Chapter 1 - Get Out Alive
Hey guys and girls. I am back with another chapter for Zerk 2 – The Connection. I am so sorry that it took me so much to post anything, but, frantically, I was very busy with school, plus I started writing a fantasy novel and that took some of my time. I want to thank everyone for being patient enough :D This chapter is not very long, but I hope it is interesting. Enjoy :D
Shining Armor took out his sword and we opened the door.
Empty. Messy. The room was messy and empty. It was clear that a struggle happened. But the goblin delegation was not here and there were no signs of blood. I put my sword down and so did Dash and Shining Armor.
"What happened here?" Shining Armor asked. I made him a sign to remain silent and then said:
"Let me cure the guards and they will tell us what happened." I went outside and put the guards in a barrier. Then, I morphed into my dragon form and sat down, in a lotus between the guards. I then focused to cure their bodies of the poison. After almost ten minutes in which both Dash and Shining Armor sat in front of me, silent but alert, the guards began to move. I stopped the barrier and morphed back in human form. One of the guards got up and said:
"Thanks for curing us. I suppose you want to know what happened. There was this guard that was no guard. He said Shining Armor gave him permission to enter the room to talk with the guests. We let him in and then we heard sound of struggle. Before we could open the door, the pony came out with two daggers in his hooves. He stabbed the two of us, paralyzing us, and then went back inside. After some time the sounds of struggle stopped and an hour later, you showed up."
"I see. How did this pony look like and where are the other guards?" I asked.
The other pony said:
"We did not see his face. He was wearing a blood-red hood over his face and some kind of blood-red fighting suit made of leather and with many knives and daggers. That was when he stabbed us. Before that, he wore the equipment of a guard. As for the other guards, we don't know."
I looked at Dash and said:
"We must get to John and Zecora. This is Ludvic's hoof. And he kidnapped the goblin delegation."
Then I looked at Shining Armor.
"You get Luna and Celestia in the ball room. We will be there shortly"
Then I looked at the two guards.
"You find as many guards as you can and then report with them at the ball room. Tell them I said so. Now, let's move. We must save the goblins."
- meanwhile somewhere outside Canterlot-
Ludvic was walking in front of the five goblins as they followed him in a northern direction. After picking up the pace a little, one of the goblins said:
"You won't get away with this."
Ludvic didn't look at the goblin but answered:
"I don't need to." Then he made the goblins walk even faster.
-back at Canterlot -
After me and Dash got John and Zecora, we went in the ball room. There, Celestia, Luna, Shining Armor and the two guards were waiting for us. I looked at the two guards and asked:
"Where are the others?" The guard that spoke first before, said:
"All are knocked out cold. Someone gave them something to make them sleep. I smelled it in the wine they drank. They will be out from some time. "
I looked at Dash and said:
"That sure complicates things a bit." Before saying anything else, Celestia said:
"So, why are we here at this early hour?" I looked at her as if she was dumb and then realized Shining Armor didn't tell her what happened.
"The castle has been infiltrated again. All guards are unavailable and the infiltrator kidnapped the goblin delegation. Also, the kidnapper knows how to use daggers, poisons and wears a blood-red leather suit with many knives, throwing-knives and daggers. He also wears a blood-red hood. He has an advance of about an hour and a half, give or take. Any ideas what we can do? "I asked, already having the sketch of a plan in my head, but wanting a second opinion from someone else than Dash, who, as I shared my idea with her through our connection, thought of it as the last resort.
Celestia's jaw dropped and Luna almost fainted, while Zecore and John looked at one another, both of them knowing who I was talking about. Shining Armor already was putting his military mind to use, searching for a solution to our problem. He seemed to reach a conclusion, looked at me and waited for my plan. I nodded in his direction and he nodded back. Since we fought side by side many times during the war, both of us knew the way the other would analyze the problem, so we both got to the same conclusion that moment. I could see why he was the Captain of the guards and the right hand of Celestia.
I looked at Celestia and she looked at me before she said:
"One thing is obvious. We need to go and save the goblin delegation. By your look, I see you have a plan. Would you like to share it with us? "
"Sure thing. Now, if my deduction is correct, Ludvic kidnapped the goblin delegation to make it look as if we declare war to the goblins. Since we only have two guards available, they, along with Shining Armor will remain here to defend you and Princess Luna. Me, John, Zecora and Dash will go on their tracks and return with the goblin delegation. If everyone agrees with this plan, then we should start at once as to not give Ludvic such a big advantage. "I made a pause for fifteen seconds and no one made a move to speak differently, so I continued:
"Princesses, please go in the throne room, where Shining Armor will block the door. When we will return, we will teleport in the middle of the room with the goblin delegation. Let's move" I added as I summoned my wings, John made his staff appear and Zecora put some kind of cloak on and Dash opened the door so the we could leave.
