Chapter 147: Starlit in Ice
Part 1: Detective Rarity
TIME: 15:02 WRST
DATE: War Day 1111/19 Quartus, 1005 C.S.
LOCATION: Wenatchee State Prison, Vanhoover, Wenatchee, Equestria
I left Toola Roola with her mom, and sent an Gendarmes officer to let her know what happened. I also had a top secret communique sent to the palace. This was serious. Very serious. I knew Daring Do would get out of prison eventually, but I didn't know how. It was one of the Universal Laws.
What I didn't expect was seeing Rainbow McSherbet at the prison already.
Rainbow McSherbet: "Hey, K." He nodded to me. "Hey, guys."
Dusk Seeker: "And what are YOU doing here?" He tilted his head at him.
Rainbow McSherbet: "I came to Vanhoover to look up an old crew mate of mine. When the prison break happened, I heard it in town, and came over - I was the one that said you might be in Seacattle." He nodded to the Prison Warden.
Warden: "General K, I can't.. begin to apologize for this." He lowered his head.
K: "It's alright. I expected this to happen." I shrugged. "Tell me everything."
Warden: "It happened this morning. While the Guards were changing shifts, Starlight Glimmer snuck into the prison with another pony - we only have a vague description of them - and somehow got to Daring Do's cell block. She's been in Protective Custody since she was sent here. Well, Glimmer simply used magic to force the door open, and.. as she was getting Daring Do into a Guardspony's uniform, they were discovered. Glimmer blew open the wall to the cell block, and they escaped." He shrugged.
K: "Well, shit." I scowled. "What does Starlight Glimmer want with HER?"
Rarity: "No idea, darlings, but we should have a look at the scene of the crime, no?" She was terse - they'd interrupted lunch, and we'd had to get sandwiches to go.
Warden: "Right this way." He nodded.
The guards led us to the PC Block. It looked like a bomb went off in here. I didn't see any blood.
K: "How many guards were killed? Or injured?" I asked, as Rarity started examining everything.
Warden: "One guard hurt slightly, when she blew out the wall. Besides that, nothing." He shrugged.
K: "Really? I half expected her to cave in half the prison, to be honest." I frowned.
Sunset: "I mean, she did try to kill us - kinda." She gestured with a wing.
Rarity: "The third pony here was a stallion. Office worker. Young, but not too young." She was examining things around the wrecked area. "Works with money, but isn't rich himself."
K: "Evidence?" I just had to hear this.
Rarity: "There's a smudge of ink here. The air smells vaguely of a male's cologne, one of the mid-shelf ones, the kind a desperate office worker might wear to attract mares. It also hints that he isn't especially rich, and he's of marrying age - so, 20 to 30." She rubbed her hoof to her chin. "Also, the kind of ink is fast drying, needed when working with financial ledgers. Given the rather inventive method of infiltration, it hints at a more gentle soul - if Glimmer wanted to hurt anyone intentionally, he stopped her from doing it."
K: "Why this stallion, though?" I tilted my head. "What would Glimmer need with a book keeper?"
Rarity: "Well, darling, if Daring Do is connected, then someone that has a lot of money wandered across this unnamed book keeper's business. Glimmer no doubt started following that trail, met him, and.." She glanced at Daring Do's cell. "..I'm going to wager he's rich, and knows where some kind of powerful and valuable artifact is."
K: "That makes a lot of sense." I shrugged.
Trixie: "Wealthy guys into potentially dangerous artifacts, huh? I can think of a few - Greedheart the Griffon, Net Worth - he's a very rich pony out of Manehattan.. oh.. and then there's Cheques Blanc, he's Prench." She shrugged. "A few of them hit me up for stuff while I was on the road."
K: "Okay." I nodded. "What might be around HERE that Daring Do might be needed for? There's no way they banked on getting too far from the prison. We have everything along the main travel routes locked down already, and they'd know that."
Everyone looked at each other, and kinda shrugged.
Rarity: "Let's get to Daring Do's house - there might be a clue." Detective Rarity indeed...
K: "Best lead we got." I nodded. "Warden, contact Camp Bonnet, have them send us a Rifle Platoon load-out with two precision rifles, and two Half-Tracks. Send them to Daring Do's house, her address should be on file. I know the Gendarmes are alerted, but I want Vanhoover's Militia, and Porterland's Militia on alert as well."
Warden: "I understand, General." He nodded, and took off with a couple of his troops.
K: "We... need to get to her place." I shrugged. "Come on."
TIME: 16:07 WRST
LOCATION: 10204 Watercress Ln., Skamania County, Wenatchee, Equestria
We rolled up in a Gendarmes 5-ton truck with the Gendarmes Platoon sent to secure the house. We borrowed a few Koenig SMG's from them for the time being, and as we got out, everyone went full sweep-and-clear mode. Just in case they stayed longer than they'd wanted to.
Lt. Toller: "Just to be clear, sir, we're Shoot-on-Sight for Starlight Glimmer, right?" He asked, as his men were about to jump out.
K: "Yes. She's considered armed and extremely dangerous - don't give her a chance to cast magic. Put her in the ground! Whatever she's up to, it can't be good." I nodded and racked my bolt, as the troops disembarked.
I moved towards the head of the formation, and as we reached the door to the house, I held up a hand for Sunset to come forwards and examine it for traps.
Sunset: "..I'm not detecting anything." She nodded.
