a single pear tree, the plant that started the whole thing. We remained in the air, but were assaulted the moment we were spotted, though by that point we had activated the Elements.
What happened next was a wondrous thing, a powerful energy came from the artifacts and swept over everything in a wave removing the sentience from the plant life and acting like some sort of weed killer that swept across the land.
The pear tree however was not one to go without a parting shot. I am still unsure of what it did, but the entire city below us detonated with a sweet cherry like smell.
I was not as nimble in the air as I used to be and carrying Sparrow only made it worse for me. She tried to protect us, i know she did. I saw the shield come up before the shock wave and rubble hit us, but I was unable to remain in the air. I clung to her as I fell hoping to cushion her fall with my own body, but I was suddenly and violently shoved away from her. I was flung upward in to the air and given enough time to correct my fall. Though in those few seconds I watched as time seemed to slow and my little Sparrow was caught in the blast wave and and swept away in the wave of rubble. The others fared better than I did and no one else was injured majorly. It took us some time to find Sparrows body, but by that point we all knew the result, we had felt it.
It's been nearly a year now. Sparrow's body is still in stasis and her voice is barely a whisper to me. She is also no longer the only one in my basement.
The new King is a Pegasus, King Gold or some such bullshit, he himself placed a sizable bounty on all Unicorns, declaring magic illegal. As if he could stop a force of nature, how does he think his damned wings work? In any event I am the only one of the Element Bearers left now. The whole town...... The ponies they grew up with, friends and family, ones whom they stayed and helped.......the traitors.....
The towns folk formed a mob and killed Caestus and Warpick. They had soldiers of the king with them, mercenaries as well. The towns ponies had lead them right to the brothers and stayed around jeering and celebrating the soldiers as they attacked. The bastards were not even willing to do their own dirty work. Cygnus and Cassiopeia tried to help their friends only to be struck down by the Pegasus Guard as well.
I arrived to late to save them.
I did not however, arrive to late to avenge them.
I do not recall ever having used that much power before in my life, but use it I did, a black wave of energy that stole the breath from anything it touched burst from my rage fueled form in a wave sweeping over the landscape around me.
And I made sure it touched everything.
I left the bodies to rot and be feasted on by the gulls, bringing back only my friends to lay them along side Sparrow. I healed their wounds and made their bodies whole. I listened to their spirits as I failed to restore them.
But I heard something else as well. Something wonderful.
Sparrow's voice, it was clear and strong once again. The sound uplifted me and I found I had energy I had not felt in years.
I knew I had finally given in to the darker side of my powers. The spell I had used was called black death, it was a poison cloud that actively sought out living victims. My teacher had taught it to me so that I might counter it. Also it could be directed to focus on one type of creature and thus it was often used to rid a home of termites or roaches. But the use of it.... I cannot recall a feeling this wonderful, like a warm bath on a cold day....
I returned to the village and raised the remaining corpses of the villagers and had them dig their own graves, the gulls were not happy. I did not ask them, as I had been the one to end their miserable lives, but I would not use them as slaves. There were still lines I was unwilling to cross. The soldiers however I had no such reservation and after I made them rip themselves into chunks so that the gulls may eat better. After that bit of petty revenge I searched their gear and their wagons to see what might be of interest. Old adventuring habit's die hard. In my search I found the missive with their orders.
They were part of an order of Knights formed by King Gold whose sole purpose was to gather anything deemed magical in nature and either destroy it or seal it away if the former proved impossible. Their wagon was a treasure trove of artifacts and magical doodads. Nothing that could really help me and the collection of unicorn horns was more disturbing than anything else. I buried the horns with the proper respect due to innocent victims. I also found something that would change everything for me.
A book.
It was a simple tome with a gray covering. When I first looked into it I saw nothing but blank pages. Believing it was a empty journal like this one, I kept it, thinking to fill it when this one was at it's limit. Imagine my surprise when I took the time to look at it closer at home and found that the pages were indeed filled with words. Powerful words. I had come across a spell book of some kind, the likes of which I had never seen.
Reading it I found out many interesting things, spells that I had never heard of, dark abilities and powers that could allow me to destroy kingdoms. Unfortunately nearly all of them would be far out of my grasp as despite my surge, I had not the power to cast them, including one that I desperately wished to be able to cast, a spell that could restore the long dead.
I stared at that spell for days perhaps. I lost all track of time. Here was the answer, a way to bring back Sparrow and the others as well, and I was too weak......
I threw the book away in disgust, mopeing for a time longer before I sighed and rose to recover the grimiore, it was not the books fault I was so pathetic. The book had fallen open on another spell, one that immediately caught my interest. It was a ritual casting of some kind. I studied that spell for longer than I had moped. It required a place to preform it, given the description I knew where one was, I had seen it in my younger days, and I doubted the ruins were gone. The materials would take longer to recover, but if the book was correct the ritual would give me what I desired. The power to bring every one back.
Another year has passed. The land around the village is filled with graves. The king took note of his ponies not returning and sent more larger and larger groups, all of whom fell to my spells, or the soldiers previously sent. I was fortunate that many of the first where also from the same magic hunter group of knights. I collected nearly half the ingredients from their secured wagons in the first few months. The other half I sent a claw full of undead soldiers out after. I was pleasantly surprised to have them bring me the heart of the dragon I needed, at only a loss of a third of what I sent out.
The ruins I remembered were exactly as they had been, though they were surrounded by Trolls now. Foul creatures Remind me a bit of Dirt Dogs, though with longer hair , hideous faces , and by the sun their smell. Still the beasts were of little threat to me and actively seemed to keep away from me as I prepared the ritual.
At first I thought nothing had happened, despite the power rushing over me I felt no differently. I still felt old and as powerful as I was before. Thinking of my failure I set out to return home. Taking to the air however I discovered there had been a change, my flying had grown worse in my old age and I needed to make numerous stops on the trip here, I flew the whole way home without so much as getting winded.
There were other benefits as well, though there was only one that mattered to me. I wasted no time setting everything up and with my new power, for the first time in over three years, breath was drawn into Sparrow's still form.
Things have been interesting since my last entry, I almost forgot I had this journal. I brought back the others and a glorious reunion it was. They were nearly all in shock of course, at least at first until I explained everything to them.
After digesting this for a time Warpick immediately confessed his feelings for Sparrow. I thought it a bit presumptuous, but after seeing her die, and dying himself, now that he had a second chance it was clear he would not pass it up this time.
To my surprise Sparrow admitted her own interest in the unicorn.
I had a bit of a hard time coming to terms with this as I had just gotten her back and I was to give her away again?
Still this was something I had expected had they both lived, and now that they did again I could not help but to be amused by the fact of it.
They were all alive, and happy, that was enough, for now.
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Journal entry 14
Alive and safe were two completely different things. None of them blamed me for what happened to the kings soldiers, nor the village. That was a little odd, I expected Warpick and Caestus to have the most issue. Both of them did fuss about it some but seemed to accept it far sooner than I thought they would. Granted they were betrayed and killed by the same villagers so perhaps they simply got over it quickly.
It was Cygnus though who suggested our path.
As expected from a proper Griffon solider. The King was clearly corrupt and needed to be stopped. If he was out killing and destroying anything he didn't agree with how long before that turned into other things?
We planned to use the Elements of Harmony once again only to find that they no longer responded to any one. Sparrow and I deduced that perhaps they would only work once, in any event they were little more than jewelry to us now.
Given that our new actions were going to be less than harmonious any way, I placed them in a chest that we buried in the yard. Sparrow took a great deal of amusement in making some sort of treasure map and riddle filled tome to find their location before casting the map into the sea in a bottle. With how the Elements worked we figured only some one who was deserving of them would find them again. The book we left in my small library when we left my home for the last time. The map would lead to the book and the book to the Elements.
Packing what little we wished to take we set out to deal with the corrupt king. The spell book that had made this possible was tucked safely in my bags for it I needed it again. For the second time we were off to save the world, with no plan, only a goal.
King Gold had not built his home in the clouds, but so that he could rule more closely over the Earth ponies he had a large sprawling castle built on an island off the coast. A pony made island at that. Quarried stone and iron anchored the whole thing to the seafloor off the coast and only a small bridge connected it to the mainland. Our initial thoughts were to sink the island by destroying the supports, though we realized that doing so would only kill the non Pegasi on the island. The King and his kind could simply fly off.
This would need some thought so we set out to find a place to hide ourselves from the Kings unicorn hunters while we considered.
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Journal entry 15
Something very strange has happened to me and I am unsure how to explain it.
During our travels we ran afoul of some soldiers, not unexpected, but we faced them in a greater number than we were prepared for. We were in danger of being over run, when a voice spoke to me and suggested something ridiculous. At the time I believe I agreed simply because I was out of other options and I refused to let the others be hurt again. The soldiers seemed very intent on killing my companions for some reason, acting as if they were abominations. Given Sparrow and the Unicorns I suppose I could understand their oddly directed rage, though they showed less of a reaction to me.
Casting what seemed to be a simple cantrip, as told to me by the voice, I found that I was surrounded in shadow. Unable to see, my body felt heavy and when I finally had my vision returned I was in an odd place. A field of nothing, dotted with stars and eight great windows of light before me, hovering in the air. Approaching them I peered out and saw the scene I had left, only now I seemed to be flying far above it as I towered over the landscape and even the mountains in the distance. The road far below me was covered in small dots which I soon realized were the soldiers who had accosted us. I moved closer to the window wondering what was going on down there, only for the view to tilt and look down more. I saw an odd fleshy gray mountain span out below me to the ground now, ending in what appeared to be massive draconic claws between webbed toes. Finding I could direct the windows more I looked back at a huge body that stretched back for leagues ending in in a fluked tail, numerous flippers ran down along the things sides and given the odd shape of the windows I deduced the creatures head was much like that of a wright whale.
It took me longer than I care to admit to realize that I had become the monster, that I was controlling it. It took me far less time to take a step forward and obliterate the stunned soldiers.
After testing my form a little more and learning how to become the creature rather than just staring out of it's eyes. I decided to see if I could revert back, and I did so easily. I managed a few steps to check on the others before I was overcome with a sudden wave of exhaustion and collapsed.
I awoke later being tended by Cassiopeia. While the others were as shocked at my change, as was I in fact, they readily offered suggestions and ideas that I had been considering on our mission. Caestus had sketched out an image of what I looked like, and I did appear to be a monumental whale of some kind with a number of flippers and two back legs reminiscent of a Dragons.
I did not feel tired when I was the beast and it was only the transformation back that had given me pause. Perusing the Book I found the description of the spell as well as information on what I had become.
The creature was called a Leviathan, one of three great beasts, According to the book this was the result of the ritual I preformed, but given that I was a Griffon it was odd I had turned into an aquatic monster. I paid it no mind, why I was not the flying beast was pointless, that I had this power was the only thing that mattered. When I was the monster my energy and power was limitless, but when I returned I would be exhausted and weak for quite some time.
This would give us several new options in dealing with King Gold.
It has been several months now and we have come up with a plan. The sea around the castle is littered with the bodies and bones of unicorns and other spell casters. With my new power it would take nothing to raise them and have them sweep over the castles inhabitants like a wave of death. There are a number of creatures living in the castle that would need to be left alone. The Dirt Dogs and some Earth Ponies had taken to tending the land around the castle and some even live on the island. The settlement is still primarily Pegasus, but most of those live in the clouds about the castle, not in the structure itself.
The King dwelt inside the easily fortified structure. We needed to do a bit of spying to make sure of everything. Some how my companions were always spotted when they tried to enter. Griffons, while not common, did exist in the city which made it odd that Cassiopeia and Cygnus were always attacked when they came near the gates. Chocking it up to the magic I used to raise them triggering some sort of alarm I tried my own claw at it and some how made it inside with no issue.
The city was called Machu Picchu, it itself was no different from any other major city I had been too, crowded and foul. There were odd creatures among the others I knew. They called themselves Donkey's or Mules. They were the result of breeding between the Dirt Dogs and the Ponies present. The were quite strong judging from the work I watched a few of them do and seemed to have near limitless stamina. They also were dour and seemed to have little to no sense of humor, though many were rather friendly and content with their lots in life.
It was from them that I learned more of King Gold.
It seemed the King was not well liked among his subjects, but none were willing to argue as it was widely believed that the King had been the one to stop the Black Harvest.
The audacity of this Pegasus, to claim himself the savior and then go and kill the ones who had truly saved the world. My anger was such that I felt my self start to change, but I kept it in check as I left the city to rejoin my comrades. There was planning to do.
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Journal entry 17
The King is dead, long live the King.
Honestly I am not entirely sure how the plan worked. But the six of us managed to make it into the throne room and remove the head of the King. The Pegasus was so petrified at our arrival he could not even think to fly away before we fell on him. Cygnus struck the killing blow as the rest of us held off the soldiers.
I had set the city swarming with the vengeful spirits and trotting dead that I had called up from the depths. Any resistance was swiftly dealt with and the proclamation of who the real hero was quickly given even as the cloud homes above me burned.
We were not believed of course, the remaining residents of the island had been told this before. I expected in time they would accept it.
The issue was the kingdom itself. It was built from nothing and with no one to rule and govern it would fall to chaos. Not to mention the unicorns that had fled might come back to seek revenge that was not needed. My friends suggested i take the crown, after all had not my brothers ruled their own lands before the Black Harvest? Was I not at least as worthy as them to wear a crown?
I grudgingly accepted and made to rebuild what had been damaged. I let the living go about their lives and forced the harder and dangerous work on the dead. With their revenge quelled they had no use for their bodies and allowed themselves to be used for construction and labor.
Many left the city once I took over. I did not blame them, they likely thought I would destroy them when I felt like it, others stayed, either having no where to go, or too much at stake to pull up and leave.
We masked the undead in full body uniforms and armor to hide their terrible visages they had and kept them as workers. In time more came to live on the island as it began to thrive.
Sparrow was made a Princess and Warpick her consort. When my time was finally over they would rule this place in my stead. And I was once again content with the world.
It seems somethings are not to be. We have been attacked several times by forces claiming to be fighting for the greater good. They have all fallen to the undead armies I have access to, but each time there is more damage to the city and senseless loss of life to the living inhabitants.
Those that are captured for questioning lash back out at me rather than answer my questions. Clearly they are some sort of religious zealots, willing to die before they tell me anything.
The worst thing is that the last attack has weakened the supports of the pony made island, the attackers came from the sea and tried to sink the island by destroying it's support. They were stopped but not before the entire island started to list to one side.
My friends and I gathered trying to think of a solution. It was Sparrow who offered one. We could not flee the island as the attackers could easily pick us off without it's protection. We also could not repair the island with enough speed to stop it's collapse, we had already lost few streets to the failing super structure.
Sparrow suggested I become the Leviathan and carry the city somewhere safer.
The plan was flawed, but I had noticed many of Sparrow and the others suggestions turning darker or obscure as of lately. I thought nothing of it of course, my own thoughts often turned sour from the situation and I assumed the others were the same way.
Still Sparrows idea could work. The world was vast and we could easily leave the monsters behind us. I had a duty to see my friends to a better life. I would not fail them again.
It is done. With a few spells and some rapid construction the city is now safety nestled atop my back. I am headed south to warmer climates.
Headed.......
The damned Ponies can have their blasted lands if they want them that badly.....
what is......
There was word of a war starting between the Unicorns and the Pegasi when we left. That is no longer our problem. Four thousand souls reside in my city. Griffons, Donkeys, a scattering of ponies and the Dogs.
this is.......
I hope to find some where to place the island, but for now it resides comfortably on my back. The islands inhabitants are rebuilding and adding new structures as I am larger than the island used to be.
All wrong.........
Farm land is being prepared on the soil gathered and new towers are being built on the castle. Sparrow has the spells which will allow her to tell me what directions to go as this form would not be able to hear her with normal means.
No, how is she......
It has been a week since I started swimming, keeping a slow unjerking pace to keep the island set perfectly. My magic covers the island, protecting it from any who might attack and keeping the undead workers I have raised mobile and functioning.
Nononononononono nonono..........
It has been getting harder to concentrate like this, doing anything but swimming is taxing. I have placed my power under my daughters control, and any descendants she is to have. She and her husband have yet to bear and eggs , but in time I am sure they will.
This is wrong.....
I hear laughter, but not from any source I can fantom. I suppose it simply means that some one is enjoying their new freedom from conflict a little too much. It sounds like the voice that told me of the Leviathan.... I think.......
mocking laughter..........
How am I writing here? I am carrying the island...... but I can still see the island as if I am on it......? A mirror where is there a mirror?
Don't look, don't look......
What, is that Cassiopeia? Why am I looking out of the eyes of one of my friends?....... Why is she so gaunt? Her fur and feathers patchy and faded.... by the sun... where are her eyes? Are those...... Are those maggots... what is going on!?
She is still writing my words? Why, how? She looks dead.... by the sun...... is she …...... did I save any one? Then who is Sparrow.........
The remaining pages are an obscure jumble of random words, sketches, and ravings as if the writer was descending rapidly into madness before the book ends.
[ Exert from a journal found by a unicorn musician, argued about and translated by a still over eager librarian, and the excitable Princess of Books, over seen by a very weary Queen of Changelings. Translated from ancient Equestrian, ancient Donkey, Neo Modern Donkey, and Neo modern Equestrian, with snippets of Griffonease, Sea Pony, and Draconic mixed in.
Relevant texts were all that was translated as much of the book and the three earlier volumes spoke of nothing but growing up as a prince with everything you would ever need and one entire book in the series was noting but a documentation and crude drawings of a variety of females asses and anatomy.]
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[ Relevant entry one.]
It's good to be king.
No no,I take that back, it's good to be PRINCE, it sucks to be king.
Of course after my fathers untimely, accidental, beheading,...of sorts, I got to find out first hoof how much being a king really sucks.
You can't just do what ever the buck you want simply because you want to do it. There's politics and paper work to do. I actually have to work for a living now. I can't simply go off wenching any more. Of course now I can order the wenches to me, but I’ve been too tired for any of the 'ole in and out' lately.
That's mostly because the damn island is bucking sinking.
Granted this isn't new, the island has been going down like a ship with a hole in it for a while now, my father just hid it well. The old fart probably figured no one would notice until after he retired then it would be some one elses problem....like mine.
Thanks a lot dad.....jackass.... if you weren’t already dead I’d kill you.
Still it's my job now to figure out what's going on with this frakking fish and why the guardians have been dormant for generations now. I was never the scholarly sort unless what I was studying interested me. History has always been boring as buck.
Still I often find that writing things down helps me focus, as does making a list of what I have at my disposal.
One, a slowly sinking fish island that has been swimming slightly to the left for ten decades now.
Two, a bunch of immobile guardians who won't listen to any one and only occasionally go out and do repairs on the older structures of the kingdom, some times destroying the newer buildings to do so.
Three, a massive library full of books.
Four, full access to the tomb of the Corpse Princess and her entourage. Here's a hint: there ain't shit there, and those five just sit on the stone thrones and stare at you with empty sockets or dead eyes. Places is creepy as fuck.
And finally five, my rugged good looks and charm. Which also mean nothing right now.
This whole place is fraked.
All hail King Bray, sinker of the kingdom of Tamberlane.......
Great epitaph there, I should write that down... oh wait, I did!
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[ Journal entry’s that follow involve the quest to play 'hide the sausage' with a attractive maid and nothing else of note]
So I finally found what I needed to do and I can’t bucking do it! The island is controlled by the descendants of Tamberlane, evidently the old bird cast the spell after he became an island. The problem is, that no matter how much you fuck a corpse it's not going to produce a kid....... don't ask how I know that. The Corpse Princess and Prince Cadaver or what ever the buck their names were were long dead before Tamberlane killed King Gold, and despite what he thought they stayed that way during his two hundred year rule.
Great story for the history books there, the first king built this place then was killed by a half dead old bird who thought the corpses he was walking around with were still his living friends. Despite his madness Tamberlane was probably one of the best rulers this place had, the bucker even sacrificed himself to save the island from being destroyed.
Of course after a few years as a fish his mind went and hes no better than a brain dead husk at the moment slowly sinking into the water and taking the island he saved with him.
Alright calm down... lets look at this objectively. His daughter couldn't have been of his blood as she was a Mer. So likely she was adopted. The spell was supposedly set to her bloodline, which would have been impossible as the damn griffon couldn't have known her bloodline, plus she was a corpse at the time so the magic would have gone after intent rather than fact..
Necromancy isn't one of my fields of expertise, not like that matters as this island is one of the only places in the world where a Necromancer can practice in retaliative peace. Granted if they cause too much issue the undead protectors of the island rise and rip them apart. It's happened twice in my life time. Some how the rules usually work well here. With the war between the ponies starting and the numerous Zebra's trying to flee their homeland for some reason, immigrants to the island are common. If you die here you body becomes property of the Kingdom and we often sell it to the visiting Necromancers or just let it rise to be wrapped up and become anew guardian. No one forgot that damn tradition. Of course that makes graveyards moot and it means we have to keep expanding the catacombs below the city. We've burrowed into the fish by now, only the stone work keeps the flesh from closing back up.
There was mention of a Gray Grimiore in some of the tomes that gave many of the spells to Tamberlane, but that book was no where to be found, after six hundred years that's not much a surprise.
I need to find a necromancer to consult on this, one that won't be missed when I have to kill them. I can't let the knowledge that I have no control of the island get out.
Well that was very informative as well as very beneficial to me. Finding a necromancer was easy, finding one that would not be missed was not as easy. Finding a necromancer that was also a smoking hot zebra mare, who I would fuck the stripes off of given half the chance was a surprise.
Hinao was quite the find. She's brilliant, sexy, rather powerful, exotic with red stripes rather than black, and figured out the answer I needed. Did I mention she was sexy?
Any way it seems Tamberlane's spell couldn't attach to a blood line, like I thought, What it attached to was the Princesses race. Basicly to be able to control the island one needed to be Mer or of Mer decent.
While I have stuck my dick into the occasional fishy delicacy that came up to trade or what ever they were here for, there were not any living on the island itself.
Still with some of the things I had found in the archive I had an idea. I needed to find a Mer and I needed to learn advanced necromancy.
I decided to hire on Hinao rather than silence her. It was cheaper in the long run, and I could always kill her later. Until then I put her in a 'official' court outfit for her new station. The skimpy little bit of clothing she had to wear now just made it all the more fun to watch her flank as she walked. I am definitely gonna tap that before I’m done, whether it's still able to move on it's own or not.
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Journal entrys that follow are little more than the occasional note on certain spell combinations, successes and failures by Bray to flirt and try to bed Hinao, and the occasional mention of a failed search for a Mer. It is assumed that at least a few years pass during these entries. The Queen of Changelings oversaw reading these passages to prevent the necromantic knowledge within from being studied by the Princess of Books. Despite her protests that it would be educational. The Librarian wisely steered clear of the argument.
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Relevant entry 4
Finally, my scouts found something. The island is currently passing a small out cropping of rock jutting from the sea. It might have once been a volcano or something of the like, but there is a small settlement on it, mostly composed of Rams. Nothing of note really save most Rams remain as far inland as they could, making this group either a group isolated by the others or just an oddity. It also had what I was after.
On the far side of the island from the village was a single small farm at the waters edge. A couple lived there and wouldn't you know it, one of them was of course a fucking ram, but the other was a Mer.
I ordered her capture and the Ram's execution if he resisted. The island had gotten lower in the last few years and I was desperate to fix it before my subjects decided that King Bray was just as ineffective as his dad and separate my body into segments.
I've done all I can to stave off any naysayers, but my time is limited and hopefully I can hold them off long enough to show results.
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Relevant entry 5
Of course it could never be easy.
The Ram resisted as did the Mer, they got the whole damn island involved.
Well now there's not a fucking Ram on the island any more and we have more bodies for the necromancers of course, but that was a great waste of my power. I'm also going to have to quickly setup a cover up to explain why an island we passed now has a population of zero. Some abuse of power is to be expected, but killing a whole town is not one of them. Some story of a natural disaster should be easy to set up. Undead don't talk so they won't hear anything from my soldiers and if I poison the well before any one goes to check it out no one will be the wiser, and in a week we'll be out of range of the island before any one can look closer.
Despite her injuries I have the Mer. Of course now the hard part comes. Do I trust Hinao enough to let her cut me open to put an organ or two from the Mer in so I can control the island? It's not like I can do it myself.
Hehe it would be a interesting joke that a female put something inside me for a change.
Still we will have to wait. The Mer is pregnant and Hiano says that will screw with her blood and organs. She needs to be kept alive until at least a few weeks after the child is born. Figures, I’m this close to finally getting control of the damn island and I’m stopped because my target has to pop out a kid.
Still this gives me another idea. One that will involve far less pain on my part with the same result.
It's likely high time I had a foal of my own to foist all this mess off onto when I want to retire. Of course I made sure my appetites couldn't be used against me a long time ago, so while the weapon is always ready, it's little soldiers are unarmed.
Shards that was a bad analogy for my cock and balls.
In any event I might be able to set something up here. If I make Hiano my queen it'll cement a few ties with some factions and it's not as if she seems to care about who else I fuck so long as she has access to the castle library. An adopted foal on top of that will be more than enough to stall my doom long enough for the child to learn to control the island. This might work out after all.
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A number of entries involve an investigation from the city council and some of Bray's advisers in regards to the island, though nothing of note was listed.
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Relevant entry 6
Well this is a sharding mess. The Mer died in childbirth, the bodies useless to me now. I have scouts looking for another Mer, but I doubt I’ll see any anytime soon, my luck is not that good after all.
Still I wasn't expecting an egg.
We're trying to figure out how to hatch it now, though it seems I know more than most simply due to Tamberlane's notes, quite a lot of the incoherent ramblings that were the last part of his book had to do with hatching a Mer egg and it's care.
There's stranger things going on as well. The last ship that came by brought with it information from the outside world. There's reports of things calling themselves gods appearing in the Zebralands. So far this has caused a number of tribal wars to break out and quite a few splintering factions. The 'Gods' have displayed massive amounts of power and seem unkillable.
While this has my interest I am wary of any creature calling itself a God. Tamberlane was oft considered a God as he showed he too was nigh unkillable, but now he's a brain dead fish with an kingdom glued to his back.
Powerful individuals do not gods make. Proper Gods can see, know, and do anything. They do not lose their minds, bother to enslave lesser races, or fight over territory. There are no gods, just those that are god like.
While I wouldn't mind being the latter I will pass on ever trying to attain true godhood. It sounds too much like being a King, and I’ve had my fill of that.
The only other thing of note about the report is the description of the self proclaimed gods. Zebra's with red stripes and small crystal horns.
I think I might need to check on Hinao's little circlet the next time we have some fun. It would be a massive stroke to my ego to find I’ve been bedding and ordering about a 'GOD.'
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Journal entry 35- 42 are filled with more observations of various mares asses, details on the short wedding and numerous mentions of certain nobles and advisers getting on Bray's nerves.
==============================
Relevant entry 7
Consider my ego stroked.
The little red striped Zebra is indeed what her race calls a god. Seems these Gods all can live forever, recover from any wound nearly instantly and they all have one super potent power attached to them. Hinao's is she can speak with the dead. Not particularly useful as that's one of the first spells a Necromancer learns, but she doesn't have to preform the spell, nor specify the undead. She also doesn't have to barter with them or run the risk that she'll be lied to so while rather weak, it's useful.
Really it is quite impressive, though I’m more amused by the fact that even as I grow old, that fine ass of hers will remain firm and fun to watch.
She came here to study more on necromancy and lets face it with who founded this island there’s no better spot in the world, she didn't expect to gain the position she has however. Still so long as she remains loyal, or at least listens to what I say, I’ve no reason to end her. Or if she really is immortal seal her up in a wall forever, or one of the old stone caskets in the lower flooded levels.
While that was interesting news there is of course more. The egg has hatched and …. well, the what ever he is seemingly healthy.
He looks just like a Ram with grayish blue fur. He's got a tiny stubby pair of black horns on his head, he has cloven hooves that have a bit of webbing between them and small patches of inky black scales around his joints. He also has small fangs and smells horrid.
I named him Grogar after my grandfather, he smelt like shit most of the time too.
His birth brought a great deal of pressure off the crown, I made no secret of my attempts to find a way to fix the island and tying the small.. what was it Hinao had called him?
Ah yes.
….............Tying the tiny little Capricorn to the way to fix the island worked quite well. My subjects were curious, but excited none the less. It helped that when Grogar hatched the island changed directions in a sudden shift, adding validity to my claim.
Of course there's more, and it's why I’m writing this all in various languages. I know Hinao can read Pony, Zebra, and Donkey language, but she's had to ask help for Dog and Griffon before, so I’m mixing this up with some of those and a bit of draconic, cause I’m a genius. Taking so many language lessons when I was young has paid off, and in more ways then just charming exotic females.
Speaking of which my encounter with a visiting sailor who was looking for a good time paid out in more than just a little bit of Griffon booty.
We had slipped into a back door to the catacombs to avoid notice and we hadn't found a room we just started going at it when I decided I couldn't just watch that tail before me any more.
Any way when I pinned her to the wall she must have hit something cause a section of stone fell away to show another chamber. She didn't seem to notice, and I didn't slow up enough for her to pay any attention. After our fun I sent her away and returned down there to see what had opened.
The chamber opened into a burial chamber I hadn't seen before. One for King Idosif I read the runes right. The first king of the island after Tamberlane and my great, to the however much six hundred years adds up to, grandfather.
Any way so I raided the place naturally. The gold and jewels were useless , but I did find a book sealed in the tome with him. It was old and worn and many of the pages were unintelligible. But from what I did read I found it was a spell book. One copied from the original spell book of King Tamberlane.
It wasn't everything of course, as the King had guarded the Gray Grimiore fervently from any one elses eyes until he became a whale, then the book simply vanished. But for some reason Tamberlane saw fit to copy a few dozen spells into this side book.
I skimmed over the book realizing the power that this could grant me. Potent spells that would draw from the well of power around me rather than my own power. Spells to create sentient undead and super powerful monsters.
Power that could kill a god if she got out of line.........
Hinao couldn't be allowed to find this book.
I tucked it away in the crypt and returned to copy it as best I could before age and being removed from a sealed tome brought about it's crumpling ruin. Still I had a book full of vicious spells now, as well as the skill to use them thanks to Hinao.
I hate being a father. I like the act of making babies of course, but not dealing with them. He's whiny, clingy, and cries all the time and when he's bitchy the island reacts. So we have to do our best to keep him happy or bad shits gonna happen.
He seems attached to Hinao at least. She can usually calm him down. When he's calm he's alright , almost cute with the puffy fur of an infant. I'm sticking close, but I’m letting Hinao and the maids deal with the day to day. I simply show up to play with him or talk with him, trying to imprint on him that I'm his father and he should obey me. When he gets older that will be important. If he has his own ideas he could yank the island out from under me, so I'm being soft touch with him, trying to get him to care for me more than fear me.
Of course a healthy dose of fear is needed as well, but not enough that hes scared of me.
Despite my best attempts my subjects are starting to catch on that I'm not the one really in control of the island, but I'm the one in control of the one in control.
This has put me in the spotlight more than I like. Everyone is keeping tabs on both myself and the new prince, making sure I’m raising him right and sticking with the marriage so as not to upset a happy family. Makes having a bit of fun that much harder for me. I still do mind you, but it's usually after I have to waste the energy to use a 'friends' or 'charm' spell and then suggest that they forget after ward. Strangely the thrill of not getting caught and 'charming' some one who would normally not be subject to my usual skills has been rather fun.
Still I can't over do it. Hinao has noticed I've been using a spell or two she didn't teach me and has been questioning where I learned it. I've kept my find a secret so far, but I’ve got to be careful. That Zebra will read anything, she knows to leave my journal be, particularly since I’ve put a locking spell on it, but that has to be renewed every few weeks or it fades. Still there’s a particular spell in the book that I am thinking of trying. A way to exstend your life by the ending of some one elses.
A number of journal entries are missing, the pages looking to be torn out. On some of the scraps that were left there are hints that the lost pages were simply antidotes about mares and Grogar growing up and the passage or years . The librarian and Princess of Books had five minutes of silence for the tattered book. Every one else just let them do what they wanted at this point.
Hinao is dead. I have no idea how I manged to pull it off , the mare shrugged off spells that would have melted a mountain.
Found out she had been planning to take over the island, had started plotting behind my back, teaching Grogar to hate me, teaching him the necromancy she knew, things about her people and what I had done to his birth family.
Honestly I'm rather lucky in that regard, seems Grogar was smart enough to realize her part in it as well.
I think.
Grogar has been odd since he was about six and it's only gotten worse the last ten years. He displays little to no sense of empathy seeing everyone as mere objects to slake his curiosity rather than actual living beings. His first kill was a pet bird I brought him when he was seven. Within a day he had taken it apart to study and catalog it's innards. He's done the same with clocks and other objects and even some of the undead that he could claim. As far as I know he had not done so with any thing living larger than animals, but I might be wrong seeing as what Hinao could have been teaching him.
When he was twelve he started watching how everything around him worked, relationships , chains of command, finances. He'd seen how the objects in the world worked, now he seemed to be studying how they interacted.
Looking back now, I don't know if he planed it or not, she might not have even been conspiring against me. Grogar might have simply wanted to see what happened if I thought she was. When I confronted her she denied it, though when I pressed she pressed back, the fight escalated from there and I let loose with one of the spells I had saved, the whole top of the castle was blown apart, as was Hinao.
Not that I got off any better, the explosion dropped the stonework atop of me and the left side of my bodies pretty fucked up.
Grogar's sixteen now, so he's been poking his nose into politics. I've got a couple of advisers helping him out while he holds his own court while I’m laid up. Word of how Hiano was attempting a coup has spread rather quickly. So I’ve got a back up story for my actions.... or he does at least.
The kids really starting to terrify me. He fixed the island, fixed the Guardians, and fixed a few other issues I didn't even know we had with the power Tamberlane is giving him. He's started showing signs of duel magic as well. Sometimes his magic is sickly yellow, sometimes it's black. I'm not sure which is his and which is the islands.
My own studies have allowed me to tap into the islands power a little, I feel why it attracts so many necromancers, but not everything I could do with it.
Well least I have more time to study that book now. Plus the nurse is this cute little unicorn mare........
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Numerous journal entries of pain and mares asses.
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Relevant journal entry 10
So it's a little worse than I thought.
My subjects are starting to go missing. Nothing major, just a few here and there. Various races, various genders and ages. It looks like the work of a rogue necromancer. In truth this is probably the most normal thing that has happened lately. Some spell singer goes power mad and starts collecting bodies for study.
Grogar's already got my soldiers looking into it.
Right now none of that's my issue. My issue is due to the damage from that wall falling on me , I’m not likely to ever walk again, my spines bucked up as well as my legs. Worst of all, I can't get it up any more no matter how much that nurse was sucking.
My life’s over...
Although.
My mind is drifting back to that spell I was going to use when i caught Grogars birth mother. Something he still doesn't seem to care about. The kids not even upset over Hinao's death. He was more upset there wasn't much left of her corpse for him to dissect.
He's a smart kid but scary, still I can use this. I'd need to out cold for all the work I would need to be preformed. I still don't trust most of my subjects and the few I do, don't have the power. Grogar could have killed me but he didn't and fixing me might be of more interest to him than killing me. I've pointed out all the books with the relevant info in them for him and he's studying them now.
This is a risk to go under the knife with him holding it like this, but it's either this or retire and be a lump of flesh doing nothing but playing out my glory days in my head.
I'll take the risk.
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Relevant Journal entry 11
I don't know what that little shit did to me, but I know it hurts, a lot.
I'm cured, my legs and dick work again and I’m pretty sure that it's bigger than before too... I picked a good donor before I went under. I am not so thrilled that my spine and two of my legs were part of Hinao. In fact I’m pretty sure he replaced more parts than he needed to.
Still rather than be a lopsided mess, my new parts are adjusting, changing to match what they should be. He grafted something into my skull as well, pretty sure it's Hinao's horn. It looks like a bright bit of red crystal. No idea how to work it though I can kinda feel something.
I can feel the island now too, much more clearly than I could before. I've got no control over it, but I think the power it has is the only thing keeping me alive. I'm more corpse than Donkey now really.
Grogar has the book I found. He demanded to know where I learned the spell that I used to kill Hinao and I told him. I didn't have a choice, he asked and the words simply came out. I tried to fight off a second command and the little bitch shut off my lungs and let me suffer not being able to breath for a while.
He put me back on the throne as King and had me use my soldiers or the undead he made to capture my subjects. He's got me going out at night and snatching up my subjects bringing them back to be experimented on and dissected. He has great interest in any race he hasn't cut open before and I’ve been forced to raid islands we pass for new creatures.
There were nearly sixteen thousand inhabitants of this island living in the city and the outlying farms along the shore. Many of them tried to leave, only a few made it however before he put a shield up around the whole island, he then started killing who ever he wanted to use for parts. He built monsters with the parts and had them go after those still living here.
I think... I think there's maybe a hundred left, down in the cells,in hiding, in various stages of being pulled apart for parts, or to see what makes them tick. He's used me a few times as well, adding bits and pieces as he sees fit. He seems some what annoyed that while I gain the benefits of the limbs or organs he attaches there's no real sign that he's done anything. I don't change from looking like a Donkey. He mentioned something last time about the spell he used to revive me being the cause though he wouldn't say what it was.
He's let me be for a few months now , busy with toying with the last of the islanders, raising an army of undead. I suppose I’m only still alive as long as I’m useful.....
Was he always like this? Or did Hinao teach him to be like this?
Either way there nothing left but shambling corpses.
I better stop writing just in case he ever finds this and reads it.
“ By my sisters multi colored tail Twilight, will you calm the buck down!” Luna growled having reached her limit with the excitable Princess of Books at least two hours ago.
“But there's so much here! There's books I’ve never even seen before!” Twilight whined.
“Twilight look! Trixie found a book on pearl farming in the nineteenth century! Written by an actual pearl farmer.” Trixie stated loudly, though she sheepishly ducked back behind a shelf at Luna's glare.
“Trixie you are not helping. In case the pair of you forgot we are looking for useful information to get us out of here. While those two journals were informative they do not aid in our escape.” Luna sighed.
“What about one that describes the worms around our horns?” Lyra stated flatly looking up from a book she held.
“Yes that would be a good first step if we found a book like that.” Luna admits before blinking and looking back at Lyra. “ Did you find one or was that just a suggestion?”
“I think so. I haven't found anything on the worms yet but this seems to be a series of books detailing various creatures of the island. So it's got to be in one of them.” Lyra trotted over setting the book on the table as the others crowd around it.
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[Examination log 27. ]
King Tamberlane
While there are numerous topographical and even maps of the underside of the six finned whale like creature that was formerly known as King Tamberlane, few have bothered to delve any deeper than that.
The island itself is six miles by six miles with little to no erosion since the data was first recorded. Many of the buildings are anchored into the very flesh of the creature and it's hard outer skin is much like bed rock. From the earliest data it is clear that the creature has been growing and is now nearly three times the size it was when it first took the city on it's back.
Aside from the main castle and the tombs and basements underneath there is also the town surrounding the castle, a number of docks on all sides of the island and at least a mile of farmland before one comes across the black sand beach. The 'sand' is actually gathered shed skin from the leviathan mixed in with the usual dead lifeforms, and rock fragments that make up regular beach sand. I have toyed with the idea of making the sand itself into some sort of creature, but I have yet to figure out how to filter the dead creatures from the simple rock. Interesting in theory, but not useful.
The creature itself is quite literally brain dead. It does not eat, sleep, or defecate, yet it will swim in the direction and speed I wish. What ever King Tamberlane used to be he is little more than a mindless beast now.
The flesh of the beast itself can be tunneled through and indeed many tombs and castle basements go down well past the point of of the creatures flesh. The issue with this is that the tissue regrows quite rapidly. This has suited many necromancers purposes as the flesh and bone can be harvested and worked into golems or a variety of undead. I have been experimenting with this for quite some time now and in the absence of fresh bodies these items are a more than adequate substitute.
The creature radiates easily ten thousand sievert in necromantic energy, this is enough to kill and reanimate any lesser lifeforms that comes with in the radius of it's influence. The oddity in this is that the sphere of effect around the creature is quite varied. Near the end of it's tail the radius is barely half a mile, the same can be said of points near it's head. The result is that the sphere of influence of the magic only extends a half a mile , to a mile when the flippers are extended, in any cardinal direction. The island itself however is covered both two miles above and below the main body. It is less a sphere of influence and more like a pillar.
For those of the necromantic persuasion this means increased power as well as ease of animating corpses and other darker arts. For me it means I can utilize the full power of the creature to do any sort of magic I wish. Long ago I set up a shield that can easily be activated and powered soly by the islands magic. It appears as a sickly yellow color as opposed to my own black energy and Bray's gray tinged red colored magic.
My hypothesis is the heart of the creature is the real source of the islands power. I had considered carving my way down there to see, but that may finally end the creature and it is too useful as is.
Perhaps after I take over some sizable land mass I may investigate further once Tamberlane is of no further use to me.
“An old unit of measurement based in terms of inch and feet. Trixie read some where that that form of measurement was called imperial and was primarily created by ancient Diamond Dogs. A mile is approximately point two nine leagues. “ Trixie added in. “An inch is one forth an apple and a foot is approximately three apples. “
“Weird.” Lyra admitted.
“Allow me to tell you about the metric system someday.” Twilight chuckled.
“While that was informative that did not have anything that would help us. “Luna commented “ Though it does make me feel slightly better that when we destroy this place we shall not be killing anything that will feel pain. “Luna added.” I profess to feel a small bit of kinship with the Griffon Tamberlane. Under appreciated for his efforts and doing the wrong thing for the right reasons.”
“Yes well, lets see what else we have here...... Earth pony male, Earth pony female.........Pegasus...... Horned Mer....... Island Dead?” Twilight questioned as she flipped through the book.
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[Examination log 31. ]
Island Dead.
There is a interesting phenomena associated with any creatures made out of the islands flesh and energy. While they behave and act as ordered they are … different. Some of them develop odd quirks or personalities. Sometimes they even develop into copies of actual dead individuals. A ghost I created on a whim as a test to spy on Bray as he wandered the island during the first years after my take over eventually became what Bray saw as the ghost of Hinao. The ghost had no memories of the time Hinao shared with me, but it seemed to know everything Bray knew about Hinao, and was less than thrilled that he killed her.
A test with a captured sailing vessel proved the effect to work on more than ghosts, Zombies created with the islands flesh formed into dead loved ones and friends of the ships crew, driving them quite mad before they were finally finished off.
It seems that the dead created of the islands flesh or by using the islands magic have a passive ability to absorb the memories of the living nearby to mimic the deceased.
This has proven far more than advantageous in several situations and invasions. It also shows that Bray still has enough life left in him to set off the islands effects.
========================================
“Well that makes a lot more sense than Platinum actually being a spirit here.” Luna stated.
“If any of you tell Octavia this bit of information I will find a way to.... to do something not nice......” Lyra snarled suddenly and in a much tone darker than any of them had heard from her before.
“What?” Trixie nearly yelped, though the Princess and Queen simply looked on curiously.
Lyra flattened her ears to her head glancing back at the door.
“Look Tavi is a friend, and before this she's been having a real struggle with how she views herself compared to Platinum. Since that duel she's sorta gone back to how she used to be. It's been a while since I saw her smile like that and if we tell her what she fought was just something in her own mind or our minds or what ever shes gonna start doubting herself again.” Lyra explained. “We do not need that, I’m just glad she's not close enough to hear any of this.”
“Makes sense.” Twilight shrugged going back to the book.
“Indeed.” Trixie stated.
“I do understand that Lyra but I would think you should not have a need to threaten us.” Luna commented.
“Yeah sorry.... it's just super important is all. Tavi actually helped me find a job playing after I retired from the Guard and I never really had a chance to pay her back.” Lyra muttered.
“It's fine, trust me I understand the lengths others go to for friends.” Twilight sighed.
“As do I.” Luna nodded.
“Should your title be Princess of friendship then?” Trixie snarked.
“Pfft, no, that's a dumb title, sounds like something made up to sell toys or something.” Twilight scoffs flipping another page.” Oh here's something.”
There is a bit of a mystery here that I have yet to find a solution for. There are five undead on the island that I have no control, nor even a connection to. Deep in the heart of the beast, in the tombs that draws close to the great creatures heart, there is a chamber. Seated in this chamber are five bodies.
They are perfectly perserved and if not for their lack of movement or breathing one would think that they were alive.
They are of a pair of Griffons, two Unicorns and, a Mer.
Bray has been taught that these five are the undead that helped Tamblerlane over throw King Gold and that Tamberlane thought they were alive through his entire reign. They actually ruled in his stead for nearly a hundred years after he became the island. One day they simply rose from where they were and retreated to this chamber leaving one of their advisers in charge. This adviser went on to become king Idosif and thus started Bray's family line of kings.
Several attempts were made to elicit a response from the corpses. Nothing can be done, they will not respond or react and they cannot be damaged as the necromantic energy pouring from the heart heals them as fast as the damage is done.
I spent some time studying them only for nothing to come of it. Despite this I am rather unnerved to be in their presence. They do not move and only stare blankly ahead of where they sit , yet I somehow feel they are judging me. It is a feeling I do not enjoy, perhaps one day when i feel up to it I will find a way to pull them from their thrones and study their magic, but I have little time for that now.
“So the ones from Tamberlane's journal are still here.” Luna considered looking at the book.
“Not much help unless we could some how get them to aid us.” Twilight considered.
“If they wouldn't answer the real kings why would they help outsiders?” Trixie offered.
“That is a good point, but we may consider that later if we do not think if anything else. I do not wish to go even deeper into this place. Who knows what we might encounter..” Luna sighed.
“Well Trixie thinks this might answer some of that.” Trixie stated putting down another volume of the journal on the table.
The island is home to numerous types of undead. At this juncture I have created most of them, though there are a number of older ones still around that were here before me. Those who have been killed here and island undead both fall into these categories with the exceptions being listed in the respective descriptions. All of the undead can be created at near any size and species so long as I have the proper materials.
Lesser undead
Ghosts.
Ghosts are the most basic of undead and are only brought about by the ambient energy on the island, they cannot leave the island, though while present on the island they cannot be destroyed. They cost the least amount of power to bring into being and are not limited by physical constraints such as walls and floors. They cannot however easily interact with physical objects, though there are some who can to a small degree, this is usual a result of another flaw of theirs.
More often than not the ghosts will develop a personality based on the strongest memories or emotions of the nearest living individual. Despite being the only living individual on the island most of the time, I have yet to figure out how they pick memories and often they will develop into personalities of those I barely recall at all. Perhaps they are not subject to the fade that most of the living have to their memories, recalling things that even I do not. Still with the amount of musicians that I have claimed here, most of the ghosts seem to develop musical attributes which does make for some interesting entertainment as they tend to gravitate towards the old hall. Ghosts only real attack is a overpowering cold that they generate. It cannot be directed, but just the presence of a specter is often enough to suck the heat right out of a mortal form. Due to the cost and this power they are quite effective for general defense, even if they have conflicting personalities and sometimes let mortals by simply due to some odd morality or sense they develop.
Corpse Crawlers.
Perhaps the most basic of creatures, I have also heard them referred to as zombies and shufflers. They are little more than the reanimated flesh of the dead or flesh of the island. They take a bit more power than ghosts, but are blindly loyal and tend to act in swarms. While some do develop personalities most of the skills that they knew in life are forgotten. Depending on how fresh the body was before being raised, some can fly or even run. Any sort of creature can be made into one of these, from the largest sea life down to the smallest ant. If not for the issues with keeping a swarm of ants or other smaller creatures moving and animated I would have the whole island covered with them as they are very effective. Despite having a few unicorns, spell casters raised like this cannot wield any sort of magic, though I have seen them use their horns as more basic weapons.
Skeletons.
Almost exactly the same as the Corpse Crawlers, though the Island version of these always develop personalities...... unfortunately most of them are very similar to Bray's lecherous nature and I tend not to make many of them despite the skills these undead seem to retain, even if they are made from the islands bones.
Ghasts
Also known as Wights and Ghouls, this undead is a much smarter and stronger version of the Crawler. Normal versions of these retain all the knowledge they had in life and Island versions of these will have some randomly generated knowledge. Likely of some one who used to reside on the island that died here. While the island versions of these have their quirks, they are less pronounced than with the Ghosts and Skeletons. They are faster, tougher and many are quite skilled in a variety of fields, they still cannot cast spells unfortunately. Most tend to be focused on combat as I have made many from armies that have invaded in the past. They are often indistinguishable from the living at a glance, though their rotting flesh and putrid scent will soon give them away. If not for the moderate effort it takes to create these as well as the delicate nature of the ritual involved I would not even bother with the lesser undead and have a full force of these.
Mimics
The rituals for these are quite complex, even more so for the greater versions, but the creatures are very useful. They are able to disguise themselves as practically any object, they can remain dormant for an untold length of time before attacking. They are experts at capture tactics as well, engulfing their prey and holding it inside their bodies. The greater versions are much smarter and larger, the lesser ones often acting like a pack of animals following specific orders. The greater ones can set out on their own missions and command any number of lesser ones. They are perfect infiltrators, yet the greater ones will often do what they wish and need to be cowed before they will obey orders. Their creation is not simple either, neither type of mimic can be created from the flesh of the island and if bored, the Greater Mimics will tear apart the lesser ones after using them as playthings. This makes it a pain to keep any greater Mimics around unless I have a mission for them.
Greater Undead
Vampire
Like the Ghasts vampires retain all knowledge of their past lives. Vampires cannot be created of the island's flesh and the stronger ones often resist my control, making fielding them in large numbers rather problematic. They are stronger than any of the others are practically invisible when they wish to be. Some of my experiments have resulted in ones that can change their shape to great wolves or giant bats. Sadly neither of these types are prevalent as they were not particularly effective in the long run. Most vampires have a small selection of spells even if they were from a race that did not have access to any magic. They can blend in perfectly with society and if not for their flaws and cost to create they would be better infiltrators than even the Greater Mimics. Unfortunately like many of my earlier works they have a vulnerability to sunlight. They also have a strange aversion to garlic that I have not fully figured out and some of them cannot travel across running water, though that might be something held over from their days as a mortal. I have altered and experimented with a number of them to see if I can improve or alter what they are fundamentally and have had mixed results. The solar vulnerability remains though some have developed greater powers and others more weaknesses depending on what I do when I create them. Karlac and Visna are the oldest on the island and they keep the others in line. While they can feed on the blood of Tamberlane itself, eons of that have caused a number of them to grow bored with it's flavor.
Lich
Little more than an undead spell caster of some power. There are only about six on the island at the time of this writing as the cost for creating them is quite high. While it grants new untold powers to those who under go the process, it also binds them to who ever holds their phylactery, which is me. The powers this group wields are on par with my own and two are likely that much stronger. Bray was the first of these I created. Oddly the fool still thinks he's alive, but that was an error on my part as I also utilized the preservation spell that had been used on the Corpse Princess and her entourage to make him, thus he never changes from how he looked when he was alive, the effect also seems to fool the ghosts.... Bray is the most useful of the lot, the others prefer to be left alone and only bother to come out when something disturbs their study or the island is threatened.
Gallows Gaunt.
I only manged to make a few of these. They obey me, but in a way that makes one feel as if they only do it because they want to or haven’t figured out why they shouldn't. None of them have taken the same shape and even the Lich's are scared of them. The requirements for these are near impossible to meet and require the bodies of those that call themselves Gods in order to make. The successful ones retain what ever power they thought made them a god on top of an impressive array of spells, the ones that do not manage to keep their power are still very powerful Ghasts, but the cost is too high for those mistakes not to be considered a problem. I do my best to avoid using these creatures as no matter how potent they are, they are too costly to waste.
Barb Devil.
Perhaps some of my greatest monsters, uncontrollable killing machines. They are composed of many bodies and many souls stitched together in an amalgamated mess and are the only things the Gallows Gaunts fear. The power necessary to make them is enormous and the process takes months, if not years to complete. Thus far I have only managed to make three despite how long I have been about. After the incident with that damned bearded unicorn I have decided to keep one in the bell tower at all times in order to protect the bell. The Barb Devils will obey me if I force power into them, but they will naturally attack, torture, then kill anything that comes withing their line of sight, including other undead. Thankfully when there is nothing around they become dormant, which makes storing them away easy. They are highly resistant to magic, and I have seen one reduced to little quivering bits that was still trying to kill it's target, I am not completely sure these things can be destroyed fully once they are created.
“Hmm this still promotes his disbelief in gods, though from his point of view if he follows Bray's logic he isn't wrong.” Twilight pondered.
“Are you still on that?” Trixie demanded.
“It's a fascinating line of logic. By some old accounts gods lost power when you stopped believing in them, but the Dark times prove that wasn't the case.” Twilight continued.
“I think what is worse is this notebook goes on for another three hundred pages describing the other varieties of undead and variations of the first ones.” Luna grumbled. “With the trouble we had from just the Ghosts and Mimics I do not relish the idea of meeting anything stronger with my magic sealed.”
