The Mane Six Militia and The Shadow of a Phantom

Copper trotted into the guard house accompanied by two of his soldiers. In holding cells sat a disgruntled looking stallion who happened to be the living Solandian assassin. In the other was the nervous stallion who insisted his mind being locked had nothing to do with their enemy. "Bring him with us." Copper ordered, pointing to the assassin.

    The two guards unlocked the cell door, but when they went to unlock the chain that held his hoof the assassin made his move. He struck the first to reach him across the muzzle and took hold of his sword, before he could steal the blade the other guard tackled him to the ground. Copper made his way into the cell, the anger apparent across his muzzle. "It would be wise for you to cooperate."

     The assassin snorted in reply before he was pulled to his hooves by the guard. The other soldier had recovered and was tempted to strike back but figured it best not to lose his resolve around Copper. Instead he unlocked his chain and cuffed the assassins hooves together.

    The four of them made their way through town, toward a small building isolated from most of the others. Inside they met Princess Twilight and Trixie who sat at a small table.

     "Is this him?" Twilight asked.

     "Yes princess." Copper replied. "You two, restrain him to the chair and stay close to him. If he so much as blinks the wrong way take him down."

    The two guards did as they were told. Chaining him to the chair and to themselves for caution. The Solandian made no attempt to resist them.

    Twilight sighed before placing her hooves on the table across from their prisoner. "If you comply, and tell us everything we ask of you, we will pardon your crime here in Equestria and upon conclusion of the war you will be guaranteed safe passage back to your country."

     The assassin smirked and could not help but to laugh at the purple alicorn who attempted negotiating with him. "At the conclusion of this war this will be my country, though I fear I will not be here to witness it first hoof."

    Already Twilight was becoming nervous, as the confidence in his voice sent a chill down her spine, yet she maintained her composure. "How did you find us so soon?" Twilight decided to ignore his last statement to continue her questioning.

    "I don't remember." He replied with amusement.

     "Please do not be difficult with me." Twilight stated. "Just tell us how you found us. Was it Pure Peak?"

     "Really? The earth pony? Tell me how that makes any since to you."

    Twilight was confused by this statement. 'Is he still fucking with me?' She asked herself. "What do you mean?"

     "Oh this is rich, Let me tell you what you already know." He snickered, enticing an impatient growl from Copper who stood behind his chair. "If my facts are right you arrived at a militia camp, ohhh what was it, three days ago? Yes three. Your convoy stopped there for the night, at dawn you set off for this shitty little town you plan to fortify. It took you most of that day to reach this place. Keep in mind the frontlines are still a healthy distance from here. That night, this Pure Peak fool barely managed to open the gates for us before getting caught. So that is about a one day window for him to break away from your convoy, make it through the border, deliver your location to our forces and make it back undetected. Even with wings the task is near impossible. However, the night before you gave everypony in this militia a choice to abandon their ranks to retreat further into Equestria."

    Twilight felt as if she had been struck as the realization hit her. "One of the Pegasus that left that night." She breathed.

    "There you go, would have been much more impressive if I hadn't had to spell it out for you."

    Twilight felt like a fool, she had told everypony where they were going before she had given them the choice to leave. It would be a stretch but a healthy Pegasus could have crossed the border over the span of the night to deliver their Intel to the Solandians in time for them to attempt a hasty assassination before proper defenses were emplaced in the town. "But, Pure Peak-"

     "A pawn, a fool at that. Dangle a bit of coin in front of his muzzle and he'd sell you his mother." He snickered. He'd defected to our side long before your arrival. Though we weren't able to get him to any actual fort we settled with this shitty little militia. I had thought it foolish but it all worked out."

    "For somepony talking about sell outs you sure are singing like a bird." Trixie snapped.

     "Have you even been listening? I've told you nothing you did not already know and nothing of any significant importance. You already knew ponies had left the night before you set off for this town knowing your destination. You knew that pathetic colt was a traitor. You know our forces are aware of your presence in this town." Their prisoner sighed and sat back in his chair. "I'm actually ashamed to have been captured by such intellectually challenged idiots. I thought you unicorn lot were supposed to be smart."

    Copper had heard enough. With a swift swing of his for-hoof he slammed the prisoner's head down onto the table before pulling it back up by his mane. He was satisfied to see anger in the Solandian's eyes as blood leaked from the side of his muzzle. "Well I'll tell you what, you either start telling us what we need to know or I'll use you as a live training dummy for my troops." He growled with impatience.

    The assassin's smile returned as he spat blood on the table. "Finally, I was wondering when this little tea party was going to turn serious."

    "Wrong answer." Copper growled before slamming his head back to the table and holding it there. He leaned down and growled in his ear. "My princess may not be so keen for violence, but I on the other hoof prefer a little more force behind my discussions."

     "Copper enough." Twilight spoke up. "Leave him for now. He'll be useless to us if you kill him."

     Copper almost had a mind to strike him again for good measure but he restrained himself for her sake. He released his mane and took his place a few steps away.

    The assassin picked his head up from the table and wiped the blood from his muzzle. "What's the matter princess? Can't take a little violence? How are you to lead an army when you won't even allow your troops to do what needs to be done? I almost pity the Equestrian ponies, doomed to fall under a pathetic leader."

    "Twilight get out!" Trixie was enraged at this point. "Now!" She ordered as her horn began to glow a blue aura.

    "Trixie please, just calm down." Twilight pleaded.

    "Twilight I will not just standby while this swine mocks you and our country. Its apparent we won't get anything out of him, he's to brainwashed by his pathetic leaders to know what's good for him. However we can still send them a message, and I'm sure he still feels pain." Trixie sneered. "You don't need to see this Twilight, I'll return to your quarters once my business is finished here."

