Chapter 38: The Gathering Storm

Present Day

This was a mistake. Nothing was getting done, two or three person factions had formed, and everyone was screaming at each other. Luna had backed my proposal of using a decisive first battle to discourage further landings. Cat and Harry were with me on that as well, but their support had never been in doubt.

Chelly, Twilight, and Rarity wanted to turn the entire country invisible and hope the incoming armies turned back. I called them idiots and Chelly threw a fireball at me.

Cadence and Pinky wanted to go the compassion route and convince everyone to be friends. I hadn’t bothered to say anything, everyone else was yelling at them for that anyhow.

AJ, Mac, and Shining Armor wanted mass conscription to rush construction of our defenses. I gave them a hard look and Mac volunteered to emphasize his point. I shrugged at that, there wouldn’t be time but I did appreciate his conviction.

Dash had left before the argument had started. On the assumption that she was going to do something stupid, I sent some Gammas to keep her from dying.

Fluttershy was curled in a ball and quietly singing to herself as she attempted to avoid being here at all.

Tzu was watching everything without comment, as expected.

"Enough! This is getting us nowhere," I declared, slamming my fist down on the table for silence, "We have weeks, if that, before they get here."

"Which is why we need to ramp up construction now," Shining insisted, getting nods from his faction.

"Maybe we could do everything?" Cadence offered.

"That's the smartest thing you've said today," I agreed.

"We find this agreeable as well," Chelly stated. I noticed she hadn't bothered to confer with Twilight and Rarity before speaking, though they weren't arguing.

"Then that's what we'll do. Except, of course, the plan to befriend the invaders. I've been trying diplomacy, it isn't working. Chelly, hide the continent. Shining, coordinate the construction. Tzu, help Shining. Shining, shut the fuck up. Lu, you and I will get as much of the military scraped together as possible. Any questions?" I proposed.

Shining opened his mouth to speak but Chelly’s look was enough to silence his predictable protest.

"Where do you want us, boss?" Harry asked.

"Exactly where you are, doing what you do," I replied. Harry simply nodded, knowing what I meant. I needed him managing my reserves, as loathe as I was to employ them. Cat wasn't as useful militarily but had other, equally useful, skills.

"You've left us out of this grand plan, what are we to do while everyone else works?" Cadence inquired, seeming a touch miffed.

"Morale, recruitment, even outright propaganda if you have to. They need a reason to work and a cause to fight for," I responded, receiving an even more sour look from the pair.

"And Fluttershy?" Twilight asked. A small 'eep' reminded all that there was another present at this meeting.

"Nothing," I answered simply.

"Really?" Fluttershy asked, sounding relieved.

"If you really want a job, you could keep Dash from doing anything stupid. I want to keep all six of you out of harm's way at all costs, the power of the Elements might be needed before the end. Hell, even after the end. They might be able to undo any damage done by the war," I explained.

"We understand," Twilight affirmed.

"With that all sorted and everypony happy, how would you rate our odds?" Chelly mused.

"Between six and eight percent. Higher if I call on the Horde," I stated flatly. They all went pale; except Luna, she already knew how pessimistic I was about this.

"How much higher?" Chelly pressed, sounding much more concerned now.

"It's a sure thing if we get involved," Harry answered for me.

"But civilian casualties would be a certainty and death would be the kindest outcome for them," Cat added.

"Besides that, you are one of the three people still living who know the sacrifices it took to ensure the Awakenings would end. Would you really ask me to trigger another?" I asked. I kept judgment out of my voice, only showing somberness instead.

"It doesn't matter what I'd ask, you ignore me most of the time anyhow. The question is whether or not you could be pushed that far," Chelly countered quite accurately.

"I'm backed into a corner, eventually I'll lash out the same as any animal. I hope to keep it from getting to that point," I responded after a long moment.

"You would break your oath?" Chelly confirmed.

"I-" I began. Her mentioning of that particular oath, on top of Fate bringing it up yesterday, stirred an idea, "I think I may have a new idea."

"One thousand years ago one thousand soldiers defended Canterlot for two hundred days and nights. Those thousand soldiers still live," Harry prompted, following the same logic. Celestia's eyes had narrowed to pinpricks.

"My legion," I breathed before steadying myself and speaking more boldly, "Absolutely out of the question."

"You mean to wait for them to attack us then?" Harry asked, sounding disappointed.

"No, we still need to buy time for the construction and thin them out for the army," I countered.

Chelly opened her mouth to ask the obvious question, then closed it and leaned back while adopting a more smug look.

"Could we maybe skip to the part where you pull out this plan you enacted centuries ago to counter something I was doing?" She requested. I leaned back as well and laughed.

"Only if you vow to not pitch a fit about it," I offered.

"Very well, what have you cooked up and what did I do to prompt it?" Chelly asked.

"This one wasn't because of you. Yes, that happens sometimes. You narcissistic bitch. Luna, what am I at my core?" I prompted.

"A pathological opportunist," Luna answered easily.