The others mutter in agreement before Trixie slammed down a book on the table getting a glare from Twilight.
“Trixie has found the solution to that problem here!” Trixie proclaims.
While these creatures have been referenced since the time of the first king, I was unable to find a proper description of them in any tome I studied. As such, I have taken it upon myself to properly document the useful, but dangerous parasites.
The Tablet Caterpillar is a sickly brown creature about a four to six inches in length. Also known as a Witch Worm in some dialects, the creature feeds primarily on the mana generated by creatures that produce magic. The name Tablet Caterpillar comes from the fact that the large egg case of these creatures looks very much like a stone tablet covered in writing that shifts and moves as it is watched. Despite popular opinion that translating the tablet will give unimaginable power, it is more likely a defense mechanism as the changing lettering is rather nauseating to watch for long and it is made up of little more than the wiggling larva inside semi transparent eggs.
The outside of the creature is covered with thick plates that, while composed of chitin, are as hard as any iron forged by a smith. This shell is segmented to allow movement though it can be frozen in place as if it was a solid piece when need be, thus allowing the creature to feed. The case acts much like a snails shell to protect the soft multi limbed creature under it. The caterpillars themselves are aquatic, but seem to have no issue on land either in their middle stage of life.
Great swaths of these creatures were first discovered clinging to the underside of the island drawing the mana out of the beast that the island rests atop of. While there was no noticeable change in the flow of power at the time, the beast displayed enough distress to warrant an investigation. King Idosif sent the Bo- thane clan of pearl divers to investigate the source of the distress. After a number of weeks spent scouring the bottom of the Leviathan Tamberlane the source was discovered a massive nest of these creatures growing in the joint of the third fin on the left.
From my understanding many Bo-thanes died to bring that information.
Still the infestation was cleared, though a large number of them were kept for study of their magical nullifying properties. It was found that applying the creatures to the base of the skull or around a unicorns horn could sufficiently dampen the magical abilities of the creature they were applied to, enough of them could completely nullify the casting ability. Supposedly attempting to cast invokes a great deal of nausea as the creatures generate some sort of field to keep from being removed.
There are of course ways to remove them. Significantly fewer ways if one does not wish the host to suffer. Another magic user can easily pull the creatures off as the additional magic will make the greedy creatures eager for the new 'flavor' regardless of how big the meal is they already have. Another method is the surgical application of flame. This tends to heat up their shells enough that the creatures will cook inside them. Given the mild adhesive that allows them to latch onto a host this particular method tends to damage the host just as much as the Tablet Caterpillar. The heat needs to be rather intense and applied for quite some time, more than enough time to sear the flesh and bone of the one involved.
The only other thing of note aside from their usefulness as magic nulifiers is the term used in their name. Caterpillar. Once the creatures have absorbed enough magic they will harden and become nearly perminately attached to the the host, to the point that removal is near impossible without burning. In about two to three months they will hatch from this shell to their final form. A creature called the Death's head jellyfish. How some sort of magic eating worm creature changes to become the most toxic animal ever discovered is a mystery. Though as a side note I will admit watching them hatch on a victim and render them into a screaming mass of jelly in less than twenty seconds is a very interesting sight to behold. But there is little left of the corpse that I would find useful in my research so it is not an amusement I have indulged in more than once. Unfortunately the poison is not something that can be duplicated or milked from the creature. Dead versions of the Jelly fish do not have the poison as it seems to be a singular gift of them being alive. As the name implies the final form cannot survive without water and often dies shortly after the host.
“Honestly you should be fine Twilight it is the others I am worried about. A Deaths head sting will not kill us...... it will hurt like a son of a bitch for a few months, but we'll live despite wishing we didn't.” Luna sighed.
“Experience?” Trixie asked.
“Unfortunately.” Luna grumbled.
“So open flame.....” Twilight muttered. “Trixie bring that torch over here.”
“You cannot be serious?” Trixie demanded.
“I am. Normal flame won't be much of an issue for me given the inherent regeneration of a God and given Luna is no longer a proper god I'm not willing to risk her getting hurt. You and Lyra would probably be too pained when the treatment is over to do anything simply due to the damage the fire would do to your horn. If you survived it at all.” Twilight explained. “ I'm the least useful here without access to my magic so it makes perfect sense that I be the one to get these things cooked off my head. Besides we have a goal now, we need to find the bell tower and keep that bell from ringing. We are not going to have much a chance to do that without magic.”
The others look at each other then Twilight, Luna simply smirked.
“While I am quite sure a little fire would not be an issue I am quite content not to have to stick my head in it.” Luna admitted. “Despite your regeneration this will hurt a great deal. I hope you are aware of the anguish that you will feel from practically burning your head alive …...”
“Ummm if you are trying to talk me out of it........” Twilight stammered.
Luna simply grinned and lashed out with a hoof suddenly striking Twilight in two spots on her neck. The purple mare blinked once before her eyes rolled back into her head and she collapsed onto the floor.
The others stare at Twilight then up to Luna.
“You know, Trixie is certain just a few more vivid descriptions of the process and Twilight would have let you do it. You didn't need to knock her out.” Trixie chided.
“What? Oh no, by no means am I going to stick my head into a fire again. “ Luna admitted. “She volunteered I simply knocked her out so she wouldn't feel the process, hopefully, until after it's over. Velkorn showed me how to do that, but the timing depends a lot on the individuals body mass and recovery rate. Jer'rahd would be out for only about ten minutes tops. Hopefully Twilight will last longer than that as I doubt the worms will give up so easily.”
“Ummm” Lyra commented trying to think of a response as Luna picked Twilight up putting her over the table with her head dangling over the side.
“Let me have the torch Lyra, I need you two to keep looking for information about the bell and the location of this bell tower. Also Lyra check on Octavia see if she wishes to switch guard duty and let her know what I am doing. “Luna sighed. “ And please try to ignore the scent of cooking flesh.”
Starfall sat in her chair across from the heavily armored mare, her forelimbs propped up on one of two desks set up before the thrones of the sun and moon. Wisps of yellow and red hair fluttered from along the sides of the skeletal helm and a orange muzzle poked out from the under side of it. Starfall was rather impressed at how thoroughly the armor covered the mare. She was a little shorter than Jer'rahd to be sure, but she had seen it on Big Mac and it covered him just as thickly. Which made it odd that on Luna and Twilight the armor opted to be revealing in the sort of way trashy sword and sorcery novels described their armor on fetching young heroes.
She shouldn't be surprised though, it was made in the Dark Lands after all.
The ponies who had been studying the mirror along with the other artifacts hadn't arrived yet, though the Guards were doing their best to hurry them along. Given some of their ages though, it might still take some time.
The mares eyes were mostly hidden in shadow though Starfall could tell she was clearly confused and annoyed.
“Where's Celestia?” She demanded.
Well that was straight to the point.
“Princess Celestia is away on business. Might I inquire as to why you are seeking an audience with her.?” Starfall asked glancing over to Peach Blossom who was standing by the throne rooms side door waiting for the researchers.
“That's my business. She owes me. I know she never leaves the castle, tell her to stop stuffing her face with cake and get in here, I don't have time to talk with her current aid.....”
“Guard Captain.” Starfall corrects.
“What?” the mare asked.
“I'm Guard Captain Starfall Silvertail. The stallion by the door is Guard Captain Peach Blossom. We are not Celestia's asides. The Princess has indeed left the castle on personal business and the two of us are here dealing with the running of things until she returns.”Starfall explained.
“No you're not!”
“What?” Starfall blinked.
“Moskau, Nicker and that other guy whose name I can never remember are the Guard Captains.” the mare snapped. “Is this some sort of stupid prank of hers again? By the stars I hated those... yes yes bucket of alfalfa on the head it was certainly funny the first two hundred times you did it......”
Starfall blinked as the mare continued to rant about Celestia. She and Jer'rahd would get along great.
“Nicker died six years ago during Tirek's attack. Moskau retired about ten or so years ago after the war of the Gods. Guard Captain Shining Armor took over for Greenway a few years before that, though since he became Emperor of the Crystal Empire I've taken his position.” Peach blossom explained. “ Guard Captain Jer'rahd Kaisur is currently in Hospice Moskau's position. And Guard Captain Silvertail has Nickers old post.”
“What?! What the fuck do you mean he died six years ago? That uptight asshole was still here when I left three months ago!” the mare shouted.
“Three months?” Starfall pondered, her thoughts still on the Darklands and the issue of the time discrepancy came to mind. “ What year do you think this is?”
The mare stared at Starfall a moment at the question.” Nine hundred and eighty five ANM.”
Peach Blossom whistled.
“What?!” The mare demanded.
“ANM ended six years ago after a monster named Tirek wiped out about forty percent of Equss' population. We are currently in the AT time period. After Nightmare Moon only lasted until 1013 before becoming a new century. 985 was over twenty years ago.” Peach Blossom explained. “I was still in middle school.”
“I was a rock, so I suppose I am not involved in this conversation.” Starfall sighed.
“That's bullshit I have literally only been over there for three months.............. why are there two thrones...........” The mare stopped, as if finally noticing the thrones behind where Starfall sat. “I know there was one in storage, but why is it out?”
Starfall glanced back at the thrones of Day and Night behind her. The latter was no longer adorned with Luna's cutie mark but with Twilight's. They were also newly built given the last ones were destroyed when the castle was.
“Short version or long version?” Peach Blossom asked suddenly.
“Short version, she's not lying, but she still might be dangerous, we have enough problems without making another one.” Starfall responded.
“What?” the mare demanded, getting more annoyed the more confused she got.
“Approximately fifteen years after you left, Nightmare Moon returned from her imprisonment. She defeated Celestia and was set to have her revenge when a group of ponies activated a set of artifacts and stopped her, stripping the darkness from her and returning her to her senses restoring Princess Luna, Princess Celestia sister.” Peach Blossom explained.
“That's the story of the two sisters.... I theorized that the ones in the story were Celestia and her unnamed sister, but I was stopped from studying that.” The mare gasped.” And the artifacts were the Elements of Harmony. Where are they?”
“The Crystal Empire.” Starfall admitted.
“Before you ask I am getting to that. Two years after Princess Luna returned Discord was freed.” Peach Blossom explained noticing the mares wince. “ He was stopped but not before he freed a number of criminals who set about to wreck havoc on Equestria. They in turn freed The Changeling queen from Tartarus. Upon discovery of the freed prisoners the Princesses personal student released five individuals who she believed could stop them.”
“Okay I call bullshit again, I'm Celestia's personal student...” the mare snapped.
“Does the name Twilight Sparkle ring a bell?” Starfall asked.
“ No.”
“Well she evidently became Celestia's personal student after you. At any rate these individuals caused a great deal of issues and problems for every one.....” Peach Blossom continued.
“Buck you dear, we saved your asses.” Starfall snaps.
“Was that an offer?” Peach Blossom grins getting a raspberry blown at him by Starfall before he continued. “ The conflict that happened then was known as the War of the Gods, it saw the return of King Sombra, the Crystal Empire, the Changeling Swarm, the self proclaimed Goddess Avianna, the release of Forgescale and the destruction of Canterlot as it was. It also saw the defeat of said individuals and the rebuilding of Canterlot nearly on top of Ponyville, thus joining the two cities into one which was named New Canterlot.”
The mare had not said anything so Peach Blossom continued.
“Six years after that a creature that escaped Tartarus attacked and defeated numerous powerful individuals and killed many others. His reign of terror resulted in the destruction of Cloudsdale and many other cities in Equss as well as Canterlot Castle. He was finally defeated by Princess Luna wielding the powers of both the sun, the moon, and a Changeling Queen. After that Princess Luna stepped down and Twilight Sparkle became Princess of the Night.”
Starfall nodded as Peach Blossom spoke, he was keeping it abridged and to well known facts. Applebloom's involvement as well as that of the Elk was left out of most history for security's sake. He also thankfully left out the noodle incident despite the scale of chaos that caused. This should be enough to explain the past number of years while still keeping things vague. Well that was if the mare before them decided to believe it any way.
“I don't believe you.” she growled. “ Celestia having a sister makes senses, taking a new student maybe, but her getting off her fat flank and doing anything, no way, and the bit about a new god being promoted, it can't happen that way or it would have been me who ascended.....”
So much for that Starfall sighed shifting her wing towards her weapon, noting the Changeling and Crystal Guards in the room doing the same. Despite being confused, this mare had the magical power or knowledge to bypass the security on Kaisur's armor. As far as Starfall knew the only pony to ever have done that was Twilight. Even if she was as young as she sounded with that much power and armor crafted by Luna and enchanted to who knows what level by Twilight, she could do a great deal of damage. This wouldn't be pretty if it wasn't done fast, Starfall was not thrilled that it would wind up this way but there was already a large threat out there, they didn't need another so soon.
The mare was continuing her rant as some of the Guards shifted to a better position. Starfall was about to signal them to attack when the door behind Peach Blossom opened.
The massive skeletal giant roared some how before it, and it's four comrades stormed across the beach towards the impassive and fairly bored looking pair of ponies near the shield. The bipedal creatures lumbered closer before the gray unicorn of the pair they were attacking trotted forward looking up at them.
The first to reach him attempted to stomp the creature into paste only for a green glow to wrap around it's thigh bone and yank the massive thing away from the giant, sending the skeleton crashing back wards into the others.
The unicorn wasted little time in using his new weapon on the others as they all stumbled about trying to crush the much smaller creature.
Celestia sighed as the air was filled with the sounds of stomping and the almost musical impacts of Jer'rahd wailing on the giant skeletons with their own bones. Kinda sounded like an xylophone to be honest. She spared a glance at Grogar who simply seemed impassive, though Celestia had noticed he was developing a bit of a tic in his left ear. After perhaps five minutes tops ,Jer'rahd trotted back over to her still brandishing the cracked and splintered thigh bone.
“Well that was rather humerus.” The gray unicorn grinned as Celestia did her best not to face hoof, Grogar didn't bother to resist the urge.
“That's a Femur you uncultured swine!!” Grogar shouted and ranted to himself.
Jer'rahd shrugged and flung the bone away crushing a few still twitching zombies from an earlier fight.
“I'm going to have to lower the sun soon.” Celestia muttered watching Grogar rant.
“Might be for the best. He keeps looking at it like he expects it to go down. I bet he's got some stronger things that he can't let out until it's dark.” Jer'rahd responded.
“That's why I’ve kept it up so long. But if he thinks he can't win, he might just ring the bell.” Celestia sighed.
“Well I guess we give him what he expects and prepare for something tougher then.” Jer'rahd muttered. “It's got to be something nasty, because so far nothing he's attacked us with has been much a threat.”
“The parasprites were a pain.” Celestia admitted.” But you are right , nothing has been a credible threat yet. I expect that will change soon though.”
“It's also the girls bed time and Dawn will fight tooth and claw not to go to bed when the suns up.” Jer'rahd smirked. “I really don't want to owe Shining and Cadence another vacation.”
Celestia's horn glowed and the sun unhooked itself from it's spot in the sky rapidly descending into the west.
“You'll just pawn Shin and Glimmer off on Twilight and I again.” Celestia snorted.
“Not my fault Glimmer is terrified of me.” Jer'rahd shrugged as the shadows lengthen.
Both of them turn to Grogar who had begun cackling as the sun started to set finally. He then nearly choked on his laugh as the sun started going back up into the sky again. He stared a moment before it dipped lower nearly dropping below the horizon prompting another bout of evil laughter before it suddenly rose up again to it's noon day height prompting the Capricorn to start cursing.
“Must you toy with him?” Jer'rahd stated with a small smirk.
Celestia simply grinned and let the sun fall fully.
========================================
Exert from time log presumably written by bray as the first few paragraphs are focused soly on the flank of a creature that was vaguely described otherwise to resemble a Shadow Walker. ]
[Relevant text. ]
Grogar's worshipers have finished the construction of the device to his specification. Honestly I’ve got no damn clue what it's for and the few bits of info I’ve gleaned from Grogar and his notes let me know it's not a weapon of any sort, but more of a way to protect the island.
Been too busy mounting the locals to look too deeply into it. Who would have thought a scouting mission onto an island we came across this far south would lead me to becoming king of this tribe of creatures. They are some tall buckers too, I practically need a ladder to mount one, but they got some rather nice asses so I can't argue much and it's been a long time since my dick got wet any way.
Thing is once Grogar showed up they practically ignored me and started worshiping him as a god. Something about the duel nature of his power or something. I don't know or care. Grogars had them working on something and he's left me alone to play, so I do hope this lasts.
Whole things getting it's own structure built on the southern side of the island near Tamberlane's head. The ones doing it started their own cult, began calling themselves Shadow Walkers. They listen to anything he tells them to do.
I think he's got them gathering any Zebra Gods they can get right now as Grogar wants to experiment. Wonder how that will turn out. I think Grogar's done cutting them up for study, he had no shortage of volunteers, but he's also teaching them necromancy for some reason. I think he's getting bored. Either that or he's starting to like this god thing a little much.
Not sure what this things supposed to do... Just looks like a big brass bell to me.
“ Well that explains the Shadow Walkers, Trixie supposes.” Trixie muttered through a rag wrapped around her muzzle.
“Why are you still speaking in third pony?” Octavia asked.
“Trixie falls back on old habits when nervous or in high stress. It was a practiced way to distract her from any feelings of stage fright , though it became a bit of a constant reaction to stress.” Trixie explained.
“Pavlovian response.” Octavia nodded, also speaking through a rag. “ We use the same thing to drill fundamentals into students.”
“ How's Sparkle?” Trixie asked glancing over to the pair at the table. Twilight was still out cold though the room was filled with the scent of cooking flesh and hair. Luna glanced up with a faint wince.
“Two of them have fallen off so the process is working.......I am just surprised at how flammable her mane is given whom she is dating.” Luna called back with a wince.
The torch crackled, nearly pressed to Twilight's forehead, the caterpillars bathing in the bright flame.
“HEY!” Lyra called from the door. “ I think the suns going down, it's getting darker out here.”
“Tia is a little late today.” Luna commented. “Lyra be prepared for anything, a lot of those monsters listed were nocturnal.”
Cadence stared down at Dawn who looked up at her with a mix of embarrassment and feigned innocence.
“What are you up to...” Cadence demanded looking down at the small Kirin.
“Whatever do you mean dear auntie Cadence?” Dawn chimed blinking and smileing wide, the effect some what ruined by her rather sharp teeth.
Cadence swept out a wing to the bedroom set up for the visiting foals. The others were already in bed, or in the process of getting ready under the watchful gaze of Shining Armor and Cadence. Dawn had gone along with the bed time ritual with absolutely no fuss.
“You never just go to bed quietly... You are planning something I can feel it.” Cadence states coldly not taking her eyes off the Kirin foal.
“Don't question it.” Shining hisses under his breath as he helped Shin get into bed.
“I could just be reaaaaly tired, today was a long day.” Dawn waves her arms in the air in a vague gesture.
Both of them ignore the other foals slapping their faces with their hooves of claws depending, and in Shin's case a flipper. No one bothered to ask why he was a harp seal at the moment either.
Cadence wasn't buying it and she scanned the room looking for anything out of place. Something had to be up., she had gotten the whole Crystal Guard on alert moments before she told the foals it was bed time, as she expected another wild chase through the palace like there had been at nap time.
All that prep only for Dawn to ready herself for bed without the slightest fuss or complaint, it was maddening. That the Kirin had tucked herself in and was simply laying in bed right now waiting for the lights to go out screamed at Cadence's every instinct that something was up. She had checked to make sure it was really Dawn and not a Changeling she had convinced to help again. Not an illusion either, though Cadence had no clue how the little filly had pulled off something that complex last time.
She was about to demand to know what was going on when she felt herself picked up and floated out of the room by Shining Armor. Cadence grumbled and pointed to her eyes with one hoof then to Dawn who simply giggled.
“Come on dear lets get you to bed too before something else happens, we really need to find another foal sitter if you are going to get this worked up.” Shining grumbled shutting the door behind them and cutting out the lights. The foals remained as they were for a few moments and were not disappointed as Cadence bursts back in the door suddenly.
“AHHA!!.... huh.......” She started only for Shining Armor's magic to gather her up again and drag her back out the door.
They waited again until they were sure Shining Armor had a good hold on Cadence this time before any one spoke.
“Dawn must you try and break my mother?” Glimmer snorted.
“ I didn't even do anything this time.” Dawn rolled her eyes.
“I believe that is part of the issue.” Talon sighed.” If I didn't know better I would expect you planed that.”
“I have to keep them on their tippy hooves.” Dawn smirked. “ We ready stripy?”
“The enchantments are still in place, we should all wake up in more or less the same place......crap.” Rynthia grumbled.
“Well at least you rhymed that time.” Elusive added.
“I still wanna know what we are supposed to do this time that will work that didn't last time.” Shin muttered.
“We have to do something.” Talon added. “Perhaps something a bit more than the weapons we created last time?”
“Then there is Rynthia's mysterious jewelry.” Glimmer added.
So basicly we just have to see what happens.” Elusive sighed.” We can't give up there's likely ponies depending on us to stop this.”
“Who?” Dawn asked.
“I dunno some one having issue sleeping?” Elusive shrugged.
“In any event lets try to get to sleep, we can't do anything until then, so shh not another …. noise.... sound...” Rynthia muttered.
Sweetiebelle looked out over the edge of the Storm Cloud frowning as she watched the gathering horde of zombies, her ears drooping a little.
“Seriously can we not have just one damn outing without something drastic happening?” Carol muttered running a hoof though her mane.
“We've got one third of the CMC here already and the fourth official member showed up, I'd say this was inevitable.” Aria grumbled waving a hoof out at the crowd.
“So what are we gonna do against a horde of zombies?” Shanty asked fluttering her wings.” we are gonna do something right? I mean those are our fans down there , they're here cause of us....”
“It's not a horde, it's called a siege.” Button muttered.
“What?” Shanty asked.
“A horde of zombies is called a siege. Like a group of birds is called a flock?” Button explained.
“And that matters how?” Babs demands.
“It doesn't, but I'm just trying to make conversation, while we wait on Ditty.” Button explained.
“Melody and some of the other crew are securing our stuff and Captain Finch is getting ready to bring the ship over to pull the fans on board..........” Carol explained looking up as the sun begins to dip beyond the horizon, then it popped back up, then dipped then went up to the highest point of the day, then started to dip again before finally settling. “What the buck...?”
“I think there's more going on here than we realize.” Silver snorted.
“Well we can only focus on what we can do.” Sweetiebelle stated as she straightened up with a faint groan. “ Right now all we can do is save our fans.”
“Where is Ditty any way?” Carol asked.
“He said he's contacting the Guard.” Button added with a small shrug.” Anyway, I suppose I should bust open the armory.”
“Armory.... What armory?” Carol demanded.
“Seriously, as big of a gamer as Button is do you really think he wouldn't have a zombie contingency?” Sweetiebelle sighed. “ Did you ever find that riot gear in my size?”
“ Not quite , but I think you will like what I found for you.” Button grinned.
Bon Bon paused looking out at the bay. Bray's trail had led her here and then stopped. Of course this meant he had gone into the water. The bay patrols hadn't seen any one , but with water as murky and polluted as this it was a wonder the River Ponies could see their flippers in front of their face. The pollution wasn't toxic, well not any more, the River Ponies had made sure of that during a rather prolonged ecoterrorist attack a few years ago that ground the whole city to a halt. After extended negotiations, new environmental protocol was put into place. A few places along the waterfront had shut down due to this, though entirely new businesses opened up selling 'green' products. The idea didn't catch on very well, given that aside from certain products, nearly everything in Equestria was pretty much already 'Green' as they called it. Of course then there were the 'Naturalists' who were trying to convince ponies to not eat anything that had been altered with chemical fertilizer or magical modification. Had these idiots ever seen a carrot before earth pony farmers got a hold of it with their magic?
“Drops here go ahead.”
“We've received a report from one of our Ambassadorial operatives, a Changeling going by the name Hush.”
“The one assigned to the airship Storm Cloud to watch over Discord and Sweetiebelle Reignolds band. What's the report?”Sweetie Drops asked looking up at the sky as the sun did some interesting movements.
“Evidently there is a large gathering of what he described as 'Zombie Orcs' near the Sunnyside smelting plant. The Storm Cloud is moored at the docks nearby and has a good line of sight. He has also reported that there is what looks like a Mule or a Donkey at the head of this group.”
“Bray.”Sweetiedrops cursed.
“It would seem so. Be advised however of three things Agent Drops. There is a veritable army between you and Bray at this point. Two there is a large gathering of ponies near the docks who are evidently fans of Sweetiebelle Reignolds. And three Babs Seed is on sight with Sweetiebelle.”
“The fourth crusader? Well that explains why everything's happening there. Even two of that group together tends to bring trouble.” Sweetie Drops tosses out her arm sending a grappling line to the top of a nearby boat building factory, shooting up the line and using the momentum to begin dashing across the roof towards the docks.
“Inform the local Guard of the situation have them seal off the streets and start evacuating. Also send word to Guard Captain Starfall in Canterlot, this is might be a cause to mobilize the Six sixty sixth.”
“Already ahead of you in that regard Agent. A small contingent of the Monster Hunters and the Royal Guard are already present. We have also been offered aid by Lord Spike Sparkle and Lady Bleu Scale if need be. The pair are currently on Gallopagos and can be here in ten minutes tops.”
“Call them in. Standing orders are to prevent casualties, I want this mess shut down as fast as possible.”Sweetiedrops ordered swinging to another building. “I'm continuing my mission, I'll leave the overseeing of this with Control. Permission granted to use whatever means necessary to prevent civilian casualties.”
“Well that's something you don't see every day.” Beryl commented looking out the window at the odd movements of the sun.
“Kinda curious as to what's going on with Auntie Celestia, but I suppose she's busy.” Pip added flipping through a book. “Find anything yet Sis?”
“Nah... I still don't know where my text book went.” Berry sighed from her perch, before glancing down at her resting spot. “ You sure you're okay with this Pippy?”
“She brought it on herself. Honestly though, I might have cared a bit more if you had managed to find a Prench maid outfit that fit her.” Pip grinned looking up at his sister.
Scootaloo at the moment was doing her best not to lay into either of them. Pip had been right in that it hadn't taken Berry long at all to figure Scootaloo had gone rooting through her stuff and rather than the guard mare being able to use the information of Berry's crush Trevor to get what she wanted, Berry had turned everything back on the Pegasus by having quite a bit of her own dirt on Scootaloo and a willingness to use her mother against Scootaloo.
Pip had talked her down a least, and had even gotten Berry to go along with his mare friends original plan of research trip. But of course Berry wanted something in return.
Pip easily agreed to remain silent on the subject of Trevor as he considered it none of his business any way. However Scootaloo had not gotten off so lucky and was currently dressed in a giant pink bunny suit and being used as a mobile chair for Berry. It might not have been so bad if they hadn't had to leave Berry's dorm and head to the school library, which was packed to the brim with students studying for midterms and the like.
“I guess all the issues with nightmares lately have been noticed. Eight copies of that text book on file and all of them have been checked out over the last three days.” Berry grumbled.
“True and these other books have not been helpful. “Pip muttered tossing a tome on the table and rubbing his eyes.
“If you could recall who you lent your copy out too we might actually be able to go ask them for it.” Scootaloo grumbled.
“Yeah well I've been a bit busy the past few days trying to get the TV thing done for my final project.” Berry sighed looking over to the little dragon still staring out the window.” Beryl do you remember who took the Dreamscapes and Nightmares textbook?”
“Like I told you before Berry, I'm not your librarian. I know it was borrowed this morning, but I've had four naps between, and I'm due for another one.” Beryl yawned his tail twitching a little.
“ Well who all visited today?” Scootaloo asked.
“Well you guys, a couple of teachers, our little sisters and their friends, the local Guard, the school hazmat team, and a couple of my friends.” Berry listed.
“ Oh, Dawn and Rynthia came by? What did they want?” Pip asked.
“Well I think Dawn drew a picture of daddy and wanted to show me , though it looked a little odd and she swore it wasn't him. And Rynthia asked to borrow a book, I think she got one of the Daring Doo novels.”
“Daring Doo? Seaweed borrowed all of those last week.” Beryl added. Not doing a good job of not being Berry's librarian.
“Oh.... That's odd the only other things on that shelf were textbooks.” Berry commented. “I mean why would she want one of those, sure most of them are from previous years, but they are probably too advanced for her, I know shes smart but still.”
“Talon.” Pip commented.”He's reading at a Twilight Sparkle level now.”
“Yeah, they would be right up his ally. Though Dreamscapes and Nightmares is practically philosophy, there's only like four or five useful spells in there and that's mostly for shared dreaming and lucid dreaming so that some one can actually study the rest of the course. Why would Talon bother with that? He's always seemed more focused on the physical world.”
“Which means he wouldn't have any knowledge of what to do against something in a dream.“ Scootaloo added.
“Between what Ma might have taught Rynthia and Dawn they would have come here to ask you if you could help expecting ma might have taught you more....” Pip theorized.
“They did have questions, though we were in a rush this morning.” Beryl added.” Berry was almost late again.”
“ To Equestrian Lit!” Berry protested.
“And given Dawn, Talon, Rynthia, and Elusive are all together, if there was a threat they might think they could handle it.” Pip grumbled pushing himself up from the table. “ Dawn's got no fear, Elusive wants to prove himself, and the other two wouldn't let them do something stupid alone, buck, they probably dragged Shin and Glimmer into it as well.”
“Nightmares. What she drew might have been the night mare they were seeing.” Scootaloo added.
“Dawn did insist it wasn't daddy.....” Berry pointed out. “ Oh dear......”
“What?” Scootaloo asked.
“It's about Dawn and Rynthia's bed time isn't it?” Berry stated. “ If they try something against what ever is causing these nightmares with those spells there's a chance it could physically hurt them. They will literally be in the dream world more than just mentally like most sleepers”
“Let's go.” Pip stated pushing off the table galloping towards the door with Scootaloo, still in the bunny suit rushing rapidly behind.
Berry blinked picking herself up from where Scootaloo had shrugged her off. She grabbed Beryl in her magic and rushed out after the pair galloping towards the palace.
======================================================== [ The Storm Cloud, Manhatten docks.]
“I shouldn't be surprised, I really should not be surprised.” Shanty muttered rubbing her face.
Button Mash had gone down into the cargo hold and over to a rather large create marked 'fragile' against the wall. The Earth Pony had pulled out two pins from the side and the front of the create had swung open like a fancy mares makeup kit.
The inside of it was strewn with weapons. Polearms, swords, axes. Medical supply kits, supplies of hard tack rations, jugs of water and two suits of armor composed of faux leather and chain mail. There were also a number of flashlights, some basic survival gear and at least six Griffonese crossbows, one of which looked like the sort that should be mounted on the railing of a ship to repel pirates.
“I'm supposed to be the arms master of this ship, why didn't I know about this?”Ditty ranted glaring at Button.
“I did tell you. It's even listed on the ships cargo map as zombie supplies.” Button added.”Granted it doubles as a any kind of disaster supplies. Really you prepare for any disaster relatively the same.”
“I though that was some gaming thing!” Ditty snapped watching as Button began strapping on the armor, Sweetiebelle trotted over and started doing much the same with the another suit that was marked with her name. “ Did you even bother to get us any of those suits?”
“Can't you guys just harden your skin into armor plates?” Button commented attaching a chain collar around his neck hiding the last bit of his skin with the faded gray suit leaving only his head exposed. The armor itself was like a thick jumpsuit interlaced with thicker leather like material at the joints and chain mail swathes over other points for protection. There were numerous pockets and weapon points on it and it had several bright orange safety bands around key points so they wouldn't get confused with the zombies.
“That's not the point......” Ditty muttered his ears flattening that he had missed out on some cool looking gear. “Where did you even get all this stuff”
“Sent away.” both Button and Sweetiebelle said at the same time.
“Can't say I like the colors.” Carol added, “And why does Sweetiebelle's look like something you'd see on the cover of on of those S&M mags?”
“That's where the base design for hers came from actually. I think it looks m,ore like one of those super hero suits you see in comics though. Belle wanted something that allowed her to still use that ninjitsu stuff she does yet still protect her. Only thing I found was a leather bondage suit and I had to make a lot of adjustments for it to actually be protective. How's it fit Belle?
“A little tight, but I can move fine.” Sweetiebelle commented zipping up the suit.
“the bright colors are a safety thing. We're not trying to hide from the zombies, sight is the least expected sense that zombies will be using given their rotted state, so it's more for our rescue when the guard mobilizes.” Button explained.
“You are actually going to wear that?” Melody asked as Sweetiebelle pulls on the face covering mask and goggles.
“Yup.” Sweetiebelle chuckled. “At the very least none of the fans we are gonna bring on board will recognize me in this.”
“A zombie plan, this is ridiculous.” Babs snorted.” What kinda nerd plans for zombies?”
“And yet we have zombies.” Silver chuckled as Babs pouts.” What's that big one there?”
“Oh this one?” Button commented picking up the Griffonese mini balista. “You know, six Diamond Dogs came to kill me one time, the best among them had this. It's a Griffonese rail mounted ship to ship balista with ten bolt feed, modified to be cranked by hoof, and fired from a shoulder sling, it is my very favorite weapon, This is the best Crossbow ever made on Equss, and it has extreme sentimental value. I call her Vera.”
Every one stared at Button for a moment before turning to look at Sweetiebelle.
“He found it in a pile of debris on the lower deck and fixed it up. They must have missed it when disarming the ship before we got it.” Sweetiebelle corrected getting a glare from Button.
“Any way I looks like you have enough here for everyone.” Carol commented picking up a small crossbow, her hoof shifting to a claw as she looked it over.
“You know how to use that?” Babs asked.
“Yeah if one Changeling knows how to work something we can all access the memories of it being used and shape our muscles and reflexes to match the one who used it the best in our memories.” Carol explained.
“Well that's handy. Not sure I'd like every one knowing everything I know all the time though.” Silver muttered stepping forward and picking up a sledge hammer from a box of tools next to the weapons crate. “Makes it sorta hard to be a specialist in a field if anyone can do it.”
“Doesn't quite work like that. It's more like a library. We can check out what skills we need and keep them as long as we want. When we no longer have need of them they stay in our memory, but sorta in the back, like an older memory or something that happened a long time ago.” Carol explained.” If we don't use a skill often enough for our bodies to actual adapt to it we have to spend the energy to change every time we want to use it and that gets wearing.”
“Doesn't that mean that anything you do some one can call up and remember at a later date?” Babs questioned shaking her head as Sweetiebele offered her something from the armory.” Sorry Belle I'm a cook not a fighter.”
“ You get used to it. Queen Luna has sealed away a few things and she mostly keeps her memories and a number of others out of the public hive mind. We can easily ask her to keep a memory secure for us.” Carol continued to explain. “It's up to her whether it stays that way or not. Most of the time it's just government information that is kept locked, with the occasional birthday or Hearths Warming gift kept hidden. She has however put a over reaching block on any sexy time fun had as there are foals in the hive mind too.”
“She age locked your collective porn stash?” Silver laughed.
“Something like that yeah, though it's more locked, period, save to those who were involved.” Carol shrugged her hooves shifting a little as the ship started to move.
“Seems like Captain Finch is moving us into position. Every one on deck, lets get these ponies secured.” Sweetiebelle barked the order through her face mask, the mare looking like a latex ninja. No one but Sweetie missed Button moving to follow behind Sweetiebelle, his eyes locked on her tightly clad rear , a bit of drool falling from the corner of his mouth.
[Outside of the Shield Tamberlane. One hour after sunset, the first one , not the ones done to screw with Grogar, the proper sunset.]
“Seriously has he even paused for air?” Celestia asked as she landed next to Jer'rahd, her wings flapping once more before she offered him a bag and a soda as she looked through the shield at the still cackling Grogar.
“He fell into a coughing fit for about five minutes before he started up again. “ Jer'rahd muttered as he dug into the bag taking a sip from the soda Celestia brought. “Pretty sure he didn't even notice you went on a food run....... hey did you eat some of my hay fries?”
“Delivery charge. Didn't touch your burger though, why you double down on the garlic and onion sauce is beyond me.” Celestia snorted as she finished off her own drink. “ No moon yet though, so either Twilight can't cast through the shield or somethings wrong.”
“He might have an inhibitor of sorts on her. He doesn't seem the type to keep it quiet if he'd already killed them.” Jer'rahd commented.” And their special sauce is awesome. Plus Luna won't let me eat it when she's around.”
“I can smell why” Celestia grumbled.” you could choke a yak with your breath and that's after one bite.”
Grogar finally stopped laughing and launched into some sort of tirade about the pair being doomed. The two in question seemed more interested in their hay burgers and fries than what he was saying.
“Wait did you get a Merry Meal?” Jer'rahd asked looking at the little red and gold box Celestia had.
“Hmm yes... I've been collecting the little bean babies they have in the boxes this month. Don't judge you ass.” Celestia admitted taking out small plastic bag. “Shoot, it's still Mumbles the Manatee, I already have him.”
“I didn't bring the checklist, but I think Rynthia needs that one. Dawn wants Tumble the Turtle, and Becky the Bunny still.” Jer'rahd pondered munching on his burger.
“I have a extra Becky the Bunny I can give her.” Celestia realized.” Not sure on Tumbles though. Twilight might have him.”
“Ahh that works. I'll have to check to see what we have extra of for trade.” Jer'rahd explained.
“WOULD YOU TWO LISTEN TO ME ALREADY!!” Grogar bellowed.
“Are you saying anything interesting yet?” Celestia called.
“YES!” Grogar huffs. “ I would expect your doom to be important.”
“So it's not about Bean Babies then?” Jer'rahd asked through a mouthful of burger.
“Well there goes my interest.” Celestia shrugged.
“What?!? What the buck is a Bean Baby?” Grogar stammered. “ Never mind, I'm tired of your idiocy. The night has fallen and your deaths are finally at hoof!”
Shadows around the pair exploded into dark figures, humanoids, and pony like creatures , sharp white teeth gleaming in the darkness.
Celestia looked on impassively sipping her soda trying to get the last dregs from under the ice as Jer'rahd took another bite of his food only glancing to the figures surrounding them.
“How rude, I'm only half way through my sandwich.” Jer'rahd muttered.
================================================================= [ New Canterlot]
Every one froze as the door opened and a half dozen ponies, mostly unicorns, and a tan Pegasus with a gray scale mane and a pith hat perched jauntily on her head all strode in talking excitedly. Well perhaps angrily was more the word.
Starfall blinked then cleared her throat rather loudly to get the ponies attention. It didn't work, the six ponies kept talking, rather heatedly it seemed. Thankfully the armored pony seemed rather taken aback by them barging in like this as well. The two loudest were the tan Pegasus with a compass rose cutie mark and a green maned unicorn stallion with eggshell white fur. His cutie mark was a odd one as it seemed to depict an egg, a glass of juice, and a bowl of cereal of some kind. No one knew what the mark meant, nor why some one with a food themed cutie mark would become a archaeologist.
“Yearling you are full of shit. It's not of Arconian make.” the green maned unicorn stallion snorted.” Arconians were terrified of their own shadows, let alone their reflections, there's entire ruins dedicated to protecting themselves from their evil doppelgangers on the other side. They invented the automatic pond ripple machine before the wheel for crying out loud! This Mirror is not theirs!”
A bluish white maned unicorn mare with deep blue fur seemed to agree with him, though she was much quieter simply nodding or shaking her head, pausing each time after to push a too large pair of glasses back up her nose, she was also the only one wearing a lab coat that hid her cutie mark.
“I never said it was Arconian, Whise, you stuck up twat. I said it was based on their design. Or the Arconians based their design on the mirror, heck this mirror could be WHY the Arconian's were terrified of their reflections.” The Pegasus mare snorted.” Heck I'm more inclined to believe Tsoukalos stupid alien theory over your missing link between Dark Age Elk and Mer bull crap.”
“Why thank you Yearling …” A dark brown unicorn with a wild mane that seemed to be lifting into the air stated. His cutie mark was an odd green oval shaped thing that seemed to be a face with two large black eyes.” And while I didn't say it was aliens.... it was aliens...”
The others largely ignored him.
“Look both of you calm down.” A pink and green mare grumbled. She seemed young, though there were a few gray hairs in her green mane that were easy to spot in the tight bun she wore it in. her cutie mark was a pile of books. “All we know is that it's predark age and that it's active again. We can figure out who made it after we figure out what it does...”
“It takes you up to the mothership!” Tsoukalos stated, and was again largely ignored.
“Well it will be easier to figure out what it does if we can figure out who made it. The Arconians were highly advanced in transportation magic. The markings on the mirror also point to their society” Yearling stated ruffling her wings as she glared at Whise.
Starfall coughed again, even louder , she was getting quite annoyed at this point. The lot of them were still ignoring her attempt to get their attention, well all but one was.
“I say, Mrs Silvertail do you need a lozenge, you seem to be having a good bit of issue with your throat.”An older unicorn with a white beard that reached his chest and eyebrows that were nearly as big stated softly. He turned slowly to look in one of his saddlebags pulling out a small tin, briefly flashing a cutie mark of a chalk board with what looked to be random numerical formula's on it. “ I'm afraid all I have left are the lemon flavored ones. I tend to eat the orange ones first. I like those.”
The others had stopped talking as soon as the older stallion had started, finally noticing that they were getting stared at by a large number of Guards, two Guard Captains, and a pony in bone armor.
“Thank you, no, I'm fine Professor Swordtail.” Starfall sighed.
“Really? Well if you say so, should still take something. Nasty bugs going around all the time,pretty young thing like you, shame to see you getting sick.”The professor chuckled. “ Now what's all this about any way? You said you had something new come up about the mirror.”
The others remained quiet,evidently the elderly pony was evidently in charge of the research team or at the very least most likely to skip talking and go right to slapping other ponies around with a ruler. Evidently he had once been the teacher to all the others.
“More like some one came out, Professor.” Starfall corrected pointing a hoof toward the armored pony who was staring at the older pony like she had seen a ghost.
“Impossible.” the armored mare muttered. “This is impossible!”
The professors ears perked as he turned to look at the armored mare, lifting a hoof to push his bushy eyebrows out from in front of his eyes. The orange tinged eyes underneath were bright and untouched by the age that seemed to take over the rest of him. He stared at the armored mare with some interest before slowly walking closer.
“I recognize that voice. I never forget a student. Seashell Shiner wasn't it?”Swordtail commented.
“Sunset Shimmer” the mare corrected.
“Eh close enough, Starshine Swimmer. You are twenty three years, two months and sixteen days overdo with your assignment on metamagic feats of the late Discordian era.” professor Swordtail scoffed.” Normally I don't give grades for something this late, but I must say I am in awe of your tardy record, so perhaps I can at least give half credit if the work is impressive enough.”
“Professor I do not think she is here to turn in a late paper.”The pink and green maned mare mumbled. “Besides if I recall correctly you failed everyone who turned in anything because there WERE no metamagic feats in the Discordian era. That field of study didn't happen until a thousand years later.”
“One thousand two hundred and seventy three to be exact, the great Falpro created the first, and I thank you kindly not to be giving away my teaching secrets Miss Barcalonia.”
“ It's Belladonna. You retired fifteen years ago professor I took over your classes after graduation and that little trick of yours is the only black mark on my record” The mare huffed whipping her green tail over her pink rump.
“Still mad about that hmm? Good , it was an exercise in critical thinking. Just because you assumed Miss Baltamare, that I had my era wrong and wrote a thirty two page topic on Metamagic feats of the War of Night era, does not make you any more wrong.” Swordtail chuckled much to the mares annoyance.
“Why …. what...” Sunset stammered.
“Hmm something wrong miss Sideways Sitter? You have a question?” Swordtail hummed. “ You know by default you are the only student who technically passed that assignment. Well go on spit out the question.”
“How the buck are you two so old!?” Sunset demanded. “ Belladonna was in my class and now she looks like my freaking grandmother!”
“HEY!! I'm barely into my thirty's!!” Belladonna shouted.
“I thought you were forty three?” Yearling snorted only for her pith hat to be yanked down over her head by the glow of pink magic, the affronted unicorn mare sparing a short glare back at the Pegasus.
“And there is the trademark Swoonlight Swanky lack of tact. Ponies age Snufflebuff Shanty. Happens to every pony... ” Swordtail chuckled before regarding her a moment more. “Well nearly every pony, but I daresay the Princesses are not exactly ponies any more.... Come to think of it neither is the former princess and her consort.”
“What the buck is going on!?” Sunset growled.
“Like I said before It's been some time since you were here last.” Peach Blossom interjects. “ Professor Swordtail, this mare was the one who came out of the mirror, she believes it has only been three weeks rather than twenty plus years.”
“Hmm a time displacement effect?” Swordtail considered. “ How odd.”
“Not really, depending on the dimension or planet visited, the hours experienced in the day might be a wholly different calculation. Where one planet might have a day that is three hours long, another might have twenty four hours or more. If the mirrors magic can displace some one completely perhaps it can adjust their chronological clock to the new area and if their time frame is longer than ours the chronological rate if properly adjusted might make ones perception of the new time match what they expected with our old time. So if it takes a year or so our time for one of their days to pass so long as your body and mind are adjusted to the new time it will only seem like a proper day to you despite how much time passed at your starting point.” Tsoukalos explained. The stallion blinked as every one started at him in silence. His ears drooped and he turned away from the attention.” I mean aliens .. yeah...”
“And you wonder why I keep him around.” Snorted Swordtail under his breath to Belladonna who simply sighed.
“This is absolutely ridiculous, that sort of time displacement violates three of Newman's laws!” Sunset growled.
“Only about three of Newman's theories haven't been completely dis proven in the last ten years by Princess Twilight Sparkle and her students.” the deep blue unicorn mare who had been silent most of this time chimed in. “It has been a rather interesting time for progressive learning.”
“Always something.” Yearling muttered having finally gotten free of her hat and was trying to beat it back into shape.
“Has any one simply told her to look outside?” Whise asked suddenly. “ I mean if she's been gone more than twenty years... heck if she'd been gone only ten, the entire landscape of Canterlot has changed, it's rather hard to alter something like that in only three weeks. I'm surprised the castle layout wasn't enough to be honest.”
“First smart thing you've said today Whise” Yearling chuckled striding back towards the door they came in from and towards the large balcony that they had passed. “Come on Sunset, we've got a barrage of questions for you, though I figure you need to see this first.”
“Alright ponies right this way head on down the steps, after parties down there.” Babs stated waving another group of ponies off the lift and towards the bay doors towards the cargo hold.
The others were standing at the railing and given the outfits Button and Sweetie were wearing, and the 'bug' forms Ditty, and Carol were wearing, no one recognized them as anything other than Guards, though quite a few did take appreciative glances at Sweetiebelle in her cat suit. Silver was also ignored, though some of the mares were eyeing him too.
Melody and the others were down stairs in costume greeting and talking to the fans, keeping them distracted.
“They haven't moved yet.” Button muttered watching the horde through a spyglass.” But more keep climbing out of the ground, mostly the pig things, how many were buried there?”
“The siege of Manehatten was a big thing during the Second Dragon War.” Silver added. “Lotta soldiers died, even more Orcs died. History books say this is where the last Orc god fell, though his name isn't recorded any where that I know of. Maybe one of the old museums might have the records, but a lot of information of that time was lost.”
“Je'fray. Lord Jer'rahd Kaisur killed him. This is pretty close to where he was killed, most of the Orc bodies were burned and dumped in an unmarked grave outside of town., though I suppose as Manhatten grew, that location was lost and we built over it.” Carol stated linking into the hive mind for the information. “No Changelings were around, but Queen Luna remembered and so we can access that info.”
“Lovely so there's a dead god in that pile of rotted bodies some where?” Sweetie muttered.
“I doubt he still has his powers, gods are supposed to lose them when they die. The power goes to another god who is to be born some where.” Ditty continues.
“This is the last group.” Sweetie stated suddenly looking down at the elevator as the final bit of the fan crowd was brought up. “Once they're on board Finch will move us out over the bay.”
“I'm amazed this has gone so well.” Babs sighed watching as Button and the Changelings flinched. “What?”
“You just jinxed us.” Button bemoans.” You never every say anything like that. Never say' it can't get any worse', or 'this is too easy' or 'blank, is a clever pony'. It will bring everything crashing down.”
“You mean like you just did all at once?” Sweetibelle asked.
Buttons eyes went wide at that.” Shit.”
“Definitely don't call any one clever, that's against a number of royal decrees.” said a voice behind them.
The group of them whirled suddenly, coming face to face with a figure in deep red robes. She had a mask over her face and her head was mostly under a hood with a pair of heavily tinted goggles covering her eyes. While they assumed she was female due to her voice, they couldn't tell with how covered she was. She had on a red bodysuit under her hooded cloak with only the left leg done up in flat black.
“Which one of you goes by Hush?” the mare demanded.
“That would be me.” Ditty stated with a swallow, only certain ponies would know that name..
The mare nodded moving to the side of the ship and pulling out a small pair of binoculars looking over the gathering horde of zombies.
“This ship armed?” the mare asked.
“Not heavily.” Ditty responded.” Just some personal weapons.”
“Pity.” The mare stated. “ What fuel do you use?”
“Sunstone reactor for power, its a little hicupy , but it still works.” Button added.
“Any conventional fuel?” the mare asked.
“No, a lot of cheap booze though.” Carol added. “Though I think most of that is being drunk downstairs.”
“Alright, under article seven of the Tirek charter I am commandeering this vessel in the name of the crown.” the mare stated.
“I don't think you can do that legally, this is a privately owned vessel and that charter only covers evacuation procedures... which we are already preforming.” Button blinked at the stares he was getting.” What?!? there's not much to read but the training manuals on a long tour... and my gamecolt ran out of juice.... Any way who are you?
“Special Agent Sweetie Drops, of the Black hoof.” The mare stated.
Most of them just stared at her, though their attention was drawn suddenly to Carol and Ditty who both started swearing at the same time and backing away from the red cloaked mare.
“I take you know of me from Queen Luna's memories?” Agent Drops asks curiously still scanning the crowd of zombies.
“Most of that's sealed, but Ditty seems to know a few things.” Carol glared at the male Changeling and shuddered.
“I need to have the Queen seal that info off.” Ditty muttered.
“This ships not a warship anymore and we have a good three score of non military ponies inside.” Sweetiebelle answered turning to look at the other costumed mare. “This is also my ship, and I went through a lot to get it, you better have a damn good reason.”
“Found him.” Agent Drops stated. “ My reason is this. I need you to get me over there so I can target Bray directly, and I need you to hang about so I can have a quick extraction if things go south. Stay in the air and fling spells or rocks or whatever you like, you don't need to land, just get me over the middle of that mass, and keep the zombies distracted while I take down their master. With bray dealt with the zombie siege should collapse. The Guards and Wonderbolts will be around sealing off this area , but I am not exactly in a potion to ask any of them for a lift as I am not supposed to exist.”
“Oh is that all.” Sweetiebelle responded. Tapping a hoof to her chin. “ How much collateral damage is allowed?”
“Minimum, no casualties will be accepted.” Agent Drops responded curiously .”Structural damage I suppose will be irrelevant.”
“Back up?” Button's asked.
“A small legion of the Six Sixty Sixth is working to seal off this area and the Wonderbolts are here to do evacuations.” Agent Drops responded.” They are waiting on a signal from my handler to begin. They do not actually know I am present.”
“How much reimbursement from the crown will we get for any damage taken?” Carol asked.
“We will cover what your insurance doesn't and there is a sizable reward for aiding in the capture of Bray.” Agent drops stated again noting Button and Sweetiebelle glancing at each other.
“Tirek formation?” Button asked.
“Can you think of a better distraction?” Sweetiebelle stated, “And it'll keep the fans calm, maybe they will think they are just being treated for loyalty.”
“On it, Carol, go tell Finch we are moving, Silver come with me and help me set up the stage.” Button calls out as he rushed off. “ I am really glad we practiced doing this without landing.”
Agent Sweetie Drops blinked a little watching him go.” Tirek Formation?”
“A couple years ago we wrecked the fool out of Tirek in Whitetail Woods with an outdated sound system and some high power vocals.” Sweetiebelle shrugged. “ We've upgraded our gear, and my spells power since then.”
“Wrecked Tirek?.... wait .. you were at the battle of Yggdrasil?!?!? The shout heard round Equss!?! THAT WAS YOU!?!” Sweetiedrops gasped suddenly having a very bad feeling about this. “ I don't think I have clearance to enlist the aid of a PDR of three....... oh wait.....the fourth......”
“Yep, Babs is here so our PDR is actually Two.” Sweetiebelle cackled, ignoring the agents wince “Don't worry the new sound system skips thirteen and goes right to twenty one!”
Jer'rahd had to admit, this lot was a far sight better than the others. They also seemed rather bity, and not knowing what the bites did he opted to block or avoid them. The Waning Moon wasn't disrupting them as easily as the others either. This lot was tougher and more resistant than the zombies.
The last half of his sandwich however had proven a deadly weapon. He had been trying to scarf it down when one of them popped up in front of him, he reacted quickly and slammed the garlic and onion sauce laden burger in the face of the creature thinking to perhaps blind it a moment only for the thing to grab at it's face and fall over flailing as it's face started melting.
