The Twilight War

Chapters

Chapter 1 - A Crusader's Heart
Chapter 2 - Shadow Queen
Chapter 3 - Lengthening Shadows
Chapter 4 - A Black Day
Chapter 5 - Umbra Vult
Chapter 7 - Reluctant Goddess
Chapter 8 - The Jade Empress
Chapter 9 - A Higher Power
Chapter 10 - March with the Dawn
Chapter 11 - Caesar and Crusader
Chapter 12 - Rise of The Crusade
Chapter 13 - Chosen of the Moon
Chapter 14 - Darkening Shadows
Chapter 15 - The Twilight War
Chapter 16 - Alea Iacta Est
Chapter 17 - The Battle of Ghastly Gorge (Part 1)
Chapter 17 - The Battle of Ghastly Gorge (Part 2)
Chapter 18 - Sun and Shadow
Chapter 19 - Laughter is the Best Medicine
Chapter 20 - Tacite In Munere Solis
Chapter 21 - Darkening Skies
Chapter 22 - Cruel Necessity
Chapter 23 - Survival of the Fittest
Chapter 24 - Night of Nightmares
Chapter 25 - Old Debts, New Debts
Chapter 26 - Icy Hearts
Chapter 27 - White Prison
Chapter 28 - Regrets
Chapter 29 - Winter's Grasp
Chapter 30 - The Last Peaceful Day
Prologue - Starswirl's Plan
Chapter 6 - The Fall of Roam
Chapter 17 - The Battle of Ghastly Gorge (Part 3)

Chapter 1 - A Crusader's Heart

~~~~~The White Tail Wood, two weeks after the Fall of Ponyville~~~~~

Most of the ponies of Equestria had little experience in living in an armed camp. Even those elements of the Guard that did have experience would have been a little confused at the controlled chaos of this particular camp. Even worse was the sheer strangeness of the whole affair. The pathways leading into the camp - a pair of rough trails leading up to the plateau upon which the camp had been built - were guarded by steely eyed deerfolk in coppery looking armor with wicked, steel-spike tipped horns. Any creature who wished to pass into the camp had to go past the half dozen of these intimidating creatures, each of whom seemed possessed of an almost unnatural calm.

Once within the camp, however, things would have become even more confusing for regimented soldiers. There was little organization to the camp itself, but things sorted themselves out after a fashion. Around a trio of bright campfires, luncheon was being prepared. Although much heavier in nuts and root vegetables than most of the creatures in the camp were used to, no one really complained about the food. Zecora and Berry Punch had joined forces and turned even the humble fare into good chow by virtue of diligent seasoning and the powers of booze.

The sleeping area was a mishmash of tents from all over the world - Saddle Arabian peaked tents, Equestrian camp tents, Griffon tree-tents, and much more. The tents usually reflected their occupants - the survivors of a group of griffon merchants who had been ambushed by the Shadow on their way to Ponyville, a Saddle Arabian couple who had been visiting Equestria on holiday and saved from a dark fate by the pegasi. Parked amongst the tents was a familiar looking wagon, currently surrounded by fillies and colts of every age as a powder blue unicorn performed card tricks for their delight.

In the one clear spot near the ridge, dozens of ponies practiced - inexpertly, but enthusiastically - with spears, swords, and other sundry weapons. Pegasi were practicing with crossbows against stuffy doll targets while a mass of earth ponies drilled themselves in formation with makeshift spears and shields. Amongst the noise and tromping, a small group of unicorns were practicing volleys of magical blasts and shielding in attempted syncronicity.. Nearby, Vinyl Scratch sat with three other unicorns and a pile of precise looking tools as they worked on a massive pile of Magilectronic sound equipment, a look of stern resolve on the face of the once joyful DJ.

At the center of the camp was a massive tent - easily larger than any of the others there. Within it, a large, battered wooden table had been constructed out of the cart that Vinyl Scratch and others had ridden out of Ponyville. A large map of the area surrounding Ponyville and Canterlot was nailed firmly to this table - and covered with little flags and markers - and around this table a half dozen figures stood quietly speaking… except for one.

Scootaloo folded her hooves and stared at the map broodingly, wishing it was within her power to make all the little black flags around Ponyville vanish so she could lead a raid on Sweet Apple Acres. The past two weeks had been fantastic for the attitude of the other ponies in the camp - dozens of Ponyville residents thought lost in the attack had been found in one place or another, hiding in caves and ravines. Each rescue brought renewed energy into the camp, and renewed confidence in themselves.

But confidence was no substitute for numbers and skill, and even Scootaloo was smart enough to know that much. Luckily for her, the ponies she’d surrounded herself with were just as smart. Thunderlane was the face of the pegasi, and Cheerilee had become the nominal leader of the earth ponies. Technically, Trixie was leading the few unicorns they had in the camp, but she hated meetings and preferred to deal with Scootaloo directly. Not that Scootaloo much liked her, but she was still a pretty good illusionist, and that meant one more layer of protection for their little camp.

Fortunately, the griffon merchants they’d rescued had counted a former member of their armed forces amongst them. Skandranon Talonreach, supposedly named for some ancient griffon hero, was a veteran of a dozen different griffon wars and knew more about combat than every single pony in the camp combined. He’d been with the merchants as a sort of guard for hire, and had been the reason they’d managed to hold off the Shadow cultists long enough for Thunderlane and his wrecking crew to rescue them. Now he was providing vital knowledge and training that would undoubtedly save even more lives.

The last two creatures present were Zecora, who was in charge of the magical and mystical, and basically was their only source of real knowledge on how to combat the Shadow creatures; and Cadeyrn who led the small contingent of deerfolk that had joined them a few days ago. Sent - supposedly - by their mysterious white coated benefactor. Scootaloo was still uncertain what to think of the weapon the strange doe had given her, and was even more uncertain as to what the doe’s intentions for Scootaloo and her personal mission were. But so far, all of the aid she had given them had been invaluable. Especially the guards, who had some weird way of smelling out shadow infection.

Still, they were all waiting on her - on her decision. The decision of a barely 13 year old pegasus filly who still couldn’t fly. It sounded absolutely bonkers, until Scootaloo remembered that absolutely everything in the world had gone bonkers. The world - once ordered, neat, tidy, and understandable - had been utterly upended. Her friends - and at the very thought of them, she felt a wince of nearly physical pain - corrupted and mind controlled into little puppets. Ponyville under the control of some dark evil goddess - like Nightmare Moon, except worse. And now, a room full of adult ponies and other creatures were waiting on her word. “Any other info I ought to know?” she asked quietly, looking up at the others around the table.

Skandranon - the Griffon - tapped the place they had been discussing on the map with authority, his talon giving a little rap on the wooden table as he spoke, “Th’ Gorge is key. If the trains’ve stopped running, it’s the only reasonable land route connectin’ Ponyville and most of southern Equestria.” He gestured over the gorge, which - between the incredibly rough hills and desert south of the Everfree and the mountainous Rambling Rock Ridge - really was the only land route you could get any meaningful number of ponies through.

“I agree,” noted the deerfolk captain, his eyes narrowing. “That gives Umbra few choices for her direct expansion. Canterlot can still dominate the territory immediately around it by virtue of the Royal Guard.” He gestured in a circle around the Tall Mountain and the city upon it. “And Umbra will not step hoof in these woods - she is not that foolish. That leaves the Unicorn Range, and the Diamond Dog mines.” He paused and frowned for a moment. “However, I will concede that she could be willing to sustain losses enough to take Dodge City, but I doubt it. There are not enough resources there to tempt her, and the Buffalo folk are an unknown quantity to her. She would be far more interested in Appleoosa, given the train routes it maintains to Saddle Arabia and the Zebrican Islands.”

Cheerilee and Thunderlane remained silent, and Zecora was giving Scootaloo the kind of look that said she didn’t want to weigh in on this one. Scootaloo sighed gustily and planted her hooves on the table. The logistics of being a leader were seriously lame, but nopony else seemed willing to take up the job after her big speech a few weeks ago. “Okay. General Skandranon, you’ve got my vote. We’ve got to do everything we can to divide their strength.” She hauled herself up onto the table and trotted boldly across the map, eyeballing the cluster of golden flags in Canterlot.

“Prince Armor said they could tie up a lot of what they’ve got trying to sneak past and through Canterlot, and our base here can raid either the Range or the Gorge at need,” Scootaloo said quietly, drawing heavily from the tutoring that Cheerilee had been giving her in speaking to the various leaders of their little band. That, and the wargames the deerfolk captain had been playing with her had done a lot to mature her outlook on the world. Amazing what two weeks can do to a pony’s life.. she thought with a shake of her head.

“So yeah, given how outnumbered we are and how long this is gonna drag on, we’re gonna need supplies,” Scootaloo concluded, to the approving nods of most of her council - except for Cheerilee, who hated talking about fighting as much as she hated talking about what happened in Ponyville. “And if we want supplies, we’re gonna need to take control of the Gorge. I’ll bet anything the Apple Family in the south isn’t gonna like what’s happened to their cousins up north.” The last words were spoken with a small amount of gleeful rage. The Shadow was going to find out that you did not mess with the Apple Family.

~~~~~

The Crusader’s Council cleared out a few minutes later, each of them needing nothing more than her nod of approval to go do the things they ought to have been doing anyway. As usual, Cheerilee and Zecora remained behind, each of them giving the other a look of deep concern. Scootaloo sat her plot down right next to the singular red flag that marked their place in the White Tail Wood, and bowed her head. “What the buck am I doing?” she whispered into the silence, apparently startling Cheerilee and Zecora out of whatever weird adult thing they were doing.

“You’re providing us with something we need, Scootaloo,” Cheerile said softly, trotting around the table to get as close to the filly as she could, her voice full of concern. “Nopony here really knows what to do right now. Just having somepony around willing to take charge is a huge help.” Scootaloo couldn’t help but snort derisively at that one, even if she privately agreed with it. Sometimes she wondered how the buck everyone managed to keep things working when there wasn’t a huge crisis.

“Cheerilee is right, little one.” Zecora chimed in a moment later, her thick and beautiful accent sounding odd when she wasn’t trying to rhyme with everything. “That you are willing to fight and not flee puts a stoutness in their hearts.” Zecora’s eye gleamed with something… odd. Something like pride. “They see one of our littlest boldly striding where they would dare not. How could they do otherwise but follow you?”

Scootaloo shook her head in astonishment at that particular idea, but it did make a little bit of sense. Nopony liked to think they were considered less brave than a little filly. Even if that little filly was the daredevil Scootaloo. “Ah, buck it,” Scootaloo swore casually, glad for the fact that neither Cheerilee or Zecora ever gave her crap about it. She swung herself down off the table and took a look at the two mares who had, by default, become sort of like her parents or guardians or something. “Thanks, girls,” she said quietly, wishing - not for the first time - that Sweetie Belle or Applebloom could be there. How much would they have laughed at the idea of ‘General Scootaloo’.

Cheerilee gave her a brief hug before heading out of the tent, with Zecora waiting at the flap for Scootaloo. It took her a few moments to get everything together - her cloak, which she never went anywhere without now; her shield, a gift from Shining Armor; and the strange little sword given to her by the strange doe. Zecora had said it was enchanted with ‘very ancient’ magic, but she couldn’t tell Scootaloo what the magic had been for. Still, the thing gave her an odd feeling of safety - and she was slowly learning how to use it too. The last thing was the heavy vest of hard scales that served as armor. It was a little cumbersome given the rest of the stuff Scoots was hauling, but it was one more layer of protection between her and…

She shook her head to clear it, and turned to Zecora. “Let’s go grab some lunch and then we’ll check in with Trixie. Last thing we need is her getting her hat in a twist.” Zecora nodded her agreement to that, and the pair of them headed out into the camp. All around them, ponies and a few other odd creatures went about their daily lives… such as they still were. Craftsponies were still crafting as best they could - with the three blacksmiths that had escaped town doing the most business. Berry Punch had set up an ad-hoc bar where moonshine was the order of the day, and ponies picked up lunch from the cooking fires near the center of camp.

Everypony nodded, smiled, or saluted Scootaloo as she passed by. The first time that had happened, she’d been completely unsure of what to do about it. Now - thanks, once again, to the military knowledge of her new griffon ally - she nodded or gave a sketchy salute in return as she walked. Workers redoubled their efforts as she passed by, and one of the blacksmiths had her pause to examine a set of steel spearheads. Scootaloo didn’t know the first bloody thing about weapons, but she gave them a look-see, and they looked to be of high quality and well wrought metal. She nodded her approval at the blacksmith and kept walking, missing the beaming smile on his face as he went back to his duties.

Scootaloo found it hard to believe that ponies could be kept happy with such simple stuff, but it seemed to be working out just fine. “Crusader Scootaloo!” called out an unfamiliar voice - one of the deerfolk guards, in that strange metal scale armor they wore. They all seemed to think ‘Crusader’ was some kind of title, and much to Scootaloo’s dismay, the use of it was spreading throughout the camp. “Prince Armor has arrived with a cart of supplies, and wishes to speak with you immediately.”

The mention of Prince Shining Armor sent a thrill of happiness through Scootaloo’s heart. “Take me to him immediately!” she practically yelled, and the deerfolk guard leaped off through the camp with Scootaloo running after him in hot pursuit. Zecora was right behind her, as faithful as any friend Scootaloo had ever had in her life. She was thankful - truly, she was - that Zecora was there to help her find an anchor in this storm.

Another such anchor was Prince Armor, resplendent in his shining golden armor of the Royal Guard. Two heavy wagons, full of what looked distinctly like military supplies, were being picked over by Cherry Berry and Berry Punch, each of them exclaiming over the treasure trove they were finding on it. Shining Armor saluted Scootaloo with a slightly grim smile, and Scootaloo returned it with much more enthusiasm. “Good to see you still in one piece, kiddo,” Shining said with a remarkable casual tone of voice. “I brought you some goodies, and more importantly - news.”

Scootaloo eyed the wagons and then half smiled at Shining. “Looks like more than a few goodies to me, Shiny. I’d almost think you were trying to butter me up to make whatever you’ve got to tell me sound better.” The words came out much more bitterly than Scootaloo had intended, and Shining winced a little in response to it. Of course, the news over the past two weeks had always been bad - and Scootaloo was simply prepared for it at this point.

Shining shook his head once, before nodding. “This’ll probably be my last visit here until this is all over,” Shining said with no small amount of sadness. “EIS just brought us intel that Twilight and her little force have arrived at Talonreach. Whatever she’s got planned for the griffon kingdoms, there’s nothing we can do to stop it now.” He sighed deeply. “We’ve been trying to convince the Solar Parliament to give you guys some real aid here, but they’re still arguing over exactly what’s happened. I’ve brought you what I could… mostly guard supplies. Weapons, armor, field rations. I wish I could’ve-”

Scootaloo pressed her hoof to Shining’s face and sighed. “It’s more than we expected, Shiny. We’re grateful for the help.” She gave him a gentle smile and he returned it hesitantly. Scootaloo put her hoof back down to the ground and nodded. “You go fort up in Canterlot. We’ll do what we can out here to keep them off balance. Dig in, and wait for Celestia to come back.” That had been the real shocker to Scootaloo - that Princess Celestia had run off to some foreign kingdom just in time for everything to go wrong. Still, Shining had said it was important, so she supposed she couldn’t be too pissed off.

Shining nodded at that one, and looked away. “We’ll do what we can for you out here. I’ve managed to convince some friends in Cloudsdale to make sure the weather stays as mild as it can for you and to do a couple of covert supply drops.” Scootaloo stared at him as he trailed off into mutters and looked rather ashamed. To be honest, she was absolutely ecstatic she was going to get any aid at all - let alone what Shining was describing here.

Maybe it was just that he still felt responsible for what had happened with Twilight. Or maybe he was angry because they weren’t able to give them disaster aid. Or maybe this was just the way Shining Armor really was. Scootaloo shook her head and grinned enthusiastically. “That will all be really great, Shiny. On behalf of everypony here, thank you.” Then - on impulse - she reached up and gave him the best hug she could. “Now go. You’ve got work to do, and so do we,” she whispered to him, and he nodded solemnly at her, saluting the Deerfolk guard before galloping back down the trail.

Scootaloo eyeballed the wagons and their contents for a moment and felt a smile tug at her face. It wasn’t much… but it was a good start.

~~~~~~~

Later, as the supplies and weapons were being distributed throughout the little camp, Scootaloo leaned against a log to stare into the campfire and run her hooves around the outer edges of her shield. Remember Mr. Cake... her mind began, like a mantra she practiced every night. Remember Octavia and Mayor Mare... it continued, even as she felt her eyes half shut and tears threaten to overwhelm her. “Sweetie Belle,” she whispered softly, with all the intonation of a prayer. “Applebloom.” The word broke midway through her saying it, and she bit at her lip hard to fight back the tears.

Then soft hooves touched her shoulders - unfamiliar, small hooves - and Scootaloo nearly leapt out of her fur, scrambling around and drawing her blade halfway before she realized who was behind her. The sparkling jewel rimmed glasses shone in the firelight, and a look of gentle sadness crossed the face of the filly in front of her. “I’m sorry, but… you looked like you could use somepony to talk to,” said Silver Spoon in the gentlest of tones. That tone of voice, that look on her face… it had no business being in the same city as the Silver Spoon that Scootaloo had known.

But something had happened to her - between when Scootaloo had run from the city and the fall of Ponyville. Something had happened to Diamond Tiara, and it had deeply affected Silver Spoon in return. Scootaloo jammed the sword back into its sheath before sighing and flopping back down to the log. “Maybe,” was all she would say, and all she could admit in front of her once arch nemesis.

Silver Spoon slipped around the log and sat close to Scootaloo, a small hoof extended in peace offering. Scootaloo eyed it the same way she might have once eyeballed a rattlesnake… but Silver Spoon was right. She needed somepony to talk to. So she took the hoof and squeezed at it, and was surprised at the strength of the squeeze she got in return. “Tiara was in Twilight Town when everything went bad, after Mister Rich was killed,” Spoon said softly, and Scootaloo felt a stab of pain through her heart.

So. She hadn’t been alone in her tragedy - undoubtedly, Diamond Tiara had long since been horribly corrupted. There was no telling to what use the foul powers that had destroyed Scootaloo’s little world would put her to, but she could think of a few of them and not even Diamond Tiara deserved that sort of fate. “I’m sorry,” Scootaloo choked out, not wishing to be reminded of what had happened to her friends, especially not right now.

“No, Scootaloo… I’m sorry,” Silver Spoon began in an almost broken tone, gaining a shocked look from Scootaloo in the process. “We were so horrible to you and your friends, and now… now we’ve both lost everything we loved. I thought…” Silver Spoon sniffed softly, and Scootaloo could see the silvery tears flowing down her cheeks. “I thought… maybe we could start over? Maybe… stick together, you know?” Silver Spoon finished hopelessly, obviously trying to suppress her own sobs.

No pony deserved to have happen to them what had happened to Silver Spoon and her, and Scootaloo knew it. Sure, a lot of the other kids in the camp had lost parents or loved ones but… they had each other, at least. Silver Spoon and Scootaloo? All of their friends were… back there. Scootaloo felt a trickle of a tear streak down her face, and found her voice to be hoarse as she spoke. “Yeah I’d… I’d like that.” It would hurt in some ways, to mourn for Diamond Tiara. She had been worse than the worst swear word Scootaloo knew. But she didn’t deserve that face. So. Remember Diamond Tiara. Remember that you’re fighting for all the ponies that’ve been lost.

Silver Spoon’s face blossomed into a smile completely at odds with the tears in her eyes - and she wrapped herself tightly in a heated hug around Scootaloo’s neck. “Thank you… Oh, goddess Faust, thank you…” She whispered over and over to Scootaloo, who tugged the edge of her cloak and wrapped it around Silver Spoon’s shoulder so she could hug a little closer… and if Scootaloo was being honest with herself, because she needed the physical reassurance just as much as Silver seemed to.

They sat there together as the sun began to dip below the horizon, just as it always did. It was a subtle but important reminder that - somewhere out there - Celestia was still alive. Still working with all of her might to find the solution that would save them all. As the bright white moon slipped into the skies above, Scootaloo began to realize that Silver Spoon had tucked her body around Scootaloo’s and her breathing had become slow and regular. Scootaloo tugged her cloak around to serve as a blanket for them both and nestled her own head in the crook of Silvers shoulder. Just like she’d used to do when she’d bunked down with Applebloom or Sweetie Belle, except… warmer, somehow. Nicer in some ineffable way that she hadn’t the words for.

Scootaloo closed her eyes and took in deep breaths, slowly and steadily. Maybe that was what she had been missing in all of this. That maybe, just maybe, this crusade was about more than just Applebloom or Sweetie Belle. Maybe this was about everypony - about all the loved ones the damned Shadow had taken. About all the things that had been lost because of the invasion of this demon thing into their lives.

As Scootaloo felt gentle sleep take her, she felt her resolve harden just a little more. Maybe it was time she started taking this more seriously. Maybe it was time she started thinking like a leader, and not just acting like one.

Maybe it was time for Crusading to become her very special talent.

Chapter 2 - Shadow Queen

~~~~~Talonreach, The Griffon Kingdoms~~~~~

A pair of cold eyes stared down from atop the stony spire of the Talonreach City Hall. Beneath those eyes, a city of griffons bustled about in the way that only griffon cities did. Flocks of them wafted to and fro upon the sharp and swift winds that roared through the peaks and hills of the ‘city’ in the mountains. Like all griffon cities, this one had been built not upon the needs of commerce or culture, but on the needs of defense.

To a conventional army, Talonreach would look impenetrable thanks to there being only two gates on the ground to enter the city proper, and each gate itself guarded by countless towers bearing siege engines and sniping points where heavy crossbows no doubt waited to be fired upon the foolish invaders.

Even an enemy with the power of flight would have found it difficult to break through the defenses of the city. Those entrances in the sky were easily closed, barricaded, and sealed away with all variety of metal doors and shutters, which was to say nothing of the massive trebuchets set to launch explosives high into the air to blast flying formations out of the sky.

For Twilight Shadow, it was a sobering reminder of her limitations… at least, the limitations she faced for the moment. They were limitations that would not bother her for very much longer, however. Talonreach was considered a major defensive fortress for the kingdom of Skyclaw, one of the larger of the Griffon Kingdoms, and as such it was possessed of a sizable garrison force. A calculating and devilish smile crossed her face as she contemplated that garrison guzzling down the… improved Sweet Apple Acres cider that was now being freely distributed throughout the city. They all thought it was a gesture intending to renew trade agreements with Equestria. In a remarkably amusing sense, they weren’t that wrong.

A soft and warm nuzzle pressed against her cheek and she leaned into the physical contact with all the languid appreciation of a kitten. “Mmm… Good evening, Mother.” Twilight purred deep in her throat - a sound she now found immensely appealing to vocalize around her. Deep in Twilight’s logical mind, she still was never quite sure how to address the creature that had so changed her life. Still, she appeared to enjoy being called Mother, or simply Umbra when they were alone.

Undoubtedly, Umbra harbored a deep and abiding affection for Twilight. The signs were so obvious to her that they warmed her heart deeply - for she was always kind and gentle with her advice. Always working to ensure that Twilight did not over stress herself, or become overwrought with emotions as she had so often before she had met her. It was true, some of Umbra’s methods were… less than savory, but in the defense of Equestria and everypony she loved, some things had to be done.

Umbra’s lips touched hers and a familiar electric shock of pleasure sent a shivery feeling down Twilight’s spine. She had never had a lover so incredible as Umbra, and nary a night passed that did not end with the pair entwined in one anothers hooves… and occasionally joined by another, who Twilight would draw power and blood from and convert into the ways of the Shadow. “Good evening to you, my daughter.” Umbra purred at her, the dark and infinite azure eyes gleaming in the dim light of the evening. “All is proceeding according to plan. When the sun falls fully below the horizon, we shall take this city and all of its inhabitants.” Umbra’s voice rang with conviction and pride, and not for the first time Twilight felt a surge of happiness in Umbra’s vivacity. She was never so alive as when she was contemplating finally bringing an end to the madness of war and conflict in the world.

Twilight beamed at her, her tail flicking fetchingly. “Indeed. By the dawn, our banners will adorn the walls and the good work will begin.” She turned and trotted slowly over to the table they’d set up with the map of the various Griffon Kingdoms. “Talonreach, Wingshield, Tiberius, Aquilinus, and finally… Roam.” The last word rolled off of Twilight’s tongue with a certain amount of relish as she contemplated the massive dot on the map.

Roam. The Eternal City. The oldest and largest single settlement of creatures in the entire world and once upon a time, the heart of the Eternal Empire and later, The Griffon Empire. No army had ever breached its walls, and no army had ever marched into the city as anything but the victors. It had been economics and corruption which had ultimately brought down the Second Griffon Empire. It had been betrayal and civil war which had brought down the First. And no historian remembered what had ultimately toppled the Eternal Empire. But even now, Roam was a city of splendor unmatched.

It was also the lynchpin for every single piece of commerce to the west of Equestria, and countless trading vessels traveled up the Rubicon River and down into the great Western Seas to parts of the world far beyond her knowledge. Its population of both civilians and soldiers was so massive that corrupting the city would provide Twilight an army capable of breaking the vice grip that penned up the Shadow in the Everfree Forest and Ponyville. More - it would ensure that she could leave the problems in Equestria to the command of Captain Winterlight while she dealt with far more pressing issues.

Firm hooves took hold of Twilight’s shoulders and forced her to sit on the floor, eliciting a startled sound from her before those hooves began to massage her shoulders thoroughly. “You were doing it again, daughter,” Umbra said with a certain amount of stern reproval. “You must relax. Things are going exceptionally well, and there is little more you can do to improve them. Your diligence is part of your incredible charm, daughter of my heart, but you need to learn when to let events play out on their own.” Umbra’s voice was commanding, but not demanding. It sounded almost exactly like Celestia had when Twilight had so often let her emotions and thoughts get the better of her.

The thought of her dearest teacher did not do wonders for her mood, however. Celestia was not in Equestria - they had discovered through back-channels that she had left to some faraway land for some vital mission. Twilight had dearly hoped she could speak to Celestia before her teacher began to do rash things of her own accord, as she was not ready to face Cadence and Shiny after the debacle in Twilight Town. A debacle for which Captain Winterlight was going to be paying the price for a very long time.

That the sun and moon were rising and setting as they ought to did nothing for her worries about Celestia. What dire emergency had called her away, now of all times? Twilight feared she already knew - that one of Equestria’s enemies was on the move, and Celestia had moved to put a stop to it before it could get out of hoof. It was but one more reason to love her teacher so dearly - that they both were prepared to sacrifice anything… including themselves… if it meant protecting the ponies they loved.

But Mother was right, and things were proceeding at a swift enough pace. She had to relax a little and enjoy the moment. After six centuries of uneasy peace, she would at long last neuter the threat of the griffons once and for all. They would join the Harmony of Equestria, and put their considerable military talents to use in protecting the ponies and lands they had long coveted. Twilight wished that Dash or Fluttershy could have accompanied her here, but this was going to be no place for them. They were better where they were, ensuring that her city and her ponies remained safe and continued to spread the Shadow.

So she sighed and leaned into the massaging hooves of Umbra, a faint smile crossing her face. “Very well, Mother. I’ll relax as best as I can,” she murmured, stretching out a little and sighing in contentment. The world was settling into its rightful place, and that was enough to dispel at least some of her worries. There would be time to deal with the rest of them soon enough.

~~~~~~~

As day slipped into night and the parties that had begun in the afternoon turned into much more raucous celebrations, Twilight prepared herself for what lay ahead of her. The beautiful and flowing violet dress slipped over her head with the whisper of lace and silk against her coat. It clung tightly to her body all the way down to the flared out skirt that flowed saucily over her hips. It was a lovely little piece that Rarity had made for her just before she’d left on her trip - and it felt wonderful just to wear it. The sleek cloth against her body gave her a little chill of pleasure - a reminder of what else Rarity had given her before she’d left.

Twilight had never been one for makeup or frou-frouing herself up before everything had happened, but Umbra had been quite logical when she’d explained why it was a good idea. Appearances could be powerful things - first impressions even more so. So she dabbed and daubed, flicked and trimmed just as Umbra had shown her how. A touch of powder, a pinch of blush, just a dab of lipstick. She brushed back her mane and gave it a little bit of a styling - all sleek and sexy and brushed out so that it fell across her face in a fetching way.

Thus prettied up, she slipped into the black heel-shoes and trotted out of the tower room, carefully locking the door behind her with a burst of power before proceeding slowly down the steps. With each step, she took in a deep breath and exhaled it - focusing herself for the task ahead. Mother is always with me. Her power is always with me. I am the Shadow Queen, and I am not here to harm anypony… No. Harming creatures was the last thing she wished to do.

It was not the fault of the many here that their leaders were contemplating war. It was not the fault of the children or the elderly that those they had chosen to lead them were intending to lead them astray. Those who were responsible would be dealt with in due time, but today was about bringing the truth of the new world to the good folks. The sounds of raucous laughter and happiness permeated up the staircase, and Twilight had to smile. Pinkie Pie was once again doing what she did best - making everypony, no matter how different, find a reason to smile and laugh with one another.

That was the world she wanted to create. No more conflicts, or wars, or senseless violence. The dark creatures and evil forces that sought nothing but pain and chaos would be brought to their knees. The world would be united under a single banner - all races, working together in Harmony. Oh certainly, there would be conflicts and arguments and problems. Twilight was not so foolish as to believe she could build a complete utopia, but such things would be minor and strictly local and eventually worked out with the aid of all the other creatures around them.

She was fighting for everypony now. But that meant that those in charge - those who saw the world as nothing more than some big game with living creatures as the pieces… well, they had to be dealt with - permanently if necessary - and Twilight had no doubt it would be necessary. So her steps took her slowly down into the mountain, her mane subtly transforming as she embraced the Shadow within her. It went from a solid thing to something more… liquid. Dripping into the ground around her and pooling out in a blot of shadow before vanishing to reappear upon her head. Her eyes darkened and she felt the warmth and calm power in her soul.

Talonreach’s time had come.

The door that led into the main hall gently swung open before her, pushed by only the merest touch of shadow. She strode beyond the door into the torchlit stone hallways - mostly empty save for a few couples skittering or swooping down the halls to more private accommodations.Twilight’s stride picked up a little, moving faster now through the lit halls with a jaunty spring in her step. Taking Ponyville for her own had hurt, in a way. The ponies there she knew were already good folks and needed no encouragement to be so… but even good ponies could make mistakes, and some mistakes could be fatal at this point in time.

But here, she had no such compunction. The griffon folk were not bad on the whole, but they did sorely need a lesson in Harmony. Another door swung open at her approach - an effect Twilight had to admit, in some of her more gushing moments, was probably the coolest of all the powers she’d attained. Doors opening for her as though enchanted to do so in her very presence. It was nothing more than a different application of normal unicorn telekenisis of course but… Oh, who was she kidding? It was still so cool!

Coolness aside, she had work to do. Her hoofsteps took her out onto one of the many sky bridges that connected the towering spires of the city. It was not a special bridge and held no special historical significance. Like so many others of its kind, it was large enough for two ponies to comfortably stride down side by side - the railing-walls just low enough to see over for a pony or to lean upon for a griffon. Torches were lit at regular intervals, illuminating the path to ensure the nervous didn’t accidentally pitch over one of the sides. It was perfect.

Twilight took in a deep breath again as she strode to the center of the bridge, and her horn lit with an opaque violet magic as she let it out - a burst of wind and cold mist vanquishing the offending flames of the torches in one blow. Darkness and shadow descended upon her in an instant, broken up only by the dull glow of her eyes. Even here in the whipping cold winds of the mountains, she felt nothing but warmth from within and without - she was as one with the shadows themselves. Yes… That’s it my daughter. We are one and the same now… Goodness, but I am so very proud of you. Umbra’s warm and approving voice filled her world like a clarion call, and a surge of happiness bubbled up inside her.

Twilight truly could not wait to introduce Umbra to Celestia. She had no doubt in her mind that they would get along wonderfully - they were both so very wise and knowledgeable, both as ancient as the world itself. Most importantly, they both cared so very deeply about the well being of the creatures around them. Umbra alone had already begun to change the world in an important and vital way. And together? Celestia and Umbra, working hoof and hoof? There would be no evil foe that could stop them.

So Twilight inhaled the shadows deeply into her lungs - filling herself with the power for a few pleasurable moments before letting it out in a slow breath. A wave of dark shadows cascaded from around her and surged over the edge of the bridge and down its causeways. As the power began to touch the mountainside, it surged up it towards the other bridges and doorways above her. As it dripped down from the bridge, it vanquished the other torches that impeded its progress and surged inwards. Twilight’s magic was soon the only glow of light in her little corner of the world, pulsing over and over again as her power surged outwards to bring new believers into the fold.

Locked windows and doors were no bar to her shadows - they surged through the cracks and the crevices and into the private rooms of the griffon people. The shadows surged down hallways, snuffing the light as they went before boiling into the halls and rooms where parties were still raucously underway - rooms where soon enough, the party would turn to decidedly different kinds of celebration than merely booze and bad jokes.

As for Twilight? It was… the most unusual and most wonderful sensation she’d ever experienced. She wondered if this was how Umbra felt when she spread the essence of herself throughout so many beings. This feeling of being part of some greater thing than her normal mortal body. It was as though she literally was the shadow as it undulated and flowed through the mountains around her. She could feel every shift and swirl of her shadow body as she wriggled under doorways and through the cracks in windows. It was almost a sexual pleasure as each griffon, pony, or other creature was found and engulfed in her power - their minds and bodies flooded with the touch of the Shadow and turned.

Over and over again, Twilight’s power surged and grew - and in the background, the gentle pressure and presence of Umbra watched with a proud and loving smile…

~~~~~~

Pinkie Pie liked parties.

That was like, a universal axiom or something. Pinkie was pretty sure that if there were other universes with other Pinkie Pies that they would like parties too. It would take a pretty screwed up universe for there to be a Pinkie Pie who didn’t like to party. Probably would go by her weirdo full name or something. Whatever. This Pinkie Pie loved parties more than anything else in the entire world - except for maaaaaybe a certain special somepony, but that was another thought for another day.

Today, she was especially happy as she’d gotten to kick off almost two dozen parties all in one day! Sure she’d had to move around between them a lot, but that was still more fun than she’d had many a day before. Sadly, neither Dashie nor Ribbon was here to party with her. They’d had to stay at home and do some kind of important mission for TwiTwi. Pinkie wasn’t terribly happy about that bit, but she knew that sometimes hard work had to come before partying, no matter how awesome partying was.

Thoughts of hard work inevitably turned to the one subject Pinkie didn’t like to talk much about these days. About Sugarcube Corner and the Cakes… and what had happened to poor Carrot. Even now, as alcohol and food and sweet things passed around her, as dancing and music proclaimed a rollocking good time, Pinkie felt some of the laughter run out of her. She scootched back to the wall - hiding herself behind a cabinet from which plates were being flung and shattered against the walls to cries of joy.

She closed her eyes and took a moment, like Applejack had taught her to do, to mourn. Pinkie would never have thought Applejack would have known how to do something like this, but apparently she had needed to do this herself when she was a little filly. A fact for which, in some small way, Pinkie was thankful. She did not cry like she had in the beginning - but she did shed a few glittering tears, wrapping her hooves tightly around her chest and squeezing in a hug for the pony that was now gone from this world. Gone to the great big party in the sky, where one day Pinkie hoped she’d be able to say she was sorry.

Ponies did strange things when they were afraid, Applejack had told her. Sometimes, they did things that didn’t make much sense to you since you weren’t afraid in the same way they were. Mr. Cake must’ve been awfully scared even though Pinkie Pie couldn’t understand why he’d been scared. Maybe she should’ve been more gentle, or maybe she should’ve just let him go until he hadn’t been scared anymore. Whatever she should have done, she hadn’t - she’d gotten so caught up in her enthusiasm that she hadn’t bothered to listen to him or pay attention to what he’d been saying and doing.

It was a mistake Pinkie would have to live with now, but she wasn’t going to let that stop her from living - that was the other thing Applejack had been very insistent upon. That the only thing a pony could do in something like this was try to live every day not just for yourself, but for the pony who died. To never forget them - and to try and live up to the things they’d admired and loved about you. So Pinkie opened her eyes and brushed away the tears. Mr. Cake had never liked seeing her cry in her lesser moments. She snatched a drink - a glass of the famous Apple Family Cider he’d so loved - and drank it down deeply. She would carry his memory with her forever, and one day, she would make things up to Mrs. Cake. She didn’t quite know how yet - but she would. That was a Pinkie Promise, and she never broke a Pinkie Promise.

Tonight though, she had other duties - duties which were swiftly coming to a head as she felt the deep pulsating power of Twilight somewhere inside of her core where her silly cat jokes lived. It pulled at her, tugging at the deep and unfettered sexuality that had become her very being. Pinkie would forever be thankful to Twilight for finally unleashing her from the concerns of societal mores and concerns - no more did she need to worry that other ponies might call her bad names for enjoying sex so very much. Now she could indulge in every kink and every fetish she’d ever dreamed about, and what was more, she was encouraged to do so. She could hear a few terrified screams starting and then silencing as the Shadow overtook them, and felt an odd smile cross her face.

It was understandable that so many found the Shadow scary, because all ponies and creatures found things that were new and different to be scary at first. Not everypony was as excited by the prospect of the salty-cream cupcake as Pinkie was the first time they saw one, after all. But inevitably, they all came around to understand the same thing Pinkie Pie did… that the Shadow could free them of their fear and doubt, and finally they could really get down and party.

She felt the wave of Shadow coming closer and closer to her, and strolled through the unwitting party goers with a tilt and a twist of her hips, her eyes fixing on a cute young griffon colt - probably not nearly old enough for this party under normal circumstances. He’d snuck in to enjoy the booze and the ‘adult’ fun he’d presumed that he could find at a party like this. She swayed up to him, pouring on the sleek sexuality to the point that his eyes had gone wide just by the way she was walking. Her tail flicked teasingly at him, and her hoof came up to trail down his cheek as the deep shadow power began to seep into the room. She leaned up and smiled, speaking in a husky whisper as the shadows began to lash out, pinning down the other guests - binding them and forcing the shadow power into their bodies. The young griffon stared at her for a moment in horror, as the words dripped from her lips. “Come on big boy… let’s party.”

Author's Note

As a side note - Yes, I'm fully aware that Twilight's internal logic is a bit... skewed. That is intentional.

Also - For now, Im shooting for an update schedule of every other day. However, if I get on a good writing roll like I have been recently.... well, we'll see.

Chapter 3 - Lengthening Shadows

~~~~~Twilight City, the next day~~~~~

Silence reigned in the office of Captain Winterlight, her hooves folded primly upon her desk. The desk itself was - for the first time since her return to the world - empty of all forms of paperwork or correspondence. There was no need for her to oversee the police forces in her city because there was no need for a police force. Intel was handled exclusively by the Queen’s personal entourage now, and she was no longer considered a part of that loop. The Shadow had made itself perfectly clear - her talents, such as they were, were not necessary until such time as a proper army could be summoned for her to lead.

That left her at loose ends, especially in a city that was now positively rife with sickeningly sweet devotion to the Shadow. Devotion that was most often expressed sexually between two creatures - regardless of race, gender, or social class. It was as though her entire world had been upended - there was literally no need for fear or psyops or any other skill she’d carefully honed under the direction of the Nightmare. All of the citizenry would already instantly obey any command she gave them, save for those that would result in their deaths or permanent harm. It was positively creepy how devoted they all were to Umbra and her agenda.

Under any other circumstances, Winterlight would have fled by this point. Things were getting far too beyond her ability to personally control for her tastes, and with Silent Moon dead and Shadow Dancer missing... Winterlight privately was sure they were both dead - murdered in some dark ritual by the Queen - and thus she had no direct subordinates to influence events except for….

Her eyes darted to look out the window, where a rainbow maned pegasus barked out orders and glared with a remarkable amount of power and menace as Shadowbolts flew in tight formation with one another. Tighter than they’d managed before, if Winterlight was being entirely honest with herself. Ribbon Bound was close by her as always - apparently having been personally tasked by the Queen to keep an eye on Rainbow after what had happened over Ponyville.

Not that Winterlight had any real idea about what had happened beyond Rainbow Dash getting the stuffing kicked out of her. Regardless, Dash was now the only truly effective subordinate Winterlight had under her direct command. Ribbon had been good, but she was obeying a different commander now. It was positively maddening that after all of the work she put into restoring the Shadowbolts, she was now effectively neutered from doing anything of importance.

So she sighed and kicked her desk and glared into the silent office. It wasn’t as though this was the first time this had happened - NIghtmare Moon had been known to cut her out of the chain of command from time to time just to remind Winterlight who was in charge. She’d learned to put up with it then, and so she would put up with it now. She just didn’t have to like it. Winterlight was actually quite tempted to pout, but decided against such a childish gesture. There were more constructive things to do with her time than sulk.

Winterlight shoved away from her desk and sank into the shadows of her chair. Travelling through the shadowed realm was the kind of experience that was hard to explain to someone who couldn’t do it. Winterlight really didn’t have the vocabulary for it either - it was almost like stepping into a world that was the opposite of the one they normally inhabited - all colors reversed, the hidden depths of ponies and other creatures shining through. The things they tried to hide from the outside world lay bare for anypony with the wit to see. But one could not tarry there - the few she’d been willing to sacrifice to try hadn’t returned. Winterlight supposed they’d either gone mad… or worse. Still, no real loss beyond a few bodies she could easily replace.

Moments later, she slipped out of the shadow next to the Ponyville Town Hall and strode into the main town square with her head held high. All around her, the wheels of conquest were already beginning to turn - blacksmiths forged steel heads for spears and arrows, the ‘corruption corps’ were carefully turning out Apple Family Cider to be improved with an injection of the shadow power later on, and supplies were being canned, bottled, and otherwise preserved for the inevitable march.

But even amidst the new atmosphere of production, life went on mostly as it always had in Ponyville. With most of the town’s produce now being consumed by Twilight Town, the loss of the Friendship Express was blessedly mitigated. The last thing Winterlight wanted to have to deal with was economic issues, and she just knew they’d get dumped on her lap. In fact, the only real problem she did have to deal with was… well, expansion.

The problem was fundamentally one of numbers. Between the Royal Guard and the Cloudsdale Legions, there was no way to slip any agents out of the dragnet that infernal Princess Cadence had draped around them without expending resources Winterlight frankly didn’t have to spare. The fact was that the EIS was almost absurdly informed as to the number and nature of the ponies under her control, and nopony short of a Shadowbolt was going to get out of town… and Winterlight wasn’t prepared to sacrifice what little command she still had remaining to some cockamamie plan. So all she could do was keep sending out raiders and pilgrimage missions filled with those she could easily live with losing. The only thing she cared about was restoring the mind of Nightmare Moon. Everything else was a secondary priority at best.

Winterlight’s hoof steps took her past the cider distillery that had once been someplace called “Barnyard Bargains” - apparently the business place of that stupid merchant pony who’d tried to rise above his station. Now his bitch of a wife was part of the labor force under the watchful eye of Granny Smith Apple and her granddaughter, Applejack, as they produced vast amounts of Cider from the Sweet Apple Acre’s apples.

Personally, Winterlight still didn’t trust Applejack - no matter how much she’d been assured of her loyalty. The Apple Family’s stubborn willpower had already been legendary one thousand years ago when Nightmare Moon had fallen. The Apples simply didn’t know the meaning of the word ‘quit’, and Winterlight had no doubts in her mind that the legendary bullheadedness of their clan hadn’t diluted one iota. So she kept a close eye on the Apples, much as she kept a close eye on the rest of the earth pony clans in town.

Her steps quickly took her further down the street where the Ponyville Spa had become… well, honestly it was still really just a spa. The fact that a lot of other naughty activities took place there was sort of ancillary to things. The place’s primary business was still their pampering and preening, and if Aloe and Lotus were perhaps a bit more… enthusiastic about their erotic activities, they still hadn’t forgotten the hospitality of their service.

Winterlight looked up to the roof to see the quiet yellow form of Fluttershy - her name now even more appropriate than it had ever been before. She did that a lot now - perch upon the roof ledge when she wasn’t working at the Spa and flick her beautiful and hypnotic wings back and forth as she stared out over Ponyville, her eyes masking some kind of inner sadness that Winterlight could never bucking figure out. Rarity usually seemed to ground her pretty well - and Rainbow Dash could be counted on to cheer her up a little - but no matter how often they pulled her out of her morose moods, she would always revert back to them.

It was like she was… waiting for something.

Something that no matter how often Winterlight tried to dismiss it, sent a thrill of stark terror into her heart. She had no name for that stark terror - only a sense of looming dread - like there was a boulder perched just above her head and all it would take was the tiniest push to make it fall…

~~~~~Canterlot Castle~~~~~

Princess Mi Amore Cadenza was having what she could honestly describe as the strangest meeting in her entire life. Given that she’d had meetings which had ended with her being trapped in the crystal caverns, with her becoming an Alicorn Princess, with her meeting the love of her life and a very precious little filly; and a meeting in which a creature more than one thousand years old had taunted them about the darkness he had unleashed upon the world, that was saying something. Of course, none of those meetings had included the pony… or creature - Cadence really wasn’t sure which to call him now - that went by the name of Discord.

The nomenclatural issues were a problem - because for the past two weeks, he hadn’t changed out of his pony form. That brown coated, salt-and-pepper bearded, academic-looking unicorn wearing the snappy suit. All of his usual pranks and antics had come to an almost absurd halt, and even the long suffering maids of Canterlot Castle were beginning to express concern for his mental well being. For Faust’s sake, some of the castle staff had been trying to set up low-hanging fruit for his pranks, and he hadn’t bitten at a single one of them!

It was, perhaps, a sign of how the castle staff had become used to him in spite of his odd behavior. Sure, he was devious and tricksy and occasionally a little mean spirited, but… well, frustrated at him or not, there was little doubt that Discord livened up the otherwise stuffy castle atmosphere. And there was even less doubt that the staff missed his antics and zany jokes. So Mi Amore Cadenza, having long been raised with the knowledge that there was no greater threat to Ponykind than Discord, found herself sitting with him at her luncheon table. A pile of scrolls from EIS and the Royal Guard sat awaiting her seal, but they could continue to sit there for a while longer.

As he usually did, Discord plucked at his food - he really didn’t need to eat, but confessed to her once Celestia had left on her mission that he still very much enjoyed doing so. Food was apparently one of those chaotically complex things that somehow defied the fine line between a science and art and that sort of dichotomy appealed to him in some odd way. Cadence had long ago stopped trying to explain anything Discord did, much in the same way that the citizens of Ponyville had once explained to her the Tao of Pinkie Pie - Don’t try, you’ll feel better about yourself.

Cadence sipped at her tea and stared at him.

Discord, the god of chaos, one of the most powerful sapient beings on the planet, was suffering from that oldest and cruelest of maladies - heartbreak.

What was worse, Cadence was one hundred percent sure of it. Her talent seemingly still applied even to a creature as powerful as Discord. She could see it in every line of his face, every seemingly inconsequential movement. It was like tasting the emotion on the very air. Cadence couldn't explain how she did it - no more than Shiny could explain his incredible talent with shields - or that Miss Inkwell somehow managed to anticipate Aunty Celestia’s needs without ever needing a word spoken about them. Cadence simply could see the strands and webs of love that connected everypony in the world.

Before today, she would have sworn up and down that Discord had no such connections - that he was simply incapable of forming them beyond a sort of friendly-enemy-admiration thing he had with Celestia. Yet here he was, with a pulsating and torn thread reaching out into the distance. But why? Certainly, Discord had been making close acquaintances with all of the Elements of Harmony as well as a few of the bolder townsfolk in Ponyville, and there was no doubt that the once antagonistic attitude he’d had with Celestia had mellowed considerably, but….

It was like one of those funny blacksmith puzzles. Rings that looked so utterly and perfectly attached to one another that unless you looked at it just right, you couldn’t see how on earth it could all come apart. “You know, when I first met Umbra I thought she’d be a great lot of fun.” Discord’s voice snapped her out of her reverie, and she stared at him in mute astonishment. His tone was musing - almost nostalgic. “She’d just started her first little try to take over the world you see,” he continued, turning to face Cadence with those slightly disturbing yellow and red eyes. “She gave me quite the fright, as you could imagine - a being with as much power as I had and the cunning to use it. I sized her up - the same way I sized everything up in those days - in terms of how a fight would work out between us.”

Discord gave off a harsh sort of laugh - but there was still an element of wry humor in there. “I’d never been quite so scared of another being before, and I wouldn’t be again until I butted horns with ol’ Sunbutt,” His humor slowly returning, he lifted his cup of tea and drained it - delicately replacing the fine dishware before continuing to speak.”Still, she seemed to be spreading no small amount of chaos all on her own. I didn’t see any reason to get into a tussle with her before I had my fun, so we cut a mutual arrangement.” Discord sighed deeply then, his mercurial mood setting him to stare moodily at his cupcake. “I should’ve seen something like this coming. She always was a bitch.”

Cadence shut her mouth with a snap, and took another sip of her tea to absorb all that information for a moment, before deciding that being candid was probably appropriate right now. “I’d have to agree with that,” she said with a sharp little dagger of anger. If Cadence had her way, she was going to show this Shadow bitch exactly what the power of Love could do. Now her own mildly pleasant mood was shot into irritability just by thinking about what that creature had already done to her beloved world. “You needn’t worry, Discord. This Umbra creature doesn’t know who she’s been messing with.” Her voice came out sharp and hard - like a crystaline shard digging into the skin. All she needed was Celestia to return, and they’d go and cleanse Ponyville of the taint that had infected it.

Discord gave off a slow, rueful chuckle - the first time she’d heard him genuinely laugh since this whole debacle had begun. “Looks like I underestimated you myself, Princess Lovebutt,” Discord teased at her, that sparkle of good humor returned to his eyes. “Still, don’t count your potatoes before they’ve hatched. We’ve got a long way to go before the big finale.” Discord turned his head away for a moment - once again staring into the middle distance as though something was occupying his thoughts. What - or more appropriately - who was he thinking about? “Things are going to get a lot worse before they get better,” he said in a soft voice, almost musingly.

For once, Cadence couldn’t have agreed with him more.

~~~~~Ghastly Gorge, Platinum’s Road, two days later~~~~~

Scootaloo carefully brought the spyglass up to her eye and tracked the caravan travelling up the wide stone road that wound its way about the hills that surrounded and led to the Ghastly Gorge. They looked like any other trade caravan that trundled up and down the road - several large carts and covered wagons, a number of house-carts, and plenty of ponies driving, pulling, or otherwise walking alongside them. Just to make the scene almost sickeningly pastoral, a dozen or so fillies and colts - including a couple of griffon fledglings - were bouncing about the caravan playing with one another to the amusement of the adults.

Of course, Scootaloo had learned that looks could be deceiving. The telltale mark of Apple Family Cider barrels was clear as day for anypony to see - a sight that once, Scootaloo would have greeted with an almost drooling anticipation. Now she knew those barrels for what they were - an advance force, a tainted payload of Shadow power that all by itself could start the seed of any town’s destruction. Worse still, she even recognized a few of the ponies in the carts - one of the flower sisters was down there, as was what looked like Davenport from Sofas and Quills.

She lowered the spyglass and handed the valuable artifact back over to Skandranon, and slowly creeped back behind the crest of the hill. Once fully out of sight, she turned to face the compatriots she’d brought along the way - Snowflake, Thunderlane, and a half dozen other pegasi that comprised Thunderlane’s ‘Wrecking Crew’; a dozen burly looking earth ponies clad in heavy chain and leather armor and bearing wicked looking pinning spears, with their heavy and wide cross brace that Scoots had been told was specifically used to get a pony out of the fight without killing him; Skandranon and one other griffon who looked like he was pretty good in a fight; and Trixie of course still in her star and moon spangled gear and a slightly grim look on her face.

Of all the ponies who had reasons to be here, Scootaloo still couldn’t understand Trixie. All she would say on the subject - while having the most angered and hurt look on her face that Scoots had ever seen - was that she knew what it was like to be in the grip of a power you couldn’t control and couldn’t stop - and that she had a debt to repay. Scootaloo didn’t quite get all of that, but Trixie’s illusions had been invaluable to their work so far so she wasn’t about to complain.

“Okay, I counted eight covered wagons, six house carts, and four regular carts,” Scootaloo said in a soft voice, pitching it low so as to reduce the chance that an echo would betray them. “Two earth ponies pulling each cart, one on the driver’s seat. A dozen or so other ponies walking alongside the carts, not including the kids.” She eyeballed Skandranon, who had an amused sort of grin. She was getting to learn how griffons conveyed body language, odd as it was for most ponies. He’s testing me with that grin, trying to see if I’ve been paying attention. So Scootaloo grinned back at him. “Figure at least sixty or so ponies, if we presume there’s more adults inside the wagons that we can’t see.”

Skandranon nodded his approval. “Given the cargo, I’d concur. This is the largest such party they’ve sent out so far - and I would be willing to bet they’re trying to sneak one through to Appleloosa. Hm. That leaves out plan A then,” he grumbled. Skandranon was eager to find out if a frontal assault could be effective against their foes, but Scootaloo had put her hoof down at four-to-one odds. “So we turn to plan B. Miss Trixie, is all in readiness?” His voice rumbled gravel-like as he turned to the unicorn mare.

She nodded shortly. “The Great and Powerful Trixie is quite ready. Vinyl and her colleagues are already set up on the first ridge, and Trixie simply awaits the word to set her illusions.” She turned a beady eye toward Scootaloo, slightly arrogant and narrowed as always. “Assuming our vaunted Crusader here can lead a proper charge, we ought to have a clean victory.”

Scootaloo gave a grunt and felt a sour mood wash over her for a moment before putting on her best confidant grin. “Go get in place, Trixie. You know the plan,” Scootaloo spoke in her very best commanding voice - it sounded weird coming out of a squeaky little filly, but Trixie gave her a surprising nod of respect before quickly cantering down the hill and off to the ambush point. Scoots gave a look to the rest of her team before nodding slowly. “Okay, so here’s what we’re going to do…”

Scootaloo hunched down, grabbing her trusty stick before scratching the rough plan into the dirt. It was simple as pie - wait until the wagons got in front of the first ridge where Vinyl had said she could focus her sonic assault upon the wagons. Trixie would conjure up illusions of a massive rockfall blocking the path and trapping the caravan on the narrow cliffisde road - at which point Scootaloo and the rest of the crew would hit them from behind and do everything in their power to destroy the cargo.

It was a simple plan as things went, but Skandranon insisted that simple was best. Something about ‘the best laid plans never survive first contact with the enemy’ or something like that. Skandranon said it basically amounted to ‘plan to be flexible’, and Scootaloo could get on board with that - it wasn’t terribly different from how she’d done things when Crusading not so long ago.

Once her muscle was in on the plan, they quickly made their way to the ridge where they’d be making their attack. It would be a little while before the carts were in position, so Scootaloo took the time to unpack her newly made steel scooter properly and make sure all the wheels and the like were tight. She tightened her cloak and pulled the hood over her head, obscuring her mane and face from the world in a sea of red silk. Her shield was carefully positioned and wedged in front of the scooter’s handlebars so that as she mounted the scooter, she could see the names in shaky black paint scrawled upon the back: as clear as daylight.

Remember Applebloom.

Remember Sweetie Belle.

A reminder, and a promise.

Her eyes came up as she felt that blazing fire in her heart, unaware of the tears that streamed helplessly down her face. Her sorrow was drowned in anger and rage - in a single-minded devotion to her one goal above all else. The moments passed far faster than she could have imagined as the caravan pulled into the pass. Her teeth grabbed onto the bound hilt of the magical blade strapped to her back as an insanely loud sound caused the very ground to rumble and vibrate beneath her hooves - and she gave out a muffled, but still audible cry before plunging down the hill.

“FOR THE CRUSADE!”

~~~~~The outskirts of Roam, Three days later~~~~

The Rubicon river flowed mighty and strong before her as Twilight Shadow slowly strode up to the riverbank. Before her, the Eternal City of Roam stood proud and defiant. Its walls were carved out of a seemingly solid piece of white granite. Tall and proud spires rose up out of the city festooned with defensive weaponry - catapults and ballistae and a frightening array of other magic based devices. At the center of the city rose the mighty Hawkwing Tower - once the very heart of all Griffondom. Built by the Second Ceasar of Roam, in honor of his reuniting of the Griffon Empire.

And though the history books did not say so, in honor of his defeat of the dark creature they called Darksun. Umbra. As if the thought of her summoned her to being, Umbra strode up to the riverbank to stare across it at The City. For it was The City - in capital letters - to any with intelligence and wit. No other city - save, some would argue, Canterlot - had endured so long and so much over its history. Umbra’s eyes traveled to the grand central tower, and her voice was soft. “It seems so long ago, now,” she said softly, her voice echoing in Twilight’s ears. “I so badly underestimated that griffon. I foolishly believed in the words of my Shade at the time, who said that Hawkwing Arthur could never be a threat to us. A simple general, and nothing more.”

Umbra’s smile turned bitter for a moment, and Twilight quickly moved over to her side to kiss her cheek and nuzzle against it for a moment. The bitterness vanished under the gentle intimacy, and Umbra’s smile was bright again. “But you were once a simple librarian and student. And Ahleha was nothing more than a village shaman. I suppose I have finally learned not to dismiss the simple creature - for within the hearts of all, there lies the spark to become something greater than themselves.”

Twilight Shadow chuckled deeply and reached up her hoof to pull Umbra’s head closer to her - she kissed those sweet lips, so beautiful and perfect - drawing her tightly into a passionate kiss that seemed to go on forever. “We shall not make the same mistake, beloved,” Twilight whispered softly, then turned to the river before her. With a single thought of power, her horn blazed to life and a massive and wide bridge of shadow energy emerged slowly from one bank of the river and slowly traversed it to the other bank. Her hooves began to carry her across it, step by step.

Behind her - the flapping of thousands of wings and the stomps of thousands of hooves rumbled the earth. The Shadow desired the Eternal City, and that was exactly what the Shadow was going to get.

And oh, the fun they would soon have….

Chapter 4 - A Black Day

~~~~~The City of Roam, Outer Walls~~~~~

Prince Captain Scipio Skytalon sighed deeply and shuffled his feet as he stood sentry upon the wall. Of all of his duties, this was by far the most boring. It was Tradition, with a capital T as he was so often informed, that there be a strong guard on the outer walls of Roam. Nevermind that no force had made a serious bid for the city since before the Nightmare War, or that getting any armed force even close to the walls would be a task of logistical absurdity. But It was Tradition, so the sentry was posted each and every day.

It was also Tradition for the first sons of any noble house to stand guard upon these walls, even though as a Captain he would have otherwise been spared the duty. Officially he was in charge of the sentries, of course, which actually gave him a command in size more in line with a Major than a Captain. Even that didn’t take away the sting of doing the boring grunt-work. At least, he thought with a moment of wry amusement as he peered down over the massive granite outer walls, I’m not in yet another boring class about the history of the Griffon Kingdoms in all of their faded glory.

So Scipio sighed and tapped his heavy war-spear’s butt against the flagstones as a wall patrol began to approach from the south. His nares perked up and his eyes brightened - At last! Someone to talk to! Wall Patrols had to report in to the Captain whenever they passed him, another Tradition he found quite silly as many of the soldiers of the patrols knew him personally. So while a few traditions would be observed, the rest would devolve into a few moments of gossiping and chatting - a nice break from an otherwise lame morning.

Scipio took a moment to ensure his kit was well fitted - burnished steel breastplate with similar steel discs sewn into the leather pants he wore for leg-armour. His wide, heavy shield leant against the wall - but that was acceptable for Wall Guards in a way that it wasn’t for the average patroller. He donned the golden-plated steel helm, slipping it over his head and ruffling the crimson crest into something more presentable before turning to face the approaching patrol.

Their gear was much like his; save the plate was a dull matte gray rather than polished, and their helmets were of the same type. The one hundred armed griffons - quite an impressive sight, even on the incredibly wide pathway that topped the wall - came to a halt, as their more impressively coiffed leader snapped his wing to salute. “Third Patrol reporting all is well, Wall Captain.” His voice cracked across the wide stone expanse of the wall with all the discipline Scipio could have asked for. Whoever this Centurion was, he was a good one.

So Scipio returned the wing salute with a similar snap and a griffon-grin. “So noted, Centurion. Any news?” The last part was code amongst the less stuffed-up soldiery of the Griffon Kingdoms as short-claw way of saying ‘lets chat for a bit.’ It was a silly sort of thing to go through, but that described a lot of the pomp and circumstance of the Griffon Kingdoms.

Fortunately, the Centurion wasn’t completely devoid of humor. He turned and barked out. “Stand at ease!” to his soldiers, all of whom quickly dispersed into their own little knots of discussion - some of them breaking out rations while others took the time to stretch out their wings or take a moment to relieve themselves off the edge of the wall. Then he turned back with a soft chuckle at how fast discipline could dissolve before his face turned sober. “We’ve officially lost contact with Tiberius. The Kings think that there’s been another Changeling attack.”

That got a wince out of Scipio, who leaned against the wall and sighed - not even bothering to pull off his helmet like he usually would. “Ever since they got their flanks handed to them in Canterlot, they’ve been a veritable menace.” Scipio growled, to the nodding understanding of the nameless Centurion. “I’ll speak with my Father. With fortune, they’ll be worried enough to actually ask the Sun Queen for help in getting rid of them. They’ve got to have some kind of secret if they stymied a full on invasion of their capital!”

The Centurion nodded and his beak opened to speak again only to be interrupted by the distant sound of a horn. “What…?” Scipio said slowly, grabbing his spear and pushing himself off the wall. Then another horn sounded - and another. Echoing down the walls until the nearest watch-tower sounded its own horn. “An alert? Impossible! We haven’t seen anything big enough to possibly threaten…”

Later - much, much later - Scipio would remember that keeping on his helmet had probably saved his life. Only the faint sound of wingbeats warned him in time to spin around in a defensive posture to stare into the black, wild eyes of a griffon bearing the colors of his House. The crazed griffon’s war-spear struck just above Scipio’s temple and sent him crashing into the ground. Had he not been wearing his helmet, had he not heard the sound of those wingbeats, he would have been dead instantly.

As it was, he was simply dazed beyond all belief. His eyes refused to focus as the Centurion leapt into the air and crushed the crazed griffon’s head with a blow of his own steel spear butt. The griffon sank to the ground in a heap, and a black whisp of smoke seemed to seep out of his corpse before vanishing in the bright sunlight. Scipio was certain he’d hallucinated it - until the voice of the Centurion broke through his dazed. “Blessed Hawkwing…. Darksun…” he whispered in with an unintelligible oath as the sounds of battle closed in around them.

It took Scipio nearly thirty seconds to fight to his feet, but get to them he did. The helmet was pressing painfully into the side of his head, but it was still intact enough to protect him, so he left it there. “Captain! Here!” another nameless griffon called out, and a moment later a shining golden disc was hurtling towards him. His talon lashed out and grabbed hold of the shield, just in time for him to smash it into the face of another crazed attacking griffon. Reflex took over as he pinned the attacker to the ground and drove the tip of his spear right through it’s neck, killing it instantly.

“FORM UP!” he screeched out, although it wasn’t really necessary - the wall patrol had already locked shields with one another and were fending off what looked like an entire wave of attackers, each and every one of them a griffon with that crazed, mad look in their eyes. They wore armor and bore weapons the same as any griffonic guard, but they fought like berserkers. Unfortunately for them, griffons were past masters at fighting the maddest creatures the world could throw at them, and the wall patrol was no different.

Though a half dozen of the patrol had fallen, the rest were now locked into a phalanx, with shields above and about to protect their flanks and war spears lashing out with astonishing speed and range to fend off the attackers. Scipio’s training did for him what his mind was still too dazed to do. His wings flared out and he launched himself at speed toward the mob of attackers - smashing into their right flank with all the ferocity of a dragon. His spear spun and flashed, and his shield lashed out at every turn. Thick and wild though they might have been, they were no match for him as he advanced.

One did not become a Captain by collecting bottle caps, after all.

It was only when the last of the first wave of foes fell beneath his spear that he stopped - his breath coming in heavy heaves as he wheeled about, looking for more foes to slay. His talons and arms were slick with blood as were his weapons of war. Rarely before in his life had he fought with such vigor or valor, and on any other day this would have been a battle for the stories of bards and tales.

But his keen eyes ranged down the wall, where the sound of wild horns wailed in the distance and seemingly thousands of griffons, pegasi, and other winged creatures carried those traditionally ground-bound over the mighty walls of Roam. The City was under attack by a force he of which he had no knowledge, and they appeared all but innumerable. The Centurion marched up beside him with the rest of his surviving troops in battle formation, and Scipio knew what he had to do.

One of the troopers offered a worn and battered towel, which Scipio used to clean his weapon and shield and to dry off his talons. “We need to rally the wall guard.” Scipio’s voice was astonishingly calm, his tone firm and resolute. His eyes trailed to the inner city where a feeling of sharp emotional pain struck at him. His sister would be fine for now - right now, he had a wall to defend. “We move along the wall in this direction! If you see a fellow soldier, bring them into the formation! Engage the enemy as we encounter them and STAY TOGETHER! Now, move out!”

~~~~Roam, The Pantheon, Inner City~~~~

“So. We come to the twilight of the world.”

The deep and raspy voice echoed through the tiny hall. But tiny though it was, it was luxurious in the extreme. Deep golden marble made up the floor, embossed with a symbol all of those creatures within knew too well. Thirteen seats were arranged around the symbol, each with a small desk beside it. Twelve of these seats were filled with the bodies of griffons - and one, filled with a golden helmet wrought with beautiful filigreed wings.

Reports were streaming in and out of the room on the wings of young and swift griffons and into the talons of those that sat within. The news was grim in the extreme. The Outer Walls had been breached, and chaos was reigning within the Outer City. The city patrols were fighting back - but they were scattered and disorganized. All reports agreed on one thing - only soldiers were being killed outright, unless they surrendered their arms. The rest were being herded into buildings and open squares where…

“Darksun,” whispered the gravelly voice again, and twelve heads nodded in slow agreement. Twelve sets of eyes went to the helm upon the chair. “Hawkwing preserve us, she has returned for her vengeance,” the voice continued. The reports kept coming in - more death, more darkness - the Shadow had fallen upon the Empire once again. Finally, the voice that seemed to be the only one capable of speech spoke up. “What will we do if he does not appear now, in our darkest hour?”

One of the figures stood up - his beak still sharp, even if his feathers and fuzz had grayed considerably over the years. His body was as lean and powerful as it had been in his youth, and his eyes still bright. “He will appear, my brothers and sisters. Else there will be no world after this one, save one cloaked in darkness and shadow.”

Eleven eyes cast to the floor, and the aged griffon spoke again. His voice was full of authority - but also a deep and abiding pain. “We must prepare to retreat. Gather the Legion.”

~~~~~Roam, the Outer City~~~~~

The massive western gates of Roam were shoved open slowly as ancient wheels and weights turned and moved to drive the steel doors. When they had parted sufficiently, Twilight Shadow strode through them with an imperious tilt to her chin. In her wake, Umbra strode with a careless confidence as their newly minted griffon servants bowed to them - each possessing a core of The Shadow power within them.

Twilight kept her face cool and calm in spite of the raging battle of pain and pleasure within her. She could feel every one of the Shadow touched who died upon the walls - their pain and sadness at failing her. She could feel a rush of pleasure at every new convert to the cause, as large groups of griffons were forcibly converted under the lustful attentions of her many new children. Had she been any other pony, she probably would have been driven quite mad by the dichotomy within her.

But Twilight was not any other pony. She could compartmentalize, suppress, and disperse her emotions quite efficiently. Of course, that didn’t mean she wasn’t very, very distracted as she strode into the streets of Roam. Fortunately, Mother was there to keep her steady - her gentle strength guiding her steps, buffering her thoughts. The first battles were always the worst - she’d been warned of that. But Mother would not let her fall - not here, not now. Twilight surely didn’t know how she’d managed these stressful sorts of things without her before… until memories resurfaced of the Want-it Need-it spell, and she remembered with a wry smile. Badly was how she’d managed it.

Still, that was then and this was now, and the moment was never the same twice. So she focused as best she could and kept her gaze level and cool - just as Mother had taught her. Roam was as beautiful as the books had said with its wide streets paved with glittering white granite, and its ancient architecture reaching as far back as the time of the First Empire. Even the sights and smells… well, the sights and smells beyond the bloodstains and the rankness of fear. Twilight so dearly hoped the city could be taken without too much damage to it. Who knew how much history could be studied here? How many secrets might be hidden deep within its ancient towers?

The thought of her passions for learning and scholarship dulled the pain of battle from her soul and garnered an amused smile from Mother. “It’s not the most elegant of battle plans, but it does appear to be effective,” Umbra mused with a quiet chuckle, and Twilight just shook her head ruefully. She wasn’t a general - she was a scholar! Generalship was Winterlight’s job, or it would be soon enough. Besides, her tactics here were played to an environment already in her favor. Total, complete surprise on an unaware and unprepared enemy. Seize the walls, carry over the ground bound creatures, and convert the city into more soldiers. Simple.

Twilight frowned though as it appeared the first part was proving more difficult than she’d originally anticipated. “Do as I told you, Daughter. Use that power to sense the touched,” Umbra urged her, now standing firmly at her shoulder. “I shall bolster your strength,” Umbra said - and immediately, Twilight could feel the churning emotions simmer down considerably.

It was hard to get a good view of what was going on at first, but little by little she was getting the hang of the technique. It was a remarkably complex application of a simple ability. She could sense the location of all of those touched by the Shadow power; and thus, she could tell where the fighting was fiercest by simply figuring out where large clumps of her Touched were crowded together.

Surely enough, far above their heads upon the outer wall, a mass of newly shadow Touched were having a wedge driven through them by some unknown force. “Yes… a great Captain of the griffons,” Umbra whispered softly, almost as if she was unaware that she was speaking at all. Twilight focused harder, planting her hooves equidistant from one another and trying to sense what the Touched were sensing.

It was more difficult than any spell she’d ever performed - all she could get was a jumble of mixed up visions and senses. The hot, coppery smell of blood. The sight of a column of warriors, bristling with wicked spears and massive shields. Screams of defiance. Pain. Death. It very nearly drove her to her knees with the intensity of it all, only to vanish in a heartbeat as the warm and comforting presence of Umbra settled over her shoulders.

“Rest a moment, Child. We have a long day ahead of us.” Umbra’s voice was like warm milk and honey, like her favorite blanket or Mr. Smarty Pants. It soothed her instantly even as it flared up in her a set of entirely more base desires. Twilight turned on the spot to press a passionate kiss upon the Shadow Goddess, wrapping her hooves around her neck and leaning up into her. For her part, Umbra responded in kind and with a wordless command the other Touched left to perform other essential duties.

Even in the midst of war, there was time for a bit of fun.

~~~~~Roam, The Outer Walls, one hour later~~~~~

“Hold! Hold you featherbrained shitheads!” Scipio Skytalon’s voice crowed across the the wall, thundering through the chaotic sounds of steel on steel and the screams of the dying and the dead. “Get that patrol into formation! Prepare for defensive retreat!” His voice had gone hoarse over the last hour as they had inexorably marched toward their one hope of getting down off the walls - one of the large watch towers that still flew the pennant of the Griffon Kingdoms.

Three other Wall Patrols had been found and now the column of three hundred some-odd soldiers was marching in unyielding formation towards the tower. The Outer Walls were utterly lost, and even Scipio could not think of a way to retake them without the aid of the Legion… and the Legion was going to be busy doing other things. Fortunately, the horn-calls a few minutes earlier had dictated a retreat to the inner city…. to prepare to evacuate Roam.

It was heartbreaking, but Scipio knew his duty. So foot by foot, his tercels ploughed through the crazed attackers - now including some pegasi and a few other odd winged creatures - like they were tilling the soil. Behind them, a trail of dead and wounded bodies told the tale of what happened when the fight was brought to the legion. Despite losing nearly a fourth of his force so far, Scipio had accounted for at least three times that in enemy casualties. Unfortunately, that was just a drop in the bucket.

He had long since realized what this foe had done. They weren’t just fielding the guards and professional soldiers one normally found in a griffon city, but every single member of their militias. Driven by new and fanatical devotion to this ‘Shadow’ they kept screaming about, they were just as dangerous as the professionals… in fact, probably moreso. A professional fighter engaged in trained and predictable ways. There was no telling what an amateur might do.

Then everything got weird again as the mass of crazed creatures peeled away from them and down into the city proper. Their force, once a prime target for attack, was now being utterly ignored. Tactically, it made sense. They weren’t much more than a rock in a flowing stream and the river had better things to do than wear them down. Still, he wasn’t going to complain. A rock in a stream might not be much on its own… but if you get enough rocks… Scipio had to smile at the analogy, in spite of his weary body.

The column marched much quicker towards the tower now, and its precious set of solid staircases that would protect them from attack within the walls until they could reach the ground. Certainly, they could have flown… but their enemies could fly too, and so far the only thing that had kept them from getting overwhelmed had been having solid ground beneath their talons. The four Centurions now under his direct command quickly organized the descent as Scipio looked on, doing his best to look like he wasn’t nursing one mother of a headache.

The wheels of tactics and strategy were already turning in his head - they would need to fight their way to the inner walls, going street by street. Splitting up his forces into fifty griffons apiece and forming hedgehogs would be the best so they didn’t get too heavily crowded against each other. Keeping the formations tight would also help. Any foolish attacker who tried to split them up would get crushed between the formations. Piece by piece, his mind put together an ad-hoc plan to get them back in contact with whatever was left of the Legion.

His mind snapped back to attention as he noticed all four of the legionaries watching him with deferent respect. Truthfully, Scipio had remembered very little of what had happened over the last hour… but from the way they were watching him, it’d had to have been impressive. “Right,” he said, and snapped his beak in annoyance. The last thing he needed was to start spouting platitudes. “Here’s what we’re going to do.”

~~~~~

Twenty minutes later, the six hedgehogs were marching at the quickstep down a main trade avenue. Resistance was blessedly light as they marched quickly towards the pure white walls of the Inner City. Every shop they passed, militia and civilians joined the march bit by bit. That was a problem - as the last thing Scipio needed was untrained soldiers to look after - but as with all things, his duties here were very clear.

The poor militia had little but spears, leather armor, and smaller shields - but they would have to do. Even as his forced marched inexorably towards what Scipio was certain would be safety, he organized those that fell in behind him as best he could - militia fighters in square formations surrounding blocks of civilians armed with whatever they could put their talons to. Many had crossbows - a weapon Scipio was personally quite glad to see in abundance amongst them - and some few had swords, daggers, or other improvised weaponry.

As the column grew on the march, Scipio wondered what the attackers were thinking then. Roam was a vast city, full of a massive population and entire armies of soldiers. Certainly, surprise had won them the outer walls, but their surprise was going to run out shortly. Resistance would become ever more organized, and mass assault tactics were going to cease working with any effectiveness.

Then he remembered what the Centurion had said upon the walls. Darksun - the dreaded demoness who had shattered the First Empire with her corruptive magics. The patron goddess of Judas The Traitor, who had only been defeated in the end by the greatest hero in Griffon history - Ceasar Hawkwing, founder of the Second Empire. If Darksun truly had returned from the grave she’d been buried in by the great Ceasar, then there was literally no predicting what their foe might be capable of doing.

Then a feminine scream cut through his thinking - a very familiar feminine scream. ”GET AWAY FROM US, YOU LAMEOS!” The shrill words pierced through Scipio’s professional armor and cracked it wide open. Once again - training, instinct, discipline - it didn’t matter what one called it, took over for him. The scream had come from a side street, and a second scream echoing down the streets confirmed his suspicions.

He brandished his spear in one direction, even as his nominal command staff stared at him in horror. “All formations, to the left!” his voice boomed down the street, even as he took to the air, flying to the head of the column as another shrill scream and the sounds of battle pierced through his heart. “Spear Wall formation, on the quick march!” he yelled again, and the hedgehogs dissolved into three ranks, 16 griffons apiece and brandishing their spears ahead of them as they jogged down the streets.

Scipio was not going to wait for them though. He wheeled in midair and took off down the streets like a shot from a catapult. Damnit! What is she doing outside the inner walls? Why is she in - this - neighborhood? Blast it all, doesn’t she ever listen to Father?! But all the anger of his thoughts melted away at the sound of another shrill scream, this one thick with fear. The anger was replaced with a stern rage - and little though Scipio knew it, a fire had kindled inside his heart. A fire that another someone would have found very familiar indeed.

His voice tore from his throat as he rounded a corner to see a swarm of attackers - these wearing real armor, bearing real weapons, and looking not in the least bit crazed. No, they looked to be fully in control of themselves as they battered against the heavy door of some kind of drinking establishment with a makeshift battering ram as crossbow bolts and rocks rained down upon them from the upper windows. Scipio’s eyes narrowed and his spear flashed in the daylight. Though this had been a dark day for the Griffon Kingdoms, he would not allow the darkness to claim his sister. As he dove upon the attackers - alone and unaided - he screamed defiantly into the din.

“Hang on, Gilda! I’m coming! THE LEGION STANDS!”

Chapter 5 - Umbra Vult

~~~~~Roam, The Outer City~~~~~

Darkness and shadow swept through the city of Roam in the form of Shadow touched creatures and a wave of black energy that consumed every living creature within its path and perverted it to the will of its new Mistress. Groups of valiant griffon guards fell back street by street from the onslaught, desperately trying to form a line of defense in the face of the ever encroaching horde.

But in the city they’d left behind, things were far, far different.

“Next!” piped up Pinkie Pie, humming a happy little tune as she changed out the sheets for the second time that day. She’d always been good at getting things neat n’ tidy in a great big hurry, and today was no exception. TwiTwi had told her it was vital she stay away from the nastiness and focus on converting the locals… which Pinkie was just fine with. She didn’t mind fighting, but she would much rather be partying.

Speaking of parties, the loyal griffon guards they’d converted a coupla’ days ago were guiding in the next group. The large tavern serving as Pinkie’s informal base of operations had seen most of its bar-tables improved with big fluffy pillows covered in nice fluffy sheets. Behind the bar, a laconic and otherwise completely laid back griffon wearing a pair of cool shades was mixing up another pitcher of Apple Cider Cocktails. He’d actually been kinda funny - even when they’d barged in and started converting the tavern staff - he hadn’t blinked an eye at that. Just asked all cool and polite that they not break anything in his bar. Pinkie kinda liked him.

But she had a job of work to do! It really wasn’t quite work, but more like partying professionally. The group of griffons now watching her with mixed degrees of fright and curiosity clocked in at about seventeen, with abouuuut… eleven males and six females. That’d make things kinda interesting, but interesting was half the fun of all this! “Hi there!” she piped up as they entered, hopping up onto one of the bed-tables and giving her best friendly grin. “My name’s Pinkie Pie, and I’m happy to meet all of you!”

And that was the truth - she really was ecstatic to meet so many new ponies and griffons and other creatures. So many new friends, so little time! “We’ll have to take the time to get to know one another better later, but it’s a busy busy day for me, sooo…” Pinkie’s voice slipped down to a lower register, as she felt the deep pulse of the Shadow somewhere down near her tummy. She slipped off one of the bed tables and slowly walked across the room towards the slightly frightened group, a slow smile on her face. “Why don’t you all go have a drink, hmm?” she suggested quietly, powerfully… and cheerfully - completely confusing the new group of creatures.

Behind the bar, the sound of ice hitting the glass and the pouring of liquids immediately grabbed everypony’s attention. The barkeeper put the half-empty pitcher down next to the scattering of glasses and gave his bar a wipe down with a cloth. “What… what in the name of the great Caesar is going on here!?” one of the males yelled, turning on Pinkie with a rather angry look on his face. “What is all of this insanity?” he demanded, advancing on her as his feathers puffed out and his beak snapped menacingly.

A long time ago, Pinkie might’ve been scared by that sort of attitude… but not any more. She let the griffon get very close to her, before she slipped in under his threatening talons with an impossible speed. Her body molded itself against his and pressed with all the right softness and pressure, taking him so utterly off guard that he stared at her in bafflement. Pinkie smiled - no longer perky and cheerful - but not full of the deep and abiding lust that ruled her new soul. “The future,” she said softly before wrapping her hooves around his neck and planting her lips upon his beak.

His eyes widened as he made to try to pull her off… but froze in mid gesture as the Shadow power poured into him. Pinkie always loved this feeling… it was… it was like the perfect cupcake and cup of coffee on a cold winter morning, and sharing your table with your very best friend and special somepony. This feeling of belonging and unity and togetherness. Why couldn’t the world party together? Pinkie had never had a good answer for that one, until the Shadow had come along and showed her that it could.

Her leg slipped up and wrapped around the angry griffon’s hip as she eased him back to the bed-table, the anger and fear draining out of him to be replaced by happiness and desire. His excitement became more and more apparent, pressing into her thigh and giving her a little shiver of anticipation as she felt his talons slowly pulling her in closer rather than trying to shove her away.

Pinkie liked this part a whole whole lot, as bad emotions gave way to much nicer ones and the griffon beneath her began to return this kiss in earnest. Talons which moments ago were ready to rend her apart were stroking down her sides and framing her curvy body. She arched against him, fluttering her eyes at the sensations magnified by the rush of power through her body - the feeling of that Shadow spark catching inside of her new friend and freeing him of all the bad stuff… leaving nothing but the good stuff.

Pinkie wrenched away from the kiss of her new Shadow friend, turning her head and smiling at the now disbelieving stares of the rest of the group. Her lips curved upwards, and she giggled in a soft and sultry tone. “What’s the matter sillies?” she cooed out, feeling those taloned hands grabbing at her hips and maneuvering her perfectly plump body into a more suitable place. Her back arched a little and she felt him pressing his excitement up at her fun button, her sweet moan singing through the room.

”C’mon and…Mmmf… Join the party.”

~~~~~~

Prince Captain Scipio Skytalon was not by nature a violent griffon. Most of his peers would have actually considered him something of a dork. He was an intellectual by inclination, but the realities of griffon politics meant that he - like all of his brothers and sisters - would be forced into the realms of the military. Fortunately, he found the sway of battle to be as entrancing as studying the philosophies of Canter and Hobbles.

In truth, he found a certain fatalistic attraction to battle - his weapon pierced the throat of one foe, his shield lashed out to drive back another. Here, in these moments of almost detached thought as his body responded to countless hours of muscle-memory training, he found a strange sort of peace even amidst the rage that boiled in his heart. Normally, he might have felt remorse for the slaughter he was visiting upon them. But everything he loved - his city, his family, his fellow soldiers - was being imperiled by these creatures. That made the philosophy of fighting them rather simple in his estimation.

Even as he felt the pain of a spear renting a gash in his shield arm, his quiet rage did not falter. He simply dealt with the threat that had wounded him and moved on. He might have been screaming - frankly, after all of the fighting he’d done that day already, he was quite surprised he could tell half of what was going on beyond sight-reflexive action-repeat. It was only when he wheeled his spear to find a wall of loyal griffons surrounding him that he stopped, the vigor in his blood slowly dying down as wave after wave of his tercels drove into the enemy.

Battle cries and screams rent the air about him, and his foe - finding itself outnumbered and outmatched - quickly beat a hasty retreat away from the inn. They were the first such foes to actually recognize their plight and react accordingly, and that was far more terrifying than maddened berzerkers. “Captain!” yelled a familiar voice out of the haze of blood and death as the same nameless Centurion who had first saved his life upon the Wall gave his shoulder a shake. “Captain, focus.” His voice was calm, but firm - even as he turned his head to thunder into the milling ranks of his men. “We need a dottore! Get that hackjob over here, now!”

Scipio sucked in deep breaths and exhaled them slowly as he came back to himself. The sight of the white bandanna of the dottore was almost as welcome as the pain killing salve that was being slathered onto his wound. “Looks a lot worse than it is,” the dottore grunted as he went to work with his needle and gut thread to tighten up the wound. Scipio was thankful for that as the front doors to the inn were wrenched open and a familiar white crest and bright golden eyes came flying out of them in a terrible rage.

“You dumbass! Your moron! You absolute fuckin’ lame-brained idiot!” Gilda’s voice poured into his ears like honeyed mead as she bashed at his shoulders with fisted talons. While they certainly hurt enough to make him wince, her heart wasn’t really in the blows she rained upon him. “Why’d you do that!? You could’a gotten yourself killed, or fuckin’ Celestia only knows what else!” Gilda had picked up that colloquialism during her time in Equestria as an exchange student, and it never failed to amuse Scipio just a little. “An’ what are you smiling about you big… dumb…. lameo…” The spirit went out of her curses as she grabbed him up in a rough hug, taking care not to interrupt the dottore’s work with the needle.

Scipio extended his arm to hold her firmly against his chest and lay his head upon her shoulder. “I was worried about you too, Gilda,” was all he needed to say - and really, all he could say. Gilda gave off a little sniffle and smacked his shoulder hard again, making him grin a little from the impact. “I am so glad to see you safe. Do you know where Father is?” That was his next concern. If Roam was being evacuated, Scipio would need to see his father as quickly as possible. He would need to be on talon to take command of the familial guards and ensure the family treasures and other family members were all safely accounted for.

Gilda gave off a derisive snort. “Course not. Haven’t seen him since I got out of that stuffed up shithole of an Inner City yesterday.” Her voice was like acid, and Scipio had to sigh. If Scipio had been reluctantly accepting of the necessities of griffon politics, Gilda was an outright rebel against them. She’d refused military service in favor of attending the Cloudsdale Academy, had absolutely destroyed her politically valuable relationship with one of the Elements of Harmony - though Scipio was privately convinced she had done that to protect the pony in question - and had caused no end of embarrassment with her carousing.

And yet…. he loved her nonetheless. She was never anything but utterly genuine, completely incapable of hiding her true nature behind the masks of political need. She was stout in heart and mind and would go to the mat for what she believed in even if it was unpopular. In a way, Scipio envied her those luxuries. “Very well. We’re going to have to make our way there on foot,” Scipio quietly said, his eyes darting across the street as the dottore knotted off his stitches and began to tightly wrap the arm in a bandage. “Do you think you can unbend long enough to take command of our militia? They’ve got crossbows, and you’ve always been a better shot than I was,” Scipio added the last to take a bit of the sting out of his words, hoping that in a time of crisis she could at least be mildly sensible.

Gilda eyed him up with a beady and suspicious look, but nodded shortly. “Fine. But just until we get out of this clusterfuck,” she grumbled, stalking off towards the disorganized and confused militia. “Alright you primitive screwheads, listen up!” Gilda’s voice thundered across the street’s cobblestones, terrifying most of those in close proximity and getting the attention of the rest. Scipio smothered a grin as she stalked over to one quavering militia fighter and gave him a mighty headbutt - sending him careening to the ground. “There will be no lame-o cowardice while I’m around, or I’ll fucking kill you and eat you myself!” she growled, and every one of the militia fighters snapped to parade ground attention.

Scipio couldn’t help it then, his professional demeanor dissolving into coughs and helpless laughter for a few wonderful moments before he regained control over himself. And she says she hates military life… he thought with a final snort of laughter. The dottore gave him a severe look before sighing and walking off to his next duty, leaving Scipio to ponder his next move. All around him, the wall guard took their rest while they could. Some were clearly taking short naps, others gnawing away at jerky or cleansing armor and shield of gore. It was a cardinal rule of soldiery that one took rest when one could, even in the midst of war.

Scipio sighed and finally prised the helmet off of his head, wincing at the feel of the lump that surely would be annoying him for a week or more. He traced a talon along where the blow had fallen and where others had furthered the damage, rendering his helmet now useless. Close… Too close, came the rueful thought as his talon gingerly felt where the first blow had taken him completely by surprise. How many others hadn’t been as lucky? How many others…

“Captain! We’ve found something you need to see!” The words cut through his thoughts, and Scipio turned to face the voice. One of the centurions again, with a look of severe worry upon his face. His talons grasped spear and shield and left the ruined armor behind.

“Show me.”

~~~~~~~~

Pinkie felt a scream of pleasure rip through her lungs and sail into the air as the three male griffons she’d hoof picked ravaged her body. Their musk was nearly overpowering to the nose, driving her lust higher and higher. Talons grasped and raked at her body, leaving red scratches and occasionally nicking her hard enough to draw blood… all of which was simply more pleasure heaped upon the pile. Their breath was hot, and their words dark and dirty in her ears…

It was amongst the most intense experiences of her entire life - although her nights with Mistress Twilight were still the tops. Still, these griffons sure knew how to show a mare a good time, and judging by the screams coming from the other tables they were showing their own females a good time too. The world was exactly where it ought to be, with all of the newly touched enjoying the benefits of their new brother and sisterhood.

Pinkie arched up her back fetchingly, and the griffons attending to her responded with a renewed vigor - thrusting, nibbling, licking, biting… Oh goodness, Pinkie had rarely had parties as good as the one she was having now. Then again, she’d always loved when she got lots and lots of attention from multiple partners… it was just now, she knew on some fundamental level that they were having just as much fun as she was. The Shadow pulsed deep inside of them all, and it resonated with its separate parts. They were one of the same whole, and it was glorious beyond compare.

Her body twisted and writhed and for the umpteenth time that day, and Pinkie climaxed to the tune of a cheerful little giggle and moan. Her three partners followed soon after, stuffing her as full as a custard donut with their love-juices. The thought of food inevitably made Pinkie a little hungry, so reluctantly she disengaged herself from her partners to trot on over to the bar, her fun bits dripping onto the floor behind her. She’d clean up later, and besides, the rank smell of sex and orgasm gave the room a lovely perfume.

The barkeeper was as laconic as he had been since they’d taken over the place for use as a conversion center. Pinkie got the impression that he just took life as it came and didn’t much bother himself with the details. “You should really drink more fluids, Miss Pie,” he rumbled at her, his voice deep throated and kinda growly. “You’ll pass out if you don’t.” And sure enough, he passed a large clean mug of iced water across the bar to her with the kind of severe look Ms. Cake gave her when she’d partied a little too hard.

As always, thoughts of the Cakes turned her mood a bit less funsy, and she took the mug and slowly drank down the water to cover the moodiness. She had to stop over thinking it. It was in the past and one couldn’t change the past, or so Twilight had always told her. So she focused on the happy - namely that her latest batch of recruits were obviously having a grand old time with her newest party. “Thanks, Barkeep.” That’d been the only name he’d given her, so that’s what she called him! Ponies had funny names too sometimes.

Still, she found it odd that the Shadow hadn’t touched him in the same way. Then again, it had touched Dashie and AJ and Rarity all differently too. Maybe there was something about a pony or other creature which changed how the Shadow affected him. Maybe this poor griffon had just never had much need or time for sexy-fun. It was a sad thought, but he looked pretty content with his life - and Pinkie had to figure that wasn’t such a bad thing.

