Chapter 6 - Scuttled Hope

Inside Princess Celestia's office, a maid went about her work, she took a glance at her majesty's desk and spied three parchments laid out, The first held details regarding an event that took place in Mount Vurdusk, apparently an unknown creature had been summoned to the aid of Crimson Eclipse during an incident at the temple atop the active peak, It went on to read that no other information was available at the time mostly due to how secretive the great house had been regarding the incident.

The maid was intrigued, She took a cautious glance at the closed door and then continued snooping.

The second was a series of reports from guards that had encountered the creature, Missing enchantment after proximity, Eye witness accounts from two guards that the creature hides ruins associated with dark magic under a false face.

“It must be a horrific creature indeed if it passes dark magic, I can't fathom what the thestrals could gain controlling it,?” She wondered while she continued reading the last of the reports which quickly described an altercation between some of the royal guards stationed in Wetwing and several of the residents mostly thestrals and a handful of diamond dogs.

The creature had been a participant as well, Shattering one guard's leg and sending another into a life-threatening coma, onlookers reported that it was as if the unicorn's very life was leached away, The medical report noted that he was also suffering from near complete magic exhaustion.

The mare moved her gaze to the last document with a nervous gulp.

The final piece of parchment differed in that Celestia had written its contents laying out the approval for either the capture or destruction of the creature failing the former. “What a relief,” She let loose a breath she didn't know she was holding before she resumed cleaning “No doubt Celestia has everything taken care of.”

It didn't take long for Happy to become familiar with this new environment, A cage bolted to the ship hull in what he assumed was a storage room going by the contents, mainly crates, large burlap sacks, and other piled goods that rested in sorted groupings, The room itself was dark carrying a choking atmosphere divided by only a single beam of moonlight streaming through a bull's-eye window several feet from his cage.

‘I'm going to get Sweep back for this’ Happy thought laying in a curled position at the bottom of his rust-clad prison now a decent way into his third night aboard The Mercy's Veil and thus marking his third night clad in irons leaving his arms restrained behind his back, Clean Sweep had failed or perhaps the stallion never even tried to convince Tempest Blue to allow his release or at the very least removal of his restraints.

As Happy's mind began to harbor thoughts of violent revenge the dark room's wooden door creaked on its hinges and swung open ‘Speak of the devil and he shall appear!’ Happy preached sarcastically as Sweep sauntered Into the storage room absentmindedly taking bites out of a plum.

“Hey buddy, How are you holding up? Sweep asked in between bites.

Happy gave his silent reply while adjusting his posture into a seated position. ‘Oh you know just peachy, Being starved of food and drink for three days while simultaneously fighting off seasickness has been nothing short of fantastic.’

“Sorry about how long it took to check up on you, Tempest is a damn slave driver,” pausing to take another bite, He continued while chewing. “I brought you a canteen and some bread tastes like bark but it's better than nothing.” He said shrugging then with a wing he retrieved the aforementioned items one by one out of his saddle bag and stuffed them through a large gap in the cage.

Happy watched the bread and tin vessel get crammed through and then plummet to the awaiting floor ‘Nice one buddy, what did you think was gonna happen?’

“Well,” He shot Happy a toothy grin and shrugged “I'm sure you'll manage….anyway, I gotta get back to bunk,” He moved to leave grabbing the doors “Caster snuck a bottle of rum in his pack, but don't worry I'll make sure to take a shot for you so you don't feel left out.” And with a slight thud, the door closed leaving Happy alone once more.

Happy looked down at the bread, One would think, that after three days without sustenance, he would be ravenous, But to his surprise the opposite, he could feel his body teeming with energy, He attributed this to the magic he had taken from the unicorn in Wetwing, He theorized the magic had taken the place of normal nourishment, allowing his body to function properly, Hard Pill eluded to this, Saying shortly how the runes that are nearly enshrouding his skull contains within its exquisitely complex formulas a spell which provided him a sort of much-needed life support slowing applying healing magic to his nearly destroyed cranium.

This leads him to believe that in his current magically energized state overcompensated for his need for nutrition and simply kept his optimal condition, That and presumably whatever other enchantments his dementor woven into her testament of sweet cruelty.

Although he knew it wouldn't last long, with his new sixth sense for magic, he felt the energy flow through his body, Distinctly gravitating towards his head and disappearing after reaching his rune-filled face.

He was broken out of his thought by an abrupt thud against the deck boards above his head, Then he heard hoofsteps, muted shouts……… Then a silence that persisted just long enough to raise the hair on his arms.