Two of them were hanging back watching as well, a mare and a stallion, the mare was dressed in some sort of tight fitting red straps or something and a red cape. She was pale white with a jet black mane.
The stallion was in some sort of ancheint formal wear, with a cummerbund and everything, though he also had a bright red lined cape though his had a black exterior.
The others fought with the tenacity of beasts using wicked looking edged weapons or claws, everything they were doing seemed designed to let blood. Jer'rahd was a little hard pressed not to take any damage from them and had switched to holding the Waning Moon in his mouth while popping shields every where. He would likely need to change the wrapping as it would be soaked in his spittle and smell like his food , but that would happen later.
Celestia seemed to find a couple of them interesting, or at least they were managing to distract her. Less of them were attacking her and two seemed to be trying to vamp her. A couple of the mares seemed to be trying to charm him as well, though none of them looked even remotely like Luna so his response to the flirting was to spit in one of their faces when they got close enough and then watch them roll around screaming. After that they stopped trying to flirt and went back to trying to kill.
A loud cry from the side made him glance over with a wince as two of them had gotten a hold of Celestia. One had fangs sunk into her throat and the other was biting her inner thigh of her foreleg.
Grogar's laughter drew his attention away from the scene a moment.
“HAHA, now I have you. A vampires kiss can easily control the minds of those they feast one. Your companion is mine fool. Can you fight against your own friend!?” Grogar chuckled.
“Yeah... pretty easily, wouldn't even be the first time either. Should be a piece of cake to kick her fat flank then blame the damage on you when Sparkle and Luna ask.” Jer'rahd shrugged. “ Really you're kinda helping me get rid of a real pain in my flank here.”
There was a sudden scream from one of the Vampires that was biting Celestia. Looking over to her, the two vampires had fallen away from her and were thrashing and screaming on the sand, light seeming to emerge from cracks that were rapidly forming on their bodies, after a moment more of screaming they both exploded into a shower of ash. The effect forcing the others around her to back away from the white alicorn.
“Have fun sun butt?” Jer'rahd snarked.
“That was nothing at all like the novels. It was just a pain in the neck” Celestia pouted rubbing her neck.
“Not the sort of Neck- romancy you wanted was it?” Jer'rahd chuckled getting groan from a number of the vampires around the pair.
“That was not funny Kaisur, it sucked, but I get the point.......” Celestia snorted. “And for the record you cannot kick my flank.”
“Says you.” Jer'rahd chuckled.
“What the buck just happened?” The pompous looking vampire stallion asked suddenly.
“Oh, about that, The Goddess of the Sun title isn't just because of my cutie mark. Magic runs in the blood and the more you use magic the more of it is in your blood, saturating your entire body really. I've been channeling the power of the sun for so long, I practically bleed sunlight.” Celestia shrugged.” Any way that's enough of this, that sort of hurt. I should write a strongly worded letter to that mare and tell her vampires are not sexy.”
“What about the Anna Ricecake ones?” Jer'rahd asked.
“Most, Vampires are not sexy.” Celestia corrected.
Celestia's form was engulfed in fire lighting up the beach and causing a number of the vampires to stumble away.
“Get back in there you fools you're fire proof, or did you forget the power point presentation!?” the female pompous scantily clad vampire shouted.
The others look at each other leaping towards the pair only for a few of them to bounce off Jer'rahd's shield as Celestia lets louse a glut of flame that arches and dances across the beach like lightning, engulfing the collection of vampires and burning them to ash in a instant. The pompous pair threw up a shield to protect themselves and a small swarm of the others. Grogar looks far less than pleased at the hordes destruction.
“How did you do that, fire shouldn't be able to touch us!?!?” The pompous male shouted.
“Well Twilight claims my fire is less fire and more of a plasma... again contact with the sun and all that.” Celestia tossed her mane shaking free some soot as Jer'rahd dropped his shields. “ Honestly I didn't see the relevance of the line of study until now.”
“So that it? You done?” Jer'rahd asked looking to the vampires. All of whom hiss at him before being waved away by the two Pompous ones.
“No, it is quite clear the usual tactics will not work here. We shall be your opponents.” The mare stated.
“Well, maybe I'll have to get serious finally.” Jer'rahd grinned.
There were a large number of protests, whining, and complaints filling the air, echoing off the trees surrounding the river.
The foals weren't happy either.
Neither were the doubled guard of Elk watching the Apple family, most of them dyed in reddish hues.
The only ones who seemed alright were Rainbow Dash and Zap. The former had missed getting hit by the cherry juice, and the later was already a red tinted Pegasus colt so a little bit more red color meant nothing. Granted he smelled strongly of cherries and Dash was currently tickling him threatening to eat the sweet smelling foal.
Fluttershy and Applejack were both currently trying to wash the red out of the coats and manes of Butterscotch and Dandelion. Appleblossom lucked out by being mostly red as well, though her dark blue hair was more purple now. Still Big Mac was keeping an eye on her.
Applebloom however was hunkered down on the other side of the river, trying to soak the cherry stains out of her fur with little success. Her coloration was closer to Pinkie Pies at this point.
“I still wanna know what ya even did.” Applejack frets.
“We told you it wasn't our fault.” Applebloosom moans. “We saw the cherry tree and thought it would be neat to have oranges and Dandelion remember Princess Twilight telling her about a citrus spell.......”
“That sounds like the definition of it being your fault.” Applebloom grumbles.
“But I only cast the spell on one cherry I don't know how it got the whole tree...... or where all that juice came from!” Dandelion whined.
It was a fair point. The cherry tree in question was still blooming and had only produced a few early cherries so far. Maybe no more than a score or two, the amount of juice that had covered the village would have taken an entire harvests worth of cherries to produce. Applebloom was reminded of all the sap she and her friends wound up getting stuck in while crusading, even when they were no where near a tree.
“It is a little strange.” Fluttershy commented likely the only other one not hit with juice in the forest. “But you need to be careful with your magic Dandelion. Twilight said you are at the age where you might be getting small surges. Maybe that was what this was.”
“I guess.” Dandelion muttered. “ I didn't feel any different.”
“Yeah it's not like we have super powers or anything.” Butterscotch grumped.
“Or that we can just wave our hooves and have something happen.” Appleblossom commented waving her wing for effect.
It was about that time the sun suddenly dipped below the horizon for the first time.
“Holy carp!” Butterscotch shouted pointing at the spot in the sky where the sun was only for it to pop back up right where he was pointing.
“AHH!” Dandelion shrieked her horn glowing as the jumpy filly tried to put up a shield to protect herself only to fail sending up a few sparks, just as the sun to dropped past the horizon again.
“WE DIDN'T DO IT!!!” the trio shouted together as all the adults stared at them.
Zap ' Dash' Apple waved his hooves in the air giggling wildly as the sun whipped all the way up to the middle of the sky again, bringing another fit of giggles from the foal before the sun dipped back below the horizon for the last time. Every one turned to stare at the small Pegasus foal who had started clapping his hooves together in glee.
“This is what it felt like..... this is what the crusaders did to every ones nerves.....” Applebloom muttered sinking under the water completely, practically whimpering.
Babs was beside herself. Not literally as one might expect when dealing with Changelings, but more in the panicky sort of way that wasn't likely going to end in the question 'is it masturbation or incest?' like the other way.
Despite being an official member of the CMC, she had never really done much with them. She had never been part of their wild adventures and she had never been involved in any of their disasters. She had gotten a number of others to join her branch of the Cutie Mark Crusaders in Manehatten, but they had never hit the heights that the original trio had. Though she had heard rumors that the next generation out of Ponyville was nearly as chaotic as the first, though the founding CMC was still going strong in terms of disaster it seemed.
Babs had grown up, gained her cutie mark after taking a couple of home EC classes and built her life from there. She always loved food as her plush figure showed, though aside from a a ruined dish or a grease fire, there had never been any big disasters leading up to her getting her cutie mark.
By contrast, Scootaloo had to be burned to ash by a dragon, Sweetiebelle had made a entire concert hall weep with a song, and Applebloom had imprisoned a monster that had destroyed half of Equss, then turned into an Elk to get hers.
Really her life was pretty boring. Even Silver, who she thought was the most interesting thing to happen to her, she had met during a event she was catering for his dads retirement from the steel mill. They had talked a little and hit it off.
No fuss no muss, no giant quasi dietys from the ninth dimension made of pasta rampaging the country side.
Well there was Tirek's attack, but getting trapped in a shelter for three days wasn't her idea of exciting, despite her fame growing a bit as she was one of the ones in there preparing food for the mayor. She had lucked out being in that shelter.
Now she was on a airship that was slowly transforming into a concert stage, in mid air, getting ready to fight off a swarm of zombies while Sweetiebelle and the only ones with any combat experience sang them a song. All of this while dropping some secret agent off the ship to battle a necromancer in the middle of her city. To add a cherry to it all, there was a good sixty plus ponies, Griffons, and other assorted individuals bouncing around in the airships hold, absolutely going nuts at the impromptu concert they were brought into, not a one of them even having a hint of what was really going on.
“You alright Babs?” Sweetiebelle asked trotting up to her, that ridiculous costume still on her. Babs did have to admit it looked good on her , but it seemed she changed a few things. Her face mask had been replaced with just goggles, she had a red hooded cloak now and her left leg was wrapped in black cloth. She looked a little like the agent sitting at the prow of the ship.
“What the heck are you wearing now?” Babs demanded.
Sweetiebelle shrugged.” Button suggested it, says he and Carol had an idea, but he ran off too quick to explain and Carol's busy in the hold. It'll probably be awesome, he is our head tech, and Carol does a lot of the show planning with our manager.”
She looked back over her shoulder and Babs followed her gaze. Button was currently darting around like a foal hopped up on whatever kept Pinkie Pie going. By this point he had opened the middle half of the ship, the side of it opening out revealing a rather large stage that used to be the side of the airship. It stuck out about half the ships width from the side and was partially positioned between the hold deck and the living quarters. Those in the hold were forced to look up at those on stage, but that was normal for a concert stage. Button had set up a sound board on the main deck overlooking the new stage. Inside the ship the fans couldn't see the zombies, only the armored pony and the large pony with a hammer moving around on stage setting things up. Melody, Shanty, and Aria were still mingling and talking with the group, explaining what was happening, as well as the rules of this concert. Ditty and Carol were on the upper deck informing the Captain and the dozen crew members of what was going on.
This was Babs first look at the ships crew. She had somehow always thought the Changelings flew the ship, but in hind sight that was fairly dumb to think just the five of them could do that.
Like Captain Finch all of them seemed injured or wounded in one way or another, most of them were Griffons, though there was a scattering of Pegasi and at least one Harpy. All of them had the look of old soldiers who hated the idea of retiring. In fact she was certain she had read something about Sweetiebelle hiring them out of the ESO when she left. Most of them looked as if they would never fly on their own again, or at least not well, but the airship was the next best thing.
The crew would be keeping the ship flying and setting up a few maneuvers to keep them away from the Zombies , yet close enough to hold their attention from attacking any one else until the real soldiers got here. She had heard one of them mentioning pulling a 'Crazy Ivan', and she wasn't sure she wanted to know what that meant.
“How do you do this Belle?” Babs finally sighed.
“Do what?” Sweetiebelle asked tilting her head in confusion.
“All this... there's a horde of monsters down there, and you're gonna put on a concert in an air ship for a bunch of civilians who should be getting evacuated, not treated to a show before they might die.” Babs snapped. “ All of you are so calm, like you do this sort of crap all the time!”
“Well with the ESO we did kinda fly around and solve a bunch of mysteries, and fight a bunch of monsters. Granted most of those were some crazy pony in a monster suit protecting Seapony Doubloons or something stupid. We also had Coco's great dane with us for some reason... never mind...” Sweetiebelle shrugged. “Still, we're not used to this sort of life and death thing. I mean this is the third time I'VE been in a situation like this. The War of Gods had the CMC on the front lines, not intentionally mind you, the three of us plus Pip, WERE the front line against Tirek and now this. And it's just me this time, with out the other crusaders. Well I mean you're here, but you were never with us for the really scary stuff.”
Sweetiebelle exhaled and smiled a little despite the expression looking forced.
”All I know is I'm in a position to help ponies and to stop another disaster. So I'm gonna do everything I can to put an end to this before any pony gets hurt. Best I can do is sing, but if that helps then I'm damn well gonna do it.”Sweetiebelle sighed a little. ”My sister wouldn't do any less, so I am sure as buck gonna give it everything I have too.”
Babs stared at her friend a moment more before reaching up to hug the much smaller mare.
“Akk hey!” Sweetiebelle protests before sighing and accepting it, not like she could wiggle free of Babs grip any way, pudgy as she was, that mare had some power to her.
“Sorry .. yer right..... If we ken do something we gotta do it.” Babs agreed letting go of Sweetiebelle. “ What did yah need me to do?”
“Well I guess right now maybe set up some snacks or something. Not much in the larder, but Button picked up some groceries earlier so maybe you can whip something together. Once we start best I can tell you to do is hold on. Finch is the best airship pilot that any ones seen. He's also the craziest. I saw what he did when we put the Storm Cloud through it's paces........ lets just say we are gonna be tying every one down The girls are getting the fans down stairs anchored to guide ropes with a few padding spells for good measure.”
“Well that's all of them, now we just need to wait for her to wake up.” Luna sighed brushing off the soot that was all that remained of some of Twilight's mane and fur. Her skin and hair were growing back almost instantly though she was still out cold. That last worm had hardened around the base of her horn making it a bitch to burn off.
“WHAT THE BUCK ARE YOU DOING IN MY LIBRARY!!?!?” a voice boomed out from the door.
Lyra shrieked as the mint colored unicorn was flung away from the door to crash into a bookcase, the whole pile collapsing down on top of her with a resounding crunch of wood.
“Lyra!” Octavia shouted rushing over to her friend only to slam bodily into a suddenly raised gold colored shield, the gray mare fell back to the floor with a crash being forcefully yanked to her hooves before her head was snapped up suddenly and she was flung back into a wall on the far side of the library.
Trixie yelped as she was scooped up off the floor and shot skyward smashing into the ceiling hard enough to leave a crater before being dropped back to the floor, the blue mare smashing through a table as parts of the ceiling fell down atop of her.
Luna whirled away from Twilight only for something to smash her across the face and send her tumbling away from the table Twilight was on.
“And you!?! HOW DARE YOU BRING FIRE IN HERE!!” the voice screamed. Luna winced as another blow lashed out sending her reeling back. She stumbled back only to be hit again and again by some unknown force. She felt like she was boxing with a dragon, and she was quite certain one of her teeth had been knocked loose. Luna tried to brace herself from the blows, the impacts were quite powerful, though she had suffered far worse. Still the blows were enough to knock her back on her rump and make her vision blurry. She shook her head seeing stars and hummingbirds........wait that looked like a …..
The next hit snapped the chitin covered mares head back sending lifting her off the ground and dropping her back to just as hard. She felt her tail being grabbed and yanked into the air as she was swung about and sent flying towards a wall. Her wings fanned out flapping madly as she tried to right herself. She managed to soften the impact and land shakily on her hooves.
She shook her head hard clearing her vision and looked for the little black dot she saw before. It only took her a moment to spot it making a beeline for her. The tiny thing looked like an elongated pony with bug wings wild hair and a pair of long antenna.
“A breezy?” Luna gasped only for the tiny creatures two antenna to glow gold, the magic wrapping around her neck and hoisting her into the air crushing her throat. The creature in question moved right before her face and she got a clear look at it.
The creature was indeed a Breezy, or used to be. It's white skin was pulled tight over his features, stretched taught enough that it had begun to peel back from it's mouth exposing it's teeth and part of it's skull. It's eyes were hollow sockets with a gold glow deep within them. The black body suit it wore was pulled tight over a emaciated frame, the creatures bones were visible though the tight material as if there was no fat or muscle left on it's body. It's hair was shock white with black tips and was only on it's body in patches. The wings were mismatched, one seemed to be from a large moth and the other from a butterfly, Luna could see the stitching holding the wings in place.
“Yeah, yeah, a Breezy... one who's kicking the shit out of you trespassers.” The creature hissed his magic belting Luna across the face again and flinging her down into the floor. After a moment she felt the magic grab a hold of her wing yanking her back up by the gossamer length causing Luna to cry out.
This was far stronger magic than she expected,it seemed it was enough to bypass a gods ability to heal. Where she had been hit and choked directly by the magic the injuries were still crying out to her, barely healing. The impacts with the floor and bookshelf she had already recovered from, though the pressure on her wing was excruciating and she felt it was starting to tear it as the little monster yanked her into the air by her wings then slammed her back into the ground.
“Always had bastards trying to pull my wings off like a bug, never thought I’d get a chance to pull the wings off a bug bigger than me.” The Breezy cackled yanking harder on the Changeling Queen's wing, its magic pulling her wing and holding her down. The pain was enough to cause her to scream out as green blood began pooling at the base of her wing where he flesh was starting to tear.
Luna grit her teeth getting ready to shove herself forward and attack even if it mean ripping her wing off fully, she had to protect the others they were not nearly as durable as she was.....
Her thoughts on the matter as well as the pressure on her wing were suddenly cut off by the sound of a high pitched scream, the crunching of tiny bones, and the loud thud of two massive books hitting one another.
“His library.......if that's how the little shit treats books then he doesn't deserve this place.” growled a voice.
Luna looked up as two massive tomes gripped in magenta magic pulled apart, letting the powdered breezy corpse fall from between them to the ground, a moment later both books stacked neatly atop of the corpse and Luna was lifted in the same glow as the books and floated over to the table. Trixie, Octavia and Lyra were similarly pulled out of where they fell and brought over to the table.
Lyra was out cold, though Octavia and Trixie just seemed a bit banged up.
Slowly sitting up on the table with a fan of her purple wings, Twilight Sparkle pulled Luna nose to nose with her glaring at the Queen of changelings with bleary bloodshot eyes.
“This is why we don't do things like knocking out one of our own, we could get jumped.” Twilight growled.
“I was attempting to spare you a great deal of pain.” Luna responded.
“Yes, well thank you for that, though now every one else is hurt or dead.” Twilight grumbled.
“I'm not dead.” Lyra muttered stirring a bit.
“What?” Twilight questioned.
“I'm not dead.” Lyra stated again with a groan.
“She says, she's not dead.” Luna pointed out.
“Yes she is” Twilight sighed.
“I'm not” Lyra fusses.
“Well you soon will be you're badly injured.” Twilight sighed.
“I'm getting better.”Lyra bemoaned.
“No you're not you'll be stone dead in a moment..... you know what? Fine! I have a headache twenty leagues wide, I am quite cross and I still feel like throwing up, even without the scent of my own burnt flesh filling my nose.” Twilight cursed, her magic gripping the rings on every ones horn yanking them off and tuning the small creatures into little balls of ash incinerating them almost immediately.” Now then, I know a few healing spells, but I am still shit at casting them. Trixie, Lyra if you have any healing spells or medical knowledge please use them on every one. Luna if you are able see if you can get a trace of magic going on that Breezy corpse and see if you can find something similar in the area around here. Am going to assume that thing was one of the Lichs mentioned in the book and we need to destroy it's phylactery before it will be gone for good.”
“YOU BITCH!!!” shouted a voice, an arc of lightning lanced towards the group only to hit a magenta shield. Twilight drops the ponies she was holding slamming together two broken pieces of shelving in the air, not far from where the bolt came from. There was a loud clack of wood, a tiny curse and the sound of more crunching bone and powdery flesh falling.
“Never mind found him. Two minutes. I wonder if it's smaller size means it can re-spawn faster. Also it's phylactery is quite close, come on now heal up and lets got I am not going to fight any more in a library.” Twilight ordered. “Now then we need a way outside.... ah this will do.”
The group watched as Twilight cast a spell that blew a hole in empty wall where a book shelf had been, and several other stone walls behind it. The mare barely paused her magic fanning out and tidying up the library and at least stacking a few things properly if not in proper order before she stormed out the hole she had made in the wall. The other four simply stand where she had placed them down staring after the fuming mare..
The other three look at Luna who simply shrugged.
'Tia said she was cranky when she first wakes up ,but I didn't expect this.”
=============================================
[Crystal Empire, Dreamscape]
“You look weird.” Shin stated flatly looking up at the dark alicorn that was Dawn.
“I know right?” Dawn pouted her form shimmering as she put forth the effort to imagine herself back to her normal form. “I'm gonna choke that Griffon when I see him again....Not you Brainy.”
“I should hope not.” Talon snorted, having less of an idea of what was going on than any of the others. All of this was far too fanciful for his grasp. He preferred logic and this place had none of that. It was one of the reasons he wasn't too concerned that Dawn seemed to know what was going on here. This place seemed as chaotic as she was to him. “ Well at least we are all together this time.”
Elusive nodded looking over at Rynthia as she seemed to be trying to see her own neck. “ I don't think you are wearing it now Rynthia.”
“That is something that I know, but if that is the case where did it abscond..... vanish..... move....?” Rynthia muttered.
“Go.” chimes Glimmer who was fluttering around looking for something as well.” I don't see Charlotte any where either.”
“I smell him.” Dawn stated sniffing the air. “ Smells like bacon.” “you didn't even know who he was five minutes ago how do you even know what he smells like?” Glimmer fussed at Dawn as the Kirin mare shrugged.
“Perhaps we should hunt for the Taipair while Rynthia tries to recall how to call that necklace of hers. She was the last one to get kicked out of the dream last time, maybe it is some sort of protection and once she has it we can copy it to gain it's protection. So long as we don't disrupt anything and keep to ourselves here the Tantabus shouldn't bother us. It didn't seem to care about us last time until we tracked it down.” Talon theorized.
“Sounds like a plan to me.” Elusive agreed with nods from the others..
The six foals set out across the roiling shapeless dream scape following Dawn's nose, unaware of a multitude of eyes watching them.
[Manehatten, in the graveyard in front of the steel mill.]
Bray stared out from the top of the stone mausoleum at the ever growing horde. He was rather surprised at a number of things to be honest.
First that there were this many here. Maybe a hundred or so were ponies, but it was bordering on the thousands already of Orcs. He knew this was a mass grave, but not this big of one. It was like they had dumped an entire army here.
The second thing was how well they had held together. There were a number that were little more than skeletons or were chard lumps, but there were far more relatively whole bodies with flesh and sinew left as well as decent enough armor. The mass graves were over a thousand years old, perhaps it had something to do with the swampy nature of the area, or perhaps this hadn't been a mass grave dug so much as a bunch of bodies tossed into a peat bog.
The third thing was that he barely felt the drain of raising the undead. This was excessively odd as they were not simple zombies. Most of these undead had risen as Ghouls. There were a few lesser in the mix but even Grogar would have issue raising this many of the mildly intelligent undead. Bray didn't even think he had spent a quarter of his power. Had Tamberlane come close enough for him to tap into it? Was there something more about this place than he knew? Or was his time serving Grogar finally paying off some how?
“BRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” something bellowed from the ground.
Seemed there was something else he hadn't considered.
The ground before him erupted in a shower of dirt and flailing soil. Viscous tendrils of odd roots and ratty tar soaked hair exploded out of the ground hauling a massive figure along with it. Bray stared at the creature in shock recognizing it immediately and having no bucking clue how he had managed to raise this thing.
A Gallows Gaunt.
The behemoth of an Orc ripped itself free of the ground shaking off the dirt and soil it's eyeless gaze sweeping over the gathered army. The gathered Orcs enmasse knelt before the behemoth and a chanting cry rose up from the ranks .
Bray wasn't sure what the chant was, but a single name seemed to be in the chant.
Je'fray.
“WHERE IS THE DEMON?!?!?!” the undead Orc god bellowed and Bray felt all the others eyes and empty sockets turn to him. The Orc God slowly turned to follow suit, looking up at the Donkey. Bray could see the wound that likely killed him a gash in the middle of his forehead that clearly went through his skull and oozed a black icor. His chest and back also had a massive wound in them that seemed to pass fully through his body. Bray could see a bit of light under the Orc from a streetlamp above them.
Bray wasn't sure what the Demon was though he didn't need a proper answer. He had seen Grogar deal with the few Gallows Gaunts he had created. It was easier to simply tell them what you wanted them to do, but in a way that made them think it was their own idea.
“You seek your killer then?” Bray smirked getting a glare from the hog, getting it right in one. “ Calm yourself. I am not your enemy. I have brought you back to finish what you started , the destruction of this city. Your Demon is here some where, or at the very least, he is sure to come after Manehatten is no more than rubble.”
There was a roar from the gathered Orcs. While Bray could try to force his control over them, all he needed them to do was run wild, something they seemed far more inclined to do. Only the Orc God Je'fray seemed skeptical. Bray really didn't care as long as he agreed to destroy everything.
“FINE THEN MEAT. WE WILL FINISH WHAT WE STARTED, BUT IF THE DEMON DOES NOT COME THEN I SHALL TAKE OUT MY FRUSTRTATION ON YOU.” Je'fray bellowed.
Bray didn't respond, actually rather impressed that the Orc God was speaking passable common including a few multi syllable words here and there. Again was this something he had done with his spell? He cast something he was only vaguely familiar with adjusted with some of his own studies, a mass raise spell directly on the graveyard., it still shouldn't have had the power to do all this.
There was a yammering in the horde and Je'fray looked up in the sky at something with a confused expression on his face.
“WHAT THAT!?” the Orc God bellowed.
Bray looked up in the air curiously noting what looked to be a airship, with of all things a stage emerging from the side, drifting towards them. He had seen that ship at the docks when he came to this graveyard and had marveled at it a bit, though he was curious about what the stage was about when he noticed a couple of ponies standing on it. The one in the lead caught his attention the most, it looked like that damn mare who tired to kill him earlier.
“The enemy has found us, Destroy th.....” Grogar shouted before a noise cut him off knocking him from the mausoleum.
====================================== [Tamberlane Outside the shield ]
Jer'rahd grinned, the Waning Moon rushing up to block the odd blade of darkness the pompous vampire was using. The male had identified himself as Karlac before he launched into an attack. It was rather interesting to find out the creature was a pegicorn of sorts. That cloak of his had actually spread out into great bat like wings as he began his attack. He held a blade in his magic, one in his mouth , one on each wing and a pair of short spikes of the same odd dark matter on his fore hooves. He was fast too, whirling about Jer'rahd like a blender on high speed. The strikes were light, but Jer'rahd was hard pressed to block or dodge them all, his shields were popping up all over the black deflecting attacks and filling the air around the undead,making the vampire move around them. It wasn't hard keeping the vampire back, though it did mean he couldn't attack. Jer'rahd wasn't sure he wanted to know what might happen if that darkness blade hit him. Unfortunately the two of them were evenly matched at the moment.
It was great fun.
Celestia was not doing much better. As fast as Karlac was the scantily clad pompous mare made him look like he was standing still. She had introduced herself as Visna, before vanishing in a puff of smoke and nearly slicing off Celestia's head before the Sun Princess managed a teleport. She had the same sort of shadowy weapon, though hers was a massive ax rather than a lot of blades. The way she spun and flipped around the long hafted weapon reminded Jer'rahd of one of those pole dancers in the clubs Rhede had liked. Still the weapon whirled faster than he had thought any one could wield something of that size.
Celestia amazingly enough was holding her own rather well, deflecting blows with the Brilliant Dawn and her own shields and retaliating with fire attacks forcing the mare to keep popping in an out of existence. Jer'rahd thought Visna an earth pony, but she sprouted bat like wings as well. Maybe she was an earth pony and Karlac was a unicorn and the wings were the vampire part of them. He really didn't care enough to ask
In any event Celestia and Jer'rahd couldn't even switch targets to see if they would fare better against the other. Every time they moved to press an attack, their foe switched locations with a faint pop of teleportation or a swift flap of wings, so they were stuck facing the same foe.
“I hate this.” Celestia snarled, slapping the ax away with the Brilliant Dawn.
“What finally having something stand up against us?” Jer'rahd snorted in amusement, ducking a shot to his head from a wing blade.. “Rather exciting if you ask me.”
“I don't like playing fair with a opponent holding their own against me in a situation like this. I have no idea how you can find this fun.” Celestia snarked a blast of fire leaving her horn doing little more than making a splash of burnt glass where the vampire had been.
“Ehh I see your point, so what are you going to do about it?” Jer'rahd shrugged forcing the vampire back with a few well placed shields.
“What I usually do when a game gets to the point I have trouble.” Celestia muttered hopping back with a few flaps of her wings.
“Cheat?”
“Of course.” Celestia grinned, fanning her wing suddenly and flinging a group of small objects at the female vampire.
Visna barely paid it any mind, blocking the objects with a twirl of her ax. The items hitting the weapon with faint pops and seemed to shatter.
“Throwing blades? In a duel? If that is your idea of cheating...GAH!!!” Visna cried out her skin starting to sizzle.
“Not throwing blades.” Celestia grinned as the vampire mare dropped her ax and started screaming her wings and hooves clawing at her face trying to wipe her forelegs chest and head clean. Small char marks appeared on her fur and got larger the more she tired to wipe them off. She flailed rolling on the ground, loud pops filling the air as she randomly teleported around on the sand trying to get rid of the sauce that had struck her face.
Jer'rahd blinked catching the unmistakeable scent of garlic and onion.
“You threw special sauce packs at her?Why do you even have those things I thought you hated it?” Jer'rahd questioned.
“The sauce is actually pretty good on the hay fries.” Celestia admitted.
“ HAH! “ Jer'rahd laughed. “Alright remember what you did to the cockatrice in training?”
“Seriously? Fine, on you, twelve o clock low.” Celestia smirked as her horn started to glow.
“Right.” Jer'rahd stated blocking a blow from the male vampire who seemed distracted by the mares screaming, though he also appeared wary of whatever they were talking about. Jer'rahd formed a shield above the vampire to keep him from flying, though another appeared under their hooves keeping them off the black sand which had started to smoke. Jer'rahd shoved the vampire back off the shield he had just formed, only for the ground under the vampire to give way dropping him into a chest deep pit of molten glass.
The male vampire's screams joined the females though the mare's voice was quickly silenced as Celestia removed the undead's head from her shoulders, yanking a piece of driftwood from the sand and driving it into the mares chest presumably through her heart.
Jer'rahd quickly followed suit, though he speared the male with the thicker part of a dead tree destroying much of the vampires chest, ensuring he hit the heart, and probably obliterated it.
The remaining vampires of course freaked out and swarmed the pair only to be just as quickly dispatched leaving nothing but burning corpses scattered across the beach, and a cursing Capricorn necromancer.
Button Mash was running around like a mad pony, connecting wires and setting up crystals at cardinal points of the ship. The crowd in the hold was losing their shit as the band readied their instruments and Sweetiebelle took the stage. Button rushed around making sure all of them were tied down, the stage had no railings and the slightest adjustment of the Storm Cloud would send everything sliding that wasn't tied down. Thankfully the instruments already had anchor points preinstalled.
A few of the fans had helped out with the prep for the show. An older unicorn stallion named Sunburst had known a anti gravity spell and with the help of some of the other unicorns the deck of the ship would now be down no matter which way the ship tilted. Sweetiebelle promised an autograph or two for the help after the show, which only made a number of them even more eager to help.
Button had rushed off after making sure everything was secure and was talking with agent Sweetie Drops about something. After a moment he attached a com crystal to the front of her cloak. The mare didn't seem thrilled about it, but Button seemed insistent. Sweetiebelle really wanted to know what he was up to but neither he, nor Carol was telling and both of them were too busy to talk any way. Finally the stallion moved behind the sound booth on the upper deck and called a all clear to Captain Finch who started to move the ship towards the zombie horde or siege or what ever. The rest of the band signaled their readiness and it was up to Sweetiebelle to motion to start.
The Rarities were ready to go
Sweetiebelle could hear yelling and as they swung around the iron works building the largest Pig she had ever see was in the middle of the mass of undead screaming up at a Donkey perched atop a stone crypt.
It was now or never. She waved a hoof at Shanty who began playing the piano. The yellow maned Hippogryph Changeling had shifted to her silver furred Hippogryph form that most of the fans knew for this. She began tapping out a few careful notes with her claws.
“How can you see into my eyes......” Sweetiebelle spoke slightly more than a throaty whisper.
The pink maned Melody who was in her pegasus form, her black feathered wings strummed across a bass guitar she clutched tight to her pink hued form. The base line hit the speakers as Sweetiebelle hit the first words of the song. The reverberations from the ships speakers shook the entire ship as they thrummed a massive dust cloud of dirt and litter exploding from the ground under them . The wave of sound washed over the zombie horde and echoed across the streets of Manehatten raising a dust cloud from the ground below them that washed over the zombie horde and echoed down the streets of Manehatten.
“Like open doors.” Sweetiebelle continued ignoring the faint crackle as Ditty started on the guitar. The male changeling took a form he rarely did on stage of a red stallion with a silvery mane highlighted with pink. Melody was of course ecstatic that he chose to highlight his mane with her favorite color and Ditty made some excuse about it not being related that no one believed at all.
“Leading you down into my core. Where I've become so numb,”
The second bass blast hit even harder as Button played with the volume, the reverb echoing off the surrounding buildings and blowing out windows across the city, making buildings shake as if the city was hit with an earthquake. Rotted flesh and body parts were blown off the leading edge of the horde, a number of 'not quite as well made' creatures collapsing completely as exposed bone shattered and rotted forms vibrated into nothing from the massive boom of the speakers. Bray had been knocked off his perch by the first bass boom and he had barely managed to right himself when the second boom hit, sending him back to the dirt.
“Without a soul” Sweetie sang as Aria and Melody lent their voices to a wordless echoing chorus.
“My spirit's sleeping some where cold. Until you find it there and lead.... It. Back. Home.” Sweetiebelle finished her part with a smirk.
Ditty began playing in earnest now, his guitar coupled with his own voice as he sang the male part of the song. The volume boost of the sudden jump in the songs tone sending a number more Orcs scattering , many clutching their rotted ears or falling to the ground as what was left of their brains was rattled around to mush.
“WAKE ME UP!” Ditty cried
Sweetie Drops wasted no time once they were in position. She lept over the edge of the ship Dropping into free fall barely twenty stories over the street bellow. She turned in mid air firing her line up to hook on the ships figure head, a statue modeled after Rarity Reighnolds. The line snaps taught and she swings low, skirting over the heads of the stumbling horde and plowing bodily into Bray. The Donkey flailed as he was grabbed and swung upwards with the rest of her arc. The red cloaked mare flung the Donkey ahead of her and through one of the windows into the smelting plant. She disconnected her grapple and dove through the broken window after Bray vanishing from view.
“Wake me up inside,” Sweetiebelle responded to Ditty. “I can't wake up.”Ditty called. “Wake me up inside,” Sweetiebelle and the others chorus. “Save me!” Ditty cried “Call my name and save me from the dark.” Sweetiebelle crooned. “Wake me up.” Ditty shouted. “Bid my blood to run.” Sweetiebelle sighed out. “I can't wake up” Ditty hollered. “Before I come undone,” Sweetiebelle continued. “Save me “ Ditty pleaded. “Save me from the nothing I've become” Sweetiebelle pleaded.
Button had rushed to the railing again, where some of the crew and Silver were tied down to one of the guide ropes running along the ship, it was less secure than the band was, but it allowed them to move about. Silver was watching down over the side of ship as the Griffons began firing crossbows into the undead crowd. There were only six of them, but the group were old soldiers and reloading and firing Griffonese crossbows, it was second nature to the lot of them. Very few shots missed their marks.
Button however was a little more precise it seemed with firing Vera. The Crossbow had been mounted to the railing and the bolt head loaded had a communication crystal strapped to it for some reason. After finding a proper target Button pulled the trigger and fell over backwards as the massive bolt kicked out of the crossbow, shooting through the air and slamming hard into the side of the largest undead Orcs there. A few more bolts with crystals attached were launched before the brown Earth pony ran off to do something else.
Je'Fray's howl was drown out by the music, though the pig began shouting orders as he yanked the spear sized bolt from his side.
“Now that I know what I’m without. You can't just leave me” Sweetiebelle belted out with the other girls echoing her words softly.
“Beeaaathe into me and make me real.” Sweetiebelle croons, the last words echoed by her chorus.
“Bring. Me. to life.” Sweetiebelle breathes out the last in a throaty whisper.
Blasts of lightning and fire suddenly turn the dark street into day as a pair of massive winged forms tear around the corners of the building strafing the Orc horde with green flame and blue lightning.
Spike and Bleu soar over the crowd zipping under the airship as it started to rise, the package delivered, the wind of their passage making Sweetiebelle's cloak flutter like mad as the zephyr whipped across the stage.
“WAKE ME UP!” Ditty cried “Wake me up inside,” Sweetiebelle responded to Ditty. “I can't wake up.”Ditty called. “Wake me up inside,” Sweetiebelle and the others chorus. “Save me!” Ditty cried “Call my name and save me from the dark.” Sweetiebelle crooned. “Wake me up.” Ditty shouted. “Bid my blood to run.” Sweetiebelle sighed out. “I can't wake up” Ditty hollered. “Before I come undone,” Sweetiebelle continued. “Save me “ Ditty pleaded. “Save me from the nothing I've become” Sweetiebelle pleaded.
Je'fray roared out as everything around him burned, the former Orc god had whipped himself into a proper fury. The rotted tendrils of his hair and the old roots and moss mixed in with them lashed out soaring into the air to grab a hold of the airship before it got too high. The massive boar dug in his hooves yanking the ship down as Finch struggled to take the ship up higher. The griffon behind the wheel growls as he sends the ship into a sharp turn spinning around the Orc trying to rip free of the hair holding it without smashing into a building. He was partially successful as he clipped the side of a tower knocking off a string of Gargoyle statues and a great deal of decorative masonry.
Je'Fray squealed out an order as he hunkered down more trying to reel the ship in like a fish. A number of Orc zombies begin clamoring up his hair rushing up to the ship with a few dead Griffons and Pegasi taking to the air to attack as well.
“Bring me to life,” Sweetiebelle cried, her horn glowing as she smashed an empty crate into a undead Griffon knocking it from the air.
“I've been living a lie” Ditty shouts, a extra wing forming on his back holding a crossbow which blasts through a Pegasi who had made it to the stage. “There’s nothing in side!”
“Bring me to life.” Sweetiebelle intoned.
The first of the Orcs made it up to the edge of the deck only for a sledge hammer to slam into it’s face, sending the rotted Pig squealing off into the abyss. Silver snorted looking over the edge of the ship as one of the Griffon crew works to cut the hair root free.
“Frooooozen” Sweetiebelle harmonized with the Shanty and Melody, the other two Changelings lashing out with flashes of green fire and other magics that work to keep the stage deck clear of the creatures trying to swarm over it like ants on a picnic. “Inside without your touch. Without your love darling “Sweetiebelle serenaded along with the other two echoing her despite their attacks. “Only you. Are the life among the dead.”
A Orc with an ax as large as she was shrugged off the magic attacks from the Changelings and rushed Sweetiebelle. The white mare tensed up ready to dodge before remembering she was tied to the deck. Before she had time to even break song, a large crate attached to a rope swung through the air and slammed into the Orc flinging her off the stage and to the ground below.
Looking up Sweetiebelle saw Button riding atop of the crate. The Earth pony cut it loose and letting it fall onto the Orcs below as he swung back to the upper deck on the rope, likely not even seen by the crowd watching the song.
Sweetiebelle smiled at how good Button was at this. A good roadie knows his whole job is to make someone else look good, keep someone else safe, help someone else do what they were put here to do. A good roadie stays out of the spotlight. If he's doing his job right, you don't even know he's there. Once in a while he might step on stage just to fix a problem, to set something right. But then before you even realize he was there or what he did, he's gone. Button was Equss best roadie.
“All the time I can't believe I couldn't see,” Ditty soloed, “Kept in the dark, but you were there in front of me.” “I've been sleeping a thousand years it seems.” Sweetiebelle continued trying to calm her beating heart from the close call. “I've got to open my eyes to everything.”
“Without a thought, without a voice, without a soul.” Ditty belted out
“Don't let me die here..” Carol purred.
“There must be something wrong,” Ditty piped.
“Bring me to life.” Sweetiebelle resounded.
More Orcs had clamored up onto the ship and the Griffon crew was hard pressed to push them back enough to cut the lines holding the ship. Silver was fighting off two of them when a resounding clang sent one crashing into the other and sent both tumbling off the side of the ship. Looking up from the fallen Orcs his eyes locked with Babs as the mare spun a dented cast iron frying pan around a hoof. She grinned and took a quick step to the railing and smashed another Orc in the face as it climbed over.
The chubby mare was dressed in an apron festooned with various kitchen items. Silver was about to question it when the cook took the head off another Orc with a thrown cutting board. She waded through the Orcs on deck laying waste with rolling pins sauce pans and everything else that could complete a full kitchen set.
It was only when she started tossing bags of flour onto the hair ropes along with cooking oil that Silver finally started moving again, helping the others knock the still twitching Orc bodies off the ship.
A few matches from the mare burned away a great many of the old rotted anchors holding the ship in place allowing Finch to start pulling away again, a bit slowly.
“WAKE ME UP!” Ditty cried “Wake me up inside,” Sweetiebelle responded to Ditty. “I can't wake up.”Ditty called. “Wake me up inside,” Sweetiebelle and the others chorus. “Save me!” Ditty cried “Call my name and save me from the dark.” Sweetiebelle crooned. “Wake me up.” Ditty shouted. “Bid my blood to run.” Sweetiebelle sighed out. “I can't wake up” Ditty hollered. “Before I come undone,” Sweetiebelle continued. “Save me “ Ditty pleaded. “Save me from the nothing I've become” Sweetiebelle pleaded.
The Dragons were making the second pass Bleu and Spike had focused fully on the large Orc anchoring the ship to the ground. The creature roared a last time before the mix of fire and lightning finished what should have been done a thousand years ago.
The ship lurched suddenly as it was freed, soaring into the air rapidly. A number of those on board where flung to the deck. One pony however had been trying to fend off a undead Orc, both had lost their footing and fell off the side of the ship. The pony manged to grab a hold of a hair vine still attached to the rapidly rising Storm Cloud, the Orc was not as lucky. Still without Je'fray holding the hair together, the vine like tendrils were rapidly disintegrating into nothing.
“Bring me to life,” Sweetie and her chorus cry out, Sweetiebelle caught sight of Button's plight from the corner of her eye. “I've been living a lie.” Ditty screams out. “There's nothing inside.”
“Bring me to life............” Sweetiebelle all but whispers as she turned fully meeting Button's eyes as the strands holding the pony up gave way, the Brown Earth pony plummeting towards the city far below as the last strains of piano fade into nothing.
Jer'rahd's ears perk as he looked up from the burning corpse of the vampire looking out towards the water with a small shiver. The unmistakeable sound of music seemed to be echoing across the water from some where.
He reached up tapping the com crystal in his ear.
“This is Guard Captain Kaisur. All units report.” Jer'rahd demanded noting Celestia was also looking out at the water. Grogar seemed to be plotting something, though even he seemed to notice the noise.
“Gallopagos here, we're getting sounds of music of some kind on the beach. Talia says it sounds a bit like Lady Belle.”
“Neighlantis Guard reporting in, no change though we have had to destroy more sea life that died and turned. This thing's an ecological nightmare. We have a small advantage that it's stationary, but at least six of the pylon farms are going to need to be gutted and rebuilt.”
“Jupiter reporting in. Lady Bleu and Lord Spike have left to deal with a situation that has arisen in Manehatten. We are unsure of anything more than that.”
“Where's the mainland report? Or Green two?” Jer'rahd stated after a moment waiting.
“Mainland Guard here sir, I'm sorry I didn't hear you over the noise. For some reason the Rarities airship is putting on a concert at max volume and we're hard pressed to do anything about it without leaving our post, but we are swamped in complaints.” The noise of music blasting through the comlink made Jer'rahd wince though he caught the gist of what was said.
“Green two reporting in. My apologies we are overseeing an operation here and it was too critical to respond at the time. The Fox has cornered the chicken, though the chicken raised a pack of green piggys to help it and the Fox wanted a musical accompaniment. The raptors and eagles are in the air and Animal control is on the scene. No casualties to report thus far, evacuations of the area are under way though the city is being roughed up a bit, still no casualties, though property damage reports are already coming in. Poison Joke and Balloons are also rumored on site. No word from Fox yet.”
Jer'rahd blinked putting together everything that had just been said. Raptors were often a call sign of the Wonderbolts and Shadowbolts though the latter were more often called raptors shadows. The eagles were Spike and Bleu. Fox was of course Agent Sweetie Drops and the chicken Bray. He wasn't sure what green piggys were though he expected they were zombies of some kind. Animal control was the Six Sixty Sixth He had no clue what the code Poison Joke or Balloons were for however.
“Got it. All units be ready just in case something else comes up or the situation gets out of hoof in Manehatten. Jupiter I want you to move over the water between Gallopagos and Manehatten so you'll be ready to help in either situation.”
“Yes sir” “On it” “Will do.” “Yes sir, we'll deal with the complaints.” “Green two will keep you appraised Sir.”
“Just tell me when I ask Green two things are getting interesting here I don't need a distraction.” Jer'rahd stated.” Guard Captain out.”
Celestia looked over at him waiting for Jer'rahd to finish. “What's going on?”
“Bray's cornered but he raised some zombies or something to help him. The Bolts and the Monster hunters are on sight as are Bleu and Spike. Some how Sweetiebelle's gotten involved again so get ready for some repair invoices.” Jer'rahd sighed.
“Lovely.” Celestia sighed watching Jer'rahd play with the in front of him, he was holding a long stick of drift wood over the fire. She frowned when she saw was was on the end.” You are seriously not considering eating that are you?”
Jer'rahd looked up from where his stick had been hovering over the burning corpse of a vampire, a white marshmallow sitting on the end of it, just starting to turn golden and gooey from the heat.
“Of course not.......”
“Well that's good.....”
“I planed to flick it into that wavy mass of what you call a mane and see if it stuck. I can't test it on Luna any more and Twilight's not here.”
“Don't you dare.....” Celestia growled.
Before Jer'rahd could respond a blast of magic tore through the sand before them, flinging both of them back away from the burning vampire and vaporizing the stick marshmallow and the fire.
Celestia flicked out her wings, landing lightly on her hooves though Jer'rahd tumbled a bit before righting himself. The pair of them glare across the field to the nine forms in a half circle around them.
There were four Unicorns, a Griffon, one Zebra, two Diamond Dogs and a small Dragon. All of them looked emaciated with their skin Stretched taught and turned ashen gray. Glowing pin pricks of light stared at the pair from hollowed eye sockets.
The unicorns were all stallions dressed in armor that had not been in style since the three tribes era. One of them had metal plates one it's legs and face that seemed to be bolted there.
The two diamond dogs were dressed like wanderers, but each leaned heavily on oddly gnarled staves, one seemed male the other female.
The zebra had faded red stripes and a dull crystal horn, it was covered in dust and cobwebs as if it had been sitting some where for a long time.
The griffon was bundled up in bandages and looked rather like a mummy.
The dragon for some reason had given itself a cape and a crown , though it's head was completely skeletal.
“Liches.... Kill them!” Grogar roared.
“Well now. This might suck a little.” Jer'rahd grumbled.
Several Species of small furry animals gathered together in a cave and grooving with a Pict.[AF 24]
Several Species of small furry animals gathered together in a cave and grooving with a Pict.
[New Canterlot, eleven years ago, six years after the War of the Gods, as few weeks before Diamond Tiara was hospitalized]
Button Mash slowly lowered his Gamecolt and stared wide eyed at the white Unicorn filly before him. It had to be a trick, she couldn't have asked what he thought she just asked.
“What?!?” Button Mash managed to stammer in a rather unelequent and broken manner, his voice cracked a little as he did so and that annoyed him a lot for the first time.
“I asked if you wanted to go out Friday.....” Sweetiebelle said again, seeming a little flustered herself. She kept glancing back behind her at Scootaloo and Applebloom who were rather poorly trying to hide behind a bush and urge the white furred filly on at the same time.
Button stared at her a moment more, certain this was some sort of trap or joke, heck it might even be another attempt to get their cutiemarks, Scootaloo had her's but Sweetiebelle and Applebloom didn't yet. Still the Crusaders were not known for being cruel, and if this was a joke, it would be a cruel one by any ones standards.
He still didn't know how to take it though, it wasn't that long ago that the colts and filly's thought each other had the dreaded cooties. Now that that phase was passed by most of them, Sweetiebelle was considered by many to be the most attractive filly in the school. There were some who said one of the other fillys. Scootaloo and Silver Spoon had their own fan followings, the former was mostly Pipsqueak, but Button agreed with the ones interested in Sweetiebelle.
He never said anything about it of course, he never considered he would have a chance even if he did. Button was little more than a pudgy, antisocial colt, with maybe two or three good friends at best, and the social graces only slightly better than Rainbow Dash's. His grades were average at best and he did everything he could not to stand out at all from every pony else, even trading in his beanie a few years ago for a much simpler, though very much video game related, hat.
The crystals used in gaming had all but exploded in popularity lately, they had gone from massive things that could only fit in arcade cabinets to hoof held devices in barely two years. Most of it had to do with the return of the Crystal Empire, they could do things with crystals there that the ponies outside the empire had never heard of. And once the games got to hoof held sized Button wasn't interested in anything else.
Well at least until this moment. What to do, what to do.... What would Captain Clydsdale do in this situation? Probably punch something, no good. Doom colt? Shoot everything, also no good. Mario? He doubted Sweetiebelle would be thrilled if he started jumping on turtles. Space fox? Barrel rolls didn't help. Guess he had to wing it.
“Um... yeah okay.” He heard himself stammering.
Sweetiebelle turned a brighter shade of red before nodding and quickly backing off with a reminder of when to come pick her up on Friday.
Button stared after her, his game forgotten as he considered what he was supposed to do now.... really there was only one thing he could do, ask some one who might know......
His mom should be off work by the time he got home.
[ Manehatten, current day, under the Storm Cloud and descending rapidly.]
Button blinked at the memory that came unbidden to his mind. That had been a very interesting date. His mom had helped him some, but her advice to be himself was garbage he had thought. Button had decided to treat the whole thing like a game that he was determined to win. Choosing the right speech dialogue, getting the button prompts for the QTEs to get Paragon correct. Sweetiebelle had seemed impressed with how he was acting, so he thought he did well. Of course things kinda steam rolled from that point. The other Crusaders had interrupted them, the girls got in a fight and he found out Sweetiebelle was only dating him on a dare from Scootaloo. He had not taken that well and stormed out of the restaurant galloping home.
He had thought that would be it. Maybe the girls would have a laugh at his expense at school Monday, though the thought of it didn't fill him with any real dread. He found out the best way to deal with bullies a long time ago was to either not to react if it was just words and offer a good punch in the nose if they made it physical. Given one of his friends was Pipsqueak and that tiny colt was known to actively hunt for bullies, he didn't expect it to go past just words, he could deal with those, no matter how much they hurt.
The shock of his life came as he was sitting there playing Combat frogs trying to vent and his mom told him Sweetiebelle had shown up at his house.
He almost asked him mom to tell her to go away, but something stopped him, he wasn't sure what , but he went down stairs to talk to her himself.
He wasn't nice to her, he interrupted her a lot, threw what she said back in her face a few times and made more than a few nasty jabs at her friends as well. He wasn't proud of it , but he didn't realize just how much what she did hurt him.
She stood there and took everything he had to say with out retort. After he finally calmed down some he could see she looked like he felt and he let her talk. It had been a dare, but she had picked him out of a sizable list of others mostly cause she didn't know anything about him past that he liked video games, wanted to be left alone usually and was friends with Paint Brush Lily and Pipsqueak. She was rather curious to know more and she did admit to liking him from the little bit she did learn on the date. The other two were not supposed to be there, but like most things with the Crusaders it got out of hoof.
At the end she offered him an invitation to a second date, she had tickets to some band he had never heard of that she got from her music teacher. He was hesitant to accept, though when he did finally she had kissed his cheek before running off.
To say that even changed his life was a bit of a understatement. That was the first time he saw his mentor. DJ Pon3 had been awesome beyond any description he could give. It was what got him interested in music, to see the blue haired mare playing music with technology was something he had never heard of before. Then there was the date itself, the second date had gone much better than the first, and the one after that and the one after that.
Button blinked, he supposed this was the whole 'life flashing before your eyes' thing that every one spoke of right before you died.
He was gonna die right?
Well he had fallen off the airship as it was soaring into the air, they were about thirty of forty stories up when he fell, well over the tops of the buildings, though he was much lower than that now.
Hmm, time to take stock. No long fall boots or portal gun, so that was out. His gear wasn't power armor so that wouldn't help him. There were no carts of hay below him and the water was a couple blocks away. He couldn't just press downward and land on a zombie for a insta kill either, all that was below him was sidewalk, Finch had turned the ship enough that they were over open street. He had already found out the Klopnami code didn't work in real life, and he didn't see any flagpoles to grab, so maybe he should think of more practical things?
None of those on the ship could help him, aside from the Changelings none of the crew could fly and he was past any ones range of magic even if they did get themselves untied before he hit the ground.
