The Line

Chapters

Ch.2 - Basic
Ch.3 - Training
Ch.4 - Gambit
Ch.5 - Assignent
Ch.6 - Leave
CH.7 - Dodge
Ch.8 - Carols
Ch.9 - Downdraft
CH.10 - Credit
Ch.11 - Roost
Ch.12 - Victory
Ch.14 - Lightning
Ch.15 - Desperation
Ch.16 - Collapse
Ch.17 - Dialogue
Ch.18 - Court
Ch.19 - Rendevous
Ch.20 - Resolve
Ch.21 - Return
Ch.22 - Life
Epilogue
Ch.1 - Papers
Ch.13 - Bonds

Ch.2 - Basic

Author's Note

Allow me a few words before you begin.

To those of you who saw the first chapter of this story however many months ago, you likely thought it was another dead fic that would never see its end. I don't blame you for that at all. The reason it has taken me so long to post is twofold.

First, I wanted to make sure that I had a complete story before I start in. The first and second passes on the story are complete, and I have a couple friends (slowly) proofreading through the chapters. As a result, I can plan a proper release schedule rather than hope to update soon and ultimately fail, as too many fanfics do.

The second is this proofreader business. I did not want to send this work out without someone else checking that I was not crazy or full of it, and getting someone to see this beyond the fourth chapter has been difficult. But things seem to be progressing in that chapter, and I wanted to get this out before it is forgotten altogether. I figured, Veteran's Day is one of the best days to do it.

So without further ado, let's get to it.

Ch.2 - Basic

For a brief moment, Comet Shimmer believed that she was home in Canterlot, waking up in her own bed. Her mother would be calling her down to dinner before heading out to the library. Her father would be checking all his razors before the first customers of the day showed up. She would stretch, flex her wings, yawn for a comfortably long time, and hop out of bed to begin the day.

Three months ago, the filly had clung to this half dream like a lifeline. Two months ago, it still clouded her waking mind, confusing her sense of reality. Today, it existed only in the second between her waking and her eyes opening. Comet Shimmer jumped out of her bed, grabbed her jumpsuit from her bedside chest, and slipped it on as gracefully as a cantering pony could dress. Around her, the barracks was swarming with ponies of all colors doing just the same. The dawn light provided just enough to see by. The first week, some had slunk out of bed, casually donned their suits, and walked out with not a care in the world. The sore wings and sorer legs they fell into bed with that night ensured it would not happen again.

Fort Hurricane was an outpost from the earliest of Equestria’s days. Situated atop a narrow mesa, one could see from Neighagra Falls to the Macintosh Mountains. Only the very top was graced with any foliage, while the rest was naught but bare stone. A crossing of headwinds ensured a constant supply of clouds for obstacle courses and exercises. It was a breathtaking scene for anypony that dared to stop and enjoy it. Comet Shimmer ignored the picturesque sunrise in favor of not being last to form ranks. Last place got to do an extra three laps around the fort. The filly stood stiffly at attention, glancing around to make sure she was not the Lieutenant’s chew toy for the day.

“Drifter!” Saved for today, or at least for an hour or so. Lieutenant Thunderhead strode up to the rigid stallion, silver eyes flitting between his quivering jaw and his jumpsuit. “Is that a spot on your flight suit?”

“Ma’am, no Ma’am!” Stratus Drifter stood as straight as he could. It was possible, even likely, that any more vertical stretching would pop a bone from its socket.

"Are you lying to your superior officer, Recruit?" The pegasus pulled him in by the collar. "Two laps, go!” Stratus was off in a blur. For the rest of the platoon, this meant standing in rank until the idiot was done with his laps. If the Lieutenant was in a foul mood- and who could tell when she wasn’t- they would be at attention the whole time.

Stratus Drifter finished off his second lap and returned to formation, sticking his landing by naught but Celestia’s grace, at which point morning exercises could finally begin. Push ups, sit ups, wing strength, kicks, topped off with a run around the fort and a flight to the course grounds and back. Yet again, Comet was nearly knocked out of the air as a bigger, stronger pegasus overtook her. She grumbled to herself between pants, but did not stop. Firefly would have her flank if she quit because of a little roughhousing.

Was it worse to run or fly first? It was hard to say; they had done both, and neither one seemed particularly better than the other. Either way, they were already exhausted when it came time to face their final ordeal.

The Equestrian Royal Air Guard fed its soldiers satisfactorily, no question there. But between incredible hunger, exhausted limbs, and the slinking threat that their stomach might upend itself from the morning’s exercise, Comet Shimmer and her platoon found the meal to be both a blessing and curse. The filly balanced a small book on the space between her wings while her tray sat atop her head. With only a few spaces left in the mess hall, she opted for the table with the easiest chatter to drown out. She received a passing glance as she sat from one or two ponies, but the center stage was already elsewhere.

“You’re not listening, Rain,” Willow Wisp, a lemon-yellow colt said between bites. “You’ll make it around that turn a lot faster if you tuck your right wing and roll.” Comet poked her roll.

The bread was better today, not so hard.

“No, I heard you just fine, Wisp,” Silver Raindrops shot back, her smooth Baltimare accent curling around every word, “since you have tried to tell me about fifteen times now. But tucking your wings makes you plummet like a stone. You end up spending more energy regaining speed and altitude than you save making the turn tighter.”

The greens were actually green, too.

Willow Wisp muttered something under his breath. “It’s not about energy, you idiot, it’s about the speed. You think some dragon is going to care how tired you are when it catches you in the middle of a turn?”

And an apple to boot, fresh picked from the Ponyville orchards. This breakfast wasn’t half bad, as their luck had gone.

“If you’re falling out of the sky from exhaustion, it doesn’t really matter what the dragon’s thinking about,” The brick red filly replied.

Too bad it was just water to drink, though. Some juice would have really tied this breakfast together.

“Faust help me, am I the only one who sees sense here?” Wisp’s plea fell first to Comet. She looked up from her book only in time for the colt to dismiss her. Around the table he went, drawing near everypony into the debate. Wisp and Rain had been at each other's throats for nearly a month now. It was anypony's guess whether they were actually adversaries vying for the top spot or hiding their infatuation behind a farce of hostility. If it were the former, Lieutenant Thunderhead would sooner kiss lightning than declare either of them best in their group. If it were the latter, Comet wished they'd sneak off after lights out and get it over with already.

While the two ponies continued to bicker over minor flight performance improvements, the chiroptequus nibbled at her food and carried on through the latest section of her text. Of what she had brought from home, this was probably her most valuable pick: a pseudo-biographical history of the Gryphonic War some fourteen decades prior. Her rush from home to the fort had left her with little time to think, and it had not occurred to Comet to bring books that might actually prove useful. Instead, aside from said history book, she had mostly brought a couple of her favorites- oases or familiarity to aid in the foreign land she had wound up in. She knew that, when she returned them, she would have to explain the splotches her tears had left the first few nights when the reality of Basic was just starting to settle in.

“-head is actually listening to anything you have to say,” Sparky Bolts jeered at Wisp, “right, Shimmer?”

“Huh?” And things were going so well before.

The marine blue pegasus harumphed. “Wheezy Wisp here was wondering if you had found anything in that library of yours about aerodynamics at high altitudes, and I was saying that you weren’t listening. Evidently, I was right.”

“I believe your choice of words was ‘the egghead isn’t listening,’ Sparky,” Silver Raindrops corrected. The colt shot her a glare and offered Comet the best apologetic smile he could fake. Comet rolled her eyes and went back to her book. Egghead was a new one, but hardly the first. Truth be told, the entire argument was a moot point. Everypony had their strengths in this group. Sparky Bolts could fly a hundred meters and land on a hoof wide platform with no course correction. Silver Raindrops was as graceful as she was beautiful. Nopony could keep with her in the obstacle course, except maybe Lily Nimbus and the twins. Willow Wisp was tied for highest endurance, comparable only to Moon Fang. Each had simply found tricks to compensate for their weaknesses, not that any of them saw it that way. And Comet’s leading attribute? Words per minute, she imagined.

Teasing was nothing new to the filly. Her schoolmates had hardly been any better, or they had been utterly moronic. Sometimes, often times, they were both. The ponies at the pub had told her repeatedly to make friends with the ponies in her training group, but they had never mentioned how. She was sure they all saw her as a head in ranks, or a filled seat in class. But they didn’t see her as a fellow recruit.

They were not trying to be her friends. Why should she? Besides, she already had ponies waiting.

Returning to her book, she had found her place missing somewhere on the page. With a huff, she placed the library card turned bookmark in the rough location it should have been, wolfed down the remainder of her meal, and excused herself.

“Off to the mailroom again, Shimmer?” Rain called after the retreating filly.

“Can’t hurt to check. I’ll see you at lecture.” As the filly grabbed her tray, her tangerine eyes flitted around to each of her comrades. Rain nodded with a quiet smile, Wisp was already off somewhere else, Sparky Bolts ignored her altogether. Comet might have felt slighted if it wasn’t the exact response she had anticipated. A quick trot across the green found her in the mailroom, part of a crumbling building supposedly among the first to be constructed in the fort’s ancient days. Perhaps, Comet thought upon entering the dusty old building for the upteenth time, the Guard simply didn’t much want them to think about home. The indigo filly checked in with the front desk to bad news again: no package yet, but check back this evening. Twice a day for three months, the same response. Maybe it had gotten lost. Maybe it was never sent.

~*~

Thunder Clap, a considerably large, green pegasus with a penchant for winning hoof-to-hoof exercises, had once made the mistake of mocking morning lectures in front of a senior officer. As a result, he had been excused for the day, and instead spent all class and study time doing exercises under Lieutenant Thunderhead’s watch. Attendance after that was perfect.

Comet had gotten in trouble in school repeatedly for not paying attention to one teacher or another. She would be caught reading a book or jotting down notes on something entirely unrelated, but never failed to answer when asked what had just been discussed. Professor Summer Blossom, their primary professor, was not one of her regular school teachers. The first three months, roughly half of their time in Basic, had been spent on necessities to avoid accident and death: ballista and cannon usage, weapon safety, combat aerodynamics, geography and climate. Today, however, was something a bit more interesting, interesting enough for Comet to set her book aside.

“The last time anypony spoke at length with a dragon was shortly before the start of the Celestial Era, over one thousand years ago. As a result, any information we have related to the dragons is,” Professor Blossom grimaced, “well, pitiful.” The rose-pink pegasus hefted a large, wooden scrollcase onto her podium and pulled a half dead roll of parchment from its interior. “We do know that they are a loosely constructed society, built around a hierarchy of strength. We know they migrate, though the interval between migrations is hazy. We know there are multiple breeds of dragons, but the records of the time either never saw all of them, or they were lost.” Professor Blossom skimmed the rest of the scroll for anything else of importance before huffing and repackaging the ancient text.

“But, above anything else you might manage to fit in that space between your ears, there is one thing you cannot forget about dragons. What is it?”

“You can’t outrun a dragon,” Willow Wisp said.

“Wrong. Maybe you can’t, recruit, but our fastest are faster than theirs.”

“Armor won’t stop their claws?” Silver Raindrops offered.

“Not bad, but no. Armor will stop a glancing blow from dragon claws. If they get a good swipe or bite in, though, you’re probably right.” The instructor looked over the rest of the class, silently expecting somepony, anypony, to say the right thing. When nopony did, she sighed and looked to Comet. The filly cocked her head. why would the professor expect her to already know the answer? She had not read anything more on dragons than her peers. They weren’t stupid, there just wasn’t anything to know-

“...They’re not stupid?” Comet realized aloud. Summer Blossom smiled.

“Not as stupid as you lot, anyway. Shimmer is correct. Every dragon is capable of speech. Many can read, coordinate, strategize. When you fight a dragon, you are not fighting an animal. Look down on them, and they will not hesitate to make you pay. Is that clear?”

“Yes, Ma'am.” The entire class answered together.

“Is that clear, recruits?”

“Yes, Ma'am!”

“We’ll see. Now, I almost hate to spend time on the rest of this, but you’re going to get a crash course on everything we know about dragons. On Thursday, we’ll be discussing formations, so I suggest you read up ahead of time.” An indigo hoof raised. “What is it, Shimmer?”

“Ma’am, why are we only spending three days on dragons?” A quiet groan came from somewhere behind her.

“Because there isn’t enough to spend four on. Anypony else?” Silence. “Good.”

To her right, Shimmer caught a few distasteful glances. Professor Blossom had, upon realizing Shimmer’s capacity for fact retention, come to use her for answers whenever the class at large failed. She had become the bookworm, the egghead, the teacher’s pet. The classroom was where she far and away excelled. And they hated her for it. Silver Raindrops had once admitted how petty it was. Soldiers shouldn’t resent each other for their strengths, they should appreciate them. But as Lieutenant Thunderhead loved to point out, they weren’t soldiers. They were college students, shop workers, farmers, clerks, busboys and waitresses thrown into training in hopes of making them combat worthy.

They did not have the minds of soldiers, the same way she did not have the body of a soldier. And after lunch, some of her peers would be all too happy to remind her of that.

~*~

Moon Fang’s sorbet-orange back hit the mat with a forceful thump. The chiroptequus colt was, despite Comet’s best efforts, no worse for her attack. Whenever she could, she tried to partner with Fang; he at least tried to work with her on the combat exercises. He would roll with her tosses, fold with her blows, but the fact that he effectively had to did not help Comet feel much better.

“Well, the form’s all there, I think, you just need…” Fang scratched the back of his head and sat up.

“Strength?” Comet deadpanned.

“...Yeah.”

Comet groaned. “It’s been three months, Fang. If I haven’t gotten any stronger, I’m not going to.” her shoulders slumped. “Maybe it’s for the best. You go find another training partner, someone you can actually practice with.”

“Hey, come on. It’s not that hopeless.” He gripped her barrel. “Maybe you’re just… lifting with the wrong parts? Try working from your hind legs, keep those solid.” Moon fang grinned, the teeth he was named for flashing in the midday light. Comet couldn’t help but smile. She had a pair of sharp canines too, a common trait to chiropteqi, but hers were molars compared to his knifelike chompers. Often times, their ilk did what they could to hide their fangs, to make them less noticeable to other ponies who did not appreciate such offensive teeth. It did not help their case, in that chiropteqi earned a reputation of smiling rarely. But Fang seemed to smile more often than not, even when his smile wiped others away. “Come on, give it another go-”

“Oi, tangerine.” Trouble rode on four green legs. Thunder Clap, with all the charisma of a pony in his natural habitat, sauntered up to the glowering pair. “My partner went to the bathroom. What do you say to a round or two?”

“I think you can wait for your partner, Clap,” Moon Fang spat.

“Not askin’ you, runt.” The pegasus’ eyes never left her. “You gotta let other recruits fight your battles, Tangerine? Not enough soldier in you to handle a training exercise?”

Sizing up Thunder Clap was not much of a challenge. Large, aggressive, already well built when he arrived, he was probably a hoofball player back in Manehattan. He was a good player, too, if his expectation of a posse was any indication. Where Wisp, Sparky, and Raindrops worked best on the flight course, the combat mat was Thunder’s dance floor. The thought of this lumbering musclehead and his tendency for force made Comet want to play hoofball even less.

More important than his background, she thought, was a distinct lack of the word “no” in his vocabulary. He wouldn’t let up until she said yes, as she always eventually had before. Her usual method of dealing with bullies, ignoring them until they got bored, did not seem to work with the brute. Perhaps, she thought, it was not his goal to get a rise out of her. Perhaps he just saw it as his right to treat anypony as he pleased. The officers watching from the side knew Thunder Clap. They probably liked him- good soldier material. They would not do anything until something went wrong. Better to do the same thing that had gotten her through three months with this moron and get it over with.

“Fine, Thunder, let’s just make this quick. Don’t want your partner to have to wait,” Comet said, glancing at the pegasus waiting near the center of the room.

“That’s what I like to hear, a little backbone from the nerd.” The green pegasus set in; apparently, he was going to be doing the tossing. Hardly a surprise. Comet waved Moon Fang back, nodding as assuringly as she was able, before halfheartedly charging her aggressor.

But instead of tossing her like the exercise called for, Thunder Clap jumped to the side, tripping her as she ran past. She glared over her shoulder as she got back up, but when she heard Moon Fang growl, she waved him down and set for another charge. Her tormentor, pride stretching from ear to ear, took his place as well. Comet came at him again, ready for another trip. He did not jump away, but neither did he lead her into the toss. Instead, Comet found herself being lifted into the air, almost clear above Thunder Clap’s head.

He wasn’t going to toss her, he was going to throw her.

The filly panicked, cried out, and began to flail in his grip. One of her legs swung wide and elbowed him in the side of his neck. With a cry, Thunder Clap stepped back and lost his balance. Still caught in his grip, Comet could only go down with him. The room spun over itself in a blur before the mat rushed up to meet them. Unfortunately for the smaller filly, the way they had fallen left her underneath the larger, much heavier pegasus stallion. She hit the floor first, her wing sandwiched awkwardly underneath both ponies.

Pain. It lanced from her ears to the tip of her wings, up and down her back and through her hooves. Her vision blurred. Her limbs curled. A scream left her throat, though she did not recall thinking to cry out. Above her, Thunder Clap loomed like a shadow, all green fur and orange hair and grimace. Fear seized what muscles were not paralyzed by pain.

Comet rolled out from under Thunder Clap, curling her legs under her. The pegasus looked up to see where she had gone. She could not tell what was in his gaze. Fear? Confusion? Anger? Violence? His eyes found hers. Her leg unfurled.

Comet was not a strong filly by any means. Her kicks were laughable, and had almost no power to them. But a pony’s nose did not need much power to break, and adrenaline can do wonders for strength. A sickening crunch sent Thunder Clap’s head whipping back. The stallion clutched at his nose, howling in pain as blood dripped around his hooves onto the mat. A whistle sounded. The thunder of hooves grew louder. Comet Shimmer lay on her unhurt side and curled into a ball, trying with all her might to not move anything.

“You two, get her to the infirmary. You two, get him.” Somepony’s voice rang over her.

“Ma’am, permission to go with them?” Moon Fang’s?

“You’re staying here and explaining what the hell happened.” Hooves reached under Comet and lifted her up. One hoof grazed her wing, and the pain returned anew.

“Sorry, sorry,” Sparky Bolts whispered. The pain radiated down into her front right leg, forcing her to limp along in their care. “Come on, egghead. Let’s get that checked out.” Silence ruled over the practice room as the two parties exited with as much dignity as they could muster. Comet cried from the pain, she could not deny the tears. But aside from the involuntary grunt with each limp, she did not make a sound. She had not thought to hit Thunder Clap, she had not thought to kick him in the face, but she had. She knew what she had done. And she clenched her jaw with the thought that, in truth, she wished she had done it three months ago.

Ch.3 - Training

Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.

Ch.4 - Gambit

181 days of morning exercises had made the predawn alarm a natural part of the platoons’ day. So when they were allowed to sleep in, many of them were out on the field anyway, stretching and running or flying short laps. With the thought of The Gambit looming over them, it was unclear how much sleep any of them had gotten anyway.

Stratus Drifter swooped in for a landing, setting down cleanly on one hoof before the rest of him settled to the ground. “Four minutes, 13 seconds.” Comet read off of the stopwatch.

“Eh, I’ll take it.” The grey pegasus cracked his neck. “You ready for this afternoon?”

“No.” Comet sighed. That wasn’t going to stop her from giving it everything she had. Nopony knew what exactly The Gambit was; some said it was because every time, it changed. Long distance flight, squad based combat, needle threading maneuvers, it could be anything.

“Eh, buck up, Shimmer. You’ll do fine.” Stratus smiled for her. “Oh, anyway, did you see Wisp and Rain this morning?”

“Yeah, at breakfast. Why do you ask?”

“I saw them while I was out on my laps. Did they seem a bit… odd to you?”

The filly choked down her laughter. “They seemed the same to me. Maybe you’re just jittery.”

“Maybe… Woah.”

Comet followed where Stratus was staring. Seeing officers walking around the fort was nothing new. Seeing five dozen or more in their formal uniforms, pins and ribbons shining on their chests and collars, was. Their presence slowly caught the attention of most of the recruits. Murmured conversations rose among them. About half way back through the line, Comet noticed a familiar crop of rainbow mane. Sparing Stratus only a brief apology, Comet zipped over and saluted.

“Wing Sergeant Rainbow Blaze, Sir.” The stallion looked confused for an instant, then covered her face where her mane used to be with a hoof.

“Well if it isn’t the little bookworm. At ease, recruit.” Comet relaxed. A few of the other officers chuckled amongst themselves.

“You know this one, Corkscrew? A bit young for you, isn’t she?” One of his peers chuckled.

“Why does everypony say that? Do I give off some kind of creepy aura?” Rainbow frowned.

“Must be. Catch up when you’re done, alright?” The cobalt stallion waved them away and returned to Comet.

“Six months, huh? How ya been, kid?”

“Ups and downs, as you might expect.” The filly flapped her right wing, though there was nothing left to indicate her injury. “Basic was pretty much exactly what you and the others told me it would be.”

“Yeah, doesn’t change much. I was only here… can’t be more than five years ago.”

“You were promoted quick, sir.”

“Promotions are candy these days. Supposedly, I’m up for First Wing Sergeant for a stunt a I pulled last month. Dove four hundred feet and caught a dragon through the back. Saved two fellas from another platoon.”

“Congratulations, sir. It sounds like you earned it.”

Rainbow Blaze chuckled. “Yeah, you might say that.”

“If I may ask, sir, what brings you and the other officers out here?”

“You guys are running The Gambit today, right?” Comet nodded. “We’re here for a first hoof evaluation. It gives us a chance to see which recruits we want to call to our companies beyond just looking at their files. The lieutenant is busy leading, so she sent me.”

“Does Cyclone Company need new recruits?”

Rainbow Blaze drew a long breath. “Yeah, a few.” Comet waited for more, but he just kept looking down. There was something he could see that was entirely beyond her.

“...Sir?”

“What is it, recruit?”

“How bad is it out there?”

The pegasus took a long time piecing together his answer. “I suppose it could be worse. Equestria really wasn’t ready for this war to happen. We’re understaffed, undersupplied, and undisciplined.” Comet had noticed how many liberties she and her platoon had been allowed compared to their historical counterparts. She had assumed it to be leniency developed with the times, but perhaps, she realized, it was a result of nopony remembering it was not supposed to be allowed. “Our forces have been holding the southern border against regular attacks while we forge weapons and train soldiers. Thank Celestia, we’ve held them in the deserts down south, way away from any of the larger towns. But your lot, plus the turnout from all the other forts and makeshift training sites in Equestria, will likely double our standing army.

“As far as I can tell, the declaration of war wasn’t much more than that: a declaration. The dragons haven’t been as aggressive as we expected, and we haven’t gone looking for trouble. I guess both of us are getting ready for something a lot bigger. At present, the front line comes under attack fifteen , maybe twenty times a week along the whole of the border. Skirmishes, mostly, but they still cost us in small numbers.” Rainbow Blaze paused. “You remember Pine Needle? Muted green pegasus, spiky hair?”

“Yeah, he was with you guys at the pub.” Rainbow looked away and said nothing. “...I’m sorry, sir.”

“That’s how it is, recruit.” The stallion shook his head and blinked, as if he was swatting a fly away. “So here I am, looking for some new blood to fill our ranks. You got anypony you can recommend I keep an eye on, kid?”

“Yeah, we have some real talent in our platoon, I think. There’s-” Comet paused. Her brow furrowed as she said softly, “Sergeant Rainbow Blaze?”

“Recruit Comet Shimmer?”

“Permission to ask a question you might find objectionable?”

“Granted.”

“Am…” The filly looked up at the stallion. “Am I doing my friends a favor by recommending them, or would they be better off with another company?” Her superior was taken aback. His mouth jumped repeatedly between a smile and a frown, a grimace and a smirk. He nodded quietly.

“Walk, Recruit. I’m probably going to be late as it is.” Comet fell in beside the stallion. Up close, she noticed his freshly trimmed fetlocks, bags under his eyes that sleep had done nothing to lighten, and a paleness to his coat. “I can’t say that recommending them would be a favor or not. The Guard has enough ponies filling desks, they don’t need more. The lot of your are likely heading for the front.” He glanced at her. “Yes, you too. Lt. Firefly still has you picked out for our unit, and I imagine she’ll do what she can to get you a job as a messenger or something of the sort, but you’ll be out there with the rest of the company, close enough to the thick of it.

“Cyclone company takes care of its own. We look out for the others as best we can, but it’s tough. If you recommend somepony, and we take them in, the same treatment applies to them. If they get a different company, I can’t promise where they’ll be or how they will be treated. It probably won’t increase or decrease their chances of surviving much, if at all.

“What you need to ask yourself is: If they die, do you want to be a part of it?” Comet was suddenly so close to his face, he thought she was aiming to bite his muzzle off.

“Part of it? I want to save them! They’re my friends, and I’d do anything for them.” Her form heaved with every breath. It was the same shivering filly Rainbow had met a lifetime ago, he thought, but a different facet of her.

“I can’t promise you’ll save them if they’re in our company, but at least if they’re close, you can try.”

Comet visibly deflated. “Sorry, sir.” Her wings tucked tightly to her sides as she slumped into a sit. “...Lily Nimbus, Stratus Drifter, Sparky Bolts, Willow Wisp, Silver Raindrops, Moon Fang, Gale Force… Thunder Clap, The twins, Sun Ray and Moon Beam, from Breaker Platoon, as well as Cloud Bounder, Stargaze, Flourish, Hale Storm, and Snowfall are all good too.”

“You’ve made a lot of friends,” Rainbow chuckled.

“I only got to know the ponies from Breaker recently, when they joined our evening practices. I don’t know them as well as the ones from mine, but objectively, I think they’re pretty good.”

“Works for me. Thanks, kid.” Rainbow helped Comet to her feet. “Hey, look at me. It’s not going to be easy out there, but we’ll see each other through this, alright?” She nodded. “Good. Chin up, Recruit, your test is coming. Go get ready, and maybe I’ll see you after.” He turned to leave, but thought of something. "Oh, I'm not allowed to tell you the specifics, but I'm also here to pick something up for the company. You'll know it when you see it. Good hunting, kid."

“Thank you, sir.” Comet saluted. Rainbow returned her salute and sped after the collection of officers. The filly still had no idea if she’d done the right thing, offering her friends up for Cyclone Company’s scrutiny. At worst, she thought, it was no worse a fate than she had found herself in. Maybe they would like being together, watching out for each other on the battlefield. Or maybe they would have to watch each other die, and hate her for putting them there.

Either way, she would have to put that day away for later. The day at hoof called for all of her attention. The first bell sounded across the field; The Gambit would begin in an hour.

~*~

384 recruits stood at in ranks, the entirety of the three companies set to graduate from Fort Hurricane in even rows and columns. In front, Lt. Thunderhead, her Badger and Crater Company counterparts, Lt. Flurry and Rain Maker, and Captain Winter Gale stood in line before them for inspection. A collection of officers of all ranks stood or sat to the side, observing the affair. An uncomfortable silence hung over the assembly until General Cold Front tapped his pipe, huffed his moustache out of his mouth, and stepped out onto the field.

"General on the field. All hooves, atteeeeention!" Over 400 ponies snapped to attention as the ranking officer stood before them. With a cough, he waved them to ease. The aged pegasus chewed on his pipe as he looked over the ranks.

"Recruits, you stand before a moment that will forever change who you are. This final test of your training will engage you to the limits of your abilities. After today, upon your passing, you will be soldiers of the Equestrian Royal Air Guard. You will be counted among a company of pegasi and chiroptequi of the highest quality. You will be the skyward sword and shield of our kingdom. Your courage will pave the way for our future. Stand tall, stand proud, and count yourselves among the best of Equestria's airborne.

"Captain Winter Gale, they're all yours."

"Sir!" The Captain stepped forward, turned sharply, and hovered in front of the recruits. "As some of you have heard, the Basic Training Term Final Exercise, often referred to as 'The Gambit,' is altered every year to adapt to modern tactics, technologies, and situations. This year, we have modified the nature of the test on an unprecedented level."

A massive clouded floated behind the general and the captain. She continued, "As you may have surmised from your curriculum, we have a new technology at our disposal that will allow for long distance transport and combat by air. Until now, we have not had a unit for you to practice with." The cloud swelled and popped like a balloon, chunks of airborne water flying in all directions.

In its wake, a colossal violet balloon floated in the mid morning sky. Stripes of yellow and white streaked from nose to tail under a broad array of furrowed sails. Beneath, a wooden ship some 200 feet in length was lassoed to the balloon by two dozen cables. A giant, golden figurehead of a phoenix spread its wings across the front of the vessel. Alongside a second assortment of sails, ballistae could be spotted poking over the sides from two decks. Across the freshly lacquered hull, the letters “E.R.A.S. Dauntless” were emblazoned in shining gold paint.

It was an object of pure majesty. Comet Shimmer had seen a few sketches and old photos of airships from decades past. They were awkward constructs that reminded the filly of featherless ducks, all angular moorings and overly complex ship bodies. Whoever had approached the concept this generation had taken the principles and made the ugly ducklings into radiant swans. As the ship glided to a cloud dock, a second surprise awaited her and the assembled recruits.

A crew of mostly unicorns, sprinkled with earth ponies and even a couple pegasi, all together numbering around 200 by Comet’s guess, marched or flew off the ship and formed up across from the recruits. Once all arranged, they snapped a smart salute and awaited the Captain.

“This is the crew of the Dauntless, one of our new airships. They will be providing the backbone of your test today.” The recruits promptly saluted their comrades. "You will be broken up by your training platoons, and each of which will run the test independently. Nopony is to inform another platoon of the nature of the test. Failure to obey this order will result in your immediate failure of the test and court martial. Is that clear?”

“Ma’am, yes Ma’am!” the recruits sounded off in unison.

“Very well. Lt. Flurry?”

“Ma’am!” The lieutenant pulled out a clipboard. “Crater Company, Beaver Platoon, you’re up first. All other platoons are on standby on the main field until called. Dismissed.” The two groups saluted before departing, Beaver Platoon to run The Gambit, everypony else to wait. Nopony could decide if the first or last platoons were the lucky ones.

~*~

Comet responded to Daybreak Platoon as if it was her own name; whenever it was called, she was there alongside ponies she had come to know and care for. But when Lt. Thunderhead called them to prepare for The Gambit, a chill she had never associated with the name ran up her spine. They had not seen any platoons come off of the testing ground; likely they were directed off somewhere to sit tight. They had no idea what waited for them, but they fell into ranks all the same.

Lily and Stratus were right in front of the indigo filly, Rain to her left, Moon Fang and Gale behind. 32 ponies marched double file through the mess hall. They were half way through the hall when Thunderhead’s voice boomed like an explosion, “Eyes up, maggots, we got a war to fight!” They would have fallen all over each other if it wasn’t for the fact that they were all walking on eggshells already. “Armor up, we deploy in five minutes. Anypony that isn’t ready is a dead horse, hear me?” The halls weren’t wide enough or high enough for flying through, but that hardly stopped Daybreak Platoon from trying. Any corner they couldn’t fly around, they landed just enough to kick off with their feet.

In fifteen seconds, they reached the armory. The only light came from the narrow windows across the way, catching on the motes of dust.

Thirty seconds, the armor rack was open and suits were being passed out.

Forty seconds, Willow Wisp’s left fore strap snapped like a twig. “Shit!” The yellow pegasus cursed and grabbed another suit.

Sixty seconds, and Comet was fitting the last loops around her hind legs. Sixty five, Moon Fang set his helmet on his head.

Eighty seconds, and a glaive was passed to the indigo filly. She passed it on down the line until everypony back from her had one.

Ninety seconds, and the butt of her glaive was caught on a harness. She swore to herself as she tried to force it. If the strap broke, ancient piece-of-crap this armor was, she would have to undress, grab a new one, and start all over. Across from her, Lily Nimbus was fitting a small crossbow to her right arm. It was an unpopular choice, only good for one shot in the middle of a fight, but there were enough that those who thought it useful could get their hooves on one.

One hundred ten seconds, and the glaive butt was finally snug in place. Comet hurried with the mid and fore buckles. To her left, Moon Fang burst into a storm of curses. “What is it?” she called.

“The damn buckle snapped its hinge. How the buck does it even do that!?” Moon Fang hustled over to a locker and yanked it open. Dozens of metal crossbow bolts stood in neat rows, black tips shining in the dim light. The orange chiroptequus grabbed a bolt and thrust it through the straps. With a grunt, he bent the bolt enough to keep the haphazard fix in place.

One hundred forty seconds, most of the platoon was armed and armored. Comet slipped her helmet on last; it was easier to check her gear without it shifting about on her head. Her ears slipped through the holes on the helmet, helping to hold it in place. Dirty chain links clattered under tarnished golden plate mail. Maybe the platoons before them had used these suits, but it was likely somepony had used it before them, and somepony before them, and on and on for too long.

One hundred fifty seconds. “Sound off!” Sparky Bolts called down the line.

The farthest back on the left side gave the pony in front of him a few pats and called out, “One okay!”

The mare he had cleared did the same for hers before calling out, “Two okay!”

When the last of the left column had been cleared, it continued up the right column, until at last, Thunder Clap patted Bolt’s back and shouted “Thirty two, okay!”

“Let’s move it, everypony!” One hundred eighty seconds found Daybreak Platoon galloping out onto the field. Lt. Flurry stood out in the center of the field, watching them approach with all the energy of a rock. The decorated officers had not moved from their earlier place, though many seemed to have collections of notebooks and papers on hoof. But most noticeably, the Dauntless was pulling out into open sky.

“Let’s go, ponies!” Lt. Flurry called out as they grew near. “Rendezvous with your C.O. on the deck, no stopping. Are you trotting, recruit? I said move.” As they passed her, each pair of ponies unfurled their wings and took off. Two hundred fifteen seconds, and they were airborne. Eighty five seconds to spare. Daybreak Platoon wheeled around and landed in formation on the Dauntless’ top deck. To their right, the deck crew, mostly unicorns as Comet had noticed earlier, stood at attention as well. In front, a stubby brown unicorn with an unkempt mane looked over her assembled crew.

“At ease, airponies.” The unicorn started to pace across the deck. “I am Captain Starstruck, commanding officer of the Dauntless. As you know, we have been separated from our combat group for nearly a week after a surprise storm blew us off course. We have been fortunately undetected thus far, but it seems our luck has run out, boys and girls. Our CAG just reported in a small dragon patrol, about a dozen or so of the scaly bastards, heading in our direction. At our current speed and heading, we’re not going to be able to avoid them. We have six minutes before they’re right on top of us. Guard Command!”

“Ma’am!” Lt. Thunderhead barked. Comet started. Where had she come from, and when had she gotten suited up, glaive and all?

“I want two squads on alert status, the rest helping to get this boat to combat status. Is that clear?”

“Ma’am, yes Ma'am!”

“Then what are you waiting for, mules? Action stations!” The first mate blew his whistle, a bell sounded from the stern, and suddenly everypony had to be somewhere.

“Alpha, Charlie squads, you’re on alert. Crew the launch gangway and await further orders. Bravo, Delta, get this tub in shape.” Thunderhead’s voice was everywhere at once. Comet fell in with the rest of Alpha Squad and made her way out onto the gangway. Due to numbers, Sparky Bolts had agreed to fly with Delta Squad. He gave them a sideways glance as he and his squad headed off to arm the guns. They had practiced every possible action they would need to take on cloud constructs, but the presence of wood and rope instead of nimbus clouds made everything that much more unnerving.

“Hey Screwup,” Willow Wisp called over the whipping wind.

“What, Cheerleader?” Stratus called back.

“What was the captain saying about a dragon squad?”

“Did you seriously not listen to that now of all times!?”

“No I heard that, but… there’s no dragons here, right?”

“That’s enough, boys,” Rain shouted as she checked over her gear again, “whatever’s out there, we’re first response. Double check your equipment and be ready to launch.”

“Aye, Stuffshirt!” Willow Wisp saluted and sat to double check his straps. Comet gave herself a quick once over, but her gaze kept drifting out to the clouds floating by. They had run battle simulations before a few times, but always against other platoons. Somehow, they were going to be fighting dragons this time. A lump formed in her gut, and she steadied her breathing in an attempt to break it up.

"You ready, Egghead?" Lily asked.

"As I'll ever be. How about you, Jitterbug?"

"Oh, I was born ready." The pink pegasus caught a nod from Rain and let loose her command voice. "Alright, squads, form pairs with the poor mule on your right. Keep close, watch each other's backs, and be ready for anything. Enemy number and strength is unknown, so don't-" The ship lurched as it started a rapid ascension. Everywhere, sails swelled with wind as the vessel rode the current up. "-don't take any risks. Once we engage, we form a line between them and the ship that we do not let them cross. Protecting the Dauntless is our primary concern, 'cause I doubt we'll be making the journey home without her. Any Questions?" Everypony shook their head.

Lt. Thunderhead came racing by only moments later. "Lieutenant," Silver Raindrops called out, "what's the cause for our climb?"

"We're closing in on the enemy, recruit. Captain's hoping to get above them, get a clean shot before they notice we're here." The officer was off down the deck before anything else could be asked.

"I guess we're going to be diving on their backs," Comet said. "Remember, smell is their strongest scent. If we're lucky, we'll approach from downwind. If not, dive in an arc around them to throw off their aim."

"Egghead," Willow said, "I think this is a good time for a New Moon." The filly stared at him pensively for a moment and nodded. "Right. You guys know this one. It's going to be a challenge running it with your wingpony, so lead alone makes the strike. Wing, follow your lead in and keep their flanks clear. After we clear the dive, engage at-"

"Dragons, port bearing zero-one-zero!" a unicorn shouted from the bow. "Down bearing, zero-seven-four, distance, one-six-zero yards. Eight glimmerbacks, loose formation." The alert squads looked down below them. Drifting among the clouds in a rough V formation was something that they could not believe it was possible.

Eight dragons flew directly under them. Two red, three green, one yellow, one blue, and one dirty grey, they glided on the wind with the occasional beat of their broad, leathery wings. Scales shone in the sunlight, tails whipped against minute changes in the breeze. In a way, they reminded the recruits of their own lazy flying formations, albeit considerably less equine and slightly more nightmarish. The yellow dragon directly behind the lead cocked its head up at the Dauntless and roared. The rest of the flight took notice, and as one they rose towards the wooden airship.

"Alert squads, intercept the enemy and halt their advance. Remaining air squads, prepare to launch and reinforce. All hooves, get those ballistae loaded and bring us into combat range. Keep us above those lizards as much as possible." Captain Starstruck took her place overlooking the deck while Lt. Thunderhead formed up with Bravo and Delta squads. Comet looked to her left: Lily nodded with her regular blazing grin. The hyper pony was set to be her lead; as much as she could be a headache, Comet could not have asked for a better partner. Comet looked to her right. Gale Force nodded quickly, his jaw clenched. He would be leading Thunder Clap through the charge.

Her breathing was heavy, but it was even and controlled. In a minute, it would be very hard to snag a breath; best enjoy it while the opportunity was there. She waved the affirmative up to Rain, who cleared it with another wave. The brick red pegasus shouted, and in tandem, the squad leaned forward. Comet eased her breath out through her nose as gravity took hold. The gangway slipped out from under her, and like a leaf drifting into the wind, she jumped.

Comet slipped in behind Lily, who guided her using the wake off of her feathered wings. Below them by a rapidly closing margin, the dragons flew up, teeth bared and wings flapping vigorously. Lily and Comet altered course to meet an average sized green head on. A pair from Charlie Squad was ahead of them by a few yards. Lily saw the lead motion to his wingpony, and she in turned slipped an order to Comet. Her wings flexed slightly, followed by a second flex from her right wing. Comet read the change in wake and readied herself. They outnumbered the dragons two to one, but as far as any of them were concerned, a dragon was worth five ponies. Their first strike had to be worth something good.

Their vision began to fill with gaping green dragon maw, and that's when the squad in front began their attack. One ducked to the left, one to the right, far enough apart that the dragon could not decide on a target and missed them both. Lily followed to the right while Comet rolled to her left, keeping a substantial distance from the rows of teeth in case it regained its bearings too early. With all four clear, the lead team continued to fall, slashing along the dragon's back with their glaives. Each pony took a wing, the lead pair slicing through the tendons at is base while Comet and Lily cut through he leathery webbing. The dragon shrieked and turned to chase, but with its wings rendered useless, it could do nothing but plummet beneath the clouds.

"That wasn't a New Moon," Comet panted.

"No, that's called Killing a Bucking Dragon," Lily shouted back.

To their right, Gale Force and Thunder Clap had engaged the yellow drake, a colossal beast twice the size of the green they had just killed. Gale barely dodged out of the way of the dragon's bite, zipped down its throat, and jammed his glaive just above its collar bone. To the pegasus' dismay, the weapon became lodged against the diamond hard bone, and with the harness keeping it fixed against his side, he was now pinned to a thoroughly enraged dragon.

"Form up on me!" Lily called to the other three, and in a diamond formation they hurried to assist their comrade. Thunder Clap kept the drake distracted, zipping around its face and stabbing at its eyes. He managed to score a lucky hit on one of the weblike lids, causing the drake to rear back in pain and rage. The four ponies sped under its neck and huddled in to inspect Gale's predicament. "Stuck in there good, Chunks?"

"It might as well be part of the dragon!" He gave it another twist and pull, but to no avail. "I can buck it in half and get free, but I'll be weaponless."

"Do it." Lily looked to the Charlie Squad ponies. "You two cover him back to the Dauntless. Thunder Clap will join up with us and take this beast down." Gale delivered a mighty kick to his glaive, snapping it like a twig. Freed, he took up formation with his escort, and the three sped out and up away from the battle. Comet looked up towards the dragon's head; Thunder was still drawing its attention. She sped up along its throat as the drake let out a colossal roar. The filly thrust her glaive into the webbing inside of the dragons mouth, slicing it apart as she withdrew. Below her, Lily delivered a quick jab beneath its jaw, sacrificing power to ensure she did not become trapped as Gale Force had.

Eyes red with fury, the yellow drake vaulted back from the three ponies and charged forward. Before they could charge against it, the drake pivoted, its tail whipping forward to claim all three of them at once. Lily nimbly flipped over the appendage while Thunder vaulted with a powerful flap of his wings. Comet, being neither as graceful or as strong as her wing ponies, opted to let gravity do its job. She flipped onto her back and beat down, forcing herself down with enough speed to evade the tail. Now singled out, the dragon focused on the filly. She quickly righted herself, but the massive beast was already on top of her with an open mouth. In her nightmares, this was one of the ways she died. She had just hoped it would be faster.

To either side of the dragon's head, a pony appeared. Lily and Thunder jammed their glaives into the dragon' eye sockets, twisting and stirring with everything they had. Comet was sure that the dragon's scream had struck her deaf, but that could be dealt with later. Snapping out of her death stupor, she sped forward down the dragon's gizzard. She angled her glaive upward, leaving a long trail of rent flesh down the reptilian neck. Dark, thick life force showered down on her, turning the filly red from ear to tail. Blinded and choking on its own blood, the yellow struggled to stay airborne before finally succumbing to its wounds.

Exhausted and covered in blood, the three ponies rendezvoused and looked around them. Of the eight, four dragons remained in the sky. One pair from Charlie Squad was nowhere to be seen, and Moon Fang and Willow Wisp were carrying a wounded Stratus Drifter back to the Dauntless under guard from another Charlie wing.

Armored, feathery rain suddenly descended on the remaining four drakes as Bravo and Delta squads dived straight onto the unsuspecting lizards. In a flurry of glaives and shouting, all four were turned to pincushions and fell beneath the clouds. Lily led her wing to the gathered platoon, all of whom seemed to be taking a moment to enjoy the fact that they were still alive.

"All squads sound off!" Lt. Thunderhead called above the wind.

"Alpha Squad, four reporting!"

"Bravo Squad, eight reporting!"

"Charlie Squad, four reporting!"

"Delta Squad, eight reporting!" With the two Charlies and three Alphas healthy but at the ship, almost the entire platoon was ready to go. Not so bad, they had to admit.

A roar like thunder cut off Thunderhead's next orders. All heads turned as a cloud was ripped apart by two drakes larger than anything they had just taken down.

"Broadwings!" Somepony shouted. A series of thumps resounded as the Dauntless let fly a salvo of heavy metal arrows. The half that actually struck the dragons seemed to bother them not at all; they barreled forward with the shafts embedded in them as if nothing had happened.

"All wings form up and take those monsters down!" The ponies formed up and flew for their new opponents. Silver Raindrops, now without a wingpony, took up as Thunder Clap's lead. She led the rest of Alpha on a wider arc that would, she hoped, deliver them to the dragon's flank rather than its mouth.

The decision paid off. The left broadwing, a titan of purple scales with silver stripes and brown horns, reared up and produced a wall of air from its gigantic wings. Three pony wings were directly in its path. Comet was quite sure, watching them fall limp into the clouds below, that not single bone among them remained unbroken. The filly noticed with some dismay, right before she disappeared, that Lt. Thunderhead was among the lost.

"Stay close, ponies!" Rain called over her shoulder. Ballistae did next to nothing against the broadwings; their glaives would likely not even cause an itch. The four remaining members of Alpha Squad swooped in and latched onto the back of the red broadwing. Hooking into the scaled skin with heir glaives, the squad took a moment to collect themselves.

"Thunderhead's gone," Comet said. The others sat silently. "We have to find a weak point on this thing. Its eyes, its wings, somewhere there has to be something we can damage." Out in front, Bravo and Delta squads swarmed around the purple, glaives and bolts poking all over but finding no purchase. Fed up with the harassment, the dragon reared back, took a deep breath, and released a column of fire from its mouth. One pegasus was caught in the blast, two others escaped with singed feathers, and the cloud sea below transformed into one of fire.

"You read that damn journal cover to cover three times, Egghead," Thunder Clap said. "You're going to be the one that knows their weak points." Rain and Lily nodded in agreement. Comet swallowed and mentally scanned Earnest Hem's notes. Obviously, he had not explicitly listed their weaknesses, but he had observed them fight each other and made note of areas they tended to protect. In particular, the neck and belly were almost always among said body parts, perhaps notable by their change in color. But even if they could stab through the scales underneath, how could they hope to harm the monster? It was utterly gargantuan, and the Dauntless' heavy weaponry had harmlessly embedded themselves in its back-

"We fly right out in front of it, get its attention, and head up. Keep a loose formation, too close and we all get burned alive. Whatever it takes, keep its belly facing the Dauntless, understood?" More nods. "Then let's get to it."

Alpha Squad unhooked from the dragon's back and made for its nose. Lily and Comet took the beast's left, Rain and Thunder flanked right. As they reached the head, Lily used her one crossbow shot and nailed the dragon clean in its eye. The bolt embedded in the soft flesh and failed to penetrate entirely, but they clearly had the dragon's attention.

"Fly!" Comet shouted, and immediately all four ponies were climbing as fast as their wings could carry them. Behind, the red broadwing matched them for speed, its eponymous wings carrying it upwards with mighty beats.

Rain risked a glance over her shoulder, and to her dismay, the monster was gaining on them. Fire breath or no, it would be on top of them in under a minute. "Shimmer!" she shouted, but the chiroptequus kept climbing. The brick red filly could feel the air warming from the dragon's pants. Beneath them, the dragon's open maw began to glow, a fire building deep within the massive lizard that would soon engulf them all.

The broadwing straightened its throat to let loose its volley, but choked on its own flame. Facing its belly, the Dauntless fired every ballista it could. The heavy metal shafts punched deep into the softer underbelly scales, disappearing almost entirely into the dragon's gut. With nearly a dozen shafts embedded in it, the dragon's ascent began to slow. The four Alpha Squad ponies cut their ascent, rolled end over end, and dove on the wounded beast. Driving the nail into the coffin as hard as they could, they lashed out at anything that might be vulnerable: eyes, wing webbing, soft spots along joints, anything. A final ballista shaft from the Dauntless caught the broadwing through the gizzard, and with a flaming sputter, it lost the battle against gravity.

Moon Fang, Gale Force, and Willow Wisp, along with the two ponies from Charlie Squad, jumped from the Dauntless and formed up with the other four. "Nice work, ponies," Willow called as they drew close, "but what's our plan for the big guy still left?" All eyes turned to shimmer. The filly shook her head; she knew dragons well enough, but making use of what they had was not her strength. Sparky Bolts was a far better strategist, but he was leading Delta Squad, assuming he was still out there somewhere at all.

"We hit every weak spot that last one had to kill it. Go for the underbelly, base of the wings, or the eyes. I don't think we can pull its belly up to face the ship again, though, and I doubt we can do enough damage by ourselves."

"Maybe not," Moon Fang said, "but gravity has been pretty good to us. Ogre, I saw you got some solid cuts in that last one's wing. How hard was that?"

"Like plowing a field," Thunder Clap replied, "shit's hard. It's doable, but not in a pass."

"Right. If we can take out one wing sufficiently, it won't keep airborne."

"Which wing, then?" Gale Force tapped his new glaive to check the harness.

"Whichever we can get," Lily said. "Wide V formation, let's see if we can slip onto its wing undetected. Fly fast, fly straight. Let's go!" Nine ponies surged forward, wings straining to give them as much power as they could. Far ahead, Sparky Bolts could be seen rallying the remainder of Bravo and Delta squads. When he saw the nine approaching fast, he pulled his formation away, leading the dragon perpendicular to the oncoming wing. The dragon took up the pursuit, angling to the left to follow Sparky's team. Both billowing wings were presented to the attacking squad like landing pads.

With a final surge of speed, Comet and her squad crashed into the left wing, hooking into the flesh with their glaives before they bounced off. Rain tumbled once and barely lodged her weapon into the edge of the leather sail. Attached, they set to work cutting through the webbing wherever they could. The dragon screeched and looked to see the source of its pain. It began to beat its wings, throwing the nine assailants about like leaves in a storm. It was all they could do to hang on and not be thrown out into the open air.

Despite its long neck, the beast could not reach around to chomp at the smaller creatures. While they were reduced to clinging on for dear life, the damage they had already dealt had thoroughly angered the beast. And in its moment of distraction, Sparky's team looped around and set to work on the right. Like locust devouring crops, they spent their precious seconds shredding the fleshy webbing. Now under a great deal of distress, the broadwing flapped violently in place in an attempt to dislodge its attackers. Both pony parties found themselves immobilised against the great leathery wings.

A beat of the dragon's wings nearly dislodged Lily. With a shout, she bounced in the air, clinging to the tattered wing only by her embedded glaive. As she bounced, the hook of her glaive cut through a bit more webbing. An altogether risky idea popped into the pegasus' mind, but it was no worse than being stuck on a dragon' back until it reached them.

"Everypony, bounce with its wing beats!" When all she got were confused stares, she timed a flap with the dragon's. In a much more controlled manner, the filly seemed to hop, her glaive tearing a bit more. It was still poorly timed, but it was enough for the others to understand. One by one, they started hopping awkwardly down the dragon's wing, leaving trails of plowed, bloody leather in their wake. Across the way, Sparky Bolt's team grew wise to their plan and began to do the same. Inch by grueling inch they tore the wings to ribbons, until there was simply not enough lift to keep the titanic beast afloat.

Feeling gravity asserting itself, the ponies launched free from the broadwing. They floated in the air, content to watch the dragon screech and roar until it had passed out of sight and sound. Not a single one of the wasn't panting and covered in dragon blood. But they were alive. Twenty ponies remained airborne of the thirty three that had jumped from the Dauntless. None of them had the experience to know if those numbers were good or not.

A shadow loomed over the remaining platoon. The Dauntless eased in close, allowing her combat wings to land with minimal difficulty. Captain Starstruck awaited them on the deck.

"Excellent work out there, ponies. With that party down, we can expect clear skies all the way to the rendezvous site. Get yourselves cleaned up and take a rest, but be ready to launch again. Understood?"

"Yes Ma'am!"

"Very good. Ensign, take us out of this airspace." The ship eased into speed, and Daybreak Platoon sat on deck, content to watch the clouds roll by and let the cool wind dry their sweat. Comet closed her eyes for just a moment before she felt the ship beginning to slow. She looked out over the rail to see Fort Hurricane, exactly as they had left it. A whistle sounded, and another airship pulled up alongside the Dauntless's starboard bow. It was identical save for the name "Adamant" emblazoned along its hull. The two ships eased to a stop only a few yards out from the edge of the mesa. "Daybreak Platoon, this is your stop. Good luck with your evaluation. Dismissed."

The platoon saluted promptly, but honestly were a bit confused. Sparky Bolts nodded towards the fort, and nopony else had a better idea, so they hopped over the railing and glided down to the grassy field they had departed from. From the Adamant came another group of ponies, and it wasn't until one of the ponies from Bravo squad shouted in joy that Comet realized it was the dead from their fight.

"How are you alive?" Willow Wisp said as the now whole platoon set down on the grass. "I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm glad you are, but, I mean, Canopy," he jabbed an accusatory hoof, "you were engulfed in fire for Faust's sake!"

"Yeah, I was there."

"Magic, recruit. They are alive because of magic." Rainbow Blaze set down beside them. "Or more accurately, they were never dead to begin with. The Adamant was sitting just behind a cloud we had set up. Its crew for the exercise consists of a talented group of unicorns from the 2nd Illusory division of the Magicorps, as well as a few from The 14th Combat Magic Division to provide the stun shocks. Lt. Thunderhead, I was surprised you got taken out so easily."

"Believe me, I was surprised too. There hadn't been a wind blast like that in the earlier runs." The lieutenant chuckled. Comet was quite certain now that she had in fact been eaten, and was now in some alternate reality one embarks to after death. "All the same, I think the recruits did fine without me."

"I'd say so. Not the fewest casualties, but they might have the fastest kill."

"So the other platoons ran this... simulation too, sir?" Gale Force was still trying to wrap his head around the idea that the dragons had been altogether fake.

"That they did, Recruit. The Gambit this year was a simulation battle against a dragon flight. Their behavior was modeled off of combat reports and first hand experience of members of the Air Guard. Any recruit that was 'killed' was incapacitated using a standard stun shock, delivered either through a spell rooted on the dragon construct or cast long distance by the ponies on The Adamant, and were subsequently teleported to safety on her deck. This time, you all live. Next time, not so lucky. Bear that in mind, recruits." The platoon saluted.

"Any injuries sustained were illusory as well," the sergeant explained, "but we had to make the blood at least partially real to apply the associated fatigue." Made aware of it, Comet realized she was, on top of everything else, still extremely wet and sticky. "Go wash up and rest. We'll evaluate your performance along with the other platoons, and you'll have the results tomorrow evening. Good work out there, recruits. Dismissed."

Daybreak Platoon saluted Rainbow Blaze and Thunderhead, then trudged off to find a hot shower and their bunks. Comet Shimmer's gaze caught Rainbow's as she made her way off the field. He simply answered her questioning look with a nod before turning with the lieutenant and breaking into a conversation.

The shower room rang with the most satisfied groans any of them had ever heard or made. Armor fell to the tiled floor with no hint of ceremony as everypony hurried for warm water. Comet was already dripping; a shower of dragon gizzard from their second glimmerback had left her covered in warm, red life force as much, if not more, than anypony else. It clumped her fur, it stuck in her joints, she swore it had gotten up her nose. The filly unharnessed her glaive, letting it fall to the floor with a clatter, and made it as far as the entrance to the shower before slipping on some water and collapsing to the floor.

The once indigo filly found she was perfectly content to lie there, but somepony else had other ideas. "Come on, Shimmer, up you go." Moon Fang and Silver Raindrops hoisted her up from either side. The brick red filly relieved her of her helmet, and together they guided her under a warm stream of water while she was still in her armor.

The steaming shower diluted the thick, fake blood and wiped it clear from the filly's face. Completely spent, she let out a noise somewhere between a satisfied moan and a wail. She couldn't open her eyes, she couldn't lift her wings, all she could do was stand in the water and come to grips with the fact that they had not faced death just minutes ago.

"That's it, get all of that filth off." Rain ran a hoof through her mane, absently helping to scrub the locks clean. In a way, she was glad Comet seemed so vulnerable. It gave the taller pony something to focus on that wasn't her own quivering legs. Stealing a glance around, she saw nopony who looked better than the two of them. Even Thunderclap the stupendous, big and tough and always ready for a fight, looked utterly beaten. Silver just hoped that this would help them in the long run. Next time would be real; hopefully they would have some idea of how to deal with it.

The ponies of Daybreak Platoon helped each other out of their armor and trudged to their barracks. Comet forced enough energy into her wings to lift herself up to her bunk. The microsecond her head hit the pillow, she was gone. Everypony else was following suit. The filly slept like a stone, but her dreams were a clash of glaives and leathery wings and flaming skies.

~*~

Straus Drifter, having spent the least amount of time fighting out of the squad, volunteered to get dinner for everypony and bring it back to the hall. When he arrived, he found buffet carts arranged in the mess for ponies to take. Apparently, he told them, almost every platoon was sending one or two ponies to get food, so the kitchen had to adapt. The hall itself only had about a dozen ponies poking at meals, a ghost town compared to its usual crowd of hundreds at this hour.

Lily dug into a bowl of salad, letting her satisfaction be known to all present. Everypony else took conservative bites of food and said little. Comet nibbled on a roll, certain that anything richer would be rejected. She mumbled her thanks to Drifter and returned to her bunk with her tray.

"So Canopy, I have to ask," Lily said between bites, "what did you feel with the fire breath?"

The mint green pony set down his sandwich. "To be honest, not a lot. There was a flash of heat, like when you open an oven door, then darkness for a second, and then I was on the Adamant. I think since the flame was fake, it was only enough to simulate getting burned."

"It felt real enough to me," Autumn Breeze said. Despite losing a great deal of plumage to the fire that afternoon, his feathers were all present and accounted for, not a single one even darkened.

"It was all a feedback illusion," Rain explained. "If you weren't one of the targets for the spell, your wings would have appeared just fine.

"But you saw the burns too, right Willow?" The lemon pegasus nodded. "Caltrop?" His wingpony, who had been similarly scorched, nodded as well. "How could we all have been given the same illusion like that?"

"Because we were inside a radial cast." Comet fished a book on unicorn magic from her library and skimmed to a page about halfway in. "Most unicorn magic requires a specific target to be in mind when they cast a spell, but they can also establish a field, usually circular, in which the magic is applied to everypony within the space. My guess is, they established some sort of responsive illusion that would tell everypony the same thing."

"So why aren't we using that kind of magic against the dragons? Wouldn't it be, you know, useful to make our numbers appear three times as great?"

"Maybe we are, but this says the spell takes hours to set up even a small circle. I imagine they were setting that up for days. It's just not practical."

"But sending us to die is?" Comet had no answer for that. Fake dragons, largely incapable of adaptive thought, had still taken out nearly half their platoon. What would they do against an entire army of real, angry, intelligent dragons?

“As soon as the dragons see through it, and they would, they’d charge right in and wipe us out. It might deter them once or twice, but it wouldn’t last.”

"She’s right, more or less," Sparky Bolts replied. Comet snorted. "The Magicorps sit in their towers and read books all day. They couldn't produce battle ready magic to save their lives. We can fight, and we can adapt. You win wars with soldiers, not tricks." The others nodded; it was a load of bull, but it was better than nothing. They returned to dinner, but Comet found she still wasn't very hungry.

The filly hopped off her bunk to use the toilet, passing by Rain on the way out. She stopped, and with a sly grin she whispered in the taller filly's ear just loud enough for her to hear, "Congratulations to you and Willow." It turns out, it was possible for the red pony to turn redder. She turned to hiss at Comet, but the chiroptequus was already out the door, humming to herself.

"What was that?" Gale Force asked.

"Nothing!"

~*~

"At ease, recruits, settle down." General Cold Front accepted a glass of brandy. "I hope you'll permit an old stallion a moment on your big night."

Three companies of ponies, along with a menagerie of officers, filled the main assembly hall near to bursting. Tables had been brought in with name cards for everypony, and when that proved insufficient, clouds had been brought to add a second layer to the affair. It was the first time many of the ponies had donned their fine, midnight blue uniforms. Each of them sat at their assigned seats, a glass of wine and a small black box awaiting them at the table. When they had all taken their seats, the general resumed.

"I have served the Royal Air Guard for the vast majority of my life, longer in fact than many of you have been alive. I have seen good ponies come and go, friends and comrades from all walks of life who have dedicated themselves to the defense of their country. But it is a comparatively easy thing to dedicate oneself to in a time of peace. You, and those around you, have volunteered in a time of war, when Equestria's need is great. There is no more noble an act than to offer one's self to the defense of their home and their loved ones.

"In the past, we have had less than a single company worth of graduates at any given time, so we were able to do this a bit more individually. However, in this instance, every member of all three companies, every recruit up for graduation, has passed." General Cold Front smiled. "This is an exceptional group of ponies you have had the opportunity to train and grow with. I hope you will take that excellence into your futures, and add your strength, your ingenuity, and your courage to the Royal Air Guard.

"Open your boxes please." Three companies of ponies opened their little black boxes. Inside each, a pair of golden wings with a crossed sun and moon in the center shined against black velvet. "As of this moment, you are no longer recruits. You are, each of you, an airpony of Equestria. Wear your wings with honor. Congratulations." The general lead the officers in a thunderous applause of hooves. Cheers went up around the room, toasts were made, hugs were shared. Six months had come and gone, and whatever lay ahead, this moment was theirs.

Comet bit her hoof to choke back a sob. A month ago, she didn't believe she would ever pass. She was still too slow, still too weak. She had gone into The Gambit with everything she had folded in on itself, and it had paid off. She was an airpony. The shining wings in her hoof were hers and hers alone. She smiled the biggest smile she had managed since arriving at Fort Hurricane, but her sobs wouldn't stop.

"Oh, don't be dramatic, Egghead." Moon Fang grabbed her pin and fitted it to her chest. "There, perfect. It looks good on you, Airpony Shimmer." It was the title that did her in. She lunged at the orange colt and took him up in a giant bear hug. It was all she could do to hold him, and laugh, and cry. He laughed with her and patted her on the back.

The other members of Alpha Squad floated in around them, wine glasses in hoof. The two chiroptequi broke and grabbed their own glasses. They smiled at each other and raised their glasses, but paused when everypony realized, nopony had thought of anything to say.

"...To the best damn squad Equestria has ever known."

Ch.5 - Assignent

Comet adjusted her collar for the tenth time while she sat and tried to ignore her mild headache. In hindsight, it had been a good idea to yield so early in the drinking contest; when she had left, Rain and Gale had not been able to get out of bed. Nopony had said what exactly she was supposed to wear to squad assignment, so she opted for her midnight blue suit. Better to err on the side of formality, and besides, she was able to wear the uniform now. She might as well make use of it. Her shining gold wings already sat perfectly on her chest, so the filly had nothing else left to stall for time. So when an airpony from Breaker Company left the office and called her over, she swallowed and knocked on the door.

"Enter."

Airpony Shimmer strode into the room and shut the door behind her. She turned, snapped a crisp salute, and said curtly, "Airpony Comet Shimmer, reporting for assignment as ordered."

"At ease, Airpony." Lt. Thunderhead sat behind her desk. Rainbow Blaze stood to the side, also in uniform, but considerably more decorated compared to Comet's nearly blank chest. At least the filly had not overdressed. "It's a bit unusual, Airpony, to know your assignment before it's even been given to you, don't you think?"

"Indeed, ma'am."

"And yet here we are." The tan officer held out an envelope for Comet to take. "It's essentially a formality now, but rules are rules. Read over your assignment orders and sign for us to witness."

The filly unfolded her form and read aloud, "'Airpony Comet Shimmer, having graduated from Fort Hurricane on the 18th of August, CE 974, is hereby assigned to the 265th Airborne Division, 2nd Battalion, C Company. Assignment is immediate.'" The lieutenant held out an ink pad. Comet pressed her hoof against the pad and signed her form.

"Well, that's all well and good. She's all yours, Sergeant." Thunderhead replaced the ink pad and rested her chin on her hooves. "I have to admit, Airpony, I'm a little surprised. I'd have thought you'd be a washout, but you managed to pull your ass out of the fire. Not bad." The filly saluted, a gesture returned by her superior, before following the cobalt stallion. "Send the next one in on your way out."

Comet and Rainbow walked down the hall silently for a while, until Comet finally admitted, "I'm not sure I believe it happened."

The stallion laughed. "Promises are promises, kid. You passed Basic, so you’re ours now." He smirked at her. "And you're not the only one."

The filly gawked. "You don't mean..."

"The other officers all agreed, it would be a shame to split up a team who already works well together. Your squad became a package deal, Airpony Bolts included, and since I already had one of you in my hoof, I got the lump sum." He shrugged. "I had to pass on a few promising ponies after that, can't hog everypony, but I think we had a good harvest."

"Sir?"

"Yes, Airpony?"

"Would it be against regulation to hug you?" The rainbow maned pegasus laughed.

"As long as it's off the record, I think it would be acceptable." Comet gripped the stallion in a tight embrace. He returned the gesture with a hoof on her back.

"Thank you..."

"Thank me when the war's over." He held her back so they could see eye to eye. "Everything I said before still stands. We'll do everything we can to see each other through this, all of us, but that's no guarantee."

"But it's something." Comet could barely reign her smile in. Rainbow nodded. "I assume I can't tell them until they've received their assignments?"

"Correct, Airpony. You're to keep that trap shut until everypony has been assigned. Now," he stretched his wings, "let's get some coffee. I still don't see why they had to do this before lunch." Comet chuckled as they made their way to the mess.

"Sir?"

"What is it, kid?"

"Does Cyclone Company do drills like Basic?"

"Oooooh yeah."

~*~

"One..."

"Two..."

"Three."

"Cyclone Company," nine ponies said at once. Comet burst out laughing. She couldn't help it, having been the first to know. She had been very discreet, asking everypony where they had been assigned independently, dropping hints about how odd it was.

"Are you bucking kidding me?" Willow tried to look indignant, but his ear to ear grin betrayed his attempted humbuggery.

"Completely serious. Sgt. Blaze was able to keep Alpha Squad together, including Sparky." She looked to the blue colt. "Thanks for running Delta Squad, by the way. I meant to say so earlier, but I didn't get the chance."

"Hey, it all worked out," Sparky shrugged it off. "So we're all going to be flying as a single squad?"

"I think that's going to get sorted when we arrive with the rest of the company. From what Sgt. Blaze was telling me, we might be in the same platoon, but not the same squad." Comet frowned. "We're replacements, after all. We go where we're needed."

"And you knew for six months, Egghead?" Moon Fang's canines were on display like never before.

"Only about myself, and only if I passed Basic. But Rainbow did ask if I had anypony I recommended."

"And you recommended us?"

"Who else?" Comet thought back to her conversation. "Well, there were a few ponies from Breaker Platoon as well, but I don't think we got many of them." If any of them were angry with what she had done, they didn't show it. "Come on, Rainbow's orders are to meet him at 13:00 out on the lawn, casual dress."

"Rain, Gale, you ok there?" Stratus asked. The brick red pony had returned to her usual state, the pinnacle of refinement, while Gale was steady but still grumpy. He waved a dismissive affirmation. "Good enough." The nine ponies donned their "casual uniform," a blue sailor collar with a slot for their pins, and made their way out onto the lawn. Three ponies already awaited them: a pale purple colt with a silver mane, and two nearly identical fillies, distinguishable only by their daisy yellow and snowfall blue coats.

"Stargaze, Sun Ray, Moon Beam, good to see you," Willow said. "Is this all of us?"

"Seems a bit low if we're supposed to reinforce an entire company." Thunder Clap frowned.

"Maybe," Sun Ray said, "but not even 400 ponies getting split 40 ways," Moon Beam continued, "we lucked out with 12," they finished together. Comet hoped that wouldn't be a regular thing.

"That we did." Rainbow Blaze landed in front of the gathered dozen. The newest members of Cyclone Company saluted. "At ease, airponies. Luckily, we don't have that many positions to fill, and I imagine we might get a few more members from the evaluations at the Fillydelphia training ground or Fort Sunrise evaluations. Our real prize, though, you've already had the chance to ride on.

"Each company has been assigned a battle group of three airships. The Dauntless and the Adamant are two of ours, while our third, the Starfall, already disembarked from Fillydelphia following their evaluation." He looked around at their surprise. "...Is that not cool?"

"Sir, very cool, sir!" Stratus Drifter barked.

"You're damn right it is." Rainbow frowned. "Did I get a bunch of robots, or soldiers? I hope it’s the latter, for your sake; Lt. Firefly likes whipping mediocrity out of her ponies. Sometimes literally." The stallion chuckled at an inside joke. "All the same, we need to rendezvous with them down south as soon as possible. The rest of Cyclone Company is currently stationed in Dodge Province, as far south as it gets. We will be departing at 19:30 aboard the Adamant; the Dauntless is going to be heading out in," he checked a pocket watch, "twenty minutes with fresh armor and supplies. Once we're airborne, we'll fly for two days and stop in Canterlot for a supply pickup. You'll have the morning and afternoon off, and then its nonstop to Dodge at 20:00. Any questions?"

"Sir, are squad assignments going to be determined when we rendezvous with the rest of the platoon?"

"Yes, once we take proper stock of who we have."

"Can we expect any combat en route?"

"The Line should be held still, but that doesn't prevent a small flight from breaking through. So no, but be ready all the same. Anything else?" Silence. "Very well. You are dismissed. I want to see all of you on the dock at 19:00 with your effects ready to go. Don't worry about gear; we have some on the ship in case of emergency, and you'll be getting your own sets when we resupply in Canterlot." The dozen airponies saluted and headed off to pack.

"Comet, how many books do you need to pack?"

"..."

~*~

Comet smiled her most sheepish smile for the clerk. Behind her stood Rain, Fang, Willow, and the pony sized collection of books they had managed to pack into a box.

The clerk's eye twitched. "You know, it would have been easier for you and for me if you had packed them into multiple bunches." The color drained from the filly's face, and Willow let out a long, low expletive. The clerk sighed. "Don't have anything that can take a load like this, kids. Break it up and come back, and then we'll talk." The gave a sullen salute and headed for the door, dragging the oversized package in tow. Comet stopped, ran back to the clerk, wordlessly passed him a small package wrapped in grocery paper, and returned to helping to drag the package out.

The clerk looked the bundle over curiously, noting the tag with his name on it, and unwrapped it. Inside, he found a sterling silver pocket watch, the emblem of the long past unicorn kingdom etched on its front, and a box of quality cigars. Recruits weren't allowed to carry money on the base; how she had gotten these, or where she had learned his name or that he smoked, the clerk did not know.

~*~

The days were getting shorter, and by 19:00, the Adamant was awash in orange sunlight. Rainbow Blaze paced in front of his new blood, pleased but not showing it.

"Sgt. Blaze, permission for a query?"

"What is it, Shimmer?"

"It's my understanding that we are to receive secondary training after our assignment to a company," A few of the others gave her bloodchilling "are you serious” glances, but did not break rank, "but we're shipping out directly to the front line. Is the training still happening, sir?"

"In an accelerated form, yes. Don't give the bookworm crap for knowing what to expect, ponies," he warned. "The fact is, the Guard needs ponies running The Line as soon as possible. If this were a year ago, we'd probably take you and the other newbies out to some remote camp and run drills and practice runs for two more months, but that liberty isn't available to us. You'll be doing whatever training we can afford at Dodge alongside your regular duties to make up for it. Is that clear?"

"Yes sir," The twelve ponies saluted.

"Good. May I introduce Captain Candescence, ranking officer of the Adamant. During our voyage, she will be in command. Her orders supercede mine, so don't come crying to me if she has you scrubbing boards. Captain." The cobalt pegasus saluted.

A tall, lavender unicorn with a neat crop of wine-red mane made her way down the ramp. She was decked in her formal attire, but where it seemed a special event on other ponies, the uniform was as fitting on the mare as her own fur. Her subdued red eyes scanned the recruits thoughtfully before she nodded to Rainbow.

"Thank you, Sergeant." The Captain turned to the twelve. "The first thing you will do is find your bunks. Dinner is at 20:00 in the galley. After dinner, report to duties for assignment. We're fully crewed, but you never know when an extra pair of hooves will be needed. If you're not assigned anything, shadow the working crews and observe how we do things. Feel free to ask questions, but don't get in the way. See you all for dinner." The unicorn turned and strode up the ramp onto her ship. The rest followed up, packs in mouths.

Comet had observed two decks of ballistae while on the Dauntless, but discovered an additional two and a half decks once aboard and able to explore. Including the quarterdeck, the ship boasted the main deck, the gun deck, a deck for crew quarters, recreation, and meals, and a storage bay that was twice as high. The weird thing, it seemed to the filly, was how identically the ship was laid out compared to her seafaring cousins. It seemed as though someone had simply pulled a boat out of the water and tied some sheets and a balloon on. Perhaps they had.

Everywhere, ponies were making themselves busy with one task or another. Cyclone Company made their way down to the crew quarters and found a few empty bunks.

"We're moving up in the world, folks," Lily Nimbus joked as she hoisted her pack up onto a top bunk.

"Laugh all you want, airpony," a grey unicorn called across the room the room, "but I'll bet you five bits our cooking is better than what you've been shoveling for months."

"Oh yeah?" Willow Wisp smirked at the crew member. "And what makes you so sure your cooking is any good?"

Earth ponies. Comet and her friends had not had earth pony cooking since they arrived at Basic, and they were all quite sure they had died and gone to heaven. Warm soup with plenty of spices, fresh loaves of bread, and a pasta served up with dried spinach awaited them, and they were quick to partake.

"When we get to Canterlot," Willow called to the unicorn between bites, "I owe you five bits. Completely worth it."

Stratus Drifter leaned over to Stargaze and muttered, "So what do you think of this boat?"

"Hard to say. The captain's pretty frigid, but the rest of the crew seems pretty laid back."

"Captain runs a tight ship, you think?"

"Maybe, but these are the first airships in service, right?" Stargaze shrugged. "They got to prove their worth, especially for a bunch of airborne unicorns."

Stratus nodded in agreement. A sparkle at the purple pegasus’s side caught his eye. “Say, is that one of those magiquartz watches?”

Comet kept looking around the galley. Delicious as the food was, she still found her surroundings odd. It wasn't the curved wooden walls or the soft below deck lighting. It was the company. Being a chiroptequus, she was never the majority, but for six months, almost every pony she had interacted with at least had wings. Now, the twelve of them were almost the only ones. More than seventy percent, she figured, had horns, pointy and bony and stuffed full of magic. She didn't have anything against unicorns or horns, it was just strange to see so many.

The telltale chimes of active magic grew behind the filly, and she turned to look up at a dark blue unicorn with a slightly darker mane. His yellow eyes gave off a soft mirth that, despite her unease from the wingless nature of the crew, calmed Comet’s nerves. “This seat taken?” Cyclone Company shook their heads, and the unicorn sat between Comet and Sun Beam. “I’m Night Light, Combat Arcanist, Second Class. I take it you guys and girls are our combat wing?”

“That’s us,” Stargaze replied, “Cyclone Company. Well, part of us, anyway.”

“Haha, I know, the rest of you are down south. It’ll be nice to have the full battle group together, though I bet it’ll get a lot more crowded in here.”

“Sir, you said 'arcanist,' right? What does that mean you do?” Comet had not heard of the rank before.

“Well, the Magicorps have three schools of magic, essentially: arcane, illusion, and transmutative. You could think of it as raw power, ‘smoke and mirrors,’ and construction and transformation. My real specialty is shields, but I’ve been doing mostly heavy lifting here.”

“No offense, pal,” Thunder Clap said, “but the longer we don’t need your shields, the better.”

"I could say the same for you guys." The unicorn dined happily on his pasta and soup and spent the next few minutes answering questions about the Adamant. It was brand new, maiden voyage new, so he said, and one of the first off the line from the Cloudsdale shipyard. They were armed with sixty high power ballistae that could pierce even dragon scales. When Comet asked why they didn't use the new cannons R&D had recently developed, the unicorn laughed. "What, and have an armory full of explosive powder waiting for a dragon to breathe on? Pass." A resounding, ever-so-slightly off key C note rang across the galley, matched or ignored altogether as ponies launched into the first song of the evening.

"Please say they aren't..." Willow groaned.

"You guys know this one?" Night Light smiled. How any of them were supposed to know which “one” it was, none could say. Shanties are, by nature, all fairly similar.

"Leaving now." Willow Wisp stood abruptly from the table and made for the exit as a baritone unicorn started belching out the chorus to everypony else’s amusement. Rain watched him leave, worry creasing her brow, but she quietly returned to her meal. Lily, Moon Fang, and the twins seemed to be making a time of it, but the others were less enthused. Comet couldn't help but smile though. It reminded her, in an abstract way, of her father's quartet. The filly checked the clock in the corner and decided, singing or no, that it would be best to check the assignment board before it got any later.

The listings were, as the captain had said, completely full. Nothing needed to be done that was not already being seen to, so that left the airpony with one particularly good option. She waited by the board, skimming over a manual she had found about the various pulley systems, until Night Light came out to check his duties. Lily Nimbus and Moon Fang followed him, still singing some tune along with a hoof full of the crew. The filly stood and saluted.

"Arcanist, I saw that there are no jobs for me to take on. Might I be allowed to shadow you for yours?"

"Depends if you're going to keep saluting me, Airpony." He turned to Moon Fang. "Should she be?"

"I'm not familiar with the Magicorps rankings, sir," Moon Fang replied, "but an airpony is the lowest enlisted rank for the Air Guard. How far up is a second class arcanist?"

The unicorn had to think on it. "...Four?"

"Then sorry, sir, but yes, I have to keep saluting." Comet remained saluting, but a smile hung around her muzzle.

"Fine, but just... sir or Night Light is fine, 'Arcanist' still sounds weird." Night Light checked his tab on the board. "Armory check, as usual."

"'Still,' sir?"

"Come on, I'll explain on the way. You two want to come along as well?" Fang and Lily nodded. The four headed for the stairs. "I was in the Castle Guard up until recently, made it to the rank of sergeant. But then the war broke out, and I just felt like... doing something more involved than standing around the castle, if that makes sense.

"I've always been pretty good with my magic, so they transferred me to the Magicorps, and here I am. I graduated with the rank because of my time with the Castle Guard."

"So you were in Canterlot before? I'm from the west district."

"Oh yeah? I didn't know there were many chiropteqi in Canterlot."

"There aren't, sir." It came out a bit sharper than Comet had meant. She never understood how Moon Fang could be so calm about it, but he never broke a sweat. Even when the thought occurred to her and she glanced at him, his gaze conveyed disapproval. "Sorry, sir. It can be a touchy subject."

"Fair enough. So will you be seeing your family when we dock tomorrow?"

"I... hadn't thought about it, sir."

"Well you should. Leave is going to be a rare treat soon enough. Aaand here we are." The armory was situated in the rear of the ship. Stacks upon stacks of heavy metal arrows, each half as big around as a pony's leg, sat in the large space. In the second chamber farther back, the golden gleam of armor could be seen. Perhaps it was just nightfall, but everywhere on the ship seemed dark to Comet.

Night Light picked up the inventory list. "With four of us, this should be a pretty easy job. Shimmer, right? You count rounds with me. No, you don't need to count each one, they should all be in pyramids of ten. We should have eight hundred rounds in here precisely, evenly split, so you take that wall. Airponies Nimbus and..." the colt bared his teeth for the unicorn, "Fang, thank you, take stock of the armor and weapons. Here's the list." The two ponies saluted and headed off.

"So, sir, will you be seeing your family?" Comet asked as she tallied rounds.

"Nah, my family is up in Vanhoover. Wrong direction. If I'm lucky, I'll be spending the afternoon with my girlfriend." He pulled out a locket and waved the filly over. Inside was a photo of a white mare with a striped mane. The way she smiled made her eyes sparkle. Comet had to assume Night Light had taken the photo. "She's the most amazing mare I've ever met. She works in the Central Library. I-" he bit his tongue.

"Sir?"

"Nothing, Airpony. Get back to counting." Comet gave her superior a curious glance, but returned to her task.

"Do you think we're all ready, sir?"

"To head south, you mean?"

"Yes sir."

"Hmmm," Night Light checked off his 20th stack, "officially, yes. We're all enlisted officers, qualified to do our jobs. And hay, you and your squad fought simulation dragons already. If I hadn't known they were fake, I'd have believed they were the real thing."

"You were there?"

"We were there for every run. Let me tell you, it took a while." The unicorn chuckled. "I think we're as ready to head south as we're going to be, Airpony. Running drills and doing more push ups is only going to do so much."

"Yes sir." The filly tallied the 40th stack. "All rounds present on my end, sir."

"And on mine. Airponies, how's it looking back there?"

"All the armor suits are here, Night Light," Lily called out.

"Weapons are all accounted for too." Moon Fang walked out with the checklist in his mouth and gave it to the unicorn.

"Great. If we were expecting battle, the next task would be to take rounds out to each of the stations and make sure they're stocked. For now, we just need to make sure everything's still here. Alright, that'll be all for now. Go shadow somepony else, or relax, I'm not your boss."

"You... kind of are, sir."

"Ah, zip it," The unicorn gestured. "Fine, I'll give you guys a tour or something. Come on, the ship's pretty simple in its layout, but its best you know where everything is."

They passed back through the gun deck, up to the main deck, where Night Light showed them the main rigging for the shipside sails. The balloon sails, he pointed, were rigged up farther back, but they weren't likely to be touching those ever. The top deck was otherwise pretty straightforward: more ballista stations, a few crates and barrels, the stairs to the quarter deck and the door to the captain's quarters, and orders to keep it clear at all times.

The crew deck, they had already explored much of. The infirmary was past the galley, across from a "lounge" where a few tables, chairs, and a bar were kept. With everypony handling evening duties, it was nearly empty, but Night Light advised them to claim seats early if they wanted to have one for the night. It was an unofficial reward for finishing duties quickly. The bottom deck was partially packed with supplies. Everything there had been brought out from their original departure, and the remaining space would disappear once they reached Canterlot.

"And that's about everything. Questions?"

"Are there any gangways along the balloon?"

"None, though the pegasi do go up and inspect the balloon and sails every afternoon while the light's good."

"Do we ever get to fire a ballista?" Lily seemed particularly eager at the thought.

"Only if Tartarus is frozen over and you're not out flying in combat, then maybe. Though truth be told, Cpt. Candescence might have you practice loading and firing for good measure." His answer was clearly not what the pink pegasus was hoping for, but she accepted it. "Good? Alright, let's head back up to the deck. I heard something about breaking out the drinks tonight."

~*~

"Shimmer, wake up." Willow Wisp shook the filly. "Shimmer, wake the buck up." Moon Beam finally arrived with a small bowl of water. The lemon yellow colt took it and dumped it on Comet's face.

The filly bolted upright, the tail end of a cry dying off in a confused haze. "W-why am I wet?"

"You were shouting in your sleep, Egghead." The yellow pegasus frowned.

"Oh, oh Faust, I'm sorry. I woke you?" Willow and Moon Beam both nodded. Comet noticed Stratus watching from his bunk discreetly. "I'm sorry... Was I saying anything?"

"Thought I heard 'get it off' at one point," the blue twin said.

"Was it about the blood?" Willow asked. Comet nodded slowly. "It wasn't real, Shimmer."

"It felt real, Wisp. It was warm, and sticky, and it was in my eyes and my ears and my nose," Comet shuddered, "And when I woke up the next morning, my bunk was stained with it after two showers."

The pegasus sighed. "I get it. Hey, look at me." The colt chuckled inwardly at the thought that she could see better right now than him. "I swear, it wasn't real. Everypony is fine, including you. If you want, we can talk about it tomorrow morning, but try to get some sleep for now, ok?"

The filly nodded. "Thanks, Cheerleader. Sorry to wake you guys." The two pegasi went back to their bunks, and Comet dried her face on her blanket. The filly lay her head against the pillow, but sleep was slow to come. As she lay facing the ceiling, listening to the wind carry them south, she knew where she was going to in two days time. There was somepony who always knew what to say, somepony she knew she could trust to set her straight.

Ch.6 - Leave

The deck of the Adamant seemed hardly large enough to allow over 200 ponies to stand, but when everyone formed tight ranks, there was room to spare. All of them wore their light uniforms for their coming shore leave: dark blue collars for the airponies, white collars for the sailors, white with green stripes for the crew specialists, and violet with gold trim for the Magicorps. Above them, Captain Candescence stood on the quarterdeck. Below them, Canterlot sprawled out across the side of the heavens-piercing mountain. Its marble and granite buildings shone in the early morning light like pearls, its purple and gold roofs spread like tapestries.

The ship descended until it was level with the dock. The structure was a ramshackle thing, hewn from a convenient cliff just outside of the city. It was assumed that more work would be put into its development, but considering the architects had only had a few weeks to do as much as they managed, it was an impressive piece of work.

The captain waited until the ship had eased into its mooring before starting. "The Adamant will remained docked in Canterlot for the remainder of the day to pick up supplies for the front. Once our stores are full, we will be departing for Dodge Province to rendezvous with our battle group. Unless otherwise noted, you all have the day off. Make good use of it; this is the last holiday you can expect to get for a while. The ship departs at 20:00 this evening. I want everyone back on board by 19:45. Understood?"

"Yes, Captain."

"Good. Dismissed." Her first mate, a magenta unicorn with a square jaw and a twitchy ear, called over the group assigned to help move cargo. Comet did not envy the two dozen ponies stuck with the ship; the filly made a beeline for the dock, eager to get off before the captain changed her mind.

"Oi, Shimmer, wait up." Half of Cyclone Company, or the Foal Squad as Rainbow Blaze had kept calling them, caught up to her half way down the ramp. Willow Wisp smirked. "Off in a rush, are you? Eager to see your boyfriend?"

"I appreciate you thinking I'd have a boyfriend, but no. I thought I'd go see my family while I have the chance."

"Not a bad idea. Say, you're from Canterlot, right?" Sun Ray said.

"Yes, thus me going to see my family."

The yellow filly carried on, "How about giving us a tour?"

Moon Beam laughed at her incredulous look. "We'll get out of your way whenever you get where you're going, just... give us the flying tour and show us some landmarks."

"Oh, fine, but you leave when I get home, got it?" The six of them nodded. The filly sighed. "Alright, let's go." The ponies took to the skies, surfing just above the rooftops and over the parks. "My house is over in the west district, so you'll get to see Ecliptic Plaza on the way. You can find any kind of food you want around there: Zebrican, Saddle Arabian, Germane. There's a really good Prench cafe on 3rd Street if you guys are hungry.

"That over there," Comet pointed, "used to be the fort that guarded Canterlot when it was first founded twelve hundred years ago. It used to have a proper name, but everypony just calls it The Bastion now. It hasn't actually been used in centuries, and last I heard, it's being turned into a museum."

"Hey, is there a bank around here somewhere?" Willow Wisp asked.