I tried the door, found it locked, then kicked it. It resisted - it was bolted from the inside, not just locked at the knob. Sunset mule-kicked the door and it collapsed inwards.
Reinforced, solid wood. Daring Do expected something like this.
Lt. Toller: "Check for traps - watch your sectors!" He instructed.
After several minutes, though, they came back with an all-clear.
K: "This place was checked for anything valuable or could be used as evidence against her in her trial, but beyond that.." I shrugged. "Alright, everyone look around."
About an hour later, with us going through literally everything, we were a bit stumped. Detective Rarity was sure they'd been here both before and after the break-out. But, we were left with materials we didn't quite understand.
K: "This is a lot of stuff to process." I frowned.
Sunset: "No kidding, Kay. I'm stumped." She shrugged her wings.
Rarity: "Seriously, darlings, I wish I'd paid better attention to Rainbow Dash when she prattled on about this stuff." She shook her head.
The Nash half-track arrived at this point, with our requested equipment. And who should zoom out BUT Rainbow Dash?
K: "Okay, how did you get here." I shrugged at her.
Rainbow Dash: "Someone told me you were heading out here." She shrugged. "I got to the Air Force Base and they told ME that Daring Do broke out of jail! So, I came right over."
Rarity: "Wonderful, darling. Come help us." She snagged her leather jacket and tugged her into the house.
Rainbow McSherbet: "Huh. Well, I guess she's the expert." He shrugged, looking at the pile of things we'd pulled out.
It took her another thirty minutes to figure everything out. Meanwhile, the rest of us went to the Nash to get armed.
Dusk: "...mmm.." He hefted the Bradley DMR. "..I should've brought my Spencer."
Rarity: "Yes, darling. We'll make it work." She patted his shoulder, taking one herself.
I had a Bradley, like most everyone else. Sunset had a Merrill. RD's personal Bradley/Gavin - decorated with lightning bolts - was in the back. She came prepared, we didn't. I gave everyone a look.
K: "Not a WORD. She'll be insufferable for a week." I cocked a brow at them.
Dash finally came out of the house with a couple of books, and a very troubled look on her face.
Rainbow Dash: "You're NOT going to like this." She frowned.
Sunset: "Oh, I'm sure it's fine, Dash. Come on, give." She shrugged her wings.
Rainbow Dash: "Guys.. I'm not sure.. but I don't think Glimmer and Daring Do are up to something bad." She held up one of Daring Do's - as her normal self, A.K. Yearling's - journals. "It says here.. and this was right before she went to Ambleion and got in trouble.. she thinks something called the Heart of Ice is in Yakumat Mountain. And she's afraid of Tirek finding out. She mentioned she wanted to make things up to.. me.. and.. she needed a way." She shook her head. "Okay, she's been a loose cannon. But she's never been evil."
K: "She's a hero. That doesn't explain Glimmer, though." I shrugged.
Rainbow Dash: "What if she needed someone as strong as her to get the Heart of Ice?" She tilted her head, then wagged the journal in our faces. "Come ON guys! It doesn't make sense any other way! No WAY Daring Do would go along with an evil plot."
Dusk Seeker: "She has a very good point. I don't know how Glimmer fits into all of this, but based on her behavior, I can't imagine Daring teaming up with her for any reason if she knew or thought Glimmer would be evil. She'd tell. Someone. Anyone. The Warden - or she'd resist escape or.." He shrugged. "It doesn't track."
K: "Mmm." I rubbed my chin. "The full facts behind what Glimmer did were never made public - only that she's listed as an enemy and criminal. The public doesn't even know she's dead, for sure. The military is aware she was 'neutralized' but we all know what that means. And doesn't." I shook my head. "What the HELL are they up to!?"
Rainbow Dash: "Well, we're NOT going to find out standing around HERE!" She stomped her hoof.
Sunset: "Good point." She looked at me. "I want the rest of the Elements here. Now. And a backup team."
K: "You know, that's the best idea." I gestured. "Alright-"
Rainbow Dash: "Already on it!" She smiled. "I called back to the Palace when I heard Daring Do escaped!"
Rarity: "They'll be here by morning, then." She nodded.
K: "Alright, before they get here, I want everything on this Heart of Ice and everything we know about where it might be. Official, and un-official." I looked back at the house. "If this is bad, we need to stop it before it gets worse."
Starlight Glimmer.. what were you up to?
[End of Part 1]
Part 2: Mounted Cold
TIME: 06:27 WRST
DATE: War Day 1112/20 Quartus, 1005 C.S.
LOCATION: Camp Bonnet, near Vanhoover, Wenatchee, Equestria
The CAG team was partially assembled. I had the Elements - Sunset, AJ, Fluttershy, Toola, Rarity, and RD. I had Rainbow McSherbet. I had Dusk. I had Dusty. I had Chemical Lens with a warrant for Glimmer's arrest. I had Rapid Bearing. I had Moon Dancer. I even had Teddy and Nurse Sweetheart. And I had Timber Spruce, who was not about to let his marefriend go into danger alone.
K: "Alright, everyone." I sat at the table in the Officer's Mess, temporarily taken over by us. "Listen up. Mount Yakumat is north-east of here. It's tall, it's tough, it's barely explored. We've been on tough marches before. Glimmer is dangerous - we know that. But.. SOMEthing is going on here that we don't know. I canceled everyone else's leave, and they'll be on their way here as soon as they can be." I looked at all of them, and shook my head. "I am rescinding the shoot-on-sight order for Glimmer."
