The final chapter, or a new beggining?
Cloudsdale airbase’s outline rests under a star night’s sky. Inside it’s jail the tricksterious Cadmean Vixen struts in front of the one occupied cell. A scowling Pupa Tinea, in her pink tinted changeling form, watches from the other side.
“Why are you here,” Tinea asks with a facade of confidence.
“Ain’t it obvious,”Cadmean says as she stretches. Tinea nervously steps back from her cell’s bars.
“I’m here to stir the pot a little,” says the fox as she makes a stirring motion with her paws. A cast iron pot appears in the air before Cadmean, filled with a stew like concoction with the occasional book added for seasoning.
Tinea stares into Cadmean’s eyes, and raises an eyebrow.
“You’re here to let me go?”
“Oh, no,” Cadmean says cheerfully. Tinea sulks.
“I can’t exactly help a known fugitive, now can I?” Cadmean asks as she paces back and forth before Tinea’s cell. Her body ever so slightly hovering higher above the floor with every step.
“Now that would certainly be breaking my parol terms. And unlike you, I detest that slobbering mutt, and don’t want her drool on me for at least another half century. ”
Cadmean lets out a sigh.
“You wouldn’t believe how fast an eternal chase grows dull and predictable.”
Tinea turns away from Cadmean with disinterest, and peers out her cell’s window.
“So much for eternal,” Tinea mumbles to herself.
Clouds part from the night sky, and reveal a full moon. The mare in the moon’s shadow glares down at Tinea.
“I suppose this is the fate of all traitorous sisters.”
Cadmean nonchalantly fades into existence next to her.
“Only the stupid, melodramatic ones.”
Tinea yelps, and jumps away from Cadmean. She only halfway calms her nerves as she faces the vixen.
“How did you get in here!?”
“Did you ever even check if the door was locked?”
Tinea glances behind her, and sees her cell door creaked slightly open.
“Tsk, tsk. The bat used to drill her soldiers so much better.”
Tinea interrupts Cadmean with a sigh. “Regardless, you could never understand what it’s like to betray every-ponies’ trust. To…”
Tinea catches Cadmean mouthing every one of her words with her paw, and a floating Tinea socket puppet mimicking the paws mimicry.
“Stop that!”
Cadmean lowers her paw, and the sock puppet Tinea vanishes.
“But you’re so overly dramatic.” Cadmean says with a chuckle. “This is a romantic comedy, not a drama. And you haven’t even betrayed any-pony yet. ”
“Of course I have.”
Cadmean circles around Tinea like a lioness stalking her prey.
“Tinea, Tinea, Tinea. Incompetence isn’t betrayal. You’ve failed your sister, absolutely and hilariously. But, she never expected you to succeed.”
“Really?!” Tinea says joyfully with a tearful smile.
Cadmean face-pawes herself. “Not the reaction I expected, but yes. She already has a mildly devious backup plan in play. Or, plan A, I guess”
Cadmean lowers her paw from her face, revealing a frustrated expression.
“And the thing with Wild is so minor it’s not really worth my breath. You merely sped up the inevitable.”
Cadmean struts towards the cell door as Tinea wipes the tears from her eyes, and grins. She jolts with a sudden realization. She scowls at Cadmean.
“Cadmean. How exactly are you so well aware of this?”
Cadmean slips through the cell door, and chuckles.
“You were spying on me, AGAIN!” Tinea yells as she clumsily leaps towards Cadmean. Cadmean gently taps the cell door with a back paw. The door daintily dings shut, and clicks. Tinea grabs the cell door firmly with her hoofs, and tries to force it back open. It merely rattles.
“Cadmean!”
Cadmean’s soft laugh echoes through the cells, as her figure fades away from sight.
“Don’t worry my little changeling. The solution to your problems are already in your head.”
Tinea slides to the ground with a thud as her chains clang against the cell’s bars.
“Arrogant fox. At least she didn’t say something stupid like follow your heart.”
An iron door creaks in in a nearby room, and Tinea leaps back on her hoofs. Hoofs clatter against stone, growing louder with every trot. The door leading to the cells quietly opens as a dark robe wearing pony figure enters the room.
Tinea backs away from the cell’s door. She eyes the figure with curiosity and suspicion as they approach her cell.
The hooded figure throws off their hood and reveals, Feather Wild, wearing a fully matching night guard armor set. His cutie mark edged into it’s metal side.
“Wild?”
Wild gives Tinea a shushing gesture, and glances over his shoulder. “The third shift is out for the night, but some-random-pony might still be near.”
Wild’s exams the lock on Tinea’s cell door. Tinea tiptoes towards Wild.
“But why are you here?” Tinea whispers to Wild.
Feather Wild pulls a lock pick and tension wrench from a pocket on his armor. He begins to erratically probe at the door’s lock.
“Ok, you don’t have to whisper that much.”
“Wild?!”
“What? Isn’t it obvious. I’m saving the princess from the tower.”
Tinea raises an eyebrow. “But we’re on the ground floor?”
“So I can skip climbing your mane.”
Tinea lifts lifts her main with one hoof. Her hoof cuffs brushing against the raskovnik clover glistening in her mane. Wild sees Tinea trying to visualize his words in a literal sense; not catching the obvious pony tale reference. He lets out a sigh.
“Your childhood concerns me.”
A crack emanates from the cell lock, and Wild turns pale. He pulls out the lock pick and wrench. His eye twitches as he looks over the broken pick, and bent wrench.
“Bats…”
Wild meets Tinea’s gaze. “Well, um. Do you have a plan A or B?”
Tinea lowers her hoof from her mane.
“No,” Tinea began, before being cut off by her hoof cuffs falling free to the ground with an audible clang that echoed around the cells.
Tinea and Wild glance down at the unlocked hoof cuffs, and up to Tinea’s mane, where the raskovnik clover glimmers.
“Oh.” Tinea & Wild say in unison.