"Correct. I hold on to every possible thing that could help me, regardless of how useful it is at the time. That's why I've ended up with so many contingency plans. Two days after I killed Belial, I was approached by a Greater Demon under a flag of truce," I began.

"Oh fuck," Harry swore under his breath.

991 Years Ago

"Boss?" Harry asked, concern tinging his voice.

I ignored him in favor of pacing around the room and trying not to scream.

"Boss," he attempted more urgently, finally drawing my attention.

I was upon him in an instant, gripping his shoulders and staring wide eyed at his much calmer ones.

"What have I done?" I managed shakily.

"Boss, you gotta put that aside. Panic later, there's a big baddie here to swear allegiance," Harry stated with forced calm.

"Eeeeh?" I squeaked, my limbs pulling towards my chest protectively.

"Jekyll, just play the part until Sombra finds a solution. Right now that means acting like an evil bastard," Harry insisted.

"Just pretend, that's maybe a thing," I rambled, getting slapped to aid in my efforts.

Harry shook his freshly crippled hand painfully, but otherwise ignored the injury, "Are we good now, Boss?"

"Yeah, I'll hold it together. I got it," I promised, wondering how badly I was lying.

"Good, he's in the throne room already. Making him wait sends the right message," Harry replied, "Follow me and be an asshole."

"Let me get that hand at least," I offered, though he simply tore it off at the wrist and ate it.

"For bothering you," he explained.

"Metal as fuck," I commented.

In the throne room, two demons were patiently waiting. One was a common ripper, the other was one of the Greaters. I'd come to dread dealing with that kind during our journey this far, each was unique and unpredictable.

"What's the lackey for?" I asked.

"The false lord despised hearing my Master speak, I am to be his voice," the ripper answered.

"I have no interest in speaking to an underling. Harry, kill him," I ordered, just playing the part.

After eighteen hours of failing to communicate in any way at all, I had that ripper tracked down and brought back so we could actually talk.

"Help," I begged when the ripper walked in, all pretense beyond my mental abilities at that moment.

"He wants to make a boat," the ripper stated flatly.

I was struck stupid, "That's it? Your full support in exchange for a boat?"

"Yes, a boat of his design and under his control. When we are next unleashed, special consideration must be taken to allow this boat to travel the surface oceans once more," the ripper added.

That got me thinking. To have something like this was a weapon too valuable to squander.

"I'll meet you halfway," I began, taking a moment to choose my next words carefully, "I'll let you have your ship and provide materials, but it will be a navy vessel."

The Greater growled, unhappy.

"My Master is a pirate at heart, he won't accept this," the ripper translated.

"Then you don't get your boat," I replied.

There was a pause before the Greater huffed and nodded.

"Your terms are accepted, King Jekyll. Lord Mephistophalies is at your service," the ripper declared.

"Ilofotoagrefu," the Greater babbled.

Present Day

"You hate pirates though," Luna noted.

"That came later," I countered.

"An underground, landlocked nation has a navy?" Chelly deadpanned.

"One larger than Equestria's," I replied.

"How many ships do you have?" Shining asked, seeing where I was going with this.

"One."

"We have hundreds of ships, how can you claim to have a larger navy?" He rebuffed.

"Because you have a merchant fleet, mine is a dedicated warship. How many warships does Equestria have again?" I countered.

"None, we didn't need them," Chelly replied with a sour expression.

"You never do until you do, which is why I let this guy build his ship. That's step one to this bastardization of my backup plan in case I was exiled from everywhere. Step two is to actually create a functional fleet. Can anyone here tell me what the largest ship class in the merchant fleet is?" I responded.

"No idea," Chelly admitted.

"Two hundred and eighty-one frigates, nothing in galleon class or above, and a bit over four hundred lesser vessels. None are ready for combat," Tzu reported dutifully.

"Frigates are not my ideal ships of the line, but they will serve. Fisto has had plenty of time to prepare and effectively unlimited funding, so he'll be in charge of converting as many frigates as possible. Stage three, preparation. How many docks are there in Baltimore Harbor capable of mooring a frigate?" I pressed.

"Ninety," Tzu answered before anyone else had a chance.

"Then when I set the record for the greatest single act of piracy in history, it will be for stealing ninety ships in a single day," I replied.

"We could just assign them to your demon," Luna pointed out.

"I'm sure you will, and then Fisto will steal them at swordpoint because that's what he does," I countered.

"Mephistophalies is the only being I've encountered more dramatic than King Jekyll. I would rather be left out of this plan if possible," Harry sighed.

"Kinda creeps me out, his succubi aren't right in the head," Cat agreed.

"Why do I know that name?" Chelly mused.

"It's familiar to me as well, yet I can't place it," Luna agreed.

"Probably your parents entertaining guests with the tale of his exploits," I guessed with a shrug.

"Most likely," Chelly allowed, "When do you want the ships moved to the harbor?"

"Today, for refitting tomorrow and deployment the day after," I replied, getting looks of disbelief at the timetable, "Oh, and a few other things. Chelly and Caddy, I want a reporter on deck to document the fight for propaganda purposes. Luna, I need a new hat."

