Chapter 52: Bright
Part 1: Ruins
TIME: 18:33 ERST
DATE: War Day 509/28 Octavius, 1003 C.S.
LOCATION: Coltonville Area, Northern Equestria
Twilight: "..and we should practically be right on top of it." She shrugged.
Fluttershy: "These hills really hide things." She shrugged her wings.
Dash: "I've already checked the area.. I.. just don't see anything."
Splash: "Do we even know what the cataclysm was, 8,000 years ago?" She had her chemistry set open and was testing things.
Dusty: "I've only heard rumors. Mainly of treasures." She shook her head.
Katrina: "This was long after my time." She had a sigil drawn and was attempting to Scry for magical information.
Jade: "It's funny.." She looked at the hills. "..it's like.." She squinted. "'Cat, take me up." She pointed to the sky.
K: "Nicknames..?" I smirked at them.
Jade: "What's it to YOU, human?!" She sneered defensively.
Applejack: "Oh, sugarcube.." She patted her arm. "..I gets it, but y'all weren't there the day he arrived. Only way'd you'd had a chance, and y'all'd've been too young."
K: "You were 16 when I arrived, Jade."
She was beet.. BEET red.
K: "See, you, you're more than-"
Jade: "..can we please not?" She said softly.
K: "Sorry." I patted her arm.
Jade: "No, it's fine." She hugged me more like a daughter might their father. "I know I'm the one that was confused. I wanted to hate you, but I couldn't. I.. wanted to love you, but I was too late.." She shifted her gaze. "..and I kinda realized later that this wasn't the way I wanted to be close to you.."
Rarity: "You just want a family, dearie." She nuzzled Jade.
Jade: "I do.. and.." She looked towards the horizon. "..I guess at first I thought having you as a husband and starting my own family was what I wanted. I already know, now, it isn't."
Pinkie: "You and K?" She gave Jade a beaming grin. "I knew you had a crush on him, but I -also- knew it wasn't the right kind of crush." She pushed us together. "Jade needs a daddy figure. Not a human husband." She blinked.
K: "Truth, I'd be honored." I patted her on the shoulder again. "A tough, smart, magically gifted daughter that's as unusual as I am?" I chuckled. "Who wouldn't want y-"
Jade: "Dad sure didn't care." She rubbed her arm defensively. "You're the first person that ever really did." Then she hugged me. Tightly. "Can I just call you Uncle?"
K: "DONE!" I hugged back.
Applejack: "Well! Gots me 'nother niece!" She patted Jade. "Welcome to th' family!"
Norfy: "I'm glad you found where you need to be, Jade." He nodded to her.
Cosmic: "Really. We all like being friends with you, and you were a great help in Crystalpolis." He put in.
Gaze: "Aye, lass!" He chuckled. "I guess'n ye better calls us Uncles, too, then!"
Gorcat: "I'm.." He lowered his head. "..glad."
Pinkie: "Now, Gorcat, on the other hand!" She started, sing-songy.
The Girls: "NOT NOW, PINKIE!"
Pinkie: "Okayy... just saying, those are-"
The Girls: "NO, PINKIE!"
Pinkie: "Okay! Okay!" She snorted, slightly annoyed, but brushed it off.
Jade: "Now.. as I was saying.. 'Cat, give me a lift. I have a theory." She held her arms out.
Up she went into the air, hauled by Gorcat. I could see a spark between them..
Pinkie: "..not without you, K." She completed my thought for me.
K: "So many have died, though." I shook my head.
Pinkie: "So many have LIVED." She emphasized.
K: "Personally, I like the idea of her looking up to me parentally. And not because I'm somehow sick of sex with others than my wife. Which I kinda am, but still." I shrugged.
Pinkie: "You KNOW I getcha." She one-arm hugged me.
After a bit, she came back down.
Jade: "These HILLS are the CITY!" She insisted.
Dusty: "NO WAY!" She seemed surprised at first, then, shut her eyes and started making motions with her hooves. "..I think she's right."
Applejack: "Y'all know cities better'n us." She nodded.
K: "It's too perfect." I pointed. "Like, the grass and dirt were laid over the city like a blanket." I looked at Twilight and Katrina. "I'm thinking Magic."
Twilight: "Everything we've researched suggests they'd virtually abandoned high-level magic in that civiliation, and replaced it with technology!" She stated, pacing up a bit.
