Ace Combat: Wings of Unity

Chapters

Prologue: Aurora
Chapter 1: Red Sun
Chapter 2: Celestia's Memories
Chapter 3: Narrow Margin
Chapter 4: Skies of Deception
Chapter 5: Familiar Face
Chapter 6: Agony Flame
Chapter 7: Mourning
Chapter 8: On the Brink
Chapter 9: The Tide Turns
Chapter 10a: Standoff in the Skies
Chapter 10b: Rendezvous
Chapter 11a: Cold Mist
Chapter 11b: White Bird
Chapter 12: My Own Way
Chapter 13: The Four Reapers
Chapter 14: Broken
Chapter 15: Lost
Chapter 16: Time Limit
Chapter 17: Allies

Prologue: Aurora

ACE COMBAT: WINGS OF UNITY

Any danger can be defeated with joined forces.
But beyond the borders of a peaceful land,
A glowering army hides in the darkness.
Its leader is led by a thirst of vengeance.

Prologue
Aurora

It is said that time heals all wounds...

Two years had passed since the end of the conflict between the ponies and the griffins, which both sides came to know as “The Equestrian War”. During said war, they faced numerous dangerous trial and tribulations. Despite the heroic actions of Mirage squadron, a group of seven brave pegasus ponies, the griffins always found a way to deliver a powerful blow against the Equestrian Allied Forces. Finally, during the decisive confrontation on the enemy territory, the ponies won after a long, grueling battle. The griffin leader’s atrocious acts were uncovered and his soldiers turned against him. He died inside his own massive fortress. However, Equestria’s triumph was earned with the loss of over two hundred ponies. To make sure memories of them would always remain in the minds of others, Celestia and Luna, two princesses and sisters alike, rulers of Equestria, created the Garden of the Fallen, where all ponies who died during the war were laid to rest. Everypony prayed that such horrible events would never happen again.

The griffins and ponies reconciled, establishing a new, unbreakable alliance. They vowed a partnership. Since the soldiers of the North were much more technologically advanced, they decided to share some of their knowledge and latest achievements in mechanics. In return, the ponies agreed to provide supplies and necessary resources. Both Equestria and The Griffin Kingdom quickly regained an image from days before the war, and later, greatly improved the lives of their citizens.

And even though memories of the painful, dark days of conflict still broods in some ponies’ hearts, they were but mere shadows of pain, suffering and sadness they endured during The Equestrian War. In order to defend the country from possible, future invasions, Princess Celestia decided to establish two Royal Military Academies; one in Stalliongrad and another in Cloudsdale. There, ponies that had proficiency in combat skills were trained. Cloudsdale became especially renowned for having The Wonderbolts as instructors. This new responsibility meant their job was to train a group of talented pegasus ponies, who would become true aerial fighters. Additionally, the other academy in Stalliongrad would also create new, promising recruits. In time, they would become the first, real soldiers of Equestria.

However, no pony, not even the Royal Sisters, could truly know who would turn out to be the next aggressor...

June 5th, 2021
2230 hrs
Unknown location

A black-coated male pegasus pony approached the steel doors. They opened before him. He entered a dark room and slowly started to move forward. The only sources of light were small lamps, blinking in red, blue or green diodes installed in several machines. While the pegasus tried to adjust his sight to the darkness, he didn’t show any sign of fear. In fact, he liked being surrounded by the dark very much.

Barely a few seconds later, the steel doors opened again and a sound of a few hoofsteps could be heard. The black pegasus turned around, grimacing slightly.

“You’ve finally made it,” he spoke with a grim voice.

“We... had some problems,” the smallest pegasus tried to explain with a squawk.

“Save it for now. We should not keep our lady waiting.”

None of the three other pegasi argued with that. They were all different, varying in height and physique, as well as colors of their coats and manes. All four of them started walking the narrow path before them to the other side of the room. They saw something that resembled a small throne. The chair was partially mechanized and could be turned around with ease. It was occupied by a female unicorn, or at least, that’s what she seemed to be at first glance. Her mane and coat colors were difficult to tell because of the darkness.

The black pegasus went ahead of the others, bowing his head before the pony sitting on the throne, which was turned in the opposite direction of the pegasi.

“You called us, lady?

The mare on the throne moved and turned it around to face her guests. Her sight rested on the four pegasi. Soon, her cyan eyes gave out tiny sparkles.

“Yes. I am glad to see you all here. Have you prepared... everything?”

Though her voice sounded quite mature, her physique was surprisingly small. In fact, she was barely bigger than a young adult pony.

“Yes, my lady,” the black pegasus answered. “Our soldiers await your command.”

“Excellent. Our time will come soon enough... I have waited so long for this day to come. All the ponies of Equestria think that the danger has gone away. They think they can sleep peacefully... But we will earn back what was taken from us.”

The mare spoke with a cold tone, filled with hatred.

“Deathwing, I trust you and your companions will lead us to victory,” she said to the four ponies after a brief silence.

“You four are the most elite squadron in my army. I have personally trained each and every one of you. You are the only ones I can really trust. You will become the tip of our spear during the most important battles.”

“The Reapers will fulfill your every command, Lady Aurora. All those who dare oppose you will die. Nopony is going to stop us, we assure you,” the black pegasus, known as Deathwing, ascertained the unicorn.

“Still, we should plan our steps accordingly.”

That last phrase was spoken by another pegasus. He bore a dark purple coat and a mane in a brighter nuance of that color. His yellow eyes were easily visible in the darkness.

“If we will plunge into battle without formulating a plan first, it will spell disaster for all our troops. I always say: clarity of thought before rashness of action.”

“Indeed... Shockwave?”

“Yes, my lady?”

“Have you managed to finally convince our allies? Are they going to help in the coming days?” Aurora directed that questioned to said purple pegasus.

“While they demand a large payment in various gems and crystals, they have agreed. We have their support,” Shockwave answered.

“Very good. Then in just a few hours... we’re going to begin our invasion.”

The third pegasus, the smallest of them, who had a very short scarlet mane and a pale yellow coat kept loitering in place.

“I can’t wait anymore... We’ve been hiding for so long. I wanna start already!”

“Be patient, Trickster,” Deathwing told him. “Our time is approaching, slowly yet surely. Equestria will once again be engulfed in the flames of war, unless they became smarter since... Still, remember that not every pony will be our enemy.”

Trickster seemed to ignore that last sentence. To him, the only thing that mattered was causing as much chaos and mayhem as possible. He always felt glee while doing it. The fourth pegasus did not participate in the discussion. Actually, he seemed very relaxed, maybe even laidback. Trickster looked at him with a glare. He was the tallest of the four fliers, having brown eyes and mane. His coat was dark blue.

“Why’re you sitting so quietly, Havoc? Don’t you have anything to add?”

“Nah. You already said everything for me,” the tall pegasus responded. “I just hope that we will manage to complete the work started by our mothers and fathers...”

Aurora stood up and approached the four pegasi. Her horn started pulsating with pink light. Her beautiful mane and coat were now visible in the duskiness; they were purple and light blue, respectively. She squinted her eyes.

“Your patience and assistance for me will not go unrewarded. You have made the right choice by deciding to follow in your parents’ hoofsteps. I am certain that if we work together, then we will achieve our goal.”

The mare turned around and returned to her throne. She started talking quietly to herself, as if she suddenly forgot about the Reapers still being in the room.

“Princess Celestia... You said we were dangerous... that we might become a threat to Equestria. But you are yet going to learn just how dangerous we can be. You’ve made a mistake by exiling us. And you will pay dearly for it... Should you decide to fight, you will sign a death warrant on your subjects... and your rule will end soon after... It will end in tears and despair...”

“Lady Aurora...” Shockwave started. “With all due respect, we should not forget about one important detail. Celestia is no longer alone. Her younger sister, Princess Luna...”

“Has returned,” Aurora finished. “Yes, I am well aware of that. But, contrary to Celestia, she is weak. She is not to be concerned with. Besides, she already gave into jealousy once before. Luna may seem happy on the outside, but some part of darkness might still lie at the bottom of her heart. If we’ll manipulate her feelings, she might be of some use...”

Deathwing came a little closer.

“It’s not just that. Another matter is their army... Equestria is most likely prepared for possible attacks. The war against the griffins gave the ponies necessary experience.”

“Even so, I don’t expect them to be a problem. Every soldier in my army is very experienced as well. Not only that, we have powerful allies on our side. We will succeed... However, one thing that worries is the fact that this unit exists...”

“Mirage...” Deathwing said slowly. “A legendary squadron of seven pegasus ponies. It is said they managed to turn the tide of The Equestrian War all by themselves and led ponies to victory...”

“Yet it is obvious they did it all with some help from their allies,” Shockwave interrupted. “Which does not lower their battle potential as a whole, but...”

“Oh, shut up!” Trickster squawked. “It makes me sick when you talk about them! Sick, I tell you! Makes me wanna puke my guts out! You’ve been talking about them for the last few days. Big hairy deal! They were just lucky, that’s all! We’ll take them out!”

“You better watch yourself,” Havoc grumbled. “They are strong on their own, but when they’re flying together... That’s when things would get tough. They can be a real threat to our operation.”

Aurora again left her throne, landing on her legs. She spoke in a clean, purposive voice.

“That is why your job will be to eliminate every single member of the Mirage squadron. As long as they live, they are likely to jeopardize our plans. Still, they are worthy foes. Be especially careful around their leader...”

“Rainbow Dash,” Shockwave pointed out. “The so-called ‘Princess of the Skies’...”

Trickster started acting like he was about to vomit, while also making such sounds. Deathwing glared at him intensively.

“Trickster! You are forgetting yourself! You are standing before our lady!”

“It’s alright,” Aurora spoke with a softer tone. “His frustration is understandable. I know very well what it feels like. After all, it’s been fifty years since I was forced to leave Equestria...”

“But you are still young and beautiful as always, Lady Aurora...” Havoc started.

What he said was true. For a unicorn, she still looked quite young. Aurora interrupted the pegasus’ speech and sat down. Not on a throne this time, but on the cold, metallic floor. It didn’t make a difference to her.

“I appreciate your words, Havoc, but if my experiment would end in failure, I’d most likely not have survived this long... or gained this much magical power. There were days when I was doubting myself... But now, I’ve left all my doubts behind. I am grateful for your help and expressions of desire to fulfill your job. You will be rewarded for it. My greatest project is in the final completion stage. I just need a few more days... With my creation, you will become invincible! When the Zeal shall be infused with you, none will stand in your way!”

Aurora spoke the last sentence quite loudly, so much that it echoed through the room. She additionally stood up and then... she spread out two wings that she had concealed on her left and right of the body.

“Many thought in naivety that it is impossible to combine the wonders of technology and the power of magic into one. But, I will show them!”

The winged unicorn sat back on her throne.

“I must speak with the leader of our allies now. He is most likely getting impatient as well. Return to your post and assemble every soldier in the base. Tell them that our revenge will begin soon enough.”

“Yes, lady.”

Deathwing and his companions bowed before Aurora and left the room a few seconds later. The alicorn mare then turned her mechanized throne around to face a single monitor right in front of her. For a moment, nothing happened. Then, suddenly, an angry growl was heard from the speakers.

“Forgive me for disturbing you, o Mighty One,” Aurora started. “I just want to make sure that everything is in order.”

“My soldiers are losing patience. And so am I,” the owner of a dark voice answered.

As he was hidden in the shadows, his face could not be seen on the monitor.

“Just a little longer. We are finishing gathering our forces. Your attack may commence in just a dozen hours or so. We will give a taste of things to come to the citizens of Equestria, if they decide to not surrender.”

“Finally...”

The character on the screen moved a little, yet his face was still unseen.

“We want to get back what once belonged to us, just like you. I trust you will keep your end of the bargain.”

“Your power is only overshadowed by your greed, Aigaion,” said Aurora. “Naturally, we will fulfill our obligations. But I wonder if you will do the same...”

The character on the screen suddenly jerked.

“You are testing my patience, lady! Are you saying we are not honorable?”

“Of course not,” Aurora responded calmly. “Only a fool would dare insult your kind and expect to get away with it. However, it is a known fact that every member of your species is more or less, longing for valuable gems.”

The owner of the dark voice snorted contemptuously.

“How did I get myself in this situation... But joining forces with you is the best guarantee that we will earn gems. Do what you have to do. We will as well.”

Aurora smiled.

“Your words please me greatly, King Aigaion. When you will lead the first attack, make sure that the designated city in Equestria will be wiped clear off the face of the earth.”

“What if some ponies are caught in the attack?” Aigaion asked.

“No matter. The lives of a few wretches are nothing compared to hundreds, if not thousands of Equestria’s citizens that will die, should the Royal Sisters not surrender.”

Silence fell for a few seconds. Then Aigaion gave out another growl.

“Very well. I will inform my generals. This shall be a true baptism of fire for them.”

“And for us, as well. I shall go now and tell everything to my comrades. Aurora out.”

The winged mare ended the conversation, turned the monitor off, stood up from her throne and headed toward the steel doors, through which the Reapers left a while ago. They spread apart as soon as she approached them.

She was heading toward a great hall to meet the leaders of her army and with soldiers loyal to her. On her way, she constantly thought about time that passed since she had to leave Equestria. Her thoughts were swelling in her head like a big thundercloud.

“They say time heals all wounds... But some wounds are too deep to heal. Fifty long years away from my home... Had I really done something atrocious back then? No. I only wanted to prove myself before Princess Celestia... prove myself worthy of gaining wings... So, why did she banished me? She treated me very unfairly. And now, she will pay.”

The female alicorn entered a large room, where soldiers of all kinds of ranks were waiting already. From privates and corporals, to officers, captains as well as commanders and generals. The great hall was filled to brim with ponies of various kinds. Enormous flags were hanging from the walls on both sides of the hall. A big emblem showing a pair of raven wings and two scythes crossed together. Some were additionally adorned with three stars.

Deathwing and his companions already made it there, standing near a small podium. When Aurora approached the group, Deathwing bowed his head before her again. He was looking at her with deep respect.

“My lady...” he started, “we are ready. Say the word.”

Aurora nodded, got on the podium and begun her speech toward all assembled ponies. She didn’t need a microphone, initially she didn’t even had to increase her voice volume:

“My friends... I know you have waiting a long time for the day when we will return to Equestria. I want to aver you that within several hours the wait will come to an end. Today is the day when our revenge shall begin! I will never forget when your parents decided to follow me to the exile, even though they could stay in Equestria... and not risk this horrible fate... They’ve shown great devotion and loyalty to me on that day. I will never forget that...”

The initial dither in Aurora’s voice started to give way to a cold fury. Everypony assembled in the hall was now staring at her, listening to her words. She was speaking louder and louder:

“As I will not forget that it was Princess Celestia who banished me! She said we were dangerous... she was afraid of us. Rightfully! Now we will show her how much power we have! Our time has come! Arise! Arise, Exiles!”

The ceiling of the room shook when a choir of multiple voices erupted, along with sounds of hundreds of hoofs stomping against the ground. Each and every one of Aurora’s soldiers showed adhesion for the alicorn’s words.

“Long live Lady Aurora! Praise and glory! Lead us forth! Celestia be gone! To Equestria! The stars will lead us! To victory!”

“Let’s go, comrades!” Deathwing called out. “Today our exile comes to an end! Together we will make Lady Aurora’s return a glorious one! We will all return in glory!”

“We have a long road ahead. Let’s not waste any time. Gather together, Exiles! Prepare the fleet! We will return the fastest way; through the sea. Onward!” Aurora shouted.

Within a few minutes, most soldiers already left the room. Aurora looked through the window in the hall. Noticing a full moon in the sky, she smiled sinisterly and said, slowly and quietly, as if to herself:

“Celestia... we are coming home.”

June 6th, 2021
0045 hrs
Canterlot Castle

Princess Celestia suddenly woke up from her sleep with clear anxiety on her face. She felt cold as she looked around the chamber. Her sister, Princess Luna, was currently traversing the dreams of other ponies, making sure to keep nightmares away from them. Celestia decided to contact her using telepathy.

“Luna, please, come back to the castle. It is urgent.”

After a few seconds, she heard her sister’s ethereal voice:

“What is the matter, Sister?”

Celestia reiterated her request.

“Return to the castle. I have a really bad feeling...”

The beautiful ruler of Equestria went out to the balcony, looking at the moon. Luna soon materialized almost next to her. When she looked into Celestia’s eyes, she easily noticed that something was bothering her.

“You appear shaken, Sister. Did you had a nightmare?”

“No...” Celestia answered slowly. “It wasn’t a nightmare... more like a vision.”

“A vision?”

“I saw an army... an enormous army. It is heading toward Equestria. They are guided by hatred. It seems a consequence of my decision from years ago is now returning...”

Luna looked at Celestia with a mixture of uncertainty and anxiety.

“Sister... Your words elude me.”

“Luna... The time of peace is coming to an end,” Celestia’s voice sounded very serious now. “Another difficult trial awaits us. No pony will be safe.”

It took Luna a moment to grasp what her sister just said. Her eyes rested on the moon. It was now covered by a huge cloud.

“Then... war?”

It sounded more like an ascertainment than a question. Celestia responded with a silent nod.

“But who... Who is trying to invade us? Queen Chrysalis and the Changelings?”

Celestia did not forget how the wedding between her niece, Princess Cadance and Shining Armor, Twilight Sparkle’s older brother, turned into a real battle for Canterlot. The malicious queen of the Changelings, Chrysalis, impersonated Cadance and was feeding on Shining Armor’s love for her to gain power. She even managed to overpower Princess Celestia in a direct confrontation. Things would end up quite dark if it weren’t for Twilight Sparkle, who caught on with the bride’s suspicious behaviour. She was eventually imprisoned by Chrysalis, but in turn, she found the real Princess Cadance and they exposed Chrysalis’ scheme.

The Changelings were ultimately defeated and literally thrown out of Equestria due to a wave of magical energy powered by Cadance and Shining Armor’s love. No pony heard of them since then. Celestia could therefore exclude that one possibility.

“No, Luna. The Changelings are not the invaders. If the reports from the southern border are to be believed, they are still scattered in the Badlands. They will not attempt to return to Equestria... not now, at least.

“Then who leads the army?” Luna asked again.

“It’s difficult to say... In my vision, I saw a face of a mare that seemed familiar to me... even though she is somepony different now.”

Luna squinted her eyes a little.

“You speak in riddles again, Sister. Tell me, what should we do?”

Celestia tried to gather her thoughts. She knew it was high time to act. The princess let out a loud sigh. She didn’t seemed so anxious anymore.

“I knew that time would come eventually... I only hope the recruits from Military Academies will be ready for upcoming battles.”

“You want me to inform the Royal Guards?” Luna asked.

“No, not yet. The army is still far away. We will prepare for their coming... at least, I believe we will. I shall warn everypony tomorrow. For now, continue your errand, Luna.”

The night princess remained silent for a few seconds before nodding.

“Alright, then. In the meantime, try to get some sleep, Sister. You will need all of your strength in the coming days.”

“I will try.”

When Luna left Celestia alone, she returned to her chamber. She couldn’t understand why her beloved land and her subjects would once again be threatened by an outside invasion. The peace that ponies fought for so hard was going to be destroyed again. As Celestia closed her eyes, she could only hope that when the time to fight for Equestria will come again, the ponies will unite together, as they did once before.

This trial was going to be hard for all of them...

Chapter 1: Red Sun

The morning sun welcomes a new, beautiful day.
Ponies want to spend it on having fun and joy.
Yet peace is a very fragile thing,
At sunset, it will be shattered.

Chapter 1

Red Sun

June 8th, 2021
0800 hrs
Cloudsdale

“Rainbow! Hey, Rainbow, wake up!”

“Uhhh... w-what?”

Hearing the voice of a young adult mare pulled Rainbow Dash out of a blissful dream. She slowly turned around, looking behind her and seeing the face of her good friend and older sister alike. It was Firefly, a pink pegasus pony with purple eyes. She managed to recognize her short, blue mane quite easily. Firefly was grinning at her.

“Get up, sis! A new day has begun. Sun’s up in the sky."

Rainbow slowly blinked her eyes. She had a very insentient sight; her rainbow mane was totally disarranged and messy. It almost made her look like she just came back from an intense party arranged by Pinkie Pie. Rainbow tried to cover her head with a quilt, mumbling with a sleepy voice:

“Five more minutes, Mom...”

Firefly giggled, hearing those words. She liked to tease Rainbow Dash whenever she had trouble with waking up. They had been living together for two years now, so it wasn’t the first time.

“Wake up, you sleepyhead. Now!”

With just a single move of her head, Firefly pushed the blue pony from the bed. Rainbow landed on the floor. When she got up, she had a very dissatisfied look on her face.

“Firefly... are you outta your mind?! I had such a nice dream...”

“Get back to reality,” Firefly interrupted her. “Come on, what’s the point of wasting your time in bed on such a nice day? Let’s stretch our wings and go for a flight.”

Rainbow looked outside. The sun was already shining bright, being surrounded by small clouds. Still, Rainbow Dash didn’t seem very enthusiastic about going out.

“You know today is Sunday, right? This is a day for resting. Do you have any idea how long I was flying and working yesterday? Go fly yourself, if you want. I want to sleep...”

“Actually, I already did,” Firefly confessed. “Two hours ago. You were snoring so loud that you woke me up. So, I got out for a little flying session. Now I feel like a newborn. I’ve been waiting for you to get up so we could fly together. But it’s been lasting so long...”

Rainbow climbed back on the bed. The annoyed expression didn’t disappear from her face.

“Firefly, seriously. I’m tired, let me sleep. I’m not going anywhere today.”

“Say what? We’re suppose to go to Whitetail Woods today,” Firefly said with a reproach. “We were gonna spend some time with our friends. We were both planning it for a few days. Don’t tell me you’ve changed your mind!”

“It won’t happen until a few hours,” Rainbow Dash grumbled. “We still have a lot of time. Go do something and let me sleep...”

Rainbow already covered herself with a quilt. But Firefly didn’t want to remit.

“So, maybe you can tell me why are you so tired. What were you doing yesterday? I know that we were both on a Wonderbolts show in Trottingham. You were actually taking a part in it. But what else were you doing?”

“I’ll tell you later. Good night!” Rainbow cut off the talk.

Ever since Firefly met Rainbow Dash almost three years ago, in the first days of The Equestrian War, they’d taken a liking to each other. Sure, they would get grumpy at times, but they could always count on each other. Also, after the war, whenever Rainbow went somewhere without Firefly, she would always tell her about everything she did. Rainbow started to snore, yet it sounded very factitious. It was clear to Firefly that Rainbow was simply messing with her. But she was already used to it and showed only mild annoyance.

“You’re not gonna get up, are you?” she asked.

The answer was a short “Mm-mm,” indicating Rainbow still intended to keep sleeping. Firefly let out a sigh.

“Okay. Seems like we won’t get into agreement with just small talk. Oh well, that’s fine. Just you wait, I’m gonna wake you up.”

“Oh yeah? And just how do you plan to do it?” Rainbow asked from under her quilt.

“Like this!”

With a swift motion, Firefly suddenly jumped on the bed and instantly removed the quilt from Rainbow Dash. Her expression was a mixture of disbelief and surprise.

“What the hay are you doing?!”

“Waking you up!”

Firefly’s blue tail started dangling in front of Rainbow’s face. She knew exactly what this meant.

“No... please don’t!”

Ignoring her plea, Firefly touched Rainbow’s belly with the end of her tail and started tickling her. But Rainbow, instead of bursting out laughing, was only looking sneeringly at the pink pony. This surprised Firefly; she had no idea why her method wasn’t effective. After all, it was the best way to get Rainbow out of the bed when she refused to do it normally.

“What the...? Tickling the stomach always worked...” Firefly growled slightly.

“You really thought this was going to work?” Rainbow asked. “You’ve been doing this way too many times. I’ve immunized myself. Go ahead and tickle me all you want, but that won’t make me get up.”

Satisfied, Rainbow covered herself with quilt all the way to the ears, intending to go back to sleep at last. Firefly figured there was no reason to continue with her insufficient method. But just then, she noticed Rainbow’s rear legs dangling from the edge of the bed and thought of another idea.

“So... you say I can tickle you all I want and you won’t even budge?” Firefly asked, still bantering with her sister.

“Yup,” Rainbow anwsered shortly.

“OK... And if I do this?”

Firefly slowly touched Rainbow’s left rear hoof with her tail. The blue pony’s eyes opened immediately, dumbfoundedness was now present on her face. Firefly caught attention to it.

“What’s with that face? Did I just find a soft spot?”

“Firefly... Don’t do it...”

Rainbow kept staring at her, afraid of what she might do. Firefly’s lips bent to form a triumphant smile.

“Gotcha!”

She suddenly started tickling Rainbow in the hoof. Rainbow started to laugh, despite trying everything to keep it concealed. That was the most sensitive part of her body. She didn’t like when other ponies touched her hooves. It was because they were very ticklish. Rainbow started jerking around on the bed, even trying to kick Firefly’s face with her second leg, but the pink pegasus had no intention of stopping. As she kept tickling her hoof with her tail, Rainbow started whacking a pillow with her arms, unable to hold laughter anymore.

“Stop it... hahaha... stooop... haha...!

Between snorts and giggles, Rainbow begged Firefly to stop tormenting her. But those pleas only encouraged Firefly further.

“How do you like that?” she asked, as she then started rapidly tickling Rainbow’s right hoof for a change. Dash erupted with hysterical laughter.

“Stooop iiiit... hehehe... stop, Firefly... I-ahahaha... I can’t take it! Hahaha!”

“Say it! Come on, say it!” the pink pony demanded.

“Forget it!”

Firefly was now moving her tail across both of Rainbow’s hooves. She tried to move, even fly upward in hopes of getting away, but she was completely paralyzed from laughter. Rainbow kept laughing even louder while rolling around on the bed. Still, Firefly didn’t want to stop. The blue pegasus finally came to accept her defeat. She exhaled:

“A-Alright... hahaha! You win! I give up...!”

“I can’t hear youuu~!” Firefly piped.

“I give up! I said, I GIVE UP!”

Only after hearing these words, Firefly stopped tormenting Rainbow. She rolled so fiercely that she fell to the floor again, wrapped up in the quilt. Firefly started laughing herself. As Rainbow was slowly recovering and catching her breath, Firefly set up on the bed, propping her head on her arms and looking at Rainbow with a cheeky smile.

“Did you enjoy my new method of waking you up, Rainbow?” she asked with an innocent voice.

“Don’t you... ever... do that... again!” Rainbow stammered.

The blue flier seemed quite angry, as she rest her back against the side of the bed, not looking at Firefly. She begun to realize she could have went too far.

“Hey, sorry, don’t be mad,” she pleaded. “I had no idea you had such sensitive hooves... honest!”

Rainbow didn’t say a word. But Firefly knew how to make her react.

“Look, if you’ll forgive me, I’ll tell you where my sensitive spot is. Here’s a hint: it’s located below my head.”

“Oh really...?”

Without warning, Rainbow pounced on Firefly, tackling her to the floor and blowing a raspberry into her neck. It cause the pink pony to laugh loudly. Actually, the two weren’t angry at each other at all. Those were just small tussles they did between themselves from time to time. This helped in diversifying their day.

The two mares were squirming on the floor for a few more minutes, playing tickles and wrestling. Firefly wasn’t jerking as hard as her younger sister, though. She sometimes needed a dose of good laughter in the morning. Finally they settled down, panting heavily and lying next to each other.

“Revenge is sweet,” said Rainbow Dash.

“So, you’re not angry at me?” Firefly asked.

“OK, I’ll forgive you one last time. But if you ever tell somepony about this, then I swear... I’ll bring such a downpour on your head they’re going to be pushing water out of you!”

Firefly barely quashed a laugh.

“You mean it? I’ll remember it.”

“Well, you did manage to wake me up. Guess we can go for a little flying session.”

They shared a hug and started doing their manes to set themselves to rights.

After a few minutes, Firefly and Rainbow Dash got outside, spread their wings and flew into the clouds. They decided to go and visit their friends, as it was determined earlier. But there was still a lot of time on their hooves, so the two friends wanted to play tag or performing simple tricks. On top of that, Firefly was still curious about Rainbow’s activity yesterday, so she led her to a particularly big cloud, and they landed on it.

“So, are you gonna tell me what were you doing yesterday, after the show?”

“I guess there’s no reason to not tell you,” said Rainbow. “I had a little talk with Spitfire...”

“Well, that explains why you didn’t come and help me with cleaning the sky over Ponyville. I figured you stayed behind with her, though. So, what were you talking about?”

“Nothing too special...”

The Wonderbolt show in Trottingham turned out to be flawless, as usual. Spitfire, along with Soarin’ and Firebolt, showed numerous aerial acrobatics to the crowd. At first, they were just regular spins, barrel rolls and loops, but later turned into synchronized flying and even an obstacle course. In the middle of the show, as per Spitfire’s request, the commentator called for Rainbow Dash to join the routine. She and Firefly were naturally sitting in the first row. Since Spitfire gave her a Wonderbolt costume almost two years ago, Rainbow was not only present on every show, she always had it with her. If called, she would immediately don the outfit and join the other Wonderbolts.

During the show, Rainbow and Spitfire made even the most difficult tricks seem like child’s play. Soarin’ and Firebolt weren’t too far behind. Their performance put the entire stadium in delightful elation. At the very end, the blue pegasus even performed her signature Sonic Rainboom, which the gathered ponies seemed to like the most.

When the show came to an end and the pegasi were already in a locker room, Spitfire praised the other fliers. She and Rainbow were a little exhausted. Truth be told, that Saturday had quite a hot weather.

“Great job, everypony, as always. I guess we can call it a day.”

“Actually, Spitfire,” Rainbow started, “I’ve got a few questions for you. I mean, if you don’t mind...”

“Not at all. Say, I was going to hit the showers to cool off a little. Wanna come with me?”

Rainbow seemed a little surprised by that proposition, but she agreed. Soarin’ and Firebolt did not oppose, either. They left the stadium a few minutes later. In the meantime, Spitfire motioned Rainbow to follow her, leaving their costumes in locker room.

The two mares soon reached the shower room. As the first drops of cold water rained on their bodies, they felt a sweet relief.

“Nothing like a good shower to invigorate yourself,” said Spitfire. “I gotta say, you rocked today, Rainbow Dash.”

“We all did,” Rainbow said in return. “Your synchronized flying was perfect. The crowd went totally wild!”

“Yeah, but your Sonic Rainboom was pretty good, too. I’m glad you’re a part of our team. You’ve really grown in those two years. Keep this up and, eventually, you might even become a Wonderbolt instructor. Maybe even in the Cloudsdale Academy.”

Rainbow blushed a little. Every good word from Spitfire mattered to her.

“Wow... that’s nice to hear. Speaking of which, Spitfire, how are things at the Academy? Everything going okay?”

Some time after The Equestrian War, Rainbow was invited for a Wonderbolt boot camp, conducted by Spitfire. It lasted a week and later turned out to be a foundation for a new Cloudsdale Military Academy that Princess Celestia established. The most experienced Wonderbolts, including Spitfire and Soarin’, were selected as instructors, whose job was to train a new generation of pegasi aces. Since Rainbow Dash was already a part of the team, she didn’t have to attend the Academy. However, she never lost interest in it.

Spitfire answered Rainbow’s question after a few seconds, after she moved her face away from the shower, letting the water to clean her back now.

“Now that you brought this up... It’s actually doing great. That new training schedule that was implemented last year is excellent. It can be adjusted not just for regular groups, but even individuals. Everypony can benefit from it. Every cadet is doing a fine job, too. They’re all raring to go. I don’t have any problems with them... well, except for one, maybe.”

She spoke the last few words with visible antipathy. Rainbow Dash knew exactly whom she was referring to.

“You mean... Lightning Dust?”

Spitfire let out a loud sigh.

“Don’t remind me about her...”

“Is it that bad?”

The fiery-maned pegasus turned a spigot to the right, making more water pour on her.

“No matter how many times I talk to her or tell her to quit showing off, she just doesn’t stop. It’s like she’s living in her own world and doesn’t want to come out of it! Sometimes it feels like talking to a wall.”

Rainbow looked a little uncertain. She met Lightning Dust, a green pegasus pony with an orange mane, at the boot camp. Her attitude reminded Rainbow of her own, but the more she flew with her, the more cocky her teammate became, to the point she outright boasted herself as being the best pegasus around and the only fitting candidate for a Wonderbolt.

“But, uh, it can’t be all THAT bad, right?” Rainbow asked.

In response, Spitfire’s expression became very serious.

“Yesterday, she caused an accident.”

“An accident?”

“Yeah. It was on an obstacle course. Initially, I told everypony that it was not supposed to be a race, and their job was simply to clear the obstacles in style. But I think you know Lightning Dust. To her, it meant to clear them as quickly as possible. I saw her trying to outrun other cadets, but despite my warnings, she kept flying even faster. At one point, she couldn’t control her movements, didn’t turn in time and crashed into two other pegasi.”

Rainbow knew that Lightning Dust was a very reckless pegasus. She didn’t care what would happen to others around her; she only thought about herself being the best. Her antics nearly caused Rainbow’s friends, who came in a Twinkling Balloon to visit her, to die in a huge tornado she created when she tried to clear the sky faster than anypony else. Luckily, Twilight Sparkle and the others were saved. But Lightning Dust’s careless attitude caused Rainbow and the other fliers to despise her.

“Are they alright?” Rainbow asked.

“One of them has a dislocated wing, the other is a little hurt. I told Lightning Dust that she should have been more careful and reminded that her that it wasn’t supposed to be a race. Do you know what she said to me?”

“No...?”

“She said that it’s not her fault she is better than the others. If the other pegasi can't keep up with her, that’s their problem.”

Rainbow whistled.

“Wow... she really said that?”

It was just like that accident with the balloon. Nothing really serious happened, so everything was fine. That was what Lightning Dust thought. When Spitfire later learned about her antics, she was furious and stripped the green pegasus of her leader badge. Yet, she still decided to keep her in the Academy, but as a wing pony instead. Since then, she eased off a bit. But Spitfire’s recent revelations made Rainbow feel uncertain about her.

“That pretty much means she insulted every single cadet and even instructors to boot!” Spitfire said loudly.

“Oh, man... So, what are you going to do about her?”

Spitfire seemed a little angry now.

“At first, I wanted to hit her in the face, but then... I decided to give her one last chance. If she’s going to cause another dangerous situation on the next session, or she continues to ignore my warnings, I’ll have no choice but to kick her out of the Academy. This has gone for far too long!”

Rainbow turned her shower off.

“But, Spitfire... If you’ll do that, you’re going to crush her dreams, you know?”

Spitfire let out another loud sigh and turned her shower off as well.

“I know... you think it’s easy for me to make a decision? That’s the paradox of the whole situation. Lightning Dust is a great flier, she has huge potential... it’s her behaviour that’s intolerable. It would be stupid if she’d be denied becoming a Wonderbolt because of her own recklessness, don’t you think?”

Rainbow nodded. She knew something about it.

“Maybe she needs to learn how to work with a team...?”

“You think I didn’t try to tell her that? Look, Rainbow, I know what you’re thinking, but no matter how good she is, she can’t work alone. That’s not how the Wonderbolts operate. We always work together. It’s true that we try to be the best, but not at any cost.”

The two mares ended their conversation about Lightning Dust’s behaviour. There was no point to continue the discussion. When they frayed themselves with towels, they got outside and felt the warm sun on their faces again.

“I feel a lot better now. Hey, Rainbow, are you doing something tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow is Sunday. Firefly and I will most likely go to Whitetail Woods with the rest of our friends to spend some time together. We’ve been planning this for a while. But before that, I’m just gonna lay in my bed and do absolutely nothing,” Rainbow answered.

Spitfire chuckled.

“Wish I could that, too, but I still have some paperwork to do. It’s tough being the leader.”

Both ponies laughed. Spitfire reminded Rainbow Dash about the next show that would be held in Stalliongrad next week before the blue pegasus left for her home.

“From what I hear, that Lightning Dust is quite a bugger,” said Firefly.

“You have no idea...” Rainbow rolled her eyes.

“If I was in Spitfire’s hooves, I’d kick her out without a second thought.”

Rainbow nodded in assent, albeit a little hesitant. If Lightning Dust would be expelled from the Academy, she could never have a chance of becoming a Wonderbolt again, and that would mean one less pony for Rainbow to compete with.

Firefly’s curiosity wasn’t satisfied yet. She wanted to know what Rainbow did after that, since they were supposed to go on a weather patrol on the afternoon. When the blue pegasus got home, she wasn’t there, as Firefly went to practice a few tricks she noticed during the show and liked them very much.

“I wanted to get some rest before going out with you, but then I got a letter... Spike send it. Twilight requested for me to come to Canterlot Castle...”

“What for?”

“That’s what I wanted to know, too...”

As Rainbow Dash landed before the castle gates, she was greeted by Twilight Sparkle, a purple unicorn, Princess Celestia’s apprentice and one of her best friends.

“There you are, Rainbow. Come with me. I have something to show you.”

Rainbow groaned.

“This better be important, Twilight. I need to help Firefly on a weather patrol in two hours.”

“Don’t worry about it. You’ll be excused. Now, come on.”

The rainbow-maned pony followed Twilight to the castle library. To her surprise, she brought her before a section that read: “History of Conflicts”.

“Weird, it’s a lot bigger than I thought it would be. Aside from The Equestrian War, we didn’t have any conflicts in the past, did we?” Rainbow asked.

“Not us. But there were numerous other conflicts around the world,” Twilight answered. “For many years, the chroniclers noted all important facts about them. Such information would prove useful in case we were attacked. There’s a story that I wanted to show you. Look at this.”

With these words, Twilight gave Rainbow a piece of paper that looked like a newspaper headline from several years ago. A black and white picture in the middle showed a squadron of griffin soldiers flying over plains.

INVASION ON HOOFSTIO
BELKA ATTACKS ITS NEIGHBOR

"That was when the Belkan War started..." Twilight started,

Rainbow scratched her head after she read the headline aloud and after hearing her friend mentioning the conflict.

“The Belkan War...? First I heard of.”

Twilight explained to her that Belka used to be a principality of griffins to the far northeast of Equestria. It was established by those who left The Griffin Kingdom nearly a hundred years ago. Belka was a militaristic country, surrounded by mountains from all sides, except south, where it bordered with Republic of Hoofstio, a small country founded by several pony immigrants from Equestria. The griffins from Belka were power-hungry, so one day, they attacked Hoofstio. When the war ultimately ended in Belka’s defeat, partially thanks to aid of other countries bordering with Hoofstio, it was re-established as Neue Gryphus and it became an industrial state of The Griffin Kingdom. Many technological gems were created there, and some of them were later put to use by Red Cyclone during The Equestrian War.

Rainbow kept reading the articles, as she was curious how the ponies managed to win.

“Within just a few days, the Belkans annihilated a vast majority of Hoofstio’s air forces. They were forced to hire mercenaries in order to fight the oppressors... And those mercenaries led them to victory. Wow... who would have thought.”

“About that...” Twilight started. “One of those mercenaries was said to be the best fighter in the whole war. There’s even a picture of him, here.”

She gave it to Rainbow. The pegasus pony on it seemed a little menacing, yet there was something in him that made Dash think she met him before. Rainbow noticed his short mane, adamantite look and solid physique. Her eyes widened.

“Is that.... Mobius?”

“I thought so, too, at first, but after closer analysis, I realized he doesn't look anything like him. Those eyes have a different shape, the color of feathers on his wings is darker than the rest of his body... not to mention those numerous scars.”

Rainbow looked closer. Indeed, the pegasus’ body had many claw-shaped scars on it, namely on the back and some on the face. He must’ve got them in countless battles he fought in.

“The strangest thing is that his name is never mentioned. He’s only referred to as the ‘Demon Lord of the Round Table’.”

That title sounded both intimidating and silly. When Rainbow pointed out the “Round Table” part, Twilight told her that it was the name of an airspace situated on the borders of Belka and Hoofstio. Ace fighters from both sides would often clash in intense battles there in order to determine who was the best of them all and be known as the "Demon Lord of the Round Table". When the war came to an end, everyone agreed that this pegasus rightfully earned that unique title. He was undefeatable, known for his brutal fighting style and never letting his prey escape.

All of these facts intrigued Rainbow as she stared at his picture for a while. Later, she offered Twilight to look for additional facts regarding The Belkan War and the pegasus ace.

“So, you see, Twilight and I were caught up in the research, and I totally forgot about the weather patrol,” Rainbow finished.

When she explained everything that happened to Firefly, she didn’t seem annoyed much.

“Well, luckily for you, I did everything myself. You owe me one.”

“I guess... Thanks.”

Both mares then flew up, heading to meet their friends, starting with Lightning Bolt and Cloud Kicker. Since the end of The Equestrian War, these two were living together and treated each other as close friends, perhaps even a little closer than that.

Lightning Bolt was a white-coated pegasus pony with cyan mane and eyes. She was quite clever and well-acquainted with technology. Firefly always had great trust in her. Cloud Kicker was nearly the opposite of her. Lightning was usually calm and collected, but the purple pony’s attitude was bright, cheerful, and she had that never-fading smile on her face that put everypony around her in a good mood. During the war, they volunteered to join Firefly’s Mirage squadron, wanting to help them in fighting the griffin invasion off. Lightning’s acuity and Cloud Kicker’s optimism helped them in the hardest of times.

Both were really glad to see Rainbow and Firefly visiting them. They remembered about the trip to Whitetail Woods, so after a few minutes, Lightning and Cloud were ready to go with them. The purple pony seemed a little sleepy, though, as she wasn’t expecting guests to come this early. Hearing this, Rainbow let out a snicker. She had the same problem a couple of hours earlier. When all four pegasi went outside, they headed for Ponyville to get Fluttershy, Medley and Derpy.

==========

1000 hrs
Ponyville

Rainbow spotted Fluttershy’s cottage when they entered Ponyville airspace. She approached the door and knocked on it. The face of a yellow pegasus pony peeked from behind the door. Fluttershy seemed a little surprised, but genuinely happy to see her friends. She invited them to come inside for a moment. The yellow mare wasn’t asleep for a while now, as she was taking care of several animals that lived with her. Cloud Kicker noticed Medley, a youthful green pegasus pony, lying on the couch and sleeping cutely, with her front hooves covering her mouth. Cloud Kicker playfully poked her in the flank, causing Medley to yawn. When she saw Rainbow Dash and the others, she let out a happy squeal and flew to Rainbow, who stroked her mane. Medley, despite growing up a little in those two years, was still one of Rainbow’s youngest friends, and, just like Scootaloo, she was somewhat a fan of her. The blue pegasus liked Medley for her determination and still remembered how she saved her life during The Equestrian War.

Fluttershy quickly gathered her animal friends and told them to keep the cottage and the surrounding area neat and tidy. Angel, Fluttershy’s pet bunny, was supposed to keep an eye on everyone, including a big, brown bear named Harry. He seemed to be amused by that idea, but didn’t protest. Fluttershy was ready to come with Rainbow, and so was Medley. The green pegasus had a small bag with her. Inside it was a big, pink gumball. Medley said it would be nice to play a little in the woods, so she took it from her house before she came here to help Fluttershy with her animals. All six friends headed for Derpy’s house now.

On their way, Rainbow noticed a small, white flower entwined in Fluttershy’s mane. She got a little closer, wanting to speak with her about it.

“Hey, nice flower, Fluttershy,” Rainbow started. “Where’d you find it?”

Fluttershy didn’t answer at first, but when she did, her voice was filled with happiness.

“It’s a gift from Shamrock...”

“Shamrock?” Rainbow asked in surprise. “You mean, the one from Garuda team?”

Fluttershy nodded and told Rainbow that she, Lightning Bolt and Cloud Kicker went to Emareia a couple of days ago. They never forgot the invitation from the two pegasi, Talisman and Shamrock. The latter one was especially nice to them and wished to see them again after things in Equestria would finally return to normal.

“So... how are they doing?” Rainbow asked.

“Um... I’ll tell you later, alright?” Fluttershy replied.

Rainbow agreed, hoping that Fluttershy would tell her everything in Whitetail Woods. The other pegasi didn’t seem to be bothered at all. Within fifteen minutes, all of them reached Ponyville and made their way to Derpy’s house.

The grey pegasus pony already awoke, while her two children, Dinky and Pipsqueak, were still sleeping soundly. In truth, only Dinky was Derpy’s real child. Pip’s parents were killed during The Equestrian War, so Derpy offered him to take residence with her, upon Dinky’s request. Since then, the two little ponies treated each other like brother and sister.

Their presence alone was reinforcing for Derpy. She suffered greatly during the war as well, having lost her two best friends, Raindrops and Carrot Top. Although she tried, she could never truly get over their deaths. Every month, Derpy took Dinky and Pipsqueak to the Garden of the Fallen with her so they could visit not only their graves, but those belonging to Pip’s parents as well. The two kids knew how great her pain was and were doing everything they could to keep her in high spirits. Most of the time it worked.

When Dinky and Pipsqueak finally started waking up, rubbing their eyes and welcoming each other with broad smiles, Derpy called for them:

“Rise and shine, kids! I’m going to make some muffins. They will be ready soon. Go wash your hooves and mouths.”

Dinky and Pip both responded with an overjoyed “Yay!” before they went towards the bathroom. In the meantime, Derpy began baking her favorite treats, while looking around and reminiscing. As her eyes rested on several pictures drawn by Dinky, the grey mare smiled. However, when she looked on the shelf that contained some photos, she noticed the one with her deceased friends. There were days when Derpy had that unreal, yet undying hope that, one day, she would see them again...

She didn’t let those distract her for too long, though, as she quickly turned her attention back to the oven, making sure that the muffins would not burn. Hearing Dinky and Pipsqueak sharing a giggle, Derpy smiled again, feeling some inner poignant happiness.

Just as the two little ponies entered the kitchen, they all heard knocking on the doors.

“Who could it be...?” Derpy wondered. “Dinky, would you be so kind and go see?”

Without saying a word, Dinky ran to the door and peeked through the small window. She saw six familiar pegasi mares and opened the door with an expression of joy.

“Mommy! It’s the Angels!” she exclaimed, motioning the ponies to come inside.

“Angels” was the nickname given to Rainbow, Firefly and their companions in the war by Cheerilee and the fillies they visited one day. It was thanks to their courageous efforts that ponies ultimately prevailed over the griffins.

Derpy looked quite surprised, seeing her friends in her house.

“Hey Derpy, we’re not interrupting anything?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Oh, not at all. I was about to make breakfast. Would you like some, too?”

Cloud Kicker got a little closer to the oven and licked her lips when she saw several well-baked muffins inside. Derpy decided to make some more after the first batch was ready. Naturally, Fluttershy didn’t want make her feel uncomfortable about it, but Derpy simply said:

“Come on, girls, make yourselves at home.”

Everypony sat around the table. A few minutes later, they were enjoying the taste of muffins together. In addition, Derpy served the best kind of apple juice for them to drink. Her friends wanted to know how she was doing. Derpy tried to sound casual, telling them she was having a great time with her kids, and even her work wasn’t hard as it seemed before. Rainbow Dash reminded her about the trip to Whitetail Woods. While Derpy was willing to go, she wondered what to do with Dinky and Pipsqueak. Leaving them alone for a few hours wasn’t the smartest choice, even though she knew the two would behave.

Dinky had a thought.

“Mommy, can we go play with the Cutie Mark Crusaders?”

Derpy remembered that, a few weeks ago, Dinky and Pip were accepted into a club of ponies who were still trying to earn their cutie marks. It was initially run by Apple Bloom, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle, but they decided to expand their horizons and begun searching for new members. Dinky and Pipsqueak were among the first that volunteered to join. Apple Bloom told them that if they come, they would meet two other ponies who had plans to join the club as well. Derpy thought about it for a moment and agreed to let them go and play. Dinky and Pipsqueak shared a hug with their mom, causing the other pegasi to smile warmly as they saw it.

Once the breakfast was done with, the ponies helped Derpy with cleaning up the dishes and readied themselves to fly to Whitetail Woods. Derpy saw Dinky and Pipsqueak off and flew into the sky with her six companions.

“Just like old times...” Medley sighed.

“Hey, you still have that ball with you?” Cloud Kicker asked. “I can’t wait to play dodgebomb with you again.”

“You know that I’ll beat you again, right?” Medley replied, snickering.

Rainbow Dash and Firefly shared a private talk between them.

“I still find it hard to believe that it’s already been two years since the end of the war...” Firefly said. “And yet...”

“Oh yeah, Firefly,” Rainbow said suddenly. “Did you get in touch with Black Star? Did you talked about anything?”

Firefly shook her head.

“No, he’s gone. He seemingly vanished without a trace. Zeakros... I mean, Valdar, seems to have no intentions on looking for him. Something tells me he’s far away from Equestria...”

“I see...”

Rainbow still remembered seeing Firefly being depressed and broken after her encounters with Black Star, a cold-blooded griffon soldier, responsible for killing her parents and initiating the war. It wasn’t until the final days of the conflict that she learned the truth; Black Star was forced to cooperate with Red Cyclone, the true instigator of the conflict. If he would’ve done otherwise, he would undoubtedly have been killed.

Firefly settled the case with him and hadn’t seen him since the battle in The Valley of Kings.

“Sometimes I wish I could’ve talked with him one last time...”

“Hey, stop worrying. It’s a closed chapter, time to move on!” said Rainbow. “Let’s enjoy the peace. We earned it, after all.”

“... You’re right.”

==========

1200 hrs
Whitetail Woods

Having arrived in the forest, the seven ponies were turning their heads around, amazed at the lovely surroundings. In this time of year, the trees had been completely covered with leaves, birds were chirping, wind was blowing gently; an atmosphere of true relaxation. Rainbow and her friends landed near a river, seeing it as a perfect location to enjoy themselves. Mere seconds later, Cloud Kicker wanted to jump into it, only to be smacked in the face by Medley’s ball. It was a challenge from her. Lightning Bolt simply lay on the grass next to a tree, wanting to catch some sunbeams. Derpy soon joined Cloud Kicker and Medley while Firefly decided to go swimming in the river a little. Rainbow followed her soon after. Time passed quickly on various games, and they all had great fun.

Except for Fluttershy. She was sitting on the side, not interested in playing too much. Rainbow noticed that and decided to talk with her. It could have something to do with her trip to Emareia... When Rainbow asked her about it again, Fluttershy’s voice started trembling a little. It was difficult to determine if she was nervous or disappointed.

“Shamrock is trying to start his life anew... He and Talisman quit the army, and now they live in a house by the lake. When I came with Lightning Bolt and Cloud Kicker... we met his girlfriend.”

“Girlfriend?” Rainbow asked.

“Yes... She was very pretty and kind. They are together for six months now. Shamrock told me that they are even planning to have a baby together...”

Rainbow Dash felt a little awkward hearing these news. Still, she tried to keep her cool.

“That’s... great. But... are you alright with that?”

“What do you mean?” Fluttershy asked.

Rainbow sighed.

“OK, I’ll ask bluntly. Do you love him?”

Fluttershy looked surprised. She lowered her head and stared into the distance ahead of her.

“Yes. But... it’s not what you think. I love him... as a friend. Shamrock suffered a lot in his life... invasion on his country, the death of his sister... and still, despite all that, he came to help us. I saw his sadness... I wanted to make him feel better.”

Rainbow didn’t say a word to this. She just kept looking on Fluttershy, as if trying to read her thoughts.

“I like him... very much. But I don’t think it’s truly love. He’s just a great friend... nothing more. All I want for Shamrock is to be happy. As long as he is happy, I am, too.”

“... Are you sure about this?” Rainbow asked slowly.

Fluttershy nodded slightly.

“We are separated by a thousand miles... but I’ve promised to see him again in the future. I’d like to see his baby grow... Besides, his girlfriend told us that Shamrock is lucky to have friends like us.”

Saying those words, Fluttershy smiled. Rainbow wasn’t sure what to say. Despite the fact that the pony she seemed infatuated with had another mare for a girlfriend, she wasn’t really sad...

“Anyway, Rainbow,” the yellow pegasus suddenly said, “I was wondering how you and Mobius are doing. Are you exchanging letters?”

Rainbow was taken aback by that question. Her cheeks blushed a little.

“Uhhh... I-I don’t even know where he is... Sky Eye wrote to me about eight months ago that they found a place where they can finally rest, away from the wars... but I haven’t got a word from them since...”

Now Rainbow was the one who looked disappointed. Fluttershy approached her.

“Do you miss him?”

“Of course I do. He was the best... I learned a lot by observing him. … Look, don’t tell anypony about it, but sometimes... I’m having a dream we’re flying together and... I....”

The blue pegasus’ cheeks were now red as a beetroot. Fluttershy giggled.

“Don’t worry, your secrets are safe with me. Pinkie promise,” she put her hoof on her right, closed eye.

She didn’t seem worried anymore and decided to join the others in having fun. Firefly wanted Rainbow to enjoy her company for a little flight over the woods, as she wanted to dry herself. In the meantime, Fluttershy went to join Cloud Kicker and Medley, who were still playing dodgebomb. Much to the purple pegasus’ annoyance, Medley kept on beating her.

“How much luckier can you get?” she exclaimed.

“Just admit that you’re too slow,” Medley laughed.

“I’ve got you this time!”

Cloud Kicker used an opening as Medley suddenly came to a halt while looking above the trees. She didn’t even pay attention when the pink ball hit her in the face.

“Ha ha ha, yeah! See? I’ve beat you!” Cloud Kicker shouted as she started dancing around Medley.

Lightning Bolt was watching their game and knew that Medley could easily dodge that attack... so why didn’t she? It took her a few seconds to notice that the green pegasus was standing in place with an expression of horror on her face. Lightning came closer to her.

“Medley, what’s wrong?”

She didn’t answer, instead pointing her hoof into the sky. Lightning’s eyes shrunk in fear.

Smoke!

The white pegasus brought Cloud Kicker to her senses and told her to find Firefly and the others. Upon noticing the smoke in the air, she flew high, seeing their silhouettes coming closer.

“Girls! Get over here, hurry!”

“What the...? Where’s that smoke coming from?” Firefly asked. “Is there a fire?”

“We better go check it out,” Rainbow suggested.

After a minute, all seven pegasi were already on their way toward the source of the smoke. They seemed quite anxious.

“It just appeared out of nowhere... What could be...?” Lightning Bolt wondered.

Just then, a sound of an explosion erupted in the distance. The smoke was getting bigger.

“What the heck was that?!” Firefly yelled.

Derpy remembered that the town of New Saddle was located not too far from Whitetail Woods. She then realized something.

“What if— Oh, no! It’s not the fire in the woods, the town is in danger! It’s inhabited by earth ponies only. They won’t be able to deal with the fire all by themselves!”

“Come on, everypony. Faster!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed.

The pegasi started flapping their wings even faster, but came to a screeching halt upon exiting the woods and noticing the carnage that unfold before them. In place of New Saddle was nothing but a burning inferno. The houses enveloped by flames were slowly crumbling and breaking into pieces, ponies tried everything to find a save spot or evacuate to the outskirts. Rainbow and the others could hear their screams of terror. As soon as she realized the gravity of the situation, the rainbow-maned pegasus started dispatching her companions to aid the citizens.

“Lightning Bolt! Get to the ponies that escaped and see if they have some sort of communicator or a radio. Try to contact Spitfire and tell her to bring the Medical Corps to New Saddle! The rest of you are coming with me! We’ll gather up clouds from the area to make one giant cloud and make it rain on the fire. This should put it down. Once we’ll take care of that, Cloud Kicker, Derpy and Medley will go to see if anypony remains in the town. In the meantime, Firefly, Fluttershy and me will try to gather some information. You know what to do! Hurry up!”

When Lightning left to do her part of the job, the other pegasi begun amassing clouds in order to cast a downpour. All the while they couldn’t stop thinking about what happened.

It took them a few minutes to finally amass a sufficient amount of clouds, which they then merged together and started bouncing on them. The rain from the big cloud managed to subside most of the raging fires. Now Rainbow, Fluttershy and Firefly descended to the survivors, trying to learn who or what was behind this disaster.

At the same time, Cloud Kicker, Derpy and Medley flew into the smoke to find any more ponies alive. What they saw was horrifying. Practically every house turned into complete ruin, the smoke was limiting their visions and made it hard to breathe... Cloud Kicker spotted a trapped pony, still breathing and calling for help. She and Derpy went to free him from under the rubble.

Medley suddenly heard a squeaking voice:

“Mommy! Heeelp!”

The green pegasus followed the voice and soon managed to find a little earth pony child, trapped under a destroyed house. She tried to reach it, but it kept struggling, trying to escape on its own.

“Don’t move!” Medley screamed. “Calm down! I will take you to your mom. Just grab onto me...!”

Just then, the rubble started coming down, cutting the little pony from Medley. Knowing she had to hurry, she started to remove pieces of wood and stone by herself, trying to dig her way to it. Cloud Kicker and Derpy found her in this state, as they carried the wounded middle-aged pony on their arms.

“What are you doing, Medley?” Cloud Kicker exclaimed. “There’s no time for this! The smoke is getting too thick. There’s nothing more we can do! We must leave!”

“No, not yet! There’s a baby trapped in there! Help me!” Medley screamed in response.

The two mares briefly put the earth pony on the ground and aided Medley in finding the child. But it wasn’t moving... Cloud Kicker again told Medley to get back to the others.

It would appear that most ponies luckily managed to escape the flames. Some of them had mild burns or wounds, probably caused by falling debris. Fluttershy was distraught upon seeing a family of ponies without a small foal in mother’s arms. Those parents couldn’t tell if it was alive or not, but the pain on their faces was visible. They probably thought it must have fallen behind... Lightning Bolt returned from her search.

“Did you manage to contact Spitfire?” Rainbow asked her.

“Yes. She and the other Wonderbolts will be here soon. The Medical Corps will be coming, too,” the white pegasus replied.

“All right. Now, let’s try to find out—”

Rainbow stopped mid-sentence, seeing her friends return from the smoking remains of New Saddle, coughing a little. Their sight relieved her, but only briefly, as one of the middle-aged mares darted toward Medley, who carried a little pony on her arms.

“My baby! My baby...!” she stammered.

Medley handed the child to her. For a moment, everything seemed to be fine, but then the mare collapsed on the ground, sobbing hysterically. That little pony never opened its eyes again. A few ponies approached her and tried to comfort her. Medley could barely hold her tears.

“I found it... under rubble... it got trapped... It was calling out to mommy... I...”

Derpy hugged her tight. She knew well how horrible it must have been for that baby’s mother.

“You did everything you could, Medley.”

Cloud Kicker felt sadness as well. Fluttershy decided to check on the wounded earth pony. Dash wanted some answers. One of the ponies, seemingly looking to be an authority of the town, approached her.

“Sir? What happened here?”

The green-coated stallion slowly turned his head in Rainbow’s direction. When he spoke, he sounded like he had a really sore throat.

“It was... an attack. We were completely unprepared...”

“An attack?” Rainbow asked. “Who attacked the town?”

“The Diamond Dogs... they were trying to steal the gems... we planned to have a major celebration today... but they showed up and sacked the town.”

The seven pegasi looked at each other. The Diamond Dogs are a vicious bunch, known for their greed and are not above hurting ponies if they happen to get in their way of earning more and more gems for their own needs.

Before Firefly asked if they were also responsible for starting the fire, the earth pony started mumbling to himself in depression. He revealed with a broken voice that the attack killed his neighbors and family. After a few moments of uneasiness, as they tried to calm the civilians down, Medley spotted Spitfire, and the Wonderbolts approaching them. Upon landing before Rainbow, the blue pegasus noticed great anxiety on her face.

“Listen up, girls. We, along with the Medical Corps, will take it over from here. You are to go to Canterlot Castle. Princess Celestia’s orders. Rainbow, Twilight and the rest of your friends are already there.”

Rainbow Dash nodded in silence and did as Spitfire told her. She took to the skies, looking behind her to see a big, smoldering hole in the ground where the town of New Saddle was. Fluttershy got closer to her.

“Rainbow... what is happening?”

“I don’t know, Fluttershy... but I don’t like it.”

Lightning Bolt looked around and noticed the sun slowly hiding behind the horizon. She shuddered, as the way it glowed gave an impression of a bloody red color. What would normally be a pretty sight, seeing it now gave her chills this time. Cloud Kicker approached her and saw it as well. It must have scared her a bit, as she cuddled Lightning. Firefly stared into the setting sun for a moment herself. A feeling of uncertainty struck her. She felt that ominous sign meant something. But she didn’t knew what. Nopony knew.

Yet...

Chapter 2: Celestia's Memories

As dusk embraces Equestria,
The princess is contacted by a familiar face.
She reveals a piece from her past,
And the heroines are called back to action.

Chapter 2

Celestia’s Memories

June 8th, 2021
2000 hrs
Canterlot, Royal Castle

As soon as Rainbow Dash and her friends reached Canterlot and entered the castle, they saw Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rarity and Spike, all waiting for them. Twilight motioned them to follow her to the royal chambers, where Princess Celestia and Princess Luna were present. Upon entering, the blue pegasus saw an unusual sight; the chamber had a computer! On top of that, a familiar figure was sitting by it. It was Gale, a yellow-eyed pegasus with a crimson mane, the Wonderbolts operator.

“Rainbow Dash. Good to see you and your friends again,” he said.

His voice was trembling a little.

“Gale... what are you doing here?”

“I called him,” another adult, female voice replied.

Princess Celestia, alongside her sister, entered the room. Everyone in the chamber bowed before them. The sun princess told them to rise, to not be worried with formalities. She was aware of the attack on New Saddle and its devastating effects. Rainbow Dash tried to explain:

“We had no idea something like this would happen... We were acting spontaneously...”

Princess Celestia rose her left hoof, silencing the pegasus pony.

“Given the circumstances, you did your best. However, I am concerned that it was no accident... or the work of the Diamond Dogs...”

“What do you mean, Your Highness?” Twilight asked.

The white alicorn did not answered to that. Instead, she turned her attention to Gale.

“What is the status of New Saddle? How bad is the damage?”

“Damage?” Gale asked somberly. “Near total. About 99% of the area is completely uninhabitable due to burned ground. It will take months, maybe years to fix that mess... Also, the casualties are bigger than we estimated.”

“But... we saw a lot of ponies who survived...” Medley started.

“The town of New Saddle had a population of 187 earth ponies. Roughly 40% of those citizens are dead. Even those who survived suffer from burns or other wounds, so the number of dead might increase if they won't receive quick medical attention.”

This information briefly put everypony in a state of grief. Firefly did not give in to the grim mood and started pacing around the room, angry.

“Who could be responsible for this if not the Diamond Dogs? The town’s mayor said he saw them, fleeing with gems in tow...”

Rarity coughed up, as if she was demanding attention.

“Excuse me, but somehow I can’t picture Diamond Dogs burning a town full of ponies to the ground. Yes, they are nothing but ruffians… still, they aren’t murderers.”

“What makes you say that?” the pink pegasus asked.

Applejack grinned a little.

“Rarity had a field trip with them on one occasion...”

“Don’t bring that up now,” Rarity grinded out.

But because Firefly pressed her, the white unicorn told her about an adventure with three Diamond Dogs; how, despite initial problems, she managed to wrap them around her hoof and force them to do her bidding.

“Thanks to her excessive whining—” Applejack started, before seeing Rarity’s angry look on her face, “uh— Ah mean, eloquent persuasion, Rarity made them give ‘er a whole bunch of gems in exchange for leaving them.”

Firefly, unwittingly, started to laugh. She managed to calm herself down after a moment.

“That convinces me. The Diamond Dogs are wimps. They couldn’t set up the fire.”

“Besides, they would never wander so close to a pony settlement,” Lightning Bolt pointed out. “They usually stay within their territory.”

“So, we’re back to square one,” said Rainbow Dash. “Who could’ve done this…?”

All of a sudden, the computer gave out a signal that made most ponies jump in surprise. Gale quickly looked into it.

“Princess Celestia, someone is trying to contact us.”

“Where is the source of the signal?” she asked.

“Beyond Equestria... But I can’t pinpoint its location. I’ve never received this frequency before either... What should I do?”

Celestia remained silent for a moment. She had a feeling that whoever it was, that person might have some information regarding the attack on New Saddle.

“Patch it to the main screen.”

A large monitor appeared from behind the wall. Pinkie Pie let out a mild “Wooo!” Twilight was especially amazed at seeing modern technology being in effect, even in the castle itself. For the first few seconds, the screen displayed nothing but static. It soon disappeared though, and a female voice was heard from the speakers, the figure initially hidden in the darkness.

“Welcome, Princess Celestia...”

The figure, appearing to be a pony, stepped forward and revealed itself.

“Do you remember me?”

It was a blue unicorn with a purple mane. Princess Celestia gasped quietly.

“Starlight...? Is that you?”

“The answer is yes... and no,” the unicorn responded. “I managed to do one thing you were so afraid of. The Starlight you knew is long gone. I am now called...”

She paused for a moment, spreading two wings that were initially concealed.

“Aurora Starlight!”

Other ponies couldn’t believe their eyes.

“It’s an alicorn!”

“Where... did she get those wings?”

“What’s going on here?”

The winged unicorn watched the confusion with satisfied grin on her face. Celestia, however, looked quite concerned, and perhaps, a little angry, too.

“You actually did it... You have gained wings.”

“Yes…” Aurora replied slowly. “Thanks to the wonders of science, advanced technology, the power of magic and my own determination. My dream had finally came true. And I would have gained them much sooner, had you stopped interfering with my experiments, Princess.”

“Your experiments were dangerous to both you and other ponies, Starlight. I had no choice, but to prevent you-”

“My name is Aurora!” the blue alicorn interrupted.

A brief silence fell, while Rainbow Dash, Twilight and the other were looking at each other, trying to understand the situation.

“We have little time, Princess, so I’ll be brief,” Aurora continued. “I contacted you to let you know that my exile had come to an end.”

“What?” Celestia seemed surprised by that bold declaration.

“Fifty long years… and not a day without planning my revenge against you. The wheels are set in motion. It has already begun…”

“So it was you!” Rainbow Dash yelled. “You were the one who attacked New Saddle! You dirty wretch!”

Aurora glanced at the blue pegasus and chuckled.

“Me? No, no, you are mistaken. I merely gave an order to burn the city down. What you saw was the work of my allies. They are a bit busy now, but you are bound to meet them sooner or later...”

“Why you...!”

Rainbow barely resisted her desire to punch the screen.

“Poor child, so arrogant and aggressive…” Aurora muttered. “You are yet to learn true fear…”

Rainbow’s anger subsided, though only marginally.

“It’s unfortunate, really, that you couldn’t prevent that incident…”

“Incident?!” Twilight shouted. “Your decision caused the death of other ponies! How can you not feel responsible for it? Have you got no remorse?”

“I wasn’t talking to you, puny unicorn,” Aurora scoffed. “Now then, Princess Celestia, there is another reason why I contacted you. I have a proposition. We can avoid further bloodshed with one, simple decision. All you need to do is surrender yourself to me and make no resistance. Trust me, Princess, it’s the best course of action for you. Otherwise...”

“Otherwise?”

Now the solar princess looked visibly angry.

“Otherwise you won’t be the only pony who will be struck by my vengeance!” the blue alicorn proclaimed. “Your subjects will suffer again, and I’m sure that’s the last thing you want to happen… I know you, Princess. You are as soft and weak as the rest of them...”

Princess Luna stepped before her sister, having enough of Aurora’s attitude.

“Mind your tongue! You are speaking to the Royal Sisters!”

Everypony, including Aurora, turned her sight to Luna now. The winged mare on the monitor seemed to be slightly surprised.

“So, the rumors were true... Princess Luna had indeed returned... Tell me, Princess, do you feel comfortable around other ponies? Did you enjoy the reunion with your sister? Or perhaps your subjects are still afraid of you?”

Luna’s eyelids twitched nervously, though her body remained still.

“Do not try to dissuade me. None of your tricks will work!”

“Tricks? I’m merely stating the facts... Anyway, my business is with your older sister. So tell me, Princess Celestia, what do you say to my proposition? Do you accept my conditions?”

The princess stared into Aurora’s face. Gale had an uneasy feeling. Applejack felt a cold shiver running down her spine. Even Twilight and Princess Luna felt the rising tension. There was something between Princess Celestia and that mysterious winged unicorn…

“Do you need a while to come up with a decision?” Aurora mocked her. “I can give you twenty four hours to give me an answer…”

She looked like she was about to end the transmission, but then Princess Celestia spoke to her with a stoic voice.

“Aurora Starlight! I have no intentions of surrendering to you.”

A shadow of anger could be heard in that sentence. Aurora let out a smirk.

“Somehow, I knew you would say that... What makes you so confident?”

“My ponies did not fight in and win the previous war so that I would throw away the peace they were fighting for so easily,” Celestia answered. “I will not let you destroy it.”

Aurora let out a loud cackle.

“That’s a grave mistake, Princess! By rejecting my offer, you have done the exact same thing you wish to prevent. It is too late to undo your choice, now. You haven’t changed one bit. Leaving me alive was another mistake of yours. Maybe if you’d killed me instead of banishing… But you were always weak. Now you will pay dearly for that weakness. My soldiers will soon reach Equestria. There will be no escape from the Exiles.”

Some sort of burning hatred was present in the blue alicorn’s voice, as she stretched her wings and said:

“Heed my words, Princess Celestia. I hope you realize the gravity of your decision, because you will regret it. There will come a day when your precious subjects will be all but dead, you will lose everything dear to you and you will find yourself at my hooves! Powerless and helpless! You will be begging me for mercy!”

“How dare you speak to my sister in such a manner!” Luna exclaimed.

Aurora’s words were like a personal insult to her. Celestia extended her left wing to stop her from getting closer.

“Luna, that’s enough... do not let emotions speak through you.”

“But, Sister…”

The night princess calmed down as Celestia shifted her sight back to Aurora. She spoke with an adamant voice.

“Do not think that empty words and threats can intimidate us, Aurora. If you are as powerful as you say, prove it.”

Aurora lowered her sight.

“Is that a challenge, Princess?”

Rainbow Dash, Twilight, Gale and everypony present in the chamber were waiting with anxiety on their faces. It seemed as if the two alicorns had their eyes locked onto each others faces, trying to predict their thoughts. Seconds languished.

Suddenly, Aurora laughed again.

“Very well, then. I accept your challenge. And I give you my word: your precious Canterlot will fall! And on the ashes of your defeat, a new era of prosperity for Equestria will begin!”

“Oh yeah? You can only talk, missy!” Rainbow Dash suddenly exclaimed. “Why don’t you get over here and show us what you got?”

She couldn't stand for Aurora’s aggressive way of talking to the Princess anymore. The other ponies felt the same way. It was as if she could allow herself for everything, just because she was away from Equestria.

“Such impatience… Fear not, your time will come soon enough… Rainbow Dash.”

Rainbow looked at her, dumbfounded. How did she knew her name? Aurora let out another chuckle.

“Why are you so surprised? I know all about you, Princess of the Skies. You and your companions are strong and worthy opponents, but even you will be powerless against me and my army… as you will find out.”

Aurora turned to Celestia once more.

“I expect a valiant resistance from your soldiers, Princess… and I hope you won’t have to watch them suffer too long… it would only be your fault. We will speak again.”

The blue alicorn’s face disappeared from the screen and large, green letters that said: END TRANSMISSION appeared instead. Gale turned the monitor off. After hearing all these sudden revelations, the ponies started discussing various issues about Aurora.

“What nerve!” Rarity exclaimed. “How could she talk to the Princess like that?”

“What I wanna know is, where did she get those wings from?” Firefly asked. “As far as I know, there are only three alicorns, and all of them are princesses…”

“Her words sounded like a declaration of war…” Twilight said quietly.

“And you are correct, Twilight,” Princess Celestia spoke. “Aurora has just declared war against me… as well as Equestria. It was her that I saw in my vision… and her army, too. She cannot be underestimated...”

Luna approached her.

“Sister… You seem to know this individual. Who is she?”

Celestia looked at every pony gathered in the chamber. They were staring into her and wanted some answers regarding the aggressive speech they just heard. The beautiful ruler of Equestria briefly closed her eyes before she motioned Twilight, Luna, Rainbow and her friends, as well as Gale, to come closer.

She begun with a slightly ominous voice:

“Indeed, I know her. Or should I say, I thought I knew her. I find it hard to believe how much she changed… You see, Aurora was not always an alicorn… It all started over fifty years ago…”

==========

“At that time, Canterlot was already famous for its School for Gifted Unicorns. Young students of magic came from all over Equestria to study under watchful eyes of the best teachers and examiners. Of so many students, one in particular got my attention. It was a filly, wearing blue coat and a purple mane. Her name was Starlight. Despite her young age, she already had a surprisingly large knowledge of magic, as well as great talent for magic spells. Looking back at it now, she was a lot like you, Twilight… But you possess personality traits that she lacked.”

“I don’t understand, Princess…” Twilight stuttered.

“You will. But to come back… Although Starlight was not my personal apprentice, I decided to keep an eye on her and watch her progress. I even personally congratulated her on her first year graduation. We had formed a bond of friendship, and I even asked her if she would like to come and visit me sometimes, if she was in need of council or help. She agreed, saying she hoped to learn some things that interested her.”

The other ponies exchanged glances. The Princess resumed her tale a moment later.

“For the first few years, everything was normal. We were exchanging our opinions, I was giving her various advices… Yet, one such meeting, on the fourth year, changed everything…”

A young unicorn filly knocked on the door leading to the royal chamber.

“Princess? Are you in?” she asked.

“Come in, Starlight. I have been expecting you,” Celestia’s voice responded.

The princess were sitting on a rug near a fireplace. She was reading some parchments. Upon seeing the guest, she welcomed her with a smile.

“What brings you to me today?”

“I… just wanted to talk to you about something, Princess,” Starlight started sheepishly. “I hope I’m not disturbing you...”

“You know that I always have time for you, child,” Celestia calmed her down. “You are among the most talented students in the school. I predict a great future ahead of you.”

Starlight blushed, making big eyes. She never expected such kind words from the ruler of Equestria.

“So, how can I help you?” Celestia encouraged her.

“We… today, on History of Magic, we had a lecture about alicorns,” Starlight confessed.

“Oh… and what did you learn?”

“That there used to be a lot of them, here, in Equestria. But, a long time ago, some terrible disaster happened, and most of them perished. The teacher didn’t want to tell us any details, saying it could be too horrific for us. But I really want to know what happened back then. Can you tell me about it, Princess?”

Celestia thought about it. She anwsered after nearly a minute.

“If you are that much curious, then I see no reason to not tell you. Truth be told, there used to be a lot of alicorns in Equestria in old times. They were just as common as earth ponies, pegasi or unicorns. However, when Discord ruled Equestria over one thousand years ago, he begun to fear them. With their combined power, they could threaten his lordship. That is why he brought a terrible disease upon Equestria. A lot of ponies and most of the alicorns died due to it… in the end, only me and my younger sister, Princess Luna, survived. When we later learned about and discovered the Elements of Harmony, we used their power to defeat Discord and turned him to stone, ending his reign.”

For a while, Starlight stared at Celestia with a gaped mouth. She had no idea that the ruler of Equestria could have lived over a thousand years! Finally, she asked:

“And… where is your sister now? I’d like to meet her.”

The white mare’s face immediately turned somber.

“She is… very far away. But I am certain she will come back one day.”

The princess said those words calmly, even though her voice was trembling a little. Starlight still wanted to know something more about alicorns, and the princess tried to explain everything in a simple manner. Judging from her words, not a single alicorn was born since Discord had been defeated. At one point, the unicorn filly asked:

“But, Princess, does that mean you and your sister are the only alicorns that remain alive? That’s so sad… I wish I could help you somehow. I wish they would be back in Equestria, so that you and your sister would not feel lonely…”

Princess Celestia smiled sadly.

“You have good intentions, Starlight. But I’ll have you know that if a pony was born an alicorn, it meant a great responsibility. Besides, we have a much longer lifespan than most ponies… I used to have many friends, but most of them are gone now. A long life is not always made of benefits…”

Suddenly, Starlight’s voice became a bit more demanding.

“Even so. I wish for alicorns to live among other ponies of Equestria again. Please, Princess, tell me… If no more of them can be born, then is there at least a way for a regular pony to become an alicorn?”

“Well… There are some ways… But I can’t tell them to you. Not just yet. There will come a time for everything, Starlight.”

At this point, Luna interrupted Celestia’s story.

“Have you been suspecting anything back then, Sister? Did you knew that…?”

“Did I knew I was speaking with a pony that will one day become an alicorn? A pony that one day will swear revenge against me?”

Celestia’s question created an awkward silence for a few seconds before she finished:

“No. I didn’t know. She was just a child. How could I ever suspect her about anything? Instead, I thought she simply had a hunger for knowledge.”

“I wonder if her intentions were true,” Firefly growled. “She must have known that alicorns were stronger than other ponies. I mean, they have the greatest magical power.”

“Power alone is not enough,” Twilight remarked. “You need something else. But did she knew that or not…”

All ponies thought deeply for a short time until Princess Celestia resumed her tale.

“I guess we will never know. One thing became apparent to me, however. Something has changed. Since that day, Starlight wasn’t visiting me as often as she did. Instead, she spent most of her time in the library, reading various tomes about magic and alchemy. Some of them were clearly beyond her current educational level. Starlight had quite a lot of friends in the school, as they admired her magical talents. She started telling them that one day she will become an alicorn and will help populate Equestria with them again. While some of her friends thought it was just some blue sky thinking, other students believed her. I, for one, began observing her even closer. She must had some reason to speak of such things… She could actually discover some way to make it happen.”

“And? Did she do it?”

Cloud Kicker’s curiosity reached its peak. She didn’t feel troubled, even though she interrupted the Princess herself. She apologized under Twilight’s stern look, but Celestia did not mind.

“For the time being, things were quite fine. But by the end of her last year in the school, Starlight decided to carry out an experiment that was supposed to create wings using the alchemy. She told me that personally.”

The other ponies gasped.

“That’s some overconfidence, right there,” Applejack snorted.

“I warned Starlight that such experiment can be very dangerous, and its effects are usually unknown. But she didn’t listen to me, and she was prepared to do it. Unfortunately, her concoction turned out to be very unstable, and it caused an explosion. As soon as the dust settled, I began hearing her moans of pain… Starlight had been severely wounded. It was terrifying… She was squirming on the floor, begging for help…”

Celestia let out a loud sigh.

“The doctors were called immediately, but before they took her, I noticed something on her right side. Something that horrified me greatly. Something was protruding from there… and it looked like a tiny wing…”

Rarity, Fluttershy and Medley winced.

“It helped me realize that Starlight could, in fact, transmutate wings.”

“But… How the hay was she supposed to conjoin them with her body?” Lightning Bolt asked. “Technology wasn’t as advanced as it is now… medical transplantations became possible only just recently…”

“True… but merging spells were already available back then, even though they were extremely difficult to master,” Gale joined in. “Princess, if I’m following you correctly, that unicorn attempted to create wings using alchemy, and then use a merging spell, in order to fuse those wings with her body, therefore becoming an alicorn.”

Celestia nodded silently, seeing how the rest of the ponies in the chamber were looking at each other in utter surprise.

“Hard to believe, isn’t it?” she said. “But Starlight was capable of doing it.”

“If that experiment was supposed to be her way of populating Equestria with alicorns, then it must have damaged her brain!” Firefly said loudly. “That’s the most ridiculous thing I ever heard!”

“Even worse, this goes against natural order,” said Luna. “If any pony was to become an alicorn, they had to earn such gift first. It is very similar to the case of ponies getting their cutie marks; such process cannot be hastened. The pony must discover its own destiny, then do something that will benefit the others, while also proving its good intentions.”

Everypony agreed silently with the Princess of the Night. Celestia carried on:

“The doctors were working for months to try and heal Starlight. I had personally removed the mutated wing from her body using my own magic. Finally, when she woke up, Starlight wasn’t disappointed or dissatisfied one bit. More, it actually motivated her to continue her research, as it was proven that her way of creating wings worked. I warned her again about dwelling too deep into alchemy and asked to forget about them. She seemed to have listened to me… But, in reality, she was still researching and refining her method, keeping it a secret to everypony… except for her most loyal and trusted friends, whom she met in the school. Everything came out of the dark six months later…

Starlight turned half of her home, including her room and the basement, into a real laboratory. Day and day, she carried on her experiments, trying not to draw too much attention. Yet, one afternoon, the unicorn invited one of her friends to boast about her achievements. The earth pony that came was stunned by the sight or numerous flasks containing various fluids or some weird machinery placed here and there.

“Umm… Starlight,” he started, “are you sure it’s going to be safe?”

“Absolutely. I’ve spent the last few weeks perfecting my potion. If everything goes as planned, I will create the most real wings possible. Then I shall permanently fuse them with my body, using my magic and, at last, my dream will come true!”

The unicorn mare sounded very excited by that perspective. Her friends was more cautious.

“What if something goes wrong and you’ll get another mutation?”

“Not this time. I’m aware of my previous mistakes, and I won’t repeat them. When I succeed, it will be but a first step toward realizing my intention of populating Equestria with alicorns.”

“What do you mean?” the earth pony asked.

“Perhaps, in the near future, I will be able to transmute not only wings… but unicorn horns as well. That way, anypony can be turned into an alicorn! After all, they are the strongest and most beautiful form a pony can take. I will be capable of merging these wings and horns to anypony who will desire to have so much power! It will solve many problems, and Princess Celestia will no longer feel lonely.”

Starlight unbelievable words begun troubling her friend.

“But… isn’t that… against the law?”

“I don’t know anything about that,” Starlight shrugged, before looking deeply at him. “What’s with that look? I wouldn’t be telling you this if I wasn’t sure it’s going to work, right?”

She came very close up to the earth pony, staring into his eyes.

“Listen, I trust you. You are one of my closest friends. I trust you will keep everything you saw and heard here a secret until I will fuse the wings with my body. Can you promise me that? Will you promise not to tell anypony about it?”

“S-Sure...”, the pony stammered. “I-I won’t tell anypony, I promise.”

Starlight kept piercing him with her sight until she finally backed away, smiling.

“I knew I could count on you.”

==========

The more ponies heard from Princess Celestia, the more they couldn’t believe it. Was Aurora really crazy enough to use both her magical and alchemical skills to transform other ponies into alicorns? Were those her real intentions? What would she gain from that?

“Did she really think that guy will not talk her out?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Apparently,” said the princess. “But after barely a week, worried that Starlight could have become insane, the pony broke the silence. He told everything to one of the royal guards. In turn, he relayed everything to me. I appeared in Starlight’s house literally at the last minute. She was just about to merge the wings with her body…

“Starlight! What are you doing? Cease your actions!”

The mare rapidly turned around, hearing a familiar voice.

“Ah! Princess Celestia! How did you…!”

Her sight met an earth pony, cowering behind the ruler of Equestria and her royal guards. She was staring at him with disbelief.

“You… I trusted you! How could you betray me?!”

“Forgive me, Starlight, but… I couldn’t do otherwise. You’re losing it!”

“You fool!” the unicorn mare shouted. “You simply cannot understand my desires! All I want is to bring alicorns back to Equestria. What’s wrong with that?”

Princess Celestia stepped forward. She was able to reach Starlight with ease.

“The way you attempt to make it happen is wrong. That pony told us everything. You intent to create both wings and horns, and then start fusing other ponies with them. They will not become alicorns this way, Starlight. You cannot force them into becoming what they are not.”

“I’m not forcing anypony,” Starlight responded with a slightly calmer tone. “I just want to prove that my way is the fastest and most secure. Even if they won’t understand at first, that’s all right. I will convince them eventually.”

A shadow of anger was present on Princess Celestia’s face. The guards stepped back a bit; very rarely have they seen her in such state, almost never. When she glanced at the wings created by former student of her school, she noticed that, although they seemed real, they weren’t. They were artificial, created purely with alchemy. Something was missing.

“Abandon your intention, Starlight. Don’t make me use force against you.”

“You too, Princess? You are against me, too?” the blue mare snorted. “I thought you will understand me. I am certain you want alicorns to live in Equestria once again.”

“Transplanting wings into unicorns or horns into pegasi will not make them alicorns”, Celestia argued. “One must earn such a gift, not create one.”

“I will not yield! I deserve to be just like you!” Starlight shouted. “I know that I possess great magical power, and these wings will only amplify it! I will show you that I am correct, Princess. Watch carefully! I will merge them with my body, and I shall become the first alicorn of many that will follow!”

Princess Celestia briefly closed her eyes before they flared with bright light.

“I am sorry, Starlight. I won’t let you do it. You have gone too far.”

Suddenly, the artificially created wings flew up to the room’s ceiling, being surrounded by a bright aura. To the surprise of the guards and Starlight’s dismay, her creation was engulfed in flames.

“NOOOO!!!” she screamed shrilly.

While she tried to use her own magic to prevent Princess Celestia from destroying the wings, the unicorn’s power was too small. She could only watch in powerless anger as the burned pieces were falling to the floor. Starlight slumped to the ground, unable to comprehend why the Princess, whom she adored so much, would do such a thing. Why would she destroy all her dreams in this one moment…

“No… my wings…” she sobbed.

Celestia approached her, visibly angry.

“I am very disappointed in you, Starlight. You intentions were just as artificial as these wings. Your experiments are becoming too dangerous, and you refuse to listen to me. You give me no choice. From this moment, you are banished from Equestria… for life.”

Starlight rose her sight, looking straight into white mare’s eyes. Her own were sparkling with tears.

“May the gods of this world have mercy on you,” said Celestia.

Now all ponies were listening to the Princess even more carefully than before. It seemed that she was nearing the end of her story, even though a few unanswered questions still remained.

“Alongside the guards, I had taken Starlight to the Equestria’s border. There, she looked at me one last time and left without saying a word. But I had noticed something that spoke more than words: pure spite and hatred in her eyes. I could only hope that one day, she would forgive me… I did what I had to do. I did it for her own good. If left unchecked, her experiments would result in dire consequences. I had tried to keep this incident as a secret, so practically nopony noticed Starlight’s disappearance. At least I thought so… A few days later, one of the guards reported to me that over twenty ponies, living in different parts of Equestria, decided to leave our country without stating a reason. Upon doing a research, I’d learned that most of them were Starlight’s schoolmates. Somehow, they learned about her exile and decided to follow her.”

“But… why?” Rainbow wondered.

“Maybe…” Twilight started, “they decided to go with her because they believed her words and promises about improving the ponies’ fate when she would become an alicorn.”

“It’s certainly a possibility, Twilight,” said Celestia. “I thought the same back then. That’s why I ordered a search for those ponies. But they were never found. Those ponies disappeared. They were out of my range. Besides, a few days later, there was something that intrigued me more. One village, populated by earth ponies, was being oppressed by a unicorn wielding a magic necklace. A certain pegasus mare challenged and defeated her by absorbing its power. When I learned about it, I used my magic to transport that pony to me so that I could get to know her. She told me that she was orphaned as a little filly, so I had decided to adopt her. She became my niece, and in recognition for her recent accomplishment, I made her an alicorn. That mare earned the right to be one, unlike Starlight."

Hearing the words of her mentor, Twilight had a sudden realisation.

“That pegasus mare is… Princess Cadance?”

“Correct,” Celestia answered.

After a few seconds of silence, Firefly once again voiced her concern.

“That’s cool and all, but that Starlight, Aurora or whatever her name is, did manage to gain wings, anyway. How did that happen?”

Celestia let out a sigh.

“Once I destroyed her original creation, I ordered the guards to search Starlight’s house for any notes or research writings left behind. Unfortunately, they didn’t find anything, which could mean that Starlight was somewhat prepared that somepony might betray her.”

“But her wings are still fake, right, Princess?” Cloud Kicker interposed.

Celestia went silent for a moment before revealing to the others that this time, Aurora’s wings weren’t made solely of artificial materials, but also contained missing ingredients that made them real.

“During her experiments, Starlight had her friends at her disposal. Perhaps some of them were prepared to sacrifice much for her… even their own life.”

Twilight felt her blood congealing in her veins. She guessed what it could mean.

“S-So… s-she actually…” the unicorn stammered with a shaky voice.

Princess Celestia nodded.

“That’s terrible!” Luna exclaimed. “She was using other, living ponies in her experiments to create those wings?”

“Living… or those who died shortly beforehand,” Celestia said somberly. “She used their blood, flesh and bones to improve her creation. I never thought she would be capable of such atrocious acts…”

Twilight, Rainbow Dash, their friends and especially Gale were clearly shocked with that last reveal.

“There’s no way we’ll let her get away with that!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed. “All that talk about her making alicorns come back is a cock-and-bull story! She just wanted to have a fanatical army or some crazy cult!”

“Well, it could have been worse, Dashie,” Pinkie Pie spoke. “Good thing she’s not a mechanical alicorn from another world who wants to conquer Equestria and exterminate all ponies or use them for some wacky experiments in the name of science.”

The others stared at Pinkie, utterly dumbfounded, until Rainbow said:

“Yeeeaah… Good thing.”

Gale snapped back.

“In any case, the situation is dire. Aurora is dangerous and the soldiers in her army are very loyal to her. She seeks an open confrontation with us. We need to defend ourselves.”

"That is the reason why Luna and I made a decision a few hours ago. The Equestrian Allied Forces shall be re-established,” Princess Celestia announced. “The same goes for every unit that we had available during the previous conflict. Twilight, Applejack, Pinkie Pie and Rarity will also take leadership over their units. We can’t forget about pegasi squadrons, as they will be a vital help for us.”

The initial consternation of Twilight and her friends was gone now. They assured their Princess that they will do their absolute best. Rarity even stated that the old EAF standard needed a proper remodeling and offered to create a new one from scratch. Firefly seemed quite excited as well; the Princess’ decision could only mean the return of Mirage squadron. Blood began pulsating in her ears.

“Let those Exiles come here, and we’ll kick them back to where they came from!” she proclaimed boldly.

Gale tried cooling her down.

“Remember the most important rule in the war: never underestimate your adversary. Aurora might have some formidable forces at her disposal. Not to mention her 'allies.' We don’t know anything about them…”

“We can handle anyone,” said Rainbow Dash. “There’s nothing impossible for us as long as we’ll stick together.”

“I like your attitude, Dash. Then perhaps you’ll be glad to know we already arranged some quarters for your team. Come with me, I’ll take you there.”

Simultaneously, Twilight also left the royal chamber alongside her companions to go for a quick meeting with soldiers from their units before going to rest. Before splitting up, the ponies promised to stay in contact. Night already ruled the skies outside.

Gale led the seven pegasus ponies into a small building in the castle’s vicinity. Upon entering the main hall, which was usually referred to as Mission Control, Lightning Bolt gasped.

“Whoa…”

Inside was the most advanced equipment she ever saw in her life, including a computer with built-in frequency tracers. Using them, the pegasi could easily pinpoint the location of concentrated friendly units and to which region of Equestria should they go first if those units were in need of quick support. The white mare’s eyes were glittering with joy. Gale seemed satisfied as well.

“If you happen to have some free time, you can always use the training room to undergo some battle simulations. Our technology improved vastly since our alliance with griffins, eh?”

“Speaking of which, can we count on them during the war?” Rainbow asked.

“They don’t know anything yet. If all goes well, we won’t need to drag them in.”

Once Gale left, Rainbow Dash went for a quick lookout around the base before ordering her friends to get some rest. All of them instantly went to bed. Only Derpy had problems with falling asleep.

“I’m worried about my children… Are they safe?”

“Don’t worry, Derpy. I’ll bet they are under Cheerilee’s care again. She must know what happened already,” Cloud Kicker whispered to her. “They will be fine.”

“I hope so.”

As Princess Luna flew outside into the dark to make sure not a single pony will suffer from nightmares, her older sister tried to sleep as well. But she knew best that Equestria and her subjects found themselves in dark times. These revelations and surprises they witnessed and heard today were just a taste of things to come.

“Starlight… What have you become...?”

Chapter 3: Narrow Margin

The ponies prepare themselves for upcoming war,
The danger approaches from the sea.
Yet their foes are unlike their previous ones,
How will they manage against them…?

Chapter 3
Narrow Margin

June 11th, 2021
0730 hrs
Canterlot, Mirage squadron’s base

Rainbow Dash slowly got up from her bed. She only managed to catch a few hours of so much needed sleep. As the blue pegasus turned her head around, she noticed that her teammates were already out of the room. Now she remembered everything that happened yesterday and came to a conclusion that they are probably conducting training for the upcoming battles. Not wanting to waste more time, she jumped out of her bed and left the room as well. Walking through a couple of corridors, Rainbow Dash noticed Lightning Bolt sitting in front of a computer monitor in the Mission Control. While it was by no means an unusual sight, she decided to go in to see what was she looking at.

Hearing the sounds of doors opening and hoofsteps, the white pegasus turned her seat around, bearing a bright smile on her face.

“Good morning, Rainbow. Did you sleep well?” she asked.

Rainbow yawned mildly before answering.

“Not really. You know, mornings would’ve been a lot better if they happened at noon. Say, where are the others?”

“In the training room,” Lightning answered. “They’ve been training there for the past thirty minutes. Firefly wanted to recall various maneuvers we learned before.”

“Just as I thought,” Rainbow grumbled. “And why aren’t you with them?”

Lightning Bolt kept pushing a button on the keyboard as she replied.

“I’ve been checking the data on our army’s equipment. I’d rather be certain what gems of technology we get to use against our adversaries. If needed, we can use them as well.”

Rainbow didn’t seem to be much interested in this matter, since she stared at the screen with a blank sight, even though it showed some interesting weaponry, including a fleet of brand new cruisers that will form the 1st Naval Fleet. Just before Rainbow left the room to join the other pegasi in the training, Lightning showed her something that caught her attention.

A picture of a pair of large machine guns with a strapping belt attached to it.

“What the hay are those things?” the blue pegasus asked.

“Those machine guns may give additional advantage to the pegasi,” Lightning Bolt explained. “They are made of a special alloy that makes them light enough to be carried on the back, and each barrel contains 500 rounds, with a rate of fire being fifty rounds per ten seconds. With these, we might be able to deal greater damage to enemy structures or vehicles without going for direct contact. In other words, these will give us a long range attack possibility.”

Rainbow analyzed the contraption with a sceptical look.

“Thanks, but I think I’ll stick to my hooves and wings anyway. Seriously, can you imagine a pegasus with these things strapped on its back? It will look totally ridiculous.”

“We should use whatever we can to have some advantage against our foes, especially since we’re uncertain what are they going to use against us,” Lightning argued.

Rainbow Dash did think about the truth of those words.

“In any case, I have some other news, too,” the white pegasus carried on. ”Your friend, Rarity, visited us about an hour ago. She said she is in process of redesigning and updating the looks of our vests, as well as making them more durable.”

“That’s good news,” Rainbow Dash said. “I’m gonna go check on the other girls. See you around.”

With these words, Rainbow headed for the door, but just as they opened, a blaring sound echoed through the base. The blue pegasus let out a loud groan.

“An alarm, now?! Gimme a break!”

Lightning Bolt instantly answered the call coming from the other side of the connection. At the same time, Fluttershy, Firefly, Medley, Cloud Kicker and Derpy came running into Mission Control.

“Looks like things are starting up!” the pink pegasus commented.

Gale’s voice greeted them from the monitor.

“Mirage, I trust you are all ready. The enemy is well on its way, and it seems the first attack will come from the sea. Our scout ships spotted several unknown vessels heading toward Equestria. Take a look.”

The screen, initially showing Equestria’s digitized map, changed to display several pictures of ships floating on the water. Lightning Bolt examined them closely.

“Frigates, cruisers, missile boats… that’s a pretty strong fleet.”

“Yes, but those ships aren’t the main worry,” Gale’s voice carried on, as one of the pictures zoomed in to reveal seven smaller ships that were unarmed, but well protected by the others. Lightning gasped.

“Those are landing ships! Are they trying to…?”

“Indeed,” Gale confirmed. “A raid. Their landing operation might be their first step in entering Equestria and beginning an all-out war. According to our data, these ships will approach Fillydelphia, their nearest target, in less than two hours.”

Rainbow Dash wasn’t feeling sleepy anymore. Realizing that time was of the essence, she immediately turned around after hearing those words, surprising other ponies.

“Gale, you can give us the details while we’ll make our way to the city. Come on, everypony, to the runway! We’re taking off!”

When the operator heard that, he acknowledged the sentence and told Lightning to switch the computer off. Seeing their leader in a combative mood, the six other pegasi followed Rainbow almost instantly. Only Fluttershy seemed a little hesitant, for reasons known only to her…

Once all fliers assembled on the runway, Rainbow gave a quick explanation.

“For the time being, we’ll have to fly without our vests until Rarity will finish improving them. Without them, we may be a bit tough for our guys to identify. Because of that, I want you to use the radio and refer to each other in callsigns every time. Got it?”

The rest of the pegasi nodded. Lightning Bolt pointed out that the communicators they received were recently updated and are now much more durable and resistant to jamming.

“Now we’ll be able to use them even during a snowstorm or other extreme anomalies. There should no problems.”

“OK, girls, let’s get ready,” Rainbow ordered. “Formation! Wings up! All fliers, report!”

“Flash, ready!”

“Thunder, ready!”

“Sunny, ready!”

“Butterfly, ready!”

“Ditzy, ready!”

“Kid, ready!”

Rainbow Dash grinned, seeing her friends ready for action.

“Let’s go, Mirage squadron! To the skies!”

In a matter of seconds, all seven pegasi took off from their base and started heading toward Fillydelphia. They didn’t want to waste anymore time. Rainbow contacted Gale and asked him to verify mission statements He explained everything in detail.

“Our naval base in Fillydelphia will most likely be attacked by the enemy fleet. Currently, the citizens are expecting the attack at any time, since, due to Princess Celestia’s orders, the city has been put on high alert. That port can be used by the enemy’s landing ships to disembark their forces straight into the city. We must prevent that at all costs.”

“Are there any units ensigned to protect Fillydelphia?” Firefly asked.

“Yes. Our 1st Naval Fleet is docked there, and the soldiers are preparing to battle the Exile forces. Unfortunately, their mobility is very limited, as the ships are still undergoing maintenance. They are only able to use their weapons at a limited range. If the enemy fleet will attack them as it is, they will become sitting ducks. Among the ships is our new battlecruiser Luminescence. It is the flagship of the 1st Naval Fleet and a critical combat asset.”

“I’m guessing we’ll have to protect it?” Rainbow asked.

“Correct,” Gale answered. “But that isn’t your only mission. Since the enemy has landing ships in their fleet, they are the priority. If as much as three of those ships will make it to the port, the Exile battalions will pour into the city and they may take it over.”

Cloud Kicker frowned a little.

“At times like that, any help would be welcome.”

“Not to worry,” said Gale. “The Wonderbolts have already reached the city, and this time, they are in a full six pegasus squadron. Besides them, you will also have the assistance of Burner, Racer and Dragon squadrons. Your main task, Mirage, is to prevent the enemy landing ships from reaching Fillydelphia, as well as to protect the battleship Luminescence.”

Firefly wasn’t certain at first.

“And how are we suppose to deal with those ships? You don’t expect us to just ram into them and beat them with our hooves like we did with the griffin turrets or AA guns, do you?” she asked sarcastically.

“If I did, I’d sent you with armor-piercing missiles strapped onto you,” Gale replied, being equally sarcastic.

While Firefly chuckled, Fluttershy didn’t find that amusing at all.

“We can provide a distraction, but we can’t destroy the ships directly. Not without heavy firepower, at least.”

“Exactly,” Gale carried on. “That’s why the main job of air units in this battle will be to help our ships in locating enemy vessels. Upon pinpointing their location, our fleet will attempt to destroy them.”

Medley scratched her head.

“Hold on. You mean we have to fly around them, radio in the nearest friendly ship and tell them to blast that particular enemy ship once it gets into their firing range? Why? Is their radar offline or something?”

“As I said, they are still wrapping up maintenance. They are not fully prepared to meet the enemy fleet in battle without air support. ”

Rainbow Dash initially wanted to argue about radar control being a critical asset in every war, but since their communicators had one inbuilt as well, it wasn’t much of an issue.

“Did you understand your mission, Mirage?” Gale asked.

“Yeah. We are to provide air support for 1st Naval Fleet, take out enemy landing ships, protect that battleship and Fillydelphia, in general.”

The blue pegasus said it with a laid back voice, making it sound like it will be very easy for her. Gale didn’t respond to that at first, but once he did, he sounded very serious.

“Quit screwing around. This is the war! The enemy will be all over you, and, if you’re not prepared, they’re going to eat you alive!”

“No worries, Gale,” Firefly assured him. “Once we get there, will drive the Exiles back where they came from.”

“I certainly hope so. Good luck. Contact me again once you reach Fillydelphia. Gale out!”

Keeping a steady pace, the seven fliers carried on their flight, discussing possible options they can take during the battle. Once again, Lightning Bolt mentioned the machine guns being available to the pegasi at any time. But Rainbow was still sceptical about them, contrary to Medley, who seemed a little excited.

“I wouldn’t mind shooting those baddies from a distance. What makes them think they can actually barge into Equestria and…?”

The green pegasus went silent as she looked behind her. Medley flew to Rainbow, poked her on the back and pointed at Fluttershy, who was flying slower than the others and had a glum look on her face. Rainbow called out to her:

“Fluttershy, you’re falling behind! Stay in formation!”

“I’m sorry…”

She increased her speed a bit trying to catch up, but instead, Rainbow approached her. The others stopped in midair, waiting.

“What’s the matter with you?” the blue pegasus asked.

“Rainbow…” Fluttershy started sheepishly, “have you thought… just for a moment… who are we going to fight against?”

“We’ll be fighting against ponies who try to invade Equestria,” Rainbow Dash replied.

Fluttershy frowned even more. The perspective of having to fight other ponies filled her with doubt. It wasn’t like during the previous conflict, when their opponents were griffins. They were overconfident, power-hungry and arrogant, so defending Equestria seemed only natural from these kind of invaders. But having to fight her own kind…?

Firefly tried reasoning with her.

“Look, even if they are ponies and they used to live in Equestria, now they try to conquer it. You heard what Aurora was saying, right? If her soldiers are at least half as dangerous as she said, we can’t hold back! This may be precisely what they want: to catch us off-guard, then kill us. I don’t know about you, but those tricks won’t work on me!”

Fluttershy remained reluctant. Rainbow sighed loudly.

“OK, listen, Fluttershy. You don’t have to participate in the battle directly. Just make sure you’ll give us a holler through the radio if enemy units will be approaching. And try to support us from time to time. Can you do that?”

“Y-Yes…”

“Good. Now come on, girls, let’s move!”

The Mirage squadron resumed their flight toward Fillydelphia. Little did they knew that they were already too late…

==========

0812 hrs
Bridle Shores, Fillydelphia airspace

The enemy ships have already showed up on the horizon. The Wonderbolts were doing a patrol and saw the danger from the skies. Soarin’s seemed surprised.

“They’re here already? That was faster than we expected.”

“We gotta act fast. Firebolt, send the signal to 1st Fleet for stand-by alert,” Spitfire ordered. “We’re gonna keep the front ships distracted until the other squadrons will sortie.”

“Yes, ma’am!”

Focusing her sight on the missile boat in front of enemy formation, Spitfire made a deep breath before looking at Soarin’, who simply noded with a serious expression on his face.

“Here we go!”

Just as they headed away, they got a call. Spitfire answered it.

“So, you must be the famous Wonderbolts, huh? I’m Captain Bluehaze, in charge of the battleship Luminescence. As you might already know, there are landing ships among the enemy fleet. We’ll lose the city if they are allowed to make it ashore. We need you to help us defend the port. We still require some time to prepare for combat, so we need you to keep the enemy ships at bay. Give us about fifteen minutes, and we’re all set. We’ll be risking our necks out here with you.”

“Copy that, Captain Bluehaze,” Spitfire replied. “We’ve got a visual on hostile ships. En route to intercept.”

While the two pegasi could keep the enemy busy, there wasn’t much they could do alone. Upon coming into contact with the first missile boat, Spitfire and Soarin’ started circling around it, provoking the ponies onboard to actually fire at them. Firebolt joined soon after.

“Burner, Racer and Dragon flights will be here in a moment,” she said.

“So, got any plans, Spitfire?” Soarin’ asked.

“Well, one thing’s for sure: there’s no point in attacking the ships directly. Our hooves won’t even dent their armor. But, we can still focus on their crew and try to take out as many as we can to reduce their combat effectiveness.”

With Firebolt and Soarin’ agreeing to this tactic, Spitfire dived right in front of the missile boat.

“All right. Let’s see what these guys are made of.”

A barrage of machine gun fire followed from the deck, but she had no problems with avoiding it. Soarin’ used his chance to attack the pony controlling the gun and knock him out with a single attack. Unsurprisingly, the other ships didn’t seem too concerned with the Wonderbolts’ attacks and only kept heading toward Fillydelphia. If only they had something they could use to actually damage the ships...

Right before moving into a frigate, deeper into enemy formation, Firebolt warned Spitfire:

“Incoming from above!”

Spitfire dodged to the right and in the next second, the frigate was hit by a bomb. A small explosion scattered the Exile troops across the boat and damaged the guns. The Wonderbolt leader looked up to see Flare Star, a green pegasus with an orange mane, the leader of the Dragon squadron, descending into the battle.

“Did you like my entry?” she asked. “I wanted to try one of those babies out. Tornado Swirl and Overdrive will be here any second.”

“Where’d you get that bomb?” Soarin’ wondered.

“From our own ships, where else?” Flare Star responded. “Luminescence and the rest agreed to share their ammunition stock with us until they get ready to actually leave the port and go into open battle. Just go to the nearest ship, grab a bomb and drop it on those Exile suckers.”

Thanks to this new option, the EAF units now had a possibility of preventing the enemy from advancing any further. One of the Exile captains, commanding a battleship of his own, saw what happened to the frigate and quickly sent orders to other units.

“Let’s see how they will fare against our own air force. Scramble all available units!”

In a matter of seconds, more than ten pegasi took off from the nearest carrier, which remained in the rear of the main formation. Those carries were used as mobile bases for the pegasi so they could take off whenever the need came. The radars in Wonderbolts’ communicators quickly picked up several red dots heading in their direction.

“Bogies inbound!” Firebolt hollered.

“Yeah, I see them,” said Spitfire. “Guess the real battle’s just begun.”

Flare Star and three of her wingmates, two of which were her good friends, Wind Whistler and Rainfall, flew ahead to confront the opposing squadrons. Spitfire’s group still kept their eyes focused on the ships, seeing as they picked up speed and were now actually firing at them. At one point, after several daring evasions of enemy gunfire, one of the missile boats locked onto Spitfire and fired a missile at her, but she managed to dodge it.

“Must’ve hit their nerve,” she commented.

The two Exile squadrons that fought against Dragon squadron weren’t very hard to beat, even though their leaders were using machine guns strapped to their backs to attack the fliers from a safe distance. Flare Star’s teammates easily avoided those attacks, but the orange-maned mare herself got a little carried away and charged straight through the middle of their formation. While this action broke their rank, she found herself surrounded. Luckily, the green pegasus was saved by the arrival of Burner and Racer squadrons. Tornado Swirl even wore the same pair of machine guns with him as the ones Lightning Bolt showed to Rainbow Dash and made good use of them.

Away from the battle, Aurora Starlight and her Reaper squadron were observing the battle from their own flagship, the Warbird. Trickster was very displeased by the army performance as he watched them on the monitor.

“Look how pathetic they are! They can’t even beat a bunch of pegasi wearing jumpsuits! We should go there and show them how its done!”

“Not yet,” Shockwave argued. “We are still waiting for our true enemies to show up.”

“Why don’t we just call Scinfaxi and let them do the work?” the yellow colt insisted.

“It’s too early,” Deathwing explained. “We need to wait for them to make their move. Once they do… we will send them a message.”

“If the battle drags for too long, you will join the fray,” said Aurora.

So far, everything was going according to her plan. A sinister smile appeared on her face.

“This is the captain of the battleship Luminescence,” Bluehaze’s voice sounded in the Wonderbolts’ communicators. “We need about five more minutes before we’re ready to head out. Can you distract the enemy for a little while longer?”

“Sure thing, Cap,” Soarin’ responded.

Spitfire then saw that the main enemy fleet is starting to split in two smaller groups. Each of them surrounded the landing ships using their own frigates, missile boats and battleships. When the fiery-maned pegasus tried to get close, the anti-air machine gun barrage became intense and she had to pull back. Flare Star brought another bomb from the armory of Luminescence, but as she tried to drop it onto one of the frigates, the gun barrage got in the way. The bomb was destroyed in midair, much to Flare Star’s annoyance.