Tinea slides the raskovnik clover the cell’s lock. It clicks, and slowly creaks open as Tinea walks out of her cell, flush red with embarrassment.
Wild and Tinea sleuth along the wall next to the prison exit. Wild carefully leans over the corner, and stares down the thankfully deserted hallway. He exhales, and relaxes his posture.
“You have yet to explain why you’re here, helping a criminal?” Tinea asks.
Wild chuckles.
“Well, what, are friends for, if not accomplices in crime.”
“Wild, I’m serious. Why are you helping me. This is a crime, and I’ve already broken my oath to you. I’m not exactly the most dependable friend.”
“What? Oh. Right, that.”
Wild turns away from Tinea, his face turning red.
“Yeah. That created a rather awkward conversation, but…. It seems like I really was over thinking things. My dad’s at least fine with it.”
Tinea, perks up. “Really”
Wild shrugs.
“A little disappointed one of my cousins will have to pick up the torch. But, other than that fine. “
Wild’s whole body shudders.
“Now, I just have to deal with mum…”
Tinea glances down to hide the guilt on her face. She turns back towards her open cell door. The door gently swings back and forward ever so lightly from the wind creeping through her window. The moon’s glow looms over her former cell. She glances up to where the raskovnik clover rests in her mane. She couldn’t quite see it, but she could feel where Wild had gently woven it back into place.
Tinea, takes a deep breath, and turns back to Wild, as he starts to tip hoof into the hallway.
“Wild… about your mother…”
“Yeah, yeah. I shouldn’t over think things with her too.”
Tines grabs Wild’s shoulder, and he flinches at the unexpected touch.
“You don’t understand, she and Cloudsdale are in great danger.”
Wild opens his mouth to speak, but Tinea bolts ahead. Her insect figure vanishes from his sight. Wild quickly rushes after her.
“Tinea, wait up.”
“No time. I’ll explain on the way to the stadium.”
“Well, at least make time for another makeover, if you want to actually get there.”
“Oh.” Tinea’s voice echoes. A pink magic flash, flickers in the darkness.
The sun rises over Cloudsdale, covering the clouds in a warm orange glow. Wild and Tinea, in her pony form, cut through some non-foundational clouds as they rocket through the sky.
“So, that explains allot…” Wild says as he starts to pull ahead of Tinea.
“Can you… please take… my family’s misplaced rage seriously!”Tinea says between gasping for air. She quickly falls and flails down towards the fluffy ground below with her bad wing flapping erratically.
Wild shoots back to Tinea, and lifts her up right before she hits the clouds. They continue, with Tinea’s bad wing taking a rest on Wild’s shoulder.
“I’m serious. Can’t you tell?”
Tinea sighs. “Have the griffin dignitaries arrived yet?”
Cloudsdale Stadium’s silhouette becomes visible in the distance; growing larger and larger as they fly ahead.
“I’m not sure,” Wild says with a shrug that almost dislodges Tinea. “But I overheard guards talking about visiting VIPs last night when I was sneaking, to sneak you out.”
“That’s them. We need to hurry.”
A rainbow explosion erupts from Cloudsdale Stadium. The sky fills with techno colored flashing lights that blind Tinea & Wild. As the light subsides, they can see, and hear, firework mortars & rockets detonating randomly around and in the stadium.
“Well, at least we know what your sisters distraction was.”
A black crater in the center of Cloudsdale Stadium smokes. Charred debris burns across the field as pegasi & unicorns swarm the area. Pegasi herd small rain clouds over the largest fires, and unicorns fire water from heir horns.
A random ember falls near a firework crate, and begins to smolder.
Star Shot rockets downward, and violently (and clumsily) stomps out the ember. He sighs in relief, and yells to a nearby pegasi group, “We need to remove the remaining combustibles immediately!”
The pegasi salute, and race to the nearest fireworks crate, currently not on fire.
From the stadium’s seats Chrysalis, disguised as a rather annoyed Peregrine, watches Star Shot guide the emergency efforts. She briefly lets slip a devious grin.
Behind her stands griffin dignitary Talon. A tall male griffin with regal bald eagle features. He wears a tuxedo like vest with a large silver medal near his heart. He doesn’t share Chrysalis’s amusement at the situation. Something Chrysalis is well aware of, and has to work with.
“It appears my concerns about the explosion were misplaced.” Chrysalis says with a robotic tone.
“Really?” Talon asks with very audible sarcasm as he eyes the large smoking crater.
Chrysalis lets out a sigh to meet his sarcasm.
“You’ll find accidental magical explosions are rather common in this kingdom. No one really gets hurt, usually. You just have to get used to it.”
Talon rolls his eyes.
“That is still to be determined.”
Chrysalis can’t repress her own eye-roll.
“Regardless, it’s standard procedure to evacuate dignitaries to a secure area during such announces. One, outside of rocket range.”
Mistral, a young griffin chick with a white furred body with silver feathers on her head, peeks out from under Talon’s wings.
“Do we have to go?” Mistral asks.
Mistral hears a sigh from behind and her older sister Tempest, walks up from behind. Tempest is a teenage looking griffin with golden fur & feathers.
“The field is on fire, Mistral. What do you think?” Tempests asks with very audible annoyance.
Mistral pouts, on the verge of tears.
Chrysalis leans down to eye level with Mistral. She softens Peregrine’s face with a friendly smile.
“Don’t worry little chick. This is only temporary and I’ve arranged for, special security. You’ve heard of the Wonderbolts, no?”
Mistral bursts out from under Talon’s wing and floats in the air before Chrysalis. The young griffin’s wings working double time to keep the inexperienced flyer airborne.
“Really, really, really!”
Tempest rolls her eyes, and Talon lets out a soft chuckle.
“I do believe those pegasi fall under her authority.”
Mistral shoots higher into the air, and starts chanting Wonderbolts. Talon gives an ever so slight nod to Chrysalis.