K: "Virtually. I'm betting one really powerful Unicorn did this." I nodded. "And with a ceremony, not a self-cast spell." I pointed at the 'hills'. "I'm guessing they did it to preserve the city.. which tells me everyone was already dead, and those that weren't, left. Which means they buried an ancient evil, here." I shook my head. "Only thing that makes sense in context." I shrugged. "Think about it." I pointed towards what should be downtown. "Why preserve a monolith to the very thing that stands against what you're using to bury it? Why preserve ruins? No, that was a side effect. They buried something, here, under the dirt, to make it sleep or encapsulate it. And it was a catastrophic event. The thing, whatever it was, probably wrecked all the other cities already, and inflicted thousands of fatalities. This was an apocalpyse event for this civilization - and somepony, somehow, stopped it from killing everyone and turning an apocalpyse into a genocide, an extinction-level event for Ponykind."
Katrina: "Who!? Or.. what?" She looked at me, then back towards the city.
K: "Only ones I can think of. Tirek Or Lavan." I shrugged.
Twilight: "So.. what do we do, now?" She looked from the city, to me.
K: "If it's Lavan, I don't want to unseal him. Evidence points to it maybe being him - why else would Tirek send forces here, if not to get himself another loyal lieutenant? And at the same time, prevent US from killing him in his slumber." A shrug. "If it was Tirek himself? I don't think he'd care if we saw where he's been sleeping all this time."
Rarity: "Could it not also be Erebus, K?" She tilted her head at me.
Dr. Allcome: "I don't think so. Erebus only stole shadows. He didn't destroy cities. Lavan? I have a dreadful feeling he would." He nodded.
K: "Doc's right." I pointed to him without looking. "It's either that or we found the resting place of something that was never seen in the media I'm familiar with, and something even Tirek fears. Which would also make sense." I looked at them.
Toola Roola: "What.. would Tirek fear?" She brought up a good point.
K: "A demon?" I shook my head. "Best guess. He's a Centaurbull with vast magic reserves. Stronger than Celestia alone, but not as powerful as all of us together. Still, it's focused in one spot. One point. The only thing he'd fear is something naturally stronger than he is. Now, are there any ancient legends or things that hint at a hyper-powerful, world-ending creature, other than the Smooze, or anyone we're familiar with?" I paced around a bit. "Spirit, you, Havoc, Bella, Webley, and Tankette get a fire and dinner going, please. And set up the tents." To the practical.
Twilight: "I.." She paced forwards, paused, and sat. "..can think of one."
Spike: "What's that, Twilight?" He sat next to her.
Twilight: "The Great Hydra." She looked at me. "Not in the media, was it?"
K: "Pfffuck.. no, it wasn't. Let me guess, cut one head off, two grow in its place?" I tilted my head at her.
Twilight: "It's worse. The Great Hydra is said to have stolen his power from the God of Dragons." She looked at Spike. "He can command them with but a thought."
K: "Spike leaves. Now." I pointed at him.
Spike: "What!? Come on dude!" He started to protest.
I picked him up completely.
K: "If it's what's here, and it gets to you in your dreams, will you be able to live with yourself if it makes you murder one of us?" I stared right into his eyes.
Sweetheart: "We don't know for sure-"
K: "Kind." I looked at her. "What's our track record for trouble?"
Sweetheart: *Sigh* "You know what? I'll walk him back to Sombra myself!" She looked at Code. "Come. Fancy a stroll in the woods, Doctor?"
Spike: "You guys can't be serious!" He was indignant.
Rarity: "Spike.." She sauntered up to him. "..if K's right, and you hurt someone.." She batted her eyes at him. "..I care for you a great deal, Spike. I'd never forgive MYself if I let you come to harm."
Spike: "..okay.." He lowered his head.
I set him down, and looked over at Dusty.
K: "Go with them. Kiwi, you too. No chances." I fingered around to people.
Gaze: "Act'n'a tad paranoid, oi, suh?" He shook his head.
Norfy: "And you know as well as I do that's the only way to act. K's made us aware of these Hero Mistakes that get made in situations like this. It makes perfect sense to take every precaution.. even if they seem silly." HE looked at Pinkie. "She DOES carry an orchestra for a reason."
Cosmic: "I'm totally on K's side, here." He shook his head.
Gaze: "S'pose I is, too, lads." He shrugged. "Don't stop me fr'm speakin' oop, tho'."
K: "Gaze has the right idea." I shrugged, and patted Norfy on the shoulder. "I could always be a hundred percent wrong, and this was some wizard testing a landscaping spell a hundred years after the apocalypse."