Chemical Lens: "Wise. She's not behaving like we thought she would. Something is different." She nodded.
Teddy: "I'm more worried about this Heart of Ice thing." He shrugged.
Sunset: "We all are. The palace said that the Heart of Ice is a lost artifact from.. an unknown age. There's records of it being mentioned along with the Heart of Fire and other Hearts, but no definitive proof." She shrugged her wings. "I remember reading SOMEthing about it when I was in Magic School."
K: "OH MY CELESTIA, OF COURSE!" I slapped my hand on the table. "The Heart of Fire was a relic from Gusty's time. So was the Heart of Ponyland. The Heart of Ice must be part of the set." I blinked. "Huh.."
Applejack: "What'cha'thinkin', honeybun?" She was forking scrambled eggs into her mouth.
K: "I wonder if.. those Hearts were.. what the full set was? Heart of Fire, Heart of Ice.. what about Heart of Wind, or Heart of Thunder or something?" I looked around the room.
Moon Dancer: "It.. seems.. likely?" She cocked a brow.
K: "Well, after this, we need to find out." I shook my head. "Alright, we need to get set to get up to the Mountain and take care of this."
Timber Spruce: "I've done a lot of mountain climbing." He grinned.
Rapid Bearing: "So have I." He nodded to him.
Sunset: "We've all had some climbing time. But, you two are the experts. We'll be relying on you." She nodded to them.
K: "Sweetheart, I want you and Teddy at the base of the mountain with some Militia. If you hear a lot of explosions and magic, and anyone but US are the first ones down the mountain.. YOU have a shoot-on-sight order." I nodded to him. "And only you. Because it means we're all dead."
Teddy: "You can count on me, K." He grinned.
K: "And Sweetheart is there if the first ones down need medical attention." I nodded to her.
Nurse Sweetheart: "Always." She shrugged.
Sunset: "Girls, we'll have to stay close to each other - we have no idea what's in there." She looked at the Elements.
Toola Roola: "Right behind you." She smiled, broadly.
Sunset: "Good.. let's finish breakfast and get going. We have no idea how much of a head start they have." She gestured with a hoof.
K: "Look at YOU being a leader." I smiled.
Sunset: "I might be Princess or something, some day. I better prepare." She grinned at me.
K: "You'll do alright." I smiled back, and looked over at Timber. "Ready to be a Prince Consort, over there?"
Timber Spruce: "As long as I can still take my Princess out on a loooong hike? You betcha." He chuckled a bit.
So, it was off to the mountain. And we had our own gear, this time. It was both fortunate and not that Sunset made the call to gather the full team for this - while I love the Bradley, I'd gotten used to the Grants.
A couple of hours later, and we were as far up the Mountain as the half tracks could get. About half way, or so.
Sunset: "I'll say this much - it does feel magically, unnaturally cool here." She shook her head.
Moon Dancer: "Agreed." She frowned.
K: "Alright, everyone, let's go." I said, cinching up my pack.
We climbed for about an hour, and then.. we met snow. Instantly. There was a perfect line where the snow started, and ended.
Rapid Bearing: "..never seen THAT before." He paced over to the snow line, noting that a perfect crest of 6 inches (152mm) deep snow started, and right behind that, was grass.
K: "That must be the Heart of Ice's doing." I nodded.
Sunset: "..Kay?" She pointed over to the side of the trail.
Footprints. Troggles.
Rarity: "Over here, Darlings." She now had her Silenced Sherman-Spencer out.. and was pointing to hoof prints on the trail, in the snow.
Timber Spruce: "..well, crap." He frowned. "Yeah, the Troggle feet are more recent."
K: "Let's move. Weapons ready." I pointed.
Moon Dancer: "This is the last thing we needed." She grunted a bit, but chamber-checked her Grant Carbine.
Toola Roola: "Well, it's not like we didn't expect it." She slid a magazine into her Silenced Ridgway.
Applejack: "Aw, lookit'chu Moon Dancer, gettin' all Tactical." She grinned.
Moon Dancer: "Yeah, well, I gotta keep up with my Male." She smiled a bit.
K: "You two are so cute together." I smiled broadly. "A nerd and a Jock. Kinda reminds me of.." I looked at Applejack. "..yeah."
Rarity: "It's only natural, darlings, to seek out one's compliment." She smirked and flicked her tail under Dusk's chin.
Trixie: "Exactly." She strutted past Dusk, and did the same, then did it to Rarity as well. "..after all, only the finest couture in Equestria is fit to grace the perfect form of the Great and Powerful Trixie."
Rainbow Dash: "Awwww! Quit it with the mushy stuff, huh?!" She sassed.
Then a round zipped past her, between her wings.
K: "COVER, COVER!" I dove to a rock.
Applejack: "Ah di'in't see 'em!" She slid close to me, hefting her Buckner.
Timber Spruce: "Me either!" He glanced around, raising his Grant/Gavin. "Anyone got eyes on!?"
Dusk Seeker: "...yep." He pointed to Trixie, then Rarity. "..got it."
Trixie levitated her Machine Gun and fired a short burst to the rocks above. That flushed out the Sniper - a Gizmonk - only for Rarity to tag him in one knee, and Dusk, the other, instantly.
The Gizmonk fell off the cliff face and landed nearby, with an Ersin sniper rifle in his mitts.
Dusty Dunes: "I got 'em." She trotted over, and rolled him over, cuffing him. "You gonna talk, or freeze?" She tapped him on the side of the head with her rifle butt.