"Um, yeah, I'll show you when we get closer." Only a few clouds interrupted the clear morning skies. Lily Nimbus caught a small tuft of the bouncy material in mid flight, juggling it on her spread wings before passing it to Stratus like a ball. The seven of them made a game of passing the cloud while performing the hardest stunt they could. Moon Beam won easily when she bounded off the side of a building, barrel rolled, caught the cloud in mid roll, and tossed it with her wing while dodging a bronze spire. It was not clear to anypony whether she or Silver Raindrops was more agile, but it would be a hell of a contest.

Ecliptic Plaza was a wide, circular space oriented along cardinal lines. The broad northern road ran from the plaza all the way to the castle farther up the mountain side, while the southern road headed for Canterlot Station. In the center, a dais carved in the shape of an overlapping sun and moon sat with a shining metal pillar in the center. Atop the pillar was an idol of the sun. It was where, Comet explained, Princess Celestia rose the sun for the Summer Sun Celebration whenever the event was held in Canterlot. For today, the plaza was its regular morning fare: open restaurants, shops, plenty of umbrella clad tables, and lots of ponies heading elsewhere.

"Elegance," Stratus said to himself.

"What was that?"

"Manehattan has more energy than Canterlot," Stratus said of his hometown, "but Canterlot seems to have an elegance to everything."

"You have no idea." Comet rolled her eyes. "Canterlot was a unicorn city before it became the capital. After they came to Equestria, they stopped looking down on anypony, but they still brought all their haute couture customs from the ancient kingdom. It's not as bad as it used to be, but everything is just so... ugh."

"Just so?" Lily said in her I-want-to-annoy-Silver accent.

"Exactly." Comet pointed out a bank to the others and flew in for a landing. The group caught more than a few glances from the ponies waiting in line. They must have been rather dashing, all sporting their matching uniforms and gold pins, but nopony said anything on the matter. Canterlot, the filly mused, where nopony says anything to anypony. The teller looked up from his books and smiled.

"Miss Shimmer, is that really you? Well bless my mane, how long has it been?"

"Good morning, Fine Print. Six months, give or take a week." She smiled. "How have things been?"

"Fine, fine. Just the usual comings and goings, mostly. But look at you. Your folks said you were in the army, but I had to see it for myself. Congratulations." The stallion fussed over a few books and forms. "Now, what can I do for you today?"

"Just a small withdrawal, Mr. Print. My friends and I only have leave for the day."

"That's a shame." Fine Print got up and pulled a record book from the shelf. He set down the ledger with her account and flipped to the page. "Here we are. Oh my."

"Something wrong?"

"Not wrong, no. Apparently, you've been getting paid for the last six months." None of the airponies had known, or really even thought about getting paid for their training. "It's pretty minimal, lots of deductions for expenses, but it looks like your first payment as an enlisted pony just got filed yesterday, and there's an insurance policy that's been attached to your account."

"So how much do I have?" Fine Print showed Comet the ledger. "...That's a lot of bits."

"Hmm," he smiled. He had seen more, but it was hardly a brag for banker to see lots of money. "So, Miss Shimmer, how much would you like to withdraw?"

"Well, since I have it, 300." She leaned in close. "And if, you know, something happens while I'm... I'd like the money in my account transferred to my parents'."

"Of course," Fine Print whispered. The other six took longer, their files not directly on hoof, but the seven of them departed less than an hour later with nothing but smiles. In the past six months, they had gotten rich, and they hadn't even known it was happening.

"You must have lived here a while if the bucking bank teller knows you, Egghead," Lily said. "And he's not much older than you, hm? You ever consider a unicorn?"

"You are not trying to hook me up right now." The look Comet gave her could have frozen lava. But after six months, she should have learned that retaliation only fueled Lily's fire.

"Oh, bless mah stars," Nimbus picked up a Dodge accent from somewhere, "she's blushin' like a virgin on her weddin' day." The pink filly grinned. "I hear unicorns can be a 'magical experience.'"

"I'm not listening to this." Comet increased her pace.

"Be real, Jitterbug." Willow laughed. "Comet's not looking for a stallion. No colt could satisfy her the way a book can."

The remark could be interpreted entirely decently. But that would require decent company. Lily swooned, "Oh, those poor spines!"

Comet was seeing such a vibrant shade of red, she hardly noticed when she stormed inside. The others followed her in, laughing like a flock of clucking hens. Their blue collars once again caught the attention of the patrons, some with such awe that they forgot to be upset at the ruckus. She turned on them. "Didn't you promise to leave?"

"Sure," Sun Ray said, "but this is more fun," Moon Beam finished.

"If you parasprites don't knock it off, So help me Celestia, I will-"

"Comet?" The filly froze mid sentence. Slowly, like turning too fast would jinx it, she looked over her shoulder. Her father gawked at her, scissors held mid snip in some stallion’s mane. The filly had not really thought of how to handle coming back; she hadn't been able to tell them ahead of time, and she hadn't thought of anything to say for this moment.

So all she managed was a meek, "Hi, Papa." The stallion tapped her father on the foreleg and motioned to leave. He set down his scissors, trotted up to his daughter, and wrapped her in a two legged, two winged hug.

"Welcome home, Shimmerbug." The filly relaxed in his embrace; he hadn't changed a bit. "Oh but look at you," he held her back so he could see her, "with your nice uniform and your shiny wings, you're a proper soldier now. I knew you could do it. And your-" he froze. "Mother of Celestia, your mane! What did they do, attack you with garden shears?"

Comet laughed. "I thought you might say that." She leaned into his hoof. "I missed you, Papa."

"Missed you too, Shimmerbug."

Comet held onto the moment for a little before turning to introduce her friends. "Papa, these mules are Lily Nimbus, Willow Wisp, Stratus Drifter, Sun Beam, Moon Ray," she knew they hated getting their names swapped, "and Stargaze. They're all in the same company as I am."

"Welcome, welcome." The stallion shook their hooves. "I'm Nebula. A friend of Comet's is always welcome here. You," he pointed at Willow, "you especially, your mane looks awful."

"Papa!"

"What, it does! I thought they slaughtered yours, but there' barely anything left on his head. And it'd be on the house, so I'm not wrangling business."

"This time." The filly stuck her tongue out at her father. It felt almost wrong, slipping back into step with the stallion after so long. It felt like years since she had been back in Canterlot, yet she remembered everything as if she had never left.

"Fine, fine. Since my daughter disapproves, young colt, your mane shall have to remain depressing."

"It's fine, Papa, they promised they'd head off anyway." Comet glanced at them expectantly.

Nebula gasped. "Comet, I thought I raised you better than that. These ponies are our guests. If they want to stay, they certainly may." They were locked in a three way staring contest between Comet, her father, and her friends. And yes, Lily was actually giving her best puppy dog eyes. The filly finally capitulated. "Wonderful, now, let me finish with these customers and we'll go somewhere nice. Have you eaten yet?"

"On the ship, Papa, but I did show them the plaza earlier. They might want to try something there."

"Plaza's a good place to start. Now off with you, or else I won't be able to focus. And flip the sign on the way out, Shimmerbug." The filly flipped the sign in the window to "closed" and stepped out into the street. The others were smirking at her more than she liked.

"'Shimmerbug?'" Lily giggled. Comet scowled at her something terrible. "Oh relax, Egghead, your dad seems like a nice guy."

"That's not the point. Why did you guys go inside? You promised me you'd leave when we reached the shop."

"The opportunity presented itself, Shimmer, relax," Stratus said. "What, are you embarrassed of us?"

"Yes! No- look, I needed to talk to my father in private, and now I can't." The filly looked skyward for help, but found only more company. A brick red pegasus descended in a lazy circle and came to a stop beside the gathered soldiers. Silver Raindrops took a moment to adjust her mane and frowned at them.

"There you all are. I saw you take off, and I've been looking all over for you."

"Sorry, Rain. We got caught up following Shimmer on a tour of the city." Willow scratched the back of his neck and chuckled. Comet almost preferred when the two of them bickered all of the time.

"Well, at least I found you. But what are you all doing down here?"

"Just waiting for Papa Egghead. He's finishing up with a few customers." The group made idle chat, largely without Comet's input, until her father came out and locked the door behind him. The chiroptequus stallion set his hat on his head and strode over to the waiting squad.

"Sorry for the wait, kids. Oh, you multiplied! And who might you be, miss?"

"Silver Raindrops, sir. I trained with your daughter at Fort Hurricane." The pegasus curtsied, which earned a silent gag from Lily. Nebula laughed.

"You're from Baltimare, I take it." Rain nodded. "I've only been a couple times. Lovely city, very refined." He kissed her hoof, an act that seemed to displease Willow if his bristling hairs were any indication. "Well now, come on. You kids must be hungry. What do you say we pop by the library real quick and find somewhere nice for brunch?"

"Is Mum working today?"

"Mhmm, and she has a surprise for you." Nebula led them onwards, on foot oddly enough. "So you spent the last six months together. You can't look me in the eye and tell me you don't have any good stories."

"Weeeellllll," Willow sang, "your sweet little daughter broke a guy's nose."

"Wha- Comet?"

"He had it coming!" Comet objected.

"He really did," Stratus said, "Thunder Clap was an ass."

"He's still an ass," Moon Beam corrected, "but he's our ass now."

"And to be fair, he did sprain my wing."

"But you flew over here, didn't you?"

"It was months ago, Papa. You wouldn't know it was ever hurt." The stallion frowned. "Well, Lily, what about the time you got latrine duty for a week?"

"Worth every second! So we're coming out of some high speed exercises," Lily hopped into a hover, "And Lt. Flurry and Cpt. Winter Gale were watching from, I don't know, somewhere off to the side."

Rain cut in, "So Jitterbug gets a horrid idea-"

"I get this awesome idea to show just how close I can get to the deck while holding my speed. We're coming in for a landing, and instead of starting my descent like normal, I go into this massive dive," she swooped in imitation, "gaining even more speed, and pull up only two feet out from them. Captain 'I've seen some shit' didn't bat an eye, but my wake knocked her mug of coffee all over Lt. Flurry. Boy, she was so mad." Lily laughed. "And then I got saddled with cleaning toilets for a week."

There were plenty of other events to be told; Stratus's repeated "offenses" with Lt. Thunderhead, the twins stealing food coloring and pretending to be each other for a day, Willow and Moon Fang nearly coming to blows over something nopony could remember anymore. As they recalled, it was only a few days before The Gambit, and everypony was so wound up, the slightest disturbance could make them snap. Evidently, in some cases, they had.

"Sounds like you kids at least had some fun," Nebula said.

"Wait, fun?" Sun Ray said. "There was fun to be had?" Moon Beam continued. "Where were we?" they finished together. Comet groaned. That was going to be a thing.

"Humorous episodes aside, sir, Basic was anything but fun," Silver Raindrops corrected him. "Up at first light-"

"Exercises until breakfast."

"Lectures until lunch."

"Drills and training until dinner."

"And halfway through, when we were all worried about being good enough to pass, let alone survive after Basic?"

"More drills and training after dinner," they all said together. Their muscles started to ache from the sheer memory of it.

"Well what did you expect? You're soldiers. But hey, you made it, right?"

"We did." Comet looked down at her badge. With the sun properly high in the sky, it shone brilliantly in the clear daylight. "Not a single washout in three companies."

"And you should all be proud of that. Come on, Shimmerbug, your mother doesn't know you're here." Nebula started up the stairs. "It would have been nice if you'd written, we would have prepared."

"I would have if I'd known earlier than two days ago." Comet fluttered up the stairs after him, grumbling about not being treated like a foal for things out of her control. They had been so caught up in recounting stories that nopony had noticed they had reached the library. The massive domed structure was at least five stories of faux castle architecture. Stained glass and false battlements adorned its walls. The broad, wooden double doors were flanked on either side by limestone pillars that reached from the entrance to the very top of the building. None of them had any idea how many books lay inside, but it must have been thousands.

The guests took a moment to stare at the majestic archive. "Oi, Egghead, I thought you said the West Library was small!" Willow called up as they started up the stairs.

"It is. You should see the Central Library." Comet led them inside the incredible structure only to reveal its interior surpassed its exterior. To the left and right, the building flew away in seemingly endless hallways. Every floor was cut away in the center to make room for towering bookshelves. Walkways circled the outer walls, allowing ponies near enough access to pluck books from the shelves like fruit from a tree. Shafts of sunlight scintillated between the wooden towers and walkways through the arched glass ceiling, washing the hallway in warm morning light.

The central nexus of the library was the only section with solid floors. On the entry level, a large stone map of Equestria and the surrounding lands was carved into the floor. Stairs led off to the upper levels on either wall. On the far side from the entrance, a circular oak desk provided the reception and check out for the library. Two mares presided, one happily checking off a list, the other fretting over a stack of books that needed reshelving.

“Oh luv, look who I found loitering outside the shop,” Nebula beamed. The mare with the list ceased her humming, looked up, and tapped the fretting mare on the shoulder. She looked back, saw her husband, saw her daughter, and froze stiff as a statue. She suddenly rushed over the desk at speeds everypony was sure would have beaten their best training times and swept up the filly in a massive hug.

“Comet! Oh, my dear little Comet, you didn’t tell us you were coming home!”

“I, ah, didn’t know myself until we were on, hurk, the way, Mum. Would have, oh Faust, written otherwise.” The indigo filly was finding it hard to breath in her mother’s embrace. Her father eased her mother down off of their daughter. “Haaaa. Anyway, we have the day off while our ship resupplies, so I got drafted into giving my squad the grand tour.”

“Oh, oh excuse me,” Comet’s mother turned to the amused company, “it’s lovely to meet you all. I’m Constellation, Comet’s mother. Thank you so much for taking care of her while she’s been training.”

“Well, she was quite a hoofful, but we managed,” Willow said. Rain bopped him on the shoulder. Comet groaned quietly in the corner.

“Oh, dear, we have a surprise of our own, as it happens. You’ll never get who’s in town.”

“Mother, I finished reshelving the books you asked, but there’s one that I don’t think is one of yours. It’s been secreting something for the past hour-” A stallion glided down the stairs holding the offending book in question, but he nearly dropped it when he saw the gathered party.

“Well hello, handsome,” Lily muttered to herself.

“Comet?”

“Tail?” Comet flew over and hugged her brother. “What are you doing here? I thought you were still off in Hoofington with your firm.”

“Paid vacation, little sis. I’m just back for a little while to help out around here.” Comet’s brother ruffled her mane. “You should really let Dad look at that, it looks like a timberwolf cut it for you.”

“...You two cannot possibly be related,” Lily lamented.

“And why’s that?” Comet looked back at the crestfallen filly.

“He’s so… hot!”

“Lily!” Rain gagged the pink filly with her hoof.

“I like your friends, Comet.”

“Tail!”

“Shhh,” Constellation hissed, “we’re in a library.” Everypony was too mortified or humored to say anything. Nebula chuckled the “ah, youth” chuckle that all fathers seem to pick up. “Twin Tail, sweetie, let me see that book.” Constellation fluttered over and gingerly picked up the book from her son. “Oh dear, that’s… unnatural. Let me put this somewhere and we can get going, hm?”

“So, Egghead,” Lily swished her tail, “aren’t you going to introduce us to your brother?”

“Down, you lecher,” Comet growled.

Tail laughed, “Easy, sis. I’m Twin Tail, Comet’s older brother. It’s nice to meet you.” He winked at Lily. The pink filly’s wings fluttered at her sides. Comet shot him a glance.

“Please don’t hit on my squad mates, I don’t think I’d ever hear the end of it.”

~*~

“So you’re only going to be in town for the day?” Nebula frowned.

“For the afternoon, actually. Our ship leaves at 20:00.” Comet sipped her coffee. “I have not had a brew this good in six months.” The eleven ponies sat around a cluster of tables on the Ecliptic Plaza. Nopony could say no to a nice pancake breakfast, and the table was stacked high with golden flapjacks.

“It’s just so sudden. We didn’t think they would give you time to go home before they shipped you off.”

“They didn’t, technically,” Stratus said between mouthfuls of spongy goodness. “We’re just here for the supplies. If it were proper leave, I’d be up in Manehattan. Egghead just got lucky we stopped in the right city.”

“Has Canterlot been seeing a lot of activity since the war started? I didn’t think we had a big supply station.”

“It started about three months ago, I suppose,” Nebula said over the brim of his mug. “They finished the line to Dodge Province, the one that goes through Ponyville, so suddenly the trains are funneling all manner of goods down south. Mostly, it stays in the work districts near the station, but every so often we see soldiers or shipments roll through.”

“But what about these airships you came in on?” Constellation offered Sun Ray an apple slice from her plate. The yellow filly declined, but her blue twin accepted, then fed it back to her. Constellation frowned in confusion but continued. “I didn’t think we had anything like it.”

“We didn’t up until recently.” Comet pulled out her notebook and flipped to the section on the vessels. “They’re completely different from the older models. They actually work, for one thing.”

“Why do you have that?” Stargaze asked.

Constellation pulled out a nearly identical notebook and started copying a few notes. The other ponies stared in awe. “It all makes sense now,” Lily whispered.

“Mr. Tail, Shimmer said you work in Hoofington, yes? What are things like up there?” Rain set her tea down. The lady had learned to tolerate coffee out of necessity, but tea simply agreed with her better.

“Quieter, I guess.” Twin Tail considered the question over a bite of pancake. “Not a huge percent of ponies are off to war, but enough to notice the trolleys are emptier. The logging groups just west, though, are working overtime. Probably some ponies are taking extra work with them. Things pretty much just keep going, though. Hoofington is an old town, and ponies there don’t like things changing.

"To be honest, the only big impact the war's had on me was when I heard Comet had enlisted. It was surreal, but it's kind of hard to deny now." His eyes scanned her blue collar. "To be fair, it looks good on you."

"Thanks." Comet poked at her pancakes. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you myself."

"Don't worry about it, sis. Dad and Mother said you were off only a couple days after you signed the papers. Seems like they're racing you guys around as fast as they can."

"They need ponies down south," Stargaze said, as if that was all that need be said.

Constellation frowned. "Is the war that bad?"

"From what our sergeant has told us, no, not yet." Rain sipped her milk. "They're expecting things to get worse, it seems, but right now things are remarkably passive."

"Can you imagine if we sit on the front for a year, poking at each other until both sides call it off?" Willow bit into a big slice of pancake. "That would be something."

"I wouldn't mind getting paid to sit around Dodge for a year or so," Stratus laughed.

"Oh, Comet, did you get the books I sent?"

"I did, Mum, thank you. They were teaching us near to nothing on dragons before we got the journal you sent along. It was utterly fascinating."

"I'm pretty sure it saved our flanks a couple times during The Gambit."

"'The Gambit?'" Nebula asked. The airponies explained their final exam and all of its scaly, magical nature. Comet hid her tapping hoof by digging into her pancakes. "That sounds like an awfully extreme final exam."

"It's kind of nice, though, really," Rain said. "We've had a chance to 'fight dragons' in a safe environment, so we have a sense of what to expect when the time comes. We're not as likely to freeze up."

"I'm pretty sure Gale nearly messed himself when the glimmerbacks turned on us."

"And you didn't?" Willow shot Lily an incredulous look. "Those suckers are mean as sin."

Nebula turned to his daughter to find her completely absorbed in her coffee. He put a hoof over hers. She looked over at him and smiled, but he had long ago seen through that smile. It was the same one she had worn when she had gotten bullied as a filly, or when she lost her favorite book and had spent all afternoon looking for it, or the morning after she'd signed up for the Guard. He smiled for her, and she knew he could see right through her. It made her smile a little more genuine; she had been hoping he would.

"So, Mr. Twin Tail," Lily Nimbus cooed, "what do you do up in Hoofington?"

"I work at a law firm, Miss Nimbus. We mostly settle work disputes, sometimes contracts, nothing too interesting, I suppose. Not when you've been training to fight dragons and jump off airships."

Comet did not believe that her brother and her squad mate were flirting. In front of her. In front of her parents. In front of their squad. At all. She bapped her brother on the back of his two tone mane. The siblings exchanged a glare, ignoring how put off Lily seemed by the loss of his attention.

"So," Nebula chose to ignore the awkward air that had settled over part of the table, "I was thinking that, if you kids would like, we have a few options. The museums are all open if you just want to walk around and look at something. We could head down to the shopping district and see about some souvenirs or keepsakes for your deployment. Or, we could head back to the shop and I can try to make something decent out of your manes. Celestia knows, they're all awfully short, but I think I can do something with them."

"I think the Air Guard cut them short for a reason, Papa."

"Sure, but cutting short and butchering are two different things." If there was one thing Comet knew not to do, it was attempt to argue with her father on manecuts. "We could also fly around and see the sights, if you would prefer. Canterlot has plenty of history to go around."

"I don't know about the museum, but I'd love to get a closer look at the palace," Rain said. The others agreed.

"Well why don't we finish up here and head that way," Constellation said. "Who knows, maybe being in the Air Guard, they'll let you onto the grounds."

"You can't get on the grounds?"

"Oh no, certainly not. The main garden is usually open to the public for tours, but the grounds proper is closed off without an appointment."

"Stella, dear, you make it sound like the princess is locked away." Nebula chucked. "The palace is open a few times a year, for things like Hearth's Warming Eve, but most of the time they try to keep the traffic to official business."

"Well, unless we have an official military reason, I wouldn't expect any difference," Stargaze mused.

~*~

The soft spoken pony was correct about the grounds proper, but their status did give them access to the gardens without the need of a tour. The hedgerows, flower bushes, and statues seemed to stretch on for miles. The group wandered among the sights, stopping to argue on a peculiar statue of a creature seemingly made of all manner of creatures. Constellation suggested a game of hide and seek in the hedge maze, but Lily wouldn't stop hopping over the walls to find her prey. After her third scolding from Rain, it was evident the game wasn't going anywhere.

They stopped for a break down by one of the large pools, marveling at how smooth the water stayed even in the wind.

"That has to be magic," Silver Raindrops said, "the wind would disturb the water no matter how perfectly you construct a barrier." When Willow tapped the surface, however, it behaved just like normal.

"Maybe it's just a peculiarity." The lemon pegasus continued to swish the water. A large orb of liquid suddenly detached itself from the surface, floating above the lake in a soft, golden glow. The group looked around for the source of the spell until Stratus pointed out a pair of unicorns on the far bank. One of them wore a violet collar nearly identical to theirs. He was entertaining the other, a pearly white mare with a purple mane, by splitting the orb of water repeatedly and playing with the parts.

"Hey, is that Night Light?" Comet squinted, and sure enough, it was. So the mare was the girl he had been talking about. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Lily preparing to take off, and she leaned over just in time to grab the filly's blustery tail before she zipped out of range. The indigo pony's strength was only enough to stop Lily, but Stratus's aid was enough to bring the hyperactive pegasus back down to earth.

"I think they'd appreciate a little privacy, Jitterbug," Comet said. Rain looked over at the pair, glanced at Willow, and nodded sheepishly. Lily looked at her squadmates, then back at the pair, then burst into giggles. She kept laughing as they departed from the lake.

~*~

The shopping district was everything the gardens were not. Even on a weekday afternoon, ponies were bustling every which way, eager to jump on deals, pick up regular goods, or just enjoy an afternoon off. The schools were just letting out too, so plenty of energetic fillies and colts were out with their friends.

The twins insisted on a "jewelery store," more of a knick knack emporium really, so in the group trotted. Even the grungiest shops in the district maintained a pristine environment; the dim lighting came across as mood lighting rather than a lack of anything better, and the dust wafting about added a soft orange glow to everything. The twins disappeared down an aisle of coats and frilly shirts while Rain and Lily dragged Willow over to a counter filled with glittering gems. Stratus and Stargaze, meanwhile, seemed rather interested in a series of globes made of all manner of materials.

"So, sis," Twin Tail snuck up behind his sister, "how have you been?"

"Fine, I guess." Comet absentmindedly fiddled with a clockwork contraption of curious cause.

"Just fine? Something bothering you?"

"Not really..."

Twin Tail looked at her expectantly. "My oh my, when did my sweet little nerd of a sister start lying to her older brother."

"There's the pot calling the kettle black." Comet stuck out her tongue. "It's not really a big deal, Brother. Basic just kind of took a lot out of me. It's nice to have a little time off, even if I wasn't expecting it." There was silence between them for a moment, then Comet felt a hoof tracing the hem of her collar.

"Didn't believe Mother when she told me, you know? When she said you enlisted. I just... couldn't believe you, of all ponies, would even consider becoming a soldier."

"It came as a bit of a shock to me too, really." She hummed. "I didn't really think about it. Part of me just kept saying it was the right thing to do, so I did." She tugged on her badge. "Honestly, I thought I'd wash out in under a month after I got there, then two months, then three... Then, suddenly, I was an airpony."

"You really are." Twin Tail smiled at his little sister. "I hope you know what you're doing."

"I do too." Comet looked over her shoulder at her squad. "I think I found good company, at least. They can be a pain, but I trust them."

"Well, if you trust them, I will too. Just come back, alright? Mother would lose it if you didn't."

"I know... I know." Comet hugged her brother tight. "Look after them for me, alright?"

"I already put in to cut my time at the firm for a while. I should be able to be back often enough."

"Sorry."

"Don't be sorry, be safe. Ok?"

"Right." The two separated. For a moment, Twin Tail looked like he wanted to say more, but when nothing left his mouth, he gave her a quick smile and went over to their father. The filly wandered over to a counter by the back wall. All manner of small trinkets, from pins to earrings to horn ornaments, were arranged in the glass countertop.

"Oh my, why did nopony tell me we had soldiers in our store." The shop keep, an aged unicorn mare, waddled out and made busy with a display. "Welcome welcome welcome, ask about anything you like. Happy to serve our service ponies, yes yes."

"Do you have this in blue?" Moon Beam held up a frilly yellow top for the shopkeep to see.

"Got it!" Sun Ray popped up an aisle away, sporting the same shirt in a deep blue.

"Trade!" The two tossed each other the appropriate shirts and disappeared into the aisles again. Rain grabbed a pair of earrings and took them over to the mare. Comet, meanwhile, found an utterly captivating piece of art near where Stratus and Stargaze were discussing globes or astrolabes or something.

A broad canvas, as wide across as her wingspan, was hung up on the wall. In the corner, the words, "Equestria and The Surrounding Lands" was painted in sweeping calligraphy. All across the canvas, mountains, rivers, woods, and every other manner of landmark were intimately drawn in colored inks. Most maps the filly had seen extended only as far as Equestria's border, but her home country was only a small portion of the center in this case. Lands she had never heard of sprawled as far or farther than the whole of her nation. It must have taken an explorer their entire lifetime to put this together.

"An eye for cartography, miss?" Where had the shopkeep come from? Her smile was warm enough, and Comet overcame her surprise.

"I've just never seen anything like it. This must have been somepony's life's work."

"Not one, no. It was a project years and years ago to document the world. Records from the pre-Equestrian tribal migrations, various expeditions and territorial surveys, records from adventures in all directions, spanning generations, all to make this map."

"And you have it? I mean, no offense, it just seems like it would be in the Canterlot Archive."

"It is. This here's a commercial copy." The shopkeep tapped the edge proudly. "Only a few dozen ever got made. Won it at an auction for a wonderful price."

"Is.. is it for sale?" Comet asked. The shopkeep smirked.

"Near everything is, dearie, for the right price." The elderly unicorn tapped her chin. "But you seem to appreciate a good map, and I can hardly deny a soldier a decent bargain. How about... 100 bits?"

Comet looked over the vast canvas. "Done," she said.

"And will you be buying that as well?" The unicorn nodded at her left wing. Cradled inside was the curious contraption.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't realize I was still carrying it. What is it, exactly?"

The unicorn opened her mouth to reply, then promptly shut it again. "I... don't rightly remember. I can't even say where I got the darn thing. I suppose it's just been gathering dust for however long."

The filly fumbled with its rotating surface for a moment while she thought on it. The construct was about the size of an orange, all bronze gears and brass parts inside a sterling silver frame. Whenever she rotated part of it, it made tiny clicking noises as it ticked along from state to state. It did not have any discernible markings to denote time or language, or any code for that matter. It was simply a thing.

"I'll give you ten bits for the... it."

"I'd have settled for four," the mare cackled. "Let me wrap up this canvas for your, dearie." Comet almost offered to do it, given the mare's age, until her horn lit up. In no time at all, the canvas was neatly rolled and wrapped in paper.

The group departed only a few minutes later, almost everypony with some item or another.

“What do you hear, you two?” Stargaze asked the twins as they exited, a bag of trophies sitting on each of their backs.

“Nothing but the rain, Tinker,” they replied together. Comet gave them a confused glance, but they only shrugged. Off to the side, Willow and Rain were bickering quietly and quickly.

"You don't have to wear it, you oaf, just... keep it, alright?" Rain insisted.

"Fine, but only because you asked so nicely," Willow mocked. The filly passed him one of the two earrings she had bought, tiny rose quartz spheres suspended in a web of silver loops. With nowhere to stash it, Willow stuck his through the corner of his collar opposite his badge. The red filly seemed satisfied with that.

"Anypony have the time?" Nebula asked. Stratus Drifter and Stargaze raced to make use of one of their combined five new pocket watches.

"Four pm," Stratus said first.

"Wow, Screwup, I never pegged you for such a watch enthusiast."

"Well, you mules never asked." Stratus huffed. "Stargaze knows a ton about clocks, globes, all kinds of devices."

"My dad is a watchmaker," the purple colt explained, "and the shipping captains would always come to him to get their watches checked after a long voyage. They always had stories to tell."

"Awww Stratus, you found a friend!" Lily beamed. The charcoal colt growled at her.

"Anyway," Nebula cut in, "you kids only have a couple hours left, hm? How about we do something with those manes, then we see you all off with a nice big dinner?" Comet let out an amused sigh; her father was clearly not about to let the mane issue go, and the promise of free food was hard to oppose.

~*~

"So, Shimmerbug," Nebula said as he grabbed his favorite clippers, "what's on your mind?"

"What makes you think something is?" The filly fidgeted under her barber's apron.

"Don't play that game, Comet. Something's been bothering you all day. What is it?" Comet should have known better. She wanted to see her father because he would be able to read her like an open book. She could ask him for help without having to say anything.

"You remember us talking about The Gambit?"

"Mhmm, with the dragon constructs?"

"That one, yeah. Well, they didn't tell us they were constructs." Nebula started clipping at the fringes of her mane. "I guess they wanted to keep the realism of the fight going. Everything felt and looked real; we all thought we were actually fighting dragons. If we'd been able to stop and think about it, it probably would have been pretty obvious."

"But they didn't give you that time, hm?"

"I was nearly eaten, Papa." Comet glanced at him. "I didn't know I would have been teleported away, I just thought, 'this is it.' By the time it was over, I was dripping, literally dripping in fake dragon blood. But it was warm, like the real thing..."

Nebula had to stop; his daughter was shaking too much for him to cut properly. "Oh, sweetie." He rubbed her shoulders. "You shouldn't feel bad about that. Even if it was fake, you thought it was real. You went through something nopony should have to deal with."

"But I did, and I'll have to again. The real thing is coming." She looked at the chiroptequus stallion. "If that one was so scary, what am I going to do when we face a real one? What if my friends can't trust me to keep it together?"

"Do you want to let them down?"

"Of course not."

"Then I know you'll find a way." He pressed her into the seat, pointed her head forward, and resumed trimming. "I know telling you to buck up won't help. I don't think what you're going through is something somepony can handle alone. But the same way you want to be sure you can help your friends, I know they want to help you.

"When you came into the shop today, you had more friends following you, laughing and smiling with you, than I'd ever seen you with. I could tell you trusted each other. They love you, Shimmerbug, and your mother, your brother, and I love you too. You won't be alone, sweetie. And we'll be waiting for you." Comet reached up and fumbled for his hoof. He took it, and for a moment they sat there and silently said everything else that needed to be said. "Especially Miss Raindrops and Lemon-boy over there. I think they'll be watching each other's backs plenty."

"Isn't it the most obvious thing?" Comet laughed.

"Painfully obvious." Nebula hummed to himself. "Now sit still, I want to get to all of you before dinner. Except maybe the pink one, her mane seems fine."

"I'm not sure what her hair would look like any longer."

"Probably like her name." It took Comet a moment to catch up to her father.

By the time Nebula was done with the lot of them, Comet admitted, they all looked far better than they had that morning. Nopony could cut a mane like her father; stylists and hairdressers be damned, his work was art. Willow was the last one in the chair. When he came out to find everypony waiting, his hair had been evened out to allow the slight curl to spring. All of the normal spring to his step, however, was gone; he practically limped along with his tail between his legs.

"Cheerleader, something wrong?" Stratus said. The yellow pegasus looked at him for a second, then back to the shop where Nebula was still cleaning up, then at Rain. His gaze held on her, searching her silver eyes, and a rapid fire conversation jittered on his jaw. When her gaze didn't break from his, everything about him, his back, his neck, his posture, seemed to lock in place. With a huff, he reared up, grabbed the brick red filly around the neck, and kissed her for all he was worth. Rain's surprise lasted only a quarter, maybe half of a second. Comet noticed her father walk out, hat on his head and smile on his face.

He locked up the shop and trotted beside his daughter. Sooner or later, the pair had to come up for air, but that moment had yet to arrive, nor the moment Lily and the twins would stop making cheering catcalls. "Good boy," Nebula whispered just loud enough for the filly to hear.

~*~

A veritable feast of Germane and Veneightian dishes lay sprawled out in front of the ponies. It was usually not acceptable to bring cooking from the two neighboring restaurants together due to their rivalry, but they had made an exception for the freshly enlisted airponies. Wine was poured, plates were piled, and everypony took a seat at the table. But while everypony agreed a toast was in order, nopony could think of a good one.

To everypony's surprise, Lily stood up, raised her glass, and said the most profound thing any of them had ever heard her say. "To today. Whatever we may face tomorrow, today has been good company, good food, and the best sendoff we could hope for." That, everypony could drink to.

"Thank you Mum, Papa, for hosting us for the day."

"Of course, dear. We weren't about to leave you on your own on your one day back." Constellation nuzzled her daughter. "Now, eat, eat, you can't be late." The airponies dug in to their feast, devouring everything in front of them. Nebula and Constellation ate some, but mostly sat back and looked over their party.

"Sis, I know you'll be busy, but I have a favor to ask you."

"What is it?" Comet asked without bothering to swallow.

"Don't go out of your way for it, but if the chance comes, could you grab me a dragon scale?"

The gears in Comet's head churned, and she slowly nodded on autopilot. “If I can."

"I wouldn't get your hopes up, Tail," Willow said. "We're airborne most of the time. Not a lot of dead dragons for us to loot scales from."

"That's true. Eh, it was worth a shot. If only you were an earth pony, Comet."

"Long lineage of chiropteqi, Brother. Fat chance," Comet deadpanned.

"Can I ask a potentially rude question?" Rain directed to the parents. They both nodded. "Shimmer and Moon Fang are the only chiropteqi in our squad, and there weren't many at Basic at all. I know they weren't among the tribes that migrated to Equestria, so... mmm, this sounds rude, but, where did you come from?"

"You'd be surprised how often that comes up," Twin Tail said. Comet kept her mouth shut.

"To tell it true, Miss Raindrops, we don't know." Constellation twirled some pasta on her fork. "The most popular theory is that remnants of Nightmare Moon's magic influenced a group of pegasi not long after her banishment. Some think our people are indigenous to Equestria, and we existed in small numbers before the three tribes even got here. But no evidence has been found to support either claim, so we simply accept that we're here."

"I'm sorry, I meant no disrespect-"

"We know, Rain." Comet tried to control her temper. "It can just be a touchy subject. Our neighborhood has always been nice to us, but not everypony understands that chiropteqi are essentially pegasi."

"Comet has never been good about her temper with the subject, so it's best not to bring it up," Nebula said matter-of-factly. Constellation and Tail nodded in agreement.

"What? I can be plenty cordial about my heritage!"

"Shimmerbug, you knocked out a boy's tooth when you were ten because he wouldn't stop calling you a bat."

The filly turned on your brother. "You told them!?"

"The school told us, dear. We decided you'd had enough to deal with for the day, so we let it go."

"So apparently Egghead has a pension for aiming at the face." Whatever wine this was, Stratus liked it.

"Hey Screwup, if you're too drunk to fly, we are leaving you here," Lily warned. Despite being the smallest, the pink filly was putting away nearly as much wine as he was.

Meanwhile, Willow and Rain kept muttered back and forth at their end of the table. Their whispered conversation kept getting louder and faster until finally the yellow colt hissed, "Fine." and stood. He pulled out a folded piece of paper and set it on the table. "Mr. Nebula, sir, you and your wife have been wonderful hosts. We can't thank you enough for allowing us to spend time with your family today. But if it's possible, I'd like to ask something of you.

"My family is in Cloudsdale, my mom and dad and two little brothers. I wrote a letter for them, and I was hoping maybe you could send it off tomorrow. I wouldn't be able to get it done tonight."

"Of course, son." Nebula accepted the letter. "Anypony else want to send a letter off before you go?" As it happened, everypony had taken a page from Comet's notebook and had done just that. A fine stack of letters sat at the end of the table. "We'll get these sent out first thing tomorrow, don't you worry. But in return, you look after each other, you hear? Your parents are waiting for you to come back, same as we are." Each of them mumbled their thanks.

"Was that so hard?" Rain whispered once Willow had sat down. The colt muttered something in response, but a kiss on the cheek brightened his mood and set his wings aflutter.

"Well look who it is." Night Light trotted up to the veranda railing, his lady friend leaning affectionately against him. "So many newbies at one table. How's it going, Shimmer? "

"Sir," the filly saluted.

"Please not here, Shimmer, we're on leave." The other airponies all saluted as well. "I hate all of you."

"’Sir,’ hmm? It's nice to see you getting a little respect," the white mare giggled.

"Mum, Papa, this is Arcanist Night Light. He's a crew member of our airship."

"Sir, Ma'am. It's been a pleasure getting to know your daughter and her friends. This is Twilight Velvet. Velvet, these are the ponies I was telling you about."

"Lovely to meet you all."

"Likewise, Miss Velvet. Night Light spoke very highly of you."

"Oh did he now?" The white mare cast her company a sultry look.

"Miss Velvet, you look familiar. Do you work at the Central Library?" Constellation asked.

"Indeed I do. How did you know? Wait... Ms. Stella? From the West Library?" The mare beamed. "Oh my, it's been ages. How are you?" And suddenly the two mares were lost in a bottomless conversation about books, filing, and library gossip. Among various forms of gossip, library gossip was considered one of the least interesting, yet there it was.

"I'm terribly sorry to interrupt," Night Light lied well enough, "but I must see my lady home before I head back to the Adamant. You should finish up too; we don't have long."

"Yeah, but we can fly." Lily pomfed her wings. "We'll be back in no time."

"Do I have to make it an order?"

"No, sir. We won't be late."

"Good. See you ponies back at the ship. And see if you can't get a few bottles of that wine to bring along, it's a good brand."

"It was nice meeting you all." Twilight Velvet waved before the pair set off. "So I'm 'your lady' now, hm?" they heard her say as they trotted into the evening.

~*~

While Nebula and Twin Tail boxed the scant leftovers to take home, Constellation took Comet aside. When they were well out of earshot, she turned to her daughter.

"Mum, before you say anything..." The filly struggled with her words. "I know. I know you're worried, I know Tail's taking time to help out, I know... I'm sorry things turned out like this." She found herself wrapped in her mother's leathery wings.

"Oh, sweetie, you don't need to be sorry. Yes, I'm worried about you, but we're all very proud of you. And don't worry about us, we'll be fine. You'll be out there protecting us, hm?"

"That was kind of my reasoning, actually." The hug tightened.

"I'm glad your friends came along, to be honest. It was comforting to get to know the ponies you'll be working with. They seem dependable."

"They are, Mum. We won't let each other down."

"I know, sweetie, I know." It's funny how words escape into nothing when they're most needed, but neither pony could find anything else to say. Comet felt a dampness through her collar, but only stroked her mother's mane.

"Sis, you're going to miss your ship if you don't leave," Twin Tail called. The mother and daughter squeezed each other one more time before parting.

"Come home safe."

"I will." The filly gave her brother and father a quick hug, and lined up with her friends. Twin Tail had her oversized map tied across his back- something to look forward to when she got home. Nebula passed his daughter a small bundle of towels and winked at her before she fell in line with her friends. The squad turned back to face their hosts. Stargaze was the first to salute, the rest soon followed, and then they were multicolored streaks vanishing into the evening sky.

Comet was sure she would have to hide some embarrassing emotion from her squad as they raced for the dock, yet a mental rundown showed everything in order. Everything was right where it needed to be.

~*~

Canterlot was a serene, crystalline landscape at night despite its active nightlife. Lights cast faint halos off the surrounding walls, blue and orange sparks in a sea of hidden pearl. Shop lights and home lights winked out, club lights and street lights winked on. From the commercial district around Ecliptic Plaza to the Academy of Music on the outskirts of the city, the night settled in. The city traded one life for another, like the changing of the sun and the moon.

Celestia wished her sister could see what had become of their ponies. So many reveled in the night now, washing the fatigue of the day away in good company and merriment. The thought bothered her every night, without fail, for centuries, and would for centuries to come. Her one hope to end her nightmare lay lost somewhere in the forests to the southwest, and she lacked the power to make use of it even if she were to find it. Every night, the same thoughts, the same wish, the same nightmare.

Today, however, a new trouble had infiltrated her mind. A fine, late summer day deserved a fine, late summer walk through the gardens, and she had found herself wandering down near one of the mirror lakes. It was a delightfully secluded location, so much so that she had often disappeared there in her younger days when she wished to escape incessant nobles and advisors. Few places awarded her such peace.

For once, however, the alabaster princess had not been the first to arrive. Intrigued, she slipped an invisibility spell over herself and eased up to the edge of the clearing. Very near to her, Night Light, whom she recognized as one of her castle guards from not too long ago, was courting a lovely white mare from the Central Library. Celestia smiled to herself. She was glad to have thought of the spell; it would be a crime to interrupt such a moment. Across the bank, she spotted a second party arriving. Celestia quietly teleported closer to inspect the new arrivals.

Eight of the eleven winged ponies all wore matching blue collars with golden wing pins tacked to the corners. So they were ponies of the Air Guard. Celestia's heart sank. They were so young. All of her subjects were young in her eyes, even the elderly, but nopony could deny it here.

How could she have let this happen? War was on their border, and they were sending fillies and colts to fight. And it was all because she had not been able to mediate a solution.

"A thousand years and some," The princess said atop her balcony, "and still not enough." She looked up at the iconically cratered moon. "Oh Luna, I could use your company." The princess sighed. In the distance, eight specks took off in formation, heading for the airship dock just outside the city. It was not hard for Celestia to put two and two together.

The solar monarch sat her crown back upon her head. Her ponies were racing bravely for their fate, knowing full well what it may be. She could hardly sit by and mope while she had cards left to play.

"Drum Beat," Celestia said to one of the guards standing watch outside.

"Your Highness." The guard saluted.

"Would you fetch me Ink Well and Scribe? I need them to bring me every document we have on dragons. Every. Document." The guard nodded and raced down the hall. When the princess exited her chambers, the other guard fell in behind her. "Now that I think of it, Spear Head, could you rouse the Command Council?"

"At once, Your Majesty." The unicorn guard disappeared in a puff of magic. The princess smiled inwardly. Her guards could be counted on to do just about anything. As she stepped into the large chamber that had been serving as a war room, she gazed over the map of her country etched into the center table. A maid was cleaning a stack of papers that had fallen, but offered to prepare a pot of coffee when she saw the alicorn enter.

"That would be lovely, Back Stitch, thank you." The maid departed at once. The princess smiled without mirth as she took a seat at the end of the able and whispered, "It's going to be a very long night."

~*~

“Do y’all think this is a bucking pleasure cruise?” a unicorn spat, her words slightly slurred, as Comet and her party set their new belongings down. “There’s not a chance in Tartarus any of that is goin’ near my bunk.”

"Are you two sharing a bunk, crewmare?" Willow looked up at Comet. "Wow, Egghead, I didn't know you swung that way, but I won't judge." He backed away from the indigo filly's glare with a chuckle.

"None of our stuff is going anywhere near your bunk, Ensign," Comet grumbled. "Now are we going to be ok, or do I have to report you for being drunk at your post?"

"What do you mean, at my po-" The ship rocked like a cradle as it freed itself from the dock. The winged ponies had no trouble with a rocking deck; clouds rolled and rearranged themselves constantly. For a land loving unicorn, especially one who couldn't correct themselves with magic, the sensation was less familiar.

"We're airborne, Crewmare, which means we are to be at post for the evening in five minutes. So, do we have a problem?"

"She could always just break your nose, too," Moon Fang said from his bunk. Thunder Clap grumbled something indistinguishable. The unicorn realized she had been cornered, snorted at the filly, and headed for the top deck.

"Oh Celestia, I hope that doesn't become a regular event," Comet sighed. She set her contraption and the bundle of towels on her bunk and shook her head. It had been a long day, but that little scene aside, she could not have asked for a better one. As soon as her stuff was stowed, she found Moon Fang and apologized for not taking him along- she had not planned to take anypony, she explained hastily. He just laughed it off. She could never understand how nothing phased him.

"Don't worry about it. It was fun just wandering around and seeing things on my own. So what did you get?" Moon Fang fumbled her contraption curiously. "I saw the stuff the others got, but what... is this?"

"I'm not sure, but it was interesting enough to hold on to. I also got a map, but it's with my family."

"You'll have to show it to me some time. And that?"

"Oh, yeah," Comet said as she shifted the roll of towels, "we had some standing orders after dinner." She tapped her hoof on the towel, and a muffled clink of glass could be heard. "I couldn't exactly disappoint Night Light, could I."

"Tartarus' backside, Shimmer, when did you-"

"My father snuck them in." She smiled. "He paid for them, I'm sure."

Willow guffawed. "You're old stallion's alright, Comet. Faust knows I owe him."

"What for?"

The yellow colt glanced at Rain's empty bunk. "He gave me some good advice. Come on, we have to be on deck pronto." The ponies dropped their things and headed for the deck.

"What was the advice?" Moon Fang asked Comet.

"Don't know, but he sure acted on it."

"Oh?"

"With Stuffshirt. For two minutes."

Fang laughed. "Finally." If Willow could hear them, he didn't seem to care. The top deck, despite standing orders, was laden with crates and barrels marked with the Equestrian sigil. Some of them were being hauled down to the lower levels, but many were already secured in place. It was clear why they weren't reaching the top speed they had made the day before.

"Cyclone Company!" Rainbow Blaze stood on the deck. He didn't seem pleased, but he wasn't particularly mad either. Perhaps it was just him being a soldier. Comet couldn't recall seeing him be properly official. "You guys and gals better not make a habit of scraping in at the last minute. Report to the armory for fitting. Celestia forbid we run into a lizard out here, I don't want you flying in nothing but your fur."

"Sir!" The company saluted and headed back downstairs to the armory. The ballistae sat unloaded in their stations, hatches closed to keep the drag lower. In the armory, the number of heavy rounds had more than tripled.

"You think these are all for the Adamant?" Lily asked. They skirted past the heavy metal bolts to the back room. A dozen gleaming sets of armor stood on wooden hangers, another few dozen stacked less ceremonially in the back. A glaive pointed straight out from each suit, sharp edges gleaming in the candlelight like polished silverware.

A trio of unicorns waited for them. "Our combat wing is here at last. Well come on, each of you pick a suit and we'll make the necessary adjustments." Each pony slipped into a suit without trouble; they were nearly identical to the ones they had trained with, with a newer helmet and breastplate and fewer scuff marks being the only differences. At least the straps were all in the same place. Suddenly, tendrils of magic danced all across Lily, Gale, and Thunder. The unicorns muttered to each other as they fitted the suits to their new owners.

"I'm worried about the straps is all. They don't seem well fitted to the mail. Big guy," one of the unicorn's tendrils jabbed Thunder in the side, "Be careful about forcing too much weight on this rear strap, hm? Come see me if it starts to get loose."

"You'd argue Canterlot isn't fastened well enough to the damn mountain, you twit." Lily's collar sat too high on her neck, but a few quick fixes set it just right, like it was a part of her. The unicorn fussed about the filly's diminutive stature, causing the pink pegasus to turn a darker shade of red.

"Well maybe it isn't."

"We are not having this discussion again." The magic was suddenly groping Stratus, Comet, and Moon Fang. The filly let out a yelp at the frankly intrusive arcane feelers. "You, stop being so small."

"I didn't exactly ask for it," Comet fumed. The unicorn seemed to shrink everything for her, but by the end, the suit of armor fit like a cutie mark. She flexed her wings, her legs, everything was completely unimpaired. She tried on her helmet, finding thankfully that it didn't slide down her head.

"Oh wow, you lucky foals." Rainbow Blaze sauntered in, smiling at the kiddies in their shiny new armor. He was wearing his own suit, similar in make but dramatically different. "Enjoy it while it lasts, newbies. One fight and it'll be covered in scratches, dents, and dirt. And you'll hate every inch of it." Like a model on a runway, he showed off his suit. A myriad of scratches and slashes danced across his golden plate, some short, some long and deep. A long trio of slashes had nearly cut through the armor along his back and had been crudely reinforced. "One of those suits in the back is for me, I hope. I'd hate for some lizard to land a hit there again, all this plate wouldn't count for anything."

"We have suits for half your company, Sergeant, you included. Vanguard for you, right? We can fit you for a new one now, if you'd like, or you can wait till we land." Obviously, he wanted the fitting then and there. Along the side of his helmet, two long claw marks trailed across the dome, down the visor, and ended half way down his side guarder.

"Last swipe of a dead dragon," he said. "They're not done just because you stick them, newbies. Remember that." He looked over the squad. "Clap, Raindrops, Force, Bolts, you're with me for first CAG. Fang, Ray, Drifter, Stargaze, second. Shimmer, Beam, Wisp, Nimbus, you're up third. Get some sleep while you can, you're shift will end around dawn. First CAG, head up to the deck and take watch. I'll be up as soon as this fitting is done. Dismissed."

Sleep was going to be a precious commodity. The second and third watch groups made straight for their bunks. When they arrived, they found the late night crew shifts doing the same thing. The unicorn from earlier shot Comet a withering glare, but said nothing. None of them stopped to remove their armor. They were immediately in their bunks and hoping sleep would take them soon.

CH.7 - Dodge

The Combat Air Guard was a new concept, implemented only with the arrival of a vessel from which pegasi could launch and support. Thankfully, the CAG was not required to actually fly alongside the ship as escort ships or squads usually were. Their job, as it turned out, was to sit on the deck, watch the night crews work, and scan the skies for dragons. If the lizards showed up, they would be the first to jump, and would have to hold the line for however long it took the rest of the squad to arrive.

Comet Shimmer hummed as liquid warmth entered her belly. She had managed a few hours of sleep, and early mornings were nothing new to the chiroptequus, but being roused at 3am to sit on deck was not the highlight of her day. She, Moon Beam, Lily Nimbus, and Willow Wisp all hovered out of bed, armor still on, and crept out when the second CAG had similarly slipped in and woken them. Tin mugs of coffee had been waiting for them, a small blessing against the bitter wind.

"It's August," Willow Wisp muttered, "which means it's only going to get colder."

"Buck that," Moon Beam groaned. Dragon free clouds had been racing by for the past two hours. They spent the time making small talk with the night shift, learning more about the Adamant. Night Light had been pretty thorough about the vessel before, and they knew some of the rigging and operation from training, but it was a marvel to watch unicorns do it. Ropes seemed to come alive and weave themselves into intricate knots that refused to break until they wanted them to. By the end of their drills, their fake ship had run like a well oiled machine, but with unicorn magic and earth pony dexterity, it became a living creature.

Comet stole a long glance at the deep purple balloon above them. She imagined a whale must swim the same way they were flying: peaceful, lazily drifting, almost moving along through presence alone rather than effort. She had never minded flying, and really found it quite comfortable and convenient compared to her land-bound kin, but this was a new level of luxury. If only one could be made entirely of cloud, it would be the greatest creation in history.

"I'm not going to complain about a peaceful night," Comet said simply.

"Nah, but I will complain about a cold one," Willow Wisp grumbled over his mug. The team had found, to their relief, that their breastplates, backplates, and helmets were partially insulated. The crew were all decked in warm jackets to protect from windy nights on deck, but nopony had thought to give the CAG the same. Most of their fur was still exposed, and they did not dare ask for blankets. It seemed to them that the crew already thought of them as children.

"You really think so?" Comet asked after a hushed conversation on the matter.

"I'd say so," Moon Beam said, "given how we've been treated."

"What, being talked down to? Half the ponies here outrank us, Beam," Lily pointed out. "It'd be weird if they didn't."

"Well what about all the laughing?"

"Moon Beam, you were laughing right along with them," Wisp deadpanned.

The snowfall blue filly's eyes widened as if discovering a life changing epiphone. "Oh... oh yeah!" Willow Wisp groaned into his coffee.

Comet swirled her brew. "I think we're just outsiders. These ponies all trained together. This is their ship. They know each other the same way we know each other, and we didn't jump at the chance of meeting new ponies either." The others nodded. "If we're going to spend a lot of time on this ship, I imagine that will change."

"Until then," Lily raised her mug, "to CAG number 3, the coldest CAG yet." Tin mugs tinked off of each other, and the group fell to silence. Not even a dragon shaped cloud appeared that night.

~*~

Dawn painted the skies in delicate pastels as the crew of the Adamant rose from their slumber. The CAG stole a quick shower by jumping through a cloud that rolled close to the starboard bow. The water was bitter cold, but it did the trick.

It would have to, as they were immediately rounded up with the rest of the company. Cyclone Company looked fine in their new suits, almost like game pieces rather than soldiers. Rainbow Blaze gave them a once over and snorted. "Nice work on your first CAG rounds, kiddies. We're short staffed for now, so we're going to have to pull day shifts on top of night shifts. Captain Candescence has seen fit to relieve you of most of your duties because of this, so I don't want to hear any belly aching." He motioned them close and dropped his voice to a whisper. "You're basically getting out of duties to sit around all day, so try to look miserable, ok?" And then he was back to officer mode. "Same teams for today, we'll switch it up tonight. First CAG, you're up. The rest of you, get some breakfast and see about your duties." The ponies saluted and departed for the galley.

"You think this is going to be it?" Moon Fang asked. "We sit around on a ship and watch for dragons until the war's over?"

"As long as we're sitting in Dodge with buck all to do, yeah," Drifter snorted. Comet, for one, did not mind the prospect. They would be bored, no doubt, but a war spent idle was hardly the worst she could hope for.

The scent of warm oatmeal wafted through the galley. Cubes of dried apple and mixed berries swam in rich, brown soup. Earth ponies certainly had a magic of their own. Comet devoured her helping and was eager for more.

"Um, hey," she poked the unicorn behind her, "are there rules on second helpings?"

"If everypony's got theirs, you can get one more. The cooks hold some back for the crew on deck, so no worries there."

"Thanks." She extended a hoof. "Comet Shimmer."

"Crushed Satin." He shook her hoof. The filly took her tray, stood, and winked at Willow. He shrugged like it was nothing. The line, as it turned out, was anything but done, and it took her ten minutes to return to her seat. The others were all ready to leave by the time she sat, and the filly had to pour the contents into her mouth.

"Careful, Egghead. We don't need Chunks #2." The filly slowed, but the clock only allowed so much. The last thing she wanted was to miss her rounds and get a reputation so early. But the oatmeal wasn't disappearing fast enough. With a sigh, she turned around.

"Hey, Satin, you want any more?" The unicorn eyed her bowl.

"Dunno, are you sick with anything?"

"If I am, we're stuck on a ship together for ten more days anyway." He nodded and accepted the bowl with a magic glow. Comet washed her mouth with a swig of coffee and flew over to her squad.

"So elegant," Lily mocked. She pointed at her own mouth, and the indigo filly hurriedly wiped her muzzle clean. Their armor rattled against itself as they clambered to the duty roster. Each CAG had their watch period, two assignments, and the rest of the day was theirs. For Third CAG, they were stuck on-

“Deck cleaning,” Moon Beam deadpanned.

“Right now.” A low groan formed in Comet’s throat and refused to leave. Right next to her, Willow was letting out the same irritated noise. It wasn’t that they were cleaning, it was that they were cleaning on five hours of sleep, and after a three hour watch. Without a word, they trudged up to the top deck. A lieutenant pointed them to their cleaning equipment, and the next few hours were spent scrubbing the top deck from end to end.

At least they were able to mentally shut down for the chore; so long as they were aware enough to not run into anypony, they could practically sleep standing up. CAG 2 had been saddled with weapon station supply, and periodically Comet spotted one of them hauling spears up for the ballistae. She hoped it was just to familiarize them with the system, as a pegasus could only haul one spear at a time while a unicorn could levitate two or three. Unless every unicorn crewmember was busy, which they weren’t, it was just inefficient.

“Hey Moon Beam!” Lily called from the port bow. The blue filly was half way up the ship, but turned at her name. “What do you do with a drunken flier?” The pink filly started tapping her hoof.

“For Celestia’s sake, please, no,” Willow Wisp grumbled, but it was to no avail.

“What do you do with a drunken flier?” Moon Beam asked back.

“What do you do with a drunken flier, early in the morning?” Lily responded. Moon Beam caught on. Despite herself, Comet started scrubbing to the beat of the tune.

What do you do with a drunken flier?
What do you do with a drunken flier?
What do you do with a drunken flier
Early in the morning?

Pin him to a cloud until he’s sober.
Pin him to a cloud until he’s sober?
Pin him to a cloud until he’s sober
Early in the morning!

Weigh heigh, and up she rises
Weigh heigh, and up she rises
Weigh heigh, and up she rises
Early in the morning!

The deck crew had never heard an Air Guard version of a shanty, but shanties, by nature, are easy to grasp.

Pluck his feathers with some squeaky tweezers.
Pluck his feathers with some squeaky tweezers?
Pluck his feathers with some squeaky tweezers
Early in the morning!

Despite Willow’s pleading glare, Comet had to join.

Dunk him in a tuft of freezing nimbus.
Dunk him in a tuft of freezing nimbus?
Dunk him in a tuft of freezing nimbus
Early in the morning!

By this point, the entire deck crew was belting out the tune from bow to stern. Whenever a verse ended, somepony was quick on the draw for the next. Ropes were tied, spears were set, boards were scrubbed, all to the steady beat of the stupidest song anypony had heard since last night.

Put him in bed with the captain’s daughter.
Put him in bed with the captain’s daughter?
put him in bed with-

“Captain on deck!” Nothing kills the mood like singing about the captain’s daughter in front of the captain. Candescence looked up and down the deck, her jaw set and her eyes cold. One would think her crew consisted of naught but scared puppies from how their tails hid between their legs.

“You certainly could, but I think he’d be in for a hell of a surprise.” She turned around. “And I’d wonder where my son found a dress that fits him. Carry on.” The entire deck stood in stunned silence long after she had returned to her quarters. As if waiting for the pin to drop, everypony burst into knee buckling laughter. It took a long while for any of them to actually manage an ounce of work again. Once they had, though, the crew kicked right back into work and song, though a few times the words “dandy stallion” replaced “drunken sailor.”

~*~

Without her armor, Comet Shimmer felt light enough to float away. But that was the last thing she wanted as she hovered from yardarm to yardarm to inspect the lines for wear. The Adamant was so new that not a single dowel, line, board, or bolt needed replacement, but it never hurt to check anyway. Unfortunately, this was a task delegated to the winged crew nine times out of nine. The tenth stood ten yards down, overseeing their work.

Misty Morning, a seafoam green unicorn with hair like a lagoon, stood poised on the yardarm as if she were waiting in line for her coffee. Her hooves were in single file, balanced underneath her with no margin for error, yet the blustery winds so far out from the ship should have toppled her ages ago. Only a rope tied around her barrel prevented her imminent demise.

“Something wrong, Airpony?” The unicorn made her way over to where the chiroptequus was working.

“Nothing, Ma’am, just lost in thought.”

“Well, careful with that. Lose track of the wind and you’ll be lost in our wake. You lot, how do things look on your ends?” The others waved the OK. “Alright, let’s get back. Shouldn’t be much longer before lunch, and I want to claim a seat in the lounge before that.”

“Can you claim a seat and not be there?”

“Oh no, that would be unfair. Ensign Trade Jack grabs the food, I grab the seats. It’s an amicable arrangement.” Misty Morning trotted back across the yardarm as if completely oblivious to the four thousand feet between her and the ground.

“Lieutenant, I was wondering,” Comet said as she hovered alongside the unicorn, “how do you not, you know… fall to your death out here?”

“Magic.” Misty waved her hoof in a wide arc and kept walking. “No, really, we’re almost always casting magic up here in small doses, we unicorns. It’s how we adjust for the roll of the ship. You guys are so used to flying, you probably don’t even know what you do-”

“Flitting of the wings and ears to adjust air pressure and read currents.” Comet smiled at her overseer. Now that she knew about it, Comet noticed a faint glow coming from the unicorn's horn. “I read a lot.” The unicorn harumphed with a smile and stepped onto the deck.

“Fine, smartass."

~*~

One pony at a time, Cyclone Company worked their way into the crew. They found singing helped a great deal, particularly during rounds. Their days were spent on watch, helping maintain the ship, or sneaking naps. The nights were almost identical, save for the absence of chores and the loss of roughly thirty degrees.

As the CAGs shivered their tails off on the third night, solace only available in their tin mugs of coffee, the unicorn night shift finally offered an olive branch in the form of blankets. Comet Shimmer, Moon Fang, Sparky Bolts, and Sun Ray hovered up onto the top deck to find the first CAG sitting cozy.

"Deck's all yours, kids." Rainbow Blaze stretched his neck and wings and headed for the stairs. "Looks like another quiet night. You know the drill. See you in the morning." The ponies wrapped themselves up in the blankets and poured each other coffee. They had to admit, it was far better than their first few rounds.

"Well aren't you lot sitting like a bunch of nobles." Night Light took a seat beside the CAG. Moon Fang poured him a mug. "Thanks. Where'd you get the blankets?"

"The crew shift gave them to CAG One." Sun Ray shifted under hers. "It's like night and day against this wind."

"Speaking of gifts, Sir," Comet grabbed something under her blanket, "I have something for you." She pulled out a dark green bottle and offered it to the cobalt unicorn.

"Well I'll be a manticore's cousin, you actually brought some. Thank you much." He immediately uncorked the bottle and put it to his lips. "Tastes like home. You know they make this just south of Canterlot? They'd serve it constantly up at the palace, and the kitchen staff would sneak us guardponies bottles pretty often."

"Sounds like a fun job," Moon Fang grinned.

"It was. Don't get me wrong, the Royal Guard takes its job very seriously. But there's really not much to do. Patrol the halls, patrol the streets sometimes, escort the princess when she goes places, and count the armor suits in the castle. Four hundred seventy six, by the way."

"So that's why you transferred?"

"Yep."

"You regret it?"

Night Light took another drink from his wine bottle. "Not yet." He offered them each a drink. Even with the aftertaste of the coffee, it was indeed a fine beverage.

~*~

Shortly after noon of the tenth day, the rolling plains and tufts of forest gave way to rocky crags and open expanses of dirt, sand, and coarse shrubbery. A broad canyon marked the northern border of Dodge Province. Mostly arid terrain, Dodge was one of Equestria's larger holdings, reaching all the way to the badlands in the far south. Dodge Junction, a train station and little else, was poised to be the launching point for all manner of southern settlement for pony kind. For now, however, it served a different purpose.

As the Adamant descended early the morning following, the sight that beheld them was like nothing most of them had ever seen. The newbies of Cyclone Company had been amazed when they had first seen the Dauntless. To see her and the Adamant flying close together had been incredible. The skies of Dodge Junction, considering, were breathtaking.

Seventeen airships kept a healthy distance from each other, floating like clouds above the tiny town. Pegasus flight groups flitted about from ship to ground to ship, relaying messages and running drills. Around the town in every direction, camps and makeshift structures had been erected to house thousands of ponies. Around their borders, sharpened stakes and defensive runes had been erected to fortify the base. Far to the east and west, tiny airships floated above more camps, and it was entirely believable that more of the same lay beyond the horizon.

Rainbow Blaze had described the series of fortified positions known as "The Line" to them, but it was another thing entirely to see it. As they neared, the airborne ponies could see their comrades rising with the sun far below. The earth pony and unicorn battalions far outnumbered them, which may have been the reason for their seemingly more battered equipment. The air groups', notably, were only slightly better. Some bore gashes and scratches similar to the sergeant's, some were shiny like theirs, and some looked like they had seen action against the griffins.

The Adamant descended below the other airships and dropped anchor only a few yards above the ground, her bow resting just beside the roof of the train station. A ramp swung out and rested against her side, and ponies started swarming on and off, supplies emptying with the flow. Suits of armor, food, weapons, ammunition, medicine and bandages, paper, quills, spyglasses, tents, they had brought some of everything it seemed.

A brilliant fuchsia mare in golden armor marched on deck, mulling over the activity with minimal interest. As much as she was looking forward to the extra supplies, her want was elsewhere. She finally found it standing in an even row well out of the way of the main traffic. Flicking her tail, she sauntered up to the waiting row and looked them over. The last of Firefly's new recruits had arrived, and she was eager to make use of them.

"Lieutenant on deck, attention!" Rainbow Blaze bellowed. The squad saluted. "Sergeant Rainbow Blaze reporting with new company members from Fort Hurricane, ma'am."

"At ease," Firefly said with a wave of her hoof. "Congratulations on your promotion, Sergeant. Now, what kind of morsels have you brought me?" She recognized the bat winged filly she had drafted half a year ago, but the others were all unfamiliar to her.

"I got my hooves on a whole squad and then some, ma'am. They did well in their final exam, placed third." The newbies had not known that, and had to try very hard to not show it. "All twelve of them together was a hard deal, but we definitely got the best outcome."

"Corkscrew, you wouldn't know a good deal if it bit your ear off." Firefly took the time to thoroughly, and invasively, examine each pony. She scowled like they were dogs caught in a closet full of torn linens, but there was a spark of mirth in her eyes. "And what was The Gambit for these foals?"

"Live combat against dragon constructs, Ma'am. The Dauntless and the Adamant provided the magic and support." The pink pegasus honestly looked impressed.

"Well then, at least you're not a bunch of completely brain dead oafs who have no idea what they'll be going up against. Maybe command does have a brain among them." Firefly trotted back to the start of the line. "Well, good to have you. Hopefully we'll have you for a while yet. We're still waiting on orders for our deployment along The Line, so for now we're sitting tight in Dodge Junction."

"Permission to speak, ma'am?" Sparky Bolts said.

"Go ahead."

"Sgt. Blaze has been informing us of the state of the war since we were assigned to Cyclone Company, but has anything changed since he departed?"

"Not a bucking thing." Firefly flashed a lopsided frown at the rainbow maned stallion. "The dragons are out somewhere to the south, most likely planning something. Every day, maybe a few times a day, they attack again somewhere. Sometimes it's in the middle of the day, sometimes at midnight, sometimes at the crack of dawn. Sometimes it's only a dozen, sometimes it's a couple hundred.

"Our current line of reasoning is that they're looking for weaknesses in our line. So we keep things fluid, try to randomly reinforce positions so their probes don't reveal lasting faults in our deployment." Firefly looked around. "Come on, let's clear the deck. I'll show you tender babbies where the rest of the company has been camping."

Comet was glad to find Lt. Firefly was just she remembered. The fuschia mare led them off the ship, catching them up on recent events as they walked. A few scratches and dents aside, she looked no worse for wear than she had when they had first met. Her armor, the filly noticed, as slightly different than theirs. The breast and back plates were the same, but her foreleg plates were divided into two sections. A gold band protected her cannon, and metal boots covered her hoof. A series of grooves was set into the boots along the outside.

"Ma'am, permission for a question?" Comet said.

"Celestia's sunkissed butt, are you all going to ask permission like a bunch of golems? Yes, what."

"Are we going to be wearing armor at all times here as well?" The pink mare stopped and stared at her.

"As well? Oh my- Blaze, you are a bastard," Firefly laughed. "Oh that's good, I love it. No, kid, you practiced fast equip drills for a reason. If you have to respond to a crisis, you should be able to suit up in under a minute, but that's part of why we have the CAG. They can deploy immediately. Sgt. Blaze here had you wearing armor all the time because, well, maybe he has a sadistic side I didn't know about."

"I thought it best they get used to wearing their suits early, ma'am," he said as sternly as his wide smile could allow. The newbies looked at him like he'd kicked their dog.

"Too right, Sergeant," Firefly said between laughing. "If we're expecting a battle, you'll be armored up long before the fighting begins. It's best to be comfortable in them."

"Comfortable enough to sleep in, apparently." Somepony was seriously going to kill him. Firefly could not stop laughing.

On a peaceful day, Dodge Junction would have been a pretty little town. The train station was easily the largest building, but the post office, general store, and various other little shops spread away from it to form a wide ring. A block of homes stood adjacent, and in the distance, a few orchards could be seen sprouting into existence. What had formed in the midst of the fledgeling settlement, however, was a military base with all the construction discipline of a shack and only the best military efficiency. Everywhere, ponies were running supplies, doing morning exercises, delivering messages, cleaning equipment, or standing watch. The base built around Dodge Junction dwarfed the town, and Comet wondered for a moment what happened to the residents.

The train station had been converted into a military headquarters, but the company's destination lay out beyond the borders of the town proper. Far into the camp, a series of large tents were marked with the name "Cyclone Company," their regiment number, and their sigil, a red and gold tornado devouring a cloud. A few pegasi milled about outside, and from the sounds of it, many more were seeing to their business inside. When the lieutenant stepped inside the nearest tent, however, all chatter ceased instantly.

The newbies followed her in and were met by a platoon of winged ponies standing neatly at attention. It was clear some had only just woken up. Firefly waved them to ease with her wing and motioned at the new blood. "These are the rest of our new recruits, boys and girls. Along with them, we got the last ship of our battlegroup, and a shipment of new armor and weapons. So you've all got that to look forward to." A few happy sighs and cheers echoed through the tent. "Duster, the standing roster." A cinnamon red pegasus passed her a clipboard. A table of names, ranks, and assignments spanned over eight pages, though a few names were notably crossed off. "Mmmm. Here's our plan then. Command is still sitting on our deployment, so until then, we're not going anywhere. All the same, pack your gear and be ready to move. I want squad and platoon leads with me to discuss assigning the newbies. The rest of you, pack and get to know our newest ponies."

The mare spun on a bit and left. Four ponies, including Rainbow Blaze, followed her out and went to the other tents to call for officers. The foal squad was suddenly very much alone with ponies they had never met. Thankfully, there were those in their ranks that did well with awkward, in that social grace was little more than a bother.

"Faust almighty, who's hungry," Lily shouted. Apparently, everypony was. First order of business, then, was food. It is a known fact that ice breaking is easier when eating can substitute for talking. This was doubly true, as Sun Ray and Moon Beam were perfectly willing to talk between themselves without end. Comet, caught in the wave of pegasi, found herself caught in a headlock and shaken around like a ragdoll.

"Well I didn't think it possible. It's that filly from the pub all those months ago." Comet slipped free and turned on her attacker. He was a lanky pegasus, thistly blue mane and white coat with eyes like icicles. His smile, however, was warm like a hearth and full of straight, pearly teeth. "I thought the boss was crazy, draftin' some teary filly who hadn't even been to Basic. 'Kid's gonna wash out, I tell ya.' I said that, Corkscrew'll tell ya I did. But wasn't I just plain wrong."

Comet's memories of the evening were blurred by alcohol, but the pegasus' face shone through with enough searching. "Snowdrift? Oh wow, it's been ages. Wait- you thought I was going to fail?"

"You were a tiny little filly crying her eyes out at the bar. What was I supposed to think?"

"You colossal jerk." She smacked him on the shoulder, but her wide smile hardly made her attack convincing. "How have you been?"

"Hot," Snowdrift grumbled. "Summers down here are brutal. I'm praying we're done and out of here before the next one arrives, for more reasons than one. Aside from sweating buckets, alright all things considered."

"Seen much action?" Stratus trotted up beside them.

"Seen enough. And you are?"

"Snowdrift, this is Stratus Drifter, Airpony First Class. Drifter, this is Snowdrift... Sorry, I don't know your rank."

"Lancer," Snowdrift said, "Just below a sergeant. Nice to meet ya, Drifter. Where ya from?" The line slowed as they merged into the queue for the mess tent.

"Manehatten, sir."

"Thought I heard it, slight tinge in your voice."

"You from there?"

"Parents were, raised me in Buckshire. Lotsa family in the big city though." Comet smiled at the two. She remembered the squad she'd met at the pub being easy to get along with. It had mostly been her own nerves that had kept her from being especially social, but they had given her plenty of opportunity. She was glad to see it was, at least in some cases, not a one time thing.

~*~

Firefly looked over the rosters spread out before her. They had lost nineteen airponies, and nineteen new heads had arrived. But who would fit best where?

"We've got to split them up," the mare said. "There's no platoon that needs a full squad. Everypony needs a few." The others said nothing; she would let them know when she was done. "On one hoof, we could move others around to let them stay together. Our vets already have experience with each other, and I don't doubt they would be able to work together easily. On the other hoof, I'm not inclined to bend down for a bunch of newbies, and I don't want them keeping to an isolated group just because they already know each other well." Firefly stopped her pacing and turned to face them. "Thoughts?"

"You could do a bit of both," Canyon Howl, one of the Blizzard platoon officers, offered. "Move all the empty positions to one platoon, then spread them out amongst that. They'll be close enough most of the time to reinforce each other, but they still integrate into the group at large."

"Might work. Any other ideas?"

"We could keep them in flight pairs but assign them as needed."

"I'm hearing compromise in all these ideas." Firefly shifted the rosters around. "Fine, we’ll go with Howl’s idea. Corkscrew, you fine staying on as their nanny?"

"I've had worse, ma'am." Rainbow Blaze took a quill to the closest roster. "What if we dumped them in Crescent Platoon? They have the most casualties as it is, and a rotation might do them some good. We can keep them off the front for a bit, regulate them to support roles." The squad commanders from Crescent glanced at each other. As much as Rainbow Blaze's idea sounded a touch demeaning, it was entirely true.

"Complaints?" Firefly glanced around. "Good, make it happen. Now, about our ships." She pulled three tiny wooden models of the airships to the center of the table, along with sixteen models of pegasi. "We have three ships, but I'm guessing nopony at Command can do division. We can't evenly split our platoons across them. Thoughts?"

"Assign two platoons to one and have it be the lead ship?"

"Or assign two to two and keep the third as a support ship."

"The former would have one ship bearing the brunt of every battle, the other would leave a ship without a support group. And having two on the support ship would leave too many out of action." Firefly was grinding her teeth. "What are the odds of getting another ship, Sergeant?"

"I'm pretty sure every ship they've built has been deployed, ma'am. It'll take weeks before another one is built and sent our way." The stallion looked to his commander. He had seen her deal with far worse and maintain her demeanor. He frowned, but held his tongue.

"...Ok, we're going to adopt a tight fork deployment." She rearranged the pieces on the board so the ships formed a triangle, one elevated above the rest. "Two ships lead the charge, one platoon to each. Third ship hangs back at a higher altitude. It's platoons launch and support wherever we need." The others all seemed to agree. "Good. Dauntless and Starfall will form the front, Adamant will support. Blaze, Duster, Ardent, you three handle squad assignments. The rest of you, dismissed." The ponies filed out of the tent while Firefly started clearing the table.

Rainbow Blaze excused himself and went up to the lieutenant. "Firefly, what happened?"

"You're going to have to be more specific than that, Sergeant."

"I mean you got bothered about squad deployments and formations. It's not like you." He stared into her eyes. "Something happened while I was gone."

The mare frowned at him. "They attacked the junction a week ago. Our most fortified location, and they sent eighty plus fliers and over twelve hundred ground troops straight at us." The mare resumed her cleaning. "We pushed them back, of course, but it was too bold. I don't know what they're up to, but I don't like it."

"Nopony knows the mind of a dragon. Maybe they got riled up and charged the line without any thought for strategy."

"Never underestimate, your enemy, Rainbow, come on." Firefly whacked him with her tail. "Dragons are smart. Well, enough of them are."

"You think another attack is coming?"

"without a doubt. The real question is when."

"Thus the nerves." She glanced at him. He nodded. "As you wish."

~*~

Cyclone Company read over the newly arranged roster that was posted that afternoon. For most of the company, nothing was objectionable or out of the ordinary. Comet's heart floated precariously as she read over the platoon her friends had spread over.

"Could have been worse, Egghead," Thunder Clap said, "At least we're all on the same boat."

"True," she sighed, "and it's the Adamant, so not too much new territory."

"It's not like we were ever a proper squad to begin with," Stargaze pointed out.

"Nah, just a gang of misfits and weirdos." Lily poked Rain. "Eh, Stuffshirt?"

"Speak for yourself, you little monster." A voice rang out over the group, calling their squads to gather up and get acquainted. "Well, I'll see you ponies around."

"Oh don't get all dramatic." Moon Fang nudged a hoof at the twins, who were clinging to Stargaze and crying huge, fake tears. "We'll be right by each other the whole time." Fang, Lily, Sparky Bolts, and Comet had all been dumped in the same squad, the fifteen other ponies sprinkled throughout Crescent platoon. Comet stared pensively at the pink filly; she had to admit, Lily had made a good lead pony for her, even if she could be painfully obnoxious.

In pairs, they made their way over to the circle for their squad. A well built, brown pegasus with a dark mane was waving them together. "Alright, boys and girls, get over here." He hovered to the ground when the other seven had gathered. "Let's get this started. I'm Sergeant Cinnamon Cane, lead for Crescent Platoon Squad Four. I know you all read this on the chart, but let me get through it. We're assigned to the Adamant to act as its second support wing. The Adamant has been situated to be center rear in the formation, to give us a chance to recover.

"As you might have figured out, over half our platoon now consists of new blood. Sergeant Rainbow Blaze has been assigned Crescent Platoon lead, so don't expect anything resembling a holiday. Oh, and while we're here, last word I got is..." Cinnamon Cane pulled out a slip of paper, "we're not distributing our ranks to three pony wings, so we're sticking with the current pairs."

"How're we supposed to do sabre teams with only two ponies?" a mare to Comet's left asked.

"The same way you have been, Dew. One vanguard, one sabre." There was a chorus of mutters from the experienced half of the squad. "Shove it, you mules. This isn’t the Griffin War, and this is what we have to work with. Fact is, we don't even have enough gear to field that many sabres anyway. Now, for good measure, we're heading out with Squad Two to practice some maneuvers. Nothing brings ponies together like precision turns. Suits on, we're up in five. Dismissed." The filly was glad she had opted for a light breakfast.

~*~

The Dodge skies were pleasantly warm and full of updrafts that made flying easy as breathing. It helped, because the turns and dives Squad Four were executing were on par with the hardest exercises Basic had run the newbies through, and setting up for another run was a long climb. The filly was pointed straight for the ground one second, banking hard to her left the next, flipping over an invisible opponent, rolling away from their attack, and spinning almost in place to come in for the kill. She could picture the glimmerback, scales shining in the sun, teeth sharp as razors, and how every move she made corresponded to killing the imaginary beast.

The flight pairs would fall dangerously close to each other, overlapping each other's trajectories and coming within a yard of colliding. Every run, she and Lily wound up riding the wake of the pair they merged into, reading the wind off their wings and legs to follow a more complex maneuver. Wake reading had been introduced to them early in their training, and had accounted for nearly every injury the infirmary saw in the month following.

A sabre lead their line. Her spear was entirely absent, replaced by two long, curved blades, one extending from either fore hoof. The grooved boots matched the ones she had seen Firefly wearing before. The way she seemed to cut the air, leaving empty space behind her, Comet could only imagine what it must have been capable of against dragon skin.

The lead looked over her shoulder at the three in her wake, grinned, and tucked her wings tighter to her sides. Their maneuver called for fifty more feet of fall before a tight turn, but the mark came and went and they continued to drop. Comet tried to glance at Lily, but the pink pegasus was locked on the mare in front of her. Down, down, down, the ground grew larger in their vision. Details could be made out, details like a glade of tall cacti spanning out in front of them. She didn't think gravity could pull them any harder when the lead mare flared her wings.

All together, the four ponies spread their wings as wide as they could. Feathers strained, skin was pulled taught, but they kept falling. Only feet above the ground, their flight path leveled out, though their speed was seemingly undiminished. The mare tucked her wings back and sped for the cacti. The three ponies followed her in, slipping through her wake like fish in a river. With no time to send a signal beat before a maneuver, the ponies following had to read her movements as she made them. She led them over branches, under arches, looping between the thick green stalks with inches to spare. A stray clump of plant tore a few hairs from Lily's mane, but she didn’t seem to notice. They ducked low through the far edge of the glade, bellies nearly scraping the rocky ground, before the sky opened again at last and the ponies arched up into a glide.

The mare laughed between pants as they came to a landing. She took off her helmet and beamed. "That was a hell of a run, newbies. I'm impressed."

"Me too," Comet managed before she collapsed. Her wings screamed at her. A fifth pony set down hard beside the group.

"What the hell was that, Dewbead?" Cinnamon Cane scowled.

"Just seeing what the newbies could do, sir. Better than I expected, I thought they'd bug out before we hit the first cactus." Dewbead looked to her wingpony, Summer Seas, who nodded sagely. With the adrenaline washing out of her system, Comet noticed a pain rising in her hind leg. A chunk of cactus had gotten stuck there, though her boot seemed to have deflected far more. Her gurgle alerted the other ponies. "Oh, well..." The mare scratched the back of her neck sheepishly.

Cinnamon Cane snorted and inspected Comet's leg. "Nothing serious here. Head back to camp and get it wrapped up, Airpony. Nimbus, right? See she gets back. As for you two," he turned to the veteran ponies, "you can do the dive again, twice more in fact. but no tricks this time." The ponies' gaze trailed up and up to the cloud high above where they had jumped from. "Is there a problem?" The two saluted and took off. Cinnamon Cane gave the newbies an irritated glance and headed up as well.

"Great." Comet Shimmer sat in the dirt and inspected her wounds. They were really nothing, just a few pricks barely deep enough to draw blood. But her orders were to get it cleaned up, and she could hardly disobey. "Hey Jitterbug."

"Yeah?"

"How fast you think we can be back up there?" The pink filly smiled.

"Shoot for ten minutes?"

"Where's your competitive spirit?"

The pink pegasus smirked. "Six it is."

Six and a half minutes later, Lily and Comet thumped into the cloud where the rest of their squad was gathered. The ointment the medic had given Comet had made the pricks nigh impossible to notice, though she still favored the other three legs.

"All set then, airponies?" Cinnamon Cane asked.

"Right as rain, sir," Comet said.

"Good. You two will be jumping next. Wren Song, up here, we'll be leading. Newbie hazing is all well and good, but let's try to not have any more near misses today, hm?" The other three ponies saluted and lined up on the edge. Comet caught Dewbead’s gaze and gave the mare a reassuring nod. The sky devoured everything in howling wind after that, and the four ponies were falling. Five thousand feet and counting.

~*~

Crescent platoon hurt in nearly all the right places when they retired for the night. The newbies who had come in on the Adamant found it weird to not have night watch, but they weren’t about to complain. Comet Shimmer and her squad sat around the fire in the center of their platoon's circle and got to know each other. Wren Song, she found out, was a harpist for the Baltimare Symphony Orchestra. Her uncle, who she'd been close to, had been in the Air Guard, so she had gone through Basic years ago. When war was declared, she set down her harp and took up her polearm.

Cinnamon Cane had been a chef in Cloudsdale. Dewbead had been a dock worker out of Fillydelphia, and Summer Seas was an accountant. They were surprised to be recounting their tales again; they had all been in the same tents for six months now. They all knew each other. When Comet apologized for having to get the four of them up to speed, Summer Seas smiled.

"We just hadn't thought about it, really." He looked up. "If the seasons weren't changing, you wouldn't know one day follows another out here. They'll be doing the Running of the Leaves soon, back home." Nopony had heard of the event. "It's something they do in Ponyville every autumn. There's a big race, and the tremors from everypony running knocks all the leaves off the trees. It's a big event."

"So, Autumn Wrap Up?" The stallion shrugged and nodded. "Huh, Canterlot doesn't do anything like that."

"That's because Canterlot doesn't have seasons," Cinnamon Cane huffed.

"We do so! It snows in winter, and it's hot and dry in summer."

"You wouldn't know snow if your house was made of it," the squad lead huffed again, "which is weird, considering you live on a mountain. You should see the storms that get sent Vanhoover's way. Miles across and packed full, those things. It takes entire weather teams to move just one." He laughed and sipped from his mug. "It's always a big thing when the first blizzard of the year gets shipped out from the factory, like christening a new ship. Everypony's cheering and poppin’ bottles. You should see it."

"Wow, Sergeant Cinnamon Stick-up-my-ass is getting all sentimental?" Dewbead laughed. "What is the world coming to?" Comet chuckled and excused herself to use the toilet.

This far from a city, the sky shone like a sea of diamonds. Great bands of glittering lights danced from horizon to horizon on a bed of blues and purples. The cooling earth glowed blue with the light of the heavens. It was a sight impossible to find in the suburbs of Canterlot. The filly wished she could take part of it home with her.

"Enjoying the view, Recruit?" Firefly was sitting only a few yards from the stargazing filly. Comet snapped to attention. "Oh relax. I will seriously beat the stiffness out of you guys, just so you all know. We're a team, not a machine part." The pink mare patted the dirt beside her. The filly sat down and kept stealing glances at her. "There a problem, kid?"

"Did you think I was going to wash out too?"

The mare shrugged. "Even chances, I figured. But I like a gamble once in a while." Comet tilted her head.

"Ma'am, why did you pick me?"

Firefly's face was completely blank as she looked out on the level desert to the south. "That night at the pub, we'd been officially at war for, what, a month? We knew we were going to get shipped out sooner or later. It's what we're for. I'd been down to the recruitment office once or twice, and you know what I saw? I saw oafs like that one you brought along, Thunder Clap. I saw brutes and bullies, fillies and colts who saw the whole thing as a chance to fight somepony and get away with it.

"So what am I supposed to think when I see you? 'Great, another one.' But you didn't want to hurt anyone. Your words, any-one, not just ponies. So if it wasn't the violence, wasn't the glory, wasn't our ‘generous’ pay and benefits, what made you join?"

"I wanted to protect my family."

"Right there. You have a real reason. You have something you want to protect, something that's more important to you than you." Firefly pushed her in the chest. "I already know you'd do anything for what you want to protect. Tartarus' bad side, you're already out here when I can tell a book store suits you better. I want ponies with that kind of heart in my company, and only that kind. You and your training squad even managed to turn a brute into a half decent specimen. We'll see how the lot of you do, though, when things really get going."