“Horse apples! We can’t get any closer to them! If this keep up, they will reach the city!”

“Luminescence, what’s your status?” Spitfire asked.

“Just a couple more minutes… Our engines are already up and running. We just need to arm the ship,” Captain Bluehaze answered.

Things became even worse when a new pack of enemy pegasi flew into combat area and started attacking Burner and Racer squadrons. They were overwhelmed, but Wonderbolts were unable to help them, as they couldn’t ignore the approaching fleet. The situation looked dramatic.

It was in this moment that everypony’s radars picked up seven approaching signals. One of them went ahead of the others. Within a second, a rainbow-colored streak ripped through the skies, straight into enemy formation, scattering them. Six more fliers joined the brave pegasus mare in defeating the enemy squadron.

“Sorry for the hold up.”

The ponies aboard the EAF ships recognized them and started cheering for them as the looked into the sky.

“It’s Mirage! The Angels have come! We’re going to win!”

“Hey, Rainbow Dash, took you long enough. The enemy barged in without waiting,” Spitfire commented.

“Oh yeah? Well then, time to get serious,” she replied.

Rainbow quickly dispatched Lightning Bolt, Cloud Kicker and Derpy to help the Wonderbolts in stopping one of the enemy fleet groups from reaching Fillydelphia. Their main problem was the continuous artillery barrage getting in their way and preventing a proper approach.

“It’s no use. When we get close, they start shooting,” Cloud Kicker whined.

Derpy suddenly had a thought.

“I think I know what to do. But, I’ll need your help, girls.”

Lightning and Cloud agreed to help her, although the grey mare didn’t tell them what was she planning. Within a few seconds, she reached Luminescence and picked a bomb that looked smaller than those used to attack ships so far. It was green and had a powerful warhead. Once Derpy returned with it, Lightning Bolt gasped, as she understood the plan now.

“You’re going to use a guided penetration bomb?! But you need to be very close to...”

“That’s why I need your help,” Derpy interrupted. “I’ll try to break through that barrage and bomb the battleship. I need you to cover me.”

Cloud Kicker seemed uncertain at first, but once the Dragon squadron offered additional support, she was ready to help. Gale instructed Derpy to reach at least 800 feet away from target before dropping the bomb, so that its mechanism will lock onto it. The grey pegasus started flying toward the enemy fleet, with her friends going ahead in an attempt to distract the escorts long enough. She’d have only a small window of opportunity to take out that battleship, so timing was of the essence.

While the escorts started firing at the other pegasi and seemingly forgot about Derpy, the captain of the enemy battleship saw through her plan. When she was only 2000 feet away from the target, he ordered to shoot her down. Derpy tried to avoid the bullets as she kept going, but a few of them grazed her wings, causing her pain. She held onto the bomb even more and pressed forward. Another bullet grazed her wing, almost making her careen off course. But she didn’t stop. Derpy managed to reach the designated distance and dropped the guided penetration bomb at the battleship.

“Here’s a special delivery!”

The Exiles, boarded on landing ships and more than eager to disembark and attack Equestria, saw their great battleship literally being rend in half due to bomb’s impact. Pieces of its armor were scattered across the water as its crew desperately tried to escape. A few seconds later, the huge battleship exploded. Lightning Bolt and Cloud Kicker were cheering loudly.

Flare Star also watched everything in awe.

“Direct hit! Had me kinda worried for a moment, but… That was awesome, Mirage 6!”

Her wingmates came to help Derpy in getting to safer ground, as she was unable to stabilize her flight because of wounds she suffered. They weren’t very dangerous, but they didn’t want to take the risk.

The destruction of one of their battleships brought a bit of chaos into the Exiles’ ranks. The EAF units used this opportunity to deal additional damage to the first fleet group, dropping bombs onto the ships and sinking each and every one. Soon after dispatching them, Captain Bluehaze informed them that preparations were completed. The Luminescence and the entire 1st Fleet were now ready to join the battle. He announced it by ordering to fire at the second Exile fleet group, heavily damaging one of its frigates.

“The engine’s been hit! Heavy damage! All hooves, abandon ship!”

Fluttershy looked at the entire battle with very mixed emotions. She was glad to see her friends winning, but the sight of ponies floating in the sea and being carried away by pegasi, who were not busy fighting at the moment, to the ships, filled her with grief and sadness.

“Why is this happening…? This isn’t right… Somepony stop it…”

==========

Aurora seemed a bit shocked as she saw her battleship being destroyed. However, she didn’t lose her composure. She still had a few landing ships left, and the chance to invade the city wasn’t lost yet. Now she knew that the EAF flagship was their main strength. It had to be eliminated.

“Let’s not keep them waiting any longer,” she said to herself before adjusting her radio. “Scinfaxi, do you read me?”

“Yes, Warbird, we read you,” a monotone voice answered. “What is your command?”

“... Launch it. Aim for enemy’s flagship.”

“Acknowledged. We’ll launch in 30 seconds.”

Aurora cut the link and looked at the four pegasi standing beside her.

“Once the message has been sent, you will join the battle.”

They all seemed quite excited, especially Trickster. Deathwing also longed to fight against the best and test his strength. Aurora chuckled quietly as she sent a signal to the other battleship.

“Attention, all units!” the Exile commander radioed to his comrades. “I have received new orders from Lady Aurora. Stop with the advance! We are to remain on our current positions until further notice.”

These orders were questionable to some subordinates, especially those on ships being closest to the city and the 1st Equestrian Fleet. But they had no choice. Engine rooms on all Exile ships ceased actions, causing the pegasi from Mirage squadron to ponder on that unexpected change.

“What’s going on?” Rainbow Dash wondered. “Why did they stop?”

“Maybe… they are going to surrender,” said Fluttershy.

Gale went ahead and decided to analyze the situation. When he picked up a strange activity outside the combat sector, the expression on his face was nothing short of terrified. He had to hurry.

“All allied air forces, be advised! The enemy is about to launch a burst missile! They are targeting the 1st Fleet!”

Spitfire gasped loudly. She still remembered those dreaded weapons of mass destruction being used by Red Cyclone’s army during the Equestrian War. Could it be that the Exiles had access to them as well? There was little time.

“Hurry up, everypony! Climb above 5000 feet!”

“What about the 1st Fleet?” Lightning Bolt asked. “Can’t we do something?”

“Luminescence! Stay in the port! Do not leave your position! All other ships, spread out!” Spitfire hollered.

While Captain Bluehaze acknowledged the order and told the helmsman to halt the ship, there were still several smaller ships which already left the port in pursuit of the enemy. They were left open to the burst missile’s devastating explosions. What was worse, they were without any visible means of escaping or countermeasures.

Gale announced the burst missile launching. All pegasi were already save above the designated height, but the ships were still vulnerable. Seeing no other way, the soldiers aboard started to abandon them, getting into lifeboats and trying to escape. They were racing against time.

“10 seconds to impact!” Gale shouted. “9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2… impact now!”

Those who fought during the previous conflict with the griffins experienced the most horrific flashback possible when the huge missile exploded in the port’s vicinity.

One huge massive fireball engulfed the area and dissolved into smaller ones, causing a true rain of destruction. Even though they were above the blast radius, Rainbow and her companions fearfully waited for any response from Captain Bluehaze. They tried contacting him after a few seconds as the dust begun dissipating.

What they saw was beyond their greatest nightmares. It seemed as if the entire 1st Fleet was vaporized. Ruined remains of several ships floated on the water. Only the three biggest ships, including Luminescence, were still operational, although greatly damaged. All weapons and cannons on the flagship’s entire main deck had been destroyed. The other, smaller vessels were completely in pieces, crumbling into the sea or having their decks wiped clean and set on fire.

“Luminescence, do you read? Please, respond,” Gale asked.

All they heard at first were grunts of pain, but Bluehaze’s voice soon became more coherent.

“I’m here. We survived… somehow. But the others are… gone. I can’t pick them on radar or reach them via communicator. Damn… what the hay was that?”

Rainbow Dash clashed her hooves with frustration. So they were just lying in wait and hoping to see the 1st Fleet leave the port so they could attack. But nopony even dreamed they would possess such a terrifying weapon…

“This is bad. Luminescence is completely defenseless. If they attack it now, they will sink it,” said Lightning Bolt. “Mirage 1, what should we do?”

Rainbow, instead of answering, looked at Fluttershy, who seemed to be in a state of deep shock.

“They…are gone…” she mumbled. “How could they…?”

“Do you see, Fluttershy?” Rainbow asked her. “These guys aren’t like us. They will use whatever it takes to accomplish their goals. They only care about themselves. If we lose, they will take Equestria over! We have to stop them!”

Fluttershy looked at the carnage below, seeing bodies of several ponies floating lifelessly on the water. Tears flocked in her eyes as she closed them for a brief moment. Her expression changed drastically; she let out a piercing scream and flew to the nearest Exile squadron, knocking one of the pegasi out of the sky with a single hit. Much to surprise of both them and her allies, Fluttershy wasn't hesitant anymore.

“You… MONSTERS! I won’t let you… I won’t let you have your way!”

Firefly didn’t see that coming, even though she knew that Fluttershy could do some unexpected, if awesome things. The pink pegasus called to others to come and join her in the fight, while protecting the flagship and securing its escape route.

“Now that’s Butterfly I don’t wanna mess with. Come on girls, let’s teach those crooks a lesson!”

By Gale’s proposition, Luminescence and the two ships accompanying it decided to leave Fillydelphia and get to Stalliongrad for necessary repairs. The Wonderbolts, as well as Dragon, Burner and Racer squadrons joined Mirage in fighting against the enemy air forces, with Burner squadron occasionally provoking the Exile ships to attack them. This tactic allowed one of the other pegasi to conduct an attack run, using one of several bombs left in the armory of Luminescence to bomb the ship. However, these attack weren’t completely successful, as the other battleship tried throwing a couple of monkey wrenches into that plan by protecting other vessels with its anti-air barrage.

“That piece of junk is becoming a real pain in the tail!” Flare Star grumbled. “We gotta take it out!”

“I’ll go first,” Tornado Swirl announced. “Burner 2 and 3, follow my lead. Try to take out as many enemies as you can.”

The green pegasus decided to try and destroy those guns using his own. By circling around the ship and drawing its attention, it helped his wingmates in taking out a few Exile troops in direct confrontation. Additionally, he managed to disable most of AA guns, allowing the other pegasi to perform a saturation attack.

“They aren’t much of a threat now,” Tornado commented. “Let’s bring the rain!”

A group of about ten fliers, each carrying unguided bombs, dropped them one after the other, hitting several crucial points of the ship. Finally, Flare Star used the last bomb to deal a crippling blow in the ship’s middle section. She let out a gleeful yell of satisfaction when it had been ripped in half in a big explosion.

“Yeah, that’s what I’m talking about!”

The Exiles had no choice but to abandon ship, the core of their invading fleet destroyed. Their air forces could not stop the Racer squadron from destroying the last two landing ships, using guided penetration bombs. Since the danger of their attacks being unsuccessful wasn’t present anymore, they could go all out. That attack was another success for the soldiers of EAF.

However, more troubles loomed on the horizon…

“Gale to Mirage 1. I’m picking up four unknown contacts, heading in your direction. Most likely, another enemy squadron.”

“Roger that,” Rainbow Dash replied. “We’ll take them on. Spitfire, can you keep an eye on the others and help Luminescence withdraw from the area?”

“You got it.”

Rainbow called her friends to assemble. Derpy’s wounds were already treated by Wind Whistler, so she was ready to assist. Medley noticed four opponents approaching.

“Visual on bandits.”

“They may be trying to finish off Luminescence,” said Rainbow. “We need to keep them away from it until it reaches open waters.”

“Roger!”

Just as the enemy squadron approached them, they suddenly increased their speed, passing through the Mirage fliers. But they weren’t targeting the flagship. The four pegasi dispersed and started fighting Rainbow’s team.

Lightning Bolt and Cloud Kicker faced against a purple pegasus whose mane had a darker shade of that color. He seemed quite skilled and easily managed to outmaneuver both fliers, much to their surprise.

“Whoa, he’s fast. I can barely keep up with him,” Cloud Kicker exclaimed.

Though Lightning found a small opening in his flight pattern, he immediately corrected his mistake by lowering his altitude and dodging the white mare’s punch.

“Bastard slipped right by me. These guys are good.”

Medley had troubles chasing the smallest member. The yellow pegasus kept acting extremely obnoxious, constantly mocking the young flier.

“Come, on, come on! Try and catch me! You’re no match for Trickster!”

When he blew a raspberry in Medley’s face, she lost patience.

“Why, you little—”

“Look out, Kid, behind you!” Lightning Bolt called out.

Medley turned around and noticed the purple pegasus flying at her.

“I have you now!”

“I don’t think so!”

Lightning Bolt flew from the side, hitting her opponent in the back and causing him to abandon his attempt. If it weren’t for Lightning’s interference, Medley could have been knocked out of the sky.

“Thanks, Thunder. And, sorry,” she stammered.

“Just keep an eye around you. They aren’t your regular fliers.”

Medley fixed her sight on the pegasus that called himself Trickster, who kept laughing like a maniac. Something felt off about him, and she really started to hate his guts.

While Derpy kept being on equal footing with a tall blue pegasus, both Firefly and Rainbow Dash were taking on the black-coated leader of the squadron. Despite being outnumbered two to one, he could telegraph their moves and avoid most of them.

“Is this the best you can do? You will never beat us like this,” he spoke with sinister voice, which, for some reason, reminded Firefly of Black Star.

“Who are you to talk?” Rainbow asked.

The black-coated pegasus darted backwards and, in perfect synchronization, his teammates came along to his side. He lifted his gaze at Rainbow Dash, as the other fliers assembled around her as well.

“We are the servants of Lady Aurora. We are the Reapers. We will be your death.”

Rainbow wasn’t impressed by his boast.

“In your dreams!”

The fight resumed. Thanks to their unpredictable flight pattern, the Reapers managed to stay one step ahead of Mirage. Luckily, Rainbow could easily adapt to their strategy and, with a little help, they eventually caught on. Avoiding the enemy attacks became easier. Medley even hit Trickster a couple of times, annoying him.

Just as the black-coated pegasus was about to charge straight at Rainbow, he heard a voice in his communicator.

“Deathwing, that’s enough. The enemy flagship is about to leave the area. Return to the Warbird. You did well by buying us time. Now we will put our foe to the real test.”

“... Understood.”

He cut the transmission and called to his comrades.

“Shockwave, Havoc, Trickster. We are going back. We’re done here.”

“What?!” Trickster yelled. “I’m just getting started.”

“Don’t argue with me. It’s a direct order from Lady Aurora.”

Trickster still seemed a bit frustrated about it, but he didn’t protest.

“Well, at least that was fun,” said the tall blue pegasus.

Rainbow didn’t knew what was going on, so she called out to Deathwing.

“What, you’re running away?”

He slowly turned around to face her and let out a smirk.

“It was a pleasure to meet you, Rainbow Dash. Even if it’s only to say, farewell.”

That sentence left the blue pegasus puzzled. The Mirage squadron didn’t give chase after the enemy. They regrouped and asked Gale to analyze the area for any other enemy activity. While he reported nothing at first, he noticed the same signal briefly appearing on his radar away from the combat area. It seemed like a submarine unit, preparing to launch another missile attack. He went ahead to identify it. Then, cold sweat started dripping from his forehead.

“They are preparing another attack!”

“But Luminescence already left the area,” Cloud Kicker pointed out.

“They are not aiming for the flagship anymore… but for the city,” Gale explained with a grim tone. “It’s going to be a cruise missile.”

“WHAT?!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed. “They are planning to nuke the city?!”

“We’ve got to stop the launch!” Medley screamed.

“There’s less than 30 seconds left. Besides, the unit is beyond your range. You wouldn’t make it.”

Gale sounded resigned, as if he was utterly defeated, not seeing any ray of hope. However, Rainbow Dash had no intention to surrender. She contacted Tornado Swirl.

“Burner 1, come in!”

“I read you.”

“You still have those machine guns with you?”

“Yeah, why?”

“How much ammo left?”

“About 200 bullets. I’ve managed to shoot down a few enemy fliers and—”

“I need you to give them to me,” Rainbow interrupted him.

Tornado paused, seemingly surprised about that request.

“Say what?”

“Just do it!” Rainbow exclaimed. “There’s no time to argue!”

As she reached the green pegasus, he slowly unstrapped the machine guns from his back and showed Rainbow how to wear them. Gale contacted her.

“Mirage 1, what are you planning on doing?”

The initial answer was a sound of belt being strapped around the blue pegasus’ back.

“I’m going to shoot that missile down.”

“You’re crazy!” Cloud Kicker blurted. “Those missiles can go more than 800 kilometers per hour! You’ll never make it!”

“Seems like you don’t know me that well,” Rainbow responded.

Her teammates were concerned and advised Rainbow Dash to forget about it. But she could not ignore that danger. While they could escape, the ponies in Fillydelphia had no idea about the incoming missile.

“If that thing hits Fillydelphia, the city is history! Think of how many ponies will die! It ain’t happening! Not while I’m around! Gale, give me a vector on that missile!”

After a brief silence, the Wonderbolt operator downloaded necessary data and transferred it to Rainbow’s communicator. The missile had already been launched, and it would reach the city within two minutes. Rainbow started heading in its direction.

“You’re gonna have to destroy it at close range, Rainbow. It’s up to you. You only have one attempt.”

“That’s all I need.”

Her friends also cheered for her and it gave Rainbow additional resolve to destroy the cruise missile. Despite having limited ammunition and taking into account that getting too close could be devastating for her, due to slipping behind missile’s wake and the heat wave from its exhaust, Rainbow was determined to stop it.

She came across her target after a couple of seconds of flying away from Bridle Shores.

“Radar contact. I’m going after it.”

Rainbow allowed the missile to pass her by, then she instantly turned around and started a mad chase after it. The closer she got, the greater the heat was.

“You’re in gun range, Mirage 1. Shoot that missile down!”

The blue pegasus begun firing machine guns at the metallic construction. It was a bit difficult for her to aim due to the intense velocity and the fact that the guns were a bit heavy, but she did managed to damage the missile a bit. But it was still heading for Fillydelphia.

“We’re running out of time!” Gale exclaimed.

“Come on, come on…!” Rainbow grumbled.

The heat wave started to get to her and weaken her sight. Yet, she kept shooting. Only 100 bullets left. She was getting desperate. She had to shoot it down.

Rainbow got even closer, almost feeling her face burning.

Seventy bullets.

Now she was shooting blindly, screaming in pain.

Fifty bullets.

Rainbow could barely see the city before her. She heard Gale saying that the missile was near impact. This was her last chance. She fired at the exhaust.

The missile started heading off course. A few seconds later, it blew up above the city. Rainbow, despite being a safe distance, had difficulties with stabilizing her flight. The force of the explosion was quite powerful. She managed to reach her communicator.

“Target destroyed!”

“Destruction of cruise missile confirmed! Well done, Mirage 1!”

“You’re the mare, Rainbow!” Medley shouted.

The other fliers surrounded her as they watched the small remains of missile fall down to the ground. Rainbow’s face suffered small burns due to great heat and her vision seemed limited, as she had trouble reaching Firefly with her arm. Instead, the pink flier got closer so she could give her a hug.

“That was some move, taking out that missile, Rainbow!” Lightning Bolt congratulated her. “You’re the best there is!”

“I’m sorry I ever doubted in you,” said Cloud Kicker. “You totally rocked!”

“Hey, that’s our job, isn’t it?” Rainbow asked casually, rubbing her eyes. Everything seemed a little foggy to her.

Ultimately, the city of Fillydelphia was saved. Still, the casualties sustained by EAF were severe. Almost the entirety of the 1st Fleet, save for Luminescence and two other ships, the pegasus carrier Daybreak, and another battleship, Nightfall, had been destroyed. Only those three managed to survive. The pegasi forces didn’t lose any fliers, but many of them were wounded. On the other hand, a majority of invading enemy forces had been destroyed, and the remaining units were forced to retreat.

Unfortunately, that celebration didn’t last long. Gale informed them that it was all just a diversion. A much bigger fleet group managed to break through the southern border and reached their destination. Any defenders who tried to resist eventually had to fall back. Some ground forces suffered losses. Despite their success, Rainbow wasn’t satisfied, as the Exiles still managed to invade Equestria.

They won the battle, but the war had only just begun.

Chapter 4: Skies of Deception

The enemy succeeded in breaching Equestria’s borders.

Fueled by dreams of triumph, they press onward.

The heroines set their course to another battle,

But a great danger lurks within the clouds…

Chapter 4

Skies of Deception

June 13th, 2021
1020 hrs
Canterlot, Mirage squadron’s base

Within just a few hours, military actions spread across the whole of Equestria. There wasn’t a moment of rest for ponies fighting on both sides. While the soldiers from Allied Forces tried their best to hold the enemy at bay, the Exiles continued pushing into Equestrian territory. Most of the time, their offence was kept at bay, but whenever one group of the army had trouble, the other was immediately dispatched to help them. Thanks to good communication and their perseverance, the ponies from the Allied Forces managed to suppress the Exile invasion. However, they were still preparing for a major blow, as it became obvious that their main target was Canterlot. By attempting to form one big frontline and trying to break it in multiple spots at the same time, the Exiles stretched their supply lines, which, if left unchecked for some time, could ultimately lead into a devastating counterattack and their defeat by the Allied Forces.

If either of the two armies was supposed to gain a strategic advantage, it needed one, decisive strike against the enemy to secure their positions...

The pegasi from Mirage squadron were aware of dangerous situation. Rainbow Dash could not understand why they weren’t sent to aid the invaded southern border immediately after saving Fillydelphia from being nuked by the cruise missile.

“We could get there within 3 or 4 hours and help the defenders right away,” she said loudly. “Instead, Gale told us to get back to base and remain here until further notice. I don’t get it!”

“Not everypony was ready to join another battle in such a short time,” Lightning Bolt pointed out. “We all needed some rest, especially you, Rainbow.”

Rainbow’s only answer was a loud sigh. True, she did suffer some injuries, mainly due to heat from the cruise missile’s exhaust, but she was perfectly fine the next hour and could get back to fighting without problems. Still, Gale did not recommend a risky approach. Rainbow could not blame him for that thinking.

“Look on the bright side,” Lightning continued. “At least we got the time to analyze the data gathered during the battle.”

“Did you find out anything interesting?” Medley asked out of curiosity.

“Actually, yes. Come here, everypony, I’ll show you something.”

The other six pegasi approached the large computer screen and stared into the pictures displayed on it. Most of them had either enemy ships or flying units on them. However, one of the pictures displayed showed a huge sea unit about to submerge.

“Wow, look at that thing!” Cloud Kicker squeaked. “Is that thing responsible for conducting those two missile attacks? I mean, only this ship seems big enough to carry them.”

“And you are right,” Lightning Bolt answered. “It specializes in this kind of stuff. After all, this is a Scinfaxi-class submarine.”

“And? What’s so special about it?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Just the fact it is operational. In order to man and arm that kind of unit, let alone build it, one would need at least several years. The Exiles were really busy… But I’m concerned about something else… Since they invaded Equestria from outside its borders, they must have been preparing themselves for a long time. They couldn’t have done it alone.”

There was some truth in what the white pegasus said. All kinds of war preparations were not conducted day by day. Keeping them in secrecy would also be impossible. Aurora and her troops probably found some other group of individuals who gave them shelter, shared their resources and allowed to conduct her experiments, as well as preparing her soldiers for upcoming battles.

“As organized as they are now, the Exiles most likely had some sort of outside help. The question is… who?” Derpy wondered.

“Maybe instead of sitting here and warming our flanks up, we should start a search right away!” Firefly exclaimed. “They came from outside Equestria, right? I bet they don’t suspect a counterattack at this point. Let’s find their main base and sabotage it!”

Unfortunately for the pink pegasus, her friends only looked at her in disbelief.

“Firefly, do you realize it’s impossible at the moment?” Lightning Bolt said. “Their base could be anywhere in the world. Unless we’ll get some coordinates, there’s nothing we can do but wait for their next move.”

Firefly frowned in response and started walking around.

“How much is Gale going to keep us waiting?! I hate standing in one – Wait!”

She cut her sentence when her gaze rested on the computer screen and at the Scinfaxi submarine again.

“What?” Lightning asked.

“Could you zoom that picture in?”

She did as Firefly told her. They all saw a symbol on the side of the submarine. It looked very familiar…

“I don’t believe this!” Firefly exclaimed. “Those bastards are pushing it!”

“That symbol… It looks like Princess Celestia’s cutie mark!” Cloud Kicker gasped.

“What could it mean…?” Medley wondered.

Firefly looked at the picture with clear anger.

“It’s obvious! That’s just another way for them to mock the princess without risking a direct confrontation with her! They think they can get away with everything!”

The pink pegasus stomped the floor in frustration.

“They’re really starting to piss me off!”

“Firefly, calm down, will you?” Rainbow Dash asked. “I don’t like this either. I’m sure nopony is satisfied with the situation the way it is now. But there’s no point in throwing a tantrum. You really need to keep a lid on that temper of yours.”

“Look who’s talking,” Firefly snorted.

“What did you say?”

“Nothing… Captain.”

Rainbow noticed a bit of sarcasm in Firefly’s voice on that last word. She didn’t want to start an argument, though.

“Hey, we’ll teach those Exiles a lesson they will never forget by the first possible chance. For now, let’s just keep our wits up and stand by for any calls to a mission.”

The other pegasi agreed to this. Rainbow Dash then turned to Fluttershy, who remained quiet the whole time.

“And while we’re on topic… Fluttershy, can I ask you something?”

“What is it?”

She wasn’t looking at Rainbow. Almost as if she was afraid to look into her eyes…

“What happened to you back then?

“What do you mean?”

“You know what I’m talking about. The way you snapped during the battle...”

Firefly and the other fliers thought about the moment when Fluttershy freaked out over the Exiles using a burst missile against the 1st Fleet, destroying most of friendly ships. They didn’t know the exact cause of Fluttershy’s rage outburst. Was it the attack itself? The image of destruction? Or was it something else…?

The yellow pegasus finally lifted her gaze and looked at her friends. They were looking at her with uncertainty, maybe even doubt. Fluttershy spoke with her timid, sheepish voice again.

“I… I just don’t know. I don’t know what happened. I just couldn’t control my emotions any longer… It all seemed so wrong… This wasn’t what we’ve been fighting for against the griffins. This should have never happened…!”

Her voice started breaking down. Rainbow came closer, nuzzling her face.

“Hey, it’s all right. Before you say anything else, just remember: you’ve done absolutely nothing wrong. Your decision to fight against them was right. There’s no use reasoning with the Exiles. They may be ponies, but they are not like us.”

While Rainbow’s assurance eased her doubts a bit, Fluttershy was still uncertain about fighting other ponies, even if they were committing acts of evil. Still, she decided to remain with her friends and help as best as she can.

Barely a few minutes later, Gale sent a message to them. It would appear that enemy forces had started making a major move and were heading toward Ponyville. Mirage’s mission was to go there and support the EAF forces stationed in the town’s vicinity. Firefly questioned the fact that Gale didn’t speak directly to them, like last time. Lightning Bolt reminded her about the fact that Gale wasn’t responsible just for them, but for the entirety of pegasi forces. He most likely had to keep a look out on a different battle somewhere else. However, he also notified that Rainbow’s flight will have the assistance of another pony, serving as communication and radar control.

Not wanting to waste anymore time, Rainbow Dash ordered her friends to assemble at the runway. This time, they were already wearing vests that Rarity had redone the other day. Indeed, they felt much more durable and flexible, sporting the colors adequate to each flier’s coat color and bearing two emblems; one for the squadron and the other one being similar to the flag of Equestria, which also became the symbol of EAF.

==========

1100 hrs
Ponyville airspace

“Visual on friendly ground units ahead!” Cloud Kicker reported as the seven fliers were nearing the rally point at glasslands not too far away from Ponyville.

“Good eye as always, Sunny,” Rainbow Dash commented. “Everypony, descend!”

Some of the troops noticed them coming and started cheering as they passed by. Rainbow went ahead to Applejack who was really glad to see her. She was again given command over the “Apple” battalion, which specialized in storming the front and breaking enemy’s formation. She had nearly 400 soldiers at her disposal.

“Twilight is here, too,” Applejack added. “She’s been given nearly 250 ponies to form the “Arcana” battalion. Their job is to intercept enemy pegasi and use the unicorn magic to assist other units or to attack upcoming foes.”

Rainbow Dash noticed some unicorns further up ahead. Still, she wanted to know something more about the reasons about the Exiles’ sudden movement.

“They’re just getting overconfident,” said Applejack. “Won’t go down quietly either. It seems their plan is an attempt to burst their way to Canterlot by going through Ponyville first. If they’ll do so, we’re going to lose our primary supply center, so we’ll have to defend it at any cost. Ah’m countin’ on you and your team, Rainbow.”

“We’ll do whatever we can. Do we got any information about the size of enemy forces?”

“Not to worry. Ah’ve sent a scout team to investigate the area about 15 minutes before you arrived. They should be back soon… Ah, here they come!”

She pointed to a few small silhouettes on the horizon. It looked like a small carrier wagon holding six ponies and being pulled by another one, riding a small scooter… Rainbow recognized who that was, but couldn’t believe it at first. What would they be doing here?

Within several seconds, Scootaloo stopped right in front of Applejack, and the other ponies on the wagon jumped down. They formed up before the orange pony, not noticing the Mirage squadron at first.

“Cutie Mark Crusader Scouting Team reporting back, Applejack!” said Scootaloo while saluting. Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, Dinky, Pipsqueak, as well as two other colts did the same.

“At ease, kids. Ah see you’re really treating this task seriously… So, what did ya learn?”

“Enemy forces are closing in. We expect they will be here by… Oh!”

Just then, Scootaloo turned her sight to the right, noticing Rainbow Dash.

“Hey, Rainbow, you’ve made it, too! Great, now we’re going to win!”

“Wait just a minute!” Fluttershy interrupted. “What are you all doing here?!”

“What does it look like? We’re helping,” said a brown colt wearing a propeller beanie hat.

Derpy wasn’t pleased very much either when she saw Dinky and Pipsqueak with them.

“Do you know what are you doing, kids? This isn’t a playground, it’s a battlefield! You better go back to Ponyville now and leave fighting to us.”

“But Mommy, we wanted to help,” Dinky argued.

“By endangering yourselves? Applejack, what is the meaning of this?”

Applejack sighed. She expected such reactions.

“They volunteered. A lot of ponies in the town are busy, themselves, tryin' to gather supplies and arm themselves in case of an 'mergency. Scootaloo and the others asked Cheerilee to let them help too, and she agreed. Technically, they’re still under her care, so… Ah don’t see much of a problem.”

“I don’t like this one bit,” Derpy frowned.

“It’s all right. They never spotted us.”

That last sentence was spoken by the brown colt again. It would appear that he was one of the new members of the Cutie Mark Crusaders that Apple Bloom mentioned to Dinky awhile ago. He was standing next to a pegasus colt, who had a grayish coat, dark mane and purple eyes. Rainbow knew him well.

“Hey, Rumble, you’re here, too?”

“Yup,” he answered. “Don’t worry, Rainbow, Thunderlane knows where I am. His Falcon squadron is currently engaging the enemy in Trottingham area. I wanted to go with him, but he said I’d better stay here in Ponyville and help the Cutie Mark Crusaders in running errands around the town, as well as general assistance.”

“And that includes our last scouting,” the brown colt spoke again. “We’re aware it’s a dangerous job, but somepony’s gotta do it. We can’t officially become a military unit, so this is the least we can do.”

Applejack turned her sight to him.

“OK, Button Mash, if you’re so eager to talk, tell me how the situation looks like.”

“Yes, ma’am. Like Scootaloo said, the enemy forces are coming. Their estimated time of arrival is 1120.”

“In about 10 minutes, huh... How many did you see?”

“We counted about five earth pony divisions and two additional unicorn battalions. Also, three enemy air squadrons. There may be more on the way, though.”

“Ah see,” said Applejack. "Things are gonna get ugly soon... Well, you did a great job, Cutie Mark Crusaders. Now, report back to Cheerilee and stay with her.”

The kids made a single salute and started boarding the wagon. Scootaloo prepared to flap her wings in order to gain speed on her scooter and ride back into town, but she saw Rainbow, looking at her.

“You’re not angry at me, are you?” the filly asked.

“... No,” Rainbow replied. “In fact, I approve of what you’re doing. But you better watch yourself. I don’t want to see you or the other Crusaders get hurt.”

“We’ll be fine. Best of luck, Dash.”

Derpy followed the kids with a gloomy sight.

“Can’t say I’m happy about this…”

“Hey, be thankful to them,” said Firefly. “Thanks to them, we know what the enemy is up to. A lot has to be risked in the war. That’s just the way it is.”

“But I don’t want them to…”

“We’ll talk about it later,” Rainbow interrupted her. “We have bigger issues right now.”

She went ahead to speak with Twilight. After a short discussion, the purple unicorn called the other fliers to explains the details of their mission.

“The enemy forces may try to break into Ponyville from three different points. Gale already told me that he’ll send additional forces to aid us. We need to hold them off as long as we can until the reinforcements arrive. It will be up to the pegasi squadrons to provide our forces with aerial support.”

“You bet we will,” Rainbow said.

Just then, two more pegasus squadrons came along. Rainbow recognized their leaders immediately. The one with a crosshair emblem lead the Sweeper squadron and had a light blue coat. He stood out among other fliers due to his yellow and red colored mane. The other leader had a winged lance as an emblem - the symbol of Lancer squadron. Compared to other pegasi in his team, he was quite tall.

“Quick Chaser! Thunder Flicker! Long time no see, guys!”

“Hey, looks who’s here!” Quick Chaser commented upon landing before Rainbow. “Heard you pulled out a major stunt at Fillydelphia. You go, girl!”

“You know how to get things started with a bang, eh, Dash?” Thunder Flicker added. “One more squadron is on its way, but it’s still being scrambled. So, for now, you’ve got us.”

“Thanks, guys,” said Rainbow.

Within the next ten minutes, the Cutie Mark Crusaders predictions came true. Medley and Cloud Kicker reported about first enemy units approaching their positions. The battle was about to begin…

“All right, you punks!” Quick Chaser exclaimed. “Do your worst!”

Seeing Ponyville in the distance, one of the Exile commanders reached for a communicator.

“My Lady, Aurora. We have reached the designated positions. It would seem the enemy is lying in wait for us. They intend to protect the area.”

“I expected as much,” Aurora replied. “Carry on the mission and claim this town. Do not worry about the defenders. I’ll see to it that they will fail.”

“As you wish, Lady.”

The commander ended the conversation and ordered his troops to attack. Applejack’s battalion was already waiting for them to clash in a battle. As the Exile pegasus squadrons headed onward, Rainbow’s team flew up as well to meet them.

“We’ll prioritize the fighters. The sooner we take them out, the easier it will be for the ground forces,” Firefly suggested.

“Sounds like a plan to me,” Rainbow Dash replied. “All fliers, you’re cleared to engage!”

The Reapers watched as the Exile soldiers ran through the fields to take on the EAF troops. Once again, Trickster felt sour about being left behind.

“Do really need to trust those amateurs in taking over that town? Come on, guys. Everyone knows we could have done it ourselves.”

“Are you doubting Lady Aurora?” Deathwing asked him.

“Now, now…” the alicorn mare whispered gently. “There is no point in starting another argument. I’m keeping you here for the moment because I will need you during the assault on Canterlot. It’s all a part of my plan. Rest assured, Ponyville will be ours before this day shall end.”

Deathwing looked at his companions, who seemed a little uncertain.

“What is your plan, my lady?”

“You will see soon enough… I have an important talk to attend to. Please leave for now.”

As the four pegasi turned to the exit, Aurora said to Shockwave:

“What is the status of the Zeal?”

“Almost done. I’ve compressed the data you’ve send me, my lady. All that is required now is some raw data acquired during combat to be uploaded into the system,” Shockwave replied.

“Excellent. Then you will gather that data during the attack on the capital. You are dismissed.”

Just as the door closed behind them, Aurora turned around and faced a different monitor. Sounds of hissing and growls came out of the speaker.

“I hope you have a good reason. How much longer do you intend to keep us waiting?”

It was the voice of a creature hidden in a shadow, the same that Aurora was speaking to before. It sounded clearly frustrated.

“Do not worry, King Aigaion. I have good news for you. The time for waiting is over. You and your men can now join the battle for our cause.”

A satisfied growl was heard.

“At last…”

“However, your assistance will be needed mostly in an attempt to besiege the capital. For the moment, I require an assistance from one of your generals. I wish to show the Princess of the Skies and her companions the meaning of true fear.”

“Is that right?” Aigaion growled. “Very well then. If it helps your soldiers in establishing superiority in the region, then I believe I have someone just up to the task.”

Aurora smiled.

“I’m pleased to hear it. Do you think he can reach the designated point within two hours or so?”

“Easily.”

“Then I’ll be looking forward to the results, o Mighty One.”

Their conversation ended. Aurora turned her throne around to face the monitor displaying the ongoing battle. For the moment, it seemed to be even for both sides.

But not for long…

The earth pony battalions under the Exile banner managed to completely occupy Applejack’s forces. Despite a small advantage in numbers, they were unable to break through the defense lines. Applejack ran back and forth, supporting her troops and delivering painful kicks to any enemy pony unlucky enough to get too close, all the while trying to avoid long range bombardments from the second enemy line. She called Rainbow and her team to try and take the cannons out, but the Exiles had one more contraption on their side. Some soldiers were riding on a mobile anti-air turret, which were very similar to those mounted on their ships. It become difficult to get behind the enemy’s line and take out the artillery. The main problem came from the EAF troops not having artillery of their own.

However, Twilight found a solution to the problem. She send two unicorn companies to create a distraction. Using shield spells, they received most of the incoming fire, allowing the Sweeper squadron to perform a swift attack that destroyed most of the cannons. That small success gave the defenders a much needed morale boost.

Despite losing his artillery, The Exile commander wasn’t done yet. He decided to fight fire with fire.

“Strike Battalions 123 and 124, shoot down the pegasi. Clear the skies! Make way for our bombers! We’ll get to Ponyville one way or another!”

They did as they were ordered to. Seeing Mirage squadron approaching and preparing another attack at their own flight team, the Exile unicorns started shooting offensive spells in their direction.

“Look out from below!” Rainbow Dash hollered.

A barrage of fire, ice and lightning beams caused them to break formation and spread out, trying to avoid them. Cloud Kicker saw a group of five pegasi grabbing a hold of bombs from the ammo stock in the rear of enemy’s lines. She realized the danger.

“Mirage 4 here! The enemy is preparing a bomber raid!”

“Say what?”

Medley suddenly turned around to see if it was true. Unfortunately, that brief moment of inattention cost her. One of the enemy unicorns noticed her stopping in midair and fired an icy beam at her. Before she could evade the attack, it struck her in the right wing.

“Ahhh! I’m hit!”

“Kid!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed. “Are you all right?”

“I–I can’t maintain altitude! I’m going down!”

The green pegasus was now at the enemy’s mercy. Luckily for her, Rainbow quickly darted toward her and managed to save her from being finished off, swiftly evading energy beams fired in her direction. Medley held onto Rainbow’s neck.

“Is your wing okay?” she asked.

Medley tried to move it, but it was frozen solid. She shook her head in reply.

“Don’t worry. I’ll drop you to Twilight so her guys can take care of it.”

Upon leaving Medley with Twilight, two friendly unicorns used their own magic to warm up the frozen wing. Though the cold effect was nullified in about a minute, the green pegasus felt bad about being distracted and nearly killed. She remembered how the same thing happened during the previous war, where she managed to save Rainbow’s life, but she nearly died instead. Carelessness had been one of many causes of death during the war, and Medley quickly realized that. Once her wing had been defrosted, she spread them and went on to rejoin her friends in battle, having no intentions to die

Cloud Kicker reiterated her report about incoming bombers. Rainbow and Firefly were too busy holding off the enemy squadrons, so they called for Sweeper and Lancer flights to deal with them. Quick Chaser and Thunder Flicker gave chase after them without a second thought.

“Sweeper 1, you go deal with the escorts. I’ll handle the bombers,” Thunder Flicker proposed.

“Sure thing, pal.”

The cyan flier lead his companions against the pegasi flying close to those who were carrying bombs. In an attempt to catch their attention, he started circling before one of the escort fighters, but he seemed to have ignored him.

“Don’t worry about them,” said one of the Exile fighters. “Keep an eye on the bombers. Don’t engage in needless fights.”

“Your bombers are not gonna get through!” Thunder Flicker replied, darting toward one of the bomb carriers in the rear. It only took three powerful punches to knock him out of the sky and make him drop the unarmed bomb to the ground, rendering it useless.

“All right, Lancer 1!” Quick Chaser praised him. “One bomber down!”

“Still four to go. I’ll need you to get the escort’s attention if we’re to get to them.”

“On it!”

Quick Chaser rushed toward a group of fliers to his left who were protecting two of the bomber pegasi. He engaged the flight leader.

“You guys best quit while you’re ahead.”

“Never!” the flight leader replied angrily, trying to punch the cyan pegasus. “We will claim this city or die trying! We will do everything to help our lady in accomplishing her mission. Equestria will experience a dawn of a new age under her rule!”

“Princess Celestia and Princess Luna are the only rightful rulers of Equestria! You are not welcome here!”

Saying this, Quick Chaser performed a quick side roll, avoiding the flight leader’s attack and delivering a powerful counter blow to his back. His teammates quickly dispatched two other enemy pegasi while Quick Chaser finished the leader off with a swift kick to the face, sending him plummeting down. At the same time, Thunder Flicker’s team took down another bomber. He managed to arm the bomb, and it fell to the ground, but all ponies in its potential blast radius were informed beforehand. Thus, the bomb didn’t deal any damage at all.

“Dammit! Sir, another bomber was shot down! We lost Aphasia 1!” one of the Exile fliers reported to the commander. “At this rate, we’ll be wiped out! We need assistance!”

Ten unicorns from 123rd Strike Battalion were sent forward to distract the Sweeper squadron. They managed to hit one of his teammates, putting him out of commision and buying some time for the bombers. Though Thunder Flicker successfully defeated the third bomber, the last two were almost out of his range and kept on closing toward Ponyville. Friendly unicorns were too busy trying to create an opening for Mirage squadron to attack the enemy lines and couldn’t stop the attack.

“Shoot! We’re not gonna make it!” Thunder Flicker yelled.

Suddenly, his radar picked up four more signals approaching from the direction of Canterlot. They were flashing friendly IDs.

“We’re here to back you up! Phoenix squadron, defeat the bombers!” a voice of male pony sounded in his allies’ radios.

“Alright, it’s Sunburst!” Quick Chaser exclaimed. “Mind if I join in?”

“Let’s go all together!”

The three squadrons, Phoenix, Sweeper and Lancer, pursued the last two bomber pegasi, ignoring the anti-air fire from the unicorn spells. Quick Chaser went ahead to take down the last three fighters escorting the bombers. With a little help from his two remaining teammates, he defeated them with ease. Thunder Flicker took down one of the bombers with a precise diving kick to the neck, most likely breaking it. In a last-ditch effort, the last pegasus armed the bomb, trying to reach Ponyville, despite the Phoenix squadron being on his tail. Sunburst managed to mislead him, as he lowered his altitude to sneak up to him from the front. He dispatched the last bomber unit with a powerful uppercut to the face. As he released the grip on the bomb, Sunburst grabbed it instead and threw it at him.

“You forgot something!”

The last thing the Exile bomber saw before dying was an image of a warhead heading straight at him. When the bomb exploded, he was engulfed by the expanding blast and only his burnt corpse hit the ground.

Thanks to Sunburst’s timely appearance, the threat of a bombing run was no more. Unable to comprehend how his enemies could be so dangerous, the Exile commander contacted Aurora. His reserves were already running short, with only one more pegasus squadron and unicorn battalion he could send into battle.

“My lady, the enemy’s resistance is too strong! We cannot break through! We have to retreat!”

“You have no permission or need to retreat, Commander Clad Hoof,” Aurora replied in a cold voice. “Your support is on the way. For now, pull back into nearby woods, and regroup. Trust me. Once the defenders are scattered, resume the attack. Is that clear?”

“Y-Yes, my lady.”

The earth pony commander relayed the order to his units. While some ponies were still eager to fight, they had no choice but to obey. Rainbow Dash’s team managed to knock down a couple more pegasi before they pulled back with the rest of the army, carried by their comrades.

Seeing their foes fleeing into the woods, Applejack threw her hat into the air, jumping in place.

“Yeee-haaw! Nice going, everypony! That’ll teach’em not to mess with us!”

Twilight was more careful. She read the reports from the battle for Fillydelphia and felt anxious about that sudden retreat. It could’ve been another trap set by the Exiles.

“It’s too early to celebrate,” the unicorn mare said. “They could be preparing another attack.”

“Nowise,” Lightning Bolt spoke. “Their only option to strike in hopes of dealing severe damage would be to use the cruise missile again, and this region is beyond the range of Scinfaxi.”

Twilight wasn’t convinced by that statement. Seeing a few of the Exiles’ technological inventions in action, mainly the mobile anti-air turrets, she wondered what else could they have lying in wait for them. Rainbow Dash tried to ease her worries.

“If it’s alright with you, we’ll do a little scouting to make sure those jerks are gone. What do you say, Twi?”

“Permission granted, Rainbow. We’ll keep the rest of units stationed here, just in case. Contact me as soon as you’re done.”

“Roger that. Let’s go, girls!”

Rainbow Dash rounded up her friends. Cloud Kicker had a minor bruise on her left side, and Medley still had a bit of troubles with her right wing, though she could fly. Besides that, the Mirage fliers did not sustain any major injuries. They flew ahead to investigate the area.

==========

1400 hrs

As Rainbow, Fluttershy, Firefly, Derpy and Lightning Bolt checked their surroundings, Cloud Kicker and Medley followed the trail left by mobile anti-air turrets into nearby woods. They managed to stay concealed and avoided being spotted. It took them about ten minutes to find a group of Exile soldiers, regrouping. Most of them were probably further ahead. The two pegasi flew back to see their friends and report the situation.

Once they explained everything, Rainbow adjusted her communicator to contact Twilight.

“This is Mirage 1. It is as we thought: the Exiles fled into the woods. They may be preparing for another attack.”

“Acknowledged, Mirage 1,” Twilight responded. “We’ll prepare for them coming. Head back into the rally point and – What the!?”

Twilight’s sudden cut surprised Rainbow.

“What’s up, Twi? Something wrong?”

“That’s weird… The magic indicator on my radar just spiked.”

Firefly looked around the area.

“We searched all surroundings. There are no signs of magic activity nearby. You radar must be malfunctioning…”

“Wait!” Medley interrupted. “Do you hear that?”

All seven pegasi went quiet for a moment. They heard a noise, a whooshing sound, reminiscent of flapping wings… and it wasn’t theirs. It was much louder.

“It spiked again!” Twilight reported. “What is going on? Are the Exiles trying to warp more of their soldiers? There is no other explanation…”

“Wait, they can do that?” Rainbow inquired.

Lightning Bolt once again provided an explanation. Since any strong army needed versatility in order to be effective, most of them had at least one type of unit group that specialized in transportation.

“I would not be surprised if the Exiles have a division of unicorns trained to perform teleportation spells. Also, by combining their magical power, they could transport a limited number of soldiers to their destination.”

“That makes sense…” said Firefly, although her tone signified she wasn’t all that convinced.

Twilight picked up another spike in magic activity on her radar.

“Can you pinpoint its location?” Rainbow asked.

Twilight waited for another spike and when it happened, she slowly replied.

“It’s a single unit. It’s… It’s coming from above.”

The sound of flapping wings became even louder. Medley noticed that the air above them was flickering, almost as it it was due to heat. Rainbow and her friends flew up, trying to understand what could be the cause of those abnormalities.

“This is really weird…” said Firefly. “I’ve never seen anything like that.”

“I don’t know… I’ve got a really bad feeling about this,” Derpy spoke.

As the ponies were flying around, still hearing the flapping wings, Cloud Kicker barely noticed a silhouette of them. They seemed to be really big, much bigger than an average pony… She looked to her left, having an uneasy feeling she was being watched…

“AAHHH!!!”

“Sunny, what’s going on?” Rainbow asked, hearing her shriek.

“T-T-There… S-Something… glared at me… A-A-An eye… I-I-I’m s-scared…!”

Cloud Kicker desperately clung to Lightning Bolt. Rainbow let out a loud sigh.

“Give me a break! There is no eye there, stop being a baby!”

“I’m not making this up! You think I’m crazy?” the purple pegasus asked, feeling upset.

Lightning Bolt tried to process everything that happened so far. The sound of flapping wings, the barely visible silhouette, the big eye Cloud Kicker could’ve seen… And then…

A loud grumble was heard. The Mirage fliers started rotating their heads, trying to find its source. They didn’t see anything. Another grumble sounded. Medley looked at Derpy.

“Please, tell me that was your stomach rumbling.”

Derpy shook head in denial. Lightning Bolt suddenly gasped, having reached a conclusion.

“Is that…? No, it’s not possible… How could they…”

“What are you talking about, Thunder?” Rainbow asked her.

“Twilight’s radar is not malfunctioning… Look at yours!”

Their radars also started detecting magical reading spiking up high.

“There is no doubt about it… Something is around here… even if we can’t see it. It must be using optical camouflage!”

“WHAT?!” Rainbow exclaimed. “You gotta be kidding me! There’s no way anypony would have an access to it! It’s only been recently put into development stage, or so I heard.”

The transparent silhouette suddenly jerked.

“Ah ha ha ha… Not for us, little ponies,” a very deep, growling voice sounded.

“W-Who said that?! What’s going on?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Rainbow, behind you!” Fluttershy screamed.

The optical camouflage began to wear out, revealing what it’s been hiding. It almost looked like that being started appearing from the middle, slowly gaining proper shape, shedding the invisibility away. The pegasi of Mirage squadron watched in shock as the saw a big, glowing blue gem in its armored chest, a grey, scaly body, two sharp claws, a long, tail with some spikes on its end and a triangular head with a pair of dark green eyes. What stunned them completely were a pair of enormous wings, keeping the being afloat.

“What… the buck…?” Rainbow stammered.

Before their eyes rested one being they never even dreamed to face. It let out a deafening roar. It woke the pegasi from their shock. In its place, fear struck them.

“Ahhhh! A dragon!!!” Cloud Kicker yelled.

“Fall back! Fall back!” Rainbow Dash hollered.

“Hah! You will not escape me!” the dragon roared. “Feel my power!”

He started flapping his wings more violently. Before Rainbow and her friends could escape, the dragon unleashed a huge shockwave around the wings. His attack managed to hit every single flier and knock them out of the skies.

Their screams alerted Twilight, who kept monitoring the whole situation.

“Rainbow? Rainbow! What happened? Respond!” she pleaded.

The blue pegasus tried to avoid crashing to the ground. She managed to stabilize her flight and immediately reached for the communicator when she noticed that the dragon started heading in Ponyville’s direction.

“Twilight! Watch out! There’s a dragon heading your way!”

“A what? You’re joking, right?” Twilight asked, confused.

Another loud roar showed that it was the truth. All ponies gathered on the grasslands saw the massive winged creature. Such a sight was more than intimidating, as they had no idea what was a dragon doing here in the first place. He simply hovered above them, waiting.

The Exiles saw him as well. His sudden appearance caused a panic attack among some soldiers. Commander Clad Hoof quickly calmed them and contacted Aurora.

“My lady! A dragon just appeared in Ponyville’s vicinity! He attacked the Mirage squadron and went toward the town! What should we do?”

“Wait,” she replied. “Let him do his work.”

The grey dragon let out another roar, trying to provoke the ponies to attack him. He started flapping his wings in a rapid fashion before diving down.

“Whoa, Nelly! He’s coming right at us!” Applejack screamed.

“Everypony DOWN!” Twilight ordered.

That was just what the dragon wanted. He flew right above their heads. Then he released another shockwave from his massive wings, sending ponies flying several meters away in all directions. Some of them lost consciousness upon hitting the ground. The dragon watched the chaos he wrecked with mild satisfaction.

“Why is he attacking us?” Twilight wondered, utterly shocked.

“No matter! He is our enemy!”

Firecracker Burst, co-leader of the “Arcana” battalion, who defended Canterlot from the griffin invaders during The Equestrian War, did not wanted to let him get away with it. She was known for her temper.

“Don’t just stand there! Attack! Target the dragon!” she ordered to a group of unicorns.

Twilight finally managed to snap from the shock when she heard that.

“No! Don’t!”

But it was too late. Several unicorns fired offensive spells at the dragon, to no avail. They simply vanished into his body. Twilight noticed a glowing jewel on the dragon’s chest and realized that he was wearing some sort of armor. The winged creature only bared his fangs when he saw that measly attempt at hurting him. While the unicorns kept firing at him, the gem on his armor kept glowing brighter.

“Cease fire! Do not engage the dragon!” Twilight yelled.

The hot-headed green unicorn looked at her.

“But why, Commander ma’am?”

“Don’t waste your energy. Dragon’s scales are his natural protection against most of our spells. We won’t even leave a scratch on him. Besides, that armor he is wearing… I think it is actually absorbing our magic and making him even stronger!”

Firecracker finally realized the mistake she made and felt deep regret.

“I didn’t know… I’m sorry, Commander ma’am.”

“This is no time for excuses!” Applejack interrupted her. “Twilight, what are we supposed to do?”

“ I don’t know, Applejack… I don’t know what he is going to do…”

But just a few seconds later, the dragon opened his mouth and begun charging energy. Twilight’s radar went crazy. Now she knew what will happen. She had to act fast.

“He’s about to attack again! All unicorns, to me! We have to try and stop him! Everypony else, scatter!”

Twenty more unicorns ran to Twilight and began focusing their magical power to create a powerful shield above them. The dragon didn’t seem to care at all. Once he amassed enough energy, he fired a massive blue energy beam downward. The shield spell managed to suspend it in midair, but the unicorns were maintaining it with great difficulty. Twilight felt her legs bending under that powerful force…

“Hold on… We… can’t let him…! Aaahhh!”

The stream of energy shattered the magical shield, sending the unicorns to the sides. It struck the ground, causing a huge explosion. The dragon watched the carnage under him.

“Impressive…” he said to himself. “That’s the first time someone managed to block my Shock Cannon… Still, not strong enough to save them. My job here is done.”

He then flew in the direction of the woods, leaving the defenders’ broken formations behind.

In the meantime, Rainbow’s friends were recovering from crashing. Fluttershy, Cloud Kicker and Derpy has some bruises, but overall, nothing too serious.

“My head…” Firefly groaned. “Now I know how a nail hit by a hammer feels like...”

Then they noticed the explosion caused by dragon’s attack. Without a second guess, they all headed for Ponyville to see what happened to Twilight and Applejack, as well as the other defenders. On their way, they saw the dragon again, but this time, he passed them by, ignoring the pegasi.

“So, they survived…” he thought. “Interesting…”

Once the Mirage squadron arrived at the battlefield, they saw a huge crater hole in the middle. Earth ponies and unicorns were lying around. Some were getting up on their own, some asked their companions for help. But there were also some ponies that were not moving or giving any signs of life. Rainbow’s team managed to find Twilight and Applejack among the ponies. The purple unicorn mare was covered in dust and could barely stand on her own.

“You’re alright, Twilight?” Rainbow asked her.

“I think so… We made it… at least, most of us…” she coughed up.

She looked around her. Seeing the destruction from the dragon’s energy beam made her feel depressed. Most of the defenders were wounded, having suffered more or less serious injuries. Twilight also noticed that some ponies were completely gone from sight, even though they were there a few minutes ago.

They most likely got caught in the explosion’s epicenter and were literally vaporized by it…

“I’ve used all of my magical energy to maintain that barrier with the others, but he still managed to break it. What terrible power…”

“Where, in the name of all apple trees, did that dragon come from? And why did he attacked us anyway?” Applejack wondered.

Medley grabbed binoculars from one of the earth ponies and flew up. She saw the dragon stopping in front of the woods where the Exiles were regrouping.

“I don’t believe it… That dragon is cooperating with the enemy!”

This news shocked the other ponies again. Twilight slowly got a grasp of the situation.

“So this is what Aurora was talking about… That dragon must be one of her allies.”

“Now what do we do?” Applejack asked. “If that’s true, the Exiles will most likely attack us again. They’ll take advantage of us being weakened.”

“I’m afraid there’s only one thing we can do.”

Twilight’s voice was filled with regret. Rainbow knew well what she meant. But she had no intention of giving up.

“You want us to retreat? And abandon Ponyville?”

“We have no choice, Rainbow. If we stay here, we’ll all end up dead. Our forces are in a rout. What if that dragon comes back? We will not defend the town from another attack in this state.”

Rainbow lowered her sight. She understood it all too well.

“Listen,” Twilight carried on, “you and the other pegasi will go to Ponyville. Help in evacuating the city ASAP. Do you understand?”

Rainbow did not reply. She turned around and looked at Ponyville.

“Do you understand?!” Twilight reiterated.

Again, there was no reply from Rainbow. She hated losing. It hurt her more because what Twilight said was absolutely true. If the Exiles and the dragon attacked them together, the battle would end in their favour…

“Mirage 1, do you understand the order?!” Twilight exclaimed.

Rainbow finally turned to her.

“Yes,” she replied in a bland voice.

As soon as she flew to the town along with other squadrons to help evacuate the civilians, Twilight and Applejack exchanged glances before nodding in agreement. Applejack went ahead to gather all soldiers remaining under her command, while Twilight adjusted her communicator to a broadband frequency and made an announcement:

“Attention. To all units of the Equestrian Allied Forces in Ponyville region. This is Twilight Sparkle, ground force commander and leader of the “Arcana” battalion. I order all units to retreat from the area and head for Canterlot. Maintain formations. Don’t panic. I repeat: retreat for Canterlot.

==========

1452 hrs

The grey dragon landed before the woods. The Exiles looked at him fearfully, wondering if he would attack them next. He did not. Instead, he spoke to them.

“I have cleared the way for you. Attack now!”

“Why did you help us?” Clad Hoof asked him.

Aurora’s voice gave him an answer.

“Commander, do you remember the allies I had mentioned earlier? This is one of them.”

“HE is…?”

The dragon looked at ponies without any interest, but confirmed Aurora’s words with a nod. Clad Hoof came closer to him.

“Thank you for your assistance, dragon. How do they call you?”

“I am Gleipnir, one of Drake Generals, serving under King Aigaion, the ruler of Drakonia. We made a pact with your leader and now, we are fulfilling it. We are… at your service.”

Clad Hoof’s eyes shimmered.

“Truly, a powerful ally it is. With this might, nothing will stop us. Ponyville is ours.”

“Commander! The EAF soldiers are abandoning the area!” one of his soldiers reported. “Now’s our chance to finish them off!”

“No,” said Aurora. “I want Princess Celestia to feel the terror of what is to come. For now, just take over the city. We will use it as another one of our bases.”

The Exiles moved onward. Aurora turned her attention to the dragon.

“You have done well, Gleipnir. In fact, your display of power was quite impressive. If your kinsmen are as strong as you are, this war will end quickly.”

“Perhaps you will see it for your own, Lady Aurora,” Gleipnir replied.

“Perhaps… You may return. You have fulfilled your task. Tell your king he may expect first of the gem deliveries in a few hours.”

“I am certain he will be pleased,” said the dragon, as he opened up his wings and soared back into the sky.

Aurora ended the conversation and looked at her closest companions from the Reaper squadron, who watched the entire battle alongside her.

“See, boys? I told you Ponyville will be ours before the end of day. Did you enjoy the show?”

“A satisfactory result, if predictable,” Shockwave summed up with his monotone voice.

“Are you kidding?! That was awesome!” Trickster exclaimed, jumping around. “If I could, I’d watch that explosion a hundred times! That was some hardcore stuff! Why didn’t we used this kind of backup before?”

“I believe it’s obvious, Trickster,” said Deathwing. “We wanted to test the combat abilities of our opponents. Isn’t that right, Lady Aurora?”

“Indeed,” the alicorn mare replied. “I must admit, they put up a good fight. But it won’t be enough. I will have my vengeance.”

Havoc sat at the sight without any sign of excitement.

“That was some nice firework show, alright. But I’ve got one question, Lady Aurora. How did you manage to convince the dragons to help us?”

Aurora replied with a giggle.

“That, Havoc, is my little secret…”

Chapter 5: Familiar Face

The ponies of Equestria are faced with a difficult trial.

Their enemies are heading for their capital city.

Will they defend or lose it?

In this desperate moment, they gather their courage…

Chapter 5

Familiar Face

June 15th, 2021
2100 hrs
Canterlot, Royal Castle

Thanks to swift intervention by the pegasus squadrons, Ponyville had been evacuated safely, with nearly 80% of its citizens leaving for Canterlot to reinforce its defenses. Those who stayed behind tried to help the ground forces in organizing a safe route to the capital. Later, they decided to head for other nearby resistance points in an attempt to hold the Exile forces back. Within the next few hours, news of Ponyville being captured spread. Unconfirmed reports from Trottingham and Manehattan mentioned two other dragons appearing alongside the Exiles and helping them in dealing crippling blows against EAF soldiers defending the cities. They were also partially evacuated, but not everypony managed to reach Canterlot. Relentless pursuits conducted by the Exiles led to nearly one hundred casualties. With the dragons now aiding the Exiles, the whole conflict took a dramatic turn for the worse. Morale of EAF troops kept falling with every passing hour, as news of Trottingham and Manehattan being overrun by the Exiles reached the capital. Many were wondering if the same fate will not befall Canterlot…

As Princess Celestia and Princess Luna listened to various reports from operators, it became clear they were growing more anxious, Celestia in particular. She kept walking back and forth, while Luna observed her in grim silence. Not even the Princess of the Night could guess what thoughts swarmed in her sister’s head.

Gale was just about to complete the report based on the data he acquired.

“So far, we lost about 10% of our ground forces, mostly earth ponies. The pegasus squadrons are still strong in numbers, but their assistance may not be enough against the Exiles’ firepower. Not to mention the dragons…”

Princess Celestia acknowledged the report with a nod. Luna decided to break the silence.

“What is on your mind, Sister?”

“I’m trying to understand everything that happened so far…” Celestia said slowly. “The dragons don’t have a significant reason to be in conflict with us. Drakonia and Equestria are on friendly affinities. So why are they siding with Aurora?”

“I do not know either, Sister,” Luna replied. “Something must have happened for them to change their mind…”

“And that is what worries me…”

Suddenly, a series of beeping noises sounded.

“Princess Celestia!” Gale reported. “We are receiving incoming transmission… from an unknown source. It may be the same as before…!”

Celestia knew who it was.

“Patch it to the main monitor.”

The crimson pegasus did as he was told. When the monitor turned on, Aurora’s face appeared on it, her eyes resting on Princess Celestia. There also seemed to be a dark shadow hiding behind her…

“Your soldiers are brave, I give them that. But they seem to have reached their limits.”

“What do you want, Aurora?” Celestia asked.

“Do I sense nervousness in your voice, Princess?” Aurora mocked her. “Do not worry. By tomorrow, this conflict will be over.”

She let out a mild chuckle before continuing. The two Royal Sisters looked quite upset.

“I assume you have already seen what my allies are capable of doing. What do you think? Their power is incredible, no?”

Before Princess Celestia could answer that question, Aurora spoke again.

“Oh, I know. You must be wondering how I managed to convince them to join us, am I right?”

Seeing the sun princess’ eyelids jerk, the blue alicorn let out another chuckle.

“Just as I thought… Well, perhaps it will be best if you’d hear it from them…”

Aurora stepped aside, allowing the shadowy being remaining quietly behind her to move its face forward: a black, scaly face, with a pair of flaring, orange eyes and a couple of fangs extending from its mouth. The massive creature’s entire body could not be seen, due to shadows, but it seemed to be enormous. Its face stared at the Royal Sisters, letting out a series of growls.

“Princess Celestia…”

“Aigaion, the Dragon King…” Celestia responded.

“Ah, you do remember me. I am touched,” the huge black dragon remarked. “How long has it been since the last we saw each other?”

“Not nearly long enough,” Celestia answered. “Tell me, Aigaion… why? Why are your dragons aiding Aurora and her Exiles?”

The black dragon growled mildly.

“Why? Simple. Because it serves our purpose. We happen to have a common goal. Much like Lady Aurora, we, too, want to earn back what once belonged to us.”

When the Royal Sisters exchanged glances, Aigaion carried on.

“That’s right. The hoards of gems stored in the undergrounds of Equestria and in the entire land as well. As you know, the gems are a natural food and energy source for us. But once we left Equestria to create a new dominion in Drakonia, your ponies took them over. For centuries, you were using them for mere childish affairs, like decorating dresses or tiaras with them! A waste of time and resources!”

Luna listened to it with minor disbelief. She heard that Drakonia was a land also enriched with gems, and dragons could gather them easily. Could something have happened there? Maybe it had something to do with the disaster from several years back…?

“When Lady Aurora contacted me, I allowed her and her soldiers to carry on with their operations, despite the fact us, dragons, don’t think too kindly of ponies. But she promised to help us regain our source of gems, and thus…”

Celestia stepped forward.

“If the gems are the only reason you are aiding Aurora, King Aigaion, then your greed must have blinded you. You know that if you had contacted us, we could always give you the desired amount of gems. It could be done peacefully.”

“Peacefully…” the dragon growled.

Aurora appeared on the monitor once again.

“Ha! That’s just like you, Princess Celestia! Always turning to diplomacy when you find yourself at the losing end. Well, don’t bother. King Aigaion already knows who he can trust. We intend to carry our operation until the end.”

“Yes… and we shall,” Aigaion added.

“I will see you again, Celestia… when your kingdom will lie in ruins.”

The picture on the monitor had been replaced with static. Gale shut the monitor down. Princess Celestia looked at him and as the Wonderbolt operator saw her gaze, she gave a silent nod. He understood and left the room. Luna still stared at the monitor for a few moments.

“Her confidence is almost frightening… Is she planning to storm Canterlot head on?”

“That may be her plan,” said Celestia. “But she is not reckless. She planned everything…”

“What do you mean, Sister?”

Celestia looked at Luna. Her eyes reflected the worries in her mind.

“Think about it, Luna. Aurora is slowly revealing the assets of her army to us. If she wanted to, she could have easily burned Ponyville to the ground by letting the dragon do it, just like New Saddle. And she wouldn’t hesitate to kill ponies fighting to protect Equestria. Yet, she didn’t do any of that. Why do you think she decided to spare them?”

Luna thought for a few seconds before answering hesitantly:

“Because… she knows they weren’t a threat to her.”

“Precisely. Aurora doesn’t simply want to destroy us. She wants to show us her terrifying power…to show us how weak we are... to inject fear into the hearts of our ponies… and then destroy us.”

“Unbelieveable…” Luna whispered. “I can’t believe anypony could be this cruel…”

Celestia briefly closed her eyes as she walked up to the window. The numerous stars on the sky seemed to be fading, even though the night had only just begun.

“Years spent in exile and those gruesome experiments she conducted completely warped Aurora’s mind. Nothing remains of the curious, young filly that I used to know. All she wants now is to lay her vengeance upon me…”

Luna approached her, putting her right wing on Celestia’s back.

“What can we do, Sister? The oath we have given long ago prevents us from directly participating in the war, unless we will be challenged… Though our options are limited, maybe now is a good time to let our allies know what is happening. I’m sure they would aid us…”

“I know what you’re thinking, Luna, but… I’m afraid the griffins are unable to help us at the time. They are still recovering themselves from the aftermath of Neue Gryphus Rebellion. We’ve been there, remember?”

The younger alicorn conjured up the images she saw in the griffin capital shortly after the conflict erupted. Their northern neighbors were faced with a dangerous and combative force of both ponies and griffins, who attempted to establish a new military rule in Neue Gryphus, in fashion of the old Principality of Belka. The conflict became even bloodier than The Equestrian War and left scars on many griffins…

Naturally, the Royal Sisters went ahead to notify their allies of their difficult situation, but all they received was a promise of assistance in “near future.”

“Valdar told me that as soon as his kingdom will re-establish order, he will aid us in any way possible,” said Celestia. “But for now, we are alone.”

“Not so. There is another ally that we have,” Luna recalled.

Princess Celestia went silent for a moment before she said:

“Indeed. Maybe, if the situation becomes too dangerous, we may have no other choice… I should go ahead and inform them of the possibility. Luna, stay here and guard the night.”

“I will, Sister.”

==========

MEANWHILE
Briefing Room

Rainbow Dash, alongside her friends, the Wonderbolts and the leaders of various pegasus squadrons were waiting. Gale informed them through the communicators that he wanted to arrange an important meeting. They guessed it would most likely be about strategy to defend Canterlot from the upcoming enemy army.

As the ponies were discussing different possibilities, Lightning Bolt looked around and noticed some linearts and sketches that drew her attention.

“I’ve seen this kind of construction before…” she said to herself, examining a picture of something that resembled a tower with a long turret.

“I wonder if…”

Her thoughts were interrupted, however. The door to the room opened, and Gale came inside. All pegasi turned their sights to him.

“Thanks for waiting and sorry for being so late,” the operator said. “Let me brief you on the situation.”

Gale pressed a couple of buttons, and a large monitor turned on. It displayed a digitized map of Equestria, presented in two colors: blue and red. The red parts of the map covered most of it, especially southern regions. while blue was mostly present around Canterlot and in several smaller locations. Rainbow Dash knew what it meant. The EAF situation kept getting worse. Gale begun:

“To put it mildly, things aren’t going well. The Exiles are far more dangerous than we initially expected. In approximately last three hours, they have managed to completely break through the Central Front, claiming both Trottingham and Manehattan. Though the latter is still offering pockets of resistance, it’s unlikely they are going to last long. We have no ways of helping ponies in captured areas…”

He pointed to some red-colored regions, those around the aforementioned cities.

“They pushed us back to Canterlot, and they are going straight for it. According to our predictions, they will most likely reach the city by tomorrow. It’s hard to believe the situation turned so bad within just 10 days… Still, we can’t even think about giving up. We must do our best to protect the city.”

The Wonderbolt operator paused for a moment, trying to catch a breath.

“There’s another thing, though… As you know, the Exiles have the support of dragons. If they will decide to combine their forces and attack us together, we could get overrun. At the moment, we have no viable weapon or strategy against the dragons, nothing that could be effective against them…”

As he spoke, the display on the screen changed to show something resembling Canterlot being fortified with what looked like the same turrets Lightning Bolt saw earlier.

Medley suddenly rose her right hoof, wanting to ask a question.

“Um, sir?”

“Yes, Kid?”

“Do we really have no way of defending against the dragons? What about those weird turrets?” she pointed to the screen.

Gale glanced behind him and quickly understood what she was talking about. He sighed.

“To tell the truth, there is one option, but… Well, I guess you should know about it.”

He changed the display on the monitor again.

“Do these look familiar to you?”

Lightning Bolt gasped. She was right. She did see those kinds of turrets before. And she knew what those long barrels could do.

“Those are…!”

“That’s right, Thunder. Laser turrets. I’m sure many of you still remember the griffin superweapon known as ‘The Burning Talon’ that our neighbors used against us during The Equestrian War.”

Tornado Swirl shivered a bit.

“Don’t remind me. I still have nightmares over that thing and those lasers firing every which way.”

“Well, Burner 1, you’ll be glad to know that, since the griffins are our allies again, we won’t have to worry about them again. In fact, they actually decided to share their laser technology with us, as part of our agreement on permanent alliance. Thanks to that, we might just be able to create something similar to ‘The Burning Talon’ in order to fortify Canterlot.”

“You’re kidding!” Firefly exclaimed.

Gale looked at her seriously, as he changed the display once more. This time, it showed a computer-generated image of Canterlot being protected by eight large cannons, which were powered up by energy generators, as the outline of the picture showed.

“I assure you, this is no joke, Flash. What you see now is the complete version of our own project, codenamed ‘Atmos.’ Unfortunately, at the moment, it is only 40% complete, and only one cannon can be fully operational. The other seven are in various states of construction. It would take at least five more months for our engineers, if not more, to fully complete ‘The Atmos Ring’… but as you can see, time is not on our side. We weren’t expecting the invasion to progress that fast.”

A brief discussion broke among the leaders. While having their capital fortified could give them the edge, one cannon would not prevent the dragons from breaching the city, and that was one of worst-case scenarios that Gale beared in mind.

“Even a laser cannon will not protect Canterlot from the upcoming attack,” Flare Star spoke. “I guess it will be up to us again…”

“You’re right about that, Flare Star,” Gale confirmed. “The pegasi will have to use their numbers and mobility in an attempt to overpower a dragon, or at least distract it long enough to get a bead on him with the cannon. I’m afraid there is no other way.”

The ponies looked at each other, pondering on the plausibility of that suggestion. They could do it, but taking down a dragon would most likely require some sacrifices…

“One more thing,” Gale spoke again. “Since we will be needing every pair of wings available to defend Canterlot, I’d like to introduce you all to a new squadron that has been formed a couple of hours ago. Its members have already received necessary combat training and are ready to take on the enemy.”

Some curious whispers could be heard in the room. Gale reached for his communicator.

“You may go in now.”

Five more pegasus ponies entered. The first one, a purple mare, had dark blue mane, jade eyes and wore a pair of green rings on her right hind leg… Fluttershy gasped.

“Is that…? It can’t be…!”

As the pegasi lined up in front of other squadron leaders, as well as the Wonderbolts and Mirage team, Gale said:

“These five ponies will be known as Cygnus squadron. Blackberry, step forward!”

The purple mare with blue mane saluted before the operator.

“Sir!”

“Your call sign is now Cygnus 1. You are the one responsible for these four pegasi. I expect you and your team to do your best.”

“Yes, sir! We swear our loyalty to the Royal Sisters and Equestria! We will not fail!”

Her voice was filled with determination. Gale noded with a smile on his face.

“I know you won’t.”

He glimpsed at the clock hanging on the wall. It was getting late.

“It’s almost 10 PM… Alright, everypony, listen up. We will conduct a briefing tomorrow morning. You have one more hour until rest time. You need to be in top condition. Cygnus 1, try to get yourself acquainted with the other team leaders. I will see you tomorrow at 8 AM. That is all.”

Moments later, Gale, along the other Wonderbolts, left the room. Before then, Spitfire shook Blackberry’s hoof, congratulating her for becoming a squadron leader. For a moment, she looked surprised, then her face lightened with a grin.

“A new squadron, huh?” Rainbow Dash murmured. “Wonder what their speciality is…”

“Um… Rainbow?” Fluttershy asked her.

“Yeah, what’s up?”

“Their leader…. Doesn’t she look familiar to you?”

Rainbow briefly examined her with her eyes, but only shrugged.

“Maybe…”

“I’ll go talk to her,” Fluttershy decided.

Many questions were pouring through her mind. Could it really be her? Or…?

Blackberry and her teammates were warmly welcomed by other pegasi leaders. There was something in that mare that gave them a positive vibe about her. Quick Chaser engaged her in a conversation.

“There’s never enough fliers here, it seems. Stick around us, and we’ll make it through. Say, how does it feel to be a squadron leader, Blackberry?”

“Actually…”

Before she could answer, Thunder Flicker approached the two and dragged Quick Chaser to the side.

“Hey, buddy. Are you coming on to her already?”

“And if I am?” Quick Chaser replied.

“I suggest you leave that attitude for mission’s aftermath. We don’t want her to feel uncomfortable, now, do we?” the tall pegasus told him before turning his attention to Blackberry.

“Sorry about that, he’s a little… outgoing, heh. Name’s Thunder Flicker, Lancer 1. This here’s Quick Chaser, Sweeper 1. Nice to meet you, missy. ”

Blackberry nodded and showed them another smile, welcoming their friendly approach.

“Likewise.”

She then heard another voice from behind.

“Um, excuse me…”

Upon turning around, she saw a yellow pegasus with a pink mane. Blackberry gasped.

“Oh, you must be Fluttershy, correct? One of the Angels of Equestria,” the purple pony glimpsed behind her to see another six pegasi. “And those must be your friends. I’m glad to finally see you in person.”

“You… know me?” Fluttershy asked in surprise.

“Of course I do! I’ve heard so much about you and your team. They say you girls are some of the best fliers, right next to the Wonderbolts. I’ll be honored to fight alongside you!”

As she and Fluttershy shook hooves, the yellow pegasus blushed, having heard so much praise.

“Oh my… well, the pleasure is ours.”

One of the pegasi from Cygnus squadron asked Blackberry if they could leave for their quarters, as they were feeling a little tired. She did not oppose. Seeing it as an opportunity, Fluttershy spoke again.

“Um… can I ask you a question?”

“Sure. You can ask me anything,” Blackberry replied.

“Did you… happen to know a pegasus mare named… Blueberry?”

It all seemed to happen very fast. In a matter of seconds, Blackberry’s face did not showed any signs of happiness or excitement anymore. Her expression became glum and saddened. She lowered her sight and turned away.

“Yes, I did… But I don’t want to talk about it.”

“I-I’m sorry… It’s just that… you bear striking resemblance to her.” Fluttershy stammered. “And… those rings you’re wearing…”

Blackberry briefly looked behind her.

“Yes, they belonged to her, but… No, I don’t feel like talking about it. Can we change the topic, please?”

“I’m sorry…”

Fluttershy backed away. Seeing the situation growing awkward, Thunder Flicker took point again, trying to start a different conversation.

“Then let me ask you this, Blackberry — where exactly are ya from? I haven’t seen you around until now.”

“I come from Baltimare,” she replied. Her voice wasn’t as glum now. “I was stationed there as a member of another squadron. We were told to defend the city from a possible attack, but when the Central Front was breached, the orders were changed. We’ve been told to fly to Canterlot and help reinforce its defenses.”

Thunder Flicker frowned a little.

“I see… Any field experience?”

“Not really…”

“So this is your first…”

Blackberry lifted her head up now, speaking much more boldly.

“Actually, during the previous war, I was supposed to be stationed in Cloudsdale. But, for some reason, me and several other pegasi were relocated to Fillydelphia at the last moment. Another squadron was sent in our place. Since Fillydelphia was later cut off from the rest of Equestria, we had no means of helping our allies…”

Though her explanation seemed a bit vague, Quick Chaser believed it.

“I wonder what kind of blockhead at the top brass could issue an order like that.”

“I can only guess…” Blackberry shook her head.

Thunder Flicker came closer to her.

“So, you didn’t get a chance to bust any griffin skulls, but hey, no worries! At least you’ll get to whoop some Exile flanks. I’m sure you’ll do just fine.”

“Yeah, we’ll be covering for ya, if you need,” Quick Chaser added.

Blackberry, seeing the support the two offered her, finally smiled.

“I’ll be grateful for your assistance.”

She looked at the clock, which now showed fifteen minutes past 10 PM.

“If you will excuse me, I need to meet with my squad mates. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Blackberry left the room without waiting for response. Quick Chaser and Thunder Flicker looked into each other.

“So, what do ya think of her?” the tall pegasus asked.

“I hope she can fight at least half as well as she looks. She’s a cutie,” Quick Chaser answered.

“Word. All right, buddy. Let’s go for a cold one before hitting the hay. What do you say?”

Quick Chaser grinned, and the two pegasi left the room as well. While every other flight leader had similar plans, Firefly thought of something else.

“Since we still have some time, how ‘bout we’ll do one more training session before going to sleep?

“I’m fine with that,” Rainbow Dash replied. “How about you, Fluttershy? “

There was no response. Rainbow looked around and noticed that her friend was gone.

“Fluttershy? Where did she go…?”

2225 hrs
Outside Canterlot Castle

Not wanting to get her friends involved, Fluttershy went outside. Her mind still felt like a messy blur. After a few minutes, she noticed Blackberry leaving the castle gates and preparing to fly somewhere. Fluttershy watched her while being hidden in a nearby bush.

“I shouldn’t be doing this… But I have to make sure,” she said to herself, as she slowly flew after Blackberry.

The full moon, shining down on her, made her feel very uneasy, being the only real light in the darkness. Small lamps did lighten the path up, but just barely. After a few minutes of flight, Blackberry stopped before the entrance to the Garden of the Fallen. Fluttershy peeked from behind the tree, waiting for her to enter inside the hedge maze. Blackberry looked around before doing so. Fluttershy decided to follow her in, remaining out of sight.

The purple pegasus stopped a couple of minutes later before a grave belonging to Blueberry. Fluttershy saw everything, hiding behind a different tree and hoping she wasn’t spotted. Blackberry looked around some more before letting out a sigh and reaching into a bag she had with her.

“I’m sorry to keep you waiting, sister. Here… I brought something for you.”

Fluttershy noticed that she pulled out some flowers out of the bag and laid them on the grave. It was difficult for her to tell their color in the dark. She remained hidden behind the tree and carried on listening.

“Forget-me-nots… your favorites…” Blackberry whispered, smiling dimly.

She didn’t say a word for a moment. but when she spoke, she sounded very casual, like she was actually talking to another living pony.

“Tomorrow is going to be my first real battle. I’ve been waiting so long for this chance… I even have a squadron to command, just like you did. I wonder if I can do this… I won't lie, the pressure is enormous. We were given a duty to defend Canterlot along with the others. If we lose… No, I don’t even want to think we will lose. We have all kinds of great soldiers on our side. The enemy is strong, but we will manage.”

Fluttershy listened to those words and wondered why Blackberry was talking to the grave, even though she knew she would get no answer. Yet, the longer she listened, the more she understood. Things started making sense for her...

“On the bright side,” Blackberry resumed talking, “the other pegasi seem to have taken a liking to me. And… I even met Fluttershy. Yes, the one from Mirage squadron. She was the one you wrote to me about in your last letter, right? I guess you were correct… if anypony deserves to be called an angel, it’s definitely her.”

Her voice volume dropped down a bit.

“She is beautiful… and really kind. She even asked me about you. I know you used to be friends with her. She helped you in becoming braver. I wonder if I can be friends with her, too…”

Hearing those words touched Fluttershy deep. As the light of the moon shined down on the ground, it lightened Blackberry's face up. Fluttershy peeked from behind the tree again to look at her. The yellow pony didn’t even felt tears forming in her eyes and dripping to the ground. Blackberry seemed deeply sad. Despite the fact that her sister died over two years ago, she still looked very hurt. Fluttershy felt great pity for her. She tried to keep her lips from quivering or sobbing by holding a hoof to her mouth. Blackberry carried on talking to the grave.

“In any case, I can’t allow myself to die just yet. There is still so much for me to do… I have duties to uphold. And… don’t worry, l haven’t forgotten the promise I gave you two years ago. You will be avenged, sister. I will see to it.”

The mare lowered her sight, closing her eyes for a while. Fluttershy could barely resist the urge to walk up to her and give her a comforting hug, or at least, soothe her pain in any other way. It was obvious she had great difficulties coming into terms with Blueberry’s death. Fluttershy managed to suppress the need, but could not stop shedding tears.

Blackberry looked up into the night sky. Seeing the shimmering stars brought another sad smile on her face.

“It’s getting very late… I should be going back to the base. I don’t know what will happen tomorrow, but… please, watch over me, sister. I will make it back. I will see you again. Good night, Blueberry… sweet dreams.”

Seconds later, the purple pegasus spread her wings and flew back to the castle area. Fluttershy went out of hiding, but couldn’t bring herself to follow her. She tried walking up to the grave herself. Yet for some reason, her legs felt unbelievably heavy. Fluttershy sat on the cold ground, her entire body shaking. She was still commoved after witnessing Blackberry’s secret confessions. No one would probably guess what great sadness she was hiding under her determination.

Fluttershy’s doubts were now clear, but she wasn’t sure how she could speak with Blueberry’s sister now. Only a whimpering escaped her mouth as tears streamed down her cheeks.

“Oh… goodness…”

==========

2245 hrs
Canterlot, Mirage squadron’s base

Firefly and Rainbow Dash conducted a half-hour training session with the others. They remembered all of their old maneuvers while attempting to try something new. Rainbow and Medley tried something they called “double fake” — a maneuver involving two fliers flying in a confusing pattern to catch opponent off-guard and deliver a powerful attack together when the foe would least expect it. However, when they decided to test it for real, Firefly anticipated their action and easily knocked Medley to the floor.

Still feeling the pain from impact, the green pegasus limped back to her bed, moaning slightly.

“Ow… some training that was. I feel my whole back aching…”

“Sorry, Kid, but you need to be less predictable,” said Firefly. “I’m sure you’ll feel better when you’ll go to sleep.”

“Still, that maneuver seemed to be useful. Too bad we didn’t had enough room so we could all try it out,” Lightning Bolt interjected.

Rainbow Dash didn’t participate in the discussion. She kept walking back and forth, looking a bit frustrated. Firefly saw it.

“What’s up, Rainbow? Something’s bothering you?” she asked.

“Where the hay is Fluttershy? Why did she wander off like that without telling us?” Rainbow exclaimed.

“Relax. Maybe she just wanted some time for herself. You know how she’s like…”

A sound of doors opening interrupted her. Fluttershy slowly came inside.

“See? There she is,” said Firefly.

Rainbow approached her friend with a stern look on her face.

“Fluttershy, where have you been? I was just about to go look for you.”

“I-I’m… sorry…”

The yellow pegasus appeared emotionally shaken. Rainbow noticed Fluttershy was looking away from her, just like once before…

“Hey, are you alright? Is something wrong?”

“No…” Fluttershy replied with a whisper. “I’m… I’m just tired, that’s all. Maybe stress is getting to me, too…”

Medley gave out another pained groan. Fluttershy walked up to her.

“Are you hurt, Medley?”

“Ah… It’s nothing serious, just my back’s aching. Had a hard landing on a training session. Could you help me with it, please?”

“Sure. Just relax… the pain will go away before you’ll know it.”

Once the green pegasus lied down on her belly, Fluttershy started pressing her front hooves onto her back. Medley felt relaxed. Rainbow and the others clearly saw that Fluttershy’s expression had been a little glum, but Dash didn’t ask her what happened. The blue pegasus approached her friend and said:

“Well, I won’t be lecturing you or anything, but next time, you should tell us where you go before leaving. Remember, we’re a team, and we need to be working together.”

“I know… I’m sorry, Rainbow,” said Fluttershy.

“It’s OK. Nothing really bad happened, right? There’s no need to be sorry. We’re all tired after all we’ve been through. Let’s just go to sleep and get ready for tomorrow. Feeling better, Kid?”

Medley nodded enthusiastically with a grin.

“Yep, my back doesn’t hurt at all, now. Thanks, Fluttershy, you’re the best.”

The yellow pegasus responded with a warm smile. It wasn’t until a few minutes later that all lights went off, and the seven pegasus ponies went to sleep. Or so it would seem…

Fluttershy had a really hard time sleeping. She kept rolling in her bed.

“No… No… I won’t… let you… Get away…!”

The yellow pegasus opened her eyes wide and sprung up, breathing quickly. Those horrifying images… the face of Night Raven, a vicious griffon soldier… the feeling of air escaping her… Fluttershy looked through the window. The full moon was still shining bright. She felt some inner turmoil and tried to quietly leave the room.

What she didn’t know was that Cloud Kicker kept observing her the whole time, while only pretending to be asleep. It’s been two hours since rest time has begun. She knew that something was tormenting Fluttershy. She followed her outside the room and found her crying by the window. Hearing hoofsteps, Fluttershy quickly wiped her eyes as Cloud Kicker approached her.

“Hey, Fluttershy… Are you sure everything is fine?” she asked.

“Of course it is. Why shouldn’t it be?” the yellow mare responded.

Instead of answering directly, Cloud Kicker gently touched Fluttershy’s face with her right hoof. She felt her skin being dry, more than usual. More, her green eyes looked very bleary and red, like she was rubbing them firmly.

“Because… you had tears on your cheeks. Why were you crying, Fluttershy?” Cloud Kicker asked her again. “What’s wrong? You don’t have to hide anything from us.”

Fluttershy lowered her sight, but didn’t say a word. Yet, she felt that she shouldn’t be keeping it a secret before Cloud Kicker. If anypony could help her, it was her.

“I feel guilty… I was following Blackberry,” Fluttershy confessed.

“You were what?!” Cloud Kicker squeaked.

“Shhh… keep your voice down,” Fluttershy whispered, fearing that noise may wake others up.

“Sorry… Why did you do that?” the purple pegasus asked.

Fluttershy lowered her sight, looking at the floor. She didn’t answer for a moment.

“It’s not like I meant to… I felt a little sick and wanted to get some fresh air outside. Then, I saw Blackberry leaving the castle. She headed for the Garden of the Fallen… she had been at Blueberry’s grave. I think they were sisters…”

Cloud Kicker scratched her mane. She remembered a shy, blue-maned pegasus mare which she met during The Equestrian War.

“Well, now that you mention it… she did looked familiar. But Blackberry seems to be much braver than Blueberry was.”

Fluttershy shook her head.

“It’s only for show. Blackberry seems tough, but I think she is struggling with her inner problems that she doesn’t want to bring up before others. She probably never got over Blueberry’s death. I heard her talking to the gravestone… as if she was speaking to Blueberry in person. … It pained me to see her like this. I wish there was some way to help her…”

“I’m sure there is,” Cloud Kicker replied. “Maybe if you’d offer her some warmth and friendship, she might just trust you.”

Fluttershy looked a little uncertain, but knew that Cloud Kicker would never tell a bad advice about gaining friends. She made up her mind.

“I was a bit lost at first, but now… If I can, I will keep my eyes on Blackberry. I don’t want her to die. Hopefully, she will end up being my friend, just like Blueberry did…”

Cloud Kicker smiled and wrapped her arm around Fluttershy’s neck.

“Things are gonna be fine. Just keep it together.”

Fluttershy returned the smile, and the two mares returned back to the quarters to finally get some rest. As Fluttershy drifted to sleep, nightmares no longer plagued her through the night. She knew that, as long as she had the support of her friends, she could face any challenge and overcome it. The yellow pegasus hoped the same could be done about Blackberry… and that she would eventually overcome her problems as well.

Chapter 6: Agony Flame

As the sun rises, the ponies prepare for battle.

They fight with determination and confidence.

But the war shall take its toll,

Some sacrifices have to be made.

Chapter 6

Agony Flame

June 16th, 2021
0730 hrs
Canterlot Castle

Soon after the pegasi from Mirage squadron woke up, they noticed the sun was already shining outside. They left their base and made their way toward the Briefing Room in the castle. On their way, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy met their friends: the bearers of the Elements of Harmony. Applejack was more than eager for another battle. Rarity seemed to be concerned about her vests that were worn by the pegasi. She noticed that the material was still holding strong and hoped she wouldn’t have make any further adjustments. Pinkie Pie wasn’t in a good mood.

“All we got for breakfast was only a bowl of shareable cupcakes and a milkshake,” the pink pony whined.

Applejack looked at her with a frown.

“Sorry, Pinkie, but the situation forces us to be more careful about distributing rations between the troops. ‘Sides, it’s better than not getting anythin’.”

“Sigh… Good point, I guess,” Pinkie agreed. “Tell ya what: If we’ll keep those Exile baddies out of Canterlot, I’ll be sure to throw a huge party for everypony.”

Rainbow smiled a bit, hearing those words.

“She’s still the same Pinkie Pie… I hope she’ll never change,” she thought.

Twilight Sparkle already recovered from the minor wounds she sustained during the last battle. She and Firecracker Burst were going to lead the unicorns again. Twilight shared her predictions with Rainbow and Fluttershy, while the other Mirage fliers listened to her, too.

“Most ponies think the battle will not take place in the city itself. While Canterlot is well fortified, it’s highly likely that all action is going to occur on the plains on its outskirts. It is the only terrain big enough for both armies to have an open confrontation. And it doesn’t have any forms of additional environmental protection, save for a few hills.”

Rainbow nodded in silence. This information didn’t made her feel uncertain. In fact, she felt that she had bigger chance of taking out enemy fliers in wide open spaces. She preferred a direct approach rather than hiding in between buildings and waiting for a chance to strike. Firefly also felt more confident when fighting in such circumstances. Others had varied opinions; Medley had no problems with a strategy that would involve tricking an enemy and leading him to a trap, using buildings as cover. Fluttershy argued that the enemy could use the same tactics as well, while Lightning Bolt stated that the radar will probably eliminate this kind of cover and allow the Exiles to track their movements anyway.

As the ponies were getting closer to the Briefing Room, Twilight, Applejack, Pinkie and Rarity parted ways with the pegasi, as they were going to hear briefings for their own units, held in different part of the castle. Derpy peeked through the window. She saw that some of the pegasus squadron leaders, including Blackberry, were already present, waiting for Gale to come. The seven Mirage fliers entered the room as well. They were greeted by others. When Fluttershy’s sight met with Blackberry, she only said a dry “Hello,” without even pulling out a hoof to shake. Fluttershy imagined that she probably had a hard time sleeping as well, and didn’t feel up for a conversation.

Gale came inside the Briefing Room at exactly 8 AM, as scheduled, along with a few other pegasus leaders. The sight of all gathered ponies and the Mirage squadron brought a little smile on his face.

“You’re very punctual, everypony. I trust you are ready for what is to come. Let’s get this briefing started.”

The crimson pegasus turned the monitors on. One displayed a digitized map of Canterlot, while the other one showed a map of the region with a big blue circle around the city.

“Here’s the current situation,” Gale begun. “According to recent scouting reports, the Exiles are about 2-3 hours away from Canterlot. All ponies rounded up behind the walls are ready to support us if necessary. However, our ammo and weapon supply is limited. Most of them are being held in Stalliongrad and several of its factories. In fact, the city itself is still putting up heavy resistance to any Exile divisions who try to invade it. They have not seen any dragon either. Aurora most likely wants to focus her attention on the capital.”

“So, what’s the plan?” Rainbow Dash asked, feeling slightly impatient.

“While we can fight the enemy in the city itself, it could bring danger upon the civilians. We want to avoid that, so we will meet the Exiles in an open field — on the plains away from Canterlot.”

“It’s just as Twilight Sparkle said,” Firefly thought. “Works for me.”

Rainbow glanced at her, and a single look on her face told the blue pegasus she looked forward to this kind of battle. Rainbow felt the same way after all.

“We will need unyielding cooperation between the pegasus squadrons and the ground forces,” Gale continued. “Though we’ve got about 2,000 soldiers on our side, and, if we count the civilians, that number is almost doubled, our only advantage is the familiar terrain. The enemy is superior in terms of firepower and technology. While the main job for the pegasi will be to fight the enemy squadrons and provide air support for the unicorns and earth ponies, we’ll need to keep our eyes open. If things will get out of control for Aurora, she could call a dragon or two to aid the Exiles.”

Cloud Kicker raised a hoof.

“Question, sir. If she wants to conquer Canterlot so badly, why won’t she just send all of her forces at us at once?”

“Because she’s no ordinary strategist or rebel,” Gale answered. “Princess Celestia claims she knows how Aurora thinks. Even if she could use all of her forces against us, it would leave her vulnerable for any possible counter attack. As I said, Stalliongrad, as well as Manehattan, are still offering solid resistance, and they pose a significant threat to her operations. Unfortunately, we can’t receive supplies or reinforcements from any other region, so we are on our own this time.”

“We still got enough to take them down,” Flare Star spoke.

“Let’s hope you’re correct, Flare Star. Now, over to squadron distribution… Since the area where the battle will take place is quite big, we’ll divide it to four ‘sectors’...”

Saying this, Gale pressed a few buttons on the keyboard and the digitized map of Canterlot region had been split by four green, glowing lines. They had been marked with letters “A,” “B,” “C” and “D.”

“Sector B is the largest one. If the enemy breaks through it, they will get to Canterlot, too. That’s why it we’ll send about 40% of our forces there to defend it. This sector will be under the surveillance of the following squadrons: Mirage, Dragon, Phoenix, Burner, Racer and Cygnus. You’ll be accompanied by twenty or so divisions of earth ponies and unicorns.”

Rainbow Dash, Flare Star, Sunburst, Tornado Swirl, Overdrive and Blackberry each stood up and saluted, claiming their readiness for upcoming battle The rest of Mirage flight responded the same way. Fluttershy glanced briefly at Blackberry, but she did not look at her.

“Sector A will be surveyed by the Wonderbolts. They will be supported by Hornet, Falcon and Sorcerer squadrons. This sector will mostly be occupied by artillery units. You’ll need to keep an eye on them.”

Spitfire, Thunderlane, Rainbowshine and the leader of Hornet squadron, Steam Tinker, were ready. Soarin’ and Firebolt reported readiness as well.

“Sector C is located south of Sector “B.” Units stationed there will have to keep their eyes on possible side attacks. I doubt all of the Exiles will just charge straight on… This sector will have Sweeper, Lancer and Swallow squadrons as air support for the earth pony forces.”

Quick Chaser and Thunder Flicker stood up along with a third pony, a bright pink mare wearing a short, dark yellow mane. Her name was Honey Rays.

“Finally,” Gale concluded. “Sector D is situated in area around Canterlot, as well as in the city itself. You may call it a position for our support forces. We’ll have some ponies from Medical Corps to help in case anypony will get injured. Because this sector is mostly away from possible combat zones, there won’t be any squadrons watching over it. Still, we’ll keep a division or two of earth ponies to watch over them. Is everything clear so far?”

All pegasi present in the room responded with “Yes, sir!” Gale was just about to go to explain another part of the briefing, but Lightning Bolt focused her attention on the map of Canterlot instead and felt an urge to ask a question.

“Sir, about that laser cannon you have mentioned yesterday… the one for Project Atmos… where is it located exactly?”

“I’m glad you asked. Right here.”

Gale pressed some more buttons, zooming in the image of one of the castle towers. The intersection on the tower showed a metallic barrel hidden in it, complete with mechanism that could move it.

“That looks like some pretty advanced technology…” said Lightning.

“True. It took our engineers three months to conceal it. Those griffon constructors from Grunder Industries and GR made some fine war tools… If the need will arise, the cannon will be allowed to be operated. But it’s best if we keep it a secret to the Exiles for as long as possible. The laser cannon, codenamed Meson, will not be initialized unless a dragon appears to attack the city.”

Firefly looked at the screen with scepticism.

“So, you actually believe this cannon can take a dragon down, Gale?”

“Absolutely. We ran a virtual simulation of that laser in a weapon facility at Stalliongrad a couple of weeks ago. Its beam is strong enough to pierce through any known material known to us, including dragon scales.”

“Good to know,” Firefly commented.

“You guys plan on building more techno-wonders like this?” Quick Chaser wondered.

Gale shook head in response.

“Not really. The other turrets, if we’ll be able to complete Project Atmos in the future, will be smaller and mostly situated around the castle, not within the towers. Also, the cannon that is operational now will drain a lot of power. It will need about 5-10 minutes to recharge before it can fire again. When Project Atmos will be completed, this problem will be eliminated, thanks to the energy generators.”

“Well, as long as it helps keep the city safe from other attacks…” Rainbow Dash muttered.

“For now, we have to focus on what is to come. By now, unicorns and earth ponies are having their own briefings as well. They are also aware of how difficult the upcoming battle will be. We must put everything we’ve got to protect the capital.”

All pegasi were prepared for the battle. Gale told them to go and gather their teammates and meet with the rest of pony troops outside the castle, so the distribution of the forces could occur. As the Mirage fliers were leaving, Blackberry suddenly tapped Fluttershy on her back.

“Fluttershy, can we have a word in private?”

“Well… alright.”

The yellow pegasus followed her through the corridor. When they were away from the others, Blackberry turned to her and looked into her eyes.

“Listen, let’s make some things clear. We may be undergoing this mission together, but I don’t want you to babysit neither me nor anyone from my squad. Mind your own business.”

Fluttershy’s eyes widened a bit when she heard these words from Blackberry’s mouth.

“But… I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she stammered.

“Don’t play dumb!” Blackberry exclaimed. “You know what I’m talking about! You were following me yesterday, did you not?”

Feeling confused and cornered, Fluttershy tried to find a proper response.

“But… how…? How did you… You knew?”

“Not initially. But when I was going back inside the castle, I noticed a strain of pink hair lying on the ground,” said Blackberry. “I figured that it must’ve been you.”

“Blackberry, please, listen to me… I didn’t mean to follow you. Honest. I was just—”

“Don’t bother with explanation!”

Blackberry’s face turned angry. Fluttershy backed away a few steps as she came closer, hammering harsh words into yellow mare’s ears.

“I hope you will keep everything you’ve heard in the Garden to yourself… for your own sake. I don’t need your protection or your sympathy. I can take care of myself. Do you understand me, Fluttershy?”

Fluttershy could feel Blackberry piercing sight on her.

“Yes… I—I’m sorry…”

With her ears flopped, Fluttershy walked away, feeling really bad. Blackberry waited for her to leave and was about to go and rejoin her teammates. Then, something struck her in her mind. Only now she realized how she treated Fluttershy, who truly wanted to help her.

“What am I doing…?” Blackberry thought to herself. “I shouldn’t have…”

“Hey, Blackberry, move it!” Spitfire called her. “You and your teammates should go see Rarity. She’s got protective vests waiting for you!”

“Y—Yes, ma’am, I’m coming.”

As she trotted through the corridors outside the castle, thought kept swirling in her mind.

“I guess I was too harsh on her… Maybe I should apologize to her by first possible chance.”

==========

0900 hrs
Canterlot Castle Grounds

Blackberry managed to find Rarity among hundreds of soldiers stationed outside the castle, preparing themselves for the upcoming battle. Rarity had just given four vests to her wingmates and waved to the purple mare to come closer. The vest Blackberry received was reinforced to give additional protection against ballistic attacks. It was colored white and, aside from EAF symbol on the right, as every vest had it, Blackberry’s had another one on the left - a cerulean colored silhouette of a cygnus, representing her squadron.

“I hope it will serve you well,” Rarity said to her as she handed the vest to Blackberry.

“T—Thank you…”

Her sheepish reaction worried Rarity a bit.

“Is something wrong? You seem troubled, dear.”

“It’s nothing,” Blackberry replied initially, but quickly added:

“No, actually… yes, I am worried. My mind feels so blurry. I’m anxious… Tell me, Rarity, how are you able to provide every soldier with such fine uniforms while upholding your duties? Isn’t it exhausting?”

Rarity sighed.

“True, it is. But, if I have to be honest with you, I’m not really a high ranking officer or commander, like Twilight is. I still lead my own company, though and I need to take care of them. It takes a lot of determination and devotion, but if it helps protecting Equestria, it is worth it. Besides… working on uniforms is the least of my problems.”

“How so?” Blackberry asked.

“Well… Most of the uniforms that the soldiers are wearing now are brand new, but some are… recycled, in a way. They once belong to those who can no longer fight… to those who died. All I had to do was to fix the fabric and wash off all the blood…”

“Oh…”

Rarity looked around, seeing earth ponies preparing artillery, pegasi checking their formations and unicorns receiving instructions from their leaders.

“This entire war seems so pointless… Ponies shouldn’t be fighting against each other. Now I understand how Fluttershy feels like…”

“Is she here somewhere?” Blackberry asked suddenly.

“Yes. She actually passed me a few minutes ago. Poor thing… I haven't seen her being in such a gloomy mood in a long time. She must be worried about the upcoming battle.”

Blackberry briefly looked ahead of her.

“I’ll find her and talk to her. Thank you for the vest, Rarity.”

“You’re welcome, dear.”

The purple pegasus flew into the air and managed to spot Fluttershy heading toward an area where pegasi were preparing themselves, identifying her by her own vest, colored yellow. She called out to her:

“Fluttershy! Wait!”

She turned around and noticed Blackberry landing before her. Fluttershy indeed looked quite sad, definitely not in a mood for further arguing.

“Listen, I…” Blackberry started, trying to catch her breath, “I… I wanted to say I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have jumped at you like that. It’s just that—”

“It’s alright,” Fluttershy interrupted her. “I understand.”

“Look, I really appreciate your concern. I guess it wouldn’t hurt to know somepony’s got my back…”

“Then, you’re not mad at me?” Fluttershy asked.

Blackberry shook her head and managed to smile a bit.

“My sister thought of you as a good friend. I hope I can become one, too.”

The two ponies reconciled, with Blackberry no longer having any hard feelings toward Fluttershy. They went for the assembly grounds together.

-----------------

Spitfire had just finished checking the ranks of the pegasi. More than 250 fliers were prepared to take to the skies and face their enemies. Elsewhere, Twilight Sparkle and Applejack, having over 1500 troops under their joint command, reported that their positions were secured and they would engage enemy as soon as they see them. Everypony was waiting for Gale to relay information to them. He did so after a few minutes of nervous waiting.

“Attention, all EAF soldiers! The enemy is approaching the city. Take the fight to them. Keep them away from the city limits. Good luck to all of you! Commencing Operation: Vanguard!”

Such was the codename he picked along with other leaders for the defense of Canterlot. Phalanx and his group of over 50 Royal Guards, both pegasi and unicorns, were to keep order in the city and aid the others in case of emergency. Many civilians promised to aid the soldiers as well. Spitfire reached her communicator.

“All pegasus leaders, report in!”

Each of over 30 different squadron leaders, including Rainbow Dash, Sunburst, Tornado Swirl, Thunder Flicker, Quick Chaser, Blackberry, Overdrive and Flare Star reported readiness. Their wingmates all braced for the upcoming battle.

Some earth ponies beared standards with the symbol of EAF, which greatly resembled the flag of Equestria, with Celestia on the left and Luna on the right. In addition, some of them had the same symbol Rarity used once before to represent Equestria being united, the one with orange wings spread and blue wings embracing them, symbolizing day and night together.

The ponies marched forward toward the plains to meet their enemies…

Commander Clad Hoof, who was once again leading the ground forces, had over 1200 soldiers under his command, with nearly 50 artillery units, ten unicorns battalions and air support. Over 170 pegasi were being lead by Deathwing and his Reaper squadron. As Aurora Starlight promised them, they would play an important part in the conquest of Canterlot. The ground force commander noticed the approaching enemy army. He radioed Aurora in.

“My Lady, it appears the enemy is attempting a preemptive strike. How should we proceed?”

“Your orders are simple, Commander Clad Hoof,” Aurora’s voice replied. “Eliminate the defenders and take over the city. You may call me again once you’re done. I expect flawless execution.”

Aurora then turned her attention to Deathwing.

“You are responsible for our air force. I trust you will lead us to victory.”

“Consider it done, my Lady,” Deathwing answered.

“Reaper 1, our latest reports indicate that Mirage squadron is among the enemy fliers,” said Shockwave. “I recommend engaging them immediately, so that I could acquire the battle data necessary for the Zeal.”

Deathwing nodded.

“They will be worthy opponents for us.”

He then used a broadband frequency to address all troops.

“Attention, Exile soldiers! This is Reaper 1. The enemy is heading toward us. We will engage them and destroy them. We will pave way for our Lady’s return! On this day, a new era in Equestria’s history will begin! Let battle be joined! Attack!”

0930 hrs
Canterlot airspace, Sector "B”

In Sector “A,” Applejack moved ahead, telling Pinkie Pie to remain with most of artillery units in the rear, telling them to hold their fire until enemy units get closer. Meanwhile, in Sector “B,” Twilight and Firecracker Burst lead the unicorns forward in an attempt at creating a thick barrage of magical energy beams. The Exiles, determined to take over the capital, pressed onward. An intense ground combat ensued.

As the pegasi flew up into the air and spread out to reach their designated sectors, Rainbow’s Mirage team encountered their first opponents.

“Here they come!” Firefly hollered. “What’s the plan, Rainbow?”

“The plan is simple: don’t let them establish air superiority, and keep your eyes around your head. We’ll let the others know if anything major comes up. Let’s get them!”

Although the first wave of enemy pegasi was defeated quite fast, in part thanks to good cooperation between the Mirage fliers, Lightning Bolt noticed that some of their opponents were wearing machine guns on their backs and using them to their advantage to attack from a much longer range.

“I don’t think charging at them head-on is a good idea. We should aim for a blind spot from the sides,” she suggested after sending one of the enemy fliers down to the ground.

“Stick to the plan,” Rainbow Dash spoke. “Let’s take’em all down.”

“Look out, Butterfly, you’ve got a bandit on your tail!” Medley suddenly yelled.