Gizmonk: "..the Icy Heart will belong to the Lord over All." He gritted his teeth, in excruciating pain, looking her right in the eyes.
K: "Oh, really?" I paced over. "Is he after it?"
Gizmonk: "Of.. course. That's why I'm here. My whole family." He winced his eyes shut. "I am Paulus Gonk, sworn.. servant.. of the Lord over All."
I drew the Sword of Rainbow's light - everyone knew what that meant, and turned away.. except Applejack, who put her forehoof on my hip. I ran him through in one swift motion, cleaving his heart, and finishing him quietly.
Applejack: "It's bad, ain't it, hun?" She frowned. "Ah shore wish y'all didn't have t'keep doin' that." She said that last one quietly, and with regret.
K: "No choice." I shrugged. "And yeah, it is - Gonk was the name of the Gizmonk that encountered Danny, over 10,000 years ago." I shook my head, frowning. "This means trouble."
Sadly, it meant BIG trouble.
[End of Part 2]
Part 3: Rusted Bucket
TIME: 10:33 WRST
DATE: War Day 1112/20 Quartus, 1005 C.S.
LOCATION: Waystation, Mount Yakumat, Wenatchee, Equestria
We trudged towards the waystation up ahead, and I could see signs of movement in the snow. Someone had been shuffling around, here, and had been trying to get away from someone else. I was looking around, ahead of the team, when I narrowly avoided a shovel being swung at me.
I fell backwards, pulling the Sword of Rainbow's Light and crossing my blade with the wooden shaft of the shovel.
Standing above me was a very elder stallion, in patchwork cape and shin armor, a rusty helmet with a curled brim on his head. It was clearly an old bucket that had been carefully cut back to make it into a helmet.
K: "Easy, there, Stranger - I'm General K. Not a Gizmonk." I nodded to him.
Rusty Bucket: "Oh!" He pulled the shovel back. "Sorry about that." He nodded to me. "Guardian Rusty Bucket, sir."
I got to my feet as Rainbow Dash zipped over.
K: "What happened here?" I looked at the snow behind the Waystation and saw five dead Gizmonks.
Rusty Bucket: "Ohhhh.. THAT." He nodded and hefted an ancient Zhukov that had been decorated with fur-trimmed leather.
Rainbow Dash: "That thing looks like it was made before the war!" She pointed at it.
Rusty Bucket: "Well, yes. It was." He nodded. "I'm in the County Militia, and I drew this weapon when it first became available." He looked at the mountain. "I had a feeling things were getting dangerous, so.. I had to have something to protect the mountain."
K: "Is that your job?" I asked, as the team fanned out to watch the area.
Rusty Bucket: "Yes, indeed, sir." He nodded to me.
Rainbow Dash: "Are.." She landed. "..you all alone up here?" She suddenly grew soft in her tone.
Rusty Bucket: "I got my Bible, I got my job." He shrugged.
Rainbow Dash: "Oh.. man." She shook her head. "No friends?"
Rusty Bucket: "Oh." He lowered his head. "..I guess not."
Rainbow Dash: "Well, not any more!" She patted him on the shoulder. "I'm Rainbow Dash! Nice to meet you!" She smiled.
Rusty Bucket: "Oh! Well.. it's nice to meet you, too, young lady!" He smiled.
Rainbow Dash: "We should be friends." She nodded. "You're nice, and you're smart.. and you took down those things." She gestured to the Gizmonks. "Besides.. I.. kinda understand what it's like to be alone."
I realized that, before Twilight came along, Rainbow Dash really only had Fluttershy, and SHE kept to herself most of the time. So, really, five years ago, Rainbow Dash WAS pretty much alone.
Element of Loyalty indeed.
Rusty Bucket: "Ohh.. thank you." He teared up a bit. "I'm guessing these things are here partly because of the ponies that went up the mountain earlier?"
K: "Yeah, they were." I nodded. "How much of a head start do they have?"
Rusty Bucket: "About an hour." He nodded a bit. "But, they're moving slow. They've got this tenderhoof with them, looks like he's never been out of the city before." He shrugged.
K: "I get it. We can catch up. How far to the peak?" I nodded towards it.
Rusty Bucket: "About an hour? But, it's full of dangerous snow, dangerous ice, and dangerous avalanches." He shrugged. "You have to be very careful."
K: "We will be. Radio back to the base of the mountain - callsign for the militia is Icicle. Get a Squad up here to help cover you." I patted his shoulder. "Trust me, you can't do this alone."
Rusty Bucket: "I getcha." He nodded back. "If you run into trouble, call me on the radio. I don't really have a callsign."
K: "Waystation." I nodded. "And, we're friends, too, Rusty." I gave him a grin.
Rusty Bucket: "Ah.. that's wonderful. Alright. Callsign is Waystation, General." He nodded firmly.
K: "Just K, Rusty. We're friends." I nodded, grinning warmly.
Rusty Bucket: "You got it, K." He smiled wide, the feeling of having real friends being a new experience for him.
Rainbow Dash: "Is there a faster way up? Some way they might not know?" She tilted her head.
Rusty Bucket: "Mmm.. the Fire Trail. It's the one I clear every month. Go out from here, through the rear, and over by that big ice rock. You'll see a beaten path through the snow. Should shave 15 minutes." He nodded with a grin.