She watched the groups of griffons indiscriminately pleasuring one another for a few more moments, before turning with a slow smile to the barkeep. “Say, I don’t suppose you know where a gal might find a good cupcake, do ya?”

~~~~~~~

“We found them like this, Captain.”

The Centurion whispered to him fearfully, and Scipio silenced him with a stern glare. The last thing he needed was his tercels panicking. The griffon family arrayed before him would have been fairly typical in any other circumstance. A tall and regal father with golden-brown feather coloring, and the look of a heavy weapons fighter based on his considerable bulk of muscles. A mother, sleek and acrobatic with a beautiful bright silver sheen to her feather tips. Two younger griffons - a brother, and a sister - each bearing notable resemblances to their parents.

They would have been a model family were it not for the activities they were engaging in with one another in broad daylight. The father was atop the daughter, rutting away at her with reckless abandon - but no rape was this, for the daughter was eagerly - almost desperately - rutting back against him. Her words were garbled amidst the sounds of her pleasure, but there was no mistaking she was begging to be impregnated. The son and the mother were making out with one another, the mother writhing atop the son’s lap lewdly.

Their home was half wrecked around them - with the obvious signs of attack showing on the battered down doorway and the bodies of three slain griffon attackers pierced with crossbow bolts laying just feet away from where the family was… getting to know one another better. On the door, a black scrawl in the shape of a crude six pointed star was painted onto the front door… and it was not the only such door so adorned. Scipio steeled his nerve and pushed open another such door a few feet down the street - only to find a similar scene playing out with similar results… and in many cases, where the ages were far less close together.

Scipio felt the bile rushing into his throat and stifled it down with a force of will, deliberately closing the door behind him. “We can do nothing for them,” he said in a hoarse tone of voice, stalking back toward the inn where the rest of his troops awaited. “Give the order that no citizen so corrupted is to be approached or harmed. We are to avoid any such gathering of individuals at all costs until we can ascertain what foul magics have done this.” The Centurion nodded at Scipio’s rasping tone and quickly rushed off into the ranks.

The word of this would not be good for morale, but discovering it by surprise would be worse. Scipio felt his claw flex around the haft of his warspear - over and over again to work the tension out of his mind. The pieces had fallen into place. His foe had no intention of conquering the city by force. She intended to convert the city to her own side. He had no doubt that in short order, that poor family would join the ranks of the berzerker foes he’d been encountering all day… but it was not within his heart to slaughter them as they were now.

No. He would save his rage for the one who had done this to them.

Resolutely, Scipio turned on his heel and marched back amongst his tercels - many of them now muttering and discussing the news the Centurions had delivered to them. “Listen up!” he growled, and the soldiers snapped their beaks closed. “We can mourn for those who have fallen later,” Scipio began, slowly turning on his heel to catch the eye of every one of his soldiers. “We can rage, and weep, and scorn the world that has done this to those we once called friends and neighbors. We can curse the name of the creature who has done this to our kind. But we can do none of these things if we do not survive. We can do none of these things if we do not preserve the Kings.” Little by little, he saw the steel go back into the spines of the tercels, and some the fear go out of their eyes.

Scipio took a deep breath and exhaled it before speaking again, pitching his voice high so that even the civilians could hear him. He needed more - he needed to inspire them. “We undoubtedly face the greatest crisis since the days of the second Caesar. I will not deny it!” He gestured with his spear and imbued rank scorn into his face. “Do not take me for the armchair general, who sits in his study and bemoans the failures of those he has failed to command. Our enemies are numerous and they are strong - but if our foe thinks our strength so easily broken, they will be sadly mistaken.” Little by little, his troops were firming up - many of them nodding to one another.

Scipio licked the sweat from his beak and continued to speak, beginning to walk slowly to the center of the crowd. “Before us, the path is stony. We must reach the inner city and connect with our brothers in arms, so that we may escape to fight another day.” He spoke in calm, casual tones - as if discussing a walk down the street for a smoke and a drink. “We shall have to do so with no support and no aid from our fellow citizens. It will be a difficult going every step of the way.” Then he turned on his heel suddenly to glare daggers at his tercels each in turn. “But we shall not turn back. We shall not flee before our foe like scared wretches! We shall retreat in good order, as befits the Legion!”

Now the civilians were nodding, and the tercels were looking more and more enthusiastic every moment. Scipio inwardly sighed in relief, but outwardly he kept his stern demeanour. “We shall begin the march immediately… ” He paused now, feeling a heady heat in his heart. He trusted these soldiers. Now, he had to ensure they would trust in him. “I shall not lie to you. We shall face battle, blood, and losses every step of the way. But we shall be equal to the task, for we are the Legion.” He grasped his war spear and thrust its point into the sky, his voice rising to match the flame slowly growing in his heart. “The Legion, who held the line against the Long Night and the Nightmare Queen!” A chorus of cheers met this call, and Scipio’s voice grew in strength as he continued. “The Legion, who held firm against Barkus Khan and turned back the Diamond Horde!” More cheers, as soldiers and citizens alike took up the cry. The fear was gone from them now, replaced with grim determination. “The Legion, who ended the reign of the Dragon Tyrant and claimed his horde for its own!”

Scipio slammed the butt on his spear to the ground, and silence answered him. He spoke softly, but knew that his words carried to every ear in the crowd. “The Legion, which has faced every foe on every battlefield, without fear.” Scipio’s head came up, and his voice tore into a roar that rattled across the stones of the square, “The Legion, who will face this foe no differently than any other that has come before it, FOR THE LEGION DOES NOT SURRENDER!” he called, his eyes flashing in the dim light of the day. And with a single motion, all of the tercels brandished their spears into the air. Their voices were a roar, joined by the militia and even many of the civilians who held their crossbows aloft in kind. Even Gilda’s voice rose above the fray, for they all knew the reply to that call. A call which had been sounded down throughout the centuries of history that was written in the blood and sweat of the griffon race.

"THE LEGION STANDS!"

~~~~~~~

Walking back from the wash basin, Twilight Shadow felt her steps unsteady for a moment as a wave of disorientation hit her without cause or warning. In an instant, Umbra was at her side and steadied her step with a wing wrapped about her center. “Steady, my child.” Umbra’s whisper calmed Twilight instantly and banished away the momentary fear and confusion. “There is a power yet in this city,” Umbra whispered softly, her eyes half lidding. “A strength I have not felt in countless centuries. The blood of the Caesar yet runs thick in the veins of these creatures… we must move quickly,” she finished, her voice still thick with the love and pleasure they had been so recently indulging in.

Twilight nodded once, tucking a stray bit of mane behind her ear. “Yes. The inner city is not falling as quickly as we had presumed it would. Our timetable is going to be thrown off,” she said with a pucker of annoyance on her lips. “We’ll have to accelerate our original plans. I’d prefer not to leave the inner city a way out but…” She shook her mane as Umbra began to chuckle richly, and glared up at her mother. “What? Am I missing something?” Twilight could hear her tone getting testy, but Umbra didn’t seem to much care.

Umbra smiled tolerantly down at her, her eyes sparkling with amusement. “I did warn you that the best laid plans rarely survive first contact with the enemy. Things have been going well enough, even if there is a greater strength marshalling against us. Whatever - or whoever - it may be, it cannot stand against us.” That she said with utmost confidence - something Twilight had rarely heard from her - and caused her to feel a flush of accomplishment. Umbra had such trust in her abilities that she was certain of victory? That was a most welcome surprise. “Still, we had best not take chances. How swiftly before we can assault the inner city?” Umbra’s tone had switched to all business, and Twilight quickly snapped to attention.

The numbers were going to be the problem. The vast majority of the trained warriors in Roam were in the Inner City and likely were becoming more organized by the hour. Simply put, she didn’t have what she needed to breach the inner walls without either doing it herself or sustaining serious losses. The latter was unacceptable - which meant the former was all she had to lean on. Umbra nodded once, as if she had been expecting that line of thought from the get go. “We ought to go now,” said Umbra quietly, and Twilight nodded with a solemn agreement. “I shall bring your armor. Prepare yourself.” Then quietly, the Shadow alicorn vanished from the room in a burst of power.

Twilight turned to stare into the mirror of the inn room they had managed to get into before things had gotten too heated. She stared into her shadow-darkened eyes and watched the wisps of shadow power peel off of her hooves. Her mane was not a thing of hair, but of liquid that dripped to the ground ever so slowly. Her body turned as she approached the silvered glass, never taking her eyes off of it as she crossed the room. Her wings flared for a moment, and for the briefest of times she saw a shadow of Celestia and Luna within herself, an oddly appropriate thought. Her hoof came up to touch the glass and she leaned her head against it for a moment, closing her eyes and trying to remember what she had looked like before. It hadn’t even been that long ago, or so it seemed.

The image slowly built in her mind - fractured and half broken - of a bright purple unicorn eagerly awaiting the next homework assignment. Images of her colorful friends and their wild adventures together. Half-baked memories of Cadence and Shining Armor and Celestia, and what it felt like to stand under the sunlight and not feel stark fear of the world that threatened to claim everything she loved.

“Twilight…”

Umbra’s voice was soft, almost… Twilight couldn’t put her hoof on it, as she slowly opened her eyes to stare at the tears she hadn’t even felt. Umbra’s hoof took her shoulder and turned her away from the mirror as a dark wave of shadowed power rose up behind her to blacken the mirror. “It is not good to gaze into yourself too long, my beloved daughter.” Umbra’s voice was firm and motherly and slowly set Twilight’s mind to ease.

Piece by piece, Umbra lifted the deep violet armor from its carrying case and slowly strapped it to Twilight’s body when a thought occurred to her. “That’s… the first time you’ve ever said my name,” Twilight said softly, feeling a pulse of warmth in her heart. A piece of the multi-layered plate hit the floor with a metallic clang, startling Twilight out of the thought. Umbra was staring at her with a faintly disbelieving stare, then shook her head slowly as the plate slowly lifted from the ground and strapped to her shoulder.

For a few long moments, Umbra was silent as she garbed Twilight in the armor. For those same moments, Twilight began to worry that she had somehow offended her mother… until… “I...” Umbra hesitated, her voice soft and unsteady. “I have just… never felt so much affection for my Shade before.” She sounded uncertain and unsure as the last piece of flank plating settled itself into place, covering Twilight’s body with a glittering shell of metal and magic. “No…” Umbra continued as if slowly coming to a realization. “It is more than mere affection. It is…”

“Love,” Twilight said in her softest voice, and trotted noisily over to her beloved mother - reaching up with an armor shod hoof to stroke down that ethereal mane, her lips coming up to meet Umbra’s cheek and a smile on her face. “And I love you as well, my beloved Umbra.” The words seemed to both startle and please her, and Twilight felt a little bounce of happiness. She lifted her own helm - modeled after the same kind of helm once worn by Nightmare Moon - and slipped it over her head. “Now, let us make haste. Roam must fall.” Twilight could hear her voice darkening as she spoke and turned resolutely toward the door.

There was work to do, and the will of Umbra to bend upon the world.

~~~~~Roam, The Inner City, one hour later.~~~~~

Prince Captain Scipio felt his heart swell in his chest as they approached the eastern gates of the Inner City and with surprisingly few casualties. “Don’t get cocky, bro,” Gilda’s voice cut through his pleasure as the sight of the shining scale mail of the Legion Guard upon the wall sent a wave of relief through his soul. Still, Gilda was right - getting here was the easy part. “Yeah,” said Gilda. “Getting out of here is gonna be the tough part,” she finished, completing the thought as though she’d been thinking the same thing.

Scipio nodded and felt a breath exhale. “Still. It will be good to receive proper orders and commence with the evacuation.” The words still felt bitter in his mouth, but he could no longer deny the need. Evacuating Roam. Madness on any other day but this one. “And we will be able to check on Father - ” His words were cut off as two columns of Legionnaires marched out of the gates, twenty strong and all wearing the contoured plate of the Praetorian Guard. His jaw dropped halfway to his chest at the sight of them, escorting a graying but still strong figure amongst them.

His father, Marcus Skytalon still stood as proud and tall at the age of sixty as he did at twenty. His eyes were still the burnished gold that was the hallmark of the Skytalon clan, and he bore the much filigreed armor of a Griffon King. His eyes were focused, sunlike on Scipio - though a side glance to Gilda was as full of warmth and affection as any child could ask for. He spoke softly but firmly, a habit he had long cultivated to ensure that whenever he did speak, others would listen. “Scipio, Gilda. You must both come with me, and quickly. Time runs short for Roam… and for us all.”

Gilda stared at him for a few moments, and before Scipio could venture so much as a word she exploded. “No shit, pops! Some insane army is attacking the entire city! Half the fuckin’ plebes are going at each other like there’s no tomorrow!” Her voice rang against the stones of the wall and even the Centurions stared at her in mute astonishment. No one spoke to a King like that, no matter how related they were. Her next words were even worse. “And you’re standing here with the Celestia-damned Imperial Guards?! Why aren’t you getting our citizens out of the city? Where th’ fuck are the other Kings?!”

Scipio normally would have tried to restrain his sister at this point… but for once, could not bring himself to disagree with her. He felt anger - a terrible anger - boiling up from the pit of his stomach. What in the name of the Caesars was going on here anyway? “Calm yourself, Gilda,” his father said in an entirely too placid voice for Scipio’s tastes. “Our retreat is already underway - but we cannot yet leave Roam. There is one thing that must be done before that happens.” He turned away and began to walk, obviously expecting them to follow without further comment.

But Scipio was not going to have it. “What has to happen, Father? Have you not seen what has happened to our citizens? Have you seen nothing of the enemy that hurls itself against us without fear or doubt?” Scipio strode forward and seized his father’s shoulder, spinning him around much to the older griffon’s surprise. “What could possibly be more important than seeing to the safety of our citizens and sending warning to the other kingdoms!?” Scipio’s father stared at him for a time, then shook his head slowly - shock melting away to sadness… and regret. A regret that, for the first time today drove a dagger of fear into Scipio’s heart. But it was nothing compared to the terror that his father’s next words inspired.

“The Kings cannot leave Roam, Scipio. We must name a Caesar.”

Author's Note

The next chapter is a very big one. It will therefore take a little longer than normal to write, so while I will strive most mightily to have it out on wedsday, I make no promises. It will, however, be out by Friday at the latest.

Chapter 7 - Reluctant Goddess

~~~~~The Ki Lin Kingdoms, Outside of Neighpon, the next day.~~~~~

Celestia drew in a deep breath and focused herself.

It was almost second nature to her now, after doing this for so very long. She inhaled the sweet air around her and gently expelled it out her nose and took hold of the magic within her. The infinite power of the Sun warmed her from her very core and spread out to all of her six limbs. The power grew in her horn as she called to the Sun to rise for the brand new day, her voice sweetly singing through the ether. Sometimes she wondered what the world had been like before she’d taken up this power. Certainly, the sun had risen and set - but what had made it do so? Or perhaps, the better question was who had made it do so?

Celestia didn’t know. What she did know was that the Sun had been with her for as long as she could remember now, her very being suffused with its light and its power - and its responsibility. Her power spun out into the ether, the call of her inner voice shimmering across the purple and blue skies above. She could feel the gentle tug of the Sun, and the slowness with which the Moon fell to its own slumber. She smiled a little, feeling a gentle brush of Luna’s power against her own as she sent her call out to the Sun again.

The Sun came to her call and slowly lifted itself above the horizon. It’s warm, orange light shone toward her, and she smiled and closed her eyes. “Good morning,” she whispered, as she had countless times before. She had no real idea if the Sun heard it… but it was a whimsy she enjoyed indulging. The Moon finally gave way, and the Sun began its slow ascension from its sleep.

Celestia turned back toward the camp to find Star Swirl leaning against a tree with a sly smile. His hat and cloak were nowhere to be seen, and were it not for his beard, he might have passed for any other aged unicorn. “Today’s the big day, Celestia,” he began, his voice strong and firm. The gravelly rasp was gone after nearly two weeks of vigorous exercise and the excellent cooking of Moon Song. Even so, the mention of the ‘big day’ sent a twist into her guts.

Ever since she had - reluctantly, it must be said - taken the position as the penultimate ruler of Equestria, she had done everything in her power to keep her ponies from seeing her as some kind of god figure. Not simply because of the complications it would bring, but because of the distance. She loved that she didn’t need to disguise herself to enjoy a good party with her beloved ponies, nor did she need to hide her true nature to find… more intimate entertainment. She ruled over them, yes, but they knew that when injustice reared its head, even the least of her citizens could petition to speak with her personally. Not even the littlest filly….

And just like that, it hit her again.

And this time, there was no hope that she could silently convince Luna to step away and give her a few moments of peace. “Celestia,” Star Swirl’s voice came slowly, as she scrunched her eyes shut and leaned against the nearest solid object - a tree, in this case. “Celestia, look at me.” His voice tried to penetrate, but it got as much attention as Celestia was prepared to give the wind. A hoof grasped her shoulder and shook firmly. “Celestia, stop this!” Star Swirl’s voice had gone firm, commanding…

And it didn’t matter one whit. Twilight… the thought came, unbidden and unwelcome as it always did. A crushing sense of defeat, loss, depression… anger. The past weeks had come with the slow reveal of everything that had happened to Twilight, through the lense of Moon Song. Luna had tried to talk her out of the questions, but Celestia would have none of it. She had to know what had happened, had to know every gory detail, so that she might concoct the plan to save Twilight’s mind.

And now that she knew absolutely everything, Celestia was no longer certain she could find the means to do so. Too much had happened. She had been pushed too far for any mundane solution to take hold. I should have stayed. I should have spirited her away - someplace I could have protected her… But that might have only ended up worse, and Celestia knew it all too well.

Logic had no place in those emotions, however. So she wept silently, ignoring Star Swirl’s remonstrations and wishing he would leave her be. Twilight had always bid fair to be extraordinary even amongst the ranks of Celestia’s students, but Celestia had never been able to admit to herself just how special she had become to her. More than a student. More than friend, maybe. But what did that make them? Celestia did not know, and she now feared she would never be able to find out.

But a hard hoof grabbed her head and wrenched it around, shocking Celestia out of her melancholy to stare into the fierce golden eyes of her teacher and one-time mentor. “You aren’t going to help her like this, Celly.” His voice rippled with understanding, but also a deep concern. “I know how…” Star Swirl hesitated, then continued quickly. “Take heed, apprentice. The weapons and the means exist to save your beloved student, but not if you surrender to despair.” His eyes were soft - understanding - and his words were just the same.

Celestia felt her neck snap a little as her head came up, narrowing her eyes. “What sort of means, teacher?” She could hear her voice heating, could feel the rush of power from her core at the very thought that there might still be hope. But… this was Star Swirl, and that led Celestia to only one other thought. “What are you hiding from me?” That came out a great deal stronger and sharper than she’d intended, and she immediately winced back from the words. “Oh fie, teacher… I’m sorry.”

Star Swirl glared at her for a few moments, and then… then he sighed softly, leaning on the tree next to her. “No, I suppose I deserved that,” he growled, crossing his hooves over his chest to stare out into the horizon. “I should have told you what I was going to do. I should have told you about Umbra. Perhaps if I had, we wouldn’t be here now.” There was a pause… and Celestia felt a hard hoof smack her across the back of the head hard enough to make her wince. “Doesn’t excuse you acting like a foal, though,” he grumbled at her.

Celestia couldn’t help it. A little smile cracked through her anger and depression as she reached up to rub where he’d smacked her. “Ow,” she half-whined at him, hoping that perhaps a bit of banter might help calm her down. “I’m quite serious though. I know when you’re holding something back, teacher. There’s something you don’t want to tell me.” Now she grabbed his shoulder and turned him to face her. The look on his face was one of conflict and concern, and Celestia took in a deep breath. “Star Swirl… I’m very much a grown mare now. I can handle bad news you know.” She tried to cajole him as she spoke, putting on her best and most regal airs.

Star Swirl looked up into her eyes then, and his voice was almost whisper soft. “Can you, Celly?” He shook his head and pushed off of the tree, starting to walk away. She stared after him as he walked, a quiet resolve set on his shoulders, until he turned to face her again. “Could you really bring yourself to do that?” His eyes were intense upon her, and Celestia felt her heart clench painfully, the beating becoming far more rapid than it had before as he strode back to their camp.

Surely he could not be suggesting that she would have to do…. that.

Could he?

~~~~~~~~~

“Bright the day, sister dearest!” Luna’s chipper voice cut through Celestia’s brooding thoughts, and the smell of warm oatmeal and syrup assaulted her nose. Celestia felt her lips twitching at the sight of Luna bent over the cookpot and stirring with a long handled wooden spoon. “Our morning repast shall be ready presently, and Master Star Swirl shall be outlining our plans.” Luna looked positively chipper for somepony who was far more used to a nightly schedule, and it wasn’t until the robust smell of strong coffee hit her that Celestia could figure out why.

Moon Song was present too, scrubbing a bright cloth into what looked like… “Luna, why on earth do you have your armor out?” Celestia said, feeling utterly baffled at the sight of the midnight blue steel plating and bright silver fixtures. Moon Song herself blushed a little and redoubled her efforts at shining up the plate piece by careful piece. Luna giggled softly, a sound that at once cheered and mildly annoyed Celestia.

“Because we need to make an appropriate entrance to Neighpon, Celly,” Star Swirl said brusquely, once again breaking through Celestia’s thoughts before she could effectively marshall them. A bright silvery tendril of magic lifted a spoonful of the breakfast from the pot and delivered it to the awaiting lips. “Mm, needs a touch of salt, Lulu. The Jade Empress is expecting a pair of goddesses, Celestia. Given that you were kind enough to bring something impressive to wear…” He shrugged a shoulder at her, even as Celestia tried very hard to focus a glare at him.

Luna chuckled again before speaking, a sprinkling of white salt over the pot punctuating her words. “Dear sister, stop trying to burn a hole in him. He’s right; the swifter we make our power clear, the faster we can accomplish our goals here.” Lulu gave the pot one more stir and began to dish out the cereal before delivering a sly gaze to Star Swirl. “Though it might be nice to know exactly what our goals here are…”

Celestia huffed out a breath, taking her bowl of cereal and primly sitting next to her sister. “Yes, teacher. I think it is past time we were informed as to the particulars of your deal with these… ponies.” The last word came with just a touch of acid. Celestia truthfully knew very little about the Ki-Lin race beyond the fact that they shared some kind of common ancestor with unicorns. They were a highly insular sort of nation, and had been for as long as Celestia had been aware of them. Calling them ponies was the closest she could come to a description though, as in all respects they very much looked like her beloved Equestrians.

Star Swirl nodded as he set down his bowl next to him and began taking neat bites using only his magic, floating the cereal in little bowl-shaped globules up to his mouth before biting them out of the air. Celestia thought it was a little silly, but then… well, a great deal of things her teacher had done were a little silly. That did not diminish his magical genius one iota. “Very well,” he began, adjusting his pose to the very same ‘lecture’ position he had so often taken in the distant past. “When I first encountered them, the Ki-Lin were ruled by a complex and diverse theocracy, based on a strange belief system that purported that all things in the world were possessed with a spirit of one kind or another. Some spirits were more powerful than others, and no spirits were as powerful as those of the moon and the sun.”

Star Swirl paused for a moment, drawing a flask from one of their saddlebags and taking a pull from it before continuing to speak. “The central figure of this theocracy was called the Jade Empress, a Ki-Lin possessed of exceptional magical power. According to their mythology, the strongest female magic user of each generation was ‘chosen’ by these spirits to be worthy of rule over the Ki-Lin’s government.” He shrugged his shoulders then, taking only a moment for several more bites of cereal before continuing. “A strange, but still rather effective means of picking a ruler. These girls would be given the absolute finest training in magic and governance; and should the present Empress die, they would then undergo some sort of mysterious ritual they called the Trial. Whomever survived this Trial was made the new Empress.”

Celestia stared at him for a moment, fascinated by the implications of that. Unicorns could live to be an exceptionally old age if they were powerful enough in magic, and even those that weren’t could improve their lifespan through the use of various complex rituals and spells. How many such powerful individuals could be around for that sort of… barbaric competition? And why on earth did Star Swirl almost sound like he admired them for it?

Whatever the reasons, Star Swirl didn’t seem to notice her distaste as he continued to speak. “Before I came to Neighpon for the first time, I had been looking for so long for some kind weapon to wield against Umbra…” His gaze fell to the fire, tone dropping to something much softer. “Clover was as vigorous as she ever was, but I admit I was becoming wearied of the search. We had spoken to the zebricans, the griffons, dragons, buffalo folk, even the diamond dogs - following the legends of the dark power that corrupted the minds of the innocent and plotted to seize the world for her own. And yet we could find no decisive means to deal with her - nothing that would not simply begin the cycle anew.” He looked up and exhaled a deep breath, staring into the sky. “I was running out of ideas. So… I did something… risky… and I contacted the one creature who might be able to help me.”

“The White Doe,” Moon Song whispered softly - and a blast of wind rushed through Celestia’s mane, sending it flying all around her. The name drove into her heart like a stake of steel and chilled her to the very bone. “The guardian of the woods, and the daughter of the Hart was known to have the power to see into the future,” Moon Song continued, and much to Celestia’s surprise didn’t immediately get silenced by her mentor. Star Swirl hated being interrupted like this but… nothing. Why did he look so thoroughly depressed?

“Yes… more the fool I was to think I would walk away from that meeting unscathed,” Star Swirl muttered softly, his magic alighting and pulling his hat out from the pile of their things and cramming it onto his head with a jangle of the bells. “I asked her to provide me with insight into the true nature of the Shadow and how to battle it. She agreed to tell me, but the price would be that I would have to carry out a task for her.” He shook his head slowly, his hooves pressed tightly together in front of him. “Had I known how long that task would take me… perhaps I would have sought some other means.”

Star Swirl looked up, his gaze firmly set on Celestia’s face. “She took me to the fountain of the Hart, where he had first imprisoned Umbra and taken from her the powers of creation. There, she revealed to me the history of the Shadow, and for the first time told me her true name. But she did far more than that. She showed me many things that would come to pass - she told me of a fallen prince who would seek to enslave all the world, and how he would be imprisoned in eternal ice.” Celestia gave off a little gasp, nearly shoving herself backwards. King Sombra… The thought crossed her mind, and her heart clenched once again in pain…

And the next words were far, far worse. “She told me of the return of Discord, and his fell power upon the earth. She told me of the griffon wars, and so many other events.” He looked at Luna, his eyes softening. “And she told me of the two ponies I loved the most in all of the world battling for the future of the entire planet, one of them possessed and tainted by the dark power of Umbra.” A spoon clattered to the ground, followed by a mostly emptied wooden bowl as Luna stared at him in stark disbelief. Celestia felt a burning anger in her heart at that even as Star Swirl’s mood turned utterly miserable. “The White Doe turned to me, and said that if measures were not taken, there would be no hope for all of the world to survive the conflicts to come. And then…” He took a deep breath and exhaled it. “She told me that if I truly sought to end the threat of Umbra, I would need to be alive two thousand years into the future. For it would be then that the world’s one chance to bring an end to her power would occur.”

Star swirl looked down, hiding his eyes behind his hat even as Luna worked her mouth - obviously trying to find the words to speak. Moon Song cut in a moment later; however, and robbed Luna of her speech once again. “He came to my ancestors and many like them. Those who were loyal to Equestria, and those who knew the threat of the Shadow. He told us of what he had seen, and plans were laid to avert the worst. The prophecies he was given were carefully passed down, generation to generation amidst the families… and when the time came, we were ready to act.” She looked up at Luna, her eyes sad but determined. “Would that I had known it would be me who would have to pay the price for those prophecies…” Moon Song’s voice drifted off, once again into that distant sadness that Celestia could simply only describe as utter, soul-crushing loss.

Star Swirl cut in again, his voice harsh and gravelly. “We spoke for weeks, and in the end I knew that I had not the power to ensure no matter what, I would live to see these days. But the Doe spoke to me of a land where the magics of life and the spirit world were the strongest, and so I came here with Clover. Here, we met with the Empress of the Ki-Lin, and…” He hesitated, his voice breaking for a moment before he continued. “And her price for aiding me was simple. She claimed her kind had long had a prophecy about a great darkness that would consume their kingdoms… unless the spirit of the Sun and Moon were to come to the Imperial Capital and lead them to victory against it.” He looked up once more, his gaze travelling between Luna and Celestia slowly, his voice firm and desperate. “What else could I do?”

He fell silent, and Celestia toyed with the bowl in her hooves. She slowly turned the new knowledge in her head over and over again, just as she turned the bowl. Centuries of wondering what had happened to her teacher - of trying to understand the last meeting between them. Memories of Star Swirl’s dire warnings of what her sister would become. Memories of her dismissing such claims - scoffing at the very idea that Luna would ever so betray her. Memories of telling Star Swirl that she would never, ever harm Luna...

Celestia clenched her eyes shut and the bowl shattered into shards of pottery, falling to the ground in front of her. “Celestia!” a voice cried out from around her, but the memories were already setting in - slamming her mind and heart with the images burned into her mind.

Luna, rife with dark magic, confronting her in her own throne room. Proclaiming her sister to be unfit to rule and declaring herself Queen of Equestria.

Luna, now Nightmare Moon, wreaking destruction and havoc upon the land of Equestria and so many other lands around it. Countless innocents forced to worship her as a living goddess.

Luna, screaming in pain and fear as the Elements of Harmony shone with impossible power and struck her with the final spell of the Nightmare War. Celestia’s eyes blinded with tears, rage, and sorrow.

Celestia’s body wracked with pain as the Elements grew dull and lifeless, smashing into the ground with the force of a judge’s gavel. The final judgement upon her unwillingness to see the truth and for the ultimate crime of sealing away her own sister rather than be able to save her.

And worst of all, the knowledge that in the end, she could not bring herself to save the world from some nebulous future threat at the cost of her sister’s life. Damn the world. I’ll not sacrifice Luna for it. Such had been her thoughts. And now?

Now Twilight was under the control of that same dark magic. Her desire to deny fate the blood of one she loved dearly had led to this. Once again, Celestia’s own pride had blinded her to the power of the threat she faced, and Twilight was the one who would pay the price for her arrogance. I am a fool… a damned fool… Some Princess you are, Celestia. The thoughts came bitterly, tears beginning to stream unheeded down her cheeks.

Then she was slapped.

Celestia’s eyes opened blearily, and she stared into the shining golden eyes of Moon Song, her lips twisted into an angry rictus and her gaze narrow and fierce. “Stop it.” Her voice practically screamed at Celestia, stunning her into a momentary compliance. “We’ve all fucked up, Princess. Everypony sitting here has fucked up in some terrible way. Some of us are still paying for those fuckups.” The casual profanity rocked Celestia for a moment, rendering her speechless at the barrage of foul language.

But Moon Song wasn’t even close to done. “The past fucking hurts. But right now, there are countless fucking ponies who are counting on you.” Moon Song’s voice went much quieter, hissing the next words out at point blank range. “Not the least of which is the pony I love more than anything else in the world, and the pony you love more than anything else in the world.” Celestia opened her mouth for a moment to deny that, and was stunned to find herself slapped again by Moon Song - the blow hard enough to set her ears to ringing. “Don’t you dare fucking try to tell me otherwise. They don’t need you crying into your fucking soup.”

Moon Song’s hoof jammed into Celestia’s chest, the words coming faster and thicker now - no longer razor sharp, but hammer blows. “What they need is Celestia Solaris, the fucking Sun Queen. They need the monarch so feared by every other shithead ruler in the world that no one sane has tried to fuck with Equestria in seven centuries.” The hoof jammed in again, and Celestia could feel a spark of… something, lighting up in her chest. Moon Song released her hoof and turned slightly before speaking one more time. “So put on your big-filly panties and deal with it, Princess - unless you want to go back to a smoking ruin of a country.”

Celestia could only stare in astonishment after Moon Song and was at least gratified to see that Luna’s disbelief was no less powerful. Luna shook it off faster though, and before Celestia could work up a good head of outrage, she was already speaking in quiet and reasonable tones. “She is right, Sister. We cannot afford to hesitate now. Every moment we do so is another moment that foul being has a chance to work its will upon Equestria.” Luna’s voice had taken an edge to it, but there was no less courage in her tone.

Luna trod around the fire and pressed a hoof into Celestia’s. “Please, sister… I know you fear that you will become no different than Nightmare Moon.” Celestia’s head whipped around, her jaw dropping. She had said no such thing, and had not even once inferred such a fear around Luna! Of course, that is the last thing I wish to do given how sensitive she was about those times at first… “Sister,” Luna’s voice cut in, her mouth turned upwards in a gentle smile. “Please believe me when I say that you could never become like that… creature was. No matter how much they may try and worship you, I have little doubt that such attention will simply roll off you.” Luna’s eyes were twinkling at her, her voice turning sly. “At least, it will once they have seen you sleeping off an excess of cake and hard cider.”

Celestia stared at Luna for a moment of disbelief before bursting into laughter. Strained, slightly psychotic sounding laughter, but laughter none the less. Luna is right… as usual. “Very well,” Celestia found herself saying, drawing herself back up to a proper sitting stance. “If we must play the goddess for these children to ensure our victory, then we will do so.” She held up a hoof at Star Swirl’s excited smile and the sudden revivification of his mood. “But! You and I shall share very frank words later, Star Swirl. And I shall not wear my battle armor for this purpose. No. If these Ki-Lin desire a Sun Goddess, then that is what they shall receive. On my terms.”

Luna blinked at her, tilting her head slightly to one side. “And just what did you have in mind, dear sister?”

~~~~~Neighpon, The Grand Eastern Gate~~~~~

Inked Hooves was well and truly bored.

Not that he would ever admit as such to his superiors, but he was. Even in spite of the brilliant and beautiful sunrise provided to them by the Goddess, today was clearly going to be a slow day for himself and the rest of the gate duty. The two guards - Silver Breeze and Bright Star - were chatting amicably with one another, their long naginata resting carelessly against the wall. Had it been any other day, Inked would have chastised them for their laziness… but frankly, he was feeling in much the same casual mood.

It was not precisely known that such a casual sort of attitude could be displayed at the Grand Eastern Gate, but Inked Hooves long ago discovered that it was good to relax from time to time. It seemed to make the peasantry more at ease with them if they believed their betters thought and lived much as they did during their off hours. A silly notion, but it helped foster better relations with the lower castes.

So when his morning reports had been written and sent off by messenger, Inked decided it was a good day to simply enjoy the bright sun and pleasant fall breeze. Soon enough, it would be too cold to enjoy this sort of atmosphere, but the gentle bite of Tsukiyomi’s wind contrasting with the loving gaze of Amaterasu’s sun was a pleasant dichotomy to begin the day. He felt his heart brighten, and with but a thought and a touch of aid from the wind spirit he had already set his quill to writing out a few words on the subject. It was always good to indulge one’s creative side when praising the spirits as the priestesses often said it could please them enough to grant you a bit more of their power.

He had just finished roughing out the first draft and placed his signature upon it when Inked noticed the subtle change. A new breeze flooded through the gates and the windows of his office, smelling richly of baked earth and the depth of a summer evening. Gone was the chill of the fall day, replaced with a gently soothing heat that came from no discernable place at all. He started, and stared around him for a moment, searching for the source of this strange change in the world around him.

Then the breeze came again, this time redolent with the smell of summer flowers and the richness of fresh fruits and vegetables. Inked stared for a moment at his simple words, and wondered if perhaps Amaterasu truly had been watching and had found his words pleasing. He licked at his suddenly dry lips when the soft light of the morning sun became even brighter - shining golden-yellow into his office, and he could no longer sit and wonder what might be occurring outside his window.

His hooves carried him out into the open space of the Gate. Like all of the Grand Gates, it was built into a perfect semi-circle, marred only by the need for a flat road at the ground. Fitting for the Eastern Gate, this one was painted a bright red with many sun motifs and wavy architecture in praise to the Sun Goddess. There was even a large disc of white jade - onto which had been carved what many thought of as the image of Amaterasu - set into the ground in the middle of where the gate met the earth. The two guards had taken their naginata in hoof and were staring into the east in awe, and as Inky turned his gaze to see for himself, he could not find the heart in himself to chastise them.

For the dawning sun was shining with impossible beauty through the cherry blossom trees that lined the road towards Neighpon, and upon that road, a single slender figure walked slowly towards the gate. Clearly, it was a unicorn or Ki Lin, but it was far taller and its horn far more slender and graceful than any creature Inked had seen before in his entire life. Inked Hooves wondered from where such a creature could have come when the world blossomed in color and light.

Before his very eyes, the cherry blossom trees burst into new life - vibrant pink blossoms suddenly budding and blooming far, far out of season for them. The sere grasses alongside the road, the life having faded from them as winter approached, suddenly glowed with the healthy green lush of midsummer. Inky felt his heart contract with an emotion he could not immediately identify as the shadowed figure strode close enough to be seen even in the shining bright light of the sun.

Her eyes were the most vivid color he had ever seen in his entire life. He could not even properly describe the color of those eyes, looking down upon him with a gentle kindness and love that was fit to fill up the entire world. Her mane flowed with ethereal grace, colored in soft pastels that mocked what poor artists had tried to capture in mere paint. Her coat was as pure white as the snow, and she bore vast and powerful wings upon her back. Her hooves were shod in boots of gold, and a simple golden crown inset with a single blue stone sat upon her brow. A golden torque was the last of her jewelry, shimmering with simple sun iconography.

Of course, a Goddess had no need for further ornamentation.

Words abandoned Inked Hooves in that moment, and even under the kindly gaze of Amaterasu he could not help but feel a sense of awe. His hooves trembled as he offered up the scroll to her, wondering if perhaps he had erred too far in his desire to express his devotion. “For me?” she spoke to him, her voice mellifluous and gentle and infinite in its kindness. He nodded a little, unable to find words for his tongue to speak. Her horn lit with vibrant golden magic and unfurled the scroll slowly, her eyes darting across the parchment as though she read like any other mortal. Perhaps it was simply a way to make the lesser folk more comfortable in her presence. Regardless, a slow smile blossomed onto her face. “My goodness… Sister, you really must read this,” she said, turning her head to glance over her shoulder when a second figure strode into view and nearly caused Inked Hooves to collapse on the spot.

She had made no shadow upon the earth - which was perhaps appropriate, given that Her moon was currently slumbering in wait for the night. Her eyes shone with the pure blue of the evening sky, and her coat was the dark-blue of the night. Within her mane a field of stars and space rippled through the air and where Amaterasu’s regalia was of gold, hers was of silver and moonstone. Her own eyes darted across the paper and she gave a soft and pleased laugh. “Tis a truly flattering bit of prose, Sister.” The gaze of Tsukiyomi turned upon him, and her coy smile was fit to arouse a pleasure and lust in even the most chaste stallion’s heart. “We thank thee for thy kind words, young stallion.”

Amaterasu nodded in agreement. “Oh yes. May we keep this?” she asked him - asked! - waving the scroll gaily in the air. It was all he could do not to nod so hard that his head fell off. She smiled in slow pleasure and bowed her head to him for a moment in clear thanks before tucking the scroll away in a saddle bag. “Now, would you be so kind as to direct us to the Imperial Palace? There is much work to be done.” Though her voice was still kind, there was now a briskness to it. Any child would have recognized the firm tones of a mother in that voice - kind and sweet, but fully prepared to lay down the law when work needed to be done.

Without even thinking about it, Inked Hooves felt his professionalism snap back into place. “Of course, Great Ones,” he murmured reverently, bowing deeply to the both of them. Clearly they were testing his ability to perform his duties, even in the face of the extraordinary. “To reach the palace is simplicity itself. Proceed down the Jade Road, upon which we now stand.” He gestured firmly, confidently. He would carry out his duties with dispatch and skill. “Until you reach the central square, where the Marketplace resides. Then turn to the north road, which is called the Golden Way and follow it without error. At the end of that road, you shall find the Palace complex.” There! A perfect and succinct description, as good as his superiors could have ever asked for.

And sure enough, Amaterasu seemed quite pleased. “Thank you, Inked Hooves,” she said with a smile that sent a wave of warm approval through his body. “Come along, Sister - Star Swirl. We ought to not keep them waiting.” And with those mysterious words, she continued through the gate at a firm trot. Tsukiyomi followed in her wake, but not before giving Inked a smokey sort of look as they vanished past the gates…

And in her hoofsteps a third figure walked. He wore a strange wizard’s hat and cloak, bedecked with bells, stars, and moons. A scraggly white beard hung from his chin, and his eyes were piercing and calm. He said no word to Inked or the guards, but not one of them did not know his face. His statue had long been prominent in the Grand Square, after all.

And every child knew the name of The One Who Shall Return.

~~~~~The Jade Palace, Neighpon~~~~~

For the rest of her life, Celestia would never be able to forget the first time she laid eyes upon the Jade Palace. Perhaps it was because of how the city was reacting to her presence - subtly casting the dozen or so spells and manipulations of the weather using her own pegasus magic had created the intended effect. Instead of appearing as avenging battle goddesses, they had instead awed the locals into the same kind of gentle curiosity as the average Equestrian.

Their Goddesses strode amongst them - a kind word here, a gentle laugh there. Luna was expressing great interests in all the local treats and cuisine they passed, and Celestia herself could not deny that she was very interested in sampling those fascinating looking cookies being sold on the street. But now was not the time for gustatory pleasures, and instead they simply moved inexorably to the palace.

There, Celestia found herself stunned into silence by the immeasurable beauty of the place. Unicorn architecture had always been gorgeous, but this place bid fair to put even Canterlot in the shade. The entire structure seemed built out of gentle circles, arches, gracefully fluted fences, and elegant gardens of vibrant flowers and stone. The building soared an easy ten stories into the sky, dwarfing many of the other buildings around it… but not all of them. Indeed, it was kind of strange how so many other tall buildings there were interspersed throughout the city.

There were no walls about the palace… and there didn’t need to be. A vast and swiftly flowing river neatly demarcated where the city ended and the palace grounds began, and only a single wide bridge spanned the river to cross it. Word had apparently quickly spread of their arrival, as the bridge was guarded by several squads of Ki-Lin in odd looking armor. Many carefully stitched together plates of some kind of material made up the armor, and they all held those odd swords-on-spears that the main gate guards had been holding in their hooves.

At first, Celestia could not pick out their leader until she strode forward - instead of one of the spears, she wore a pair of slender looking blades strapped to her back. Her eyes were a bright and vivid green, and she wore the same kind of stiff look that Celestia’s own Royal Guard often wore when they were on duty. The thought made her grin a little, and a touch of hesitation went into the guard-captain’s otherwise stiff and formal stance. Fortunately, this captain was apparently quick on her hooves. “Sagacious greetings to you, Almighty Amaterasu. And greetings to Your Radiance, Tsukiyomi.” She bowed deeply to them, as did every other member of the guards by the bridge. “And at last, we welcome your return to Neighpon, honored Sage.”

She raised from her bow as Star Swirl strode to stand alongside her, and she spoke in a soft and reverent tone. “The Empress awaits you all with eager anticipation.”

Author's Note

Sorry for the wait, everypony. In exchange, here's an extra-long chapter!

Chapter 8 - The Jade Empress

~~~~~The Imperial Palace~~~~~

Celestia held her head high as the slow procession wound its way into the palace, surrounded by the three dozen or so armed guards. The green eyed mare with her odd swords led the way stoically, but never being unable to stop snatching a glance or a look of wonder at Luna and her. It was actually kind of cute, and Celestia wondered what might lie beneath the diamond hard exterior of the guard captain. A little filly, seeing her legends come to life. Like I was when Star Swirl the Bearded strode into my home all those years ago…

That was actually a surprisingly calming thought, for it meant these Ki Lin were naught more than just another facet of her beloved ponies. Let them pretend otherwise if it pleased their sensibilities - the unicorns had certainly tried to for a very long time before finally admitting they were just as much a part of society as the earth ponies were. “So, might I know your name, Captain?” she asked, keeping her voice soft and gentle, projecting her most caring demeanour. The last thing she needed was one of these ponies panicking at the thought of her disapproving of them.

The captain’s head snapped around, her eyes wide and momentarily full of disbelief - as though she could not comprehend why she was being spoken to. Then Celestia arched a meaningful eyebrow and the poor dear appeared to blush a little. “Ah… I am Gentle Blade, great one,” she said in a surprisingly gentle voice, as melodious as that of a singer - or perhaps a dancer given her lithe form.

“It is a pleasure to meet you, Gentle Blade.” Celestia wondered if the Ki-Lin shared the same naming traditions as Equestrians did. There was something about her sharp green eyes that reminded her strongly of a certain pony back home… “Am I right to presume you are the leader of the Empress’ guard?” she gently asked, hoping to arouse a little conversation before things got too formal to allow such a thing.

Gentle Blade looked quite startled at that, looking at her with wide eyes. “Ah… I would not presume to call myself such, Great One. I am but a humble warrior, honored to serve the Empress and the Goddesses alike.” She bowed her head deeply towards Celestia, speaking in a sotto voice obviously not intended to be heard. “Not that I would not make a better choice than that foppish-” Gentle Blade bit off the last word and took in a deep, calming breath before speaking again. “I am surprised you do not know though, Amaterasu.” That was the closest anypony had so far gotten to curiosity about their apparent lack of knowledge about them, and Celestia’s initial good impression of the warrior was cemented on the spot.

Deciding on the fly that she’d rather have somepony who half-worshipped her, and whom she could talk to than some stone-faced priestess as a guide, Celestia smiled warmly. “It is courteous not to presume anything, Gentle Blade - even for me.” Then she leaned in close to speak in a conspiratorial whisper, “And to always remember that things can change as swiftly as a sunbeam.” She winked and was pleased to see the mare’s jaw drop just a little, her eyes going as wide as saucers for just a moment.

Celestia returned her gaze to their path and caught Luna’s sly smile. She winked back at her and carefully returned to appearing wise and motherly. Not that it was hard, as it was the same sort of mask she put on day in and day out at her own royal court. Habit was a wonderful thing, and it made it far easier not to gawk at their surroundings as they approached a massive pair of beautifully carved wooden doors. Images of Ki-lin warriors and bas-relief versions of herself and Luna were set into them, showing the pair of them exalted above all other ponies.

That was a little disturbing, frankly, but Celestia bit down her objections as the doors swung open. There was no sign of anypony around to open them, but Celestia was beginning to grow used to that sort of thing. She strode through the doors, noticing belatedly that the guards were remaining outside. “Gentle Blade!” she snapped firmly, and the female Ki-Lin stopped in mid-step as she was preparing to turn away. “Attend me,” Celestia finished in a manner which was very much not a request.

There was a palpable moment of stunned pause, and Celestia drank it in quite thoroughly. I care not for whatever you may thought you were getting with me, children. I have not the time for games. Twilight needs me - and as such - I need a warrior. Luna was doing her very best to look both amused and quite serious at the same time, and it presented an interesting dichotomy. Celestia turned around fully to bend her gaze upon Gentle Blade, who looked like she had just been struck on the back of the head by something fast and heavy. “Come, Gentle Blade. I have need of you,” she repeated, darting a quick glance to Star Swirl who surreptitiously made the lips-zipped motion with his hoof.

As one, the guards that Gentle Blade had been leading quickly took up in formation around the door and bowed low to the green-eyed Ki-Lin. Gentle Blade swallowed visibly and slowly - oh so achingly slowly - trod into the palace to stand alongside Celestia. She met this with a warm smile, projecting a soothing sort of aura. “Come now, my child. You need not be nervous,” she chided her, turning back to resume her walk. “I have need of somepony lacking in nonsense to act as my guide. You shall serve.” She did not look behind her, but the sound of clattering hooves and shifting armor told her that, at the very least, Gentle Blade was following.

Slow and measured steps took her into the palace… and right into another garden. Above her head, panes of perfectly clear glass let the sun shine down into a perfect little tea garden. Every bush, every stone pebble on the path, even the false bubbling brook was storybook perfect. It had to have taken quite a remarkable number of ponies to keep it in such a state, especially the sleek fish in a variety of fascinating metallic colors swimming about the stream. The air was not still either - some unseen fans created a breeze through the delicate leaves of the strange plants and flowers and smelled strongly of the fall season to come.

It would be time for the Running of the Leaves soon, and Celestia idly wondered if they had such a tradition here. “Ah, Great One… I do not mean to impose…” Gentle Blade said in a hesitant voice, even as she walked briskly to keep up with the trio. “But surely there is another who could better serve your needs?” Celestia could almost smile at the faintly worried tone. Word-for word, she sounded exactly like Shining Armor when she’d made him Captain of the Royal Guard.

So she simply smiled serenely as hoofsteps took them over gently arching bridges, forcing the poor mare to keep up. “It is possible that there is, but I do not have need for courtiers and those who deal in fancy words,” Celestia said with a gentle amount of reproach in her tone, using near the same speech she’d given Shiny all those years ago. “I have need of a warrior, a guardian. One whom I can count on to be honest with me. You certainly fit that bill, Captain.” The last word was said with just a touch of asperity, and Gentle Blade swallowed any further objections.

Their steps took them through the beautiful garden and past two iron-masked guards bearing swords similar to Blade’s. Their masks were caricatures of her face and Luna’s face, made to look more intimidating and warlike. They bowed as Celestia and Luna passed, horns alighting to push open a heavier set of inner doors. Star swirl quickly strode up to walk alongside the pair of them, speaking in a hushed tone. “Assuming they have not modified the place, the throne room is just ahead. Be cautious, Amaterasu.” There was something irritating about that last, and Celestia felt her lips turn to a frown.

“I know how to deal with royals, teacher,” she returned the barb in an equally quiet tone - not even paying attention to the beautiful murals on the walls around them as they traversed the quiet hallway. “Besides, we do not have time for diplomatic horse pucky. They have demanded the attentions of a ‘goddess.’” She nearly spat out the word, but Gentle Blade was present and for now there were appearances to keep up. “And so they shall get it.”

Was it her imagination, or did Star Swirl’s lips twitch into a smile? He certainly looked like he was trying not to encourage her, but Celestia was long since decided that she wasn’t going to take any shrift. Respect would be accorded, of course. And dues would be rightfully paid, especially for what she had done to preserve her teacher. But the rest?

Twilight was imperiled. Whatever Dancer had said, whatever Star Swirl thought, Celestia knew in the core of her very soul - right in the same place where the Sun lived within her - that Twilight was still in there. Trapped by this dark power, corrupted beyond reason perhaps, but still herself none-the-less. That would not last forever, though… Celestia had long ago learned that lesson with poor Prince Sombra. Time was against them, and if she did not act decisively then there would be no hope.

Their steps took them to a final set of doors, perfectly sized for an Alicorn to stride through at their full height. Celestia took in a deep breath, closing her eyes. “Luna,” was all she said as she summoned the tiniest fraction of the Sun’s power into her soul. Instantly, she could feel the air becoming warmer around her - the smell of a sweet summers breeze wafting through the air. Celestia could never quite explain all of the additional effects to seizing the power of the Sun, but for once she was glad of them.

As she opened her eyes, she knew their pupils would be as bright and vibrant a gold as her regalia: her mane’s colors just a little more vivid, and her step just a little bit more etherial. She knew that with the barest hint of further power, her pupils would vanish entirely and give her white void’s for eyes. Luna was much the same, but her opposite - her darkness became far more pronounced, the stars shone in her mane as though it were a window into the midnight sky. For a moment, all was still in the hallway.

Then Celestia called to her magic, and pushed the doors before them open. Gentle Blade gave off a soft gasp, but now was not the time to deal with that… now was the time to make her intentions clear. Without a word, Luna fell into step alongside her and the sound of Star Swirl’s hooves behind her echoed down the hall. The throne room itself was not massive - indeed, it was smaller than her own in Canterlot. But for its lack of size, it was no less impressive - floor to cieling columns laquered in red, golden fixtures and filigrees, and a deep, dark green stone floor. At the opposite end of the hall from the door she had entered, a single slim Ki-Lin sat upon a carved throne of jade.

Celestia’s first impressions were interesting. She looked not like a monarch, but like a model. Every inch of her silken silver coiffure, ruby red dress regalia were tailored to within an inch of their lives. Her eyes were slightly slanted, like all Ki-Lin, and a beautiful bright violet that would have been a perfect match for Celestia’s own eyes. Her coat was as pure white as Rarity’s had been, and her mane was a gorgeous deep green that spilled down over her shoulders and all the way to her flank in silken waves. Her gaze was level and serene, but filled with a far deeper cunning than Celestia had anticipated.

But none of these observations slowed her step. Celestia did not look to the left or right, but knew that the throne room had been filled with all manner of warriors and nobility - of the wealthy and powerful that had come to see their Goddesses walk amongst them. As they passed, the many Ki-Lin bowed, kneeling their forelegs on the ground and touching their horns to the same. They did not speak, or cheer, or even mutter as Canterlot nobles might have done. The eerie silence was punctuated only by the rap of her metal hoofboots upon the ground. Outside there had been awe, certainly, but there had also been a great deal of excitement. In here, Celestia could practically smell the fear.

Perhaps she should not be surprised - the wealthy and powerful often resented those with greater wealth and power than themselves. And it stood to reason that they would be even moreso of one who held power they could never hope to attain. Her steps finally took her down a set of stairs she had not previously noticed - a cunning little design which would put any creature who approached the empress on a lower plane than she. That they had sought to hide this fact was a little surprising, but perhaps there were other more subtle reasons for the design.

As it was, Celestia was not about to be intimidated by a little height - indeed, her own significant height kept her fundamentally at eye level with the Empress. A fact which was not lost on the armored guards who flanked the dias upon which her throne sat. There were, perhaps, a dozen of them in total; all of them wearing the iron masks which bore their caricatured faces. Only one was different. His armor was subtly better, his weapons just a shade more adorned. He wore no mask, only a deeply visored helmet behind which his grey eyes flashed at them. Celestia turned and smiled a little at Gentle Blade, who was now staring down the guard in question. Clearly, no one had anticipated her presence there. Good.

Celestia turned her gaze back to the Empress, and let the silence drag on for a few long moments. No one coughed, or spoke, or even seemed to breath as the seconds dragged on… until finally, a gentle and almost musical chuckle emerged from the red-painted lips of the mare upon the throne. “I should have known better than to think a Goddess would not be willful.” Celestia was not sure, but she could have sworn that a tiny smile twitched across the Empress’ lips. “I bid you welcome, Almighty Amaterasu - Guardian of the Dawn, and bringer of the sun’s life upon our earth.” She inclined her head, only slightly, then turned to Luna. “And I bid you welcome, Radiant Tsukiyomi. The Guide of the Moon, and guardian of our dreams.”

Luna looked only a trifle startled at that, as it was far, far from common knowledge that Luna watched over the dreams of the Equestrian ponies. That gaze moved between them, and out of the corner of her eye - Celestia saw Star Swirl stride forward, his own stare steely and cool as it had been during the first pony parliament. The Empress’ voice went soft, her eyes narrowing a touch. “And to you, ancient Sage - I bid you well-come in your return to life. As was agreed upon by my ancestor, you have brought us the Goddesses to bring salvation to our fair land.” There was a pause - only a short one, but there was a pain there that Celestia was quick to notice. “It has come only just in time I fear. For what news has come to us this day is dread indeed.”

Star Swirl spoke before Celestia could react, and in that moment she decided she would hold her tongue unless needed. She was far, far too sharp today to be unloading her barbs upon their host. “What news?” Star Swirl’s voice cracked like a whip across the room, laced with both concern and grim resolve.

The Empress looked to each of them, taking in a deep breath and exhaling. “A magical missive came to me this morning from one of those we send to observe and watch the activities of other lands.” Her horn lit - astonishingly - with a silvery-aura that was near a mimic of Star Swirl’s. A slim vellum scroll, bound in black ribbon floated into view - stymying any questions Celestia might have had about that aura. “Specifically, from those we set to watch the Kingdoms of the Griffons. They have reported that a fell darkness has fallen upon the city of Roam. The Legions are fleeing the kingdoms in droves.”

Star Swirl stared for a moment, his jaw slightly falling at those words and appearing robbed of speech. Silence once again reigned for a time, until Celestia could not help but speak the words everypony in the room would not. “Then Roam has fallen,” she said in a soft, half whisper. For all of her conflict with the griffons over the centuries, she wished them no more harm than she did any other creature. She shook her head slowly, turning to gaze at Luna who had the same look of horrified realization. If Twilight had truly conquered Roam and could do the things Dancer had claimed,, she now had an army the equal of any in the entire world under the control of the Shadow.

The Empress nodded solemnly, and Celestia felt her resolve harden. “Then our errand here must not be delayed a moment longer,” she said, being sure to stifle the resonant power in her voice. “Your grace, the Shadow has fallen over many of my own subjects and lands,” she began, striding forward without a second thought. Star Swirl looked like he wanted to object… but had an armored hoof shoved into it by Gentle Blade of all creatures. “We require the aid of your armies and knowledge of healing arts, for we mean to make war on this darkness that seeks to destroy us all.”

Her tone was one finality, and the Ki-Lin’s royal guard all gave a step of retreat in the face of it. No doubt their belief in her as a goddess would only have strengthened the reality of the Shadow’s threat if she too were involving herself in its destruction so directly. There was a moment of stunned silence following this proclamation, and Celestia chose that moment to capitalize upon it. “Your goddess calls you to war, Empress. To battle for the fate of all the free creatures of the world. Would you deny me, or will you take up arms to fight alongside me?” As if in conjunction to her building severity, a wave of exultant heat radiated off of her body.

It was taking every inch of Celestia’s willpower to hold on to the Sun in that moment - the passion she felt searing inside of her so powerful it was fit to consume the world. But hold to it she did - wrenching it back with her mental hooves. The time to release the Sun upon the world would come, she was sure… but it would come at her direction, and not a moment before. A gasp of disbelief and shock spread through the crowd at the wave of that heat - its source unquestionable.

The Empress herself was staring at her in mute astonishment, whatever plans or machinations she might have had in mind dashed by the direct challenge from the one she called a Godddess. “Our duty must be to the Kingdoms, Amaterasu…” The Empress began slowly, then halted at the sight of Celestia’s eyes narrowing. “W-we…” The words trailed off, as Celestia slowly seeped the full power of the Sun into her being… She flung her wings open wide, spreading them to their fullest extent and giving them a single mighty flap to send another wave of heat about the room… but this one was far more oven-like, and Celestia had to bite back the snarl that was forming on her lips.

Luna’s hoof upon her shoulder gave her the focus she needed, and she took in a deep breath before exhaling. She had to be calm, before she incinerated everypony in the room. “Your duty is to your Kingdoms, Empress - this is unquestionably true,” Celestia began, keeping her voice as serene as she could under the circumstances. She flared her wings again, unable to keep the heat and rage out of her voice. The Sun itself was egging her emotions on - how DARE this miserable creature question her duty? - and only making it harder to control wrestle down her emotions “But our duty is to more than one realm, or even one ruler. Our duty is to the world, and all the creatures that live upon it.” Celestia had a notion, and turned on her heels and began to walk back up the steps. “But if you lack the courage to stand against the Shadow - then I shall find another champion that does not.”

This time, the gasps were not muffled. They were loud and vibrant in the room. The eyes and faces of every other noble in the audience was filled with total and utter shock… and not a small amount of fear. “Wait!” a strangled cry came behind her, and Celestia paused in her step. It was then - and only then - that she took stock of what had become of her. Her wings were not of feathers, but fiery appendages that licked at the wooden columns with a barely restrained power. She could see her hoofboots almost glowing with heat and searing black marks into the stone floor. She could not see her eyes… but she had no doubt they were but fields of white power.

She was a hairs breadth away from fully embracing the power of the Sun and turning it upon the Shadow... The power itself beat at her soul, eager and mindless to be set free to do what it was meant to do - sear, char, burn, destroy. It wanted to consume the darkness right now and be damned whoever and whatever was destroyed in the process. Celestia grit her teeth behind her lips and shut her eyes tightly. She would not give in to her power, nor her desire to use it regardless of the consequences to protect the ones she loved.

So she breathed deeply, and exhaled - forcing the power back down into the core of herself. She had to stop emoting like this - she had to get control. Twilight would be saved, the Shadow would be seared into nonexistence in the face of the unconquered sun, and victory was not a matter of if but of when. Celestia hardened her resolve and steadied her mind. Now was not the time for anger or thoughtless destruction. Now was the time for cold, calculating politics. She needed the Empress and her armies… so she would have to be the stern and implacable goddess to get them.

Whatever the cost to her own soul, Twilight would be saved.

So she turned her head just enough to regard the Empress with a single baleful eye, only to see that she had clambered off of her throne, trailing her impressive silken red dress behind her a little ways. “I was…” the Empress began and then swallowed. “I am shamed by my pride, great Amaterasu. I beg your forgiveness. Please, do not doom the Ki-Lin because of me.” Then she did the unthinkable - she bowed as deeply as all of the other nobles had done, prostrating herself before Celestia.

In the eyes of the crowd, the guards… all of these poor souls, she saw that deep and abiding fear. And deep inside, Celestia felt more than a little ill. In fact, were she not at that very moment before a massive crowd of ponies, she likely would have vomited. But she swallowed her bile, clenching her eyes shut for a moment to hide the pain stabbing through her gut, and turned around to descend the steps again. “Rise, child. Do not fear,” she said in her softest voice and was gratified to see that at the very least, the beautiful empress was not terrified by her. Scared for something - most likely for the nation she stood for - but not scared of Celestia. “We have all been guilty of the sin of Pride from time to time.” And Faust knew Celestia knew that better than nearly any other creature alive.

The Empress did rise then, taking a deep breath of her own to calm her nerves. Celestia shook her head and… No. I shall not push her any further. This is already far too sickening to be allowed to continue. “We shall speak further of these matters in private, Empress,” Celestia said, pitching her voice quite low. “And make plans for the defense of all the good creatures of the world.” The Empress hesitated, then nodded slowly - some color and brightness returning to her eyes.

The Empress turned and made a curious, but imperious gesture to her guards. The one who was not masked strode forward and rapped the butt of his spear upon the ground. “The Empress bids the court to disperse, but hold itself ready for her commands!” There were only a few mutters at this command, and those who had assembled quickly dispersed out of a remarkable array of hidden exits and side doors… none of which were the doors by which Luna and Celestia had entered.

In moments, the hall was empty except for Star Swirl, Luna, The Empress, her unmasked guard, Gentle Blade (who was showing a remarkable amount of courage given the scene she’d just witnessed), and herself. Now with no audience to impress, Celestia slowly let go of the pure power of the Sun, feeling the strength and will slowly leach out of her - leaving her feeling drained as it always did.

If the transformation of their appearances concerned the Empress any, she did not show it. Instead, she sighed deeply and hid her face in her hooves. Her next words were muffled, but full of a great deal of sorrow. “Goodness me, but I have certainly made a mess of everything haven’t I?” she lamented in a surprisingly less-than-regal tone. She exhaled a deep breath, looking at all of the assembled ponies. “I think we need to sit down and have a chat, and I cannot think of anywhere in the palace to fit you all except for here.” She clapped her hooves together firmly after a moment. “Lets see what we can do about that.”

In mere moments, a flurry of young and lithe servant girls wearing some remarkably risque looking shifts and dresses provided pillows upon which to lie and fresh tea with which to indulge in. The Empress had shrugged out of her silken red robes and elaborate jewels of state to reveal a still stunningly beautiful Ki-Lin mare with eyes too soulful for her apparent youth. “Please, Goddesses… I beg of you to be seated. And you as well, Gentle Blade - though I wonder what your presence here might signify.” Gentle Blade appeared stunned at the mere mention of her name from the Empress, but did as commanded almost immediately.

Celestia did not wish to sit yet. She did not trust this apparent change of heart… and frankly, there was far too much energy and anger still seething in her soul for her to be at rest yet. Luna was under no such compunctions however, and sank down onto the soft cushions - likely thankful for such ease after nearly a month of hard travel on wing and hoof. “Your grace…” Celestia began, and was surprised to see the Empress wave her hoof airily, sighing heavily for a moment before regarding Celestia with a frank gaze.

Her voice was calm, but quite sardonic in tone. “Begging your pardon, Amaterasu - but my name is Whispered Jade. Or Whisper to those few I call friends.” Her lips twitched in a soft, wry smile as a svelte and quite attractive servant girl floated her a steaming cup of the fresh and fragrant herbal tea. “We are quite past the place where graces and formalities will do any of us any good whatsoever, I fear.” There was still a tremble of worry and concern in her eye, and Celestia could pick up on the barely restrained panic in her voice. She was still sure that Celestia was going to walk off and leave her to rot, and given the news that Roam had fallen to the Shadow, Celestia could not honestly blame her for that fear.

So she sighed, and tried to let go of her own anger. “You are more than forgiven, Whisper.” At last she took refuge upon the silken pillows, and found them to be almost seductively soft. The statement garnered a look of surprise from the Empress, but Luna was smiling quite warmly at Celestia. Celestia gave off a little sigh of her own before continuing, “I fear I was perhaps a touch harsh. These past weeks have not been good for the soul, and the news from Roam…” She shook her head slowly. “We have even less time than I had originally anticipated.”

The Empress - Whisper - nodded slowly. “I can understand that reaction, Amaterasu. Your kingdom is imperiled, and you wish not to tarry a moment longer than is necessary.” The mare shook her head, her deep, glinting jade mane shimmering as she did so. “Perhaps I was foolish to think war would be avoidable.” She paused, and her eyes fixated on the still quite overawed Gentle Blade. “Why her, Amaterasu?” The question was soft, almost curious but also considering - as though she were weighing her words with her tongue.

Celestia tilted her head and felt a slow smile cross her lips - unable to suppress the pleasure at her confusion. “Call it a feeling,” she teased gently, turning a wink towards Gentle Blade. And true enough, it genuinely was not much more than a feeling that had driven her to pluck the guardsmare out from the crowd.

Star Swirl coughed loudly, immediately summoning all attention to him. “I beg your pardon, Your Mightiness - but tempus continues to fugit in spite of our desires.” He took a deep breath, pausing for obvious dramatic effect. “When I last left this palace, I left a very specific item in the care of your ancestor. Am I too hopeful to presume that it is still where I left it?” The Empress suddenly smiled, and was once again all confidence and serenity. She nodded once and Star Swirl’s eyes brightned. “Superb. I’ll just go get it.” He paused as he quickly stood, trotting toward one of the side doors and vanishing quickly from sight.

Celestia stared for a moment, and shook her head. Star Swirl being Star Swirl again. The Empress’ voice cut through her reverie instantly. “I must confess Amaterasu, while our mighty warriors are fierce and many - I’ve not the resources for any kind of campaign, nor the political will to acquire them.” Celestia blinked, feeling something like shock at that statement. The Empress smiled faintly, bitterly. “I have only recently ascended the Jade Throne, blessed Sun. My power amidst those who fund our governance has not yet solidified.” She paused then, her eyes gleaming with the sense of renewed opportunity. “Your power, on the other hoof, is quite unquestioned.”

And so there it was again. Celestia wanted to sink her head into the pillows and weep, to damn the world for forcing her to do this. To damn Star Swirl for this mad plan of his, whatever it might be. She wanted to scream, cry, and eat an entire gallon of ice cream and fall asleep reading trashy Daring Do fanfiction that Rainbow Dash had written. She wanted to do these things very, very badly right now - but she would do none of them. She would be strong and stop acting like a filly who’d gotten stood up on prom night.

“Sister dearest… I know it is not easy upon thee, but needs must,” Luna’s voice cut through her thoughts, speaking for the first time amongst the wealthy and powerful they had newly met. Luna’s eyes were gentle, understanding. “We shall keep thee from gaining too big a head or over exercising thy power.” That comforting gaze turned into a little glint of mischief, Luna’s voice thick with good humor. It was a gesture that Celestia could not fail to smile at.

Gentle Blade’s gaze was steady upon her too, and now more curious than awed. Celestia took in a deep breath and clapped her hooves together. “Very well. Our enemies will not wait for us. I am calling a council of war to order. Immediately.” She turned and smiled at the empress, not feeling pleasure at what she was about to do, but… “Summon those we will need the material and military support of in our endeavour. I shall convince them of the righteousness of our cause.”

For you, Twilight.

I will become these Ki-Lin’s foretold goddess, if I must.

I will become the terror of the entire world, if I must.

I will call down utter destruction and elemental flame, if I must.

I will obliterate this shadow with naught but the will of the Sun, if I must.

But I will not lose you.

I will not allow this Shadow to take somepony I love away from me.

Not again.

Not this time.

Author's Note

Regular updates to resume. Next update will be on monday, and shall proceed back to every-other-day.

Thank you all for your patience!

Chapter 9 - A Higher Power

~~~~~Neighpon, The Imperial Palace, Noon~~~~~

Luna was more than a little worried about Celestia.

She watched every stiff movement of her sister’s body as golden magic retrieved their armor, piece by piece out of their special saddlebags. Celestia had only twice before so completely lost control of her emotions in front of Luna as she had today, and the last time she had done so… well, the last time she had done so, she hadn’t reined in control of those emotions until long after it had been relevant. What had followed had been the total and utter defeat of her army of nightmares and the near desertification of the far southern lands.

It had been a sobering moment realizing exactly what Celestia could do if she truly lost control of the power she wielded… which might have ultimately lead to her banishment to the Moon, as Celestia finally realized the lengths she had been forced to. Even now, a thousand years later, the southern lands were still sand and hills and scrublands, and Celestia refused to speak about that day in more than the barest, starkest terms.

Worse still, Luna was certain that the grim look in Celestia’s bearing was only getting worse as time went on. Of the two of them, it had always been Celestia that had most disdained the trappings of royalty. She’d hated the term ‘Princess’ for centuries before finally getting used to it - and she discarded it at every possible opportunity. Being worshipped? That was even worse. Celestia had been known to get positively angry when she’d discovered various cults dedicated to her worship over the years. The thought of anypony treating her as a goddess had, once upon a time, given her poor sister terrible dreams.

And now, more the fool Star Swirl, she was forced to adopt that role to save Equestria. Within hours of arriving, she’d already erected no less than three different public masks in a vain effort to keep her emotions from becoming clear… and Luna was very, very certain they were all beginning to fail on her. She thanked her blessed stars that they had been given a few minutes alone as the Empress prepared a room for them to begin rallying the ponies of this land to their cause.

Luna did not need to speak - she simply laid her hoof upon Celestia’s shoulder, and a piece of bright golden armor crashed to the floor with quite a noise. Celestia nearly wheeled upon her with intent to harm, but upon seeing it was but her sister and none else, her rage collapsed into nothingness on the spot. “Oh. Lulu, I…” Luna shut her sister up with a single well placed hoof against her lips and embraced her tightly. Even now, her coat and skin were still warmed as though they had just spent all day under the hot Sun.

“Hush, sister,” Luna said quietly, her voice soft with scorn, “and hug thy sister, afore she decides to spank thee.” The words came out a little harsher than she’d intended, but they were necessary. Celestia stiffened for only a moment before her hooves came up to wrap back around Luna and hold there tightly. Her sister’s head came down to rest in the nook of Luna’s shoulder and a half-formed sob escaped from her lips.

Luna simply stroked her hoof down Celestia’s back, doing her best to keep the pressure of her hug even. “Tis alright, sister dearest. I know this cannot be easy for thee.” And Faust wasn’t that an understatement? “But you must not allow thy fears to run away with thy reason.” Gently - infinitely so - Luna turned Celestia’s head so she could face her. “We shall save Twilight and all of her friends, Tia. And soon enough thereafter, we shall find much to laugh at the days when we all ran about in fear of a mere shadow.”

Tia actually smiled a little at that one, the crystal shine of tears in the corner of her eyes glittering for a moment before falling away. Lies - especially comforting lies - were sometimes necessary. Honesty was a wonderful virtue, but there were times when it was less than desired… and now was one of those times. “Are you certain, Lulu?” Celestia asked in a quiet, desperate voice, and Luna nodded firmly with a decisive confidence that put a much warmer smile on her sister’s face.

Of course, she did not believe for one second that doing so would be at all easy or that it was even possible. She knew the seductive power of the darkness that now infected her poor friend too well to think that anything short of a true miracle would free her from it now. That left only a few options… options she knew Celestia was utterly unwilling to consider. Which meant it was up to Luna to consider them and realize the grim work that may yet lay before her. Hope was not dead for the world or Equestria, but Twilight would undoubtedly bear the cost to save them both.

Still, no sane creature discounted just what Celestia could accomplish when her back was to the wall, and with one of the most brilliant wizards in all of history at her right hoof that ability would only become more dangerous. But Luna was practical enough to realize that provisions needed to be made… and that nopony else had the guts or the willingness to make them.

So she would smile and comfort Celestia, and hope that somewhere within her sister there lay the power to affect another miracle and save Twilight Sparkle as she herself had been saved. For now though, she needed help to keep her emotions firmly in check. “Now, I expect you to stop this foalish behavior,” Luna scolded, waggling her hoof in Tia’s face. “We are not to terrify the locals unless it is the difference between life and death. I shall not have any further ponies screaming.” And at this she flared her wings and affected a terrified voice in a trottingham accent, “Nightmare Moon is coming to gobble up our bottoms!”

Celestia stared at her for a moment and then burst into helpless, genuine laughter. She collapsed against Luna’s side and Luna raised her hoof to hug Celestia’s shoulder firmly. Deep in her heart, she truly hoped that little Pipsqueak had been somehow made safe from the depredations of the Shadow… but his last letter to her had been news that his father was moving their business to Twilight Town; thus she had no illusions of the fate suffered by all of those who had been living there.

Celestia wiped away a tear or two from her eye as she convulsed again in laughter for a few long moments. “So, behave thyself,” Luna said with a little titter of annoyance and gave the pile of dark blue metal, moonstone, and leather straps a baleful eye. She would never admit it in front of Celestia, but she very much enjoyed any excuse to wear her armor. It made her feel more powerful - as powerful as she had been in the olden days - and quite sexy, too. The conquering warrior queen, come to ravish the lucky stallions of the land.

The thought made Luna give off a girlish little giggle as she lifted the primary piece - the chestplate - into place and snapped on the tight straps. Celestia was giving her a distinctly odd look as she did a gleeful little hop into the soft interiors of the armored hoof boots and wiggled her plot at her sister. “Thou mustn’t stare at thy sister’s behind, Celestia. Our guests might decide that all of those lewd legends about us are true.” That set Celestia’s cheeks a burning bright red, and she hurriedly turned around, noisily pulling out the rest of her own armor.

The decision to wear the armor for this meeting was a simple matter of appearances. If they looked like stern goddesses preparing to do battle, it was hoped that neither of them would have to get very unpleasant with any of the local muckity-mucks. Luna fully expected a need to at least threaten one of them with something nasty before they fell into line, but hope did spring eternal.

Which for some reason brought to mind… “Do either of you need assistance, great ones?” The quiet voice of Gentle Blade resonated through the room, and Luna had to admit it startled her a bit. The Ki-Lin warrioress was damn quiet when she wanted to be - almost ghostlike in her ability to sneak up on them. Privately, Luna very much liked the little warrior. Ah, would that I could get her back to Canterlot. I am certain I could… convince her to join the Lunar Guard. She would undoubtedly leap at the chance to serve one of us directly. Just the thought made Luna very privately lick her chops in anticipation of that possibility.

Piece by piece, Luna settled each plate of the armor into place. Like all Equestrian style armor, the whole thing was designed in interlocking plates. Each plate locked into four others, overlapping with one another to provide both superb protection and maximum flexibility. “Yes, Gentle Blade. Come and ensure my straps are well fastened,” Luna said with a brisk tone, shaking her shoulders to check the torso armor for security. It was as good a time as any to see if the Ki-Lin was as capable a warrior as Luna presumed.

Celestia arched an eyebrow at her, and Luna grinned as Gentle Blade - without another word - trotted over and began to give the armor already upon Luna’s body a thorough examination. “Peace, sister. If Gentle Blade is to be our guide amongst the Ki-Lin, we must live with her being a part of our private councils,” Luna tried to soothe Celestia, who was adopting a look of thorough annoyance anyway. So she sighed and turned her gaze to Gentle Blade who… well, she looked awfully cute with that studious look on her face. “Gentle Blade, would you be so kind as to pledge to keep anything you learn amongst us to thyself, and swear not to speak of any matter we speak of amongst each other with those outside our trust; save when we give you leave to do so?”

Gentle Blade looked startled, but nodded slowly - bit at her lip for a moment - then nodded much more vigorously. “Aye, Goddess. I do so swear.” There was a soft something to her voice… a defiance, almost. Against what, Luna did not know, but it was gladdening to her heart to know there was a potent spirit in her.

Luna beamed at Celestia, who sighed and rolled her eyes. “I suppose I don’t have much choice in the matter.” She gave the Ki-Lin mare a somewhat softer look, then nodded. “Very well. Listen carefully, Gentle Blade. The fate of far more souls than you know may hinge upon our success today.” Celestia drew in a deep breath and exhaled as she began to speak again.

Luna half smiled, as Celestia laid out their plans to their newest compatriot. Celestia was always more centered when there was somepony else who directly needed her, and Gentle Blade would certainly fit that bill. Now, if she could just figure out what Master Star Swirl was up to…

~~~~One hour later…~~~~

Celestia was the first to enter the room.

Luna had insisted she needed a few private moments with Gentle Blade and wanted to try to buttonhole Star Swirl before he strode in with his grandiose plans and upset everything they were trying to accomplish. So she came in first, and alone. The room itself was compact and smelled strongly of some kind of spicy incense... and after nearly braining herself on a crossbeam, she realized it was clearly NOT built to accommodate Alicorns

Having wisely avoided a head injury mere minutes before the meeting, Celestia took a moment to orient herself with the room: a large wooden table, draped with a surprisingly superb map of Equestria and the Ki-Lin Kingdoms’ shared border and a few small boxes full of odd looking flags, some of which had already been planted on the map. The barest glance told Celestia what it had to be - troop positions.

It appears they only know the location of our Guardsponies - or they do not consider the pegasi militias to be proper military forces. Celestia thought, ranging her eyes over the flags. Still, there seemed to be quite a lot of specialization amidst the Ki-Lin… or there were more politics at stake here than she’d realized. Luckily, there was a large pot of tea already steeping - and it smelled wonderful at that. Had this been any other day, Celestia might have looked forward to this enlightening conversation to be had with her mysterious neighbors. As it was…

The sound of the door swinging open caught her attention, and she turned her head to regard Jade Empress Whisper. She wore a silken red dress of a style Celestia had never seen before - sleek and tailored perfectly to her shoulders and body, hugging her close and showing off her curves in quite the sensual manner. Almost without thinking, Celestia lifted the teapot from where it sat and carefully poured two cups of the stuff. It smelled divine and after replacing the pot on the rather elegant little cast iron stand, she lifted her own cup and presented the second to the Empress… only belatedly realizing that the Empress was alone, and staring in shocked astonishment at the teacup.

Celestia nearly bit off her tongue in frustration. The last thing she needed was to offend this mare, and for all she knew she had just violated some kind of sacred protocol. But after the moment of shock, the Empress took the cup of tea in her own silvery magic and strode across the room to stand next to Celestia. “You are not what I expected, Amaterasu.” Her voice was soft, like silk across steel in its strength and delicacy.

Sharp green eyes glanced up into Celestia’s, half filled with wonder and half with a faint awe. “Standing near you, I can sense the deep fires that boil within your soul - the very flame of the Sun aching to get out.” Her voice was still soft, still awed - and though that awe deeply disturbed Celestia in some ways, it was… well, an honest sort of awe. Like she’d seen in some of her more devoted ponies or….

Or in Twilight Sparkle, when they’d talked about magic.

Whisper swallowed a little sip of the tea and continued to speak - her voice much stronger now. “But there is so much more there than just the Sun. You have a love that aches for another - somepony who has been consumed by the darkness.” Celestia nearly jumped in astonishment, feeling her eyes widen as she bent her full gaze upon the mare. How could she possibly know… Whisper’s hoof came up and hesitantly touched her shoulder. “The signs are there, Amaterasu - for one who has had eyes trained to see and ears to hear.”

Then she stepped in closer - much closer - and a soft and spicy scent, not unlike that of ginger and clove mixed together with honey wafted around her. The hoof pressed a bit more firmly into her shoulder, the Empress’ voice growing stronger by the moment. “There is such a Love in you,” she said in the softest of tones, her eyes gentle and sad. “A heart so big, that tries so hard to hold all of the world within it. And such a despair that for all of your power, you cannot stop the weight of time and mortal choice.” That hesitant hoof came up to her cheek then and softly trailed down it.

Whisper’s voice came into her ears, like a gentle wave upon the sea. “You need not hold that weight alone, Amaterasu.” There was just the barest hint of heat and suggestion that for a moment, Celestia could not believe what she was hearing. But the next words seemed to confirm that guess, and the Empress shifted her stance a little - her horn lighting up faintly, and her eyes practically sparkling with… desire.

The top button of the dress Whisper was wearing came undone, and the silk of the dress on her shoulder fetchingly slipped off of it. “Standing near you now, I can say that I feel no more fear of you. There is too much kindness, too much gentle love in your heart to harm any but those who must be harmed.” The words struck like hammer blows into Celestia’s heart, both greatly relieving a weight on her soul and also sending a thrill of worry and panic through her. Somehow, the Empress had interpreted her kindness and gentle nature as affection.

But she was frozen in place, and she could not say why - perhaps there was something so like Twilight Sparkle in this Empress. That same look of unquestioning love and trust, that soft awe in her presence. Perhaps it was simply a natural reaction to all of the stress she had been inflicting on her body for these past weeks… or perhaps she was simply feeling very lonely. Whatever it was, she did not stop the Empress Whisper from leaning up and brushing her lips over Celestia’s cheek - only belatedly realizing that tears were falling from her eyes again.

The Empress smiled softly, filling Celestia’s gaze for a brief moment. “All will be well, Amaterasu.” A gentle hoof brushed away her tears, and a second kiss - this one brushing her lips in a way nopony had done for a very, very long time - sent a surge of warmth through her body. Then she stepped away, her teacup coming up and her cheeks blushing a very fetching soft red.

Celestia shook her head slowly, struggling to find the words to speak. “How is it… how can you know so much about me simply by being near me? I have never even heard of that kind of Magic before…” The past few moments had shocked her deeply, but not so much that her curiosity was not greatly aroused. Somehow, this single pony had seen past all of her masks and deceptions, straight into the heart of her fears.

The Empress Whisper smiled mysteriously behind her teacup, her rather remarkable eyes and glittering mane providing a singularly beautiful - and mysterious - picture. “Perhaps once we take to the road, I shall show you some of our secrets.” There was something about that suggestion that told Celestia she might not be talking about Magical secrets… but about the sorts of secrets one only shared in the deep darkness of the night, as Luna watched over all ponies.

Celestia coughed around a sip of her tea, then laughed softly as she felt her own cheeks blush a bit. “Oh goodness, look at me,” she said in her wryest and most honest voice yet spoken around one of the Ki-Lin. “I am acting like the veriest filly on her first estrus!” She shook her head firmly, trying to banish some of the confusion from her mind… and found that all of the tension, all of the fear had seemingly vanished into the ether. Did she… Then she stopped. She would discuss this matter with the Empress later. Right now, there were bigger fish to land.

So she turned resolutely back to the table - and fortunately so, for just at that moment Luna chose to walk in, followed by Star Swirl, who was leaning on a very familiar piece of wood. “Your staff!” Celestia exclaimed, and Star Swirl grinned unrepentantly. The twisted and much carved bit of black tree wood was being perfectly leaned upon by the ancient sage, and the glittering ruby set into the top fairly glowed with power. The puzzle pieces were instantly put together, and Celestia had to stare at the Empress with frank admiration. “For two thousand years, treasure hunters have searched for the lost staff of Star Swirl the Bearded, and it was here the whole time, unmolested? Truly astonishing!”

The Empress blushed an even brighter red, and Star Swirl nodded solemnly. “I am deeply in debt, your Mightiness. With my stave fully intact, there is much I shall be able to do to aid our cause.” Then he turned and with a breath, spoke in firm tones to Celestia. “The first thing that ought to be done is myself and your sister ought to return to Equestria with an elite force to see what we can do while you lead the larger army personally.” He steeled himself visibly, obviously figuring that Celestia would very much oppose this plan.

When in fact, it appeared that Luna was far more opposed to it than Celestia was. In truth, she was ecstatic that such a possibility now existed. With Star Swirl, Luna, and the finest the Ki-Lin could offer on hoof, Cadence and Shining Armor could bring the fight to the Shadow. With good fortune and sound tactics, they could stymie it from bringing chaos and destruction upon any more innocents. Truly, Celestia would miss her sister and worry terribly for her safety… but Star Swirl would ensure she did not do anything too rash. “Yes, that is a superb idea, Teacher,” Celestia proclaimed with a bright smile, much to Star Swirl’s shock. She smiled impishly at the worried Luna, whose worry transformed to sudden confusion. “And do not worry so, Lulu. I shall be fine once I have many tasks to keep my hooves and mind busy until we reach Equestria. Besides, if the griffon Legions elect to come to Equestria, we shall need one of us on hoof to ensure they are treated fairly. ”

Luna’s mouth opened but snapped shut, shooting a hard glance at the Empress before nodding slowly. “Very well, Celestia.” She eyeballed the Empress. “But before I leave, I would have words with the Empress.” Whisper blinked visibly at that, and swallowed what looked like a lump in her throat before nodding fearfully. Celestia gave off a rueful chuckle - leave it to her sister to wish to protect her against that which she needed no protection from.

“My friends, we shall have to have words with one another regardless,” Celestia reminded them all, tapping her hoof on the table. “Your grace,” she turned, bowing her head to the Empress formally. “Call forward your nobles and merchants, and bring someone to explain your method of markings upon the map. There is a war to be waged, and an enemy to be routed in the name of the Light.” The declarative words lit a fire of courage in Celestia’s heart, as the Empress smiled warmly at her and quickly swung open the door and spoke quickly to some unseen servant.

Celestia turned back to the map and pressed her hooves into the table. Hang on, Twilight. Cadence. Shining Armor. Help is coming.

~~~~~Outside of Canterlot Castle, that same moment.~~~~~

A white furred head whipped around to stare into the far distance - the wind picking up and blasting a wave of crisp autumn leaves all around the slim form of the White Doe. She stared into the distance, as Fate itself creaked and moaned - the balance of the world shifting just ever so slightly. But even the slightest changes could effect massive results if done at the right time.

The Doe's nose lifted into the air and she drew in a deep lungful of the air. And what she smelled upon it lit a fire of fierce happiness in her eye. The smell was of sun-baked fields and the deep fresh smell of rainfall. Of whipping breezes and bright blue skies and endless fields of grass. It was a good smell - a clean smell in a land that was rank with the smell of the Shadow and Darkness.

A smell that was blowing fiercely out of the east, and answered in turn by another smell - that of clean sweat and freshly spilled blood that poured out of the west. Of forged steel and iron hearts, and a grim purpose. The smell of the blood and bone of ancient warriors awakening again upon the earth. The White Doe felt the first true smile in many a day cross her face, and she turned and bound up the trail towards the Shining City of Canterlot.

The Light had been roused to action at last. She only hoped they were not yet too late.

Chapter 10 - March with the Dawn

~~~~~Neighpon, several exhausting hours later~~~~~

The door shut firmly behind the last of the intransigent nobles - many of whom were no longer so intransigent. Some would undoubtedly cause trouble behind the scenes, but Celestia was used to that sort of behavior. She could deal with them individually as time and necessity demanded, and once they were on the warpath… well, there were simply more options to deal with the intransigent in times of conflict. Namely locking them up for treason, she thought with a humorous little snort.

Fortunately, the majority of those who might have caused her issue quickly collapsed when they saw Luna, herself, Star Swirl, and the Empress presenting a single united front. There was to be war, and if they didn’t like that they could take comfort in the fact that a higher power had essentially forced them on the path. It still sickened her that such methods were needed, but Celestia was finding that stomach clenching pain to lessen with every moment. She would atone for her arrogance later when fewer lives were on the line.

WIthout Luna and Whisper though, none of it would have been possible. The former making dark proclamations of vengeance against those who ‘stood aside while the world burned’. The latter being reasonable and cajoling, assuring that the ‘loyal’ would be duly rewarded when the battle had been won. In the midst of them all, Celestia played the stern judge - laying down the law and facts of the situation and making clear the consequences of not obeying her commands.

It had been the sort of thing Celestia might have done in the far olden days, but she was quickly coming to realize how close to those olden days the Ki-Lin civilization still was. The entire nation appeared to be run in the same top-down manner as old Unicornia had been, except… the entire thing was oddly structured. Caste was not a matter of race, but of birth, and caste could be transversed if ones skills were significant enough. In fact, the entire thing had a strange air of the meritocracy about it.

The unworthy were deposed to lesser tasks, the worthy and capable risen up to higher station. Only the finest warriors became formally part of the army - and the rest relegated to town guard duties and militia groups. The result was a small - about a third the size of the Equestrian military - but highly elite armed forces with the possibility of en-masse conscription in times of crisis. The problem of course was that such conscription meant economic problems further down the road. Which was why the wealthy were less than enthused about the prospect of war.

Celestia sighed, leaning against the table and pressing her eyes gently into her hooves, trying to rub away the stress headache that was already starting to grow. She was glad that the meetings were over, but the work ahead of her was daunting in the extreme. “How long before we can be ready to march?” she asked in her quietest voice, hoping that she could convince Luna or Whisper to do some of her thinking for her.

There was a pause in the darkness behind her hooves, and Whisper spoke in a tone of surprising authority. “Less than a week for what resources we have about the capital. It will take nearly a month and a half, maybe less or more depending on the loyalty of our citizens, to bring all we have under our personal command and then have it reach the Equestrian borders. Most of that time will be spent travelling and training our militia forces as we travel.”

Silence came again, and Celestia had to marvel a bit at the awkwardness of the silence. A month and a half, at minimum. It could be longer. Twilight would undoubtedly be returning to Equestria at top speed with her newly converted army to break whatever tentative control Cadence and Shining Armor had managed to attain. There would be panic in the streets as the Shadow seeped through the veins of her beloved land.

Celestia almost didn’t notice the whimper of pain that escaped her lips at the thought of so many of her little ponies put into harm’s way. But even now, she could not return to personally confront Twilight. For all of her power, she was still only a single pony and even she could be overwhelmed by sheer numbers. The thought was causing her physical pain at the deepest level, and she had never so much wished to simply crawl into a hole and quietly sob her way to sleep.

Blessedly, Luna’s legs wrapped around her shoulders and squeezed her tightly and wordlessly. A gentle hoof took her shoulder and squeezed - smaller than Luna’s and clearly Whisper’s. “Do not despair, Amaterasu. Of those that stand against the darkness, you above all must not despair,” Whisper said gently, the stroking of her hoof across Celestia’s back trying obviously to soothe her.

Celestia sucked in a deep breath at that reminder and held it burning in her lungs. The Ki-Lin would expect her to lead them, to stand amongst them as both General and Goddess. She could not return home, so… she would have to be strong. She would be strong. She was strong. “Yes… You are correct, my little pony.” She placed her hooves firmly against the table and pushed herself back to a firmly standing position, then turned her gaze to Whisper. “But I will have need of a large group of your finest warriors. The very best you can offer. My sister will require all the aid she can muster to buy us the time we shall need.”