Fluttershy noticed an enemy heading straight at her. She quickly darted to the right, allowing Cloud Kicker to deliver a powerful punch to his face, taking him down.

Sunburst and Flare Star were leading their squadrons, Phoenix and Dragon, further away. They have engaged another group of bandits. Though they tried to surround the orange pegasus, their attempt failed due to timely intervention from Flare Star. She rushed ahead, ripping through their formation and causing a mild chaos in their ranks. This allowed the Phoenix squadron to pick them off one by one.

Twilight’s “Arcana” battalion engaged a large group of enemy forces on the ground.

“Don’t let any of them by. Stand your ground!” she ordered.

A flurry of energy beams had been sent against the approaching units. The ground shuddered with explosions and thunderbolts. Some of the Exiles had been hit by the magic beams, suffering from burns or even having part of their bodies frozen solid. It did not stop their assault for long, though. Enemy unicorns did not remain idle, launching a counterattack at the Twilight’s unit. Together with some other soldiers, she put up a barrier around them. It managed to absorb most of magic beams.

“This is Twilight Sparkle, requesting immediate air support. We need you to clear the area!” the purple unicorn exclaimed.

“No worries, we’ve got this one!” Tornado Swirl answered.

His Burner squadron descended upon the enemy. Two of his companions dropped bombs on the enemy formation. They tried to shoot the pegasi down, but Overdrive's team, Racer, managed to distract them long enough. Unable to keep up with their agility and losing two additional brigades, one of Clad Hoof’s divisions ultimately had to retreat and reorganize its strategy.

Rainbow Dash was just about to go and engage another group of enemy fliers when Medley called out to her.

“Rainbow! I’ve got visual on more hostiles. Their emblem… the raven wings!”

“It’s the Reaper squadron…” Rainbow muttered. “So, they’re back for more, huh? If they want a fight so badly, we’ll give them one!”

She reached her communicator and contacted Gale, who was overseeing the entire operation, as per usual.

“We got the enemy ace team here. We’ll take care of them. Gale, relay the air force leadership for Sector ‘B’ to Sunburst. Inform us if something comes up.”

“Roger that, Rainbow. Watch yourselves out there.”

Rainbow then rounded up her friends and went ahead to clash with the Reaper squadron. Once again, it was just what they wanted...

0941 hrs
Canterlot airspace, Sector "A”

The Exiles attempted to breach into the city through the northern walls. Instead, they have found Applejack and Pinkie, along with the artillery units, waiting for them. Applejack charged ahead, leading her troops against the upcoming earth ponies and unicorns.

“They’re close enough. Pinkie, let them have it!”

“I thought you’d never ask. All cannons, aim and fire! Fire!” the pink pony shouted.

A barrage of explosive shells prevented the enemy’s attack, at least briefly. Applejack attempted to break through their divisions with a group from her army. Unfortunately, the Exiles had some long range backup, too. In addition, three enemy pegasus squadrons, of which all members were equipped with machine guns, were sent to diminish Applejack’s battalion.

“Leave this to us!”

Spitfire lead the Wonderbolts in a daring attack against the enemy ground forces. Even though some soldiers were using mobile anti-air turrets, the Equestrian aces managed to avoid the bullets. They had also been assisted by Thunderlane’s Falcon squadron, who fought one of enemy squadrons and easily dispatched each and every one of its members. Flitter and Cloudchaser even performed an effective move, in which they flanked one of the enemy pegasi and smashed him at the same time from both sides, sending him freefalling to the ground. Thanks to their help, Applejack’s battalion managed to capture a couple of aforementioned mobile anti-air turrets. When another Exile squadron appeared over them, they were greeted by a nasty surprise, as their own weapons were being used against them.

Before they retreated, Thunderlane picked off one more enemy pegasus with a swift kick into the neck.

“Nice move, Thunderlane!” Flitter praised him.

“Heh, just doing my job,” he replied smugly.

“Thanks for da help, guys!” Applejack radioed them in. “Keep your eyes open. Alright, ponies, let’s kick ‘hose Exiles outta here! Yee-haw!”

Spitfire contacted the ground forces in Sector “B”.

“Look like the situation here is under control. Twilight, how’s it going on your end?”

“We’ve managed to stave them off so far,” she reported. “But we have to stay on constant alert.”

“Got it!”

1026 hrs
Canterlot airspace, Sector "C”

As Gale had predicted, the enemy was mostly focused on attacking in Sectors “B” and “A,” attempting only small offenses in Sector “C.” Those were easily prevented by the EAF ground troops, who were given the task of protecting this area. But Clad Hoof grew impatient. He gathered a group of earth ponies controlling the main artillery unit, alongside three unicorn battalions. He intended to split his forces into two in order to fool the defenders and break into the city, or, at the very least, cause some collateral damage from the cannon shells.

Clad Hoof begun issuing orders:

“Unicorn battalions 87 and 88, create a barrage. Battalion 89, give us covering fire! Clear the way! Attention, bomber squadrons. You have permission for take off! Escort units, cover them! Time to break the walls of the capital down!”

Gale quickly noticed a group of Exiles gathering together. Among them were pegasi with armed bombs. He relayed latest data to Quick Chaser and Thunder Flicker, who had air control over the sector.

“Attention, Sweeper and Lancer squadrons! The enemy is trying to break through our ground formations and into the city! Stop them by any means necessary!”

“Copy that! Sweeper squadron, attack formation! Let’s get’em!” Quick Chaser shouted.

“We’re going with you!” Thunder Flicker added. “Let us handle the artillery, you can have the bombers.”

“Heh, how generous!” the cyan pegasus snarked.

Just as Quick Chaser’s team approached the enemy formation, they were greeted by another anti-air barrage. One of his wingmates was wounded in the left wing and careened off course, making him an easy target. Quick Chaser noticed it and did not ignore Sweeper 4’s call for assistance. He dived after him, held him by the arms, and called for ponies from Medical Corps to take care of him. Unfortunately, his friend never made it to the city. Two Exile pegasi attacked Quick Chaser and made him drop his companion, who was then riddled with bullets from anti-air fire. Infuriated, the cyan pegasus took down both of his attackers and resumed his assault on enemy air units.

Seeing an opening, Commander Clad Hoof ordered the artillery to commence attack. They came close enough to actually bombard the city with cannon fire. The ponies from EAF became worried for civilians in Canterlot. Ascertained about his daring move, Clad Hood ordered the cannons to fire. However, much to the joy of the Allied Forces and disbelief of the Exiles, no shell managed to penetrate the capital.

When the smoke cleared out, it turned out Canterlot was being protected by a barrier emerging from the castle. This was no doubt the work of the Royal Sisters. Upon seeing this sign of assistance, the EAF soldiers received a solid morale boost, giving them an opportunity to counterattack.

Commander Clad Hoof was dumbfounded.

“Dammit… I didn’t see that coming,” he muttered to himself, realizing the difficult predicament he found himself in.

Thunder Flicker sent his own teammates to bomb the approaching enemy company. Once again, the anti-air fire prevented them from accomplishing it — the bullets pierced the bombs and destroyed them midair. Seeing the situation getting difficult, Gale called for additional air support. Tornado Swirl and Flare Star answered, agreeing to help.

The Burner squadron flew ahead, helping Quick Chaser in defeating the escorts guarding the pegasi that carried bombs. Tornado took one of them down with a powerful uppercut. He grabbed the bomb from the falling foe, setting course for Exiles’ ground forces. Tornado Swirl focused his sight on the artillery units, dodging anti-air fire from one of the turrets. Once he got close enough, he darted upward, releasing the grip on the bomb. It exploded near a couple of cannons. The ammo placed in them combusted, spreading explosions a little further as well.

The green pegasus wiped sweat from his forehead.

“Now that’s a chain reaction,” he commented.

“Not bad, Burner 1, but I can do better,” said Flare Star as she passed him by.

“Oh yeah? You’ve got your chance. All eyes on you, Dragon 1!”

Flare Star did an attack pattern similar to the one Tornado performed, but before she grabbed the bomb from one of unlucky bombers she targeted, the green mare did a backflip and literally smashed his back with her back hooves. Then she finished him off with a strong punch in the chin. Feeling the rush of battle, Flare Star dived at the enemy cluster below her, screaming loudly, as if she wanted to intentionally attract their attention.

“Here, catch!” she exclaimed, releasing the bomb on the Exile units.

A second row of cannons was engulfed by the explosions, devastating Clad Hoof’s group and crippling their offensive capabilities. The Commander did manage to retreat with a few units, though. While Thunder Flicker and Quick Chaser took out the last few remaining pegasi and earth ponies with a help from their teammates, Flare Star flew to Tornado Swirl, baring her teeth.

“So, what do you think, Burner 1?” she asked.

“That was really cool. I give you a 10 for style on that one,” Tornado Swirl replied.

“Thanks. Well, there are still more to take care of. Let’s do this one pegasus at a time.”

“Fine with me.”

==========

1035 hrs
Canterlot airspace, Sector "B”

Rainbow Dash and her team were relayed by Gale about the latest actions in a battle. They kept fighting Reaper squadron in a heated confrontation. Just like last time, they had split, taking on each individual enemy flier. Rainbow fought against Deathwing alone.

“Show me everything you have to offer, Princess,” he urged her, using the last word as a way of mocking Rainbow.

The blue pegasus only squinted her eyes and parried his attack instead of bothering to hit back. She flew to the right, trying to find a way to attack her foe, but Deathwing was an experienced fighter. He did not let her strike him from behind. Thanks to Rainbow’s daring acrobatics, she managed to keep up with Deathwing’s own speed while avoiding most of his attacks. He appeared to be pleased.

“You are as good as the say. But I’m sure you can do better.”

“As you’re about to find out!” Dash replied, aiming to punch Deathwing in the face. He quickly dodged to the side, blocking Rainbow’s side kick and pushing her away. They used this opportunity to stall the fight and catch their breaths.

Lightning Bolt and Cloud Kicker took on Shockwave. While Lightning could keep up with him easily, Cloud Kicker had trouble following her. Neither of them knew that Shockwave had already activated his data extractor he had with him in order to obtain information about their abilities.

“This guy’s really tough,” Cloud Kicker panted. “Isn’t there anything we can do?”

“I think I have it,” Lightning Bolt replied. “Listen, Sunny, I need you to distract him for a while. If all goes well, he’ll no longer be a factor in this fight.”

Cloud Kicker quickly realized what her friend was trying to do. By deciding to trust her and ignoring all possible threats, the purple pegasus flew straight toward Shockwave. He had all of his attention focused on Cloud Kicker. As she tried to punch him, he anticipated the attack and grabbed her arm, leaning closer to her.

“Did you really though that would work?”

Shockwave then delivered a precise and painful kick into Cloud Kicker’s stomach, temporarily stunning her. Gasping for air, the blond mare was left wide open. Shockwave followed his attack with a series of powerful punches into her face, which left Cloud Kicker dazed and unable to counter them.

“How pathetic,” Shockwave uttered, grabbing both of Cloud Kicker’s arms and preventing her from moving.

“Your companions must be dissapointed in you. Clearly, you’re the weakest of your squadron.”

“Maybe…” Cloud Kicker stammered, “but I know a certain pony that’s gonna whoop your flank!”

“Oh, really? And who would that be?” the purple flier asked.

“Look behind you.”

“Hah. I won’t fall for such an old trick…!”

Just then, Shockwave’s radar gave him a warning signal about an incoming assault. He turned his head around and noticed Lightning Bolt, flying at him in high speed, zig-zagging rapidly. She was performing her signature attack, the Shining Spark. Shockwave had troubles using his sight to follow her movements, but didn’t think the white pegasus could actually try crashing into him. The distance between them kept getting smaller… Shockwave didn’t want to take the risk and was about to dodge Lightning’s attack. By doing so, he lightened his grip on Cloud Kicker, which the mare quickly took advantage of by headbutting him in the face and kicking him away with her rear legs. Seconds later, Shockwave had been struck in the back by Lightning’s Shining Spark. The recoil of the attack was quite serious, yet he managed to stay airborne.

Lightning Bolt could not believe her eyes.

“I was aiming at the spine. He should be dead!”

Shockwave felt the force of impact, figuring that it would be better for him to pull back.

“An impressive attack… but not good enough.”

He turned around and flew away from the two mares. Lightning had no plans of trying to catch up to him. She approached Cloud Kicker, whose face had a couple of bruises on both cheeks.

“Are you okay, Cloud Kicker?” Lightning asked.

“Ouch… my chin hurts. But at least you made him leave,” the purple mare responded.

Lightning Bolt’s sight rested ahead of her for a moment. Something about Shockwave’s actions in this fight left her pondering…

Derpy and Firefly fought against Havoc. His physical strength made him a difficult opponent, his aggressive tenacity could prove dangerous. Altough, instead of rushing at them head-on, Havoc waited for any possible openings that would allow him to deliver a strong punch or kick, then follow up witth a series of attacks, since that was his main forte. His main problem was the fact he was at a disadvantage in terms of numbers; when he tried attacking Derpy, Firefly usually prevented the assault and vice versa. Still, both Mirage fliers received a couple of hits, but none of them were dangerous. Firefly and Derpy shrugged them off.

Trickster initially fought only against Medley, but Fluttershy decided to assist her as well. The green flier still remembered his obnoxious attitude, and nothing seemed to have changed about that. Trickster still kept insulting his opponents, zipping around like a crazed fly. In addition, he called a couple of other Exile pegasi to assist him, seeing it as a chance to take out both Medley and Fluttershy. Thanks to their cooperation, they defeated the oppressors, but Trickster was still a dangerous factor. Both Medley and Fluttershy were slowly running out of stamina, as chasing the small pegasus around cost them a lot of energy. Then Trickster called some more pegasi for assistance. The Mirage fliers were in a risk of being overrun.

Suddenly, Fluttershy received a call.

“This is Cygnus 1. I’m heading over to provide support.”

“Blackberry?”

The blue-maned purple mare wanted to show her worth in battle, as she appeared very determined once Fluttershy noticed her coming.

“We have the situation in Sector ‘B’ under control,” Blackberry reported. “Let’s take out those stragglers.”

“Oooh, you’ve got some nerve!” Trickster exclaimed. “Let’em have it, boys!”

Medley quickly dispatched one of the enemy fliers with a series of quick punches to the face, finishing with a swift kick to the neck. Her opponent fell down. Fluttershy and Blackberry fought together, trying to defeat the other one. While Fluttershy distracted the Exile flier for a moment, it allowed Blackberry to circle around him, disappearing from his sight. He only noticed the purple pegasus when she smashed his skull, then took him down with two powerful hooks.

While Fluttershy, Medley and Blackberry fought the pegasi he called, Trickster seemingly vanished…

“Surprise!”

With a quick dive attack, he struck Blackberry, pushing her away from the Mirage fliers. Still, the purple mare had no intention of giving up and parried Trickster’s punch, causing both pegasi to be locked in a clinch.

“Hehe… I love a struggle!” Trickster hissed.

Much to Blackberry’s surprise, he performed a quick turn and tried to twist the purple mare’s arm while delivering a couple of precise kicks to her chest. Fluttershy wanted to help her. It was then that she felt a rush of emotion. She initially wanted to call Medley for assistance, but instead, Fluttershy headed toward Trickster, gradually picking up speed. The short pegasus was too focused on trying to break Blackberry’s arm to worry about his surroundings. Just as Fluttershy gained enough speed, she rammed into Trickster, then delivered a powerful kick with her rear legs, sending him flying backwards.

Now it became clear to him that he’d been outmatched. Growling loudly, he turned his tail and flew away.

Medley was impressed with Fluttershy’s attack.

“Wow, that was great! Seems like you finally got over your fear of fighting.”

“I was never afraid to fight,” Fluttershy replied. “I just want to avoid any unnecessary violence… Blackberry, are you alright?”

“Yes… You saved me, Fluttershy. Thank you.”

Blackberry then decided to return back to her companions from the Cygnus squadron. Fluttershy felt relieved. It seemed they managed to actually become friends.

Deathwing noticed that two of his companions had already left the area. Havoc contacted him.

“Reaper 1, it looks like we’re outmatched. I suggest retreating.”

The dark pegasus did not reply at first, avoiding another one of Rainbow’s attack and darting backwards before reaching his communicator.

“Very well. Our ground force commander doesn’t seem to know what he’s doing. I’m going to contact Lady Aurora. We need backup if we are to succeed.”

Deathwing turned his attention to Rainbow once more before he left.

“This battle was fruitful. But mark my words, we will meet again, Rainbow.”

“Looking forward to it!”

Once the Reaper squadron disappeared from their radars, the Mirage squadron rounded up together to analyze the situation. All seven fliers received some minor injuries, but they could not prevent them from fighting.

“Nice work, girls. Let’s go back to Sector B and help the others.

Rainbow tuned the frequency in her communicator to contact the Wonderbolt operator.

“Gale, what’s the situation down there?”

“The enemy threat level has been reduced to about 40%. We might just make it. Return to the battlefield. Help us drive the enemy away from Canterlot.”

“Roger that!”

1052 hrs
Equestria, cir. 200 km from Canterlot

Hours prior to the battle, Aurora’s own battleship, the Warbird, had been put in a port of Fillydelphia, as the city was now under Exiles’ controls. She decided to personally oversee the conquest of enemy capital. Her company not only included about 400 more soldiers, but, more importantly, they convinced King Aigaion and his Drake Generals to come with them as well. Aigaion was truly enormous, standing well over a head when compared to his kinsmen. The other dragons all varied in size and colors, but their intimidating presence could prove enough to finally finish the conflict.

Aurora had established a field war camp on the plains, making her soldiers prepare for what would seem like a triumphant march into Canterlot. She was discussing several topics with Aigaion.

“It’s good to have you here, o Mighty One,” said Aurora. “You shall witness our great victory soon enough.”

“Don’t be overconfident, Lady,” the black dragon responded. “Not everything may go according to your plan. Don’t you think the battle is lasting a bit too long…?”

Aurora did ponder on those words. With the size of the army Commander Clad Hoof had under his orders, the city should have been seized already. She was just about to contact him, but instead, she was the one who received a call.

“My Lady, this is Reaper 1.”

“Deathwing? What is going on? How’s the battle?”

“The EAF is putting up fierce resistance. They have no intention of surrendering. We lost about 30% of our forces already. Commander Clad Hoof lost control over the situation.”

Aurora started pacing back and forth, clearly frustrated.

“What about Canterlot?”

“It is fortified with a magic barrier. Our artillery attack ended in a failure. All bombing raids were unsuccessful as well. Lady Aurora, we require assistance.”

The blue alicorn squinted her eyes, as she processed everything she heard so far.

“So… that’s how you want to play, Princess Celestia. You are not directly engaged in the battle, yet you still protect your subjects from harm. Very cunning… I would expect no less. But this won’t help you…”

Aurora turned her sight to the imposing black dragon that stood before her, having heard Deathwing’s report as well.

“Your soldiers are in a bind, it seems,” Aigaion growled.

“I’m afraid so. That is why I need one of your generals to aid us once more.”

Aigaion looked at the other four dragons assembled by him. Each of them was prepared to take off immediately, but he thought carefully about possible options. Finally, he said to Gleipnir:

“It will be up to you. Help Lady Aurora’s troops in conquering Canterlot.”

“Yes, my king,” Gleipnir replied with a snarl.

He spread his enormous wings and took of in the direction of Equestria’s capital.

1105 hrs
Canterlot airspace

The ponies from EAF seemingly regained control over the battlefield, pushing the enemy away from the walls of Canterlot. But Commander Clad Hoof still had some soldiers in reserves. He decided to send them in to engage the ground forces.

Rainbow Dash’s team made their way to regroup with other pegasi squadrons when they have received a call from Gale.

“Warning! We have a large contact approaching Canterlot area!”

“This might be it…” Derpy said quietly.

Medley flew ahead and noticed a huge shape forming on the horizon. She quickly reached her communicator.

“This is Mirage 7! I have a positive visual contact! It’s a dragon! The same one that showed up over Ponyville!”

“Time to see if that cannon is worth anything,” Firefly spoke. “Gale, we’ll try to distract him while you get the guys at the castle ready.”

“All right. Attention, Mirage, Racer, Burner, Sweeper and Lancer squadrons! Engage the dragon and keep him occupied. Don’t let him deal too much damage to our ground forces.”

“Mirage 1, roger that!” Rainbow replied. “Alright everypony, let’s go!”

No less than twenty pegasi darted ahead, heading for the upcoming winged behemoth. Gleipnir seemed amused by their attempt to fight him.

“Those ponies must have a death wish… Very well, then.”

The grey dragon opened his mouth and begun charging up energy. Twilight, who observed everything from the ground, knew what was about to happen. She quickly ordered the pegasi to disperse in order to avoid the energy beam. When Gleipnir fired, it didn’t hit any fliers, but it did strike the barrier protecting Canterlot. The ground tremored slightly, but the barrier had been maintained.

“Don’t try to hurt the dragon,” Gale ordered. “We analyzed data gathered from the last battle. If you see him flapping his wings rapidly, try to stay lower than him. The shockwave from those wings apparently only affects the area around and above him. We need about five minutes to charge up the Meson cannon. It’s up to you.”

“Understood,” said Rainbow.

When the ponies finally reached the dragon, they seemed like little mosquitoes when compared to Gleipnir’s massive size. He even treated them like ones, trying to swipe his claws at them and knock them down. Though he managed to clear his line of sight for a moment, the pegasi swarmed him, not allowing the dragon to attack the ground forces. Gleipnir roared, probably in hopes of intimidating his opponents, but it didn’t really work. He finally resorted to using his shockwave attack. Taking Gale’s advice, every pegasus managed to dodge it by lowering their altitudes.

Then, Rainbow Dash did something that was both very brave and very stupid at the same time. She increased her speed, going for the dragon’s eyes. With a daring charge, she plunged her rear left leg into Gleipnir’s pupil. Feeling pain and anger, the dragon covered his face and began thrashing around, swiping his massive tail.

Rainbow ordered all pegasi to move away from Gleipnir.

“That was a gutsy move, Rainbow,” Firefly commented.

“It seemed to work, though,” she replied. “Gale, are you ready?”

“Affirmative. Meson cannon is charged. Gunners, you are authorized to fire.”

The barrel of the cannon could have been seen at the top of castle’s rear tower. For a few seconds, the barrier surrounding the city vanished.

“Target confirmed. Meson cannon, fire!”

A bright, red energy beam was shot. It headed to Gleipnir. He managed to get a glimpse of the danger and moved his massive body to the right at a last second to avoid potentially fatal damage. Still, his left wing has been pierced by the beam, causing great pain to the dragon. He started flying higher in order to avoid further danger. Things did not go as he planned.

“Holy turnips, did you see that? That laser went right through his wing!” Medley exclaimed in excitement.

“Guess he’s no longer a factor. And the barrier is protecting Canterlot again. Let’s take out the rest of the Exiles,” Firefly suggested.

“Yeah, they are definitely running out of steam,” Rainbow added.

Mirage squadron lead the pegasi to confront the remaining enemy forces. The Reaper squadron still hadn’t left the airspace completely. They saw what happened.

“Impossible… How can it be that the Allied Forces have access to laser technology? It does not compute,” Shockwave muttered.

Deathwing only watched at the dragon flying away from the combat zone with a grim face. He had to tell everything to Aurora.

“What? It cannot be!”

The blue alicorn received Deathwing’s call, but instead of positive information, she learned that Gleipnir’s attack was a failure. She began to lose patience. Now she realized that Princess Celestia did, in fact, prepared herself for her invasion, at least partially. She felt outsmarted and humiliated. Aurora’s eyes gave out a furious spark.

“Not yet, Celestia… My revenge will not be denied!”

She turned her sight to Aigaion.

“O Mighty One, your general has been wounded in battle. Are you going to let them treat your comrades like that?”

“WHAT?!” Aigaion roared.

The black dragon squinted his eyes, letting out another deafening roar, scaring the Exiles soldiers nearby.

“I won’t allow this… This outrage will be punished! They shall know that dragons are not to be trifled with! I will show them the power of my Nimbus Impact!”

Aigaion spread his wings and lifted off the ground. He then began gathering energy in his mouth. The red jewel glowing on his armor pulsed brightly. A few seconds later, the black dragon spewed multiple large fireballs in rapid succession. They were heading for Canterlot. Aurora smirked as she watched this display of power. Then she contacted Deathwing and Commander Clad Hoof.

“Gather all remaining soldiers. Engage the enemy at will following Nimbus Impact. Finish them off!”

==========

1120 hrs
Canterlot airspace

The radar in Gale’s Control Room showed numerous heat signals approaching Canterlot. He felt a sense of dread as he zoomed the images in.

“What’s this… Fireballs!?”

Same signals appeared on the radars of the pegasi. Cloud Kicker and Medley noticed them first, advising all ponies to evade them. Much to their surprise and terror, some fireballs detonated in midair, creating burning shockwaves that struck a few fliers, sending them plummeting to the ground. The entire Swallow squadron had been destroyed; many more suffered burns and could not continue fighting. Worse yet, the fireballs that did not explode hit the barrier surrounding Canterlot. While it managed to hold against the first wave, seven more fireballs appeared moments later. Once they detonated above the city, the ponies on both sides witnessed a literal rain of fire falling down upon it. When another huge fireball hit the barrier, it shattered.

“The barrier is down! The city is open to attack!” Commander Clad Hoof exclaimed. “All units, charge!”

“Look out, more fireballs incoming!” Sunburst hailed.

They, too, exploded above the city. Without the barrier, they rained down on the buildings and ponies remaining in Canterlot. Panic and chaos broke out into the streets; the entire castle town almost instantly turned into a blazing inferno.

“Exile scum… do they plan on destroying Canterlot?” Tornado Swirl snorted.

“Which direction are those fireballs coming from?” Quick Chaser asked, though he did not received an answer.

Deathwing and his companions watched the ensuing carnage from the sides before joining the other Exile troops in the attack.

“Reaper 1 to all pegasi. Engage the enemy. Canterlot shall be ours for the taking.”

The EAF forces desperately tried to put up a resistance against incoming Exile offense, even with the civilians aiding them. Unfortunately, this single attack dramatically turned the tide of battle. Rainbow and her team still wanted to keep fighting. Gale radioed them in.

“This is Gale to all EAF soldiers. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna has ordered an evacuation. You’ve been ordered to give up Canterlot. Break away from the area and head north, outside the city.”

“Are you out of your mind?” Rainbow Dash exclaimed. “We can’t comply with that order!”

“We are militarily at a disadvantage. Comply with the order and head north,” Gale reiterated.

“This is Phoenix 1. We’re not going anywhere,” Sunburst spoke.

“Listen! It’s only temporary. The plan is to withdraw, meet up with all remaining forces from each area of Equestria in the Crystal Empire, then regroup for a counter attack. We can’t afford to lose you. Follow the order.”

Understanding the situation, all ponies ultimately complied. A group of about 350 earth ponies, pegasi and unicorns volunteered to stay back and try to hold off the attack on the city for as long as possible. The other soldiers gathered as many civilians as they could and headed for the rendezvous point.

Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy looked down to see their comrades making their way out of the burning capital. Their sights met.

“I think we really should get out of here, Rainbow,” Fluttershy said timidly.

Rainbow did not answer, but the look on her face said more than words. She had to endure another painful loss.

Once the ponies rounded up outside the walls of Canterlot, Gale explained that the unicorns would use their combined remaining magical power to perform a “mass teleportation,” a powerful spell that could transport most of civilians and troops assembled in the area to the Crystal Empire. According to Gale, its citizens had already been informed by the Royal Sisters and they were prepared to offer medical treatment to those who needed it the most. Both princesses additionally stated that the rest of the army will have to make their way to the Crystal Empire on their own, as the railway network had been extensively damaged and could not be used for transport.

Everypony agreed that those who were the most vulnerable or hurt during the course of battle should be teleported immediately. While mustering the EAF, Spitfire noticed that Firebolt was missing. She tried to contact her, but the communicator only gave out static noises.

“Something is screwing up with the connection… I’ll go and look for her,” Spitfire decided.

“Want us to go with you?” Soarin’ asked her.

“No, you keep an eye on the wounded. I’ll see you at the Crystal Empire.”

Spitfire flew back to Canterlot. Once there, she started calling Firebolt’s name, being careful to not inhale too much of acrid smoke that was coming out from the fires. Thankfully, Spitfire’s radar was still functioning, so she managed to find Firebolt after a short time. She was struggling with helping another pony getting out. His body has been trapped in the rubble of a building. Unfortunately, he wasn’t giving any signs of life.

“Firebolt, what are you doing?” Spitfire asked. “Didn’t you hear the order to retreat?”

“This pony called for help… I couldn’t ignore it,” Firebolt explained.

Spitfire came closer, putting her hoof next to the pony’s neck. She briefly close her eyes.

“No pulse…”

Firebolt lowered her sight in regret, gazing at the devastated remains of the city. She could not believe what just happened. The Allied Forces were about to overcome the enemy… Their victory was so close, yet so far.

“So much destruction… What are we going to do, ma’am?”

“First, we need to get out of here. Then, we’ll head for the Crystal Empire to meet up with the others. Once we do that, we’ll worry about the other stuff. Come on.”

As the two mares flew up, Firebolt suddenly asked.

“So… will the crystal ponies help us? Are we really going to the empire?”

“Why do you ask?” Spitfire wondered. “I mean, it’s been active for about a year or so. You’ve never been there?”

“No… I did heard that it appeared, but… Actually, I only know the Crystal Empire from what my grandmother was telling me…” Firebolt confessed.

Spitfire looked at her. It was in this moment that she realized that, even though Firebolt was a member of the Wonderbolts, she was, in fact, still a young mare. They never really had time to talk outside of their duties or get to know each other better.

“And what did you hear from her?” Spitfire asked.

“That the Crystal Empire was once a beautiful land… But the evil unicorn known as King Sombra took it over and enslaved the crystal ponies, making their lives miserable. When Princesses Celestia and Luna banished him, he cursed the Empire so that it would disappear with him for a thousand years… My grandmother said the empire was nothing more than a myth, though.”

“It’s all true. The proof to that is that it reappeared over a year ago,” said Spitfire. “Thanks to Twilight Sparkle and her friends, Sombra is now gone for good. I just wonder if the Crystal Empire is prepared to help us in ending the Exile threat… Maybe if the griffins were not having their own internal problems, they could help us, too…”

The leader of the Wonderbolts let out a sigh, resting her arms on her wingmare.

“There’s no point in staying here any longer, Firebolt. We did all we could. Let’s go and rendezvous with the rest of our forces,” Spitfire told her.

“Yes, ma’am.”

But just as they were about to fly away, they heard a guttural laughter coming out of nowhere. Spitfire and Firebolt looked around, trying to find the source of it. Their radars’ readings started spiking rapidly…

“You foolish ponies should have left when you had the chance…” an ominous voice sounded. “Now this city will be your grave!”

Seconds later, Spitfire and Firebolt learned the identity of the voice’s owner, much to their horror. It was Aigaion. Using his stealth camouflage, he managed to sneak in under the EAF radars. Aurora asked him to breach into the city and kill as many surviving soldiers as possible. Most of the troops who chose to stay behind still fought with the advancing Exiles, so Aigaion did not bother with them. In fact, he figured out that he would deal a devastating blow to EAF morale by killing one or two members of Equestria’s best flying team.

As the large, black dragon revealed himself, Firebolt quickly reached for her communicator, unaware that nopony would hear her calling.

“Gale! HQ, come in! Come in!”

She only heard static. Aigaion rested his sight on her.

“You are a noisy one… Away with you!”

With just a single swipe of his tail, he sent Firebolt down to the ground. She crashed into broken remains of a house. Spitfire was now facing the dragon by herself. She wanted to go and help Firebolt, then leave the city… or, at least, her mind wanted to. Her body could not respond, only her wings kept her airborne. Spitfire became paralyzed by fear.

Aigaion leaned his head toward her, chuckling.

“What, are you planning to hide from me? There is no escape… I will find you and kill you, wherever you will go.”

The dragon opened his mouth with an intent of burning the Wonderbolt leader alive. Firebolt managed to recover from the crash. She looked up and got up quickly. At this moment, she was operating on instinct, not bothered by possible danger.

“No… I won’t let you do it!”

Aigaion’s eyes briefly flashed in red, as did the gem placed in his armor. He accumulated enough power to strike. But just then, Firebolt appeared in front of him and pushed Spitfire away from the line of fire. She snapped back to reality, only to see her wingmare in her own dangerous predicament…

“Firebolt, NO!”

The white pegasus’ body was struck by a wave of scorching flames. Firebolt screamed in pain and fell down. Aigaion only growled in mild annoyance.

“Bah! Such heroic nonsense…”

He was now about to attack Spitfire again, trying to grab her with his claw and crush the life out of her…

“Aigaion, that is enough!”

A voice of a female pony sounded in his mind, causing the dragon to cease his assault.

“Lady Aurora? … You’re using telepathy, I see.”

“You have done well. Leave the rest to me and my soldiers.”

Though he hesitated for a moment, Aigaion turned around and flew away. Spitfire recovered from the shock and descended, trying to find Firebolt, hoping that she somehow managed to survive…

==========

1155 hrs
Canterlot

Searching for her companion amidst the rubbles and smoke, Spitfire kept calling Firebolt’s name. Again, she used her radar to pinpoint the fallen pegasus’ location. Spitfire heard groans of pain and followed them, finding Firebolt lying on the ground. Her entire body was covered in bruises, her white coat burned to charcoal in some places. She appeared to be having trouble with moving, as the impact from over 3000 feet most likely fractured her bones. Despite her injuries, she must have tried to lessen the force of impact to the ground, otherwise she would have died on the spot.

Spitfire leaned toward Firebolt, carefully rolling her on her back, so she could see her face. Both it and her mane were partially burned by the dragon’s fire as well.

“Firebolt, can you hear me?” Spitfire asked.

The white pegasus coughed and opened her tired eyes a bit.

“Ca-ptain… ma’am?”

Her voice was croaky and hoarse.

“I’m here. Don’t move. I’ll try to call for help.”

Only groans made out of Firebolt’s mouth. Spitfire got up and tried to contact Gale again. This time the communicator worked.

“Gale, are you there? Respond!”

“Spitfire? What’s going on?” Gale wondered. “Something was jamming the communication. You and Firebolt briefly disappeared from radar. I thought you were dead.”

“We’ve been ambushed. I’m fine, but Firebolt’s been shot down.”

Gale gasped quietly.

“Is she still alive?”

“Yeah, but it doesn’t look good. She’s got second and third-degree burns all over her body. Her ribs are probably broken, too. I need you to contact Medical Corps, now!”

The Wonderbolt operator informed her that majority of EAF already made it to the Crystal Empire, with the unicorns using their combined magic power to perform mass teleportation.

“Hold on for a minute. I’ll see if I can get any unicorn to send medics to your location.”

“Hurry!” Spitfire urged him.

She then went back to Firebolt. Spitfire held the wounded mare on her front hooves. Firebolt was holding her own on her chest and had difficulties with catching her breath. Spitfire sat by her.

“Hang on, Firebolt. Help is on the way. Everything is gonna be all right.”

“W-Where… Where is… that dragon…?” Firebolt coughed up.

“Gone. You don’t have to worry about him anymore,” Spitfire replied.

The wounded pegasus sighed in relief. Spitfire looked at her with a stern look.

“Why did you do that?”

“… M-Ma’am?”

“Why did you risked your life for me?”

Firebolt moved her head to the left, trying to see Spitfire’s face. Everything seemed like a huge blur to her.

“Aren’t we… supposed to… protect...?” the red-maned pegasus asked. “To… look after each… other? I… I—I couldn’t let him… harm you, ma’am… It was my… my duty as… one of the Wonderbolts… and a soldier… of Equestria… I was prepared… for this… Agh…”

Her sincere and poignant explanation touched Spitfire. She was sustaining Firebolt’s head with her right hoof.

“You are very brave, Firebolt. Maybe even more than I thought. I am very proud of you. Now just relax… don’t try to move.”

While Firebolt initially noded in agreement, she suddenly gave out a shriek of pain and clasped her front hooves firmly against her chest. This alarmed Spitfire.

“What’s wrong?”

“Aaahhh… my lungs… burning…” Firebolt groaned. “It hurts… Aaahhh…”

Spitfire didn’t know what to do. She had no visible means of helping Firebolt, and there were no signs of any ponies from Medical Corps being teleported into the area. The Wonderbolt leader reached her communicator again, trying to contact Gale.

“What the hay is going on, Gale? Where are the medics?!” she exclaimed.

Gale did not respond for a few seconds, but when he did, his voice was very glum.

“… I’m sorry, Spitfire.”

“What!”

“I can't spare anyone. Most unicorns are exhausted and don’t have enough energy to make another teleportation. Besides, we have a lot of wounded on our end, too. The crystal ponies are trying to help, but—”

“You can’t be serious!” Spitfire interrupted him angrily. “Listen, I don’t care how, but you need to send help over here. If you don’t, then Firebolt is going to die!”

“I realize that,” Gale replied, equally frustrated. He calmed down, though and added:

“I’ll tell Soarin’ and Rainbow Dash to pick you up. They should reach within a few minutes. Sorry, Spitfire, but this is all I can do. Please, come back safely.”

He cut the link. Spitfire gnashed her teeth, not only because she was angry, but also because she felt powerless.

“Dammit…”

Firebolt gave out more coughs, trying to put some words together. She felt searing pain building up inside her. She heard everything. When Spitfire walked up to her, Firebolt could hardly see things in front of her. Her eyesight was getting darker.

“Try to hold on a bit longer, Firebolt,” Spitfire asked her. “Rainbow and Soarin’ are on their way. They will get us out of here.”

“M—Ma’am…” Firebolt started, frantically trying to inhale more air. “I—I’m… I’m not… going to make it… am I?”

“Of course you will! Don’t even think otherwise!” Spitfire said loudly.

Firebolt smiled dimly.

“It’s fine… At least… I… have done my duty…”

“Don’t talk!” Spitfire exclaimed, cradling Firebolt’s body. “Save your energy!”

“I… I just wish… I could’ve seen… the Crystal Empire…” Firebolt stammered.

“You will! We will all see it! We’ll go there together…”

Spitfire tried to keep her eyesight focused on the wounded pony, but she was slowly giving into her emotions.

“Come on, Firebolt… Don’t give up on me, not now!”

Firebolt tried to gather her remaining strength to get back on her hooves, but the pain in her body overwhelmed her. She screamed in agony, flouncing on the ground, being unable to resist the burning heat inside anymore.

“Ahhh! No… the fire! It’s burning…! Ugh…! Please… I—I don’t want… I… Please… Somepony… Help… Help me! Ahhhhh!”

“Calm down, Firebolt! Calm down!”

Spitfire tried to restrain her. Firebolt started acting like she suffered a spasm attack. She was twitching violently, desperately gasping for air. Every time she inhaled, it only amplified her pain. Praying that Rainbow Dash and Soarin’ will come flying to them any second, Spitfire held Firebolt in her arms, staring at her.

“Calm down. Look at me.”

Firebolt’s spasms eased. Now she was only making quiet, painful gasps. She slowly turned her head to the left and saw a very vague image of the Wonderbolt leader, feeling a warm hoof caressing her mane.

“It’s all right. I am here. Don’t be afraid.”

The wounded pony felt a familiar sensation. She tried to reach Spitfire’s face with her burned right arm, struggling for breath…

“Mo… ther…”

Firebolt closed her eyes and grit her teeth, trying to resist the pain overcoming her body. Her arm didn’t reach Spitfire’s cheek. It fell down limply on the ground. Then, the white pegasus’ head flopped to the side, and she let out one more, long breath.

She no longer felt any pain. No further sounds came out of her mouth.

Spitfire’s eyes widened in horror. She leaned toward Firebolt’s face, tried to nudge her body to move... Firebolt did not react.

“No…”

Chapter 7: Mourning

In a dark hour, shadows of doubt encircle the heroes.

A loss of someone dear brings great emotional pain.

One must not give into despair,

So long as hope and will to fight remains.

Chapter 7

Mourning

June 16th, 2021
1213 hrs
Canterlot

Rainbow Dash and Soarin’ managed to track down Spitfire’s location using their own radars. They were getting anxious, as her signal was the only one showing on their heads-up display. Both pegasi thought Firebolt’s communicator must’ve been damaged when she had been shot down. Soarin’ saw in the distance that the volunteers who decided to hold off the Exile offense were slowly getting overrun. They needed to hurry.

Finally, he spotted Spitfire amidst the rubble.

“There! I see her!” he hailed to Rainbow.

The two descended and landed on their hooves. Rainbow darted ahead.

“Spitfire! We’re getting you out of here!”

But when they got closer, both came to a halt. They saw Spitfire holding Firebolt in her arms, her head lowered and eyes closed. Soarin’ gasped quietly. He immediately realized what had happened.

“Oh no… We’re too late…”

“What?” Rainbow exclaimed. “You don’t mean…!”

She noticed Firebolt’s body being completely limp.

“She’s dead…” Spitfire whispered. “Firebolt’s dead.”

“No…”

Rainbow backed away a few steps. She squeezed her eyes and turned around.

“NO!”

In a fit of rage, Rainbow hit the bark of a fallen tree nearby with her right forehoof.

“Dammit…”

Soarin’ approached the Wonderbolt leader, placing his own forehoof on Spitfire’s arm.

“I’m sorry, Spitfire… We came as quickly as we could…”

Spitfire slowly shook her head.

“It’s not your fault… Even if you made it on time, it wouldn’t make any difference.”

“Listen, we can’t stay here,” Soarin’ said to her. “Our guys out there are losing. We need to go to the Crystal Empire, to the others.”

“I know…”

Spitfire got up from the ground, took Firebolt’s body on her arms and started to flap her wings, ready to leave.

“What are you doing?” Soarin’ asked.

“I’m not leaving her behind,” Spitfire replied sternly. “I’ve promised her that we’ll all go there together…”

Soarin’ frowned, but nodded his head.

“I understand.”

Rainbow managed to gain control over her emotions and approached the two Wonderbolt fliers, offering some help.

“I can carry her if you want,” she said to Spitfire.

“No, thanks… I’ll be fine.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah, I’m sure… Come on… Let’s get out of here.”

Spitfire’s tone was really subdued. Soarin’ and Rainbow Dash looked at each other, uncertain and worried. All three pegasi flew up, leaving the ruined Canterlot behind. While on their way to the Crystal Empire, Soarin’ informed both Spitfire and Rainbow Dash that the ponies who couldn’t be teleported out of the combat zone immediately will eventually make it to the rendezvous point within a day or two. Rainbow expressed desire to go and help them, but Soarin’ reminded her that Gale’s orders were to regroup in the Crystal Empire, then think of another move.

Spitfire did not took part in the discussion. She kept on looking at Firebolt’s limp body, her closed eyes, her burned skin… and she felt overwhelming desolation in her heart.

1240 hrs
The Crystal Empire, Town Square

Since Princess Celestia and Princess Luna informed the crystal ponies of everything before the battle begun, the citizens were prepared to aid the remaining soldiers from EAF, as well as civilians. More than 700 ponies had been successfully teleported to the Crystal Empire, and nearly 450 more were on their way. Rarity, Applejack and Derpy were more than happy when they found the Cutie Mark Crusaders among the civilians. Just like before, they had been helping other ponies, mainly by transporting medicine. Scootaloo was in charge of that, using her scooter to quickly deliver all needed packages. Many defenders of Canterlot sustained injuries, but the crystal ponies had some of their own medics with them, ready to provide assistance to Nurse Redheart and her team.

Due to major signal jamming in the Canterlot region, the Mirage fliers could not contact Rainbow Dash. Gale couldn't reach the Wonderbolts either until only just recently. While Medley kept walking back and forth, Cloud Kicker hovered above, watching and hoping to see the upcoming pegasi returning safe and sound...

“What’s going on in there? They should be back already,” said Medley.

“I’ve tried contacting Rainbow a moment ago,” Firefly responded. “She said they are coming back. But something didn’t seem right… she sounded a bit down to me.”

“Do you think…?” Lightning Bolt started.

Before she could finish the sentence, Cloud Kicker’s voice sounded.

“I see them! I got positive visual! They’re coming back!”

“Finally.”

The other members of the Wonderbolts assembled as well. Rapidfire and Fleetfoot took flight to go ahead, to ask Spitfire and Soarin’ about details. Lightning Bolt still felt something wasn’t entirely right. She borrowed binoculars from the nearest soldier and looked up. She indeed saw Rainbow Dash and the Wonderbolts returning, but Spitfire was flying ahead, alone… or so it seemed. When Lightning inspected closely, she noticed the pegasi were in a “missing flier” formation, which was only used if a member of the flight did not made back from the mission alive…

“Captain!” Rapidfire hailed to Spitfire, catching her attention.

As the two fliers flew closer, Fleetfoot gasped, covering her mouth with her forehooves. She saw Firebolt, that young mare from the main flight, being carried on the Wonderbolt leader’s arms. Parts of her skin and mane were burned by fire. She wasn’t responding to Fleetfoot’s pokes or nudges.

“Firebolt! Hey, kid, wake up! Do you hear me? Wake up!” the arctic blue pegasus pleaded.

“Don’t bother, Fleetfoot… She can’t hear you,” Spitfire spoke with a glum voice.

Fleetfoot only shifted her sight between Spitfire and Firebolt a couple of times before she realized what the yellow mare meant to tell her. She kept shaking her head in denial. Rapidfire approached the body of his companion and confirmed the fact that she was dead. On the ground, Cloud Kicker landed before Medley, who seemed to be worried herself.

“Spitfire is carrying somepony… What happened?” the purple pony wondered.

“I don’t even want to know,” Medley replied.

Rainbow Dash’s hooves touched the ground, and she was quickly surrounded by her friends. Pinkie and Applejack were especially glad to see her again.

“Are you alright, Rainbow? Twilight Sparkle asked her.

“I’m fine… but Firebolt is…” Rainbow stammered.

The Wonderbolts slowly descended to the ground. The crowd’s anxious whispers quickly turned into horrified gasps, then mournful cries. Spitfire laid Firebolt’s body on the ground.

“Oh, goodness!”

“She’s dead!”

“How horrible!”

“Poor thing…”

“Who could have done this?!”

Spitfire simply stood beside Firebolt, not sure what to do, completely ignoring the cries coming from the crowd, until one mare approached her. It was a female crystal pony, bearing a turquoise coat, a purple mane and a pair of dark-blue eyes. Her cutie mark was a grain of wheat.

“Excuse me. I’m looking for a mare named Spitfire.”

The fire-maned pegasus lifted her sight.

“You found me. Who are you?”

“My name is Golden Laurel,” she said in a very formal tone. “I come in the name of Princess Cadance and Prince Shining Armor. We are aware of the terrible event that happened in Equestria. Please, accept our deepest sympathies.”

She lowered her head before Spitfire for a moment. The Wonderbolt leader did not say a word at first, trying to gather her thoughts. She came up to Golden Laurel and glanced back to Firebolt’s body.

“Listen, if it’s not much of a problem for you, do you think you could…”

“Of course,” Golden Laurel nodded. “We will conduct preparations to give all victims a proper farewell. The ceremony will be held in a few hours.”

While the other ponies observed the whole scene, Spitfire walked back to Firebolt and motioned Golden Laurel to come closer. Rapidfire, along with Soarin', took the mare’s body, placing it on a stretcher brought up by two other crystal ponies, who had been wearing vests with a red cross on them. Spitfire looked at Golden Laurel.

“Please, take good care of her.”

“We will.”

Within the next few minutes, the crystal ponies left in the direction of the castle. The crowd slowly began dispersing. Rainbow’s friends kept asking her what had happened back in Canterlot, but the blue flier could not answer those questions. She arrived when everything was already over, after all.

Spitfire turned around, trying to leave in the direction opposite to the castle. Soarin’ noticed it.

“Where are you going, Spitfire?” he asked.

The yellow mare in a damaged uniform did not even lift her sight.

“Please… leave me alone…” she demanded quietly.

Both the Mirage fliers and the other Wonderbolts watched as she left the town square. They kept exchanging worried glances, yet no one could tell what was really happening in Spitfire’s mind.

1353 hrs
Canterlot

Of over 350 ponies who volunteered to fend off the Exile Army attack on Canterlot, only about 45 remained. Phalanx rallied them into a single company. Around them lied the dead bodies of both EAF and Aurora’s troops as well as rubbles of buildings. Some wounded ponies, who were lying on the ground, still twitched a little, moaned in pain or desperately tried to stand up and continue fighting. Commander Clad Hoof and his soldiers completely surrounded the defenders. He stepped forward, keeping about ten unicorns by his side.

“You are defeated,” he proclaimed. “This battle is over. Give yourselves up.”

“Never!” Phalanx responded. “We will fight to the end!”

“If that is your wish…”

Clad Hoof rose his right front leg, giving his soldiers the sign to prepare an attack. The unicorns’ horns began to glow. Some of EAF soldiers huddled closer to Phalanx…

“Halt!” a female voice sounded.

Surprised, Clad Hoof turned around and noticed Aurora approaching him. She had several of her soldiers by her side, including the Reaper squadron. She gave them a nod. The four pegasi flew up inside the castle. Aigaion and his Drake Generals watched the whole scene in the rear, with little to no interest. Gleipnir had his wound on the left wing being treated by a few Exile medics. The dragon seemed to be in a very grim mood, as he kept growling mildly.

“My Lady?” Clad Hoof asked.

“What is the rush, Commander? Like you said, we have won the battle. We should savour our victory. Let me talk to them.”

Aurora stepped forward, switching her gaze in between the troops gathered under a single banner of Equestrian Allied Forces.

“Which one of you leads this company?”

“I am,” said Phalanx. “What do you want, witch?”

Aurora examined the white-coated pegasus clad in an armor partially reinforced with gold.

“I would choose my words wiser if I were you, Royal Guard. Listen to me. You and your comrades have fought well. But there is no point for you to resist anymore. I am willing to spare your pitiful lives if you will abandon Celestia and join my army. I could use soldiers like you.”

One of the earth pony guards, wearing a brown coat, spoke with disgust.

“Does the phrase: ‘Go suck a lemon!’ hold any meaning for you?”

Phalanx angrily squinted his eyes before adding with a determined voice.

“Forget it! We will never betray the Royal Sisters! They are the only rightful rulers of Equestria. Do not think you can sway us!”

The blue alicorn mare came closer to the Royal Guard, staring deep into his aquamarine eyes. She smiled mischievously.

“We shall see. Your loyalty will be tested. Commander!”

“Ma’am?” Clad Hoof asked.

“Take them to the dungeons! It is only rightful that these ponies should become the prisoners inside the castle they swore to protect. Once you’ll do that, I want you to establish our primary base in this city.”

“As you wish, Lady. Move it, prisoners!”

Clad Hoof and nearly twenty of his soldiers escorted Phalanx’s company into the castle. A little over half an hour later, Aurora noticed the Reapers descending before her. She graced them with a warm smile.

“What did you learn, Deathwing?” the alicorn mare asked the dark pegasus.

“The castle is abandoned. There is nopony inside. They must have left it a few hours ago. This whole battle was just a distraction,” Deathwing replied.

“A trick, then,” said Aurora. “It would seem Celestia had actually been planning ahead. Still, her course of action is rather unexpected. The EAF soldiers are most likely scattered in the mountains or in entire Equestria. They may try to engage us in guerilla warfare. No matter. We will find them and kill them all. I believe we had toyed with them long enough. I don’t want them to become any more dangerous to my plans. Shockwave!”

“Yes, my Lady?” the purple pegasus asked.

“I trust you have gathered enough data for us to complete the Zeal.”

“Affirmative. With this data, we will be able to create a perfect augmentation for future battles. Nothing will stop us.”

“Excellent,” said Aurora. “Once we will establish a base here, start working on it. Make sure there will be no mistakes like last time...”

“Not to worry, Lady Aurora,” Shockwave replied. “And, if I may add something else, while we were searching through the castle, I came across some very interesting data stored in one of the computers. It took me a while to breach its security system, but I believe it was worth it. You may want to take a look at that data with me, my Lady.”

“Show me, then.”

Both the purple pegasus and Aurora flew back into the castle. Once inside the royal chamber, Shockwave turned the monitor on, pressed several buttons on the keyboard and presented the blue alicorn with his discovery.

As Aurora browsed the data, here eyes widened, giving a couple of sparks away. She started chuckling.

“You are right, Shockwave… This is very interesting. Hm hm hm hm… ha ha ha!”

==========

2100 hrs
The Crystal Empire, castle area

The ceremonies that Golden Laurel had conducted in memory of the fallen ponies were over. They mostly consisted of giving eulogies to fallen soldiers, who gave their lives to protect Equestria from the Exile invasion. Yet, much to the sadness of both crystal ponies and EAF troops, some of their heavily injured comrades, as well as civilians who suffered from Aigaion’s assault, succumbed to their wounds. Despite the medics’ best efforts, they could not be saved. Nearly 130 victims’ bodies were stored in either coffins or body bags and then moved to a deeper section of the castle. There, with the help of unicorn magic, the room remained in low temperature, acting as a sort of morgue. Both the Royal Sisters, Princess Cadance and Prince Shining Armor came into agreement that they will be later properly buried in Garden of the Fallen, once Canterlot will be liberated.

However, there was one exception — Firebolt. Mostly because of Spitfire’s request, the white pegasus mare had been given an actual funeral ceremony. The unicorns used their magic to rejuvenate her body, causing most of her wounds to disappear. At around 5 PM, the ponies gave their last respects for Firebolt, as the coffin containing her body was lowered into the soil at the castle grounds. Strangely enough, nearly every member of the Wonderbolts had a few parting words left for the young mare, except for Spitfire, who only stood next to the pit where Firebolt had been put to rest, remaining completely silent.

Even a few hours later, when Firebolt’s body had been buried, and a gravestone was put above her, even after all ponies left for their homes or the castle to look after the EAF soldiers and civilians from Equestria, helping them organize themselves in the Crystal Empire... one pony remained. Spitfire was still sitting next to Firebolt’s grave.

Soarin’ saw her lonely figure in the light of the moon. He watched her from the castle, wondering if there was anything he could do to help her. Rainbow Dash eventually came across him, as she was heading for her headquarters to meet up with her wingmares. The sight of Soarin’, standing lonely by the window, caught her attention.

“Hi, Soarin’,” Rainbow started as she approached him.

“Rainbow…”

The blue flier looked down and saw Spitfire as well.

“She is still sitting there?” Rainbow asked.

“It’s been three hours since the funeral ended,” Soarin’ told her. “She still hasn’t moved an inch. I think she’s been greatly affected by Firebolt’s death. Spitfire is probably feeling guilty for letting that dragon kill her…”

Rainbow looked at Soarin’ with uncertainty.

“Why would she?”

“Because she is the leader. She is responsible for the team. I know her well. And I can’t blame her for feeling like that. The Wonderbolts never had an official casualty during any conflict since our unit has been established… except for that one accident.”

“Accident? What happened?” Rainbow asked, curious.

“We were doing a joint exercise mission with the griffons of the north…that was three months before The Equestrian War. I don’t remember the details, but one of our wingmates, Frostbite, went missing in action. We never found him and ultimately presumed him to be killed. And, in fact, he was dead when we finally learned of his whereabouts… even though he could still move and fight.”

Rainbow’s left eyebrow rose a little.

“I’m not following… Wait… Frostbite? I’ve seen him on a couple of your shows a few years back. He welcomed Princess Luna back in Equestria along with you guys.”

“And he took part in the opening ceremony of the Best Young Flyer competition where you saved our lives,” Soarin’ added.

Rainbow Dash thought about what she heard for a moment before she asked:

“How is he?”

Soarin’ let out a sigh.

“Like I said, he’s dead.”

“What exactly happened to him?”

“I’m not really in the mood to talk about this... The griffins eventually found him during the conflict with Neue Gryphus. He looked nothing like he used to be. Though his body was still moving, his mind was dead. He wasn’t responding to anything, acting like some sort of a mindless beast... Let’s just say the poor fellow deserved a better death. Because Firebolt had finished her recruit training the next month after the accident occured, we decided to make her Frostbite’s replacement in our main flight for any further activities.”

“I see…” Rainbow said slowly. “Does Spitfire know about this?”

“Yeah,” said Soarin’. “When Frostbite's body had been given to us, we buried him among the other pegasus victims of the war. During the funeral, Spitfire looked pretty despondent. She got over his death fairly quickly, though. But I don’t know if...”

The grim silence remained for a while as the two pegasi looked down at the castle grounds again. The stars were glittering faintly on the dark sky.

“In any case,” Rainbow resumed, “we can’t leave Spitfire like this.”

“That’s why I think you should go talk to her,” Soarin’ spoke.

“Me? Why can’t you go?” Rainbow Dash asked.

Soarin’ averted his gaze and started sheepishly scratching his forelegs against each other.

“If I’m to be honest with you, Rainbow… I’m not really good at cheering other ponies up. I tried it before after Frostbite’s funeral, but it didn’t seem to work too well. I just don’t feel like I’m the best pony to do it. Can you go and talk to Spitfire, Rainbow? For me?”

Rainbow thought about it for a moment before she hesitantly agreed.

“I can try… but I can’t promise anything.”

“Trying will not hurt. If you’ll be able to get her attention, tell Spitfire we’re waiting for her at our headquarters in the castle. We need to come up with a strategy for the next few days… they will be crucial.”

“Yeah, I know…”

With these words, Rainbow left Soarin’ and went down to the castle grounds. He stayed by the window just to see the blue pegasus slowly approach the Wonderbolt captain before he turned away, heading for the room where his teammates were remaining.

Spitfire had her eyes fixed on Firebolt’s gravestone the whole time, staring at it with a mix of sadness and pride. The few words, engraved as an epitaph, said:

Here lies Firebolt of the Wonderbolts
Brave youthful mare, claimed by the flames of war

The yellow pegasus didn’t hear the sound of hoofsteps as Rainbow came closer to her. She took a deep breath before she said:

“Hey, Spitfire…”

Hearing her name, Spitfire quickly turned her head around. The expression on her face clearly showed that she was tired, yet also mildly surprised to see anypony talking to her.

“Oh… it’s you…”

“Sorry… Did I disturb you?” Rainbow asked.

Spitfire didn’t say anything. Dash felt a little uncomfortable, seeing the mare she admired so much in such a dire situation.

“I just came to deliver a message. Soarin’ and the other Wonderbolts are waiting for you in the headquarters. I think they want to talk to you...”

Both pegasi were holding their sights on each other for a moment before Spitfire turned her head back at the gravestone without saying a word, seemingly ignoring the words she just heard. It was clear to Rainbow that she was indeed greatly affected by Firebolt’s death. The blue pegasus took a few steps back.

“OK, I… guess I better leave…” Rainbow said quietly.

Just as she was about to turn back to the castle, Spitfire finally spoke, even though she wasn’t looking at Dash.

“Wait! Don’t go… You didn’t come here just to deliver a message, did you?”

Feeling convinced that she managed to get Spitfire’s attention and seeing it as an opportunity to talk to her, Rainbow Dash approached the yellow mare, standing right next to her and looking at Firebolt’s grave herself.

“How are you feeling?”

Spitfire shook her head.

“I can’t believe she’s gone…”

Rainbow looked at her, concerned.

“You’ve been sitting here for the past three hours.”

“I had some stuff I needed to think about,” Spitfire replied.

“About Firebolt?”

“Many things… This should not have happened. She died because of me.”

The pain in Spitfire’s voice sounded clearly. Rainbow tried to keep the conversation up to learn more.

“What exactly happened out there? Soarin’ mentioned something about a dragon…”

“Yeah…” Spitfire replied. “He managed to sneak in under our radars, thanks to that optical camouflage. Maybe it has something to do with that armor with a jewel he’s wearing, I don’t know…”

“And he tried to kill you? He didn’t attack the company defending the city?” Rainbow asked.

“It seemed so. I wanted to retreat with Firebolt, but…”

Spitfire paused for a second before she continued, her voice filled with shame.

“When I looked into his eyes, I… I couldn’t move a muscle. My entire body became numb, I felt cold sweat running through my face, my heartbeat started racing… I was scared, Rainbow. I was never so scared in my life. There was something in his eyes that terrified me beyond anything I’ve seen until now... some sort of a murderous intent flared in them. If it wasn’t for Firebolt, I would have been dead for sure.”

Rainbow Dash laid her right forehoof on Spitfire’s arm.

“It’s understandable. When a dragon showed up over Ponyville, I freaked out, too. Seeing those scaly dudes appear before you, out of nowhere… It’s guaranteed to scare anypony.”

She tried to sound relatively laid-back, trying to ease the grim atmosphere a bit. It didn’t work that well. Spitfire still felt bad.

“It’s my fault. If I hadn’t been so weak, she would still be alive.”

“Don’t say that,” Rainbow said to her. “Nopony could foresee things that happened.”

“Easy for you to say. You don’t know what it feels like… to see one of your wingmates die right before your eyes, unable to ease its pain… to help it.”

Rainbow’s expression also turned glum, yet she felt she must take some decisive action.

“Whatever you do, Spitfire, please don’t resign as the captain of the Wonderbolts. ”

Spitfire’s ears perked when she heard that, looking at Rainbow with a mild shock on her face.

“What? What gave you that idea?”

Rainbow gave out a little smile.

“You’re right, I don’t know how it feels like to lose a wingmate. But I’ve almost lost a friend, and I know it’s difficult to cope with the fact there’s not much we can do to help it. It’s depressing… but sometimes we don’t have much of a choice.”

Spitfire blinked her eyes, processing what she heard.

“When did it happen?”

“During the Equestrian War…”

Rainbow told Spitfire about the occurrence that happened after the battle for Ponyville. The blue pegasus met her old friend, Gilda, who seemingly wanted to forget past problems and talk with her like they used to in past years. Rainbow followed her, but fell into a trap. It turned out Gilda was recruited by Red Cyclone and he used the female griffon's desire to see Rainbow Dash in order to lure the pegasus away from her team for a chance to kill her, thus eliminating one of the factors that kept crippling his operations in Equestria.

“I don’t know what hurt me more back then: those hits I’ve kept receiving from Gilda, or the fact she betrayed me,” Rainbow told Spitfire. “If Medley hadn’t been following me and watching everything… She managed to help me get away, but Gilda took advantage of the situation and grabbed Medley wings, threatening to rip them off…”

“Wha…? You’re kidding,” Spitfire blurted, utterly shocked.

“I wish I would. Gilda kept torturing her for a while, and there was very little I could do to release her. I ultimately attacked, trying to take Gilda down, but that’s what she wanted. Before the rest of my team arrived, she broke Medley’s wings… and my spirit, too. I’ve played myself straight into Gilda’s talons. When I realized that, it was too late…”

Rainbow Dash paused for a moment, taking a deep breath before she continued. Spitfire kept staring at her.

“For the next few days, I was lying in Canterlot Hospital. My injuries were pretty bad, but they didn’t bother me that much. I don’t know if I was more angry at myself for being stupid, or at Gilda for tricking me… It still hurt.”

Memories of those days still lingered somewhere in Rainbow’s mind. When she brought them up, her voice started cracking a little.

‘I could barely move, talk or eat… I just kept staring at the ceiling above me… At times, I wanted to bury my face in a pillow and cry… but I couldn’t even do that. I felt so… useless. Firefly said it right when she saw me… I was just a wreck of a pegasus, nothing more.”

“I… I had no idea,” Spitfire muttered.

“Maybe it’s for the better that you hadn't seen me back there. You wouldn’t recognize me at all.”

Rainbow let out a forced chuckle.

“But you got better, right?” Spitfire asked her.

“Thanks to my friends, Medley in particular. They helped me realize that drowning yourself in despair and self-doubt isn’t the best way to solve a problem. What you gotta do is to face that problem head-on and overcome it, however though it may seem.”

Spitfire pondered about those words. Once again she realized that Rainbow was much tougher than she may look. The yellow mare wondered if she was really strong to overcome her own problems, too. Looking back at the gravestone, Spitfire’s thoughts started swirling around Firebolt again.

“You know what troubles me the most about this, Rainbow?” she asked. “The fact that Firebolt was still young. I mean, she was just a year older than you. She had an entire life ahead of her, maybe even a great career as a flier… but she sacrificed all that to save my life.”

Spitfire lowered her sight a little, frowning. Rainbow looked at her again.

“She was a soldier, just like we are. I’m sure she was prepared for this.”

Hearing that last sentence caused Spitfire to remember the words Firebolt said to her, the expression on her face right before she died… one of serenity, but also longing for something…

“Mother…” Spitfire suddenly whispered.

“What did you say?” Rainbow asked in surprise.

“That was the last thing she said… I was thinking on what she could possibly mean. At first, I thought she was talking about her biological mother… she probably had some sort of a hallucination or was crying for her,” Spitfire explained. “It’s actually not too common for soldiers to call out for their mothers in their final moments… it is said they want to feel some comfort before dying… at least, that’s what I heard. But, the more I think about it… Maybe Firebolt meant someone else…”

Rainbow wondered for a while in silence before she retorted:

“Maybe… she was talking about you.”

“Me?” Spitfire asked, perplexed.

“Well, think about it. Since you’re the leader of the Wonderbolts, you hold some sort of an authority among the pegasi… and Firebolt treated you with respect, as far as I remember… so… I don’t know, maybe she saw you as a sort of...”

Spitfire did not hear the rest of the sentence. Rainbow Dash had no idea what storm of feelings she had awakened in the yellow pegasus’ heart.

-----------------

July 29th, 2018
1400 hrs
Cloudsdale Wonderbolts Academy, Spitfire’s office
4 months before The Equestrian War

Firebolt has been summoned by the Wonderbolt leader to her office in the midst of a training session with Soarin’. The message came to her as she was performing various tricks with other cadets. The young, white mare trotted through the corridors, wondering why Spitfire called her to come see her. She hoped that it didn’t mean any dire news.

As she approached the blue door with a star on its glass, Firebolt knocked on it three times.

“Enter!” a female voice sounded from behind them.

Firebolt slowly opened the door and entered the office. Spitfire was sitting behind her desk, stamping some documents. She seemed quite busy.

“You… wanted to see me, Captain ma’am?” Firebolt asked with a trembling voice.

Spitfire lifted her gaze. A smirk appeared on her face when she noticed the white pegasus.

“Yes, come in, rookie. I was just checking your files.”

“Is… something wrong?” Firebolt gulped loudly.

“No, on the contrary, actually,” said Spitfire. “Your test results have arrived. You’ll be glad to hear you’ve passed both of them.”

Firebolt blinked her eyes in surprise.

“I…. R-Really?”

“You sure did! In terms of practical exam, you accumulated 76 points out of 100. But, as for the writing test, you managed to score 94 points. Considering you’ve only been in the Academy for six months, it is an impressive result, rookie,“ Spitfire told her, still upkeeping the positive smirk on her face.

Firebolt wasn’t worried anymore. Her expression became very much joyful.

“I’m trying to do my best, ma’am. It’s what Wonderbolts are known for. So… does that mean I get to become a regular member of the team?” she asked with slight hesitance.

“Whoa, hold your horses, rookie,” Spitfire said to her. “Before you earn the right to be a true Wonderbolt, you still need to complete your training, and the final exam is at least a good month ahead, if not more. Besides, even if you do complete it, you’ll need to spend some time in reserves before you’ll be moved to active squads. There will be time for everything. For now, I still need to ask you a few questions.”

The white pegasus mare nodded, understanding what she just heard. She made a step in the direction she wanted to, but not quite within the goal yet.

“First of all,” Spitfire continued, “I want to know the exact reason on why you want to join the Wonderbolts. Is this your own decision or are you taking it because you are influenced by something or somepony?”

“Well… actually…”

Firebolt’s sight started moving across the room. The pegasus was uncertain how she should respond to that question. Spitfire saw that she was nervous and tried to calm her down.

“Relax, there’s no need for stress, rookie… Firebolt, was it?”

“Y-Yes, Captain ma’am,” she replied before gathering the courage to answer. “To tell the truth… it’s about my father.”

Spitfire took off the shades she was wearing on her face, looking at the pegasus recruit.

“Go on,” she encouraged her.

Firebolt took a deep breath and begun explaining:

“My father has been a part of Equestria’s Air Force over twenty years ago, serving as a member of one of the squadrons. When I was born, he moved to retirement… Ever since I was a little filly, he kept telling me stories about those difficult times… how he and his companions were flying to different parts of the world to help refugees and citizens of other countries who suffered from that disaster.”

Firebolt’s face blushed a little as she spoke about her childhood, but Spitfire didn’t seem to mind. She recalled the events from over two decades ago.

“Yeah… we had a lot of rough days and nights back then. See, I was your age. I, too, began as a typical cadet in the Wonderbolts. They were sending us, as well as other organized earth pony and unicorn groups, to help those who were suffering the most. And I mean a lot of folks needed assistance. Even after some quarries subsided, there were still local conflicts and wars… We agreed to send medicine, food, even financial support to some countries, but we never openly participated in any conflict, mostly due to fact none of them were beneficial to us in any matter… I sometimes wonder if that was the right decision…”

Spitfire seemed to have been caught in the reminiscence. She noticed Firebolt watching her silently. The yellow pegasus mare coughed loudly.

“Sorry, I digress. So, about your father… You want to join the Wonderbolts because he urged you to do so?”

“Not exactly, ma’am,” Firebolt replied. “My father only gave me a suggestion. He's also been telling me about the Wonderbolts several times… that they are known to as not only the greatest stunt fliers in Equestria, but also as its aerial aces.”

Spitfire’s smirk grew a little.

“We certainly strive to be the best. If ponies like your father say such things, then I guess we’re doing a good job.”

“Yes, ma’am. I want to be a part of this squad, not just because I want to entertain ponies with tricks. I mostly want to help protect Equestria from danger, should it ever be threatened by some vile force. This is the land where I was born and raised. I love it, and I don’t want to see it becoming a battlefield one day. Even if it would, I don’t want to stand idly by and watch. I want to help protect it.”

Although the recent events Spitfire heard of, namely the return of Nightmare Moon, who turned out to be a corrupted Princess Luna, as well as Discord’s shenanigans in Ponyville, were already taken care of by Princess Celestia and some ponies she heard rumors to be bearers of the legendary Elements of Harmony, she was thinking about something else. The conflicts in Emareia and Urusea had finally settled, with the oppressing forces being quelled, but the recent activities in the neighboring Griffin Kingdom grew suspicious, despite King Lightbeak’s claims that they were by no means threats of aggression. He even proposed a joint exercise between ponies and griffins to prove his good intentions even further.

Spitfire's thoughts focused back on Firebolt. Her passionate declaration struck a chord in the yellow pony’s mind.

“So, you fancy yourself being patriotic, huh, Firebolt?” Spitfire asked her. “That’s the kind of attitude I like. But let me ask you this… What does your mother think of it?”

“... I don’t really get to see her often,” Firebolt answered. “She’s a very busy mare. If I can see her once a month, then I’m lucky. Still, she believes in me and supports my decisions. As does my father. They say I’m already an adult, and I should look after myself… I should start making my dreams come true.”

“Hmm… Is that so?” Spitfire wondered. “I’ll have to check those things you’ve mentioned about your parents. For now… Let’s see…”

For the next couple of minutes, Spitfire kept checking Firebolt’s files again, as the white pegasus waited patiently. Finally, the Wonderbolt leader spoke again.

“All right, Firebolt, here’s the deal. I will transfer you to Wonderbolts reserve once you complete your final training exam. Depending on your results, you’ll be accepted into one of four groups. You will be in reserve for the next three months. If you will be showing an exemplary behavior, I’ll consider moving you to one of our main units. And, if you’ll do really good, then, who knows… maybe you’ll end up flying alongside Soarin’ and me.”

Firebolt’s eyes widened in surprise. She wasn’t expecting those words.

“R-Really? I-I would be honored, Captain ma’am. I promise I’ll do my best!” she said enthusiastically.

“I know you will,” Spitfire replied, this time smiling for real. “Well, you better get back to your session.”

Firebolt was just about to leave the room when Spitfire stopped her.

“Oh yeah, and one more thing… You don’t have to be so formal. Call me Spitfire, OK?”

“Understood… Captain Spitfire,” said Firebolt, giving a salute.

Spitfire chuckled.

“If only we’ve had more well-mannered recruits like yourself… Now, run along!”

==========

What Firebolt spoke about her parents was true. Despite her bright and passionate attitude, Spitfire saw her in private a couple of times. The white pony seemed a bit lonely. Since Firebolt had become an official member of the Wonderbolts, Spitfire kept her eyes on her, watching her improve her abilities, but never treating her above other members of the team. As the yellow pegasus recalled all those memories in her mind, something began to stir in her. She still kept her sight locked on the gravestone. Her body started trembling.

Rainbow noticed it.

“Spitfire, are you alright?” she asked, concerned.

“Rainbow…” said Spitfire. Her voice started breaking down. “Can you… do me a favor?”

“Sure… Anything.”

“Hug me… Please…!”

While surprised to hear such request, Rainbow did not object. She approached Spitfire closer and used her left wing to wrap it around her. Suddenly, Spitfire lunged toward Rainbow, embracing her with both of her arms. Rainbow remained still, partly shocked by that reaction. She couldn’t understand why Spitfire did that. Perhaps it was due to emotions surging within her. Both mares remained close to each other for a while.

Then, Rainbow Dash felt something wet on her cheek. Only now she realized that Spitfire was crying. Some quiet sobs escaped her mouth.

“Spitfire… What...”

The yellow pegasus let Rainbow go and started wiping her eyes with her forelegs.

“Sorry… I shouldn’t be going into pieces like this,” Spitfire said. “I know what you’re thinking about me now. I’m hopeless…”

“No, you’re not!” Rainbow interrupted her. “Cloud Kicker once told us that there is no shame in crying. I know you’re feeling sad. It’s pretty normal you feel that way. She was your friend, after all.”

“Yeah…” Spitfire replied after a few seconds. “I know… I’ve made a mistake by leaving her behind…”

Rainbow Dash tried to give Spitfire some words of advice, but couldn’t even gather her own thoughts. Much to her genuine surprise, Spitfire’s tone changed. She wasn’t sounding so grim anymore.

“But… Rainbow, let me tell you something, just between you and me. When I was beginning as a Wonderbolt cadet... about 15 years ago... I once caused an accident. It was during one of the training sessions… I was flying too fast and couldn’t control my wings properly. One of the cadets would end up getting seriously hurt if another wasn’t there to get him out of the way. At the last second, I’ve managed to ascend and avoid crashing, but… Because of me, one of the cadets could be sent home, crippled. I thought that I wasn’t ready for this… I wanted to quit. But as I was in the locker room, the then leader approached me and said that the biggest mistake somepony can make is to give up. I took those words to my heart and, since then, I never gave up again. And I want it to stay that way! I will not give up! No matter what, I will keep fighting. Firebolt would want it. I will keep fighting for her and for Equestria!”

Spitfire looked at Rainbow. A candid smile appeared on her face.

“Thanks, Rainbow… Guess I needed some pep talk to understand. I’m glad you and Soarin’ still care about me. I would never want to let you down. I promise you I’ll help in leading our pegasus squadrons to victory.”

That was exactly what Rainbow wanted to hear. She put her left hoof on Spitfire’s arm.

“And I can promise you that, anytime, anyplace, you can count on me and my team to help you. Just say the word.”

Spitfire shifted her gaze back to Firebolt’s gravestone.

“You know… I wanted to give her a proper farewell during the ceremony… but I just couldn’t bring myself to do it before everypony. Do you think it’s not too late to do it?”

“It’s never too late. Actually, I want to give some parting words as well. I may not have known her like you or the other Wonderbolts did, but… I won’t lie. I will miss her. Her determination, dedication to our cause... She was a great flier.”

Both pegasi stood next to each other once more, rising their right arms and touching their foreheads with their hooves. Spitfire started with a solemn tone.

“Firebolt… thank you. You sacrificed own your life to save mine. I am in your debt. I don’t know if I can avenge you, but I can promise you this: I will keep on fighting. For you… and for every pegasus that died in this war. I will make sure that the Exiles will not conquer Equestria. I… will never forget you.”

Though Rainbow wanted to add something, she felt like words got stuck in her throat. She only managed to utter one phrase.

“Rest in peace, Firebolt… You’ve earned it.”

The pale light of the moon enveloped both mares. They stood in silence for another minute before Spitfire turned to Rainbow again.

“Well, guess we better go back. The others must be getting worried about me.”

“Yeah, let’s go. We need to get some rest before tomorrow.”

Spitfire nodded and the two ponies made their way to their headquarters, placed in the castle’s vicinity. Just then, Spitfire came to a halt and felt something strange… An ethereal voice of a female pony sounded in her ears:

“Thank you, Captain Spitfire… for everything.”

She turned around, but didn’t see or heard anything else. Was her mind playing tricks with her? When Rainbow called out to her, she saw a shadow of doubt on Spitfire’s face.

“Everything okay?”

“Yeah… I’ll manage. Good night, Rainbow.”

“Same to you.”

The two mares parted their ways, heading for their own bases. When Spitfire finally drifted off to sleep several minutes later, she had a smile on her face. No nightmares tormented her at all. The promise she gave allowed Firebolt's spirit to soar into the Celestial Realm, to join the other great and heroic fliers of Equestria.

Chapter 8: On the Brink

A cold wind blows as the heroines take flight,

They search for their companions amidst the peaks.

There will be no rest for the wicked

As the hallowed light will pierce the clouds.

Chapter 8

On the Brink

June 17th, 2021
0905 hrs
The Crystal Empire, Mirage squadron base

The ponies who managed to escape from the ruins of Canterlot quickly organized themselves in the Crystal Empire. In most cases, the citizens were willing to share their homes for those who couldn’t stay in rough-and-ready quarters, which were mostly organized around the vicinity of the castle, as well as and in the castle itself. The technicians previously remaining in Canterlot managed to extract most of the data from the computers and quickly shared them with key members of the military, who, in turn, delivered the data to their troops. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna’s foresight allowed the EAF to remain a well-organized and armed group. Now all ponies were more than eager to strike back at the Exiles. However, some of their comrades still hadn’t reached the Crystal Empire. According to latest reports, nearly all remaining troops, and some civilian too, were trudging their way through the Crystal Mountains. They also indicated that enemy soldiers were hot on their trail. A rescue operation had to be conducted in order to avoid any potential danger to them or the Crystal Empire. While the Crystal Empire wasn’t as technologically advanced as Equestria, computers were, in fact, present. The Equestrian scientists helped the crystal ponies in accommodating with the latest technology over the last year.

Said computers were now present in important military structures of the empire, being only reserved for military purposes. Most of them were in bases, which were now used by the EAF forces. The Mirage squadron also had a computer in their new base. They decided to keep the tradition going and referred to the “computer room” as Mission Control again.

Lightning Bolt was now checking the data stored on one of the discs that was given to them to see how much battle data it contained and how relevant it was, while the other fliers examined the screen. She wanted to show some seemingly important data to everypony. However, there was one flier missing.

“Where the hay is Rainbow Dash?” Firefly wondered. “I bet she’s still sleeping…”

“Give her a rest, Flash,” said Lightning. “She had a rough day yesterday. We all did.”

“I know, I know. But we’ve been up on our legs for an hour now. Hey, Fluttershy, can you go wake her up?”

Fluttershy kept standing a little at the side, but when Firefly called her, she reacted quickly.

“Sure.”

The yellow pegasus trotted through a couple of corridors before she reached the squadron quarter, where seven beds were located. Rainbow was lying in the one to the far right. Fluttershy walked up to her and nudged her body with her front hooves.

“Um, Rainbow…?”

“Wait… don’t go…” Rainbow muttered in her sleep. Her left rear leg twitched a little.

“Rainbow… wake up,” Fluttershy said again.

Rainbow didn’t seemed to hear her. She rolled to the side.

“I wanna… fly with you… a bit longer…”

“Rainbow Dash, wake up!” Fluttershy exclaimed.

The blue pegasus suddenly opened her eyes and sprung from her bed, as if she was touched by burning steel. Her sight rested on Fluttershy.

“What… w-w-what’s going on? Fluttershy! Are we being attacked?”

“No, no, calm down,” the yellow mare eased her friend’s worries. “I only came to wake you up.”

Rainbow got a grasp of her surroundings and realized the rest of the team wasn’t in the room. She figured she must’ve overslept again. The pegasus sighed.

“Sorry. I was a little tired…”

“It’s fine,” Fluttershy assured her.

“So, what’s going on then?” Rainbow asked.

“Lightning is examining the data Gale send to us. She hopes to find something important. Maybe it may help us in further confrontations…”

Rainbow rolled her eyes. She knew about Lightning’s fascination with technology and thought it could’ve been just an excuse. Yet, at the same time, she never examined the data owned by the princesses. It could, in fact, contain some key information.

“Then I guess I'd better check it out, too. Come on.”

Rainbow stretched her legs a little before she went outside the room and into the corridors. Fluttershy followed her closely.

“Say, what were you dreaming about?” Fluttershy asked suddenly. “You sounded like you were talking to someone.”

“Uh… nothing, nothing important,” Rainbow said hesitantly.

Fluttershy noticed that Rainbow’s cheeks were slightly blushing. She easily guessed that she must have had another dream about Mobius. But before she could confirm her thoughts, Rainbow did it instead, as she spoke with a slightly disappointed tone.

“I dreamed I was surrounded by enemy fliers. Ten or so. I tried to fight them, but they overwhelmed me. Then… Mobius pierced through the clouds and helped me in taking them all down. I was so happy to see him again…”

Rainbow shook her head slightly and stopped walking. Fluttershy looked at her, concerned.

“Are you alright?” she asked the blue pegasus.

“Eh, forget it… I don’t know where he is or what he’s doing… I’ll probably never see him again… only in my dreams.”

Fluttershy looked deep into Rainbow’s magenta eyes.

“You may never know. He might come to help us again.”

“Hah. If only.”

Rainbow didn’t seem keen on continuing this conversation. Fluttershy remained silent. The two ponies entered Mission Control, where the other five fliers were waiting.

“There you are, Rainbow,” Firefly commented.

“Sorry, gals. So, what’s up? Fluttershy told me you wanted to show us something, Lightning.”

“Indeed,” the white pegasus replied.

She turned around on her rotating seat so she could see their friends face to face.

“Don’t you think that it’s a little strange?” she started.

“What is?” Derpy asked.

“Equestria did not take part in any conflict for over five hundred years… until only just recently. There were several local conflicts around the world, too… The Belkan War, the uprising in Urusea, assault on Emareia, the Equestrian War… and now the invasion of the Exiles. Even if we take into account that the last conflict was being planned for a while, everything else happened suddenly in a span of several years…”

The ponies looked at each, pondering those words.

“What are you getting at?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“I believe all of these conflicts are somehow connected. There is always some sort of catalyst that leads to a conflict: casus belli, as many historians call it. Something must have happened a decade or two in the world that caused this shift in powers… all these wars.”

Lightning turned around, looking back at the screen. She started typing something on the keyboard, trying to access a certain catalogue. Firefly analyzed in her mind what she just heard. While she wondered if the Equestrian War could have been a planned conflict as well or not, she tried to recall the events from past few years. During her travels, she did heard about the inevitable war in Emareia, but did not seen any visible signs that could eventually cause it.

Lightning Bolt suddenly grumbled in disappointment. When she tried to access the catalogue, a big red warning message, saying: “ACCESS DENIED” displayed on screen. Lightning slammed her right hoof next to the keyboard.

“What do you mean, ‘Access denied’?!” she exclaimed. ”Those files contain data from the Canterlot Library. Everypony should have access to them. Alright, let's see if this will work...”

She tried bypassing possible security measures, but nothing came out of it. Even though she managed to access the folder, its contents did not please the white pegasus. Mainly because… there were almost none. All that it contained was a single text file. It appeared to be some sort of a timeline, regarding various events from many years past. One of them was referencing “the Ulysses Disaster,” but it lacked any details.

“Horseapples!” Lightning cursed. “This is all too vague. I'll need more sources and details to confirm my research, though I’ll doubt we’ll get them from somepony at the moment.”

“That’s strange…” said Cloud Kicker. “Why would our scientists gives us discs that supposedly contain all data, but they actually don’t?”

“Maybe they just forgot to add these particular files,” Derpy interjected. “They were acting in a hurry, after all.”

Firefly wasn’t certain about this.

“Something’s a bit suspicious here… That ‘Ulysses Disaster’... I could swear I’ve heard that somewhere before, but I can’t put my feather when that was... Rainbow, maybe you should go and ask that friend of yours, Twilight Sparkle. I’m sure she can help us learn more about it.”

“She’s probably in the castle library… or she would be, if the situation wasn’t so tight. Or she’s talking to Princess Cadance and Shining Armor… Don’t you worry. I’ll go look for her.”

Before she left the room, Rainbow took her communicator and put it on.

“Call me if we get a sortie order, OK?”

“Sure thing,” Firefly replied.

0920 hrs
The Crystal Empire, EAF Headquarters

Rainbow Dash passed the courtyard and entered into the eastern section of the castle, where several provisional offices for EAF leaders were established. The pegasus kept wondering about any possible connection between all those conflicts that Lightning Bolt mentioned. Plus, that Ulysses Disaster… what could it refer to?

While initially caught up in her thoughts, she was snapped back to reality when a loud voice came out from behind the door Rainbow was just passing.

“... that is why I’m telling you this. My answer is still ‘No’!”

“But… That’s not fair!” another voice protested.

“What is not fair?” the first voice asked.

Rainbow came to a screeching halt. She recognized one of the voices.

“That was Spitfire…” she thought. “Is she arguing with somepony?”

The blue pegasus approached the dark blue doors and peeked through the keyhole. There was another flier inside besides Spitfire, a female one. She had a light turquoise coat and an amber mane with gold stripes. Rainbow gasped quietly.

“It’s Lightning Dust! What is she doing here…”

Wanting to know why the pony who nearly got kicked out of the Wonderbolt Academy in Cloudsdale was still here, Rainbow carried on listening.

“Why won’t you let me join the Wonderbolts, ma’am?” Lightning Dust asked with a pretentious tone.

“I thought I already told you several times,” Spitfire replied. “But since your mind still refuses to understand, then I’ll rephrase this again... You aren’t ready! You’re impatient, irresponsible, and more importantly, you refuse to co-operate with other fliers.”

“It’s not my fault I’m so much better than they are,” Lightning Dust argued.

Spitfire wasn’t in a mood to carry the conversation in this direction.

“Listen, if you think you can win this war by yourself, then you’re making a big mistake. Besides, I didn’t called you here so that you can whine about not being accepted,” the fiery-maned pegasus reminded. “You were stationed in Manehattan up until now. What is the current situation there?”

Lightning Dust managed to settle her emotions. She proceeded with the report.

“The Exiles attacked yesterday evening. They probably got bold after they took Canterlot over. Their offense forced us away from the East Sector. Our Air Force base is located there. As a result, they cut the city away from possible aerial reinforcements.”

“Not for long,” said Spitfire.

The yellow pegasus got up from her seat and started pacing slowly around the room.

“I’m sure you heard about the remaining soldiers and civilians making their way toward the Crystal Empire. The Exiles are after them as well. If they find them, or worse, learn the location of the Crystal Empire, we’ll have a real disaster on our hooves. We need to provide the retreating ponies with a distraction. The best way to do so would be to lead an operation to recapture East Manehattan. And I want you to lead that operation.”

“Me?” Lightning Dust asked, slightly surprised.

Rainbow, who kept watching through the keyhole, could not believe what she just heard. Why would Spitfire trust her after all she’s done at the Academy? Why even keep her in military?

“That’s right,” Spitfire continued. “I’m giving you a temporary leadership over one of the new squadrons that are being formed here. You will go along with Burner and Racer squadrons to aid the earth pony and unicorn battalions in an attempt to recapture East Manehattan, as well as the Equestrian Air Force base there. This will provide us with an important rally point for reinforcing Cloudsdale. Then we might start focusing our attention on Ponyville… maybe even Canterlot. The sooner the better.”

Spitfire returned to the desk and gave something to Lightning Dust.

“Your fellow fliers are already waiting for you at the castle grounds. You’ll recognize them by this emblem on their vests.”

Lightning Dust took the vest and examined it for a while. Rainbow Dash tried to see what it was showing, but Lightning’s body obscured her vision, so she could not guess what kind of symbol the emblem contained.

“So, do you understand your mission?” Spitfire asked.

“... Yes, ma’am,” Lightning Dust replied.

“Then get on it. If you do well enough, I might consider giving you the leadership over that squadron permanently.”

But Lightning Dust did not move. She kept staring at Spitfire.

“Well? What are you waiting for?” The Wonderbolt leader sounded impatient now. “There is no time to waste.”

“But… What about you, ma’am?”

“What do you mean?”

“After that… tragic accident yesterday,” Lightning Dust started, “... the only one left to fly in the main Wonderbolts squadron are you and lieutenant Soarin’, ma'am. You’re going to need some sort of backup…”

Spitfire crossed her front hooves. The look on her face was a bit irritated now. She knew exactly what Lightning Dust was implying.

“Don’t worry about me,” the yellow pegasus said. “I have already made necessary changes. Fleetfoot, Rapidfire and Misty will join my team. We’ll be flying as a five-member team now.”

That response left Lightning Dust looking at Spitfire in disbelief.

“You should concern yourself about getting East Manehattan back. Get to it, Lightning Dust.”

She turned around, seemingly about to leave the room. Rainbow backed away from the door. Still, she heard the vigorous flier expressing her negative emotions.

“I’ll go, but if I was in the Wonderbolts, I’m sure I wouldn’t end up like that sorry excuse for a pegasus did.”

“What… did you say?” Spitfire asked, her voice slightly trembling.

“I said I would not let that dragon kill me, like he killed that pathetic—

“ENOUGH!”

Rainbow jerked when she heard Spitfire’s voice suddenly rising and the sound of her hoof slamming against the wooden desk.

“You better work over your attitude, Lightning Dust. I’m not going to tolerate your arrogance any further,” Spitfire warned her sternly.

Lightning Dust apparently ignored her. Spitfire then said something that caused both her and Rainbow’s spine to shiver.

“I want you to listen to me, and listen closely… If I hear that you caused any mishaps during the operation, I will send you before the disciplinary committee. Everypony knows about your antics in the Academy, so charges against you will most likely be confirmed. And those include exposing other cadets to a direct threat of life or harm. The ponies from the committee despise fliers who put others in danger. If they find you guilty, you can forget about being in the military or the Wonderbolts for the rest of your life.”

Spitfire spoke those words calmly, yet she put much emphasis into last few. Lightning Dust widened her eyes in disbelief.

“Are… Are you threatening me?!” she exclaimed.

“No. Consider it a final warning. I’ve already been too permissive about your actions. Listen, Lightning Dust. I’m giving you this task as a chance to prove yourself worthy of being a Wonderbolt. I still see a lot of potential in you, but that attitude is not helping either of us. You really have to learn to work with the others. Otherwise, there is no place for you in our team, you understand? Now get out of my sight!”

Though Rainbow could not see it, Lightning Dust’s expression changed back to angered almost instantly. When she approached the door, Rainbow heard her yelling. Having an uneasy feeling, she stepped away to the side.

“I will not be humiliated like this! I deserve to become a Wonderbolt! And I will! With, or without your permission, ma’am!”

“GET OUT!” Spitfire shouted.

Lightning Dust kicked the door open and left quickly. Spitfire stared blankly before her for a few seconds before she covered her face with her hooves.

“Celestia, give me patience…” she muttered.

Rainbow peeked her head inside the room. It wasn’t as bad as she thought it would be, save for several flying papers and a damaged wooden door.

“Gee, I’ve never saw you so steamed before,” she said.

Spitfire lifted her gaze and noticed the blue flier.

“Rainbow Dash… You’ve heard everything, huh?”

“Not intentionally… You two had been arguing loud enough to wake up half of the castle guards. So, let me guess… She wanted to thrust herself into Firebolt’s position?”

The Wonderbolt leader only replied with a simple “Mm-hm.”

“And instead of kicking her out, you’ve given her leadership over a squadron?” Rainbow asked.

“Believe me, if I had more time, I’d pick somepony else. But I needed a flier with decent battle experience, somepony who is familiar with the terrain. Lightning Dust was stationed in Manehattan with her previous team since this war began, so there wasn’t much to choose from.”

Rainbow Dash seemed uncertain about letting a reckless pegasus like Lightning Dust having such an important position. But Spitfire didn’t wanted to talk about her any longer.

“Not the best choice, I know, but still better than choosing a complete novice” she concluded. “Anyway, what are you doing here, Rainbow?”

“I was just going to look for Twilight,” Rainbow replied. “There is something I want to ask her…”

The blue pegasus was just about to leave the room when something crossed her mind. She remembered how Spitfire mentioned yesterday about her starting days in the Wonderbolts, about 15 years ago. Rainbow decided to try and get something out of her.

“But… since I’m here,” she started, “maybe you can tell me.”

“Tell you what?” Spitfire asked.

“Thunder was just checking the data she got from Gale. She believes that the recent conflicts that happened around the world, and in Equestria, are somehow related. It may have something to do with the ‘Ulysses Disaster’ that we learned about. What is it about?”

Spitfire blinked her eyes several times, as if she did not understand what Rainbow just said. Although, in truth, she knew what she meant, the surprise effect struck her still.

“Are you kidding me? Almost everypony know, or at least heard about the Ulysses Disaster. It happened a long time ago, but many ponies still remember it. We didn’t want to waste space on those optical discs for that kind of information. There were more important things… You’re saying you don’t know what the Ulysses Disaster is?”

“No…?” Rainbow said with uncertainty.

Spitfire covered her face with her left front hoof again.

“Girl, were you living under a rock for the past two decades?! This is one of the most important occurrences in modern Equestria’s history. It’s been mentioned in the newspapers, spoken about in radio, they are teaching about it in school. What were you doing then, sleeping?”

That last question sounded a little rhetorical. Rainbow rolled her eyes around, feeling kind of embarrassed. Spitfire let out another sigh.

“Never mind. Come here. I’ll give you a quick history lesson.”

Rainbow approached Spitfire and sat next to her. The Wonderbolt leader booted her computer on, began searching through the folders and managed to find what she was looking for. The data stored there contained mostly pictures and some timelines. Spitfire began:

“All key events regarding the disaster can be traced about 25 years back, sometime after the Belkan War ended. It was then that our astronomers had discovered a large object in space: an asteroid the size of a moon, orbiting around one of the planets. It was named 1010EQG Ulyssesand not considered a major threat, since it was in a safe orbit. However, a few months later, another asteroid, codenamed Polyphemus, had appeared. It crashed into Ulysses. The collision produced about 10,000 meteor fragments. Our scientists predicted that they would impact Equis in five years.”

Rainbow’s eyes widened when she heard about it. She began to listen to Spitfire even more carefully now.

“Since there was no way to divert the orbit of all of them, we needed something to protect our planet. The two superpowers, Equestria and then Griffin Empire, tried to formulate a plan. The griffins proposed a construction of various anti-air railgun networks in key locations around Equis in order to intercept and destroy the meteors.”

“Wait a second… did you just say railgun?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Yeah. That was the latest weapon created by the griffins and their most powerful one: only the first of their technological gems made after the Belkan War. They wanted to build such facility at their southern border, calling it ‘Project Valkyrie.’ From what I heard, it also included Fortress Intimidation. That facility was comprised of eight railguns. They could fire at long-range and destroy meteors in quick succession. It was believed that putting five operational facilities in each corner of the world would be helpful rather than having one country control the entire network.”

Spitfire showed Rainbow a picture that contained such a facility. It seemed to be quite big, reminiscent of a certain one Rainbow already encountered with her friends…

“It looks just like the Burning Talon… or Fortress Intimidation,” the blue pegasus realized.

A little smirk appeared on Spitfire’s face.

“So, maybe you do know something after all. Both the Burning Talon and Fortress Intimidation, otherwise known as Strategic Laser Turret Platform and Anti-Asteroid Missile Launch Facility respectively, were designed by the Griffin Empire to protect Equis from meteors. Several other countries, especially the Federal Republic of Urusea, also volunteered to construct railgun networks of their own, with the Griffin Empire providing necessary resources. They went to call them Strategic Asteroid Interceptor Turret Networks, or S.A.I.T.N. for short.”

“Did they actually succeeded?” Rainbow wondered.

“Partially,” Spitfire replied. “When the experimental railgun network codenamed S.A.I.T.N. Type-0 was built in Neue Gryphus to serve as a test bed for the railgun technology, the other countries hastened their projects as well. S.A.I.T.N. Type-1 was built in the northern pony-griffon nation of Estovakia, the neighbors of Emareia. However, the construction was halted due to monetary problems. Some time later, a company owned by the Griffin Empire was established in the Urusea. Its purpose was to distribute the Empire's technological output to the continent beyond the ocean and to provide assistance to build S.A.I.T.N. Type-2 following S.A.I.T.N. Type-0's successful test in Neue Gryphus, former Principality of Belka. Urusea ultimately managed to finish constructing S.A.I.T.N. Type-2 not long before a war erupted there.”

As Rainbow Dash kept listening, she tried to put all these pieces together. Spitfire carried on as she changed the pictures on the monitor to those showing Canterlot Castle.

“After the first two railgun networks were constructed, Princess Celestia, who was ruling Equestria alone at that time, felt anxious about this plan. She rightfully thought that these facilities could later be used as tools of war. So she proposed an alternate: to build a large magically concentrated dome to repel Ulysses’ fragments.”

“Dome?” Rainbow asked. “As in, a magical barrier?”

“In a manner of speaking, yes,” Spitfire confirmed. “Of course, the dome needed at least several months to be completed, as it required enormous amounts of magical energy. The process of constructing the Burning Talon began as well, but due to the projects’ conflicting methods with the Princess's ideals, their construction was halted several times. Both Equestria and the Griffin Empire were running out of time.”

Spitfire then showed Rainbow Dash the pictures that presented falling meteorites into the surface of Equis. It was a terrifying sight.

“Five years after Ulysses collided with Polyphemus, its fragments began to impact the planet, just as the astronomers predicted. The magic dome was cast, and the railgun networks were used to destroy the fragments. Thanks to them, damage was kept to a minimum…”

Spitfire paused before she showed another set of pictures, ones that stunned Rainbow — several huge craters in places where cities once were.

“... only about enough to destroy the whole world order,” Spitfire finished.

The two were examining the pictures for a few seconds before the Wonderbolt leader carried on.

“The impact was catastrophic; no less than a million lives perished, and millions more were left homeless. Since then, everyone refers to it as the ‘Ulysses Disaster.’ It caused a huge financial breakdown, as a lot of money was poured into rebuilding cities and helping the survivors. Additionally, the economic chaos turned for the worst, and most of the small third world countries either collapsed or merged with existing superpowers. Unfortunately, it didn’t take more than few more years to spark conflicts, since the people were frustrated that the promises of protection from their governments turned out to be false.”

“Did… Equestria suffered from that impact, too?” Rainbow asked with concern.

“Not much. The dome that the princess created with the help of thousands of unicorns from around Equis helped protect Equestria. The only area that was hit with Ulysses fragments is what is now known as the Badlands. Since our country was damaged the least, we helped those who suffered more. We sent financial help, supplies and medicine. I was there, as a Wonderbolt cadet. I saw thousands of ponies, griffins or zebras living in dire straits wherever we went… a terrible sight. A lot of people just want to forget about the Ulyssess Disaster, but it's not that easy... And while Equestria defended itself, the same could not be said about the Griffin Empire.”

“What happened?”

“The Burning Talon was finished, but it wasn’t enough to protect them,” Spitfire explained. “The Griffin Empire was struck heavily. It collapsed, and several small separatist nations began to liberate themselves. Only Neue Gryphus managed to remain intact and stayed loyal to the former Empire, which became known as The Griffin Kingdom. The griffins blamed us for the failure of protecting the world from Ulysses, and tensions kept rising between our nations. Then King Lightbeak stepped into power in the Kingdom, and things returned to normal. At least, that’s what it seemed…”

Spitfire ended her explanation. Things became much clearer to Rainbow now. However, she still had several questions in her mind.

“Not long after the Griffin Empire became a kingdom, the conflicts in Urusea and Emareia happened. One of the S.A.I.T.N. weapons had been destroyed in the latter war. Before we could react, we had our own problems barely six months later…”

“The Equestrian War…” Rainbow Dash said quietly.

“Exactly,” Spitfire confirmed. “I hope you understand a bit more now.”

Rainbow Dash nodded. She actually wanted to know some more, to get some additional details. But just then, her communicator began to beep. The blue pegasus sighed.

“Seems like the lesson’s over for now,” she said to Spitfire. “Anyway, thanks a lot, Spitfire. I better tell Lightning Bolt about everything.”

“I suggest you rather bring her here after you come back from the mission,” Spitfire suggested. “I may tell you some more later, too. Now, get going.”

Rainbow Dash saluted and left the room, heading to Mission Control. Her prediction about a sortie order just came true.

1000 hrs
The Crystal Empire, Mirage squadron base

As Rainbow returned back to Mission Control, she noticed her friends were already assembled before the monitor, listening to Gale’s instructions about the upcoming mission. The crimson pegasus greeted Rainbow Dash.

“Good to see you back with us, Mirage 1. Allow me to recap the situation briefly. We have just received a transmission from the ponies that are on their way to the Crystal Empire. By analyzing the coordinates, we’ve managed to trace their location. They are currently on the Winterbliss Fields, an area about 10 km away from the Crystal Empire. We warned them to remain there, as the Exiles are trying to locate them, too. You will have to secure their position so that our own forces can be sent to assist those ponies in reaching the Crystal Empire without the risk of Exiles following them. You have permission to eliminate any enemy units you come across. I suggest you get going immediately.”

“You got it!” Rainbow Dash complied.

Once the monitor had been turned off, the seven pegasi left their base and took flight, heading for the frozen peaks. They hoped that their companions would hold on their own until they arrive.

==========

1015 hrs
Winterbliss Fields

The sun kept shining in the sky, its beams piercing through several clouds. The entire scenery seemed peaceful; even the wind was blowing gently. Cloud Kicker kept rotating her head around, trying to witness as much natural beauty as she could.

“You know, this place reminds me of Shimmerwood,” she confessed. “The only difference that it has mountains instead of forests.”

“Winterbliss Fields don’t always look so pretty,” said Lightning Bolt. “This region is usually plagued with long, savage snowstorms, though they are much less common during the summertime period. It is said that this place was much more calm before King Sombra began his reign…”

Rainbow Dash was just about to interrupt her and remind all pegasi about their mission, but Gale did that instead, as he contacted the blue flier.

“Come in, Mirage 1. Do you read?”

“Yeah, I read you, Gale,” Rainbow replied.

“Good. Maintain your present course. You should reach the Canterlot group within ten minutes or so. We’re having full control over this region, so I can monitor your progress constantly. If anything urgent comes up, I’ll let you know immediately.”

“Understood.”

Firefly felt an urge to speak with the Wonderbolt operator as well.

“Gale, can I ask you a question?”

“You just did, Flash,” the crimson pegasus joked. “What is it?”

“Back in the base, you said that we shouldn’t let the Exiles know the location of the Crystal Empire… Does that mean they don’t know where it is?”

“I can safely assume that they don’t even know it has returned after a thousand year old slumber,” Gale informed her.

While this news did benefit the ponies from EAF, Cloud Kicker began wondering aloud.

“But… didn’t that Aurora pony say she’s been spying events in Equestria for the last decade or so?”

“Even if she really did, it seems her main point of interest was Canterlot,” said Gale. “She most likely wasn’t really interested in anything beyond it, at least not in its northern borders.”

“Then we better make sure it stays that way,” Rainbow decided. “Come on, everypony! Pick up the speed!”

“I’ll go ahead and inform the Canterlot group of your arrival. Good luck, Mirage. Remember, their lives are in your hooves.”

Once Gale cut the link, Fluttershy turned to Rainbow. The yellow pegasus appeared to be genuinely concerned.

“I wonder how many of them managed to survive…”

“No use thinking about it, Fluttershy. When we get there, we’ll help them get to the Crystal Empire. That’s all that matters. Let’s move it!”

The seven fliers began to flap their wings more intensively, hoping to reach their companions in time. And yet, their battle had already begun…

More than 340 earth ponies, pegasi and unicorns were approaching the area designated by Gale. It was a wide open field, covered with snow, and with a small frozen lake nearby. It did seem like a good spot to organize themselves, but when one of the pegasus squadrons returned from reconnaissance, they did not bring positive news.

“Sir, the Exiles are catching up to us!” the dark orange flier reported to the leader of the earth pony unit. “There at least 150 ground troops and no less than 5 pegasus squadrons. Those on the ground have artillery with them, too.”

“This is bad…” the unicorn leader commented. “If they find us here, we’ll be sitting ducks. I don’t think we should be stopping here.”

“We can’t endanger our companions in the Crystal Empire, Diamond Mint,” the earth pony reminded her. “We will remain on our positions. Gale told me that our air support is on the way.”

“It better be a solid support, Night Watch,” the blue unicorn growled. “Contrary to the Exiles, we are almost completely unarmed. And we need to take care of the wounded, too…”

Night Watch knew the situation was serious. During their trek in the mountains, the ponies were caught in a snowstorm and attacked by packs of snow wolves. Although they managed to repel them, at least 50 earth ponies suffered injuries from claws or teeth, while others reported frostbites from chill winds. Plus, the Exiles attacked them at least three times already. The grey earth pony ordered the unicorns to preserve their magic mostly for healing wounds that would endanger one’s life, but their support could turn out necessary to ward off the incoming Exiles.

His thoughts were interrupted when one of the pegasi hollered:

“Here they come!”

“Alright. Battlestations, everypony!” Night Watch ordered. “Protect the wounded. Keep the Exiles away. Try to hold out as long as you can!”

The Exile ground unit leader observed the field through his binoculars. He noticed the earth ponies and unicorns forming two large circular formations. A smirk appeared on his face.

“Hmph. Is this supposed to be their last stand? They are only making it easier for us. All units, move out! Don’t leave a single survivor!”

His own troops began running toward the EAF troops, while the pegasi were ordered to swoop down upon the defensive formations and finish off as many wounded ponies as they could. The Exile ground units were in possession of mobile turrets, and even a few rocket launchers, which were effective in destroying equipment or decimating the enemy formations. They could use them from a safe distance, not worried by possible countermeasures, since the Canterlot unit possessed no such heavy weapons.

Neither of the sides were aware that a single entity observed them from a very high altitude: a single pegasus, bearing a gray coat and dark blue mane remained in place, shifting his sight between the combatants.

The situation quickly become disadvantageous for the EAF troops, as they had no means to avoid the aerial assaults from the pegasi, who wore machine guns on their body. The fliers from EAF were no match for them, having lost over half of their forces in a span of several minutes. Night Watch insisted on remaining in place, but Diamond Mint almost grew desperate, wanting to save as many of her soldiers as she could. Just then, one of the pegasi radioed the earth pony leader in:

“Sir, I got seven friendly signatures on radar, heading our way. It’s our air support!”

“Only seven?” Night Watch grumbled.

He looked into the sky and noticed a rainbow-colored trail heading their way.

“Is that…?!”

“Yes! It’s Mirage squadron!” Diamond Mint exclaimed. “Thank the stars!”

Rainbow Dash and her friends reached the Canterlot units at last. The leader of the enemy Mist squadron also noticed their arrival.

“So, that’s the fabled Mirage squadron, eh?” he remarked. “I remember seeing them back in Canterlot. Let’s see how they will do against our combined might. Mist squadron, Quickshot squadron, engage them. All others, carry on attacking the enemy ground forces!”

When Gale contacted Night Watch and Diamond Mint, they reported to him about dire circumstances and how they had no visible means of halting the Exiles’ offense. Cloud Kicker had an idea, though.

“Mirage 1, I’ll try to take out the enemy units in control of those turrets and rocket launchers. That way our guys will be able to take them over and use them against the Exiles.”

“That’s an excellent idea, Sunny. Make it happen!” Rainbow ordered.

“I’ll go with her,” Derpy proposed.

“OK, you two watch yourselves. We’ll handle the enemy squadrons.”

When Cloud Kicker relayed her concept to Night Watch, he decided to trust her. The two mares flew high above, while the dark-coated earth pony took 30 soldiers with him to act as a distraction for the nearest enemy artillery units. As expected, the Exile soldiers were too occupied with trying to kill the earth ponies. They did not notice Cloud Kicker and Derpy swooping from above and knocking them out of their seats until it was too late. Night Watch immediately took over one of the rocket launcher platforms when Cloud Kicker took out the Exile controlling it.

