Polaris heard Valkyrie’s voice in his head.

You shall remain.

He held his breath and was about to shut his eyes when the glass above his head exploded in a shower of shards. He flinched with a yelp and stared back at Frosty. Still holding the gun up, as if hoping time would stop, she stood motionless.

PW was speechless. He nodded at her and tried to calm his nerves.

“Lucky!” Beta Cozy spat in a sour tone.

The spent weapon clattered to the ground.

“We’re ready to proceed with question number 3.” Declared Emperor Alpha, ushering his entourage to move.

“We’re heading all the way to the tail of the ship!” Cozy whispered, pointing in PW’s direction with her wing. Frosty was escorted down until she met him in the engine room. They bumped hooves and she gave him a soft jab to the chest.

“All the way to the back!” Shouted the Emperor. “Beta Cozy Glow, if you please?”

“With pleasure, my Emperor.” Cozy grinned. “Our next question for you two twits is: who is the sniper in your group?” They continued walking in silence, entering the machinery room. “I’m waiting! We’re almost to the chamber. You won’t be given another chance there.”

They reached the rear hatch at the end of the machinery room and stopped. “Don’t keep a pretty little pink pegasus waiting!” Cozy pouted. “Let me help you! It’s not Reece. It’s not Frosty. It’s not Echo. So, is it Night-Mare 3 or Night-Mare 4?”

She leaned down to the hatchway. “Alright. Boys! Why don’t you come out of there? The Night-Mare is making things… difficult. Again.”

The compartment’s occupiers quickly vacated the room.

“Seal the vents.” The Emperor commanded and the dogs turned wheeled valves on pipes running through the walls.

“Last chance, Frosty!” Snapped Cozy Glow. “Is the sniper Night-Mare 3 or Night-Mare 4?”

A soft voice was heard in the escort crowd. “Admiral Ze-Glow, no need to tussle your feathers so!” Zephyr rhymed. “You are in control and on a roll!”

“I’m angry because this Guard bitch won’t obey my orders!” Cozy huffed. “No matter. Step inside!”

Frosty went alone through the hatch and turned around to face them. Cozy Glow trotted over to the ship’s port wall and retrieved a red and white paint can.

“You know.” She began, cracking the disposable lid off with her teeth. “Fire is a very bad thing on a submarine. You saw how our soldiers reacted to my demonstrations? Fire consumes oxygen and fills the ship's atmosphere with toxic gas. Fire also needs fuel.” She took a sharp, golden pin from her uniform and cut open a seal.

PW watched as the silver-colored sand in the can turned white where it was open, spreading around the entire visible surface.

“Fire also needs oxygen. Lucky us! Our engineers developed a solution!” She sang, taking out a matchbox. “Another fire, one that doesn’t make heat or bad gas. Just sucks the oxygen out. Sucks it right up!” Cozy said, striking the match. “That’s what this can is! We’ve got a fire to extinguish and it’s right there!” She laughed, pointing at Frosty with one wing while bringing the match to the bucket with the other.

The sandy substance began to smoke heavily. “Hope Night-Mares don’t breathe oxygen! Because this hatch is one-way!” With that she hurled the can into the chamber as a bulldog took hold of the door.

“Frosty!” Cried her assistant as the hatch was slammed shut and locked. “You’re going to let her out at some point, right?” PW asked for reassurance.

“Maybe!” Cozy shrugged. “Depends on whether or not we have more questions to ask. Maybe that wasn’t our last question. Or, maybe it was! Either way; we are fed up with her answers..”

She turned to face Polaris who was struggling to compose himself.

“Oh, you poor thing.” She cooed, stroking his wings with her hooves.

“I’m not your toy!” He yelled, using his wing to slap her hooves away before repositioning to the other side of the chamber.

“You’re right.” Cozy Glow agreed and smiled. “You’re my pet.”

*BOOM!*

All eyes turned to the rattling hatch.

*BOOM!*

The hatch popped, now permanently bent at the bottom.

*BOOM!*

It went again, now bent enough to open a gap of air.

PW’s jaw hung. ‘That hatch must be designed to hold back thousands of pounds of water. No way in Valkyrie’s name!’ He thought, before realizing he was doubting Frosty and backed away from ground zero.

The heavy door crashed open and fell from its hinges with a great clang of metal. Tendrils of white smoke snaked out of the opening while a pair of furious copper eyes shone through it all.

“TOXIC GAS!” Yelled a soldier. Several of the dogs re-positioned and an alarm klaxon started ringing.

Cozy Glow had disappeared but PW found her in the next room making an announcement through the call tube. “CODE YELLOW! AFT TORPEDO ROOM! NOT A DRILL!”

Everycreature was running ahead to the engine room but one.

Night-Mare 2 emerged from the smoke and grabbed Polaris before running for the next room ahead. She overtook and ran down several dogs on her way, making it through the hatch before they could close it on her. Now in the engine room, they saw four diamond dogs in gas masks passing by and slamming the hatch shut as they ran in.

Frosty spotted the emperor grabbing a call tube. “EMERGENCY SURFACE! EMERGENCY SURFACE! AHEAD FULL!”

