“After this I’ll have some kids take over your job so you can rest tomorrow.”

“You can rest while I have to stand around wearing this polished tin can.” Gilda taps on the armour plating on her chest. “And guarding a prancing pony pretender.”

“The others are coming.”

~~~

After the Rainbow One realized she was going to have to tolerate you following her around she got angry again.

“I’m a hero and a Wonderbolt do you really think you can take me?” she keeps taking your presence as some sort of transgression, you’d rather leave transgressing to the able-bodied.

“Will you respond to me scarface!” she also didn’t like being ignored.

“He can’t.” Gilda says in an authoritative tone.

“You shut up!” Rainbow snaps back.

“He can’t. He is incapable of speech.” Gilda’s voice didn’t change.

“Yeah right.” Rainbow shoves you.

At this point you zone out and all the yelling takes a back stage in your mind. You aren’t focusing on anything so it may be the exhaustion and mild sleep deprivation but you didn’t snap out until you see the Elements of Harmony looking in your direction with concern in their faces.

“Please calm down and listen to me.” Gilda calmly responds

“What listen to Miss Bucket Head, Creepy Old Admiral and Cadet Cripple over here.” she shoves you again.

“Rainbow ya don’t have to go snapping at ponies like this.” Her blonde friend says to her.

“Okay... Under Gryphon law I am more than justified in a challenging you to a duel.” Gilda says with barely contained rage.

“Bad idea!” Rainbow angrily responds.

“Duels! Duels! Give our VIP’s a show!” Artorias interjects and a troop of Gryphons come down with a advanced looking set of Pony armour.

“Mr Abysswal....”

“Duels!” Artorias cuts off Princess Twilight. “Now tell me your grievance!”You start to wonder how much of this Artorias planned out.

“She shows disrespect towards my superiors and my me.” you chuckle.

“Let’s get it on!” Artorias really is just a child he can’t have any bigger plans.

~~~

The duel was set up very quickly and some Gryphons had outfitted Rainbow with a set of armor like Gilda’s and a new set of weapons. Artorias was very excited about the the whole thing and isn’t letting anyone stop it, much to the dismay of Rainbow’s friends. Once the preparations were done everyone the two opponents hovered apart from each other.

One of rainbows friends approaches you, she is the one with the golden hair.

“What just happened?”

Come to think of it this event must of set off some switch in his head, knowing him this is either for his personal enjoyment or another step in some insanely complex scheme.

“Ah’ll ask somepony else.” she then wanders to go ask Onyx.

While Onyx erupts in the background you move further to get a better look at incoming duel. The crowd of ponies step out of you way out of some sort of fear or disgust, but you’re used to that so you don’t get too offended. The two opponents hovered opposite each other, Gilda wearing her Valkyrie Armour and armored claws with Rainbow Dash in a Royal Guard Uniform and a pegasus spear.

“Rainbow, to give you a chance I’m not using my of the enhancements in my armor.”

“Don’t you dare talk down to me!” something honestly doesn’t seem right about her, they might have some history or something happened to her, likely both.