K: "Thank you, Rusty." I bowed a little to him. "Come on, everyone." I looked back to him. "You may have just saved the whole country."
Rusty Bucket: "..by guarding a mountain? Well, if you say so." He smiled a bit.
With that, we headed off.
The trek up the Fire Trail was as uneventful as could be. The walk was easy going, and it was clear our enemy had not taken this way. They probably had to avoid the Waystation entirely, meaning their path would also be delayed. We even had time to munch down granola bars on the way up.
When we got to the near-peak, we found a cave, completely walled in ice. It was clear there had been some kind of door, here, but the door was gone. Whether it had been removed by magic, or explosives, wasn't clear.
K: "Alright, pick spots and dig in." I said, quietly. "I want that Gizmonk team eliminated before we go in there."
Rarity: "Oh, of course, Darling." She nodded slowly, and, with her beautiful white arctic gear, trimmed in white sable, she found herself a snow drift and vanished.
Trixie: "Yeah." She nodded, and set up her Machine Gun next to an ice pillar.
Sunset dashed around the back side of the cave entrance, and perched herself on top, with Dusty - DMR and Grenade Launcher.
The rest of us found cover and concealment.. the enemy, we could hear them, just as we finished getting ready.
The Troggles were out front, in a proper skirmish probe line, with two scouts way ahead. The Gizmonks remaining were following loosely, stalking the mountainside. They were professionals, alright, but so were we - and we had the Element of Surprise.
K: "Rarity.." I whispered. "..Dusk, on you two." I sighted in the middle back of the line of Troggles with my Grenade sight.
The sounds of our suppressors are more like breaking sticks, than gunshots. I heard one, then two. Rarity's target was the point-Troggle, and she hit him cleanly in the left side of its chest. Dusk's shot, I could see the tracer, went over the head of the next Troggle in line. Foolishly, I thought he missed, then I saw a female Gizmonk in tactical clothes and a large Arctic Cape with her own precision rifle get lasered through the front of her head.
She'd been behind that Troggle, and was actually using him as a living shield. Shame she was a whole head taller - it was burst open like a ripe melon, now.
Trixie cut in immediately, with suppressive fire, forcing the remaining Troggles to hit the dirt. I fired my Grenade at the same time, as did Dusty, and ours impacted 8 meters from each other. Mine got two of them, hers got three.
I raised up, and used my optical sight for precision fire on the nearest Troggle, trying to crawl to a log. I stitched him up with a dozen rounds, and he stopped moving.
Over the din of battle, I could hear one of the Gizmonks screaming for his sister. I pivoted over, and saw him scrambling along the ground, trying to get to the headless sniper. I put another dozen rounds in his general vicinity, and saw him flop over, clutching his lower gut. Good enough.
A short pivot, and I put the last six rounds I had, into a Troggle trying to line up a grenade shot. I hit the grenade just by chance, and the launching charge burst in his face.
I ducked down, whipping the empty mag out, and sliding in a fresh one. A quick slap to the bolt, and I was back up. Trixie zeroed in on a large Gizmonk trying to flank us, and probably put 20 rounds into him - her gun of choice was now an MG-4/2, not an Abrams, and she hit him with it set to Fast Automatic - 1200 rounds a minute.
After a moment, and me putting four careful shots at what looked like the last Gizmonk, trying to flee.. and it was quiet. I stood, and held up a fist.
K: "Sweep and clear - Dusk, Timber, Sunset, Rapid, on me." I pointed, and we advanced.
I slung the rifle behind me, and pulled my Dager instead. I walked RIGHT over to the Gizmonk that had tried to crawl to the sniper. He was still alive.
K: "Not dead yet, huh?" I said, casually.
Gizmonk Brother: "..n-no.. fffuck..ing.. human..." He stared lasers at me, so badly wanting to just MELT me right there.
K: "May you and your sister rest in the Vault." I said, respectfully, before leveling my Dager at his head, and pulling the trigger.
His last look was one of surprise, that his enemy would, despite it all, wish him a good afterlife.
Dusk: "..she was my kill." He nodded, stepping up next to me.
K: "She was good - I could tell by her outfit. It was the right call." I shrugged. "Even in War, even when we kill, we can do so with a modicum of respect and honor."
Dusk: "That's the hard part, isn't it? That's what soldiers really struggle with? Deponyfy the enemy enough to remove the guilt of having to kill them.. but respecting them enough to do it as clean as you can, and not treat them or their herd like crap." He gave me a look - like, this was a universal statement, not exclusive to here.
K: "Darn straight." I nodded.
Rapid Bearing: "Field's clear. We got 'em." He shrugged.
Sunset: "They were real good.. we were that much better." She frowned.
Rapid Bearing: "Well, I guess that's that for now." He reloaded his Chaffee, and put the partial magazine tube backwards in his tube quiver.
K: "Yeah, let's go get Glimmer." I shrugged.
And with that, the Ice Cave awaits.
[End of Part 3]
Part 4: Glimmering Ice
TIME: 13:03 WRST
DATE: War Day 1112/20 Quartus, 1005 C.S.
LOCATION: Ice Cave, Mount Yakumat, Wenatchee, Equestria
Entering the Ice Cave, and we were all immediately chilled to the bone. Sunset put off a warming aura for us, and we kinda kept close to her.
Sunset: "THIS.. reminds me of the mountain up north. Remember? Where Helreignn tried to stop us?" She nodded to us.