The mare's gaze turned back to the horizon. Her eyes narrowed, and Comet heard a pensive growl reverberate through her throat. Out at the edge of the camp, a series of bright flashes flared and disappeared like falling stars. To the west, more flashes could be seen. Comet tensed and stood.

"Simmer down, kid. It's just a skirmishing party. Longtails, most likely. If the border guards needed help, we'll hear it." The filly sat back down, but her wings still jittered at her sides. "Looking for a fight so soon, Recruit?"

Comet turned to snap at her leader, but caught herself at the last minute. She clenched her jaw. "Did Sgt. Blaze tell you about our Gambit?" The mare nodded. "One of our kills, I tore open a glimmerback's throat with my glaive from jaw to collar. I was completely covered in blood, and at the time I thought it was real. I held it together for the rest of the fight, but when we got back..." She found it hard to look Firefly in the eye. "I thought it was real. The whole time, I thought I was soaked in the blood of something I had killed, and I hated it. I hated it for having to die. I hated myself for killing it. In my sleep, I could still see it trying to eat me. I still do..."

"And now you're afraid you're going to let us all down when you face a real one, isn't that right?" Comet's nose was nearly touching the ground. "You won't." The filly looked up at her. "Being afraid doesn't make you a coward. I don't pick cowards for my company." Firefly watched the flashes continue to flare on the edge of the camp. "When you're afraid, that's the only time you can really be brave. Remember why you're here, recruit, and you'll figure it out." The flashes had still not ceased. "Something's wrong."

The first horn sounded to the west, then one from the edge of their camp- distress calls, reinforcements needed. Firefly was already on her feet with Comet just behind. "All platoons, suit up." A thunderstorm would have had a hard time matching her command voice. "Apex, Dawn platoons, you're flying lead, Blizzard and Crescent support. High altitude recon first, let's get a lay of the land. If the enemy is all ground based, we only engage on outlying units. Do not assault their main force. Let's move, ponies." Cyclone Company slipped into their armor and grabbed their weapons.

For the first time, Comet saw Dewbead's sabres up close. They looked more like metal fangs than weapons. The pegasus slipped each one into a latch along her boot and tested their stability. Satisfied, she trotted up to the squad, her blades angled to avoid striking anything. It seemed to Comet like walking in them should be awkward, but there was a grace in the mare's step that could make Rain blush.

"Crescent Platoon, listen up." Rainbow Blaze appeared in his new armor. He looked like a tank; his collar was higher on his neck than theirs, and his helmet sported a visor that covered the top half of his face where their nose guard would be. There was almost nothing to hit on the front of his body. "We're following Apex in, keep in their wake and let them take the first strike. No heroics tonight, got it?" The platoon barked the affirmative. "Let's go, airponies." They took to the air and rose steadily through the night. In front, behind, left, right, below, platoons were moving to the source of the call. Boasting squads of earth ponies with all manner of weapons, unicorns with their foci and runed armor, and winged ponies with spear and sabre, they surely outnumbered the attackers.

By the time Cyclone Company arrived on the scene, the dragons were already outmatched twelve to one. Only a few of the beasts were airborne, and those few were surrounded by airponies and being poked left and right. The ground scene was only slightly worse. The longtail force was greater in number, but had failed to penetrate past the second line. Apex Platoon broke in half and swooped in a dive, each half striking down either flank of the reptilian army.

"Stay high and watch for additional forces," Rainbow Blaze called above the wind. The company fell into an alert but lazy circle, coasting high above the battle. The last glimmerback fell on a dozen spears at once and plummeted like a stone. With their momentum broken, the longtails began to fall back at any opportunity. The dragons' backs exposed to them, eager pegasi platoons swooped in and picked off the stragglers. A tense calm fell over the field while everypony waited for what could come next.

After five minutes gliding in the dark and the quiet, the all clear sounded. Not long after, the camp to the west sounded the all clear as well, and everypony visibly calmed. A few casualties could be seen down on the ground, but nowhere near as many as the dragons had suffered. Cyclone Company pulled through one more pass and headed back for their camp.

"What was all that, then?" Stratus Drifter said as he landed.

"Rules are," Coriolis, his lead, said, "if they breach the first line, sound the call. The scouts out at the trenches wouldn't have held against a force that big. There were reinforcements in the lot too."

"And most assaults don't cross the first defense?"

"No, and most assaults don't hit here either. I don't know what they were thinking, attacking Dodge with so few."

"Maybe they were hoping to surprise us," Wren Song said. "Slip through the outer defenses, kill the patrol, slip into our ranks and bite some throats before we knew they were there." She started undoing her armor. "I don't think they'll try again."

"It's awfully wasteful, isn't it?" Comet helped Lily out of her backplate. "Why send so few on a suicide mission? If they have an army, why not attack in force?"

"Don't give them ideas." Rainbow's armor hit the ground with mighty thumps and clouds of dust. "Most of what's going on beyond that trench is unknown. They might be building an army but don't have it ready yet."

"Better, then, to not waste units, right?"

"Give it a rest, kid." The stallion ran a hoof through his mane. "We don't know what their strategy is. We just respond. Why do you think we have a line of fortified positions spanning through the desert?"

"To defend against the inevitable dragon attacks."

"But building positions like these takes weeks. Why spend all that time on a temporary fixture?"

"Because it's not temporary." Firefly moved silently even in her armor. Her sabres sparkled in the firelight save for where deep cuts marred their surfaces. "Command doesn't have a plan of attack, so we're sitting here and waiting them out."

"If we're playing the waiting game," Comet said slowly, "why build dozens of airships?"

A flicker of mirth appeared in Firefly's eye. "Why indeed." The mare turned. "Get some rest. I don't think we can expect another attack tonight, but by tomorrow morning, I’ll make sure we’re moving." She turned and slipped into her tent without another word. The rest of the company milled about, removing armor or grabbing half finished dinners. Comet sat back with her squad and turned her helmet over in her hooves. Still shiny, then.

Ch.8 - Carols

The next morning, squads Three and Four returned from their exercises, happy to tally one day without an accident. As they set down in the middle of their camp, going over the results of their practice, a few of the ranking officers brushed past them. Half of them maintained their composure enough to ignore them entirely. The other half shot them glares that ranged from frosty to milk curdling. The seven veterans saluted properly, though Dewbead couldn't help but flash a challenging grin, and the newbies looked on in confusion. When they were sure the officers were out of earshot, they turned to their squad lead.

“So what was that about, sir?” Moon Fang asked.

“That was Lt. Firefly’s work, I bet.” Cinnamon Cane chuckled. “She has a way with the brass.” Just as he’d predicted, Firefly had made good on her word, and late afternoon found Cyclone Company loading up on their ships. They, along with a second battle group, were being deployed to Camp 28, designated Thunderhooves Pass. It was a narrow canyon between two sheer bluffs, less than a mile across. To a land bound party, it was the only way from the greater desert to the Equestrian side for fifty miles. The camp was situated at the top of one of the bluffs, with a heavy line of defenses through the canyon itself. Nothing was passing through without getting spotted, shot, skewered, and blown apart by powerful magic. With the arrival of the two battle groups, their defense in the air would nearly match their ground.

With two full platoons moving in, the Foal Squad of Crescent Platoon expected the arrival of so many "hot shot airponies crowding up our ship" would lead the crew to blows within an hour. However, nothing brings ponies together like spontaneous song, and doubly so when drink is to be had. Captain Candescence was, for the first time any of them them had seen, red in the face with wine and laughter as she held Sergeant Fir Bough in a headlock.

"Easy, ma'am," Rainbow Blaze tried to talk her down, "we want her alive for when we get to the pass."

"Little Sticky's fine. We used to do far worse to each other when we were fillies." All the same, she released the indignant pegasus with a laugh. "I never would have expected to be deployed in the same group, though."

"Stranger things have happened, Candy. How's the kid? I'm kind of surprised he isn't out here."

"He's doing well. And he's not enlisted because I forbade it." The captain was smiling, but it was the sort of smile one makes for another. "He has good prospects for making it into the Science Academy, and I didn't want him ruining that chance out here."

"That's Captain Candy for you." Fir Bough took a long drink of wine. "Even when we were fillies, she knew what was best for everypony. How about you tell ‘em all about that time we found a beehive in Frosty’s shed?”

“I will have you keel hauled, Sergeant.” Well, it was interesting to see her so jovial while it lasted. Comet sat with Night Light, Rain, Moon Fang, and Willow, and together they worked through the second bottle of the filly’s “private reserve.” Other unicorns from the Magicorp would appear from the crowd for a time, chat with them, accept a drink, and disappear again. On the third round of singing, Willow Wisp declared he had had enough and offered to take drinks up to the CAG. Silver Raindrops, seeing the colt leave, departed with him to "help carry the cups."

"The guy doesn't like singing?" Night Light looked puzzled. Comet and Fang could only shrug. In due time, ponies started to filter out and return to duties; as much as getting to know the crew was important, the ship wasn't running itself. "Hey Captain, how many more days to Thunderhooves?"

"Two and a half, if the wind holds." Candescence levitated a notebook and leafed through the pages. "The bad news is, the flight path takes us almost directly along The Line. Sgt. Blaze, you have more ponies this time, correct?"

"Aye, ma'am."

"What say you to doubling the CAG?" Fir Bough hissed at her childhood friend, but Rainbow nodded in agreement. "Good. Relax, Sticky, those foals were running double CAG shifts on the way south, I'm sure you can manage half of what they did."

And that's how all of Squad Four found themselves circled up on the deck in the middle of the night, watching the sky for signs of trouble. To his credit, Rainbow Blaze had volunteered to take the watch with them, but he seemed to prefer walking the deck over sitting around. Every few minutes, a cloud seemed to sprout leathery wings and a spiked tail, only to vanish again into the dark. The journey south had been through Equestrian territory; an attack was unlikely. Here, it was probable.

Comet and Moon Fang, still wobbly from the wine, leaned against each other and sang bits of song when they came to mind. Cinnamon Cane half heartedly chided them on being prepared for a fight, but the rest of the squad seemed too amused to be annoyed. Night Light, being on the same shift, regularly stopped to make small talk with the huddled airponies. Comet was sure he was just looking for more wine, but when she revealed a distinct lack of the red beverage, he still stuck around.

"If I didn't know any better, Lighty," Lily teased, "I'd wager you have a case of wing envy." She flapped her wings once or twice in, what is considered among pegasi, a provocative display. It bounced off the unicorn like water off a duck's back.

"Not really," Night Light laughed, "though I do wish I could teleport. Ah well, not that gifted. I just... hmmm... Somepony I care about taught me the value of meeting new ponies. Getting out of my shell, y'know?" The indigo filly nodded to herself. "But hey, if you'd rather I be elsewhere..." The unicorn got up with a feigned huff and started off.

Comet reached out and grabbed him. "No, stay, it's fine. It's fine, Night Light." The unicorn looked at the chiroptequus, then to the rest of the squad. Rainbow Blaze sat down with his airponies and patted a spot beside himself. They each nodded, and the unicorn made himself comfortable in the circle. Wren Song started up a conversation about the last Equestria Games, something Comet had paid less than no attention to. Night Light's golden eyes caught her attention, and she looked to see him grinning at her. "What?" she whispered.

"That's the first time you didn't call me 'sir.'" His grin broadened when she started trying to write off her defeat.

~*~

The crew quarters were never entirely quiet, either from the groan of the ship or the snoring of its inhabitants. It was just something to get used to. It did get dark, but that was a trite concern for a chiroptequus. Comet lay in her bunk and stared at the ceiling.

There was something she couldn't place her hoof on about the attack at the junction. It was too sudden, it was too small, it made no sense. She rolled on her side and bumped against something round. Reaching to the edge of her bunk, she found her strange contraption. Another puzzle to solve. She tried a few random twists of its surface, listening to its repeated clicks, but no change in sound revealed itself. A section could make a full rotation and not inhibit any other at any point. No markings had magically appeared. It was a toy, surely, and yet the filly felt as though something would pop out of it if she could just get the right combination.

Comet wasn't sure when she drifted off to sleep, but the thought lingered when she woke for breakfast. She sat in the galley, her friends' conversation a dull hum in her ears, with the contraption and her notebook laid in front of her.

"So what's the story with this?" Cinnamon Cane and Wren Song sat down beside her and looked over her scribblings.

"I picked it up in Canterlot when we stopped for supplies," Comet said. "I'm not entirely sure what it does, but I feel like the right combination will activate it." She tried another series of twists, huffed when it did nothing, and noted the combination with an X in her notebook.

"She's always been weird like that, pay it no mind," Sparky Bolts said.

"Hobbies are fine," Cinnamon Cane said, "as long as you do your job. Rounds start in ten, Shimmer, don't be late."

"Wouldn't dream of it, sir." Comet marked down another failed combination and tried again. Nothing had worked by the time she had to leave, and the filly ran to her bunk, slipped the contraption back under her pillow, and headed up. With the construct out of sight, she had little trouble getting her duties done. She and the other newbies noted how easy it was to do rounds now that they didn't have to wear their armor all the time. The air around Rainbow Blaze grew noticeably colder whenever he wandered near them.

Firefly arrived from the Dauntless around mid morning to check in on the ship. Maybe it was for the morale, or maybe she honestly felt confident riding in a six ship battle group, but she had left her armor behind. She checked in with the captain, her leaders, a few others of the crew, and then stood on the bow and watched the clouds go by. If they didn't know where they were, and they didn't know her, somepony would think she was on a cruise enjoying the sun and the wind.

It didn't escape the attention of the new guys.

"So what's the lieutenant like?"

"Shimmer, you know Lt. Firefly, right? What's up?"

"How long have you known the lieutenant?" Never a rude question, but the rhetoric was clear: is our boss crazy? Comet had a hard time answering that; Firefly had drafted her as soon as she had seen her. Between that and the dragon attack, maybe she had a sixth sense for things, the filly reasoned. Still, there was something nopony could put their hoof on, not even the experienced ponies.

"Look," Coriolis said, "Boss knows what she's doing. She's seen us through enough of Tartarus that I trust that. And that's all you really need to know." The hushed conversations lost their fuel shortly after, and everypony continued their rounds in relative silence until the third song of the day kicked up.

"Oh sister of mine," Sun Ray said to her sister. The blue filly tied off a knot and looked up. "Do you know what I haven't heard in ages?"

"What might that be, oh sister of mine?" They must have some psychic connection, Comet thought, since Moon Beam was already tuning.

"Great, here we go again," Willow Wisp grumbled.

I know a song they used to sing
not so long ago
When underneath a different sky
with field far below
In Summer's blaze and Winter's haze
and Autumn's rays and Spring's young days
From mountains high to open plains
On the winds that soft song rose.

In darkness and in cold we bore
A weight too great to stand
not tied to chain or rope or yolk
but hearts across our land
For as the snow began to creep
Into our hearts, the cold did seep
From hatred, blame and blood we reaped
We would not understand

Sun Ray and Moon Beam knew so many shanties, everypony was sure they were making them up on the spot most of the time. But almost everypony knew this song from deep in their childhood. It was an old tune, slightly different if you were a unicorn, a pegasus, or an earth pony, but everypony knew it.

With time, our home could love no more
Too weakened it became
To care for those it raised from birth
The storm could not be tamed
We must fly, the ponies cried
Or with our land, we'll surely die
A safe, new home, we have to find
And leave our old in shame

A few dared to enter their voices, but what was most surprising was when Willow Wisp joined. Even Silver Raindrops seemed surprised when the first notes left him; the sound was stunningly beautiful.

Each we three set out to find
A home to call our own
Against the storm and endless snow
And winds that howled and groaned
Against a storm of broken hearts
Ponies each must do their part
If they are all to find their start
Or had that bird long flown.

Miles out and on away
To a valley came the lost
With fertile land and clear blue skies
A gift from Mother Faust
At last they had found their new home
A place that they could call their own
Not knowing that the the storm they'd sewn
Had not yet gone and passed.

The ice that had entrapped their hearts
Now closed around them all
A thousand years of history
In an instant, set to fall
But spare the lives of loving three
Who saw each other's qualities
and from hate, drew forth harmony
Their love brought forth the-

A long, high shriek split the clouds and snapped the wind. Everypony looked to each other with wide eyes. Comet felt her blood run cold, though it was the tiniest of solaces that her veteran squaddies did not look much better. The only ones who were moving in those first seconds were the brilliant fuchsia mare and the lavender captain.

"All hooves, battlestations. Condition One throughout the ship. Magicorps, ready on the top deck to repel assault, the rest of you get those weapons loaded-"

"Where are they." It was barely a question. Firefly, Rainbow, and the CAG were scanning the horizon for what was to come. The mare patted the sergeant on the shoulder and disappeared to the Dauntless in a flash of fuschia and sapphire. Comet Shimmer spotted her c.o. heading below deck for his armor and zipped after him. The Adamant had never been so active; everypony had somewhere they needed to be, ballistae rocked in their births as heavy bolts were loaded and primed, hatches were opened, and supplies were stowed.

It must have taken the crew weeks or months to learn to operate with such efficiency. They had trained in ship operation at Fort Hurricane, but only so far as to provide support if nopony else could. Their main job, their only job right now, was to suit up, stand on the gangplank, and put themselves between the ship and fire breathing balls of scaly death.

Easy.

Well, that was supposed to be their job.

"Crescent, Dawn Platoons," a messenger called out while they were suiting up, "you're on standby until we get a better assessment of the enemy strength. Finish suiting up and get to launch positions, but do not jump until you get the signal."

"Bucking Tartarus’ ugly mama, fine!" Slipstream, the Squad 3 lead, muttered an impressive string of curses under his breath while he fastened the rest of his armor. True to the drills, they were each suited and cleared by their wing pony within a minute and rushing back up the stairs. Walking onto the deck was like walking into an echo chamber. Every order reverberated through half a dozen voices, but otherwise not a sound was uttered save for the whipping wind. Due south, a dozen or so multicolored shadows were rushing through the clouds directly for their group.

"Thirteen, strike, fifteen combatants," the lookout called, "all glimmerbacks. No markings to indicate lightning magic, but unable to verify." The ships slowed and formed a double decked line. The Adamant hung slightly behind and above its company, just as they had planned, and the platoons aboard could only watch as their comrades prepared to jump.

"We hold here, ponies." Rainbow Blaze was no happier than any of his subordinates. Yes, they were safer on the ship. Yes, the dragons were a lethal threat. But their comrades, their friends, their loved ones were rushing into the fray. What made them so special that they shouldn't? "Don't jump until I say." He knew Firefly would be jumping with the Dauntless' platoon. She wasn't supposed to, but she would. Never ask of your soldiers what you would not do yourself, she would say. She had earned her rank and his respect, and she had told him to wait. So he waited.

Five platoons of airponies fell from the ships in groups, feathered and leathery wings spreading against the wind and riding the warm desert air to meet their foes. It looked like the second company was holding a platoon in reserve as well. Over a hundred ponies against fifteen dragons would be no contest, right?

"Calm down, Shimmer," Lily muttered next her. She hadn't meant to say anything aloud. "Those are all seasoned fighters. They know what they're doing." Comet reached over and ruffled Lily's mane where it poked out of the top of her helmet.

The first call to fire came out from another ship entirely, but soon resounded across all three ships. Dozens of dark, heavy, metal spears burst forth on rushes of air and magic and sped for the oncoming dragons. Some managed to escape the volley, but some were not so lucky. Four fell like they had become the metal the spears were forged from, and the eleven remaining carried on without a care. The airponies had reached their defensive distance and stopped. The ships had a clear window for a second shot, and they made use of it with gusto. With more room to evade, only two dragons went down, but nine was a much better number to work with than fifteen.

Roaring in fury, the dragons crashed into the line of ponies. They scattered to avoid the attack, whipping around to strike as the reptiles passed. Only a few struck blows, but it was enough to get the attentions of all the dragons.

All save two.

A long green and a rocky yellow with a broad wingspan charged for the ships as if the airponies did not exist. Even from a distance, Crescent Platoon could feel their anger.

"Ma'am, shall we fire again," One of the cannoneers called.

"No. If you miss, you could hit one of ours," Candescence cursed.

"Crescent, Dawn Platoons, get ready to jump!" Rainow Blaze flared his wings and dropped his visor. He wasn't the comforting pegasus or the agreeable officer Comet had come to know; he was a glimmering tank, a red eyed wall of metal and spear. He was a vanguard.

"Squad, keep close and don't bucking die," Cinnamon Cane grunted. "Don't you dare bucking die." Rainbow Blaze cried mighty thunder, and sixty six ponies hurled themselves from the ship at once. They fell only a second before catching a draft and rising to meet their foes.

They were already close. Too close. You could count their teeth. So many teeth. No room to maneuver, no room to fly, no room to flank, no room to dodge, dodge, dodge, dodge-

The green dragon snapped, nearly catching Willow Wisp between his teeth. He rolled at the last second, crashing into the beast's side and lodging his spear just above its shoulder. The yellow drake rolled through the line and continued straight at the Dauntless. It reared up to gaze upon the deck and opened its maw. Three unicorns on the deck drew their magic together and formed a broad shield, but the dragon suddenly whipped towards the stern and released a torrent of acid. The barrier fell to a single unicorn, who strained to keep his shield up against the deluge.

Two blurs descended upon the yellow, cutting its sides like paper without slowing down. Dewbead and Skyline, sabres both, took either side and tore at the dragon's soft belly. Their vanguards came crashing in from behind, embedding their spears deep in the beast's back. The pain forced the dragon to stop its acid, and the unicorn collapsed to the deck, blood dripping from his nose.

The twins followed their superiors in, stabbing the dragon through the neck on either side. The yellow monster struggled against them, but they only twisted the glaves harder.

"Vomit now you giant," Sun Ray said, "ugly," Moon Beam added, "monstrous bastard!" Together, they ripped their glaves out, widening the wounds and ending any chance of the dragon's recovery.

Comet rolled under the spiky green tail, holding on to her head with inches to spare. Completely surrounded and somehow angrier than before, the green dragon was thrashing in the air in any direction it could. The airponies orbited a storm of claws, teeth, and tail, all of which was spinning too fast to find purchase on. Crescendo, from the twins' squad, saw an opening and dove for a blow. As fast as it had appeared, it was gone, and the pegasus found his opportunity replaced with a whirling claw. He tried to abort, but the razor sharp bone found purchase in his side all the same. The pegasus flopped into the air, limp as a ragdoll, and began to fall. His wingpony, Pastelight, flew after him in a frenzied dive.

"If we touch any part of that, we're finished," Moon Fang shouted. Not even a sabre could hit and run at those speeds. As they made another pass around, Cinnamon Cane rolled in front and led them up above the scene. Surf Crest's squad joined them. The ponies looked down on the dragon and saw what Cane had: its attacks were mostly lateral. It wasn't defending above.

Thunder Clap started to dive but Berry Thrush caught him. "Better plan," he said and pointed at Cinnamon. The brown stallion had unhooked his spear and held it aloft in his forehooves. He pointed at his newbies and stopped them with his hoof. He pointed at the dragon, then his spear, at the dragon again, then them, and finished with a cutting motion across his neck. They nodded.

When the hammer fell, eight spears were hurled directly down on the dragon. All of them hit to varying degrees of success, though none of them embedded themselves deep in its flesh. They did, however, cause enough pain and shock to slow the dragon's rampage for a moment. Just a moment, but the four were falling right behind the spears. In that tiny window, they drove inside its space and into its back, stabbing with all the fury and strength they could muster. Any inch that they could reach, anything that wasn't already bleeding, anything that was draconic, they attacked. With the real damage being done, the dragon's defense faltered, and the rest poured in to finish the job.

When the beast died, nopony could rightly say, but it was skewered on so many spears that the throwers were able to retrieve their weapons while the others held it aloft. Comet quickly remembered, and right before they released it to the pull of the earth, she pried a scale loose with her glaive and tucked it in her pocket.

Rainbow Blaze and Fir Bough called their platoons to form up and return to the ship. A glance southwards showed the others returning as well, not a dragon to be found. Three were being carried between their comrades to other ships. Firefly, neither cold nor furious, but certainly not happy, glided past and rounded up her platoon leaders. Comet could not hear what they said, but whatever she told the other four knocked the wind from their wings. She patted them each on the shoulder, formed up with Apex Platoon and returned to the Dauntless.

Hollow faced, Rainbow led his ponies to the deck and removed his helmet. He surveyed the scene. Three of his ponies had not landed with them. On the Dauntless, a brave unicorn was being treated for over exertion of his magic system, a potentially lethal mistake. And as much as he saw everything on the deck, it took much longer to piece together in his head. He rolled his helmet in his hooves and concentrated on his breathing.

"We lost Scrap and Cherry out in the main fight." Muted conversation spread through the airponies. The newbies had barely had the chance to meet everypony, but they were the minority. Crystal Lake stomped her hooves until Berry Thrush, Surf Crest, and Snow Veil had to pull her back to keep the boards from cracking. Wren Song quietly sat and stared at the deck. Billow Blast let out a choked cry and quietly excused himself to somewhere far away.

"Blaze," Slipstream said, "we're still missing Crescendo, Pastelight, and-"

"We need a medic!" Pinion and Pastelight rose up over the bow, carrying Crescendo between them. All the color had drained from his face. When they laid him on the deck, it took everything Comet had and then some not to retch. The pegasus's armor and side were torn to ribbons down the to the bone. Even his wing had been caught, though it was hard to say how deep through the feathers. Every breath was labored and weaker than the last. Pastelight held his head up and stroked his mane, Pinion waved the medic over, and the doctor set to work, and it was all anypony could do to watch and know it didn't matter.

Crescendo's breathing slowed and stopped with a nearly indistinguishable sputter, and then he was still. Pastelight kept stroking his cheek even when Pinion tried to pull her way. "I was his wingpony," she whispered, "I was supposed to make sure this didn't happen."

"You couldn't have stopped this, kiddo." Pinion eased the fallen pony's eyes closed and gently pried her away. "He went in too fast. If you'd followed, you'd be gone too." The doctor set a blanket over the body and pooled the blood with his magic. The rest of their squad bunched up around the two, and in silence they went below deck. Rainbow Blaze thumped his head against the wall and closed his eyes. When he opened them again, Candescence was looking over the scene.

"I'm sorry, Sergeant."

"Thank you, Captain. How shall we proceed?"

"There may still be more out there. Downgrade to condition 3, double CAG until we give the all clear." The pegasus saluted. "We keep flying. Isn't that right, Mr. Blaze?"

"Yes ma'am, we keep flying." Blaze turned to Fir Bough. "Fir, can you go tell Boss that Airpony Crescendo was killed in action?" The green mare saluted and sped off for their lead ship. "Cane, how's your squad?"

"Here and healthy, sir."

"Coriolis?"

"No problems, sir."

"You two are on CAG. Dazzler and Ruby Rose are up next. Let's hope we get out of this space with no more surprises. The rest of you, dismissed." The airponies saluted and went about their ways. Content with her current place, Comet fell onto her side and opted not to move. Her legs splayed out beside her, her glaive wedged under her body, her helmet squeezing on her throbbing head -- none of it could compel her to get up. Her stomach was still threatening to upend itself on the deck and make a second mess. A second mess...

She had done it. She had taken the jump, followed her leads, stabbed dragons and made a kill without a moment's hesitation. Her fears had fallen away, like they had said they would. But Rain was wrong, ultimately. She hadn't been ready for the real thing. It was as Rainbow had told them: no magic revival this time, no teleportation to safety. Dead was dead now. And it hurt. It was like someone had punched a hole in the fabric of her world and she could see through to the other side. She shut her eyes. She didn't want to see.

When Moon Fang found her, she could not say for certain, but she pressed up against him as he lay down beside her. After a time, she dared a peek around. Cinnamon, Dewbead, Summer, and Wren had taken up the regular CAG perch with Coriolis and Easterly View. Billow Blast was still off somewhere to himself. The newbies of their squads remained spread out across the deck like flotsam. The twins sat against the bow, leaning on each other for support as if asleep.

"...Hey, Sun Beam, Moon Ray?"

"...Yeah?" They were too tired to even be upset about the names.

"How does the song end?" She knew it. She'd sung it as a filly every winter. But she needed to hear something. Anything. The twins weakly hummed their harmony, and Willow and Rain huddled over when they heard.

I know a song we used to sing
In taverns and in dens
On frosty nights with warming drinks
In company of friends
The darkest night brings brightest dawn
And with it comes our wistful song
Keep always warm the love we won
When we found the snow storm's end.

Ch.9 - Downdraft

Rainbow Blaze passed the cloth along the end of his lance. A few drops of blood had dried on its tip, and dragon blood could be a nasty mess if left unattended. His armor, thankfully, was no worse for wear. Was he fighting safer or smarter? Was he better? Or was it just the perks of leading a support platoon that sat in the back and did comparatively nothing? He didn't hate the newbies, far from it. They were as eager as any of them to be doing the job, always ready to take the jump. He was proud of his little flock. But he was a soldier, and his friends were out fighting without him.

However, Firefly had left him in charge of Crescent Platoon, which meant his focus couldn't be out on the front. Crescendo's death had hit the platoon harder than they let on. Pastelight had lost a distressing amount of weight, and hung to her two new wingponies like a shadow. Willow Wisp and Silver Raindrops had been spending more time together; it was better than them growing cold and distant, at least. He knew Slipstream was giving himself the blame for letting a squaddie die so early, but the pegasus wouldn't talk about it. Every time, he would dismiss Rainbow's concerns with a wave and say he was fine. For three weeks, the newbies had been coming to terms with what their senior comrades had already known. They had eaten and slept and fought with the awareness that they were very, utterly, painfully mortal in a way most would never face. He just hoped they lived long enough to form a callus.

The rainbow maned pegasus snorted and looked up from his cleaning. He had to admit, Thunderhooves Pass was a nice camp. In the months since its establishment, the base had swelled down to the valley floor with the influx of earth ponies and unicorns. The three pegasi companies -- Gale, who had already been there, Cyclone, and Downpour, the group deployed with them -- largely stayed atop the east mesa with the ships. Everypony got along well enough, he supposed. That's the nice thing about ponies: real hardship brought them together.

The night after they'd been attacked on the way to the Pass, the crew of the Adamant raised a toast to the fallen airponies. Candescence ran a fine ship, Rainbow knew, and it was his loss that he had spent so much time keeping after his flock that he'd not been able to meet more of them.

His brass eyes wandered out over the edge of the mesa, absently eyeing the southern expanse. Three weeks, six attacks. Most of the forces they'd faced had been land based. The aerial dragons could fly wherever they pleased, but the lizards with their bellies stuck to the ground could only come to them. And every time, they'd made the beasts regret it. That wasn't to say the air ranks were without casualties. In one attack, an airpony who went in for the kill was caught in a downdraft on his exit path. The wind had blown him to the ground, and the dragons snapped him nearly in half. Another had been caught by a boulder some longtail had had the wit to throw, got her wing crushed and vanished in the stampede of scales. And they'd lost Sprinkle to another glimmerback just two days ago. One second she was there, then she was gone.

His breath was escaping him, and he paused to reign it in. It could never be perfect, could it? They had just filled their ranks again. Now four of theirs were gone. More in the other companies, more on the ground. And for every dead, so many dragon bodies. For creatures that were supposed to be hard to kill, they died in droves. The monsters had no wherewithal to attack weaker locations. They would throw themselves against the camps, regardless of their chances of victory, and the magic, trenches, spikes, and fortitude of their equine opponents had rebuffed them every time. There were jokes to build a wall out of the dragon carcasses, but nopony wanted to go near them. Fine by him, they were starting to stink.

A low rumble rolled across the open plain to the south. Against the horizon, tall pillars of clouds gathered beneath the late afternoon sun. Rainbow Blaze tucked away his cloth and shouldered his weapon. Thunderstorms were always a mixed bag.

~*~

Comet held a new moon, a tristar, a single star, and a six pointed star, and that was about as much as she knew. The others in her circle had explained, briefly and with as little detail as they could get away with, the rules of their card game, but she was completely at a loss. Gale Force had given her a couple pointers whenever she had something good, but he got called away with his squad and left her to her own inadequate devices.

"Well, fillies and gentlecolts," a pale yellow unicorn said with a haughty smile, "I think it's time to call it a night." He laid out a new moon, a full moon, and a waning moon. "Lunar cycle." A few ponies groaned, but Skyline responded with her cards: two six pointed stars and two five stars.

"Grand Constellation," the mare said and scooped up the pot with a sweep of her hoof. Comet set down her cards and muttered something about finding a drink. Water and weak cider were in near constant supply, but the harder stuff was a rare commodity. She wished she had known before finishing off a bottle and a half of wine so quickly. She was not a drinker, but there were nights where it beat lying awake and replaying every moment of the past three weeks in her head. Still, she didn't want to develop a habit, so water it was.

"Hey, Shimmer." Willow Wisp and Silver Raindrops found her at the barrel, filling her mug. "How goes the game?"

"Awful, I've never even heard of what they were playing." She took a slow drink and smiled. "I think they just liked taking my bits. What's the word, weatherpony?"

"Word is thunder." As if to emphasize, a low rumble rolled across the mesa. Conversation across the camp hushed, as if a great danger lurked behind the sound, but resumed after a couple seconds. "They're pulling the ships low so they're not so likely to get struck. Orders are, we're to stow all our gear so it doesn't get soaked. Could you pass the word around?" Comet nodded. "Hey... how are you doing?"

The filly shrugged. "Alright, all considered. How about you two?" The lovebirds' wings absentmindedly unfurled and rubbed against each other. They had been spending more time together when they could after reaching the camp. Every moment counted, she supposed. "I'm glad you're looking out for each other."

Rain smiled. "How is it, running as Jitterbug's wing?"

"Better than you'd think. All her energy goes into her flying, and she gets so serious. She's nothing like the obnoxious filly she normally is."

"That's good." The slender red filly sighed. "I honestly had no idea what to expect from her. She can just be such a..."

"Pain in your ass?" Willow offered.

"A hoof full," Rain responded curtly. "You, Willow, are the pain in my ass."

"Phrasing," Willow managed through stifled laughter. Rain blushed a brilliant shade of red, and it took both his forelegs and both his wings and half a dozen apologies to keep her from flying away.

"She only gives you a hard time because you get so flustered, you know," Comet said.

"I shouldn't have to lower myself to her level for her to stop," Silver said as she tried to regain her composure, "or yours, for that matter, Willow." Willow and Comet snickered. "What, I shouldn't."

"But you do." Comet smiled to herself. "You two get along better that way, even if you're still fighting." The couple gave her an odd look, and she waved a dismissive hoof. "Nevermind, I'm getting tired. Lucky for me, my CAG shift was earlier today." The filly looked out on the storm. "I just hope the storm doesn't bring anything with it."

"I can't imagine a dragon could avoid getting roasted just like we would." Rain sniffed the air. "It's a wet one as well, which makes flying that much harder."

"I feel sorry for Chunks and Ogre, they're on first CAG tonight." Willow swished his tail and snorted. "Speaking of the rain, come on, we need to get that gear stowed." Another rumble set the ponies to a trot. It was louder and preceded by a faint, brief flash.

~*~

As much as the indigo filly yearned for sleep, part of her mind was enraptured by the sound of the downpour. Without pause or change, the storm pounded down on their tents, sheets of water cascading off the sides and turning the ground into a muddy hole. Every so often, a bright flash and a boom like a dozen cannons would threaten to tear the sky open, and then everything would return to darkness and the silence of the rain.

Some nights, Comet would be able to net a whispered conversation with one of her friends. Some nights she would fiddle with her contraption and mark off three or four more failed patterns. Some nights, she would be asleep before her face hit the pillow. One night, shortly after they had arrived, she had awoken to the sound of her own sob. Her pillow had been damp with tears, and when she tried to recall why, only the image of a hearth and torn, bloody feathers came to her. Through the darkness, she could make out Moon Fang's amethyst eyes gazing straight at her. Her cheeks flared with shame; nopony else cried in their sleep. Or at least, nopony that she knew of. The sorbet colt crept over to her bunk and laid a hoof on her shoulder. They didn't say anything to each other, he just rubbed his hoof into her shoulder until she fell asleep again. The next morning, she had whispered her thanks while they waited for breakfast. He had simply said, "Of course," smiled, and that was the last they had spoken of it.

At some point, the tent ruffled with the changing CAGs. Gale saw her looking at him in the darkness and gave her a sheepish smile for waking her. She shook her head and smiled back. To her surprise, Lily poked her head out from her bunk underneath Comet’s as Gale walked by. The filly's eyes were full of energy, enough to rival the storm. When those silver saucers met her tangerine slits, Comet smiled at her rambunctiousness and rolled back onto her pillow.

Outside, amidst the rain, she could hear somepony swapping stories from another camp or some other time, it was impossible to make out. Twice, Comet thought she heard the roar of a dragon mixed with the thunder, but no horns were blown, and after a hundred years, she slipped into the darkness and dreamt of nothing.

~*~

The mud sucked the ponies in, tripping them with every step. When at last they did wrench their hooves free, it was with a loud, undignified squelch. Every so often, a curse would ring out when a boot would find the company of the mud preferable to the hoof it had been on. The tents and supplies were no worse for wear, thankfully, but reaching them was a miserable affair.

Comet sat on a box above the bog and ate her breakfast while she listened to the others talk shop. Seven months was a fair amount of time by most standards, but it was like their experienced comrades had decades of knowledge on the newbies. They knew tricks for flying, for fighting, for dodging, for scouting, for patrolling, for eating and sleeping, for anything you could think to ask. Even the unicorns and the earth ponies had tricks worth knowing. But for once, the indigo filly was not sure what to say. The one question she really wanted to ask, nopony had an answer to. Firefly would probably give her some strange answer that made sense but didn't actually help, and the rest would just honestly not know.

The first airship lazily rose above the edge of the mesa, returning to its regular altitude. They had spent little time on the Adamant since arriving at Thunderhooves Pass, though they were never far from it. It was nice to have the open space to set up in, and the ship could be a little claustrophobic, but she had seen almost none of the crew. Maybe she could find an excuse to go visit.

"Alright, Squad One, Squad Four," Rainbow Blaze hovered into the breakfast gathering with his clipboard, "low altitude maneuvers in the safe zone after breakfast. Squad Two and Three, dive exercises. Switch after two hours." The sergeant had promised supplementary training, and he was a stallion of his word. Even on the front line, drills started their day. Well, at least they weren't sitting around and brooding all morning. Comet shot a glance at her cobalt boss. Maybe that was the point.

Lily breathed long, loud, and slow as Comet helped her with her armor. Nothing good ever came with their suits, but there was something relaxing about having it. The pink filly had even seen Stratus wear his to bed a couple times. She gave her wings a quick flex, pleased to find them unobstructed.

"So what's harder to clean off, Egghead," Lily looked over her shoulder, "mud or dragon blood?"

"I would have said the blood," Comet grumbled, "but I saw a guy's boot after it had slipped off in a mud hole this morning. You wouldn't have known it was a boot."

"No kidding. I'm glad it's not hot and dry all the time, but this is crap."

"Sure looks like it, anyway," Moon Fang said from across the tent.

"You know what though, the water keeps the dust down. It's not much, but I'll take it." They chattered about whatever they could think of as they finished suiting up and made their way out to practice. Once they were airborne, the mud was a thing of the past, and as Comet had pointed out, the air was crystal clear after the storm.

The two squads ran through a series of loops, rolls, and turns that kept them only a stallion's height above the ground. More than once, a sharp bank put their wingtips within sneezing distance of the muddy ground. It was on such an occasion that a pocket of air caught Lily Nimbus and propelled her straight into the dirt. Her spear caught in the muck and she was flipped end over end, plopping into the ground with a spectacular splash. The string of curses that left her mouth would have stuck an old nanny deaf from the shock.

"Anything broken, Nimbus?" Cinnamon Cane and his squad landed beside their downed pony. Comet and Summer Seas helped her flip over and get back to her feet. Aside from being mostly brown, she looked to be fine.

"Just my bucking pride, sir. Faust, what the crap was that?"

"That was a downdraft, Airpony." Cane looked up to the other squad flying a holding pattern and motioned for them to come in. "It has a record for getting ponies killed. You're lucky the ground was so soft, or you probably would have snapped your glaive in half, and that could have killed you. So, we got to figure out how to deal with these drafts. And don't," he jabbed a hoof at Billow Blast, "say 'just fly higher.'"

They tried half a dozen ideas, but whenever a draft hit somepony, they found themselves snorting mud. Even Snow Veil and Evening Star, a wing who rivaled the twins for grace and synchronization, could not out maneuver the winds. Thunder Clap, being a large chunk of muscle, suffered the most spills by a decent margin. Lily Nimbus tried to fly with the caking mud in her wings, but after an hour, when she and four others could barely get any lift for all the gunk in their feathers, they decided to call it early and get washed up. Comet and Moon Fang had both taken minor spills, but leather is far easier to wipe clean than feathers.

The pink filly was a tightly wound ball of misery as she sat under the shower head. She didn't even try to clean her wings out, just held them open under the water and moped. Comet finished scrubbing her mane clean and walked over to her wingpony.

"No plumbing, but we still get hot running water. You have to love unicorn magic sometimes." She grabbed a bar of soap and started scrubbing Lily's back. "Come on, Jitterbug, you weren't the only one to take a spill. You'll get it next time." Her lead pony mumbled something. "What?"

"What if next time is in a battle?" Lily looked at her. "What if that was a fight, and a dragon was waiting for me? I can't make mistakes like that, Shimmer, I can't." Sparky Bolts started to say something, but she literally barked at him. Comet put a hoof between her and the blue colt, but her disapproving gaze remained on Lily. The anger ran out of her into the drain, and she slumped. "Sorry, it's just... I just."

Comet gingerly set the bar of soap against Lily's left wing. "May I?" The pegasus searched her face, then nodded slowly. Comet knew how to clean feathers well enough, and gently scrubbed the caked dirt out from each one. It was a slow process, one they made in utter silence. The rest of their squad had left to make way for a group of earth ponies, all sweaty from fortifying part of the valley trenches, but nopony paid them much mind. "There, how's that?"

Lily Nimbus flapped her wings, spraying water everywhere, and stuck her tongue out at the offended ponies she'd splashed. "You're in a shower, you dolts. Looks good, thanks Comet." The two of them left the shower, the chiroptequus nodding an apology on her way out. The sun was bright despite the early hour, and walking with their wings open let them dry plenty quickly. The pink pegasus watched the storm that had trundled its way north and frowned.

"When I got to Basic," she said, soft as cotton, "I wanted to be the best. It was like a game, and I wanted to win. I wasn't really thinking about when I would get out here, just how well I could do there. How stupid does that sound?"

"It sounds like something a newbie would have thought."

"Ha, right? And no offense," Lily nudged her wingpony in the gut, "but you weren't exactly high on my list of competition."

Comet laughed. "I might be offended if I hadn't felt the same way."

"All anypony was was competition. But after we started doing the evening practices, I realized we were gonna win or lose by each other. I wouldn't 'win' on my own. So I tried to really, I don't know, be a part of the group. I wanted to win, and I wanted us to win. And we did, and now we're here, and I don't know what exactly we won. I just... I just want to survive now, you know?"

"I know, Lily, I really do." Comet looped her leg around Lily' neck and squeezed her close. It was unusual, the filly thought in passing, that she had actually met somepony shorter than her. Two inches was two inches.

"I need to be perfect 'cause that's the only way. It's all I can do." She returned the hug. "I'm actually glad I got saddled with you, Egghead."

"Same here, Jitterbug." A long, low blast of the horn echoed from the mesa top lookout, out and down across the camp. It was joined by a confirmation from the valley floor, and the duet was joined by a symphony of rattling armor and a chorus of orders. The fillies looked at each other. For the first time since she'd met her, Comet saw something other than boundless energy and confidence in Lily's eyes. Soft purple bags hung underneath the silver spheres, but that was true for all of them. The glimmer in those eyes just seemed somehow duller to the filly.

Comet gave her wingpony a firm squeeze. "Let's go. I'll be right with you all the way." A bit of that zealous fire returned, and the two rushed to where they'd left their armor stowed. As they buckled their suits, they beheld an usual sight: All six ships were rising higher and moving out beyond the trenches. Fir Bough came sprinting past, yelling at some of her ponies outside the tent. "Sergeant Bough, why are the ships moving?"

"Aerial combatants, Airpony. We're on full alert, so get up to the Adamant and find Corkscrew." The squad Fir Bough had been yelling at rounded up by her, and together they launched straight off the ground. Lily pointed out their own squad hovering above the camp, and they rushed to join them. Every pegasus was airborne and bound for a ship, while down below, earth ponies and unicorns rushed to ready turrets they had erected along the mesas. The mud was slowing them down, but only just noticeably.

The scene aboard the Adamant was no less hectic. Every ballista was being loaded, every loose item was being stowed, everypony was not where they needed to be. Well, Candescence was where she was supposed to be: wherever she was at that moment. Rainbow Blaze and Fir Bough were chatting with her in hushed, frantic tones, and her equally frantic replies seemed at odds with her calm demeanor.

"What are Cpt. Starstruck and Lt. Firefly saying, then?" Fir Bough chomped on the remainder of her patience.

"It doesn't matter, Fir, the order comes from the colonel. The mesa camps are going to open with a barrage, and you’re all to hang back until that is completed."

"And if they decide to go after the camp, there's not a lot anypony can do about it. We need to put ourselves between them and the lizards," Rainbow Blaze replied.

"I'm well aware of that, Sergeant," Candescence stated, "but it's not my decision. Our own volleys will accompany theirs, and our wings will be right behind. If the dragons veer for the ground, it might give your pegasi a chance to attack their backs with little opposition."

"That's an awfully big risk to take."

"It's what we have. See that your ponies are in order -- the dragons will be here all too soon." The two sergeants saluted and left the captain to deal with some other matter. They looked to each other, neither one pleased with how things might play out, but orders were orders. Rainbow saw his ponies assembling on the deck and motioned for Fir to go find hers. When the cobalt pegasus's squads had all gathered, he gave them a look over.

"Alright, everypony, here's what we're working with. Recon indicates upwards of thirty glimmerbacks, possibly two or more broadwings. Capabilities are unknown, so we're erring on the side of caution. The fleet and the mesa batteries are going to do a full salvo once the dragons are in range, hopefully cut them down to a more reasonable number. Apex and Blizzard Platoons, as usual, will be leading the defensive fight, while our job is to hold near to the ships and stop any lizards that break through their line. Any questions?"

"Sir," Skyline said, "what do we do if the dragons go after the ground batteries?"

With an oppressive absence of humor, Rainbow replied, "We'll do what we can to intercept, but I would recommend prayer." Dawn Platoon had already taken up positions on the launch gangway, so Crescent Platoon stood on deck behind them. Multicolored dots appeared on the horizon, too distant to count but closing the distance every second.

"Move it, feather brains, heavy ordinance coming through." Night Light hoisted half a dozen shafts over his head as he scooted past the waiting airponies. "Got to get all these rounds loaded, we only get one go."

"Shouldn't you be conserving energy for your shield, Arcanist? Wouldn't want you getting a headache." Rainbow Blaze smirked.

"Shouldn't you be flapping air rather than blowing it?" The unicorn huffed and hurried to his post. After the battle on the way to Thunderhooves Pass, the crew had restructured their shield teams, placing a group at every ballista station to ensure a more even spread of labor. For the evening blue unicorn, this placed him square in the middle of the starboard side, closest to the oncoming storm. The Adamant, being in a largely conditional role rather than a backbone of the camp's defense, saw action in maybe half their battles to date, but what they had seen had been enough. If he made it through, he swore he would never complain about a quiet job for the rest of his days.

"Airponies," Rainbow Blaze called out, "be ready to jump on my signal. Remember, we are running defense, so don't stray too far from the fleet." They could see the dragons more clearly now. Thirty had been a gross underestimation; the numbers were closer to four dozen scaled beasts on top of four broadwings. Comet tried to do the math, but her attention kept slipping away. She had seen plenty of dragons already, but never so many flyers. For once, and with a passing instance of shame, she was glad to be relegated to the back. This was not going to end well for any of them.

On a few glimmerbacks, jagged spines, the telltale sign of lightning capability could be seen, dark against their colorful scales. No doubt others spat acid, others fire, some had spiked clubs for tails and others had whips on their butts. But every dragon had something that could kill them; pick your poison, as they say.

Rain put a hoof on Comet's back. If the indigo filly slipped too deep into her own thoughts, she started to panic. She, Willow by extension, Lily, and Moon Fang tried to stand near her before fights for just that reason. Comet manually slowed her breathing and nodded a bit too frantically. As much as she was focusing on the other pony, Silver dreaded the coming battle just as much. Looking around, she was not sure anypony was really better off. She whispered as much to Comet, and they each patted the pony beside them. Those ponies in turn reassured the next in line, and down and down until everypony was looking to each other. They all seemed to swell with each other, just a little. They would see each other through, just as they had up to then.

Unfortunately, the dragons were bigger now too. Their screeches and roars could be heard over the winds, the great flapping of the broadwings pounding the air like drums. Teeth shown in the sun, scales rippled over flexing muscle, and bloodlust glowed in their eyes. The monsters had come again.

Their war cries were met with a long blast of a horn, joined by a dozen more, and as one, every ballista Thunderhooves Pass had shot skyward. Hundreds of heavy metal shafts soared at the speed of death for their targets, glintless and foreboding. Upon reaching the dragon flight, they tore through wings, skewered bellies, jabbed through limbs, ripped through necks, sailed past one dragon to strike another, but not enough found purchase , and the dragons that could pressed on. The scaled beasts, they realized, had formed layers, and while the first had been all but wiped out, the ones behind barely had a scratch. Less than a quarter had fallen, and despite their numerous wounds, all four broadwings continued unimpeded.

The order was given to jump.

Comet and Lily followed their squad up rather than down, helping to leave room for a second volley. The ponies on the ship were rushing to do just that, but it was unclear if they would succeed. True to everypony's fears, a section of the dragon flight had broken off to attack the ground batteries. The earth ponies would be all but powerless against an attack from the air. But their platoon's orders were to hold the line before the ships, so hold they did. Downpour Company left one platoon on reserve as well, but Gale Company was entirely devoted to the charge.

Comet grimaced as their bravado backfired. A group of glimmerbacks honed in on their group. One of their leaders arched its back like a cat, and the telltale sign of static ruffling fur gave the pegasi the only warning they would receive. In an instant, a blinding bolt of lightning arced from the dragon's back, striking a pegasus square in the chest and arcing to a second. Feathers smoldering and armor seared black, the bodies fell like stones. A furious cry to rival any dragon's rang out from Gale Company, and they rained bloody vengeance down on the flight.

"Wait," Cinnamon Cane said to himself as much as to his squad. He looked to Rainbow Blaze for a command, but the stallion's vizor blocked whatever battle may have been waging in his head. A dozen dragons broke from the battle and made a beeline for the fleet. Behind them, the four broadwings were entering the combat zone. One broke off to attack the camp, but the other three continued surging forward. "Squad Four, climb. We're going to drop on them from above, try to get one or two without much fuss-"

The prickling sensation along their necks was too short a warning before another lance of electricity shot past them and hit a ballista. The weapon exploded into a thousand blackened shards, one of which struck Cinnamon Cane hard across his back. With a cry more of shock than pain, the pegasus passed out and fell. Wren Song dove after him. With the cream colored mare out of range in a heartbeat, Dewbead and Summer Seas led their squad back to the Adamant.

"Well we're off to a good bucking start. Anypony hurt?" The mare scanned around.

"One dead, three injured." A pair of unicorns were hauling the body clear of the site. Night Light, two stations away, was cleaning his crewmate's wounded shoulder. All other stations appeared intact. Behind them, Rainbow Blaze roared the attack order, and the three reserve platoons charged. Except Crescent Platoon was down a squad.

"Nimbus, Bolts, you four stay put and guard the ship. Summer, let's go." They turned to leave, but instead of open air and battle, a thunderous crash and a snarling, scaly, orange maw awaited them. Dewbead opened her mouth to shout, but a blast from the beast's wing knocked her and Summer Seas across the deck. Moon Fang leapt just out of reach of its teeth and countered, spearing a nostril but doing no real damage. If anything, it just pissed the thing off.

The dragon's tail whipped about, smashing another ballista in two. A trio of shield unicorns blocked another swipe, earning the attention of the beast. It turned on them, eyes burning with fury, and charged across the deck. As it turns out, a single unicorn's shield does very little against a dragon's jaw muscles, something a pink unicorn learned all too late. The perforated body fell to the deck with a wet thud, and the dragon turned on its next victim.

The airponies had trained for ground combat, but never as hard as for air battles, and never against something four times their size. Sparky Bolts hazarded a glance for Dewbead and Summer Seas, but the veteran pair were still against the far bow. "Squad, form a ring around the monster. Let's keep it boxed in." He ducked under a tail swipe, barely dodging the second blow as it slammed down on where he had been standing. Lily loosed her crossbow bolt at the dragon's face, but against the tough scale, it found no valuable purchase, embedding itself near the base of a horn. The four ponies were finding their polearms becoming woefully inadequate against a beast with a greater reach.

This proved especially true for Comet when the scaly demon's claw slammed down on her, snapping her glaive shaft in two and sending the blade flipping into the air. Comet would later describe the moment that followed as a panic induced loss of judgement, allowing one to accomplish feats deemed impossible by a rational mind. Lily would simply say it was badass. The indigo filly propelled herself with her wings, caught the broken polearm with her teeth, and landed square on the dragon's nose. For an infinite microsecond, they stared right at each other before Comet gouged out the beast's eye with her glaive-turned-sword. The dragon howled in pain, and she screamed in every summonable emotion, and every time it tried to toss her off, she hacked again and again and again and screamed and hacked and screamed. Moon Fang and Sparky Bolts took the opportunity to dash inside its range and start stabbing at its neck, tearing at the exposed flesh. Lily shifted her spear, leapt up, and drove herself down with all the force she could gather in the tight space. Her spear punctured just enough into the dragon's skull to reach its brain before snapping like a twig. The force of her glaive shattering threw the pink filly to the side, and she tumbled against the dragon's bloody head to the deck.

Blinded, lobotomized, and choking on its own blood, the dragon collapsed to the deck and lay still. Moon Fang grabbed the still flailing Comet Shimmer and hauled her from the carcass. Her broken glaive was still cemented in her mouth, forcing her to hyperventilate through her nose.

"Oi, Shimmer, Shimmer come back." Fang waved a hoof in front of her. "Comet, we need you here. There's still dragons. Come on, Airpony!" He banged the side of her helmet, the reverberations knocking the filly back to reality. "Welcome back. Jitterbug, how do you feel?"

"Awful, you idjit." Lily managed to stand on her own, but her left foreleg was tucked close to her. "Think I landed on my shoulder."

"Can you fly?"

"Yeah, I think so."

"Yes or no, Nimbus," Sparky Bolts said, "you're not going out there on a maybe."

"Buck you, I'm good to fight."

"Biter, sitrep?"

"Ready to go," Moon Fang said.

"Egghead?" Comet gave him the firmest nod she could. "Alright, let's get you two some spears and get back out there." A thunderous crash drew their attention. A broadwing had landed "on" one of Downpour Company's ships, its hind legs finding purchase on the underside of the vessel while its head and wingspan towered over the deck. The blue colt prayed it could not breath fire, or the entire ship would be a cinder in seconds. "We're taking that down."

"How?"

"... I don't know. You two find some weapons and I'll try to think of something." Comet and Lily started for the stairs, but a groan caught their attention. Dewbead and Summer were stirring, but lacked the strength to untangle themselves from each other. The fillies hurried over and helped them apart.

"Are you ok?" Comet looked her superior over for signs of injury.

"Concussion, maybe," Dewbead said slowly, "But I'll live. Where's Cane?"

"We haven't seen him since he went down," Lily said. "There's a broadwing attacking another ship, we need to lend them a hoof. Can you fight?"

"Don't think so." Dewbead seemed like she was in two places at once, and Summer Seas winced whenever he flexed his wing. "Summer, can you give them your spear?"

"Sure, just bring it back. It's lucky, y'know." He unbuckled his weapon and tossed it to Lily. Comet turned to the concussed mare.

"Here, give me your sabres."

"Kid, have you ever even trained with these things?"

"Well, no, but-"

"I have." Lily tossed the spear to her wingpony. "Fort Hurricane had a beat up pair, and I'd try them sometimes during our evening practices. I can fly with them at least." Dewbead grimaced at Lily's inspiring assurance, but a fresh round of throbbing in her skull put any argument out of reach. She slipped the boots off and tossed them to the pink pegasus. "I'll be careful, ma'am."

"You'd bucking better be. If we lose you four and Cane today, we're royally bucked." Dewbead slumped against the deck and rested her eyes. Comet found Night Light helping to realign a ballista.

"Sir, Dewbead and Summer Seas have been hurt. Can you see a medic gets to them?"

"Count on it, airpony. Go give them hell." Lily trotted up in her "new" sabres; she lacked Dewbead's grace, but at least she was walking. If Sparky Bolts had anything to say about it, he didn't bother.

"Alright," the blue pegasus said, "Slashing its wings won't work, because it's already grounded. Nimbus, you and Shimmer go for its throat, try and get as much damage along its gizzard as you can. Biter, we're going after its face. Keep above it to leave the neck exposed, got it?"

"Right." A storm of feathers and metal rushed past the bow. Squad Two was making a beeline for the broadwing, and Squad Four jumped in after them. A shadow grew over the pegasi.

Crystal Lake barely had time to look up and yell, "Break!" before a glimmerback flew through their formation, scattering them like leaves. As they tried to reconvene, Berry Thrush was nowhere to be found. Surf Crest called for them to form up, but the glimmerback was coming around for a second meal. Another glimmerback was between them and the broadwing, though it was busy chasing another squad down. Squad Three rolled out of the way of the dragon, but its tail nearly snapped Evening Star's head from her shoulders. A sickening crunch rang out from the distressed ship as the broadwing tore a chunk from its side.

"That damn lizard is holding us here," Moon Fang shouted, "we've got to get past it. We're sitting ducks as long as we're not moving."

"It's coming in too fast to land a hit on, what are we supposed to-" The glimmerback charged past again, nearly catching three of the ponies. Thunder Clap let out a colossal warcry and, abandoning all logic, charged the monster as it came around. Seeing an easy kill, it matched the pegasus's flight path. When it was right on top of Thunder, the beast opened its razored maw to swallow the pony whole, and it would have if Gale had not slammed his wingpony out of the way. The dragon's teeth snapped down on the grey pegasus, but not before his glaive ran through the roof of its mouth and out the top of its head. Together, the two fell.

"Gale!" Thunder called after his partner, but there was nopony to respond. A smaller dragon, barely larger than an average pony, took advantage of his stupor and charged in. With a roar to match the beast's, the green pegasus brute flapped out of the dragon's attack, reached out, and snapped its neck with a twist of his hooves, howling murder the entire while.

Comet couldn't make a decision on what to feel, so logic had to dictate her actions. "The ship's still in trouble," she called to her squad, "we have to go." The four of them collected a near rampaging Thunder Clap and bolted for the broadwing.

It was a wonder the airship was still in one piece. Massive chunks had been ripped from its hull, revealing the decks within to the ire of the massive beast hooked to the side. On the top deck, ponies blasted it with magic and poked with spears, but a single swipe of its claw would knock them back against the walls, or worse, overboard. As the two haggard squads approached, it turned to observe the would be attackers. A fire burned in its green eyes, one that Comet had never seen in another dragon. It seemed entirely aware of their intent and shrank against the side of the ship, swatting at them with its incredible wingspan.

"Egghead, follow me in!" Lily Nimbus rolled through a corkscrew and blasted forward with Comet only feet behind her. As the beast’s wings flexed for another swat, she rolled sideways, the blades mounted on her hooves cutting through the leathery webbing and clearing a path for her wingpony. That put them in front of the broadwing, who seemed genuinely surprised to see them before letting out a deafening roar and shifting to swipe at them. Comet bounded off the bow of the ship, using the leverage to propel herself at the creature's neck. She collided with the scaly gizzard with enough force to knock the air from her lungs, but once she had collected herself, she found her glaive embedded to the hilt in the dragon's neck.

Lily, meanwhile, was making a series of tight turns, lacerating the flesh wherever she could. A series of heavy thumps resonated below them; the ballista stations were firing point blank into the dragon's gut, though it didn't seem to pay them much mind. It did, however, notice the two colts thrusting at its eyes. In a panic, the broadwing swiped at the air, backhanding Sparky Bolts and sending him flying. Moon Fang had to break off his attack to help his unconscious wingpony, leaving Comet and Lily alone on the beast's neck.

"Why won't it just die already?" After nearly twenty passes, Lily was out of breath. Her cuts were deep, but not enough to slow the beast down. It wasn't working. They weren't stopping it. "What do we do, Comet?" Squad Two slipped in at that moment, assaulting along its head and underbelly with as much success as the two fillies were having.

"I don't know," Comet shouted, "it should at least be feeling this. Something's wrong." The dragon tried to knock away the attackers around its face with a shake of its head, nearly throwing Comet free in the process. The filly wracked her brain while she held on for dear life, trying to think of anything that might work. What came to mind was the weakest idea she had ever had, including her plan from the Gambit.

"Thunder Clap!" the indigo filly called out. To her luck, the green stallion heard her and made his way closer. "I need your ridiculous leg power." She wrenched her spear free of the dragon flesh and met him along the side of the dragon's neck. "Jitterbug, cover us."

Lily wasn't sure what she was supposed to cover from until she got a better look around. The glimmerback from earlier had noticed the broadwing's distress and was closing in to help. She gave Comet a desperate look, but only received an equally desperate response. Swallowing fear and bile, Lily took off.

Comet unbuckled her spear and jammed it between two scales on the broadwing's neck. "If I'm right, the jugular artery should be right here. Ogre, I need you to buck this spear in as hard as you can until there's nothing left to buck." Thunder Clap nodded, lined himself up in midair, and kicked with all his might. His now unbridled fury for Gale Force drove half the spear into the dragon's neck, drawing a spurt of thick, dark blood from the wound. Whether the dragon was aware of the injury or not, it was aware of the now faster loss of blood. Its vision started to blur, and its movements slowed.

Leaving Thunder to kicking, Comet looked to find her wingpony. The pegasus was leading the glimmerback on a frantic chase, looping back around it to leave shallow cuts along its back and sides. Weaponless, Comet didn't have many options, but leaving Lily alone against that thing was not among the few she did have. Jumping off from the scaly surface of the broadwing's bloody neck, Comet propelled herself at the glimmerback. At the last second, it turned and saw her. With a predatory grin, it opened its mouth; a roiling, orange glow could be seen building in its throat, a fiery gift for the little chirpotequus. She tried to roll away, but she had seen a dragon's fire plume; she did not have the room to escape.

The wind itself came crashing down across the glimmerback, slicing its neck open and spilling blood and fire everywhere. With the most pathetic of gurgles, it flapped no more and fell. Firefly looped back around and formed up with the two fillies. Slightly singed, slightly bloody, but both alive, Firefly could accept. "You seem to be missing something there, Airpony."

"It's in use, ma'am." Comet pointed at the broadwing. Its movement had all but stopped. Its head hung wearily to the side as it used what little strength it had left to cling to the ship. Its grip tightened just too much for the wooden beams to handle, and with a crunch, they tore away from the airship, denying the beast its perch and casting it from the vessel for good. For an instant, Comet thought she saw the dragon's blood turn green, but she shook her head and it was gone.

Hazarding a look around, the fillies found the sky almost devoid of dragons. Three continued to assault the ground batteries, but with the skies cleared, the air platoons were raining down on them like angry hornets. Lily turned to engage with them, but Firefly gripped her firmly by the shoulder.

"Ease down, newbie. You lot did good up here. Get back to the Adamant and sit tight until Sgt. Blaze gets there."

"Ma'am, Sgt. Cane went down, Lancer Song went after them, and we haven't seen them since. Sgt. Thrush and Airpony Force," Comet forced the words, "they're both..."

Firefly was about as easy to read as an ancient Zebrican incantation. "We'll get a search going for those two once things have calmed down. Get back to the Adamant. Boomerang," She called to Surf Crest, "Get your squad and these foals back to your ship."

"Aye ma'am." The senior officer led them back to the ship. Once they landed, the ponies looked to see what they had saved. The name “Bulwark” could barely be made out around a hole the dragon’s tail had smashed through the painted wood. A quarter or more of the hull had been ripped free of the ship, exposing large sections of the vessel's guts. How many ponies had been pulled overboard when they were suddenly exposed to the outside? Most of the ballistae along the starboard side had been ripped away, as well as all of the sail rigging along the ship. Even from the Adamant, a sickening crunch could be heard as part of the ship threatened to break loose and hurl itself to the ground.

Moon Fang formed up with his squad as they neared the Adamant. Sparky Bolts was close behind him, but his flight path veered dangerously every few seconds. The orange chiroptequus helped his wingpony to the deck before landing himself.

“Surf Crest, Ma’am,” Moon Fang turned to the lancer, “About Cinnamon Cane and Wren Song-”

“Relax, airpony. We’ll find them, but not until the skies are cleared.” Surf Crest gave Moon Fang a look, not one of reprimanding or condemnation, not agitation or impatience, just weariness. The weight kept dragging her to the deck with every breath until she couldn’t keep her head up. “We’ll find them.” And she sat and watched them clean up of the last dragons and said no more.

~*~

Cinnamon Cane and Wren Song had made it to the ground mostly in one piece, and they were both coherent and in agreeable spirits. The blow to the brown pegasus’s haunch had cracked a bone and bruised the entire area, but luckily had not shattered it as he had suspected. Wren, ever the loyal wingpony, had stood guard over him for hours. They had also found the broadwing that ransacked the Bulwark, and was able to retrieve Summer Seas’s spear from deep in the monster’s neck.

Summer Seas had indeed sprained a wing, Dewbead had suffered a concussion, and Lily Nimbus had bruised her shoulder falling from the glimmerback. Sparky Bolts, despite the backhand, was released with only a warning to rest for a couple days. With five injured, Squad Four was among the luckiest. Squad Two had lost two ponies, nearly everypony in Squad Three had taken a beating, and Squad One had four injuries and a fatality. Coriolis, their quiet but stoic captain, had led them against one of the broadwings. When it turned on him, he ordered them to fly on and drew its attention away to let his squad press the attack. It had succeeded, but nopony could find him after. They found a few scraps of mangled evidence on the desert floor while searching for Cinnamon Cane and Wren Song that afternoon.

Nopony dared a song or a victorious cheer. Nopony dared to speak more than they had to. The Bulwark half limped, half crashed into the top of the east mesa as the sun started to set. Its crew, bloodied and broken, made their way off the ship to the welcoming campfires of the ground battalions. A few times, Comet heard the word “scuttled” in relation to the ravaged airship, but it was low on her list of concerns.

Willow Wisp helped a straining Silver Raindrops to her bunk. Her back was wrapped in bandages where a glimmerback’s claws had managed to penetrate her armor. The shining plate had done its job on the whole, and the blow had not caused any lasting damage, but it would keep the brick red pegasus grounded for a while. Comet stayed near the pair, twisting her contraption silently and offering her aid whenever she could. Her notebook sat forgotten on her bunk somewhere, its list of combinations waiting to be amended, but at this point, she had given up on it. It had seemed so important at one point, but what had come of it? What had her puzzling done for her? For them? For Gale Force?

When they’d landed, a few dragon corpses had lain strewn across the mesa. Thunder Clap, nostrils flared and eyes glowing red, threw anypony between him and a choice corpse aside and spent the next hour cutting it to ribbons. When at last they managed to haul him away, puffy eyed and hoarse, he didn’t have the strength left to walk, and groaned where he wanted to howl as they carried him off.

Moon Fang and Sparky Bolts arrived with Lily and sat beside the silent chiroptequus. The pink pony’s foreleg was slung up to keep her off it, but her spirits seemed little worse for wear. She smiled for Comet, but when all she got was a blank face, the smile slipped off and pooled on the dirt floor. Comet tried to force a smile, but all she felt was her face twitching from the effort. She looked to the couple, nursing each other as best they could, and clenched her jaw.

“I’m sorry,” Comet hissed, “I’m so sorry.” Moon Fang wrapped a foreleg around the filly and held her. "If I hadn't recommended you... You guys... Gale..."

“You didn’t do anything, Shimmer. If anything, you kept us together. That means a lot right now. ” Comet wanted to cry, but there was too much sorrow, too much anger, too much confusion, too much weariness, too much pride, and too much shame to allow the tears to flow. So she resigned to leaning against the sorbet colt and closed her eyes, hoping somehow sleep would find her and take everything away.

Instead, it was the twins that found them. Moon Beam looked almost chipper, all things considered, but her sister’s smile was hindered by a bandage that wrapped around her head. “No,” she preempted, “I’ve still got both eyes. I couldn't rock the eyepatch look anyway. I took a claw along my helmet. Those things are really sharp, did you know?”

“I do, actually,” Silver muttered. Willow snorted with amusement and stroked her mane. “I hate to sound… cold, but how are we doing? Who all did we lose?”

“I can’t say about the other platoons,” Sparky Bolts said, “but for Crescent: Coriolis, Berry Thrush, and Gale Force.” One had to admire how objectively he could deliver the news. They were just names, almost. But the room hung on them, as if waiting for their owners to come and claim them. “Half of Squad Four is injured, half of Squad One, Two slipped away without injury, and most of Three is grounded. Our platoon is down about half its strength.”

“So you all were here. ” The tent curtain ruffled as Rainbow Blaze allowed himself in. Those that could, saluted, and he waved them to ease before anyone tried too hard. “Bolts is right, I’m afraid. The other platoons aren’t much better, either. All told, I think we lost nine ponies today. The Bulwark’s crew suffered a lot worse; the ship is going to be scuttled tomorrow. The Adamant, thank Celestia, only lost a couple, same for the Dauntless and the Starfall.”

“What about the ground batteries, sir?”

“They held out alright, but the figures aren’t good. Even with unicorn magic, dragon strafing attacks are too dangerous.” The cobalt pegasus rubbed his forehead. “I don’t have a final count for casualties, but it will be bad. We didn’t do anything wrong, I think, we just couldn’t have done anything better. So don’t think you could have.” He took a moment to lock eyes with each of them. “There’s nothing good down that road. I have to go find Billow Blast and decide who will lead Squad One. Apex Platoon suffered the least today, so they’ve volunteered the CAG tonight. Get some sleep, all of you.” They saluted as he left the tent. He wished, for a moment, that he could sit with them all night and leave the war to somepony else. But somepony had to see the backend through.

Part of that backend was sitting on a crate, drowning the day in cider and watching the next storm roll in. Thunder Clap was a heavy drinker, but lucky for him, the tap ran deep. When Rainbow approached, he managed a salute, but failed to stand.

"Enjoying the view, Airpony?"

Thunder Clap inspected his mug intently. "It comes and goes, sir." He downed the rest of it in one go.

"You should get some sleep, Clap. Tomorrow's another day."

"'m not going out there again, sir." The green pegasus's back hunched.

"Come again?"

"'m not flying. I can't. 'm not gonna get anypony else killed."

"Somepony might get killed for not having all our ponies up there."

"Damned if I do, damned if I don't, might as well keep out the way then." Thunder Clap made to refill his mug, but Rainbow Blaze cut him off with a hoof. "I won't have it, sir, and you shouldn't either."

"You looking for an easy way out, Airpony?"

"'m looking for credit where credit is due, sir."

Rainbow sighed. "Gale Force wasn't your fault-"

"It's entirely my bucking fault!" For somepony who had screamed himself hoarse, Thunder still had a lot of boom left. "I was trying to be a bucking hero, throwing myself on the wire for my squad to break through. If I died taking down that glimmerback for them, fine, it's an ok thing to go for. But Gale, he comes in and throws himself in my place, 'cause that's what he does. He looks out for ponies, you know? I don't think he could hate anypony if he wanted to.

"Gale died looking out for me. He died because I did something stupid and he was doing his job. So please, sir, tell me what part of that isn't my fault."

Rainbow Blaze silently stared at the pony as he mulled over the confession. "The part where Gale Force was who he was. He put you over himself the same way you put your squad first, the same way you would have put him over you. Learn from today, do better, and maybe next time you won't lose anypony. There are still ponies counting on you. Half our platoon is grounded. The ones who can fly need every able body they can. Are you going to let them down?"

Thunder tried to grab the words back as they left his mouth. "Absolutely not, sir." It was what he meant, even if everything he felt said otherwise.

"Then get some sleep. Tomorrow's going to be another long day." Rainbow gave the burly green pegasus a pat on the shoulder and headed off into the night. Thunder Clap made to refill his mug, stopped, and looked at the container. Like it had come alive in his hoof, he threw it away in disgust and beat his head against the barrel. Through the grimace of pain on so many levels, he swore to himself, not again. Never again.

The sound of thunder rolled across the mesa for the second night in a row. The autumn storms were stacking up, and the deluge was promising to be just as heavy as last night.

CH.10 - Credit

"They were good out there, Fly. I wasn't watching the whole time, obviously, but they took down five dragons between them all, including a broadwing." Rainbow Blaze swirled his drink. Outside, the rain poured ceaselessly.

"I don't think you should count a suicide run as a kill, Blaze," Firefly said without looking up from her charts. Her second in command shrugged.

"All the same, they did well. I think it would help their morale a little."

"Fine," Firefly huffed, "like I give a buck about their ranks."

"You sure make the brass aware of that whenever they bother to send you a message." Rainbow was never one to miss a joke, especially with her, but it was hard to be funny given the circumstances. "There's one other thing."

"Hm?"

"I want to recommend airponies Shimmer, Ray, Firefoot, and Nimbus for sabre training."

"Aren't Shimmer and Nimbus a wing?" The lieutenant checked her list. "Awfully unusual to have two sabres with no vanguard, don't you think?"

Rainbow shrugged. "Three months ago, it was unusual to fly a company on airships. We keep flying."

Firefly smirked. "That we do, Blaze. Fine, give your foals some sabres and see which of them don't cut themselves. You really think Shimmer and Nimbus can pull off a dual sabre wing?."

"They're resourceful kids. I'll bet they can figure it out."

"Since when did you start betting?" Firefly chuckled. "That's not like the stallion I know."

"Maybe you're just a bad influence?"

"Careful, smartass. Fine, we'll give them a shot. We don’t have many spares though...Who are you imagining is gonna train them?" He watched her expectantly. "No."

"You're our best sabre, Fly. Nopony could teach them better, and we don't have the time to ease them into advanced weaponry."

"You really can be a pain in the ass, you know that?" She walked to the flap of the tent to watch the rain fall. "If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were growing attached to your little flock of foals."

"Maybe I am." Rainbow sat on a bench and watched her. "They're good kids in a bad place. We've already lost some of them, you know. The rest have meshed with their squads, they work with the others naturally. They're us, Fly, not our charges. They've earned that much."

Firefly was slow to respond. "Maybe they have." She didn't turn from the rain. "I really would have gotten that bookworm a job in the back if I could have. Stupid foal."

"I know you would have. And yes, she is. But she's here, they're here, we're here. We have to make do with that." Rainbow traced patterns on the floor as he spoke. "So we'll just have to watch out for each other as best we can." He suddenly found his lieutenant nuzzling him. He dared a glance up to find her warm gaze looking back.

"For an idiot, you have a knack for words." She pulled away. "Come on, two platoons are down to half strength from injuries. We need to reorganize, and I'd like to get some sleep tonight." Rainbow chuckled and hopped to his hooves. Anything for his lieutenant.

~*~

Stratus blinked unresponsive eyelids as he set down his coffee and his breakfast. The storms were keeping him awake, and no amount of caffeine was going to fix it.

“Morning, Drifter.” Stargaze made a spot for him. “What do you hear?”

“Nothing but the bucking rain,” Stratus groaned as he drank deep of the rich, brown drink. “Have I missed anything?” His wingpony shook his head. “Let’s hope it stays that way.” Much to his frustration, it did not. More of their platoon arrived, already deep in conversation. As usual, the lemon colt was leading the scene.

"I'm starting to think airships might not have been a great idea." Willow Wisp's oatmeal was going to get cold if he kept up his talking. Or, it might wind up splattered on his face.

"What, you don't like having a flying fortress for a home, Cheerleader?" Nope, coffee was just not doing it.

"That part's fine, the guns are fine, but I'm thinking they're too vulnerable."

"Well buck you too, flyboy," a unicorn down the table said. Willow threw his hooves up defensively.

"Woah, hey, I'm not trying to badmouth any of the crews. But look what happened to the Bulwark. If that dragon had breathed fire, nopony would have walked off."

"For once, we seem to have thought the same thing." Sparky Bolts sipped his coffee. "I must be getting stupider out here."

"Oh ha ha. Look, it's a real risk. I don't think-"

"No, Airpony," Firefly stood over him, "you don't. That's what I'm here for." She looked over the four tables where her company was seated. Some were out on watch, some were grabbing early exercises, but the ones she wanted were here. "Nimbus, Bolts, Fang, Beam, Star, Shimmer, Raindrops, Firefoot, Stargaze, outside." The nine in question grabbed a last bite or drink and made their way out of the mess area. Silver and Lily had to float along, the former’s hind still sore and heavily bandaged, and the latter’s foreleg bound in a sling, but their wings were just fine.

Rainbow Blaze, Firefly, and their squad leaders awaited them in the mud. All of them wore neutral expressions, though humor lurked just underneath. Firefly joined the line of senior ponies before nudging her second in command forward. He looked back at her expectantly, but she gave him a quick "Don't give me that" look. He was on his own.

Rainbow Blaze donned his neutrality again and addressed his troops. "Right. Airponies, for your distinguishable service in the face of mortal peril, particularly for your acts of courage, determination, and calm thinking under combat during the engagement yesterday, we have seen fit to bestow upon you the rank of Lancer Second Class." Each of their squad leads presented them with little pins to add to their dress collars. The edges of smiles were showing under their masks. "Additionally, under recommendation from your squad members, Lancers Nimbus, Firefoot, and Shimmer, as well as Airpony Ray will be trained in the use of sabres." The promoted ponies looked to each other with equal parts surprise and excitement. "Lancer Beam, I expect you will deliver the news to your wingpony."

"Without delay, sir." Moon Beam saluted. "Are we still to fly as a wing, sir?"

"You are."

"Will I be receiving vanguard training then, sir?"

"That remains to be seen, Lancer. Secondary training for sabres and vanguards is allocated when we find ponies that qualify, not when somepony else gets-"

"Sergeant, Lieutenant, if I may," Slipstream said.

"What is it, Sergeant?"

"Sun Ray and Moon Beam's greatest strength is their coordination. They are able to work off of each others actions in a way I have rarely seen before, if ever. I believe it would be a mistake to grant one of them sabre training and not the other, sirs."

"You think we should give them both the training program?"

Slipstream glanced at the snowfall blue filly apologetically. "Or neither, sir." The three officers looked between each other for an answer. Moon Beam's breath was caught in her throat as the decision was made entirely without her. It was true, what Slipstream had said: she and her sister worked best when they could work together. Did that require them to have the same equipment? It probably helped, yes.

"We don't have the spares for it," Firefly said. "Lancer Beam."

"Ma'am."

"Given your squad leader's recommendation, we will be rescinding your sabre training for the time being. Both you and airpony Ray will be considered for it, however, when we receive more equipment to field sabre teams."

"Thank you, ma'am." Moon Beam saluted, and the fuschia mare noticed she seemed genuinely happy with the decision. Whatever kept those two together, she supposed.

"That will be all, then. Congratulations, ponies. You are dismissed." The nine new lancers saluted and returned to their breakfast. Even from outside, the officers could hear the clamor when their squaddies found out the good news. "Funny what a title can do."

"It tells them we noticed," Surf Crest said. "It says they're doing good work."

"If that's what keeps them sane, then that's enough." Firefly looked to Crescent Platoon's senior staff. "Since your platoon is so beat to hell, you're grounded from morning exercises. I want to round up everypony we're promoting to sabres and vanguards and get them started instead."

"Ma'am, I know a few of the ones from Crescent are injured," Rainbow Blaze said, "and I imagine the other platoons are the same." The others nodded.

"Then send me the healthy ones. Broken wings and bound limbs don't mean the war's on hold. Blaze, Surf Crest, I'll be taking Slipstream, Aurora, and Desert Spring to lead the training. I want you two to get Fir Bough and Snowdrift to look over our roster and figure out what we can field and how best to do so. The rest of you, have a talk with your squads. Discuss maneuvers, go over combat logs, hold hooves and sing if you want, just talk. I don't want anyone wandering off alone, not after yesterday." Firefly wrinkled her nose. "The survivor's guilt is so thick you can smell it. Everypony know where they're supposed to be?"

"Yes Ma'am."

"Best company I could hope for." Firefly smirked and headed for her tent. Her sabres were right where she left them, and for the first time in while, she was actually looking forward to putting them on.

~*~

The boots, Comet admitted, did not impede her walking as much as she had expected. It was the surprisingly heavy blades jutting out on either side that impaired her stride. Metal leg guards adorned her upper foreleg to compensate for the decreased protection of the boot. Looking around the gathered group, she counted five vanguards to eight sabres; apparently the lower ranks weren't the only ones getting specialty training. Lily Nimbus was attending the instruction, but her banged leg kept her from suiting up.

If Comet could walk in her sabres, Firefly could dance. She looked the new specialists up and down with her usual unimpressed demeanor. "Alright, kiddies, here's the deal. You've been recognized by somepony in your group as having skills ideal for specialization as a sabre or a vanguard. This does not mean you are one yet; if we decide during the training period that you are, in fact, not cut out for it, you'll be back to your regular gear. Is that clear?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Good. Now, the basics." Firefly gestured to her own weapons. "Sabres are weapons that excel in speed and agility. Where polearms tend to require a flying start to line up their target, sabres can bank in and make their attack with effectively zero preparation. They can also spin in place to attack targets with either edge. The downside is a decrease in effective range. Where polearms give you a good distance ahead of your target to attack and defend with, sabres are only as far as your reach. This makes you more open to attack even when you’re on the offensive.

"This is what the vanguards are traditionally for. With heavier armor and a longer polearm, vanguards provide defense while the sabre is able to go in for the kill. Normally, we group two sabres to every vanguard, but between a supply shortage and an enemy that doesn’t fly in squads like us, we’ve been running pairs to better spread out our numbers. All of our new vanguards," she looked at the five, "will be paired up with sabres in their platoons in need of wings. Most of your wingponies will still be using a glaive instead of a vanguard lance, so you will need to figure out how to make that work. And Shimmer and Nimbus, both of you will be sabres with no vanguard. Your defense as a wing will take a hit, so you will need to figure out how to deal with it. Any questions?" Resolute silence returned. "Perfect. Let's get started."

Firefly took to the sky, forelegs straight ahead. Comet took off after her, legs tucked underneath her, and she was almost immediately pulled back to the ground. Her blades, angled as they were, were acting almost like sails, catching the wind and throwing it against her. After struggling and grunting for a few moments, Comet angled into a dip. With her blades and her course more in line, she was able to bring the sabres up in front of her and swing upwards. In the right direction, the weapons sliced through the air, making the filly's flight a little easier than when she had been using a glaive.

"It looks like you guys are figuring out the first rule of sabre use already," Firefly said once she'd reached her hovering altitude. "Flight requires extended forelegs. You can tuck your legs low enough to completely invert the blades, but flipping them back is a pain in the flank. Perpendicular is a no go. Alright, let's start with some banks for you to learn how to follow the sabre wake. Vanguards, with Aurora and Desert Spring. You lot," she cut the group of sabres evenly in half, "with Slipstream. The rest of you will be with me."

The rest of the morning and part of the afternoon were spent running drills. Nothing was particularly new, but using sabres made everything feel different, like flying with a different pair of wings. The trainees were panting and sore when they broke for a late lunch, but Firefly seemed pleased.

"This will work, I think. It's unorthodox, fielding this many sabres without the classic trio, but you guys have the stuff." She waved a hoof. "You have the rest of the day to yourselves. Practice, talk, relax, up to you. Just be ready to fly if any lizards come knocking." Without waiting for an affirmative, she walked off to deposit her own gear. Comet found Lily, who had been hovering around the training. She was surprised to find the twins with the pink filly. The three of them were discussing the exercises amongst themselves.

"Hey girls. What are the two of you doing out here?" Comet directed to the yellow and blue ponies.

"Watching, duh."

"If there's a chance we can be sabres, we want to know everything we can now."

"They might be more inclined to promote us if we're prepared."

"Makes sense, but you can't use my sabres for practice. I can't need them while you're practicing." Comet turned to her wingpony. "How's the leg?"

"I've had worse." Nimbus gave it an experimental shake. "Still sore though. Sorry, Egghead, I think we're both grounded for now."

"Unless they saddle me with another wing, yeah." It was not unheard of. historically, sabres and vanguards rode in wings of three, and with Crescent Platoon as short staffed as it was, it was unlikely anypony would be grounded for any reason short of debilitating injury.

"Well, Thunder Clap needs a wingpony," Sun Ray said, "maybe you can fly with him." The four of them tried very hard to ignore the implication of Thunder's absent wing. It wasn't working.

"Yeah... excuse me." Comet trotted awkwardly away, determined to get her weapons stowed so she could walk normally again. The others from training had almost all finished by the time she arrived, so she had plenty of room to throw her armor off into her chest.

"No reason to dent it yourself, Lancer," Snowdrift said, "there'll be plenty of opportunities for that."

"Oh shut it, will you?" Comet didn't look up from unfitting her blades.

"Easy, kid, it was a joke." He sat on the bench beside the filly. "Something gnawing on your ear?"

"I'm fine."

"And I'm a princess." Snowdrift placed a hoof over hers to stop her hurried undressing. "Talk, kid. You'll go nuts if ya keep all that garbage in your head." Comet kept glancing around the room, her brow furrowed, as if the shadows were whispering things at her. She sighed.

"Yesterday, during the battle, one of the ponies I graduated with was killed." It still hurt to admit. "He flew right into a dragon's mouth, lobotomized it, and died in the process. He was looking out for his wingpony. And he's gone. And... I feel like I didn't even know him that well. We were friends, sure, but we didn't spend a lot of time together. We didn't talk much. He spent more time with Thunder Clap and the guys." The filly bit her tongue. "Why didn't I get to know him better?"

"Ya think that would make losing him any easier?"

"It wouldn't feel like I'd ignored him, at least," she shot back. "With him, with Crescendo, with Sprinkle, I keep feeling like, if I pretend they're not dead, they'll walk into breakfast in a day or two, like they were out with an injury or something. But they don't. They're never coming back." Her nerves were starting to escape her. Snowdrift draped a wing around her. "And all I can think of is what I should have done for them." Snowdrift waited a good long while, making sure Comet was done, before he replied.

