Iron Kingdom Equestria

Chapters

Princess, Pendrake, Praetorians
Infernal Sunset
Riflemen and Pig-men
Pendrake's Report: Equestrian Military Forces
In the Frozen North
Gentle Mare, Huntress, and Sand Man
Deeper Darkness
Ponies and Elves
The Long View
Engineer's Report: Iosan Mechanika
Machinations
Moving Forward
Sand and Swans
Black Magic Mare
Blessed Sunrise
Planning and Railroading
Returns and Designs
The Battle of Hollow Shades
The Siege of Canterlot: Part One
The Siege of Canterlot: Part Two
The Siege of Canterlot: Part Three
Dark Magic on a Dark Night
The Clockwork Champion
Sunrise War
How it Ended
Epilogue
How it Began
Pendrake's Report: Equestrian Ponies

Princess, Pendrake, Praetorians

Fluttershy lay on the train-car seat, one wing extended, allowing Victor Pendrake to examine it feather by feather. She had at first been nervous about letting him examine her, but Twilight had assured her that Victor was perfectly harmless. Having allowed him to examine her forelegs from shoulder to hoof (Victor had said he was attempting to determine if pegasus bones were different from the bones of other ponies), Fluttershy had concluded that Twilight's assessment was accurate. Indeed, Victor was treating Fluttershy as if she were made of glass, which Fluttershy did not at all mind.

Victor Pendrake's attention to detail, Fluttershy noticed, bordered on obsession. She doubted even professional fliers like Rainbow Dash paid as much heed to minute aspects of their own wings as Victor gave hers. She couldn't understand exactly what Victor was trying to do, but he seemed to be determining every detail of how each and every feather stayed in place or moved, how flexible her wings were, and dozens of bits of information she could only guess at. All the while, Victor spoke softly to himself, apparently comparing Fluttershy's wings to those of other creatures, dictating estimates and measurements to himself, and asking questions only he could comprehend.

Finally, Victor carefully set Fluttershy's feathers back into place and released her wing, moving his attention to the joint where it connected to her side. Fluttershy blushed at this. She knew Victor had already examined Rainbow Dash's wing muscles extensively, and was sure that he'd find her own unimpressive by comparison. Still, she allowed him to press his fingers into her side all around the base of her wing, apparently feeling out the shapes of the muscles and bones. Finally satisfied, Victor returned to his seat and withdrew a worn notebook from his ever-present backpack, into which he began writing quickly.

"Good, very good," Victor said, "yes, I believe I have a solid understanding of pony anatomy now. The way your wings meet the body is particularly unusual. I had thought the joint would be more like that of a griffon's, but it seems to be far more flexible. The wings themselves have a far greater capacity for fine adjustments, as well, which I believe goes a long way towards explaining the the ability to perform complex airborne maneuvers."

"Um... yay?" Fluttershy wasn't sure if Victor was addressing her or still talking to himself.

"You could put it that way, I suppose," Victor replied, "it's always delightful to learn about new people, don't you think? I have to say, Equestria represents a rare opportunity for me. An entire nation with its own people and culture, which just last week no one even knew existed! I know you all find this whole situation very distressing, but I can't help being fascinated."

"If you think we're impressive, wait until you meet the Princesses," Twilight said, looking up from her book, "Princess Celestia is amazing. Luna is, too."

"There's something I've been meaning to ask you," Victor said to Twilight, "if they're the rulers of Equestria, shouldn't one of them be called a queen or empress? Why are Celestia and Luna addressed as princesses?"

Twilight blinked a few times, opened her mouth, but then closed it without saying anything. Fluttershy was surprised. She had never given much thought to the titles by which Celestia and Luna went, but she had always assumed Twilight would be able to answer any question about the royal sisters. However, Twilight seemed completely flabbergasted.

"I... they just are," Twilight said finally, "everypony has just... Always called them 'princess', they don't use any other titles."

Victor raised an eyebrow, "I see. The title must be deeply ingrained in your culture then. Tell me, how long have the princesses ruled Equestria?" Twilight's eyes lit up. Fluttershy was familiar with that look.

"I'm not sure exactly how long they've ruled, but it's been more than two thousand years," Twilight began, "they arrived in Equestria and defeated an evil being named Discord, who had been tormenting Equestria's population. Everypony was so grateful to them that they declared Celestia and Luna the eternal rulers of Equestria. They've been the royal princesses ever since."

"I see," Victor said again, adding more notes to his book, "I look forward to meeting them."

Never one to stand on formality, Princess Celestia had chosen to meet Twilight, her friends, and the human they brought with them in a small antechamber rather than the throne room. Celestia knew there was really no way to prevent word of Pendrake's arrival from spreading throughout Canterlot, and eventually all of Equestria, but she hoped that keeping him out of the public eye might lessen the impact of his presence. Most ponies, Celestia knew, preferred to go about their lives without world-shattering revelations. The less her citizens were reminded that Equestria now existed on a wholly alien world, the happier they would be.

"Professor Pendrake," Celestia started, deciding to get right down to business, "Twilight Sparkle tells me you know a great deal about this world. Would you please share your knowledge with us?"

Pendrake cleared his throat, looking between the assembled ponies, before saying, "the first thing you should know is that your entire nation is in the middle of a war zone."

"That... Could complicate matters," Celestia admitted. It had been centuries since she'd participated in a true war. Singular extra-normal troublemakers tended to crop up every few years, but massed armies battling against each other was something she was no longer accustomed to. "Please, elaborate if you will," Celestia prompted.

Pendrake ran a hand through his hair and said, "to your south lies my home nation, Cygnar. We're generally a peace-loving nation, though we do have our share of troublemakers. We have, however, massed one of the best-trained and best-equipped militaries on the continent, because we are surrounded by hostile powers,"

Pendrake adjusted his glasses and continued, "to your north is Khador. They are a proud nation, and their empress claims -falsely- that Khadorans are the rightful masters of the entirety of western Immoren. They invaded and conquered the small nation of Llael -which was to your east- just a few years ago, and they have attacked and occupied some of Cygnar's northern-most fortresses. They have left the neutral country Ord -which is west of here- out of their plans, but many of us suspect that Khador will invade that country sooner or later. Khador's military follows a doctrine of immense force applied to the weakest point in the enemy's defenses, and they build their military hardware large and durable."

"Khador sounds like quite an aggressive nation," Celestia commented already mentally designing improvements to Equestria's northern border defenses, "are there any other threats we should know of?"

"Several," Pendrake said ruefully, "We recently discovered that Cryx, the Nightmare Empire, have established holdings in this area. They managed to move agents from their island nation to the mainland, and seem to have built a substantial war industry here. We don't know where their base of operations is, but we suspect that it's somewhere in or near the Thornwood -a significant section of which has been replaced by Equestria. Cryxans use a corrupt form of magic known as necrotechnology, and mass-produce expendable minions using the dead bodies of their enemies."

"That's... awful," Twilight said. Celestia could see the disgust in her eyes.