Bleu and Spike had just made a pass and as fast as they were, they were going the other way and likely didn't even know he fell. He hadn't seen any other fliers that were not zombies and he didn't see any one on the ground who might catch him.
Button sighed as he fell closer to the roadway, his armor was too top heavy around his chest and head, it was pulling him down like a weight head first towards the ground. He had heard of ponies falling from great heights and surviving, but not when they landed on their head.
While he was not one to accept a fate such as this the most he could do at the moment was flail, and there was little point of that. He know Sweetiebelle saw him fall, he rather wished she hadn't. His death was going to cause her all sorts of problems.
He himself felt he had more troubles than just plummeting to his death. He never managed to propose...
Well if he was still going to have his life flash before his eyes maybe he could get a few replays of all the times they made out, that might make it worth it, sorta.
….............
Nah screw that.
It was time for his secret weapon, he swore to Discord he wouldn't use it, but this was a bit of a emergency situation. Button closed his fore hooves over his chest and exhaled, a glow starting to form around the falling earth pony.
“BUTTON!!!!” screamed Sweetiebelle tearing herself away from the restraints as she rushed to the side of the stage staring down into the darkness below the ship and the city far below.
The other members of the band rush over as well with a few crew members leaning over the railing with varying degrees of distressed looks on their faces.
“Some one go after him you have wings right!?!?!” Sweetie screamed.
A bright flash of light from below grabs every ones attention before a response can be formed. The light quickly grows brighter as it grows closer to the ship. After a moment Button Mash bathed in a glowing light floats over the railing and hovers in mid air.
“Button” Sweetiebelle blinks.
“Wot in tarnation?” Shanty demands, wearing a ten gallon cowboy hat for some reason. Carol does the world a favor and belts her in the back of the head with a hoof.
Some where music starts playing, a hyper active piano piece with zappy synthesizer effects thrown in as Button starts to spin his body seeming to turn into rainbow colored raident light.
Every one watched in awe as the one pony light show seemed to spin around in the air, growing brighter as a rainbow of colors flow over its form. The mane lashes out, flaring a full pony length behind it as does the glowing tail. Ribbons form out of nothing wrapping around it's legs as they grow longer the body and head stretching and thinning out as well. The material spins around the rest of the body forming something that looks like a bright white swim suit. The ribbons around the legs turn into white and gold trimmed stockings. The flowing mane changed to two massive ponytails and flowed in trails as the figure spins around. A flash of light above the figures head appears and a spiral of light descended to the figures forehead, another flash and it solidifies into a horn with a gold and ruby encrusted tiara wrapping around the glowing forehead of the figure. The figures eyes open revealing sparkling amethyst eyes. Wings snap open wide behind the figure as the light finally faded the former Earth Pony stallion, now a shoe in duplicate for Princess Cadence with a blond mane and tail, struck a pose with fanfare and another flash of light.
“Wat?'” Sweetiebelle dead panned
“Hey it's Petite Pretty Pink Princess Pony Honey-chan!!” Screams one of the fans in the hold , the whole group of them starting to loose their shit even more at the sight of the magical filly before them, going even wilder than when Sweetiebelle had preformed.
Sweetiebelle's eye twitched as roses and other flowers, as well as panties and boxers shorts rain down from the audience pit showering the stage around the mare as she lands on it.
“Is that my laundry?” Melody asked. ======================================================== [Elsewhen]
Discord glanced down to his left and Pinkie Pie glanced down to her right, both of them staring at the cackling dark gray rabbit sitting on the couch between them.
“In his defense.” Pinkie sighed.” I can see you doing that.”
Jer'rahd and Celestia both fling up their shields as the first barrage of concentrated magic from the Liches slammed into them shattering a number of Jer'rahd's shields and cracking the dome Celestia raised behind them.
“Shit that's a kick.” Jer'rahd cursed tossing up another series of shields with a whip of his head. ' Don't suppose you have a cheat for this?”
“Fraid not. “ Celestia winced. “ And it's not like the Klopnami code works in real life.”
“Well it's a good thing I do have a cheat then.” Jer'rahd growled, his shields dropping as he pulled a paper bag from his saddle bag flinging it into the air out over the Liches heads. “ Hey Bitches eat this!”
“It's Liches.” Celestia corrected
“I know what I said “ Jer'rahd snorted.
The bag tears open as it flies through the air spilling smaller brightly covered packages of things over the Liches heads, the smaller packets rained down over the gathered undead.
“What's this?” The Dracolich demanded grabbing a packet out of the air.
“ Horsetress Fruit pies!?” A Unicorn Lich stated excitedly.
“Wow, flaky golden crust filled with either luscious cherries from Jubilee farms, or scrumptious apple from Sweet Apple Acres.” Another unicorn Lich stated.
“Gimmi one.” the diamond Dog Lich demanded.
As the Liches were stuffing their faces Jer'rahd raised a shield and ducked behind it. A moment or two later after the pies had all been eaten the lot of the undead exploded in a shower of bloody guts, and bits of real fruit filling.
“What?” Celestia demanded ducking a splatter of the Dracolich's gray matter.
“What do you mean 'what'? Rhede was my brother after all. Exploding fruit pies are a old Pelt family recipe.” Jer'rahd smirked.
“Really?” Celestia stared at him.
“As far as you know, yes.” Jer'rahd nodded.
Grogar sighed sitting down behind the shield with a low grumble. The great yellow shield drops as the Capricorn rubs the back of his head.
“Bah. I never wanted to do this in the first place.” Grogar moaned. “ I wanted to be.... a LUMBERJACK!”
Celestia and Jer'rahd blink, staring at him as music starts from some where and a couple of zombies dressed like Mounties move up behind him to sing along. There was also one dressed as a Viking who was saying 'Spam' in tune to the music for some reason.
“Leaping from tree to tree as they float down the mighty rivers of Northern Equestria. The giant Redwood! The Larch! The mighty Trot's Pine! The Fir! The lofty flowering cherry! The plucky little Aspen! The Limping Roo tree of Grifonstonia!The towering Wattle of the Everfree! The Maidenhead Weeping Water plant! The naughty Licestershine Flashing Oak! The flatulent Elm of White Tail! The Quercus Maximus Bamber gascoigni! The Epigillus! The Barter Hughius greenus!”
“What?” Jer'rahd asked.
“With my best mare at my side !” Grogar continued. “ We'd sing ! Sing! Sing!! SING!”
Grogar suddenly exploded in a fiery ball of flaming fire of burningness that might have also turned him into a frog, electrocuted him, and froze him in place.
“STOP THAT, STOP THAT!” Twilight shouted as she stormed up with the others in tow.” You're not going to do a song while I'm here!”
Discord and Pinkie Pie look over at the madly giggling rabbit between them.
“Well at least he used the full introduction of the song.” Pinkie Pie sighed.
“I think we need to stop encouraging him.” Discord sighed.” The Horsetus fruit pies pun was really bad.”
“Legit though!” Applejack popped up from behind the couch leaning over it.” Best little corporate deal we ever worked out!”
“What kind of ingredients even explode?” Pinkie demanded.
“Pine-apple grenades and cherry bombs of course.” Applejack smiled tipping her hat towards them.
Discord made a sound like a drunken whale at those puns. He turned and grabbed both sides of the Earth pony's hat, yanking it down over her whole body like a vanishing rabbit trick. He then grumbled and tossed the Stetson out a window.
“Not sure how much more of this I can take.” Pinkie Pie muttered.” Specially if he gets Applejack involved again.”
Pip slid across the slick marble floor before the throne room, his hooves kicking up sparks as he skids to a halt just before slamming into the massive crystal doors.
A yelp from behind him made him turn back just in time to see Scootaloo, still in the bunny suit flail wildly as she tries to stop in the footy slippers the suit had, before slamming bodily into Pip sending them both crashing into the door.
Berry trotted up a bit slower with Beryl on her back.
“Guys they just mopped , didn't you see the wet floor sign back there?” Beryl pointed out with a smirk.
“Hey what's that?” Berry asked pointed to something under Scootaloo.
The bunny suited Scootaloo rolls reluctantly off Pip and all of them stare down at the large metallic looking egg in Scootaloo's lap.
“What?” was the collected question.
The egg was wrapped in some kind of purple metallic paper and along the side was the word Clopbury.
“Did you lay an egg?” Pip asked incredulously.” Berry what is with that suit?”
“Err it's a little bit enchanted......” Berry muttered.
The egg suddenly jerked as if something inside it wanted free. The group peered closer as the top of the foal sized egg opened up like some sort of flower, dripping with caramel and sugary syrupy sweetness.
Suddenly some sort of spider creature seemingly made of yellow sugar coated marshmallow leapt out of the egg and latched onto Pip's face, the pony flailed about trying to get it off while screaming out.
“Eeewww, face full of alien wig wam.” Beryl snorted.
“How did you lay an egg? The suit shouldn't have done that. Are Pegasi really birds, like turkeys or penguins, or dodos?” Berry asked.
“I am not a DODO!!” Scootaloo snapped ignoring Pip's plight, her ears flattening to her head.
Suddenly a show tune starts up and Flim and Flam tap dance past singing like a barber shop duet.
“You wear a disguise to look like pony guys. But your not a mare you're a Chicken Loo.....” the pair sing before exiting stage right.
“Kesho-shitsu wa dokodesu ka!” Petite Pretty Pink Princess Pony Honey-chan exclaimed.” Watashi no zubon wabitoruzuo fukunde iru!”
“What?” Silver asked.” What kind of language is that?”
“Watashi no pudingu o mita koto ga arimasu ka?” Petite Pretty Pink Princess Pony Honey-chan responded with a smile that made a number of the male fans faint.
“Hold on hold on I got this.” Babs stated suddenly. “ She's speaking weeaboo, I can speak weeaboo!”
The others look on in either horror or awe as Babs turns her head away a moment before looking up at Petite Pretty Pink Princess Pony Honey-chan again, her eyes much larger than her skull should be able to contain, the orbs seeming all watery as sparkles randomly appear in the air around Babs head.
“Naze anata wa kono kuso o hon'yaku shite iru nodesu ka?” Petite Pretty Pink Princess Pony Honey-chan exclaimed. “Anata wa kono kiretsuo taberu yori mo yoi koto o shite wa ikemasen?”
“I'm asking that question myself Pretty Pink Princess Honey-chan. Not so much the snails though.” Discord muttered.
“Do I want to know?” Pinkie questioned.
“Not really” Discord admitted glaring down at the giggling rabbit before dropping a bucket of coleslaw on his head, burring the small rabbit under the upturned pail.
“Careful you'll mess up the couch.” Pinkie chided.
“It's his couch.”
“Carry on then.”
=================================================
[Crystal Empire]
“Dalmatian pelican?”
“NO!”
“Slender-billed curlew?”
“NO!”
“White headed duck?”
“NO!”
“Lesser gray shrike?
“NO!”
As Berry, Beryl, and Scootaloo continued arguing, chaos reigned around them as giant marshmallow and sugar coated chickens and bunnies rampaged around the Crystal Empire, devouring the unwary and smushing everything else in sugary fluff.
Pip lay a bit away from the pair, covered in Marshmallow cream and lying still. The only sound in the air beyond the screams was the horrific PEEPS of the marshmallow creatures as they hunted their next victims.
“Seriously what took you so long to get here?” Luna sighed.
“We stopped for lunch.” Celestia called out trotting over to check on the still fuming Twilight.
Luna huffs a little.” Really, I'm not even gone a day and you're already dating my sister?”
“Wouldn't be the first time.” Twilight snorted. “ Heck I know for a fact these two have gone way beyond 'a' date.”
Luna frowned looking at Jer'rahd and Celestia neither of whom would look her in the eyes.
“Seriously?!” Luna demanded.
“Hey it's not like you weren't sleeping with Rhede.” Jer'rahd retorted.” Sides a flank like that has more cushion for the pushing, you're a bit bony...”
“Boom chicka wow ow!” Rhede states before getting beat upside the head by a rolling pin wielded by Velkorn who was dressed like a 50's housewife.
===================================== [Back to Tamberlane]
“Oh that was once!” Luna snapped.” And I'm not bony, it's chitin, I am a Changeling!”
“And Sombra.” Celestia added.
“Hey that was your idea for a three way to get him to give up the Crystal Empire!” Luna shouted back.” And it didn't work even after we agreed to the collar and leashes.
“ Seriously are we doing this here?” Trixie asked.
“ Not like he hasn't tapped most of the maids either. And I agreed with your statement before about Kirin out of experience , not because I believed you.” Twilight continued.” Though I can't count the Guards on one hoof you haven't 'tested'.
“What!?”
“Oh please we were broken up at the time....” Jer'rahd respond.
“You have been a Kirin since we were married, we have not been broken up at all.” Luna growled. “ Well if this is full disclosure Dawn is not even your foal, She's Spike's.”
“OOOOOOH!” Lyra and Octavia chime in.
“Oh please, who hasn't slept with Spike, just because you forgot protection that once.” Celestia sighed.” Seriously raise your hoof if you've slept with Spike.”
Every one but Twilight raises a hoof, including a few of the undead still around. The others look at her in curiosity.
“What?! He's my brother. I'm not that kinky.” Twilight grumbled. “Sides Rarity called dibs, and I'm honoring that.”
======================================
[Manehatten]
Spike stands on the street corner with a wide grin on his face his teeth blinged in gold and dressed in a rich purple robe with leopard print trim and a wide brimmed hat of the same make with a large Griffon feather sticking out of it, He's clutching a gem encrusted cane that looks like it's sculpted a a sultry mare pose, and it seems to be designed after Rarity.
“Damn right.” Spike chuckled not noticing Bleu behind him dressed like a 50's housewife with a Dragon sized rolling pin in her hands glaring at him.
======================================= [ Back to Tamberlane]
“Seriously?!? Shining Armor?!” Jer'rahd growled.
“We needed to make sure he could handle himself with Cadence.” Celestia added, with a bit of drool escaping her lips.” And boy could he ever.”
“Well fine … even if I know Dawn's not mine I'm pretty sure both Shin and Glimmer are.” Jer'rahd growled.
“You bastard.” Luna roared.” Well I'm also sleeping with your best friend s Starfall!”
“Yeah?!” Jer'rahd snapped back, “ Well me too!”
======================================== [ Pan to Canterlot]
Starfall sits in Celestia's throne reading a magazine. She looks up at the comment from Luna and Jer'rahd and shrugs.
“Meh.” the mare stated ignoring Peach Blossom sobbing quietly in a corner behind her.
============================================ [ Back to Tamberlane]
“Look seriously every one calm down . Now it seems the issue here is that none of you are really in a relationship and this is all just a very long first date.” Trixie explained.
“TRIXIE TRIXIE TRIXIE!” a crowd of zombies forming a sorta live studio audience chant.
“What?” Trixie asked before getting hit in the face with a folding chair by a zombie pony that was best described as a Transsexual Japony Nazi Wwendigo.
============================================= [ Manehatten. The Storm Cloud.]
Sweetiebelle stared at her former colt friend, who was currently Petite Pretty Pink Princess Pony Honey-chan, standing on stage singing to the crowd who was losing their shit over her.
“Kono goro hayari no onna no ko” oshiri na chiisa na onna no ko Kotchi wo muite yo HANII Datte nanda ka datte datte nan da mon.”
“So she just wanted to sing?” Silver asked curiously getting a nod from the big eyed Babs whom he still couldn't look at without running off in fear.
“Onegai onegai kizutsukenaide Watashi no HAATO wa CHUKU CHUKU shichau no....”
Nope!” Sweetiebelle stated standing up and walking off the side of the fic past Discord and Pinkie Pie. “Not doing this any more, I quit! This has gotten too silly and I'm done.”
Discord watched her walk past. “Works for me, not sure I can deal with the next segment where Applebloom reveals the Elk who are courting her are all for show and she really reproduces by dropping seeds like a plant.”
Discord stands up and storms off.
“Let's not forget the part that was supposed to explain the foals really weren't dreaming but had been dead the whole time with a special guest spot by some guy named Shamalon or Shamalama ding dong or something.” Pinkie sighed standing up and leaving with Discord.”Should we do the disclaimer?”
“Honestly dear if the readers haven't figured out by now this was a crack fic for April first then there's no hope for them.” Discord sighed.
The upended bucket of coleslaw on the couch continued to chuckle until Jer'rahd, Luna, Celestia, and, Twilight walk up behind the couch all of them holding metal pipes or boards with nails in them. They stare down at the now suddenly silent bucket.
[New Canterlot, eleven years ago, six years after the War of the Gods, a few weeks before Diamond Tiara was hospitalized]
Button Mash slowly lowered his Gamecolt and stared wide eyed at the white Unicorn filly before him. It had to be a trick, she couldn't have asked what he thought she just asked.
“What?!?” Button Mash managed to stammer in a rather unelequent and broken manner, his voice cracked a little as he did so and that annoyed him a lot for the first time.
“I asked if you wanted to go out Friday.....” Sweetiebelle said again, seeming a little flustered herself. She kept glancing back behind her at Scootaloo and Applebloom who were rather poorly trying to hide behind a bush and urge the white furred filly on at the same time.
Button stared at her a moment more, certain this was some sort of trap or joke, heck it might even be another attempt to get their cutiemarks, Scootaloo had her's but Sweetiebelle and Applebloom didn't yet. Still the Crusaders were not known for being cruel, and if this was a joke, it would be a cruel one by any ones standards.
He still didn't know how to take it though, it wasn't that long ago that the colts and filly's thought each other had the dreaded cooties. Now that that phase was passed by most of them, Sweetiebelle was considered by many to be the most attractive filly in the school. There were some who said one of the other fillys. Scootaloo and Silver Spoon had their own fan followings, the former was mostly Pipsqueak, but Button agreed with the ones interested in Sweetiebelle.
He never said anything about it of course, he never considered he would have a chance even if he did. Button was little more than a pudgy, antisocial colt, with maybe two or three good friends at best, and the social graces only slightly better than Rainbow Dash's. His grades were average at best and he did everything he could not to stand out at all from every pony else, even trading in his beanie a few years ago for a much simpler, though very much video game related, hat.
The crystals used in gaming had all but exploded in popularity lately, they had gone from massive things that could only fit in arcade cabinets to hoof held devices in barely two years. Most of it had to do with the return of the Crystal Empire, they could do things with crystals there that the ponies outside the empire had never heard of. And once the games got to hoof held sized Button wasn't interested in anything else.
Well at least until this moment. What to do, what to do.... What would Captain Clydesdale do in this situation? Probably punch something, no good. Doom colt? Shoot everything, also no good. Mario? He doubted Sweetiebelle would be thrilled if he started jumping on turtles. Space fox? Barrel rolls didn't help. Guess he had to wing it.
“Um... yeah okay.” He heard himself stammering.
Sweetiebelle turned a brighter shade of red before nodding and quickly backing off with a reminder of when to come pick her up on Friday.
Button stared after her, his game forgotten as he considered what he was supposed to do now.... really there was only one thing he could do, ask some one who might know......
His mom should be off work by the time he got home.
[ Manehatten, current day, under the Storm Cloud and descending rapidly.]
Button blinked at the memory that came unbidden to his mind. That had been a very interesting date. His mom had helped him some, but her advice to be himself was garbage he had thought. Button had decided to treat the whole thing like a game that he was determined to win. Choosing the right speech dialogue, getting the button prompts for the QTEs to get Paragon correct. Sweetiebelle had seemed impressed with how he was acting, so he thought he did well. Of course things kinda steam rolled from that point. The other Crusaders had interrupted them, the girls got in a fight and he found out Sweetiebelle was only dating him on a dare from Scootaloo. He had not taken that well and stormed out of the restaurant galloping home.
He had thought that would be it. Maybe the girls would have a laugh at his expense at school Monday, though the thought of it didn't fill him with any real dread. He found out the best way to deal with bullies a long time ago was to either not to react if it was just words and offer a good punch in the nose if they made it physical. Given one of his friends was Pipsqueak and that tiny colt was known to actively hunt for bullies, he didn't expect it to go past just words, he could deal with those, no matter how much they hurt.
The shock of his life came as he was sitting there playing Combat frogs trying to vent and his mom told him Sweetiebelle had shown up at his house.
He almost asked him mom to tell her to go away, but something stopped him, he wasn't sure what , but he went down stairs to talk to her himself.
He wasn't nice to her, he interrupted her a lot, threw what she said back in her face a few times and made more than a few nasty jabs at her friends as well. He wasn't proud of it , but he didn't realize just how much what she did hurt him.
She stood there and took everything he had to say with out retort. After he finally calmed down some he could see she looked like he felt and he let her talk. It had been a dare, but she had picked him out of a sizable list of others mostly cause she didn't know anything about him past that he liked video games, wanted to be left alone usually and was friends with Paint Brush Lily and Pipsqueak. She was rather curious to know more and she did admit to liking him from the little bit she did learn on the date. The other two were not supposed to be there, but like most things with the Crusaders it got out of hoof.
At the end she offered him an invitation to a second date, she had tickets to some band he had never heard of that she got from her music teacher. He was hesitant to accept, though when he did finally she had kissed his cheek before running off.
To say that even changed his life was a bit of a understatement. That was the first time he saw his mentor. DJ Pon3 had been awesome beyond any description he could give. It was what got him interested in music, to see the blue haired mare playing music with technology was something he had never heard of before. Then there was the date itself, the second date had gone much better than the first, and the one after that and the one after that.
Button blinked, he supposed this was the whole 'life flashing before your eyes' thing that every one spoke of right before you died.
He was gonna die right?
Well he had fallen off the airship as it was soaring into the air, they were about thirty of forty stories up when he fell, well over the tops of the buildings, though he was much lower than that now.
Hmm, time to take stock. No long fall boots or portal gun, so that was out. His gear wasn't power armor so that wouldn't help him. There were no carts of hay below him and the water was a couple blocks away. He couldn't just press downward and land on a zombie for a insta kill either, all that was below him was sidewalk, Finch had turned the ship enough that they were over open street. He had already found out the Klopnami code didn't work in real life, and he didn't see any flagpoles to grab, so maybe he should think of more practical things?
None of those on the ship could help him, aside from the Changelings none of the crew could fly and he was past any ones range of magic even if they did get themselves untied before he hit the ground.
Bleu and Spike had just made a pass and as fast as they were, they were going the other way and likely didn't even know he fell. He hadn't seen any other fliers that were not zombies and he didn't see any one on the ground who might catch him.
Button sighed as he fell closer to the roadway, his armor was too top heavy around his chest and head, it was pulling him down like a weight head first towards the ground. He had heard of ponies falling from great heights and surviving, but not when they landed on their head.
While he was not one to accept a fate such as this the most he could do at the moment was flail, and there was little point of that. He know Sweetiebelle saw him fall, he rather wished she hadn't. His death was going to cause her all sorts of problems.
He himself felt he had more troubles than just plummeting to his death. He never managed to propose...
Well if he was still going to have his life flash before his eyes maybe he could get a few replays of all the times they made out, that might make it worth it, sorta.
Any further thought Button Mash had was cut short by the sudden stop.
Another explosion rocked the island. Jer'rahd cursed as he glanced through the molten slag falling around Celestia's dome shield. The three Unicorn Liches had joined together in a trifecta and were pummeling the shield mercilessly. He glanced over to Celestia noting the look of strain on her face as his eyes darted back to the group of Liches.
The others were simply standing by watching for a chance to strike. It was leaving him few options. If they attacked the Liches would be ready to strike first. If they kept defending they would be worn down.
“Kaisur....” Celestia winced.
He didn't respond and simply layered a number of his shields in a dome under hers before nodding. Celestia's dome instantly faded and he winced as the Unicorns attacked again. He tensed up nearly buckling from that hit, a few more panels replacing the ones that cracked from that blow in a instant.
“Probably not my best idea to want a challenge.” Jer'rahd cursed.
“That would assume you ever had any good ideas.” Celestia shuddered. “ I did not expect this sort of power. Still we are doing what we came here to do.”
“Yeah well surviving this is also something that was on that to do list. These things have enough oomph to them to actually hurt, a lot. Still we have options.” Jer'rahd muttered. “ Though if these Liches are anything like the one we killed on the world tour we need to find their Pilla... whatever and destroy it to fully take them out.”
“Any idea where that might be?” Celestia stated looking over those outside Jer'rahd's shields as she recovered .
“Probably in a vault some where. I can see Grogar holding them in order to keep control over them.” Jer'rahd winced as another barrage slammed into the shield, this time from the Dracolich on the far side of them. “Seems they are switching up too...GAHH...”
Jer'rahd flinched as the unicorns attacked again, both sides of his shield getting hammered with powerful arcane blasts.
“Kaisur?” Celestia winced.
“It's fine... shields pretty much all I'm good for magically, I got this.”Jer'rahd growled.”I don't suppose you have a cheat for this?”
“Fraid not, and the Klopnami code doesn't work in real life.” Celestia frowned.
“I don't know what that means.” Jer'rahd grumbled.” I doubt I can hold these up against the Liches and another bombardment from the Jupiter.”
“Yes well, the issue is most of my spell focus is attack, my shield is not the best.”
“Well then shut your yap and attack” Jer'rahd growled. “Or we'll be here all night.”
“Fine, keep this thing up and I'll set up something big.” Celestia muttered.” I doubt any quick spells or even fire would do much damage here. The Dracolich used to be a red Dragon and all the others are layered with spells. The Diamond Dog keeps refreshing a number of things on the lot of them.”
“So they were prepared for this sort of thing. Think Grogar was baiting us?”
“I think it was more he underestimated us at first and he doesn't have that option now.”
“Then this is all according to plan.” Jer'rahd grinned, wincing as another few of his shields shattered and were quickly replaced.” Luna and Sparkle better hurry the buck up and take out that bell.”
Bray winced as he bounced across the steel catwalk, bits of his skin getting torn and jabbed on the rough steel surface. Glass and wire from the safety window he had been smashed was driven deeper into his flesh as he rolled to a stop against a safety rail. The Donkey pushed himself up right with a wince looking at the window he had been shoved through as a sudden humm and flare of magic filled the air. A magical shimmer of some kind rose over the window, the effect being mirrored by every other window and skylight as far as he could see.
An alarm somewhere started blaring in a 'hi lo' effect. Bray wasn't sure what it meant, but he recognized a shield against dead spell when he saw one, and that was what the windows were held with.
He didn't see his attacker any where, though that didn't mean anything, he doubted she was the upfront and honorable type of fighter. Which was a pity, because he loved those, so easy to take out.
“Clever mare. A shield to keep me in here?” Bray called.” And here I didn't think you were a Unicorn.
“Not my magic. Seems the Mayor of Manehatten has issues with undead. Remind me to invest in his reelection campaign.” the mares voice called from the shadows.
“Yes provided you live that long, and since I doubt there's going to be a reelection in the next five minutes I doubt you'll have the chance.” Bray called back weighing his options here as he moved across the catwalk towards a large room hanging over the middle of the massive ware house. It was the best defensible point he could see on the open steel walk way.
Looking down he could see great covered vats that glowed slightly around their lids. Likely molten steel, kept liquid over night so they could easily manipulate it on the morning. There were a number of safety spells on the giant crucibles as well, so there was no danger of falling off and into one of the things.
Bray tapped into his power a little, still feeling a depth that he didn't know he had. He let his magic play over the barriers and all the other magic in the room before he finally felt something that didn't seem to fit with anything else off to the side.
Bray lashed out suddenly with a spell, blasting that odd spot with a flash of necromantic fire. The magic shifted and a red cloaked mare burst out of the shadows flinging a number of blades at him as she lept off the railing.
Bray quickly raised a shield watching her as she fell off the railing, catching her self with her grappling hook to land lightly on the stone production floor. Her blades bounced off his shield and exploded in small bursts of fire. Bray stared down at her, grinning a little as he thought of something he had seen a Lich do before and it seemed so easy now.
Perhaps he should have a word with Grogar and put his son back in his proper place. This surge of magic was unheard of , awakening the undead had pushed him past the limit he thought he had and revealed to him another whole collection of power he was blinded to. Now he knew it was there and his limitations were gone, this annoying mare would be the first to feel all his might. Perhaps if she begged he might consider letting her warm his bed, though that had the condition of her losing her legs first. Still she'd make a delightful body pillow until he got bored with her.
Of course he'd have to catch her and get her out of that outfit of hers first. He didn't want a new pillow that he had to put a bag over the head of. She was well built and had a rather sultry sounding voice, but that's all he knew about her.
Granted there was still a lot he didn't know about himself either, like why he had so much power. Taking a heartbeat to think on it, he couldn't recall using as much power as he had here before. Grogar usually cast the spells and he tended to only use little things to keep himself going. Raising those Orcs was the first big thing he had done in a long time, maybe it had always been there like an unused muscle, that had to be it, well time to show the world how he could flex it.
He slung another spell, the horns embedded in his skull from previous experimentation allowing him to lash out with arcane spells rather easily, whatever well of power he had tapped into barely seemed to budge despite the sudden rapid fire release of a rain of destructive spells.
“Death rains from above!” He shouted as darts of lightning, fire, ice, and a mydrid of other energies was flung at the mare below him, the impacts striking anything and exploding with bursts of that energy type.
Bray laughed, redecorating the plant with smoking holes and lightning scars as he flung spell after spell down at the bounding and dodging mare. Whatever that noise was outside that came from the ship it seemed to match his attacks in tempo and beat, or perhaps he was matching it, no matter.
He grinned as the mare flung a series of daggers, mid dodge, the weapons going wide as a lightning bolt struck her, blasting the mare back across the room. Her cloak smoldered, but she didn't seem to have taken as much damage as he would have liked. Still that momentary stun was enough for him to cast a more powerful spell. This should finish her. He finished gathering the spell and was about to let loose with it only for the spell to go wild as the catwalk he was standing on shook then fell as the daggers the mare had tossed shattered the supports.
Bray cried out falling off the side as part of the steel platform was blown out from under him, his shield meant nothing to gravity, the spell he was casting going wild and slamming into one of the vats, the metal suddenly freezing around the liquid hot metal inside, cracking the crucible. The liquid steel oozed out of the crack before solidifying almost instantly as it touched the spell area. The vat quickly becoming ruined as the entire thing turned into one big solid mass of rapidly cooled metal.
Bray slammed into another vat as he fell, bouncing off the lid and hitting some piping and metal frame work before slamming into the stone ground with a sickening crunch, the donkey having fallen nearly six floors from the above catwalk. Still he was moving and Sweetie Drops was ready to fix that when the rest of the catwalk he had been on gave way and fell, the heavy steel frame work falling straight down, missing what Bray had hit and crashing down atop the prone Donkey with a crash and a splatter of blood that reminded Sweetie Drops of the act of that one comedian Lyra liked who smashed fruit with a giant mallet.
Agent Sweetie Drops stared at the wreckage a moment and sighed. Well that was easier than she thought it would be, and it didn't sound like the Rarities were even half way done with their song yet. She reached up tapping her com crystal cursing a little at the static she heard. Evidently the Donkey's lightning had shorted the spell matrix's in the sensitive bit of gear.
She was about to head off to simply find a phone when the pile of broken metal shook.
She froze watching it a moment and seeing it happen again. She cursed her luck as the pile of metal was shoved aside with a blast of a spell. She took cover behind a crucible as the area was showed in molten metal fragments. Rising from the wreckage was something that looked like it once might have been pony shaped but now looked like a tomato run over by a cart. As the mess rose, bits of fur and sinew reforming as one eye that had popped out of it's socket as the skull was crushed pulled back in with the sound of a foal slurping up spaghetti.
“That..... hurt …. bitch.” Bray growled as his vocal cords came back together. Bit of metal remained embedded in his flesh as he reformed his body seeming to adapt and adjust. She winced watching as bones slid out of his flesh clattering to the floor as the metal bars of the frame shifted and replaced them. She wasn't sure if this was something Bray was doing himself or just something that had been done to him. The Donkey panted rising fully to his hooves, a nearly intact skeletal zombie slowly rose behind him, composed of Bray's own replaced bones.
Sweetiedrops wasted no time. She flicked her tail and a half dozen exploding bolts soared across the room sticking into the donkeys chest.
Bray winced staggering back as they exploded screaming out as the wreckage was showered with more of his gore and blood. His rib cage was exposed again, though quickly covered once more. The donkeys muscle mass seemed to bubble as he screamed again, one front leg suddenly distend grotesquely and put on the sort of muscles that one saw on a body builder. The rest of his form started distorting to to unpony like proportions as the donkey screamed his flesh sucking in more of the scrap metal as it did so. His teeth and hooves falling out and off being replaced by sharpened metal talons and fangs. He was growing massive, larger now than even the Princesses as his flesh roiled and swelled.
“I've died more times than I can count already mare! I've suffered through more than you will ever know and I'll be damned if a little slab of fuck meat like you is going to be the one to stop me. If Grogar can't kill me!! You sure as shit won't either!!” Bray screamed out in pain and rage.
The monstrous former Donkey lashed out with his huge limb, the leg distending wildly as he roared at her, smashing into the spot she was a moment before and splintering the stone floor to gravel with the impact. A spell cast at the same time nearly caught her dead to rights as she dodged the physical attack. Only the spells interwoven in the fabric of her cloak saved her from death as the blast of necromantic energy enveloped her, though the red material shredded as it lost it's magic, the cloak ripping from her form and raining down around her like snow as she landed. Still she had the armored body suit, though that was more for physical blows than magic.
He was faster now, bigger too, and still casting spells. Her magic protection was mostly gone, her communication was cut off, and Bray didn't seem to be able to die properly.
Agent Sweetie Drops swore under her breath as she quickly made for the cover of the other crucibles the monster of a Donkey roaring behind her as it followed.
“How's that feel, love?” Shining Armor chuckled his hooves pressed lightly into the scruff of fur between his wife's widely spread pink wings.
Cadence managed something that sounded like a groan into her pillow, but he noticed her wings twitch which was a sure sign he was doing this right.
Shining Armored smiled pressing his hooves lightly into her back working slowly over the joints around her wings, as his wife continued her muted enjoyment of his skilled hooves.
A number of ponies had thought it odd that the Prince consort, and now Emperor of the Crystal Empire would bother to take massage lessons in the local community college. Little did they know when Cadence got worked up about something this turned out to be the fastest and surest way to get her to calm down and relax. Particularly useful if he forgot an anniversary. That she tended to reciprocate the favor more often than not was just an added bonus.
Best three hundred bits he'd ever spent.
A crash out side the door announced an end to any fun times he might have had in mind, particularly when Cadence sat bolt upright nearly dumping him on the floor yelping something about Dawn being loose again.
Before either of them could do anything, a shout to halt from outside the door was greeted with a equally loud shout of 'I outrank you, now stand the buck down and open the bucking door!'
“Crap, did Jer'rahd show up again already?” Cadence sighed.” Or is that, stars help us, Briar Rose?”
“ No, that sounded like Pip....” Shining stated the memory of the assignment he had sent Pip and Scootaloo on coming quickly to his mind.” It's got to be important if he's throwing his rank around.”
The door was shoved open before either of them could move and Pipsqueak Kaisur rushed in, a Palace Guard trying desperately to talk him out of it. Ice Berry Lily Kaisur trotted through behind him with Beryl Kaisur sitting on her back yawning softly. Behind them was a strangely large pink bunny that looked like it had eaten Scootaloo up to her ears. The orange mare seemed resigned to her fate to be rabbit food however judging by her expression.
Beryl took one look at the room and where Emperor Shining Armor was half draped over Empress Cadence's back and covered his eyes with a mock scream.
“Gah!! Mine virgin eyes! I'm scared for life I am!!!” Beryl cried out getting shushed by Berry.
“Lord Shining Armor..... ooops, sorry.....” Pip began realized what he might have interrupted and suddenly turned a bit more sheepish in his stature. Scootaloo simple muttered something about being glad some one else knew how it felt now.
“What is it, and it better be important?” Shining growled as his wife covered her head with the blanket turning a darker shade of pink despite the fact they weren't really doing anything.
“Rynthia borrowed a book of mine that has a dream walking spell in it. They also tried to ask me earlier about something and I think it may have been a nightmare they were having. If they used that spell which is not beyond Rynthia or Talon's skill level they might be trying to deal with the problem head on. The thing is if there is something that's causing the nightmares and it's a sentient entity it could very well cause them a great deal of harm or outright kill them depending on how strong it is. Going by what I've been told it's had a little over twenty hours now to mess with ponies and if it can travel the dreamscape, time means very little there and it could have been doing something for far longer than that.” Berry spouted off.
Shining blinked in confusion at the fillys rapid fire explanation before he looked at Pip.
“Sorry again. We have reason to believe the royal foals are in danger from something that's attacking ponies in their dreams.” Pip summarized.
“What!?” Cadence replied,her voice muffled from under the blanket.
“Why didn't you go there first?!” Shining asked climbing off the bed. “ I doubt the Guards would stop you given you're related to two of them.”
“That was the plan at first, though Berry stopped us. “Scootaloo chimed in.
“Until I know what spell was used I don't want to wake them. Making a bunch of noise discussing this with the Guards might do that. There could be rather unfortunate effects.” Berry muttered. “The dream realm is only a step away from the magic realm and the realm of the dead. Best case nothing happens when we wake them, worse case they wake up in the wrong bodies or not at all. And that's not even taking into account what they might be doing if they think they are gonna fight whatever the nightmare is.”
“If there is a single entity causing these nightmares it might be worse that that even. Particularly if it uses one of the foals as a host to escape. We need to find out what the spell is they used and see if we can get some one else in there to get the foals out.” Pip continued. “ If Twilight or Ma were available none of this would be a worry, but well... neither of them are.”
“Then what are we waiting for......” The blanket responded before rising up and darting out the door nearly running into the Guard before Cadence yanked the blanket off her head. The others quickly following.
================================================ [ New Canterlot]
Sunset Shimmer stared out off the balcony her eyes wide at the sight of New Canterlot.
The balcony they were on jutted out from the main castle over the court yard far enough for the young mare to see a number of things.
Even in the darkness of the moonless night, there was plenty to see. The lights at the top of the broken Manterhorn, where the Pegasus City of Cloudsdale was moored, made for a impressive fake moon, and showed the outline of the new city. Despite the rebuilt city already being named there was a movement among the Pegasi that had survived it's earlier destruction that was rapidly picking up momentum among the Survivors of Tirek. They wanted to rename the city to Angeldale, both in memory of those lost as well as the rabbit who helped save so many of it's citizens.
The cloud city was practically glowing and the constantly shifting city was still under renovation, the inhabitants never seeming to be satisfied with it , wanting more than just a reproduction of their old cloud home.
The stars in the sky also likely looked different if Sunset paid attention to them. Many had died and joined the celestial vista, and many more had departed to their next life, their stars fading as their purpose for remaining to watch over the world was past.
The city itself looked as if those missing stars had simply come back to Equss. From this position one could see all of the old city of Canterlot, as well as the massive marble staircase and memorial arch that lead down into the Ponyville district, the names of the fallen carved into the arch softly glowing on the memorial. The Ponyville district of the city had grown by leaps and bounds since the War of the Gods and had barely suffered any damage during the attack of Tirek. Much of the new architecture of the city was starting to rival Manehatten, though the ever present Everfree forest still dominated most of the scenery. The city of Ponyville grew away from the forest and around the fallen mountain top rather than clear the woods to expand.
Sunset Shimmer stared at this for quite a while as Peach Blossom and Starfall stood by the door with the researchers. All of them remained quiet as they watched the armored mare look out over the city.
“Still think this is a trick miss Sunday Supper?” Swordtail asked with a chuckle.
“How.......” Sunset questioned.
“I think that was explained. In all honesty if the only thing that happened to you is a bit of time displacement you got off lucky. Messing with unknown artifacts could have wound up much worse.” Yearling pointed out.
“Much worse? Every one I know is likely dead and everything I know is wrong!” Sunset snarled. “ Exactly how much worse could it get than that?”
“Best not to ask, because there are some rather unpleasant examples I can cite.” Yearling stated flatly before being shushed by nearly every one else in her group.
“Tact is not something you have either I see. “ Starfall muttered. “ Professor Swordtail I would like you to stick around a little to help with Miss Sunset, the rest of you should go.”
“But the research on the mirror...” Whise whined.” Soo many questions.”
“They can wait. And that wasn't a request Professor Whise, with exception to what I asked of Professor Swordtail, it was an order. You are dismissed.” Starfall stated with a faint glare to the scholars, all of who caught the initial intent and were more than happy to drag Whise out by his tail.
“If you do not mind Guard Captain. I would like to stay as well. Sunset was in a few of my classes when she was here.” Belladonna commented and Starfall nodded.
Starfall looked over to the still tense Sunset before letting out a sigh.” Now that we have a better understanding of the situation miss Shimmer, I would like too ask you two things. First to remove the armor, there is no threat to you here and it doesn't belong to you anyway and second to tell us what this is all about. Princess Celestia will likely be gone for a while and the Elements of Harmony are out of your reach. I promise no harm will come to you unless you do something to warrant repercussion. Simply talking should not warrant anything.”
“And why should I believe you....” Sunset muttered.
“Well for starters she's the Bearer of the Element of Honesty.” Peach Blossom chimed in.
“Former bearer. Applejack Apple is the current bearer. Though given the loss of their Bearer of Generosity I wonder how long it will take before the elements choose another group.” Starfall stated, adding a bit to the conversation to try and keep the talk casual. “ I can also send someone to the kitchen if you like.”
Sunset looked back out at the city and exhaled. “That depends.”
“On what ?”
“If my birth years counts as my age or my actual age counts. Cause if it's my birth year I want hard Cider or something stronger, and if I have to go with how old I actually am, Dandelion tea........” Sunset grumbled.
“I know I said I hated that cheese world I was stuck in. But I think I prefer it to this.” Elusive said quietly.
The dreamscape was normally some what in a state of flux. Objects and locations flickering in and out of being as various dreams and subconsciousness thoughts intermingled trying to make sense of it. Despite the oddity, it was relatively harmless, even a multitude of individuals would only show more things and landscapes as there were more minds to draw on. For travelers the changing landscape wouldn't affect their movement towards a goal, even if the terrain became open air or water. Unless they went into some ones dream the terrain likely wouldn't become more than the wispy hints of land around them, like walking inside of a cloud.
Right now the dreamscape was static. Nothing shifted, everything looked solid and the ethereal quality that tended to hang around the place was gone, replaced by a feeling of dread.
The land around them was filled with jagged black rocks, many of which had cracks or openings that glowed red with or oozed some sort of reddish substance. The slimy mess inside the rocks shed some light on the area, though the goop leaking out had no such illumination and seemed either a waste product of the glowing, or was simply there to unnerve any one who witnessed it with' bleeding' rocks.
The effect was working on the foals, with the exception of Dawn all of them were more than a little jittery. The random pops and hisses filling the air as the rock's blood oozed from within didn't help matters.
“Dawn are you sure this is the way?” Glimmer muttered. “ I don't see Charlotte willingly coming this way.”
“Scents getting stronger, I figure even Fluffy and Brainy can smell it.” Dawn commented.” Sides Taipair eat dreams, this is a dream so he'd come here to eat it... odd there's only him through. Normally dream eaters have little packs they stay in.”
“All I smell is a scent like wet rust, or copper.” Elusive muttered.” No idea what that is.”
“That's blood.” Talon explained making the others wince.
“Maybe we should head back.....” Shin muttered.
“We need to rescue Charlotte first. We left her alone with that thing when he caught us last time.” Glimmer ordered her wings ruffling.” I'm not doing it again.”
“Can we even get her out of here?” Rynthia asked. “ The chapter on removing things from the dream world was not exactly...... transparent... see through...”
“Clear.” Dawn stated with a shrug.
“With all that you have shown to know here do you have any idea what we can do Dawn?” Talon questioned.
“Nah … I'm not a Mary Sue. I don't have the answers to everything. And the rabbit won't say whats going on half the time.” Dawn rambled on.
“What?” Glimmer asked.
“What?” Dawn responded.
“ What's a Mary Sue?” Shin asked.
“What rabbit?” Elusive asked his ears perked up curiously.
“There's a bunny?” Dawn asked excitedly, spinning around looking for it before noticing the fluff on the end of her tail and starting to chase that. After a few moments of spinning in circles the orange scaled Kirin filly toppled over with a groan holding her head.
“You know what, never mind I don't even want to know now.” Glimmer sighed after the display. “ Just can you please just find Charlotte so we can leave this place?”
“Ummm 3P this is where the scent stops.” Dawn stated from the ground. “ All I smell is bacon now.”
“What?” Glimmer asked looking around frantically.
“Over there.” Talon stated, pointing a claw at a small form huddled against one of the bleeding rocks.
The taipair looked miserable and quite banged up. It had a collar of some kind far too tight about it's neck and the chain running from it had links nearly the size of the creatures head connecting it to the rock it was against under. It would be a small wonder if the creature could even move.
“Charlotte!” Glimmer shouted galloping off towards the small creature with Talon and Shin close behind her.
“Something is wrong.” Elusive muttered looking around. “This seems like a trap.... HEY! Guys stop a second!”
The warning was unheeded by Glimmer, though Talon and Shin at least slowed up to look back. Glimmer managed to almost make it to the chained creature when the ground around her rumbled and a ring of stone spikes burst from the rocky surface encircling the pink Pegicorn in a dome.
“Got her.” A voice snarled and a small number of large Kirin moved to surround the cage chuckling huskily. Their black and red forms were greatly distorted from what a normal Kirin looked like. Their claws and fangs were larger and ragged as if they had never been maintained. The pink Pony Princess panicked and pulled predictably away from the bars and the surrounding Kirin.
“GLIMMER!” Talon shouted only for the sound of buzzing to fill the air and a massive swarm of locusts, wasps, and other assorted bugs to flow like a flying river, buzzing around the Griffon cub. The black wall of insects darted in, stinging and biting the Griffon, forcing him to the middle of the globe forming around him with a panicked cry.
Shin's shriek drew Rynthia and Elusive's attention. The small changeling had been tied up in what looked to be barbed wire and was being held face first to the ground by a good half dozen distorted Changelings all of them wearing scowls and hissing insults and curses at the Godling.
Elusive screamed right next to the Rynthia, the Kirin colt flailing in a panic as what looked to be a blob of gooey cheese had enveloped his legs and was slowly drawing him inside of itself as the colt flapped his wings madly and tried to claw away from it.
Rynthia moved to help him but a cage of stone like what trapped Glimmer burst from the ground and closed around her as well.
Dawn roared.
This was not something any of them had heard from the Kirin filly before. There was anger in that cry and and it was at a volume that should not have been possible from anything but a full grown Dragon.
Rynthia blinked noting the others reaction focused briefly on Dawn and the things around them wavered slightly.
Dawn rushed forward, making a bee line for the Changelings holding Shin. Several stone spikes burst from the ground to encircle her but the Kirin filly some how managed to slip through them before they closed around her. She managed to get close enough to the Changelings to make them flinch as she lept into the air at them, claws and fangs bared, the flicker of fire dancing around her fangs.
A massive shadow suddenly dropped from the sky, slamming into the leaping filly and smashing her to the ground with a sickening thud as the impact created a small crater in the ground stirring up a cloud of rock blood flecked dust.
The dust didn't take long to settle and a massive gray form was standing there, one clawed hoof twisting as if grinding a cigarette butt into the ground, or in this case a whimpering Kirin filly.
“ >Now now, none of that.<” the creature hissed with a voice like claws over a chalk board coupled with a thousand foals in the midst of a temper tantrum.
The Tantabus was much larger than it had been before,where before it could have looked down on Princess Celestia, now it was of a size closer to Bleu or Spike. The creatures smoke like tail and mane had darkened, the ends where it connected to flesh actively seeming to burn now with black fire that billowed the smokey mess of the rest of it. The long serrated horn had changed and now it looked as if some one had plunged a wicked looking serrated sword into the underside of it's head and driven the blade all the way through to form a mockery of a horn, the handle of the sword hung from it's throat like a poorly grown beard. The blade was pitted with rust and caked in blood that probably wasn't from the Tantabus or the rocks. It's colorless eyes were now framed in a near skull that the flesh had seemingly drawn back from to lie about the creatures neck like a rotted collar. The flame in it's eyes still danced with a fire that spoke of pain and cruelty. The draconic wings that had been present on it's back before were still there, but they were little but chard bone now, shadowy darkness twined between and around them in a mimicry of wing membranes. A third pair of legs had joined the other two and this pair was further up on his chest, the ends of them capped in clawed bestial hands with three fingers each. The massive hoof which had slammed into Dawn was split like a goats , the black edges of which glittered with some sort of greenish icor like a poison or some sort of rot. The massive hoof was enough that nothing of Dawn could be seen but her twitching tail.
The creature kicked it's limb forward, the limp form of Dawn soaring through the air to crash to the ground near Rynthia, unmoving, before a cage of stone ensnared her as well.
“>Imagine my annoyance when I let you go before I didn't recognize you lot aside from one of my sisters the first time you came through here. As busy as I was I thought perhaps you were just some foals who were lucid dreamers. Imagine my annoyance with myself when i realized who you really were.<“ Tantabus snarled.”>And then my joy when you came back when you did. The daughters of my father, the son of my greatest threat, and the other children of Equss leaders. Ahh my ticket to freedom all but gift wrapped for …..............<”
The creature trailed off, it's eyes snapping up to the roiling cloud filled sky.
Rynthia followed it's gaze upward and briefly saw the form of a purple alicorn glaring down in shock and rapidly growing anger before the figure was gone.
“Auntie Twilight?” Rynthia questioned.
“>PISS OFF GUARDIAN, UNLESS YOU WANT TO WAKE TO THE CORPSES OF YOUR YOUNG!!!”< The Tantabus screamed into the air. The creature glared, it's moth eaten ears flicking in agitation before it grinned showing horrid jagged and rotted teeth, like a shark that badly needed a dentist.
“>Even the guardian of the dream has fled..... yes you foals are mine.<” The Tantabus cackled. “>My ticket to the world of the dreamers and my freedom!<”
[The Crystal Empire, 23 hours after the appearance of Tamberlane ]
Shining Armor galloped after his wife as she practically flew through the palace. Scootaloo, Pip, Berry, Beryl, as well as a host of guards were hot on their hooves as they crossed the short distance between their room and the foals quarters.
While the nursery had been in the room right next to theirs at first, as Shin and Glimmer grew older Cadence and Shining decided to move their bedroom to the other side of the palace at the other end of the main residential hall. It was still close enough to matter, though it allowed the conversion of their old bedroom into Glimmer's bedroom and the nursery into a play room with one of the Guest rooms becoming Shin's new bedroom after a door was added between the room and the playroom.
Despite the short sprint down the hall, this felt like the longest gallop Shining had ever done. There was so much that could be going wrong with his daughter and adoptive son. They could be dead or suffering already and he had only put the lot of them to bed barely three hours ago.
Despite his wife's mental break down when the foals name was even mentioned, he knew Cadence was willing to destroy any one who messed with the foals, even Dawn. While she wasn't as combat trained as he was, nor as powerful as Twilight, she had been a student of Celestia. And while no pony thought a Empress with a talent for love could do much, they likely hadn't thought about, nor discussed it in hypothetical situations like he had. While she might not be able to do much herself, her powers could boost and empower, and if she turned that in on her self, or granted it to a pony like himself who did know combat, well by his calculations, even Kaisur would be hard pressed to beat him, god or not.
Still that had never been tested and this was neither the time nor the place to do so.
He caught up with Cadence as she was pushing open the door, she was making sure to be quiet, though she seemed to be struggling not to fling open the doors and storm in.
As the door opened, the room was partially illuminated. The small group of them managed to just push past the threshold when Cadence stopped, forcing all the others behind her to do the same.
The room itself was dark, though the light from the door was not the only illumination. Six sigals glowed a soft blue at the head board of each of the foals beds. Shining could see a few of the foals tossing and turning as if in nightmare.
That wasn't all that was in the room though.
Eight pairs of eyes were turned on the group as they entered, causing the lot of them to suck in a sharp collective breath as the eyes owners were revealed by the doors light.
The closest was a Diamond Dog. The creature's fur was chestnut brown and was perfectly groomed over it's tall lithe form. It's head was shaped more like a timber wolves and it had a long bushy tail that curled slightly around it's digigraded legs. A gray blue mane of hair fell from the Diamond Dog's head bound up in a number of thick braids that fell to the middle of it's back. It's lavender eyes regarded those that had rushed in, before it turned to look back at the foals.
The next figure was a Zebra mare. Clear aqua colored eyes looked up at the ponies entering the room, her attention focused on them even as the others watched the foals. The zebra's white coat shone brighter than even Celestia's and the red stripes marking her were like the red color of the sky at sunset. A delicately spiraled horn made of reddish orange crystal rose from her forehead framed by a wavy mane the color of a ripe red apple.
Despite the Diamond dog being closest to the door, the figure that commanded the most attention was next to the Zebra. The Dragon barely seemed like it would even fit in the room, yet some how the cobalt blue beast was there. The light from the door making it's scales shimmer, six crimson eyes raised slightly at the ponies entrance to the room, a small snort was offered, to which the Zebra mare pressed her fore hoof to his massive scaled leg. He spared a glance down at her before his attention returned to the foals.