K: "I remember. I wonder if the Mages that set up its coldness defenses, were pulling magic from here? Is that possible?" I looked to Moon Dancer, who was idly changing a magazine on her Grant Carbine.
Moon Dancer: "It's possible, alright." She nodded. "It also makes perfect sense, now that we know about the Heart of Ice and Fire being connected somehow." She gave a shrug. "And you all wonder why I love turtlenecks." She smugly smirked.
Rarity: "Ermine for me, darling." She swished her tail. "Goose down for filling."
K: "All good stuff." I nodded. "And I notice the ice doesn't melt at all." I blew some warm breath at it, and nothing happened.
Sunset: "Really, Kay, you take us to the best places." She smiled.
Timber Spruce: "I bet they have all the traps deactivated already - they beat us here." He was as close to Sunset as he could get.
K: "I bet they have." I nodded. "They can't have TOO much of a lead, let's get the lead out and hoof it." I pointed.
We started moving as fast as we could. The cave itself had many, many traps in it - all of them were deactivated already, as we moved past them. It was almost labyrinthine, but the path forward was pretty easy to figure out, as we found marks and cuts in the sides of the cave walls.
Finally, we found the antechamber leading to the main chamber where the Heart of Ice was stored.
We heard a low, large, heavy voice bellowing as we approached the door.
Ice Grave: "I AM EMPEROR ICE GRAVE! WHO DARES DISTRUB MY SLUMBER!?"
Daring Do: "THIS WASN'T WHAT YOU SAID WOUlD HAPPEN!"
Starlight Glimmer: "I KNOW, I KNOW - I THOUGHT WE DEACTIVATED ALL THE TRAPS AND SIGILS!"
Unknown Stallion: "WELL, I THINK WE MESSED THAT UP!"
Ice Grave: "I WILL FREEZE YOU IN A THOUSAND YEARS OF ICE!"
We ran right into the chamber, and there.. we saw her. Starlight Glimmer, Daring Do, and an unknown stallion, across this huge chasm, standing by a large dais, with Daring Do holding the Heart of Ice in her hooves.
Ice Grave fired a beam of absolute frozen energy at them, barely missing them as they dodged. He fired again, and the energy hit Starlight's shield.
Glimmer: "HELP! ME!" She screamed.
I didn't hesitate. I probably should have, but I didn't. Seeing her appear suddenly, on the crumbling cliffside inside the cave, with Daring Do and some unknown pony, with a magical shield at full strength, and CRACKING, with her grabbing the cliff edge, trying to shield them.. my mind analyzed the situation, and recognized she couldn't last much longer.
K: "SWORD OF RAINBOW'S LIGHT - GRANT ME FLIGHT!" I held the sword behind me, Grant tucked under my other arm, and let it fire me across the chasm.
Dusty: "K!" She shouted as I took off, but quickly pivoted. "COVER HIM!"
I landed almost face-first into the cliff, but I managed to slap my arm over the edge, stab the sword back into its sheath, and grab Glimmer by her jacket with my right arm. I pulled with my left, kicked my feet into the cliffside, and pushed. I managed to get some purchase, but I had a bad grip on her, so I slid my hand down and grabbed her by the base of the tail instead, and THREW her onto the cliffside.
Glimmer: "HEY! WATCH IT!" She snapped.
K: "Later!" I crawled under her bubble, and grabbed the sword. "Channel your energy into me!" I looked at her.
Glimmer: "Alright.." She put a hoof to my shoulder.
Daring Do: "General-" She fired the rest of the rounds in her Custer at the Grave Guardians.
K: "LATER!" I nodded to her, pulling the sword again. "FIRE OF THE NIRIK!" I used the fire power of the now-Lance of the Nirik to shield us from the incoming ice energy, channeled through Glimmer's shield, melting the ice that had already accumulated.
Sunset: "KAY! YOU'RE TOO FAR AWAY! WE CAN'T CHANNEL ALL THE ELEMENTS THROUGH THE SWORD!" She shouted from across the chasm.
K: "DO IT WITHOUT ME!" I shouted back, one-handing the Grant, and firing down on the approaching Grave Guardians.
Ice Grave: "YOU WILL ALL BE FROZEN!" He yelled, though his attention was divided into two - he slacked his ice beam that had been hitting Glimmer's shield, and directed half his energy towards trying to shoot at the rest of the team.
Sunset: "Moon Dancer! Shield!" She called.
Moon Dancer: "Got it! Trixie, give us some magic cover!" She directed.
Trixie: "Laser Show, got it! Dusk, reinforce her shield!" She instructed.
Dusk: "SHIELD!" He called, bringing up his own shield, which was more attuned to physical impact than magical - but it held the Grave Guardians at bay.
Sunset: "READY, GIRLS!?" She shouted back to them.
Applejack: "WE'RE READY! DO IT!"
The Elements of Harmony levitated as they channeled their energy, and fired a massive rainbow wave at Ice Grave. Once he was hit, his attacks ceased, and I had JUST enough energy left in the Lance of the Nirik to pull off a fire blast from it, into Ice Grave's face, further weakening him.
As the power of the Elements of Harmony washed over Ice Grave, he began to melt. The rainbow-fire energy swirled around him, and the puddle at his feet grew, as his form shrank into nothingness. After a few moments, he was completely melted into a puddle, and the Grave Guardians immediately stopped moving.
It stopped. It all stopped. I was sat on my ass, heaving breaths, completely out of energy.
Glimmer: "..K, right?" She asked, timidly.