"I normally try to avoid being judgmental, but the Cryx are terrible people," Pendrake agreed, "they worship the dragon Toruk, who created all other dragons on Caen by dividing his very soul. He is cruel beyond measure and wants nothing less domination of the entire world. I warn you, beware of Cryx. Destroy any Cryxans you encounter, show them no mercy, and always, always remember that if you give them the chance, Cryx will kill every pony in Equestria and turn them into mindless foot soldiers in Toruk's blasphemous army -and use their immortal souls to fuel their corrupt war machines."

Celestia was unsure how to react to this. If Pendrake's description was accurate, Cryx was a more horrific and vile a group than any she had ever heard of. She could see the horror on the faces of every pony present. Before Celestia could decide what to say, however, a Royal Guard pegasus burst into the room and bowed.

"Your majesty, pardon the interruption!" The guard said, "a military force unknown to us is assembling to the east of Canterlot, I was told to alert you immediately!"

"Describe these forces," Celestia said, switching to a more commanding tone, "what is their number and equipment, do they seem to be hostile?"

"A small force, possibly a scouting party. No more than two dozen. They are camped in simple tents. They wear red armor with golden trim. We haven't made contact with them, so we're not aware of their disposition."

Celestia watched with concern as Victor Pendrake's face turned completely white and his eyes grew wide. "Skorne! How could they be this far west?" Pendrake hissed, reaching for his throat. Celestia thought he was trying to grab something at his neck that was no longer there.

"Skorne?" Celestia said, "tell us of them."

Pendrake took his glasses off and rubbed his eyes with one hand, "I can define them in just four words," he said, putting his glasses back on and looking into Celestia's eyes, "they march to war."

"Hold on!" Rainbow Dash cut in, "look, I'm all for keeping things simple, but I think you simplified things too much there."

"I gotta agree with RD on that one," Applejack added, "who do they march to war against?"

"Who ever is in their way, or has something they want," Pendrake answered, looking worried.

Rarity brought up the next logical question, "And what, exactly, do they want?"

"Everything," Pendrake said, a hint of desperation entering his voice, "The entire skorne culture is based around domination and conquest. Everyone is their enemy, and they steal or destroy everything their enemies have just because their enemies have it. Those who resist are enslaved or killed."

"The skorne distress you, even more than the Nightmare Empire," Celestia pointed out, "you have encountered them before?"

Pendrake sighed, "some years ago, I was captured by the skorne and taken to their homeland, far to the east of here. They knew that I have a prestigious reputation as a researcher of people and culture, and they intended to force me to write essays expounding on the superiority of the skorne race, which they thought would dispirit the human nations when released to the public. I spent years toiling as their slave while learning of their culture and world-view, but I eventually escaped. I have fought them at every opportunity since then".

Celestia turned to the royal guard. "Lead us to that camp," she commanded, "I must assess this threat myself." Celestia wasn't about to let a nation of malevolent slavers invade Equestria unhindered.

"Praetorian swordsmen," Pendrake pronounced, looking through a telescope at the camp, which stood atop a small hill, "they wield two swords, and their armor is fairly resilient. They are the backbone of the skorne military. Praetorians are all driven by the desire for honor, and they know the only way to earn it is on the battlefield. Looks like one squad, lead by a Praetorian known as a dakar - similar to a sergeant."

Rainbow Dash landed and gave a hasty bow to Celestia, looking nervous. She handed Twilight Sparkle's binoculars back to the lavender unicorn and turned to Pendrake, saying, "there's a bunch of guys near the middle of the camp, you can't see them from the ground. They're all wearing these weird-looking masks that cover the top of their face, but not the bottom. There's seven, one has this big long thing like a whip made of blades, and the rest wear knives on their belts."

"Paingivers!" Pendrake exclaimed, reaching again for whatever once hung around his neck, "likely Bloodrunners, they're often mobilized as spies. The one with the whip will be a master tormentor -that whip is a status symbol. Only Bloodrunner master tormentors are allowed to carry them."

Cloud Breaker, the sergeant of the scouting team that had found the skorne camp, spoke up, "they seriously go around calling themselves 'Paingivers'? Sounds like a pretty nasty bunch."

"outside of the warrior caste, paingivers are the most respected members of skorne society," Pendrake explained, "Paingivers have turned the infliction of agony into an art and science, a practice spanning millenia. They are assassins, interrogators, slave-drivers, and handlers of beasts. Upon encountering a new species, paingivers first study how best to inflict agony their new subjects without debilitating them, and then learn what types of pain produce what results."

"Any new species?" Rarity said, "you're saying they would even do it to ponies?"

"That's certainly how the treated humans when they first encountered us," Pendrake said grimly, "If a paingiver gets his hands on you, he'll try to learn how to hurt you in order to make you tell him the truth, or to tell the lies he wants to hear, or to do whatever he commands just to make the pain stop." Rarity stared at Pendrake. Celestia was appalled at the idea that such cruel people even existed.

"Um, all those crazy-mean guys look like they're lining up for something," Pinkie Pie pointed out, "that's bad, right?" Everyone looked to the hillside, where a Praetorian swordsman with a banner rising from the back of his armor was shouting at the other swordsmen, who were quickly gathering into a wedge-shaped formation around the paingivers.

"They've noticed us," Pendrake said bluntly, nocking an arrow to his lucky longbow as the skorne began to march down the hillside. "The Praetorians are swift and skilled with their twin blades, but the Bloodrunners are the real threat. If one draws blood from any of us, another will likely teleport to his side and continue the attack. The master tormentor is able to strike several enemies very quickly, and will be able to move at amazing speeds. She should be eliminated immediately."

Princess Celestia stepped forward, a golden aura surrounding her horn. "I will not allow my nation to be threatened. Certainly not by slave drivers who have made torture into an art form. Guards, strike them down!"

As her squad of pegasus guards took wing, Celestia surrounded them in a luminous aura that would deflect the blows of the oncoming enemies, then took wing herself. Pendrake stood his ground as the ponies rushed forward, calmly firing his first arrow at the Praetorian dakar, who fell to the ground as the metal tip found a place between his eyes. The rest of the swordsmen continued their charge. If they hadn't closed formation to block the gap between the bloodrunners and Pendrake, Celestia would have thought the Praetorians hadn't even noticed their leader's fall. Pendrake quickly fired another arrow into the closest swordsman, then dropped his bow and drew his Orgoth sword, preparing to meet the skorne force in melee.

To Celestia's surprise, Twilight Sparkle moved next to Pendrake. The unicorn's eyes flashed briefly as her horn glowed, and a massive explosion rocked the skorne formation, throwing several Praetorians to the ground. Making a mental note to ask her student where she had learned a spell to detonate air, Celestia fired a burst of focused sunlight into the group of Bloodrunners, causing four of them to simply vanish in the all-consuming heat. Her Royal Guard pegasi fell upon the Praetorians, battering them with bone-shattering kicks and using a combination of their natural speed and Celestia's warding spell to evade retaliation.