There was a figure next to the Dragon, but if not for the pure white eyes the figure would have been overlooked. Even so it took Shining a moment to see the outline of the figure against the blue of the Dragons bulk. It seemed to be a mare, perhaps a Pegasus, with a coat so black that it absorbed the light around her, making her stand out in the semi darkness simply because she was darker than that even. Staring at her a moment more Shining could make out both wings and a horn.
The fifth creature had a lithe equine form with long flippers like a seal, as opposed to forelegs. It had no ears though a long set of striped fins seem to replace them along the side of it's head. A series of diaphanous fins trail along it's spine, shifting slightly as it used them to remain upright in the air. It's copper and white zebra patterned scales seem to shimmer as it's tired teal eyes remain focused on the foals from under a wavy mass of sea foam green hair.
A large female Griffon was the last in the semi circle around the foals beds. The green and blue eyed griffon grinned a little at the group that came in, her pure white fur a striking contrast to her golden feathered wings. Her orange beak clicked lightly as she lifted on taloned claw to her mouth.
“Babs what are you doing?” Silver asked as the song ended looking over at his mare friend as she spins a dented frying pan with a grin.
“Well ah kinda figured something out while I was hiding out in the galley.” Babs explained with a small sigh. “ Ah know ah was worried about all the stuff going on and how ah never had ta deal with all the Crusader madness as a foal like the others did. And I thought to myself that Sweetie was right. I didn't ask to be put here, but I could do something about it..... although I think what I need to do is get rid of this pan. It's covered in undead pig blood and there's a massive dent in it.”
“Okay better question. I at least had some Guard training before I flunked out, where did you learn to fight like that?” Silver demanded.
“Remember all them stories I told you bout working fer that chef Gorgon Ramsy?” Babs sighed.
“The half Minotaur half Ram? Yea,h I do....... wait those stories were true?!?!” Silver gasped.
“Yeah, was a real kitchen nightmare....” Babs grumbled.
Any further discussion was stopped as Sweetiebelle screamed.
The pair look over to the stage as Sweetiebelle ripped herself free of the rope holding her rushing to the edge of the stage, nearly throwing herself off it before she was tackled by Ditty and Carol. Shanty and Aria both pulled free, sprouted wings, and dove off the stage as if going after something that fell.
“What happened?” Babs asked.
“BUTTON!!!!!!” Sweetiebelle screamed out again trying to claw her way free.
“Oh buck” Silver and Babs both uttered, rushing over to the group.
“Twilight Sparkle wait.” Luna demanded as she watched the other mare slow as she made her way through the rubble of the walls she had blown through.
Twilight slowed a little, but did not stop. The purple mares ears were flat to her skull and the anger was rolling off her in waves. The emotion was enough to make the former moon Princess ill, which was impressive considering it was her husbands usual state of mind.
“What Luna?” Twilight practically growled at the Changeling Queen forcing the mare to take a step back at the sudden flare of hostility. The flinch was clearly noted by Twilight who exhaled deeply and finally came to a stop in a long hallway at the end of her destructive tunneling.
”What is it Luna?” Twilight let out another sigh, her voice a little calmer but Luna could still feel the anger.
“I would think that would be obvious. What has happened to you that you are this angry?” Luna questioned.
“In case you forgot we trapped on a island with a undead factory half fish who wants to take over everything and kill every one.” Twilight snapped.
“Yes, but that doesn't explain the sudden spike in anger once you woke up.” Luna stated glancing back as the others enter the new hallway and started looking around. ”I may not have been able to sense much with the creatures on my horn, but the anger you are showing now would not have been hard to pick up on had it existed prior. So I ask again, what happened while you were asleep?”
To the others it might have sounded like a nonsensical question to ask what happened while you were asleep, but in this case Luna hit it dead on, she had taught Twilight everything she knew about the dream world. Twilight had just gone beyond that and found out things even Luna had not known. Likely it was the advantages of a Unicorn versus Pegasi magical upbringing and all, not to mention the age Luna was born in, but still Twilight had taken to the dream realm like a duck to water.
“Avianna escaped while we were trapped here.” Twilight said flatly noting the growl from Luna. “ Calm down. She's dead. All the way dead this time I think. Starswirl's echo gave me the whole story when the tablet worms were removed. She tried to take over the moon and got jumped, from what he said it was a pretty funny beat down.”
“If she is no more then what....?” Luna started.
“Because I was supposed to keep an eye on her and I failed that. Just like I failed to stop Tirek and just like I failed to deal with that damn nightmare.”Twilight shouted.
“Nightmare!?” Luna gasped.
“Yes, the one your idiot husband made,I told you about that. Well without me there watching it, it got out and now it's terrorizing ponies including Elusive and the other foals!” Twilight growled.” Every time I need to do something I screw it up. I shouldn't have been made a Princess I could barely handle running a library let alone a kingdom........”
“Sparkle do shut the buck up.” Trixie stated with a huff, stomping over to the purple mare. Trixie paused a moment taking note that Twilight was actually a bit taller than she was now, though the show mare ignored that, realizing she hadn't ever really compared their sizes until this moment. Of course despite the pause Twilight found her ear suddenly twisted in the glow of Trixie's magic, her head pulled down to the blue mare, so Trixie could stare at the Princess eye to eye.
“Trixie what? OW!” Twilight began though another yank on her ear shut her up.
“Don't you Trixie me, I might not know exactly what is going on, but I do recognize that for a mare supposedly as smart as you, you are acting quite stupid.”Trixie growled.
“NOW I HAVE YOU LOUTS!!!” a shrill voice screamed before there was a sound like clapping and a eww from Octavia as she looked at the mess between her hooves.
“This does wash out right?” Octavia asked to no one in particular as she wiped the remains of the Breezy lich on a rotted drapery nearby.
“As Trixie was saying. Don't you dare try to down play your accomplishments!” Trixie growled again. “ You! Twilight Sparkle, had a surge as a foal that resulted in a level six transformation of five other very powerful Unicorns, who even if surprised should have had enough natural resistance to negate a untrained out of control spell. You were chosen as Princess Celestia's personal student, graduated from that with more honors than they had to give out, then became the Element of Magic in time to defeat Nightmare Moon. A threat which I remind you Celestia herself was not able to beat! TWICE! You then proceeded to not only defeat Discord, but also to do so while under the effects of his spell. You fought off a Changeling invasion, TWICE, figured out Princess Cadence was an impostor when her own husband couldn't tell. You rescued a disaster prone town from countless enemies and monsters and attacks. You also fought off a Dragon that decimated an entire troop of Guards, then you transported the Guards, two magic nullifying swords, and a bucking tree from the Everfree forest and then dropped all of them into the throne room in Canterlot with out losing so much as a leaf from that tree! You then beat an ancient half dragon after an empire you never heard of showed up again, and then took down a Changeling hive, rescued most of Ponyvile again! Blasted aforementioned Dragon out of a god monster state, fought in the War of the Gods, defeated Avianna the first time, stopped Canterlot from crushing Ponyville! You then fought Tirek to a standstill allowing the evacuation of Gallopagos. THEN you ran about for the better part of a year and destroyed untold numbers of potential threats to Equss. AND THAT WAS ALL BEFORE BECOMEING A PRINCESS!!”
Every one stared as Trixie took a breath, Twilight was about to interject when Trixie twisted her ear again making the purple mare wince.
“After you became a Princess you ratified a number of agreements took care of even more threats, have set up peace treaties and trade agreements with nations that most didn't even know existed, you set the educational system ahead by a thousand years with a few suggestions and plans, balanced Canterlot's budget for the first time.... EVER and have made grown ponies whose lives are based around bureaucratic nonsense weep with your spreadsheets. SPREADSHEETS!” Trixie exclaimed.” Add in the fact that your greatest accomplishment was defeating me, not once, BUT TWICE. And if you think for a second Twilight Sparkle that the Great and Powerful Trixie is going to let you sulk because you suffered a few losses after you defeated her!? Well you have another thing coming! A magicians true merit is based on who their rival is and Trixie will be damned if she lets you try to diminish that status!”
“I had help with a lot of that.”Twilight muttered.
“AND!?” Trixie growled “What kind of stupid mare thinks they can do everything on their own?”
Twilight stared at the blue mare, noting she had a number of tears welling in her eyes. She flinched a little, Trixie was talking about her self there in the end. The unicorn had fought tooth and hoof against any help that was offered her for quite some time after the War of Gods. Then she found out she was pregnant and she nearly collapsed in on herself. It had taken Miss Cheerilee and a number of others to get her to recover from that and Luna had told her about the nightmares the mare had. It had been a busy time for the Guardian of Dreams after the war.
Having all her accomplishments laid out before her like that was not something she expected. There were things the mare missed, but then again not everything Twilight did was in a record the public could access.
“That explains the earlier dream. I did not put together that it might be something from outside of the island that caused it. “ Luna pondered to no one in particular. “This changes nothing aside from the speed with which we need to leave here to deal with it. Also the Breezie Lich is coming from the end of this hall if the magic signature is correct.”
The others look over to Luna, though Twilight and Trixie remained staring at each other.
“Ummm Trixie can you let go of my ear?” Twilight asked. “ It's clear we have things to do...”
“Seriously my mother used to do that to me.” Lyra chimed in.” Highly effective, though I think my left ear still droops because of it.”
“Do I need to scold you some more? My methods have worked well, as Trevor is a perfect little angel.” Trixie explained.” And trust me I can recognize when a pony is throwing a temper tantrum over nothing Sparkle.”
“No, no, I think I'm good.... or I can at least focus this anger into something.” Twilight grumbled.
Rynthia winced as Glimmer screamed out. The pink Pegicorn was doing her best to still try and reach the Taipair. The little creature had actually pushed itself up to it's hooves and tried to make it's way over to her before one of the monstrous Kirin guarding her had stormed over and kicked the little beast away from the cage bouncing it against the rock it was chained to, which had brought on the scream.
What Rynthia had not expected was for Glimmer to go on the attack. She had long known that her friend had a mean streak that she kept hidden most of the time, but to see it in action was terrifying.
When the Tantabus had made the monsters it seemed that he had made them as close anatomically correct as possible. Glimmer was rather weak with her magic, but it didn't take much force for the little Pegicorn to levitate a small rock straight up between the Kirin's legs that had kicked Charlotte.
The beasts blood red eyes seemed to bug out at the impact. It's fore limbs went immediately back between it's rear legs as it made a sound that kept going to a higher pitch until none of them could hear it. The effect was made that much worse as the creature trying to sooth the sudden impact to it's sensitive bits seemed to forget that it's claws were longer sharper and less natural than a normal Kirins and it couldn't gingerly try to recover from the impact to it's boy bits.
The screaming after it realized that was a lot more vocal and a lot bloodier.
The other beast Kirin around the cage, as well as the Changelings standing over Shin stared in sympathetic pain and even Tantabus seemed to wince.
Glimmer however had taken the distraction to gather up the Taipair and pull it into the cage with her. The other Kirin growled rushing forward and grabbing at the chain to yank it back out. Glimmer's magic wrapped around the chain and she curled it around her body to so she could try and keep them from pulling it back out or strangling the little creature.
The Kirin didn't seem to really care that the chain was around her forelimbs and yanked back hard, easily overpowering her magic.
Glimmer screamed out again as the fur on her leg was pulled the skin starting to tear against the weight of the rusted metal chain and the force being applied against her.
“GLIMMER!” roared another voice followed by a sudden burst of lightning from the middle of the swarm of bugs.
Talon roared out as he lept through the swarm, his fur standing on end as lightning danced over his body. Rynthia noticed he had his mothers claw weapons on his forelegs again, though he was also bleeding from a number of places as his exposed fur and form was covered with insect stings.
The bugs rushed right behind him ten more replacing each one that fell from his crackling energy, but the Hypogryph chick was already rushing across the ground. Before even the Tantabus could react he slammed claws first into one of the Kirin ripping open it's side with a shower of the same icor the rocks were bleeding. The other monsters reacted quickly launching themselves at the Griffon.
“THE CHAIN!” Elusive shouted still struggling to not be devoured by the cheese blob.
Talon barely spared a glance back to his friend before lashing out with the steel claws as he was tackled by the beast Kirin. His attack was still effective at cutting through a link in the chain. Glimmer took the moment it was free yanking the remaining length of chain into the cage with her trying to protect the Taipair as the Kirin beat on Talon to make sure the chick stayed down.
“>Just so you know bird. You are the least important of this group. The Griffons are nearly extinct with no pull in the world. Killing you will simply make the others more afraid of me.<” The Tantabus growled staring down at the battered griffon cub.
“You've never met his mom and dad then.” Elusive spoke up.”What the Griffon empire lacks in population and magic they more than make up for in innovation and cunning. You get free of here and half of the weapons trained on you will be of Griffon make. Kill him and they all will be. Breezy and Dusty are nothing if not vengeful. Nocturne learned that the hard way. You hurt their only foal, which means they're gonna kill you. You kill him and well, you're made of nightmares, I think you can guess what could happen.”
Rynthia blinked at that. She knew Elusive was taught by auntie Twilight and Auntie Celestia in diplomacy and other things, but what he said had made Tantabus pause. The fact it was all true just added to it. Much like Talon's attempt to rescue Glimmer, facing even his own fears and pain to help a friend. It was like the loyalty that her father showed those he respected. And despite Glimmers actions she did it to save a creature she had met once. The pink mare was practically crying over the wounded creature.... or was she crying about Talon?
>”I see the point colt. Though there are two from the Crystal Empire. I don't need both.... And the pink one seems popular enough among you.”< Tantabus growled looking to Glimmer
“No!” Shin shouted.” If you have to do that... k kill me... I'm not even their real foal... I'm just adopted....”
“Shin, NO!” Glimmer shouted.
The Tantabus opened his mouth to say something when a loud laugh cut him off.
Every creature in the area turned to the cage where Dawn was. The little battered Kirin laughing loudly despite her occasional wheeze of pain.
“Dawn...” Rynthia muttered.
“Oh wow, you are like the worse bad guy ever. 'Durr I can kill you durr durp.' “ Dawn cackled. “ I've read story books with more threatening things than you. You've already hurt some of us. That was bad enough, but if you think you are gonna get out of our dreams and get away from Mommy and Daddy after you hurt their foals and their friends foals, you're just sad, and dumb, mostly dumb.”
How was Dawn laughing at this.... how was Shin willing to sacrifice himself..... Rynthia grit her teeth and all she was able to do was stand here and listen to this.... what was wrong with her how could she let her friends get hurt like this?
Wait..... Sacrifice? Laughing? Truth? Loyalty like her fathers? To save a creature......? Why did this all sound so familiar, think Rynthia, think..........
“>So confident. I've fed from fathers nightmares for centuries, I've seen everything the dreamers know about their world. There is nothing there that can stop me.” The Tantabus raged. >” Your weapons are useless against me, your magic nothing, and your greatest weapon is dead and useless. And how would any of you stop me when I've already WON!!”
It was in a story, something her father told her, and her mother... and auntie Twilight and Auntie Tia.....
The Tantabus planted his hooves wide apart, the creature rapidly growing in size until it towered over the area like a mountain.
…..and Aunt Applejack and Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie and Discord........wait......The necklace it had something to do with that necklace she had was that the greatest weapon? Arrrgh what was it.
The monsters sword horn glowed a sicking green, the light stretching out longer than the tip of the creatures 'horn', reaching into the roiling sky. The beast jerks it's head suddenly swinging it's light touched horn like a sword. The light slashed through the sky leaving a burning trail behind it.
The line of fire widens like a tear, the moonless night sky visible outside as the creature hissed looking out it's new window over the night time sky line of the Crystal Empire.
Necklace.... five things Emotions?, Feelings, Rocks? Minerals?......that was it!
Rynthia rose to her hooves chuckling softly as she looked up at the monster. The great beast paused at that, turning away from the window and looking down at the tiny red striped Zebra foal as she laughed.
>“And what is so funny?”< Tantabus growled his eyes widening as he felt no fear from the filly.
“You believe that what you do will have no cost. “ Rynthia smiled as she looked up at him, there was a glimmer of something in her eye that made the Tantabus take a step back from the trapped foal. “What you fail to realize is you have not won, but lost.”
“Given how old this place is it doesn't surprise me that he might have some, though to have this much and not disrupt the island or the undead here.” Twilight whistled.
“It's not pure, it's mixed with other metals and it weakened.” Luna muttered tilting her head to look up at the massive metal door.
The door looked like it was taken from a bank, solid metal, with a number of old locks that looked perfectly polished and oiled. The door itself was fastened to the front of what seemed a metal wall. If it was like a bank it would be one large metal box.
“Okay this place is giving me a headache.” Lyra muttered. “Why am I getting a headache now?”
“Trixie as well. Though Trixie expects Trixie knows why, given she had an encounter with it once or twice.” Trixie added.
“Tis fine. Him as well as Rhede Pelt. Trixie wanted to know what that dagger was he used when Trixie first met him.”
“What dagger what are you talking about?” Lyra asked rubbing her head.
“Starmetal. It has a strong dampening effect on magic if you are not used to it. There are traces of it in this door.” Luna added.”If the phylacteries are in here it is likely to keep the liches from retrieving their souls and keeping them under Grogar's control. Though if they have been here long enough there is a good chance the liches might be mostly immune to Starmetal's effects on magic.”
“What's odd about this is there are wards on this thing every where.” Twilight commented. “ But none to keep any one out, they're all containment.”
“There is a gap here.” Octavia said looking at the door and a wide slot that lead into the vault.” It's dark but I can see a number of things in there glowing. I feel a bit unwell looking at them.... what? GAH!!!!!!”
Octavia dropped to the floor as a blast of dark energy flashed though the slot, charring a line on the wall on the other side of the hall. A moment later a small figure flutters out of the gap, a small globe of energy formed around it in a shield .
“NOW THEN, WHERE WAS I? OH YES, NOW DIE!” the breezy screamed out, black lightning launching from it's antenna blasting everything as it lights up the hallway. Twilight raised a shield yanking Octavia back behind it. The group watched in annoyance as the breezy fills the whole hall with electric death. The lightning carves its way through the walls and ceiling fizzling out when it got near the vault door.
“Is it my turn to kill this thing?” Luna asked calmly.
“Go ahead.” Twilight sighed. “Seriously dangerous or not he's turning into a running joke.”
“That things a boy?” Lyra asked.
“Excellent. I've got a loose tooth that wants revenge!” Luna grinned only for her expression to falter as the vault door swung open suddenly, smashing into the Breezies shield, poofing it out of existence, before the heavy metal door completes it's swing, crushing the Breezie between it and the far wall.
The group watches the dust and fluff of the crushed breezy fall to the ground as the metal door bounces off the wall a little before coming to a stop. The the four of them slowly look over at Trixie who was putting a bobby pin back in her mane,
“What?” Trixie asked.” Did you misunderstand Trixie's title of 'The master of unlocking?'”
“….. it was at that point I kinda lost it. I mean it was pretty clear she was grooming me for something. At the time I thought it was to maybe be a Princess. I mean Princess Luna was widely regarded as a myth, Sure there was a holiday about her and history showed she existed, but not what happened to her. There were older records that I found that showed that there were always two pony gods. And she brought me to witness the ascension of a new Griffon God. The old one retired and a new one was a God with just a passage of power.....” Sunset explained sipping her tea.
“If I recall correctly that was the ascension of Feather Breeze from her great grandfather Storm Rider.” Swordtail commented taking a sip of his coco.
The five of them were still on the balcony, seated around a table brought forth for the occasion. The bone armor had been put back inside it's chest and brought back to the store room. After a time Sunset had started telling them everything that had happened since she was chosen as Princess Celestia's personal student.
“So you thought that she was going to make you the next Princess?” Starfall questioned. She was drinking something stronger than the rest of them, while Peach Blossom and Belladonna were content with water.
“She had me helping her make decisions of what to do with the kingdom. Nothing major but it was a start. Historically it's what any outgoing ruler did before they passed on their rule. Showed the new comer around, guided them before allowing them to take their place.” Sunset muttered. “ I did everything I could, studied and worked my tail off trying to be the best I could, worked to pass all her stupid tests, all her damn pop quizzes. Twenty four hours a day seven days a week all year since I was seven I was always on edge always studying for any little thing. She popped up when I was in the bath once. IN THE BATH. And by popped up I mean one second I was in the bath and the next she was in the tub with me from no where wanting to know the first six laws of of Green Beards thermostatic computation!”
Starfall raised an eyebrow before glancing over to Swordtail who simply nodded.
“After all that I thought it was what I was being groomed for. Other wise what was the point of knowing any of that. Everything made sense after the ceremony. Or so I thought.” Sunset took a sip of her tea. “Everything kinda came crashing down after that. The moment I turned eighteen she told me she planned to send me to a town called Ponyville for a while. I couldn't even find the place on the map, no trains went there it was a little dump of a town. When I did figure out where it was I was still sort of interested, I mean it was on the border of the Everfree forest, so there had to be something important there.”
“Not the case I take.” Peach Blossom commented.
“She had my living arraignments set up for the next twenty years there.” Sunset grumbled. “ I was being kicked out.”
“Nightmare Moon?” Starfall asked and Swordtail nodded. “ Celestia the chess master strikes again.”
“ What?” Sunset questioned.
“Nightmare Moon returned and showed up in Ponyville on the thousandth sun celebration.” Belladonna commented. “ She was likely sending you there that far in advance to give you a chance to settle in and make some friends so you could find the Elements of Harmony to activate them against Nightmare Moon and cure her sister.”
“ Seriously? Without telling me?”Sunset demanded. “ If I had know when she was going to send me I wouldn't have lost it like I did.”
“Consider yourself lucky. Her last student had less than twelve hours to figure it all out when she was sent.” Starfall grumbled. “ I can't believe she was still doing her diplomatic secret keeping chess master bullshit a thousand years later. I thought all the crap she did to Twilight was bad enough.”
“You keep mentioning this Twilight, who is she?” Sunset asked.
“Former personal student of Princess Celestia, Bearer of the Element of Magic, and currently Princess of the Night.” Peach Blossom responded. “ Or did she actually take the title Princess of Books?”
“She was talked out of that.” Starfall sighed noting Sunset's glare.
“So let me get this straight.” Sunset growled.” After all this... She STILL gave the gods power to some one else!?!?”
“No Celestia was highly against it. Luna gave the power to Twilight after Tirek attacked and she was forced to take up the mantle of a Changeling Queen as well. She gave it to Twilight because she was a hero in the eyes of Equestria three times over already. Meanwhile Luna had been Nightmare Moon, a target of the perpetrators of the War of Gods, and was currently a Changeling which were a hated and feared race.. they still are in some parts of the world , but there have been a number of efforts in the last years to change that. Some which are actually working.” Starfall explained. “At the time it was the best political move and Luna was tired of being a Princess any way. Now before you ask us any more questions please finish your story.”
“Huh oh... not much more to it than that. I called her out on sending me away as it looked to me like she was just getting rid of me. Finally of age, able to avoid her favorite pranks, it looked like she was tired of me and wanted to go seek a new student to play with. So I pretty much demanded to know why I was being sent away. She refused to answer saying I should just obey her and do it.” Sunset sighed.
“ And that is when you lost it.” Swordtail added.
”And that's when I lost it. I had been doing what she said and what she wanted for years. The one time I want to know something, the one time I really question her and she pulls the 'because I said so card.'” Sunset growled. “Lets just say a large number of things were said after that and few of them were suitable for polite company.”
“You also set fire to the throne room destroyed millions of bits worth of paintings , drapery , and melted the gold in her regalia.” Belladonna commented.” All without much effort from what I heard.”
“Always been good with fire magic and it wasn't like I attacked her I just let my aura build as I ranted. And she just stood there staring at me, no anger, no disappointment, she just kept the same damn impassive face she always had.” Sunset cursed.” After I let her know how I was feeling about her she simply stared at me , wiped a bit of the gold melted on her chest and plainly asked me 'if I was done yet?' I told her yes and she informed me the paper work I needed to move to Ponyville would be brought to my quarters later. The she walked off.”
“ A thousand years of peace and she still couldn't see why some one would be angry with her. “ Starfall muttered. “ Not saying it's all her fault. I doubt you remembered it that clearly while you were mad, but most of that sounds like her.”
“The story isn't far off. Princess Celestia was upset, but she chose her diplomatic face rather than her concerned teacher one.” Swordtail stated taking a sip of his coco.”She was quite distraught when you vanished.”
“Likely because her plan failed and she had to hastily make another one.” Sunset pouted.
“Probably. Though her new plan didn't work out that well for her either, Twilight eventually woke us up.” Starfall chuckled.”She wasn't happy about that.”
“So how did you get into the mirror?” Belladonna asked.
“Oh that. Well on my way out I figured maybe I should have a last look at some of the things I'd studied. Maybe even grab a few of them to sell later on down the line. I had no illusions that a ungraduated student skilled in little more than magical trivia and spells was gonna make bits easy. “Sunset sighed glaceing at Starfall to see if this admittance of a potential crime meant anything to her. The Pegasus mare's face remained impassive, so she continued.”I saw the portal in the mirror was open and I figured what the buck and went in. From my studies I knew it would reopen in three months and the other side of it had livable atmosphere and environment. I ran tests with mice and other animals before. Given a few of them came back with food or other junk I knew there was a civilization over there. What I didn't understand was how different it was....”
Starfall excused herself making her way over to Peach Blossom who was at the door with a small smirk on his face trying to wave her over. Sunset continued to explain the mirror to Belladonna and Swordtail. In truth Starfall didn't really care about what was on the other side of the mirror.
“What's wrong?” Starfall asked.
“Starlight and Orchid both want you. They had a nightmare and the babysitter is being run ragged dealing with them now that they are up.” Peach Blossom grumbled.
“Still mad they never ask for you?” Starfall chuckled.
“More mad that they only asked for me when you say no. They never ask for me when they're scared.” Peach Blosom snorted as Starfall kissed his cheek lightly. “ So what do you think?”
“She's a teenager who's mother figure practically dumped her. She's likely gonna grow to dislike Celestia even more once she gets caught up on everything. “Starfall sighed. “ Jer'rahd's gonna love her.”
“I had a Guard find her records. I thought it would be a hard task, but her name was in the pile of those missing from the Changeling invasion. Seems some one was doing a fifty year search.” Peach Blossom stated. “ Guess they forgot that the Changelings have only been free again since after Discord got loose.”
“Well it worked in our favor this time, whats on file?” Starfall asked.
“Not much. Orphan, no known family. Got scouted by one of Celestia's talent hunters and brought into her school. Stayed at the castle, no real acquaintances on record. Basically it seemed she poured everything she had into being top student. Thought of Celestia as her surrogate mother from the way she tells it.”
“Like she said. So she's all she has in the world now huh....” Starfall muttered. “ We'll need to pair her with some one who can keep up with her skills and can still show her around.”
“You were considering yourself briefly weren't you?” Peach Blossom sighed.
“Sorry, but I have a soft spot for disgruntled daughters. But yeah I'm no good for this.” Starfall muttered her ears flattening. “ Luna and Twilight could keep up with her easy, but with Celestia here.....”
“Yeah probably not the best. We could ask Cadence. Given her interest in the Crystal Ponies...” Peach Blossom considered.
“Nah too close to the artifact vault. I kinda like her , but I don't trust her yet.” Starfall. Explained.”I'll talk to Luna and Jer'rahd when they get back . See if they have any ideas. She is about Berry's age.....”
“Might work, it'll take Sunset a while to get caught up and Berry might be good for that. Berry'd need to come back here though since she's in the empire so probably not her.” Peach Blosom considered.” Any way I'll stay here, you have two of your own foals to worry about.”
“He he alright, but don't expect them to come to you for help, after all mommy is scarier than the monsters.” Starfall chuckled.
“Don't I know it.” Peach Blossom chuckled watching his wife head down the hall.
===========================================
[Crystal Empire, Playroom.]
No one in the play room had time to say anything before something that sounded like tearing of fabric was heard and the entire palace began to shudder. The lights in the hall flickered briefly and went out.
Shining Armor cursed, hearing a great deal of shouting and screaming coming from down the hall as well as the thunder of ponies running down the hall screaming for him and his wife. The noise drew everyone in his groups attention as the lights went out. When they returned and Shining Armor looked back into the playroom there was no trace of the figures. Pip and Scootaloo rushed into the room and through the side door to Glimmer's room to look out the balcony there for the source of the disturbance. Cadence rushed past as well looking around the beds at the foals, a shocked gasp coming from her.
“Shining! Talon and Dawn are bleeding!” Cadence panicked as a great roaring filled the air.
“Sir, you need to come look at this!” Pip screamed out.
Shining paused looking between Cadence and the foals before snapping back to Berry and the Guards that accompanied them.” Berry look them over, figure out the spell and get them out of it, you two go get a doctor NOW!” Shining ordered.
“Orange is working tonight send Scootaloo to go get her it will be faster!” Berry shouted back over the roar as she rushed forward to look at the blue glowing inscriptions on their beds, Beryl clinging tightly to her back.
Shining nodded rushing through the other room to see what Pip was shouting about, the orders he was about to give the Pegasus with him dying on his lips.
Outside the palace was a rent in the very air before the castle. The oval rip in reality was howling as air was sucked into the colorless void around the edges of the tear. The inside of it was a nightmarish landscape of blood and wasteland. A horrendous gray plated giant equine like creature dominated the portal. It's gaze dead set on the out side.
Suddenly it stopped, it's eyes widening as it turned to look back at something behind it.
Shining only caught a glimpse of what it was looking at before the monsters body blocked his view again.
A white and red unicorn filly trapped in a cage of stone, a filly that seemed to be laughing.
>”Lost?”< Tantabus seemed rather confused by the accusation. >” My door to freedom is open and I can leave my minions here to ensure you stay trapped as a security to keep any one from so much as touching me. How have I lost?”<
“No you have admitted how you can be beat, and in this place, that is no hard feat.” Rynthia continued her blue eyes meeting the malformed orbs of the massive nightmare creature.” You say our ultimate weapon is broken, but it seems to me, you have misspoken”
>”Wordy little thing. And what might that be hmm?”< Tantabus snarled, icon dripping down on the cage over her from it's maw, though the Zebra filly barely seemed to notice the sizzling goo falling around her. She was facing a monster unlike anything they had seen or heard of , but she knew her parents would not back down from this, her real ones or her adoptive ones.
“Despite all that she says and does Glimmer is nice in a fashion. She cares for family, friends and those who need aid, that shows us her Compassion.” Rynthia stated.
=================
Glimmer had been listening, cradling the injured Taipair as Rynthia and the monster spoke. She was crying still, in worry and terror, and she had no idea what Rynthia was talking about. The creature she was cradling made a bit of noise and the Pegicorn looked down to see one of it's hooves reaching up to bat something hanging from her neck.
She looked down at it curiously, a gold necklace, with what looked like some sort of ornate medallion in the middle of it. Three hearts showed on it in a diagnol line with the middle heart on top. The bottom was black, the middle red and the top one was white.
Glimmer blinked at it, feeling rather odd as if the thing had more weight than she could feel. She lifted her head as Rynthia said her name. The necklace started to grow warm around her neck as Glimmer slowly rose, shifting the small creature between her wings to protect it. She had to do something.
===============
Tantabus twitched slightly it's tattered ears flicking as if it felt something, though Rynthia spoke again, her tone seeming louder and stronger.
“To aid others despite ones fear is considered a mark of royalty. But to do so and risk ones own life marks Talon as Loyalty.” Rynthia stated.
==============
Talon shifted uneasily under the pile of Kirin. He hurt, everywhere. With the bodies piled on him he couldn't see anything save the ground and a bit of Glimmer's cage. She seemed alright and also seemed worried about him.
The Hippogryph felt oddly pleased by that. His wings hurt as did the bug stings and bites. None of them were healing like they had when he was younger and disturbed that hornets nest. He long knew that was the start of his phobia, but recognizing it and doing anything about it where two different things. He could feel the bugs crawling through his fur and feathers, likely searching for another soft spot to bite. There seemed to be a particularly large one pressed under his beak.
Wait it wasn't moving and felt to hard to be a bug. It felt warm too, comfortably so. The Hippogryph chick turned his head a little, attempting to shift it enough to get a look at what it was with his eye that hadn't swollen closed from the stings yet.
Attached to a silver chain, one that felt wrapped around his neck, was a medallion of some kind. It was decorated rather ornately and the middle of it was what looked to be wooden circular shield with silver trim around the edges, a single silver star placed in the middle of it.
===================
>”What?”< Tantabus pondered, something in the air felt different. He was barely paying attention to the Zebra now, something felt off about this place now, there was something else here.
“Even if his own kind hate him and some of them consider him some sort of monstrosity, there is no one more giving and willing to share, thus Shin is Generosity”
==============================
The tiny Changeling foal shuddered in the ropes his captors tightened around him. He had gotten caught, Dawn had gotten hurt trying to help him and he felt completely useless. His sister was captured and all his friends were either captured, hurt, or both. He knew it wasn't his fault, but something inside him was trying to make sure that it was his fault.
They all thought he was going to be like his birth mother. Their memories showed him what sort of monster his birth parents were, but....... No one looked far enough back in those memories. They only remembered what the recent things that the pair did. Before those memories were others, Shin knew of the things his mother had done, the things she had given up in order to save every one and defeat the dangers and evils of the world. What she sacrificed for so long until she met Shin's father, a kind and just King one who lived closely with his subjects, doing his best to make sure every one had enough, helping them survive with magic or what he could give to aid them. His mother was attracted to that and the two of them married. Everything was cut short due to his grandmother, but even in her far past she had done good despite what she had done since.
Shin hadn't done anything yet and he was being judged as if he was born evil. Queen Luna had tried to explain it to him, but he didn't quite follow everything she was saying. Now in this place it seemed he wouldn't have the chance. The Tantabus didn't accept what he said, though he also hadn't killed any one. Maybe it was because of what Elusive had said, or perhaps another reason.
In either case if they didn't get out of here, he would never have the chance to give the ones who were afraid of him a reason to not fear him, to not want him destroyed. He couldn't just sit here. Neither his father mother or adoptive parents would want that.
Shin's eyes narrowed as green flame erupted around the small Changeling's body, burning the ropes that bound him and forcing the bestial Changelings off of him. When the fire stopped, the bestial changelings looked on at what he had become, their malformed gazes lifting higher to the towering mass of sharp fangs, sharper claws, and countless stars that remained.
Though barely half the size of the Tantabus, the Changeling Ursa Minor was far more than enough to tear into the minions of the nightmare. Shin roared out, his massive paw smashing the stunned Changeling nightmares to the ground before he rushed off towards the monstrous Kirin holding Talon. The Changeling bear was far to intent on rescuing his friend to notice a large onyx pendant dangling from a chain of the same material, around his neck. The image of a green three pointed crown surrounded by jade flame adorned the pendant.
=============================================
Tantabus whirled as the Ursa minor rushed his troops. The Nightmare growled summoning more of the Changeling monstrosities to get Shin back under control, though the foal was causing havoc.
“Though many doubt him when he says what he wants to be. His blunt manner and beliefs place Elusive as honesty.” Rynthia continued.
=========================
Elusive was doing his damnedest not to completely panic. He was also failing at that pretty spectacularly. He knew this couldn't be real, both because he knew this place was a dream and the Tantabus thing said he wanted them alive to use as hostages.
He also knew his fear was highly illogical. It was a food , not some sort of monster that was going to kill him.
Granted having a blob of cheese trying to devour you and had you absorbed up to your fore limbs was rather hard to work his head around with how he felt the hot goo in his fur and scales.
He really hoped the bear would come over and eat this thing before it ate him.
Due to his panic he didn't notice the platinum chain that had formed around his neck, a pendant dangling from it. A silvery gem like his mother's cutiemark surrounded by a horse shoe shaped red laurel wreath imprinted upon it.
=============================================
The Tantabus was clearly adjitated now. The spells he was casting at the bear were washing off the creature like they were nothing. The Hipogryph was free now as well and the pair of them were ripping open the cage holding the pink pony. Lightning danced around the Hippogryph chick fending off most of the bugs He froze realizing the Zebra mare was still talking, his mind whirling with fragments of nightmares and memories of what she was talking about.
>” No... Shut up!”< The Tantabus screamed whirling on the Zebra filly only for the massive paw of the star bear to connect to the side of his head sending him crashing away into the bleeding rocks as Glimmer and Talon worked to free Elusive. The Taipair, Charlotte, evidently awake enough to try eating the cheese monster.
“ While subtly, tact, grace, and manners might slip past her. My sister always tends to bring about joy, and thus Dawn is Laughter.”
=================================================
“Bout time you got to me Stripey.” Dawn shouted from her cage slowly pushing herself up to her claws.
She was in a lot of pain and the fact she couldn't stop giggling wasn't helping her right now, it made her chest hurt more. Still she wasn't focused on the Tantabus like the others, but something it seemed only she could see. Her image flickered a little, to the black alicorn form she had in her past life when she was known as Nocturne, before fading back to her orange and gray Kirin filly form.
A cheap plastic looking chain and pendant appeared around her neck, looking all the world like something one would win at a fair claw machine, or with skeeball tickets. The image on it was of two white masks with a gold ribbon running behind them. Any one who knew the theater knew what they were, the classic masks denoting comedy and tragedy. The only thing was, despite their eyes being happy and sad, both of the masks were smiling.
Dawn pointed a claw at necklace tapping it and growled.” We will have words birdy.”
==========================================
>”No! How is this even possible?! The Elements are dead. Generosity was destroyed!”<The Tantabus roared shoving itself back up from where it had landed. >” They should not be able to work!”<
Both Rynthia and Elusive flinch at that knowing who the Bearers were he spoke of.
Elusive frowned shaking the last of the cheese from his leg as the the others worked to free Dawn and Rynthia.
“You may know our fears and our pasts that are tragic, but we will win this day because our friendship is magic.”
“Stripy that was kinda lame.” Dawn muttered.
Rynthia finished her line as a gold necklace forms around her neck, the pendent decorated with a pair of bronze scales perfectly balanced with a small white pony skull in one tray, and a brown and green Staff of Asclepius on the other.
The Tantabus panicked lashing out with magi , the very landscape around them rising up to be flung at the group which had gathered around Rynthia.
Everything flung at them smashed and dissolved against a multi-colored shield that had risen around the foals. The six pendents begin to glow softly at first then brighter and brighter, slowly lifting the foals into the air as the glow grows to cover them as well. The wounds they had received wiping away from them as the magic washed over them, like water washing away sand.
The Tantabus howled, turning to rush towards the gate as a rainbow beam of light launched from the brightly glowing group of foals, lashing through the dreamscape and cutting off the Tantabus's escape.
The ribbons of light swirled around the nightmare and wrapped around the creature. The nightmare fought and struggled trying to cut free with it's horn only for the ribbons of light to stick to it like glue and refuse to cut. The creature roared a last time as the ribbons started to constrict and pulled together shrinking down more and more as the struggles ceased. With a brilliant flash of light the constricting rainbow faded, leaving nothing of the Tantabus behind but a rock blood filled crater.
Shining Armor, Pip, and Scootaloo stared at the glowing rent, having seen everything going on inside even if they couldn't hear more than the howl of the wind and the beasts roars. As the trio watched the rainbow ribbon made it's way to the tear, slipping between the rift and reality like a sewing needle fixing a tear and pulling it back together, before the light and the rip vanished with a pop, the air going still as the silence of the night reigned again.
“Heh.” Pip chuckled softly after a few moments of silence. “Those were my sisters.”
“They were my foals there too, Pip.” Shining snorted with a smirk. “Scootaloo go get Orange, Berry says she's at Velkorn General. I don't know if we need her now, but better safe than sorry. Oh and maybe lose the bunny suit if you want to be taken seriously.” Shining Armor added.
“Well? “ questioned Octavia, clearly not happy with having to stand in a empty hall in the open for the last few minutes. Grogar had to know the vault had been opened and she expected a swarm of monsters at any time now. Octavia was placed on Guard duty as the Unicorns had decided to discuss magic theory or some nonsense. In any case she was getting tired of this.
“It's complicated.”Luna sighed.
“It's not complicated.” Lyra grumbled.
“There's too much information.” Trixie stated.
“There's not enough information.” Twilight said.
The four of them had spoken at the exact same time and all of them turned to stare at one another before yelling out again all at once.
“What are you talking about?!”
Octavia slapped her head with her hoof , muttering something about brains not meaning a thing any more before turning back to watch the hall.
“Look there's layers and layers of spells on these things. We can't even move one of them without pulling all the mesh tighter and we certainly can't destroy them with anything we know without causing a disaster.” Luna snapped.”these things are layered in dozens or protective spells. Nothing short of a solar impact would get past the wards.”
“Everyone of these things has at least fifty spells cast into them all intermingled and doing a billion things at once. The spell lattices alone are so overlapped I can't even tell which is the top layer to begin unwinding them!” Trixie added. “ It would take forever to sort through the meshes to figure out the core spell.”
“That's just it there's a bunch of latices. We don't know what is layered and what the original magic is. We don't know where to even begin.” Twilight growled.” Without a starting point how can we decipher this?”
“I don't know what half this crap is.” Lyra snorted.” But I do know a trap when I see one. All of these things are trapped the same way, the same mesh lattice runs through all of them and is connected to the vault. If they go past that door way over there the trap goes off and they blow up. I bet Grogar rigged that so his minions would stay in line. Specially if these things are that important to them. So all we have to do is close the door a bit and toss them all out into the hall, the door shields us from magical backlash and even if it closes it's simple to open from the inside. We toss them all out and BAM problem solved.”
The other three turn and stare at Lyra, then look to each other, and then to the phylacteries as if checking what she said before turning back to her.
“I like her idea let us go with her idea.” Octavia stated.
Well at least there was no pain, Button thought to himself.
Then he pondered a bit more.
No there was a bit of pain, mostly in the base of his tail. He didn't think it was the tacos he had for lunch though. It felt more like something was pulling his tail, hard.
Wait was he supposed to be feeling pain when he was dead?
“You know MASH, while I hear suicide is painless, there's got to be another way...” stated a voice from above him.
“He's not gonna get that joke, ain't nobody gonna get that joke.”stated another higher pitched voice, also from above him.” That joke is so old it's got a walker and wishes it's grand foals would visit more often.”
“You got the joke dear, that's enough.” the male sounding voice chuckled.
Button mash opened his eyes and yelped, the sidewalk was barely an apples length from his nose. He turned his head looking down, errrr up at whoever was talking.
Above him were a pair of figures. The male had the head of a pony with mismatched yellow eyes, a fang from a snake, a deer antler on one side, and a goat horn on the other. There was a bit of stubble on his chin which looked like he was trying to grow a beard but didn't recall how to. He had long rabbit like ears, a serpentine body with a maticore's arm and paw on one side, and a griffon's arm with it's claw on the other. A Pegasus wing and a bat wing sprouted from his back and his legs looked like a minotaurs and a cockatrice's. The draconic tail that sprouted from his rump ended in a set of fins like those from a sea pony.
Sitting on his back with her forelegs wrapped around the creatures neck , was a very very pink pony with a mop of curly darker pink hair.
“Discord? Miss Pie?” Button stammered before he was dropped to the ground with a thud as Discord let go of his tail.
“Button, Button, Button.”Pinkie Pie tisked.” I told you to call me Pinkie.”
“Seems like we missed some party.” Discord whistled before narrowing his eyes.” I say... are those Orcs?”
“OOOh that's a fun name. Orc... orc, orc, orc, mork, orc, pork, lork, tork, orc.” Pinkie Pie singsonged, hopping off Discord's back and pronking around the pair of them as she continued.
“Err, yes sir, undead Orcs at that.” Button stammered looking up as Shanty and Aria descended towards them, the pair of Changelings looking rather surprised to see Button unmashed and to see Discord and Pinkie Pie there.
“Undead huh.... well they are still green pigs......”Discord stroked his beard.
“You thinking what I'm thinking?” Pinkie Pie grinned, suddenly wearing a military pith helmet with the symbol of the Luna Republic on it.
“Indeed.” Discord grinned. “You have the sling shot?”
“Right here!” Pinkie cheered pulling a massive sling shot from her mane and slamming it down into the asphalt anchoring it in place.
Button blinked as Discord pulled a red blob that looked vaguely like a bird, in that it had feathers and a beak, out of somewhere. The grumbling creature also had a very annoyed expression on it's face.
“What ...” Button stammered.
“Oh please. Even you hard core gamer types need to realize that the casual players get some good games too.” Discord chuckled loading the blob into the sling shot and pulling it back.” Bet I can get four in one shot.”
“Ooh trying for a skill shot already. You're on Dissy. Loser buys dinner.” Pinkie Pie chimed.
“I thought I was already buying dinner?” Discord questioned.
“Yep, as I said loser buys dinner.”Pinkie Pie agreed.
“Harph.”Discord snorted with a smile, letting the annoyed blobby bird fly at the Orcs.
Grogar frowned feeling something odd. A door had been opened that shouldn't have been. He suspected the mares, he already knew they had escaped the ghosts. Still he paid it no mind there were only a few places on the island that needed to be locked and warded enough to trigger his mental alarm and there was nothing of value to any living thing in any of those vaults. Likely they had opened something thinking it a way out or to find something useful. This one seemed to be the lich vault. Doom Sprinkle, he sighed, ears flattening at the self chosen name of the Breezy, was to likely finish them off by this point. Pity, though he hoped the lich left him enough of their bodies to look over.
He remained watching the battle, the two ponies had turtled under some rather impressive shields and he had a few of the Liches watching the sky for another attack from what they pair had called a 'Jupiter'. So far he had underestimated them, considerably, and he was not doing that again.
He had all four of the Gallows Gaunts he had on the island ready to move on them if they some how beat the Liches. He had also been gathering power while the pair fought. He planed to unleash it on one large wave and rip flesh and bone from Tamberlane himself to create a swarm of island dead to distract them while the gallows Guant's finished them off.
If some how that failed he still had the two Barbed Devils. The one at the bell tower would remain there, though the other was close enough to easily rouse. And he would ring the bell to retreat the island at that point as well. Better to deal with them on his time than theirs. Bray would survive until the island returned.
Though he had felt a flash of power from some where, a great deal of necromantic energy was suddenly released. It seemed Bray might have finally pushed himself far enough to shrug off the last of his mortal coil. The Donkey was a odd lich. Not surprising for his first creation. Bray clung so hard to life that he didn't see what he could fully do. He was likely on par if not a bit more powerful than the dracolich fighting the two ponies here. Had Bray been a false god instead of a mortal Grogar might have even considered him a Gallows Gaunt. He was a project body through and through, every new thing Grogar thought of was tested on the Donkey first.
Still that was neither here nor there. All this pair had done was defend. Given the issues they seemed to have with the Liches he didn't think he would need to worry about it.
At least he didn't think he needed to until the island trembled with what sounded like a massive explosion. The assault stopped suddenly when all of the liches started screaming in pain.
“FIRE IN THE HOLE!” Lyra shouted as the gathered mass of phylacteries was flung out into the hall, prompting both Trixie and Octavia to yelp and yank shut the heavy vault door.
The five of them hit the deck and were covered in shields from all four spell casters waiting for the inevitable boom.
And they waited.
And waited some more.
And a bit more.
“Did we miss something?” Twilight asked.
“Well it was Lyra's plan.” Trixie commented.
“Now girls we did agree to it.” Luna stated
“She's still covering her ears.” Octavia commented before mimicking the mint green Unicorn's actions.
“I doubt anything is going to happen Octavia it's been five minutes already.” Twilight commented.
“Four minutes and thirty three seconds. Thirty four. Thirty five...” Lyra chimed in suddenly in a sing songy tone.
The other three go wide eyed and duck down again just as the entire vault shook from a soundless explosion, that suddenly turned into a very noisy explosion that rattled their teeth in their heads as they were bounced around under their shields from the vibration, bouncing the mares around inside of it like a foal shaking a can of beans.
After what seemed like forever the noise finally quieted down. Twilight winced as she pushed Luna off of her and glared at Lyra. “A timer really?”
“You could have said something.” Trixie muttered.
“What and miss the looks on your faces? I was a student at Celestia's School for gifted unicorns too you know.”Lyra muttered standing up with a stretch. She moved over to the door before backing away from it suddenly and waving a hoof in front of her face and blowing on it.” Woo hot!”
“Allow me....” Luna smirked her magic gave the door a shove. The whole thing groaned as it fell off it's melted hinges and crashes down what seems like three or four floors before smashing into something far below. Poking their heads out the small group stared in awe at the massive hole of obliteration that had occurred. There was nothing left in a massive sphere around the door of the vault. At least half the hall way was gone and several floors below them were revealed, though they seemed empty of anything coming to investigate.
Above them however, was a star filled sky, marred only by the yellow shield.
“Finally.” Twilight muttered closing her eyes and turning her face upward, her horn starting to glow.
=================================================
[Tamberlane, outside the shield.]
“I don't know what you did but I like the results.” Jer'rahd smirked as the attack stopped and the Liches seemed to be doubling over in pain.
“I haven't done anything yet.” Celestia snorted.” But I suppose now's as good a time as any.”
Jer'rahd nodded as he felt the wave of magic release from Celestia's horn. Rather than setting everything ablaze as he thought it would , the area around them suddenly turned several degrees colder.
Frost formed on the sand at their hooves , though beyond the edge of his shield ice formed rapidly ripping across everything as the very moisture in the air was turned to ice, the liquids remaining in the liches forms doing the same as everything was flash frozen. The wave of super cold only stopping when it hit the yellow shield though it branched out across the beach all the way to the short line, freezing a little bit out into the sea water as well before the roiling waves broke up the ice and tossed it back on the beach.
“Ice?” Jer'rahd asked curiously.
“Frost field actually, amped up as high as I could make it. I'm not used to cold spells so it took me some time.”Celestia admitted shaking her head a little to recover from the energy expenditure.
“Alright I got it from here I think.” Jer'rahd smirked dropping his shields. The gray unicorn grinned, his horn began to glow green and one by one the gathered Liches were suddenly lifted from the ground and flung high into the air.
“You tossed them?”Celestia asked looking up into the sky before a large green panel of a shield formed over them and a sizable area around them like a large umbrella. “I'm impressed you got that much lift, particularly with the dragon.”
“When you only know two spells you get really good at them. Last time I checked I had no issue lifting Bleu in her largest form. That dragon was much lighter than that even with the ice.” Jer'rahd admitted.” Though she'd probably yell at me for saying that thinking it was a fat joke.... which it was.”
“Why the shield though?”
No guarantee they'd break on the sand.” Jer'rahd chuckled as the Unicorn lich he first tossed struck the top of the shield shattering to frozen chunks followed by the others soon after with only the dracolich not shattering immediately on impact. That was taken care of fully by a few strikes of the Brilliant Dawn.
“This whole place is going to smell like the after math of a Griffonese barbecue the moment they thaw.” Celestia scoffed.
“This place smelled kinda rotted any way a bit more isn't going to mean much....... hey look” Jer'rahd blinked looking up into the sky as he moved from under his umbrella shield.
Celestia blinked looking up as well, a wide smile crossing her lips.
Far in the star filled sky, the silvery moon rose properly for the first time that night.
================================================ [ Manehatten in side Sunnyside Smelting]
“GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” Bray screamed out suddenly the massive form of the Donkey flailing and lashing about at random.
Sweetie Drops frowned watching the amalgamated mass of muscle and whatever else the bulging monster was made of collapse and thrash around on the stone floor of the plant, flinging anything close to it around as it spasumed and bucked wildly.
She wasn't sure what was wrong ,but she sure as buck wasn't going to miss a chance.
She fired off a line darting to swing it around the creature before firing another line , the harpoon ends of the wire stabbing and anchoring into stone floors, steel scaffolding , the massive crucibles, walls rafters, any where that could be used as a anchor point either met with the start or the end of the cable as she darted and danced around the flailing creature securing it as best she could until she ran out of wires.
She hopped back a few paces looking up at her hoof work.
Bray was still struggling and crying out in pain, but now a spider web of steel wire was wrapped around and through his bulging form anchoring him in place and keeping his hooves slightly up off the floor as he thrashed and fought on.
Sweetie Drops darted up a stair case to the scaffolding above the creature readying a few explosive bolts to toss into the monsters head as it roared and thrashed.
It was time to end this. Sweetie Drops slowed as she reached the top of the scaffolding looking down at Bray. He wasn't moving as much, and her wires seemed to be holding though all of them were stretched taut. Perhaps she had managed to capture him like she was initially ordered to.
“Sweetie Drops to control.” She spoke as she tapped her ear still hearing the crackling buzz of the broken com. “Never mind then, guess I just need to interrogate you myself.”
“So what's the plan now?” Octavia asked as Luna floated her over to a safer point of flooring.
“We still need to find that bell. “ Luna stated. “We know where it is, but we know what's there as well. Twilight and I should be able to float you all up to the bell when we get to the tower, but we don't want to fly just ye,t in case Grogar has some sort of flying monster we might alert.”
“I'd rather just get out of here.” Lyra muttered.
