Eclipse Of The Sun

"Land, ho!" cried the pony sitting atop the crow's nest, pointing ahead of the ship. Silver watched as the crew briefly looked up and began to prepare the ship, gathering ropes and clearing the main deck. As they did, Wavebreaker exited his quarters and stood upon the deck, beginning to give out his own orders until everything was right. After a quick glance around the ship, he spread his wings and took of into the morning sky, flying north to the Zebrican port city.

After the commotion died down and he was sure Wavebreaker wasn't returning anytime soon, Dusk emerged from the lower decks and approached Silver. "Well? Find out anything else?" the Pegasus asked.

"Yeah, I finally managed to catch one of the crew who was above deck the day we left in a sober state. He told me about how quite a few ships broke away from the main blockade not too long after we passed them, all headed straight towards Europa. He also mentioned that he saw the same paper-laden Pegasus that we did," the Earth Pony responded, looking around to make sure none of the crew were listening.

"Combine that with the way Wavebreaker acted when we questioned him last week, Stargazer's almost-psychopathic grin after the former whispered in his ear and the fact that we never received anything in response to the letter we sent two days ago... I think it's fairly obvious that our captain is hiding something."

"You bet. I'm calling it right now; either he sold out Blackest Night and had his mariners try to capture him, or he told Stargazer about some weakness in the Lunar fortification that would make overwhelming them easy. Maybe both," Dusk said. "As soon as we are past the threat of being thrown overboard, we need to corner and question him."

"Yeah, he may not let us back on the ship, but I can always convince the Zebras to let us hitch a ride with one of their boats. All we need to do is wait until he is alone and threaten to chop off one of his wings - Night said it worked pretty well last time," Silver responded, smirking.

"You're insane, but I agree. Anyways, how do you think it will go with King Foalami? After what you told me about him, he doesn't seem like the type to pledge his navy and a good portion of his army to our cause for any cost," Dusk questioned.

Silver trotted up to the bow of the ship, watching the Zebrican mainland slowly appear in the distance. "He knows we are close allies with the Griffons, who he is also friends with. By now, he should be aware of the agreement we have, and that refusing to help us would be to end relations."

"You never know with politics, I suppose. Anyways, I'm going to try to get some sleep so I can actually function when we land. Wake me whenever you want to make your move," Dusk replied, turning around and heading below decks.

Silver remained where he was, watching the sun slowly rise above the waters surrounding him. In the distance, a small speck slowly grew larger, steadily taking on the form of Wavebreaker. He had a few documents - likely permissions - in his hooves as he landed. The captain gave a quick dismissal to his crew and returned to his quarters to wait until the vessel was closer. After a few more minutes of waiting, Silver decided to do the same.

After the nonstop motion over the course of three weeks, Silver didn't even realize the ship had begun to dock until he heard the shouts of sailors coming from the outside. Their hooves banged against the decks above as they moved about, tying ropes and moving from the ship to the deck and back again. The noise eventually woke Dusk.

"Ugh... Guess we've landed, then?" the Earth Pony asked. "Feels like I've barely been asleep an hour."

"You got about an hour and a half in, don't worry. The crew will start filtering off soon, so we may have our opportunity relatively soon. You aren't going to be too tired, are you?"

Dusk jumped up, grabbing his massive sword from the side of his bed. "Too tired to figure out exactly what's been going on? Never."

"Good. Now, let's go topside and make sure the entire crew is gone before we do anything."

By the time they stepped onto the deck, roughly half the crew was already off, running rampant around the docks and into the city, shoving aside anypony who dared to get in the way. The rest seemed to be either waiting for the excitement to die down or simply have other things to do before they could disembark. Regardless, the top deck would be empty in less than a minute.

"Looks like now's the time. Let's go," Dusk said, trotting across the deck to Wavebreaker's quarters. Silver nudged open the door, revealing their quarry at his desk, writing some kind of letter.

"How can I help you two?" he asked, looking up slightly.

"Oh, we've only got a couple questions to ask, that's all," Silver responded. When Dusk entered behind him, Wavebreaker suddenly looked slightly concerned, noticing that he was armed.

"Questions about... What, exactly?" the Pegasus said nervously, stepping back from his desk, his wings opening. Oh hay, he's about to try to bolt out of here, Silver thought. Sure enough, the captain backed into the wall and kicked off with his hind legs, immediately trying to escape. Unfortunately for him, Dusk had anticipated his actions and slammed the door in his face. The would-be escape artist bounced off the wood with a dull thump, landing back on the floor. Blood leaked out of his nose, which he had likely broken on impact.