The princess herself landed heavily behind the skorne line, directly in front of the master tormentor. She would not allow her ponies to risk being subjected to the cruelty of such an enemy. The two surviving Bloodrunners ran towards Celestia, but she augmented her hooves with arcane might and batted them away almost casually. They hit the ground hard and did not rise. Celestia hoped to convince the master tormentor that she was the paingiver's primary threat.

The master tormentor whirled her strange whip, which looked as if it was made entirely out of curved blades bolted together, and suddenly sent the razor-edged tip at Celestia with a metallic crack. The whip's blades dug into Celestia's shoulder and were immediately torn free by the master tormentor, sending waves of agony through Celestia's body. The Princess ignored the pain and shot a burst of sunlight at her enemy, but the paingiver vanished moments before being hit. Celestia suddenly realized that the master tormentor was at her side. Before the princess could react, the bladed whip wrapped around her knee and was pulled away. Celestia could feel her muscles ripping as the tormentor leaped back, apparently intending to examine the results of her assault.

Celestia clenched her teeth and focused her magic. She knew spells that would let her push her body beyond normal limits, and she allowed magic to take the place of muscle, standing her ground even though her knee no longer worked. It would heal quickly enough. The vile paingiver cocked her head inquisitively, gazing into Celestia's defiant eyes through her mask. Before the master tormentor could move forward for another strike, she was consumed with a blast of sudden heat and exploded into a cloud of ash. Startled, Celestia looked for the source of this spell, and saw Twilight staring at the ash cloud, shocked.

"Princess Celestia!" Twilight cried out, noticing the winged unicorn's eyes on her, "I -I tried to use that sunlight spell you cast earlier but... I think... I think I made her explode instead."

Celestia focused more of her power into her shredded leg, hastening the restoration of the ruined limb. "I wouldn't worry about it too much," she said to Twilight comfortingly, "it came to the same result in the end. That fiend was using me as a test subject anyway."

"A test subject?" Twilight was confused, "I know Professor Pendrake said they'd experiment on ponies, but in the middle of a fight?"

"I wanted to see the extent of skorne cruelty," Celestia said, "and I certainly did. Had that paingiver wanted to kill me, she would have struck at my neck. Instead she sought to disable my legs -to see how difficult it would be to immobilize me. There is no doubt in my mind, to that tormentor, this was an experiment, not a battle." Celestia looked across the hillside, and saw that the skorne had all fallen. To her relief, she seemed to be the most seriously-injured pony present. Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and Rarity had all stayed well outside the fighting, looks of fear on their faces. Pinkie's mane and tail had inexplicably lost their usual curl and become entirely straight. Applejack and Rainbow Dash were brushing their hooves on the grass, as were the Royal Guards -wiping off skorne blood. As Celestia watched, Pendrake tore a ragged strip of fabric from the Praetorian dakar's banner and began to clean his sword with it.

"We are victorious, Professor Pendrake," Celestia said, loudly enough to draw every pony's attention, "but tell me, in your expert opinion, what should we do with the tents and bodies of our enemies?" Celestia nodded to the camp atop the hill. She didn't want to draw the attention of any additional skorne by leaving evidence that their kind had been crushed by Equestrian forces. Such people, Celestia thought, might take it as a challenge.

Pendrake furrowed his brow, "that's a difficult question. It's highly unusual to see any skorne this far west. The Bloodrunners were likely sent as scouts looking for supplies or slaves. I imagine the Praetorians were present because some primus or tyrant thought his Praetorians weren't given enough opportunity to earn honor, and forced the master tormentor to bring this datha -sorry, squad- of swordsmen along so they could lay at least partial claim to any glory to be had in finding such resources. Paingivers are technically a worker caste, so soldiers of any rank have influence over them. Though most will go out of their way to cooperate with master tormentors out of respect and fear,"

Pendrake paused to sheath his sword, "if we leave the camp, or the bodies, any skorne who come looking for this group will conclude that powerful enemies -and thus honorable conquests and deaths- are to be found in this area. Although the main skorne army is engaged near Cygnar's eastern border, many tyrants and lord tyrants, maybe even dominars, will find reasons to come to this place, seeking the challenges we presented to this scouting force."

"I don't much like th' sound ah that," Applejack chimed in, "sounds t' me like more n' more of these creeps'll be comin' our way once they find out about this here business."

"That's about the size of it," Pendrake admitted, "our best bet, if it can be done, is to erase all evidence of this battle. Burn the bodies and the tents, bury the ashes or scatter them to the winds. That way any skorne who come looking for this group won't be able to find out what happened to them. With any luck, that will at least delay further skorne attacks."

Celestia turned to Twilight Sparkle. "The Professor raises an excellent point, my faithful student. Let's use our magic to cover our proverbial tracks". Twilight nodded grimly.

Infernal Sunset

Twilight Sparkle and Fluttershy made their way slowly through the Thornwood. Or possibly the Everfree Forest. They both had to admit they weren't entirely sure where one bordered the other. What they did know was that Princess Celestia had asked the bearers of the Elements of Harmony to search western Immoren for new allies, new weapons, and -most importantly- answers. Victor Pendrake's knowledge of Immoren was vast, but he could not say how Equestria had come to find itself in the middle of the region. Rarity and Rainbow Dash were planning to accompany Pendrake on his return to Cygnar, while Applejack headed north. Pinkie Pie ended up going with Applejack for reasons which Twilight was sure made perfect sense to Pinkie, but didn't actually know. This left Twilight and Fluttershy to travel west, which meant throwing caution (and Victor Pendrake's fervent warnings) to the winds, and going through the Thornwood Forest. Anywhere, Twilight had concluded, was better than the five-way war zone that was Khador-occupied Llael.

Twilight had talked (or ordered, really) Spike into staying at the library, but now found that she missed him, laziness, wisecracks, and all. Fluttershy was quiet -one of Twilight's favorite qualities in a pony- but she couldn't instantly transport letters to the Princess, set things on fire with her breath, or -surprisingly- make a decent tulip-on-rye sandwich. This last, Twilight speculated, was probably the kind of thing you only learned about a mare after spending two days in the forest with her. And even then, only if she insisted on doing all the food preparation. Fluttershy did not, in Twilight's opinion, appreciate the fine art of sandwich-making. Her inexpert eyes saw sandwiches as nothing more than stacks of food between bread, not as the works of visual and gustatory perfection that Cadance had taught Twilight to make them. She would always be grateful to Cadance for her wise and patient education. While Celestia had taught her magic, Cadance had taught Twilight sandwiches.

Not that Fluttershy wasn't good to have around, of course. Just the previous day, the pair had been suddenly jumped by a huge monster, easily twelve feet tall, that was some twisted combination of human and wolf. The beast seemed to be able to shape-shift to a limited degree, its muscles suddenly expanding, or protective bone spurs emerging from its skin. The monster had clearly been prepared to rip the two ponies limb from limb, but Fluttershy, in her unique way, had declared the monster to be a 'big fuzzy-wuzzy puppy-dog'. Twilight wasn't at all convinced, but the wolf-man clearly was. It had melted like proverbial butter under Fluttershy's hooves, and now seemed to be her stalwart protector.

