The Sound of Thunder- Tempest

Festering Nightmare

Part IV

-=-=-=-

Twilight Sparkle

0327 NCST

“...and that’s why a ‘lift’ would be far more efficient for use in Equestrian Remnant vessels than ladders would be.” Twilight finished with a smug smile. “I believe I will be asking the Captain if we can upgrade next time we are in a dry dock.”

The two ponies continued their arduous climb up the accessway ladder. Twilight felt her energy draining as they slowly continued upward. “Ladders are a very ineffective design…”

Overcoat sighed. “That’s nice, Chief. Here we are, this is our stop.” The Major reached over and pulled the lever next to her.

Twilight let out a filly like giggle. “Not gonna punch it this time?”

Overcoat let loose another sigh and hopped onto the deck. “This is the main cargo deck. Third lowest in the ship. One below was engineering, and the lowest deck is the smaller cargo holds. The civilians will be a few hallways down, in the main hold. We should get there rather quic—”

BOOM!

“Oof!” Twilight fell to the ground next to Overcoat.

The Major spun to the right, her face paling. “No… That sounded like it hit the main hold…”

The deck shook as another round hit the ship. Twilight shook her head, dust flying out of her mane. “Major? I just wanted to ask something. If I’m not classified as a noncombatant, then who is? Who are we going to save?”

“Some technicians, the cooks and such, and our boatswains. Also, some specialists hired for the journey, like the historian.”

Twilight did a double take. “Wait. Did you say the boatswains?”

Overcoat nodded. “Yeah. What’s wrong?”

Twilight paled. “My friend Rarity is the Chief Boatswain… We need to get to them!”

“An element bearer?”

Twilight nodded, and this time it was Overcoat’s turn to pale. “Then what are we waiting for? Let’s save them!”

Once again, Twilight found herself running behind the red coated marine. The hallways twisted and turned somewhat, and with small amounts of debris and the carcasses of dead ghouls and crewmembers alike littering the floor, the going was difficult.

The sprint continued down the corridor, until the two rounded a final bend, running smack dab into an enormous pile of debris completely blocking the way.

“No… no no no! We have to get through here! Chief, can you magic some of this out of the way?” The marine glanced wildly up and down at the destroyed hallway before her.

Twilight looked at the insurmountable wall of what had once been the deck above them. She shook her head. “No good Major. Look up. If I move any of this, the whole thing could collapse on us. Is there a way around?”

The marine turned back to face Twilight, her face a grim mask. “There is. But it won’t be fast. We’ll have to go all the way back around the deck. Alright, follow me.”

With a heavy heart, Twilight turned back the way they had just come. A single scream from a mare echoed after them as they raced back up the corridor.

Run. Jump. Turn. Run. Turn. Jump. Twilight put all she had into her legs and hooves, but but all the fighting and climbing from before caught up to her.

“Major! I need a second…” The mares stopped as Twilight hung her head down, panting. “You wouldn’t happen to have any water, would you?”

Overcoat nodded, pulling a bottle from her saddlebag. “Here you g— Wait a second.”

She opened the bottle with her teeth. She took a whiff and sighed. “Cutlass. Of course he would.” The mare shoved the bottle and pulled out another. “Here, this is mine.”

Twilight took a grateful swig. “What was wrong with the first one?”

“Gleaming. He thinks it’s funny to refill my water bottles with vodka. Something about loosening up… Honestly, I don’t understand stallions at times.”

Twilight let loose the first genuine smile of the night. Amidst all the chaos and the urgency, and despite the fact that they could lose their lives at a moment’s notice, this short moment felt almost… peaceful. Almost real. If it weren’t for the death surrounding them, this could have been a normal day, sitting down with a friend discussing romance. Her sides heaved as she panted and drank, but that short time restored more than just her energy.

Twilight gave the bottle back to her companion. “Me either. There was this one time that I—”

The first girl talk that Twilight had attempted in weeks was cut off by gunfire from the room directly adjacent to them.

“FOR THE GLORY OF THE DEAD!” A deep, bellowing voice cried from inside the room. Several shots went off in tandem, and the shrieks of death resounded within.

Overcoat slid up against the wall, and Twilight followed suit. “I know that voice…” the Major muttered. “Blackjack. What’s he doing out here? He’s supposed to be guarding the civilians!”

Overcoat leaned in to look inside the room and gasped. “Twilight! Come in here!”

Twilight rounded the corner. The room appeared to have once been a hydroponics bay. Food plants of many types grew in planters covered by broken glass. The back wall of the room was blown apart, revealing access to a hallway on the other side. In that hallway, a single unicorn stood.

The black coated unicorn stood his ground upon the corpse of a gryphon ghoul. His ice blue eyes blazed with fury as he fired a shot into a pegasus ghoul. He turned, blowing a wisp of his white hair away from his face, revealing a horn that had long ago been broken in half. He wore the traditional battle harness of a marine, but instead of the normal two gun harness, his had only a single Mk. 10 rifle. The other slot sported what appeared to be a knife launcher.

The unicorn turned to Overcoat. “Major. Nice of you to join the party.” His baritone voice boomed his greeting.

The other marine looked straight at him. “Sergeant, what are you doing? In the case of emergencies, you’re supposed to be guarding the civilians!”

The unicorn did not reply. Instead he spun on his hooves, as a knife shot from the launcher into a naga rounding the corner behind him. It stabbed the beast once in the chest, but as an ice colored glow surrounded the dagger, it removed itself and cut a deep slash in the beast’s belly. Then its chest. Then its face. Then finally its throat. The knife then flew back and placed itself back into the launcher.

The unicorn turned back to the mares. As the aura around his horn dissipated, the Sergeant closed his eyes and clenched his jaw in an expression of agony. “Ma’am. That’s what I’m doing. They hit the cargo bay hard before I arrived there. They poured into the passage through here, so I’ve been holding them off at this chokepoint.”

Major Overcoat looked at him. “Alright Sergeant. Have you seen any of the civilians? Are they safe? We heard an explosion from right near the bay. Did you check on them?”

The stallion shook his head. “No ma’am. This is the first break in the action so far. The Nathusha spawn blew a hole in the hull back that way,” he nodded down the hallway the other direction from the cargo bay, “and have been pouring in from there since. I lost count of my kills. And that’s not a good thing, since I’ve got a bet against Nightshade as to who gets the most kills in our first fight.”

Overcoat’s eyebrows rose. “You’re really concerned about a bet when civilians’ lives are on the line? Concentrate, marine!”

The stallion smirked. “Oh, so you two weren’t just talking about vodka and stallions before you walked in?”

Overcoat’s face paled once more. “No, we… That’s not… How did you hear that?”

Blackjack turned. “Practice. But we’re wasting time. Should probably go save those civilians you’re accusing me of ignoring…”

He dashed off down the other hallway, as Twilight turned to Overcoat. “Not so much fun when it happens to you, eh?”

Overcoat growled. “Shut up.”

Twilight giggled quietly as the two followed Blackjack, but the scene that awaited her in the next room quickly cut her off.

The corridor was littered with dead bodies. Some had died by gunfire, but most bore the marks of the same blade that had killed the naga in the previous room.

Twilight retched at the stench. Overcoat let loose a low whistle. “You weren't kidding. There must be dozens…”

“Major, I don’t kid. I once killed seven hundred nagas with a single knife. It was my favorite knife. I lost it in a bet over a crab fight to a hippogriff foal who had the gall to be a better drinker than me. Since then, I lost my sense of humor.”

Overcoat blinked.

“Umm… I don’t really know how to respond to that…” Twilight took a few steps away from the stallion.

He turned away. “That was a joke.”

Overcoat shook herself. “Yeah, no. I liked it better when you didn’t make jokes…”

Blackjack smiled and walked off.

The three ponies made their way cautiously down the corridor. The roar of combat grew steadily as they approached the cargo hold.

Overcoat smiled. “This will be far faster than going all the way around! This should cut fifteen minutes or more off our travel time! We should be there by—”

“Quiet!” Blackjack cut her off. “Do you smell that?”

Overcoat gasped at him. “Did you just cut me off Serg—”

“SHH! Smells like… ATTACK!”

Blackjack dropped into a crouch as his guns fell into position. Major Overcoat jumped over to him, her hooves glowing with golden energy. Twilight spun next to them, her sword assuming a guard position as her horn charged with magic.

But nothing happened.

Overcoat’s head fell. “Marine, there’s something wrong in that head of your-”

Five hobgoblin ghouls burst through the door beside the ponies. Their stench wafted through with them as the squat mud colored brutes charged the ponies.

“Told you.”

Blackjack’s Mk. 10 tore a bloody hole in the side of the first hobb’s head, but Twilight stopped watching that. Her focus fixated itself upon the hobb charging right at her.