“Yes sir! Emergency Surface!”

“Yes sir! Ahead Full!” They heard in response.

A loud whining sound was heard and the entire ship lurched upward.

“Hgh!” Frosty set PW down and doubled over, taking deep breaths.

“You’re a legend!” Polaris excitedly cried, giddier than a school-filly.

She glanced at him but continued gulping in fresh air. The ship’s incline suddenly dropped and sent all of its occupants to the ground. Various crashes came from all around the ship and gear fell off the shelving. An additional alarm bell rang and joined the cacophony.

“Ready!” Yelled the emperor. PW whirled about and saw eight diamond dog automatic rifles lift. “AIM!”

“No, don’t!” PW shouted and threw himself on top of Frosty (at least, on as much of her as he could) and spread his wings.

Alpha paused and his muzzle curled into a snarl. “Admiral Cozy Glow!” He yelled.

“Sir!” She squeaked back.

“Get her up top.” He turned away and the dogs lowered their weapons.

“Yes sir! Night-Mare up top!” She answered. “Move it!” She shouted.

Two black labs behind Frosty yanked her to stand up.

“Let her recover!” PW shouted.

“Shut your mouth or I’ll slit your throat!” Admiral Cozy Glow warned.

The team was escorted back to the command room, passing the now-entirely awakened crew in the hammock room.

“…Ze Glow? Admiral!” A voice was heard shouting from a radio in the next room.

Cozy Glow flew ahead into the command room and ripped the mouthpiece from its place. “You all may as well have been sleeping on the job! I ought to send you out with the Night-Mare!” She spat as the escort caught up.

“Ma’am, our radio operator is on damage control!” Squeaked a dachshund at the wheel.

Cozy Glow hissed as she lifted the microphone and a vein popped. “This is the admiral! You may speak!”

“We’ve lost control in Operation Sunset!” A panicked voice cracked. “Power ranks are eliminated! The Night– ”

“Etah Nighthound!” Cozy interrupted her. “You had one hundred sixty soldiers in your power squad! What in tartarus are you doing!?”

A gasp was heard on the other end. “Send immediate backup, now! Emergency!”

“Your power-squad is the backup, you nitwit!” The admiral growled.

“Understood ma’am but they are all dispatched!” She shouted.

“That can’t be, Etah!” Cozy answered. “Did you order them to shoot themselves?”

The channel was filled with a mess of noise but the sound of gunshots was unmistakable. Frosty’s ears swiveled.

“Fallback!” A distant voice yelled.

“Etah? What are you doing?” Hissed Cozy Glow.

More gunshots, closer this time.

“Get me site commander, now!” The admiral growled.

“The site commander’s dead!” A male dog huffed in between breaths. He was clearly sprinting. I am now in command!”

“Useless! Tell me what happened!” Cozy barked.

“The closing plan failed! We were unable to dig a trap – she’s too fast!”

Cozy’s eyes darted about as more details came in.

“… run, she's gaining! She was armored, in a bunker trench! Detonated a grenade and killed half of us at once! …Hhh…h…hhh!” The voice breathed.

Three more gunshots were heard just a few yards away. A howl of pain.

“Picked the rest of us off one-by-one.” The voice finished.

A click and five gunshots were heard, followed by a crash.

“Hello?” Cozy shouted. “Hello?! Somebody answer me!”

Finally, the microphone creaked as it was lifted once again.

“Send more.” Recce gruffed. “I’m just warming up.”

Cozy Glow winced as the radio shrieked and then went silent. For a moment she glowered at the device and then finally turned to her prisoners. Frosty and PW both were full of air with mouths in position to voice an ‘R.’

She replaced the mouthpiece. “Do you really think I’m that stupid? Feel free to sigh in defeat, we’re saying goodbye to her now. Come to think of it, it’s a good time to say goodbye to you, too. Get up that ladder.”

The armed escort aimed their rifles at Frosty’s head.

"And you!" Cozy pointed at the dog operating the elevator wheel. "You're gonna clean the bilge for falling down on the job! The WHOLE thing! We lost 160 of our best!"

"Yes, ma'am!" The dachshund responded, eyes glued to the floor.

By now Frosty was starting to regain strength and climbed the ladder with no issue. She squinted at the sunlight and in seconds Polaris had noted the positions of the sun, moon, and wind direction. “We’re heading south.”

“I’m going to poke your damned eyeballs out!” Cozy growled.

She took off and hovered over the deck in front of them. “As you can see Frosty, we’ve got our anti-air gunner over here covering you, should you try something stupid. Now, walk to your left” Cozy Glow ordered.

“Flier spotted!” Shouted a dog high up on the tower. “Bearing 030, long range! Closing fast!”

“Identify the target! Lock up the Night-Mare!” Shouted Cozy Glow, barking orders.

Cuffs were put on each of Frosty’s hooves and the other ends to deck hoof-rails and metal ribbing.

“Contact is friendly!” Yelled the deck watchdog.

Cozy nodded and turned back to her quarry. “Alright, Frosty. I have a question. Where are you from?” She asked.