"Why?" Luna asked.

Perspective Change: Chrysalis

“That is a lot of slaves,” I commented, letting just how impressed I was show for a moment. Malphas grinned, evidently proud of this accomplishment.

“You like them? I had their ancestors captured during the last Awakening. I had originally intended to use their meat as a delicacy for political purposes, but Jekyll’s fondness for these weak creatures has inspired me to breed them into a sizable army. Nothing compared to my own cohort, but enough to make him hesitate.” Malphas bragged.

“He’s killed ponies before, they won’t stop him,” I countered.

“True, and so they had remained. A resource without a function. Like iron,” Malphas agreed, continuing before I could say anything about the usefulness of iron, “Perhaps it was providence then, as now I am able to supply you.”

“Perhaps indeed,” I replied, craning my neck to see if I could see the other end of the pen. I could not, there were acres upon acres of hovels and ponies going about whatever tasks they busied themselves with.

“That should be a good first step, but it will not grant you victory,” Malphas cautioned, “What you require is a weapon he fears. You need this.”

I looked over to see Maphas holding something the size of a pony’s torso in his hand. It looked like a lump of brownish gray stone, or maybe an old bone.

“And that is?” I asked.

“The first step along a long road. Do you know how Jekyll took power down here?” Malphas responded.

“Something about him killing the previous king,” I replied with a shrug.

“Damn close. We demons don’t die like you mortals; we regenerate after death. This bone here...Well, you’ll need the full story to appreciate its significance.”

Perspective: Jekyll
991 Years ago

Death’s shield, now boosted by the stalker twins, was starting to fail. Dirge’s arm was looking pretty bad, but he wouldn’t hold still long enough for me to fix it. Harry was busy trying to get the gate open before we were overrun and I was trying to keep everyone alive while he pulled our asses out of the fire.

“Got it!” Harry called as a clang sounded.

“Move. Move. Move,” I shouted unnecessarily as we retreated into the palace and slammed the gate behind us.

“The gods’ damned latch is broken!” Dark, one of the stalkers, cried.

“I’ve got it, you go and get this bastard,” I volunteered as I grabbed the bars.

“That will not be required,” Death countered as the soil under my feet lurched to block the gate and sent me tumbling back, “But it won’t hold for long either.”

“Then we need to do this quickly, get inside,” I ordered as I collected myself and we charged the main doors. They opened easily, granting us some shelter from the horde of enraged rippers we had so narrowly escaped.

“Damnit, there’s no latch here either,” Dark whined once we had the doors closed.

“Don’t even think about Jay, you don’t get to make the sacrifice play twice in one day. This one is mine,” Dirge declared before I had a chance to speak.

“There will be demons inside the palace as well, I’ll stay to keep them back,” Harry volunteered.

“Jekyll, I think you’ll have to go it alone now. Harry can’t keep them all back by himself, the twins and I would be better served here. We wish you the best of luck,” Death added with a rotten grin, as though he wasn’t worried about me in the slightest.

“All of you? You’re sure you want to do this?” I asked soberly, “At least let me fix what I can.”

“I’m fine,” Dirge argued, his statement punctuated with a bang as the first rippers slammed into the other side of the door, “Go damnit!”

“Go, and end this,” Death added more serenely, still showing off his undead teeth as he whirled to plant himself between Dirge and the entryway. The stalkers moved to either side, dutifully backing up the old lich.

There was nothing more to be said, so I ran. I ran to intercept the palace guards. I ran to put an end to Belial and the Awakening. I ran to stop the demons before my friends were torn apart. I ran, as Death said, to end this.

The first pair of rippers I encountered were beheaded and dusted before they could react. They left my attention before they finished burning. I ran over the next one, crushing his spine in the process. On and on, through the endless hallways. It was several minutes before I realized I was lost.

“Shitfuck,” I swore before picking a direction and sprinting off.

Found a window, busted out. Found a more important looking window, busted in. Bedroom. Shit. Direction. Go. Window. Better window. No. Direction. Big demon. Direction. Go. Stop. Back up.

“Are you Belial?” I asked the towering demon as I leaned backwards into sight from the open doorway. It would definitely explain the forty foot doors all over the place, he was the only one I’d seen that warranted them. Even the biggest Greaters we’d fought past had only ever been half of this brute’s size.

“Are you the weakling they sent to kill me?” the demon, which I could only assume to be Belial, countered.

“If you’re Belial, then yes,” I replied as I stepped properly into the room.

“Just one this time, eh? I’m almost disappointed. I’ve definitely been bored enough to head back to sleep, be a pal and make this fun,” Belial requested as he used one hoof to slide the furniture out of the way.

“I’ll certainly do my best to make it memorable,” I replied as I took my stance and formed my weapons.

“So serious,” Belial chided before he sighed and took his fighting stance as well, “I almost envy you, to have something to strive for. Right, I suppose we’d better get this started.”

Belial’s surprise kick sent me crashing into a wall before landing in a heap. I hadn’t even scratched the paint with that impact.