"I've been there, kid. We all have. It don't get any easier, but I guess it hurts a bit less after a while. Remember, when you guys and girls showed up, you were replacing the ones we'd lost. Nineteen in six months, and some in other companies. I lost... some good friends in there." He swept half a sniffle under the rug. "You'll try and do all these things, think of all these ways to try and rationalize it, but let's be true, it don't make sense, it don't and it won't ever.

"But it also don't make sense to carry the dead around everywhere. It slows ya down, makes ya timid where ya need to be bold." Snowdrift looked Comet in the eye. "The living are the ones that need ya. Never forget that. Remember the dead, struggle for the living. 's what I've been doing, and it seems to work out well enough." Comet smiled. "See, ain't ya glad ya said something instead of being a sourpuss and tossing your crap about?"

"Ha, yeah. Thanks, Snowdrift."

"Anytime, Shimmer. Now hurry and finish stowing your crap. I'mma go find some food." The pegasus stood and walked out as if they'd just been discussing the weather. Comet unbuckled her back plate and slid it off. The contraption weighed heavy in her pocket. She pulled it out and gave it a few twists. The damn thing would never open, assuming it even could. But hearing the even clicks as the parts moved from state to state brought a smile to Comet's face. At least something was constant.

~*~

According to Comet's journal, it was day 57 since arriving at Thunderhooves Pass. According to her mind, and the minds of her platoon, it was closer to year 57. They had spent six months training at Fort Hurricane, an eternity compared to the eight weeks they'd soldiered through out in the desert, and yet that time seemed so much shorter by comparison. What was dragging the minutes into hours and the hours into days?

Out on the frontier, every day was the same. Wake up, eat, drill, watch for dragons, go to sleep. That wasn't it, Basic had been a daily routine. Out here, though, any time the routine was broken, it was bad news. Sometimes, it was deadly news. But that wasn't it either. Horrid as they were, they could mark the time passing by the battles. If anything, that should make the time move faster.

No, it wasn't that. It was the inbetween. When they were watching and waiting for a dragon attack, often they were literally waiting. Comet might hazard a few pages of a book, some might take a lap or two to keep loose, maybe nap to catch up on sleep, but most of the time, they waited on that impending horn and avoided anything that might impede their response time. For eight weeks, they had fought or waited, drilled or waited, slept or waited, and they were sure they would die of old age before the year was over.

The Autumn equinox was a few weeks past when the news came from the west. A dragon flight had crashed against the camp there, a titanic base by the name of Fort Solaris. Named for the sun that constantly beat down on the surrounding arid plane, the fort boasted more batteries, stronger walls, and comparable terrain advantages to Thunderhooves Pass. It was all the more disparaging, knowing this, to hear their forces had lost more than twenty five percent to the dragon's assault. The fort had held, but rather than turn tail and retreat like normal, the dragon flight had crashed off of the fortresses defenses, splintered, and flown east and west.

It was to be expected, then, that some would reach the Pass. How would the Pass's defenders manage given their decreased air power? And to make matters worse, the constant downpours had caused a mudslide along the trench's left flank. Only three ponies had been injured, thank Celestia, but it could prove an exploitable weakness if the assault on the ground was too strong.

These were the thoughts Comet Shimmer was writing in her journal when Night Light found her. "Hey, Shimmer, you want to play some cards?"

"Will it be a game I know this time?" The stallion shrugged. "Fine, give me a minute. Hey Drifter, you want to play?"

"Buck it, too tired." Stratus rolled over in his bunk. He quickly added, "Thanks for the offer though." The chiroptequus finished off a thought and hopped down from her bunk. A few ponies were already gathered around the card table -- a barrel that had long ago lost its ability to hold water. Snowdrift was dealing, and she spotted Evening Star and Fir Bough in the circle. Rainbow Blaze was among them too, eyes scanning over his cards and an imitation blank expression adorning his face. He glanced up at the filly and smiled, then motioned to the two empty spaces beside him. Night Light and Comet Shimmer sat, they were dealt some cards, and this time, the filly had an idea of what she was doing.

The stars favored her that night as her winnings piled up. A small fortune of bits sat in even stacks to her left, a mug of cider than never ran dry to her right, and an unamused unicorn and pegasus to her flanks.

"Night, I told you to find someone to fill the seat, not steal ours out from under us," Rainbow Blaze grumbled.

"Hey, I didn't know she actually knew Solstice Salute. It's a super rare game, most ponies don't."

"Book, cover, shut up. It’s popular among the librarians in Canterlot, according to my mother. I’d think your lady friend would have told you."

“Actually, Velvet’s the one who taught me it.”

“Oh, well there you go.” Comet took a drink of her cider. "Hey Sergeant, do you remember who it was that said they wouldn't mind sitting around for six months and going home if that's all this war amounted to?"

"Damn, I don't. I wish I did so I could rub it in their face." Rainbow chuckled through his mug. "’How goes the sitting, airpony?’" The group all laughed, and Night Light offered to get them some refills.

"Hey, did you guys hear the rumor?" Snowdrift asked.

"About what, Crosseyes?"

"Word is, one of our ships is gonna head south and west, see if they can find any sign of dragons heading our way." The ponies all glanced at each other over their cards.

"I don't see much point in that. If a bunch of glimmerbacks see the ship, they'll overtake it before it can get back without a decent wind. What's the good of sending a ship then?"

"It's that or wait for a fight that might never come," Rainbow said. "And if some other flight attacks us, we think it was the Solaris splinter, and then the actual splinter actually shows up, what then?"

"And what if something attacks us and we're down a bucking platoon because it's off on a wild goose chase?" Evening Star did not have trouble making her displeasure known. She had woken her tents a few times in the night after Berry Thrush and Gale Force had died, screaming to cover them in her sleep as they were devoured again and again in her mind. The nightmares had stopped, so she said, but the bags still hung heavy under her eyes.

"Then we'll make do," Fir Bough said. "Besides, it's just a rumor. No use getting worked up until the orders come down."

"Well while we're on the subject of rumors," Comet said, "has anypony heard anything about reinforcements? We're all worried sick about another big engagement, haggard as we are, but that's not going to change unless we get more wings out here."

"Nothing yet." Rainbow sighed. "Even if we do, it'll probably be a company of fresh graduates, and just enough officers to hold the company together. Besides, when did you foals graduate again?"

"Eight... nine, ten weeks ago?" Evening Star tried to count on her hoof but gave up.

"Graduations are on a four month rotation. At best, we might get a greenhorn company assigned to us in two weeks, plus another week or more for them to arrive."

Comet set down her cards. "I don't feel like playing, actually." She willed herself to get off the bench, but her legs would not comply. Instead she sat in the circle while her wings flitted like leaves in a storm. Before anypony could focus the spotlight on her, however, a commotion flared near one of the mess tents.

A unicorn and an earth pony were going at it over a spilled meal. Tussles were becoming common enough to not be surprising, but fights that drew blood were both extremely rare and entirely against the law of the camp. That didn't seem to matter to the earth pony, who seemed hellbent on ripping an ear off of the unicorn.

"Cocoa Shot, that's enough!" Another earth pony threw herself on the raging stallion, trying to throw him from the unicorn, but he kicked her in the chest and sent her flying back. Pinned as he was, the unicorn could not focus his magic enough to grab his attacker, and opted instead to release a blast wave in all directions, hurtling both Cocoa Shot and a few others too close to the fight. Though freed, the blows he had already received made him slow to rise, while the earth pony's natural resilience was making itself known.

"What in Tartarus is going on here?" Captains Candescence and Startstruck approached the brawl. Before Cocoa Shot could attach himself to the unicorn, however, he found himself floating in midair. He was brought over to the two unicorn captains, who looked him up and down as they might examine a rat that had been caught in the hold. Their captive yelled a few choice words regarding their mothers' professions, which earned him an immediate, high speed trip to the dirt. When he tried to get up, an earth pony slammed him back down and sat on his back. She placed a hoof on his neck, a sure promise of what would happen if he tried to get up again again.

"Get him out of here. He'll be dealt with in the morning," Starstruck spat. As a pair of earth ponies and a unicorn hauled the defeated attacker off, the medics rushed in to see if the unicorn's ear was salvageable.

"Wonderful," Night Light muttered as he returned with the drinks, "dragons aren't enough for some ponies. They have to start fighting each other too." When he passed Comet her drink, the filly brought it to her mouth and leaned her head back. "Easy there, Shimmer. Don't drink yourself sick." But she continued until the mug was dry as a bone. Caught between cursing him out, thanking him, and doing nothing, the filly snorted and buried her head in her hooves.

~*~

The Crescent Platoon tent was probably one of the few places where the situation had taken a turn for the better. Four weeks of recovery, and blessed few new injuries, had brought most of their platoon back into fighting condition; only three remained too injured to return to duty. It was a much needed return of cheer. For four weeks, the tent had stunk of antiseptic and dirty bandages. The empty bunks sat like sentinels through their tent, constant reminders to everypony what could be for each of them. Those had not gone away, but they were slowly fading into commonality.

Thunder Clap had been a mess to deal with. For a week, he had trained himself to the bone. It likely would have been more than a week if he had not collapsed in the middle of a low altitude corkscrew. Confined to his bunk while he recovered, he spoke to nopony, did almost nothing, ate only because the doctor made him. He muttered in his sleep, demanding more of himself in his dreams when his body had failed.

Stratus Drifter was the one to finally find a way through to the giant hunk of stallion. He had rounded up a group to play a game of hoofball out on the mesa and asked Thunder to head one of the teams. Comet's guesses back in Basic were right on the money; his ears perked up immediately at the sound of his pastime. Like when he had first come to evening practices, he was timid and quiet. But the more his team asked of him, the more he delivered, until finally he was calling passes and running the ball like the stallion they knew. The Thunder Clap they ate with that evening was not the same as the one that had lost Gale Force two weeks prior. He laughed and drank with his comrades, and he smiled a more open, honest smile than they had ever seen him make before. But there was still a shadow that clung to the edges and dug into his skin. It was anypony's guess how deep those claws sank.

When the card players returned to the tent, he was wrapped up in another sort of game all together. The twins had brought one of their favorite games from home: a simple wooden board with a grid carved into it. Each of them took turns placing little black or white stones to surround territory and capture each other's stones. Comet recalled seeing it once before, perhaps in a book about deer culture, but she had never played it. Judging by the speed at which the twins were placing their stones, she was not about to start with them.

"Exercising the mind, Clap?" Rainbow Blaze stood over the board and watched the game progress. Black had cut the board cleanly in half and was dividing up its ground to make recapture harder.

"Would be if I still knew what's going on."

"It's almost over, Ogre, don't worry," Sun Ray said. She placed a white stone down.

"Who's gonna win then?"

"She is." Moon Beam sighed.

"How?" Comet examined the board. "You look like you have so much more of the board-" The yellow pegasus set down a stone, stealing a large chunk of the black territory.

"Why do I always fall for that?" Moon Beam ruffled her hair and groaned.

"Because you never learn, oh sister mine." She cleared the board and spun it around, as if that made a difference. "Go again?"

"Yes!"

"No." Thunder Clap stood and left. If the twins noticed, they were too busy laying stones again to care.

"Sergeant, you in here?" Willow Wisp and Easterly View entered the tent. Rainbow waved them over. "The armorer wanted to talk with you or 'somepony who can make a Faust damned decision around here.' I think he's upset about how many spare suits we've got left."

"I better go see what he wants then." The ranking officer stood and left the tent as well.

"What had you two down at the armory?"

"Raindrops needed a new backplate now that she's better," Easterly View said. "Fittings are always easier when you've got an extra pair of hooves to hold things in place.

"So what were both of you doing there, then?" Evening Star asked.

"Well, I was doing my job as a senior squaddie," Easterly View huffed, "and I'm pretty sure lover boy here is glued to her." Willow chuckled sarcastically.

Rain had not been one of the most severely injured in the platoon, let alone the company, but her injuries had been among the most painful. Willow had only left her side when it was necessary of him, which was fairly often given their situation. Still, he had done everything he could for the brick red pegasus without question, which earned him a great deal of playful ribbing from the rest of the platoon.

"It's good to hear she's ready to fly again," Comet said. "We're almost back to full strength."

"I won't forget that, rookie," Cinnamon Cane said from his bunk. His leg was slow to mend, and while he could fly wherever he needed, landing and walking were almost out of the question.

"I said almost, sir. It wouldn't be the same without you," Comet said sweetly without looking.

Rainbow Blaze returned a short time later, displeasure drenching his face. His platoon followed him curiously, and he sighed. "Apparently, the supply problem is worse than we thought. Nevermind the sabres and vanguard gear -- with all the armor suits we took back at Dodge Junction, we're almost out of spares again." The silence was pregnant. "That means, if your armor gets torn up or beat to tartarus, you might not get a replacement piece anymore. I put in a request for more supplies, but it will take time."

"How long?"

"Weeks? However long it takes, I don't know." Rainbow Blaze sat on his bunk and looked to his ponies. "Look, we've faced worse. We're going to get through this, all of us, as long as we hold to each other. Watch each other's backs out there." The ponies nodded. "Ok. Now, I want to go over what we're going to do to keep our platoon flying. Let's see... twins, Drifter, Star, go find everypony else and tell them to get back here." The four messengers departed and left the tent.

Silver Raindrops passed them on the way in. She was wearing her new plating: a shining hunk of metal and mail that clashed with her weathered, older suit. It could be green as long as it did the job. "All done, sir, and reporting as ordered." The red filly saluted.

"Take a seat, Lancer. We're just waiting on the others." It only took a few minutes for the rest of the platoon to gather. Rainbow had to make this meeting quick -- Squad One was on CAG in a few minutes. "Here's the deal, ponies. We're down four heads, plus three still injured. For any of you who can't count good, that's a large chunk of our crew. We've been getting relegated to support and defensive positions up until now, but it's not quite done the job we've been hoping for.

"It's likely we're going to be more forward in our positioning so that the ships are farther back from the combat zone. And there's a fair chance that, if this scouting mission does happen, we'll be one of the two platoons to run it." The gathered ponies murmured amongst themselves. Sending two platoons was going to leave the air defenses horribly understaffed. "Shut it. We're still deciding on a course of action, let alone the details. But that's where we stand, as a platoon, as a company, as a camp. But we as a group need to figure out how we're going to survive whatever comes at us next.

"As much as I want to, I can't keep you all safe. Lt. Firefly can't keep us out of harm's way either. We're soldiers. It's an occupational hazard. But we can be smart about how we engage. Squads traditionally fly tight formations and break up right before they engage a target. Against opponents with such a broad range of attack, this could mean the death of an entire squad in one or two passes. I want all of you flying loose formations. Keep to your wing and maintain a wide berth from the next one over. If we spread out, the dragons will hopefully have a harder time going after any one of us."

The sergeant looked over his platoon. They followed what he was saying, but it was not having the effect he had hoped for. "Honestly, I wanted to have us operate as a single unit. The entire platoon would engage the same target, quickly defeat it, and move to the next. But a single dragon flying through our group, one rogue target that needs to be taken down, and the whole formation falls apart. We need to stay loose out there, and we need to adapt to whatever the situation calls for. You've all proven you're capable of that. Know that I trust all of you completely." That seemed to get the reaction he had wanted. A few smiles crept their way into the platoon. A few heads nodded in affirmation.

The tent flap burst open and Duster rushed in. "Everypony, outside. Boss's orders." He was gone as quickly as he had appeared. Crescent Platoon stood and exited. Even the wounded found some way to make it out to the open area in the center of the grounds. All the commanding officers were standing in a circle whispering amongst themselves. Comet spotted Firefly among them, and immediately the filly knew something was wrong. Firefly had been cold before. She had been aggressive. She had been condescending. She had been sarcastic. She had been hard.

Comet had never seen her genuinely angry.

The colonel in command of Thunderhooves Pass, a terracotta giant of an earth pony by the name of Redwood, had made the climb up from his usual camp in the valley. Most of the pegasi had only seen him once or twice; he left the business on top of the mesas largely to the officers already there. The only exception was when something of serious consequence occurred. Once the camp had gathered, the colonel cleared his throat. The other officers lined up behind him, all of them rigid and still as statues.

"We have received word from High Command. In response to the attack on Fort Solaris, it has been determined that the current defensive strategy is 'resulting in excessive loss of life and resource with sub desirable results.' As such, we, as well as bases all along The Line, will be leading an offensive campaign south to capture new territory and force the dragons from theirs. Success in this campaign will, they argue, increase the dragons' desire to sue for peace and end this conflict swiftly.

"Thunderhooves Pass will be receiving an ample resupply of everything we need, including what reinforcements are available, before we deploy. Celestia willing, we will be departing south in one week's time. Your company officers will be overseeing preparations leading up to departure. In one week, ponies, we take the fight to them. In one week, we will make them know what it is to suffer loss. In one week, we will bring such reckoning upon our foes that they will not dare to tread within a thousand miles of Equestria. Are you with me?"

"Sir, yes sir!" It was almost deafening.

"Then make your preparations. Dismissed."

~*~

Firefly threw a folder against her storage chest. Papers exploded in every direction, some drifting dangerously close to the fire.

"Out. Now." It was rare that the fuschia mare was ever angry enough to spook her officers. The few instances where she had lost her temper had earned her her nickname, one that nopony who enjoyed living ever used in her presence. This was one such instance. The air seemed to freeze around her, all of its energy being sucked away until the skin burned just from looking at her. The platoon leaders did not think twice about vacating her tent. Only Rainbow Blaze remained. "Are you deaf, Sergeant?"

"Just stupid, ma'am." Firefly clacked her teeth at him and tromped in circles, knocking more things over in her rage.

"I wanted this, I was practically begging for it. 'An offensive would beat sitting in trenches for months on end and waiting for them to come to us.' I said that!"

"And now we're going on the offensive."

"With no intelligence, with no plan. We're going out on a vague understanding of where the dragons are nesting and we're going to -- what -- smoke them out of their holes. What is territory to a dragon? What is our plan, Blaze?"

"Well-"

"We don't bucking have one!" Firefly kicked her work stool over. "I swear to Celestia, I..." She sat, completely spent. "I'm a fool. I wanted something we have no idea how to do. How are we going to win a fight against enemies we know so little about?"

Rainbow Blaze draped his wings over her. He never dared anything of the sort when the others were present, but he had a sneaking suspicion they already knew anyway. "I don't know, Fly. But you were right. We're dying here on The Line, suffering attack after attack and gaining nothing for it. I don't know what we'll find out there, but taking the offensive can't be more impotent than sitting here and dying a slow death."

"And what if what's out there is more than we can handle?"

"...Then we were never going to win this war to begin with." They sat in the wreckage of Firefly's tent for a while. He would rub her mane with his chin, she would press against his chest with her wings, and neither of them disturbed the silence.

"We have to," Firefly finally whispered.

"We do."

The fuschia mare wormed her way out of his grip and stood, her rank draping over her shoulders again. He followed her up, the sergeant his lieutenant needed back in form.

"What is your platoon looking like, Sergeant?"

"They're ready, ma'am. Ready as they'll ever be."

"Good. Get the others, we need to see if we should rotate the platoons given losses and injuries. Since Downpour lost the Bulwark, we'll likely be taking point." Rainbow saluted and made for the tent flap. "Oh, and Blaze..." He stopped. "If you breathe a word of this to anypony-"

"Rip my wings off and feed them to me, I know." He gave her a smile and left the tent. He did not have many left of late, but he always found one for her.

~*~

All of them hated Thunderhooves Pass. Although it had a natural beauty to it, none of Cyclone Company wanted to ever lay eyes on it again. The sooner they packed up and sailed away, the better.

But still, as she carried her stuff onto the Adamant, Comet Shimmer felt a sense of impending longing for the mesa camp. She hated it, no question there, but she knew it. The Adamant was bound for nopony knew where or what, and that was automatically worse. The filly sighed and went below deck to store her stuff in the crew quarters. At least everything on the ship was where she remembered it to be. And the faces she knew were still there; they seemed as happy to see their winged friends as she was to see them.

All throughout the camp, ponies were loading supplies and double checking equipment. The first territory they were to seize was a rocky crag sixty-and-change miles south of them -- six or seven days of marching and flying. Everypony needed to be ready for a battle at any minute, and they needed to be stocked not just for that first objective, but for a campaign that could stretch for weeks or months. The effective stowing of 90% of Thunderhooves Pass was being handled with peak military efficiency, mostly because nopony wanted to stop and think about what was to come.

The only ones who seemed interested in chatting were the reinforcements. A company of pegasi and two battalions of unicorns and earth ponies had arrived, almost all of them fresh from whatever training camp they had just graduated from. They were so energetic and ready for action. Comet detested and pitied them at the same time, but part of her caught herself in the thought. What reason did she have to hate them? And more importantly, when had she become so jaded that their energy seemed so foreign?

However, as Rainbow Blaze had predicted, no airships accompanied the new air company. Instead, they would be marching with the ground forces. With three companies occupying five airships, crew quarters were cramped enough already. Comet was almost ready to join them on the ground as she bumped through the hallways and forced her way into the bunk room, but the mere thought of walking sixty miles exhausted her. She tossed her pack and her rubber-guarded sabres on the cot and started undoing her armor.

"Hey, Egghead, did you see?" Stratus and Stargaze slid into the room. "Hearth's Warming Eve came early. We got sabres, lances, armor, miniature crossbows, new ballistae, everything."

"I hope the ship can lift off with all this stuff and all these ponies on board," Stargaze said. From the sounds of things, supplies were still being carried aboard. "Any more and this tub will burst."

"Well, agility was never her strong suit to begin with," Stratus replied. "Hey, I was going to head up to the deck and see if I could snatch some blankets for CAG rounds. You two want to come with me and help lay claim?" It was better than hiding in her bunk while everypony bustled about, so Comet dove back into the traffic behind the two pegasi. "Oh, did you two see that new company? How long you think they'll last?"

"I give them ten days."

"Stargaze, come on," Comet said, "you're being too harsh... Fourteen, tops." The others laughed. Of course, part of their job now would be to make sure the foals did not get annihilated on their first sortie, but even Faust could only do so much. And if it came down to helping one of them or one of Cyclone Company, the choice was painfully clear.

"I'm just glad we have some more glaives in the air. Whatever helps us win." The trio reached the top deck just in time to see the ramp being stowed. Anchors were hauled up, magic was fed into some intricate buoying mechanism, and the Adamant rocked gently as it eased away from the mesa.

No turning back now, then. The south frontier lay open to them beneath the late morning sun. Behind and beside them, the other four airships cruised like whales in the sky. Far below, thousands of ponies marched in long columns out into the open desert. Would all of them be dead in a week? A month? Or would this idiotic plan pay off? The only thing Comet knew for sure at that moment was that nopony would miss a couple blankets as they swiped them from a crate. November was just setting in, and by Canterlot reckoning, the nights were about to get unforgivingly frigid.

Off by the bow, Lily was poking Rain near her cutie mark, asking repeatedly if it still hurt. Farther down, the twins, Evening Star, Moon Fang, Sparky Bolts, and Vertigo were doing some stretches. Across from them, Thunder Clap was cleaning his armor. Billow Blast, Surf Crest, Cinnamon Cane, and Slipsteam were talking in a circle, likely something about their respective squads. Snow Veil, Pastelight, Clear Morning, and Willow Wisp were chatting over cups of some drink they had pulled from all the supplies.

Comet could hardly remember a world without her platoon. She could not hope to know them all as dearly as she wanted to, but that would not stop her from trying, and it would not stop her from trying to keep them all safe.

Ch.11 - Roost

Cinnamon Cane vaulted in mid air and tucked his leg in, uncoiling it into the underside of the dragon’s jaw. A satisfying crunch echoed as shards of fang flew from the monster’s mouth. The head flew high and wide, away from Comet’s tail, and the filly wasted no time in gaining some distance. Wren Song, right behind her lead, crashed into the dragon’s chest and stabbed it through the lung. Summer Seas joined her on the opposite lung, and Sparky and Dewbead mirrored them on the creature’s back.

Slowly, the dragon slumped, and when its own strength was too little to keep it airborne, the ponies quickly backed off and let it fall. A roar from beneath them pointed them to their last target as Lily Nimbus did a tight twist around the dragon's neck. Her sabre wrent flesh, but only just barely, and the dragon swatted her away with a gust from its wings and sped for the Adamant. Maw wide open, it could not have been more than five yards out before Moon Fang came crashing down on the back of its head. Another non lethal blow from his polearm, but this one drove much deeper, forcing the dragon's head down and throwing off its landing. It careened head first into the bow, and together, pony and drake crashed into the side of the ship and flipped over. The deck turned into a chorus of chaos as ponies skewered the dragon and rushed to separate the chiroptequus. Lily ended the scene with a gravity driven cut into the beast's neck, severing its spine and extinguishing whatever life it had left.

Moon Fang stretched his neck with a groan as a unicorn helped him to his hooves. "Thanks, Hat. Everypony ok down here?" A few laughs and cheers rose around the dragon carcass, and they wasted as little time as possible before tossing it over. With the last dragons mopped up, the pegasi glided back to their ships. It was the tenth skirmish since they'd started south -- they were in dragon country now, no question. Cinnamon Cane waited for Comet to land before he turned on her.

“Are you trying to get killed, kid?”

Comet’s hooves were shaking too badly to unbuckle her sabres. “I’m sorry, sir. I thought I could reach it, but it saw me before I could get underneath.”

“Sabres don’t have the same range as a glaive, Shimmer, you got to move that much farther. You were told about this. You may be new to them, but we can’t afford mistakes like that. Put yourself and your wing in danger like that again, and assuming you’re still alive, I’ll pull them off your legs and dump them back in the armory.” Comet saluted and dashed below deck. Lily glanced at Cane, a glimmer of accusation in her eyes, before following her wingpony. Moon Fang made to dismiss himself, but the stallion cut him off. "Not you, Fang. Run by the medic first, get checked out." The sorbet colt saluted and headed down.

Wren Song trotted up beside her lead. “Was that really necessary, sir?”

Cinnamon Cane sighed. “It’s my job to keep them safe, Song. If I have to be a dick for that to happen, then I’ll be a dick. Better that they’re alive to hate me.” The cream colored mare observed her commander in silence.

~*~

The filly fell. Her wings flailed in the wind, limp and useless. She managed to right herself and spread her legs to slow her fall, if only slightly. All she could do now was hope Lily or somepony caught her before she reached the ground. Glancing to her sides, however, she found the skies entirely clear.

The air trembled as a massive form rushed over her. She tried to find it, but it had disappeared into the empty sky. But as quickly as it had vanished, the thing plummeted past her, knocking her away with its wake. A massive shadow, larger than any airship, dove for the ground. It unfurled its leathery wings and spun in place. All of Comet's vision was filled with this impossible shadow, this darkness made beast. As hard to distinguish as it was, she could tell it was fixed on her, and as she neared it, its maw opened to reveal oblivion.

She tried to bank away, tried to twist in midair with no wings, but there was nowhere to run. As the shadow loomed up around her, razor sharp darkness slammed shut.

~*~

Comet shot up in her bunk with a startled hiss. The nightmares had not gone away. She knew she wasn't the only one -- back at the pass, they would be woken every other night by somepony whimpering or screaming in their bed. She was glad that, this time, she had had the presence of mind to suck her scream in as she woke. A brief flare of shame washed over her as she looked around to see if anypony had woken with her, but it dissipated faster than the dream.

The sound of hooves and rustling armor came from outside the crew quarters as the CAG snuck in. Comet did a quick mental check and groaned silently. At least she was not up for nothing. Stargaze caught sight of her reflective tangerine eyes and frowned apologetically. She eased out of her bunk and slipped her chest open.

"I was already up," she whispered. The rest of the CAG was rousing her squad to take over. Dewbead was always a challenging case to wake. If the unlucky pony was too gentle, she would sleep like a stone. If they were too rough, she would wake with a jab at her attacker. With practice, however, the ponies of Crescent Platoon had figured out her "resonant frequency" as Stargaze called it, and the mare was up with a muted groan.

Squad Four slipped their armor on in the near non existent light while Squad One slipped theirs off. They patted each other on the back as they passed, some to the deck and the others to their beds. In the depths of the ship, the warm air stayed inside and kept the compartments nice and toasty. The closer they got to the top deck, the more the warmth was sapped away into the frigid night, until finally they trotted onto the ice box that was the main deck of the Adamant. At least they weren't moving at night anymore; the wind chill might have done them in. Eight tins of warm coffee and as many blankets were waiting in a circle, courtesy of Squad One and the crew on shift.

Comet wrapped herself into a bundle and sipped at her brew. The liquid warmed her from the inside out, producing a calming effect she desperately needed. Lily Nimbus was clearly only half awake by the way she swayed on her hooves. "Hey, Jitterbug, sit down so I can clear your armor." Comet set her coffee aside and did her usual pass over her wingpony's suit. Just as she'd suspected, two buckles securing her back plate were loose. "Ok, there we go. You did remember to bring your brain before rolling out of bed, right?"

"Buck you too, Egghead." Lily grabbed her coffee. Her eyes were barely open as she took her first sips. "It's too early for this crap."

"It's the same crap we've been doing for weeks, Nimbus," Cinnamon Cane said. "And if we're lucky, we'll be doing it for weeks to come."

"What has you so out of sorts this time?" Much like Rainbow Blaze, Wren Song preferred to pace rather than sit, though she rarely wandered as far.

"I'unno, just..." they were sure Lily nodded off for a second there, "... really tired tonight."

Cinnamon Cane frowned. "I'll see about getting your duties for today cut so you can rest. Go see the doc after breakfast and find out if there's something actually wrong."

"Sorry, sir," Lily mumbled over the brim of her tin.

"Just don't make a habit of it. We got to be in top shape, got it?" His squad nodded. "Fang, the doc give you the all clear?"

"Yeah boss." Moon Fang flashed a grin. "My skull's too thick for a tumble like that. Just a bruise above the shoulder, nothing serious."

Cane nodded. “Good to hear. Shimmer, you alright? Not too shook up from today, are you?”

Comet’s ears flattened against her head. “Just fine, sir. How’s the leg?”

“Not even stiff,” Cinnamon Cane flexed to demonstrate, “though the other one’s a bit mad about the kick this afternoon.”

“I’m sure that lizard was a lot more unhappy about it, Cane.” Dewbead passed Lily a second tin as she finished off the first. “What are scout parties even doing around here, anyway?”

“We should be getting close to their mesa,” Cane replied. “It makes sense they’d have eyes around here. And it’s a good thing we ran them down before they could escape. You guys did good out there today.” He rolled his eyes when he spotted Comet peering over the brim of her tin. “Yeah, Shimmer, even you too. We all make mistakes. But what are you gonna do next time?”

“Fix my mistakes and do better?”

“Right on the money.” If Song were in the circle with them, he figured she’d be happy with that. Around them, the other four airships were moored amidst the camp below. Only a dozen or so small campfires flickered in the night, illuminating the sides of nearby tents before yielding to the blue darkness once more. A fat harvest moon hung low in the sky, washing the sandy expanse in silver light. To a chiroptequus, it was an instinctual home: an open sea of brilliant light and cool night air that only they could make proper use of. That part of Comet's blood warmed her along with the coffee, and she couldn't help but smile to herself.

A unicorn came by to check the muted lamps along the deck. Despite having such a large group, the ponies had managed to slip south reasonably undetected. The draconic scouts they had encountered thus far had been taken out before they could get any messengers away. As such, they were still observing light discipline, in hopes that they might make it a little farther without any problems. While it did little to light their ship, the lanterns still exuded much needed warmth, a fact the crew did not let slip by. They huddled around the dim lights between tasks, hushed conversations dying on the wind.

Wren Song's soft, even footfalls reverberated through the deck as she wandered up and down the ship. Looking out over nighttime landscape, a fleeting shadow of a shape caught her attention. She stopped and drew in her breath.

"What's up, Song?" Summer Seas asked. She raised a hoof to silence them. No matter where she looked, the movement was gone.

"Shimmer, Fang, get over here. I need your eyes." The chiropteqi stood.

"Statue," Cinnamon Cane said as he got up, "what's happening?"

"I swear I saw something out there." The entire squad stood at that. Their resident night eyes scanned the open air, but nothing caught their attention.

It was not until a shadow flitted out from under a crop of rocks that either of them saw anything. Moon Fang was the first to spot them, and he pointed to the shapes rising from the ground. Like oil on water, four forms flowed through the darkness without a sound. To the others, there was still nothing to see. To the two of them, four obsidian dragons had slipped into their airspace completely undetected.

"Glimmerbacks, four of them!"

Dewbead grabbed her horn and blew out a long, even blast. The entire ship would be awake from that. Cinnamon Cane set his helmet atop his head. "You lot," he directed at a trio of unicorns who had come to see the commotion, "tell the others we have four hostiles closing in. We're launching to intercept." The ponies saluted and dashed off. Squad Four lined up on the gangplank and looked to each other.

"Hey Fang?" Comet said. Moon Fang looked down the line to her. "Have we ever actually done a drop as a CAG before?"

"No, Comet." His face was stuck between the nocturnal thrill of the hunt and stone cold dread. "No we have not." And then he jumped. The rest of the squad was right with him. The belly of the ship vanished behind the pegasi as they unfurled their wings and took up formation.

The indigo filly was worried about her wingpony, but Lily was as steady as a lake on a calm day. Her feathers rustled in the night air, relaying tiny changes in pressure and current. Whatever had been causing her drowsiness before, the promise of battle and a cartload of adrenaline had obliterated in an instant.

Across the open air, the stealthy glimmerbacks had realized they were spotted. Eight ponies were now closing on them, and more could be seen dropping from the other ships. Abandoning subterfuge, they sped for the camp. Their bodies wove through the air like snakes, long fins that spanned the length of their backs and tails helping to propel the beasts as their wings stayed relatively still. Dark eyes flitted about, watching the ponies as they drew close. Any second, they would clash.

Comet's sabres whistled as they cut the air in half. She was so close -- already banking in her mind, watching how to best take out the one just behind the leader. No mistakes this time, no miscalculations. But before anpony had even come within shooting distance, the dragons split in every direction and doubled back. Making full use of their wings and fins, the dark glimmerbacks outpaced the ponies by a fair margin. They could only watch as the creatures disappeared into the night once more.

"Sons of whores..." Dewbead deflated in midair. Her chest swelled. "Come back and fight, you monsters!" She called after them, but they were already shadows in the night, and then they were nothing.

"They found us," Wren whispered. Cinnamon Cane nodded.

"Scouts," the squad leader said. "They might have been hoping for a few stealth kills if they reached the camp undetected, but their main goal was tracking us. They'll be back, and they'll bring friends." He banked in place and made for the Adamant. "Come on, we have to call this in."

If Captain Candescence was regularly grim, she was right dour as the CAG reported what had happened. The message was relayed to the ground and the other ships. Guards were doubled, but everypony might as well have been standing on watch; it was hard to sleep when the promise of a dragon attack loomed over their heads. Squad Four sipped their tepid coffee, blankets forgotten on the deck, and stared into the night.

"That was a good spot, Song," Dewbead said. She was still simmering over losing the four of them.

"Thanks. I just wish we'd caught them."

"Yeah." The marine blue mare growled under her breath. "I thought we were supposed to be faster than dragons."

"One, Dew," Summer Seas said as if reading from a book, "you're not exactly our fastest wing." She glared at him, but he continued. "Two, we're faster than the breeds we know of. I've never seen a shadow dragon before."

"It looked like..." Moon Fang could not find the right word, but Comet had many more to work from.

"It was like an conger eel," the filly said, "with wings and legs, and black like tar." Fang nodded in agreement. "It looked like it could fly without flapping, using its fins to sustain a glide. Put both systems together, and it has a lot more wing power than us."

"You could make all that out?" Lily looked honestly impressed.

"Never doubt a chiroptequus's night vision," Cane rumbled. He couldn't count the number of times he'd seen the leather winged ponies heading night shifts across Cloudsdale. The hours of the moon were theirs. "Come on, I'll get us another pot. It's going to be a long night."

Squad Four settled back into their circle and watched the navy darkness beyond their ship. Comet glanced at her wingpony. The pink pony was wide awake -- jaw clenched, eyes and ears scanning the sky, wings fluttering in anticipation. Every inch of her was poised for battle. The indigo filly slipped a hoof out of her sabre boot and rested it on Lily's shoulder. The pink pony jumped at the touch, but relaxed a hair when she saw who it was. Comet smiled for her lead pony, and her lead pony nodded for her.

~*~

They returned with dawn's first light. Dozens of winged dragons and scores of running ones came upon the equine army from the south. There were fewer ground lizards, it seemed, but they were all larger than usual. The crew of the Adamant watched their foes close with a daunting but familiar speed and ferocity. Comet barely allowed herself any time on the gangplank before jumping -- it was easier to focus with wind beneath one’s wings.

There was no advanced launch group this time, no hustle to strap on armor or weapons. Every pony of every company had been suited up for an hour or more while they watched the skies. On the ground, magical arrays had been etched in the sand and dirt with a striking resemblance to Thunderhooves Pass.

Rainbow Blaze glided out in front of his platoon. “Crescent Platoon, we’re covering the left flank with Dawn. Squads One and Two, bear right and cut across their sides. Squads Three and Four, swing wide and wrap around behind them. The more you can take out without a fight, the better.” The bone shaking thump of a hundred ballistae firing at once rattled the hovering ponies. It was followed by the low drone of a warhorn that rang long and clear. “Let’s go. Loose formation, ponies, let’s not give them an easy target.” Crescent Platoon eased to the left as they flew. Above them, one of Downpour Company’s platoons was almost on the same path as them. Across their right flank, dozens of pegasi flew on the early morning currents in long, easy beats of their wings.

A few dragons were limping from ballista shots lodged in their flesh. As Squad Four wrapped wide around the main body of the dragon force, those were the first they hunted down. With punctured wings or muscles, they had little chance to evade the attacks of the smaller ponies. A resilient glimmerback snapped at Sparky Bolts and nearly caught him, but the blue pegasus rose with a powerful beat of his wings and escaped by the hairs of his tail. The dragon's neck was left long and exposed for Moon Fang’s glaive, and a pass from Dewbead's sabre sealed the deal.

Squad Three formed up as they finished clearing the last of the injured dragons. Only the healthy, angry ones remained, but at least they had the chance to attack from behind. The two squads threw everything into speed, and caught one glimmerback before it had the chance to turn its head. Four sabres lacerated the base of its wings, one cut along its jaw, and nearly a dozen spears punctured its back. If the dragon survived the shock of the attack, it made no sign of it, and fell instantly. The ponies split in half and mopped up three more before the dragons took notice.

"Fall back!" Cinnamon Cane shouted. Half a dozen dragons turned on them, fire building in two of their throats. A jet of flame tore out of the drake's maw, washing the sky in tongues of orange and red. A few of Dewbead's feathers were smoldering as she pulled up away from the blast. Summer Seas, holding pace only a pony's length behind her, was not far up enough to escape. His hind legs were caught in the fire. With a strangled cry of anguish, his muscles failed him and he fell.

"Summer!" Dewbead turned to dive after her wingpony. The only thing that stopped the glimmerback from devouring her on the spot was Lily and Comet slicing along its spine a second before it reached her. In hunched up in pain instead, and the dragon crashed into Dewbead like a boulder. The pegasus fell in a daze, as good as dead for a terrifyingly long time, before coming back and righting herself, but by then Summer Seas was nowhere to be found. Cursing to herself, she fell in behind Moon Fang and Sparky Bolts, hoping against hope that her wingpony was still alive somewhere below.

"Cane, we're going to get slaughtered out here!" Slipstream banked under a tail swipe and cut after the offensive appendage. "We need to push through or fall back." Retreating exposed their backs to the drakes. Pushing through exposed everything, but they were close to friendly forces.

"Sabres, swing wide and strafe the bastards! Everypony else, we're punching through their line. Keep together and don't stop!" The two squads funneled into a cone and charged the cloud of dragons. One of the fire breathers reared up to belch an inferno, but failed to release before Comet slit its neck just above the collar bone. Fire belched out of the wound, searing the skin and filling the sky with putrid smoke. She felt the tips of her mane singe before banking away.

Cinnamon Cane led the cone forward like a train. On only one occasion, they banked into a dragon trying to intercept them and stuck it full of glaives. Otherwise, they moved forward with no deviations. Around them, the five sabres were spiraling in every direction to keep a buffer around their squads. Lily nearly lost a wing to an ambitious little glimmerback, but she spun like a top and nearly cleaved its head from its shoulders with the reverse edge of her sabre. Comet made use of the wing cutting trick they had developed so long ago, slashing along the thin webbing and robbing the drakes of their flight. It was far and away easier than trying to land a fatal blow on every dragon.

She had nearly de-winged her second lizard when a tail whipped out of nowhere and struck her across the back. The tiny part of her mind that didn't shut off from the pain was certain her spine had snapped. Her sabres were dragging her one way, her wings and limbs another, and up was starting to look a lot like down.

A hazy commotion was raging above her. Or was it below? What was everypony shouting about again? It didn't really matter. She was tired and her back hurt. A nap would do her a world of good. A moment later, somepony was saying what had the same general sound as her name. She glanced, vision still blurry, to her left to find a pony stabilizing her fall and shaking her shoulder.

"Shimmer, wake up." Silver Raindrops shook her again. "You need to flap, Shimmer, or you'll hit the ground."

"I can't," Comet said through the fog in her head. "My back... I think it's broken... Can't feel-"

"If you had been hit hard enough to break your spine through that armor, you'd be dead." Rain's wings were fully unfurled as she fell beside the smaller filly, trying desperately to slow their fall. "But you will be if you don't spread those wings and flap. Come on, Comet, I can't carry you!" The chiroptequus unfurled her wings like a foal just learning to use them. While her muscles rebooted, she held them out to either side. Immediately, their fall began to slow.

The wind caught in her leathery webbings -- the force of the drag sent bolts of clarity rushing through her system. Fly, flap your wings, just like that, yes, up, not down, down is death, up is life, grab the air.

They need you.

Comet turned into a quick dive to right her sabres and banked skyward. Rain was right with her, glaive gleaming in the morning light. And directly above them was an exceptionally large glimmerback. The beast was diving straight at them, wings tucked half way and mouth already open to accept its easy meal.

Comet saw pink and blue blurs flutter behind the diving dragon. She called out to Rain, "On my signal, bank right and fly straight away from it." The brick red pegasus nodded. The dragon was gaining speed as it closed on the two airponies. She had to wait a bit longer. Just a bit longer.

The filly could almost count the dragon's teeth when she shouted, "Now, break!" The two ponies split in opposite directions and flew as fast as their wings could carry them. The dragon, its meal suddenly divided, slowed to a hover as it looked after its prey. Which would be an easier chase? The question was voided as Lily and Dewbead came slicing down its back, severing the tendons in its wings. Against its will, the glimmerback continued its trip to the ground.

"Good to see you, Stuffshirt," Lily said between pants. "Thanks for finding my wingpony. Where's yours?"

"I have no idea." Panic crept into the Balitmare filly's voice. "We got separated up in the main fight. I tried to find him, but I saw Comet get hit first. He should still be somewhere near the Adamant. Do you think we can make it back to the ship?" One glance at the remaining cloud of scaly death was all they needed for an answer.

Dewbead frowned at their trip back to the fight. "Shimmer, your back ok?" Comet nodded as firmly as the constant pain could allow. "Alright, ladies, form up." The mare led them back to the fight in a diamond pattern -- Lily and Silver to her sides, Comet bringing up the rear. "We have to finish up with these bastards, and then we can get all the bandages and cold packs we want."

Up above, Cinnamon Cane was leading Pinion and Wren Song after a choice glimmerback. Where Skyline had gotten to, he had no idea, but that could come later. The lizard was a fast bastard -- any time they were almost on it, it would weave away like a fish.

"Wren, swing around left and flank this mule." His wingpony banked away with an easy twist of her wings. "Pinion, swing high and see if you can't get a dive on it." The stallion pulled up out of the squad lead's periphery. Alone, he was hot on the dragon's tail while his impromptu team tightened the jaws.

The dragon suddenly rolled in midair and eyed the pegasus curiously. He was almost sure he saw it smirk at him. A flash of green swirled through its eyes as another glimmerback, its gizzard pregnant with fire, appeared above him and belched its searing cargo. One instant, there was a pegasus, a cloudsdale thoroughbred who loved to cook. The next, there was fire, and then there was nothing.

Pinion landed hard on the dragon's neck and skewered the beast on his glaive. The still roiling fire inside its throat melted his polearm and turned the shaft to ash. Cursing loudly, he jumped clear of the gurgling drake and fell in behind a group from Squad One. Wren Song showed up seconds later with a few ponies who had gotten separated from Blizzard Platoon. She scanned frantically for her commander, but he was nowhere to be seen. Her voice cracked as she called his name, but only chaos answered. Everywhere, dragons still roamed the skies. Had they even made a dent in the numbers? They must have, but why did it feel like they had accomplished nothing?

Comet Shimmer, Lily Nimbus, Silver Raindrops, and Dewbead made it back to the battle to find what seemed like as many dragons and fewer ponies. The airships had, against every regulation they usually followed, started firing into the battle wherever their airponies were not, hoping to thin the draconic numbers even by one. Cyclone Company was doing their best to compress the dragon force and rejoin their platoons in the process. Before the four ponies could join them, a series of multicolored beams of energy hurled forth from the airships. Any dragons that were caught in the cone looked like they had been hit by a mountain; wings twisted, bones cracked, and reptilian bodies fell from the sky in record numbers.

On the deck of the Adamant, unicorn teams were pouring every drop of magic they had into the salvos. Left and right, unicorns were dropping from exhaustion while the earth ponies crewed the ship. Night Light was sweating buckets, but still standing. A unicorn’s neuromana system was just not built for this amount of power output, and it was showing. After the third salvo, both of his teammates collapsed, panting and utterly spent. His vision was blurring, he thought he could taste blood in his mouth, and his legs were about to give out. He was about to let them when a foreleg caught him and pulled him back to standing.

“On your hooves, Arcanist,” Candescence said. The uniform she constantly wore had been discarded as she stepped up beside the stallion. “We have a battle to win.” Night Light willed what energy he could into his horn to combine with his captain’s. What he found, in the ethereal space between their magics, was a typhoon precariously fastened by a leash. He pooled his magic into the storm and left the firing to the captain. Sensing his contribution, she unleashed the beast.

A blast as powerful as three unicorns could manage exploded from the pair. The first dragon it hit had its wings and one leg ripped free from the force of the impact. The next three crumpled like wads of paper. A second blast erupted with equal results. Blood rage or no, it was not hard for the dragons to recognize their most dangerous opponent. The flight broke free of their meager cage and hurled themselves at the ships. With all pony wings deployed, nothing stood between them and the wooden vessels.

With their backs turned, however, nothing stood between them and the thoroughly enraged airponies whose friends they had been murdering. Sharp, metal hell rained down on them from behind -- the slowest were cut and stabbed in a dozen places before the pegasi bolted to the next one. The fastest reached the ships with almost no resistance and set to chomping any pony that got too close.

Three reached the Adamant before the ship’s wings could catch them. The first came in too fast and slammed into the deck to the welcoming party of three ballista shafts. Two were held aloft by magic, while the third was hoisted over the shoulder of an earth pony with the muscles of an alabaster god. Before the drake could stand, all three shafts had found purchase in various places in its skull.

The second dragon swooped across the bow at the last second, cutting its speed and bringing it alongside the ship. Black smoke billowed from its mouth, choking the ponies on deck and burning their eyes. With its landing cleared, the dragon set down and devoured an earth pony in two quick bites. It turned on another and got its teeth into the victim before Moon Fang arrived glaive first on the back of its neck. The beast gurgled and released its prey before collapsing to the deck.

The last drake set down on the deck with the speed of the first one but none of its clumsiness. It skidded across the wooden floor, leaving deep gouges in its wake, before turning on the nearest unicorn it could find. Captain Candescence turned to face the beast with no hint of worry or anger. If anything, she looked like she was about to scold a child. The dragon spun around and whipped its tail at her, only to have it deflect off of her shield. A swipe of its claw fared no better, and before it could try again, a wall of magic blew it to the side. The last of Night Light’s magic spent, he slumped against the bow and forced air into his lungs. The dragon rose unevenly to its feet to find Candescence staring it in the face. Before it could let out a roar, or even a whimper for that matter, the captain wrapped its maw, its neck, and its tail in coils of magic, hefted it in the air like a wet towel, and slammed it to the deck. The wood splintered under its weight before it was hoisted again and slammed against the bow. A crunch rang out from somewhere in its spine as it was again hoisted and thrown down the deck.

Gasping from the pain, limbs unresponsive, the dragon could barely gurgle as the captain neared and lifted her opponent again. Another dragon was approaching the ship, hoping for a quick kill and snack before really digging into the crew. The unicorn captain whipped the half dead dragon around, striking the newcomer with her draconic club. The second dragon crashed into the side of the ship and fell in a daze. The first dragon hung limp in the captain’s magic. She threw it at a small drake chasing one of her pegasus wings -- the shot missed, but she took solace in watching her temporary weapon fall without the slightest resistance.

Finally, with the help of the unicorn barrages, the dragons were thinning. Moonlight Company, the greenhorn pegasi, had finished supporting the troops on the ground and swung up into the dragons’ bellies. With the flank Cyclone was covering finally collapsing, the ponies could start working down the way to help clear the rest of the flight. Downpour company was not far behind, and with all four companies pounding the center of the dragon flight, their offensive force disintegrated in a shower of steel and dragon blood.

Below, the ground force had been repelled with ease. The land attack, despite the size of any given drake, could not hold a candle to the defenses the troops had dug in overnight. On the southern horizon, it became clear why they had offered so little. As the offensive failed, a mesa in the distance swelled into the air. Scores of dragons, hundreds maybe, took to the sky, but rather than attempt a second fight, they escaped in all directions. As the five airships circled overhead that afternoon, they found the top of the mesa perforated with a maze of caverns and tunnels, almost none of which reached the ground. Most of the dragons of this roost, it would seem, had been able to fly.

When word reached the ponies that their battle had won them the roost they had been after, cheers rose up across the land and sky. Where every battle they had fought before had served only to hold off the draconic tide, at long last, they had won something. They had taken something from their enemy. Everypony wanted to plant a flag on every rock they could find as the army moved in at the base of the mesa. The captain of the Adamant maintained her composed demeanor, though a smile crept at the edges of her mouth. Stories of her beating a dragon to death almost by herself spread like wildfire through the ship. Let them make her out to be a hero, she was just glad for the outcome. Fir Bough, on the other hoof, would not shut up about it.

Silver Raindrops followed her exhausted squad back to the Adamant and set down with as much grace as her rubbery limbs could muster. Comet and Lily both patted her on the back in thanks, and she gave them an affirmative, but she could not properly recall what they had just said. So instead, she closed her eyes and slowed her breathing, but her peace was short lived.

"Rain!" Willow Wisp crashed into the deck and bounded up to her. "For buck's sake, Rain, where were you?"

"I was with Shimmer and Nimbus after we got separated. I tried to find you, but I saw Comet falling and had to go after her." Willow stamped a hoof against the deck.

"I had no idea where you were. I thought that scaled monster had swallowed you whole!" Willow's nostrils flared. Rain flinched. "Don't ever do that again-"

"Shimmer might have died if I had not gone after her, Willow-"

"And what am I supposed to do if you die, huh!?" A crack appeared in Willow's mask of rage. "What do I do if... I lose you?" He seemed to realize the words as they left him, but he made no attempt to reclaim them. Rain inched closer to the lemon yellow colt and nuzzled him. "Faust damn it, please don't do something like that again." He pressed his lips to her cheek; it was warm, either from the exertion of the battle or from her embarrassment at his display.

"I’m sorry, Willow." Rain rubbed her nose against the base of his mane. He just gripped her tighter and buried his head in her shoulder.

Ch.12 - Victory

The search took hours to complete. When pegasi fall, the winds can knock them about and carry them hundreds of yards from where they were last seen. Combine that with the fire and the meat eating tendencies of dragons, and confirming somepony’s death could be nearly impossible. The sun was setting as the last parties settled in for a landing on their respective ships.

Luckily for Crescent Platoon’s Squad Four, Summer Seas had fallen near to a unicorn squad on the ground. They had been able to cut down a few dragons that smelled roast pony and pulled him back behind the line to be seen to. The most cursory of glances told them how bad it was. His lower body was mostly deep burns, not a hair to be found. Most of his secondaries and a few of his primaries had been scorched away. He was in a fitful sleep when Moon Fang and Sparky Bolts found him; all he could do was howl and groan in pain when he was awake, so the medic had given him something.

Dewbead looked over the medic's report when the pair returned with the arguably good news. She bit at her lip as she reread the words a few more times. “Summer Seas’s wounds are too severe to fly with for the foreseeable future,” she told them. “A return party is being put together to take the critically wounded back behind The Line. He’ll be going with them for treatment… He likely won’t be back.” She threw the sheet away. “That’s if they can get him home safe. Good job finding him, you two.” Her jaw was quivering out of control, and she barely managed to spit, “Dismissed.” The two colts just managed to exit the tent before they heard the first nearby object shatter against the floor.

Squad Four’s second search took much longer. They did not locate Pinion until well into the afternoon; the pegasus was busy collecting his own squad. He did not see it directly, but all signs pointed to Cinnamon Cane’s end: the firebreathing glimmerback, the positioning, it all added up. The jet of flame left nothing to recover. No body, no tag, no confirmation; Squad Four’s leader had to be reported as “missing in action.”

A tendon bulged in Rainbow Blaze’s neck when they reported it in. “There’s no way to be sure? Nothing?” He was walking with a limp courtesy of a wayward dragon claw, but it was nothing that kept him from doing his job.

“Sorry, sir. Pinion reported the glimmerback’s fire was hot enough to obliterate his glaive. If it hit Sergeant Cane straight on, then there’s… nothing.” Wren Song held eye contact with her superior, but it took everything she had. The blue stallion pinched the bridge of his nose.

“Ok.” He racked his brain for anything they could try, any other option for finding his missing squad leader, but there was only one thing to do. “With Sergeant Cane missing, presumed KIA, Lancer Song, you are hereby the leader of Cyclone Company, Crescent Platoon Squad Four and promoted to the rank of Wing Sergeant, first class. With Lancer Summer Seas critically injured, Lancer Dewbead will be your wingpony until new orders come down. Is this understood?”

“Perfectly, sir.”

“Good. Have a sit.” Wren Song’s butt hit the dirt hard enough to form a small dust cloud. Rainbow sat beside her and stroked her back. The cream colored mare stared at the ground in front of her until the dam finally broke into a thousand pieces. Hot, angry tears rolled off her muzzle as she confessed her guilt, but her C.O. only stroked her back in silence.

There was a hollow ring to her voice when she broke the news to the remaining five members of her squad an hour later. With every word, she expected the air to grow cold around them. She had been Cinnamon Cane’s wing. He had been so focused on keeping them all safe, but it was her job to watch his back. But she had flown off, and now he was gone. It was her fault, no matter what Rainbow Blaze said. Surely her squad would see that -- they wouldn’t follow her into battle to die too.

“Are there any questions,” the mare finished. With Dewbead at her side, the question largely fell to the four younger ponies.

“None, Ma'am,” Sparky Bolts said for the four of them. She waited for them to leave, to spit at her feet, to… growl, glare, anything, but they stood, unmoving, as expressionless as the day could allow. She stole a glance at her new wingpony. Dewbead’s eyes were red and glossed over from her tantrum, but as cool and collected as they had ever been. They watched her, waiting for an order. She took a deep breath. Alright, something easy to start with.

“Let’s head up to the Adamant, then. They took some damage during the fight, and we should lend a hoof to the repairs if we can.” They nodded and followed her into the air.

Dewbead banked in dangerously close, nearly clipping her lead’s wing, so that she could whisper. “Come on, Statue, stiff upper lip. We can’t let our foals get downtrodden, can we?” Glancing at the marine blue mare, Wren saw how defeated her new wingpony truly looked. Her eyes were sunken and puffy, her mane and feathers were ruffled, her coat was unkempt and dirty. She was a mess from head to tail. But she was still here, and if she harbored any ill will towards the new squad commander, she did not show it.

“Right.” Wren Song snorted in thanks. “And you’re getting a bath asap. You look like Tartarus.”

“Gee thanks. You’re not so hot yourself, you know.”

~*~

While the Adamant was not so well equipped, the magic showers had been set up down in the ground camp. Comet stood in the stream of warm water and motionlessly let it cascade over her. All day, she had been caught between feeling wonderful and awful. Their victory was a true, gainful one, the first she had experienced. Fires burned in the camp and lanterns winked on the ships. The dragons knew where they were already -- they might as well enjoy their evening a bit. And she wanted to, she really did.

But part of her could not forget what it had cost them. Summer Seas was leaving, Cinnamon Cane was gone -- she’d been so worried about her own squad, she had yet to find out where the rest of the company was. The thought stirred her to motion; like a golem coming to life, she slowly scrubbed herself down and rinsed. Her back ached to the point of locking her down, but she managed a good enough job. The filly dried herself and put a new cold press on her back, sighing as the wrap eased her pains. As she stepped out of the tent, the atmosphere of calm euphoria threatened to claim her, but she had a mission.

Rainbow Blaze sat on a row of crates with the other platoon leaders, sharing ciders and recounting their exploits in the battle. When Comet walked up, Ardent, Apex Platoon’s lead, scooted over and patted for her to sit down. A fresh, or possibly just abandoned, mug was sitting nearby, so she grabbed it and filled the cup from the barrel.

“Evening, sirs,” the filly said as she sat down. “How are we doing?”

“We’re good, Shimmer,” Rainbow Blaze said as he waved his bandaged hoof, “we’re good. How’re you?” She thought on her answer, but when nothing all encompassing came to mind, she instead took a long pull from her mug. “Yeah, that sounds about right.”

“So how’d your bookworm do out there, Blaze?” Fir Bough had clearly gone through a few already. The minty green pegasus wobbled in her seat. “You get any good kills, kid?”

“Well, I got struck in the back and blacked out for a minute,” Comet said and pointed at her bandaged back, “but yeah, Nimbus and I did get a few. I’m sure yours were a lot more impressive, though.” The senior ponies all shrugged. “Sir, where were you out there? Once we cut around the back, I didn’t see you for the rest of the fight.”

“Squad One and I got pinned holding a few lizards off the Starfall.” Rainbow swirled his drink. “It got pretty bad, but we didn’t lose anypony. Small blessings, right?”

“Anypony hurt?”

“Clear Morning and Pastelight took some claws, but nothing dangerous.”

“Don’t forget your heroic battle wounds, Corkscrew,” Ardent said and jabbed the pegasus in the side.

Fir Bough chuckled and took a drink. “What about you, kid? How’s your squad?”

Comet set her mug down beside her and fiddled with her tail. “...Two.” The smile vanished from Fir Bough’s face. “Summer Seas is alive, but his burns are bad enough that they’re going to pull him behind The Line. And Sgt. Cane.” She shook her head.

Ardent sighed. “Sorry, kid. He was a good stallion.” The four pegasi raised a toast to his name.

Comet raised her mug. “He was.” Sure, he was hard as a rock a lot of the time, but he was her squad leader. He'd seen them through more battles than she cared to count, all safe on the other side. That he, of all ponies, had died, seemed impossible. If he could die, what chance did she have? The cider had lost most of its taste when it reached her lips. “Sorry, here I am killing the mood.”

“Nothing to be sorry for, airpony.” Ardent went to refill her mug. “I would have heard about it sooner or later, and I hate finding out from reports. Too heartless. Still, can’t believe this did him in.” The pegasus hopped back up on her crate. “Eight months, he was out here with us, facing all kinds of hell. Haha, hey Blaze, you remember when Lt. Firefly made him a squad leader?”

“Bastard was shaking like a leaf. He took it so seriously, like the whole war was riding on his shoulders.” Rainbow sipped his drink. “Real shame, that was.”

“What,” Comet said, “his promotion?”

Rainbow Blaze frowned. “Not surprising he didn’t tell you.”

“On his fourth mission as a squad lead,” Fir Bough explained, “he lost half his ponies to a broadwing. The bucker spat a cloud of acid; as soon as it hit them, there was just nothing to be done. He said the charge was his order, and he’d gotten them killed.”

“After the third night of him screaming himself awake, I was sure we were gonna lose him too,” Ardent said. “He kept calling for them, sobbing for them to come back. They were gonna ship him home, I was sure of it. But Boss took him aside and told him something, no idea what, and he came back. We balanced his squad for a while until you newbies showed up, and you know the rest.

“Honestly, kid? I think he’d be content knowing the rest of you made it off the field.” Ardent raised her mug. “Bucker always worked so hard to earn those wings. So does that mean Song’s your lead now?”

“Mhmm.”

“She’s a good pony and a good flier,” Rainbow said matter of factly.

“Sure, but is she a good leader?” Ardent frowned.

“Good enough. She’s got Dewbead backing her up-”

“And that’s a plus?” The silver mare’s vote of confidence was awe inspiring.

“And her squad can improvise. She doesn’t need to micromanage.” Rainbow looked at the chiroptequus. “I trust the six of you will look out for each other?”

“Without fail, sir.” Comet nodded.

Rainbow Blaze leaned back. “See? Not worried.”

Ardent shot him an unimpressed glower. “I don’t see how.”

“There’s enough shit to worry about already, is all.” Rainbow finished off his mug. “I should go see how the Adamant’s coming along. And Shimmer, since I’m guessing you came to ask, Crescent has six wounded, two critically, and one dead. And there’s some concern about a counterattack, so you might want to see to your armor.” The pegasus eased off the ground and disappeared beyond the firelight.

“I will never understand that pony,” Ardent muttered.

“No,” Comet said, “but I trust him.”

“And why’s that?”

“Because after I enlisted, he was the first pony to tell me things were going to be ok.” Comet rolled her lip under her fang. “And I have to believe he was right.”

~*~

Night Light groaned as he returned to the world of the living. He was sure someone had left a boulder on his head, but when he tried to rub the throbbing away, his limbs refused to move. A test of his magic system sent a white hot lance of pain past his eyes and down his spine, and he howled like a stallion possessed. The medic was by his bed in a heartbeat.

“Easy, sailor, don’t try to move. You overtaxed your magic out there. Well, you and a lot of others. You’ll be fine in a few days, just take it easy.” The earth pony tucked his blanket under his chin. “You hungry at all?” Night Light nodded weakly. “That’s a good sign. Wait here, and I’ll get some soup brought in.”

"Thanks, Doctor." His mouth felt oddly foreign to him, but he willed himself to use it. "How long have I been out for?"

"All day. It was a little touch and go for a while, but you seem to have scraped through with no permanent damage. Any more output and you could have killed a nerve, and Celestia knows how much that could cripple your magic."

"What about the ship?"

"Still flying, thankfully. I don't have an exact count of casualties -- I only see what comes through here for the most part, but the Air Guard did a good job of holding the line against those monsters." The medic checked over his charts. "If it helps, you weren't the only one to burn out. Twenty three cases in all, with twice as many cases of exhaustion."

"Celestia forbid we have to do that again, then."

"I should hope not. Now, enough questions. Get some rest and I'll see about that soup." The medic disappeared through the door, leaving Night Light alone with his headache. With nothing else to do, the unicorn eased into his pillow and closed his eyes.

When he opened them again, a bowl of soup was sitting by his bed, still steaming. Captain Candescence was talking softly with the doctor. She nodded a few times as he went over the list of patients, muttered something to the earth pony medic, and turned to face the cobalt unicorn.

"Glad to see you're awake, crewpony."

"Glad to be awake, Ma'am," a twinge ran through his skull, "mostly. If you don't mind me asking, Ma'am, how are we doing out there?"

Candescence tilted her head from side to side. "No serious damage, no exceptional loss of life. Nothing that will cripple us, but still, more than I would like. The worst of it is here, though." About half of the medical quarters were filled with incapacitated unicorns, the rest with the injured crew. "A few are resting in their bunks; we had to prioritize the medical beds for the critically injured." The captain sighed. "I knew the risks when I gave the order. I knew some of our unicorns would risk harm, channeling that much power, but I didn't see an alternative. If we hadn't thinned the enemy's numbers-"

"Our flight wings wouldn't have won," Night Light said for her. "For what it's worth, Ma'am, I think you made the right call."

Candescence smiled. "Thank you, Arcanist. Oh, actually," she pulled a small box from her pocket and opened it for him, "I believe it's 'Magister' now, correct?"

"Y-yes, Ma'am." Night Light was almost sure he was dreaming, but he decided to enjoy it while it lasted. "If I might ask why, Ma'am."

"For the stalwart holding of your post in a time of need, and the defense of your crewmates against an opponent of considerable danger." She said it like it was so obvious. Maybe it was to somepony whose brain was fully functional.

"I'm honored, Ma'am, I am. Though, if I might be so bold, it sounds as though you're confiding in me."

"Am I not allowed to confide in my crew, Magister?"

"Of course you can, Ma'am. It's just, well, isn't that normally what your first mate is for?"

The Captain's mood soured. "He's down in one of the beds near the end. He took a pretty heavy dose of that smoke before he got smacked by a blasted tail." She let out a heavy breath. "He's alive, and likely will continue to be, but it's not over yet."

"I'm sorry, Ma'am. It was rude of me to bring it up."

"You didn't know." The captain shrugged. "I'd consider making you acting first officer if you weren't down here too. Enjoy your soup, Magister Light." Candescence excused herself and left the room. Night Light caught himself just before he tried to levitate the soup over. Feeling was starting to return to his forelegs, and very carefully, he eased the bowl closer. Seeing the nurse arrive to help him was in the top five for best feeling he had ever felt. Thoughts of number one, her purple mane wrapping around her snow white neck, eyes sparkling just for him, helped him to sleep that night.

~*~

Stratus Drifter woke to the sound of soft, metallic clicks tapping a steady beat. He thought it had been a dream the last three times they had drifted into his consciousness, but now he was assuredly awake, and the clicks remained. With the groan of one who has been out of the waking world for too long, he looked around as best he could.

He was in one of the larger, mud brick colored tents, lying on a cot alongside two dozen or more other ponies. Some of them had bandages wrapped around part of their faces or on their exposed legs. Various bags of fluids were connected to some by thin tubes. It was not hard to figure out where he was, but it was strangely hard to remember why.

Beside his cot sat Comet Shimmer and Stargaze, the former absently twisting her contraption while her mind was elsewhere. How she had held on to that thing through everything they had seen was beyond the charcoal pegasus. Their attention came back around when they heard him stir.

“You’re awake,” she said with a smile. “Take it easy, Drifter. I’ll get the doctor.” No complaints there. She vanished for a minute, the clicks disappearing as well, before she returned with a mare dressed in a medic coat.

Stargaze patted his wingpony on the foreleg. “Hey there, pal. What do you hear?”

“Nothing but the rain,” Stratus laughed weakly and closed his eyes. “You ok?”

“Fine, fine. Don’t you worry about me. How do you feel?”

“...Dizzy?” He shifted a bit under his blanket. “And really dry.”

“Speaking’s good,” the medic said without looking up from her notes. “You took a blow to the head, Airpony, a pretty bad one. We got the swelling down in time, it seems.”

“Oh.” Well, that accounted for his memory. “Um, is it bad?”

“It doesn’t look like you lost any function, no. You can move all your limbs, yes?” The pegasus gave each limb a flex. They did not move much, but the rustling of the blanket was enough. “Good. Voluntary movement is always a good sign.” The medic levitated a cup of water over. “Slow sips, Airpony. You’ve had a rough day. Your memories should come back just fine, but let me know if anything's still hazy after a few days.” The liquid was like ambrosia running down his throat. Before he could get any more, though, the cup floated away. The medic turned to Comet and Stargaze. “You two are in his squad?”

“He is, Ma’am,” Comet said, “I’m in his platoon.”

“We’re going to keep him here through tomorrow, I think. If his condition hasn’t worsened by the evening, we’ll release him, but he’s not to fly for a week. I’d give him more, but I know we can’t afford it. At that point, he’s to return to us for evaluation. You get all that?”

“I did, Ma'am. I’ll report it right away.” Comet patted Stargaze. “Stay with him, yeah?”

“Will do, Shimmer. Thanks.” The purple pegasus smiled. The filly nodded and slipped out of the tent.

“Good. As for you, big guy,” the medic said as she tucked Stratus in, “you should get some more rest. You need to let your body recover.”

Stratus looked to his wingpony pleadingly. “Stargaze… our squad. Are they alright?”

The colt nodded. “They’re safe, pal. I saw them all earlier. You need to rest. We’ll keep the skies clear for you.” He gave his hoof a squeeze through the blanket and sat beside the bed. Stratus sighed. The tent was still in the evening darkness, and all the charcoal colt could hear was the sound of his own breathing. There was nothing else for it, he supposed. Might as well rest a little longer.

~*~

Comet found Rainbow Blaze in Firefly's tent. Fir Bough and Duster were there as well. Ardent brushed in past the filly and passed something to the lieutenant.

"If this is another request from somepony for something we don't have, Ardent, I'm going to send it back shoved up your nose." Firefly glanced over the paper. "Decent news for once." She passed it to her platoon leaders. "Strike Force Three captured a sizable roost out east. That makes three, including ours."

"Lieutenant, Ma'am," Comet saluted in the doorway, "I have a message for Sgt. Blaze from the medical tent."

"What is it, kid?" Firefly said.

"Airpony Drifter has woken up, sir. They're going to hold him for a day, and he won't be airborne for at least a week."

"At least he's awake," Rainbow sighed. "I was sure he was a goner."

"We'll need everypony we can get, even if they're bedridden. Thank you for the news, Lancer." Firefly's gaze remained fixed on her maps and charts. The filly waited to be dismissed, but no order came. She risked a glance at the fuschia mare, then at her lead, but they were on to other things already.

"Until Strike Forces Seven and Nine report success, we can't push forward without leaving this mesa open for capture." Rainbow Blaze pointed at the other forces' targets on the map. "I don't think we're moving soon, Ma'am."

"They can't be far behind us, though." Ardent checked her copy of the plan. "Even if we got ahead of them, it can't be by more than a day. We should hear from them before week's end."

"If there's anypony left to hear from," Duster muttered.

"Thank you, Sergeant Cynicism." Firefly scribbled a few notes.

"Is it too late to change his nickname, Boss?"

"Yes. Duster's right, though. We need to know what's going on around us, not just what should be." She paced around the table. "We need scouting parties, one for each strike force. They head out as far as the force should be, check up and down the path, and head back. Should take, what, two days?"

"Three, Ma'am. It's a day's flight each way and a day's searching," Fir Bough said.

"Fine, three." Firefly finally took notice of Comet still standing in the tent opening. "The buck are you standing there for, Lancer?"

"I-" Firefly hated robots, she remembered, "just listening in, Ma'am. I was trying to get a sense of our standing given the victory today." She straightened to attention. "That said, I volunteer myself and Lancer Nimbus for the scouting mission."

"Denied, filly. Get in or get out." The filly scampered in. "I need every airpony that I know isn't useless. That means you stay here, even if you’ve got a damn pillow strapped to your back. Those new foals, some of them are fine from what I hear. I figure we'll give them a chance to prove their worth."

"You sure their company leader is going to be alright with you giving them orders, Ma'am?"

Firefly chuckled. "I don't see how they can turn down a captain's orders." The pin still sat in its parcel, nearly forgotten.

"Congratulations, Ma'am," Comet said. Firefly shrugged.

"Corkscrew here got bumped up to Junior Lieutenant." She patted Rainbow on the back. "So yes, if we say go scouting, they damn sure will. As for us, we're going to hold this rock for the time being. Until we have the clearance to move on, this is our new base. Ardent, send somepony to go find out what the good Colonel Redwood's planning. Fir Bough, Duster, take stock of who's in fighting form, and I don't mean just physically. Blaze, you checked in with the Adamant already, yes?" He nodded. "Head up to the other four and see what the captains are up to." She watched her underlings leave, leaving her alone with the lancer. "Walk with me, kid. It'd be best if I made the order face to face."

Firefly looked over Comet's armor as they walked. It was scratched in a few places, dented in as many, and scuffed everywhere else. The back plate was bent horrifically, like she'd crashed into a tree. The scale mail that guarded her haunches was dusted in dirt and soot, but there didn't seem to be much blood, and none of it was equine. Her sabres dangled over her shoulders. She could see long gouge marks under the rubber guards where the metal had met the tips of scale and bone.

The filly's mane had grown back in; it resembled what Firefly vaguely recalled from that night at the pub a lifetime ago, but it was dirty and uneven. Dark bags sat under her eyes, she still had grime on her face even after a shower, her fetlocks were growing long, and her wings twitched as she walked. It was not the first time the pegasus mare had seen a pony so run down, but that did not make it any easier.

"How are you holding up, Shimmer?" There were better questions to ask, Firefly knew, but it might be better to let the filly start things off.

Comet gave her commanding officer an incredulous look. "Ma'am, I haven't had a good sleep in three days. I'm wearing the same filth I picked up this morning, I'm amazed I can still use all my legs, and my back feels like a buffalo is sitting on it. My friends cycle in and out of sick beds like shifts at a job. And to top it all off, my squad leader is dead." She groaned internally as she realized what she was saying, and reigned it in with a look skyward. Still, she could not hold back her sarcasm. "I feel wonderful, Ma'am."

"Well apparently you picked up a bit of a mouth somewhere, too." Firefly shook her head. "I know it's been rough, kid. The crap we've seen out here, nopony deserves to see." She stopped. "I wanted to tell you, so I know you know, I didn't draft you so you'd be out here. I put in the paperwork to have you assigned as a runner for our company, back when we were still at Dodge. They sent it back with a big 'denied' stamp -- too many support staffers already, they said. Every fresh soldier was getting sent to combat. How bucking stupid is that, wasting good talents on spears?

"There's nothing that makes this war fair, kid. Fair doesn't exist out here. It isn't fair where we get assigned to. It isn't fair that somepony lives while somepony else dies. It isn't fair that we win here or the dragons win there. There's only what is. And we keep flying."

"We keep flying..." Comet's gaze fell to the ground. "I don't blame you, Ma'am. If anything, I'm glad I'm here with Cyclone Company, with my friends from Basic and the friends I made once I arrived. I don't think anypony would have tried as hard as Sgt -- Lt. Blaze to keep us all in the same unit. If anything, I should be thanking you. You looked out for me, for us, like you said you would.
"I just... I promised myself I would do everything I could to keep my friends safe. I don't want to lose anypony else. I told myself that when we left the Pass a week ago. One week. And now Sgt. Cane is dead, Lancer Seas is all but gone..." Comet sniffled. "What am I doing? What was that promise worth in the end?"

Firefly sighed. War is no place for sentimental foals with big hearts. "You did what you could, Lancer. Like I said, there's no fair out here. You don't save everypony just because you don't want them to die. Some will, you might, I might." She added under her breath, "Rainbow might," before looking back to the filly, "and the living will still need to fight on, no matter who's lost. Wren Song needs her squad to be strong, especially given your numbers. Are you going to let her down?"

"Of course not, Ma'am."

"Good." Firefly resumed walking. Comet briskly caught up. "It won't get easier, kid. But you find ways to deal with it... How many ponies do you think have died under my command?"

"I... I'm not sure, Ma'am."

"Forty seven now. The needle was wavering on forty eight until Drifter opened his eyes." Firefly closed her eyes for a moment. The faces of her ponies whirled by, some blurrier than others, but all of them watching her. "We lost nineteen before your lot showed up. We've lost almost twice as many since then, now that we're facing heavier combat. And one... one was in a training exercise before the war even began. He lost control in a turn, hit a tree, and that was it.

"Accidents happen sometimes. I didn't blame myself for him, not especially. I cursed and spat and had to rewrite the letter to his family a couple times, sure. But the first time ponies died because of my orders?" She snorted. "I damn near turned in my wings. But the brigade leader, the same one that made me Cyclone's lead, wouldn't let me. I slammed my wings on her desk, shouted obscenities in her face, told her I had no right to be in command of anypony, and you know what she did?" Comet shook her head. "She got up, pinned the wings right back on my collar, turned me around, and walked me out of her office. 'We'll talk in the morning,' she told me."

"But you didn't quit?"

"Never managed to. She controlled herself so perfectly on the field, in her office, wherever she was. I couldn't stand to lose my calm in front of her again. So I broke a few bottles, went berserk on a fence, sobered up, wrote the letters, and showed up the next day determined to do better. And every day since, I get up with that goal." She flashed a sideways smile at the younger filly. "I hope you quit the Guard after this is over, Shimmer. It doesn't suit you. But whatever you do, I hope you face life instead of backing down. Does that make sense?"

"I think so, Ma'am."

Firefly snorted. "We'll see. Come on, the sooner we get those newbies scouting, the better."

~*~

Two squads of pegasi launched before the sun was up the next morning; one group flew east, the other west in hopes of finding the other strike groups alive and victorious. Willow Wisp watched them from the Adamant's top deck. Silver Raindrops leaned against him. She was not asleep, of course; anypony caught sleeping while on CAG rounds would be harshly reprimanded, but they could still relax a bit with so many on watch. Every so often, one of their wings would brush against the other's. It had become their little thing to do - - it was impossible to sneak any time for something more intimate.

The lemon yellow colt thought on how bizarre his life had become since joining the Air Guard. He'd traveled to the far end of Equestria. He'd learned to crew ships, clean armor, and kill enemies. He'd slain dragons. He'd watched his friends and comrades get hurt and die in front of him. And in the midst of it all, he'd fallen in love with a classy girl from Baltimare, and she even loved him back. Given the chance, he would spend every day of a very long life with her. If the dragons had their way, he would spend every day of a very short life with her.

He almost hated her for the pain each deployment caused him. Every time they jumped, a voice in his head screamed that he might lose her. Every time they left together, they risked coming back alone. Already, he had been sure that had come to pass. The memory of that panic, of scanning the chaos for any sign of her silver mane or her red wings, of joining up with the rest of his squad while his gut was screaming to break off and look, gripped his heart painfully. Part of him wanted to end it before that pain became permanent. However much that hurt, it would be nothing compared to losing her forever.

But he did not. Curse his coward heart, he never could. She was too warm, her smile was too serene, her laugh was too melodic. And she always had a smile for him, no matter how bad things got around them. Did she know what that did for him? She must have.

The night after Gale Force died, sleep had tormented Willow. The grey pegasus had not been the first to, but he was the first of the group from Fort Hurricane. The chunky grey pegasus seemed to know every card game ever made, and once they had gotten him out and about, he was always finding ways for them to have a little fun. His passing made everything seem inescapably more real. As much as he craved slumber, whenever his eyes did close, nightmares would wrench them open with cold sweats and threats of vomit. He lay shivering in his bed and listened to the pouring rain, hoping for release, but none came. He must have wimpered or made some kind of signal, because Rain suddenly appeared by him. He looked up at her with eyes that begged for mercy.

And she'd smiled for him.

He could tell she'd been crying. Even in the dark, it was clear. Despite their best efforts, she had still been hurt, and he knew how much those claw marks made every exertion painful. And still she smiled for him. He sat up and put a hoof on her cheek. She leaned into it. He kissed her. It was a quick kiss, a wordless missive. She gave him one too. He held on to it. She climbed into his bed. He laid the blanket over both of them. They lay there, warming each other with each other, listening to their heart beats and their breathing. He stayed awake until he was sure she'd fallen asleep, and then he finally found peace in the darkness as well.

No, Willow Wisp could not bring himself to leave Silver Raindrops. If he somehow emerged on the far side of this war with his spirit intact, he knew it would be entirely by the grace of the beautiful, brick red pegasus who saw something good in him.

Silver stirred a bit against him -- maybe she had dozed off for a second. "What are you thinking in that head of yours, Wisp?" He replied with a soft kiss through her mane. She giggled. Faust, it was like bells after a rainstorm.

~*~

Some detail was going to be overlooked. Everypony knew it, but nopony could predict it well enough to call it out beforehoof. With every roost the ponies forced the dragons from, more scaly monsters were left roaming the desert at random. Sometimes only one or two, sometimes a dozen or more, the beasts would wander near the captured mesa. Whenever they did, the smell of familiar ground drew them close, and the sight of the conquering equines called them to aggression.

Hope began to dwindle for the scout parties. In two days, eleven engagements had occurred. Combined, they did not compare to the largest fights Cyclone Company had experienced, but what would a single squad of ponies do if half a dozen dragons found them out there?

At home, the rosters were not looking great for the air groups. Cyclone company was down twenty KIAs and eleven injured since departing from Dodge Junction. One of those wounded would not be returning to flight status. It was too many to compensate for, but not enough to pull them off the line, especially with nopony to replace them. And Comet's group had thought it was bad when only a few empty bunks had haunted their quarters before -- now most of them found excuses to be elsewhere.

It just so happened that that was why Comet was down in the armory with Thunder Clap, counting rounds for the ballistae. Despite the losses, Candescence had reworked the duties on the ship to leave the Air Guard with almost none. They needed to be ready to fight, she argued, but that meant a lot of empty time, and Comet needed to be doing something.

"If you're that desperate," the green behemoth said, "why don't you go offer to organize Cpt. Firefly's tent? Celestia knows she could use it." He glanced over at the filly. He had never paid that much attention to her, but without her armor on, she looked thinner to him than she had before. The pegasus logged the thought for later.

"And face her wrath when she can't find anything anymore? No thanks."

"Who says she can find anything now?"

"Good point." Comet sighed. "How're things on your end, Ogre?"

"I've... been better." Thunder Clap checked off a box on his sheet. "Snow Veil got hurt in the last skirmish, and Firefoot's coming down with something. 's just the four of us left good to fly."

"You're not grounded with so few?"

"Who'd replace us?" The mammoth pegasus shrugged. "Can you imagine those bastards at the Junction? Constant rotations, fresh supplies whenever they want it, fortifications a mile deep. I bet they don't even know how good they got it." He checked off another box, leaving two blank. "I'm done over here. How does your side look?"

"Sparse." Comet's sheet was short four boxes. Their ship was down 30% of its ammo. She frowned and slapped a stack of the dark metal shafts. "But it's in order. Come on, let's check it in."

Thunder Clap walked in silence as they made their way back to the duty office. He kept glancing at her, waiting for the opportunity, before finally he said, "Surf Crest told me about Sgt. Cane. I'm sorry, Egghead."

She shrugged weakly. "It happens, right?" She caught herself on the last word, but it was too late to recall them. She knew Gale Force still followed Thunder around, silently standing and smiling that sheepish smile he always had. "Sorry, I didn't mean-"

"I know, dork." Thunder Clap sighed. "You're right. Shit happens." He leaned against a wall. "You know what's really the dumbest part?" Comet shook her head. "I know Gale wouldn't want me to do anything stupid. He'd want me to look after our squad for him. And I am, as best I can. But I... I feel like I should do something for him, like there's something I can do to make it right."

Comet's first thought was to give Thunder a nuzzle. She never thought, since the first time he'd shoved her out of the way in Basic, that she would see him show any sort of attachment. But miracles do happen, it would seem. The filly frowned; Gale was not the first, and he would not be the last. Snowdrift had warned her what hanging on the dead would do. So she strangled that show of comfort, sighed, and patted him on the shoulder.

"Clap?"

"Yeah?"

"Don't go looking to die a hero, alright?" She started down the hall again. "We need you alive." He nodded to her back and fell in behind her. Mentally, he pinned a note to tell Lily Nimbus on his observation.

~*~

Four more dragons. Two of them had looked pretty young, though nopony knew what defined a "young" dragon. The way they flew, the way they took stock of their surroundings, there was just something more youthful and inexperienced about it. They died the same, though.

Moon Beam set down just behind her sister and ripped her helmet off. Her handling of Sun Ray's helmet was much more caring: she gingerly plucked it from the yellow filly's head, laughing at how it always made her ears pop out, before setting it on a bench. Then she undid each buckle, checking for cracks or dents, before sliding the whole construction off and setting it aside. Then they did the same in reverse, though the yellow sister had to collect Beam's helmet.

"At least we get to fly a lot, sister mine," Moon Beam said around a belt as her sister checked the stitching.

"That we do, sister mine, though hauling around forty pound suits of armor hardly constitutes 'flying' if you ask me."

"Well, I didn't ask you." The snowfall blue filly stuck out her tongue. Sun Ray gave her a smack upside the head. "And at least we're out seeing the world."

"Soaring the skies that beg to be soared."

"Surfing the winds."

"Seeing the sights." Their conversation was becoming another musical number. By anypony's count, it was the fourth this week. The problem was, no one pony was ever there for all of them.

"Every day, a thrilling chase,"

"A new, wondrous place."

"A whole new world~"

"Oh. Will. You. Two," Willow Wisp wrenched out of Silver Raindrop's grip and turned on them, "shut up for five minutes! Every day, it's more shit out of you two, and I'm so sick of it!"

The twins stared at him, aghast. Moon Beam shrunk back, but Sun Ray had always been the defensive one of the inseparable pair. "And what's wrong with a little song, lover boy? It's not like the rest of us have much to enjoy out here. Maybe we just need something to smile about, hm?"

"Yeah, well you're driving the rest of us crazy with it." The other members of the platoon picked that particular moment to disappear from the tent, some of them with armor still half strapped to their backs. Silver Raindrops put a hoof on Willow's shoulder, but he shrugged it off.

"Oh buck you, Cheerleader."

"What did you say to me?"

"I said buck you." Sun Ray's wings flared in anger. "Or are you getting enough of that from your sweetheart!?"

"You try bringing Rain into this, and so help me Celestia-"

"Celestia's not here, big guy. So what are you gonna do?" She and Willow started circling each other, wings flared up. "Come on, Wispy. What are you gonna do?" He charged her. They were within a feather's breadth of each other before Silver and Beam grabbed them and pulled them apart.

"That's enough, sis!" Moon Beam hollered at her flailing sister. Faust, she forgot how strong Sun could get when she really got riled up. Rain, being a fair deal taller than Willow, had an easier time holding him down. "Sun, calm down! You're done, it's done!" Still, the pegasus tried to break free.

Grunting with frustration, Moon Beam reached around and prodded a spot on Sun Ray's belly. Since they had been little fillies, that spot had always shut the yellow pegasus down in a fit of giggles no matter what mood she was in. Her sister referred to it as the "Emergency Sun Shutoff Switch." She had a similar spot, she had discovered, and had managed to hide it from her yellow twin for all of two weeks.

Almost instantly, Sun Ray slumped in her sister's forelegs, panting and giggling weakly. With her out of fight, Willow Wisp slowly cooled off. The four of them sat in the empty tent, slowly venting off the desire to rip each other apart. Silver nuzzled her colt, whispering in his ear and occasionally nibbling the skin.

"Willow?" He pressed his head against her neck to say he was listening. "Could you go get us some mugs? I'll join you in a minute." He nodded and stood with the all the energy of an old stallion. He gave himself a quick dustoff, pecked Rain on the head, and left the tent. Moon Beam slouched against her sister. In her grip, Sun Ray was finally coming back to them.