We rested that night, but with unease. Lacking information can make someone jump at shadows. Together, we weren't afraid, just extra alert.
[End of Part 1]
Part 2: Landscaped
TIME: 08:34 ERST
DATE: War Day 510/29 Octavius, 1003 C.S.
LOCATION: Coltonville Ruins
We rose early, and had breakfast while relaxing and trying to focus on the task at hand.
Twilight: "So, DO we want to find out what's here?" She looked at me.
K: "Yes. If for no other reason than to make sure it isn't a threat, or deny it to Tirek. Whatever. We can't let Tirek use what ever might be here, against us." I gestured. "We stopped the Smooze, we got lucky there, but I guarantee he'd want another Fail Deadly if he could get it." I took another bite of Fluttershy's granola bars.
Fluttershy: "How do we search, if there's no landmarks other than green hills..? Without removing the spell, that is." She looked at me and sipped her tea.
Applejack: "Near's I can figger, we c'n try'n figger out which buildings was wrecked by whatever it was. Ya know? Look for patterns inna hills that don't seem'ta make no sense." She nodded to me.
K: "Applejack's got a point. That's exactly what we'll do. Flyers, that's your task. Survey the area. From what I could tell, Coltonville was as large as Manehattan, so it might take us a couple days to do a proper survey." I shurgged. "And I want us to be very careful. We have no idea what's really going on here. Observation only. You see something strange, note its location, and we'll take a look at it." I shrugged. "Ambrosia, you have experience doing topology surveys. You're in charge of making a map." I nodded to her.
Ambrosia: "Hot damn. About time I did something, here, other than build a tent." She smirked at me.
Forest Spirit: "And the rest of us?" He nodded to me.
K: "Look for landmarks. Anything." I shook my head. "Plot out the city as best we can, look for anything that might be important." I gestured. "Maybe whomever did this spell, left an unlocking key somewhere. If they did, it'll need protection. Either until we determine it's safe to unlock, or to keep it out of Tirek's hands until the war's over."
Forest Spirit: "Permanent guards? All the way out here?" He looked over at the hills that were once buildings. "There's no settlements for country miles around, K. How would we support a garrison out here?" He looked at Blinda.
Blinda: "Simple solution, Commandant. We start a new settlement, here." She nodded over her coffee cup. "The Herdiet defectors are an obvious choice. We can also recruit outcasted griffons that feel they've nothing of their own in Equestria and want some place to settle and own, as well as any ponies that want to be pilgrims." She looked at me. "Simple logistics, General. Find the ones with little or nothing, give them something, and give them the tools to protect it." She nodded firmly.
K: "This one." I pointed. "Division command when we return." I looked at her. "You're right on target, Blinda."
Given that the Royal Army only had two Divisions, and the Marines had barely one.. well, on PAPER, the Royal Army had three Divisions, and the Marines had two. The actual numbers of troops didn't add up to that, though. Either way, I was talking of making Tankette a Brigadier. My intention was that after the war was over, we move to a Reserve system, where the Royal Army had one active Division at all times, and the Marines one active Brigade - the Navy and Air Force similarly, with the fleet reduced to a third and the ERAF reduced to one Wing of Fighters, Bombers, and Transport.
The rest of the Military would be Reservists, and the Militia would act as the National Guard USED to, with each major region creating self-contained military formations, the size depending on the region's population. Like, I knew I'd have to combine Cobnecticut with Rowed Island, because they were both small states, while larger states like Erie (which was the Equestrian state that name-replaced New York State for some reason) and Docksylvania (Pennsylvania, since there was no William Penn in this world) would be able to field at least a full Brigade each.
This way, States would be responsible for keeping a portion of their Militia on active duty, and in the event of a war or other emergency, Equestria could have a significant force ready to deploy, while the Reserves were brought into service.
Webley: "Hm.. if we do that, I might settle down here after the war." She looked at me. "It'll help keep my visions in check, I think. They get stronger and more frequent when I'm around a lot of people.. out here? Even if the village was the size of Ponyville, it wouldn't be nearly as bad." She smiled.
K: "I wish you every happiness, Web." I patted her shoulder. "That aside, everyone go in pairs or threes. This will be our field HQ, such as it is. I want someone to guard it." I looked at them. "And I know each one of you wants to go out there and use your special talents to help figure out this mystery, but, a guard detail is needed. For today, I want Norfy, Gaze and Cosmic-" I looked right at them before they could cut me off. "-Don't. You're also my three most careful and you operate perfectly as a trio."
Norfy: "He's got us there, fellow Majors." He smirked.