Happy began to question the unseen phenomenon and concluded, That one might think the seven trumpets had been sounding because it seems the end of times had sprung forth from the ocean to consume The Mercy’s Veil.

The ensuing horrifying symphony of violence began to spread like fire throughout the ship, Screaming, Pleading, and bagging, Of weapons striking armor and all the accompanying sounds of violence, made manifest. He heard it all, Although muted by the aged lumber surrounding him.

The hours drained away like sand in a glass. Periods of silence reigned, Disturbed only by an ever-decreasing amount of violent one-sided-sounding encounters.

Happy heard hurried hoofs gallop across the planks above, Heading in the direction of the staircase adjacent to the storage room.

‘Maybe it's someone coming to get me out of here……probably just wishful thinking.’ A struggle broke out just outside the old wooden door. Happy’s heart picked up in pace like a piston beating against his ribcage.

A weight slammed against the door light from some dimly flickering flame flashed into the room at the sudden and brief gap. Happy saw briefly the solutes of two Thestrals locked in combat.

‘What the hell is happening on this god-forsaken ship.’ The door was slammed again, The hinges pulled slightly off the wall by the impact, Then again only this time a nail fell to the floorboards, Happy watched the portal with raptor-like attention while his body was flooded with adrenaline, his prosthetic face pressed against rust-covered iron, a short sword pierced the worn wood than in unsettling ease sliced halfway to the top.

A stream of gore blocked the flicking light from view on the floor, The remaining figure in the hall rescinded their blade from the door, The thestral then shuffled the body away.

Happy waited unaware of his held breath nor the sweat that began to dampen the collar of his long wool shirt, attention solely focused on the door as the mysteries thestral trotted back to the entryway, It opened slowly, ...creak…. The abused hinges groaned in objection as Clean Sweep pushed his way into the room dragging along with him Happy’s armor case.

“I knew a tenacious bastard like you would be alive,” He looked ragged, sections of fur ripped from his body revealed large dark purple, red, and black bruises dotted with small circular wounds slowly oozing blood. “I'll tell you, we're as good as fucked, I don't even know what to do,” He slowly closed the door winching at its cries then engaged the latch he trotted over to Happy with a visible slump. Pain, exhaustion, and abuse took hold of his lean frame he collapsed just out of reach of the cage.

Just as he went to bang his boot against the cage to try to rouse the stallion he heard shuffling outside the door, Happy paused, and the shuffling stopped, Happy tenderly tapped the cage in an attempt to secure Sweep’s attention while trying to avoid alerting whoever entered the hall.

‘Fuck.’ He cursed when his kick went unheeded by Clean Sweep, Instead giving notice to the being silently waiting out in the hall, That someone resided within, It slammed against the door relentlessly, Happy redoubled his efforts kicking against the rusting iron like a man possessed,
He refused to be easy prey for whatever was coming through that door.

‘I’m not getting through, Especially with my hands bound, it’s time to think outside the box… magic?.... worked last time, If magic can grip things maybe I can use it to pull something apart too?’ He felt the magic within, shift and flow into his hands heeding his mental demand, He gripped two spots on the right-hand cuff then flexing this ethereal muscle, He pulled.

‘Come on breAAAHHHH’

Failing to break the cuff, He instead created an arc between the two magically gripped locations, That branched out striking not only the chain connecting the two cuffs reducing it to slag but also his right hand instantly burning a trail of charred flesh.

The resulting electric shock caused his more physical muscles to spasm, snapping what remained of the chainlink, He fell to the floor clutching his mutilated appendage, pain forcing his mind to fad briefly, When he regained focus Sweep was at the cage trying to get his attention.

“Happy hey wake up! Come on, We don't have time for this I doubt that shelf will hold the door for long!”

Happy looked at the door an upturned shelf had indeed blocked it, Its contents had fallen to the floor. A wing struck his mask, he looked at his assailant.

“You need to focus! we need to get off this ship and to do that we have to get you out of this cage, Do you think you can do whatever you did to melt the cufflinks to the cage’s lock as well?”