In less than a minute, we were outside, following the distinct footprints of the goblins. As we walked, John commented:
"These tracks are too obvious. It's not like Ludvic to be so careless. This is either a trap or a hasty made plan. If it's the first, we should be careful how we spring it. If it's the second, than I am very disappointed in my former student. "I wanted to make a harsh remark, but I knew better than to talk about such things at the moment.
"In any case, we should keep moving forward. Even if these tracks were made to lead us in a trap, they are our only lead at the moment. Plus, do these tracks look like hooves?" I asked pointing at them as we walked. John looked at them too and then said:
"No, they look like claws dragged at a certain interval… which means… one goblin is making this without Ludvic knowing, so that we can find them."
"Exactly what I was thinking. But, even so, from what I know about this Ludvic you all told me about, he could have made the goblin do this by giving him some drug. Is that even possible Zecora?" I asked turning to her.
"It could be. There are some potions that can make someone obey orders, but I don't recall ever teaching Ludvic about them" she answered.
"Which means this can still be a trap. Plus, if I see correctly, the tracks now have an increased distance between them. I think they are moving faster. We need to hurry" Dash said as she pointed at the tracks. So we did the only thing we could think of. I grabbed John while she grabbed Zecora and we began flying fast, following the tracks. Since Ludvic was on foot, and with prisoners, ten minutes later we could see something moving in the distance as we flew over Equestria. We were heading to the north border of Equestria, the border with the goblin kingdom. John saw this too and said:
"Why would Ludvic take the goblins to the goblin kingdom if he wants to make us look like kidnappers?"
"I don't know" I said confused as well. "But we better fly over the clouds from now on. So that we can ambush them on the go" I added.
"I don't know about this. It looks like a storm is coming soon. It might be dangerous" Dash said looking at the clouds. I looked too, and they were getting a grey to dark blue color.
"We have no other choice. We will have to risk it" I said with a grave voice.
"We better not. These are not natural clouds" John added just as we began descending. We stopped in mid-air.
"What? How can you be so sure?" Zecora asked before we could say anything.
"Because I though Ludvic this. He already knows we are in his pursuit. And that we are flying. Probably he put a sentry around here somewhere. He is trying to force us to the ground" he said with a sigh.
"A sentry? What is that?" I asked.
"It is an object which is connected by a magic link to another object he has with him. He made the goblins walk just through the field of sense of that sentry. And we stepped right on it to say so. We better land" John said as he pointed at Ludvic and his prisoners who stopped walking and were all looking towards us.
"My old master, we meet again. And I see that you brought that old hag with you too" Ludvic's amplified voice said.
"Old master? I am not that old" John said, a vein in his neck beginning to pulse.
"A hag? Okay, he literally crossed the line there!" Zecora said. Her stare could kill stones. That's how angry she was.
"Oh, and I see the little knight and his girlfriend have joined too. What a lovely surprise" Ludvic's voice said again.
'Oh, I'll show him little' I said in my mind, forgetting for a second Dash could hear me.
'We. We will show him' she corrected looking at me with a smile. She began going in a dive straight for Ludvic with Zecora in her hooves.
"Looks like we are landing. Get ready John… I think it will be quite a fight" I said as I dove as well.
We reached the land in a couple of seconds, right before Ludvic's eyes. The goblins looked at us, not knowing what to expect.
"Get out of here. We will get in soon. Head south for two hundred meters and make camp" I said. They nodded and left running, while Ludvic smiled.
"Always putting the good of others before your own. So touching. But why didn't you do so when my employer attacked your girlfriend?" Ludvic began saying, as he let his blood-red coat fall.
"Ludvic, the topic you opened is not a good one" John said in a threatening voice.
"Oh, but master, I want to know all the story. After all, the way they defied death through love is legendary. Of course, you have no idea what love is, do you? You just let Princess Luna keep you as a rebellious pet. And the only reason you are still with her is because you want to experience what Daniel… is it correct? Daniel is experiencing" he continued mocking as he and us circled each other.
"As if you knew what love is" Zecora said in a spiteful tone.
"Who gave you permission to talk, hag? I didn't even expected to see you here. Yet again, you always are at the places where disasters happen. Like that time when that pony family died because you accidentally start a fire in their barn. They were your own adoptive parents and you didn't even help them. You ran away scared. And since then, your hocus pocus only took you to one direction. You want to revive their spirits so you can talk to them for one last time and to tell them how sorry you are…" he said before Dash summoned her sword and said:
"Ludvic, one more word about us, and I swear I'll cut you open!"
"Oh, aren't you an angry one. Rainbow Dash was it? Weren't you the one who wanted to get in that fly team? The one you almost killed at your audition with that daring trick of yours?" Ludvic said with an evil grin as he stopped and took out from the sheaths on his legs two daggers. I looked at Dash. Her face was contorted with fury. But also something else…pain. Emotional pain. She was crying.