“Okay, let’s see what this baby can do.”

Once he aimed the platform at enemy ranks and pressed a few buttons, a volley of six rockets bombarded the area ahead of him, breaking one of Exile’s formations and causing them to disperse. The earth pony leader let out a satisfied laugh.

“Ha ha! I’m beginning to like this stuff!”

The Exile ground leader noticed that his ground forces were being slowly diminished by the combined offense, but he could not comprehend how only two pegasi could change the situation so quickly. Of course, he still had some backup companies, and he could call them if necessary, but for now he wanted to take his revenge.

“Quickshot squadron! A change of plans. Eliminate as many earth ponies and unicorns as you can! Mist squadron, engage the enemy pegasi! Take them down!”

“Yes, sir!”

Rainbow and her friends noticed the approaching enemy. Instead of waiting, they darted forward to meet them in battle, aiding the EAF pegasi that remained alive. Rainbow managed to defeat two of enemy fliers rather quickly, with Medley assisting her in taking down the third opponent. Before the blue pegasus flew at him, Medley tackled the enemy flier from behind and kicked him away, sending him straight toward Rainbow’s uppercut. When one of the Exile pegasi engaged Fluttershy, she managed to distract him long enough for Lightning Bolt to deliver her Shining Spark attack into his stomach. Stunned by the immense force of the blow, the pegasus was eliminated when both Lighting and Fluttershy kicked him downward to the ground. The friendly pegasi decided to pull back and treat wounds, so they could rejoin the battle later.

One of the Mist squadron fliers had his eyesight fixed on wounded ponies, surrounded by Night Watch’s soldiers. But he never got a single kill from his attack. Derpy suddenly appeared before him, throwing a snowball into his face and temporarily blinding him. Seconds later, the Exile flier met his demise, as bullets fired from a mobile turret controlled by an EAF soldier pierced his body. His lifeless corpse fell down, crashing almost next to Diamond Mint, who tried to blast another Exile with an energy beam. The sight of bloodied pony corpse caused the unicorn to cover her mouth, trying not to vomit. She quickly averted her gaze and carried on assisting her troops.

The Exile leader’s frustration grew. His troops were losing to a single pegasus squadron and a company of ponies at least twice as small as his! He could not stand for this humiliation.

“Seems like we have no choice… 23rd and 24th Support Companies, you’re up!”

Even though no less than a hundred Exile troops appeared within a few minutes later, the ponies from EAF still rounded themselves around the wounded, not wanting to leave their position.

“We won’t stand a chance like this!” Diamond Mint exclaimed. “We must head for the Crystal Empire!”

“Not yet!” Night Watch shouted. “We have to keep fighting!”

“Don’t be ridiculous! They’ve got us pinned down! It’s the only way!”

Rainbow contacted Gale, trying to get him to send any additional support units as well. Unfortunately, most of them were already elsewhere, trying to establish safe positions in the region.

“The rescue units are on standby, but I can’t send them while the enemy is still out there. Sorry, Mirage, I’m afraid you’re on your own,” said Gale.

Rainbow was, naturally, ready to keep fighting, but what about the ponies on the ground? Would they take the risk as well? Just then, Gale contacted Rainbow’s team again.

“Wait… I’ve just received a message… What is this? It’s a request for a vector of enemy location…”

Princess Luna exited the chamber and emerged on the balcony at the highest floor of the castle. She was the one who issued the order for the chief operator in the castle, who, in turn, relayed the order to Gale. Celestia stood right next to her.

“I’m sure you have felt this, Sister,” said Luna. “How much longer should we remain idle while our subjects are suffering?!”

“Luna, I understand how you feel, but please remember — the power we possess can easily break out of control if we are not careful,” Celestia reminded her. “We can only use it—”

“If these circumstances are not dire, then pray tell, what is!” Luna exclaimed. “I do not know what course of action you will choose, Sister, but I will not stand for this anymore! That fiend Aurora must realize what mistake she made by threatening Equestria.”

Celestia remained silent, perhaps trying to find another solution. Resorting to violence was always a final option for her. Luna carried on.

“We have every right to use our power now that the Exiles are running free in Equestria. This shall be a severe blow for them and their leader. But I will require your assistance, Sister… We will support each other and keep ourselves from abusing our power. It was given to us so that we could protect our subjects… We cannot abandon them in this dark hour! Please...”

The white alicorn was finally convinced. She made a single nod, and Luna responded the same way. Both alicorns closed their eyes. Their horns began to glow. The Princess of the Sun began to flap her wings and hover above...

1200 hrs
Winterbliss Fields

In a brief moment, a bright flash of light occurred over the battlefield. The ponies covered their eyes to avoid being blinded.

“What’s going on? They sky just lit up!” Medley exclaimed.

It only lasted for a few seconds, though. The light of the sun then got a little more dim, as several concentrated beams shined down… in the direction of the Crystal Empire. Nopony knew what could this possibly mean, but the Exile commander saw this as a sign.

“Hmm… It seems the gods are on our side. I knew there was something hidden in these mountains! I should tell Lady Aurora right now.”

As he tried to contact her, the pegasi from Mirage squadron still didn’t know what was going on. Medley and Cloud Kicker noticed a faint light building up where the Crystal Empire was located. That was about 5 kilometers away from their current location. Rainbow then heard a beeping sound, similar to the one alerting a flier of an incoming attack.

“Hey, what the hay? Is my radar on the fritz?” she wondered.

“It’s showing up on mine, too,” Lightning Bolt confirmed. “A massive energy spike…”

Firefly’s eyes widened. She finally began to realize what was about to happen.

“We better split, girls! Things are about to get ugly… for the Exiles, at least.”

The fliers did as she said. They landed on the ground close to the Canterlot group. Some Exiles also began to show signs of anxiety. Their leader finally managed to contact Aurora.

“I hope you have good news for me, Major,” the alicorn said through the speaker.

“Yes, my Lady. It would seem we found a trace that will lead us to Celestia. A beam of light just showed us the way.”

“A beam of light, you say?” Aurora said sceptically.

“I cannot send you an image; there’s too much interference here, but I assure you, Lady: it’s the right way,” the aquamarine earth pony replied. “I will send you our exact loca—”

“Major! The light!” one of his soldiers exclaimed. “It’s getting bigger!”

Within the next few seconds all Aurora could hear was a terrified scream and ear-piercing static before the communication link was lost. All attempts at restoring it failed.

“Major…! Major, come in!” Aurora ordered.

When no response came, she lowered her sight.

“What could have happened… No…! Could it be…? It’s not possible…!”

Aurora could not see it, but her soldiers certainly did. It was the last sight they saw in their lives. A massive yellow-orange energy beam struck the battlefield and began to plow through the ranks of the Exiles. Anypony struck by the beam suffered enormous pain from intense burns, dying only seconds later. All artillery weapons that were under their control had been melted and destroyed as well.

Though that beam only lasted about 30 seconds, it destroyed pretty much the entire order in the Exile army, killing most soldiers and sending the other into panic. Those who managed to survive tried to flee, but another phenomenon finished what the scorching beam did not. Four smaller beams of silvery light rained down from the clouds in quick succession, hitting the ground and sending any Exiles unlucky enough flying in every direction. Some of them landed at the edges of nearby mountains.

A deathly silence fell in the snowy peaks. The Exiles that were sent here had been almost completely wiped out.

Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, their friends and the ponies from Canterlot unit watched the unfolding spectacle in amazement.

“What… what just happened?” Cloud Kicker blurted out.

“I don’t know, but it took care of the Exiles,” Derpy replied.

“Yeah. All red signatures are gone from my radar,” Lightning Bolt confirmed. “Unbelieveable…”

“That was both incredible… and scary,” Medley added.

Rainbow reached her communicator when Gale tried to call her.

“Mirage 1, do you read? Give me a SITREP.”

“The Exiles have been taken care off,” Rainbow responded. “We saw some huge beams tearing through them. Do you know what happened, Gale?”

The Wonderbolt operator remained silent for a few seconds, but when he spoke, his voice was calm and collected.

“Yeah. It seems the sun and the moon really were shining upon you this time.”

Now everything was clear for the ponies from EAF. They all started to cheer and celebrate their victory, but then Medley noticed four winged shapes leaving the airspace. Those four pegasi managed to escape the onslaught.

“Hey! They’re getting away!” the green pegasus reported.

“Want us to go after them, Gale?” Rainbow asked.

“No. I’ll send an interceptor squadron from Cloudsdale to stop them. They won’t get far,” Gale replied. “I told the rescue units to go and pick up the wounded. All units, return to base. I’ve just got a message from the Royal Sisters. They will be conducting a special meeting at the castle grounds soon.”

Rainbow told their friends to follow her back to the Crystal Empire, but then… She heard a whooshing sound coming from above. The blue pegasus looked up, but didn’t see anyone.

“What is it, Rainbow?” Fluttershy asked.

“No, nothing… I must be hearing things. Let’s get going. Did anypony get hurt?”

Aside from minor bruises and general exhaustion, the pegasi were fine. Only Fluttershy was slightly injured in the right wing, as a couple of bullets from an enemy’s machine gun grazed it. It wasn’t too serious, though. Firefly was worried that even though they had obtained an important victory, Aurora could actually learn the location of the Crystal Empire…

==========

1229 hrs
Crystal Mountains airspace

The four Exile pegasi couldn’t comprehend what happened. They were winning, but suddenly everything turned for the worse.

“What in the Tartarus’ name happened?” one of the fliers asked. “Did you see that…? All our comrades burned to ashes…”

“It’s the work of EAF, I bet,” the second pegasus said. “They must have some sort of secret weapon hidden there. It’s the only logical explanation.”

“Whatever it was, we better hurry and let Lady Aurora know about it,” another one suggested.

The last pegasus was about to agree with his companions’ plan, but he noticed a lone signature on his radar and warned the others about it. It appeared right in front of them, and their IFF couldn’t identify it as friendly or enemy. A few seconds later, the signature turned out to be a lone pegasus with a gray coat and dark blue mane. He wore no vest.

All four Exile fliers stopped to face this unknown pony.

“Who are you? Another one of Celestia’s dogs?” the light-brown flier asked.

The gray pegasus had his sight lowered and didn’t look at the one who spoke to him, but he lifted his head up moments later. His bloody red eyes combined with his angered glare made two of the Exile fliers feel uncomfortable. They also noticed his body was covered in scars.

“I was once called a dog… but I serve no one,” the gray pegasus replied.

His voice sounded like gruff growling.

“In that case, don’t get in our way,” the light-brown Exile told him. “Move aside and we will spare you.”

“I will not. You should have stayed and died with the others. Curse your luck for running into me…”

The gray pegasus extended his wings and entered a battle stance. The four Exiles looked at each other and began to laugh.

“You want to fight all four of us? You must be in a hurry to die!” the dark-green flier scoffed.

“It is not me who will die…”

Without warning, the gray flier darted toward the group and tackled the one to the right. He then delivered four quick punches to his stomach and face, followed by a swift kick. The force of these blows was immense, and the Exile fell down to the cold ground, much to his companions’ surprise. They didn’t even see their opponent attack.

“I’ve killed ponies less deserving of death…” the gray pegasus growled. “Your move.”

“Why you…!”

The second Exile flier charged at the mysterious pegasus, angered by his taunt. But he easily avoided his punch by darting back a little bit and immediately countered with a powerful kick to the gut, stunning the orange flier. He then delivered two more punches to his face, knocking some teeth out in the process. The gray pegasus sent his foe down with another strike to his head.

“Two more…” he uttered.

“W-Who is this guy?!” the light-brown pegasus asked.

“I don’t know, but whoever he is, he is no ordinary pegasus,” the other one replied. “Let’s attack him from both sides. He won’t be able to take on us at the same time.”

All the gray pegasus gave out was a tiny smirk. When the two Exiles came flying at him, he easily avoided their attacks by swaying his body to the sides, then used his front hooves to block the brown pegasus’ attack. Then he hit his face with a powerful headbutt, knocking him away. Before he knew what was happening, the other Exile received a kick to his neck. Its strength sent the Exile plummeting to his doom. If the fall did not kill him, then the broken remains of his skull impaling his brain upon hitting the ground head first certainly did.

“Now it’s just you…” the gray pegasus turned his sight to the light-brown Exile.

Seeing he was no match for this unknown fighter, he turned around, trying to flee, but to no avail. The gray pegasus appeared right before him and stared his red eyes into his.

“You won’t escape me…”

“W-Who… who are you?” the light-brown flier asked with a trembling voice.

In his own eyes, the opponent was not a pegasus. This gray-coated entity rather appeared to be some sort of a demonic winged horse.

“Me? I am just a specter of a war from many years past… yet I still linger in this world. But you will not,” the gray pegasus answered.

He darted toward the Exile and stunned him with a quick punch to the gut before grabbing his head with his front hooves.

“N-No… Please…!”

The gray pegasus ignored him and snapped his neck, ending his life. He took a few deep breaths, looking around him. Four dead bodies were now laying on the snow, staining it red with blood. The flier shifted his gaze to his hooves, which were also slightly red.

“Heh…as expected, no match for me. I still got it,” he said to himself.

His eyes looked at the horizon. The expression on his face showed signs of curiosity.

“That Mirage squadron… and their leader… Those are some very interesting individuals. I should keep observing them… Perhaps my time here will not go to a waste after all.”

He then flew up high and disappeared among the clouds.

Chapter 9: The Tide Turns

Those who are blinded by their overconfidence

Shall soon be dealt a deadly blow.

The allies commence an important operation

To strikes their enemies from all directions.

Chapter 9

The Tide Turns

June 17th, 2021
1830 hrs
Emareia, Gracemareia outskirts

Shamrock went outside to watch the setting sun. The beautiful sight he has seen so many times from a small house overlooking the sea was always soothing for him. It had been over two years since he and his best friend, Talisman, decided to retire from the Emareian Air Force, wanting to start a new life, away from any conflict. But it was easier said than done. Though Shamrock was now living a prosperous life with his young wife, and they were going to have a baby in the next few months, something kept bothering him since the last two weeks. Every time his fiancee asked him what was wrong, the green pegasus brushed her worries aside.

He kept wondering how much more he’ll be able to lie to himself like this…

Shamrock took a deep breath of fresh air, and a dim smile appeared on his face. Maybe he was just exaggerating it… Just then, he noticed a lone figure on the sky, heading in his direction. When it got closer, Shamrock recognized his friend.

“Hey, Talisman, nice of you to drop by,” the green pegasus greeted him.

“I figured it would be a good time to see you,” said Talisman, landing before Shamrock. “After all, you’re going to be a father soon.”

“Heh, yeah… I’m hoping it’s going to be a filly,” Shamrock blurted out. “Or, better yet, a filly and a colt, heh…”

Talisman chuckled, but his expression became much more serious within seconds.

“I’m sure you have already heard… Equestria has been attacked again.”

Shamrock immediately dropped his lighthearted attitude as well.

“Yeah, I know… I’m getting worried about our fellow Angels… Talisman, is there really nothing we can do to help them?”

Talisman shook his head.

“I’m sorry, Shamrock, but this conflict does not concern us. We have our own lives to live now. They will handle things by themselves.”

“I hope so…”

Talisman looked at Shamrock. The green pegasus seemed resigned. He had to accept what his friend just said, even though he would drop everything and fly to Equestria on a whim, if it was up to him. Talisman knew how he felt.

“Listen, even without our assistance back then, Equestria would have eventually overcome the griffin invasion. I’m certain of it. They fought for their country… as we did for ours. Now, they should be able to fend off these new invaders as well. And besides, the griffins are on our friends’ side this time. If things become too tough for them to handle, they can always call for help.”

Shamrock kept staring at the setting sun.

“I guess… But still, I can’t help but wonder how Fluttershy and the others are doing… If we have a chance to see them again…”

“They said they’ll come and visit Emareia again when your baby will be born, remember? One way or another, we’ll get to see the Angels of Equestria again. And don’t forget that Mirage has proven many times that they are capable of dealing even with seemingly impossible tasks. Worrying about them will not help. All we can do is have faith in them.”

“Yeah, you’re right.”

The green pegasus felt a little more relieved now. He heard a sound of opening doors, as his fiancee, a beautiful dark pink-coated pegasus mare, came out.

“Shamrock, dear! Come in, dinner’s ready!”

She then noticed Talisman as well and trotted toward both stallions.

“Oh, you’re Shamrock’s friend. Talisman, wasn’t it? How nice of you to come. Would you like to stay with us for dinner?”

Though Talisman seemed hesitant at first, he glimpsed at Shamrock and replied:

“It would be rude of me to decline such an offer.”

The pink mare giggled.

“Shamrock told me that you were a pretty serious guy. Looks like he was right. Tee hee… All right, boys, come on in!”

Talisman motioned to Shamrock to follow him. He nodded in response, but before he went back, the green pegasus looked to the setting sun once more, his thoughts focused on the innocent, yellow pony that seemed like a true angel to him...

“Fluttershy… I hope that you and all of your friends are safe. Please, watch yourself… I’m looking forward to see you again. May the Golden King smile upon you.”

==========

1900 hrs
The Crystal Empire, castle grounds

No less than 1500 ponies, both the residents of the Crystal Empire and the soldiers of Equestrian Allied Forces that evacuated from Canterlot, were eagerly awaiting the Royal Sisters. They both walked out of the castle along with Princess Cadance and her husband, Shining Armor. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna seemed a little exhausted. Whispers of concern began to echo throughout the crowd. Everypony was wondering what happened.

After a few minutes of nervous waiting, two more figures emerged from the castle. One of them was Spike, the young dragon, who remained in the castle library up until now, helping Twilight Sparkle gather necessary data about the Crystal Empire’s military structure. The other was Gale. Spike made a quick announcement that the Royal Sisters had something very important to tell everypony, then he walked toward Twilight, who was standing almost right in front of the royal ponies, along with her closest friends. Rainbow Dash, as well as most of the pegasi, were hovering above the crowd.

“The Princesses look a little tired…” Cloud Kicker said quietly.

“It must be the side effect of using so much magical power,” Firefly ascertained. “At least they showed Aurora and her goons not to mess with us.”

“My little ponies…” Princess Celestia began.

At first, her voice sounded weaker than usual, which caused some more concerned whispers. But, with every new sentence, the solar princess’ voice started to build up.

“In the past few days, we have experienced an aggression upon our land. Our enemies are more dangerous and ruthless than we originally perceived them to be. As the commander-in-chief of the Equestrian Allied Forces, I hold full responsibility for all soldiers and civilians who died in this conflict up until now. My sister kept convincing me that I should have taken action earlier and not wait for the last possible moment. But I still had my doubts. Alicorn magic can become very dangerous if it were to get out of control. However, we both agreed that we shall not be holding our powers back when the safety of subjects and Equestria is threatened, as it is now. It is time we stop retreating. It is time for us to fight back!”

Her last sentence brought up an uproar of positive exclaims from the ponies gathered at the castle grounds. Princess Luna then stepped forward.

“We are aware that the situation is difficult. Our enemies have struck us in several points at once, preventing us from effectively defending our land. But now, we shall give them a taste of their own medicine. If we join our forces and strike back at our foes, they will be overrun. We will not allow them to run rampant in Equestria any longer!”

Another positive uproar sounded among the crowd. Gale approached the ponies now.

“That is why we are going to launch a large-scale campaign that will involve all of our available military forces here. It shall be known as Operation Eternal Liberation. I will go over the most important details of it now, so I advise you to listen carefully. Each and every one of you may play an important part in the upcoming battles.”

Now everypony set their sights on the Royal Sisters and the Wonderbolt operator. He motioned to the three pegasi sitting at the side, who were holding a large, paper map of Equestria, much like the ones seen in every school. When it was shown to the crowd, Gale asked Twilight to assist him. Then, the operator started explaining the details.

“At the moment, the Exiles are occupying about 80% of Equestria’s territory. The only active points of resistance are still present in three cities: Stalliongrad, Cloudsdale and Manehattan. Each of these aforementioned regions is very important, at least in a strategic meaning. Therefore, it is imperative that we aid the soldiers stationed there in order to regain control of the situation. We have decided to launch a joint campaign in order to make it happen. The campaign will be called ‘Offensive Campaign S3E7’. It will be comprised of the following three missions.”

Twilight used her magic to draw a large blue circle in the Crystal Empire area on the map, which indicated the concentration of EAF soldiers. She then added a straight, green arrow with a letter “A” that pointed in the direction of Stalliongrad, and then another one which connected Stalliongrad to Fillydelphia. Of course, this was mostly made for ponies who were too far away to hear exactly what Gale was saying. Their companions, who were closer, relayed all information and explained what the drawing meant. The crimson pegasus began explaining details of each mission.

“First, there is ‘Operation Rendezvous.’ This is an air-to-surface operation, whose objective is to provide additional support to Stalliongrad’s defenders. Both Twilight Sparkle and Applejack will be in charge of the first part of this operation.”

The two mares nodded. Gale carried on with the details.

“As you know, Stalliongrad has many weapon manufacturing and research facilities located in major parts of the city. We cannot let the Exiles get their hooves on them. It’s already bad enough that they have taken Canterlot and will most likely discover the Meson cannon. On top of that, our 1st Naval Fleet is located in Stalliongrad port as well, where they evacuated after sustaining heavy damage during the battle for Fillydelphia. The objective is to secure our position around Stalliongrad, drive off the Exile troops and secure a route for our 1st Fleet. With their assistance, we might be able to recapture Fillydelphia and prevent the enemy from bringing up any major reinforcements via the sea.”

Twilight drew a few more arrows heading out of the Crystal Empire into Stalliongrad. The ponies were listening even more attentively.

“Naturally, this operation will require most of our ground forces stationed here, and later, at least 5 pegasus squadrons as assistance to ensure that the 1st Fleet will reach Fillydelphia. Once the 1st Fleet sets sail for Fillydelphia, Captain Bluehaze will take over the command. All of our three main ships: Luminescence, Daybreak and Nightfall, are still being repaired and reinforced. The former will soon become a pegasus carrier, which can be used as a mobile base for our air units, while the other two shall be an Aegis-class ship and a battle cruiser respectively. They will be key to the success of this operation, so our air forces and the remaining ships will have to protect them at all costs once they make it out to the sea.”

Many ponies seemed determined after hearing the plan. They felt an urge to pay the Exiles back for disturbing the peace in Equestria and the deaths of their companions. Gale waited for a moment until they calmed down and continued explaining the plan.

“Next is ‘Operation Crossbow.’ This is an air-to-air combat operation, whose objective is to provide aerial support for Cloudsdale. This operation will be lead by Spitfire. The Wonderbolts shall also be sent to Cloudsdale as the leading flight. This operation will require most of our air forces, since we’ve received reports from local HQ that the enemy is preparing a major offensive on the city. The defenders will not be able to hold out against them on their own. A large-scale air battle will most likely take place. We will need as many pegasi as possible.”

Twilight drew a circle with a letter “B” in it, then added an arrow that was pointing in the direction of Cloudsdale. She drew it in yellow font instead of green, in order to distinguish this particular route. As Rainbow and her friends were listening to Gale’s plan, she began to wonder: which part of the operation were they going to aid? Both were important, though Rainbow was more interested in participating in the latter one. Gale noticed that several ponies were uncertain about these simultaneous attacks. The plan was very risky, and if something were to go wrong, the entire EAF army could end up in shambles.

“I understand that you are concerned,” said Gale, “but I trust the commanding officers of both of these operations. I’m sure they will perform well. Also, the leaders of your own units are competent and brave, too. The soldiers at Stalliongrad and Cloudsdale will also provide support. The risk is great, yes, but it is the only way to inflict considerable damage to the invaders and prevent them from running free in Equestria. Worse yet, we don’t even know what the situation is in the regions they already captured, since the communication lines are off… The sooner we act, the better.”

That reasoning rid most of the ponies of their doubts. Their spirits had been reinforced again. Gale carried on:

“Finally, the last mission is called ‘Operation Gambit.’ This is an air-to-air / surface operation, whose objective is to recapture the Equestrian Air Force base in East Manehattan. We have already sent the first strike team over there, and two more will join them soon. As soon as the necessary amount of soldiers have gathered, we will commence the operation. Recapturing the Air Force Base will allow us to set a rally point for our forces in the region. If all goes well, it will give us a chance to recapture Ponyville, Hoofington… perhaps it may even allow us to prepare a plan to liberate Canterlot.”

Twilight made one last circle on the map. This one had a letter “C” in it and was colored red. The arrow was pointing in the direction of Manehattan.

“You know, if all of these will really work, then the Exiles’ offense will be completely crippled,” Firefly said to Rainbow Dash. “Maybe then we will have the opportunity to search for their main base…”

“We’ll get to that eventually,” Rainbow interrupted her. “For now, I’m more concerned about Lightning Dust. How is she going to handle the upcoming fight…?”

“Personally, I don’t care,” said Firefly. “ So long as she doesn’t let her entire team get slaughtered… Let’s focus on what’s really important. Something tells me we’ll have to split our team again…”

Rainbow nodded in silence. Then, as if he was reading her mind, Gale turned his sight to the blue pegasus and said:

“Mirage 1, I’d like to ask you something.”

Rainbow felt the eyes of other ponies gazing at her, but she felt no pressure at all. She flew toward Gale and gave a salute.

“Sir?”

“I’m sure you’re aware of the importance of this campaign. The assistance of your Mirage squadron will be invaluable to us. However, because this campaign will involve our forces in three separate regions, I’m afraid you will have to choose which of your teammates will join which army group. Do you think you’ll be able to make a decision by tomorrow?”

“I can give you my decision right now, Gale,” Rainbow replied.

The amount of confidence in her voice slightly surprised the Wonderbolt operator. Rainbow’s teammates were looking at her with uncertainty.

“I’m well aware of my team’s strengths and weaknesses, so the decision isn’t that hard. I’ll take Mirage 5 and 7 with me, to aid the operation at Stalliongrad. To me, it seems to be the most important one. Mirage 3 and 4 will go to Cloudsdale to help the pegasi there. Mirage 2 and 6 will go to Manehattan to help the strike teams. We may end up not being that much of a help, but we will all do our best.”

Once the Mirage fliers got a grasp of what they heard, they gave salutes to Gale and the princesses as well. A big grin formed on Cloud Kicker’s face.

“You heard that, Lightning? We’re going to Cloudsdale, together. I’m relieved, you know. For a moment, I thought Rainbow was going to separate us. I wonder if...”

“Don’t worry about it,” Lightning Bolt cut her short. “As long as we’ll watch each others' backs, we’ll be fine.”

Derpy and Firefly didn’t mind going together either. Manehattan was actually one of those places that Firefly hadn't visited when she returned to Equestria, since she never really had time to go there. Fluttershy and Medley weren’t worried either. In fact, Medley even seemed positively happy about going on a mission together with her idol. Yet, as soon as she realized the importance of this “offensive campaign,” and that the team will have to be split for its duration, a frown appeared on her face. Fluttershy noticed it.

“Medley, are you alright?” she asked.

“Yeah, just… a little overwhelmed,” the green pegasus replied.

“Very well, Rainbow,” said Gale. “I will trust in your decisions. I’m quite sure even your presence alone will help our soldiers. Before I go over the details for each operation…”

The Wonderbolt operator turned to Princess Cadance and Shining Armor, who were standing at the side.

“Can we count on the assistance of your Crystal Ponies, Your Highnesses?”

“We can spare about a hundred troops to each major region,” Shining Armor replied. “But we will need to secure the positions in the vicinity of the Crystal Empire before we can consider sending any significantly larger forces. After all, we have to make sure the enemy doesn’t attack us again in the near future.”

“I see. Well, any assistance is welcomed. Thank you kindly.”

Gale then turned his sight back to the crowd of gathered ponies.

“Fierce resistance by Exile forces is expected in all three missions. Choose carefully which one you wish to participate in. I expect you all to give your very best. That is all.”

1945 hrs
Unknown location

Aurora was frustrated. No further signals came to her from the northern borders of Equestria. It was as if everything had been vaporized there. Shockwave had been tasked to perform research about the area. As he checked the files, he kept talking to himself quietly.

“I see… Interesting… So it seems the rumors were true…”

Trickster got impatient and exclaimed:

“Hey! How long are you gonna keep us waiting, man?!”

Deathwing approached the purple pegasus.

“Well, Shockwave? Did you find anything?”

“Affirmative,” Shockwave replied. “I have checked all possibilities, and I keep coming back to a single solution. The area where we lost contact with our troops is most likely in the vicinity of the Crystal Empire.”

Aurora turned his head to him.

“The Crystal Empire? But it disappeared over a thousand years ago… unless...”

“That is correct, my Lady. The Empire has appeared again. They were keeping their activity without much of a foray, so this fact is apparently known only to the citizens of Equestria.”

The blue alicorn snorted angrily. Once again, Celestia had eluded her.

“If that is true, then Princess Celestia and her ponies are embattled there, regrouping and gathering forces for a counterattack. We can’t let that happen! I will send another group of soldiers to destroy that relic of an empire! I will not be bested by Celestia!”

Deathwing turned his sight to Aurora and spoke with a concerned tone.

“With all due respect, Lady, I wouldn’t advise that.”

“What?” Aurora exclaimed. “Are you saying it is a wrong plan?”

“Not the best, at least. We should reconsider our strategy. During those last two weeks, we’ve already lost many of our troops… one third of our fleet was destroyed at Fillydelphia, our ground forces casualties are approaching 20% total… Maybe it's time we take a more defensive approach.”

Aurora looked deep into Deathwing’s red eyes, as if she was trying to read his mind. Ultimately, she stepped back and asked:

“What are you suggesting, then?”

Deathwing started walking around the dark room, slowly circling around his comrades and Aurora, as he explained.

“The enemy is most likely going to move into offense now, trying to regain their lost ground. We should concentrate on stabilizing our control in the regions we already captured. If the EAF are going to win more battles, we might find ourselves at a disadvantage. Our element of surprise is gone now. We revealed nearly every asset we possess to Celestia and her soldiers. They, on the other hoof, may still have something they can use against us… If we strengthen our control over Canterlot and its surrounding regions, we can put up quite a resistance…”

Deathwing then fixed his sight on Aurora again.

“Of course, it’s only a proposition, my Lady. You don’t have to listen to me.”

The blue alicorn was thinking about what she just heard. It was all true. She needed to keep the pressure going and somehow convince the ponies that were still opposed to her her that the resistance is futile.

“I’m glad you are here with us, Deathwing,” said Aurora. “You helped me come up with a decision. I know exactly what to do now. If you can please let me be alone… I need to speak with our allies. I will see you tomorrow.”

Shockwave, Trickster, Havoc and Deathwing were already at the door when the purple pegasus turned to Aurora one more time.

“It might be a good time to start experimenting with the Zeal. Do not worry, Lady Aurora. Once it is finished, no one will stop us.”

“I’ll leave it to you, Shockwave. Do not fail me,” Aurora said to him with a stern voice.

When the Reapers left the room, Aurora turned on the monitor. The intimidating image of a large, black dragon appeared on it. Hisses and growls could be heard from the speakers before he responded properly.

“What is it now, Lady Aurora? I’ve heard your soldiers were experiencing some problems in the recent battle…”

“That matter does not concern you, King Aigaion,” Aurora replied. “I shall deal with this problem. My forces in Equestria shall soon be reinforced. But if my plan is to succeed, I will require the assistance of your generals.”

A grin appeared on the black dragon’s face.

“Naturally. We are at your service… as long as you will keep the promise you’ve made.”

“If they will help us establish superiority in Equestria, you will be rewarded. Of that you can certain, O' Mighty One.”

Aurora sounded a little annoyed, but Aigaion did not seem to notice. The promise of another large hoard of gems was enough to motivate him.

“Excellent. I will have a meeting with them at once. Which exact regions do you have in mind?”

Aurora pondered for a few seconds before answering.

“I’ll need assistance in keeping our superiority in Manehattan, to make sure the enemy will not recapture their Air Force base. Another general would be a great help during the upcoming battle for Cloudsdale, too. And… Oh, yes. Recently the locals in Ponyville have begun to cause trouble, sabotaging my army’s equipment. The same is happening in Fillydelphia. Maybe they wouldn’t be so bold if they knew a dragon was watching over them.”

“Understood,” Aigaion responded. “I will make sure these regions will be watched over. I believe you will be satisfied.”

“Yes, no doubt…”

Aurora ended the conversation. The black dragon turned his monitor off as well. Aigaion’s orange eyes started to examine the chamber as he searched for a messenger. He noticed one of the younger dragons lying on the floor, apparently taking a nap. He had red scales, orange spikes and slightly torn wings.

“Now, to set things in motion… Garble, come to me!”

Upon hearing the roar, the adolescent reptile quickly sprung to his rear legs and ran toward the throne.

“Y-Yeah, boss man?”

“I want you to go and tell the rest of the Generals to assemble here. I have some important tasks for them.”

“Yes, boss man, at once!”

Aigaion followed him with his sight, wondering if his recent idea even seemed plausible. Many young dragons, such as Garble, were fascinated by the Generals and saw them as an example they should follow. Aigaion thought about creating a small division of those dragons so they could aid the Exiles. It would be no problem for Garble, as he already lead one dragon group before, even if they weren't exactly experienced in warfare. Still, Aigaion wasn't certain about other possible candidates... they still seemed not ready to him.

Suddenly, another adult dragon emerged from the shadows. This one had brown scales and gold eyes. He looked about a head smaller than Aigaion, and the expression on his face showed impatience.

“How long are we going to get involved in this conflict?” he asked. “I do not trust this alicorn, brother.”

Aigaion turned his sight and fixed it on the brown dragon.

“We already talked about this, Gyges. As long as this conflict pays off for us, it would be a shame not to get involved. Drakonia and its subjects need those gems. Our country has long been in an crisis, since we lent over two thirds of our natural resources to help them rebuild after the Ulysses Disaster. We had hoped that this loan would be returned soon, but it didn’t. Without the gems, we cannot sustain our magic and life force for too long.”

For that brief moment, Aigaion’s voice became a bit sadder, as it was clear he was concerned about his kind. Then his regular growl resumed.

“That was when Lady Aurora appeared and proposed an alliance. In exchange for our support, she will give us the desired amount of gems. At first I thought she was bluffing, but then she showed me over 1000 gems that she gathered along with her ponies from around the world. She told me there was much more they could offer, so we struck a deal. I would be a fool to say otherwise. We are only gaining profit for our involvement.”

The brown dragon called Gyges snorted with disgust.

“I still don’t trust them. Ever since those Exiles showed up, the situation in Drakonia started to get worse. They are swarming unrestrained in the region, as if they were in their own country. And you still let them build a city near our borders? Only you seem to be blind to the fact we are being used, brother.”

Aigaion rose from the ground, stretching his huge wings and giving out a roar.

“Mind your tongue, Gyges! I may be your brother, but I am still your superior as the king!”

“How could I forget?” the brown dragon asked sarcastically.

Just then, the massive stone door to the royal chamber had opened, and three more dragons entered. The shortest saw both Aigaion and Gyges glaring at each other.

“Whoops. Bad timing, I guess. We ran into another family argument,” he hissed.

“Not to worry,” said the tall blue dragon. “It would appear the conflict has ended before it could escalate.”

Aigaion saw the three figures and motioned them to come closer.

“I’m glad you’ve responded so quickly. How is your wing, Gleipnir?”

“Bah, that was only a scratch,” the grey dragon growled in response. “I feel like a newborn, my king.”

“Good. I want you all to listen to me carefully. I just had a conversation with Lady Aurora. She believes that the Equestrian army is preparing a counteroffensive. She requested each one of you to go and aid her forces.”

Gleipnir, as well as the other two dragons, seemed pleased to hear that. Especially the short, yellow one, whose green eyes gave out little sparks of electricity. Aigaion quickly explained the details. First, he turned his attention to the blue dragon.

“Orgoi, I want you to go to Manehattan and aid Lady Aurora’s defense force there. She believes it is only a matter of time before the enemy attacks.”

“I will send them to a cold grave,” Orgoi responded.

“Gleipnir, you shall go to the Cloudsdale region. With you keeping an eye out for approaching enemy pegasi, our allies should claim the city easily.”

“Naturally, my king,” Gleipnir nodded.

“The locals in Ponyville region are sabotaging our allies’ supply lines. I want you to silence them, Spiridus,” Aigaion spoke to the shortest dragon.

“They are as good as dead,” he replied with a hiss.

“Lastly, the region around the city of Fillydelphia should be reinforced, too. This will be a job for you, Gyges.”

The brown dragon responded by silently nodding his head as well. He didn’t seem very interested in going anywhere.

“I will be expecting positive results, you hear me?” Aigaion growled. “It’s time for the ponies to start fearing us again.”

When the three dragons turned around to leave, Gyges wanted to go with them. Spiridus leered at him.

“Consider yourself lucky that you are a General in the first place. You are only here because our king takes pity on you.”

“What did you say?!” Gyges roared.

“The truth. If it weren’t for the late Prince Hraesvelgr’s death… We had enough troubles with him when he was alive. To think he would attempt to usurp the throne, to try and kill his own father… He betrayed us by siding with those damned Belkans. How can you not be ashamed of how your nephew ended?”

“Not another word!”

Gyges sent a piercing sight to Spiridus, but he ignored it and carried on.

“At least he got what he deserved… the most humiliating death possible! I mean, killed by a pegasus pony? That’s so sad, it’s hilarious!”

“How dare you! Take that back!”

Unable to hear any more insults toward his relative, Gyges lunged toward Spiridus. He was prepared for an eventual attack, but Orgoi intervened. The large, blue gem in his armor glew briefly and, a second later, he shot an icy projectile from his mouth, which turned into an ice wall when it hit the ground, separating Spiridus and Gyges.

“Gentlemen, this bickering is pointless,” the blue dragon said calmly, “although you both make valid points. It is true that Prince Hraesvelgr betrayed us, but do remember that the pegasus pony that killed him wasn’t your typical flier. If the stories about him are true, he was capable of defeating entire squadrons on his own. It is only fair that he did not fear a confrontation with the late prince either.”

Spiridus looked back at Orgoi. His combative attitude almost had him confront another general. That wasn’t the first time; he had plenty of struggles in the years past.

“Well, if it was me, I would never end up like he did. I’d sooner have killed him myself.”

“Then you would pay with your life,” Gyges reminded him, tearing the ice wall down with his claws.

“That is enough!” Aigaion’s commanding voice sounded. “This issue has already been dealt with. My bastard son is no more. I suggest we focus on the present now. Go and prepare yourselves for your missions. Gyges, stay a while longer. We need to talk.”

Spiridus gave one more cheeky grin to the brown dragon before he followed Gleipnir and Orgoi out of the chamber. Aigaion spoke with a much softer tone now.

“Gyges, I understand that you feel regret toward Hraesvelgr. But you couldn’t do anything, he was already beyond our control back then. It happened 25 years ago. Time to move on.”

The brown dragon lowered his head.

“I could have stopped him… I could have reasoned with him. I am partially to blame for his death. I'm sorry...”

“I told you already: don’t be. You did everything you could,” Aigaion said reassuringly. “Do not be concerned about what Spiridus says, either. You know that he is simply jealous of your royal heritage. He’d probably want to be a heir to the throne himself. But after Hraesvelgr’s death, I have placed all my hopes in you, brother. I know that one day you will be ready as my successor. Just remember that the Dragon King should think about his country and his subjects, first and foremost, and not torment himself about an incident from the past.”

Gyges glanced back at Aigaion before he pushed the stone door open.

“Then perhaps I am not ready to succeed you yet…”

When Aigaion was left alone, he kept reminiscing about his son. How did it come to this…? Why would he rebel against his father and try to kill him? What the Dragon King have done to earn so much hatred from him? Was lending a helping hand to a bunch of exiled ponies the reason? Or was it simply lust for power?

Did he really made the right choice…?

==========

2200 hrs
The Crystal Empire, Mirage squadron’s base

The EAF army groups had been assembled. Nearly 1000 earth ponies, unicorns and pegasi were going to participate in “Operation Rendezvous.” Twilight, Applejack and Firecracker Burst were going to have about 900 troops under their command. All of them were more than willing to fight the invaders after they heard the Princesses’ speech. The pegasus squadrons that chose to participate in this operation were Falcon, Lancer, Sweeper and Cygnus. They hoped to aid Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy and Medley as best as they could.

For “Operation Crossbow,” no less than 150 pegasi decided to head for Cloudsdale and help the defenders there. Among them were Phoenix, Dragon, Sorcerer and Hornet squadrons. Sunburst and Flare Star were given secondary command, though they were still obliged to follow Spitfire’s orders. The Wonderbolt leader clearly stated that cooperation was the key to the success of this mission, and free engagement was going to be prohibited.

Finally, 120 more ponies wanted to participate in “Operation Gambit” to assist the first strike team that was already on its way toward the city. While Lightning Dust’s squadron would be the lead flight during this operation, three more leaders decided to bring their fighters into the upcoming battle. Tornado Swirl and Overdrive, leaders of Burner and Racer squadron respectively, each had five teammates ready to confront the Exiles. They only waited for the order to go and provide suport for Lightning Dust's team. The third leader, a magenta-coated female pegasus named Carnival Tail, was leading the newly formed Tiger squadron, specializing in interception. Among other fliers, they were distinguished by wearing orange vests with black stripes, similar to actual tiger skins. Gale advised Carnival Tail to change the pattern, or it would make them stand out too much and make them prime targets for the enemy. The magenta flier dispelled his worries, stating that the enemy would not be able to catch up to them.

All operations would commence in the next few days, as soon as the EAF soldiers would reach the designated areas. The pegasi from Mirage squadron were now analyzing possible battle scenarios. Cloud Kicker noticed they were one head short.

“Hold on, where’s Firefly?” she asked.

“You’ve only now noticed that she stayed behind to talk to Gale?” Rainbow Dash asked her.

“Sorry, I was so excited about the prospect of going to Cloudsdale along with Lightning that I wasn’t really paying much attention to what’s going on around me,” the purple pegasus explained with pure sincerity.

“That’s OK. She should be coming back soon anyway…”

A few seconds after Rainbow said the last sentence, the door to the Mission Control opened and Firefly entered the room. She had a serious look on her face.

“Something wrong, Flash?” Lightning Bolt asked her.

“I asked Gale if those four Exile fliers that managed to escape from Winterbliss Fields were taken care of…”

“Yeah?” Rainbow urged her to continue.

“All four of them are dead.”

“So that means the interceptor squadron did its job,” Medley said with a positive tone.

“Not exactly…”

Firefly’s ominous statement caught the others’ attention. The pink pegasus walked up the table and put some photos on it.

“When the interceptor squadron found them, they were already dead. Somepony got the Exiles first.”

“Who?” Derpy wondered.

“How should I know? The guys from the interceptor squadron did some photos as evidence. I asked Gale if we could borrow them for a while. I thought these photos could help… You can take a look, but I’m warning you: it’s not pretty…”

As the seven mares were examining the photos, they were either cringing with disgust or gazing at them in disbelief. Each photo showed a body or bodies of the fallen Exiles, blood seeping out of their wounds. Their bodies were lying in weird positions as well. At least one of them seemed to have a broken spine, the other had a cracked skull.

“Whoever found those Exiles did them good,” Lightning stated.

“Yeah, for real…” Medley blurted.

“It must’ve been a very cruel person… This is horrible,” Fluttershy squeaked.

Firefly gathered the photos and put them in the bag she had with her.

“I’m going to bring those back to Gale. When I get back, I think we should hit the hay.”

The other fliers agreed with her. Before Firefly left, she turned around and said:

“Oh yeah, one more thing: the initial report suggests that there was an unidentified flier in the area. Whoever it was, it could be a potential enemy… or an ally.”

Firefly’s last statement kept the other Mirage fliers speculating about the attacker’s identity until she returned. Medley thought that it could have been a renegade Exile who didn’t want to have anything to do Aurora anymore, Cloud Kicker insisted that it must have been an argument between the squadron’s leader and his teammates. Rainbow Dash was also thinking about who could have beaten these Exiles so easily… but she kept it to herself. For the moment, at least.

2345 hrs

The moon was already shining bright in the starry sky. Everypony was fast asleep. Rainbow Dash suddenly felt a hoof poking her flank and heard a quiet voice:

“Hey, Rainbow… wake up…”

“Mmm… wha…?”

When the blue pegasus slowly opened her eyes, she noticed a familiar figure before her.

“Medley…? What do you want?”

“I can’t sleep…” she confessed. “Can we talk?”

“Now? In the middle of the night?!” Rainbow tried to keep her voice down so that the others would not wake up.

“Please…”

Rainbow sighed, got up from her bed, and the two pegasi quietly left the room.

“OK, let’s go outside. Let’s hope they won’t catch us violating the curfew,” Rainbow said to Medley.

The green mare nodded, and they both headed to the roof the Crystal Castle. They laid down on their backs. For the first few moments, neither pony said a word. Medley only kept drawing imaginary lines with her hoof, as if she was drawing some shapes. Rainbow patiently waited for her to explain her reason for dragging her out of the bed. Finally, Medley said quietly:

“Wow… There are so many stars tonight…”

Rainbow rolled her eyes in mild annoyance.

“You didn’t make me come here just so we can gaze at the stars, did you? What’s the problem, Kid?”

Medley rolled her head to the right, feeling a little shameful.

“I… don’t know if I should tell you. You’re going to laugh at me.”

“Come on, don’t be ridiculous. I promise I won’t. Tell me, what’s bothering you?” Rainbow urged her.

“... I’m worried.”

“Worried?”

“Yeah. That operational campaign that Gale told us about… It’s going to be something huge. And we’re all going to play a role in it…”

“Yeah…”

Rainbow didn’t know where that conversation was going. Medley carried on.

“But, back then, during the Equestrian War, most ponies were relying on us when they were fighting. They hoped we would bring them another victory. Now we are just another unit in a large army…”

“So?” Rainbow asked. “Many ponies still think of us as the awesome team that we are. And now we have an actual, well-trained army, compared to the previous conflict, when everypony pretty much had a baptism of fire at some point…”

“I know… It’s just… the thought of having to split our team again makes me feel… nervous.”

Rainbow looked at Medley, not knowing why she was acting like this.

“Come on, Kid. We had to split up several times, and every time we did, things ended up in our favor.”

“Yeah, but… this time we are going to three separate regions that are very far away from each other,” Medley said quietly. “We won’t be able to contact Firefly or anypony else... “

“So that’s what worries you? That you will be away from the rest of the team?” Rainbow asked.

Medley responded with a quiet “Mm-mm.” Rainbow thought for a while on what approach she should take here. Finally, she said in an assuring tone:

“Listen, Medley, if I didn’t trust you, gals, I would never make a decision to split the team up. We would go all together to either Stalliongrad, Manehattan or Cloudsdale. But I believe in you. I believe in all of you. I know you have what it takes to make sure each of these missions will be successful. Besides…”

Rainbow put her hoof on Medley’s shoulder, baring her teeth.

“You don’t have to worry about anything. After all, you’re going with Fluttershy and me.”

“Yeah, you’re right… Thanks for trusting in me, Rainbow,” said Medley.

“Hey, we’re going to need a competent scout during the mission.”

Rainbow stroked Medley’s mane a little as she giggled. It would appear the problem that bothered Medley was no more.

“If you got your worries outta your chest, let’s go back,” said Rainbow.

But Medley did not move.

“Wait… There’s one more thing…”

“What is it now?” Rainbow whined.

“About those Exile pegasi that got away…”

Rainbow's expression became more serious now.

“The ones that were found dead near Winterbliss Fields?”

“Uh-huh… Any ideas who could’ve killed them?” Medley asked.

Rainbow shook her head.

“Dunno. But… For a second, I kinda hoped it was Mobius. But when I checked those photos that Firefly brought us… I realized that it couldn’t be him.”

The disappointed tone in Rainbow’s voice did not bother Medley, but that last statement certainly did.

“How can you be so sure?”

“I remember how he fought during the Equestrian War… I watched him at any possible occasion, trying to learn something,” Rainbow explained. “He wasn’t cracking skulls, breaking spines or anything like that. He would never kill another flier with such brutality.”

Medley thought about what she heard. It was true. Mobius was an honorable kind of fighter. He stuck to some unwritten rule that prevented him from being as vicious as some of his opponents were.

“So, then, who did it?” the green pegasus asked.

“I have no idea,” Rainbow replied. “But whoever it was… I don’t want to meet it. And I hate to think what we’ll be up against if it turns out to be our enemy…”

Medley gulped quietly. The thought of meeting the killer of the Exile pegasi wasn’t pleasant for her at all.

“OK, enough worries for now, Kid. Let’s go back,” said Rainbow.

“But I wanna…”

Medley didn’t finished the sentence. She let out a long yawn and started rubbing her right eyelid. Rainbow chuckled.

“Come on, you’re gonna end up dropping off. I, for one, want to feel refreshed tomorrow. Let’s go,” she reiterated.

“Rainbow…”

“What?”

“Can I… sleep with you tonight?” Medley asked sheepishly.

Rainbow sighed and nodded.

“Fine… but just for this one night.”

“Thanks.”

When both mares returned to the squadron quarters, Medley laid her head on Rainbow’s flank and almost instantly fell asleep. Now it was Rainbow who had trouble falling asleep. Her thoughts were focused on a stallion with silver mane again.

“Mobius… Where are you now…? Do you even know what is happening here? If only you’d come back to help us… No. There’s no point in daydreaming. You have already helped us a lot during the Equestrian War. Now we have to fight by ourselves. But I am not afraid. You showed me what it means to be an ace. Even though you never said a single word… Thanks again, Mobius. Wherever you may be… I hope that one day we can meet again. Heh… Those Exiles better watch out.”

Finally, Rainbow Dash closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep. The moon and the stars kept shining bright until the first beams of the morning sun appeared. A dawn of a day that started a new phase of the conflict.

Chapter 10a: Standoff in the Skies

The children of skies have assembled,

They are prepared to defend the city in the clouds.

In a time of a great trial

One must stand up to the challenge.

Chapter 10a

Standoff in the Skies

June 22nd, 2021
1500 hrs
Cloudsdale airspace

As soon as Spitfire assembled a group of over 150 pegasi, they quickly took off in the direction of Cloudsdale. Initially, she planned to split them into smaller groups to make sure they wouldn’t draw too much attention to potential enemy units. Spitfire didn’t receive any reports about a larger Exile group however, so she decided to keep her own in three separate units. Spitfire lead the first unit, Lightning Bolt and Cloud Kicker lead the second, and Sunburst and Flare Star lead the third.

Within the next few days, the pegasi from EAF encountered some enemy squadrons, but they could not stop their advance. When Spitfire got the news of an enemy group in the area, she wisely decided to keep two of her own in the rear and send only one to do battle. That way the Exiles would not be able to learn how many fliers the Wonderbolt captain’s been actually leading and this allowed the EAF pegasi to continuously attack potential enemies with constant element of surprise.

On the fifth day, Spitfire finally confirmed that they were approaching Cloudsdale’s vicinity. She decided to send Cloud Kicker ahead to scout the area to see if there were any Exile pegasi already engaging the defenders. Soarin’ noticed that, despite several smaller clashes, the enemy resistance had been less than threatening.

“You know, if they consider Cloudsdale to be a key target for their conquest… you’d think they would try harder to conquer it, huh?” the blue flier asked Spitfire.

“Normally, they wouldn’t be so cautious,” she replied. “But I’m guessing it’s because of the losses they suffered on Winterbliss Fields. They don’t want to risk another all-out attack, now that they know the Princesses may be involved in the battles, too.”

“I bet that Aurora is pissed at the moment,” Fleetfoot remarked. “Wonder if she’s planning somethin’ now…”

“Who knows…”

Spitfire reached for her communicator to contact Cloud Kicker.

“Sunny, what’s the situation at your end?”

After a brief silence, Cloud Kicker’s voice replied:

“There are no Exile units in the area. I repeat, no Exile units. The coast is clear. I think it’s OK for you to proceed, Wonderbolt 1.”

“Roger that. Once we get to the city, I’ll contact the HQ.”

“That won't be necessary,” said Cloud Kicker. “The operator contacted me as soon as he saw me approaching on his radar. He’s got a message for you, ma’am. I’ll patch it to you now.”

A few seconds later, Spitfire heard a dull, male voice.

“So, I heard you’re close to Cloudsdale. You sure know when to show up at the right time. Be sure to give an old friend a visit before you start kicking Exiles out of the sky, eh?”

Spitfire smiled a little. She knew that voice very well.

"Well, what do you know… It’s been ages since... “

The yellow pegasus replied back to Cloud Kicker.

“Tell him I’ll get to HQ as soon as we reach Cloudsdale. You and Thunder better come with me, too. You’re gonna meet a real Wonderbolt veteran.”

“Roger.”

1520 hrs
Cloudsdale

The arrival of Spitfire’s group was warmly welcomed by the pegasi of Cloudsdale. Those who were organized into squadrons were more than glad to see the Wonderbolts themselves leading new fighters. Excited voices could be heard as they passed them by.

“That’s a formidable force. The Exiles will have nothing on them. No way they are going to breach into the city now.”

“Look, those two mares look familiar,” one of the fliers pointed to Lightning Bolt and Cloud Kicker. “You think they are…”

“Yeah, no doubt about it. They are the Angels of Equestria. Praised are the sun and the moon!”

Spitfire landed before the Equestrian Air Force Headquarters building and said to Soarin’:

“You’re in temporary charge until I come back. If the enemy shows up, inform us immediately. Thunder, Sunny, let’s go.”

Lightning Bolt and Cloud Kicker followed Spitfire inside, feeling excited to meet a veteran Wonderbolt flier.

“Wonder what Rainbow would do to be in our place, he he…” Cloud Kicker snickered.

The three passed a few corridors before they reached a door with an emblem that looked like a pegasus head with two wings extending from it: a classic Wonderbolt mark, used all the way since they were formed by Princess Celestia long ago.

Spitfire knocked on the door.

“Enter,” the male voice said calmly.

A single dark-blue pegasus with silvery mane, wearing the Wonderbolt costume and a pair of goggles that covered his green eyes, sat behind a desk and lifted his head up when Spitfire came into the room. She was baring her teeth.

“It’s been a while, huh, Heavy Cloud?” she asked.

“Most certainly. You haven’t changed at all, though. It’s good to see you again, Spitfire.”

The two shared a hug.

“I’ve heard about Firebolt. It must’ve been hard for you…” the pegasus known as Heavy Cloud started.

Spitfire backed her sight away, not feeling like talking about it.

“Sorry. Shouldn’t have raked over it... “

Trying to change the topic, Heavy Cloud said,

“Say, I heard there are some crystal ponies in your ranks. Is that true?”

“Uh-huh,” said Spitfire. “They are rookies, but we gave them a few quick training sessions. I think they will be OK as long as they don’t get carried away.”

“Good. I’m looking forward to working with you again.”

Spitfire felt glad Heavy Cloud did not want to drag the issue. Her tension loosened up.

“Same here. Still as calm as ever, aren’t ya?”

“Nah, not this time. Recent days have been keeping the pegasi on their hooves all the time, with the Exiles attacking us. We ain’t got time to relax at all. And I need keep my eyes on this mess. It ain’t easy, I tell ya.”

Heavy Cloud snickered with laughter. Spitfire accompanied him, but Lightning Bolt and Cloud Kicker stood outside, looking at each other in confusion.

“That’s a veteran Wonderbolt?” Cloud Kicker wondered aloud. “Funny, I thought he would be a little more serious…”

“Keep it to yourself,” Lightning Bolt whispered to her.

“Hey!” Spitfire called out to them. “Don’t just stand there, come in!”

When they entered the room as well, Heavy Cloud rose his left eyebrow.

“Well, what do we have here… Are those two mares suppose to be…?”

“No, no,” Spitfire snickered again. “I know what you are thinking about, but you get the wrong idea.”

“Oh… that’s too bad…” Heavy Cloud sighed. “I wouldn’t mind going out with them.”

Lightning Bolt and Cloud Kicker widened their eyes in surprise. Spitfire barely managed to hold a laugh, then breathed out loud.

“In all seriousness, I’m sure you’ve already heard about the Mirage squadron. I’d like you to meet two of its members. These are Lightning Bolt and Cloud Kicker, TAC names ‘Thunder’ and ‘Sunny,’ respectively.”

The white pegasus bowed her head a little, while her friend waved her right foreleg at the operator, adding a cheerful “Hiya!”. Heavy Cloud took his goggles off to get a better look at the two fliers.

“Ah, I see. So, you are the young angels from the team I’ve been hearing so much good about recently. They say you give the Wonderbolts a run for their money. I’d like to see that with my own eyes.”

He gave the two ponies a quick wink with his right eye. Lightning Bolt regained her composure.

“You… can always count on us, sir.”

“Come on, no need for formalities. Call me Heavy Cloud, ok?”

The white pegasus nodded. Cloud Kicker felt the urge to speak her mind.

“I don’t want to sound rude, but… You do realize that the enemy could attack us at any moment? We’re at a war with an enemy pony army that have dragons as a support! You don’t feel even a tiny bit of pressure? Or maybe you don’t understand what’s going on here--”

“Cloud Kicker!”

Lightning Bolt walked up to her friend, grabbed her tail with her teeth and dragged her out of the room to the corridor. Surprised, the purple pegasus yelped.

“Waaa!”

“Oh boy, here we go…” Spitfire whispered to Heavy Cloud.

When Lightning let Cloud Kicker go, she looked upset.

“Hey! Why'd you do that?” she asked.

“What did I tell you?!” Lightning exclaimed. “You really need to work on your manners. I know you sometimes speak before you think, but that’s not how you should talk to your superiors!”

“What did I do? I was telling the truth,” Cloud Kicker still felt confused.

Before Lightning could scold her some more, she heard Heavy Cloud’s laugh.

“Indeed, she was. No need to be so strict on her. Chill out, Thunder.”

“But, sir… I mean, Heavy Cloud…” Lightning Bolt started sheepishly.

“A lot of ponies that meet me for the first time say similar things,” the dark-blue pegasus said. “They think I’m not being serious. But that’s fine. When they get to know me better, they change their opinion. They don’t really know me and didn’t seen things I did or been to places I’ve been to.”

The awkward situation had been eased. Lightning and Cloud Kicker re-entered the room. Spitfire was observing their little quarrel with mild amusement. She explained everything now.

“Heavy Cloud has been with the Wonderbolts for nearly 30 years. He helped in training a new generation of acrobats and fighters alike… including me and Soarin’. Despite his lighthearted attitude, he always knew what to do when the going got though. Back in the days, he was considered to be the actual Wonderbolt leader, even though he never felt like one.”

“You know me,” Heavy Cloud interjected, “I don’t really like taking glory from the others. But, somepony had to step in and maintain order in the unit when our old leader couldn’t handle the stuff sometimes. I just happened to be the guy for that job. I’ve had my share of crazy adventures and wild journeys… Too bad the age started to take its toll.. my wings couldn’t keep up with the recruits anymore. I should’ve been on a retirement for two years now, but because of this new conflict, I’ve decided to return and help. The Wonderbolts will not get rid of me that easily. If I can’t fight, I’ll be an operator. Maybe that way I can put some of my experience to good use.”

“Right,” Spitfire added. “In any case, he’s the guy who taught me all I know today. I owe him a lot. When things were getting tough, he acted almost like a big brother to me and the rest of the unit,” the yellow pegasus let out a chuckle.

“Aw, cut it out. You’re gonna make me blush.”

“Hah… You can’t take a simple compliment anymore? You really are getting old.”

Both of them shared another laugh. It was clear to Lightning Bolt and Cloud Kicker that they were liking each other very much. The purple pegasus asked another question:

“You say you’ve seen a lot of stuff in your life, Heavy Cloud. Does that include the dragons that are supporting the Exiles, too?”

Lightning Bolt glared at her again, but Heavy Cloud didn’t seem to mind.

“Oh, yeah. And let me tell you; a few years back I’ve actually got a chance to visit their own country, Drakonia. I’m sure you’ve heard of it. It’s located far to the west of Equestria, beyond Ceres Ocean. I’ve been there with a reporter from one of Equestrian press agencies. He was trying to abolish the myth of dragons being mindless monsters as some ponies perceived them to be, and asked me to assist him on the journey. Turned out he was right. In fact, the dragons seemed to be quite an organized society, much like us or the griffins. The only difference is that they don’t build cities, but instead prefer to live in mountains, caves, on the cliffs or even inside dormant volcanoes. ”

“Whoa…” Cloud Kicker blurted out after hearing that last statement.

“Yeah. A real sight to behold…”

Heavy Cloud then shifted his sight to Spitfire. His expression became more serious.

“To move on… I’m really glad that you and the rest of your squadrons are here. Those Exile buggers had been bothering us for long enough and I think it’s time to show them they are not welcome in Cloudsdale not now, not ever.”

“Good idea, Heavy Cloud,” Spitfire agreed. “So, what’s the plan?”

The Wonderbolt operator motioned the three pegasi to come closer. He showed them a paper map that displayed the entire Cloudsdale region, with the city being in its center.

“The way things stand now, it’s safe to say the Exiles are playing a game of cat and mouse with us. For the past three days, they were sending several squadrons in the direction of the city, probably wanting to make us leave our posts and go pursue them, provoking us. We’ve managed to fend them off so far, but couldn’t give chase. Reports from yesterday claim that one of those aforementioned dragons is in the area. He’s probably waiting for the main offense to commence, so he can join in and wreak havoc among our forces. We got data about him from Gale. Based on it, we’ve managed to identify the dragon as Gleipnir; one of King Aigaion’s Drake Generals.”

“That means…” Spitfire thought aloud.

“Correct. Somehow the Exiles gained the help from Drakonia and the Dragon King sent the most elite of his kind to help them. I still don’t know why would they do it. The dragons never really looked kindly upon the ponies for some reason. Maybe we’ll get to that eventually and find a solution to that problem…”

Heavy Cloud carried on with the explanation.

“Based on the actions of the Exile squadrons from the last couple of days, we can assume that they will send a few squadrons as a scouting party, to test our mettle, again. We can turn it against them easily, but then we might end up facing more than one hundred enemy pegasi, once they commence an all-out attack. They’ve been rounding themselves up recently in an area about 10 miles to the south from here.”

“If we could take them down, will Cloudsdale be safe?” Cloud Kicker asked.

“Yes, at least for the time being. I’m sure you guys can handle the enemy teams, but our main problem is Gleipnir. Whatever it takes, we must prevent the Exiles from making an opening for him. There is a risk he may go straight for the city and attempt to destroy it. Cloudsdale doesn’t have any static defense, sides for a few anti-air turrets we have constructed a few weeks ago, just in case.”

Spitfire rose her right eyebrow.

“Built with the griffin technology, I assume?”

“That’s right. And before you say anything: I heard that Princess Celestia is actually considering sending a messenger to the Griffin Kingdom, to inform King Valdar about Operation Eternal Liberation. Though I wouldn’t be counting on their help just yet. Since the rebellion in Neue Gryphus, they have been struggling with rebuilding its capital city, Sudentor, and some of the griffins aren’t too willing to get dragged into another war. Seems like their so-called warrior spirits had been diminished,” Heavy Cloud commented.

“My team’s been there. We saw everything. You do not forget this kind of stuff,” Spitfire reminded him. “We can’t blame the griffins for refraining to help us. Let them do their stuff, we’ll handle things here. In time, I’m sure we’ll join forces and drive the enemy away.”

“We can only hope. In any case, you know what to do. Once the attack on Cloudsdale begins, do whatever it takes to defeat as many of them Exiles as possible to weaken their offensive potential. If Gleipnir will show up, we will be in trouble,” Heavy Cloud pointed out.

“Shouldn’t we prepare an alternate strategy in case the dragon shows up?” Lightning Bolt asked.

“I’ll get right on it,” the Wonderbolt operator assured her. “You just focus on eliminating the Exile fliers. If my prediction is correct, their estimated time of arrival is…!”

Spitfire’s communicator then gave out a beeping sound. Heavy Cloud sighed and finished:

“... right about now, dang it."

Spitfire answered the call.

“Report, Soarin’.”

“Our radars picked up several incoming contacts. Seems to be a group of three or four squadrons,” Soarin’ replied. “They are heading for Cloudsdale. Should we intercept them?”

“Stay where you are. We’ll be right there. If they get too close, you have permission to engage,” Spitfire ordered.

“Roger that.”

Spitfire cut the link as her sight rested on Lightning Bolt and Cloud Kicker.

“Let’s move it, girls!”

“Yes ma’am!”

Lightning immediately followed the Wonderbolt leader, but before Cloud Kicker could follow her, Heavy Cloud kept her in place.

“Say, you seem to be getting along with your friend here. But, I’ve got a question: is she always so serious about everything?”

Though that question seemingly came out of nowhere, Cloud Kicker answered it.

“Most of the time. There are times when we may argue, but I still like her very much. She’s my bestest friend ever…”

“Hmm… you’re a lucky mare…”

“Cloud Kicker! Hurry up!” Lightning’s voice sounded from the corridor.

“Coming!”

Cloud Kicker waved to Heavy Cloud before she ran to catch up with Lightning. The veteran Wonderbolt saw her off with a little smile on his face.

“Mirage… Yeah, those two seem to be very likeable, indeed,” he though to himself. “If the others are as determined as they are, then all those stories I’ve heard of them may actually be true. We shall see, yes… Well. Time to get to work.”

Heavy Cloud sat behind his desk, put headphones on and turned his radio on, adjusting the frequency to keep his eyes on the battlefield. He noticed on his own radar that the enemy air units were getting closer…

1548 hrs
Cloudsdale airspace

One of the scouts reported to Soarin’ that the Exiles were getting closer and had no intention of turning away. He quickly made a decision. Most pegasus defenders remained in the rear; some were told to hide among the thick clouds that covered the sky. When the Exile scouts approached the city, they only saw about 20 pegasi from EAF waiting for them. Some fliers believed it was a trap and advised the flight leader to call for reinforcements. But the lime green pegasus ignored his wingmates.

“I’m getting tired of this stalemate. We can take them. Let’s go, everypony!”

While not entirely convinced, the other scouts didn’t want to be labeled as cowards, so they followed him. Soarin’ saw them switching to attack formation.

“Guess they want to fight anyway. Hornet squadron, Phoenix squadron, you’re coming with us! Time to bruise!”

“This is Steam Tinker, Hornet 1. Roger that, Lieutenant Soarin’!” the mango-colored pegasus stallion responded.

“This is Sunburst, Phoenix 1. We got you covered, sir,” said the orange pegasus from the other team.

“This is Emerald 1, understood. We’re on standby, call us anytime,” one of the crystal pegasi reported his readiness as well.

Along with the Wonderbolts, they headed out to confront the Exiles.

Sunburst was more than eager to display his fighting ability once more, and in front of the Wonderbolts no less. The second he engaged one of the enemy teams, he managed to break through their formation with his speed, distracting two fliers and allowing his teammates to defeat them easily. Sunburst then went straight for the leader of the group, but had to abandon his attack when he noticed that the leader had machine guns strapped to his back. Attacking straight on would be a suicide. Instead, the orange pegasus baited the leader to try and follow him. He came under fire from the guns and had to use his agility to avoid getting hit. In his confidence, the enemy leader started flapping his wings faster, catching up to Sunburst and going in for the kill. But just then, Sunburst performed a quick, upward backflip, now being directly above his opponent. He immediately dived, latching onto the Exile’s back.

“Got off me!” he yelled.

“Fine,” Sunburst replied. “But first…”

The orange pegasus used his teeth to grab the belt that held the strapped machine guns together and started pulling sharply. A few seconds later, he tore it away from his opponent’s body, leaving scraps of metal flying away.

“I don’t think you’ll be needing those anymore.”

With that phrase, Sunburst delivered a knockout punch to the Exile pegasus and sent him flying down to the ground. Sunburst’s wingmates swiftly dealt with the group leader’s comrades. The orange pegasus seemed pleased with his team’s performance so far, as was Soarin’.

“Nice job, Phoenix 1. But there are still some stragglers left.”

“We’ll take care of them, too,” Sunburst assured him.

In the meantime, Hornet squadron fought against the other scouting team. Steam Tinker’s squadron wasn’t exactly specialized in any particular strategy, but could easily adapt to the situation and deliver quick, precise attacks. Their opponents weren’t equipped with machine guns, so the pegasi were not afraid to fight head-on. Steam Tinker engaged one of the enemy fliers, delivering a quick kick to the face. Another pegasus took the opponent down with a series of rapid punches, ending with an uppercut.

The fight was heavily in favor of the EAF pegasi and the enemy scout leader soon realized the folly he made by ordering his wingmates to attack. He was completely unprepared for this confrontation. Turning his back on the few remaining fliers from his squad, he attempted to save his own life. Soarin’ noticed him fleeing.

“Don’t let him get away!” he called to the others.

Lightning Bolt and Cloud Kicker were approaching the battlefield themselves and were ready to stop the Exile from escaping. However, a female voice sounded in their communicators.

“Don’t worry. I got this.”

The next moment, something speeded by the two Mirage fliers and headed straight for the Exile at breakneck speed. It was Spitfire. She left a trail of smoke and electricity behind her, which the Wonderbolts always make during their aerial shows. When the Exile noticed a single contact coming at him, he let out a horrifying scream, as he now knew he was done for. But right before Spitfire caught up to him, she quickly descended, disappearing from his sight. Before he could react, she flew up and delivered a powerful kick to the pegasus’ gut, stunning him. Then she followed it with two punches in the face. He fell down.

None of the Exiles that were in the scouting group got out alive. All of them were defeated by the three squadrons. When Spitfire rejoined her team, Lightning Bolt and Cloud Kicker were still staring at her in amazement.

“Wow!” Cloud Kicker exclaimed. “Did you see that?! She came at him outta nowhere, like a rocket, and WHAM! That guy never stood a chance!”

“Yeah. He made the last mistake of his life,” Lightning added.

Heavy Cloud’s voice sounded in everypony’s communicators.

“That was some impressive display, guys. But don’t get too comfortable. Once the Exiles stationed to the south fail to receive a status report from scouts… They will come.”

“Let them try,” said Sunburst. “We’re ready for them.”

1605 hrs

A group of nearly one hundred pegasi were awaiting for the order to attack Cloudsdale. Their leader, a stallion that sported a maroon-colored spiky mane, brown coat and silver eyes, was attempting to contact the scouts he sent about half an hour ago. But no pony answered his calls.

“This is Shadow 1. Come in!” he pleaded again. “Come in! Does anypony hear me?”

All he heard was static. The pegasus snorted in anger.

“Damn! There is no response. Were they all defeated…?”

“I told you we should’ve gone with them, Bolt Burst,” a female voice sounded behind him.

The stallion turned around and saw a beautiful mare. She had a curly, light orchid mane, with eyes in the same color and a turquoise coat. She was wearing a red vest with a rose emblem on it.

“Pearl Eyes…” the stallion whispered. “You’re not even supposed to be here. You don’t have enough battle experience…”

“Says you!” the mare exclaimed. “A few days ago, I was just another flier, serving under others. Now I am a squadron leader myself. I’m not going to waste this chance to prove myself worthy to Lady Aurora! And you will not stop me.”

Her voice was filled with determination. Bolt Burst sighed.

“No… I won’t. I know you. Once you’ve made up your mind, not even your own mother could stop you.”

Pearl Eyes’s sight dropped. That bitter memory still gnawed her inside her mind. On the day when her mother died from old age, she received a small locket from her and was told to keep it, as a memento. Pearl could never forget the last words her mother said to her before she passed away.

Be brave.

The brown pegasus walked up to her and touched her cheek with his right hoof. A sense of compassion spoke through his words.

“Forgive me, I shouldn’t have said that. It’s just that…”

“It’s fine,” the mare responded.

After a moment of awkward silence, the two came into agreement that they should not hold back with their offense any longer. Bolt Burst contacted Aurora.

“My Lady. We are about to commence an all-out attack on Cloudsdale. Your orders?”

“Eliminate anyone who stands in your way. Make them suffer,” Aurora replied coldly.

“Yes, my Lady. Any chance we can count on that dragon, Gleipnir, to aid us?” the pegasus asked with a slight tone of uncertainty.

“I will inform him about the offense. He should arrive within two hours. But do not count too much on him. It is up to you to win this battle. Don’t forget this.”

“Understood, Lady Aurora.”

Bolt Burst ended the conversation. Then, he changed frequency in his communicator to address other fliers that accompanied him.

“Attention all units! This is Shadow 1. We are setting course for Cloudsdale. Our time has come! We will show Celestia’s dogs our true might. Spare no pony! Let’s go!”

All pegasi present in the area quickly ascended and started to fly in the direction of Cloudsdale. Pearl Eyes flew beside Bolt Burst, her own callsign being Rose 1. She was leading her own team, comprised entirely of mares, just like she always wanted. From time to time, Bolt Burst was taking a brief glance at her, secretly admiring her beauty and sharing the joy she felt. Yet, at the same time, he was worried if she was truly ready for this battle…

==========

1618 hrs
Cloudsdale

Heavy Cloud contacted the defenders of the city. Over twenty squadrons were prepared to meet the enemy in battle, with Spitfire leading them.

“My radar is picking up numerous unidentified signals coming at you. Spitfire, you get the same thing?” the operator asked.

“Uh-huh. Looks like they decided to come out and face us openly. All air units! You have permission to engage the enemy. Remember, try not to tackle an entire squadron on your own. Focus on collaborating with your teammates!”

“This is Phoenix 1, roger that,” Sunburst responded.

“Dragon 1 here, I gotcha,” Flare Star spoke.

“This is Mirage 3. Me and Sunny are ready. Give us a call if you need assistance,” Lightning Bolt added.

“All right! Let’s go, everypony! Take’em down!” Spitfire ordered.

“May the sun and moon shine upon us!”

That phrase sounded from the throats of over 120 pegasi. What started as a squadron-specific battle cry, made up by Cloud Kicker for Mirage squadron, now became a common method of saying “good luck” to fellow soldiers. The pegasi flew ahead. About a minute later, they came across first few enemies.

Bolt Burst noticed many signals appearing on his radar, too.

“So, the EAF wants to play? Fine, then. This is Shadow 1! All units, engage and destroy the enemies!”

“I’m with you, Shadow 1!” Pearl Eyes assured him.

“Good. Stick with me and you’ll be just fine,” the brown pegasus added.

“Only if you promise not to babysit me. I can take care of myself,” the turquoise-coated mare told him.

“I sure hope so.”

Within the first few minutes of confrontation, the pegasi from EAF quickly gained the advantage. Their opponents were certainly hardened fighters, willing to fight until the bitter end, but the experience most fliers gained during the Equestrian War allowed them to employ more tactics to catch their foes off-guard. Heavy Cloud watched the whole battle on his monitor and felt pleased to see Spitfire and the other Wonderbolts overpowering one enemy squadron after another. Lightning Bolt and Cloud Kicker were fighting alongside them, too. They would handle this situation.

Flare Star and her Dragon team had no problems either. The Exiles couldn’t match the green mare’s speed, as she, along with Wind Whistler and Rainfall, kept on forcing the enemy pegasi to back away to not risk dying. Pearl Eyes noticed her among the crowd and decided to engage her with her own squadron. She did so without telling anything to Bolt Burst, hoping he could fight on his own and keep the whole operation under control.

Flare Star had just knocked out another enemy pegasus and let out a satisfying sigh before shouting to the remaining three fighters:

“Come on, guys! Is that the best you can do?! Where can I get some real competition?”

At that moment, Pearl Eyes’s squadron came from above.

“Think you’re so tough? Let’s see how you will fare against me!” the turquoise mare exclaimed.

Seeing this new challenger, a smirk appeared on Flare Star’s face. She turned to Wind Whistler and Rainfall.

“Hey, you guys can handle her teammates?” she asked.

“Sure thing, Flare,” Rainfall replied.

“Good. I’ll take on the leader.”

She darted upward, while Wind Whistler and Rainfall headed toward their foes from the sides. One of her wingmares looked at Pearl Eyes.

“Ma’am! They are coming!”

“Don’t worry, there are only three of them. You are free to attack in a manner of your choice. Move!”

Flare Star met Pearl face to face. She didn’t seem like an experienced fighter to her.

“What’s up, missy? You’re looking for trouble, I hope,” Flare Star taunted her.

Pearl Eyes growled in response.

“Don’t you dare mock me!”

She flew straight, trying to hit Flare Star in the face, but she easily dodged the punch. The green mare caught a glimpse on the symbol of a rose on her opponent’s vest. With quick ascent, she taunted her again:

“Come on, try and catch me!”

“Get back here!” Pearl Eyes shouted.

She started chasing Flare Star, but before she got closer, the green pegasus performed a quick descent. Pearl Eyes’s irritation and frustration grew.

“Why are you running away? Are you afraid to fight me?” she asked.

“Nah, I’m just messin’ with ya,” Flare Star responded with a snicker. “You’ve got some guts, I’ll give you that. But it will take more than just courage to beat me, missy.”

“Stop calling me that!” the turquoise mare exclaimed.

“Oh, ok. Then how should I call you?”

“I am Pearl Eyes, leader of the Rose squadron, and I won’t be beaten by the likes of you!” the young mare proclaimed.

Flare Star was not impressed.

“Oh, I see… It’s like that saying: ‘Every rose has its thorns’. How cute… Too bad for you, I am a squadron leader myself. Name’s Flare Star, and your wingmates will be trounced by my Dragon team!”

“We’ll see about that!”

Pearl Eyes charged at her again, but Flare Star easily parried her attack and delivered a successful punch to the face herself. She seemed surprised that Pearl did not dodge her attack.

“What’s with you? Your fundamentals are all over the place,” she said. “Who put you in charge of the squadron, rookie?”

Instead of replying, Pearl Eyes simply darted toward Flare Star once more.

“I’ve got you now!”

But, just as she was about to punch her in the face, the green mare dodged the blow, leaving her opponent completely surprised.

“Too slow, missy!”

Flare Star delivered a painful kick to Pearl Eyes’s stomach, stunning her and making her gasp for air. Seeing her opponent utterly helpless, Flare Star teased her some more.

“Come on… I was hoping for a good fight. Hate to say it, but you don’t stand a chance against me, missy.”

Pearl Eyes growled again. She could not comprehend why she couldn’t even hurt her opponent. As a squadron leader, she should be stronger than the others…

“I don’t really have time to play with you anymore,” said Flare Star. “I’ve got some real opponents to beat. So here’s the deal: I will spare your life if you’ll just tuck your tail between your legs and get outta Cloudsdale along with your team. Come back when you get some more experience. What do you say, rookie?”

She only heard Pearl’s gasps at first. Flare Star leaned closer.

“What’s that? Say it again, will ya, rookie?”

With a loud yell, Pearl Eyes delivered a successful punch to Flare’s face, sending her flying backwards. She had enough.

“Stop calling me a rookie! Lady Aurora herself has put me in charge of a squadron! She said I am ready to lead my own squadron, and I am here to prove it!” Pearl Eyes replied.

She felt satisfied at being able to finally land a blow, but when Flare Star recovered, the expression on her face wasn’t relaxed and playful anymore. She was angry.

“Huh… Figures,” Flare Star sighed. “Listen, girl, you shouldn’t believe in everything you hear from an alicorn full of hang-ups. She thinks she’s better than everypony else. We will bring her down… and you, Exile scum, along with her.”

“Do not insult Lady Aurora!”

Pearl charged at Flare Star again. The green pegasus was getting tired of her foe’s attitude.

“You little punk… You asked for it!”

In a flash, Flare Star attacked Pearl Eyes. Before she knew what was happening, she was halted in place with a powerful punch in the ribs. Though it did not stop there. Flare unleashed a whole barrage of quick, yet strong punches at Pearl’s ribcage, making her yelp in pain every time. After hitting her about twelve times, Flare Star sent her flying with a kick to the face. Pearl Eyes pierced through some clouds before she landed on a dense one. She tried to stand up, but only coughed and spat some blood. Seconds later, Flare Star appeared right above her.

“This is your last chance. Get out of here, or I’ll teach you a painful lesson!”

Pearl Eyes finally regained her balance. Flapping her wings, she tried to ascend.

“I’m not scared of you!” she exclaimed.

“Then why are you flying away?” Flare Star thought.

When she stopped, Pearl looked down to keep track of her opponent. However, Flare Star wasn’t there. In confusion, the young mare kept rotating her head around, trying to locate Flare Star.

“Where did she go?” she wondered.

Just then, the green pegasus appeared right before her eyes, completely surprising her.

“Over here!”

With a quick lunge, Flare Star grabbed Pearl Eyes and immobilized her in a tight grip.

“You’re not getting away now!”

“L-Lemme go!”

Pearl started to kick her rear legs, struggling to release herself. But Flare Star only tightened the grip, causing pain to the young pegasus.

“Quit it! You’re just making it worse for yourself!” said Flare Star.

“Lemme go!” Pearl Eyes reiterated in a squeaky voice.

“You can’t beat me. Give yourself up!”

“N-Never!”

Pearl tried to headbutt Flare Star in the face. That failed attempt only annoyed her more.

“Ugh, you’re so stubborn,” the green pegasus grumbled. “You really want me to hurt you? Fine!”

She increased the strength of her grip furthermore. Pearl screamed in pain. She could almost hear her ribcage and arm bones cracking under the pressure. Then Flare Star heard Wind Whistler’s voice in her communicator.

“Dragon 1, come in!”

“What’s up, Dragon 2?” Flare Star chuffed.

“We need your help. The enemy called for reinforcements. We’re engaged with another squadron.”

“Gimme a moment…” Flare gasped in response. “I’m almost done. Contact… Rainbowshine… and the Sorcerer squadron.”

“U-Understood!”

Pearl saw no other option for her.

“HELP ME! Somepony, help me!” she screamed, having faint hopes that her plea will be heard.

Flare Star seemed disappointed now that her opponent started calling for help.

“You know what? You’re the first Exile that I don’t feel like killing. But you’ve brought this on yourself. No hard feelings, missy!”

She further increased the pressure of her grip, trying to snap Pearl Eyes’s bones, as the mare kept screaming.

“S-Stop! No! Aaaaahhh!”

Flare Star suddenly received a powerful blow to her back. Taken by complete surprise, she released Pearl Eyes and tried to locate the attacker.

“Wha…? Who…?” she wondered aloud.

She noticed another pegasus, a brown stallion, helping Pearl remain in midair.

“Wow, where did he come from?” Flare asked herself in thoughts.

That was Bolt Burst. As his squadron engaged the Dragon team, he heard Pearl’s desperate cry in his communicator and rushed to help her immediately.

“Are you alright, Pearl?” he asked.

She coughed a few times in response before replying.

“I-It’s nothing… I can still fight.”

“No, you can’t. You’re in no condition to fight. Retreat back to Canterlot with your team. We will handle the rest,” Bolt Burst told her.

“You can’t do this to me!” Pearl Eyes exclaimed.

“I am in charge of this operation. You are only following my orders,” the brown pegasus reminded her. “Do as I say. Go!”

“But…”

“Just go!”

Pearl Eyes looked at him in disbelief for a few seconds before she lowered her sight.

“... Fine.”

She turned her communicator on.

“Rose squadron, disengage. We are returning to Canterlot.”

The young mare then turned her sight to Bolt Burst.

“Kill her for me.”

Flare Star saw her flying away.

“Hey, where do you think you’re going?!” she exclaimed.

She tried to chase after her, but Bolt Burst appeared right before her, stopping her advance.

“Leave her alone. You’re fighting me now!” he said.

Flare Star got her playful attitude back.

“Oh, could it be that I’m against a knight in black armor?” she commented, pointing to Bolt’s black vest. “That was quite honorable of you. And here I thought all Exiles are obnoxious bastards.”

Bolt Burst smirked in response.

“I’ll take that as a compliment. Don’t worry, I’ll be more than a challenge for you.”

“Hah! Good! Feel the excitement, buddy!” Flare Star exclaimed as she rushed toward Bolt Burst.

1700 hrs

Heavy Cloud informed the pegasi of the EAF that the enemy threat level has been reduced to 60%. It appeared that the Allies Forces were in control of the situation. Lightning Bolt and Cloud Kicker were constantly fighting back-to-back, supporting each other. When one of the Exiles that wore machine gun straps tried to shoot Lightning down, she made a quick dodge upward, landing on a cloud. With a single stomp, she released a bolt of electricity flying at her foe. The bolt struck his guns, causing a contraction that ended in the guns exploding, sending the wounded pegasus to his doom. Lightning Bolt quickly relayed this new discovery to Spitfire. By using thunderclouds, the EAF pegasi could fight the enemies equipped with machine guns in a much more secured way. One hit was all it would take to destroy the guns and cripple their opponent.

In a matter of minutes, about twenty more foes were knocked out of the skies. Steam Tinker and his wingmate from Hornet squadron, who was using machine guns of his own, defeated another Exile wearing them. The mango-coated pegasus then asked his wingmate to let him borrow these guns, so he could test their efficiency. It took him a moment to get used to increased weight. Since he had been experimenting with earlier models that were not mass-produced or imported, Steam Tinker was no slouch in weapon department. He gained additional advantage for his team and even helped Emerald 1 by shooting down the Exile pegasus that was trying to take down the crystal pony. He thanked him warmly before rejoining the battle alongside his team.

Flare Star was still fighting against Bolt Burst. He indeed proved to be a dangerous opponent, managing to trick Flare more than once and nearly delivering a crippling blow to her spine. Luckily, the green pegasus managed to perform a quick side roll and only got hit in the face. She used the brief moment to catch some breath.

“Hah, you are pretty good,” she said to Bolt Burst. “It’s too bad we can’t play any longer. If I were you, I’d tell your fellow Exile scum to leave. You’re about to get annihilated.”

Bolt Burst knew that he lost nearly 70% of his forces, his Shadow squadron itself losing two members out of seven. His only hope was to stall the battle and wait for Gleipnir to arrive. Dodging another of Flare Star’s punches, he said to her:

“Your overconfidence will become your downfall. This battle isn’t over yet!”

Barely a minute later, Cloud Kicker’s noticed a large shape appearing in the air. She knew exactly what it was. She immediately informed all remaining defenders.

“This is Mirage 4! The optical camouflage… It’s wearing off! He’s here! It’s Gleipnir!” she exclaimed, pointing her left hoof to a big, scaly body that just revealed itself.

“Crud, so that’s how the bastard snuck in…” Heavy Cloud whined. “Not good…”

Gleipnir’s gem, located in his armor, started pulsing with a faint white light. He then flapped his wings in a rapid succession, sending shockwaves from it. All unlucky nearby fliers, both the Allied Forces and Exiles, were knocked away. Some managed to recover and remained in midair, but others weren’t that lucky, landing hard on stone columns or failing to regain altitude and falling to the ground below.

Bolt Burst felt relieved seeing Gleipnir in action. He turned to Flare Star.

“You are strong, indeed. But this dragon will finish all of you. Farewell!”

He turned around and flew away, to meet his comrades. Flare Star did not bother following him, as she was a bit exhausted from the fight. She reunited with her team as well. Wind Whistler and Rainfall, aided by Rainbowshine’s Sorcerer squadron, managed to stall both enemy teams and forced them to retreat.

Lightning Bolt contacted Heavy Cloud.

“Sir, please tell me you have some kind of strategy against that dragon.”

“Swarming him is not an option,” said Heavy Cloud. “That shockwave attack can decimate our ranks quickly. We have to find another way.”

Gleipnir’s gem begun pulsing again, catching Lightning’s attention. This time, the light was colored blue. The dragon targeted one of the pegasi from Phoenix squadron and fired a beam of blueish energy at him. The flier did not react in time. He was killed on the spot and his lifeless body fell down.

“Phoenix 3! No!” Sunburst shouted. “Damn that dragon, we have to stop him!”

“But how…” Heavy Cloud wondered.

Before the pegasi could even engage him, the gem on the armor pulsed with white light again and the dragon vanished from sight, using his optical camouflage.

“This isn’t good… Lightning, we gotta do something!” Cloud Kicker said urgently to her friend.

“I know… If only we could… Wait!”

Lightning Bolt had a sudden realization. She clapped her front hooves together.

“That’s it! I’ve got it!”

“Whatever you’ve got, I hope it’s not contagious,” Cloud Kicker remarked.

The white pegasus ignored Cloud Kicker’s sentence and quickly contacted Heavy Cloud.

“Sir, this is Mirage 3! I have an idea.”

“Go ahead.”

“Have you noticed the gem in the dragon’s armor? It seem to pulse every time he uses uses the optical camouflage, that shockwave attack or that laser breath. That gem must be his power source. If we could destroy it…”

“I see what you mean,” Heavy Cloud interrupted. “But how exactly you want to do this?”

“We will have to reveal his location first. Our radars won’t be much of a use until we get rid of the optical camouflage system. We have to follow the waving air.”

“Waving air, huh? Good point. Alright then… All air units. Time for an alternate strategy. Ignore the Exiles. Keep your eyes open and look for waving air. The dragon may be invisible, but he is still there. Once you locate him, inform the fliers with machine guns. Be on standby and open fire as soon as he is found. If we inflict enough damage, his cover should be blown.”

“I sure hope this works,” said Steam Tinker. “All right, let’s do this!”

Cloud Kicker managed to trace the waving air. Moments later, Steam Tinker and the other fifteen pegasi wearing machine guns started a barrage fire in that direction. Gleipnir felt the stinging as the bullets struck his scales and armor, partially piercing through and forcing him to get rid of his cover.

“Grrr… Optical camouflage system critical,” he growled.

His huge shape reappeared again.

“Alright! It worked!” Steam Tinker exclaimed. “Now we need to destroy that gem.”

Gleipnir had no intention of being an easy target. His gem begun to pulse in faint white light again. Lightning knew what was coming and so did Heavy Cloud.

“It’s dangerous to be close to Gleipnir when he is charging that shockwave attack. Try to stay lower than him,” he advised the other fliers.

Gleipnir’s shockwave attack ended up being a complete miss. But the grey dragon wasn’t discouraged. He already devised a new move.

“Hah! Let’s see how valorous you will be once I obliterate your precious city!” he roared.

An intense blue light began to shine on his armor. Gleipnir opened his mouth and started to gather energy. He was preparing to use his Shock Cannon. Heavy Cloud quickly realized what was going on.

“That dragon is trying to destroy Cloudsdale! All air units, attack him! Keep him distracted! Don’t let him charge up the energy!”

It sounded like a desperate call, but Lightning Bolt told the pegasi to do as the operator said. When Spitfire asked her why, she replied:

“I’m going to use my Shining Spark to destroy that gem. But to do that, I have to gain enough speed and I need time for that. Try to keep Gleipnir distracted as long as it takes.”

“Huh… Sounds risky to me. What do you think, Spitfire?” Heavy Cloud asked.

“At this point anything is worth a try. OK, everypony, we’ll do as Thunder says. Swarm that dragon!”

Nearly seventy pegasi started to fly around Gleipnir. Some tried punching or kicking him, others tried shooting him with machine guns, but all that only angered Gleipnir more. He started flapping his wings rapidly.

“Annoying little ponies… DIE!”

He released his shockwave again, but most pegasi managed to avoid it, remembering Heavy Cloud’s advice. The operator quickly calculated how long it will take for the dragon to gain enough power to attack and he relayed that data to the others.

“Gleipnir will fire in three minutes! Hurry, Thunder! It’s all up to you!”

Lightning knew that a great responsibility was reposed on her, but she was ready to do it. Cloud Kicker seemed anxious.

“Lightning…” she said with uncertainty.

“I’ll be fine! Go and help the others!” Lightning Bolt replied.

She flew away to gain enough distance so she could gain the speed necessary for her Shining Spark to be performed. The white pegasus mare kept her radio on the whole time, to hear how the situation was developing. Though the defenders kept distracting Gleipnir, they were tired after the battle, and the next time Gleipnir used his shockwave attack, most fliers were sent flying away. He was in clear position to use his Shock Cannon and turn Cloudsdale into ruins.

“120 seconds remaining! Hurry, Thunder!” Heavy Cloud urged her.

When Lightning was 10 kilometers away from the dragon, she quickly changed direction and started flapping her wings like crazy and zipping from left to right, heading at Gleipnir and gaining effective speed. There were only 90 seconds left. Cloud Kicker suddenly appeared before the dragon, and, seeing no other way to catch his attention, she shouted at him.

“HEY! You big, ugly lizard! Bet you’re ain’t gonna hit me! Na na-na-na nah!”

She started flicking her tail before his nose. Angered, Gleipnir ascended a little and swung his own, massive, spiked tail.

“I have no patience for fools. Get lost!”

Cloud Kicker was struck by the tail. Her scream could be heard clearly in the silence. Though she tried to regain control of her wings, she was sent flying toward a stone column and hit it with her head. She fell on to a dense cloud and remained motionless.

“Mirage 4 down!” Heavy Cloud gasped.

That information not only scared, but also infuriated Lightning Bolt. She started flying even faster, much faster than ever before. The air around her began to crackle with electricity.

“You fiend… You’ll pay for that!”

“30 seconds left!” Heavy Cloud’s voice sounded again.

He was on the verge of panicking.

“Hahaha!” Gleipnir roared with laughter. “You cannot stop me! This city is history!”

The dragon almost gathered enough energy to attack. Just then, he noticed a single pegasus coming at him.

“… Huh?”

That was Lightning Bolt. He didn’t have time to react and keep her away, as he had to stop charging up energy to do so. The white pegasus rammed into his armor at full speed, screaming at the top of her lungs. Gleipnir felt the force of the blow. It was strong enough to make him recoil back a little. The gem on his armor cracked several times. He could not hold this amount of energy for much longer and unleashed his Shock Cannon.

However, due to Lightning’s attack, his aim had been altered, and he fired it downward instead. The cracked gem lost some of its fragments as they fell off and Gleipnir roared in pain. Seconds later, a powerful explosion shook the area.

“Heavy Cloud! Status report!” Spitfire ordered.

“... Cloudsdale is safe. The beam struck the ground below us instead,” the operator said.

“Graaaagh… I don’t believe this!” Gleipnir roared.

He then heard a voice in his own communicator that the Exiles gave him prior to this mission.

“Gleipnir…”

“My king!” the grey dragon recognized Aigaion.

“Your energy is decreasing. Return back to the castle.”

“My king… My gem is damaged,” Gleipnir growled.

“We will deal with that issue on the premises. Get back here, now,” Aigaion ordered.

Bolt Burst saw everything that happened and noticed that Gleipnir turned around and began to ascend with an intent to leave the airspace. He could not comprehend what just happened. All he knew was the the Exiles lost their advantage, and if they will not retreat, they will all die. He didn’t wanted to take that risk.

“This is Shadow 1! All air units, retreat! Retreat, back to Canterlot!”

His comrades were eager to comply after witnessing Lightning Bolt’s feat. She hovered in the air, slightly dazed from the strength of the impact, but she ignored the EAF pegasi that tried to congratulate her. Instead, she descended to where Cloud Kicker was lying unconscious. Her forehead was bleeding.

She nudged her body, pleading:

“Cloud Kicker, come on… Wake up, please…!”

She did not react at first. A note of fear sounded in Lightning voice.

“What if she’s…! Oh no! Cloud Kicker, say something! Say something!” she yelled.

The purple pegasus winced and groaned in pain as she slowly opened her eyes.

“Owww… My head… Lightning…? Is that you? Did you…!”

Lightning hugged Cloud Kicker, feeling like a great weight was lifted from her heart.

“Oh, thank goodness. What a relief... Are you all right?”

“My head hurts…” Cloud Kicker reiterated. She touched her forehead and noticed the blood on her hoof. “Ow… Guess I got whooped again…”

“Hold on…”

Lightning helped her stand, but then Cloud Kicker winced again, quickly folding her right wing.

“What’s wrong?” Lightning asked.

“My wing… I can’t move my right wing. I think it got dislocated…”

Cloud Kicker let out a couple of whimpers as Lightning upheld her body.

“Don’t worry. You’re going to be OK. Just don’t do any sudden movements… Heavy Cloud!” Lightning contacted the operator. “Mirage 4 is alive, but she requires medical attention.”

“Guess it could have been worse. She’s got a thick skull, I’d say,” Heavy Cloud remarked. “Bring her to the medical wing. We’ll help her and any other wounded fliers.”

“Roger. Okay, Cloud, grab on to me…”

Lightning Bolt took Cloud Kicker on her arms and together, they headed for the base, as did other pegasi fliers. The purple pegasus had her arms wrapped around Lightning’s neck. She herself had a bit of trouble keeping a straight flight path.

“Are you alright, Lightning?” Cloud Kicker asked.

“Yeah… I’m just tired, that’s all,” Lightning replied. “I’ve used most of my energy to perform the Shining Spark.”

“So you really did force that dragon to retreat? That’s awesome!” Cloud Kicker said with enthusiasm. “I knew you could do it.”

“Well, you almost gave me a heart palpitation! I thought you were dead,” the white pegasus scolded her friend. “What the hay were you thinking?!”

“You wanted me to help the others, so… I did…” Cloud Kicker replied sheepishly.

Lightning gave her a stern look, but then… she laughed. That heartfelt laugh calmed both mares down.

“Oh, you silly filly… Well, at least you’re still alive. Don’t worry, the doctors will fix you up quickly, I’ll take a quick rest and we’ll be back in the action within a few days.”

“Yeah…”

Spitfire watched the two friends fly toward the city. She contacted Heavy Cloud.

“So, what do you think of them?” the Wonderbolt captain asked.

“Rumors turned to facts, I’d say. You were right. The pegasi from Mirage squadron are special,” Heavy Cloud replied. “If the others are just as brave and skilled as Thunder and Sunny, then I think we have a very solid support on our side.”

“You got that right.”

“Well, it seems that we’ve managed to survive another day. Keep it up next time, too. You guys deserve some rest now. Let’s hope we can celebrate more victories like that.”

The entire battle for Cloudsdale ultimately ended in a success for the Equestrian Allied Forces. From among over 150 pegasi who participated in Operation “Crossbow.” about 35 were killed, and more than 70 were wounded. The enemy also sustained heavy casualties, losing over 70% of their forces. Heavy Cloud additionally informed the pegasi that their valiant efforts will allow any future operations in this region to proceed more smoothly.

Not only that, the few fragments of Gleipnir’s fractured gem were recovered as well. Steam Tinker devised that analysis of these fragments will help the ponies in learning the secret behind the dragons’ power and in creating a countermeasure for them. Lightning Bolt listened to these news alongside Cloud Kicker. She was already feeling better and had a bandage wrapped around her head. Now, away from danger, the two were planning to join the other pegasi on a celebration on the occasion of their successful mission, while at the same time wondering how Rainbow Dash and Firefly’s groups were doing.

==========

2314 hrs
Canterlot

Pearl Eyes stood alone on one of the castle’s balconies. In her mind, she was still reminiscing her battle with Flare Star and the painful defeat she experienced. Bolt Burst came along when he noticed she wasn’t present with the rest of her team.

“There you are, Pearl,” he said. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you.”

“Bolt…” she whispered.

The pale light of the moon was obscured by the dark clouds. Only a couple of city lights glimmered in the dark.

“How are your ribs? Do they still hurt?” Bolt Burst asked.

“A little…”

“We should go to sleep. It will be midnight soon.”

When he came closer, Pearl Eyes whispered:

“Why…? Why, Bolt? Why couldn’t I beat her?”

She looked into his eyes with her own, as if she was trying to find the answer there. But the brown pegasus remained silent.

“I should have been on equal hooving with her, as a squadron leader. I mean… Lady Aurora would not designate me as one if she wasn’t certain that I am ready… right?” the turquoise mare asked hesitantly.

Bolt Burst spoke with a stern tone.

“No, of course not. You simply fought against an opponent who was stronger and more experienced than you. It’s a small wonder you have lost. Next time you should pick your opponents more carefully. Consider yourself lucky that you are still alive. Some of our comrades would probably want to be in your place now.”

That last sentence sounded like he was rubbing salt in Pearl’s wound. She lowered her sight, her ears flopped. Then she spoke with a broken voice:

“I wanted to obtain my first victory today… but I failed… miserably… I’m sorry… That pegasus… She humiliated me, made me look like a weakling...” she sobbed. “I won't forgive her for this… Next time, I will kill her!”

She was on the verge of tears. Bolt Burst’s expression changed. He felt remorse. He came closer and wrapped his arm around Pearl’s body.

“Pearl… don’t trouble yourself about her now. What matters is that you survived. I’m sure we will have another encounter with our enemies someday. Listen… I promise you: I’ll help you become stronger. But only if you will remain close to me. I don’t want to lose you…”

His voice sounded compassionate. Pearl looked at him in surprise.

“Bolt… You’ve never been this kind to me. Why…?”

“I took me a long time to realize… But now I know. You are not only beautiful, but very brave, too, Pearl. I will do whatever it takes to turn you into a great pegasus fighter. Will you let me?”

Pearl Eyes hesitated for a second, but Bolt’s words were very soothing for her. She leaned toward him for a hug, and the two ponies embraced.

“Yes. … Thank you, Bolt,” said Pearl Eyes.

“Anything for you, my dear,” Bolt replied. “Now, let’s go get some rest.”

“Alright…”

When the two returned to their quarters, Bolt Burst remembered about his own confrontation with Flare Star and how she complimented him as being “honorable.” Thinking about it now, the pegasus thought that maybe… just maybe… not all ponies in the Equestrian Allied Forces were bastards, as Aurora was saying. He hoped that he and Pearl would be granted another chance to take part in this conflict and redeem themselves for their failure.

Chapter 10b: Rendezvous

Within the walls of a fortified city

A fierce battle is taking place.

The heroines are coming to help the defenders,

But some heroes come in small sizes.

Chapter 10b

Rendezvous

June 27th, 2021
0900 hrs
Equestria, cir. 100 km from Stalliongrad

An army group, lead by Twilight Sparkle and Applejack, consisting of nearly 1000 earth ponies, pegasi and unicorns combined, was getting closer to the largest city in eastern Equestria with every passing day. After over a hundred hours spent in near-constant motion, the scouts reported that they had sighted Stalliongrad in the distance. They hoped that the defenders were not completely exhausted and managed to stall the main Exile offense.

The ponies made a short stop to check on supplies and assemble the units for an upcoming attack. Twilight was just conversing through radio with Gale. He had some very uplifting news.

“So you say Cloudsdale is safe?” the purple unicorn asked.

“For the moment, at least,” Gale’s voice replied. “Heavy Cloud relayed all the data to me already. He said that our fellow Angels played an important part in saving the city from being destroyed.”

“That’s great! I’ll be sure to tell that to Rainbow and the others.”

Twilight quickly switched her frequency to a broadband one, so others could hear her.

“Attention, everypony! This is the commander of the Arcana battalion, Twilight Sparkle. I’ve just received a report that the Cloudsdale region has been successfully defended by our pegasi forces! We don’t have to worry about possible enemy reinforcements from the western region! This is a chance we cannot miss! Let’s push on!”

A storm of cheers and gleeful screams filled the air. The ponies did not even care if any stranded Exiles units could hear them. That was one piece of information they were waiting for, one since they had to leave Canterlot behind.

Rainbow Dash, Medley and Fluttershy were just doing some casual flying, watching the crowd of ponies below them. Medley started dancing in the air.

“Did you hear that? Thunder and Sunny did it! Ha ha! Awesome!”

Rainbow nodded.

“That was pretty impressive of them. But I knew they were capable of doing it.”

“It only goes to show you had the right hunch, Rainbow,” said Fluttershy.

“Heh, yeah, I guess I did,” the blue pegasus replied nonchalantly. “Things are lookin’ up for us!”

The three pegasi clasped their hooves together and cheered among the others. Twilight’s voice interrupted their celebration.

“While this is certainly a great news, we cannot forget about our part in this campaign. We will truly celebrate when this is over. For now, let’s keep—”

Twilight’s voice was suddenly drowned in a loud explosion that sounded a few dozen meters away from her, alerting most of the ponies. Could it have been an ambush?

A different voice, almost a squeak, was heard in the silence.

“Dang it! I messed up again!”

Twilight followed to where she heard the voice coming from, with Firecracker Burst alongside her. She had an irritated expression on her face. A small trail of smoke was coming out of the area where the explosion occurred. The two mares came across a young, yellow unicorn pony with a dark-blue mane, held properly together by a yellow headband. She seemed to be tinkering with one of the mortar cannons.

“Stupid piece of junk…” she muttered.

“Short Circuit!” Firecracker Burst exclaimed.

When she turned around and noticed both Twilight and Firecracker leering at her, her cheeks blushed.

“Aah… Lt. Commander, Ma’am…” she said in that squeaky tone again.

“Would you mind telling me WHAT IN EQUESTRIA ARE YOU DOING, YOU LITTLE TWAT!?” Firecracker yelled at her. “I told you to stop messing with the mortar, didn’t I?”

“I-I’m… I’m sorry, I just…”

Firecracker moved closer to her, almost touching her nose with her own and giving her an angry glare.

“If something like that happens again, I’m going to make you feel REALLY sorry! You understand?”

“Y-Yes, Ma’am....”

As Twilight looked at her, she reminded her of a certain earth pony she once knew. She turned her sight to Firecracker, thinking that she should take over this discussion. She didn't liked how the green unicorn was treating her.

“Firecracker, return to your post. I’ll take care of this.”

“Yes, Ma’am!”

Firecracker Burst gave a quick salute and left without looking at the yellow unicorn. She lowered her sight in regret.

“Shucks… I didn’t mean to cause so much racket…”

Twilight looked at her with a little bit of pity, using her hoof to make the unicorn face her and establish eye contact.

“Don’t worry about her.”

“Huh”?

“Firecracker is pretty impulsive,” Twilight explained. “I guess the lack of activity or a major battle is starting to get to her and she felt like taking it out on somepony.”

“Why me? I get the feeling she hates me…” the unicorn whimpered.

“That’s not true. She’s just under a bit of pressure and is probably looking for a way to let it loose… Don’t worry about her,” Twilight reiterated.

She glanced at soldier’s uniform. She had an emblem of the 5th Earth Pony Battalion. When she asked why she is in this kind of unit and not with fellow unicorns, the pony replied:

“I volunteered. I always wanted to be in this kind of a unit.”

“I see… What is your name again?” Twilight asked.

“Short Circuit, Ma’am. But… I prefer to go by codename Bertz instead, if that’s okay,” the yellow unicorn replied.

“Bertz… That name sounds familiar…”

After recalling some events from the past few months, Twilight had a realisation.

“You don’t happen to be related to a pony named Lucky Stroke, by any chance?”

“I do, Ma’am. He… He was my big brother.”

Twilight remembered now. Lucky Stroke, an earth pony soldier, known more commonly by his nickname “Bertz”, took part in a military operations during the Neue Gryphus Rebellion. Sadly, one such operation ended in a failure and he was killed along with the rest of his unit. The only survivor was his teammate, Sergeant Mighty Weld, codenamed “Collins.” They both witnessed a terror no pony had even seen before…

When the conflict was resolved, the 5th Earth Pony Battalion was re-established and changed into an artillery unit. Short Circuit was among the first ponies who wanted to join the unit.

“To tell the truth, I was hoping my team would be assigned to Manehattan instead,” Short Circuit spoke. “That way I could fight alongside my sister…”

“And what is your sister’s name?” Twilight asked.

“Gingerbread Sparkles… But she really dislikes it and prefers to be called Quox.”

A giggle escaped the yellow unicorn’s mouth. Twilight scratched her chin, trying to recall that name.

“Quox… I know her. She used to be a part of my unit during The Equestrian War… Then Princess Celestia granted her leadership of her own company, Avion. She always had a knack for teleportation spells…”

Short Circuit nodded fervently.

“Both she and my big brother were involved in helping the Griffin Army during that rebellion… but things ended disastrously…”

“I know…”

Short Circuit sight dropped again.

“When my bro died, my sister was left heartbroken. Whatever she witnessed in that conflict must have disturbed both her and Sergeant Collins greatly. Their psyche was… damaged, or so the doctor said. But she eventually returned to service and... I wanted to be a part of the military like they were… against all better judgment.”

“So you decided to join the military so you could follow in your brother’s hoofsteps?” Twilight guessed.

“Thought I did… But I’m starting to wonder if I belong here…” Short Circuit squeaked.

“Of course you do!” Twilight exclaimed. “Everypony is important in this operation!”

“Oh? Even those kids that had been around you a few times, Ma’am? Shouldn’t they be at home with their parents?”

Twilight knew that she was referring to the Cutie Mark Crusaders.