“Shame, I killed another one too quickly,” Belial sighed again as he started to turn away.

“Hey!” I called as I straightened my bent limbs as stood once more, “I didn’t hear no fuckin bell.”

“Good,” Belial growled, now smiling, “I think I can actually take you seriously.”

His stance was different now, his center of gravity was lower to the floor on his bent knees and his clawed hands were set to strike from the middle of his chest. It was the complete opposite of my open armed and hunched back stance.

Again Belial struck first with surprising speed, driving two of his claws through me and lifting me off the ground to throw me across the room. I didn’t allow that to happen, my own claws dug into his finger; allowing me to stubbornly hold on as he tried to shake me off. Contrary to his words, he still wasn’t taking me seriously.

Belial looked intrigued more than anything when I pulled myself free and clambered onto his wrist. I was little more than a spider stealing his attention as I clung to his skin, my claws seeming to cause him no pain. He didn’t even attempt to dodge my incredibly telegraphed attack as I leapt up and formed my right arm into a blade long enough to actually do some damage to the titanic demon.

He just watched my spin through the air towards his wrist with amusement, at least until I took the hand off and rode it to the floor. Now he was seeing the threat I posed, now he was serious.

Now I was in trouble.

The same hoof from before kicked me off of his severed hand and came down on me over and over as a now angry Belial tried to stomp the life out of me. On the forth stomp my claws were waiting and I took a chunk out of the hoof, on the fifth I was through and pulled myself inside Belial’s leg. He was kicking furiously now and roaring his fury, but I was a little busy eating him alive to care.

I felt my cozy little buffet hit the ground, which I thought was Belial dropping to his knees until I popped my head out and found him balanced on one hoof with his own severed leg in one hand. I ducked back in and hid behind the bone before his claws could dig me out. I noticed with some alarm that they were on fire now, which meant that they would be very painful if he managed to land a hit. I was pretty well stocked on biomass now and it was a good thing too, I was rapidly running out of leg to hide in.

Shit. Okay, plan. Take out his other leg. He only has one hand to swipe with. Can’t turn for shit. Good.

I dove out of the leg and rolled across the floor, ending my maneuver behind Belial’s remaining hoof. I cut deep into the leg, but was stopped by something that felt like I’d struck iron with a normal blade. My weapons had never failed to cut anything before, but I couldn’t seem to get through that bone. Thinking back, I’d felt my blade deflect and slip between the bones of Belial’s wrist but had dismissed it as a glancing hit.

I dove again, this time to avoid those burning claws as they reached for me. I wasn’t quite fast enough and the tip of one burned a trench in my back, drawing out a cry of pain. I faced my enemy now while my wounded back regenerated.

“You are a slippery one, dangerous even to me. That’s the highest praise I’ve ever offered,” Belial commented as we squared off once more.

“I aim to be more than dangerous,” I replied simply.

Belial came at me again, those burning claws promising a painful end. I dodged again, but towards the strike instead of away. I was rolling under his hand when I got an arm underneath myself and launched my feet into the meaty part of Belial’s hand just under his little finger. My clawed toes dug in and I used them as a base to scamper up the arm. If I could burrow into Belial’s head and destroy his brain...he would regenerate and I’d be back at square one. Too late now.

I dove into Belial’s rage filled eye just ahead of his claw, having to hide deep along his optic nerve to remain unharmed. I had no other option, I had to take him down. I could deal with it being permanent in round two.

I dug deeper, rendered blind by the darkness and the blood. I sent feelers to help guide my way, continuing to crawl until my feelers hit something of a different texture than the rest of the meat. I was inside Belial’s skull, right up against his brain.

I stopped for a moment. Inside that brain was a wealth of knowledge I could very much use, but it would be a difficult thing to survive him self-immolating while I was in here. Breaking through the skull wasn’t an option; I’d needed the nerve conduit to get in here.

‘If it was a hollow space, then I could ride out the oven with a minimal loss of mass. It would still be incredibly painful, but I could make it,’ I mused mentally. It was really my only option, so I slid between the hemispheres and spread myself out through and among the many many neurons until I was pressed against the sides of the skull from several angles.

Then I ate Belial’s brain as fast as I possibly could and damn near cooked myself in the resulting firestorm.

I was still pulling myself from the ash when Belial walked into the room in perfect health.

“You’ve killed me,” he stated flatly.

“Yeah, I did,” I agreed as I attempted a fighting stance that was more defensive. It felt wrong and I knew I wasn’t doing it properly, but it was something.

“Do you have any idea how long it has been since I’ve tasted death?” Belial asked, ignoring my preparations for continued combat.

“Been a while, I’d guess,” I replied as I looked around for anything I could use to replenish myself. There was nothing but some wood furniture that was more work than it was worth and Belial himself.

“This palace hadn’t even been conceived,” Belial responded before lunging toward me with reckless fury. His claws were too low, he was moving too fast-

I managed to dodge most of the attack, only one claw caught me. That claw burned me in half however, and my legs were several feet from where my upper body landed.