"What the buck! That hurt, you ass!" Wavebreaker cried, backing up on the floor. Dusk stopped him with a single hoof planted firmly on his chest, shaking his head.

"I haven't even started and he's already trying to flee... Unbelievable," the Earth Pony grumbled. "Alright Silver, have at it."

"Thank you. Wavebreaker, I am going to ask you one simple question; what did you really tell Stargazer that got him to let us go free?"

The pinned Pegasus spat out his blood before responding. "I told you, I said I was going to bring back some Zebrican mares for him and his crew!" he said.

"Is that why multiple ships broke away from the blockade and headed for Europa? Try telling the truth this time," Dusk shouted.

"I don't know what you're going off about! Now, if you let me go right now, I might just forget about this little 'incident' and give you passage back to Io, but if not then you can kiss the mainland goodbye!" Wavebreaker spat, using what he thought was his trump card.

"Oh, no, please, anything but that! We're in a port city, idiot. Plenty of ships here that can cross the Antlertic." Dusk said, mocking him. The captain cringed at the remark.

"Once again, what did you tell Stargazer?" Silver asked, stepping a little bit closer. "Tell me, or Dusk gets to amputate a wing."

"Go buck yourself, I'm not falling for that trick-"

Dusk immediately picked up his captive and threw him into a wall. He slammed into the pony from the side, pinning him against it. He used one hoof to pull out Wavebreaker's wing, and with the other he grabbed his sword and made a clumsy downward-hacking motion, cutting roughly a third of the way through his victim's flesh, getting caught on his bone. Wavebreaker let out a cry of pain and tried to shake free, to little avail. Blood spurted from the wound as Dusk wiggled the sword free, pulling back for a second attempt. "Aww, looks like I used the dull edge. Guess that means I get to try again," he growled into the Pegasi's ear. And he said I was insane for suggesting it, Silver thought.

Wavebreaker broke down after that. "Y-You win! I'll tell you everything, just don't hurt me anymore!" he sobbed.

Silver nodded to Dusk for him to let the captain go. Dusk stepped back, allowing Wavebreaker to fall to the floor. The Pegasus looked up. "I told Stargazer that Night was in Europa, and that if he attacked now he had a good chance of capturing or killing him."

"You what?" Dusk gasped.

"You have to understand, I had no choice! Stargazer would have taken you and sent us right back if I hadn't sold out Night!"

"You're in the bucking black market, there had to have been something else you could have offered!" Silver shouted, taking a step back.

"Listen, there is a bounty on Night's head so large that calling it 'massive' is a horrible understatement. Stargazer's been trying to be the one to get that bounty since it was made, which is why he volunteered to lead the fleet here. There is nothing he wants more than that, do you understand? Selling out Night was the only option I had."

Dusk groaned and rubbed his head with one hoof. "Ugh... How detailed was what you told him?"

"About as detailed as I could, considering I was only inside for less than a few minutes. The overall condition of the Lunars, their armaments, morale, and any weaknesses in the structure. If they really did attack right after we left, then Stargazer could be back in Equestria now, being crowned a hero."

We're really going to need the Zebra's help in this mess, Silver thought. Provided, that is, we haven't already lost.

The pounding of hooves on the ground and the cries of ponies who had been struck by arrows or spells drowned out any kind of thought in Night's mind. The routed Lunars passed abandoned and ruined houses as they galloped through the charred remains of Europa, the Celestials hot on their tails.

The force that had attacked them was ludicrous in size, supported by the majority of the ships in the blockade. First, flaming bolts had rained on any portion of the city still thought to be controlled by the Lunars. Second, the massive troop ships making up a small portion the fleet landed, offloading the rest of their army. They were joined by a few of the normal vessels, though the latter had fewer ponies to offer. And then, they attacked. The Celestials seemed to know exactly where to apply force, and it was only a few chaotic and hellish minutes before the hastily built walls of the fort collapsed, allowing their enemy to swamp them. Night guessed that they lost as many as two hundred in the assault.

The force - or at least the parts that had retained cohesion - was making a mad dash for Io, and failing that get as far away from Celestial-held Europa as possible. Night jumped through the burning ruin of yet another house, the fire licking at his fur. In doing so, he escaped another round of arrows from above, hearing the yells of his comrades as they fell. Come on, just a little more, he thought. Despite the protests of his body, Night pushed himself to gallop faster, ignoring the pain from the wounds he had gathered while defending.