Some small part of Twilight’s mind analyzed the situation in the second before the brute was upon her. Her enemy stood a few centimeters shorter than her, but his girth made up for it. As wide as he was tall, the stinking beast was clad in rotting leather armor, and his meaty paws held an enormous hammer.

A hammer that was arcing its way right at Twilight’s head.

The unicorn dropped into a crouch and rolled her way off to the side as the massive bludgeon swung through the air that had once been occupied by Twilight.

Once more, Twilight felt the rush of battle upon her. This time, she expected it. Embraced it.

With a sharp jab, the unicorn’s blade attempted to bite into the flesh of the hobb. But despite the length of the sword, she didn’t even penetrate the armor of the being, let alone his natural blubber.

The hobgoblin laughed, an unnaturally high sound coming from such a large creature. He leapt backward with more grace than a living creature half his side was entitled to, and as he did so, he swung the backside of his hammer straight for Twilight.

The unicorn dodged away from the blow, but she wasn’t fast enough. The hammer grazed her flank, leaving what she knew would be an awful bruise in the morning.

Quickly rising back to her hooves, Twilight charged her enemy. Her blade struck at him from one side while she lifted a chunk of debris into the air with her magic. She slammed the chunk of wood into him as her sword cut away a few of the straps of his armor.

At this close of a range, the hobgoblin dropped his hammer, and in its stead drew a long bladed knife. He stabbed at the unicorn, who parried with her own sword.

Lifting the debris once more, Twilight pounded the back of his head while holding his dagger at bay with her shard sword.

Twilight felt the anger course through her veins and into her very soul. She smiled a dark grin as she allowed herself to become one with it.

With a roar, she jumped off the beast and somersaulted away. She allowed her magic to embrace the shard weapon, reforming it into a wickedly curved axe. Then, while standing a good two meters from her foe, she swung her axe down with all the might within herself.

The axe wooshed as it cut through the air and imbedded itself in the flesh of the hobgoblin. I shrieked its agony, but did not die.

With a charge of its own, it rushed Twilight, the look of a rabid dog glowing in his eyes.

The unicorn barred her teeth in a barbaric grin. She met the beast head on, fighting brutality with brutality. She used her magic as a physical hammer, slamming her enemy down to the ground.

Before he fell, the enemy drove his knife into Twilight’s side. The metal cut deeply, and Twilight felt herself gasp from the pain of the deathly cold blade penetrated her skin and ripped down into her.

The world went red. Twilight screamed, her voice soaring above the rage of the battle, her defiance made known to all.

She fell atop the monster, seeing the source of her pain. Of the destruction. Of all the death around her. In that moment, she felt true hatred.

Magically, she pulled her blade from the flesh of her foe. With a quick mental command, it reformed into a curved dagger, blade gleaming wickedly in the light from the magical sconces on the walls.

Twilight laid her dagger across the only unprotected part of the enemy: his throat.

The hobgoblins dead eyes gazed up at Twilight, as he knew exactly what she was about to do. Twilight saw this, the fear. Even through his death and undeath, the beast saw the end of his own existence stare into the core of his being. He saw the end look at him unflinchingly.

And then he saw it smile.

Twilight drew the blade to one side swiftly, and with a bloody croak, the hobgoblin's neck was split in twain.

As he breathed his final breath, the being closed one eye. The other stared up at Twilight, who witnessed, for her first time, what happens when all the hope and all the soul of another creature leaves its body. The eye faded, but remained open.

Even in her frenzied state, this was too much for Twilight.

“NOOOOOO!”

She raised the knife above her head, and plunged it into the body’s eye socket, closing the eye that asked, no, begged, the question: Why?

Twilight slumped down with a sob. The adrenaline coursing through her stopped as suddenly as it had begun, and the full realization of what she had just done to another creature who had been just as aware and real as she herself was sunk into her heart.

Before she could help it, she let out a sob. Not for herself. No, a small part of her realized had done what had to be done. She cried for the sake of her enemy, who in another life she may have even been able to call a friend. She cried for the sake of a world that needed actions like this. But mostly, she cried because she knew she would do it again. And again. And again. Because she had to. Because it was needed.

“Twilight…” a soft whisper sounded next to Twilight’s ear.

“I’m f-fine.. Let’s go..” Twilight rose shakily to her hooves. Her shardblade abandoned that wickedly curved shape, returning to her short sword.

“No, you aren’t. Is it… the killing?” Overcoat asked. Her tone was so soft…

Twilight nodded, her eyes clenched to hold back the tears.

“You can’t kill the dead. Their corpses are nothing. Leaving them alive is the worst crime. Wiped out, they’ll never harm another soul. Leave them be, and you can be sure that the blood of others would be on your hooves. You did what had to be done,” Blackjack wiped his dagger on a cloth.

“That which has to be done is not always that which should be done. A wise pony once told me that,” Overcoat spoke in the same quiet voice. She pulled a first aid kit out from her saddle bag. “Here, let’s get you patched up.”

The marine applied a simple antiseptic ointment to Twilight’s side, then wrapped the wound several times with a thick bandage. Nodding at her work, she spoke again. “Come on Chief. Let’s get going.”

Twilight smiled up at her friend. “You can call me Twilight, Major.”

Overcoat returned the smile, and then some. “Okay, Twilight. And you can call me Rosy.”

Blackjack shook himself. “Bleugh. You can both still just call me Blackjack. Let’s get moving. These civilians won’t save themselves, and the monsters won’t kill themselves. We’ve got a job to do.”

A snarky reply jumped to Twilight’s mind, but it was a purely mental response. Before, it would have been funny, but now? It just seemed disrespectful. Twilight contented herself with a sigh as the three resumed their run.

Moments later, they arrived at the end of the hallway, right in front of the entrance to the main cargo bay. Twilight felt a light breeze blow through her hair, and smelled the light, crisp night air.

“Wait. Why is there a breeze inside the ship?”

The doorway to the cargo bay swung open, revealing what had once been the cargo bay. A few corpses lined the entryway, but beyond that, there were none. Beyond the entryway, there was nothing in the cargo bay. Nothing, except for a giant hole covering the whole room where the floor had once been.

The hole in the floor reached downward, through the other cargo decks below it, through engineering below that, and all the way out into the open air.

“We’re too late…” Overcoat whispered.

The three gawked at what little remained of the cargo bay. Silence penetrated only by the sounds of the continuing battle around them filled the air, until it was cut short by a single scream.

“RARITY!”

Rarity

0314 NCST

"We need you, Rarity."

"You need my element, dear. You may have it. But not me."

"Well, yes. But without you, there is no element."

"And what would I do on that flying monstrosity, Shining? Sit around and look pretty? Wait for some calamity to strike while my friends all work?"

“You’ll be an essential member of the crew.”

“I’m not saying I won’t lend a hoof to do what I can. But it is a battleship, is it not?”

“Well… yes.”

“And what will you have me do when the battle comes?”

“We’ll protect you. I swear, no harm will come to you.”

“I don’t want to be protected, I want to help.”

If Rarity only used her eyes, everything was fine.

They were surrounded by four walls, all secure. They had four guard ponies and a sergeant at the only door to the cargo hold and that door was locked. While they had all been forced to leave their posts without warning due to, well, not to put too fine a point on it… a Pirate attack... the fighters were doing the dirty work and all they had to do was wait for the all clear. Or barring that, the order to evacuate in an escape ship.

Everything was alright, everything was fine. If Rarity only used her eyes.

But if she dipped into her other senses for just a moment, she could feel things were about to go very poorly.

She could hear explosions, magical and machine made, all around them. Just outside the walls. Incendiary mayhem peppered with the shrieks of ponies and battle cries of pirates, just outside the cargo bay walls. With every boom came vibrations and shudders, and she could feel the force of every attack on the ship's hull through her hooves. Smoke and gunpowder wafted in from the vents, along with the fear of the ponies around her. Mixed in and around the adults were the the foals of everypony on board, many of them without their parents, who were needed elsewhere. So far on the journey they had proved a loud nuisance, now their silence was a sobering reminder that a battleship was no place for a filly or colt.

The silence from Rarity’s little sister in particular, was overwhelming. Here was Sweetie Belle, the little chatterbox white unicorn who was allegedly related to her, sitting next to her and not saying a word. Usually a silent sibling was the thing she prayed to the seas for most, and now, she'd give anything to see her smile and laugh, or at the least bug her about some stupid thing. Instead, she was staring up at the ceiling, waiting in silent horror. Because in the midst of all of this chaos, there was one sound that stood out among all the others. Ever pony had heard it when the attack began, and was paralyzed at the thought of hearing it again. It was the roar, the awful roar of some beast flying about outside, that was no pony.