K: "Alright, pick your teams." I shrugged. "Applejack, I want you and.. Twilight." I nodded.
Pinkie: "You three better not be getting NUUUUUDE while we're out here busting our flanks!" She sickered.
K: "Ha-ha. Yeah, yeah, yuk it up. The human gets molested every time he turns around.." I gestured a bit, and there was sniggering.
Rairty: "Actually, darling.. I think that was a poke at Applejack." She leered at her.
Applejack: "Are yew sayin' I'm some kind'a.. WHOOOORE!?" She gave Rarity playful challenge, here.
There were more snickers..
*Flank f'whack!*
And now laughter.
Applejack: "YEOW!" She rubbed her ass. "Manebrush!? Really!?" She stuck her tongue out at Rarity.
Rarity: "It's what Sweetie Belle gets when she uses that word in front of guests." She gave a playfully smug look.
Toola: "Ohh.. oohh.. I have to paint that when I get back home!" She was rolling on her back, laughing.
K: "Alright, alright.. we've had our fun. Everyone break up into teams, and make sure you have a walkie-talkie."
Yes, thanks to the Crystal Kingdom's technology, we had hand radio sets. Granted, they were big, bulky units like ones from the 1960's, but.. they worked!
Applejack, Twilight, and I moved off when the others did. While a standard grid search might be more efficient, at this point, we were 30 individuals trying to cover a roughly 80-square-kilometer area. Random directions based on individual instinct and intuition made just as much sense, at the moment, until we had a working map.
Twilight: "I wonder.. what all these mounds used to be?" She poked at one of them as we passed by it.
K: "Looks like.. similar sizes.. I bet we're in a residential area." I shrugged. "Maybe one of their homes is around here?" I shook my head. "No, their childhood homes. When we saw them in the cartoon, they were preteens.. like.. developmentally 10 to 13 years old." I rubbed my chin. "And the calamity seems to line up with some time later. What gets me is that the numbers on the years kinda line up to my own, but the series didn't start until my year 1993, and by then, Bright Eyes had already published video games. Soooo.. I'm betting, their childhoods were in the numerical 1980's of their calendar.." I looked at Applejack, as she was gently rubbing her hoof on the ground. "Find something, honey?"
Applejack: "I think sew.." She hoofed the ground. "Ground feels diff'ernt." She narrowed her eyes and stared at what her hoof had done.
K: "Don't mess with it too much, mark it on our map." I warned.
Applejack: "..ehh.. aw'right.." She seemed disappointed.
K: "I don't like it, either, but we aren't sure what we're dealing with." I wagged a finger. "We're supposed to be smarter than normal heroes. A big Hero Mistake would be to poke at something when there's a good chance of massive potential danger, and then by accident, causing it."
Applejack: "Awh.. y'all gotta point." She shrugged, and paced back over, taking out our hand-drawn map and marking the location. "Mm.." She gave me bedroom eyes. "Mah Stallion." And a playful grin.
Twilight: "You sure picked a good one, Applejack." She nodded, then gave me a very sisterly look. "Hmm!"
Dusty: C> "This is Dusty! Firing Signal Flare! NEED ASSISTANCE!"
K: "Shit." C> "Alpha to Crystal, requesting QRF. Look for Signal Flare."
Sombra: C> "Roger that, Alpha! QRF enroute!"
Twilight: "THERE! UP THERE!" She pointed at the sky. "That's close by! Let's go!"
We took off for the source of the signal flare. It was about half a kilometer from us. In the distance, I could hear shooting. Not a good sign.
[End of Part 3]
Part 4: Body Check
TIME: 11:11 ERST
DATE: War Day 510/29 Octavius, 1003 C.S.
LOCATION: Ancient Coltonville
We got within about 40 meters of where we could hear the shooting, though the hills did a good job of masking the sounds. I could see XY-3101 coming over the rise and knew they'd be on-site in less than two minutes.
K: "DUSTY! SITREP!" I called from cover.
Dusty: "WATCH YOUR BACK! I DON'T KNOW WHAT THESE THINGS ARE!"
I gestured to Twilight and Applejack to spread out a bit and keep watch.
K: "QRF ETA TWO MINUTES!" I called, safety off my C-7. C> "All responding teams, check your fire, unknown hostiles." I looked up. "Cover me."
Twilight and Applejack nodded.
I half spun around the hill, so I could start seeing towards where Dusty was, and I got a glimpse of the things she was shooting. They were dark little things, that looked more shadow than mortal. They could actually dodge gunfire if they were watching the shooter.. but not if they weren't.