Empress Whisper tilted her head and smiled slowly. “I believe I have an idea, Amaterasu. Call for Gentle Blade - she shall be perfect.”

~~~~~~~

Serenity. Stillness. Grace. Power.

Gentle Blade was a mare who had devoted her life to her arts. The first daughter in a long line of those who had proven adept in the art of war, she had followed inexorably in the same hoofsteps as her mother and father before her. She had mastered the basic sword-forms by the age of ten and was skilled enough to best her tutors on a regular basis by the time she was fourteen. Some might have said she had lacked a childhood - never knowing the joy of freedom from responsibility and destiny.

Gentle Blade would have told them that she felt no such loss - for her, the arc of a sharp sword slicing through the air was a freedom enough for her. The feel of the same blade biting into a rolled mat and giving it a clean and perfectly angled slice was a joy in and of itself. As she grew older, so too did her skills. By the time she was sixteen - and her Mark of Destiny had appeared - Two swords, slicing through a lotus flower - there had been none in her small village near the great Eastern Sea who could compete with her abilities… and so her parents, brimming with pride, had sent her to learn at the hooves of the great masters in Neighpon.

There, surrounded by the cosmopolitan life of the high nobles, she had run into the first challenge of her life that could not be solved with greater discipline. Politics. Oh, Amaterasu’s Grace how she hated politics. Her skill was more than sufficient to make her one of the Empress’ Jade Guard, and her abilities beyond the martial grew quickly enough to grant her some level of prestige and position, but never would she be granted the right to stand amidst the Attendants of the Goddesses.

So she had done all she could, in the only way she knew how - with a stubborn determination and a will to succeed. She had prayed thrice daily to the Sun and Moon shrine for signs of how she might improve herself. She had tested and honed her skills to the utmost edge of the blade. When her skills with the sword had been taken to their limit, she had mastered the other weapons of the Ki-Lin. The iron stave, the lunar-hammer, the naginata, even the hoof-to-hoof martial arts.

When she ran out of martial skills to practice, she had pursued the airs of philosophy and logic. She had spent many a night where the other guards had gone out to celebrate or socialize deep in the ancient texts that spoke the wisdom of the great sages. It had been how her current name - Gentle Blade - had come to be. She who disdained violence, but was unafraid to wield it when necessary. Yet in spite of all of her work, of all of the years she had dedicated - she was simply deemed unworthy by virtue of her blood.

Or at least, it had been that way until today.

Just the thought of knowing she had stood in the presence of the Moon Lady and the Sun Lady and been privy to their bantering jests sent a hot fire of pleasure through her body. Perhaps the foalish Attendants had not thought her worthy, but the Goddesses surely had seen her dedication to her duties. Amaterasu herself had plucked her out from the crowd and demanded she tend to her needs. Tsukiyomi had bent a smokey look upon her at many a turn, and it had long been known that the Moon Lady granted her personal favors only to those who perfected themselves in every way they could.

And now she sat here, her legs crossed perfectly and her breathing slow and steady as she awaited the commands of her Goddesses. Let the Attendants rage silently at her good fortune. Let Head Attendant Storm Spear fume at her ascendant star. At long, long last, she needed not worry herself over the petty politics of others. All she needed to care about was the battles that were to come, and the duty she would be called to acquit before the Goddesses. Even now she had a list of names perfect for the duty - those like her who had dedicated themselves not to advancement in the Jade Halls, but to perfection of the martial form. To the pursuit of skill in that most brutal and elegant of all professions: war.

The door swung open, and like the breeze stirred to life she was on her hooves and ready to carry out the needs of the Sun and Moon. There was Tsukiyomi - beautiful beyond compare, elegant and deadly as the blades she carried. “Come, Gentle Blade. We have need of your skills at last.” Then she was gone, only the wisps of her mane filled with the endless stars of the night sky left in her wake.

Tsukiyomi was - just as the legends had said - the more stern of the two sisters, but there was also a depth to her that belied that outward shell. Beyond it, Gentle Blade could sense the deep and burning passions within and wondered what else might be concealed even beneath that. There were many layers to both of the Goddesses, but Tsukiyomi was far more intriguing to Gentle Blade. Amaterasu’s flame was far too hot for her to approach… at least for now. Perhaps with time that flame might recede, but it was painfully clear that she was deeply wounded by the blight that had befallen her lands.

Gentle Blade quickly followed the Goddess’ command, striding into the room with confidence and vigor. The Empress awaited there, and though custom would have demanded she prostrate herself before the Speaker for the Goddesses, Gentle Blade did not. Her position was now beyond the politics of the Kingdoms. She served the Goddesses directly, now. “Gentle Blade,” the Empress began in her regal voice, but there was something odd about her. Gone was any assumed arrogance or lack of confidence - she was brimming with a certainty that Gentle Blade recognized immediately. “Amaterasu has a task for you, Gentle Blade. One which will require your utmost dedication.”

It was the same certainty that she herself felt. After all, when one served directly in the shadows of the divine, one became far less likely to doubt oneself. Amaterasu herself was still leaning broodingly over the table where a map of the border had been carefully arranged with battle flags and strategic points of contention, and even from where she stood it was clear a great weight had settled upon the shoulders of the Sun Lady. “Gentle Blade, I beg of you to accept my apologies.” Amaterasu’s shoulders came up as she spoke, and her mane almost appeared… agitated. “For I must set to you a task of great peril.”

Amaterasu turned, and Gentle Blade could see the naked anguish in her eyes - and the steely resolve behind it. “With the fall of Roam coming so swiftly, I must presume the Shadow will continue to move with frightening speed and continue to bolster its numbers. We need time to bring our own strength to bear, Gentle Blade. Time we do not have.” She bowed her head, as though under a great sadness and Gentle Blade wished it was within her to reach out and comfort her. Already she understood what she was being sent to do… and already she knew why the Goddess mourned so deeply.

So she spoke quietly, daring to interrupt her in order to - perhaps - save her a little pain. “I understand, Amaterasu. I already know those I can bring. We shall ensure the Darkness is held at bay until you can arrive.” It would be an act of self sacrifice of course. Even with the finest blades under her direct command, she was certain any direct efforts would be brutal and deadly. But she had no fear of death in the service of her Goddess. The Sun would keep her soul pure and whisk her away to the Shining City when her death finally came, knowing that in the end, she had served the greater good.

Amaterasu’s smile was quiet and proud as she gazed into Gentle Blades’ eyes. “I thank you, my little pony,” she said with a motherly affection, one that made her feel flush with pleasure. Her eyes trailed to her sister, and she spoke with a more firm voice. “Take care of her, Lulu. And Star Swirl too. And…” she hesitated, and took a deep breath - obviously struggling with the next words that came to her. “If the opportunity comes… please… I beg of you to…”

Tsukiyomi’s head shook as she pressed a silver-clad hoof to Amaterasu’s lips. “Speak not dire words, sister. We shall endeavour most mightily to bring thy student home to you safe and sound.” The Moon Lady smiled faintly, then turned to the door. “Come, warrior. We shall gather thy chosen kin and return to Canterlot poste haste.” Her steps were brisk as she exited the room, and it was all Gentle Blade could do to keep up with her. Gentle Blade could not help it - she felt her soul soar and her chest burn with an emotion she could not quite express.

Canterlot. The Shining City itself.

She would be going not to defend just any land, but the lands it was said where the Gods dwelled and peace had reigned for a thousand years and more. The land of Harmony. Even with the grim work of war ahead of her, she could not help but feel a skip in her step as she followed Tsukiyomi. What a remarkable adventure this was already turning out to be.

~~~Canterlot Castle~~~

Princess Mi Amore Cadenza sat heavily in the thickly cushioned chair she used in place of the grand and soaring throne in the receiving room. As far as she was concerned, the throne was for Celestia and Luna and nopony else… no matter what some of the nobles of Canterlot wanted to believe. Fortunately, that stress was getting steadily worked on by the firm and talented hooves of her beloved husband slowly massaging the tension out of her shoulders and back. “Ohhhh…. Gods, that feels good,” she whispered out as his talented hooves hit and soothed away another knot of stress in her back. “Name your price, I’ll do anything if you keep that up…” she muttered softly, trying her darndest to relax in spite of everything that had been happening lately.

The news had been almost universally bad for weeks. EIS unable to stop Twilight from reaching the griffon kingdoms. Total silence from the kingdoms themselves for the past few days - with what few messages they could get being incredibly confused. Scattered reports of griffon military units apparently fleeing en-masse from their lands into Equestrian territory. No word from Celestia or Luna. Winterlight and her cursed Shadowbolts causing problems all over the Everfree containment zone. Twilight’s friends - unaccounted for. And strangest of all, Discord had become… melancholy.

It was a laundry list of problems that grew by the day, and only the presence of Shining Armor and the dogged determination of the Equestrian military had kept her from going completely insane. “Oh?” Shining Armor breathed into her ear, his voice hot and sending a shiver of desire down her spine. “Anything?” he whispered fiercely, and Cadence felt her cheeks flushing a bright red. Shining Armor never failed to rouse her ardor for him… or for the love they shared. As the maids of Canterlot Castle knew all too well, recommitting that love to one another was amongst their favorite past times. Often times not even in their bedroom.

And just as Cadence was turning into a slow and passionate kiss with her husband… “Princess Cadenza, You have an… important visitor,” came the thoroughly unwelcome voice of Ms. Inkwell, who had taken up the post of seneschal that she had also held for Celestia. She was also incredibly sneaky and unobtrusive, and Cadence was absolutely positive she enjoyed interrupting her and Shiny. One of these days, she was going to simply grab the prim and proper mare and drag her into a threesome. After she’d blown her mind with a few orgasms, Cadence was certain she wouldn’t interrupt them without checking in with them first.

But today was not going to be that day - as Shining retreated from the kiss with an apologetic - and smokily promising look - on his face. So she sighed and pushed herself up to a more regal seat in her chair and eyeballed the unicorn who was poking her head through the main doors of the receiving hall. There she saw something she certainly was not expecting, because Ms. Inkwell never looked hesitant or nervous. Ever. “Well… send them in then, Miss Inkwell,” Cadence commanded firmly, brushing her mane into place with her hooves as best she could - and thankful that she didn’t have to wear that absurd crystal mane style every day.

Ms. Inkwell nodded belatedly - only for the other door to swing open with a blast of air that swept through the room filled with the scents of deep summer in the midst of the forest. The wind scattered Inkwell’s coiffed mane into a whipping creature of hair - and would have done the same to Cadence had she been standing any closer to the door. Green leaves scattered across the white marble of the floor and rustled into the corners where they would undoubtedly be the bane of the housekeeping staff for days. And behind all of this, a single figure strode gracefully into the hall.

Cadence felt her jaw drop a little in total shock at the sight of her. After all, she didn’t look so much as a day older than the first time Cadence had seen her those centuries ago, when she had first become the Alicorn of Love. Her beautiful blue eyes, her graceful legs - the White Doe was as untouched by the ravages of time as Celestia had been and was thricely mysterious. But that was not the source of Cadence’s shock… the shock came from seeing her outside the White Tail Wood, which legends had said she had not left for thousands of years.

The Doe strode with a boneless grace that Cadence was a little envious of, stopping only a few yards away from her chair before giving a courtly bow. “Bright greetings to you, young Cadence. Even in these dark times, your love and beauty remain a beacon of light for all to take heart from.” Then she turned and gave a second bow, her smile broadening just a fraction as she spoke again, “And honor met, Prince Armor. Your valiant struggles against the Shadow have not gone unnoted by me and mine.”

She rose from the bow with a sigh of sadness, her voice serene enough… yet thick with grief. “It pains me to bring you both dark tidings from the land of the Caesars.” Her eyes closed, and she visibly shivered with some unseen pain. “Roam has fallen to the Shadow. The Kings of the Griffons are no more. The citizens of the griffon kingdoms are even now being corrupted to the will of the Shadow.” The words thundered through the room and struck like a gavel of judgement.

Cadence had to fight back the bile rising in her throat, and the stifled gasp from Shining Armor was enough to tell the tale of his own shock. Not even Commander Hurricane had been able to breach the walls of Roam. “Goddess, no,” Cadence whispered unwillingly, pressing her hoof into her chest. Imagining Twilight with so many griffons under her command was…. terrifying.

Shining’s voice cut through the terror though, rough and fierce. “What about the Legion? What about the Praetorian guard?” he demanded, striding a step forward with his body rigid with anger and fear. “What happened? How the buck did she manage to get past the Outer Walls?! And… and if the Kings are dead, is there anypony left in charge?” His voice was rising - not with panic, but with a deep concern. All of their defensive plans had relied on having to fend off a primarily ground based invasion. If Twilight had the means to bypass those defenses…

But then The White Doe’s head came up and she smiled faintly. “The Legion stands, Prince Armor. As does the Praetorian guard, and that is why I have come here this day. The Legions are beating a valiant retreat into Equestrian lands - towards Cloudsdale and Stalliongrad. And there is one who leads them.” Her eyes shone with a fierce flame, her smile triumphant. “The Third Caesar, Scipio Grifficanus. You must make ready for the refugees that will undoubtedly be arriving close on our heels, and make ready for - ”

The White Doe’s words were cut off a moment later, as a crackle of power snapped in the center of the hall - directly over the great circular seal of the Sun and Moon set into the floor just in front of the throne. “What..?” Cadence half said, whipping around and calling all of the power she could into her body. The crackle of power came again, and a rumble of thunder and power echoed through the halls from overhead. “There’s not supposed to be a storm today…” she whispered, as her coat hair seemed to stand on end from the massive amount of energy building in the room.

Suddenly, Shining’s horn blazed to life - engulfing all three of them in a tightly woven protective shield, and in mere moments he stood directly in front of Cadence with a look of grim determination on his face. A bolt of pure energy appeared from nowhere and struck straight down into the circle… and the entire hall lit up with eldritch power. Runes of ancient magic glowed to life that Cadence had never seen before - the entire hall was covered in them! The sun and moon emblems set into the floor almost looked like they were moving, as power flowed off of the thing in waves as an ancient spell roused to life.

Energy spun and whorled around the center of the circle, brighter and brighter still until a burst of bright light nearly blinded her in an explosion of sparkles and energy that bathed the room in radiant light. When the glare in her eyes finally cleared, Cadence felt her heart soar with happiness - all stress, fear and pain forgotten. “AUNTIE LUNA!” she called out, her voice thick with joy as she shouldered past Shining Armor, his shield falling sheepishly to nothing.

Luna stood - armored for battle and with a slightly stunned look on her face - amidst one hundred other unicorns, each wearing strange looking armor and bearing long curved blades on their backs and many other strange weapons in their hooves. And next to her was another figure, wearing a broad brimmed wizard’s hat and a deep blue cloak - and bearing a glowing black staff with a shimmering red gem atop it.

Yet none of these other oddities meant a single thing. Luna’s gaze sharpened and her mouth curved upwards into a beautiful smile as Cadence flung herself at her aunt and embraced her tightly. “Oof! Peace, Cadence. It is good to see you again too,” she murmured softly into her ear, her hoof stroking soothingly.

Cadence shook her head vigorously and glanced around quickly. “But… where is Celestia? What has happened? Who are these ponies and…” Her voice trailed away as the blue-cloaked pony strode forward slowly, leaning on the ancient stave that hummed with restrained power.

Only now, looking closely at him, did she see the golden bells that bedecked his cloak and hat. Only now did she see the scraggly white beard and the piercing golden gaze. Shining Armor’s own face was a study in dumbfounded shock as he stared at the unicorn, as the wizard strode across the room towards where the White Doe stood with a look of shock, awe, and an almost ecstatic happiness.

There was a pause that felt like it would last forever, before a growling and gravelly voice echoed out from the pony of legend. “Ah. Titania. Good. You’re already here.” He shifted his stance, shouldering the staff and looking up at the Doe. “That simplifies our problem.” He spoke again, his voice sly and almost… teasing in its confidence.

The Doe took a tentative step forward, and then another - and Cadence could see the shining crystal tears streaming down her eyes. “You live?” she whispered - half a question, half a statement. The tears struck upon the marble, and where they landed beautiful white flowers sprouted up through the stone, cracking it and blooming into full glory. She fell down to her knees directly in front of him, her voice wondering and soft. “How?”

The wizard leaned down and brushed his hoof across the White Doe’s cheek, his voice soft but still clear enough to be heard throughout the room. “Because I made a promise, old friend.” And then his voice turned humorous and wry. “And besides, peaceful death in bed seemed like an awfully boring end for Star Swirl the Bearded.”

~~~~The Ki Lin Kingdoms, Neighpon~~~~

Celestia turned resolutely away from the charred circle of grass where Luna and Star Swirl had teleported away. She took in a deep breath and exhaled it - only to find Whisper’s hoof gently encircling her own. Celestia smiled faintly over at the Empress and nodded. “We must not tarry. We march with the Dawn,” Celestia commanded quietly, and the Empress returned her nod solemnly.

There was work to do, and a long journey yet to Canterlot.

Author's Note

I Will get my update schedule back on schedule!

FOR PONY!

Chapter 11 - Caesar and Crusader

~~~~White Tail Wood, The Camp of the Crusade, One week later.~~~~

Scootaloo carefully examined the scratch built model of one of the most important bits of dirt she’d ever had to agonize over. Ghastly Gorge stretched over five hundred miles, serpentining into the southern lands of Equestria. There were exactly three bridges on the entire bloody thing, and all three were positioned next to fortified Equestrian Guard compounds. The only natural crossing was the subject of Scootaloo’s beady glare, built in miniature by a couple of the raver ponies Vinyl had shown up with.

“Our target is a naturally occurring stone bridge, approximately ten yards across,” said Skandranon the griffon, scratching at his eyepatch absently before pointing at it with his talon. “And a hundred an’ fifty yards long. It’s got pony height railings and drains to keep it from becoming a nightmare during the rainy season.” He frowned for a moment - though that was hard to notice sometimes with griffons. “It’s connected ta’ Harmony Road, an’ is the most direct route to Appleloosa from Ponyville. Lotsa heavy scrub on the roadside leadin up to it, coupla’ pear orchards nearby. Lotsa ivy on the cliff sides, an’ of course, the opposite end’s got the two big wheat fields. ” He looked up at Scootaloo then with that sharp golden eye, his beak gaping slightly in a smile. “Be honest with ya, Crusader. I ain’t seen a better spot for an ambush in all of my days.”

Scootaloo had to chuckle a little at that one, shaking her head. “Let’s just make sure it’s us that’s doing the ambushing.” She took in a deep breath and held it for a moment, trying to gather her thoughts. That didn’t work terribly well, so she went to her usual second choice - bluffing and buying time. “Okay. Let’s pool what we’ve got together and figure out how to make this work. We’re only gonna get one shot at this. Go out there, see who’s in.” She stood up from where she had been sitting - a raised chair that put her equal with anypony else in the room. The rest of the creatures in the room stood up too, most of them - including Skandranon - filing out and chatting animatedly to one another.

Another week of successful raids. Another week of minimal casualties. Only Thunderlane had gotten seriously hurt, and only then because Scootaloo hadn’t been paying attention, and he’d had to throw himself in front of a scythe blade. He’d recover fine, but he’d have one impressive looking scar on his chest for the rest of his life. She agonized over that mistake, but no one here except Skandranon and the Deerfolk knew what ‘fighting’ really meant. Even then, only Skan had combat experience.

Still, they were somehow staying ahead of the game. Often just one bare step ahead of it, with the Shadow and all of its terror nipping at their heels… but like Vinyl said, ‘So long as you never stop moving, they’ll still have to work at hitting ya.’ So they kept moving, kept hitting, and running and hitting again. They were barely bee sting attacks - not more than thorns in Captain Winterlight’s side.

Ah yes. Winterlight. It had been the raid on that big convoy that had finally given Scootaloo a name to attach to their foe. Some pegasus had decided to take up the name of a famous monster from the days of the Nightmare War, probably to make themselves seem more badass. It didn’t impress Scootaloo, but it was just more proof they were dealing with the kind of idiots who thought that sort of thing was cool.

Scootaloo sighed heavily and stuck her head on her hoof, glaring at the topographical map. The problem was plain and simple - she could see a pretty good plan, probably the same one Skandranon was seeing. The old griffon had taught her a lot, and nearly a month of doing this had given her a few surprising insights into the chaos of combat and planning a fight to win it. The problem was, they didn’t have the numbers to pull it off. They’d need at least another hundred or so ponies - preferably earth ponies who could hold a line while the pegasi did their thing.

Zecora’s limbs wrapped around her shoulders and she leaned back into the spicy-smelling zebrican, feeling herself instantly relax. Zecora had become almost like a big sister to her, and Scootaloo was - for once in her life - thankful for the sappy hugs. It made ignoring the pains and stresses of being ‘in charge’ that much easier. “Thanks, Zecora,” Scoots smiled faintly, hoping that the incipient headache she was feeling would just go away for once. They’d been coming regularly now, every few days there was a new one mucking up her head.

A gentle hoof pressed into her forehead and Zecora whispered something in the weird language of her race, and the headache slowly faded away. “You are pushing yourself too hard, little one,” Zecora scolded her softly, like she always did. And like she always did, she sighed heavily and gave Scootaloo a little bop on the head. “Silly filly.” There was a note of fondness in those words, and Scootaloo had to grin a little at it.

But there was work to do, and not enough time for comforts. “Yeah, yeah. Come on, Zecora. We’ve got to go figure out how to pull off the impossible.” She pushed herself off the risen chair and down to the floor, then pulled her cloak’s hood over her head. “Any ideas?” she quipped as they both walked toward the tent flaps, wondering if maybe Zecora had been sitting on a trump card or two they could use.

But Zecora shook her head slowly. “Nothing I would use at this time. I would prefer to save my ah… big whammies as Berry calls them, for the truly decisive moments.” The flaps gave way to shoulders, and they were outside the stuffy tent, the fresh air already doing wonders for her mood. Zecora closed her eyes and raised her head up, her ears twitching as a breeze gently flowed past them. “Odd… There is a noise upon the wind I have not heard before.” She took in a deep inhale of breath and Scootaloo - not wanting to feel left out - did the same and…

How odd. Her sense of smell had always been good - all pegasi had pretty spectacular senses - but she couldn’t see any reason for her to be smelling things like blood and metal and… she froze, mid sniff, and felt a dread fall over her. Oh horseapples. Blood and metal meant battles, and that meant… “TO ARMS!” she screeched and ran pell-mell for where she’d parked her scooter near the massive central camp fire. Other ponies stared at her in shock for a moment, until the sound of pealing bells shattered their shock. Somepony had spotted possible foes.

Scootaloo flung her dagger over her back and took only a moment to make sure her shield was well seated on her scooter before hopping onto it and buzzing up her stubby wings as fast as she could. Wind billowed her cloak back and soon she was off, ducking and dodging through the camp as dozens of ponies and other refugees grabbed up weapons and armor and made for the ridge.

Plans to defend the camp had been lain down on day one - and fortunately, the entire thing was in what Skandranon had called a ‘superb defensive position’. Only one way to get up from the ground via a long and narrow path, the dense trees and foliage meant a large flying force wasn’t going to be able to attack en masse, and nopony knew exactly what the White Doe could - or would do - to defend her home turf.

Getting to the ridgeline was hectic, but Scootaloo had raced through this camp enough times in an effort to burn off stress. The bells were still being frantically rung by a trio of fillies from Scootaloo’s class as she arrived, pulling up to a stop just before the edge of the ridge with a scattering of dead leaves and dust. “Crusader. It would appear we have unexpected guests,” Caederyn said laconically, as still as a tree and showing absolutely no stress whatsoever. The Deerfolk captain swept his gaze through the trees, as though he could see through them. “A large force of griffons in heavy armor bearing weapons of war approaching from the west.”

“Griffons. Great,” Scootaloo muttered softly, rolling her shoulders. Something really, really bad must have happened in the griffon kingdoms for the Shadow to already have the forces to send back to Equestria. “So, how should we arrange our - ” she began to speak when the sound of hundreds of armored boots slapping against the ground interrupted her. The sound of the march was ominous and militarily precise as it approached like a gathering thunderstorm.

Skandranon was there a moment later, muttering swear words under his breath every step of the way up to the ridge before pausing, his ears twitching wildly. “Crusader… that… It can’t be,” he muttered loudly enough for everypony around to hear. From out of the wilderness then came a blast of horn music - a rising scale of notes that sent Scootaloo’s fur to standing upon end. The air seemed charged with magical power at the sound of it - and for some reason - her fear of attack was banished into the winds.

Following the horn came a low growl of sound that rose up into a cacophony of voices all calling out at once, “Hallooooooo!” The sound rolled through the trees with an almost physical force of sound, and the growl came again as voices rose in sonorous chorus together, “HALLOOOOOOOO!” The sound came again, and every pony and creature upon the ridgeline stared in shock into the trees, where the rumbling sound of boots continued to approach unabated.

Scootaloo didn’t know what to do… or say, or even think. Fortunately… “It’s the Legion,” whispered Skandranon, his eyes shining with unshed tears. “It’s the call of the Legion! HEY! EVERYONE! ANSWER BACK!” he screamed out down the ridgeline, and then cupped his talons around his beak and screamed out into the forest, his voice a single piercing note, “Hallooooo!” The sound rang out through the trees as dozens of other ponies appeared wearing their makeshift armor and bearing spears and crossbows.

For a minute, Scootaloo hesitated. Then… I have to trust my friends to know what they’re doing. “You heard him, everypony!” she called out herself - and the rest of the ponies on the ridge nodded - the word being quickly passed down by word of mouth and wild gestures from many creatures. More ponies arrived and were quickly informed - all of them forming up on the ridge in a solid line of creatures.

As one, they cupped their hooves, talons, and other appendages about their mouths and called back together… Scootaloo joining them and trying to imbue every bit of the vibrant fire that burned in her heart in the words. If they truly were friends, they would feel the flames too… and perhaps, they would join them. “HALLOOOOOO!” went out the return call, sounding subtly but distinctly different from the mouths of ponies and deerfolk alike.

Skandranon stood there with a shimmer in his eyes that spoke of tears and happiness alike as their call echoed back through the forest. “We’ve gotta go out an’ meet ‘em, Crusader! HAH! I knew Roam’d send help!” And off he was, cavorting back through the camp with nary another word to Scootaloo, who stared at his retreating back with some level of bemusement. At least the camp isn’t under attack…. Huh, I’d better go find Zecora.

She turned her scooter on the spot, only to have Caedryn stop her with a well placed hoof on her back wheel. “Take heed, Crusader. I have words of wisdom you must hear.” His voice was firm, and much less ethereal than she’d ever heard it before. He didn’t sound like some kind of ghost anymore… he sounded like a wise old uncle. “When you meet with the one who leads these griffons, do not show any hesitation. Treat him as an equal, and demand his respect. You have taken the fight to the Shadow with few to no resources of your own, and have earned such.” Okay, a cranky wise old uncle who had a problem with these foals all over his lawn… but wise none the less.

Scootaloo had to grin at him though. She knew all too well about not backing down from the strong… she’d learned that lesson after dealing with Babs Seed. Backing down only encouraged them to run roughshod over you. “Right. I want you with us when we meet them, then. I’m gonna go get Zecora.” She shoved his hoof off her scooter with a well placed kick and sped off down into the camp, leaving the bemused deerfolk behind her.

As she blazed through the camp, she could feel the fierce fire in her heart. If help truly had come, maybe taking Ghastly Gorge for themselves wouldn’t be so impossible after all...

~~~~~~~

Caesar Scipio Grifficanus sank down onto the stool with a gusty sigh, stretching out his wings and wincing at the feel of fatigue in them. “I’d forgotten how exhausting war maneuvers were,” he grumbled softly, wishing more than anything that he had someone who could massage the ache out of these wings… and when he was being honest, he probably could have had someone. But that would involve giving orders he wasn’t terribly comfortable with giving.

By law and custom, the Praetorian Guard would do absolutely any task for the Caesar. Refusing an order was simply out of the question, no matter what that order might be. The Caesar was - by the strictest definitions of griffon law - an absolute ruler to be obeyed under all circumstances by all loyal citizens of the empire. In practice, this power wasn’t nearly as comprehensive with the civilian population, but amongst the Praetorians it was a matter of pride.

In fact, training to be in the Praetorian Guard included the same kind of rigorous sexual instruction that royal courtesans underwent, with the logic being that it would be far more prudent for a Caesar to get his rocks off with someone who was utterly dedicated to preserving his life rather than someone else who might have a political axe to grind. For Scipio of course, this was all very, very uncomfortable territory to have his mind in, but… well, he understood the logic at least, even if this position seemed tailor made to create a massive ego in a griffon.

Fortunately, he had no shortage of those around him ready to beat his ego back down to size. “Quit whining, brother,” Gilda said with a none-too-gentle smack across the back of his head. “We’re all tired as fuck, and we all need a couple days rest. Hopefully we’ll get it here but…” She shifted, her talons gripping his old war spear nervously. “I dunno. Something about this place gives me the jibblies.” She shivered a little, and Scipio had to grin at that.

“Relax. The Doe would not have sent us here without knowing we would find allies. Besides, there must be a Legion scouting party out here if they knew how to respond to the call.” That had been a welcome surprise for Scipio, even if it hadn’t sounded precisely correct for a group of the Legion. The flight into Equestria had been surprisingly easy, with nothing more than a cursory encounter with a group of pegasus scouts who had immediately run like fury. “Still, I wonder about this strange pegasus filly the Doe talked about. She acted like she was… important somehow.” Scipio felt a little frown cross his face, tapping the ancient war spear onto the ground beside him.

Gilda shook her head and snorted a little in derision. “None of my business, Bro. You’re the one that’s gotta deal with the high muckity-mucks now.” She grinned and poked him in the side with her talon teasingly. “Just imagine, now you get to be the one who glares at the stupid servants when they’ve forgotten something. ” And then her beak twisted into a great imitation of their father’s disapproving stare, and he had to give off a soft but strained laugh. That was their father, alright…. Scipio hoped he was okay.

“Caesar. Scouts report a party approaching from deeper into the forest. They’re bearing banners and are… a little ragged about the edges.” The stern and somewhat disapproving voice of the female Praetorian commander Iron Feather clipped through his conversation with his sister, reminding him of the duties to come. Still, he wasn’t surprised that the ad-hoc resistance that had formed here was less than professional.

So he smiled faintly, raising his empty talon to waggle at her. “Don’t speak down of them, commander. Once upon a time, a young pegasus named Fierce Hurricane had but a single hoof stitched banner to her name. Last I checked, a great many of our finely sewn banners still hung in the hall of Cloudsdale, and hers remains untouched where she left it two thousand years ago.” The Praetorian commander winced a little at the rebuke in his voice, and he gave off a fierce griffon grin. Lets see what the White Doe sees in this pegasus then, he thought with a great deal of curiosity.

A few minutes later, the group appeared through the trees - the sound of many hooves and feet moving independently of one another. A single crimson banner hung from a freshly cut tree limb, bearing a bright blue shield with a rampant white pony upon it. A subtle buzzing sound hung in the air, confusing him for a moment until he saw the lead figure of the group.

She rode some kind of wheeled contraption - a scooter, if he guessed correctly. A heavy round shield with the same device crudely painted on it was wedged in front of the handles, and a heavy looking sickled dagger hung on her back. Her wings were still very small - indicating her young age - and she wore a beautiful red silk cloak with the same emblem stitched into the back. It billowed behind her as she rode, propelled by her pegasus magic and the force of her wings beating very hard, like a hummingbird.

Instantly, Scipio was struck by the look of steely resolve in her eyes. Her youth and all the things it entailed were rendered irrelevant by that look. Something… something important had to have been taken from her. A parent, a friend, perhaps a lover. Do Equestrian youth take lovers like Roamish youth did? Mm. Need to check on that. Whatever it was, Umbra had made a truly monumental error in taking it. Scipio knew that look - he had seen it before in the eyes of Legionnaires determined to repay the debt of blood incurred by their enemies. This little pegasus filly would stop at nothing to get her vengeance against the Dark Sun.

He smiled. He could work with that.

The rest of her entourage was a mishmash of races, species, and representatives of all the world. A zebrican shaman - possibly a potions mistress given her bandolier of vials - strode next to her with a look of her own resolve. A deerfolk ranger warrior was there too, as were a number of older ponies - a unicorn mare wearing the unmistakable garb of a professional mage stood out the most, though. And there was a scarred and sturdy looking griffon there too, wearing a black eyepatch and marching with the look of a seasoned veteran. He’d been the one tasked to carry the banner, and he looked quite proud to do so.

Scipio stared for a moment as the group came into speaking range at the Griffon, wondering why he seemed familiar before shaking off the feeling. The filly on her scooter came right up to within two or three feet of Scipio, staring at him with fearless violet eyes. Silence reigned between them until she finally spoke. Her voice was rough but clear - pitched loud enough so that even his personal guard could hear them. “Welcome to the White Tail Woods, Mister…” she trailed off, obviously wanting to get him to respond with his name.

He could have laughed a little - no formality, no proclamations. Just introductions. Oh yes, he could definitely work with this one. “I am Caesar Scipio Grifficanus, little pegasus. And just who are you, then?” he asked with an arched eyebrow as the griffon holding her banner gave off a stifled gasp. Scipio might have sighed if the situation wasn’t already tense enough - he was going to be getting that reaction for a long time, he was sure.

The filly cocked an eyebrow right back at him, then grinned in a devil-may-care sort of way. “I’m Crusader Scootaloo, and this is my territory by the command of the White Doe. What brings you to my woods, Scipio?” she shot right back, and this time the Praetorian guard stifled a gasp at her complete disregard for his title and authority. There was no fear in her gaze - and no concern either. That was a little frightening actually… and it served to remind Scipio of exactly what they’d walked into here.

He only paused for a moment to consider their situation. Surrounded by dense foliage and trees in every direction, they were no doubt surrounded by pockets of crossbows and archers prepared to rain death upon his forces. Just because his scouts hadn’t found them meant nothing. The deerfolk were masters of stealth and ambush, and if the griffon carrying her banner truly was a Legion veteran, he no doubt would have informed her as to Legion scouting practices. Those two things combined meant she was the one definitively in charge here, not he.

Fortunately, none of that bothered Scipio one bit. “We have come because the Shadow has fallen upon Roam.” He did not need to pretend the anguish he felt as he bowed his head, gripping his war spear firmly. “Our lands are shattered, and the Dark Sun has claimed the Eternal City for her own. The White Doe told us there was one here who sought to bring the fight to the Shadow.”

Scipio paused for a moment and took in a deep breath, wondering if perhaps a bit of drama was needed here… and decided to give it a try anyway. “Once upon a time, Crusader Scootaloo, griffon and pony alike stood together against the Long Night and the Nightmare Queen. Though many years of conflict lie between us, we have never forgotten the boundless courage of Ponykind.” He stood up, flaring out his wings and pressing his talons over his heart. “We come to aid you in your battle against the Long Night again, Crusader. Would you have us?”

The young filly cocked her head to one side for a moment, her eyes darting over him and then to his sister beside him. Her eyes widened for a moment, her lips moving involuntarily. “Gilda! What the buck…” she paused, then shook her head a little as if to clear it. “Caedryn, is this guy clean?” she asked quietly of the deerfolk captain beside her. The deerfolk’s eyes fixed upon Scipio’s for a moment that seemed to stretch into eternity and then….

“Yes, Crusader. He too bears a weapon that can bring ruin upon the Shadow. That alone is proof that he speaks no lies to you.” The deerfolk’s cool voice held a distinct undercurrent of… excitement. Something Scipio wasn’t sure how to parse at first, but made sense. The deerfolk legendarily hated the Dark Sun and all of her works, and the more force they could bring to bear in war against them, the happier they would be.

Scootaloo nodded slowly, and turned with a slow smile to him. There was a glint of mischief in her eyes, and Scipio had to wonder what she was planning. “Alright then. I accept your offer of loyalty, Scipio.” Scipio damn near spat at that bold, utterly insane statement… and nearly gave off a massive belly laugh. What a cunning little filly she was! And her next words were even better by his rights, as she turned a little on the spot. Speaking casually - but commandingly.

“Welcome to the Cutie Mark Crusade, Crusader Scipio. We’ve got work to do.”

Chapter 12 - Rise of The Crusade

~~~~~Not Long after…~~~~~

Scootaloo stared in astonished disbelief as row after row of griffons marched into the camp. There had to be at least two or three hundred of them, and that wasn’t counting the actual soldiers Scipio had decided to leave on the ground surrounding the camp entrance. Apparently, using a central camp like this for ‘support staff’ was a standard thing for griffon armies. That, of course, brought up the problem of supplies…

“Look, Scipio. You’re sure you can feed your own troops?” she frowned slightly, crossing her hooves over her chest. “I get that you griffons can hunt, but have you cleared that with the deerfolk? They’re kinda sensitive about this place.” Treating Scipio like any other pony had been surprisingly easy in spite of his fancy helmet. Scoots couldn’t put her hoof on it, but there was something about him that just seemed… trustworthy.

“Yes, Scootaloo. I am quite certain,” he said with a griffon grin, his beak slightly gapped in a smile. No, it was something more than trustworthy. It was like when she’d met Applebloom for the first time, just an instant sense of companionship. Scootaloo hadn’t known many griffons, and the few she had known had mostly been jerks. But this guy? She actually liked this guy. “We have quite a bit in war-rations we managed to salvage before leaving Roam, and I have spoken to Crusader Caedryn on the matter of small game.” He tilted his head at her, his gaze direct and challenging. Unlike a lot of the ponies in camp, he’d treated her like an adult right from the get go, which was another thing Scootaloo really liked about him.

‘Game’ was a weird word for hunting animals for food, but Scootaloo shrugged it off. “Okay, if you’re sure.” Every creature was different, and she didn’t have time to get squeamish about it. Practicality was her new watch-word when it came to dealing with the various needs and races of her Crusaders. Besides, whatever issues their carnivorous habits might cause, the griffons had brought her the one thing she’d previously lacked.

Numbers.

Scootaloo would have done a little dance for joy if she wasn’t sure Scipio would give her shit over it. Six hundred battle hardened, well equipped, highly trained griffon Legionaries. Scootaloo - like every pegasus - knew from foalhood Legionaries were considered amongst the best troops on the planet. It was a part of every pegasi foal’s education, just like basic basic tactics and strategy were worked into their play games and entertainment… even if Scootaloo hadn’t realized that until very, very recently. And the Praetorian Guard was really high up on that list.

Oh sure, they weren’t quite Royal Guard, but then who was? “So, you have the look of a pony intending a desperate act of derring-do,” Scipio observed with an arched eyebrow. She stared up at him, wondering how he’d inferred that before she’d even figured out how to pitch the idea to him. He gave her another one of those griffon grins before speaking again. “Cached supplies around camp, ponies sharpening weapons and repairing armor, your griffon drill instructor thundering orders I can hear halfway across the camp.” He ticked off his talons one by one, impressing Scootaloo with each observation.

He grinned again, scratching at his chin slyly. “That, and I might have had a private word or two with your Shaman while I was waiting at the base of the hill.” Scootaloo face-hoofed instantly, and the griffon commander gave a rumbling little chuckle in response to it. I am going to have words with Zecora later, she thought with a gusty sigh, rubbing at her forehead again to work away the pain of the headache. “Relax, Crusader. I was simply curious as to your intentions on how best to bring the fight to the foe.” He turned a little, facing the central tent and arched an eyebrow at her. “Why don’t you show me your Strategic Map? I think it is time I fully comprehended how much trouble we’re in.”

Scootaloo cocked her head to one side at him, then nodded. Whatever else he might be, Scipio was somepony who knew how to fight… and maybe, just maybe…

A friend.

~~~~~

Scipio laid his talons on the table as his eyes darted to and fro over the map. Nearby, the young pegasus filly was watching him intensely and trying to follow his gaze as he eyeballed the surprisingly excellent intelligence on troop numbers, supplies, enemy strongholds, and other relevant information. None of it took into account the reinforcements from Roam, of course - but that was information he himself could guess at.

Even so, it was clear the situation in Equestria was tenuous at best even if... “You’re certain about these numbers?” he asked quietly, and Scootaloo nodded firmly in response to his question. “The Kings were fools then.” The numbers were staggering, if they were true… and this young filly had no reason to misrepresent them. The Pegasi Phalanxes had grown in strength and numbers, and given that weather control technology had vastly improved over the past three centuries…

“Well, this is certainly better news than I expected to see. Not relevant to us right now, but it gives me hope for the future,” Scipio said, projecting his best confident aura. And was rewarded for it with an arched eyebrow from the clearly unimpressed Scootaloo. He had been telling the truth, but it was clear he’d have to explain. “Ah… which is to say, our mutual foe will not be able to so easily win here.” He tapped the map in several key zones. “She won't be able to launch an all out attack on her return from Roam. She simply lacks the numerical advantage to do so. She’s going to need more help, which makes preventing her from moving south all the more important.”

Scootaloo’s eyes cleared up after that, and she nodded slowly. “Right. Which means this fight’s an even bigger one than I thought… good thing we’ll have help.” She grinned fearlessly at Scipio, then trotted over to the more complex tactical map they’d built. “Okay, so this is how I see it - especially since your forces have wings.” She gave a short little hop up to a raised chair, and Scipio had to take a moment to admire whoever had thought to build the thing. Confidence was one of the most important things to have in a commander, and being treated as an equal would build that as surely as success would.

Scootaloo pulled out a long wand and began to point to various points on the excellent model. Scipio would have to find out who had built it and press them into service - having physical models like this would make planning battles much more precise. “We don’t have the forces to hold a line, so we’re going to wait till they’re already heading for the bridge,” Scootaloo began, and Scipio shook off his meandering thoughts to focus on her words. “We’re going to hit them when they’ve already got forces on the other side - we want to catch the bulk of their troops while they’re on the bridge, so we can ignore their scouts and clean them up after the fight… supposing we win it.”

That sounded good to Scipio, and he nodded shortly. Scouts wouldn’t be able to do enough on their own, provided the southern ponies could be warned about the corruption. “So we’ll position you and your guys here, in the wheat fields on the southern end of the bridge.” She pointed to the fields, a fierce grin crossing her face. “We’ve been trying to figure out how to put a real force there, and since you griffons can fly you can swing over the Gorge to get there faster than anything else we’ve got. The rest of our guys will be on the northern end, probably assembling in these pear orchards to the west.” Scipio nodded slowly, seeing the plan that Scootaloo was outlining. It was simple, direct, and going to be bloody as hell… but the very best plans usually were pretty simple.

Scootaloo outlined it anyway though - Scipio was sure it was because she was trying to feel out any flaws in it, though he couldn’t have said why he knew that… “You’ll hit them first - cutting off the southern end of the bridge - making it look like you’re just trying to bottleneck them. Once they’re good and stuck in, we’ll spring our trap.” She smacked the wand in the center of the bridge, her grin becoming even more fierce as the moments went on… almost predatory, in point of fact. “Vinyl’s gonna set up her sound system in the gorge and use it to disorient them. We’ll set off a big light show at the same time using illusions and fireworks. Try to blind them, get them turned around. Then Thunderlane and his wrecking crew, along with the rest of our fighters positioned on the ridges will hit them from every other angle - trapping them on the bridge at their most vulnerable.”

Scipio leaned back and inhaled deeply, closing his eyes. He could envision the attack already, seeing how each element would tie into the others. “You’re going to try to panic them,” he said softly, and could instantly see why that plan would appeal to her. Disoriented and confused, and unable to tell which way was which, they’d be unable to form a good battle line. Compacted into one another on the bridge, they wouldn’t be able to deploy their full strength against their attackers, and so the numerical disadvantage would be minimized. It was an excellent plan, save for one problem…

He sighed deeply and gave the bridge another look. “That would be a superb plan, if the Dark Sun was not involved. She has a supernatural control over those who serve her, and she will undoubtedly be able to keep them from completely panicking.” He shook his head slowly, still glaring at the bridge. “Still, it is an excellent start. You have less to learn about the Art of War than I had originally thought.”

Scootaloo cocked her head at him, her eyes narrowed but… curious. She was obviously thinking, so he took the time to continue to examine the surrounding area. It really was a solid ambush plan, but they lacked the numbers or reinforcements to drive it home, unless… “How attached are you to this bridge staying intact?” he snapped, hoping to startle her into an immediate answer.

She didn’t disappoint either. “Pretty seriously - we need food and other supplies, and we can’t rely on the farms around Ponyville,” Scootaloo said quickly, giving him a sharp look. “The farms beyond the Unicorn Range are too far without the use of the trains, which we also can't rely on, and Los Pegasus is on the other side of a desert. Unless you have a plan to keep us with food, we need to take that bridge so we can ship up supplies from Appleloosa.” Scootaloo crossed her limbs over her chest and gave out a gusty sigh. “I know, we’d much rather just blow the bridge up too, but…”

Scipio held up a talon, and Scootaloo fell silent. “Hold a moment, my young friend. An old griffon saying holds that there’s more than one way to untie a knot. And there is more than one way to win a battle.” He smiled softly. “I have an idea… your plan will serve as an excellent opening to the festivities, with a few modifications.” Scipio leaned over the map, feeling the plan start to coalesce in his head.

It was daring - almost too daring. But the Praetorian Guard had pulled off the incredible before, and there was no doubt in Scipio’s mind they could do so again. “Now, listen closely Scootaloo. We shall begin just as you said…” And slowly, over the next few minutes he outlined his ideas. He would need to plan for maximum flexibility - every decent general knew the best plans fell apart at the merest whiff of uncertainty, but if they were fast…

Scootaloo nodded slowly at his ideas, a gleam of excitement burning in her eyes. She’d need training, of course. A more thorough grounding in practical military doctrine, and some combat training as well. There was still a great deal to work with there, and Scipio knew instinctively that they were going to need every drop of it if they were to survive the coming war. He leaned back as Scootaloo began to make suggestions of her own, surprising Scipio.

And if this little filly could surprise a seasoned campaigner like himself, perhaps she might just be able to surprise Dark Sun too.

~~~~~~~

Later that afternoon, Scootaloo strode down the hill toward the camp the griffon soldiers had made at the base of the hill. Scipio had gone ahead some hours ago, intending to oversee the establishment of the camp and a few other duties, but had invited her to come and meet his soldiers. They would be soon fighting together, and it would be best if she knew what to expect out of them.

Zecora strode alongside her, as she almost always did these days. In fact… Scootaloo was becoming oddly more attached to the zebrican than she’d ever been before. Sure, Zecora always had the spookiest tricks on Nightmare Night and was always good for an adventure or two into the Everfree, but she was kind of a stick in the mud the rest of the time. Now? She was the only reason Scootaloo managed to keep things organized and her cooking, alongside her very close friend and roommate Berry Punch, was beyond top notch.

But more than that, Zecora, alone amongst all the ponies in the camp, knew what Applebloom and Sweetie Belle had meant to her. Still meant to her. Zecora was the only one who knew Scootaloo woke up crying sometimes and was the only one who she felt safe enough around to do so with. Well… okay, maybe Silver Spoon too, but that was a whole mess of emotions Scootaloo was trying to not think about just before she went to meet a bunch of hardass soldiers.

“Heads up, little one,” Zecora said softly, leaning on her gnarled staff heavily. Zecora had started wearing an odd looking vest and belt covered in pouches and stuffed with potion vials whenever she left the camp. She’d said they were the weapons she had been trained to use as a filly, and that they could be fearsome indeed in the right fight. She also said she knew how to make a pretty potent explosive, and we’re gonna need quite a bit of that to pull off the plan, Scootaloo thought with a slow smile, raising her head high as they strode into the camp.

Scootaloo herself was wearing the three things she went nowhere without now - her shield, her sword, and her cloak. The crimson cloak billowed in a sudden breeze as they approached a set of sentires, each of them wearing a bright red cloak of their own attached to the shoulder plates of their matte golden armor. “Crusader Scootaloo and Shaman Zecora,” she announced in her firmest voice. She liked the look of those cloaks and how they attached to the armor… Hmm. “The Caesar said we ought to come visit.” That was a little snarkier than she’d intended, but she wasn’t a soldier. Not like these griffons.

Maybe if she had been, Sweetie Belle and Applebloom would be here right now.

The two guards were silent for a moment, then both nodded slowly. “Welcome to the camp, Crusader. The Legion Stands.” The last words were like an oath, some ancient thing that rang down through the centuries because it was supposed to. Scootaloo shook the thoughts out of her head and proceeded into the camp, Zecora in tow.

Zecora chuckled softly. “It is the motto of their military, Scootaloo. A reminder of every griffon that has come before them and spoken the very same words. They take strength from it, just as you take strength from the names on your shield.” Zecora spoke softly, but that didn’t stop the clenching of pain around her heart at the reminder of those names. A list which had grown to include more than just her friends. A reminder, every day she picked it up and strapped it on, of what she was fighting for.

The camp of the Praetorian’s was surprisingly loose, although the military regimentation was evident everywhere. Griffons sat with armor casually laid to one side and rolled dice or played cards. Some of them were sharpening the steel spears they called ‘War spears’ while talking in low voices. A small group of griffons were strumming or playing musical instruments while others clapped and nodded heads to the tune. Some griffons cooked, some tended to minor chores, and it was almost… pedestrian.

But underneath that ease, Scootaloo could sense a subtle tension.These creatures exuded a restrained violence that made Scootaloo want to run her flank off so she could get as far away from them as possible. Her natural instincts responding to the literal army of predators now camped out around her, each and every one of which was watching her out of the corner of their eyes… waiting to see what she would do.

So she did what she’d done with Scipio and ignored it. Instead, she focused on the little details - how they were camped together, how they divvied up duties. It was a good way of distracting her until - “Crusader! I would have words with you,” came a strong, very masculine voice from her right. She turned to regard it, only to be confronted with one of the biggest griffons she’d ever seen. Easily a foot taller than the rest and muscular as all hell.

So she cocked an eyebrow at him and tried to squash the voice in her head that was babbling about running really, really far away from this guy. He crossed his beefy arms over his chest and leaned down to get a little closer, his voice faintly patronizing. “Tell me, little filly. Why should my brothers and I deign to follow you? Perhaps the Caesar finds you amusing, but I do not see what he sees.” His words got a low ripple of laughter from some of the surrounding soldiers, and instantly Scootaloo knew this whole thing for what it was.

Scipio wanted to see how she’d handle them.

So she turned to the guard and stared him right in the eye. She adopted the flat, cold voice that Vinyl used when nopony else was bothering to notice. “You want to know what makes me the leader here, huh? Alright then.” The voice was as hard as iron, and the use of it cast a bit of confusion into the griffon’s eye. Perhaps he’d been expecting something else… but she was about to give him more.

“I was there when the Shadow first boiled out of the Everfree Forest in the form of a pony I had thought was my friend,” Scootaloo began, walking closer to him and trying to restrain the anger and fire that boiled in her belly. “I was there when my best friends in the world were taken by the Shadow because I couldn’t see the danger for what it was. I watched two ponies I love more than anything else in the world turned into writhing slaves to it’s power.” Her steps had taken her right up to his feet, and the Legionnaire gave a step of ground to her reflexively.

Inside, she smirked at that - but she wasn’t even close to finished. “I watched as ponies I’ve known my whole life fled from the town, losing friends and loved ones. I saw children orphaned by the Shadow, right before my very eyes.” She kept advancing on him, and every time she got too close he gave up a few more steps, the shock in his eyes obvious even to Scootaloo. “And do you know what I did when I saw all of that?” she whispered to him, but the whisper seemed loud enough to reach every ear around her.

He shook his head numbly, and she twisted her lips up into a sick grin. “I took up a weapon, when I never had used one before in my life. I took up a shield, when I’d never been trained in its use. I put on my cloak, that my friends had made for me, and I went hunting the Shadow.” She lifted a hoof and jabbed it right into the stupid griffon’s armored chest. “Because the Shadow isn’t anything special to somepony from Ponyville.”

That got a stare of disbelief from the griffon, and she turned away from him - raising her voice loud enough to be heard by anyone who wanted to listen. “You want to know why you should follow me? Because I was there when Discord turned the whole town of Ponyville into his personal plaything. Because I was there when the Changelings invaded Canterlot, and it felt like the end of the world. I was there when Nightmare Moon came back from myth and legend, and you know what?!” The last words were almost screamed as she clambered up a wooden crate, trying to get some elevation for her speech. “Another villain with a black cloak and a funny name doesn’t scare me anymore!”

Scootaloo’s words thundered through the camp and she swept her gaze across the staring soldiers, daring them to interrupt. “I don’t care how strong she is,” Scoots began, her words pitched high enough for everyone to hear. “I don’t care how old she is, and I don’t give a buck how many names she has. She’s got my friends. She took them away from me. She took my home, and my life, and everything I’ve ever held dear...”

Scoots swiveled her gaze back to the original asker and growled in her best intimidating voice. “But I’m not going to stop. I’m not going to let her win. I’ll pick up every weapon I can and throw it at her. I’ll use any plan I can think of to slow her down. She thinks that her darkness and enslaving power makes her strong. But it doesn’t - because I’ve seen what real power is in this world.” Scootaloo raised her head up high, staring up into the leafy foliage above her head. “I’ve watched what can be done when you’re fighting for your friends. I’ve seen gods and goddesses alike fall to that power, and she won’t be any different.” Scootaloo closed her eyes, bowing her head for a moment. “And when I get my hooves on her, she’ll wish she’d never messed with the Cutie Mark Crusaders.”

Her last words echoed through the trees, seeming to carry itself on a sudden blast of wind thick with the scent of deep summer. It was a smell that didn’t belong in the forest, now heading towards the bit of autumn, yet it was somehow appropriate. Scootaloo hopped off the crate and strode past the Legionnaire, growling under her breath. “So quit asking stupid questions, and get your flanks ready. You’re all Crusaders too now.” She whipped her head around to gaze at all the rest of the gawkers, her voice snapping like dry twigs. “So act like it!”

Then she turned around again and strode away from the guards, Zecora falling into step beside her with the most satisfied smile Scootaloo had ever seen on her face. “What?” she growled at her zebra friend once they were out of earshot.

Zecora laughed softly, shaking her head. “You are getting quite good at those stirring speeches, little one. I think you quite impressed them.” She beamed at Scootaloo, almost like a proud mother. “Now, let us go find someone who can speak to us without becoming a braggart. There is much the camp could use in terms of supplies, and perhaps there will be some who can trade with us.”

Scootaloo nodded a little, then tilted her head with a slow smile as an idea bloomed in her head. “I wonder if they’ve got some spare cloaks…”

~~~~~

Far behind Scootaloo, several dozen griffons stared in her wake for a few long silent moments. The burly griffon himself had fallen to his ass, dazed and confused about what had just occurred… but somehow knowing it had been momentous all the same. After a few long moments, one of the scout griffons spoke up softly. “Did anyone else get a good look at the emblem on her cloak?”

After a few moments, one of the ranged specialists raised his talon. “I did. Wasn’t too complex of a design either.” He paused for a distinct moment, then nodded slowly. “We’re going to have to find some blue and white cloth, though.”

The group of griffons quickly dissolved into quiet talks about where to find such material in the woods. Others quickly suggested asking some of the other units, while spreading the tale of the speech the little pony had given. Really, she’d sounded more like a miniature griffon than she had a pegasus. Like wildfire, the speech and its words spread through the camp.

And in the way of such things, the words became jumbled and embellished along the way as the tale was told and retold over and over again. Word spread that the young Crusader had seen more horrors than any ten Praetorian veterans combined. That she had already met the Dark Sun in single combat and lived to tell the tale. Soon, much of the camp was convinced that she was the descendant of an ancient line of pegasi warriors, and some few even whispered that within her veins ran the blood of Commander Hurricane herself.

Over and over as it was retold, a single speech became a tale of woe and heartbreak fit to make any griffon shed a solemn tear. Of a young pegasus bereft of family, hearth and home, and her friends kept as prisoners and toys by the Dark Sun, tortured and abused just to taunt the Crusader. Some of the Praetorians who had spoken to the other survivors of Ponyville swore that the Crusader had had to be dragged away from her town as it fell to the Dark Sun as surely as Roam had fallen.

And one by one, her final solemn words reached the ears of every griffon in the camp. ”You’re all crusaders too now.” And the meaning - or at least the meaning in the eyes of the griffons - was not lost on a single warrior amongst them. The Crusader had lost everything, and so had they. And in this way, she had named each and every one of them a brother to her pain and loss. They were all united by what Dark Sun had done to their homes, their families and loved ones, their friends.

With those words, a fire began to grow in their bellies and souls - spread from the lone flame that burned within the Crusader’s heart. Each griffon nursed that flame and spread it to the others. Little by little, they fed the fire within them and passed it amongst their brothers.

By the time Scootaloo had left the camp to return to her own, not a single Praetorian amongst them failed to accord her the proper respect due to one of their own. Plans were quietly laid for what would come next amongst them. The Blacksmiths were duly informed of these plans, and the ringing of hammers sounded off through the night. Needles in deft talons wove and stitched as cloth was found, and dye for that cloth obtained.

For the Praetorian Guard, the answer of how to treat the Crusader had become clear.

After all. Scootaloo was their brother too now.

Chapter 13 - Chosen of the Moon

~~~~~Canterlot Castle, that night.~~~~~

A brilliant, perfectly bright moon slowly rose in the sky that night, illuminating all of the land in a wondrous silvery luminescence. As was traditional, as the final rays of light died in the west, the silver and ebony armored Night Guard took over from the golden armored Royal Guard, post by post. The final post to be replaced was always the one that stood upon the observation tower - the last place in Canterlot to be able to see the sun.

As the guards slowly shifted into place, Princess Luna carefully tucked together the ancient pile of parchment on her table into a rough stack before depositing it back into the ancient ebony chest. For a moment, her hoof caressed the sleek midnight blue steel of a very familiar helmet… and she quickly grabbed hold of the lid and slammed it down, roughly shoving her horn into the keyhole and sealing it up as tightly as she could with her magic.

The chest so sealed, she withdrew her horn and laid her forehead upon the top of the chest and forced her breathing to become even. There was nothing to fear from a mere suit of armor, even one that had become synonymous with the darkest moment in her life. Yet still, she could not bring herself to look upon the thing for more than the briefest of moments. Too often the very touch of that ancient metal, stronger and more powerfully enchanted than anything else in the entire armory, brought back horrifying visions of the atrocities committed during the Nightmare War.

Worst of all, these visions reminded Luna of the one thing she was certain of. The reports were still scattered and sparse, as was the case with these kinds of survivor reports, but the general picture was clear. Twilight was grinding an iron hoof into the throats of the griffons, and whoever did not willingly submit to the Shadow was made to do so in ways that sent chills down Luna’s spine. The tales of what her minions were doing was bad enough, but the reports of what Twilight herself was doing had been far, far worse.

What had been unthinkable in the reports from Ponyville were now all but completely confirmed. Celestia, bless her pure soul, would be unable to process such actions from one whom she held such deep feelings for, and the same would go for Cadence and Shining Armor. All would deny that things could be that bad, that anypony as good as Twilight could bring herself to perform such acts. But Luna knew better. Luna knew what a pony could be driven to if they believed they had reason enough. Luna knew to what depths a pony might sink... under the right circumstances.

Luna’s memories were hazy of those times just after becoming Nightmare Moon. After Tantalus had convinced her that his dark power would be all she would need to draw equal to the power of her sister, much became clouded. But she knew enough to remember drawing all of her precious Thestral children into her web of power and dominating their minds with her own. Enough to remember the fear, the abject worship of her very being that she had forced upon the conquered. Enough to remember what she had done in the pursuit of mere recognition. She too had once been regarded as distant but fair, a good pony that could be relied upon to be even-hooved and just.

Power changed everything though, no matter who you were. Add fear atop that power - the fear of losing everything you loved to enemies you could not see, fear of lacking the strength to fight those evils, fear of… well, it was a recipe Luna herself knew the results of far, far too well. Twilight could now taste the sweet blood of victory over her enemies. Assured by that blood that her power could bring her the victory she sought, she would become only more daring. Worst of all, she would be only more willing to do ‘whatever had to be done’ to secure the world she desired.

Luna sucked in another deep breath and tried to exhale her own fears from her body. She needed to be calm, and most of all she needed to be prepared. Twilight… So alike and yet unalike, we two. Like staring into a mirror of my own soul. What I did for purely selfish reasons, you did for selfless ones. Luna swallowed the lump in her throat and fiercely fought back the tears that threatened to shed.

Twilight. Her friend in an age where all she had been left with was Celestia and a legacy of fear. Yet Twilight had not shown her fear, but love and acceptance. Twilight had not fled from her, but tried desperately to bring her into the circle of those that she had loved. Twilight had introduced her to the valiant little Pipsqueak and how to have ‘fun’ in the modern age. Twilight had released the bonds of ancient privilege and royal duty that had kept Luna from finding the reasons to live in this age.

Twilight had saved her life, in far more ways than one.

It only behooved Luna to make sure that when the time came, she could do the same.

It had taken her nearly a week to find the spell, buried deeply in the forbidden archives. Her sister undoubtedly had wanted to ensure the knowledge was as far removed from being known without actually losing it, but Luna still knew every trick she’d used to do such things. The knowledge of it burned in her mind, a spell so utterly complex and fascinating that it could have been the subject of a lifetime of research. The power requirements were immense for just about everypony… except for her.

After all, the Moon was her domain.

~~~~~~~

The fragrant scent of the subtly sweet green tea hit Luna’s nose and seemed to instantly clear her clouded mind. A touch of magic brushed open the door and within she found the target of her attentions this eve. Gentle Blade sat cross legged before a cheerfully crackling fire, dressed in a tightly fitted emerald green dress of a style Luna had never seen until she visited the Kingdoms. They had called it a ‘kimono’, though this one had obviously been much changed with the long skirt having been cut much shorter… almost to the point of being risque, given the way it flowed over the Ki-Lin’s flank quite fetchingly.

Gentle Blade’s forehooves were folded in her lap as she went about the complexities of her tea preparation. Each delicate porcelain cup positioned just so, each dish containing the additives she favored filled to a specific degree. It was fascinating how utterly serious the Ki-Lin took their tea, and Gentle Blade was no exception to that obsession. Still, she had to admit they made a truly fabulous cup of tea… and that it was very, very fun to horn in on their careful preparations.

So she crossed the length of the room, taking care to be utterly silent in every step she took. She stealthed up to where Gentle Blade sat, and just as she was about to open her mouth… “Bright the Moon, Tsukiyomi. Would you care to join me?” A second cup appeared seemingly from nowhere, and Luna snapped her mouth shut around the ‘boo’ she was going to yell. How on earth…? “Your boots produce a very specific noise, Goddess. Might I recommend removing them if you intend to be silent.” There was a certain amount of snark and amusement in Gentle Blade’s voice, and Luna instantly appreciated the fact that the warrior mare was finally relaxing enough to talk to.

That was going to be very important, very shortly. “Yes, thank you. I shall take that advice under consideration.” She folded her legs - an odd convention that - in the same way that Gentle Blade had on the other side of the short tea-table and cocked her head curiously at her companion. “It is good to see you are finally relaxing a little. How are your comrades dealing with their new… ah, surroundings?” It had been incredibly amusing when she’d realized that Canterlot was a great deal more than just a city to these folk.

But Gentle Blade smiled mysteriously over her cup, taking a slow sip before speaking, “Living in the Shining City is not precisely what they imagined, but it is a wondrous place all the same. As for myself….” She waved a surprisingly delicate hoof, given that her body was of the kind that only came from decades of honing for battle. “One can become used to anything, given time. But that is not why you came here tonight, Tsukiyomi.“

Luna arched her eyebrow at the young pony, but nodded slowly. It was that blunt honesty combined with the surprisingly excellent instincts for what was going on around her that had brought Luna to this decision. What had previously been just a whimsical thought about Gentle Blade’s future had morphed into something much more serious as the situation had become more clear.

The truth was, Canterlot was paralyzed by the events in Equestria. They were barely holding onto the dragnet that kept Winterlight penned up in the Everfree Forest, and the Royal Guard was not nearly numerous enough to deploy in direct confrontation against her. The bulk of Equestria’s military forces could not be deployed because… well, frankly speaking, Winterlight and the cult of the Shadow had not done anything precisely illegal. Whatever Luna, Celestia, and Cadence might know about them and their intentions, they had not engaged in any action which ran contrary to Equestrian Law. Since Twilight’s actions in the Griffon kingdoms were, at this point in time, only ‘alleged’ as nopony had actually seen her there…

Luna was short on good options. Fortunately, she did have one arrow in her quiver that was perfectly matched to this particular task, at least in the sense that she could use it without having to deal with the confounded politicans. “You are correct, Gentle Blade. I have come here tonight to tender you a highly unusual offer.” She sipped her own fragrant tea as a rush of dark heat flushed through her bones. The pulse of Lunar power was always at its strongest when she was thinking of…. well, this. “And should you prove amicable, extending that same offer to your comrades.” Oh, it had been so long since she had brought new children into her family. Was it so wrong to so deeply desire it?

Gentle Blade nodded slowly, laying down her cup and gesturing wordlessly for Luna to continue. Luna took in a deep breath and exhaled it - forcing the power inside of her to calm itself. I swear, the Moon is like a little puppy that can sense walkies… “You have by now seen our Royal Guard and their counterparts who watch over the night. Under our laws, while they bear Our insignia the Royal Guard are technically under our command. However, this is an illusion. The Royal Guard cannot be commanded into action save at the direst of need, or when Equestrian law has been thoroughly breached.” She sighed softly, rubbing at her temple - she’d tried for days to find a way around those restrictions, but it appeared her sister had spent much of the last thousand years wrapping up the loopholes in those laws.

Luna took a moment to collect herself before speaking again, “These laws were made to keep Equestria from becoming a military state, where every problem was solved with force. But both my sister and I knew that the day would come that somepony would be clever enough to flout the law without actually breaking it.” The power of the Moon pulsed within her again - and this time, she could feel the raw, seething hunger of the thing, and its fierce desire to be loosed upon the world again. Luna shuddered for a moment, focusing her willpower and stymying it. “My sister, being a mare dedicated to peace, placed in my hooves the charge to form a special force that would be able to act in secret when need demanded. While she would take charge of the gathering of intelligence and knowledge to wield against those who would seek to harm our little ponies.”

Gentle Blade nodded slowly, and Luna found a smile coming to her lips… only to feel the gentle sharpness of the fangs in her mouth, aching to come out. Patience… Soon, she insisted silently to that power, and slowly it receded in response. “My sister formed the Equestrian Intelligence Service, whilst I…. formed the Lunar Guard.” She closed her eyes and her horn alit with cerulean magic - pulsing softly before vanishing as she called to her children...

They came in silence, as they always did. Slipping through the window and past the door, darting in and around here until twenty of them settled around the table without a word or a noise that could be heard by mortal ears. Gentle Blade stared around her at them, at the glowing golden eyes and strange pupils. Luna spoke softly, now unable to deny the call of the power within her. “I gathered them from every part of Equestrian society. From the great to the small, I found those who had the skills I required and unto them granted the gift of my blood.” Luna’s lips spread wider in a smile now, and she could see the shock on Gentle Blade’s face at the sight of the sharp incisors that had replaced her more normal equine teeth. “The blood of an Alicorn is a potent thing, and granted onto them some of my own strength and powers. Though I knew it not at the time, I was creating an entirely new race of ponies… my children, the Thestrals.”

Without prompting, one amongst their number stepped forward and flared out her batlike wings. Luna shot the thestral in question a quick glance, Ah, Belladonna. Perfect. She is always good with the new ones... Before returning her gaze to the now patently shocked Gentle Blade, who was clearly having a bit of trouble with all of this new information. Luna continued to speak softly, trying oh-so-very hard not to imagine Gentle Blade with her… “For centuries, they have done what no other Equestrian could. They have fought the foes the law could not touch and brought fear and death to the enemies of Canterlot.”

Luna bent her gaze upon Gentle Blade, forcing her power not to do as it pleased and entrance her no matter how easy it would be… “We have need of them once more, Gentle Blade. Yet I have none amongst them who are well studied in the art of war. So. I have need of you.” Luna finished, biting the modifiers to that word off before they could slip out of her mouth. The last thing she needed was to scare the poor dear off because she was getting excited at the prospect of what was to come...

For several long minutes, Gentle Blade sat there while rotating her teacup slowly between her hooves. Luna was thankful for that - as it gave her time to focus her self control inward and mentally beat down the beast within her. I am not a slave to my desires. I am not the Shadow, who seeks only to slake her own lusts… I am Luna, and the Night obeys me, not the other way around.

Luna felt her whole body give off another little shudder as she suppressed that power, hoping that no overt physical changes had manifested themselves. Fortunately, it did not appear that Gentle Blade had noticed her momentary… indiscretions. I had forgotten how strong the Moon could be. The last time I had brought new children into the fold was… Goddess, before the War. No wonder the Moon’s power is so eager to taste of it again… Luna had never asked her sister if the Sun fought to be let free as much as the Moon did, but she was certain that Celestia wrangled with her own power no less than Luna.

Gentle Blade set down her teacup and exhaled a deep breath. “I am handling all of this rather well, no?” she quipped, folding her hooves in her lap and flashing a brief smile. “My goddesses appear before me without warning and whisk me off to a land out of myth and legend. They tell me that the art I have spent a lifetime to perfect is now desperately needed, with none of the foolish politics of the court… and now, a goddess asks me to serve her directly for the rest of eternity…” Gentle Blade swallowed softly, her hooves tightening in her lap.

Luna could have facehoofed at her own lack of awareness, but it probably would have done nothing for poor Gentle Blade’s mood. So much had been happening lately… “Ah, I do apologize. I am so used to dealing with those who see us in a far different light - ” But Gentle Blade was shaking her head firmly, holding up her hoof. Luna shut her mouth and nodded, sitting back to see what else she had to say.

Gentle Blade coughed faintly, before a smile crossed her face. “Tsukiyomi, you do not need to apologize. I merely needed to - ” She paused then, wetting her lips with her tongue. “Take a moment, I suppose. So much has been happening so quickly.” Luna gave off a wry chuckle at the echo of her own thoughts, and Gentle Blade smiled faintly. “Goddess Tsukiyomi, my life has always been dedicated to you and Amaterasu. If you believe that there is a way I might better serve you both, I would welcome the opportunity.”

The Ki-Lin mare slowly came to her hooves, walking with a surreal calmness around the table. “I do not deny that I am nervous about such a thing, but… I have come to realize that it was not coincidence that placed me before your eyes, but a greater purpose.” Gentle Blade came full circle around the table, face to face with Belladonna and a faint smile on her lips. “The spirits knew you would have need of one like me, and they have conspired to ensure the proper tool was at hoof.” Gentle Blade took in a deep breath and exhaled softly, bowing her head before the surprised looking thestral mare. “But I do not fear the need for a blade, nor do I fear what may become of that blade in the reforging. “

Gentle Blade lifted her head, turning it to stare soulfully at Luna, who could not help but feel just a little awed in the presence of such an acceptance of the world. Gentle Blade’s voice was soft, but determined. “What must I do?”

~~~Just before Midnight~~~

“You want me to do what?!”

Luna sighed softly, trying to glare a hole into the door in front of her. “Princess Cadence, you must understand. I will be working powerful magics - some of which may… affect the castle staff, and I would rather you not also be so afflicted.” Cadence was giving her a blank look then, and Luna sighed irritably. “It may induce a state of unusual excitement,” Luna tried again, and once again Cadence was giving her a blank look - one full of confusion. Luna snorted softly. “They could be affected by a state of unnatural lust, Cadence! For pity’s sake, did my sister not teach you anything of sexual magic?” Cadence’s cheeks suddenly went even pinker than normal, and she coughed heavily to cover up her embarrassment.

Luna sighed, facehoofing again. “My sister hath become such a prude.” She shook her head, unable to stifle a laugh. “Alicorn of Love, indeed,” she snorted, then stabbed a hoof towards her niece. “You are going to accompany me then. You ought to see how such power can be used for a good purpose, instead of the evils that the Shadow wields it for.” She turned upon the spot and trotted towards her doors as Cadence dissolved into sputtering and denials until Luna smacked her hoof into the door. “You will follow me, niece. Or I shall have you bathed, oiled, bound up in a fetching manner and brought to my chambers to await my displeasure.” Luna shot a severe - and playful - look over her shoulder, meaning every word. Cadence stared at her as the color ran out of her cheeks, then miserably trotted up alongside her.

Luna felt a surge of satisfaction and nudged the door to the Lunar wing of the palace open with her hoof and beckoned her niece imperiously through it. Once she was on the other side, Luna nodded to her guards. “Seal the doors and windows. Nopony is to enter my domain until I so will it.” Her words were quiet and cold, brooking no argument. The last thing she needed was some poor soul coming into her domain when she was casting this spell - especially in the presence of her children, who might decide to take said uninvited guests into their own hooves and… well, the poor pony might enjoy themselves, but Luna much doubted they would be the same ever again.

Luna swept down the corridor with Cadence firmly in tow, following the ebony stone hallways up the gentle slopes that would lead to her personal chambers and the ritual circle within. “Auntie Luna, what exactly are you doing that is potentially so…” Cadence began, her words sputtering into a fluster for a moment, before quickly recovering itself. “Potent? I mean, even my magic typically can’t affect ponies I cannot see…”

Luna chuckled faintly as they approached the final door - a towering monolith of black oak set with shining silver fixtures. “Dearest Cadence… my realm is the night, and dreams. And it is from those dreams and the raw seething energies within them that the power of this spell comes.” Luna gave a flick of her magic and the door swung open, only for Luna to bend a sly look upon her niece. “And drawing from that realm of power can sometimes mean some leakage, if you catch my meaning.”

Cadence descended into muttering and dire promises of vengeance as Luna swept into her room - which was blessedly free of the rest of her children. Good. The old traditions have not been forgotten. They would be needed later, but Luna did not wish to have to explain their presence to Cadence. Not right now, at any rate. Gentle Blade herself sat silently in the middle of the ritual circle, with a small pile of black and red clothes neatly folded atop a chair. What she had brought with her was one of those odd, faintly curved blades laid across her lap in all of its bare, glittering steel.

“Sit,” Luna growled at Cadence. “Someplace well outside the ritual circle, and do not interrupt me.” Cadence gave off a mouselike squeak and quickly fluttered over to a secluded and otherwise normal chair, primly perching herself upon it. Luna eyed the circle and her distance from it, and nodded once. Good. She is wise enough to know when to exercise caution. Luna would have to use the same caution - especially given what was going to come next.

With each step she took across the circle, the ancient magic slowly roused itself to life. The runes etched into the stone glowing to a shimmering blue - the color of her magic made manifest. “Gentle Blade,” she whispered, silently activating the magics of the ritual she’d developed more than two thousand years ago, “you have come before me, willing to serve.” The first magical circle sealed behind her, and the second slowly came to life - this time, the magic a darker azure hue. “Are you prepared to serve, now and forever?”

“I am, my Queen,” she said calmly, not even bothering to open her eyes as she responded in the ritual of acceptance. There was resolve set upon her face, and just the barest hint of joy in her voice. “I am prepared to serve in darkness and war, that those who live in the light may live in peace.” She spoke with as much conviction as Luna could have hoped for as the second magical circle glittered for a moment before setting into its seal, a second invisible wall of power springing up around them.

Luna looked up and embraced the magic within her, calling to the power of the Moon as it soared overhead, its gentle silver light pouring in through the clerestory windows high above. “Thou will become like unto me,” she whispered as the power filled her soul from within - the light of the moon pouring out of her eyes and horn. “Blood of my blood,” the whisper resonated off of the walls as she struggled with the all-encompassing power of her beloved Moon, pouring it into the magical circles with reckless abandon. “You will serve me without fear, for the Moon will always watch over thee.” The words came on reflex as she slowly turned in circles around Gentle Blade - impressed that the young Ki Lin was not gawking about.

Oh no, this one would stand amongst the greatest of her children, and this she already knew. “My blood will flow in thy veins… and thy blood in mine,” Luna intoned with a rapturous glee, running her elongated tongue over the sharp fangs that now glistened in the moonlight. “You will be reborn little creature, and hold watch over the night. For in the absence of the Light, Darkness prevails.” Her steps wound her closer and closer to the Ki-Lin, and all of Luna’s attention was now upon her.

Luna’s magic plucked the long and sharp blade from Gentle’s lap, lifting it up to her own hooves. “Now drink, little one, and join us.” The blade’s absurd sharpness made quick work through her fur and skin and glistening red lifeblood oozed from the wound as Luna tapped into the realm of Dreams with the utmost of her power. Gentle Blade’s lips found her hoof, almost worshipfully kissing at the wound before fastening without squeamishness about the thing. Luna gave off a delighted laugh - the sound of it like a thousand tinkling wind chimes and echoing off of the walls as reality and unreality began to merge in the center of the circle.

Luna had never been able to figure out precisely what happened in these moments. All she knew was that she surrendered a tiny piece of her power - a piece of her innermost self - and simply gave it away to the one she had chosen. Once they had taken in the power, it would become a part of their own self, and they would be reborn as part of her blood. The world around her warped in a mix of light, sound, and color: the sweet life blood of her body slowly draining out. The blood itself was rich with magic - far richer than even the most ancient and powerful of dragons - and the results could never be said to be truly the same each time.

The magic flowed from her soul into Gentle Blade’s body. A little touch of the Moon’s power, a little piece of the Dreamrealm’s insane magicks, and the piece de resistance… Luna’s fangs sinking almost delicately into the flesh of Gentle Blade’s exposed neck, drawing forth some of her blood and life energy into Luna herself.

The feel of it was utterly unlike any other experience she knew of, and in this case it was luxurious beyond anything Luna had expected. Gentle Blade’s power was so utterly pure, so totally sure of purpose. It was the blood of a creature who had been born for a single reason - to make war.

The power, the utter bliss of it lanced through Luna like a bolt of lightning. Her back arched suddenly as the power raced through her and her tasting of Gentle Blade’s life essence cut short by sheer spiritual force. For a moment, all of the world was waves of silvery energy that flooded the room with power before time came to a crawling halt…. and all of that power gradually melted away into the breeze, a glistening wind of light and sparkling motes of energy flooding out of the windows and into the skies above Canterlot.

Luna felt her body slowly freed from the fierce grip of the Moon’s energy, but it did not leave without a gentle caress of her cheek - a subtle reminder, perhaps, not to deny it freedom for so long again. It did not leave exhaustion in its wake, but it did leave a sense of exertion and ache. Then again, holding as much power as she had been would undoubtedly have taken some toll on her.

A soft voice came from below her, faint but strong. “My Queen?” whispered the newest member of her family, and Luna looked down with a stirring of pride in her heart. The Ki-Lin was still unquestionably of her race - but her eyes marked her as one of Luna’s, now bright golden with almond shaped irises. Her coat was now a far darker green, almost the color of an evergreen tree. “I… I feel strange, My Queen,” she whispered again, almost gripping onto Luna’s legs as the magic in the sealing circles died away.

Luna nodded slowly, gently brushing Gentle Blade’s pitch black mane back with a slow smile. “I know my child, but it will pass.” She brushed the mane back fondly, admiring those bright golden eyes. They really did look marvelous on her. “Worry not my Chosen, and rest.” The last word was a subtle but firm command, and Gentle Blade’s eyes slowly shut. Her body curled in instinctively towards Luna’s waiting hooves, and within moments she was as sound asleep as a child.

Luna looked up for a moment - only to see Cadence leaping off of her balcony with her cheeks flushed a very vibrant red and streaking down toward the palace in search of her stallion. Luna laughed softly, then went back to stroking the precious Ki-Lin’s mane. She whispered softly, and tried not to think of another young mare not so far from here… a mare she owed a debt to. One she would see repaid in full.

“Yes, my dear one… rest while you can. For tomorrow, you must go to war.”

Chapter 14 - Darkening Shadows

~~~~~Canterlot, Luna’s Chambers, The next evening~~~~~

The freshly forged armor was lifted piece-by-piece and slowly locked into place onto Gentle Blade’s body. Luna herself lifted each piece, slowly locking the intricate plates of ebon steel. Every so often, the newly minted Thestral frowned for a moment and did a little shift of her shoulders before nodding in satisfaction. Luna herself didn’t know how the Lunar Guard had gotten an entirely new suit of fitted armor prepared overnight… or perhaps they knew her mind better than she did.

Behind her, the ninety-nine other Ki-Lin watched in respectful and solemn silence as their Captain was clad in her new raiment. In due time, each of them would follow in her hoofsteps as members of the Guard, though that would take time. There were ways to accelerate the process, but… No. I draw the line at such steps, lest I become no better than my enemy. For now, Gentle Blade would be enough to lead her Guard into battle and her compatriots would follow.

The last piece of plate settled down, completing the glittering armor beautifully. She wore no helm - but no member of the guard wore a helm when operating outside of her direct control. “Gentle Blade…” Luna began, turning to face her newest family member with her own solemnity. “You are Gentle no longer. You have been reforged anew, with a new purpose and a new life.” She nodded to her balcony, where ten batpony Thestrals waited in silence. “So you must join my children as a new pony, with a new name. Thus, I name you Crescent Blade, Chosen of the Moon.”

The ten batponies on the balcony saluted as one, then returned to their easy stance - each of them the very essence of restrained violence made flesh. Luna half smiled before she spoke again, her tone firm and unyielding. “Your orders are simple. Take my children and bring ruin upon the Shadow. Show this Umbra who truly rules over the Night.” Luna took in a deep breath, closing her eyes and her heart to the pain. “Belladonna will lead you and my children to the one who now wages her own war against the Shadow. Her name is Scootaloo. Join her, if you can. Belladonna will tell you more about what you face on the way.”

The Ki-Lin mare that had once been Gentle Blade nodded slowly, giving the armor a brief experimental shake before standing up with a half smile of her own. “I shall not fail you, my Queen.” Her voice had not changed much - but it was subtly deeper and darker than before. She walked with a liquid grace utterly at odds with the enchanted armor she now wore, as she strode without further word to the balcony.

There, half a dozen voices murmured warmly and softly to her - words that Luna could hear, but she doubted her comrades could. “Welcome, sister,” they said, one after another. The newly reborn Crescent Blade smiled briefly to them before closing her own eyes in a moment of focus. Her horn alit with a dark green magic that flowed from the tip of her horn into the armor she wore. Runes of subtle power lit up one by one with the vibrant green glow of her magic until she was veritably covered with them. With a word in a language nopony in Equestria spoke, the magic snapped out of the armor and blossomed out of her shoulder blades where two conspicuous narrow gaps in the armor had awaited this moment.

She made no sound or movement as the power shaped and warped itself into reality. The long leathery wings of the batponies slowly forming to life out of pure energy until she stood amongst them as one of them, and Luna felt a surge of pride in her newest daughter. These wings she did spread wide, and a look of astonished bliss passed over Crescent Blade’s face before settling into a more serious vein. “We fly,” was all she said as she snapped out the wings and swept them downwards - launching herself into the air with the instinctive skill granted by the black blood of her Goddess now flowing through her veins.

All ten of her new brothers and sisters launched up behind her and were gone from sight within moments. Luna smiled faintly and gently closed the balcony doors - hiding her tears from those warriors that had remained behind. She knew she was sending her children to danger and death - and worse, that their hopes for victory were slim indeed. But she had no other stick to lean on right now, and so she could but hope. The shadows over her beloved land were growing darker by the day. But for now, she had plans to lay….

And a friend to save.

~~~~~The Camp of the Crusader~~~~~

“... and that’s the plan we’ve come up with.” Scootaloo looked up at the assembled friends and soldiers that now composed her far more numerous Cutie Mark Crusade. “Any objections or questions?” she asked quietly, anticipating few if any of them. Those here who hadn’t been involved in the planning directly weren’t generally the sorts to make waves, especially not after Scipio had gone over the whole thing as thoroughly as he had.

As predicted, no one spoke for a few moments, so Scootaloo nodded. “Alright then. Some of the Praetorian blacksmiths will be helping us get our weapons sharp and our armor up to snuff. We need to be ready to leave within an hour of the scouting reports if we want to pull this off, so anyone who dawdles is gonna have to catch up.” Then she paused, gently licking at suddenly very dry lips. The raids up to now had all been hit-and-run surprise attacks, but this… this was going to be a real, knock-out-drag-out fight.

So into the silence she spoke firmly, trying to disguise her own fears behind confidence. “Give a hug to whoever isn’t coming with us. Kiss your loved ones goodbye. Miss Cheerilee is collecting note packets if you’ve got any last wishes, and she’ll hold onto ‘em until we need them.” For a moment, there were murmurs echoing through the tent - murmurs of fear, of confidence, and of resolve. They were scared too, but that didn’t mean they weren’t ready to fight and ready to win.

Fortunately, Scipio stepped in to cover for her then. She’d plum run out of words, and he knew it. He spoke strongly, tapping the butt of his massive spear against the edge of the table to get attention. “Go my friends, and enjoy tonight. Eat, drink, and make merry, for tomorrow we may die.” His words rumbled strongly through the crowd, as did the confident, devil-may-care attitude that he carried in his bearing. His eyes glittered in the candle-light of the tent, the same light that gleamed upon his armor. “But even if we do… We’ll make them pay for it in blood.”

That got the crowd stirred up a great deal more. “Hear Hear!” went up a cry from a pegasus Scootaloo didn’t recognize. “Honor and Glory to you, Caesar! Honor and Glory to you, Crusader!” went one of the griffons, brandishing his spear above his head. “We’ll show them what we can do!” proclaimed a rough and tumble looking donkey, his ears laid back and teeth bared stubbornly.

“For Equestria!” cried out a scarred earth pony - one of the guards ponies who had been trickling into her camp in defiance of Cadence’s orders, and a chorus of cheers followed his words. “For Roam!” countered one of the griffon Praetorians, which was met with another barrage of cheers in the tent. “For Ponyville!” yelled Thunderlane, his wrecking crew of pegasi cheering at their leader’s bravado.

Then Scootaloo held up a hoof, and silence draped over the tent. She wrestled with the emotions inside of her, before speaking softly. Almost too softly for the room to hear, but somehow the sound carried to every ear within. “For Applebloom and Sweetie Belle. For Mr. Cake and Octavia. For Mayor Mare and Diamond Tiara. For all of those we have lost, and may yet lose. We will fight. And we will win.” The last words tumbled from her lips, and murmured prayers and bowed heads followed.

The words were a clear dismissal, and the tent was soon emptying of all but herself and Scipio. Zecora was in her tent getting everything ready for the big day, and Miss Cheerilee was doing her best to take care of the other foals while the other adults did their own thing. She insisted she didn’t mind but… “Hey, Caedryn!” she called out to the deerfolk Captain just before he ducked out of the tent. He paused and turned his head to tilt curiously toward Scootaloo. “Do you have anypony who could watch the foals for tonight? Miss Cheerilee needs some time for herself.”

The captain nodded solemnly, speaking in his quiet voice. “I shall bring over some of the does from our camp. They shall be delighted to care for the young ones.” And then he was gone in a whisper of autumn wind, not needing any further conversation. All of the deerfolk were like that, but Caedryn was the worst. Scootaloo sighed gustily, and stifled a chuckle at the wry smile on Scipio’s face. At least he knew it as well as she did.

For a few moments, she sat in silence alongside Scipio, her eyes trailing over the model inch by inch, looking for flaws or possible speedbumps. She knew Scipio was doing the same, and that was a comfort that she was glad to have. Scipio’s motivations might be a little bit different than hers, but his goals were the same. Still, there was no reason he had to be as cooped up as she was. “Go on, Scipio,” Scootaloo said with a surprising softness. “Go out there and party a bit. You need to loosen up before the fight anyway.”

Scipio’s beak parted and snapped shut as he gave her a long and searching look. Whatever he saw, it convinced him that talking wasn’t going to change her mood, so he nodded graciously and made for the exit. Scootaloo half smiled as he left, watching his feathers rustle the tent flap. She’d only known him a week, and already he understood better than most ponies. He knew better than to try to talk her into things or give her sappy encouraging speeches or anything like that.

Scootaloo closed her eyes and leaned back into the stiff wooden chair, rubbing at her temples with the tips of her hooves. “This is the right thing to do,” she muttered softly, trying to convince herself that this entire scheme wasn’t utterly insane. Truthfully, it almost didn’t matter that it was insane. Even with the deerfolk’s help, they needed to secure supplies for the upcoming winter. They needed dried oats and nuts, preserved fruit and other staples. Scootaloo was certain, and Scipio agreed, that their campaign against the Shadow would be a long one. Or that at the least, it would not be concluded until after winter.

This would be the decisive moment. To find out if they would be able to hold out here in the White Tail wood and continue stymieing the Shadow’s advance into the south, or be forced to retreat to… somewhere. Scootaloo really wasn’t sure where they would go. Los Pegasus, probably. Re-draw the lines further to the west. Blow the bridge up to save Appleloosa and hope that you can keep them penned in with the help of the desert and the Guard. But that would be difficult in the extreme, this was going to be their very best chance to score… if not a decisive victory, then at least a strategic one.

Scootaloo winced softly as the headache she’d been nursing grew worse and tried to stifle her whimpers. She could not afford to show any weakness now. Too much was at stake. Too many ponies were relying on her. Ponies like… “Scootaloo… It’s okay,” whispered a gentle voice - and soft hooves gently massaged at her temples from behind. “Shh…” the voice insisted as Scootaloo prepared to rouse herself. “Don’t. Just relax. You’ve done enough today.” That was Silver Spoon, gently working some of the tension out of her head before working into her shoulders.

Scootaloo couldn’t explain what drew her to the pony who had once been one of her biggest bullies. She couldn’t explain why she suddenly liked this quiet and unassuming earth pony with the platinum silver mane and the jewel-rimmed glasses. Maybe it really was that they had both lost everything they loved… and it was just a case of misery loving company. Or maybe it was because without Diamond Tiara around, Silver Spoon felt lost and alone. Just like Scootaloo did without Applebloom and Sweetie Belle around.

Maybe it was something more complex than that. Maybe she was growing up and seeing past the surface crap. Or maybe I just love how she manages to make the pain go away… I would love to know where she learned how to do this, Scootaloo thought with a little shiver, leaning back into the hooves and sighing with relief as some of the pain ebbed out of her head. “Thanks, Silver,” she murmured. Everything that was going on, and she was still struggling to figure out exactly how she felt about somepony else.

Gentle legs folded around Scootaloo’s chest, and a soft cheek buried itself in her rough mane. “Promise me you’ll come back,” Silver whispered softly, fearfully. “Promise you won't get killed out there…. I need you, Scoots. We all do.” Silver was squeezing tighter with every word until Scootaloo feared she was going to bruise a rib or something with how tight she was holding. Earth ponies didn’t always appreciate how much more fragile a pegasus could be, even one as tough as Scootaloo.

So she patted Silver’s hoof softly and wheezed out, “careful, or you’re gonna squeeze the life right outta me.” She grumbled and instantly Silver let up on the pressure. Scootaloo gave her best cocky grin, trying to imbue her voice with all of the confidence she didn’t feel. “Don’t worry, Silver. I’ll be fine.” She squeezed Silver Spoon’s hoof, trying to convey some comfort through it. “I promise, I’ll be back fit as a fiddle.” And she meant that - she intended to come back from this, no matter what happened. At the end of the day, her primary goal was still getting back her friends… and she couldn’t do that if she was Shadowed or dead.

Silver Spoon nodded a little, her cheek still pressed against Scootaloo’s mane. Then she gently placed her hooves on Scootaloo’s cheeks and turned her head to face her. “Good,” Silver Spoon said softly, her eyes shining with unshed tears. For a brief moment, Scootaloo tried to figure out what she could do for those tears… if there was anything at all she could do. There were so many things that kept spiraling out of her control, that sometimes...

Then Silver Spoon kissed her. It was clumsy, unpracticed, but warm and genuine all the same. There was none of the false lust of the Shadow she’d felt back in Applebloom’s bedroom… none of the raw, savage, unthinking animalistic need that she’d seen in their eyes. There was something special there… something different. Something Scootaloo wasn’t quite sure how to reciprocate, but she tried all the same. After a few moments, Silver Spoon parted from her and whispered in the gentlest voice Scootaloo had ever heard out of her.