The ponies and wolf-man moved slowly through the forest. It was approaching noon, and Twilight was thinking rapidly, hoping to find an excuse to make lunch that wouldn't hurt Fluttershy's delicate feelings. Then, all thoughts of sandwiches were driven from Twilight's mind by a sudden awareness of arcane power. The power was unlike anything Twilight had felt before, and was certainly not pony magic. Curious, Twilight looked around, soon spotting what looked like the entrance to a mine or tunnel. It appeared to have been dug recently, with small mounds of loose dirt surrounding it. New-cut wooden spars braced the entrance, which emitted a small, steady stream of greenish smoke.

"Fluttershy, take a look at that," Twilight said, "Do you think someone's mining something over there?"

"I, um, I wouldn't really know," Fluttershy replied, "it looks like there's a fire. Do you think they're cooking something?" Fluttershy took a step towards the tunnel, but before she could go further, her befriended wolf-man leaped out in front of her. The beast crouched low, staring at the tunnel entrance and snarling, teeth bared. Its skin rippled as the muscles in its arms and chest expanded and large spikes of bone emerged from its shoulders.

"Yikes!" Twilight exclaimed, "the big guy doesn't like mines, does he?" Twilight tried to walk past the beast, but it grabbed her in one massive claw without even looking, and pushed her roughly behind it.

"O-kay then," Twilight said with a nervous laugh, "let's not go into the tunnel, okay?"

"I'm... Scared of it anyway," Fluttershy admitted.

The ponies began to move away from the tunnel, followed closely by the wolf-man, which towered over them, still watching the tunnel. Twilight was reminded of a father timber wolf protecting its pups. Indeed, the beast seemed determined to keep itself directly between the tunnel and the ponies until the entrance was out of sight. Even then, it kept both ponies close with its claws while hurrying them along, looking around nervously and growling at shadows. Twilight suspected that at any moment it might simply seize both ponies and go sprinting off into the forest.

It was sunset before Fluttershy was able to convince the monster to let them stop, and by that time the trio were well away from the feared tunnel. Twilight looked back the way they'd traveled and checked her compass, noting that the beast had done a reasonable job of keeping the group on a westward course. She concluded that the big lug was useful, if overbearing, and that having it push her around like a wayward puppy was better than being eaten by it. Still, she wanted to know what magic lay in that tunnel, and whether it could be turned to Equestria's aid. So, late that night, while Fluttershy and her beast-man slept, Twilight composed a brief note asking Fluttershy to stay near the beast, meet with everypony back in Ponyville within a few weeks, and to please forgive her for leaving so suddenly. Using her magic, Twilight then tucked this note gently between Fluttershy's forehooves and made her way quietly away from their camp fire.

Twilight was relieved to find the tunnel entrance easily, guided by the arcane energy emanating from within. In the darkness, the entrance gave off a faint green glow that Twilight found rather sinister. Still, the intrepid unicorn pushed aside her fears and walked slowly into the tunnel. The interior was much like the entrance, recently-dug, with walls and ceiling braced by wooden planks, logs, and what appeared to be scavenged parts of large machines. The green glow seen from the entrance was much brighter from inside the tunnel, letting Twilight see her way ahead without relying on magic.

Turning a corner, Twilight gasped with surprise as she found her way blocked by a trio of strange... humans? Their shape was human, but seemed somehow... wrong. Their bodies were covered in heavy, black coats, and they wore thick gloves on their hands. On their heads were rounded brass helmets with several openings that Twilight took for eye holes, though they gave off a bright, yellow glow. From their backs emerged metal arms ending in blades, claws, or syringes. Twilight noticed that they hovered, their heavy boots hanging beneath them, toes several inches off the ground. Frightened, Twilight began to back away from the strange creatures. The nearest of them turned its head downward to look directly at her, and the glow from its helmet's eye-holes grew brighter.

Suddenly, an intense pain tore through Twilight's head. As the pain grew steadily stronger, Twilight fell to the ground,forelegs wrapped uselessly around her head, her mind filled with a terrible scream that drowned out her own shrieks of agony.

"Stop!" a raspy voice commanded. Instantly the pain was gone, and Twilight looked up fearfully. In the midst of the leather-clad hovering men stood a human dressed in what seemed to be the remnants of a suit of armor. Much of her skin was exposed, and what armor was there seemed cobbled together. Metal lanterns emitting a bright green glow hung from chains wrapped around her waist, a ragged skirt was attached to curved metal plates at her hips, and six metal shafts -each tipped with a large blade- emerged from the back of her armor. her face was obscured by an oddly-shaped helmet with metal horns coming from the sides. The newcomer's skin was as white as paper, and a large, haphazardly-stitched scar ran along her torso. Indeed, it looked to Twilight as if this human had been cut in half at the waist and sewn back together.

"This creature intrudes," explained the foremost of the hovering men, his voice an oddly metallic buzz, "we were eliminating it. You have other requirements?"

"This little one hides significant arcane might," the woman rasped, "my master may find her useful," she turned to look at Twilight, "tell me, creature, do you understand my words?"

"A-heh-heh," Twilight gave her trademark nervous laugh and started backing away again, "I'm pleased to meet you, really, but I'm afraid I should get goi-AH!" Twilight turned to find herself face-to-face with a massive, metal thing. Its curved, blackened hull featured a pattern of glowing runes, and a similar glow emitted from gaps in its blade-tusked head. Its piston-driven arms ended in claws nearly as big as Twilight, and each finger on those claws ended in a long, curved blade. Eerie, green flames and foul-smelling smoke emerged from the smokestack rising from the machine's back. She backed slowly away from this massive machine, suddenly remembering Victor Pendrake's description of the warjacks -war machines made in imitation of men- used by many armies in western Immoren. Twilight realized that the humanoid machine before her must be what Pendrake had called a helljack, a horrific type of warjack used only by Cryx. No other warjacks emitted the green glow of soulfire from its eyes, or produced smoke that smelled like burnt flesh. Then Twilight recalled Pendrake's warning that Cryx had apparently established a tunnel network under the Thornwood. The mare's heart sank as the full impact of her situation hit home: Her curiosity had taken her straight into a bastion of the Nightmare Empire. She realized that the raspy-voiced woman must be a warcaster, one of the soldier-wizards who controlled warjacks with their minds.

The woman with the raspy voice chuckled, evidently enjoying the pony's terror. "Wondering how my Nightmare got behind you?" She asked. Without waiting for a response, she explained, "Nightmare is so steeped in death that it can slip into the shadows between life and afterlife. It can become as a specter and move through any obstacle."

"You're... telling me..." Twilight began, her curiosity overcoming her fear, "it walked through the cave walls?"