K: "ADVANCING - YOUR REAR!" I called to Dusty, Jade, and Coco.
I moved up, covered by Twilight and Applejack, and we moved fast. Ten paces, pause, ten paces, until we were within 10 meters.
K: "Twilight, magic barrier!" I called.
Twilight: "Done!"
Within a moment, we had a shield around us, and we advanced together until the other three were covered as well.
K: "QRF is here." I nodded to Dusty.
Dusty: "Good! I need Doc Allcome. Jade's hurt." She nodded to her and Coco was patching her up.
K: C> "QRF, this is Alpha. Be advised, hostiles can dodge gunfire if they're watching you, but not if they aren't. Recommend magic. Need MedEvac at my location." I shrugged. "Coco?"
Coco: "Nothing serious, sir." She was tying off a bandage with her teeth.
It looked to me like Jade had been hit in the head.. and like she'd been targeted. Which made me wonder a few things.
Katrina: C> "This is Katrina. I think Somnambula might be behind this."
K: C> "Go, Kat. Why?" I called back.
Katrina: C> "Because I just saw her! And Rarity missed."
K: "The hell..?" I said, just as one of those beasts hit the barrier. "FUCK!" I shot him off of it. C> "Alpha to ALL Callsigns! Beware Somnambula is in the area! Excercise extreme caution!"
*THOONK!*
K: "These thigns don't give up! How're you doing, Twi?"
Twilight: *Grunting* "It.. hurts. Each time they hit the shield, it's like they're digging little pins and needles into my horn!" She had tears in her eyes. "I-I can hold.. but I need.. to focus!"
I pulled the Sword of Rainbow's Light from my hip and stuck it in her mouth.
K: "Call Celestia!" I ordered as I pivoted on the balls of my feet, and shot down another one.
Twilight: "Ohh.. CELESTIA, GIVE ME STRENGTH!"
Oh-oh.. too much magic.. the sun dimmed a moment, and a cold breeze shot through the area as temperatures briefly dropped five degrees. Twilight was suddenly overcharged with Solar Magic, and was glowing an intense orange.
Twilight: "YOU WON'T HURT MY FRIENDS!" She snarled, and ejected the absorbed magic in a massive wave.
The XY, just coming overhead, buckled a little. I was knocked down. Everyone else was tossed off their hooves. A massive jet of heat turning into little lasers of flame sought out each one of the little Shadow Gremlins and blew it apart in a messy black spatter that cooked like hot tar on a summer's day.
It was over.
I managed to look over at her just as it ended.
Twilight: "Ooo..hh... ohh.." She teetered on her hooves, then fell over, unconscious.
K: C> "QRF, get down here, I have two casualties." I called into the radio, pulling myself over to Twilight. "Twi? Can you hear me?" I petted her mane, still warm and tingly - she must REALLY have a strong connection to Celestia for it to do THIS.
TIME: 14:45 ERST
Twilight woke up with me and Sombra both guarding her. She sat straight up, and looked at us.
Twilight: "Lord Sombra.."
Sombra: "Hush, child." He nuzzed her gently, like family. "You've done something incredibly brave today. Rest."
K: "Sombra's right. When I asked him about what I saw, he said you must've internalized the magic power of the sword and instead of just accepting what Celestia left open for you, you somehow pulled her power from her, for a moment. Enough to do what you did." I shrugged. "From what he knows of the Sword, it being designed for a human and not a pony.."
Sombra: "You are extremely powerful, Twilight. Mayhaps one day, you shall exceed me." He gave her the proudest look.
Twilight: "Th-thanks.." She lowered her head.
Sombra: "If thou sees Cadence as a sister, then I as an Uncle. Even without K's wish upon the star, I swore I would caretake Her Royal Highness and her family. That meaneth you as well, young Lady." He grinned so warmly at her. "'Till my death in Her service."
Twilight: "S-Sombra.. thank you.." She was still shakey. "..it does feel nice knowing I have family, here.."
K: "Remember what you said about not all family being blood, Twi?" I tilted my head.
Twilight: "Yeah." She nodded as Fluttershy brought her some herbal tea.
Fluttershy: "This will help you get your strength back." She said, giving Twilight a hug.
Katrina: "Don't mind everyone fussing over you. You were.." She shook her head. "..you used up every ounce of magical and physical energy to do what you did. I had to force you to swallow an elixer just to get you to wake up." She shrugged. "Not Witchweed, don't worry, it's a much lesser magical potion. But, it does restore a Wizard's strength."