"So what was all of that?" Moon Beam directed at Silver. The brick red filly frowned.

"This stays between us, understood?" The twins nodded. "Willow... Willow sings. He's incredibly talented, actually." When the twins thought on the rare instances they had heard him, he had been, in truth, better than either of them. "He was going to go to a university on it, the Canterlot Academy of Music if I recall. He had a full scholarship, but he came here..."

"So why does he hate us singing? Is he really elitist or something?" Sun Ray grumbled. Her sister patted her back to keep her calm.

"I think he's trying to keep his life back home separate. He doesn't want anything from here to ruin that for him," Rain whispered, "'mostly.' He made it sound like, if he remembers everything out here whenever he sings, he won't be able to anymore." She looked to where Willow had left. The last thing she could bear was for the colt to lose something so precious to him. She felt a hoof on either shoulder. Moon Beam gave her a melancholy smile, while Sun Ray was still all frowns.

"Great. Now I have to be all apologetic and crap," Sun grumbled.

"She's really bad at apologizing," Moon said.

"So bad."

"Very bad."

"The worst."

"Which why I'm always there to help." The twins grinned at each other, that same stupid grin they always had just for each other. And Rain realized, as they went to find the lemon yellow pegasus with the voice of an angel, that it was not some strange quirk they shared. It was a promise.

~*~

Comet's helmet sat heavy on her head as she sat against the Adamant's bow. Another night of watch duty, another circle of cards, more stories in the dark. At least they only had the first of the three night shifts, this time. Night Light was finally well enough to be up and about, and decided to spend his evening with them. His magic was still sluggish, but everything seemed in order. It was good to see his dumb smile. She shifted in her seat, trying to get her back plate to stop poking her. They had done what they could to straighten the metal out, but it was still bent enough to rub her back uncomfortably.

"So you're telling me the captain threw, literally threw a dragon around like a rag doll?" Moon Fang guffawed.

"Swear on my cutie mark. I've never seen anything like it. Of course, I passed out before it was over, but let me tell you, those few seconds," Night Light wiped a tear away, "were a once in a lifetime moment."

"That was quick thinking, turning the shield teams into magic cannons. Um... Crescents." Wren Song challenged Dewbead's hoof of cards. The sky blue mare shook her head. "Damn." Another card to her own hoof. She was going to be over the limit soon.

"It was, no question, but I won't be jumping to do it again." The unicorn was still barred from heavy magic use. "Honestly, I'm lucky to be jumping."

"Were any of the others...?" Night Light glanced at Comet and frowned.

"Three, yeah. They might be able to recover, in time, but for now their magic's shot. Little to no use." None of the pegasi could imagine losing their wings. Was that anything like a unicorn losing a horn?

"I'm really sorry, Night Light." Comet hung her head.

"Not your fault. You guys did a good job, taking on so many dragons. We were just doing our part." Night Light raised his coffee tin with his hoof. "This beautiful tub keeps flying all the same." Comet nodded and pulled her contraption out. When they weren't fighting, eating, sleeping, or doing some sort of maintenance, the filly seemed to be toying with the little sphere. It got to the point where ponies just associated her with the little clicking noises automatically, like she was the one making them.

For Lily, it was not so amusing. She did not mind the clicks, but rather the frequency. Comet was her wingpony; they were each other's responsibility. So when the chiroptequus toyed with her contraption when she was supposed to be asleep, when she sat in the galley twisting it instead of eating, when she would sit in the armory for twenty minutes after a skirmish, spinning it in circles, Lily Nimbus noticed.

The clicks started up again, quiet and even, and most everypony ignored it. But they rattled inside Lily's skull. Each one, each snapping of the gears and struts buried in that little piece of crap was a problem. And she wasn’t the only one to notice. Rain, Moon Fang, even Thunder Clap had come by to tell her something seemed off about Comet. She caught Wren Song's attention and quietly motioned at the chiroptequus. Wren nodded and waved the filly away.

"Shimmer, can we talk?" That, of course, got the attention of the others. "Down, ponies. Just technical stuff about the last sortie. Drink your sludge." With a deficit of enthusiasm, Comet pocketed her contraption and followed the pegasus away from the circle. They were well down the deck, out of earshot from anypony, when Lily finally turned around. "Shimmer... Comet, what's going on?"

"What do you mean, Nimbus?" Had her gaze always been so unfocused?

"Look, we both know I don't really do subtle, so if you don't want to admit it, I'll be blunt." Comet just gave her a blank look. Lily growled. "Fine. You're always playing with that damn ball."

"It's fine to have a hobby. Everypony knows I have it, it's not contraband."

"Yeah, but you play with it instead of sleeping, and eating, and washing. And I don't think it's because it's just the most interesting thing you've ever found. I found your little notebook with all the combinations, Comet. You haven't added anything to it in weeks. You're just twisting it."

"I don't think it's going to open. I just gave up on that train of thought, that's all."

"Comet don't give me a load of crap, please." She tried to put a hoof on Comet's shoulder, but the chiropteuus backed away. "I trust you with my head, you know that. I want to help."

"I don't need help, Nimbus."

Lily paused. "When did you start calling me 'Nimbus?'"

"You're reading into things. It's nothing, really."

"Comet-"

"Drop it, Nimbus."

"Drop what? Is there something to drop?" Lily advanced another step. "Why won't you talk to me?"

"It's fine, Nimbus, I'm fine. We should get back." Comet turned to leave.

"Comet don't give me that crap-"

"Lancer Nimbus, I said to drop it and I bucking meant, drop it!" Comet's pupils shrank to slits. In the mostly dark, her irises really did seem to glow. Whatever Lily was going to say next froze in her throat under that glare. Comet spun on her hoof and made for the circle. Lily returned from her shock to see Comet walking away again. She had warned that she was blunt, and in doing so, she felt that she had given proper notice and could not be held accountable for her actions.

Lily Nimbus tackled Comet Shimmer to the deck.

Neither of them knew who was shouting more, Comet from surprise or Lily from anger. Lily was not going for blows, but simply pinning the slightly taller filly to the floor. Comet shouted at her wingpony and struggled to get up, but Lily was wrapped around her like a snake. She tried headbutting the pegasus, but could not get a good shot in with their position.

"Nimbus, what is your problem!?"

"My problem!? What is this, Comet? Why the buck won't you talk?" Comet continued to struggle. "Something is clearly eating at you, and it's wearing you down more than any of our fights. But you don't want to bucking talk about it because you're such a Faust damned know it all."

"Go to Tartarus!"

"Been there, you mule!" Lilly wrenched Comet back under her as she nearly slipped free. "You probably think you're so smart, you can handle everypony's problems and your own and be completely fine. Poor Lily Nimbus, she's so dumb, I should give her a shoulder to cry on. I don't need one because I'm such a bucking genius!"

"Buck you!" And Comet really did buck. The force threw Lily into the air, but her grip on the indigo filly held, and with a beat of her wings, they both slammed back to the deck. "Just let me go, you wretched monster!"

"Not on your life, Comet. If I have to pin you down all night, you're going to bucking tell me why you won't say what's killing you from the inside out-"

"Why tell you what's wrong if you'll be dead in a week!?" All the tension under Lily suddenly vanished like a balloon popping. Comet slumped to the deck and curled up as best she could in Lily's grip. The pink pegasus got off of her wingpony and lay down beside the prone filly. "What's the point, if you're going to die too?"

"Who says I'm going to die?"

"Why wouldn't you? Cane, Gale, we've lost almost thirty since we got to Thunderhooves. They're just gone. Every time we go up, it seems like somepony doesn't come back. It's not just you, it's..."

"Comet..." Lily wrapped her wingpony in a different kind of embrace. "You can't shut yourself in. You'll go nuts. I think you already are." That was the wrong thing to say, if the jab in the gut was any indication. "Ow, right, okay. Comet, I've been worried about you. You're not getting enough sleep, and you're not eating well. Anypony can see it. If you try to fight like this, you won't make it back. How am I supposed to explain to your smoking hot brother that I let his little sister die?

"You're there for me when I need you, Comet. Let me be there for you. Talk to me, please." Lily squeezed her closer. "Don't fight this war alone." She risked a glance at the indigo pony. A sob was threatening to break free, but something pulled it back at the last second. On the way back to its prison, it wracked Comet's frame with another series of shivers.

"I've been having nightmares." Comet curled tighter. "I-I'm falling, and my wings won't work. And then, something flies in front of me, and it's so dark, like a shadow's shadow, but it’s green too, somehow. And it opens its mouth, and right as the jaws snap shut, I wake up. And..." Her breath was raspy and labored. "Recently, I see ponies falling with me. Cinnamon Cane and Gale... and Summer Seas... and Rose Petal." She added when Lily clearly did not remember, "One of the unicorns from the Adamant.

"They're falling, and I shout to them, but they don't respond. They just stare... I ask them what they want, but they're completely silent. They just stare at me as the shadow comes and swallows us. Why don't they say anything? Why don't they stop staring at me?" Comet was shaking like a leaf. Lily hugged her close and stroked her mane, whispering reassurances that it was all a dream when she knew that was hardly the problem. When Comet spoke again, it was barely more than a whisper. "I want to go home."

"I know, Comet. I do too." Lily sighed. "Come on. I think you need to sleep."

"But the CAG-"

"Is staffed with two squads, plus the other four ships. I think they'll manage." When the two of them returned to the circle, the others were all hovering on the edge of their seats, watching them intently. Moon Fang had already gotten up at least once, if his toppled mug was any indication. Wren waited for them to speak. "Lancer Shimmer isn't feeling well, Ma'am. It’s my opinion that she should not be flying in combat in her current condition. With your permission, I'd-"

"Go, Nimbus." Wren smiled a bit. "Make sure she's ok for the night. We'll handle things up here." Night Light offered to head to the sickbay and get a dose of the sleeping draught he'd been drinking like cider. They met him down in the crew quarters; Comet was already in her bunk, but accepted the vial with mumbled thanks and downed its contents. Lily stroked her back as the filly started to nod off.

"Lily?" Comet murmured.

"What is it?"

"I'm sorry about before. I shouldn't have..."

"It's ok, Comet. Just talk to me next time, alright? Now get some sleep."

"Ok... But, what if I fall again?"

Lily patted Comet on the back. "Then I'll catch you, you idiot. That's what wingponies do."

The sleeping draught knocked Comet out cold. Where nightmares had plagued her, only a warm, comforting darkness met her. She slept through the horn that called them to action late that night. Promises to sleeping ponies or no, Lily had a duty to her squad. She was armored up and ready to go right with the rest of them.

Lily Nimbus crashed onto the deck of the Adamant ten minutes later with rivulets of blood trailing along a cut in her left haunch. The pain whited out her vision, but a dozen stitches, a wrap of gauze, and "the best pain potion ever invented” later, the usually rowdy pink pegasus hovered her way back to her bunk right under Comet's. The indigo filly was still sound asleep. And as much as her leg was killing her, the knowledge helped Lily Nimbus find sleep herself.

Stargaze’s bunk remained empty.

Ch.14 - Lightning

Silver Raindrops sat on a barrel and smelled the wind as it rushed past. She recalled Comet once saying that winds from the south always smelled of smoke to her, even though there was no way that was possible. Now, so far to the south and surrounded by dragons in any direction, the slender pegasus was smelling it too. But something else lingered on the wind as well, something full of vigor and power. She could not put her hoof on it, but it enticed and scared her at the same time.

The two chiropteqi, Lily, the twins, and Clear Morning arrived with bowls of steaming potatoes, cheese, and tossed vegetables. Moon Fang passed Rain her bowl before taking a seat. "Thanks for holding the spot, Stuffshirt. Can you believe how crowded this tub is now?"

"Awful," Sun Ray said.

"Dreadful," Moon Beam added. Comet glanced at them curiously, but her potatoes were too good to let her attention slip away.

"It's crowded, but the CAG rotations are spread far and wide," Clear Morning said. "The extra sleep is nice."

"Hear hear," the twins said through mouths full of food. Rain was inclined to agree -- anything that relieved even a little stress was a welcome development. "Though you know what would really make my day?" Moon Beam said.

"If Clear Morning finally yielded to your advances?" Lily stuck out her tongue. Rain coughed.

"Well, that too." The twins shot the stallion a coy grin. He sighed. The armor was wearing thin, they were sure. "But no, I was going to say, if we got some fresh cider. It's a good thing the roost had a deep water well, or we'd be in trouble soon."

"'s not stopping them from cutting our showers," Lily grumbled.

"As if you ever make good use of a shower, Jitterbug," Rain said with a chortle.

Lily gasped and put a hoof to her chest. "I do so shower! I may not have a dozen bottles of conditioner stashed away like some ponies, but I do make sure I'm clean as a whistle every morning."

"Loud as a whistle, you mean." Moon Fang's toothy grin was only distressing to some of the newbie company by then. Rain watched the playful jabs go back and forth, contributing some herself and taking as many, and she smiled to herself. The twins still held a sheepish smile for her whenever their gazes crossed, but their enthusiasm was returning. The bags under Comet's eyes were not as pronounced as before, which seemed to lift a weight off of Lily's shoulders. Somehow, they were getting each other through.

Moon Fang was a bit of a mystery to the brick red filly. Their shared a connection through Comet, but they had never spent much time together themselves. What little she had noticed of him, he seemed to be holding strong despite everything that had happened. If that really was the case, Rain hardly minded, but the problems that hid under the surface were the ones she was watching the most for. A lull in the conversation provided the chance for a feeler.

"So, Moon Fang, how is your new squad leader doing?"

"Wren Song?" Moon Fang pondered while he chewed his food. "She's good. She really knows what she's doing. I think she's just stressed, but I can't blame her for that, y'know?" Who could? "Why, you see something?"

"No, just keeping my ears up." Well that accomplished nothing. Maybe Fang really was just a tough nut. Comet’s curious stare made Rain give up the chase. If he was fine, he was fine. She sniffed the air absently; the scent still lingered. “Say, did you hear what happened over on the Starfall?”

“No, what?” The twins jumped on gossip like flies on stink.

“Apparently, somepony stowed a violin down in the cargo hold ages ago. They just found it while they were moving things around this afternoon, and nopony is claiming it.”

“What if it’s haunted?” Sun Ray raised her hooves and let out a silly wail at her sister.

“What if it’s cursed?” Moon Beam did the same.

Clear Morning groaned. “I would throw you both overboard if you couldn’t just fly right back up.” Sun Ray bumped up against her squadmate and nuzzled him.

“Oh, Morning, you love us. Why don’t you just admit it?”

“Never.” The stallion pushed the yellow twin away to find the blue twin doing the same from the other side. “Help me.”

“We had to deal with them for all of Basic, Morning.” Comet sipped her cider. “They’re your responsibility now.” The others nodded in agreement. Clear Morning snorted.

“When looking for the twins, just follow the sounds of exasperation.” Willow Wisp ambled up to the group, his bowl balancing on his back. “I swear, I had to wrestle my way out of the galley. I think somepony chipped one of my teeth. Silver, are my teeth ok?” The lemon yellow colt opened his mouth, and when Rain leaned in to inspect his chompers, he stole a quick kiss on the bridge of her nose. She pulled back with a blush and an undignified squeak.

“Well, your brain seems to have turned to mush, but that’s from something else, Cheerleader.” Moon Fang made room for him. “How you doing?”

“Good, actually.” Willow paused to grab a bite of food. “I guess I’m just glad to be in the air again. This whole thing of waiting around after each fight is stifling.”

“I can’t imagine fighting day after day without end, though,” Rain said. “We would be falling out of the air from exhaustion after not too long.”

“Well maybe if Dodge sent some more ponies instead of bunching up like we saw,” Comet said. “There must have been thousands there, and how many do we have?”

“Less than five hundred pegasi, and… I don’t know, two thousand ground?” Clear Morning, like the rest of them, spent very little time with the ground battalions. If it weren’t for the airship crews, it was likely that the only ponies they would talk with for the whole war would be winged.

“Whatever, guys,” Lily said over the brim of her mug, “if they’re too chicken to actually join the fight, then we don’t need them. As long as they hold The Line there, let ‘em rot.” The twins toasted the sentiment. Comet sipped her cider in silence. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Willow grow pensive. His nose perked into the air like a hound.

“Hey, do you guys smell something?” He sniffed the wind. “The air’s odd tonight.”

“You smell it too?” Rain stood up. “It’s been bothering me for the past hour.” Now all of them were sniffing.

“Smells… damp.” Moon Fang shrugged. “There’s probably some Autumn shower blowing through nearby.”

“It’s not just wet,” Lily said, “there’s something else. Something… metallic?”

“That doesn’t make any sense, Lily,” Comet replied.

“It doesn’t, but she’s right.” The sorbet chiroptequus scanned the horizon. Even for his night eyes, it was too dark to see more than a couple miles. The smell suddenly strengthened as a wind buffeted the fleet. The deck lurched beneath their feet.

“That’s not a shower,” the twins said. As if on queue, one of the unicorn lookouts rushed to the captain's cabin to report the strange weather. It began with only a few ponies rushing about, then more as word got around. Captain Candescence strode from her cabin, the crewmember and her first mate tailing her. Night Light appeared with his crew, their dinners abandoned in the galley. Scores of eyes stared out into the darkness, searching silently for the source of the disturbance.

Silver looked amongst her friends. Much like earth ponies had an affinity with the earth, and unicorns with the ambient powers of the world, winged ponies possessed an intimate connection to the skies. Tiny changes in air pressure, temperature, wind speed, and odor were easily spotted to a pegasus when other ponies would not even suspect. Like dogs, every pegasus on board was sniffing the air, their ears flitting about as they listened to the wind.

Lily was the first to sense it. When the first low, distant, nearly expended roll of thunder caressed her ears, she shivered. "Thunderstorm," the little pink filly called out. The pegasi all looked to each other. The smell of ionized air, the sudden gusts of wind, the subtle hum on the wind - everything added up.

"Do you have a bearing?" Captain Candescence frowned. Willow Wisp opened his wings just in time to catch a gust of wind. He staggered as the ship was once again knocked about.

"Straight on, Ma'am." Willow regained his balance. "We're heading right for it, but it's heading north. If we adjust our heading south by southeast, we should skirt the edge and come away unharmed."

"Should?"

"Ma'am, with respect," Moon Fang cut in, "Lancer Shimmer and I can barely see anything out there. Without a proper visual assessment, we won't know exactly where the storm is until we're within its influence." The captain mulled over his words for a moment before nodding.

"Very well, airponies. Helmspony," she called to the rear, "alter our course, bearing One-Six-Eight, maintain altitude. Signal the other ships, and somepony get word down to the ground forces." With the word given, those who had a job to get to struck up a hearty pace, while those who were relieved no battle was to be fought went to find their forgotten dinners. The pegasi returned to their circle, equally relieved but still on edge. A pegasus's blood was wary of thunder.

Rainbow Blaze found them a short while later. "Evening, kids. That was a good call on the storm." He sat in their circle and watched them in the lantern light. "Nimbus, how'd you catch that so quickly?"

"My parents are both weatherponies for Cloudsdale. They would show me around the factories as soon as I could barely fly." Lily blushed -- Rain was not aware she was even capable of it. "I've always had a thing for the powerful weather patterns: blizzards, gales, and tornadoes. But thunder was always one of my favorites." The pink filly shrugged. "I just know the signs, I guess."

"Well, I'm glad you did. It's the little skills, crap like that, that make ponies invaluable." Rainbow smiled at his gathered flock. His gaze drifted skyward, and his smile failed. "Not many nights it's this dark. Shimmer, Fang, you two really can't see anything?"

Comet shook her head. "We can see the ponies down on the ground near their lanterns, but otherwise, it's pitch black out there."

"Is it cloud cover, you think?" Moon Fang scanned the sky for trace stars.

"Maybe, but I doubt it. We're high enough that we should be able to see the clouds, at least." Rain scanned the sky as well. Not a star was to be found. "It's very odd."

"Oh, it's odd." Lily covered her mouth in dramatized shock. "Well then, we might be in for a bit of a-" The ship rocked as it's forward momentum sloughed away. On either side, the Dauntless and the Ranger slowed to a stop. Comet hopped up and peered over the edge. Far below, the lanterns were still directly below them; the ground forces had stopped as well.

"Why are we stopping?" Moon Beam said. "I thought the plan was to skirt the storm."

"Maybe the colonel thought otherwise," Sun Ray said.

"The ships could do something like that, but the ground forces are a lot less mobile," Rainbow said. "He probably wants to let the storm scurry past before we all press on." The twins snorted, but did not object.

"So for now, we're stuck here..." Comet looked amongst the group. "Where is here, exactly?"

"The asscrack between nowhere and nothing." Lily ignored Rain's tutting. "If this area even has a name, nopony can see well enough to find a landmark."

"Last I was told," Rainbow pulled out his map and laid it in the center of the circle, "We're headed in this direction. We've been traveling for five days at yay speed, so... By my guess, we're right around here." The circle he made with his hoof put them just outside a maze of narrow canyons that stretched for miles. "Makes sense that Redwood doesn't want to try crossing that in the dark."

"That would be a nightmare," Willow muttered. "Can you imagine getting separated down there? They'd never find you." Rain nodded in agreement. The ships could float over the top of the whole mess without a care, but the ponies on the ground could only press through and hope to get their bearings on the other side.

The brick red filly wrapped her wings around herself to stave off the winds. While her eyes were with everypony else's, scanning the map, her mind was on the empty sky above. Something was odd about this night, and she could not place her hoof on it.

~*~

The inky blackness that seemed to leak through the windows compelled Firefly to light a few extra candles. Even then, they seemed somehow less effective. She frowned, but she did not stop pouring over her maps. Ardent sat across from her, two of her squad leaders on either side, waiting for the company captain to give them something to do.

"Ardent, we've padded Apex with our best fliers for a reason," Firefly finally said. "Do you know what that reason is?"

"Ma'am, so that we can trust Apex to do anything that is needed, Ma'am." Her squad leaders' chests swelled with checked pride.

"Exactly. And what I need of you now is hardly difficult, but potentially dangerous."

"Say the word, boss. We'll make it happen." Snowdrift saluted sharply.

Firefly smirked. "Easy, Snowball. You might not be so eager in a second." The fuschia mare walked over to the wall and pulled a lantern from its hook. "A standard patrol's lantern is visible on a clear night up to six miles away. On a cloudy night, it should still be visible up to two miles away." She set the lantern down in front of the five ponies. "I want somepony from Apex to fly straight out from the Dauntless for two miles, turn around, and fly home."

"...Ma'am?"

"We're flying blind out here, ponies, and I want to know why." Firefly paced back to her original spot. "We'll start with what we know. Find out our visibility. Send one wing, and the rest of the squad watches from the deck. As soon as they're back, report to me. Any questions?"

"No, Ma'am," all five ponies replied.

"Very good. Get to it." The ponies saluted and made their way out. Snowdrift carried the lantern between his teeth. Firefly sat at her table and glowered at the scrolls in front of her. Something on the air smelled foul.

~*~

Half of Cyclone Company watched two of their own depart from the Dauntless and sail out into the night. A soft rain had begun to fall, bringing out the subtle scents of the woodwork and sunbaked earth far below. The twinkling light of their patrol lantern shone as they disappeared into the distance, a lonesome star in what should be an endless, sparkling sea of them. Comet was counting subconsciously under her breath, each second accompanied by a tick from her contraption. The winds continued to rock the airships, albeit a bit more roughly than they had at dinner.

One could hear the collective breath of the watching ponies catch in their throats when the lantern began to dim far earlier than it should have. At just over a mile, the light began to vanish. By by one and a quarter, it was gone entirely. With three quarters of a mile each way to go, all they could do was scan the inky blackness for the first sign of the wing’s return.

“Why wouldn’t we be able to see the whole trip?” Moon Fang whispered. “Lanterns never fail under two miles.”

“Maybe it went out?” The twins offered meekly.

“If it had gone out, they would have come back,” Sparky Bolts replied. Comet bit her lip. She had a notion, but it was a long shot, especially given their experience with dragons so far. She turned to make for the Dauntless, only to find Firefly a few ponies down from her. The fuschia mare was in a hushed conversation with Rainbow Blaze -- apparently she had decided not to wait for a report. Forcing the lump in her throat down, Comet approached the pair.

“Sirs,” Comet saluted, “I have a theory, if you’d like to hear it.”

“Can’t be worse than ‘giant cloud of smoke,’” Firefly huffed. “Whatcha got, kid?”

“...Sparklefangs.” The senior officers glanced at each other. Comet continued, “I had nearly forgotten about them, given that we’ve never seen one in combat. They’re a category of dragon, notable for their ability to use magic. It’s possible a sparklefang is responsible for this shroud.”

“A darkness shroud?” Rainbow Blaze stroked his chin. “Is such a thing even possible?”

“A Shadow Shroud is a high level illusion,” Night Light cut in, “but some unicorns are capable of it. With how long we would’ve been under the effect, though, I can’t imagine the amount of power expended to maintain it.” He glanced at the three pegasi gathered around him. “Apologies, sirs. I heard you mention magic and got curious.”

“Well we know it’s a real thing, at least.” Firefly glanced over the bow of the ship. The first distant sign of the scout wing flickered back into existence. “Blaze, I want our ships pulled low to the ground. This wind is only getting worse, and if something is bothering to cast such a large spell over the area, I don’t want to find it on their terms.” The pegasus saluted and departed. “Shimmer, you may be right about the dragons. But it doesn’t really matter, since I’m not planning for us to go after them.” The chiroptequus nodded. “That said, I want everypony ready for action. Everypony suited up, everypony on deck. Got it?”

“Aye, Ma'am,” Comet saluted, “shall I give the order?”

“Order’s given. Now if you’ll excuse me,” Firefly spread her wings, “I left my own suit on the other ship.” And she was gone in a flash of blue and pink.

“Probably best if we’re ready for action too,” Night Light said. “I’d best go tell the captain.” Comet saw him off with a quiet nod. The filly spread the word, then retrieved her own helmet from the box she’d left it sitting on. Her golden helmet shone delicately in the lantern light, a thin coat of drizzle causing it to sparkle. Normally, she wore the dented thing as little as possible, but the knowledge that she might need it before the night was done made the plated headwear somehow comforting. With every pony of every company shuffling into their armor, there was naught for her to do but spin her contraption and shine her sabres. If only her damned hooves would stop shaking.

“Having trouble there, kid?” Rainbow Blaze sat down across from the filly, watching her work through the lantern light.

“I’m alright, sir.”

“I’d be inclined to believe you if you didn’t still have sleep draught working its way out of your system.” He frowned and leaned against a barrel. “The kind you took can take two weeks to fully leave.” They sat in silence for a time, Comet too ashamed to continue fumbling at work, Rainbow too pensive to do anything but wait for her response. “...Faust damn it, Shimmer, I told you. I bucking told you we get through this together, and instead you lock up your problems so tight, Nimbus had to literally wrestle them out of you.”

“I’m sorry, sir.” Comet tried to find something for her hooves to do, but before she could, they slammed her sabres against the deck. “Everypony was just so worn down. I couldn’t add my own weight to that, so I tried to handle it on my own. It was stupid, and I couldn’t… and now my own squad doesn’t trust me.”

“You mean with the scouts returning?” Comet nodded. “Shimmer, that engagement went perfect. No casualties, every enemy dead in under two minutes, and all the scouts we could help survived. Star… Airpony Stargaze died unnecessarily. I wish I could say it was for something, but it wasn’t. We deployed too many wings, he got caught in a bad spot, and that was it. Song didn’t want you getting caught the same way, with no wingpony and no room, and getting killed for nothing. You have their trust, Shimmer, you need to trust them. Understand?”

“I do.” The filly hazarded a glance at her superior officer. “Are you mad, sir?”

Rainbow sighed. He was too young to have a kid. “No. Disappointed, but not mad.” He gave her a lopsided smile. “But I know you’ll do better.” Her nod was more enthusiastic. “We’ve wound up with a good group of ponies, kid. You’d be a damned idiot to not put your faith in them-”

The ship shook violently, throwing ponies about like bits of colored paper. Before anypony knew it, they were moving, nearly colliding with the Dauntless before the winds yanked them apart again. The rain increased from a soft drizzle to a freezing deluge. Fat drops of water blew against the ponies like flecks of ice, striking them hard and chilling their fur awfully. Comet’s first instinct was to get airborne and collect her bearings, but if she jumped off of the deck, she might not find it again. The wind was knocking about anything that was not tied down, including the hapless crew still on deck. Rainbow Blaze buried the hook of his glaive in the wood and grabbed on to the indigo filly. Prone against the deck, the two ponies hung on as the wind threatened to rip them away into the blackness.

“Are we in the storm?” Comet shouted at Rainbow, though her words barely reached him.

“We can’t be, it should still be miles away!” The cobalt pegasus looked around to see who of his company were pinned like they were. Some, he knew, were below deck getting their gear on, but twenty or so pegasi were holding on for dear life, as well as twice as many unicorns and earth ponies.

Moon Fang, flattened against the railing, chanced a look over the side of the ship. Far below and behind, the lights of Colonel Redwood’s ground camp faded into nothing. At this distance, he could not tell if they were being thrown around on the ground as bad as they were in the air, but it was beyond his power to do anything about it. He tried to shout to the nearest pony, but the howling wind stole his words away. A crack of lightning cut the blackness for a split second, illuminating clouds on all sides.

A second bolt of lightning cut through the darkness at a greater distance, then another and another. They were, without a doubt, deep in the thunderstorm now. How could a storm sneak up on them? He felt the deck vibrate behind him, and looked over his shoulder. Willow Wisp and Silver Raindrops were holding tight to each other, alternating their hooks to pull themselves along the deck towards him. He thought for a second to wave them over, but a particularly violent rocking of the ship forced him to wrap around his rail with even more desperation. A bolt of lightning whipped out of the chaos and struck the Adamant. One of its sail riggings exploded, glowing shards of wood flying out and striking the side of the ship before vanishing into the wind and rain.

The Adamant seemed to do a flip, spinning and tossing ponies like leaves, and as fast as it came, the storm began to settle, though the rain went nowhere. Lightning flashed about them, illuminating the opening in the storm they had stumbled into. Captured in the harsh, eerie light of the storm, the sight the ponies beheld froze their blood solid.

Dragons, dozens or hundreds of them, flew in massive flights hundreds of yards across. Against the harsh light, their colors were indistinguishable, making way for ghostly silhouettes against the glowing clouds. Every kind of dragon Cyclone Company had seen, and many they had not, rode the stormy current with long, lazy flaps of their wings, seemingly oblivious to the squall that raged around them.

In the center of their flight, six massive broadwings flew around a single dragon, long chains connecting them to the scaled creature. To say this behemoth made the broadwings look small was a sad understatement. Comet Shimmer was quite certain a new word would need to be created to describe the scale of this incredible beast. Against the harsh light, its scales shone like diamonds, casting shimmering light wherever deep gashes had not marred its hide. Each wing was as big across as the length of the Adamant twice over, and its tail longer still. But what drew the filly’s eye was the constant flux of ethereal discharge visible along a series of spines running down its back. Though more chaotic, the aura was easily comparable to those of her unicorn comrades, which meant only one thing.

“Sparklefang…” With the wind calming, Rainbow Blaze made out the filly’s stunned murmur. Given the majesty of the creature, he was quite sure he had never seen another in the months he had been fighting. How they were supposed to do anything to such an incredible monster, he had no idea. He cautiously got to his hooves, then helped Comet to hers. Around them, other ponies were caught between finding their feet and watching the draconic display with equal parts awe and horror.

And then one of the dragon formations saw them.

With a screech that brought them all back to the present, the V shaped dragon wing banked and descended on the roughed up fleet of airships. Like a wave crashing down, more and more dragons angled towards the hapless ponies and moved to attack.

“Crescent Platoon,” Rainbow Blaze shouted, “find your wingponies! Emergency launch, all hooves!” Comet shoved her sabres into her boots and looked around frantically. Lily bolted out of the stairwell onto the deck, eyes ablaze and wings twitching with anticipation. The sight of an untold number of large, scaled, razor fanged, angry dragons extinguished her enthusiasm in a microsecond. Comet hurried over and caught her attention before her nerves failed as well. The pink filly steadied her breathing and gave Comet a weak, shaky nod. Freezing rain poured off their helmets and their backs, pooling on the deck and making their footing even more precarious.

“Lily,” Comet said, her voice on the verge of cracking, “I’ll be right with you, so don’t leave me, ok?”

“Right… Right, stick together.” Lily shook her head, forcing adrenaline through her veins. “Stay close, watch each other’s backs. You ready, Egghead?”

Comet looked up at the hell that they had blundered into. “...No.” The two of them made their way to Crescent Platoon’s circle.

“What’s the plan, sir?” Dewbead shouted over the storm.

“We don’t have one, Lancer. If we try and break through the wall of the storm, we’ll get tossed around like garbage. I don’t think the ship can handle more of that.” Rainbow Blaze looked up. There wasn’t much time left before the dragons would be right on top of them. “This storm isn’t natural. Night Light,” he called to the unicorn, “what do you make of that sparklefang up there?”

The unicorn broke off from his team and looked up. “Well, whatever magic it’s using, it’s constant. I’d guess it’s the one causing the shadow shroud, maintaining this weather pattern, or both.”

“Nothing has that much magic,” one of Night Light’s teammates said.

“I’d wager it does,” the blue unicorn replied, “and judging by those chains, it’s not doing it by it’s own volition.”

“So if we free the sparklefang-”

“It might break up the storm.” Rainbow Blaze clenched his jaw. “Then that’s our target.”

“Blaze, what about the other platoons?” Fir Bough said. “We’re just two, and not well crewed at that.”

“We don’t have the bucking time-” Rainbow snorted, “right, fine. Squad Two, split up, get over to the other ships, and spread the word." They were already gone. "The rest of you, first priority is to break up their assault. Once you’re clear of their lines, we reconvene and make for the sparklefang. Those six broadwings holding it are our targets. Any questions?” For a group of ponies, all of them soaked and ready to shit themselves in terror, they were amazingly resolute in their silence. “Then I’ll see you on the other side.

“Crescent Platoon, Dawn Platoon, all wings launch!” As they leaped into the endless darkness, featureless space punctuated by moments of blinding light and filled with icy rain, a sickening realization entered Comet’s mind: for the first time, they were likely outnumbered.

The instant they cleared the side of the ship, the wind and rain was free to bombard them from all directions, whipping them about and threatening to rip their formations to shreds. Through spinning vision, she saw dozens of ponies airborne, every pegasus of every company deployed in a desperate attempt to hold off the dragons.

Comet righted herself in the turbulent storm and realigned herself with Lily Nimbus. Her squad held together, Squad Three was just ahead of them, and Firefly was leading a squad twenty yards above. Moonlight Company was scattered throughout Cyclone and Downpour, though she was almost sure fear alone would strike most of them dead. She saw Wren Song give the five of them a look, then nodded at the sparklefang and the multitude of dragons between it and them. Squad Four fell into a tight V formation, helping each other to rebuff the the storm and plow towards their opponents.

One of the squads from Blizzard Platoon was first to contact the dragon lines. They ducked and wove through the first of the scaled monsters, and disappeared into the chaos. Crescent’s Squad Three was close behind them. Firefoot looped over the tail swipe of one dragon directly into another’s maw. Before anypony could register his death, the lizards were a split second away. Comet rolled, dropping below a dragon’s bite and leaving a long, dark red gash across its jaw line. Lily rolled back in from above, retaking her position directly in front of the filly. Instinct told Comet to double back and make a lethal strike against the target she had already marked. Her orders told her to press on.

The broadwing closing in from their right, gullet glowing an angry orange, also helped keep her forward. Her squad arced for the ceiling, climbing as fast as they could as the broadwing let loose his fiery payload. Sparky Bolts escaped with a scorched tail. The three ponies behind him were not so lucky. The squad rolled around a charging glimmerback, cutting deep into its neck and wings and securing the kill before pressing on. Two more dragons closed in from above before being cut to pieces by a squad from behind. Everywhere Comet looked, more dragons were crashing down on them. Successful strikes were circumstantial, surviving was the only real goal. How many squads had made it as far as they had, she could not say. She only risked a glance to her periphery long enough to confirm she was not about to die.

Ahead, Lily Nimbus gave a quick ruffle in her wake before banking down and left hard. Comet followed her down, rolling to match the dive, and the two of them evaded a broadwing barreling at the airships far behind them. If they cut it along the way, no one noticed. Ahead, a glimmerback with telltale spines arched its back at a squad that had appeared off to their right. A bolt of lightning arced out of the sky, rebounded through the dragon’s spines, and lanced out at the pegasi. Four of them went up in balls of bright light and smoke. Wren led the squad over to collect the remaining three, but the dragons had noticed the wounded prey.

The lead mare ruffled her wings very specifically. In perfect synchrony, the squad split by wings: Wren Song and Dewbead flew high, Comet and Lily banked left, and Moon Fang and Sparky Bolts banked right. They lashed out at the dragons nearest to their comrades, cutting deep and viciously where possible, before closing in around the three pegasi and pressing on. Between the raging storm and the fried nerves, Comet had no notion of how far they had flown or how far they had to go still. But looking out ahead of them, she could not help be be sure that every dragon in a hundred miles had come to fight.

Black spears flew through the maelstrom, catching lightning and dragons alike as they fired wantonly into the battle. The airships were hardly leaving fate to their combat wings, opting instead to hit anything they could. With so many targets, all they ballista teams really had to do was reload, close their eyes, and fire. With the fleet’s port side to the wall of the storm, the unicorn teams were able to double up. One team was responsible for shielding their vessel, while the other team would blast any scaly monster that wandered too close with a beam of concentrated magic. For a split second, Night Light actually felt like they stood a chance.

Then he would see how many they had left to go.
He had worn himself down to near permanent injury once before. He would be lucky if he didn’t magic himself to death this night. “Damned if I do, damned if I don’t,” the unicorn muttered bitterly. “Don’t wait up, Velvet.” His extremities were already going number between the exertion and the freezing rain. It would be a miracle if he made it another five minutes.

Out in the chaos, Rainbow Blaze was stalling. Half of his platoon was missing, and the half he still had was gaining ground in inches. Every chance to advance was swallowed up by another dragon, and he had no idea where they were all coming from. The cobalt pegasus vaulted over a charging glimmerback, burying his glaive in its spine and getting dragged along for a split second. He wanted to take his remaining ponies and try to fly up and over the battle, but there was no ceiling to get above. The dragons just kept going forever. Their only chance was forward.

So when Rainbow saw Firefly lead a bladed, spinning column of ponies straight up the center of the dragon’s charge, he and his wings were right in with her. Such a large collection of ponies, however, drew the attention of a great many dragons, and it only took one hungry broadwing to fly through the formation and nearly cut it in half. The ponies swarmed around the offending drake, stabbing and cutting its face to ribbons before doing what they could to rebuild, but they were down a few heads and only losing more.

Across the column, Willow Wisp, Silver Raindrops, and the twins were turning tandem dragon slaying into an art. Drakes were skewered through the neck with such precision that their glaives struck each other. Easterly View and Vertigo were right behind the synchronized pair, but a gust of air sent the stallion high and wide, singling him out for a glimmerback’s lightning strike. He seized in their air, twisting like a puppet, before his smoking remains disappeared into the cloudy darkness. Easterly View barely had time to realize she was alone before a glimmerback nearly took her wing off. She banked away just in time, losing only a couple feathers, and rolled over and gave the drake something to remember her by, before rushing ahead to join with Billow Blast and Stratus Drifter.

On the far side of Tartarus, Comet’s squad wove through the dragons with what could only be described as a death wish. The rain stung her eyes, the wind deafened her and threatened to break her flight path, and everything was happening faster than she was able to comprehend. All she could do was leave things to instinct and hope she was right. Lily was still with her, and they were still with their squad. As they looped around another glimmerback, leaving long gashes in its back and belly, an impossible sight opened up before them.

There were no more dragons between them and the seven at the nexus of the storm.

Comet was not sure if all sound had actually abandoned the world, or if it was just in her head, but with their goal so close in front of them, she hardly cared. How they were supposed to take down six broadwings with only nine of them? They would have to figure out when they got there. They were still climbing, but somehow, it felt like they were falling, gaining speed as they neared their target.

The forward left broadwing noticed the nine ponies closing in on it and turned to look at them. Perhaps because it was because it was hefting a very large chain, or perhaps it could not believe any of the equine fliers had broken through the lines, but it did all but nothing as they crashed into its face, stabbing and slicing at anything soft. Frantically, it flailed its head, trying to dislodge the attackers, but the monster had already been blinded and stabbed repeatedly in the neck. Its strength failing, the chain slipped from its grasp.

Wren signaled her squad to come around and take on the next one in the pack. Moon Fang and Sparky Bolts jumped away from the drake’s scaled scalp and joined up behind their squad leader. A shadow wove through their periphery. Moon Fang turned to track it, and the shadow was looking back at him. A glimmerback, one of the inky black, eel type that had snuck up on them before the mesa, eyed him curiously. A flash of green crossed its eyes, seeming to change them, but in an instant the mirage was gone. It sprang forward like a viper and embedded its fangs deep in his neck and side. Moon Fang’s cry of pain was weak and strained. Before the dragon could revel in its victory, Sparky Bolts skewered it through the neck. He wrenched his glaive inside the dragon’s throat, forcing its jaw open and releasing his wingpony.

Moon Fang did not take to the air.

Sparky Bolts ducked underneath the falling pony and caught him. With a sky full of dragons between them and the ship, the only surface he could dare to land on was the sparklefang’s colossal back. He only hoped that, with so much surface, the dragon would not notice two tiny ponies hiding out between his wings.

The scene, brief as it was, was too surreal for Comet to properly comprehend, and since the mission was still very clear and very much at hoof, that was what she focused on. But as they flew to the next dragon, a lump formed in her throat and kept pulling her towards the sparklefang. Something was wrong, she knew, something was so terribly wrong and she did not have a lot of time to try to fix it.

As she and Lily set up to go at the second broadwing, the lump unfurled into a warcry. The filly banked up, abandoning her wingpony to slash the dragon’s eye open. Metal clashed with bone as her sabre crossed its sclerotic ring, but she got the desired effect. A sharp twist sent her down the snout, leaving gashes in her wake. As she split its left nostril and soared out in front, the acrid smell of acid filled her nostrils. Opting for action, she dove out of the way of a corrosive shower, losing a few tail hairs in the process. Before she could come back around, Wren and Dewbead had scissored the drake’s throat with their weapons, nearly crashing into each other to leave a long gash across its neck. Acid poured from the protected passageway, corroding the dragon’s own flesh and compounding the damage.

The second chain was dropped, but four remained. Glancing back at the battle behind them, the four ponies saw that things had taken a turn for the worse. The dragons were swarming around the airships, spitting acid and fire everywhere, sometimes hitting each other in the crossfire. Arcs of lightning erupted from the cloud walls and rebounded at their draconic masters’ wills, blowing sails and ballistae apart. Another couple squads had managed to break through the scaled, leathery hell and were engaging the dragons in the rear. The third shackling broadwing had fallen, and the next was soon to.

Wren flew in front of her seven ponies and directed them to the broadwing on the target’s left. The large beast had seen them coming, and as they rounded the sparklefang, it loosed a narrow, forceful jet of flame at them. Their formation blew apart in the last second, six of them flying in different directions to avoid the blast. One of the ponies was too slow, and his back half was caught in the column. He was dragged into the fiery wake and vanished without a sound. The broadwing released its chain and moved to engage the equine soldiers. A second blast of fire churned in its gut.

With the formation already broken, Wren’s squad wove around the dragon like angry bees, never drifting close enough to each other to give their foe a target to burn. But its scales were broad and thick, and its leathery wings did not cut as easily as others that the ponies had encountered. Comet clenched her teeth as she came out of another fruitless pass. Nothing hurt this thing, nothing they could do at least. But if they did not stop this dragon, the sparklefang would not be free to-

Against all logic, Comet stopped and stared out at the colossal sparklefang. Only one chain still held it to its path, and yet it continued to lazily fly forward as if in a daze. The broadwings meant nothing to it, not now. It could easily break free of its bonds, perhaps it always could, yet it was choosing not to. Was it aware of the battle and apathetic to the suffering of its comrades? The broadwing’s death would not win them anything, but it might cost them everything to continue fighting it.

The fleet’s remaining time could be measured in minutes, if not seconds. One of the ships was badly listing, a few of its support cables cut along one side. Another was on fire, burning despite the deluge. Holes of various origin peppered their sides. The number of magical countermeasures was diminishing. And where the rest of their winged comrades were, she dared not imagine. So based on fear, suspicion, and not an ounce of fact, Comet screamed for her wingpony.

Lily’s ears perked up at the sound of Comet’s voice. She spun in midair, stabilizing into a hover and found the pony above her, a dark speck in the dark storm. Once Comet had her attention, the filly zipped off towards the sparklefang’s head. Cursing loudly, Lily took up pursuit. She caught up with her wingpony as they passed by the dragon’s jaw bone. By her reckoning, it was still a ship’s length to the creature’s nose, but if she wasn’t already exhausted, she wasn’t going to be.

The two ponies drifted out in front of the titanic lizard, easily in its field of view, but it did not even regard them. Its outer eyelids were open, but the milky inner lids were shut tight over its eyes. A swirling green mist drifted over the webbed skin, weaving in and out like thread. Underneath, the eyes sat unmoving, completely unfocused. Never mind asleep, the dragon seemed utterly comatose to the two fillies.

“Now what?” Lily shouted to her friend. The look of terror Comet gave her said everything. The pink filly dove down and gave a quick slash across the dragon’s nose, but it did not even come close to responding. At least the scaled surface was safe to land on. The ponies crouched low to the dragon’s nose, ducking to keep from being pulled by the wind.

“There’s no one home in this bucking thing, Comet,” Lily shouted, “we gotta do something!”

“Like what? This was the plan! This was the only plan!” Panic gripped Comet’s heart. Everypony was going to die. The storm would continue, the fleet would be lost with all hooves, and when the dragons reached wherever they were going, everypony there would die too. All of her friends were going to die. She was going to die. This was their response to the strike forces. And it was working.

“Comet,” Lily shook her, “Comet stay with me, c’mon! ...Comet, look!” The indigo filly followed her hoof up to the dragon’s crown. Sparky Bolts was crawling his way over the beast’s brow, Moon Fang draped over his back. The two fillies took off and sped over to their squadmates. Sparky collapsed as they drew near -- the weight of his wingpony, combined with the elements and the fatigue of their charge, had taken everything out of him.

But if Sparky Bolts was in bad shape, Moon Fang was on the way out. A dozen punctures marred his flesh and wings on either side, each of them oozing blood thick and free. His armor had only served to lessen the severity of most of them, and his breathing was shallow and labored. Comet frantically scanned him, looking for something to stop the bleeding with, but there was nothing. Her pleading eyes met Sparky’s and Lily’s, but they had nothing for her.

With a wracked, broken voice, Comet shouted, “I need his spear.” Sparky stared at her, but realization hit him after a moment. He carefully unbuckled Moon Fang’s glaive and passed it to the filly. Comet took it with her wing and paused long enough to say, “Look after him,” before she was bounding up the dragon’s head.

At the highest point she could reach, Comet ripped her sabres off and grabbed the glaive. She hoisted the weapon above her head and drove it into the dragon’s scalp. The sharp tip met with hard scale, and again and again she drove the spear in until it had made a moderate hole. Half satisfied and half desperate, she turned the glaive over and thrust it in, pointing the metal fitting skyward. Comet gave it a experimental kick, and when it did not budge, she grabbed her sabres and booked it back down to her comrades.

She was halfway down the bridge of the dragon’s nose when a bolt of lightning struck the embedded glaive. The electricity lanced through the weapon, obliterating it, and spread across the dragon’s skin. Comet felt every hair on her body rise, her muscles spasmed, and she tumbled the rest of the way as her legs seized.

It could only have been seconds that she had lost between when the strike occurred and when she rolled over to find Lily yelling at her. Comet shook her head and clumsily rose to her spasming hooves. Like lightning, the situation rushed back to her, and the two of them raced over to where Sparky was holding vigil over Fang. The sorbet colt’s coat was pale, save for where the blood matted it dark, but the strike had neither helped nor harmed him. Comet could only stand to look at it for a moment before she turned to face the sparklefang.

The green mist that had woven its way through the dragon’s eyelids had vanished. Slowly, the lids retracted, and the two massive eyes, each bigger than she was, adjusted to the world. They swiveled left, then right, above and below, and Comet felt the head shift with each direction.

“Hey!” the indigo filly hollered. The dragon’s attention turned entirely to her. She watched the slitted pupils focus in on her, locked with her own. She was quite sure she was wetting herself, but it was impossible to tell in the storm, or so she told herself. Those eyes, so incredibly deep, threatened to shatter her resolve and send her running home in tears. But her fear, her fear for Moon Fang, for her friends, for her fleet, for her home, forced from the bottom of her being, “Stop this storm, you giant, ugly, moronic lizard!”

All sound was sucked from the world in the wake of her voice. The wind stopped, the rain stopped, the fighting stopped, everything stopped. Comet watched those massive eyes for an answer, desperate for something. She first noticed the flickers of white that danced across the irises, building in count and brightness. Before she could comprehend their meaning, the dragon opened its maw and roared. It was as if all the sound that had vanished, he had been holding in for a single sonic blast. White light danced across its back, out to its wingtips, and out into the pregnant clouds.

Like a bubble popping, the magical field holding the storm at bay undid itself. The furious maelstrom came crashing in, a wall of sound collapsing down with it. The raging wind and freezing rain snared dragon and pony alike, and tossed them like shredded leaves. Comet raced back to her friends and clutched them tight. She felt Lily’s legs around her neck, hers around Moon Fang’s, Sparky’s around all three of them. Wren Song and Dewbead appeared with the two pegasi they’d saved, joining the huddled bundle as the storm caved in around them. In the blinding darkness and deafening noise, the filly knew that no matter how tight they held to each other, they would never keep together. The storm would rip them away, and the darkness would swallow them all. She closed her eyes. If this was it, she’d rather die with them by her side.

The glimmering sound of magic caressed her ears, but before she could open her eyes, the storm buffeted them from the dragon’s nose. Into the air they flew, tossed about like a beachball, but they held together. Comet opened her eyes. A pale, shimmering orb clung tightly to them, holding them in and keeping the storm at bay. A multitude of shimmering orbs were scattered throughout the storm, but the pounding winds did not seem to have any sway on them. Squinting, the filly made the larger orbs out to be around the airships. Only three remained, haloed by dozens of small orbs that, she could only hope, contained ponies.

Not so protected, the dragons were being tossed about with reckless abandon. They would crash into each other, flying apart like ragdolls only to crash into others, before being lost in the murky squall. Where the sparklefang had gone, it was impossible to say, but as the storm finally spent itself, not a single drake was to be seen. The clouds began to break, revealing a deep, blue, shimmering sky spreading out across a cool desert. As the winds died down, the protective bubble disintegrated, allowing the ponies to fly freely.

Their relief was short lived. a strangled, wet gasp left Moon Fang’s throat, and Comet’s panic returned anew.

“Get him back to the ship, now!” Wren Song commanded. Sparky and Dewbead carried him between them as they sped back with all haste. As they got close, they found other ponies coming in for a landing as well. Some, many, were wounded, and far fewer were returning than had jumped. Comet thought she heard somepony calling their names, but they could wait. As they set Moon Fang down on the deck of the Adamant, Comet ripped her helmet off and put an ear to the colt’s chest.

“Medic!” she screamed, her voice breaking. “We need a medic here!” Lily and the two rescues raced off to find somepony that could help while Comet cradled Fang’s head in her lap. His eyes opened, barely, and he looked up at her. He looked so tired, so very tired, but he still smiled when he saw her.

“Did… we win?” A small dribble of blood accompanied his words. “Ship’s… out of danger?”

She choked back a sob. “We did. We’re safe, everypony is safe. We did it, Fang.”

“Yay…” He gurgled pathetically. “I think I’m… gonna rest for a bit, if that’s ok.”

“It’s not ok, Fang.” Comet shook him lightly. The others returned, a medic hot on their fetlocks. He slid into a crouch beside the colt, examining the wounds carefully. The unicorn set to work on the blood, snapping at the others to get him this or that from his kit. “You need to stay awake. Stay with me, Moon Fang. We need you here.”

“Sorry, Comet, I think… I’m tapped out, here.” She couldn’t hold back from crying anymore. Tears rolled off her nose and onto his face. Slowly, weakly, he reached up and cupped her cheek. She didn’t resist in the slightest when he pulled her down, brought her lips to his, held her, kissed her long and slow and full of life and passion. She couldn’t stop crying, but he didn’t seem to notice. He pulled away, just an inch, just far enough to whisper, “Had to, at least once.”

She leaned in and gave him one more. She felt him slip away. She shook him once, twice, kissed him again. He did not respond. Comet coughed on her sobs, held him close, and cried. Around her, the rest of the squad stood huddled together, completely at a loss. Ponies were still coming in to land, but it was already clear their night would not be getting any better.

The stars danced.

The air was perfectly still.

Ch.15 - Desperation

Moon Beam reached out to touch the deck as if it were a life raft in the middle of the sea. As soon as her hoof touched the wooden planks, every muscle in her body gave out. She collapsed to the deck with all the grace of a sack of grain. Her sister was beside her immediately, but the yellow twin was nearly as shaky as she was. They leaned against each other for balance, eyes closed, trying desperately to catch their breath. The yellow twin's glaive sat broken in its harness, the other half left in a now dead dragon. The blue twin's had been abandoned, a gust of flame igniting the wooden shaft. How she had made it home unarmed, she could not fathom.

"Skyline! Skyline!?" Pinion slammed into the deck beside the two of them. "Ray, Beam, have you seen Skyline? I can't find her anywhere..." The twins shook their heads. Pinion bit his lip and turned to take off again, but his wings did not unfurl. He stood, back facing them, eyes fixed on the emptying sky, checking every pegasus left, but his wingpony was nowhere to be seen. Slowly, he sat down, head hung low and wings hanging limp at his sides. The twins glanced at each other before wrapping their wings around their squadmate.

"Medic!" Slipstream's hollering broke them from their moment of solemnity. He and Clear Morning were carrying an unconscious Pastelight between them. Blood dribbled down her side from a deep gash under her ear and across her neck. A unicorn was waiting for them to land, medical kit floating beside her, and she set to work as soon as the pegasus was on the deck. The others huddled in as close as they dared.

"What happened?" Moon Beam asked.

"Scaley bucker came out of nowhere," Clear Morning panted, "nearly took her head off with a swipe of its claw. She reared back just in time, so it just did... this." They watched as the unicorn took to each gash.

"She'll live," the medic said, "the bleeding is controllable. I can't say the same about the ear, though. It's a miracle it didn't fall off already." Sun Ray bit her tongue.

"There's nothing you can do?" Slipstream asked. If there was any more pleading in his voice, he would be on his knees before the unicorn.

The medic sighed. "I can try, but I won't promise anything. Hold her down." Each of Pastelight's squadmates took a leg while Slipstream stroked her mane. The medic set to work with her needle, carefully suturing the ear back in place and disinfecting along the way. Pastelight groaned in pain, but her struggles were too sluggish and weak to be considered a proper fight.

Before too long, the unicorn leaned back and examined her work. She wiped her brow and frowned. "We'll keep an eye on it. Celestia's grace, it won't fall off or get infected, but she'll never get any real control of it back." She gingerly wrapped the wounded ear in gauze.

"Thank you," Slipstream said.

"Just my job-" A crash behind them demanded the medic's attention. Silver Raindrops was carrying a barely conscious Willow Wisp across her back. Most alarming was the half of his helmet that was entirely gone. Blood matted the fur on half of his face as it oozed from a cut along his brow. "How many more of you are there?"

"Too many." Rain's tone made it clear she had no patience for humor. The medic nodded and inspected his wound. "He's going to be alright, right Doctor?"

"It didn't hit his eye. Couple stitches, nothing bad. It looks like the helmet took most of the blow."

"Mmnn, Silver?" Wisp looked around, his head lilting as he did. His eyes couldn't seem to focus.

"I'm here, sweetie. Hey, right here." The brick red filly gently cradled her boyfriend's face, pointing him at her. "Hey, you're ok. We made it back. Willow?"

"And you're OK?" She nodded. "I'm glad..." He was definitely focused on her, but his speech was still slow and uncertain.

"Looks like a concussion. We can deal with that. Hold him still, that cut comes first." The medic cleaned her needle and thread for a second round.

"Willow, sweetie, this is going to hurt. Just focus on me, ok?" She smiled for him, and he smiled back sleepily. The smile turned to a grimace as the needle began its work. Keeping out of the medic's way, Rain held his head steady and planted kisses along the other side of his face. "It's ok, it'll be over soon. You're doing wonderfully."

Firefly watched her company reassemble itself as she lay on her side. The fuschia mare let out a loud, cursing grunt as her leg was set back in its socket. She lay still, panting against the pain until it started to even out.

"Thanks, Doc," she panted. "leave a wrap, I can handle the sling myself. There are others who need you, go." The earth pony nodded and galloped off to the next crisis. Firefly took a moment, lying on her side, to survey the deck. Wren Song and her squad were huddled around a body. Slipstream was comforting a filly who'd nearly lost her ear. Tall Storm, a stallion from Dawn Platoon, had not been so lucky about his hind hoof. Evening Star and Snow Veil clung to each other while Thunder Clap and Surf Crest searched in vain for their missing squaddie. And the mare knew, without even counting, how many were not there at all.

~*~

The Captain of Cyclone Company never allowed herself a moment of weakness in front of her ponies. She was a fixed point for them, always calm and collected, always ready for whatever came their way. She always had something for them, orders or advice or just a warm cup of wine. She was their banner, and everypony in Cyclone Company could follow her without hesitation.

So when the five senior officers gathered together in the captain’s quarters half the night later, for the fuschia mare to seem so completely defeated was entirely alien to the four waiting on her word. Taro Blush, a freckled mare with a distinctive jawline, stood in Duster’s place since a dragon had seen fit to remove his lower half from his upper half. They stood in a row, waiting for their captain to tell them what to do, but she had nothing to give them.

What were they supposed to do? By a rough estimate, more than a third of Cyclone Company was either dead or out of action. Moonlight and Downpour Companies were just as battered, if not worse. The newbie platoon, pitifully inexperienced compared to the others, had stalled into a defensive line before the airships and had been torn to shreds.

Their abduction and expulsion by the storm had blown them miles in some direction, far from Colonel Redwood’s ground forces. The Dauntless and the Ranger had been lost, their remains and their crews swallowed by the maelstrom; the only possessions the mare had left were those she had taken into battle. All told, they were probably down to less than half strength, miles from their intended path, and too beaten to hope to mount anything, be it rescue, offensive, or safe retreat.

“Get a proper report of our standings,” Firefly finally told her senior staff. “Numbers, names, damage reports. And see to your platoons.” She did not watch them leave.

~*~

A ball of indigo fur lay curled up against the side of the Adamant. If one were to look closely, they could make out the slight rise and fall of her back with each breath, but beyond that, she was completely motionless. Comet had not slept, eaten, or drank anything in the past twelve hours. Lily had brought her a meager meal around dawn, but it lay untouched behind the filly.

Three times, somepony had come by to check on her, to try and ease her back out into the world. All of them had given up. She wanted to talk, part of her did at least, but her throat had sealed off, trapping everything inside her. She wanted to cry, but she had done that already. She wanted to eat, but she wasn’t hungry. She wanted to fly home, but she didn’t know the way.

She wanted it to end, but something in her kept pulling her back to life.

So she lay still, and tried to put her world back together, but it was like trying to build a castle from dry sand. The more she tried to make sense of the chaos in her head, the more jumbled it became, banging inside her skull like drums until she couldn’t even focus enough to know how confused she was. She curled tighter against herself, and the tears started again. But her body had so little water left, it wasn’t about to devote any to crying, so she was left with dry, painful sobs that wracked her entire form.

A hoof stroked through her disheveled mane. She jumped at the contact, but did not turn to see who it was. When the offending hoof did not go away, Comet tried to growl, but it came out as a cracked, miserable mewl.

“Shh,” Rain whispered. She continued to stroke her mane, completely silent save to calm Comet whenever she tried to rebuke the brick red filly. Once her mane had achieved some level of straightness, she started in on the tail, gently working through the hairs. After a half hour of slow, careful grooming, when Comet had finally given up any form of protest, the taller pony began humming a soft tune.

Comet wanted to scream at her. Why wouldn’t she leave her alone? Why was she still here? She didn’t want a grooming, she didn’t want a friend, she wanted to close her eyes, let go, and never have to feel anything again. And she wanted to do it alone.

Except she didn’t.

Against the protests of her stiff joints, Comet slowly uncurled, turning to look at Rain. Her eyes were red and puffy, her coat was matted and dirty, still weathered by last night’s storm -- she was, through and through, a mess. Slowly, she leaned against Rain, wrapping her forelegs around her, and held on with all the desperation of a foal clutching its mother. The wracking sobs returned anew, muffled against Rain’s coat, and the brick red filly caressed her back and continued to hum her gentle tune.

Rain was on the verge of tears herself. She was trying so hard to be strong for Comet, but how was she supposed to be when so much had happened? Willow's concussion had been minor, nothing a little magic and a night's rest had not been able to fix, but it had scared her half to death that he had nearly been decapitated, and then could barely see straight afterwards. It was only by Faust’s grace that both she and Willow had ultimately made it home, but so many had not. She had only come to get a sense of their loss once she had awoken some time after dawn. Their platoon had lost four ponies alone, five were severely injured, and every other platoon was as bad or worse.

Down to three ships, unsupported, lost, and battered beyond any chance of repair, how were they supposed to survive? Silver Raindrops clutched Comet, holding her close and burying her muzzle in Comet’s mane. They clung to each other, desperate for anything to hold on to even though neither really had anything for the other. After a few minutes, the red filly was bold enough to whisper, “You have to eat something.”

Comet did not say anything, but Rain felt her nod against her chest. She smiled a weak, honest smile.

The task proved harder than expected. Dehydrated and disheveled as she was, Comet had to take her water slowly, and anything richer than a few nibbles of bread threatened to evacuate her stomach faster than she could ingest it. Still, it was something, something Rain and Lily were both happy to see. Energy seemed to return to the filly bit by bit, though it did not show on her face in the slightest. Across the table, Lily and Rain risked a whispered conversation.

"Were the two of them... you know-" Rain whispered.

"Not that I ever saw. They talked a lot, sure, but nothing more serious." Lily smirked. "Nothing like you and Wisp, anyway."

"I will ignore that, this time," Rain deadpanned. "This is bad, Lily Nimbus."

"Duh. Have you looked around, filly? We're past the ass end of nowhere." Lily sighed.

"I know, I know, just... one thing at a time. Comet, I have a chance to help. I'm not a navigator." Rain nibbled at her own roll and looked around. So deep in the belly of the Adamant, the galley had been virtually untouched. A few tables had been knocked over, pots and pans in the kitchen thrown about, but nothing serious. And from what she had heard, the armored hull protecting the majority of the cargo holds had held up. Some supplies had been lost, but the remaining would hold through, she hoped.

"Speaking of, how's Wisp?" Lily offered.

"Better after some rest. He is still a little out of sorts, but... He's better." She closed her eyes. Panic lurked just behind her placid composure.

"Mmm, well, you two should try to take it easy then." Lily took a big bite out of her roll. "How's your squad doing?"

Rain looked to Comet to see if the filly was really listening to them. She was not. "We lost Vertigo. Billow Blast took a few drops of acid to one wing, but he'll be recover. 'Just a few feathers to grow back,' he says."

"And is he full of shit?"

Rain frowned. "You never change, do you?" Lily snickered. "Unfortunately, yes. The acid burned down to his muscle in a few places. It will be longer than growing a few feathers." The brick red filly laid down against the table. "On top of that, Stratus barely got back to the ship before he collapsed. Apparently, he strained something trying to evade one attack or another. It's a miracle he made it back at all."

"But he's ok?" Lily asked. The two of them glanced at Comet. She had stopped chewing.

"Yes, with some rest." Her chewing resumed.

"Speak of Discord, and he shall appear." Stratus sat down beside the three fillies. He quickly hid the grimace his twinging muscles caused. "Ladies." All of them met his smile save Comet. "Hell of a night, huh."

"That's a polite way to describe it," Rain sighed. "We got lucky. Speaking of which, Nimbus, you were the closest to that monster, yes? What exactly happened?"

"... When we got there, it seemed hypnotized." Lily fidgeted with her roll. "Even after most of the broadwings had gone down, it kept flying. So Comet, here, had the bright idea to wake it up." She nudged the indigo filly's hoof playfully. “She used a glaive as a lightning rod and shocked it awake. After that, it dispelled the barrier holding the storm back, I guess, and you know the rest."

"And were those shields around us its work, too?"

"I don't know who else it could have been." Lily shrugged. "You saw our unicorns. They're all spent. Even together, they couldn't have protected all of us."

"But one dragon could." Stratus snorted. "Glad it had a change of heart, then."

“Agreed,” Silver sighed. “How are you feeling, Stratus?”

“Better, kind of. Small tear along my back, nothing too serious…”

“You can’t jump with a muscle tear,” the brick red filly retorted.

“Shouldn’t, but emergencies take priority. I’m not going down without a fight.” The charcoal colt grinned as well as he could, and the two fillies returned the gesture uncertainly. Comet continued to absently nibble on her roll.

~*~

Wren Song, Slipstream, Surf Crest, and Billow Blast sat in front of their platoon leader, forlornly observing the wood grain of the deck. The way in which the cobalt stallion paced told them he was not mad, not even disappointed, just defeated. They all were. They had done every menial task Firefly had thought to give them, and it was clear that neither she nor the captains of the three remaining airships had any notion of what to do.

“Sir?” Slipstream locked eyes with her C.O. “If I may speak candidly…” He nodded. “This is over, sir. It's bucking beyond over. We need to bear north and keep going until we find a friendly settlement.”

“I’m inclined to agree,” Wren Song said. “We’re beaten, we have wounded, we’re down half our combat strength, more if you count the loss of our ground forces. Enough of our supplies made it through, but they won’t last forever -- we can’t sustain another fight, especially one like that.”

“I know, I know -- look.” Rainbow ceased pacing. “We’re getting out of here. Captain’s already decided on that, but we need to figure out how. We can stay low and wait for cover of dark, or we can book it now and risk getting spotted. Either way, we're bucked if we run into another large group. Buck the reports, I want your opinions.” He already had a sense for their answers, but he wanted to hear them. “Can your squads fly?”

“Barely.”

“No.”

“Yes.”

“No.”

Rainbow sighed. “Sir,” Wren said, “I’m down three ponies, four if I can allow time to let Nimbus’ leg heal, and one more is in no condition to fly. Unless Shimmer makes a miraculous recovery, I'm down to less than half a squad.”

“Same here, Boss,” Billow Blast said. “I can’t have Drifter jump with his bad back unless it’s absolutely necessary.”

“And Two and Three each have five, right?” The other two squad leaders nodded. “Buck… Alright, in the event of a sortie, I want One and Three, Two and Four to pair up. Don’t give me that look; I know it doesn’t help the numbers, but at least you’ll have somepony watching your back. So Drifter and Nimbus are injured, and Shimmer’s catatonic. Anypony else?”

Slipstream snorted. “Anypony, sir? Try everypony. Wisp is still loopy, Pastelight’s ear is a bucking decoration, so she’s out, and the rest of them? My ponies are on the edge, and I don’t have anything to give them to help.” The other leaders nodded.

“Preaching to the choir, Slip. Everypony here is worn to the bone, but I’m looking for who’s in the process of breaking down, not who’s threatening to. I couldn’t throw a rock without hitting somepony ready to crack!” The lieutenant stamped the floor with his hoof. His officers tried very hard not to flinch, and almost succeeded. Rainbow steadied himself. “Nevermind. Do whatever you can, just… keep them together, whatever it takes. We’re heading home as fast as we can. It's almost over.”

~*~

“How’re you holdin’ up, Bolts?” Dewbead sat on the railing, wings spread to keep her balance, and kicked her hindlegs absently. Sparky Bolts sat on the deck beside her, eyes fixed on the horizon, an empty mug of cider in his hoof.

“...I think back on it, on how fast everything happened, and I can’t think of anything I could have done that would have saved him. I couldn’t have stopped that dragon, I couldn’t have gotten him back to the ship, I didn’t have anything to patch his wounds or even stop the bleeding.” Sparky Bolts swallowed his next words and tried some others. “I know that… So why does it feel like I did something wrong?”

“Because you don’t like it. I was the same with Summer Seas. It just... happened, not a chance in Tartarus that I could have stopped it. But I wish I could have. I obsessed over it. I still think about it sometimes. You can’t beat it with logic, Bolts.” She gave him an apologetic smile. “Just gotta live with it.”

“No logic, huh? Well I'm screwed, then.” Sparky Bolts swallowed hard. “I’m quite sure Shimmer will kill me if she sees me. I heard she’s up and about the ship, now, so my days are numbered.”

“She may be a wreck, but she’s not stupid. She’s not gonna blame you for him, anymore than we can blame anypony for anypony else. This is part of the job.”

“I hope you’re right…” Sparky Bolts stood and stretched. “I’m going to get a little sleep in before something else happens. I’ll be ready if the horn blows.” Dewbead watched him leave before turning to the scenery herself. The sky blue mare hardly believed any of the shit she'd told him, but he didn't need to know that. The truth wasn't about to help any of them out in this province of Tartaric.

She could not have dozed off, but the blue pegasus was back by her side in no time at all.

“Trouble sleeping?”

“You know how the twins have been trying to win Clear Morning over for the past month or more?”

“Yeah?”

“They won.”

~*~

With the sun high and behind them, the ramshackle fleet barreled north at their best speed. With the Starfall down half it sails, that was not saying much. Night Light sat on deck, warming his coat in the last rays of Autumn. Winter would be upon them soon, if they made it that far, but he prayed that they would spend most of the cold season resting at some base very, very far north.

What a stupid, stupid oaf he’d been. If he hadn’t jumped on a notion of adventure and signed up for the Corps, he would still be in Canterlot. He’d still be with Velvet. He wouldn’t be aching in every joint, nursing a migraine the size of the Smokey Mountain, and he wouldn’t have to resign himself to the awareness that all the adventures he might have experienced later in life were probably never going to happen now.

The navy blue unicorn wasn’t sure why he expected the rough and tumble pegasi to be faring any better, but he was surprised when Rainbow Blaze sat down beside him and looked as haggard as he did.

“Morning, Magister? How’s the head?”

“About ready to split in two. How’s yours?”

“Full of shit.” The pegasus eased onto his belly and rested his head on his hooves. “I’ve got nothing to do, nothing to say, just sit and hope we get home without any more trouble.”

“And you think we’ll manage that?” Night Light asked. Rainbow smirked, but there was no mirth in it. “Yeah… Do you regret it, Blaze?”

“I do.” The pegasus sighed. “I wouldn’t take back doing my duty, but it's just been so... worthless in the end.” The two stallions sat in silence for a while, mulling over their sorry state. “You know, I never really trusted unicorns in a fight for a long time.” Night Light’s incredulous stare earned a chuckle from the pegasus. “You guys are so… frilly, with how a lot of you talk, how you do a lot of things with your magic. I just figured you’d all run and hide at the first sign of trouble. I’m glad I was wrong.”

“Well, while we’re being honest, I never really expected pegasi to be… approachable.” Rainbow raised an eyebrow. “Canterlot’s mostly unicorns, old blood and whatever else. The few pegasi I ever worked with were with the Castle Guard, and they were all a bunch of blockheads with more interest in who could do the most pushups, or which mare had the nicest flank. I guess I just started assuming all of you were like that.”

“Well, I like to think that Cyclone Company is at least kind of special that way,” Rainbow chuckled. “Firefly hates robots. Dunno what exactly it is, but when she took over, she wanted thinking, feeling ponies who’d look out for each other. She wanted us to get creative, to respect each other for us rather than our badge… And I know for a fact, that’s the only reason we’re still alive.”

“You trust her?”

“I’d follow her through the gates of Tartarus.”

“I'm pretty sure you did, after last night," Night Light said. The pegasus gave a wry chuckle. "...You like her, don’t you?” Rainbow remained stoically silent. “Ohohoho, Big Boss Rainbow Blaze likes somepony. What will the other officers think?”

“If they don’t have some notion by now, they’re dumber than I thought.” Rainbow rolled his eyes. “We keep things professional, 99% of the time. This war has been stressful, though, you know?”

“I do…”

“Whatever she needs me to be, I’ll be. Commander, confidante, I’ll do it.” He smiled to himself. “I’ll do anything.”

The two sat in silence for a while before Night Light finally said, “I just hope I’ll get the chance to do that for Velvet. I was so stupid coming out here. I should have stayed in Canterlot, with her.”

“We’ll try, Night Light,” Rainbow said. “Faust willing, we’ll make it home. And when we do, what will you do?”

“Heh, if -- when I get back, I’m gonna take Velvet out to dinner. Half a month’s pay, burned in a night. And after that?” The unicorn watched the clouds float by. “I’ll make sure, every day for the rest of my days, she knows how much I love her.”

~*~

Willow Wisp woke from his nap and rubbed his eyes. The room spun for a moment, but righted itself faster than the last time he’d awoken. The sunlight peeking through the holes in the wall was growing dim, which meant the lemon yellow colt had been out for longer than he’d meant to be. Nopony had bothered to wake him, however, so at least there wasn’t any trouble. From the deck below him, the steady beat of a hammer nailing boards reverberated up to his ears. It made sense -- all of the ships had taken a beating, and it was smart to fortify the hull. But where had they gotten the lumber for it?

He wasn’t sure what shocked him more: the missing bunks when he went to look for Rain in the crew quarters, or the missing benches when he found her still in the galley. “So they’re cannibalizing the ship now, huh?”

“Only what we don’t need,” Stratus replied. His meal was less than appealing: a roll, and some porridge consisting of rice and something to give it a semblance of flavor. It didn’t stop Willow from getting a bowl for himself. “Fewer mouths, fewer butts, and more holes in the ship. Might as well put it to use, right?”

“If it keeps us flying, I won’t complain.” Willow took his seat beside Rain and gave her a quick nuzzle. “How’re you?”

“I should be asking you that,” Rain smiled. Faust, that smile…

“I’m ok. Hi Comet.” He smiled at the morose filly. Her eyes flitted at him, then returned to her food. He frowned, but Rain’s expression warned him off. Baby steps, her eyes said, so he let it go. "I see we're heading north. Smartest thing we've done since we enlisted."

"No kidding. The sooner we leave this plain of Tartarus behind, the better," Lily spat. "You haven't heard anything else, have you?"

"Just got up, myself, so no." The yellow colt stretched in place. "I wanted to see how everypony was doing since...well-"

"Since we went through hell in a rotting hoofbasket?" Stratus deadpanned. The others shot him a surprised glare. "What, we did. There was nothing good about what happened out there, and the best we can say is that we're alive-"

"Drifter!" Rain hissed. A thump from the end of the table caused them to freeze. Comet was slumped against the table, her face buried in her hooves. Lily bit her lip and got up. She gently put her forelegs around Comet and held her, but there really wasn't anything else to do.

"Shimmer, sorry, I- He was a good pony-"

"Drifter," Willow spat, "shut the buck up." His head throbbed, but he clenched his jaw and ignored it. He watched them quietly, Lily comforting her wingpony, before he noticed the indigo hooves begin to curl. Her lip slowly twisted, baring her fangs. The lemon colt bolted up and yanked Lily off the chiroptequus.

"Wisp, what-" The force of Comet hitting the table cracked it. The indigo filly bolted up, knocking everything near her over. The others started towards her, but she jumped back, wings splayed open and fangs bared in a snarl.

"Why!?" Comet barked. They were frozen in her gaze. "Why is he gone? Why him and not somepony who deserved it? Why was he smiling? Why did he-" Her fury faltered, and she slowly brought a hoof to her muzzle. "Why did he... He didn't... We didn't..."

"Comet?" Lily eased closer to the filly. The chiroptequus retreated at her approach. "Hit me if you want, but I'm not going anywhere." Comet hit her. The blow was so weak, so lacking, it barely registered as a touch. The pink filly took the hoof in hers, then Comet's whole self. The sobbing returned again, but at least there was somepony there. Comet clutched her like she was going to drown.

"How could he go, and leave me feeling like this?" Comet cried into Lily's shoulder.

"I'm sure he would have stayed," the pink filly whispered, "maybe even forever."

"We weren't like that... I didn't think." She squeezed tighter. "That stupid, wonderful jerk." Willow Wisp reflexively put his wing out and wrapped it around Silver Raindrops. She leaned in and pressed herself against him as they watched for any sign that they were needed. "Lily, I can't-"

"I know, Comet. We're going home. The ships are heading north, and when we get back, we're done." The air was heavy with the implications of that. They had all seen, first hoof, what the dragons were truly capable of. If there were multiple groups that large, anywhere smaller than Dodge Junction or Fort Solaris would fall to pieces against it. Air fleets meant nothing against a storm front. The dragons had the strength, possibly even the numbers, and now they were putting both to use.

If there was a way to win, none of them could see it.

~*~

A third or so of Crescent Platoon all sat between their bunks, doing what they could to clean their gear and themselves. Water was being heavily conserved to make sure they would make it home, so none of them could look forward to a shower anytime soon. There wasn't even a cloud to jump through for miles. A good rinse was desperately needed amongst the gathered ponies, but it was far from the forefront of their wants.

In the past couple hours, the twins had done something to mess themselves up more than anypony else, yet they seemed completely pleased with whatever they had done. Lily had asked them, likely because she already knew and wanted to hear the details, but they just smiled a pair of big, warm, content smiles. It may have been the first genuine sign of happiness any of them had seen all day.

Willow Wisp frowned as he looked over his helmet. It was a miracle he was alive to inspect it -- half of the thing had been torn away, metal ripped like cloth, leaving him with a macabre cutaway of his headgear. Completely beyond salvage, he set it aside and looked at the rest of his equipment.

Lily and Comet were taking their time going over their sabres. The long blades had long ago lost their polish, having gone through however many dozens of dragon scales, bone, and all manner of bodily fluids, but they needed to check for cracks or gashes that could cause the blades to break in the middle of a fight. It gave the indigo filly something to focus on, something clear and tangible, and it gave her pink wingpony a chance to chat with her and slowly bring her back out of her cage. Occasionally, Comet would stop to give her contraption a twist; if it still bothered Lily Nimbus, she was good at hiding it.

"You gave us a hell of a scare, Pastel," Sun Ray said. She paused to breath on a section of her backplate. "How're you feeling?"

"Pretty awful," Pastelight said. She was laying on her bed, instructions to take it easy keeping her from joining the others. "I can't feel my ear, and it feels like half my face has turned to pudge..." Her words slurred a touch, the ends slipping off her tongue like molasses.

"That's probably the numbing stuff they gave you," Moon Beam replied. "Don't want you flexing anything and ripping the stitches." Pinion shuddered at the thought. "Really? After everything we've flown through, ripped stitches bother you?"

"Yes," Pinion said flatly, "and needles, and-"

"Syringes?"

"Celestia's horn, yes, just-" he shuddered again, "yes." Lily and the twins snickered and continued their cleaning. Slipstream rolled his eyes but said nothing.

"Sometimes, I swear I'm flying with a bunch of foals," Wren Song whispered to the other squad leader. She pointed her nose at her squadmate. "Nimbus, how old are you?"

"Nineteen, ma'am. Why?"

"See, foals." She returned to her work. True to her nickname, she showed no response to Lily's confused gape, but a hint of a smile graced her lips when Willow and the twins picked up on a new way to tease her.

"Cute, Song, very cute," Slipstream laughed. "Aren't you only twenty seven?"

"A gentlecolt never asks, and a lady never tells."

"Ladies and gentlecolts don't exist out here, Statue." She huffed playfully. Slipstream weighed his odds. "How are you doing?"

Song glanced at him. "Since I know what you're trying to ask, no, I don't blame myself. There was no reason to think a glimmerback would lag behind, we had our orders and we executed them... It all happened so fast, and now I have the rest of my squad to look after." She let out a wry chuckle. "It's odd. I was so concerned about letting my squad down, but now that I have, all I can think about is the rest of them."

"Maybe," The stallion whispered, "but see if you feel the same when you don't have so much else to deal with." She shot him a vicious glance. "I'm not saying you should feel guilty, but everything's flipped on its head right now. Just keep an eye on yourself too, alright?"

"As you say, Sergeant." Silence rode across the group like a wave. Wren Song looked up to find Sparky Bolts had entered on their little group session. Half the eyes in the room were on him, while the other half were on Comet Shimmer. The two ponies were staring at each other, some muddled combination of fear, disbelief, and anger tugging their faces into unpleasant grimaces.

The chiroptequus, the only one left in the platoon, rose on shaky legs and turned to face the blue pegasus. He gulped and took a single step forward. "Shimmer," he stammered, "I..."

Comet put a hoof on his shoulder. "...You were a good wingpony for him, Bolts. I know how much he respected you." She bit her lip, like she wanted to say more, but returned to her seat and buried herself in a spot on her armor. Everypony sat in silence, waiting for the violence that apparently was not to come. Shoulders slumped, Sparky Bolts sat on his bunk and watched them clean. Every so often, Comet would steal a glance at the blue pegasus. Their eyes would meet, and some unheard discussion would fly back and forth between them before their gaze broke.

Wren, painfully aware of the whole thing, never took her attention far from the pair, and when it was clear that things were hardly as fine as they were pretending, she set her armor aside and stood. "You two, topside." Comet and Sparky stood. Lily got up as well, but Wren raised a hoof. "You stay." The pink filly glanced worriedly at Comet, but obeyed. The three ponies made their way up the stairwell to the top deck and found a decent spot for them to converse. Despite the damage to ship and crew, the Adamant was still buzzing with activity.

"Alright," the Squad Four captain said as she turned to face them, "the two of you are going to get this out in the open. I don't care if you fight, cry, buck, or whatever else, but you are not leaving until this tension is aired out and done with."

The two ponies under her command stared sheepishly at each other. One would open their mouth to speak, only to shut it again, then the other would do the same, until finally Sparky Bolts muttered, "I'm sorry, Shimmer. I'd trade myself for him, if I could."

"...If I kill you, will I get Moon Fang back?" Comet's voice was raspy and full of ice.

"I don't think that's how it works, no." She didn't wait on his answer. She started toward him, anger speeding every step.

"When you, and Willow, and Lily, and even Rain thought nothing of me, Fang was a friend. He always tried to help, always smiled, always gave me a chance. I didn't need to prove myself to him." Comet pushed him back a step. "And it wasn't because we were both 'bats.' He was nice to anypony who wasn't mean to others. I trusted him. I liked him. Maybe I loved him, I don't know. He certainly deserved whatever I could give him. But now he's gone, and whatever he might have been is gone too.

"I know it wasn't your fault, Bolts. Things happen out there." Flame and bile rose on her voice. "But if you keep giving me the chance, I might start blaming you." Her pupils narrowed to slits. "And you don't want that."

"Will you just hit me so we can get that part done with?" So Comet struck Bolts across the face. The force sent him sprawling against the deck. Wren sucked in a breath, but did not intervene. Sparky Bolts got to his feet, spat a little blood over the side of the ship, and wiped his mouth. "Shimmer, I can't just pretend it doesn't hurt. I'm not that heartless, despite what you may think. Blame aside, I wish he was here. If there were a way to bring him back, I'd do it." He paused as a shiver wracked his body. "Because you're right. He was one of the best ponies I've ever known." His face scrunched up, but he couldn't pretend he wasn't crying. "If you hate me, I don't blame you. Just don't think you're the only one."

Comet Shimmer had known Sparky Bolts for almost a year. She had known him to smile often enough, laugh rarely, and he seemed to respond to anger with practiced indifference. But she had never seen him cry. She attempted to steady her quivering jaw, failed, and wrapped her wings around him. The both slumped to the deck, Comet being the more composed pony for the first time in ages, before Wren Song came over and comforted them both.

No more, the cream colored mare promised herself. No more fear, no more regret, no more loss. She had four ponies left to her, and she was going to see all of them home or die trying.

~*~

There was no way to tell how far south they had made it before things had gone to Tartarus, which meant there was no way to tell how far north they had to go to make it home. Sleep came uneasy to everypony in the fleet -- fear of attack, or just fear of part of their ship falling away, crept into their minds in the dark hours. Often, the CAG found themselves with company as pegasi, unicorns, and earth ponies alike wandered on deck and watched the miles tick by. Once more on the move day or night, the wind chill bit at exposed fur. Blankets were dragged from beds, and warm coffee was a must.

"We're gonna run out of sludge before we get home," Lily grumbled from inside the wool shell she'd wrapped around herself.

"We'll manage," Wren Song replied. While their supplies had not been wiped out, they were starting to show signs of depletion. Rationing was going into effect, and while it was likely no more than two more weeks lay between them and The Line, there was no way to know what awaited them there. For all they knew, The Line was already gone, and it would be weeks more before they made it to a town. "Nimbus, how's your leg doing?"

"Don't need legs to fly, ma'am. Don't worry about me."

"Good. Bolts will be joining you and Shimmer." Dewbead coughed rudely, but the squad lead paid it no mind. "We need every able pair of wings if we run into another fight, and I'm not sending anypony up alone. Any complaints?"

"No ma'am. We'll make it work." Lily wrapped the blanket tighter around herself. Comet was still not back from her walk, and the pink filly was not sure how she would take the news. It had been six days, and they had not killed each other, so hopefully it would be fine.

Hopefully.

"Song?"

"Yes, Nimbus?"

"Do you ever miss your harp?" Wren gazed at the filly across the pool of amber light. The dancing shadows seemed to cast all manner of emotion across her face, so much that Lily could not be sure which were real and which were not.

"Every day, Nimbus." The cream colored mare sighed and sipped her coffee.

Lily nodded in silence. "I'd like to hear you play sometime. I'm not one for classical music, but-"

"When we get back, maybe I will." Wren Song smiled. Lily flashed her cocky smile, and her ears perked up when she heard Comet returning.

"Hey, there's my patchwork wingpony. How's the night treating you?"

"It's freezing my tail off." Comet tugged the blanket closer, so much so that the tips of her wings jutted out against the fabric. "Winter is hitting us hard, isn't it?"

"Not one for the cold?"

"Not when I have to sit out in it, no." The indigo filly huddled in with her gathered squad. With only five of them left, the circle was much smaller than any of them cared for. So it was a welcome change when Squad Two trotted over and added their heat to Squad Four's. With a congregation started, more wandering ponies gravitated towards their warmth and merriment until their ranks numbered nearly twenty.

It was the kind of gathering that warranted mugs of good cider or ale, but there wasn't enough left on the ship. That hardly stopped them from telling stories and jokes, singing songs, and knocking each other around. For the first time in ages, Comet found she was laughing. When had laughter become so foreign for the filly? After so long, it almost hurt her lungs, but she could not, did not want to stop. For as long as she could, she wanted to hold on to everything she had.