“You put up a good fight, but this was decided long before you arrived. You and your compatriots were destined to die the moment you agreed to come here,” Belial stated. He wasn’t mocking or cruel in his tone, he was simply stating a fact as he knew it to be.

“Still had to try,” I rebuked as he reached out to end my life, “But I’m not done yet.”

Tendrils lashed out, digging into his palm and pulling me into his grip. An instant later, I dove out the back of his hand with a single bone in my grip. Landing on fresh legs, I held it for a second before turning and throwing the bone as far as I could. Belial attacked again, but I dropped and rolled under his strike to collect my lost mass from my old legs and jumped at the King of Demons once more.

I had him scared now, his regeneration disrupted by the missing bone meant he was as good as mortal. He became more defensive as I cut and tore. I became more offensive at the same time. Two arms became four became twelve. Two legs became eight, all pushing to keep Belial on his back hoof. The more I took him apart the more I fed and the larger I became. It briefly crossed my mind if Belial knew that I was desperate and putting everything I had into this one last attack.

Belial got a good hit on my side and I faltered for a half second as I regenerated the flesh, but it was enough. Belial was pushing back, taking off parts of me faster than I could take mass from him in return.

So this was it then, a simple contest to see who would drop first. I could win this. I just needed him to slow down.

There it was, a careless opening as the blood loss finally started to affect the demon. I happily exploited it and raked a single claw across his belly, spilling his guts onto the floor and making him stumble. I pressed before he could recover and slammed my arm in under his impenetrable ribs, bypassing his irritating bones altogether as I tore out his black heart.

Belial looked surprised as he continued stumbling and fell against the wall, no longer having the strength to stand.

“Congratulations, you actually beat me,” Belial offered, he didn’t sound bored or afraid. It sounded like he was more alive now that he was dying than he had before, “My severed head should make the others back down, it’s how I did it with my rivals.”

“Damn decent of you to say that, makes me wonder why,” I inquired suspiciously.

“Because now you’re in worse than if I had killed you. Welcome to my gilded cage,” Belial laughed weakly as blood began to run from his mouth. He died before I could retort, taking the last word with him. I never got to ask him what that was supposed to mean.

I had his memories, but they were broken, blurry, disjointed things and all out of order. I did manage to glean how he was causing the Awakenings and how he made those portals. I tested his power and regretted it immediately, setting myself on fire was not a pleasant feeling. It was, in fact, the single most painful thing I had ever experienced.

“Fucking ow!” I swore as I looked for a new way to get this body out of here. That much was my obvious next step, all it would take was a random demon wandering in with that knuckle and I’d have to fight Belial a third damn time. His body had to leave Tartarus now.

I needed mass, there were unhealed wounds weakening me. I also needed to drop Belial’s weight. I consumed everything Belial’s agitating corpse would give me, leaving only a pristine skeleton without so much as a scratch from all of the strikes I’d laid upon it. I improvised, using one of Belial’s finger claws to open a portal to the Crystal Kingdom and started shoveling bones through as fast as I could. I kept that finger claw and Belial’s skull on my side when I closed it, I needed both for different reasons.

True to his word, the sight of Belial’s skull made all of the demons attacking my team stand down. Another few seconds and they very easily could have been dead. Both of the stalkers were unconscious at Death’s hooves, the lich himself only now lowering the shield and collapsing.

“You did it, thank the mountains,” Dirge wheezed from one knee as he jumped on the opportunity to rest against his axe, a new wound across his chest demanding my attention before he could bleed out.

Harry, seemingly unharmed, nodded with what looked like sadness. He was the first to kneel, followed by the rippers that had been attacking.

The door clanged open, but no rippers flooded in to kill us. They stopped as soon as they saw the skull on my shoulder. I heard murmuring before they all kneeled as well, like an organic wave moving away from the palace.

“Harry, what’s going on?” I asked quietly once I managed to reunite with my team.

“In Tartarus, might is what makes a king. I’m sorry my friend, I know you didn’t want this. Both of us are forced to play our parts now. ALL HAIL KING JEKYLL!!” Harry apologized before shouting his declaration.

“ALL HAIL KING JEKYLL!!” The demons repeated.

“Fuck,” I swore. Chelly was going to have a field day when she found out about this.

Perspective Change: Unknown

Master will like the thing I found, yes. Master will give riches for it, good good. Yes. The bone, Master will like the bone.

Perspective Change: Chrysalis
Present Day

“And that is how I came to acquire this. You will need to find the rest, I only know that they are on the surface,” Malphas concluded.

“How very interesting, yet I’ve never heard of anything like this before. I’ll need some kind of lead or a place to start,” I requested. I liked Malphas’s plan, it would remove Jekyll from Tartarus with little to no risk to myself. It would even give me a new ally.

“I have no leads, not one scrap of information about the other bones. Except one, I know where one other one is,” Malphas hinted.

Finally, now I just needed to get out of this accursed prison and get that bone.