Suddenly it came again, a deafening growl of armageddon, overpowering the shouts and gunfire that surrounded them.  Her sister, along with the rest of the crowd, moaned and bent back their ears in fear.

A little yellow earth filly next to Rarity shuddered. “"W-what is that?" She had an adorable but tattered ribbon in her mane, and she was hugging a large red earth stallion who with an apple on his flank.

"Hush now, AB." The red stallion was pretending gruffness but clearly protective of the little one. "You be brave like AJ told ya too."

“But she should be here by now!”

There was something familiar about their cadence, the phrasing in the filly's speech....

“It’s only been ten minutes, AB.” The red stallion’s voice was soothing. “Have faith.”

“Faith!” Snorted an older white mare standing next to them, her eyes tiny and misted over. “Pray with one hoof, make dung in the other, see which fills up first!”

Rarity gave the mare a look, then turned around to gaze at the other ponies around her. They had all been herded in with the other civilians into the cargo hold, a little under a hundred ponies give or take. 'Civilians' actually meant the non combatants, they were all technically in uniform but not hired for their skills in weapons or tactics. There were the cooks, maintenance, scientists, the injured and the nurses that had been caring for them. Like her, they had all been been told various things by Shining Armor and others to get them on board this military vessel. But one promise had been uniform: that the ship was safe, and they even if they were attacked, they would see no combat. If any pirate or naga was foolish enough to attack such a large ship, they had been trained to drop everything and head for the cargo hold. There would be safety.

It didn't feel all that safe right now.

They had no weapons, or extra armor. There was no food, and only whatever water or liquids they had brought with them. There were crates of all size around them, but no indication what was in them. The cargo hold was at the bottom of the ship, meaning above them was deck after deck of ponies fighting for them, and below them was the air, also filled with the sounds of battle. The only ponies guarding them were four soldiers (two stallions, two mares) barely old enough to drink, let alone hold guns, and a stern sergeant in a ghastly battle helmet who was giving no comfort or information to any pony who came asking.

Sweetie Belle finally made a noise, a whimper. Rarity blinked and pulled her close. “This will be over soon, Sweetie.”

Her sister shrugged, then turned her head at a different kind of noise. Rarity did as well.

One pony in particular, a mulberry earth mare with an off white mane, was arguing with the sergeant. Many had tried to talk gruff, red-vested sergeant into letting them leave. Few had been this persistent.

"I'll just be a moment, sir, really."

"No civilians leave the cargo hold until the all clear."

"I'm the ship historian, and I'm not going to be of any use to the Princess without my maps, which are on deck three—"

"No civilians leave the cargo hold until the all clear. It's too dangerous out there."

The mare shook her head. "I acknowledge the danger. If something happens to me, tell them I was warned. Your troops are witnesses. But if something happens to my maps, we'll never-"

The sergeant took a step forward, his visor in the mare's face. "Stand down, civilian, or I will put you under arrest."

Rarity gasped. Ponies around her turned and started watching.

The mulberry mare took a step back, similarly shocked at the guard ponies aggression. Her shock turned to indignant disbelief. "And do what? Take me to the jail, or brig, or whatever we call it, during the duration of a pirate attack?"

The commander took another step forward, baring his teeth. "Do you want to find out?"

Rarity intervened.

"Surely the enemy is out there," she physically put herself between them, keeping her radiant smile, "and not in here, sergeant? Mmm?"

The sergeant turned towards Rarity, sneering. "Stay out if it, Lady."

Rarity returned what she presumed was his glare. The helmet did a good job of hiding his eyes.

She drew herself up to her full height. "That is correct. I AM Lady Rarity, Chief Boatswain, Bearer of Element of Harmony. Now you know my name, I am dying to know yours, and once we're appropriately acquainted, I am most curious as to why you would treat my friend..."

The mulberry mare saw Rarity subtly beckoning with her with a hoof.

"Cheerilee," she whispered.

"My good friend Cheerilee with such hostility."

The sergeant stared at Rarity, turned his head towards Cheerilee for half a moment, and then back to Rarity. After a moment, he jumped on top of a nearby box and shouted, "Listen up! I'm only gonna say this one more time. I'm in charge, and I don't care who you are—filly or element bearer. All civilians are staying here, and staying put, until I get the all clear. So sit tight, and unless you're military, stop asking! "

"Ooh! Ooh!" An aquamarine unicorn came forward, jumping up and down. "I'm not a civilian! Can I leave?"

The sergeant turned mid snarl, only to falter when he saw her uniform and half-heartedly pull off a salute. The unicorn grinned at his expression. "1st Arcane Platoon, 3rd Circle, Teleportation Division, Lyra Heartstrings. At ease! I think."

"But, sir, er, ma'am, why aren't you above deck?"

"Well, my mission is to attack when we attack other ships. But no pony said what to do when we are attacked. Plus I can't find my CO. Plus I was... Um, I was trying to find a mare, but, she's..." Lyra's smile faltered. "She's not here."

“Yes, a lot of us are missing!” Piped up an older green stallion.

“My husband, he was going to deliver something to engineering… but didn’t come back…” said a blue unicorn mare.

“Everypony!” Yelled the sergeant. “No one is going anywhere until I get the order, and that is FINAL!”

The three mares turned around, walking side by side.

Cheerilee huffed, “This is ridiculous.”

Lyra frowned. “They should have given the order by now. It was just one pirate ship….”

Rarity coughed. “Perhaps we weren’t quite as prepared as we thought we’d be.”

"Big Mac, where is Applejack?”

All three stopped at the sound of the young filly’s voice.

"No one's asking you to be a gunner, Rarity."

"Nor am I offering! But Fluttershy is a doctor, Dash is a soldier, Pinkie… well, Pinkie is Pinkie. Twilight is good at anything she does—well, as long as it doesn't involve rhythm—"

"We want you to be our boatswain.”

“What in the wider world of the ocean is a boatswain?”

“It means you’re in charge of maintaining all non weaponized, non engineering equipment. Sails, uniforms, building supplies-”

“Then it sounds like you need a sailor, not me. I will help in any way I can, I’ll make your uniforms, but once they’re done you don’t need me on board.”

“Rarity, every other element has said yes."

"Even Applejack? You talked Applejack into this farce?"

"Master Chef. She and her brother are going to run the on-board larder.”

“Egad. I hope your soldiers like apples.”

“She said she'd be here." The red ribboned filly standing next to pressed her muzzle into the Stallion's leg. "Why ain't she here?"

"She's a comin'."  The stallion was close to tears, although from fear, sadness or exhaustion, Rarity wasn't sure.

"But..."

Another explosion rocked the ship. The filly yelped and grabbed the Stallion's leg even tighter. He was trying to be strong, but the strain was clearly taking its toll.

Rarity caught the stallion's eye. He was proud but shy, she could tell. Fortunately Rarity spoke many kinds of emotional and body languages. This stallion was asking without asking for help. And when ponies needed help, she was not to be found shirking her duty.

"Excuse me," she leaned down to the filly. "Did you say Applejack?"

The filly opened an eye and looked into Rarity's. "Uh huh...s-she's my big sis."

"Why, Applejack is a dear friend of mine. You must be Apple Bloom, correct?" The filly nodded slowly, and Rarity continued. "She's told me all about you. I'm Rarity. I'm sure she mentioned me."

Apple Bloom shook her head, then paused. "Ah remember sis talking about a pony who was pretty but fussy, all white with purple mane? Said she had a good heart but complained a lot."

Rarity's smile did not falter, although her eyebrow did betray her with a twitch. She also heard a snort from behind her, which sounded like the green unicorn. She filed away that for later, and cooed, "So she has mentioned me."

"Sorry, ma'am, she don't mean to be rude, she's just scared as all..."

She waved him off with a kind look. "Tut tut, Mr. Macintosh, or is it just Big? Think nothing of it. We're all under stress right now." Big Mac looked surprised, and she smiled. "You don't think Applejack just talked about her sister, did you?"  She knelt down and cooed to the filly, "Do you realize what a brave pony you are for coming along on this adventure?"

"Ah don't feel very brave, Ms. Rarity... Ah just feel scared."

"But you are not crying or stamping your hooves, right? You are keeping calm, just like my little sister... Say hello, Sweetie."

Sweetie Belle was hiding behind Rarity's legs, and shook her head vigorously.

Rarity shot her a look. She whimpered and mumbled, "I'm Sweetie Belle."

Apple Bloom gave a little wave. "Ah'm Apple Bloom."

"And what grown up mares you are both being right now!" Rarity purred, hoping the confident tone of her voice would distract her from her own fear. "True courage isn't being strong when it's easy, it's being strong in times like this. Both of you deserve medals."

"Eeyup." Big Mac rumbled.

Apple Bloom frowned. "It's hard to feel grown up when ya don't even have yer cutie mark."

The other filly perked up. "You too?"

