//------------------------------// // Chapter 9 // Story: The Rising of the Brothers of Light and Dark // by Dark Dienen //------------------------------// “Ma’am, we’ve searched the entire fortress from top to bottom and there’s no sign of any horses save for the dead,” a soldier said to a fuming Twister. “They have to be here somewhere!” she said shouting, “Seven hundred troops just don’t vanish into thin air!” “Well, there’s no trace of them, ma’am,” the soldier said, receiving a glare from Twister at his steadfast nature. Glaive winced in sympathy. She had heard that a glare from Commander Twister was enough to make the boldest stallions quake. “Yo, Glaive,” Twister said, drawing her attention, “got any suggestions?” Glaive rubbed her chin in thought. She put herself in Nightshade’s placet: he had less than a thousand troops under his command and his place of power has been short of demolished. Were she in his position, she would retreat or fall back. However, the fortress was surrounded by the air and the ground, so there was no where to fall back to. Unless… “He probably moved to the tunnels,” she answered. “The tunnels?” Twister asked. “In earth pony fortresses, they sometimes dig tunnels for quick getaways should it ever be compromised. Even if they hadn’t, the horses had time to dig tunnels of their own.” “Assuming that the earth ponies dug tunnels, where would the entrances be?” “In strategic spots around the fortress,” Glaive answered, “Possibly hidden so they couldn’t be followed.” “Well, that’s just great!” Twister pouted, leaning against the wall. Her annoyed expression shifted to a surprised one as the wall shifted under her weight. Twister then motioned Glaive over, both of them moving the wall with their combined muscle power. As the wall-turned-door reached its widest opening, everypony there gaped at it, their jaws slack from surprise. “WHAT ARE THE CHANCES?!” the lower ranking soldier yelled, his voice a combination of mirth and surprise. “I bet you couldn’t do that again if you tried.” Twister recovered next, her expression shifting into a steely eyed scowl. “Send a message to the perimeter guards and tell them to keep an eye out for tunnel exits. And bring the rest of the troops here. We’re going in!” The sound of the tunnel were filled with the muffled noise of hoof clopping from Glaive and Twister. Glaive held the torch steadily as Twister’s eyes and ears darted about, her hoofbaldes gleaming dangerously on her bracers. As the ponies descended into the darkness, they soon discovered that the tunnels branched in several directions, like many tree roots. In order to cover more ground, Twister sent groups down the several branches in the hope that one of them would succeed. However, as their trek into the tunnels deepened, Twister’s own group dwindled so there was only Glaive and Twister left in it. “What was that?!” Twister asked hushedly, bringing her blades up. Glaive paused mid stride, her eyes and ears moving for any signs. “I neither see nor hear anything, ma’am,” Glaive said confidently. Twister’s sensory appendages darted about a bit more before she lowered her weapons. “Are you feeling alright?” “I’m fine,” Twister replied, giving a wave of her hoof, “Let’s get moving.” Glaive might have believed her, had Twister’s breathing and her twitching wings not given her away. At that moment, Glaive could’ve smacked herself for being so slow. She remembered that pegasus ponies didn’t do well in enclosed spaces. The open skies were their domain and their fellow aviators of the air were their traveling companions. Ponies like Twister had a sense of mistrust and dislike bordering on fear of the unnatural darkness of earthen tunnels, where it was barely possible for a pegasus to stretch their wings properly. Glaive knew it was her duty to help her commander, but how was she to do that? Twister was a pony of great distinction, a living legend who practically lived up to the legends. What could a pony like Glaive have in common with a pony like her? Then her mind hit upon an idea. “Commander Twister, might I ask you a personal question?” “Go ahead, just cut out that ‘Commander’ stuff when there’s just the two of us here.” “As you wish,” Glaive replied, “I was just wondering how long you’ve been infatuated with General Rune?” To Twister’s credit, she didn’t falter for more than a fraction of a second. After a second or two of silence, she hung her head slightly. “Is it that obvious?” “Do you want me to answer honestly?” Glaive asked, receiving a nod of agreement. “Well, the hug you gave him when he came back didn’t help, but I thought it was more apparent from the worried pacing you did on the hill.” Twister sighed. “I guess ever since the Siege of the Westerlands, the first moment I laid eyes on him.” Noticing Twister’s calming state, Glaive pushed onwards. “How did it come about, if you don’t mind my asking that is?” “Well, it was my first campaign as a junior officer. The earth ponies had moved onto this patch of ground somewhere in the Western Hills. What they wanted it for I couldn’t tell you, but the fact they wanted it was enough reason for the King Funnel Cloud to say they couldn’t have it. So we moved in, finding the earth ponies wouldn’t give it up. “So, once the battle started everything was chaos. Every move we made, the