“Jekyll keeps it either on his person or under extreme guard,” Malphas finished, making my jaw drop as I failed to hide my sheer, all-consuming dismay, “And that would be why.”

“You have got to be kidding me. This is impossible. Why would you even suggest this if it can’t be done?” I demanded.

“I see, then you aren’t as ambitious as I believed. Pity,” Malphas sighed as he turned away. I pretended not to see his smile when I seized that massive knuckle in my magic.

“Just get me out of here, I’ll figure out the rest,” I declared more confidently than I felt.

“There are exactly two ways out of Tartarus. The Eternal Stairs and the portal inside the palace. The stairs are not an option I would suggest unless you intend to die screaming. An assault on the palace has a marginally higher chance of success, though none have managed to take it since Jekyll took power,” Malphas replied, drowning any optimism I might’ve had.

“You need to work on your ability to give bad news,” I critiqued.

“I find my abilities in that area to be efficient and succinct,” Malphas laughed, reminding me that demons were cruel, wicked things. He was enjoying the repeated blows to my ego.

“Demons couldn’t take the palace, but I haven’t seen a flying demon here yet,” I pointed out.

“There are three, all of Greater breed like myself. I see where you are going with this thought, perhaps changelings could assail the palace,” Malphas mused, his evil grin vanishing for a moment as he pondered, “Yes, they could bypass the defenses entirely by going through the windows. My brothers wouldn’t fit but changelings are small.”

“Small but more powerful than you think, particularly in large numbers,” I added.

“Yes,” Malphas growled, sounding excited now instead of amused, “Yes. Take what you will from my slaves, give me this drone army and I will give you your freedom in return.”

“Deal,” I declared, now the one wearing the evil grin as I thrust my foreleg out for Malphas to shake. He looked as close to giddy as a demon could likely get as he shook my hoof and sealed our fates to this plan.

Perspective Change: Luna
The Next Day

Hat shopping. If ever there was a more pointless task while preparing to defend a continent, I hadn't heard of it. Then again, it must have been something for the enforcers to refuse to do it.

I entertained the idea that it was to get me away from Jekyll while he did something I wouldn't approve of, but he was here in Baltimore as well so he couldn't get into too much trouble.

My eye caught a sign that looked promising and I sighed before walking in, at least the populace was too busy to get excited by my presence on the street. Small victories, I supposed.

"Good afternoon miss, I'll be right with you," an elderly earth pony of mottled browns greeted without properly looking up from his work.

I browsed the shelves for a bit before the stallion audibly stretched with a cracking of joints.

"Alright, how can I…" He began before trailing off.

"I'm looking for a new hat, but I don't know what style I should be searching for. I've tried several other stores and found them less than helpful or very appealing," I requested, hoping to break any stupor before it could set in.

"You don't sound excited about it, would I be correct in assuming this isn't for yourself?" The shopkeep asked.

"Yes, that's right," I confirmed.

"Given the goings on, I do know what you need. Can't say I'm glad to be the one telling the princess this though," He responded, "Old tradition, back in the days of my great grandfather, was that husbands would get a new hat from their wives for good luck before setting sail. What you need is a good naval cap."

"That bastard," I swore quietly before raising my voice again, "Then show me what you have for those."

"Are you sure you don't want me to narrow it down a bit first? Assumed rank would play a factor," he suggested.

I looked at him sideways for a second and he nodded before moving away and vanishing into a back room.

I used the brief solitude to digest what I'd been told, mentally screaming at Jay for what he was planning to do.

Then the elderly stallion returned with five boxes balanced on his back and I moved to the counter for him to show them off.

I dismissed the first one right away, it was a Celestia themed tricorn with a bit too much gold and white.

"Darker," I offered. The second box was removed unopened.

The third was perfectly round with a narrow brim and a sort of cloth covering for the sides of the head. To be fair, it was darker than the first one. This one was a flat gray.

"I don't know what this one is," I confessed.

"It was popular with the minotaurs a couple years back. It's called a boiler," he explained as he returned it to the case and set it aside as well.

The next one was a jet black cowpony hat with little anchors on the band.

"These are actually very common nowadays for sailors, good sun protection," the stallion noted before setting it aside as well. I didn't even get the chance to refuse it first this time.

The last one was something else. Not great, but different. Long and somewhat pompous, with silver stitching along the rim and a dark blue pegasus primary feather mounted in the band.

"This one is interesting, but I'm not familiar with it either," I admitted.

"It's a cavalier, a favorite of pirates and privateers in the old stories. I didn't make this one, it's been with the store for as long as my family has owned it. Supposedly, this was once owned by Hugo the Red and that feather came from Torn Sail himself," he revealed.

"I can dismiss that myth, I've seen the real hat Hugo wore. It doesn't have a feather in it and it's a tricorn," I corrected.

"Shame, I was hoping to get a good price for it off of that," the shopkeep responded, sounding saddened by this new information.

"I do like this one though, it's the best I've seen so far. Unless you have anything else you think would fit my preferences?" I pressed.