“It’s your funeral.”
~~~

Princess Twilight could only watch in awe as the passive energy of Gilda’s armour exploded. Earth ponies and pegasi saw it as a dull red glow igniting along the armors surface and flames erupting around the wings. To Twilight she it was a massive surge of magical energy that looks it like it is linked to the Ceaseless somehow. She has to learn how that suit works and how she can recreate the effect.

All the Gryphons erupted into a cheer, even the mute one, while the ponies looked up with a sense of fear. The display’s only effect on Rainbow is to taunt her even further.

“What is her deal?” Twilight thought to herself.

“Go!” Artorias excitedly calls.

The very second he calls go the two were already charging each other. When It looked like they were going to collide head on Gilda dives and strikes Rainbow from below so fast that you could only see a red streak. Rainbow tried to counter with her spear but Gilda dodges with another sudden burst of speed Gilda and hovers just outside Rainbow’s range.

“Come one fight her like you are gonna kill her! Show your Pegasus ancestry!” Artorias screams.

Rainbow took that to heart and rushes Gilda with a flurry of thrusts with her spear but Gilda responds dodging each of them by an inch. Rainbow attempted several sweeping attacks before Gilda unleashes into another speed burst and strikes Rainbow on her back. Every time Gilda uses a speed burst she didn’t use too much of her magical energy, this lead Twilight to the conclusion that Gilda isn’t even remotely giving it her all.

Rainbow retreats out of Gildas range and begins to fly around in wide circles, gaining speed very quickly. Twilight notices Gilda’s suit cut its magical link with the Ceaseless Discharge and locked onto Rainbow. After a couple rotations a blast of color rocks the crowd but the color around Gilda just faded away. Gilda uses another speed burst and gives her own crimson rainboom and was immediately matching Rainbow’s speed, giving off a huge explosion of magical energy.

The fight then descended to a Rainbow streak colliding with a red streak over and over again like some sort of strange light show. A huge blast of magical energy erupting every time.

“Gilda’s gonna win.” Artorias says to Twilight.

“What makes you say that? I’ve seen Rainbow fight tougher.”Twilight responds with little confidence, Rainbow isn’t using a scrap of the Harmony magic that they used to use to much.

“I can tell you are impressed with my project here. I’ll have Surtr back there give you a tour of the metal works. I have heard many stories about you, so I’ll need your help in a pet project of mine.”

“Project?”

“You can see one of the subject fighting up there and the other one is going to be escorting you around the ship. I’ll tell you the details in a more secretive location.”

“Uhhhh okay?” the crowd cheers in the background.

Gilda has somehow managed to slow Rainbow down, this produced a vortex effect with their streaks of color. After that it was hard to make out what exactly was happening but it was very clear that Rainbow was losing. Rainbow refused to give up and Gilda, still moving at color-streak speed, swiftly beat her back to the platform and finished the duel by grabbing her and slamming her onto the platform.

“Can we please get a medic on our spirited competitor?” Artorias says with a tinge of guilt after seeing Rainbow.

“I’m fine..” Rainbow shakily stands to her hooves.

~~~

“She’ll be fine.” Princes Twilight said in disbelief after a third look over of Rainbow dash.

“I just used a heavier form of the techniques, we use when we are trying to capture a monster.” Gilda smirked. “You're not gonna die, just gonna have to limp around a while.”

“I have to go.” Gilda motioned for you to stay before she walked out the door.

Once Gilda had completely left the room all their eyes fell on you.

after signing in a panic you realized there wasn’t much malice in any of their eyes.

“We not like that silly!” The pink one bounced out of the crowd and pats you on the back.

“Pinkie what are you talking about?” The pony princess responds.

“He can’t speak so he talks with his claws!” she frantically gestures with her hooves. A wave of regret passes over the ponies.

They all took turns to apologize you.

Before things could get too awkward Gilda returns to the room and took some of the attention off you.

“Everyone out. I have to talk to Rainbow in face to face.” A soldier appears behind her and shepherds everyone outside of the room.

The Door slams and you are left in the hall with a collection of ponies and a bored looking soldier. The ponies soon conversed with each other about the situation before most of them wandered down the hallways leaving alone with a Princess and a soldier.

“Ummm Mister....” The Princess speaks up, clearly asking you to introduce yourself.

you automatically sign back.

“Nice to meet you Surtr.” What!

“Diplomacy is one of the many jobs of an Equestrian Princess. I would like you to give me a tour of the ship.” She states matter-of-factly.

you hand her a note.

“Twilight Sparkle.”

“I wanted to ask you a question.” she looks intently at you, like she was looking for something in you. “Can you show me a magic forge?”

“Oh....” Twilight stands close to you, inspecting you the way you would inspect livestock. You are incredibly uncomfortable with the intrusion so you try to gently push her away.

“Oh! I am so sorry I just saw a magical field around you and I assumed....” you write down a note and hand it to her.

The Pony immediately perks up and begins to examine you even closer. That thought brings up a painful memory which you immediately bury.

“Now that I look closer...” she trails off and begins mumbling to herself.

Twilight then began a barrage of questions about your medical treatment and the extend of your injuries. She wants to know absolutely everything and you are having a lot of trouble keeping up with her.

Before Twilight could dig up that memory again she goes off on a tangent about enchanted blacksmithing. In order in ensure she drops the topic you promise to bring her to the metal works aboard the ship as fast as you can. You have no idea where the metal works is however you can still use Gilda’s or Twilight’s prestige to just walk in.

Rather irritatingly most of the maps aboard the ship only mark where the most of the merchants and entertainment are. Twilight was quick to find a master directory which are apparently near every major grouping of elevators. A elevator ride and one hundred questions later you found yourself at a door labeled “Advanced Metal works A”.

Author's Note

For some reason I don't feel food about this chapter. Maybe its best to keep these events unclear, oh and I have another story I'm focusing on called Quicksliver.

I starting writing after I got into Payday 2 and the inspiration is obvious.