Truly, among other soldiers, both rookies or battle hardened veterans, they seemed like an unusual, maybe even improper sight. However, they proved their worth by helping in defending Ponyville during the war with the griffins and even taking apart in the liberation of Canterlot. Their determination and desire to help in protecting Equestria was just as great as any regular soldier. Besides, they were operating as a scouting team and weren’t directly involved in any battle thus far. Applejack’s secondary job, besides keeping her own unit in check, was to look after the Crusaders as well.

When Twilight explained everything to her, Short Circuit looked at her with sad eyes, feeling almost miserable. To think that even kids could be more valuable than her… Twilight had to find a way to cheer her up.

“You don’t have to worry about them, Short Circuit,” she said. “I have everything under control. Return to your post and try to be a little more careful. Also...”

Short Circuit lifted her sight.

“Don’t get discouraged. Your unit is still an important part of this operation. Remember that… Bertz.”

“Y-Yes, Commander Ma’am!”

Short Circuit gave a salute. Twilight left her and returned to Applejack’s side. The ponies were ready to resume their march toward Stalliongrad at any moment.

Just then, Twilight received another incoming call from Gale. This time, however, the news were not positive.

“Twilight, the defenders in the city are under heavy attack. The Exiles decided to bring out their heavy artillery… and I mean, heavy.”

“What exactly do you mean by that, Gale?” she asked.

“Tanks.”

Twilight’s eyes widened.

“Did you say… tanks?!”

“I’m afraid so. They must have been transported to the area via the sea, just outside Stalliongrad. Fillydelphia, most likely. The Exiles now have some superior firepower on their side. You must hurry and get to Stalliongrad fast, otherwise…”

“I know that. We’re leaving immediately!”

0942 hrs
Equestria, cir. 50 km from Stalliongrad

As the ponies hurryingly trotted toward the city area, some of them were exchanging worried whispers and concerns about the news they just heard. Twilight wondered if their own artillery would be enough to halt the potential attack of the tanks. When Applejack asked her what tanks are exactly, since she hadn’t seen one in her life so far, Twilight naturally provided an explanation.

“I once read about them. They are a powerful tool of war, used consistently in conflicts outside of Equestria. Try to imagine a big, armored vehicle with a long cannon extending from the front. That is what a tank is.”

“How come we weren’t able to make one?” Applejack asked.

“First of all, there was no need. We have endured decades, if not centuries of peace until the Equestrian War erupted,” Twilight reminded her. “Secondly, we had no resources necessary to mass-produce tanks. And thirdly, they wouldn’t really help against the air strikes conducted by the griffins.”

Once Applejack got a grasp of everything, she thought about the points Twilight made.

“Okay, but you said their armor’s pretty tough. They could wi’stand griffin’s attacks, wouldn’t they?”

“Yes, but the tanks have no weapons to use against an aerial target. Besides, they are quite slow on the ground, though they can traverse any terrain, thanks to the treads on their wheels,” Twilight added.

“Ah see…”

Out of all ponies, only the Cutie Mark Crusaders didn’t seem to be too bothered about the idea of fighting against tanks. In fact, when Button heard the conversation between Applejack and Twilight, he wanted to share his own thoughts with them.

“In our current situation, the tanks aren’t really that much of a problem,” the brown colt said, surprising Twilight and some ponies near her.

“How come?” Twilight asked.

“Because we are perfectly equipped to take them on. Y’see, Commander Ma’am, there are several ways to easily get rid of a tank. And I know most, if not all of them.”

“You, Button?” Applejack asked. “How can a young colt like you know stuff about war, anyway?”

Button snickered.

“From video games, where else? Well… maybe history class, too. Our teacher told us about some wars fought in the last 20 years and I got to see some tanks in a coursebook.”

Scootaloo approached him with an expression of disbelief.

“In case you didn’t notice — this is NOT a video game!”

“I know that!” Button exclaimed. “But I tell you, this stuff really works!”

“What exactly?” Twilight asked, although she still felt skeptical about hearing militaristic ideas from a colt. To any other normal ponies it sounded beyond ridiculous.

However, when Button Mash pointed out some facts, Twilight could not overlook them.

“The fact that tanks need fuel to actually work is one thing. But most of them have their fuel canisters stocked on the back of their armor. So if we could blow them up, we could stop the tank from moving. That, or we could try damaging the treads. That way at least it won’t be able to turn properly and will become an easy target for an air strike.”

“When you put it that way…” Twilight said, still allowing Button to continue.

Firecracker Burst barely managed to hold a laugh.

“With all due respect, Commander Ma’am, you’d be taking advices from kids?” she asked. “Next thing we know, he’ll tell us to blast the tank’s cannon with a magic spell to blow it up from the inside.”

Button Mash bared his teeth.

“You know, that sounds pretty awesome, too, ma’am.”

Firecracker realized how improbable and stupid it sounded, but at the same time, she did not think it would be impossible. Some ponies closest to Twilight, including Short Circuit’s 5th Earth Pony Battalion, expressed readiness for trying out these kind of tactics anyway.

“Personally, I think any kind of effective tactic would be useful against the tanks. We’re ready to try them out, Ma’am,” the yellow unicorn assured Twilight.

“First we need to get to Stalliongrad and asses the situation. Then we’ll worry about the strategy,” Twilight remarked. “Let’s keep going.”

Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy and Medley got every bit of information personally from the Crusaders. Fluttershy didn’t feel too convinced and thought that Button’s ideas were risky at best, but Rainbow did not mind them at all.

“I’ll try that air strike thing by first possible chance. Sounds like fun,” she said.

“Fun?” Medley asked, confused. “I dunno…”

“Come on, Kid, what’s the problem in having a bit of excitement during the fight?”

Those words worried Fluttershy a bit.

“Rainbow… Don’t you think you’re going… a little overboard?”

“Nah… I’m just curious if these will actually work. I mean, bombs and mortars are the only thing we got that could destroy the tanks. If not for them, it would be hard.”

“That’s true…”

About twenty minutes later, Twilight’s army group finally reached the Stalliongrad area. Many ponies saw dark, greyish smoke in the distance, hovering over several parts of the city. It was under a relentless assault, as pegasus ponies were spotted swooping down every now and then, probably dropping bombs they carried in hopes of causing more damage. About 400-500 earth ponies and unicorns, maybe more, were located at the outskirts of Stalliongrad, bombarding it with shells fired from the tanks or magical spells that rained icy stalactites, thunder bolts or small fireballs on the defenders.

Twilight and Rainbow Dash did not hesitate any longer. The purple unicorn used the radio to contact the others.

“All units, engage the enemy! Break through their lines and head for Stalliongrad!”

“Roger that!” Rainbow Dash replied. “All right, girls, let’s go get’em!”

Fluttershy and Medley followed her, as did the pegasi from Falcon, Lancer, Sweeper and Cygnus squadrons. Blackberry seemed especially thrilled.

“I should keep a close eye on Fluttershy… Maybe I can learn something from her,” she thought to herself.

“All air units, this is Mirage 1! Prioritize on eliminating the enemy pegasi! Let’s clean the skies up!” Rainbow’s voice sounded in every pegasus’ headphones.

“You got it, Mirage 1!” Thunder Flicker replied.

“Finally some action! Looking forward to this!” Quick Chaser remarked.

“We’re here, too!” Thunderlane reminded them. “Leave some for us!”

Just as the ponies from Equestrian Allied Forces started their offense, Commander Clad Hoof, who lead the Exile’s siege on Stalliongrad, received a report about them coming from the western flank. Noticing the pegasi going into the air, he grumbled to himself.

“I knew I should have sent a scout team ahead. Dammit! Well, no matter. We still have greater firepower. The defenders will not be resisting for long,” he reassured himself, quickly switching the frequency to alert his soldiers.

“All units, the enemy reinforcements are trying to break into the city. Eliminate as many of them as you can!”

The Exiles tried to prevent Twilight’s group from reaching the city, but they could not do anything. Twilight herself lead the charge, constantly firing energy beams from her horn and taking down several enemy troops. Rainbow, Fluttershy, Medley and the other pegasi found no challenge among the Exile fliers. Most of them were defeated with little effort. Only Blackberry found herself being ganged up by three enemies, though she managed to defeat them with Quick Chaser and Fluttershy assisting her.

Twilight just took down another Exile soldier with a well-aimed shot, then turned to Firecracker Burst, who kept on firing small fireballs from her horn. One of them struck an enemy tank, causing the fuel canisters to explode. The vehicle was quickly engulfed in flames. Both the driver and the gunner tried to escape, but they were struck by a bomb dropped by one of Thunder Flicker’s wing ponies.

“Firecracker!” Twilight shouted to her. “Make an opening for us!”

“With pleasure, Ma’am!”

The green unicorn focused her magic essence, casting a stream of fire from her horn and burning any Exile trooper unlucky enough to be in her way.

“Outta my waaaay!”

She ran toward the city. Most ponies from EAF followed her, though several of them were creeped out by hearing Firecracker Burst laugh as she continued to blast the Exiles with a stream of fire. Those who were fast enough to avoid it received terrible burns on their bodies. Their screams filled the air.

“Ha, ha, hah! Oh boy, I needed that SO much! Who wants some!” the green unicorn exclaimed.

Soon Twilight started to regret giving out that order. She called another fellow unicorn, Colgate, to try and cool Firecracker down, especially after she noticed how the Cutie Mark Crusaders watched her outburst with disturbed or even outright scared expressions.

“Applejack… is that mare crazy?” Apple Bloom wondered quietly.

“Nah… Well… Not much, sugarcube, she’s just… uh, hot-headed,” Applejack said trying to calm her down.

Commander Clad Hoof did not want anymore losses and ordered his troops to pull back a little so he could reorganize his formations. Though the situation was now under control for the EAF, Firecracker kept shouting after the Exiles.

“Come back here, cowards! I ain’t done with you!”

Suddenly she got hit in the back of the head with a snowball, which left her briefly dumbfounded and caused her to dissipate the fire stream from her horn.

“Snow…? In June?” she wondered aloud.

Turning her head around, she noticed Colgate with an annoyed expression on her face.

“Feeling better, Firecracker?” she asked.

The green unicorn checked the area around her, seeing several Exile bodies lying face down and burned grasses. She started chuckling.

“Whoops… Heh heh… Looks like I got carried away…”

“Again,” Colgate finished.

“You must try to control your emotions, Firecracker,” Twilight scolded her. “It’s bad enough that we have to deal with the Exiles. Don’t make me turn you into custody for undisciplined behavior.”

“Sorry, Commander Ma’am,” Firecracker said with repentance.

One of the earth ponies from a local defense unit noticed the battle going in favor of the newly arrived group. Once the fiery stream from Firecracker’s horn disappeared, he assumed that they had won. He contacted his leader.

“Commander Big Bear! Reinforcements! The Exiles are pulling back!”

“Could it be?” asked a bulky brown earth pony wearing a crimson uniform.

Her heard Twilight’s voice in the communicator.

“To all Equestrian Allied Forces troops on this frequency. This is Twilight Sparkle, commander of the Arcana battalion. If you can hear me, please respond.”

“So glad to hear yo, Twilight. Vis is Cold Steel, codename Big Bear, leader of de Stalliongrad Defense Corps,” the earth pony replied. “We were beginning to lose hope. Our supplies are getting really vin, since we had to share most of vem with de 1st Fleet.”

“We have some supplies ourselves and we’ll be glad to share them with you. We’re almost at the designated point. I want to hear all the details from you, Big Bear,” said Twilight.

“Roger that, comrade.”

==========

1156 hrs
Stalliongrad

Once the ponies from EAF reached the central point in the city area, Cold Steel welcomed them warmly. By forcing the Exiles to retreat and regroup, they had gained some precious time to help the defenders. Cold Steel asked his troops to help the newly arrived soldiers with unloading the supplies from the wagons the army group had with them. The pegasi, including Rainbow’s team, were helping too. Applejack was keeping her eye on the Cutie Mark Crusaders, making sure they won’t wander off to “sightsee” the area. Twilight Sparkle moved to the side in order to talk with Cold Steel, while Colgate and Firecracker Burst were overseeing the unloading. Twilight noticed that some soldiers of the defense force were not wearing uniforms and wanted to know why.

The conversation between the two commanders lasted for several minutes as Cold Steel told Twilight about the Exiles’ recent attempts on making a siege around the city and how the citizens themselves, while risking their own lives, were not hesitating in helping Cold Steel’s corps in protecting Stalliongrad.

“If there are any true heroes in vis war so far, it’s de average ponies that keep assisting us, despite de danger,” Cold Steel said to Twilight. “It’s unfortunate vat we could not completely avert casualties among civilians. Nearly 200 ponies died since veese attacks started. Yet more are still coming to aid us however vey can. Vey have my utmost respect.”

“Their assistance and sacrifice will certainly not be in vain,” Twilight said with a reassuring tone. “Tell me, Big Bear, is the fleet ready?”

“Da. De entire 1st Fleet is waiting in ve port. All weapons, ammo and necessary supplies vere already loaded onboard. Captain Bluehaze and his crew are veiting only for you to board the shiffs.”

“We will, as soon as we secure the area around the city. Even if we defeat the Exiles here, they might eventually come back. We have destroy those tanks to cripple their offense.”

“And I assume yo have a plan on how to do it, Twilight?” Cold Steel asked.

Twilight did not respond immediately, as she was actually still considering the options Button Mash mentioned earlier. They could end up being the only ones available...

Cold Steel’s voice then interrupted her thoughts.

“However, I dink Fillydelphia isn’t de only city you should vorry about,” he said ominously. “More trouble veell be happening in de mainland soon.”

“What do you mean by that, Big Bear?” Twilight asked.

The brown earth pony looked at her with a surprised expression.

“Are you saying yo didn’t hear it? Yo seem to be behind with de recent news then, comrade,” he said.

Rainbow Dash descended from the sky. Her team already finished in unloading the supplies from the last wagon and she went ahead to inform Twilight about it. She overheard Cold Steel’s last few sentences.

“What’d you mean, buddy?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“De citizens of Ponyville are rumored to have created teir very own defense force. Didn’t you know vat?”

“No…” Twilight’s answer sounded a little unsure. “Nopony told us about it.”

“Hmph. Typical,” Cold Steel snorted. “Vose Ponyville folk always try to come up viff weird or risky ideas vithout ever thinking about de consequences of deir actions.”

“But… What exactly has been happening in Ponyville as of recent?” Twilight asked.

Cold Steel started walking back and forward as he explained.

“Rumor has it, de citizens of Ponyville decided to take de fight to de enemy without vaiting for de rest of EAF. Vey created what vey call ‘Ponyville Liberation Corps’ or PLC, for short. Because deir numbers are at least zree times smaller than the Exiles stationed in dat region, dey resolved into guerrilla tactics, veech include attacking enemy supply lines or even assassinating some soldiers. So far, vey seem to be doing quite good… almost too good, do be honest.”

Rainbow didn’t liked how that last sentence sounded.

“What does that mean?” she asked.

Cold Steel stopped in place.

“Dat cyka, Aurora, seems to have caught a vind of veir actions and thinks vey are interfering with her plans of expanding control in de region. She’s not taking any chances. She is going to send one of ve Dragon Generals to pacify ve rebels.”

These news shook Twilight and Rainbow to the core. Applejack would probably react the same way if she heard about it.

“Oh no…” the purple mare said quietly. “Do they know about it?”

“I’m afraid niet,” Cold Steel replied somberly. “The last contact we had with Ponyville vas forty hours ago. Not a single signal came to us since. I fear ve worst…”

“Then what are we waiting for?!” Rainbow exclaimed. “I’ll go get the girls and we’ll head for Ponyville right now!”

She was just about to go get Medley and Fluttershy when Twilight stopped her with a commanding voice.

“Rainbow, STOP! None of you are going anywhere. We have to stick to this operation!”

“So you want us to leave them alone to fight that dragon?!” Rainbow shouted.

“I never said that! Calm down!”

Rainbow landed on the ground and walked back to Twilight, but she was still giving her a piercing look.

“Listen, Rainbow, I don’t like this situation one bit. But we can’t act without devising a plan. I’m going to contact Gale and tell him everything now. After all, he is the leading commander of Operation Eternal Liberation, so it’s up to him to make any decision about altering the initial plan.”

“... Fine,” Rainbow sighed in disappointment.

Twilight managed to contact Gale quickly, and within the next few minutes she told him everything she has heard from Cold Steel. The Wonderbolt operator sounded flabbergasted upon receiving the news.

“Ponyville Liberation Corps? Unbelievable! And no pony even bothered telling us about it…? Kind of suspicious… Guess the citizens got tired of waiting for the main force to come and aid them.”

“What should we do, Gale? We can’t leave them stranded!” said Twilight.

“No, we can’t… And we won’t!”

“I’m ready to go!” Rainbow reminded them.

“No, you and the rest of Mirage will stay here,” Gale reiterated. “The defenders could use your help during the upcoming battle and you’ll be needed to keep an eye on how the situation will develop on your way to Fillydelphia.”

“But—”

Rainbow was about to lose it. Gale managed to calm her down a bit.

“Don’t worry, Rainbow. Cloudsdale is closer than Stalliongrad. I’ll relay this news to Spitfire and Heavy Cloud. I’m sure they will be able to send some additional help to Ponyville now that Cloudsdale is safe. You just focus your mind on completing your own mission. Understand?”

“... Yes, sir.”

Rainbow returned to Medley and Fluttershy, frustration clearly present on her face. She told them about everything, and though they understood how she felt, they stood by Gale’s decision to stay and continue Operation Rendezvous. Not a few minutes later, Rainbow Dash saw one of the earth ponies from Stalliongrad Defense Corps racing toward his leader.

“Big Bear, sir!”

“Tomtit, vat’s going on?” Cold Steel asked.

“Enemy infantry and artillery units sighted at the city perimeter! They are preparing another attack!” the earth pony replied.

“Heh. Vey never give up, do vey? Well, now vat we have Twilight and her comrades with us, we can put a bit more of a fight. Alert ve sentries and prepare for battle!”

“Yessir!”

Cold Steel turned to Twilight.

“If we work dogether, we should be able to keep ve enemy away from ve city limits. Idjóm, Twilight!”

Twilight nodded and used her radio to alert the others.

“All ground units, prepare yourself! Flametongue and Blizzard battalions, you will take the frontal positions and keep the enemy occupied. Apple battalion, you stay close with them and keep an eye out. Mirage team, lead the pegasi and defeat as many hostile fliers as possible. However, do not to push too deep into their lines. They may try to bait you into a trap.”

“Roger that, Commander Twilight!” Colgate replied. She was leading her Blizzard battalion, with Firecracker Burst having command over Flametongue battalion. Applejack’s battalion was also ready.

“We got the skies covered!” Rainbow assured.

“We’re ready to take those scum down! Let’s move it, everypony!” the green unicorn exclaimed.

1245 hrs

As both armies clashed, the soldiers from EAF managed to get a slight advantage. Aided by the Stalliongrad Defense Corps and even some civilians, they managed to fulfill their plan. Flametongue and Blizzard battalions, along with Bertz company, dealt a heavy blow to the enemy formations, destroying several AA guns that could pose a threat to Rainbow’s team and the rest of the fliers. Occasionally, some Exile fighters managed to breach the city’s airspace, but it only took less than a minute for Rainbow, Medley and Fluttershy to defeat a group of three hostile pegasi, one of which was carrying a bomb. He intended on dropping at the artillery unit, but Rainbow’s swift attack knocked him out and sent the bomb flying away. It exploded midair a few seconds later when another EAF flier shot it with his machine guns.

In the meantime, Lancer and Sweeper squadrons attempted an attack run on the enemy artillery units. They were in for a nasty surprise, however. Commander Clad Hoof took into account the possibility of an air strike and had the cover of AA guns and SAMs protecting his main unit. The squadrons had to abandon their initial plan when a volley of bullets and homing missiles “greeted” them. Quick Chaser and Thunder Flicker managed to avoid most of them, but their wingmates were hit by a few bullets and one of the pegasi from Sweeper squadron nearly got hit by a missile in the wing. He managed to dodge it with a bit of luck, though it left him open for another attack. Quick Chaser swooped in and grabbed him, then he pulled back with the others.

Back in the base, the two pegasi reported back to Twilight.

“This ain’t good,” Quick Chaser grumbled. “Those missiles prevent us from going any further.”

“So they have SAMs, too?” Twilight wondered. “They must have been preparing this offensive for a while if they wanted these kinds of weapons…”

“Is there anyway to take those things down without getting ourselves killed, Twilight?” Thunder Flicker asked, trying to sound casual.

Twilight explained to them that SAMs are used to fire a heat-seeking missile from the ground, and though they take some time to lock on to their target, should one remain in its area of effect for too long, they would come under fire.

“From what I read, the SAM’s effective range is 2000 feet and they can fire a missile every 30 seconds or so,” the purple unicorn said. “We can always try to overwhelm them with numbers, but it’s too risky. Hmm…”

Rainbow Dash contacted her.

“Twilight! Maybe we can provide a distraction for our own ground forces? We’re fast enough to avoid those missiles and give ours guys enough time to take them down.”

Twilight thought about this for a while and eventually agreed to this plan.

“You do that, Rainbow. Applejack, you heard it?” she asked her through the communicator.

“Yeah, we’re ready to roll. Go get’em, Rainbow!” the earth pony hailed.

“On it! Mirage team, let’s go!”

“Roger that!” Medley replied vigorously.

The three pegasi flew ahead, ignoring any aerial enemies on their way. They managed to find the area where the SAMs and AA guns were kept by following multiple yellow dots on their radars. There were no less than twenty of them. Fluttershy seemed troubled, but Rainbow and Medley decided to press onward.

Once the SAMs’ radars picked them up, they started to track them. The Exiles controlling the SAMs could not, however, keep up with their incredible agility. When the first two volleys of missiles were launched at the mares, they managed to avoid every single one of them. Fluttershy wisely remained outside the SAMs’ range, acting more like a sentry and telling Rainbow she’ll give her a warning if an enemy squadron came their way.

No such thing happened, though, as Lancer, Falcon, Sweeper and Cygnus squadrons were keeping the hostile pegasi at bay, even managing to defeat some of them. When another group made its way toward them, Fluttershy decided to join the fray, supporting Blackberry’s team. The purple flier was very relieved to see her fighting beside her again and the feeling was mutual.

“I think we got their attention, Rainbow!” Medley exclaimed, dodging a third missile.

“Looks like it. OK, girls, take’em down!” Rainbow hailed to Colgate and Applejack.

A flurry of magic energy beams fired from the unicorn soldiers’ horns rained down upon the Exiles, reducing the majority of their artillery weapons and SAMs to rubble. Applejack’s battalion charged ahead, not concerned about possible danger. In a direct confrontation, they managed to surround and eliminate any survivors after the initial attack.

The battle seemed to be going in favor of the EAF, but Commander Clad Hood, who kept observing the battle from his main camp, had one more ace up his sleeve.

“Those foals are a nuisance. Harnisch battalion, engage and destroy their ground forces!” her ordered.

“Understood, Commander. We’ll be ready in a few minutes,” an adult, gruff voice replied. “All units, start the engines. We’ll great Celestia’s dogs with a salvo they’ll never forget!”

Meanwhile, as the ponies were fighting, being unaware of enemy reinforcements, the Cutie Mark Crusaders kept observing the battle from the main base, remaining under Twilight’s eyes. They seemed disappointed that they were not allowed to participate in the battle, as the unicorn strongly opposed that idea and tried to explain it to them.

“It’s for your own safety, you have to understand,” she told them. “I could never forgive myself if anything would happen to you.”

“But it’s not fair!” Scootaloo exclaimed. “You weren’t so protective of me and Sweetie Belle when we were helping in defending Ponyville back—”

“Things were different back then, Scootaloo,” Twilight interrupted the filly. “And I wasn’t directly involved in that particular battle; Applejack was. We have enough trouble as it is now. I’m sorry, guys, but you will have to sit this one out.”

Scootaloo lowered her sight and started ranting.

“It’s always the same… Everypony thinks we are nothing but kids, and we should stay at home, while others will risk their lives. But Equestria is our home, too! We really want to help you! We are soldiers, just like everypony else… only younger! Why can’t they see it?!”

Twilight shook her head.

“It’s not that easy, Scootaloo…”

Rumble suddenly had a thought.

“Can I at least fly outside and see what is happening, Commander Ma’am?” he asked with a formal tone.

“Well... “ Twilight thought aloud. “I guess there is no harm in that. But come back quickly, Rumble.”

“Yes, Ma’am!”

“Lucky you…” Scootaloo grumbled.

The young grey pegasus flew out of the building to a higher altitude. He squinted his eyes and got a good look around the battlefield. The EAF troops were winning, but then, he noticed something in the back of enemy formation that made his spine shiver. A column of armored vehicles with cannons extending from them were making their way in the direction of the city.

Tanks were approaching!

“Oh no! I’ve got to tell the others!”

The colt quickly dived back down. His sudden return alerted Twilight and the other Crusaders.

“Rumble! What did ya saw?” Apple Bloom asked.

“The tank are coming!” he replied. “The enemy must be planning a counterattack! We gotta do something about this!”

“Right! Time to see if our ideas will really work out!” Button Mash added.

The young ponies turned to Twilight, but an expression of concern did not disappear from her face.

“I’m sorry, but I can’t let you go…” she started.

“Twilight, please!” Scootaloo pleaded. “This may be our only chance to show the others what we can do!”

“We aren’t toddlers anymore! We can take care of ourselves!” said Apple Bloom.

“We’ll be careful! We promise!” Pipsqueak added.

They kept staring at Twilight, hoping that she will change her mind. While she still seemed uncertain, an idea sprung into her mind.

“Sending you alone would be too dangerous. But… if you had some support…”

She reached her communicator.

“Flametongue 1, come in! I need you at the base. I have an important task for you.”

“No problem, I’m on my way!” Firecracker’s voice sounded. “Whatever it is, I’ll do it!”

The Cutie Mark Crusaders breathed in relief. Twilight has decided to give them a chance.

1327 hrs

When Firecracker returned to the HQ and heard details about the task Twilight gave her, the green unicorn’s initial reaction was predictable.

“WHAT?! Hay no way!”

“You agreed to this, remember? It’s too late to quit now.”

“But, Commander Ma’am… Why do I have to babysit those kids? What about the tanks?”

“You will go there and take them out… with a little help from the Scouting Team,” Twilight replied.

“Please tell me you are joking, Twilight…” Firecracker said slowly.

“I am not!” she said sternly. “We’ve wasted enough time on small talk! Those tanks may commence attack at any moment! Give me a second… Big Bear, come in!”

Twilight went to the side to contact Cold Steel. The Cutie Mark Crusaders looked at Firecracker Burst, promising her that they will stay close to her and follow her orders, like any good soldier would do. She still seemed sceptic about this.

“You know that you will be putting yourself in grave danger?” she asked.

“We already did during the previous war, against the griffins,” Scootaloo reminded her. “Miss Cheerilee was watching over us then, but she isn’t much of a soldier, to be honest. You, Ma’am, definitely are.”

“I won’t deny that…” Firecracker said.

Twilight returned back to them, turning her attention to Rumble.

“Go to the armory at the end of the corridor. Get some C4 packages and a detonator. Look for small, grey square-shaped objects stacked together. One next to them should have a red button in the middle,” she told him.

“Yes, Ma’am.”

When Rumble left, Firecracker gave Twilight a surprised look.

“C4? Really? But I thought they were all out of ammo reserves or supplies, ‘cause they moved them to the ships…”

“Not all of them. Big Bear told me he keeps some inside HQ, just in case. It’s partially thanks to rational management of resources and ammo they were able to hold the Exile away from the city for so long.”

Rumble came back a few dozen seconds later, holding firmly to four, small, grey packages. One of them had a red button on it, just like Twilight said. She began explaining her plan.

“Listen up, guys. I want you to perform a sabotage mission. Take those C4 with you, plant them on as many enemy tanks as you can, them blow them up from a safe distance. Rumble, do you remember how many tanks were being prepared on enemy’s rear line?”

“About seven or eight,” Rumble replied.

Twilight frowned a little.

“We only have three bombs, it may not be enough… Firecracker, you’ll have to use your magic to blow up the rest.”

“I’m fine with that. Just one question, Twilight,” the green unicorn said.

“Yes?”

“How are we supposed to get behind enemy lines undetected and unnoticed? We’d have to turn invisible or something...”

“I’ll take care of that,” said Twilight. “I can’t make you invisible, but I’ll use my magic to teleport you there.”

“You can do THAT?” Firecracker exclaimed in amazement.

“I saw how Princess Celestia did it once… I though I could try it out, too.”

"Woah… Cool!”

“Though I don’t think I’ll be able to do it on all of you at once…” Twilight confessed. “This kind of teleportation drains a lot of stamina and energy. I think I can only teleport four ponies at once… Firecracker, I need you to choose which Crusaders will accompany you.”

Firecracker Burst took a few moments to consider possible options and ultimately settled on taking Scootaloo, Dinky and Rumble with her. Button Mash and Apple Bloom tried to protest.

“I told’em the ideas on how to take down the tanks! I should go, too!” the brown colt argued.

“And I wanna show Applejack what Ah can do!” Apple Bloom added.

Just then, a loud explosion occurred outside. The tanks had begun their offense. Twilight had to act quickly.

“No arguments! There’s no time to waste. Deal with those tanks and come back ASAP! I’m counting on you, guys!”

She focused the magic in her horn, pointing it at Firecracker and the three Crusaders accompanying her. A purplish aura surrounded them and a few seconds later, they vanished in a bright flash of light.

Twilight slumped to the ground, breathing heavily. Sweetie Belle, Pipsqueak, Button Mash and Apple Bloom helped her stand up. She could only hope that this seemingly ridiculous plan would succeed.

==========

1332 hrs

Firecracker Burst quickly got a grasp of her surroundings. Rumble, Dinky and Scootaloo were right next to her, holding onto her legs. They were transported onto a small cliff overlooking the battlefield. The kids let Firecracker go. Rumble immediately noticed three tanks located slightly below them. Three more were already firing their cannons at the defenders of the city, while the last two were still being prepared to go. Firecracker quickly processed possible scenarios in her head, trying to come up with the best strategy.

“What should we do, Lt. Commander?” Dinky asked politely.

“Gimme a second, kid…

This entire sabotage mission seemed extremely difficult for her to pull off, but there was one way she could try out…

“OK, I think I got it. Listen up,” she told the Crusaders. “I’ll create a little diversion by blowing up those two tanks in the base. This should give you enough time to plant C4s on those tanks that are heading for the front line. If you move quickly and quietly, you should be able to reach them unnoticed. I’ll buy you as much time as I can. Once you plant the charges, give me holler through the communicator. I’ll press this button to send those tanks flying sky high!”

The adrenaline in her blood started to build up. Dinky looked at her, slightly worried.

“Isn’t it risky, Ma’am?”

“I’ll be fine, kid. Risk is what I live for. Don’t worry.”

The three Crusaders huddled close together, moving slowly toward the edge of the cliff. Once they reached that position, Rumble rose his right foreleg, giving Firecracker the sign she needed. She quickly charged up a fireball and shot it at one of the two tanks that were ready to roll out. It didn’t hit the canister, but the flames did spread on the ground, causing mild commotion among the Exiles. Firecracker then shot another fireball, this time hitting the canister. An explosion sent nearby Exiles flying away and the armored vehicle was completely destroyed.

“That’s better! Come on, you scum! I’m over heeeere!”

The Exiles started pointing at Firecracker standing atop the cliff, and some tried to climb up it, only to drop down when the green unicorn used telekinesis to break fragments of the cliff, sending it down on the Exiles’ heads moments later.

The Cutie Mark Crusaders used this chance to slide down the cliff, avoiding being detected and ran as fast as they could toward the moving tanks. On their way they saw bodies of several ponies lying in pools of blood, some having a missing arm or a leg, others were crying for help with their dying breaths, futilely reaching their forelegs before they fell down and remained motionless.

Trying their best to ignore the gruesome scenery around them and keeping their sights focused on the tanks, Rumble started flapping his wings and got ahead of Dinky and Scootaloo. The orange filly tried to do the same, but her wings failed to lift her off the ground. Dinky helped her keep her balance and prevented her from falling. Rumble quickly planted a C4 package on the back of the tank. Scootaloo and Dinky did the same to the other two moments later. The crew of the tanks did not seem to notice anything, as they kept driving toward the city.

The three Crusaders quickly ran to a safer place, hiding behind a pile of rubble. Rumble managed to notice Firecracker still fending the Exiles away from her. He quickly grabbed a hold of his communicator to contact her.

“Lt. Commander, this is Rumble. The charges are set!” he exclaimed.

“Really? Impressive work, kids,” the green unicorn sounded surprised, although in a positive sense. “Now you get to watch the fireworks!”

She pressed the button on the detonator, and a few seconds later, the three tanks were destroyed by the explosions. Pieces of their armor were scattered around, and one member of the tank crew was launched through the air, landing not too far away from the Crusaders’ hiding spot. His entire body was burned by the fire and he was moaning in agony for a few seconds until he finally stopped. Dinky turned her sight away in disgust.

“Oh, gross…” she muttered.

Commander Clad Hoof finally realized that his tank battalion was attacked by a saboteur. He ordered his soldiers to take Firecracker down. They started to fire at the cliff from the mortars. Firecracker tried to fend them off a little more before she could call Twilight to try and teleport her back to HQ. Unfortunately, she was getting weaker as she had used a greater portion of her magical energy. When she tried to launch another fireball, only a fizzle of smoke came out of her horn.

“Damn… Ran out of juice…” she sounded more annoyed than worried.

Firecracker reached her communicator to contact Rumble.

“Kids, hurry back to Stalliongrad and tell Twilight that the operation is a success.”

“What about you, Ma’am?” Rumble asked.

“Never mind me… Go! Now!”

A loud explosion was heard in the headphones, which startled the Crusaders a little, though not as much as Firecracker’s scream that sounded along with loud rumbling.

“Oh shi— Aaaaah!”

The transmission was cut. The kids looked at each other, worried about the green unicorn. Nevertheless, they obeyed her order, as they promised. Rumble desperately wanted to contact Twilight now. Scootaloo, on the other hoof, had somepony else in mind.

“Try calling Rainbow Dash!” she suggested. “She can give us a quick lift to the city.”

“Right!”

Rumble did so. He changed the frequency and started hailing:

“Rainbow! Rainbow, come in! This is Rumble! We need your help!”

“Rumble?” Rainbow sounded really surprised. “Why are you not in the HQ with Twilight?”

“It’s a long story. We’ll tell you later,” the colt replied. “Follow our signals on the radar and take us back to Twilight! Lt. Commander Firecracker is in danger!”

Rainbow Dash did not ask for more. Within a few dozen seconds, the young ponies noticed her trail in the sky heading their way. She swooped down and told Dinky and Scootaloo to climb on her back. Rumble could fly on his own. The four quickly made their way back to Stalliongrad. Rainbow contacted Twilight and told her that the Crusaders were safe. The purple unicorn seemed relieved when she saw them present before her eyes, praising them for their bravery, but that expression changed in a blink of an eye to a terrified one when Rumble told her about Firecracker Burst.

“The Exiles caught her! They’re probably going to kill her!” the colt exclaimed.

As much as Twilight wanted to use her magic to teleport into battlefield herself and try to mount a rescue operation, she did not have enough energy to do so. Rainbow told her that most of enemy’s artillery units and SAMs were destroyed, but a few AA guns still remained. The pegasi could try and rescue Firecracker, but they needed some backup from the ground. Twilight thought for a moment before she came up with something.

“I know who can help you.”

She changed the frequency in her communicator.

“Bertz, come in!”

1405 hrs

Firecracker tumbled down the cliff, landing in the middle of a group of Exiles. She didn’t have enough magic energy to deal with all of them. Commander Clad Hoof stepped forward, looking angered. By contrast, the green unicorn mare had a smirk on her face.

“Too bad, dude. Looks like your tanks are busted,” she said with a smug tone.

“Just because you destroyed them doesn’t mean we’re done fighting,” the dark-brown stallion replied. “You made a big mistake. Now you are going to die.”

“You’ll have to catch me first!”

Firecracker quickly turned around, trying to escape, as her left back leg touched the ground, she felt severe pain. She must’ve hurt her leg when she fell down. Now she was an easy target.

“Bind her down!” Clad Hoof ordered to one of the unicorns accompanying him.

He complied and fired an icy beam of energy at Firecracker’s other back leg. She screamed and fell down on her belly. The Exile commander then walked up to her, rolled her on her back and started punching her in the face. He hit her eight times, leaving several bruises and making the mare dazed and unable to defend herself.

“I could kill you right now… but I prefer to make you suffer some more. Just like you made my soldiers suffer from your fire,” Clad Hoof said.

The Exiles formed a small circle around him and Firecracker Burst.

“Make her pay, Commander!” one of them encouraged Clad Hoof further.

“You’re just a bunch of dumb, spineless cowards,” Firecracker blurted out.

“Hmph. Your impertinence will be your demise… soon.”

Clad Hood rose his right foreleg and brought it down on Firecracker’s. The unicorn mare screamed once more as he pressed it down, nearly piercing her skin and causing it to bleed. He tried to break her arm. Firecracker was howling in pain, but could not do anything to set herself free. She glanced to the side and noticed another Exile preparing a lance. He was most likely readying himself to stab her through the skull or the gut, should the commander give him such an order. Either would ensure a painful death. It seemed like Firecracker’s days were numbered…

Just then, one of the Exiles noticed a few signals heading in their direction. He alerted Clad Hoof about them.

“Sir, there are multiple enemy contacts approaching. They are attacking!”

“What?”

The dark-brown earth pony stopped torturing Firecracker Burst and ordered his soldiers to intercept the EAF offense. Rainbow Dash, Medley, Fluttershy, Quick Chaser, Blackberry and five other fliers assumed attack formation and dived down to fight the Exiles. At the same time, Short Circuit, Applejack and Colgate were leading their own battalions into battle. Rainbow’s group managed to easily overpower the Exile pegasi. Fluttershy and Blackberry fought together, as did Rainbow and Medley. Their combined attacks easily defeated most of the enemy fighters.

“The coast is clear!” Rainbow hailed. “Fire away, Bertz!”

“Roger, Rainbow! Fire, fire, fill’em full of lead!” the young unicorn exclaimed to her companions.

A shower of mortar shells rained down upon the Exiles, destroying the few remaining AA guns and artillery remaining, causing utter chaos in their ranks. The decimated army group wasn’t posing that much of a threat anymore. All that remained now were some infantry troops and about twenty pegasi.

Clad Hoof realized he was at a disadvantage, but he still had Firecracker Burst.

“What’d you do now, dude? Better scram, you lost this battle,” she chugged.

“Maybe so… but at least I’ll have the privilege of killing you.”

He approached Firecracker again, but came to a halt when she suddenly started laughing.

“You’re an idiot. You should’ve done that when you caught me. Instead, you kept me alive. Now I’ll pay you back!”

She used her injured leg to kick the ice holding her in place. After a couple of hits, she managed to shatter it. Clad Hoof dashed to her.

“How do you plan to do this? You are hurt. And I won’t let you get away!”

Firecracker Burst stood up. She still had a smirk on her face, despite feeling intense pain.

“Who said anything about running? I may not have much energy left… but I have enough to do THIS!”

In a stunning gambit, she used whatever little magic power was remaining in her horn to blast Clad Hoof with a stream of fire. The Exile Commander fell on the ground, holding onto his face. Horrible screams of pain were escaping his mouth. Firecracker felt nothing short of pure satisfaction before she collapsed on the ground, unable to move even a single muscle. She was completely exhausted. She heard some voices nearby, then her eyes closed before she passed out.

1837 hrs
Stalliongrad, EAF HQ

“She’s coming to!”

“Thank the stars!”

Firecracker heard those faint voices, but did not recognized them initially. When she slowly opened her eyes, she realized she was lying in a bed, surrounded by some familiar faces. Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, Short Circuit and the Cutie Mark Crusaders gathered around her bed.

The green unicorn bared her teeth.

“Ugh… hi, guys. Oww…”

She felt a stream of pain in her right arm. Slowly, she started to recollect the events that happened before she passed out. She turned her sight to Twilight.

“Hey, how long was I sleeping…?”

“Over four hours,” Twilight replied.

“W-What happened?”

“You lost consciousness. We’ve managed to defeat the majority of the remaining Exile forces and brought you back here. The medics woke you up just recently.”

Firecracker Burst felt strange. She could not move her right back leg, The fore leg still hurt her. Twilight had some bad news for her.

“Your back leg suffers from severe numbness. Had it remained frozen for a little bit longer, it could end up being amputated. Good thing you broke free.”

“Yeah, but… damn, it hurts like buck,” Firecracker whined.

“Don’t worry, you’ll have plenty of time to recover,” Rainbow said. “The medics aren’t letting you go until your injuries are treated. Seems like you’ll be stuck in here for a while.”

Hearing this, Firecracker frowned at first, but a satisfied grin replaced her worried expression in a few seconds.

“So I guess I’ll miss the party at Fillydelphia… Too bad. I had fun while it lasted. At least I’ve turned their commander’s face into cheese spread. Ha ha ha ha!”

The other ponies briefly laughed with her, though the Crusaders weren’t exactly certain if laughing was truly justified. Dinky seemed especially depressed. For the last few hours, she tried in vain to rid her mind of those horrible images she witnessed. Desolated battleground, burned and mutilated pony bodies, a musty smell… Today she had witnessed the grimmer, darker side of the war… one that her mother, Derpy, tried to protect her from.

Luckily, the others were there with her to cheer her up. Firecracker wanted to talk with the kids for a moment. Twilight and Rainbow left to go and talk with Captain Bluehaze in the port, as he wanted to see them. The Cutie Mark Crusaders huddled close to Firecracker and she gave them a genuine smile.

“Sorry for treating you like babies, guys. You really are something else. You may be small in size, but you’re large in spirit. You have every right to call yourselves soldiers now. Ugh…”

The green unicorn winced in pain.

“Are you all right, Ma’am?” Apple Bloom asked.

“I’ll be fine. Just need to rest a bit. You guys go ahead and remain with Twilight. I’ll rejoin you soon,” Firecracker Burst promised.

The Cutie Mark Crusaders left the room where she was lying, but one pony still remained. Short Circuit walked up to Firecracker, looking at her with uncertainty. Firecracker squinted her eyes.

“That was some fine work, Short Circuit. I hope you don’t think badly of me for calling you out before…”

The young unicorn shook her head.

“We couldn’t leave you hanging, Ma’am. We always come back for our troops. That’s what they told me in the boot camp. And I intend on following that rule.”

“Heh. Good. Thanks… you and the others probably saved my life. I owe you one… Bertz.”

Short Circuit felt proud and happy that Firecracker also recognized her codename now. Once she exited the room, she knew that she left her in good hooves.

Twilight and Rainbow Dash met with Captain Bluehaze, who seemed to be in a very positive mood. He took his hat off as a mean of welcoming the two mares and said:

“I heard you gave those Exiles a serious whooping. Great! Once the troops from your units finish boarding the ships, we can set sail immediately.”

“That’s good news, Captain,” said Twilight. “How long it will take us to reach Fillydelphia?”

“Assuming we won’t run into any trouble, we should be able to get there within 48 hours or so,” the navy blue earth pony replied.

Rainbow looked at Twilight.

“Let’s hope we’ll get there before the dragon reaches Ponyville.”

“A dragon you say?” Captain Bluehaze asked.

“We’ll tell you everything on the way, Cap,” Rainbow told him. “I’ll go ahead and tell the others to assemble and start boarding the ships. Are you sure your fleet can house a crew of almost 1000 ponies?”

“Don’t you worry,” Captain Bluehaze said smugly. “This pegasus carrier alone can house at least eleven squadrons, or about 80 pegasi, if you wish to go by numbers. My fleet is comprised of fourteen ships, which includes two frigates, three corvettes and two cruisers. I’m sure we’ll have plenty of free space once everypony boards ’em. We might even ask Big Bear to lend us a company or two.”

That statement eased Twilight and Rainbow’s worries.

Their operation yielded another success. However, nearly 100 EAF troops were killed during the battle and nearly 220 were reported to have suffered from various wounds. The Stalliongrad Defense Corps additionally lost about 50 soldiers. 34 civilians were wounded as well, but the medics were ready to provide them with necessary treatment.

Rainbow Dash did a quick flight around the city, informing every EAF soldier who was on standby to go to the port and prepare to board the ships. Within the next two hours, the ponies have assembled. Twilight’s main group was going to board the Aegis-class Daybreak vessel, while Colgate’s group chose the battleship Nightfall as their transport unit. Firecracker’s Flametongue unit had a change of command, since the green unicorn had to remain in the hospital due to her injuries. They were now under Short Circuit’s command, who still lead her 5th Earth Pony Battalion.

Rainbow Dash, Medley, Fluttershy and the other pegasi were going to remain on Luminescence, though they were going to be scrambled if enemy air forces were confirmed in the region. They could also just go for routine flights in an area around the carrier to keep things under control. Additionally, Cold Steel designated two of his own squadrons. The first was Osa, a squadron specialized in interception, while the other one, Sova, was best suited for scouting. They were to go along with Rainbow’s group. In total, nearly 920 ponies boarded the ships of the 1st Fleet. At exactly 2100 hours, Captain Bluehaze gave an order to set sail for Fillydelphia.

But the ponies from EAF did not know that Commander Clad Hoof was still alive. Though his face was horribly burned, he was quickly nursed back to health by the Exile medics. Now, he wore a metallic mask over his face, as the burns were too severe to perform a proper transplant and reconstruct it.

The brown earth pony just finished telling Aurora about the recent battle and another of his failures. He didn’t sound very happy and Aurora certainly did not either.

“I was expecting more out of you, Commander… but I am willing to give you another chance,” she told him from the monitor.

“My Lady… thank you…” he responded slowly.

His voice was now a permanent hiss. Even though most of his vital organs were still working properly, his vocal cords had been damaged from Firecracker’s attack.

“If I am correct, Celestia’s army is heading for Fillydelphia, yes?” Aurora asked him.

“Yes, Lady…”

“Then I want you to reach the city before they do. Gather all your remaining troops and leave immediately. You must meet with our forces within Fillydelphia. In the meantime, I will make sure that Celestia’s ponies will arrive after you. Do what you must do, Commander. In the end, we will be victorious,” Aurora proclaimed.

She then ended the transmission. Commander Clad Hoof did as he was told. The Exiles may have been defeated this time… but soon… surely, their time of victory would come, as Aurora herself had said.

Chapter 11a: Cold Mist

In spite of bitter memories

One struggles to do its best.

The battle commences at sunrise.

A chill wind blows...

Chapter 11a

Cold Mist

July 5th, 2021
0430 hrs
West Equestria, Manehattan outskirts

When the EAF army group arrived at their designated location near the city of Manehattan, many of its citizens offered them to take shelter in their houses. Only about 150 soldiers ended up accepting the offer, as they did not wanted to bring additional trouble to the civilians. The others set up a provisional camp close to the city’s perimeter, which served as their HQ. The ponies from EAF tried to recapture the Air Force Base several times, but the Exiles still held their positions, mostly due to heavy anti-air defenses they had constructed when they settled there. Although the city itself wasn’t initially a battlefield, small skirmishes were taking place in its vicinity. The EAF battalion lost nearly 30 soldiers, while about 240 civilians died over the course of a week and nearly 1000 were injured.

The situation was difficult, and the EAF battalion had to press onward and deliver a decisive blow to the Exiles’ defenses if they hoped to recover the Air Force Base and prevent any further battles in the city.

Firefly got out of the tent she was sharing with her friend, Derpy. She let out a yawn, rubbed her eyes and stared at the horizon. The sky was turning from a pink shade to blue as the sun was slowly rising. The mare got caught in her thoughts.

“I wonder how Rainbow is doing… and the other girls, too... “

She let out a sigh, and a little smile appeared on her face.

“It’s funny… We’ve been separated from each other for only two weeks… but I really miss her. Guess I totally grew accustomed to her, heh…”

“Firefly?”

The pink mare turned around and noticed Derpy exiting the tent as well.

“Oh, hi, Derpy…” Firefly yawned again. “Why’re you not sleeping?”

“I could ask you the same thing. Did you forget we’ve been fighting for eight hours straight yesterday? When we came back to the base, you were barely standing. I almost ended up carrying you to bed,” Derpy said with concern.

In response, Firefly stretched her wings.

“Yeah, but that was yesterday. Now I feel refreshed and ready for more action,” she assured her friend.

“It’s still a few hours until Quox calls us for briefing. Why are you out so early?” Derpy reiterated.

Firefly sighed.

“I just… wanted to look at the rising sun. I can never get tired of watching how beautiful it looks…”

“I-I see…”

Firefly didn’t say anything else, so Derpy decided to watch the sunrise with her. In truth, this everyday phenomenon held a special meaning for Firefly. The pink pegasus could never forget what she heard from her parents before they departed for the afterlife… that the sun was a beautiful, if the last thing they saw…

Just then, a rough female voice was heard further away. It brought the two fliers from Mirage squadron back to reality.

“No, NO! Not like this! How many times do I have to show it to you?!”

“Did you hear that?” Derpy asked, as her ears perked. “Seems like we’re not the only ones awake.”

“Yeah… and I think I know who that is. Come on.”

The two mares flew to the source of the noise. They found a group of eight pegasi, each of them wearing a dark green vest. One of them, a light green mare with an orange mane, seemed frustrated.

“Come on, guys! Pay attention when I explain stuff,” she said loudly. “When you are too close to the ground, do NOT, I repeat, DO NOT perform a sharp turn to the left or right. If you do that, you may end up kissing the ground hard. Instead, you should either pull up or perform a somersault, if you feel confident. Let me show you again…”

As the other pegasi observed her carefully, the mare rose into the air until she reached an altitude of 3500 feet, then started diving down at a high speed. When she reached 700 feet, she performed an impressive backflip before pulling up, doing a sharp turn to the left and descending to her group, landing flawlessly. The seven pegasi that were wearing vests started clapping and cheering for her.

“That was incredible, Lieutenant,” one of the stallions said.

“Yeah, I know,” the mare replied nonchalantly. “Keep training and maybe one day you’ll be able to do these tricks almost as well as me.”

A cheeky smile appeared on her face, though it faded almost instantly when she noticed Firefly and Derpy flying toward her.

“Isn’t it a bit too early for field training, Lightning Dust?” Firefly asked the green mare.

“It’s you… What do you want?” she asked in return.

“Nothing. We just heard your voice and we wanted to find out what’s going on,” Derpy replied sincerely.

Lightning Dust glared at her briefly.

“I wasn’t asking you.”

She turned to Firefly.

“As you can see, I’m not doing anything suspicious. Just showing my squadmates some useful maneuvers. Isn’t that what you girls were doing in your squadron, too?”

Firefly agreed with slight hesitation.

“Relax. I got things under control. Today we’re going to storm the Air Force Base and reclaim it. Mark my words,” Lightning Dust said with confidence.

“If only… Look, Lightning Dust, I have my eyes on you. Rainbow told me that you’re an awfully arrogant piece of work, and it seems she was right about you.”

The reference about Rainbow made Lightning Dust angry.

“I don’t like your attitude. Don’t forget that I am the leader of the aerial operation here, so you must follow my orders.”

“Being a leader doesn’t give you the right to use your allies to satisfy your needs,” Firefly quipped with irritation.

“Oh yeah? Well, if you got a problem, why don’t you go home and cry to your mommy?”

Firefly widened her eyes in shock when she heard that. Lightning Dust did not stop there.

“Oh, right… I forgot. You don’t have one anymore, do you? My condolences,” the green mare snickered.

“You…!”

Firefly stomped her right front hoof on the ground and glared intensely at Lightning Dust. Her wingmates took a few steps back.

“That does it! I’m gonna wreck your skull for that!” Firefly exclaimed.

“Well, come on! Put’em up!”

Lightning Dust took a battle stance herself. The two mares could easily end up fighting if a small energy beam did not hit a space between them and prevented them from clashing with each other.

“That’s enough, both of you!”

Firefly, Lightning Dust, her wingmates and Derpy turned their heads to see a blue unicorn mare with an angered expression on her face. Lightning Dust groaned.

“Ugh, it’s that patronizer Quox again…”

The blue mare approached the two pegasi, speaking clearly, without needing to raise her voice.

“This is not time for fighting between each other. You have to save your energy for the upcoming battle. You can solve your problems behind closed doors when we finish the operation. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Major…” Lightning Dust and Firefly replied slowly.

Quox nodded in approval.

“Well, since you’re all up already, help me gather the troops. No use wasting anymore time. The sooner we start our offensive, the better. We will complete this operation today.”

“You sound pretty confident, Quox,” said Firefly. “You got some kind of plan?”

“You’ll hear it soon enough. Now, get going!”

0520 hrs
Manehattan outskirts, EAF camp

Within the next hour, the leaders managed to round up most of their troops and told them to remain on standby until further orders. Quox called all the leaders to her so she could tell them about her battle plan.

“So, is everypony here? Then let me begin.”

The blue unicorn pointed her hoof to a paper map of the Manehattan region.

“We are now entering the decisive phase of Operation: Gambit. The Exile were attempting to seize Manehattan itself, but thanks to our offensive, we have forced them to retreat and remain in the vicinity of the Air Force Base. They are still occupying it and, since they arrived there, they’ve been fortifying it with numerous anti-air turrets and SAMs. Through our continuous assaults, we were able to weaken the Exiles’ defense. Now is the time for a final strike.”

A female, magenta-colored pegasus named Carnival Tail, rose her hoof.

“I have a question, Quox,” she said.

“Yes, Tiger 1?”

“Can we count on the help of the Voluntary Defense Corps again?”

The leaders looked at each other, wondering if Carnival Tail didn’t said a bit too much. Though by now, everypony in the army group were aware that some citizens of Manehattan, in a surge of patriotic fervor, formed their own guerilla unit, it sustained quite a few losses in the last battle. Because the citizens were nowhere as well armed as the EAF, they could not stand up against the Exiles alone. In fact, their guerilla tactics only provoked them to try and capture the city itself. Luckily, Quox’s army group reached it in time and helped them.

Lightning Dust snorted.

“They shouldn’t be buttin’ in and rather wait for us to clean up this mess they started.”

Quox leered at her.

“That’s enough from you, Viper 1. However reckless the Voluntary Corps were acting, we cannot deny their courageous acts,” the blue unicorn said.

“With all due respect, Quox,” Firefly interjected, ”what good is courage for them if they will get themselves killed? This war already took many good ponies away, do we really need more victims like them? They are the ones who suffer the most.”

“You have a point, but…”

Quox paused for a second before she continued.

“Those citizens who form the Voluntary Corps were influenced by Princess Celestia’s speech at the Crystal Empire. Details about it were quickly spread among the soldiers, and later, civilians as well. The ponies from VDC believe that it will be better for them do die fighting than by waiting for death to come for them.”

“But… That’s…” Derpy was at a loss of words.

“It’s the grim reality of every war…” Quox finished. “In any case, on to the details regarding our mission.”

Quox returned to the paper map, used her telekinetic magic to lift it up and show it to the other leaders. She started explaining the plan in details:

“Our priority it to recapture the Air Force Base. I’m going to divide our forces into two groups. First, the main attack will be lead by my battalion, Avion. With the assistance of Diamond and Balloon battalions, we should be able to breach through the enemy defense. Rarity, Pinkie — do I have your full support in that matter?”

Both of them nodded.

“But of course, darling— um, I mean, yes, ma’am, we will provide you with backup. Just say the word,” said Rarity, in her usual glamorous tone.

“Yeah! We got all kinds of flashy stuff for those meanies”, Pinkie added.

“Good,” Quox complimented them. “As for the aerial operation… The main offense will be lead by Lightning Dust and her Viper squadron again. I need you guys to provide us with a distraction. Keep the attention of the anti-air turrets and SAMs on you for as long as you can while we will get in range and destroy them, thus clearing the way to the base.”

Lightning Dust rose an eyebrow.

“Sounds simple enough. And if the enemy pegasi will come after us?”

“Then you have permission to engage,” Quox replied.

“Now you’re talking. We’ll take care of everything and be done before you know it,” Lightning Dust assured her.

“I’ve no doubt about your skills, Viper 1, but don’t think I’ll let your team engage the enemy alone. You will be assisted by the Tiger squadron, as well as Mirage 2 and Mirage 6.”

Firefly and Derpy expressed their readiness. Lightning Dust glanced at them with disapproval.

“If it was me, I’d prefer to do this alone.”

“I know you would. Now… Burner and Racer squadrons will have a different task. You’ll be patrolling the northern part of this region, on the outskirts of Manehattan. Our recon suggests that the Exiles are planning to call reinforcements from there. If our operation is to proceed smoothly, we must prevent the enemy from getting additional help. Can you handle this?”

“Sure thing, Quox,” Tornado Swirl replied.

“If anything happens, we’ll let you know immediately,” Overdrive added.

Quox curled the map, but before she left the tent with the other leaders, she said:

“Yesterday, I’ve also established a contact with the leader of the Voluntary Defense Corps. They sent us a messenger, if you remember.”

“You mean that cinnamon-coated filly with freckles?” Firefly asked. “She reminded me of a certain somepony…”

Quox nodded.

“That would be Babs Seed. She’s apparently a member of the Apple family and volunteered to be a messenger for one of the VBC units. She told me that their leader is ready to provide us with assistance if need arises.”

“That girl’s got guts. I kinda like her,” Lightning Dust admitted. “Though I wonder if she can fight at all.”

“She said she’ll only fight if there are no other options left. She sticks to the leader’s orders and he told her to avoid danger by any means necessary,” Quox replied.

“My kids could use her as an example”, Derpy thought to herself. “I wonder how they fare…”

She was quickly interrupted when Lightning Dust poked her in the ribs.

“Hey, hurry up, goggle-eyes! We’re moving out!”

Derpy frowned, but Firefly said to her in a reassuring tone:

“Don’t mind her. She’s just being herself. Let’s go, Ditzy!”

“R-Right…”

0630 hrs
Manehattan outskirts

Just as the sun appeared over the horizon, shedding its warm beams over the land and the ponies from Equestrian Allied Forces, Quox looked at it, hoping this was a sign of trust from Princess Celestia herself. She turned to her troops.

“Whatever they may bring against us, we’ll break on through! Let’s go, everypony! We will recapture the Air Force Base and teach the Exiles a lesson they won’t soon forget! Viper squadron, Tiger squadron! We’ll begin according to plan. You’re up!”

“You got it, Quox,” Lightning Dust said. “Let’s see if you can keep up with us, guys. Viper squadron, follow me!”

Fifteen pegasi that overall made three squadrons took flight and started heading toward the base. Tornado Swirl and Overdrive were also ready to go.

“You know what you got to do,” Quox told them. “Keep your eyes open and let us know if enemy reinforcements show up.”

“Got it. Burner squadron, liftoff!”

“Racer squadron, with me!”

Ten more pegasi flew into the sky, heading north. Quox turned to Rarity and Pinkie Pie, standing next to her.

“We can’t let Lightning Dust and her fellas take all them fun for themselves. Let’s follow them!”

Rarity and Pinkie nodded. A group of over seventy unicorns and earth ponies began moving at a steady pace toward the main battlefield.

0650 hrs
Manehattan Air Force Base

The Exiles stationed at the base were quickly informed of the approaching attack force. They were not expecting the offence to begin so early, though. The Base Commander started giving out orders:

“Have our anti-air turrets suppress the enemy pegasi! Scramble the squadrons! Intercept the ground forces and destroy them!”

“Roger! Cyclone squadron taking off!” one of the pegasi fighters responded.

“This is Stormguard 1, we’re heading out, too!” another flight leader followed.

Lightning Dust noticed the Exile fliers taking off from the runway.

“Here we go! Viper squadron, take’em out!”

All seven pegasi from her team replied with a clear-sounding “Roger, ma’am!” almost instantly. Firefly and Derpy were ready to fight as well.

“This is Mirage 2. We’ll go ahead and draw the anti-air fire at us to give Quox and her guys time to attack!”

“As long as you won’t get in our way, I have no objections,” Lightning Dust replied. “If you get engaged with enemy fighters, take them down!”

“We’d do that anyway,” Firefly snorted.

“This is Tiger 1! We’ll come along with you, Mirage 2!” Carnival Tail exclaimed.

Firefly looked at her, flying almost next to her and giving a single nod. The orange vests her team was wearing were covered in black stripes, giving them a striking appearance.

“With that pattern on your vests, you’ll be perfect targets, though,” she added.

“First they’ll have to hit us,” Carnival pointed out.

When the eight fliers picked up speed, they were in close vicinity of the base. They saw a couple dozen of anti-air turrets and SAMs on standby, some turrets being operated personally by the Exiles, ready to shoot down all who would dare to get near the base.

“At times like that, we could use a bomb or two,” said Derpy.

“We’ll have to leave it to Quox and her units. Let’s just play with those guys for a while,” Firefly replied.

The EAF pegasi descended down. Carnival Tail flew first, doing several rolls through the air, clearly provoking the Exiles to attack her. She succeeded in that.

“That idiot wants to stand out? Shoot her down!” one of the gun operators ordered.

A barrage of bullets was unleashed into the air. Carnival Tail was quick and nimble, so she managed to dodge the incoming anti-air fire. The other fighters joined her, making the Exiles use the SAMs as well. But it was difficult for them to get a lock on their fast opponents, let alone shooting them down.

“I feel like I’m doing target practice again… only I’m the target this time,” Carnival Tail snickered.

“You mean you’ve done this before?” Firefly asked, dodging an incoming missile.

“Sure. We were using those machine guns, though with artificial ammunition instead of real rounds. It wasn’t easy at first, but we’ve eventually… WOAH!”

Another missile passed almost a few inches away from Carnival Tail’s mouth.

“Geez, these must be getting pissed at us,” she commented.

“Can’t blame them. We kinda make them look like fools down there,” said Firefly.

She used her communicator to contact Lightning Dust.

“Viper 1, how are things on your end?”

Her first response was growl, as she just hit one of the fighters from Stormguard squadron in the ribs and send him spiraling downward.

“We’re almost done. One of the squadrons is practically history, the other is trying to pull back. Think you can take out the escaping two stragglers?”

“Sure.”

Firefly took off in the direction opposite to the Air Force base and soon encountered the escaping Exile fliers. One of them seemed to be having difficulty in maintaining balance. He had an injured wing.

“Damn! Another one!” he hollered to his comrade. He took a glance on his radar and realized who their opponent was.

“It’s one of the Angels! Dammit…!”

“Sorry, boys. It’s all over for you!” Firefly exclaimed.

She increased her speed, tackling the injured fighter head-on and delivering a series of punches to his ribs and stomach, finishing him off with a kick to the neck. Before the other fighter managed to escape, Firefly quickly turned around, rose her altitude a bit and dived straight at his back. The force of the blow was severe. It stopped the pegasus on the spot. Firefly grabbed him, hit him several times in the head and finally delivered a stunning punch to the Exile’s gut. He lost consciousness and fell down.

Firefly let out a sigh.

“Guess that’s about it.”

She contacted Lightning Dust again.

“Viper 1, the stragglers had been taken care off.”

“Nice. I guess you’re good for something,” Lightning Dust commented. “Tell Quox that the airspace is clear of enemies.”

“Roger.”

Firefly relayed the news to Quox, whose forces were engaged with some Exiles’ infantry. Most of them were easily dispatched with a quick volley of energy beams from the unicorns’ horns or cannon fire. The blue mare was glad to hear that was no threat from the enemy pegasi now.

“Alright then! All units, commence attack on the Air Force Base! Direct all fire on the anti-air turrets and SAMs!”

Within the next few minutes, Derpy and Firefly noticed the approaching allied forces, ready to attack the stationary defenses and reduce them to rubble.

“Targets in sight… Fire!” Quox ordered.

Several hundred rounds of cannons and multiple energy beams were fired upon the steel constructions. Most of them were destroyed, but some still remained intact. Quox was about to issue another order to attack.

Meanwhile, the Exile Commander found himself in a difficult predicament. There were still no signs of the reinforcements, even though he had two more battalions remaining. He decided to send them to engage the enemy, seeing it as a last chance to hold their ground here.

Lightning Dust and her team joined with the rest of the EAF fliers. She was ready for more fighting, as she noticed the upcoming Exiles.

“Looks like somepony else needs to get their flanks whooped,” she said with an excited tone. “Viper squadron, let’s get’em.”

When they took off to help Quox in dealing with the incoming ground forces, Derpy looked at Firefly.

“Looks like we might really win this time.”

“Don’t be so sure, Ditzy,” Firefly replied. “This is going too easy for me.”

“Huh?”

“And whenever things get too easy… something’s up.”

==========

0750 hrs
Northern Manehattan outskirts

A single, massive entity was flying through the air. A big, blue dragon with an icy cold look in his eyes. He heard a signal in the communicator that he had on his right ear. When he touched it with his nail, he heard Aigaion’s growl.

“Orgoi, what is your status?”

“Arriving in strategic zone,” he replied. “Large presence of Equestrian forces confirmed.”

“Eliminate as many of them as you can. But remember, do not abuse the power of your gem. As I was told by one of Lady Aurora’s subordinates, it has not been fully tested yet.”

“Understood. Over and out.”

Orgoi looked at his radar, which was showing several red signals just a few miles ahead of him.

“Hmmm… It must be a recon unit. They will be perfect guinea pigs…” he thought to himself.

The dragon closed his eyes for a brief period, and the big, blue gem on his armor began to pulse in a bright, grey light. When he opened his eyes, a smirk appeared on his face.

Tornado Swirl and Overdrive were flying freely around the airspace, keeping their eyes open for possible incoming enemies. The green pegasus from the Burner squadron received a call from Quox. He picked it up.

“This is Burner 1.”

“This is Quox. We’re gaining control over the situation. How are you doing?” the voice of the blue unicorn sounded in the headphones.

“Nothing out of the ordinary. All quiet,” Tornado replied.

“Understood. Continue your patrol… ver the… and repo… diately if…”

Tornado’s ears perked up when Quox’s reply on the radio sounded in a distorted voice. Something was interrupting his communication.

“Say that again, Quox. I do not read,” he said.

“I said… keep… and say… ord… will…”

“Quox? Quox!”

The radio was now giving out nothing, but static. The pegasus growled.

“Damn, what’s going on? Overdrive!”

He shouted to the lavender pegasus from the other squadron. She approached him.

“Something wrong, Tornado?”

“My radio is acting weird. I can’t get a proper response from Quox.”

“Hmmm…”

Overdrive looked around and noticed something forming dead ahead of them. It looked like a dense cloud of grey smoke.

“Hey, Tornado, look!” she exclaimed. “Do you see that?”

“It’s a mist… common occurrence at this time of the day,” the green pegasus replied.

“I don’t know… we had rain here two days ago…” Overdrive reminded him.

She kept looking at the weird phenomenon and started to feel uneasy. It was as if the mist was getting closer to them… Overdrive checked her radar, just to be sure.

“What the hay?!”

Her sudden exclaim alerted Tornado.

“What’s wrong?”

“Look! There are multiple jamming signals showing on my radar. And they are coming… from that mist…”

The two pegasi looked at each other. Tornado had a hunch on what could be causing this strange anomaly, though, for once, he wanted to be wrong. He turned his head around and called to one of his wingmates.

“Burner 2!”

“Sir?” the pegasus saluted him as he flew right before him.

“I want you and the rest of the squadron to head back to Quox. Tell her we need immediate aerial support. Hurry!” Tornado Swirl urged him.

The pegasus looked at him in confusion.

“I don’t understand, sir… Can’t we just call her on the radio?’

“Negative. There are severe jammings in the communication lines. There’s no time to waste, get going!” Tornado reiterated.

“But, what about you, sir?” the pegasus asked.

“I’ll be fine! Move!”

“Y-Yes, sir!”

Overdrive briefly puckered her eyebrows before she called a flier from her own team and said to the mare:

“I want you guys to go with the Burner squadron, too!”

“Ma’am?”

“It’s best to minimize potential casualties. Go and tell Quox that we need the other pegasi here, the more the better. Get going!”

Though at first it sounded like Overdrive was considering her companions to be a burden, they knew she would never say or even think of such a thing. They knew she would never risk their lives needlessly. The mare complied with her order. The eight pegasi, four from each squadron, flew back to the main battlezone, leaving Tornado Swirl and Overdrive alone.

The green pegasus looked at his girlfriend with slight confusion and worry.

“Overdrive… You could have gone with them…”

In response, the mare turned to him with a determined look on her face.

“And leave you here by yourself against an unknown threat? Hay no way! We’re suppose to be working together, right?”

Tornado gave her a little smile as he chuckled.

“Thanks.”

Overdrive giggled in response. The two turned their sights back at the mist. It really seemed to be getting closer to them.

“Let’s be careful,” said Tornado. “Be ready for anything.”

“Don’t worry about me. I’ll keep up,” Overdrive assured him.

Orgoi checked his own radar and noticed something that intrigued him.

“What’s this?” he though to himself. “The numbers of signals has dropped to only two. The others must have left the area… So they know I am approaching. Hah. No matter. Those two will suffice.”

The dragon closed his eyes for a brief moment again. The gemstone on his armor gave a bright flash of white light.

“Now… let’s see what the Glacial Sapphire is capable off…”

Tornado Swirl and Overdrive were slowly getting enveloped by the mist. They saw the white light that shined within for just a moment and then… something very unlikely happened. Snow started falling down, even though there were next to no clouds in the sky.

“What’s going on here…” Tornado wondered.

Overdrive suddenly shivered, covering her body with her arms.

“Brr! Is it getting cold in here or is it just me?” she asked.

Tornado Swirl looked at his own skin and saw some goosebumps.

“Overdrive…” he started.

“Y-Yeah…?”

“This is no ordinary mist… it shouldn’t be capable of causing electronic interference or cause snow to fall out of nowhere,” the green pegasus said.

“So… you think…?” Overdrive wondered.

“Yeah. It’s the work of the enemy.”

An ominous laughter was heard in the silence.

“Ha, ha, hah… You are quite smart for a pony.”

“What was that?!” Overdrive yelped.

Tornado Swirl looked around him and noticed a large, shadow figure slowly forming behind him. He quickly turned, alerting Overdrive. The two quickly flew backward as the blue dragon emerged from the mist with a roar.

“Oh my Celestia…” the lavender pegasus whispered.

“I knew it!” Tornado exclaimed. “Are you the one causing this, dragon?!”

“Hm, hm, hm… that’s right. You should have gone with the others. By staying here, you have sealed your fate,” the blue dragon said slowly.

Tornado took a fighting stance.

“If you want to reach Manehattan, you’ll have to get past us!” he said in a determined tone.

Orgoi simply laughed and said:

“Do you honestly believe that the two of you can stop me? I will crush you and be on my way.”

“Oh yeah? Just who do you think you are, reptile?!” Tornado asked him angrily.

The dragon spread his wings openly and answered with a calm, eerie voice.

“I am Orgoi, one of the Drake Generals serving under King Aigaion, the ruler of Drakonia. Oppose me, and you will feel death’s cold embrace.”

“That’s some attitude!” Tornado exclaimed, charging straight at the towering foe.

“What are you doing?! You want to fight him? Are you crazy?!” Overdrive hailed at him with disbelief.

“We won’t let that dragon near our friends!” Tornado replied.

A smirk appeared on Orgoi’s face.

“You must be very brave… and very stupid. First, you’ll have to find me…”

Saying this, the dragon took a quick step back into the mist and the gem on his armor flashed in a greyish light again. Tornado Swirl and Overdrive kept circling around, trying to find him, but Orgoi seemingly disappeared. They knew he was just hiding, using the mist to conceal himself. Their radars and communicators were useless, so they had to rely on their eyes and ears instead.

“Where is he?” Tornado wondered aloud.

That was a mistake. Orgoi’s shadowy figure appeared behind him. For a behemoth his size, he was deceptively quick.

“Here…”

“Wha—!”

The dragon swung his claw at the green pegasus, sending him tumbling downward through the air. Tornado let out a scream that caused Overdrive to panic, as she had been separated from him in the thick mist.

“Tornado!” she called to him.

The pegasus managed to regain control of his wings, performed a quick backflip and regained balance. He looked ahead, but the dragon vanished once more.

“Don’t think you’ll beat us that easily!” Tornado yelled. “Stop hiding and fight us openly.”

“Hm, hm, hm…” Orgoi’s voice echoed through the air. “How long do you think you can withstand this cold? All warmth is being slowly drained away by me. Soon, your wings and limbs will become numb… you will fall to your graves…”

Overdrive was getting really scared now.

“Tornado! We have to get out of here!”

Orgoi revealed himself, right behind the lavender pegasus. Tornado spotted him.

“Overdrive! Behind you!” he hollered.

The gem in Orgoi’s armor gave a bright, blue flash as the dragon focused energy in his mouth. He fired a small beam at the lavender mare. It struck her in the right wing. Overdrive let out a shrill scream as it slowly got encased in ice, rendering it motionless.

“Aaaahh! I… I can’t…! Aaaaa!”

She started falling down, unable to keep herself in the air. Tornado dived after her and managed to grab her. The mare landed on his arms, but Orgoi wasn’t finished. Keeping his movement concealed by the mist surrounding the pegasi, he sneaked up behind them once more. The sounds of his beating wings filled them both with dread…

The dragon lunged toward Tornado Swirl and Overdrive and swung his tail. He managed to hit both of them. They fell down to the ground from about 1200 feet. Tornado rolled on the ground several times when he hit it, straining his left wing. Overdrive landed hard, and it took her a while to recover. Tornado started feeling pain as he slowly got to Overdrive and helped her stand up.

“Ugh… You’re OK?” he asked.

“Still in one piece… but…”

Overdrive looked at her frozen wing. She tried to flap it, but she couldn’t make it move however hard she tried. The lavender mare looked at her friend in regret.

“I won’t be able to fly in this condition… How about you, Tornado?”

“My wings hurts, too. We’ll have to rely on our legs now…”

“Huh?”

“I… I’m sorry, Overdrive,” said Tornado. “I overestimated our chances… We’ve got to get outta here!”

Overdrive could only nod quickly when she noticed Orgoi emerging from the mist again. She and Tornado started running toward the city, knowing they can bring additional danger to their allies or even the civilians. However, as the blue dragon watched at their pitiful attempt at escaping, he chuckled to himself.

“Hm, hm, hm… Do you really think you can escape from me?”

He fired another freezing beam at the ground, aiming just ahead of the two pegasi. They came to a screeching halt.

“No!” Overdrive exclaimed.

They tried to turn around and run in another direction, but Orgoi’s beam created a frozen barrier around them, preventing them from doing so.

“Damn! We’re trapped!” Tornado growled.

Orgoi leered down at them.

“I believe now you know what foolish thing you did by challenging me,” he said to Tornado. “Now you and your friend will pay the price for your foolhardiness.”

Overdrive didn’t knew what to do. Their situation seemed hopeless. She turned to Tornado.

“You can still flee. Get out of here, Tornado! Safe yourself!” the lavender mare shrieked in desperation.

But the green pegasus looked down at the ground, resigned.

“... No.”

“But…!”

Tornado looked directly into Overdrive’s eyes.

“Overdrive… You didn’t leave me behind, even though you could. So I won’t leave you either. I’m sorry I’ve dragged you into this…”

“Don’t be…”

The mare touched Tornado’s left cheek with her hoof, smiling sadly. His face reflected her mood.

“If this is going to be our end… let’s face it together.”

Overdrive's lips started to tremble. She was already shivering from the intensifying cold.

“I… I don’t want to die…”

Tears started forming in her eyes. Tornado approached her and embraced her.

“Don’t be afraid. I’ll stay with you. I’ll never leave you alone,” he said.

“Hold me…” Overdrive pleaded.

Orgoi watched the two ponies, feeling strange melancholy in his cold heart. It was the first time he’d seen something like this.

“How touching…” he growled, as the gem on his armor flashed with a blue light again. “I almost pity you… Don’t worry. You won’t feel a thing!”

The dragon started charging energy again, readying himself to turn them into icy statues. Tornado Swirl and Overdrive clinged to each other, closing their eyes, preparing for the end…

But just then, Orgoi’s radar started giving out warning signals. He stopped his attack and looked at it in surprise.

“What? … Reinforcements…?”

The snow almost stopped falling. A rough, female voice sounded in the silence.

“There he is! Just as our guys said! Viper squadron, engage the dragon!”

It was Lightning Dust and her team. They flew onward at breakneck speed, screaming loudly to disorient Orgoi. The eight pegasi started flying circles around him. Tornado Swirl tried to call out to them to break the ice and release them, but Lightning Dust couldn’t hear him. Luckily for the imprisoned ponies, Firefly and Derpy were approaching as well. They saw the frozen prison from quite a distance and knew exactly what to do.

“Ditzy, let’s focus on one point and smash through,” Firefly suggested.

“All right!”

The two mares attacked simultaneously, hitting the ice with their front hooves. After a few attempts, they broke through.

“Hurry, get out of there!” Firefly hailed to Tornado Swirl and Overdrive.

Both of them managed to escape. The shattered ice then crumbled into small pieces. The wingmates from Tornado and Overdrive’s squadrons landed next to them.

“Sir, are you all right?!” Burner 2 asked.

“Ugh… just barely,” Tornado replied.

Derpy had her attention focused on Overdrive’s frozen wing. It seemed to be completely immobilized. Overdrive kept wincing in pain.

“Oww… it stings…” she whined.

“You guys stay here,” Firefly told them. “Quox and her battalion will be here soon. They left the recapture to Rarity and Pinkie Pie. They should be able to handle it, especially since the Voluntary Defense Corps joined the battle as well. The Exiles shouldn’t pose that much of a threat to them now. We’ll go and help Lightning Dust. Come on, Ditzy!”

“Right!”

As the two mares took into the sky again, Firefly thought to herself:

“So this dragon here was going to be the backup for those scum… We gotta do something about him and fast!”

==========

0835 hrs

While Lightning Dust and her wingmates kept circling around Orgoi, distracting him and preventing the dragon from regaining control on the situation, the green pegasus mare daringly attacked him several times, delivering hits to his stomach or the head. But those blows had almost no effect on Orgoi’s thick scales. Instead, they only started infuriating him more.

“Grah! You are all like a bunch of annoying little flies… What?”

His radar picked up several more incoming signals. More shapes of ponies appeared on the ground. Quox’s Avion battalion made it.

“Another group? This is becoming rather unfortunate…” the dragon thought to himself.

“All unicorns and artillery units, focus fire on the dragon! Don’t stop shooting until he goes down or flees!” Quox ordered.

In the next few seconds, Orgoi received a barrage of artillery fire, combined with beams made of fire or electricity. The dragon roared as they struck him.

“That’s it! Keep at it!” Quox encouraged her soldiers.

“Hey, save something for us!” Lightning Dust yelled to her.

Orgoi had enough of their overconfidence. He decided to stop playing around, now that the ponies showed to him that they can be dangerous foes.

“If that is how you want to do things… Fine. Glacial Sapphire, Maximum Output!” the dragon growled loudly.

The gem in his armor gave out several blinding blue and grey flashes. Orgoi extended his wings and disappeared into the mist again.

“Where’d he go?!” Lightning Dust exclaimed.

Tornado Swirl knew what was coming next. He yelled at the top of his lungs.

“He’s using the mist to hide! Stay alert!”

He didn’t care if he would become Orgoi’s next target; he just wanted to warn his friends. However, Orgoi already had everything planned. His ominous voice sounded in the silence.

“I will start with you…!”

A bright blue light shimmered above Quox’s Avion battalion. When she looked up and noticed it, her fears were confirmed.

“Dammit…! Evasive maneuvers, everypony!”

The blue unicorn used her magic to teleport away from the blast zone while her compatriots scattered. Unfortunately, most of them were not given enough time to react. Their screams filled the air for a brief moment.

Quox appeared several meters away from her unit. What she saw caused her to gasp in horror. The majority of the ponies were turned into frozen statues, some of them having expressions of fear or pain on their faces. All of a sudden, Quox found herself in a very difficult situation. But things only turned for the worse.

Orgoi suddenly dived down, aiming for the frozen ponies. Quox’s legs refused to move. All she could do was scream.

“NO! STOP!”

The dragon did not listen. In a thundering crash, he landed on the ground, directly on the frozen group of ponies. Harrowing, shattering sounds ensued. All remaining ponies stopped dead when they were as they heard it. A few moments later, Orgoi took flight again, revealing a nauseating pool of blood and ice shards below him.

“Ponies die so easily…” he muttered, as he swung his tail to scatter the bloodied and frozen remains of the EAF soldiers around the area.

Some of them splattered on Quox’s face. She kept staring into the distance, unaware of her surroundings. When she felt the cold wind hitting her, she started trembling.

“My… my unit… My friends…! No…!”

Firefly and Derpy were shocked, too.

“Did you see that…? He crushed… all of them…” the pink mare blurted out.

“By the stars…” Derpy covered her mouth both in disgust and fright.

Quox suddenly let out a bloodcurdling scream. She started firing beams of blue energy at Orgoi in pure, berserk rage.

“YOU’LL PAY FOR THAT, YOU BASTARD! I’LL KILL YOU!” she yelled.

The big dragon simply turned to her and extended his wings.

“Go ahead, just try to kill me,” he taunted the mare, angering her further.

“AAAAAHHH!!!”

As Quox kept shooting energy beams from her horn, Firefly noticed something strange happening. The beams were vanishing as they struck Orgoi, as if the armor was absorbing them. She remembered what Twilight told her after the battle at Ponyville. The same thing happened when her troops tried to stop Gleipnir from advancing...

She shouted to Quox:

“Avion 1, stop attacking him!”

“SHUT UP!” Quox yelled in response. “I’LL KILL HIM!”

“You are only empowering him! Stop attacking!” Firefly reiterated.

Only then Quox came to her senses.

“W-What…?”

Orgoi let out another creepy laugh.

“True, that last Freeze Ray drained most of my power… I have to express my thanks for helping me recover some of it… Hm, hm, hm…”

“This can’t be…!”

Quox now realized that the Drake General’s armor allowed him to absorb magical energy and restore his own. She felt straight into his trap. Orgoi said to her:

“Do not grieve… You will join your friends soon…”

He whipped his tail at the blue mare, sending her flying through the air for a few meters. Quox screamed in pain when she was hit, letting out more pained grunts when she landed on her back. She tried to get up, but Orgoi made a big leap and landed almost next to her. Leaning his mouth toward Quox, he let out a deafening roar.

“No… No…!” Quox uttered in a tearful voice.

Her mind was in shambles. Images of a terrifying, black dragon-like creature appeared before her in Orgoi’s place. A piercing screech replaced the roar and fear enveloped her heart completely. She covered her ears and curled on the ground, unable to escape.

“Get away…! Go away-y you m-monster…! L-Leave me alone…!” Quox sobbed uncontrollably.

“Quox, get outta there!” Lightning Dust yelled.

Orgoi started charging energy again. He was about to blast Quox with a wave of cold and freeze her. Lightning Dust shifted her sight from Orgoi to Quox several times before she let out a frustrated growl.

“For buck’s sake!”

She dived down toward Quox. Just as Orgoi unleashed his freezing beam, Lightning Dust managed to snag Quox away, saving her from being turned into a statue, though the force of the blast still knocked her to the ground. Orgoi growled.

“Bah! I missed…”

Lightning Dust got up from the ground, turning to frightened Quox. With an angered expression, she punched the unicorn in the face.

“Quox! You stupid whore of a foal! What the hay is wrong with you?!”

The blue mare finally came to her senses. She looked at Lightning Dust in confusion.

“What…?”

“Get your act together!” Lightning Dust exclaimed. “Or better yet, go home! There’s no need for you here! Why didn’t you stay with the others at the Air Force Base? We… Aargh!”

The pegasus mare hit Quox in the face again, knocking her down.

“There’s no place for failures like you here! Get lost! We will deal with that dragon ourselves! Viper squadron, to me!”

She took flight, leaving the devastated pony behind. Firefly, Derpy, Overdrive and Tornado Swirl approached her, worried about her condition.

“Quox, are you all right?” Derpy asked.

“Come on, say something!” Firefly urged her.

Quox just lied on the ground, staring down at it with a frown. Tears started dripping from her dark orange eyes.

“My unit… it’s… it’s gone… my friends… Aah… Why…? I-I… A-Aaa-ah-ah…!”

The poor unicorn mare started crying. Derpy, Firefly, Overdrive and Tornado looked at her with sadness, unsuccessfully trying to comfort her. Quox covered her eyes with her hooves, slumping to the ground. The despair in her heart overwhelmed her.

“Quox…” Derpy said quietly.

Firefly shifted her sight to Tornado Swirl and Overdrive.

“You guys stay with her. We’re going to help Lightning Dust. I think there’s only one way we can deal with that squamose bastard.”

“OK. Watch yourselves, girls,” Tornado responded.

Firefly and Derpy took off from the ground, flying after Lightning Dust. Her unit started attacking Orgoi again, but to very little effect. The green pegasus mare was getting more and more frustrated.

“Dang it. How are we suppose deal with him?” she wondered aloud.

She noticed Firefly and Derpy approaching.

“You stay out of this! We can beat him ourselves,” Lightning Dust said confidently.

“Listen, Viper 1,” Firefly said sternly, grabbing the lime green pegasus by the arms. “Forget about glory or fame or anything! Now we’re fighting to survive and prevent that dragon from reaching Manehattan! If you don’t want to end up like the ponies from Avion battalion, I suggest you listen to me!”

Lightning Dust’s eyes widened in surprise. For a brief moment, Firefly sounded like she was channeling Spitfire, the tone of her voice being quite demanding. The arrogant mare came to the conclusion that any kind of help would be useful.

“Alright, fine. Do you have any ideas?” Lightning Dust asked.

“I’ve noticed something about that dragon’s armor,” Firefly replied. “The gem that’s encased in it… it’s giving out flashes of light any time he attacks. It must be his power source.”

“OK, so… if we destroy it...?” Lightning Dust inquired.

“Then he won’t be able to use those ice beams and maybe the mist will disappear, too,” Firefly finished.

A grin formed on Lightning Dust’s face.

“Now you’re talking my language!”

She called her wingmates back to her to regroup and said:

“All right, guys. I think we got it. Focus your attacks on that big, blue gem in the dragon’s armor. If we break it, we’ll win!”

“Yeah! Alright! Let’s do it!” the pegasi from Viper squadron let out some cheers before they went back into attacking formation.

Orgoi, however, was prepared for them.

“So, you have discovered my little secret… Not that it will do you any good,” he said.

“Huh?” Lightning Dust asked.

“If you cannot see something, you cannot hit it…”

With these words, Orgoi’s gem glew with white light again. The dragon entered the cover of the mist. Snow resumed falling, and the air became colder. The ponies tried to pick up the sound of his beating wings or a growl, but they could not see him. When she least expected it, Lightning Dust heard a loud whooshing sound behind her. She saw Orgoi heading straight at her. The dragon rose his claw and hit her, sending her to the ground.

Her scream alerted the rest of her wingmates.

“Lieutenant!” Viper 3 exclaimed, flying directly after her.

Lightning Dust managed to recover from the blow in midair, but Orgoi had opened his mouth, ready to blast her with his Freeze Ray. Just as he did, Viper 3 appeared right between the dragon and Lightning Dust, taking the blast for himself. His entire body was quickly covered in ice.

“Viper 3!” Lightning Dust shrieked.

Before she could do anything, Orgoi extended his right claw and caught the frozen pony before it hit the ground. He looked at it with a satisfied grin, then shifted his attention to Lightning Dust.

“Soon you will share his fate…” he said slowly.

The grip of his claw tightened. His nails started piercing into the flier’s body, slightly cracking the ice. Lightning Dust watched in dread as the dragon took his time in crushing her wingmate into tiny pieces. When he finally did, the mare snapped.

“NO! YOU… MURDERER!” she yelled.

“He killed Viper 3!” another flier exclaimed. “Time to get serious, everypony! Show him no mercy!”

Without waiting for Lightning Dust to give a proper order, the six pegasi flew straight at Orgoi, trying to find a way to expose his gem and destroy it. But the dragon had a cruel plan up in his mind. Lightning Dust and her team impeded his mission in aiding the Exiles already, so he decided to change his objective and annihilate her team… one flier after the other.

Firefly and Derpy joined the Viper squadron in attacking, as did Lightning Dust. Initially, she thought that fighting the dragon would be more “exciting” than capturing the Air Force Base, so when the pegasus fighters from Burner and Racer told Quox about the situation, she quickly agreed to help. Now, after seeing one of her wingmates die before her eyes and being unable to help him, she was having a moment of doubt.

However, it quickly dissipated when the rest of her team rallied around her, ready for another assault.

“That bastard will pay dearly for killing one of ours!” Lightning Dust announced to the others. “Take him out!”

Orgoi simply chuckled. He was the one dealing the cards in this confrontation.

“Hmph. Pathetic. If that’s how you want it… I have one more surprise for you, little ponies…”

The gem on his armor shone in a cyan light, which intrigued Firefly, since she hadn't seen that color yet. She decided to turn sharply to the left and tried telling Lightning Dust and her team to do the same, but she refused to listen.

When Orgoi opened his mouth a few seconds later, no freezing beam came out of it. Instead, he fired a storm of icicles at the pegasi. Derpy managed to dodge them in time. Lightning Dust tried to smash some of the frozen spikes into pieces, but when she saw more of them heading her way, she abandoned her attack and rolled to the side.

Sadly, one of her wingmates tried doing the same, but he didn’t react quickly enough, and one of the larger icicles impaled his body through the stomach. It brought him to a halt as he let out several painful gasps.

“Viper 4! NO!” Lightning Dust screamed.

“Ah… Aahhh…”

The flier’s wings ceased to beat, as did his heart. Just then, several more icicles impaled his head, drilling into his brain and piercing the wings. The arms of the pegasus twitched briefly before he fell down to the ground.

Lightning Dust was shocked to see the extent of dragon’s power, but the feeling of anger was stronger than fear. She let out another scream and charged at Orgoi. He turned around and swung his tail, sending the green mare to the ground as well. She managed to make a backflip just before she crashed, landing almost next to her fallen wingmate. Blood was flowing from his wounds. This sight only angered Lightning Dust even more.

“Bastard…! YOU WON’T GET AWAY WITH THIS!”

Firefly and Derpy saw that she was starting to lose control and give into her emotions. They flew down and grabbed her arms, preventing her from rejoining her team in battle. Lightning Dust looked at them. Her eyes were showing nothing, but pure rage.

“LET ME GO!” she yelled.

“Calm down, Viper 1,” said Firefly. “You don’t have a chance against him!”

“I said, let me go! He must pay for what he did!”

Lightning Dust started thrashing around, attempting to break herself free from their grip. Derpy held her tight.

“Be reasonable, Lightning Dust. You want to die, too?”

“Shut up! SHUT UP, YOU COCKEYED…!”

Before she could finish, she saw one of the fighters from her team charging straight at Orgoi.

“You won’t be treating our leader like this!” he exclaimed, trying to catch the dragon’s attention.

“And what are you going to do about it… weakling?” he replied.

The next moment, another blue light flashed from his gem. Orgoi fired another Freeze Ray, managing to land a direct hit on the pegasus and turning him into an icy statue. Lightning Dust was still struggling against Firefly and Derpy.

“Let me go, dammit! I have to stop him! I don’t care if he’s a dragon or not, I’m gonna…!”

Again, she did not finished the sentence. Orgoi grabbed the frozen pegasus in his right claw like before, but this time, he did not outright crush him. Instead, he leaned his head toward him and opened his mouth. Seconds later, his powerful teeth bit the pegasus’ head clean off, spraying some blood from his body as he gnawed on it.

The remaining four pegasi from Viper squadron watched in horror as Orgoi spit out the disembodied head, then threw the frozen remains to the ground, causing them to shatter on impact.

“Disgusting…” Orgoi muttered to himself.

Lightning Dust could barely control herself. Firefly and Derpy had to nearly pin her to ground to prevent her from moving.

“Dammit…! DAMMIT! LET ME GOOO!!!” she screamed at the top of her lungs.

“If you attack him, he’ll kill you!” Firefly shouted back at her. “Is that what you want?!”

“YOU KNOW NOTHING!” Lightning Dust yelled. “I don’t care what happens! I’m not going to just stand here and watch as he’s massacring my squadron! What would YOU do if he was killing off your wingmares like that?!”

That last sentence made Firefly ponder on her words. Lightning Dust carried on, her voice getting louder with each sentence.

“Compared to the rest of you, those guys are the only ones that understand me! They’re the only ponies that know what I’m going through, the only ones that truly support me! I won’t let that bastard kill them off! I WILL stop him!”

Orgoi fired another wave of icicles at the rest of Lightning Dust’s wingmates. One of two mares was hit by them, though she initially tried blocking the attack by shielding herself with her arms. Still, one of the sharp icicles pierced through her right arm, impaling her arteries. It became nearly impossible for her to breathe. A few seconds later, her body became limp and she fell to the ground, dying a slow, painful death.

That was the last straw for Lightning Dust. In a span of less than ten minutes, she lost half of her squadron. She glanced back at Firefly and Derpy.

“LET ME GO!!!”

The green mare lashed out her right rear leg, delivering a powerful kick to Derpy’s stomach. Derpy gasped in pain, loosening her grip on Lightning Dust’s arm. Firefly, caught by surprise, released the other arm. She received a powerful punch to her jaw almost immediately and fell down.

“Buck you!” Lightning Dust snorted. “Screw you both! Don’t get in my way!”

She spread her wings and started heading directly at Orgoi. Firefly groaned in pain as she helped Derpy get up. The grey mare coughed several times, still feeling the impact of the blow.

“Dammit…!” Firefly muttered.

Lightning Dust screamed toward her wingmates before turning her attention to Orgoi.

“Get out of the way! HE’S MINE! COME ON, YOU MURDERER! YOU SON OF A BITCH!!!

“So angry…” Orgoi growled to himself. “If you want to die so badly, so be it.”

The blue gem unleashed another flash of light. Orgoi aimed at Lightning Dust and fired his beam of cold energy. Lightning Dust kept her eyes focused toward him all the time. She saw the incoming beam and quickly turned to the right, dodging the attack. The beam still headed for the ground though, becoming a threat for Firefly, Derpy, and the pegasi from Burner and Racer squadrons.

“Everypony, move away!” the pink mare shouted.

All of them made quick leaps to the side. The icy beam struck the spot they were at a few seconds ago. Firefly and Derpy locked their sights on Lightning Dust, who kept heading toward Orgoi.

“Don’t even try running away!” she screamed at him. “Not even hiding it that mist of yours will help you!”

“Why should I bother… I’ll just silence you for good!” Orgoi replied, firing another ice beam at Lightning Dust.

“Not a chance!”

The green mare took a sharp turn to the left this time, making the beam pass her by. She started moving rapidly from left to right, making it difficult for Orgoi to get a good aim. He growled in frustration. Lightning Dust was simply too fast for him.

“What’s wrong, big guy?!” the mare taunted him. “Not so tough now, are you?! Let’s see how you’ll handle THIS!”

Lightning Dust suddenly picked up her speed, going for the gem located in Orgoi’s armor. Beating her wings as fast as she could, she avoided two more icy beams, then she increased her altitude to align herself before Orgoi and charged toward him. She reared her left arm, ready to strike…

“Haaa!”

Her punch connected. She managed to hit the gem. Orgoi ceased charging up more energy. While the other pegasi watched Lightning Dust’s feat, she delivered another blow, using her other arm this time. The gem appeared to be untouched, but it did not daunt the flier’s effort to hurt the dragon.

How about THIS?!”

Lightning Dust delivered a precise thrusting kick to the blue gem. It still did not crack, but Orgoi roared loudly, clutching the armor with his claw. The blue behemtoh definitely felt that. He started breathing rapidly.

“How… How did you…?”

The big blue dragon took a step back, trying to regain composure. Lightning Dust folded her front arms, giving out a confident smirk.

“Say your prayers, monster!”

“Guh…!”

As Lightning Dust was readying another assault, Orgoi suddenly heard a voice in his communicator. A growl much deeper than his own.

“I warned you…”

“King Aigaion…!” Orgoi grumbled.

“I told you to not abuse the power of the sapphire. But you didn’t listen. You have failed me. I am disappointed in you, Orgoi,” Aigaion said slowly.

“My lord… Forgive me… I was careless…” Orgoi tried excusing himself.

“Indeed. At the very least, you managed to inflict considerable casualties to our enemies. Retreat back to the castle. Now!”

“Yes, my lord…”

Orgoi spread his wings open and roared again, causing Lightning Dust to stop in place. The other ponies watched him in anxiety as well. The dragon looked down at them and said:

“You may be small, compared to us… but dangerous, nonetheless. For now, my mission here is done. But rest assured, we will meet again.”

“You’re not getting away!” Lightning Dust exclaimed.

But when she tried getting closer to Orgoi, his wings struck in full force, sending a powerful gust of wind downward. Lightning Dust tried resisting it, but was blown away from her course. Orgoi started to ascend. He kept going higher and higher, slowly disappearing in the mist he made…

Lightning Dust regained her balance and tried to give chase, but suddenly Firefly appeared before her, extending her arms.

“Lightning Dust, stop!” she shouted. “Don’t go after him!”

“Get outta my way!” the green flier shouted back. “I will bring that dragon down!”

“Come to your senses, dammit!” Firefly yelled. “It’s pointless to go after him! What do you plan to do? Grab his tail and send him crashing to the ground?!”

“I—I…!”

Orgoi’s loud chuckle echoed for a while. Firefly looked behind her. His silhouette vanished already.

“He’s beyond our range. It’s over, Lightning Dust. He’s gone.”

Lightning Dust was still trying to catch her breath and calm down. She initially rose her right arm, seemingly trying to hit Firefly in her anger, but then… she slowly lowered her arm, looking downward in regret. She had a great chance to avenge her fallen teammates, but she couldn’t finish what she started.

Firefly laid her own arms on Lightning Dust’s shoulders.

“Come on…”

The two descended down to the ground. Everypony noticed that the mist around them began to dissipate, and the snow also ceased. Finally, the sunbeams pierced through the remaining greyish cloud, shining brightly in the sky again.

Overdrive looked at it in great relief.

“Ahh… so warm…” she said.

However, her wing still remained frozen, which left her anxious. Firefly started hearing some static and voices in her radio, so she answered the call to hear who it was.

“...fly! Hey…! Firefly! Mirage 2, do you read me?! Can anypony answer me? Hellooo?! Dang it, is this thing broken?!”

Firefly recognized that young, female voice.

“I hear you, Tiger 1! What’s up?”

“Finally, geez!” Carnival Tail whined. “I’ve been trying to contact you for the past few minutes! I’ve got some great news! WE WON!”

Firefly, Derpy and the other ponies heard spontaneous cheering in their headphones.

“R-Really?” Firefly asked. “That’s great news!”

“We sure did! Actually, we got some backup from the Voluntary Defense Corps from Manehattan. They wanted to join the battle when they heard about the upcoming reinforcements. Some Exiles that we’ve taken into custody were blabbering about them, too. Since they didn’t show up, I guess you guys took care of ‘em, huh?”

“Well… you could say that…” Firefly replied.

Carnival Tail let out a loud squeal before she started sounding a bit more serious.

“Oh yeah… I couldn’t contact Major Quox, so I’ve been trying to reach you instead. How is she? Is she all right?”

Firefly took a glimpse on Quox, still lying on the ground, surrounded by the few remaining earth ponies and unicorns from her Avion battalion.

“Uh… it’s a long story. She’s alive, that I can tell you now. You’ll hear the rest when we get back. Tell the guys at Manehattan to prepare hospital beds… and some body bags, too.”

That last sentence caused Carnival Tail to only utter a barely hearable “OK” before she cut the link. Firefly came closer to Quox. She finally stood up.

“You okay?” the pink mare asked.

“I… I’ll be fine. Let’s go…” Quox replied in a shaky voice.

Only Lightning Dust remained in place. The remaining three pegasi from her squadron called out to her. She didn’t even look at them when she said in a monotonous voice:

“Go. I’ll catch up to you.”

Not wanting to argue further, her wingmates followed the other soldiers to Manehattan. Lightning Dust stared at the ground, pondering on what just happened. Where did she make a mistake... ? Why did it had to happen now…? Was it fate’s cruel order or her own carelessness…

Clamping her eyelids, Lightning Dust punched the ground several times in frustration, muttering to herself:

“Dammit… Damn that dragon…! Why did that happen? It wasn’t suppose to be like this…!”

==========

1700 hrs
Central Manehattan, Lighthoof Hospital

Back in the city, the soldiers from Equestrian Allied Forces were warmly welcomed by the citizens of Manehattan. As did those who were a part of the Voluntary Defense Corps. Thanks to the combined efforts of the two groups, the Air Force Base had been recaptured and the Exiles were driven away from the area. Several of them, about thirty five, according to initial reports, had been caught while trying to flee the battlefield, including the Enemy Commander. They were declared POWs and remained in custody. Results about Operation “Gambit” were quickly relayed to Gale by Firefly, and he declared it a success.

However, the price of victory was high.

Out of the army group that was dispatched to Manehattan, only about 40% survived the operation. Many soldiers sustained wounds and were being treated in the biggest hospital in the city. Many more were also exhausted from the continuous battles fought over the course of the last week. Worst yet, almost 80% of the Avion battalion was confirmed to be annihilated by Orgoi. Quox was in no condition to lead the unit for the time being. She was taken for mental examination by the psychiatrists.

The pegasus squadrons also reported several loses. Carnival Tail lost one of her wingmates during the battle, and Lightning Dust had half of her squadron wiped out, too. Ever since they all returned, she remained in her crew quarters in the Main HQ, doors locked. She would not allow anypony to see her, save for the three wingmates from her squadron who were still alive. Overdrive and Tornado Swirl were also treated at the hospital. The green pegasus’ strained wings were quickly taken care of, but Overdrive’s case was different. The doctor kept examining her wing and kept it under close observation for a while.

The lavender mare grew slightly impatient on the afternoon, as Tornado Swirl came to visit her.

“Doc, tell me! What’s going to happen to me?” she asked.

The pony in a white suit sighed loudly.

“I won’t sugarcoat it. This is probably the most serious case of frost-bitten wing I have ever seen. I’ve never witnessed these kinds of effects from dragon magic… But it’s nothing our advanced equipment cannot handle. If we can just pump enough blood into your wing and slowly defrost it…”

“Then… I’ll be able to fly again?” Overdrive asked hopefully.

“Yes, I believe so. However… I’m afraid this process takes a long time. You will have to remain in hospital for rehabilitation for about… six weeks or so.”

Those words caused Overdrive to slump down on her bed.

“Six weeks?” she groaned.

“Hey, don’t worry,” Tornado interjected. “You won’t be alone. I’ll stay with you…”

“No!” Overdrive protested. “Your wounds were already taken care of, right, Tornado?”

“Well… yeah…” the green pegasus confirmed.

“Then you have to keep fighting! You will be needed along with your team. I’ll tell my wingmates to remain with you until I get back. I’m sure Gale won’t have any objections about it.”

To Tornado, it sounded like she had everything planned. He had no reason to argue.

“If that’s what you want…”

He lowered his sight, looking glum. Overdrive noticed it.

“Something wrong?”

“No, I just… I want to tell you something and it’s…”

The two ponies looked at the doctor. He immediately understood the case.

“Alright. I will give you five minutes,” he said.

“Thanks,” Tornado responded.

When the earth pony in the white suit left, Overdrive turned her full attention to Tornado Swirl.

“So, what'd you wanted to tell me?”

“I… I wanted to apologize… Things didn’t work out back then… at all…” Tornado started.

Overdrive knew what he was referring to. Something had been bothering her for a while. She felt the need to ask.

“Why did you tried fighting that dragon by yourself?”

“I don’t even know myself…” Tornado confessed. “I guess… I wanted to prove something to myself… that we can do little miracles, like Rainbow and her Mirage squadron do… But that was just some wishful thinking…”

Overdrive reached her right arm to her coltfriend and urged him to come closer.

“Tornado… There’s no reason for you, or any of us to try and do what Rainbow’s team does. They are in a different league… But that doesn't’ mean we can’t help them. We have to do whatever we can in our power to help them in defeating the enemy. Besides…”

The lavender mare moved her mouth closer to Tornado. His face was blushing a bit.

“You and your team, like any other, are special in their own right. You have no reason to be different. Be yourself, Tornado. … Don’t ever change.”

“Heh… I remember when you said those words the first time…” Tornado blurted out.

Overdrive suddenly lifted her body from her bed, leaning onto her friend. Their lips met and she gave him a passionate kiss. He looked at her, stunned.

“That’s for saving me,” Overdrive said. “If it weren’t for you, I’d probably end up in a wheelchair for the rest of my life… at best.”

“I-I…”

The lavender pegasus giggled.

“You should look in the mirror. You look so silly right now!”

“Oh, you little…” Tornado chuckled.

The two shared a few laughs before the green pegasus glanced at the clock hanging on the wall of the room. It was getting close to 6 PM.

“Well, I better get going. Don’t push yourself, Overdrive. I promise I’ll visit you again the first chance I get.”

With that said, he came closer and kissed her on the lips himself.

“I love you.”

“I love you, too, Tornado. Take care of yourself and your wingmates out there,” Overdrive told him.

“I will.”

When Firefly and Derpy met Tornado later, Firefly noted he seemed to be in high spirits, which was in complete contradiction to how Quox and Lightning Dust were feeling. Quox’s involvement in further battles was questionable due to her unstable mental health. As Firefly talked to Gale about her, he sounded upset.

“I only allowed her to join this operation because she requested it. She seemed to be in perfect condition. There were no reports about any disorders or anything like that…”

“I think it had something to do with that dragon,” said Firefly. “Up until he showed up and decimated her battalion, things were fine. Then it all went down the drain…”

“I will look into the matter. For now, you girls should remain in Manehattan with the rest of the army group. There is no guarantee that the Exiles will not make another attempt at trying to take over this region back for themselves. You must secure the city and the area in its closest vicinity, so that it can become a vital strategic point for us,” Gale ordered.

“You got it. I’ll talk to you later. Firefly out.”

The pink mare ended the conversation. Derpy seemed a bit gloomy herself.

“What’s up, Derpy? Still worried about your kids?” Firefly asked.

“No, not that… I’ve been thinking about what Lightning Dust said,” Derpy replied.

“What exactly?”

“That… her wingmates are the only ones who understand her. And that only they know what she is going through…”

Firefly squinted her eyes, pondering on those words.

“Yeah… You know, I think I’ll have to rethink my opinion about Lightning Dust. Arrogant as she may be… she really is a great flier. But I get the feeling she’s hiding something. I’m not sure what that is, but… let’s hope it’s nothing too serious.”

2000 hrs
Equestrian Allied Forces HQ, crew quarters

Lightning Dust was sitting in the company of her three remaining wingmates from her Viper squadron: two stallions and a mare. She asked them to come see her in person. She felt an urge to talk to somepony.

“Sundance… Eagle Song… Swift Ace… I’m sorry, guys…” Lightning Dust started. “I thought that we were ready for taking on anyone or anything… but, because of me… we lost half of our team. Where… Where did I go wrong…?”

“You didn’t,” the yellow mare known as Sundance said to her. “Lightning Dust, you have to hear us out. All you’ve been doing is blaming yourself for the past few hours.”

“It’s true that we’ve suffered great losses…” the brown-coated stallion, Eagle Song, added, “but… if not for your great fighting skills, we would have died, too.”

“That’s right,” Swift Ace added. “Nopony could predict we’d be facing a freakin’ dragon during our first serious mission. If you didn’t make him pull back, we wouldn’t be here now.”

Lightning Dust looked at her wingmates. They seemed to have adamant trust in her.

“If Spitfire learns about the losses Viper squadron sustained, I might be…!”

“Never mind her!” Sundance said loudly. “We’ve been there with you. We saw what you were doing. You’ve been trying your best to chase the enemy away and protect us at the same time.”

“Yeah! If anypony will be doubting you, we’ll tell ’em what happened,” Eagle Song said. “You’re the best there is, Lightning Dust. Ain’t no other flier better than you.”

“We got you covered, don’t worry,” said Swift Ace, putting his arm around Lightning Dust’s shoulder. “If we’re lucky, we might run into that dragon again… Then, we will avenge our comrades. And we’ll be there to help you!”

A genuine smile appeared on Lightning Dust’s face. Her vision got a little blurry.