He passed the last section of rubble and entered the open terrain outside the city. The Unicorns with him turned around and opened fire on the Celestial Pegasi responsible for most of the deaths during the rout, bringing down a few and forcing the rest to scatter. Enemy Unicorns were close behind, but by the time they were within range the Lunars had resumed their run, spreading out. After another hour, the Celestials gave up, not wishing to hunt down individual ponies. They gathered the ones they had disabled and drug them back into the smoldering ruins of Europa.

"King Foalami has sent me to inform you of his impending arrival," said the Zebra messenger, turning around and leaving before Silver had a chance to acknowledge him. As soon as he left through the doors, a loud fanfare could be heard outside. Dusk looked over at Silver.

"Good to know he's not anything like Equestrian nobility," the Earth Pony grumbled, shaking his head.

"Hey, at least you aren't the one that's going to be talking to him," Silver responded, standing up. Dusk backed further away from the doors as the trumpets began to slowly die down. The Pegasus rolled his eyes and stayed where he was.

Two Zebras - Foalami's private guards, judging by their decorated armor - entered and made an elaborate display of opening the doors for their master. King Foalami was carried via litter by four other Zebras. Once he reached the center of the building, the bearers lowered themselves to the ground, allowing the king to step off. One of the guards that had opened the doors ran to his side to assist. The king had donned an elaborately patterned and colored robe, and to prevent it from dragging along the floor, two of the litter-bearers stepped away to carry it behind him. The guard that had helped Foalami stepped in front of Silver, one hoof on a small sword.

"Are you the one who wishes to speak with King Foalami the Magnificent?" he said, his heavy accent making him almost incomprehensible.

"Yes, yes I am."

"And who is that one over there?" the guard asked, signaling to Dusk.

"That is one of my associates; he shall not be taking part in the discussions," Silver explained, casting a brief glance at the Earth Pony. "Now, can we begin?"

The Zebra stepped back. "If you wish to speak with our glorious king, then first you must bow before him."

Seems simple and sane enough, the Pegasus thought. He trotted over to where Foalami stood, and bending his forelegs, bowed. "Now, kiss the ground in front of him," ordered the guard. Nevermind...

Silver obliged, hiding his true thoughts about what he was doing. If Night was in my hooves right now, would he subject himself to this? Actually, he probably would, if it meant saving Luna, Silver thought, rising.

The guard forced his head back down, shoving his nose against the ground. "No! You do not rise until his Majesty says you may do so!" he yelled. "Now you must do it all again!"

Silver grudgingly rose again, then bowed and kissed the floor a second time. After what may have well been an hour, King Foalami finally waved his hoof around Silver's head. "You may rise," said the guard. The Pegasus got up, stretching his forelegs. The Zebra king pulled his guard over and whispered something in his ear. The guard nodded, and then faced Silver. "The Majestic King Foalami would like to know what you seek from him," he said.

"My fellow Lunars require assistance in defending our homelands from Equestria," Silver told him. "Our only allies - the Griffons - are as far as I know refusing to help, and we already have some trade relations with your nation."

Foalami pulled his guard aside again, and spoke something else into his ear. "King Foalami the Great wants to know why he should help you," said the guard.

Here we go... the Pegasus thought. "Because, if Equestria takes over our land, then the Griffons will no longer be capable of trading with you on the current level. You see, they were the ones that supplied us as we built in the mountains, and in return we allow them to use our cities and ports for shipping. Without us, King Halfbeak would have to drive up prices to compensate for the heavy taxes he would pay to use Equestrian ports, if Celestia allowed him to cross over at all."

King Foalami and his two guards - the other one finally joining them - spoke in hushed whispers of their foreign language, attempting to decide what to do. After several minutes had passed, the first guard turned around and said, "King Foalami the Powerful wishes to know how he can help."

"We are in need of a dedicated navy to break a blockade at our port, Europa, as we lack our own warships at the moment. We will also need any kind of weapons you may have that will give us an advantage in combat, and training in how to use them effectively."

"King Foalami would like to know how he shall be repaid for any ships or warriors lost in assisting your nation," said the guard. Uh...

"We shall engrave your name at the top of our list of heroes, so that all may know that it was the magnificent Zebra king that helped us win our war," Silver said, hoping it would be enough. It was; Foalami appeared to be smiling.

"King Foalami agrees with these terms, and would like to know when his ships should disembark."