~*~

Supposedly, there was a regulation about bunks being for one pony and one pony only. If it actually existed, nopony cared enough to remind Willow and Silver. Once or twice a night, one of them would start awake. Truth be told, some of the others envied the ease with which they could find comfort.

Captain Candescence was hardly becoming lax in her command, if her unchanged stride and the respect she garnered from her crew were any indication. Hell, if anything, her unwavering attitude was half the reason the Adamant was still airborne. But codes of conduct were being forgotten or deliberately ignored, and ponies were, in their free time at least, doing whatever damn well pleased them.

This resulted in the yellow colt and the red filly sharing a bed. Truth be told, out of exhaustion and respect to their crewmates, sharing was all it ever amounted to. The yellow colt snuggled against the red filly, reveling in the warmth of her fur and the sound of her even breathing. He wanted to tell her everything, in case there wasn't another chance, but he could not bring himself to disturb her. So instead, he closed his eyes and waited for sleep to come. It kept him waiting for a long time.

There was once a sorbet colt that had, on occasion, been such a comfort to Comet. His absence was like a void when she woke from her third nightmare in as many nights. She would wake and lie in the darkness, too drained to seek out anypony, and eventually drift into uneasy rest for another hour or two before waking for the day. It was draining her energy, and she was sure, looking around, that she was hardly the only one. The worst was one night, when she awoke to the realization she had nodded off during her CAG round. But the rest of her squad was right there with her, and they hardly seemed to care. Maybe they were just too cold to do anything.

After yet another sleepless night, Comet crept out of bed and hovered out of the room. She was glad she had absentmindedly taken her blanket along; though the first rays of Celestia's sun were painting the horizon a myriad of pastel hues, the air had yet to warm with the sky. On deck, she found a few others of her company mingling with the squads from Dawn Platoon on duty. She wasn't sure about Slipstream or Evening Star, but she knew for a fact that Thunder Clap was not a morning pony.

When they heard her approach, the pegasi made a spot for her. She sat down with a muttered thanks as they resumed their conversation. Apparently, the talk of the evening was where everypony was heading once they made it back.

"Personally," Evening Star said, "I'm heading north, north of Vanhoover. Maybe I'll build a cabin or something, up where there's snow."

"That does sound like something you'd do, Star," Thunder Clap said with a smirk. "As I understand, you're quite fond of 'thick veils of snow.'" Slipstream tried to contain his snicker and failed miserably.

The shade of crimson Evening Star turned could have been spotted a mile away. "I- we- that's not- she isn't, Slipstream why are you laughing too!?" The filly hid behind her wings and whimpered.

"Nopony's judging you, Star," Slipstream said warmly, "right Clap?"

"Nothin' to judge, sir."

"Exactly." He patted on her shoulder. "We don't choose who we love. If you found somepony that makes you happy, then more power to you." Evening Star smiled. "Of course, it might help if you tell her."

"I'm... working on that," Evening Star muttered.

"Well, better sooner than later, Airpony." The stallion returned to his seat. "As for me, I'm thinking somewhere with a beach, maybe west of Applewood. Lots of warm sand out there."

"I'd think you'd have gotten enough sand to last a lifetime out here, sir," Junebug laughed.

"It helps to have an ocean to go with it." Slipstream sipped his weak coffee. They had started cutting down on the grounds per brew. "And you, Clap?"

"Manehatten. It's my city, simple as that." He smiled dreamily, and anypony could see the reflection of tall buildings and bustling crowds in his eyes. Every detail was perfectly etched into his memory. "What about you, Egghead? Where you headed after all this is over?"

The filly sat in silence, blanket wrapped tightly around her, staring bewilderedly at the question in front of her. "I... don't know. I haven't much thought about it." She rolled her lip under her fang. "Home, I guess, back to Canterlot."

"Nowhere you'd like to go?" Fox Whisker, one of Junebug's squadmates, offered.

The filly smiled wryly. "I think I've had enough travel for a while, thank you." She smiled at their chuckles. "No, right now I just want to go home." Morning light the color of poppies rose across the sky, turning the stone and sand below a soft but brilliant red. Far to the south, tall stacks of storm clouds appeared on the horizon.

~*~

Firefly glanced up at the midmorning sun, then back to the south. The clouds were bigger than the dawn CAG had reported, no surprise there, but they were thankfully headed in an entirely different direction from the trio of ships. But the mare remembered all too well the last time they had thought nothing of a storm. Judging by the tense silence with which the deck crew worked, so did everypony else.

The fuschia mare had an energy in her stride again, a return to form that did not escape her senior staff. Panic threatened to topple the crews before anything even happened, and that was something she had the power to prevent. Whenever she was on deck, her eyes were half on what she was doing, and half on those clouds, but her posture was flawless, and her feathers immaculately preened. Sure enough, her presence alone helped keep her ponies calm and collected.

Inspiring C.O.s aside, there was only so much anypony could do against the threatening storm. Out of nothing less than fear, the three ships were drawing as much speed out of their battered vessels as they could manage. Everything that they could do to prepare, they had done. All that was left was to watch and pray.

Firefly gave her wings a good stretch by hopping over to the Equinox, their third remaining ship, to see how things were faring. “Drifter,” she said as she touched down, “didn’t expect to see you here. How’s the back?”

“Ma’am,” Stratus saluted, “just running a message for Lt. Blaze. And it’s getting there, thanks. Anything I can do for you?”

“You’re doing plenty, Drifter.” The mare eyed him curiously. If she had come into Cyclone Company a week ago, she wouldn’t be able to tell their replacements from their original members. Wounds aside, all of them had pushed themselves to the breaking point. Rainbow Blaze had said he’d landed a deal with his Hurricane Dozen. Maybe he was right for once. She certainly could not have asked for better.

“...Something wrong, Ma’am?”

“Not wrong, no.” She smirked. “Blaze puts a lot of faith in you foals. I can see why. You’re looking after each other?”

“Yeah, Ma’am.” Stratus shifted nervously. “We’re… we’re still flying, Ma’am. I do what I can, but I’m not sure it’s enough.”

“I know, Drifter.” Faust, she really did. “I’ve found, though, a good leader will be doing more to help than they think.”

“A leader, Ma’am? I-I don’t-”

“Best not keep that message waiting, Drifter.” Firefly nodded and headed below deck. It was a small seed, she knew, but small seeds make giant trees. Maybe something would come of it if they could make it home. But she was their leader right now, and she’d be damned if she didn’t do everything in her power to make that future a possibility. She had allowed herself a moment of weakness to rebound with, and now it was time to take charge.

Ch.16 - Collapse

Celestia wondered, her expression unchanging, how long it had taken ponies to develop stained glass like the kind that graced seemingly every wall of the palace. She loved the spectrum of colors that danced across the floor over the course of the day, but part of her felt it was overly decorative in such dark times. But that would never do, she scolded herself -- the palace, and herself by extension, must remain positive and radiant, a beacon for ponies to look to and garner hope that dark days would soon end.

She had developed a method for listening to a pony and wandering off into her thoughts many centuries ago. She was sure she would have gone mad listening to every pony for a millenium prattle on about this grievance or that. She would have to be sure to teach Luna-

Her expression faltered for just a moment, but it was back in place as quickly as it had slipped. "I understand your customers are finding the lumber supply to be short, and I sympathize," the solar monarch said politely, "but this is a facet of wartime. The defense of this kingdom is paramount, don't you think?"

"I do, your majesty..." The potbellied stallion stroked his moustache nervously.

"It is therefore paramount that those serving to defend our country are given what they need to defend it, yes?"

"Of course, your grace."

"Good." Celestia smiled warmly. "That said, we cannot expect life at home to halt entirely. I can promise nothing, but I will see if there are resources we can redirect to help with your supply problems."

"Thank you, Princess." The stallion bowed low. "Anything you can send my way would be a great help. Thank you." He rose and followed the attendant out. Before the herald could call the next pony forward, a messenger came crashing through the door, a scroll held aloft in his magic grip.

"Your Highness, word from the south!" The messenger kneeled and held the scroll forward. Celestia grasped the parchment in her own aura and unfurled it. As she scanned the pages, she was quite certain her usually calm demeanor was falling to pieces, if the murmurs of the crowd were any indication.

"And this came directly from them?" The sun princess asked slowly.

"I... Yes, your grace." If the messenger were chewing any harder on his lip, he might have swallowed his own face. Celestia closed her eyes. That thing, shrouded in Luna's form, stared back at her. Across a black void a thousand thousand miles across, it frowned, but its eyes glittered with glee.

“I told you.”

Celestia took a slow, deep breath and open her eyes. "I am very sorry, everypony, but a matter has arisen that requires my immediate attention. " With no further explanation or instruction, the alicorn rose from her throne and strode from the hall. The messenger was hot on her fetlocks. "Has the war council been summoned?"

"They are either on their way, or have already arrived, your highness," the messenger said quickly.

"Good. We have little time, I'm afraid."

The unicorn slowed a pace. "Your highness, we are not permitted to read the messages, as you are aware... What did it say?"

Celestia stopped outside the double doors leading to the war room and looked back at the messenger. Her gaze was warm, but it was like a candle from down a hallway.

"That I have failed, my little pony."

The doors swung open long enough for Celestia to stride through, and shut immediately behind her.

~*~

Day Twenty found the remains of Strike Force Eight doing the same they had done since they’d begun their desperate race north: rest, watch the skies, and do their best to keep ahead of those storm clouds. No shadow shroud had fallen, and the clouds were still heading in a different direction, but nopony was eager to risk a repeat of the maelstrom.

They were all so busy watching their tails, they were hardly watching their flanks.

The first horn sounded from the Adamant's port bow, a steady note matched by two more. Dozens of colored specks were heading their way, fast, from the west. A quick spyglass survey told them enough: glimmerbacks, broadwings, too many.

"How did they find us?" Rainbow Blaze cursed.

"It was a matter of time," Firefly said, "I’d just hoped we'd have more. They’re heading the same directions as us, after all." She turned to her ponies. "We are not dead yet. Every pony that can fly, I want suited and ready to jump in two minutes. CAG will not jump until the enemy is within critical distance -- let's not send anypony out to get slaughtered. Captain, how are your weapon salvos looking?"

Captain Azure Mist, the commander of the Starfall, laughed wryly. "After the storm, this might be the last of it. I can give you two, maybe three opening salvos. There won't be much of anything left after that."

"It'll be enough. Have the ships start for the ground. If, Faust forbid, you do go down, let’s make the fall as short as possible." Firefly's leaders were already gone, off to rally their platoons. With a frown, she went below to get her own gear. The mare had long ago lost her helmet, foregoing a replacement in favor of her ponies getting the equipment they needed. Her sabres were slashed to Tartarus and back, but they could still give as good as they got. When she returned, Blizzard Platoon was gathering on the deck. Taro Blush saluted, her inherited platoon following suit.

"Well, ponies," Firefly chuckled, "Today, we're headed straight for the gates of Tartarus."

"Single file or double, Ma'am," Taro asked.

On the Adamant, an inexperienced pony might have considered the ship to have descended into a state of chaos. For the crew, it was just how things got done. When Comet heard the news, the first thing she did was rush to the bow and retch over the side of the ship. Lily patted her on the back, trying to ease the quivering pony. Comet looked up to her, swallowed, and wiped her mouth. The two fillies gave each other a firm nod and went to find their gear.

Below deck, the pair had to hover over racing unicorns and earth ponies to reach the armory fast enough. Most of their platoon was already dressing or leaving when they arrived. The twins were moving a bit slow, the checks for their "new" sabres taking longer than usual. At least they were finally getting to use them. "You're late, girls," Dewbead barked. "Sixty seconds, see you on deck." The sky blue pegasus was gone after that, off to find her wingpony. Sparky Bolts sat in his armor, waiting for his new wingponies to dress. The two of them rushed through every step, checking each other off as they went rather than waiting for the end.

When at last Comet put her helmet on, most of Crescent Platoon had departed. She stood and felt a hoof on her shoulder. Lily wore an almost pained expression.

"Comet..." The indigo filly made to speak. "No, just, shut up for a second. I don't know if this is it, if we have a chance of making it out of this one or not, so I just wanted to say... You're a better wingpony than I could have ever hoped for... and a better friend."

Hugging with sabres equipped is simply impossible, so the fillies settled for a nuzzle through their helmets. Lily kissed Comet on the helmet, they nodded to their third wingpony, and the three headed up. A tense silence had settled over the ship as they reached the top deck. It was clear that the dragons were going to catch them, but that didn't stop the airships from racing north at their best speeds. There was no more hustling of crew or equipment, no more shouting of orders; everything, and everypony, was right where they needed to be. Now all they could do was wait.

Rainbow Blaze trotted out in front of his platoon and looked them up and down. "We knew this might happen, ponies. Our chances of making it back without a fight were low to begin with. The only chance we have of escaping, of making it back to Equestria, is if the ships survive. Defending them is our top, hell, our only objective. We hold this line, ponies, whatever it might cost us.

"Out there," the cobalt stallion pointed, "Death is waiting for us. It's sent its scaled monsters to drag us down to Tartarus. But we only have one thing to say to death. What is it?"

"Not today," Slipstream said. Up and down the row, Crescent Platoon repeated the mantra.

"Not today," Rainbow confirmed. "Hold true to the ponies beside you. You have gotten each other this far, and Faust willing, you will see each other home. And whatever happens, know that I could not ask for a better group of ponies to have served with. I'll see you on the other side." The first salvo shot out across the sky, spearing a dozen dragons or more, but halting the flight's advance not at all. In record time, a second salvo was loaded and fired to the same effect.

Rainbow smirked at Fir Bough. The pale green mare returned the toothy grin and shouted, "They’re playing our song, Cyclone Company. Let's go cut a rug!" So they, and every able pony with wings, hurled themselves into the open sky. For just a few seconds, their flight was perfectly serene. They fell, caught the air with their wings, coasted on the afternoon winds, and rose on warm updrafts. In another time, it would have been a wonderful day.

For them, it was likely their last. At least the skies were good.

A third salvo rushed past the ponies as they closed the gap between them and the Dragon hoard. Firefly was the first pony in, cutting along a glimmerback’s cheek and severing its jaw. The red ribbon continued down its neck, releasing hot, dark life force behind her. By the time she pulled away, its neck was nearly split end to end. Her ponies were right behind her, stabbing and cutting with nothing to lose. Downpour Company focused into a tight column, drilling through the left flank of the dragon flight and lacerating anything that got within reach. The tattered remains of Moonlight Company were weaving back and forth around each other, leading dragons on wild chases only to pass them off to their comrades for a quick dispatching.

Rainbow Blaze and Fir Bough led their platoons in a charge for the back of the enemy flight, Crescent going above while Dawn dropped below. Between the two, they stabbed, cut, and dewinged as many outliers as they could manage. Behind the glimmerbacks, the broadwings were still coming on entirely unperturbed by the mounting losses.

“We take them!” Blaze yelled back at his ponies. “Leave the smallfry to the others.” He looked up as Firefly, Ardent, and the rest of Apex Platoon went speeding past. “...Well alright then,” he muttered to himself. The stallion ducked out of the way of a glimmerback’s open jaw, rolled in mid air, and stabbed its gut just north of where its thighs met its torso. The beast howled in pain, whipped its tail underneath, and slammed the pony against its gut. The blow knocked Rainbow senseless, but drove his lance through the dragon and out its back. Stuck together, the two plummeted like a stone.

“Blaze!” Slipstream and Clear Morning broke formation to follow their leader. Their squad broke after them, but a pair of glimmerbacks cut them off with roars and fangs. The first, a shiny red with eyes like warm coals, screeched at them with a key that could shatter glass. The twins' spears shut it up. The second, a sleek yellow who was not so eager to die like its friend, dropped lower to evade the others’ attacks. It failed to notice Slipstream and Clear Morning had come back up, and the drake fell backwards onto their glaives. The beast seized, looked down at the polearms that protruded from its chest, and died.

“Keep going,” Slipstream called to his squad, “we’ll find Blaze. Go!” The pegasus turned for the earth and sped off. With every second counting, his squad turned and sped after the rest of their platoon.

Up ahead, Crescent Platoon was gaining on Apex’s tail. A broadwing hunched up in front of them, its chest swelling dangerously. The fuschia mare beat her wings powerfully, the wake rippling like a drumbeat. Every pony behind her caught her signal and broke formation. The first jet of flame erupted like an explosion, spreading in all directions before the dragon. The air itself seemed to ignite as ponies scrambled to escape the blaze. The fire continued all the way to where the glimmerbacks were engaging the other pegasi, catching dragon and pony alike. Before anyone could recover, a second broadwing emitted a second jet, nearly as powerful. Still recovering, some ponies could not escape the blaze and disappeared.

Comet had to close her eyes from the heat, and when she opened them again, her squad was gone. She spun about in midair, trying desperately to find them. She called out, but nopony answered. In a panic, she flew up, rolling between broadwings as she soared for a better view. The sight from up high froze her blood.

Some of the glimmerbacks had broken through their lines and were after the airships. The Starfall was already on fire, and the Adamant had acquired new holes to replace its old ones. The Equinox was listing dangerously. Beams of magic lanced in every direction, catching as many of the beasts as they could, but more kept coming. Below her, the broadwings were fighting her comrades, but they were hardly slowing down.

It wasn’t until Firefly led a charge twenty strong, and gifted a broadwing with a new set of bloody gills, that the large dragons finally regarded them as a threat. In such tight quarters, the massive drakes could barely maneuver to attack their smaller foes, but the plumes of fire and smoke they bellowed more than made up for it. Squads of ponies could barely manage a strafing attack before having to escape a fiery retort. And nowhere in this nightmare was her squad.

A broadwing reared up, saw Comet, and decided a quick snack was in order. It lunged for her, but it would have been hard to not notice such a large creature. The filly roared and dove for her attacker. At the last second, she rolled around, bounding off the drake’s nostril and crashing into its eye. Sabre tore at gooey flesh, and the broadwing roared with righteous indignation. It thrashed its head about, but the filly held on, cutting at the now disabled eye with everything she had. If everything was lost, she was damn sure this monster would be going down with her.

One of the Apex squads took the opportunity to cut along the dragon’s joints, severing the muscles powering its eponymous wings. Gravity started to win over on the beast, but still Comet held on. There wasn’t really a point to it, but she didn’t know what else to do.

“Comet!” Lily Nimbus and Sparky Bolts grabbed their wingpony as best they could and pulled her from the dragon’s ravaged eye. “Comet come on, there’s plenty others to kill.”

“Lily, Bolts!? Where-”

“Must have gotten separated across the plume. Everypony’s fine, now come on!” Comet followed her wingponies up to where the rest of Squad Four was flying a holding pattern over the battle. With the five of them grouped up, they fell into a pyramid formation and plummeted for the nearest drake.

~*~

Rain was not entirely sure when she started loving Willow Wisp. Was it in Basic, or shortly thereafter, she could not say. What she could say, however, was that she trusted him, unwaveringly, with her life. That was good, since they had fallen into a reverse tandem flight pattern -- every strike Willow made, Rain followed right after, doubling the damage dealt. Where the rest of their squad had disappeared to, neither knew nor had time to consider. The pair were nearly on top of each other, Rain only a wing’s length behind her wingpony. Normally she, being the more agile, would call their maneuvers, but her primary concern now was ensuring her colt's safety. He initiated, she cleaned up, and so far they were both still alive.

The two of them rolled under a broadwing, cutting at its throat with lackluster results, before following the curve of the neck up and over. Above, Stratus Drifter was rallying what he could find of his squad. All of them were happy to see each other, and fell into a loose formation as they charged their next drake. Daring a glance around, nopony knew exactly how many they had managed to kill, but one thing was too clear.

They would not kill enough.

~*~

Candescence leaned on her first mate. Blood poured from a gash across her chest and shoulder where a glimmerback had gotten lucky. Its severed spinal column was an agreeable trade.

“Captain,” Night Light shouted as he socked a glimmerback across the jaw, “we can’t keep this up! The Starfall’s lost and we’re losing altitude!” The ship rocked violently as a glimmerback was blasted with a magic burst and crashed into the starboard bow. Wood splintered under the weight of its carcass. In the midst of the impact, nopony noticed the one right behind it slip onto the underbelly of the ship, and it clambered over the side and devoured one of the gunners before anypony realized it was there. A trio of earth ponies brought it down, but for every one they slayed, too many remained.

“We’re out of options, Magister.” The mare formed a shield to guard one of the five remaining ballistae on the deck. A blast of acid rebounded off of the bubble, eroding the structure around it. The ponies gunning had to back away before the ballista and everything around it fell away like wet paper. The captain cursed -- she could not keep it up. “If we even try to abandon ship, they’ll eat us alive.”

“You mean we’re-”

“With all hooves, Mr. Light.” Her head was getting light. “Let’s take as many of them with us as we can.” The ship lurched as part of the stern fell away. Another ballista was ripped from its perch and thrown into the open air, dragging the hapless ponies crewing it along. The balloon was deflating faster now, acid holes letting the magically buoyant air slip free. Another shudder wracked the Adamant -- its back was threatening to snap in half, and then they’d be completely buggered.

Night Light's hoof absently drifted to his locket. He turned it once, twice, the picture within clear without even opening it. He turned back to the battle, sighted a dragon closing in on a wounded pegasus, and grabbed it around the tail with his magic. More grips shot out, binding the drake at every joint. All of his anger, all of his regret, all of the pain he could see in Velvet’s face poured through his magic into the scaled beast.

The glimmerback ripped apart like paper.

But where the one dragon had been, three more were ready to do the same. Night Light planted his hooves and charged his horn. He had plenty left to give.

~*~

Comet spun as she surged forward, leaving a dozen cuts along a broadwing’s back before banking away. She and Lily must have cut the scaled bastard a hundred times, nevermind the rest of their squad’s work, but it kept going. Before they could charge in again, the dragon surged forward, knocking them back in its wake. It rolled onto its back underneath the Adamant, drew a deep breath, and exhaled blistering fire across the belly of the ship. Planks turned to cinders, ponies fell overboard, flailing to put out their burning fur, and the ship’s superstructure finally gave out. Comet could only watch as her ship caved in and fell from the sky, a charred wreck of its former majesty.

The Starfall, appropriately named, was mostly on fire now. Its flaming husk completed its slow descent, crashing to the stony earth and flying apart in a cloud of smoke and dust. Only the Equinox was airborne, and it was not far behind its sisters. With the other ships gone and too few ponies left to defend it, all of the dragons’ focus fell to the battered vessel. Fire and Acid burned its hull away, exposing the decks and superstructure like ribs on a carcass. Squad Four raced for the airship, cutting anything the could along the way.

They met up with the joined remains of Squads Two and Three along the way; it seemed everypony had the same notion. But still a mile out, they could only watch as the Equinox disintegrated, the last cables holding it to the balloon finally eroding away. The boat plummeted to the ground with a sickening crash and a plume of smoke and dust.

They were alone.

The combined squad turned to face their foes, a few brave fish in a sea of sharks. As a broadwing drew near, they split, sweeping around from all sides and doing whatever damage they could. If it felt any pain, it did not show it. Comet cried bloody murder as she tore through the webbing along its outer wing to no effect. The drake flipped end over end, its tail crushing Crystal Lake under its colossal weight. The filly turned to get another attack, but it had already wheeled back and was turning away from her. Crying out in desperation, she and Lily sped ahead of their squad to kill it.

One more kill.

One more hit.

Anything to take with them.

A sonic blast brought them both to a halt. Behind them, the sky crumbled to dust, striking both of them deaf. Everything, every pony, every dragon, stopped and stared in horror.

A dragon, bigger than any other, scales shining in the late afternoon light, was charging down on the battle, wings spread in an even glide. Its tail rustled slightly in the wake, but every other inch of it was a statue, a monument to winged terror and destruction. They had only seen one sparklefang before, but they were impossible to mistake.

Comet expected her comrades to scatter in the face of this new behemoth. She did not expect the dragons to scatter as well. She and Lily were stunned as the battle seemed to fall apart around them, everyone scrambling to get away from the new challenger.

That, unfortunately, made them easy targets. The sparklefang was bearing down on them, its jaw slowly opening like a gate to Tartarus. The two ponies panicked and raced away as fast as their wings could carry them. Their scramble brought them right behind a glimmerback, just as frightened as they were, but no less eager to attack when it noticed them. It rolled onto its back, flared its wings, and lunged.

Comet rolled to her left, crashing into Lily and knocking her away. The blow sent the pink filly spiraling out of control, but both of them had escaped the dragon’s bite. Unfortunately, it left the chiroptequus alone with a hungry drake. It seemed to smile at her, eyes full of green malice, before the flame was snuffed in a moment of utter fear.

The sparklefang was on top of them, its maw wide open. Green light radiated from its gullet. Comet turned, stared, felt the heat, cringed as the wave of green fire erupted across her and the dragon, and was gone.

~*~

At first, Lily couldn’t do anything. She stared in abject horror at the green sea of flame where Comet used to be. She stared as the sparklefang dispelled the remaining flame in its wake, banked high and away, and made its way south after the majority of the dragons. She stared at the empty space where her friend no longer was.

And then she screamed. The sound ripped itself from her throat, painful and bloody. With three powerful beats of her wings, she was after the titanic dragon, bloody murder ringing from her as she sped across the sky. But for all of her effort, it was still faster, and was quickly fading to a tiny speck on the horizon.

That didn't stop her from trying.

“Nimbus!” Wren Song tackled her in mid air, wrapping her legs around the raging filly and controlling their fall with her wings. “Nimbus, Lily, it’s gone! You’re not going to catch it.”

“I don’t care!” The filly screamed as she tried to break free. “I don’t bucking care! That thing killed Comet! It killed her! I’ll chase it to the end of the world, but I’ll kill it! I’ll kill it! I’ll…” She had screamed herself hoarse in under a minute, but she didn't care. Tears rolled down her face, but she didn't care. The fight drained out of her, leaving her to wail in her commander’s forelegs.

She had promised. She had promised, and pushed, and fought harder than she had ever fought for anything, and it didn't matter.

She’d still lost Comet Shimmer.

~*~

Night Light was dead. He was very much sure of that. But if he was dead, why was he in pain? Maybe one goes to the afterlife in whatever state they were in when they died? That’s just unfair.

A cough wracked his body, eliciting a fresh wave of pain and aches, but it was enough to convince him he was, in fact, still alive somehow. He was content to lie there for a moment, putting together how he had come to be on the ground, under a beam, surrounded by charred debris beneath a clear, early evening sky. When it returned to him, the battle, the ship, the sinking, adrenaline set his blood on fire. With a single heave of his magic, the beam was tossed aside, and he was on his feet.

This proved to be a mistake. His hind leg howled in pain, forcing him off of it with a cry. He gingerly scryed it with his magic. Broken. Just what he needed. But the others. Where were the others-

“Night Light!?” Mint Sprig, one of the cooks, poked his head through a gap between two boards. “Celestia’s supple backside, it is you! You’re alive!”

“Somehow,” the unicorn gasped. “Is anypony else?”

“Yeah, everypony’s gathering together on top of the hill.” The earth pony started to pry the boards apart, and Night Light helped with his magic. At least that was still functional. “I hope you’re up to searching. We could use more magic, moving the wreckage around.”

“Mint,” Night Light stopped, “the captain. She was wounded, is she…”

The cook shook his head. “Not for much longer, I think. She’s lost a lot of blood. I don’t know how much there is to do.” The unicorn wanted to sit, but there was no time. “Come on, Light. Everypony’s this way.” Pushing a piece of the hull aside, the two stallions made there way out of the Adamant’s smoking carcass. The air was thick with ash and death, and Night Light had to shut his eyes and focus on walking with only three legs. When he opened his eyes again, they were outside the Adamant, and the unicorn came to understand the extent of their losses.

Marooned.

Three columns of smoke rose from the desert floor in lazy, thick plumes, each originating from the husk of a destroyed airship. Like insects, the surviving ponies scurried around and through the smoldering remains; pegasi scanned from above while unicorns and earth ponies shifted debris below. Sometimes, they would emerge with another pony following them, sometimes they would be carrying the pony to safety, and too often they would only bring a body.

Night Light reached for his locket, but only dry, singed fur met his hoof. He patted around frantically, but they search only confirmed it: his picture of Velvet was gone. He looked back to the smoking corpse of the Adamant, its charred innards spilled across the sand and stone. He started for it, desperate to search, but a bone rattling groan and a threatening crunch from somewhere deep within warned him away. The unicorn breathed a deep, shaky breath, and when Mint Sprig laid a hoof on his shoulder, he jerked himself away from the crash.

The two ponies headed up the slope to a gathering underneath a rocky overhang. A few tattered sails had been hastily fused together and slung to create a large tent, and inside, the countless injured were tended to by the few medics remaining. Night Light became aware of just how little they had managed to pull from the ships. Where the smell of antiseptic should be pungent, there was almost no trace of it. The medics were sewing wounds and wrapping bandages with whatever scrap they could get, disinfecting with magic when the practice had been declared ineffective decades ago. One of the Adamant's medics rushed over to see to Night Light's leg, but he waved her away. "Somepony needs you more than I do, Doc. I can wait." The unicorn gave him an uneasy look, but nodded and ran off to the next crisis. "Tell me there's more than this, Mint."

"There is," the earth pony said, "but the captain's this way." They made their way past rows of spread blankets and salvaged cots, trying very hard to ignore the gruesome sights that awaited them should their gaze wander. Candescence was near to the back, her side wrapped in dirty bandages. Her coat was grimmly pale as she gasped for breath. Fir Bough sat beside her, wiping her brow with a rag every so often. Her gaze fell on Night Light as he drew near.

"Well well, I should have known you were still alive," she said with a crooked smile. "You're very hard to kill, Magister."

"Just lucky, Ma'am." Night Light carefully sat down. "How do you feel?"

"Like I'm dying, Light." She smiled a mirthless smile. Fir made to protest. "Denying it isn't going to change the fact, Stick. Magister Night Light, Fir, without a ship, I am not properly a captain. Despite this, my options are limited, and you two are here."

"Whatever you need, Ma'am."

"Get them home." She waved a hoof aimlessly. "Whatever you have to do. Faust be good, I won't die yet, but I'm in no shape to lead. You need to get them to safety. Do you understand me?"

"I do, Captain. I'll get everypony home." He saluted. "And you'll always be my captain, Ma'am." Her smile called him on his blind loyalty, and she closed her eyes. If it weren't for the nearly imperceptible rise and fall of her chest, she could easily have been dead. Night Light wiped his nose, stood, and limped away before his captain had a chance to see him crack.

Fir Bough caught him. "I'm going to stay with her. You find anypony left out there, leave her to me."

"As you say, Sergeant." The last place the unicorn wanted to be was the hospital-tent-turning-morgue, so he made a beeline for the exit and fresh air. Apparently, he was not the only one looking for the escape. Rainbow Blaze was perched on a rock, his left wing bound tightly to his side. He looked up as the unicorn drew near, then turned his gaze back to the smoldering wreckage.

"How bad is that?" Night Light gestured at the wrappings.

"Cracked rib. They finally grounded me, as if it matters." All the fire in his eyes had been snuffed out. "What about you? That limp looks bad."

"It's broken, not sure how bad. It's not dangerous, so it's best that the medics see to the others first."

"Maybe, but you don't want to keep walking on it. Come on." The two stallions made their way down to the wreckage of the Starfall.

"Sgt. Fir Bough's with the captain. She's going to look after her... It's not good." Rainbow only nodded. The sails along the front of the ship had almost all escaped the blaze, and were being cut into strips for bandages. Combined with a sufficiently whole bar, the pegasus fashioned a decent splint. The unicorn gasped in pain as he set the leg and bound it, but Rainbow did not notice Night Light was crying until he was done.

"I was going to marry her," The unicorn sobbed. "The night we left Canterlot, I proposed to her. I told her, 'when I get back, we'll have the wedding you deserve. It'll be perfect. But for now, just remember that I'll think of you every day, and that I will do everything I can to get back to you.' She said yes... And now I'll never see my Velvet again." The unicorn cried, beyond caring who saw him, and Rainbow put his good wing around him and dragged him close.

~*~

Of all the things one can lose in a war, cutie marks are rarely ever brought up. As the last stitch was set in place, Sun Ray would have to make sure it was added to the list. Her right mark was still fine, but her left had been replaced by three deep, red gashes that wept angrily. Her leg still responded, if only to scream at her to stop moving, and the medic said she would likely keep the leg. A lifelong limp, however, was just as likely.

At least she still had her sister. The snowfall blue filly never left her side for a second, whispering reassurances and nuzzling her when the pain grew too intense to bear. There wasn't enough pain potion to go around, and what little remained was being saved for the worst cases. So the twins had to take solace in each other.

Slowly, news reached them from the survivors as they roamed the camp. All the pegasus companies were spread to the ends of the world, and searches had to start in the sick tent, spread across the camp, and then reach as far as ten miles in any direction. Confirmations came slow, pony by pony, but the picture started to come together.

Thunder Clap had lost an eye. Crystal Lake's mangled body had been recovered about an hour ago. Slipstream and Clear Morning had found Lieutenant Blaze alive but badly injured. Stratus Drifter had barely escaped becoming dinner, and was cut all over by the tips of the dragon's fangs. Snow Veil's tail had been scorched to the flesh, and likely would remain sparse. Dewbead sported a long cut underneath her right ear, all the way from her brow down to the middle of her neck. Silver Raindrops nearly had her leg ripped off, but Willow Wisp had taken a few claws to knock her out of the way. Even as they treated him, she repeatedly clobbered him and called him a prideful foal.

And Comet Shimmer was dead.

The twins were sure it was a mistake. That know-it-all had somehow managed to make it through everything, from Basic up through every fight. She knew more about dragons than the rest of the platoon combined. There was no way she had gotten caught unawares. But Lily Nimbus had reported it, and Wren Song had confirmed. Sun Ray had never seen a pony look so broken as when the pink filly made her report.

"Maybe she's lucky," the yellow twin muttered. "Better to die quick than to waste away out here."

"Don't say that," Moon Beam commanded. "We're going to make it. It can't be much farther to The Line now. We'll make it back, and we'll go home. It'll be ok, sister."

"And what then, sis?" More pleading made it into Sun Ray's voice than she'd meant. "We'll go home. And the dragons will come. They'll batter down the lines, and the fire will spread across Equestria. The forests and the fields will burn, and," she choked on a sob, "and all that's good and green will be gone... There won't be a home to go to, Moon." Hot tears rolled down her face, uncontrolled and full of fear. Moon Beam wrapped herself around her sister, hiding her own tears in her fur.

She wanted to believe, but Sun Ray was right. The end was coming for everypony. It was just coming for them a little sooner.

~*~

Firefly was quiet for a long, long time. There was no way they could move so many wounded over land, and even if they left them all behind, there were hardly enough supplies left to see the rest safely home. She wanted to break something, anything, but everything they had left was too valuable. So she sat in silence and looked out on her failure.

Cyclone Company's back was broken.

Considering it was a suicide run when they had jumped to defend their ships, it was a miracle that any of them were alive at all. Their wounded included, Blizzard Platoon was down to two squads worth of ponies. Apex was barely any better. Dawn was just over a single squad, and Crescent had somehow escaped with two and a half. They had been right behind her, she knew, and that had not worked out for anypony else. Some of the wounded from the maelstrom fight had escaped the ships before they went down. Others...

The fuschia mare knew they did not have the strength to fight again should the time come. With no support, and more injured ponies than healthy ones, they would not hold a candle to the flame of a dragon attack force. She looked over the shattered sabre that adorned her left hoof. She was sure the dragon whose brain the other part was lodged in did not appreciate her leaving it there, but it wasn't exactly her decision.

Firefly looked around. Her company was scattered across the refuge, clinging to their little island in the endless sand sea. Each pony she did not see left a hole in her heart, and she was sure she was going to bleed out before the sun rose again. Each one hurt, and whenever she tried to think of one, another hurt as bad or worse, until it had compounded on itself to the point of numbness. Her ponies still needed her, she knew -- some were still alive, and they needed to escape this desert. But there was nothing she could do. She had given everything she had, and she had failed all of them, the living and the dead.

"Fly?" Rainbow Blaze cautiously approached his captain from behind. She removed her sabres and threw them in his general direction, missing by a mile. He closed the remaining distance and pulled the mare into a warm embrace. She was too tired to struggle. The two ponies leaned against each other, watching the last light of the day fade in the west. Their grip on each other deepened, as if they were trying to meld into a single pony. Everything that they wanted to say, had never said because of rank or timing, everything they felt floated between the two in unspoken dialogue.

Even when Rainbow wanted to say something, he could not find the words. Nothing described everything he wanted in as many words as he knew Firefly would permit him. So he leaned around, kissed her on the brow, and held her as close and as tight as his legs and his cracked rib could manage.

"Tomorrow, we need to figure out what we're going to do," Firefly said as the last light of the day vanished.

"Yeah. But let's take tonight off." Rainbow nuzzled the side of her neck.

"...Thank you." He looked down, and she was smiling at him. It wasn't the cocky, fiery smirk he usually saw, but a genuine smile, full of everything she held for him and hid behind the thinnest of veils. This time, he skipped her brow and showed her just what she meant to him.

~*~

Twelve ponies had graduated from Fort Hurricane in the dog days of summer. The remaining eight sat in a circle, sipping at cups of water, trying to make sense of what had gotten them to this place. Lily Nimbus was checked out; the filly was curled into a tight ball of pink fur and jitters, eyes fixed on a point very far away. No matter how the others tried to console her, she did not respond. They'd lost Comet, and Lily had followed her.

How had this happened? How had the kindest, the smartest, the most creative, and the most generous of their class all perished, leaving their lesser members to carry the burden of their memories?

"...We should do something for them," Stratus Drifter finally said. Bandages adorned the majority of his body, and he gingerly avoided movement to avoid aggravating one cut or another. "A marker, or... or something."

"We're going to need a lot of markers soon, if we start." Willow Wisp closed his eyes. There was no solace there.

"Well we have plenty of spare wood," Sparky Bolts spat. His tone almost set off the lemon colt, but both were too weary to do anything. None of them really felt up to doing anything, not when it would get them nowhere.

Not when it wouldn't get them home or bring their friends back.

"I told her," Thunder Clap started slowly, "one time, that I felt like I deserved to go out fighting. With what Gale did, I felt like I should pay it forward. She told me, 'we need you alive,’ and I knew it was true. And even though I had... have no right, I'm still here... and they're not." The green stallion snorted. "Buck... BUCK!" He kicked and stomped the dirt, and the exertion set off a new wave of anguish in his phantom eye. He buckled over, hissing in pain, before Silver and Stratus closed in to calm him down. "It's not right," he said through ragged breaths, "it's not right that I'm left." And the hulking, green, juggernaut of a pony started crying like a child.

If he wasn't, everypony thought, they probably would be.

Willow snorted and shook his head, trying to dispel his own tears. It wasn't working. So instead, he walked over to Rain and nuzzled her. When he found she had already started crying, he kissed each tear and held her. It helped, he could tell, but she was out of smiles. He tried to smile for her, and he saw the recognition, the love in her eyes, but it just wasn't enough to help her.

Stratus Drifter and Sparky Bolts shared a look. "We should rest up," the charcoal colt said. "Tomorrow, we need to figure out how we're going to get home."

"It's over, Drifter," Sun Ray muttered as she set her head on her sister's back. "We're not getting home."

"He's right," Sparky Bolts said. "If we have a chance to make it back alive, we should try. It's better than wasting away out here."

"Give it a rest," the daisy yellow filly growled. "We're done, we lost, we're not getting home, and this is how our story ends-"

"I am not dying out here!" Stratus surged to his feet, nostrils flaring and eyes wild. They were amazed he did not start spurting blood from everywhere. "I did not come all the way out here, see so much shit, and go through so much pain to die under a rock in the dead end of nowhere! Even if I have to carry you on my bucking back, we're getting home. Somehow, we're going to get home." The others stared at him. Sun Ray wished she had his optimism, but there was nothing she could see that validated it.

"He's right," Thunder Clap hissed, the pain in his eye fading away. "We'd be letting down everypony who died to get us this far if we gave up. We have a job to finish." He looked up at the dark pegasus. "What do you have in mind, Drifter?"

"...Right now? Sleep. We're all burnt out, and we're not going to make a good plan tonight. We rest, we eat what we can tomorrow... And we see what we have left."

~*~

“So I follow Peak out behind the house, out to that crappy shed we used to hang out in, and there’s Banded Iron, trying his hardest to suck Honey Comb’s face off. Remember Honey Comb?” Fir Bough heaved with laughter.

“I do. What a sorry mess she was.” Candescence laughed as best she could. “And he was with her?”

“Yeah, and he was going for gold. His hooves started sliding lower, so I slammed the door open and shouted,” Fir had to recollect herself, “‘Iron, you’re a young colt, don’t do it!’” The two of them collapsed with laughter, holding onto each other for dear life. “He was so mad. I’ve never even seen you get as mad as he was.” She pounded her chest to get everything working again. “So he bolts up, and Honey Comb’s freaking out, and as she’s trying to flail her way to safety she socks him cross the cheek.”

“No!”

“Swear on Celestia’s horn, she did. And Iron, big fella that he was, is out like a light.” Fir wipes a tear from her eye. “And now’s she’s charging at the door, which of course I’m still standing in, and I barely roll out of her way with everything intact. And you know what the best part is?”

“What, Stick?”

“The next morning, Iron doesn’t remember a bucking thing!” Fir had to wait for them both to calm down. “She hit him so hard, he didn’t remember anything past dinner.”

“I can’t believe I never heard that story.” Candescence laughed weakly. Her chest was past hurting now, so at least she could enjoy Fir’s company. Her breathing was heavy. “Those were good days.”

“The best. Then you went off to college, Iron got work up north… all you older lot left us kids behind. Things got kinda quiet after that.” Fir smiled at her old friend. “I’d always look forward to you coming back for the holidays. 'Big Sis' coming home from school, I always had that to look forward to.”

“Mhmm, but then I had Translucence. Best mistake of my life.”

“You didn’t mean to?”

“Didn’t I tell you?” A cough wracked the unicorn, but she waved Fir’s help away. “Sorry, it must have gotten caught up in everything. It was our last couple weeks before graduation, and we were all celebrating. We got carried away, too much to drink, and you know how it goes.

“I don’t regret it. He’s the best son I could ask for. But I’m sorry I drifted away after that.”

“Heh, it makes sense. You had to look after him, after all.” Fir laid down beside the captain. “Not to mention your cushy job as the X.O. of a royal battleship. How’d you even balance the two?”

“I didn’t serve any time away until Lucence was old enough to take care of himself, and I was never gone for long. Benefits of peacetime, I suppose.” Candescence laughed. “Maybe I should have stayed there.”

“Yeah, I guess you should have.” Fir closed her eyes. “But we’ll make it home, Candy, and things’ll be good again. You gotta see your son graduate, right?”

“I’d like that…” The rest of the sentence clung to her tongue like tar, but Fir already knew. “Fir, I want you to promise me something.”

“Anything.”

“Make it home.” Fir stared at her friend. All of her words dried in her throat, blocking off her air. “One of us has to, Fir. Promise me.”

“I will. Whatever happens, I will.”

Candescence smiled and closed her eyes. “Thank you.”

~*~

Dawn found them with less than they had had last night. Some ponies had succumbed to their wounds, cutting their numbers by a fair fraction. Words were said, quiet consolation for the living, and the remaining ponies set to work gathering everything they had left. By their best estimates, they would have enough food to ration for four days, water for five, and then they would be out of luck. And there was still the matter of the injured.

Captain Candescence was a candle in a storm. Her wounds ran deep, deeper than the surviving medics could treat, and they did not have enough to keep her fed and hydrated to see her through the worst of it. The unicorn mare put on a brave face for her friend and her crew, but she knew as well as anypony. Fir Bough held vigil at her bedside, eyes lidded as she watched over her. Around mid morning, Night Light joined her. He looked to his captain's childhood friend for some good news, but there was none to be had.

A faint buzz tickled his horn, and he glanced around for the source of the disturbance. But there was nothing to cause it. Against logic, he looked down at his captain.

A faint, nearly invisible glow surrounded Candescence’s horn. “Captain?” Night Light started and gently shook her. “Captain, stop. Your strength-”

“Go, Mr. Light.” Her words were nearly imperceptible. “You promised.” The unicorn stared at her in bewilderment. Fir shoved him to his hooves.

“Go.” The unicorn blinked at her, nodded, and took off.

Outside, Rainbow Blaze and Firefly ambled past the pile of collected supplies, silently tending to their thoughts, when the mare happened to take a long look over the west horizon. Far away, a number of dark dots floated across the sky.

They were back to finish the job.

Part of her wanted to scream, but the better part of her bolted for the nearest spyglass, the only one left. She ripped it from its perch on the supply pile, pulled it out, and peered through. Night Light appeared by their side, scanning the horizon. His breath caught in his throat when he saw the specks.

"...They're ships." Firefly grabbed Rainbow and shook him. "They're ships, and they're heading towards us! You, Light," she turned to face the unicorn, "grab whatever we can use to signal them. Start a fire or something, I don't care, just get their attention before they pass us by. Go!"

News of the airships swept across the camp, bringing life to the survivors and driving them to action. Any wood that could still burn was pulled from the crashes into a big pile and set ablaze. For good measure, the single barrel of ale that was left was dumped on the pyre. As the smoke stack climbed higher and higher, the ponies stood and watched with baited breath.

None of them had ever felt more relieved in their lives than when the lead ship altered its course and headed straight for them. The survivors whooped and cheered, and some of the pegasi took to the air and flew out to greet the ships, as if they could somehow pull the vessels closer by themselves.

It was another half hour before the airships, eight in all, set down at the base of the hill and dropped their anchors. Their ranking officer, Admiral Silk Screen, glided down from his ship and approached the gathering. They managed to salute, and even stand roughly in rows, an effort that the admiral returned respectfully.

"Holy Tartarus, what happened to you all?"

"It's a long story, Sir." Firefly stepped forward. "Captain Firefly, 265th Airborne Division, 2nd Battalion, Cyclone Company, Sir. We're all that's left of Strike Force Eight. We were separated from Colonel Redwood's ground forces by an artificial storm, and a battle yesterday took out the last of our ships and most of our ponies."

"You have wounded, I take it?"

"Yes sir, many, and in critical condition." The admiral waved with his wing, and the medics, every medic it seemed, started disembarking. "We have a some supplies, but most of it was destroyed in the fires. If you hadn't shown up, we were going to start walking."

"Well it's good to see some friendly faces out here," Silk Screen smiled. "We picked up on a faint magic signature out here, pulsing an S.O.S. pattern. It was almost impossible to track, but here you are. I take it your unicorns are responsible?”

“No Sir,” Night Light said, “we didn’t expect anypony would be close enough. Nopony’s been… Oh no.” He grabbed one of the medics running by. “Captain Candescence, she- go help her, now!”

“Light,” Rainbow put a hoof on the unicorn’s shoulder, “go. We’ll deal with things here.” Night Light nodded and limped back to the tent as fast as he could, the medic keeping with him.

Silk Screen frowned. “Strike Force Eight should have been far south of here by now. How did you wind up on this rock?"

"Once we escaped the storm, we were down three ships, we’d lost all of our ground forces, and our surviving crews were beat to Tartarus," Firefly explained. "We determined our only chance of survival was to make a shot north for The Line and try to reach somewhere safe."

The Admiral frowned. "...So you haven't heard, then?" Firefly's face was unreadable, but everypony behind her was pale with dread. The admiral sighed. "You mentioned a storm. Did you destroy it?"

"It sort of destroyed itself, but yes."

"Then there were others. They hit the Line in a few locations, demolished our defenses wherever they showed up. By the time we started to see the whole picture, they had gathered into a single unit..." Silk Screen swallowed, "Dodge Junction is gone. They tore it apart in less than twelve hours." One could hear the wind roll the pebbles across the desert floor. "High Command sent out a mass recall order: every combat capable force is to rally north of Dodge Province, along the Riverlands, for a counter offensive."

"Sir," Firefly started, "with respect, I don't think we qualify as 'combat capable.' Our air groups are down over sixty percent of their strength, and our ship crews are almost all gone. Most of the survivors are injured."

"I understand, Captain, but let me make this clear." Silk Screen locked eyes with Firefly. "There is no Line. If we fail in this counter offensive, there will be nothing between the largest dragon flight we have ever seen, and Equestria. There is no plan B. Are you going to sit out on our last chance at defending our home?"

The mare's expression darkened. "I wouldn't dare, sir." Behind her, her ponies looked ready to piss themselves, but every one of them nodded in agreement.

"Good, because we need everypony we can get." He motioned for her to lead on. "Let's get your ponies on board. We're already late."

Ch.17 - Dialogue

The smell of burnt flesh filled her nostrils, choking her. She squeezed her eyes shut and groaned, trying to roll away from the stench. But the smell seemed to be all around her, pain all through her, and as her senses started to clear, minutia by minutia, a memory came back to her.

She was dead.

Her eyes opened slightly, taking in the realm around her. It was dark, oppressively so, but her eyes were built for just such an environment. Slitted pupils adjusted for the near absent light, bringing objects into focus that would have been lost to another pony. Her ears swiveled about, but there was no sound to pick up. She tried to move, but her entire body ached in protest. And the burning stench still poisoned the air around her. Tartarus was not supposed to be pleasant, she supposed.

She coughed violently as the burning clouded her senses, and when she uncurled from her fit, she saw the tip of a dragon claw pointed right at her. Whatever mire her senses had been in evaporated in an instant, and she scrambled to her feet to back away from the dangerous appendage. It was seared black from root to tip, jutting from an equally blackened finger that was pointing, almost accusingly, at her. She continued to stumble back until she hit a ridged wall. She yelped, backing away from that now, but she slowed. She glanced around her, turning slowly, and made out the seared dragon corpse that surrounded her on three sides.

Slowly, as if acting too quickly might reanimate the charbroiled dragon, she backed out the one way she saw open. When she was nearly clear of the corpse and its suffocating odor, she froze. She heard a stone clatter, but she had not caused it. Slowly, she looked up past the dragon's body into the darkness.

An green eye, bigger than her, opened and stared down at her.

The darkness shuddered, and the head turned to face her. However far the once empty black extended, the shadow seemed to go just as far. She turned and ran. As fast as her legs could carry her, she fled from the shadow until she collided with a pillar. She tumbled to the ground, groaning, then huddled up as she heard the pillar collapse beside her. The sound of fluttering wings erupted all around her, and she curled up tighter.

The shadow roared and surged towards her. Green fire erupted from its nostrils, illuminating its monstrous face in an eerie glow. Its jaw was square and powerful, nothing like the angled shapes most dragons seemed to bear. Small crystals, or perhaps particularly thick scales, jutted from its chin and the curve of its jaw like hair stubbles. The head by itself was a mountain, solid and immovable, the body an invisible mountain range. The filly scrambled back to her feet, but a massive hand landed beside her, cutting off her escape. The monster stopped only a couple feet from her, a titan spanning into the darkness, and for a long while, they watched each other in the near non existent light.

"How did you get here?" The monster hissed. Green fire flared from its nostrils. Its voice rumbled like thunder, and shook Comet to her bones.

"I-I... I don't know." Green fire flared from its nostrils. "I was in a battle, and then there was this green flash, and the next thing I remember is waking up here." The filly held her ground as she stared up at the giant, scaled face.

"A green flash, hmm?" The shadow stepped back a pace and began to circle her. "I was not expecting company. All I wanted was a body, and I already have the one." Comet glanced at the pungent corpse for a second, but continued to follow the monster as it circled her. "So tell me, little one, what am I to do with you?"

"...Let me go?"

"And why would I do that?" The monster's orbit contracted.

"I-if you have no use for me, then you have no reason to keep me here… Your magnificence." The filly’s senses were sharpening, and with it came a crucial line she recalled from her studies: approach with flattery.

"True, but I have not had pony in a very long time," she could hear the saliva dripping off its voice, "and I am rather famished."

The battered remains of her survival instincts kicked into gear, subduing her plans for praise. She planted her hooves, flared her wings, and bared her teeth at the monster before her. "I am Comet Shimmer, Lancer of the Equestrian Royal Air Guard. I've killed more dragons than most ponies will ever see in their lifetime, and if you bring another scale closer to me, I'll cut you down too!"

The monster lunged forward, roaring with enough force to knock her on her back. Once her ears stopped ringing, she swore she could hear it chuckling. "You have spirit, my little pony, but not much sense, I think. You mean to murder me with what, your broken blades?” It chucked at her startled realization. “Hmm." It swiveled his head, eying her curiously. "...Do I know you?" It leaned back and pondered. "I cannot imagine I would. It has been centuries since I saw a pony, and you have such terribly short lifespans. The only place I can think of is," it leaned in closer and snarled, "the storm. You..."

Comet swallowed hard. "...You're the sparklefang."

The dragon guffawed. "And you're the pony who woke me from my stupor." The titanic creature stretched into a more relaxed pose, only slightly. "Sparklefang, hmm? So I suppose you've read Earnest Hem's work."

"You know him?"

"I was his host for some number of weeks, long ago." The dragon's eyes glittered. "He offered me a golden astrolabe in exchange for my hospitality, as is dragon custom. But my home is not so welcoming in these dark times. So what then, little trespasser," it leaned back in and sniffed, "will you offer for your life?"

"I... I gave you your freedom. You were under some kind of spell, and we lifted it."

"Indeed you did, and I believe I saved you from a battle you had no chance of surviving." The titan snorted. "So again, what will you offer?"

Comet's heart was racing. She looked herself over: blackened armor, blackened fur, and broken sabres. She frantically patted herself, tears coming to her eyes, before she hit a lump in her armor near her flank. Hesitantly, she reached under the chainmail flap, into her pocket, and pulled out her curious contraption. By some miracle, it was unscratched. With a shaking hoof, she offered it up to the massive dragon.

The beast took it between two razor sharp talons and examined it closely. It pinched it with its other hand, twisted it, and started at the mechanical clicks. "Fascinating. What is this? What does it do?"

"I... I don't know." Comet squirmed as the dragon played with the sphere. "I found it a few months ago, but I've yet to figure out what it 'does.' Perhaps a superior intellect such as your own can solve it." She bit off the thought that it might not, in fact, do anything.

"A puzzle? HAH," The dragon laughed, "excellent. I have not had a puzzle to solve in ages. Most excellent, most excellent indeed. You have my thanks." Green fire flared from its nostrils, and a number of milky orbs flared to life across the darkness.

The cavern they inhabited was massive by any standard. Stone pillars supported the nearly invisible ceiling every few hundred yards, all hewn of the same dark, reflective stone. And for every stone pillar, a dozen or more pillars of books, tomes, scrolls, and peculiarities towered above the once indigo filly. She stood in awe; there had to be more works here than in all of the Canterlot libraries combined. So much knowledge, more than she could hope to partake of in her life, surrounded her like trees in a forest.

The gears whirred in her head as she thought over Earnest Hem's writing. "...Hem wrote about you." The dragon cocked its head. "He wrote about a wise dragon whose hoard consisted almost entirely of books. He said you had read them all."

"Indeed I have," the dragon replied, "most of them twice." It set the contraption in a bowl crafted from the skeletal hand of... something. "Hmph, 'sparklefang.' Hem was a learned fellow, which is why I could tolerate him, but he had no talent for naming things. 'Broadwings, glimmerbacks-' did you know he wanted to call longtails, 'razortooths?'" The dragon chuckled. "On top of 'tooths' not being a word, not all dragons have sharp teeth." Comet stared at him. "Oh yes, it's true. Some dragons are vegetarian; just plants and gemstones for them. Nothing but big, flat molars. He looked about as surprised as you do now. We would spend many nights exchanging facts about our kin, but I imagine much of what I know of equine culture has long since become outdated.” Its spines glittered with magic, and the scrolls Comet had run into began reorganizing themselves. “Tell me, is Celestia still your ruler?”

“She is.”

“That is excellent to hear. I had my doubts about her in the beginning, so unsure of her own potential as she was, but if she has lasted this long, then she must be doing something right. Long may she reign.” The dragon eyed her curiously. “You said your name was Comet Shimmer, is that right?”

“It is indeed… sir?" He nodded. "And what might I call you?” The dragon let out a long, low, undulating hum that sounded like a foreign song. “Um…” She made a feeble attempt, and her host laughed at the noise.

“Indeed, not for the likes of ponies. Hem took to calling me ‘Scholar,’ so I suppose you can do the same.”

“It is an honor to meet you, Scholar.” Comet bowed and tentatively took a seat on the stone floor. “I take it this is your home?”

“Indeed it is. I made the mistake once of moving, and that was when my hoard was only half this size.” The dragon shuddered, a sight most peculiar to the miniscule pony. “Of course, I have had to be careful with this place as a result. Dragons are greedy creatures, I’m sure you’ve heard.”

“I have heard something to the effect, yes. Is it true that spark- magic wielding dragons are physically influenced by the size and content of their hoard?”

“Indeed! I did not bear wings as a whelp, you see,” Scholar’s massive, leathery wings unfurled to their full length. “not until I had acquired enough of a hoard. No one has ever done a proper analysis of the matter, but it is true.”

“Why not?”

“Do you question why ponies acquire your cutie marks at a certain age, or why you prefer this food to that food? Nature does not require the asking of such questions.”

“You’re… very different that what I would expect, sir.” Comet scratched the back of her neck. “You have an eloquence that I don’t see in most ponies, let alone other dragons.”

“Yes, pity that. Though I do not know what dialogue you can expect to have, brandishing a spear upon your introductions.” The filly hung her head. “Let it be said, however, that the fault is not purely your own. So, a member of the Royal Air Guard, hm? I imagine you have quite a tale to tell. So, little Shimmer,” The dragon leaned in, “weave me a story.”

“I… don’t know that you will care for it.” The pony tried to find a nicer way to allude to the slaughter of his kin, but none came to mind.

“Little pony, I know what your position implies. I am quite conscious of the war, as you are well aware. If I wished to hold you responsible for the death of my kin, we would not be having this conversation. Now go on.” So the filly spoke, and recounted her adventures across the southern lands: her battles, her few joys, her losses, the near destruction of her self, the storm, and their last stand. She was shivering when she came to the present, but she did not look away.

“And then you appeared.”

“And then I appeared,” the dragon mused.

“I imagine you have a better understanding of what happened then, between the two of us.”

“Indeed. And since you have told me your story, I would be remiss not to give my own. Come, walk with me.” With no hope of actually keeping up on foot, Comet took to the air. With the ceiling so high and the walls beyond sight, she might as well have been in the open skies. “I take it most of what you know of my kind is from Earnest Hem’s writing, yes?”

“I’ve read little bits and pieces elsewhere, but yes.” The mammoth dragon seemed genuinely surprised. “My mother works at the capitol library. I spend a lot of time there, reading and helping with the work.”

“Another avid reader, I see.” The dragon smiled, his fangs appearing underneath his scaled lips. “Hem’s work is sufficiently thorough, and paints a vivid picture as we are, or rather as we were. But he failed to capture how long we had been.

“We are one of the ancient races, little Shimmer, and one of the last that remain. Long before the strife that lead ponies to Equestria, before the unicorns had even thought to refine the use of magic into an art and science, we were strong. Our lands stretched from the Quiet Sea to the Blinding Vale. We had no blood king, no emperor, no government -- we had no need of arbitrary rule. Honor, respect, and the recognition of power with responsibility held us in check. When the pony tribes rose to prominence, we parlayed with them, struck accords and agreed that their lands were theirs as much as ours were ours. Any pony that dared to take from us, that which was ours, would be held accountable for their actions, as would any member of our kind that so encroached upon your homes.

“And for thousands of years, we have endured in this fashion: Never weakened, never mightier than we have had to be.” Scholar sighed. “But nothing is permanent, it would seem.” The titan circled around a clearing in the mountains of written works. The two of them stopped, and Comet looked around to find what she had been led to see. “A shadow has descended upon my kin, one I cannot quell. It moves in the darkness, invisible to all but those who know.” His eyes and spines flared with magic. Before Comet could react, Scholar opened his mouth and engulfed her in green fire. The air was painfully hot, so much that she could hardly stand to breath. Her eyes watered as she struggled in the inferno, but as fast as it had begun, the fire was ended. Comet hovered, dazed, as the dragon looked her up and down appraisingly.

“I… huh?” The filly stared blankly at her host.

“Hmm, excellent, most excellent. Forgive me, little one, but I had to be sure, and this is one of the few locations with a large enough clearing to release flame in. Come, it would be easier to show you.” She followed him farther into the cave, albeit at a greater distance. “About two hundred years ago, not long after Earnest Hem completed his journal -- I have a copy around here somewhere, it so happens -- I began to notice something strange among my kin. Where greed had once been our greatest sin, a lust for power had begun to fester. With no discrimination for breed, size, capability, or territory, a hunger that could not be sated gripped the dragon flights. Whatever they had claimed, they demanded more. When they began to take from lands that we had agreed never to take from, lands of the zebras, the deer, and the buffalo, I and others of comparable strength and stature intervened. The conflict was costly, but necessary. For some decades following, we believed the matter to be resolved.

“Only a short time ago… twenty, thirty years perhaps, the hunger returned more violently than ever before. Before we realized the extent of the threat, my friends started to vanish. Have you wondered, Comet Shimmer, why I am the first of my kind you have encountered, despite fighting dragons for months?” The pony shook her head. “Most of us are gone, from what I have surmised. Dead, most likely, or caught and magicked into servitude like I was. I was captured while attempting to locate a friend of mine. We had been working together to solve this crisis, but I lost all contact with him a few months ago.”

“He was another magic user like yourself?”

“Yes. I fear he is gone as well.” The dragon’s shoulders sagged, his wings drooped -- Comet had never seen a dragon emit any sort of emotion, and she never imagined she would see one exude sorrow. “I may be the last of my kind.”

“I’m sorry, Scholar. I can’t imagine…” She tentatively hovered close and placed a hoof on his side. She didn’t think he could even feel it, but his form swelled a bit.

“Thank you, child. But it is worse than that, I’m afraid. Come, this way.” The dragon spat a fireball down their original path and led her off in another direction. “The other dragons, ‘broadwings’ and ‘longtails,’ lesser breeds if you will, have been consumed by this renewed lust. Logic, intellect, higher thought: all of these have been rotted away, replaced by animalistic hunger. Their bodies have atrophied with their minds. Their scales grow soft, their senses dull. My closest kin have been eradicated, and the rest have been turned into mindless beasts. I imagine,” the dragon chucked, “the monsters you have fought have been a grand disappointment when held against the creatures of language and philosophy that Hem described.”

“To be honest, sir, I don't think we could have managed against dragons any more dangerous than they are." Comet paused for a moment. "But wait, that can't be right. There is still strategy in the dragon flights. That trick with the maelstrom could not have been thought up by animals, and someone had to 'magick' you into slavery," she said.

Scholar smiled. “Just so. Nor could they have systematically found and killed the magically adept dragons so surgically. Ah, here we are, here we are.” A series of gigantic glass chambers were arrayed in front of them, each containing a body much like the one Comet had ridden in with. The fireball from before appeared, floating over the towers of tomes before funneling into an empty chamber. It swirled about before dissipating, the charred corpse left behind in its wake.

“As you say, there is still complex logic occurring within the dragon flights, despite the elimination or subjugation of the notably intelligent among us. This was the mystery I was attempting to unravel with my associate before he vanished. I had managed to recover some of his findings and spirited them to safe keeping just before I was captured. Once you freed me, I recovered them and returned to my work, determined to uncover the truth. And I found it... or rather, them.” Comet looked from chamber to chamber. Within each, a dragon corpse hung suspended in fluid, each dead from one method or another.

“Forgive me sir,” the filly said, “but I’m afraid I don’t follow. You’re saying a dragon flight is responsible for all of this?”

“Yes, so they would have you believe.” The dragon slunk up to one of the chambers, fangs bared menacingly at its contents. “Or perhaps a trusted friend. A mate. An emissary. They appear by your side, basking in your trust, conversing with you, learning from you, whispering in your ear.

“Driving you mad.”

The dragon growled and spun away to face the filly again. “Two hundred years ago, they tried with a smaller group, perhaps as a test. We halted their conquests, and they disappeared. Since then, they have slowly worked their way through our population, influencing our alphas and eliminating dissenters. Anyone that opposed them or grew wise to their plans was killed without mercy. Thirty years ago, confident in the grip they had over all of dragonkind, they set their plans into motion.”

“They made the dragons into their puppet army?”

“Many, most, but not all. Some flights escaped, I believe, fleeing to the far corners of the world. But yes, the vast majority of the dragons, as a race, have been enslaved.”

Comet flew up to land on Scholar’s nose. “But what would have the power to subjugate the entire dragon race? That would be tens, hundreds of thousands of dragons to ensnare.”

“That, little one, is what I hope to confirm.” He motioned to the collected bodies. “With each of these subjects, I noticed a unique magical residue that all of them share. For each of these, there were five that I captured that did not possess it. It is a regrettable sacrifice, but a necessary one. The one with which you came provided enough foundation to form a fire that only affects creatures bearing that magical signature. I tested it on you.” The filly looked stunned, almost offended, and the dragon chuckled. “Do not worry, my little pony. You only would have burned if you had been the enemy I hunt. So you were never in any real danger, as it would happen.” Comet nodded, but was no less wary of the titan on which she stood.

“So what’s causing this residue?”

“I see traces like it sometimes, as a result of spells that are designed to be cast and sustained autonomously.”

“So these dragons are maintaining a spell over themselves for long periods of time? But they’re not magic wielders.”

“Isn’t that just the most peculiar thing?” the dragon hummed. Magic arced along his back, and a matching glow appeared around one of the least destroyed bodies.

"What are you doing?" Comet watched the magical exchange like a foal.

"I am attempting to rid this body of the magic controlling it, hopefully giving us a glimpse of our true enemy -- oh, that's, that is intricate." Scholar furrowed his brow. "This magic is not simply an illusion -- its actual physiology is altered to match a draconic appearance. I've seen something like this before, but..."

"... But what? Scholar?" Instead of reply, the dragon blasted the body with a wave of fiery magic. The filly watched, jaw hanging open, as the dragon corpse began to rapidly shrink in size. It's wings shrank and grew thin as silk, its scales merged into black, chitinous plates. Holes appeared along its legs, evidently not wounds, though the missing trachea that had ended the creature’s life remained unchanged. When the body finally settled, the monster inside the chamber was something between a pony and a beetle, barely larger than Comet, and utterly nightmarish.

"What is that?" Comet stammered.

"That, little one, is a changeling." Scholar stood, unwavering in his pensive gaze, but the fire in his eyes spoke of the fury he was withholding. Comet stared at the equine insect, its uncanny similarity to her own race making her ill. Scholar emitted another wave across the other chambers, and each corpse morphed into an identical, albeit generally more destroyed, clone of the first creature.

"I've never even heard of a changeling before."

"And that speaks well of Celestia's leadership. Changelings are parasites, swarming through lands and feeding off of the emotions of their inhabitants. Above all else, consuming love gives them the greatest power. But nothing loves a changeling, so they disguise their form to take the place of one their target cares for. A sibling, a mate, a colleague, the changeling will feed off of your emotions for the subject, hypnotizing you to avoid you catching on. Ravenous creatures, they will take and take until there is nothing left for you to give.

"Celestia and Luna must have found something that repels them, keeps them beyond Equestria's borders. Your land is one built upon love and trust. If a changeling swarm were to harvest those emotions, they would gorge themselves for a hundred years, and leave your lands empty and desolated."

"And now they have a dragon army to force their way in."

"Indeed, which means two things. First, they may have promised something to the dragons, something that their atrophied minds hunger for. Gold, gems, dominion, I cannot say, though it is unlikely said promises would ever be fulfilled. The mind of a dragon is not so easily tamed, but a combination of powerful hypnotism and the lure of our natural desires may suffice. Second, whatever means of protection Celestia and Luna devised has waned, enough that the changelings dare to challenge it." Scholar squinted at the changeling corpse and frowned.

"There's something else that's bothering you," Comet said.

"A changeling can rarely mimic a creature significantly larger or smaller than its natural size. Zebras, ponies, deer, even buffalo are all within the tolerable range. For a changeling, especially a drone such as this, to imitate a dragon many times its volume, would require a great deal more power than they normally possess."

"What does that mean?"

"It means, Comet Shimmer, that your race and mine are in grave danger. This swarm, through its queen, has already amassed a great deal of power, and if their goal is the consumption of Equestria, then all of the power they shall devour, and all of the magical devices and artifacts your kin have developed, will bolster their strength even more. If the changelings succeed, your country shall be consumed, my kind shall be forever enslaved to these monsters, and untold numbers of innocents will be devoured in the ages to come."

"Well we have to do something," Comet shouted. "We have to find a way to warn them, to tell them what's really happening... Oh Faust, your kin... We've been killing them, and they-"

"May well be beyond hope as it is," Scholar interrupted. "The next generation may grow strong and wise, as we once were, but I fear the damage done to those that the changelings now control cannot be undone. Dragonkind has been dealt a blow we shall never fully recover from. Our goal now is to make sure that ponykind does not suffer the same fate, or worse." Scholar smiled. "Perhaps your arrival might be of use after all."

"What can I do?" Comet stared up at the dragon from the end of his nose. His two large, clear eyes stared down at her, measuring her worth in silence.

"It is just as you said. Someone has to tell Celestia, and your comrades, who the real enemy is. If I leave this place, it is likely I will be captured and used towards the end of Equestria. You must go in my stead. Tell your princess what we have learned here, and what awaits your home if you should meet them in battle. Tell her, 'she is late for her chess game.' She will understand." He grabbed a small pendant, breathed on it, and handed it to Comet. Milky ether swirled across its surface for a moment before vanishing like morning dew. "This bears the magical signature that indicates changeling magics. Give it to Celestia. She should be able to devise the same revealment spell that I have. Do you understand what you must do?"

"I do. I'll tell them. I'll tell them everything." Comet bit her lip. "And I'll tell them of what your kin once were."

The dragon laughed. "What we were, and what we may yet be." He plucked her from his nose and set her on the ground. "There is one more task I would bestow upon you."

"Anything." The filly had to strain her neck to meet the dragon's gaze. The titan reached into a sack between two of his breast scales and produced a small sphere of his own. He brought it down for Comet to take. It was an egg, she saw, lavender with violet spots. "Is this..."

"One of my mate's. She disappeared years ago, I'm afraid, along with our other eggs. This is the last one, the only one I could spirit to safety. I do not trust my kind with its future, not with what they have become. Take it, Comet Shimmer. Take this egg, and see that my offspring has a better life than I can offer."

"I will. And I'll tell you everything, after it's done." The dragon smiled at her resolution.

"I'm afraid, little one, we will not meet again." He stopped her reply with a massive talon. "There is no more time. Go now, Comet Shimmer, and end this war before we are all defeated. The good will of all dragonkind goes with you." Scholar's chest swelled with fire, and he engulfed her in green flame. As the fire died down, no trace of the filly, or her cargo, remained.

Ch.18 - Court

Traveling by dragonfire, Comet surmised, was a less than pleasant experience. She had been caught off guard the first time, but even when she was prepared, the heat and the vertigo was too much for her. When at last the fire deposited her, her legs were splayed out in all directions, her chin pressed against the blessedly cool ground. After everything, she was content to lie there for a good long while and recover herself.

Well, she was, before a spear prodded her in the ribs.

The sound of shouting voices rang in her ears, and the filly opened her eyes to a ring of armed, armored ponies shouting commands and brandishing weapons at her.

"Hooves behind your head, now!" The pony directly in front of her hollered. When she was slow to reply, one of the others prodded her again, kickstarting her senses.

"Poke me with that damned spear one more time," Comet growled, "and I will shove it so far up your ass-"

"If you try anything," one of the guards started, "we will be forced to-"

"I've ripped wings off a dragon's back, you muck brained mule!" The blackened filly rose on unsteady hooves. "I am Comet Shimmer, lancer of the Royal Air Guard, and I will not be kicked about by a prancing foal who’s never seen a battle!"

"On your belly, now-"

"That's quite enough, Captain." A calm voice turned all heads in the room.

Comet looked to see the speaker, and was stunned. Being a resident of Canterlot, she had seen the princess of Equestria before, but always from a distance. To see her not ten yards away was like beholding a work of art. The careful blend of confusion, concern, and alertness, all contained within a regal neutrality, calmed the filly, but at the same time set her heart racing.

Before she even thought to say it, the words left her mouth. "Princess, you're late for your chess game!" The princess looked at her, head cocked to one side. The only sign of her curiosity and confusion was a raised brow on an otherwise passive face. Slowly, Comet came to realize how bizarre she must have seemed.

She had appeared, likely from a ball of fire, in the middle of a chamber, near the princess, so presumably in Canterlot, clutching a dragon egg, blabbering nonsense. And on closer inspection, every pony with whom Celestia had been conversing was a high commander of the Equestrian Royal Military.

Comet Shimmer had teleported into the middle of a war council on the back of dragon fire.

A faint smile appeared on Celestia's face. "Captain, this pony is not a danger. Stand down."

"But, Your Highness-"

"Stand down, Captain," Celestia's voice had lost none of its caring warmth, but the minute drop in her tone quartered no argument. The guards withdrew their spears and backed away from the bewildering filly. "Comet Shimmer, was it?" the chiroptequus nodded. Celestia started towards her. "It looks like you have been through quite an ordeal, my little pony. Let us see about getting you cleaned up."

"Thank you, Your Grace, but there isn't time. I have terrible news... and a, um, a charge." She held up the egg for the princess to see.

Celestia eyed the egg curiously. "I see. Well, bring it with you. We can talk on the way." By custom, Celestia's guards followed the two out of the chamber, but when the high commanders made to follow, the princess waved them off with a wing. Comet scampered behind the solar monarch, the dragon egg cradled on her back between her wings. She noted, with subvocal hostility, that the guards formed a loose but insistent perimeter between her and the princess.

“So, Miss Shimmer,” Celestia hummed, “It seems as though this has been a trying day for you.”

Comet tried to contain her sardonic laughter. She failed immediately. As her voice rang through the hall, she realized how insane she must have seemed, but she could hardly bring herself to care. The alicorn waited for her to finish. “Your Highness, it has been a trying few months. I…”

“I know, little one.” Celestia sighed. “I am afraid that I am, in no small way, to blame for your suffering. The dragons have been more and more aggressive and demanding for years, until finally they demanded something I could not give. So they declared that they would seize it from us.”

“That’s… actually, why I’m here, Your Highness.”

The alicorn arched an eyebrow. “Is that so?” She led them down the steps to a garden. The sun was low on the horizon, setting the western sky ablaze with ribbons of gold and violet. “Guards, you may wait here.” Comet determined that those who worked closely with the princess must be able to pick up on signals that she could not. Not a single guard even twitched in protest, or even glanced threateningly at her as she took her place beside Celestia. “So, how is our mutual friend doing?”

“You know Scholar?”

“Hmm, 'Scholar?' A fitting name, but never one I used for him. But yes, he and I used to debate all manner of topics for many years. He taught me the intricacies of chess, as it would happen, and showed me the metaphor it held for running a kingdom. Very valuable insight, as things have turned out. I was often late for our games, you see. I suppose we still have one scheduled for next week… long ago.”

"But Scholar said he hadn't seen another pony since Earnest Hem, and that was two hundred years ago-" Comet stopped and stared. “Princess… how old are you?”

“Isn’t that a rude question.” The princess smirked. “Old enough for most concerns. And now, I think it would be fair if you answered my question.”

“Oh, yes…” Comet grimaced. “I wish I could say he was well. Up until recently, he had been enslaved by the other dragons, hypnotized to cast massive spells to help their war effort. We helped him escape, but he looked… hurt.”

“I see. You have my thanks for freeing him, then. I imagine your charge is one of his?”

“The last of his,” Comet said. The princess closed her eyes. “Your Highness… Scholar’s work for decades has been to discover the change in the dragons’ behavior, this hunger you’ve experienced. And he found it.”

So Comet explained everything that he had told her: their greatness, the first infestation, the resurgence, the degradation of the dragon flights, and their plan to overrun Equestria.

And she told the princess of the changelings.

The filly felt the air grow colder around her. She felt compressed, as if she was being gripped from all sides at once.“Miss Shimmer,” Celestia started slowly, “I have no clear reason to doubt you. But an accusation of changelings is a grave one, to be sure. Do I have your word that everything you have said is true?”

“I saw the ones Scholar captured with my own eyes, Princess. It’s true.”

The grip vanished. “Then I am afraid this changes a great many things,” the princess continued down the garden path, “but sadly, I do not believe it changes our situation.”

“Your Highness, we can’t beat them in the field. I’ve seen it, I’ve fought them!” Comet raced after the princess. “There are more dragons now than we’ve ever fought before. The changelings have called all of their servants to them… We can’t win.”

“Patience, Miss Shimmer. There is something I must do before we continue.” The alicorn raised her horn to the heavens. A radiant, golden glow engulfed the fluted bone, glowing steadily brighter. At the boundary of earth and sky, the sun sank below the horizon with a final, brilliant flash. In the east, the moon rose serenely, trailing stars across the sky as it settled into its evening path. “There we are.”

The spectacle did little to calm the chiroptequus. “Princess, I-”

“I know, little one.” Celestia sighed as she stared up at the moon. “There is something I would know, before I decide what must next be done… Do you hate me, Comet Shimmer?”

The filly was taken aback by the question. She chewed on her lip slowly. “...Yes. Or I did, at least. I enlisted because I wanted to help. It seemed like the right thing to do, to help defend our home from the threat of invasion. But once I was there, I wondered, many nights, how you could have failed us so badly, that we were sent to this desert from Tartarus to fight and die for you.” The princess visibly winced at her accusations. “And every time somepony died, somepony I cared for… I wondered why you didn’t just fly south and end this war with a wave of your magic. If you can move the heavens, why are we forced to fight for you?” The filly felt that anger, the sleepless nights, the hollow places where her friends once were, returning to her with renewed fury. “How could you let us suffer like this?”

Celestia bowed her head. “Because I am still learning, I’m afraid. No reason that I can give will compensate you for what you have endured, and I am sorry. I am sorry for everypony that has suffered as you have.” Celestia led them to one of the mirror pools, a faint memory from Comet’s past life. “As you say, I have a great deal of power at my disposal. Enough, perhaps, to win battles, or even wars, on my own. But I have used this power recklessly before to great ruination. I have also tried to remain neutral, as is the case now, to the suffering of both parties.

“If I had donned a suit of armor and charged into battle, what do you imagine the outcome would be like? At best, I would have eradicated the majority of the dragon race, including our friend, and doomed their kind to the annals of history. We would win a bloody victory and never learn the cause of the war. At worst, I would have been slain, likely by a changeling or by the endless waves of dragons, shattering the morale of my ponies and spelling the end of our kingdom. Great power does not grant me the ability to solve all problems, little one. if anything, it seems to breed more problems.” She smiled forlornly at Comet’s pensive stare. “As I warned, nothing I can say will ease your pain.”

“I…” Comet sat and tried not to cry. “How can you know what kind of pain we’ve suffered?”

“Because I have suffered worse, I assure you. And that pain is of my own doing.” Celestia gazed up at the moon and whispered an apology, another to add to the millions that made their way skyward. “You are not wrong to hate me, Comet Shimmer. My mistakes, time and time again, are not solely my own to pay the price for. You have suffered for them, your friends have suffered for them, and now many more may yet suffer. But we have a chance to stop this threat before it consumes us all, dragon and pony alike.”

“...How?”

“Have you ever heard of the Elements of Harmony?”

The look of contemptuous disbelief on Comet’s face could have killed a fish. “I’ve read the stories, yes.”

“Hmm, good enough,” Celestia replied amusedly. “But they are hardly foal’s stories, I’m afraid. Many of those tales are, in fact, pivotal events in the shaping of our kingdom.”

“That’s hardly possible.”

“Twenty four hours ago, you did not know that there was a creature that could imitate other living beings. Why is an ancient magical artifact so hard to believe?”

“Because they’re so powerful! If we had the Elements of Harmony, nothing would ever dare attack Equestria. We would have the most powerful weapon in the history of the world.”

Celestia smiled a little, sad smile for the filly. “Indeed we would… Indeed we would. That is the fable that we have carefully crafted, told to travelers, spread to the corners of the world: Equestria is protected by a power none can hope to overcome.” Celestia levitated six globes of water from the pool, orbiting them around each other. In the early evening moonlight, each of them seemed to take on a unique hue. "And for a time, this was true. The Elements of Harmony did protect our lands from many a threat. But there are two misconceptions about the Elements.

"First, we do not possess them anymore." Celestia let the orbs cascade down into the pool. "Another of my mistakes, the Elements were misused, and their power was locked away. The only ones who could bear them lost the right. We have been without their protection for a millenium, but the awe inspiring power they once bore held would be aggressors at bay... Well, until now.

"The second fallacy, a dreadfully common one, is that they are a weapon. They never have been." Celestia smiled at the filly's expression as she took in the monarch's words. "The Elements of Harmony, as their name implies, harmonize. To be properly used, multiple bearers must use them towards a singular purpose: a desire for peace. The Elements draw power from this unity, and use that power to resolve the conflict. It cannot be used to harm, only to resolve."

"But the Elements turned Discord to stone, did they not?" Comet quickly added, "So the story goes."

"That they did. But what would you expect a harmonizing force would do to an entity of pure dissonance?" Comet nodded in apprehension. "It is the Elements that the dragons demanded. I could not, would not give them freely to anyone that bore such malice and greed as they did. Besides," the princess chuckled, "I do not even know where they are now."

"...What!?"

"The Elements were lost a thousand years ago, following their misuse. But since you have revealed the presence of changelings within the dragon ranks, their desires become clear." Celestia sat down on the bank and looked the filly up and down. "Tell me, Comet Shimmer, what do you imagine would happen if a force of harmony were used by a single, malicious heart?"

The filly thought hard on her princess's question. "...If they can still draw on its power, then it would... force harmony on the subject?"

"But one cannot force harmony, now can they? It must be earned, and agreed to."

"But the changelings can already hypnotize their prey." Comet sucked in a breath. "The Elements might expand their hypnotism. They would force every pony into loving them, without question, until they had been sucked dry."

"When used by a vile heart, I believe the Elements become a tool for control, yes." The princess watched herself in the pool. "It has never been tested, of course, but the risk exists. Removal of dissent, of question, of resistance -- in theory, it is harmony, but a harmony under the direction of one party. Subjugation."

"But if the Elements are both lost and inert, then it doesn't really matter what the changelings wanted them for, does it?"

"It does, little one." Celestia stood and motioned for Comet to rise and follow. "They believe we have the Elements, because we have said we do. They have no reason to believe we are not simply hiding them. The changelings will rip Equestria apart, every root and stone, in their hunt. Nothing will be left in their wake."

"So we can’t hope they’ll give up when they can’t find them. We have to stop them," Comet said. Celestia nodded. "But how?"

"Well, first, I sense that you have something magical on you?"

"Oh, right." Comet passed Celestia the pendant. "Scholar said this has the same magical residue left by the changeling's transformation magic. You should, he said, be able to devise the revealment spell to undo it from that."

"Thank you. And while I work on that, you, I think you shall have a bath and something to eat." When reminded of it, Comet realized how exhausted she was. Her legs suddenly faltered, but an alabaster hoof caught her before she fell. "Yes, I think that would be best," the princess said with a smile.

~*~

Though shorter, after all was said and done, Comet Shimmer's coat had returned to its original indigo hue, her mane a deep midnight blue, and she felt refreshed just for having soaked in water for the first time in an age. Her armor, however, was battered and burnt beyond hope, and sat in a forlorn pile in the corner. Celestia's private bath was more akin to a pool, wide and terraced and filled with warm, sudsy water. As soon as her hoof had sunk into the warm, steaming pool, she abandoned all attempt at restraint and dove in, paddling around like a foal. It had taken her a long while to calm down enough to properly wash, but the use of soaps seemed altogether foreign to her after so long without them. Had they had soap on the Adamant? She could not remember.

The thought of her flying home rekindled an image she had not had the chance to process, even when it was happening in front of her: the sight of the Adamant caving in, ablaze and melting from acid, its innards expelled onto the desert floor like a the contents of a torn grocery bag. How many of her crew had died there and then? All of them? The Starfall and the Equinox had gone down too, wrapped in fire and smoke and death. And all her friends in the battle, had they been killed as well? For all she knew, Cyclone Company had been wiped out, and she alone had somehow survived.

The water started to burn her skin. The heat became unbearable, the steam suffocating. Comet thrashed in the water, trying desperately to find the marble floor beneath her. Water splashed up her nose and down her throat. She screamed as the bath threatened to melt her.

Celestia poked her head in at the sounds to find the filly thrashing in the water helplessly. The princess slipped out of her regalia and hurried in. She came up beside the filly, wrapped her in her wings, and guided her back to the edge of the tub. The threat of drowning past, the crying began, and nothing Comet could do could stop it. Celestia kept her smaller guest safely within her grasp, and did her best to calm the shaking pony. Comet beat her hoof against the alicorn's chest, but there was no heart in it, no desire for harm, just a pain that would not be abated.

It was at least an hour before Comet finally calmed down. Celestia rinsed the filly's mane and combed it free of tangles before exiting the tub. "When you're ready, dinner is here. The maids and I will be right outside if you need anything." Comet said nothing, but nodded meekly. With her pain temporarily calmed, she was coming to grips with the fact that she had just cried all over the princess's chest. She took another five minutes or so to soak in the tub and confirm that she was not about to break down, before she grabbed a towel and patted herself dry.

When she arrived at the table, her mouth watered at the sight. Warm loaves of dark bread, crisp salad with fruits and nuts and rich dressings, savory pastas piled with herbs and roasted walnuts, so many dishes lay waiting for her pleasure. And she had some of them all. The filly could not remember the last time she had eaten so well, and she partook as if it were the last meal she were to ever have. With how many times she had come close to never reaching this one, she felt she had earned it.

Celestia ate some of the spread herself, but mostly poked Comet for stories. She knew what the war council told her, she explained to the filly, as well as the details they had deemed “not worth her time,” thanks to a few trustworthy secretaries. Comet’s tale, however, spoke of the consequences of the council’s inaction, their constant blundering and hesitation costing the lives of how many soldiers. Celestia sat in forlorn silence as Comet told her everything, every detail. By the end, neither of them were particularly hungry.

“I don’t even know who to be mad at anymore,” Comet muttered. “I guess we never really stood a chance, not when our enemy was not the dragons, but the race that had beaten them. But… We were alone out there. Fresh supplies and reinforcements were so far apart, we had to assume we weren’t going to get any.”