Twilight: *Soft chuckle* "I'm no wizard."
Katrina: "Like Tartarus you're not! Maybe not all the way, maybe not yet, but you, honey.. you have the potential to be one of the greatest Wizards ever. Sombra wasn't kidding when he said you'd surpass him one day. You're at least equal to where I am, now, in raw magic power." She nodded. "You just haven't got the stamina, yet. Or the focus." She gestured. "But, you'll get there, some day."
Rarity: "Knowing our Twilight, it'll be sooner rather than later." She grinned smugly.
Gaze: "Oi.. I dun think even me great gramps c'd hold a candle t'ye, Twi." He smirked.
Twilight: "Thank you, everyone." She looked at me. "Did we find out anything?"
K: "Ambrosia has a map of the first 10 square kilometers around the camp site. We seem to be at the south-western part of the city somewhere. The city center seems to be north-east of us." I shrugged. "Other than that, 4th Airborne Regiment will be here in a few days to reinforce us. Superb and Swiftsure are bringing them."
Katrina: "Also, that was Somnambula, for sure." She nodded.
Rarity: "Sorry, darling, I missed her. I swear it should've been a hit, but.."
Katrina: "I remember her control of shadow magic was enough that she could easily have confused your point-of-aim, Rarity." She nodded.
Rarity: "Fine, then. I use magic on my scope, next time." She sniffed, haughtily. "I shan't miss again."
Katrina: "It.. I don't know if it'll work, unless you know a spell that specifically counter-spells such a thing." She leaned in. "I might, but I'd have to see her do it."
Rarity: "Fine enough, dearie." She nodded.
Twilight: "What's our next move?" She looked at me.
K: "Simple. Some of us are going out, again, to see if we can pick up Somnambula's trail. As a group, this time. The rest will stay here." I shrugged.
Coco: "I can stay here, if you need me to, sir." She stepped up.
K: "I appreciate you volunteering for the duty, but I want you and Dusty up with me. You've seen these things. Plus, you need the experience." I glanced at the hills.
Dusty: "Comes in handy, trust me." She grinned.
Lyra: "Aye, lass. Bon-Bon'n I've been through a lotta feights.. nothin' beats shootin' experience." She nodded.
Coco: "Alright."
Dash: "That and relax a little, huh? Rank doesn't mean a lot on K's team." She bro-hoof'd my shoulder.
K: "Ahh.. they're right, it doesn't." I shrugged. "You don't need to call me Sir, Coco. It's just K."
Coco: "Alright, K." She smiled a little.
Pinkie: "So, where're you from?" She smiled.
Coco: "Well, I was born in Baleston, but my family moved to a carrot farm in Cobnecticut when I was younger." She shrugged a bit. "And I went to High School in Coltago, where my uncle was a teacher."
K: "Nice. Real mixed raising, then." I nodded a bit. "Why Airborne?"
Coco: "I'm a Pegasus. It's only natural. Right?" She looked at me, then Norfy, then Splash, like they'd understand.
Splash: "You could just as easily have joined the Air Force, is, I think, what K's saying." She nodded.
Coco: "Oh. Well, I wanted to fight.. I suppose I thought Airborne would give me that chance." She shrugged her wings.
Kiwi: "That's why I joined the Marines." She grinned.
Coco: "But you're an Earth Pony.." She started. "..no, wait.."
Kiwi: "Can't really tell, huh?" She flexed her back as though her wings were still there. "A race called Moligans amputated my wings and ate them to see if me and my friends were tasty.. I did it to buy us time for K to rescue us. He did.." She blinked at me. "..and so did Cosmic.." She hugged him. "..and Ambrosia." She patted 'Brose on the back. "Cosmic was the one that carried me to the ship." She blushed. "He also told me.. I was still pretty.. even without them."
Cosmic was BEEET REEEED at this point.
Coco: "You're very lucky." She grinned a bit larger.
K: "Cosmic is, too. Kiwi is.. probably the bravest person I'd ever met. I don't know if I could agree to letting some barbarian amputate and eat my arm in front of me, to save my friends.." I blinked. "..yeah, I really don't."
Applejack: "Mm?" She nuzzled me.
K: "You, yes. Without question." I gestured. "But you're my wife and mother to four of my kids." I patted her neck.
Kiwi: "Oh, K. You flatter me." She gave me a playfully coy look.
Blinda: "I was in command at the time." She sister-hugged Kiwi. "You'll see, Coco. We've all become close friends."