“Thanks, guys…” she said with a trembling voice. “You… You don’t know how… how much those words mean to me…!”

“We do, Lightning Dust,” said Sundance. “We heard that you’ve been having a tough time in the Wonderbolts Academy…”

“And you confessed about your problems, too…” Eagle Song added. “From what I know, you only mentioned them to us. Why?”

Lightning Dust lowered her sight, trying her best to keep her composure.

“You guys looked trustworthy… Everypony else was looking down upon me, except for you…”

“Because we know you’re not as bad as some ponies say,” said Swift Ace. “You trusted in us, so we trust in you, too, Lightning Dust. That’s what friends are for.”

“Friends…?”

Lightning Dust laughed under her breath.

“Heh… that sounds cool,” she said in a choking voice. “I guess… I do have… friends…”

The four pegasi got closer and enveloped each other in a group hug. Lightning Dust wasn’t trying to hide her tears anymore. She felt no shame in crying with those she considered friends. When she went to sleep a few hours later, she wondered what the next few coming days will bring her in relations to other ponies.

Understanding… or perhaps, contempt?

Chapter 11b: White Bird

Impatience is engulfing the heroines over the sea,

The enemy appears to be predicting their moves.

Yet darkness may be extinguished.

A beam of light ripples through the skies.

Chapter 11b

White Bird

July 4th, 2021
1000 hrs
Luminescence interior

Captain Bluehaze’s prediction about reaching Fillydelphia within two days was off. The Exiles seemed to have caught on their plans somehow and were seemingly trying everything they could in delaying their arrival. Smaller fleets had engaged the EAF ships several times. Though the Exiles could not match the 1st Fleet’s firepower and were either forced to retreat or be destroyed, they did slow down their progress. Not only that, the enemy pegasi attempted to create a massive storm that would cause chaos, but thanks to Sweeper and Mirage squadrons’ quick intervention, their plan ended in failure. Still, many soldiers were getting impatient and impulsive due to being stuck away from solid land for four days. The captain tried to lift the troops’ morale by organizing a small banquet the other day, but it wasn’t enough for some ponies. They just wanted to see the Exiles beaten and this war coming to an end already.

This situation was getting to everypony, especially the youngest. Short Circuit and the Cutie Mark Crusaders were wandering the decks without much to do, looking bored. Medley noticed it and wanted to help the young ponies lift their spirits up. Unfortunately, when she went to see them, she left in a hurry and did not take her communicator with her. Not long after she left, Captain Bluehaze ordered the Mirage fliers to go and scout the area. Rainbow and Fluttershy needed Medley for that, so they went to look for her.

Rainbow wasn’t happy with her careless act.

“I’m gonna have a little talk with Kid when I find her,” she said. “That was totally irresponsible for her!”

“I haven’t seen Rainbow being so serious in a while…” Fluttershy though to herself.

The two mares stopped in one corridor somewhere in lower decks. Rainbow’s ears perked; she heard music. They followed it to the source. Rainbow peeked through the window and found the pony she was looking for. Medley was standing in front of the door, moving her hooves to the music that was playing in the speakers of a small radio. She wasn’t alone, though. The Cutie Mark Crusaders were inside, too.

“What are they doing?” Fluttershy asked.

“Dancing, apparently,” Rainbow quipped in response.

She tried to open the door, but they seemed to be locked. She tried to bang on the metallic surface, but the sound was drowned out by the loudly-played music. Medley was only focused on entertaining the Crusaders, who tried to follow the green pony’s moves.

“Yeah! That’s it, guys! You’re doing great!” she kept encouraging them.

When the music reached the chorus part, Medley started singing along with the artist:

In the darkness, in the night
They all strive to makes things right
With their brave, courageous hearts
Against all odds, they still fight
If a danger lurks around
They won't stop until it's found
When Mirage is in the sky
Victory is always on our side!

Just as the last verse finished playing, Rainbow finally managed to kick open the door and made it to the room. The Crusaders, especially Scootaloo, were happy to see her.

“Yay! Rainbow! Hi!” they greeted her.

Medley was still focusing on the song, though.

“Victory is always on our siiiide…! Oh!”

When she turned around and opened her eyes, she almost froze in place. Rainbow’s facial expression was that of an angered superior officer who catches his subordinates slacking off.

“Kid…!” Rainbow growled.

Medley quickly leapt toward the radio and switched it off. Her cheeks were blushing furiously, her face red as a tomato.

“Oh… h-hi, Rainbow… I-I didn’t know you were there…” she mumbled.

“Maybe it’s because you’re playing that radio so loud?” Rainbow answered sarcastically. “Fluttershy and I were looking for you! We got a little scouting to do. You better come now if you want to avoid any major trouble…”

Saying this, Rainbow started dangling a headset before her. Medley gasped.

“My communicator! Oh man, I forgot all about it! Rainbow, I’m sorry! So sorry!”

“You’ll explain everything on the way! Now, move it!”

“Y-Yes, ma’am!”

Without even turning to say “goodbye” to the Crusaders, Medley bolted out of the room. Just as Rainbow turned to leave as well, Scootaloo and Pipsqueak approached her.

“Please don’t be mad at her, Mrs. Dash,” said Pipsqueak.

“This little party was our idea, kind of…” Scootaloo added.

Rainbow sighed.

“I know you didn’t mean any harm, guys, but… you shouldn’t forget in what circumstances we’re at. This is no time to have fun. We’re at war. And Pip…”

“Yes, ma’am?”

“Call me Rainbow.”

With that said, the blue pegasus left the room, closing the metallic door behind her. The Cutie Mark Crusaders looked at each other with a mixture of sadness and guilt.

“I hope Medley won’t end up being punished for what we did…” Sweetie Belle said quietly.

Rainbow contacted Captain Bluehaze through her own communicator, while Medley was putting her own on her right ear.

“Captain, we’re heading to the main deck.”

“Finally,” Bluehaze’s voice sounded. “Report as soon as you’re ready to go.”

“Roger.”

Rainbow turned to Medley again.

“Don’t go running off like that again!” she scolded her. “What if the enemy attacked us now?! We’d have to waste precious time to find you, because you forgot to take your communicator! Try to be a little more perceptive, Kid! You do that again, and I’m kicking you out of the team!”

“What?” Fluttershy exclaimed.

“No! No, please! Anything, but that!” Medley shouted. “I-I’m… I’m sorry, Rainbow… I didn’t… I’d never…”

She stammered, looking for words.

“I’m sorry. I know I’ve disappointed you. Please… forgive me…”

Rainbow stopped in place. Fluttershy looked at Medley with pity. It seemed like the green pony was about to cry. Rainbow lifted her sight.

“Don’t be so harsh to her, Rainbow…” Fluttershy asked.

Suddenly, Rainbow let out a laugh. Medley’s eyes widened in surprise. The blue pegasus wrapped her arm around her neck.

“Come on… I was only joking! Relax, I’d never kick you out. But next time don’t forget your communicator, at least. All right, Kid?”

Medley lightened up and quickly wiped her eyes.

“Y-Yes, ma’am! I won’t let you down again, ma’am!” she said with youthful energy in her voice.

“I sure hope so. Now, let’s move it!”

In a couple of minutes, the three pegasi reached the main deck. They stood next to each other. Rainbow reached for her communicator once more.

“We’re on standby, Captain. Requesting permission for takeoff.”

“Mirage team, you are cleared for takeoff,” Bluehaze replied. “Scout the area ahead. We should be closing in on Fillydelphia…”

“That’s what he’s been saying for the past four days…” Rainbow thought.

“... so make sure there is not another Exile ambush waiting for us. We’ve had enough surprises already. If you do spot any Exile ships, report back and return immediately.”

“Roger that, Captain.”

Rainbow turned to Fluttershy and Medley.

“You heard the man. Wings up! Mirage team, let’s go!”

“Roger!”

Rainbow Dash, Medley and Fluttershy ran several meters ahead, flapping their wings before the finally took off the deck and into the sky. It was covered by dark clouds, but there didn’t seem to be anything that would indicate a storm coming…

Not yet…

The Cutie Mark Crusaders watched from their cabin as the Mirage team flew into the sky. Scootaloo waved at them enthusiastically.

“Go get’em Rainbow! Teach those scum a lesson!”

“Like she’s going to hear you from here…” Button grumbled.

“You’ve got a problem?” Scootaloo asked combatively.

Button Mash shook his head in denial, but something else was on his mind. Now that the Crusaders were alone again, the brown colt decided to share his thoughts.

“This whole situation is gettin’ to me… Everywhere we go, everypony tells us to leave and go play somewhere else. They keep treating us like little kids!”

Rumble looked at him, uncertain.

“Maybe because… we are?”

Button leered at him.

“But didn’t we prove that we are capable of taking care of ourselves?! They seem to think otherwise. We gotta do something about it!”

“Say, Apple Bloom…” said Sweetie Belle. “That reminds me, you told Applejack about our plan, didn’t you?”

Apple Bloom lowered her sight dejectedly.

“Yeah…”

“So… How did it go?”

“Take a wild guess.”

Sweetie Belle scratched her chin briefly.

“She… wasn’t convinced?”

“She didn’t even wanted to talk ‘bout it!” Apple Bloom exclaimed. “Hay, she said that if I’d mention that plan again, we’ll all be booted back to the Crystal Empire!”

“Wow… Your sister’s a bit overprotective,” said Button.

“Hay of an understatement,” Apple Bloom mumbled.

“So, where do we go from here? Sitting in place won’t do us any good,” Pipsqueak pointed out. “Any ideas, Button?”

“I have something in mind… But I’m still working on the details.”

“Button…”

A quiet voice sounded from the corner of the room. Dinky rolled to the side.

“Whatever you are planning, I hope it won’t involve killing other ponies. Because I won’t take part in that.”

Button rose his right eyebrow.

“Huh? You’re still feeling sour about that sabotage that you, Rumble and Scoots did in Stalliongrad?”

“Mm-hm…”

The other Crusaders had their eyes focused on Dinky, but she kept staring at the floor instead. Button Mash came closer to her.

“You gotta get over it! If it weren’t for you guys, things would’ve gone to hay! Even Miss Twilight and Miss Firecracker said so!”

“You weren’t there…” Dinky whimpered. “You didn’t see… those crippled bodies… that thick, black smoke… and that soldier, dying before us… It was horrible…!”

“Come on, already!” Button exclaimed. “You heard Rainbow! This is war, we do what we gotta do to help ours! Even if it means taking those scum out!”

Dinky’s eyes flocked with tears.

“Don’t say that…! It’s not right…” she cried.

“Pfft! I can believe a crybaby like you got accepted into our—”

“SHUT UP, BUTTON!”

A piercing shriek sounded in the room. It was Sweetie Belle. She looked angry.

“Don’t you DARE talk to Dinky that way!” she exclaimed.

“Yeah,” Pipsqueak backed her up. “Everypony has the right to voice their opinion. And frankly… I don’t feel up to killing other ponies, either.”

“This ain’t like in your video games, chump!” Scootaloo jumped in. “It’s not like those who die will respawn after a while. When they go to a ‘big sleep’… When they die, they are gone for good! Miss Cheerilee taught us that, remember?”

“I know that!” Button said loudly.

“Guys, calm down!” said Rumble, earning the Crusaders’ attention. “I think we should stick to what we’ve been doing since we formed the team. You know… getting intel, scouting… We were doing fine with that and without much risk, too.”

The others looked at each other.

“He’s got a point…” Apple Bloom admitted.

“Yeah, maybe we shouldn’t overreach too much,” Pipsqueak added.

Now their sights focused on Button. The brown colt felt nervous.

“Uh… Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Tell Dinky that you are sorry!” Sweetie Belle exclaimed. “She deserves at least that!”

“Alright, alright! Geez, don’t treat me like a bad guy.”

Button walked up to Dinky and tried to put words together.

“Listen, Dinky, I… I’m sorry for yelling at you like that… I didn’t mean to. I’m sorry, really…”

Dinky got up from her bed and touched Button’s face with her left hoof before she embraced his neck with it. She was smiling again.

“It’s all right. I don’t blame you. Let’s just keep all misunderstandings aside, everypony. We have to stick together. That’s what my Mom always told me.”

“You miss her, huh?” Apple Bloom asked.

Dinky nodded her head.

“But I’m sure I’ll see her soon. I have to stay strong… for all of us.”

The Cutie Mark Crusaders regained their good moods. Rumble suddenly had an idea.

“You know, I think Apple Bloom should be considered our leader in a sense. After all, it was her idea to form this scouting team.”

“Yeah, and she’s on good terms with Ms. Twilight and Applejack,” Pipsqueak added.

“Who thinks Apple Bloom should be our leader?” Rumble asked. “All in favor say ‘Aye!’”

Dinky, Sweetie Belle, Rumble and Pipsqueak voiced their approval. Scootaloo and Button Mash were a little less enthusiastic. The orange pegasus filly wanted to be considered a leader herself, but Apple Bloom said to her:

“You can be my ‘right hoof,’ in a sense, Scoots. And… thanks for your trust, everypony.”

The young earth pony bared her teeth in delight, then turned to Sweetie Belle.

“Sweetie, turn the radio back on! Maybe we’ll find a nice song to listen to!”

She tuned in just in time for a little break from music. A lively, female voice sounded in the speakers.

“Yo! How’s everypony doin’? Here’s your favorite DJ-Pon3 with some fantastic news for you, guys! Rumor has it that our fellas from the Crystal Empire are moving on to take out the Exiles! Oh yeah! They’re chargin’ in like rhinos, folks! I’ve got a feeling a lot of positive things are about to happen! And, just to keep everypony’s spirits up, here’s another hit single: ‘Our Aces So High’! Let’s rock!”

As the music started to play, the Crusaders lined up before the radio and started dancing to the tune. They were no longer worried about the events from the last few days.

==========

1100 hrs
Bridle Shores, Fillydelphia airspace

Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy and Medley finally reached their position. If Captain Bluehaze’s assumptions were correct, they were only about 25 kilometers away from Fillydelphia. Not wanting to risk being picked up by enemy radars, Rainbow sent Medley ahead to scout, assuring her that she and Fluttershy will keep their eyes out for possible adversaries. As the green pegasus pony was getting closer to the city, she noticed grim, dark clouds looming over the bay area, where several ships were docked.

“I though the weather in the area was supposed to be clear,” Medley thought to herself. “Strange… Maybe it’s the Exiles’ doing it. Hmm… What do we have here?”

The young flier squinted her eyes, then checked her radar. The IFF confirmed to her that the ships were hostile. She quickly reached for her communicator to try and contact Rainbow.

“This is Mirage 7. Mirage 1, come in.”

“I hear you, Kid. What’s up?” Rainbow’s voice sounded in the small speaker.

“There are no less than ten enemy ships docked at Delamare Bay right now,” Medley replied. “Let’s see… There are some destroyers… two Aegis-class ships… a few frigates… even a pegasus carrier!”

Rainbow tried to picture said fleet in her mind.

“That would make it about as strong as our 1st Fleet,” she said. “Got any more details about the ships?”

“Not really…” Medley admitted. “I’ll try to get closer and…!”

Just then, her radar picked up three signals, marked as green arrows, leaving one of the ships (marked as big, red dots) and heading in her direction. She quickly realized that she’d been discovered.

“Uh-oh… Never mind.”

“What was that supposed to mean?!” Rainbow exclaimed.

“They’re coming after me!” Medley shrieked in response.

Rainbow growled in frustration.

“Get back here, Kid! We’ll intercept them!”

“Okay!”

Medley turned around and started flying back to Rainbow and Fluttershy. The three Exile pegasi that were chasing her, however, were quite fast.

“I guess we really were spied upon, after all!” said a lime green pegasus. He was wearing a yellow vest with a lightning bolt on its right side. He also carried a small bag with him.

“Relax, Wind Edge, we’ve got this!” one of his companions, a bulky flier, responded. “Ain’t no way that fink is gonna escape us!”

They started closing in on Medley. She briefly turned around and noticed their attack formation.

“Dang… they’re catching up to me…!”

One of the Exiles swooped toward her. Medley managed to avoid his attack. She also avoided the pegasus wearing a vest. But the bulky one finally struck her, sending her flying downward. He pinned her on one of the clouds. Medley tried to to throw him off, but his body weight was bigger than hers. The pegasus delivered a powerful punch to Medley’s face, dazing her briefly. The other two pegasi were hovering next to their companion.

“What do you know, guys?” the bulky pegasus asked. “It’s a mare. Still young and cute, methinks.”

“G-Get off me, you…! Agh!”

Her assailant hit her in the face again.

“Hey, I recognize her!” the pegasus with the vest said. “It’s one of the fliers from Mirage squadron! You know, ‘Angels’ and all that stuff.”

“For real, Wind Edge?” the bulky pegasus asked in surprise.

“Talk about a shame,” the third one interjected. “To see such a youthful mare wasting her life serving Celestia. She should pledge her loyalty to the true ruler of Equestria that resides in Canterlot Castle now.”

Medley tried to shake the bulky pegasus from her again, gritting her teeth with anger.

“Don’t you dare… mock the Princess, you…! Aaugh!”

She received another punch in the face.

“Be quiet!”

The bulky pegasus turned to the one wearing a vest.

“You know, Wind Edge, I don’t think we’re going to convert this one.”

“Figured as much,” Wind Edge replied. “Guess there’s only one thing left to do… Silence her!”

“Hah! With pleasure!”

Medley got smacked in the face two more times. She was groaning in pain, unable to fight back. The bulky pegasus pressed his front hoof on Medley’s throat, trying to choke her. She was struggling, but only briefly.

“Can’t breathe…! Everything… going dark…! Help!”

“Relax! I’ll finish you in a moment…” the bulky pegasus said to her.

“Not so fast, buster!”

With a loud yell, Rainbow Dash pierced through the cloud, thrusting her back leg forward, aiming to deliver a flying kick to one of the Exiles. The bulky pegasus, although surprised, managed to duck and avoid being hit, but his companion wasn’t so lucky. Rainbow’s hit sent the pegasus spiraling downward. Dash reached him and delivered a series of punches straight to his gut. One more kick in the face sealed her opponent’s fate.

“Damn! An ambush!” Wing Edge exclaimed. “We have to retreat!”

The bulky pegasus stopped choking Medley, but before he flew upward, he hit her in the face one more time, causing blood to dribble from her lips.

“You’re lucky, shorty!”

Fluttershy saw him punching Medley. Just as he was taking off, she flew over to him and appeared right before his face, surprising him. Fluttershy’s expression was angry, but her voice was strangely calm when she said to him:

“I’m sorry. I can’t let you leave.”

The bulky pegasus laughed.

“Ha, ha! Oh yeah? And how are you gonna stop me?!”

In response, Fluttershy smiled briefly.

“I’ll kick you.”

“Huh…?”

The next moment, Fluttershy thrusted her right rear leg square into the bulky pegasus’ gut, causing him to bend forward in pain. Immediately after, she followed up with a chop to his neck. Finally, she wrapped her arms around him and looked deep into his eyes, saying:

“Hurting my friend was your last mistake. Rainbow!”

Fluttershy let the bulky pegasus go. He couldn’t force his wings to flap. Rainbow saw him falling. She quickly flew toward him, reared her right arm back and delivered a devastating uppercut to his jaw. The bulky pegasus fell down into the cold water below.

“He’s done,” Rainbow quipped.

Fluttershy approached Medley, who finally managed to recover from the beating.

“Are you all right?”

Medley coughed up a few times before she replied.

“I… I think so…”

Wind Edge was the only one left. He came to a realization that the tables turned on him.

“This ain’t how I pictured it…!” he said to himself before turning around and bolting.

“He’s getting away! I’ll stop him!” said Rainbow.

“No…! He’s mine!” Medley exclaimed, getting up from the cloud and flying after him.

Rainbow didn’t even have time to call her out to stop. Wind Edge quickly noticed that Medley was chasing him. While he initially thought to lead her toward the port area so she could be gunned down by the anti-aircraft fire, he had a thought. He started circling around the area, forcing Medley to tail him. She was frustrated that her opponent was toying with her and not taking her seriously.

“Hmph. Aren’t you persistent!” Wind Edge exclaimed.

He suddenly turned around and started flying back to the port. Medley picked up the speed, her sight focused ahead…

“You’re not getting away from me!” she yelled.

Wind Edge reached for something in his bag…

“Wanna bet?” he asked quietly.

The pegasus slowed down and turned around to face Medley. Surprised, she slowed down herself. Wind Edge reared back, throwing a small, round object at the Mirage flier…

“Catch!”

About two seconds later, a bright burst of light engulfed the area. Medley stopped, hovering in place. She let out a scream and covered her eyes, thrashing around in pain.

“AAAHH!!! M-My eyes! Help!”

Rainbow and Fluttershy finally caught up to her. Rainbow made a quick decision.

“Go help her! I’ll deal with that creep!”

Fluttershy nodded in response. Rainbow picked up the speed, disappearing in the clouds ahead, while Fluttershy got closer to Medley.

“Calm down,” she pleaded.

“F-Fluttershy?” Medley asked in a high-pitched voice. “W-Where are you?! I can’t see…!”

“I’m right next to you. Don’t worry!”

Fluttershy touched her with her hoof. Medley still covered her eyes.

“M-My eyes… burning…!” she yelped. “Help me…!”

Fluttershy instructed Medley to calm down first, then told her to keep her eyes closed for a few more seconds, then to uncover her face and finally, slowly open her eyelids. When Medley did that, she squeaked in pain as she was seeing things more clearly now.

“Uhh… too bright…!”

“Open them slowly… little by little... Do you see me?” Fluttershy asked.

Medley rubbed her eyes.

“So… blurry…”

“Don’t worry. Your sight will return to normal in a few seconds.”

“For a moment, I thought my eyeballs were going to burst out…” Medley said quietly.

Rainbow Dash returned back to her friends. She seemed annoyed.

“Horseapples!” she cursed loudly.

“Rainbow! Did he…” Fluttershy inquired.

“He got away,” Rainbow confirmed. “I’ve lost him in the clouds. Bastard is pretty fast.”

The blue flier looked at Medley. She could see that Rainbow was anything but pleased. Medley lowered her sight in regret.

“I… I’m sorry… I thought I had things under control, but… I screwed up… again... I’m…!”

“Come on, Kid, pull yourself together!” Rainbow interrupted her whining. “That wasn’t your fault. Who would knew that guy had a flashbang with him?”

“A… whatbang?” Medley asked.

“I’ll tell you later. First, I’d better contact Captain Bluehaze and tell him everything.”

Saying this, Rainbow reached for her communicator, adjusted the frequency and said:

“Luminescence, this is Mirage 1. We have a problem…”

“They saw you?!” Bluehaze exclaimed.

“‘Afraid so, Cap,” Rainbow replied. “The Exile that escaped will probably sound the alarm.”

The earth pony closed his eyes for a brief moment. When he spoke to Rainbow again, his voice was full of vigor.

“No matter. Whether we will fight in the bay or on open waters, we’re going to break through their fleet and reclaim Fillydelphia! After all, this is what we came here to do! Stay where you are. We will reach you shortly.”

“Roger.”

Captain Bluehaze changed the frequency in his own radio and proclaimed:

“Attention all EAF units! This is Captain Bluehaze of the Luminescence. I want all available pegasi to assemble on the main decks and be ready for takeoff. All troops to battle stations! Ready the guns!”

1120 hrs

When Wind Edge finally returned to the Fillydelphia port, he went straight to the outskirts of the city. There, a large bronze dragon was waiting on the plains. He growled when the pegasus approached him.

“What do you want?” he asked.

“The enemy is approaching, General Gyges!” Wind Edge replied.

Gyges seemed unfazed by this news.

“So they are… Then you know what you must do. Destroy them!”

“What about you?”

“I’m here as an emergency plan, so to speak, in case you’ve forgotten… You should take care of them without my help.”

Wind Edge frowned.

“You sound confident, dragon.”

Gyges growled again.

“And you… You shouldn’t be relying on my assistance. Remember, we are not friends. I am here only because my King Brother ordered me to. You must fight your own battles… unless you are a coward by heart.”

“I’m not!” Wind Edge retorted.

“Hmph. The sound of your voice doesn’t sound very convincing. … Go and prove your worth alongside your comrades… or die with them.”

Wind Edge couldn’t understand Gyges’ behaviour. Still, not wanting to anger him, he complied and left. Gyges watched him fly back to the port.

“Fools… the lot of them. Like lambs to the slaughter. All in the name of some foolish ideals...” he said to himself.

1130 hrs

After several minutes of waiting, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy and Medley finally started picking up friendly signals on their radars. The 1st Fleet was approaching. About a dozen red dots appeared as well from the opposite side. The two fleets were about to engage in a battle.

“Captain, we got visual. The Exiles are advancing!” Rainbow exclaimed.

“So, they’ve decided to come out and face us openly, eh?” Bluehaze’s voice replied. “All for the better. I have all soldiers on standby. As soon as we get within firing range, we’ll shower them with lead. Rendezvous with our pegasi forces. I want you girls to keep the skies clean.”

“You got it, sir!” Rainbow assured him.

Medley started wiggling in place, impatient. When Rainbow told her about flashbangs — grenade-like items that produce a blinding flash of light upon detonation and can be used to temporarily render anypony without protecting goggles vulnerable to attacks — she was on a collision course with Wind Edge.

“I still can’t believe he tricked me! When I meet him again, I’m gonna knock his jaw straight off his face!” the green flier exclaimed.

Fluttershy looked at her, disturbed by her statement, but Rainbow only chuckled.

“At least you still got spirit, Kid. Just watch yourself. Come on, let’s get going!”

The three pegasi descended toward friendly ships. All preparations were already finished. Twilight Sparkle and her unicorn battalion promised to defend Luminescence from enemy attacks. Applejack’s team was prepared for eventual boarding attempts and fending off the assailants. All pegasi were only waiting for permission to take off and engage the enemy.

Just then, Captain Bluehaze’s voice sounded in their radio speakers.

“All units, we’ll have a Wonderbolt operator monitoring our operation. I’m opening a comm link…”

A mature and calm male voice sounded.

“Ahem… This is Heavy Cloud. I’ll be monitoring this combat op. As this is going to be a naval battle, I want you to keep one thing in mind: the enemy isn’t just going to sit there and take it. The Exiles will also be going our own fleet, so you need to defend as well as attack. Keep your eyes on the battle situation and adjust your roles properly. All units, you are cleared to engage!”

“Roger that, Heavy Cloud,” said Captain Bluehaze.

As Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy and Medley got closer to the 1st Fleet, two pegasi squadrons took off from Luminescence. Fluttershy recognized them. They were the ones that Big Bear assigned from his post in Stalliongrad. Rainbow switched frequency to contact them.

“This is Mirage 1, do you read?”

“Roger, Mirage,” one of the pegasi responded. “This is Sova 1. We’re going to be your eyes in the sky. We’ll keep a lookout for enemy air units.”

“This is Osa 1, Mirage,” another voice sounded. “We will co-operate with Sova to keep the skies under control. We welcome any support from you.”

“Understood, Osa. Let’s move!” Rainbow replied.

The two squadrons joined them in formation. Soon, they found the first three enemy ships ahead: two frigates and a corvette. Two pegasi from Osa squadron were wearing strapped-on machine guns and could engage the units directly. But before that idea was even suggested, Medley noticed additional signals on her radar. Enemy pegasi were near.

“Let’s keep them busy for a while!” Rainbow ordered.

Though their foes were prepared for a fight, Rainbow’s quick moves prevented them from keeping focus on their surroundings, as they had trouble keeping up with her. The pegasi from Osa squadron took care of the assailants. Within the next few minutes, the two fleets finally engaged in combat. A barrage of bullets and missiles followed from both sides. The pegasi took off from carriers as well. Rainbow’s team was reinforced with Lancer and Sweeper squadrons, as well as a Garnet squadron from the Crystal Empire.

“All units, destroy the enemy ships and clear the skies of enemy pegasi! Mirage, I leave the command of our air force to you,” Captain Bluehaze’s voice sounded.

“We won’t let you down, sir,” Rainbow assured him. “All right everypony, let’s get’em!”

One of the crystal ponies from Garnet squadron contacted Rainbow.

“This is Garnet 1. We’ve got the bombs to blow the enemy ships up. We’ll need you to provide support for us, Mirage.”

“Understood. Let us know when you’re ready to attack.”

Rainbow and her friends flew next to the five crystal ponies, each carrying a large bomb. The Osa squadron went ahead to keep some of enemy fliers busy. When the Garnet squadron got a visual of the three enemy ships, they started their attack run. Rainbow Dash and Medley prevented two Exile pegasi that tried to interfere. This allowed the crystal ponies to drop their bombs on both frigates and the corvette. All three went down to the bottom after a series of explosions. The enemy fleet had been weakened.

“Garnet, good work down there,” one of the Osa fliers praised them.

“Thank you, Osa,” Garnet 1 replied. “We’re heading back to Luminescence to get more bombs. We’ll deal with the enemy battle cruiser next.”

“Sounds good to me,” said Rainbow.

Her team went to help Quick Chaser and his Sweeper squadron against some Exile fliers, who were heading toward the 1st Fleet ships. The four bomb-carrying pegasi were escorted by another squadron, but once Mirage and Sweeper engaged them, the bombers panicked, releasing their bombs early. They fell into water and sank. One of the bombers picked up the speed and tried to reach the ships anyway, but was stopped by Medley’s diving attack.

While Captain Bluehaze kept observing the battle, he noticed that the enemy fleet had split, leaving one of the battle cruisers unprotected. He ordered the Garnet squadron to take it out. However, when the crystal ponies started their attack run, their bombs were destroyed in midair by an intense gatling gun barrage. Sova squadron attempted to act as a distraction, but it didn’t work. One of its fliers tried activating a jamming signal, a chaff, but he got wounded in the right wing in the process. Still, the gunfire barrage seemed to have weakened for a short time. The squadron leader relayed to the others about his discovery.

“This is Sova 1. We may have a solution to this barrage. Their guns can’t seem to handle targeting multiple targets at once. We should perform a saturation attack and strike it from all angles!”

“I’m liking this plan,” Quick Chaser replied. “My team is ready whenever you are!”

“All right. Mirage and Sweeper squadron will provide Garnet squadron with distraction. Try to keep the barrage on you. Osa squadron, use your machine gun fire to destroy the guns on the cruiser,” Heavy Cloud ordered. “You’ll need to succeed on the first try!”

“This is Osa 1, roger. We’re starting the attack!”

As Rainbow’s team and Quick Chaser’s squadron kept circling around the battle cruiser, keeping most of the gunfire on them and still avoiding getting hit, the two Osa fliers dived down toward the main deck and quickly disabled the gatling guns. The Garnet squadron just returned with another set of bombs, ready to drop them. While Mirage and Sweeper squadron still kept the cruiser’s crew main focus on them, the crystal ponies performed a successful attack run. The five bombs were dropped down, causing fires on the most important points of the ship, including near the ammo dump. When the flames reached it, a huge explosion ripped a hole in the ship’s deck, sending the battle cruiser and most of its crew to the bottom.

“That was some wicked explosion!” Medley exclaimed.

“Heavy Cloud, advise all teams: one of the cruisers is out of the game,” Rainbow Dash reported to the Wonderbolt.

“All right, that’s what I’d like to hear. Continue the attack and help in taking out the remaining ships.”

Wind Edge and his wingmates were observing the battle cruiser’s destruction. Victory was slipping away from the Exiles. They needed help, and they needed it now. The pegasus in the yellow vest tuned his communicator to contact Gyges.

“Think you’re tough, eh? Well, let’s see how you’ll handle him…”

“What?! You can’t be serious!” Gyges roared when he heard Wind Edge’s report.

“I’m dead serious, General. The cruiser’s history. We need you here!”

Gyges let out a frustrating growl before replying.

“Fine. I will be there soon.”

He cut the link and muttered to himself.

“Those idiots… They would never have gotten this far with our assistance. I guess it’s time to take this matter into my own claws.”

The bronze dragon spread his wings, ready to fly...

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”

Hearing the new, gruff voice, Gyges turned his head around.

“Who are you?!”

His eyes rested on a gray, scarred pegasus with a blue mane.

“Don’t let that concern you now. We need to talk… General.”

Gyges glared at the mysterious intruder. He felt that he had something important to tell him…

1200 hrs

The Exiles’ fleet suffered greater damage with an Aegis-class ship and another corvette being destroyed by Daybreak and Nightfall’s combined assault. Not even an attempt to teleport a strike group from the carrier into Luminescence for a boarding was successful. Twilight Sparkle, along with other unicorns, created enough chaos in the enemy ranks with their own magic spells to allow Applejack and her company to literally kick the Exiles off the deck and into the water. Shortly after that, the enemy carrier came into firing range of Daybreak and Nightfall’s guns and artillery. The two ships, along with Garnet squadron performing another attack run, successfully sank it.

Wind Edge was losing his composure. He had only one choice left.

“My Lady, this is Volt 1, please respond!”

“... What is it?” Aurora’s voice sounded.

“My Lady, our fleet… It’s almost gone. We need immediate assistance!”

“Calm yourself, Wind Edge. What about General Gyges?”

“He’s not responding. I’ve tried to contact him several times…”

After a brief moment of silence, Aurora spoke confidently.

“Fear not. I felt that he cannot be fully trusted, so I’ve prepared a little backup myself. You will see soon enough…”

Wind Edge didn’t know what she meant, but hoped that her statement was correct. Dark clouds from over Fillydelphia finally reached the sea battlefield, completely covering the sun.

Meanwhile, the EAF managed to gain a great advantage in the battle. Heavy Cloud noted that the enemy fleet only had three major ships left: a battlecruiser, an Aegis-class ship and a destroyer. In the meantime, the 1st Fleet only lost one frigate and had two other ships damaged. Once the last few enemy ships were gone, there would be nothing standing between the 1st Fleet and reaching Fillydelphia… or so they thought.

“Continue to engage the enemy,” Heavy Cloud ordered. “We’re well on our way to—”

“Wait!” Fluttershy suddenly interjected.

Her radar caught a new signature about 20 kilometers away from the main battlefield. It matched a pattern she’d seen before...

“Missile fired from enemy sub!” she shrieked.

“What?!” Medley exclaimed.

“Get out of there, Medley! And everypony else, too!” Fluttershy urged.

Rainbow also realized what was going on.

“C’mon, everypony! Get your altitude about 5000 feet!”

Heavy Cloud caught on everything, too.

“Submarine missile launch confirmed! It’s most likely a burst missile, with multiple warheads that separate in mid-air! Get above 5000 feet and stand by!”

Just as the pegasi were starting to gain altitude, Heavy Cloud said:

“Wait… I’m getting a command override from somewhere. ‘Data link to White Bird…’ What is this?”

A few more seconds later, something started shining up in the sky. A beam of energy rippled through the dark clouds, targeting an area away from the main battlefield. Most ponies stopped dead where they were upon seeing this phenomenon. When the beam disappeared, Heavy Cloud’s voice had a mixture of relief and amazement in it.

“Missile vaporised in midair!”

“What was that? The sky just lit up!” Medley exclaimed.

“We’ve seen this somewhere before…” Fluttershy wondered. “Was that…?”

Then, a new, yet familiar sounding female voice spoke through the ponies’ headphones.

“This is the White Bird… I will protect you from the missiles.”

That voice brought a new dose of confidence into the EAF soldiers. Heavy Cloud announced:

“Missile destroyed by an energy beam! It’s the White Bird! We’ve got the White Bird. All units, continue engaging the enemy!”

At the same time, the Exiles were utterly confused when they learned their attack had failed.

“The missile disappeared!”

“What’s going on?!”

“What was that? What happened?!”

Wind Edge tried to keep the situation under control, but this confusion allowed the Sova squadron to search for the source of the launch. They soon reported their discovery.

“This is Sova 1! We’ve detected a submarine operating outside the combat sector by sonobuoy. Sound pattern analysis produces a match with the Scinfaxi.”

“Scinfaxi, huh… Can you confirm its exact location?” Heavy Cloud asked.

“Negative. Still looking for that, comrade,” Sova 1 responded. “They will most likely attempt to fire another missile. Maybe then..."

“Understood. Continue your search. Report once you discover it. White Bird, do you copy?”

“... Yes, I copy,” the female voice replied.

“We’ll send you the data as soon as we detect another missile. We’re counting on you.”

Now the Exile’s secret weapon had been unveiled. Their powerful submarine was somewhere nearby, and the fact that their other ships were potentially threatened by White Bird’s attack didn’t help. Wind Edge didn’t know what to do.

But the Garnet squadron did. Using the confusion, they managed to conduct another successful attack run and showered the Exile destroyer with guided penetration bombs. The ship was blown to little pieces.

As Sova 1 predicted, Scinfaxi’s crew prepared another burst missile and launched it, not intimidated by the initial failure. Sova squadron intercepted the signal. Heavy Cloud then linked the data to White Bird. Within the next twenty seconds, a second beam of light pierced through the clouds, destroying the missile.

“All right! We did it!” Heavy Cloud exclaimed.

Seeing the situation turn in their favor, one of the crystal ponies from Garnet squadron made a somersault in midair to express his joy.

“We’re going to make it back. I know it!”

Osa and Lancer squadrons attacked together. They managed to disable the Aegis-class ships’ CIWS, which could prevent the bombs or missiles from reaching their destination. The ship was left wide open to be attacked. One guided penetration bomb thrown by a bomber pegasus was enough to sink it. All that was left now was the battle cruiser.

Just as Garnet was heading back to Luminescence to get some more bombs, Rainbow Dash and her team focused the cruiser’s attention on themselves.

“Rainbow, you think this ‘White Bird’ can avoid hitting us?” Medley asked.

“Yeah, it seems to be highly accurate,” Rainbow replied. “I wonder if that is who I think it is…”

The Exiles were completely overwhelmed. The few remaining soldiers under Wind Edge’s command had no concept on how to deal with White Bird’s assistance. But he was not about to give up.

“We haven’t lost yet!” he assured his troops as he sent a coded message to the Scinfaxi.

The Sova squadron was still patrolling the area outside the main battlefield and noticed several signals appearing at once. Those few signals filled them with dread.

“Oh, no! They are launching more missiles! Number 3, number 4, number 5… There’s too many!”

“They want to sink us that badly, huh?” Captain Bluehaze wondered. “Well, bring’em on! Our ships are reinforced. We can take a burst missile or two. They won’t stop us!”

Meanwhile, the Garnet squadron was just about to perform a saturation attack on the Exile cruiser and deliver the finishing blow. When they heard about the multiple missile launch, they didn’t hesitate.

“We’re going to finish this! Mirage, cover us!” Garnet 1 hailed. “All attackers, follow me!”

“White Bird, please protect us!” Fluttershy requested. “The crystal ponies will get killed!”

“Get out of there, guys! Climb!” Rainbow Dash urged.

A third beam of light shot through the clouds. Heavy Cloud confirmed that the missile was destroyed. But two more were still coming...

“Looks like you spoke too soon, Garnet 3…” one of the crystal pegasi said solemnly.

“I-I’m sorry, sir…”

“It’s all right… At least we’ll do what we have to do. Garnet squadron, sink that cruiser!”

All five pegasi descended, clasping bombs in their hooves. Once they were within distance, they dropped their payload onto the Exile cruiser. The explosions ripped the ship’s deck in half, forcing many ponies aboard it to abandon it.

“Direct hit! Great job… Garnet squadron,” the leader praised his wingmates.

There were only ten seconds left to the missiles’ impact… Rainbow Dash and Medley kept on shouting to the crystal ponies to climb and escape the incoming attack. But the Garnet fliers knew they were not going to make it. Though most of the pegasi from EAF were outside of the blast zone, some were still struggling to reach a safe altitude.

The burst missiles went off. The five crystal pegasi disappeared amidst the fireballs. Only their horrifying screams were heard for a brief second and then… nothing but static.

When the fireballs dissipated, they were gone. No signal or trace left of them… Nothing. Several other pegasi were also killed. Those who were lucky only suffered burns on wings or legs. Most of the 1st Fleet’s ships, including Luminescence, also ended up in the explosion’s radius, though most units were still operational.

The Exile fleet got wiped out, but one target was still elusive.

“They’re gone…” Fluttershy whimpered.

“Damnit! They’re going to pay for this!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed. “Captain Bluehaze, are you all right?”

Heavy breathing answered the blue flier at first, followed by an male voice.

“I’m still here. So are your friends and my crew. Most of them managed to hide inside the ships in time. Unfortunately, most of our anti-air guns got fried by the missiles… At least the enemy fleet is no longer a factor… much.”

“We have to find Scinfaxi… Sova squadron, what’s your status?” Heavy Cloud asked.

“Still nothing... We can’t get a bead on that monster,” Sova 1 replied. “Hang on. We’re dropping a new sonobuoy.”

When it seemed that the situation looked uncertain, the female voice, sounding much more tired than before, made a request.

“Sova 1, this is White Bird… Requesting sonobuoy data link.”

“... Roger. We’re sending it to you now. What are you going to do?”

“I still have… enough power to do… this…!”

Another beam of light, much bigger than the previous three, was fired into the water. The clouds partially dispersed, revealing the sun. Nopony was certain what was this about, but Sova 1 quickly made a positive report.

“Explosion in the water! The beam damaged the submerged Scinfaxi! Picking up sounds of main ballast blow. The Scinfaxi’s surfacing!”

About thirty seconds later, a massive submarine, nearly 300 meters long, emerged. This intimidating sight briefly halted all ponies in place. On it sides was an emblem that resembled a black and red sun, looking vaguely similar to Princess Celestia’s cutie mark. In addition, it had three black stars surrounding it.

“It’s huge…” said Fluttershy.

Heavy Cloud managed to keep a cool head.

“Looks like it lost its diving ability. It’s floating like a cork! All units, commence attack!”

Wind Edge wasn’t expecting for things to turn around so drastically for the Exiles.

“Shoot! Scinfaxi surfaced! We must defend it!”

His squadron soon got reinforced by additional pegasus fighters that took off from the large ship. There were about twenty of them.

“Sova squadron, stand by,” Heavy Cloud ordered. “Mirage, Sweeper, Lancer, engage the enemy fliers if you see an opportunity!”

“Roger that!” Rainbow Dash replied. “Take’em down, guys!”

Scinfaxi’s armor was incredibly durable, and the submarine itself wasn’t harmless. Its guns kept shooting toward the EAF pegasi and it still could launch another burst missile. Unfortunately, White Bird informed Heavy Cloud that they must deal with this threat themselves. When Scinfaxi fired another burst missile, it was away from the 1st Fleet. Now it was up to the pegasi to finish this battle. The remaining fliers managed to safely reached 5000 feet altitude. As some Exile fliers tried to follow them, two fighters from Lancer squadron sent them downwards with some precise punches, causing the Exiles to be incinerated by the burst missile’s explosions.

Wind Edge saw that and he was slowly losing control of his emotions. He went to confront the fliers from Mirage squadron directly.

“You guys are a real thorn in Lady Aurora’s side! We’re going to finish you!”

“What are you, dumb?” Rainbow said to him. “Look around you. You guys are outnumbered and outmatched. It would be best if you just fly away while you can.”

Wind Edge only laughed. Medley noticed that he still had a bag wrapped around his body.

“Let’s see if you’re so tough…”

He reached for his bag and pulled out another round object.

“... without your sight!”

Wind Edge tossed another flashbang toward Rainbow, Fluttershy and Medley. Even though they managed to shield their eyes at the last moment, they were still stunned by a sudden burst of light. Seeing his attack as successful, Wind Edge tried to strike Fluttershy with a vicious punch. But instead, he was the one who got hit in the face. Though he recovered, the pegasus was taken completely off guard.

“What the hay…?”

“Did you really think that was going to work?!” an energetic, youthful voice reached him. Medley was hovering right before him.

“H-How did you…!” Wind Edge stammered.

“Cheap tricks are not enough to take us down, punk!” Medley exclaimed. “Now I’ll pay you back!”

She charged toward Wind Edge with a loud yell, delivering another punch to his face. Medley followed up with a series of quick strikes to his chest and a kick to his stomach. Wind Edge was stunned by the force of the blow. Medley flew over her opponent. She then dived at him with her rear legs first, hitting him in the back. Wind Edge felt down into the water.

“And stay down!” Medley shouted after him.

Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy finally regained their sight. When they got closer to Medley, they were relieved to see that she didn’t fall for Wind Edge’s surprise attack. While he was keeping them busy, Scinfaxi was preparing to launch another burst missile. The attacks from the EAF pegasi were doing little damage. The ships from the 1st Fleet were told to remain away from the missile’s blast radius.

Rainbow quickly turned toward Luminescence and returned a few seconds later, carrying a guided penetration bomb. She glanced at Medley.

“Kid, I think we oughta turn that thing into scrap. Whaddya say?”

Medley nodded.

“I’m with you, Rainbow!”

The two fliers held the bomb firmly in their hooves and began descending quickly, toward the submarine. They were greeted by a barrage of machine gun fire, but just by maneuvering to left and right, they managed to avoid it. When they were just 800 feet away from the ship, the bomb’s mechanism locked on to it and the fliers dropped it. Medley winced when she felt a bullet grazing her left wing. Rainbow also made a painful grin — one of the bullets hit her left rear leg, as the two ponies turned away from their target.

It really didn’t matter. A few seconds later, the bomb hit Scinfaxi, causing a big explosion. The massive submarine started diving slowly. Smoke was coming from it. Some fliers were afraid that it could get away… but just as the submarine almost disappeared from sight, another, bigger explosion occurred, shooting the water around it upward.

All ponies from the Equestrian Allied Forces started celebrating loudly. Captain Bluehaze, having seen the explosion, breathed heavily out, saying “Good show” to himself. Heavy Cloud attempted to contact White Bird to tell her about the success, but there was no response initially. However, another female voice sounded in everypony’s headphones.

“This is Black Bird. White Bird is currently resting. She will be fine. Well done, brave ponies. You have earned this victory.”

Now it became clear to the EAF troops that the “White Bird” was none other than Princess Celestia herself! By channeling her magic and directing it toward the sun, she could focus a beam of energy to be fired from a long distance, making it appear as if it was shot from the sun itself. Princess Luna helped her older sister in channeling magical energy during the fourth attack, which uncovered Scinfaxi’s location and exposed it. Heavy Cloud was in contact with them the entire time, providing both alicorns with necessary battle data. If it weren’t for the Royal Sisters’ support, the casualties on the EAF’s end would become much more severe.

The battle was over. Scinfaxi sank to the bottom of the sea along with nearly 700 soldiers that remained onboard. Both sides suffered great damage in this fight. The entire Exile fleet was obliterated due to combined efforts of the 1st Fleet, the pegasi fliers and the princess’ support. The Exiles lost over 2000 soldiers, while EAF’s initial reports mentioned about 30 pegasi killed, including the entire Garnet squadron from the Crystal Empire, as well as nearly 850 earth ponies and unicorns killed or wounded by burst missiles or during the actual battle. The 1st Fleet lost only two ships, though two others were also heavily damaged and needed to be repaired.

Hoping to not encounter any additional trouble, Captain Bluehaze ordered his fleet and all allied ponies to head for Fillydelphia. But there was one more threat lurking there…

==========

1300 hrs
Fillydelphia outskirts

While the sea battle took place, Gyges was still conversing with the mysterious gray pegasus. The dragon turned his communicator off, so Wind Edge couldn’t contact him. He didn’t want to be disturbed. The pegasus gave him a sort of warning.

“You should run a check on this Aurora mare… She doesn’t look credible,” the gray flier said. “I don’t think her actions are motivated solely by desire to help her fellow ponies.”

“You’re saying… Lady Aurora has some sort of ulterior motive?” Gyges asked. “My Brother, the king, trusts her completely…”

“Doesn’t that bother you?” the pegasus interrupted him. “Didn’t you find it suspicious that a large group of ponies suddenly arrived in Drakonia’s vicinity and immediately paid themselves into the king’s favor?”

Gyges thought about it. It was true. He wasn’t very fond of Aurora and the Exiles since their arrival. But after his King Brother dismissed his worries years ago, saying Drakonia will flourish with riches and power once more, he wasn’t paying much attention to it. Now, after all that he heard, as well as some recent events in mind, doubts started to return to him…

“I suggest you return to your Brother and do a little investigation,” the gray pegasus said.

This, however, only angered the dragon, as he growled in frustration.

“Don’t try ordering me around! Why should I even believe you, stranger? Maybe you’re just trying to sow the seeds of strife between allies?! What is your stake in this, anyway?”

Before he got a reply, Gyges heard some screams from a distance. He looked behind and noticed a commotion happening in Fillydelphia.

“What’s going on?” he wondered aloud.

The mysterious pegasus smiled dimly.

“So… they actually did it.”

“What? … You mean…!” Gyges slowly realized what just happened.

“Yeah… the 1st Fleet will get to Fillydelphia shortly. And there’s nothing left of the Exiles’ ships to stop them,” the gray pegasus said calmly.

Gyges roared.

“Damn you! You’ve turned my attention away from the battle!”

“Not exactly… I only wanted to speak with you, General. I didn’t think they could actually win that battle… or destroy Scinfaxi. Yet they did. Seems like they had a bit of assistance… Do you think you have a chance against them? They could be weakened from the battle, but I still wouldn’t take the risk of taking them on, if I were you...”

Gyges could hardly believe it. Did the powerful submarine really sink? The bronze dragon tried to come up with a possible solution. To the Exiles remaining in the city, he was most likely their last hope. He heard how some of them were expressing worries of what would “Celestia’s servants” do to them, if they were to lose control over Fillydelphia.

The gray pegasus spoke again.

“If you have even a little piece of common sense left, you’ll take my advice, General. Believe me, that is for the best.”

Gyges looked at the stranger, glaring at his face. He knew this was no ordinary pegasus… Finally, after a brief silence, the dragon nodded his head.

“Very well. Though your words are hard to believe, I know that you are not lying. The dragons can see through anyone’s lies and are not easy to trick.”

“Hmm… I wonder…” the pegasus muttered quietly.

Gyges didn’t look like he heard that.

“You came to face me without an ounce of fear, too… Just who are you, stranger? Won’t you tell me your name?”

The mysterious flier seemed slightly annoyed when he replied.

“My name is not important. I’m just a phantom… a phantom created and fueled by conflict. Wherever the flames of war ignite, I follow. I have seen many terrifying things… Forgive me if I sound rude, General, but a single dragon is hardly intimidating to me. Besides...“

He paused for a moment before he got closer and looked sternly at Gyges.

“... You’re not the first dragon I have met in my life.”

That one sentence made Gyges ponder on the identity of this pegasus. He squinted his eyes.

“... I see,” he replied after a moment. “In that case, ‘phantom,’ I will look into this matter. Perhaps I’ll find answers to some questions that are troubling me…”

“Perhaps… Maybe,” said the pegasus.

He then watched as Gyges spread his wings and take off the ground, heading in the direction opposite of Fillydelphia. The commotion in the city only got louder. The gray pegasus acknowledged this turn of events with a smirk.

“Now… one more thing to do…” he said to himself, as he flew toward the Bridle Shores.

1310 hrs

Unbeknownst to Medley, Wind Edge managed to survive her retaliation. He managed to swim almost all the way to Fillydelphia, despite feeling pain in his back. When he got some of his strength back, he flew up to try and get to Gyges and order him to protect the city. Just as he was getting closer to the city area, he noticed the dragon spreading his wings… and flying away. Wind Edge was furious:

“Come back here!” he yelled. “COME BACK, YOU TRAITOR! Dammit! DAMMIT, that bastard! Oh, no… Lady Aurora will not forgive you for this! She will hear it all…!”

“She won’t be hearing anything from you.”

A gruff, yet calm voice caused the Exile flier to look behind him. He saw an unfamiliar face: a gray pegasus without a vest.

“W-Who are you?!”

The gray pegasus didn’t answer. Wind Edge was in a combative mood.

“Look dude, if you don’t wanna get your face messed up more than it already is, I suggest you back off and—”

“Silence!”

The mysterious flier spoke with a tone of anger in his voice. This, along with his grim expression, managed to intimidate the Exile flier.

“You dare to call yourself a soldier…? You keep on using others to do your dirty work. In battle, you only resolve yourself to dirty tricks. And you flee on the first sight of trouble or when you find yourself in danger. Punks like you… Loathsome cowards like you is what I hate the most.”

“S-Shut up!” Wind Edge blurted out. “I’m not a coward, damnit! What do you know?!”

The gray pegasus ignored that sentence. He started getting closer to Wind Edge, keeping his bloody red eyes focused on him. Wind Edge felt a cold chill slither through his spine. Everything was about to fall apart for the lime green pegasus…

“S-Stay away from me! You stay away!!!” he screamed.

When the mysterious flier was inches away from him, Wind Edge winced and closed his eyes, covering them with his front hooves. After a few seconds, he slowly opened them. The gray pegasus was gone. The Exile flier breathed in relief, thinking it was just a scary imagination…

“Whew… I’m safe.”

“Are you certain of that?”

That gruff voice… Wind Edge’s eyes widened in horror. He quickly turned around and saw the stranger again… only this time, he seemed much more demonic to him, with torn wings and glowing, red eyes. Was his tormented mind playing tricks on him…? A scream escaped his throat.

“You don’t deserve to be a soldier…”

Saying this sentence, the gray pegasus suddenly lunged toward Wind Edge and delivered a powerful punch to his gut, stunning the Exile flier. Then, he wrapped his right arm around Wind Edge’s neck and started punching him in the rib cage several times. With each hit, Wind Edge let out a terrified gasp.

Within the silence, only the harrowing sounds of strikes were heard. But no one was there to help Wind Edge. He was alone against a seemingly otherworldly foe that was much more powerful than him…

After several hits, Wind Edge started coughing up blood. He felt excruciating pain in his chest. The mysterious assailant most likely broke his ribs with his powerful attacks. He released his grip on the Exile, but Wind Edge heard one more statement before everything started fading before him:

“You don’t even deserve to live!”

Then, the gray pegasus hit him three more times in the face. The final punch was so strong that it snapped Wind Edge’s neck. He then fell down, into the water, and did not resurface this time. The mysterious flier looked at his blood-smeared hoof with satisfaction.

“One less piece of trash in the world…” he muttered to himself before flying upward and disappearing amidst the clouds.

1330 hrs
Fillydelphia

Captain Bluehaze received reports from Heavy Cloud that one of the Drake Generals was positively ID-ed to be remaining on the Fillydelphia outskirts. Rainbow Dash and her team weren’t feeling up to fighting him, but decided to fly ahead and inspect the situation. When they arrived to the port side, they saw something unlikely. Several Exiles that were remaining in the city as an emergency backup were waiting for them. But all of them were keeping their hooves up in the air, with weapons being tossed aside. There were about forty of them. When asked what they were doing, one of the Exiles said:

“We are surrendering. Further resistance is pointless. We were abandoned. Do whatever you want with us…”

Rainbow Dash and Medley were taken aback by that submissive attitude, but the green flier noticed that the dragon that Heavy Cloud mentioned was missing. Rainbow decided to contact the Wonderbolt operator and tell him the news.

“Heavy Cloud, this is Mirage 1. The situation is under control. The remaining Exiles have surrendered. The dragon is nowhere to be seen.”

“Huh? Really?” Heavy Cloud sounded positively surprised. “But I was certain that…”

“He must’ve got the word about us trashing the Exile fleet, so he decided to turn tail and run away while he could,” the blue flier said smugly.

“I don’t know… But still, this is great news. I’ll let Captain Bluehaze know right away. We’ve got a lot of wounded on our end. They must be taken to all available hospitals in the city for treatment. Can you help us with that, Mirage?”

“Sure thing, Heavy Cloud. We’ll keep an eye on these remnants until our guys get here. Rainbow out.”

The 1st Fleet finally reached the shores of Fillydelphia in the next few minutes. The Exiles were taken prisoner and escorted away. Twilight Sparkle and Applejack, as well as Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy and Medley helped guide those who were in the biggest need of medical assistance to the nearest hospitals. Things slowly started to settle down; the citizens of Fillydelphia welcomed their liberators warmly.

As Medley was helping one of the soldiers of the battle cruiser Nightfall, she noticed a body floating on the water, close to the beachhead. When she got closer to it, she recognized Wind Edge. The green flier pulled him to dry land and had Fluttershy examine him. He had multiple broken ribs, bruises, and his head was bobbing freely upon being budged, indicating a broken neck. Medley knew that she couldn’t have crippled Wind Edge this much with her attacks. She decided to tell Rainbow about this later, but she got so preoccupied with helping the wounded that she wasn’t really that bothered by it. The ponies from Mirage squadron were then dragged by the Cutie Mark Crusaders to join in the celebration of the EAF victory.

By the end of the day, Fillydelphia was finally free of Exile control, and Heavy Cloud announced that Operation Eternal Liberation can now enter its second phase. Now that the control on both east and west was maintained, the Equestrian Allied Forces were to rally in one point and prepare for an offensive toward Canterlot, in hopes to topple Aurora’s usurpation of the castle.

Little did they knew that Aurora, despite losing a powerful asset in her army, still had a plan that could help her in ultimately overthrowing Celestia, as well as removing the one obstacle that kept getting in her way…

Author's Note

The fragment of the song at the beginning was inspired by "99 Red Balloons" by Nena (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2zxHuze_Gw)

Chapter 12: My Own Way

Within the cold walls of the castle,

The usurpers are bringing their hopes to live.

A rebellious soul struggles for its worth.

Will she choose wisely or poorly?

Chapter 12

My Own Way

August 29th, 2021
1100 hrs
Canterlot Castle, dungeonsWhen Phalanx and his fellow Royal Guards were captured by Aurora’s troops following the Canterlot takeover, they were taken into the dungeons located deep below the castle. They had been mostly unused, since rarely anypony committed a crime severe enough to be thrown into this dark, damp place. But now, Aurora put them to good use, keeping the armored ponies locked for many weeks since the rest of Equestrian Allied Forces and the princesses were forced to evacuate to the Crystal Empire.

At first, 45 Royal Guards were kept together in seven separate cells. However, as days and eventually weeks passed, Phalanx noticed something unnerving. Some of his troops were occasionally visited by Aurora herself, and on the next day, they were gone. He suspected that they must have been taken to be interrogated for info about the EAF or the princesses. But since Phalanx specifically instructed his fellow guards to never tell Aurora anything, they were most likely executed after failed attempts to get information.

Right now, there were only ten Royal Guards left. Phalanx shared a cell with one of them, named Silver Shield. He was lying on the cold ground, devoid of sleep and looking to be in poor condition, unlike Phalanx. He, too, was taken by Aurora’s Exiles for interrogation, but for some reason, they were ordered by the alicorn to not kill him. The white unicorn didn’t know why, and he didn’t really consider himself to be lucky in this situation.

Phalanx turned his head to face the corner of the cell where his companion was lying.

“Silver Shield…” he said quietly, “can you hear me?”

“Y-Yes, sir…” Silver Shield replied weakly. “I’m… fine.”

“You look terrible. Try to get some sleep.”

Silver Shield slowly stood up.

“Tried. But… I keep thinking about our comrades. They were all here with us… Now there’s only a few of us left. Sir… How is it that you still look so strong after we’ve been here for so long? I can’t even remember when we were thrown into these dungeons…”

Phalanx looked to the wall to the right, where tally marks were drawn on the wall using his own hoof to keep track of time. The unicorn examined it briefly before saying:

“We’ve been here for over 40 days. And it troubles me that our numbers grow weaker at almost a daily basis. Every day, that witch comes down here and tries to convince our soldiers to join her. And the next day… they are taken away to never return.”

“I know, sir…” said Silver Shield. “Maybe… Maybe my sight is playing tricks on me, but… I thought I saw Iron Hoof wandering the corridors of the prison a few days ago… Maybe I was just imagining it.”

“Most likely. But do not lose hope, friend. I am certain that Princesses Celestia and Luna haven’t forgotten about us. I spoke with them during the siege of Canterlot before they retreated to the Crystal Empire with our remaining forces. She promised to come back and save us.”

Silver Shield smiled dimly.

“They will return, that’s a given. I just wonder… if there will be anypony left here to save when they do…”

Before Phalanx could reply, he heard the echoing sounds of hoofsteps getting louder.

“Somepony is coming,” he said. “It’s probably that witch again. Remember, my soldiers; don’t tell her anything.”

The guards replied with a brief: “Yes sir!” just before the metallic door to the dungeons opened. Phalanx was right. Aurora Starlight came to see them, assisted by two Exiles guards.

“Greetings, my brave guards,” she said mockingly. “How have you fared today?”

About a dozen of Royal Guards remained silent. Their only response was an angry glare.

“Seems you’re not in a mood to talk… Oh well, that’s all right. Your foolish attempts to defy me will soon end…”

One of the Royal Guards stood up and shouted:

“Spare us this mockery, usurper! You’re the one who will end soon!”

Phalanx looked at a unicorn in a cell directly in front of him.

“Steelback…”, he thought, afraid of what may happen to him for that outburst.

Aurora turned her sight to Phalanx.

“You should keep your companions in check, Captain.”

She came a bit closer, looking into his eyes.

“I can see the worry on your face… You must be wondering what happens to your fellow guards when they leave the dungeons, no?”

Phalanx only growled in frustration. Aurora chuckled.

“Don’t worry, I won’t be keeping you in the dark anymore. Watch…”

The female alicorn turned around and approached the cell where Steelback was kept. He was in a combative mood.

“Don’t try your tricks on me! I’ll never tell you where the Royal Sisters are!”

“So much anger…” said Aurora, her voice suddenly turning ethereal. “Let me calm you down…”

Aurora’s eyes briefly shined with a cold, dim light. Phalanx felt a shiver going down his spine. The alicorn stared into Steelback’s face, keeping eye contact with him all the time.

“Open the locks…” she said.

One of the Exiles used the keys and unlocked Steelback’s cell door. Aurora came inside. Steelback took a few steps back, not sure what was happening to him. He couldn’t look away from Aurora’s face.

“Do you not recognize your princess…?” the alicorn spoke again.

“P-Princess…?”

In Steelback’s mind, Aurora slowly grew, changed her coat color to white and started to resemble Princess Celestia more and more. The unicorn felt utterly confused.

“Princess… Celestia…”

Phalanx blinked his eyes in surprise. He only saw Aurora. Silver Shield didn’t know why Steelback called her that.

“Sir, I have a bad feeling about this…”

Aurora opened her eyes wide. They shined with the cold light again.

“You fought bravely. You deserve a reward. Honor your princess…”

“Yes… milady…”

Steelback slowly bent his left front leg, trying to kneel before Aurora. Phalanx then realized what was happening: she tried to take control over his mind by using illusions to manipulate him. Trying to interfere, he shouted:

“Steelback, don’t! That is not Princess Celestia! Steelback, listen to me!”

The unicorn soldier stopped just before his knee touched the ground. He shook his head several times and came back to his senses.

“My head… What…?”

Then he glared angrily at Aurora.

“Get out of here! We will never submit to you!”

Aurora squinted her eyes and turned her head toward Phalanx. Her horn glowed with a blue light, and her voice returned to normal.

“That was foolish of you…!”

A beam of energy was fired from her horn, hitting Phalanx’s armor and knocking him on the floor of the cell. Silver Shield ran to him to help him get up.

“You’ve just sealed his fate…”

Aurora switched her sight to Steelback again, walking up slowly to him. His body started trembling. He felt overwhelming magical power dwelling within Aurora. Her look alone invoked fear in his heart.

“Get away from me…!” he uttered.

“It’s too late…” Aurora whispered.

She was only inches away from him. The alicorn lowered her head…

With a quick thrust, her sharp horn pierced Steelback’s throat. His scream was drowned in desperate attempts to gasp for air, as blood started slowly seeping from the wound and from his mouth. Silver Shield, Phalanx and the other Royal Guards all saw the horrifying execution. As Aurora slowly pulled her horn out of Steelback’s throat, the unicorn slumped to the ground, coughing up blood. Then his body became still.

Phalanx let out a painful gasp:

“Steelback… No…!”

Aurora turned to one of her Exile minions. He quickly cleaned Aurora’s horn from the blood. The alicorn then spoke loudly:

“May these images be carved into your minds! Those who are not with us are against us! Those who are against us must die!”

She then approached Phalanx’s cell.

“Captain, I suggest you and your remaining guards make the right choice. Some were smarter then that one…”

“What do you mean?!” Phalanx exclaimed.

“Oh, you will know soon enough.”

“You’ll never get away with this…!” the unicorn growled.

“You wish to be next?” Aurora asked. “I have little patience for disobedience…”

Just then, a short, beeping signal sounded next to Aurora’s ear. She pressed a device on her chest.

“It’s me… Really? Ah, excellent… All right, Shockwave. I’ll be right there.”

Aurora cut the link and looked at Phalanx again.

“It seems I have pressing matters to attend to. But don’t worry, I’ll see you again, Captain… hm, hm, hm…!”

The alicorn and her minions left the dungeons, but not before one of the Exiles grabbed Steelback’s dead body by the tail and dragged it outside. The ranks of the Royal Guards got diminished again, and this time, they witnessed Aurora’s power for the first time. That display left most of them, even Phalanx, deeply worried about their future. Just how long could they attempt to defy Aurora and get away with it…?

1120 hrs
Canterlot Castle, Research Chamber

Just as Aurora entered the chamber, she saw all four of her Reapers already waiting for them. They briefly bowed their heads as she approached them.

“So, you have done it, Shockwave…” Aurora said slowly.

“Yes, my Lady,” the purple pegasus replied. “The Zeal is ready.”

“Show me.”

Shockwave directed Aurora’s attention to a big table in the corner of the room. On it were four, crimson-red objects shaped like armor. Upon closer inspection, Aurora saw that they looked like regular vests used by the pegasi. The only difference seemed to be the reinforced material from which they were made.

Trickster showed his disappointment:

“So, THAT’S what you’ve been working on, man? These are supposed to make us invincible?! What a rip-off!”

Shockwave didn’t even glance back at him when he replied:

“Predictably, you do not understand the reason behind my genius. Do not focus on the outside, but on the inside.”

“Huh?”

“What do you mean, man?” Havoc asked.

“On the outside, they seem like ordinary vests, yes,” Shockwave explained. “But I’ve managed to install a program that contains data of the greatest fliers in the world’s history into memory bank. These are, in fact, highly integrated armored suits that send data from this program directly into the user’s brain, granting it increased dexterity, stamina, strength and so on.”

Havoc and Trickster looked at each other.

“And… what does that mean, Einstein?” Havoc asked again.

“It means,” Deathwing interjected, “that these suits contain a computer program that will allow us to emulate the actions of the best fliers this world has ever known. They will give us the power to defeat any opponent.”

“Affirmative,” said Shockwave. “It’s good to know at least one of us knows what I’m saying. I was beginning to worry I’m surrounded by morons who will never comprehend my way of thinking.”

“WHAT WAS THAT?!” Trickster yelled.

Aurora stepped in to quell the argument.

“That’s enough, boys. As much as I enjoy watching your bickering… since it only proves to me how much you value each other…”

“Huh?” Trickster felt totally confused now.

“... We must focus on other things now,” Aurora finished. “So, Shockwave, this program is the Zeal we’ve been talking about?”

“Indeed, my Lady. It took me many years to obtain the original source code, analyze it properly and build these suits in order to perfectly accommodate our fighting styles. But I believe it was worth it.”

“Wait, so… You’ve been building this in secret?” Havoc asked. “Dude, why didn’t you tell us?”

“Even if I told you, you wouldn’t begin to comprehend,” Shockwave replied. “Forgive me, Havoc, but I fear only Deathwing could understand the secret behind the Zeal. You and Trickster would only keep assaulting me with various questions about it, and that would only stall the recreation process. Also… you’re not very bright.”

Havoc sighed.

“So, in other words, you think we’re dumb.”

“Well… Not exactly. You’re just not as smart as I am,” said Shockwave.

Deathwing held Trickster in place. The small pegasus was just about to jump at Shockwave and tackle him to the ground.

“Before this discussion takes a drastic turn…” the black-coated pegasus said, “... I suggest we put these suits to use. We should see if this Zeal works properly.”

“An excellent suggestion,” said Shockwave. "However… There is one thing that I believe should be made clear to you all.”

“What now?” Havoc whined.

“As I said, the Zeal uploads a large amount of data into user’s brain. It also increases its strength and heightens their senses… but it comes at a cost.”

“What cost?” the blue pegasus wondered.

“It slowly exhausts the user’s body. You may not feel it at first, but if you use the Zeal for too long, it will start to have negative effects on you. That is why I’ve added a time limit into the program. We can use the Zeal for up to 10 minutes upon activating it first. We can activate and deactivate it on will during that time with a voice command. After the time limit expires, the system will enter the ‘cooldown phase’ and we will have to wait for 6 hours before we can safely activate it again.”

Trickster wasn’t pleased with that explanation.

“So, let me get this straight. We can use this technological marvel of yours for only 10 MINUTES and then we have to wait for 6 HOURS before using it again?!”

Shockwave nodded.

“So you’ve been paying attention after all, Trickster. I’m positively surprised.”

“That’s bullcrap!” Trickster exclaimed. “If it’s so great, why should we hold back? Why not go all out and crush those annoying ‘Angels’ and their fellas while we’re at it!”

“Do I have to repeat myself? Prolonged usage of the Zeal will have negative side effects,” Shockwave reiterated.

“Yeah? Like what?!” Trickster inquired.

Shockwave looked at him with his serious expression.

“First, your muscles will begin to hurt. Then, a headache. This should be the first sign to turn the Zeal off. If you continue to use it, your skin will start to deteriorate, parts of your flesh may fall off… Eventually, your wings will be paralyzed. The pain will be unfathomable. Should you somehow survive the fall... if you’re in the air, which is very likely… your heart will be affected next. Then your entire nervous system. Finally, your brain. This will result in paralysis, coma… even death.”

A grim silence fell for several seconds after Shockwave’s explanation.

“I… don’t think I wanted to know that,” Havoc said quietly.

“Don’t worry. The safety lock will automatically activate when the time limit expires. Perhaps I will be able to overcome this disadvantage one day… but I need more time. I’m still unable to perfectly recreate the original Zeal. I know I can do much better!”

Shockwave lowered his head in regret. Deathwing walked up to him and embraced him with his left wing.

“Do not feel bad, Shockwave. You’ve still done a marvelous job. Never forget that it was your desire to become a great scientist that led you to us. Thanks to your knowledge, we will be one step closer to victory. As I said, I believe we should test this Zeal in combat.”

“Indeed,” Aurora added. “As you know, the EAF’s main headquarters is currently in Manehattan. That’s where they relocated most of their forces. Go there and do as much damage as possible. We must show our enemies that we are not through. And, with any luck… You might encounter the Mirage squadron again.”

“It will be done, my Lady,” said Deathwing. “I’m looking forward to that confrontation…”

==========

MEANWHILE
Manehattan, Equestrian Allied Forces HQ

Over the past month, the Exiles and Equestrian Allied Forces clashed in small battles almost every day. Most of these confrontation were diversions, however, serving as distractions to allow other divisions to advance without the enemy realizing it. Both armies were at a stalemate, and neither seemed to have a solution to this. While this situation allowed the EAF to take care of the wounded soldiers and re-organize its ranks, it also prevented them from waging full-scale battles. For the moment, the Exiles were in a dangerous situation of being surrounded, seeing as their main base of operations was now Canterlot. The EAF regained control over the regions around four major cities: Manehattan, Cloudsdale, Stalliongrad and Fillydelphia.

At the same time, quite a few ponies from EAF were concerned that one of enemy leaders, Commander Clad Hoof, had gone missing. Some said he was lastly seen in the vicinity of the Ponyville region, but these rumors were yet to be confirmed. The whole area around Ponyville was still partially under the Exiles’ control, but the townsfolk put up a strong resistance. The assistance of local Allied troops certainly helped them. It was clear that in order to even think about recapturing Canterlot, Ponyville had to be secured from the Exiles first.

The Royal Sisters decided to establish new headquarters in Manehattan, as it was located away from main battle zones. Many troops, who were initially separated from their original army groups at the start of Operation Eternal Liberation, were now reunited there. Many celebrated a brief respite, but none rejoiced as much as the pegasi from Mirage squadron. When Firefly, Rainbow Dash, Lightning Bolt, Cloud Kicker, Medley, Fluttershy and Derpy finally saw each other again, they made a big group hug and spent the next few hours celebrating and talking about their feats.

Lightning Bolt and Cloud Kicker helped in stopping the destruction of Cloudsdale by fending off Gleipnir. Cloud Kicker was jumping around her friends as she was re-telling her story:

“And then I saw that dragon opening its mouth and thought: ‘Oh man, he’s gonna blast Cloudsdale if we don’t do something!’ I knew Lightning would reach him eventually, but I needed to distract him when the others failed. So I flew to his face and provoked him.”

Cloud Kicker stood on her rear legs and wiggled her tail, causing Medley to laugh. Rainbow Dash widened her eyes.

“And some ponies say I’m careless.”

“Of course, he didn’t like it,” Cloud Kicker continued. “He whacked me with his tail, and I blacked out. When I woke up, Lightning was beside me. The dragon was gone.”

“You’re so brave, Cloud Kicker,” Fluttershy praised her, making the purple flier scratch her head with her left hoof and bare her teeth.

“I’m sure you gals had a rough one, too, huh?” Firefly asked, turning her attention to Rainbow.

“We sure did. Though we didn’t have to deal with the dragons, we still had to protect Stalliongrad from the Exile siege. Bastards were pretty persistent, but we kicked their flanks! Yeah! Even the Cutie Mark Crusaders helped us a bit— Oof!”

Rainbow was suddenly poked in the ribs by Medley, as she pointed her chin to Derpy, who immediately frowned, remembering the argument she had with her daughter yesterday.

When Twilight Sparkle told Princess Celestia about the operation in Stalliongrad, she was called out for letting little ponies participate in such a dangerous task. Although the Cutie Mark Crusaders tried to keep their involvement in the sabotage operation a secret, Dinky decided to tell her mother, and eventually the others as well, anyway. Naturally, Derpy was angry that her kids put themselves in harm’s way, but Dinky tried to explain everything to her:

“We had to do it… We had to understand why are you fighting, Mommy. Why you risk your life for us… And why this war is horrible. I know we did wrong… but we did this to protect our friends. Please, Mommy… don’t be angry at us…”

After that, Dinky just cuddled in Derpy’s arms and started crying. The grey mare knew that her daughter was traumatized by something she had witnessed, but seemed too scared to tell anypony about it. She just embraced her and said:

“It’s all right… You’ve done nothing wrong, Dinky… Don’t cry, dear...”

The other Crusaders were feeling sorry for her, too. Later, as additional facts about the battle situation at the time were revealed, along with explanations from Big Bear and Firecracker Burst, who still remained in Stalliongrad Hospital and wrote everything down in the form of a letter, Princess Celestia took these circumstances into consideration. Ultimately, Twilight wasn’t punished for her decision, while the Crusaders promised to return to their old activities, mainly gathering intelligence and scouting.

Rainbow Dash tried to slip out of this uncomfortable situation.

“Cheer up, Derpy. Your kids are safe, and at least they’ve learned something.”

Derpy looked at her.

“Yes, but… I wonder if it’s really all right. No child should ever participate in any armed conflict. It’s just… not right.”

“You heard what the Princess said. The circumstances led to this. Besides, the Crusaders will be kept in line by Twilight and Cheerilee from now on.”

“I hope so…”

Rainbow breathed out in relief, then told the rest of the Mirage fliers about the battle for Fillydelphia, where the EAF’s 1st Fleet clashed with the Exile’s armada and their submarine, Scinfaxi, which caused some trouble in the first days of the war. Medley was glad to interject here and there to mention a certain Exile flier that managed to tick her off the most and how she personally dealt with him.

“That coward thought he could blind us, but I closed my eyes and rushed forward, tackling him and moving away from the blast zone. Then kick, punch, smack, SMACK, WHAM! And he’s going down,” the green pegasus flailed her legs as she was saying it.

“Yeah, you sure did a good job, Kid,” Rainbow Dash stroked her mane. “When you found him later, the poor dude was totally wrecked.”

“But, I told you… It wasn’t me,” said Medley. “I only smacked him a few times. I couldn’t break his bones or anything like that…”

Firefly was intrigued about this, since that situation reminded her of what happened to the four Exiles that managed to survive the destruction of their army group by the Royal Sisters’ magic in the Crystal Mountains. They were later discovered by pegasus interceptors who were sent to deal with them. Unfortunately, somepony got to them first and killed all four in a brutal fashion.

“I don’t think this is a coincidence…” Firefly said quietly.

But Rainbow Dash was more curious about her antics with Lightning Dust.

“So, about Lightning Dust… I heard she was assigned to ‘Viper’ squadron, right? Talk about a fitting name…”

“Yeah, well, I watched her in action during Operation Gambit, and you were totally correct about her. She’s just as you said: arrogant and annoying.”

“I saw her a couple of days back,” Medley interjected. “She seemed to be in a really bad mood and didn’t want to talk with anypony. Did something happen?”

Firefly and Derpy were just about to say details about their operation, but Cloud Kicker suddenly stopped in place and asked:

“Say, you girls remember those Exiles that are being kept prisoner? Did they say anything that might help us?”

“I heard most of them were initially constantly refusing to talk,” said Firefly. “They would just lie or sit in their cells and didn’t want to answer any questions. Threats weren’t helping, either. The interrogators didn’t resort to violence only because Princess Celestia forbade them.”

“So they didn’t talk at all?” Cloud Kicker asked. “That’s strange. I was passing by the prison quarters yesterday, and I heard some of them screaming that they will tell us everything they know…”

Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy looked at each other, snickering.

“It looks like they took our suggestion, Fluttershy,” said Rainbow.

“Uh-hm, seems so,” Fluttershy agreed.

Medley looked at them, rising an eyebrow.

“What are you girls talking about?”

Rainbow and Fluttershy told the others how they asked Pinkie Pie and Rarity to help the interrogators using their own methods… which involved tormenting the Exiles with endless rambling or singing happy songs, in Pinkie’s case, as well as Rarity’s so-called “whining” — because the cell was damp and dirty, or because the uniform was too tight or too ugly and so on. Thanks to their efforts, most of the prisoners became a lot more willing to support the EAF with information.

Cloud Kicker laughed when she heard about it.

“I guess that’s one way to get the stuff out of your enemies… though I kinda feel sorry for them. This kind of torture might be worse than beating them up… But maybe it’s because they don’t know how to have fun, like we do.”

“No, Cloud Kicker, they do,” Firefly interjected. “The problem lies in the fact that we have different concepts of ‘fun’.”

“I guess…”

“Yeah, okay, so what about Lightning Dust?” Rainbow inquired.

Firefly proceeded to explain about Orgoi’s attempt to annihilate the Allied Forces who tried to recapture the Manehattan Air Base. Quox’s Avion battalion, along with Lightning Dust’s team, managed to stop him, but they suffered devastating losses. Quox was under psychiatric observation since then, while Lightning Dust actually felt guilty for letting her teammates die.

Medley turned her head to the blue pegasus, who seemed to be in deep thought after hearing Firefly’s story.

“Rainbow, you OK?”

“Yeah… But I wonder what will happen to her now… Spitfire told me that odds are against her. I doubt she’s gonna walk away from this one...”

“Good. Somepony needs to teach her a hard lesson. She deserves to be punished,” said Firefly.

Rainbow did not reply to that.

1600 hrs

On the afternoon, Spitfire returned from her meeting with the disciplinary committee. She asked Soarin’ to call Lightning Dust and the three remaining pegasi from Viper squadron to her office, so they could discuss the issue. When the turquoise flier heard the message from Soarin’, her heart started pounding. Seeing her worried, the mare named Sundance tried to calm her down.

“Relax, Lightning Dust. We’re coming with you. We’ll tell Captain Spitfire what happened there.”

“That’s right. You can count on us,” Eagle Song added. “We got you covered.”

Lightning Dust’s only answer was a nervous nod. She had no idea what Spitfire was going to tell her, but she was certain she will not be hearing any praises from her.

About 20 minutes later, the four pegasi entered Spitfire’s office. She was sitting behind her desk, shifting her sight from one flier to another. Despite the entire room basking in the sunlight, Lightning Dust shivered briefly when she and her teammates sat down before the Wonderbolt captain.

Spitfire lifted her sight and said in a serious tone:

“I’m sure you all know why I called you here. I’ve recently had a meeting with the ponies from disciplinary committee. I’ve also talked to Quox and those survivors from Avion battalion. Lightning Dust.”

She turned her sight to the turquoise flier. Lightning Dust felt Spitfire’s eyes piercing through her.

“M-Ma’am…?”

“Do you realize what you have done? You ignored my orders. Again. For whatever reason, you thought that—”

“Captain, please… Listen to me! Let me explain,” Lightning Dust said in a panicked tone.

“This whole situation was sudden…” Sundance started.

“We had to react quickly…” a white male pegasus, Swift Ace, added.

“The mission could be jeopardized…” Eagle Song interjected.

“Guys! Hold on!” Lightning Dust exclaimed. “Let me handle this. Please, Captain Spitfire, you have to listen to me. I’ll tell you everything that happened.”

Spitfire crossed her front hooves.

“All right. Then tell me.”

Lightning Dust took a deep breath and started her story.

“We were doing our part in the operation to recapture the Air Base, when… We saw the pegasi from Burner and Racer squadrons heading our way. Without their leaders. I thought it looked strange, so I asked them what happened. They told us that enemy reinforcements are likely preparing an offensive from the east, and they are jamming the radio waves. That’s why those fliers had to get to us instead of using their communicators.”

Spitfire nodded slightly.

“That much I know. Go on.”

“We saw that the situation was under control. Our guys could easily recapture the area without our assistance. I decided that we should go and engage the Exile reinforcements to stop them from reaching the city and making things harder for us. That was when Quox butted herself in and said she will go with her battalion instead. ”

Spitfire rose her left eyebrow.

“I see… But you decided to go and engage the enemy anyway?”

“Y-Yeah. I knew we would reach them faster than Quox. Firefly and that cross-eyed mare insisted on coming with us, so we let them. So we went to the Manehattan outskirts… and then we saw him.”

“The dragon?”

“Yes.”

“And even after seeing him, you still wanted to fight him?” Spitfire asked.

“We had to prevent him from reaching the city…” Lightning Dust started, but then the Wonderbolt captain rose her right front hoof to silence her.

“Lightning Dust, let me ask you something: What world do you live in?”

The turquoise pegasus looked at Spitfire in surprise.

“W-What…?”

“Do you honestly believe that a dozen pegasi ponies can defeat an adult dragon? And a Drake General, no less?”

“I-I wasn’t planning to actually fight him…”

Spitfire glared at her.

“I find that hard to believe.”

“Ma’am, please don’t be harsh on her,” Sundance suddenly interjected. “We were doing what we thought was right!”

“Yeah! We had to stop him and prevent any major casualties,” Swift Ace added.

Lightning Dust leered back at them.

“I told you I’ll take care of this issue myself.”

“We just want to—”

“Just shut up!” Lightning Dust exclaimed. “I never asked you to cover for me.”

Her three friends frowned, but didn’t say a word. Spitfire asked:

“So, after you got there first along with Mirage fliers, Quox came along soon after, right?”

“R-Right,” Lightning Dust confirmed, regaining her composure briefly. “And she, along with every other unicorn in her battalion, started firing their magic beams at the dragon. Before they got there, we were just distracting him.”

“I see…” Spitfire said quietly. “And then he attacked…”

“... He froze the majority of Quox’s unit and then crushed them. Quox went mad, she kept on shooting at him, but her magic wasn’t working. I had to interfere and shove her away so that she wouldn’t end up like the others.”

Spitfire notified this with a simple “Mm-hm”. Lightning Dust suddenly rose her voice.

“You see, Captain? It was her fault, not ours. We were just doing our job until she ruined everything! If it wasn’t for Quox, maybe her battalion would not be decimated by that dragon!”

The Wonderbolt captain got up from her seat and approached Lightning Dust with a serious expression on her face.

“Even if everything you say is true, you are not without fault, Lightning Dust. In spite of all the danger in that situation, you still wanted to fight that dragon. Because of this, you have endangered not only yourself, but also your teammates. Have you considered, just for a moment, what would happen if you had failed? The dragon could easily reach our remaining units and destroy them all. The entire operation would end in failure.”

“I was confident in my abilities. I always am! I knew that I could stop that dragon with a little help from the others! And I did! I made him retreat!” Lightning Dust said with passion.

“But you also lost four fliers from your squadron during the fight. I told you: you are responsible for everypony on your team.”

“So it’s my fault they died?!” Lightning Dust exclaimed.

“Yes,” Spitfire said bluntly.

Lightning Dust stood up as well, glaring back at the her. She was slowly losing her temper.

“I did what was RIGHT! Everything would’ve ended better if that bitch Quox didn’t get in the way! Why did you even allow her back in the military?! Did nopony check her background? No one knew that she’s mentally ill?!”

“Lightning Dust…” Sundance started.

The turquoise pegasus leered at her again, silencing the yellow pegasus.

“I suggest you calm down,” said Spitfire. “But, to answer your questions… We were aware of Quox’s condition. We knew that she was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder after she returned to Equestria. That’s why we performed all necessary tests again and checked her condition several times to see if she was still combat-worthy. The results were satisfactory, so we saw no reason to not let her join.”

Lightning Dust snorted loudly.

“That’s some great performance; she fooled you all! She totally missed her call! She should consider an acting career instead. At least she wouldn’t endanger THAT many lives…”

“Lightning Dust, these accusations are not helping your case…” Spitfire said to her.

“So WHAT?! I have the right to express my opinion, don’t I?”

“Yes… But now you’re just making it worse for yourself.”

Sundance came a bit closer.

“Lightning Dust, calm down…” she pleaded.

“Grrr… Dammit!” the turquoise pegasus stomped her left hoof on the floor.

Spitfire returned back to her desk and sat down.

“Let’s make something clear, guys. Despite your good intentions, things still went badly. It could have been worse if you didn’t do anything, but… I’m afraid you can’t get away without any punishment.”

The four pegasi were anxiously waiting for what Spitfire was going to say. Lightning Dust could barely contain her emotions.

“As of today… the Viper squadron is suspended.”

“S-Suspended?” Swift Ace gasped. “Does that mean we won’t be able to participate in any mission?”

Spitfire shook her head.

“Not for the time being, at least. I need to look deeper into this case and see if there is any credit to Lightning Dust’s claims. Because, if I am to be completely honest with you, I don’t find her to be very… trustworthy.”

“What…?!” Lightning Dust growled.

“Isn’t there anything we can do, Captain?” Eagle Song asked.

“No. The decision is effective immediately. As for you, Lightning Dust…”

Spitfire turned her attention back to the green pegasus.

“I’m afraid that, taking all conditions into account… and considering your numerous cases of disobeying my orders, as well as endangering fellow fliers… You will have to serve an additional punishment. Namely, you will spend thirty days in detention ward.”

Lightning Dust’s eyes widened.

“W-WHAT?!”

Her teammates immediately opposed that decision.

“But that’s not fair!” Sundance exclaimed. “Why only she has to be additionally punished?”

“Yeah! We all disobeyed the order!” Swift Ace added. “If Lightning Dust must go to prison, we’ll go along with her. At least she…”

“I never asked you to cover me!” Lightning Dust reiterated angrily. “Just be quiet!”

Spitfire seemed surprised that somepony was willing to stand up for Lightning Dust. In eyes of most ponies, she was viewed as a delinquent and a troublemaker. Yet these three pegasi clearly thought of her as their friend. The Wonderbolt captain wanted to know more.

“Why are you defending her? You know what she did in the Academy, right?”

“Sure we do!” Eagle Song replied. “But her mishaps don’t automatically make her bad!”

“You should give her a chance, Ma’am,” Sundance added.

Spitfire shook her head.

“No. I’ve given her too many chances, and she wasted them all. I’m sorry, Lightning Dust, but your credibility is of no meaning to me anymore. It’s about time you should suffer the ramifications of your actions.”

“But Ma’am—”

“SHUT UP, ALL OF YOU!” Lightning Dust suddenly yelled.

Her outburst was so unexpected that Sundance cuddled to her two friends with a loud squeak. Lightning Dust kept staring at the floor when she said with a trembling, yet angered voice that was getting louder with every sentence:

“So that’s it, huh…? Nothing I say will make a difference? Are my words worth anything at all?! Why do I even bother! It’s always the same! Every time I try to do something right, things go the other way! Every time something bad happens, I’m automatically the one to blame! And every time I try to explain the situation, nopony believes me! Nopony wants to help me! You’re all just jealous of my abilities! You’re afraid that one day I’m gonna outclass everyone! Ain’t that right?! AIN’T THAT RIGHT?! I’VE HAD ENOUGH!”

Lightning Dust suddenly got up, quickly walked to the door and kicked it open. Spitfire was flabbergasted by her behavior.

“What do you think you’re doing, Lightning Dust?!” she asked.

“I’m outta here! I’m leaving! You hear me?! I’M LEAVING!” Lightning Dust shouted.

She ran outside to the corridors. Her teammates only glanced at each other and immediately followed her.

“Lightning Dust, wait!”

“Come back!”

Spitfire just stared at the broken doors, not entirely certain what to do…

==========

1700 hrs

Sundance, Swift Ace and Eagle Song managed to catch up with Lightning Dust. She was standing at the entrance to the headquarters. The two ponies that usually guarded the door were knocked out cold, presumably by Lightning Dust herself. The turquoise flier looked like she was about to take flight. However, the sight of her teammates held her in place.

“Lightning Dust, stop!” Sundance cried.

“Don’t be a fool! What are you trying to do?” Swift Ace asked.

Lightning Dust turned to them. Her expression was a strange mixture of anger and sadness.

“Sorry, guys… I can’t do this anymore. I feel confined by this place. They will never let me reach for the top. There’s only one thing I can do now…”

“No! It doesn’t have to be like this!” Sundance said to her. “We’ll sort things out! We can help you!”

“Nopony’s gonna help me… I have to do this my own way.”

Lightning Dust grabbed the part of her vest where the Equestrian Allied Forces emblem was with her teeth and pulled it sharply several times. She ripped the emblem from her vest and spat it out to the ground, looking at it in disgust. Then she spread her wings and turned around.

“You can’t go with me, guys. This is where we part ways. I go alone from here.”

Eagle Song looked at her in disbelief.

“You can’t be serious…”

“Just watch. I’ll become the best pegasus fighter in the world! Then they will all see that they were wrong about me!”

Lightning Dust took off into the sky. Sundance, in a desperate move, went after her, clinging to her rear legs.

“Lightning Dust, don’t go! You want to destroy everything you fought for?!”

“Yeah! What about your dream of becoming a Wonderbolt?” Swift Ace asked.

“I’ll make it happen… just not here. Not now. Sundance, let go of me!”

Lightning Dust tried to shake her off, but she held tightly.

“Don’t do this! You’re making a big mistake!”

“I said… let GO!”

Lightning Dust kicked her in the chest with her rear left leg and followed up with a punch to the face. Sundance fell down with a high-pitched scream and hit the ground. Eagle Song and Swift Ace went over to her, allowing Lightning Dust to fly away.

“I’m sorry, guys…” she thought. “I don’t expect you to forgive me…”

Sundance, are you OK?” Swift Ace asked the yellow mare.

She was bleeding slightly from her lips and looked very shaken.

“W-Why…” she sobbed. “Why did she do that…? We’re her friends…aahhh…”

“This is bad... “ said Eagle Song. “I better go tell Spitfire. We gotta bring her back!”

1720 hrs
Equestrian Allied Forces HQ, Training Area

In another section of the base, the pegasi from Mirage squadron decided to conduct a practice session. Rainbow Dash wanted to test out a brand new maneuver. She called it: the “Head-Bonk Counter” and involved intercepting an opponent’s attack, grabbing it in a tight grip and hitting it on the head. Rainbow outright stated that this maneuver can be risky and decided to initially try it with only herself, Firefly and Medley.

Meanwhile, Lightning Bolt was still working over their communicators, saying that she wanted to include a “night-vision mode” into the heads-up display. She hoped that it will help them in performing possible operations at night time. The white pegasus also told her friends that this feature would still be in a testing phase and would probably take a few weeks to get it fully implemented.

After a few fake tries of Rainbow’s new maneuver, Firefly and Medley were about to practice for real.

“OK, girls, just remember, try not to cause each any brain damage,” Rainbow snickered.

Bu as the two mares were about to fly at each other, a loud, beeping sound caused them to come to a halt. Fluttershy jumped in surprise.

“W-What was that?”

“Rainbow, your communicator!” said Lightning Bolt. “Catch!”

She threw it to the blue pegasus who quickly put it on her ear and answered the call.

“Rainbow here. … What? Wait… She did WHAT?! Urgh, that idiot…! I’ll be right there!”

Her friends looked at her, uncertain of what to make of this brief conversation.

“Come on, girls! We’ll finish this training later!”

“What happened, Rainbow?" Fluttershy asked.

“I’ll tell you later! Come on, there’s no time!”

-----------------

1730 hrs

The Mirage fliers quickly made it to Spitfire, who was in the middle of questioning the remaining pegasi from Viper squadron. On the way, Rainbow told them what she heard from the Wonderbolt captain.

“Lightning Dust escaped?!” Firefly exclaimed. “You gotta be kidding me!”

Upon noticing them, Spitfire approached Rainbow Dash.

“Good response time. We got a situation.”

“I know. How did she get away? Nopony tried to stop her?” Rainbow asked.

“We did…” Swift Ace replied. “But she wouldn’t listen. Lightning Dust seemed determined, and we couldn’t convince her to stay.”

Spitfire looked up.

“She can’t be too far… Rainbow Dash!”

Rainbow saluted quickly.

“Ma’am!”

“I want you to go after Lightning Dust. You have to bring her back.”

“I’m on it!”

Medley came closer, turning to Spitfire.

“Ma’am! Permission to accompany Rainbow on this mission!”

“Denied!” Spitfire answered. “Sorry, Kid, if anypony can take on Lightning Dust, it’s Rainbow.”

“But I…”

Rainbow turned to Medley and said with a reassuring tone:

“Hey, no worries. I’ll be back before you’ll notice I left. Just one thing, Ma’am…” she turned back to Spitfire. “What if she resists?”

“Then you have permission to use force,” Spitfire replied.

“So I can whoop her flank?” Rainbow asked.

Spitfire rose her right eyebrow, but retained her serious tone:

“If you wanna put it like that…”

Rainbow Dash opened her wings and said to Firefly before she flew after Lightning Dust:

“I’ll contact you once I'll get to her. Things might get a little rough…”

When the cyan pegasus took off, her friends watched her slowly disappear in the distance. In an uneasy silence that occurred, Cloud Kicker snorted:

“Huh. She had some nerve, rebelling like that all of a sudden. But hey, I’m sure Rainbow’s gonna bring her back. There’s nothing to worry about. I mean, what could possibly— Oww!”

Firefly suddenly smacked her in the head with her right wing, causing Cloud Kicker to wince.

“Hey! What was that for?!”

Firefly glared at her.

“Don’t jinx it! I have a bad feeling about this myself… Let’s just hope for the best. Rainbow will bring back that idiot, and then I will give that Lightning Dust a piece of my mind!”

Fluttershy noticed the sun slowly setting over the ocean.

“It will be dark soon… Come back quickly, Rainbow…”

1740 hrs
Ceres Ocean, Equestria airspace

While following Lightning Dust’s reported trail, Rainbow Dash kept rotating her head, watching the beautiful scenery of a setting sun present above the ocean. She didn’t have time to enjoy the view, though. Spitfire called her:

“Rainbow, this is Spitfire, do you read me, over?”

“I read you, Ma’am. Over,” Rainbow replied.

“All right. You should see Lightning Dust’s signal any moment now. You know what you have to do. Use whatever means necessary to bring her back. Contact me once you apprehend her,” Spitfire ordered.

“Copy that. Rainbow out.”

When the blue flier checked her radar, she did notice a signal on its edge. It was blue, since the IFF still recognized Lightning Dust as a member of the EAF. She wondered if Lightning Dust noticed her approach.

She did. The turquoise pegasus checked her own radar and learned that somepony was following her. She turned her communicator on, adjusted the frequency and, thinking it was one of her teammates, said angrily:

“I thought I told you to leave me alone! Get outta here if you know what’s good for you!”

“I can’t do that, Lightning Dust. You’re coming back with me!” the answer sounded.

Lightning Dust widened her eyes.

“That voice… is it…?” she wondered.

“Slow down! We gotta talk!” the voice said.

A creepy smile formed on Lightning Dust’s face. She did just that. When Rainbow caught up to her, she turned around.

“Well, well… Rainbow Dash. It’s been a while since the Academy, huh?” the turquoise flier asked.

“Do you know what you’re doing, Lightning Dust?” Rainbow asked her.

“Oh, sure I do. Something I should’ve done a long time ago. I don’t remember the last time I felt so free… not having to stick to all those rules.”

“Why are you doing this? You keep digging yourself deeper. Don’t you have enough trouble as it is? You want to add desertion now?” Rainbow kept asking her.

Lightning Dust glared intensely at Rainbow.

“Why…? I’ll tell you why! I feel confined! All these rules and regulations are limiting my progress, my abilities! I’ve been trying to stick to them, hoping that the Wonderbolts will finally see that I’m worthy of being one of them! But nooo… They kept telling me that I’m not ready, that I’m inexperienced, even… arrogant. Can you believe this?!” Lightning Dust exclaimed.

“... Yeah, I can,” Rainbow replied. “Because that’s exactly what you are. Spitfire is right about you. She tried to give you a chance, many chances in fact… But instead of working on your flaws, you keep making them bigger. It’s no wonder you keep getting into trouble.”

Lightning Dust snorted.

“That easy for you to say! You got the position of wingpony from me back at the Academy, despite the fact I was better than you… And then you got accepted as a Wonderbolt, too! Where’s the justice in that?!”

Rainbow tried to use a cool head in this confrontation.

“Listen, LD… You got demoted from a wingpony because you endangered my friends, not to mention the other cadets as well… Or have you forgotten? Also, I’ve earned my right to join the Wonderbolts by following their rules and by fighting to protect Equestria from the griffin invasion during the last war. Where were YOU, back then?! If you would come out and help us fight against the threat, maybe Spitfire would recognize you, too!”

“SHUT UP!” Lightning Dust yelled out. “Where I was and what I was doing is none of your business! Or anypony’s business, for that matter! I tried to stick to the rules, but I just can’t… It goes against my nature. I hate being limited by something. It makes me feel that I’m unable to reach my full potential. But no more! None of that matters now! Now I’m going to do things my way! And I know exactly what to do!”

Rainbow folded her arms.

“Oh yeah? What are you gonna do, then?” she asked.

Lightning Dust’s voice rose as she passionately proclaimed:

“I’m going to become the best pegasus fighter in the world! I’m going to show everyone what I’ve got! Spitfire, the Wonderbolts, the Allies, the Exiles, even those frickin’ dragons! I will show them all! Nobody’s gonna stop me from reaching the top! I’m going to defeat anyone who stands in my way!”

Just as Rainbow Dash fully comprehended Lightning Dust’s speech and motivation, she rose her right arm, pointing her hoof at the blue flier.

“And I’ll start… with you!”

Chapter 13: The Four Reapers

Two pegasi fighters engage in a heated battle,

Their skills and determination make an even match.

But a bigger threat is approaching.

The sun sets with fiery blaze...

Chapter 13

The Four Reapers

August 29th, 2021
1745 hrs
Ceres Ocean, Equestria airspace

As per Aurora’s order and eager to test their newest weapon out, the Reapers were slowly flying toward Manehattan, doing their best to not draw any attention to themselves. Havoc still seemed to be having doubts about the Zeal, so he flew closer to Shockwave. The purple pegasus noticed his companion.

“The look on your face suggests that you want to ask me something…” Shockwave said slowly.

“Uh, yeah, well… you see, Shockwave,” Havoc started, “I’m kinda worried. I mean, it’s great that we got this brand new battle armor to test out, but, uh… have you thought about what to do if something goes… wrong?”

That last word caused some inner ire within Shockwave. He never once considered that anything could be wrong with his great invention.

“What do you mean exactly?”

“I meant… What if things go haywire? What if the system suddenly shuts down? What if the armors just falls apart all of a sudden?”

Shockwave looked at him blankly.

“... And your point is?”

“Shouldn’t you have that thing… I dunno, you should put that in experimental phase before handing it to us right away… Just sayin’,” Havoc added quickly, seeing Shockwave’s annoyed expression.

The purple pegasus sighed and replied:

“I understand that you are concerned, but you shouldn’t be. I’ve run more than enough tests on the Zeal before I’ve decided that it is capable of performing in combat. I have complete confidence in my abilities, and you should have it too. The Zeal will work fine. Besides, we have a reliable power source. Have you seen the small gemstones I’ve inserted into the armors?”

Havoc briefly looked at his chest. He did saw a small red stone clogged inside. Shockwave had it too, and so did the others.

“Yeah… What about them?”

“These are actually the pieces of a Fire Ruby, one of the most valuable and desired gems in the world,” Shockwave explained. “A similar gem is used by King Aigaion himself to power his own armor. Lady Aurora allowed me to use one of the rubies she possessed to experiment on.”

“... Huh. Okay…” Havoc muttered.

“It showed to be containing a sustainable amount of magical energy to power our armors as well,” Shockwave carried on. “Even though these gems were never meant to be used as energy extractors, they are strong enough to initiate the activation sequence. The rest will be done by us. I’m certain things will work out perfectly. You will see once you’ll feel the power of the Zeal surging through your body.”

Havoc remained silent for a moment, but he seemed to be convinced by Shockwave’s explanation.

“Okay… I guess I’ll take your word for it…”

He then heard a gleeful yell as Trickster kept zipping around the others, admiring Shockwave’s creation. The metal alloy of which the armors were made of was surprisingly light, yet very durable, allowing them to maintain their agility and speed without worrying about restrictions.

“This is totally awesome! I take back what I said about these babies before! If they can really give us a radical performance in fight, then Shockwave, dude… You are a real genius!”

Shockwave laughed under his breath.

“It’s nice to hear words of praise from you for once.”

Trickster then flew to Deathwing and asked:

“Yo, Deathwing! Let’s go over this again! When we get to the base and we run into Mirage squadron, can I join you in busting up their flanks? Pleeeease?!”

Deathwing groaned quietly in response.

“That’s the tenth time you’re asking me this, Trickster. And I already said: yes, you can join us in the assault. Although… If I am to be perfectly honest with you, I’d prefer you’d act as a distraction. Annoying our enemies like a buzzing fly — it’s what you do best.”

Trickster chuckled.

“He-hey, thanks! It’s nice to know you think my skills are amazing.”

Havoc, having overheard that conversation, leaned toward Shockwave and whispered to his right ear:

“Dude… there’s an obvious insult in what Deathwing said, right?”

Shockwave looked back at him.

“Havoc… You’re far more intelligent than you look.”

Havoc rose his right eyebrow.

“Thanks… I guess. I mean, I’m not sure if that was another insult or… Argh!” he whined. “You guys are sometimes so un… uncommu…”

“Uncommunicative?” Shockwave suggested.

“Yeah! That! It’s really hard to talk normally with you guys sometimes.”

Deathwing noticed Havoc and Shockwave conversing with each other. He slowed down a bit and said:

“Keep your focus on, brothers! We must stick to our mission parameters. Shockwave, how much further to Manehattan?”

“If my calculations are correct, we should be within the airspace in about 30 minutes.”

“All right. Maintain your speed. The less attention we draw, the better…”

Rainbow Dash hovered in place, staring at Lightning Dust, who just explained her motives behind leaving the Equestrian Allied Forces. Her desire to become the best pegasus fighter in the world meant that that she considered pretty much the entire world as her enemy now. Rainbow knew there was no point in trying to convince Lightning Dust to come back to the Headquarters peacefully now.

“So, that’s how you want to settle it?” Rainbow asked her.

“Isn’t it the best option? Fighting solves all problems. If I defeat my opponents and those who think wrongly of me, it will prove that I was right and that I am the best,” Lightning Dust replied.

Rainbow Dash gave her an angry look.

“You know what? If I didn’t know you, I’d say you’re just acting like an idiot. But now I see I was wrong. You really ARE an idiot.”

“Oh yeah?! Then come on and fight me! Let’s see who’s right!” Lightning Dust exclaimed.

“I’ll gladly kick your flank… and maybe knock some sense into your brain, if it’s still there,” Rainbow replied.

Lightning Dust snickered.

“Hilarious. OK then, let’s make this more exciting. I’m going to give you a deal.”

“A… deal?” Rainbow asked.

“Yeah. If you win, I’ll surrender myself and I’ll let you take me back to the Headquarters. But if I win, then you’re going to let me go. How’s that?”

Rainbow though about this for a while. She really wanted to give Lightning Dust a rather painful lesson, plus it was also a great occasion for her to really put her skills to the test. Since her fights with the Reapers over Fillydelphia and Canterlot, she did not encounter anypony who could truly make her sweat. She knew Lightning Dust was her equal, perhaps she was even superior to her in some aspects. The sense of challenge overcame Rainbow’s mind.

The blue pegasus nodded.

“All right, you’re on!”

Lightning Dust grinned.

“I knew you’d agree. You can try telling yourself that Spitfire sent you after me, but I know that you want to fight me really badly. There’s no point in hiding it, Dash. You want this fight just as much as I do. I know you. We got a lot of things in common. If not for that mishap in the Academy… maybe we could’ve been great friends.”

“Mishap?” Rainbow asked angrily. “That’s what you think. If I wasn’t fast enough, my friends would’ve been dead because of you, showing off!”

“None of this would’ve happened if they didn’t show up…” Lightning Dust interjected.

“That doesn’t matter now! Now it’s just you and me! And I will beat you, Lightning Dust.”

Rainbow fixed her sight on her opponent and took a battle stance.

“OK, Dash. Let’s have some fun. Show me what you’ve got! You ready?!”

"Just say when!”

The two locked their eyes onto each other. Time briefly slowed down… then Rainbow and Lightning Dust darted forward.

“You’re going down!”

“You wish!”

As they clashed, the two mares exchanged a flurry of blows. Lightning Dust’s punches failed to connect, as Rainbow easily figured out her moves. By swaying her head to the sides and blocking, she managed to avoid almost all attacks. She took the initiative then and even though Lightning Dust tried to imitate Rainbow’s movement, she got hit in the face a few times.

Rearing back, the turquoise pegasus tried rushing her opponent once more. Rainbow saw through her aggressive style. She just waited for a moment before Lightning Dust was right next to her, then she quickly flew upward. Rainbow used this opportunity to kick her opponent in the back of the head with her rear hooves. This caught Lightning Dust off balance, allowing Rainbow to dive down and send her flying down toward one of the clouds with a charge attack.

Rainbow had the upper hand in this confrontation. However, Lightning Dust quickly recovered and was prepared to keep fighting.

“Is that all you’ve got, LD?” Rainbow asked her. “Kinda underwhelming…”

“You haven’t even seen half of what I’m capable of!” Lightning Dust retorted.

“Quit your boasting. If you’re really so good, prove it,” Rainbow provoked her. “Give me a real challenge! Surprise me.”

Lightning Dust’s response was an angry growl. She flew toward Rainbow Dash, throwing one punch after the other. This time the blue pegasus took a more direct approach. She blocked and parried most of Lightning Dust’s attacks and tried hitting her with a swift punch or kick herself. But Lightning Dust managed to adapt to Rainbow’s tactics fairly quickly, and dodged most of Rainbow’s attacks.

She thought she saw an opening in her defense and tried hitting her in the jaw with an uppercut, but that was just a feint. When Rainbow Dash saw Lightning Dust falling for her trick, she quickly moved her head back and delivered a strong kick to Lightning Dust’s abdomen, stunning her briefly.

This allowed Rainbow to perform a series of consecutive punches to the face, ending with a kick that sent the turquoise flier downward. However, Lightning Dust recovered just in time to see Rainbow coming at her. With a quick backflip, she ascended.

The two were now looking at each other again, using this small break in their duel to catch some breath. Rainbow Dash was confident that she would win this fight.

“I’m not impressed,” she said to Lightning Dust. “Why don’t you just give up?”

“Never!” Lightning Dust yelled in response.” I’m not finished with you yet!”

“Stubborn as always, aren’t you…” Rainbow said quietly.

It was clear to her that Lightning Dust had skills to match her abilities, but her anger was causing her to pour all of her energy into predictable attacks. When Lightning Dust tried circling around Rainbow, waiting for the right moment to attack, the blue pegasus foresaw her actions and darted toward her, taking her completely by surprise.