K: "Yeah." I said, flatly.
Glimmer: "..thank you. I-" She stopped herself, now clearly realizing her situation, and very afraid of what I might do.
I? Leaned over and hugged her around the neck.
K: "Forgive me?" I asked, softly.
Glimmer: "..if you can forgive ME." She asked, with a sad chuckle.
After a few minutes, the rest of the team got over to our position, and Rapid Bearing was making a bunch of rope ladder to better get us down, and across the various splits in the chasm.
Sunset: "Starlight Glimmer..!!" She was a bit surprised as she landed next to us.
Glimmer: "And you're Sunset." She nodded.
Sunset: "Yeah." She shrugged her wings.
Glimmer: "I.. have a lot to explain." She sighed, and lowered her head.
Daring Do: "So do I." She frowned.
Chemical Lens: "Yes. You are currently a fugitive from justice, and an escaped prisoner, Miss Yearling." From below the cliff face, Chemical Lens delivered that line a bit robotically.
K: "Who managed to arrange THAT?" I asked, with a chuckle.
The stallion from before cleared his throat, and sheepishly looked up at me.
Bobs'n'Bits: "I did, General K." He nodded to me. "Bobs'n'Bits. I'm an accountant from Manehattan." He shrugged. "I.. uh.. may have.. forged ID's to get us into the Wenatchee State Prison and spring Miss Yearling."
K: "..this is going to be a legal headache.." I groaned.
Daring Do: "Well, either way, General, if it wasn't for us, Tirek would have the Ice Heart, right now." She snorted a bit. "Even if I -did- get... oh, who am I kidding? I would have come willingly." She smirked a bit.
K: "Yeah." I shrugged. "About that." I looked at all three of them. "The only way I can shield you from prison is if you join CAG." I wagged a finger at them. "I have a LOT of authority within the NEIGHTO Alliance as Supreme Allied Commander, and I'm sure that if you serve in the war, your crimes will be.. perhaps not forgiven.. but certainly ignored."
Daring Do: "What about Ambleion?" She frowned a bit.
K: "I'll deal with Princess Margaret." I nodded. "I can ask her for clemency on the grounds that you're actively aiding the War against Tirek - but NO MORE loose cannon stuff, got me?" I wagged a finger at her.
Rainbow Dash: "YEAH!" She hovered nearby. "I mean, the only reason we came all the way OUT here was.." She looked away, sheepishly. "..we were worried you might get hurt."
Daring Do: "Thanks, Rainbow Dash." She lowered her head. "I've been a bad friend." She shook her head. "I was so sure of myself, but.. everything I did here, I did because I had a team with me." She looked at Dash. "Can YOU forgive ME?" She chuckled derisively. "I should be thankful you didn't trash my name, take advantage of your own influence to.. ruin me."
Rainbow Dash: "Noooot that I didn't THINK about it, but.." She landed next to Yearling. "..you were kinda my hero for a long time. I couldn't believe you were.. you know.. doing this on purpose to hurt us. Like, you MUST have had a reason. Right?"
Daring Do: "Right." She nodded. "I just did things the wrong way. I never thought I'd meet anyone that could keep up with me." She chuckled again, smirking. "I was wrong."
Sunset: "Okay, now that Rainbow Dash's hero worship is out of the way - Starlight, HOW?!" She waved her forelegs. "I know K dump a full magazine into you. Your face was DESTROYED! It took Spike a WEEK to get all your brain matter out of Twilight's rug-"
Glimmer: "That.. was me, but not me." She shrugged a bit. "When we were being reset to the proper time, I.. kinda.. grabbed a me from a few minutes into the future and pushed her into reality ahead of me." She cleared her throat. "I was pretty sure K was going to do that." She shrugged, with her right hoof upturned.
K: "So, you sacrificed a future version of yourself, and slipped back into reality unnoticed." I nodded.
Glimmer: "Yep." She smirked, and cocked a brow.. then lowered her head in shame. "I laid low for a long time. I.." She shook her head a bit. "..listen, have you met Sunburst, yet?"
K: "I have no id-"
Moon Dancer: "Oh, I know him - he's one of Celestia's court mages." She nodded.
Glimmer: "It's a long story. But.. I suppose I better tell it-"
Rapid Bearing: "I'll be a bit while I get this sorted out, missy, so take your time." He nodded. "Not all of us can fly outta here."
Glimmer: "Right. Anyway.. when I was a foal, I was sort of a late bloomer." She snorted. "Sunburst was.. I.." She sniffled a bit. "..I had strong feelings for him. Then, he got his Mark.. and.. suddenly, he didn't have time for a Blank Flank like me." She lowered her head almost to the ground.
Dusty: "Hey, don't feel bad. I didn't get my mark until a couple years ago." She sat next to her.
Glimmer: "But.. then everyone else around me got theirs.. and.." She started tearing up, and gently slammed her hoof into the dirt. "..I got obsessed. I got.. a bit crazy. Maybe. I started thinking.. if no one had those marks, then foals like me wouldn't get left out ever again. If no one was excellent, no one could be terrible. Like, enforced mediocrity was the best way to achieve true harmony. And I REALLY believed that for the longest time." She looked at me. "Then YOU came along.. and that one Unicorn.. I.." She shivered a bit. "..I never knew that a Pony could carry two Marks like that. He.. he almost got me."
K: "He did." I nodded. "That's Norfy, though - he's two Ponies in one body, kinda." I shrugged.