“For luck.”

~~~~Canterlot Castle, War Room~~~~

“She’s five days travel away.”

The words struck against the walls and ricocheted off the table as the flame haired Wonderbolt dropped a singed and battered scroll upon the table. “She’s got nearly ten thousand effectives with her, not including support staff. According to what intel we’ve managed to get, she left the bulk of her new…” Spitfire’s mouth twisted into a disgusted grimace as she spoke, “citizens back in Roam. They’re hunting down those who’ve gone into hiding and are laying siege to the far western forts.”

Cadence sunk her head into her hooves and stared at the still faintly smoking scroll, and all of the horrors it represented. Shining Armor was more stoic than she, but the tightening around his eyes told the tale of his worry. Spitfire shook her head and glared at them. “We’re lucky the griffons came to us. We can still outnumber her five to one, as long as we call up all of the Cloudsdale Reserves. And thanks to the presence of the Legions, we’ve got an army the Shadow is completely unaware of.” Spitfire snorted and gave off a harsh laugh, obviously finding irony in needing to be grateful to the griffons of all creatures.

Shining Armor spoke, sparing Cadence the need to do so. “Where is she going next, then? She isn’t going to come here with such a disadvantage, and the instant she tries to hit another Equestrian town we’ve got her dead to rights.” He leaned over the strategic map, glaring at all of the various threat markets on the Equestrian borders. “Too many possibilities here,” he grumbled, grimacing in… something. Perhaps pain.

Spitfire shook her head. “We’ve got good intel that she’s going south east.” She tapped the map in the appropriate spot. “Winterlight hasn’t been bothering to keep her trap shut. They’re going after the Zebricans first, then supposedly the Ki-Lin.” She dragged her hoof from the enemy-flagged Ponyville southerly. “Which means she might just oblige us by hitting Appleloosa and Dodge City.”

Cadence shook her head slowly. “If she does, she’s going to do it in such a way that doesn’t look like an attack. Just like she did to Ponyville. She won’t make war on Equestrian government until she’s absolutely sure she can win with a minimal loss of life.” Cadence spoke with a firm amount of authority - if she was sure of anything, it was that all of this stemmed from a desire on Twilight’s part to ‘save’ Equestria from the threats it faced… and then from the weakness it suffered from within. Well, weakness by her definition anyway.

Spitfire nodded. “That’d be our guess, too. I’ve already provided some warnings to Sheriff Silver Star and Chief Thunderhooves through EIS, but there’s a lot of resistance to the idea of abandoning that area.” She paused and gave a brief smile, a sparkle of mischief in her eye. “Luckily, Little Strongheart has proven a lot more willing to listen. She’s going to try to bring together as many of her tribe as she can get to follow her and bring them up to join the Crusaders in a few weeks.”

Spitfire laid her hooves on the table firmly and fixed her gaze onto Cadence. “It’s time we made a decision, Princess. Even with the help Princess Luna has sent them, they’re facing a supply problem.” She paused for effect, obviously to make it clear what she thought about the Equestrian government’s current stalemate. “I’ve got the resources to help them out, ready to go. The Cloudsdale Senate is tired of these half measures as much as you are, but I can’t release the funds without authorization. Celestia left you in charge.”

Cadence didn’t even bother to argue that. Since Luna was back it should have been her decision - Luna wanted to remain strictly off the books for now. She wanted her presence - and by extension the presence of a certain incredibly ancient and powerful wizard - to remain secret for the time being. That meant that all of the authority was still hanging over her shoulders like an overgrown filly, and she was the only one who could issue the order.

Politically, once the veil of secrecy had been lifted and the Equestrian Parliament found out what she’d done, she’d be in really deep trouble. Practically, Cadence wasn’t sure that she cared that much anymore. No one else was doing a thing to slow down the Shadow, and somehow little Scootaloo had become the focal point for any number of powerful forces converging to bring battle against the Shadow.

So she planted her golden hoofboots on the table and sighed. “Do it, Intelligentsia.” She paused and made another decision, there and then. “In for a bit, in for a sack of them. I want you to personally oversee the defensive works project we discussed earlier. By winter's end, I want this entire mountain to be a fortress,” she proclaimed with a quiet air of desperation, and blessedly Spitfire just nodded and swept out of the room, barking orders as she went.

Shining Armor laid a hoof on her shoulder and squeezed comfortingly. “Celestia is coming, Cadey. She’s bringing an army and goodness knows what else. We’re still in this fight… and we’re not going to let Twily die.” The last words were all the comfort she could have hoped for, and Cadence nodded solemnly. But if she was being honest, she was worried.

She didn’t know if the rest of her allies would share her desire to save Twilight.

~~~~~Outside of Canterlot~~~~~

“You are going?” the soft whispering voice spoke as the moon slowly rose into the sky behind the two figures standing upon the hill.

“I must,” replied the gruff voice, like gravel tumbling over in a barrel. “Who knows? Perhaps I will accomplish something of meaning.”

“Then you must take care of the young one. She is the key to all,” the voice whispered again, like the leaves skittering over the ground in a stiff breeze.

“Mm. She is already gathering the others to her, though she knows it not.” There was a stiff sigh and a deeply inhaled breath. “And then of course… there is you.”

The White Doe half smiled, tilting her head to one side. “I am but doing that which I was born to do, Sage. As are you. As is he, though it surprises me to see him care so much.” She turned her head to the shining city, far behind them now.

The rough voice chuckled, and Star Swirl the Bearded gripped his staff more firmly. “Discord. Who would have thought, him of all creatures?” He laughed harshly, stamping the butt of his stave upon the ground. “A miracle before my very eyes. Enough to make me believe we might still pull this off.”

The voices fell silent for a time, as the chilled breeze whipped across the hilltop. “Do not confront her, Titania. She must come to the decision to act of her own accord, or else all we have done will be for nothing.” His voice hung low with anger and full of warning.

The White Doe hung her head for a moment, then sighed. “The Shadow falls heavily upon the world, my friend.” She lifted it up, her ears twitching. “I hope you are right about her.”

And with a leap, she was gone into the wind - and Star Swirl chuckled softly. “Oh, I am, old friend.” He eyeballed the horizon and sighed, adjusting his hat and trotting down the moon-blanketed road with a smile on his face.

Darkness was falling, but the dawn was not so far away as it seemed.

~~~~~Ponyville~~~~~

Rarity arched her back fetchingly, allowing the sweet moan to slip from between her lips and flow out into the world. It was a signal that all was well in the land of Shadows and the glazed, pleasured look upon Aloe’s face was almost as good as the feel of her tongue. “Mmf… Very good, darling. You’re getting ever so much better at that,” Rarity cooed, gently stroking the spa-pony’s cheek with the business end of her crop. “Now, be a dear and go fetch Rainbow Dash for me.”

“Yes, mistress,” Aloe panted faintly, her own body shivering visibly with the pleasure at obeying a command, before hurrying out of the spa at top speed. Rarity smirked faintly at the sight of the dripping liquid that the mare had left in her wake and made a mental note to make sure that she was attended to later. Good service deserved a reward, after all.

For now though, her thoughts were entirely consumed with the knowledge that her beloved was returning to Ponyville and to her arms. The emotions of love, lust, and all the rest surged down through the Shadow and into her body. It was like an electrical current passing through her and three times as pleasurable. (Rarity had experimented, just to be certain.) Each pulse of emotion promised that she would spend some time with her, and each of the friends they all so loved. It was an occasion fit for a party, and Rarity already had the makings in the works.

Even dear Applejack, quiet as she was these days, was visibly excited at the prospect of her beloved’s return. She’d been positively loquacious at lunch, and she was hardly ever talkative with anypony except for Rainbow Dash anymore. It was a good sign that she was finally settling in to her new life, and Rarity could not have been happier for her. Yet thoughts of Applejack inevitably turned to thoughts of her other close friend, and the deep worry that now accompanied those thoughts.

Sure enough, Rarity needed only look outside of the window to see her. Fluttershy was always there around this time, just after the sunset and perched upon the balcony outside of Rarity's rooms in the spa. Staring off in the direction of Canterlot without a single word spoken. She never acknowledged anypony speaking to her during these moods, and they never failed to come each and every day. Rarity deeply loved Fluttershy - in ways that she had not the words to describe. And while the rest of the time her dearest friend had become positively social in regards to other ponies, it was these moments that made Rarity’s heart ache for the poor dear.

Whatever it was that held her attention so, she had refused to say, and not just in her usual way. She’d forcefully told them all, in a voice that seethed with a deeper anger none of them wished to arouse, that she did not wish to talk about it, and that was that. So after the first few days, nopony bothered her during her nightly vigils. Sooner or later, she would break out of her funk and come inside for dinner. The evening would pass with far more pleasantness then, and oftentimes Fluttershy would even indulge in a little expression of her new powers.

Such was the reason that twenty ponies, including the spa twins and a number of others who had made the mistake of displeasing her or those she loved, were now under her total control. Perhaps the most fun was little Diamond Tiara, who now served as the personal maid for Sweetie Belle. Utterly unable to do anything but obey her little sister's every twisted whim. It was a power Sweetie Belle was learning to exercise with elegant brutality, thanks to the careful tutelage of her sister. It was positively delightful to see the little bully finally laid low for her arrogance, and it was also highly satisfying to see Sweetie Belle's skills at domination improving.

Twilight would surely understand, of course. Her beloved knew the depth of Rarity’s passion for her touch and the seething need that festered within her when they were parted. Still, best not to bring it up unless asked. There was much Twilight needed to be concerned about, and her little games were certainly not amongst them.

The door swung open a moment later, revealing her cyan pegasus friend in all of her glory. Ribbon Bound, her delightful little batpony friend was close in attendance. And as always, Applejack was right behind her, hat tilted low over her eyes, and her body language reeking of submissiveness as she trotted into the room. Rainbow Dash, as always, was keeping Applejack close to her and squeezing her hoof for comfort. It was such a romantic scene that it sometimes moved Rarity to joyful tears. “What’s up, Rares?” Dash quipped casually, breaking through Rarity's thoughts as her head cocked to one side with that arrogant smile Rarity often admired on her face. “Get tired of whipping Lotus till she cums so hard she passes out?”

Rarity smirked, laughing delightedly. Rainbow Dash was always so blunt about things - odd how it had taken her until now to appreciate it properly. “I never tire of that game, my dear Dash. I just wished to ask if you had any ideas for our Mistress's homecoming party.” Rarity lifted a neat roll of parchment, giving Dash a sultry sort of look. Maybe she could finally convince her to give Applejack up for a day, so that her beloved might have Dash all to herself. It was an intriguing thought, and full of luscious potential.

“After all, it’s going to be quite the event.”

Chapter 15 - The Twilight War

~~~The Camp of the Crusade~~~

~~~~Five days later~~~~

“Crusader! The scouts have reported in - she’s in Ponyville!”

The harshly whispered words jolted Scootaloo awake, her muzzy brain only half registering the soft and supple body of Silver Spoon tucked up against her and the warm thick blankets that were wrapped about them both. Then the meaning of those words penetrated through the haze of sleep, and Scootaloo felt the thrill of righteous anger surge through her body like a blast of flame. It took not an inconsiderable amount of willpower to carefully extract herself from the camp bed so as not to disturb Silver, quietly grabbing her pre-packed gear and pushing past the flap.

Outside, one of the Praetorian griffons stood silently amidst the pre-dawn fog that laid thickly over the camp. She glanced at him once as she tugged her cloak around her shoulders and knotted it firmly. “Where’s Scipio?” she growled, still shaking the sleep from her eyes as she shouldered the shield and dagger and hopped onto her scooter.

The griffon turned and walked quickly with her as they sped away from the tents, where countless other fighters were slipping silently out of their own tents. “In our camp, preparing for the march and debriefing the scouts,” the griffon finally responded to her in a crisp, professional voice.

Scootaloo nodded, turning away to glare into the fog. “Make sure everyone we need in camp is up and moving. I want the supply carts rolling in thirty minutes.” The Griffon struck his taloned fist upon his chest and whisked off into the foggy morning.

Scootaloo herself traveled on in silence through the fog as the murmuring sounds of a camp awakening from slumber began to stir to life around her. A few minutes later, Zecora appeared as if by magic out of the fog and fell into step alongside her. She wore a deeply hooded shawl and a vest covered in precise pouches inscribed with strange symbols… and she was carrying some kind of walking staff too. Odd that.

“Bright the morn, Scootaloo. It seems we have much work to do,” Zecora intoned in soft cadence, and Scootaloo arched an eyebrow at her. Zecora smiled faintly, speaking still softly. “I go into battle as a Shaman, little friend. So that I might bring down Shadowblight’s wicked ends.” Scootaloo nodded solemnly at her, and held out her hoof - which Zecora gave a bump with a wicked grin before vanishing into the fog again.

Everything was going smoothly, except for… “Miss Cake?” Scootaloo blurted out, grinding her wheels to a halt as she found the baker pony near the camp’s exit, wearing a battered but functional set of armor and sharpening the longest kitchen knife Scootaloo had ever seen. “What - You can’t be seriously thinking about coming with us! You’ve got kids!” Scootaloo knew the words weren’t the best, but… it was insane. Why on earth would she put herself in danger?

“Yes… I do. And what will happen to them if we lose, Scootaloo?” Ms. Cake said in a steady voice as she ran the honing steel meticulously down the blade of the knife. Her eyes were focused on the weaponized kitchen blade, but any idiot could have seen she’d been crying today already. “They took my husband from me, Scootaloo. My sweetums.” Her voice broke on the last word, only for her to grit her teeth for a moment before speaking in a flat, toneless voice. “My children will never hear his voice again, and you think I’m going to sit here and wait for this to be over?”

Scootaloo stared at her for a few moments in silence until Ms Cake examined the edge of the knife and slipped it into a makeshift sheath on her side. “Besides. They’ve got Pinkie Pie, too and… and, damnit, Scootaloo! Somepony’s got to care! Somepony’s got to try to save them!” Her voice reeked with anguish, despair… but also an almost fatalistic determination. The tears gathered in the corners of her eyes as she stood up, holding her head high. “I’m not staying behind and waiting for the end to come, Scootaloo. My husband died to protect our children. I can do no less.”

She turned on her hoof and stalked down the path toward the griffons camp, and Scootaloo swallowed softly. “Wait,” she half cried out - her voice strangled in her throat - and blessedly, Ms. Cake did stop and turn her head to regard her calmly. “If you gotta go, then I want you to stick with me, Ms. Cake. And… and…” She hesitated, knowing that changing the plan at this juncture was impossible but… But if we can get the Elements of Harmony away from Umbra… we might just have a shot at putting an end to this once and for all. “If we can save Pinkie, we will.”

The words whispered through the air, and all the world came to a standstill of silence. Scootaloo didn’t have the faintest idea how they could do it, but if a way could be found, it would be. Ms. Cake nodded once, and Scootaloo buzzed over to her, joining her as they descended into the camp of the griffons. There was a lot to do, and a long march ahead of them. But they were finally going to strike back.

~~~~~Ponyville~~~~~

The armored boots hit the floor with a clunk, and were followed by the rest of the heavy raiment. The travelling cloak was neatly hung, before each piece of the armor was meticulously arranged against the wall to be recovered later. A brush of magic, and the candles around the library quietly cast their warm glow over the slightly dusty books and shelves of the Golden Oaks library. The place was in desperate need of a cleaning, and Spike was… back in the City, being quietly isolated from the work she had to do.

So Twilight silently got out the duster and broom and went to work, ignoring all of the thousands of other spells or things she could have done to accomplish the task more quickly. Mentally, she shut out all of the sounds outside of the new army she had brought home and focused on her own little space, in her own little town. It was a moment of quiet, after weeks upon weeks of having no such moments.

It took an hour of firm work to restore the library to sense and neatness. It had gone mostly unused since she’d been gone, which meant comparatively little work bringing it back up to snuff. Once clean, she stowed the broom and hopped up onto her favorite reading chair, settling down in the familiar cushions and quietly laying her head back.

It was easy in the heat of battle to remember why she was doing this. To see her enemies stewing in their foul plans, their armies so obviously just waiting for a moment of weakness to pounce upon her beloved Equestria. But when the battle was over, she had to come home and plan for the next one. And this time…

When she’d traveled to the griffon kingdoms, there had been curious watchers. Some farm ponies had even waved to her as her caravan had passed them by. Now, though - there were no such watchers. Every farm between the griffon kingdoms and home had been shut up tight behind barred windows and doors. Her newly minted army of griffon servants had been watched from the second she’d crossed into Equestria by pegasi her best scouts couldn’t catch.

And worst of all had been passing by Canterlot… where the signs of massive construction were underway along the path that lead up to the city and the city itself. Walls were being repaired and built. Defensive fortifications under construction and siege weapons armed and readied upon the walls. And the dagger in her heart - the sight of the entire Royal Guard in full battle armor and gear standing upon the walls of Canterlot, staring at her army with cold eyes. Amongst them, Crystal Knights stood in clusters of glittering armor and lances.

There was no other explanation. Shining Armor had to be leading them, and Cadence had to have commanded him to do so. They had brought the Crystal Empire’s troops to defend Canterlot… out of fear that she would come to attack them, that they would be next on her list of conquests. The train tracks of the Friendship Express leading into Ponyville had been wrecked completely, and obviously with intent to do so. There were no travellers on the roads, and the signs of roadblocks and destroyed caravans were everywhere. It all added up to only one conclusion

They were afraid of her. Her own brother, her beloved foalsitter, her parents, and goodness knew who else. They were all afraid of her, and by extension, Umbra.

She could not restrain the tears then. She was alone in here, and she had demanded she be left alone. That would give her time and privacy to just… uncoil herself, which is exactly what she did. She let out the subtle tensions, the unspoken superiority and arrogance demanded by those who sought to serve a Queen and not just a librarian. The wet feeling of the tears rolled down her cheeks, and all of the restrained emotions of the past month rolled out with them.

She’d known it wouldn’t be easy, or at the very least she’d thought that she’d known. She thought she’d be able to handle the backlash and the inevitable fear, and all of the things that would come with becoming both powerful and prepared to use that power. But now the bill for her ambition and determination had come due, and the cost was far higher than she originally thought she’d have to bear. Whatever victory she had achieved in Roam, it had been paid for in the trust of her loved ones.

Her hooves came up and rubbed at her eyes, finally realizing all too late that this was what must have happened to Tantalus. If it had not been for the girls… Face it, Twilight. If you didn’t have your friends, you would be in a very dark place right now - Umbra or no Umbra. Her hooves twitched and her power itched to call out to them - to draw them into her library, shut the door and just… cry.

But she could not do that now, because that was the path she’d chosen to walk. She had to lead - to lead the Shadow and to lead Equestria into a peaceful future. When it was all over, and her enemies were crushed, and the ones she loved were safe and sound… then she could lay down the load. Then she could sink into the forehooves of her friends and let all of her anger and sadness go.

But that was not going to be today.

So she scrubbed the tears away from her eyes, trying to figure out the best solution for her immediate problems… and truth was, the answer was simple. So with a halfhearted smile she snuffed the candles around the library save for one, which she carried up familiar stairs into a familiar room. There she found her bed just as she had left it, and slowly made her away across the room and slipped up into it silently. The faint smell of lemon was still clinging to her sheets as she curled them up around her and closed her eyes wearily, and the darkness leapt up to claim her.

~~~~~

When Twilight awoke an unknown number of hours later, she was not alone in her bed. The warm and gentle weight behind her was a comforting sort of thing, and she snuggled back into it without a conscious thought. Blue hooves tucked around her tummy and squeezed her close to the form behind her, instantly identifying the pony in question even before warm and feathery wings brushed up against her.

“Hey Mistress,” Dash whispered, her voice surprisingly gentle as her cheek nuzzled up against Twilight’s. “Rough week?” Her voice was thick with sympathy, squishing Twilight’s incipient anger of someone disobeying her orders quite efficiently. Rainbow Dash had been the first, and… if Twilight was being completely honest with herself... the only truly willing amongst her friends to join her.

Twilight considered not answering or blowing off the question with bravado but… “Yeah,” she said instead, closing her eyes again and reveling in the quiet warmth for a few blissful moments. She took in a deep, slow breath and exhaled in the same manner. Shiny and Cadence would understand once everything was done. They had their own problems to deal with - like the stupid Canterlot nobles who’d let the situation get this bad in the first place. In fact, that was probably the reason Canterlot had thrown up all of their defenses - those in charge had realized a new power sought to end their failed administration. Still… “Dash… Am I really so frightening?” The words were soft as she spoke them, and she really wasn’t sure if Dash was the right pony to be asking, but who else could she ask?

There were a few long moments of silence before Dash spoke, her voice firmer and more like herself than it had been since she’d been brought over to the Shadow. “Well… Yeah, you kinda are, Mistress. I mean…” Dash shifted, sounding a little annoyed. “Sure, anypony who’s got the power to do what you can is gonna be a little scary. That goes double when that pony wants to change the entire world, and even more when that power’s still kinda strange and mysterious but…”

Dash paused and exhaled in obvious frustration, then continued to speak in an agitated tone of voice. “Mistress, you are scary, but so are Celestia and Luna, and even Cadence can get real scary when she’s pissed off. Power is frightening, that’s just the way it is in the world.” Dash’s hug loosened a bit, but her soft lips found the nape of Twilight’s neck and ran gentle kisses up it, sending a little shiver of pleasure through her body. “But… scary or not, all of us know you wouldn’t be doing this unless you had to, Mistress.” Dash’s gentle lips found her ear and tugged on it playfully, and Twilight had to laugh a little at the affection.

Twilight tugged her ear away and shifted around on the bed to face her pegasus friend. Dash was laying there with a coy smile and slightly reddened cheeks, her eyes purposefully looking down to the covers and her forelegs still wrapped firmly around Twilight’s middle. Twilight grinned at her and leaned in to gently kiss her cheek, “Thanks, Dash. I guess I’m just tired.” She tilted her head to one side and smiled slowly and wickedly. “Maybe you can help perk me up a bit, hmm?”

Dash grinned in her sly and sexy way and suddenly rolled Twilight to the bed, pinning her down and raining kisses and nibbles upon her, setting Twilight to giggling madly.

It was good to be home.

~~~~~~

One energizing hour later, Twilight emerged from the library for a moment to take in a breath of the fresh fall air. It had taken only that hour with the playful and affectionate lovemaking with Dash to set her mind on the proper course and reaffirm the surety in what she’d have to do. “Winterlight. Here. Now,” she commanded, her voice hard and resonant with the power of the Shadow upon it. She wasn’t kept waiting for very long - fortunately for Winterlight.

The Shadowbolt captain melted into existence and threw herself at Twilight’s hooves in a worshipful bow. Twilight snapped out silently with her power, and all of Winterlight’s words died on her lips. “I did not call you here for discussion, captain.” Twilight said softly, the growl notable in her voice. “We have work that needs doing, and I require time to rest and restore my health.” She turned on her heel, glaring off to the south and feeling the calm assurances of work settling upon her mood.

“We will be moving against the Zebricans next, as you are aware. I want you to take some of our new Hippogriff allies and whatever other resources you think you need, and secure our route through the southern territories.” Twilight’s words were kept cold and quiet - she didn’t like what she’d have to do next. But she could no longer assume her movements would go unopposed or unnoticed by the powerful who would seek to stop her. “The buffalo folk are potentially a threat, but I doubt we shall have any issues with Appleloosa so long as we guarantee their safety. Still, there are perilous points along the roads that we must make certain we can transport the next load of cider upon.”

Winterlight nodded hurriedly, her mouth opening to speak… and her eyes widening in fear as she realized she could not. Twilight growled softly. “You may have damaged relations between myself and my brother and his wife. Your actions could very well have severe long term consequences, and you are on extremely thin ice with me. You may consider this an opportunity to prove you are still worth the trouble.” Twilight fixed Winterlight with a beady glare and surged a massive bolt of Shadow power through her connection with the pegasus.

Winterlight gave off a wordless gasp, backing up several hoofsteps and flaring out her wings in momentary panic. Twilight felt her lips twist into a wry smile. “Do not fail me, Winterlight. You won’t like the results.” Winterlight’s mouth worked silently for a few more moments, then she nodded briefly and vanished again into the shadows. Twilight exhaled softly when she was gone, hoping that her trust in Winterlight was not misplaced. Still, she had battle experience most of her other subordinates lacked.

Twilight leaned back against the side of her library tree, rubbing her eyes slowly. Layers upon layers… I need to be prepared for anything. And that… that spawned a rather interesting little idea. Perhaps… Hm… “Mother, can I speak with you for a moment?” she quietly spoke into the silence around her library, hoping Umbra was not busy with some other task.

Fortunately, the soft and loving voice came instantly to her, echoing through her mind with warmth and amusement. I am always with you, my Shade… I see you have been contemplating more flexible plans. There was a strong approval there, and just the feel of it made Twilight’s cheeks flush with pleasure.

“Yes… I had an idea on how we might bring around the rest of Equestria to supporting us. Perhaps while Winterlight does her work, we could arrange a secondary plan should things go awry.” The details flowed through her mind, and she knew Umbra would both see and understand the context of them. It was one of the beautiful things about their relationship, that Umbra was the only creature she never had to explain anything to. Umbra understood her mind as well as she did.

There was brief pause, and a low and soft chuckle in her head. A most ingenious little plan, little one. I shall see to the details. Now, why don’t you go back inside and spend more time with your lovers. You must restore your spirit, else you find yourself broken by the stress of war. And Umbra’s voice was gone, with but a whisper of power caressing Twilight’s mind. Twilight smiled a little at that suggestion and turned to do just as Mother had suggested. A little vacation would do her good, anyway.

~~~~Elsewhere in Ponyville~~~~

Fifteen thousand years.

For fifteen thousand years, the creature that called herself Umbra had fought, struggled, and grown in mind and power. The litany of broken Shades she had left behind her was a history book of some of the most hated - and most feared - warriors and kings in all of history. Unlike so many of them and so many of their contemporaries, she had long known the power of change. She adapted to the times and was never afraid or unwilling to do what was necessary to update her methods.

And in those fifteen thousand years, how those methods had changed. Looking back now, she regarded so many of her early works with disdain. Her obsession over the White Hart was the worst of them, of course. Yet she had been young and foolish and had thought that she needed to control all of the world to have the world she wished. She knew better now. Knew that the world would collapse and crumble to her will so long as she held the most important bits of it. That all resistance would eventually fall to her so long as she was patient.

But now, seemingly on the cusp of the perfect storm of circumstances to bring her the victory she so desperately desired, a new quirk of fate had emerged. A quirk she was now unable to dismiss as simply another twist of a new age and a new Shade. For the very first time in all of her life, a new emotion tore at her soul like the icy claws of the Windigos. She had no name for this emotion at first, but lo and behold her Shade had provided the proper term not so very long ago.

Had she been told what this was before, she might have laughed and dismissed it. She might have smirked and went about her business, uncaring that such a silly emotion might apply to her. Yet the power of that feeling so deep inside her spirit was so utterly undeniable, so impossibly powerful, that she would have to be a fool not to recognize it.

Love truly was far more complex and potent than she had ever considered before.

Yet Love it undeniably was. She could not look upon her beloved Shade without the feelings stirring deep within her spirit, without her borrowed heart beating rapidly with every moment she spent in her presence. Twilight Shadow was, without any doubt, the most clever and beautiful of all her Shades. She was brilliant and wicked in ways no other Shade could ever compare to. Without a doubt, Umbra was just as madly in love with her as she clearly was with Umbra.

Her touch was like fire and electricity surging through her spirit, and her regard set a burning desire deep within her loins that no creature had been able to match in all of her life. It was a disturbing feeling at first, yet more and more Umbra had come to yearn for those precious moments she shared with her Shade. They were so utterly, completely alike that Umbra suspected the power of Fate itself had woven them together. It had been like finding some missing piece of herself, and now?

Now, with her power and knowledge perfectly married to the brilliant analytical mind and daring courage of her Shade, it was all but certain that victory was at hand. Even better, Twilight had a keen sense of when to press an advantage and when to plan for disaster. The gambit that she had just proposed mere moments ago was brilliant, if not a bit risky. Yet if successful, it would certainly divide the Equestrians enough to give them time to build an army powerful enough to crush Canterlot and its government.

And therein lay the rub. Her precious Shade desperately wished to bring her teacher around to the Shadow. She so loved her teacher that at times, Umbra felt a bit jealous, yet she could not deny her beloved any whim she might wish to indulge in. But Umbra knew far too little about the creatures the ponies called ‘Celestia’ and ‘Luna’ to be so willing to try and corrupt them to her will. She had been imprisoned in the Dark Book during the time of their rise to power, and then imprisoned in the simple and stubborn mind of Cabbage Leaf during the age when they had become prominent.

Even gathering what knowledge she could from her newest converts, she found every scrap of their supposed history and powers to be confusing and baffling. The very notion that a creature could be responsible for raising the sun and moon? Ridiculous. Creatures who lived for thousands of years without aging? Impossible. The features and strengths of all three races of ponies distilled into one singular creature? Poppycock.

No creature possessed those kinds of powers, save for the Being who had long ago left the world behind, and her cursed foe the White Doe. No, these ‘alicorns’ must have simply manipulated these poor creatures into believing them some kind of Goddesses, which made the feelings of pity for her Shade all the more powerful. Undoubtedly, they were nothing more than illusionary tools of those in power, used to keep the common pony obedient and unquestioning. Surely there were real creatures beneath the illusions, but they were likely nothing more than capable unicorns providing a show.

She dearly hoped she would not have to kill them, but it might be necessary to free her Shade from her past life. That way, when the powers of creation were finally wrenched from the hooves of that wretched White Doe and returned to their rightful place, she might raise Twilight up as not merely her Shade - but her equal. Together then, they would spread their glorious Shadow to every inch of this world, and then every world beyond it, wound together in an endless dance of lust, love, and power.

That so many would need to die for this was a minor concern. Soon enough, Twilight would no longer care if she had to sacrifice the lives of others to get her way, so long as they were not the ones she personally cared about. Blood of pony and foe alike would need to be spilled for their ultimate victory. Hm. I must make sure she is prepared for that with a bit of slaughter. Perhaps I shall inflict her upon one of the other, lesser pony towns and have her understand the need to kill to attain her goals. Besides, sex is always so much more invigorating after a nice bit of bloodletting

With that marvelous thought to inspire her, she set about her task of preparing for her brilliant Shade’s next little gambit. It was quite an excellent one - and might just be the thing they needed.

The Final War was finally coming, and she was ready.

~~~~~Somewhere south of Ponyville.~~~~~

The White Tail wood hadn’t changed a single bit since the last time he’d seen it. Not that he was surprised at that - Titania liked keeping her little corner of the universe neat and tidy. He sighed and scuffed his hooves in the dirt, still working the stiffness out of a body that had been petrified for more than a thousand years. To think that little Cabbage Leaf had kept Umbra penned up for so long was incredible, and to imagine that his little Celly and Lulu had grown up so marvelously in the same interval was…

Well, it was enough to make his chest fit to burst with pride.

For Star Swirl The Bearded, all had gone as well as he could have hoped for up to this present moment. That was a good thing, for it was here that all of his foreknowledge became useless. Every scrap of knowledge he’d wrested from the White Hart in exchange for his oath to finally bring down Umbra once and for all now meant absolutely nothing. All that remained was to see if two millennia of effort and planning would be enough.

The Doe had been carrying out her part in the plan superbly. The Caesar restored, the Crystal Princess in Canterlot, the Elements of Harmony firmly secured, Star Swirl himself revived and his stave safe and sound. Even better, matters were proceeding apace on the other needs they had yet to fill. Her own folk were girded and ready for the battles that were to come, and the last few pieces were falling into place as neatly as he could expect.

There were wild cards though, many of them stemming from Celestia’s stunning decision to try to outwit the very fundamental forces of the universe and staying her hoof when her sister had tried to overthrow the throne. He had not anticipated Celestia would become so determined to rob Fate of its prize in blood, and the mere fact that Luna was alive as a result changed things so dramatically, he was astonished his plan was still working at all. In truth, though, all of his worries came back to her.

All of the anomalies that now plagued his thoughts were attached directly to the central figure in this drama. To the student who had fully given in to the power of the Shadow. To the one named ‘Twilight Sparkle’, the Element of Magic. Everything now circled about her in a maelstrom of fate, power, and possibility. Her deep connections to Celestia and Luna, her curious behavior in wielding Umbra’s dark powers, the unknown status of her friends who just so happened to be the other Elements of Harmony - and worst of all - the incomprehensible actions of Moon Song and Silent Moon.

Silently, he ground his teeth at the thought of those two infernal winged busybodies. Heirs to two of the most mysterious of the prophecies the Hart had bestowed upon him, whatever interpretation they had come up with was undoubtedly playing out its own unpredictable effects even now. Worst of all, Moon Song had been adamant that she could not tell him a single thing about it, only that what was happening had to happen without interference.

All of this had thrown his neat and ordered plans into a place of unforeseen chaos, the mere thought of which conjured up the vision of Discord - the very avatar of Chaos and disorder - standing on the balcony of Celestia’s quarters and staring towards Ponyville like a lost puppy. He had been reformed, Princess Luna had assured him. Quelled to obedience and behavior by the power and will of the Element of Kindness, who now languished under the oppression of the Shadow herself.

Discord was the ultimate unknown. There was no telling just how deeply Kindness - the Element Star Swirl had long held as the most powerful of them all - had affected him. There was no telling to what ends he might go to restore the pony that he... bucking Discord, of all the creatures in the multiverse, called ‘Friend’.

A stiff autumn breeze hit him from the west, and billowed out his cloak and hat impressively enough that he wished there was somepony around to appreciate it. It reminded him of what was to come, as the days grew shorter and the nights grew darker. The Shadow was falling upon Equestria, and all of the world would soon suffer from its touch. His two thousand year struggle against Umbra was coming to a head, and so much now depended on a precious few doing what had to be done. There was no stopping it now.

The Final War was here.

Author's Note

For those of you have been waiting, the rollercoaster has now reached the top of the first hill.

Strap yourselves in and get ready. Safety bar locks in place. There is no slowing down from this moment onwards.

Side Note - Trying to guage interest in a side fic which focuses entirely on the kinky goings on of the Mane Six as Shadow-touched. Please inform via comments or IM if you'd be into that.

Chapter 16 - Alea Iacta Est

~~~~~~

Without the fear that others would…..

~~~Ghastly Gorge, Pre dawn, two days later.~~~

Scootaloo stood in the center of the vast stone bridge that crossed the Ghastly Gorge, casting her gaze around the terrain that would soon be the site of an insane plan. Wagons quietly rolled past her, packed with makeshift fireworks and other supplies. “Be careful with those!” yelled Cherry Bomb, one of Vinyl’s raver friends who’d been the one to make most of the darn things. Piece by piece, the pegasi were strapping the things to the side of the bridge and hiding them behind scraps of slate gray cloth.

It might have been hard to see everypony had it not been for the fact that every one of them now wore a bright red cloak carefully tied around their necks, some of them fashioned into hoods that obscured their faces as they went about their tasks. Scipio had possessed an astonishing number of the things, and carefully cutting them up and distributing them meant every single member of her force wore the bright cloaks. That would make it easy-peasy to identify them in the heat of the battle, something Scootaloo had a feeling she was going to need.

Across the southern edge of the bridge, the Legionaries were setting up in the vast wheat fields which blessedly hadn’t been harvested yet. Golden grains waved faintly in the breeze, ripe and thick enough to obscure anything short of a full sized dragon. On the northern end of the bridge, mats of woven grass and twigs were being draped over the earth pony survivors of the Shadow’s depredations while the Deerfolk took up position amidst the willowy pear trees.

And though she couldn’t see them, she knew Vinyl and her crew had set up their precious musical equipment just an hour ago and were now awaiting the signal in their secure little cave. It was, all in all, a pretty damn good setup. Scipio clasped his talons behind his back and looked pleased with himself. Caedryn was also nodding in approval as he ran his experienced eye over all the positions. “Hmmh. This might just work,” he grumbled softly, trying not to sound enthusiastic and failing miserably.

Scipio grinned at him, tapping the heavy steel of his spear against the ground. “Don’t get too cocky, my friend. The real test is in the battle.” His eyes scanned the skies, waiting for the last of his scouts to report in that the enemy force that had left Ponyville was getting to within striking distance. Word had it that they were even more numerous than Scootaloo had first presumed they would be but that the Shadow herself was not amongst them.

That was cause enough for good cheer as it was, even if it meant they wouldn’t get a stab at the heart of the problem itself. Still, their odds of success had still improved dramatically with that small advantage. “Ahem. I hate to burst your bubble, boys.” That was Mrs. Cake, with a wry twist of her lips. “But is anypony going to address the batpony in the room?” Her gaze darted to the new figure that stood next to them, resplendent in glittering black armor.

Scootaloo herself was the only one to turn and gaze at the newcomer. Caedryn turned his gaze away in disgust, and Scipio just looked nervous. “Good point, Miz Cake,” she quipped, the level golden gaze of the batpony more than a little unnerving, but Scootaloo wasn’t about to be intimidated by that. “You and your crew are with me, Crescent Blade,” Scootaloo growled softly, trying not to show the slightest hint of weakness. “Our job is to take out Captain Winterlight if at all possible during the fight. Otherwise, we’ll be focusing on helping with the second phase of the plan.”

The batpony mare nodded slowly, her own eyes scanning the bridge with an almost cool disdain. “It is a sound plan for what limited resources you have. Those that follow me will be pleased to know our commander is not without wit.” Her accent was really, really weird. Like, even for a batpony weird. “The Goddess shall ensure our victory, of this I have no doubts. Where shall I assemble our forces, Chosen of the Sun?” That had been the other weird thing, that title she’d decided to give Scootaloo.

Scoots didn’t get it for a minute, but whatever. No one had ever said batponies weren’t all a little screwed up in the head. “We’ll be on the north end of the bridge, hiding out near that rock formation.” She pointed over to the east, where a massive tumble of rocks and gravel provided superb cover from being seen. “Make sure your buddies know who’s going to be the one giving the signal to attack. This is gonna be a tight fight, even with all the unexpected help we’ve gotten.”

Crescent Blade bowed deeply to Scootaloo, then swept into the skies where the two hundred or so other batponies joined her for a brief moment of discussion. Moments later, they were all headed for the rockfall, and Scipio exhaled deeply. “Caesar preserve me, the Lunar Guard. Things must be incredibly desperate for Luna to send them.” His voice sounded faintly reverent, and there was a small dose of fear there too.

The last member of their little crowd snorted derisively, and Scootaloo suppressed a desire to smack Gilda upside the head with her shield. No wonder she was so arrogant, related to a bunch of bloody nobles. “What makes them so special? Just a buncha batwinged ponies.” She waved her talons airily with a casual smirk on her face. “The Legion’s gonna be doing the heavy lifting here, bro.”

Scipio shook his head slowly, almost disappointedly, at Gilda. “You really ought to have studied, sister,” he admonished her with a quiet smile, his eyes agleam in the moonlight. “They are just as good as the Praetorian Guard in a straight up fight, and possibly better in the kind of battle we are about to wage. Speaking of which, should you not be getting into position with the remainder of our troops?” Scipio arched an eyebrow at Gilda, who flushed a little in embarrassment before swooping off down the bridge toward the wheat fields, and Scootaloo could only grin at her retreat.

“I should be going as well, to advise how to hide our other hoofed allies,” Caedryn said with a little smile of his own. “Good fortune to you all.” Caedryn bowed his head to Scoots and darted off down the bridge, leaving Scootaloo, Scipio, and Ms. Cake alone. Scootaloo sighed and rubbed at her head, wishing she could go snuggle up in something warm while they waited for the scouts to sound the final warning, but being in charge meant that wasn’t going to happen.

Then a silver flask hovered into view in the talons of Scipio, his eyes shimmering and a grin on his face. “Here. I find a little nip of this can provide some warmth.” Scootaloo eyeballed the flask dubiously - the memory of her first experience with hard alcohol was a dark one indeed. But it would probably have been rude to refuse, so she took the offered sip… and nearly coughed out a lung as the fiery cherry flavor of the liquor burned its way through her mouth and into her belly.

Scipio was polite enough not to laugh at her, but given the way his beak was gaping he was pretty close to it. “You are about to become a fully grown warrior, Scootaloo,” he began in a stern and fatherly kind of voice. “Facing your first true battle is a very important time in any fledgling’s life.” He turned and made a gesture toward the wheat fields, and a moment later a squad of ten griffons began marching to them, carrying a bundle wrapped in red cloth. “Which is why my Praetorians have decided to give you a little something.”

Scootaloo blinked at that, wishing she could parse half of the griffon’s culture sometimes. Still, they were always enthusiastic about their strange rituals, so maybe whatever this was would be useful. At least they wouldn’t try to feed her meat that wasn’t fish. Well, not more than the one time they’d already tried to a chorus of laughter a few days ago. The squad of Praetorians looked familiar… and after a moment, Scootaloo recognized the big beefy one she’d basically chewed out in front of his comrades, the rest of whom were right there with him.

Had today been any other day, she might’ve suspected a prank. But these griffons took their fighting as seriously as she’d seen anypony take anything else in her life, and they wouldn’t purposefully sabotage their commander before the fight got started. Instead, the burly griffon presented her the cloth package, which had a much larger version of the Cutie Mark Crusade emblem sewn into the top of it. With a nod from Scipio, he unwrapped the cloth… which turned out to be a finely tailored cloak in gold and crimson, wrapped around a set of miniature griffon armor.

Scootaloo stared in astonishment at that, her hoof touching the knot of the cloak she’d been given all those years ago by Sweetie Belle. She almost… almost rejected it for that. But… But this cloak should be for peace. It should be for when I get them back and we can try to put our lives back together again. It was a test, maybe, to see if she was finally ready to accept that this had gone beyond mere revenge or some desperate plan to recover her friends.

So she unknotted the cloak and carefully wrapped it up. “Miss Cake… could you keep this safe for me?” she said quietly, and the older mare nodded solemnly, accepting the bundle of silk cloth with a hoof. Scootaloo turned resolutely towards the Praetorians, and felt her lips twitch in a smile. “Would you gentlecolts be so kind as to help me get armored? We’ve got a war to fight.”

~~~~~~~

Their flag to Harvest's breeze unfurled…

~~~~~~

“Isn’t this so exciting Dashie?! We’re gonna see Strongheart again, and Miss Jubilee, and Braeburn and Bloomberg and that nice girl who lent me her dress, and-and-and…”

Pinkie had to take a minute to draw in a really deep, really heavy breath before continuing to speak. Rainbow Dash just looked tolerantly amused when she did so, and Ribbon Bound actually giggled a little. Pinkie liked Ribbon a lot. She was always lots of fun to party with, and she’d finally loosened up Dashie enough that Dashie wasn’t so worried about looking cool all the time. “And we’re gonna have such a big party, and there’s gonna be apples and balloons and I’ll finally get to see if Miss Jubilee’s tongue is as nice as I thought it would be!” The last words came out in a rush of giggles and bounces.

Pinkie was so very happy to be back on the road. She really didn’t have anywhere to stay in Ponyville anymore, since she really didn’t want to stay in Sugarcube Corner. She had no idea where Miss Cake and the twins had gotten off to, and every time she looked at the place all boarded up and dusty it made her really, really sad. The last thing she needed right now was to get into one of her Pinkamena moods, so she had to focus on the positive stuff even more than usual!

That was tiring though, so it was so good to be back on the road doing good work! She really hoped she could find Miss Cake though. She was really super worried about her and what might’ve happened to her and… “Pinkie, snap out of it,” came Dashie’s soft voice, shaking her shoulder as she spoke. “You’re not the only one who’s worried about ‘em, Pinkie… It’s gonna be okay. We’ll find everypony.” Dashie’s eyes were just a little glittery from held back tears, but she was still showing that tough-filly face she liked to put on when she was sad.

It was the truth too. Every one of their friends was missing somepony from Ponyville. It was like they’d all just up and vanished just before Twilight had set things right in the town, and the unexplained disapearances had everypony kinda scared. Dashie was most worried about little Scootaloo and Ditzy Doo, the latter because… well, Dashie might have gotten annoyed with Ditzy a lot, but she also really admired her for hanging tough when things went wrong. Scootaloo on the other hoof was just a little filly, and there was no telling what might’ve happened to her.

Pinkie couldn’t blame her, given how worried she was about the twins and Miss Cake. That meant she had to buck up and not let things get to her. “I know, Dashie.” She half smiled, reaching out to squeeze her bestest buddy’s hoof. She shook the frownies out of her head and put on her best bright smile. “Lets not lollygaggle too much, then! The sooner we get things settled, the sooner we can find our friends!”

Dashie nodded, wiping away her tears surreptitiously and grinning cockily. “Yeah. Can’t get the Captain peeved off either.” She picked her hooves back up, and Pinkie bounced up alongside her, feeling much of her good mood restored. The six of them had accomplished so much together already, and so long as they stuck together there wasn’t anything they couldn’t do! Or at least, Pinkie was pretty sure there wasn’t.

Ribbon Bound giggled softly in that odd batpony way of hers, her pretty golden eyes glittering in the dim moonlight. “Oh, ease off on her, Dash. She’s having a hard time after that debacle with the Prince and the Princess.” Ribbon sounded sympathetic, but it was clear she was also a little peeved off at Winterlight. Pinkie could understand why, even having only heard about it second-hoof. Why had Winterlight tried to stop them from leaving Twilight Town? It didn’t make any sense! They were all on the same side, weren’t they?

Dashie shook her head with a wan smile. “Which is why I’m technically in charge of the Shadowbolts now. Mistress was pretty clear about that.” Dashie preened a little at that, and Pinkie couldn’t help but grin happily at her friend’s good fortune. “Speaking of which, Pinks. Would you be willing to help do a little training when we get to Appleloosa? Some of our girls are a little slow on the uptake, and I want ‘em sharp if we get into a fight with the Buffalo.”

Pinkie nodded happily. “Well yeah! But why would there be a fight? I mean, everypony knows the griffons were all meanie-heads, but the buffalo folk are cool beaners!” Pinkie huffed softly as Dashie gave her a wry sort of look. “Okay so they stampeded a bit… but they had a good reason!” Pinkie stomped the ground in frustration, and Dash was obviously hiding giggles from her. Which was wrong! Pinkie liked giggles!

So she tickled Dashie, and was rewarded with a bounty of them from her rainbow friend. “Oh, lay off it, Pinkie! I’m just trying to be prepared.” Dashie thwapped at her tickling hooves and grinned at her cockily. “Why don’t you go check up on the carts, Pinkie? I need to talk some strategy with Ribbon.” She hooked her hoof over her shoulder. “We’ll talk more when we camp down for the night.”

Dashie and Ribbon took to the air a moment later to chat with one another about something boring, so Pinkie decided it was a good time to mingle with the rest of the partygoers. There were some friends here from Roam, and some friends from Ponyville and from Twilight City and all sorts of other places! “Hi, Caramel!” she bubbled at the familiar earth pony, who smiled at her from where he was steering one of the cider carts. A few more bounces took her past Mr. Davenport who was enjoying a little sloppy makeout session with an unfamiliar earth pony colt. It was always nice to see other ponies finding the time for fun!

Of course, the only pony here who wasn’t having fun was grumpy Miss Winterlight. She really didn’t seem capable of having fun most of the time, but Pinkie was sure there was a real party pony under all that grumpiness. Of course, she’d kind of screwed some things up recently which might explain why she was so grumpy, but Pinkie was determined to de-grumpify her. Maybe once they were in Appleloosa, Pinkie had really enjoyed the fritters they’d made there, she was willing to bet she could corner Winterlight and make her make much more fun noises than the growling she usually did.

For now though, she focused on keeping things in perspective. The sun would be up soon, and Pinkie could already tell it was going to be a gorgeous little day. Sure, things weren’t perfect… and yeah, it was hard not to think of Mister Cake when she was worrying about Miss Cake. But the Barkeep griffon had been right - sometimes things happened we couldn’t do anything about because they happened for important reasons. Pinkie wasn’t sure what that reason was in this circumstance, but she was sure if she kept her eyes open and her head high, she could figure it out.

Miss Cake would be counting on her when she finally found her again.

~~~~~~

Here once embattled ponies stood...

~~~~~~

The world is a thing of balance.

All shaman know this, as it is the very central tenet of all of a shaman’s power. Everything comes around again, every light must have its darkness, every action must have a reaction. It had always amused Zecora how other ponies tried to complicate things with funny mathematics, but it really was quite simple. It is the way of the universe in all of its glorious complexity that things will eventually come back to equilibrium. And if one happens to know how the spirits of the world work, occasionally one can convince them to bend the rules for you once in a while.

Sometimes, that meant simple things like keeping the bugs out of her home or replacing a spilled drink toppled by an over enthusiastic unicorn. The spirits also had an odd love of cleaning homes, apparently having decided that dust and grime was some kind of natural enemy to the order of things. But sometimes, one needed a much bigger favor. You needed a rockslide, or a sinkhole, or a sudden herd of stampeding jackalopes, or assistance with your taxes. Sometimes the dark things of the world crawled out of their holes to tried and take the parts of the world that didn’t belong to them.

Some would have said that was truly the duty of the shaman. Not as spiritual guides or as the collectors and keepers of knowledge, but as the natural world’s defense against the corrupt and the vile. That in truth, the very existence of the shaman was itself a reaction to the darkness within the world, and it was their duty to wield the natural world against it that the balance might be maintained.

Zecora was not quite sure of all of that, but she did know her studies into the dark and elemental nature of the Everfree Forest had raised no few warning signs long before Shadowblight had reappeared. Perhaps she should have been more wary, or perhaps she should have simply been paying better attention. Nevertheless, it had been the Shadowblight and not some other foul evil that had long infected the Everfree.

It had been to their tremendous good fortune that the White Spirit herself had been watching over them, then. Only by her intervention had the Shadowblight’s minions not caught them as they stole away in the night. It had been a truly awe inspiring experience to behold the White Spirit as Lahela had so many countless centuries ago. Within the White Wood, she had found herself amidst a veritable fountain of spiritual power bubbling up from the earth itself. It had been humbling too, to realize just how far she was from the legendary hooves of her ancestress.

Yet nopony had ever accused her of being afraid of a challenge like that, and she had not misspent her time since the Shadowblight had first struck upon the world. She had honed her mastery of the alchemical arts to a fine point, and even now was continuing to grow and improve her connection to the spirits of the world. There were ancient and powerful forces sleeping within the land here, and she had every intention of turning them against the foul creatures to come.

Yet she was unable to think about the power of the spirits without her thoughts going to the little filly that even now was barking out orders in preparation for the battle ahead. Rarely before in her life had Zecora felt so powerful a pity and heartbreak for another as she did for Scootaloo. More and more powerful spirits were swarming about her with every day that passed, flocking to the glimmering golden light of spiritual power that now burned within her chest. They acted alike to insects about a candle flame, swarming close to the warmth and flitting away lest they become burned.

No creature ever survived the attention of such powerful spirits without being changed on some deep and fundamental level, and poor Scootaloo was so very young to be having those kinds of changes forced upon her. But then, Lahela had been only the merest teenager herself when the Shadowblight had come to their lands. Perhaps that was part of the necessity - that the spirits of the world required one who was young enough to mould into the form needed to perform their will.

She might have hated it, but even so she knew it to be necessary. All she could do was chivvy and herd the spirits with her own mind, carefully reminding them not to bring harm upon the child lest she become angered at them. But today, they were not listening to even her sternest reminders. They were flitting to and fro like glittering butterflies agitated by some unseen wind, darting ever closer to the fire in Scootaloo. Perhaps they too sensed the conflict that was to come.

So she would wait with as much patience as she could, running her hooves up and down the worn staff she had not carried about since she’d first arrived in the forest so many years ago. Her mind turning over the words of the ancient battle chants she would call out today, calling upon the spirits of war and bloodshed so that they might be brought victory against their dark foes. Spirits she personally despised the need for, still knowing that said spirits cared nothing for her personal feelings.

For always, they would be needed and called upon by a shaman in need. The Balance had to be restored and the darkness forced back into the pit from whence it came. The world did not abide the natural order of things being upset by any creature, no matter how powerful it might be. Shadowblight had to abide by the rules of the universe the same as any creature did, even if she thought otherwise.

For a moment, Zecora felt a small stab of pity for Twilight Sparkle, who undoubtedly could not see the inevitable end of her own quest. She had been such a remarkable thinker and student, and Zecora had briefly entertained a desire to train her in the shamanistic arts. Her deep connection with the spirits undoubtedly had been what attracted Shadowblight to her in the first place. Perhaps even now, there might be a way to save her, though Zecora doubted it. Those who had willingly given themselves to Shadowblight had only one fate that awaited them.

Zecora resolved to make certain that Twilight did not suffer when that fate had to be visited upon her as well.

~~~~~~

And fired the shot heard round the world.

~~~~~~

“Here they come!” Scootaloo screamed as the massive column of soldiers appeared far down the road as the sun began to peek over the horizon. Scootaloo donned the glittering golden helmet and slammed the steel shield disc into its place in front of her custom scooter. The words upon its back in stark black letters reminded her why she was here. She mounted the scooter and spun it around with a powerful buzz of her wings, brandishing her hoof in the air and her voice echoing across the Ghastly Gorge.

“Everypony to your places! CELESTIA BE WITH US ALL!”

Author's Note

There will be a brief delay as the next chapter, which is a very very long one, is written. The next update will... basically be done when its done, that could be a good couple of days.

Enjoy the S4 premier, Everypony, and I'll see you back here soon!

Chapter 17 - The Battle of Ghastly Gorge (Part 1)

~~~~~Ghastly Gorge~~~~~

Captain Winterlight sighed softly, sinking her head into her hoof as the caravan trundled toward the massive stone bridge spanning the Ghastly Gorge. It was a trifle encouraging to see the thing in much better repair than it had been toward the end of the Nightmare War. But then, a thousand years had passed and a great deal had changed in the world that she had left behind. New technologies, new social customs, new everything! The worst was the music though. Whatever happened to a good old fashioned bit of classical music? All this newfangled noise was headache inducing.

Still, at least the job hadn’t changed. She was still leading crazy amalgams of creatures doing boring but essential jobs for a terrifying commander. Twilight Shadow wasn’t quite as insane as Nightmare Moon had been, but she was infinitely more unpredictable. Nightmare Moon’s goals has been immutable and pretty easy to communicate. Eternal night, imprisonment of Celestia, establishment of her eternal rule, et cetera. Twilight, on the other hoof, had apparently very… flexible goals, most of which seemed to revolve around creating a total world unity.

The arrival of the Hippogriffs had been more than a shock to her. The fact was, ponies with taloned forelegs and hooved hindlegs, the bodies and wings of pegasi and only vaguely still griffonic features was… terrifying, even to her. They were utterly loyal to Twilight Shadow, much in the same way that all batponies were utterly loyal to Nightmare Moon, and they were ruthless fighters to boot. They would be very useful if that infernal group of ambushers decided to take a swipe at her.

That had been her frustration. She knew good guerilla tactics when she saw them, and whoever was leading these red-cloaked nutjobs was either an expert or getting advice from an expert. The worst was she couldn’t track them, and that smacked of deerfolk interference. Which of course, meant that damnable White Tail Wood was involved. A thousand years later, and the place was still a thorn in her side.

So she sighed and shifted her head to her other hoof, glaring down at the convoy with a steely look. Even if they did decide to hit her, it would be ultimately ineffective. She had more than sufficient troops this time to beat off any tiny raiding force; and far more importantly, she was now in direct command. No more panicking at the first surprise attack, no more running away. Winterlight was a veteran of a war that had claimed more lives than any of these wretched scum would ever see or know. There was something to be said of experience in war, and she had it in spades.

The wide bridge loomed large ahead, and she roused herself to a more alert stance. She didn’t anticipate any problems, but that didn’t mean there wouldn’t be any. This was the perfect spot for an ambush, and she knew it. Her scouts had reported nothing, but Winterlight never fully trusted scouting reports. Her guards were fortunately alert, so she didn’t have to beat the living snot out of any of them. Dash, Pinkie, and Ribbon were nowhere in sight, but that didn’t mean much. She didn’t expect much out of them in a straight up fight.

For ten long, agonizing minutes, she watched carefully as her caravan pulled out onto the bridge. Slowly and achingly, the massive wooden wagons bearing nearly a thousand gallons of shadow tainted cider found their way onto the bridge one by one. She had to admit, the idea was pretty brilliant. She’d tasted that cider unaltered, and it had been pretty damn good stuff even before Umbra had gotten a hold of it. She even had a little supply of unaltered stuff just for her.

At current speed, the wagons would first clear the bridge about twenty minutes after they had first started onto it. So she tapped the keg on the cart next to her and filled her ancient pewter mug. The sweet sip of apples was as fresh as a spring day and served as a reminder. She was not going to get another chance at things. Not with Umbra, nor with her Queen, nor with life. She was not getting any younger, the restorative magics of Nightmare Moon or not.

It was not normally her idiom to contemplate the world after the war, but she indulged in the thoughts for a moment. Once Umbra had seized the world, she would likely have no further need for force to exact her will. Winterlight would need to find a new place in the world, and she considered perhaps trading upon her loyal service for a nice pension. She could take a wealthy lover and spend the remainder of her days finally penning her memoirs.

Or perhaps, with her Queen restored to her rightful self, she would take service with the royal house. With good fortune, her Queen would permit her the duty of tormenting and breaking that infernal Sun Princess to her Queen’s will. She could take a great deal of pleasure in such duties. It was a cheering enough thought that she downed the remainder of her cider and did her best to put on a cheerful grin.

The world was shaping back into its rightful place. Perhaps she could find some means to pass the time while she waited for her wagon to cross the bridge… a thought which instantly came to a halt as an alarm whistle went up from the front of the caravan. Winterlight scowled and took to the wing, flying above the tall cider wagons and glaring down toward the end of the bridge where a single griffon stood.

He was powerfully built, even for a griffon, and he wore much filigreed armor that shone in the predawn light. His spear had been planted point first in the dirt and his bright red cloak billowed in a weak breeze. A second griffon joined him a moment later, wearing less elaborate armor but looking no less capable. He planted a pole in the dirt next to the first griffon, and Winterlight felt an icicle drive itself into her heart as three crimson red banners unfurled in the breeze.

A moment later, Rainbow Dash had joined her in the sky, crossing her hooves over her chest and scowling down toward the griffons. “What the buck is that banner?” she asked, her tone mildly annoyed and confused. “And just what are griffons in armor doing in Equestria?” She turned to regard Winterlight, her eyebrow arched arrogantly. It took a great deal of self control not to smack her right then, but she supposed Dash would have no reason to know those emblems. Not in this era of unprecedented peace with the griffons.

But Winterlight knew those banners. The banners which had thwarted her at Skandranon and halted her advance at Baltimare. The banners that had finally broken the siege at Stalliongrad, thus setting off the final events which would ultimately end the Nightmare War. She had faced those banners across countless other battlefields, and every single time their presence had signaled ill fortune to come. The banners of the finest warriors of Roam. The Golden Griffon of the Legion and the spears and helm of the Praetorian Guard… and worst of all, the rampant white pony upon the blue shield against a field of crimson red.

The unmistakable banner of the Crusading Knights of Canterlot.

“Nothing good for the Shadow, Captain Dash,” Winterlight spat out, turning on the spot. “Get the Shadowbolts in the air. We’re going to have a serious problem here.” Because where there was one griffon, there were unquestionably hundreds more. But that wasn’t the scariest thing. How had the Knights survived for one thousand years? How long had they been waiting in the wings? How long had they been preparing? Why hadn’t Twilight Shadow warned them about their existence? The very memory of row upon row of steel clad ponies, bearing their famous lances and laying down a thundering charge, was enough to send a surge of strength into her limbs...

She swung down to the cart, grabbing her steel talons and slipping them over her hooves. We are completely strung out and exposed. They could roll the entire column up in one charge, especially with Praetorians to act as the anvil. So why haven’t they done it? The answer came quickly, as she strapped the weapons tight to her hooves. They’re waiting for the real battle. Of course, this is who the raiders have been backed by. They’re keeping their main forces in hiding, waiting until Umbra takes the field herself. They’ve been trying to draw us out into a major confrontation… And like fools, we’re obliging them.

The talons secured, a shadowbolt appeared from nowhere and quickly strapped on the armored plates to her chest and body, her thoughts racing as she waited impatiently for the armor. So they’re going to demand we surrender, with some kind of trap force waiting behind us. They’ll hit us hard and try to use the narrowness of the bridge to keep us from retaliating. I should expect no less from the Crusaders. The straps tightened on her armor and, she grabbed the nameless Shadowbolt by his collar and growled. “Go to the rear of the convoy, get them moving backward right the fuck now. We need to get off this bridge before it becomes a death trap.” That order so given, she took to the wing and flew toward the head of the column.

There were still proprieties to be observed, even in this maddening age.

~~~~~

Scipio flexed his muscles beneath the heavy armor, watching as the column of wagons and soldiers milled about like a stirred up beehive. The feeling of watching these Shadow lackies so distressed by his appearance did his heart some good, even if the battle had yet to be joined. “Steady on, Gilda,” he murmured softly, eyeballing his sister with a faint smile. “I’m surprised you volunteered to carry the banners.”

GIlda glared at him from beneath her helm, then muttered softly. “I’m lookin’ for somepony.” Scipio blinked, but did not turn to stare in surprise. He needed to keep his eyes on the enemy, picking out as many of the unique figures that he could and trying to figure out numbers. “What?” she growled at him, her own eyes scanning through the crowd like he was.

The numbers were just as bad as he had figured they would be, if his guessing was right. “I didn’t say a thing,” he replied mildly, running the scenarios in his head quickly. Plenty of them are noncombatants, and that might be the deciding factor. Noncombatants got in the way as much as anything else, unless they all turned out to be militia fighters in disguise… but Scipio was pretty certain they were not, given a lack of obvious weapons.

“You didn’t have to, brother,” Gilda muttered again, glaring as the first signs of a coherent line formed up on the bridge. “Where is she…” she continued in a more wondering voice, now scanning the sky that had become thick with pegasi darting to and fro. Scipio coldly regarded them, wearing purple and black uniforms with golden lightning bolts. Obviously some kind of mockery of the Equestrian Special Air Unit. He snorted derisively. As though they could hold a candle to them.

Still, it gave him a chance to see what the aerial fight would be like, and the signs pointed to bloody and brutal… unless they were able to wholly take them by surprise. He had few hopes for that, but the plan was still proceeding well enough for his taste. The real proof would be once the specialists weighed in. Still, his position was excellent and his line of retreat was superb. It was an ambush Hawkwing could have been proud of. “Who are you looking for? Perhaps I can help.” It wouldn’t hurt to offer Gilda a talon of assistance. It was obvious she wanted to see if somepony she knew was here.

“Look for a rainbow mane. Fucking garish as hell and impossible to miss,” she said quietly, and Scipio felt his heart thump an extra beat. Something about the way she said it… Gilda? Actually caring about someone? Scipio did not know if it was possible to cure a creature of the Shadow Power, but he had to believe that it could be done. He had to believe his race would survive this calamity. Hawkwing saved us once. There must be the means to do so again.

Time was running short for such thoughts, however. A rather severe looking pegasus wearing sky-talons was whipping her way toward the head of the column, where a line of dark-armored earth ponies had formed a fairly solid defensive line. Useless for offense though, he snorted softly, glaring at the line. Who in Caesar’s name decided it would be wise to deploy heavy infantry like that?

The pegasus with the sky talons hit the ground in front of him with an impressive show of sparks before coming to a halt. Her mane was moonlight silver and her coat a deep, dark blue. Dyed, obviously, but still an impressive look. Instantly, he recognized the eyes of a fellow predator and his heart began to race a little. It was rather surprising to find another pony so obviously prepared to make war, but here she was. Where had Dark Sun found them all? The pegasus’ voice was growling and lacking in patience as she spoke. “Who are you to stand in my way, griffon? What are griffon soldiers doing in Equestria?” she snarled at him, keeping low and poised to strike.

Scipio extended his talon and grasped the haft of his spear, tugging it out of the dirt and feeling a smile cross his face. “I am Scipio Grifficanus, pegasus.” His voice was pitched low, but projected as loudly as he could across the stone bridge. “Caesar, by the will of Roam.” Scipio planted the haft of his spear against the stone, sending a ringing sound through the air and the scuttling sounds of the other ponies and creatures on the bridge came to a halt. “And we have come to deliver a message to your dark mistress.”

For a moment, Scipio was certain the pegasus intended to attack him. Her muscles tensed, and she was poised to strike when she paused, and slowly uncoiled, her eyes narrowing. “And what message is that, griffon?” she sneered at him then, her eyes narrowing. “I see no laurel crown upon your head, and you have not answered my other question either. Tell me why I should not slay your lonely self where you stand?”

The words thundered back at him, and Scipio could not help himself. He laughed low and softly, raising his talon into the air. As though by magic, the Guard melted out of the wheat fields behind him, marching in perfect formation. “Because I am not alone, pegasus,” he growled, as the sound of steel clad talons rapping against the stone road echoed around him and the arrogant pegasus retreated a step in obvious fear. Scipio extended his talon, and as if on cue a golden helmet was placed upon it, and he pulled the Helm of Roamanus to his head.

The pegasus visibly swallowed, and he spoke as one hundred war spears leveled themselves towards his foe. “We have come to Equestria to free her from the Dark Sun. And our message is thus.” His talon extended again, and a massive shield of golden steel was placed within it. He hefted his warspear and brandished the shield before him, and with perfect precision a dozen more shields locked into place alongside his, forming a wall of steel and spear. He felt a smile cross his face at the sight of the creature of the Shadow stare at him with a moment of fear before speaking with a single, clear voice.

“The Legion Stands.”

~~~~~~

This was bad.

No, this was very much beyond bad.

Winterlight was never one to refuse battle, but fighting right now would have been utter madness. This wasn’t simply a unit of the Praetorian Guard. It was the entire fucking Praetorian Guard, and worse still, they were protecting a legitimate Caesar! This was every possible nightmare about these damnable griffons all loaded into a ballista pointed right at her face! There was only one thing she could possibly do.

Run.

Her hooves caught the stone of the road, her sky-talons screaming against the rock as she launched herself into the air, flying pell-mell back toward the relative safety of the convoy. “Form a retreat line! Get those damn abominations into the fight! NOW!” Her screams created order from chaos, as black armored soldiers fell into line, creating a far thicker line of defense at her front. There was no time to save the foremost carts, but that would be a small price to pay to save her entire force from annihilation.

The Hippogriffs nearest to her trundled past the carts toward the fighting line as the sound of hundreds of iron-clad talons rained down upon the stone bridge. We’re going to get bracketed. No one holds a line better than the Praetorians. I’ve got to get to the other end of the bridge and fast. With a plan now firmly in mind, she took off like a shot and kept as low as she could. “DASH! FRONT AND CENTER!” she screeched into the air, and a moment later, the rainbow maned pegasus appeared out of the Shadows next to her.

“The Bolt’s are ready! What’s the score?” Dash replied quickly, keeping up with an effortless ease that pissed Winterlight off. Well, it was about time to find out if she could fight as well as she could fly.

Winterlight growled, keeping her orders terse and to the point. “Tell them to keep the skies clear. We need time to get the rest of the troops off the bridge. Get to the north end of the bridge and make sure everything is getting off of it as fast as you can manage! Go!” To her credit, Dash didn’t question her orders. She saluted and vanished in a puff of shadow power a second later.

That taken care of, she pulled a hard turn and glared around her. The column was still in panic, and that wasn’t going to make getting things off of it easier. So she cupped her wings around her mouth and focused her pegasus magic into the air, vastly increasing the power of her voice for a few precious moments. “LISTEN UP!” she screamed, and all at once the chaos came to a screaming halt around her.

That accomplished, Winterlight re-folded her wings and began to bark orders, brandishing her hooves to grant each command a bit more direction. “I want these carts turned around right now! Anyone trained in fighting, move to the southern end of the bridge and help hold off the griffon attackers! Anyone who isn’t needs to be moving these carts!” The milling civilians and soldiers were quickly organizing now, which gave Winterlight time to contemplate how she was going to handle whatever was going to come at her from the north.

Then a sound came from that same direction - distant at first but growing stronger by the moment. It was a voice, speaking in some odd cadence that set Winterlight’s teeth on edge. She turned in place and sighed, growling under her breath. “Oh, Goddess preserve me.” Her butt hit the floor of the cart she had been standing on for just a moment. “They have a battle shaman,” she snarled out and smashed her hoof through the bed of the cart, feeling the rage start to smoulder inside of her.

She grabbed the nearest soldier and turned to snarl at him. “I need you to deliver these orders to every single one of the Shadow Guard, right now.”

~~~~~~~

The time had come.

Shadowblight was here, its sick power pulsing within the air as its creatures breathed out its foul taint. It seeped into the ground from their hooves and wheels, scarring the land with their presence. And within the bodies of those poor benighted souls upon the bridge, the blight held their spirits in screaming bondage. For anypony else, it might have been too much to bear… but she was not anypony.

The spirits of the earth and sky cried out to her, begging for the balance to be restored to the world around her. The world needed a Lahela right now, but all it had was a Zecora. The zebrican gently leaned on her stave and sent her spirit down into the earth, trying to soothe the angry spirits there. She was not her ancestress, the most powerful of all the shaman in the history of her tribes. She did not have her intimate connection to the spirits of the world, and did not have her power.

But then, her ancestress had not had little Scootaloo with her, and there was a source of power unlike any she had seen before. “Zecora? You ready?” the pegasus filly whispered, and Zecora felt herself nod once. “Well, theres a lot more of them than I thought there’d be… so if you’ve got a trick up your hoof-” Zecora turned and pressed her hoof against Scootaloo’s mouth and smiled silently, then brought it back to her lips and gave off a soft shh sound.

Then she turned back to the road, and struck her stave once upon the ground. Then again, and again. Slowly, she sought out the heartbeat of the earth around her, and slowly it came to her. The beat was a simple one, but this was a simple place. The forces which had split the earth asunder here so long ago had moved on to other places, and now all that remained was the sign of their rage. Yet there was still strength here, imbued into the earth so very long ago. It had a soul, and that soul was angry.

The beat began to pick up, and she felt the power surge through her limbs. The words flowed from her lips without her conscious thought, as she called the spirits to war. ”Ayo-ay-yo! Ayo-ay-yo! Creature of darkness, child of the fen, Ayo-ay-yo! The black spirit returns to rule us again, ayo-ay-yo!” Her voice was not her own, even as her hooves began to move. Scootaloo might have been saying something, but Zecora could not hear her.

The bright spirits which had flocked to the little filly now soared around her, and her voice rumbled through the earth. ”But we shall not give in to the Shadow’s foul blight, Ayo-ay-yo! We’ll drive it back down again, out of our sight! Ayo-ay-YO!” Zecora gave her mind and spirit over to the earth, and the world changed about her. Every scent was sharper, and every color more vibrant and pure. The fiery spirits that Scootaloo attracted fueled her chant with power, and all the world seemed to come alive around them.

“Zecora, what are you- Whoa.” Scootaloo’s voice penetrated through the haze of Spirits, and Zecora could not help but chuckle faintly at the sound of the little one. It was always a unique experience, feeling the strength of the Spirits for the first time. “This is… whoa.” Scootaloo repeated brilliantly, and Zecora chuckled again.

The dark thestral who called herself Crescent Blade showed no signs, but a broad and deep smile blossomed onto her face as the power seeped up from the ground. Zecora felt a tugging of kinship for the strange pony - perhaps there was one who might even benefit from her tutelage. But now the beat of the earth grew stronger, and she continued the chant. ”So come to me friends, and sharpen your ears, Ayo-ay-yo! Slay all your doubts and raise up your spears, Ayo-ay-yo!”

Scootaloo had mounted her scooter, drawing the blade from her back between her teeth and a fierce grin splitting her face. Zecora turned towards the bridge and felt her steps gather into a canter, and then a trot. Her voice sang out, resonating into the earth as she ran, her stave slung over her shoulder and the power of the earth at her hooves. The preliminaries were over. The war was on. ”Let us cast out the Shadows and cast out the Blight, ready your weapons and prepare for the fight! Ayo-rah-sey-no! Ayo-rah-doh! For the spirits are with us, and the enemy’s near, so take up your weapon and show them no fear!

Ayo-rah-sey-no! AYO-AY-YO!”

Author's Note

Okay, so.

Originally the Battle of Ghastly Gorge was going to be one mega-chapter. However, when I finally sat down and OUTLINED the whole thing.... Well, yeah.

So in the interest of not making you guys wait another week for an update, Each battle will be broken up along natural stopping points in the interest of keeping the flow intact. So some parts will be longer than others. All battles will be released, in their complete form, in multiple chapter "Parts" so you can read at your leisure.

Enjoy!

Chapter 17 - The Battle of Ghastly Gorge (Part 2)

~~~~~

Caedryn could feel the pull of the earth spirits as the Lunar Guard took to the wing and charged out of hiding towards the confused and disorganized Shadowtouched.Without a thought, he lifted the ancient horn to his lips and blew upon it. The sound resonated through the pear trees and rebounded upon the canyon walls. With the signal given, he nodded to his fellow warriors and as one they came bounding out of the trees.

Behind them, he could hear the rumble of hundreds of hooves as the rag-tag militia calling itself ‘The Cutie Mark Crusade’ came tumbling after them, screaming wordless cries of battle as they did. But his own warriors gave no such signs, instead surging ahead in silence. They had not come here for glory or honor, but to fulfil a duty they had never believed they would be called to fulfil.

The sight of the hundred or so deerfolk careening across the plain was a sight of grim purpose for Caedryn, for it meant that the dark one had returned to consume the world again. It meant that untold numbers of his beloved kin would die in the moons to come, for Umbra loved nothing more than destroying and corrupting the folk of the wood. It meant the end of centuries of peace and prosperity.

In short, it meant that the world and life Caedryn had hoped to have would never be.

Caedryn was not given to anger or rage, but that did not quell his boiling emotions. It had been why the Lady had assigned him to this task, that he might direct the raw hurt within him at a source deserving of such ire. The feel of his hooves bounding against the grass as they streaked across the distance between themselves at the bridge felt like small victories. Every step he came closer to exacting pain upon those that had chosen to serve the darkness was a good step indeed.

Up until now, keeping that rage in check had been easy enough. The Lady’s word was law, after all, and one did not question her motives. So he had guarded the strange little pony, all while waiting for this day. Here and now, he would claim the blood of the Shadow and bring an end to their mad plans. The plan was already going flawlessly, and Caedryn saw no reason to doubt it would continue to do so.

As if by fate, the Lunar Guard and his deerfolk converged upon the rear of the convoy all at once, and the battle was already on. Caedryn’s training took over from his rage, and he spun and cavorted amidst the chaotic battle that had broken out at their charge. A nameless soldier of the shadow tried desperately to spear him with its weapon, but he gored the creature upon his steel antlers and then cast it aside.

He could not feel pity for them right now, for down that path lay victory of the Shadow. His hooves lashed out at another attacker, but missed their mark. Another ducked in and struck at him, but he darted away from the blow. Caedryn huffed in annoyance at these constant delays, and this time charged a fourth attacker, claiming another servant of the Shadow’s life in the name of the Lady by shoving them bodily over the edge of the bridge and sending them plummeting to their doom.

But far too soon, their targets were not striking out at random. They had retreated and formed a line of defense, and now came the time for them to force their enemies together. So he lashed with his hooves and slashed with the razor tips of his antler-blades, trying to tease his enemies back into line while the earth ponies of the crusade caught up.

But the next thing Caedryn knew, he was on the ground and staring at the scrambling hooves of his fellow warriors, and wondering why his head had exploded in pain. Then he saw the cyan blur flash overhead and two more deerfolk hit the ground, apparently unconscious. Caedryn forced himself up to his hooves, but could not find steadiness in his step.

More pegasi were blurring down from the skies and striking before they could be stopped. As one, the Lunar Guard rose to the wing and struck into the skies, just as a second blow sent Caedryn’s world into silence and darkness...

~~~~~~~

Rainbow Dash spun midair to avoid a jabbing spear and dove into the shadows under a cart, feeling a thrill of momentary panic at being so close to such danger and death. She felt herself melt out of the shadows of a cloud high above her head, and forced herself back to it, breathing heavily and trying very hard not to have a full on panic attack.

Battles were absolutely nothing like the books had said, and even the extensive training of the last month or two had barely been enough to keep her from utterly losing it. All around her, she could see pony fighting pony, or deerfolk or griffon or whatever the heck else might be around her. Already, casualties were piling up… mostly on her side, it seemed.

Who the buck was attacking them, and why? There were batponies here wearing Luna’s symbol on her chest and earth ponies in haphazard armor, and she recognized most of them too! It was like the entire world had gone mad around her, and the worst was that friggin army of griffons! Winterlight had seemed pretty panicked about those weird banners the griffons had been carrying too, but -

The thought left her head a moment later and instinct took over, her only warning being the barest sound of wind upon feather. Even with all of her speed though, another body impacted her hard and sent her flying head over flank into another cloud, bouncing off of its surface. Rainbow Dash recovered almost instantly, executing a perfect flip midair to land on the cloud facing the enemy… and felt a cold shock thrill through her veins at the unmistakable glare behind the glittering gold helmet.

“Knew you’d be here, Dash,” Gilda Skytalon growled at her, clad in the same golden armor of the griffon army below and bearing a heavy looking steel spear in one of her taloned claws and a large golden shield in the other. “Knew you’d be close to this fucking disaster. You always are when shit hits the fan.” The spear whirled in her grip and she crouched low, her gaze as hard as the steel she wore, and Dash could only feel a momentary thrill of fear and wondered if perhaps Gilda had come for revenge for what had happened in Ponyville all those years ago.

Then… Gilda, one of the oldest friends she’d had before the Elements of Harmony had upturned her life and that fight in Ponyville had seemingly severed them forever, surprised her. “Don’t gimmie that look, Dash. I’m pulling your fat flank out of this fire, and we’re going to take you to see the Doe and get you cured of Dark Sun’s corruption.” Gilda’s voice was rough with an emotion Dash couldn’t instantly identify… and it wasn’t until she saw the glitter of moisture in her once friend’s eyes that the meaning became all too clear. “So don’t make me hurt you, Dashie… I’ll do it if I have to, but I don’t want to.” Gilda’s voice went from rough to hard in an instant, her poise one of a predator preparing to strike.

Rainbow Dash swallowed a lump in her throat and backed up a step on the cloud. Gilda thought she was broken, or thought that the Shadow had done something horrible to her. She… she must’ve been in Roam when it fell. That’s the only explanation. How had she escaped Twilight? Why the hell was she wearing that armor? And what in the world was with the name ‘Dark Sun’? Hard questions, but Dash didn’t have time to answer them. She tried to speak some sense into her, flaring out her wings and preparing to take off again. “I can’t, Gilda. You’re wrong about the Mistress, and I would be happy to show you - ”

Gilda didn’t wait for her to finish. Gilda’s acceleration off the mark was still as absurd as it had ever been, even in all of that heavy armor. For a griffon, she was one of the fastest Rainbow Dash had ever seen or heard of. So fast that the Junior Speedsters had made the unprecedented move of accepting her into their ranks, and even Cloudsdale Academy’s sports program had sought her out.

But as fast as she still was, eight years of hard training since Junior Speedsters had made Dash faster. Griffons simply didn’t have the physiology or pegasus magic to reach the speeds she could. Yet even fast as she was, she missed the sweep of the steel spear by mere inches as she took to the air, and Gilda didn’t stop at a single blow, pivoting in place and slamming her shield upwards at Dash. That blow too she managed to evade, pivoting in midair and watching the hard edge of the steel shield go soaring past her face so close she could have licked it.

It was the most terrifying experience of her life as she hit the cloud deck a moment later and dove desperately into its Shadow, feeling the grazing steel of the spear nearly slashing through her wing before she appeared out of the shadow of one of the other clouds. There was no time for thought or for examination - she had to keep Gilda from killing her or worse. But Gilda was already on her, a blur of crimson red cloak and glittering golden armor diving for her like a predator hawk.

Dash rolled away from the dive, and reached out with the Shadow within her - she needed help, and she needed to get Gilda off of her back. Gilda swooped back into the air just as a half dozen Shadowbolts burst into life out of the cloud, all of them bearing various glittering steel weapons. “Don’t kill her! We want her alive!” Dash screamed at them, even as she pivoted and blasted toward the north end of the bridge again. She had a job to do, and she couldn’t take the time to deal with Gilda right now.

“GET BACK HERE YOU FUCKING LAME-O!” Gilda screeched at her, but Dash didn’t even turn to see what emotions might be on her face. The north end of the bridge was becoming a problem again as dozens of earth ponies pressed in with long spears and flails, pushing past the mouth of the bridge and past the first of the cider carts… which Dash arrived just in time to see explode in fire.

The entire cart lay shattered on the bridge, blocking up the rearward progress of the other carts and pouring out its precious cargo into the drains on the bridge. The entire thing was wreathed in flames, though Dash couldn’t see any bodies upon it. “Oh, buck,” she whispered, and dove back down into the fray.

Things were going very badly already, but she trusted the Captain to pull them through. She could already see their forces slowing their retreat and holding onto a much firmer line of defense. That was good. Once they got organized, they could get everypony off the bridge somehow… Still, it was disturbing to see so many familiar faces from Ponyville. What had happened to them that they were - . And then there it was. The flash of orange coat and magenta mane, the unmistakable sound of those buzzing wings.

Scootaloo.

Dash spun in midair and flew as hard as she could toward that sound. Only to find it on the north end of the bridge next to the strangest looking unicorn Dash had ever seen and another familiar face, Mrs. Cake wielding a wicked sharp chef’s knife and a glare of grim anger upon her brow. Scootaloo too was wearing that glittering gold armor, and her bright red cape was emblazoned with the emblem of the Cutie Mark Crusaders.

Dash felt her mouth go dry at the sight of them charging forward toward the battle. “No… No, not you, Scoots!” she half yelled out and dove toward them. She had to get Scootaloo away from this. She wasn’t going to let that filly die because somepony had told her all kinds of lies about the Mistress.

She had to save her. Nopony else would.

~~~~~~~

“Shh… It’s okay, just stay quiet and calm. Everything’s gonna be okie-dokie,” Pinkie gently soothed the younger stallion, and he nodded with a gulp of air. All around her, crowded within the four caravan carts that had carried their supplies, all of the non-fighters were huddling beneath the canvas and holding one another tight. Pinkie deftly moved amongst them, giving a comforting touch and hug to anypony who needed one, and there were a lot of ponies who needed them.

Pinkie was thankful she’d been at Roam now, since it had made her more used to the scary sounds and smells of a battle. It made it easier to stay calm, even when she was just a little bit scared. They were in Equestria, after all, and why would anypony want to attack them here? Princess Celestia was going to get mighty cross with whoever it was, if Winterlight grumpybutt didn’t get cross with them first.

The thought of what was going on outside didn’t even occur to her. She had other duties after all, like protecting the younger ponies and Hippgogriffs that had come along with their soldier parents. And more importantly, she had to make sure they weren’t too scared. Whoever was attacking them, she was sure they didn’t intend to hurt the non-fighters. There was no reason for them to do so, anyway.

So Pinkie hugged a quietly sobbing Hippogriff and gave him a little kiss on the cheek. These poor creatures were still getting used to their new bodies, and now to be thrown into this? It wasn’t fair. He smiled at her though, and Pinkie felt a warmth surge through her heart. “It’ll be over soon, I’m sure,” she quietly said, and all around her nods followed it. They all had faith in Umbra to protect them, and they were all sure that she would come if need demanded.

So Pinkie hopped out of the cart, intending to move on to the next one. Her eyes gazed through the sky and across the ground, trying to pick out how things were going. Winterlight apparently was getting things in hoof, but it was still kind of dicey. Pinkie momentarily considered heading out to do a little fighting herself when it happened.

The sound of rolling thunder clouds came from the east, and her eyes snapped up to it. Pinkie had fantastic vision, almost as good as a pegasus, and it was easy to pick out the unmistakable forms of Thunderlane and Snowflake hauling pitch black clouds toward the bridge at insane speeds. Pinkie felt a little fear race through her and clambered as fast as she could on top of the covered wagons and started waving her hooves frantically in the air.

They were clearly coming to attack the convoy, even if Pinkie had no idea why, so she waved and waved, cupping her hooves around her mouth to yell as loud as she could up at them. “There’s nothing here! Just ponies! Don’t hurt them!” Her words cried out in a plea as the storm cloud raced down low over the bridge and the lightning bolts began to fall. There must have been a half dozen other pegasi striking the clouds to drive the bolts into their forces and smash apart the cider carts.

Closer and closer they came, and Pinkie continued waving frantically. Time seemed to slow down, and a look of wide eyed recognition crossed Thunderlane’s face… and for just a moment, the bolts stopped as they raced overhead. Pinkie felt her heart burst into joy and hope, warmth flooding through her and tears falling down her cheeks, even as the bolts slammed into the next cider carts and continued down the bridge. Whatever was going on, the innocent ponies would be safe, and that was a good thing.

The world exploded in light and sound and colors.

All around her, magical fireworks burst into life like it was the biggest and most violent party in the history of Equestria. A roar of sound from boomer-bombs and light from flashy-flashies would have stunned and blinded a lesser pony. But Pinkie Pie had thrown crazier parties than this, and she simply shook off the light-blindness within moments, wondering what the point of the light display had to be as more fireworks burst into light and pretty sparklies above her head.

If she hadn’t been paying attention, she might have missed it. The unmistakable sound of Scootaloo buzzing along on her scooter and a scattering of galloping hooves charging down the bridge and past her carts. Her eyes followed the figures with wide-eyed shock, with Scootaloo in some kind of armor and accompanied by a scary looking batpony and… “Mrs. Cake!” she blurted out unintentionally and slapped her hooves over her mouth a moment later.

Mrs. Cake didn’t look good at all. There were dark rings under her eyes and her frosting hairdo was a complete mess, relegated to a haphazard ponytail. She wore some kind of makeshift armor instead of the apron she ought to have properly been wearing, and she had been running with a grim purpose until Pinkie spoke. Her head whipped around, and the utter and total lack of joy or happiness in the way she moved drove a steel spike right through Pinkie’s heart.

Pinkie felt the tears coming instantly as Mrs. Cake yelled something to Scootaloo and scrambled up onto the top of the cart along with Pinkie a few moments later: the other two ponies continuing to run down the bridge. Mrs. Cake stalked warily toward Pinkie, her mouth working for a moment before she could speak. “Pinkie… please tell me that’s still you in there. Please tell me they didn’t take you from me too,” Mrs. Cake whispered fervently, her hard eyes softening as she took in all of Pinkie Pie’s pinkness.

Pinkie swallowed, feeling her heart contract at those words. Mrs. Cake had to know about Mr. Cake then, and that had to be why she looked like this. So devoid of the life and joy and happiness she’d had in Ponyville. So lacking in all of the things that had attracted Pinkie Pie to Sugarcube corner in the first place when she’d come to Ponyville. What could she say? What could she do? Mrs. Cake obviously thought the Shadow might have destroyed her… and that it had done the same to her husband.

Pinkie Pie tried to swallow the lump in her throat, and put on her best smile. Mrs. Cake needed her now. “I-I’m still Pinkie Pie as ever, Mrs. Cake,” she piped up, trying her best to stay calm. And then…

Mrs. Cake’s grim demeanour cracked, and she ran across the cart and threw her forelegs around Pinkie Pie, holding her as tightly to her as she ever had before. “Oh thank Celestia. Oh thank you dearest Celestia. You’re okay. We can save you.” Pinkie felt her mouth go dry as Mrs. Cake sobbed into her shoulder for a moment, and gingerly she returned the hug, realizing exactly what Mrs. Cake had been saying there.

Mrs. Cake clearly thought the Shadow was evil, and for the first time Pinkie could not find a reason to disagree with those feelings. After what happened in Ponyville, after what Mrs. Cake had lost… there wasn’t going to be any way to avoid the discussion. How could she tell her what had happened with Carrot Cake? How could she break that tiny sliver of hope she saw in the eyes of one of the ponies she loved most of all?

Mrs. Cake wasn’t going to listen to her, wasn’t going to take in the Shadow willingly. Pinkie would have to force it on her, and though the dark power within her called upon her to do just that… she just couldn’t. “Come on now, Pinkie. We’re going to get you out of here,” Mrs. Cake said in the firm, no nonsense tone she used when it was time to get to serious business. “We know somepony who can help you, Pinkie. Just come with me, please.” The last words came out in a plea, as Mrs. Cake took her hoof and firmly tugged her toward the north end of the bridge. And in that moment, Pinkie Pie felt paralyzed.

What was she going to do?

~~~~~~~

“Get those fucking spears to the north and start pushing back!” Winterlight screamed, grabbing one of the nearby Shadow Guard who had lost his nerve and smashing her hoof into his face. “And you stop panicking! Get on the battle line, you shit!” The dazed pony trundled off to the south, probably going to die, but Winterlight was way past caring at this point. She was trapped on a fucking bridge and that pissed her off.

She felt lucky though, only a relative few of their enemies were in the air, which meant the Shadowbolts could focus entirely on disrupting enemy formations and keeping their lines from breaking. If either of the two defensive lines on the bridge broke down, that would be that. They’d be between a rock and a hard place, and any half competent commander would grind them into dust.

At that point, Winterlight would have been well advised to take anypony she could convince to do so and run to Canterlot. Luna might not be terribly inclined to take her in, but her loyalty to the Nightmare had not once wavered even in these insane times. She would be an invaluable source of intelligence, and whatever might have changed in her Queen, her practicality surely would not have.

But that was a thought for defeat, and defeated she was not. Pinned down, yes. And certainly not in an admirable tactical position, but she had the numbers to grind this out so long as nopony did anything stupid. Her ears twitched as she heard the sound of rumbling stormclouds and she shot her eyes up… to see a mass of pitch black lightning clouds sweeping down towards the bridge, and she felt her blood go cold.

Only experience saved her then. “TAKE COVER!” she screamed, grabbing whoever was right next to her and dragging them down under the cider cart next to her. She did not see what happened next, but the sound of it was unmistakable. A rain of lightning bolts strafed down the bridge, marching like a cavalry charge through her precious cargo. A moment later, a wall of sound and insanely bright lights slammed into her body and eyes, and she snapped them shut before they could completely blind her.

This was their trump play. Shock and awe tactics, intended to break up any semblance of organization they had and cause a breach at one or both ends of the bridge. Undoubtedly, it was also being used as a chance to bust up their cargo and try to deny the Shadow its prize. Had she not been beneath the cider cart at that moment, Winterlight was sure she would either be dead or so disabled she would have been dead very shortly.

The searing light against her eyelids faded away, and she immediately rolled out from under the cart and to her hooves to survey the devastation. All of the cider carts were on fire or otherwise destroyed, and just the swiftest glance told her that her lines were just barely holding on. She needed to get control of the situation, she needed to push in ONE direction. She needed to-

She needed to duck, as a searing blade imbued with some unknown magic went soaring over her head, barely missing her by a fraction of a second. Thought abandoned her and raw combat instinct took over as she pivoted on the spot to face her attacker, when a thrill of warning through her body forced her to pivot and roll around a second and third incoming blow, driving her into a clear space between the carts.

A blur of crimson cloak and orange coat passed her vision and the screeching sound of steel wheels upon stone as the first attacker flanked her. Winterlight’s eyes focused on the second attacker then, and though her body was nearly numb to it at this point, the shock that hit her was so powerful that she damn near fled on the spot. The ancient armor was unmistakable, since once upon a time it had been hers.

The eyes behind the helmet were faintly slanted, and the curious shape of her horn told her this had to be a Ki-Lin. Two faintly curved blades hovered in front of her, held by the magic of the creature who wore the armor of the Nightmare’s Chosen. The blades were more than wickedly sharp. Winterlight was pretty sure she could have shaved herself with them, and the hard look in the Ki-Lin’s eye was one who knew what ‘battle’ truly meant.

Winterlight glanced over her shoulder, and a grim realization set in. The shimmering crimson cloak and the damnable emblem on her shield was unmistakable. She was young for a Knight Commander, but that didn’t mean a damn thing when it came to the Crusading Knights. She would undoubtedly have been the daughter of one of their oldest members, born and raised to combat the way other foals were born and raised to farming or crafts. And given the grim look in her eye, she had a real serious problem with Winterlight.