“Thank you for your considerations, and preparations, lady Peregrine.”
Chrysalis forces Peregrine’s doppelgänger body to gracefully bow.
“Your praise is appreciated, but I’m merely doing my job.”
Wild supports Tinea on his shoulder as they hover above the stadium, and survey the destruction. They spot Chrysalis in Peregrine’s disguise escorting the griffin dignitaries away.
“There!” Wild screams as he attempts to dive downward, but is stopped by Tinea.
“You need to stop.”
“What? But they are right there!”
“And your mother is not, along with any other hostages my sister kidnapped along the way.”
Wild snaps his hoof.
“Bats. So we’re bucked if we stop them too.”
Wild and Tinea land behind some cloud pillars at the top of the stadium, and spy on Chrysalis as she chats with Talon. They pass through a security gate leaving the stadium. A pegasus guard salutes Chrysalis, before unlocking the gate.
Tinea scratches her chin in thought.
“I may have an idea. Wild?”
Wild jokingly salutes.
“Yes!?”
“It’s risky, but… it should work.”
Tinea glances away from Wild.
“If you can still trust me after all of this… my sister’s coup and all.”
Wild elbows Tinea.
“Good thing you ain’t your sister.”
Tines exhales, and blushes.
“Good.”
Wild glances below to Star Shot guiding the clean up effort.
“But, shouldn’t we first tell my dad his wife’s been replaced by a she-demon.”
Tinea pats Wild on his shoulder.
“Wild. This plan will require stealth. And your dad is a living firecracker.”
“Ah, yes.”
Pegasi frantically push storm clouds over Cloudsdale Zoo on their way to Cloudsdale Stadium. Chrysalis, disguised as Peregrine, guides Talon, Mistral, tempest, and two griffin guards up the zoo’s steps. Two changelings, disguised as Silver & Breeze in their Wonderbolts uniforms, wait for the griffin delegation at the top of the steps. They salute, and guide the group into the building.
Wild and Tinea watch from above on a passing cloud. They nod at each other, and Wild flies them down quietly. They hide behind an empty ticket booth right as the griffins and changelings enter the main entrance. The doors lock with very audibly clicks, and Tinea hits the ticket booth with frustration.
“Damn the hive, we… I was too slow.”
Wild fakes a cough.
“Oh, if only you had some-pony that knows this place like back of their hoof.”
Wild giggles with a stupidly wide grin.
A ceiling light flickers above an industrial hallway lined with random crates. Chrysalis walks alongside Talon down the hallway, with his daughters behind them. Mistral, enthusiastically hovers around Breeze and Silver. Chrysalis, somewhat successfully pretends to be interested in Talon’s words.
“An open boarder treaty would thereby benefit both our kingdoms. Griffins could freely stay in Cloudsdale and ponies in Griffinstone, amongst other places.”
“I suspected your trip was more than a family excursion,” Chrysalis says, speaking for herself and she imagined Peregrine.
Talon chuckles. “Guilty as charged.”
Talon looks over his shoulder and watches Mistral cling onto Breeze’s outstretched wing as Tempest face-hoofs herself. Talon’s weathered face lets out a warm smile.
“Though I can’t deny it does have it’s fringe benefits too.”
The nervous changeling disguised as Breeze disguised meets Chrysalis’s gaze, and eyeballs the young griffin attached to her wing. Chrysalis glares at her soldier, benefiting from Peregrine’s bat like features for a pinch of extra intimidation on top of her own. The changeling gulps, and puts on a very fake smile before talking to the ecstatic young griffin.
Chrysalis sighs, and pushes open a double door opening into a massive warehouse that stretches into the distance. Wooden storage crates are mixed with cloth covered animal cages with foliage poking out.
Talon steps alongside Chrysalis again, and raises an eyebrow.
“If you don’t mid me asking, why is this secure area… a zoo?”
Wild and Tinea crawl through an air duct.
“In hindsight, the zoo makes great sense as a secret base,” Wild whispers.
Tinea bumps her head on the duct’s metal top.
“Why exactly?” Tinea asks between her teeth, holding back a cry of pain mixed with frustration.
“It’s a large sprawling structure that has been magically reinforced by unicorns to keep the aviary creatures from escaping. Including a massive storage area guests never see.”
A vent grate below Wild creaks.
And as Turby told you, this place has been sound proof—“
Wild is cut off, as the vent below him gives way, and he falls below. Tinea quickly hears a thud. A moan follows.
Chrysalis and Talon’s group weaves between rows of cages and crates. Caged birds can be heard, scurrying away from the fake Peregrine as she passes.
“So, the areas in Cloudsdale more sturdy than a nimbus cloud are limited.”
Talon peers around.
“I see…”
Chrysalis stops next to a cage holding a sickly looking phoenix. The phoenix coughs out smoke. She whacks the cage with a revolted face.
“Filthy bird.”
Wild’s face is planted into some hanging scaffolding as Tinea gracefully hops down to him from the air duct above. Wild stands, with scaffolding’s checkering still covering his face.
The pair tip hoof across the scaffolding walkway, as they search the area below. Bird calls and screeches draw their attention almost immediately.
“I have a feeling where my sister is…”
Chrysalis leads the group through a narrow, single file pathway between large, ceiling high crate stacks.
“We are nearly at our destination. I believe you’ll find your accommodations very befitting.”
Chrysalis points forward with Peregrine’s hoof.
Talon walks past Chrysalis, and freezes. He scowls as he looks over a large, two story bird cage.
“I didn’t take you for the humorous type—”
—Talon stops mid speech as he spots Breeze, Silver, Peregrine, and Peregrine’s guards tied up, and gagged inside the cage. Peregrine uses her bat fangs to cut the gag free.
“Fly you foals!” Peregrine screams.