The fillies looked at each other. Sweetie Belle went first, walking forward and turning to her left, revealing that her flank had nothing but fur. She looked at Apple Bloom held her breath, then turned to her right. They were eye to eye, but Sweetie was looking at Apple Bloom's flank. It was like hers, different in color but otherwise equally blank.

"Ah thought I was the only one on board."

"Me too."

Apple Bloom smiled. So did Sweetie Belle.

"Wanna be friends?"

Apple Bloom blushed. "Sure, if ya want."

The two fillies started talking about how they got on board. Big Macintosh looked at her and smiled, nodding gratefully. She smiled back. They were just ponies meeting one another. For a moment, everything seemed almost normal.

Rarity saw the explosion before she heard it.

A flash of light, and parts of the door came off and went flying inwards. The second came next, battering Rarity as she threw herself in front of her sister (and Apple Bloom) without thinking, closing her eyes shut.

She opened them a few moments later, finding herself and her sister unharmed. However, one of the guard ponies near the door was gone. The other, a mare, was walking around in a daze. And the door, the giant metal door supposedly locked for their protection, now had a pony-sized hole in it.

There was a gasp next to Rarity. She turned to find Cheerilee staring at Lyra. “Your leg!”

Lyra looked down .A decent sized piece of metal was embedded in it, and blood was trickling out. "When did this happen?" Lyra said dreamily, paying the growing chaos around her no mind, staring at her injured leg.

"It came from inside the ship!" The sergeant shouted.

“Where’s… where’s Right Hoof?” stammered the dazed guard mare, looking for her fellow pony.

"Never mind that, go check it out! I’ll cover you!" Snapped the sergeant, and the guard mare awkwardly nodded and scooted through the jagged hole in the door. The sergeant turned and yelled for the two remaining guards. They hustled past the dazed form of Lyra, who was somehow standing completely still despite holding up an injured leg.

The sergeant turned. “Rock Steady, forward.” One of the troopers, a gawky black coated earth pony, stepped up and saluted. “She and I are going out there. If we’re… well, if one of us doesn’t come back in five minutes, move a crate and seal off this door. Understand?”

Steady hesitated, then nodded.

“Really, Sergeant?” Rarity was appalled. “You’re going to leave us here with only one guard? We have wounded here!”

The sergeant turned, his mouth already open to yell, then he stopped. All of the ponies, save Lyra, were staring at him. There was a moment of rare, relative quiet, as they waited for the sergeant's response.

He cleared his throat, then beckoned Rarity closer. She walked forward, and he led her towards the side of the wall and lowered his voice. “You’re an element of harmony, right?”

Rarity nodded.

“I am holding my team together right now with glue and sheer force of will, That’s it.” He grunted, and Rarity looked down. There was a piece of broken helmet embedded in his hoof.

“I didn’t realize… let me help you.” Rarity started to kneel, but the sergeant waved her off.

“Whatever blew open that door, there’s more coming. I need get reinforcements or, barring that, slow them down as much as I can. I’m leaving you one guard, Mr. Steady over there”

Rarity blinked and turned her head. Steady smiled weakly and waved. She turned back.  “But… surely you’re better off staying with us? The rescue ships should be here any moment now.”

The sergeant laughed. “Ms. Rarity, there’s only one rescue ship working on this craft, and it’s for the princess. The others were never finished before launch.”

Rarity’s eyes went wide, and then  narrowed. “What. But we were all promised—”

“Yeah.” The sergeant smiled, but there was no mirth in it. “I was supposed to have at least ten to protect you all. The sick shouldn’t be in here. They promised us a lot of things.”

She shook her head. “Why are you telling me this?”

The sergeant leaned in close. “Because when the time comes, and I hope it doesn’t but I’m pretty sure it will... you’re going to need to use everything you’ve got to protect your fellow ponies. ”

Rarity stared, the words rolling around in her brain.

Another silo hit the side of the cargo bay, this time punching a small in it.  She closed her eyes and waited for the screaming to stop. When she opened them, there was smoke, and through it she saw  the sergeant was staring at her, waiting. She nodded at him, and he grunted and started to move. He waved the third guard to follow him through the charred door.

The sergeant was gone. Rarity turned to her fellow ponies.

Lyra was in a daze, staring down at her leg. Cheerilee was trying to help her, but the unicorn wasn’t responding. Big Mac was trying to comfort both Sweetie and Apple Bloom, and failing. All around her, the civilians were unravelling, whispering and shouting and panicking. Some just stared at the ceiling or the ground. Others crowded around the the new hole in the side of the cargo bay, gasping at the battle outside.

She felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned, and saw a gray earth pony in uniform, saluting her with an awkward smile. “I guess I’m with you, ma’am.”

“Thank you, Mister… Steady, was it? Yes?” He nodded. “What do you suggest we do now?”

Steady hesitated. “I’m very good at following orders, ma’am, but… I ain’t ever given’em before.” She stared at the guard as the din around her increased. He continued to smile, but there wasn’t much confidence in it. “Ready and willing to follow yours, though. Ma’am.”

Rarity sighed inwardly, and smiled outwardly. “Very good.” She turned to Lyra and Cheerilee. "May I be of some assistance?”

Lyra was still non-responsive. Cheerilee turned to Rarity, smiling gratefully. “Please. We need to bandage her leg."

Rarity nodded. She turned back to the guard pony. “Could you obtain my bag? It’s right over—yes, thank you. Ever so kind. Now.” She placed a hoof on Lyra’s shoulder.  "Why don't you come sit with us, dear—"

Lyra’s face was scrunched up.  "But I have to find her."

Cheerilee and Rarity looked at her, and then at one another. Cheerilee nodded, taking her other shoulder. "We have to fix your leg."

“But I have to find her.” Her eyes were rapidly shifting from one pony to the next.

Rarity took a breath. “You can’t go anywhere until we patch that leg up. I assure you, once we leave here, it will be our first task.”

Lyra's voice became very small, almost inaudible over the din. "Promise?"

Rarity nodded, and Lyra lowered her head in assent.

“Mr. Macintosh, could you bring the foals? And Mr. Steady, if you could take a strand of fabric out of my bag, any will do. Thank you.”  They walked along with towards the of the cargo bay. “Cheerilee, lay her down over there.”  

Cheerilee sat Lyra down on a small cushion next and Rarity floated over the fabric from Steady’s hoof. “Thank you, Mr. Steady. It’s not medical, exactly, but ‘twill serve. Miss Cheerilee, would you mind holding her leg?”

Cheerilee nodded and placed her hooves on either side of Lyra’s leg. Rarity focused her magic on the bit of shrapnel.

“I don’t wanna look!” whined Sweetie Belle, shielding her eyes with her hooves.

“Me neither!” joined Apple Bloom, burying her face in Big Macintosh’s side.

“Actually, you two SHOULD look.” Rarity’s eyes were still staring at the shrapnel. “You may learn something.” She flicked eyes up toward Lyra. “I’m sorry, but this will hurt.”

Lyra nodded, biting her lip. Rarity closed her eyes, and lifted the piece of shrapnel out of Lyra’s leg. She gasped, and more blood started flowing out. Sweetie Belle peeked through her hooves and gasped. Apple Bloom couldn’t help staring with an open mouth.

“Here, Cheerilee, press this down and apply pressure.” She handed over the fabric, which Cheerilee took in her teeth. “Mr. Steady, the tape from my bag, if you please. Ms. Bloom, close your mouth, unless you want to catch flies.”

Apple Bloom blushed and closed her mouth as Steady and Cheerilee went to work. The bandage was quickly applied, however, the blood was still seeping through.

“Gosh, it’s still coming...” murmured Sweetie Belle.

In her mind, Rarity was swearing. But out loud, she said, “No worries, plenty more where that came from. Mr. Steady and Ms. Cheerilee, please take it off and let me see what I can do. In the meantime, Miss Lyra- tell me about yourself, why don’t you?”

Lyra was staring at the ceiling, breathing erratically. “I’m… I was in the marines a few years ago… but they let me go before I could finish… I was lost, I didn’t have any direction, then I met Bon Bon….”

“Oh yes, the mysterious Ms. Bon!” Rarity’s voice was full of music, but her eyes were zeroed in on the wound. The bandage wouldn’t be enough. She whispered to her side, “Mr. Steady, there should be needle and thread in there, I believe…”

“She’s the most.. wonderful mare in the world, she makes candies and she calms me down… I can get a little… excited at times… a little loopy… she makes me even….”

Rarity nodded as the guard pony quietly handed her the needle and thread. “Go on, go on… are you two married?”

Lyra shook her head, grimacing as Rarity began to sew up the wound, “Not yet… I was going to propose, but, I couldn’t afford a band… but then Mr. Armor came and told us…”

“Let me guess,” Cheerilee piped up, very voice flat. “All expenses paid, adventure, very little danger.”