There was nothing for it, then. This was the true law of the world and battle - kill or be killed. Winterlight snarled and flicked out her sky talons, poising her body and preparing to fight. At long last, she could stop being the reasonable commander. It was time to be the Shadowbolt again and tear some throats out in the name of the Nightmare Queen.

~~~~~

Scootaloo tightened her hooves around the handles of her scooter as her target growled like a cornered timberwolf. “You must be Winterlight,” Scootaloo glowered back at her, her wings slowly flapping as she prepared to pick up speed again. Crescent Blade hadn’t moved an inch, but her eyes were tracking every movement by the black armored pegasus. Scootaloo could feel her nerves a-jangle, but she couldn’t show any fear.

They had a chance to take out what was, as far as she could tell, the Shadow’s most experienced and capable field commander right here and right now. Crescent Blade had been aghast at the risks at first, but quickly had come to agree with Scootaloo. As the pounding song of Zecora’s chant surged through her veins, Scootaloo narrowed her eyes and felt her breath coming in short. The tension was getting to be rather thick.

The black coated pegasus just snarled wordlessly at her, and Scootlaoo shook her head. There wasn’t going to be any sense out of her, which meant all they could do was beat her. For a single moment, all of the world slowed to a crawl as Scootaloo built up speed in her wings, her hoof bracing her against the ground as her scooter wheels strained against the effort. Crescent Blade nodded minutely, and Scootaloo lifted her hoof from the ground.

The world spun by her in a blur as she drew the shining dagger from its sheath and drove it towards Winterlight’s midsection before being forced to veer off as a pair of heavy metal claws strapped to Winterlight’s hooves clawed across her shield in a shriek of metal. Then she was past her as Crescent Blade dove in like a whirlwind of steel, spinning gracefully inside Winterlight’s guard as her blades flashed in an intricate set of motions. Winterlight was fast though - as fast as any pegasus Scootaloo had ever seen - slipping past the initial blows and trying to drive Crescent Blade away with savage slashes of her wicked claws.

As Scootaloo pulled a hard hairpin turn, her eyes followed every movement of the two warriors. Scipio had told her that the most important thing any warrior could do was to study others in the heat of combat… only there, with all restraint removed, did one finally see the true savagery of battle. And he had been right.

Winterlight’s claws slashed out and Crescent Blade danced aside, as light on her hooves as any dancer could have hoped for. Crescent’s swords dipped in and slashed deep, only to be brutally swatted away by Winterlight’s retaliatory blows. It was like looking at two opposites, each in total balance with one another. Savagery and grace alike trading blows, but never finding purchase upon each other.

But Scootaloo was not a part of that balance, and as she took off at speed toward the melee, she gripped her dagger firmly between her teeth and began to shift her weight. Winterlight’s claws lashed out at her as she came into range, but Scootaloo was already ducking beneath the blow as it came, her Scooter sending a shower of sparks at is skidded along the ground, and she slashed her blade up into Winterlight’s guard… and caught her armor, the blow glancing off but leaving a heavy gash in the plate.

Scoots shifted her weight again and the scooter righted itself, but she’d lost a lot of her momentum in the trick… She’d have to swing around to get her speed up again, and that was going to be dangerous in these narrow confines. Fortunately, Crescent blade had capitalized upon her strike and had forced Winterlight onto the defensive, her blades whirling in streaks of glittering metal that shone every time they struck at Winterlight’s claws.

Scootaloo grit her teeth and took off to the far side of the bridge, hauling in a turn to try to build up some momentum and ducking under a desperate blow by Winterlight with a fierce grin crossing her face.There was no doubt that Winterlight was an exceptional fighter, but so was Crescent Blade. Still, they weren’t hurting her and time was of the essence. Go big or go home time, Scoots! “Crescent Blade! Tag out!” she screamed and flung her scooter in toward the fight.

Crescent Blade whirled one more blow and elegantly spun into the air above Winterlight while Scootaloo charged in from behind her. Just as Scootaloo had thought, Winterlight followed Crescent Blade with her eyes… and not Scootaloo. She lashed out with her claws, just as Scootaloo cleared Crescent Blade’s legs. “FOR THE CRUSADE!” Scootaloo screamed as she grabbed hold of the shield on the front of her scooter and poured all of her strength into her wings as she ducked in behind it.

Winterlight was fast, but she wasn’t a snake. She clawed at the air helplessly, her gaze pulling back to Scootaloo just in time to see the steel shield ram right into her stomach at top speed. The scooter came to a crashing halt as it drove the air right out of Winterlight’s lungs and launched Scootaloo over the handlebars. She drew her dagger from it’s sheath in a single fluid motion as she was flung into the air. Scootaloo felt a thrill of energy through her that she had never felt before as the world once again slowed to a crawl.

It was like fire and wind blowing up inside of her as she slashed the blade in toward a gap in Winterlight’s armor. The blade bit in deep and exploded in a shower of golden light that almost blinded her. Winterlight screamed in an impossible pain as Scootaloo watched dark red blood scatter out of the wound. Her sheer momentum took her shoulder right into Winterlight’s chest, smashing her tiny body into the older pony’s hard enough that it set the warrior off balance.

Scootaloo felt the blade dig in deep before releasing the flesh, and she went tumbling through the air toward the ground. She twisted her body with all of the skill years of turning tricks on her scooter could provide and skidded along the ground as she landed, feeling the metallic taste of blood cross her lips. Her movement halted a moment later, and the rush of power through her was… indescribable.

Crescent Blade landed with a supernatural grace upon one hoof and balanced there, her two blades held at the ready and a smile of approval upon her face. The blood dripped off of her dagger and splashed upon the stone, and Scootaloo saw a look of shock and anger in Winterlight’s eyes. At last - at long long last - she had drawn blood from one of those who had taken what she loved. And she found she wanted more than just blood. “Take her, Chosen of the Sun,” Crescent Blade said softly, her voice almost… ethereal. “Cleanse this foul taint, in the Goddess’ name.”

Winterlight’s eyes narrowed, and widened for a moment. Scootaloo shifted the blade in her teeth’s grip and nodded once. Winterlight growled low in her throat and grit her teeth as she posed low. “I have not survived the personal attentions of the Tyrant Sun and the fall of my Queen to be bested even by one such as you, Knight of the Crusade.” Her voice was thick with hate and pain. “Eternal Night is coming, and there is nothing you can do to stop it.”

Scootaloo couldn’t help it - she smirked at the sound of the boast. “Oh yeah? You just watch me,” she smirked around the dagger and flung herself forward into the fray. As if on cue, Crescent Blade dove into the fight at the same moment and the two of them converged upon Winterlight as one. Scootaloo tuck-and-rolled under the first slash and came up with her own dagger to strike at Winterlight’s unprotected foreleg.

She pulled her limb out of the way, only to find a vicious slice from Crescent Blade’s sword leave a razor thin cut along her hoof that instantly began to ooze blood. Winterlight snarled and flung out her claws in a spinning move that sent Crescent Blade into retreat and left a rent in the front of Scootaloo’s armor, driving the wind out of her for a moment. Winterlight pounced toward Scootaloo with a grin of triumph on her face only to see it transform into a scream and a forward tumble over Scootaloo’s head as Crescent Blade unleashed a blast of energy from her horn right into Winterlight’s back, searing through the armor.

Scootaloo took Crescent Blade’s offered hoof and hauled herself up, noting the Ki-Lin was starting to show signs of weariness and exhaustion… but Winterlight had been sprawled out on the stone, panting in pain and scrambling toward her blood soaked hooves. “Together,” Crescent said softly, and Scootaloo grit her teeth around the dagger again, and nodded. They moved as one, charging toward Winterlight to finish the fight when a trio of purple blurs appeared out of nowhere and charged into Crescent Blade’s waiting swords.

In a mere instant, Crescent was driven back and her eyes narrowed in anger as three more of the Shadowbolts struck at her with claws of their own. “Goddess, be with me!” she cried out, and her armor took on an unearthly white glow as her blades flashed rapidly around her, deflecting unrelenting blows and striking back at her attackers. For a moment, Scootaloo hesitated… but Crescent gave her a steely look, her voice like low thunder. “Scootaloo, KILL HER!” she cried out, and Scootaloo did not hesitate a moment more, galloping with all her might at the still incapacitated Winterlight.

She leapt into the air and shifted her grip on the blade, twisting her body so as to put the full weight of the blow behind it and fluttered her wings as hard as she could. The dagger and she soared toward Winterlight’s unprotected back and a surge of triumph coursed through her…

Only to feel a hard impact right in her midsection, nearly driving the blade out of her teeth as she was slammed away from her target by a cyan blue blur of a pegasus. She bounced painfully off the ground, and just barely managed to recover to her hooves to dodge the second blow which came rocketing in toward her head. She twisted around the limb by bare milimeters and flung herself backward from her attacker, trying to gain some distance… but by Celestia she was fast.

Fortunately, she didn’t seem interested in pressing the attack, and only then did Scootaloo see the unmistakable mane and those vibrant and shocked eyes staring at her from behind the mask of the Enemy. Scootaloo felt her heart sink as she tried desperately to catch her breath, with Rainbow Dash now standing between her and the target they had worked so hard to isolate.

“Scootaloo…” Dash whispered disbelievingly, even as two other Shadowbolts were driven off to settle around their temporarily felled commander. A moment later, a panting but angry Crescent Blade advanced, her blades slick with blood. “What… what are you doing here? Why are you trying to kill the Captain? And who the buck is that!?” she exclaimed, pointing her hoof at Crescent Blade, and her eyes darted from the blood slick dagger in Scootaloo’s teeth, her voice turning into horrified panic. “You… You’re the one that’s been hitting our caravans! But… why?”

Scootaloo felt every word like it was a dagger impaling her flesh, but Crescent Blade’s voice snapped her back to sense. “We have lost the advantage, Crusader. We must return to the battle, and seek our victory another day.” Crescent whirled her blades and took a low stance. “Flee quickly. I shall provide you with cover and follow.” Crescent Blade looked absolutely, completely confident in herself and her abilities… and frankly, Scootaloo couldn’t blame her in that moment, exhaustion or no exhaustion.

Scootaloo stared into Dash’s eyes, who stared back at her in mute silence for a long moment. When she spoke next, the words came from the burning fire in her belly that raged at the very thought of her once mentor treating things so lightly. Did she not realize what was going on? Was she that fucking ignorant? “You took my friends from me, Dash. You enslaved all of Ponyville. Your Shadow killed Mister Cake. Did you think I was going to let that go?” Scootaloo’s voice was bitter and hard as she spoke, then in a single coiled movement sprinted over to her crashed scooter and snapped it up as fast as she could. “Don’t you dare die on me, Crescent! This is just the beginning!” She shoved off from the ground and tried desperately to pick up speed…

“KILL HER! FORGET THE KI-LIN AND KILL THAT FILLY!” Winterlight’s voice screeched through the air as she grabbed onto Rainbow Dash’s shoulders, and the two other Shadowbolts vanished into midair only to reappear in Scootaloo’s path. Scoots ducked under the first blow, but the second sent her scooter careening into the bridge barrier as it glanced off her shield. The metal of the shield and scooter scraped and screeched against the wall, the front wheel snapping off with the force of the impact.

Scootaloo grabbed the shield in front and tumbled over the handlebars, barely missing the incoming blows and galloping off as fast as her hooves could carry her. “What?! NO! CAPTURE HER! DONT HURT HER!” Dash’s voice screamed out above Winterlights, and behind Scootaloo the sounds of a physical scuffle broke out, soon followed by the sound of steel upon steel. Scootaloo had lost track of which way she was running, but she ran as hard as she could none the less.

Ahead of her though, a mass of Shadow Soldiers were waiting for her as the Shadowbolts bit at her heels. She gritted her teeth and ran as hard and fast as she could… all she could do was dodge, weave, and pray...

Chapter 18 - Sun and Shadow

~~~~~The Ki-Lin Kingdoms, War Camp of Amaterasu~~~~~

“Thank you, Wind Blossom,” Celestia said in her kindest voice, and the rather cute Ki-Lin filly blushed a brilliant red before scampering out of the tent. It had been difficult, but she had at long last brought an end to the bowing and scraping… only it had been replaced by a different kind of awe and worship.

She wanted to sigh and smack her forehead against the desk, but the last time she’d done that, all of her attendants had burst into tears at the thought of having done something wrong. These ponies had an infuriating habit to place the blame upon themselves for everything regarding her. It was a refreshing change from the blame-deflecting Canterlot nobles, but it was also maddening when she needed to vent some frustration.

So instead she just rubbed at her temple and contemplated asking that nice minotaur Rock Fist for a massage again. His moniker was apparently quite the misnomer - the bull had remarkably gentle hands for a minotaur. But no, he was probably on guard duty again, and the bull also had a remarkably powerful sense of duty to his… what had the word Whisper used been? Daimyo? She really needed to get a hoof on the language of these ponies.

The last few weeks since Luna’s departure had been… well, not unlike the weeks had been before her return. Interminable paperwork, dealing with stubborn ponies, political wheeling and dealing, and a distinct lack of somepony with a shoulder she could cry on. It was distressing, but at least it was a familiar kind of distressing, even if her new attendants were… well, perhaps sensitive was the wrong word. Very enthusiastic, yes, that was the ticket.

Fortunately, she was not completely lacking sanity amongst those who served her. “Sheesh, are all of these ponies completely nuts?” remarked the deep, snarky voice of Moon Dancer as she slipped in past the tent flaps. “By the Moon, I swear they’re worse than foals during Nightmare Night!” Moon Dancer was the sole source of familiarity that Celestia had at her disposal, and even if she couldn’t precisely cry on her shoulder, she was an invaluable anchor.

“Different culture and an isolationist attitude is the cause of that, I fear,” Celestia sighed softly, rubbing again at her temple. “I should have enlightened myself sooner, but I never had a reason. They had always been peaceful, non-interventionist, and remained firmly distanced from Equestrian affairs. I had other things to do than worry about such a nation, so I remained firmly out of their affairs as well.” She smiled wryly. “Of course, I fear that now I shall be unable to keep them out of our affairs, proving the maxim that no good deed ever goes unpunished.”

“Horesapples, Princess,” Dancer snorted softly before trotting over to the other side of the tent to snatch up a clipboard. “It just proves that stupid is the one thing all creatures have a share of. Arright, good news - that was the last of them for the day.” She flicked up the papers with her wingtip, eyeballing them dubiously. “Bad news, the Empress wants to spend dinner with ya, and I don’t think she’s going to take no for an answer.”

Celestia could not help it - she felt her heart lighten a little and turned a smile upon the snarky batpony. “That’s not bad news at all,” she piped up, doing a little hop-step in place before settling down under Dancer’s wry gaze. Celestia felt a grin tug at her lips and pranced over to her bed and did a little hop into her hoof-boots. “Oh, don’t give me that look. She’s a fascinating conversationalist and the only other pony here who doesn’t get nervous around me.” Celestia flicked her tail at Dancer and chuckled richly.

Dancer just rolled her eyes. “Yeah, yeah, whatever. Guess I’ll go scare some of the colts in the mess tent who think I drink blood.” Dancer tossed the clipboard back onto the camp desk with a clatter of wood and snatched up her odd looking saddlebags… odd because they didn’t have her cutie mark on them, but a pure white crescent moon, and they were kind of curvy in their bag design. “Don’t do anything you’ll regret in the morning, Princess.” She waved with that parting comment and slipped out of the tent.

Celestia bit at her lip for a moment to keep from playing that game with Dancer - a game she well knew she had no chance of winning. Wherever the batpony had learned how to be sarcastic, she’d apparently learned from the zen master of the art. So instead, she focused on the positives of another night spent with Whisper, not the least of which was a chance to finally relax a little. Good tea, tasty noodles, and probably a conversation about magic esoterica.

It would almost be like having Twilight back.

Even now, the thought thundered through her like a violent storm, and even now it took a moment of supreme willpower not to let it break her. But she would not give in to the sorrow, or to pain or fear. She had to believe that it was possible to save Twilight, that with the magic of unicorn and Ki-Lin and alicorn working together, a way could be found to cleanse the taint. Luna would buy them the time, and she needed only to ensure things went smoothly enough here that she could spend that time preparing.

Star Swirl had seemed to have a plan, and of all the unicorns in the world she would have entrusted this task, he would have topped every list she could have produced. He had never failed her before, and he would not do so now. So she cast away the dreary thoughts - they would not help her, and they would not make her army move any more swiftly. A touch of magic grasped the richly colored golden yellow cloak by the door and cast it over her shoulders before brushing past the tent flaps.

Her camp of war was one of contradictions. It was already growing to a size far beyond her original anticipations, and yet it never seemed once out of its absurdly regimented order. It was possible, at a glance, to pick out every individual unit and which warlord they served simply by observing the pattern of their camps and the color of their tents. Useful, if not a bit unnerving after a millenium of a single unified standing army. She would need to change things in these lands, when all had been said and done. These ponies were even more leashed to the old ways than the old tribes had been, and that she would not abide.

She swept through the camp, passing any number of other mess tents and campside cookpots. Not a single pony amongst them failed to bow their heads in respect, but it was a damn sight better than seeing them prostrate themselves every time she so much as glanced in their direction. They respected her as much as they now worshipped her, and that would be a good thing for the future, even if the worship still set her teeth on edge.

There was no stopping it though. Not yet. It will take centuries to break that habit, I fear. She sighed heavily but brightened a moment later as her steps took her to the Empress’ pavillion. It wasn’t so much a tent as it was a series of them connected by stiff cloth hallways and guarded by grim masked stallions. Not that there was anypony here who would contemplate harming her… not with Celestia around anyway.

The guards did not even challenge her, given that there wasn’t a single pony in camp who could apparently replace her presence. Even now, she was only just beginning to understand how these Ki-Lin could see past the flesh and into the spirit, a power that frankly baffled her until she had realized it was simply an extension of their natural magic. That she could master that skill was something she was certain of, but she was equally certain it would take quite some time to draw out the latent powers.

Within the tents, a little den of luxury awaited her. Only the Empress and her chosen attendants were allowed within, and the Empress had been very picky about who was going to be allowed near her as they marched toward Canterlot. Another month to the Equestrian border. Another week, at least, until we reach Canterlot. Early winter, if we’re lucky. And if we are not… If they were not, winter would come sooner, and they would likely be trapped on the Ki-Lin coast, waiting for the waters between them and Equestria to thaw to safety.

She could not even order the Cloudsdale Weather Seers to alter their course and ensure good weather for her. They had only once, in all of their history, altered their weather plans and patterns to suit the needs of a monarch. That had been a time of extraordinary need, of course… when Nightmare Moon’s armies had threatened to crush them all. Things were not that desperate in Equestria. Not yet. And so they would not move no matter how she entreated them. The weather would go on as it was meant to go on, and that was the end of it.

Fortunately, she had something to take her mind off the stresses of a moving army. “Ah, thank you for joining me, Princess,” Jade Whisper said with a slow smile, curled up on a bright red silk pillow and wearing none of her usual robes or symbols of office. It had taken every ounce of her considerable diplomatic ability, but Celestia thanked Faust that Whisper had finally conceded to calling her ‘Princess’ as opposed to ‘Goddess’. That it had taken a considerable amount of logic to bring her around to the idea that she ruled over the Sun, and thus was a monarch in her own right, was merely beside the point.

“I always enjoy taking my meals with you, Whisper,” Celestia returned smoothly. It had been Whisper’s demand that if she was to call Celestia ‘Princess’, then Celestia would treat her with no overbearing respect. Celestia was the superior here, and the Empress had wanted that painfully clear to anypony who dared to listen to them, which was why she was always unadorned during their meetings. “Even though I am certain Moon Dancer will miss my company. She is something of a fish out of water here.” Celestia winced a little at the thought of the brash batpony doing everything in her power to cause a ruckus in camp. A fun ruckus, usually, but a ruckus nonetheless.

Whispered tilted her head and gave off a low and rolling chuckle. “She is Tsukiyomi’s child, Princess. We do not begrudge her nature as a trickster and an upsetter of order. She can be no other way, just as her spiritual mother cannot be any other way.” Celestia couldn’t help it. She had to laugh at that rather succinct description of Luna’s basic personality. It was so very perfect, she wondered how the Ki-Lin had come to the conclusion of it.

In fact, she often wondered how they seemed to know so much about her and Luna but knew so very little about Equestria. Every time she’d tried to nail down the subject, the Empress had simply said it was not yet time to discuss it. Celestia, unwilling to risk her budding friendship with the pony, had conceded the point and moved on. But still she wondered and wished she could see as easily within Whisper’s spirit as her counterpart could see within hers.

Just like now. “Your heart is still so very troubled, Princess,” Whisper said in her gentlest voice, uncoiling from her pillow and walking with a liquid grace across the short distance between them to take up her hoof. “Come, lay down. Tea, a soothing meal, and company are the best cures for that which we can do little else about.” Celestia allowed herself to be tugged across the room, where Whisper fussed at her until she had taken a seat upon a soft pillow and discarded her hoof boots to one side.

Whisper clapped her forehooves together firmly, and in a brief swarm of activity she found herself facing a dainty, but steaming cup of a fragrant green tea and a plate of delicately prepared cucumber slices and broccoli florets, with a sharp smelling sauce in an equally dainty ramekin. Within moments, the rush of incredibly efficient servants was both in and out before Celestia could identify a single one amongst them. In a moment of rare humor, Celestia truly wished to get as many of these servants in the company of her own staff at Canterlot Castle. She had a feeling the competition between them would be both fierce and incredibly amusing to watch, especially on the subject of tea.

She could just imagine Mistress Tea Garden frowning mightily at the mild teas the Ki-Lin favored and harrumphing about all this fussing about with lemon wheels and sweetened ginger root. A good stout mug of Equestrian black breakfast tea, that was the ticket for all of the world’s ills. Maybe a sugar cube, if one was feeling a little childish that day, as Tea Garden herself often did. None of these delicate, subtle green teas gussying up her tea service, no ma’am. Not much more to them than colored water!

The very thought made Celestia smile, even as she lifted the cup and enjoyed a sip of the stuff. Subtle or not, it was still very delicious, if in a vastly different way than the tea she was used to. Alas, it was not nearly as stimulating as the stuff back home, but she supposed she could do with a break from it. “Ah… there, see?” Whisper said in a subtly amused voice, even as Celestia lifted and bit through a crisp bit of broccoli, the bitterness of the vegetable contrasting nicely with the tea. “Much better. You really do over-stress yourself, Princess.”

Celestia felt her smile twist a bit wryly, as she honestly couldn’t disagree with Whisper’s assessment. “Now stay still,” Whisper commanded gently, and she felt gentle hooves pressing into her back and working the tense muscles there. “I swear, I would not have thought a goddess to have so many issues remaining relaxed,” Whisper gently muttered under her breath, her words clearly not meant to be heard as she began a remarkably excellent massage.

But she just couldn’t keep the leash on her tongue, even though she probably should have. “It is difficult to remain relaxed when there is somepony you care for in dire danger,” Celestia whispered softly, her head bowing a little as she set down the teacup. For only a moment, Whisper’s hooves stopped… then continued, working their way up to Celestia’s shoulder blades and slowly pushing the tension out of them.

Whisper didn’t speak for a time, but it wasn’t difficult to tell she was thinking about what to say. “She is like a daughter to you, isn’t she?” Whisper asked softly, even as she positioned herself much closer to Celestia’s body. Celestia winced a little away from that, trying not to think too hard about exactly how she did feel about Twilight, but….. “Tsk, no then. Something more. Something…” Another pause of the hooves, and Celestia felt her head being turned toward Whisper, a look of quiet amazement on her face. “Oh, Amaterasu,” she said hesitantly, her voice instantly softening into a gentle declaration. “You love her.”

Jade Whisper’s almost scintillating green eyes gazed into hers, and a look of gentle care and pity crossed her face. “I… No! She is my student, and I am deeply concerned with all of the terrible things that have happened to her and what she may have… done...” Her words trailed away, replaced with an elemental horror that she could not shake off. “I… No. She is dear to me, I do not deny that, but…” She kept stammering out, grasping for something, anything to shake off that twisting in her gut that just kept getting worse. “I… Whisper, she is-” Finally, a hoof cut off her words and a gentle hoof squeezed her shoulder. Whisper shook her head slowly, her eyes far too wise for Celestia’s taste in that moment.

But what could she say? Every day that had passed she’d spent a thousand moments trying to find something she could do. Three millennia of knowledge, of carefully collated research and the finest minds ponykind could offer and… Nothing. In truth, there was only one spell that came to mind, and only one method she could be certain would work. There was just one… small problem. She couldn’t do it. She simply could not go through… that again. Nevermind what it would do to poor Twilight. That was even worse.

She hadn’t even noticed the tears until a soft silken cloth blotted them away. “The world is a thing of balance,” Whisper said softly, gently blotting away the tears with the silk and speaking in an almost too-distant voice. “We are given nothing without paying some price for it. That is a lesson every Empress has had to learn, yet for a Goddess it is even more true.” Whisper gently tilted Celestia’s head toward her, and she wore a sad but gentle smile. “I know your heart aches for her, Princess. I do not even need to wield my skill as a Ki-Lin to see it.”

Whisper's hoof came up, and surprisingly, they lifted the slim golden crown from Celestia’s head. “You need to take this off, I think.” Whisper spoke in a firm tone, setting the jeweled circlet to one side. “I think it has been far, far too long since you were simply yourself, and not the Goddess of the Sun. Come.” She turned and gracefully sat down upon her cushions, gently patting next to her. “For one night, we shall dispense with the titles. Lay down your load, Celestia. It will keep for a night.”

Celestia stared at Whisper for a moment in shock, wondering what it must have taken for the Empress to take such a step with her… but she had to admit, the offer was more than a little enticing. She slipped out of the gold hoof boots and discarded the golden torque from around her neck. “Yes. I suppose it will," she found herself saying… almost casually. “Ruler to ruler, then?” she said softly, and Whisper nodded in an almost comically solemn manner. Celestia cracked a strained smile as she settled down on the cushion next to Whisper. “Yes, I suppose I do love her.” The words came out in a rush, and almost too softly….

Whisper bopped her shoulder. “T’ch. Suppose nothing.” Her tone was severe, almost scolding as she poked Celestia’s shoulder. “I may be young, Celestia. But I have seen my share of ponies pining over an impossible love or two.” She snorted in a very unladylike manner, the first time Celestia had seen her drop the dignified reserve. “Our culture is sometimes quite maddening, I tell you. We have a fetish, you see, for tragic tales.” She waved her hoof airily, the look on her face quite astonishingly cynical. “The stoic soldier, or maiden, or even Gods and Goddesses. All of them facing some terrible loss or fate, and all of them standing proud and carrying out their duties no matter the cost to themselves. Pfeh.”

Whisper almost spat, and sighed, rubbing her head. “Many of my ponies already see you in such a light. The seemingly untouchable Goddess, her heart rent asunder by the loss of one she obviously cares so deeply for. The pain digging deep into her soul and unearthing the unstoppable force of nature within to-” Whisper stopped mid word as Celestia felt the pain continue to roil in her stomach, and smacked her forehead. “Oh, I am such an idiot…”

Celestia paused for a moment, contemplating agreeing with that sentiment before… “No. I cannot hold you accountable for the perceptions of others.” Celestia felt a small, brave smile cross her face. It had hardly been the first time mortal ponies had looked upon her like that. Even her own Equestrians still occasionally saw her in such a light. She gazed up for a moment into the warmly colored silk of the tent ceiling. “They are not wrong, though. I am so very torn, Whisper. Between my duty to Equestria, and my love for my student. That this is the second time such a plight has been forced upon me…”

Celestia lowered her head and took deep, slow breaths. She could not break. She would not break. Whisper, bless her, simply nodded and levitated a platter of their snack over to where they lay. She did not speak, and Celestia was glad for it. “Now I face the same grim task I once faced with Nightmare Moon. A beloved pony, a dark shadow, it is almost-”

Celestia froze, and felt her vision narrow and her blood go cold. No. It could not be.

Whisper spoke the words she was thinking. “Too coincidental.” Her voice was all too soft, all too understanding. “Yes. The wheels of Fate often seem that way when one has not thought to look upon them. So tell me, Celestia… what Fate did you defy?” Whisper’s words were gentle, and she touched Celestia’s shoulder.

Celestia could not feel emotions, nor physical sensation beyond the dull recognition of a touch. “It was the last night I saw Star Swirl before he vanished.” Her voice was hollow, dead inside as she recalled that dark night. Canterlot invested by a terrible downpour, made necessary by an accident with the weather plan. “He came to me in the night, with Clover by his side. He was wrapped in a grim silence, like I had never seen him in before.”

Celestia felt her body begin to shiver without control, but it was all so much noise to her. “He told me that one day soon, I would have to make a choice… between taking the life of somepony I loved beyond all measure, or letting the world fall into darkness.” She swallowed heavily, feeling a grip around her heart like the icy wastes created by the Windigos. “He told me I would need to be strong when that day came, and then he left. I would not see him again until…” She sucked in a deep breath, trying to remember the world around her.

Then the tears came, unbidden. “I forgot about his prophecy. I forgot about him entirely beyond only the vaguest details and sorrow for his passing… His spell.” The rationale came to her instantly. “Memento Mortus. Death of memories. Of course I forgot… and then… Nightmare Moon came, and I recalled his dark words.” Celestia could feel Whisper holding her shoulders, shaking her and speaking in a tone that seemed all too far away.

Her words whispered into the air in desperation as hot tears seared her coat. “I did everything I could think of. I used every weapon at my disposal, save for one, hoping that I could save her. I gathered those ponies closest to me… and I took up the Elements of Harmony for the first time in a thousand years.” She clutched her hooves around her chest, feeling the sobs wrack her chest. “I was desperate. I begged the power of the Elements to aid me. I called upon every ounce of my strength. I cornered her army and forced her to confront me… and I banished her.”

Celestia squeezed her eyes shut, wondering why she was recounting the tale.Because you cannot admit what all of these damn coincidences mean… “In exchange for all of the pain and suffering I had brought upon myself, I had bought myself time. But I knew that I alone wielding the elements could never purify the darkness in her soul. The elements would need individual bearers. So I formed the perfect plan - to bring six perfect ponies to a single place, to show them where I had hidden the Elements, and lure Nightmare Moon into confrontation with them.”

Celestia felt all of the tension drain out of her, voice pitched low. “I spent centuries cultivating specific bloodlines. I had an entire town founded on the edge of the forest to ensure they would be in the right place. But I could not have imagined the results.” Even now, she could still see the little purple filly, wreathed in boundless magic striking out all around her. Even now, she could feel the awe that sight had brought upon her as centuries of waiting had been made flesh.

She had been beautiful, even as a little one and had only grown moreso as she grew into her knowledge and power. Little by little, she had grown to mean more than a mere piece in her game to save Luna. She had become as close as family to Celestia… and indeed, in a sense she had become sort of like family when her brother had married Cadence. Yet every time the thought crossed Celestia’s mind to make them more, she had crushed it ruthlessly, believing such a love to be….

Impossible.

Whisper spoke then, her voice soft and cutting through the darkness that threatened to envelop her soul. “But even then, it worked. You thought you had conquered fate and saved your sister. Your power had been too great, even for prophecy.” Her hoof reached out and squeezed Celestia’s. “But Fate is not so easily cheated of its price. And now, the Darkness threatens the world again.” Her words were not a condemnation… they were soft with understanding, even pity.

And were the words true, it meant she had to choose between destroying her most faithful student and casting the world into the fangs of the Shadow. For just a moment, she teetered on the edge of despair and madness… until she felt a warmth envelop her shoulders and slowly begin to seep into her body. “I… Whisper?” she spoke in confusion, turning her head to find the soulful green eyes of the Jade Empress so very close to hers.

“I cannot be your student, Celestia,” Whisper said in a soft, sad voice. “But I can at least drive off the chill in your heart.” Celestia could hear the pain in that voice… see the hopelessness in her eyes. She was not naive. Putting such obvious pieces together was easy, even for her.

“But...” Celestia began softly, as she felt the warmth of Whisper’s body seep into hers. “I suppose I am not the only one living a tragic tale right now, am I?” Perhaps it was the pain. Or perhaps it was the shock of those old memories, so sharp and so grievous. Perhaps she was simply lonely. Or perhaps there was no logical explanation.

Celestia leaned in and pressed her lips to Whisper's own, silencing any denials or disclaimers. She lit the magic into her horn and snuffed all but a single candle that glimmered on the table next to them. The Empress at first tried to pull away, and when Celestia grew more insistent, she threw herself into the act. Heat and warmth passed between them, each bringing a little more solace to the other.

Celestia’s hooves brushed across the Ki-Lin’s shoulders and pulled her in closer to her, gently twining their tongues together in a soft, heated silence, punctuated only by the occasional soft gasp for air. It had been so very long since Celestia had dared share intimacy with another… and yet here she was, gently urging the young empress to greater daring with a soft nibble of her lip. She felt a tingle down between her nethers, her cheeks flushing to a near cherry red.

Whisper smiled around the kiss, and her horn lit with a silvery-white glow, pulling away from the kiss to stroke her hooves down Celestia’s cheeks. “Do not tease me so, Amaterasu," she half whispered, the burning heat of simple desire coming off of her like waves so obvious even Celestia could see them. “It was but a filly’s dream, after all.” She moved to turn away, raising her horn up and brightening the light.

Celestia wasn’t going to let her get away that easily, though. She gently pressed her hooves into Whisper’s shoulders and spun her about, the empress’ eyes going wide with surprise. “Dreams may be my sister’s realm, but I see no good reason why I cannot make at least one dream come true.” After all. The long night stretched before her again… and before she could face the darkness within, she needed something to stoke her fire.

So she kissed Whisper again, and pulled her in close. It was going to be a long night.

~~~~~Ghastly Gorge, the next morning~~~~~

Winterlight didn’t bother to show emotion beyond passive detachment in the face of two mares who were probably deciding how to kill her. Instead, she took pleasure and comfort in her slow pulls of tobacco smoke, exhaling the smoke without show or drama. After everything that had happened, she was reasonably certain she’d have enough time to run if need demanded that she do so. But facts were facts, and neither of them had taken her report of the battle's aftermath too well up to this point.

So she blew out another lungful of smoke and decided she might as well bring her report to an end. “We did a casualty check, and hunkered down on the south end of th’ bridge, which brings us to now.” She pulled the pipestem out from between her lips and jabbed it toward the stoic looking Umbra. “In my private opinion? I pulled off a fuckin’ miracle. I got ambushed by three top-flight forces, the most powerful unicorn mage my Bolts have ever seen, and a moon-damned Caesar; and I still kept the majority of my forces intact.” She chomped down on the stem of the pipe and puffed furiously at it.

Umbra in all of her intimidating physique and frightening intelligence, lifted a hoof seemingly without thinking and placed it on Twilight’s shoulder just as the purple filly began to speak. “You are correct, Captain. There were far greater forces at work here than we had realized, and you did well given the limited knowledge at your disposal.” She tilted her head toward Twilight, and her eyes narrowed in a creepy sort of way. “We shall speak with our daughter about our future plans and come speak to you of the same when they have been formed..”

Winterlight blinked a little at that one, and a moment later both Twilight and Umbra were gone, and she exhaled heavily. “Fuck me,” she muttered, leaning back against the padded crate she’d ad-hoc’d into a chair. “This is getting dangerous.” It was a statement of obvious fact, but even Winterlight knew that there came a time when the risks involved with a particular course of action began to outweigh the benefits.

The problem was she’d only have the barest warning of when things had indeed crossed that line, and the barest amount of time to move to keep herself alive in spite of it. She needed a way out, a backup plan just in case things went hooves up. Fortunately, she knew just the pegasus for that kind of plan. She even owed Winterlight a favor after doing something particularly stupid today.

~~~~~~

Twilight wondered for a moment why Mother had pulled her away, but she was not left wondering for long. “My child… my beloved. We must accelerate your original plan immediately.” Umbra’s voice was thick with concern and anger, a tone Twilight had not once heard out of her before. “By the Creator, we have been fortunate that they have elected not to confront us directly yet.” Umbra collapsed to the ground next to where they’d set up their travelling tent and subconciously rubbed at her temples. “That damnable wizard and that stupid deer… Two thousand years in hiding, and they haunt me still!” She slammed her hoof into the ground and growled in an almost animalistic fashion.

Twilight herself was still having a hard time mentally accepting the story Winterlight had told them, but nothing in the Shadow that still burned brightly in Winterlight’s soul spoke of falsehoods or lies. There really had been a unicorn wizard here capable of casting the Ice Wave spell. There really had been an entire corps of elite griffon soldiers right in the heart of Equestria, and worst of all there really was some kind of ‘resistance’ to her work that had taken refuge in White Tail Woods… and all of them, or nearly so, were once residents of Ponyville who had escaped her first wave.

Rainbow Dash had been nearly beside herself when discussing how she’d seen Scootaloo slashing through their troops with a grim purpose. Of the words she had said, and more importantly the things she had not said. Somepony - Twilight was not certain who, but she had her suspicions - was turning the world against them with any number of bald-faced lies. And worst of all, Pinkie Pie had gone missing.

Given who was missing in Ponyville, there wasn’t much question as to why she’d gone. Even now, Twilight could feel the little ball of desire and energy bouncing away from her at a fair speed, the emotions roiling out of her having nothing to do with laughter or joy. “Why, mother?” she asked quietly, turning her attention back to the things she could deal with right now. If Pinkie needed time alone, Twilight wasn’t going to begrudge her that.

Umbra sighed softly, lifting her head and regarding Twilight with a level gaze. “There are few beings indeed that can be said to have successfully opposed me over the years, daughter. But only two have ever struck fear into my heart.” She stood slowly and gestured Twilight to follow her, walking away from the tent and into the dim light of predawn. “The first was the daughter of the creature who first imprisoned me. Most in this age know her as the White Doe, though she has had many, many other names down through the millenia.”

Umbra sighed deeply, bowing her head as Twilight moved quickly up to her side, hoping her physical presence and a soft nuzzle of her cheek would improve Mother’s mood. Blessedly, Umbra smiled a moment later, gently nuzzling her cheek against Twilight’s. “Thank you, dear one. She has been the thorn in my side since time immemorial, and every time I have returned to bring the world to peace, she has stood in my way.” Umbra sighed dramatically, now walking slower so that Twilight could keep up with her unusually long stride.

Then Umbra’s face grew more distant. “But she was always a known quantity. The Deerfolk have always opposed my reign, and I have always formed my plans in preparation for them. But then… then he appeared.” She shook her head, her shadowy-mane whipping in a nonexistant wind, and Twilight focused her attentions on Mother's words. Surely, she would need to be at her finest to deal with the problems to come.

But Mother's gaze turned dark, and her eyes narrowed. “Never before had I met one such as he. He wasn’t merely academically brilliant, he was as canny as any creature I had ever encountered. He had no desire to touch my power, nor to use it, no matter what offers I tendered to him. He was utterly uninterested.” And judging by the tone of voice Mother had taken, she had been extremely annoyed at that. Actually, probably more than annoyed. There was almost an admiration there.

Mother shook her head slowly. “I knew of the pony tribes, of course, yet he seemed to think they could yet be convinced to set aside their ancient grudges and unite with one another. I thought him naive, foolish… and I was wrong.” She stopped mid step and exhaled a breath. “I confess, my daughter, he outplayed me in a game I had long believed I had no peer in. I let my desire to be free overwhelm my good sense, and in return he cornered me in that dratted forest.”

Twilight shook her head slowly, opening her mouth to speak… and shutting it at the raised hoof of her mother for silence. “No names. Though I will have to prepare you for him, I will not having your remarkable mind diving through the historical records for information about him.” Umbra bent a stern eye upon her, but there was a little twinkle of good humor there… mother knew her all too well. “Regardless, if he has somehow survived the centuries then he undoubtedly has been waiting for my return.”

Twilight only needed to nod once. “Which means our time-schedule has become compromised.” Twilight sighed deeply at the thought of that, shaking her head slowly. “We’ll have to use our alternate plan then.” A cold feeling of purpose slowly settled over her soul, and Twilight drew in a deep breath. “How soon can we leave?” she quietly asked, turning her gaze to Umbra and uncertain of how she felt about this next action. On the one hoof, it would mean finally dealing with a problem that sorely deserved her wrath. On the other, what she was about to do to them…

Umbra’s warmth flooded through her veins, and she could feel the gentle pressure of Mother’s body pressing against hers warmly. “You are doing the right thing, my beloved,” Umbra whispered softly, a deft tendril of shadow energy stroking her cheek. “They must be brought to heel, and their numbers will give us the strength we need to crush all of our other foes.”

The soft stroking became something more intimate, and Twilight turned her head to accept the soft kiss from Mother, the gentle feel of the Shadow settling upon her sending a surge of sexual pleasure through her veins. Within the blackness of Umbra, Twilight felt the fears of her heart ease and the pain ebb away. Mother was right. The time had come to bring an end to that threat, once and for all. Umbra’s voice was gentle as the darkness overtook them both, shrouding them from sight.

“We leave tomorrow for the Hive…. My Beloved.”

Author's Note

Okay, since my editor is unavailable and I'm tired of making you guys wait, here's the next chapter. Just forgive its roughness, given that my editor hasn't gotten to fix it up yet. (If you want to see its fixed version, I'll make a note in the next chapter when it is.)

As a teaser notice, on New Years Eve, I will be posting The Twilight Diaries which will feature sexual or more lighthearted scenes which do not otherwise add to the plot of this story, but are still narratively / sexually interesting. The first scenes to be featured will be the ones we're "fading to black" in in this chapter, and will be sporadically updated with new ones whenever the hell I feel like making them, but will include Life in Ponyville under the Shadow, goings on in the Crusader's Camp, And some other fun stuff, too. So keep your eyes open.

Chapter 19 - Laughter is the Best Medicine

~~~~~The Outskirts of White Tail Woods~~~~~

A cold, misty fog roiled around two figures standing in a glistening green field, some two hundred yards away from the treeline of the White Tail Wood. A little pink earth pony, and a tall and regal white deerfolk. At least, that was how Pinkie Pie might’ve described it to somepony else. It hadn’t taken her too long to get to the place, but she knew they’d been watching her for miles and miles since she left the road.

It had been then that the Doe had appeared, and for the first time, the Shadow power within her had done something other than accent her desire. It had recoiled from the very presence of the white deerfolk and tried desperately to urge Pinkie Pie to flee the area as fast as her hoovsies could carry her. But she couldn’t run away from this one, nosireebob. She had a responsibility to Mrs. Cake and to herself to face the party music, so to speak.

She’d spent the last half hour since she arrived explaining the events of the past few months to her, and it had felt an awful lot like that time she’d had to make that report on proper kitchen sanitation. It was really hard to make cleaning up icky stuff sound like fun, so she’d ended up a lot like right now. Stammering, blushing, and feeling suuuuper awkward. “Um… and well...” Pinkie Pie ducked her head, wondering how this white female deerfolk made her feel like she was back in school in front of her teacher, Mrs. Brighteyes. Even Celestia didn’t make her feel like that. “Um… that’s kind of how it all happened, at least with me.”

The white doe had told her Mrs. Cake wasn’t going to be allowed to come until she’d explained herself, so… so she had. Even now, she couldn’t see what all the big fuss was about. What was wrong with everypony having a good time? “I… I don’t know what happened with a lot of the other girls, or what else Mist-” Pinkie stumbled over the word, remembering how angry the white doe had looked when she’d said it the first time. “Um... Twilight. I don’t know what else she might have been doing. I just… I just kinda went along. All of us were together, and we were gonna make sure the meanies couldn’t come and hurt Equestria, and…”

Pinkie trailed off, tucking her hooves around her middle and feeling awful miserable all of a sudden. “I didn’t mean to hurt Mr. Cake,” she said in a quiet, soft voice; not daring to look at the doe, just knowing she was going to be giving her that angry look. “I just wanted to have some fun. He was always super nice to me… and I wanted to…” She sniffled a little and looked up only to find the Doe’s hard gaze softened just a little. “Are the twins okay? I mean… I know you said you couldn’t tell me anything yet but… I just wanted to know if they’re okay.” She did her best to imbue her words with a certain amount of desperation. Of all the things she’d worried about since what happened in Ponyville, it had been the ultimate fate of the Cake twins that had worried her most of all.

Silence stretched between them for a few long moments until the Doe spoke in her gentle yet still stern voice. “Yes. They are in good health and much fussed over by those in the camp.” Pinkie felt relief flood through her, and some of the tension eased out of her body. That was good. Mrs. Cake and her foals were safe, and that was good. There was silence again, but Pinkie felt some of her energy rejuvenate at the good news. Now if she could just figure out why everypony was so angry or scared… “You… really don’t know what’s wrong here, do you?” the doe asked in a tone of astonishment, her eyes wide, as though she had just come to a revelation. “You’re… you just think this is all a bigger party.” That was a statement, not a question, but Pinkie knew that sometimes statements were questions, and you needed to answer them.

“Well… yeah!” That was an easy enough thing to know. “I mean, there’s nothing wrong with sex! Someponies get so hung up about it sometimes, but sex is a good thing! It’s fun and it's creamy, and it makes everypony happy and want to cuddle and stuff.” That was, like, basic rules of life one-oh-one to Pinkie Pie. What on earth had happened to this doe that she didn’t know that? “I mean, okay, sure it's a little weird that some of what Twi does is a little overly kinky. But I had my first time when I just barely had my cutie mark, and I got really-really into the crazy stuff pretty soon after that!” She huffed out a breath and stomped her hoof, wondering why this was getting her so… frustrated.

But the doe just shook her head slowly. “Creator preserve me, you really do not see it, and it has nothing to do with Umbra.” The doe’s voice was gentle, almost infinite in its sadness. “Such innocence. I didn’t think its like still existed…” She wasn’t so much talking to Pinkie right now as she was to herself, but Pinkie could understand. Sometimes ya just needed to talk to yourself about the important stuff. There was nopony else who knew you like you did, after all. Or maybe it was nodeer for her. Nodoe? She really needed to figure these things out sooner.

But the Doe didn’t appear to have noticed her temporary befuddlement, or if she had she wasn’t showing it. “I think…” She paused and turned her head over her shoulder. Pinkie blinked at that odd motion until she got her act back together enough to notice who’d come. “I told you to stay in camp, little pony.” The doe said in a cold voice and instantly Pinkie felt a surge of anger as Mrs. Cake, still looking very not-so-good strode out of the fog. The last thing in the world anypony who gave a buck should be doing to Mrs. Cake right now was chastising her!

Fortunately, Mrs. Cake didn’t need defending. “With all due respect, your grace. Fuck. You.” Mrs. Cake spat at the White Doe and strode without fear or hesitation toward Pinkie. Once again she could feel the shadow-power within her belly uncoiling and desperately wanting to lash out and add Mrs. Cake to her big happy creamy family, but… “Thank Harmony you came, Pinkie.” Mrs. Cake threw her forelegs around Pinkie’s neck, her eyes hollow and her voice soft. This was no time at all for fun or parties of any kind, so she told the Shadow power to go stuff itself in the mailbox.

She threw her own forelegs around Mrs. Cake’s neck and fought back the sadness. She was a tough filly, and somepony she really super cared about was sad. And that, Pinkie just could not abide. “I couldn’t… I couldn’t not come, Mrs. Cake. You needed a smile.” Pinkie produced the best smile she could, given the circumstances, and was pleased to see Mrs. Cake brighten up just a little. Some of the darkness fled from her eyes, and a tiny smile crossed her lips. It wasn’t much, but it was a start. “You know I can’t sit by when other ponies are frowny," Pinkie tried to gently tease her, and that coaxed a bit more smile too.

Mrs. Cake shook her head slowly then, obviously trying to rally her thoughts while the Doe stared on in stark disbelief at the both of them. “Pinkie… I know you might think that evil bi-” She swallowed for a moment, taking a deep breath and then exhaling. “Your unicorn friend isn’t… isn’t hurting anypony, but she is.” Pinkie felt shock at that, but Mrs. Cake wasn’t letting her go, she was holding her tighter and closer to herself than before. “Please, Pinkie. We’ve already lost so many neighbors and friends. Thunderlane is gone, and so is the Mayor, and Octavia, and nopony has seen Davenport or Mister Spuds or Cranky Doodle…” Pinkie felt a lump fall into her throat at that. Cranky wasn’t in Ponyville either… But Mrs. Cake hadn’t stopped talking. “And Filthy might not have been the best pony, but he’s dead too! And…”

Mrs. Cake’s voice broke before she could continue to speak, but she didn’t need to say a further word. “I’m so sorry, Mrs. Cake. I didn’t… I wish there had been something I could’ve done.” Pinkie’s voice was miserable even to her, and that was truly saying something. It was also the truth, even if it wasn’t the entire truth, but it was better to give a little lie than to say something that would hurt somepony else. “I’m so sorry,” Pinkie sniffled, feeling the energy deflate out of her mane and leaving it limp and colorless.

For a few moments, Mrs. Cake’s hoof stroked down her back and a moment of solemn silence reigned over the misty plain. Pinkie felt the tears come, even though she didn’t want them right now, and they stubbornly refused to listen to her and kept coming. She felt her chest heave a little in a sob, and then…

“Hush, Pinkie Pie. There is nothing you could have done,” Mrs. Cake soothed her quietly, and Pinkie cracked open an eye to see the stern gaze of the Doe boring into her. Did she know? How could she have known? Had she been there, when Mr. Cake had jumped? The back of Mrs. Cake’s hoof gently brushed away the tears, and Pinkie felt her head being turned to gaze into Cup’s kind eyes. “Now, I am begging you, Pinkie. Please give up this… this shadowy nonsense and come back to the camp. The twins miss you so.”

A more effective blow to Pinkie’s morale could not have been better conceived. Carrot Cake was gone, and that meant it had to be even harder on Mrs. Cake to keep them under control and taken care of. That meant less happy foals, and that meant more frowny faces, and that made Pinkie’s teeth itch in a way nothing else in the world did. Even the idea of going against Twilight was less itchy-teeth than the idea of leaving ponies without a smile.

But… the problem was, this whole Shadow thing couldn’t be a bad thing. There had been tragedies, for sure, but Pinkie just could not wrap her head around why everypony was fighting over it so darn much. “Little pony…” the Doe said slowly, drawing Pinkie’s attention back to her. “In spite of what my foe might have led you to believe, I do not hate passion or honest lust. It is just that…” Her mouth twisted, as Mrs. Cake turned so Pinkie could easily face the Doe, taking her hoof in her own and squeezing it. “She twists you all to be like her. She would make the entire world only like her, so that she might never lack for companionship. Rejecting her duty to preserve the world in order to fill the void in her heart.” The words came out in a tumble from the Doe, and instantly Pinkie cottoned onto it.

“So… You’re telling me she’s super lonely, and it scares her so bad that she does bad things to make it go away?” Pinkie ventured, hoping she was actually following the train of logic here, since if she wasn’t that’d mean she was following some wild hare of non-logic, and everypony was soon to be confused. But the Doe nodded in a cautious sort of way, and Pinkie figured she had at least gotten close. Still… “But… then why doesn’t she stop? Twilight’s a great friend, and so is everypony else!” Once again, she was back to confusion, but she felt like she was finally getting closer to understanding what was going on.

The Doe shook her head slowly. “I do not know, little pony. I doubt even she knows why.” She glanced over her shoulder, and blew out a breath. “We are running out of time. My magic cannot conceal where we are for much longer.” She thrust a hoof toward Pinkie, her eyes narrowing. “You must choose, little pony, to either reject the Shadow within you and renounce its power, or to not.” The Doe lowered her head and sighed. “If not…”

“If not, we shall let her go, and if you dare lay a hoof on her you bit-” Mrs. Cake cut off her cussword, her entire personality transforming in a single moment of anger. Gone was the weariness and sadness, replaced by a fierce fire that burned brightly in her soul. So brightly even Pinkie Pie could see it, as though it were some kind of tangible thing that shimmered inside of her heart. It was… beautiful in its own raw, seething way. “She is the last bit of family I have left, and you shall not harm one hair upon her mane so long as I draw breath!” Mrs. Cake stamped her hoof and the flames seemed to roar higher within her, so much so that even the Doe took an involuntary step in retreat.

But it was the words that struck at Pinkie. Family. Pinkie’s relationship with her parents had never been all that great after she grew up and had never grown into the rock-farming lifestyle, but they had been as supportive as they could be. Still, she had always missed the affection and the quiet love of her mother and sisters, all of whom lived too far away for Pinkie to visit. The Cakes had always been the closest thing she had to family in Ponyville and now… “Very well, little pony,” the Doe huffed, obviously in annoyance. “But be warned of the dangers of treating those touched by Shadow lightly.” And then she was gone in a gust of wind and a flurry of fallen leaves, with no sign of the poofing that magic might have suggested.

Mrs. Cake gave off a much more Cup Cake-like harrumph before turning back to Pinkie. “The nerv,” she sniffed daintily, and for the first time since the battle she almost looked like she ought to have looked. But Pinkie felt her heart ache a little at the sight of the thousand and one little things that were off, not even counting her mane. Like her color was off, and the dark rings under her eyes, and she wasn’t wearing her apron, and- “Pinkie?” Her voice cut through the concerns flitting like a horde of parasprites through Pinkie’s mind, and she vigorously tried to shake them out. “Pinkie… I’m okay, really.” Mrs. Cake tried to soothe her, a gentle hoof lifting Pinkie’s chin up from where it had been stubbornly pointed at the ground.

“No you’re not,” Pinkie argued back miserably, trying to put her chin back down so she could stare at the ground like a properly chastised filly. “You’re not okay, and its all my fault.” Pinkie knew she had to tell Mrs. Cake now, but how could she say it? What would she say? I was trying to boink your husband, and he threw himself off a cliff? How in the name of hooah was she supposed to break that news to her?! “All my fault...” she just muttered, as she tried her darnedest to find the right words.

Mrs. Cake sighed in obvious frustration before finally stomping a hoof. “Pinkemina Diane Pie, you stop this nonsense right this instant!” the scolding tone alone was enough to send an electric shock up Pinkie’s spine. Instinct took over, and she instantly straightened up and out, raising her head and refluffing her tail. Now sitting up properly like she was supposed to, she only belatedly realized what Mrs. Cake had done and nearly fell into a pout again before the vision of the peeved baker pony filled her vision, and she thought better of it. “I swear to Celestia, you’re almost as bad as Scootaloo,” Mrs. Cake huffed out, grabbing Pinkie by the head and pulling her down to stare dead on into her eyes. “There was nothing you could have done to save Carrot, Pinkie. None of us could have. The best we can do now is to make his death mean something. To make his sacrifice worthwhile.”

Mrs. Cake’s voice trembled a little, but there was no sign of hesitation or fear in her eyes. “Pinkie. We need you. This camp needs you, the ponies in it need you, and I need you. Nopony in the world knows better how to keep morale up than you do. And…” Mrs. Cake hesitated for a moment before continuing, the resolve in every inch of her body as hard as granite. “And I know its not easy, being asked to take our word over the word of your closest friend… but I would not lie to you, Pinkie. We have to stop this before more ponies get hurt. This. Is. Not. Right.” Her last words fell like hammer blows against stone, with all the force her tiny body could muster.

Pinkie trembled, unable and unwilling to tear her gaze away from Mrs. Cake. In good conscience, what could she do? Were her friends really bewitched under some corruptive spell like Discord had used on them? Had she simply been too wrapped up in the wondrous freedom the power had provided her to see it? It had been a heck of a party, no doubt, but… Pinkie hated to admit it, but even parties could sometimes get a little out of control if you weren’t careful. “I’m scared, Mrs. Cake,” she whispered, wishing this was easier.

She wished Dashie was here, or Twilight, or Rarity. They’d all been so wonderful for her and for everything in her life. Sure she’d had friends and parties beforehoof, but never like the ones she’d shared with her friends. They’d stuck together and fought the fight for so very long, she’d forgotten what it was like to face problems like these without them. But if Twilight was here, she’d tell you that you’d have to be brave for everypony. That if you were the only one who could stop something bad, then they’d trust you to find the way because that’s how the Mane Six roll.

She felt her head give a little nod as tears formed in her eyes. “I wanna stay. I gotta stay." She had to stay to figure this out. Maybe they were lying to her, and maybe there really wasn’t anything wrong with the Shadow. But she’d never find out if she didn’t go looking. She’d never be able to help Mrs. Cake unless she stayed either. And between those two things, there was a force more powerful than any kind of creamy playtime. All good things had to come to an end, including parties.

“Good to hear you say that, Pinks," came a new voice, a very familiar one. Pinkie turned to see Scootaloo leaning on a metal crutch with one hoof and a tired smile on her face. “We needed something to make up for the losses we took at the bridge.” Scootaloo limped over toward the two of them, a bright red cloak with a vibrant blue shield stitched into the back fluttering in the breeze from around her neck. “Mrs. Cake. The Doe told me what to do, so I’m gonna need you to step back,” Scootaloo said in a surprisingly-commanding voice. “And to trust me, because this is kind of… weird and fucked-up, to be honest.”

Mrs. Cake nodded once and kissed Pinkie on the cheek. “For luck,” was all she said before retreating a distance. Pinkie took in a deep breath and exhaled out as much stress as she could. She hoped Twilight would forgive her. She hoped Dashie wouldn’t get in trouble for this. But most of all, she hoped that she could someday atone for what had happened to Carrot Cake.

Scootaloo drew a long and vicious-looking silver dagger from a sheath under her cloak, and the blade glowed mystically in a mystical way with a golden mysticism. ”Just…” Scootaloo growled around the haft of the blade as she hobbled up. “Just be ready to push out that shadow crap. This is gonna hurt a little.” Then Scootaloo closed her eyes and the golden glow around the blade went from a gentle haze to a blinding beam of light. Pinkie threw a hoof up to protect her eyes, only to feel a piercing pain right in her midsection.

The pain was searing, like she’d just shoved her gut into the corner of a pan fresh from the oven. The Shadow within her had gone mad with fear and was desperately trying to wrench her away from the feeling… but Pinkie had a responsibility to fulfill now. Most ponies didn’t realize that planning as many parties as she did also meant she had to clean up all of those parties. Now, after all these months of partying, it was time for the cleanup.

So she sternly regarded the Shadow within her and told it to go shove itself into a mental cereal box…. which it promptly did inside of her mind. She stuffed the thing, along with all of the detritus it had left behind into the big poofy trash bags she favored. Little by little, she cleaned up the mess it had left on her insides and fed the bags into the searing light and fire that was her mental dumpster. It was hard doing all of this, but necessary. Just like all party cleanups.

She dealt with the pain, the same way she’d dealt with what had happened to Carrot. She categorized it as ‘temporary’ and put it off to the side. Some things could wait for Pinkie to get the things Pinkie needed to get done, and if they didn’t like that then they could shove it up their coochies. The last thing she needed to get rid of though, was the line that led back to Twilight. It had been wonderful always knowing that her bestest friend was okay, but… but...

As Pinkie lifted her mental shears, all that she could think of was the hope that Twilight would understand.

~~~~~Ponyville~~~~~

Hundreds of miles away, Twilight Shadow bolted up from a sound sleep and screamed in pain and confusion. It took only a moment for all of those around her to be on their hooves and searching for the source of the disturbance, but there were no physical signs. Then, as suddenly as it had begun, it stopped. Twilight’s eyes were as wide as dinner plates, and she had taken on a paleness that did not fit on her richly colored coat.

She spoke in a hoarse whisper, “Pinkie,” before collapsing into unconsciousness. In an instant, Umbra was by her side and holding her hoof to Twilight’s brow, her dark inky eyes closed in concentration as the other mares in the room stared on in disbelief. Though nopony there knew what had happened, they all knew one thing for certain.

Something had happened to their friend, Pinkie Pie.

~~~~~Camp of the Crusade~~~~~

Pinkie Pie awoke nestled amidst softness and two tiny sources of warmth. It took a moment to identify them, but the instant she did she could feel a surge of happiness well up inside of her. As though they could sense her thoughts, Pumpkin and Pound Cake awoke and scrambled up over her chest while speaking in the tiny and slightly-awkward voices of very young children. “Pinkeh! Pinkeh!” they burbled together, and smothered her in foal-hugs.

Pinkie wrapped her forelegs around them both and gave them cheeknuzzles and headrubs right back, feeling the giggles lift out of her throat at the sight of them. They were truly okay, and they seemed to be in excellent health. “Ah, at last the pink one awakens. Glad am I to see you no longer taken.” The lilting and smoky voice of Zecora filtered past the twins’ bubbly sounds, and Pinkie sat up with two forelegs full of filly and colt to see her leaning over the edge of a chair, a sly smile on her face. “Welcome back, my silly friend. Perhaps we-”

Her words cut off as a reddish-pink hoof smacked her upside the head, Berry Punch appearing out of the shadows to lean on Zecora’s shoulders with a saucy grin. “I told you to cut that shit out, Zeccy. Girl’s gonna have enough to catch up on without you tryin’ to explain it in couplings or whatever the heck you call that poetry.” Berry looked… sober. And for Pinkie Pie, the sight of Berry Punch actually sober was almost terrifying in how impossible it ought to have been.

Zecora half-glared up at Berry, but there was a noticeable affection in the look, and all of the little shipping alarm bells in Pinkie Pie’s head began going off at full klaxon. “I suppose you are right,” Zecora sighed, then perked up instantly. “Regardless… welcome back to the Light, Pinkie Pie.” Zecora’s hoof touched her shoulder as the Cake twins gave off a little cheer and cavorted about on the bedsheets.

The flap of the strange tent flew open, a figuring standing wreathed in sunlight beyond it. It was a stallion, definitely, and he had a scraggly white beard and a very familiar-looking hat and cloak. Say… wasn’t that the same costume Twilight wore that… one… Nightmare Night. Pinkies’ thoughts trailed off as the living image of a stallion she’d seen in a thousand different books in Twilight’s library strode into the tent.

His golden eyes shone as the flap closed behind him, and his voice was rough as tumbling gravel. “Yes… Welcome back, Element of Laughter.” He doffed his hat and bowed toward her, its bells jangling joyfully as he did. “There is much we need to discuss,” said Star Swirl the Bearded with a fiercely happy tone, a smile as bright and wonderful as any Pinkie had ever seen splitting his features.

“It seems I have arrived just in time after all.”

Author's Note

I would like to thank all of your for your patience. My focus and brain energy has been at an utter nadir for DAYS now. I hope I'll be able to make up for it in updates to come.

Chapter 20 - Tacite In Munere Solis

~~~~~The Camp of the Crusade~~~~~

“Are these it?”

Scipio Grifficanus asked the grey coated mailmare, who nodded solemnly. She’d been dashing to and fro through the camp for the last few hours collecting the names. The list was a little depressing in its length, but given how the battle had gone, Scipio had to admit it was impressive. Untrained, underprepared ponies meeting in battle for the first time with battle hardened mercenaries and black magic driven monstrosities. This list is short for all of that. “Thank you, Ditzy.” He nodded, and she trotted back off into the camp.

It had been three days since the battle, and the camp had mostly gotten back to normal. Though the loss of the bridge had been a hit on morale, by and large the majority of the camp had taken the battle in stride and many considered it to be a minor victory. The knowledge that the tainted cider would not spread to communities in the south had even been cause for celebration by most… but not all.

Scootaloo was sitting in the command tent as he entered it, the same place she’d been for the past three days. She had not moved, and had only slept when ordered to. She’d been hoofing out orders, making camp preparations to fill in the skill gaps created by losses, and approving of this or that action. Only the close attendance of Zecora had kept Scootaloo eating and sleeping at regular enough intervals that Scipio had been able to keep concerns to a minimum.

Still, he worried about her. “That’s the loss totals,” Scipio said quietly, dumping the rough pile of paper that was the mockery of an AAR they’d been forced to use given the lack of proper drafting supplies. Scootaloo was holding her head in her hooves as she stared at the scattered piles of documents on the table. She barely glanced at the pile before going back to examining a sheaf bearing their supply numbers. Scipio had to bite back a snarky comment before he could speak again. The first battle was always the hardest on new commanders, and he knew it. “Crusader… we need to make our plans to move quickly. I’ve already worked out a route along with the one named Cherry Berry. She says she’s been this way before and knows a series of oasis’ that we can use to get to Los Pegasus.”

Scootaloo remained silent for another few moments - long enough that Scipio wanted to walk over and try to comfort her. But… “Thank you, Scipio,” she said quietly, closing her eyes deliberately and taking a deep breath of her own. “You’re right. I need to… to get my act together. Everypony here’s counting on me.” She took in a shuddering breath and exhaled it in an utterly unconvincing imitation of calm. She put on a great false smile, but Scipio was having none of that.

He snorted softly and slapped his palm upon the table. “Oh, stop that nonsense! Listen to me, Scootaloo. We had a good plan, and we executed it to the best of our ability.” Scipio leaned down over the table and glared at the little pegasus until she looked up at him in surprise. He cocked an eyebrow at her, resting his chin in his talons. “We suffered losses, achieved some of our goals, and were forced into a tactical retreat.”

He stabbed a talon toward her, stopping it just inches from her nose. “That’s war, kid. You never get everything you want, and we did damn good given the hoof we were dealt.” Blessedly, Scootaloo looked like she understood the sentiment. She just looked like she didn’t much like it, which Scipio could completely sympathize with… it was just that she had to learn that now before things got dark, and dark things were going to get if the last fight had been any indication.

Scootaloo shook her head a little, as if in denial of reality… then sighed, her mask of confidence falling away to show the moodiness and irritability that lurked beneath. “Fuck,” was all she said at first, and Scipio agreed, if not in words. She rubbed at her eyes for a moment before glaring at the papers. “Okay. Get me a map with the route on it, and tell Berry Punch I want a list of our supplies.” Scootaloo shoved herself up from her position on the table, bowing her head for a moment. “And we need to arrange some kind of memorial service.”

Scipio nodded once. He’d already made the arrangements for those things, but it never hurt to humor a green commander who wouldn’t know that. Understanding what subordinates took care of was something that came with experience, especially for those not… traditionally trained. “Of course, Crusader.” He turned away toward the tent flap. She would need some more time to get herself together, but he had no doubt that she would.

Of course, all plans to give her that time got knocked in the head as the flap swept open to reveal the massive white bulk of the pegasus called Snowflake. A distinctly odd name, but it did fit his personality rather well. For all of his blustering and obsession with strength and fitness, he was quite a softy at heart. His eyes were wide, and his breathing came in short bursts. “C-c-crusader Scootaloo! We have gue-”

Snowflake was cut off as he was shoved to one side almost without effort by a bright yellow coated pegasus. She strode into the tent with such an obvious military bearing that Scipio instantly felt himself draw up to slightly better attention. “Shut your trap, recruit. We don’t have time for nancying about.” Her voice snapped like a bullwhip, and her fiery orange-red eyes bored into his skull as her gaze settled on him, the glimmer of flight goggles hanging from her neck the only gear she wore... “So, you must be the griffon in charge. Where’s the kid?” she growled in a no-nonsense tone.

Scipio stared at her for a moment in confusion as he tried to pin down where he had seen or heard of this pegasus before until Scootaloo’s voice grumbled out from behind him. “I’m not a kid. My name is Scoot-” Her voice cut off mid word in a sputter of disbelief. “Commander Spitfire!?” Scootaloo half yelled in confusion. Instantly, the name conjured up the visions of the half legendary leader of the Equestrian special air squadron, the Wonderbolts.

She looked every inch like her name, a pony made into a living flame that threatened to burst forth into the world. Her lips twitched up in a half smile, and she cocked her head to one side. “Sorry bout that, Scootaloo, and it’s just Spitfire right now. Officially I’m not even here.” She cocked an eyebrow past Scipio, and for once in his life, Scipio wished he could completely ignore the necessities of command just so he could turn to see the look on the Crusader’s face.

Sadly, that was impossible if he was to maintain proper discipline. “Not officially, Commander?” Scipio drawled, crossing his talons behind his back. “So, have you come to fight the good fight then?” For an instant, Scipio could feel a surge of excitement through his heart. No matter what their public profile might have suggested, the Wonderbolts were more than just a show group. They were also a scouting unit without peer, the fastest such group in the entire world. He had visions of having not only one of the finest fighting units under his command, but the scouts to match them.

Sadly, Spitfire killed any such dreams with a headshake. “Much as I’d love to come kick some flank with you Captain, I’ve got other responsibilities.” She trotted past him, finally allowing Scipio to turn and regard Scootaloo, whose facial expression had settled into cautious optimism. Spitfire put on a rather sly grin. “Namely, carrying out a mission in Her Majesty’s secret service.” She winked and unfolded a wing to pull out a slim scroll that had been hidden beneath it and extended it to Scootaloo.

Scootaloo took the scroll and split the seal after examining it for a moment. “What’s Shining Armor want that he can’t come and…” She trailed off, her eyes darting across the words on the scroll. “...say it himself,” she finished, half distracted as she continued to slowly unroll the scroll and read through its still mysterious contents. For several long seconds, she was silent and Scipio wondered why Spitfire looked so damn smug. “This for real?” Scootaloo asked as she slowly lowered the scroll, a glint in her eye that Scipio had not seen since before the battle.

Spitfire nodded, cocking her head at Scootaloo with a strange kind of smile. “Yes. I’ve got authorization to do just about anything, so long as the Crown remains publically uninvolved. Right now this is seen as a local issue, and Parliament is not inclined to start a civil war until it can be proven that she’s made war on Equestrian citizens.” There was a distinct pause, and Spitfire snorted softly. “Ridiculous, I know, but that’s politics for you.”

Scootaloo waved that off, which impressed Scipio. “Stupid adults rarely know which way is up.” Scootaloo pressed her hooves together and gave the Wonderbolt a canny look. “More than anything, we need supplies. Food, winter tents and clothing, proper weapons and armor, metal for the Praetorian blacksmiths and potion ingredients for Zecora. Among other stuff.” She waved her hoof airily. “Berry Punch has the list. If you can keep us supplied…” She eyeballed the scroll. “Then I think we can do business.”

~~~~~~~

Thirty minutes later and Scipio Grifficanus waited outside the tent with his arms crossed and his spear drumming into the ground as he wondered how in Tartarus he’d gotten saddled with guard duty as opposed to being inside, like he ought to have been, along with the rest of the Crusader command staff. Scootaloo’s look had told him she had a reason for it, but damned if she was going to explain with Spitfire still in the room.

So he waited outside as Berry Punch and Zecora quickly ran into the tent, followed shortly by the one they called Pinkie Pie and Mrs. Cake. The words inside never rose above a murmur, but there was a distinct uplifting in the tone at Pinkie Pie’s entrance. Personally, he was not entirely certain that she was as reformed as the White One had said, but he would trust in her judgement… even if he would quietly make certain that there were precautions in place.

Exile to guard duty did give him time to think, which might not have been the best idea right then. He’d had to completely revise his opinion of the Shadow controlled troops. They had shown real tactics and strategy out there, not just animalistic savagery and cunning. That meant that his foes could eventually turn his corrupted citizens into real troops. Leading the Legions against untrained and wild foes was one thing, leading them against trained and capable militia was a far, far different bargain.

Retaking the fortresses would be a matter not for years, but for decades. It would require the rest of his life as Caesar to reunite the Empire unless he could buy help from someplace. Equestria would undoubtedly be worrying about its own affairs, and the Diamond Dogs would demand far too high a price for him to pay. Perhaps he could convince Scootaloo to stay on, and use her fame to attract a new kind of army to fight for the Empire.

As his thoughts roiled, the minutes dragged on, and Scipio kept to his post, only now realizing that Scootaloo must be discussing something sensitive within… something that she needed to make sure only the right ponies heard about. She would, undoubtedly, discuss things with him later, after Spitfire had left and the time had come to form a new strategy. Minutes turned into hours, and as the sun approached its zenith, his boredom was broken not by the Crusader… but the Wonderbolt.

“So. Is it true? Did the kings really choose you as Caesar before they died?” Spitfire’s voice was quiet and serious as she stood outside the tent flaps. Around them the camp bustled and went about its daily routines, the smell of vegetable stew rising up over the din. At first, Scipio wanted to snap back in irritation at that comment until the second part of it penetrated his annoyance. Died? he thought bleakly, a thought he probably should have had weeks ago when no communication had come after the fall of Roam.

One glance at Spitfire told him everything he needed to know though. The soft pity, the hard determination. “I see,” she commented quietly, then nodded a little. “I’m sorry to break the news to you. They took suicide rather than be captured. Their presence held up Umbra’s forces long enough for yours to get away clean.” It made sense, tactically. The kings, no matter how important they might have been as figureheads, meant nothing with a Caesar on the throne. The fact that one amongst them had been his father…

He clenched his eyes shut tightly and took a deep breath through his beak. He would mourn his father another time, when the war had ended and his killers brought to final justice. It was simply one more horrible crime to be piled upon the conscience of the one responsible for all of this. “Thank you for telling me, Commander,” he replied in a quiet, steadfast tone. One he was quite proud of, come to that. The pain in his heart for his father was no greater than the pain for his fellow griffons. There would be time to weep later.

She nodded, once. “Given that, I’ve been authorized to provide you some other information.” She glanced around them for a moment before pitching her voice low. “The western forts remain under siege, and without Twilight to drive them, those already corrupted seem content to wait them out. Some of your citizens have been escaping into Diamond Dog territory, and I’m told the Packs there have taken them in and hidden them without much comment.” She spoke quickly and briskly, and Scipio had to concentrate to keep up as she continued to relay information in a rapid fire voice. “Your legions arrived in Cloudsdale and Stalliongrad, and we’re keeping their presence there a secret at this time. But most importantly of all, Princess Cadence and Luna would like to clandestinely present an offer of alliance to the Empire.”

Scipio nearly dropped his spear in surprise at that, starting in place and staring at her with an agape beak. She half smiled at him, nodding seriously. “The Princess was left with full royal powers, and as such does not need to consult the Parliament on diplomatic matters. With Princess Luna to support her, she has enough clout to produce and sign a treaty of mutual defense, as well as promises for aid when the time comes to reclaim your homeland.” Spitfire turned to regard him fully, her mein most sober and serious. “I’m not going to lie to you, Scipio. We fully anticipate Twilight to attack major Equestrian cities within the next year. We’ve already sent word to the Diamond Dogs and others, seeking military aid, but there’s no guarantees any of them will answer in time. We’re going to need the Legion to hold on.”

Scipio closed his eyes but felt a slow smile cross his beak. With Equestrian aid, there was no doubt they could reconquer the Empire. Especially if the Princesses themselves were prepared to intervene. At last, at the end of the trail, he could see the light of the dawn. “And the Legion you shall have, Spitfire. Inform your Princess that the Caesar stands with Equestria.” It was an easy enough promise to make. They were all in this boat together, as it were, and if they didn’t fight together, they were going to die separately. It also was not hard to realize now why Spitfire was here, though he was surprised she could lead such a double life. “But I would ask what other aid the Equestrian Intelligence Service might offer us?”

Spitfire softly chuckled, shaking her head slowly. “Knew you were a sharp one. Aside from supplies, we’ll do what we can to make sure anypony who wants to fight gets directed here. The only concrete intelligence I can offer aside from that is that Twilight and Umbra have dropped off the map completely.” She frowned a little, rubbing at her chin. “But her forces haven’t. She’s up to some scheme, and we frankly don’t have any clue as to what it might be. I recommend you keep a careful eye on things here and do what you can to keep Winterlight from pulling anything nasty.”

Scipio nodded once. “We’ll do what we can to keep her penned up, but without the bridge over the gorge, that’s going to be a tall order.” He blew out a sigh and tried to visualize the map of the region. “I’ll be honest, Spitfire, we’ve got a numbers issue. What forces we have are elite, but limited. We can disrupt their movements, maybe even pull another raid or two, but a full scale attack isn’t going to happen without moving a few of the Legions or getting more direct support.” He cocked an eyebrow at her.

She shook her head at that one. “We don’t expect you to wage a war by yourselves. Just slow her down as much as you can. We’ve got other forces coming in with Princess Celestia, and once they arrive we’re going to put together everything we’ve got and finish this. Save your strength for the big showdown.” She reached up and placed a hoof on his shoulder. “And try and keep the kid on an even keel. She’s handling this well so far, but…”

Scipio couldn’t help it. He chuckled softly. “Don’t worry about the Crusader, Spitfire. She has as much support as she could ever hope for.” He glanced towards the tent, tapping his spear butt on the ground. “There’s something special about her, in case you hadn’t noticed.”

Spitfire smiled a little more fully this time, but her eyes grew dark. “Yeah. She’s a lot like another pegasus I could name.” Once again, Spitfire glanced around nervously. “I can’t ask you officially, Caesar… but unofficially there’s a particular pegasus I’d like you to look out for. If you can find her… if you can save her…” Spitfire fixed Scipio with a look that was extremely complex, but he could best describe as desperate. “I promise you, I’ll owe you a personal favor.”

Scipio considered that for a moment, then nodded. “Describe her.”

~~~~~~

As night fell upon the camp, Scootaloo left the command tent for the first time in three days to find the darkness gently enveloping the world around her. Only carefully lit torches tied to posts provided illumination along with the central camp fire where many of the other ponies sat. They ate and sang and laughed with one another, but for the first time in her life, Scootaloo felt separate from them.

Though she hadn’t said so to anypony else, it hadn’t just been those who had died in the attack that had disturbed her… it had been how easily she’d been willing to take the lives of those they’d been fighting. Some of them could have once been her neighbors, or other citizens in Ponyville. But as she and Crescent Blade had surged through the enemy lines at the gorge, she had felt no pity or remorse as she drove her blade through them.

She had been prepared to kill Captain Winterlight without even a second of hesitation, and even now if she had been given the chance to do so, she would have done it. Never before in her entire life had she felt so alive as she had in the middle of that battle. Every moment she had been but a breath away from dying had been like the greatest stunt she had ever pulled. It had been exhilarating beyond belief, and just the thought of it still sent a surge of sickness into her stomach.

So she turned away from the fire and sought the darker parts of the camp. The soft buzzing of her wings as she rode her shiny new steel scooter past the sentries attracted only the barest glance from them. Where once there had been a faint air of condescension, now there was only solemn respect. None of the ponies treated her even remotely like a little filly anymore, and while Scootaloo sure did like being listened to, it was hard not to forget that she was six or seven years shy of being a real adult by pegasi standards.

She traveled through the darkness, with no particular destination in mind. Only a faint thought that she had lost something in that battle, and what she had gained she did not yet understand. All she knew was the world had changed, seemingly overnight, and so had she. But in the darkness, she found, she was not as alone as she’d thought.

The training grounds should have been empty at that hour, but there was one pony there. Wearing glittering armor a pony wielded a pair of steel blades with the faint aura of magic enveloping them as they danced intricately around her dark form. Scootaloo hauled herself to a stop and just watched Crescent Blade slowly dance with her blades, as graceful as Rarity or Rainbow Dash had ever been at their chosen trades. In time, the blades slowed to a halt, and her surprisingly beautiful voice drifted from the darkness. “Welcome, Chosen of the Sun. How can I serve you?”

Scootaloo shook her head and propped her scooter against one of the wooden posts before trotting toward the sleek pony. “Why do you keep calling me that, Crescent?” It had been an odd title when she’d simply rolled it out the first time they’d met, but now it was starting to creep Scootaloo out a little. She had said she was the ‘Chosen of the Moon’ and that she personally served Princess Luna in any capacity she might have demanded. But Scootaloo had made no such oaths to Celestia… at least, none she remembered.

Crescent chuckled softly, her blades sliding silently home into their sheaths on her back. “Because that is what you are. Light to my Dark.” Her hoof extended in its steel armor and gently pressed into Scootaloo’s chest. “All of my tribe have a unique ability to see into the spiritual world beyond. For most of us, this skill is rarely honed, but I have made a particular study of it in my life.” She tapped at Scootaloo’s chest, a slow smile spreading across her spooky batpony fangs. “Within your heart, Chosen, the very fire of the Sun itself burns intensely.” Crescent cocked her head, her golden yellow eyes glimmering in the faint moonlight. “When you speak to your fellow ponies, it glows brighter still and spreads to anyone who listens with their heart. Against the darkness of the Shadow, you are the flame and spirit which refuses to give in.”

Crescent’s hoof tapped the ever present blade over her shoulder, her grin growing even wider. “The Sun itself guards you and wreaths your blade in power that is anathema to our foe. Just as Tsukiyomi’s power watches over me, so does Amaterasu’s power watch over you. Hence, you must be the Chosen of the Sun as I am the Chosen of the Moon..”

Scootaloo stared and tried to process all of that, but found it to be just a wee bit too much for her to contemplate. She shook it out of her head, deciding that the best thing she could do was head this off before it started to spread around the camp and start even more rumors she didn’t want to deal with. “Then I’d say that makes us equals. Which means I won’t stand on titles, Crescent. My name is Scootaloo.” She extended her hoof and put on her best confident grin.

Crescent Blade gave her a wry look and laughed softly. “Oh, very well. If you insist, Scootaloo.” She shook the hoof firmly before she turned and trotted a few paces away. “I must say, your style of fighting is truly unique. I have never before seen a warrior use anything like your scooter the way you do. It is unpredictable, fast, and quite deadly, in spite of how little you have been trained. So. Why is it you come here in the darkness, Scootaloo?” Her voice had gone soft as she turned, her body framed by the moonlight spilling through the trees and casting a shadow over her face.

Scootaloo stared at her for a moment, realizing belatedly that Crescent was not merely a servant of the Princess, but a warrior in her own right. “Because I’ve changed, Crescent. Because I…” She hesitated only for long enough for her to feel that surge of sickness, forcing the words past her teeth. “I’ve killed somepony now. I don’t even remember who it was I hit when we charged through. I was ready to kill Winterlight without even thinking about it. I’m not supposed to think that way!” The words came out in desperation, and maybe just a little bit crazy.

But Crescent did not bend a look of judgement on her, only one of understanding. “You have become a warrior, Scootaloo. That will change any creature in vast ways.” Her shining blades slipped from their sheaths, and she held them up at the ready in front of her. “Get your scooter and listen to me,” Crescent commanded. Scootaloo did not even think twice, grabbing it from where she’d rested it and mounting it on the training ground. Reflexively, she slammed the painted disc of steel into its place in front of her and waited.

Crescent nodded once. “I shall tell you what my teacher once told me.” Without warning, her blades darted in, and Scootaloo ducked past the blows, drawing her blade an instant later and blocking a swing with the golden glowing blade. It was insane, but for some reason she couldn’t bring herself to wonder why Crescent Blade had done that. It seemed… natural. “There must be those of us that kill.” Crescent began, moving a step closer. “Those of us who do violence and live in a world built of that violence, so that others might live in peace.”

Crescent struck again, but this time Scootaloo drove herself forward in a sudden burst of speed and forced Crescent to dodge to one side. Scootaloo pulled a perfect hairpin turn and swung her scooter and herself low along the ground under a counterblow. “There must be those of us who stand at the threshold and drive back the darkness,” Crescent continued in a calm, utterly unflappable voice as Scootaloo stared her down. “So that others might never need to know the horrors of war or death.”

The batpony lowered her blades and strode forward slowly. “Look at yourself, Scootaloo. Your heart is racing, and your nerves are afire, but there is no fear in your heart.” Her words cut through the adrenalin, and Scootaloo could not help but realize that she was right. She wasn’t afraid at all, not even a little bit. She was just… ready. Tensed like a crossbow string and ready to spring forward at any moment. “The world has reforged you into what it needs. A warrior, and a knight. To kill is a terrible thing, Scootaloo.” A heavy hoof touched her shoulder, gently glowing blades framing Crescent’s face in light. “But that is why there are those like us. So nopony else need know the heartbreak or tragedy of taking a life.”

Scootaloo felt her breath coming in slow pants, and she nodded once. Put that way, it made a lot of sense, even if she knew she’d never be able to be anything but sick or angry after a fight. Crescent Blade smiled and leaned in to kiss her cheek in a sisterly sort of way. “And that is why you serve the Sun, Scootaloo. Even if you do so in silence. Because you will always mourn those that die to your blade, no matter how evil they may have been.” She turned away, stepping back into position a few paces away. “Now, raise your blade again. There will be more battles to come, and you must be ready. Our foe will not be so easy to fight next time we meet her.”

Crescent Blade turned, and grinned fiercely. “Besides. It has been a long time since I have had an apprentice worthy of the name.”

Author's Note

Chapter updates coming... fuck, whenever they're done. I'm not even going to try and make a schedule at this point.

Merry Hearthswarming to all of you, and a Happy Blue Deer.

Chapter 21 - Darkening Skies

~~~~~Canterlot Castle~~~~~

The Grand Map of Equestria was a marvel of artistic achievement - a ballroom sized diorama depicting the entire Equestrian kingdom from sea to shining sea. It was also surprisingly topographically accurate, a nigh perfect scale model of the actual length of roads, size of cities, and no small amount of vital and important detail. Scattered across the map, wooden ponies depicted troop numbers and little flags detailed possible threats. It was here that Princess Celestia had kept the finely tuned machinery of her government working in time with itself. Now, however…

A stuffy looking unicorn in a much braided and baubled jacket sighed and cleaned his monocle on a scrap of silk cloth. “I’ve done everything I can, Princess Cadence, but the regional barons have made their position quite clear. They think you’re being…” He paused, as every eye in the room focused upon him. He coughed in a rather embarrassed way before saying in a low and somewhat disgusted voice, “overly emotional after the to-do in the forest.”

It was to her immense credit, and the credit of Shining Armor squeezing her shoulder with enough force to give her just the hint of pain, that Cadence didn’t march out of the room to incinerate those barons on the spot. Instead, she sighed expressively. “And without the governors or the barons, we can’t break the deadlock.” She stuffed her chin into her hoof and glared at the tactical situation around the Everfree Forest which was festooned with yellow and red flags, each one detailing one of the scattered and damnably incomplete intelligence reports.

The stuffy unicorn nodded, replacing the monocle over his eye and using it to glare impressively at the same spot. “Yes. I’m afraid our laissez faire politics are working against us for once. Nopony wants to be seen meddling in the affairs of their neighbors, and without Princess Celestia to lay down a royal decree…” He shrugged his shoulders. “We cannot even convince them that something amiss has happened to Ponyville. Apparently, several of them have sent envoys and have found nothing of consequence.”

That statement brought Cadence out of her mood and into wide-eyed, almost panicked shock. “WHAT?!” she half screeched across the table, sending no few individuals wincing away from her… but not Shining Armor, blessedly. “That’s a quarantine zone! Who in the name of the goddess broke quarantine!?” Her hooves came up, and she almost slammed the table. Fortunately, Shiny stymied that action before she could disturb the delicate nature of the map.

The unicorn snorted derisively. “Who do you think? The usual suspects. Blueblood, High Horse, Capital Gains, Big Bits, Golden Horde, and a few others.” He shook his head slowly. “Nopony wants to believe their most trusted retainers can be subverted, Princess Cadence. Don’t worry, we’ve already had the individuals in question placed under the strictest surveillance. Should need arise, we can collect them all in a matter of minutes.” He blew out a breath past his impressive mustache, and a hook-stemmed pipe floated out from under the table. “Fortunately, I have good news, once you have calmed yourself.”

Cadence stared at the pony. Of all the individuals in the entire kingdom, only a bare hoof-full could treat her so without worrying about reprisal. Fortunately, General Otto von Clauswitz was one such pony. Legend had it he had taken his name from some ancient and dusty historical tome and had simply refused to answer to any other name until it stuck. He had apparently thought that Vibrant Lily was a name unsuited to being an officer in the Guard.

Cadence slowly put her hooves back on the ground and took a deep and cleansing breath, then nodded at him meaningfully. “I apologize, General. Please, continue.” He was one pony she could not afford to antagonize under any circumstances, in spite of his advanced age and his ‘retirement’ from active duty. He was one of the few guards ponies alive with real combat experience, and more importantly, he still held a considerable amount of political clout in Parliament.

The General nodded and tapped the table with an aged but still strong hoof. “I have spoken with some of my former contemporaries amongst the Guard and instructed them as to the severity of the situation. When the worst finally comes, they will be ready to act.” He blew another breath past his mustache, and a grim look settled into his eyes. “While I have always agreed with the fundamental principles of Equestrian law, this is one instance where I must admit our enemy has outflanked us.”

Cadence silently agreed, even as she tried to find some other scrap of good news. The problem was simple… for more than a thousand years, Princess Celestia had preferred to solve any and all internal conflict with diplomacy and covert action. This preference was directly responsible for the relevant Equestrian laws, which made it illegal to utilize the Guard as an offensive force against Equestrian citizens without, as the law quoted, ‘dire need’ or the direct orders of Princess Celestia.

Since ‘dire need’ was a term that could be endlessly debated by politicians and lawyers alike, she had been utterly stymied by the modern Equestrians natural antipathy toward armed conflict. With concrete information about what had happened to Twilight, and Roam almost suspiciously scarce, Cadence had been fighting a losing battle to get Parliament to agree to provide her with such powers in the face of limited accusations. And since Luna had not yet been grandfathered into those laws, and neither had Cadence, they were essentially shackled to Celestia’s idealism. That was not to say they were utterly powerless, but there was not much they could overtly do… yet.

It was then that the pegasus in uniform cleared his throat, a faint and cocky smile crossing his face. Commander Derecho led the Equestrian Guard’s pegasi forces, but more importantly was the de-facto leader of the Cloudsdale Militia. An utterly informal body of soldiers maintained more by ancient pegasi tradition than anything else, they represented a force several times the size of actual Pegasi Guardsponies. “The Pegasopolis Senate has informed me through our usual channels that they will take up your proposal at the Hearths Warming convocation, Princess Cadence. Sadly, there is not enough evidence to call an emergency session.” Derecho winced a little and looked apologetic as he continued to speak, “But I have it on good authority that your measure is expected to pass.”

Cadence shook her head slowly. For the first time in her entire life, she was thoroughly glad that the Pegasi maintained their stubborn adherence to the old political ways and continued to convene their Senate, in spite of the fact that it had little political authority outside of the pegasus cities. Still… “Belated good news is still good news, Commander,” Cadence said with a slight smile twitching up her lips. It was one more golden token in the ‘good’ pile, and they had perilous few enough of those these days.

So with that high note she let out a deep breath, “Gentlecolts, we’ve done what we can for today. Go get some rest, and we’ll reconvene when Commander Spitfire returns to Canterlot.” Both of the ponies nodded respectfully to her and quietly left the room, leaving her alone with Shining Armor and the map. She leaned back against him and just like he always did, he provided her the sturdy support she simply couldn’t find anywhere else. “No word about where she went?” she asked Shiny softly, hoping he might have gotten a scroll from somepony.

But he shook his head once. “No, but it’s got to be someplace in the south.” She shot him a surprised look, and he half chuckled. “Discord’s stopped staring at the town. He moved to the southern balcony yesterday, and he’s been camped out there. She must have taken Fluttershy with her. South’s full of a lot of dangerous things. Dragon gangs, rogue packs of Diamond Dogs, the Zebrican islands, the Badlands…” He trailed off. Trying to list the dangerous things that were down south was like trying to list the number of reasons Pinkie Pie wanted to party. It was kind of a losing proposition.

Still, south could mean a lot of different places and things. Cadence closed her eyes and tried to focus on the warmth from her husband. She would need to speak to Luna tonight about this, and continue to plan for the defense of her City… and hope that Celestia would return in time.

~~~~~

“I would have words with thee, Discord.”

On most other days, Discord would have turned that into a joke. On most other days, he would have turned it into an entire game of jokes at the end of which he would have turned her mane into something tasty and enjoyed a snack. But on most other days, he wasn’t playing chicken with one of the most dangerous forces in the entire multiverse. So today, he simply gave off a noncomittal sound and kept himself focused.

But it seemed like his noncomittalness was not going to dissuade Princess Luna from speaking to him. “You have been pining for the pegasus for weeks now, Discord. Tis incredibly unlike you,” Luna snarked at him, perching on the hoof-railing on the balcony and blocking his sight of the South. And oh how much did it rankle that she was right. This was utterly unlike him, and he hated it like he hated pears! It was like a year without Santa Hooves! Or cupcakes! Or chocolate milk! In fact, it was WORSE than pears! (He really hated pears.)

But he could not act yet - Oh no! Things were still far, far too uncertain for that. “I’m playing a bigger game than just Fluttershy, Lulu,” he half growled, crossing his limbs over his chest and giving her a sullen glare. That was, of course, a big old Lie, but he needed her to believe that Lie lest she start to think him a softie.. “Umbra isn’t like you or Sunbutt. She’s as ruthless as a crocodile around a pirate ship.” He huffed, turning his gaze back to the South, his eyes narrowing.

But Luna did not seem impressed by his intelligent literary references. “Then why not act swiftly, while she still believes you no more than a fool?” Her question was cautious, but there was a certain amount of cunning in that tone. Moonbutt wasn’t like Sunbutt either. She played by her own set of rules and ran her own long game, just like she was doing now. “Or is there something we are not yet aware of?” she queried, and it took every bit of his considerable willpower not to start monologuing.

His plan was genius, of course. But the problem with genius plans was that you had to keep them quiet, because once you started explaining just how smart you were to anyone who wanted to listen, your plan wasn’t quite so genius anymore. “It’s not the right time,” was all he could say, and it was all he said past clenched teeth. Luna arched a delicate eyebrow at him, and he grabbed one edge of his lips and zipped them shut with a bright metal sound and turned his gaze back resolutely to the South.