Ten changelings leap down and attack the group before Talon can process Peregrine’s warning. His own two griffin guards are overwhelmed within a blink. The fake Breeze & Silver turn back into changelings, and hiss. Mistral screams, as her sister tries to shield her from the false idols.
Talon wakes from his confusion, and takes a battle stance. His griffin claws cutting into the ground below, and his wings extended, boosting his size.
A green magic sphere strikes him from behind with an electric pop, and the griffin collapses to the ground. Smoke rises from his wound as Chrysalis steps forward, dropping her Peregrine disguise as her changeling horn glows. She chuckles.
“That really never gets old.”
Tinea and Wild rush across the scaffolding after hearing the sounds of battle. They quickly reach a clear view of the giant bird cage, but only in time to find the griffin’s being violently tossed inside.
Tinea starts to leap from the scaffolding, but is pulled back by Wild.
“Looks like we’re a little late for that party Tinea, but we can still hurry back and grab my dad.”
Tinea watches Chrysalis kick an unconscious Talon into the cage with glee.
“I’m not sure my sister can repress her violent side much longer.”
“Wait, this isn’t her violent side?! Bloody tartarus. Then we have no time to waste—”
Tinea grabs Wild to keep him from flying off.
“There, is still time to save them. Save, all of them. For… us to save them all.”
Wild grins deviously.
“Oh, so you have an idea for an after party.”
Tinea gulps.
“Wild, can you give me a list of the most hazardous creatures in this zoo?”
Wild seemingly pulls a pen and notepad out of thin air.
“Alphabetical, or by genus?”
Chrysalis’s shadow stretches over an unconscious Talon inside the bird cage. A scorch mark on the back of his head still smolders from Chrysalis’s magic blow. Mistral and Tempest cling to their father. The younger griffin sobbing uncontrollably. Tempest glares up at the changeling queen. Peregrine chews at the ropes binding her hoofs.
“Why are you doing this!” Tempest asks. Her voice an off-pitch mix of anger and sorrow.
Chrysalis chuckles as she plays with the bird cage’s door. Swinging it back and forward like a hyperactive child as she decides who to let out and play first. A piece of rope smacks into Chrysalis’s head, and the queen queen stares daggers at Peregrine.
Peregrine meets the queen’s glare with her own. “If I had to wager it would be on some ill-conceived notion of revenge.”
Chrysalis raises an eyebrow amused.
“Clever rodent.”
Talon coughs, drawing everyone’s attention, save Peregrine who starts chewing on her constraints again. The noble griffin attempts to stand.
“The invasion…?”
Talon collapses.
“So, you’re one of those monster’s spawn!?” Tempest asks, anger finally gaining the upper hoof in her voice.
“That’s queen, thrall!” Chrysalis yells, and punctuates with her hoof slamming into the cage’s bars.
“Oh, a royal roach then?” Peregrine says with amusement, before returning to gnawing at he ropes.
Chrysalis freezes in motion for a split second, then turns towards Peregrine.
“Beast. I assure you this trip was strictly business.”
Chrysalis grins.
“So, believe me when I sincerely thank you for providing me unexpected entertainment. If you can still talk by—”
—Another chunk of Peregrine’s rope smacks Chrysalis’s head mid threat.
Chrysalis’s rage radiates out from around her like a burning black cloud. Her soldiers take a few extra steps away from her to avoid the coming collateral damage. Chrysalis points a hoof out at Peregrine.
“YOU WILL—”
—A sickly phoenix lands on Chrysalis’s outstretched hoof, and coughs in her face.
Chrysalis screams through teeth as she grinds her fangs.
“Get off you filthy pigeon!”
Chrysalis violently shakes her hoof trying to shake off the bird. The phoenix doesn’t let go. Instead, it bursts into flame, engulfing the changeling queen in fire. The griffin’s look on dumbfounded by what is going on, while Peregrine can’t fully suppress her own chuckle as Chrysalis stops, drops, and rolls while screaming in pain.
The fire finally goes out as Chrysalis rolls, and smashes into a crate. The queen struggles to get back on her hoofs while surrounded by wood dust. She nonchalantly wipes the soot covering her in one swipe, and glares at her soldiers while not so successfully suppressing her coughs.
“Not, one, word.” Chrysalis says in a break between coughs.
Ash floats around the charred queen, and is quickly drawn together in a hovering, glowing pile. In a flash, a phoenix emerges from the ashes, fully rejuvenated. The bird laughs at Chrysalis as it flies away.
Chrysalis snarls. “Get that bird!”
The changeling soldiers stumble around, and bump into every nearby object, as they recoil from their queen’s fury. They quickly stumble into the right direction after the phoenix.
Chrysalis grabs the last 3 with her magic, and they gulp in unison.
“You’ll stay here, and watch our prey. And no fun until I get back, either.”
The three changelings tremble as they salute their queen. Chrysalis rolls her eyes, and tosses an iron key into the face of one of them as she runs after the phoenix.
Peregrine bites into her bindings once more.
Chrysalis charges after the phoenix with nine changeling grunts following behind her. The phoenix and changeling queen effortlessly weave between crates and cages. Her soldiers, not so gracefully hit or trip on every other obstacle. The fear of punishment for falling behind however, motivates the changelings to relatively keep up with their queen.
From the shadows on a nearby pathway, Tinea uses her raskovnik clover to unlock a massive bird cage. A label on the cage reads, “Roc: Hunter of Dragons.”
Chrysalis fires a magic bolt at the phoenix, who effortlessly dodges the attack. The bird proceeds to fly upside down, and stick its tongue out at Chrysalis. Chrysalis’s mane bursts into green flame.
Behind Chrysalis, her guards have nearly caught up with her. One looks up, and screams in terror as a giant Roc eagle dives down and snatches up two changeling guards with it’s talons.
The seven remaining changelings gulp, and run faster as their comrades’ screams fade into the distance.