earthies countered it. This being my first real fight, I wanted some action, so I went to find their General. Needless to say, I found him. “Rune stood before me, imposing in bronze armor broken only by these weird writings on it. He stood out like a phantom amongst the carnage, but I was pumping. With weapons in hoof, I charged him. “I’m not going to lie he fought terribly, but what Rune lacked in style he made up for in ferocity. He hit like a mountain and was twice as tough, but still I didn’t give in. I had to pull out every trick I knew to keep him from landing a lucky hit on me. I managed to force him back onto a nearby cliff when things went south quickly. “While setting up an assault using the principles of Capo Ferro, I misstepped. Seeing the opportunity, Rune rammed me with a shoulder forcing me to the ground. As I landed, my weapons were knocked from my hooves and I felt his blade pressing into my throat. While waiting for the killing blow that didn’t come, I finally got a good look at this peerless general. “I wasn’t really surprised at how young he was. He didn’t look much older than me, his smudged tan coat still a bit bright, but what really struck me were his eyes. They were the same color as fresh spring grass. “Needless to say I was a bit awestruck at all this, but it was what he said next that hit me harder than any blow he could’ve thrown. “He simply said, ‘Please… please, I don’t want to kill you.’” Twister’s eyes became a bit misty as she wiped her eyes with the crook of her foreleg, flushing a bit at the memory. “It was at that moment, I saw him as he saw me: a living being. He had no desire to kill me because I was living. He simply saw me as a pony who was as scared of him as he was of me.” “What happened then?” “Some green troops ran up the hill to get his attention, giving me a chance to headbutt him, giving him that scar across his muzzle, and get away.” Glaive giggled a bit. “Well, greater romances have been started on less.” “I wouldn’t go that far with it,” Twister said blushing, “I mean, he is a nice guy and everything, but that’s just it: He’s nice to everybody. I doubt he’d be interested in somepony like me.” Glaive smiled knowingly. If the look on his face when he held her meant anything, he felt the same way about her that she did about him. However, any further conversation was cut off as Twister held a foreleg up, her ears pitched forward. “Douse the torch,” she whispered, Glaive quick to follow the command. The tunnel was submerged into darkness, leaving the mares blinded by the profuse lack of light. As their eyes adjusted to the darkness, Glaive noticed the faint flicker of light ahead of them. Twister gave a barely visible forward motion, causing Glaive to follow her quietly towards the source. As they peered round the corner, they knew they had found the horses. They stood in a great chamber, one that split into several smaller paths like talons on a griffin’s paw. Heat radiated from the room like a furnace, along with the rank smell of sweaty flesh and fur. The hushed murmur echoed making it seem as though it were coming from many places at once. Glaive silently gulped at the number of them. “Looks like there’s about twenty-five of them,” Twister whispered, her eyes reflecting the glare in them. “Sounds like they’re saying something.” Once pointed out, Glaive could also make out the faint din of a conversation. Straining her ears she picked up a portion of its contents. “...In addition to the numerous deserters, it seems that your son has also betrayed you, my lord.” What followed was a voice that Glaive would’ve recognized anywhere, even without the earlier amplification. “Never mind the facts,” Nightshade answered, “I want details.” “Well.... Roughly one hundred troops have joined your son in his insurrection against you while an additional three hundred and fifty troops have broke the ranks altogether. If you recall, I did warn you that something of that magnitude might happen.” “It matters not in the long run,” Nightshade replied, “I am playing for higher stakes. Those traitors shall receive their just desserts in the end.” “And of your son?” “Oh, his rebellion was to be expected,” Nightshade said, no small amount of pride in his voice, “He is my son, after all. I shall deal with him myself when the time is right. In the meantime, we have other matters that need seeing to. Where are those royal brats, by the by?” “Chained up further in this tunnel. Ready to be removed at a moment’s notice.” “Good,” Nightshade said darkly, “they may yet be of use to us.” “We have to get them before those horses do,” Twister said, practically growling. Looking about, Glaive came to a decision. Slowly but surely, she began removing her armor. Seeing this Twister raised an eyebrow. “What do you think you’re doing?” “I’m going to sneak past the horses to get the tunnel where the princes and princesses are kept,” she said, never pausing in her task. “My coat is dark and, hopefully, they’ll be partially blinded by the torchlight.” “You sure about this?” “Do you have any better ideas?” Glaive nodded in agreement, but the question was how. Assuming that anypony was coming for them, it would be a while. That would mean that they had to go for them themselves. “I’ll go.” As if reading her thoughts, Twister said, “I’ll get them."