Happy simply stared at the stallion and thought to himself. ‘Are you kidding me!? I don't ever want to try that shit again, Just look what it did to my hand,’ Happy brought his right hand in front of his false face. ‘It's destroyed…..wait what?.... I could have sworn it was a lot worse?’ Happy’s hand had somewhat healed, The deep charred wound had changed into a shallow pulsing gash. ‘Well, I'll be damned,’ He raised himself from the floor grabbing the rusted strap iron with his left hand, He looked back to the door, whoever was on the other side had not given up and seemed not to be alone, Going off the multitude of pounding against the now braced door. ‘Yeah that shelf isn't going to last long, Why the hell won't they just give up?’

He looked to his hand and then to the cage’s lock. ‘He’s right I have to get out of here or I'm dead, And worst of all I don't even know who’s trying to do it.’

“Just do it already we need to go that door isn't going to keep them out forever.” Clean Sweep pleaded with Happy to take action.

‘Fine alright! I'll do it damn, Try to stand back I don't know how to control this stuff,’ Happy pressed his back to the cage reached out his right hand, and attempted to replicate what he had done before, He noted he felt considerable less magic within him then he had had before when he used it previously, most likely it had been burned up to heal his hand. ‘Here goes nothing.’

He forced the magical energy to congregate within his hand, Small gold strands of static jumped about his hand before a thunderous clap erupted between him and the gate, A golden ark of magical lighting struck the lock in nearly an instant the lock had been vaporized and in a rare turn of fortune he had not been hurt in the process.

‘I can't believe that worked’ He cautiously pushed past the gate being cautious to avoid the bubbling metal near where the lock had been.

“Holy shit Happy I didn't know you could do something like that!” Sweep exclaimed in excitement at witnessing the displayed use of raw magic energy in the form of electricity, an extremely rare occurrence as most practitioners needed the use of a conduit to focus and form the magic into spells before even beginning to make the ethereal energy take form. “Let’s get you suited up, Trust me you'll need the protection.” Sweep motioned for Happy to come to where he placed his amor case.

Happy stood up on shaking legs then slowly moved to the case opening the clasps, ‘I'll at least feel a lot safer with this on.’ Before he began to equip his amor he used the blood soaked into his wool shirt as a lubricant to squeeze both the cuffs off his wrists allowing him to wear his gauntlets.

He quickly dressed in the armor ‘It seems excessively heavy, But I am thankful for the extra protection I'll agree with you there.’

The number of hooves beating against the door increased, No doubt a result of his not so quiet escape from the cage, the ensuing punishment was too much for the previously damaged door to handle, the hinge groaned and then snapped, the door fell forward over the downed shelf, the combined weight of it and the assailants, Crushing it with little resistance.
Happy watched as the thestrals attempted to crawl over the wooden obstacles, He was perplexed, Perplexed because it was not some unknown enemy that rushed to get through the doorway but his very shipmates.

“Happy! It's not them you have to fight, you have to kill them!” Sweep yelled as he rushed past brandishing his shortsword, Clashing with a crewmate to the right, His weapon piercing the bat pony through the chest.

Happy turned to his armor case and snatched his sword pulling the bronze blade from its sheath turned back towards the door and swung just in time to intercept a thestral stallion mid-attack, His blade bit into its neck and caught the spine, He yanked the hilt back and the blade slid out covered in a viscous dark green fluid.

Happy took a step back. ‘That's not blood, what happened to these guys?’.

The stallion's head fell to the side his neck folding over at the wound inside a twisting mass of blue and white lamprey-like creatures thrashed about the wound seeming to be intolerant of the open air outside the victim's body.

The life-ending wound did not completely deter the stallion his reasonably dead body rushed Happy causing him to trip over his footing in surprise.

‘SHIT!’

The zombie-like stallion clamored over his prone form, Its head swung wildly, Happy was unfortunate enough to catch a close glimpse at its face, though only for a couple of seconds the image was burned into his memory, In the pony’s large eyes rested not a glimpse of his soul but a vision of hell, rows of tiny twisting teeth dug out the orgain from the inside leaving nothing but a thin outer layer to protect themselves from the open air and leaving a harrowing spectacle.

He grabbed at the stallion's chest in an attempt to push the creature off, His gauntlets ripped through the remaining flesh, sinking untell hitting ribcage, Blood and rancid slime flowed down his arms. ‘They reacted to the air right,’ Happy thought well grabbing hold of each side of the host’s ribcage ‘How about we take a breather!’ pulling the protective bone apart caused its flesh to tear down its underbelly showering Happy in a tide of gore and parasites, soaked in gore his empty stomach violently dry heaved.