Nopony could know what he was going to do. The fact that he was going to do it at all was already something he was having a hard time reconciling with himself, but absolutely nopony could know before he did it. It was the ultimate gamble, the biggest roll of the dice he’d ever undertaken in all of his thousands of years of existence, and that was well and truly saying something. It wasn’t every day you got to make one last bet for all the marbles, and Discord wanted to be absolutely sure he was ready to do it at exactly the right time.

And most importantly of all, that nopony saw it coming.

So he watched.

And waited.

~~~~~Ponyville~~~~~

“Ahn!~”

Rarity’s sweet moan interrupted the serious discussion by Winterlight, who simply raised a single disapproving eyebrow before continuing as she obviously tried to ignore what was going on under the table. Rarity simply grinned at her, mind filled with the promises Twilight had made to her that she could break the pegasus… so long as she was still an effective commander afterwords. A shame she had taken dear Fluttershy with her, but the poor girl really did need to get out and do something. “So, my orders are that we’re going to start spreading to southern settlements in a slower and more controlled pace, and that I’m to take my cue from you.” Winterlight’s voice was pure deadpan, but Rarity couldn’t blame her. She’d been through quite a lot these past few weeks… and she was going to be put through quite a bit more if Rarity had anything to say about it.

She felt a warm shiver of pleasure slink up her spine from the talented little tongue lapping away at her petals as she daintily hooked her rear leg around the head of her slave and shoved it in closer. The slave responded appropriately by redoubling her efforts and giving Rarity a nice little tingle. “Yes, darling. Appleloosa first, and then the rest of the southern expansion towns. Cherry Jubilee will be a positively wonderful assistant.” Rarity fluttered her fan across her face to dry the sweat that threatened to bead up on her brow, feeling a surge of warmth at the thought of the beautiful older pony rutting with her and her beloved.

Winterlight nodded sullenly and glanced around her before speaking again. “I’ll need to go to Twilight Town first. We’re going to need some decoys if we intend to keep the Crusade off of our backs while we work. Which brings me to my other question, have we heard anything about the weather situation?” Winterlight’s words were cold, and Rarity only half payed attention to them at first. She was caught up in visions of the haughty commander broken to a proper level of respect for the Mistress, then perhaps letting Rainbow Dash and her adorable friend Ribbon play their bondage games with her.

Still, the question demanded an answer, and it took Rarity a moment and a stern squeeze to slow down her pleasuring slave to rally the answer from her mind. “Ah, yes. Cloudsdale has apparently ceased making weather shipments and is now positioning them and blowing them in from afar, according to the few Pegasi who are still in town.” She shrugged her shoulders. The weather was still happening, it was simply not being as precise as the weather teams used to be.

That would be fixed quite soon if Twilight had anything to say about it, she was sure. But Winterlight frowned, then sighed. “I see. Thank you for your time, Miss Rarity. My troops will be ready to move by week’s end.” She turned stiffly and walked away, her fine flank more than just a distraction for Rarity before she left the room.

Rarity let out a dramatic sigh and was just about to dismiss her little joy before a clatter of hooves coming down the stairs distracted that thought. “So. How is Little Tia doing, Sis?” Sweetie Belle said in a cheerful and sly voice, with her friend Applebloom in close attendance. Her eyes were just as bright as ever, but Rarity was pleased to see the firm confidence and power of a dominant in her poise and comportment.

Rarity unhooked her leg and grabbed hold of the mane between her legs, dragging up the hollow eyed former Diamond Tiara with a slight smile. “Oh, she’s coming along fabulously. Now, just be certain that once she is fully accepting that you let her spirited self come back. A mindless slave is the sign of the unskilled, dear. We want to bring them joy and happiness in their submission.” She waggled a hoof at Sweetie Belle as she rolled her eyes but nodded in acceptance.

Rarity smirked and shoved the head back down. “Now, go fetch Big Macintosh. I think I’d enjoy a little something more firm for my luncheon break before I get back to work, but I don’t wish to leave the poor boy without a treat to slake his lust in.” She smirked at Sweetie Belle’s excited look and nod before she scampered out the door to find Rarity what she desired… and what Little Tia would soon be experiencing would be good for her training.

In truth, the pleasure was merely a secondary consideration. The new mission her Beloved had bestowed upon her was going to require all of her attention in the coming months, especially with winter threatening upon the horizon. She would need the aid of all her remaining friends and those closest to her to carry it out as well, though poor Applejack was unlikely to be useful for much beyond bait. Still. She could infect a stallion with the Shadow as readily as any of them could, and Big Macintosh would be an absolute delight to have around on the trip. It would almost be like old times….

~~~~~The Camp of the Crusader~~~~~

Scootaloo almost felt like she had before the battle as the vital members of her command staff were piled into the tent, along with one new addition that she was still trying to wrap her head around, and one that fired up a warm flame in her heart. To her right was Zecora, as always. Followed by Scipio and Gilda, Trixie, Berry Punch, Cloud Chaser (who had been chosen to replace Thunderlane by virtue of there being no other pegasus who wanted to be in charge), Skandranon was still standing for the other refugees, and the two newest members of the camp… Pinkie Pie and Star Swirl.

In spite of her origins, Pinkie Pie’s presence in the camp had been the kind of thing that military legends were made of. Although there had been a lot of uncertainty on the dawn of her first day in camp, Pinkie had instantly livened up the place with any number of ad-hoc celebrations and parties to follow the battle. By the end of that first day, there wasn’t a single pony in the camp who doubted that Pinkie had come back from the dark side. Not the least of which reasons were because no matter where she went, the Cake Twins and Mrs. Cake herself followed… and Mrs. Cake hadn’t looked so alive or happy since the passing of her husband.

Just the sight of the once dour and bitter Mrs. Cake once again cheerfully singing a tune while baking the bread for the day, or the two Cake Twins raising pure mischief only to be pulled back to sanity by the omnipresent pink party pony had been like a shot of espresso into the camp’s mood. The unspoken message had flooded through the camp, and the words were on everypony’s lips. The Crusader cured Pinkie Pie and saved her from the Shadow. The Dark Sun’s power can be broken. The force we are fighting isn’t invincible.

We. Can. Win.

That was all it took to revitalize her troops, and Scootaloo wasn’t going to look a giftpony in the mouth. Truth be told though, it was the presence of the mysterious unicorn wizard who had identified himself as Star Swirl that had her excited. He wasn’t just good, he was Twilight good. Easily magnitudes more powerful than Trixie… so much so that it had taken only twenty minutes of discussion with the older stallion to convince Trixie that her time leading the camp’s unicorns was at an end. Still, she had demanded a spot at the table, and it was a small price to pay for peace and quiet to give it to her.

Still, Scootaloo knew there was more to his story than ‘Princess Luna Sent Me’ as he’d told her upon arrival. He had already performed no less than six spells Scootaloo had never even heard of, and seemed to know far more about the Shadow than anypony else in camp. “We’ve confirmed that Caedryn was captured by Winterlight’s troops and is currently being held somewhere in Twilight Town,” she announced quietly to the table, rapping her hoof upon it to get silence and attention. “Since the Doe left for some unspecified mission, we’re not going to be getting any replacement troops from that end until we can speak with her.”

That got some frowns, but mostly weary nods of acceptance. Nopony here thought they’d be getting much more help from that quarter after the Deerfolk had gotten slaughtered at the battle, and they frankly couldn’t blame them. Scootaloo glared around before speaking again, glad that no one was raising stupid questions. “Fortunately, we’ve got good news. Spitfire is going to be able to keep this camp supplied and comfortable through the winter months and beyond.” That got a considerable wreath of smiles around the table, and Scootaloo was as glad as anyone for the news.

She held up a hoof, though she didn’t need to, to get silence once again. “That being said, winter isn’t going to be a slow season for us. Not much is going to be moving, but we’re going to be preparing none the less.” She nodded to Scipio. “From here on out, all of us ponies are going to train with the Praetorians and Crescent Blade’s Lunar Guard. By the time spring rolls around, we’re going to have to be ready for the fight of our lives.” She exhaled softly, then glanced back around the faces sitting at the table.

She had never imagined that she’d be doing this. Commanding troops like a real general, getting into real fights and with real death. But that was the world she’d been thrown into… and she wasn’t about to stop now. She had to save her friends. She wasn’t sure how she was going to get to them yet, but she knew they could be cured… if only they could be convinced to give up whatever the Shadow had done to them.

Her eyes settled on Star Swirl, who nodded minutely. She was going to need to have a serious talk with him and soon, but right now she needed to make sure the camp knew they were in preparation mode. There would be other raids, other disruptions… but now Scootaloo knew the only way she could help end this was to be ready for the day when this whole ‘false peace’ came crashing down around everypony’s ears. So she focused on Berry Punch, and stabbed her hoof towards her. “Which means we need to get started, right now. Berry - how many ponies can we outfit in decent weapons and armor at any given time?”

~~~~~Somewhere in Southern Equestria~~~~~

Twilight tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and squinted up at the gray skies above her head. Finally back in Equestrian territory not under her control, she realized how quickly the autumn had come upon them. Even now, the leaves were beginning to turn colors and the weather starting to sour, even this far south. “This could be a problem,” she murmured as Mother strode up alongside her and gazed up into the gray clouds.

Umbra nodded once, but said nothing. Twilight did not blame her, as there was little they two could do about the Equestrian Weather Service. Worse still, they would soon be exiting the bubble of weather control that Equestria maintained and heading into the Badlands, where rogue weather ruled the day. She shivered a little in atavistic reaction to such a situation, but she knew her duty. Events were quickly spiraling out of her ability to control them, and she needed to quickly reassert that control before things got completely out of hoof.

Umbra spoke softly, turning her head back to the rough trail in front of them. “We shall need to fly if we intend to make any kind of time. It will be difficult having to search for the Hive, rather than knowing where to look…” Umbra’s mouth twisted at that one, and so did Twilight’s. By this phase of the plan she was supposed to have the loyalty of the Equestrian government, or at least enough elements within it to give her the intelligence she needed to find and deal with Chrysalis.

But with Celestia and Luna still missing and her letters to Cadence having gone unanswered, she simply had to admit that other forces had moved against her plans far swifter than she’d accounted for. This White Doe, whoever she was, had to be dealt with and soon, as did the mysterious wizard that Mother had spoken of. But even more importantly, she had to do something about poor Scootaloo.

Why hadn’t Applebloom or Sweetie Belle told her that she’d seen them be Shadowtouched and then run in fear? She still was trying to wrap her head around that one, but perhaps it had to simply be chalked up to their youth. It was still a serious problem. Somepony was… manipulating the poor filly into some kind of figurehead to rally other ponies against her. It sickened her in a way nothing else to this point had, and it was plain and simply a sign.

She could no longer hesitate. What she had planned for the changelings might be monstrous in a certain light, but Umbra had been right when she said a leader must take such decisions upon herself. She glanced behind her, where Fluttershy waited in silence with her head turned to the north as it always did. Twilight was only now beginning to realize what she must have been looking toward, and the thought sent an ache through her heart for her friend. “Will she be able to keep up?” Twilight asked quietly, and Umbra cocked her head toward Fluttershy.

The shy yellow pony gave a little start and a faint blush of red crossed her cheeks. “Oh! Um… I should be fine. I’m actually a lot quicker than I used to be, so long as I take breaks.” Fluttershy rubbed at her foreleg and cast her eyes to the ground. She was even more reserved than she used to be, but was far more prone to bursts of sudden socialization. “I’m sorry I’m so… distracted, Twilight. I truly am.”

Twilight just shook her head and trotted over to gently embrace her friend. Her first creation in the new world she intended to create… and now that she realized it, much more than that. Fluttershy had been proof that the world could be united… so long as Twilight was prepared to do what was necessary. “Don’t be sorry, Fluttershy. It’s alright.” Twilight gave her best brave smile and kissed Fluttershy’s cheek. She already had a plan on how to use what Fluttershy had taught her to begin that unification. “Just let us know when you need to rest, and we’ll do some shadow jumping.”

Twilight turned and spread her own wings wide. Wings she had stolen from a beautiful, broken maiden in order to save the world she loved. Wings that sometimes she could have sworn still showed flashes of white feathers when she was not paying attention, but they would carry her to where she needed to go. She would make certain all of those who had sacrificed of themselves would not have died in vain.

No matter what it took to do so.

~~~~~The War Camp of Amaterasu~~~~~

A sudden burst of sound startled Celestia to wakefulness, her coat still sticky with sweat and… other things as a pair of glittering golden eyes stared at her in the darkness of the tent. Fortunately, Whisper was a heavy sleeper and the guards knew that Moon Dancer was permitted to go wherever Celestia went. “What…?” was all she could stumble out of her jumbled tongue before she identified the worry and anger in Moon Dancer’s eyes. Even worse was her tone of voice - a combination of frustration and fury as she spoke.

“We have a problem, Princess. Come with me, right now.”

Author's Note

Yeah, I know it's Christmas but... well, I got it written, so I figured what the hell.

Merry Hearthswarming, everypony! (Next update will be...Soonish.)

Chapter 22 - Cruel Necessity

The land lay out before her like a velvet carpet of the richest possible green, dotted with stands of beautiful trees blooming with flowers of a vibrant pink that Celestia had never seen before in her entire life. The sight was breathtaking instantly as the plains rolled down toward a broad river, and beyond that a vast and darkly plumaged forest that stood in stark contrast to the vibrancy of the flowers in the trees. “Goddess, they’re amazing,” she half whispered as the moonlight poured down amongst them. “But… Moon Dancer, what is wrong about these?” Her confusion was strong, but she wasn’t going to dismiss Moon Dancer because of a little confusion. For all she knew she was simply missing something.

Moon Dancer blinked at her, then shook her head as if to clear a thought. “Those are Sakura trees, Princess.” She pointed her hoof at the beautiful pink blossoms as they swayed gently in the breeze. “ Silent mo-” She cut off the name, then took a deep and heavy breath before speaking again, “My marefriend took me to see a small grove of them that was maintained by some kind of meditative monastery high up in the mountains.” She took to the wing and darted down to one of the trees, actually quite gracefully. When she returned with a blossom, she hoofed it over to Celestia. “They kept them because Sakura trees are uniquely sensitive to the turning of the seasons. They only bloom for the two weeks before the first day of summer and two weeks before the first day of winter.”

It took a moment as she breathed in the heady aroma of the blossom to absorb those words. “What!? But…” Celestia nearly whirled on the batpony, spitting out the words as she went. “That would mean winter is going to begin only a few days after Nightmare Night, and that’s impossible!” It had to be impossible. She knew the Equestrian weather service schedule like the back of her hoof. Winter wasn’t due to begin until just a few weeks before Hearths Warming. A late start to make up for the heavy blizzards they were going to lay down this year.

But Moon Dancer shook her head. “Celestia, has it occured to you that there aren’t any pegasi here? Or at least, none that we’ve seen?” She crossed her hooves over her chest, her golden eyes narrowing and her tone… sinister. “Who do you think manages the weather around here? Because I can tell you right now that somepony does.” She waved her hoof airily toward the cloud-free skies that allowed the bright moonlight to pour onto the plains. “See up there? No signs of rogue weather. No out of control clouds, and we haven’t had a single day of rain since we arrived. It’s supposed to be early fall.”

Celestia stared up at the sky… and wondered why she hadn’t put the pieces together herself. Unicorns could control the weather if they put their minds to it, but they were simply not as good at it as pegasi were. They couldn’t handle cloud wrangling alone, and doing storm work required them to be active in the middle of the storm in question, and that was only two reasons out of an entire list of them. That meant… “Goddess preserve me,” she half whispered, touching her hoof to her mouth. Winter was going to hit mere days before they reached the coast. And I’ve no doubt there will be a truly epic storm to greet us there, she thought bitterly, closing her eyes and wishing she could rest her head on something.

Moon Dancer snorted. “Yeah, thats what I said. There’s no way in Tartarus we’re going to get this army to Equestria before winter hits. Even if we took control and marched today, we’d be crossing the eastern seas during the most dangerous time of the year.” The batpony trotted over and stared out into the beauty of the pastoral scene before them, her voice firm. “We’ve been played, Princess. I’m sorry.” She did sound sorry too… almost bitterly so.

Celestia took a deep breath and forced herself to think. She would not allow emotion or anger to cloud her judgement in this, she had to determine why this had happened and what had been the calculus behind it. No matter how desperate she was to return to Twilight… And perhaps therein lay the key. Desperation to keep her here, or perhaps to avoid getting into a costly and difficult war in a foreign land. Anyone could have been responsible, right up to the Empress herself. There were, of course, ways to fix this. Easy solutions. Solutions that were violent, dark, and as morally deplorable as anything in the entire world. Solutions that, were Celestia any other pony, she might easily be able to rationalize given what was going on in Equestria.

But it was ‘easy solutions’ that had gotten her here in the first place. The easy solution had been to contain Twilight until she could be cured, and look what that had wrought. No, she was going to need to do this the hard way… and Equestria was going to have to suffer for it. Not for the first time these past weeks, Celestia desperately wished to simply break down and weep. She wished she had the time or the luxury to do just that, to damn the world and simply turn inward upon herself for a time until she could get control over her emotions… but she did not have the time. Her foe moved with the speed of a lightning bolt.

She had precious few resources to draw on that would not… well, the weapons that remained secreted in her saddle bags might certainly make all of this a moot point, but the damage they would do might be catastrophic. Winter was necessary to ensure that life could thrive. The earth needed to rest beneath the cold snow so that it could bring forth growth renewed in the spring. This was the way of things, and not even the merciless gaze of the sun could change that.

So she took another deep breath and forced down the pain and terror, right down into her gut. She forced it down, bottled it up, and stowed it away within the dark recesses of her soul. She would be delayed a minimum of three or four moons, and possibly longer if the spring was a violent one. She now had to accept the fact that her precious land would once again be plunged into civil war, and that worse still, her window to save Twilight’s soul might have long since passed by then.

When she at last opened her eyes again, she knew they would have changed. “Moon Dancer. I have a mission for you,” she said in the calmest of tones. The batpony stared at her jerkily, as though she had yelled. Perhaps there was something in her voice, but she no longer cared. “You must carry a message to Luna. I dare not send a scroll by magic given the sensitivity of the missive. You will leave the camp tonight, under cover of darkness.” Celestia gazed up at the moon, the memory of a time so many centuries ago now stabbing at her heart. “I will ensure no creature can track you in the light of day.”

“But…” Moon Song began hesitantly, and she licked her lips almost nervously. “You’re in danger here, Princess. Somepony’s got to watch your back.” Her tone was soft and concerned, but Celestia did not need to pay it heed.

It was true, she was in some kind of danger here. But it was not danger of physical harm or the danger of her being trapped. It was a danger of the heart, that she had let her emotions and her concern carry her away from noticing her foes biting at her withers. Like Nightmare Moon, all over again. Except this time… This time, she would not lose Twilight. She would not lose her for a thousand years, leaving her alone and cold in the world once again. No. This time, she would wrest that creature from Twilight’s soul and bind it forever in chains forged of pure sunlight. She would make it clear to all the creatures of the world the dark demon responsible for this madness, and if anypony tried to defy her… This time, she would not hesitate to defend that which she loved. Whatever the cost might be.

But for now, she needed to act swiftly and decisively. “No, Moon Dancer. I will be fine.” She turned resolutely on the spot, fetching quill, ink, and parchment from her bag. “You must take this missive to Luna. They will need my word to mobilize the Guard.” The words flowed from the quill mechanically, the stern print of a royal decree had to be unmistakable. “Inform her that she is to find General Clausewitz, and place him in direct command. If he cannot be found...” Her voice broke for a moment, as she tried to contemplate a world in which Otto von Clausewitz had been taken by the darkness, and found it too horrible to bear. “Then she is to take command personally. Equestria must be defended… and she will know what must be done.”

The missive so written, she extracted a lump of golden wax and her horn lit to a brighter power as she focused a single intense ray of heat upon the tip, dripping it upon the document in damning globules of wax. A moment later, she pressed the royal seal into the stuff, feeling the hammerblow in her soul at what she was effectively ordering. It would be decades, perhaps even centuries, before the memory of this act would be forgotten…But fate often demanded cruel necessities.

Moon Dancer had fallen silent as Celestia stuffed the scroll into the message case and offered it to her. For a few long moments, Moon Dancer did nothing and simply stared at the case. Then she sighed and nodded once. “Okay. But…” She brandished a hoof at Celestia, her eyes narrow. “You promise me that you won’t trust anyone unless you can absolutely verify they’re on the level. We can’t afford to lose you because you got cocky, Princess. There’s nopony else who can do what you can.”

Celestia opened her mouth to dismiss such an absurd notion… but snapped it shut. She’s right, damn her eyes. She could not afford the pitfalls of overconfidence, nor to be hamstrung by unseen tripwires. “I promise,” she half whispered, knowing that her new attitude was going to be hard on one particular pony she had no desire to harm… even if that pony was foolishly the one behind this all. I shall have to verify her first then. There are ways, even if they will not be easy on her… or me.

Moon Dancer nodded, grabbing the case in her mouth and tucking it into her saddlebags. “I’ve got some contacts in the ports here. I oughta be able to find a ship without too much trouble. Gonna take me a few weeks to get to Canterlot undetected though. I don’t want Winterlight to know I’m there till it’s too late.” Moon Dancer glanced up at the moon and nodded once. “Be safe, Princess. See you after the winter.” And then she was gone, zipping up into the sky without a further word.

Celestia watched her vanish into the night, then turned back toward camp. She was going to have to have words with Whisper… and they were not going to be enjoyable ones.

~~~~~Somewhere in the Badlands~~~~~

Luna’s moon soared through the skies as Twilight carefully tapped the last tent stake into place, glad for the lessons Rainbow Dash had given her on the subject so long ago. Magic was fantastic as tool but not so good at replacing actual skill. Mother was… away for the moment, searching through the caves and shadows in the area for signs of the Hive. She needed no sleep... or at least, needed no sleep beyond that which Twilight got.

Fluttershy, on the other hoof, had been so exhausted after the day’s travel that she’d curled up and immediately gone to sleep upon the decision to make camp. Twilight had been concerned at first, but just a touch of the shadow confirmed that she simply needed a little rest. That left her alone for the first time in…. well, seemingly forever. The world whirled silently around her as a touch of magic lit a pile of tumblewood into a campfire and a burning twig lit the pair of oil lanterns hanging near the edge of camp. Even if she was certain she could handle any danger that might come by, it was best to take as few chances as possible.

Those tasks accomplished, she tossed out a big soft blanket next to the fire and curled up into it to stare at the flames. How long had it been since she’d taken an evening just for herself? To play games with her friends, or to curl up with a good book? Not since before the Summer Sun Celebration and… everything happened. Saving the world was never easy, but this time… This time its different. You’ve already had to take so many severe steps, and you’re not even close to done.

Twilight felt tired. Not… physically tired. In fact, she hadn’t really felt physical tiredness for a long time now. No, she felt mentally exhausted. She needed to rest, to restore herself, and there was simply no time. Of course, after this… after this there might be time. The solution had been so utterly simple, of course. A simple application of an enemy’s strength turned into a weakness that could be exploited. There were complications to that, but most of them she could bypass with Umbra’s help.

Twilight closed her eyes, trying not to think of what she was about to take on herself and tried instead to think of something… anything else. What had happened to her family, and Cadence? What had happened to Shiny after Winterlight had overstepped her authority? And most importantly and terrifyingly of all, where was Celestia and why had she vanished so suddenly?

It simply didn’t make sense. Celestia wasn’t the sort of pony to be running off for no good reason. There had to be something important behind it, and Twilight didn’t buy the ‘sudden diplomatic needs’ horsepucky that Mrs. Inkwell’s form letter had claimed. No, Celestia didn’t leave Canterlot unless there were world-shaking events in the offing, and that deeply troubled Twilight. She should have been there, been on hoof when events began to go out of control. She could be there right now, alongside her teacher and her closest companion ensuring the safety of Equestria. Other threats could have waited, if this was so dire as to summon Celestia to a faraway land.

But alas, she had been so caught up in her own crusade that she had forgotten about her greater responsibilities. She could only hope that Celestia would forgive her when she returned. Perhaps then they could finally talk, and Twilight could finally explain what was going on. Maybe another Ghastly Gorge would never be needed. Maybe… just maybe she could end this without another war against her own kind.

But perhaps that was far too naive of her. She would need to prove, beyond any shadow of a doubt, that she was doing the right thing. She would need to do so in such a way that nopony could deny her dedication to Equestria and the innocent citizens therein. She needed, in short, to deal with Chrysalis once and for all. Surely then Cadence would realize that it had simply been a misunderstanding. Surely then Shiny would write her back again.

Surely then, things would be okay.

She didn’t even realize the tears were falling until a soft hoof brushed them away. She didn’t even realize her shivers of pain and loneliness until a warm body pressed up against her side… not Mother, no. Mother was still far afield. “You should be asleep, Fluttershy,” Twilight whispered, trying to hide her tears in shame. She had to be strong for her friends… so they would all be safe from the horrors of what had to be done. No matter how much it hurt to push them away, she could not let them carry this burden as she did.

“I will sleep later,” Fluttershy murmured softly, nuzzling her cheek with nothing more than gentle affection against Twilight’s. “You’re crying right now, not after I’ve woken up.” That seemed to be the end of it as far as she was concerned, as a warm, ethereal wings wrapped around her and gently held her to Fluttershy’s body. “It’s okay, Twilight. I’m there too.”

The words were initially confusing, and Twilight worked her lips silently for a moment as she tried to find the right thing to say about it, but… Nothing came out. Fluttershy’s head craned to the north for a moment, her voice sad. “I miss my friend, Twilight.” Her whisper was half a sob, half a bitter declaration. “For all of his strangeness, for all of his ill-behavior, he was still my friend. He understood me, knew every horrible thing about me, and he didn’t care one bit. He liked me just the way I was.”

Twilight could only feel the lump in her throat grow at every word, because to be honest she’d never even considered how Fluttershy would feel about Discord. There is so much you’ve failed to account for already, Twilight. What’s one more thing? The thought was bitter indeed, but she would take her medicine like a good filly, bitter or not. “I’m sorry, Fluttershy.” It seemed the only thing she could say given how impossible it was to now fix. Discord and Umbra seemed to have a mutually antagonistic relationship… not surprising, given that they were probably just as old as one another.

Discord would not accept mere reconciliation. He feared Umbra to a certain extent, and he would want Fluttershy back unmolested or touched by the Shadow if for no other reason than to ensure his safety. Though Twilight bitterly disagreed with the calculus involved, she could not disagree that it was a smart precaution from his perspective. “It’s okay, Mistress,” Fluttershy whispered softly, turning her head back and gently returning to her nuzzling. “You’ve just got to slow down a little. You’ve been rushing to-and-fro so very much, and we’re all worried about you… You need to come back to Ponyville for a while and stay. Relax.”

Her words had subtly shifted in tone, from sadness to a soothing lilt. Twilight felt herself becoming drowsy and warm under them, her eyes half lidding and muscles long tensed slowly un-knotting. She felt her mouth form half-formed sounds of pain and denial, but they were gently whisked away by a soft hoof. “Hush now… Quiet now,” Fluttershy murmured, the whisper-silk feel of her wings brushing along Twilight’s shoulders felt rather nice actually. “Time to rest your head…” Her words penetrated past all of the worry and fear, ebbing them away like a warm bath.

Twilight felt her eyes droop down to closed as a warm darkness flooded in around her, and sleep finally came as Fluttershy’s voice drifted into her dreams.

“I’ll keep you safe, Twilight… even from her.”

~~~~~~

Far away from the camp, Umbra felt her beloved drift into sleep and felt a sigh of relief escape her mortal body. As much fun as she had with a physical form again, she was actually quite thankful for the unconscious displays of emotion it seemed prone to. It made it easier to keep track of her internal thoughts when she was busy worrying about other things… like her poor beloved’s mental state.

Umbra had now long ago discarded any notion that what she felt was anything other than a wonderful blessing, and a sign from the Creator that at last she’d hit upon the right thing to do. Love, it seemed, had been the missing ingredient from the mixture that would see her power restored and the world returned to its rightful monarch. Perhaps if she had only been wiser, she might have seen the power of this emotion long, long ago. But then, she would never have met Twilight Sparkle. So perhaps, it was better this way.

Her mind ranged across the shadows of the Badlands as she leapt from butte to crevasse to mountainside, sending her power deep into the caves to find the signs. Signs that would lead her to one of her earliest experiments, one that had created a race which subsisted solely on stolen emotional energy. The signs of biological cement and discarded chitin, and the subtle waves of energy that each and every changeling gave off. All of which would lead her back to-

Her mind hit a wall of power, almost like a sphere of force and recoiled in sudden alarm. At first, the sphere did nothing, not even bothering to notice her presence… and then it shifted slightly, as the attention of that power turned to where she had impacted it. Umbra stared into the unseen power in fascination as it bubbled and flexed, retreating into the Shadow to see what would happen.

Within mere moments, a small swarm of beetle like changeling drones buzzed in from a far deeper cave and lit the area with their pseudo horns. The sick green light swept through the area, but could not find purchase on Umbra’s shadow as they searched for the interloper. She half smiled, watching the tiny strands of green energy tugging and twitching from around the changeling’s auras and shook her head in silent amazement. Twilight had been right - the Swarm, lacking any direction from her or the Shadowtouched, had evolved and created a replacement for her.

A Queen.

In truth, Umbra was very much looking forward to meeting this Queen Chrysalis. For all of her considerable life, she had always been fascinated by how organic life adapted to changing circumstances. A product, she was certain, of her Creator’s own fascination with the subject. The Swarm itself was also acting in a curiously different manner - far more focused and driven than she had ever managed to make it. Benefits of this Queen I must presume. Though Twilight had been certain Chrysalis would not cooperate, Umbra had a faint hope that she could be persuaded to join her cause. A creature that had evolved specifically to fill a role cast in her own image might be a fascinating lover indeed.

The swarm of changelings departed the area quickly, and Umbra felt a smirk cross her face. Finding the hive would still be very difficult, but at least she now had a place to start. It did not take her long to both flee the cave and memorize her path to where she had encountered the bubble, and so found herself left with a night sky filled with brilliant stars and nothing particular to do. Her lover needed to rest, and the yellow one was likely sleeping still as well.

So in the silence of the night, she simply perched upon a particularly tall bit of rock and watched the moon gently drift overhead. She often wondered if the Creator was still out there, still plying her artistry upon the cosmos. She wondered what Twilight might think of her… And then blushed horribly as she realized she was thinking of it in terms of introducing one’s fiancee to one’s parents. It was embarrassing.

Then she felt it.

The subtle twinge of the wind.

The whisper of summer warmth upon her skin.

The soft sigh of the earth as it gave way to its guardian.

She whirled in place, every inch of her black fur standing on end as the White Doe stood silently, mere feet away from her. She had changed not one iota in the millenium since they had last confronted one another. Her subtle, soft blue eyes and pure-as-the-driven snow coat a polar opposite to her inky blackness. Were their species not different, they would have been perfect opposites of one another. Appropriate, given that it was what they were.

At first she said nothing, her cheeks still burning red with the thoughts of only a few moments before. The Doe wore nor armor nor armament, her horns were not clad in the golden steel of the Hart… She had not come to make war. Umbra felt some of the tension go out of her spine, but still felt wary. She could barely recall the last time the Doe had come to her like this - unclad and unadorned, her carriage as gentle as she had ever seen it. When had been the last time?

“Just before the fall of the Mad Zebrican, Mab,” The Doe’s voice was soft, almost gentle. It was full of the whispering winds of the earth over which she held sway, and as deep in strength as the roots of the mountain. “When I came to you and begged you to surrender yourself, that I might spare you the harm of being sealed into the book once again. A very, very long time ago, now.”

The Doe took a single gentle step toward her and Mab took an equal step back away from her. The Doe’s voice remained soft, but there was almost a… pride there. “I had thought for so very long that no creature could possibly sway your dark soul. To know that there is indeed something out there you care for more than yourself is… a wonderful thing. Who is she, Mab?” Her voice took on a subtle, teasing tone… almost… almost….

Umbra banished that thought away and growled back at the infuriating creature. “You will not take one step toward her, Titania. You will not touch her, lest I rip the soul from every one of your precious deerfolk children and use them for practice!” She slammed her hoof into the ground and the earth shook beneath them, keening at the feel of her dark forces slamming against them. “Why have you come here? To taunt me? I will not take such actions kindly, Titania.” Her temper was getting away from her, but she could not suppress the fear within her soul. The Doe was more than capable of spiriting Twilight away right now if she knew where to find her, and if she did so, everything would be lost.

But the Doe shook her head slowly, her eyes sad. “No, dear one. I have come to once again beg you to cast aside this foolishness and come home before more are slaughtered for your pointless greed. We shall provide you and the one you love with protection, hide you both away from the world so that none may harm you.” She took a step forward again, and once again Umbra gave ground with a growl of warning. The Doe spoke slightly more firmly, her eyes narrowed. “You cannot succeed, Mab. And this time, your arrogance will cost you far more than your freedom if you do not give way. I may regret the cruel necessity of what I must do, but I will do it just the same.”

Umbra licked dry lips for a moment, then slammed her eyes shut. It was true that no matter how brilliant her plans, the Doe had always found a way to thwart her. And this time… this time she truly did have far more to lose in the offing of those plans. But that only meant she finally had the one thing she’d never had before - a reason to fight on beyond any and all reason. “No, Titania. I will not give way. I know you all too well, and know what you will do to me if I surrender to you.” She felt the shiver of fear down her spine, but it was banished a moment later. She was… calm. Almost oddly so. “Your promises ring hollow, dear one. We both know you could not bear for one moment any creature being under my sway, no matter what she might mean to me.”

The Doe stared at her in shock at that, and Umbra smiled bitterly. “You will lock me up in that book again, as is the duty he set you. Whatever you might promise, Sister, we both know that you will never, ever defy his commands. No matter what you might claim.” She could feel the bitterness of her words seeping out from her teeth and tried to reign it in. She was not going to let her anger at that abominable relation make her vulnerable.

The Doe sighed softly. “And yet, still you blame me for what he did to you, Sister? That my existence stands as a testament to what has been taken from you? That the power the Hart ripped from you is the very reason I came into being at all?” She sounded sad again, and it infuriated Umbra. But the Doe shook her head again. “We were meant to exist like this, Mab. Black to White, Light to Dark. It is the way the world must be, for there must be a balance in all things. I only wish for you to accept that, and attend to your duties alongside me, for we are one and the same!” Her words thundered across the ground, and the earth shook beneath her hooves.

The Doe’s voice began to raise, to the point where she was actually yelling at her. “Do you think I enjoy imprisoning you? Do you think I do not weep every time I must lock you within that infernal tome so that the world would be made safe from your madness? Do you think I do not care for you!?” Overhead, clouds began to darken and coalesce, and Umbra felt her power gathering within her. A battle against the Doe would never be a certain thing, but it was becoming clear she would have to defend herself.

But the anger drained from the Doe’s eyes as she crouched low in a combat position, replaced only by weary resignation and sadness. “Because I do, dear one. I love you, for you are as much a part of me as I am a part of you.” Then she closed her eyes, her voice firming and steadying. “There is still more than time, Sister,” The Doe whispered softly, as she turned in place and the darkening clouds dispersed. “You need only come to the Wood, and we will see to the safety of you and your loved one.” She turned away fully, as Umbra felt all of the tense power drain away from her, staring after the silent and still form of Titania. Her words were low as she spoke for the last time, firm and unyielding. “But if you force my hoof to battle again, it will be for the last time.”

And then she was gone in a burst of tumbleweeds and dust, leaving Umbra once again alone under the cold and distant moonlight. She bit hard at her lower lip for a moment and took a deep and cleansing breath. The cruel necessity of what she had to do was as clear as the cold skies now above her head. Whatever Titania… whatever her so-called sister might say… she would reclaim her power and retake this world, as it was meant to be.

And she would do it with Twilight at her side, because she truly did love her.

No matter how frightening that might be.

Author's Note

As a side note, I am deeply sorry for how long this chapter has taken. Hopefully, I'll be able to rectify that issue quickly.

The Twilight Diary has hit a slight delay due to... well, okay ,the scene didn't turn out that good. I needed to do some rewriting. I'm gonna give it a shot tonight, and if It comes out good I'll post it before I go to bed tonight.

Thank you all for your patience, and I hope I'll be able to get a new update out sooner than 8 days later.

Chapter 23 - Survival of the Fittest

~~~~~Beneath the Badlands~~~~~

Three dark figures stood, swathed in cloaks of shadow as a dim light peered forth from a gently floating lantern. No words needed to be exchanged… all three who stood there knew the risk and importance of what they were about to do. Still, Twilight felt a little nervous. “Fluttershy, you understand why…” she half began, but Fluttershy touched her shoulder and smiled. She had understood the first time, and Twilight knew it.

Umbra shook her head. “We must go. We’re going to need to get very close to the center of this presence if I hope to disrupt it.” Her inky-eyes narrowed as she stared into the dimness of the cave. The light really wasn’t necessary for any of them now, but Twilight found the presence of a little illumination to be comforting. “It is a surprisingly robust magical signal. Astonishingly so, actually.” She prodded the air in front of her again, and Twilight wished she could see the physical field Umbra saw.

Twilight half nodded, beginning to walk toward the tunnel Umbra had marked. “We never managed to figure out just how powerful Chrysalis’ control over the swarm was, or the range of it. We could be walking for a while.” She half-shuttered the lantern, her eyes not even needing to become accustomed to the light as every shadow in the cave was as bright as a moonlit evening to her, casting the room in a strange and ethereal glow.

Umbra just chuckled, a rolling rich sound that filled up Twilight’s ears and made her cheeks burn a little. “Do not be so worried, my daughter. It will not take as long as you think, once we have found some of the creatures.” She arched an eyebrow at Twilight and smiled slowly. “Or do you not think we will manage to keep entertained?” A brief brush of power against her nethers made Twilight jump in place, a yelp of sound crawling its way out of her throat, and sending her to half-glare at her mother, Umbra’s laugh once again filling the air.

Fluttershy, astonishingly, actually gave off a soft laugh. “You two… you act like a married couple.” There was a gentle warmth, almost a humor in her voice as she trotted on past. Even in the dim light, her wings gave off a jewel like glimmer, and a very distracting one at that. Twilight couldn’t help herself, she stared at her and noted that Umbra was doing the same. Fluttershy winked. “It’s cute.” And flounced heedlessly down the tunnel, forcing Twilight to scramble to keep up.

Twilight kept herself as focused as she could, eyeballing the oddly shaped tunnels around her. There were unquestionable signs of the place having been modified in the recent past, but also signs of much older workings. How long had there been changelings down here? More importantly, how many of them were down here? Oh, she had the Equestrian guesstimates, but none of those had accounted for the possibility of a hive of this potential size.

Still, she saw no difficulties with her plan regardless of the actual numbers her foe possessed. In truth, the more changelings there were, the better for herself and for the world when she was done. Fluttershy stayed close to her, almost close enough to touch as they walked in otherwise companionable silence. Mother had insisted she could keep them hidden from detection at first, promising that she knew how to disrupt the natural senses of a Changeling. Once they got to the point where they could be seen though…

Well, that was the tricky part, as it always was. “Here…” Umbra whispered softly as they slipped past a particularly massive stalactite. “How cunning. Hidden off the crevasse… follow me, my lovelies.” She took to the wing a moment later, and Twilight hurried to follow her. It was still awkward to fly in precision like this, though Mother guiding her wings made it ever so much easier. Fluttershy, on the other hoof, was as graceful as the butterfly she now resembled.

It was odd, she mused as they descended in Mother’s wake. She had never intended to improve Fluttershy’s ability to fly, merely expand upon the powers and abilities she already had. She was beginning to wonder what other sort of… unintentional improvements she’d created. The Hippogriffs were advancing well through their own transformation, and should be perfectly capable of breeding in a few months. But Fluttershy… was currently unique. She’d been formed in the crucible of Twilight’s power, and there was no telling just how far her strength had gone.

“We are here,” Mother’s voice cut through her thoughts, and she turned to the otherwise invisible crack in the wall. If Mother hadn’t pointed it out, she would’ve missed it completely. “A clever use of darkness and light. See how the shadow overlaps…” Umbra stroked her hoof down the wall with a half smile. “Old lessons re-played anew. I can sense guards in the passage, waiting for potential interlopers.”

Twilight felt a lump swallow into her throat, then exhaled silently. “Guess that means you’re up,” she half whispered, looking toward her friend. It was so odd to think of Fluttershy as a weapon… but in a sense, that was what she had become. More than friend, more than an asset, and all the more painful for what she had to ask her to do.

But Fluttershy nodded, and in the darkness she gave a gentle smile. “Stop worrying, Mistress. You know I prefer a peaceful solution to violence.” A soft cheek nuzzled against Twilight’s, and Fluttershy spoke softly just for her. “Promise me we will try not to hurt anypony, Twilight. Please.” Her tone was begging, but there was something else there… some undercurrent that Twilight couldn’t describe. It felt like.,. Worry. But… Worry for whom? And why?

Twilight didn’t know. It was a feeling she was having more and more often, and it was certainly not one she enjoyed. It was increasingly feeling like events were spiraling further out of her control. But at least here, Twilight could feel some solid ground. “We’ll do what we can, Fluttershy. But if Chrysalis tries to fight us…” She slowly tapered off, remembering the last time they had engaged the Changeling Queen in combat. It hadn’t ended well, but Twilight had been a different pony then. They all had.

Fluttershy nodded, her eyes soft and sad in the dimness. “I know. There’s only so much we can do.” She turned back to the crack in the wall and exhaled. “I’ll just be glad when all of this is over I suppose.” And off she went, her gentle wings propelling her along toward the Changelings… and Twilight’s fervent hope that her theories and magic would work as planned.

After all, wanting all of this to be over was a sentiment she could get behind.

~~~~~~

Fluttershy wished Dashie was here.

In spite of the vast gulf of differences between them, Rainbow Dash had always inspired Fluttershy to greater heights of bravery, even if those heights hadn’t been particularly… um… heighty. Still. She’d been a source of courage for Fluttershy, ever since they’d met as fillies in flight camp. And now, practically walking right into the dense Changeling hive and waggling her plot in their faces felt like walking out on stage in front of all those cameras had been.

The fact that this time she had something they couldn’t know about, couldn’t possibly be prepared for, and couldn’t defend against…. well, that helped a little. Kinda. It was still super scary, but not so much that she couldn’t get in there and do it. The fact that the alternative… Fluttershy didn’t want to think too hard about the alternative. What had happened in Roam could have been avoided completely, if only Mistress had been a bit more patient.

Patience inevitably brought her thoughts to the subject of him. Even here, in this dark and dangerous place, her thoughts went to him and how lonely he must be. Only a surety that such a meeting would endanger him had kept her from flying off to Canterlot in worry. She couldn’t be with him right now and… and she was sure he understood, but it didn’t make it hurt any less. But being caught between two friends was always difficult, as Fluttershy knew from long experience, but things would work out. She was sure of it.

She just had to make sure she had enough time.

Twilight… Poor, dear, sweet Twilight was so far in over her head, it was a marvel she hadn’t seen it yet. Not even Rarity, who was normally so good at noticing when other ponies were getting in too deep, had noticed the signs. Fortunately, Fluttershy had, and just as surely she knew Twilight wasn’t going to be inclined to listen to anypony on the subject. So. She would just need to make sure things were okay herself this time. And that meant she had to...

Her wings carried her forward, into the small cave full of dense clusters of rock. She could feel the little bubbles of energy hovering behind them, waiting for her to come a little closer in order to spring their trap. They were really not so different from the many animals she’d taken care of over the years, so many of them scared and alone when she’d found them… hurt, or hiding or, in the case of these poor Changelings… hungry.

Fluttershy stopped in the middle of the room and gently set herself down on a mostly flat bit of rock, feeling her new wings spread wide. The poor dears weren’t evil, they just needed a little… something more than what they were used to. She could hear their chittering, insect like words in the darkness. They were desperate and hungry, and they had been like this since long before the Canterlot invasion. That was never a good thing in any creature, and it could make even the nicest bunny or bear do bad things.

They rose from their perches and slowly approached her from all sides in a ring twenty strong. She felt the power deep inside her and began to flap her glittering wings back and forth, inhaling deeply, and….

”Hush now… Quiet now…”

~~~~~

Abruptly, twenty drones vanished from the hivemind.

Chrysalis felt the pain acutely enough to cause a wince. Losing any drone was painful, but losing that many at once was like getting smacked in the brain. They had all been up near one of the hidden hive entrances, and her first thought was there had been some sort of cave in. But… But there had been that strange, impossible to describe presence from yesterday… No, no it was best to be cautious, now of all times.

A mere thought dispatched a battle swarm toward the area, and Chrysalis flexed her hooves against the dark cloth of her bed. She wished she had something in it to slake her thirst while she awaited the news, but alas, the pickings recently had been slim. Once winter descended, her harvests would likely improve as the wretched Equestrians huddled in their homes, and the immediate loss of a community member or farmer was not so easily noticed.

Still, recovery from her debacle in Canterlot would take time, most likely several years in order to rebuild the hive’s strength. Already she had begun the process with the formation of thousands of new eggs, and a few new additions of her own. Every Queen since the first had added something new to the hive, but Chrysalis was certain that she’d outdone them all with this one… Her eyes trailed to the crystalline beauties which now occupied the southern part of her chambers. They would be true children to her and would finally give her the means to outflank that accursed-

The mental report came instantly, and it was worrying. There was no cave in, but no signs of combat or the changelings. In fact, there was no sign of anything other than an abandoned guard post. Instantly, she tasked the battle force to hold the post and sighed irritably, wondering what foolish hunter or creature was devouring her drones. It was always an irritation when some unknown creature-

Another twenty drones vanished, seemingly instantaneously, from the hive mind.

Chrysalis staved off the wince of pain and growled under her breath, rolling out of her bed to her hooves and marching across the glittering ebon floor. How were the drones not sending back reports in time? Were they under attack? But there were no signs of an army. Had Celestia finally sent some sort of commando unit to take her out completely? That was possible, given how quickly and silently her drone traps were going silent. It could also have been any of the other nations. Roam, Zebricans, maybe even some private pegasus mercenary group.

It took but a thought to awaken her royal guard, and a second thought to wake up much of the rest of the hive. Whatever group of fools had invaded her domain, they were going to find out very quickly that here in the desert, there were no rules of war.

~~~~~~~

“What… what am I?”

The voice was harsh, almost like it had come from a throat born of too many years of smoking. Its eyes were a bright and luminous green, and they stared up at her in fright. Fluttershy gently stroked her hoof down the creature’s cheek and made soft and soothing noises and the magic took hold again. She couldn’t do this for all of them, but it helped to show them that they would be treated kindly so long as they did not try to harm her. “Shh… You’re something new. It’s going to be confusing at first. Just try to relax.” She did her best to imbue her voice with her best motherly tones.

And oddly, the sound of her voice seemed to soothe all of the writhing creatures. Each of them relaxing a little and letting out raspy breaths which slowly turned into much more normal breathing. Fluttershy cast her eyes around the tunnel, half nodding to herself. “Lets take you back to Mistress. Come on now, hup up.” She gently tugged the creature to its hooves, softly stroking back the newly formed mane upon her head. It was distinctly a female, and Fluttershy could tell it was confused by that.

Still, they all got to their hooves as well as she could have hoped for, each one shaking off the shock of their changes in their own unique ways. It was quite encouraging to see them so quickly developing new and unique reactions to things. They weren’t acting as one mind any longer, but as their own creatures… it was going to be hard to teach them how to think, but she was certain she could manage it. “Misssstress?” one of them queried, voice still sibilant with an insect like trill.

Fluttershy half smiled. “She’s not your mistress, she’s mine. Sort of like a queen, but not quite.” She gave the little creature a nuzzle, and it unconsciously returned the gesture of affection. That was an excellent sign, and she gave her a very big smile to show her approval. That was an important thing to do in this kind of situation.

“Not a queen,” she confirmed, her wide and luminous eyes focused entirely on Fluttershy. “No… You are queen,” it half whispered, and in that moment something happened. Fluttershy could not describe the feeling, for she had no words or experience to describe it. It was simply its own thing, like a sudden light being shone upon a dark part of her mind that had never before been seen. The world spun around her for a moment, and then…

One by one, it was like little fireflies coming to life all around her. The forty or so creatures lit up in her mind, each and every one of which was looking toward her. The minds, the choices she’d given them were there… but now, she could sense them. Sense their thoughts and presence, as though they were somehow a part of her. “Queen,” they murmured as one, and Fluttershy felt a pulse of emotion in her heart. Something deeper than love, something more powerful than lust. Was this how Twilight had felt about them, as she’d brought them into her fold?

Perhaps that explained why she had become so obsessively protective of them… and it was, perhaps, one more reason to make certain she was safe from harm. “Enough of that for now. We need to keep moving.” They nodded, head bobbing in an unspoken unison. One by one, they spread newly reborn wings into the air and lifted off from the stone… Even in the dim, sickly green light given off by the hive’s torches, they were beautiful. Butterflies, arising from their cocoons…

She did not even need to hear the buzzing of the swarms descending upon her to know they were coming. It was like… Like I can sense them, her mind whispered and her eyes went wide. There were many of them. So very many.

So many new children.

~~~~~~~

“Why are you certain she can do this?” Mother asked in tense silence as they watched the warrior changelings crawling all over the entrance vent. There were hundreds of them, easily far more than Twilight had presumed there would be. It was frightening to consider that perhaps their numbers were far, far larger than she’d guessed.

Twilight took in a deep breath and exhaled, because if she didn’t trust Fluttershy to do this… “When I created her, I wasn’t yet capable of harnessing my power. I imbued far, far more Shadow in her than I had any of the others.” Twilight shivered a little in atavistic reaction. Fluttershy was experiencing something incredibly powerful, but Twilight had no words for it. “The magic had to do something, it had to have somewhere to go… so it started to improve her.”

Twilight licked suddenly dry lips. The realization had terrified her when she considered that magic might very well kill Fluttershy, but Shadow power seemed to follow far different rules than normal magic did. “I think because each bit of Shadow power is partially you, it had a sort of rudimentary intelligence. It realized the weaknesses inherent in her new form and started to find ways to fix them. Her wings got much stronger, just as an example.”

Umbra was staring at her now, her eyes wide in astonishment, but Twilight could only barely notice it. The feeling of what was happening to Fluttershy was getting stronger by the minute, and her voice had gained a will of its own. “But most importantly, the power realized she was the only one of her kind. That’s not something that nature likes to allow to sustain, and so… so I theorized that she’d have a way to reproduce that had nothing to do with sex. I did a little tinkering and… well, I was right. She can recreate what she is.”

Suddenly, Twilight’s mind was hit with a wave of unfamiliar power, and in a split second Mother was at her side and holding her close to her dark and soft body. “Hush, child. You must be silent. What is about to come…” Mother swallowed, and Twilight could feel an inky dark shield of power gather around her mind and body. “No. I shall keep you safe.” The shield coalesced into something hard and crystalline, and Twilight felt her consciousness ebb away.

Her last thoughts were of Fluttershy, and the sharp pain of fear for her friend.

~~~~~~

Fluttershy was the blazing center of a power she did not entirely understand. The Shadow was a part of her, oh yes. But it had created something new inside of her - something that was not the Shadow. Something glorious and beautiful in a way that nothing else had been before it. She felt the power lash out from her invisibly, as those whom she had already changed stood in silent sentinel, guarding her against those few that managed to get close.

One by one, they were swatted out of the air, crashing to the ground as the strange purple and golden power seized them and dragged them in close. She had no horn, and had no control over the magic within her that wished only to protect, to preserve… to save. It was magic imbued with the fervent wishes of a unicorn Fluttershy so dearly loved, and the dark magic she’d wielded to change her… It was a magic that sat warmly next to her heart, a reminder of just how much Twilight truly loved her and her friends, no matter its dark origins.

But it was also a reminder of what she’d had to become to protect those friends. Her friends had been so very brave for her in the past. They had protected her when she had been frightened and vulnerable. They had helped her, and put up with her fear, and never once did they hate her because she had been scared. All of them trying to encourage her to be braver and stronger…

Dashie. Applejack. Pinkie. Rarity.

Twilight.

They’d been strong for her.

And now they needed her to be strong.

So she did not fight the power, as others might have. She did not try to wrestle or dominate it or command it to serve her. She could no more control it than she could control the many weaknesses she’d had. She could not control that her wings were weak, or her anger so very strong at times. The power was not something that could be controlled… so she didn’t try. It was just the way Nature was. Nature had so very many faces that most ponies never saw. It could be beautiful and gentle and kind… And it could also be violent, dark, ruthless, and without morals.

Fluttershy opened her eyes, forcing herself to acknowledge what must be done. Nature was a wonderful thing, but sometimes you needed to reign it in to protect the greater world. Rapacious vines needed to be trimmed back, swarms of pests needed to be kept away from the crops. Violent creatures needed to be pacified.

All around her, the Changelings’ chittering screams made her want to weep and rage against the unfair world that had so despised them. It was not their fault they had been born this way. It was not their fault they had been thrown into this world, dealt the unfair hoof of life. It made her wish that the world was a better place, where these poor creatures could find a way to live in harmony with ponies…

But it wasn’t a better world. Not yet. That was why Twilight was doing what she was doing, taking on the horrible burdens that were required to make the world change. It was a feeling Fluttershy knew all too well, when she had wept every time a wasp’s nest needed to be extinguished, or a den of foxes needed to be moved to protect the smaller animals. And after all the times Twilight had been strong for Fluttershy, after all of the times she had believed in her and comforted her… could she do any less?

All about her, the Changeling bodies warped and changed as the power that flowed from her wings forcibly created more of her kind. A new kind of pony, for a new kind of world. They would become a part of her, and she would give them the ability to be kind and gentle. She would reign in those lesser instincts, and force them to acknowledge the consequences of their actions. She could not take away their need to consume emotion, but by Celestia she could make them do so responsibly.

The one nearest to her, a burly warrior type, slowly and unsteadily got to its new hooves. The holes in its legs were gone, replaced by a firm and deep purple coated flesh. He was as tall as Big Macintosh, and his eyes glowed a luminous gold that blinked in confusion. “What… what am I?” he spoke in a soft, almost whispering voice. Like a child afraid to speak in the night.

Fluttershy lifted up her hoof and slowly stroked down his cheek. He was beautiful, as all of those who were slowly recovering from their encounter with the power she now held. A power she swore she would never use on any other creature, fearing what it might do to them. These Changelings needed to be saved from themselves as much as they’d needed to be saved from Umbra. Here, she could justify it. But on other creatures? Never.

It looked at her in confusion for a moment, and then in recognition. Fluttershy nodded slightly as another firefly came to life inside of her mind. “Something new,” she whispered softly, gently nuzzling her cheek against his affectionately. He returned the gesture unconsciously as a thousand little fireflies slowly began to bloom to life around her. She could not help but feel the wonder in her soul soaring into the skies above at the sight of so many new little flames in the world. She felt her smile widen, as more and more of those luminous eyes gathered around her, surrounded by fluttering jewel-like wings.

“Something beautiful.”

~~~~~~

Chrysalis screamed in pain, her hooves flying up to grasp at her head as a massive swarm of her children were ripped from the hivemind. In panic, her orders lashed out through the psychic channels that connected her to her drones, her warriors, and so many more. Whatever it was that had come to harm her, it was far too much to face head on.

Her thoughts lashed out as her closest guards gathered up the crystalline eggs from her chambers to carry them to a safer place. The outer hive could be lost and rebuilt. There was nothing there worth her time to defend, but if she lost too many of her children now, it could spell doom for her entire species. There was only one recourse to her, and it was something she had become very good at.

Her thoughts turned to the hive, directing the gathering swarms that had been preparing to descend upon their attackers. Doubtless it was Celestia herself to be so powerful as to wipe out her swarm like that. That bitch sun princess, come for her revenge against Chrysalis for her humiliation. The orders went out in a thundering, hissing voice that commanded her children to obey. They did not hesitate, as was fitting of Changelings obeying their queen.

As one, the order was relayed to those outside her control, scattering amongst the hivemind as their Queen turned to the matters most important. She needed to get her newest children to safety. Even if all else was lost, with them the future of her race was a bright one indeed. But for now, they would do what was necessary and try to frustrate their foe until Winter came.

And then, it would be far too cold for her to remain here, the unique rogue weather that plagued this area would bury the entire land in ice and snow. A remnant of some ancient battle of sorcery, so very long ago. The outer caves would become death traps for any mortal creature, and that prissy Celestia would not allow her precious children to be killed by the cold. Meanwhile, Chrysalis would revel in the inner cave’s warmth, provided by the steam vents from deep within the earth.

Chrysalis stared into the distance of the outer caves, wishing she had the strength to confront her foe. But now was not the time. Celestia’s day of judgement would come, oh yes it would. But until then, she would do what a Changeling did best.

Run.

Hide.

Survive.

Chapter 24 - Night of Nightmares

~~~~~Almost Two Weeks later…~~~~~

~~~~~Nightmare Night~~~~~

Twilight Shadow was very anxious now.

Deep under the earth the gentle hiss of steam vents sent a pleasant warmth into the air around her that seeped into her bones and tried to lull her into a state of sleepy relaxation. A state she was doggedly determined to shake off, forcing herself to look toward Fluttershy in an effort to put her mind on something other than the warmth. Fluttershy was a good subject, because the changes in her friend had frankly terrified her.

Fluttershy was a pillar of calm amidst a sea of chaos and uncertainty. Her jewel-like wings had grown only more magnificent and broad in an astonishingly short amount of time, and her eyes had taken on a glow all their own. If It had not been for Twilight’s insistence that they be left alone when they were together, she would have been surrounded by tight knots of Fluttershy’s newly reborn changeling children, which now numbered in the thousands.

An imprecise number, but Fluttershy was only giving her imprecise numbers. At least, she was at the moment. Fluttershy had grown stranger and stranger with each cluster of changelings she absorbed into her own… Twilight didn’t quite have the word for it. Swarm seemed to have the wrong connotations, and she very much doubted Fluttershy was going to build a hive anytime soon. Had it not been for the fact that Mother was utterly unconcerned with Fluttershy’s behavior, Twilight might have been far more frightened.

“Peace, beloved daughter,” Umbra said softly, her violet eyes fixing on Twilight with that same warm love that she’d had on the first day they’d started down this path… “She is yours, as thorough and true as any creature has ever belonged to the Shadow. She merely seeks to make herself worthy of that.” Umbra’s hoof touched Twilight’s shoulder and squeezed it firmly. “Relax. We shall soon be bringing this chase to its conclusion.”

Twilight took in a deep breath and nodded. Chrysalis had spent the last two weeks fleeing from them, the vast bulk of her swarm in tow. Most of what they had captured had been worthless, fat changelings that bore no resemblance to the sleek and powerful warrior broods she’d invaded Canterlot with. They were stolid, not terribly intelligent, but incredibly industrious, having been left behind to continue toiling on various repair and building projects within the outer hive.

But now they were approaching the far more heavily fortified inner hives. Here, every turn and every cave had been bristling with devious and deadly traps. It had become a rarity indeed to be directly confronted by changeling warriors now, as they preferred to strike and run as quickly as they could. But with the aid of Fluttershy’s new breed, and her power to convert any swarm that stumbled upon her, Twilight was certain that they had finally cornered Chrysalis to where she could not escape.

Which had brought them to here and now, as Fluttershy gently stroked her wings back and forth with a distant look in her eye. They had, at Umbra’s insiseance, offered Chrysalis the opportunity to surrender peacefully. She would remain queen of the remaining changelings, but all of them would be converted to the power of the Shadow. Twilight had been leery about revealing her presence to Queen, but she could not claim to be Celestia in good conscience.

Fluttershy spoke softly into the silence, her voice far stronger than Twilight could ever remember it being. “Chrysalis has received the message. She’s reading it now.” Fluttershy had described the feeling of the new hive mind that seemed to be developing around her as being very disorienting. Like being in a room with hundreds of other ponies, all talking at once, and you couldn’t leave. She’d actually been a little scared at what it might feel like to absorb the rest of Chrysalis’ hive.

Twilight herself simply couldn’t believe that Fluttershy hadn’t had a complete breakdown. She hated crowds, she hated dealing with lots of ponies, and she really hated too much talking. Except… except she hadn’t minded those things. Apparently, this new way of talking meant she could hear exactly what her ‘children’, as she’d come to call them, were trying to say. No need to spend time parsing the words for hidden meanings. None of them were judging her silently, or hated her, or anything.

Perfect, flawless communication, mind to mind in real time.

And Fluttershy adored it.

Twilight took another deep breath and forced herself to be calm, because for all of the changes she’d undergone, Fluttershy was still the wonderfully kind and gentle pony she’d always been. That she had become calmer, more relaxed and more at ease than before was a very good thing, and Twilight would continue to remind herself of that. No matter how unsettling her new self might be, it was clear that something had blossomed inside Fluttershy. Something wonderful and sweet and beautiful in a way Twilight was only beginning to understand. As for her children…

Just outside the cavern they sat in, with its strangely carved furniture and tables seemingly sprouted up from the ground, a much larger cavern was abuzz with fluttering wings and murmured conversations. Fluttershy had insisted they speak to one another as much as communicate mind-to-mind, and so they had done so. It meant that they did not create unnerving silences, something for which Twilight was thankful. They soared and clustered together and made love to one another, a glittering cacophony of color and strange glowing eyes.

They were beautiful and unnerving at the same time. Discussing poetry and philosophy in one moment, and the next trying to decide the new hierarchy of the ‘Colony’ which had come to replace the ‘Hive’. They still very much needed to feed on emotions, but now that need had been tempered and harnessed. Already, the strongest amongst them were taking on leadership roles, carefully rationing out the emotional energy they possessed. And this morning, they had come to consult with her and Fluttershy on…

Twilight gripped her forelegs around her chest for a moment in atavistic horror. There had been hundreds of them, maybe even a thousand ponies and other creatures. Their free will had been utterly stripped away, and only a blind and utterly heedless loyalty to whomever their changeling handlers told them to obey. What personality, what self they still maintained was entirely focused on whatever hunter had brought them in. They thought themselves ‘in love’ with the creatures who now counted themselves amongst Fluttershy’s ranks. And in a strange and sickening way, she saw in them the extreme end of what she could do to those who served the Shadow.

It had been a cold reminder that she needed to temper her power, lest she become no better than what she fought. Fluttershy had only needed to touch one of the broken pony’s cheeks before shivering in horror herself. Twilight had wanted to put them out of their misery… Mother had been more practical, and talked her out of it. The new creatures needed to feed, and the poor broken ponies could still provide vast amounts of love energy to them.

Fluttershy had given very special new orders regarding them, and even now they were being made as comfortable as they could be given the circumstances. It was but one more crime to lay at Chrysalis’ hooves, but Twilight knew she could no longer claim herself as some bastion of purity. The righteousness of her cause aside, she too had made war to protect that which she loved. That Chrysalis was a threat to be dealt with was beyond doubt… but Twilight could no longer claim to not understand what had driven her to invade Canterlot.

“She won’t accept it,” she declared into the quiet, fiddling with one of the many strange artifacts they’d come across down in the tunnels. Iron tubes, covered in tiny metal dots that looked like a cylinder from a music box… but it was far too long, with far too many dots on it to be any kind of musical type she was familiar with. She hadn’t found any sort of player for it either, and none of the captured changelings seemed to know what it was for. Mother arched an eyebrow at her, and Twilight felt flushed with embarrassment. She really wished she knew how Mother did that to her. “Well, she won’t! She’s too proud, Mother. She’d rather die than sacrifice that pride.”

Mother shook her head slowly, a half smile on her face. “We shall see. If you are right, then perhaps it is best that we deal with her firmly. Once under our control, I am certain she can be brought to see our way of things.” Twilight wanted to sigh with irritation, except by the time she had her mouth open Mother had her tongue inside it, and her lips pressed up against Twilight’s. The warm, dark thoughts of her goddess intruded into her mind, washing away the anxiety... Hush, child… All will be well, no matter what the outcome. Our victory is more than assured with this new army we shall command.

Twilight's eyes half lidded as she leaned up into the warm touch of Umbra, her own hooves tracing over Umbra’s sleek body and marveling at the fortune which had brought her such a beautiful lover. All the world faded to unimportance around her, save for that sweet warmth that flowed from Mother’s lips into hers. The gentle feel of the tongue, the soft brush of silken coat against hers, and the shiver of anticipation.

In the darkness, she barely even noticed Fluttershy’s faint frown.

~~~~~

The situation was not good.

Chrysalis’ eyes were half lidded as she regarded the elegantly written letter in the hooves of the strange new creature that had intruded upon her domain. Not Celestia then, but her insufferable little student acting on her own accord. Worse, she seemed to have evolved from Celestia’s naive worldview into something more approaching that of Chrysalis. Kill or be killed, feed or be fed upon, conquer or be conquered. Those were the laws of the world, and Chrysalis knew them well.

And much to her dismay, Twilight Sparkle had learned those lessons and had come to ensure Chrysalis never had a second chance to apply them. Worse still, that… creature she’d brought with her that had once been one of the Elements of Harmony was a frighteningly effective weapon. If it hadn’t been pointed at her, Chrysalis might have admired such a brilliant ploy. Turn your enemy against himself, forcibly convert them to your cause. Classic changeling strategy turned back upon them. The results were fascinating, even if they sent a thrill of fear down to her very core.

Unfortunately, such a weapon was pointed directly at her. The creature, this strange butterfly like thing was watching her with luminous eyes and a cunning intelligence that her drones typically lacked. The scroll it bore was a simple declaration: Join our cause, submit to the Shadow, or be destroyed. No flowery language, no cloying enticements. She could keep her power, but serve another, or die.

“Leave me to contemplate this… offer,” she hissed at the creature, which nodded once and flitted off outside the room where her warrior broods would carefully watch it at weapons’ length. Oh so carefully, she folded her hooves together, her eyes darting to the sealed hexagonal cell embedded into the wall. This hive was old - far older than Chrysalis. Her mother, the last Queen, had told her that the Hive had stood unchallenged for millenium. Hidden deep in the desert, far from where an army could invade it with any ease.

But her mother had also told her that the early queens were no fools. They knew the day would come when a threat too great would finally challenge the Hive and threaten her species. She knew better than to believe such a foolish offering. She would retain her power only just long enough for her foe to gain control over her swarms, then she would be killed. Perhaps not obviously, perhaps not publically, but her remaining lifetime would be measured in weeks, not decades.

The sealed cell was only to be opened on the day the Hive might fall.

Chrysalis stood and shattered the ancient green cement with a single blast of power. Let her ‘guest’ think of that sound what it would. She strode over to the thing, a remnant of a time when the Hive was built like those of bees rather than as a proper Changeling structure. Within was a pile of scrolls, carefully sealed away, and a glittering green gem positively afire with magic power. A harnessed spell of some kind, though built of a magic so ancient Chrysalis could not begin to identify it.

The scrolls she broke the seals on, one by one. Her eyes darted over the words within and her mouth went as dry as the desert sands above. Her thoughts froze to ice as the words of the ancient Queens spilled out to her… Foretelling her doom.

No…

~~~~Canterlot~~~~

Princess Luna Artemis flared her wings out, the magic of the night surging through her body like a drug. Equal parts pain and pleasure, agony and ecstasy, the Moon reveled in her veins tonight as it always did during this, HER Night. Below her in Canterlot, the children of the nobility scampered about the town collecting sweets and gallivanting about in costume. Their parents and older siblings stole away to the dark recesses of parties and fetes, each and everypony amongst them descending into the bacchanalia of the Nightmare Night parties.

By the morn, there would be no few new foals conceived in the revels that were now consuming the minds of the ponies of Canterlot. None of those so affected would pay the parentage any mind, however. Even those of the bluest of blood saw a child conceived this night as a blessing, whatever the circumstances of those births might be. They would simply claim some oddity of genetics to those who might frown upon it, and secretly pray that their newly born sons and daughters would draw from the strength of the Moon.

It was a quaint, amusing conceit that Celestia had begun countless centuries ago. A way of associating good, positive things with the night of her sister’s celebration. It had been a touching reminder of just how much Celestia had done to preserve her traditions in the time she had been imprisoned… and how much she had missed her sister.

And now, the bite of a chill upon the wind out of the east was more than merely troubling, it was proof that their enemies were truly everywhere. The tightly wound scroll that lay on the desk behind her, its seal broken, was all she needed to change the entire course of this conflict, but it carried with it a terrible bit of news all its own. “You are certain?” She turned, her eyes narrowing toward Moon Dancer.

The young batpony mare nodded shortly. Unlike nearly every batpony Luna had encountered in the modern age, Moon Dancer alone did not show awe in her presence. She was being driven by some other goal, something that overrode every other emotion or concern she might have felt. Luna was certain it focused on her friend, the one she had called Silent Moon, and that Moon Song had her own ideas about how this was all going to play out.

But Luna had no qualm with that. She could have her own agenda, so long as the ultimate goals of the Night and the Crown were not impeded. Luna’s eyes went to the skies above Canterlot, and she nodded shortly. “Then we have no choice. We must strike while she is away. Shatter her base of power, and give us time we shall need.” She turned on the spot and strode to the desk, grasping the scroll on the way.

Moon Dancer fell into step beside her, her voice low and hard. “It’s not going to be easy, fighting in that forest. Winterlight has had nearly a year to prepare the place.” Luna only barely nodded. It had taken Celestia nearly an entire year to finally drive a wedge into the center of her power in the Everfree Forest after Winterlight had fortified it, and she had no doubt that the once Captain of her guard had since learned how to do her duty even better.

“Agreed. With fortune though, we will be able to do far more good without actually entering the forest itself.” What she would have to do, though… Celestia would have to be appeased when she returned. Goddess, forgive me what I must do. “Go to Commander Spitfire and tell her to summon General Clausewitz and Commander Derecho to the war room.” Moon Dancer nodded and swept down the hallway at top speed. The batpony had quite the knack for finding ponies no matter where they’d wandered off to… a useful skill.

Luna herself turned toward the royal dining rooms, sweeping past the crystal ponies which guarded those doors. Cadence and Shining Armor were taking their meal with another unicorn wearing spectacles and a fine looking suit. Cadence’s eyes brightened with hope at the sight of her, and Shining Armor stiffened to attention. Luna brandished the scroll, and though she felt triumphant in this moment, she would not smile. There was no joy to be found in Civil War.

“We are entangled no longer by the simpering politicians, my friends. The Guard is ours to command. At long last, the time has come to act.”

~~~~The Hive~~~~

Fluttershy’s eyes suddenly widened, and Twilight sat up to attention. Fluttershy slowly shook her head, and Twilight blew out a sigh. She wasn’t surprised, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t at least a little upset that this could not be brought to an end more swiftly. “So, Fluttershy. How do you want to do this?” Frustrating as it was, Fluttershy was the one here who would be the most effective.

Fluttershy was silent, staring at the table for a moment in obvious sadness before she spoke. “I’ll need you to create an opening for us, and I’ll have to…” She swallowed softly, closing her eyes tightly. “To… Take as much of the hive as I can handle.” There was far, far too much fear there for Twilight’s liking. She was trembling in her seat, her hooves dry washing themselves. Fluttershy was more than just scared, and that… that was something she could not abide.

Twilight swept in and embraced her friend as tightly as she could, holding her trembling body to hers. Fluttershy latched onto her, and for a moment all was as it used to be. A friend in need, a fear to be dispelled, an enemy to fight. Twilight squeezed her eyes shut, and turned to face Mother. “There must be another way. I will not sacrifice her sanity.” There were lines Twilight would not cross. Whatever else she might be willing to do to save her world, she would not destroy her friends to do so.

Umbra merely arched an eyebrow at her, rubbing at her chin. “It will be difficult to sneak through her forces. Changelings have a unique way of sensing emotions, and for all of its power the Shadow cannot mask our true feelings. We would be discovered long before we reached Chrysalis.” She tilted her head to one side, a slow smile on her face. “However, if Fluttershy can get me close to the center of the swarm, I should be able to temporarily break Chrysalis’ control over her drones. That would leave her vulnerable enough for us to strike.”

Fluttershy herself had not stopped trembling, and Twilight felt the knot of worry in her belly grow ever larger. “Fluttershy… I know it’s unfair of me to ask…” Twilight hesitated over her words, wondering why she had been driven to this point. What did Chrysalis think she was going to achieve by refusing them? Did she think Twilight would simply give up and leave? Did she think Twilight was simply going to let her go, after everything she’d seen?

Somewhere deep inside, Twilight felt something snap. Some old connection to her life before, some limitation she’d placed on herself. “No… I won’t ask,” she half whispered, and stood. There came a time when one had to accept what one had to do, knowing that the world would never be the same for it…Fluttershy’s trembling stopped, and her gaze came up to stare at Twilight in something like surprise and shock. “Stay here, Fluttershy. Mother, protect her.” Twilight could only distantly hear her own voice, her steps taking her out of the room and past the strange new ponies that inhabited it.

She would not make Fluttershy pay anymore of the price that was her burden to bear. “Twilight?” Fluttershy’s voice came out of the cave, but she paid it no heed. Twilight called to the wild, uncontrolled magic that coiled and writhed at her center. Once upon a time, that magic had performed feats that no adult unicorn could possibly replicate. It had shattered a classroom in Canterlot with its force. And now, she would harness that strength with the Shadow, and bring an end to this madness… once and for all.

She took a deep breath and focused, calling to the power.

“Twilight, NO!”

Fluttershy’s voice shattered her focus, and Twilight looked up to see her go blazing past her at a speed she didn’t know the once pegasus was capable of. Her jaw dropped as Mother followed Fluttershy in hot pursuit. She could feel only shock… and her world was buffeted by massive winds as a cloud of butterfly winged ponies followed the one they called Queen…

Oh, sweet Goddess… Fluttershy’s trying to protect me.

~~~~~~~

The twelve crystalline clusters were carefully packed on a stolen Equestrian wagon while Chrysalis looked on. Made by pegasi, it had been designed to be carried through the skies in spite of its weight. It was fueled by pegasi magic, and fortunately she’d had a half dozen of broken pegasi on hoof to carry it. In the nearby cavern, her finest warrior broods were preparing for the long journey through the desert’s icy skies. Even now, her scouts reported a devastating storm thundering in from the east.

The Hive and all of its surrounding lands would be buried in ice and snow very, very soon. That the ancient structures of the Hive would need to be sacrificed was a blow Chrysalis hated like poison, but the scrolls and the information they contained had been utterly clear. The descriptions, spot on. The prophecy, frighteningly accurate. And the name of the one who had written those scrolls, who had foreseen these events… And what they had commanded her to do...

Madness. Insanity. Impossible. She could not… she WOULD not do that.

No, she would follow her own path, as was proper. The scrolls, the information they held, and that gem… They would be useful, if necessity dictated. But she would not bow to the commands of some ancient prophecy, no matter how frighteningly accurate it was. She was Queen here.

And then the outer defenses screamed in alarm, just long enough for her to slam shut the mental walls that protected her in times of war… and the warriors guarding the outer ring of defenses vanished. The agony was nearly enough to render her unconscious, and Chrysalis was driven to the floor in white pain. Her broods were on the edge of panicking, and it took every ounce of her not inconsiderable willpower to fight her way back to sense.

There was no more time. “Summon the royal guard,” she rasped out through her mind, and she clawed her way to the table where the glittering green gem lay. She had to choose between certain death and almost-certain death, for she would not bow or scrape to that creature. No matter what the cost might be to herself… or her hive.

Within moments, the swarm of the finest, hardest, most cunning and intelligent of her kind were on hoof. All of her best infiltrators, all of her best hunters and warriors, and a swarm of the most industrious of the drones. They were less than a quarter of what she once had called her own, but there was no time to gather more of them. Chunk after chunk of her children were being stolen from her… but she would not give that infernal unicorn the satisfaction of taking her.

Even if that meant giving the satisfaction to somepony else. She grasped the gem and growled out the ancient words of the Changeling tongue, and magic surged into the room around her.

~~~~~~~

Twilight Shadow stared into the screaming swarm of changelings as they fled through the caves, scattering to the four winds with a preternatural speed. And amidst the chaos, Fluttershy flew with an unnerving calmness. Invisible whips of power lashed out and snatched bunches of the flitting beasts out of the air, slamming them into the ground. It was terrifying.

It was glorious.

And then…

It came without warning. A massive wave of fiery green energy unmistakably that of Queen Chrysalis’ magic. Had she come to confront them directly? Had she come to finally face her judgement? Except… The energy passed through all of them harmlessly. Well. Not all of them… the swarming changelings plummeted out of the air around them in a massive cloud of wings and black chitin. Many fell down vents or other open shafts. Many others piled into the ground all around them, clutching at their heads and screaming in silent fear.

Fluttershy was gripping at her head, her eyes wide and frightened. “Where… Where did she go?! Why… Why would she do that!?” she half screamed at the changelings, her wings flaring out in fright. Twilight didn’t have to ask who she was… she only knew that if she did nothing, there would be no more hope to save Fluttershy’s sanity. And so once again, she called upon the Shadow and felt its dark warmth envelop her soul. She needed to silence these creatures… but it was far too late.

Fluttershy’s entire body tensed into a perfect arc, her wings spread wide behind her aglow with gold, purple and black energy. The power courescated all through the cave, pouring out of Fluttershy’s body in wave after wave. Her voice screamed out, and Twilight was driven to her knees by the power of her voice….

”I WON’T LET THEM DIE!”

Twilight swallowed and watched as more and more power, driven now by a lifetime of repressed emotion and pain poured out along the ground and flooded through the caves around them… but never once came close to Twilight. Mother settled down to the ground next to her, and she whispered in awe and wonder, “What have you created, my daughter?”

Twilight felt a sickness in her stomach as she spoke, unable to speak anything but the truth… no matter how much it hurt. “Something new,” she whispered, the warmth of Mother’s body against hers only partial proof against the sick darkness that boiled inside her. What she had done to Fluttershy to save the world… now, there was no telling how much of her friend would be left. And yet another part of her rejoiced in the rebirth of her friend, and her new beautiful and perfect form. No doubt her newfound power would make turning the world a far easier task, and the darkness deep in her soul licked its chops at the thought of making love to such a creature.

“Something beautiful,” she finished, knowing in her soul that she found the words to be true, even as the war of sickness and pleasure at the wonderful creature she had created roiled inside her. She curled up into Mother’s warmth, as she felt another part of her break and shatter against the rocks of her resolve. There was no choice now. She could not risk any of her other friends being so hurt.

She would have to take the fight to Celestia, and conquer Equestria… if she was ever to have a hope of saving it.

Chapter 25 - Old Debts, New Debts

~~~~~??????~~~~~

“Once upon a time, there was a beautiful pegasus pony named Starshine.”

“Like all pegasi, Starshine was a wanderer. She traveled the lands with her clan and created and tamed the weather for all the creatures of the world for coin and food. Starshine was special though. For she was the child of a pegasus and a unicorn, and within her the blood of both tribes burned fiercely and granted her power far beyond that of a normal pegasus..”

“Starshine held a great lust for life and all things within it. She enjoyed dancing and good food, music and merriment, but most of all she enjoyed spreading love to all of those she met. Some might have said she was a touch too enthusiastic about doing so, but Starshine never paid them any heed. Life was simple and joyous for her.”

“But one night, a dark shadow visited Starshine. It saw within her a potency that others of her kind lacked. A power that, if properly handled, could be changed into something new. The Shadow stole Starshine from her bed amongst the clouds and dragged her to its lair. And there, Starshine was changed…”

“Her metamorphosis took many moons, but the dark power that had taken her had no concept of the passage of time. It cared nothing for the balance of the world, or the duties that it neglected. It only wished to ape the feats of beauty its creator had shown her. It wished to create creatures of its own, and in so doing become worthy of the Creator that had left her behind… all in the hopes that the Creator would return and love her as she loved it.”

The White Doe looked down upon the slumbering form, reflected in the dim light of the crystals that shone and shimmered around them. She felt a deep, abiding sadness pulse in her soul as she looked upon the poor child that lay there. “And so the dark power created its first twisted creation. A being that fed upon the love of others, rather than giving of it freely. She gave this creature cunning and guile and the means to hide itself amongst the masses, and then set it free in the world.”

The Doe folded her legs and sat down next to the still form, her voice sad though no creature could hear it. “She struggled so hard to keep bringing love and joy to others. She hid herself amongst the ponies she’d once lived beside and took every precaution to keep herself from causing harm with her unnatural need to feed. But the Shadow had made the act of consuming emotions a corruptive one, and soon those she had fed upon became obedient servants to her. In her pain, Starshine wept and lashed out in anger at those she had corrupted… only to find that her power could do far more than make them her servants. And so were the first drones born.”

The Doe sighed softly, looking off into the glittering darkness. “Centuries passed, and Starshine took her first children into hiding. She swore they would never take more than what they needed to survive and would spread their feeding out amongst as many ponies and creatures as they could, so no more would suffer her curse.” The Doe hung her head, speaking though no one was around to hear. “But loneliness was a terrible thing for one such as Starshine. For the Shadow had robbed her of her mortality, thus she was doomed to wander the world forever alone save for those she forced to become her children, wiping away all they had been before. And so she sought out the only one she thought could end her isolation.”

Then she sighed, dipping her forehead almost to the ground. “And in her desperation, she begged of the ancient spirit to save her from her curse. But the spirit had not the power to undo the black magics of her sibling, but… she could alter them. She could remake them anew, into a true race of their own and not just a toy of the Shadow. But there was a price the spirit demanded of her, in exchange for her gift, one she paid freely… and so the spirit fulfilled her need for a child, the first true Queen of the Changelings.”

The Doe’s gaze became sharp as she stood slowly, the black and chitinous form slowly stirring to life. “And so need begat need, and fear and pain begat justifications.” The Doe spoke softly as the one she regarded slowly awoke. “And now, here, so many thousands of years later, the many-times grandchild of Starshine has become everything the Shadow could have desired, in spite of all of my hopes and dreams...”

“I… what?” the black creature whispered in a sibilant voice, and the Doe gently curved her hoof towards her, then grasped at the sickly green mane. The creature winced away in pain, unable to retaliate with more than a feeble burst of green energy. “I… Unhoof me… I am… Queen…” Her voice rasped, anger and pain clouding it.

“No, little one. You are nothing but a wretch of a creature.” The Doe grasped harder, and it took no shortage of self control not to… but whatever she might have felt in anger, she would not become Umbra. “But even you can serve a higher purpose still. Even you have the power to atone for your crimes and given what you have created… you may yet achieve the dream of your ancestress.”

The black chitinous form winced at the harshness of those words before her luminous green eyes snapped wide. “The Progenitor. You… you are the one… You and that…” She swallowed suddenly, and the Doe felt a burst of satisfaction. “You were the one. Wait! My children…” Her voice broke in mid-word, and her head tried to yank away from the Doe’s hoof as she searched around her. “Where are they!?”

For a moment, the Doe felt a stab of pity. The creature was far from at fault for what she was, the product of generations of other Queens who had been driven to greater and greater extremes to ensure their survival. From pity came shame, and she hung her head low. She was supposed to forgive such creatures, to see them guided back into the Light… and all she had done was ignore them in favor of her own personal crusade. “Your children are not far, and they are safe. As are a few others of your kind.” She spoke softly, releasing the Queen’s mane.

“Then… where are we?” Queen Chrysalis rose from the ground slowly, unsteadily. Yet she poured every ounce of her willpower into making her rise look regal. The Doe sighed silently, knowing any offer of help would be instantly rebuffed. “I… I do not know this place. How did I come to be here?” Chrysalis’ voice was gaining strength and arrogance by the moment, which immediately withered under the Doe’s icy gaze.

“You are where you and your children will be safe. Your warriors and guard will awaken soon, as will those needed to care for your brood.” The Doe raised her hoof toward one dimly lit passageway. “I will go and speak to your new hosts, and I shall warn you. They are the only reason that your children live and are not now licking the hooves of your new Mistress of Shadow. You will show them according respect… and humility.”

The Queen’s back stiffened, but slowly the pride that sang in the muscles of the one called Chrysalis collapsed. “There are so few of us left…” she whispered, her unsteady stance collapsing like her pride, sending her nigh on crashing to the ground. “I do not… I cannot… What do I do? There are so few…”

The Doe shook her head once, turning away. “Those creatures you call your children are all you will need. Preserve them, and your race is secure. Keep that in mind when you meet those who will safeguard them as we march to war.” She marched off into the caverns, leaving the lonely creature behind her. “And remember, Chrysalis…” She turned her head as she called upon the wind. “You owe a debt.”

And then, she was gone.

~~~~Canterlot Castle~~~~

Cadence was not going to get angry or frightened. She was, however, going to get an explanation. “You are going to have to repeat that, your Grace,” she said oh-so-quietly, able to feel her husband's tension as he sat next to her. “Because I thought I just heard you say there is a Changeling swarm in Canterlot. Again.”

The Doe was as unflappable as the western wind, and her voice remained as serene as Celestia’s at her most maddening. “She is no threat to you, Crystal Princess. The vast majority of her swarm is dead or worse. Her most precious children are now locked safely away in one of your vaults, and her entire species is at the mercy of your Royal Guard.” The Doe’s voice went hard for a moment, her eyes narrowing. “She will be needed, Princess Cadence. Alive and thankful for her salvation, and not as a useless and rotting corpse.”

Cadence winced away at that description, but could not bring herself to agree with the Doe’s words. Still… It was pretty obvious that she was playing a much deeper game here. She wanted Chrysalis alive to wield as a weapon against the Shadow, that much was clear. But why? What made that bitch so special to the Doe? I won’t be able to find out… unless I leave her alive. “I will consider your words, but I had best get down there before she gets any ideas.” She kept it simple and tried to keep the anger out of her voice. The last thing she needed was to antagonize the ruler of the Deerfolk.

The Doe simply gave a short nod and vanished on the spot. She’d been doing that a lot lately, and Cadence was getting the impression that time was running short for her much vaunted plans. She leaned back into the chair and bit at her lip. “Shiny…” she half whispered, aware of the fear in her tone.

For his part, Shining Armor’s tension disappeared, and he quickly threw his forelegs around her to embrace her tightly. “You’ve got nothing to be scared of, Cadey. We’ve had those caverns sealed up tight since the wedding. If she really is down there, she’s got nowhere to go.” His head came up for a moment, and with a few silent gestures and a glare, the Royal Guards in the room departed… likely to check on just that possibility. Shining Armor took a deep breath and exhaled. “We could just… leave her down there.”

And oh, how tempting a thought that was! No need to do anything, simply leave her imprisoned and helpless down in those infernal caverns until nature took its course. No magic, no love, no more Changelings. It was an elegant and simple enough solution to a long standing and thorny problem, and Cadence had to admit the idea appealed to her. Maybe, just maybe, she could use it as a way of convincing Twilight that all of this insanity was unnecessary. Except…

Except without even trying, she could just imagine the voice of Princess Celestia ringing in her ears. We are better than that, niece. Rich with scorn and anger at Cadence even considering such a course of action. She sighed miserably, rubbing at her forehead with her hooves. Today had been shaping up to be such a good day too. “We’re going to need to consult with Luna… and I don’t think we can do that, Shiny. Much as she might deserve it.”

Shining Armor nodded then hopped to his hooves. “Let's go see if she’s left any other surprises for us.” He arched an eyebrow at her, and Cadence couldn’t help but smile faintly. “Promise you won’t beat the tar out of her before I get my chance?”

Cadence laughed. “No promises, Shiny.”

~~~~~

If she hadn’t spent the last year living in a city made of the stuff, Cadence was quite sure she would have come to utterly despise crystal. The weeks she’d spent down here, barely kept alive for reasons she didn’t entirely understand, would have been enough to make anypony rather leery of crystals. It was actually somewhat ironic just how much she’d become accustomed to the things, given that there was literally no escaping the stuff back home.

“We can confirm there are a fairly substantial number of changelings down there, M’lady. Thanks to the precautions Princess Celestia put in place.” The nameless Royal Guardspony said in a stolid but firm voice. “We can also confirm that they are all in ill health, badly injured or just plain vexed in a way we do not entirely understand.” The guardspony frowned, glaring at the ground. “They have all been badly affected by some kind of magical attack. If we go in hard and fast, we could pretty easily sweep the entire cavern clean of the filth.”

Cadence sighed. This wasn’t going to be easy… not by a longshot. “No, guardspony. As much as I might personally enjoy that…” She winced away from those thoughts. They were unbecoming of a princess, and more importantly; it was the sort of thing she imagined Umbra doing. “We will see if they cannot be convinced to make peace. Perhaps they will be thankful for their salvation?” She commented with an upbeat tone… one that even she knew was a little forced.

The guardspony rolled his eyes and tilted his head to one side as the sound of grinding stone interrupted them. “That’ll be the sealing rock. Come on, Princess. Let’s go see if these bugs are interested in peace.” He snorted, letting her know what he thought of that possibility.

The stones they’d used to seal the crystal caverns from entry were massive hulks of granite, placed by Princess Celestia shortly following the Royal Wedding. Fortunately, she’d made them just small enough for regular ponies to be capable of moving them… even if it took a great deal of strength to do so. The stones were now tugged aside, leaving just a bare crack between the wall and themselves. Enough for a few ponies to get through, but not many at any one time. “Stay here, guardspony,” she said quietly, turning around and sending the silent magical signal.

Moments later, her dearest husband trotted up in his full battle armor with a grin on his face. “I’ll put up a sealing shield. If necessary, it’ll keep them contained until Princess Luna can come down and deal with the problem.” His horn blazed to life with it’s own special brand of violet magic, and a deep purple bubble enveloped the both of them. “C’mon, Cadey.” He trotted in front of her, and she dutifully followed behind.

Once inside, he turned and another shield sprang up behind them, sealing off the crack in the doorway before he kept walking. Not much had changed down here, besides a few token signs of archeologists working to unearth secrets of the caverns when Celestia allowed them such access. Odd, she hadn’t thought this place was quite that vast, she didn’t see a single sign of-

A Changeling warrior, sleek and lethal looking buzzed up to the shield, followed by nearly two or three dozen more… and simply hovered there. Cadence had given a little start, but there was nothing about how they moved that indicated aggression. In fact, they looked haggard, moving not in precise formation but in a loose sort of swarm. Nopony moved for a full thirty seconds, and then… one of the warriors reached out a hoof and very clearly beckoned them to follow.

Cadence couldn’t help but feel a little shocked, but Shining showed nothing. He just nodded and started moving toward the swarm… still holding up the shield. Cadence followed along, and the pair of them descended a series of gentle slopes deeper into the mines, slowly but surely coming across more and more clusters of Changelings…. and all of them looked much the worse for wear. The guardspony had not been inaccurate, a decisive assault by the Royal Guard would undoubtedly wipe them all out.

And for the first time, seeing such creatures up close when they were not trying to kill anypony… Cadence could not help but feel pity for them. They were huddling close to one another, treating their wounded and tending to tiny fires. All of them looked up as they passed, thousands of jewel-like eyes blinking rapidly at them. There was a palpable air of defeat and doom in the cavern, and it was one not even she could go unaffected by. “What did Twilight do to them?” she half whispered, in horror and sorrow.

“Broke us,” came a sibilant and familiar voice echoing down the caverns. “I did not think such a creature as she could exist. A pony who could wield her own closest kin as a weapon.” The voice laughed harshly, echoing as they rounded the corner into a large cavern…. in the center of which Queen Chrysalis lay on a bed of worn blankets, surrounded by a host of the most dangerous looking changelings Cadence could have imagined. The Queen looked…. “Yes. My children are all but gone now, and though you could not begin to comprehend what that means, it has caused me great pain.” Her words rasped, her eyes almost sunken. Her body was even more skeletal than it had been before. “So. Have you come to end my race forever?”

Cadence knew it wasn’t wise. She knew it wasn’t even close to smart. But by the Moon, she could not leave any such creature, not even her, in that state. She shoved her way past Shiny’s shield, and galloped across the distance between them. It only took a single thought to invoke her innermost magics… and the room flooded with a vibrant pink light. Instantly, every eye in the room focused upon her… and Chrysalis’ own eyes widened to the point of pure shock. Then her pupils focused to points, and she breathed in raspingly, Cadence able to feel the Queen drawing in the strength of her love and making it a part of herself. The guards made no motion at first, but then made much the same actions. Breathing in… and yet, they were clearly not breathing in air. Had she been a normal pony, Cadence knew she would have been weakened by such attention… but she was not a normal pony. And her Love was far from ordinary.

She blazed the magic with all of her strength for nearly a minute before withdrawing it, panting from the effort. “After all I have done to you,” Chrysalis said slowly, her voice quiet… thoughtful. “I come to your door, desperate and starving, and guilty of every possible crime. There is no hope for me to defend myself or my children, and yet you feed me without so much as a second thought.” Her eyes were much sharper, and no longer sunk into her head as she glanced up. Gone was the desperation, and only wary curiosity remained. “Why?”

Cadence… honestly did not know. Except, she did, if she admitted it to herself. “Whatever you may have done to me, I am not such a monster as to condemn an entire species to extinction for my revenge,” she found herself saying quietly, as Shining Armor arrived at her side, the temporary weakness of what she’d done banished in a single instant from the touch of his hoof, and she smiled at him. “Think what you will of us, Chrysalis. Think us weak or foolish, but you are now in the very same boat as we are, and if we do not stand together, we shall all fall separately to the Shadow.”

Cadence fixed her gaze on Chrysalis, feeling a grim mood settle upon her again. “Make no mistake, Chrysalis. Twilight will come here. She will know she cannot accomplish her goals if she continues to ignore the might of Canterlot and Equestria. We are even now moving to bring the full brunt of our power against her.” She slammed her hoof into the ground and advanced past Shining’s shield again, coming face to face with the Changeling. “You could run, of course. But if Canterlot falls, you will be running on borrowed time.”

Cadence pressed in, her voice a harsh whisper, “She has already conquered Roam. The Zebrican islands are easily within her grasp. The Ki-Lin kingdoms will not be able to stand against her army should she conquer them. And then where will you run? To the lands of the Dragons? To far off Saddle Arabia? Knowing that Twilight and her vile shadow will follow you to the utter ends of the earth?”

Chrysalis’ hoof came up slowly and silently begged for a chance to speak. Cadence snapped her mouth shut and withdrew a bit, nodding once. “I have…” Chrysalis sighed. “No intention of running from her. We would be unable to run very far as it is.” She gazed silently past Cadence, toward the caverns they had come from. “We have perilous little energy remaining. Even if we were to feed our way across the land like locusts, we would undoubtedly be destroyed long before we reached any safety.”

Cadence felt her mouth tighten a little at such a casual description of a heinous act… but then… “I am not a fool, Princess,” Chrysalis growled faintly. “Whatever I might personally desire is no longer relevant. My life was forfeit the moment that bit-” She bit off the word, then growled, “that magic brought me here. My children-” Chrysalis’ voice broke in midword, almost descending into a sob in her chest. “I must preserve them. I must find them food, shelter, and safety before any ambition of my own. So I must beg for such, however much I might hate it like poison.”

Cadence stared at Chrysalis, who rose slowly to her hooves, and then bowed her head toward her. “If I must buy those things with my life, so be it. I ask only that you preserve the cocoons that now hold my heirs. My warriors and drones will become dormant and awaken when the new Queen is born.” Her eyes came up sharp, and a fierceness still lurked in her spirit. “If you are truly as noble as you claim, you will save them, Princess.”

Cadence wanted, so very much, to end this wicked creature’s life there and then. But that… would not be justice. “I accept your life,” she snapped softly, Shining giving her a wide eyed look. “You now serve the crown of Equestria, and you will turn that not inconsiderable mind of yours to helping us preserve it. You live, breathe, and walk free on my sufferance.” She turned on her heel and began marching back through the cave. “Make yourself presentable for public consumption and meet us at the south cave entrance. I will…” She inhaled deeply, “deal with the needs of your children. Shiny. Come.”