"Well, I'm glad I didn't need to spell it out," the woman affirmed, a sinister grin spreading across her face, "now, let us away. My master will be interested to meet you."

"I really must insist on leaving," Twilight replied, preparing to cast her teleportation spell. As she started to draw power, however, a searing agony pierced the unicorn's mind, causing her to fall to the ground again, writhing in pain. The Cryxan warcaster looked to the cave walls, smirking, as several glowing runes appeared, suspended in the air.

"That ritual took a lot of work, but I see it was worth it," she said with satisfaction, "after one of our bases was so rudely intruded upon by a Khadoran warcaster, I decided to create wards that would prevent intruders from using their magic." She looked down at Twilight, who continued to writhe on the ground, teeth clenched and tears running down her cheeks, "the pain will stop when you stop trying to cast your spells."

Twilight released the stored energy she'd been trying to use, and the pain instantly stopped. Blinking the tears from her eyes, Twilight noticed that the group had been joined by a new horror. A creature in a flowing black robe, with no flesh at all on its skull, and runes carved into every inch of its dessicated skin and exposed bones. The sinister, greenish light Twilight was becoming unpleasantly used to emitted from its eye sockets, and a large, gold symbol hung from a chain around its neck. This symbol was in the shape of a skull, with one perfectly-circular eye socket, in front of a long-hafted weapon of some kind, surrounded by curved runes.

"Ah, Caligari," the warcaster greeted the creature, obviously recognizing it, "I trust you have noticed our new arrival? I was about to bring it to your master."

"That creature is why I am here," Caligari replied, its voice a deep baritone, "Master sensed its presence and sent me to see the creature to him. He prefers that it be unharmed, though if need be, though he allows that we could break its legs and carry it if it prefers not to walk."

"It is quite defiant," the warcaster said, making Twilight wish the two horrors would stop talking about her like she wasn't there, "I suppose the necrotechs can always build it new legs, if need be."

"I'll do what you say," Twilight interrupted, staring at the ground, "just please don't hurt me." She felt ashamed at having been so easily defeated, but she couldn't see a way out of her predicament. Behind her stood a a twelve-foot, seven-ton iron-and-steel killing machine. In front of her were a mad warrior-sorceress, three leather-clad men who could cause agonizing pain just by looking at her, and an undead fiend whose powers she dared not test. To either side where tunnel walls, and to make matters worse, she couldn't use magic.

Twilight Sparkle had frequently pondered what writers meant when they referred to someone as having a 'sepulchral voice.' How, Twilight had wondered, could a person's voice be like, or representative of, a tomb? Well, now she knew exactly exactly what a sepulchral voice sounded like. Every word spoken by this voice brought to mind death, burial, and oblivion.

"So, this strange, lavender creature is our mysterious fount of arcane power?" The sepulchral voice inquired. Its owner was a distressing being, made almost entirely of blackened metal, with a bright green light emerging from its iron ribcage. He wore flowing robes much like Caligari's, and several of the metal lanterns worn by his warcaster minion. No less than six smoke stacks emerged from the steam engine integrated into the speaker's back, and his one human part -his skull- seemed to hover within the protection of its huge, iron collar. One of the skull's eye sockets was covered by a metal structure that had a perfectly-circular lens in the center, and in one hand he gripped the haft of a massive polearm, the blade of which had a large, apparently still-living eye embedded in it. Twilight knew, based on Pendrake's descriptions, that this could only be one of the iron liches, undead madmen who comprised Cryx's social and military elite.

"It is, my lord," the warcaster replied, "it has immense power within it, which I believe could be turned to your benefit."

"Yes, I sensed its power even from here," the iron horror replied, "I believe introductions are in order. As the host, I shall begin." He extended a metal claw to Twilight, who very reluctantly placed her hoof in it, "I am Lich Lord Asphyxious, master of the Death Below and all mainland necrofactoriums, and eternal servant to Lord Toruk the Dragonfather. This skilled and powerful warwitch" -Asphyxious motioned to the warcaster who had brought Twilight to him- "is my loyal right hand, Wraith Witch Deneghra. And you have also met my faithful skarlock thrall, Caligari. And before I forget," Asphyxious brought his polearm's blade close to Twilight's face, forcing her to look directly into its eye, "This is Daemortus, the former lich lord whom I crushed to attain my place among Lord Toruk's inner circle. I forged this weapon using what was left of his body when I was finished with him, and I then did seal his immortal soul to it, forever binding Daemortus to mine own will."

"Nice to... meet... you?" Twilight managed, hoping a little politeness might reduce the seething hatred she could feel coming from the weapon's eye as it stared at her. It didn't help.

"Now, then, what shall we do with thou?" Asphyxious asked, drawing himself to his full height, "Thy power could prove valuable, if it is cultivated. However, we do not have time for such cultivation."

"Oh! Well, I'm sorry to hear that," Twilight said, perking up hopefully, "I'll just be going th-"

"No you will not," Asphyxious interrupted, "we do not have time, but I believe we can make other arrangements."

Twilight Sparkle was getting used to being discussed as if she were an object. Deneghra had taken her to see a truly massive iron lich. Even taller than Asphyxious, with a chassis nearly was large as a helljack and similarly built, this iron lich was clearly constructed for combat. His hollow ribcage had several insect-like mechanical arms mounted at the front, which moved and twitched at random. Inside his ribcage were several skulls, although Twilight could not fathom what purpose they served.

"I cannot believe you would ask this of me," the iron lich told Deneghra angrily, "I am a servant of Lich Lord Malathrax, what justification does a self-important warwitch have to demand that I drop all of my absolutely vital work to teach necromancy to a strangely-colored talking horse? If you had brought it to me for proper examination that would be tolerable, but to educate it? To keep it alive, at that? You overstep your bounds, witch".

"My bounds, perhaps, but Lord Asphyxious's?" Deneghra asked, "this request comes from my master, not myself."

The iron lich paused at this, the movements of its ribcage-mounted arms stopped briefly. Then it spoke, "I see. Although Lord Asphyxious is not my master, I am in no position to turn down an order from any lich lord. Very well, I will teach this creature necromancy and loyalty to Lord Toruk. Can I at least expect this to be a short-term arrangement?"

"The sooner it is ready for battle, the sooner you will be rid of it. My lord hopes the creature will earn the right of intelligent undeath on the battlefield." With that, Deneghra turned and left, leaving Twilight and the iron lich alone. Twilight looked around the chamber. The walls were lined with shelves, each of which contained several skulls of various shapes. More skulls stood on tables, some of them in metal clamps.

"Well then, I suppose we should begin," the iron lich said, "I am Lord Exhumator Scaverous, creator and foremost expert in the field of forensic necromancy, and loyal servant to Lich Lord Malathrax. You, unless I am mistaken, are Twilight Sparkle, faithful student of Princess Celestia."

"How did you know?!" Twilight gasped, eyes wide.

Scaverous lifted a skull from one of the metal clamps and held it close to Twilight's face, causing her to back away. "Do you know what this is?" Scaverous asked.