He quickly shoved the corpse to the side and climbed to his feet the ordeal already making him feel weak in the knees, another was quickly approaching, Its body appeared bloated, Its mouth forced permanently open by the sheer amount of parasitic creatures filling its now innard devoid body.

Happy brought his sword down onto its neck cleaving the large specimen in two, He stepped to the side as the lower body stumbled forward and with an overhead swing sliced its stomach down the middle once again spilling fluid gore and withering parasites onto the floor, He looked over to Clean Sweep who was dispatching his fourth attacker.

He turned to Happy and waved to him, “Come on we need to move before more come I think Crimson Striker is holding up in the master’s cabin, Let’s get him and get out of here.”

Happy gave him a thumbs up, ‘Sounds like a plan to me.’

“Let’s get a move on, follow me.” Sweep climbed through the doorway Happy followed close behind.

The hall was in disarray and littered with blood. “Just up here, be quiet I don’t want to deal with them if we don't have to,” They climbed the blood-slick stairs each step done with painfully slow precision, Peeking out at deck from the top of the stairs the wind howled with an approaching storm dark clouds swiftly swam across the sky, Sweep pointed his hoof at a set of impressive looking doors. “There it is the master’s cabin, all that's left is to sneak across the deck...easy right.” He crested the stairs and b-lined straight for the cabin about two yards across his hoof was entangled in a pile of rope causing him to trip entangling himself further. “Damn, Happy I’m stuck come cut me out!”

‘Hold still you goddamn fool, you're going to get us both killed!’ Happy rushed out of the staircase he quickly reached Clean Sweep and went about cutting the thick rope with his sword.

‘Whys is this rope so damn hard to cut’ While Happy focused on cutting, Sweep began to beat on his shoulder with his free hoof frantically.

“They're coming hurry, Hurry! No no no no!”

‘Got it!’ Happy cut the last rope, Clean Sweep shot into the air with a mighty flap of his webbed wings nearly avoiding the fate that befell Happy, Who was tackled to the floor by a mob of the hellish creatures.

“We're doomed.” Lighting streamed across the darkening sky, Illuminating the struggle between Happy and the creatures, He was outnumbered and struggling to remain unburied in a sea of bodies, The last Clean saw of Happy was his emotionless bronze face staring at him while succumbing to the relentless monsters assault.

“I’m sorry…” Sweep muttered before flying off into the distance abandoning all hope of saving his commander and companions.

Hidden behind a door Crimson Striker watched the Creature his daughter enslaved fall to a hoard of abominations. “I’m surprised the creature even made it out of his confinement, A sorry way to go, Fair thy well beast.” Rain now pounded against the ship, Striker watched as lightning blasted its way through the pile of ghouls, Striking along the deck of the boat and setting the ceiling below them aflame, the hoard once again rushed in on the creature, Its sword was swung, When that was torn from his hand he struck out at the monsters with his gauntlets, A golden glow began to emit around his false face created from the ruins below charging to cast a spell “I can hardly believe It can harness magic with such an intensity.” It made a mad dash for Its sword, It rolled grabbed the blade, Stood then swiped horizontally, Streams of golden electricity danced across the blade's bronze surface before tearing through the flesh of the consumed thestrals, once the blade sliced through the last thestral the remaining magic arched into the center mast blasting away its base causing it to topple into the deck crashing through the ships aged shell feeding the flames beneath them, smoke bellowed up from nearly every orifice.

“Amazing, To think the creature that saved my daughter only to be repaid with cruelty, now comes to my aid, Outnumbered in a hopeless fight, Yet It still struggles on despite all the odds,” Striker looked back at his broken wing, The reason he had not simply abandoned ship like the others had been ordered to do. “It faces destiny, and what of me? I wallow in fear hiding behind barred doors. No!, I say now is the time to act!” He rushed from the master's cabin to the creature’s side, Cutting down one of the monsters that had almost snuck up on Happy from behind.

“Come with me creature, We must abandon ship if we are to survive, fortunately, It would appear one of the lifeboats had been sparred in the carnage.”

‘Yeah, let's do that.’ Happy agreed and followed the stallion, reaching the lifeboat with little difficulty.

“On three we’ll release the rope!” Striker yelled over the storm. “One!” thunder cracked across the sky “Two!” a figure rushed forward jumping into collusion with Happy knocking him from the boat. “Three” Striker released his rope as Happy fell, His side of the raft plummeted, Following after he flung open his wings to arrest his descent forgetting his injured wing resulting in only his left wing extending and sending him into a tumbling freefall.