“I doubt we'd be able to get past the shield. But who ever is outside knows we're alright now... well at least that I'm alright, they likely assume the rest of you are alright.”Twilight added.” Though I hope Jer'rahd realized that because I really don't want to be around if he thinks something bad happened to Luna.”
“He's angry, but not more than usual. His current feelings are rather strong on amusement. I am quite sure he is having fun killing what ever Grogar throws at him. What is bothering me is that even though I can sense his presence and taste his emotions, they are diluted and I cannot contact any other Changlings.” Luna explained.
“Well in any case, Trixie can see the tower that we read about in the book, but she can't tell if there's a bell up there or not.” Trixie commented. “Perhaps if Twilight Sparkle would move the moon a little closer and give us more light?”
“Are you kidding just moving it this time was a work out. Dream magic doesn't seem to be affected by the barrier, but unless Jer'rahd or the others were asleep I can't do much.” Twilight stated.” I mean if.............. what!?”
Luna and Twilight both suddenly stiffened turning to look to the north, confusion etched on their faces.
“Luna what was that?” Twilight asked.
“I am not sure... but … it was, not unpleasant.... just … odd. As if something has corrected itself....” Luna muttered.
“What are you two talking about?” Lyra asked only for a unearthly wail to fill the air around them. Before they could process that the entire island began to shake once again.
“We need to get outside before something falls on us.” Octavia suggested. “ This is not a sturdy structure, even less now that Twilight put holes in it.”
========================================================= [ New Canterlot]
“Hush now quiet now..........” Starfall slowly trailed off looking down at her two foals as they had fallen back asleep.
“You're better at this than I am Mrs. Silvertail.” A changeling mare whispered from the door.
“I doubt that Locust, you've managed to watch after a number of royal infants without any issue.” Starfall chuckled closing the door lightly behind her. “ Thanks for this again.”
“It's not a bother. I'm paid fairly well and you have no idea how often I'm hired to watch over some foals far less well behaved then these two. Some of the noble ponies foals are little monsters. Half the time I think every one forgets I'm even a Changeling.” Locust chuckled.” Wish they would the rest of the time so I could get my pediatric license renewed.”
“We have been trying on that, but some ponies are quite stubborn. They are trying to use the fact you were listed as dead to invalidate the schooling you received.”
Locust closes the door behind the pair as she sighed.” Trust me Mrs Silver tail I know.”
“Still I am a little leery myself of letting you back in to foal medicine.” Starfall smirked.” I mean if you became a doctor again we'd have to find a new foal sitter.”
The Changeling mare sticks her tongue out at the Pegasus as Starfall chuckled though the gray mare's eyes suddenly snap wide open and she whips her head to the side wings flaring as she stares north, quickly rushing to a window that faced that way to look out of it in confusion
“What was that?!” Starfall demanded.
“What was what?” Locust asked a bit concerned.
“You didn't feel that?” Starfall asked as the Changeling shook her head.” That felt very odd, not unpleasant, but odd.”
Starfall pondered a moment, still staring north as if calculating the direction, her ears flattening to her head as she came to a conclusion.
“I need to make a few calls.” Starfall muttered heading off to the comm area to contact the Crystal Empire.
================================================
[ Whitetail Woods.]
Applejack and Fluttershy had just put the foals to bed and were making their way through the halls of the small cottage that had been built in Whitetail woods for any visitors, something unheard of before until Applebloom took over.
“So how bad was it?” Fluttershy asked curiously.
“That tree? Stripped bare of all cherries, but other wise not single leaf harmed.” Applejack chuckled. “ Almost wanna see if 'n they can duplicate it on tha farm, though with a less explosive reaction.”
“Well you could always have them practice on the crab and wild apples on the edge of the farm.” I;m sure Dandelion would be willing to give it a try.”
“Nah we're fine with it how it is.” Applejack chuckled.” Yah may have convinced me tah hire on a bit more help, but magic jus makes the apples taste odd if it's used tah pick um.”
Any further conversation was cut off as both mares shuddered and turned their heads quickly northward.
when both of them stopped suddenly as they felt something , as one the pair of them turn to look north.
“What the buck was that!?!?!” shouted some one that sounded like Rainbow Dash from the other side of the small cottage.
Fluttershy and Applejack quickly head outside as Rainbow Dash slipped out a window and flitted around in the air in a bit of a panic.
“Ya felt it too?” Applejack asked.
“Yes what the heck was that? It was like I flew into a lightning cloud full of snow!” Dash fussed.
“Oh, it did feel a little like static electricity.” Fluttershy admitted.
“Never felt any static that zapped me tah my bones.” Applejack grumbled looking north. “ Might be time tah cut this trip short and see if Princess Twilight might know something, or need some help.”
“You know you hates it when you call her that.” Rainbow Dash smirked.” She refuses to let her friends call her Princess.”
“She don't hate it, she's annoyed by it and gets all flustered when I ignore her telling me to ignore it.” Applejack grinned.
“Please stop teasing her Applejack.” Fluttershy sighed. “She gets that enough from Discord and Pinkie Pie.”
“Maybe, any way ya'll start packing ah'll go tell Applebloom.” Applejack stated, heading off to find her sister.
“HAVE AT THEE!!” Pinkie Pie shouted hopping onto a party Cannon and firing into the crowd of very confused undead Orcs.
Most of the undead were covered in some sort of confection, or wrapped up in streamers. Large craters dotted the street and multicolored feathers drifted everywhere.
Discord remained at the sling shot firing off a Bird every so often,though it was clear he was already bored with the joke, despite it's effectiveness. The two Changelings had brought Button Mash back to the ship so the only audience left for his antics was Pinkie and the Orcs.
Since one was the target and the other was just as jokey as he was, the effect had rather paled now.
“Honestly shouldn't the Guard have shown up by now?” Discord sighed. “ I know I promised Kaisur I'd help in a crisis ,but I didn't think it would be boring......”
“Ooh, Ooh, Ooh.” Pinkie chirped.” Wanna play the one about the princess who isn't the main character despite her name being in the games title?”
“Hmm nah, it's a switch, but Twilight's already a Princess.” Discord complained.
“Hmmm... Uno?” Pinkie asked.
“You cheat. I saw that get out of jail free card and the five of clubs you played last time.” Discord stuck his tongue out at her as she giggled.
The pair of them froze in place, eyes wide as they both start vibrating in place enough to dig up the road under their hooves and foot.
“Whooo, that was a doozey!” Pinkie gasped.” Wonder what it meant”
“Not 'it' my dear, 'who'. And I think we already know who.” Discord cackled. “ Bout time too the fics almost over.”
“Ooh, I know!” Pinkie chimed pointing at the group of Orcs who had finally gathered their senses enough to start towards them. “Pan-dimensional wildershins lacrosse!”
“Ooh that does sound fun.” Discord grinned putting on a pink cowboy hat.
Pinkie Pie smirked as well putting on a hat that looked like an old boot. Both of them brandished something that looked like a flamingo crossed with a croquet mallet, offering each other a salute before they both pronked off towards the encroaching Orcs.
======================================= [Manehatten, in the air ]
“The big guys down cutie. Want to make another pass or have the Guards gotten too close?” Bleu called as she and Spike wheeled around a large building.
“One more pass then we let them take over. Stick to the main street as I saw Discord and Pinkie off on one of the side streets last pass.” Spike called back. “ Wait cutie really? That's the tamest thing you have ever called me Bleu.”
“I'm trying to think of a pet name that fits you. Trying out a few seeing what works.” Bleu admitted.
“You could just call me Spike.” Spike growled.
“I could, but it's got no rhythm to it unless I ad a y and then make a nonsense word to rhyme it and every time I do that you get mopey so that's right out.” Bleu listed before her eyes widened and she whips her wings forward arresting her flight and shooting straight up in the air.
Spike blinks taking a bit longer to change directions but he soon manages to join the blue Dragon who had stopped above the top of the nearest sky scraper staring north.
“Bleu what is it?” Spike asked managing a vaguely stable hover near her.
“I don't know.” Bleu muttered in a serious tone that Spike had learned meant he needed to pay attention.” I just felt something. It wasn't unpleasant or anything but it was potent and felt odd from that direction.”
“North....... Can you tell where exactly?” Spike asked.
“Not specifically , but I think the Empire maybe.” Bleu responded.
“Nothing to do with Tamberlane?” Spike asked.
“Nah that's over there sweetie buns.” She gestured out towards the water before glancing down at the zombie filled street below.
Spike relaxed a little as she seemed to go back to her nicknaming again. Still it bore interest and he would report it to Celestia and Jer'rahd when he could.
“Hey! They're playing Pan-dimensional wildershins lacrosse down there. And they didn't invite me!?” Bleu gasped dropping from the sky towards a pink and brown blur in the middle of the Orc swarm. “ Does this mean I'm the bugger?”
Spike blinked slowly watching Bleu head down to meet Discord and Pinkie and shook his head.
Jer'rahd kicked a chunk of frozen lich with mild disinterest as the pair of them start towards the fuming Grogar stopping just before the other side of the shield.
Celestia shook her head looking at the Capricorn.
“This is your last chance to surrender Grogar.” Celestia called, ignoring Jer'rahd's eye roll at the whole diplomacy thing.
The mare opened her mouth to say something else though she quickly shut it again as both she and Jer'rahd turned to the north suddenly starring wide eyed .
Grogar blinked at the sudden distraction, looking at the pair staring off into space fr a second, then risking a glance or two that way as well to see if there was anything coming.
“What the buck was that!?” Jer'rahd snapped looking over at Celestia as the Goddess of the Sun smiled.
“That is something I have felt twice before in my life. That is the feeling the former bearers of the Elements of Harmony get when new bearers have been chosen and the Element's have activated for the first time with their new wielders.” Celestia explained. “I felt that when you and your friends activated them with Luna and I felt it again when Twilight and her friends used them.”
“Which means what exactly?” Grogar snapped from the other side of his shield.
“It means that something triggered a super weapon that wasn't you goat.” Jer'rahd growled. “Which means your time is up as we have something worse that showed up.”
“You have been saying that but so far you have not managed to do anything but annoy me.” Grogar began, his mouth opening for something else when the entire island shook violently. The quake was enough to throw the three of them off their hooves to the ground.
“SIR LOOK OUT!” the com in Jer'rahd's ear buzzed loudly as one of the Neighlantis Guard shouted into it.
Turning back to the beach the three of them watched as something rose from the water in front of them, and kept rising and rising further, millions of gallons of sea water flooded off of whatever the dark mass was, sending a cascading wave crashing against the beach and radiating out from it likely to hit all shores with the sheer size of the waves.
The island lurched, sending Celestia and Jer'rahd crashing against the shield and left Grogar clawing at the other side of it to keep from falling as the whole island started to rapidly tilt as the massive mountain sized thing rose from the depths.
Jer'rahd cursed putting up a Shield of his own to stand on, anchoring it in the air only for the island to keep tilting up and shatter the anchored green panel as the ground rose to meet it.
A keening cry was heard echoing off the water, the roar of it causing every one who heard it to wince and try to cover their ears. Jer'rahd swore even louder yanking the com unit from his ear due to the feedback coming in from the Neighlantis Guard, Gallopagos Guard and the Jupiter from the powerful cry.
As the frothing water cleared, a mass of gray stone was above them reared up like a screaming mountain. From their position Jer'rahd Celestia couldn't make out anything but the wall of stone and countless collections of dead sea life and barnacles growing on it. From Gallopagos and all other points that could see the island, what they saw was a massive head, whale like in appearance, but with what looked to be dozens of large solid black eyes dotted along the sides and undersides of the leviathan's head.
It's mouth opened as it cried out, showing a cavernous void, devoid of any teeth or baleen filters, the shape of it's maw seeming more like a beak than a mouth.
After breaching the waters surface to cry out, the massive creature dropped it's head back into the water, sending up another massive tidal wave. Celestia , Grogar and Jer'rahd could feel the island start to move and they watched as the moon swung around to their right.
The island righted itself, though a wind picked up as they felt the entire island starting to move. Within moments they were in sight of Gallopagos having over taken the islands wave already and were rapidly moving past it as the creature started up the coast heading northward.
Jer'rahd and Celestia both managed to right them selves as well, looking up at the yellow shield that had kept them at bay flickered and faded from existence, leaving nothing between them and Grogar.
The Capricorns eyes widened as the shield dropped, he noticed the white mares horn glow and felt a tug at his neck. Before he could react the bell on his necklace was yanked from his throat and floated over to the mare, who melted it to a small puddle in a instant.
“I'm not sure what you did , but I'm not letting you leave just yet. “Celestia coughed lightly into a hoof.” Now then. I am offering this last chance for you to give up as of yet your worst crimes have been foal napping and destroying a train, both of which I am willing to overlook once.”
“And attacking royalty.” Jer'rahd added picking up the com piece again.
“Attacking us was more of a exercise really. It can be rolled into the self defense category.” Celestia began likely going to lecture a miffed Jer'rahd about the legalities of it all before she was cut off by Grogar bellowing in a panicked rage.
Grogar roared letting loose with all the gathered magic he had. The island slowed, shaking in pain as the ground underneath their feet started disgorging zombies and skeletons of various sizes and shapes from all around them, the ground seeming to collapse and regrow flinging rock and sand away and showing the stone white plate underneath as the island screamed out, it's flesh being converted into an army by the panicked necromancer.
Celestia's eyes widened as the zombies and other creatures kept coming climbing up from the soil and bone below them, the leviathan regenerating it's flesh as fast as Grogar was converting it to an army.
Three large individuals moved up around the necromancer. Two of them were Griffons and the third seemed to be a Minotaur. Unlike the usual zombies they seemed fully aware of their surroundings and were in fairly good shape overall, barely showing any signs of rot of decay.
A massive creature moved up behind them, it's body seemingly composed of multiple other creatures and it was nearly as large as a full grown dragon. The form of it was a blob more than anything else and it lumbered heavily over between the pair and Grogar.
“NO, I WILL NOT SURRENDER!! YOU WILL DIE HERE AND I WILL RAISE YOUR MISERABLE CORPSES AS A REPLACEMENTS FOR THE DAMAGE YOU HAVE ALREADY CAUSED MY ARMY! “ Grogar roared.”I AM A GOD HERE, AND I WILL NOT BE STOPPED BY A PAIR OF ARGUMENTIVE ASSHOLES! NOW D..........”
“How dare you.....”Jer'rahd said.
Celestia blinked as the shouting Grogar was cut off by something that to her sounded little more than a whisper. She looked at the Capricorn taking note that despite that he was channeling power into raising his army he had taken a step back and was continuing to do so as he stared at the pair of them, the three less gruesome looking undead doing the same.
No, not at the pair of them, just to her right, Jer'rahd?
Celestia turned her head to look back at the gray unicorn as well, her own eyes widening as she took a few steps away from him like the others.
The Waning Moon was sticking out of the ground next to him, his head was lowered with his ears flat against his head, though his eyes were wide and darting around looking at the undead surrounding them. His teeth were bared, the fangs she had gotten used to seemed much sharper and there seemed a great many more of them in his mouth than there should be, his mouth was starting to froth and hiss teeth were clamped so tightly that a bit of blood was starting to ooze from around the base of them. His left eye was blazing red, the glow of it strong enough that even Celestia had to squint to look at his face.
“How dare... you do this to them....” Jer'rahd stated again, despite how flat and emotionless his voice sounded the words some how chilled Celestia far more than any threat she had ever heard.
She turned away, looking around, taking note of the zombies and skeletons that had been raised. Offering them more than the cursory glance she had spared when they climbed from the ground.
She didn't recognize any at first, though many looked familiar, most of those wore armor that seemed very similar to how her Guard armor used to look. There were some that seemed to be dressed in the armor worn by the Lunar Republic as well, noting this a rising feeling of dread began to creep into Celestia. There were Ponies, Zebras, a few Dragons, a couple Diamond Dogs, and Griffons as well, though most were Ponies and it looked to be a few....... wait... was that Griffon Talon? Celestia blinked her ears drooping as she took note of Zombie that looked like the former God of the Griffons Talon. By the stars, there was another another that looked like Rarity, two Kirins that looked like Lion Heart, junior and senior, yet another pony that looked like Platinum, a Buffalo she recognized as Three Bear....... Oh no, if this group was here then that meant... oh please don't let Grogar have been that stupid.
Celestia winced as standing at the forefront of the army were a pair of zombies that she had hoped not to see. A red pelted earth pony in ragged and rotted robes, and a Zebra mare with tattered saddlebags strewn with patches.
...... PFC Red Velvet, PFC Saturn, Corporal Silver Streak, Lieutenant Ink Wash, Sergeant Rose Petal, PFC Jenkins, Lieutenant Big Deal,PFC Sandy Clover, Major Wind Sail, Corporal Kite,PFC Breezy Saffron, Sergeant Hay Burn, PFC Groovy Casanova, Sergeant Yellow Daisy, Sergeant Brick Oven, PFC Yellow Ribbon, Major Banana Cream Pie, …............
Jer'rahd had felt rage before.
............Colonel Green Lily, PFC Jacob Ladder, PFC Marey Ann, Sergeant Nathanila Hicks, Sergeant Star Fruit, Lieutenant Holly Bell ,Lieutenant Sandstorm, PFC Ginger Balance, Sergeant First Class Mirror Shine, Lieutenant Commander Rose Quartz, Corporal White Lyre, Wing Commander Sun Beam, PFC Teal Acorn, First Sergeant Star Light..........
He knew the rage of being unable to act, the rage of seeing things happen that he couldn't control, the rage that came from losing friends and family,the rage that came from a monster inside him, the rage of failure.....
......... Lieutenant Maple Leaf, PFC Sugar Star, PFC Houdinia, PFC Piebald, Sergeant Damp Mist, Sergeant Bumpy Chicken, PFC Lady Teal, Sergeant Tye Dye, PFC Rainbow Corporal Drunken Baby, Corporal Washer, PFC Warm Quality,PFC Caramel Mountain Lieutenant Spicy Perfume,Lieutenant Nyan Neko, PFC Pine Cone, General Meteor Shower, General Three Bear.......
He had felt them all and more in his life.
....... Lieutenant Carrot Glace, PFC Harmony Gold, Sergeant Bubbles, Sergeant First Class Blossom, Major Fox Fire, PFC Orange Grove,Sergeant Sassy Phantom, Lieutenant Amethyst Forelock, PFC Purple Cider, Lieutenant Butter Bar, Lieu tenet Grape Jelly, PFC Prism, Sergeant Apple Dapple, Lieutenant Spring Dale, Major Flyby, PFC Skipping Analogy, Commander Crystal Song, General Ruin.........
He almost expected this, in fact he saw it coming. He knew that some one like a Necromancer would try and use Rhede and Velkorn against him. Maybe even Lion Heart and a few others, he had been expecting that , almost ready for it, that sort of pain was par for the course really.
Grogar had called them all here. Those who had died. The ones he commanded who had laid down and died at his word. Heroes he had failed who gave there all for Equestria.
“I am getting quite tired of all this silly being bounced around nonsense.” Octavia swore.
Is your cello alright?” Lyra asked from under the earth pony mare.
“The Marquis is fine, I however and quite thoroughly bruised. I expect I have bruises atop of my bruises.” Octavia complained not even seeming to care she was whining.
“At least you landed atop of some one. Trixie has been the cushion for a very large boney pony, and a purple mare with a flank fatter than the moon she controls.”
“It's chitin, it's a changeling thing.”” Luna protested
“My flank is not fat!” Twilight protested.
“Then prove it by exercising your way off of Trixie's spine!” Trixie shouted as Luna and Twilight moved off of her.
“What exactly is going on any way?” Lyra asked climbing up atop of the rubble of what remained of the building they had been sneaking through on their way to the bell tower.
“I have no idea the whole island just tilted suddenly.” Luna commented. “ Then there was that roar....”
Further comment was cut off by another roar, far louder and more angry than anything they had yet to hear. Lyra , Octavia and Trixie all flatten their ears at the sound.
“What was that?” Trixie demanded.
Luna and Twilight both froze as well recognizing it immediately.
“That does not sound good.” Twilight stated.
“Damn, things must have escalated quicker than expected if he is releasing that.”Luna swore.
“Kaisur calm down.......” Celestia ordered bringing the Brilliant Dawn with her magic, the blade nearly resting on his nose as she points it at the frothing ponies face. Jer'rahd had let out a anguished roar that made her pale further even though he was still a Kirin. “ There is too much at stake here for you to lose control at this poi...... WHAT!?”
Jer'rahd opened his mouth flashing far too many rows of shark like teeth for a pony, biting down on the star metal blade pointed at his face and ripping the weapon out of her magic flinging it away from them both with a snap of his head.
He growled a response to her demands, the sound rumbling in him, seeming to rattle his scales as he moved forward, walking past her, his eyes locked on Grogar.
The Capricorn flinched under that glare, his eyes widening as another pair of glowing red eyes opened in the stallions forehead, then a third set on each side of his horn. The gray furred stallion seemed to darken and Grogar could see the very shadow he cast on the ground from the moon light start to bubble and writhe as it began to climb his limbs clawing and grabbing at his fur as it swirled and swarmed up the ponies body. The darkness engulfed the pony blotting him out from view as it seemed even the light of the moon wouldn't shine on the dark form that was rapidly growing larger and larger as he looked on. The dark form was easily as tall as his bell tower, which was seven stories tall and it was still growing. Five red lights glowed in the darkness with one green one that was tinged red as well.
The darkness suddenly seemed to solidify, like a great sphere that rested on the sand on his island. He looked around for the white mare only to spot her far in the air above the island and far away from the dark sphere, the two swords that the pair had used clutched in her magic and for the first time since Grogar's eyes met hers and he saw fear on the mares face as she looked at the darkness below her.
His attention suddenly turned back to the globe of darkness as something ripped, the sound not unlike the tearing of parchment being cut with a blade. Grogar blinked watching as the front of the orb started to bleed dark smoke and shadow, like a gaping wound. There was more tearing and more spots of 'injury' the shadowy blood vanishing as soon as it stuck the ground. Looking up Grogar could see those six lights in the darkness, the rows and rows of teeth glinting in the moonlight from the oversized maw below it. The creatures claws tore at the sphere like it was inside an egg, until it tore it's way free.
The thing that had come out of the sphere should not have been able to fit inside of it. At first it seemed a large Dragon but as the shadows cleared the idea that it was a Dragon was quickly dispelled. It was larger than the keep he had on the island, the creature nearly blotting out the moon with it's size. A large carapace covered its back with jagged spikes protruding from it at random intervals. Its legs were very much like those of a Dragons though thicker, more muscular, and tipped with wicked claws that were as long as two or three carts laid end to end. More spiked barbs ran along its joints, throat and underside. A large pair horns rose from the top of its head , curving sharply forward and resting just over the creatures glowing eyes. It hung its head low, nose almost touching the ground the reptilian nostrils flaring and kicking up dust with every breath on the sand before it, the force of it's breath blowing back a number of the lesser zombies, melting their skin from their bones from the heat. The creatures skin seemed to writhe and twist like it was composed of shadows that barely stayed together to hold a solid form. The colors of it shifted between a midnight blue, dark gray, a deep shade of purple to all black. It all seemed to blend together and slowly shift along the creatures skin so that no part of it seemed to stay the same coloration long.
Grogar felt the island tilt as the creature rose up from it's crouched position it's height seeming to double as the beasts weight shifted the island again and made the Leviathan have to adjust itself to the new mass on it's surface.
It tilted it's head looking skyward to the moon it's head raised as it roared. The sound echoing across the island, heard as far away as Manehatten which was now leagues behind them. The cry sounded like a siren mixed in with whistle of a train and the death wails of a score of accident victims merged with the howling of a timber wolf accompanied by baying hounds on a trail.
The monsters head snapped downward, all six of it's eyes focused on one creature among the throngs of things below it.
All of it's eyes were on Grogar.
The Capricorn's eyes widened as he lost control of his bowels.
Then Grogar did the first smart thing he had done all day.
He ran.
=======================================
Celestia lashed out with a lance of flame searing a undead griffon's wings from it's body and letting it tumble down to the beach below. Her own body had nearly locked up at the roar that came from the Beast, but she had heard the monster's cry once before and while she was shaken she wasn't rendered helpless by that horrid cry. The undead seemed unaffected by it and had rushed the creature the moment Grogar ran. She doubted that would mean anything to him if they did attack and she noted the three smarter looking ones were hanging back. The three of them were radiating power, it was a power she recognized the feel of as well. The trio by the giant rotting sack of meat were gods. Or at least they had been, still she had felt the energy of other gods often enough in her life she could recognize the feel of it. They could be a problem.
It was then she noticed the beasts throat had started a to glow a strange greenish coloration not unlike Kaisur's magic, though this glow seemed to be brighter as the Beasts throat swelled like a frogs.
Celesita swore again, flying higher and forming a shield around herself as she continued to curse at Kaisur. She had seen that effect before on some Dragons.
The creature dipped it's head down to the undead trying to swarm it and exhaled. Green fire erupted from the creatures mouth flash frying the creatures around him, setting fire to the sand and melting the scant buildings and rocks around him as the gush of flame struck the beach incinerating the horde in seconds. The green fire grew brighter starting to turn almost white as everything around it melted or vaporized with a number of buildings further in spontaneously catching fire.
Celestia herself winced at the heat, watching her shield start to melt as well.
The island itself jerked as the massive mountain rose from the sea again and screamed, a huge fount of red mist burst from the impact point of the flame. Steam geysered up after the bloody mist and the entire island was suddenly illuminated from below as the jet of fire punched through the Leviathan and boiled the sea below it.
She heard a crackling scream of panic and looked around noting she had grabbed the com link when she had snatched up the Waning Moon. She struggled with it a moment before putting it in her ear hearing shouting.
“This is Princess Celestia. Report!”
“The sea floor is on fire! What the bloody shit was that!” screamed what she assumed was a Sea Pony. She could hear others screaming in panic around the one who spoke as well.
“Calm down, is every pony alright?” Celestia asked noting a great deal of static in the earpiece.
“Wha ..? Y.. yes Princess. The Leviathan sped away too fast, we are barely able to keep up with it and we were starting to lose it as we passed Gallopagos. The the creature lit up before us and a lance of green light shot down from the things chest and hit the sea floor digging a crevasse into it, and that fissure is....., well it's currently burning some how.”
“Stay away from it. A situation has arisen and I need you all to do damage control as much as you can. I'm not sure how good the range on this com is so warn the Crystal Empire that something is coming up the coast.”
“Yes Princess. The Neighlantis Guard shall......” The line cut out with a crackle of static, the leviathan still moving despite having a hole blown through it. Celestia looked down from above as the Beast stopped it's attack the horde of undead all but gone save the trio of smarter ones who were behind a partially melted shield and one of them even looked like they had been half burned away and were barely standing.
She felt the increase of magic from them saw the gathering of a spell from the lead one who looked like a minotaur.
The spell was never finished. A massive claw swung down pushing through the shield as if it was water and crushing the undead creatures to dust. A second claw destroyed the remnants of the towering undead blob. They were not even attacks, the Beast had just stepped forward beginning to move in a odd lumbering gait that shook the island as it went after Grogar.
Celestia looked down as the beast passed seeing the hole it had made and the glow from the burning seafloor far below though the new puncture in the island.
She really needed to find Luna and get her to stop him before he destroyed the Leviathan from under them.
Luna and Twilight winced as the air around them seemed to scream out as it burned. The small group had been yanked inside a building by Luna and Twilight the moment they heard the roar. Currently the pair were huddled in a corner with their shields layered over each other for protection.
Despite the precautions there wasn't much more than a flash of super hot air and a general increase in temperature. Whatever had happened had done so on the other side of the keep.
“What the heck was that... GAH!” Octavia asked before the whole island jerked again sending a few loose bricks and debris falling to clatter against their shields as one of the walls caved in.
“What is with this stupid island!” Trixie shouted.
“We need to get out of here.” Twilight stated moving up to the hole and poking her head out to look around , her shield still up.” What ever that blast was it looked like it didn't hit the castle or the town proper just the farmland.”
“We know what that blast was, though I don't know how. For as often as we have seen the Beast it has never breathed flame before.” Luna stated walking up to her.
“The beast? What are you talking about?” Lyra asked as Trixie and Octavia looked at each other.
“You mean that monster that was fighting during the war of the gods?” Octavia asked as the others looked at her curiously. “That roar is a rather unique sound.”
“Trixie was still in Canterlot when that thing showed up. She only caught glimpses of it but... what is it doing here?” Trixie asked.
Luna sighed though she tossed up her shield around them again as the ground began to shake , a lumbering shadow blotting out the stars thundered past around the outskirts of the town moving towards the bell tower from the fire lit beach.
Lyra's eyes widen noting the shadow that even the moonlight didn't seem to touch growing thundered along the edge of the town.” What the buck is that thing!?”
Luna rolled her eyes her tail flicking against her flank as she grumbled a little at the absurdity of it. “My husband.”
Grogar ran faster than he likely ever had in his life, there was no way something like that could have happened, that monster... where had that come from, how could that pony have turned into it?
The Capricorn stumbled as the island tilted again throwing him to the ground as a wash of heat and fire roared over him singing his fur and setting fire to it . The Capricorn wailed rolling on the ground to put himself out feeling his back and rump blistering under his chard fur.
He couldn't stop he had to get the bell tower. If he could send the island back into the time stream, the massive creature should be left behind, the bell wasn't calibrated for anything living beyond Himself and the leviathan. His remote contact with it was destroyed but if he could ring the bell itself he could get away.
He galloped through the ruined city surrounding the castle rushing down broken cobble stone path, taking side streets and back alleys when the roads were clogged with fallen debris. He could hear the monster coming , it was working it's way outside the edge of the city for some reason, though despite it being away from him , he could feel the eyes on the monster on him still.
He was a little over half way to the bell tower when he caught something out of the corner of his eye. Poking their heads out of a half ruined building was a purple Alicorn and a odd black bug looking pony, Changeling they were called if he remembered. They were talking to some one behind them , evidently the others had survived too.
His captives were out here? Grogar growled, they were the cause of this. If not for them the other two would not have come. Well if he was going to have to run he was going to make sure that the monster and the other mare would never see them again.
His horns glowed as he ran channeling power into a command. The bell tower was barely a block away and Grogar had just come into sight of it when the bottom part of the tower exploded outward.
The thing that rushed out of it was a monstrosity of body parts, with multiple limbs eyes and faces grafted to it's patchwork of skin and flesh. The last Barb Devil on the island rushed from it's chamber under the tower barreling down the street towards the mares in a howling furry.
Grogar smirked as the black and purple ones raised their shields, knowing that it would be useless against this creature, he had grafted in several creatures that seemed to feed on magic into it, which made it hard to control most of the time, but he didn’t need control he needed it to kill them.
The Barb Devil galumphed across the road towards them as Grogar made it into the base of the tower.
There was a sudden ground shaking thud and a squelch as if some one crushed an over ripe grape, the sound causing Grogar to look back. Behind him the block was little more than a mass of flesh of shifting hues, a clawed foot with claws that were ripping the stone apart under them as they flexed. He could see the glow of the shields behind that limb, the creature having crushed the Barb Devil as if it was nothing, saving the mares in the process. The creature had jumped from the outside of the city and landed on the buildings across the street from the mares , flattening them to rubble and dust while also taking out the last barb devil. Grogar looked up higher his eyes widening as he looked into the beasts maw, what looked like a massive fanged grin crossing it's face as it had found him.
Grogar shrieked and ran into the tower scrambling up the stairs to get to the bell.
He barely made it half way up the stairs, when the top of the stone tower vanished just over his head, with a massive rush of wind.
The bell and tower soared through the air, flung far off the island to crash into the water with a unheard splash. A flare of magic formed from the impact point and a great crater of air and water formed as a mass of water the size of the Leviathan suddenly vanished into time.
The Leviathan jerked as it was pulled towards the hole in the sea as the water rushed towards it. The snarling beast was thrown off balance for a moment which allowed Grogar to dive back down the stairs into the tunnels under the city. He had to run, had to get away.
The monster roared again, it's claws ripping through the rest of the tower, ripping furrows into the earth as it dug after Grogar, like a fox would chase a burrowing vole.
Grogar ran, running deeper into the mines and catacombs of the island, passing by the shell of the Leviathan heading into the chambers carved into it's still living flesh.
Blood fell around him, the gluts of red flooding down the stairs and through the tunnels causing him to slid and stumble. Chunks of stone work and bloody gore swept up in the river like flow of let blood as the Beast clawed down, digging after him, tearing through through the shell of the leviathan and into it's flesh in it's mad quest for Grogar.
==============================================
Celestia landed by Twilight and Luna, glancing back to see a gray Earth pony, and two Unicorns with them, all of them staring up at the Beast as it destroyed the bell tower and went after Grogar.
The creature had started digging savagely into the ground, the Capricorn evidently having gone underground. The fountains of dirt and rock were soon changed to bits of blood and bone that rapidly turned into fountains of rended flesh and showers of blood.
Celestia winced as she heard one of the mares become violently sick. She didn't look to see who it was, not wanting to call attention to it.
“While I am glad you are all safe... I fear we have a new problem.” Celestia stated flatly.
“You think?”Lyra growled blinking a moment as Celestia looked at her before smiling a little and adding to her statement.”Ummm Princess...”
“Tia unless it is something less obvious than what is before us, I believe we know.” Luna sighed as a large chunk of the leviathan’s armor plating was ripped free and flung off into the ocean.
“The island is headed north at an alarming speed. We're already past Gallopagos and we're out of radio contact with the Neighlantis guard.” Celestia spoke.”That said is everyone alright?”
“Trixie has been better.” Trixie sighed.” But she also admits she has been much worse.”
Celestia raised any eyebrow at that but didn't ask about the third pony speech.
“As well as to be expected Princess but I would very much like to get off this island.”Octavia announced wiping her mouth with a foreleg.
“Ditto.” Lyra added.
“I'll see if I can calm him down. Given the way he was running I don't think Grogar is going to much of a issue any more, but better safe than sorry given we do not know where it is he ran aside from down.” Luna stated taking to the air a shield forming around her as she flew towards the madly digging beast.
Celestia sighed looking at the others. “Twilight and I will remain here in case Grogar tries anything else. I would suggest you three take this opportunity to head towards the beach that seems to be on fire over there. I can confirm that there are no undead that way and at the very least you will be out from under this falling mess.”
“No offense Princess, but after all this crap we're sticking as close to Twilight and Luna as we can. Besides I can kick Jer'rahd's butt three out of seven times so I should be good if he becomes a issue.” Lyra smirked.
“Oh right you do train with him.....” Celestia commented as she walked up to Twilight who had been staring at the beast.
“You have been silent this whole time dear. Are you alright?” Celestia commented.
“So help me if he damaged that library any further.” Twilight growled glaring up at the Beast.
Cadence watched as some odd jewelry formed around the foals necks. She blinked a little as she pranced in place fretting her wings fanning out and folding.
“Berry have you found anything yet?” Cadence yelped.” Something's happening!”
“This is a very simple seal. There shouldn't be any trouble waking them up at all and yet, nothing I’m doing is working. Heck I can't even erase the seal. Something is very wrong here and I can't figure out what it is.” Berry cursed as she flipped though the dream book she had lent her little sister. “ This is beyond what I've ever seen done, something is spending the power to keep them asleep.”
The sudden silence as the winds outside stopped also caused Cadence to pause looking at the door.” Shining?”
“It's okay I think. “ Shining stated heading back in along with Pip. “I sent Scootaloo off to get Orange and some doctors, but I think everything’s alright.”
“How can everything be alright they won't wake up and there’s magically appearing jewelry!” Cadence whined.
“Those are the Elements of Harmony.” Pip offered as he trotted over to Rynthia looking over the necklace. Before he could do more than glance at it a flash of light filled the room, as the illumination seemed come from the six foals that were still asleep. More specificly their flanks.
“What?” Shining asked moving over to Glimmer and pulled the blanket off of her. Resting on his daughters pink flank was a new cutie mark. Three overlapped hearts in a diagonal line from left to right with the middle heart on top. The bottom was black the middle red and the top one white.
“She got her cutie mark?” Cadence gasped, before doing the same with Shin, pulling his blanket aside.
The Changeling lay there curled up, resting on his flank was a green three pointed crown surrounded by jade flame.
“Shin got a Cutie mark too?” Berry asked, excitedly yanking the blanket from Rynthia.
The red and white Zebra filly's flank showed a pair of bronze scales, perfectly balanced with a small white pony skull on one side and a brown and green staff of Aesculapius in the other.
Berry blinked noting how the skull was only partially visible because it fell on one of her red stripes.
Pip perked his ears up and tossed back the bedspread from atop the bed he was closest too which contained Elusive. The Kirin was marked as well. A silvery gem like his mothers surrounded by a horseshoe shaped red laurel wreath.
Cadence blinked. “How do they even have a cutie mark, they're not ponies....”
“All of them are at least half pony. Well a quarter in terms of Shin and Dawn but still.” Shining Armor corrected pulling the blanket off Talon. “ See.”
The Hippogryph chick's pony like flank showed what looked to be a circular wooden shield with silver trim and a large silver star in the middle of it.
“What is going on?” Cadence demanded.
“Seems they activated the elements of Harmony to beat some giant nightmare thing.” Pip shrugged.”Guess they got their cutie marks form doing that too. Not far off auntie Twilight's cutie mark story to be honest, just kinda backwards.”
“Ooh, I wonder what Dawn's is?” Berry questioned darting over to yank the blankets off Dawn.
Time seemed to slow as the blanket was tossed in the air, despite a moment before there being a little orange Kirin filly bundled in the blankets, the moment the blanket was pulled aside it was a massive golden Griffoness sitting there with a wide grin on her beak.
Berry yelped stumbling backwards and falling over Beryl as the pair got tangled up in the blanket.
“Sorry, but we need to borrow them for a little while. Promise we'll bring them right back... well most of them.....”Mirth chuckled a bit before snapping her claws and vanishing, along with all the foals.
The adults stared at the empty beds as Berry fights with the blankets before Cadence looked over at her husband.
“Shineyyyy......” She whined.
Shining Armor simply sighed looking at the empty beds. His two foals had just been taken, he was worried about that first and foremost. Though there was a very large creeping feeling of dread coming to him as he realized that the heirs to the remaining Griffon Empire, The Kirin Empire, and for the most part the Zebra empire, had all gone missing on his watch. Add to that, that Jer'rahd and Luna Kaisur's only natural foal was missing as well as their adopted one, as well as the adoptive son of his sister and Princess Celestia. What worried him most however was that Talon and Breezy's son was now missing. Certainly he was highly worried about his own foals, one of which being missing would have the Changeling nation on his head the other most of the Crystal ponies and his wife. Any pride he had at knowing his foals were Element bearers was shot right out the window by everything else.
“Sir?” Pip asked him watching as Berry tried to comfort the hyperventilating Cadence.
“I hear the frozen north is nice this time of year.......” Shining muttered.
The Beast roared into the tunnels behind him, the sound and force of air sending Grogar tumbling into the depths as more blood from the creature ran in torrents down the carved stairs. Bits of flesh and chunks of meat shifted and became undead that rushed back out the stairs to try and defend the Leviathan as the Beast burrowed into it's back chasing after Grogar. The island itself was trying to protect itself from harm, The Capricorn didn't do anything.
All of a sudden the sound stopped and the horrid sounds of rending flesh and cracking bone as the creature ripped through the leviathans ribs to get to him, all stopped.
Grogar however did not he continued down the stairs panting in panic, not sure why it stopped but he still felt the need to run. However it did not take much longer before there was nowhere left to run.
He felt the heavy thrum and thud, the sound of the Leviathan’s excitedly beating heart. The monster had likely not moved this much nor felt this much pain in eons. It was small wonder it's titanic heart was beating like a drum.
This was the lowest chamber on the island, there was no where left for Grogar to run.
Blood dripped from his fur as he panted heavily, staining the carved floor of the Tomb of the Corpse Princess. Grogar exhaled trying to calm himself, not hearing the Beast digging after him any more. His mind was still in a panic and being in this chamber with the five thrones lording over him was not helping his concentration. He never liked this place he always felt like the Corpse Princess and her entourage were judging him, despite none of them ever moving.
Wait.
He was missing something.
The Capricorn looked up curiously, trying to figure out what was wrong.
The room was empty as always, the walls a fine enchanted marble that kept the island's regeneration from reclaiming it, the five thrones of the first rulers of Tamberlane, and nothing else.
There was that tic again when he thought of the thrones.
He looked again realization dawning on him, his eyes growing even bigger.
There were five thrones. FIVE THRONES, with no bodies seated in them.
He turned his head seeing A pair of undead unicorn stallions, their bodies and colors muted, blue pin pricks of fire in their hollow eyes. Next to them was a pair of Griffons, a male and female, their bodies similarly discolored and empty glowing eye sockets. The last one was close enough for Grogar to touch. She floated there like a ghost, the best preserved out of the five, her coloration and hair were immaculate, her scales shining with a unnatural luster, though her eyes too had long since vanished leaving only the faint blue glow of swamp fire in her eyes as the sea pony looked down at him.
“Hello Grogar. We would like a word with you.” The mare hissed softly, her words carried to his ears some how despite her mouth not moving.
She was also covered in blood and gore and her husband was ignoring her. She had landed on his head trying to get his attention only to be shrugged off as a mess of blood and chunks of flesh showered down over them. Her fur was a mess and was currently a slightly darker shade of red than Big Mac's.
Jer'rahd was also ignoring her. He was clearly pissed off, far beyond anything she had seen before and despite her shifting into her Nightmare Moon form, nothing she was saying or doing was getting through to him.
To be honest she was starting to get a little worried. The last time he had gone off like this was just after Tirek was sealed, he at least acknowledged her then. Now he was completely focused on digging into the leviathan. If the beast died she wasn't sure what would happen. Could Grogar raise it? Would it rampage? Would they immediately sink? Despite letting the Beast out Jer'rahd was still deathly afraid of water. She didn't relish the idea of trying to rescue the massive creature from sinking particularly as they were far enough out in the water that she couldn't see the land.
Any further trains of thought were cut off as the Beast suddenly froze, a flash of light appearing on his muzzle. Looking down Luna saw a large golden Griffoness perched on the blood soaked snout of the Beast. Six eyes were focused on the Griffon as she cast a spell cleaning a wide swath of blood away from the monsters muzzle.
The Beast seemed confused though as soon as a spot was clean enough there was another flash of light and the Griffon was gone, replaced by a gray furred and orange scaled Kirin foal.
The beast blinked all it's eyes letting out a little whine as the small foal looked up at the six giant eyes staring down at it.
“Hi daddy!” Dawn chimed before yawning wide.”Gonna take a nap now kay.....”
Luna blinked as her youngest daughter curled up on the clean spot of the beasts muzzle and pulled a blanket over herself. The Beast for the most part had frozen in place perfectly perched over the hole it had dug into the Leviathan’s back. The monster was barely breathing as it had all it's attention focused on the tiny curled form on it's nose.
Luna drifted down casting a spell to clean herself as she walked along the Beasts nose to check on her daughter. Why was Dawn here? Was that Griffon Mirth? She was going to have a long talk with Shining and Cadence after this. She turned her head looking the beast in the eyes, the mammoth creature doing it's best not to meet her annoyed gaze. Well at the very least Jer'rahd had calmed down.
She glanced over the edge of the Beasts muzzle noting that Celestia and Twilight were making their way into the hole in the pursuit of Grogar. The other three were hanging back, though Lyra was staring up at the beast curiously. She also seemed to be mouthing the words ' I could still take him'.
“While I am not sure what happened we need to have some one talk to you about your anger issue's Jer'rahd.” Luna snapped looking back over at the beasts eyes, each one easily ten times her size.
The monstrous creature whined a little .
“Don't give me that, I told you to stop, but noooo......” Luna continued not able to help herself from smiling a bit as she berated the Beast.
================================================= [Manehatten, metal works]
“Information?” Bray growled.” What are you blabbing about mare?”
The monstrous Donkey shifted a little, the wires holding him twanging as they tightened, though none of them broke or gave out. Sweetie Drops had made certain that the equipment the Black Hoof used was the best that could be gotten, even going so far as to recruit promising smiths and mages for certain projects directly from Celestia's school.... well she supposed it was Twilight's school now. The purple mare had dropped the Unicorn suffix and opened it to a number of talented ponies and creatures.
“Island lay out, Grogar's plans as well as yours, military strength and prisoner locations.” Sweetie Drops stated from atop the catwalk, still looking down at the monster.
“If all you wanted was information mare, why was the first thing you did try and kill me?” Bray grumbled.
“If I wanted you dead then you would be. The first shot was supposed to land in front of you and blow a hole in the floor that would stop you, the second hit where it was supposed to and took out your leg.” Sweetie Drops stated calmly.
“You intentionally tried to maim me then!” Grogar hissed.
“You would be amazed at how willing to talk some one you just crippled is. You were already wanted and if you had come quietly it wouldn't have happened. There was even the possibility of offering you asylum from Grogar. But you used a mind control spell, a level 4 crime, per individual used on, and then necromancy, a level 5 crime. You were initially wanted alive but once those crimes were noted you became wanted 'more or less' intact.” Sweetie Drops growled back.
“I doubt your Guard would find that acceptable.”
“I'm not Guard.” Sweetie Drops stated.” Now answer me.”
“Heh..... There is no map of Tamberlane the tunnels and buildings change constantly to suit whatever has chosen to live there, or simply because it collapsed from age. Grogar's plan is always take over everything he can and gather information, my plans tend to be more personal and are based on me taking advantage of what freedom I have for the moment. Honestly that colt just wants to dissect whatever new things he finds. He likes making things. He combined some sea pony singers with dragons at one point and made some creatures he called Sirens, though he made them smart and alive instead of undead and they ran off, he's stuck to undead since.” Bray chuckled recalling Grogar's face at his failure.” He'd probably calm down if he got laid.”
The wire's shifted again as Bray strained, Sweetie Drops noticed one was starting to pull out of a wall behind him.
“As for the forces? That collection of Orc's I raised out there isn't even a squad of the things that Grogar has on the island, every funeral plot in the world is a recruiting station for us, every archeological dig and Dragon burial ground gives us siege weapons. The very island we walked on can be turned to an unending army of the dead. Every creature that you lose would rise as one of our soldiers, civilian or not. You will be over run and pursued until you drop from exhaustion and then we will have you, as the dead don't tire....” Bray snarled. “ And if you are worried about prisoners that Grogar may have caught then you best be prepared to fight them when all this starts because they are surely already dead. JUST LIKE YOU WILL BE!!”
Bray roared yanking hard against his confines, the cables holding the massively mutated Donkey ripping from the walls and supports, tearing free beams and chunks of concrete as he surged, ripping away the wires as he flailed.
The issue was that the wires were stronger than the supports that they were tied to. Sweetie Drops had spared no expense in her gear after all. Bray realized this a little too late as the groan of broken steel filled the air and several of the molten vats tipped dangerously as their supports were ripped free.
Bray's eyes widened realizing what was happening as the first sloshes of liquid metal broke through the containment spell on the crucibles. He looked up at the pony on the catwalk with anger in his eyes.
“Don't look at me, you're the idiot who wanted to thrash around.” Sweetie Drops chided as the mutant Donkey screamed, the flesh of it's back sizzling and burning as the liquid metal fell over it in a shower. The monster howled and thrashed more, trying to get away from the emptying crucibles.
Sweetie Drops winced as one finally gave way fully and emptied a tidal wave of molten metal over the screaming donkey, another one quickly collapsing as well turning the factory floor into a mass of molten liquid metal. She winced from the heat as the as she moved out of the way, several drops of the liquid metal splashing up onto the catwalk.
She looked down at the roiling , glowing lake with a sigh. She needed to get into contact with HQ as well as get to the island herself. She didn't doubt Kaisur and Princess Celestia could handle this but she wanted to make sure they went quick enough to prevent anything from happening to Lyra.
She started along the catwalk towards the nearest emergency exit when the sea of molten metal erupted with a roar.
Her eyes widened as she looked back at the mutant donkey thrashing in the liquid iron. It's whole body was burning and saturated in metal, though she could see the flesh trying to heal as it thrashed around sending splashes of fiery liquid death every where around it.
“By Celestia's sultry pout, you have got to be shitting me.” Sweetie Drops cursed.
“I WILL NOT DIE ALONE MARE!!!” Bray screamed, lunging towards the sound of her voice, leaping out of the metal like a whale breaching the oceans surface.
Sweetie Drops didn't hesitate, she took off running along the cat walk as the monster smashed into it in front of her. She stopped suddenly as Bray bounced off the wall, taking out the catwalk before her and preventing a quick escape. She turned the other way running back towards the rear of the plant, her hooves clanging against the metal as she dodged molten patches of it on the steel cat walk.
Bray roared out, rushing after her smashing crucibles and walls, ripping the catwalk apart nearly under her hooves.
There was a door ahead of her in the wall, she had to make it to that .
She was less than a cart length from it when Bray lept up from underneath her smashing into the catwalk she was standing on and sending her flying. Sweetie Drops cursed, curling up as best she could as she flew though the air, her head just missing the top of the door frame as she crashed through the door and was sent tumbling down the stairs on the other side.
Sweetie Drops winced, whining a little bit as she finally hit the stone floor at the bottom of the stairs. Two flights of steel stairs and she had to fall down them both.
Pushing herself back up to her hooves she winced at the pain shooting up her left foreleg. Checking it a moment she shuddered placing her hoof flat on the stone and shoving hard with her whole form popping her shoulder back into place with a muffled cry as she clenched her teeth.
She could hear Bray trashing on the other side of the wall as she cracked the last few healing crystals she had. It wasn't enough to fix all the cuts and bruises she took in the tumble nor to make her leg feel better, but it took the edge off the pain.
Looking around she realized she was in a shipping area, full of ore and parts that had yet to be sent to the rest of the factory. That meant the docks were on the other side of this warehouse, she could get out there.
A wash of heat drew her attention to the wall behind her, her eyes widening as the great steel bay door that separated the two areas was glowing brightly and bulging from the pressure of all the molten metal behind it.
“ Shit..........” Sweetie Drops stated taking off running just as the door gave way sending a torrent of liquid metal rushing after her through the ware house. Bray was dragged along with the current still screaming, until one eye healed briefly to allow him to spot her and begin chase again. The massive Donkey practically body surfing on the liquid to get to the fleeing mare.
“DIE DIE DIE!!!” Bray screamed flinging molten iron every where around him as he rode the wave.
“HOW THE BUCK ARE YOU STILL TALKING!!!??” Sweetie Drops screamed back, leaping onto a desk near the main door and using it as a spring board to leap through a window. She hit the ground outside running, rushing along the docks as the wall behind her blew out with Bray smashing through it along with the tidal wave of hot death.
Her hooves thundered along the wooden dock, the molten metal landing around her , she felt the sting of a few drops on her back , though her remaining armor was doing well at keeping anything from doing more than singing her. Still she didn't like her chances if any bigger droplets hit her. She rushed towards the end of the dock as the wooden structure caught fire behind her, hoping she could swim faster than the wave of lava that chased her.
She reached the end of the dock, leaping off as far as she could as the rest of the wooden structure was enveloped in liquid metal behind her. She didn't hit the water, in fact she kept floating upward. Blinking she noticed she was enveloped in several magical auras and was being hauled up into the air. Looking back, the wave had hit the bay and carried Bray along with it . The mutant donkey was still thrashing though his movements were getting slower as the metal hit the water and rapidly cooled hardening around him. The creature gave out a last roar before the weight of the metal and the liquid iron still flowing out of the factory buried it and sent it beneath the waves for the last time.
Looking back up she could see the Storm Cloud above her, the stage put back up, with three Changelings and a Unicorn on the deck trying to lift her up onto the ship with a great deal of effort.
“Damnit mare, you weigh a ton!” the white unicorn Sweetiebelle, who was oddly dressed like she was, swore.
“I have never been so glad to have lost my gear as I am now. The fact you can lift me is proof of that.” Sweetie Drops stated as she was brought up onto the ship. The blue, pink, and orange maned Changlings let out a sigh of relief as they set her down, the unicorn seemed annoyed.
“Welcome back. Do you still have the crystal?” asked a voice.
Sweetie Drops turned to glare at the colt who gave her the damn recording Crystal that gave her away to Bray, only to see a pile of rope and chain that was secured to the deck in at least thirty places. All she could see of him was a bit of his tail and one eye through a gape in the rope around his head.
“Ummm” Sweetie Drops questioned.
“ Belle made sure he couldn't fall off the ship again.” Carol sighed looking over at the white Unicorn who at least tried to look sheepish.
Any further conversation was cut off as a roar erupted from below them. Looking over the railing Sweetie Drops eyes widened again as a monstrous form burst from water . Metal shards and spikes covering the creature in patches, the creature moves stiffly one uncovered blood shot eye focused on the ship above it as it moved to the shore. The thing was easily twice the size of what Bray had been and it was still moving.
“OH COME ON!” Sweetiebelle cried.
“FINCH CLIMB!!” Ditty shouted towards the captain of the ship.
“This is not a video game.” cursed Sweetie Drops as she yelled at Bray. “ You don't get final forms!”
“Did some one say video games? What's going on?” Button asked from his bundle of rope.