"I have one more I've been working on, but I'm not terribly keen on bringing it out," he admitted.

"Not fit for sale yet?" I guessed.

"No, it could be sold. It has been something of a flight of fancy project, something to work on between orders for fun. It's, ah, ‘you’-themed," he allowed.

"May I see it?" I requested. The old stallion looked embarrassed as he hesitated before nodding and returning to the back room. There was a long moment before he returned with a box the color of my coat.

Inside there was a very nice tricorn in my colors with silver threading across the upturned brim to mark out constellations and various other stars and galaxies.

"This is beautiful," I praised, the abashed stallion looking up and turning redder with every word, "I'm serious, this is wonderful craftsponyship."

"Should I box this one up for sale then?" He mumbled as he tried not to die of embarrassment on the spot.

"And the cavalier, I'll take them both," I replied.

"Okay, ah, so one is antique and the other is custom. There's some room for haggling but twenty-five hundred bits would be the base price," he responded.

"That won't be an issue," I allowed as I brought my purse out from under my wing and removed the correct amount. Bagging my bits in increments of one hundred did make this easier, though there was a decent pile by the time I was done.

The two boxes were pushed my way and I was thanked for my purchase before the stallion hurried away, still red faced.

There were enforcers waiting for me when I stepped outside.

"Would you like us to carry those?" the lead one asked.

"No, thank you. I've got them," I replied, getting a shrug before all six vanished into the crowd of dockworkers and conscripts that filled the street.

It was a long walk back to the dock where I knew Jay would be waiting while the final arrangements were made, time enough for me to decide which hat to give away and which one to keep. At least I thought it would be enough time. Alas, I was still debating with myself about that when I found my husband looking out at the bay while thousands of ponies worked around him.

"You got two," he pointed out without looking.

"Yes, and I know what this gesture means," I replied.

"Good, saves time. Which one did you mean to give me then?" Jay asked.

"I haven't decided," I confessed as I brought both boxes around and opened them. Jay turned to look and tilted his head.

"That big one, whose feather is that in the band?" He asked.

"I have no idea, that's how it already was," I admitted.

"I like them both, but that one adds some presence. Hats have a lot of meaning on the ocean, those given by a spouse even more so. The tricorn would be appropriate for reminding myself and the crew that there are people waiting for us to return. The big one says that I'm in charge and I don't care if that makes me a target, which is what we need more this time. I would like something to add a piece of that first point onto the bigger hat," Jay hinted.

"Like one of my feathers," I concluded, getting a nod, "Seafaring traditions are strange, but I can appreciate this one."

I removed the feather from the band before plucking one of my own primary feathers and getting it into the place of the previous one. As my feather was much larger, this took a bit of effort but was more than stable once in the loops. With the hat finalized, I turned it over to its new owner.

Jay took it carefully before giving it one final look and placing it on his head. It wasn't a great fit and sagged on the back side before he got it snugged into place.

"Perfect," he commented.

"Looks a bit long to me," I noted.

"It'll be fine, I have a grip on it now. Besides, I'm pretty sure this is how these are supposed to be worn," he countered before his appearance changed.

A coat colored to match the hat grew from his shoulders to hang behind him, empty sleeves fluttering as the wind caught them. Calf high black boots with rolled tops encased his feet and leather breeches covered his legs. Somehow he was both noble looking and roguish at once like this.

"I think it's time to ready the navy for war," Jay noted, the sorrow in his voice killing any attempt I could have made to sneak off with him before he had to leave.

"Before you go, I have to know if it's necessary," I stated.

"Fisto is capable as a captain, but he's emotionally attached to his ship. He won't put it in the kind of danger I would, which is what we need to do in order to break the morale of the enemy. I need to be at the wheel of the Bane," Jay offered, "Besides, the other option is to let a lot of demons loose on the surface without supervision."

"An upsettingly good point," I decided.

Jay sighed again, looking very old as he prepared himself for what was to come. The sight of it worried me, what could make Jay this uncomfortable?

"It's time," he declared. Though he hadn't raised his voice, enforcers appeared and jumped to act on predetermined orders.

I didn't know what to expect, but collapsing part of the harbor was a distinct surprise. It made sense when they finished the job, having formed a particularly large flat wall out of a pier and a warehouse.

I spotted Cataclysm in the hand of one enforcer just before it burst into flames and began cutting a hole in reality. More were there in a fraction of a second to force the wound open.

The first thing to escape the prison was the laughter of its denizens. They sounded insane.

Second was the imp slaves as their bodies were used to both haul a massive metallic object through the breach and cushion it whenever it lurched forward and might have been damaged by hitting the ground. None of them survived once it gained its own momentum and slid into the harbor. It was sideways and on its side, but righted easily enough once in the water.

I first noticed the figure on the mast, who had ridden it skyward without issue when the ship had violently turned right-side up.

Then the rest flowed through, a tide of laughing and singing demons that poured over every other ship in the entire harbor. It took seconds for the existing crews to be thrown overboard, though none seemed to have been killed. At least, none that I could see.