Two changelings stand at full attention before the pathway the other changelings went down. Their gaze is fixed on the griffins, until a Roc screech causes their whole bodies to flinch. They nervously peer down the path their companions took, and where the terrifying sound came from.
A third changeling paces back and forth before the bird cage. The iron key dangling from their armor. A rope spit-wad hits the pacing changing in the back of the head. The guard turns and sees Peregrine laughing into her bound hoofs. The guard hisses at the bat mare. The changeling guard looks over it’s shoulder to make sure its queen isn’t near. It relaxes and puffs itself up. A devious smile grows on its face as it moves to the cell with the key in hoof.
The two changing guards near the entrance hear a metallic creek above them and look up slowly. Wild dive-bombs the pair, body slamming straight into one for an instant K.O. The second guard stares down at Wild with it’s mouth wide open in shock. Rage quickly overtakes the changeling’s confusion, and they leap onto Wild’s back.
The changeling near the cage jolts around,, and attempts to process what the heck is going on. In that split second, Peregrine snaps her weakened binding and quietly pounces to her feet.
The changeling on Wild’s back tries to get a strangle hold on his neck. Wild grabs the changeling by its shoulder, and judo throws it into the ground head first with a loud smack.
The remaining, conscious changeling prepares to lung at Wild, oblivious to Peregrine as she reaches through the cages bars, grabs its head, and slams the changeling’s skull into the metal bars with a hollow ping sound. The guard drops like a rock, and the keys in the changeling’s grasp twirl into the air. They nonchalantly land in Wild’s hoofs as he trots towards the cage.
“And to think you whined when I enrolled you into defensive judo classes,” Peregrine says as she gives the knocked out changeling below her an extra kick through the bars.
Wild unlocks the cage’s door.
“Mom, I was six!”
Peregrine rushes through the door, and bear hugs Wild. He struggles to breath.
Tinea unseals a pipe below an insectarium, and whispers into it. A buzz emanates from inside. The plaque below reads, “Flash Bees.”
Chrysalis pursues the phoenix with her remaining seven guards having finally caught up behind her in two lines. The changeling forces round a corner. Screaming erupts amongst a swarming sound. Three changelings run back around the corner being chased by electric bees. The changeling’s exoskeletons are covered in welts and static electricity.
“Mother… we need to hurry,” Wild manages to say on the verge of asphyxiation in Peregrine’s tight hug.
Peregrine composes herself, and releases Wild from her grasp. He proceeds to collapse to the ground. Peregrine casually wipes dust off her shoulders.
“Right. This is not the time for a family reunion. I need to make preparations to deal with a certain royal pain in the flank.”
Wild shakily stands while taking deep breaths.
“Don’t worry, we have plenty of time. Tinea should be able to keep them busy for awhile.”
Peregrine flinches.
“Wild, you know she is—”
Wild interrupts Peregrine with a hoof to her mouth,“the mare who came up with this particular rescue plan.”
Peregrine grabs Wild’s hoof on her mouth in a painful grip, and moves it aside. She then raises an eyebrow.
“Really?”
Tinea slowly approaches a large iron barred cage, and peers inside. A manticore’s silhouette stirs in its shadows.
A manticore’s roar rattles crates and cages down a pathway. Four changeling guards run away from the terrifying sound’s origin.
Chrysalis looks behind her to see what all the commotion was about, only to find all her guards gone. She groans, disappointed but not surprised.
Tinea walks past several cages, and freezes next to a relatively quiet one. She approaches it, and reaches inside.
“What are you doing here?”
Tinea reaches inside the cage and scratches Laelap’s ears, and the hound’s legs kick reflexively. Tinea removes the raskovnick clover from her mane and moves it towards the cage’s lock. A phoenix feather lands on Tinea’s hoof. She glances up to briefly see a phoenix before it disappears in the warehouses shadows.
“The same could be said for you,” Chrysalis says behind Tinea.
Tinea grows pale as Laelaps growls at the new guest. Tinea turns to face her sister. Chrysalis’s calm, cold gaze stand at odds with her scarred body. The queen struts forward, closing her eyes in thought as she paces.
“The mutt was a threat to the plan, so I had it locked up. I never imagined I’d have to do the same for you.”
“Sister please,” Tinea begins, before being cut off by her sister’s loud hoof stomp. Chrysalis opens her eyes, and stares daggers down at her sister.
“Explain yourself!”
Tinea glances away from her sister as beads of sweat run down her brow. Her gaze lands on the rasknovnik clover still in her hoof. Tinea calms at the sight of Wild’s gift, and she takes a deep breath.
“Sister, what you are doing is wrong. This is not justice.”
Chrysalis can’t suppress a burst of laughter at her sister’s words. Not malicious laughter, but of genuine amusement. This amusement unnerves Tinea.
“Justice? What utter nonsense. This is revenge sweet sister. Making an example out of these overgrown pigeons.”
Tinea steps back from Chrysalis, and bumps into the front of Laelaps’ cage.
“That’s, that’s crazy.”
Chrysalis steps towards Tinea. Her horn aglow with green magic.
“Crazy? Crazy is not obeying your older sister. Your queen!”
Chrysalis blasts a burst of magic that explodes at Tinea’s hooves. Laelaps barks louder, and scrapes against the cage’s bars. Tinea trembles at the show of magical force she’s can’t match. However, she closes her eyes, and takes a deep breath to calms her nerves. “Sister, you say I can be anything?”
Tinea’s eyes open with a ferocious glare.
“Then I choose to not be your sister, or your puppet any—”
—A green magic missile explodes into Tinea’s chest, and slams her into the cage’s metal bars. Laelaps throws herself against the cage’s bars; madly barking at Chrysalis. Tinea crumbles to the ground as her wound smokes.
Chrysalis stands over Tinea as her horn glows again.
“Well then, sweet sister. You chose wrong.”
Tinea coughs out smoke, and she presses a hoof against Laelap’s cage.