“Yes!” said Lyra. “And if anything should happen, rescue would come… but that’s what he told her, he later told me… they needed me for a special mission…”

“Annnnd… Done! Mr. Steady, Cheerilee, once more with the bandage, if you please.”

This time, the bandage started soaking, but the bleeding slowed. Soon, it was over. Lyra started breathing at a normal pace, and turned to Rarity with a grateful smile. “Thank you. You’re a lot like her.”

“Compliment accepted!”                                                

Rarity smiled. “And so you see? When ponies work together, there’s nothing we can’t—”

Then there was a screeching sound outside. It got closer and louder, louder and closer, and Rarity turned her head just in time to see a giant hole rip through the floor. There was fire, smoke and teeth, the unmistakable stench of dragonmaw. Then it was gone, but the impact caused several boxes to shift. One of them fell and knocked a mare—the blue one from before, calling out about her husband—into the hole. As she reached to try and grab her, another box fell. And another. The ship was listing, and she couldn’t keep track of her family or her newfound friends—Lyra, Cheerliee, Steady, Mac, and the foals, everything was a blur—

There was smoke and fire and crying, and pain. One of the boxes burst open and something hard and metal flew towards her head.

Everything went black.

“I’m not going without my sister.”

“Rarity, it’s really not a place for filly’s.”

“Why not? You SAID it was safe, nothing to worry about, no real danger. If it’s safe enough for me, it’s safe enough for my sister.”

“Look, we take every precaution, we’ll check all the safety gear, but foals are foals and they’ll… get in the way, at best. Don’t make me think about at worst.”

“Mr. Armor, it’s just Sweetie and I. Do you understand? There’s no one else. Our parents were lost when she was very young, and I’m the only family she’s really known.”

“What I’m saying is, I don’t know if I can guarantee her safety.”

“Then how can you guarantee mine? This isn’t negotiable, Mr. Armor. I’m not leaving her at boarding school or the like, and I’m not… if something should happen to her and I can’t help because I’m off on this ridiculous journey, I shall never forgive myself.”

“It’s your call, Ms. Rarity. But it’s a mistake.”

Her eyes snapped open, and all Rarity could see was chaos. Ponies running this way and that, fire spreading. Some pony clutching her leg. She turned over and saw a ribbon, underneath it was a shaking little yellow earth pony.

The filly was stuck in a loop, shaking Rarity's leg. "Please wake up... Please wake up...."

Rarity shook her head and sat up. "I'm alright, dear."

Apple Bloom's eyes went wide and she hugged Rarity with such force she almost fell over. She gently hugged her back, trying to make sense of her surroundings. There was no immediate sign of Sweetie or Apple Bloom's brother, or any other familiar faces.

Except for Apple Bloom.

"Ah can't find Big Mac or Ms. Lyra or anypony, and, and-"

"Sssh, it’s going to be alright, Apple Bloom..." Apple Bloom's tears soaked into her fur as she looked desperately through the smoke for any sign of her own sister. All she could see was shapes running through the smoke, and through the flames, the newly made hole and the light from the angry sky it framed below.

“You haven’t seen my sister, have you?” she asked, trying to keep the fear out of her voice.

Apple Bloom shook her head. “No pony but you….”

If something has happened to her…

No. She shook her head, banishing that thought. Now was the time where something might be done. Besides, there was another filly clutching her, desperately needing her right now.

"Ah know you told me not to cry," Apple Bloom whimpered through tears, "and ah'm trying not to, but… Ah want Applejack... Ah want my big sis..."

"I know, dear, but... I'm sure she's out there somewhere, right now, being very brave and helping other ponies."

Apple Bloom pulled back, and stared at Rarity, sniffling. "So what are we doin' in here?"

Rarity blinked. "You've got a point, darling..." She muttered, "I’m sure she’d want us to…”

Do what, exactly?

She summoned a mental image of her friend.

Get off your flank and start helpin’, that’s what I’d do if ah were you.

Rarity smirked. Right.

Rarity turned to Apple Bloom. "She’d want us to do something. She’d want us to not be afraid. She’d want us to help. Yes?”

Apple Bloom nodded, wiping her nose. “Sounds like her, yep.”

“Very well, then we shall find our families. Agreed?" Apple Bloom paused, but then nodded. Rarity put on her best smile. "Come now, stand up"

They stood together and looked around. The only thing immediately visible was the hole, but it didn’t look like the safest thing. Still, it was better than walking blind.  They walked a few steps towards it and another unicorn appeared in the smoke.

It was Lyra, her leg bandage almost soaked through again. She was standing next to Rarity’s saddlebag, which had been knocked off in the explosion but appeared intact.

"Bon Bon!" She called out, turning this way and that. "Where are you?!"

"Lyra..."

She turned to Rarity, eyes wild. "Something's happened to the ship! Something bad! We have to get out of here!"

Another blast hit the ship and everything shook. Rarity grabbed Lyra's head. "I agree, dear. We need to get out of here. But." They were eye to eye. "No pony gets left behind. Right?"

“But… Bon Bon…” Lyra faltered.

"Lyra. Look at me." Rarity's stare was unwavering. "We're going to go find her. We’re going to find this filly’s brother. We’re going to find my sister. We are getting out of here. Together."

Crazed eyes met determined ones.

"Yes?"

Determined won.

Lyra blinked, and then smiled. "Yes, Rarity."

"Good." A small explosion rocked the deck, and she flinched. "Of course, first we have to survive the cargo bay."

Applebloom tugged on Rarity's mane, pointing. "Maybe they know somethin’ we don’t?"

She followed the direction of the filly's hoof, and found herself looking at a crowd of ponies surrounding the dragon-made hole.

She needed more information. Grabbing the saddle bag once again, she said, "Applebloom, stay with Lyra for a moment."

The filly suddenly glomped onto her leg. "Don't leave me Ms. Rarity!"

She leaned down  and whispered gently, "Dearest, I promise you. No pony is getting left behind. But do you see that hole over there?" Applebloom's looked, then nodded. "I need to take a peek out of it to see when the…”

She stopped. The sergeant’s words came back to haunt her.

Ms. Rarity, there’s only one rescue ship working on this craft, and it’s for the princess. The others were never finished before launch.

“...to see if there’s a way out,” she finished lamely, unable to lie to the filly. “And I can't do it from here. And I can't have you near there, it's too dangerous—"

"Then why are you goin'?" Applebloom's asked.

"What I was going to say..." Rarity had to pause a beat to keep her composure, "is that it's too dangerous for a FILLY, so you're going to stay here with Miss Heartstrings until I get back. I shan't be a minute."

"Don't worry, honey." Lyra smiled, "I know twenty-four different ways to incapacitate a pony before they hit the ground."

Even in the roar and din of a giant airship under attack, the silence from Applebloom  and Rarity was deafening. Lyra's smile thawed and collapsed into a frown.

"Oh wait, that's not right.... Oh! Right, twenty five! I know twenty-five different ways to take a pony down." Lyra threw a hoof around Applebloom's frame, all smiles. “Stick with me kid, I'll keep you safe."

Applebloom turned to Rarity with big pleading eyes. All Rarity had to give her in return was a thin tiny grin. She repeated, "Shan't be a minute," and turned to walk away before the filly could protest. Lyra's mood swings and bizarre bragging of over two dozen methods of attack were worrying, but she was more concerned about her fellow ponies trampling the foal.

Her fears were justified as she was almost trampled twice on the seemingly short path to the hole. The most recent attack, whatever caused it, had broken the illusion of calm that the civilians had left. Mr. Steady was nowhere to be seen, and now they had a front row seat to the horror going on outside.

She made her way to near the edge of the hole with equal measures of politeness and shoving. Once she could see, she froze. Her eyes saw, but her mind didn't believe.  Shapes were whizzing by, but it was impossible to tell from this distance if they were friend or foe.  Explosions and gunfire and cursing, interspaced with screaming and the occasional sight of a Pegasus falling into the ocean.

This wasn't an attack, it was a war.

"We're... We're winning right?" A mare's voice asked.

One of the pegasi in the air looked vaguely familiar. There was a rainbow-colored trail following her.

Rainbow Dash…

A sudden wave of lightness filled her whole body. Dash was still alive. That meant maybe, maybe all of them were still…

A black stallion nodded. "A rescue ship will come soon, I'm sure."

“No.” said a familiar voice. “They’re not coming.”

Rarity looked up. Cheerilee was standing next to her, staring down into the hole.

"Darling!" Rarity smiled, then frowned. Her new friend had a fresh gash on her head and a bruised left eye, She didn't seem to notice the blood trickle down her cheek. "You're hurt!"

“I’ve read this story,” said Cheerilee, her voice sounding strangely distant. “I know how it ends.”