They sang of impending doom at their hands and the bliss of insanity, yet all held a simple rhythm that would make it easy to sing along with. Had they made their own shanties?

The one from the mast looked into my eyes and finally released his hold on his perch, firing himself all the way over to where we stood with only that jump.

I got a good look now, he was more insectile than expected, with two multi-jointed legs that folded in strange ways and four arms that each ended in three-fingered hands.

"GreKiJe, hofathse," it babbled.

"Fisto," Jay replied, seemingly not bothered by the gibberish, "It isn't red with spilled blood yet."

The demon laughed again, "Gimeada."

"I'm feeling generous, think you can last a bit longer than that? How about a few weeks?" Jay offered.

"Bythbloreseomepa, dago," the demon gibbered, then looked back at me, "Taonhe. Yoma?"

"Yes, and she doesn't speak verbal shorthand," Jay retorted, sounding more forceful.

"But full words take too long," it complained. This time, I actually saw its sideways mandibles move and what lay within. In retrospect, the gibberish was preferable.

I wasn't fearful, who could be when they had Fang obsessing over their safety? I was simply disgusted.

"Good day, I'm Luna, Princess of Equestria and Queen of Tartarus," I greeted, smothering my revulsion under a diplomatic mask.

"Thelemaspe," the demon replied.

"He said you should learn his speech, I think," Jay translated, "I have to guess."

"I'll make an effort to do so as soon as possible," I agreed, though I was just appeasing the demon.

"Go. Sowayocameshifo?" It asked, looking back at Jay.

"I'm in a bit of a bind and need to thrash an invading navy. An entire navy… of warships… loaded to the gills with soldiers," Jay elaborated teasingly, making the demon shiver with apparent delight.

"Okyohameat, wabdare?" It continued.

"It's a big navy," Jay answered with a shrug.

"Anyowacameshi?"

"That's right, I'm claiming the position," Jay confirmed.

"Shi," the demon stated, his tone making it a curse.

"Complain all you like, but she's my ship until I say otherwise," Jay retorted.

"Leahgetaseyofi," it responded with a shrug of its complicated shoulders.

"Oh, you'll see that and more," Jay promised with a wicked grin, "Go make her ready, we set sail at dawn. The rest as well, arm and staff every ship you see."

The demon only laughed this time before launching himself what was at least two hundred and fifty feet to land on the deck of the ship it had arrived with.

"Explains why Harry didn't want to be involved," I commented.

"Fisto is a piece of work, but he's mostly honest," Jay agreed.

Without the demon stealing my attention, I took a good look at the ship now.

It was entirely metallic, yet didn't sink. It was also easily four times as large as the next biggest ship in the harbor, with eight masts all boasting four sails at a minimum. Though massive, it didn't appear that the deck was terribly high off the water. It was long and sleek with the forward and rear ends lifting up like a bow missing its string.

"The Belial’s Bane, my flagship," Jay declared as he noticed my stare.

"It's gigantic," I replied.

"Dreadnought class, yes. Do you see the influences from different time periods? So many masts from earth pony ships before the unification? The upswept bow from feudal Gryphonia, back when that existed. Even those hanging blades are from second era Zebra corsairs. You can find something from almost every culture that existed across time before I shut down the incursions," Jay elaborated.

As he pointed them out, I did see the similarities. I also noticed the mostly skinless succubi hanging from the sides like docking pads. Demons were all the same, all that changed was who they answered to.

"I expect to be gone for a considerable amount of time. Tzu will be there to help with everything. Make sure the army is ready by the time the first ships get through, and they will get through," Jay advised.

I nodded silently, the weight of this only now being imposed on my mind. The fate of Equestria hung on my ability to repel our enemies.

I did have Abaddon, which was helpful at least.

Perspective Change: Jekyll
The next morning

"You must be Notepad," I greeted as the unicorn took his first shaky steps onto the less than cooperative deck of my ship.

"Yes sir, I was told to document everything?" He confirmed with a nervous look at all of the demons around, though they were ignoring him.

"That's right, which is why both myself and this ship need you alive," I replied, making him start before he caught my meaning and marginally calmed himself.

"I understand, do you have somewhere I should set up?" He asked.

"You can store your things wherever you like, but I want you using my shadow as sun protection until we come back into port. Except during combat, the big thing there is to keep yourself safe. I'll relay everything to you after it's over," I instructed.

"That allows you to exaggerate the events," he pointed out, making me grin.

"Less than you will when you return to tell of your adventures," I countered.

Notepad paused.

"Well, I suppose state propaganda should have been expected. Never thought I'd be a part of it," he commented.

"I never really expected this ship to touch liquid water, but here we are," I agreed.

"Here we are," he repeated.

Once Notepad was settled in, I left the gunnery deck to make for the bridge. Fisto was there, but standing in for the boson rather than his preferred place on the wheel. Notepad found a shaded spot on my other side and settled in, already scribbling things down.

"Full sail, let the rest find our path by our wake," I ordered.

"Fusa!" Fisto relayed in his way.