Rainbow hit her in the ribs and twice in the face before Lightning Dust parried her next kick and returned the favor with a punch to the stomach. Rainbow resisted the force of the blow and headbutted Lightning Dust in the forehead. Then she followed with several rapid punches to the chest and an axe kick that sent Lightning Dust downward.

She landed on one of the clouds, and it took her a few seconds to get up. She was sweating, but the look of determination did not leave her face.

Rainbow Dash was hovering above her opponent. She called out to her:

“Give it up, Lightning Dust! It’s over!”

The turquoise mare wiped the sweat from her face and replied:

“No… Not yet! It’s not over yet!”

But, though she tried to put up a brave look, Lightning Dust was desperate. Things were looking really bad for her.

“Dammit! She got a lot tougher. But I can’t give up now… I gotta keep fighting. Guess there’s only one way to go… I never thought I’d be forced to use this so soon. Let’s hope this works…!”

Lightning Dust briefly closed her eyes, then she took off into the air again… seemingly trying to fly away from the area.

“Hey, where’d you think you’re going?!” Rainbow Dash shouted to her.

She followed her immediately. Lightning Dust led her to another sector of the area, where several small islands were adorning the endless blue ocean. The sun was slowly setting behind the horizon. Rainbow Dash kept flying after Lightning Dust, not sure what to make of her actions. First she wants to fight, now she’s fleeing…?

“You won’t escape from me!” Rainbow exclaimed to her opponent.

Lightning Dust looked behind her and grinned slightly.

“... Who said I’m tryin’ to escape?” she said to herself.

Suddenly, she ascended and flew higher. Rainbow followed her again, trying to get closer. Then, just as she was about to get within melee range, Lightning Dust suddenly dived down toward one of the islands. Rainbow was slowly losing her cool, diving after Lightning Dust again. She observed her radar.

“That’s it… just a bit more… come on…”

When Rainbow got really close to her, Lightning Dust decided to take action.

“OK, here goes nothing… now!”

With a dazzling move, Lighting Dust performed a somersault forward, changing her position, then quickly darted upward in Rainbow Dash’s direction. It took her completely by surprise.

“You fell for it!” Lightning Dust yelled.

“Oh crap!”

Rainbow realized her mistake too late. She received a powerful uppercut to the jaw. Its force was big enough to make her roll back, while Lightning Dust made a backflip and dived down toward Rainbow, hitting her chest with her front hooves and heading toward the island with the intent of crashing Rainbow to the ground. Despite the stunning blow, the blue pegasus tried to fight back. Unfortunately, her punches failed to connect.

Lightning Dust then quickly rolled to the right and increased her speed to get slightly ahead of Rainbow. Then she kicked her in the back, hurting her right wing as well. The blow was so powerful that it briefly kept Rainbow in place with a look of disbelief and pain on her face. Lightning Dust immediately followed with a series of quick punches to the ribcage, with every hit causing Rainbow to gasp in pain.

Finally, Lightning Dust sent Rainbow Dash crashing down with a kick in the face. The blue pegasus went down screaming, and although she tried her best to regain control of her wings, they refused to obey her. Rainbow fell down on the small island and hit the ground hard. Though the branches prevented her from sustaining any major injuries, she couldn’t get up for a while.

Lightning Dust was breathing heavily, but a gleeful smile appeared on her face when she looked on her front hooves.

“That worked…? That worked! YES! Haha! Awesome!”

She managed to calm her emotions a little bit as she descended toward the island. Seeing Rainbow Dash lying on her back on the ground defeated and in pain caused Lightning Dust to go back to her boastful attitude. As she was landing, she couldn’t help but to rub her victory in her opponent’s face.

“Ha! How’d ya liked that, huh? I told you I’d win! That was some radical combo, wasn’t it? I’ve been working on it for a while now. I think it deserves a cool name… hmm… Let’s see, I’ll call it… ‘Lightning Meteor.’ What do you think?”

Rainbow’s only response was painful gasps as she tried to slowly getting up from the ground. Lightning Dust started walking toward her.

“Yeah, I know. Not the most original name, but it gets the job done,” the turquoise pegasus said.

Shoring up on her front legs, Rainbow tried to stand, but just then she felt Lightning Dust’s right front hoof landing on her chest. As she pinned her to the ground, Lightning Dust leaned toward Rainbow.

“Sorry, Dash. Looks like I win.”

Rainbow grit her teeth.

“You… just got…”

“Lucky?” Lightning Dust finished. “No, that was all skill. A deal’s a deal. You gotta let me leave.”

Grunting, Rainbow tried to talk to her again.

“What… good does it do for you? Why are you… trying to make… everypony an enemy?”

Lightning Dust pressed her hoof down on her chest a bit more, causing Rainbow to yelp in pain.

“You don’t seem to understand. If there is anypony that I would call an enemy, it’s you. You stole everything from me… But, now that I’ve beaten you… I’m going to go beyond. If I can beat you, Dash, then no pony can be a challenge for me. I’ll defeat anyone who will get in my way of becoming the best. And… when the Wonderbolts will hear of my successes, they will BEG me to join them!”

Rainbow Dash tried to shove Lightning’s hoof out of her chest and get up again.

“You’re crazy…!”

A confident smirk appeared on Lightning Dust’s face.

“Tell you what, Dash… I could just kill you right now. But actually… I really enjoyed that fight. So, I’m gonna spare you this time. Enjoy living with the knowledge that you were beaten by somepony better than you.”

The turquoise flier chuckled, then brought her other front hoof on Rainbow’s right wing, the one that was strained already. When she pressed on it, Rainbow winced.

“A word of advice… Don’t try to follow me. If I meet you again, I WILL kill you!”

Lightning Dust rubbed her hoof on Rainbow’s wing violently, causing her to scream in pain. Then, she finally backed away, turned around and spread her wings.

“See you… Rainbow Trash.”

Lightning Dust flew up, leaving the island and Rainbow behind. Dash finally managed to get up from the ground, but the pain in her right wing prevented her from going after her opponent. All she could do was watch her disappear in the distance, reach her hoof out and call out to her in vain:

“Come back here…! You… idiot…!”

Rainbow was gasping for breath for several seconds, still trying to comprehend how did she lost the fight. Everything was going well for her until that last moment, when she let her overconfidence bring out the worst in her.

“Horseapples… I should’ve been more perceptive… Maybe then I’d… Ugh… I gotta report back to Spitfire… And I bet she’s not going to like the news…”

Slowly, the blue pegasus reached her hoof for the communicator, adjusting the frequency. All the while, she tried to stretch her right wing a bit to nullify the pain.

“Wonderbolt 1, this is Mirage 1… do you read me?”

Little did Rainbow Dash know that the Reaper squadron was approaching the Manehattan airspace. Shockwave suddenly noticed a single contact appearing on his radar. He quickly identified it as a unit of the Equestrian Allied Forces and alerted his companions about it.

“Could it be a scout?” Havoc wondered.

“Doubt it,” Shockwave replied. “No scout would go so far away from the Headquarters. And they wouldn’t let one do it alone. If anything…”

“Ah, who cares, who it is!” Trickster exclaimed. “Let’s just go and kill it!”

“No,” said Deathwing. “I doubt it’s anypony we should be concerned about…”

Shockwave observed the contact for a while. It seemed to be heading southeast and did not seem to notice the Reapers’ presence. Satisfied with this, Deathwing told the others to resume their flight. They were getting closer to their destination…

==========

1800 hrs
Manehattan, EAF Headquarters

Spitfire and the other fliers from Mirage squadron were waiting for Rainbow to report back. They had no idea how the battle went, and they were getting a little nervous.

“What’s going on? Rainbow should’ve called us back right now,” Lightning Bolt wondered.

“Could something bad happened to her?” Derpy asked.

“I told you! You should’ve let me go with her!” Medley jumped in.

“You’d just be extra weight for Rainbow, and an easy target for Lightning Dust,” Firefly snarked at her.

“Say what?!”

Spitfire suddenly heard beeping in her communicator.

“Quiet down, girls! I got a call… Wonderbolt 1 here. Yeah, I read you, Rainbow… What? Got away?”

Rainbow’s voice, heard in the headphones, sounded a little dull while she was breathing heavily.

“I’m sorry, Ma’am… We fought and… she was just better, I don’t know… I blame myself for letting her escape.”

Spitfire sighed heavily.

“This is not what I wanted to hear… But, at least you tried. Go back to base, Dash, we’ll talk here.”

“Yeah… Argh!”

Another painful grunt escaped Rainbow’s mouth as she was stretching her wing.

“You OK, Dash? Are you hurt?” Spitfire asked.

“It’s nothing… Just a few bruises and a strained right wing. I’ll manage,” Rainbow replied.

“You sure?”

“Yeah, I’m sure. I’ll be back in fifteen minutes or so… Rainbow out.”

Spitfire sighed.

“This is not what I hoped for… So much for my plan…” she thought to herself.

Firefly and the others watched Spitfire’s expression during the conversation. They knew things didn’t go well.

“Lightning Dust got away?” Firefly asked.

Spitfire confirmed it with a nod.

“Is Rainbow all right?” Fluttershy asked.

“She’s fine. She’ll be back here soon,” Spitfire ascertained.

Medley angrily stomped her hoof on the ground.

“Darn! Maybe if I was there, we could apprehend that traitor…”

“In your dreams, Kid…” Firefly growled.

“Hey! What is your problem?!” the green pegasus exclaimed.

Cloud Kicker tried to keep the two mares from tackling each other.

“Girls, I know you’re nervous, but keep it cool. Rainbow will be back. Just take it easy.”

Firefly and Medley still glared at each other for a moment, but then they both apologized at almost the same time, which caused Cloud Kicker to giggle in amusement. Only Fluttershy seemed to be really worried about her friend, as she observed the sun disappearing on the horizon.

A cold breeze blew in her face, making her shiver briefly.

“Rainbow…”

Just as the Reapers were approaching the small islands in whose vicinity Rainbow Dash and Lightning Dust fought, Shockwave picked up another signal on his radar.

“This is getting suspicious…” Deathwing grumbled. “Can you identify it?”

“Give me a moment… Oh. It’s… Mirage 1.”

Trickster and Havoc suddenly came to a halt.

“W-Wait, WHAT?!” the yellow pegasus exclaimed.

“Dude, are you for real?” Havoc asked.

“The data doesn’t lie. She’s down there, on one of those islands,” Shockwave replied.

Deathwing scratched his chin for a moment.

“Intriguing… What is she doing here? And… could there be other fliers from her squadron in the area? Shockwave, are there any more enemy contacts in…”

“Negative,” Shockwave interrupted. “My radar shows no enemy contacts beside that one down there in a 7 mile radius. We can safely assume Rainbow Dash is alone here.”

Trickster cackled maniacally.

“Ha, ha! Talk about a lucky break, dudes! Not only do we get to test those beauties we’re wearing, but we also get to pummel that so-called ‘Princess of the Skies’! Let’s DO IT!”

He was just about to descend when Havoc suddenly stopped him.

“Take it easy, hotshot!”

“Why don’t you stop going headfirst into battles? One day you may break your skull on your mistakes,” Deathwing told him.

Trickster gave him a confused look, as the black-coated pegasus continued:

“Even with our advantage, it may be reckless to engage an enemy without knowing her location. Let’s wait for her to show up, then we’ll attack. Shockwave, make sure she won’t be able to call any support over the radio.”

“Affirmative,” Shockwave replied. “I’ll have the radio jammer on standby.”

The Reapers decided to rest on the clouds, waiting for Rainbow to appear. Completely unaware of the danger, the blue pegasus was finally feeling less and less pain in her right wing. She breathed out in relief.

“Phew… OK, time to head back.”

Rainbow Dash slowly ascended. Shockwave’s radar picked up her signal, and after a few seconds, he noticed her silhouette leaving one of the islands.

“Visual on the target,” he reported.

“All right. Remember, brothers, use the Zeal only when necessary. We should be able to defeat her with numbers and skills alone,” Deathwing told the others.

“Roger that, boss,” Havoc replied.

“Yeah, yeah… Let’s just do it!” Trickster clashed his hooves impatiently.

“Do it, Shockwave.”

“Initializing radio jammer… All communications and radio waves in the area will be down for several minutes. Should me more than enough for us to eliminate her.”

The purple pegasus pressed a few button on his communicator and on his armor. Then he gave Deathwing a nod. He responded the same way.

“Right… Reapers, engage!”

Rainbow Dash suddenly heard an ear-piercing sound in her communicator that caused her to stop for a moment, letting out a mild squeak.

“Yeow! Agh! What the…? What the heck was that?”

She tried to adjust the frequency, but the device refused to work. All she heard was static.

“Oh, come on, not you, too… There’s always a problem with that stuff when you least expect it. I better bring it to Thunder before it breaks down completely…”

Just then, a warning signal appeared on her radar. It showed four red dots heading toward her. Rainbow widened her eyes in surprise.

“What? The Exiles, here…?”

She quickly turned around and noticed the Reaper squadron heading toward her from above. Rainbow’s heart began to race. Things suddenly turned for the worst for her.

“Oh, you gotta be buckin’ kidding me… Not those guys again! Of all the times…! Today’s just not my day,” she thought to herself, trying unsuccessfully to calm herself down and not make it seem like a big deal. Rainbow stopped in place, allowing the Reapers to catch up to her.

Deathwing greeted her with a satisfying smile.

“Rainbow Dash, welcome. It’s been a while since the last we saw each other.”

Rainbow Dash growled in response before saying:

“What are you doing here?”

Trickster laughed.

“What do you think? We were looking for somepony to play with! And, what luck, you are here! Talk about a convenient setup!”

“I really got no time for you, guys,” said Rainbow. “Do me a favor and get outta here.”

“Oh, what’s this? Where is your fighting spirit?” Deathwing mocked her. “Did we show up at a bad time…? Hm, hm…”

“Perhaps she feels a little overwhelmed. It’s understandable,” said Shockwave.” Maybe you should call for backup. We’ll let you do it. Go ahead.”

Rainbow Dash glared back at them, reached for her communicator and tried to contact her friends.

“Firefly, come in. This is Rainbow. I got company here. Do you read me, over?”

She waited for a moment, but there was no response. She tried again.

“Firefly? Come in! The Reapers are here! Firefly!”

Only static answered Rainbow’s call. Deathwing and his companions looked at each other, seemingly enjoying themselves, as the watched Rainbow desperately try to call the rest of Mirage fliers in vain.

“Medley? Lightning Bolt?! Fluttershy?! Anypony! Come on! Somepony respond, please respond!”

Trickster kept grimacing, trying to imitate Rainbow, nearly causing Havoc to laugh. The small pegasus soon laughed himself.

“Guess nopony’s coming to save your hide, huh? Ha hah! Too bad!”

Rainbow Dash lowered her sight. All odds were against her. Her situation seemed hopeless. Not only did she get caught by the enemy at the worst possible time, but she had very few options available. While her best bet would be to fly back to Manehattan as quickly as possible, she knew that the Reapers could easily keep up with her speed. Not to mention her strained right wing still hurt her mildly, preventing her from flying at her best.

Taking on all four of the Reapers at once was an equivalent to suicide...

But Rainbow Dash faced extremely low odds before and managed to come out on top. She hoped that she could, at the very least, stall for time and keep the Reapers engaged for several minutes. Maybe then her friends, alerted by her being late and not reporting back, will come to help her.

This was her only hope, and she had to hold onto it in this confrontation. Rainbow Dash lifted her sight, looking confidently at Deathwing and his companions and said:

“Yeah… It’s too bad. Nopony’s gonna see me whooping your flanks!”

The Reapers looked at Rainbow with sincere surprise. Even Shockwave wasn’t certain if he heard her right.

“So, even when facing certain defeat… you keep putting on a brave face,” Deathwing scoffed. “You know that you don’t stand a chance against all of us alone.”

“Correct,” said Shockwave. “Her chances of winning are no bigger than… 0.01%. She is clearly outclassed.”

“Says you,” Rainbow Dash retorted. “You didn’t say you guys have 100% chance to win, so I’ll take my chances. You’re in for a big surprise.”

Havoc growled.

“Couple broken bones ought to shatter that ego… Come on, guys, let’s get her!”

He charged straight at Rainbow, but she made a quick backflip, dodging the attack. Havoc immediately returned back to his companions, wondering why they didn’t follow up.

“Hey, guys! We can beat her easily, come on!”

“Yeah! Let’s break her into bits!” Trickster added.

“Hold on,” said Deathwing. “Rainbow Dash…”

His eyes were locked on the blue pegasus, as if he was trying to analyze something.

“Even now, you stand defiantly and want to fight us… If you were any smarter, you would be fleeing for your life.”

A small smirk appeared on Rainbow’s face.

“Heh. Don’t get me wrong, guys. If I had a choice in the matter, I’d rather be sleeping on a cloud a hundred miles away from here. But running away is not my style. I hate backing away from a challenge.”

Now Deathwing returned the smirk. He comprehended Rainbow’s way of thinking. Even when backed into a corner, she still refused to give up. That was the one thing he admired in her.

“Hm. Bravo. Praiseworthy indeed. I am not surprised by your attitude. It’s clear that you are a naturally born fighter, probably one of the best there is. But you should know this… Everypony has limits. One should know these limits… Otherwise, overconfidence will lead to a painful downfall.”

“I’ve learned to overcome my limits. They are meant to be broken,” Rainbow Dash replied. Her combative spirit surged anew. “If I can overcome another one by fighting you… that’s fine with me.”

Deathwing looked at his companions.

“Very well. Then have it your way. Brothers, we don’t have to fly to Manehattan now. We have a much bigger target here… Rainbow Dash, Lady Aurora requires your death. And we will be happy to fulfill her order.”

Rainbow squinted her eyes.

“Heh… Do your worst.”

Her thoughts, however, reflected something completely different.

“Way to go, Rainbow Dash. You’re in the deep now. If you survive this… beat yourself up. Really hard.”

Deathwing reared up, preparing to initiate the attack.

“Let’s see how much you have learned, Princess of the Skies. We will give you your last and most beautiful battle. Reaper squadron, engage!”

Again, Havoc tried to strike Rainbow first, but she dodged to the side, avoiding his punch. Shockwave approached her next, aiming his blows at Rainbow’s ribcage. However, the blue pegasus drew most of her attention to him almost instantly, parrying nearly all of his attacks. She did get hit in the face once, but that didn’t faze her much. Trickster charged at Rainbow Dash from behind, yelling loudly.

Rainbow had no problem anticipating his attack. She waited for him to approach, then quickly kicked her back legs, hitting him in the jaw and causing the small pegasus to fly several meters away. Shockwave tried hitting her again, but Rainbow was faster. She performed a quick headbutt in Shockwave's face, stunning him briefly.

Flying to the side, Rainbow got a grasp of her surroundings just in time to see Deathwing coming at her. Crossing her arms, she blocked his charging attack, then immediately broke her guard, made a quick backflip, and used her rear legs to kick him away. Rainbow dived down, noticing Havoc and Trickster coming at her together. They tried to attack her from both sides. Rainbow quickly ascended, which caused the two Reapers to abandon their tactic.

Trickster went after her alone. Rainbow made a 180 degree turn, surprising her opponent and performing a diving kick, hitting Trickster in the face. The blue flier barely had time to catch a breath, as Deathwing tried attacking her again. Rainbow’s reaction was a little too late this time, as she got kicked in the stomach. She managed to shrug it off and quickly countered with a series of punches.

Deathwing tried parrying her attacks, but most of Rainbow’s strikes connected. She then heard Trickster yelling again and trying to tackle her. Rainbow kicked Deathwing away, made a somersault, and came down on Trickster, hitting him in the back.

Shockwave attempted his own attack again, aiming for Rainbow’s back. Rainbow quickly turned around, though she didn’t react fast enough to block it. Shockwave managed to hit her in the ribcage, but Rainbow quickly grabbed him and threw him downward. The purple flier recovered easily.

Deathwing was more than astonished at Rainbow’s performance.

“Even against such odds, she is still giving her all… I’ve been looking for such an opponent all my life,” he thought to himself.

The same could not be said about Trickster. He was getting really frustrated as he tried to tackle Rainbow again, but she not only dodged to the side, but also instantly followed with a kick to his head, causing Trickster to spin out of control for a moment. When he came to, he looked a little dizzy. Seeing their strategy as flawed, Deathwing called the other Reapers to regroup.

This break finally gave Rainbow Dash some time to catch her breath. She was wheezing and sweating a little, her right wing started hurting her again, but had a satisfying smile on her face.

“What’s wrong, guys? Not as easy as you thought, huh?!” she asked.

“Damn!” Trickster cursed. “What’s going on? What is she made of?!”

“I don’t get it. We should be able to beat her easily,” said Havoc.

Shockwave squinted his eyes.

“We underestimated her again. But no more. Deathwing, I believe now the time is right.”

Deathwing nodded.

“I agree.”

He then turned to Rainbow Dash. She noticed that the Reapers suddenly got more confident.

“Rainbow Dash. You are a dangerous and skilled adversary,” Deathwing said to her. “But not even you will be able to defeat us. You will be the first to witness the power of our new weapon.”

“What weapon?” Rainbow asked. “I don’t see any weapons here… unless you mean those red armored suits that you’re wearing. Sure, an interesting change of wardrobe, but they seem to make you slower. Rarity would have a field day with you guys—”

“GAAAH! I’m sick of her!” Trickster yelled. “Let me kill her flank!”

“If you think these armors are a disadvantage, that’s a serious error of judgment,” said Shockwave. “You are about to see the true power of the Reaper squadron. Let’s initiate the sequence, Deathwing. The radio jammer will not last forever.”

Hearing that last sentence, Rainbow Dash tried putting pieces together.

“Radio jammer… So that’s why I couldn’t contact the others. It wasn’t the fault of the communicator, it was their doing. Talk about an unfortunate coincidence… Guess I’ll just have to keep fighting them until the jammer wears off and call for the other girls. But… why do I feel it’s not going to be easy…?”

Deathwing was surrounded by his companions. All four had risen their right forelegs close to their mouths. Rainbow noticed they had something that looked like small speakers on them.

“Zeal, activate!”

The four pegasi said it at the same time. Nothing happened at first, but then Rainbow noticed that their armors also had a small red gemstone in each of them. She didn’t notice them at first in the heat of battle, but looking at them now… Those gems started shining brightly. They brought back the memories of facing Gleipnir in Ponyville…

The Reapers started acting strangely.

“What in the hay…?” Rainbow wondered aloud.

Each reacted differently to the sudden power surge rushing through their bodies. Havoc briefly flexed his body and let out a satisfying growl.

“I feel… the POWER!” he exclaimed.

Shockwave looked like he was having seizures for a moment, then looked at his hooves, feeling much stronger and lighter.

“This is incredible…” he said.

Trickster only cackled maniacally as he started zipping back and forth in a rapid fashion. He was clearly enjoying the taste of new power.

“Hot da-a-a-amn! This stuff is intense! Hee ha ha ha ha!”

Deathwing reacted the most calmly of all, but his reaction disturbed Rainbow Dash the most. He was just hovering in place with his sight lowered, and his voice got deeper.

“Such an amazing power…”

The black-coated pegasus then lifted his head. His eyes briefly flashed in red color, as did the other Reapers.

“You have no hope of victory.”

Rainbow Dash gulped, feeling sweat gathering on her forehead again, as well as an uneasy feeling inside.

“Yeah… Something tells me the easy part is over…” she though to herself.

Chapter 14: Broken

When faced against overwhelming odds,

One fights with all of their might.

But, in war, no one is invincible,

Even an angel may end up falling...

Chapter 14

Broken

August 29th, 2021
1800 hrs
Manehattan, EAF Headquarters

Firefly and the rest of Mirage fliers, along with Spitfire, were still waiting for Rainbow Dash to return. While only several minutes passed since she contacted them after failing to apprehend Lightning Dust, to them it felt like hours. In vain attempts at easing the tension, Cloud Kicker tried to reassure the others that Rainbow would be back any minute. However, Medley didn’t seem so certain. She kept on walking back and forth, stopping only briefly to check either her radar or to look toward the horizon.

Firefly looked at her, annoyed.

“Can you stop that for two seconds, Kid?” she asked.

Medley looked at her defiantly, but didn’t say a word. Fluttershy felt that the tension was so thick, it could’ve been cut with a knife. She turned to Lightning Bolt.

“Lightning, um… maybe you should try contacting Rainbow Dash? She was supposed to be back by now.”

“True,” Lightning replied. “She’d return fast, even with an injured wing. Okay, let’s see…”

The white pegasus turned her communicator on and set the frequency to try to contact Rainbow Dash. However, before she even said anything, Lightning Bolt heard a screeching, high-pitched noise in her headphones. It caused her to wince and momentarily switch the communicator off. She clutched her ears.

“You okay, Thunder?” Firefly asked.

“Y-Yeah… That’s odd. There seems to be some sort of jamming. The radio waves are so distorted that I can’t reach Rainbow.”

Cloud Kicker tilted her head in confusion.

“Weird… What could be causing the jamming?”

Medley turned to Spitfire.

“Ma’am, do we have any reports about the enemy activity in this region?”

“Sure,” Spitfire replied. “The Exiles’ last activity in the Manehattan region was about a week ago, as you may remember. Since then, they haven’t conducted any operations. Nothing that would draw our suspicion here.”

“I see…”

Fluttershy still felt uneasy.

“Could you try again, Lightning?”

“If you insist…”

Lightning Bolt tried to reach Rainbow again, but the screeching noise sounded in her headphones again, even louder than before. The white pegasus squeaked in pain as she dropped her headphones to the ground.

“I can’t contact her. The jamming is too strong.”

Medley looked at Spitfire in frustration.

“What if the Exiles are preparing another attack? Rainbow may be caught in the middle! We should go and help her out!”

“No,” Firefly said sternly. “She will be back momentarily. I know it. The Exiles did not show up since last week; there is no reason for them to try an offensive here now. They were preparing another attack on Fillydelphia a few days ago. Who's to say they won’t try it again?”

“What if you’re wrong?!” Medley exclaimed.

Cloud Kicker managed to separate the two mares before they tackled each other again. Lightning Bolt picked up her communicator from the ground.

“Ease up, girls. Look, I’ll keep trying to contact Rainbow. I’ll try lowering the volume and I’ll wait until the noise gets quieter. Maybe this jamming is only temporarily.”

“I hope so... “ Fluttershy said quietly.

Rainbow Dash’s situation was getting worse by the minute. Since the Reapers activated the Zeal, they were acting completely different. They became much faster and stronger. Rainbow had a lot of problems in trying to just catch up with them, let alone trying to attack them. They were assaulting her every few seconds, leaving her very little time to react. Just as Rainbow dodged to the side of Havoc’s tackle, Shockwave almost immediately struck her in the back, sending her tumbling down.

The blue pegasus managed to regain her balance to hear Trickster’s mad cackling. He flew directly at her, swinging his arms wildly and trying to hit Rainbow as much as possible. Rainbow blocked the majority of his attacks and cambered backward to avoid another punch, then immediately performed a backflip kick, knocking Trickster away.

Just then, Deathwing attacked Rainbow Dash from behind, hitting her in the head and briefly dazing her. Before she came to, Deathwing flew over her and delivered a series of punches in the face and ribs. The last attack caused Rainbow to bend over in pain, allowing Deathwing to send her flying downward with a strike on the back.

Despite feeling pain in her right wing, Rainbow flapped it fast enough to recover. She landed on one of the clouds, panting heavily. She tried to understand why the fight suddenly took a turn for the worse for her. At first, Rainbow had no problem handling all four Reapers, now she couldn’t deal with one of them.

What frustrated her the most was that she couldn’t effectively use any of the maneuvers she practiced with her teammates before. When she tried to perform any of them, one of the Reapers interrupted her, knocking her off course or preventing her from hitting her opponent. Not even using feints fooled Deathwing and his wingmates. It almost seemed like they were capable of predicting Rainbow’s moves before she could use them. To them, Rainbow Dash was like an open book, containing all the answers they needed to win this battle.

“What’s going on? I’m completely ineffective,” Rainbow grunted.

Looking up, she tried to ponder on her next action. Should she continue fighting against the odds or try to call her friends again? Seeing the Reapers hovering in place, Rainbow decided with the latter option.

“Mirage team, respond! I need assistance! The Reapers…!”

Before she could finish, Shockwave dove toward her, forcing Rainbow to fly up in order to avoid the attack. The jamming signal in her headphones was still there, albeit weaker.

Rainbow tried again:

“This is Mirage 1! Mayday! I’ve encountered the Reaper squadron! I need assistance! Respond, please—”

Suddenly, Havoc appeared behind the cyan flier, trying to punch her in the face. Rainbow avoided a direct hit, but her opponent struck the communicator, breaking it. Pieces of it fell down into the great water below. Cursing under her breath, Rainbow could only hope that her message would somehow reach her friends.

She delivered an uppercut to Havoc to knock him away, but the attack didn’t even phase him. The dark blue pegasus retorted by grabbing Rainbow’s mane with his teeth. She squealed in pain when Havoc started pulling her hair. He used his new strength to easily spin Rainbow around a couple of times before he released her, causing the mare to fly away several meters. Deathwing stopped her in place with a powerful punch to the ribs. The force of the blow stunned Rainbow.

She was completely helpless against her adversaries. After a series of attacks, Deathwing knocked her downward in Trickster’s direction. He also delivered a powerful punch to Rainbow’s jaw. The mare made a few uncontrollable flips through the air. Finally, Havoc dove toward Rainbow and sent her to the ground with a powerful strike.

This time, Rainbow couldn’t recover in time. She pierced through several clouds, finally landing on one of the larger ones. Rainbow lay on it for several seconds, gasping for breath and gritting her teeth, trying to suppress the pain in her body.

The Reapers were pleased with their performance.

“Your creation is indeed wonderful, Shockwave,” Deathwing praised him. “It makes this fight almost too easy.”

“Come on, guys! Let’s go skin her alive! Ha ha ha!” Trickster cackled.

Just then, the small pegasus suddenly stopped in midair, clutching his head with his front hooves and moaning. Shockwave noticed it.

“It appears you are overusing the Zeal. Decrease the power usage, Trickster. If this keeps up, your body will be paralyzed,” the purple flier warned his comrade.

“Heh… It’s OK. I can handle it,” Trickster assured him.

“In any case, we should bring this confrontation to an end,” Deathwing proposed. “The radio jammer already wore off, right, Shockwave?”

“Affirmative. We should get rid of Rainbow Dash before her companions come to her aid.”

“What’s the worry?” Havoc asked. “We can take’em all out.”

“We’ve already used the Zeal for half the designated time,” Shockwave reminded him. “Aren’t your muscles getting a little tense?”

Havoc flexed briefly.

“Maybe... A little… But, come on, man. We have such a golden opportunity. Let’s play with her a little while longer. This is fun.”

“Yeah!” Trickster agreed. “Besides, I wanna give her a special dose of pain. Something I wanted to try for a long time…”

“Fine,” said Deathwing. “Let’s make this quick.”

Rainbow Dash finally managed to stand up. She looked up; the Reapers were preparing to attack again. She knew that she couldn’t win this fight. Her opponents possessed overwhelming power and speed. This wasn’t something that Rainbow could prepare herself for in advance. She decided to put her faith in her companions. All she could do now was to hold out on her own. As long as her body could withstand the pain, she’ll make it out alive.

That was what Rainbow thought to herself before she decided to go for Deathwing and, at the very least, defeat him. Maybe then, the other Reapers would retreat. It was naive thinking, but that was all Rainbow was left with.

“Girls… Please, hurry…”

None of the combatants were aware that a single entity observed the whole battle from a high altitude, sitting on one of the thicker clouds… an adult, grey pegasus. He observed Rainbow’s desperate struggle with an annoyed expression.

“What do you think you are doing… You should leave. Do you want to die that badly…?” he said quietly to himself.

Tension between Firefly and Medley was still tight. They kept staring back at each other. Medley was understandably upset by being unable to go and help Rainbow for the moment, as that would be acting against the will of her superior officer. Spitfire told them to stay and wait for the cyan flier to return, but the languishing minutes frustrated Medley.

“Why can’t we just go? What if Rainbow is really in trouble?” she asked.

“I’m telling you, she’s fine. Stop worrying, Kid,” said Firefly.

Cloud Kicker could only scratch her head.

“I don’t like this… Lightning, you think that…?”

When she looked at her friend, she noticed a very concerned look on her face. She turned her communicator on to try to contact Rainbow Dash once more. This time, she heard her voice in between the static. She only managed to pick up a few words, but they disturbed her.

“Mayday… en… encountered… Re… Reap… assist…! Oh, no!”

Lightning’s sudden reaction caused Cloud Kicker to jump in surprise. Firefly and Medley stopped arguing. All fliers approached the white mare.

“Lightning, what is it?” Fluttershy asked.

“I… I just received a message from Rainbow! She is in danger! She’s been attacked by the Reaper squadron!” Lightning replied with a panicked tone.

“What?! Reapers, here?” Firefly asked.

“No way! How did they get so close to Manehattan without anypony noticing them?” Derpy wondered.

Firefly squinted her eyes as she made a quick glance at Medley, then said:

“We can worry about that later! Spitfire!”

The pink flier looked at the Wonderbolt leader. She understood the situation. A single nod was all the permission the pegasi needed.

“Go! Bring Rainbow back in one piece and chase those Reapers away. Move!”

Firefly nodded back and turned around.

“Come on, girls! Let’s move it!”

Medley, Lightning Bolt, Cloud Kicker, Derpy and Fluttershy followed her. All six spread their wings and flew up, heading outside the base and toward the ocean. Flapping their wings rapidly, they hoped to make it and aid Rainbow in her fight.

“Hang on, Rainbow! We’re coming to help!” Medley exclaimed.

Rainbow was obviously nowhere near to hear her. However, it did work in making the others increase their speed. Lightning tried to track the last signal from Rainbow, but because the transmission was suddenly cut, she could only do an approximate trace.

“Lead the way, Thunder, and we’ll follow!” said Firefly. “Hurry!”

Derpy glanced toward the horizon. The sun already disappeared beyond it. Now, there was only a fiery hue shining dimly over the water, slowly turning the sky purple.

==========

1815 hrs
Ceres Ocean, Equestria airspace

Desperately trying to catch a breath, Rainbow Dash took a fighting stance and shouted defiantly in the direction of the Reaper squadron:

“I won’t go down that easy!”

She then shot upward, keeping her eyes on Deathwing. He noticed that she wasn’t flying as fast as she used to, and her flying wasn’t straight. The black pegasus figured she must be suffering from some kind of injury, probably inflicted by one of them. Yet she kept going. A little smirk appeared on his face.

“That’s sad…”

While his companions flew to the sides, Deathwing remained in place. Havoc hailed to him:

“She’s coming at you, man! Evade!”

Deathwing gave him a glance.

“... Why should I?”

Rainbow Dash yelled as she rose her right arm in an attempt to strike Deathwing in the face. He did not move; he wasn’t even trying to block the attack. He took its full force upon himself. When Rainbow’s punch connected, a satisified grin appeared on her face.

“Heh. Gotcha!”

However, in a span of a few seconds, her expression changed dramatically. The black pegasus remained undeterred when he received the punch. He slowly turned his face toward Rainbow and said slowly:

“Is… that… all…?”

Rainbow Dash was completely out of options now. Her attack did not even faze Deathwing. It looked like she punched a flying rock and it didn’t break into pieces. Rainbow tried to hit him again, but Deathwing easily blocked this one, shoving her arm away. Then, he immediately followed with an attack of his own.

A single punch in the stomach stunned Rainbow Dash, leaving her wide open for more hits. The shocked look on her face said it all: Rainbow was at the Reapers’ mercy now.

“How disappointing…” Deathwing scoffed, delivering a second punch, this time in the face.

Rainbow tried to fight back, but Deathwing would not allow her. Each strike he delivered caused a grunt of pain to escape Rainbow’s mouth. Her face and front body were already covered in bruises, but the black pegasus showed no signs of stopping.

“You…”

A punch in the face from the right.

“...are…”

A punch in the face from the left. Blood started dripping from Rainbow’s mouth.

“...such…”

Deathwing kicked her in the stomach, causing Rainbow to bend over.

“...a disappointment…!”

He then followed with a kick in the face. Rainbow was forcefully turned around and exposed. Deathwing delivered a powerful punch to her back. It was so strong that Rainbow was launched upward through the air for a moment.

Her painful gasps were mixed with Trickster laughing out loud, watching her torment and clearly enjoying it. Finally, just as Rainbow was losing the control of her wings, Deathwing's last punch knocked her backwards. She somehow managed to recover and kept herself in midair with a few ounces of strength left, but she noticed too late that Shockwave moved in, targeting her next.

He adjusted the Zeal’s power to increase it, having his eyes locked on Rainbow’s right arm. Before she could react or even put her guard up, Shockwave attacked, delivering a powerful and precise kick.

A sickening crunch was heard, followed by Rainbow Dash’s agonizing scream. With just one strike, Shockwave managed to break her arm. She wouldn’t be able to use it for the remainder of the fight… if this confrontation could even be called a “fight” anymore.

Now, the Reapers were just toying with her. Rainbow grabbed her broken arm and tried to suppress the pain, but Havoc was next to strike. He already had a plan on how to torture Rainbow a bit. He suddenly ascended and appeared right behind her. Then, he grabbed her by her arms with his own, immobilizing Rainbow and preventing her from escaping. The sudden pull on her right arm further hurt Rainbow as she tried struggling in vain to escape.

“Let… go!” she gasped out, flailing her rear legs and trying to kick Havoc. He, however, kept her in place and chuckled.

“Heh, heh… It’s time I had some fun with you. Hah!”

Without warning, Havoc bit Rainbow Dash in her right wing. Feeling his teeth sinking into her skin, Rainbow screamed in pain. The tall pegasus started gnawing on the wing, making it look like he was trying to rip it away from her body. But that was not his intent. He just wanted Rainbow Dash to feel powerless before their new might. Havoc moved his head back and then bit Rainbow’s wing again.

She stopped struggling. The pain was paralyzing her. Slowly, her right wing was getting numb. She couldn’t move it anymore. Havoc managed to effectively cripple her. Blood soon trickled from the bite wound. All Rainbow could do was scream.

Deathwing approached and was about to resume his brutal beatdown, but just then, Trickster suddenly flew to him.

“Hold it, dude! You already had fun with her. Let ME get a piece of the action, too! I’ve saved something special for her…”

Deathwing did not respond at first, but when he looked at Shockwave, the purple pegasus waved his arm twice. It meant they still had two minutes of Zeal power. Deathwing turned to Trickster.

“All right. Just make it quick.”

Cackling, Trickster approached Rainbow Dash. She was barely conscious. Havoc tightened his grip on her arms.

“Yo, keep her in place, man,” Trickster told him.

Havoc nodded. Trickster looked at the battered blue mare and his voice suddenly turned menacing.

“Hee, hee, hee… You don’t look so good, Princess. Knew you were all talk in the end. When it comes to actual skill, you can’t compare to us. You… are only worth dirt.”

He spat in Rainbow’s face. In a few seconds, his saliva slowly slid from her cheek and fell down. Havoc rose his eyebrows.

“What, that’s it, dude?” he asked.

Trickster chuckled.

“Ha, ha, ha… no, my big number is coming up now. Make sure you hold her tight.”

Havoc pulled Rainbow’s arms up some more, causing another painful gasp to leave her mouth. Trickster said to her again.

“You know what? Forget what I said. You are lower than lower than dirt!”

Then he turned around, flexed a bit and, without any warning…

“Ally-oop!”

He swung his right, rear leg backward and struck Rainbow Dash in her most exposed and vulnerable point: between her legs.

Rainbow’s eyes rolled into the back of her head. Pain shot through all of her body again. Pain was all she knew for the next several seconds. Rainbow howled in agony, trying to cover the point of impact with her rear legs, gritting her teeth and squeezing her eyes so hard that tears came to them.

Havoc chimed in approval.

“Huuuu… That had to hurt. Talk about cheap and effective, dude,” he complimented Trickster.

“Ha, ha, ha! In da cunt! Ha, ha! That’s so funny!” Trickster laughed. “Hey, is she bleeding?”

“Only from the wing and lips, I think,” Havoc replied.

“Damn. I didn’t kick her hard enough. Deathwing, can I get another shot? Come on!”

Rainbow grimaced, hearing those words. Another kick like that, and her groin would most likely be ruptured. This could cause her to bleed to death if her injuries were not treated quickly. Deathwing, however, said:

“You’ve had your fun, Trickster. Besides, this entertainment lasted long enough. Shockwave, how much time left?”

“Sixty seconds.”

“In that case…”

Their radars suddenly picked up six red dots approaching the area. Deathwing moved closer to Rainbow Dash. She was still coughing and whimpering in pain. He lifted her face up to make eye contact.

“Do not worry. You pain will disappear soon. Time to finish this. Consider it an honor, Princess… You will be the first victim of ‘Reaper’s Scythe’.’ Everyone, initiate Formation X.”

Havoc and Trickster widened their eyes in excitement.

“Ooohh… The big one! Finally!” the small pegasus chirped.

“‘Bout time!” Havoc said. “Ok, here we go! Aaaand… UP!”

Havoc threw Rainbow upwards without any problems. The Reapers decided to deliver the finishing blow by attacking all at once. Moments after Havoc threw her, Deathwing and Shockwave flew up and closed in on her, along with Havoc and Trickster, from four different angles.

Try as she might, Rainbow Dash could not do anything. Heavily injured and unable to escape, she was a sitting duck, waiting to be shot. She thought that, for just a moment, she saw the silhouettes of her friends in the distance, approaching…

They made it.

“Girls… I…!”

Deathwing hit her in the spine. Havoc managed to deal a blow to the head. Shockwave kicked her in the left arm, and Trickster rammed her chest with his head, breaking Rainbow’s ribs. The vest that she was wearing did nothing to reduce the force of the impact. The pain combined from all four attacks hitting her simultaneously was unbearable for Rainbow’s senses. Several crunching noises reached her ears, and that was the last thing she heard.

She blacked out and fell down.

The rest of fliers from Mirage squadron finally managed to track Rainbow’s last location. They arrived just as the Reapers were performing their finishing move.

“Damn! We’re not gonna make it!” Cloud Kicker cursed.

Fluttershy was horrified upon seeing Rainbow Dash being struck down.

“Rainbow… NO!” she exclaimed.

Medley started flapping her wings even more furiously, trying to reach Rainbow and grab her. She stopped paying attention to anything else.

“I’m coming, Rainbow!”

“Kid, get back here!” Firefly hailed to her.

The Reapers were already aware of the Mirage fliers. Havoc snorted.

“Here comes the crowd…”

“There’s one eager to get broken,” Trickster chuckled. “She’s mine.”

Without waiting for Deathwing’s order, the small pegasus rushed forward.

Medley was getting closer to Rainbow. She saw her battered body and realized she couldn’t react. She lost consciousness or maybe even…

Not allowing herself to think about the worst, Medley dived after Rainbow. Then, she heard a familiar, annoying cackle coming from her right.

“Heya, baby! Didya missed me?” Trickster asked nonchalantly.

Medley tried to ignore him, but the yellow pegasus suddenly moved in front of her, preventing her from going after the falling Rainbow. Angered by his interception, Medley shouted at him:

“You little punk… Get outta my way!”

“Make me!” Trickster responded.

The young mare delivered the first punch to her opponent, but Trickster easily parried the attack. He wrapped his left arm around Medley’s, holding her in place. Grinning in the delight, Trickster then used his right hoof to slam it down on her arm and break it.

Medley screamed when she felt the bone shattering.

“Aaaaahh!!!”

“Aw, shut up!” Trickster scoffed.

He delivered a punch into Medley’s jaw and then grabbed her around the waist, spun around a few times and threw her away, in the direction of the other pegasi from Mirage squadron.

“Return to sender!” Trickster yelled.

Fluttershy was the first to notice something went wrong and went ahead to catch her. She managed to grab the green pegasus.

“Medley! Are you all right?!” Fluttershy asked with a concerned tone.

The first reply was only moans. Medley held her arm in place. It was dangling limply.

“Ahh… My arm… He broke it…!” the young mare whimpered.

While Fluttershy was checking on her condition, Lightning Bolt took a glance downward. She noticed Rainbow Dash falling into one of the islands below. She could see her for just a few seconds before she disappeared from her sight.

“Lost visual contact with Mirage 1,” she reported.

“RAINBOW!” Medley cried, ignoring her broken arm, but then immediately grasping it back again.

The Reapers were still under the influence of the Zeal, but Shockwave told them to turn it off. The time limit was about to expire. There were less than thirty seconds left. However, the sight of the fliers from Mirage squadron taking their battle stances created an uneasy situation.

“You will pay for that!” Firefly exclaimed. “You’re all going down!”

Havoc huffed wildly like an animal. It looked like some primal instinct was starting to overtake him.

“Heh, heh… I think you got it backwards, missy…! Heh, heh, we’re gonna mangle you, just like her!”

Trickster laughed like a psycho.

“YEAH! Come on and fight! We’re gonna TEAR YOU TO PIECES!!! Wa ha ha ha ha!”

They were both getting affected by the Zeal’s side effects. Deathwing looked at Shockwave. Suddenly, he clutched his head with his front hooves. Even he started to feel the side effects, despite using the least power.

The purple pegasus made his decision in that moment.

“I won’t take further risks.”

He moved his right front hoof to his mouth and said into the small speaker:

“Zeal, code: 1566. Disengage.”

A few seconds later, Havoc and Trickster started twitching, while Deathwing groaned loudly. He started feeling weakened. The usage of the Zeal took a toll on his body, as it did on his comrades. Their power was drained away, and now the after effects began to kick in.

Havoc turned to Shockwave.

“Dude, what did you do? Urgh… ow, dammit… my muscles hurt…”

He tried to lift his arms, but they felt heavy like iron. The red armor that he and the others were wearing only added to the feeling.

Trickster was infuriated.

“What the BUCK, man! Why did you…! Aaaagh! My head…! Feels like it’s gonna explode…!”

The pegasi from Mirage squadron observed the scene with confused expressions.

“What’s happening to them?” Cloud Kicker wondered.

“Are they sick?” Derpy asked.

Firefly burst forward, trying to attack Deathwing, but he managed to cross his arms and tank the blow, preventing the pink pegasus from hitting his face. He turned to Shockwave and grunted:

“Whatever you did… We’ll talk about it later. We have dawdled here long enough. Reaper squadron, retreat!”

Before Trickster could even argue, Shockwave grabbed him around the waist and dragged away. Havoc followed them. Deathwing broke his guard and turned away, fleeing the scene as well.

However, Firefly was not about to let them go.

“I won’t let you get away, you bastards!” she shouted after them before giving chase.

The rest of the pegasi remained behind to check on Medley.

Deathwing noticed Firefly chasing them. He told the others to keep going. In a blink of an eye, Deathwing performed a somersault and changed direction, stopping right before Firefly’s mouth. This action took the pink pony by surprise. She stopped in place, but remained vigilant and ready for a fight.

She threw a punch, but Deathwing stopped it before his face. Firefly was breathing quickly.

“Son of a bitch! You’re dead!” she grunted angrily.

“Emotions are a powerful tool… but you are not using them properly,” Deathwing replied quietly.

“Huh?”

The black pegasus stared into Firefly’s eyes.

“Are you sure you’ve made the right choice? Do you really want to fight us now…? We may be weakened… but we are still strong enough to effortlessly defeat you. Rainbow Dash couldn't beat us. Neither will you. None of you will.”

His red pupils combined with his low, ominous voice made her feel uneasy. Suddenly, she realized that she was without any support… on her own.

“Perhaps you should think your decision through,” Deathwing carried on. “Do you want to fight me? Or maybe you should go and collect the remains of your precious friend…?”

That last sentence stirred Firefly’s anger. She screamed and tried to punch Deathwing in the face.

“Shut up! She’s not dead!”

Deathwing easily blocked her punch.

“There is no way she could survive the fall from 3000 feet… Do you want to join her? You are such a fool…”

His next words stimulated even more anger inside Firefly. Deathwing decided to continue his attack, but he didn’t need to hit her at all. Words were enough to hurt her deeply.

“How does it feel, Firefly? How does it feel to lose another member of your family… because of your own stupidity?”

“Shut up…!”

“Do you feel… helpless? You could have helped her… but you weren’t there when she needed you…

“Shut up!”

“You failed her.”

“SHUT UP!”

Infuriated, Firefly tried to hit Deathwing a few more times. And yet, despite his fatigue, he still blocked all of her attacks. He then retaliated with a swift punch to Firefly’s stomach. That sudden attack stunned her, allowing Deathwing to finish her off.

But he did not. Instead, he said:

“With any luck, Rainbow will see you in the afterlife soon enough… Goodbye.”

Deathwing used the opportunity to fly away after his companions.

When they saw him returning, Trickster, still carried by Shockwave, asked him:

“Did you killed the pinkie?”

Deathwing shook his head in response. Ignoring Trickster’s mumblings, he turned his attention to Shockwave:

“Care to explain what happened back then? All armors stopped working at the same time…”

“Simple. I have used an override command,” Shockwave replied calmly. “I have specifically programmed this specific command into my unit to use it in case of emergencies, such as an occurrence of somepony not willing to shut down the Zeal before fatal consequences could happen…”

He briefly glanced at Trickster as he said that sentence. Havoc turned to him:

“And you were planning on telling us about it… when, again? Ugh…”

“You keep a lot of things to yourself,” Deathwing added.

“My apologies,” said Shockwave.

Deathwing sighed.

“In any case, I believe this was the last we’ve ever seen of Rainbow Dash. Lady Aurora will be happy when we will bring her the news. Let’s return to base.”

Firefly was left behind, unable to hear any of their words. She was gasping for breath, barely able to contain her wrath. Not only were her actions careless, they could have lead to her own death. The fact that Deathwing spared her when she was vulnerable made her frustrated even more.

Firefly started heading back to her friends. The more she thought about Deathwing’s words, the more she was torn between anger and sadness.

Was he telling the truth? Did Rainbow really…?

The pink pegasus pony suddenly stopped. Unable to contain her emotions, she let out an anguished scream.

“AAAAAAAHHH!!!”

Things couldn’t have possibly turned out for the worse...

The remaining fliers from the Mirage squadron caught up to Firefly. The sight of her figure, hovering in midair, unnerved them. Cloud Kicker approached her first.

“We heard a scream… Are you OK?”

Firefly glared at her. The purple pegasus slightly backed away.

“Uhh… forget I asked…” she said sheepishly.

“How is Kid?” Firefly asked Lightning Bolt.

Fluttershy replied to her question instead. She was supporting Medley by hanging her injured left arm around her neck.

“She’s got a broken arm. She needs medical attention.”

Medley rustled a bit.

“Never mind me… What about Rainbow? We have to find her! She is somewhere down there, on one of those islands! Right, Thunder?”

“Yes,” Lightning Bolt confirmed. “But it will be tough to get a bead on her now… I’ve lost all means of contact with her. Her radio is most likely destroyed, and locating her in the dark will be hard without the night-vision mode. If only I had it installed in the communicators…”

Firefly looked at the horizon. It turned into a dark shade of blue and purple. The sky was already dark. She tried to come up with the right decision.

“Then we have to get back. Besides, we need to drop Kid at the hospital for treatment and—”

“NO!”

Medley’s loud squeak interrupted her.

“I don’t want to be left behind! I want to help you find Rainbow Dash!”

“You’re in no condition to help us, Kid,” said Firefly. “We need to take care of your—”

“Are you insane, Firefly?!” Medley suddenly yelled. “You want to leave Rainbow behind to die?!”

“I never said that—”

I won’t be disturbing you guys, I just want to help! You may need my eyes to find Rainbow quickly! What if the Reapers come back?! We must find her before they do!”

“I know that! Calm down!”

Fluttershy held Medley a bit tighter, trying to help her calm the emotions. Firefly thought for a few seconds about possible options. Finally, she said:

“Fine. You may come with us. First, we’ll drop you at the hospital and ask the unicorn medics to put your arm in a cast. While they will be doing that, we’ll go to the Headquarters and get that night-vision thing. Thunder, how many upgrades do you have available for us?”

“Four, I think,” Lightning replied. “I was going to make more of them, but…”

“They will have to do. Let’s move it, girls!”

As the Mirage fliers set the course back to Manehattan Headquarters, Firefly briefly looked back behind her.

“Hang on, Rainbow. We’ll come back to get you. I promise,” she said to herself.

2200 hrs

When Rainbow Dash came to, her entire body was aching in pain. She was desperately gasping for air, and it also slightly hurt when she inhaled. Never before had she found herself in such a vulnerable state. Her ribs were broken, both of her wings crippled — she could not use them to fly away. They took the full impact of the fall. Her coat had numerous lacerations and bruises all over it. Her face was also terribly battered.

Still lying on the ground, Rainbow slowly rolled on her back, spreading her wings on the ground. She looked around. It seemed that she was in some kind of a small forest.

She looked up and noticed an opening on the trees above her. The branches had helped in softening her crash, saving her from death’s cold embrace.

Rainbow tried to stand up, but she felt searing pain in her back. Although Deathwing's attack didn't break any spinal cords, she knew that trying to get up in her current condition would be a folly. She decided to wait a bit more.

She tried moving her legs next. She was relieved when she realized that she could. However, she had to avoid moving them too vehemently, or it could amplify her pain. When she fell, she most likely bruised her legs. The skin was torn off from her body in a few spots.

She trailed her left hoof across her chest. She felt the torn material. Her vest must have been ripped by pointy branches when she fell through. It had cushioned her fall, though not by much.

She blinked her eyes several times, looking at the sky. She was trying to breathe very slowly as to not strain her lungs.

Rainbow sighed:

“Great… Rarity is gonna kill me… Wait… Girls… Where are you?”

Her friends were nowhere to be seen. Rainbow was completely alone… or so she thought.

When she finally mustered the strength to try to stand up, it took her a few dozen seconds to get up on her hooves. Her right foreleg almost immediately bent slightly after touching the ground. Rainbow remembered that it got broken by Shockwave’s kick. Her bruised rear legs were also barely letting her stand.

Shaking, Rainbow took a few steps forward, grunting in pain.

“I… got to find… the girls… They must be... looking for me…”

Before she could leave the area, she heard a loud swoosh. Somepony else was in here!

For how long…?

A low, male voice was heard in the darkness:

“I’m impressed… that fall should’ve killed you, and yet… you’re still alive. You are no ordinary pegasus, that is for certain.”

It was a voice unlike anything Rainbow heard before. It sounded more like a growling of a dog.

She frantically looked around her, but couldn’t see anything. Keeping her broken leg in mid air, she was standing in place.

“Who… Who’s there?” she asked.

“I should have been more impressed with you, Princess of the Skies… if it wasn’t for your foolish decision. What made you think you could take on four enhanced soldiers at once? Just look at you… You can barely stand, let alone fight…”

“Who are you? Are you… one of the Exiles?”

“Do not insult me,” the voice replied. “I am not one of them. But I am not your ally, either. I serve no one…”

These words did not make Rainbow feel any better. She wasn’t certain if whoever was talking to her was going to help her.

The voice carried on:

“If you try to do a stunt like that again… I’m not sure you will survive. Luck doesn’t come twice, little girl. You should’ve flewn back…”

Rainbow Dash now realized this stranger had been watching her. He must have witnessed her fight with the Reaper squadron as well. But how come neither she nor her opponents could see him…?

“They would have caught up to me… I had to fight…” Rainbow started, but the voice did not let her finish.

“No, you didn’t have to. Even if they had caught up to you, at the very least, your friends would have come for you sooner… and you wouldn’t have ended up stranded in here. You have only yourself to blame.”

Rainbow lowered her head. There was some truth to what this voice was saying. But she wasn’t going to openly agree with him.

“Come out! Show yourself!” she demanded, tired of talking to the shadows.

The stranger did not comply.

Instead, he said something that sent a cold shiver down Rainbow’s spine.

“While I was watching you… I remembered a similar situation. I, too, fought against four Exile pegasi not long ago… However, they were of little danger to me. I took care of them all… swiftly… You could say this situation was a direct opposite of yours…”

Rainbow’s eyes widened. She knew what he was talking about.

“The Exile escapees from Winterbliss Fields…! That means… you—”

“Yes. I killed them,” the voice confirmed. “As I killed another coward who tried to flee… And you made the same mistake as they did… You made a decision to fight somepony much more powerful than you… ”

Rainbow heard hoofsteps in the dark. Her heart raced. She gasped. Some leaves rustled behind her. She looked back…

“You chose poorly.”

A figure of a male pegasus pony emerged from the shadows.

His appearance startled Rainbow. Bloody, red eyes, a gray coat covered in scars, and that intimidating voice… In her condition, she would not stand a chance in a possible fight.

Rainbow Dash would not admit it out loud, but she was afraid. Her imagination started playing tricks with her.

The face of the pegasus looked to her like some sort of a winged, demonic horse. This could not be a friendly. She had no idea what this mysterious flier would do to her now.

She started to slowly back away…

“You think you can escape?” the gray pegasus asked.

Even his voice sounded demonic to her, echoing in her ears.

“Your wings are useless… You won’t get far.”

“Get away from me…!” Rainbow whimpered.

Even though he claimed to not be one of the Exiles, she wasn’t sure if she could trust him. Now that he revealed himself, it became even more apparent to her.

The blue mare turned around and tried to gallop away, but she immediately regretted this decision. She forgot about her injured legs, especially the broken one. She staggered and fell on her belly. She could nearly feel the breath of that demon on her back...

Still, she had no intentions of giving up. Rainbow desperately started to crawl on the ground, into the forest. While this put her already strained body into even greater stress, it also allowed the adrenaline to flow in her bloodstream. This gave her some of the so much needed strength. She could not walk, but she could still move.

The gray flier started slowly walking after her. He didn’t need to hurry. He was right. Rainbow could not escape him.

As she was trudging through the bushes, one of the branches smacked Rainbow in the face, leaving a bleeding mark on her cheek. After a while, she thought she saw an open space ahead of her.

She gathered all of her remaining strength and tried to stand up. She hissed when her left foreleg touched the ground. She lifted it quickly and tried to walk on only three legs. Just as she moved the branches out of the way, two more whipped her body. One hit her in the back on the head, the other in the injured leg. It struck her in the spot where her skin was torn off.

Rainbow cried in pain and stumbled forward.

She did not see a piece of wood lying on the ground before her. Rainbow lost her balance, tripped and fell down a cliff, screaming. When she tumbled down, she further wounded her body on the rocks and ultimately landed on the sands of a beach.

The mysterious flier emerged from the bushes, looked down at her from the cliff and shook his head.

“Such a shame… I was looking forward to fighting you myself, Rainbow Dash… but it seems like you will be one the aces that I won’t have the privilege of facing. It seems today, a Princess dies… Your time is short. Farewell.”

The gray pegasus then opened his wings and flew up, leaving the island. Rainbow saw him flying away and tried to call out to him, reaching her left hoof in vain. Even if he looked like a demon, he was the only one around to aid her.

“Wait…! Help… me…! Aahh…”

Her arm fell to the ground. He did not hear her.

Rainbow Dash felt a prickly pain in her chest. That fall must have damaged her ribs even more. She was breathing rapidly.

The mare felt her body slowly getting colder.

She looked at her right arm closer. It had a bleeding wound that wasn’t there earlier. She must have hurt herself on one of the rocks when she fell onto the beach. In spite of the bleeding wounds, Rainbow Dash tried to stand up, wincing and gritting her teeth. She wanted to get up and escape, even though it wasn't a smart decision, considering her state.

However, all four of her legs bent under her weight, and the blue pegasus landed on her belly, scrubbing the sand with it. Her heart was pounding in her chest from stress.

Her strength started fading away. Her vision was slowly turning darker and more blurry. All sounds around Rainbow started growing more quiet. She only heard the sound of the waves crashing against the cliff from which she fell.

“Is this… it?” she thought.

Once more, Rainbow tried to stand up, grunting in pain, but her body refused to obey her. The sand underneath her coat was itching her.

“Am I… going to die…?”

She tried to crawl forward just a little bit, to get a taste of water on her tongue. She didn’t care if it was salty. She wanted to remain conscious.

But she did not reach the ocean. She did not move an inch. Instead, Rainbow tasted her own blood in her mouth.

Terribly exhausted, Rainbow could not even move a muscle. Her body felt very heavy. The sounds were reaching her ears, but she could not hear them anymore. She could not sense the smells, either.

“No… I… I don’t want to… Girls…!”

Once more, she tried to reach her hoof out. Tears started flowing from her eyes. She was crying quietly. Her lips moved, calling for help, but her voice did not leave her throat. No one would have heard her now anyway.

Her eyes rolled backward. All she could see was blackness.

“Fluttershy… Firefly… Applejack… Twilight… Pinkie… Rarity... Medley… I... ”

Her cheek touched the sand on the ground again, but she didn’t feel that.

“Somepony… Anypony… Please... help me… Please…!”

Rainbow Dash finally collapsed from the pain, exhaustion and her injuries.

A pale moon shined through the clouds. The wind blew around Rainbow’s body, as if trying to snuff out her already dimming life. She was lying on the sand, very close to the edge of the beach. Her untreated injuries would soon end her life...

She did not hear the wing flaps as two pegasi descended down and landed next to her. They examined her carefully. One of them said with a youthful voice:

“Well, what do we have here…?”

Chapter 15: Lost

In the darkness, the search is on.

Time is not on either side.

What fate had befallen the heroine?

When the sun comes up, things will be different...

Chapter 15

Lost

August 30th, 2021
0200 hrs
Ceres Ocean, Equestria airspace

Two figures were soaring below the clouds. They were checking their surroundings and observing the dark, night sky. They weren’t expecting to return to this place so soon, not a few hours after their great victory.

Deathwing flew a little closer to Shockwave and spoke, breaking the silence:

“I suppose it was a good thing that you informed Lady Aurora of our success. She was certainly pleased with Rainbow Dash’s demise.”

“Indeed,” said Shockwave. “But our lady was right to send us back. If we are to proceed with our plans, she needs to know for certain the she is gone.”

Deathwing nodded, recalling in his mind what Aurora told them.

When Shockwave contacted Aurora and told her the news of Rainbow Dash’s demise, she was very pleased at first. But when she asked about her corpse, the Reapers responded that they didn’t have it. This turned Aurora’s moment of triumph into one of concern. In spite of all odds, there was a small chance that Rainbow Dash survived the fall and could still be alive. For the alicorn, this was unacceptable. She needed to have a proof of her demise. And not just some hair from her mane, a skinned fragment of her coat or a piece of her vest…

She needed her body. She wanted to put it on display for all the Exiles in her city, to see and rejoice with the knowledge that this troublemaker was punished. In addition, Rainbow’s body could be used as an element of intimidation toward Celestia and her forces. It would be a warning; if anyone would dare continue to oppose the Exiles, they would meet the same fate, if not worse.

Surely, knowing that their heroine is dead, the Equestrian Allied Forces would eventually surrender to prevent further losses, and Celestia would bow down before Aurora and herald her as the new ruler of Equestria.

But before all that could happen, Deathwing and Shockwave were sent back to the location where they fought with Rainbow Dash to collect her body and bring it to Canterlot before the ponies from EAF could beat them to it. It could then be transported to the city of Exiles. Havoc and Trickster wanted to come along as well, but they were still suffering from effects of overusing Zeal during the battle. Havoc complained about his strained muscles, while Trickster kept on moaning about his aching head. Because of this, Aurora told them to head back to their quarters and recover, while Deathwing and Shockwave would bring Rainbow’s body with them.

The black pegasus thought about the city where he and the other Reapers were raised.

Even though it was rather small by typical city standards, it still had over 5000 ponies living in it. Those who followed Aurora after she was exiled by Princess Celestia did so either out of admiration for her incredible magical skills and knowledge, or because they were lured by the promises she made them: promises of a better world, of herself becoming the new ruler of Equestria and granting her subjects their hearts’ desires. Over the course of twenty five years, many other ponies outside of Equestria also heard about Aurora from her followers, who wanted to spread the word about her “noble intentions,” as they put it. Those who believed their words were welcome among the community.

Together, they not only managed to construct the city from scratch, with a little help from Aurora’s great magic, but also by striking a deal with the dragons and their king, Aigaion. Initial negotiations weren’t easy, but once Aurora began dispatching some of her followers to secretly excavate gems in the Crystal Mines located across the region of Equestria, they had managed to amass a few thousand of them within a few months. Aurora offered these gems to the dragons if, in return, they would protect them from any hostile activities and aid them in constructing the city. Aigaion agreed to this offer. In highlight of this, Aurora wanted to name the city after that monumental event. After consulting some of new residents that arrived from the country of Belka, she had decided to name the city “Edelstein,” or “gemstone,” as it would sound in common.

Deathwing wasn’t there in person to witness this event, but his father told him in detail how it went, as he heard of the negotiations from other Exiles. Years passed, and even after his father died of old age, the black pegasus followed his last will. He told Deathwing that he had the potential to become one of the greatest pegasus fighters in the world, but in order to become one, he must always seek out, fight and defeat an opponent much stronger than him. Fighting weaker pegasi was considered dishonorable by his father, and Deathwing always recalled that in his mind when he headed out to battle.

It had been over three months since he and his companions last saw the city. Since then, they had been constantly fighting the Equestrian Allied Forces or running errands for Aurora, who took temporary residence in Canterlot Castle after her forces took it over with the assistance of Dragon King, Aigaion. In the castle, Aurora discovered plans of a superweapon codenamed “The Atmos Ring” and decided to summon her chief technicians and engineers from Edelstein to hasten the construction of the superweapon and use it to fortify Canterlot even further, in case Celestia and her troops would dare to prepare an assault on the city in an effort to get it back.

Deathwing seemed to be caught in his thoughts. He slowed down a bit. Shockwave noticed it.

“Don’t fall behind. We can’t waste time.”

“I know,” Deathwing replied. “It’s just that… I’ve been thinking about her.”

Shockwave looked at him without any emotions.

“Why are you still concerned about Mirage 1? She is gone.”

“And that’s what’s bothering me. Out of all the opponents I’ve fought… she was the one that gave me the most thrill. When I was fighting her, I felt truly alive… Now, I may never face such a great opponent again. I do not enjoy fighting weaklings. Only the strongest fighters bring out the best in me.”

Deathwing’s confession was sincere. He didn’t really enjoy using the Zeal as much as the other Reapers did. For him, it made the confrontation too easy. Rainbow was powerless against him when he was using the Zeal. When he thought about it, it took away all the pleasure he had while defeating her.

Shockwave dismissed his worries.

“As great as she could be, nopony can withstand the power of my Zeal.”

“That’s the point. Without it, we could have still crushed her… and it would’ve been much more satisfying,” said Deathwing.

“So are you saying that my Zeal took away for pleasure of beating Mirage 1? Then perhaps you should refrain from using it anymore. Perhaps you are not worthy of such power.”

Deathwing gave Shockwave an angry look, but before the tension escalated, he calmed himself down and checked his radar. Before descending, the black pegasus let out a long sigh.

“Forget what I’ve said. What matters is that we have won. Now, we must find her body and quickly, before the sun rises.”

The two Reapers flew down to the small island where they saw Rainbow Dash fall.

The light of the moon reflected itself on the calm waters. Aside from the two stallions, several rocks were the only things lying on the beachside. They didn’t stop to admire the scenery, however. Having arrived at the crash site, the two Reapers expected to find Rainbow’s battered body lying on the ground, but to their surprise, the body was nowhere in sight. Deathwing turned his head back and forth, vainly trying to spot something in the dark.

“Gone…?” he whispered. “How can this be? Could she have—”

“No,” Shockwave interrupted coldly. “She couldn’t have survived. It’s impossible. No pony could survive a fall like that. And with her injuries… she must have died, right here. But the body isn’t here… This defies all logic.”

The purple pegasus kept shaking his head in denial. He didn’t want to accept the possibility of Rainbow’s survival. Deathwing’s face turned grim.

“Were we too late? Maybe her friends already took her remains back to the Crystal Empire…”

“I doubt it,” said Shockwave. “Remember that Trickster injured one of the Mirage fliers. They wouldn’t be trying to take additional risk.”

Deathwing gave a thought to those words. For once, he tried to think like his enemy.

The other six pegasi from Mirage squadron already knew of Reapers’ presence in the area, and they could assume that there would be more of the Exiles waiting to assist them. Getting to the area also must have cost them some stamina. To return with two wounded fliers, without calling for additional protection, would not be very wise.

Finally, Deathwing gave Shockwave a nod and said:

“Maybe you’re right. Hmm…”

He leaned toward the ground, as if trying to examine something. He touched the soil where evidence of a crash was still remaining. It was a little hard to see things in the dark, but because the moon kept on shining through the clouds, Deathwing quickly grew accustomed to his surroundings. After a brief inspection, he said:

“It seems like there was somepony else here… though I don’t know who. Not one from Mirage squadron, that is for certain. The hoofprints are bigger than that of a mare…”

“An outsider?” Shockwave inquired.

“I’m not sure. If it was a bit brighter, maybe I could make more of this… wait…”

The black pegasus looked in front of him. He discovered something else. A small smirk appeared on his face.

“Well, Shockwave, believe it or not, Rainbow Dash did survive the initial crash.”

Shockwave suddenly turned to face him.

“How can you be so sure?”

Deathwing pointed ahead.

“That trace leads me to believe that Rainbow was attacked by another pegasus… an unknown. She tried to escape it, but her injuries wouldn’t allow her to fly away, so she tried crawling instead…”

Shockwave lept forward.

“That means she is still alive, somewhere in this forest! Or maybe she already died and is lying somewhere. We must hurry and find her before—”

Suddenly, a warning signal sounded in his headphones. The purple pegasus looked at his radar. It was showing six red dots on its edge, slowly heading in their direction.

“Blast!” Shockwave cursed. “Most inconvenient timing… Mirage squadron is coming!”

“Already?” Deathwing let out a growl of frustration. “We can’t risk a confrontation right now. We must head back to Canterlot!”

“Agreed.”

The two Reapers spread their wings and took of to the sky, leaving the island and a possible large bounty behind them.

After a few minutes, Shockwave confirmed that they were out of their range and that the radar contacts had disappeared. Deathwing was still feeling disappointed by the outcome. Although he could safely assume that Rainbow Dash survived the crash, he didn’t know what happened to her after. If she was still somewhere on that island, then she either hid somewhere or collapsed and died in the forest.

The black pegasus let out a sigh.

“Such an opportunity, wasted… We can only hope that Mirage pegasi will not find her body before we dispatch a search party after returning.”

“That won’t be necessary…” Shockwave said.

Deathwing turned his head to him.

“What do you mean? We have to—”

“There is no need to rush. As far as I can tell, the EAF doesn’t have the equipment needed to perform a search and rescue operation during the night. They will waste precious hours trying to find their companion and, even if she’s somehow still alive, she will eventually be found by them after morning as dead… or not at all. Finding a lone body in the thick forest is not as simple as some may think.”

Deathwing wanted to believe Shockwave’s words, but he was still anxious.

“Let us hope you are correct. Still, Lady Aurora will not be pleased by this outcome…”

“No, she won’t. But… perhaps there is some other way. Perhaps we can turn this situation in our favor.”

“What do you have in mind?”

Shockwave looked at his leader and said ominously:

“I’ll explain everything once we return to Canterlot. The others need to hear about this, too. If all goes well… our Lady will be ever so closer to total victory.”

Deathwing wasn’t certain what Shockwave meant. He apparently noticed his uncertainty, because he quickly followed his last sentence with another:

“Trust me, Deathwing. This plan will work.”

“I… I trust you, Shockwave. You always have good plans.”

The purple flier acknowledged that statement with a nod. The two Reapers picked up speed and kept heading south.

==========

0240 hrs

Firefly and her companions reached the island. She, Lightning Bolt, Derpy and Medley were wearing night vision goggles. Lightning looked down and noticed the clearing in the trees. She guessed correctly that this was the place where Rainbow Dash fell.

“With any luck, with might be able to find her…” she said.

“We got no other choice. We’re not coming back without Rainbow,” said Firefly. “Kid, you’ll stay here and watch over the perimeter. If anything shows up on your radar, give us a call immediately. Got it?”

Medley nodded, but a frown on her face let others know that she wasn’t happy with that order. Her left arm was already put in the cask and was immobilized, but due to this injury, her assistance in the search was limited. Still, she was glad that Firefly had decided not to leave her in the hospital like she planned to do at first.

As she watched the five pegasi descend toward the island, she took a look around. Seeing the deep blue ocean all around her, with only a few small chunks of land sticking out of the water, Medley got caught in her thoughts.

She still saw an image of Rainbow, falling down; her eyes blank, her body broken. The young flier could only hope, perhaps even against all logic, that she was still alive. She winced a little when she tried moving her broken arm, only to feel brief, stinging pain in it.

She shook her head, put on the night vision goggles and turned them on. Everything in front of her was now a hue of green instead of blue and black. Medley let out a quiet gasp. Never before had she seen a sight like this. Maybe, if she was closer to the island’s surface, she could also see her friends searching for Rainbow through branches, bushes and trees.

After a few minutes of silence, Lightning Bolt’s voice sounded in everypony’s headphones.

“Over here! I think I found something! I’m sending coordinates to you all!”

Without thinking, Medley darted toward the ground, seeing as there were no enemy units in the vicinity. Once she landed, she instantly heard Firefly’s yell.

“Kid! I told you to stay up there and keep an eye out!”

“There are no enemies around!” Medley retorted.

Firefly sighed, but did not scold her any further. The pegasi gathered around Lightning Bolt. She was standing in front of the spot where Rainbow fell. She was kneeling down, examining the ground.

“What did you find, Thunder?” Firefly asked.

The white pegasus stood up, holding something on her hoof.

“This… I found this…” her voice was shaking a bit.

The others got closer. Fluttershy gasped.

“A blue piece of fabric… It must be from Rainbow’s vest!”

She looked up. Seeing the opening amidst the tree branches, she put the pieces together.

“When she fell, the branches must have torn her vest… But, Rainbow is nowhere in sight.”

“Then she didn’t die! She is somewhere on this island! I told you!” Medley exclaimed, nearly flailing her limbs in exasperation.

“Calm yourself down, Kid!” Firefly said loudly.

Taking in a few deep breathes, Medley regained her composure.

“Even if that’s true, we still don’t know where she is exactly…”

Firefly needed a few moments to consider all options. After a minute of contemplation, the pink pegasus started issuing orders.

“All right, girls, let’s split up. That way we’ll cover more ground, and we should find Rainbow quicker. Thunder, you and Sunny will inspect the area around here. Ditzy, you’ll go with Fluttershy and check up the north. I’ll go to the south. And you, Kid…”

Medley looked at Firefly, uncertain.

“Go back above and keep your watch on.”

The green pegasus sighed, but she complied with the order. The Mirage fliers resumed their search.

0500 hrs

Over two hours had passed. And yet, aside from finding a piece of Rainbow’s vest and a few of her weak hoof prints on the ground not far from the crash site, they were unable to locate any more clues that would point them to her location. Not even Cloud Kicker or Medley could find anything. Fatigue started to wear everypony.

Eventually, Lightning Bolt reached a beachside by following the trail of Rainbow’s hoof prints and trying to calculate possible paths. When she called the others to assemble at the beach, she didn’t have positive news.

“This is where the trail goes cold… There are are no further traces of Rainbow’s presence on the island than this. As far as I am concerned, this can only mean one thing…”

She hung her voice, unable to continue.

“What, Lightning?” Cloud Kicker urged her.

“She… She is—”

“She is NOT dead!” Medley interrupted her angrily.

The white pegasus shook her head.

“I never said that… I just said meant to say that… she’s gone. We can’t find her. I can’t tell if she is alive or dead, but I know for certain that she is not on this island.”

“No! We didn’t search thoroughly enough!” Medley insisted. “Let’s try one more time!”

Firefly stepped forward.

“Look around you, Kid. Everypony’s exhausted. We got no leads on Rainbow’s whereabouts. We’re not getting anywhere. There’s no point in continuing this search. We’re just wasting time.”

Medley looked at her in disbelief.

“How can you even think like that?! I know she’s somewhere here! We gotta find her!”

“And how are you—”

Just as she was about to start another argument, Firefly was cut by a signal from her communicator. She sighed angrily.

“What now… Flash here. … What? You can’t be serious… Now? Is this necessary? … Ugh, all right. Roger that. I’ll inform the others. Flash out.”

Firefly cut the connection and lowered her sight. She, too, seemed tired and frustrated. No pony said a word at first.

“Who… was that, Firefly?” Derpy finally asked.

Firefly lifted her head.

“Gale. He wants us to return to Manehattan ASAP.”

Her voice was glum, defeated.

“What?!” Medley squeaked. “But we still haven’t found Rainbow!”

“Gale said that our presence is required. He is going to present his plans for a new offensive campaign. We are going to play a part in it as well.”

The other pegasi looked at each other. This was probably the last thing that they wanted to hear. They barely had any sleep in the past 18 hours. Their eyes were heavy. Cloud Kicker wanted nothing more than to go to bed and rest. Fluttershy could also hardly stand on her legs. They could only hope that after the briefing they would be given some time to recover their strength. Only Medley seemed to be having energy to carry on with the search, but the others did not.

Everypony but Medley nodded in agreement. Firefly returned the gesture.

“Listen, girls, I don’t want to do this. But it’s an order and we have to comply with. We’re going back to Manehattan.”

She turned around to prepare for takeoff, but Medley’s voice stopped her.

“No! I’m not going anywhere! You won’t make me!”

Her defiance was getting on Firefly’s nerves. Firefly knew how much Rainbow meant to Medley, how the green pegasus looked up to her, admired her, hoped to learn from her. Seeing her falling down to her supposed doom must have been a traumatising experience, maybe even more than back during the Equestrian War, when Medley witnessed Rainbow Dash being tortured and beaten by her former friend. Firefly understood her determination and, even though it meant going against the order, she made a decision.

“... Fine. If you want to find Rainbow so badly, then you can keep searching for her. But, regardless of results, you are to return to base by dusk. I’m not going to cover for you anymore. Do you understand?”

Medley looked in Firefly’s eyes without saying a word. Firefly reiterated the question, only louder this time.

“Do you understand?!”

“... Yes, ma’am.”

Firefly gave her a nod.

“If you somehow find anything about Rainbow, give us a call, and we’ll come help you. Otherwise, I’ll see you at the base. Be careful, Kid.”

“I will.”

Fluttershy initially wanted to stay with Medley as well, but the green pegasus assured her that she will be fine on her own. Her casted arm wasn’t that much of a hindrance anymore, and since dawn was coming, she could now use her eyes without having to rely on night vision goggles. She returned her pair to Lightning Bolt and saw her companions fly back in the direction of Manehattan.

Once they disappeared on the horizon, Medley took a deep breath and turned toward the island’s interior, saying to herself:

“I’ll find you, Rainbow. I promise!”

1200 hrs

In spite of all her wishes and efforts, Medley did not go anywhere near finding Rainbow or even another lead that could guide her to the blue pegasus. Every time she thought that she found something and followed the trail, she ended up on the beachside again. The sun was already on high noon when Medley started feeling the fatigue setting in.

She was exhausted and frustrated.

“I don’t… get it…” she said to herself, panting in between words. “I’ve searched the whole island… three times, and… nothing. Where… Where could she be?”

Seeing no other option, she looked up and cried out.

“Rainbow Dash! Where are you?!”

She naively thought that maybe this would make her come out of her hiding, assure her that it was safe… But only silence answered Medley’s call. She hung her head and was thinking about calling her friends to tell them that she is coming back…

But then, she heard rustling of leaves behind her. She quickly turned around and asked:

“Rainbow Dash?! Is that you?”

There was no answer. Medley got up on her hooves and flew toward the bushes.

“Hold on! I’ll get you to— AH!”

When she cleared through, she did find somepony, but it wasn’t Rainbow. It was a male pegasus with a gray coat and dark, blue mane. Medley ran straight into his glare, and it startled her to the point she immediately jolted back and fell on her rear.

The stallion came out of the bushes and said:

“Easy, kid. You must have mistaken me for somepony else.”

Medley got up from the ground. She was slightly agitated by the stranger’s look. It might have had something to do with the many scars that covered his body.

The young mare tried to regain her composure.

“Oh, s-s-sorry, sir. I-I I’m looking for a friend…”

“A friend… Of course you are. Why else would you be so far away from a safe place?” the gray pegasus asked. “Maybe I can help. What does your friend look like?”

The tone of his voice convinced Medley that he wasn’t as intimidating as he appeared. That eased her worries. She said:

“W-Well… She’s a pegasus pony, just like me… Older by a few years. Blue coat… rainbow-colored mane…”

“Oh… her,” the gray pegasus interrupted. “Yes, I know her.”

Medley lifted her gaze.

“You… You know Rainbow Dash?”

“As a matter of fact, yes. I talked with her yesterday.”

Medley’s eyes lit up. Hope returned to her.

“Then you must know where she is! Please, tell me! I have to find her! She is in dire need of help!”

“I know. But you are only wasting your time. You’re not going to find your friend here.”

Those words confused the young flier.

“What… do you mean?”

“Use your head, youngster,” the stranger said coldly. “Your friend is gone. As in, dead.”

Medley’s eyes widened.

“No…”

“Yes. I saw her foolishly fighting four opponents at once and how they defeated her. I saw her falling from that edge. I watched her crawl pathetically to the beachside where you stand now. It’s where she probably end up dying and got swallowed by the rising tides. She is now property of the ocean.”

“You’re lying!” Medley shrieked.

The gray pegasus shook his head slightly.

“Now why would I lie to you? What would that benefit me?”

After a bit of uneasy silence, he continued, staring into Medley’s angry expression.

“Oh, I see… You must think that I’m one of the ‘Exiles’ that you are fighting against? Know this: I am in no way affiliated with them and I hate them just as much as you do. In fact, I already killed several of them… including a certain yellow-spined coward that you fought against a while ago.”

Medley’s expression changed. She remembered the broken body of Wind Edge that she found at the coast of Fillydelphia.

“You…? You are…”

She now realized that the individual before her was no regular pegasus. She felt chills running across her back. Her legs started to tremble. The stranger noticed it.

“What’s this? Starting to feel a little scared?”

He chuckled under his breath, and suddenly, his voice became a lot more gruff and intimidating.

“Good… You should be.”

Medley took a few steps back, afraid that this mysterious pegasus will take advantage of her injured condition and kill her, just like he did the to other Exiles. He did seemed strong, and, if he wanted to, he could easily snap Medley like a twig.

However, the gray pegasus did not move.

“Take it easy, kid. I have no quarrel with you. And I want it to stay that way.”

Hearing this, Medley felt her blood returning to her face. She breathed out, regaining confidence.

“Then… tell me what you know about Rainbow Dash.”

“I already told you. She is dead.”

“I don’t believe you!” Medley exclaimed.

“Believe what you want.”

This response angered Medley further.

“You said you’d been observing Rainbow’s fight… and you didn’t help her?”

“I’ve heard of her abilities. I thought that she could handle something as simple as four opponents at once. I guess I was wrong,” the stranger replied casually.

“You bastard… Just how long have you been spying on us? Who are you?! Who are you working for?!”

“It’s doesn't matter. And you don’t need to know.”

His words made Medley boil with anger, almost the point when she wanted to punch him.

“You’re hiding something! Tell me everything you know… or I’ll force it out of you!”

The gray pegasus seemed surprised to hear those words.

“You want to fight me?”

He laughed.

“You’re a bold one. But you’d be a fool to face an opponent you know nothing of. Just like this so-called ‘Princess of the Skies…’ Look, if this will ease your curiosity… I came to this land to face her in battle. I’ve heard of her accomplishments and wanted to test myself against her. And since the flames of war called upon on me… I had to answer. Yet… it seems I have misjudged her abilities. She wouldn’t stand a chance against me.”

The words that the gray pegasus spoke didn’t make much sense to Medley, nor did they calm her down.

“Rainbow Dash doesn’t lose to anyone!”

“Her last fight proved otherwise,” the stranger retorted, further angering the young flier.

“Where is Rainbow Dash?!” she screamed.

“Do I have to repeat myself?” the stranger sounded annoyed at this point.

Medley had enough. She flew toward him and tried to hit him. The gray pegasus easily dodged by jumping away to the left.

“Heh. Feisty, aren't you? I do not wish to harm you no further... you’re already injured enough...” he said, motioning to Medley’s broken arm.

Medley tried to attack him again. As in to response to that last remark, she swung her left rear leg toward his face, yet she missed again.

“Maybe those rumors about her skills were overblown… Sometimes, I wonder if the other ponies’ words about her are true…” the stranger continued.

“Rainbow Dash is the best pegasus fighter there is! She could beat you with her arms tied behind her back!” Medley shouted.

The gray stallion rose his left eyebrow as he dodged Medley’s punch.

“And who are you to say so? Her pupil? Or did you idolize her?” he wondered. “Whatever you are, I hope this talk has opened your eyes a bit... I was very disappointed of her. Her poor decision has led to her own demise... what was she trying to prove?”

“Sh-Shut up!”

Medley tried to kick him in the chest, but he jumped back, effortlessly avoiding all of her attacks.

“Tsk… I’ve already wasted enough time here. If what I saw yesterday was the best this Rainbow Dash could do…”

Now he moved to the offensive. Medley lost balance when she again tried to punch him in the face. The blow did not connect and left her wide open for a counter attack.

“Then I expect nothing from her worshipper.”

Saying this, the gray pegasus made a quick turn, making Medley fly past him. In addition, he delivered a quick, precise kick to Medley’s neck from the back. The green flier fell to the ground and did not get up. She lost consciousness.

The mysterious pegasus shook his head in disgust and said:

“You’re lucky, kid. If you were somepony else, I would have killed you on the spot. Instead, you’re just going to rest here for a few hours. Maybe, by the time you wake up, you’ll understand the harsh truth and accept it…”

He turned around and added under his breath.

“Ah, who am I kidding…”

As he flew away, he thought to himself:

“I wonder… Will your team still remain as unified as it was until now? The next few days, maybe weeks, will be most interesting…”

1730 hrs

Medley finally regained consciousness. She blinked her eyes several times and slowly stood up, shaking off some sand that was on her coat and mane. When she felt the pain in her casted arm, she assessed her surroundings and noticed that the mysterious male pegasus she met was gone. The green flier got up and turned around, facing the horizon.

The sight of a bright orange sun shining over the great body of blue water made Medley get caught in her thoughts. In her mind, she heard the voice of the stranger again:

“Face it, kid. Your hero is dead. She is gone.”

Medley lowered her sight. She felt her limbs turning cold. Now she slowly started to recall the encounter. He had the perfect opportunity to kill her, like he did with several Exiles already. And yet, he did not. Maybe he didn’t harbor any ill will? What if...

What if that stranger wasn’t lying to her?

Medley’s lips started quivering.

“Rainbow… dead…?”

Her eyebrows narrowed.

“No… No…! I don’t believe this! I… I won’t… I won’t accept it!”

An angered shriek escaped her mouth. Hovering above ground, she started screaming loudly:

“You coward! We are you hiding?! Come out! Face me! I’m not done with you yet! Where are you?! Where the buck are you!!!”

Unable to restrain her emotions anymore, Medley flew forward, toward a nearby tree. In her rage, she saw it as an image of the stranger and started hitting it with her right, undamaged arm. Then she tried kicking the bark several times. Each time the blow connected, she let out a painful whimper. None of them made her anger go away.

“Rainbow… is… not… dead! Not! DEAD!” she kept repeating while hitting the tree.

After several hits, she unwisely tried to strike the bark with her injured arm. Before she realized her error and stopped her motion, the punch connected. Medley felt intense pain building up inside her when she heard the sound of wood cracking into pieces. Her punch left a tiny impact on the bark.

She grabbed her arm and started crying. Tears began to appear in her eyes. It wasn’t certain if she was crying because she hurt her arm or because… the harsh reality started to catch up to her.

“Rainbow… R-Rainbow… you… y-you can’t…!”

Her words soon turned into blubbering. Medley slumped on the sand and curled up into a ball, holding her injured arm close to her face and she wept into it. Her sobs were short and loud, but there was no one to hear them.

There was no one to comfort her.

==========

1900 hrs
Manehattan, Mirage Squadron’s base

The meet with Gale wasn’t as fruitful as Firefly and her friends had hoped. They learned that a plan to liberate Canterlot was formulated, but no further details about it were revealed. Their first priority would be to assist other EAF groups in securing the areas in Canterlot’s vicinity. This included cutting off the Exiles’ supply lines, destroying several of their bases and eliminating the forces occupying the regions around urban zones, such as the one around Ponyville. In addition, Gale mentioned that getting back Ponyville and re-establishing their own supply lines in the region would be of great importance. This task would prove perilous, especially with the fact that one of the Drake Generals was keeping surveillance over that area in mind.

Unfortunately, all Mirage fliers were exhausted from searching for Rainbow Dash and being out in the field for many hours without a break, so they weren’t really paying much attention to the briefing. Gale understood that and told them that he will tell them about the new offensive campaign in more detail within the next few days. They should rest now and regain strength.

Firefly and her companions welcomed that suggestion. When they mentioned to Gale about Rainbow, he promised to look into the matter and organize a search party on the next day, so that Mirage squadron can focus on their own duties.

Once they got back to their quarters, Cloud Kicker immediately fell onto a bed and fell asleep. When she woke up a few hours later, she noticed most of her friends were already up. Cloud Kicker caught a glimpse of Fluttershy looking outside the window. Fluttershy was worried about Medley and wondered why she wasn’t back yet.

“I was expecting her to be here waiting for us,” Fluttershy said. “Why is she late? I hope nothing bad happened to her…”

Firefly was pacing around the room in frustration.

“Damn her. Her stubbornness is going to kill her someday… Or I will.”

The others looked at her with uneasy expressions. Considering the recent events and how they affected her, they weren’t certain if she meant it or not.

“She better be back here within thirty minutes. If she gets back even a second later, I’ll—”

Just then, they heard a knock on the door. Lightning Bolt walked up to the door and opened it. Her face lit up.

“Medley! You’re back! Thank goodness.”

The green pegasus slowly walked into the room. She looked just as exhausted as the rest of the Mirage fliers, if not more. She staggered a little when she approached the others.

“Sorry to worry you, girls…”

The tone of her voice was emotionless.

“So, did you find any trace of Rainbow Dash?” Firefly asked her.

She didn’t say a word. She didn’t even make any gesture. Medley just stood in one spot.

“See? I told you. You were just wasting your time and energy,” Firefly said.

Medley frowned and turned around, making an impression as if she was about to go upstairs. Fluttershy walked up to her, touching her cheek with her left front hoof and trying to look into her eyes. Medley quickly backed away, which only made the yellow pegasus more worried. She noticed the Medley was covered in dust and sand and had trouble standing straight because of her injured foreleg.

“Are you all right?” she asked, but did not receive a reply.

“You look terrible, Medley. Are you OK?” Cloud Kicker asked her.

Medley only briefly glanced at her when she replied. She sounded mildly annoyed.

“Do I look OK to you?”

Cloud Kicker realized that was a stupid question, but she still carried on.

“No… But you look like you were fighting somepony. Did you run into the Reapers or something?”

Medley lowered her sight.

“I don’t wanna talk about it… I need to get some sleep…”

Before she took a step, Firefly suddenly leapt in front of her.

“Hold it, Kid! You’re not leaving this room until you tell me what happened!”

Medley’s face flashed with anger, but she didn’t say anything. She only walked past Firefly, ignoring her. The pink pegasus ran in front of Medley again, stopping her.

“Hey! I’m talking to you! I want to—”

“SHUT UP!!!”

Suddenly, Medley used her front hooves to push Firefly away, ignoring her casted arm again. She managed to maintain balance, but Medley’s sudden outburst surprised everypony. They were looking at her in shock, wondering why she would do such a thing.

Medley’s body started trembling. She finally snapped.

“You…! This is all YOUR FAULT!” she screamed at Firefly. “Rainbow is DEAD because of YOU! You left her… You left her to die… Why did you go after Deathwing instead of helping her?! You… let her die! DAMN YOU!”

In between sobs, they all heard Medley’s accusations. Her voice was furious, but the more she screamed, the squeaker her voice was getting. She sounded like she was on the verge of a complete breakdown.

Cloud Kicker nearly jumped out of her bed. Fluttershy covered her mouth with her hooves, she was too frightened to try and calm Medley down. Just as she was about to come closer to her, Medley screamed out more insults:

“If it wasn’t for you… we could have brought her here to save her! But no! You chose to let her die! What kind of a friend…! How could you?! She’s dead because of YOU I… I hate you! I HATE YOU!”

Medley stomped her right hoof angrily against the floor when she spat out that last sentence. She wanted to go upstairs, but Fluttershy finally got a hold of herself and tried to stop her.

“Medley, calm down—”

She attempted to hold Medley in place, but Medley shoved Fluttershy away without even looking at her.

“Let me go! LEAVE ME ALONE!”

No pony stopped her. They only followed her with their sights. When they heard the sound of doors slamming shut hard, Cloud Kicker was the first to speak.

“Gee… What’s gotten into her? She wasn’t like that before…”

The others seemed to have ignored her statement. Firefly stared at the floor, processing what she just heard. She finally said quietly:

“She’s right… I left Rainbow when I should’ve helped her… I failed her…”

The pink pegasus squeezed her eyes shut, turned around and went into Mission Control. Fluttershy wanted to follow Firefly at first instinct, but Lightning Bolt stopped her, shaking her head.

“We should leave her be.”

Tension was still in the air. Derpy moved to the door that lead outside the room.

“Derpy, where are you going?” Cloud Kicker asked her.

The grey pegasus looked at her with a worried crossed-eye expression.

“I’m… just going to check on Dinky and Pip. I’ll be back soon.”

She left the room. Fluttershy let out a quiet whimper and started heading upstairs. Cloud Kicker frowned.

“You too, Fluttershy?”

“I'm going to see Medley. Somepony should comfort her… And I must tell her something important. Don’t worry.”

When Fluttershy went up, Cloud Kicker looked at her best friend with uncertainty.

“Lightning…?”

“Hm?”

“You’re… not going anywhere… are you?”

In response, Lightning Bolt sat on her friend’s bed and tried her best to give her a reassuring smile. She saw how stressed and worried Cloud Kicker was.

“No, I’ll be right here next to you.”

Cloud Kicker smiled briefly.

“That’s good…”

Then she clutched her front hooves to her head, still unable to fully understand what happened.

“I feel like our team is falling apart…”

Those words stirred Lightning Bolt. She moved closer and wrapped her left wing around Cloud Kicker’s waist.

“Come on, don’t say that…”

She looked into her friend’s tired eyes and added:

“Listen, you’re exhausted. Rest and go to sleep. I’ll be here, I promise. You’ll see, tomorrow things will be better.”

Hearing this, Cloud Kicker slowly put her head on a pillow and closed her eyes.

“You’re right… I’m talking more nonsense than usual… A-A-Ahhh… Man, I’m so… sleepy…”

A few seconds later, only quiet snoring could be heard. Lightning Bolt remained next to Cloud Kicker, but her thoughts were elsewhere. If her guesses were correct, then Medley might not have been far from the truth after all...

It was hard to tell who was most affected by Medley’s outburst, but it surely left an impression on everypony. Lightning only hoped that Fluttershy could get to her and prevent more unfortunate things from happening.

-----------------

When Fluttershy made it to the terrace upstairs, she saw Medley leaning over the bannister and staring into the distance.

Medley heard the door closing behind her, but the sight of her friend did not calm her down.

Fluttershy began:

“Medley… I—”

“Go away!” Medley interrupted bitterly.

“I can’t leave you like this…”

“Get out! I don’t need anypony’s help!”

Fluttershy did not falter. She moved closer to Medley. The green pegasus turned her head around, hoping that Fluttershy would eventually leave. A few seconds later, she felt Fluttershy’s hoof on her back.

“I understand that you are angry, but… Your words really hurt Firefly.”

Hearing that name, Medley tried to shove Fluttershy away again.

“Good! If it wasn’t for you guys, I would’ve punched her in the face and knocked out her teeth! She let Rainbow die!”

Fluttershy’s expression grew more agitated. She grabbed Medley gently around her waist and forced her look her in the eye. She could use The Stare to make her listen, but Fluttershy didn’t want to abuse her ability. Instead, she tried a more firm tone.

“Are you hearing yourself? Snap out of it, Medley! Don’t let the hate take you! What… What would Rainbow say if she saw you like that?”

Medley suddenly spasmed. Then she stopped struggling. Her eyes widened. She looked down and realized what she said and did. A feeling of cold dread surrounded her. She felt her eyes turning watery again, and her voice broke down into sobbing.

“Fluttershy… I… I’m… I’m sorry… I-I’m so… so sorry… Aahhh…”

Fluttershy only embraced Medley and stroked her mane.

“Shh… There, there… Don’t cry, Medley.”

“F-Firefly… She… She probably hates me now…” Medley blubbered. “And I… almost hurt you, too… I’m so sorry…”

Fluttershy gave her a gentle kiss on the forehead, one no different from that of a mother kissing her saddened child.

“I’m not mad at you. And I’m sure Firefly doesn’t hate you. But she was hurt by what you said. I think you should apologize to her.”

Medley looked to the side and didn’t say anything. She felt shame and guilt for her actions. Her cheeks turned red.

Fluttershy continued:

“But we can do that later. For now… we are all exhausted. You should go to sleep and regain your strength. We’re going to have even more work to do with Rainbow missing.”

Medley nodded.

“Okay… I’ll apologize to Firefly tomorrow. And… I’ll make up for Rainbow’s absence.”

Fluttershy responded with a smile. Satisfied that her assertiveness did the job, she was about to leave, but then Medley said:

“Hey, Fluttershy…”

“Yes?”

“Can you… stay with me? I don’t want to be alone this night…”

Medley looked at her with tears still flocked in her eye. How could Fluttershy say no to her? She, of course, agreed, walked up to Medley and lied down on the floor, next to her.

It would seem like they were staring at the stars for a moment when Fluttershy remembered another reason why she came to her friend.

“Oh, that’s right… Medley, there is something I must tell you.”

“Mmm?” the young flier inquired.

“It’s about Rainbow… I think… No. I believe that she is still alive.”

Medley looked at her.

“What makes you so sure?”

“Well… as you know, Rainbow and I are the bearers of the Elements of Harmony. We are… in a way, connected together; me, Rainbow, Twilight, Applejack, Rarity and Pinkie Pie. If anything would have happened to one of us, the others would sense it, and we would come rushing to aid the one in need.”

Hearing this explanation, Medley asked:

“Is that some kind of… magical connection between you and your friends?”

“Mm, you could say that,” Fluttershy replied. “I did feel that something bad happened to Rainbow, but… I can still sense her life energy. She’s somewhere out there… hurt and weakened, but alive. I am certain she will come back to us… eventually.”

These words helped calm Medley down. She finally smiled.The young pegasus then said:

“Say, Fluttershy… You have such a beautiful voice. Could you… sing me a lullaby? Any will do.”

“I haven’t received such a request in a while… but I’ll see what I can do,” Fluttershy replied softly.

“Thank you…”

Medley let out a yawn, slowly closed her eyes and listened to Fluttershy, who started humming a soothing, calming melody. A few minutes later, Medley fell asleep. Fluttershy looked at her and gave her another kiss to the forehead before she went to sleep herself.

… Or at least, she tried to. She did fall asleep, but only much later.

She wasn’t Applejack, but if the orange earth pony were around, she’d probably be upset about Fluttershy’s little story. It wasn’t easy for the yellow pegasus to lie to her friend about a connection to the Elements of Harmony, for in reality, they did not possess such power. Fluttershy only said this to calm Medley down and ease her aggression. It worked, but in truth, Fluttershy had no idea about Rainbow’s whereabouts, and was just as worried as the others… perhaps even more.

She had a vain hope that when she wakes up on the next day, all of this will turn out to be nothing more than a bad dream. Unfortunately, this was the grim reality. Rainbow Dash was gone, and no pony could tell where she was or what had become of her...

Chapter 16: Time Limit

The ponies prepare for offensive,

Their enemy has a sinister plan.

Dark clouds cover the sky

A deadlier one will engulf the town...

Chapter 16

Time Limit

September 3th, 2021
2000 hrs
The Crystal Empire

“...That is why it’s a matter of utmost importance, Princess Celestia.”

As Princess Luna entered the chamber, she noticed her sister speaking with a male earth pony. He had a dark blue coat and silvery grey mane. Beside him were two griffons wearing blue informs, most likely his bodyguards. He seemed foreign to Luna, since she didn’t recall seeing him in her life before. She also didn’t remember anypony having griffon bodyguards. The Princess of the Night, seeing her entry was unnoticed, decided to remain by the door and listen to the conversation that was happening.

The foreign earth pony spoke again.

“Your Majesty, I know full well the capabilities of the Atmos Ring. I have seen its destructive power… that’s the reason I was sent here by the Aurelian Government. They are worried about the rumors that our technology is being used by a hostile force! Again!”

Now Princess Luna knew who this foreigner was: an ambassador from the Republic of Aurelia. He carried on:

“Some members of our government already say that it was a mistake to give Equestria such technology… not that I share their mindset. I simply need to know what the situation is, Your Highness.”

Princess Celestia listened to him intently, not saying a word and only nodding from time to time. Now, she decided to tell him everything he needed to know.

“I understand the worries of your government, Ambassador. It is true that Canterlot is currently occupied by the Exiles… and it is very likely that they will learn about the Atmos Ring and may plan to use it against us when we will try to recover our city. But I assure you: my soldiers and I are prepared to do whatever it takes to defeat Aurora’s forces and reclaim Canterlot. We are considering every possible option…”

The Princess hung her voice. The Ambassador asked, with a slightly uncertain tone:

“Even… if it means the destruction of the Atmos Ring?”

Celestia nodded.

“If the Exiles try to use it against us, yes. I will not let them take any more lives using something that was supposed to give us protection.”

The Ambassador seemed glum. He remembered how the Royal Sisters visited the capital city of Aurelia, Griswall, and how they made a deal with his country. They promised to help them recover from ravages of a war that Aurelians fought against their northern neighbors from Leasath by delivering various supplies needed at the time. In return, the Aurelian government would send some of its best technicians and engineers to help fortify Canterlot with a new and improved Atmos Ring. This massive set of fortified towers once protected Griswall as well, but after the Leasath invasion, the capital was taken over, and the Atmos Ring was used to kill many of those, who would dare to venture near Griswall.

Finally, the Ambassador said:

“Alright, do what you must, Your Majesty. I can also assure you that the Aurelian government considers destroying the Canterlot Atmos Ring an option… but again, it is up to you and the EAF to decide. I know you will do what you consider right.”

Celestia acknowledged it and told him:

“Thank you for your understanding, Ambassador. Return to Griswall and tell your government that we will take care of the Exile threat ourselves. I don’t want to involve your military in this… especially considering you fought against Leasath not so long ago. I know you still need time to fully recover, so I ask you: leave this to us.”

“I will,” the Ambassador assured, “and I will be taking my leave soon. But before I go, there’s something i’d like you to have.”

The earth pony pulled something out from his saddlebag and put it on the table. It was a figurine of a surfing blue griffon, and on the surfboard was an emblem which depicted a smiling vulture, holding the “southern cross” constellation with its beak.

Princess Celestia took a closer look at it, and then she noticed that the emblem was also present on one of the bodyguards’ vest.

“Curious…” she said. “What is this figurine, Ambassador?”

Suddenly, the earth pony smiled. His attitude became more expressive.

“This figurine is considered a good luck charm in our country. Back during the invasion of Leasath’s forces, we were quickly overwhelmed by their numbers and superior firepower. Nearly 95% of our country was conquered within two weeks… That was when a hero appeared: a lone survivor of his squadron, a brave gryphon fighter, codenamed ‘Gryphus 1’. He, along with his operator Crux, staged several attacks against the invaders, causing disruptions as well as damage. Due to his heroic actions, the people of Aurelia rallied together, and we stood against our enemies. Eventually, Gryphus 1 led the assault on Griswall and managed to bring down the Atmos Ring, defeated Leasath’s elite squadron, Alect, and even took down their most powerful and skilled ace: ‘Fenrir’. Had it not been for him, we would not be speaking today, Your Majesty…”

Princess Luna, as she overheard everything, realized that Equestria was now in a similar situation to Aurelia, and she wondered if they could do what their allies did. Then, Princess Celestia inquired:

“You were truly fortunate to have such ace, Ambassador. But… the way you speak of him makes it sound like he is gone.”

The earth pony nodded.

“In a matter of speaking. You see, after the war, he just disappeared. Left without saying a word. Not even Crux could tell us what became of him… or perhaps he didn’t want to. Maybe, deep down, Gryphus 1 just wanted peace, and he only fought in order to bring it back to Aurelia. Still, we didn’t want his heroics to be forgotten, so we made this figurine for the others to remember him by.”

“And, this emblem…?” the Princess asked.

“He had it on his vest. His enemies came to know him as ‘Nemesis’, but to us, he was and always will be ‘The Southern Cross’.”

Just as the Ambassador was about to leave, he also said:

“I know that here, in Equestria, there are some who can achieve the same feats as Gryphus 1 did. I hope they will lead you toward victory, Princess. Goodbye. We will stay in contact.”

Celestia nodded. The Ambassador turned around, and only then did he notice Princess Luna standing in front of him, eyeing him carefully as if she was looking for something suspicious.

“Ah… Princess Luna…” the Ambassador stammered. “Such a joy to see you… Did you hear everything?”

Luna did not respond, but it was clear to the stallion that she did. He tried his best to keep his composure as he made it to the door and left, nodding his head in greeting.

When the earth pony and his bodyguards left, Luna walked up to her sister and asked:

“Problems, Sister?”

“Do not worry, Luna. I have things under control. The Aurelian ambassador, as well as his government, has every reason to be worried, considering Aurora could use the technology they provided us with against us. This we cannot allow.”

“I agree. But, seeing this now, I wonder… did the situation in Aurelia not stabilize yet? It’s been nearly a year…”

“This process takes time, Luna. We, too, needed time to return Equestria to its state from before the war with the griffins. I want to spare additional suffering to the people of Aurelia. Aurora and her Exiles are our problem, and we will deal with it.”

Celestia’s voice turned more grim.

“And yet… something troubles me. After the war at the southern hemisphere, many soldiers from Leasath’s army tried to escape their country in order to avoid punishment for their actions during the war. And some of these were truly horrific…”

“You think… Aurora would try and recruit them into her army?” Luna asked.

“It is certainly a possibility. Many in Leasath’s army may be willing to serve her, if it means they can get another chance to cause harm to Aurelia and its citizens… We can’t stand for this. If our troops capture any Exiles, and they turn out to be from Leasath, they will be court-martialled and transported to their country once the war is over.”

Luna looked outside the window of the Crystal Castle, watching the raging snowstorm outside the magical barrier that surrounded the Crystal Empire.

“Let us hope that our people will not have to face the same horrors as Aurelians did…”

MEANWHILE
Canterlot Castle, Throne Room

“Lady Aurora?”

“Yes, Deathwing?”

“Your guests have arrived.”

A smirk ran across blue alicorn’s mouth.

“Good. Let them in.”

Deathwing nodded and motioned to the two figures standing in the corridor outside to come into the room. They were a pair of male griffons, each wearing vests with a green flag that had a red stripe in the middle. One of them, the older one, bowed his head before Aurora.

“Lady Aurora… It’s an honor to finally meet you in person.”

He seemed like a grizzled old veteran; his feathers all ruffled up, and he had a scar on his right cheek. The younger griffon didn’t say a word; he just stared at the winged pony on the throne.

“What brings you to me, brave soldiers of Leasath?” Aurora asked.

The older griffon spoke:

“We come with an offer of alliance. We were told about your great victory and conquering of Canterlot by your captain here...”

He turned to Deathwing for a second, who acknowledged it with a nod.

“But apparently, the rebels that formed guerilla forces are still tormenting your army in the region. Especially in the town of Ponyville…”

“You seem to be well informed,” said Aurora. “But it would be in your best interest if you could get to the point, soldier.”

The griffon grimaced slightly, but continued.

“Yes… I believe we have a solution to your problem. One that will end their meaningless struggle once and for all.”

“Go on…”

The soldier motioned his younger comrade to bring a large case that he carried with him over to the table in front of Aurora. The older griffon opened the case: revealing some sort of liquid placed within a sealed jar.