“I told you,” Tinea say as the raskovnik clover in her hoof glows. “I’m not your sister anymore.”
A metallic click emanates from the cage’s lock. Chrysalis glances up towards the sound right as Laelaps pounces out of her unlocked cage.
Tinea grins weakly as she hears Chrysalis being mauled by the flying hound. A pony shadow creeps up behind her.
The Cloudsdale Zoo’s waste disposal area is arranged like the interior of a plane’s cargo hold. Metal barrels are tied together, and atop a rail platform leading to a pressure sealed door with a safety warning.
A control panel sits a few paces away from the rails, behind a safety glass wall. A large metal leaver stands next to the control box.
Chrysalis, covered in bites, scratches, and burns, runs onto the rails as she fires several magic blasts backward. Laelaps zigzags about in the air dodging the changeling queen’s attacks with relative ease. The hound dives and snaps at Chrysalis who barely avoids the hound.
“Filthy mongrel!”
A high pitched whistle screeches.
“Laelaps, heel.”
Laelaps flinches, and flies away to Peregrine’s side. Peregrine stands next to the metal barrels on the waste disposal rails. A pile of hog tied changelings are stacked on a pallet behind the metal barrels. Peregrine pets Laelaps on her head. The hound’s gaze remains locked on Chrysalis.
“Good girl.”
Peregrine glances at Chrysalis with a smirk on her face.
“Her, not you of course.”
Chrysalis growls, and slams her claws into the floor below.
“I should have just finished you off, you pest.”
“Yeah you should have, but you didn’t. Cadets!”
Breeze and Silver glance at each other with their backs towards Peregrine. They nod, rear up, and kick the two storm clouds floating behind them. Lighting bolts shoot out from each.
Peregrine stands, and snatches the lightning bolts with her front hooves . She gracefully twirls midair and pitches the bolts at Chrysalis.
Chrysalis frantically dodges each lightning strike, but feels the static electricity as they burst around her. Chrysalis screams through her fangs, and zaps green magic blasts at Peregrine.
Peregrine stands still, and casually watches the series of blasts miss her, by a lot.
“Wow, your aim is terrible,” Peregrine says as she catches two more lightning bolts, and chucks them at Chrysalis again.
Lightning bolts explode at Chrysalis’s hooves as she just barely dodges in time. Several stray sparks course through and briefly paralyze her legs. The noble changeling queen face plants with a splat.
Chrysalis crawls up to her hooves. Her head engulfed in green magic flames as she stares daggers at Peregrine. Her horn erupts with magical energy like a flair. A huge magic sphere larger than Chrysalis herself forms before her. She arcs her body backward, and swings the spell at Peregrine.
Silver kicks his storm cloud, sending a lightning bolt to Peregrine’s right hoof. She spins around backward to gain momentum, and throws the bolt ahead. It twists through the air, chaotically zigzagging in short bursts as it flies to, and collides with Chrysalis’s sphere. A blinding light erupts from where they meet, and a shockwave follows, strong enough to be felt by Breeze as she kicks her lightning bolt towards Peregrine.
Magic embers and sparks from the explosion fall all around Peregrine as she catches Breeze’s bolt. She leans into the momentum of her previous spin, and swings around once more. Chrysalis can do nothing but gasp for air as she watches the bolt leave Peregrine’s hoof. It zips to her in a fraction of a second. The lightning strikes dead center into Chrysalis’s chest, and savagely electrocutes her whole body, revealing to Peregrine that changeling’s do have a skeleton under their exoskeleton as Chrysalis’s lights up like a neon X-ray image.
“Enough!” Chrysalis screams after the electricity finally dissipates.
Chrysalis lets out a brief flash of green light that blinds every pony briefly.
“My patience with your insolence is at its end. Now, prepare to feel a queen’s wrath!”
Chrysalis laughs madly as her horn inconsistently pulses green light. An embarrassing cough of soot ends her laughter as her magic proceeds to burn out in an instant. Chrysalis glances up at her horn confused, and flicks it. Only the tiniest of green sparks come out.
“I’m quaking in fear,” Peregrine says with a manure eating grin.
Peregrine nods to Silver & Breeze, and they buck two more lightning bolts at their commander. Peregrines catches, and pitches them at great speed towards Chrysalis.
The first lightning bolt strikes Chrysalis dead center again, and sends her spinning backward with a shower of sparks and x-ray like flashes. The second hits her horn, and knocks her back into the pressure sealed door with a satisfying ping.
Chrysalis struggles to stand with her whole body as limp as spaghetti. In a daze she glances up to her horn. She scrunches her eyes as she attempts to concentrate, but no magic responds.
“Why, of all times?”
“I’m afraid you’ll find there’s no love for you here,” Tinea’s voice echoes from behind.
Chrysalis hears a lever creak nearby. The pressure sealed door behind her rumbles. It cracks open every so slightly. The changeling queen holds her breath as she watches the hairline crack, afraid to conduct any sort of sudden movement.
A sweat bead slides down her brow, and drips onto the floor. The sound of its drip quickly gets drowned out as the door burst fully open. Wind tears into the room, and knocks Chrysalis to the floor as she desperately grabs onto the rail below her. Sirens blare a warning, and the rail Chrysalis clings desperately too trembles. With terror in her eyes she glances back to where she heard her sister’s voce.
Wild supports Tinea, in her pegasus form, on his shoulder as they stand next to the waste disposal controls. His free hoof hovers over a large red button.
“You little—” Chrysalis begins before being silenced by her sister’s stare and threatening aura.
Tinea sighs, and tilts her head slightly at Wild while her dagger like gaze remains fixed on her immobile sister.
“Fine, you can say it.”
Wild chuckles, and strikes a too serious to be serious pose.
“Get off my cloud. ”
Wild whacks the red button, and the metal barrels rocket towards Chrysalis. She briefly squeaks like a dog toy as the barrels slam into her, and rocket out into the sky.