"A... skull?" Twilight offered fearfully.

"A human skull," Scaverous replied, "the skull of a ranger of the Cygnaran Reconnaissance Service. One Swift Sergeant Aaron Wallace, whom I believe you met." Twilight gasped again as Scaverous continued, "some of my minions happened upon his unit as they were traveling to the south. While two of the rangers escaped our reach, the rest were slain and their skulls brought to me."

"But... how could you find out anything from a skull?" Twilight asked. Despite her horror and disgust, she found herself puzzled.

Scaverous laughed, "necromantic interrogation is one of the primary tenants of forensic necromancy. By the application of necromantic rituals and runes -you see them carved into Sergeant Wallace's skull?- I can summon forth an echo if the person to whom any part of a body belonged. This shade can then be questioned, even made to suffer pain, in order to gather information. Bones are preferable for this process, because they hold the runes perfectly without losing integrity or shape. The skull is the best part, it is the bone closest to the brain, where knowledge is of course housed in life."

At this point, Twilight was shaking in fear, "and... you're going to do that to me?" She asked, terrified.

"Didn't you hear that egotistical minion of Asphyxious's?" Scaverous seemed annoyed, "you're to be kept alive. As much as I would enjoy having more detailed knowledge of Equestria, it seems I must make do with Wallace's limited understanding. At least until a few Ponyville residents can be made to disappear in the night, as it were."

"Well, you seem like a really, really busy man -I mean, lich," Twilight made one final attempt at diplomacy, "so maybe it'd be best if I just disappeared myself. You don't want to waste your time on me, anyway." Twilight started to walk towards the door, but was suddenly dragged to Scaverous's feet by a magical force she could not resist. There was a loud, whirring noise as the blade of what could only be called a chainsaw-scythe tore into the floor just inches from Twilight's snout, showering her with dirt.

"You seem to think either of us have a choice in the matter!" Scaverous shouted, suddenly enraged, "let me disabuse you of that notion right now, my little pony! We are Cryx! We serve Toruk the Dragonfather, and his twelve lich lords! The lich lords have no use for disloyal subordinates, so out of true fidelity or basic self-preservation, you had better get used to the idea!" Scaverous ripped his chainsaw-scythe's blade out of the ground and continued, somewhat more calmly, "Asphyxious wants you alive only because he thinks you might be able to earn the exalted, intelligent undeath that we enjoy. If he begins to think you're not worth the trouble, he won't hesitate to kill you. If that happens, he's likely to capture your soul in order to experiment on it, and see what sort of thralls can be made from your body. if we're both very lucky, he'll let me keep your skull."

Twilight cowered, well and truly unable to see an escape.

"If you want to live, or better yet, to earn exhalation, I suggest you abandon all thoughts of leaving here and consider yourself lucky no one's killed you yet," Scaverous continued, "Now get off the ground, dry your tears, and come with me. I am going to make a necromancer out of you, and for both our sakes you had better be a good one."

Lord Exhumator Scaverous guided his lavender-coated charge through the winding tunnels of the Cryxian outpost. The pony hung her head, apparently despondent. Scaverous found himself frustrated and confused by the whole situation. If Deneghra hadn't been Asphyxious's favorite minion, he might have cut her down for her impertinent behavior. In addition, being expected to keep anything alive and free-willed when it was so clearly unwilling to join Cryx was unheard of. Any human who had wandered into a necrofactorium and didn't want to be part of the Nightmare Empire would be on a one-way trip to the nearest charnel pit within minutes. The same held true of trollkin, Iosans, or indeed any race Scaverous could think of. It was obvious that Asphyxious wanted to do with this pony the same thing he'd done with Deneghra: Corrupt her heart and soul until she became a sentient weapon utterly devoted to his will. But then, why turn Twilight Sparkle over to another? Not just another iron lich, but one outside of Asphyxious's purview? By being placed in her care, Twilight had become essentially Lich Lord Malathrax's property, and Asphyxious very openly hated Malathrax. Was this all an attempt to undermine Malathrax's organization? It couldn't be, Scaverous concluded. Asphyxious and Malathrax despised each other, but both recognized that they both needed the other -and the other's power structures- to advance Lord Toruk's goals on the mainland. Scaverous didn't like any of it. Asphyxious acted half-mad and highly eccentric, but he didn't become a lich lord by accident. Scaverous was sure that Asphyxious had some plan that involved this Twilight Sparkle, and it was possible, even probable, that this plan would not come into fruition until Twilight's great-grandchildren were dead, buried, and forgotten about. It was highly likely that even when the goal behind Asphyxious's scheme was reached, only he would understand Twilight's contribution. Scaverous decided that it would be fruitless to continue to speculate on such things, and turned his mind to more immediate matters.

"Twilight Sparkle," Scaverous began, "The echoes of Sergeant Wallace tell me that every one of you ponies has some 'special talent', at which you are particularly skilled. Tell me, what is your special talent?"

"Magic," Twilight sighed, still hanging her head, "Most unicorn ponies can learn only a few spells, and those are connected to their special talent, but I can learn nearly any kind of spell. Of course, some spells are more difficult than others, and just because I know a spell, that doesn't mean I can actually cast it."

If Scaverous still had eyebrows, he felt he might have raised one. Clearly he was fortunate that he hadn't been handed some pony who's special talent was farming, laughter, or some other useless thing. Perhaps Twilight Sparkle might make a decent necromancer after all.

"Interesting. We may find some use for you yet," Scaverous said, leading the pony to a warjack no taller than a man, with a long, low-slung body. The warjack had short legs with back-bent knees, no arms to speak of, and the skull of some large, tusked animal bolted to its front to serve as a head. At a command from the iron lich, a bloated, once-human engineer on four spidery, mechanical legs filled the 'jack's coal hopper with a combination of ordinary coal and some sickly-green rocks Twilight could not identify, then lit the machine's steam engine.

As the warjack's soulfire grew stronger, its eye sockets began to glow with the same green light now coming from the vents on its sides. The machine looked around the room, and Twilight got the impression that it was almost alive, driven by a cruel, predatory intelligence.

"This, Twilight Sparkle, is a bonejack," Scaverous explained, showing great interest in the machine, "specifically, a Deathripper. They are small for warjacks, but they are fast, vicious, and more than capable of tearing a man apart. Most importantly, they each carry an arc node," Scaverous motioned to a curved brass device atop the machine's back, in front of its foremost smokestack, "A warcaster can send spells through the node, you see, extending our range and increasing available attack vectors. Now, touch it".

"What?" Twilight said, surprised.

"Touch the warjack," Scaverous said, as if speaking to a particularly unintelligent foal, "I want to see if anything happens".

Hesitantly, Twilight planted a forehoof on the bonejack's front cowling, but she gasped and pulled it back almost immediately. "Wha-what? What just happened?! I..." She looked up at Scaverous for the first time, "I think I saw through its... eyes! I don't understand!"