“This is Cynocrine, Lady Aurora. It is a powerful and deadly gas. We designed it to help us in our war against the Aurelians… but…”

The griffon paused, clutching his left arm. He had a wound there. Aurora interjected:

“Ah yes, I heard that you and your neighbors were at war a few months ago… It didn’t go well for you in the end, did it?”

The younger griffon stepped forward, patting his comrade on the shoulder.

“Old wounds heal slowly…” the veteran griffon said.

Aurora silently nodded. She knew all about those. Especially those that couldn’t truly be healed.

“Tell me more of this Cynocrine… I am intrigued.”

The younger griffon took point, letting his older companion regain composure in the process.

“As my comrade just said, Lady Aurora, the gas is a bioweapon. It is capable of poisoning and killing everyone who inhales it within minutes: be it pegasi, earth ponies, unicorns… even us, griffons.”

The older soldier added:

“What you see here is but a sample in a liquid state, Lady Aurora. We are in possession of the last few containers of Cynocrine left. Obtaining them was no easy task. Most of them… were destroyed by Nemesis during our attack on Santa Elva.”

Aurora looked at the two Leasathians. She felt the need to ask them something.

“I see only two of you… Are there more out there?”

“Yes,” the older griffon replied. “A group of about one hundred soldiers, ponies and griffons alike, managed to sneak through Leasath’s western borders. We did it by dividing our forces into many smaller groups and passed through it in different intervals, to not attract attention. They are currently stationed outside Canterlot. We told them to wait there while we negotiate with you, Lady Aurora.”

His companion added:

“Those one hundred troops are all who managed to escape Leasath after it was put under martial law. The new government wanted to find all who took part in the conflict and attempted, what they called, a ‘war crime’. But we were only doing what our commander told us…”

Aurora still wasn’t certain. She said:

“Why have you come with this to me? What’s in it for you?”

“We just want this weapon to be of use, Lady Aurora,” the older griffon said with a grim tone. “We still hold on to Commander Navarro’s ideals… we had failed, he may be gone, but his legacy lives on. We can at least use the bitter fruit from our failure to help your own cause, my lady.”

“Aurelia had allied itself with these Equestrians…” added the younger soldier. “There will be nothing sweeter than to see our weapon used to wipe out one of its major towns. Revenge… it is all we have left.”

This explanation satisfied Aurora. She nodded.

“I see that you share my thirst for vengeance. Your resolve is also admirable. Very well. I will allow you to join my army. And I will give you your first test. Deathwing!”

“Yes, m’lady?” the black pegasus asked.

“Relay an order to Commander Clad Hoof. Tell him to begin preparations for an operation in Ponyville. These Leasathian soldiers will assist him, as they know what this Cynocrine is capable of. You two…”

Aurora turned her attention to the griffin soldiers.

“Go with my blessing. Tell your comrades to move out. Give a slow, agonizing death to as many of our enemies as possible. Make them feel the pain you have endured for so long.”

The two soldiers bowed their heads.

“We thank you, Lady Aurora. We will carry out your will. For the glory of Leasath… and the Exiles!”

Aurora gave them a nod. Deathwing lead them outside the castle. When she was left alone, she thought to herself.

“This could get interesting… Now, I wonder how Shockwave is doing with his plan? He didn’t tell me any details yet… Perhaps it’s time I ask him.”

She got off the chair and walked down to the castle’s dungeons. Before she entered one of them, she heard a bloodcurdling scream coming from behind the door. Aurora chuckled under her breath before going in.

When she entered, she heard Shockwave’s emotionless voice.

“Stop struggling. You only make it worse for yourself. Just accept your fate.”

The purple pegasus heard hoofsteps behind him and turned around. He left his chamber to go to the other room. When he saw Aurora standing before him, he lowered his head respectfully.

“Lady Aurora… Forgive me, I was not expecting you.”

Aurora glanced aside to the room from which Shockwave came.

“I hope I’m not interrupting anything…”

“No, m’lady. The subject for my experiment refuses to cooperate for the time being. Apparently, she wasn’t aware of my plan’s details when she volunteered. But it doesn’t really matter. Soon enough… it will all be over for her. And she will serve her purpose.”

“Good.”

A youthful, female voice suddenly screamed from the other room.

“Lady Aurora?! Please, help me! I beg of you! Save me from this monster! The pain… I can’t take it anymore!”

“Oh, be quiet,” Shockwave admonished her. “I didn’t even rip your wing off. I simply broke it. We still have a few… adjustments to make.”

“No… NOOO!!!”

Aurora looked at Shockwave.

“You seem to be having fun… I won’t be disturbing you. Report to me once you are done. I expect you will make her the perfect example that she deserves to be.”

“It will be done, my Lady.”

More panicked screams came out from the other room. Just before Aurora left the dungeon, she heard Shockwave again.

“Now then… Let’s get back to where we left off.”

“Nooo…!!! No more! I-- AAAAAAAAHHHH!!!”

Aurora laughed under her breath as she returned to the throne room.

“Soon, Celestia… Your worst nightmares will come true… Hmm, hmm, hmm…!”

==========

September 4th, 2021
1000 hrs
Manehattan, Equestrian Allied Forces HQ

Firefly, Fluttershy, Medley, Derpy, Lighting Bolt and Cloud Kicker walked into the briefing room. They hoped Gale wouldn’t keep them waiting for long. They noticed that pegasi from three other squadrons, Tiger, Swallow and Cygnus, were already present.

Firefly was glad to see that Swallow squadron, despite all of their original members being killed during the siege of Canterlot, was re-established. It was now being lead by a young pegasus mare with a coral mane and aquamarine coat. She also had a long tail that she liked to wave around, causing small breezes. Because of this, she was mostly known by her codename, “Breezy”, but her real name was Swift Leap. She was a part of another unit before the original Swallow squadron was destroyed, but after the situation stabilized a bit and the Headquarters were moved to Manehattan, she requested to be given command of the new team. She had a group of four wingmates that supported her during the fights and with whom she shared pretty much any moment of respite.

Fluttershy exchanged a welcoming hug with Blackberry, while Carnival Tail pounced toward Cloud Kicker, wanting to give her a hoof bump. But the purple mare looked tired, rubbing her eyes and yawning.

“Are you OK, Cloudy?” Carnival Tail asked.

“I’m fine… just pretty dang tired,” Cloud Kicker replied. “Barely caught any sleep yesterday…”

Before she could say anything else, Gale entered the room as well.

“Ah, you’re all here. Perfect. Let’s get down to business then."

The pegasi from all four squadrons sat or lied down on the floor, listening intently to Gale’s instructions.

“Our preparations for an operation to reclaim Ponyville are nearly complete. Now we just need to assemble our forces together and execute the battle plan. The Apple and Arcana battalions, led by Applejack and Twilight Sparkle respectively, have already been assembled near Sweet Apple Acres. It’s the only area around Ponyville that is relatively safe. There are battles happening daily and nightly everywhere else.”

“Those guys from Ponyville Liberation Corps are giving them a hard time, eh?” Firefly asked.

“Yes, their guerilla units managed to deal considerable damage to the Exiles occupying the area. Still, they are superior than PLC in terms of numbers and firepower. Not only that, the reports that Big Bear mentioned - about a Drake General patrolling the area - were confirmed. The insurgents told us that whenever this beast shows up, a storm seems to be following his trail… as in, lightning strikes from the skies and such. We don’t know how exactly is that possible… at least, not yet. But we know this: if we don’t come to PLC’s aid soon, they will get wiped out. Your four pegasus teams will be joining them in the upcoming battle. I expect you all to provide aerial support to our ground forces and keep the skies under your supremacy. We can’t give the Exiles any more quarter.”

Others agreed to Gale’s words. Breezy, the leader of Swallow squadron, rose her hoof.

“Sir, do we have any information about the enemy’s presence around Ponyville?”

“I sent Misty to scout the area. I expect her to return soon. When we hear details about the strength of our enemy and what they plan to do, we’ll plan the battle accordingly. For now, I suggest you get prepped and—”

He suddenly paused when he heard his communicator beep in his right ear.

“Excuse me… Yes, Gale here. Misty, about time… What?”

“They are chasing me! I need backup, quickly!”

“Keep flying! I’ll send the intercepting team!”

He cut the link and turned to Firefly and her friends.

“Mirage! You’re up! We got an emergency! Get out there and help Misty; she’s being chased by the Exiles!”

“All the way here?” Lightning Bolt asked.

“It seems so. Get going, all of you. The rest of you, make your way to Ponyville. Mirage will join you later.”

“Yes, sir!” Breezy said enthusiastically. “We’re moving out!”

“As do we!” Firefly added. “Come on, girls, let’s go!”

The six pegasi quickly made it to the runway and took off into the air. While they were flying, Medley said:

“You know? Misty must have discovered something important if those Exiles are chasing her so far from their controlled territory…”

“My thoughts exactly,” Lightning Bolt added. “Whatever she learned could be key to defeating our enemies.”

“All the more reason to get to her fast!” Firefly exclaimed. “Keep those wings beating! I’ll try to raise her, see what the situation is… Wonderbolt 3, this is Mirage 2, do you read me?”

“Oh, thank the stars!” Misty’s voice replied.

Firefly heard panting in between words. She must have been exhausted.

”These guys… won’t quit…! I got four on me… can’t lose them…! AH!”

Several gunshots were heard in Firefly’s earpiece.

“Misty!” Are you all right?!”

“One of them has guns! The bullet… grazed my wing, I’m… losing altitude…! Help me!”

“Hang on, we’re coming! Thunder, do you see her?”

Lightning Bolt checked her radar.

“Radar confirmation. One friendly, four hostile signals. Heading our way.”

“OK. Kid, Butterfly, go help Misty. Get her back to Manehattan ASAP. The rest of you, follow me. Time to teach those punks a lesson!”

“Roger that! Understood! Let’s go!” the other pegasi responded.

Just as the Exiles were about to overwhelm Misty, one of them noticed the approaching Mirage fliers and alerted the others.

“Bandits approaching! It’s the Angels!”

“Them…?” one of the Exiles murmured. “Don’t fear, brothers. They are not invincible. We can take’em!”

“Yeah, let’s kill them!”

The soldier wearing guns was about to fire on Misty again, but Medley got in his sights to distract him, allowing Fluttershy to take the wounded Wonderbolt away. Firefly, Lightning Bolt, Cloud Kicker and Derpy moved in to battle the Exiles. Their overconfidence quickly became their own demise. Despite losing Rainbow, the Mirage fliers were still a force to be reckoned with, and their fighting abilities had not diminished at all.

Three out of four Exile soldiers were defeated with ease, but the one wearing guns kept the fliers at bay and tried to escape. Derpy gave chase after him, but as she was getting closer, the guns suddenly turned their barrels to the rear, aiming straight at the mare.

“What the…?! Agh!”

Derpy narrowly managed to dodge the gunfire to the side, but doing so made her lose acceleration. The Exile soldier got away.

Meanwhile, Medley and Fluttershy were helping Misty in returning to Manehattan. Misty seemed agitated and insisted on taking her to Gale immediately.

“But, you’re wounded,” said Fluttershy. “We must get you to the infirmary first…”

“There’s no time!” Misty shrieked. “Gale has to hear what I heard and fast… or innocent ponies will die!”

“What?”

Medley and Fluttershy glanced at each other. They nodded and did just as Misty said. Firefly, Lightning Bolt, Cloud Kicker and Derpy followed them. The grey mare still felt uncomfortable about letting that one Exile get away. Plus, she saw his gunbarrels flipping to the back… How could this be possible?

“Ugh, maybe if I wasn’t so slow, I could have gotten him…” Derpy groaned.

“You’ll get him another time,” Cloud Kicker told her. “Let’s go back to the HQ now.”

“Yeah, I wonder what Misty has to report…” Firefly wondered.

When the pegasi returned to the Headquarters and heard Misty’s words, they were utterly shocked.

“They are going to do WHAT?!” Firefly shouted.

“A bio-chemical attack? Are you sure?” Lightning Bolt inquired.

“I know what I saw and heard,” said Misty. “That Exile commander, Clad Hoof… he was talking with some ponies that looked unfamiliar to me. There… there were even some griffons with them.”

“Griffons?” Gale asked. “I hope they were not from the Griffin Kingdom…”

“Very unlikely,” Misty assured him. “But whatever they are up to, it’s definitely not good. Clad Hoof said they are going to help him place containers that have a deadly gas inside and then release it into Ponyville!”

“Monsters!” Fluttershy let out a horrified gasp.

“I can’t believe they would stoop so low to get us…” Firefly said under her breath.

Lightning Bolt managed to keep a cool head and not give into emotions. She turned to Gale.

“Sir, do we have something that could neutralize the gas, if it ended up being released? Anything at all?”

Gale scratched his chin, trying to remember.

“Well… We do have some neutralizing agent stored in the armory in case of emergency, but… it’s in very small quantity. There’s only enough material to be used for about 20 doses, no more. And I can’t even guarantee it will work… it hasn’t been tested yet.”

Firefly snorted.

“In that case, we’re going to test it ourselves! We can’t let those scum poison the entire town!”

“On that, we agree,” said Gale. “But I’ll have you know, there’s another problem regarding the agent…”

“What?!” Firefly said impatiently.

“It is very unstable. If somepony carrying it would make too many sudden moves… the container would most likely explode.”

A brief silence fell among the fliers. Finally, Derpy said:

“Then I guess we will have to be careful with that stuff. It’s a risk we’ll have to take if we are to save Ponyville.”

“Yeah, she’s right,” Cloud Kicker added. “I mean, what’s the worst that could happen?”

“You’d be crippled for life… if you’re lucky,” Lightning Bolt replied.

Firefly stomped her hoof.

“There’s no time to dawdle! Gale, can you go get that neutralizing agent?”

“Sure. While I do that, you go outside and prepare for emergency teleportation. Our unicorn casters will take you to Sweet Apple Acres immediately.”

Within fifteen minutes, everything was set. A group of five unicorns surrounded the six pegasi, who each carried a saddlebag with a few doses of the neutralizing agent inside of them. A bright light enveloped the winged ponies and then, they disappeared.

Gale let out a sigh and said to himself.

“Good luck, Mirage… this can be your toughest mission yet. Come back in one piece. We can’t afford to lose another one of you…”

1040 hrs
Sweet Apple Acres

Upon arriving at the designated place, the Mirage fliers were greeted by Twilight Sparkle, Applejack and the soldiers under their command. The Cutie Mark Crusaders were also there, but the Tiger, Swallow and Cygnus squadrons still hadn’t made it. There wasn’t a sign of Exile activity in the area either.

Cloud Kicker staggered forward. Lightning Bolt helped her keep the balance.

“Are you OK?”

“Yeah… I just feel like my stomach swallowed itself…”

“The quessines caused by sudden teleportation should pass soon,” Twilight Sparkle ascertained the pegasus. “I felt the same the first few times when I tried the spell.”

“What are ‘dose things yer wearin’, girls?” Applejack wondered, pointing at the saddlebags strapped onto Firefly and her friends.

“We’ll be needing those to prevent the Exiles from releasing gas in Ponyville,” said Medley.

“WHA?!” Applejack exclaimed. “They would do somethin’ like that? Ah don’t believe it!”

“Believe it,” Firefly retorted. “Whatever sympathy they may have had before is now gone. These guys are even worse than Red Cyclone’s goons.”

The other three squadrons finally arrived. Carnival Tail was surprised to see Firefly’s team make it to Ponyville before them.

“Whoa, how did you girls get here so quick? Can you do some warp magic that I wasn’t aware of?”

Fluttershy smiled nervously.

“You… could say that, in a way.”

“Darn, I wish I knew that trick, too.”

A Wonderbolt operator contacted the assembled forces.

“Mirage 2, do you read me?”

Cloud Kicker recognized that voice.

“Hey! It’s Heavy Cloud!”

“Yep, it’s me. Hey, sunshine,” Heavy Cloud replied, causing Cloud Kicker to giggle.

“Huh? Who are you?” Firefly asked.

“This is the EAF-affiliated operator, Heavy Cloud. I’ll be monitoring combat ops for this operation. I say again, Mirage 2, do you read me?”

“Yeah, I read you, Heavy Cloud. We’re fine, and so are the neutralizers. Gale told you everything, I assume?”

“Of course. Glad to hear you’re both fine. Listen carefully now. Our original plan will have to be modified due to circumstances. Mirage squadron, your job will be to keep an eye on Ponyville and any possible signs of gas being released. If you spot one, fly to that area and use the neutralizing agent. It should vaporize the toxic cloud and prevent it from spreading. Just be careful. Don’t fly too fast, and don’t do too many sudden turns, otherwise the agent will become unstable, and it may explode. Remember that.”

Derpy was concerned.

“If the Exiles see us messing with their plan, they will send their fliers to stop us. And with the agent on our backs, we won’t be able to fight back…”

“Yes. That’s why it will be up to Tiger, Cygnus and Swallow squadrons to protect you. They will take care of the enemy fliers while you will be taking care of the gas. The Apple and Arcana battalions will engage any enemy ground forces in the area to keep them from calling any reinforcements.”

Heavy Cloud paused for a moment before continuing.

“We don’t know how exactly deadly that gas is, but try not to get to close to a toxic cloud when you see one. Each of the saddlebags you carry holds 3 packages of the agent. We didn’t have enough resources to make more, unfortunately, but Misty told me that the Exiles don’t have that many containers of gas. Use those packages in the same way as if you were using a bomb. Aim at the gas cloud from afar and throw it.”

“And when we are out of the packages? What then?” Medley asked.

“If one of you is out, then you can help the others squadrons in repelling potential enemy air units.”

“I’m fine with that,” said Firefly.

“All right. My scanner shows that the Exiles in the area are increasing their activity. They may start their attack soon! Take care of them, Mirage!”

“We’re on it!”

Before they left, Derpy approached the Cutie Mark Crusaders. Each of them had an armband with the symbol of Equestrian Allied Forces on it.

“What are you kids doing here?” she asked.

“We’re here to help,” Apple Bloom replied. “Applejack asked us to go to the schoolhouse and keep an eye of all the fillies and colts in there.”

“Yeah,” Applejack confirmed. “There ain’t no persuadin’ them away from the field, so at least they’ll be somewhere safe. An’ I’m sure Miss Cheerilee will welcome their help.”

Derpy turned to her daughter, Dinky. She was the only one of the Crusaders that was dressed up, wearing a red firefighter hat and a dark outfit with a yellow belt around it. Derpy recognized that outfit — she wore it during the Nightmare Night, when Princess Luna made her first visit to Ponyville after Nightmare Moon was defeated by Twilight and her friends.

“Dinky, dear, why are you dressed like that?”

In response, Dinky stuck out her chest and said proudly:

“I am Fire Chief, and I am here to protect the fillies and colts of Ponyville. I won’t let any harm come to them. Me and my friends will protect them.”

Derpy smiled, seeing her daughter so determined. She seemed completely different from the last time she saw her. She wasn’t afraid or fragile anymore. She grew, even if just a little.

“All right, Din… um, Fire Chief. But make sure you take care of yourself as well. I wouldn’t want anything bad to happen to you or your friends.”

Dinky responded by saluting and saying: “Yes, ma’am!” before she and the other Crusaders ran in the direction of the schoolhouse, escorted by Applejack and some of her troops. Derpy watched her leave her sight when Firefly called out to her.

“Ditzy! Come on, we’re moving out!”

“Coming!”

The gray mare took a quick glimpse at the skies. It was covered in dark clouds. Despite being close to noon, it made the whole area much darker than usual. It filled her with dread.

==========

September 4th, 2021
1110 hrs
Ponyville

Commander Clad Hoof was overseeing his forces in placing the gas containers all around Ponyville. They were to wait for his command to begin the operation. With him were the two griffon soldiers from Leasath who brought the Cynocrine containers with them. They seemed a bit unnerved, standing close to an intimidating earth pony who wore a metallic mask that stabilized his breath — a reminder of how Firecracker Burst nearly burned his face off with her flame spell.

Clad Hoof was still somewhat sceptical of this plan:

“So, this… weapon you brought...” he asked through his mask, breathing raspily. “Are you sure it is going to work?”

“It certainly worked in Aurelia,” the older griffon replied. “I’m sure it will work here as well. If the citizens inhale even a little bit of Cynocrine, they will be suffering from coughs and sickness for hours. If they breathe in some more… their deaths are almost certain. Melted skin, burned lungs… slow, agonizing deaths.”

The griffons couldn’t see Clad Hoof’s expression, but his tone indicated that he was pleased with that prediction.

“Very good. Nothing will satisfy me more than our enemies’ painful deaths. And this one here…”

He glanced at the black container next to the griffons.

“We were going to deliver it to Sweet Apple Acres,” the younger griffon explained, “but… our recent reports indicate that Equestrian Allied Forces are in that region. And that prevents us from completing our operation.”

Clad Hoof growled.

“The sneaky Wonderbolt that spied on us gave our troops the slip, it seems. No matter. I have enough forces to meet the EAF in open battle and crush them.”

Just then, an Exile pegasus landed before the brown stallion.

“Commander! We scouted the northwest perimeter as you ordered. We can now confirm that EAF is assembling for an assault. Besides the ground forces, they also have four pegasus squadrons. One of them is Mirage!”

“Hah. So they want to fight us? Very well.”

He reached for his communicator.

“Granite 1.”

“Yes, sir?”

“You are now in charge of our ground forces. Head out and meet the Equestrian Allied Forces in battle. Keep the Titan and Renegade squadron in check. When you see Mirage squadron in the air, send them out to shoot those mares down. Let none survive!”

“Yes, sir. We are moving out! Granite 1 out.”

Clad Hoof approached the black container. The two griffons looked at him.

“Sir, are you not going into the battle?”

“I have… another plan. I will take this container with me. It will be my… emergency plan, just in case things will be going out of control.”

“And… where will you take it, sir?” the younger griffon asked.

“I know just the place…”

They could swear that Clad Hoof grinned under his mask when he said that.

“You did your part. Join my forces in battle and prove your worth to us.”

“Yes, Commander,” the older griffon saluted him.

When they left, Clad Hoof slowly made his way into Ponyville. The streets were empty, several of its denizens still locked in their houses. But that would change soon…

1124 hrs

Heavy Cloud contacted Firefly to tell her about additional information regarding their forces:

“We received word that Ponyville Liberation Corps are ready to assist us. They will go into town and help evacuate it. They will be needing your protection, Mirage. If the Exiles spot them, they will most likely unleash the gas. Anypony close enough to its source will have to neutralize it as fast as possible. That way we will limit potential casualties to a minimum.”

“Roger that, Heavy Cloud,” Firefly replied. “We’re ready to begin the operation.”

“Wait, there are only five of you up there…” the Wonderbolt operator started.

Firefly quickly explained that they decided to keep Fluttershy on the ground. She was to help the Ponyville Liberation Corps in evacuating the remaining citizens and carry those who would need most help to the hospital. She still had her saddlebag with the neutralizing agent inside and could use it if things called for it. Heavy Cloud agreed to that.

“Okay, just remember, Mirage. Your priority is to take care of Cynocrine. While Twilight Sparkle and Applejack lead their battalions to fight the Exiles on the ground, you are to focus your attention in the town. Each of you is keeping an area of the town under surveillance. If you see any sight of gas being released, the one closest to the source should neutralize it. If you see enemy fliers coming at you, don’t be afraid to radio in for support. Tiger, Swallow and Cygnus squadrons are on standby.”

“Copy that,” Firefly replied. “All right, girls, let’s do it. Remember, try to be careful, but don’t make yourselves a bunch of sitting ducks.”

Cloud Kicker groaned.

“If I ever get my hooves on one of those chumps…”

“Take it easy, Sunny. We will get them back,” Firefly assured her.

Clad Hoof reached his radio to call one of his soldiers.

“Is everything ready?”

“Yes, sir. All teams are in position,” the voice replied.

“... Commence operation.”

He cut the link and continued to push the container through the city. In the distance, he noticed a small group of about 40 ponies heading into town.

“Rebels… They will be in for a surprise…” he said to himself before disappearing in between the buildings.

Upon reaching the central area near the Town Hall, the group split into five smaller ones, with four of them heading in different directions and one remaining in place. Fluttershy was with that group. A female earth pony with a pale pink coat and cyan mane contacted Heavy Cloud:

“This is Alpha 1. We’re in position. No sign of hostiles. We are ready to commence evacuation. Others should be arriving at their positions shortly.”

“Roger, Alpha 1,” Heavy Cloud responded. “Remember, if you see any signs of Cynocrine, pull back and let Mirage take care of it. They got you covered from above, and Mirage 5 is there with you, just in case.”

“We know the drill, Heavy Cloud. All right, everypony, let’s do this! Go, go, go!”

The ponies from the leader’s group split up and headed to nearest houses to check if their denizens were still inside. Those who would not require medical attention were to rejoin the rest of Liberation Corps at Sweet Apple Acres, where Big Macintosh, Applejack’s older brother, was overseeing the area. Everypony else was to be transported to the hospital for examination and treatment. Fluttershy was ready to lend in her assistance.

The leader turned to her:

“I’m placing my full trust in your friends up there… but I’m glad to have one angel here on the ground,” she said with gratitude in her voice.

Fluttershy nodded, giving her a reassuring smile.

“I will do my best.”

Just as the two mares were about to join the others in searching for civilians, a male voice sounded urgently in the pink mare’s radio:

“GAS! It’s the gas! Pull back! Alpha 1, we got an emergency!”

Heavy Cloud quickly confirmed the Cynocrine was released in Ponyville’s northern region, where one of the Liberation Corps groups went. He contacted Medley:

“Kid! You are the closest to that area! Do you see any green fumes down there?”

“Yeah, I see it!” Medley replied.

She pulled out one of the units of neutralizing agent from her bag. It had a shape similar to that of a bomb, but much lighter and smaller.

“Turn the warhead a little clockwise,” Heavy Cloud instructed Medley, who did just that.

“Now, throw it! When it hits the ground, the agent will be released and it will neutralize Cynocrine!”

“Roger! Let’s hope this works…!”

Medley swung her right arm and tossed the unit to the ground. After a few seconds, it hit the surface and unleashed a cloud of white smoke that briefly enveloped the area. Medley and the ponies from Liberation Corps waited anxiously for Heavy Cloud to announce the result.

He spoke several seconds after the smoke cleared out. There was no sign of the green, toxic fumes. Medley squeaked in joy.

“YES! It worked!”

“All right! The gas is neutralized! Let’s keep up the pace!” Heavy Cloud exclaimed. “3rd Unit, get in there and get those civilians to safety!”

“Roger that! Let’s go, everypony!” the male unicorn ordered his companions.

Medley did not see it, but two Exiles that unleashed the toxic gas used this moment to sneak away. They were taken completely off guard by the neutralizing agent. They thought their plan was foolproof.

“What… What the heck... was that?!” one of the Exile soldiers asked, covering his mouth and coughing in between words.

“I don’t know, but whatever it was, it prevented the gas from spreading!”

“Nopony told us our enemy will have some kind of a countermeasure!”

“We better tell the commander! Commander Clad Hoof, do you read?”

When Clad Hoof received a message from one of the soldiers, he wasn’t pleased.

“Countermeasure?” he grunted. “As if we didn’t had enough problems… They will not get the best of us this time. Continue with the operation. Relay to the others: they are to unleash Cynocrine in all regions simultaneously!”

He then switched frequencies and contacted his lieutenant.

“Granite 1! Scramble Titan and Renegade! Mirage squadron is trying to jeopardize our operation!”

“Both teams are on standby, sir! They await only my command!” Granite 1 replied.

“Send them to Ponyville! They are to destroy Mirage squadron! How are the ground forces?”

“We are just about to engage the EAF.”

“Annihilate them! Report to me when you are victorious. I will not hear any excuses. You must succeed!” Clad Hoof ordered.

“Fear not, sir. We will. I’m sending in air squadrons. Granite 1 out.”

The dark blue earth pony turned to over a dozen pegasi waiting on the ground next to him.

“Titan squadron! Renegade squadron! Your mission is to destroy the Mirage squadron! Fly to Ponyville and take those mares down!”

“Roger that, lieutenant. Titan squadron taking off!” said a dark brown pegasus with a scarlet mane.

“Renegade squadron ready for battle!” added a light yellow female pegasus with a long blue mane.

A group of about fifteen pegasi rose into the air and set their course to Ponyville. They were hoping that their fight would be easy, as their targets were vulnerable and without assistance.

At least for now...

1140 hrs

The Mirage fliers were looking out for more signs of Cynocrine being unleashed. Each flier kept surveillance over one of five “areas” in the town. Firefly remained in the center, Medley was at north, Derpy at west, Lightning Bolt at east and Cloud Kicker on south. They were aiding the ponies from Liberation Corps who helped the civilians who still remained in their houses to evacuate.

Both Lightning Bolt and Cloud Kicker used the neutralizing agent to deal with the toxic fumes before they could spread. Cloud Kicker felt so enthusiastic that she pumped her hoof in celebration and almost did a backflip.

“Yeah! That was three point shot, right there!” she complimented herself.

“Don’t get overconfident, Sunny!” Lightning Bolt said. “That can’t be all of them…”

She then heard a warning signal on her radar. It started picking up several enemy signatures.

“Uh-oh… Flash, this is Thunder! Check your radar!”

Firefly did that, snorting upon noticing upcoming enemies.

“We’re gonna have unwanted company… Heavy Cloud, you’re getting this? We got bandits inbound! Lots of them!”

“Yeah, I see them, Flash! Guess it’s time to bring our own air cavalry to help you. Keep focused on your mission. I’ll call the others to assist you.”

“Roger that.”

Heavy Cloud then contacted the three pegasus squadrons waiting at the Sweet Apple Acres.

“Cygnus! Swallow! Tiger! Your time is now. Mirage needs your help! Get to Ponyville and intercept the enemy squadrons!”

“Finally, some action!” Carnival Tail exclaimed. “Tiger squadron is on the way!”

“Swallow squadron taking off!” Swift Leap reported. “Don’t stay behind!”

“Cygnus squadron ready to go!” Blackberry added. “Let’s meet our foes face to face!”

As the three squadrons took off, they also decided which area they will cover.

“Hey, Cygnus 1!” Carnival Tail hailed through the radio.

“What is it, Tiger 1?”

“I’d say we split up. My team will head to southern area, and you guys can take the western one. Swallow 1, can you handle the middle area?”

“Easy enough,” Swift Leap replied. “If Cygnus 1 has no objections…”

Blackberry thought for a moment before she replied:

“Agreed. Let’s go with that plan.”

“Girls, you are cleared hot! Engage and take down any bandit you come across!” Heavy Cloud said through the speakers.

“Cygnus 1, roger!”

“Swallow 1, roger!”

“Tiger 1, roger! Let’s get’em!”

The Liberation Corps reported another gas outbreak in the west area. As Derpy was the closest, she went to try and neutralize the toxin, which was slowly surrounding a set of houses with ponies inside. She then noticed the upcoming enemy fliers.

“Enemy attack!” Derpy reported. “I need backup!”

“We’re almost there!” Blackberry replied. “Try to hold on.”

Derpy tried to throw the neutralizing agent to the ground, but she was stopped when one of the hostiles rammed into her from behind before she could even see him coming. She dropped the agent, and it fell into a nearby tree. Luckily, it didn’t break, but the gas was still endangering the ponies on the ground.

“Mirage squadron, what are you doing? Hurry and deal with the gas!” shouted one of the PLC soldiers, still unable to proceed with the rescue operation.

Heavy Cloud told Fluttershy to fly into the area and use one of her units of neutralizing agent. She did that, but had to use two units instead of one, because the gas spreaded to a wider area in less than five minutes, making it harder to dissipate. Despite being quickly brought out of the houses, several ponies succumbed to the poison. They were giving no signs of life.

“Mirage 5… help the 4th unit with carrying them to the hospital,” Heavy Cloud told her with a somber tone.

Derpy was infuriated at the enemy leader who prevented her saving those ponies and wanted to fight him. The brown pegasus taunted her.

“What a shame. Looks like you didn’t make it. Hah! You’re not as tough as they say.”

“You will pay for that!” Derpy exclaimed.

Blackberry got in front of her.

“Wait, Ditzy! Let us take care of these guys. Go get that neutralizing agent!”

Reluctantly, Derpy agreed. The Exile pegasus just scoffed.

“Hah! If she couldn’t beat me, how can you wimps hope to take us down?”

“You should never underestimate your opponent!” Blackberry shot back.

Her companions readied an attack formation. So did the enemy squadron, its member flanking their leader.

“Alright then, let’s see which team is better. You will have the honor of being defeated by me - Skull Splitter, leader of the Titan squadron! All fighters, engage! Destroy them!”

Blackberry felt the blood rushing through her mind.

“Cygnus squadron, to battle! Sweep them from our skies!”

As Cloud Kicker used the third and last unit of the neutralizing agent she had, she quickly wiped sweat from her face and said to herself:

“Sure hope that was the last of ‘em…”

“Mirage 4, check your radar,” Heavy Cloud told her. “You got enemy fighters approaching your position.”

Cloud Kicker looked at her radar and saw seven red signatures. Another one showed up a few seconds later.

“Ow man, a whole squadron against me? I’m not Rainbow Dash or Firefly, I can’t take on all of them myself!” she groaned.

“Don’t you worry, Sunny, we’re almost there!” Carnival’s Tail voice sounded in the headphones. “We just need a minute…”

“Um, you don’t HAVE a minute!” Cloud Kicker replied, when she saw eight Exile pegasi coming at her.

“There’s only one! Kill her!” screamed the light yellow mare leading the team.

Once they had Cloud Kicker directly before them, they were certain of their victory. One of the enemy pegasi did not pass a chance to mock the purple pegasus.

“Are you lost, Goldilocks? Oh wait… You already lost your leader. Ha hah! Looks like you are next to go!”

Cloud Kicker furrowed her eyebrows.

“Getting a little ahead of yourself, ain’t ya? Did nopony tell you that my team is no ordinary team? That goes for me, too.”

“Oh yeah? What do you have that we haven’t?” the Exile asked.

“Uh, sir…”

Another flier tried to warn him about incoming EAF signatures, but did not complete his sentence. A whizz of air swept by the Exiles, catching them off guard. Six other pegasi from the Tiger squadron, with Carnival Tail leading, got there just in time to help Cloud Kicker.

Seeing that her companions arrived, Cloud Kicker confidently folded her arms and said:

“I have backup.”

The female Exile lead gritted her teeth.

“They won’t stop us. Renegade squadron, take them down!”

“We got your back, Sunny,” Carnival Tail assured her. “Let’s teach those punks a lesson in teamwork!”

“Yeah!”

One of the Renegade pegasi wore machineguns on his back and would not hesitate to use them. He targeted Cloud Kicker and kept following her, shooting several bullets in short intervals.

“He’s on me! I can’t shake him!” the purple mare exclaimed.

“I’ll help you take him down, Sunny, just keep him distracted!” Carnival Tail told her.

“That’s what I’m doing!”

But her opponent was persistent. No matter how many turns and rolls Cloud Kicker made, he did not gave up on his prey.

“Ugh… It’d be nice of him if he stopped moving,” Cloud Kicker thought to herself.

That was when an idea came up in her mind.

“Wait… That’s it!”

All of a sudden, Cloud Kicker came to a screeching halt. Surprised, the Renegade pegasus slowed down and halted his fire. Cloud Kicker turned around and looked her opponent in the eye.

“See ya!”

The Mirage flier quickly bolted upward. When her opponent tried to follow her, he could not see what was below him. Suddenly, Carnival Tail struck him with a powerful punch in the belly, stunning the Exile pegasus. Cloud Kicker then made a diving attack from above, slamming both of her forelegs into her foe’s weapon, breaking it into pieces. Carnival Tail followed up with a swift kick in the face. The Exile fighter was defeated.

Both mares congratulated each other with a hoof bump.

“Yay! Now that’s some teamwork!” Cloud Kicker cheered.

“Yeah, they won’t be too hard to deal with… Look out, two more coming up!” Carnival Tail hailed.

When two more Renegade fliers tried to ram them, both Cloud Kicker and Carnival Tail did a quick backflip, almost simultaneously, dodging the attack. Just as they were about to engage them in combat, a cloud suddenly flew into one of the Exiles, temporarily blinding him and rendering him vulnerable.

“Now’s our chance!” Cloud Kicker exclaimed.

She and Carnival Tail did what their opponents tried to do earlier. Carnival charged at one of them from the front. Cloud Kicker bursted forward, going ahead, then quickly turning around and delivering a devastating hit to the enemy’s spine. Another Renegade flier fell down.

Seeing his comrade defeated, the other Exile tried to bail. Cloud Kicker and Carnival Tail heard a familiar voice in their headphones.

“He’s not going anywhere!”

A streak of lightning zig-zagged across the sky, heading straight for the fleeing pegasus. He had no chance to avoid it. Upon being struck, multiple sparks bursted through the air. His lifeless body fell to the ground.

Cloud Kicker cheered loudly.

“You sure know how to make an entrance, Lightning!” Cloud Kicker said when the white pegasus approached her. “That cloud blinding trick was your idea, too?”

“Uh-huh,” Lightning replied. “I’ve secured my area and neutralized all sources of Cynocrine, so I figured I’ll give you a helping hoof.”

Carnival Tail was astounded by Lightning Bolt’s attack.

“That was… awesome!”

“I know, right?” Cloud Kicker chuckled. “I’ve seen her do that move a dozen times or so, but I’ll never get tired of it.

“Save compliments for later,” said Lightning. “Let’s take care of the rest of those bandits and secure this area as well.”

“Right!”

When Clad Hoof heard that the situation in the sky was getting out of control, he ordered for one more squadron to be dispatched. Granite chose the Spearhead squadron, comprised of ten pegasi, to help Renegade and Titan squadron by eliminating Mirage fliers. They were heading for the central area, where Firefly just used her third and last neutralizing agent unit to disperse the toxic gas cloud.

“There we go… Now to make those bastards pay for using such cowardly tactic…!”

She noticed several enemy signatures approaching her, but she did not wait for them to appear. Firefly came flying straight through the enemy formation, causing initial confusion. When the leader of Spearhead squadron realized that they were up against only one flier, he also took the opportunity to insult Mirage.

“You’re not so tough without your leader. Too bad she ain’t around to cover your sorry flank… But don’t worry, you’ll be joining her soon!”

He flew forward to confront Firefly and hit her in the face, but she effortlessly blocked his attack and stared into his eyes.

“Bub… You picked the wrong mare to mess with,” she said calmly, though her voice trembled with anger.

Firefly retaliated with a quick headbutt in the face, pushing the Spearhead leader away. He was still eager to fight.

“You really think you take on all of us alone?!” he provoked the pink flier.

She did not reply, but instead looked at her radar. Six friendly signatures were approaching her. Only then Firefly said:

“No… Not alone!”

Then, the Swallow squadron entered the battle zone, flanking Firefly.

“Mind if we help you out, Mirage 2?” Swift Leap inquired.

“Be my guest, Swallow 1.”

One of the Spearhead fliers wasn’t so confident anymore.

“What should we do, sir?”

“Bah! It doesn’t matter. We still have the strength in numbers. Spearhead squadron, take them down!” he ordered his companions.

Firefly growled.

“When will you idiots learn… you don’t win battles with just numbers! I’ll show you!”

She bursted forward, tackling the leader of Spearhead and pushing him away. Swift Leap saw this as her chance.

“Mirage 2 gave us the opening we needed! Swallow squadron, engage!” she ordered.

While her team fought the Exiles, Firefly and their leader clashed separately. He managed to put up a guard and blocked Firefly’s punches. When they were a fair distance away from the other fighters, the pink mare backed away to catch her breath.

“Guess your crew won’t be helping you,” she said to her opponent.

“That goes for you as well. Not that I mind. I got you right where I wanted you,” the Exile pegasus muttered.

“Huh?”

He lunged forward and used his left arm to try to punch Firefly in the face. She noticed he wore some kind of a metallic gauntlet on his arm, and just as he threw a punch, something extended from it… Firefly obeyed her instinct and quickly moved her head to the side to avoid the attack, but the sharp blade still grazed her cheek.

She pushed her opponent back. He was glad to have inflicted a wound, but still seemed disappointed that it didn’t end in a killing blow. Firefly touched her wound and noticed blood on her hoof. She looked at her foe with a mixture of surprise and disgust.

“A hidden blade, huh?” she asked.

“Hah! They don’t call us Spearheads for nothing,” the Exile said proudly. “I, Knife Nut, along with my companions, used these beauties to kill many soldiers from your Allied Forces. They… never knew what hit them.”

He snickered.

“Though I think you deserve a little credit. Nopony’s ever dodged that attack of mine. But nopony gets lucky twice either.”

Firefly snorted angrily.

“So, instead of relying on your skills, you rely on a weapon? You guys are pathetic!”

“So what?” Knife Nut retorted. “It doesn’t matter how we kill our enemies. If these weapons help us reduce the number of Lady Aurora’s enemies… then that’s what we will do. Ain’t no one’s coming to help you!”

He lunged toward Firefly, trying to stab her, but now that she knew about her opponent’s secret, she was prepared. Instead of dodging, she grabbed the blade as it extended, holding it in her hooves.

“You ain’t... fooling me… again, bub!” she gasped as she struggled to maintain her hold on the blade.

Knife Nut welcomed the challenge. He had a wicked grin on his as he leaned closer to Firefly.

“Heh heh… You can struggle all you want… I’m still gonna drive that blade through your eyes… and then I’ll carve them out! They will be a beautiful gift for Lady Aurora…”

Firefly could feel his breath as he got closer. She saw her hooves were starting to bleed as the blade moved slightly closer. Then she heard a voice in her headphones:

“Flash, this is Kid. My area is secured. Do you need me to do anything else?”

Firefly gasped loudly a few times before she anwsered:

“Do it!”

Knife Nut, having not heard Medley’s voice, got even more excited.

“Yeah… that’s exactly what I’m gonna do!”

He tried pushing the blade further. Firefly kept on struggling, but she couldn’t hold it for much longer… Then, Knife Nut noticed a warning signal on his radar. Another enemy signature, heading straight for him!

Just before Medley collided with him, he managed to avoid the attack. This gave a few precious seconds for Firefly to catch her breath. Knife Nut tried to locate his new opponent, but Medley moved so quickly he couldn’t catch up with her.

“Damn! What was that?!”

Firefly now had the advantage. She grabbed her opponent’s gauntlet and started to pull. Though he tried to resist, he was caught off-guard and couldn’t do much as Firefly tore the gauntlet from his left arm.

“You won’t be needing this anymore!” she exclaimed.

“No!” Knife Nut screamed in desperation.

“Oh, yes. How’s this?!”

Firefly headbutted him in the face once more, dazing him.

“Take him out, Kid!”

Knife Nut turned around and saw Medley heading toward him from above. Before he could pull himself back together to avoid the attack, she delivered a powerful kick to his face. But he was still not defeated.

Firefly did not hesitate. She used the weapon she took from Knife Nut and plunged the blade into his back. The Exile fighter let out a long, terrified gasp. He shifted his eyes to the rear, trying to see Firefly’s expression. He felt blood dripping from his mouth.

“You will not take another life, you bastard,” Firefly said slowly.

“Basely… done…” Knife Nut coughed out his last words.

Firefly pulled the blade out of his back, allowing him to fall lifelessly to the ground. Moments later, she heard the voice of Swift Leap in her communicator.

“Nice job in taking out their leader, Mirage 2! We’ll take care of the rest!”

“... Roger.”

As Firefly stared at the bloodied blade, Medley approached her.

“Are you okay, Firefly?” she asked.

Firefly looked at her and blinked several times before she finally responded.

“Yeah… Yeah, I’m fine. I’m good.”

Medley looked at the weapon she was holding.

“What is that thing?”

“Some kind of… retractable blade,” Firefly replied. “It seems to extend when you try to throw a punch… I dunno how it works, though… almost as if it responds to your motion.”

“Maybe we should show it to Steam Tinker,” Medley suggested.

“The leader of the Hornet squadron?” Firefly inquired.

“Yeah. He’s always tinkering with machines and stuff… Maybe he can put this contraption to some use.”

Firefly thought about it before agreeing with Medley. She put the blade inside her empty bag.

“I’ll hold onto this until we get back to HQ. Did you take care of Cynocrine in northern area?”

Medley nodded.

“The Exiles are on the run. I think we foiled their plan of trying to poison the town’s population.

Firefly wasn’t so optimistic.

“Don’t celebrate victory prematurely… Did you or anypony see that Clad Hoof guy? The enemy commander?”

“Um… Now that you mentioned it, no. Nopony in ground forces reported about him, nor did anypony from Ponyville Liberation Corps… Maybe he deserted.”

“I doubt it,” said Firefly. “That guy is not exactly sane. He may be up to something… and that’s what worries me.”

==========

1215 hrs
Ponyville, Schoolhouse

Cheerilee and her students, along with the Cutie Mark Crusaders, remained inside the schoolhouse. They had no idea how the battle was going, but Apple Bloom and her friends remained optimistic, assuring other colts and fillies that bad ponies will be chased away from Ponyville and things were going to be OK.

However, Scootaloo did not share that optimism. She kept pacing around with an irritated expression. Apple Bloom tried to talk to her:

“Settle down, Scoots. I’m sure our guys out there are givin’ those Exiles a solid whooping. There’s nothin’ to worry about.”

“We should be out there, helping them…” Scootaloo remarked. “I can’t stand sitting around, doing nothing… We gotta make the Exiles pay for what they’ve done!”

The other Crusaders looked at each other worryingly. Sweet Belle started:

“Are you… talking about Rainbow Dash being—”

“SHUT IT!” Scootaloo shrieked, causing Sweetie Belle to jump in surprise.

The expression on Scootaloo’s face changed from angry to resigned in a matter of seconds.

“... Sorry,” she said. “I didn’t mean to shout. I just… I don’t believe she is dead. I WON’T believe it! Rainbow is alive and she will come back to us…”

Her tone made her sound like she was about to break down and cry. The others knew how much Rainbow meant to Scootaloo, so they walked up to her and started comforting her.

“We do, too, Scoots. Rainbow’s gonna come back, for sure,” said Apple Bloom.

“Yeah! And she will rip those Exiles a new one!” Button Mash added.

Cheerilee, seeing the kids bond together so well, smiled and said:

“I’m glad you’re here to help me, children. I’m sure it will all be over soon…”

“Hey, guys!” Rumble suddenly shouted. “Come here!”

He kept looking outside the entire time, hoping to see the ponies from Ponyville Liberation Corps who would tell them that the situation was under control and it was safe to leave. Instead, he saw a lone pony that he did not recognize pushing a metallic barrel in front of him and slowly approaching the schoolhouse.

“Who is that?” Sweetie Belle asked. “Is that one of ours?”

“I don’t think so…” Pipsqueak replied. “I don’t remember any soldier in our army wearing a mask like that…”

Dinky suddenly gasped.

“I remember him! He’s the one who tried to kill Miss Firecracker at Stalliongrad! It’s the enemy commander!”

“What is he doing here? How come nopony saw him? What’s in that barrel he’s got there?” Button Mash kept asking.

“I don’t know, and I don’t wanna find out,” said Rumble. “Apple Bloom, can you try to raise Applejack and tell her we got an emergency here?”

“Sure!”

Apple Bloom tweaked at the communicator her sister gave her before they left the Headquarters in Manehattan, trying to set the right frequency.

“Apple 1! Apple 1, this is Crusader 1, do you read? We got an emergency, over!”

After a few seconds of static, the young filly heard Applejack’s voice.

“What’s happenin’, Crusaders?”

“The enemy commander is in front of the schoolhouse! We don’t know what he’s plannin’, but it could be—”

Her voice was drowned out as another voice, crepitating and hissing, sounded in her headphones, causing her skin to crawl. She wasn’t the only one who heard it.

“Attention all soldiers of the Equestrian Allied Forces and Ponyville Liberation Corps! This is Clad Hoof, Chief Commander of the Exile Army! I demand... that you lay down your weapons and surrender! Otherwise… you will have to live with burden of guilt… for letting civilians die! I am going to unleash toxic gas that you have tried to prevent from spreading… into the schoolhouse. All little colts and fillies inside will die… unless you surrender!”

“WHAT?!”

That was all that got out of most throats of Allied Forces soldiers when they heard Clad Hoof’s announcement. Firefly contacted Heavy Cloud.

“Heavy Cloud, you heard what he said?”

“Loud and clear, as did all of you, I believe.”

He spoke with a calm tone, but his voice was shaking.

“I can’t believe he would try something like that…”

“Heavy Cloud! I’m going back to town! I’ll drown that bastard in his own toxic soup!” Applejack’s voice sounded in the operator’s headphones.

“... No. You and Twilight carry on your operation. Leave this to Mirage squadron. Only they have the tools needed to neutralize Cynocrine.”

“Mah sister is in danger!” Applejack argued.

“Mirage will stop him. Trust them,” Heavy Cloud replied.

It took Applejack a few seconds to regain control over her emotions. She agreed with Heavy Cloud. The operator turned his frequency to Firefly’s team.

“Mirage, do you still have the neutralizing agent?”

“We used most of it… but I think Ditzy still has one unit,” Firefly responded.

“Ditzy, come in! I want you to head to the schoolhouse and keep an eye on the situation. If you see any sign of Cynocrine being released, deploy the neutralizing agent immediately. Understood?”

Derpy gasped a few times before answering.

“Y-Yes, sir!”

“Are you all right, Ditzy?” Heavy Cloud asked.

“Y-Yes. I was attacked by an enemy squadron and they made me drop the agent. It got stuck on a tree, but I managed to recover it,” Derpy explained.

“Good. Head to the schoolhouse. The rest of you, Mirage, keep an eye on the area. If you see any more enemy fliers, take them down.”

“Yes, sir!” Firefly replied.

Clad Hoof’s chilling announcement terrified Blackberry. She could not believe that he would dare to harm children if it meant getting his way. In a moment of deconcentration, Skull Splitter used the opportunity to grab Blackberry and subject her to a series of brutal attacks. He used one arm to grab her waist and hold her from behind, and then proceeded to hit her in the chest several times. Blackberry tried to fight back, but she was exhausted from dueling the Exile for several minutes. Skull Splitter then flew in front of Blackberry and grabbed her with both arms, immobilizing her. He reared his head back, preparing for a devastating headbutt.

“How you like this?!” he growled as he struck Blackberry in the forehead.

She screamed in pain, but could do nothing to defend herself. Skull Splitter reared back a second time.

“I ain’t done with you yet!”

A second blow to the head. Blackberry’s forehead started bleeding, she felt intense pain building up. She was getting dizzy.

“One more for good measure!”

Skull Splitter struck her a third time. An audible crack was heard in the silence.

He then released Blackberry, letting her fall to the ground. Blood was pouring down her face, almost blinding her vision. The pain was overwhelming her. Blackberry could not force her wings to obey and regain control. Yet, as she was plummeting down and about to hit the concrete below, she heard a whooshing sound close to her. Her falling speed decreased… somepony managed to catch her and prevent her from falling to her death.

“Blackberry! Can you hear me?!”

She recognized that voice.Though she couldn’t see her, Blackberry whispered:

“Flutter… shy? So… tired… Let me rest… I… Ugh…”

Blackberry lost consciousness. Fluttershy hugged her, causing the blood from her wound to stain the yellow mare’s vest. Blackberry was lucky that her friend was helping the Ponyville Liberation Corps in moving the last few remaining ponies to a safer zone and was in a position to notice her falling from above. Fluttershy had not hesitated to come to her aid.

“Don’t worry. I’ll get you to safety,” Fluttershy whispered.

Blackberry’s companions noticed that she went down and started fighting with even more ferocity with the Titan squadron. However, Skull Splitter was nowhere to be found.

He, like all others, heard Clad Hoof’s speech and decided to fly to the schoolhouse area. He hid inside one of the clouds, from where he could observe the potential carnage of the entire building being engulfed by deadly gas.

“Guess the commander decided to play his trump card after all. This could be good,” he thought of himself.

The Cutie Mark Crusaders, Cheerilee and other children huddled in the schoolhouse were very disturbed by what they heard. Apple Bloom turned to her friends:

“Ya think he will do it?”

“We can’t let him unleash the gas!” Pipsqueak exclaimed. “There are too many of our classmates here. We won’t have time to evacuate everypony!”

“Yeah, but… what can we really do?” Dinky wondered. “We’re not soldiers…”

“Are you chickening out again?” Button Mash asked her in an aggressive tone.

Sweetie Belle glared at him, making him recall the other time he said such a thing. The brown colt quickly apologized.

“Unlike in Stalliongrad, we ain’t equipped to deal with this situation,” said Apple Bloom. “Ah think the best thing we can do is to stall, until Applejack and the others come to help us.”

Scootaloo shook her head.

“We don’t have that much time! That guy can do it at any moment!”

“Calm down, everypony,” Cheerilee asked them. “I’ll try to talk him out of it.”

The Crusaders tried to make their teacher abandon that idea, arguing that Clad Hoof could hurt her, even kill her. But Cheerilee remained convicted.

“Your safety is what matters to me the most. Stay here. I’ll go and speak to him. Maybe I can buy our Angels some time…”

She walked to the door, leading out of the room, followed by the Crusaders’ sights. They all approached the window and stood there glued in, watching the scene.

“That creep better not try and harm Miss Cheerilee,” said Pipsqueak.

Clad Hoof noticed that the door opened and a mare walked out, coming closer to him. He narrowed his eyes when she stood before him. His words apparently took effect, but not in the way he expected.

“Who are you? You do not appear to be military,” Clad Hoof said slowly.

“I… am a teacher, in that schoolhouse,” Cheerilee’s voice was shaking slightly. She never faced a more dread-looking pony in her life before, save perhaps Nightmare Moon.

“Please… You don’t have to do this.”

Clad Hoof let out a raspy laugh.

“You’re trying to negotiate with me? I have no time to waste on worthless civilians. Find somepony from the military and tell him to order the Allied Forces to surrender… or get out of my sight.”

Cheerilee took a deep breath. She still tried to convince Clad Hoof to abandon his plan.

“Why are you doing this…? What have these children done to you? What did they do that you want to make them suffer? They don’t deserve to go through the horrors of war. There has to be another way for— Ohh!”

Her plea was suddenly interrupted when the Exile commander rushed forward and hit her in the face, causing Cheerilee to lose balance and fall down. The Cutie Mark Crusaders were shocked and angered.

“Son of a buck!” Apple Bloom cursed.

“That does it! Let’s go, guys!” Scootaloo exclaimed.

“But what can we do?!” Sweetie Belle groaned.

“Improvise!”

Clad Hoof walked closer to Cheerilee and spoke. His tone was dripping with hatred.

“What have they done, you ask? Simple… They were born. Born under the rule of Celestia. She is my mistresses’ mortal enemy. She ruined her life… All who follow Celestia are the enemies of my mistress… And therefore, my enemies as well. I will do everything to help Lady Aurora gain the power and position she deserves. And to do so… I will kill all who would oppose her. No mercy to disbelievers…”

He leaned over Cheerilee, piercing her with his sight.

“I will make an example out of you…”

But before he could do any further harm, he noticed seven little ponies, three colts and four fillies, running out of the schoolhouse and standing in front of their teacher.

“Not so fast, bozo!” Button Mash yelled. “We ain’t gonna let you hurt Miss Cheerilee!”

“Yeah! You gotta get past us to hurt anypony around here!” Scootaloo added.

Clad Hoof and Cheerilee looked at her, surprised at their determination. But the Exile commander let out another laughter, louder and more mocking than before.

“What is this?! Don’t make me laugh! What can puny, little worms like you possibly do to stop me? You… all of you, are worthless.”

“You’re talking about yourself!” Sweetie Belle pointed at him. “You Exiles are the worst kind of bullies I’ve ever seen!”

“Yeah! You inflict pain and misery on others, because it makes you feel tough, doesn’t it?!” Scootaloo pointed out. “But you know what? You guys are weak and pathetic!”

“But you weren’t so high and mighty when we took out your tanks, huh?” Button Mash asked.

They could not see Clad Hoof’s expression from beneath the mask, but his tone suddenly shifted. He sounded genuinely surprised.

“What? You… Wait… No, how can… How can that be…? You… were…?”

While Dinky, Rumble and Pipsqueak helped Cheerilee stand up, Button Mash carried on:

“Look, guys, he’s catching on. Not so tough now, are ya?!”

“No… this… This is ridiculous… You… there’s no way you… you couldn’t…”

Scootaloo had a triumphant smirk on her face.

“Looks like Miss Firecracker really cooked you up if you gotta wear that mask. I bet it doesn’t make you look any better, chrome dome!”

Those words caused Clad Hoof to start losing control.

“You— You were… with that unicorn…! Then you… You…!”

“That’s right!” Rumble interjected. “In Stalliongrad, Miss Firecracker helped us reach your tanks undetected and we planted C4 on them, which she then blew up.”

“Gosh, that must have been embarrassing for him…” said Pipsqueak. “Wish I was there to see it.”

Dinky tried to suppress the horrible images she witnessed on that day and also delivered her own jab toward Clad Hoof.

“He and the other Exiles got what they deserved.”

Clad Hoof suddenly let out an infuriated yell.

“NO! I… I was… defeated… by a bunch of children…?! No! NO! It’s not possible!”

“Not just any children — the Cutie Mark Crusaders Scouting Team”, Apple Bloom proclaimed.

Clad Hoof stomped angrily on the ground, hissing and growling.

“I have been disgraced…!”

He ran toward the container filled with Cynocrine.

“Only your deaths will satisfy me!”

The Exile commander lifted the lid and allowed the dark green gas to float outside. The Cutie Mark Crusaders quickly backed away.

“Come on, everypony! Inside! Everypony inside!” Cheerilee shouted.

Dinky pointed to the sky.

“Mommy!” she cried out.

The others looked up. Derpy was above them. She arrived just in time and noticed that the container was opened. She reached into her bag and, without much thinking, threw the neutralizing agent to the ground, aiming at the source of the gas.

Unfortunately, upon landing, the container with the agent did not break open. Derpy realized what she did wrong.

“Oh, no! I didn’t turn the warhead!”

She then picked up a hostile signal above her. Skull Splitter, leader of the Titan squadron, was still hiding in the clouds. He saw his chance.

“Surprise!”

He tackled Derpy and brought her down to the ground. Dinky watched helplessly as he started to punch her mother in the face multiple times.

“Stop! Don’t hurt her!” she cried.

Skull Splitter did stop, but only because he saw Clad Hoof approaching.

“Want me to finish her off, commander?” he asked.

“Not yet… I want her to witness her failure,” Clad Hoof replied. “I want her to see those children die… so she will understand that she failed them.

The situation was getting more dangerous. The longer Cynocrine remained in the air, the more deadly it became. The neutralizing agent didn’t work. The only capable friendly pegasus fighter was incapacitated.

“This is bad, we gotta get outta here!” Scootaloo exclaimed.

Dinky had her gaze fixed on Clad Hoof. That evil pony, who was causing so much harm, just to satisfy his thirst for Aurora’s approval and his own lust for blood… The young unicorn filly squinted her eyes and lowered her head.

“I won’t let him… I won’t let him hurt my mom or my friends!”

Before anyone could say anything, Dinky started running toward the container. She charged horn first into the green cloud and took a deep breath before vanishing inside of it.

“Is she insane?!” Button Mash screamed.

“I don’t believe it, she went in!” Sweetie Belle blurted out.

“Dinky! Come back!” Cheerilee pleaded.

Even Clad Hoof and Skull Splitter were taken aback by that sudden action. Then, a loud, clanking sound was heard, as if something pierced through metal…

“What was that?” Apple Bloom asked.

“Where’s Dinky?”

Then, the green, gaseous cloud was slowly enveloped by a different one, colored white, as it bursted from the neutralizing agent that Dinky broke open. Clad Hoof realized it and was infuriated.

“No… NOO!”

He also ran into the toxic cloud. Another sound, this time that of striking something, was heard, followed by a yelp. Dinky was thrown outside, rolled on the ground and remained still, coughing. The other Crusaders feared the worst… that she had inhaled some Cynocrine while she was inside…

Derpy, still struggling with Skull Splitter, saw Clad Hoof emerging from the now white cloud of partially neutralized gas. He had trouble catching his own breath as he walked over to Dinky.

“You… pathetic… little trash…! You will not… ruin my plan again…!”

Seeing him about to kill her daughter, a defenseless, sickened child, rage started building inside Derpy. She used her rear legs to push Skull Splitter away from him, sprung from the ground and charged at Clad Hoof.

Before he realized what was going on, he was tackled to the ground. Derpy punched him in the face, letting out an angry growl. Another punch. And another.

She wanted to hurt him, make him pay. She paused just to say:

“Stay away… from my daughter…!”

Clad Hoof knew that, despite the Cynocrine being neutralized, he still breathed in a lot of the toxin. He knew his time was short… but he could have some satisfaction, at the very least. He started chuckling, then it turned into a burst of maniacal laughter.

“Ha… ha… so violent… so aggressive… You think… this will help her…? Hah… We both have breathed the Cynocrine into us… She won’t remain alive for long… Death… is the price you all… shall pay… if you… keep opposing… Lady Aurora…! You will… soon… join her… heh… ha, ha, ha… Ah, ha, ha, ha, ha…! HA, HA, HA, HA, HAAAA!”

Derpy let out a primal scream. His mocking tone, his venomous words… this, all coupled with the enormous stress that had accumulated inside her, became too much for her.

“You MONSTER!”

She punched him again, causing him to laugh out even louder.

“You evil…”

She hit him again.

“... evil, evil MONSTER!”

Derpy struck him again. And again. And again.

Her fifth punch made a small crack on Clad Hoof’s mask. In a fit of rage, Derpy screamed and smashed his face with both of her front hooves.

The mask was shattered. Its pieces felt to the ground. Derpy saw Clad Hoof’s horribly disfigured face, with pieces of burnt flesh everywhere. His laughter degenerated into exasperated attempts to catch a breath. But because his source of oxygen had been destroyed, it was in vain.

Choking on the toxic gas inside him, he bulged his eyes open and gasped several times.

“Lady… Auroraaa… all of this… for… youuu.....”

Clad Hoof’s head flopped to the right. He was breathing no more, killed by the very same poison he tried to spread.

Seeing his commander dead, Skull Splitter figured that trying to pick another fight with Derpy was moot at this point. He retreated and sent a signal to his comrades from Titan and Renegade squadrons to retreat as well. Their battle was lost.

Derpy did not immediately realize what happened. She was breathing heavily, looking at her hooves, injured after beating on the metallic mask. Then, she remembered about Dinky.

The other Crusaders were around her. Dinky lay on the ground. She was coughing rapidly, her eyes were glassy and she held her front hooves on her stomach. Derpy took the little filly on her arms and asked Cheerilee to take care of the others. The teacher nodded.

Derpy caressed her daughter’s head and tried to hold her own tears, while she flew as fast as her fatigue would allow her.

“Don’t worry, Dinky… You will be all right… I won’t let you die…” she kept repeating in between rapidly trying to gasp for a breath of air.

Dinky fainted just before reaching the hospital. Nurse Redheart took her to emergency room immediately. Derpy remained outside, anxious about her daughter...

==========

1530 hrs
Ponyville, Hospital

After nearly three hours, Nurse Redheart finally came out of the emergency room. Derpy sprung on her hooves and trotted to her.

“Nurse! How is Dinky? Is she all right?!”

The white earth pony briefly took her cap off and wiped the sweat from her forehead before replying.

“Do not be alarmed… Although she did inhale some of the toxic gas, it was only a very small amount, in no way lethal. We should be able to completely detox her within a few hours. But she will have to remain here for the time being, at least until tomorrow.”

Derpy felt her pulse returning. She let out a long, heavy sigh.

“Can I… see her?” she asked.

Nurse Redheart didn’t reply. Derpy insisted.

“Please?”

After taking some thoughts into consideration, Nurse Redheart said:

“Very well. I will go check on other patients. Sadly, we have more poisoned ponies that are still being brought here, and some of them are in much worse condition… I’ll come back in fifteen minutes.”

“Thank you…” Derpy stuttered.

When Nurse Redheart left the corridor, Derpy walked into the white room. She saw Dinky lying on the bed under a green blanket. She had a respirator connected to her mouth. When she saw Derpy approaching, she reached her arms upward before coughing slowly.

“M-Mommy…”

“Dinky, my dear!” Derpy snuggled her daughter’s face. “How are you feeling?”

“Uhh… head… tummy hurts,” the little unicorn blurted out, wincing and coughing in between words.

Derpy looked very concerned but tried to keep Dinky in high spirit.

“You poor thing… Don’t worry, Nurse Redheart assured me that you will be cured. You’ll just have to remain here until tomorrow—”

“Mommy…” Dinky interrupted. “I’m… sorry…”

Derpy’s expression changed. Her crossed eyes moved to the sides in confusion.

“Sorry? What for?”

“You… must have been worried sick… about me,” Dinky coughed up. “But… please, understand… I did it to protect… my friends. I couldn’t… I couldn’t let that bad pony… hurt them… or you…”

Seeing Dinky struggle to speak even a single sentence worried Derpy even more.

“Please… don’t be angry, Mommy…” Dinky’s voice started to break down.

“What are you saying!” the gray mare suddenly exclaimed.

Dinky looked at Derpy with glassy eyes, not knowing entirely what she meant.

“I’m not angry at you, Dinky,” Derpy explained.

“... Really?” Dinky asked with uncertainty.

Derpy shook her head and leaned closer to the small unicorn, trying to keep her voice from rising up again. When she resumed, her tone was gentle, but her voice was trembling.

“DInky… what you did was very careless and dangerous. But… it also helped in saving your friends and, by extension, me. You have saved many lives today, Dear… Maybe even more than we did. You are a true heroine, Dinky. And… mama is so proud of you…”

Tears started flowing from Derpy’s eyes. Dinky noticed it and frowned.

“Don’t cry, Mommy… I don’t want to make you sad…” she stuttered.

Derpy quickly wiped her eyes and tried her best to smile.

“But those are tears of joy, Dear. I’m just so happy that you live…”

“And… what happened to that… evil pony?” Dinky asked.

Derpy’s expression turned serious. She moved back a bit before answering.

“... I took care of him. He got exactly what he deserved. He will never hurt another pony… ever again.”

Dinky blinked several times. She knew very well what that meant.

“You… killed him, Mommy?”

“... It’s not something I took pleasure in,” Derpy replied sternly. “But… it was necessary. I had to protect you and the rest of the children…”

Dinky did not say anything to that. Derpy carried on.

“At least all of you are now safe. Please, dear, try to rest…”

Then, somepony started knocking at the door.

“Could it be that Nurse Redheart came back already?” Derpy thought.

It wasn’t her. It was Button Mash, who peeked sheepishly from behind the door.

“Excuse me… I heard Dinky was here. Can I come in, for a minute?”

“Of course, Button,” Derpy invited him with a gesture.

When Dinky saw a new guest, she smiled.

“Hey, Button…” she said quietly.

“Hey… Listen, Dinky, I… I, uh… came here because I wanted to apologize… again,” said the brown colt.

Dinky blinked a few times.

“What for?”

“I’m sorry I called you insane back there. You… turned out to be the bravest of us all. If you hadn’t broke that neutralizing agent open… it would’ve been really nasty.”

“Button…” Dinky started, “you… would’ve done the same if… your mom was in danger… wouldn’t you?”

The colt looked to be taken aback by that question, but he anwsered.

“O-Of course. I would never want to see my mum getting hurt…”

Button then turned to Derpy and said:

“Ma’am… Dinky is really setting an example for us. We’re proud to have her as one of the Crusaders.”

Dinky was touched by those words. Her smile grew bigger. Derpy smiled as well.

“I’m glad to hear that. But… if it’s possible, try not to put yourselves in harm’s way again, children.”

Button scratched the back of his head before he barred his teeth and said:

“We’ll try.”

It earned a chuckle from both Derpy and Dinky. Button then walked toward the door.

“I’d better go and tell others about Dinky’s condition. We’ll come visit you later!” he said before leaving.

“Bye…” Dinky whispered.

She coughed again. Derpy leaned back toward her.

“You need to rest now, dear. Try to get some sleep. The sickness will go away before you’ll know it.”

Dinky kept staring at Derpy with her glassy eyes. She asked slowly:

“Mommy… do you have to leave?”

Derpy didn’t answer. Dinky started pleading.

“Please, don’t go, Mommy… I don’t wanna be left alone here…”

“Dinky, dear… I don’t know if Nurse Redheart will let me stay here… But, I will be right outside, in the corridor. If you’ll be needing anything, just tell Nurse Redheart and I’ll be right beside you…”

“Promise?” Dinky whimpered.

“Yes, dear, I promise.”

Dinky nodded, then closed her eyes. Her coughing wasn’t as bad now. Derpy could only hope that Nurse Redheart would quickly cure her from poisoning, to minimize the pain.

When she went out of the room, Derpy could not hold back her urge to cry anymore. She sat on the floor, buried her face in her arms and started sobbing.

“Why did it come to this…?” she wondered. “Why do children have to suffer in this war? What did they do…? … Aurora must pay for this.”

Although the operation to reclaim Ponyville and prevent it from being overflown with deadly Cynocrine was a success, the Allied Forces suffered many casualties. The ground army, led by Twilight Sparkle and Applejack, had lost 15% of their forces, with another 30% of soldiers suffering minor or major wounds. Many citizens of Ponyville and soldiers from Ponyville Liberation Corps were also sprayed with gas during the evacuation.

Not everypony could be saved. With heavy hearts, the doctors predicted that at least 50 ponies will die from Cynocrine poisoning. Only those that inhaled very little gas, like Dinky, were not in immediate danger.

Even the pegasi suffered losses. Blackberry had a badly fractured skull and had to be put on an operational table to prevent further damage to her brain. Fluttershy was shocked by this news, but she had hoped that the doctors would save her. Many other pegasi suffered from minor wounds, though at least three had bullet wounds in their leg or wing.

The Mirage squadron, aside from great fatigue settling in the fliers’ bodies, did not report any losses. However, the day was not over for them yet…

A few hours later, Gale contacted Firefly. He ordered her and the rest of the team to return to the Crystal Empire, along with Twilight and Applejack. Rarity and Pinkie were already there. Princess Celestia received an unexpected visitor who, apparently, had something that would concern each of them.

What could it be…?

Author's Note

So sorry about the long break. The next chapter shouldn't take THAt long to be made ^ ^"

Chapter 17: Allies

Dire news await our heroines,
But are they real or just rumors?
When faced with the upcoming trials
The ponies seek assistance...

Chapter 17
Allies

September 4th, 2021
2100 hrs
The Crystal Empire, Throne Room

Twilight Sparkle, Pinkie Pie, Rarity and Applejack, accompanied by the pegasi from Mirage Squadron, made it back to the Crystal Empire without any problems. Just as they entered the Throne Room, they saw the three princesses: Celestia, Luna and Cadance, already waiting for them.

“Princess Celestia! We came as fast as we could,” said Twilight while bowing briefly as they trotted inside.

“Thank you, Twilight. Thank you all,” Celestia replied upon seeing that her apprentice arrived along with her friends.

“Ah, our guests of honor have finally arrived,” a third voice, not belonging to Cadance or Luna, sounded from the side. A male voice.

An adult earth pony with a cobalt coat and a smooth, dark purple mane walked into the sight. Twilight and the others were surprised to see him, but the Princesses showed no such reaction. It appeared as if he had been here for quite some time. It was probably the messenger of which Princess Celestia spoke of when Gale told Firefly’s team to return to the Crystal Empire.

“You certainly took your time… and mine, as well,” said the individual with a harsh tone.

“Who’s this guy?” Cloud Kicker wondered aloud.

Firefly glimpsed at the symbol on the earth pony’s vest. A red sun surrounded by three stars.

“That mark! He’s one of the Exiles!”

She was about to tackle him, but Celestia’s voice stopped her in her tracks.

“Calm yourself down, Firefly! He is here under our permission… right, Luna?”

“Aye… begrudgingly as it may be,” Luna confirmed.

“What’s going on here?! How did that sleaze get here?” Firefly snorted.

The messenger coughed loudly.

“Really now… Are all mares your age so devoid of manners?”

Firefly looked at him, dumbfounded.

“Uhh…?”

“I’ll have you know, my name isn’t sleaze. I am Purple Prose and I have been chosen by Lady Aurora to act as a messenger. I assure you, I did not come here to fight.”

Medley asked him something that she really wanted to know.

“And how did you get here exactly?”

“Well,” Purple Prose started, “seeing how the location of the Crystal Empire remained unknown to me… and the Exiles, for that matter, until just recently… Lady Aurora instructed me to head to the farthest point her army managed to reach: the Crystal Mountains.”

“Winterbliss Fields…” Lightning Bolt put it together.

“Precisely. And if I may add…”

Purple Prose turned to Celestia and Luna.

“That area is still quite messy after your, let’s say, ‘performance,’ Your Majesties.”

Celestia acknowledged it without a word. Luna, however, seemed agitated. Celestia glanced at her and spoke to her, using telepathy.

“Remain calm, Luna. Everything is under control.”

“Calm? How can you be so calm, Sister?” Luna asked. “Are you not worried that he will report the location of the Crystal Empire to Aurora as soon as this meeting is concluded?”

“No. I have complete confidence that he will not,” Celestia assured her.

“What makes you so certain?”

“You’ll see. For now, let’s hear him…”

Purple Prose was unaware of the Royal Sisters having a conversation in their thoughts. He carried on with his explanation.

“Back to the subject… I was brought here by a patrol of Equestrian Allied Forces, and Princess Celestia heard my request to deliver Lady Aurora’s message. I would’ve done it right after arriving, but she insisted I wait for you, since apparently, this message concerns all of you.”

He pointed at Twilight, Firefly and the others. They looked at each other, wondering what he could mean.

“If that’s the case, I assume you all know a certain… Rainbow Dash.”

A collective gasp escaped the ponies’ throats.

“You know where she is?! What happened to her?!” Medley exclaimed.

“… Do you really want to know?”

No pony said a word, but their expressions told Purple Prose they did want to. A smirk formed on his lips as he resumed.

“Very well, then. I’ll tell you. Around a week ago, the Reaper Squadron reported back to Canterlot, saying they encountered and defeated Rainbow Dash, aka Mirage 1. Lady Aurora was naturally very pleased to hear that, but she asked them for a proof. So, Deathwing and Shockwave flew back to where they shot Rainbow Dash down to find her body… And, sure enough, they did.”

As he told his story, others looked at him in disbelief.

“Once the two brought her to Canterlot, Lady Aurora sought to get as much information about the Allied Forces from her as she could. Sadly, Rainbow Dash was already in a very bad condition when the Reapers found her… broken bones and wings, brain damage, numerous lacerations and bruises… I only saw her briefly, but it wasn’t a pretty sight. Lady Aurora eventually realized that Rainbow was apparently too loyal to the Allied Forces to spill anything… so she decided to put her out of her misery.”

As he finished the last sentence, his smirk grew almost to a grin.

“She… executed her?” Fluttershy squeaked.

“No! You’re lying!” Firefly shouted.

A small uproar ensued among the ponies. Celestia qualmed it by raising her right hoof, saying just a few words aftermath.

“Everypony, calm down. Let him speak.”

Purple Prose turned to Celestia and, for the first time, a shade of respect briefly appeared on his face.

“Thank you, Your Majesty. It’s good to see some do not let their emotions bring out the worst in them. Still…”

He turned to Firefly and her friends.

“I do not blame you for your reactions. Also, Lady Aurora warned me that words alone will not be enough to convince you. That is why… I brought some proofs with me.”

He took three pictures out of the bag he carried with him and put them on the table.

“If you wish to know the truth, take a look at these.”

One by one, the ponies walked closer to examine the pictures. One had an image of a bound and wounded Rainbow Dash, with several bruises all over her body. The second and third showed her lying on the floor, limp with blood seeping out of her throat, eyes wide open, her expression showing disbelief and terror.

Firefly recoiled in shock.

“NO!”

Fluttershy covered her mouth.

“Oh my… goodness…”

A whisper escaped Twilight’s mouth.

“Rainbow… no…”

Applejack covered her face with her hat, unable to bear those images. Pinkie Pie just stared at the pictures with her mouth agape.

“Pretty shocking, isn’t it?” Purple Prose broke the silence. “At the very least, her death was swift, and it rid her of more pain…”

Lightning Bolt glimpsed at the images herself and furrowed her eyebrows.

“I find those pictures unconvincing.”

“Pardon?” Purple Prose asked, genuinely surprised.

“How do we know these pictures are real? How do we know that this is really Rainbow Dash? What guarantee is there that these pictures were not made to show what we are supposed to see?” Lightning Bolt bombarded him with questions.

“They could have been easily fabricated or edited.”

“You think so?” Cloud Kicker wondered.

“Of course. With today’s technology, it’s easy to take pictures with your camera and later edit them in a computer program. They can be altered however you see fit, even to the point where they are completely different from the picture you took with a camera.”

“Wow… I didn’t know that.”

Lightning Bolt turned to Purple Prose.

“How do we know this isn’t all just a ruse… mister?”

“…Very good,” he replied with praise.

“So you admit they are fake?!” Lightning exclaimed.

“Not exactly… Don’t get me wrong, what you are saying is true. Pictures can be easily altered these days. I was given these pictures here by Lady Aurora. She only said that I should show them to those who doubt Rainbow’s fate. I do not believe she was trying to manipulate me or anyone else, though… she always wants the best for us, after all.”

Medley turned to Derpy and whispered to her:

“The guy sounds like he’s in denial, don’t you think?”

“Maybe he doesn’t know Aurora that well…”

Still, Purple Prose seemed undaunted. He was willing to continue his way of thinking.

”Oh well, that’s all right. I came prepared for that, too. If my testimony and these pictures are not enough to convince you… I have more proof.”

Having said that, he pulled out a black, plastic item, resembling a small box with a few buttons, from his bag and put it before Lightning Bolt.

“If you are so tech-savvy, would you mind telling me what this is?”

“... It’s an audio recorder. It can record conversations on a tape, which can later be played back for all to hear,” Lightning anwsered.

“Exactly. And this particular recorder contains all you need to know what happened in Canterlot Castle roughly two days ago. … Would you like me to play it for you?”

Without waiting for any approval, he pressed “Play.”

For the first few seconds, there was absolute silence. Then, faint breathing sounds and whimpering could be heard from the speakers. They followed by a sound of door opening.

“Lady Aurora…” Deathwing’s voice sounded.

Hoofsteps echoed through the dungeon hall. At the same time, the whimpering became a bit louder and more desperate.

“So many of my operations jeopardized…” Aurora spoke slowly, “so many of my soldiers dead… Because of you and your companions. You will be the first… Is there anything you wish to say… Rainbow Dash?”

More whimpering and fast urgent breathing. A squeaky, female voice groaned in pain.

“M-Mercy… Please… H-Have m-mercy… I... “

“Mercy…?”

Several seconds of terrifying silence. Then, all of a sudden, a sound of a solid, pointy object, puncturing soft flesh and a terrified gasp. Most ponies jolted back or grimaced.

“None for you,” Aurora proclaimed. “This is the only punishment you deserve for your crimes against the Exiles!”

Another horrible sound echoed in the speakers as she pulled her horn out of the prisoner’s throat. Gurgling was drowned by the sound of dripping blood. The struggle soon stopped. Only the droplets were heard.

“Woah…” Havoc blurted out.

“Shockwave,” Aurora called the purple pegasus to her.

A brief sounds of hoofsteps as he came closer.

“The pulse is gone… can’t hear her heartbeat… no reaction. She is dead, in every sense of the word,” he concluded after a quick examination.

“Good. That is one less problem to worry about,” Aurora remarked.

“What do you want us to do with her, Lady Aurora? Shall we dispose of the body?” Deathwing asked.

“No… I want you to put it on display at Canterlot’s main square, for all to see. Our people will rejoice, while the citizens will sink into despair when they will see their so-called heroine dead.”

Trickster’s cackle echoed through the dungeon’s hall.

“Great plan, Lady Aurora. But, uh… can I take some pictures first? I want to savor this monumental success!”

“You have my permission, Trickster. In fact… I’d like a copy of those pictures for myself. I believe they can be used in some way…”

Purple Prose then stopped the recording by pressing a button.

“That’s all there is to it.”

Most ponies were shocked at what they heard... except for Spitfire, who looked very angry, glaring at Purple Prose the whole time. He didn’t pay attention. He seemed confident that now they heard the recording, they would have no more doubt.

“I understand that it will take you some time to fully accept what you just saw and heard. Sadly, I’m afraid I have wasted enough time already. Now that I have completed my mission, I will return to Lady Aurora and report the results. By your leave.”

Celestia glanced at Spitfire. She noticed it and stepped forward, blocking Purple Prose’s way to the door.

“Not so fast… mister. You’re not going anywhere.”

“Excuse me?”

“You’re trying to pull some dirty tricks on us, but don’t think we’re going to be fooled by your lies!” Spitfire accused him.

“... You still deny the truth? These proofs aren’t enough for you?” Purple Prose asked in disbelief.

“I will not believe that Rainbow Dash is dead unless I’ll see her body with my own eyes! If you are so confident that you captured and killed her, why didn’t you brought her body with you, so we could examine it and know for certain that it is her?”

Purple Prose had no clear answer for that. Sweat began to form on his forehead. He didn’t looked so confident anymore.

“I… I didn’t… think… I have no time for this. Out of my way!”

“The only place you’ll go to is prison. It’s the right place for lying scum like you!”

She shoved him back.

“... You dare threaten me? Mind your tongue! I’m an emissary! I am protected by diplomatic immunity and I will not hear anymore of your—”

Before Purple Prose could finish, Spitfire kicked him in the face, knocking him out cold on the floor. The others looked at her in surprise.

“Your immunity has just been revoked,” Spitfire quipped.

Then she turned to other ponies.

“Girls, you know Rainbow Dash well, right?”

They remained silent, looking at each other.

“Listen, I may not know Rainbow as well as some of you do… But, I’ve been around her for a while. I watched her. And if there’s anything I learned about her is that she never gives up… and she would never, EVER beg for mercy! I could recall any practice, drill training or performance we had. Not once did she ask me to take a break, even when she was exhausted. She wouldn’t rest until she did her part or until we were done. I don’t know who is on that recording, but that is NOT Rainbow Dash!”

Nopony said anything to that. Yet, Firefly remembered the time when Rainbow actually begged her for mercy — when Firefly was tickling her to make her get out of the bed. If she would mention that to anyone…

She smiled dimly and said:

“Spitfire’s right.”

“So, this is all a ruse?” Cloud Kicker asked.

“Most definitely,” said Spitfire, then she turned to Celestia.

“Princess, they are taking advantage of our ignorance about what really happened to Rainbow Dash. They are playing with our emotions to try to make us lose our will to fight. We can’t let them do that.”

“... No, we can’t,” Celestia agreed. “I believe it’s time for some decisive action. Spitfire…”

“Right… I’m sorry about this outburst. I will take this scum to his cell, then I’m going to write the report—”

Celestia interrupted her.

“No, that won’t be necessary. Instead, I want you to come see me after you place Purple Prose in his cell. I have a mission for you.”

“... A mission? For me?” Spitfire asked.

“Yes, a very important one. And I know I can trust you with it.”

Spitfire nodded and saluted, then took Purple Prose’s tail in her mouth and dragged him out of the room. The other ponies turned to Celestia as well.

“What about us, Princess?” Firefly asked. “What do we do now?”

“Firefly… I need you and your team to gather as many ponies at the main square. I must address them.”

“Should we go too, Yer Majesty?” Applejack asked.

“Yes, Applejack. You, Pinkie Pie and Rarity should help them as well. As for you, Twilight…” she turned to the purple unicorn.

“Yes, Princess?”

“I ask you to analyze those pictures and that audio recording further. I believe we are missing something here… Perhaps a throughout analysis will help us,” Celestia concluded.

“You can count on me.”

“And us, too. All right, girls, let’s move!” Firefly ordered them.

As the ponies left the room, Celestia and Luna remained in the chamber alone.

“So… you’re actually going to do it,” said Luna.

Celestia did not respond.

“Are you sure it’s the right way, Sister?”

“... No, Luna,” Celestia said quietly.

“To be honest with you, I do not see the right way in this situation. No matter which choice I make… somepony is going to suffer. But it is something I will have to live with. There will be time for regrets later… now, we must act.”

“But, Sister…”

“I know what you want to say, but… Sometimes, when there is no right way, you must choose the lesser of two evils. We, of all ponies, should know that best.”

Luna didn’t respond to Celestia's words at first, but as they sunk in on her, she looked at Celestia.

“All right. I will stand by you, Sister. I won’t turn on you ever again… nor will I doubt your decision. Like you said… there will be time for regrets later.”

Celestia acknowledged her reply with a dim smile.

“Thank you for understanding…”

2 hours later

Many ponies have gathered at the Crystal Castle’s courtyard. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna emerged from the balcony to address them. Celestia began with a somber tone:

“Citizens of Equestria, ponies of the Crystal Empire! With great sadness, I must inform you that Rainbow Dash… has fallen.”

As she predicted, these words caused the ponies to break into an uproar. Many were shouting, crying and screaming, refusing to believe it. It looked like bedlam was about to break out...

Suddenly, Celestia shot a beam at the sky above the ponies, creating a dusty image of a cloud. The ponies ceased the uproar. Luna then followed by shooting a different beam, forming a lightning bolt that pierced the cloud — the symbol of Rainbow’s cutie mark. It then dissipated into dust and fell onto other ponies, who were completely silent now.

“Rainbow Dash may be gone…” Celestia continued, “but her spirit, her courage, her determination… they live in all of you. It is a great loss for us… but now is not the time to grieve. Our war with the Exiles continues. To this day, we’ve been fighting our adversaries by ourselves. Not anymore.”

The ponies exchanged several curious whispers.

“I have sent Captain Spitfire of the Wonderbolts to the capital city of Gryphus, for an audience to King Valdar, ruler of the Griffin Kingdom. I do not expect an immediate answer, but within the next few days… I believe our forces will receive some much needed help.”

More whispers followed this news, some of them very anxious, some of relief. Could the griffins truly help in this war? Or will they only add to the casualties?

Then, Luna herself spoke, using her booming voice to keep the ponies’ attention on her.

“Over the past few weeks, we have all witnessed terrible tragedies happening around us: Our land invaded, the blood of good ponies spilled as they tried to protect our lives… our future. We cannot forget their sacrifice… However! We also cannot allow the Exiles to cause further destruction! It is time we take the fight to them!”

Celestia carried on, her voice now being louder than usual.

“We will do what it takes to drive the Exiles from Equestria. First, we liberate our land, then we find Aurora’s stronghold and bring it down! We realize this will be a difficult task… but we ask for your support.”

After several seconds of silence, Firefly rose her hoof and lifted off the ground, hovering above other ponies using her wings.

“Yes, Firefly?” Celestia encouraged her.

“Rainbow Dash… she was somepony important to me. Almost like a twin sister… Her loss hurts me greatly…”

Firefly paused briefly, looking like she was regaining her composure and trying not to cry. When she resumed, her voice grew louder and determined.

“But I’m not going to grieve now. And I won’t stop fighting either! Rainbow Dash would never forgive me if I backed away. After everything she’s done for me… it is only fair that I return the favor by carrying on the fight! My team… Mirage Squadron will continue to fight against any and all threats to Equestria!”

The other Mirage ponies also flew up. They surrounded Firefly, as a sign of unity. Firefly looked down on the ponies below her and shouted:

“Who among will help me avenge Rainbow Dash?!”

A cacophony of roars, screams, neighs and stomping hooves rumbled across the square. The ponies had made their decision. They will continue their fight against the Exiles, now with a new resolve and reason… and perhaps, even new allies.

As Celestia and Luna observed the scene, Luna looked at Celestia.

“This is a dangerous game you are playing, Sister,” she warned her telepathically.

“I know… but it must be done. If we won’t stop Aurora’s conquest… who will?”

==========

September 5th, 2021
0800 hrs
Gryphus, The Royal Palace

It was quiet in Gryphus, the capital city of the Griffin Kingdom. The palace walls were filled with sounds of griffon workers repairing the damages caused by the Neue Belka uprising, and the city itself was undergoing a massive repair effort. Everyone was working hard so their capital city could shine anew.

Valdar was pacing in his study, his beak buried in the recent repair reports that came from the supervisors. He was interrupted when a knock was heard from the door.

“Come in,” he said before the door gently swung open, letting the griffon Kestrel, a seasoned female soldier, who fought during The Equestrian War in Cloudsdale and who was a part of the Aquila Squadron, the kingdom’s ace team, to enter the office.

“Colonel? What brings you here?”

“Your Highness,” Kestrel bowed, “I came with the report from Sudentor.”

“Ah, put it over there, colonel,” he motioned, in which Kestrel nodded and put the stack of parchments on top of the other reports. “I expect Wonderfalke is quite busy with the restoration effort? He didn’t show up at yesterday’s meeting.”

“He apologized for his absence, Your Highness,” Kestrel spoke. “But he had an urgent call from General Resources on one of his tech. But he promised he will supervise with the restoration effort in the coming days.”

“I see,” Valdar said with a nod, grabbing a cup of coffee from his table. Kestrel watched him taking his probably 100th sip before the griffon king felt her green eyes upon him.

“Is something wrong, colonel?” he asked.

“Your Highness…” she began, “I know we haven’t finished our kingdom’s restoration effort, but… shouldn’t we…?”

“I know what you’re going to say, colonel,” Valdar sighed as he put the cup back on the table. “Equestria is currently facing a crisis, and as much I wanted to lend a helping claw, I’m afraid our forces aren’t sufficient enough to help them.”

“But sir…!” Kestrel interjected, but Valdar raised his right wing.

“Northwind Squadron is currently down to their last two members, Rod and Archer,” Valdar spoke as he raised his first claw, then the second. “Southwind Squadron is also suffering the same lack of wingpower… and despite what Ronin believed, her, Butterclaw and Gilda’s skills are not enough to compensate the whole squadron. The other squadrons and teams are currently stretched out to help with the relief and restoration effort.”

Valdar turned with his back facing Kestrel.

“Our kingdom is in a very vulnerable state, colonel.” he said.

“But when the time comes, and the princesses require our support,” Kestrel began, “would we still be able to help them?”

“I have already devised a plan if such a time comes…” Valdar answered. “If only he was still around…”

Kestrel averted her gaze. Her heart ached, but nothing will change the reality. Black Star was gone, and all search efforts just offshore of Stalliongrad had proved fruitless.

Since the final battle with the forces of Neue Belka, she tried to readjust her life. Most of the time, Kestrel remained either around the new recruits, showing off her rigorous and humorless side, hoping it would help her forget the pain, but it did not. When she was alone with the other member of the Aquila Squadron, the young snow-feathered griffon codenamed Kite, Kestrel did found some solace and understanding. Kite always treated Black Star with respect, despite him knowing of the terrible things he did before he was assigned to Aquilla. He never stopped believing that the black griffon survived the destruction of Valkyrie and would one day return...

Just as Kestrel was about to pardon herself from the office, another knock came from the door.

“Yes?” Valdar responded. The door opened again, revealing the green-feathered male griffon, codenamed Jet.

Like Kestrel, he was also a veteran of The Equestrian War and tangled with Mirage Squadron in Shimerwood, where his team was sent to establish a base. Due to the ponies’ intervention, their mission failed. Over the course of war, Jet continued to lead him team and used his wits to survive.

“Johann, what brings you here?”, Valdar asked.

“Your Highness…” Jet saw Kestrel standing just in front of him. “Colonel… I have some urgent news. Spitfire of the Wonderbolts is on her way here.”

“What brings her here?” Valdar questioned, slightly worried by this sudden development.

“She requests an audience with you, Your Highness…” Jet answered.

“Damn… already…?” Valdar cursed. It seemed that the griffon’s call to aid Equestria came sooner than he expected. “Very well. I shall meet her in the throne room. Assemble all available squadron leaders and higher ups as well.”

“Yes sir!” Jet nodded before he turned and left the room. Valdar then turned towards Kestrel.

“Colonel, inform Kite as well.”

“Sir,” Kestrel answered with a nod, but before she left the room, she stopped and asked, “Should I inform Wonderfalke as well?”

“No. He’s already has enough in his mind. Just leave him be for now,” Valdar answered.

“Alright,” Kestrel nodded as she left the room, leaving Valdar alone again.

Upon entering the throne room and briefly informing King Valdar of the current affairs in Equestria, Spitfire went on to tell him about the exact reason why she was sent here. It took her several minutes to sum everything up, but no one dared to interrupt her.

“... and that’s what has happened, Your Majesty,”

Upon hearing Spitfire’s news, several griffons were shocked. Rainbow Dash… the Princess of the Skies… dead?

“Impossible…” Ronin muttered in disbelief.

“It can’t be,” Archer shook her head as Rod just stood with a scowl on his beak.

“No way… no! That can’t be it for her…!” Kite said in frustration. Kestrel was simply in a loss of words.

Many reacted in their own ways, but the one who took the news hardest was Gilda.

The once cocky griffoness clenched her claws hard. She and Dash had talked to each other just before these wretched Exiles came knocking on Equestria’s door, and now her friend was dead.

“Order!” Valdar boomed to calm the assembled crowd.

“This news no doubt has shocked us all with the sudden death of Equestria’s ace of aces, but let me ask you this my fellow brothers and sisters: does this information hold truth? Or is this nothing more than enemy propaganda created from lies to be used to break the EAF’s spirit?”

The assembled crowd was silent as Valdar continued.

“Spitfire has said that this information came from the enemy themselves… but it’s certainly a bold move for the Exiles to just announce Rainbow’s death. In wars, troop morality is key to an effective military unit. Even an effective soldier will be reduced to nothing without morale.”

Valdar paused for a second.

“Rainbow Dash’s death surely came as a shock to our Equestrian comrades, and no doubt they are struggling to regain their morale. The question as to whether this information holds true or not does not matter, my fellow griffons. What matters now is our willingness to help the EAF and drive the Exiles out so we can bring back peace to our allies!”

Though some of the griffons present nodded at Valdar’s words, others were not so interested in getting into another war.

“My brothers and sisters,” Valdar spoke again. “Some of you might not want to be involved on another war… but to those of you who wish to defend our allies… I’d like you to step forward. Remember, I respect your choice…”

Following those words, the griffons were hesitant to step forward.. Most of the military griffons assembled were already assigned to repair Gryphus, with some of them bringing relief effort in and out of Gryphus. The most complicated situation was for the griffons who wanted to fight, but could not speak for their loved ones who would not let them throw their lives away to avenge the death of Rainbow Dash.

“Count me in!”

The griffons turned and saw that Gilda had stepped forward.

“Rainbow Dash is my friend… and those Exile bastards’ gonna pay for what they did!” she yelled with rage . “If she’s alive or dead, doesn’t matter for me. Those fuckers are dead for messing with Dash!”

“Count me in too!” Kite yelled. “I’ve been reading some letters sent from Quox and her sister. They’re in for a tough time… and I can’t stand here doing nothing while they’re over there throwing their lives on the line!”

“Hawksforth…” Kestrel began, sucking out all the confidence Kite had during his speech “May I remind you that you still need my approval if you want to be sent to the front lines.”

“But ma’am…” Kite protested, but Kestrel raised her index claw.

“I wasn’t finished…” she simply spoke. “As I was saying, you’ll need my approval if you want to fight in the front lines… and I allow it.”

“W-What?” Kite stammered as Kestrel nodded with a smile.

“You have my clearance… and I shall fight beside you as well.”

Kite could not believe what Kestrel had told him. Gilda just chuckled at the cheetah griffon’s moment of relief. Soon after hearing the three’s determined voices, more griffons were willing to step up and voiced their willingness to fight.

“I’m in too,” Rod, leader of the Northwind Squadron, said confidently. Valdar, however, was concerned.

“Rod… your mate, you told me she was expecting soon,” he interjected. “If her time comes, she will need you to be there to support her.”

“I know, sire… but there must be something Northwind Squadron can do to help,” Rod said.

“Well,” Valdar suddenly spoke again. “I could place Northwind in a support unit, therefore you won’t need to fight the Exiles head on… and you can still support the EAF by delivering weapons and supplies in and out of Gryphus.”

“Any chance to support those in the battlefield is good enough for me, sir,” Rod smiled. “Thank you.”

Valdar then turned towards the rest of the griffon squad leads.

“For the rest of you, you shall be assigned to various support units. Although your previous assignments on the restoration project are still in effect,” he said. “But worry not for those of you who want to fight. Your squadron will be called to service if the time comes. Either it will be to fill a spot or just to add extra wingpower.”

“So essentially there’s gonna be shifts, right?” Jet asked in a thoughtful tone. “If one squad can’t make it, another can go in and cover for that squadron’s absence.”

“Indeed,” Valdar nodded. “Although I must remind you all that our military structure is still on its last legs. So if you really want to fight, you must make sure your squadron is fit for battle. We can’t risk extending our troops like last time…”

Several squadron leaders nodded in response. Due to the final battle against the Valkyrie, the griffon squadrons had been pretty much exhausted to their very last members. Some squadrons only had two members left.

“You looked troubled, Gilda,” Valdar said as he saw the griffoness talking with Ronin.

“What? No sir, I’m just—”

“No need to tell me, I know,” Valdar spoke up. “You’re eager to fight, but I recall that your squadron is still on suspension due to a lack of members.”

“We’re still uncertain about our next move, Your Highness,” Ronin nodded. “My son is still not ready to be a full time soldier, and Butterclaw had to take a leave to help with the restoration of Sudentor.”

“I see,” Valdar said, placing his index talon on the tip of his beak. He remembered Ronin’s performance during the conflict with Neue Belka and how she managed to teach Gilda some much needed discipline when the brash griffoness was assigned to her Southwind Squadron. Now he had another idea in mind on how their skills could be put to work.

“Well, I have a proposal in mind for the two of you.”

“Sir?” Ronin said with Gilda raising her eyebrow.

“Gilda, would you mind if I temporarily put you as a member of Aquila Squadron?”

That news hit Gilda like a freight train.

“What?” she only spoke.

“Ronin already mentioned a report on you all the way back when she decided to suspend her squadron,” Valdar explained. “Your performance had exceeded her expectations.”

Gilda turned towards Ronin, who just smiled, giving her a glance.

“You had indeed proved your service to the kingdom well, Gilda. So consider this your reward,” Valdar said as he patted Gilda’s shoulder.

“I… I don’t know what to say, sir…” Gilda spoke at last.

“Action speaks louder than words, Gilda,” Valdar smirked before he left Gilda back with Ronin.

“Hmph,” the griffoness smirked as her cockiness returned. “I’ll do my best to make those Exiles beg for mercy...”

“Gilda,” Ronin began. “Remember to stay calm. Don’t let anger consume you, and don’t make me regret my decision.”

“Right… right,” Gilda sighed.

Ronin patted Gilda’s back and smiled.

“Now go. May the winds from the south send you to victory,” Ronin said.

Gilda turned and gave her now former flight lead a thumbs up before she approached Kestrel and Kite. The latter gave her an open arm with smile.

“Welcome to the squad, G!” he chuckled, ready to give Gilda a greeting hug.

“Don’t bet on it, dweeb,” she said, completely ignoring Kite as she went immediately to Kestrel.

“Welcome,” the pastel griffoness began. “I’ve heard you’ll be joining us.”

“Yeah,” Gilda spoke. “I’m still taking all this in. I mean, Aquila is basically the top squadron of the kingdom.”

“Relax, no pressure!” Kite suddenly zipped beside her. “As long you fight well, you’ll be just fine.”

“He’s right,” Kestrel nodded. “Aquila Squadron is maybe the top squadron in the kingdom’s military, but we don’t pressure you for results.”

Kestrel then extended her talon.

“We only expect you to work together with us, as a team.”

Gilda stared at Kestrel’s talon for a moment before she chuckled and shook it.

“I’ll try to be a team player with the dweeb…”

“Hey!” Kite snapped, but Gilda just ignored him.

Meanwhile Valdar was also considering sending another squadron to Equestria to provide Aquila with backup: Rex Squadron, the king’s personal vanguard of elite griffons, with skills on par with Aquila Squadron. Seeing that Valdar had chosen each member himself, the team showed a lot of promise of becoming the kingdom’s next ace squadron, but they were yet to truly prove themselves in a real battle.

Valdar thought maybe this was the best time to do it.

He was currently discussing with Spitfire about the liability of the Exile messenger along with the message he had delivered. Valdar knew that Rainbow Dash isn’t the type to just beg for mercy without a fight. This fact alone made the orange griffon suspect that the information was just a lie. Nothing more than a propaganda to lower the EAF’s morale.

“Who would’ve thought they would try something this low to gain advantage over you,” Valdar said out loud.

“Ever since I saw that creep entering the Headquarters, I immediately knew there was something fishy about him,” said Spitfire. “I’ve seen that kind of false info trick being pulled off several times in my career.”

Their conversation was soon interrupted when a mysterious pegasus suddenly swooped in from the open door, landing just in front of the griffon king and the Wonderbolt. Such audacity didn’t go unnoticed by the ever present Royal Guards who brought up their spears at the intruder.

“You dare fly in here without permission!?” The guard named White Tip snapped, nearly grabbing her bow and putting an arrow on it.

“Identify yourself, equine!” Another guard yelled.

The pegasus just waved his right hoof, trying to ease the situation. He had a dark, gray coat and many scars on his body.

“Easy… I’m not looking for a fight,” he said with his low, grating voice.

“Then state your identity and purpose!” White Tip barked, until Valdar patted her shoulder.

“Calm down…” he said as he glared the newcomer. “If you’re not looking for a fight, then what is your purpose here?”

The gray pegasus shrugged.

“I’m here just to tell that the Exiles are spewing bullshit as usual.”

There was a clamour amongst the griffons.

“Wow, language, much…” Kite raised his eyebrow.

“And tell me, why would you assume such things?” Valdar questioned.

“Heh… it’s because that’s what Aurora wants,” the gray pegasus began. “She knows that with the Princess of the Skies deader than a doorknob, the EAF… especially her closest friends will mount an all-out strike just for petty revenge…”

“Hey, watch your words!” Gilda snapped. “Dashie’s my friend!”

“I don’t care,” the stranger responded casually, earning a glare from Gilda.

“Now where was I? Oh yes… the strike. With the princess’ soldiers expected to mount an all-out attack, Aurora will be waiting with an even bigger troop force… including her draconic allies and two oversized submarines.”

“The Scinfaxi-class submarines…” Valdar mused, scratching his lower beak. “So it is indeed true they possess such weaponry. Still, I thought they had only one...”

The clamour grew.

“So basically, you Equestrians and Griffons will be heading for a trap… and die for nothing,” the gray pegasus finished with a sharp tone.

This information surely gave the griffons a new perspective on how the Exiles use their propaganda. If this strange pegasus spoke the truth, then the griffon air force will be wiped out in no time in their state. However, some were skeptical about this information.

“Your words surely stirred the minds of my subjects,” Valdar stated. “What is your name?”

“I’m just a ghost of war long past…” the pegasus said dismissively. “Your tone tells me that you believe my words… and yet you still cast some doubt.”

“As much as I am happy that somepony else shared my hunch... but I’m afraid that must question the validity of your information,” Valdar said.

“If you’re telling the truth… then where’s the evidence!?” Rod suddenly called out, causing more griffons to question the same thing.

“My subjects are right, stranger,” Valdar sighed. “Do you have any proof of this?”

“Oh, I’m sure another ghost can back my words,” the gray pegasus said before he let out a loud whistle.

There were surprised gasps when a shadow suddenly swooped into the hall and landed near where the first intruder stood. Once again, the guards raised their spears at this hooded figure.

“Oh, come on…” White Tip breathed in annoyance. “Is there somebody else that’s gonna come uninvited?”

“No,” the hooded figure said as he raised his claws in the air. “I’m the last one.”

Valdar, Kite and Kestrel noted that his voice was familiar…

“And who are you might be, stranger?” Valdar asked at last.

The figure pulled his hood, revealing himself.

“Blake Schwartz…or Black Star if you guys are more comfortable to that.” the figure said.

This revelation earned several gasps from the griffons to the point that White Tip motioned the other guards to lower their spears immediately. Even Valdar looked surprised, but Kestrel was the only person in there that was more affected. Kite was about to lose his composure until Blake just nodded and motioned him to shut his beak for now. Kite quickly nodded as Blake spoke up again.

“This guy’s right,” he motioned to the gray pegasus. “The Exiles are indeed setting up a trap big enough to wipe the entire EAF and griffon forces. I’ve seen it. It’s not something we can take on, like the Valkyrie…”

“Hmm…” Valdar nodded thoughtfully. “And you can? You clearly survived the encounter with Valkyrie…”

“If it hadn’t been for this pegasus, I would’ve died…” Blake admitted. “He founded me before I could’ve… I…”

Blake paused, the pegasus quickly leaned to him.

“You alright, kid?” he asked.

“Yeah, I’m fine… I just… it’s still hard remembering that,” Blake answered. “I’m alright now.”

The gray pegasus raised his eyebrows and leaned back. Blake turned to Valdar and spoke again,

“The reason of my absence is... I had to recover… The crash left me a little broken back here,” he chuckled while motioning his wings. “Aside from that, I had to make other amends… straighten things up with everything I’ve done wrong in my life.”

The black griffon took a quick breath.

“After that I parted ways with my… uh, dashing white knight who rescued me,” Blake said, to which the mysterious pegasus just chuckled while rolling his eyes. “Until fate decides it’s funny to reunite us.”

Blake paused again.

“And it led me back here.”

Kestrel slowly approached him, with Kite right behind her. Her face was mixed, and Blake could not read what she had in mind right now.

“Hey, Marie-”

Blake was promptly cut off when Kestrel punched him hard. As Blake shook his head from the blow, Kestrel suddenly barked,

“That’s for making me worry!”

“I’m sorr-”

He was cut off again when Kestrel gave him another punch.

“That’s for being a reckless asshole!”

“Yeah, I deserved that-”

He was cut off the third time when Kestrel hit him the final time, though this time her punch did not feel as hard as the first two.

“And that’s for making us think you’re dead… and being a damn hero of the Griffin Kingdom.”

This time, Kestrel pulled him into her embrace.

“Welcome back, you suicidal bastard,” she said, holding her tears.

Blake just returned the gesture. He saw Kite and Gilda just watching the scene with pure awkwardness. Soon, Blake found himself being greeted by the griffons who survived the Neue Belka hell with him. Needless to say, almost all them were relieved that Blake was alive… well, except one.

“I’m still not sure that you’re the real Blake…” Jet said skeptically.

“What, you think I’m an impostor?” Blake responded.

Jet just crossed his talons.

“Prove it, then. Show me that you’re not an impostor,” he said sharply.

“Alright... you asked for it,” Blake said with a small smirk. “Back during the academy… Jet accidentally used a feather shampoo that made his feathers turn-”

“STOP!! Stop… it is you,” Jet interrupted with a slightly panicked voice, before any damage was done to his reputation.

Silently, Valdar approached Blake and pat his shoulder. The young king smiled and spoke:

“Welcome back.”

“Yeah,” Blake smiled slightly. “Forgive me if I came in at a bad moment.”

“No, you didn’t,” Valdar turned towards the gray pegasus. “I believe your words can back up what your rescuer here has been telling us.”

He just chuckled at Valdar’s remark.

“But, I cannot fully trust his words for the safety of my troops…unless he told me who he is,” Valdar said sternly, earning a glare from the scarred flier.

Blake decided that this one mystery should be revealed.

“He will tell you his name when he feels like it. But, know this, Your Majesty, and all of you gathered here - before you stands The Demon Lord of the Round Table.”

The gray pegasus smiled dimly. It’s been a while since anyone addressed him this way...

Author's Note

If you wish to know more about the conflict with Neue Belka, please go and read Ace Combat: Gryphon Wings - the spin-off story that takes place between "The Equestrian War" and "Wings of Unity". Big thanks to its author, Bwaak, for helping me with the latter part of the chapter.

Also, yes, griffons are mostly known by their codenames. They have real names.

Kestrel - Marie Turmfalken
Riddle - Ratsel Wonderfalke
Kite - Milvus Hawskworth
Jet - Johann
Ronin - Helga Mizukami
Archer - Anna Falke
White Tip - Aleyna Hawksworth (Kite's aunt)

More will most likely be revealed as the story progresses. For the next few "branching" chapters, I will publish them once I will do both parts, "A" and "B".