Coco: "I'm.. I hope to do so." She blinked, and grinned a bit more.
K: "Alright, come on. Doc, Kindness, you stay here with Jade and Twilight. Forest Spirit, Blinda, you two, too." I nodded. "With Sombra as backup, you should be fine no matter what."
Sombra: "While I am not eager for the test, I relish the chance to match wits with one so legendary as Somnambula." He smirked. "Especially now driven with the memory of the pain she's caused my dear Niece." He pawed the ground, gently, but in a challengingly protective manner.
K: "Indeed. Everyone else, with me." I thumbed back towards the hills.
After an engagement like that, I was grateful to have not only the team I did, with me, but the backup, too. Tirek was showing his hand - something here, interested him. We needed to know exactly what.
[End of Part 4]
Part 5: Dint
TIME: 15:00 ERST
DATE: War Day 510/29 Octavius, 1003 C.S.
LOCATION: Coltonville Ruins
Somnambula, I figured, wasn't particularly powerful in the daylight, if her powers had driven her more towards the shadows and their strengths. It's kinda how magic worked around here - the more you hyperfocus on an element, the more the element makes up parts of who you are. Best examples? Norfy was cold and distant before we broke his shell, and he was always one to be one layer of clothing more than the rest of us. Rarity could be as haughty as the beauty of the Gems she could locate with her powers. Twilight often dove too deep into the magical and scientific, ignoring the human/pony factor. Cosmic wasn't as powerful a magi as they were, and his "star magic" (actually a non-elemental alignment) left him pretty neutral, but he could be reclusive.
That said, I banked on her power actually growing over all this time, to the point where, like Sombra, she sought out shadows and shade whenever possible - Sombra, being an Alicorn now, had partly overcome these weaknesses. Her? I wasn't sure.
K: "Rarity, middle back. Lyra, middle front. Splash, Shotgun takes point. Norfy, Gaze, Cosmic, tail-end charlie." I pointed behind me. "Splash, it's you, me, then AJ." I nodded.
Splash: "Understood." Truth, she was getting comfortable with the Chaffee, but she wasn't used to being a front line fighter.
Katrina: "I do feel her presence. I know she can feel mine." She sniffed the air a little. "Gorcat, smell that?" She held up a finger.
Gorcat: "Yeah, kinda.. smells weird, like.. musty clothes or something." He wrinkled his beak a bit.
Gilda: "Smells like K's socks!" She snorted.
Katrina: "That's the smell of evil shadow power, Somnambula, and her new minions." She nodded, sagely.
K: C> "Alpha to Crystal." I called.
Sombra: C> "Go ahead."
K: C> "I want a roaring bonfire when I get back, and torches laid out all over the place. If I was her, I'd attack our camp at night."
Sombra: C> "A fine idea! Immediately, Alpha. Crystal, out."
Lyra: "Good thinkin', K." She shuddered a bit. "Ah dun want one'a them thin's crawlin' in me sleepin' bag.."
Gaze: "Fine! I will! Be nae room fer one of them ghoulies!" He snickered.
Lyra: "HESH, ye!" She snorted.
Pinkie giggled at the display.. then she froze in place and her hair went straight.
K: "Pi-" I held a fist up.
Rarity: "P.. Pinkie..?" She took a half-step forwards.
Pinkamena: "..she's here." She stroked a grease stick across her cheekbones and dropped her Knox and Ridgway.
Coco: "Somnambula?" She didn't know..
K: "No. Trixie." I blinked. "Pinkie.." I reached out to her, only to have my hand swatted away by her hoof.
Pinkamena: "No." She pulled her bayonet, fighting knife, and a wicked-looking homemade machete-like thing with "PARTY FAVOR" literally etched into it with rage-induced carving. "She dies."
Fluttershy: "Dusty, Coco, 'Cat.." She looked at them. "Trixie Lulamoon murdered Pinkie's family.. all but her nephew." She frowned.
Gorcat: "Revenge." He clicked his tongue. "Oh, I dig it.." He nodded.
Toola Roola was the one that got in front of her.
Toola: "Not alone. That's what she wants. You know it." She held her hooves out, letting her Ridgway go slack.
Pinkamena: "The purple one's down right now." She said, sternly.
K: "Then take me." I stepped up. "Honey, you're in charge. Listen to Katrina, she remembers how Somnambula works." I looked back at Pinkamena. "I've killed for revenge before and you KNOW it." I pointed at her.
Pinkamena: "...fine. Keep up." She just about vanished.