Happy hit the raging water with enough force to knock the prosthetic from his skull leaving him blind and directionless in the thrashing ocean.

In a crowded hall filled with tables, drinks, and fighting. Mercenaries of every make and creed gathered to hear from one of the regulatory bodies that governed the conduct of the demographic, many began to whisper amongst themselves trying to sus out the reason behind the rare announcement.

“You know what's going on?”

“I have no idea, hey how about you?”

“I was just about to ask you.”

“Think it’s got anything to do with those monster stories coming out of bat country?”

“Hey shut up I think the stiff is getting ready to speak.”

“Everpony please settle yourselves down, A decree has come down from on high, Celestia has put forth a contract on the head of one…..Happy?...Hey, bring the poster out.” An attendant ran into a side room to collect the poster, Chatter rose from the crowd. The unicorn attendant returned holding the large poster and a stack of small cloth copies in his magical grip.

“Thank you. Now then, where was I? Oh yes, the creature Happy, age unknown, magical ability unknown but is presumably able to use dark magic,” the assembled crowd fell silent. “Last known whereabouts sailing out of Wetwing on the Mercy’s Veil a ship reportedly lost at sea, so his current location is unknown.”

The attendant finished tacking the top of the poster to a notice board behind the speaker releasing the fabric from his telekinesis its rolled length unfurled, A bronze skull cast a baleful gaze down at the crowd.

“I heard that thing killed two royal guards, No way I'm going after it.”

“Yeah what do you take us for idiots, we're not monster hunters.”

“Listen! I haven't finished yet!” The speaker cleared his throat. “The creature is Wanted dead or alive for crimes against the crown and use of forbidden magic, For the extraordinary sum of five hundred gold!” The eager mercs pushed forward each snatching up a poster and rushing to get a head start on the other, A payday like this was a blue moon payout that only a fool would miss out on.

The hall slowly emptied a handful of occupants remained, some simply not interested, others hesitated at the reward thinking surely something with a bounty this large had the potential to pose a serious threat, and lastly a mare who had arrived late and was only able to enter after the stampede of ponies for hire had left.

Radiant Glow entered the hall her silver eyes almost immediately zeroed in on the rendition of Happy’s face, A shiver ran down the mare's spin, not of fear but excitement “It looks so intimidating!” she exclaimed prancing in place. “Oh, I hope I get a chance to fight it.”

“Glow can you at least try not to leave the rest of us behind?” Came a gruff but feminine voice from the doorway as two pegasus entered.

“Sorry, I just haven't gotten used to how slow you guys are yet.”She replied with a smile.

“Whatever,” The large pegasus mare dismissed the backhanded comment, Knowing the mare long enough to realize she hadn't meant anything, she was simply stating the facts as is to her. “What's got you so excited this time?”

“Oh is it showing? hehe, Nothing much I think a wonderful opportunity has been presented to us a bounty like this will put our company on the map, and that thing looks positively intimidating~, Get everypony ready… I want to get to it first.” With a skip in her trot, she walked over to the large poster tearing it from the wall to the displeasure of the watching attendant.

“Miss Glow, This is unacceptable behavior return the property at once!”

“I don't believe I will, Will you attempt to stop me?” She asked her tone betraying no emotion.

“UHh um I-Ill,” He stuttered his mouth was suddenly dry and he felt a static fill the air. “I'll have to apologize Miss Glow please feel free to take it.”

“Then don't mind if I do thank you Fetch bye-bye now,” She turned to the large mare “Come on Quartz we have to hurry, we head for Wetwing tonight, Somepony there will know the heading of that ship, Well get that, Then work from there.”

The remaining rope suspending the lifeboat snapped above the pulley, It landed with a large splash near Striker who had just breached the surface, Once the life-preserving vessel rested on the water’s dark surface Striker pulled himself over the side taking a moment to cough up the water he had swallowed he shot back to the side looking for Happy.

“Where is he?” He scanned the rolling water, Using the momentary flashing sky, and the rapidly burning ship to peer into the water's inky depths, He looked down the fire’s wispy light allowing him to see a bronze face staring at him just below the water.

“Uughh my heart.” He grunted the sudden surprise sending his heart into an unsteady palpitation. He clutched at his chest from the sharp pain and fell backward. His jaw clenched, and His eyes shot open ‘Oh Lady Luna is this it!?’ He thought panicking believing his life was nearing its end.

Author's Note

Hey guys back with another chapter hope you enjoy it.