     Twilight looked from Trixie, to the prisoner. 'She's right, I can't effectively lead while showing such mercy to our enemies.' "I don't want you to do this, but if its necessary..." Her voice trailed off as she slowly made her way out the door. Copper had a look of satisfaction as he followed, his two soldiers in tow.

     "Your armor has saved you from our wrath so far, I wonder how you will fair without it." Trixie sneered.

    "At least your willing to do what's necessary."

     Twilight had gotten only a block away before the screaming started. A blood curdling scream of anguish. Twilight didn't even want to imagine what was happening to him under the wrath of Trixie who was a more than capable wielder of magic.

     "Lets go princess." Copper cooed but couldn't hide the satisfaction in his voice. "He tried to kill you, do not feel for him."

     "I know, just, leave me for a while. I need time to think." Twilight replied as she took off on her wings, an action she rarely entertained.

     Copper turned back to his guards. "When she is finished in there, clean up what's left. If he lives, take him back to his cell. He'll make a fine example for our other guest." With this Copper went about his way.

     Almost an hour later Twilight heard the door to the house open. "Twilight? Are you here?" Trixie's voice echoed down the halls, untainted with the hate that had filled it not to long ago.

     Twilight didn't answer, she'd been crying, caused by everything from stress to anger. Just as she was getting used to being a princess this war happened and turned her world upside down. She suddenly had wished she'd never had left her library in Ponyville, never got her wings, never became an alicorn.

    "Twilight?" Trixie's voice was that of concern when she saw Twilight in such a state as she trotted into her room.

    "How?" Twilight asked.

     "How what?"

     "How could you do such a thing to somepony?" Twilight asked accusingly. She had trouble believing that Trixie could go from the sweet caring mare to the monster who had inflicted such pain on that stallion.

    "Twilight? I, I'm afraid I don't understand." Trixie stammered.

     "I thought you were going to kill him, finish him quickly. I heard him screaming for minutes on end." Twilight got down from her seat and stood in front of Trixie. "There's a difference between doing what needs to be done and torture."

     "Torture? Twilight what do you think they are doing to our kind? To unicorns? That was not torture, it was justice. He mocked you, he mocked me, Equestria, Celestia and Luna. I merely opened up his eyes to the forces his country is toying with." Trixie became defensive in an instant.

     "Or did you? Who's to say you didn't reinforce their beliefs on unicorns? Maybe they are right to fear us. The things we are capable of are unthinkable." Twilight's anger became more and more apparent with every word she spoke.

     "We are no more capable of inflicting pain than any other species of pony. We simply posses a weapon they do not. Princess Celestia didn't show you did she? The messages, the signs, the Solandians have sent to the castle. Twilight they sent the horn of a unicorn that had been torn from their skull to Princess Celestia to try and intimidate her into surrendering our species save her and Luna." Trixie's eyes began to water at the memory of the sight. "You think they used magic to do that? For all we know that pony is still alive, suffering somewhere in a Solandian dungeon."

     Twilight had thought of these possibilities already, but that did not take the sting from the truth of it all. "Trixie, I-I know they are doing horrible things over there. Not a day goes by where I don't mourn for every life lost because of this mis-guided faith. I just don't want to become one of them, I don't want you to become one of them. We're better than that." Twilight's voice softened. She realized all at once that she had taken her frustration out on the one pony who had never left her side over the past few days. "I-I'm sorry Trixie."

     Trixie closed her eyes to combat the tears that had filled her eyes. "You have nothing to be sorry for. I get it. I understand. Maybe I did go to far out there, I was just so angry. I regretted what I did as soon as my rage sub-sided, and even now I am trying to justify my actions. I was only trying to be strong, to save you the trouble of the task. I thought I was strong enough to overcome my feelings and do to him what they have done to so many. I realize that was not the case. You are the brave one Twilight. It is cowardly to degrade one so just to reassure yourself of your power. It takes real courage to show mercy and give those who wrong you a second chance, to give them time to realize their flaws. It takes real courage to lead with reason and a kind heart rather than to lead with fear and pain. You keep saying that you are not strong enough for the job, but Twilight you are the only pony I know who is." Her voice dropped down to a whisper as the last few words left her muzzle. "I am no better than they are."

     Another flash of anger burned bright within Twilight upon hearing those words. "Trixie how could you say such a thing!? What do you mean you are no better than they?" Twilight took to her hooves and advanced on Trixie who retreated a few steps. "How could you even think such a thing? Want me to tell you why your wrong? Fine, here it is. From the start of this Endeavour you have done nothing but carry me through this mess and stay by my side despite all of the petty bullshit we've fought over in the past. I was practically spoon fed this position until I became the princess I am now. You overcame all of the trials, the isolation, your fears and your shame to get to where you are now. To top it all off at least you are willing to admit you've made a mistake where they do nothing but feed into lies and justify their actions as an act of faith."

     Trixie had never really thought of herself in such a way. Despite the tone in which they were delivered Twilight's words brought a faint glow of pride to her heart. "Thank you." She whispered as a fresh wave of tears broke through her resolve. "You do understand what all of this means don't you?" Trixie asked a confused looking Twilight.

     It didn't take long for her anger and confusion to turn into understanding. "Yes, I think I do." She relaxed her posture and allowed herself to lay down.

     Trixie trotted over to Twilight and lay down beside her, nuzzling her cheek with loving affection.

      What they had both realized after the brief conflict needn't be spoken between the two. They had revealed things to one another that they'd had never had seen on their own. What they had come to understand was with Twilight's heart and reason combined with Trixie's experience and resolve made them the perfect team. They balanced one another out,  keeping one another above the tides of corruption and despair.

     Every night they spent with one another, every conversation they had, every experience they shared brought them closer and closer together. A bond had formed that nopony but the two of them could understand. Together they would prevail.