Cloudsdale peacefully floats in the sky, save a thin line of smoke floating out from Cloudsdale Stadium. The zoo outlined by the suns’s rays sits nears the floating city’s edge.
A metallic speck ejects from below Cloudsdale Zoo, along with the faintest hint of a scream.
“And don’t forget these,” Wild’s voice echoes over loudspeakers.
A metallic clack is heard from inside the zoo, and over a dozen changeling specks are flung out. Theirs screams are mostly drown out by the heavy wind.
Tinea and Wild watch the massive pressure sealed door close with a hiss of wind that tosses about their manes. With a clink the door is shut, leaving eerie silence, and bed mane.
Wild pats Tinea on her back.
“All, in all. That went well.”
Tinea flinches from a burst of pain from her magic burn mark, but forces a partial smile.
“Let’s just agree it could have gone worse.”
“I’m led to believe you two are responsible for my family’s safety?” asks a voice from behind.
Wild and Tinea turn in a jolt to find Talon. The griffin stands tall, though with a noticeable wobble and several bruises. On opposite sides of his wings, his daughters help prop him up.
Peregrine walks disruptively between the two groups. Mistral watches the bat pony star struck. Peregrine’s eyes linger on Tinea.
“That, does appear to be the case.”
Tinea gulps.
“Mother please,” Wild begins in a whisper before noticing every creature’s eyes on him. He coughs, and composes himself.
“Please give Tinea most of the credit. I just told her what critters to free… and knocked out a pair of grunts, I guess.”
Tempest fondly watches Wild. She turns away quickly to hide her blush.
Talon steps away from his daughters’ support, and over to Tinea.
“Well, Lady Tinea. I must offer you my most sincere gratitude.”
Talon raises his claws to shake Tinea’s hooves. Tinea studies Talon’s paw as it hangs in the air before her. Her gaze is drawn behind Talon where she sees the two griffin sisters. Mistral points out Tempest’s blush, and she looks away from her younger sister; blushing even more. Mistral bursts into laughter.
Tinea sincerely grins as she reaches out, and shakes Talon’s paw.
“I only did what I thought was right.”
Peregrine intently observes the hoof-shake, watching Tinea’s expression carefully.
Several nights later….
Cloudsdale Stadium roars with a full crowd as techno colored fireworks burst in the night sky, on purpose this time.
Five Wonderbolts screech through the air in a V formation. Each Wonderbolt leaves a different colored glittering trail that combines into a rainbow. As the formation flies over the stadium’s center, a firework mortar explodes into innumerable pyrotechnic stars. The crowd gives a standing ovation as the sparkling embers fall around them.
High above the crowd, a private booth overlooks the stadium. It’s walls are covered with Wonderbolts’ paraphernalia. An unused sports bar sits in the back. In the front near it’s large sliding glass door overlooking a private balcony, rests Pupa Tinea, in her pony form, and Feather Wild. Tinea wears a light pink dress while Wild wears a tuxedo with an unbuckled collar.
“One plus to having a father in the Wonderbolts is you get the best seats,” Wild says before chewing on some snacks from they table.
“I suppose,” Tinea says while observing the sold out seats in the stadium. “I’m still surprised the games went on after everything that happened.”
Wild shrugs.
“Well, I suppose you’re still new. I wasn’t joking when I told you catastrophes are fairly regular in Equestria.”
A knock shakes the room’s door, and Wild and Tinea jump. They peer around nervously as the door bursts open. Peregrine & Star Shot enter the booth. The bat pony mare wears a dark blue, formal military dress covered with metals. And Star Shot wears a tux with only one visible burn mark.
Star Shot eagerly slides between Wild & Tinea, and violently shakes both their hooves at the same time.
“Tinea, Wild. Pleasure to bump into you tonight.”
Tinea and Wild awkwardly glance to each other, and then to Wild’s mom still silently observing them all in the background. Her face void of emotion.
Star Shot follows their gaze to his wife. He snaps his hoofs, and wraps a legs around Wild’s neck as he drags Wild over to the empty bar. He whispers into his son’s ear.
“Now, don’t worry I’ve talked to her about the…”
The conversation quickly leaves Tinea’s ear shot. She steps closer to them, but is stopped by Peregruine’s hoof on her shoulder. A shiver runs through her spine.
Peregrine nods towards the balcony.
“We need to talk, princess.”
Peregrine and Tinea step onto a large cloud balcony where the calm night sky contrasts with the rowdy stadium below. Tinea walks over to the edge, and looks over to the opening ceremonies. Her hooves grip the soft railing unnecessarily firmly. Unfortunately, the hundreds of ponies marching around the track with their town and city flags on display didn’t distract her, from her fears much.
Peregrine slides the glass door shut behind them, and canters over to Tinea . Her composure cold as ice.
Sweat rolls down Tinea’s brow as she grips the cloud railing even more firmly, as she attempts to hide her trembling.
“I, wonder what Wild and Star Shot are talking about.”
“I imagine my approval of his academic pursuits.”
Tinea relaxes her grip on the guard rail. Her gaze remains on the stadium’s field, but her mind is somewhere else as she warmly smiles.
“Oh? That’s good to hear.”
Peregrine glances back at her son and husband, and rolls her eyes.
“Believe to or not, I don’t have an issue with what field he pursues as an adult. Just so long as he fully puts is heart and mind into, and stops goofing off… Well, some illegal exceptions withstanding.”
Tinea sighs, and turns to Peregrine.
“I never meant to get Wild—”
—Peregrine holds up a hoof to silence Tinea.
“Don’t waste my time stating the obvious facts of this situation.”
Tinea sulks like a sad puppy. She hovers slightly off the ground, and raises her front hoofs like they are already in shackles.
Peregrine raises an eyebrow.
“I’m not here to arrest you.”
Tinea’s wings stop, and she clumsy thuds to the ground.
“If I was, I’d have brought guards. I don’t need them, but it’s the standard procedure.”