~~~~~~

Cadence marched past the guards with a new unicorn now in tow. She was colored a dark charcoal grey, with glittering emerald eyes and a sharp, wicked horn. Up the stairs they marched, as the Royal Guards settled into new places at the sides of the unsealed entrance to the caverns. “Your Majesty, I have a special report from Cloudsdale!” a Royal Guard announced, galloping up to her at full speed. “There is a massive rogue winter storm coming in off the eastern coast of Equestria. The weather controllers have never seen anything like it before!”

Cadence stared at the Royal Guard, but the new unicorn only nodded grimly. The Royal Guard proffered up a tightly wound scroll. “They said they’ll do what they can, but there’s no way they’re going to be able to stop it from dumping a foot of snow across the entire eastern seaboard. The Weather Advisory Board has asked for your presence in Cloudsdale immediately.”

Cadence turned to the new unicorn, narrowing her eyes. “You expected this?” she asked quietly.

The unicorn nodded once. “There are other powers in the world beginning to move. They obviously seek to freeze us in an early winter, just as they sought to do the same to me and my kin. The question is obvious though. Who… and why?”

Cadence nodded once, then blew out her cheeks. “Shiny, keep an eye on her. I’ll be back as soon as I can.” She flared out her wings and swept up into the darkening skies, feeling a strange chill race across her body as winds and weather billowed out of the east… where Celestia was. Was this a good sign?

Or were they only now beginning to understand the threat that was poised to consume them all?

~~~The Badlands~~~

Twilight stared at Mother, almost unable to register what she had said. Mother stood in silence, her head half bowed and her poise concerned. “Two feet?” Twilight echoed softly, unable to believe the news. It had barely been Nightmare Night yesterday. What had happened to autumn?

Mother nodded once. “It will get much deeper before long. Our new children are safe down here, as are we, thanks to the steam vents. If necessary, we should be able to teleport ourselves out of these caverns to a safe place, but even I lack the raw power to transport so many new children out of here in any large numbers.” Mother gestured helplessly toward the cavern exit. “Someone out there wants to freeze everything solid.”

Twilight glared out of the caverns and wondered silently who could be responsible. There were many possibilities… and she liked none of them.

~~~The Camp of the Crusade~~~

Star Swirl extended his hoof, and a single delicate snowflake drifted down upon it. His tongue darted out, snatching the crystal from the hooftip before it could melt, and worked his jaw as he tasted of the water. He felt his brow furrow, and his eyes darken, and he snarled softly. “What are you doing Whisper, you utter fool?”

~~~~The Camp of the Goddess~~~~

Jade Whisper folded her hooves against one another and bowed her head. All now rested on her shoulders. The world. Her ponies. Civilization itself. Everything held by a thread of fate and balance. The Goddess would be wroth with her, of that there was no question. The only question that remained, the only true test that had not been fulfilled, now awaited.

Would Amaterasu slay her, or spare her life?

Would the Goddess of the Sun take on her guise as Destroyer…

Or Savior?

Author's Note

I know this chapter is flawed.

Let's get that out of the way right off the bat. I know there are problems here, structurally and otherwise.

But I am not spending another week trying to iron that out. I'm just going to have to accept the crowbar method and deal with it, and move on to the next one, which will be SO MUCH EASIER.

That is the end of my frustration.

Carry on.

Chapter 26 - Icy Hearts

~~~~~The Ki Lin War Camp, just off the coast.~~~~~

The wind howled around her with a fierce intensity that, for any other pony, would have been cause to shield one's eyes and get to shelter. But Princess Celestia Solaris, the Sun’s Glory, had withstood such winds before. That it had been a very long time since such winds had been unleashed upon the world… She shook the thought away. This was not the same as the Tribal War, the conflict had not been going on nearly long enough to naturally awaken the long dormant Windigo’s.

No. Somepony had woken them up on purpose and was herding them, an act that Celestia would have been prepared to swear was impossible only a few weeks ago. And yet there they were, galloping across the skies, tossing their ethereal heads and screaming into the wind. Across the ocean they went, and then back at a speed that was nothing short of supernatural. Every time they approached the coast, they were turned back by some powerful magic spell in the sky. For two weeks, she’d watched the process in morbid fascination… and also to confirm that this was not simply a coincidence.

Now she knew - somewhere in this camp there had to be a magic circle and Ki-Lin pouring power into it to control the massive spell above. There was but one authority in the camp other than she who could’ve ordered that, but none of this made sense to her. She turned on her heels, heedless of the cold and howling winds, and stalked back toward the royal tents. It was long since time she had a discussion with Whisper.

The rest of the camp was shut against the winds and snow that were falling upon the camp… and just as she thought that, the winds cut out again as the Windigo’s made another trip toward Equestria. My poor home is going to be inundated with rogue winter storms from all of that activity, Celestia thought with a touch of depression. She was no weather pegasus, but she understood the basic magic and science of it, and especially knew that any weather created over the eastern ocean was going to naturally push toward Equestrian soil.

Commander Derecho had warned her about the possibility of such an attack, but she’d long dismissed the notion as being unrealistic. Fortunately, she was also not stupid so she’d allowed him to continue making his own contingency plans to deal with such a problem, so long as it did not divert from guard funds. I’m going to have to promote him when I get home. The thought was mildly amusing amidst the storm of anger in her heart. She had to be calm, lest something bad happen.

But the camp remained dead silent, even as the wind died down to a normal blowing. The snow fell artfully around her, and Celestia felt a whimsical little thought that this would have made an excellent scene in a play. The distant ruler, her ponies endangered and her nation imperiled, going to find out if the one she thought a close ally had merely been waiting for a chance to plunge in the knife. It would not have been the first time that had happened to her… but this time, the stakes were far higher.

It took every ounce of considerable willpower to not simply banish this cold and snow from the world. The sun, hidden weakly behind the clouds above, cried out to be unleashed. It was not time for it to sleep, not time for it to hide on this side of the world. But to do so… No. She would not create another Badlands here. If it needed to be done, she would need that power for another place and another time.

So she restrained her strength, stalking down empty paths toward that tent. There were no guards outside, nor any sign of anypony else. Perhaps Whisper knew she was coming now, and perhaps that was the point. A confrontation then, between two rulers of two lands. She could respect that, to a certain degree. It was at least more courageous than most leaders she’d had to force to acknowledge her power before.

The tent flaps were no hindrance to her, and no guards waited inside. The tent remained as well lit and warm as it ever was, maintained by unseen magic and carefully tended lanterns. The tent itself was silent, save for the sound of the wind against the walls. Finding Whisper was easy, as she was in the same place she’d always been when they were meeting for tea or some other need. She was waiting there, quietly plucking away at some stringed instrument Celestia did not recognize.

For a moment, nothing was said. No denials or defenses, no grand pronouncements of plots long simmering, and especially no grandiose statements of intent. She simply sat there, her back turned to Celestia, and plucked a sad dissonant song that hung in the air. “So. Have you come for my life?” Whisper’s voice was sharp, almost accusatory, and it struck Celestia with a surprising force.

“I’ve come for answers,” she retorted, biting back the desire to snarl at this creature. She had trusted her, and she needed to know why she had been betrayed… or if Whisper did not see this as a betrayal, but something else.

Whisper did not answer at first, instead laying down her instrument and clasping her hooves together in front of her. “When I was chosen to be the next Jade Empress, my predecessor told me that this day might come.” Her voice was soft, musing. “When I must put my own feelings aside and do what is best not for the Empire, but the world.” She did not turn, and so Celestia could only see her ears droop in emotion. “Every night I have spent with you, Celestia, I have seen the pain in your heart. The terrible, horrible pain at what your mind knows you must do, yet your heart cannot accept.”

Celestia took a step forward, feeling her anger grow. This little child dared to think she could understand what was going through her heart? “You know what you must do, Goddess. Yet I fear you lack the will to go through with it.” Celestia stalked forward another step, as Whisper’s voice pounded into her ears. She was wrong. She knew what had to be done, and she was going to do it no matter what it might cost the world.

Whisper turned around in a flash, her emerald green eyes boring into her own. “And that is where your mind fails, Amaterasu. So great is the pain in your heart, that you are now prepared to sacrifice the world to save it that pain. You would destroy all, for the sake of one.” Her words cut through Celestia’s heart, but the rage boiled away there regardless. She felt the tears come to her eyes, wishing she could silence the foolish pony and her damnable eyes.

But Whisper did not stop, and at last Celestia saw the Empress beneath the pony. Her eyes were narrow and stern, her voice as unshakable as the mountains. She exuded strength and power in waves that rolled off of her body. “And while I cannot stop you if that is what you intend, Amaterasu, it is my duty as Speaker to the Goddesses to remind you of your duty to the world!”

Whisper did not move, but her hoof gestured imperiously. “I will not willingly allow you to sacrifice my ponies so that you might have a chance to shake her from her madness. You must think of more than yourself, no matter what pain it might cause you!” The elegant hoof slammed into the ground with an audible thump. “You must think first of those who have been imperiled, for if you will not, who will?!”

Celestia stalked another step forward, all thoughts of reason driven from her mind. As though she didn’t know these things, as though she was not aware of what her precious Equestria was being put through. So focused was she now, that she did not smell the burning fabric beneath her hooves, nor did she notice the sudden uptick in the temperature of the tent. Whisper did not move, made no sign of fear or concern, nor did she look away from Celestia’s eyes. Those hateful, stupid, damnable green eyes staring into hers…

“Amaterasu… I know your pain.” Whisper’s voice dipped low, her hard gaze softening just a touch. “I know what it feels like to know you must sacrifice one you love with all of your soul for the greater good. To choose between your duty and your heart. But if a mere mortal such as I can make that choice correctly, then you, a goddess, must be equally able to do so. More,” she paused and drew herself up at her most proud and arrogant. “You do not truly have that choice. For if you fail to do what you must, you will doom us all.”

That was too much. Far too much. Celestia could feel her voice ripped from her throat, slamming her hooves into the ground and sending a rumble with the force of a minor earthquake through it. “You know NOTHING of what I am, insolent child!” she snarled, the pure force of her voice driving Whisper back a step. The Ki-Lin mare’s eyes went wide in sudden fear, but Celestia could not stop the tide of emotion that poured out of her. “You know nothing of the prices I have already paid! Of the sacrifices I have already made!”

Celestia’s inner mind was distantly aware of what was happening now, and powerless to stop it. The sun’s power was clawing its way free of her iron control, and the golden boots she wore began to glow and sparkle with heat. Every step she took seared a hoofprint into the canvas floor of the tent, and flames licked around the edge of her wings… never burning her, but instead giving her the appearance of a phoenix on the wing.

She spoke with a depth of power that dwarfed that of the Empress, one that thundered through the tents and beyond. “I, who have watched every lover and pony I have allowed close to my heart wither and die! I, who imprisoned my own sister for a thousand years, banishing myself to a kingdom of loneliness and despair, forced to rule on a throne I was never meant to hold alone!”

She hardly noticed the tears now, for they evaporated long before they could strike the ground. Her advance drove the Empress back step by step, her own mouth working in silence. “I, who have been forced to watch untold numbers of my precious ponies go forth and die, in the vain hope that I might save a few more! You think I do not understand the price that is being paid? You think I do not know the cost of my actions and my inaction?” Celestia wanted to scream, her logical mind trying to reign in her power.

But for far too long, she had held this back. Not spoken of it to anypony, for who could understand? But finally, finally someone had driven past those walls. Finally, somepony would hear the truth. “Knowing that I could obliterate my enemies and those that would threaten me,” she half whispered, but even in whisper her voice was like the distant thunder. “Knowing that with but a thought, the Sun itself would open all of its power to me, and I could sear every possible threat to the ones I loved from the earth. That I could conquer this pitiful ball of dirt, and force every possible foe to bend knee to my might or be obliterated by my wrath.”

She sucked in a deep breath, inhaling the smoke and the heat, the sweltering scent of sun drenched wheat fields and baked earth that always accompanied the Sun’s power flowing through her limbs. “I could do all of these things, little pony. And yet, I do not.” Her rage was as the fires of the sun itself, but she was the master of that power. It was not the master of her. “Because I know what price I would pay for unleashing such strength. That world would be one ruled through fear, and not through Harmony. It would be a world utterly destroyed, for the Sun does not discriminate except at my personal command.”

Slowly, achingly slowly, she forced the sun’s power back into the core at her center. The heat slowly ebbed away, and a simple thought of magic snuffed the incipient fires beneath her hooves. “I know what I will have to do, Whisper. Far better than you could possibly imagine. I know that the moment might come where I will have to once again sacrifice all of my hopes for love and companionship again to save the world.” She would not turn her head away. She would look this mare in the eyes, those fearful green eyes, and force her to understand. “My power is not infinite. I cannot force my ponies to think what I would wish them to think without destroying their minds. I cannot force other creatures to leave my nation in peace without destroying their lands.”

Now, though… she could not look away. Even if she had to dip her head to speak. “You do not understand me, Whisper. I am not bringing your army to sacrifice so that I might save her. I am bringing your army because I may not have the strength to stop her if she cannot be saved. I have lost… I have given up that which I loved so many times I do not know if it is within me to do it again.”

The memories came flooding back, of so very many mistakes. So many lost, so many wonderful ponies driven to greed or fear or hatred, because she had not been strong enough to guide them. At long last, she had been so sure Twilight would finally be the one to succeed, to survive the tasks she’d set her and join Celestia forever… and now… and now…

Now she could feel the tears, streaming down her cheeks. They burned, like boiling water, but she did not lift a hoof to stop them. Her boots slowly cooled from the heat and power that had been pouring through them just moments ago, and her breathing slowly steadied. Then she lifted her head, the calm and serenity slowly seeping back into her. Whisper did not look as frightened, but she did look far more cautious. “You will stop hounding the Windigos, Whisper. Or I will obliterate them in the sky.” Her voice was calm, quiet. “Make them return to wherever they rested. We will be leaving your shores as soon as it is safe to cross the sea.”

She turned around on the spot, not waiting for an answer and walked slowly back towards the exit. Then she stopped, pausing to speak once more. “And if you dare to oppose me again, I will not hesitate to do what I must. No matter how much it may hurt me.” Then she pushed past the tent flaps, leaving the royal tents behind. She needed to be alone now, so that she might once again build high the walls of control over the Sun’s might….

And prepare her plans for the final campaign to come.

~~~~Canterlot Castle~~~~

Cadence wished - devoutly - that she could have commissioned the royal portrait artist to take a sketch of this scene. What a contrast they made! How an artist would weep over the scene, so often mimicked in paint and oils, made flesh and blood to be seen and sketched! Light and Dark, Good and Evil, the Princess who brought Love, and the beast that consumed it. Such a dichotomy was so utterly perfect, its like would probably never be seen again.

And yet, she dared not admit to any beyond the Royal Guard and those whom she had entrusted with the task of caring for them that the Changelings had built a makeshift hive into the caverns beneath the city. There was no telling how the Canterlot nobility would react, nor any telling if they would forcibly unseat her for such an action. There were undoubtedly some in the Canterlot Senate who would see it as an act of treason. Fortunately, Luna had disbanded the Senate this morning with her declaration of emergency powers due to the incoming winter storms. That was a bold faced lie, but she was prepared to suffer a few lies to get things moving.

The Guard was already on the move all over Equestria, even if most of them were providing harvest aid and helping the major cities keep the streets cleared long enough for them to batten down the hatches. At the same time though, weapons and armor were being clandestinely distributed. Regiments were quietly being provided orders, and battle plans drawn up. General Clausewitz was in the field with a detachment of Royal Guardsponies and EIS agents to root out whatever feelers the Shadow had already sent out.

But that was another thought, for another time. Right now, she had only one concern. Everything else was out of her hooves. So she stared into those demonic eyes, the eyes that had haunted her dreams… and she knew for a fact, had haunted Shiny’s dreams too. Which is why he wasn’t here. “So, did you?” She kept her voice calm. She could not change the past, and neither could Chrysalis, but there were things she needed to know.

Chrysalis tilted her head and rested it on her hoof. “Yes. It was a necessary thing to maintain the illusion to outsiders.” Her voice trilled faintly, almost sibilant. “It is also something Queens do from time to time to improve the next generation. We find the most powerful, the most capable, those with the oddest talents to absorb into the hive breeding cycle. Anything to make us stronger.” Her lips curved in a faint smile, but it was not mocking. “Not to mention that it’s rather fun.”

Cadence forced herself not to kill her. After all, she simply did not know better. This was the way she was, the way she had been born, raised, and bred to live. Cadence had seen her, when the continuance of her species had been threatened by the destruction of her children, and knew that somewhere beneath that chitin, there was a heart she could work with. “But…” Chrysalis sighed, closing her eyes. “It is never easy to let go of a creature we have come to stay with for a long time. Some of my children absorb so much power and emotion that they…” She licked her chops for a moment, looking thoughtful. “Go native, so to speak. They gain a degree of self-will and break from the hive. Our disguises must be perfect, lest we are discovered, and when one lives a lie long enough, the lie begins to look like the truth.”

Cadence stared at her for a moment, wondering if she’d heard her right. Chrysalis just snorted softly, shaking her head. “You are a fortunate mare, Princess, to have such an attentive and devoted mate such as he. There are perilous few beings in history who have willfully broken from our control.” Her eyes snapped wide, and her lips curled in another smile. “Ah… I see. You are worried I have damaged him. Fear not. He is far, far too strong for that. Something my newest children will one day thank him for.”

“Your what?” Cadence snapped, and Chrysalis chuckled richly under her shock. Then, with a supreme effort of willpower, Cadence huffed instead of screamed. “You’re…” She shook her head, unable to find the words at first. “Lucky that I am not like you.” Her voice came out in a growl, far more threatening than she had intended.

Chrysalis bobbed her head in agreement, though. “Indeed. Were you like me, I and all of my children would be dead. Perhaps there is something I could learn from somepony like you and your compassion.” She shook her head, laying it down on the cushion upon the floor and staring broodingly at her. “We are survivors, Princess. We have lived without aid or assistance in the depths of the desert for countless generations. No nation welcomes our kind into their lands, and no king suffers our presence when we are discovered. Do not judge us for doing what any creature would do in our position.”

Cadence opened her mouth, then shut it with a snap before speaking irritably. “Damn you and your logic.” She flounced herself down on the pillow, wishing Shining Armor was here to soothe her. “I’m not going to judge you, Chrysalis. There are already too many who need to be judged, and you are far down the list.”

“Will you kill her, then?” Chrysalis asked softly, and Cadence focused instantly upon her. “The student, that infernal little Sparkle. She is as dangerous a predator as any I have encountered over the years. She will not treat with you, Princess. Not so long as she believes she can win.” Chrysalis’ eyes narrowed a moment later. “And if she believes she will lose, she may be capable of just about anything.”

Cadence went still, feeling the spike of pain near the center of her brain. That had been her concern, her fear, that Twilight was too far gone. “I do not know,” she quietly admitted, and closed her eyes. “I have to hope she can be saved, but I must admit that the chance might not exist.”

There was silence in the darkness, followed by a firm voice. “Then if you cannot, I will do it for you.” Chrysalis’ voice was hard, but…. there was something beneath that hardness. Some emotion Cadence could not immediately understand. “That is the duty of a Queen. When there is one who imperils the Hive, or some force that threatens all we have built, to deal with said threat. Quickly. Permanently.”

Cadence opened her eyes, to see Chrysalis had crossed the room in silence, and now laid a gentle hoof on her shoulder. “There is much I can learn, much my children can learn, from that which made you stronger than I. From your compassion, and even your Love.” Her voice was soft, firm. “But there is just as much you must learn from me, if you hope to be strong enough to save your Hive. If we are not all strong, together, she shall surely wipe us all from the earth.”

Cadence opened her mouth, then nodded in silence. “But if she can be saved, she is still one of ours. And then it is still my duty to do whatever it takes to save her.” Her eyes narrowed. “She is not the threat, Chrysalis. Our enemy is named Umbra, and she is but under its dark control.”

Chrysalis tilted her head and nodded. “Agreed. It is also the duty of the queen to care for all of her children, even the wayward ones.” Her mouth split into a fierce and frightening grin, but whatever kind of monster Chrysalis was… in that moment, she was Cadence’s monster too. “So. We shall put aside that which makes us different, and focus on that which will make us strong. Tell us all you know of this Umbra, that we might plan her demise.”

That, at least, was a sentiment Cadence could agree with. The rest, of course, she’d have to talk to Shiny about later.

~~~~Camp of the Crusade~~~~

Star Swirl the Bearded clomped past the tightly sealed tent flaps with a careless shove of his shoulder and a whip-crack of magic to tie the flaps back together. He shook the snow off of his hat and grumbled under his breath about hating the cold. Fortunately, the tent was quite warm. Thanks to a few magic tricks he knew and had taught to the camp’s other unicorns. It was amazing the spells and abilities that had been lost over the centuries… something he would have to discuss with Celestia later.

Within the command tent, though, there was not the usual hustle and bustle of ponies and griffons coming to and fro. There was no sign of the rest of the command staff…. only Scipio, Scootaloo, and Crescent Blade. They sat quietly around a small table, nursing mugs of steaming cocoa and coffee, chatting in low voices. Only Scootaloo looked up at his approach and gestured for him to join them.

It was incredible to think of this little filly as a Knight Commander, but everything he’d seen screamed at him that this was what fate had determined for her. Trained by Royal Guards, Praetorian Guards, Lunar Guards, and Griffon Legionnaires. Granted gear from all over the world. Tested in battle, blooded, and confirmed as a warrior. Blessed by the Doe. Were she under the tutelage of a Crusader, she would already be in training for The Solar Knights. He shook his head slowly, reseating his hat and tromping over to the table. No one in this age had even heard of the Crusading Knights. They were extinct, it seemed. But not for long, if this filly has anything to say about it.

“Thanks for coming, Star Swirl,” Scootaloo said quietly, and Scipio poured him a thick, rough mug of coffee. “We’ve got things settled down for the winter, and I just wanted to thank you for that little warming tent trick of yours. It’s going to make our training regimen much less likely to cause casualties.” She finished off her own mug of cocoa, and Star Swirl wished sadly that young foals like this were not needed for this kind of war. Yet he’d already heard others of Scootaloo’s age were already throwing themselves into the combat training. “We’ve got some questions we need to ask you,” she continued, and Star Swirl started.

“What sort of questions?” he asked cautiously, eyeballing Crescent Blade who was giving him a blank look. Had she told them of his true origins? If so, why? What reason might the young Crusader have?

But Scootaloo shook her head. “I don’t care where you came from, Star. I don’t care what you’ve done in the past, or if you’re working for Princess Luna or whatever. All I care about...” she gestured to the rest of those seated at the table, all of whom were now looking at him. “All we care about is what you can do for us when the campaign season rolls around. We need to know what you can do offensively, defensively. We need to know if you can turn our unicorns from musicians and stage magicians into something we can use in a straight-up fight. We need more assets, and Trixie tells me she’s never seen a unicorn like you before in her entire life. We don’t need mystical mysteries. We need answers.”

Star Swirl mulled that question over for a moment, then nodded. “Very well. I will tell you what I can do… but I have much that I need to discuss with you about what we must do if we hope to defeat the Shadow.” He folded his hooves on the table, and the other three sitting there leaned in, all of them looking sharp and determined. He took a deep breath and exhaled. Now... now I gamble all on these three creatures. “Our plan began a very long time ago. And when I say our, I mean myself and the Doe…”

Author's Note

I am so very sorry this took so long. I really am. Trying to get back into the swing of things, but class and stuff is interrupting me. *Sigh*

Chapter 27 - White Prison

~~~~The Camp of the Crusade, One week later~~~~

Pumpkin Cake and Pound Cake lay in the makeshift cradle, quietly snoozing the day away while wrapped in gentle dreams. Pinkie envied them, in some ways. They really had no idea what the world was like out there, nor did they seem to recognize their daddy had gone away… and wasn’t going to come back. Their general happiness didn’t seem to waver much, though, and for that Pinkie was glad.

She gently tucked the blanket around them and slipped into her boots, tossing the hoof-knit scarf around her neck and giving it a little tug. Thus adorned, she slipped out into the cold of a winter come far too early. Still, cold though it was, the camp had taken it in stride. Pinkie instinctively ducked under a hurled snowball and had to quickly dash across the hoofbeaten path to get out of the way of the ongoing snow-war. Ponies versus Griffons today, though any day might bring any number of scenarios.

It was part of what Scipio, the griffon leader, had called ‘the old ways of teaching.’ Everypony in camp had to participate in the activities, which could include everything from snowball fights to practice warfare with real, though blunted, weapons. For Pinkie it was a little frightening to see so many of her former friends and neighbors girding themselves in dull metal armor, strapping lances and spears to themselves and thundering across open fields in coordinated charges.

She knew why they were preparing. She knew why the forges of the Griffons rang day and night with the sounds of pounding hammers, and why the earth ponies who knew the arts of metalworking were divulging their secrets to the griffon smiths. She knew why dear, sweet Scootaloo stalked about the camp in a brilliant red cloak, quietly speaking to some and barking orders at others. She knew why Zecora had begun brewing vast cauldrons full of potions, with the eager assistance of so many of the town's foals.

She knew why, but she didn’t want to think about any of it. It hurt to think about what was happening here, and how she might have had a hoof in making it all happen. And just like every time she started thinking about it, a gentle leg roped around her neck. “C’mon, Pinkie.” That was Berry Punch, once the town souse and liquor distributor. She’d been friends with Pinkie as long as Pinkie had been friends with anyone in Ponyville, since good parties required good liquor.

The leg tugged her out of the spot where she’d frozen, and she trotted along as happily as anypony could who had to deal with the thoughts she had to deal with. Cherry led her past a group of unicorns standing in a circle of clean and blasted earth, lined up side by side as the grizzle-bearded wizard stalked amongst them, growling instructions. “You gotta stop doing that, Pinkie,” Berry muttered, and just like always, Pinkie nodded a little.

She knew what Berry was talking about, but it was kinda hard not to think about those things. Kinda like it was hard not to think of pink elephants or blue heffalumps. “Sorry, Boo Berry,” Pinkie piped up, putting on her best party-pony smile. She really wasn’t quite as sadfaced as she felt sometimes, it was just… tough sometimes. “I know. Things aren’t so bad.” That was kind of hard to say, but Pinkie had to believe it. She just had to.

She had to believe she’d get her friends back. She had to believe this would all end, and that Mrs. Cake and her babies would be safe and- She stopped her thought, smacking herself silly for a moment and taking in a deep breath. “Sorry,” she whispered again, and Berry just nodded. Pinkie sucked in as much of the cold air as she could and blew it out in one go. “I am not going to let this stop me! I am Pinkie Pie, hear me roar!” she exclaimed, and then did her very best big-kitty, “MEOW!”

A bright giggle followed her exclamation, and Pinkie was indeed very happy to see Mrs. Cake, bundled up in a fuzzy coat and scarf and boots of her own, smiling at her. “Cute, Pinkie. I take it the twins are asleep?” It wasn’t really a question, but Pinkie nodded enthusiastically anyway. “Good… They’ve been sleeping much more regularly lately.” Mrs. Cake chafed her hooves together, but the broad smile never left her face. “Which is good. It’s tough to keep this camp in baked bread, even without those two waking up at all hours.”

Pinkie had to giggle a little at that one, and felt her real-smiley face beaming through. It did that a lot when Mrs. Cake was smiling too. “Don’t worry, Miss Cake. I’ll keep those two cuties out of trouble.” She winked cheerfully, and Mrs. Cake smiled brightly at her, giving her a soft cheek nuzzle before trotting off down the path toward the mess tents. Which was kind of a funny name for food-tents when Pinkie thought about it, but there were a lot of funny things about war and fighting.

She turned to find Berry Punch grinning at her, like she’d just downed two bottles of wine. “You are such a sop, Pinkie Pie.” Her hoof came up and ruffled Pinkie’s poofy mane, then gestured vaguely. “Go take care of th’ camp, but drop by Zecora’s place later. We got some things we’d like to ask you about stuff.” She arched an eyebrow at her, in a funny sort of serious way. “Important stuff.” Then she was gone and, as odd as it was to see Berry Punch sober, she never lost that cute sway in her walk.

And there was a little piece of herself she couldn’t change back to the way it was, no matter how much she tried. Wherever she looked, though the little happy ball of Shadow was no longer with her, she couldn’t help but imagine ponies in a more… erotic sort of way. Even ones she probably shouldn’t have. It was like she’d suddenly generated a brand new habit, and she wasn’t sure how to deal with it yet. So she sighed, shook her head, and kept walking. There were lots of little things she had to do today, and she wasn’t getting them done by sitting here like a lemon.

“Actually, I wonder why it’s always a lemon and not some other fruit…” she mused, quickly picking up speed. Distractions. That’s what she needed. Distractions and other stuff to do, so she couldn’t think too much about the frowny bits. That meant the million and one little things that could make a tough situation more bearable, and she was the best pony in the world to make those things happen.

The entire camp had expanded significantly, but had also tightened up. All of the camp now bunked down near one another, the neat orderly tents of the Griffons interspersed with the more unusual and off-beat tents of the ponies, combined with the black ornate tents of the batponies that were slowly streaming into camp made for a disorganized clutter. But there was a unifying factor to the whole camp - a single banner now flew from every staff. The individual banners of the various factions who settled here had been discarded in favor of one, that of the once Cutie Mark Crusaders.

Scootaloo had asked her at length about Sweetie Belle and Applebloom. Pinkie had told her all she could, having known the pair of fillies were in good health and mostly okie-dokie as far as she knew. They hadn’t been singled out or hurt or anything, but things could have changed since Pinkie left Ponyville. Then again… no, she was certain that Twilight wouldn’t let that happen. Whatever else might have changed, Twilight wouldn’t hurt little foals like that. It wasn’t in her.

Pinkie huffed in frustration and shook her head hard, then quickly picked up her hooves. She would focus on the foals first, then. It was tough to organize real parties out here, but she managed. Sometimes a good party just needed color, laughter, and something fun to do that wasn’t warlike.

The day was as much a blur as anything then, and she threw herself into her special talent with as much fervor as she ever had before. A comedy bit here, a few bright balloons there, a well timed mug of cocoa over yonder. It was the little things that kept a town going, especially if ponies were too busy to realize it. She was the best there was at keeping those little things rolling, and it was one of the reasons Ponyville had always functioned so smoothly. It wasn’t really all that hard to apply the same concept to the camp.

Oh sure, there were a few grumpy gusses who didn’t trust her still, and a few Griffons who had looked at her with an odd mixture of respect and dislike, but most of the camp knew why she’d come back. They knew why she’d left her bestest best friend in the whole world and- “No!” she half screamed at herself, ducking behind a thick tree and ducking her head down, breathing as steadily as she could. “No. This is not you, Pinkie. It isn’t.” She tried being firm, like Mr. Cake had been when she…

She broke down again. Or rather, her brain broke down like a worn out old engine. Just slowly rolled to a halt, and she wrapped her hoofsies around her chest and leaned against the tree. What had she been thinking? Or had she even been thinking? Or did thinking have anything to do with it at all? She couldn’t… why had this all gone wrong? Why had it all turned bad? It seemed like such an obvious thing, so obviously wonderful that… that she’d never asked why ponies didn’t like it. She never even thought about asking. Was that what had happened to her friends, too?

Pinkie didn’t realize what was going on around her for a long, long time, then. Lost in her thoughts turning over and over, like that same worn engine that just couldn’t find it in itself to crank up again... until gentle hooves uncurled her forelegs and fluffed her mane back to proper poofiness. The pony tugged at her hoof gently. “Come on, Pinks. Hup up.” That was… a familiar voice. A very familiar voice. She looked up to the white coat, but the white coat didn’t have the elegant mane. No… It had a much wilder one, and was accompanied by bright sunglasses. She found herself stumbling to her hooves. “That’s right. Sittin' down in the snow ain’t no fun.”

Vinyl Scratch half smiled at her and pulled on her hoof toward a large clearing full of simmering cauldrons. “Sheesh, you look… Like I did.” Her happiness turned into a frown, a look of crushed defeat for a moment, then she shook it off. Replacing the sadness with a look of cool distance. “Come on, Pinks. We need to talk. All of us.”

Pinkie stared up at the once unflappable DJ. Even Scratchy had been changed by this insanity, and that hurt more than she had words for. But she couldn’t help but ask the obvious question, “All of who?”

~~~~Ponyville~~~~

“It’s the oldest rule of warfare. Snow ends campaigns,” Winterlight growled, as she leaned over the desk to stare down the ponies on the other side of it. “Nothing moves well in snow except for pegasi. Earth ponies hate it, and don’t get me started on unicorns.” She slammed her hoof into the desk, and the other ponies winced away from it. At least no one had any lack of respect for her after her goal-line stand on the bridge.

She lifted the hoof and exhaled. She had to be calm. Mistress Twilight had been very firm on that score. “Look. You go put on sixty pounds of metal armor and try walking across un-shoveled landscape. You’re gonna be exhausted before you hit ten miles.” She brandished her hoof at the little knot of ponies in front of her desk. That one of those ponies was her effective ruler… “Ma’am, I know war. We don’t have enough pegasi to field a real unit of fighters in this kind of weather.” She threw up a hoof. "And yeah, I know about your... Hippogriffs." Winterlight felt her mouth twist at the name. She still was creeped out by the creatures. "A quarter of them are committed to holding the southern bridge, and the rest are the only thing keeping the Royal Guard from getting any ideas." She frowned, then half smiled. “Fortunately, this weather works for us too.”

“How?” Twilight Shadow asked, her eyes narrowed. She’d come back alone, via Shadow Travel. Umbra had stayed with the new army of… somethings that they now had. Winterlight was already planning how to use them to fix their lack of pegasi, but that was going to have to wait for things to thaw a bit.

Winterlight tilted her head for a moment. “The Guard is mostly comprised of earth ponies, and the Royal Guard is mostly unicorns. Pegasi still make up a big portion of both forces, but right now they’re all busy dealing with this shit weather.” She gestured vaguely into the sky. “The rest aren’t really in a good position to come after us here. Cloudsdale, if I know them, is probably in full panic mode dealing with all this rogue weather.”

Twilight nodded slowly, and Winterlight took a deep breath. “As for our… other enemies, Griffons are excellent winter fighters, no doubt. So is the Lunar Guard. But they’re dealing with a major numerical disadvantage in a straight-up fight, and I’m not going to hand them easy targets to blow up here. We’ve moved everything vital or vulnerable to Twilight Town for storage, along with most of the civilians in town. Ponyville’s really just a shell at this point.” She frowned again. She really didn’t like having to hold this town with a skeleton crew, but… well, command wasn’t always reasonable. “We’re really only holding it to keep from getting penned up in the Forest.”

Twilight nodded shortly again, then held up her hoof. “You said when I returned that you had a new battle plan. I would like to hear it.” She arched an eyebrow at Winterlight and the pegasus shivered a little. Twilight Shadow had changed somehow since she left for the Badlands. Whatever had happened down in those caves, there was something very much like the Nightmare in her eyes now.

Winterlight swallowed the lump in her throat and quickly got on to business. “Yes. If you’re truly interested in breaking Equestria, there’s only one way to do it.” She grabbed the map, the very old map that had been with her for countless decades. A battle plan that Nightmare Moon had never approved of, the one she’d been waiting for all her life. “The true heart of Equestrian power does not lie in Canterlot, no matter what some fools might tell you,” she began, unrolling the scroll with a slow smile. “Nor is it the fortress of Stalliongrad. Nor is it the Mage College of Baltimare. It is, and has always been centered, here.” She tapped the map with a satisfied grin. At last, she would have her chance to do what precious few pegasi had ever tried.

“Cloudsdale.”

~~~~~

Several hours later, her office had been cleared. Twilight had gone to spend time with her ‘friends’ and Winterlight collapsed into an exhausted heap in her chair. Twilight Shadow had been studying. Or Umbra was now feeding her mind directly, and Winterlight did not know which thought terrified her more. Now, only one other figure stood in her office, waiting silently for her to speak. “Are we agreed?” Winterlight growled at her, this infernal pegasus who had been upstaging her at nigh on every turn.

But Rainbow Dash nodded, once. “So long as you keep your end of the bargain, Captain. I’ll keep mine.” Her eyes were narrowed, and her voice was calm. “I’d suggest you don’t try to double cross me, either. Rarity is utterly devoted to her new life, and Applejack…” She turned her head away, her cheeks flushed red. “She isn’t capable. Just make sure when the time comes, if the time comes, you deliver on your promises, and we’ll be golden.”

Winterlight arched an eyebrow, wondering what that little byplay had been about. Still… “Agreed then. Let’s say no more of it.” She tapped the desk and felt her lips curl into a smile. “I won’t hesitate to say you’d have made a hell of an enemy, Dash. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a pony twist her orders up as much as you have.” She chuckled softly and felt some of the tension rush out of her. More than anything else, Winterlight liked to have an escape route.

Dash nodded shortly. “This isn’t about me. It’s about Twilight.” She turned, then marched towards the door. “It always has been, even if she doesn’t realize it herself. But that’s okay.” She turned her head just before she walked out, her eye sharp and dangerous. “That’s why she’s got me.” And then, Rainbow Dash was gone, as fast as her name implied.

Winterlight exhaled softly and leaned back into the soft material of her chair, closing her eyes. It would be either the culmination of her military career, or the end of it. One way or another, she would return to the Nightmare. Such was her destiny, and the fate of all things. It was not like her to be introspective, but now might be the last time she would have the chance. She had always been the most loyal, always the one willing to carry out the Nightmare's commands no matter how dark or devious.

She had earned a terrible reputation for those acts, but never had she committed them in rancor. Contrary to what many said, she did not hate her enemies. They were merely her foes, determined by the whim of fate, battle, and her Queen. They could just as easily have been, or become her allies should the winds of war blow the right way. That was war. It was her art, her place in the world, and even if the ponies of Equestria had long ago abandoned their true roots as warriors, she would never do so.

Winterlight opened her eyes and plucked the quill from its stand, dipping it into the ink bottle slowly. Perhaps there was time to pen a little something, while the weeks of snow and ice passed. Something that would outlive her. On War had a nice ring to it.

~~~~Canterlot Castle~~~~

General Clausewitz had not looked so alive and vital in years, and Cadence could not help but feel her cheer grow at his energy and verve. “Finally. A Princess who will let me command,” he enthused to her, his eyes bright and his mustache a-quiver. “I will need Prince Armor to lead our unicorns, of course,” he continued, waving his hoof frantically as he circled the War-Room table. “And Commander Derecho is the right sort of ruffian to lead the pegasi. Although you’ll have to tell me more of this… what was her name? Scootaloo?” He blew out his mustachio, looking quite enthusiastic.

Cadence couldn’t restrain her grin, hiding it behind a hoof as demurely as she could. “Yes, that’s her name. Odd for a pegasus, but she seems to have an affinity for two wheeled scooters, which she’s apparently incorporated into her fighting style.” That had been quite a shock to Cadence, to think of that little pegasus filly as some kind of warrior… but then, this conflict had changed so many of them already.

“Yes, yes! The one who seems determined to resurrect the Crusading Knights of Canterlot.” And at that, his eyes practically glowed with an inner fire. “I am authorizing the delivery of the proper lances and armor to her little camp, by the by. I do not give two bucks what the nobility thinks of it, either!” He slammed his hoof into the table edge, bristling with pride. “My grandsire was amongst the last of the Knights, and if I can see them returned to their glory, I shall do it, by Hurricane’s name!”

Then he calmed, in one of his famous changes of mood, to something more thoughtful. “We are going to be up against the wall, Princess. This snow is throwing every hope we have of mobilizing quickly into chaos. It will take time to ensure the farms and cities can pull themselves up by their bootstraps, and that will cost precious days.” He snatched up a stack of papers from the table, brandishing them at her. “Days you say we may not have. So. We must delay, delay, delay. That will mean doing something that will not be pleasant, Princess.”

Cadence nodded once, and the General sighed. “You do not understand. We have no choice about what we are to do if we are to gain enough time.” He grasped a long, telescoping metal rod and tugged it out to considerable length before tapping next to the southern seaside town. “We must turn Baltimare into the Stalliongrad of the south.”

Cadence felt her mouth go dry at that sentiment. No one in in the military left the academies without learning of the most famous of all Equestrian fortresses. Stalliongrad had been built quite literally into a mountainside. It bristled with turrets, earthwork defenses, solid stone walls, and more. It had also been the site of countless, bloody sieges down through the centuries, and time and again it had broken forces that had tried to conquer Equestria. No army in history had broken Stalliongrad. But it had never been held without great cost.

The General pushed the rod back to it’s compact form and nodded. “Baltimare houses the Royal Mage College, your Majesty. With the help of all of those unicorns and the strong earth pony population, we can turn the city into a fortress in a matter of months. Once done, it will become a long and sharp thorn in our enemy’s side.” He pointed with his hoof now, Cadence following his motions. “Any forces from Roam attempting to cross the sea would have to breach our coastal defenses. Ideally, they would wish to follow the path of least resistance to the south, but that means going through Baltimare.”

His hooves darted to and fro, and Cadence marveled as he outlined each and every strategic reason. But in her heart, she could only feel dread. The meaning was more than merely clear to her. The General intended to bleed Twilight’s armies to buy their own time to regroup. Many would be lost in that kind of conflict… but she also knew that with what they had at this moment, there might be no other way.

For now, the land was locked in a prison of white. Snow, and ice dominated much of Equestria, but that weather would not remain forever. It would eventually thaw, it would melt, and then the dreadful force Twilight had made from the Changelings would swarm into her beloved lands. They needed more time. “Very well, General. I am putting my utmost faith in you,” she said softly, then turned to her husband.

Shining Armor looked grim, but quiet. “Shiny…” she began, slowly, but firmed up her voice. “Send word to the Empire.” She took in a deep breath, and exhaled. “We’re going to need the Crystal Heart.” Shining Armor gave her a startled glance, then nodded, quickly trotting away. The Empire would be buried in snow for a time, but there was no helping it. She was going to need every weapon she could muster… if she was to hope to make a difference.

~~~~The Camp of the Crusade~~~~

“It’s cold out there,” Silver Spoon said softly, tying the knots of the tent flap extra tight behind her. She was always fussing over her these days but… Scootaloo couldn’t deny that she liked it. “Here, let me,” she insisted, gently tugging the cloak free of Scootaloo’s shoulders and carefully hanging it on one of the pegs on the cloak rack. The slightly damp wool coat she wore soon followed it. And then….

Scootaloo collapsed to her flank onto the soft bedroll, the warmth emanating from the center of the tent a balm. She felt so bloody tired. So exhausted from having to be this strange pony she didn’t recognize, but everyone seemed to expect. Soft, gentle forelegs encircled her chest from behind, and a different kind of warmth pressed up against her. “Yeah, it is,” Scootaloo softly whispered, leaning back into the comfort she wasn’t entirely sure she understood.

Silver Spoon’s cheek nuzzled to hers, and she didn’t speak. She didn’t need to. She was the only one in camp that didn’t expect anything from Scootaloo except a laugh and a smile. She knew how much Scootaloo agonized over what she had lost. “It’s okay, Scoots,” Spoon whispered, and a gentle kiss touched her neck. It felt… kinda nice, actually. “It’s okay,” she said again and somehow… somehow Scootaloo could believe her.

“I miss them so much, Silver,” she whispered, shutting her eyes tight and turning in place to throw her own legs around Silver’s body. She needed… she couldn’t… “I just… I feel so cold.” They were half-baked words, swimming in a sea of emotions that sang strongly within the flame of her soul. A soul that cried out to understand what its purpose in life was now… now that everything had been ripped from her. What was she?

WHO was she?

And for the first time, she looked at Silver Spoon. Really looked at her, and saw the fire burning inside of her chest that was much like the one inside of her own. "You're our leader, Scootaloo. You're the one who keeps us together, because nopony else can." she whispered. And then Silver Spoon smiled, just a little, behind those mysterious jewel rimmed glasses of hers. She gently pulled them off and set them to one side, and nodded. “But I can help you a little with that. Just like you helped me.” Her voice was soft, and Scootaloo wondered where that bright glow in her eyes had come from. It wasn't unnatural, not like the darkness she’d seen in Sweetie’s eyes before the end. It was something else, some flash of emotion and… were those tears?

Silver Spoon’s eyes were slightly moist, reflecting the dim candle-light of the tent as she leaned in. “You don’t have to be cold, Scootaloo.” She half whispered.

And then, she kissed her. Right on the lips.

And Scootaloo didn’t feel quite so cold anymore.

Chapter 28 - Regrets

~~~~Ponyville~~~~

Twilight did not feel the cold, as the wind blew gently past her body. Nor did she feel harsh iciness of the snow beneath her hooves. She felt the shadow, pulsing warmly within her soul, and the harsh pain that lived alongside it. She looked down the hill, towards Ponyville. The town was boarded up and quiet. Most of those who lived there having been taken to the relative safety of Twilight Town.

The shops were empty, though none moreso than Sugarcube Corner, which stood silent sentinel to the rest of the town. There were no boards on its windows, nor signs of its once inhabitants. It was a shell of a place which had once brought joy to all of the residents of the town, and now? One of it’s proprietors was dead, and the other two missing, presumed captured. For Twilight, the loss of Pinkie Pie had been more of a blow than she’d realized or was prepared to admit. The pink pony had always been adamant that so long as Twilight could find laughter in the world, she’d still be herself.

But it was becoming harder to find that laughter, here in Equestria. Her mission, once so simple and uncomplex upon its face, had become a miasma of discordant alliances and the ever mounting price of command. No matter how much she enjoyed, even relished her intimate moments with her friends, her beloved Shadow, and others beyond them… She wondered if she shouldn’t just have kept her attention upon her home from the very beginning.

She was never good at admitting her mistakes, but it was becoming increasingly clear that she had miscalculated something along the way. In a way, she ought to have expected resistance to her new ideas and philosophy. Equestria was ever a place fascinated by change, but also in fear of it. And nowhere was that philosophy more embodied than in its rulers, the Princesses.

Twilight knew now, in her heart, that her love for Celestia was far more than she had ever admitted. The Princess had been more than a mentor, she had been the ideal to which Twilight even now strove to live up to. She wished, desperately, that Celestia was here. That perhaps, she could speak to her now and understand where she had mis-stepped. So far from anypony here, Twilight laid her head upon the snow and wished with all of her heart for a moment of clarity.

Twilight, however, was mature enough to know that such clarity would not come simply because she wished for it. Her path had long since been set, and she knew it. The world would not easily forget her choices, nor the choices she could have made, and really. What else could she have done? Knowing what she knew, knowing that all that she loved could have so easily been wiped away?

Seeing the mighty legions of Roam and the vast swarms of changelings had provided their own sort of clarity for her. Equestria could not hope to stand against one such foe, much less four, and seeing it for herself had been… sobering. She felt her hooves find purchase beneath her and forced herself to stand. So much had already been lost and now she could not stop. She had to see this through, all the way to its end.

Twilight sighed softly, rubbing at her temple. The battle plan Winterlight had was brilliant, no doubt. The result of countless years obsessing over the idea, as was evidenced by the almost absurd level of knowledge she had about Cloudsdale’s defenses. But… it was Equestria. Her home. Her own ponies, and she was going to attack them, not merely defend herself against those who were being manipulated. It went against so many grains that Twilight was getting an outright headache over it.

But in truth, Winterlight was right. There were precious few other ways she could break resistance against her plans, and without Celestia or Luna to negotiate with… Twilight didn’t know what else to do. Cadence wasn’t answering her letters. Shining Armor was nowhere to be found. Celestia, and Luna…. gone, somewhere. Where, she did not know, only that the sun and moon still rose and set as normal, so at the least they were alive. But none of it was a comfort for the pain in her heart.

She had hoped the poor souls at Ghastly Gorge would be the last. Yet there would unquestionably be casualties if she struck at Cloudsdale, even if she managed to take them completely by surprise. Someponies would die, and it would once again be on her head. Another load for her to bear, another beautiful candle snuffed out, because there was no other way.

And what if she were to fail? What if, Celestia forbid, her attack upon the cloud city did not succeed in its aims? She knew what would come next. All of Equestria would descend upon her, and then her only hope of ending the ensuing civil war would be to fully usurp the government. It would mean an assault on Canterlot itself. And then… then if she did not succeed…

There would be so few choices then. So few things she could do, save for one idea she had. It was a long-shot of an idea. Madness on its face, it was well and truly a plan of the last resort. But if the time came, if necessity demanded, she would do it. One way or another, she would ensure the future of Equestria, no matter what it might personally cost her.

And cost her it would, she was sure, even if she was successful. Cloudsdale was a fortress in the sky, and it could very easily become the next closest thing to impregnable. She would need to assault it herself, and she would need every flying resource at her command, and she would need to show it no mercy. With control of the weather, control over Equestria would be foals play, and then she could turn her attention back to the more important matters at hoof. The Zebricans, the Dragons and the mysterious Ki-Lin all still loomed large in her mind.

The snow howled around her for a moment, then suddenly settled. She stared up into the sky, and wondered if it was her imagination that the clouds seemed a little less… hostile. She still had the rest of her friends, and she was not going to waste a single moment she could be spending with them out here, brooding. She turned in the snow, still not feeling the cold or the ice. Such things were nothing compared to the weight of what was to come.

It would be a decisive battle, she was certain. But decisive for whom… was in doubt.

~~~~~~

It had felt like ages since she’d last visited the Old Palace of Twilight Town. Winterlight’s unseen guards still stalked the grounds, and her shadowtouched staff still flitted from shadow-to-shadow to carry out their duties. In the living room, though, was a warm and familiar sight that put a glow of happiness into Twilight’s heart.

Applejack and Rainbow Dash sat quietly on one of the love seat’s, a book cradled between them as they cuddled up together. Rarity and Sweetie Belle were each working on seperate knitting projects, chatting quietly as the soft sounds of classical music drifted about in the background. Applebloom was nowhere to be seen, but Big Macintosh was working a whittling knife along a stubby bit of apple wood as he worked it into a little wooden ball.

It was a homey sight. A familiar, and comforting sight, and… “There you are,” said… Spike! Who was standing right behind her, his taloned fists planted on his hips and his eyebrow cocked at her. Had he grown? He looked taller somehow, older… more mature. “Bout time. You need to stop running off all over creation and come back once in a while to check your mail.” He huffed at her, obviously in exasperation. “Not to mention checking up on me. I haven’t seen you in weeks!”

Twilight felt a stab of guilt, and put on her very best smile. “Sorry, Spike. I guess I haven’t exactly been the most present of friends.” She opened up her forelegs and hugged him tightly, and he returned the favor with nothing more than a simple affection. So often she had considered bringing him over to the SHadow but… no. Spike was far, far too young, and more importantly, was far too innocent. He did not need the terrible burden she had taken up laid upon him. Not if she could help it.

“Yeah, yeah. You owe me.” He punched her with a friendly smile in the foreleg, then hoofed over a few sealed scrolls. “These have been waiting for you for a while. Really, Twilight,” He rolled his eyes at her as he spoke, and a sly grin crossed his face. “You’re slipping. You’d usually be panicking over missing a few scrolls.” Then he paused, and a much more sober look crossed his face. “Are you gonna be home for dinner, tonight?”

There was something in his voice… something Twilight couldn’t put her hoof on. A sadness, an almost… Why was Spike looking at her like that? Why was she feeling so… “Of course, Spike.” She instantly replied, shaking the thoughts out of her head. “I’ve been away far too long. Fortunately, we have some time to catch up on things.” She put on her best smile, and Spike grinned cheekily back at her.

“Alright, then. I’m making my top-tier, special spinach casserole tonight. So you’d best not be late.” He tapped her nose with a claw and trundled off in the direction of the kitchen. “It’ll be nice to have a nice, normal meal for once!” He called back before vanishing through the door, and Twilight winced away from the subtle hint. It had been a long time.

A soft giggle came from Rainbow Dash, who was smiling at her. “Spike never changes, does he, Mistress?” She cooed softly, and kissed Applejack’s cheek. The farmpony blushed a little, and muttered something cross sounding beneath her breath. Dash just smirked and nuzzled her cheek against Applejack’s. “Yeah, yeah. I know, AJ.”

Twilight frowned a little, having not caught the comment and… wondering why it bothered her that it didn’t. Applejack was still not even remotely back to normal, even if she was putting up a good appearance whenever there was work to do. She, more than anypony, drew Twilight’s concern when it came to her transformations. She took a deep breath and exhaled it. “I’d better keep it between us tonight, girls. I’ve been underappreciating him.” Her eyes were tugged back to the door, wondering why she just couldn’t dispel her concern over that look he’d given her.

Rarity’s voice was calm as it cut through her thoughts. “Don’t you worry one stitch, darling. We can handle the dear when he needs... attention.” Rarity practically purred out the word, and just the sound of her voice sent shivers through Twilight’s body. What on earth did Rarity mean by that? “Which reminds me. Sweetie Belle, go fetch our little pet,” Rarity said with a gushing sort of tone. Twilight turned to see her shooing Sweetie off the couch, who had long and sly smile on her face. “We really ought to have introduced her to Mistress before, but now that she’s properly prepared she ought to really impress.”

“Pet?” Twilight felt a moment of confusion, then cleared it instantly with but a thought. “Oh, Aloe had told me you two were ah… helping others accommodate to their new lives. I really ought to have thanked you for that earlier.” It was so very like Rarity, to take those with the worst attitude and mould them into shape. She really did have her eye on making things run more smoothly for Twilight, which was very appreciated given the other things she needed to worry about.

Rarity dimpled, pushing herself off the couch as she spoke. “Of course, beloved.” Her voice was soft, and her hoof came up to stroke Twilight’s cheek lovingly. “I am so deeply glad we shall have a few months to spend together with the family. Just us girls, bonding.” Her eyes flashed, and she batted those beautiful eyes of hers at Twilight. “Perhaps a little bondage too, I’m certain our dear Dashie and a few others might enjoy your tender mercies. As would I…” A huskiness crept into Rarity’s voice, and Twilight felt her cheeks color a little.

“Here she is, sis!” Sweetie Belle proclaimed, leading… Is that Diamond Tiara? Twilight could hardly believe her eyes. The once proud filly was ripening into her teenage years already, but more importantly was the utter change in her disposition. She wore a tight steel collar that looked like it was locked around her neck, a slim chain wrapped around Sweetie’s hoof led to it. Utterly gone was her arrogance, her overconfidence.

She moved meekly, radiating submissiveness like a miniature fluttershy. More still, her body had… changed. It was sleek and thin, her coat was shiny and bright and her mane was styled into a long braided ponytail. Her voice was whisper soft and strikingly alluring. “What is your pleasure, Mistress?” She spoke, her eyes downcast but her voice clear and bright, and easy to understand. “I live to serve my betters.” And was it Twilight’s imagination, or did her little hips twitch a little at saying that?

Rarity gave off a slow smile, pressing her hoof to Twilight’s chest. “We’ve moulded her quite well so far, though there is much work yet to be done. She’s learned how to properly pleasure a pony at least, and is very popular with both stallion and mare in the spa.” Twilight couldn’t help but nod unconsciously at that. Everything about how Diamond carried herself screamed a desire to be… used. Indeed, Big Macintosh was watching her out of the corner of his eye, and even Applejack followed her movements with an unnerving closeness.

Twilight swallowed a little, feeling her breathing become a touch more heated. She had a dinner with Spike to get to, true but… but the Shadow within her was screaming out, drowning all of the rational thoughts in her mind. Rarity’s touch on her coat was like fire and electricity burning through her veins. “Do you approve, Mistress?” Rarity cooed into her ear, although she didn’t even need to ask.

After all, she could feel Rartiy’s own shadow resonating with hers. She turned to her friend, her little beloved, and kissed her with all of the passion she had. Mother would always be her closest love, but that didn’t mean she had no space in her heart for others. Rarity’s lips fastened onto hers and their tongues danced with one another for a few long moments. Twilight could feel the black energy pouring out of her, forming something she could have a bit of fun with. “Why don’t we give her a test and see if she’s up to snuff?” Twilight cooed, her eyes travelling across the other ponies present. Each and every one of their powers resonated with hers, feeding off of one another. This was how the Shadow ought to feel, and she knew it.

There were going to be many prices paid soon. By many ponies. She could not, no matter how much she might want to, keep them out of the fights to come. So she would treasure this time with them, as much as she possibly could. She slipped her tongue past Rarity’s lips again and reveled in the warmth of her touch. She felt Dash’s teeth gently graze her ear, and a warm hug from Applejack around her middle. Even if that… that odd look in AJ’s eyes disturbed her, she could see the iron-hard, living flame of a spirit lurking behind the mask. Applejack was in there, and she hadn’t stopped loving her.

It was a long winter ahead. But at least she had a way to stay warm.

~~~~Camp of the Crusade~~~~

Pinkie Pie would have been nervous if it had been any other ponies in here, but it was a very close group of them that she all knew. Vinyl and Berry Punch, Mister Turner and Ditzy Doo, Miss Cheerilee and even little Scootaloo was there. There were others too, like Jazzy and Snowflake, and a bunch of other foals too, some of whom Pinkie was having trouble remembering the names of for some reason she didn’t like. The tent was fairly packed, but there was one common thread. All of them were from Ponyville, and all of them had left ponies they cared about behind. All of them had been presumed missing… or dead. Something which was, kind of obviously, not so.

Pinkie shakily picked up the teacup they’d offered her, trying to still herself and get control. The last thing she needed was a Pinkie breakdown, since that could lead to lots of tears, crying and not-fun. And the last thing Pinkie needed was to lose all the momentum she’d built up to keep going past all of the little hurts she was dealing with. She sipped the warm brew, instantly recognizing Zecora’s work and the splash of brandy that somepony had slipped in to help her steady her nerves. One face in fact, was particularly noted by its absence. Mrs. Cake wasn’t there, and that really really worried Pinkie.

Scootaloo spoke first, wearing none of the armor or other oddities she’d apparently collected. “Pinkie, we want you to know first and foremost that none of us…” She gestured broadly around the tent, and all the heads nodded slowly. “Blame you for what happened to Ponyville. We know who’s fault that is, and that’s something we’re going to deal with another day.” Scootaloo’s voice wasn’t quite hard, but there was a determination there that was hard to miss.

Still, Pinkie nodded. She was glad that nopony here was super-duper mad at her, at the very least. Still… Scootaloo sighed. “But we do need to ask you some questions. We need to know more about what happened to Twilight, and what happened the night that…” She swallowed, visably. It was the first time Pinkie had seen Scoots show any signs of weakness or emotion beyond her stoic and enthusiastic leadership since she’d gotten here. “That everything came crashing down… and what happened to the ponies we all love.” Scootaloo finished, and looked incredibly thankful for the foreleg that Cheerilee wrapped around her shoulder a few moments later.

So that was the play here. They wanted answers, and they didn’t want Mrs. Cake giving them guff. “Um… I’ll try!” She still knew how everypony in Ponyville was supposed to be doing. The rest… the rest she’d do her best with, and hope they didn’t bring up Mr. Cake. “So… Um… I know Octavia is okay, though I haven’t seen much of her.” She started for Scratchy, right off the bat. She knew those two were pretty close, and… and maybe she could give Scratchy a smile. “She’s mostly been playing music alone, and hasn’t done much socializing beyond her job… I’ve heard her using her violin a lot.”

Vinyl’s eyes closed and she leaned against Berry, a slow breath escaping her lips. “Celestia, that means she’s depressed as tartarus, but… but at least she’s still playing.” Vinyl’s eyes opened and she half smiled at Pinkie. “Thanks, Pinks. It means a lot to know that.”

Scootaloo nodded, and held up her hoof. “We’ve got a list. I know everypony here wants to know right now, but we’re going to go right on down the list.” She brandished the scroll at Pinkie. “So lets start with what happened with Twilight.”

For the next few hours, Pinkie Pie answered every question as best as she could. It wasn’t easy, delving back into some of those memories, but it was important and she knew it. Scootaloo had turned into a hard nosed interrogator good enough to work for the Royal Guard, and between her and Berry Punch they extracted every last bit of information out of her like squeezing toothpaste from the tube. They fired a hundred plus names past her, some with good news attached, and some, like Mayor Mare… not so good.

But never once did Mr. Cakes name come up. One by one, foals and adult ponies alike filed out of the tent as they learned the fates of their loved ones. Some were moved to tears, and others were more stoic. No few of them stopped by her on the way out, and gave her a rough embrace or a kiss on the cheek. “It’s better to know.” Whispered a teary eyed Miss Cheerilee, as she hurried away. And maybe that was what this was about - knowing the truth. Knowing what had happened, and why.

One by one, the ponies left, until only a few remained. Berry stuck around, as did Mister Time Turner. Scootaloo leaned back, and her eyes narrowed. With only the four of them still in the tent, Pinkie knew what was coming next.

She didn’t wait for Scoots to ask, knowing it would just make it worse. “I didn’t know it was going to happen,” she whispered, ducking her head in pure shame. “You… You gotta understand something, okay?” Pinkie tried to inject a plea into her voice, not sure why but knowing she had to. “Mister Cake… Mister Cake had no reason to take me in when he did. I came to Ponyville with nothing but a wish to throw parties. I found some work doing it at first, but…”

Pinkie tripped over the words, trying to find the right way to say them. It was hard to look at those memories now, when before all they had given her was smiles. “But I didn’t really have enough. I was staying with Paper Pusher, you know? Mayor Mare’s dad? But he couldn’t keep me forever, he had fillies of his own....” Pinkie felt a sigh escape, wrapping her forelegs around her hindlegs. “No one would take me in though. I was too odd, and I didn’t have any other skills so I couldn’t do jobs most ponies could.”

She couldn’t keep the smile off her face. It was a happy memory, even in light of everything that happened. “He found me crying my filly eyes out behind his shop. He told me I could come work for him, and I could stay in the loft. Told me he’d teach me everything he knew about baking. He was so kind to me, and Miss Cake was too…” Pinkie rubbed at her nose, wishing she wouldn’t keep sniffling during stuff like this. It made her think she was getting sick, and being sick sucked.

Her little world shrank to just her, as she didn’t want to think too much about the other ponies present. “I always wanted to repay him for it. I never could figure out how. I knew he and Miss Cake were super-de-dooper close, and as much fun as I had with the creamy stuff… It wasn’t appropriate, and I knew it.” She sniffled again, and tried to rub it away vigorously. “But… but when I came to Ponyville and saw him all alone in an empty shop, I was sure something bad had happened. I was sure I could fix it somehow…”

The tears came slowly, but they came. “I didn’t… I didn’t mean for him to get hurt, I just… I just wanted to thank him and… and he just… just… jumped.” She couldn’t bring herself to keep speaking. It was too much, just… too much. She tucked her head in between her legs and hoped they’d all go away for a little while. What else was there to say? Surely, they’d all hate her now. But… but what else could she say? Do?

She cried, and hated it because crying ment somepony was sad, and that was the absolute worst thing in all of the world. She’d spent her whole life trying to make otherponies happy, trying to bring smiles and joy to their lives. She’d been sure she could have done it with Twilight, and put a stop to all those things which made ponies sad. So that… that everyone could party, and not just everypony. No one would ever have to feel sad, or alone, or scared….

That wasn’t such a bad dream… was it?

She didn’t know, anymore.

Course, she also didn’t know why she was being hugged either, right at that moment, but it sure did feel good, so she didn’t bother asking why for now. She just leaned into it, and wished that she didn’t have to stop being hugged anytime soon. “Thanks for telling us the whole story, Pinkie.” That was Scootaloo’s voice, muffled in her ears past the hug. She felt her head being rubbed softly by a hoof, and looked up to see a fully grown mare where the filly Scootaloo had once been. “For whatever its worth, I understand. Umbra’s driven all sorts of ponies to madness. You were up against a force you couldn’t fight… and we don’t blame you for that.” Scootaloo’s eyes darkened, and her mouth set into a fierce rictus. “No. We know who to blame for that, now.”

“Thank you, Scootaloo, now would you please leave us alone?” Pinkie’s heart went cold at the sound of Mrs. Cake’s voice… “I need to be with Pinkie Pie. She needs me now, more than ever before.” A soft hoof brushed her mane back, and she could feel it frizz up a bit. “My poor little Pinkie… We should have known better than to send you into that demons nest alone.” Mrs. Cake’s hooves tightened around her, and Scootaloo calmly walked from the tent. She didn’t know what was going to happen next, not in the littlest bit but… but at least Mrs. Cake didn’t hate her. Now she just had to figure out how to make sure Mrs. Cake never had a reason to cry again.

It would be a good first step towards repaying her for Pinkie’s mistake.

~~~Canterlot Castle~~~

High above the city, Princess Luna Artemis slipped the enchanted silken ribbon around the heavily calligraphed roll of paper and bound the magic within it with a wordless thought and set it beside its sisters. Six similar, yet utterly unalike scrolls sat in a neat row on her table. Each one bearing a specific mark alongside her own, that of the crescent moon. Then she turned to the chest that sat closed tight next to her desk, and threw it open with another touch of magic.

She lifted the helm from it’s resting place, carved from a single piece of moonstone so massive it had provided the materials for the entire suit of armor to be similarly enchanted. She hovered the helm in front of her eyes, staring into the empty sockets where her gaze would glance out of. “I am not afraid of you, anymore,” She said quietly to the power that lurked within the enchanted armor. “Nor of what you represent. For if we both wish to survive what is to come, you will have to accept that things must be different now.”

The power pulsed silently, but not in anger. It was as canny and ruthless as she ever had been, but it was still fundamentally a part of her. A part of her she’d hoped she could seal away and never speak of again, but such was not her fortune. It had no desire to be controlled by that feeble Shadow, and it knew what would become of it if it did not co-operate. Luna nodded to the scrolls. “This is a spell we know well. All too well. I shall need your aid in casting it.”

For a moment, there was a thrill of fear from the helm… but then it settled. Oh yes, it knew that spell. It was a spell they had used far too many times together during the Nightmare War. It was a spell she had hoped to never need, but… but if Twilight was to be saved… The power pulsed again, and Luna nodded silently. “Good. But for now, we must wait. The proper time will come again.” She gently set the helm aside, where it remained quiescent.

She carefully gathered the scrolls together, sealing them in their case. They would be needed all too soon she feared, for without Celestia here, there might be no other choice but to cast it. Luna closed her eyes, and wept in silence, here in her rooms where nopony would see or care. It was all too likely that nopony would forgive her for doing this, but she could not let Twilight die. She would not let her be killed for Luna’s sins, for her failure to protect the world against the darkness.

This infernal Umbra thought she controlled the dark. She thought her power ran unchallenged in the Night, but she was greatly mistaken. Perhaps she simply did not believe in Luna’s power, or perhaps she simply knew nothing of it. Perhaps poor Tantalus had kept that knowledge from her somehow, his fierce desire to protect her with all of his power having been strong enough to even resist Umbra’s foul taint. Luna glanced at the Moonblossom that still gently glowed in the evening light, his last gift to her before death. For what she had done to him, for how she had cast him aside… For that alone, she would be slain, on top of all her considerable other crimes.

But to fight her, she would need every scrap of her power, and that meant drawing upon every weapon she had… even the ones she had sworn to set aside. Every weapon, every spell, everything she had ever learned about the art of war she would wield against Umbra. She would show her, in the starkest and most uncomplex possible terms that there was but one Mistress of the Night, and it was not her. But for now, the Nightmare would sleep silently. To await its rebirth into this new age, though this time with much narrower and more realistic goals. To await the battle when it would need to be unleashed to save the world.

To wait for its time to come again.

Chapter 29 - Winter's Grasp

~~~~~The Camp of the Crusade, three weeks into the winter~~~~~

Every morning was the same. Well, almost the same.

Scootaloo would wake up, and she’d always be sore from yesterdays training, so she’d make sure Scootaloo got a good massage to help her loosen up a bit. Then she’d help Scootaloo get her armor on, and make sure her cloak was brushed clean. Breakfast came next with the rest of the camp, but she always stayed close to her. Oatmeal and chilled apple juice, dried fruits and so on. For some reason, Scootaloo always seemed to smile more after they ate together, spending the time discussing small things. Homey things. Things that had nothing to do with war or training, or the Shadow.

Then it would be time for the daily supply drop from the Wonderbolts, always something different. Silver Spoon made it part of her job to help Berry Punch handle the invoices detailing the crates contents. Somedays it was armor and weapons, or food and other supplies, and every so often they brought a box full of toys or other creature comforts. There were notes from those in the know in Canterlot, sending their support to them.

One of those notes had been from Fancy Pants to her, informing her that her parents were alive and well in Canterlot. They were ecstatic to hear she had survived the fall of Ponyville, and had sent offers for her to come join them in the city. Offers which she had refused, even though it had hurt tremendously every time. Her place was here, and she was needed here.

After the supplies came her downtime, which she spent almost entirely acting as what Caesar Scipio had called a ‘castellan’. Which basically amounted to handling all of Scootaloo’s basic chores and making sure the little problems were solved without bothering her. She had enough to worry about without getting bugged about the latest spat between Lyra and Bon Bon, or having to bother taking the time to solve the intercamp conflicts which inevitably arose.

So she stalked about camp, cradling a clipboard in one hoof as she moved from fire to fire, camp to camp, tent to tent, and made sure those problems never became a big issue. She adjusted her glasses subtly, giving one particular griffon a stern look. “I realize things are not easy adjusting to the new command structure, Praetorian Killi. But you are far from the only one to be affected by it.” She sighed, putting on the best impression of her father in an effort to seem more ‘professional’. “So I do not want to hear about you pulling a rank you do not have on others, especially in an effort to get out of certain chores. If it happens again, I will be having words with the Caesar. Understood?”

The griffon muttered for a moment, then nodded unhappily. Silver Spoon dutifully checked his name off her list and nodded back. “The Crusader Commander appreciates your co-operation. Good day.” She turned and marched smartly away… but not before seeing the subtle stiffening of respect in the griffons face. There was not one single warrior amongst them who did not harbor an immense respect for Scootaloo, and the legends they had begun to spread about her were actually getting a trifle amusing.

She examined her list, as she always did, and was pleased to see a remarkable lack of other problems that demanded immediate attention. The new command structure was actually shaking out quite successfully, as was the new training program. She bit at the end of her quill, contemplating her next move. Normally, she’d move on to an inspection of the camp, but she did have some spare time in her schedule… No, it would be better to follow her schedule, and make the most of her time at the end of the day.

The camp had transformed under the weight of the snow that now seemed to fall every other day. Keeping the training grounds and pathways clear had become a massive undertaking, made easier only by the fact that freshly fallen snow was a valuable commodity in the form of clean drinking and bathing water. So every day, earth ponies with special shovels would gather the clean snow and take it to Zecora’s pavillion to be boiled down and then transported to wherever it was needed.

Where once the camp had been neatly segregated, now pony, griffon, and batpony alike were all mixed in together. In some cases, assigned mixed-race and mixed gender tents which had caused… well, not specifically problems but there certainly had been a lot of awkward questions for the camp’s doctors and medical specialists. It was the kind of thing that made Silver Spoon chuckle softly, realizing not for the first time in her life that adults were not much more than foals with different obsessions.

The rest of the camp didn’t need much of her attention. Zecora ran a tight operation, and so did Berry Punch. Neither of them required her to look in on them, which brought her to the focus of the camp these days. The training grounds. A massive field, artificially created by levelling dozens of trees and ploughing and then clearing the cold ground in the middle of the forest. It had been leveled and then laid with sod, creating a miniature battlefield the length of two hoofball fields, and just as wide.

Here, still before luncheon, the vast majority of the camp was locked into training drills, mock combat, and conditioning. A horde of earth ponies were galloping at a surprising speed around the field, all of them laden down in plate armor that gleamed dully in the sunlight. On the field itself, pegasi and batponies were fighting with clubs, taloned hoofboots and wing-blades in an attempt to break up each others combat formations. And as always in one corner of the field, the unicorn named Star Swirl stalked around the hoof-full of unicorns they had in the camp.

There were just about fifty of them, and they stood in a ragged formation as Star Swirl would calmly explain the theory and practice behind some sort of combat spell. A few moments later, the unicorns would spread out into pairs. One would shield, and the other would try to cast the spell. Then they’d switch off. Even Lyra, not a unicorn given to violence, had gotten skilled enough through sheer hard practice to project a pretty impressive force-shield.

And amidst them all, Scootaloo, Scipio, and Crescent Blade stalked. They watched, they judged, they spoke to one another and took notes. They directed the training and engaged in plenty of it themselves, never being afraid to do anything they demanded their soldiers did. Silver Spoon felt her lips twitch into a smile, and she quickly cantered down towards them.

Her world was nothing like it had once been. It was a world of peace, friendship, and prosperity shattered by the actions of a single madpony. She did not know how the rest of Equestria was faring now, but word was coming in that the Shadow was already bringing its own subtle and grim form of warfare to the rest of the nation. She did not know how they would return to the lives they had once known, but she did know something that set a warmth in her heart.

Scootaloo glanced up and spotted her, and a big smile crossed her face. She knew that she was becoming a better pony than she had ever been before. That no matter how dark things had gotten, she believed with all of her heart that they could win, and that they would save the ponies they’d left behind. She hoped she would be in time to save the pony she had left behind before too much harm had come to her, but even if not… even if not, Scootaloo would make certain they got revenge.

“Hey Silver! Things going well in camp, then?” Scootaloo called out, as Scipio and Crescent split off to go yell at some griffons showing a group of earth ponies how to use war-spears.

Silver gave a dimpled smile, tossing her braided mane fetchingly. “Of course. Keeping things running smoothly is what I do best.” She leaned in and planted a gentle kiss on Scootaloo’s cheek, feeling a little flutter of happiness. “Do you want anything in particular looked into? I’ve got a little extra time in my schedule today.” She kept her voice light and flirty, hoping that Scootaloo might unbend and take some spare time for herself for once…

Scootaloo’s smile was gentle, and kind of sad. “Would you mind asking Zecora if she’s got those firepot bombs ready yet? We’d like to do some testing with the pegasi and griffons, but rocks just aren’t cutting it.” She shook her head minutely. “Can’t figure out the splash on them until we see them in action.”

Silver just sighed and nodded, keeping her best professional smile on like Mom used to do when Dad was hip-deep in his business. Scootaloo chuckled softly. “The pegasi tell me we have a big snow front moving in this afternoon, so we’re actually going to be quitting early. I expect you’ll find an excuse to do the same.” There was the gentle heat, the warmth and affection that permeated Scootaloo’s voice when she was at her most ardent.

Silver’s cheeks burned, and she nodded shyly. “I’ll see to it.” She kept her voice quiet but firm, and did a bit of scribbling on her list. There really wasn’t much else for her to worry about today anyway, if there was going to be a snowstorm later. “Will that be all, Crusaders?” She arched an eyebrow at Crescent and Scipio, both of whom were grinning in amusement.

Scootaloo laughed and waved her off, and the other two followed with a pair of affirmative nods. Silver sighed and made a quick note. She loved Scootaloo dearly, but those two were a bad influence on her. But she wasn’t too worried. She knew, somehow, that Scootaloo had not been placed in charge because of some kind of need for a figurehead. No. Whatever had happened on that bridge had changed things between them.

So she picked up her hooves and kept to the trot. The winter would not last forever, and they would need to make sure absolutely everything was ready. And… and if there was time, to make enough memories to last her a lifetime.

Just in case.

~~~~~~~

“The Training Grounds is as much a theatre of war as any other. It is here that skills are honed in bloodless battle, so that when true combat is joined, it is more likely that you shall be the victor, rather than the vanquished.” Caesar Scipio paused, clasping his talons behind him. “Caesar Hawkwing said that, shortly before he launched his final campaign against the Dark Sun. He knew, as we now know, that experience in battle will only carry you so far.” He nodded once, decisively. “Now. Before we wrap today, we shall be practicing our combined charge. Major Time Turner will be commanding our ground forces. Major Talonrend will command the sky. I shall maintain overall command, but I expect to not need to step in. Form up!”

The combined pony and griffon forces dispersed towards the field, and Scipio Grifficanus glared up into the sky. He hated early snowstorms interrupting his training schedule. Still, a rest for a day or so would likely not go amiss. “You’re driving them like Legionaries, brother.” Gilda’s voice came quietly into his ear, causing it to twitch. “We can’t turn them into that in just a few months, no matter what we do. They’re not fighters.”

Scipio grunted. “They have seen the smallest amongst them take on a seasoned and dangerous enemy commander. They will become warriors, if only to salve their pride.” Gilda had been driving him quite a lot lately. More and more, she was becoming like the advisor her position demanded, and more and more he was finding himself irritated and frustrated as much as he was thankful for her presence. “We should get to the observation tower. I want to see if they can hold a tight formation.” He quickly took off into the air, hoping to catch her unawares enough that she’d fall behind… but she anticipated him perfectly, of course.

Ugh. Siblings.

The stout wooden tower at least had a roof, and getting under it after countless hours of being snowed upon was a nice thing indeed. Gilda landed right next to him, and ruffled the snow off her feathers. “You gonna talk to me, shithead, or am I going to have to keep bugging you?” The vulgarity might have shocked him once upon a time, but after the last few months he’d actually gotten used to it. So he continued to stolidly ignore her, focusing on the troops forming up on the field. Really, it was quite impressive how far they’d already come- “Maybe I need to go talk to your little freak of a boss about your probl-”

Scipio’s patience snapped instantly, and turned in a whirl. His talons snapped out and grabbed his sister by the throat without so much as an actual thought, his voice cold and hard. “You will retract that statement, little sister. Right. Now.” And a moment later, he released her as his mind finally caught up with his knee jerk and felt a bolt of cold shock going through him. So much so that he actually forgot his formal speech for once. “I… Oh, shit. Gilda, I’m-”

“Shutup.” She grumbled and rubbed at her neck, glaring at him. “Don’t you dare fuckin’ apologize. Drop the fuckin’ act, Scip.” She smacked his shoulder, hard with a fisted talon and glared at him. “You’ve been running on full blown commander mode for months now. You haven’t let yourself relax since Roam, and you’re gonna lose your shit if you don’t talk.” She grabbed his shoulder and squeezed it to the point of pain.

He took a deep breath, giving one glance to the field before… “I miss father.” It was a hard thing to say. A harder thing to even admit, especially in front of Gilda. “I… Do you remember in school, when they told us all about the ancient wars?” He sat down next to the railing, staring out onto the field to watch six or seven different races of being fighting and standing alongside one another. “About the pride of the Empire, how it had never submitted to any foreign rule, and how independant our lords were?”

Gilda nodded a little, hunkering down next to him and watching him exclusively. “Look at them, Gilda.” He half whispered, gripping the crude wooden railing. “Have you ever seen such a magnificent sight? Griffon, Pony, Donkey and more. There are no flags of any nation out there. No borders or boundaries. They are brothers not by soil or blood, but by a common bond. And what will become of them, when this conflict is over?”

Gilda blinked at him, her eyes going a touch wider in shock. Scipio himself took in a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “The world will never be the same as it was, Gilda. Too much blood has already been spilled. Too much has been lost.” He hung his head and sighed heavily. “There will need to be a new world after this one. We will need to throw off the past, if we are to have any hope of a future.”

She stared at him, almost rigid with shock. He smiled back at her, and felt a little warmth in her chest. “When all of this has ended, and we are victorious, I intend to change the world, Sister. There will be no more wars between our races.” He stood, and turned to see the glorious charge of so many races of the world, united in purpose. It was a glorious sight. The kind of sight that would have moved lesser griffons to tears. “It is Ironic. Our foe seeks to make the world as one, and in so doing, she will unite it against her.”

Gilda’s voice was soft. “And what about you, Scip?” Her talons gripped his shoulder firmly, and he did not wince away. She was all he had now. “What’s going to happen to you?”

He turned and placed his own mailed talons upon hers, and smiled. “I am the Caesar, sister. I will manage.” Then he turned back, and felt a surge of warmth as Gilda stepped up alongside him. “And once this is over… I will mourn.” He said, just so she could hear. She nodded. The charge came to an end, and all of the creatures down in the valley gave off a triumphant cheer.

~~~~~~~

As the night began to fall, the gentle snowflakes were like a wonder as they flitted about the air and fell to the ground. Each was a singular wonder, like a mortal life, each unique and special, floating along as fate demanded… until they fell to join their companions upon the ground, forming the base for those that were to come. Snow was a wonder to Crescent Blade, for her part of the Kingdoms never experienced such weather unless the Empress decreed it, and she had not done so in the years since Blade had come to the Royal Court.

Certainly it was cold, but cold was not a thing that bothered her any longer. Tsukiyomi’s warmth and power flowed through her veins, and warded her body from the elements. And so she walked through the camp, from beacon to beacon of light and flames, ever seeking those who needed her council. Some had been the mysterious and warlike Griffons, and others the more humble and peaceful Equestrian ponies.

They were so very much like the legends had said. Good, solid, honest ponies who simply wished to live their lives in peace and prosperity. They were so unsettled by the horrors of this war, that all of their understanding of the world had vanished into nothingness… and so they had turned to her. Some had called her a calm amidst the storm, and she had told many of them of the power of the divine Amaterasu and Tsukiyomi. Some had looked aghast at the idea of treating their Princesses in such a way, and others… Others had seen it as a new, guiding light upon the world.

And then… There was her.

She stood as she always did, silent sentinel upon a ridge, with only a small but very warm fire to soothe her. The fire itself was a concoction of the Zebrican, and was made from some strange alchemy that burned very hot and very long. Yet no snow ever settled there, vanishing into nothingness from the flame’s power, and yet somehow one could sit next to it and it would feel no warmer than a good hearth. The young warrior wore her thickest cloak in this weather, and the warm padding from her armor as she stared silently into the snowfall. “May I join you, young warrior?” She asked quietly, as she always did.

And as always, the young pony nodded once and then scooted over a bit to make room by the fire. They sat together for a moment, admiring the forces of nature that whorled around them, before the young one spoke. “How’s the camp doing, Crescent?” Scootaloo turned to her, her eyes slightly darkened and weary.

Crescent spoke calmly, keeping herself serene in spite of her worry for the little one. “Things are well. When the snow finally ends, we will be ready to face our foe head on.” She shifted in place, resettling her blades upon her back before speaking again. “My concern is for you, however. You have not confided in any of us, Scootaloo, and Scipio and I worry for you and your health.”

Scootaloo snorted faintly. “Like I’m not the only one here who isn’t talking to other ponies about my worries.” She eyeballed Crescent in a rather cynical sort of way. “You’re pretty tight lipped yourself.”

Crescent Blade shrugged a little, then half smiled. “That is true. Even if it is an uncomfortable truth.” She sighed, and wondered how she could get the poor warrior to unburden herself. Perhaps… “I worry for what is to come. Many here think that they will survive the battle that we prepare to fight, and few indeed understand the possibility of death.”

Scootaloo sighed faintly, and nodded herself. “Yeah… I’ve been seeing that too, but what can we do? We need them to believe that if they fight with everything they’ve got, they can get through this. Otherwise…” She lifted a hoof and flopped it to her side. “Everything we’ve done isn’t going to mean bupkis.”

Crescent nodded, and extended a hoof to wrap around the young filly’s shoulder. One so young should not have to bear burdens so terrible… And yet, she had heard of the young one’s story. It was one that would be fit for a Ki-lin legend. A child, bereft of her closest companions, takes up the weapons and arms of her kinfolk and sets out to right the wrongs. It was enough to make Crescent smile faintly at the mental image… Perhaps I should… yes, she might like that.

Storing the thought away for later, she squeezed faintly. “It is never easy commanding such soldiers, yet I know you are correct.” She shook her head and tried to convey as much comfort as she could to Scootaloo’s wounded spirit. “You will not lead us astray, young Crusader. I am certain of it.”

Scootaloo seemed to take a little warmth from that, straightening up and nodding. “I suppose I’ve got to believe in that, or else I’m just going to hide under my bed.” She laughed faintly, and scrubbed at her eyes. Silence fell between them for several long minutes as she did so, and Crescent projected all of the confidence in her that she could. When Scootaloo spoke again, her voice was rough. “I miss them so much.” She whispered. “They were… they were my best friends in the world, and I couldn’t do anything…”

Crescent gently pressed her hoof to Scootaloo’s mouth. “I have heard of your tale, young one. You did what any wise warrior would have done, when faced with a dark foe she knew nothing about.” She turned Scootaloo to face her, and put on her most determined look. “You will avenge the harm done to them, little warrior. Within you is a spirit my kin would be proud to call their own, and when you are victorious, we shall celebrate it together by forging you a blade befitting you.”

Scootaloo blinked at her, then laughed softly. “You’re a strange pony, Crescent Blade but… you know, that sounds pretty awesome.” She lifted her hoof, and gently bumped it against hers. “That’s a promise. We’ll see this through together.”

Crescent nodded at her once, and then turned… then.. “This next one… It’s going to be bad, isn’t it.” That was not a question, but Crescent Blade nodded anyway at Scootaloo’s assertions. She sighed faintly, then spoke firmly. “I need you to get me ready. You and Scipio and Star Swirl. When this winter is over, I need to be a commander fit to lead these ponies. I need to fight just as hard as any of them, young filly or not. I need to be worthy of it.”

Crescent paused, and a warm blossom of happiness bid fair to burst out of her chest. “Spoken like a Samurai.” Crescent said softly, and Scootaloo looked at her with puzzlement. She laughed faintly. “We have much to teach you then, little one. But I promise you, when the time comes to join in battle once again… you shall do the memory of the ones you love proud.”

She rose from her seat and turned, smiling all the while. “I shall see you in the morning, Crusader.” And she took her leave from the fire. There was a war to come, and to win, and more than that… there was a tale, fit for the greatest of bards, to complete. A familiar tale, perhaps, but one she was happy to play a part in none the less.

Of the young warrior, the wise teacher, and the dark demon to slay.

~~~~~~

Amber liquid poured into two crystal glasses on the table, before the dark bottle was stoppered by unicorn magic and set to one side. “You are a capable student, I shall give you that.” Muttered Star Swirl the Bearded, pushing the tumbler glass over to the unicorn on the other side of the table. “So I shall confide in you something very special, and very secret.” The unicorn on the other side of the table nodded, and took the glass with a touch of telekinetic magic. “There is a way to save her,” He began roughly, his eyes sparkling in the dim light. “But if I am to be successful, I will need aid.”

The blue unicorn nodded once, and lifted her glass. “I owe Twilight Sparkle a debt, old man.” She growled softly, her eyes like living flame in the dark. Star Swirl couldn’t help but smile… it was clear she hated owing that debt, and probably hated even more the emotions it conjured in her. “So tell the Great and Powerful Trixie what you need her to do.” She finished, pounding back the alcohol, and leaning over the table fiercely.

If she hadn’t kept her hat tipped low over her eyes, Star Swirl knew he would have seen the tears in them.

Author's Note

The ending is coming. Possibly in the next chapter.

Chapter 30 - The Last Peaceful Day

~~~~~Four Months Later~~~~~

Shadows come,

And Hope has fled.

Fear not the dark,

The dawn will come.

Silver Spoon lay curled up around the much battered pillow atop her cot, sleeping peacefully.It was almost domestic. Peaceful. It was a scene from another lifetime, a place she could almost no longer remember. Almost.

Scootaloo ran the oilstone with the greatest of care down the length of her blade three times, then did the same for the other edge another three times. Her limbs ached and her head was as sore as Berry Punch’s was after a bender, but she neither could dent the pride she felt in herself and all of those around her.

Outside her tent, the camp was getting ready. Four months of relentless snow, four months of often bitter cold and biting winds, four months of time bought against the Shadow. But everyone knew Cloudsdale couldn’t keep up the sound and fury forever, not without the greatest of risk. Food stores had been pushed to the utmost, and only the good fortune of outside supply had ensured that there would even be a campaign season this spring.

Where and how Zecora had managed that feat, she would probably never know. The sleek birds she called ‘snow swallows’ had been flitting in and out of the camp for the entire winter. Then again, their opponents were gaining similar aid from the conquered griffon territories, so she supposed Zecora had been calling in favors from afar. Or perhaps it had been Crescent Blade, calling for aid from her own ponies. She didn’t know, and that was a problem.