"Good, good," Scaverous said, nodding, "you have what is known to humans as 'the warcaster talent'. With training, you'll be able to control bonejacks and helljacks using only the power of your mind. Necrotechnology allows us the same powers without the random fortune of birth, which means any necrotech can become a warcaster. However, having the talent at the start will significantly speed your learning. Now then, I am going to teach you to reach into the cortexes of warjacks. Pay close attention".

Twilight fearfully looked back at the warjack, and saw that it was staring directly at her. "Celestia's in her castle, and all is right in the world". The unicorn muttered to herself.

Riflemen and Pig-men

Rarity had quickly resigned herself to the grime and discomfort of the Cygnaran train. The hard, dusty benches were a far cry from the plush seats of the Canterlot Express, and the cars containing them were seriously under-decorated, with tiny windows near the roof (through which light from two of Caen's three moons streamed) and no adornment on the interiors. The exteriors bore only fading blue paint and the occasional yellow cygnus to mark the vehicle has a Cygnaran machine. Of course, this was a military train, designed not for pleasant day trips, but to move soldiers and weapons to the front lines. This particular train was part of the battle group of one Captain Kara Sloan.

The unicorn pony had been quite surprised to learn that each of Cygnar's warcasters had trains and train crews as part of his or her personal retinue, but quickly realized that this was no special privilege of rank, but a necessity for officers who needed to move as much personnel and hardware as any of Cygnar's warcasters were expected to take everywhere they went. More than one of the train's six cars was packed with blue-hulled warjacks of many types, almost all of which were armed with some manner of rifle, cannon or other firearm. Rarity had learned that Cygnar employed a military doctrine of combined arms and technological sophistication, and Captain Sloan had a particular reputation as a master of gunnery. Along with the warcaster and her 'jacks traveled a mixed company of trencher soldiers and long gunner riflemen, a ranger platoon attached to Sloan by the Cygnaran Reconnaissance Service, a large number of field mechanics and their assistants -small, bat-eared creatures called gobbers- and Lieutenant Leslie Durdin, Sloan's intimidating adjutant. Rarity was given to understand that Sloan was a relatively new warcaster, and that in time she would likely assemble a larger collection of favorite soldiers and units, who would be expected to move with her as required instead of remaining attached to a single battalion as most companies did.

"If you don't mind me asking, Captain," Victor Pendrake's voice cut into Rarity's thoughts, "what prompted the decision to pull a warcaster away from the northern front, given the fall of Point Bourne and the Cryxian attacks on Corvis?"

Sloan glanced at the assembled ponies before replying, "There's been a steady increase in Menite strikes on farms and villages near Eastwall. We've been attached to the Black River Army to see if we can suppress their attacks."

"Hold on," Spitfire interrupted. The pegasus pony had convinced Celestia to send the Wonderbolts as diplomats after Pendrake had mentioned that Cygnar had weaponized lightning, a concept which Spitfire was apparently fascinated by, "they're attacking civilians? What kind of military attacks civilians?"

"The Menites don't see things on normal military terms," Sloan replied tersely, "the Protectorate of Menoth divides people into two groups: Menites and heretics. Menites are spared, heretics are burned. Soldiers are just heretics that fight back harder when the Menites try to set them on fire."

"They're a highly fanatical -and unfortunately very large- branch of the Church of Menoth, who worship mankind's creator," Pendrake added, "Khador has a far less violent branch of Menoth-worship known as the Old Faith. Cygnar, Llael, and Ord also have small pockets of Menoth worshippers, although nearly all of Cygnar's Menites joined the Protectorate during or shortly after its founding."

"And they've been a problem for us ever since," Sloan interjected, "technically the Protectorate is a separate state under Cygnar's rule, but they ignore our government at will. We made the mistake of leaving them alone, letting them ignore their agreement to not build up a military, and now we're paying for it. We can't just let them run around killing people, so my battlegroup's been called in to help keep them on their side of the river. At least, that's the official story."

"There's an unofficial story?" Pendrake asked pointedly.

"I shouldn't tell you this," Sloan said, "but knowing you, you'd find out anyway, and tell your new pony friends, too. We're going right past Eastwall without so much as getting a visual on the fort, heading straight for Caspia. Once we hit the capitol, I'm supposed to meet with a member of the CRS who's identity will be revealed to me upon my arrival. That CRS agent will tell me what happens after that. Since it's me they've called in for this, I assume it has something to do with blowing holes in our enemies from long distances, but I don't have enough intel to guess who I'll be shooting, where, or when."

"That's the CRS for you," Pendrake said with a wry smile, "the leadership always played things close to the vest when I was them, and it sounds like that hasn't changed."

Sloan shrugged, "I don't like being kept in the dark, but with enemies like Cryx and the skorne, it's important to keep information from leaking. As if that weren't enough, I've heard rumors that Asheth Magnus has been spotted skulking around King's Vine, and that the mercenaries who killed Archduke Runewood's vassals recently were hired by Vinter the Fourth himself."

"Even rumors of those two are enough to make me think things are going to get worse before they get better," Pendrake said grimly.

Spitfire looked like she was about to speak, but was interrupted by the sudden, wailing screech of the train's brakes. Rarity cringed as her theory that train brakes were the worst sound that existed was once again backed up. And these brakes were the worst of all. It seemed that everything about Cygnaran trains was worse than Equestrian locomotives. A long gunner sergeant stepped into the cabin, lever-action rifle in hand, and gave Sloan a quick salute.

"Captain, we've got a problem. Someone's blocked off the tracks, probably an ambush."

"Right!" The warcaster stood up, "Durdin, help me get my armor on, Sergeant, get your long gunners onto the roofs, Rail," Sloan nodded to the mechanic who had just entered the car from the back, "get your mechanics firing up my warjacks. Constance Blaize reported that Cryxians have been leaving piles of wrecked 'jacks on rail lines on attacking the trains when they stop. You see anything that looks even remotely like soulfire, you blow holes in whatever it's coming from, understood?"

Rainbow Dash and Rarity had volunteered to help clear the pile of scrap metal and ruined laborjacks that had been hadhazardly stacked on the train tracks, but the cyan pegasus couldn't help but stare at the hoofprints in the ground. They looked like the prints left in the mud by Applejack's pigs, but the idea that pigs had set an ambush for a train was crazy. Then again, some of the hoofprints were much, much larger than a pig's hooves had any right to be, and these prints were very deep, as well. Rainbow Dash was no wilderness tracker, but she was certain that any hoof that sank so deeply into solid ground belonged to something very heavy.

The pegasus looked up from the cloven hoofprint and turned to the improvised barrier on the tracks. Captain Sloan had every gun-carrying warjack in her battlegroup spread out in a defensive perimeter around the train, and had been using her warcaster power to watch for threats through their eyes. Warjacks without projectile weapons, however, had been left in the care of her mechanics, who had made the 'jacks leave their hammers, spears, and shields in the train and help move the scrap pile. Rarity had quickly taken charge of two huge warjacks called Hammersmiths, and was directing them in their work with such efficiency that everyone else had eventually decided they were only getting in the way.