“The cost of peace, I’m afraid,” Celestia replied. “It is fine to forget how to operate a war when there are no wars to be fought. No living commander has served in wartime, you know. We pride ourselves on our ability to reconcile our differences peacefully, but it is evidently not without a price.”

“No.” Comet set her fork down. “Princess, there are dragons all across the south now. We need to mobilize the forces at Dodge Junction and do… something. I don’t know what, but we can’t sit and wait for them to make their move.”

Celestia maintained her composure, but Comet noticed the jitter in her wings. “...Comet Shimmer, when was the last time you were in contact with somepony outside of your battle group?”

“...Weeks ago. Why?” Celestia did not answer. “...Princess, what’s happened?”

“Little one… Dodge Junction is gone.” Celestia paced to the window and looked out over her city. “The storm you spoke of, there was another. Many, even. They appeared in the middle of the night, under a shadow shroud, much like your experience. They tore through the base’s outer defenses in less than a night, and our forces were routed before sunrise.”

“...But… No, that's -- there were thousands of ponies at the junction. How could they-”

“Hundreds of dragons encased in a furious maelstrom. You’ve seen its capability first hoof, Miss Shimmer. I imagine you would be the only pony in Canterlot that can understand its full power.” Comet tried to stand, but her legs had frozen solid.

“So The Line is broken.”

“Yes.”

“And our forces are scattered.”

“Regrouping to the north, but yes.”

“And the dragons are within Equestria’s borders now.”

“Yes.”

“...So what do we do?”

The princess was silent for a long time as she stared out the window. In her reflection, Comet could see the gears turning in her head, weighing everything she had come to know since the filly’s appearance. At last, she said, “Comet Shimmer. I will not ask you for your forgiveness. But I will ask you for your trust.” She turned to face the filly. “If we are to not only survive, but win, I am going to need your help.”

Comet had to think on that. She excused her silence by chewing on a loaf of bread, but her eyes told Celestia of her doubts. It was not her fault, the filly tried to tell herself; her war council had censored her information, and even they did not know of the true dangers this war had brought to their home. She could not have made a better decision than she had. But still, she was their saint. Ponies praised her wisdom, her beauty, her grace, as often as they did Faust. But Celestia had not saved them, nor had their Mother. She was not all powerful, not omnipotent, just…

“You’re just a pony.” Comet looked up at her princess. “You’re just a tall, long lived pony, and you can make mistakes.” Celestia nodded slowly. Comet chewed her lip and squeezed her eyes shut.

She had lost a god.

But maybe she had found something else.

“What do you have in mind, Princess?”

Celestia’s smile was full of thanks, and something the filly could only describe as motherly affection. But there was a sly grin wrapped in her lips. Her eyes sparkled as she said,

“We are going to surrender.”

~*~

Comet confessed to herself, she found a certain pleasure in watching the high commanders squirm at their princess's decision. The pale complexion they took when the monarch told them of the changeling infestation almost made her smile. They implored her to reconsider, to seek an alternative, but the alicorn was unwavering.

"I have considered the options, good commanders, and all information we have. There is no better course of action." The princess circled her table slowly, deliberately, gauging their reactions. Every one of them was pale faced, many were sweating. One stallion, aged but not old and, to Comet, offensively pudgy, noticed the chiroptequus and turned on her.

"You," he growled, "what have you done to the princess to make her believe this madness? Are you an enemy agent, sent to weaken us!?" He turned to his colleagues. "Chiropteqi have never been trustworthy ponies. Give them a chance, and they'll stab you in the back for nothing. Guards, remove her at-" The general turned around to behold the solar princess standing a hoof step away from him, glaring down upon the belligerent stallion.

"Lancer Shimmer has been more honest with me than any of you have. I have no reason to doubt her. I do, however, have reason to distrust you." The alicorn turned and resumed her pacing around the table. "You seem tired, General. I believe it is time you took a vacation, perhaps for the remainder of the war. We can decide what is to remain of your position afterwards. The guards will see you out." The general was, briefly, too shocked to remember how to breathe. When he did not make for the door on his own, two of the guards grabbed him by the shoulders and escorted him.

"Gentleponies," Celestia continued, "the losses we have suffered in this war are inexcusable. Nopony is to blame more than myself, but I aim to see this to the end. If we are to have any chance of survival, we must meet with the enemy before our soldiers are annihilated. Do you disagree?"

"You speak truth, Princess," a graying mare said, "but we have tried to treat with the dragons, to no avail. And if this information is accurate, then we cannot hope to treat with the changelings now or ever. We would be walking into our own deaths."

"We already are." Comet stepped forward. "There is a zero percent chance of victory against the collected dragon army. It will be larger than any force we have faced since the start of the war, or in recent history for that matter. Our own forces are depleted. We won't win."

"Lancer," one of the two admirals said, "your input is appreciated, but we don't stand to gain anything from turning ourselves over to the mercy of monsters. I know our forces are suffering-"

"Suffering? What do you know of suffering!?" Comet bared her fangs at the admiral. "You, who sit in Canterlot and read reports while you get fat on rich food!? You know what we were eating as we ran from Tartartus? Rice soup and old rolls. So don't talk as if you have any idea-" A large, pearly wing unfurled in front of her, cutting off her tirade. She looked up to find Celestia's stern but worried face gazing back at her.

"Lancer Shimmer is right, I am afraid." The princess nudged the filly to the side. "The reports can only do so much to detail the degradation of our soldiers' conditions. Long deployments drain their supplies, no reinforcements to rotate in forces long periods of little sleep and constant tension. To continue this course is to guarantee our fate.”

"...If that is your decision, Your Highness, then we shall carry it out." The other general bowed her head. "Who shall deliver our surrender to the enemy?"

Celestia sighed through her nose. "I will." The high commanders all rushed to protest, but she silenced them with a hoof. "There is no plan to retreat to, I am afraid. If this is to fail, then not only is victory beyond our grasp, it was never ours to possess. I will bear the fate of our kingdom to whatever end," the princess looked down at the filly, "but I will not be going alone. Captain," she faced the guard nearest her, "assemble the Castle Guard. Every division that we have here, or that can reach the rendezvous point in eight days time, is to make their way there with all haste."

"Ma'am." The captain saluted and left the room in a hurry.

"Admiral," the princess turned to the head of the research division, "are they ready?"

"In an ideal world, we would have more time to perform our final tests, but yes, they are ready to fly."

"In an ideal world, we would have no need for vessels of war." Celestia turned to Comet. "You have done well, Miss Shimmer, coming this far. I have need of you for one more task, but it does not require that you accompany me south. Whether you join me, I shall leave to you." Comet looked at the floor. She was so close to home. She could walk out the door, take to the air, and be back in her own bed before the sun was up.

But she had no memory of what her bed felt like. She had no recollection of her daily routine. She had no idea what her family would think when they saw her.

And she had no notion of what she would say to them, how she could look them in the eye, while her home was still in danger.

"...Your Highness," Comet looked up, "I've made it up to here. I'll be damned if I give up before I’ve seen this war through."

"Then you have my thanks." Celestia looked up to her council. "You have work to do. Get it done. You," she motioned to Comet and a few guards, "come with me. I have need of a few things."

~*~

Comet remembered the awe she held when she had first seen a modern airship. Wherever it was now, the Dauntless had been a work of art, rivaled only by her sister ships.

The vessel that lay peacefully in the airport before her was an alicorn where the other vessels were regular ponies. Twice the length, with a broader deck and more of them, this new ship boasted a massive, multi sectioned balloon adorned in violet and white patterns laced in gold. Two dozen pearly sails flowed from either side. Between the masts, an untold number of portholes for ballistae freckled the lacquered surface. In brilliant gold paint, just as the Adamant had borne, the name "Cumulus" adorned her bow. It was the most majestic piece of maritime construction Comet Shimmer had ever beheld.

And to top it off, she had a twin.

Ocean blue where the Cumulus was a deep violet, the Nimbus was identical in every way. Walking on the pier between the two was like walking between monuments to greatness. Comet stared up at the vessels, admiring the strength and detail put into every inch. A voice in the back of her mind reminded her that the Adamant's beauty had not saved it, but that did not mean it could not be appreciated. Better that somepony did before the end.

The sound of armored hooves closed in behind her, and Comet turned to face the party. What she saw approaching her, she was fairly certain, was a sight nopony alive had seen before today.

Princess Celestia strode down the pier with her usual grace, but clad head to hoof in shining, golden armor. Sweeping like her regalia, the armor plating covered most of her form with overlapping segments that hugged her body. Her helmet was much like Comet's, but more... regal, and unlike the regular pegasus helms, it had a plated hole for her horn to slip through. The mane slit along the back of her helm caused her wafting hair to fan out behind her, giving the appearance of a shimmering, multicolored cloak draped across her back. Comet could only stare as the alicorn approached her.

"I take it you approve," Celestia hummed.

Comet finally remembered to shut her mouth. "I... didn't know you had a suit of armor. It fits you."

"Thank you. I was rather proud of how long I had been able to go without donning it, but this is more than a worthy cause."

"So I take it these ships are yours as well?" Comet gestured to the super cruisers with a wing.

"Not 'mine.' They were meant to be the flagships of the Air Guard, before the fleet was so badly weakened by losses. They're the only vessels not already deployed -- in fact, they're still undergoing final approval, but we lack the time. Shall we?" Celestia turned and a strode up the gangplank onto the Cumulus. The pedestrian entrance to the airship sat alongside a wider ramp for ferrying supplies, and did not deposit them on the top deck, but rather three decks down, near the bridge.

Behind a latticed bay window, the bridge was spread across a wide semi-circle. The captain was standing in the center, overseeing the bridge officers at their various positions from beside a broad, oaken table. Everything about the ship reeked of new. Comet had a sneaking suspicion that the lacquer coating on the support pillars had not fully dried yet.

Everypony turned and saluted as Celestia entered the bridge. "Please," Celestia waved them to ease with a hoof. "Admiral, how are preparations proceeding?"

"Nearly ready, ma'am." Comet recognized the stallion from the war council. "We should be ready to cast off in 15 minutes."

"Very good. I will be up above if you should need me." The admiral saluted, and Celestia made her departure. Completely at a loss as to where she should be, Comet remained hot on her fetlocks.

"Princess, is there something you would like me to do?" Comet offered.

"You are already doing it, my little pony," Celestia smiled. "I want you to be a part of my personal escort, both on the ship and in the air. You've proven yourself reliable, and I know you have experience fighting dragons. Should it come to that, I would have you with me."

"Very well."

Celestia gave a surprised smile. "Normally, a pony would tell me how honored they are to be requested by me personally."

"Permission to speak freely, Your Highness?"

"Of course."

"Don't push your luck," Comet deadpanned. She jumped when Celestia snorted and let out a deep, hearty laugh.

"Ahahaha, forgive me. It is a rare thing that anypony addresses me with less than perfect courtesy. It's rather refreshing, I must say."

"... You are really nothing like what I expected."

"I am what my ponies need me to be." Celestia smiled, and Comet honestly believed her. Something about the way she smiled assured the filly that she had only given the truth. As they walked, ponies would salute their princess as she passed. Celestia must have been on the vessel before, or else was very good at pretending not to be lost, as they made their way to the top deck without ever breaking stride. How anypony could navigate such a large vessel was beyond the filly.

From the port, the ponies could see the first light of the day peeking over the horizon. Celestia's horn glowed a brilliant gold as she tucked the moon into bed and coaxed the sun out of its own. The first true morning light graced the land, painting the earth in soft pinks and yellows.

"Is that hard to do?" Comet said after the princess had finished.

"Not with practice," Celestia mused. The two watched the sky continue to brighten in silence for a while. "You'll want to find your company when we arrive at the rendezvous, won't you?"

"Your highness, I doubt they're still alive at this point." Each word was more vile on Comet's tongue than the last, but she did not doubt them.

"You would be surprised what a determined group of ponies can accomplish." Celestia extended a wing around the smaller filly. "We will look for them, Sergeant Shimmer. If they are there, we'll find them."

"...Thank you- wait, ‘Sergeant?’" Comet stared up at her princess.

"You don't think it appropriate for your hard work, for discovering the undercurrent of this war, and rushing back to reveal it before all is lost?" Celestia smiled. "Besides, as I understand, you will have been reported as Killed In Action by any survivors, which awards two ranks posthumously.”

“I- wait, I’m dead?”

“Officially,” Celestia teased. “I think a great deal more is in order, but this will have to do for now," Celestia pulled out a pin and fixed it to Comet's replacement collar, "Comet Shimmer, Wing Seargant First Class."

"Thank you, ma'am," Comet saluted. A stray thought brought a smile to her lips. When Celestia gave her a curious look, she explained, "Cyclone Company doesn't really... adhere to rank like we were taught to expect. I don't actually know what most of their ranks were, just their names."

Celestia chewed on the idea for a moment. "I can see why you hold them so dearly."

Comet smiled, but she felt her eyes growing moist. "They were like a second family. If I hadn't had them, I don't know what I would have done. I probably wouldn't be here, anyway... I miss them." The ship shuddered as it crept out of the port. Alongside, The Nimbus was departing, only a few yards behind her sister. "No turning back now, then."

"I'm afraid that door closed a long time ago," Celestia said more for herself than for Comet. "Whatever happens, stay close to me. Will you do that?" Comet nodded silently. Clear of the dock, the two ships banked south and unfurled their sails to their full reach. It was an eight day trip to the rendezvous point, and there was no time to lose.

Ch.19 - Rendevous

Constellation greeted the mail stallion at the box, as she usually did every morning. He gave her their mail with a smile, and was off with a tip of his hat. The chiroptequus mare trotted inside, leafing through the envelopes with general disinterest. As usual, nothing important, except for a bill and-

A peculiar letter had been addressed to them, stuffed in a fine envelope. Had Constellation noticed, she would have found the letter bore no stamp, but instead the seal of a royal postage pardon. Such seals were rare to come by, and often contained some manner of important document. The gold trim along the edges of the envelope also would have been quite the surprise as well.

But the mare’s gaze was fixed on the hastily scrawled “Mum and Papa” over their address. Dropping the other mail, she tore open the envelope and threw herself into the letter.

Hi Mum, Hi Papa,

~~I’m not really sure what I wanted to say~~ I hope you’re both well. I wish I had the chance to see you, but I don’t. ~~By “classified means of travel”~~ I made it back to Canterlot tonight, but I have to leave again. The war isn’t going well, but we might have a chance to end it. I need to help. And I need to find my friends ~~if they’re alive.~~

I’ve missed you every day since I left. I wish I was back home, and all of this was a bad dream. But I can’t come home yet, not until I know you’ll be safe.

I’m sorry, and I love you both. I’ll see you soon.

Love,
Comet

Nebula glanced down the hall to see where his wife was, only to find her hunched over a letter, adding her tears to the already dried splotches. He hurried to her side, comforting her, but when he saw the letter, it wasn’t long before he joined her silence.

~*~

The ground below rushed past at harrowing speeds as the Cumulus and the Nimbus risked flying themselves apart to make the rendezvous. Every mile was another that Comet wished she could take back, or at least stop and enjoy for a moment, but it was gone, as was the next, and the next, and the next for the entire day, and the next. As Celestia had requested, she remained the princess’s personal escort, following her almost everywhere. Nopony questioned who she was, nopony got in her way, and nopony asked her anything. Part of the filly wanted to get to know the crew of the Cumulus, but she had already gone through that once.

She had had a ship, and it was gone now. She wasn’t about to start all over again.

With all of her old equipment destroyed and discarded, the filly was given a brand new set. She tried it on, fitted all the straps and buckles for her size, and examined the helmet to make sure it was all in order -- first time checks she had not performed in months. The sight of the polished, gleaming surface filled Comet with anger. It felt like all of her experience had been stripped away, and she was a green recruit again. She reached for one of the armorer’s files and tried to gouge the surface, but the stallion grabbed her foreleg with his own.

“Easy, Sergeant,” the armorer said, “you’ll want every millimeter of metal you can get when the shit hits the fan.” Comet snorted at him. “Look, I get it. I was at Fort Solaris when we got demolished.” That softened Comet’s gaze. “Most of us got rotated after the battle for some R&R, but if Equestria needs me, back to the lines I go. I know what a fresh suit of armor seems like. But you’ll want it to be fresh for as long as possible, right?”

“...Right.”

“Good, now why don’t you give me that,” he took the file from the chiroptequus,” and I’ll give you these.” He hoisted a pair of sheathed sabres for her to take. “I heard you cracked your old ones.”

“Shattered, actually.”

“Damn, both of them?”

“Both of them.”

“How in Tartarus did you pull that off?”

Comet snorted amusedly. “Dragonfire.” She thanked the armorer and took her equipment back to her bunk. She checked each of her sabres, sharpened them for a bit, and went to find where Celestia had gotten to. Nine times out of ten, the filly could find her on the top deck or on the bridge. When both of those proved fruitless, she was left to wander the ship, checking anywhere she thought the princess would have reason to be.

She might have found out Princess Celestia was in the galley sooner if she had stopped to ask somepony. Admittedly, it was close to dinnertime, but for some reason it had never occurred to Comet that the alicorn would need to eat. Old idols die hard, she supposed. The audience was awkwardly divided between the ponies that were too bashful to address their princess, and the ponies that couldn’t join the former since she had addressed them directly. Comet quietly grabbed her own dinner, a thick oat steak and salad, and sat down at a respectful distance. But nothing seemed to escape the solar monarch.

“Sgt. Shimmer,” Celestia sang, “I was wondering where you had gone.”

“Just getting a new suit of armor fitted, Ma’am.” The filly felt some stares fixing on her, but continued to eat her dinner quietly.

“Hmmm, that’s right. Well, best to be prepared, yes?”

“As you say, Ma’am.”

Celestia’s warm smile faltered for a split second. “Well why should she be open to you? You know she hates you, at least she’s honest about it.” Celestia took a bite of her steak and chewed slowly. “It’s a wonder you have anypony on this ship that doesn’t. It is, after all, your fault that they’re here.” The princess tried to chat with the ponies sitting next to her. “Imagine their curses as they die. If your little gambles fail, nopony is going to leave alive. And all of it will be your fault . Again.”

“Won’t that be fun? Will that set the record for your greatest failure, or will I still hold that honor?”

“Would you all excuse me for a moment?” Celestia set down her knife and fork and strode away from the table. Comet watched her pass, a hint of concern invading her mind. She set down her own utensils and followed the princess out. The two made their way up to the top deck in silence, Celestia not regarding Comet’s presence, and Comet not making it known. Even when they had reached the bow, and Celestia held her head high, listening to the wind tinkle in her mane, the two of them said nothing.

Without opening her eyes, Celestia said, “I think I would like some time alone, Comet Shimmer.”

“...Do you?” Celestia spun around to face the little filly. “If I had to guess, you’ve been dealing with something for a long time on your own, and it doesn’t seem to be working.”

“Hmm,” Celestia frowned, “you speak from experience.”

“I tried dealing with my problems by myself, and it just caused more damage. If I hadn’t had my friends, I wouldn’t be here.” The two ponies watched each other for a long time, looking to see who would yield first. “If you really don’t want to talk about it, then fine. But we need you if your plan is going to work. Whatever you need to do to make sure that happens, do it.”

Celestia’s gaze contracted for a moment, but she smiled in defeat. “Would you like to hear a story, Comet Shimmer?”

The filly tilted her head. “I rarely turn down a good story.” She sat down, her wings fluttering at her sides.

“...I have a sister, you see.”

Comet interrupted, “Scholar mentioned a pony named ‘Luna.’ So there are two of you?”

“Yes, there were. She was a lovely girl, mischievous, but kind, and full of life and love. She was an artist, and her canvas was the moon and the stars.” Celestia looked up at the winter sky. “On clear nights like tonight, she would shower the skies with diamonds. I would always marvel at her work. I loved it, and I loved her.” Her gaze fell. “But I did not show it.

“We had worked so hard to make Equestria safe, my only concern was to make sure it remained so. She needed me, but I was not there for her. A bitterness grew in her heart, a longing for somepony to love her work as she did, but nopony requited her feelings. Her sorrow turned to rage, and she became something… dark.”

Comet’s jaw slowly dropped. “...Your sister…”

“Became the Nightmare Moon you’ve read stories of, yes.”

“But that would make you-”

“Comet Shimmer,” Celesta interrupted, “I am very careful with this information, not for myself, but for the memory of my sister. I do not want her to be thought of as a monster, but rather the kind, loving mare she was before. You will tell nopony, I trust?”

“I won’t.”

“Thank you.” Celestia smiled, but her eyes revealed the pain that dredging up such ancient memories had caused. “You asked me before, how I could understand your suffering. Imagine if all the pain you and your friends had befallen, you had caused.”

Through it all, the princess had not faltered in her regal composure. For a thousand years, Comet realized, her princess had learned how to hide pain, how to put duty before desire. And it had cost her dearly. The filly shuffled up to the alicorn and nuzzled her chest. “I don’t think she blames you, Princess.”

“She does, little one, but I appreciate your faith.”

~*~

Comet’s first thought, when she saw dozens of dots on the horizon, was that the dragons had beaten them to the rendezvous point and had come for them. As they sped closer, she could make out the balloons from the bodies, and the dozens of dozens of sails that shone with the early morning sun. All the remaining airships of The Line drifted above a camp many hundreds of yards across. Hundreds, perhaps thousands of tents sat in nice rows, starting from within the woods and leading all the way up to the river fork -- a natural line of defense against the dragon armies. Sharpened stakes and magic pillars had been set in the soft river banks to give the ponies as much of a chance as possible.

A few airships pulled up alongside the twin flagships, extending their walkways to allow the land-bound crew across. Celestia greeted them on the bridge, her six personal escorts at attention behind her.

“Your Highness,” Admiral Merry Weather saluted, “it is an honor to have you here. Pity that it should be under such dire circumstances.”

“Indeed it is, Admiral. How go our preparations?”

“We’re pulling together everything we can, Princess.” One of the admiral’s assistants unfurled a map and laid it out on the table. “Our ground forces are set along the northern bank of the river fork. Many of the dragons will be too small or too weak to swim the river, so that should cover us for some, but…”

“Yes, Admiral?”

“Well, Ma’am,” Merry Weather gulped, “our estimates of their numbers are rough, but based on our experiences, reconnaissance reports, and the known size of some longtails, we estimate that they will have piled enough of their corpses by the end of the second hour to dam the river.” Nopony had a response, and they sat in silence and processed the thought. Somepony coughed awkwardly, which was enough to break the spell. “As an attempt to counteract that, we’ve placed barrels of firework powder underground here and here,” she pointed, “so that we might be able to blast open the rivers should that happen. We’ve placed similar traps farther out to try to thin their numbers.”

“Where did you find firework powder out here?”

“There was a manufacturer just west of here making fireworks without a permit. Forgive me, your highness, but I guaranteed him a pardon in exchange for his stores.”

“A wise decision,” Celestia assured her. “And for the air?”

“Nothing quite so ingenuitive, I’m afraid.” Merry Weather conjured illusionary board pieces for their airships. “Our ships will fan out into a two tier crescent, trying to group the dragons into attacking the center. With any luck, we will be able to catch them in the crossfire and increase our effectiveness.”

“I understand your plan, but won’t that make the airponies’ work impossibly dangerous?”

“It will. Our plan is to expend our ballistae ammunition before the combat wings engage. Once they have, our ships shall reconfigure for magic barrages and assisting with ground targets.” Merry Weather dispelled her pieces. “I won’t lie, your highness. It’s a longshot at best.”

“It is, Admiral, but you and the others have done well with what you have available,” Celestia said. “Luckily, I have brought a plan of my own that shall be taking the lead.”

“What formation does it call for, Your Highness?”

“It does not call for one at all. If my plan should fail, yours is our immediate fallback.” Celestia smiled knowingly. “Thank you, Admiral. I will be here, preparing things on my end. Comet Shimmer,” she looked over her shoulder, “I believe you have a company to locate. Best be quick about it. When you find them, bring them to me as soon as possible.”

“Your Highness.” Comet saluted and raced out of the room. Before the filly had even thought where she should start searching, she was over the side of the ship. She basked in a moment of freefall before her wings unfurled and she made her way to the ground in a more controlled manner. The camp seemed almost comfortable in a way; it was still chilly from the remnants of night, ribbons of fog rolling along the ground between tents, but the day promised a pleasant warmth. It was nowhere near as dry as their desert camps had been, but not humid either. Why hadn’t they been able to fight the war in such a pleasant place?

The denizens of the camp, however, reminded her that they were. Every single pony was on edge, ready to fly off the handle at the first sign of trouble. Some watched her go by, but others were too deep in their own goings on to pay the chiroptequus any mind. The mending of armor, sharpening of blades, and priming of foci created the melodic prelude to the final hours of their war. But she needed one specific tent amongst the hundreds, and after a few directions and redirections, she found it.

Logistics was situated in a barely larger tent near the treeline, roughly halfway between the shore and the back of the camp. A pastel green earth pony was checking off lists when Comet walked in, and barely looked up when she stopped at the desk. “Inquiry?”

“I’m looking for the 265th Airborne Division, 2nd Battalion, C Company. Their battle group was sunk while trying to retreat north, and I need to know if anypony made it back.”

“265th, hmm? Let’s see, let’s see.” The earth pony pulled up four days worth of logs and began sifting through them. “Hmm, no, no, no… no. No… no.” Comet caught herself grinding her teeth, and could not decide if it was from the anticipation or from the sheer number of no’s the secretary was saying. “No, no, no- hmm, this might be.” She pulled a log from the stack and laid it down for Comet to see. “Seems Admiral Silk Screen picked up some rescues on their way northeast. Strike Group Eight, it says.”

“That’s them!” Comet grabbed the mare. “Where are they!?”

“Um, on the Adjudicator with the admiral. Him and his ships, anyway. The Valiant, the Brilliance, look for those, I think they’re overseeing the east block.”

“Thank you!” Comet was already out the tent. She barely had open air over her head before her wings were unfurled and she was airborne again. Among so many identical airships, the Adjudicator was hard to find. It’s name was nearly hewn away, and if it weren’t for the more intact name scrawled on the Valiant’s hull, she might have missed it entirely. Holding her breath, Comet looped up over the side of the ship and skidded across the deck. Her hooves slid to a stop, depositing the filly a scant yard in front of Firefly.

Neither of them could decide who looked more stunned.

“...I… Ma’am,” Comet sniffed, “you’re alive.”

“I am, Shimmer… Didn’t expect the same from you. Reports said you were dead.”

“They exaggerated. It’s a long, classified story... Excuse me, Ma’am,” Comet managed before she pulled the fuschia mare into a huge hug. She felt the pegasus’s legs wrap around her in return.

“You are the first pony to ever be crossed off my KIA list,” Firefly whispered. Comet laughed, and could not stop laughing. The scene stopped a few ponies dead in their tracks. Willow and Rain sprinted over and wrapped Comet up in a second wave of embraces, while Night Light and the twins ran below deck to find the others. Some of them took a heap of convincing before they came up top to behold it with their own eyes.

Comet Shimmer was back from the dead.

“You,” Rain managed between sniffles, “are the luckiest, most reckless pony I have ever known. We thought you were dead!”

“I thought you all were too. How did you escape?”

“After the sparklefang showed up, the dragons scattered and never came back. Admiral Silk Screen found us the next morning.” Willow rubbed his mouth in disbelief. “But you, everypony said it had killed you. Lily was screaming bloody murder when-”

Rain stopped in the middle of ruffling Comet’s mane. “Wait, where’s Lily?”

“She’s ok?” The weight just kept lifting from Comet’s shoulders.

“She’s not, Egghead,” Thunder said. “After you… died, she fell apart. She’s…”

“What Ogre's trying to say,” Stratus cut in, “is she needs to see you, now.” The filly nodded and followed her friends below deck. Before she disappeared down the stairwell, her head popped back up.

“Oh, Captain,” she called to Firefly, “Princess Celestia told me to bring you all to her if I found you. So… We’ll need to head to the Cumulus soon.” Before the mare could respond, she had disappeared below deck.

The sight she beheld on Lily’s bunk was eerily familiar. A small, pink ball of fur and feathers was curled up beneath a blanket. For a brief moment, Comet could not find any sign of life, until the soft rise and fall of the blanket indicated her wingpony was still breathing. Rain touched Comet lightly on the shoulder before corralling the rest of their company and leading them out. Comet crept up to the edge of the bunk and put a hoof on Lily’s back.

“...Lily?” The breathing froze, and Comet felt every muscle tense through the blanket. Slowly, as if moving too quickly would make her vanish, Lily looked over her shoulder. Her pupils shrank as she saw her friend standing over her. “...Hi.” For a long while, the two of them just stared at each other, completely unable to think of anything to say.

Lily Nimbus punched Comet Shimmer across the cheek. There hadn't been any warning, just a quick sucking of air. But the punch was plenty real, and the indigo filly sprawled against the floor in a daze. Before she could register that she was on her back, pink hooves slammed down on either side of her head. Lily hit her again.

“You stupid,” smack, “bucking,” hit, “idiot,” Lily screamed as she continued to barrage her friend. “You died! You bucking died! You turned to ash right in front of me, you bucking idiot! I said I’d keep you safe, I promised, and you went and bucking died! What is wrong with you!? You… You…” The pink filly collapsed against her wingpony and bawled, screaming about how stupid Comet was and how much she hated her. The filly only held her tighter as tears rolled down her own cheeks.

After delivering a few bruises, Lily finally slowed down and looked Comet in the eye. The chiroptequus thought she had been surprised when her wingpony had punched her, but when Lily brought her head down and kissed her, well, that proved her entirely wrong. The contact lingered for the briefest moment before the pink filly pulled away and held her tight.

“I thought I’d lost you. I thought I’d screwed up and lost you.”

“I’m sorry, Lily…” The pegasus’s embrace was honestly too tight, but neither of them would dare let the other go.

~*~

Returning the favor, Comet got Lily cleaned up and as fed as her stomach could handle, and when she was arguably presentable, Cyclone Company departed for the Cumulus. There were so few of them, between the casualties and those too injured to present themselves. It was a wonder they could muster an entire platoon, let alone the two they had bunched up into. Rainbow Blaze had to fly slowly to avoid aggravating his cracked rib, which caused Firefly to slow down to match him, which in turn made the rest of the company slow their pace.

They found Princess Celestia on the top deck, clad in her usual regalia, and arranged themselves in mid air to address her. They landed in tight, even rows, with their officers in front. Though she was near to the back, Firefly caught Comet and pulled her forward, who in turn yanked Lily along with her. The pink filly's cheeks flushed red; her first time meeting the princess, and she looked like she'd rolled through Tartarus.

"Princess," Comet Shimmer saluted, "May I present Cyclone Company, of the 265th Airborne."

"A pleasure." Celestia smiled at them. "Sgt. Shimmer has told me of your ordeals in the south, and of the camaraderie and trust you treat each other with. It is good to know such valorous ponies exist. I understand that this atmosphere is thanks to you, Captain Firefly?"

"Ma'am," Firefly saluted, "just doing what I believe to be best for my ponies, Ma'am."

"And I believe it has paid off. But I have not called you here just to commend you for your fibre. I trust you have heard the plan for our defenses?"

"We have, Your Highness," Firefly said.

"I have brought a plan of my own that we shall be attempting first, and I require you all for it work." She smiled at their confused gazes. "Unfortunately, nopony can give away the nature of our strategy, so I must play this one close to the chest. I trust that you will all be by my side when we meet our foes?"

"You can count on us, Your Highness." Cyclone Company saluted together.

"Excellent. You may bring your belongings over to the Cumulus to save on time. There is more than enough room; we did not have any combat wings to accompany us south. Additionally, I understand that the remaining crew and combat wings of the Adamant, the Starfall, and the Equinox are with you as well? See that they know to make their way here. I intend to have the Cumulus spearheading this operation, and I would have all the experienced, trusted ponies I can muster." Celestia gave Comet a stern glance. "I will see all of you soon."

"Ma'am." They lowered their hooves, turned, and departed. The lot of them made their way back to the Adjudicator, but the twins just couldn't make it that far.

"What did you do!?" They both squealed. "Why is the princess regarding your sorry flank on, y'know, a familiar level? And you’re a sergeant? What the buck?"

"I... kind of sort of... teleported into her war chamber." The filly smiled bashfully.

"Shimmer," Firefly said flatly, "I hope you realize that you'll have to explain this to all of us."

"Absolutely, Captain," Comet replied, "everything except the parts the princess made me promise not to. But I'll tell you, once we find the others." The crews of their old airships were scattered across the ships that had rescued them, and it was just shy of two hours later that the last of them stepped onto the Cumulus.

Comet found a cabin large enough to seat them all, made sure they were alone, and told them of her after death adventure all the way up to her departure from Canterlot. Some refused to believe she had actually spoken with Scholar, seeing as he was, well, a dragon, but her squad backed up her story of their maelstrom rescue. Much like her, none of them had heard of a changeling, and she had to describe the insectoid creature to them as best as she could remember.

"So they can impersonate dragons?" Rain gasped.

"Yes, but normally they can't due to their size. Scholar thinks the changelings have something that's augmented their power."

"And you trust him?" One of the pegasi near the back spat.

Comet glared. "Are we still on this, Bomber? He saved all of us at the maelstrom. If he wasn't trustworthy, you'd be dead too. The changelings have enslaved the dragons and are using them to invade Equestria."

"And I take it this is what Princess Celestia's secret plan is related to?" Firefly said.

"Yes." Comet flattened her ears. "And I can't tell you what it is. I'm sorry."

"Obvious question," Stratus raised his hoof. "If changelings can imitate other creatures, how do we know you're not one?"

"Because I know you were Sgt. Thunderhead's favorite punching bag, Screwup. I know Gale Force earned his nickname for nearly blowing chunks all over Lily. I know you two," she pointed at Willow and Rain, "used to be at each other's throats every day. And you," she pointed at Rainbow Blaze and Firefly, "helped me believe joining the Guard wasn't the biggest mistake of my life. You also made me drink... a lot." The mare shrugged innocently. "Changelings take shapes, but they can't take memories. Celestia told me that." A few ponies, Firefly included, seemed to relax. Their comrade wasn't a fake then. "To be honest, I don't entirely know what Celestia's plan is. But she's been honest enough with me that I trust her. And I trust all of you."

"Good enough for me," Firefly said. "So for now, we're on the same track. All of you, rest up and get ready. Whatever the drag- changelings bring for us, we need to be ready to beat back. Our scouts should have an ETA before sundown, but be ready for anything, anytime."

"Yes, Ma'am," her company barked and dismissed themselves. Firefly turned to her second in command.

"Rainbow... I don't want you to fly."

"I'm not letting you go up there alone, Fly. Don't expect me to." His jaw turned to stone. “Don’t ask me to.”

"I won't be alone, you big lug. I'll have my entire company, and we'll be a tail's length behind the bucking princess. But your rib... I saw how hard it was for you to fly over here. Look me in the eye and tell me you can fly combat maneuvers." He couldn't. He tried, he really did, but he couldn't lie to her. "I want you with me, but I'd rather you be safe. Will you wait for me?"

"Until the end of time." He kissed her, a fleeting gesture to avoid attracting the attention of their peers. She didn't let him get away that easily.

Comet watched from the door, her mouth scrunched to one side. Quiet as a shadow, she slipped out of earshot before she muttered, "Should have seen that coming."

~*~

The scouts came rushing north as fast as the wind could carry them. The dragons were close, they reported, no more than a day away. They were crossing the Beaverhearth River when the scouts had spotted them.

"So by the speeds you saw, they should be here," Admiral Merry Weather traced a line across her map, "Just after sunup tomorrow."

"At least we will not be waiting long." Celestia turned to the scouts. "Excellent work, all of you. Go get some rest." The pegasi saluted and made their way out. "Admiral, I think it would be best if everypony knew. I don't want anypony unable to fight tomorrow if they can."

"Will it come to that, Your Highness?"

"I should hope not," Celestia frowned, "but I've been wrong before."

~*~

Cyclone company and its "honorary members," the survivors of their ships and the other companies from Strike Group Eight, were the only ones who seemed at all jovial at dinner. Maybe Comet's return wasn't really, all things considered, a real reason to celebrate, but when your greatest accomplishment is not dying in the middle of the desert, anything positive is a boon.

Lily was back to eating proper food, and even cracked a few jokes and smiles with the rest of them. Comet tried to respond to everypony, but she never drifted too far from her wing. It was haunting how much Lily was a pink doppelganger of how she had been after Fang's death. The memory stabbed a fresh wound in her heart, but her main concern was the pink filly beside her.

It was her concern when they pulled out the cider, it was her concern when they went through round after round of singing, it was her concern when half the company was either already passed out or too tired to carry on. When Lily decided she'd had enough for the night, Comet excused the both of them. That didn't stop some from continuing their topside festivities.

"Night Light," Thunder Clap droned, "we got any more cider?"

The unicorn tapped the side of the keg. "Dry as a bone."

"What about ale?"

"Out of that too."

"Damn, we drank it all?" Stratus hopped down from his crate. "I guess the party's over."

"What? Buck that. If this is my last night in this world, I'm gonna bucking enjoy it."

"Clap, you're down an eye. You're really gonna fly?"

"Damn right." The green pegasus tapped under his good eye. "Faust saw fit to give me two. I'm not sticking around here when I can be of use up there."

"Fine,” the charcoal colt sighed, “just stick close to your squad, alright? No use getting killed because you have no peripheral vision."

"Aye boss." Thunder Clap gave a wobbly salute and wandered off to find something else to continue his evening with. The twins would have followed, but they were both too tired to even stand.

"Who knew Clap would turn half decent by the end of all this?" Sun Ray muttered.

"All it cost him was an eye," Moon Beam replied sweetly. She leaned against her sister and smiled. "Sis?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm glad you're with me."

The yellow twin wrapped a wing around her sister." Idiot, that's my line. I signed up first, y'know... You didn't have to come along."

"Yes I did. As if I was gonna let you do something so stupid and so dangerous by yourself." She closed her eyes and smiled. "We're a team. Always will be." Sun Ray hugged her close and whispered something in her ear, but the snowfall blue pegasus was already asleep.

~*~

Willow Wisp lay on his side and tried to catch his breath. His heart was going a mile a minute, but when he pressed his chest against Rain, he felt hers beating even faster. He nuzzled her neck, leaving light kisses wherever he went. She mewled affectionately at his butterfly touch.

"As far as last nights go, this has been a pretty good one," the lemon yellow colt panted. The brick red filly beside him giggled.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it. For a moment, I wasn't sure." Sarcasm laced her tone.

"Did you not?" Willow made to say more, but she rubbed her nose against his.

"I enjoyed it very much. Such a gentlecolt you can be, when you want to." She rolled on her back. "Who would have thought it, back when we first met?"

"Life has a way of leaving surprises for you," he said. "...Silver."

"Willow?"

"I know, right now, things are really uncertain, but," he took her hoof in his, "I want you to know I love you. You mean everything to me, you do. And if we make it through tomorrow, I want to spend every day of the rest of my life with you. So... what do you say, Silver Raindrops?"

The brick red filly stared at him incredulously. Her eyes began to sparkle with gathering moisture, and Willow was sure he had blown it. “You, mister,” she huffed, “have terrible timing.” But she was giggling behind her mask of disapproval. The filly rolled over and scooted up to her colt. She stopped when their noses were almost touching. "If we make it through tomorrow?" She leaned in and captured his lips with hers. Even though they were both out of breath, neither one of them dared break the link, until finally she pulled away and whispered, "Every day."

~*~

Even though she had not asked her to, Comet's bunk remained empty for the rest of the night. Instead, Comet lay in Lily's bunk, holding the filly close. A long time ago, the pink wingpony had promised to keep her safe while she slept. It was only fair that she do the same.

"Comet?" Lily said.

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have hit you."

The chiroptequus laughed. "I kind of deserved it." Lily frowned. "Not just because I made you worry. You worked so hard to be strong for me. You were always around when I needed you to be, always ready to help me out, even when I didn't want you. I made you work so hard for my sake, and I couldn't do the same for you." Comet buried her face in the bouncy curls. Her father was right: they were like a wild storm. "So, I'm sorry... I'm so sorry."

Lily wrapped her forelegs around her friend. "I never held it against you, Comet. You gave everything you had, and I gave everything I had. That's what friends do, right? I just... didn't know how much I'd miss you until you were gone." Her embrace tightened. "I thought I'd let you down. I thought that, when it had really come down to it, you'd died for me, and I didn't want that. I wanted you to be alive, and happy, and to be my friend."

"I am, Lily. I'm alive, and I'll always be your friend." Comet squeezed her. "My brother would be lucky to have you."

"Yeah, he would." the two of them laughed. "But I don't know how he'd feel, having to share me with you all the time."

"Well, the two of us have always been pretty close. I'm sure he'd understand."

"Ew, Comet, what?" Lily pushed her back. "You're siblings, what the hell?"

"What? We've always spent a lot of time together, even when we were little. What did you-" Comet gasped and hit Lily on the shoulder. "You are terrible!"

"Hey, you said it."

"I did not!" The chiroptequus turned an ever more brilliant shade of red.

"You implied it!" Lily managed before Comet grabbed her pillow and hurled it in her face. Red faced as she was, she was still laughing. Lily pulled the pillow away to reveal her own smile. "I was referring to platonic activities. You were the one who got all weird with it."

"That was entirely you, you pervert." Comet yawned. Lily roped her back down to bed and nuzzled up against her. "If you marry my brother, we'd be sisters."

"I love package deals," Lily mumbled as she drifted off. Comet barely heard her say, "Love you, Comet," before the pink filly was fast asleep.

"Love you too, Lily." Comet made herself comfortable and drifted off herself. Tomorrow, they might all die. Tomorrow, Equestria could fall. Tomorrow, everything they had ever known could be lost.

But for tonight, for just a couple hours, nothing could touch them.

Ch.20 - Resolve

They awoke to a chorus of horns ringing out across the riverlands, a baritone flock that heralded the end of the world. For a moment, most of them lay in their beds, breath caught in their throats. Against all logic, all of them lay there, hoping that somepony would call a false alarm.

It never came, and Firefly was not one for wasting time.

“Alright, mules, outta bed, outta bed.” She banged on their bunks as she went by, and banged on them if they didn’t immediately get up. “Good news, boys and girls. Last day of the war’s here! Come on, everypony get your suits. We want to look bucking fancy for our date with the dragons. Drifter, are you gonna get all spiffy for your date?”

“Gonna sparkle like a diamond, Captain,” Stratus said around the strap in his mouth. “I shined my shoes and everything.”

“Good stallion. Snowdrift, you been practicing your dance moves?”

“Gonna cut the rug all to pieces, Boss,” the white stallion shouted back.

“Raindrops, you’ve been bucking Twiggy here enough. You gonna buck some dragons with us?”

“I saved something just for them, Ma’am,” the brick red pegasus patted her colt on the back to clear his straps. He whispered something in her ear, and for once, rather than blush, she whispered something back that turned him as red as she was.

“Come on, ponies, the clock’s ticking. Upstairs, upstairs, move it!” Rather than run, all of them flew as best they could in the tight quarters, bounding off walls and gliding to the next one. They reached the top deck to find Celestia already clad in her glimmering armor. “Your Highness, apologies for being late.” Firefly saluted, the rest of her company following suit right behind her.

“No need to apologize, Captain. I didn’t expect you for another minute or two.” The princess smiled at them. “I want all of you to stay close to me. We’re going to be flying directly for the center of their lines. Do not engage until I give you the signal, understood?” They all nodded. “Very good. I think everypony is just about ready. Captain Firefly, I have something for you, as a precaution.” The princess’s horn flashed for just a second, as did the fuschia mare’s body, but nothing seemed to happen. Firefly put a hoof to her throat as if she was choking, but calmed almost immediately. “For the time being, I shall take command of your company.” She gave one last look over them before her wings unfurled. The twin appendages seemed to go on forever, like towering clouds on the horizon, each feather more perfect than a diamond.

Not to be blinded by the spectacle, Cyclone Company prepared to jump. Rainbow Blaze, Pastelight, and more than a dozen others, all too injured to fly, stood by and watched. Night Light stood with them, his preparations already made. For a brief moment, Rainbow’s gaze locked with Firefly’s. After everything they had said last night, what else could they say? So Rainbow just mouthed, “I love you,” to her, and she did the same, and then they were back to business. Some things never really change.

Lily’s outstretched wings fluttered in the wind as she leaned over to Comet. “You’re not going anywhere this time, right?”

“Not without you,” the indigo filly reassured her.

Celestia looked over all of them and gave them a warm, thankful smile. “I know that it is not an easy decision to be here,” the princess said. “But you have put yourselves between danger and Equestria’s future, and for that, you have my eternal thanks.

“I am so proud of all of you.”

The alicorn rose onto her hind legs and dove over the side of the ship backwards, catching the sky beneath her and righting herself into an easy glide. With her drop, hundreds of pegasi jumped from their ships and flew alongside their princess. The wind felt like home beneath Comet’s wings as she soared between the princess and her company. Beside her, Lily Nimbus glided on early morning currents, Willow and Rain beside her, Stratus and Thunder Clap and the twins beside them, and on and on and on. The filly steadied herself; whatever was to happen was already happening, and she had already determined that she would not run away.

“Hey Sun Ray,” Stratus called out to the yellow filly, “what do you hear?”

“Nothing but the rain, Drifter,” she called back. Moon beam laughed. “You think he’s ok?”

“I know he is. If there is a heaven, Ray, then we’ve all earned our place.” The sounds of chatter darted throughout the airborne ponies as they followed their princess. Down below, earth ponies and unicorns could be seen hoisting their weapons skyward, a gesture their winged kin returned with hearty cries. It was a few hundred yards out from the ships that Celestia drew into a graceful hover, watching the dragons approach.

There must have been hundreds, no, thousands of them swarming over earth and sky. All manner of colors, all manner of shapes and sizes, it was hard to believe that they were all of one race. Comet’s heart sank as she saw more than a dozen massive sparklefangs among the flight, all chained as Scholar had been. Apparently, their services as magic wells were no longer needed, for the dragons flew completely free of storm, shadow, or any other magical cover. The early morning sun was blocked out by the shadow of so many dragons flying overhead, and if it were not for the shaking of the trees below, one might have missed the presence of the endless longtails and wingless sparklefangs scrambling along the grassy earth.

Celestia closed her eyes and breathed deep. For so long, she had walked this world, partaken of its beauty and its wonder, and had done everything she could to pass that love on to her ponies. Even in the face of such danger, the soft smell of the river and the trees put her mind at ease. Everything that she was, she gave to her subjects. If she were to die here, then it would be only fitting.

“Don’t you dare give up now.”

The sun princess opened her eyes and declared, with a voice far louder than should have been possible, “Dragons of the southern lands, cease your approach.” And to everypony’s surprise, they stopped. “For too long, our kinds have shed blood across earth and sky for bitterness’ sake. Let this be ended, here and now, with no more loss of life.

“I would treat with the leader of your flight to accept the terms of our surrender.” Waves of horrified murmurs would have washed across the pony armies, had they not been too stunned to speak. Comet felt dozens of eyes turn on her, boring into the back of her head, but she did not budge an inch. Lily nudged her wingpony in panic. Comet’s glare only hardened.

A large, almost fat broadwing separated itself from the flight and lumbered forward. Comet remembered Earnest Hem describe a Mountain King, a title earned by strength, designating a position of leadership over all other dragons. If size was an indicator, this one certainly had a good standing -- it was almost half as large as Scholar, though considerably more round.

“Princess Celestia,” the dragon hissed in a sufficiently feminine voice, “such a surprise to find you here in the flesh. I had not expected to meet you until we had taken Canterlot.”

“Such a thing will not happen, I assure you.” Celestia sent a surge of magic through her horn, and a chest levitated from the deck of the Cumulus and sped out to meet her. “You demanded an item of us a year ago, one that I dared not give you. But the suffering we have endured is beyond our ability to bear. So we shall give you what you demand.

“We will surrender the Elements of Harmony to you and your flight.” Comet bit her lip hard enough to draw blood. “In exchange, you shall leave Equestria, never to return. No dragon is to pass beyond our borders until the ending of the world. Do this, and we shall put our grievances aside. Do you agree to these terms?”

For too long, the Mountain Queen said nothing as she squinted at the chest. Her gaze would flit to Celestia, then back at the chest, then back again. A scaled, fanged smile twisted her lips, and finally she said, “We accept, Princess.”

The chest opened, and six stone orbs floated out in front of Celestia. Each was about the size of a pony’s head, made of smooth, featureless stone, save for a deep carving on the face of each one. Celestia looked each of them over before floating them to the Mountain Queen. The dragon took them in a colossal paw and twirled them like a sextet of ben wa balls. She seemed content to float there, her army neither advancing nor retreating, as she fiddled with her prize.

“Do you know the sad thing about all this, Celestia?” The Mountain Queen said. “You hold someone’s word as an unbreakable oath. You think that, because I have said I will do this thing, it will actually be done. A thousand years, and you are still so naive.” The orbs floated out of the dragon’s hand, held aloft in a murky, turquoise glow. The dragon stretched, and was suddenly consumed in green fire. Her body shrank, her limbs receded, and her leathery wings took the form of billowing, crystalline insect wings. When the fire died, the changeling floated before them, freed of her disguise. She was bigger than the ones Comet had seen before, with longer legs and a jade, web-like mane where fins had adorned the others.

Around her neck, a darksteel amulet dug into her chiten, deep rubies glowing an angry red. The metal wrapped around her throat in the shape of broad, razor sharp wings to match the spear like unicorn head that topped it. “That amulet. Where did you find that!?” Celestia cried.

“You would be amazed what just gets left lying around, Celestia.” The changeling removed the amulet and held it aloft as well. “It has been a most wonderful tool, allowing my swarm to masquerade as dragons, giving us the willpower to hypnotize the strongest among them. But it’s just a toy,” she tossed the amulet, not watching where it fell, “when held against this mighty trophy.

“You have not only given us the Elements of Harmony, Celestia, but all of Equestria. Perhaps all of the world. But don’t worry,” she cooed, “you will learn to love your new masters, as the dragons have. You will love us all.” Tendrils of sickly green magic ensnared the Elements in a macabre web before the changeling queen. She channeled her power into them, and they shed their sedimentary guise, becoming balls of pure light and color. Celestia’s horn flared, but it was a candle against the brilliant light before her. Comet had to shut her eyes as a second sun erupted outward.

~*~

Comet Shimmer arrived in a secluded chamber of the castle around half past who-even-knew in the morning. She had been given a new officer’s collar as a formality, and the glimmering wings that adorned it looked fresh from the mint. Across the room from her sat half a dozen large, stone orbs, perfectly smooth, arranged in a neat little circle. She poked one curiously, but it was heavy enough to resist rolling against the plush carpet.

“Not what you expect legendary artifacts to look like, hm?” Celestia chuckled as she appeared. Comet jumped at her princess’s voice cutting through the silence.

“I thought you said the Elements of Harmony had been lost for a thousand years.”

“And they are still lost, I’m afraid.” Celestia ran a hoof over the stone sphere. “That does not mean I have forgotten their appearance.”

“They’re replicas?” Comet inspected the stones even more carefully.

“Very nearly, Miss Shimmer. Each element is adorned with an engraving denoting the element each stone bears. Do you remember them?” Comet shook her head. “There are, obviously, six in total: Honesty, Kindness, Laughter, Generosity, Loyalty, and Magic.”

“Magic seems kind of out of place, doesn’t it?”

“In a sense, but can you quantify everything that makes a good friend?” Celestia smiled.

“Is that what the Elements are? A… friend maker?”

“It is better to think of it as, friendship is harmony between two parties.” Celestia circled the spheres until she was on the opposite side from Comet. “Are you starting to gather why I have summoned you, Comet Shimmer?”

The filly looked over the stones. Celestia had said the Elements bore an engraving denoting their trait, but these were perfectly smooth from top to bottom. The Elements were without their elements, without the things that made them whole… “You need the traits?”

“I do,” Celestia said. “You dedication to your friends, your determination to find them against all hope, tells me of your love for them. It is this love that shall give these replicas their signatures, and make them so appetizing to the changelings.” Celestia smirked. “Changelings can smell emotions like we smell foods. Love, laughter, joy, these are sweet and delectable. Anger, fear, sorrow, these are bitter, but sustaining when necessary. The Elements are, and bring out, the best in all creatures. Nothing is more appetizing to them.”

“Celestia, how do you know so much about changelings?”

“Because I have fought them before, little one,” Celestia sighed, “long ago. But that is for another time. This work is delicate, but I shall guide you through it as we go. I need you to think of your friends: everything that brought you to them, everything you love about them, all the times that made them ponies that you cannot live without." The alicorn's horn glowed, and a delicate golden thread appeared between Comet and the spheres. "Focus.”

Comet closed her eyes and thought hard on her company. A feeling entered her mind, smooth like cream, colored pink and gold like the softest of roses. A smile graced her lips. The milky glow reminded her of Silver Raindrops. Even before they had become friends, she had always been kind and cordial. Though she never seemed to regard Comet anymore than she was regarded, the brick red filly always gave her a smile, often answered her questions or responded to her input. She was like a mother, nurturing and kind and full of love. She had always put others first, even when she was in as poor condition as they. That she saw something so worth loving in Willow Wisp was only a testament to her kindness.

The feeling changed, tickling Comet with warm bubbles that popped against her fur. She couldn’t help but giggle at the sensation. The twins had always managed to do the same: even in dark days, where there was no reason to smile, they had found a way to. They always had a song, a joke, some sort of act to put on, not just for themselves but for everypony else. Anypony who didn’t like them initially had warmed to them in time. The laughter they shared between each other, they spread as far as they could, leaving smiles in their wake.

The force against Comet’s mind cooled, wrapping around her like a spring breeze. The smell of flowers, maybe a brook, wafted by her, putting her at ease. It took her back to a bar stool from long ago, where a cobalt pegasus had seen she needed help and gladly gave it. Rainbow Blaze had never told her it would be easy, only that they would do everything they could for each other. He had never hidden his approval, his disappointment, his humor, or really even his love. He had been an optimist at times, but never delusional, and he had so driven Comet and the others to be equally honest with themselves and with each other. He'd saved her on that confused and lonely night, and she owed it to him to do everything she could.

The spring breeze washed over her, caressing her from nose to hoof. Everything it had, it gave her. Moon Fang had been that way. It hadn’t just been for her, it had been for everypony. He was always thinking of how best they could succeed as a team, how they could support each other when they were on the edge. His last thoughts had been for her, and she knew she could never have repaid him for everything he had done to see her safely through. He had given everything, everything, for the ponies that he had come to call his family. She only hoped that she could still do the same.

The caressing sensation stilled, becoming almost hard, but not tough. It solidified against her, around her, supporting her in a gentle but firm embrace. Lily -- Faust, Lily Nimbus had been such a pain. She was so loud, so rambunctious, so forthright about everything, it was impossible to miss her presence. And it wasn’t an act, she really was that way, but none of them had noticed the point when her inner fire would set theirs ablaze. She was one of the first out, last back, pushing ponies one way or another to do better. She had never quit. And she had never quit on Comet. She had had so many opportunities to, so many reasons -- the chiroptequus was pretty sure she would have -- hell, she had quit on herself, but Lily hadn’t. She could not have asked for a more dependable friend. No matter what, she had to find her.

The sensation exploded through Comet, swirling, coalescing, burning, living, and dying only to swell into existence again. There was no single pony that could stand out in the cosmos inside her mind. Everypony she had come to know, everypony she had loved and lost, everypony that had made her who she was, was there, watching, smiling, guiding her even now. Her mother, her father, her brother, her teachers, her friends, her squad, her platoon, her company, her ship, they were all waiting for her.

So she went to them.

Comet’s eyes opened and she reached for air. Had she been holding her breath the entire time? How long was “the entire time?” She felt as if she had flown a dozen laps around Canterlot, but she was warmer than she had been in a long, long time. Before her, the fake Elements of Harmony held a soft glow about them. Each of their smooth surfaces was marked by a deep insignia, unlit against their luminescent shells.

“I must say, I am impressed,” Celestia whispered. “I expected the process to be more challenging. Ponies cannot usually recall what makes their friends so dear, so easily.”

“Did it work?”

“Splendidly, little one.” Celestia levitated each of the spheres into a wooden chest. As they settled into the felt lining, their glow ceased. “If your company is present at the rendezvous, their presence will compound the power of our replicas, making them all but real. But there is one more element to this spell that even I cannot conjure, one that will release the dragons from their shackles. For that, we will need help.”

“Who can do the last part? Do we have the time to find them?”

“Oh yes, Miss Shimmer,” Celestia smiled. “In fact, we will be meeting them there.”

~*~

The Elements of Harmony exploded.

A shockwave billowed in all directions from the magical circle, blowing the changeling queen, the dragons, and the ponies back. The dragons and ponies on the ground were pressed against the grass and dirt as the wave fell down on top of them. Even the airships, hundreds of yards away, lurched violently as they were blasted by the aetheric shockwave.

The changeling queen righted herself in midair, panting as she tried to take in the scene before her. The elements were crystalline dust, already lost to the morning winds. The ponies were completely unaffected. And behind her, two centuries of work had been exposed.

Her changelings, precisely interspersed among the dragons, had returned to their insectoid forms. They did not even seem to know until they noticed each other. They looked to their queen in panic, but she had no answers. But worse, even worse, were the severed magical tethers she could see dangling from the dragons they had once controlled. Only a few remained in tact, a pathetic fraction of their vast army. Light began to return to the emancipated dragons’ eyes, the sparklefangs recovering the fastest. The changelings drifted nervously in their formations, surrounded on all sides by creatures that were no longer their allies.

“You…” the queen hissed and turned on the alicorn, “what have you done? What have you done!?”

“The Elements of Harmony will not bow to a cruel heart,” Celestia spat, "or to one who has no heart at all. They have denied you, changeling, and undone your magic. As for your revealment, that is the work of one of those you sought to enslave.” The princess’s gaze hardened. “Your slave army is no longer yours.”

The first changeling to die found its head inside a dragon’s mouth while its body fell to the earth below. The floodgates opened, and the emancipated dragons roared for blood. The insectoids scattered, their remaining puppets throwing themselves against their free kin. Celestia cast a quick spell, and the hypnotic tethers that bound the lost dragons became clear for all to see.

“Captain, if you would,” Celestia motioned to Firefly.

The fuschia mare opened her mouth and split the sky, “All hooves, weapons free. Targets are the changelings and the ensnared dragons. Unshackled dragons are friendlies, do not engage, repeat, do not engage. Leave the slave dragons to their kin, focus on the bugs. Leave no changeling alive.” The ponies charged with a year’s worth of vengeance pushing them forward. The gap between them and the already raging battle closed rapidly, and they could make out the changelings firing some sort of magical beam from their curved horns. Whenever it contacted a dragon, the beast would crumple in agony for as long as the beam held on it. Every so often, one of them would try to transform, but a shimmering, golden light would drag them back to their natural form.

The pegasi, their feathers more sensitive than the leather of a chiroptequus’s wings, were the first to notice the tens of thousands of tiny dust particles floating in the air. The Elements of Harmony hung over the battle in a nearly imperceptible dust, dispelling the changelings’ transformation as fast as they could attempt it.

No more disguises.

No more tricks.

Firefly looped over a dragon, rolled under a second, and leapt off a third to remove a changeling’s head from its neck. Their targets were far smaller than they had been before, but they died so much easier. Left and right, changelings tried to escape to find dragon and pony alike cutting them off, hungry for their green blood.

No one bore that hunger greater than the sparklefangs. Their minds returned to them, their magic obliterated any foe foolish enough to challenge them. One broadwing latched itself to a pearly gray sparklefang, viciously biting at the larger drake's throat. On the third strike, its fangs shattered against magically hardened scales. The beast roared in pain before it was pulled free by a massive hand. The sparklefang clutched it by its throat, gripping tighter and tighter until a sickening crunch sounded from the broadwing's neck. The larger dragon discarded the corpse, turned, and turned a trio of glimmerbacks to ash before they could escape.

Thunder Clap vaulted over a dragon to bear down on a changeling. At the last moment, the insectoid spotted the green pegasus and unleashed a wave of agonizing ether on him. Thunder screamed in pain -- every bone in his body seemed to shatter, and his skin crawled with bites and burns. His missing eye burned like a white hot lump of metal. His wings seized, and he had to let gravity carry him the rest of the way to his target. The changeling met his glaive, and the agony vanished. Panting from the memory of a pain that never existed, Thunder shoved the changeling away and scanned for his squad.

Wren Song saw an opportunity and led her four ponies through a tight corkscrew. She knew she only needed to line them up, and sure enough, they rolled out of the maneuver with five quick kills. A shackled broadwing dropped in front of them, mouth glowing with inner flame, before another dragon of comparable size crashed into its side. The freed dragon tore into its blazing gullet, immune to the gushing flame that billowed from the wound. With the inferno raging uncontrollably, Wren saw no reason to stick around any longer than they had to, and hurried her squad along.

The twins, a few hundred yards down, had been cut off from their squad. Beams of agony lanced around them, striking ponies and dragons and limiting their chances for escape. A beam grazed the snowfall blue twin, causing her to drop a few feet. Sun Ray dove after her towards the mouth of a hungry dragon. She caught her twin right as a column of golden light the size of a train obliterated the dragon that would have swallowed them both. Celestia glided past them, a fifth of Cyclone Company in her wake, targeting dragons left and right. A few of the enslaved reptiles recognized the danger she posed and tried to jump her at once. Eight spears of pure light unfolded behind the princess, angled at the dragons, and skewered them faster than anyone could perceive. A ninth slipped by and struck out at her, but its claw crumpled against a shield the color of dawn. A flash of the alicorn's fluted horn turned the dragon into a brief, tiny star.

The changelings behind the nine deceased dragons turned to flee, but Stratus would not have it. He was the first to reach them, his squad close behind. His glaive angled wide and cut through the changelings wing, so he rolled away, taking the wing with him. Flightless, the changeling plummeted like a stone. A second changeling turned to strike the ash pegasus, but a sparklefang's fiery missile consumed the insectoid before it could so much as blink. Silver Raindrops and Willow Wisp formed up just behind him, each marking up another kill, but the three of them together drew the attentinon of a lanky glimmerback. The beast lunged for them, its mouth wide and drooling. Willow grabbed Rain and dropped as fast as he could right as an amber blast of dragon magic hit the drake in the side, crushing its ribs. The beast rolled in midair, its claw swinging wide and grazing the filly along the base of her wing. She howled in pain and clung to Willow.

“Drifter!” Wisp shouted. His squad mate was right beside him. “I need to get her back to the ship. Cover us!” Stratus nodded, and the three retreated behind Celestia’s endless barrage. To their surprise, they did not have far to fly; with the original plan out the window, the airships had closed in, forgoing the more inaccurate ballistae in favor of concentrated magic barrages. Night Light was doing his part when the three landed on the deck.

“Buck,” the unicorn spat, “I’ll get the medic. Put some pressure on that.” Willow held one hoof against the wound and stroked Rain’s mane with the other. She smiled at him.

“Cheerleader, I gotta get back out there. You two stay here, alright?” Willow nodded, and Stratus Drifter vaulted back over the side of the ship. Just above the tree canopy, the changelings were discovering the lack of control they held over their remaining servants. While the dragons knew to hunt down ponies, they did not seem to be able to distinguish between pony and changeling. Such was the case for the half dozen pursuing Wren Song’s squad through the trees as a broadwing descended on all of them. Without warning, the dragon let loose a sea of fire, consuming all the trees in its path. Pony and changeling alike darted through the woods, trying desperately to escape the inferno. The wall of fire reared like a wave, blasting heated air down on top of the ponies. Lily Nimbus, a tail's length behind her wingponies, was forced towards the ground, but she flared her wings and leveled out with inches to spare. Wren rolled hard to the left, leading her squad out over the river. The changelings tried to pursue, but the fire leapt out to the bank, trapping them and swallowing them in the all devouring blaze.

With the river blocking the firestorm from spreading, Wren and her squad took a second to collect their bearings. The second was interrupted by a ballista shot whistling past to strike a drake on the far bank. The ground battle was even more of a fracas than the fight in the air. The dragons had not crossed the river when the changelings had been revealed, and had since not bothered to cross. When they could, the reptiles would grab changelings and drag them to the water, holding them under until they stopped struggling. Their enslaved kin proved harder to subdue, but the ponies on the far bank aided with careful shots that either killed the draconic servants or divided their attention. A few tried to cross, but as Admiral Merry Weather and her team had predicted, the current proved too great for many of them, and they were carried downstream.

“Alright,” Wren said to her team, “We’re just going to get in the way down here. Rally back up near the princess. If we’re going to end this, that insect queen has to die. Ready?” They nodded and took off after her. Above them, blasts of magic and agony ricocheted about, cutting the air with crackling energy. A squad of changelings swung wide around the sqaud, and a volley of agony lanced past them. Squad Four broke formation and sped after their attackers. A beam caught Sparky Bolts across the hind hoof, locking the leg down in searing pain. Dewbead threw herself forward, blocking the beam with her sabre and freeing her squad mate. Before the changeling could target her, Wren drove her glaive through its back and out is gut while Comet and Lily cleared the two behind it. Five chunks of changeling plummeted, and five ponies continued their climb.

A sphere of empty space surrounded Celestia -- any dragon or changeling that came too close either died by her magic or died by her escorts. The battle had been in their favor from the start, but looking around, it did not look like the changelings could last much longer. But before she could give any orders, the air around her crackled with energy. She vaulted to the side as a beam of black, bubbling, electric magic jolted through where she had been. It continued on, striking the side of an airship. The hull around the impact rotted away, the damage spreading across the side of the ship like burning paper.

Celestia turned back to the changeling queen before her. The insectoid leader was panting in fury, covered in dragon and pony blood, her eyes locked on the alicorn. “Two centuries of careful planning, and you’ve undone it in a day. I subjugated the dragons!” The air around her crackled with malevolent magic. “I brought the oldest race in the world to their knees! I will not be defeated by a prancing foal who plays at leadership!” The energy coalesced into a beam of agony, pitch black and full of hate, all for the princess. Celestia countered with a shining golden barrier, swallowing the agony as it struggled to reach her. Both of them shook from the exertion as the battle raged around them.

The changeling queen howled in pain as a glaive ran through her leg, adding another hole to those already present. Thunder Clap twisted his weapon, his jaw set in a wrathful grimace. With a cry of fury, the queen blasted him away with a pulse of agony, shattering his polearm. Snow Veil and Evening Star caught the dazed pegasus as Stratus and the twins crashed down on the queen from above. She managed to block them with a barrier, but before she could repel them, an attack from Ardent’s squad forced a second shield.

“Do not interfere, you whelps!” A massive pulse knocked them all away, and she resumed her duel with Celestia with even greater fervor. But the interruption had given Celestia the moment she needed, and this time she countered with a magic blast of her own. The two blasts met halfway, devouring each other like crashing waves, and igniting the air as the arcane wills of the two leaders clashed across the sky. But the exertion took a greater toll on the queen than before. If changelings could sweat, she would be pouring buckets. The twins and Clear Morning assaulted the queen from behind, breaking her focus once more. She cried in anger, but Wren’s squad arrived from below and were stopped just shy of skewering her chest. The queen expanded her shield to rebuff them, but she only succeeded in creating more surface area for the ponies to assault.

Cyclone Company pummeled the shield with everything they had. Fur singed, feathers snapped, wood and metal groaned and screeched and crackled, but they refused to let up. The changeling was caught between a dozen relentless pegasi and a furious alicorn princess. A massive weight nearly crushed her as a few of the airships pulled close enough to add their firepower to the assault. A few of the ponies were gently pushed to the side before the magic of three of the sparklefangs crashed into her defenses from behind. As the intensity threatened to crush her, she felt it. Her power was draining.

Changelings can consume all manner of emotions, some for the taste and some for necessity. But they always hid their forms so that they could more easily take from their victim. Nothing stood between her and the ponies she had sought to kill now, the ponies whose friends she had killed by proxy. And they were force feeding her all of their hatred -- one of the few emotions a changeling had no stomach for. It lanced through her like poison, sapping her strength. Cracks formed in her shield. The magic of an alicorn, a few dozen unicorns, and three dragons leaked through, searing her chiten. Green blood seeped from a ever growing number of wounds. She bared her fangs and screamed in defiance at the princess. Only a cold stare returned.

“You will never know what it is,” Celestia said, “to have someone who will give everything for you.”

The queen’s barrier shattered. All of the combined magic surged in on her, crashing together atop her crippled form. The pegasi were knocked back by the blast, thrown hundreds of feet by the sheer amount of power being channeled into such a small space. When they righted themselves, they found only a cloud of black dust falling away from where the queen once stood.

Leaderless, the drones routed in a directionless daze. Only those nearest to the edge of the battlefield were not quickly dispatched by the emancipated dragons, and they were hotly pursued by their former slaves. The remaining dragon puppets, their strings cut and their minds too atrophied to recover, seemed to just turn off. A long, low wail rang out from the dragons as their fallen brethren surrendered to gravity, which was matched by the longtails as their lost kin looked to drift to sleep on the grassy shores below.

Comet hovered beside Lily as she tried to catch her breath. The air could not enter her lungs fast enough. Her mane smoldered ever so slightly as the last of the magic residue cooled. Every muscle was tensed, waiting for the next wave, the next battle, but only the sorrowful dragon chorus echoed across the still battlefield. No changelings remained, no dragons looked to devour them.

It was over. She could not, for one second, believe it, but it was over.

The morning sun was blocked out as a golden sparklefang, seemingly the size of a mountain, descended in front of Celestia. It let out a tenor purr, one she matched with some assistive magic.

“Young Princess Celestia,” the dragon bowed in midair. “It is a joy to see you, truly. Dark have been my dreams of late, but now I wake to find the world darker still.”

“It has been too long, my friend.” Celestia bowed her head. “Our kinds were tricked into killing each other, I am sad to say. The suffering of my ponies is incredible, but your dragons…”

“I know, Celestia. It need not be said. The fault is our own, I am afraid. We should have realized the rot within before it was too late, but we had become complacent. Your kind has suffered horribly for our mistakes. No amount of remorse will do you or your subjects justice.”

“We are all burdened with mistakes, old friend,” Celestia said as she floated over. “We can only hope to amend them in time.” She placed a hoof against his massive nose. The dragon smiled.

“Is this what you hope for, Little Princess?”

“It is.”

The colossal dragon’s smile vanished. “I fear your wish may come true, before too long.”

“What do you mean?”

“The Elements of Harmony you presented to the changelings, I take it they were-”

“Fakes, yes: The irresistible flavor of each element, coating spellwork that undid their hypnosis and blocked their shapeshifting. The basis of the work came from your friend,” Celestia managed the Scholar’s true name, her soft soprano a world of difference from his deep tenor.

“So he is alive and free? Most excellent. That was very clever, turning the queen’s own magic against her.”

“Thank you. I would never have given the Elements of Harmony to anyone, even if I still possessed them.”

“So they are truly misplaced.”

“I’m afraid so. They were lost centuries ago.”

“Misplaced, Celestia,” the dragon corrected, “not lost.”

“What do you mean?” Celestia cocked her head to one side.

The dragon’s voice lowered. “Perhaps you have lived within their influence for too long, but the Elements endure. I can feel their power even now. But it is weaker than before. I fear the day may soon come when the Elements of Harmony are not able to maintain their defense of your land.

“And as their power wanes, their magic may be undone by those who persist under their ward.”

“Luna-”

“You must tread carefully, Celestia,” the dragon rumbled. “A chance to amend past transgressions may arise, but if you are not prepared, the conflict shall consume Equestria as it once threatened to. There is time, I sense, but it must not be spent idly.”

“I understand.” Celestia hung her head. “I will do what I must to protect my ponies.”

“Do not fear the future, Little Princess.” A massive claw raised her chin. “The future is full of possibilities. Do not bear this burden alone, and you may find help will come to those who ask for it.” The dragon smiled. “And don’t forget to look up.”

“Thank you, my friend.” Celestia nuzzled the claw. “What will you and yours do now?”

“There is much to be done to repair the damage we have suffered. Many lives lost, many minds ravaged by dark magicks. But the centuries are plentiful, and we are patient. We will rebuild in time. I imagine you will not see much of our kind for many years to come. Perhaps it is for the best; ponies and dragons have never gotten along especially well.” The dragon bared his fangs. “You are so tasty after all, if not very filling.”

Celestia smacked him on the nose. “Trying to eat me once was enough, thank you. And you will find I am not such easy prey as before.”

Her giant companion laughed long and deep. “Forgive a little carnivorous humor. Do not worry for the dragonkin, Little Princess. We will grow strong again.” He looked over his shoulder at the waiting dragon flight. “We must see these ones home before the remnants of their minds are lost forever. I’m afraid this is goodbye for a time, Celestia.”

“Goodbye, my friend. May your wings carry you to the ends of the world.” The golden sparklefang turned and made his way south. The other dragons fell into a loose, broad flight behind him. The ponies watched them in silence until they were specks on the horizon.

Comet Shimmer drifted close to the princess, quietly watching their former enemies depart. As much as her hatred for the beasts endured, she felt for their loss, and she wished there had been time to truly come to know them. Maybe there would be.

The filly sighed and frowned.

“Princess Celestia?”

“Yes, Comet Shimmer?”

“I quit.”

Ch.21 - Return

They stood in rows of twenty, wrapping loosely along the river bank. Cyclone, Downpour, and Moonlight Companies, as well as their airship crews, stood silently as the ponies down by the shore did their work. All of them had spent the past three hours collecting twigs and flowers, but the unicorns were far better at the intricate work of weaving them all together into little floats.

The tradition had originated long ago under the pre-Equestrian pegasus platoons. A feather of the departed would be wrapped in the flora of their final rest and set adrift on the winds to float forever. The earth ponies brought their appreciation for water and their wooden boats, and the unicorns brought their magic and their fire. Many boats did not have feathers or locks of hair -- there was nothing left to place -- so they bore the favors of those closest to them. For the Dauntless and the Ranger, nopony was really sure what to do. They finally decided that the best course of action, the proper course of action, was to make a float for every crew member. Nopony wanted to count how many little twig ships there were as the last were wound together.

Night Light helped Fir Bough finish the last one. They had put as much effort into Captain Candescence's as they could, and Crushed Satin patted him on the back. It was perfect. She deserved as much; she had lasted long enough to know they were safe. Fir breathed heavily through her nose, but when Night Light offered to take it down to the water for the shaking mare, she refused and took it between her teeth. The ranking officers walked down to the beach and scooped up the multitude of ships. Silently, they set them in the water, and one by one, the current carried them away. Somehow, the captains of their ships found their way to the front of the little fleet.

The unicorns' horns sparked, and tiny lances of magic shot out across the water. The struck the pyramids on the top of each ship, and the coils of wicker wrapped around them sparked into blazes of reds and blues and all manner of colors. The ponies on the shore watched as their comrades floated down the river, their vessels becoming both boat and torch to see them safely on.

Normally, the entire process was observed in silence. But Willow Wisp couldn't help himself. He picked a song he was certain most everypony would know, a popular one from just before the war started, and mouthed the first lyrics to the ponies beside him so they could start with him. Just as had he had hoped, the twins never passed up a good song.

[You drew a map so we’d remember
All the places that we went to
And although we never meant to
We lost it on our way

You drew a map so we’d remember
How to get back to the highway
But instead we followed moonlight
And were completely lead astray

And we have traveled this way, all of our days
And we will keep on following the dotted lines
Till we find a better place

We took a trail down to the beach where
We'd heard the music play before
The fires, they went on forever
Like flaming jewels along the shore

We sat there soaking up the starlight
And sang along to every song
Though we didn’t know the words
We made them up as we went along

And we have traveled this way, all of our days
And we will keep on following the dotted lines
Till we find a better place](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVq8u365PwE)

The song won over the silence, and the ponies sang after their friends. The ships popped and sparked in return, spitting colored flame into the air as they disappeared down the river. The current was strong, and it would not take them long to get where they were going.

~*~

The trip home took longer than their mad dash south, as they were now traveling to match the battalions on the ground again. The peaceful journey was a bizarre experience for all of them. Nopony seemed willing or able to believe the war was really over. They were still riding on airships, still ready with armor and glaive and ballista, but there was nothing to fight. CAG rounds were over. The crews continued to run their ships as they had for months, just because that was what they knew to do.

It was on the third night of their return journey that Princess Celestia strode into the galley, holding something between her wings to hide it from prying eyes. Comet Shimmer and her squad were polishing off their meals and chatting about how they were going to make their ways home. Comet, of course, had the easiest time of them. She smiled at their ribbing, and that smile faltered only a little as Celestia strode up to them.

“Your Highness,” Comet nodded, “how are you tonight?” Silently, Celestia revealed three bottles of the red wine Comet had snuck onto the Adamant when it had departed from Canterlot. Six glasses set down on the table, and one by one they were filled with rich, red fluid. “Princess?”

“Drink.” Celestia sat across from them and took a drink in her hoof. Confused, Comet’s squad each took a glass. Celestia raised her glass and downed the drink in one long go. The pegasi quickly copied her. When they set their empty glasses down, they were quickly refilled. “A princess must be ready to lead in any situation. We are alive, my ponies, and we have prevailed against an enemy who would have ravaged our home. But nopony is celebrating. It seems I must lead in the revelry, so I shall accept this duty with steadily rising joviality.” The alicorn smiled. “Cheers.”

Comet snorted and buckled over in laughter. Celestia politely waited for her to finish, but she just kept laughing and pointing at the alicorn before clutching her sides. Tears ran down her face; it hurt to laugh so much, but she just couldn’t stop. Lily cracked under the absurdity and started laughing with her wingpony. The two ponies hung on each other for support, their wine forgotten on the table.

Down the table from them, Firefly, Rainbow Blaze, and Night Light sat together, watching the scene incredulously. Lily Nimbus made enough sense, but they never expected Comet Shimmer to openly laugh at the princess. Night Light hid his cracking smile by getting up and disappearing down the hall. He returned a moment later with two large kegs of cider floating behind him. He set down a dozen or so mugs and filled three of them. The two pegasi each took a drink.

“To surprises,” Night Light raised his mug and put it to his lips. The drink was cool and sweet and sang on his tongue. His friends joined him as others began to congregate around the kegs.

“Hey, Wisp!” Firefly called out. “War’s over, kid. Why don’t you give us a song?”

Willow raised his head from its perch on Rain’s neck, careful not to graze her bandages. “If you ask nicely, Ma’am, I might even give you three.” The filly beside him gave him a low C to start, and he was off into his melodic realm. The songs he chose were well known and easy to follow, and with fresh drinks circulating, it wasn’t long before he had half the galley singing along. The cooks threw caution to the wind and cooked up the best their stores could offer: Salads, oat steaks, crispy potato cakes with cinnamon applesauce, piles of diced fruits smothered in cream, and a seemingly endless supply of drink. Celestia seemed to be the only one who made note of the time, as she eventually excused herself to raise the sun, but the soldiers did not let the sunlight hinder their revelry.

By the fifth night, the celebrations had diminished to fluctuating pockets of elevated partying. Exhausted, most ponies would drift off to sleep somewhere, only to wake a few hours later and receive another mug to start all over again. Comet was not sure how much she had had to eat and drink in the past however many hours, but her belly felt ready to burst, and she decided the pile of rope a few feet away looked rather comfortable. She sprawled out on top of the coiled hemp and watched the clouds and the stars hang high above.

“What do we do now?” Comet muttered to herself. She tried to think on the life she had left behind the day she signed up for the Guard. She would wake up, have breakfast, go to school, go to the library after, go home for dinner, and do something fun before bed. But she had graduated, and a prestigious Fillydelphia college wasn’t in her future, it seemed. So she would probably get a job at the library, with her mother, and work there. The thought had always been fine with her before, but something made her uneasy now. She could not shake the frustration that gnawed on her skull.

“I think you need to put some work into your hammock there, kid.” Firefly laid back against the pile of rope, a mug of cider in one hoof and her stallion in the other. “Thinking on the big questions?”

“Yeah,” Comet murmured.

The mare waited for her to say more, but she did not know what else to say. “Well, start simple. Are you staying with the Guard?”

“No,” Comet replied immediately. She stretched her shoulders. “No, I’m done.”

“Good. So you’re gonna go home then?”

“I guess so.” Comet sighed. “I’ll probably find a job, something that can pay rent. It’s about time I moved out, I guess.”

“Becoming your own mare.” Firefly patted Rainbow on the head. “There’s nothing wrong with taking a break, you know. Faust knows we’ve all earned it.”

“Are you going to take a break, Ma’am?” Comet peered down at the couple.

“Hmm, don’t know yet. How about you, Blaze? You want some time off?”

“I wouldn’t object to a little R&R.” Rainbow nuzzled her affectionately. “As for long term… I don’t know. I guess I could get a job on a weather team or something.”

“You can do better than that, you big lug,” Firefly said and punched him on the shoulder. “There’s always something you can do, Shimmer. Bright kid like you, I’m sure you’ll land on your feet.”

“Thank you, Ma’am.” Comet smiled. “Wouldn’t have made it without you.”

“Nah, you did fine.” Firefly stretched. “A good bet on my part, if I do say so myself.”

~*~

A chorus of horn blasts reverberated across the fleet, startling most of the sleeping crew awake. Most of them jumped for their armor and equipment, before they remembered with sheepish chuckles that the dragons were gone. Some still put them on anyway.

The ponies made their way topside to find the ships drifting through dense clouds. The ghostly forms of other ships would vanish in and out of the mist. The horns continued to blow, declaring where the other ships were so they wouldn’t haphazardly crash into each other. Like spectres, a scout wing rushed past the Cumulus, their horn letting out a repeated two-tone call. The clouds began to let up, and finally the Cumulus broke free of the vaporous cocoon. Before them lay the open, green fields of Central Equestria. And sitting in the middle, tall and proud, was Mount Canterlot.

The celebration in Canterlot greeted them before they had even reached the docks. Dozens of pegasi flew out to meet the victorious army and escort the marching ponies up the side of the mountain. As they neared the borders of the cities, the masses of waiting ponies swelled; every pony that could must have come out to greet them. Their cheers were deafening as the first ground battalion marched through the city gates. The airships floated lazily overhead, passing between confetti rockets and fireworks as they held court over the city. Without anypony meaning it, their return became a grand parade, marching to cheers and street performers from the Southern Gate to the Ecliptic Plaza.

The airships circled over the plaza and a dozen blocks in every direction, filling the sky with their bulks. The slow but cheerful task of getting everypony down to the ground began. Pegasi carried their crews down in some cases, while the more powerful unicorns simply teleported onto rooftops and verandas. Willow Wisp carried Rain down to the cobblestone road, setting her down gently. She kissed him in thanks as she slid off his back. Cheering ponies were all around them, congratulating them on their victory and welcoming them home, but none of it reached either of them. They had made it, and more importantly, they both had made it.

Night Light thanked his ride, hopped off beside a lamp post, and took in a deep whiff of the Canterlot air. He never knew he could miss a smell so much, but there it was. His city lay untouched, safe by the efforts of him and his comrades. Out in the desert, it had been hard to remember who and what he had been fighting for, at times. All of it had seemed a distant memory, the connections to reality frayed by the harsh environment they had lived in. But back here, amidst the sights and sounds and smells of his city, he had no trouble remembering why he had marched off to war. And it had all been worth it.

The what was all around him. But the who, he still had to find. The stallion took off in a sprint -- he at least had an idea where to start. The city raced past him, a din of song and cheer. Night Light disappeared in a flash at the base of the stairs and reappeared at the top. He was too preoccupied to realize that he had, somewhere, figured out how to teleport. As he reached the tall double doors of the Central Library, his hooves cemented themselves against the stone. He had no idea what he was going to say to Twilight Velvet. For so long, he had thought of her. Memories of her face, of her laughter, of her talking had carried him through the darkest days he would ever know. But what if she didn't want him anymore? What if she hated him for leaving? What if he had lost her long before he had lost the locket? No, he at least had to know. No backing down. He had faced dragons, and he could face his mare.

He raised a hoof to open the door, but it swung away without his effort. In the doorway stood a pearly white unicorn with a striped purple mane. Her coat seemed to glow in the soft morning light. Her saddle bag sat neatly across her back, its contents packed up for the day. He was sure she had seen a ghost.

"Night Light?" Twilight Velvet's eyes began to water, her jaw quivered, her knees grew weak. It was him, tall and blue and dumb and hers.

"Hi, Velvet," he smiled sheepishly, "I'm home." She threw herself against him, and he pressed himself against her and twirled them both around. They couldn't decide whether to laugh or cry, so he kissed her until he was turning even more blue in the face. She buried her face in his shoulder, and he never let her go again.

Comet Shimmer and Lily Nimbus drifted above an earth pony battalion with their squad, waving and catching favors that the crowds threw. They each had a considerable bouquet, and it was still a couple more miles to the Ecliptic Plaza. So whenever they received a new flower, they would toss one back to the crowd, back and forth until their bouquets were entirely different.

"Dewbead," Wren shouted, "who would you think we were, coming home to such a big fanfare?"

"Big damn heroes, Ma'am," Dewbead laughed and caught a rose between her teeth.

"Aren't we just." The cream colored mare sighed and smiled. None of this was ever supposed to happen to her. She played her harp to theaters of refined ponies who clapped as quiet as physically possible. War was not a dominion she knew, nor was leading, and she hoped she would never know them again. But she had seen her squad was home. She hoped Cinnamon Cane felt that was enough.

"You know," Dewbead purred, "you should really learn to smile more. It's a party, Song. Enjoy it a little." She pushed her commander. "And you look good when you smile."

"I'm enjoying it just fine, thank you." But her lips curled upwards just a little more. Just a little.

By the time they reached Ecliptic Plaza, the entire area was overflowing with ponies. There was no way that the entire city could jam into the square, but they certainly were giving it their best effort. Half of Cyclone Company had disappeared, off to find a little privacy or partake in a moment of celebration. Comet Shimmer kept scanning the crowd, watching for a specific group.

The leathery wings of a chiroptequus are rare enough in Canterlot, but three pairs flying together could only be one family. Lily nudged Comet and pointed, and the pair excused themselves and raced off. The indigo filly's family set down in the last open part of the plaza and waved as they approached. Lily slowed to a landing, but Comet dove head first into her mother and father's waiting hooves, squeezing them like a lifeline.

She was home.

All three chiropteqi were slow to let go of each other, but when it was clear that they weren't going to disappear, they pulled back a bit to smile. Comet's eyes sparkled with half formed tears, just like her parents', but she smiled a big, toothy smile. "I'm home," she whispered.

"Welcome home, Shimmerbug." Her father stroked her mane, and for once in his life, there was not a single thought about whether it should be cut. A hoof poked Comet's shoulder and she spun around to find Twin Tail beaming at her. She clung to her brother and laughed into his shoulder. She was getting his fur wet from crying, but he was doing the same to hers, so buck it. Out of nowhere, a memory jumped into her head, and she squeezed her brother tighter.