Or rather, it was a new kind of problem that she could realistically do nothing about. She had made no promises for those supplies, and had signed no treaties. The Crusade was still independant, even if some of its members were garnering help from outside sources. Starswirl had called this ‘necessary delegation’, but Scipio had been much more blunt about it. He’d called it ‘dealing under the table’ and said it was pretty much something every leader did.

Scootaloo didn’t know about that, but she did trust Scipio, Crescent and Zecora, so she supposed she ought to let them do their jobs. It wasn’t like she hadn’t had plenty of other stuff to do while they’d been arranging for trail rations and whatever that black goo Zecora had been stockpiling was.

She’d called it ‘earth tar’ and said that she and Berry were devising a way to put it to good use. That Berry had spent the last few months distilling alcohol from wild potatoes was probably supposed to be a clue, but Scootaloo couldn’t put two and two together this time. It wasn’t a comfortable thought not knowing what they were up to, so she should probably stop beating around the bush and just ask them.

Later though. Peaceful days weren’t going to be plentiful in the months to come, and she wanted to enjoy this one. It would be time to move soon, and she wanted to make just a few more memories. She put her sword away, and crawled next to Silver, curling up alongside to help keep her warm. When she woke up, they could get lunch and enjoy Winter Wrap-up together. It might be the last chance they would have.

Then her ears perked. Someone was chanting, loud enough to be heard through the whole camp. Silver lifted her head sleepily and Scootaloo slowly eased up beside her. What was going on?

~~~~~~~~~~

Though Night shall fall,

And the path made dark,

Gaze to the sky, for one day soon...

The dawn will come.

Scipio Grifficanus sighed heavily, raking his talons lightly across his shoulder where a heavy white bandage was currently soaking up more of his blood than he was comfortable with. “I hate when they itch,” He muttered, glaring at his sister across the table. “Did you really have to carry through with that swing, Gilda?”

She looked right down her beak at him with disdain before going back to her work, patching up an undersuit of hide armor. Cragadile, by the look of it, though Scipio would love to have known where she’d gotten the hide from.

Of course, maybe she hadn’t heard him over the raucous sound of the armorers that were scurrying all around them. Or maybe it had been the pegasus on the platform with his clipboard, shouting out numbers and scratching names onto the big piece of slate that served as his chalkboard. Or maybe she was just being a bitch, and he was overthinking things.

Whatever it was, she wasn’t in any kind of talking mood, so he focused on not scratching his wounds by taking in the activity going on around him. By the end of the week, every pony who could fight would be armed and armored respectably enough to be called Legionnaires. Granted, there wasn’t nearly enough proper gilt to go around, but burnished steel still shone in the mid-day light and that was good enough for him.

Across the field he could see many more of their troops picking up unit emblems and banners. Only the Praetorian Guard had remained a solvent unit, all of the other griffons that had come to the camp had been spit up and mixed in amongst the ponies and remaining deerfolk. The rest of those who had come to fight were peppered in amongst the newly formed Legions as specialists and officers where applicable.

As an example, the 3rd Crusade Legion was being commanded by a young buffalo girl of all things, who went by the name Little Strongheart. She’d come bearing promises that her Tribe were waiting for the snow to break before they would stampede north to aid them under the leadership of her father, Chief Thunderhooves. Given what Scipio knew about Buffalo stampedes, he actually felt a pang of pity for whatever forces Winterlight had left to strike south.

But even with that modestly positive news, the entire situation was still too grim for Scipio to become truly upbeat. Umbra’s force numbers were still unknown to them, and he had no idea what sort of devilry she’d spent the last few months cooking up. Fighting a war without proper reconnaissance was more than merely annoying, it was dangerous in the extreme. The Crusader had insisted their purpose was to wait for the critical battle, but Scipio knew better. The Legion would need to intervene long before the war came to Canterlot.

He stood up, not willing to spend another twenty minutes doting on his grumpy sister when the faint sound of chanting came from the center of the camp. The hammers of the forges clanked on for a few more moments, then went still. Scipio could feel something surging through him, as it had during the Battle of the Gorge. Was… was someone singing? And why did it feel as though his chest was afire?

His hindpaws started to carry him quickly towards the source of the sound, Gilda not far behind.

~~~~~~~~~

The foal is lost,

And her home is far,

Within her heart,

The dawn will come.

Princess Cadence quietly took the scroll from the messenger, breaking the wax seal with her teeth and unfurling the message. “Winter no longer sustainable. Troop movements possible within seven days. Will maintain favorable weather patterns for as long as possible, but make no promises. Weather stores heavily depleted. Derecho.” She echoed to the room, before laying the paper scroll down on the desk beside her.

Her husband nodded once. “Well, we had a lot longer than we hoped for.” He tried to keep his voice upbeat, but he was straining for it. “We’ve got most of the outer defenses fortified, and we’ve laid in everything we need for a protracted siege. We should have no problem holding out for the Princess to return.”

General Clausewitz snorted softly. “Still not all the time we need, boy. We’re going to be pressed to the utmost.” He leaned over the tactical table, shaking his head. “They’ll hit Cloudsdale first before they come for us. We’re going to need more than siege supplies and good tactics to survive this one.”

At that, Cadence could only nod her agreement. Guard Captain Lancelot arched an eyebrow at him. “What about news from the Crusader camp? That’s not an insignificant force they’ve built there.” He leaned over the map, rubbing his chin. “Should we order them to reinforce Canterlot? The Praetorian Guard has a fearsome reputation for defensive maneuvers.”

Clausewitz shook his head. “They’re our ace in the hole. We’ll want them outside the walls to flank Umbra’s forces should things get dicey.” He swept his hoof to the north. “Commander Hardscrabble has united enough of our northern Guard units to make an excellent hammer to their anvil. We want them able to maneuver with one another, not be stuck behind walls waiting for Umbra to creep in through the cracks in the floor.”

Cadence bit at her lip, then sighed. “If I remember my weather classes right, we’ll have about two weeks after the melt before any ships could possibly reach Equestrian shores from the Ki-Lin kingdoms, and that’s if Celestia decides to push the limits of safety in the crossing. Figure more like three to four weeks before we can see significant reinforcements.”

“That’s going to feel like a lifetime,” Clausewitz noted, leaning on the table. “Even if they go after Cloudsdale first, they’ll be on our doorstep for two weeks before we can even hope for the Princess to relieve us. What about the Southern guard?” He glanced at Shining Armor, and not for the first time Cadence wondered how he possibly kept up his generally cheerful demeanour even in tough times. Maybe it was an old-soldier thing.

Shining Armor shook his head though, a mournful look on his face. “We think they had corruptors amongst them. We haven’t heard anything except from the Baltimare Institute of Magic.” he nudged a little paper Equestrian flag onto the Baltimare territory. “They insist they’re under siege, but are holding their own against the aggressors. The Magical Containment squad is apparently on premises, but the port itself is possibly in enemy hooves. We can’t make any promises if any of them are still with us.”

That was… well, it was news that could’ve been worse, but it wasn’t good either. Guard Lancelot spoke up quietly. “The good news is we’ve gotten every single unit of the Royal Guard back into Canterlot, and they’re all verifiably clean.” He held his head high, smiling faintly. “We will hold this city to the last pony, your highness.”

Cadence smiled back. It was hard not to, his courage was infectious. “Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that, Lance.” She turned her eyes back to the map and tried to focus. There had to be some way they could buy more time and-

It tremored through her, like a faint earthquake. A pulse of power centered on the Everfree Forest, equal parts terrifying and glorious. Then it came again, an answering pulse from White Tail Wood that rippled across the land so strongly she was sure anyone with half an ounce of magic could’ve felt it. “What was that?” She exclaimed, casting her head from side to side. But there was no burst of magic, no sign of attack. What was going on? Why was she so frightened, and yet why did she feel no fear?

“The beginning of the end,” Growled a raspy voice from the door, and Chrysalis slowly paced into the room. “Time is about to run out, Princess.” She mock bowed, and smiled bitterly. “They are coming for us. Your Harmony help us all.”

~~~~~~~~~~~

Though Night shall fall,

Endless, cold and dark,

Look to the stars, for one day soon...

The dawn will come.

Captain Winterlight jolted up out of a sound sleep, panting as though she’d just fought a ten round gladiatorial tournament in weighted armor. Her heart was thudding in her chest with unnatural force, and that absurd little knot of power in her chest was crawling around inside of her. If she’d been anypony else, she’d have sworn it was some kind of panic attack. But that didn’t fit, and she knew it.

Her heart kept hammering until a minute later, when Rainbow Dash slammed open the door to her private bedroom. “On your hooves, Captain.” She said quietly, those fierce eyes of hers darting to and fro. “Mistress is getting ready to move. We need to start preparations immediately.”

Winterlight opened her mouth to protest that, and instantly it felt like something had grabbed a hold of her heart and squeezed. The pain ripped through her like little else had before, and sent her doubling over to the side of the bed. She clutched at her chest, trying to silently insist that she wasn’t going to fight the orders for several agonizing moments before the pain stopped. Clearly, this wasn’t a request.

Dash nodded from where she stood in the door. “Yeah, me too.” She kept her voice pitched low, but Winterlight didn’t need to be a genius to get what she was dealing. Umbra wanted to make this happen, so it was gonna happen if they liked it or not. “I’ve got a pot of coffee going in the kitchen. I’ve got a feeling we’ll need it.” And then Dash was gone, trotting at top speed down the hallway.

Winterlight blearily hauled herself out of bed and grabbed blindly for the pitcher of water on the windowsill. With zero hesitation, she dumped the ice-cold liquid over her head to shock her senses awake, little shards of ice catching in her mane and her body instantly shivering in reaction to it. She’d take a real shower later, once her heart had calmed down a little.

She grabbed her armor off of its stand and shoved her door aside. Outside, every denizen of Twilight Town was dashing to and fro, stacking crates on Pegasi carts, sharpening weapons and generally acting like a well oiled military machine.

It was hard not to feel a swell of pride in this lunkheads, greenhorns that they’d all been mere months ago. Training couldn’t get rid of all of that, they’d need to be given a good bloody battle before she knew which ones were worth a damn. But it was a hell of a good start, oh yes it was. And the best of all, she had even made a few choice allies along the way.

Allies like Rainbow Dash, her living and breathing contingency plan. This time, this time around she would leave absolutely nothing to chance. Not the loyalty of her commander or the righteousness of her cause would be left to question. Somewhere out there, The Nightmare awaited her return and she was not about to disappoint her queen by dying before she could do so. That she was one wrong move away from having her heart crushed for disloyalty to the Shadow was of no consequence. That had always been the case before, and it was nothing new to her now.

So instead, she focused on making certain that everything would go according to plan. One way or another, her name would soon go down in history. As the victor or the defeated, she did not know. But it would be certainly fun to find out.

It was funny. She could almost hear the war chant starting to pick up amongst the troops, even though no one was doing much beyond talking about the fight to come. She ought to teach them The Endless Night’s an Endless Party before they moved out, it would be good for morale and thoroughly amusing to watch.

~~~~~~~~~~~

So grasp your blades,

Raise banners high,

Stand your ground,

The dawn will come.

Twilight Shadow held her head in one hoof, steadied only by Mother’s gentle touch. “Hush, love.” Mother whispered softly, holding her with infinite gentleness. “It will not hurt for long. Calling to all of the Shadows of the world was a great strain upon us both.”

Twilight smiled in spite of herself, nuzzling up into the soft fur of her lover’s neck. “I’m fine. I’ve had worse headaches from overindulging on Applejack’s cider.” Which was a bold faced lie, but you told lies sometimes to protect the ponies you loves. “I will be fine. How is Fluttershy holding up?” That was the one somepony Twilight most feared for, given her delicate and… unusual state right at this moment.

Umbra merely shook her head and smiled. “She is fine. She was slightly shocked by the force of your call, but her flock absorbed much of the stress for her. They dote upon her.” She giggled faintly, a hoof touching her muzzle delicately. “She is far stronger than they yet know. I fear she shall be quite the terror upon anyone who threatens her new children.”

Twilight laughed at that. “Fluttershy? A terror? Unlikely.” She giggled faintly, kissing Mother’s cheek softly and settling down in her hooves to wait for the pain to recede. It was a good distraction from the knowledge of what she had just ordered. “We need to end this quickly, Mother. No games, no taking our time.”

Umbra twitched a little at that, and Twilight braced herself. “No, Umbra. We will act so that we harm as few ponies as possible to achieve our objectives. I will not destroy the land I have sacrificed so much to save.” Umbra’s tension settled down a moment later, and Twilight could feel her faint shock through the link that bound them together.

She was also feeling very perplexed as to how Twilight intended to do that, so she turned her head to give Mother a very severe look. “I am not suggesting we be hesitant or use pillow hooves on them, Mother. I am merely saying that we will decisively defeat the forces that oppose us, seize the capitol and use our superior position to negotiate a swift peace.” She pressed her hoof into Mother’s chest, barely raising her voice. “We will not raze Cloudsdale, and we will not harm anypony who does not resist us. Every care shall be taken to prevent what happened to Mister Cake, are we clear?”

Mother… nodded. Once, and with a glint of pride in her eye. “This is your quest, my love. I shall ensure you can see it through.” She cooed softly and pressed her lips to Twilight’s, liquid lightning flowing between them and sending arcs of pleasure up her spine. Mother always had a way with her nopony else could possibly have.

Now all she could do was hope and pray her friends would not be caught in the crossfire that was sure to come. Even as the power deep within her body sang a song without words or meaning, speaking of the pleasures to come in the new world she and mother would build together. For everyone, but especially the ponies she loved.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Fear no night,

Nor darkened path,

Be glad your heart,

For today you’ll see...

Princess Celestia Solaris stood at the end of the stone dock, gazing far out to the raging seas that lay before her. They raged, but they did not rage as they did yesterday nor the day before. The weather had calmed significantly, and she could feel the tightly woven magic that maintained the force of winter over Equestria beginning to completely unravel. It was a ragged feeling from this far away, but she knew what it meant.

All along the coast that stretched in both directions, ships of strange design were tethered to the beaches and packed into the docks of the small city she had chosen for her staging ground. They called it Shōri, which was supposedly an ancient word for ‘victory’. A fitting name for the beginning of what would surely be her most difficult and most important military campaign in her entire thousand year lifespan.

The Empress was several miles behind the city, organizing the vast supply chain she would need to ensure her march was unhindered by the need for food or camp supplies. The plan was to land at the shipyards in Manehatten, and use the superior rail system there to quickly assume control of Hollow Shades and Fillydelphia. With the forces stationed there, she would be able to guard her flanks and march to reassume control of her armies at Canterlot. And then…

And… then…

Then she would re-take Ponyville, and shortly thereafter would burn the heart of the Shadow out of the Everfree forest by whatever means was necessary. If need demanded that she burn the entire forest to the ground to do so, so be it. She desperately, deeply hoped such would not be the case, but Celestia only held on to one sliver of hope. That somewhere in the depths of her student’s soul, the Twilight Sparkle she knew and loved still lived and could be called forth to end this once and for all.

There would be repercussions for sparing Twilight the punishment many others would undoubtedly wish to wreak upon her. No less than three sovereign nations had good reason to demand her head on a silver platter, but she had restored her Sister to sense and sanity, and Celestia would do whatever it took to do the same for her beloved student. She would deal with the politics of the other nations after she had secured Twilight’s health and safety.

But if she could not be saved, Celestia knew that it was her responsibility alone to do the terrible deed. She could not ask anypony else, and would not allow anypony else to clean up her mess this time. It would shatter her heart to do so, but she had repaired that heart countless times before. She would find the means to do so again, if necessity demanded it.

Her task then would be to repair her poor nation, to heal her ponies and begin the task of restoring her peaceful land back to prosperity. “Amaterasu?” A soft voice from behind her spoke, but she did not turn. “I beg your indulgence, but the soothsayers tell me the storm shall abate enough for us to leave in three days time.”

Celestia exhaled softly. Three days was not as bad as she’d feared it would be. “Thank you. And extend my thanks to the seers for their tireless efforts.” She paused significantly, then spoke again. “Send me General Rising immediately, and have word sent to the Empress. I want our forces prepared to set sail by the dawn of the fourth day.” Then she glanced to one side. “And have my battle armor brought to me.”

There was no answer, and she expected none. The Ki-Lin took their duties very seriously, and the one thing she could be grateful for was that if she gave a command it would be seen through, no matter how great a trouble it might be. She was reasonably certain that if she commanded these ponies to slay their own Empress they would do so, and that was a power that terrified her. Yet such power was also a great burden on her soul, and that burden would ensure she never misused it, nor failed to appreciate the gravity of her commands.

There we good ponies here, none the less. General Rising was amongst them, who did not treat her as a Goddess so much as he regarded her with deep respect. He had studied the legends of her campaigns and deemed her worthy to serve as his superior officer by virtue of ability, not divine right. Even so, he never failed to execute any command she gave him.

The wind rushed into her face, and she could swear she could smell the green fields of her home upon the wind. An ancient rhyme sprung to mind, and she smiled. She would hold hope in her heart until the utmost, but she would not hesitate. Twilight would have wanted it that way. Twilight would have trusted in her to make certain the right thing was done, no matter how difficult.

But the last line of that rhyme kindled a flame in her heart. She spoke it silently onto the wind, and could feel a little ripple of power brush her cheek from across the sea in response. Let Umbra know what is coming. Let all of this Shadow tremble at my hoofstep. She strode to the end of the pier, and hurled her head backwards to catch the wind in her mane. On the far horizon, she could see a gathering darkness slowly inking the sky over what surely was her beloved kingdom.

Well, if it wished to challenge her, she would accept. Behind her, attendants strode up with the glittering gold of her enchanted steel armor but she paid them no heed. “I am Celestia Solaris, Princess of Equestria.” She roared into the winds of the sea, and they roared wordlessly in response. “And let it be known to every land from here unto the ends of the earth!” She continued, imbuing her voice with the power of the Light that suffused the land with life and hope. "You shall not take my ponies! You shall not destroy that which I have built! For I swear upon the blazing Sun I command," He words echoed across the waves, lashing out with her power to carry her words across that ocean to her home. To Canterlot. To Luna. To Twilight.

To Umbra.

“The Dawn Will Come!”

To Be Concluded

Prologue - Starswirl's Plan

~~~~The Obsidian Temple, The Ki Lin Kingdoms~~~~

A small fire crackled and danced as the bright sun of the day slowly sank below the horizon, the skies above changing from a powder blue to a dark sapphire in mere moments. Above the heads of the ponies who began to congregate about the fire, wisps of iridescent power danced on the evening breeze above the obsidian temple behind them. A sure sign of the massive working of magic that had taken place mere hours ago. As Celestia released the power of the sun, the smell of toasted nuts and roasting vegetables filled the air, and for but a moment, Princess Celestia could forget the grim errand that had brought them here.

It was like stepping out of a seemingly endless dream into a world she’d thought long forgotten. A bearded and cloaked pony sat happily upon a cushion, his hat resting upon the ground beside him. His eyes sparkled with infinite intelligence and wisdom, and that same wry sense of humor that was always ready to crack an utterly inappropriate joke. Even in her wildest fantasies, Celestia had not once entertained the thought that she would ever again see the face of her mentor and tutor in the ways of magic. He had been lost to history - a distant, if beloved, figure that had walked into the mists of time and vanished without a trace.

However, what had happened had become clear. Starswirl had foreseen the return of the dark creature called Umbra and had set about laying his plans. He hadn’t told Celestia, of course. Or Luna. Or - as far as she could tell - anypony except for Clover. That hurt in a way that surprised Celestia, especially with the intensity that she felt the emotion. More than anything else, Celestia was worried that her nerves were beginning to fray. Twilight, more than ever, needed her at her absolute best.

So she shook off the petty emotions. Now was not the time to whine about the things she had not be told. Now was the time to focus on what needed to be done to save Twilight, and indeed the entire world. “You look worried, Celly,” said a rough-hewn and gravelly voice, startling her out of her thoughts. She turned to face the yellow-coated stallion, who was scratching as his scraggly white beard. His golden eyes gleamed in the dim light of the evening as he half smiled at her. “You didn’t used to worry like this,” Star Swirl continued, keeping his voice soft.

“I didn’t used to have very many things to worry about,” Celestia said sharply, then winced. Her temper really was a lot more raw than it ought to have been. “But then, so very much has changed since I saw you last, teacher. Walking into the mysterious east, vowing to one day return.” Celestia glanced up at the imposing edifice of obsidian stone and silver, and shook her head slowly. “What happened out here? What did you learn?”

Star Swirl The Bearded sighed deeply, rubbing at his eyes with his hoof. “You know, you don’t have to dance around the subject, Celestia. There were some things I kept concealed from you, hoping that you would never need know about them.” His step was slow but sure, full of purpose and confidence, even if he hesitated over his next words. “I have spoken to Luna, Celly. For whatever it is worth, I am sorry about… about my final words to you.” His voice was soft again as he spoke, and Celestia felt a stab of anger and pain deep in her heart.

“Sorry for what?” Celestia spat, wheeling to face him with a glare. “Sorry that I very nearly lost my sister because you couldn’t be bothered to warn me about this Shadow? Sorry that I had to rule alone for a thousand years, bereft of all those I had loved, knowing naught if I would ever see them again? Sorry that my most precious student has now been taken from me by that very same creature!?!” Her voice spat venom and fire, and for the first time in centuries she felt a truly overwhelming urge to hurt somepony. “Sorry that you forced me to choose between the most precious pony to me in all of the world, and some vague and nebulous threat I knew nothing about? What in the name of the powers could possibly make you sorry for THAT?”

But there was no sign of fear in Star Swirl - no sign of intimidation. Just that steady, calm, and infuriating gaze of his. “Celestia,” he said firmly, but gently - his gravelly voice making an attempt to be soothing. “You are correct.” His head bowed for a moment, and she could see his half-balding head, still rimmed by a frill of bright white mane. “I erred terribly. All I can do now, all I can attempt to do now, is tell you why I did such a thing… and how perhaps…” His head came up again, and there was a sparkle of pride in his eye. “How perhaps you may have unknowingly given us the key to victory.”

Celestia stared at him for a moment, trying to decide between her rage and her desperate need for hope. As she had so many times before in her life, she swallowed her pride and took a deep breath. “All I care about now, teacher… is to make safe the ponies I love, and most especially, how to save the life and soul of my student. If your words can bring me such a result, I will listen to anything you wish to say.” Then Celestia paused and sighed softly. “And for what it is worth, I forgave you a very long time ago, Star Swirl. I even gave you that library wing you’d always wanted in Canterlot.” She couldn’t help but feel a faint smile cross her face. “It’s the same place you always used to get drunk and practice your magic.”

That produced a bright and cheerful grin on his face, transforming it from the wise and dour magician into the irreverent scholar she knew he was - deep, deep down inside… “Well, I suppose then I ought to make this worth it. But come - we ought to join young Dancer and Luna. This is a tale I’d rather not tell more than once.” He jerked his head over his shoulder, and began to walk towards the fire. Celestia felt a tug of a smile cross her face and trotted up beside him - walking slow and regally even as he took a greater pace, her longer limbs forcing him to rush to keep up with her.

He half glared at her, muttering something about Alicorns and old ponies, eliciting a giggle out of Celestia by the time they reached the fire. “Oh, good,” Luna remarked with a half smile. “I was afraid you were going to try to kill him given how you were raising your voice, Tia.” Luna and Moon Dancer sat next to a cheerfully crackling fire, upon which Moon Dancer was carefully tending to roasting vegetables and very studiously not looking directly at Celestia.

Celestia felt her smile turn a touch weary. She was long used to the batpony race being somewhat afraid of her. For so long she had been the literal devil who had shattered their armies and imprisoned their goddess upon the moon - she couldn’t blame them for that fear. Still, with Luna’s return, relationships had improved markedly once it became clear Luna had lost no affection for her older sibling. Of course, this one had more reason than most to fear the mighty Celestia. She had - by her own admission - been one of those who had led Twilight down the dark path.

But after three millennia of life, Celestia had long since learned to see past the surface to the truth hidden beneath. This pony - this black-coated batpony - was playing a far, far deeper game here than either Star Swirl or Luna realized. What was more, she was gambling something that was incredibly, vastly important to her. Celestia was not sure what that thing was, but she was certain that Moon Dancer was prepared to do just about anything to make sure she didn’t lose it. In a way, it simply made her choice easier. Moon dancer had something impossibly important tied up in this just as much as Celestia did.

She exhaled deeply and tried her best to look comforting and motherly. “Moon Dancer, you need not fear me. We are all here for the very same reason, and we shall be far more effective in seeing that reason accomplished if we can look one another in the eye.” She injected a hint of teasing into the last words, and the batpony mare flushed a little and lifted her head defiantly. Luna gave Celestia an amused smile, Celestia beaming at her in response. “See, isn’t that better? Now, teacher, would you please enlighten us as to exactly what you intend?” Celestia tried very hard to keep her voice light. She needed to remain hopeful and focused.

Star Swirl took his seat and took in a deep breath, then exhaled just as deeply. “When Clover and I first came to Neighpon, we noticed something remarkably different about the ponies here. They believed very strongly that an entire society of gods and goddesses existed who ruled over…” He gestured with his hoof. “... everything. All the fundamental forces of the world and then some. It was remarkably similar to the early belief systems in Roam, with one notable exception.” Star Swirl’s horn lit with a silvery white magic and inscribed a strange sigil into the dirt. “The Goddess of the Shadows, Umbra. A much feared deity in the local culture, and the first time I and Clover had ever realized that Umbra was known outside of those few scholars who had read The Dark Book.”

Star Swirl dashed the symbol from the dirt, and Celestia felt a little knot of fear worm its way into her heart as her mentor continued to speak. “We spent much of the next decade casting complex teleportation rituals and traveling all over the world. We spoke to the Zebricans and the Griffons. We consulted with the most ancient of dragons and delved into forgotten libraries, searching for answers and finding very few. Then, in the dead of night as we were about to come to Canterlot… we were visited by the White Doe.” Celestia’s eyes widened a fraction and could not disguise her shock… nor could Luna, whose jaw had dropped quite seriously.

“But that is not possible!” Luna interjected before Celestia could get the words out. “The White Doe does not leave her woods - ever! She hath not done so since the Hart placed the care of his deerfolk in her hooves long before I or Celestia were even born!” Luna stomped a hoof and glared at Star Swirl. “It would take a disaster of…” Luna’s words trailed off, as Celestia began to nod in sorrow at her. “... of world-ending proportions,” Luna said in a whisper, her hooves coming up to cover her mouth. “Oh, Faust...” Luna said harshly, half to herself and half to the night air.

Celestia reached over to squeeze Luna’s hoof and received a brittle smile in return. Star Swirl shook his head, his own smile quite dry. “Yes. She knew of me - and of what had occurred between myself and poor Cabbage Leaf.” He sighed and rubbed at his eyes again. “She did not blame me for my choice, which surprised me greatly - apparently, the young pony was the only reason that Umbra was not marching to corrupt the world once again.” His eyes gleamed in what Celestia could only call pride. “The young colt, for all of his faults, was so stubborn, so wholly committed to preserving Equestria, that Umbra could not get her hooks into him.”

“However…” Star Swirl drawled, and Celestia felt her ears perk. Her teacher was finally going to get to the meat of the problem. “We still had to face the fact that Umbra was a menace that could not easily be dealt with. We consulted with the Doe for several weeks before concluding that we needed more time. Or rather, that the world needed time to recover from the depredations of the Windigos and the slow decay of the second Griffon Empire.” He shook his head slowly, sadness written in his form. “We had no ideal solutions. There was no telling how long it would be before a champion powerful enough could be found to face her.”

He looked directly at Celestia then, his golden gaze hard as iron. “It should have been your student that faced her and ultimately defeated her… but there was a complication. Umbra was supposed to have been banished to the moon alone.” Luna gave off a strangled gasp of sound, and Moon Dancer’s eyes shut as she shied away from the group of powerful ponies which surrounded her. As for Celestia? She sat there in cold silence, staring daggers at Star Swirl. The last thing they needed now was dissent and…

Star Swirl shook his head slowly. “But that did not happen. The love of a sister for her sister preserved Luna’s life, and ultimately changed the course of history. And now that I have seen and heard even only a little of what has happened, I cannot say it was the wrong choice for Celestia to make.” Then he smiled at them both - a wan, gentle sort of smile - a rueful smile. “I never was terribly good at the magic of Friendship, and once again it has proven far stronger than I could possibly have anticipated.”

Star Swirl leaned forward, his face cast into a bright and gleeful light by the warm fire. “For our foe Umbra has made a critical error. By all accounts, she has seduced and…” he nodded to Moon Dancer, “fully converted the young unicorn to her ways. Yet we also know that in spite of that, she remains almost pathologically attached to her friends. It is this!” He slammed his hoof into the tree trunk he sat upon, his smile widening to almost a frightening degree. “That gives us our opening. It is proof that no matter how powerful she may be, no matter how capable she is at adaptation and corruption, Umbra cannot break the bonds of the Elements of Harmony.”

Celestia absorbed that news for a moment of silence, and then a glow began to grow in her chest. A bright light and warmth that had seemed absent these past few weeks as they had flown in desperation through the skies. A swell of energy, of hope and life burst forth from her chest, and she felt the first smile in many a day shatter her brooding resolve. Star Swirl smacked his thigh and grinned triumphantly at her, even as a dawning comprehension came over Luna’s face. Moon Dancer, however, still looked puzzled. “I… I apologize, but I do not understand. Would Umbra not then control the power of the Elements?” she asked, her voice trembling with fear.

Celestia shook her head and smiled slowly. “The Elements of Harmony have very specific uses, Moon Dancer. They are powerful, yes, but not unlimited. What is more, they are intrinsically linked to their bearers - and their bearers are inextricably linked to one another.” Celestia leaned in, feeling a rush of pleasure as she did so. Twilight could be saved. Equestria could be saved. “That means that no matter what Umbra does, she cannot deprive them of the one power in the world that she has no hope of opposing… Friendship.”

Moon Dancer’s eyes widened and Star Swirl grinned, a face echoed by Luna who was now clapping her hooves together in excitement. “Settle down now,” Star Swirl began in a gently chiding tone. “It will not be nearly as simple as all that. Umbra’s power and influence will undoubtedly run deep, and we have other pressing matters to attend to.” Celestia’s warmth turned to shock as she stared at Star Swirl. More pressing than Equestria? Madness! But Star Swirl shook his head ruefully. “Celestia, even if we were to leave on the morrow, it would take us nearly eight weeks of hard travel to reach Equestria. Moon Dancer must be with us, and you know how I feel about flying.”

Celestia facehoofed and Star Swirl chuckled absently. Star Swirl had legendarily hated being carried by Pegasi for any reason - it was the one thing in the world he simply would not do. Even hot-air balloons made him very twitchy. “And,” he continued with his damnable logic, “I cannot safely teleport us anywhere until I have recovered my staff, and even then it would take weeks to form the ritual.” Celestia felt a stab of pain in her heart and closed her eyes - only to feel a gentle and insistent hoof shake her shoulder. “Even aside from those concerns, there is more. We will need help, Celestia. Fortunately, I have already arranged some.”

Celestia was getting awfully tired of the shocks she’d been getting today, and this one only made her more irritated. “Oh? From where, might I ask?” she shot back at him, trying to keep the sneering tone out of her voice. “The Griffons will hardly believe a word we say about the world coming to an end - they still blame us for Discord! The Zebricans never get involved in the affairs of other nations unless their home islands are threatened, and do not even get me started on the Diamond Dogs or the rest of them! Who will you call to for aid, teacher? The damnable Changelings?” The last word came out in a spit of contempt and anger. She still had not forgotten what had happened at the Royal Wedding, nor would she for a very long time to come.

“The Changelings will have a part to play, Celestia,” Star Swirl said very quietly, stunning her into incoherence, “and before the end, you will be glad for it. But that is not of whom I speak.” He gestured around him. “This temple was built, and I housed within it and kept safe, because I struck a deal with the Ki-Lin Empress.” He leaned in and folded his hooves, his voice gentle and intense. “You see, the mares of her house have long had the gift of prophecy, and she herself had been visited with visions of her kingdom awash in flames and falling under the yoke of the Shadow. But if the Goddesses of the Sun and Moon were to one day visit her court and proclaim themselves for all the world to know…” He trailed off as Celestia stared at him in disbelief. Surely he wasn’t being serious.

Luna was giving him the same blank look, and Star Swirl coughed before speaking. “Celly, Lulu… I am fully aware how uncomfortable you are with such things, but I had little choice. I had unwisely revealed my relationship to you two in one of our conversations, and she was adamant that presenting you two to her court would be a part of our bargain.” Celestia sighed and facehoofed - and amusingly - so did Luna. Star Swirl’s voice came out of the darkness behind her hooves, sounding vaguely pained. “I am sorry, you two, but you’re just going to have to take your medicine on this one. Once you have proclaimed yourselves to their ponies, the Empress will have no choice but to recognize your authority as being divinely superior to hers. We will be able to fold their armies into Equestria’s and-”

“Now wait just a minute!” Celestia burst out, dropping her hooves and then throwing them up into the air. “No, Star Swirl! I will not do it! I swore two thousand years ago that I would never use my power to seize away control of any free creature’s nation!” She stood up abruptly, realizing she was very nearly using the Royal Canterlot voice. She took a moment to master her emotions before continuing in her most intense voice. “No. I will not become the iron hoofed Tyrant of the Sun my detractors have long accused me of being. Not even for you, teacher. The very idea is utterly repulsive.” She shivered a little, wanting to take a bath after even contemplating such an action.

Then Star Swirl stood up, and his hat floated from the ground to grace his head. He walked around the fire with the bells jangling in a forced cheeriness that set Celestia’s teeth to grinding. He walked until he stood directly in front of her, and glared up at her without fear. Few creatures indeed would look directly into her gaze in such a way, but Star Swirl had always been exceptional. “Then would you do it for your student?” he asked in almost a whisper - a quiet, intense voice. “Without the armies of Ki-Lin, we will be hard pressed to find the forces fit to battle our way through Umbra’s armies of shadow. Without their resources, it will take us months to reach Equestria, assuming we can reach it at all, and then more time to reach Canterlot. That is time your young Twilight does not have. That is time Equestria does not have.”

Celestia stared at him for a long few moments, then slumped to the ground slowly - barely able to control her descent. “I... I cannot... I…” She stuttered for a few moments, then lowered her head “I cannot lose her, Star Swirl. I cannot.” Celestia whispered softly, trying to keep Luna from hearing - even though that would be next to impossible, she still tried. “I… very well. I will do… I will do what must be done.” Celestia looked away, wondering if she would be able to cleanse herself of this feeling of disgust. “I will play the Goddess for these ponies. For her. For Equestria.”

Star Swirl nodded once, and gently turned Celestia’s head back to face him before embracing her around the neck for a brief moment, before sitting down next to her. His next words surprised her - but perhaps they shouldn’t have. “Tell me about her,” he said with infinite gentleness. “Luna has told me a little, but she is your student.”

Celestia turned her gaze up to the stars for a moment, wondering how in the world she could boil down her most faithful student into words. “Her full name is Twilight Sparkle…” she began slowly, feeling a lump catch in her throat. “You would very much like her, teacher. She is much like Clover was, so very long ago…”

~~~~~~~

Luna gently chivvied Moon Dancer away from the fire, leaving Celestia to work out some of the emotions that undoubtedly had been building up in her since their trip had begun. For that, she needed privacy - and besides - Luna had her own questions that needed to be answered. Moon Dancer had been unaccountably diligent, but she expected no less from one of her Children of the Night. “I shall need you to swear that you will speak no falsehood to me, young one,” Luna said as they turned around one corner of the temple to find a secluded little hill that had a perfect view of the moon. “Our time is short, and I shall need to know every detail if we are to have any hope of victory.”

Moon Dancer crossed her hoof over her chest and bowed deeply to her. “I so swear, My Queen. What would you ask of me?” Her voice was deep, and actually quite attractive. There was a real intelligence in those eyes in addition to the usual dose of batpony cunning. She would have been a dangerous opponent for even a seasoned schemer… and Twilight Sparkle had been no such thing. It was no wonder she’d been instrumental to her downfall.

But now was not the time. “I need to know everything that Twilight has done, and everything that has happened to her. And I need you to leave out no detail, no matter how disturbing or depraved. I need to know everything you can tell me about this Shadow power, and what it is capable of.” Then Luna frowned - a purposeful act to try and drive home her next point. “And most importantly of all… I need to know what you and your lover are trying to pull.” Moon Dancer swallowed visibly as Luna displayed every inch of her considerable power as the Princess of the Night, and directed it straight toward Moon Dancer.

Perhaps this Shadow truly believed that it was the true ruler of the darkness and the Night.

Luna was going to show it otherwise.

Author's Note

And here we go again, folks....

Chapter 6 - The Fall of Roam

~~~~Roam, The Outer City.~~~~

Twilight Shadow strode down the street in silence. There was no more need for words or proclamations, no more need for threats. She had lain her iron shod boot down upon the throat of the world and begun to press - it would submit, or it would be made to submit. Her servants - her shadow touched citizens - gave way before her step, parting like an ocean before the prow of a ship. Umbra stood resolutely at her side, resplendent in armor forged from pure shadow. She too wore no expression upon her face but silent resolution, and it was a fitting expression given the grim work that lay before them.

Said grim work took the shape of the pure white granite walls of the inner city, reaching up two hundred feet and more. The walls themselves were lined with trebuchets and catapults already raining stones and barrels of burning oil down into the inner city. One such stone hurtled towards her, and she glared at it as it tumbled through the air. She did not slow her step, but merely seized the powerful magics deep within her and smashed it aside with a single hammer blow of power, completely wrecking a nearby building with the redirected projectile.

Twilight huffed out a breath of exasperation before continuing her walk toward the walls. Would that she’d brought Rainbow Dash with her - a sonic rainboom could have cleared a section of the wall and given her an opening. Unfortunately, she’d needed somepony she could trust to keep an eye on Winterlight and ensure the personal loyalty of the Shadowbolts. So it was up to her to do what was necessary. Up to her to take the blood on her hooves, the death, the inevitable destruction. To take responsibility.

Again.

Before her eyes the terrified gaze of Filthy Rich floated for a brief hallucinatory moment and vanished as her last step took her within sight of the western gates of the Inner City: closed fast against her forces as ten thousand crossbows, borne by those militia that had managed to escape the first assault, glistened in the midday sun. Twilight’s eyes closed, and she could feel her shadow-touched warriors slowing to a halt, having seized only the western half of the city - almost bisecting the great city in a perfect line. Beyond that line, the sights and sounds of citizens and guards falling back slowly drifted away.

That was irritating to say the least, but if she could not crack the Inner City there would be no point to the rest of it. She had no time for a protracted siege or a long, drawn out and bitter campaign against an entrenched foe. This had to end today, lest those messengers who had undoubtedly escaped returned with forces too great for her to handle. So she planted her hooves and exhaled a deep breath and called to her power.

She’d done this once before at Ponyville, but there she had been hampered by her own worries for her fellow Equestrians. Worries that had indeed been well founded, given the incredibly depressing number of losses in that action. Goddess forgive me, she thought with a taste of bitter defeat in her mouth and felt a spark of rage and anger. If only the other creatures in the world could just have wanted to live in Harmony and not plot and scheme behind Celestia’s back. If only Tantalus could have survived, perhaps she would not have had to do this alone.

If only there had been some other way.

But there was no sense in sitting around and moping about the tragedies of the world. Her mind called to the Shadow within her, and it came forth in an intense pulse of power. Darkness spread out from her hooves and the world around her slowly grew darker as the Shadow sucked in the light and drowned it. Here in the dark, the world could be so much simpler - so much more pleasurable. Here in the dark, the world did not need to be fearful - it could be warm and inviting and gentle. The touch of a lover, the kiss of a friend, the soft sweetness of cuddling up to somepony special and sleeping deeply and without fear.

So few creatures knew the true wonders of the Shadow, but Twilight was more than eager to educate them. The darkness spread into the buildings and alleyways around her, casting the world into a dim light reminiscent of midnight rather than the midday dictated by the sun’s path. Now… call forth the Shadow. The thought whispered through her mind, the connection with Umbra deepening and strengthening with each moment that passed. From beneath her hooves the pure and elemental power of the Shadow slowly seeped up from the ground.

The power was physical - it was tangible enough to touch and feel - and slowly morphed into formless shapes… or at least, she would see them as formless. The shapes began to grow in number and size until they reached the height and general mass of a pony and slowly took on the form of one. Nearly an entire hour passed as the featureless black ponies grew one by one out of the shadows, moving in utter silence to form a single column in the street.

Twilight wondered, even in the midst of the mind-twisting spell she was forming, just what the soldiers on the wall were thinking. Very good, daughter… simple, but they will serve. It will not be long until you can call far larger and more powerful creatures out of the Shadow to serve… Umbra’s voice in her mind was warm and soothing and made Twilight’s heart race with pride. Now attend to them. Remember, you can shape them. They will require flight. Twilight nodded a little. The creatures she’d formed so far were little more than shells of power, so she considered them carefully.

Wings would be very difficult to build out of power. Good practice, but why should I waste the energy? There’s got to be a better… Hmm… What did Celestia always say? Use what you’ve got on hoof. She turned her eyes behind her, to the many griffon converts who were taking cover behind buildings or awaiting the command to attack and felt a slow and cruel smile cross her face. Was she not trying to bring every creature in the world together? Perhaps it was time she began to improve the griffon race a little bit.

She turned to face Umbra, and Twilight could not describe the look upon the face of her beloved Mother as anything other than the deepest throes of love and affection. “Oh goodness, daughter,” Umbra whispered, her hooves sweeping Twilight up and swinging her about with a dark giggle of excitement. “That does sound like fun!”

~~~~~Hawkwing Tower, The Inner City~~~~~

Scipio Skytalon clicked his beak and gripped firmly at his spear as they strode down the hall formed of perfectly polished marble. Nervous didn’t begin to describe how he was feeling at the moment - and stunningly, even Gilda was more than a little awed as they proceeded into the very heart of all Griffondom. “The fuck’s goin on, bro?” Gilda whispered in a tight voice, the sound amplified by the polished walls and columns that marched down the sides of the rooms in perfect, regimented order. “There hasn’t been a Caesar in two thousand bucking years!” There she was again with those Equestrian mannerisms, but this was no time for humor.

Father didn’t even turn around. He simply kept walking and left Scipio to try to explain. “I know, but that doesn’t mean there couldn’t have been,” he said as quietly as he could - Father pushing open a pair of ancient wooden doors carved with relief images of Roamanus and Hawkwing, the two Caesars of old. “The Council of Kings has always had a rule wherein any of their number could be empowered to name a Caesar in times of great crisis. The only problem is they cannot name another King to the post, nor can they name themselves, and the vote to provide such power must be unanimous.” Much to his astonishment, Gilda was paying rapt attention to his words as golden marble gave way to warm and polished wooden floors and walls lined with massive bookcases.

Here, the history of the Empire was written in excruciating detail - every victory, and every defeat lain down with unimpeachable honesty. Of all the vices of the Griffon Empire, the one virtue no creature could deny them was they had never tried to falsify their past. Gilda cleared her throat and glared at him, and Scipio hurriedly continued. “That way, the only time they could bestow that power was when our very survival was in jeopardy, as only then would they be willing to surrender all of their own power. And you would know all of this if you’d payed attention to our tutors.” He frowned a little at her - the one thing he could never understand was Gilda’s antipathy to learning.

She snorted a little at the last comment, but her twitching beak and darting eyes was more than enough to make it clear that she understood the stakes. “So why th’ fuck do we need to be there?” she huffed out, and Scipio could only roll his eyes and glare at her as they walked. He was not about to have to explain the obvious to his sister, especially when she ought to have known what the answer was.

For three agonizing minutes they glared at one another until Gilda’s eyes subtly shifted and she looked away for a minute to stare incredulously at her father. “No way. Dad can’t possibly think we’d - ” She snapped her beak around the words and nearly tripped over her own feet. Scipio’s shield arm swept out and gave her something to steady on for a moment before they kept walking. “Bloody hell,” she whispered as her beak snapped tight and her eyes narrowed to near slits. Scipio couldn’t blame her for that look - he had no doubt he looked the same.

For the next several minutes, their walk proceeded in silence. Scipio was glad for it, focusing instead on trying to figure out where they could retreat to. The first wave of attackers had to come from somewhere. The entire eastern fortress line is probably compromised, and there’s no telling what capabilities they might have for corrupting others. In his mind, a map of the Griffon Kingdoms and the many surrounding lands came to life as he walked automatically, not even noticing as the furnishings became richer around him.

The intelligent answer would be Equestria, even if almost no other griffon commander would consider it. Celestia, in spite of the fact that she had been their most implacable foe for countless centuries, was no friend to the dark powers and had never failed to give sanctuary to those in need. It would be a bitter pill for the griffons to swallow, but he had no doubt in his mind that Celestia would grant them use of Stalliongrad as a rallying point for whatever Legion assets had survived. There, they could rest, rearm and plan their counter-attack under the protection of the Sun Queen.

More likely though, the chosen Caesar would attempt a fighting retreat. In principle, this wasn’t a terrible idea - but in practice, it would be a nightmare. Trying to get all of the remaining plebeians to safety was going to take every ounce of the Legion’s strength without trying to keep their foe off balance. Assuming Scipio could talk him out of it, the next best strategy would be to appeal to the Diamond Dogs for aid. The vast plains of the western lands were absolutely riven with the Dog’s tunnel system. There, underground, they’d be nearly impossible to find. Scipio could easily take the lessons painfully taught to the griffons by Commander Hurricane and engage in hit-and-run strikes, disrupting supplies and blockading the Rubicon River. Without the river to carry supplies and foodstuffs, Roam would become a weight around the neck of the Dark Sun, and they could use it to drag her back down into the pit from whence she came.

Scipio’s mind swam with travel routes and battle plans - a lifetime of training and preparation leading to this moment. Gilda was still tight-beaked and twitchy as a fledgeling, but Scipio could not blame her. They were about to walk into a room full of the thing Gilda hated more than school - politics. Scipio didn’t much mind politics, but he was no fan of the maneuvering and jockeying for position of which his father was so adept. Still, he was reasonably certain about what to expect. Even during the end of the world, the Griffon Kings would find something to argue about.

What he actually got, on the other claw…

The pitch black wooden doors swung open, and Scipio’s attention was snapped out of his planning. He wasn’t one hundred percent prepared to speak to the Caesar, but he was prepared enough that he ought to find himself in a position capable of doing good. The wooden floor gave way to ancient white stone, the very same kind of granite that the outer walls were built from. A semi-circle of thirteen chairs - six to the left, six to the right, and one in the center - were positioned around a single column of bright sunlight shining down upon a symbol carved into the stone itself: where the thirteenth chair sat.

Eleven other figures were seated in each of the other chairs, and his Father quickly took his position in the empty seat. Scipio’s eyes went to the final empty chair - where a golden helmet lay, gleaming in the sunlight. A massive and beautiful war-spear was laid across the simple seat alongside it, where it looked like it hadn’t been moved in centuries.

The Lance of Arthur. The Helm of Roamanus.

Twelve sets of griffonic eyes were watching the artifacts. The same twelve figures turned their gazes to Scipio and Gilda standing in the doorway, Scipio still uncertain as to what was going on. Then the light intensified, and from out of the dust motes a new figure faded into existence. Her eyes were as pure and vivid blue as the clear summer sky, her coat as white as the driven snow. Her sharp ears twitched a little and a mysterious smile blossomed across her face as her legendary figure strode out of the sunlight itself to stand before the throne of the Caesar.

Scipio’s eyes went wide for a moment as the White Doe cast her eyes to the other twelve kings. “You understand the gravity of the situation then, if you have called for me in the old way.” Her voice flowed across the stones like the whisper of the wind through the trees. Twelve nods responded to her question, and the kings bowed their heads to her as one. She nodded, as though this was the appropriate response - though Scipio could hardly believe her eyes. “Then he is the one. Intriguing.” The White Doe’s tone turned to a lilt as she focused that pure gaze upon Scipio.

Scipio had never before felt himself so thoroughly judged, so utterly examined by a single gaze. It was like being directly under the hot noonday sun with not a scrap of shade or cloud around to mitigate it. Not even when Celestia herself had looked upon him during a diplomatic visit with a much younger Gilda had he felt such a thorough accounting of his soul. Blessedly for his sanity though, Gilda - his glorious, wonderful little sister - burst through that accounting with her usual charm and grace. “What th’ FUCK is going on here!? Who in the name of Tartarus is this?” Her talon lashed out to point at the White Doe, and a stifled sigh drifted out of Father’s beak.

The White Doe turned that piercing gaze upon Gilda, and his sisters next words died in her throat. Gildas beak hung open slightly, and she was driven back two steps just from the merest glance of that ancient regard. “I am called the White Doe, young griffon,” the Doe spoke, her tone firm and slightly chiding. “And I have no time to explain precisely what is going on. Know this though, far greater forces are now at work than have been seen in this world since the time of Discord. Umbra has moved against the free creatures of the world and seeks to corrupt all life to her dark domain.” The Doe’s eyes darkened for a moment, and her voice broke softly as she spoke, turning her head away. “And worse still, she has taken the most powerful Shade in all of her history under her guidance.” Silence reigned for a few moments, until the Doe spoke again. “Kings of the Empire. You have heard my council. What will you decide?”

The Kings looked at one another for a few long moments. “What choice have we?” croaked one, his voice harsh. Then he stood and strode forward into the column of light, his eyes fixed upon Scipio. Lecius Broadwing’s voice was like gravel churning over as he spoke. “I hope she is right about you, boy.” And then… he bowed his head, his leg bending to knee and his talons pressing over his chest where his heart would be. He spoke softly, but firmly - obviously committing to his choice - and stunning Scipio in the process.

“Hail Caesar.”

The world shook beneath Scipio’s feet, but he did not falter nor did he fall. One by one, each of the other Kings stood and repeated the gesture. One by one, each of the other kings spoke the ancient words of recognition until only his Father remained in his chair. Scipio dared not look toward Gilda, wondering why it felt like a great pressure had rooted him to the ground. He wished to ask them why, he wished to ask what the White Doe had said to them that had driven them to this choice, but his throat could not find the voice to speak.

His father stood and strode into the ring - his bright golden eyes flashing with a fierce pride. He bowed to his son, a little more deeply than the other kings and pressed his talons over his heart. His beak parted, and the words tumbled out of it… “Hail Caesar.” And it was done. There was nothing Scipio could do to change what had happened now. The pressure slowly eased from his chest and freed his vocal chords. As one, the twelve Kings rose from their bow to regard him with a level gaze.

The White Doe slowly strode into the column of light and moved back behind the throne of the Caesar. Then she too raised her hoof and dipped her head deeply. “Hail Caesar Scipio Grifficonous, Third Caesar of Roam. I would beg leave to hold council with Your Mightiness that we might save as many souls as it is still possible to save.” Her voice was soft and surprisingly deferential, but Scipio was not fooled. She too was playing a political game here, as deep and thorough as any of the Kings might have undertaken. But none of that mattered one whit.

Scipio turned and handed his spear to Gilda, who was now staring at him in disbelief. He was about to test just how far his political power truly went. “I name my sister Gilda my First Counsel, and pass to her the weapon of my youth.” A stifled gasp rose from one of the Kings, but was silenced immediately. Gilda damn near dropped the spear at those words, and a muttered curse and glare gave Scipio a little thrill of joy. He decided to layer it on a bit thicker. “For there is no other griffon in all of the Empire who I can trust to be as honest and forthright with me.”

Gilda’s cheeks blushed a bright cherry red, and she gripped at his spear while muttering some kind of dire threat. Scipio turned back to the throne. His steps took him toward the artifacts, his talon brushing across the bruise on his head. Perhaps it had been the Fates toying with him this morning when his helm had nearly been cleaved from his head. A reminder that whatever temporal power he might attain… he was still as mortal as any other creature.

His talons lifted the helmet and gently seated it upon his head and grasped the long haft of the ancient spear - a tingle of… something running up his arm. The spear itself appeared to glow with a faint golden light, but there was no time to consider what that might mean. They both were heavy with the weight of more than mere metal - an ancient responsibility. The comfortable, familiar weight of command settled over his shoulders. The Kingdoms - no, they were Kingdoms no longer.

The Empire could be saved, but he would need to act quickly.

Scipio spoke sharply as he turned toward the doors. There was an enemy to fight, and an Empire to preserve, and no time for politicking. “We must make haste. I would take your council, Ancient One - but it will have to be on the way.” Scipio turned toward the door and Gilda and the White Doe fell into step behind him. The now powerless Kings remained in the ancient throne room as the Praetorian Guard filed out of the room at his side. “Our time runs short, and our foe will not be idle.”

Scipio did not even consider that the Kings were not falling into step alongside him, as the doors to the throne room slowly swung shut.

~~~~~The Outer City, Some time later~~~~~

The screams were the most unusual part of the process so far. They were somewhere in a realm between arousal and pain, combining the elements of each but not belonging to either category. It was a fascinating dichotomy, though not one she had studied before in detail. She made a quick mental note to rectify that lack later on, when she had a few moments to dedicate to it. As an additional curiosity, many of the other converts were watching those being… changed… with a mixture of awe, jealousy, and fear. Curiouser and curiouser. She’d have to speak to Mother later about this sort of thing, as she seemed to have a long and storied experience with the process.

Fortunately, the results were spectacular enough that the minor annoyances remained minor. The griffon subjects were adapting quickly to their newly minted forms - once they cleaned up their arousal and fluids from the physically intense experience. The hooved forms were unusual for those creatures used to talons and feet, but perhaps the fact that these new bodies had been built from the power of the Shadow helped. They were monstrously strong and quite swift on the trot, and the griffons’ much wider and larger wingspan made them surprisingly powerful in the air. All in all, Twilight was pleased.

The only hitch was the transformation process. She needed to streamline it if she wished to make this more useful. Still, it would serve for now. The hundred or so griffon-ponies stood in a perfect square formation, awaiting her word. Before, they had obeyed her out of dedication to the Shadow. Now… now they obeyed her as their new Goddess. “Open the gates.” The words flowed from her lips, but did not sound like her voice. She spoke with the voice of Umbra. The new creatures - Ponygrifs? Grifasus? She’d have to come up with a good name later - spread their black wings wide and swept up into the skies.

Twilight smiled fondly up at them, and a moment later Umbra materialized at her side. “Not bad,” Umbra’s voice cooed softly into her ear, sending a shiver down Twilight’s spine. “They’ll need refinements, but that sort of thing always does. I must admit you’ve got quite the flair for it. I don’t suppose you’re going to give your friend Fluttershy some siblings, hm?” That brought a blush into Twilight’s cheeks… she hadn’t even been thinking all that hard when she’d forcibly transformed Fluttershy into… well, Twilight didn’t really have a name for her yet either. Still, that was a fair point. Fluttershy was an entirely new life form, and Twilight was not entirely certain if she could still breed with other ponies.

That was an intriguing thought, actually. Her eyes followed her dark creations as they soared up to the walls, crossbow bolts raining around them. She would definitely need to institute some kind of breeding program in order to ensure best results amongst the new creatures she was beginning to create. Perhaps a bit of cross-breeding with her fellow Equestrians too, she was certain she could find a few volunteers. The shadow creatures slammed into the wall defenses, and Twilight shook the thoughts from her head.

It was time to go to work.

Twilight’s horn lit with a blazing light as she reached out to the Shadow deep inside her new creatures - all of whom were hurling themselves at the griffon guards upon the walls of the gates. It really wasn’t much different from her old teleportation skills…. she was simply teleporting through the Shadows of her own creatures. The spell took hold, and just as it had before, she could feel the subtle wrench in her guts as her body transmuted into pure energy and rushed through the ether. A moment later, she reappeared in a flash of violet and white light amidst her new creations - now atop the wall.

The armored and armed griffons retreated a step as she slowly strode forward, and she could feel the heady rush of power through her body. It was almost as good as making love to Mother… almost. “Put down your weapons, children,” she gently chided the griffon Legionaries, in her very best motherly voice, “and give in to the allure of the Shadow. Or else… Well, I’m afraid I haven’t the time to waste trying to convince you.” The words dripped from her lips, and she wondered what the poor Legionnaires were thinking.

Perhaps it was the empty white void that was her eyes - or perhaps it was the dripping violet and purple mass that was her Shadow-touched mane. Perhaps it was the appearance of the new race of creatures forged from pure shadow and power and the bodies of their former friends. Whatever it was, the opposing forces broke like a bad hollandaise sauce and ran. Or at least - some of them ran. The rest quickly fell back, bristling with spears and shields to cover the hasty retreat. Twilight sighed dramatically and released a rush of power through her horn, intending to blast them aside.

But the blast she had been expecting did not come. Instead, a wave of shadow power exploded from the tip of her horn and smashed into the front ranks of soldiers like a wave of liquid. The soldiers screamed, and Twilight could not describe the sound as anything but sweet. The shadowed blast turned from liquid energy into some kind of strange and sticky… stuff, that writhed and grabbed at their limbs. Twilight stared for a moment in surprise at the goo… until it began to grow and engulf those it had attached itself to.

It was fascinating to watch the stuff, apparently feeding off of the fear - and perhaps, excitement? - of the soldiers. It grew and grew, like her own Shadow, until there was nothing but a cluster of black blobs pulsating and stretching as the poor wretches within struggled. The struggles slowly ceased, and Twilight could feel the dozen or so Griffons being brought over to her Shadow slowly but surely. A feeling which conjured a wide smile on her face, her eyes sparkling. “Oh, wonderful! I dont even need to harm them!” That was a truly happy thought, and she did a little dance in place to celebrate it.

One of her new creatures coughed softly and nodded toward the massive mechanism that controlled the gates. She grinned slyly and built up the power in her horn once again. Her voice was soft and husky, and she could feel her excitement growing by the moment. “Yes. Let the fun begin again.” The next blast of magic was exactly what she had been expecting, and the gears and cogs of the gate-machinery sprung to life. Slowly, achingly pulling open the gates - forced by her magic to overcome the locks upon it. The mechanism gave off a great moan and finally snapped… but it was already done.

The Inner City gates stood open, and her Shadow touched flooded in.

~~~~~The Inner City, At that same moment~~~~~

Even as the Legion began to move to his will, Scipio knew he would not have time to save everyone. There were simply too many griffons to get everyone out of the gates…. so his next order was both inevitable and heart breaking. “Clear the outer walls to the east as best as you can!” he thundered at one of the Wall Centurions. “And get every griffon you can out of the city over them, through them, whatever. Wreck the city behind you - raze buildings, clog streets. Do whatever you can to slow them down!”

The Centurion nodded and gave a wingtip salute before dashing off down the hallway. Servants of his house continued to divest him of his Guard armor, replacing it with the gold-plated and much filigreed armor of a King. Or in this case - an Emperor. A bright, blood red cloak now hung from his shoulders with the golden rampant griffon stitched into it. He felt utterly silly wearing the thing, but it seemed even a Caesar was chained by Tradition.

But there were benefits to that Tradition as well. “So - you say this… resistance force is headquartered in the White Tail Wood?” Hearing that Equestria was beset by this foe as well had been disturbing in the extreme. Celestia was apparently off trying to find the means to combat it in some far foreign land while General Armor and Princess Cadenza held the line back home. Still, it was more than heartening to hear that the Equestrians were not taking this invasion lying down. Leave it to a pegasus to have the balls and the guts to go right from a conquered town to trying to fight back against the conqueror..

The White Doe nodded once. “Yes. That is where you must take your finest warriors. Follow her, support her, teach her, and guide her while I cannot.” The Doe lowered her head, her eyes infinitely sad. “Would that I could be there for the poor child. But events are moving far swifter than ever before, and I must rally the free creatures of the world against Umbra. Meanwhile, you will be able to carry on the battle against your foe.” Her voice was thick as she spoke, and Scipio could only shake his head a little. They would all have deep regrets before this war was over, and the feelings of a young filly were among the least of them.

Still, Scipio was looking forward to taking the little pony under his wing. It would be a good distraction from the necessities of war. “Then I shall send the rest of the Legion to Cloudsdale and Stalliongrad. I would deeply appreciate if you would go ahead of them to inform the Princess of our imminent arrival so we do not end up in a tense stalemate.” Scipio felt his beak tilt up in amusement. “The last thing we need is an utterly unnecessary battle.”

The White Doe nodded, her delicate mouth opening to speak… but her head whipped around to stare into the west. In that split second, her entire demeanour changed - gone was the gentleness, the soft eyes. Gone was the poise and grace, replaced by a fierceness that radiated anger. “Our time has run out. Umbra’s Shade is about to open the eastern gates. You must order the retreat immediately, lest they entrap you upon the walls.”

Scipio’s beak fell open, but he did not hesitate. He stood quickly, turning to face his guards. “Praetorians! TO ARMS!” he screamed out, grasping his spear and quickly striding from the room. “Gilda, we’re out of time! Hurry your ass up!” he screamed down another hallway as he rushed down toward a beautifully crafted stained-glass window depicting a heroic battle scene. Scipio smashed the thing without a moment of hesitation as a torrent of tromping boots scrambled up behind him. Scipio turned and quickly picked Gilda out of the crowd of shining armor and bristling spears. “Deliver these orders to all of our forces!” he began, stepping up on the edge of the shattered window.

“We are to retreat to the west of the city! All Legions will report to their designated emergency rally points immediately! After one hour, all odd numbered Legions will travel to Stalliongrad in Equestria! All even numbered legions will travel to Cloudsdale! All citizens are to be directed to Stalliongrad… but if they choose to go elsewhere, we cannot stop them. Nor can we aid them.” There were a few mutters at that, but they silenced at his glance. “The Praetorian Guard will meet me at Hawkwing’s Crossing, and we will be travelling to a secret location. The Legions are to support the Equestrian military against encroaching Shadow forces. We shall maintain lines of communication via messenger bird.”

Then he paused and took a deep breath. “The spirits of Hawkwing and Roamanus be with you all. Now go.” He pointed with Hawkwing’s spear, and three dozen of his guards flew out of the shattered window at frightening speed. His eyes followed them for a few moments as they split in midair and dove to many places in the city below. His eyes searched the crowd… but the White Doe was gone. He exhaled deeply before turning to the remaining guards. “We have a long flight ahead of us,” he said softly, and Gilda nodded. There was an anger in her eyes… a steely glint he knew he would have to deal with later.

But what other choice did he have?

Scipio spread his wings wide and dove out of the window, catching a warm updraft and swooping off into the western skies. Behind and around him, the Praetorians formed up to defend their Caesar.

There was no saving Roam now. All they could do was avenge her.

~~~~Roam~~~~

The Shadow-tainted griffons streamed through the broken east gate of the Inner City, no longer a wave of madness, but now a wave of purpose.They spread like a thick, black oil through the dense white streets of the Inner City - and at their center a dark purple unicorn, armored and clad in sinister armor, strode without fear. The Legions of Roam quickly fell back before the horde, as whatever citizens were left in the city fled blindly into the west.

In the Outer City, there was no such safety. The horde of converts quickly began to overtake the now unprotected citizenry as the Legions took to the skies to retreat over the barely held western walls. In the alleys and streets of Roam, Shadow-tained creatures dragged families from their homes and took them to the central locations where they would be shown the Truth of the Shadow. Sometimes, though, they did not even wait for that.

There was little blood spilled. Only a precious few were able to resist the hordes for long - and even they were not immune to the dark power and rending claws of those they fought. What little resistance met the darkness was quickly crushed under talon. Fathers watched, pinned to the walls by spears and leeringly tainted griffons as their daughters and wives were converted - screaming in arousal, pain, and more - to the Shadow.

Even as the horde seized the Outer City, they found fewer and fewer converts, and many tainted griffons took to the skies. They seized stragglers, or simply plucked children and those who were weaker away from their family groups in raiding parties. Soon though, there were no other griffons to take. The Outer City had emptied of all but those loyal to the Shadow. With no one left to capture, the conversions began in earnest.

No creature was spared the Shadow’s touch, regardless of age or gender or appearance. The bright pink mane and lustful eyes of the one who led many of the ‘ceremonies’ became the ultimate sign of defeat for those that had been captured. One by one, struggling and fearful families had their wills and minds bent and broken to the power of the Shadow. As the sun began to set, the city descended into an orgy - not of violence, but of sex and debauchery not seen in the world for thousands of years.

Innocent children’s games became the means to select mates - sometimes multiple mates. Gangs of young griffon boys surrounded every beautiful griffon girl, each taking their turns with their enthusiastic new playmates.

But In the Inner City, after what few foolish citizens had remained had been dragged off to the conversion sites, Hawking Tower’s gates and doors remained closed against the darkness.

~~~~~Hawkwing Tower, Roam~~~~~

Twilight Shadow let loose another torrent of power, finally shattering the front gates to the Tower. Without a word from her, a column of the finest griffon soldiers she could muster - most of them converted Legionaries - strode through the gates with purpose and grim resolve. Twilight followed them immediately, already feeling weariness start to take hold of her. Today had sucked far, far more energy out of her than she’d originally thought it would.

But as had been the case for that same day, Umbra was there - gently supporting her with a kind hoof. “It is almost done, child,” she whispered with far, far more warmth than Twilight had heard out of her before. Twilight felt her smile broaden a bit and focused herself - she would be strong enough to get through the final challenges of the day. Then… then she could rest, even if only for a little while.

Twilight’s steps took her into the central hall of the tower, and to a sight she had not expected at all. The central hall was disturbingly similar to the one in Canterlot Castle. The broad sweeping stairways, the elegant architecture. It was nothing like the normal griffonic style and spoke of the hooves and horns of pony-folk constructing it. Atop the main stairwell of the hall, twelve figures stood - each wearing the shining gold and embossed armor of the greatest griffon generals. But it was the crowns they wore that told the tale of who they truly were.

These were the twelve Kings of the griffons.

Immediately, Twilight was struck by their calm. Their gazes pierced her without fear or hesitation, each amongst them bearing the war-spears that were the weapons of the Legion. They had no guards - no other soldiers surrounded them or stood with them. Twilight felt her steps coming to a stumbling halt and felt a moment of… hesitation. What was going on here? Was this some sort of trap?

One of the kings stepped forward - just a single step, but enough to single him out. “Darksun,” he growled, his voice rasping like a file. Twilight stared in puzzlement, until she saw the recognition in Umbra’s eyes. Another name her Mother had once held? “After two thousand years since your atrocities against the Griffon Empire, you return to take your vengeance.” The aged griffon’s eyes closed for a moment and opened as he continued to speak. “But you will find no satisfaction here.”

Umbra strode forward, and Twilight matched her step for step. She was here to stand for Equestria and for all innocents. She would not let her Mother stand against these foul overlords alone. “Surrender the Spear and the Helm to me, old one,” Umbra’s voice purred out, reeking with sexuality and suggestions of far greater pleasure than even Twilight had experienced, “and I will ensure your conversion to the Truth is painless.” Twilight could feel her cheeks flushing, even as Umbra’s Shadow seethed with raw power and sexuality…

And the griffon King laughed.

Umbra’s face was a study in shock, and Twilight could feel the confusion from Mother. “They are gone, Darksun,” the same griffon growled at her, his eyes agleam with pride. “A new Caesar now carries them, and he is now long since gone. The Empire will be reborn, and you will once again fall.” His last words he spat out at her, his feathers rising and his beak snapping at the air in triumph.

A thrill of fear and concern ran through Umbra - so powerful that Twilight could feel it - and could no longer hold back her actions. She grasped her power once again, and felt the rush of Shadow and Magic flowing through her. She was tired, yes, but she would not allow these creatures to threaten the one she loved. “Then fall to Shadow, you barbarian King,” Twilight snarled out at them, and let loose the same burst of Shadow magic she had felt upon the wall - a massive spray of black energy surged toward the assembled Kings.

All twelve figures dodged away from it in a blur of speed, leaving the shadow-goop to writhe and seethe upon the stairwell. The King who had spoken smiled in a bitter sort of way. “No. We will not give you the satisfaction, Traitor.” His eyes turned to the other griffons, and he nodded once. “It has been an honor my friends. May we meet again in the Fields.” Twilight stared at him and wound up another blast of power…

Only to have it sputter out as she stared in horror. Each of the twelve griffons paired off with one another, and as one they drove their spears into their opposites’ hearts. Shock seized Twilight, and disbelief was all she could feel as the twelve griffon Kings stood framed in the windows of the main hall. One by one, they reached out to clasp talons with one another as dark blood flowed down their chests. And as one, they spoke two final words - words which rang throughout the hall, trembling the ground with its quiet power.

“Hail, Caesar!”

And just like that, the griffon Kings were no more.

~~~~~The Outer City, Roam~~~~~

Pinkie Pie quietly finished off the chocolate frosted cupcake with a lick of her lips. The treat was much denser than anything the Cake’s had made, but it was a good kind of dense. Kinda red-velvety. The milk was as delicious as anything from Equestria and washed the last of the sticky sweetness of the cupcake down her throat. She had to admit, they could bake a mean treat here in Roam.

The barkeeper carefully washed and stowed the empty milk glass and wiped the crumbs of the cupcake off of his bar as darkness began to fall upon the City of Roam. Pinkie Pie turned and leaned on the bar, sighing in exhaustion. “What a day,” she grumbled out, rubbing at her eyes. The city was a cacophony of sexual sounds, as those new citizens of the Shadow worked out the initial burst of aggression and energy. Tomorrow was going to be even busier as the citizens had to now restore their city and get back to something resembling their lives.

Sure, they’d have a lot more fun and parties now, but that didn’t mean that food didn’t need to be served, or houses repaired, or any of the other important day-to-day stuff. Pinkie smiled with a little bit of nostalgia, remembering how ponies in Ponyville often thought she didn’t do anything but goof off. Being the Number One Party Pony in town meant a lot of prep work, even in addition to her usual job at Sugarcube Corner. It meant invitations and balloons and lots of confetti had to be prepped and made and carefully positioned for party emergencies.

Pinkie sighed softly again, trying to banish the blues that memories of Sugarcube constantly conjured up in her. “Want to talk about it?” Barkeep said softly,\ in a gentle sort of voice as a glass of some clear liquid crossed the bar. Pinkie blinked at him in surprise, the barkeeper still laconically polishing a glass. “It can help sometimes to talk about it,” he continued, his gentle eyes surprisingly understanding. “When you’ve done somethin’ you’re not terribly proud of.”

Somehow - Pinkie didn’t quite know how, but she was sure it was the Shadow - she knew that Barkeep had done something like that himself. Probably a long, long time ago. She eyeballed the clear liquid and drank it down, the burning of hard liquor searing down her throat and giving her a counterpoint to the deep pain she was feeling flowing down the link from Twilight. “His name was Carrot Cake,” she said softly, not wanting to look at anything but the bar.

A second glass of the clear liquid crossed the bar, and Pinkie was thankful for it. Maybe it was right to mourn a little for a city they’d had to kill to save everypony. Just like it was right to mourn for a pony who’d died because they had to save everypony. So she picked up the glass and took a deep breath. “It was just a couple of weeks ago…”

~~~~~The Outskirts of Roam~~~~~

The White Doe stood silently upon a stone ridge, her eyes watching as the thick black energy of the Shadow poured itself over the Eternal City. For a moment, she mourned for those who had been lost to the Shadow and felt tears stream down her cheeks to splash upon the mountainside.

Sacrifice was never easy, and there would be so very many that would be called to sacrifice. Her thoughts went to the little orange filly who had been forced upon the stage of history - who had already lost so very much and would undoubtedly lose more before everything was over. Even though hope for the world had been saved today, it was never easy to accept that some would have to be lost to save it.

Roam had fallen, and for it the White Doe wept for a time.

Then she turned and felt the steel resolve in her heart. It was a long journey to Canterlot, and she had little time to spare. Darkness was already engulfing the world, and the single ray of hope for them all had not yet realized what she would have to do.

The Doe lept into the wind, and vanished.

Author's Note

Phew. This one took time to write. But hey!

Chapter 17 - The Battle of Ghastly Gorge (Part 3)

~~~~~~

Scipio lashed out with his spear and was satisfied to see one of the depraved creatures that had once been his brethren die beneath his blow. These abominations that were like Griffons but utterly unlike them engendered both a deep disgust and a profound pity in Scipio’s heart. What madness had possessed the Dark Sun to create such creatures he did not know, but he was certain she was taking vengeance for the end of things, and they had already destroyed several of the tainted cider carts in their inexorable march onto the bridge. He was not certain how things were going elsewhere, but the tidal wave of lightning the other Crusaders had brought had been very destructive to the enemy. He was certain of that. At this rate, they would eventually sandwich the shadow in the middle of the bridge, and it would be all over but the slaughter.

Except then… his eye caught a flash of metal and heard a ruckus far beyond the front lines. Some of the rearwardly deployed enemies were turning around, and advancing in the other direction. Had there been a breakthrough, or… No. They were forming up a secondary line, and preparing for something. And then… there. A flash of orange coat, the sight of the purple uniformed pegasi diving and striking at a small form.

His heart went cold. Scootaloo.

And in the same moment, his heart lit aflame, and he tightened his grip upon his war spear as Scootaloo’s form came to a scrambling halt, unable to find a way around the Shadow Soldiers closing in around her. Something had clearly happened, and though Scipio did not know what, he did know he would not be idle. But to help her…

There came a time in every battle such as this, that a commander had to decide between pressing on and damning the losses, or accepting what gains they had achieved and withdrawing for a further battle. Damnit. If she falls, all of this will have been for naught anyhow. The choice was easy. The caravan had been utterly wrecked, the enemy forces badly bloodied, and a vast amount of information on how their enemy fought and their composition had been gained.

Scootaloo’s life was worth more than any further gains. “PRAETORIANS!” he called out, his voice thundering across the bridge and behind him, and as one the glittering armored griffons around him came to tense attention. “TO THE CRUSADER!” he proclaimed, brandishing his spear forward. All at once, the Praetorian Guard unlocked their shields in a single wave of steel, and as one they went from a grinding line of defense to a wave of bodies, spears, and shields.

It was like watching a wave crest in the sea - as those griffons behind him lifted up upon their wings and crashed over the more exhausted griffons in the front lines. The enemy nearly collapsed under the weight of the attack as Scipio himself spun through the first line of enemy, spinning his spear around and reaping the lives of his foes with tip and steel haft alike.

But it was a long way from where he stood to the Crusader, and he could not wait for the practiced attack of his fellow soldiers to reach her in time. So he ploughed ahead, driving his spear into the body of an abomination before slamming his shield into the face of one of the enemy pegasi. He spun under an incoming blow and deflected another with his returning shield, the sound of screaming metal scraping against it: a counterpoint to his dance.

Yet with every step he took, the Crusader was in greater and greater danger, using her own shield to protect herself yet unable to fully escape harm as blows rained down upon her… and their intentions became clear. They were going to take her and corrupt her as one of them. And that… that, Scipio would not allow. His blood boiled in rage and his spear shone with an inner power from an age long forgotten. He swept the haft of the solid steel shaft into his foes, breaking bones and slashing through armor as he tried desperately to punch through the enemy.

But his foes had realized the intention of his desperate charge, and they piled themselves more and more thickly in front of him, disregarding casualties and tactics to slow him down. The hive mind of the Shadow made it clear that the capture of the Crusader would be worth the loss of life, if only they could ensure he would not reach her in time.

Scipio felt fear enter his heart as he saw the little filly finally go limp and screamed a wordless cry of denial at his enemies. And then… a dark grey blur, out of the sky. The peal of thunder and a blast of air and wind.

And Scipio felt hope rekindle in his heart.

~~~~~~~

Thunderlane had always been a brash kind of pony. He didn’t believe in showing fear or getting worked up about things that were scary. He wanted to be a big, tough stallion so he could be a good influence for his little brother. And even after the Shadow had upended his world, his desire to give his brother something to look up to hadn’t wavered a bit.

Enter one Scootaloo, and everything she had done in the past few months. How she’d kept them together, how she’d led them into battle and inspired every last one of them to heights most of them didn’t know they had. It hadn’t taken much thought on his part then, when he saw that little orange filly cornered and in trouble, to decide that somepony had to sweep in and save the day… even if he was pretty sure he wouldn’t be getting out of it unscathed.

He didn’t have much lightning power left in his cloud, but he would have enough to give her breathing room and get her out of there. So he drove the thing down in a near perfect dive, and twenty feet above where the stupid bad-guys had her, he unleashed the last of his cloud’s power onto the enemy before bursting right through the cloud itself to deliver a killer kick right into the head of the leering griffon-pony thing that was looming over her.

He landed with a hard thud, and not far away he could see that griffon bad-flank himself, Scipio, beating his way through an army to get to her too. Good, somepony who could extract her. He swept up the little filly and prepared to take off… only to feel a searing pain in his wing from nowhere, as one of those damned Shadowbolts took a swipe and damaged his wing.

He grunted in pain, but simply took off on his hooves, shouldering through the ponies as hard as he could and triyimg to get close enough to Scipio. Another blow struck across his back, but there was no way a tough stallion like him was going to let something like that slow him down. Even though it… really hurt. What mattered was getting Scoots to safety, and a few steps later he was right in front of the griffon bad flank himself. “Take her!” he said in a voice that was way weaker than it should have been.

Scipio took the little filly into his talons and gave Thunderlane a searching look as he swept his spear into an oncoming enemy - the rest of those who had sought to stop them now being driven back by a tidal wave of other griffons. “You must come with us, Thunderlane. You’re badly hurt,” Scipio said firmly, even as he cradled Scootaloo close to him.

Thunderlane shook his head and would have spoken… if every instinct he ever had about weather hadn’t screamed at him from above his head. From somewhere, a storm cloud had been stolen from one of his Wrecking Crew, and whoever was driving the damn thing was good. They released every bit of lightning energy still in the cloud, and in that moment Thunderlane moved.

All pegasi could control lightning to some extent... but Thunderlane was one of the best in the entire business. But with all this metal around, controlling it without hurting somepony would have been impossible. His mind reacted fast, performing the weather control action he had done so often before. The bolt seared through the air toward Scootaloo and Scipio, and Thunderlane felt his wings flare out as he pulled hard on the power and right into himself, the only possible safe target nearby.

The world went white with a searing pain as his body hit the ground in a smoking and charred mess. He stared dazedly into the sky, wondering if he'd managed to save them until the face of Scipio poked into view, with Scootaloo clutched close and safely to his armor. Thunderlane's mind was almost completely paralyzed as he gazed up into the pitying… and respect filled gaze of Scipio. “Get… her… outta… here,” was all he could wheeze out, realizing the sharp pain in his chest meant there wasn't going to be any getting out of this one for him. Scipio nodded once and vanished from his sight.

Thunderlane had always been a brash kind of pony, and even as he felt the sharp pain in his chest growing into the signs that his heart had stopped, he knew he’d done the right thing. For Rumble, for Equestria, and for himself. As he felt the warmth fade from his chest, the pain replaced by a slow and inky blackness that seemed to swallow up the world, he only hoped his little brother could be every inch the tough stallion he’d tried to teach him how to be… And that the fire Scootaloo had lit in them all would grow all the stronger for it.

As the light faded from his view, the words of Scipio pierced his consciousness… the last words he would ever hear.

“Praetorians, retreat!”

~~~~~

Winterlight grunted in pain as the white bandages were tightened around her wounds, her armor having been discarded in the bed of a cart as the sounds of the fighting grew more and more intense on the bridge. “Tell those fuckers… execute emergency plan… B,” she panted at the Shadowbolt next to her, who saluted and disappeared into the shadows. Rainbow Dash had gone after the stupid Knight, and Winterlight could only hope she’d capture her. She had bigger things to deal with.

The stupid Ki-Lin had jumped off the bridge shortly after the filly had escaped and swept off into the skies on batwings, rejoining her kin on the north end of the bridge where the fighting had gone far better than at the south. Her forces were finally pushing out from the bridge mouth, and soon they’d have a clear line of retreat. Word had already reached her from the south that the griffons were pulling a fighting retreat...

The entire mission was bullshit, but she’d preserved the core of her forces and at least some of her cargo had reportedly survived. So she shoved herself to a higher seat as a second and third Shadowbolt appeared in front of her. She growled again, clutching her hoof around her much bruised middle. “Send everything we have to the north end, right now. Crush and capture as many enemies as you can. Give pursuit and don’t let up.” Her voice was harsh with pain and carried an extra bite. She was going to make them pay for this attack.

The two new Bolts saluted and themselves vanished into the shadow, and Winterlight forced herself to her feet and began trotting towards the north end of the bridge. She needed to check up on her non-combatants and especially Pinkie Pie. With luck, she’d just been keeping them calm and not doing anything stupid. She’d need her to see what could be salvaged from the cider carts, anyway and -

The sound of voices hit her ears, one pitched high and squeaky and the other soft and… and Winterlight flattened herself against the cart and prayed to the Nightmare that she hadn’t been heard. “... I know you love her, little pony. But unless she renounces the Shadow, she is a danger to you and to us all.” The voice of the White Doe resonated in Winterlight’s memory like a beacon of pain and anguish. The one and only time she had tried to shatter the deerfolk’s resolve, the intervention of the Doe had taught her the valuable lesson to never try such a thing ever again.

“I do not care!” came a higher, more squeaky voice that made Winterlight wince a little. “Pinkie, you come here right this instant and give up this nonsense! The twins need you!” A brief pause and an anguished sob of words poured out. “I need you…” There was another sob of tears, and the sound of hooves being dragged along the ground.

“Enough,” came the voice of the Doe again, like thunder and lightning. “The Crusader shall need you, little pony. You are coming with me.” There was a sound of a physical scuffle, of hooves dragging along the stone. More struggling, grunting of effort and the sound of a voice muttering low that Winterlight could not catch the meaning of.

The sound of a whirling wind blasted across the bridge, almost muffling the words that followed, but not quite. “Pinkamena Diane Pie, please! Come to your senses! WE CAN HELP YO- ” The words were cut off in a moment, and silence reigned for a moment before the sound of fighting once again intruded onto the scene. Winterlight poked her head around the cart to see Pinkie standing with her mane afuzzed in the middle of the road, staring into empty space where surely the White Doe had been. She had a lost look on her face, one of despair and pain.

It was a look that Winterlight could sympathize with in her own rough way, and she limped out onto the bridge. “Pinkie,” she croaked out, and the pink pony turned around suddenly, looking at her in wide eyed shock and surprise. “I know… I know it can’t be easy on you right now, but we need to get things cleaned up here,” Winterlight wheezed out, and in a moment Pinkie was next to her, supporting her weight without a second word until she could get to a more comfortable place to lean.

“Geeze, you’re messed up pretty badly, grumpy boots,” Pinkie muttered softly, her mane going slightly limp and long from its previous fuzzed up state. Winterlight might have questioned that on any other day… but she didn’t right now; it was just too damn much to deal with. “What do we need done?” she asked in a quiet and firm voice, far from the perkiness she usually displayed.

Winterlight paused and exhaled deeply. “Casualty numbers. How much cider is left. And I need to know who can be saved amongst the wounded, and who can’t. Get to it and fast. I’ll be fine here.” Pinkie stared at her for a moment after those words, then nodded shortly and quickly trotted off into the wreckage of the column.

Winterlight sighed expressively and leaned against the covered wagons, peeking inside to see the mass of non-combatant ponies almost exclusively unharmed and untouched. It was the single relief in a day of nothing but disaster. She might be hard hearted… but nopony had ever accused her of lacking one.

Well. Nopony Winterlight gave a shit about, anyway.

~~~~~

Scipio winged his way toward the north end of the bridge, a hundred of his Praetorian Guard in tow with the rest of them having scattered to retreat to the woods. With Scootaloo out, he would need to take command of the retreat before it turned into a route. With the little orange pony still cradled against his breast, he swept down towards the madness of the north bridge.

Deerfolk bodies lay in clumps as the earth pony defensive line was forced into further and further retreat. There was no sign of Caedryn or any other living Deerfolk, but the Lunar Guard was keeping the earth ponies from being completely enveloped by sheer force of willpower.

It was a bad situation, and getting everyone out was going to be problematic, especially with reinforcements coming from the other end of the bridge. Even the frantic chants and spiritual empowerment of the Shaman was barely doing enough to keep them from breaking and running, though Scipio could not pick the shaman out of the melee below.

Scipio, for a brief moment, contemplated simply ordering a scrambling retreat and hoping as many got out alive as they could manage… until a blast of wind came out of the east, and he whipped his head toward the horizon. There, upon a hill, a single pony form stood leaning upon some kind of staff topped with a glittering red gem.

A thrum of power shook the earth below him and sent a shiver of chill through the air… and the pony vanished in a puff of magical power, re-appearing below a moment later amidst the other Crusader ponies. Teleportation… that’s not a common unicorn trick, Scipio had time to think as he observed the scene from above, beating his wings to get to safety. The unicorn wore some kind of mage’s hat and cloak, bedecked in stars and moons. The black staff he had been carrying was sheathed in a silvery-white magical aura for just a brief moment before-

Scipio felt his thoughts shut down as a single word thrummed through the air with such power it damn near threw him out of the sky. ”GLACIEM!” The word split the air like it was a physical thing, and the stave thrust forward so the gem just poked out ahead of the front edge of Crusader ponies…

And a blast of bright blue magic exploded out of the end of the staff, radiating out in a massive wave of power and leaving every one of the attacking creatures seemingly frozen solid. Scipio could only stare at the sight, dumbfounded, as a rough and gravelly voice called out indistinctly below him. All the remaining crusaders began an orderly but fast retreat, and Scipio shook off his shock to follow them as quickly as he could.

Something profound had just happened. Something monumental, even if he wasn’t sure entirely what it was. But he was sure he was going to find out soon enough. So he tucked Scootaloo up close to him, making sure her shield and sword were carefully secured as their forces beat a hasty retreat back toward White Tail Wood.

The battle was over. The bridge had been lost.

But what had been gained?

~~~~Two hours later...~~~~

Pinkie Pie quietly scribbled down the last numbers she’d been asked to gather and hoofed over the papers to one of the Shadowbolts. That left her alone, as she’d been trying to manage for the last hour or so, amidst the slow work of identifying and counting the dead. It had been a grim duty, but Pinkie was used to grim duties from her childhood and had taken to it with a solemnity that her parents would have been proud of.

She hadn’t often thought of her family in the past few years, but she had always hoped her sisters had found some joy of their own in their lives. She fiddled with the quill in her teeth and trotted along down to the north end of the bridge. Winterlight was in the south, having sent off a messenger to Ponyville just an hour ago. She needed to speak with Twilight, and she needed new orders.

Only a third of the cider stock remained - not nearly enough to accomplish their efforts in seeding the destruction of the Zebrican islands. They’d lost thirty percent of their guard force too, although most of them had been Shadow Guard recruits rather than anypony Winterlight had cared about. The death had still been an abhorrent mess, especially for Pinkie Pie. And Rainbow Dash…

Rainbow Dash was in a bad state. She’d been standing over Thunderlane’s body when she’d found it and looking moody as all get out. Pinkie Pie passed by her again, now on the other end of the bridge and staring into the distance of the Ghastly Gorge. Pinkie hopped up next to her and reached out to curl a hoof around Dashie’s shoulder and give her the best hug she possibly could. “Wasn’t your fault, Rainbow,” Pinkie said softly, as encouragingly as she could.

At first, Dashie hadn’t wanted to hear that. But now…. now Dashie sighed and leaned into Pinkie’s shoulder hug. “You’re right. I know you’re right, no matter how much it sucks.” Pinkie had to agree with the sentiment that it did, indeed, suck. But there was more to it than that, and Pinkie knew it… but she was pretty sure Dashie wasn’t going to be ready to talk about it for a while.

But just as she stood to move away, Dashie spoke again, but this time much more softly. “You’re thinking about leaving, aren’t you.” Pinkie felt her hooves go cold at the words, and tried to very casually back her steps up a bit… but it wasn’t going very casually, no indeed. Pinkie tried to think up an excuse… tried to think up a reason to keep Dashie from getting angry, but… “It’s okay, Pinkie. I understand.” Dash turned her head and there was a soft smile on her face. “Look… this whole stupid… war thing isn’t going to last forever, right? We both know Twilight’s right, and that she’s going to win. She always does, yeah?”

Pinkie dug her hooves into the dirt a bit, then nodded gingerly. She really did believe in Twilight, and if Twilight believed in all of this as strongly as she did… Dashie kept speaking, her voice soft. “Then it’s not going to be a big deal if you go, Pinkie. If Mrs. Cake really needs you, then you’d better go and be with her until we can fix everything. Then we’ll be together again when the time comes, I promise.” Dashie stuck out her chest and gave her best grin. “All of us will, and we’ll all have a good laugh about how silly it was that we were fighting one another over this.”

Pinkie felt a small giggle, exit her throat, and she nodded. “Yeah… we’ll have a big party, all of us together again. I Pinkie Promise.” Pinkie went through the solemn motions of the promise, and Dashie mirrored them with a grin for her. Pinkie really did mean that, even if some nagging feeling in her tummy told her it wouldn’t be exactly what she thought it would be. Things weren’t supposed to be this way… there wasn’t supposed to be all of this violence against other ponies.

Maybe if she went and talked to Mrs. Cake, she could find out who had commanded all of this and convince them to to stop. There didn’t have to be fighting or death or any of that… they could have friendship, like it was supposed to be. “I wont tell the Captain,” Dashie said in her softest voice. “Or Twilight… but you’d better go now. I’ll cover for you.” Dashie lifted up her hoof and Pinkie gave it a soft bump and turned around. “A-and Pinkie? P-please… Take care of Scootaloo if you see her, okay?” Dashie said in a quavering voice, and Pinkie nodded solemnly at her…

And quickly took off down the road. She had always been good at getting to places unseen and unstopped, and having the Shadow inside of her hadn’t changed that one bit. She dashed from bush to tree to cloud to bush and back again, and before she knew it all of the blood and death was behind her. She wasn’t entirely sure where to find Mrs. Cake… but there had been deerfolk here, and that meant White Tail Wood. So that would be where she’d start.

~~~~~~

Captain Winterlight of the Shadowbolts leaned against the back of her cart and sipped at her reserve apple cider, massaging the painful cuts in her shoulder and hoof. She didn’t know how she was going to explain this to Umbra or Mistress, but she was working out a plan at least. It wasn’t every day three of the biggest, most badflank groups of fighters all hit you at the same time in a damn fine example of an ambush.

Still, the day had not been completely lacking in profit. The Deerfolk commander had been captured, and many of his brethren had been killed. Her casualties had been severe, but they’d hurt the enemy too. The Knight Commander was undoubtedly injured, and would probably take a little time to recover, and they’d managed to secure the bridge against all odds to the contrary. Even better, her green and untested force had just been fed into the crucible, and undoubtedly would come out of this battle with some much needed blooding.

That half her force was recovering from being frozen solid and the other half a combination of wounded, dead, and in various states of bad-shit was just the price that had to be paid. Still, it wasn’t going to be a fun conversation to have with her superiors… neither of whom seemed well versed in the realities of war. Still, she was pretty certain things weren’t bad enough that she’d have to flee for her life… not yet, anyway.

Winterlight winced again as she lifted her cup and drained the cider out of it. She couldn’t afford to underestimate her enemies like that again. Her Queen had selected a new Chosen quite well, she had to admit. Still, it would probably be prudent to start laying in the preparations for such an event to occur. One never assumed the ideal thing would come to pass, especially in the middle of a war.

The Mistress and Umbra would arrive soon, and not for the first time in the past few weeks, Winterlight wished Silent Moon and Shadow Song were here. They had always been spectacular at soothing Mistress and keeping her focused. Oh well. All she could do was present the facts and intel they’d gathered, especially on that powerful unicorn wizard that’d shown up toward the end and the fact that the Doe herself was involved. The rest would be up to the whims of fate and her commanders.

She only hoped that they would understand that this had been a victory, even if it had been a costly one. And most importantly of all, she hoped they understood that it was this that truly was the beginning of the Twilight War.

Author's Note

Thanks to everyone for your patience in these chapters!

Next chapter will be on the 4th, and will proceed with normal chapters after that until the next big fight.