Tinea rubs her head as she stands.
“Then… why did you stop by here tonight?”
Peregrine sighs.
“Do you know how I got my position as General of the Night?”
Tinea shakes her head.
“Oh? Well, I’ll keep it short then.”
Peregrine coughs into her hoof.
“As a young foal, I got it into my head to join the royal guards. I honestly don’t know what gave me the idea, but that ear worm stuck, no matter how many lectures I got from my parents about the foolish endeavor.”
Peregrine stares past Tinea, into the stadium. She notices one Wonderbolt trip out of step behind the Cloudsdale flag bearers. They wave to the crowd trying to hide their error. Peregrine frowns as she takes a mental note for later.
“Anyway, once I was a cadet, my fairy tale met reality. I found myself despised, and distrusted by my fellow cadets. Even the instructors.”
Peregrine grins a fang at Tinea.
“Any guesses why?”
Tinea gulps, “Your, your intimidating aura.”
Peregrine lets out, what some might describe as a chuckle.
“Correct, albeit vague.”
Peregrine stretches out out her bat like wings. Their shadows stretches over the balcony & Tinea.
“My kind have a rather infamous reputation amongst other ponies.”
Peregrine lowers, and tucks her wings away.
“We’re, kindly, referred to as Moon sympathizers.”
Tinea glances up towards the Mare in the Moon.
“Though factually, and historically, incorrect, the rumor persists to this day.”
Peregrine paces back and forth before Tinea.
“Naturally, when this, sympathizer, signed up to guard Celestia, it raised a lot of eyebrows. I thought I could counter this by simply outshining every other cadet , and crush academy records.”
Peregrine shrugs nonchalantly.
“That task turned out easier than expect, but unfortunately had the opposite effect… Why is the bat trying so hard? What’s it up to?”
Peregrine scowls.
“It got to the point I couldn’t even pretend to be ignorant of it anymore.”
Tinea gulps, and asks, “So… How did it stop.”
Peregrine turns to face Tinea, and peers down at her.
“On the day of graduation, Celestia visited our academy, and quickly overheard the whispers.”
“So, she punished them?”
“No. She gave me a position as her personal day guard. Where ever, and when ever she traveled I’d be her ever present shadow.”
Tinea’s face lights up.
“Right where everypony can see you!”
Peregrine raises an eyebrow.
“It’s good to see your intelligence wasn’t merely another one of my son’s hyperboles,” Peregrine says with a dry tone.
Tinea blushes, and looks down at her hooves.
“Still, I don’t get why you are telling me this story.”
Peregrine shakes her head slightly disappointed as she reaches under a flap in her dress, and pulls out a scroll with Celestia’s seal on it.
“You’ll find, being General of the Night has it’s benefits.”
She shoves the scroll into Tinea’s hoofs, and walks towards the glass doorway.
“Celestia’s chance, her kindness was all I needed to get to where I am today,” Peregrine says over her shoulder.
Tinea glances down to the sealed scroll, and breaks it open. The title reads, “Decree for Equestrian Citizenship.”Tinea’s eyes bolt up to Peregrine as she leaves the balcony.
“I’m giving you your chance.”
Peregrine shuts the glass door behind her.
Tinea opens the scroll and carefully reads every line. Her gaze getting stuck on Celestia’s signature at the bottom.
“What ya reading?” Feather Wild asks.
Tinea jumps at the question. She lowers the scroll to find a curios Wild on the other side.
“Nothing, I mean. Nothing to worry about”
Tinea tucks the scroll under her wing.
“Right…”
Wild points behind himself.
“Well, my folks just left for the E.U.P. ball, so it’s just us again. ”
Tinea relaxes a little.
“Oh?”
Wild glances behind Tinea, and leaps to the balcony’s edge. He hangs dangerously over the side, at least, it would be dangerous for any non-pegasi pony. Wild sees the flag bearers are on the stadiums last stretch. Tinea barely raises an eyebrow at Wild’s eccentric behavior.
“Shoot, we missed most of the beginning,” Wild says as he hangs over the railing.
Wild sulks back from the balcony’s edge, and turns to Tinea solemn. His mode proceeds to take a 180 when he meets Tinea’s gaze.
“So, what did mum speak to you about?”
“I told you, nothing to worry about.”
Wild rolls his eyes.
“Girls and their secrets.”
Tinea chuckles.
“We talked about her approving of your studies.”
Wild fist bumps the air.
“I know, isn’t that the greatest news!”
Behind the pair, the flag bearer’s in the stadium come to a stop, and a pony with a torch in it’s mouth runs towards the stadium’s repaired center.
“And, she covered the illegal alien, citizenship issue for me.”
Tinea partially lifts the scroll in her wings, and Wild’s jaw drops. He prepares to leap into the air, freezes mid leap, and takes a formal posture.
“I can say, I certainly did not see that coming.”
Below them, the torch pony runs up a spiraling staircase surrounding a massive cloud torch in the stadium’s center. The runner tosses their torch into the larger one, and fire erupts. The whole stadium cheers.
The giant torch’s light casts a warm glow over Tinea and Wild’s faces as they pause to observe the celebration.
“Well, we might have missed most of the opening ceremonies, but this is only the beginning,” Tinea says with a faint, but growing smile.
“Yeah, I suppose that’s true,” Wild says, as he returns Tinea’s smile.
Wild kisses Tinea’s cheek, and her face turns beet red. The changeling princess faints onto the soft cloud ground as Wild looks down confused, but amused.
Cadmean rests on a small nimbus cloud overlooking Tinea and Wild’s balcony.
“Don’t you just love happy endings?”
Cadmean grins mischievously.
“So ripe for future conflicts in the sequel.”
Cadmean hears a growl next to her, and she turns pale.She slowly turns to the sound, and finds an angry Laelaps hovering next to her.
Cadmean sulks.
“Bats.”