Glimmer: "Now what?" She frowned.
K: "We get out of here. And take the Heart of Ice with us." I nodded. "So Tirek can never get it."
Glimmer: "I mean.. after that." She shrugged.
K: "We talk to Celestia. And we're stuck with each other - I'm not letting any of you out of my sight." I looked at Bobs'n'Bits. "And YOU need TRAINING." I nodded to him.
Bobs'n'Bits: "Yeah.. I guess I do." He shrugged.
And so.. Starlight Glimmer would get a second chance. Did she deserve it? Time would tell.
[End of Part 4]
Part 5: Royal Glimmer
TIME: 07:12 ERST
DATE: War Day 1114/22 Quartus, 1005 C.S.
LOCATION: Royal Palace, Canterlot, Equestria
So, here I sat. With both Princesses, and the majority of my CAG team. The Heart of Ice was secured, safe and sound, where Tirek could not get it. It was, in fact, sent to a place I named Area 57 - a top secret facility out west, meant to contain dangerous artifacts that we didn't need, but could not let Tirek get his hands on. It was very well guarded, too.
Celestia: "..and you say Starlight Glimmer is willing to help?" She looked over at me.
K: "Yes." I nodded to her, and her sister.
Glimmer: "I'm.. I made mistakes.." She lowered her head. "..I saw what Tirek did. Could do. Could have done." She blinked, and lowered her head lower. "I'm.. so.. sorry." She said, softly.
Twilight: "I believe her." She nodded.
Dusty: "I will.. I back her." She nodded, too.
Rainbow Dash: "She gave up. I mean, she could have resisted, or done a lot more damage." She frowned. "I think she deserves another chance - everypony does. It's what makes US better than TIREK!"
Element of Loyalty indeed.
Moon Dancer: "She planned to secure the Heart of Ice and give it to us. Miss Yearling learned, in prison, that Tirek was going to send troops to secure it. She told the guards, but they didn't believe her. I'm not surprised. Breaking out was the only alternative she had." She shrugged.
Luna: "I trust My General." Was all she said.
Celestia: "Unlike K, I do have some.. memories.. of that time. Memories I wouldn't have, if you.." She looked at Glimmer. "..hadn't done what you've done."
Glimmer: "I'm.. really sorry." She seemed to fall in on herself.
Celestia: "That being said, I am willing to give you another chance." She leaned her wing over and caressed Glimmer's back with it. "Rainbow Dash is right - forgiveness is what sets us apart from Tirek." She looked at Trixie. "We've forgiven a lot, during the war." Then over to an official Royal Portrait of Queen Chrysalis. "A lot. Because they've proven themselves - proven that the lives of innocent ponies matter more than personal glory. Or personal greed."
K: "Exactly." I nodded. "Same with Miss Yearling." I looked over at her. "Her secret's out, after the trial. Everyone knows who she is, now. They know she's really an adventurer, AND an author. She can't go back to her normal life." I shrugged at her.
Daring Do: "I was born as A.K. Yearling." She frowned. "Daring Do was supposed to be a persona. It's.. not. Not anymore." She heaved a sigh. "I'm Daring Do for good, now. And for better or worse, I need to.. use my skills, my knowledge.. to help the war. And despite myself, I need to.. work.. with.. a team.. now." She frowned.
Rainbow Dash: "C'h'yeah. And it took something like this to make you realize that." She crossed her forelegs.
Sunset: "Point is.. you're welcome here, Daring." She nodded.
Daring Do: "Thank you." She smiled a bit. "I have a lot to make up for, too, I guess."
Celestia: "Princess Margaret is willing to.. suspend your sentence.. as long as you serve in NEIGHTO. And after the war is over? Perhaps a Royal Pardon." She nodded.
Daring Do: "If I survive." She smirked.
Luna: "We.. have a feeling.. you'll be just fine." She shrugged her wings.
K: "Now.. we need time to relax." I shook my head. "We need to take time for ourselves. And you, Bob-" I looked at him.
Bobs'n'Bits: "Bobs'n'Bits, sir." He blinked, nervously.
K: "Bob." I nodded. "You need Basic Training." I gestured. "You'll come to Ponyville and train under their Militia - they're the most highly trained military unit in the country, and one of the most experienced. They'll make a soldier out of you, despite yourself." I smirked a bit.
Bobs'n'Bits: "I-I guess. I don't have a choice, do I?" He tilted his head.
K: "I guess you don't." I smiled, warmly.
TIME: 11:17 ERST
DATE: War Day 1128/6 Quintillus, 1005 C.S.
LOCATION: Ponyville, Equestria
I was relaxing. I was almost asleep, actually, and enjoying my time off. It'd been 14 days since the meeting. Glimmer was moved in to Toola Roola's place for the time being, and Daring Do was staying with Dash.
Bits'n'Bobs was stuck with Vigilance, and his two wives, as they trained him up.
Speaking of which, I was at the training ground, watching Vigilance put Bob through his paces. After two weeks, he was competent.
I'd make him our Logistics Coordinator. Him and Brindle Spindle, too.
What broke the peace was.. Ember.. of all people.. flying quickly over to the Training Grounds, and landing right next to me, with Filament, Wick, and another Dragon I'd never met before.
Ember: "K!" She ran over to me.. she was dressed in combat gear, as were the others. "We have a problem."
If it's not one thing, it's another. But, at least, we had friends to help us with them. And Friendship is Magic.
{End of Chapter 147}