Rarity took out another piece of fabric from her saddle bag. "Hold still." She wiped Cheerilee's brow and around her eye, "I think your tone answers my question, but, how does it end?"

Cheerilee turned to Rarity with her one uncovered eye. "Rescue doesn't come in time. Or at all. The system fails. The ship survives. We don't." She closed her eyes. "The mission fails."

Rarity paused, holding the fabric in place On the mare's head. "Less than an encouraging forecast."

She’s not wrong, though… no ship is coming….

Cheerilee shook her head, "I just keep thinking of an escape plan. It’s not coming. We can't go out the way we came in."

"Why not?"

Cheerilee opened her eyes and pointed her hoof in the direction of the door. Squinting through the smoke, Rarity could just barely make out the contours of the doorframe, now in shambles. The debris was collapsed into the room.

"We all ran towards there after the dragon attacked. I didn't see you or little Applebloom. Or Miss Lyra. I thought..." Her good eye looked at her, then at the sky below. "I heard the sergeant yelling on the other side to get back, then there was an explosion. Then some pony shoved a crate in front of the door. Then nothing."

Rarity thought about the order the sergeant gave to Mr. Steady, who was nowhere to be seen. Speaking of which… "Cheerilee... Did you see my sister? Or Mr. Macintosh?"

She turned her head back to Rarity. A tear was running down her cheek. "Yes... When we all were going for the door, I... He was holding her. There was a cut on her head. I didn't. I haven't seen them since. I'm sorry."

Thank goodness, Rarity sighed inwardly.

"I didn't even think. Of course. I'm sorry." Cheerilee was shaking and closed her eyes again. The makeshift bandage was soaked through.

Rarity made a mental note to pack a first aid kid at all times as she took out another piece of fabric. Re-applying it to the mare’s head, she cooed, "there's nothing to be sorry for; it's the only bit of good news I've gotten all day."

Cheerilee choked back a sob. "I don't want to die here." She opened her eye. "Maybe in some temple or saving some treasure, or a foal's life but no like this. I can't die yet."

Resolve hardened inside Rarity. She wrapped the fabric around Cheerilee's wound like a makeshift eye patch. "So let's live, dear. What do you suggest?"

Cheerilee looked at Rarity, and slowly nodded. Then she  twitched her head back and forth, gears turning in her head.  "Below us, the walls around us, it's nothing but open air. The exit is blocked off."

There was a loud bang, and both ponies looked down. A piece of metal had come loose from the jangled hole in the floor, banged around the sides before flying into the ether. Fortunately, no pony was in its path. Unfortunately, it was a critical part of the structure of the cargo bay floor. There was a painful groaning sound as part of the ground gave way, and the metal literally bent under the weight of ponies. The crowd skitted back, moaning and shrieking.

“Stand back! STAND BACK!” came a male voice, and the crowd parted. Rock Steady came through, holding his gun with a frazzled expression. His eyes, which Rarity hadn’t seen before due to his helmet, were a lovely golden color, skewed slightly by how bloodshot they were. They softened a bit at the sight of Rarity. His helmet was nowhere to be seen.

“Thank Lao-Wren, I thought we’d lost—I said STAND BACK, lady, do you WANT to fall into the ocean?” The offending mare jumped back, and he sighed and turned back to Rarity with a smile.  “I’m glad you’re alright.”

“For now, darling. Have you seen my sister? Or a big red stallion, Mr. Macintosh?”

Steady’s smile faltered. “They’re over here.”  He nodded with his head towards the back part of the Cargo bay. “He’s okay, but. Uh.”

Rarity heard enough. She left Cheerilee and ran past Steady, towards where the medical ponies were clustered.

There, she found Big Macintosh, who was crying quietly. By his side, on a stretcher, was Sweetie Belle. Her head was wrapped in gauze, bruises along her body. She wasn’t moving.

“She won’t wake up…” Big Mac was muttering. “Ah tried to protect her, but…”

Rarity looked at her sister, then at Big Mac, then back at her sister. “Sweetie? Sweetie Belle? Open your eyes, please, let me know you’re okay.”

Nothing.

“Why isn’t she awake? What happened to her? Mr. Macintosh?”

He shook his head, the tears still falling. “Ah couldn’t even save my sister…”

She felt the overture of a complete breakdown rushing up her spine. “Somepony, anypony… talk to me. What is going on?”

She felt a hoof on her shoulder, and turned to see a white earth pony with a pink mane and a nurse’s hat. She had a tired smile. “She’s breathing, she’s alive. She should be okay.”

“Should be?” Rarity snipped.

“Well, we need to get her to sick bay.” The nurse looked around her. “All these ponies need to get to sick bay. Otherwise...”

Rarity cursed herself for being so rude and thoughtless. Of course, these ponies were doing the best they could. Of course, Big Mac did everything HE could.

Now it was time for her to do what she could.

“Miss…”

“Nurse. Nurse Redheart.”

Rarity took her hoof. “Thank you. Mr. Macintosh?” The stallion raised his head slightly. “Your sister is alive and fine. She’s with Miss Lyra.” He practically jumped off of his flank. She grinned. “I thought that’d get you up and running. Come with me.” She turned back to Redheart. “Please try to get these ponies ready to move, and fast. We’re getting out of here.”

Redheart’s eyes lit up. “The rescue ship is coming?”

Rarity snorted. “Today, we are the rescue ship, darling.”

She turned and kissed her sister on the forehead, then practically galloped back to the center of the room, where Rock Steady was trying to keep the crowd calm.

“When is the rescue ship coming?”

“Why did the sergeant close the door?”

“What is going on?”

“Please… please, everypony…” he wailed, getting nowhere.

Rarity ran up to Cheerilee. “Any progress?”

Cheerilee’s face was devoid of all energy. “I can’t think of another way, and we’re running out of time.” Cheerilee sighed. “This floor wasn’t designed to have holes like this in it. I’d say we’ve got five, maybe ten minutes before it starts really falling apart.”

“How do you KNOW all of this?” Rarity asked.

Cheerilee blinked. “The briefing packet Shining distributed to every pony about the ship’s design, map and capabilities. Didn’t you read it?”

Big Macintosh nodded. “Eeyup. This floor’s gonna give way for sure. It was pretty clear in the readin’.”

Rarity stared at her new friends. She had a fleeting mental image of a stack of paper, un-opened, sitting on her bedside since they launched.

“Never mind that. So what do you suggest we do?”

Cheerilee shook her head. “I’ve been thinking since the door got jammed, and I’ve got nothing. We can’t go out, we can’t go down…”

Big Mac grunted. “Can’t even buck a hole in the wall, because there’s nothing on the other side but a sharp drop.”

Rarity sighed in frustration and looked up.. It was an ugly, multipurpose ceiling, probably cheaply made.

After all, it was the floor that had to hold the cargo, not the…

“Mr. Macintosh, what’s above us?”

Big Mac squinted. “Secondary storage space, “for non military deliveries n’such that ain’t been—AAUGGGH!”  He was interrupted but a tiny but aggressive filly.

“BIG BROTHER!” squealed Apple Bloom. “I’m so glad you’re alright!”

Big Mac hugged his sister tight, too happy to speak.

Rarity turned and found Lyra staring at her with a smile. “Sorry, she got antsy, and so did I. But hey, reunions are great, aren’t they?”

Rarity sighed. “Yes, but I still need to know what is above us!”

“Basically, all the stuff that isn’t guns or bullets or stuff like that.”

Cheerilee nodded. “It’s above us, waiting to be taken to it’s appropriate place. It gets secondary priority behind military hardware.”

Rarity squinted. “And how strong would you say that ceiling is?”

Lyra shrugged. “Not as strong as what we’re standing on. Why?”

“Good.” Rarity grinned. “Iiiiddeeeeaaaaaa!”

The other ponies shrunk back as one in the face of her sudden confidence. She laughed. “Gather around, dears. I know how we’re getting out of here.”

“So it’s settled, then? You’ll be joining us on our voyage.”

“Yes. I suppose so.”

“Why so glum, Lady Rarity? Your friends will all be there.”

“Yes, I know. I don’t suppose any princes are on board as well, hmm?”

“Closest thing is me, and I’m taken. Thank you very much.”

“Ah well. I suppose trying to do some good will be good enough. My knight in shining armor will have to wait.”

“Ahem.”

“Er, sorry. It’s an old phrase, you know.”

“Heh. Listen… While we officially discourage any on-ship romance, I assure you, there are some very good stallions on board. And mares. Some of the best I know.”

“What are you implying?”

“That you could do a lot worse than a military pony, Ma’am.”

Rock Steady was overwhelmed. He hadn’t had much of a training, and it certainly hadn’t prepared him for crowd control.