Frosty said nothing.

“I’m waiting! I think it’s pretty obvious what’s going to happen this time!” Cozy shouted. Frosty simply put her chin up in defiance.

“What about you, Windy?” She looked to PW and fluttered her eyelashes. “You know your way around the world. She likes you. Would you be so kind as to share some of your knowledge with me? It would be so very hard if you had to be separated from her. Permanently. Maybe you could help with navigation! Tough for you to do that without this big friend of yours, I’d imagine!”

“No.” PW responded.

The admiral placed a hoof on his shoulder and leaned in. “You know she’s going to die if you don’t tell us.”

“Mission first, Windy!” Frosty reminded him.

“Mission first, Frosty!” He answered and held Cozy Glow’s gaze. She lifted an eyebrow before turning to meet the incoming pegasus.

PW looked up and his eyes went wide. “Wha – Shadowbolts?” He blinked several times but there was no mistaking the uniform. “They’re real?”

“Zee-Roh.” Cozy called.

“Zee-Glow!” A raspy mare’s voice called back, as she landed on the deck railing and lifted her goggles.

“Your report?” Cozy asked.

“Mainland Equestria definitely knows something’s up. They’ve raised an army and are heading south down the coast from Norfilly.”

“Any Night-Mares?”

“Not sure but the Wonderbolts are coming. They should have taken off by now and will arrive at Mount Aris in a few hours. Do we have permission to destroy them?” Zero asked eagerly. “I can’t wait to pull the feathers out of that useless… aging… gilded…”

“Let me ask the boss.”

“The boss is here!” Emperor Alpha strode into daylight from the hatch much to PW’s surprise.

The two mares sat and saluted him. “Sir!”

He waved a paw. “Admiral Zero, you do not have permission to engage the Wonderbolts. An air to air dogfight has not happened in over a hundred years. I will not allow one to occur without filming and documenting it for the world to see you beating the Wonderbolts to ash! Until then, you recon.”

“Respectfully, sir, you da man!” The Shadowbolt saluted again.

Frosty shook her head, muttering. “I don’t believe this. Land, sea, and air?”

The Shadowbolt’s head cocked to the side like a curious pigeon’s. “Woah, is that a Night-Mare?”

Cozy nodded. “Night-Mare 2. Codename ‘Frosty.’ And that’s her new little helper. I’m making his life extra miserable!”

“Heh. What a loser.” Admiral Zero called at PW, flying over to Frosty. “You’re not even as big as our boss! You’re a super soldier? How do you even handle the dragons?”

Frosty’s poker-face faltered. “I swear, if you tell me, you have dragons under your command, I’ll – ”

“We do. Let’s see it.” Replied the Emperor.

“Damn it all!” Frosty growled, slamming the metal deck with her hind hooves.

Polaris wanted to pick an argument with the elite pegasus. “You’re a loser and a zero! I got the Wonderbolts to sign my fan-poster! What can you do?”

The Shadowbolt turned to him, rolling her eyes. “I follow orders. Usually, that involves flying into an enemy town at night and plucking out the youngsters, breaking their wings if they have ‘em, and let ‘em go.”

“That’s abhorrent.” PW glared. “You don’t belong in the sky! And you’re a flight menace to boot.”

She smirked. “My squad is going to take out the Wonderbolts and then we’ll have air superiority. We’ll decide who flies and who doesn’t. Boss? Am I excused?”

“You are.” Alpha nodded.

“Excuse me.” Admiral Zero replied, taking off backwards and farting in PW’s face before flying away very quickly.

Cozy Glow erupted in a shriek of laughter before settling down. “Alright, if you both can’t tell me where the tribe is, we’re going to submerge this sub. My emperor, is the damage control complete?”

“It is. You have my permission.”

“All of you down below, we’re diving!” Her shout sent dogs scurrying down the ladder.

“Frosty, no!” Polaris shouted as he was taken hold of and dragged down with them.

“Periscope depth.” Came the voice of the Emperor on the call tube. The Klaxon horn sounded twice as PW was taken down into the Control Room. With a slam, PW’s ears popped as the hatch had been closed.

“Ah!” Cried a startled Polaris, being lifted by the emperor himself to be placed inside a cage that hung from the ceiling.

Alpha smiled at his yelp and smacked the bars. “Haha! We’ve jailed the trouble-bird. You were quite the obstacle, little pegasus. Reporting our ConOps modifications as being unsafe. Reporting discrepancies in response to my modifications of the hands. Increasing the effectiveness of solo Night-Mares by being Number 2’s sidekick.”

He shook his head and continued. “No matter. You both are a thing of the past now. Sitting in that cage until we decide how to end your life. Maybe we'll just keep you from sleeping. After all, you can't have a Night-Mare if you can't dream."

He smiled at his own joke and returned to his command seat. "Unfortunately, that was the last question for the both of you, and we’ve had enough. Your oversized friend is dying now.”

Author's Note

Zero: the World War 2 allies' unofficial name for the infamous Mitsubishi A6M fighter. It had a 12:1 kill ratio at the start of the war.