"Tail, I'm sorry," Comet said. "I got you a scale, but... I lost it somewhere."

Twin Tail choked on a laugh. "You stupid little filly. As if that's what I really wanted." He held her tight against his chest and kissed her mane. "Welcome home, little sis." She dug her head into his fur and clenched her jaw. They hadn't changed a bit. And it hurt, because she knew something in her had, and she wouldn't be able to be the same filly for them again. But they would figure it out. Families usually do. Speaking of which...

"Tail?" Comet pushed away from him. "There's somepony who'd like to say hi to you. She's very dear to me, so treat her right." She spun her brother around to show him a teary eyed Lily Nimbus. She grinned sheepishly under his attention.

Twin Tail took her hoof in his. "Long time no see, Lily Nimbus. I'm glad we get to meet again."

Lily blushed and laughed, "I appreciate you trying to be a gentlecolt, but let me skip the horse shit and get to the part I want," before she jumped him to the ground and started sucking his face off. Comet would have been embarrassed if she had not expected Lily to do, honestly, a lot worse. A pair of wings surrounded the chiroptequus, one from each of her parents, and pulled her back to them. In their warmth, she felt ready to fall asleep. A lot of questions remained for the filly, but they could wait a while. Her war was over.

Ch.22 - Life

For the first time in forever, Celestia actually had a vacation. The kingdom had effectively shut down in celebration, leaving little to be handled at the top. There were, however, a few matters to be dealt with, and a few that she wished to deal with.

The first was dealt with quietly, and as quickly as possible. Half the challenge of fighting changelings is the battle, and half is the clean up. Every enlisted officer was ordered to report for a "routine medical exam," during which they would be hit with the revealment spell Celestia had devised. Faculty had to be drilled, security trained -- so far as they could see, the changelings had been defeated to the last drone. But Celestia had believed them to be gone once before.

The second matter sat on a pile of cushions, polished and perfect if it weren't for the violet spots that adorned its surface. Celestia knew so little of dragon eggs, there was no knowing if the spots meant anything. She tapped her horn against the hard surface and felt within. It was alive, so very alive, and full of fire. She had no doubt it was her friend's whelp.

"Your Highness," one of her advisors said, "is it wise to be messing with a dragon egg?"

"It is no different than a chicken egg, really." Celestia retracted her magic. "But this is the egg of a magically gifted dragon. Two of them, even. It will not open only with the passage of time." She pursed her lips. "This egg must be infused with a great deal of magic to hatch."

"Surely you could hatch it then, Princess? I cannot think of any pony with as much power as you, if you don't mind my saying."

"Thank you, but I will not." The alicorn stroked the side of the egg. She swore she felt its cargo stir within. "This is not the time for baby dragons. The wounds are too fresh, the hatred too strong. It would not survive us. In time, maybe, we shall forgive enough to let a dragon live among us, and learn from us." She smiled to herself. "Besides, I would very much like to meet the little pony who can hatch a dragon egg. Their potential for good or for evil would be just as mighty as the dragon's, I imagine."

~*~

Everything was wrong.

The coffee was much better, and her bed was much softer, but nothing felt right to Comet Shimmer anymore. She couldn't sit and read for hours at a time like she had before. The filly was constantly looking over her shoulder or scanning the skies. The flitting shadow of a bird or a passing pegasus would set every nerve on fire, every sense acute. Her house became preferable to wandering the city; it was controlled, it was predictable. It was safe.

Her room was too quiet. And night after night, she would burst awake with a muffled scream and not be able to shut her eyes for hours. She would stare at the map, now hung above her bed, and stare, not really absorbing what it was saying, and try to avoid thinking about the places on it she had been to. On a few occasions, her parents would find her thrashing in her bed, and had comforted her when she scared herself awake. They would all imagine it away in the morning, and drink their coffee, and carry on with their day. It was her family's way of telling her they didn't blame her for anything, and she was thankful for that. But the filly knew. She wasn’t just different.

She was broken.

The knowledge scared her. She told her parents as much, and they gave her all the help they could. But how could they know? She had gone to war, in part, so that neither of them would have to know. So she was alone with her thoughts as they ate at her day to day life.

One night, as the shadows danced in the corners, and half lost memories clawed at her mind, Comet found Lily's address in Cloudsdale. The filly snatched up a roll of parchment and her quill, and she wrote. She wrote and wrote, anything and everything that came to mind until the sun was creeping through her window. When all was said and done, her envelope looked more like a small package. But a few days later, a letter almost as long arrived from the rambunctious pegasus. All it took was one reading, knowing that her wingpony was as hurt as she was, and Comet was off to Cloudsdale. Just being close again seemed to aid the fillies, and over drinks they devised a plan.

The two of them started writing letters to their friends, sending them far and wide across Equestria. And to their great relief, they started writing back. Mailboxes were stuffed with correspondence as Cyclone Company wrote each other back and forth, keeping up with each other's lives and keeping each other sane. And when they could, the we all sure to meet up. It helped, more than she could express, to know that they were still out there, and that she was not alone in her confusion. But nothing could help Comet shake the feeling that the war was still right behind her.

One late spring day, the filly made her way down to the recruitment office to check in about her discharge. She had filed it weeks ago, but they were receiving so many resignations, they couldn't hope to process them in a timely manner. Still, she had finally received a notice to appear, so appear she did. The secretary had to search through two mountains of manilla envelopes before she found hers half way through the third.

"Sorry for the wait." The secretary leafed open the folder. "Sgt. Comet Shimmer, your honorable discharge has been denied."

"...What?" Comet vaulted up on the desk. "What!? How, why!?"

"It's been placed on hold, Sergeant." The unicorn mare showed her the documents. A royal seal adorned the process form. "There's a note as well: you are to appear at Canterlot Castle to resolve the matter, 'come at any time.'" The secretary shrugged. "Sorry, Ma'am. This is far beyond my level."

"No, thank you. I'll go find out what this is all about. Can I take that?" Comet accepted the envelope and made her way out as calmly as possible. What could the princess possibly want with her now? The flight over could have been a minute or an hour, she wasn't paying attention. She set down in front of the castle gates and showed the documents and note to the guards on station. They let her by with a quick salute, and she managed her way through the pearly maze of vaulted halls to the throne room. From the looks of things, the day court was still in session, so she got in line to see the princess.

How anypony could deal with such tripe for two hours, let alone a whole day, the filly could not comprehend. She wished she had brought a book. Finally the herald called her name, and she walked down the hall to address the monarch.

"Sgt. Shimmer," Celestia smiled. "It is a pleasure to see you again. How have you been?"

"Well enough, Your Highness." The filly dropped the envelope in front of her with a resounding smack. "If you had wished to see me, there must have been less cruel ways to let me know. Arrest warrants, armed escorts, take your pick." Hushed conversation rolled through the audience. The filly's gaze remained fixed on the monarch, her lip curled into a demanding frown. "So, what can I do for you?"

Celestia smiled her motherly smile. "I always have a reason, my little pony. Come, let us take a walk. Ink Well," she nodded to her attendant, "We shall be back momentarily." The unicorn nodded, and Celestia led Comet down a sunlit hall. "You see, Comet Shimmer, I could not allow you to resign the Guard before I made my proposition. You were quite eager to leave, so I had to slow down the gears, as it were."

"So you sabotaged my discharge?"

"In a sense, yes. The process is complete, and when I give the word, the last stamp will relieve you of your rank and duties. But before that, allow me to explain why. Even for one so long lived as I, I cannot hope to know everything. My opinions and my understanding, as you know, can be gravely flawed. I need ponies by my side who can advise me, correct me, and stand both with and against me when the situation calls for it. A pony who reveres me cannot do these things. But you do not revere me. In fact, I am fairly certain you despise me still."

Comet rolled her head from side to side. "You put your life on the line, same as us, when we needed you to. I can't hate you that much."

The alicorn laughed. "I'm glad to hear that. As for the hold on your discharge, that is more of a technicality. A distinguished rank in the Royal Air Guard would bypass the usual need for a research degree in one field or another. You would remain on, officially, as a military advisor, counseling me in such matters."

"And what would I really be advising you on?"

"Oh, anything. Everything. Ponies are never so one dimensional. Clover the Clever was Princess Platinum's advisor in matters ranging from international relations to home decor," Celestia chuckled, "though her opinions in the latter were often disregarded, as I understand. Of course, if you are set on resigning, we can discuss a scholarship to a university of your choosing, provided you agree to the position. I imagine, however, you may find a university rather disagreeable, given your current disposition."

A bolt of panic zapped the filly. "I don't follow, Ma'am."

Celestia frowned. "Please do not take me for a fool, Comet Shimmer. You saw through me, once, and you are hardly as convincing of an actress. You are not as well as you might pretend to be. I see it in your eyes. War does not suit a mind like yours, but I fear it has not let you go yet. Can you honestly say a life of sedentary study would be comfortable?" Comet shut her eyes. She wanted it to be. She felt herself stretching after it, but it was beyond her grasp. A gold plated hoof on her shoulder brought her back. "What I offer is an opportunity to rebuild. Help me, travel with me, advise me, and I shall do what I can to help you."

"...Why me?" Comet said.

"Because you have no reason to lie to me, or to tell me what I want to hear. You’ve proven your dedication and your honesty. I would help everypony if I could, but I will at least help those that I can. So, Comet Shimmer, do you accept?"

Comet looked out the window. Canterlot, the city she had known since she was a foal, glittered in the spring sun. She had never left this city before Basic. But after meeting her comrades and learning of their homes, after seeing the endless deserts of the south, after learning of a dragon empire that had risen to prominence before the first pony tribes, it seemed so small now. Nothing felt right, like clothes she had not worn in years. She did not know how to fix herself, and there was nothing waiting in her future. She sighed.

"Princess Celestia, I accept."

~*~

The alarm had barely managed two seconds before an indigo hoof smacked it to silence. The shower water barely touched the mare before she jumped out and donned her fresh pressed, blue collar and gold pins. She had learned very quickly to have her thermos of coffee ready by the door well before she had to leave, or she would forget it altogether. A moving out gift from her father, he had taught her how to make coffee just the way he did. Somehow, his was still better. She snatched it with a wing as she bolted through the door, tucked it into her bag, and took to the air with practiced ease. It was only a five minute flight to work, but she would need at least a half hour to get everything in order before she was expected.

Not a day went by where Comet Shimmer was not busy from sunup to sundown, and most days she was busy even after that. Her polished lieutenant insignia removed her need for a college degree, but that didn’t excuse her from knowing everything she needed to. And there was so much she needed to know: histories, strategy, international relations. She couldn’t say she didn’t enjoy it, but she had nothing left in the tank when she went to bed each night.

It helped that she was assigned to apprentice under one of the princess’s more experienced advisors, a unicorn stallion by the name of Sunspot. He worked at one speed -- his own -- and expected Comet to keep up. But so long as she was working hard, he always helped her with whatever she needed. It was fair, she admitted, if not easy.

Being an apprentice, the mare expected to have less of an opportunity to speak. Princess Celestia seemed to have other ideas in mind; regardless of title, nopony was denied the right to enter their voice. That said, the chiroptequus did seem to offend a few ears when she would “advise” the princess on matters she strongly opposed. Yet the princess never excused her from the room. Sometimes the mare would win the arguement, other times not. As the months sped by, she began to understand the weight Celestia had carried every day for over a thousand years. If this is what she had wanted Comet to see, then she had succeeded.

The most interesting parts of her job were the diplomatic voyages the mare attended, some taking her to other cities, some to other countries. When their paths crossed, Comet never failed to meet up with her friends. So many of them were getting on with their lives, though all of them could sense the scars hiding under each other's fur. Sometimes, their meetings would be little more than them silently enjoying each other's company. It was on a visit to Cloudsdale that Comet had the chance to meet up with Firefly, Rainbow, and Lily. Word got around before she arrived, and Fir Bough, Dewbead, and Stratus were at the dock to greet her.

Rainbow Blaze and Firefly were married only a few months following the end of the war. Where Twilight Velvet had made a stunning bride, Firefly looked about as uncomfortable as a flea ridden dog. But she soldiered through when she saw Rainbow Blaze burst into tears at the sight of her. He was like a giant, blue teddy bear sometimes, she told the girls in confidence. True to her word, their captain made sure the after party was one to rememberer. Unfortunately, while they did remember it very fondly, few could remember with much clarity. The chiroptequus had not seen them since, and she greeted them both with a hug.

Comet was surprised, at first, when Stratus met her with the others at the dock, his collar adorned with the insignia of a Wing Sergeant First Class. She had heard Firefly had yet to quit the Guard, but she didn’t know he had stayed on. He saluted her, and she returned the gesture with a smile.

“I’d have thought you would quit, Screwup,” Comet mocked.

“Funny how things work out, huh? Boss wanted me to stick around.” He nodded at the fuschia mare. “Says I have a knack for leadership or something.”

“Somepony’s gotta lead the company after I burn this rag.” Firefly tugged at her collar irritably. As if she had been giving Comet a moment with her friends, Celestia chose that opportunity to stride down onto the dock. “Your majesty.” The ponies bowed.

“Captain, it is a pleasure. I hope you have been well.” Celestia bid them to rise. “I understand you have a proposition for me?”

“I do, Your Highness. Shall we walk?” The group set off through the cloud streets, their wingless kin assisted by cloud walking spells and the occasional piggyback. “Cloudsdale, as you know, is the core of the Royal Air Guard, and with not much else to do now, I get to see what all is going on. And frankly, Ma’am, it’s concerning.”

“Oh, what do you mean?” Celestia raised an eyebrow.

“We have a group of talented, now extensively trained pegasi who are unparalleled in combat and strategy. They’re quitting the Guard, burning their uniforms; war’s over. We have a circle of commanding officers who -- off the record?” She waited for Celestia’s permission. “Our commanders are a bunch of fat idiots who didn’t know how to fight a war going into this, and still don't coming out. I would rather throw myself off the side of this city than follow their orders again, Ma’am.”

“I see your thinking, Captain. What would you recommend?”

“It wouldn’t be feasible to maintain a trained army without a war to fight, but we need somepony capable of retaining the skills and knowledge so that it can be passed on when the need arises. I’m imagining an elite team, the best of our pegasi, earth ponies, and unicorns respectively, both soldiers and strategists, who can maintain our knowledge so we don’t lose it in between wars again.”

“That certainly is a more viable option. And who would lead this elite force, Captain?”

“Not me, Princess, not forever. I would be willing to help get it started,” Firefly said, “but the long term command would belong to somepony less bitter. Maybe this guy,” she pointed at Stratus.

“I mean no disrespect, Captain, but I am surprised that I am not receiving this recommendation from the admiralty. Did you suggest it to them?”

“One, yes. After that, I decided it wasn’t really worth the effort. Between you and them, one of you knows the value of action.” Firefly snorted. “As for the team itself, I’m not sure about the exact setup. I was hoping we might be able to discuss it-”

“Actually, Ma’am,” Comet cut in, “there’s a precedent of sorts.” Her saddlebags were never without her notebook. Early CE history had been her reading material for the past week, so it was fresh in her memory. “Shortly after the beginning of the Celestial Era, an elite team of pegasi were singled out for their exceptional performance. The group unofficially disbanded about three hundred years ago, but the company is still on active record. They didn’t carry such an official role as what Captain Firefly has in mind, but I believe it would suit the task.”

“May I see?” Celestia held the notebook in front of her and smiled fondly. “The Wonderbolts, hmm? Yes, I remember something about them.” Comet laughed inwardly. Celestia seemed very hesitant to reveal her age when it was not necessary. “Very well, Captain. I believe your idea holds a great deal of merit. Shall we discuss the details this afternoon?”

“Gladly, Your Highness.”

“Wonderful. And this time, Captain,” the princess winked, “what do you say we get the admiralty involved?”

“If you think it best, Princess.” Firefly saluted.

~*~

Silver Raindrops sat on a bank of cloud and enjoyed the summer sky warming her coat. Willow had a show tonight, with Wren Song and the twins performing as guests, and for the first time in months, she would be able to attend. Willow’s career as a singer had grown healthily over the years, and tonight’s show was sure to draw a crowd. They would have to leave the bimonthly get together early for it, but some of their old comrades were promising they would attend.

Of all the weddings following the end of the war, theirs had, oddly enough, gone the worst. They had taken their time, after the war was over, to be sure that they still wanted each other. As it turned out, they did, even more so than they had in the months spent in the south. But when the day came, only one of the brick red mare’s brothers attended. Blood, he told them, was apparently not as thick as Baltimare water. It had taken them more than an hour to coax Rain out to the altar, and even then it had only been by something Willow had said or done that neither of them would speak of. But whatever disdain Rain’s old family showed for her husband, her new families more than made up for. Willow Wisp, as it turned out, was from a line that seemed more appropriate to the twins, if their vibrant enthusiasm was any indication. The after party lasted until near sunup, by which point the bride could only smile. The groom never left her side.

Willow had fretted over her like a mother hen when they had started talking about moving to Cloudsdale. Her wing had never properly healed, and while she could fly and glide, a cloud city was not the best location to have even a minor aerial disability. But the mare had insisted; she wanted to be closer to her new family, and she wanted for their foal to actually know her godparents. Rumor had it they were thinking of a child of their own. Rain could not imagine Firefly with a foal, but Rainbow Blaze could pull it off.

A little bundle of yellow fur was curled up against her chest, sleeping gently while the rest of their picnic went on. The already long locks of rosy pink hair covered her face, and every so often the foal would bat it away in her sleep only for it to drift back. Rain smiled at her child. Even though she could walk now, the little one seemed to prefer the company of her mother rather than attempt to chase after her father. He worried sometimes that she was too quiet for her own good, but the mare would only laugh and tell him he was fretting.

When the foal really warmed to her father was when he sang. No matter how hard she bawled, the sound of her father’s melodies soothed her, and she would giggle and reach for her silly dad. The yellow oaf doted on his two girls, and the mare loved him for it. Her husband had been worth surviving the war for. Her daughter was worth everything that came after. The foal stirred a bit and let out a soft gurgle.

“My dear little Fluttershy,” Rain cooed, and hummed a soft tune.

~*~

Stratus Drifter leaned back across the bleachers. His Wonderbolts were just finishing up their morning exercises, and he’d need to give them a go over. Well, they weren’t his, per say: they were still Dewbead’s first and foremost, and Summer Seas, while not enlisted anymore, managed so much of the backend that he might as well be her X.O. But he operated most of the field work, and whenever she called it quits, he would be top dog. He’d even managed to snag a new nickname among the elite fliers.

The stallion looked over his schedule for the day. Oh, shit. Lt. Thunder Clap was coming in… now, with a bunch of young fliers looking to join his company. Stratus straightened his coat and bounded down to the field just before the green mountain appeared. Behind his impressive form, a gaggle of young recruits trotted in mostly even ranks. The charcoal pegasus could not believe they had looked that young at one point.

“Lt. Ogre, you tall block of mean spirit.” Stratus saluted and shut one eye. Thunder rolled his good eye and returned the salute. “What do you hear?”

“Nothin’ but the rain, Atlas. I brought you some sacrifices.” He sidestepped so the recruits were in plain sight. “Captain Stratus Drifter on the field. Attention!” Their salutes were better than expected.

Stratus hid his smile as he paced back and forth. “So, the lot of you want to join the best damn aerial company in Equestria, huh? Well tell me this, kiddies: why should I let you in?” Silence answered. “I asked you a question, nuggets.”

“Sir,” one of the fillies barked, “because we are the top of our class and the most capable in any tested situation, Sir.”

“What’s your name, Recruit?”

“Spitfire, Sir.”

“Do you know what your most valuable asset is, Spitfire?”

“Strength, Sir.”

Stratus smirked. “If you guys are the best, I don’t want to see the worst.” A few hushed laughs went through the group. “It’s the ponies beside you, Recruit, that matter more than anything else. They’re going to see you through the worst that war, or life, has to offer. They’ll watch your back in battle, and carry you on their back in between. If you win the fight, but fail them, then you’ve lost.

“And that’s why we’re going to start today off with some team exercises. Wings up, and get to that cloud in under two minutes. I’m counting.” Taking the hint, the recruits sped off in multi colored blurs towards the distant cloud. Stratus checked his stopwatch and chuckled. True to Stargaze’s skill, It still worked after everything it had been through. A lot of things from Cyclone Company still worked, to tell it true.

~*~

Comet Shimmer could never decide which event was more surprising. First, she ran into Night Light one day, but that was not an unusual occurrence. The unicorn had returned to the castle guard, and never again complained of a slow day. She knew he was waiting, just chomping at the bit for the chance to walk up and salute her. Despite his own promotions, she was still perhaps one rank ahead in the grand scheme of things, which meant he had to salute. She could see why he had hated it.

No, running into Night Light for the upteenth time was expected, even looked forward to. What was unusual was the mini Night Light trotting beside him, except the miniature’s fur was snowy like his mother’s. Comet had heard Velvet was pregnant, but time must have slipped by her again. The boy was a true gentlecolt -- everything his father did, he worked hard to emulate, from his speech to his dress. She nearly burst into laughter at the home-sewn soldier’s collar he wore around his neck, the same colors as his dad’s, but told the colt it suited him well. The indigo mare assured him he was going to make a filly very happy someday.

She stayed much more in the loop for the coming of their second child, and was honored to bestow upon the foal her first story book. But for all her awareness of the Light family, the filly still surprised her when she appeared in the castle one day, hot on Celestia’s fetlocks. And even stranger, a baby dragon was riding on the lavender filly’s back. Comet had to ask Celestia later, to confirm where the whelp had come from.

“I thought it best to wait some time before we attempted to hatch it,” the princess explained. Comet could hardly believe little Twilight was the one responsible for his hatching.

"Princess," Comet whispered, "I don't think I can help with this one." Yes, it was just a baby. Yes, she knew the truth about the incredible mind of a dragon. But its eyes dredged up things she had thought long resolved. Celestia put a hoof across her back.

“Of course, Miss Shimmer. You won't have to worry about young Spike. We’ll teach him to love, I assure you.”

“I’m more worried about it receiving love,” the mare whispered. She knew she would not be the only one.

“Having watched him with Twilight Sparkle for some time now,” the alicorn smiled, “I don’t think that will be an issue.”

Night Light and Twilight Velvet never properly declared Comet Shimmer to be their children’s godmother, but with how often she saw them and looked after them, particularly during the hours Twilight Sparkle would spend in the library, she effectively was. Something in the way they played, and learned, and smiled, and just were, told Comet that it had all been worth it. But she couldn’t sit on the thought for too long. Dodge Province was finally growing again, and there were concerns about the new towns encroaching on buffalo lands.

Comet Shimmer had work to do.

Epilogue

Author's Note

For those of you who have been following weekly, you will notice that the final section of the previous chapter has been moved here. After some consideration, I felt that it belonged more as a part of the epilogue than with ch.23.

Thank you to everyone who has read, commented, and enjoyed this story. This is, to date, the longest work that I have written. It has been an interesting experience, and one that I hope to improve upon in the future. I would love to hear your thoughts. And now, please enjoy the conclusion.

Epilogue

The night Celestia disappeared was the worst Comet had experienced in a very long time. The alicorn had visited her the evening before, not long before she departed for Ponyville. Worry and sorrow twisted the alicorn's face, and she filled the silence with tea and small talk, before Comet finally coaxed the problem from her.

Celestia told her everything.

The winged mare stared at the princess incredulously. That she had been making such plans for more than twenty years, with not a soul growing wise, was incredible. What was even more incredible was the sheer insanity of the scheme.

“Princess, I know surrendering worked once before, but you can’t risk it. Don’t do this again.”

“I know, my friend, but this time, I’ve already lost.” Celestia sighed. “I lost a thousand years ago, to be honest. But I have laid the pieces in place, and all I can do now is hope.”

“At least take an extra retinue of guards with you. I’m sure Shining Armor would go himself. Tartarus, I'll go!”

“You misunderstand. There will not be a battle. Anypony that stands against Nightmare Moon will die, including myself. I will not have it. I will face her alone and receive my punishment. Everything rests on my little protégé .”

“You’re really going to send Twilight Sparkle into such a dangerous place?” Comet scowled. An old fury rose in her chest. “She’s just a girl.”

“So were you, once.” The mare smiled -- it was cracked and full of holes. “I believe she has more than a chance, dear friend. I believe this is what she is supposed to do. She will accomplish what I could not.”

“Do you really think Princess Luna can be saved?”

“I have to believe, Miss Shimmer. I have to…” The fury died like a candle in a typhoon. Comet placed a hoof across her back and felt her shaking.

“What do you need me to do, Celestia?” The chiroptequus had grown rather used to Celestia’s appreciative smiles over the years.

“Help the others watch over the city. Captain Armor will be able to rally the guards and keep the populace safe, but he will need your guidance. Look after them for me, Comet Shimmer,” a tear rolled down the alicorn’s cheek, “and forgive an old mare her mistakes.”

Comet wiped the tear away and smiled. “I won’t fail.”

For the first time in twenty years, Captain Comet Shimmer bore a suit of armor. She looked herself over in the mirror, frowning apprehensively. They had made some changes since last she had worn the plate, but it was honestly more comfortable for them. Streaks of silver cut through her midnight blue mane now, but Lily assured her it was becoming, “like a shower of meteors in a night sky.” Some of the others complained of aging joints now and again, and time was no kinder to Comet, but she had continued to do some of her drills for reasons even she could not explain. And her eyes, as bright a gemstones, had not failed her in the slightest. With “Auntie Shimmer” at their side, Shining Armor and Princess Cadance watched over the city for what would come to be known as The Long Night.

But the dawn came again, albeit almost a day late, and Canterlot was no worse for it. The armor returned to its mannequin unscratched, and her duties resumed upon the princess’s return.

At least, she expected them to.

Princess Celestia had a new case for her to take on. “I need you to attend somepony for a time. I cannot say how long, but this is not a task I would give to anypony. I know you are more than capable.”

“...Did it work, Princess?"

“Yes,” Celestia whispered. She could hardly believe it, but her hopes had been answered. Luna had come back to her. Her alabaster body shook with equal parts joy and fear, and Comet rubbed her back in silence.

~*~

The mare sat in her office, a fair sized room in the corner of the archives, and checked off a list by candlelight. She did not need the candle, not in the light of the full moon, but it provided a beacon for any of the guards that might come patrolling at night. And while she would never admit it, the light served to keep the shadows at bay, as it always had. An army of framed photos adorned one side of her desk: her friends from younger days, their children at various ages, her with Night Light and Twilight Velvet’s two kids, and her brother and his family; She liked to think she was never too far from any of them.

Comet had to admit, she was disappointed she was never able to attend Lily and Tail’s wedding. They were friends still, for certain, and the three of them would happily spend time together whenever they could, but it just never clicked between the two of them. Lily would sometimes give her a ribbing, saying it was because she could never decide between him and his sister. Her brother did find a sweet earth pony years later, much to her relief; her mum was getting a bit antsy for some grandfoals. The indigo mare was sure she made a better aunt than a mother. Meanwhile, Lily had stampeded her way through the Cloudsdale Weather Department within only a couple years. Last Comet had heard, her closest friend had been promoted to Chief Storm Developer and Quarterer.

The pegasus would write her all the time about the goings on of their friends in the Capitale della Pegasi, and the chiroptequus would write her all the time about their “adventures” in the actual capital. Not surprisingly, Lily was more interested in her travels. The pink pegasus was the only one that age couldn’t seem to catch up to; whenever Comet saw her, she was still just as rambunctious, just as full of fire. The indigo mare would not have had it any other way. She glanced fondly at the photo of the two of them, leaning on each other and laughing over some long forgotten joke, before returning to her planning. She would have to make a trip out to the cloud city and share a bottle of Cloudsdale Gold with the rowdy pegasus some time soon. Unfortunately, that would have to wait.

The pronghorn delegation would be arriving in a few days, and since her charge had not appeared since her assignment, Comet had continued to act as Princess Celestia’s advisor. Patience, the alicorn had advised, so Comet was patient. A week, two, and still nothing, but it was not like she was without anything else to do. Comet sighed with satisfaction and set down her quill. She’d have to find some moongrass to offer to the delegation, but she had no doubt the meeting would be a resounding success.

The whipping of rustled pages from outside shot lightning through Comet Shimmer’s blood. In a heartbeat, she was out of her chair, wings flared and fangs bared. “Who’s there?” she shouted. Granted, she was in Canterlot Castle, the safest place in the city, but nopony else was supposed to be in the archives at this time of night. The guards has already made their rounds over an hour ago. The mare crept out of her office and along the base of a shelf, peering over the tops of bindings as she hunted her quarry. Her mind conjured the smooth reflection off of black chitin, the soft glow of even, green eyes leering at her between the shelves.

In the silence far from the candlelight, where only the silver moon reigned, turquoise eyes met her tangerine slits. A gasp broke the still night, and the figure started down the shelves for the door. Comet vaulted after the pony in pursuit, and was pleased to find how easy it was to outrun the trespasser. She jumped out in front of the mysterious pony, and her breath caught in her throat.

The crystal-eyed pony, a tangle of deep blue legs and wings from stumbling backward in surprise, was a fair deal taller than the mare. A fluted horn poked out from sky blue locks that gently billowed on a calm stellar breeze. The eyes returned, not full of fear, but of surprise. The pony scrambled to right herself in front of the stunned mare.

“Princess Luna?” Comet whispered.

The alicorn froze. "You know of us?”

“I-yes. My name is Comet Shimmer. I’m… your attendant, actually.” Comet eased closer and helped Luna to her hooves. “Forgive me for startling you. I don't get many visitors this late, and I was not expecting anypony to be here.”

“There is nothing to forgive. We should not have been sneaking around,” Luna replied. “But we have seen so little of the castle, and we felt it best to explore when nopony else would be awake. We have been… hesitant to make our presence known since our return.” Comet was not aware anypony used the Royal We anymore.

“You don’t say?” Comet laughed sarcastically. “I’m supposed to be helping you with whatever you need, but I haven’t seen hide nor hair of you for weeks.” Luna’s ears flattened against her head. Comet chided herself. “...Forgive me, Princess. I got my job for being frank, and old habits die hard.”

“And what is it that you do?” Princess Luna eyed her collar. “You are a soldier?”

“Only in title, really. I served in the Draconic War, you see, but I haven’t used a glaive or sabre since. Now I’m an advisor to Celestia. It’s paperwork, mostly, but I always preferred a quill to a blade anyway.”

“We see… So you work with our sister?” Oh great, thin ice so quickly. Princess Luna seemed to have a keen ability for picking out choice words, Comet noted. The chiroptequus started into a mental list of ways to diffuse the situation before the princess could leave. The alicorn started at the sudden tension between the two of them. “Forgive us. We have tried hard to mend our relationship with our sister, but there is more to … address than either of us realized. It has been a very long time coming.”

Comet frowned, and chose the honest option. “No need to apologize, Princess. And yes, I’ve worked with your sister for many years. Celestia helped me when I was in a difficult place. She asked me to be your attendant, just after you returned, and that I might help you however I can. I guess you could consider it paying the debt forward,” Comet smiled to herself. “When you didn’t appear, I was told to give you time. Maybe I should have known otherwise. In hindsight, I should have tried to reach out to you more.”

“It is quite alright,” Luna studied her insignia, “Captain?” Comet nodded. Had they not changed their insignias in a millenium? “We likely would not have answered even if you had come to see us in our chambers. Our recovery since our return has been slow going, and we are still unsure of what we might do.”

“Your recovery?”

“Yes.” Luna’s eyes found the floor. “The events leading up to our return left us with next to no power to speak of. No magic, no flight -- we have only just recently been able to raise the moon again, and still we need help.” Her shoulders slumped. “Is it more demeaning to be treated like a porcelain figure, or to be as weak and fragile as one?”

Comet placed a hood tentatively on Luna’s shoulder. The alicorn started a touch, but did not pull away. “But you’re recovering, yes? You’re stronger now than you were?” The alicorn nodded. “Then give it time. I’m here to help you, and I’m sure Celestia is as well. And if anypony in the castle gives you trouble, you can tell me, alright?” The mare’s smile faltered when the princess did not return the gesture. “Unless that’s not the only problem?”

The alicorn chose her words slowly. “When we… changed, before, we would like to say there was a line -- a distinction between us and what we became. But thinking on it, we cannot find any such division. And still we find ourselves angry, at ourselves, at our sister, at… so many things. It is yet unclear whether we are truly freed. We used the term ‘hesitant’ before, but in truth it is more…”

“‘Afraid?’” Comet Shimmer offered. Luna nodded. “Celestia told me what happened back then. I can understand why you’d be afraid.”

“She told you of us?”

“She said you were a kind, caring mare who loved to make beautiful nights.” Comet shifted on her hooves. “She’d tell me a bit of when you two were children, the kind of adventures you had. She told me about you, Princess Luna, not about the legends. I know that the real you and the thing in the storybooks are different. I’m not afraid of you, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

“So she did not tell you of our… anger?” Luna rubbed her foreleg nervously.

“She did, when I insisted,” Comet frowned. “and it was years before she really told me anything. That was a very long night. It was obvious how much she hated herself for what happened, and talking about it made her remember everything… I’ve only seen her cry once.” Comet paused and shook the image away. “But I had to know.”

“Why is that?” Luna glanced at her attendant curiously, almost desperately. She was waiting, Comet felt, for the answer that would prove the chiroptequus could be trusted. She flipped through the reasons she could give, answers that would open the princess to her.

“...A pony falls down a hole and can’t get out.” Luna cocked her head in confusion, but the mare continued. “A doctor passes by the hole, and the pony shouts up, ‘Doc, I’m stuck down here. Can you help me up?’ The doctor writes a prescription for something and tosses it in the hole before moving on. Then a shaman walks by the hole. ‘Good shaman,’ the pony calls, ‘I’m stuck in this hole, can you help me?’ the shaman says an incantation and moves on. Finally, a friend comes by. ‘Hey bud, it’s me. I’m stuck down here, can you help me out?’ So the friend jumps in the hole next to him. ‘What are you doing?’ The pony says. ‘Now we’re both stuck in here.’

“‘Yeah, but I’ve been down here before, and I know the way out.’” Comet smiled. A hint of a smile pulled at the alicorn’s lips. “I’ve seen the bottom, Princess. I may not have suffered as you did, but I know what it’s like down there. I got out, but I needed help. I want to be able to do that for you. Whatever you need, just tell me. I’ll see it done.”

“If you would like,” the midnight blue pony started slowly, “you may address us without our title, when it is just us. You do so in regards to our sister, after all.”

“I’d like that, Luna.” The smile on her princess’s face grew. “Do you have anything planned for tonight?”

“We are afraid not. We may have returned, but as we are yet recovering our strength, there are not yet any duties for us to return to.” Comet couldn’t tell if she was pleased or annoyed by that. "And so much is different now. The nights are just teeming with energy. It is so refreshing. Would that we could say the same of the new technology around the castle."

The mare laughed. "I didn't think of that... Now that you mention it, you'd never seen this castle before your banishment, have you?"

"Alas, we had not. Canterlot was but a small fortress town when... back then. We posses a map of the city and the grounds, but this is only our third night of exploration."

“You’ve gone around, undetected, for three nights?” The alicorn nodded. “I might need to have a word with the Castle Guard. So how much have you explored?”

“Little and less, we are afraid.” The areas marked off could not have comprised more than a tenth of the entire grounds.

“Well we'll work on that." Comet smiled. "For right now, I think a snack and some coffee is in order. After all, I know a fair am ount about you,but I imagine you know nothing about me, and food and drink are wonderful things to converse over. How’s that for a plan?” The princess nodded, so they started for the door. “Would you like to hear a story, Luna?”

“A story would be lovely.” The pair made their way out into the hall, where the moonlight was bright as day. Everything shone in sparkling silver, and in the distance, the gold and blue lights of Canterlot glittered like stars. Amongst them, ponies partied, drank, studied, performed, and made the most of their lives. It was everything the younger alicorn could have hoped for, everything she had desired all those centuries ago. As soon as she had her bearings within the castle, she knew she would have to explore the world of the night her ponies had made in her absence. But right now, Luna’s focus was fixed on her attendant.

Like shadows on a silver sea, the two mares made their way to the kitchens as Comet began. “This is the story,” she started, “of a stupid little filly, and a foolish decision she made. And it’s about how the love of her friends saved her life.”

Ch.1 - Papers

It was well after she had received her assignment papers and walked down the hall, out the door, down the steps, and half way across town before Comet Shimmer realized just how much of a mistake she had made. She looked down at the roll of parchment in her hoof as if seeing it for the first time, staring at the golden Equestrian Royal Air Guard wax seal. Glittering in the setting sun, it seemed to become a knife in her chest, and the indigo mare suddenly found herself short of breath. In a daze, she floated into the nearest pub and absently ordered a tall mug of whatever, silent otherwise. Her leathery wings twitched at her side until the barkeep, a big earth pony with a jaw like the side of Mount Canterlot, came back with her drink.

“Anything else for ya, Miss?” the keep asked as he set down her mug.

And that’s when the sobbing began. She hadn’t meant to, she wasn’t waiting for him to say anything, the fuse had just picked that particular moment to run out. Her shoulders shook like autumn leaves as hot, stubborn tears betrayed her. What had she done? How would she, a stupid little chiroptequus, make it in the ERAG? And in the midst of a war, no less? Comet had seen the sorrow in their beloved monarch’s eyes as she announced the declaration of hostilities from the Dragon Clans to the south. She had been moved, she felt compelled to help. Apparently, suicide was the only thing she had managed to come up with.

Spontaneous crying was nothing new in Oak Barrel’s pub. Fillies and colts alike would come for peace, quiet, and drink only to find their emotions getting the better of them. Often times, though, it required a few rounds for the dam to break, not the mere sight of one. Now he once again had a crying filly on his hooves, like as not just dumped by her coltfriend, letting her composure go all to pieces. That was his reckoning, until he saw the scroll in her hoof, gold wax seal and all. A huff caught in his upper lip; this kid looked barely old enough to bear a cutie mark, and she was supposed to be fighting dragons in six months’ time?

Does that seem right to you?

With a sigh, Oak Barrel slid her mug of ale off to the side and reached under the bar. He came up with a squat, sparkling glass and a bottle of a rich, golden liquid. A small orb of ice, a smooth pour, and a hint of cinnamon, it was one of his signatures. He set the glass in front of the puffy-eyed filly. “Drink. On the house.” She hiccuped air for a moment, grabbed the glass, and managed to down it before the kick set her to shivering. “Good. Now wait here.”

His voice reminded Comet Shimmer of a low cello, gruff and powerful yet strangely soothing. Whatever that drink was seemed to have burned away her tears, so she sat at the bar, trying to steady her breathing until the keep came back. A soft blue pegasus was beside him, his gaze a mix of confusion and worry. A cyan sash with sunny emblems sewn to each end sat across his shoulders, little pins glittering in the soft light. The earth pony whispered something in his ear, and the pegasus took a deep breath and straightened.

“Thanks, Barrel. Her drinks are on me tonight.” Oak Barrel nodded and left to clean some tables. The pegasus sat on the stool by Comet and set his sash on the counter. “Oak Barrel tells me you just joined the army.” The chiroptequus passed him her papers. The pegasus knew the scroll well; he’d had an identical one years ago. He rolled the ribbon off and looked over its contents silently: name, home, where to report for basic training, the usual. “So, Comet Shimmer, hm? Pretty. I’m Rainbow Strike. Wing Sergeant, First Class.”

Comet reached for her near forgotten mug and mumbled something.

“What was that?”

“Sorry to be wasting your time, Sir...”

Rainbow gave her a lopsided smile. “Taking care of our own is part of our duties, recruit, and an often overlooked one at that.” The pegasus tapped the bar and flashed a few bits. Oak Barrel came by a moment later with two more mugs. “So, having second thoughts? Thought joining the military would be an adventure and now you’re getting cold feet?”

“About being dragon food? Yeah, kind of.” The ale was starting to warm Comet’s blood again. “What was I thinking? As if signing up for the Air Guard was a good idea at any point.” Her mouth quivered. The tears were building again. “I’m not a soldier. I don’t belong here, and I’m going to die.”

Rainbow wrapped a wing around the younger pony, shuffling his stool so they were closer. “There was a saying in my training group, you know? ‘The line between bravery and stupidity is so fine that you won’t know you’ve crossed it.’” She responded by downing the rest of her ale and grabbing the next one. “You’re scared. That’s normal, good even. It means you have some idea of what war is. Means you’re not stupid.” Rainbow chuckled. “My boss has no patience for stupid.”

“But I’m not a fighter. My brother stepped on a cricket once on the way back from school and I cried all the way home.”

“And you were… five?”

“Four…”

“Then I don’t think that’s really relevant,” Rainbow snorted. He smiled, and he swore he saw the faintest hint of a smile on her lips too. “The ERAG ain’t all about fighting. What’s your talent?”

“Reading…” The smile was gone, but there was a certain warmth in the way she said the word. “I’d spend weekends at the library a lot, just reading whatever. Other ponies would leave around sundown, but I could go on into the night since, well,” Comet waved at her eyes, her tangerine eyes glimmering in the candlelight of the pub.

“The Guard always needs messengers and lookouts. Good eyes are worth ten good spears.” Rainbow took a slow drink from his mug. Two more were waiting when he set his down. Oak Barrel would be getting a lovely tip tonight. “It’s not all fighting and dying out there, kiddo. The ERAG tries to fit its recruits to capitalize on their skills. You could very well-”

“Wing Sergeant Rainbow Strike, ‘teeenSHUN!” The pegasus didn’t even look before spinning off of his stool and snapping a crisp salute. A pink pegasus mare stood in front of him, clad in the light armor of an officer fresh off her shift. Under a crop of brilliant blue mane, her face was trying to decide between a smirk and a frown. A few other pegasi who had entered with her, similarly dressed, sauntered off to a large table in the corner. After glancing at Comet, the mocking smirk won out. “Enjoying your night off, soldier?”

“Without fail, Ma’am.” Rainbow remained stiff as a board until his commander nodded. The way he limbered his joints and shared the mare’s smirk made it seem to Comet as though this was some running game the two had between them.

“So, Rainbow, you going to introduce me to your date? Bit young for you, isn’t she?”

“D-date?” Rainbow’s head snapped to Comet and right back. “It’s nothing like that. She’s a recruit.”

“Ah.” The mare’s eyes once again found Comet. “Ahhhh. Well then, why, recruit,” her voice chilled with every syllable, “are you not standing at attention alongside this pile of feathers?”

“M-m-ma’am, sorry ma’am!” Comet stumbled off of her stool and mimicked the pose Rainbow had taken earlier. “Recruit Comet Shimmer, Ma’am. I just got my assignment this afternoon.”

“Didn’t ask your name, recruit.”

“Fly, give her a break, she’s-’

“Green as grass and about as smart.” The mare held out her hoof. Comet glanced at Rainbow, who nodded repeatedly at her papers, so the filly offered over her scroll. Firefly grabbed it and set it on the bar, not an inch unrolled. “So, recruit, you want to kill some lizards.” The pink mare started pacing around the chiroptequus. Her hooves seemed to deliberately bump into Comet’s, inching them into an ever tighter bunch.

“Excuse me, ma’am?” If Comet’s hooves could have been any closer together, they would probably merge into a single limb. Her wings fluttered nervously at her sides. Sweat started to gather under her fur. She was, for all purposes, a baby seal being circled by a shark.

“Young mare volunteers in wartime, signs up for the first war Equestria has seen in over a century. Not many chances for glory in the Guard until now. Scent of blood drew you in.” Rainbow stood by, watching back and forth between the mare and the filly. But Comet’s eyes couldn’t leave the rocky purple ones staring her up and down. “Well?”

“M...Ma’am?” One could have heard the bead of sweat that dripped off the filly’s nose hit the floor.

“You didn’t answer my question. Do you want to kill lizards?” The mare stopped in front of Comet, eyes locked with no chance of escape. Comet’s mind raced. The answer her superior would want to hear, and all her fears and all her doubts chased each other until they threatened to leap out of her stomach and on to the floor. She wanted to close her eyes, block out the mare, block out the pub, block out the day, and wake up in her bed, realizing that none of this had happened. But those eyes kept her’s open, blocked her escape; only an answer would set her free. So she blurted the first thing that came to mind.

“I don’t want to kill anypony!” The pink pegasus tilted her head, but her gaze held. “I don’t want to kill, or be killed, or hurt anyp- anyone. Equestria is my home.” Her jaw wavered, but she held fast. “My parents own the barber shop on 5th street. My dad runs it, mostly. My mom works at the library part time. Everypony likes our shop even though chiropteqi get a bad reputation sometimes. But everypony’s been good to us. I’ve lived here all my life, and my parents can’t leave the shop to protect us, so I have to, and I have no idea what I’m doing, but I… had to do… something… to help.” The tears were nearly back, threatening to spill over her cheeks and admit her weakness to the pegasi before her. But through all her rambling, her superior never once broke her gaze, never changed her expression, never twitched. The entire night, no, the entire war seemed to blur by while their eyes remained bound together.

“Good.”

Comet hadn’t realised she had been holding her breath. Her gaze suddenly freed, she focused on forcing air into her lungs while the mare went to the bar and said something to Oak Barrel. The earth pony nodded and added something about her earning her nickname before leaving to grab a tray and a stack of mugs. The mare returned to where Rainbow and Comet were still standing. The two pegasi exchanged a look, Rainbow’s a warning, the mare’s a confirmation.

“I’m Firefly, Lietenant in the Guard and this featherbrain’s C.O.” She nudged Rainbow in the barrel. The stallion smiled reassuringly. Firefly focused back on Comet. “And as of this second, I am your god. I raise the sun and moon in your world. I tell you where to fly and when. If I say flap, you ask how hard, if I tell you to sing, you give me your best voice. You will say your bedtime prayers to me. Your flank is mine now, recruit.”

“...What?” The words circled around in Comet’s head. “But my orders-” She turned to the bar where Firefly had left her scroll to find it half submerged in a mug of ale. The noise that came out of her mouth was something between a whimper, a sputter, and a croak.

“Squad Assignment won’t miss one greenhorn. You’ll go to Basic, newbie, but you’ll be in my squad as soon as that’s over, at which point we will be responsible for your training. If you manage to not be awful, you might even end up flying my wing one day.” Firefly put a broad, pink wing around Comet and pulled her close. Comet closed her eyes, expecting anything from threats to a preemptive reprimanding. Instead she felt a warm breath by her ear. “We look after our own.” Comet opened her eyes and gaped at her new boss. Firefly was smiling. It was the first genuine smile Comet Shimmer had seen her make. “Now enough drilling for tonight, I’m supposed to be off duty and you two boneheads have got me all riled up. Barrel, keep the drinks coming.” The pink pegasus steered the filly around to where the rest of their squad was already seated.

The night was stuffed with drink, song, food, and warm company. There was no particular reason for it all, save for the lingering notion that such days might be few and far between in the months to come. Rainbow drank his share, but managed to keep one eye on his boss and one eye on his new fledgeling of a squaddie. Firefly, as captain of Cyclone Company, led the festivities. And Comet Shimmer, having a head start on the drinks, took her sips slowly but eagerly, smiling at jokes and sitting quietly in the revelry.

Two hours ago, the filly had made the biggest mistake of her life. She had been lost, alone, and more scared than she had ever been. The future was dark and full of terrors and questions with no answers. And maybe it was still just as dark, sitting at that table with her new squad, as it had been sitting at the bar. But she smiled anyway. At least now she wouldn’t face the dark alone.

Ch.13 - Bonds

"It was supposed to be simple." Rainbow Blaze sat in his boss's tent and partook of her spiced whiskey. "Jump, intercept a few dragons, come home. Hell, there weren't even that many of the buckers. But all it takes is one scaly monster and one accident, and..." He stamped his free hoof against the ground.

The cobalt pegasus expected Stratus Drifter to be downtrodden. He and Stargaze had been wingponies, and they had been friends. The two of them would go on about watchmaking, tinkering, anything that involved intricate hoofwork. It was the only time the lieutenant had ever seen Stargaze really come alive. Even in battle, the pegasus had never shown much emotion; he was the calm, collected one, good with strategy and maneuvers. Battle had been a chessboard to him. But with Stratus on those long nights on CAG duty, Stargaze was actually enthusiastic.

No, Stratus’s depression was wholly anticipated. It was Sun Ray and Moon Beam who caught most ponies off guard. They spent so much time practically fused to each other, it was hard to remember that they had been in the same squad as Stargaze during Basic. He was usually so quiet while they were so rambunctious.

Their squad had been right behind Stargaze’s when they made contact with the dragons. The two of them had had a front row seat to a glimmberback tailwhipping their training buddy across the back, bending his armor in like a book snapping shut. Comet had warned them about that attack, and they had been so keen to avoid it, but it had been too long. Nopony had thought to keep an eye out anymore.

Everypony else made it back to their ships safe and sound, save for a few injuries here and there. Sun Ray glided gracefully to the deck, but her legs failed to stretch out to meet the wooden surface. She tumbled across the deck in a tangle of limbs and loose feathers, much to the surprise of everypony around her. Moon Beam ran to her sister’s side to find her physically fine, but mentally she was still locked in that moment. Her eyes were fixed, unwavering, on the instant that tail had snapped Stargaze in half.

The daisy yellow filly was back to speaking two days later, and she was eating under her sister’s watchful eye, but her smiles were mechanical. Any time she wasn’t talking to somepony, something nopony else could see was staring her in the face. It was not the first time the senior staff of Cyclone Company had seen one of theirs on the verge of breaking apart, so they were ready to handle it. The problem was how many cases were just waiting to boil over.

Lily and Wren had, in good order, reported Comet’s behavior. Any time somepony needed to take something that strong just to sleep, it was a bad sign. Lily herself was grounded due to her leg injury. Stratus Drifter was down a wingpony. Wren Song was flying an understaffed squad with little to no experience in command. With one of the twins was ready to crack, the other was entirely dedicated to keeping them in one piece. And that was just the result of one night. Looking at every other platoon, every other company, all the ground battalions and ship crews, every single one of them was feeling the strain of a war that had dragged for months with so little to show for it.

Firefly buried her head in her hooves as Rainbow recounted his observations. “I’m seeing everything you’re seeing, Rainbow. What do you want me to do about it? I can’t give them a vacation, I don’t have reinforcements to rotate in. This is us right now.”

“I know, Fly. I just… we need to give them something.” Rainbow paced around her tent. “We have too many losses, and not enough positives. It’s killing us worse than the dragons. Another month of this, maybe two, and our ponies will be too broken to launch.”

“So what do you want me to do, Rainbow? Stop time?”

“No…” Rainbow stared at the ground. “Talk to the colonel. We need to gain ground. We need to win something, something big. We need to keep on the offensive.”

Firefly's expression was perfectly impossible to read. “Our scouts are a day late. You want to push ahead without knowing if our flank is defended?”

“They should be back anytime now. But either way, it’s push forward or wallow here forever.”

“We might be the only ones out on this part of the offensive gaining ground.”

“Then it’s up to us to make it work.” Firefly smiled and hopped up from her table.

“Good.”

“Y-wait what?”

“I needed to play devil’s advocate so I could see if somepony else agreed with me.” Rainbow gawked at her. “Yes, Rainbow, I used you to play back what I was already thinking. You should be used to this.” She grabbed a map and spread it across the low table. “Tell Duster, Ardent, and Bough to get their platoons ready, and see what the ship captains are working with. I’m going to have a word with the colonel.”

~*~

Comet patrolled up and down the deck of the Adamant. The fogginess of her exhaustion had worn away over the past couple days, but it was all but replaced by the after effects of the sleeping potion. After the one night on the stuff, she woke up before her body properly restored feeling to her limbs, and was convinced she had been eaten and was still alive in the dragon's belly. That had been the end of medically assisted rest for her.

As she came back around to the rear of the deck, a related thought crossed her mind. "Hey, Lily," she called as she made her way over to her wingpony. The pegasus in question was polishing a spot on her armor. Why spit shine one's armor when it's already scratched and dented beyond hope, nopony could say, but she still was.

"What's up, Egghead?"

"A while back, you were having trouble sleeping yourself. How is that?"

"Oh, it's fine." Lily did not look up from her armor.

"Lily?"

"I promise, Comet, it's not a problem anymore. Once we took this mesa, I started sleeping normally again." The pink pegasus flashed her a smile and went back to her armor. “Who knows. Maybe I just needed to kill some lizards.”

"I see..." The chiroptequus couldn't tell if the pegasus was holding anything back. "About the other night, I'm sorry."

"You've been apologizing for three days, Comet. It's ok."

"But I feel like you're still mad at me." Comet hung her head. She was not exactly sure when she had come to hold the rambunctious featherbrain so dear, but the thought of disappointing her weighed heavily on the chiroptequus.

"Then you're dumber than I thought." Lily set aside her suit and looked up. "Comet, I was never mad. I was worried. I am worried. I'm worried we're all falling apart. I'm worried something's going to happen that we can't protect each other from. So when you started to wall yourself in, I was afraid I was too late, that it had already happened. So if anything," Lily stammered, "I'm kind of glad. At least we’re talking, right?"

The shorter pegasus found herself caught up in Comet's embrace. She returned it with a smile.

"Sorry I made you worry, then."

"Celestia help me, you're forgiven." Lily released Comet with a sigh. "Comet... what are we going to do about the others?"

"You mean Stratus and the twins?"

"They're probably on the thinnest ice, but it's not just them. Wren is getting really stressed by her position. Fang and Bolts are fine, so far as I can tell, but with me grounded," she gestured at her bandaged haunch, "we're down to four, maybe five ponies. And every squad's in that kind of shape. Comet, we need to get rotated."

"Nopony's replacing us, Lily. We don't even know if our flanking forces still exist." The indigo filly put a hoof on her wingpony's shoulder. Lily nodded sadly. When she looked up, her gaze caught on something on the horizon.

"What is that... Are those-"

"Dragons, and they're flying fast." Comet grabbed the nearest horn and let out a long blast. "Lily, I should find Wren and see what she-"

"Just go, Egghead." Lily gave her a sad excuse for a smile. Her haunch started to throb. "I'll hold the down the fort... ship." Comet nodded, grabbed her helmet, and ran to find her squad. her back protested her intention to fight, but that was not about to stop her. Wren and Dewbead stepped onto the deck right as she reached the stairwell. "Ma'am, reporting for duty. What shall I do?"

"Are you good to fly, Shimmer?" Wren Song's tone offered no quarter for half answers.

"Yes, Ma'am. But Lily's still grounded from her leg. Do you want me to fly as your or Bolt's third?" Moon Fang and Sparky Bolts climbed up over the bow of the ship and landed alongside the others. Wren looked them over. The indigo filly noted the slight chatter in the cream colored mare's jaw as she thought.

"No. There aren't many lizards, and I don't want anypony getting killed." The mare put her helmet on. "Remain here with your wingpony. If any targets break through, intercept." Comet held her salute until the other four had disappeared over the side of the Adamant. The filly held back a low growl as she trudged back to Lily.

"You're not going?" Lily frowned. "Did she think you're not in shape?"

"It's not that. She doesn't want anypony getting caught because we over deployed." Watching the squads move to intercept, she saw that only a three, maybe four squads had jumped. They still outnumbered the dragons by an obscene number. "It's fine. This is probably smarter anyway." Still, Comet ground her teeth subconsciously. Being unable to fly was one thing. Not being trusted to fly was another. That that was a possibility was enough.

Wren Song held her squad in a diamond formation as they neared the dragon group. Now that they were close enough, the scene was becoming clear. Four glimmerbacks had caught one of the scouting squads on their way back. Only two pegasi and one chiroptequus were racing back as fast as their wings could carry them. Where the other ponies were, it was easy enough to guess.

Wren watched as the other squads drifted to run along the dragons' flight paths. "Dewbead, you're up first." She drew back behind the sky blue pegasus. "Give us a good, long gash along its back, its neck, whatever you can get. Fang, Bolts, we're finishing it off. Let's get this in one pass, squad."

"Aye, Ma'am!" Dewbead slowly edged ahead of her squad. The three polearmed ponies held to a chevron only a few yards back. With their heading, they were lined up to crash right into the second dragon from the front. There was just one thing in the way.

It was unclear whether the scout squad had the wherewithal to notice the squads of friendlies directly in front of them, or if fear had robbed them of everything but the drive to break the sound barrier. In either case, they were not getting out of the way. As the last of the distance between them and their support vanished, Dewbead twisted to her right. She corkscrewed over one of the scouts, swinging wide and putting her just under the dragon's open mouth. She quickly flipped on her side, catching the dragon's throat with her sabre and leaving a long, red line running down to its chest.

As the glimmerback's momentum crumbled under the pain of Dewbead's attack, the other three made good on Wren's plan. All three glaves found purchase near the base of the dragon's neck. The beast reared up in an attempt to throw off its attackers, but they were too embedded, and its wounds had already drained too much strength. It let out one more feeble, skyward roar before Dewbead came around for a second pass and slit its throat open. Thick, dark blood came in spurts as the scaled carcass began to fall. Wren, Fang, and Sparky pulled their glaives free and hovered as they watched their work crash to the earth below.

The other dragons fared just as poorly. Each of them were overpowered and slain in, at most, three passes by the pegasi squads. One pegasus from Gale Company had gotten caught by a slash and was being carried back. Everypony else was present and accounted for. The real challenge, surprisingly, was catching up to the scouts.

The three remaining members of the recon squad were still shaking when they sat down with Colonel Redwood and the commanding officers. There a few false starts, multiple cases of them talking over each other, and one case of nervous sobbing, but eventually they managed to report what happened.

"We got out as far as we were ordered, sir, and started looking for Strike Force Seven. Near the end of the day, we found them dug in to a position overlooking the planes. They captured their target, Colonel." Welcome news, indeed. "It sounded like it was a rough battle, but the lizards were routed and we own the roost. The problem was on our way back. With all the roosts we're kicking over, there are a bunch of dragons just roaming the wilds unchecked and unorganized. We were slow getting back, sneaking around and keeping low to avoid their flight paths. We snuck past a few groups of the buckers, but...

"We were almost back when the four of them found us. We lost Frosty right away, and then we made a beeline for home. The others... fell behind." He had done a good job holding back the stress, but recounting the loss of his squad had been too much.

"You did great work, Airpony." Redwood patted him on the shoulder. "You're safe now. Basil Root," he called to his assistant, "would you see these ponies are properly taken care of?" The unicorn nodded and led the three of them out. The colonel turned to his senior staff and set his jaw. "So we have one report. And you want to move without knowing the other?"

"We believe it to be best, sir," Captain Starstruck said. "The dragons know we're here, and they could be planning a counterattack. At the same time, we're suffering attrition while we sit here and gain nothing. If the point of this campaign is to capture territory, then we should be doing that."

"And if we overextend and expose our west flank, what then?"

"It's already exposed, sir," Captain Firefly pointed out, "if Strike Force Nine is gone. The loss of these roosts is weakening their organization along our border, but it's not going to stop them. We need to seize something they can't afford to lose."

"A commander? A valued territory?"

"Something like that, sir." Most of the senior officers nodded in agreement.

Colonel Redwood sighed. "We wait until nightfall for our remaining scouts, then we press south. We have two more objectives listed, one is another eight days out. After those, we're improvising." He consulted a large map pinned to the side of his tent. "Captains, ready your ships for travel. Given our losses, we'll be sending Gale Company to escort the wounded home. Moonlight Company will be staying on, and I think it best if we get all of our airborne companies riding as your combat wings. Will they fit?"

"We'll need to make some adjustments," Captain Candescence said, "But I believe so, sir."

"Good. Captain Firefly, any complaints about the additional company?"

"None, sir, as long as we don't have to double up on bunks."

"Then all of you ready your ponies. We depart at sundown," Redwood consulted his watch, "eight hours from now." The officers saluted and departed his tent. The colonel sighed. "Once more unto the breach."

~*~

Moon Fang frowned to himself. He had never been called to Firefly's tent before. Hell, he'd barely even spoken with her. As far as he was concerned, he had always been on the bottom tier of Squad Four's hierarchy. But here he was. He slipped through the flap and made himself known.

"Come on in, Airpony." Firefly was checking off some list or another, one of a dozen hundred she had. "I'll give you three guesses why you're here."

"...My squad, my squad, and," he paused for effect, "you need a new maid?"

"Clever," the mare chuckled. "Shimmer's the spawn of a Canterlot librarian. If I wanted someone moving my crap around, you would not be first pick." She looked up from her list. "But you're right. Your squad's down a good leader and a good pony, and from what I hear, two more are grounded. So, I want your opinion, particularly regarding your new lead."

"Is something wrong with Sgt. Song, Ma'am?"

"That's what I want to know." Firefly closed a folder and tossed it on a pile. "Blaze has every confidence in her. Others don't. What's your vote?"

"I don't doubt her dedication, Ma'am." Moon Fang chose his words carefully. "She's giving it one hundred percent, for sure. But I think she blames herself for Sgt. Cane, so she's... hesitant to make any risky decisions."

"I see." The mare stretched her neck. "And do you think this is something that can be fixed, or is it going to be a problem?"

"I think we'll make it work, Ma'am. I trust my squad -- whatever we face, we'll get the job done..."

"...'But?'"

"But I'm worried about some of them."

"You mean Shimmer, I take it?"

"Yes, and Nimbus... and all of them."

Firefly sighed. "Believe me, Fang, you're not alone. I wish we had more to work with, but right now, all we have is each other. I gather that Shimmer values your... friendship," she smirked on the word, "as does Airpony Bolts. If you're willing to trust Song, then I don't see a problem, but I think you have the greatest power to hold everypony together."

"...I understand, Ma'am." Moon Fang saluted.

"Good boy." Firefly returned a curt salute. "Go find Billow Blast and Taro Blush for me, will you? I need to talk to them about their rosters." The chiroptequus nodded and slipped out of the tent. The mare glanced after him.

~*~

"Rain, I really don't want to."

"I know, sweetie, but that's why it's so important."

"I get that, but this means a lot to me. You know that."

"I do. Willow, I promise I do. But you've seen them, especially Sun. She needs this."

"Can't I just sleep with her instead?"

"Watch yourself, mister."

"Yes, Ma'am."

"Willow... I know this is something you've been avoiding. I'll be right there with you the whole time. And if you want to stop, it'll be ok. But I think this will help them more than you know."

"...Fine. But only because it's you asking."

"I love you too."

Silver Raindrops knocked on the door frame and poked her head in. The twins were lying on their bunks, muttering back and forth about something. They both looked up when they heard the knocking.

"Hey, you two, how are you doing?" Silver offered. The twins looked at each other, then at her, then lay back on their bunks and resumed their conversation. Silver huffed. "Well, if you want to be like that, then you certainly can be. It's a shame you'll miss the surprise, though."

They could never resist a surprise. The very word "surprise" got the twins all excited. So, with admittedly less energy than they would normally have put into it, Sun Ray and Moon Beam hopped out of bed and followed the brick red filly down a deck. Their game of twenty questions went unanswered by the taller pegasus, until at last they reached one of the storage rooms.

Willow Wisp sat towards the center of the room, head hung as if he'd been caught misbehaving. He looked up as the three fillies entered the room, but his look of dread only seemed to increase. Sun Ray and Moon Beam froze. The snowfall blue filly glanced at her sister; Sun Ray's wings were starting to rise subconsciously. She put a hoof on her sister's shoulder.

"We already talked that through, remember?" she whispered. Sun Ray nodded, but her sister's reassurances did not do anything to put her at ease. Strangely, it was still Willow who looked the most uneasy. He silently pleaded with Rain as she trotted over to him. She sat down behind him, smiled, and buried her muzzle in his mane. The colt looked ready to cry, but she wrapped her wings around his.

Just barely loud enough for the twins to hear, Rain said, "Just like we practiced, ok?" She gave him another nuzzle and added, "I'll always love you." Willow swallowed hard, hummed until Rain had matched, and opened his mouth.

Taking over this town, they should worry
But these problems aside I think I taught you well
That we won't run, and we won't run, and we won't run

And in the winter night sky, ships are sailing
Looking down on these bright blue city lights
And they won't wait, and they won't wait, and they won't wait.
We're here to stay, we're here to stay, we're here to stay

Nothing the twins had ever sung matched Willow Wisp for skill or tenderness. With every word, his uncertainty seemed to fade away, every syllable taken more firmly, until he matched Rain for strength and surpassed her for everything else. But at the same time, he never overpowered her, sometimes dropping back to let her own a line, while sometimes she would do the same for him.

Howling ghosts – they reappear
In mountains that are stacked with fear
But you're a king and I'm a lionheart
A lionheart.

Sun Ray was not sure when she started crying, but she was, and there were too many reasons. Compared to her and her sister's enthusiastic melodies, there was so much care, so much dedication, so much love for the art in Willow's voice, and in Rain's, but the filly's was all for the colt she still held close. It was so far beyond anything she had done with song. And she knew how much Willow did not want to sing, not out here. He was risking tarnishing one of his greatest passions for the rest of his life. And he was doing it for them.

His crown lit up the way as we moved slowly
Past the wondering eyes of the ones that we left behind
Though far away, though far away, though far away
We're still the same, we're still the same, we're still the same

Looking to Moon Beam, Sun Ray found her sister crying as well. Wordlessly, they both walked up to the singing pair, sat down, and grabbed them in the biggest hugs they could manage. And they cried. Everything Stargaze's death had dragged them through for the past few days, every uncertainty about their own fate, every worry and pain and regret leaked out in free tears and quiet sobs.

Willow returned Sun's embrace while Rain took Moon, and they continued to sing quietly for the fillies while they let it all go.

And as the world comes to an end
I'll be here for you my friend
'Cause you're my king and I'm your lionheart
A lionheart

~*~

Comet watched the sun sink off the starboard bow, far to the west under a dozen wisps of cloud. Her CAG shift would not start for another few hours, but they had so little to do with their few duties spread across even more ponies. She would have been resting on her bunk, maybe reading one of the three books she had yet to get to, but a whole platoon had moved in, bustling about and throwing their stuff on empty racks.

She had been sure Thunder Clap was going to snap the neck of the dumb colt who threw his pack on Gale Force's long empty bunk. Frankly, she was considering it too, especially when Cinnamon Cane's was filled. Instead of letting her blood boil over, she had grabbed a book and stormed out of the cabin.

"Hey, Shimmer," Pastelight had called, "where are you going?"

"Out!" she barked around her book loud enough to make some of the newbies jump. One of them made the mistake of meeting her glare on the way. While it was usually a curse to have slitted irises, they had an amazing capacity for scaring unsuspecting ponies.

The book sat shut beside her. She had managed a paragraph or so, but her mind was elsewhere. So she sat and watched the sunset and tried to make sense of it all.

"Here you are, Comet." Moon Fang sat beside the filly and gave her a toothy grin. "Couldn't handle the newbies either, hm?"

"They're all just so..." Comet snorted. "Did we act like that once?"

"We must have. By Celestia, we would have looked so stupid, waltzing around in our shiny new suits, ready to take on the world." Moon Fang's smile just barely held. "Who knew, eh?"

"Who knew..." Comet sighed. "How are you doing?”

Moon Fang shrugged. “Alright, I guess. All these sharp turns are really doing a number on my wings.” He stretched for emphasis. “But I’m hanging in there. You?” The filly gave him a sardonic frown. “Yeah, ok, I saw. Guess I was just hoping you’d be willing to say it.”

Comet grumbled. “I’m a mess, Fang. Happy? I’m tired and my back hurts and I’m tired of seeing ponies die and I want to go home. I shouldn’t be here, none of us should. I don’t know where Lily gets the patience for it,” She hung her head. “or where you do, for that matter.”

Fang draped his chin across her neck. “‘Cause some ponies are worth fighting for, Comet.” He smiled, his canines sticking just past his lip. “As terrible as this war is, I wouldn’t have met all of you if I hadn’t signed up. I wouldn’t know you. So it’s not all bad, at least.” Comet nuzzled him in thanks.

“Why did you sign up, Fang?”

Fang pulled back. The filly rarely saw Fang frown, truly frown, but it did happen. “I wanted to leave. You know how it can be, being a chiroptequus. It’s worse in some places… like where I lived. But you know how it is: college isn’t in the cards, don’t have work that can take me anywhere. So when the war came, it seemed like an opportunity for something. Sounds stupid, huh?”

“No worse than a blind desire to ‘do some good.’ I don’t think any of us knew what we were buying into.”

“I doubt our whole damned country knew.” Fang laughed dryly. “We do now.” He breathed through his nose. “Maybe it was bad decisions that got us here. But we can get ourselves home. I won’t give up, so you don’t either, ok?”

“Ok…” It seemed like the right thing to do, so she kissed him on the cheek. His pale coat grew a shade more red, and they sat in silence for a time. “I heard from Blaze, we have two more targets we aim to take. What do you think happens then?"

"I think we'll have to play it by ear. Maybe by then, the dragons will have lost enough ground and enough of them will be dead, they won't want to fight anymore either."

"Fang, I've seen those scaly monsters do a lot of things, but I've only been told they can think. I've yet to see proof that they can actually feel loss." Comet shook her head to try and rid herself of the venom rising in her tone. "Sorry..."

"Don't be." Moon Fang thought on his next words, and went with the risky play. "Nimbus told me what happened. What the two of you talked about after that fight, I mean."

"She told you?"

"I asked." The colt gave her a playful shove. "Don't think I don't notice when the only other bat in my company starts acting strange. Nimbus told me so I could help. So... how can I help?" Comet had no words for him. She knew her wingpony had reported their fight -- hell, it would be remiss of her to say nothing. It made sense that Lily had said something to somepony, especially Fang. Comet suffering some embarrassment for cracking under pressure was a small price to pay if she did not die. Still, did it have to be Moon Fang?

"I... don't know, Moon." Comet hung her head. "I don't even know what I want to do myself."

"Right." The sorbet colt stroked her back. "I get it. But I'm here if you need me, ok?"

"You mean 'when I need you.'" Moon did not correct himself. She leaned against him. "Thank you... for everything. Since Basic-"

"Shh shh shh," Moon Fang whispered, "you don't need to say it." So she did not. She just pressed herself against him and hummed some random tune.

Three short blasts of the horn rang out just as the Adamant released its mooring -- the scouts had been spotted. All eight of them could be spotted zipping across the desert, and thankfully, no dragons were in pursuit this time. They landed to report to the colonel first, so the ponies aboard the airships heard from the messengers. Comet and Moon hurried to hear the news with the rest of their platoon.

Strike Force Nine had failed. The scouts had not been able to find them, even after extending their search, and their target was still firmly under draconian control. Perhaps they had been rebuffed and retreated back to their camp along the line, or perhaps they had been utterly wiped out. Either way, their western side was exposed.

"I knew this was going to happen," Candescence huffed.

Fir Bough patted her on the back. "Regretting backing the call to drive south, Candy?"

"Hardly." The Adamant's captain straightened her collar. "We need to be on the offensive, regardless of Strike Force Nine's failure. We secured our objective, and we can do so again. I just wish we had some method of resolving the gap in our line."

"Colonel Redwood already sent a message to Dodge informing them of the situation," Rainbow Blaze said. "In case they don't already know, hopefully, they'll take care of it."

"As if Command ever takes care of anything," Fir grumbled.

"That's enough, Sergeant." Rainbow glowered at his fellow commander. Their entire army was walking on eggshells. The last thing they needed was anypony sowing dissent, especially a decorated officer.

"Sorry, sir. Captain, we hold our course, then?"

"We do." Candescence turned to her crew. "You all know how this works, ponies. Standard work order, keep a weather eye out for combatants. Blaze, Bough, I need a word regarding the CAG rotations." The two pegasi followed the unicorn into her cabin.

Sparky Bolts and Easterly View started up a circle near the front of the ship. Firefoot, Pastelight, and Snow Veil soon joined them to form the first card table of the evening. Comet did not mind the card games so much once she had learned them, but she wished there was something else to do. She would be out of unread books all too soon, and there was little to do about the ship other than tend to it. She sighed defeatedly and turned to Moon Fang.

"How much longer until our CAG shift?"

The colt pulled out a pocket watch and checked. "...Just under two hours." The watch snapped shut and he flipped it over in his hoof.

"Where did you get that?"

"It was one of Stargaze's... Stratus was giving them out. I didn't want to, but he insisted somepony in our squad should have a time piece." He toyed with the silver disc. Everything was becoming sentimental, which made everything weigh a thousand pounds more. Comet caught the part of her that wanted to retreat before it could gain a foothold, and throttled it until its eyes popped out.

"That was nice of him. It's a nice watch." Comet squeezed her eyes shut for a second. "Have you talked to him since..."

"Yeah, some. He's hanging in there, all things considered. I don't know how well I'd handle it if Sparky bit it. I think he's trying to keep it together. For his squad, y'know?" Moon Fang looked up. "I just don't know who's doing the same for him." He looked back at Comet. "You should talk to him. I think it would help if he knew ponies cared, y'know?"

"I do... I'll do that. Thanks, Fang." Comet gave him a quick hug and started for the stairwell. "I'm going to find him and try for a quick nap before our shift. See you in two hours." Fang gave her a small wave before she passed out of sight. He absentmindedly rubbed his cheek where her lips had graced him.

Stratus was sitting on his bunk, a cleaning rag in one hoof as he went over his armor. A handful of small tools sat at his side. Comet pondered them for a second before she spoke.

"I didn't think the armory would lend out tools from their valuable store," she said.

"I found a way," Drifter said with mock villainy. "Stargaze and I figured out a new cleaning solution while we were on watch. You mix water, alcohol, a bit of cider for the fizz, and a drop of oil, and it'll buff off damn near anything." The colt stopped to inspect his work. "They were so impressed, they let us borrow stuff whenever we want."

Comet bit her tongue. "That's cool. Maybe you could show me some time?" Drifter nodded. He never once looked up from his suit. "How's the head?"

"Better. I remember pretty much everything now."

"Good..." By Celestia, she was terrible at small talk. "Drifter... Stratus... Would you like to take a crack at my contraption?" She grabbed her strange little sphere from her bunk. "I can't find anything that it actually does other than spin. You're good with small machines. Maybe you can find something?"

Stratus paused. His gaze slowly drifted up to hers. "...Thanks, Shimmer, but maybe later. I'll consider it something to look forward to for getting home." He rolled his lip under his teeth. "I... that'll be great." Comet gingerly slid onto his bunk and shuffled up beside him. "... He was the smart one, you know? He had the great ideas, the good strategies. I just took what he thought and bounced it until he had something even better." He set his helmet down, but he kept looking at it. "He'd probably know what to do with that bucki- with your puzzle."

Comet put a hoof over his. "Stratus, you know he didn't see it like that. And I don't either." He looked to her. "You try really hard at everything you do. Yeah, maybe you don't get it right, but you've never let that stop you from trying again. I'm pretty sure Thunderhead yelled at you more than anypony else, but you never quit, and you were always back to try harder. I think that's just as important." She gave his hoof a soft pat. "Stargaze didn't see you as his lackey, he saw you as his friend. And you're our friend. You're my friend."

The charcoal colt buried his head against her neck and breathed slow, labored breaths. She wrapped her leg around his neck and stroked the base of his mane. A few of the newbies gave them sideways glances as they passed. The smarter ones warned their comrades away. Stratus normally busied himself with whatever was at hoof. But right then, he just needed to stop.

~*~

Princess Celestia rubbed at her tired eyes. Her generals and her advisors were all asleep already. She frowned at the thought of them. They had wanted to call it an evening before the sun had completely set and make it home for dinner. General Gem Crusher, when the exchange had finally ended, was no longer a general, and the others worked diligently into the night. The princess had finally capitulated and allowed them to leave when they could barely remember what they had gone over already.

Through the high, decorative windows of her war room, she watched the moon swing back towards the horizon. In a couple more hours, she would have to raise the sun, and then it was another day of duties, both domestic and military. Weary as she was, perhaps some sleep would do her good.

“Do you think they get any sleep out there on the battlefield, Celestia?” The sun princess shook her head vigorously. "They are fighting and dying out there, in droves, because you failed... again."

"I did everything I could," Celestia whispered. "The dragons would not negotiate. Their demands were unreasonable, and any attempt I made to clarify was regarded as willful ignorance."

"Of course you have a reason. Of course you have an excuse."

"It's not an excuse!" Celestia's head whipped around. Only the shadows in the corner of the room answered her. "...I tried, truly I did... And I will do whatever I must to end this senseless conflict."

"Then give them what they want, Celestia."

"I do not know what they-"

"Liar!" Celestia cringed. "Don't play the fool! You're much too clever for that. But you don't want to give that away, do you? You have your own plans afoot." The princess rubbed her temples, trying to shut it out. "You already have the answer, Celestia. But you're so greedy, you want another."

"It's not that..." Celestia found a transcript of one of her dialogues with the dragons. "It's a question of why. Why would the dragons be interested in artifacts? They like gold and gems, things of material and value-"

"Stalling for time again, are we?" Celestia's ears flattened in annoyance. "You act like a great detective out to solve a mystery, when all you ask for is peace-"

"Peace is the goal I seek-"

"Yet you will not do what is necessary to achieve it." Celestia hunched over the table. "Time is running out, dear princess. The ponies are tiring, and their defenses will not hold forever. What can you hope to do when the dragons roam freely across Equestria? Decide quickly, Celestia, before the chance for choice is taken from you."

Against her own will, Celestia's chin touched the surface of the old, oaken table. Her eyes fluttered shut as she sank into uneasy dreams. It was not the first time her mind had warred with itself. Often, her darker thoughts found purchase late at night, when the sun princess was alone, and weary from a long day. She just wished, if nothing else, that the voice of doubt in her mind did not mimic the icy tones of her dear sister. In the darkness, those loveless, slitted eyes still glared at her.

~*~

Dewbead ran a hoof through her mane. The damn ship wasn't that big, it shouldn't be so hard to find a single pony. Rainbow Blaze didn't know where she was, Comet Shimmer didn't know, Sparky Bolts didn't know. She was all but down to asking random crew members like she was looking for a lost dog. She sighed to herself before poking another unicorn to ask the same question she'd asked a dozen times already.

"Hey, I'm looking for- Oh, Night Light, hey." Dewbead gave the magister a sideways smile. "Didn't recognize you from behind."

"No worries." Night Light set down the ballista part he was reattaching. "Damn thing. You're looking for something, Lancer?"

"Somepony. I can't find Wren Song anywhere. You seen her?"

The unicorn scratched his chin. "Hmm, about an hour ago. She was down near the practice room they set up across from the armory. You might try there."

Dewbead wrapped Night Light in a massive hug. "Celestia's glowing butt, I could kiss you."

"Sorry, Airpony, I'm spoken for." Dewbead gave him a playful push and headed below deck. The practice room used to be in one of the larger cargo holds after the contents had been expended, but the arrival of so many more ponies to house required the space. It had been relocated to a smaller hold down the ship, but it was as capable of its job as ever.

Dewbead poked her head in and breathed a sigh of relief. Wren Song was bent at an awkward angle, her neck and shoulders pinned against the mat while Thunder Clap was pinning her legs to her belly. The cream colored pony thrashed left and right before tapping the mat repeatedly. Thunder immediately released her, and she scrambled to a more comfortable position. Sweat matted her mane against her head.

"I wish this war was a wrestling match, Clap. You'd win by yourself." Wren rolled onto her side and focused on catching her breath. Thunder Clap chuckled between pants.

"In a room all by yourself with a giant chunk of stallion, 'wrestling', and all you're doing is actually wrestling." Dewbead sauntered into the practice room and huffed. "Only you would be so straight laced, Song." She went over to the row of crates and grabbed a towel from the stack.

"Some of us are disciplined, Dewbead." She accepted the towel and wiped her face off. "Why, are you hoping for something else?"

Dewbead looked the giant pegasus up down before shrugging. "Not my type." She stood idly as Wren Song got to her feet. "Boss wants to know if we have any ponies in our squad up for promotion."

"Bolts and Fang." Wren offered Thunder a fresh towel. He accepted quietly. "They're overdue as it is. Things have just been too hectic."

"What, and I get nothing?" Dewbead frowned.

"Your promotion is already in. I was going to surprise you with it, but since you’re going to pout about it, now you know. Good?” Dewbead nodded. "Fine, is there anything else?"

"Is there?" Dewbead spat. Wren Song froze in mid step and turned to meet Dewbead's hard stare. Thunder Clap looked between the two of them and set his towel down.

"Excuse me," the stallion muttered before hurrying out of the room. The two mares did not even notice his departure. Wren felt her brow furrowing.

"I don't follow your meaning, Dewbead."

The sky blue mare's wings started to flare. "I mean, Ma'am, you're our commanding officer now. You don't get by doing the minimal amount of work. We're counting on you to be on top of it."

"And you don't think I am, is that it?" Wren started to circle her wingpony. "You think I'm not doing what I need to?"

"Yes, but not because you mean to." Dewbead didn't bother circling. She went right up to Wren's face. "You're afraid to do anything more." Dewbead was a good hoof or more taller than Wren, and it showed as she stared down her captain. "You didn't want to step into Cane's shoes, I get that. But we need you taking charge."

"Step back, Lancer," Wren growled. Anger pooled in her eyes, but Dewbead only leaned in until their noses were nearly touching.

"We need a leader, not some scared filly who misses her favorite piece of tail so much, she-" Wren Song pounced, knocking Dewbead back and pinning her on the floor. The cream colored mare raised a hoof and lashed out at the pegasus pinned beneath her. Dewbead barely tucked out of the way before the blow struck where her head had been. She could feel the force of the blow reverberate through the mat.

Wren Song did not go for a second attack. She sat on top of her wingpony, panting with rage. Dewbead was frozen underneath her, still coming to grips that she was a mere six inches away from Wren Song, the appropriately nicknamed “Statue,” giving her a broken nose.

"I never asked to be a leader!" Wren Song roared in her face. "Cane was my captain. I trusted him, I followed him, and I failed him. I can't be him, you braying mule. I'd switch myself with him in a heartbeat if I could!" Her rage slowly started to leak away. "Every decision I make has your lives in the balance. If I make a mistake, I could get you all killed. I can't do that, Dewbead. I can’t have all of you on my conscience too."

Dewbead hesitantly reached up and cupped Wren's cheek with her hoof. Reacting to the touch, Wren pulled herself off the blue mare and scooted away. Her wingpony shuffled over and put a wing over her. "We trust you, Song. When you've made decisions up to now, they've been good. You've gotten us all home in skirmish after skirmish. None of us asked for things to be the way they are, but that's not up to us. We have to do the best we can.

"I support you, Song." Dewbead nudged her captain. "I have, and I'll keep supporting you. So, are you willing to step up?" Wren watched her for a long second. When she finally nodded, it was slow, but it was sure. "Good. We're counting on you to give it your all." Dewbead leaned over and gave Wren a quick peck on the cheek. She grinned at her captain's blush. "I know you won't let us down. See you are dinner, Captain." Dewbead got up and made for the door. She waved over her shoulder, and for the sake of looking cool, she had to imagine how flustered Wren must have looked.

~*~

Three months didn’t seem like a long time to get attached to something, but after so much time and action aboard the Adamant, Night Light and his crewmates remembered their way around the airship better than they remembered their houses and apartments back home. The wooden boards, lacquer worn and torn away, had carried them hundreds of miles without so much as a single replacement, save for the ones the dragons had done in.

The unicorn loved his boat. He hated where it took him, but the boat was still an object of his affection. And someday, hopefully soon, it would take him home. But until then, the sail riggings had to be checked, and the pegasi were busy up around the balloon. So here the unicorn found himself, half his gut out over the side of the ship, checking bolts and casings for wear.

“Enjoying the view, Mr. Light?” Candescence leaned over the side of the ship and eyed him apprehensively.

“Just,” he grunted, “feeling the wind in my mane, Ma’am. Is there something you need?”

“Seeing where my crew is, is all,” the captain said, “and thinking.”

“...What about, Ma’am?”

“About how we’re going to win the next big engagement without killing ourselves, Magister.” The stallion tried to pull himself back over the railing, and she helped him up.

“Thank you,” Night Light huffed. “Think I’ll leave that to the pegasi from now on. You think things are going to get worse, Captain?”

“I do. The more we push them, the more we condense their numbers and fuel their anger, the harder they’re going to fight. We’re pushing our limits as it is.” Candescence watched the sails flutter in the wind. “I don’t know how we can do better.”

“Maybe we won’t have to, Ma’am.” Night Light puffed up. “We’re the advanced force. So when we do well and capture another base or two, the rest will be picking up the pace behind us. We’ll have greater numbers, same as them.” He smiled, but it was not returned. Instead, she gave him a long, forlorn look that said everything she needed to say: “Do you honestly believe that?”

“I hope so, Magister.” She nodded and started off down the deck. “Either way, I’ll be counting on you.”

~*~

For the first time in a while, Stratus Drifter felt like eating. Dinner wasn’t for a couple more hours, but the cooks usually had something to tide over the crew members that couldn’t make the proper hours. So down the charcoal pegasus slipped to the galley, and sure enough, a few trays of breads and dried fruit were out for ponies to take at will. He grabbed a tray and started in.

“What do you hear, Drifter?” Stargaze said quietly from behind him. Stratus nearly dropped his tray. He spun around to find the source of the all too familiar, but considerably more feminine sounding phrase. Sun Ray and Moon Beam were standing behind him, expressions blank as they waited on his reaction.

“What- why do you know-”

“He would say it all the time in Basic,” Moon Beam muttered, “with some of us at least. It was like his way of saying who he really knew and trusted.”

Stratus laughed to himself. “I don’t suppose he ever told you what it means?”

“Not a bucking clue,” Sun Ray grumbled. She was smiling though. “He could be really strange, huh?”

“Yeah… Yeah he was. But he liked to be.” Stratus set his tray down. “He was our purple dork.”

“One of them, anyway,” Moon Beam corrected. “But yeah, he was… ours, kinda.”

“Sorta.”

“Little bit.”

Sometimes, Stratus was sure the two of them were actually the same pony, and some sort of dimensional illusion made them seem like two. The first time he’d met Stargaze, way back in the middle of Basic, they had been with him, laughing about something. Well, they were laughing, he was sort of smiling. And over the months, the purple pegasus’s armor had worn down against their endless antics. They’d won him over by graduation, so it seemed only natural when the three of them showed up together to depart with their training group.

So why had it never occurred to Stratus that the twins had known Stargaze longer than he had? Why did it surprise them that they knew him, missed him, as much as he did? His chest constricted, and he had to clench his jaw against the stabbing pain.

“Drifter, you ok?” Moon Beam put a hoof on his shoulder. But there was something unsaid in her question. Something they needed to hear hung behind the sound.

Will you help us remember him?

Stratus steadied himself and nodded. “Nothing but the rain, girls. And you?”

Sun Ray shook her head. For some reason, it helped to keep her from tearing up. She bumped up against her sister, and together they replied.

“Nothing but the rain.”