“Why aren’t the ships here yet?” Said a gray unicorn stallion.

“Just… remain calm…”

“But you blockaded our way out!”

Sweat was pouring down the sides of his muzzle. “We’re waiting for the all clear…”

“How would they even TELL us? We’ve had no communication down here since the attack began!”

“Um…”

“He don’t know nothing, he’s just a guard.” The old white mare shook her head at him, disgusted.  “But it doesn’t matter. We’re just supposed to wait for the rescue ships. You see. They’re comin’.”

"There are no rescue ship coming." Rarity shouted.

There was a chorus of gasps. They turned towards her, all speaking at once:

"But the Princess said—"

"I was explicitly promised—"

"No, she wouldn't—"

"How do you know?"

Rarity raised her hooves for quiet. "The sergeant told me before he left. He told me to hold for as long as we could, then find a way out."

Steady squinted at her. “A way out?”

Rarity pointed upwards. "We're going up and through."

Her fellow ponies followed her hoof as she pointed at the stack of boxes that Macintosh was shoving together. Smaller crates at the bottom led up to a large crate, which had Cheerilee on top of it. Next to Cheerilee was two large crates stacked together, and on top of them was Lyra. She was floating smaller crates with her magic onto the large crate below her, and Cheerilee was pushing them into formation.

The overall effect was a diagonal of makeshift steps, heading towards the ceiling, up and out of the cargo bay.

The crowd murmured in confusion.

"How will we get through the roof?"

"How do you know it'll be safe up there?"

"I don't believe it!" Said the older white mare, the same one from earlier who had given her such a hard time. Snarl on her face, she stepped forward and said, "I don't believe the princess would do that to us, and I especially don't believe if it was true, the sergeant would only tell YOU." She turned to the crowd. "Chief Boatswain, my eye! I've been sailing on ships my whole life, and I tell ya, you don't want to be on a ship where one of your chief officers has never served before."

Rarity was horrified. It was rude, undignified, personal and most critically, it was true.

The crowd was looking at Rarity, then back at the white mare, then at each other.

"That's right, missy, I asked around! You're only here cause you're one of them elements of harmony, whatever THAT means! Now you're gonna' tell us what to do? Ha!" She turned to the crowd. "Don't follow her feather brained scheme. We wait for the rescue boats."

"You know, lady, I've been listening to you squawk all morning, and almost all of it has been complaining." Lyra glared at the mare from her perch on top of the second giant box. "Rarity may use some fancy words that I don't always follow, but she's been helping."

"She came to my aid twice!" Said Cheerilee, pointing to her bandage. "Probably saved my eye."

"She saved mah sister." Rumbled Big Mac. "That's enough for me."

"An' she sewed up Miss Lyra's leg!" Apple Bloom added, somehow appearing on top of Big Mac's head.   "Ah saw it!"

"That's true! That also happened!" Lyra turned on the white mare. "So unless you got a better idea... Shut up."

Rarity stared around at the ponies speaking up on her behalf. The trust and support from her newly made friends poured Into her heart. She felt strange but wonderfully warm, and her hooves were barely touching the ground.

The old white mare, however, was having none of it.

"Listen to yourselves!" She yelled,  eyes going wild. "Good deeds ain't the same thing as knowin' what you're talking about! She says we should climb up this pile of rickety boxes, that the ships aren't coming?!  Why should believe her?"

A male voice rang out. "Because It's true."

The crowd turned to see Rock Steady, shaking but standing tall. "The ships weren't finished on time, except for one. And I don't think it's coming."

"Why not?" Asked a grey stallion, trying to calm his crying foal.

Steady cleared his throat. "Because that ship is for the Captain."

Rarity looked around the crowd. Frowns, sighs, outrage, sagging faces. And For the first time since their princess had returned, an unfamiliar expression when her name was mentioned: doubt.

"Why would she lie to us?"

"She wouldn't just leave us, would she?"

"Wanna bet?"

"Then what have we been waiting for?"

"Yes, soldier, who's coming to save us??"

Steady opened his mouth, but no words came out.

"Us." Rarity said.

They turned towards her, who was wearing a positively radiant smile. She stood atop the first giant box, looking over the crowd. "Fillies, Gentlecolts! The Captain would not leave us. Nor would the marines. But they’ve got a big job to do, and I can only assume she's doing it as we speak.” Another piece of metal came flying off from the hole in the middle, causing the ponies around it to scramble backwards. She pressed on: “We're cut off from the rest of the ship. They can't get to us. But maybe we can get to them. And sitting on our flanks is not going to help us either. Maybe by climbing out of here, we can save ourselves. If you've got any sense, you'll come along with us.”

She looked down at her fellow ponies, who were looking up at her with equal measures of hope and skepticism. “The Princess is fighting for us. Right now, above our heads. The least we can do is follow her example."

Rock Steady baulked. "Begging your pardon, Miss Rarity, but these aren't fighters, Rarity..."

"No, dear Steady. We’re not fighters. We’re survivors. Except for Miss Lyra, who is both.” She turned to the green unicorn. “Miss Lyra, if you please?"

"Miss Rarity, it would be my genuine pleasure.” She grinned, then turned up towards the ceiling with a determined expression. As her horn started glowing, her eyes briefly shifted to the ponies standing around her box. “You all might want to stand back.” The glowing became a massive field of golden light, and she screamed, “TALLY HO!"

A huge blast of golden light tore through part of the ceiling, and caused debris to rain down onto the cargo bay floor. A few small crates came tumbling down and smashed, causing ponies to yelp and dive out of the way.

Lyra blinked, wiping the dust from her eyes. Then she saw the fruits of her labor, and pumped her hoof in the air. “And THAT’s how you make a hole in the ceiling!”

Rarity coughed. "Thank you for that, er, dramatic example, Miss Lyra.” She jumped down from her box.

"Now let’s vamoose."

"Excuse me?"

Nurse Redheart was leading a small train of stretchers being carried or floated by the other medical ponies.

"I have my patients ready. Where am I taking them?"

Rarity pointed. "We go up."

Redheart followed her stare and whistled. "Tricky. Novel, but, tricky."

"Can you do it?"

The nurse made a face, but said nothing for a moment. Then, she said, "I'd rather not, if we don't have to. Do I have any other options?"

"You could wait..."

Rarity turned to look at the hole in the ground, and Redheart followed her gaze. The cracks were getting bigger.

“Right, so…” Redheart turned to her staff. “Up we go.”

A loud bang echoed through the bay, and Rarity jumped. She wasn't alone. Everypony around her was looking for the source of the sound. It had a different tenor from all of the previous sounds of war they had been surrounding them. The banging came again, twice in a row. It sounded almost like...

"Who knocks in th'middle of a war?" Big Mac asked, pointing  towards the door.

Rock Steady stepped forward, saying nothing. He stared at the door as if it was about to pounce.

"Soldier Steady," came a loud, flat voice, "Remove the barricade. Reinforcements are here."

A ragged chorus of cheers erupted from the crowd.

"See?" The white mare yelled, a hint of smugness in her voice. "I told you rescue was coming."

Rarity sagged with relief. She looked a bit foolish, of course, but that was alright. As long as-

"Quiet, all of you!" Hissed Rock Steady. Everypony looked at him in bewilderment.

"What's wrong, mister Steady?" Asked Apple Bloom.

"Nurse," Steady spoke with exaggerated calm, "get your patients ready to evacuate. All of you on the boxes—stay put. Lady Rarity, you come with me. Everypony else, help with the wounded or line up to climb."

The old mare stomped her hooves. "Why in the heck would I run from my own rescue?"

Rarity nodded. "I agree. I don't understand your orders."

The old mare laughed. "So we can agree on somethin'."

Steady shook his head. "Please, just trust me, Ma'am. Everypony, help or get in line. And Lady Rarity, if you please..."

Rarity jumped off her box and followed the soldier as he walked towards the door. She could feel the eyes of the crowd upon her as she and Steady parted them in half, the hope mixed with drops of suspicion. It clouded her mind as well. So close to rescue, and yet why was the only one who knew more about it than any pony else so worried?

"Lady Rarity," he whispered, "if I'm wrong, then this nightmare is almost over. But if I'm right... You need to run, and you need to lead these ponies up and out of here."

Rarity's jaw dropped. "Me? But surely-"

There was another bang. "Soldier Steady. Remove the blockade."

He stared at the door grimly, digging around his uniform for a moment before pulling out a small glowing gem. Rarity looked at Steady, confused. He held eye contact with her and brought his hoof to his mouth. Then he spoke, carefully and slowly: “How fares the princess?”

Silence.

“She’s well. The battle is won. Please remove the barricade.”

Rock Steady shut his eyes tight. “Yes sir. We’re going to open the door.” He bit down on the gem, which started to glow, and then pressed it to the remains of the door. Then he cocked his gun.