Now, I was alone with Pinkamena. She was focused. Laser focused. She stalked the hills and bushes, moving through them like she was made of the terrain.
After a few moments, I could feel my side twinge a little. Right where she'd branded me. Seems it hadn't been totally removed.
Pinkamena: "She knows we're close, now." She stated.
K: "She'll be on her guard." I nodded. "What's she after?"
Pinkamena: "Something she isn't supposed to have." She stated flatly.
K: "'Sall I need." I shrugged and struggled to keep up with her.
The one thing about Pinkie vs Pinkamena is that Pinkamena lacks all of Pinkie's 'Fourth Wall' breaking abilities. She's just a normal pony, save that she's not a real person, and is immensely hyped up on Adrenaline when in rage mode. She also stalks prey, not acts like a soldier. She's a murderess, plain and simple.
After a bit, I could hear Trixie's voice.
Trixie: "..and you don't have very long. He's HERE, I can FEEL him!" She was talking into a crystal orb.
Somnambula: "Where?" Her face was hidden by her robe.
Trixie: "I'm not sure.. but I don't have long to finish the incantation." She set the ball down on a stand. "Be alert. Crystal, off."
I saw Trixie had a field lab set up with all kinds of magical components. She was drawing a sigil in the ground, and looked to be preparing some kind of a ritual.
Pinkamena: "Trixie..." Her voice was dripping with murder.
Trixie: "WHAT?! WHO'S THERE!? K! I KNOW YOU'RE HERE SOMEWHERE, HUMAN! I CAN FEEL YOU! I MARKED YOU AS MY PROPERTY!" She screeched.
K: "Get her." Was all I said, as I walked out without my rifle or any other weapons. "Lady Trixie.." I bowed to her.. at her hooves.
She pressed a forehoof to the back of my head.
Trixie: "..oh I.. I KNEW IT!" She started breathing heavily. "YOU COULDN'T RESIST ME FOR LONG!" She scooped me up, and kissed me. "You.. you want Mama Trixie's delicious horse p-"
*SCHNICKT!*
My face had blood on it, suddenly. Trixie was impaled on a blade. Pinkamena was right behind her and threw a foreleg over her shoulder.
Pinkamena: "I can't leave until you're dead." She stated. "You know my father was a filly feeler?" She dripped into her ear.
Trixie: "P-P-Pinkie..?" She was absolutely terrified.. so much so that she urinated all over herself right at that moment.
I rolled back on the balls of my feet, and just watched.
Pinkamena: "Pinkamena Diane Pie." She licked some of the blood trailing out of Trixie's mouth. "I'm Pinkie's guardian. I was the one that protected her from Iggy. But, you murdered him. Pinkie's sisters and mom, too." She switched to the other side of Trixie's head. "Iggy.. fuck him. But the girls didn't deserve that."
I watched as a second blade came across Trixie's belly.. and slowly sliced it open. Trixie squealed in agony.
Trixie: "P-P-Please...!" She sobbed. "I didn't know..! I.. they were just.. peasants.. I thought! Pinkie, if I'd known-" *URK!*
Pinkamena: "Shhhh.. it doesn't matter. It was either you, or him, anyway. Now, though, I get to do something good before I leave." She was reaching a hoof into Trixie's guts! "You were terrible to Twilight. You hurt the human in ways he may never recover from. You've caused so much pain to so many ponies.. I have to protect them, too, don't you see? If I'm going to protect Pinkie. But, with you gone.. she can handle the rest. She's so much tougher than when you first fought us." She licked Trixie's cheek.
Trixie: "P.. Kuhh.. K! PLEASE!" *COUGH* Blood, practically filling her mouth. "PLEASE!"
K: "Are you begging for mercy, or rescue?" I tilted my head. "From where I'm sitting, your wounds are mortal, Trixie." I leaned over and yanked off the Alicorn amulet.
She depowered at that instant, back to a Unicorn.. and her blood started FLOWING.
K: "I don't even know who that poor filly was, you made me eat. But I see her face every night when I go to sleep." I stood up. "Once you're dead, I'm going to show you my dick again - to take a piss on your great-and-powerful CORPSE!" I started to unzip.
Pinkamena: "OH! Trixie.. this is a shocker!"
Trixie: "Ehh?" She was making a gurgling whimper.
Pinkamena: "You DO have a heart! Here.. let me show it to you.."
Trixie: "No.. no.. NOoOOooooOOOOooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooo-"
{End of Chapter 52}