Bray seemed to ignore that fact as the metal monster coiled and lept off the beach, it's massive mutated arms covered in rough metal and spikes outstretched to smash the ship.
Then suddenly it wasn't there, neither was most of the smelting plant behind it.
Those on the ship barely had a moment to process this information when the sonic boom hit them. All glass on the ship shattered as the force sent every one but Button Mash tumbling across the deck as the ship lurched from the force. The explosion blew out all the remaining windows that the Rarities hadn't already destroyed in the area and caused a large chunk of the smelting plant to further collapse in on itself, not counting what the blast had hit.
Sweetie Drops lifted her head looking over the railing as the ship settled seeing no sign of Bray aside from some scattered chunks that were raining down over the city, none of them larger than a marble.
Looking behind her out to sea a massive warship dominated the skyline, plumes of smoke rising from the series of cannons on it's starboard side.
“Happy now?” Dusty snorted from where she was draped over the Captain's chair like a cat that had caught a canary.
“ A little bit. I suppose while I didn't get to fire the first shot, I got to give the order for the first Starboard volley.” Dusty griped. The blue Pegasus was still dressed in his captain's uniform though the pants were missing and a number of buttons were fastened in the wrong spots. Dusty was also wearing his Captain's hat at a rakish tilt.
“Target destroyed sir. No further contacts spotted.” One of the Griffons at the helm declared. “What are your orders sir?”
“Remain in position and prepare to give any aid that is needed. Send a squad over to that airship as well with a field trauma kit or two and some medics.” Breezy ordered.
“Also call a janitor to clean up the bridges broom closet......” Dusty added with a lewd smirk.
“We already did that Sir.” One of the other Bridge members commented with a tired sigh.
“This has been wild.” Babs stated looking down at the city from where the Storm Cloud had finally docked.
“Yep.” Sweetiebelle admitted. “At least the Guards finally leaving us alone. I'm absolutely exhausted.”
“Yeah, ah heard you didn't have much sleep before all this started. You been working since last night haven't cha?” Babs chuckled looking over at the bleary eyed Sweetiebelle.
“I am sooo glad it's gonna take us a week to get to Trotkyo. I will sleep all the sleeps.”Sweetiebelle yawned.
Babs looked back to see a freed Button Mash and Melody fussing over something. The collection of Crystals that had been put around the ship sitting on the crate next to them as Button messed with one of his portable control boards. Oddly they didn't seem to be arguing over what was going on on the board, but something else as only Button was looking at the screen.
“What's all that about?” Babs asked.
“Those two got the bright idea to record the concert and string everything together in one big …. music video thing.” Sweetiebelle muttered.
“Ain't that something a lot of artists do? Sell crystals with them doing stuff that fits the song like mini movies or something?” Babs questioned.
“Yeah there was even talk about finding a way to broadcast those over a set crystal channel for every one. But all that will probably happen is it'll start out great and then devolve into some sort of reality game show channel or something that doesn't even play music any more.” Sweetiebelle muttered.
“Crystal receivers are still only rich pony tech. They haven't even made it possible to wide broadcast on um yet.” Babs commented.
“Mark my words that's what'll happen.”Sweetiebelle muttered.” MTV's gonna suck.”
“Ookay....”
The arguing of Changeling and the Earth pony seemed to get louder. Looking back both Sweetiebelle and Babs were surprised to see Carol, Shanty, Ditty, Aria, Captain Finch, and a few other crew members had joined Melody in arguing with Button about something.
Babs blinked in confusion looking over to Silver as he approached.
“Hey hun. What's going on over there?” Babs asked pressing up against the side of the large stallion.
“Nothing tah worry about Babs.” Silver stated as he mouthed the name 'Sweetiebelle' to her. “ Miss Reignolds you alright? You look like crap.....”
“Blargh.” Sweetiebelle commented turning to look back over the railing.
The city looked quite from up here. After the concert her fans had all gone home, finally. The Guards still patrolled the streets and a few buildings were still on fire due to the cannon blasts and the explosion of the smelting plant , but it was fairly quiet. Fortunately despite the noise of the concert most of the property damage was going to be blamed on Bray's attack and Regent Breezy Mist's liberal use of force. There was very little damage to the Storm Cloud, but there was enough that they would be delayed a few days from their departure to Trotkyo.
Discord had already some how managed to push back all the venues a few days to compensate for it. While that would cut into their down time a little, they wouldn't have to cancel any shows. Discord and Pinkie Pie had vanished some where not too long ago and Bleu Scale and Spike had gone chasing after an island or something with agent Sweetie Drops riding shotgun.
The shouting match seemed to be getting closer along with the clack of claws and hooves over the deck. Sweetiebelle ignored it until the noise was nearly on top of her.
“SHADUP!!” Button Mash yelled at the group gathered around him, shoving his way past the Griffons and Changelings he trotted up beside Sweetiebelle. He let out a long sigh as he looked down to her. ”You still mad at me Belle?”
“I'm mad cause you fell of the ship.... don't do that again and I'll be fine......don't scare me like that....” Sweetiebelle muttered her ears flattening to her head.
“Sorry. Trust me when I say that wasn't intentional.” Button muttered.
“That was a lot closer to losing you than I want.” Sweetiebelle pouted.
Button smiled sheepishly.” Yeah, sorry.... though …. about that........really all I could think about as I was falling was how bad it would upset you..... and everything we've done.....”
Button closed his eyes taking off his X-pony hat and rubbing the bridge of his nose with his hoof. He looked as tired as she felt and that made Sweetiebelle smile a little despite how hard she worked on everything, she knew Button was running around like a mad pony doing twice as much to set everything up and make sure she looked her best on stage. So when the stallion before her seemed to fall onto his knees she jerked up right off the railing focusing all her attention on him only to find that he had pulled something out of it hat hat holding it up to her.
“I'm gonna have Silver make something better, but I figured now was a good time and this was really all I could find that would work as a ring....” Button muttered holding the oddly shaped purple bracelet up to her as he exhaled.
“Sweetiebelle Reignolds will you marry me?”
The world around her seemed to fade out as she stared down at Button Mash, her eyes widening at the sight of him like that. Everything in the world seemed to freeze and Button seemed to be getting more nervous by the second as Sweetiebelle seemed to tremble.
Sweetiebelle finally exhaled softly lowering her head a bit and closing her eyes. Button's eyes widened as the mare looked away from him. He lowered his own gaze and as such didn't see the attack coming when Sweetiebelle plowed into him sending the pair of them tumbling across the deck to crash into a wall as she kissed him.
“I take it that's a yes?” Button gasped as the mare finally let him breath.
“Of course it' a yes.....” Sweetiebelle smiled both of them flinching as an explosion went off behind them and every one turned to see a huge party had appeared on the main deck, with a massive banner reading ' Happy upcoming Nuptials' written across it.'
Pinkie Pie bounced around the deck throwing confetti and trying to get every one else to cheer along with her. Discord floated above them all throwing out confetti and also what appeared to be some sort of pudding, greatly annoying the Griffon crew and Changelings that got plastered with the stuff.
Behind them however were three figures that made Button and Sweetiebelle's faces turn bright red given their position sprawled out on the deck. Discord had evidently brought Sweetiebelle's parents and Button's mom to the party. And given their managers cackling above them, he was reveling in the embarrassment, particularly when Sweetiebelle's father pulled a wrestling mask from his pocket.
Button whimpered a little at the sight, though Sweetiebelle simple stuck her tongue out at her father putting on the little bracelet.
She looked down at it a moment not moving from atop Button. “ A Power Pony Raidence bracelet? Seriously?” She giggled.
“It was all I had …...” Button muttered as Sweetiebelle kissed him again.
Twilight's hooves clicked on the bloodied stone as she made her way down the stairs. When The Beast stopped digging the pair had decided to go down and see if he had taken care of Grogar. Given what she had seen of Jer'rahd when he got in that state, he didn't stop until what ever provoked him was dead, or well beyond his reach. Granted when the target was dead he usual reverted to normal and passed out. But he had nether continued, nor reverted and while Twilight wanted to know why, she needed to make sure Grogar was dealt with first, Luna could handle her husband.
The heavier hoof falls of Celestia were right behind her, the solar goddesses' horn was wreathed in flames allowing them to see as they descended down the blood soaked corridors.
The damage the Beast had done to the Leviathan was not healing and the few undead they had come across paid them little mind as they worked to staunch the flow of blood. It was rather fascinating to watch the chunks of rent flesh turn into animate corpses, mostly diamond dogs and griffons, though a few other odd races with hands and claws were visible as well. The creatures were practically flencing themselves and using their own rotted skin to try and clot the blood flow. Once they had turned themselves into a skinless and hairless corpse, they reverted to meat only for something new to be crafted from the fallen flesh to begin the process again.
Not only did this mean the corridors were clear of chunks of flesh and surprisingly clear of blood, it also meant their decent was unrestricted and undefended as the island dead were more intent in medical application than fighting.
Twilight chocked it up to what white blood cells did , though Celestia wasn't in the mood to discuss the intricacies of necromancy on this scale.
The pair of them finally made it to the last chamber at the bottom of the stairs. It was a large open room with five stone thrones in a semi circle. The room echoed with the thrumming beat that was almost like thunder, though Twilight recognized it after a moment as a rapidly beating heart.
The room was not empty either. Standing in the middle of it were five figures. At first Twilight thought they were alive, though with how they shifted and looked back at the pair of them with glowing eyes, it was clear they were simply well persevered corpses. Two Griffons, two Unicorns and a floating Seapony.
A shield was up between Twilight and the undead the moment they were spotted, though it was Celestia who had done it, the white mares eyes were narrowed at the five her gaze glancing down to what lay between them. On the floor, his face twisted in horrific agony, was the Capricorn they had been chasing.
“Twilight can you draw air into this chamber? I can ignite it and end this quickly......” Celestia muttered.
“No, well yes I can, but hold on a moment Celestia....” Twilight stated looking back at her Princess then to the undead that had yet to move.” You're them aren't you? Cassiopeia, Cygnus, Warpick, Caestus... and Sparrow. The five Element Bearers who stopped the Black Harvest?”
The two Unicorns looked at each other then to the Seapony who slowly nodded, the Griffons remained rather stoic, though Twilight thought they took a more relaxed stance at the mention of their names.
“What is going on Twilight , Who are they?” Celestia asked.
“I'll show you later Pri... Celestia... Though I'm not sure if they are who they are supposed to be or still the will of Tamberlane.” Twilight answered.
“A bit of both really.” The Seapony spoke slipping forward a little ahead of the others.”Though who are you that knows us?”
“Twilight Sparkle... I read your fathers journal after Grogar kidnapped us...” Twilight stated.
“Princess... Twilight Sparkle.” Celestia corrected and was promptly ignored by Twilight, as usual.
”Though what do you mean, by saying a bit of both?”Twilight asked.
“My father long ago lost his mind and has been little more than a beast of burden for this island for more years than I can count. Though despite that he still felt the pull of the Element's of Harmony being activated, as did we.” Sparrow's lips didn't move though Both Twilight and Celestia heard her none the less.
“But the Element's have been activated a number of times in history. Why now?” Celestia asked.
“Grogar designed a way to pull the entire island out of time using Necromantic energy produced by my fathers massive form. With the ringing of the bell we were all pulled into a pocket dimension where time did not pass as it should. He did not create the pocket dimension, some sort of Dark Powers did. There were odd native creatures who bowed to a ruler that they called 'the Knight of the Black Rose', but there was never any encounter with anything there. All that was usually seen save the dead quiet sea we remained on was endless foreboding mists.” Sparrow explained. “If we were there we felt nothing of this world. Though we felt the gathering of them once before long ago, we have never felt them activate again until now.”
“Twilight are you writing this down?” Celestia asked with a sigh noting that her former student had gotten a notebook from some where and was jotting down everything the Seapony was saying.
“ Maybe... the time before must have been when Starswirl used them.” Twilight speculated. “ Still that doesn't explain what you are doing now, or what happened to Grogar.”
“Grogar has been killed of course. His soul drawn out to give him the chance he did not have before Bray found him.” The Seapony gestured to the side with a fin.
Across the chamber was a pair of spectral figures. A Seapony female and what looked to be a male Ram holding a small bundle between them. The figures only lasted a moment or two before fading out.
“His real parents.....”Twilight stated.
“Indeed.” Sparrow nodded.”As for us. We are simply waiting for my father to get where he was going and join us a last time. That should be soon, he has remembered finally. The pull of the Element's and the pain he has suffered due to the other touched by the Books of Orbsah has finally stirred him once again.”
The sudden lurching of the island nearly sent Twilight to the floor, Celestia's wing fanned out catching her and keeping the smaller Alicorn upright. The undead before them barely seemed phased though all of them turned to look back at the thrones. There was the sound of wet squelching and tearing and a figure walked out of the darkness behind the thrones.
The Griffon was old, he was covered in scars and his wings looked tattered, likely barely able to fly at all. Both the alicorns noted he was undead himself, formed out of the wall of the chamber. Despite that the other five moved to him the Seapony moving the fastest to embrace the old Griffon.
“I'm sorry....” He muttered under his breath tears running down his face as he sobbed.” I couldn't.....”
“It's alright father... I know... it's over now...... it's time to finally rest. We have been waiting too long as it is. It is time for us to go.” Sparrow stated.
Celestia drew back again, pulling Twilight with her. Across the room was a black alicorn. Her fur dark enough that light seemed drawn into it. She approached the gathered six slowly, her wing tips lightly touching them as she passed. The undead slowly collapsing into dust with each touch, until all that was left was Tamberlane and his daughter Sparrow, and then they too were dust.
“Harmony....” Twilight gasped, the dark alicorn looking to her with a small smile.
“I did use that name last time we met didn't I? You are a interesting one Twilight Sparkle. This will be our third meeting, perhaps our fourth in truth and I doubt it will be the last.” Bonnie stated.” Though I will say it is far, far, from our final meeting.”
“What what did you do?” Celestia asked.
“I guided them on. They had been apart from each other for far too long. What they do now is up to what ever the Spirits designed to happen to those that have passed. The realm of the dead has been quite rowdy lately, though it is only a momentary stop for most, for others they remain nearly forever waiting. Those five have been waiting for their last longer than most. They can finally move on. You too have those waiting on you Twilight Sparkle. But they do not expect you any time soon.”
The first Pony goddess sighed softly. “I will need a small favor I'm afraid. Apologize to your brother and sister in law for me. I believe our actions may have traumatized them.” Bonnie chuckled. “But what was done was necessary. Also I need you to care for this little one. She is exhausted and I have relied on her far too much already.
“Little one?” Twilight asked as Bonnie began to fade out, her form shrinking rapidly until only the form of a red striped Zebra filly remained.
“Rynthia?!” Celestia yelped darting forward to catch the filly as she stumbled forward and nearly fell on her face.
The solar princess swept up the Zebra foal checking her over before letting out a small sigh.
“She's just asleep..... what the heck is going on?” Celestia demanded.
“We just had a brush with death.” Twilight stated flatly.” Don't worry about it, okay worry about it a little, cause the first pony god needed Rynthia's body for something. But, look.”
Twilight reached up tapping at a small necklace under the small zebra's neck smiling as she felt, more than recognized, her former Element.
“Let's get out of here. We need to find out where we wound up and go home.” Twilight sighed.
“Fine but I would prefer a longer explanation later Twilight.” Celestia sighed slipping the Filly onto her back and heading back up the stairs.
Twilight followed , pausing a moment with her ears perked up listening.
There was nothing but silence. The massive beating of a giant heart had gone silent. Tamberlane was no more.
Twilight bowed her head a little in the respect for the departed before following after Celestia.
==========================================
[ Earlier, in another location. ]
This was a strange sensation, the white alicorn muttered looking down at his hoof.
The hue shifting fur of the white stallions limb was splattered with a red substance that clung to his fur, but had come from a oozing mark on his limb that had quickly closed up after he brushed it against a rock as he walked. There was an odd sensation from the limb that had caused him to stop and look at it as the blood oozed from the wound.
“Ah yes...” Zachle, the first pony god muttered.”Pain... that was what this feeling was called. Most unpleasant.”
“Well expect more unpleasantness then!” shouted a voice from above him.
Looking up the alicorn's head was suddenly impacted by a set of sharp talons as a large golden Griffoness landed before him, her claws raking over his face before she flapped her great wings once and flung her self back into the air away from the magic slash of energy the alicorn flung at her.
A second attack didn't come from the white alicorn, but only because something had wrapped around his wings. Looking back, thick thorny vines had come down from the trees in the forest and wrapped around the limbs, behind him the Trolls that had been following him were in a similar state. His gaze fell on a red striped zebra mare staring at them all, though his attention was drawn quickly back to his entrapped wings as the vines started to pull away hard.
Zachle cried out with the new flash of long forgotten pain as the thorns ripped into his feathered limbs , ripping tears in his flesh and yanking out numerous feathers before they vines twisted and tore pulling the limbs into distorted and painful shapes before ripping away back up into the trees leaving his wings a rent mess. Behind him the trolls screamed out as they met more horrific ends than simple body mutilation.
“Mirth... Grace......” of course you fools would show... I will end you both!!!!” Zachle roared before a loud rumbling signaled the opening of the very earth beneath him. With his wings mangled the white alicorn could do little but fall. A last glance at the surface showed the golden Griffoness waving good bye to him as he fell.
His body struck the ground, bouncing over spiked rock as he tumbled into the earth down the oddly steep incline, his coat and body being torn from impacts of rock and jutting crystal. Eventually he crashed into a pile of gravel leaving even more of his hide spread across the ground.
The wounds were not healing. This was defiantly Bonnie's friends doing. Zachele pushed himself up to his hooves, wincing at the odd angle one of them was bent at, his gaze whipped around as a rather wolf looking Diamond Dog stood nearby starring down at him.”Forthe..”Snarled the white alicorn as the Diamond Dog smiled baring sharp fangs.
“Among others.” stated a melodic voice. Turning his head his eyes widened at the sight of the massive Seapony stallion floating over an underground lake. Pain wracked his body as Munificence cast a spell.
Blood began leaking out of his pores, the liquid being pulled from his form as the Seapony drew all water from the constructed form, the alicorn body rapidly started to turn to dust and bone as that too dried out to brittle nothings. Zachle cursed, his beautiful form turned to ash so easily.
The Gray Grimiore tumbled out of the body it had inhabited. The books form untouched by the magic, though the body it had made was no more.
“GRAAAAAAAAAAH!!! Do you fools know how long I worked on that?” The Gray Grimiore bellowed.
“I doubt they care brother.” another voice stated.
“Bonnie......” The book snarled as the void like alicorn mare strode up looking down at the fallen book. “Found new toys to play with I see.”
“The Bearers are not toys Zachle. None of them are.”
“Oh I am quite aware of your misguided views sister. The Spirits made us perfect and yet you threw that away to protect their unfinished failures.”
“We were supposed to guide them brother, not rule them, or change them.” Bonnie sighed. “ But i see you still cannot comprehend that.”
“Hah! It is you who are deluded. You will see one day. Even now you refuse to kill me and be done with it. All because that would leave those foals that house you here alone and my Trolls could easily follow the trail of blood down here and kill them long before any of them or you recover enough to do anything.”
“I know we cannot destroy like we are. But that doesn't mean we cannot keep you out of the affairs of the world for a long time. ” The black alicorn mare stated.” Did you find one Troph?”
“Indeed. A low rumbling could be heard as a massive form strides up to the others, a Zebra mare sitting on the massive Dragon's back. “It runs right to the core and there are very few vents leading directly from it. Forthe if you would bring it up, I'll keep the fire at bay.”
“Alright, but I'll need help getting back Bonnie. I've used a good bit of power getting down here.” The Diamond Dog stated.
“I understand, that's why, I've held back.” Bonnie stated before looking around.”Where is Mirth?”
“She said she had other business.” the Zebra mare Grace said.” I would not worry , she would not hurt her charge.”
“Probably went for donuts again.” Munificence chuckled.
“What are you fools talking about!” The Gray Grimiore bellows.
“Got it.” Forthe stated as a segment of rock opened up and a flow of Lava rose rapidly from the depths, bubbling and lighting up the whole cavern in a orange glow.
Bonnie's magic gathered up the book, floating it over the churning pit of Lava
“HA you think this will destroy me!? You are bigger fools than I thought!”
“No, I do not brother, but it will keep you out of the affairs of the world for a very long time. This lava will carry you to the core of the world. There you shall remain out of reach of any mortals and nearly all gods. “ Bonnie stated.
“With the way this flow works, it will be a millinia, if even then, that you return to the surface. By that time the stars may have faded and this planets life cycle ended. You will be able to do nothing but attempt to corrupt an empty dead world.” Troph growled.
“And even if you do manage to come back, we will be here to stop you.” Grace stated.
“Good bye brother. Perhaps you will reconsider your plan the next time we meet.” Bonnie stated dropping the book into the lava.
Troph mutters his spell and the lava rapidly recedes drawing the screaming book and the heat back towards the lava tube heading to the core, far below the mantel. Forthe winces a little closing up the hole in the ground before shaking his head.
“That's it I'm done. Anything more and little Elusive might have permanent damage.” Forthe sighed.
“It's fine... thank you. Bonnie smiled leaning over and kissing the Diamond Dog lightly on the cheek, getting a few gasps of surprise from everyone save Munificence who simply threw his fins in the air shouting a silent 'YES' to the sky.
“Troph, Grace, Munificence, do you have the energy to take Forthe with you back to the Crystal Empire?” Bonnie asked.
“We do. Why ?” Grace asked ignoring the dopey look on Forthe's face after he kiss.”What about you?”
“I have one more stop to make, and souls to retrieve.” Bonnie smiled. “I will see you soon my friends.”
========================================================= [Manehatten, aboard the Stormcloud. ]
“I still say it counts.” Captain Finch muttered.
“Your bid was for 'on the airship over some romantic spot', Finch.” Melody muttered.”Manehatten docks near a burning factory is in no way romantic.”
“I dunno, I had a few girlfriends who would have said otherwise.” Finch responded.
“Gah, I was so sure those two geeks would get hitched in Trotkyo.” Shanty cursed.”I doubled my bid just because of that.”
“I know. I did the same when we were in Gallopagos cause with how moody I figured she would get there because of her sister.” Carol grumbled. “I figured Button would try to cheer her up with a proposal, or maybe ask the grave for permission in front of her and set everything off.”
“Her dad's still alive you know.”Aria responded.” I think he was trying to throw Button off the side of the ship again, but he's alive, and typically you ask the father.”
“What about any of this is typical?” Carol asked.
“Point.” Aria conceded.
“So who won any way Ditty? Did some one have Manhatten?” Shanty asked.
The group of them were down stairs talking, while the party was going on upstairs still. While they would have been quite happy watching Button and Sweetie's mother's embarrass the fool out of them. Or the wrestling match that Button and Sweetie's father had going on, it was mostly Button running away in terror from Sweetiebelle's father in a lucador mask, but there were bits to be had.
“Hold on I'm looking” Ditty commented, flipping through a book occasionally crossing things out.
“Whats going on?” Babs asked, trotting down that stairs looking at the group of Changelings and Griffons gathered below decks.
“We're checking to see who won the pot.” Carol explained.
“Oh, for the wedding thing?” Babs commented taking a sip from a cup she held in a hoof.” How much is it any way?”
“Last count was two thousand three hundred and forty two bits.” Ditty added.”It goes up every time some one bids on something and it doesn't come to pass.”
“Hey, I had zombies on my choice.” a Griffon female with one eye spoke up.
“Gale we went over this. You had zombie redneck murder family, not zombies. There is a big difference.” Ditty sighed.” Though I will admit so far you are the closest.”
“Nah. She's not. “ Babs stated.” Check the last entry.”
Ditty blinked flipping to the back of the book.
“You entered? When?” Carol asked.
“Melody was telling me about it earlier before all this nonsense started and ah dropped fifty bits in as it was all that ah had.” Babs stated.”She signed me in the book.”
“Fifty only allows a specific thing or location. What, did you pick Manehatten?” Aria questioned.
“Nah.” Babs grinned. “Specific thing happening.”
“Yep, she has it.” Ditty sighed. “'One of them has a near death experience or thinks they lost the other one'. She basically got it exactly. No one else was even close enough to share the pot.”
There was a chorus of groans all around as Babs grinned holding out a hoof for the bag of bits.
“So whatcha say about starting a pot for Melody and Ditty?” Babs asked hefting the bag of bits, getting a wince from Ditty and a look of interest from Melody. “ I got a hundred on her asking him and a hundred on him asking her just cause I made the first bet.”
'I'm in', everyone but the pair mentioned responded.
The rubble and dust of the dreamscape shifted and slid at the bottom of the crater. A shadowy figure pushed itself out of the rubble, the gray misty form was tiny in comparison to what it had been, though it still lived.
The Tantabus growled to itself. It had not been expecting that, the Element's of Harmony had found new hosts and had nearly killed it. Still they had failed to destroy it utterly and that would be their undoing. It already knew how to hide from the Dream Guardians and it would be even easier now that the mares thought it was dead. It would take little time to amass the power to escape again, and this time it would simply kill those that stood in it's way first, before they knew what was going on.
A noise behind the Tantabus stopped it's internal monologue. Looking up it's eyes widened at the massive form towering above it, a slightly curled trunk like nose sniffing at the diminutive nightmare.
“No.... NO!!” Tantabus screamed as the Taipar 'Charlotte' opened it's mouth to feast on the bad dream....
“Rynthia?” Luna questioned as she looked down at her youngest daughter curiously. Celestia and Twilight explained what had happened in the depths of Tamberlane. The former Princess of the Night leaned in to look at Rynthia stretched out on Celestia's back taking note of the pendant around her neck and nodding a little at the thing. She smirked a little noting the cutiemark as well.
“Dawn has one of these pendants as well. She also has a cutiemark.” Luna smiled slipping the sleeping Zebra foal from her sisters back and placing her on her own, her back forming a thicker mat of fur along it, so her adoptive daughter wouldn't need to rest on her usual hard chitinous plated back. She had enough insults about it today to be honest.
“It seems we have some new Element Bearers.”Celestia chuckled.
“We should get in contact with the Crystal Empire as soon as we can.” Twilight stated.” My brother is probably pulling out his mane with these two missing. Particularly how he expects Jer'rahd will react.”
“He isn't that bad.” Luna snorted.
“Remember the 'Parkie' incident four years ago when Dawn hid herself in the sand box while they were at the playground.” Twilight commented.
“They had to demolish six blocks because they buildings were no longer stable enough for occupancy.” Celestia added.
“Indeed I do. But I also recall a temple in the Zebralands which is now one very large glass lake, and three maids on permanent disability after the mental scarring you and Twilight inflicted on them.” Luna snorted.” Not to mention the cheese incident.”
“Hey some of us are new at this.” Twilight protested.
“And some of you are not.” Luna looked at Celestia who had wisely shut up.” At any rate it seems we are slowing down.”
“Yes Tamberlane is dead... as is Grogar. I expect the island will sink before long, though that worries me as it's still saturated with necromantic energy.” Twilight grumbled.” That could cause untold amount of issues to the ecology....”
“ICEBURG!!!!” shouted a voice from the air. Looking up the trio could see the massive underbelly of the Beast as the creature tensed just as the island shook as it hit something. Luna fanned her wings out stopping herself from falling, though three magical barriers form around Rynthia to stop her if she slid as well as a few small green panels of energy.
“I see Jer'rahd's at least got control of himself. Though why is he still the beast?” Twilight commented as the green panels dissipated. “Though who yelled ?”
“He still feels there may be danger so he remained as he was. Lyra, Octavia, and Trixie are currently sitting on his back watching over Dawn. We figure when we get close enough to some sort of land mass Jer'rahd's going to try and jump to it. He is not happy with that option.”Luna explained.
“LAND HO!!!!” Lyra bellows.
“Oh here we are.” Luna nodded.
“Wait a moment... did she say iceberg before?” Celestia asked as the island jerked again, as a great fountain of water and dirt flew into the air on one side of the island. The groaning sound of rocks and bone striking each other and scraping filled the air.
Luna and the alicorns took to the air flying up to the back of the Beast looking out on a vast snowy wasteland that lay around them bathed in the moonlight. The Leviathan had beached itself on a frozen peninsula jutting out from the southeastern end of the Frozen North. The massive creature had run around hard enough that the great bulk of it slid leagues across the land mass and almost back into the water on the other side of it, crushing the ice water dunes that had risen from the crashing waves as it finally came to a stop, it's tail still in the water behind it.
The Beast lifted it's head higher letting those perched on it's muzzle survey the situation.
“So now what?” Octavia stated with a sigh.
“Trixie supposes we start walking......” Trixie muttered.
“No need for that, particularly with two foals.” Luna commented.” Twilight would you mind setting up an anchor spell for us? Jer'rahd has never been that good about fixing shields to himself.”
“Okay done and done.” Twilight stated sealing a bubble shield around the group and anchoring it to Jer'rahd's back. As the beast shook itself a little at the odd feeling she added a stabilizing spell to the shield to keep it level. “ So what's the plan, he's just going to carry us back?”
Luna grinned.” It's a hundred and six leagues to the crystal empire, we've a full powered monster, half powered unicorns, it's dark out, and it's past the foals bedtime.”
“Hit it!” Lyra cried and the Beast surged forward leaving the isle of Tamberlane behind.
“So as it turns out that little trip became the stuff of a lot of northern tribes legends. The Guard got reports on it for weeks. Every race that encountered or saw the monster galloping across the landscape spouted tales of it. And in one case a court ordered lawsuit for damages. Though Celestia did admit later that she didn't expect any one to listen to her when she said to stampede though a segment of Yakastan that had been giving her ambassadors trouble for years. Of course I told her later that that was what happened when I listened to her and was just more support for my ignoring her.”
The gray and orange scaled Kirin sighed.
“Needless to say there was a great deal of panic in the Crystal Empire when we arrived just as the sun was supposed to rise. Something Celestia held off on until she could get some coffee, lazy mare... Cadence and Shinning were in the middle of packing everything up along with their returned foals and making a run to Marexico when we showed up. I was rather impressed with the calm dignity Shining showed in not pleading for his life, but for his own foals and wife when he still thought he lost Dawn and Rynthia. Granted that lasted until his sister and Luna showed up then he was a screaming and begging wreck.”
Jer'rahd shifted a little in his position, his tail flicking at a fly.
“Orange checked everyone out before giving everyone the all clear. Aside from a few sprains, some scuffs and a bit of singed hair, the one who got of worst was me with the exhaustion that hit after turning back from the Beast. Still that run calmed me down a lot, maybe I should take up jogging... Any way every pony got a green bill of health and was put up in the Crystal Palace for a day or two for questioning and any lingering after effects that might come up from all the necromantic energy of that place. I had passed out by that point, but I was told Bleu and Spike showed up with Bon Bon a little later in the day. And no one saw either of them until it was time to leave. Sweetie Drops mission report was something to read let me tell you.”
“Celestia and Twilight did their duty with the moon and sun getting them back on schedule. They also received a messenger from the Windigo. While there was a lot of talk about what to do about Tamberlane's body and the residual energy that it still produced, it mostly boiled down to the Windigo asking' You gonna eat that?'”
The Kirin smirked at his own joke.
“For the possession of the source of strife that the Windigo feed on, they promised to transfer the entire library to the Crystal Empire in the coming weeks along with any other items of interest recovered before the whole area would be turned into an ice block from their feeding. Later measurements slated the body of Tamberlane would feed the Windigo for the next thirty to fifty thousand years before it was expended and no longer a threat to anything. A hell of a half life on that stuff. Of course this meant that the existence of the island needs to be disavowed and we have to give permission to the Windigo to kill any one who couldn't be turned away who tried to make it to Tamberlane. Current rumor is I ate the Leviathan as the Beast. More than enough blood on me when I made it to the Empire to support that theory.”
“The foals were the ones with the most explaining to do. All of them clearly had the Element's of Harmony on them, though Dawn's was covered in teeth marks, and the Elements had changed form once again. The threat it seemed was something that came about because of me, or more specifically the nightmares that have plagued me since the trip to Neighlantis. Seems all that terror took a sentient form and wanted to be free. So chock something else up that's my fault.”
“Speaking of that, it seems Celestia is trying to blame me for the zombie attack in Manehatten. All the Orc's that I killed there were tossed in a big communal grave that every pony forgot about and built over years ago. Bray found them and brought all of them back up including Je'fray. Would have loved to kill that pig again, my hooves still hurt thinking about that fight. Twilight came to my defense at that point stating I had been relieved of the command there and sent back to Canterlot on Celestia's orders well before the mass grave was even thought of.”
Jer'rahd snorted his annoyance.
“But yeah all the foals got cutiemarks, including Dawn, though Bleu had to explain it. Turns out her cutiemark is a pair of drama masks, the happy sad face things you see in theaters sometimes, though while the expressions on Dawn's are the same, both of her's are smiling, despite how the eyes look. Dawn also was complaining about some one she calls Birdy, she doesn't know specifics but she says she's really mad at her. Rynthia's is a interesting set of scales with that medical thing on one side and a skull on the other. Still not sure what either might mean.”
Jer'rahd smirked again.
“Pip and Scootaloo tried to pull a fast one on Luna, though they got busted. Seems while they had a deal going with Berry to get a bit of vacation time alone up north, Beryl wasn't part of that deal and gave everything up to Luna without any prompting. Seems he was rather annoyed at Pip and Scootaloo for some reason due to the events of the recent days and if Berry wasn't going to stand up to the pair, for all the panic and extra work they caused, then he was. I'm probably still going to give them a bit of time off for services rendered, or at least assign them to the Crystal Guard for a little while. Shining owes them too so he'd give them space. Of course it would have to be after their vacation which should start as soon as school lets out, and they are leaving their foals with us. Thankfully it seems Glimmer isn't afraid of me any more, though Elusive still flinched at the pizza we had for dinner the other night , so small steps I suppose. Luna says that Shin is talking to the hive mind again as well so it seems there's been more progress than I thought.”
Jer'rahd sighed thinking for a moment.
“Ah yes before I forget. Sunset. Some how I ended up with another daughter, have to thank Starfall with a bouquet of poison joke for setting that up. Still I rather like the girl. She's about Berry's age and once she gets caught up she'll join her in the Crystal College. She's not a big fan of Celesita so we share that and she's only a year off from no longer being considered a minor any way. Then there's the time displacement thing and that crap took the group of us a few years to get used to. Some of the tech still surprises me. At least with Sunset it's only been twenty years, rather than a thousand, but a lot has happened in twenty years. Luna loves the sob story stuff, so she was all for it. Me I'm more amused that Sunset went along with helping me convince Twilight that she was another lost child of Celestia, the cutiemark really sold that bit. Given that Celestia wasn't informed that Sunset came back, she had no idea what Twilight was yelling at her about for a good hour, it then took two more to convince Twilight otherwise. Of course when Sunset did tell what really happened Twilight went off again, joined by Luna this time. It was glorious.”
“Jer! You out here still? Foods ready!?” shouted a voice.
“Thanks! I'm coming AJ!” Jer'rahd lifted his head as he called back to Applejack, before slowly rising to his hooves and dusting off the dirt and leaves from his fur.
“I suppose that's everything for now. I'll be sure to come by and tell you of anything else that happens.” Jer'rahd paused.” Not sure when I'll be seeing you all again... but I will, of course by that point I'll have told you all my stories. See yah.”
Jer'rahd smiled softly, turning and walking back towards the farm house, leaving the graves behind him.
The stove was on full blast with two large simmering pots on the burners, one cast iron, one oddly made of deep red crystal. A gray furred and orange scaled Kirin stood at the table looking over a scroll as he chopped vegetables, doing his best to ignore the blue clawed hand that slipped up to snatch what ever morsel of food was closest to the edge of the table. He had lost an entire block of cheddar cheese once already when Dawn had snagged it while he was distracted from fussing at Bleu. At the very least the pair of them were mostly only snatching the bits of meat he put near the edge for them to take.
The door to the kitchen was pushed open and the room was briefly filled with the sounds of chatter from out in the living area. Another year another Apple family reunion, though this one was likely the largest yet due to all the new addition s to it.
“So how's it going in here Jer?” Applejack asked noting the trio of Dawn, Bleu and Spike hiding under the table, the latter seeming a little annoyed at the lack of gems. Granted given Spike still couldn't get as small as Bleu, only his head was under the table and the rest of his Celestia sized form was sticking out the other side of it. He was probably only there because both dawn and Bleu loved dragging him around with them. Mostly to use as a decoy if the pair got in trouble. The farm pony was still surprised the two Dragons could shrink down so small when their normal size was bigger than the barn.
“Would be going better if it wasn't for a group of sneak thieves who think they are slick.” Jer'rahd growled only for a couple of hushed giggles to come from under the table. “The vegetable Chilli is almost ready to serve , but this Griffon recipe Breezy gave me is a little more complicated.”
“Shy give yah any trouble about the meat?” Applejack asked trotting over to look in the pots curiously.
“Nah. She directed me to the hydra that had been terrorizing some of the other animals for a while. It's tail will grow back but it's warned away for a bit. By the time it comes back I’ll have used up all the meat.”
“Orange still making yah eat this huh?” Applejack stuck her tongue out at the second pot, wincing and backing away rubbing her face.”Consarnit!!”
“Milks in the fridge. Wash your eyes out don't rub them. Pretty much. Really I still don't have a taste for meat. The only time I enjoyed it was the chilli Dusty served last time I was up there. So I’m trying my hoof at it.”
“By tha stars that burns.... “Applejack growled sticking her head in the sink and dumping the milk over her face and tongue. “ How tha heck do yah eat that?”
“Usually with chips.”Jer'rahd smirked. “ Don't worry the vegetarian chilli is at best two alarm. So every one but Twilight should be fine. The flames of Tartarus batch is for me Dawn and Bleu mostly. Though Discord, Celestia and Rainbow Dash all claim they want to try it.”
“Dash is gonna git herself killed with this stuff, ponies being able tah deal with meat or not.”Applejack grumbled washing her face and double checking to make sure the stove vent was working to take away the fumes.”Hey ya'll three might wanna scamper, Big Mac's starting to turn out fritters”
That clearly had been the magic word and Bleu and Dawn ran off almost instantly with Spike being drug along by the over enthusiastic Bleu. Applejack chuckled watching them go before turning her still red eyes to Jer'rahd.
“So I heard about Gallopagos. Yah took a mighty big risk with that.”Applejack sighed.
Jer'rahd paused in cutting the onion. “ It had to be done, and that was the best way to do it.”
“But all three of them, plus Babs, in one place... risky......”Applejack muttered.
“Babs and Sweetiebelle had their colt friends to keep them occupied and Applebloom was too busy trying to get her entourage to calm down when they saw me there. Pip was also present with Scootaloo.” Jer'rahd sighed.”Discord, Breezy, and Dusty were there as back up, as was Spitfire. To be honest I’m surprised you aren’t mad at me cause you were not.”
“Oh ah am. But ah can't hold it against you given how Applebloom made sure you didn't tell me or Mac. No idea how you managed to keep Dash and Shy quiet though.”
“That was all Applebloom's doing. In truth I only expected one, not four.”Jer'rahd lifted the cutting board dumping the onions in the pot before starting to chop chilli peppers. “There's going to be another one for at least two of them, a flashy one when everyone gets invited, but that's taking a lot more planning and Twilight's doing it.”
“I'm surprised y’all didn't lose control of it once Soarin and Luna burst in there tah stop yah.”Applejack chuckled.
“Nah. By the time they got there we were already done with all the paperwork and official. The ceremony was mostly a stage show and Luna and Soarin popped up at the perfect moment, as if it was scripted that they would find out at the right time to show up.” Jer'rahd grinned.” Spitfire and I yanked them both aside and told them that it was pretty much over. Soarin could suck it up and give away his daughter or miss the chance to do that too. Luna was harder to convince.”
“How long?” Applejack snarked.
“Three months and counting. That couch is not getting any more comfortable.” Jer'rahd smiled. “ Though she was sharing it with me a few nights ago when it was cold , so I think I’ll be clear in a few more days.”
“Good luck with that while ah'm a might pissy I missed the wedding, Applebloom assured me there was gonna be a big one done up by the Elk that we were welcome to go to.” Applejack sighed.” Amazed yah managed three weddings, including a herd wedding without alerting any one. That's some scary planning there Jer.”
“ I've gotten better at tactics, without any real conflict practice is all I can really do. Besides Pip asked for my help so I gave it. Luna took being overprotective of Pip too far. Though I'm sure she'll turn it back on me the moment Dawn starts dating.”Jer'rahd smiled. ”Still, I officiated the weddings of the Cutiemark Crusaders and Gallopagos is still standing. That's going to be a bigger legend than my romp through the frozen north.”
“Oh my stars she is adorable!” Starfall squeed her wing tip tickling the nose of the little creature in the crib before her.
Six cribs were set up in the room showing off the almost two year old foals of an unexpected couple.
Pinkie Pie smiled, though her face showed a bit of tiredness that few had seen the hyper pink pony with. Despite that she was still going a mile a minute. Discord stood back behind her also rather exhausted looking, playing the part of the proud pappa with a bubble pipe in his mouth and a plaid tweed jacket.
“Thanks... though they are a hoof full....”Pinkie Pie smiled.
The pink mare moved to the first crib reaching in to tickle the belly of a filly that was the spitting image of Pinkie Pie herself , though she had a brown coat of fur with her bright pink mane and tail and her eyes were two tone, blue and yellow.
“This is Pinkie Pie Junior.” Pinkie smirked.
“Isn't she a filly?” Peach Blossom asked.
“Yep!” Pinkie agreed unphased.” This one's Blueberry.”
The next cradle was actually a large bucket filled with water. A small pony like creature with the back end of a fish was swishing wobbly around the little tank. Starfall and Peach Blossom blinked curiously at the little Sea pony though went along with Pinkie Pie to the next crib.
“This ones Gertrude.” Pinkie Pie said.
Looking in all that the pair of pegasi saw was a green and pink spotted egg. It looked like a Dragon egg in fact.
“She's shy.” Pinkie chimed in moving to the next crib.” This one's SKULLSMASHER RULER OF ALL. We call him Mashy for short.”
The pair looked at each other wondering how Pinkie spoken in all capitol letters before looking in, seeing a perfectly ordinary looking unicorn foal, at least until a small pair of bat wings fluttered against the bed as soon as the blue eyed foal noticed he was getting attention.
“And these are the twins Eeni and Meeni.” Pinkie smiled.
Moving to the fifth and sixth cribs the occupants had already poked their noses over the edge and were looking on with interest with a pair of blue and green eyes. Eeni the female had a green eye on the left and a blue on the right and Meeni had a green eye on the right and a blue on the left. Other than that they were identical. Both had a pony like head of blue gray fur and little nub horns sprouting from their temples a goat horn and a fuzz covered Elk like one. Their manes were both like lions and were a tawny brown coloration. Their bodies rather serpentine with the left for arm looking like a dragons claw, and the right resembling something closer to a bears. Their back legs were made up of a Buffalo styled limb and a white equine like one that seemed to have a mist of cooler air around it like a Windigo. Their tails were lizard like though striped like a tigers ending in a puff of orange fur. Neither had wings but both had some sort of fin like appendage along their backs like a Seapony.
“And they are all the same ages...” Peach Blossom asked as Pinkie Pie nodded.
“Ummm was the labor.. difficult?” Starfall asked as Peach Blossom stared warily at Discord.
“Nope” Pinkie Pie chimed with a smile.
================================================= [ Front porch]
“Honestly the look on his face was priceless. Trixie has not been that amused in a long time.” Trixie chuckled getting a small laugh from Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy, Twilight just rolled her eyes
“Honestly what did he expect when offering a boon like that?” Twilight asked looking up to watch the stampede of foals rush across the yard with Pip, Beryl, Berry, Trevor, and the disaster Trio in hot pursuit of the little horde. Starfall's foals, Dash's, Fluttershy's and Oranges along with the royal foals were running rampant in the orchard. Dawn was absent as she was trying to beg apple fritters from Big mac along with Bleu and Spike while the large stallion and and Button Mash talked tech.
“He was trying to be noble I'm sure. I don't think he expected us to take advantage of it.” Trixie smiled. “Particularly when all that Octavia wanted was increased funding to be able to bring in more students on scholarships. He probably would have set something like that up with out it being a boon.”
“Of course then you have to get sneaky and just ask him to 'leave your son alone.'”Twilight smirked. “ I bet he thought you were asking him to go light on one of the recruits.”
“Indeed. Did you see the pictures Luna took when he finally found out who Trevor Lulumoon was?” Trixie asked pulling a few pictures from her saddlebag and offering them to Dash and Fluttershy, both of whom nearly choked with laughter. The image showed Jer'rahd looking stunned speechless as Trevor arrived to ask out Berry.
“By the stars that is priceless, can I get a copy of this to hang on the wall!!?” Rainbow Dash cackled.
“How are those two doing any way?” Fluttershy asked .
“Quite well it seems. Trevor was particularly nervous upon hearing about Jer'rahd's reaction to those dating his daughters. Imagine my poor colts surprise when nothing happened during the first meeting or any other ones. Quite a boost of confidence to him, he did need that.” Trixie sighed taking a sip of her cider. “ I doubt we will be worried about wedding bells from those two for a while, but there is the possibility. In a few years at least.”
“Didn't Trevor hatch a dragon egg as well?” Twilight asked. “ I don't see Flail any where.”
Trixie sighed and lifted up a large purple and star studded magicians hat that she had set on the table. It had been a long time since she wore it, though she figured if she was going to try and tour again now that Trevor had moved out , perhaps she should at least wear it around a little bit. Under the hat was a small green dragonling. The little thing hissed and climbed back up into the hat as far as she could yanking down the brim to hide herself once more.
“She's younger than Beryl still and very skittish around company. Still she's getting slightly better. “ Trixie looked in the hat.” Flail, do you want to come out and say hello?”
“No.” a wispy voice from inside the hat said.
Trixie shrugged as Twilight and the others smiled.
“Oh yeah what did Lyra do with her boon any way?” Rainbow Dash asked getting a small wince from Both Twilight and Trixie.
“Let's just say she took a ridiculous idea she had and ran with it......” Twilight explained.” ...Hard.”
======================================================== [One year ago.]
The thundering sound echoed through the streets of the Ponyville district. The crash of steel and metal on stone echoed almost as loudly as the booming that shook her shop.
Bon Bon groaned as she caught a fancy silver candy dish before it bounced off the counter for the second time. Setting it in a more secure place the part time secret agent stepped outside her shop looking around to see what the noise was. One hoof poking into a nearby umbrella stand her foreleg twirling in it lightly to gather the wires hidden on the inside. Just in case.
Looking down the street she was greeted to the sight of a few hundred heavily armored ponies in Guard armor marching in formation down the main street of town. As the first few rows of them passed by her shop the entire regiment snapped their heads to the side to look at her and salute in a crisp movement before continuing past down the street.
The thundering booms grew louder though it was some what dimmed by the loud music performed by a group of Changelings in a marching mad ringed by what seemed to be circus performers milling about launching gluts of confetti and fireworks into the sky. More than a few of them flashed with green fire, changing race and costumes on the fly as they cavorted around the band. The music seemed just noise at first until Bon Bon noted it was to the tune of The Rarities song ,' Holding out for a hero' , one of her favorites, though she wasn't sure she liked the big band version of it.
Behind the performers was another regiment of Guards though this time they were the Gallopagos Guard. Black and purple armor worn by large burly Kirin was far more intimidating that the Royal Guard that had passed before, though unlike the Royal Guard The Gallopagos Guard was not a policing force and primarily were only fully armored like this when ready for combat. Like the regular guard they all snapped their gaze to her, saluted and kept going without breaking formation.
A shadow fell over the store as a massive airship slowly glided overhead, cannons along the sides spraying out fireworks and streamers as Griffons and what looked to be Wonderbolts flew around the massive ship leaving trails of brightly colored smoke in their wake raining glitter and streamers down onto the town in a shower t6hat would take months to get rid of.
Bringing up the rear was a titanic beast that dwarfed even the airship. The six eyed monster seemed some what draconic, but it was hard to tell with the vast amount of gaudy decorations that were covering the Beast. The thundering foot falls were the creature doing it's best not to step on anything or anyone as it walked through town.
The creature itself paused before the Sweet Tooth candy shop looking down at Bon Bon with it's five red eyes and one green one and gave an exasperated sigh before turning so that the mare could see the massive banner along it's side.
The banner read ' Bon Bon will you marry me?'
Sitting on top of the beast waving furiously at her was a mint green unicorn.
“How the heck did I miss that?” Rainbow Dash gasped.” All that glitter in the gutters confused me for days.....”
“You were in the hospital having your second foal.” Twilight added rubbing her temples with a hoof.
“Oh... that explains the booming. I though Mac was just pacing in the hall again.” Dash admitted.
“Well she did want a unique proposal. I doubt there are many who can say that they rode a legendary beast with the armies of four nations in parade dress leading the way to the proposal.”Trixie muttered.” How many favors did he have to call in for that?”
“Not many actually. Luna and her Changelings were highly amused with the idea. Regent Dusty wanted to show off the Jupiter some more. The Gallopagos Guard were given three weeks leave for participating. The Wonderbolts were easily bribed with Jer'rahd's stash of the Sweet Apple Cider. The Royal Guard only went along with it on Celestia's orders because she wanted to be the one to decorate The Beast in the most gaudy way possible. Thankfully she ran out of time before finding a pink tutu big enough.” Twilight explained.
“Umm I hate to point it out , but didn't they do a big parade thing like that in that Aladdin story?” Fluttershy asked.
“Oh yeah Zap and I went to see that a couple days ago, they made a film out of it.
Twilight and Trixie looked at each other then back to Fluttershy.
“Please never bring that up to Lyra, Fluttershy.” Twilight sighed as Trixie face hooved..
“Some what surprised to find you out here sister.” Celestia commented walking past the fence posts and looking over the well maintained grave site.
There really were not many graves. A stone apple tree statue stood just outside the fenced in area, carved with the names of Apple family members at least two thousand years back. The main graves here were for Jer'rahd's parents and grandparents, Rhede and Velkorn and recently Granny Smith. Applejack's parents were buried together under one of the farms larger Apple trees along with the rest of the Elder Apples that had first settled the farm. There were other graves here for the Pelts, but no one but Jer'rahd really knew who beyond those who had been killed during Silverclaw's attack on the gala..
Luna glanced back at Celestia and smirked a bit before looking down at the graves of her two lost friends a last time before trotting over to meet her sister.
“While I do not visit to regal them with all that has happened as Jer'rahd does, I do try to make it a point to let them know how their daughter is doing. “Luna explains.” Speaking of which I notice that Sunshine is still in Canterlot with Starcloud. Should we to be calling you granny Tia soon?”
“Pffft, not likely. I have held that hope before only to have it dashed when she returned home for a good thirty years before seeing him again. I find that more of a relief than anything else. Star Cloud is older than me. The Sibete Emperium was a bar in Canterlot before I ascended.” Celestia sighed.”It has always been a favorite spot for off duty Guards.”
“He isn't a bad pony... err Zebra. He was the only one aside from the two of us, Jer'rahd, and Three Bear to attend Ruin's funeral.” Luna commented.
“Mm I suspect Ruin was his father to be honest, but he won't say.” Celestia sighed. “ But onto other things. How are you holding up after your husbands trickery? I can banish him to the moon if you like?”
“Fie on that. He'd probably spend his time there carving a rude message directed at you into the surface. My moon already has scorch marks around her edges she doesn't need a insulting comment directed at your flank on her as well.”
“Twilight's moon you mean.” Celestia chuckled.
“Nope. I was there first by right of discovery. I claimed it in my name. Twilight just steers it.” Luna stuck her tongue out at her sister.
“Fine, though that doesn't answer the question.” Celestia chuckled.
“No I’m fine. To be honest I accepted Scootaloo and Pip were going to be together quite a while ago, I just kept getting caught up in the swing of things along with Soarin and recalling the little patchwork foal that we could scoop up with one wing. Besides with what Trixie pulled on Jer'rahd I would say we were even. Besides I can still torment Diamond Tiara when Brush isn't looking.”
“I notice she's not here again. Perhaps you have pushed her too far?” Celestia asked as the pair started walking back towards the farm.
“No, it's because of Applebloom. She's still terrified of her and Applebloom's spouses do not make it any easier. That is abridge that I feel will never be rebuilt no matter what is done.”
“Ah well, where is her herd any way. Aside from Drakast and Flowing Stream I’ve not seen any other Elk.” Celestia pondered.
“Not sure myself, though Jer'rahd did say that they all needed to return to their homelands at some point in order to take care of the arrangements to move here fully. Equestria is going to have three fully sovereign nations inside her borders soon. “ Luna sighed. “ I cannot imagine the paperwork.”
“Elk, Changelings, and Kirin. One restored to it's former power, one turned to a force for good and one grown up enough to become their own people. Though the Changelings do not have their own homeland yet if I am not mistaken.” Celestia sighed.” Things have changed rapidly in recent years. I certainly hope they calm down soon. There's been too much excitement as is.”