"That's the last drop!" I roared as I morphed in my dragon form and summoned Silverfang. I looked straight in Ludvic's eyes and saw hesitation for a moment, before his evil grin returned:
"Aren't you shinny? I bet I could make a nice trophy from you" he said as he took guard stance. I blew some smoke from my nostrils and then attacked.
"Don't!" John said, but it was too late. I was already winging my sword. Since I was two times bigger than him, he dodged with ease. He then stabbed me with only one dagger in the tip of my tail. The effect was instantaneous. I lost control of my body and fell to the ground.
"Now, stay put while I deal with your friends. But, so that you see I am not a total jerk as you probably think, Rainbow Dash, you can come here and stay right beside him. And don't try anything or I'll kill him" Ludvic said as Dash got up from where she was siting emotionally destroyed and came right beside me.
"Good. Two down. Two to go" he said with the same grin. Zecora looked at us and then took out two daggers, as did John. Only she was a second too slow.
"No you don't" Ludvic said as he put some kind of magical trap on her and she couldn't move.
That's not good, I could read on John's lips.
"Okay, old man. Let's stop the chatter and pleasantries and get to it" Ludvic said as he dashed faster than I could follow with my eyes to John. John however, did a simple sidestep and dodged him. Ludvic landed some steps behind John and shot a lightning from his hoof. John dodged that too and threw himself a lightning at Ludvic. Ludvic smiled and threw another lightning which met John's at the center. The lightning bolts had almost the same power, only that the center was slowly moving towards John.
"You are weak, old man. I can beat you easily" Ludvic said pushing forward with his lightning.
John was on his knees, with the hoof shooting lightning in the air, the hood covering his face while his head was bowed. Ludvic began laughing maniacally as the center was getting closer to John. But just a meter or so from John, blue smoke began coming from under John's hood and the center stopped. Sparks began hitting left and right, breaking rocks and trees.
"What?" Ludvic said as he was genuinely surprised and pushed further. But the center won't move.
"You have grown impatient and you forgot the first rule of magic, my student. Never ever underestimate your opponent" John said as suddenly he got to his hooves. When he turned his face to Ludvic, I saw the scared look on his face. Then I looked at John. Dark blue smoke was coming out of his mouth and his eyes began to glow, the smoke forming a blue phoenix face over his own face. The beak was covered in lightning. When he spoke next, his voice sounded unearthly:
"Ludvic, playing with the powers of nature that you don't understand is foolish and you know it." The center of the collision begun moving rapidly towards Ludvic, who began sweating with effort.
"This is not the last time you will see me, old man, and next time, you will die. Until now I had mercy, but next time you will die first. And then I will wipe Equestria from the face of this realm" Ludvic said as he quickly jumped away from the lightning and quickly bit his hoof, making a red circle on the ground. He smiled evilly and was gone in tornado of flames. John's face returned to normal and he fell on the ground breathing heavily. Zecora was now free and put her daggers away and went to help John. After she got him to eat some of his dried herbs, she said:
"What was that put there?"
"That…was the Thunderbird form. I only managed to do it twice in my life. The first time was when I staged my death and the second time was now. But this is of no importance. We must help Daniel. He is paralyzed and probably poisoned rather badly" John said as he got up. He came closer to us and put his hoof on my head as Dash watched.
'Daniel, do you hear me?' he asked with his mind.
'Yes, I do. Only my body is paralyzed' I answered.
'Good. Talk to Dash and tell her to swear on her life she will never say what she saw me do today to anyone. Also, you are poisoned very badly, and the only thing preventing you from going into coma is the dragon form. Whatever you do, don't let it subside' he said with a calm voice. He then picked me up and told Zecora:
"If you or any of you say anything about this to anyone, I'll kill all of you myself. This form has to remain secret."
'Daniel, we should tell Celestia about this power' Dash said looking at me, as she recovered slowly from her crying state.
'No. We won't. You will have to swear it' I said seriously. She looked at me as if this was no good idea, but sighed and nodded.
"Dash, go and get the goblins. Bring them here, so that you can teleport all of us in the throne room" John said. Dash nodded and flew to get the goblins, A couple of minutes later, she was back here with the goblins.
"Are all of you okay?" Gorm asked as he looked at us.
"We're only a little worn. That's all. Daniel on the other hand, he is gravely poisoned. Dash, if you please" John motioned to Dash to teleport all of us to the throne room. And just like that, in a flash of light, all of us disappeared from the scene of the battle, the only sign of us ever been there being the destruction.
Aaaaand… scene. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I really enjoyed writing it. The next one however, I don't know when I will post it. But I haven't forgotten about writing here and about the stories. The updates will be slow, but they will come with time. Tell me what you think of it in a review :D
The song for this chapter is "Get out alive" by Three Days Grace because I feel that this song fits perfectly to the mental state of all the characters involved in this battle.
LionPrankster, over and out.