She took a step back, uncertain.

“Soldier. Open the door.” Came the flat voice.

“Yes sir.” He trained his gun on the gem, and began kicking around various pieces of debris, creating noise but accomplishing nothing.

“Soldier Steady. Now.”

“Moving it now, sir.”

He backed up, turned to Rarity mouthed GO.

Rarity ran. She heard a shot, and an explosion. She didn’t look back.

There was more banging behind her, as she reached her makeshift staircase. The crowd was milling about, unsure. Rarity cleared her throat. “Mr. Steady says to go, go now. Start climbing.”

Cheerilee frowned. “What happened? Why didn’t he come back with you?”

“I’m not certain.” Rarity shook her head. “It was the sergeant's asking him to open the door, but Steady didn’t open it. The sergeant seemed… off.”

“Rarity…” Lyra’s voice was strained. “Did Steady ask him about the princess?”

“Y-yes.” Rarity wrinkled her nose. “He said the princess was well, and the battle was w—”

“HORSEFEATHERS!” Lyra screamed.

On cue, there was an explosion near the door, and Rarity turned to see Steady backing up, firing into the smoke. Lyra was shouting over the din: “Every pony! Up the stairs! Now! That’s an order! You don’t have to like it but you do have to move it!”

The injured went first. Big Mac and Cheerilee were using their heads to support as the unicorn nurses levitated the stretchers up.

“You alright, Miss Cheerilee?” Mac asked.

“Fine, Mr. Macintosh. They hired me for my brain, but, oof-” she squinted in pain, then gave another heave, “earth ponies are built for brawn.”

Rarity saw Sweetie Belle, and rushed to help levitate her up. Lyra suddenly appeared in her field of vision.  “Rarity, help the rest get in line.”

“But—”

“Rarity.” Lyra’s expression was serious as stone. “Nothing will happen to your sister.”

Big Mac grunted in agreement. “We got this, Miss Rarity.”

She opened her mouth, then closed it. A small smile danced across her lips. “Thank you.” Out of the corner

of her eye, she saw Redheart climbing up the top box and into the hole, then turning around to help pull the first stretcher up. So far, so good.

Suddenly, there were terrible noises behind her. She turned.

Steady was screaming, firing shots into the smoke. No, not the smoke, the figures advancing out of the smoke. In the lead was the Sergeant, or what was left of him. His body riddled with holes, in some spots his bones showing, he trudged forward with a neutral expression and dead-looking eyes. Where there should have been blood, there was a black sludge leaking out. He kept saying, “Soldier Steady, stand down. Soldier Steady, stand down.”

And he was getting closer to and closer to Steady, who fired his gun until it emptied. It had no effect. The sergeant kept advancing. Other figures, former comrades and other horrors, were approaching behind him. Steady froze up, staring at his former commander. He prepared himself for the end.

A large chunk of metal, covered in a light blue aura, flew into the sergeant like a spear, sending him tumbling backwards, knocking the other shades over and onto the ground.

Steady turned. Rarity stood next to him, breathing heavily, eyes wide.

“I’ve never killed a pony before..” she gasped, shaking.

Steady looked at the sergeant, blinking. “I think he was already dead.” He turned to Rarity. “Also, thank you.”

“Soldier Steady…” the sergeant tried to rise to his hooves, the metal spike inside of him scraping against “Stand down…”

Rarity was still shaking. “Do you have any more of those gems that, um, blow up?” Rarity asked hopefully.

“Just one left.” said Steady, pulling it out of his uniform.

“Good.” She grabbed it out of his hoof with her teeth, bit down hard, then magically lobbed at the the sergeant and the other shades.

It bounced off the sergeant and fell to the ground with a harmless thud. He kept advancing.

Steady gawked at her. “What are doing?”

“I don’t know!” she shouted, eyes wild. “Improvising!”

Then the gem exploded.

It took out the floor in front of them. The sergeant and others went tumbling into the air as Rarity and Steady were blown backwards. As she landed, she felt two things: the impact break her back right leg as she landed on it hard, and when the rest of her hit the floor, the metal itself groan under her weight. There was no pain, just numbness. She felt a hoof trying to pulling her up.

“Time to go, Lady Rarity!”

She shook her head slowly, “I can’t move, dear.”

Steady knelt down, “We have to go.”

“It’s okay, Mr. Steady.” She felt like she was a in a dream. “Just make sure my sister...

She stopped as she felt the strange sensation of her whole body being lifted up, and she was placed on top of the stallion’s back. He grunted, “No pony gets left behind.”

He started galloping towards the box stair case as the world around began to unravel. Rarity could see cracks meet cracks in the floor. The two holes met, and the floor began to collapse. Steady somehow stayed ahead of it, and Rarity hung on tight. His armor was beat up and covered in dust, and he wasn’t royalty, but he was unquestionably a knight.

She felt consciousness fading. She closed her eyes, but heard lots of voices.

“Oh no! What happened to her?”

“Lyra, I need your help here, can you—”

“I got this. Redheart, get a stretcher ready—”

“She gonna be alright, ain’t she, Big Brother?”

“—Hush now and help Nurse—”

Rarity felt her body being lifted into the air magically, as the sounds of metal collapsing and crates crunching enveloped her ears. She fought to stay awake, to stay in the moment. She wasn’t sure if she’d wake again.

There was a hiccup, and she suddenly felt pressure on her leg.

She opened her eyes, and looked down. Redheart was tying a bandaged around her leg. Then she looked up. The ceiling looked unfamiliar. But obscuring her view of it were familiar, hopeful faces were looking down at her. Here was Cheerilee, her eye still bandaged, crying. There was Lyra, grinning like a maniac. Big Macintosh, looking visibly relieved. Apple Bloom, practically jumping up and down. And Rock Steady, helmet in his hooves.

Time had clearly passed. How much, she wasn’t sure.

“Where are we?”

“Secondary storage. Above what’s left of the cargo bay.”

She looked around. It was, indeed, another storage area, although much smaller and not filled with many crates.

“So… we made it?”

He nodded. “Because of you. Yes. We got every pony out.”

Lyra chimed in, “And not a moment too soon. Look!”

Rarity turned her head, and looked into the hole Lyra had made in the ground, formerly their ceiling.

The cargo bay was gone. All she could see was sky, and the sea. The air felt good, but the view was terrifying. She turned back, and locked eyes with Rock Steady.

“You saved my life,” she said simply.

“You saved mine at least twice today. Maybe more.”

“Still.”

He shook his head. “It’s my job, Lady Rarity. But you… went above and beyond.” He knelt down. “They say you are the element of generosity?” She nodded, weakly. “Make no mistake, you gave us all our lives today.”

Rarity opened her mouth to protest, but found herself outnumbered by praise and thank-yous. It wasn’t just her former defenders, it was ponies of all walks, crowding around and showering her with gratitude. It was wonderful, it was exhausting.

One tiny voice rang through.

“Sis?”

“Sweetie Belle?”

The tiny filly warbled into view, her head wrapped up in a bandage. “Are you okay, sis?”

Rarity opened her arms and Sweetie gently poured into an embrace. “Much better now.”

There was the sound of hoof banging on metal. Every pony froze. A voice rang out, a mare’s voice that sounded strangely familiar to Rarity. “Hello? Is there any pony in there? We’re here to help!”

Steady stood up straight, walked towards the door, and cleared his throat. “How fares the princess?”

There was a silence. Rarity could only hear the wind from the angry sky below.

The mare’s voice rang out loud and clear: “The Captain is dead. The war is lost.”

Rarity felt her heart drop. Then she felt confusion, as Lyra visibly relaxed and Steady opened the door. Twilight Sparkle entered, along with some guards.

Even though she was lying on the ground with a broken leg, Rarity couldn’t remember ever being so happy. She croaked, “Twilight, dear! You’re alright!”

“Oh thank the Goddess!” gasped Twilight. “Rarity! We went down to get you all out, and… well it was just

GONE, I couldn’t believe it and—it’s a miracle!”

“No such thing, Ms. Sparkle.” Cheerilee smirked. “Just ponies working together.”

Twilight looked at her friend, who managed a small smile. “I had a tiny brain storm, Twilight, that’s all.”

The military pony next to Twilight harrumphed. “All well and good, ma’am, but what’s the butcher’s bill? How many civilians did we lose?”

“None, sir.” Rock Steady saluted. “All civilians accounted for!” Lyra coughed. He added, “Thanks to the Lady Rarity.”

“My word. Well then, Miss Rarity, it seems that-”

But she was asleep, her hooved wrapped around her sister. The war might continue, but as far she was concerned, everything was alright. Everything was fine.

Next Chapter: Festering Nightmare: Part IV Estimated time remaining: 2 Hours, 7 Minutes