“Heh, we are working on that. But regardless in ten years Shin and Elusive will be taking over the Changeling and Kirin races. Jer'rahd and I will be stepping back into advisory rolls for a while when they do. Glimmer will likely take over some duties in the Crystal Empire. Talon will take over as the sole remaining God of the Griffons, despite being a Hippogryph. Which only leaves Dawn and Rynthia without kingdoms of their own.”
“Perhaps, though I do not see Dawn as the sort who would want to rule and Rynthia has claim on the throne of the Zebralands.” Celestia pointed out. Though I expect she will want nothing to do with it much like her mother and grand niece...aunt.... how would Sunshine be related to Rynthia? Baelit was Velkorn's nephew, second cousin maybe?”
“Her brothers have a claim as well.” Luna spoke up nodding to a group gathered by the edge of the orchard. A large Zebra stallion was talking with one of Applebloom's husbands, Drakast. The dark Elk seemed to be rather interested in the conversation that had something to do with the apple tree they were standing by. Fox had grown massive like his father, the half zebra was the size of Big Mac already and still had a few years of growth left in him. By contrast his brother Wolf, who was speaking to the other Elk from Appleblooms herd, Flowing Stream, seemed to have taken after his brothers namesake, being much smaller and more wiry, though no less sturdy. The pair of them seemed to be discussing the Elk's archery using their antlers. Wolf looked more like a Zebra than his brother did , though he had his fathers charm and as he came of age he was not in the slightest bit afraid to use it. Fluttershy had already explained the trouble he cause last hearts and hooves day, having to flee from nearly every filly, and some older mares in town. There were a few who seemed more drawn to Fox, though the quiet giant never admitted if he liked any of them or not.
“I can see Wolf perhaps using that for his own ends, but not actively taking the responsibility. I doubt Fox will ever leave the farm. He's too much like Big Mac.” Celesta pointed out. “Wolf is very much like Rhede”
“You are only saying that because he was flirting with you.” Luna chuckled. “I have it on good authority that he flirts with every mare. And yet he still has a mare already who he seems obsessed with.”
“Oh, I thought he was still a bit too young for that yet. Is it any pony we know?” Celestia smirked. The twins were only going onto their thirteenth birthday this year.
“I suppose so. Whispering Wind.” Luna stated.
“Why does that name sound familiar?” Celestia considered.
“Because she's the Windigo ambasador.” Luna smirked as Celestia slapped her forehead with a hoof.
“Seriously?” Celestia sighed, both of them pausing to watch the herd of foals rampage past them followed by their guardians.
“Don't even try to start a conversation about age difference. Besides it's a good bit yet before he is an adult. Perhaps by that time he won't be as interested.” Luna smiled. “ Have you spoke to Sunset?”
“No.” Celestia sighed. “She seems content to pretend I don't exist and I’m willing to allow her that. Though I am rather still rather annoyed at Jer'rahd for using her against me.”
“You set your own self up for that Tia. She and Berry should both be graduating college in a year or two. She honestly is like a female version of Jer'rahd at times with her dislike for stupid things, nobles and her temper. Still she has adapted well and doesn't seem intent on trying to take over Equss any more..... mostly. The only real issue we have with her right now is that despite Berry's working with her, she's still quite antisocial. Well, that and she seems to prefer mares over stallions.”Luna shrugs.
“That's an issue?”
“The antisocial is fine. Her prefrence is an issue only because Jer'rahd and I cannot decide which of us will get to torment her mare friend when she gets one.” Luna grinned.
“Of course.”Celestia rolled her eyes. “That is nearly all of your foals now. Orange is married with a foal of her own and she's running Velkorn General in the Empire. Pip has married Scootaloo though both of them are still Guards ponies first and foremost. Berry and Trevor are getting along well, and Brush and Diamond Tiara are engaged now?”
“Yes....” Luna growled a little.”Sunset isn't seeing any one and both Rynthia and Dawn are too young yet.”
“I shudder to think of what might happen when those two reach a dating age.” Celestia muttered.
“Jer'rahd has spoke of reminding everyone why he's a Potential Disaster Rating of one when that happens.” Luna sighed.
“Oh dear... well at least we have about eight to ten years to prepare for that.” Celestia admitted.”I'm already working on the emergency plans for when Elusive starts dating.”
“Why would you be working on a plan for it? “Luna asked.” I figured you would be causing some one else to need to plan?”
“I've had one foal enter the dating scene already. I'm fairly prepared for it. Twilight on the other hoof.....” Celestia sighed.”Let's just say Jer'rahd might loose his standing as most overprotective parent if she uses even half the plans she came up with.”
“Don't tell him that. He'll turn it into a competition.”
[ Near the parked airship, Storm Cloud, in the east field. The old Crusader Club House ]
“... All I’m saying is I'm glad Pip's mom isn't in charge of dream watching any more or I’d never get any sleep.” Scootalloo sighed tapping a loose floorboard with a hoof.
“I think I'd rather have that than Button's mom. “ Sweetiebelle grumbled. “Every time I talk to her she manages to steer the conversation towards grand foals.”
“I've had three of mah five's mothers try to murder me and Drakast's mom actually tried tah feed me to her pet spider.” Applebloom growled dusting the cobwebs out of the corner of the club house rafters.” Not all tha Elk want peace among tha tribes. Drakast's tribe thinks they've been at war with the surface dwellers for generations.”
“I ain't in this fight, Silver's ma is pretty cool.” Babs added looking over a a large picture drawn on the club house wall that seemed to be of a large white mare surrounded by snow.
“She showed up front row at a concert along with my mother to hold up a banner suggesting foal names.....” Sweetiebelle grumbled.
Applebloom, Babs, and Scootaloo all looked at the mortified Sweetiebelle and shook their heads.
“Yah know what, you win this, my in laws jus try ta kill me tha normal way.”Applebloom muttered.” Not from murderous embarrassment.”
“Yeah most I get is a Changeling or two watching my every move.” Scootaloo muttered. “ Right Thorax?”
There was a muted gasp before one of the club house bean bag chairs sprouted four black carapaced limbs and walked out of the club house scattering beans all over the place.
“That happen a lot?” Babs asked.
“Thorax isn't really that good at disguises, but he's good at hiding. Gossamer better but I still notice her.” Scootaloo grinned.
“ Pip's moms keeping that close a tabs on yah?” Babs asked.
“Ehh.” Scootaloo shrugged.
“Any way glad to see they kept the old clubhouse in shape. I guess Wolf and Fox are using it more than the others nowadays.” Sweetiebelle commented “Wonder if we should gift it to the new Element's of Harmony.”
“Ehh right now it's Fox and Wolf's. Butterscotch, Apple Blossom, and, Dandelion gave it to them, just like mai sister gave it to us.” Applebloom commented. “Sides, it's better if it stays in use with who ever lives on tha farm. Much as I miss it, this ain't my home any more.”
“I've got an airship sleeping on the ground feels weird now.” Sweetiebelle admitted.
“Ah live in Manehatten, that ain't changing.” Babs chuckled.
“I'm Guard, where I lay my head is home.” Scootaloo shrugs.
“Specially if it's on Pipsqueak huh?” Applebloom grinned.
“Least I don't have to worry about forgetting who I'm married to.” Scootaloo retorts.
“That was ONCE!” Applebloom shouted.
“Yeah once, at your own wedding.” Scootaloo chimed.
“Consarnit I told you ah got my notes mixed up, Elk languages ain't all as easy to learn as tha Whitetail language was!” Applebloom shouted back.
Sweetiebelle giggled as the two continued to bicker. She glanced over to Babs who also had a smile on her face, before sighing.” I missed this.”
“Ah'm waiting for you lot to start a fight over who's gonna have a foal first.” Babs giggled.
Scootaloo's ears perk up at that and she grinned turning away from Applebloom.
“I think I might have won that one already.” Scootaloo stated getting looks of shock from all the other Crusaders and a cardboard box marked 'oranges' that had just snuck back into the club house.
======================================== [ New Canterlot, Platinum school of music. ]
“ So I’ve finished going over those notes Princess Sparkle sent us Tavi”
The stallion speaking was a dark blue furred Pegasus with a dark purple mane and tail. His cutie mark was a white line of music across his flank, they made up several notes of the the guitar solo in one of Pontera's more well known songs about working retail. Jacob had earned it after he wrote the song for the first time, years before he had the courage to actually play it as Bloodmoon.
Octavia smiled as he walked over to her kissing her lightly on the cheek as he set the paperwork down on the desk before moving beside her chair to point a few of them out with a feather tip.
“Thank you Jacob. Was there anything we can use?” Octavia smiled.
“Some things perhaps. A lot of it is little more than chamber music that has been passed down for a long time. There's a few sea shanties in there that I’ve never seen and a couple of near complete pieces that I really would like to see revised for a modern group.
Octavia chuckled. Jacob was still particularly shy, though he had become more open with her in recent years, and while she could never get him to teach, he was the best on her staff and reading and writing music. Even without the staff position he had a contract with both Sapphire Shores and Sweetiebelle to write songs for them. His brother Nico however had taken to teaching rather well. Nico was loud and boisterous even without his Black hole Sun costume and the fact he could play anything that any one even told him was a instrument with moderate to expert skill, allowed him to teach a number of different classes.
The time Jacob really shined however was with new compositions, such as the ancient sheets of music Twilight had found in a number of the books she had gained from the Library of Tamberlane. The rumor of the music was enough to draw the attention of any one worth their salt in the music field. Octavia's appointment to oversee anything music related by the Princesses, the Regent of Gallopagos, the Dragon Empire, and the Griffon Kingdom as well as the fact she was considered a personal friend by the current ruler of the Changelings, certainly helped with that as well.
The idea that she had been worried about building her reputation on anothers accomplishment seemed silly now. The school may have been built with help from anothers legacy, but it was the work she was doing now that would cement the future of music in Equestria, perhaps even Equss. She had already been asked to open new Schools in the Zebralands, the Griffon Kingdom, and of all places, the Diamond Dog Warrens. Bleu was already working with the Dragon Lands school set up, but she was rather miffed there seemed to be very few musically inclined Dragons.
“Tavi?!”
“Hmm?” Octavia blinked looking up at Jacob's concerned face.
“Are you alright you kinda zoned out on me.”
“It's fine. Reminiscing a little on the past years.”
“I thought you were supposed to only do that when you get old?”
“I am old....”
“Don't start this again Tavi, you didn't win the argument last time you said that.” Jacob smiled.
“Fine...... Don't worry, mares have been having foals for centuries and they have been fine.”
“Yes well. We haven’t” Jacob sighed before dipping his head down to put his ear against her belly as the gray mare protested. “Hey I think I hear something.”
“Jacob you goof, that is the daisy salad I had for lunch digesting, you are not going to hear anything with me barely a month along.” Octavia fussed.
=========================================== [ Las Pegasus, sea side.]
Shining Armor shifted in his chair with a sigh. The sun beat down heavily on him as he lounged in the chair in a pair of sunglasses and bright blue swim trunks. His magic griped a coconut with the top cut off to use as a cup. There were all sorts of straws and umbrellas sticking out of it, though he really didn't care how it looked, it was quite tasty.
It had taken a bit of time to get everything situated no matter how often this vacation had been promised. But now for a solid month he was going to be doing little more than lounging on the beach.
A small smirk crossed his face as he heard giggling along with splashing. Lifting his head up a little he could see a number of young mares out playing in the water splashing each other as they chased after a beach ball. Shining smiled a little, sun ,sand, surf, and scantily clad mares. This truly was a nice trip.
“Seeing something you like?” A female voice spoke up from behind him with a air of menace in it. He tilted his head back to see the muzzle of a pink pegicorn that was staring down at him. She was in a swim suit that matched the color of his, though it wasn't quite as revealing as the ones the mares in the water wore.
“I do now.” He smirked looking at her over the top of his sunglasses and grinning.
“Clever boy.....” Cadence purred taking a sip from his drink as she settled in next to him.
“Wow that was actually a rather nice movie.” Bon Bon spoke. “ Would would have thought a retelling of a old book could have turned out to be that enjoyable particularly with how much music was in it.”
Lyra didn't respond as she walked with her fiancee out of the theater. While the theater in the Ponyville district of New Canterlot wasn't new, neither of them had time to visit it yet. Of course the only movies showing were action flicks, romance flicks, and a documentary on spatulas. The pair had gone to see an animated one, which was basicly just drawings flipped though really fast and colored. It had turned out to be a good story.
“I didn't know Robin Whinnyams would be that fitting for the role. I thought he was just a standup comedian.” Bon Bon added again glancing to Lyra with a bit of worry.
The movie had started with a few previews and a small series of shorts that were songs by famous musicians set to small mini movies or dance numbers. Bon Bon had not been thrilled to see most of her fight with Bray on the screen as Sweetiebelle sang, but given the look of the costume it looked like Sweetiebelle was doing the fighting not Bon Bon.
“Rather catchy songs too right?” Bon Bon asked.
Lyra remained silent though she growled lightly.
“And that parade sequence after he asked to be a prince so he could try and date Jasmine, that was a lot like the parade you did when you proposed. Did you see this movie before?” Bon Bon questioned as Lyra sat down shaking in place her eyelid twitching as she bit her lower lip.
“FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF.....” Lyra growled throwing her head back into the air to scream out.
Leagues away birds were startled from their perches in trees and a number of mothers slapped their hooves over their foals ears looking around for who was shouting such profanity.
============================================== [ Sweet Apple Acres]
“Are you sure about this Trixie?” Luna asked taking a small sip of the lemonade.
“You doubt Trixie's skill?” Trixie scoffed.
“In entertaining of course not. But it has been what eighteen years now, nineteen?” Luna counted.” You are not the young mare you used to be.”
“Trixie is far from old.” Trixie growled.
“You also haven’t lifted more than a few books in that time. Can you still pull a wagon?” Luna added.
Trixie frowned sitting back in the porch rocking chair staring out across the field. She had given this a lot of thought after the Tamberlane incident. She wanted to get back on the road, to travel again. To put on the shows and hear the awe and excitement of the crowds. She wanted to go back to that, it was never about the money, she could have that just sitting around in the Golden Oaks Library. Still Luna was a friend now, the group of them that had been trapped together had wound up growing a bit closer and she wasn't about to disregard the advice of some one who had been around as long as Luna had, particularly since she had that hive mind thing.
“You are leading me some where with this line of questioning Luna.” Trixie sighed noting Luna's smile.” Just spit it out.”
Luna didn't respond and simply floated a flier over to the mare. Trixie took it looking over the ad for a moment.
“Interesting,” the blue mare stated. “ Are they even hiring?”
“Pinkie Pie is one of the owners, it shouldn't take much to convince her to give you a chance. There are already a few Changelings working there who I could ask to give a recommendation. While they have a set pattern they travel around Equestria they also journey into the Crystal Empire and Gallopagos. You would be able to visit both your son and your mother rather often given their rotation of being in both places at least once a year before a three month break. This would keep you from traveling alone as they are well protected with their own guards and plenty of stage hooves and others to help you along if you need it. Pinkie has said the event is like a small mobile city into itself.”
“Pinkie Pie fun Fair, hmmm? I have heard of it but I never put the two together.” Trixie chuckled.
“It's mostly called the Pie Fair in recent years, but yes images of Pinkie Pie are also used as the 'you must be this tall' signs. She 's practically the mascot of the whole thing as well as being one of the owners.” Luna stated.
“It bears looking into .” Trixie admitted as Luna smiled.
“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” Rainbow Dash screamed tearing around in a circle her mouth wide open tears streaming down her face as she screamed.
Jer'rahd and Apple Jack both sighed before Apple Jack put a large bucket of milk on the table causing Rainbow Dash to run over and dunk her whole head in it.
Peach Blossom smirked.”That's twenty bits or a back rub you owe me.”
“I coulda sworn she could would have managed it. The mare puts liquid rainbow on her hay fries.” Starfall cursed.
“Jer'rahd found out early on that liquid rainbow was rather bland for his taste.” Luna grumbled dipping a chip into the bowl of non flammable chilli in front of her.
Twilight winced a little looking over at Celestia, Dawn, Bleu, Jer'rahd, Pinkie Pie, Discord and Scootaloo all were enjoying the pain based Chilli Jer'rahd had made. Discord and Celestia were sweating a bit and Pinkie Pie paused every so often fanning her tongue or spitting out a bit of fire, but none of the others seemed even the slightest bit heated.”I could melt iron with that stuff.”
“That's why the pot is crystal.” Luna responded frowning as Scootaloo finished her bowl then ran around chasing Pip trying to kiss him. The colts survival instincts kicked in and he chose to run instead.
“So what's this I hear about you retiring?” Applebloom asked looking over at Luna, trying to ignore the fact that three of her Elk husbands were currently sitting off to the side with bread stuffed in their mouths after little more than a taste of the chilli. Drakast had tasted some and simply wasn't fond of it , but he hadn't been burned either.
Bleu had asked Spike to try some but he had held up scroll written by him in the future that simply read 'don't'.
“That is the plan. Jer'rahd and I have decided on a bit of a Equss tour once Shin and Elusive are old enough to take over the duties. We are hoping to find somewhere we can set up a kingdom for the Changelings. I know the Crystal Empire was founded by the first Changeling Queen, but the Crystal Ponies took that over and they have just as much right to it. I want to find them their own homeland.” Luna explained.
“Solid plan. With all tha Elk coming inta Whitetail now ah've got a ton of new maps of tha outer sea and tha lands beyond it. Equss is a lot bigger place than ah first thought. Even Trotkyo's barely further away than going one side of Equestria to tha other.” Applebloom explained. “ Ah don't think any one's actually bothered mapping tha whole place yet.”
“There was one pony who flew around Equss in a blimp about three hundred years ago. It took him over a year to circle the world.” Celestia added from nearby, wiping her face off with a towel. “While I am not a fan of the hydra meat used in this , other wise this is fairly tasty. Seems Kaisur can do something right.”
“Bite me sun butt.” Jer'rahd growled scooping out another chip full of the chilli from his bowl. “ But yeah I’m surprised I got it right the first time. Specially since I used a bit of that spice Berry made for me. What did she call it, cap tin? Caprisun?”
“Capsicum dad.... and it's dried pain in crystal form.” Berry calls out from the other side of the table. The young mare was turning out to be an expert in anything related to crystals. Pinkie Pie and Maud had even got her working on new flavors of crystal rock candy for them.
“Adds a nice burn.” Bleu added.
“In any event I would appreciate the help Applebloom. We are pretty much going to be traveling blind for the most part.” Luna stated.
“S'more fun that way.” Jer'rahd added before the door burst open and everyone in the room turned to look at a heavily panting Soarin who dramaticly pointed a hoof at Luna and Jer'rahd.
“Your foul spawn has corrupted my innocent daughter!!” Soarin shouted, given this was his usual proclamation of greeting or something like it, since the wedding, most every one ignored him and even Spitfire simply pushed him out of the way as she came in behind him.
“This the hot stuff?” Spitfire asked pointing to a pot, when Jer'rahd nodded she filled up a bowl of it and took a seat.
“How dare you....” Luna responded to Soarin, just as serious about the matter as the Pegasus was. “ Pip is a sweet innocent colt, or was before he met your daughter.
“ Then why has that foul abomination foisted his spawn onto my daughter!?!?” Soarin bellowed.
Every one blinked and looked over to Spitfire who was happily munching on the hot chilli. The orange mare blinked noting that every one was looking at her.” Oh right, Scootaloo's pregnant.”
Every one suddenly looked over to where Pip and Scootaloo were. Pip looked like he was seeking a quick exit while Scootaloo turned to glare at Sweetiebelle who quickly pointed at Applebloom.
The half Elk grinned like a fool before speaking.”Remember when ya tried tah set me up with Rumble and how bad that all went. Ah told yah ah'd get yah back.”
“That was over twelve years ago!” Scootaloo swore as Applebloom laughed.
“This is an outrage!” Luna cursed,” Your daughter clearly vamped him into this!!”
Spitfire glanced over at Jer'rahd leaning over to speak so that he could hear over the two shouting ponies.
“Welcome to being a grandpa.” Spitfire chuckled.”You know he only gets like this when Luna is around.”
“Congratulations to you as well grandma Spitfire. I already am a grandpa thanks to Orange, but I’m okay with another one. Luna's the same really, I don't think she even has a issue with the marriage.” Jer'rahd responded with a smirk. “I'd say we congratulate them, but Pip seems to have taken the opportunity to flee along with Scootaloo.”
“Smart foals, this is getting ridiculous any way. Chilli's pretty good, try adding some different types of beans next time for a bit of texture.”Spitfire suggested.
“Hmm, I’ll have to remember that.” Jer'rahd nodded as the pairs spouses continued to argue.
A hushed silence hung over the crowd. There were small murmurers here and there though they were barely loud enough to register over the clack of hooves on the cobblestone road. Silence took over completely as two figures came into sight down the road.
The first was an amber maned unicorn with gray fur. He bore countless scars over his well muscled frame and many of his wounds had scabbed over with orange scales, though he had a number of them predominately around his chest, face, and the base of his horn, marks of a warrior who never let the enemy see his tail to strike at it. His split hooves were also graced with orange scales as was his long serpentine tail that swayed behind him, ending in a tuft of amber hair. His red and green eyes shifted over the gathered crowd as he walked down the cities main road, a harness draped over his shoulders holding a dark double bladed sword with a faint curve to it and a deep blue wrap around the middle of it. Though he was not a proper Kirin there were few of the race who did not accept him as one. There were a few nods of respect for his work and life and a number of salutes from the gathered crowd, though most eyes were on his companion.
Towering over the unicorn, the other figure was taller at horn tip than Princess Celestia. The pure white stallion strode with the same confidence as the Regent of Gallopagos next to him. His jet black mane was pulled back into a neat ponytail that hung over his shoulder, the black scales around his hooves and face glimmering in the sunlight. His blue eyes remained focused straight ahead as the pair walked towards their destination.
The gray unicorn stopped at the edge of the market square watching as the white Kirin advanced towards the center of the road. The young stallion offered a glance back at the older one who had paused getting a nod in return. Turning away, the large Kirin fixed his gaze on what was before him.
The fence had been removed from around it recently, the fresh earth where the fence posts had been barely having the time to dry out before he arrived. Aside from that though it was other wise the same as he recalled it had been from his foal hood. The weapon rested as it had since it's former owners death, embedded in a swath of solidified molten rock. He turned his head slowly looking down the street and out over the bay to the pure white monument that rose up from the water there before looking back at the black spear embedded in the street.
He took a step closer craning his head out and baring his fangs briefly as he clamped his teeth around the haft of the weapon. The large Kirin let out a small breath and drew his head back.
The spear slid out of the stone with a almost musical note as he did so.
The crowd of Kirin gathered around erupted into a volcano of cheering and screaming as the Kirin's magic took the spear and held it aloft for the crowd.
The cheers died down as a booming voice rose over the crowd forcing them to silence as the gray unicorn behind him spoke.
“Kirin of Gallopagos, as your .. now former, regent it is my pleasure to present to you your new Lord. “Jer'rahd bellowed. “ Elusive Lion Heart Reignolds.”
The crowd erupted into a near riot at that point.
================================================
“Oh wow......”
“Lovely isn't it? It reminds me of my old cottage.”
“It was your old cottage ma, I just had it fixed up further.” Dandelion stated. “Given how Doc Brown retired a long while ago, any pony with any issues would have to go up to Canterlot proper to find a vet. When you sold it to move to the farm it was purchased by the Bluebloods and was gonna be leveled to put in some sort of shops or condos or something. With everything that happened the land was never touched and Uncle Jer'rahd gave it to me as a graduation present.”
Fluttershy blinked.”I had no idea he had done that. I saw the construction on it a few months ago but you turned it into your office?”
“Yup, Apple Veterinary Clinic.” Dandelion grinned.” So what do you think cousin?”
The pink mare that had been walking with the pair of them giggled as she looked over the office her wings extended a little as a group of birds fluttered around her out stretched wings a group of bunnies and other small wood land creatures had come out of the forest and was moving around her hooves peering up at her curiously. Her long blue hair flowed around her form, her blue eyes danced in amusement at all the little critters flocking around her.
Her companion was slightly less amused by the swarm of animals. The large blue crystal dragonfly chittered angrily from atop her head fanning it's wings and trying to shoo the birds away from it.
“Galway relax, they are not going to hurt you.” Glimmer Sparkle chuckled.” it looks wonderful Dandelion. I'm glad you managed to get it.
Fluttershy giggled at the mares predicament as a host of the wild animals flocked around her excitedly, while not as many as those that had gathered around Fluttershy it was more than Dandelion had attracted, thought he colt was currently running a hoof over a bear cubs back while the mother watched close by. Like Fluttershy, Glimmer seemed to understand what the animals were saying instinctively, Dandelion could as well to a degree, though he had issue with field mouse and bunny still. Growing up the pair of them hadn't interacted much though once they both showed interest in veterinary medicine the pair became closer, real cousins or not. The Apple/ Pelt/ Kaisur/ Blueblood line was rather thinly plotted out, though with Jer'rahd related in some way to the Bluebloods and the Apples and with Cadence being of Blueblood decent as well it was easier just to call all the little ones cousins.
“It's wonderful Dandelion. Let me know if you need any help with anything. I'm still going through the classes but the Crystal Empire has a bit more exotic set of fauna than mainland Equestria.” Glimmer giggled reaching up a hoof to scratch the Crystal Dragonfly on her head under it's chin.
Fluttershy smiled running a hoof though her mane, noting a much larger gathering of gray hairs mixed in with the pink and sighed happily. Despite her being Princess, Glimmer had a strong interest in veterinary medicine though she worked primarily with exotic creatures, or what some would consider exotic. She had started studying to help out a Tapir she had met and it snowballed from there. The pink princess took to veterinary medicine almost as well as Dandelion did and the two of them were often exchanging notes. While Glimmer could only take a few classes here and there between her royal duties, Dandelion had graduated and become an assistant in the Canterlot district for a year or two before opening his own clinic here in the Ponyville district.
Still while she was playing with the animals around her Fluttershy couldn't help but notice a dark blueish gray feather with a few flecks of white on it tied into Glimmer's mane just above her ear. While many would think it was a bird feather, Fluttershy knew better, there was a certain Hippogryph with that coloration she knew that the feather had to belonged to.
He rather wanted to strangle his parents. The moment he came of age to take over they had flown the proverbial coup shirking all their duties to him. Despite everyone, including him, knowing it was going to happen, it still irked him that the pair had retired dumped their work load on him then fled for the beaches in southern Equestria. His advisers admitted they were surprised the pair kept up with their duties this long.
Talon Strike Mist the Third was a rather imposing figure. His dark blue gray feathers were spotted with white, the underlying down beneath them was a pure white coloration giving the impression of a roiling storm cloud when he ruffled them. His black colored rear hooves were counter pointed by greyish silver Griffon claws in the front and a matching beak. He was a wall of muscle sired from equine and Griffon parents. While not as uncommon as it had once been the fact that he had been born a Hippogryph and a god confused a great many. That he was the only god the Griffon race had right now only made his situation even more confusing and irksome to the few hidebound birds that remained.
He had been trained by some of the best to take over, the ones who helped advise his parents when they were forced to lead the last of the Griffons to safety. Ten years later the new homeland was secure, the Harpies were no longer the great enemies of the Griffons, and relations with the Ponys were the best they had been in centuries.
He had been given the reigns of the burgeoning nation at a time of peace with few if little challenges left aside from maintaining the nations new postion on Equss. His parents had done better than many had ever hoped they would as regents.
Granted that basicly translated to more paper work than the dark blue gray Hippogryph had ever seen in his life.
Talon sighed pushing the stack of paperwork away from him, despite his intellect he felt it hard to focus most days. He knew why as well.
Pulling open the desk drawer he reached into it withdrawing a long box. Slowly opening it he reached in gently removing a single bright pink feather with a small blue lock of hair bound in a white ribbon at the base of the pinion. He let out a small sigh looking over the feather his tail swishing lightly behind him as he did his best to plan ahead to clear time to see her again as soon as he could.
The young stallion swallowed as the door swung open. The interior of the house was rather dark though he was certain this was the correct address.
“Hello?” The forest green Unicorn called out taking a careful step into the house his hooves thudding lightly on the wood.
About ten years ago this place had been a vacant lot in the middle of Ponyville owned by the Blueblood's, well Kaisur's now. A few years ago there had been a flurry of construction and a two story home had been built in the spot. The style of it was the same as a number of the older homes in Ponyville, at least the ones that survived the towns constant monster attacks.
The Unicorn wasn't concerned with that at the moment, he was more concerned with the fact this was the place his date had told her to come by to pick her up. A few of his friends had warned him that the attractive Kirin mare had a over protective father, but he doubted it was anything that he couldn't handle. There had been a few other mares he dated with the same issue and he had no trouble, why would this one be any different?
There was suddenly light in the dark room, though it was little more than a soft glow of blue. Blinking the stallion saw what looked to be some sort of pale blue flame flickering in the air in a crescent shape from the other side of the dark room. He blinked curiously his eyes opening wide as a glowing red eye opened above the smile like crescent shape, looking all the world like a ghostly grin.
“Hello colt....” a deep voice spoke, the sort of voice that spoke of terrible things to come.
The young stallion shrieked out at the sight of the ghostly apparition and took off like a shot, galloping out the door and screaming his fool head off.
As the colt rushed off the lights in the room came on showing a gray furred Kirin with orange scales sitting back in a chair on the far side of the room from the door. Laying across his lap was a curved blade of dark colored metal with a blue grip in the center.
Luna blinked wondering why the lights were off before noticing her husband sitting in his chair and sighed glaring at him.
“Jer'rahd?!? Did you scare off another one of Dawn's dates?” Luna chided from where she had turned on the lights..
“He seemed nice.” Jer'rahd grinned. “ He even closed the door behind him.”
“Honestly she's going to wind up an old maid if you keep running off her suitors like this.” Luna fussed yanking the Waning Moon from his lap with her magic and putting it back over the fireplace on the stand for it.
“I'm okay with that. Any way all I said was 'hello'.” Jer'rahd stated not able to hide his smile.
“DAWN YOUR FATHER SCARED OFF ANOTHER DATE!” Luna called out looking back as the mare in question came down the stairs.
Dawn had filled out rather nicely. She was nearly as tall as her mother now, her wings much larger now and fully capable of flight. Her form was still rather long and serpent like her legs still ending in fairly sharp claws more like a dragons than a ponies. Her fur was a shimmering gray, much like her fathers, but glossy rather than matte. Her hair was a bluish platinum coloration and was currently braided into two long tails that ran down over either shoulder. Her joints and around her muzzle were speckled with orange scales, again not unlike her fathers, though like her hair, her clear aqua eyes were almost an exact match for her mothers.
“Ehh.” Dawn shrugged.
“Ehh?” Luna asked. “ What do you mean ehh?”
“If they can't deal with daddy I’m not interested in them any way.” Dawn explained. “ I mean this one didn't even last four seconds before turning tail. Not interested in anyone that weak.”
Luna frowned as Jer'rahd cackled from his spot in the chair and even Dawn snickered.
“By the stars, please stop encouraging each other........” Luna sighed.
============================================
The heavy sound of armored hooves filled the sterile hallway. A few Zebras poked their heads out to see what was going on and causing all the noise their eyed widening at the sight.
Advancing down the corridor was a pair of massive scared Kirin, a male and a female, the purple, silver, and black armor they wore marking them as the Gallopagos Lunar Guard, one of the most feared and respected groups in Equestria. Every one of them was hoof picked by Lord Jer'rahd to serve as bodyguards for his foals. Even this far into the Zebralands everyone had heard of them each one of them was a PDR of at least three on their own.
Following behind the pair was another pair of red robed figures. Both of these were pony in shape, though covered with black carapace where their flesh was visible. The one on the left had a red mane and the one on the right had a blond mane and the pair were talking somewhat loudly with each other. Most knew the Changelings to be ambassadors by the red robes of office they wore, though a few with a bit more information were a little more frightened at this pair than the pair of Guards at the front. Both of them were dressed neck to hoof in the ambassador’s red, but both of them had their front left leg wrapped in black.
Even with the quartet before them it was the trio in the middle that drew the most attention.
Despite his age, King Kiongozi cut a imposing figure. The Zebra stallion's stripes and black mane had more gray in them now than before, though most of that was hidden by the rich purple robes he wore. He was in his eighth and what he claimed was his final term as King of the Zebralands. Despite a plethora of others running against him, everything he had done in the last thirty two years had been towards the betterment of the Zebralands. He ruled well through two wars and three invasions, managing to bolster and cement favorable relations with Equestia, The Diamond Warrens, Gallopagos, Neighlantis, The Crystal Empire, the Whitetail Elk and numerous others. He had put an end to centuries of persecution of those known as the Oryx, or the horned Zebras. He also set up a preserve and offered aid to the last tribe of the creatures known as Shadow Walkers that had been found. In short, unless the next election had some one rather impressive running Kiongozi might very well be written in the ballots to win a second time.
Next to him was a Oryx mare far younger than he was and much less richly dressed. She wore a simple doctors coat with a pair of old saddlebags covered with patches and decorations denoting various races symbols for 'doctor' and 'healer'. Her clear blue eyes danced over those present as she walked a red crystal horn poking up from her curly black mane that fell to her shoulders.
The mare was pushing a pony in a wheelchair before her, the Zebra mare was old enough to have been many of those watching the groups grandmother's grandmother. The small group advanced on though it seemed their ruler was arguing with the mare as the group made it's way towards the foals ward.
[“Honestly why not? I cannot get either of your brothers into the position. Wolf just laughs and Fox refuses to speak in anything more than a drawl of yeah or nope.”]
[“You have his uncle to thank for that. Fox rather idolizes Big Mac despite the fact he is now bigger than his uncle. If they pair of them told you no then what makes you think I would accept?” ] the mare snorted.
[“But you're the heir, the first Princess of the Zebralands.....”]
[“That was my aunt Sunshine, and she wants nothing to do with it either.”] The mare sighed.[“ You are doing quite a proper job here, why would you want me to come in?” ]
[“I'm not going to live forever Rynthia, unlike you. If you chose you could continue to make the nation better like the Princesses do.”] Kiongozi sighed. [“You could be the Queen Velkorn was, leading the Zebralands to boundless prosperity.”]
[“While I understand what you seek is for the good of all Zebra Kiongozi, I AM being the sort of Queen my mother wished me to be. The Specter of Life was not just a name she was given. She cared nothing for politics nor for ruling, her only love aside from my father was saving lives. Particularly those that most had given up on or were certain could not be saved. I can do that as well and I find it a far better use of my time than arguing with nobles about taxes and land grants. If you want a successor I would suggest speaking with the Princesses to see if their school has put out any prodigal politicians. Neither the Pelt, Apple, nor Kaisur family’s will be taking over the Zebralands any time soon.”] Rynthia snapped not fond of the way he brought her birth mother into the conversation. Ignoring the King she leaned over the wheel chair speaking rather loudly into the elder mares ear. [“ Miss Malaika are you ready?” ]
[“Certainly dear. I know my times short as it is so I’m happy to help in any way I can.”] the elder Zebra chuckled her smile showing only a few good teeth left.
[“I am glad you were willing to help Miss Malaika. There are not many who would be willing to do this.”] Rynthia smiled.
[“Pfft selfish lot they are then, just hope I’m good for more than one or two before I go.”] the mare smiled.
[“There are twenty three in the ward Miss Malaika. Your decision shall help all of them have a future.”] Rynthia nodded as the pair of them moved into the Foals ward.
[“Well now that's delightful, it's a perfect day for it too. Plus I got to meet the King.“] the old mare chuckled. [“ And even at his age he still has a nice flank.”]
The Guards and Ambassadors pulled up short at the door stopping Kiongozi as well from entering the room much to his annoyance.
[“Best not to go in there. It's a bit of a sad sight.”] The blonde Changeling Ambassador stated pointing up at the sign over the door.
Kiongozi blinked looking up as he read the sign over the door his eyes widening as he read the word 'Kifo' in the tag.
[“What....?”] the stallion stuttered.[“ This ward is for those that cannot be cured... what is she doing here?”]
[“It is Dr. Kaisur's power sire.”] The red maned Changeling stated. [“ She is able to heal any wound, any sickness, any injury. But there's a catch.”]
[“What do you mean a catch?”] Kiongozi asked.
[“When it comes to normal injuries and illnesses. Things that can be cured and treated by normal means she can do it with a touch. When it comes to incurable diseases, birth defects, deadly injuries ….. it's more of an exchange. “] The red haired changeling continued. [“ She can't take the sickness into herself, it has to go to some one else soon after it's drawn out of the patient and she cannot hold it long before it returns to where it was drawn from often much worse. That is what Miss Malaika volunteered for. There are twenty three foals in this ward who would be lucky to live to their next birthday for various reasons. Be it complications of their birth, sicknesses they have gained, or accidents. Miss Malaika is giving up what years she might have left to make sure those foals have a chance to live as long a life as she did.”]
The Zebra stallion paled pushing past the guards who let him through this time.
The room was deathly quiet, not even the sounds of the usual monitoring devices could be heard, though given the chances of them being little more than a constant hum, no one really wished to hear that noise.
Rows of beds lined the walls with faintly glowing boxes next to them flickering in time to heartbeats. Some of them were erratic, some of them were barely flickering at all. Kiongozi swallowed as he approached the wheelchair bound mare in the rooms center. Rynthia was looking over the first bed in the row, a very small bed.
[“Miss Malaikia?”] the stallion spoke quietly as he approached, the older mare. The Zebra matron turned to look up at him with a small smile.
[“Ahh you did follow. Do be a dear and stop bothering her about taking over. She's chosen her own path.”] Malaikia stated.
[“I didn't come to talk to her this time. I came to talk to you...” ] the King swallowed.
[“Oh ? Heard what's happening have you? Well don't bother to try and talk me out of it. My family’s had a nice little burial plot ready for me for years now, be a shame to let it go to waste. Besides, I've got three husbands and more than a few children and friends waiting for me when I go, kept them waiting long enough I suppose. Besides.” The elder mare looked at the beds her smile faltering. “It's too soon for them to be going. Most haven’t even lived yet. The little filly on the end there is six. Golden Rod. She was playing with some friends in a old building when it collapsed. Severed her spine just over her shoulders. She can't move anything at all.”]
The mare pointed to another bed, this one a crib with more medical devices around it than any others.
[“That little one hasn't even been named yet. His mother died in foal birth due to complications and no one knows who the father is. He's got a genetic thing... oh what did she say...”]
[“Degenerative bone disease, malformed lungs and a digestive track. The only thing strong in him is his heart. If he didn't have that he would not have been alive this long.”] Rynthia added. [“ Cloverfield Gospel was born with little brain activity and due to malformed spinal connection her brain can't tell her body to work properly. Whispering Pine was bitten by a spider while in her crib and half her chest had necropsied, far to much to heal normally at her young age. And that is just the tip of the iceberg Kiongozi. There are far worse than this.”]
[“But if she accepts all this she will die, you will be killing some one. Your mother would never do that!”]
A flash of light surrounds Rynthia as she touches the exposed limb of one of the foals, a glance to the monitor showed a marked improvement though the stasis spell on the bed kept the foal asleep. She moved to the next and repeated the process.
[“I am not my mother. If she had been able to do what I do her belief of no killing may well have been changed. She has also killed before several times, extenuating circumstances this is true, but she has still killed, thus violating the rule everyone thought she held most dear. There have been a few of use that have even speculated that had she lived to see me born I may have been killed by her as well. She was a traditionalist in that sense. The memories of the time when Zebra Gods enslaved everyone was not far off from her mind. She may have even seen no fault in the group my parents shut down not that long ago as she has been recorded as killing a infant Zebra god in the past. While I respect what she and my birth father have done, I am not so attached to ones I have never met to overlook their glaring faults.”]
Three more foals were bathed in light before she continued.
[“I was raised by the Kaisur family. Jer'rahd and Luna are my mother and father. From her I learned determination to do what is right regardless of what is thought and from him I have learned the stubbornness to stand against those who would stand before me. “] Rynthia touched another and moved to do the same for another five. [“ Miss Malaikia volunteered for this. I have not forced her, in fact I have tried to dissuade her several times, but I did make the offer. In my travels I have met many like her. Creatures willing to give up their own lives to save others. I refused many however I will not take a grieving mothers life for her child, that would leave the child with no one. But I have found ways.”]
Eight more were bathed in light before the mare continued.
[“You have met my Guards. I did not choose them, nor did my father. They all four volunteered to accompany me. Out of uniform, out of their robes they are all heavily scared, all of them damaged, yet none have seen combat. They all have in the past offered themselves to save the lives of others. Bastion has taken a weak heart from his sister. At his age he is better able to deal with it, though it may cut his life short in the long run, it will give her a chance to live. Fern has one lung and one kidney, the other is a atrophied slab of useless meat in her body. She had also given up any hope of having a foal of her own so that another may. The Changelings have given far more than that even, though with their unique bodies Boris and Natasha can heal most of the damage done to them by me, but even they are showing signs of wear. I cannot accept any of this pain and suffering into myself. I cannot, it is not how my magic works.”]
Five more were touched before the mare approached the older Zebra. [“ My father has suggested using criminals already sentenced and while I will not discount the possibility and I have done so when the healing will benefit their victims I do not use my power on the health of those who are not willing to offer it. Jer'rahd and the other gods cannot be touched by this side of my magic, though I can heal them if they are injured.“]
She looked down at the older mare who simply nodded.
[“Thank you Malaikia.”] Rynthia smiled leaning down to lightly kiss the mare on the forehead. A bright flash of light filled the room blinding Kiongozi briefly. When his eyes cleared all the monitors in the room were blinking steadily though the rise and fall of the old mares chest had ceased. Rynthia reached up placing her hoof over the mares eyes, closing them.
[“I am not a Specter of Life Kiogozi. I am the Daughter of Darkness and a Demon. I am the Bearer of the Element of Magic.”] Rynthia explained walking past him to the door to alert the nurses and the families that the foals were recovered enough to awaken, and to prepare Malaikia for burial. She paused looking back at him. [“If anything I am the scales that balance life and death. Without one the other cannot exist. I have no use for a kingdom. My calling is far more important than simple matters of state.”]
“I must agree Princess, what you are trying to do might not be possible.”
“Shush I didn't ask for your opinions on my plans I asked for them on how I look.” Shin grinned looking himself over in the large mirrors before her.
The Changeling colt ironically hadn't changed much as she grew older. He was still rather small particularly when compared to Queen Luna. Her wavy jade green hair flowed over his shoulders nearly reaching the floor, a crimson unicorn horn poking out of her temple parting the mane away from his face. Her amber eyes practically glowed as they regarded his image in the mirrors, her body twisting this way and that as he looked herself over. His frame was rather thin and androgynous, and she was quite certain he had a cute flank, burning crown cutiemark aside.
“Yes but both of them? At the same time? This is what sitcoms are made of!” One of her changeling retainers protested. Orb Weaver was a fairly bulky brown maned Changeling mare that had accidentally befriended the prince, now Queen. It was a long story that involved far more tree sap and glitter than any one not involved had a right to know about.
“And not a good sitcom either, more like a end of the show run where a secondary character jumps over a shark on skies or something.” the male retainer sighed. Kevin was what everyone thought of when they thought of a Changeling. A bug like pony covered with carapace with fangs and no mane or tail. The fact that he had been around a good while and had made enough friends to even be invited to the wedding of a pair of Donkeys in Ponyville right after the War of Gods was usually forgotten some how. Also they would both deny it but the pair were into each other enough that Shin could taste the love without trying.
“Pfft of course it would be if I wanted to keep each of them a secret from the other, but nope I want them both in on it too.” Shin chuckled.
“Really..... would Elusive go for that? I didn't think he was gay....” Kevin voiced.
“He's not. “ Shin practically purred, her voice much higher and her form considerably more feminine with traces of Kirin ancestry showing.
“So Rynthia's into mares?” Orb Weaver asked.
“Nope.” Shin commented with a much deeper voice, the Kirin aspects he had taken having faded and he had filled out considerably looking a more burly than feminine though his body had a few faded stripes around his limbs as if he was mimicking a Zebra ancestry now.
“I think I am lost then.” Kevin admitted.
“Look it's simple.” Shin explained with a chuckle, her form reverting to what he had been to start. “I'm in love with both of them and I'm gonna woo and marry both of them and they're gonna marry each other....”
“Is that legal?” Orb Weaver asked.
“I'm a Princess of the Crystal Empire, and God King of the Changeling Race. Rynthia's in line for the Zebra throne and she's Princess of the former Changeling Queen and the former Regent of Gallopagos. Elusive's God King of the Kirin and a Prince of Equestria. If it's illegal we can easily change the law.”
“Are they even that into you?” Kevin asked.
“Err....... there's the sticky part. I know they like each other and I know they both like me, but both of them are so damned serious all the time they would never go after each other for being too damn busy. Which is why they need me to be the middle mare and middle stallion. It's the old herd thing. And I know that's legal because Elder Applebloom's got like eight husbands and nine wives or something.
“Four Husbands one wife.” Orb Weaver corrected. “ And she's not that old.”
“Whatever, it's her title. The point is it can be done.” Shin stated.
“Who would even wear the pants in that relationship?” Kevin pondered.
“Hopefully no one.” Shin practically purred getting an eye roll from Orb Weaver and a slight flush from Kevin.
“You are missing the biggest issue here Shin. Their parents. Jer'rahd and Princess Celestia specificity. One has been plotting for years, waiting for a mare to take interest in Elusive and the other has a leagues long track record of terrifying his daughters dates.” Orb Weaver pointed out.
“Oh no, I have that figured out already.” Shin chuckled.
“Oh this I have got to hear.” Kevin chuckled.
“It's simple really. I tell Jer'rahd that Celestia was against me dating either of them it and he'll agree out of spite. I tell Celestia the same thing about Jer'rahd and she'll agree out of spite. Both of them are quite attached to both Rynthia and Elusive that they both act like their the real parents of them.”
“That could work.... but what about Princess Twilight?” Kevin questioned.
“Bribery, I filled a few dozen scrolls of hive mind memories of lost times and spells that we hadn't shared with her yet. She'll be too distracted to protest.”
“And Queen Luna?” Orb weaver asked finally a smirk on her face.
Shin grinned wide at that.”Who do you think gave me this idea in the first place? I was only going to choose one at first, but then thinking on it I decided, to heck with it. I'm immortal, they're immortal. I can take as much time as I need to to win them over. I am the bearer of Generosity after all, there's plenty of me to share.......”
“You've been reading Mr. Pelts notes again haven't you?” Kevin sighed.
======================================================= [ another time]
“Princess? Princess Twilight?!” a voice called out.
Twilight blinked her ears perking up but she made no other move for a moment aside to stare down the guard that stood before her.
Steel Horn stared back, completely unphased by the stare down.
Twilight rolled her eyes, of course she couldn't glare him away, he was one of the last batch trained by Kaisur. She could set herself on fire and this latest batch would simply ask her if she needed water.
“I am fine Sergeant. I simply zoned out for a moment there. “ Twilight responded.
“Happier memories or just more interesting ones?” The Guard smirked before moving back to his position at the side of the throne.
“Both, though the latter doesn't take much.” Twilight responded.
Steel Horn and his fellow Guard on duty, Crimson Petal, both chuckled a little. The noble who was proposing new tax laws was not however amused and seemed to be about to speak her annoyance when Twilight cut her off.
“Mrs. Pincher.... Can I call you Penny? I'm going to call you Penny, you've been granted audience enough times that we should well be on a first name basis at this point. “Twilight started. “ Exactly at what point in the last six thousand years......”
“Five thousand nine hundred and ninety nine Princess.”Steel Horn corrected.
Twilight turned to stare at him a moment before flattening her ears. “ You will not let me forget this upcoming celebration will you?” Twilight asked and was greeted by a chorus of ' No's ' from the other Guards around the chamber, a few nobles waiting their turn, and a couple of servants passing by.
“Fiiiiiiiiine” Twilight sighed burying her face in her hooves for a moment.” At what point in the last five thousand nine hundred and ninety nine years have you ever heard about my agreeing to a tax break for the wealthy? Your proposal has some merit simply based on the upswing in revenue it would provide, but as I have told you the last six times you have gained an audience with me I will not accept the bill as you proposed it. Rewriting it to mean the same thing with different words is not going to fool me. I used to write spreadsheets for fun and early in my reign I was known as the Princess of Books......Ink Well please do not record that.....”
“Sorry Princess.” The court recorder called back. “It's preserved for prosperity as well as likely going to be added to the celebration information pack.”
“Stars...” Twilight sighed rising from the throne and walking down to the noble mare lifting the thick stack of paperwork up from the side table she had next to her throne offering it to the mare. “I have taken the liberty to completely revise what you suggested myself. The overall effect will only raise the overall tax rate by two bits a year and will cover the small deficit we have with enough bits left to spare to add more into the education and Government aid programs. I've already sent it to be run by our advisers and my sister but I doubt they will find any issue. Please do not come back again with the same thing Mrs. Penny Pincher. And don't send your husband here in your stead either, the result will be the same waste of time.”
Twilight turned heading back to her throne. The purple and silver throne towered before her at the top of the dais. The rich material of that chair could have paid the bills for Applejacks farm for two seasons. That her cutiemark graced the tall back of it gave the Princess of the Night pause.
Twilight let out a small sigh.” Court is in recess. Please return before the eleven o clock hour to continue.”
With the general mutters from the other nobles and the sputtering whine of Mrs Pincher behind her Twilight walked off and exited the chambers, her Guards following behind her.
She didn't go far from the throne room, simply out to the balcony that overlooked the Garden. Settling down with a thump as she pulled off the crown and other jewelry with a small curse as she looked up at her night.
“Shouldn't you have a pole to be stripping with Princess.” Steel Horn questioned getting a blush from Twilight and a small chuckle from Crimson Petal.
“I sometimes regret allowing every pony to be informal with me.” Twilight chuckled. “ Though I suppose it is nice to know I have another option if my Princess job doesn't pan out.”
“Id toss you some bits...” Steel Horn admitted.
“Yeah right , she'd get your entire paycheck...” Crimson Petal laughed.
Twilight smiled. Really she shouldn't expect much else from some one with Steel Horn's blood line. He was after all Celestia's great grand foal about a hundred times down the line. Still it had been a while, perhaps she might be able to coax him into being something more than a Guard. He was smart, well build and despite his snarkiness he had a sharp mind and was rather well read. She set that aside in her mind for later flirting and stared up at the moon.
Almost every one that she once knew was gone. Princess Geranium was the successor to the princess that took over for Celestia. She rather missed the arguments she had with her former student turned Princess, but Sundown had retired nearly four hundred years ago. Geranium was in the same phase of her immortality that Twilight and Sundown had gone through.
She was short tempered, morose and had thrown herself into her work hard enough that Twilight barely had anything to do most nights. The only reason the Night Court was often packed was that many preferred Princess Twilight's analytical observations and overall skill at dealing with ponies over Germanium’s brisk business like manner or doing everything as quickly and efficiently as possible.
Admittedly it had taken Twilight nearly a thousand years to finally relax from that same state, so she simply did what she could to help her sister out. After Celestia there had not been another god that interested her, though there had been a few wonderful, if short lived by her standards, relationships with others. When Celestia retired Twilight had taken over her room of memories and it was getting more and more filled as her life progressed. She expected at some point Steel Horns image would be there with her other memories, though she quickly shook that out of her mind, she had to make a few memories with the young stallion first.
Still she was not the only one still around. Though she did expect sooner or later there would come a time when they decided to stop as well. They had far more waiting for them when they passed than she did.
Thanks to them and her own efforts Equestria had grown. The Crystal Empire, Changelings and Gallopagos had all joined into Equestria long ago, through marriages, and in the case of the Zebralands had been annexed after a particularly conflicted series of nation wide votes.
The Diamond Dogs were still their own nation, but just barely, and the Griffons had been part of the Crystal Empire almost since the fall of Tirek. The Harpies and Rams had actually been forced to surrender to Equestria after a number of attacks from their nations around three thousand years ago.
The Dragon Nation had grown large, but it had remained peaceful though her own actions and negotiations. Given how she herself had bested the last ruler of the Dragons in single combat, none of the older Dragons would so much as speak ill of her under their breath
It wasn't just the ones on the continent either. Lands across and under the seas now flew Equestria's flag, all because of the actions of a traveling pair who had set out to tour the world.
Twilight's ears perked up as the door to the balcony opened and a pony poked his head in whispering something to Steel Horn.
“Something wrong?” Princess Twilight asked.
“There may be Princess. A massive.... growling, crate has been carried in and dropped in the center of the throne room.” His ears perked as the servant on the other side of the door kept talking.
Twilight smiled as she saw Steel Horn pale, and impressive feat for an already white unicorn. She already knew who was here as only one creature could do that to the normally unflappable unicorn.
“Princess... it seems Drill Sergeant Kaisur and the former Queen Luna have returned.” Steel Horn flinched as Crimson Petal whimpered.
“Oh good. They must have brought the specimens of snap dragon I asked for.” Twilight chuckled rising to head out to meet them. “I've been needing one for my research for a while now.”