"Not in the sky with the other pegasus ponies?"

"Gah!" Startled, Rainbow Dash launched into the air and whirled around in one movement. Victor Pendrake had been looking over her shoulder without her even noticing, "don't do that!"

"Sorry, sorry," Pendrake seemed amused, "I have a tendency to sneak up on people without meaning to. I see you've found some footprints. Or hoofprints, rather."

"Yeah," the pegasus dropped back to the earth, "they look like a pig's, but some of them are way too big, and they all seem kind of... weird, somehow."

"Very observant," the Cygnaran said. Rainbow would have preferred to hear one of the Wonderbolts praise her flying skills, but she was willing to accept any compliment she got, "the prints don't follow any pattern of footsteps taken by four-legged animals. Indeed, if they were left by pigs, they'd be pigs walking about on their hind legs."

"Wait, can pigs even stand on just two legs?" The pegasus asked.

"I've seen stranger things, but I believe it's safe to assume we're dealing with farrow," Victor answered, "they're typically about the size of humans, and as intelligent, if not as technologically advanced as most human nations. They are capable of reverse-engineering machines and weapons, and making imitations of them. Many farrow seem to be some sort of throwback, however. These farrow display much larger bodies -some as large as a heavy warjack- but only basic, animal-like intelligence. In any case, can I ask you to fly up to Captain Sloan and let her know?"

"On it". Rainbow flew up to the train engine's roof, where Kara Sloan stood vigil. A thin stream of black smoke rose from the small steam engine mounted to the back of her armor, which powered a device Sloan had identified as an 'arcantrik turbine'. Arcantrik turbines, as far as Rainbow Dash understood Sloan's explanation, were used to enhance a warcaster's magic, as well as produce an invisible shield around them. Sloan hadn't been willing to spend a lot of time discussing it, and the pony suspected that she wouldn't understand the details anyway. She comprehended enough, however, to realize that Twilight Sparkle would likely be delighted to have one.

"Captain, you got a minute?" Rainbow asked. Sloan was peering through the scope on her massive rifle, Spitfire. Not to be confused with the Wonderbolt of the same name. Glowing blue runes encircled both the end of the rifle's scope and its barrel. Over her armor, the warcaster wore a thick, ankle-length skirt -although it looked more like the bottom half of a cloak or robe than anything else. Heavy leather belts were draped around Sloan's waist, with several of Spitfire's massive, custom-made bullets hanging from them.

"Talk to me, Dash," the warcaster ordered, not looking up. Rainbow Dash remained hovering in the air, wisely staying at Sloan's side instead of putting herself in front of the massive rifle, which was longer than Sloan was tall and had been custom-built for punching holes in warjack armor.

"I found some footprints around," Rainbow Dash explained, "Pendrake says they look like farrow prints, but I don't know what these 'farrow' are. Some kind of pig-human-things?"

"That's more or less correct, actually. The farrow mostly operate as bandits. They're generally disorganized, but tough and capable of rapidly adapting to changes on the battlefield. Lately, though, there's been an increase in the size and precision of farrow raiding parties. Apparently a warlock called Lord Carver has been uniting farrow tribes and introducing them to modern military tactics. I've heard that Carver wants to conquer all the human nations. I doubt he'll ever have the raw manpower he'd need for a feat like that, but he's a skilled leader, so it's worthwhile to take him seriously."

"So we can expect either a precise, military-style raid or a pack of roused rabble trying to fake their way through a train robbery?"

Before the warcaster could answer, a loud sound like a combination of a roar and a squeal came from the forest. A large shell flew from the trees, slamming into one of the Defender warjacks with a powerful explosion. Another shell followed, but fell short of the 'jack. The Defender returned fire, and Rainbow Dash spotted a pair of large, hunched-forward pig-men lurking in the shadows beneath the trees. Each of them had a heavy, leather and metal harness which held a massive cannon on their backs. As Sloan's warjacks brought down one of the over-sized farrow in a hail of gunfire, the other tugged a rope hanging down from its cannon, lobbing another shell at the warjacks. This shot went wide, hammering a large dent in the side of one of the armored train cars. Spitfire produced a loud blast as Sloan shot the gun boar, tearing a gaping wound in the beast's shoulder. A barrage from her long gunners finished the warbeast.

With a second roaring squeal, a massive farrow burst from the trees. To Rainbow's shock, this farrow's arms, and sections of its legs, had been replaced with huge, piston-driven imitations that resembled warjack limbs. Its flesh had several gashes in it which appeared to have been hastily stitched together, apparently-random machine parts seemed to be haphazardly built into its flesh, and -most disturbingly- a huge section of the monster farrow's back seemed to have been hollowed out to make room for a warjack's steam engine. Its steam-driven hands gripped massive axes, which had also been plundered from 'jacks. The creature wore a heavy loincloth held in place by a thick rope, from which hung several warjack heads. Rainbow Dash wasn't sure if these heads were taken from the 'jacks from which the beast's mechanikal parts had been plundered, or if they were trophies seized in previous battles.

"WAR HOG!" Pendrake bellowed as the monster charged towards the train's engine.

"You two!" Rarity commanded her Hammersmiths, "stop that ugly brute at once!" The Hammersmiths rushed forward to intercept the hog, placing themselves between it and the train. As the massive pig-man collided with the Hammersmiths, a number of smaller, more human-like farrow emerged from the trees, rushing forward with smooth-bore guns in hand and a motley collection of clubs, swords, and other simple melee weapons strapped to their backs. These brigands took running shots at the nearest warjacks, firing with impressive precision, but their bullets did not have force enough to cause significant damage. A Cyclone spun its twin Metal Storm chainguns to speed and laid down a hail of covering fire, which fell short of the brigands, but created a wide zone into which they could not enter without being gunned down. A second Cyclone added its own rain of bullets, moving to box in the farrow raiders.

Rarity's Hammersmiths were battering the war hog and being battered in return. Lacking the hammers their cortexes had been custom-made to fight with, the warjacks resorted to bashing their fists against the hog's head and body is it tore deep rents in their armor with its axes and tusks.

"The engine! The engine!" Rarity shouted, grabbing one of the Hammersmiths with her magic and pushing it around the beast. The unicorn pony wasn't sure how much of the warbeast's strength came from its natural muscles and how much was steam power, but she knew that a loss of steam pressure would at least inhibit the creature. The moved Hammersmith began to grab wildly at the metal pipes integrated with the flesh around the farrow's smokestacks as the monster battered the warjack that remained in front of it. The warjack managed to seize one of the pipes and ripped it free. The massive hog let out a squeal of shock and pain as jets of steam hissed from the jagged holes torn in its back by the pipe's violent removal. The beast fell to its knees, then tipped towards the Hammersmith it had been fighting, which unceremoniously pushed it to the side and let it drop to the ground. Without steam pressure, the beast's piston-driven limbs were unable to exert even the slightest force, so all the farrow could do was look around in confusion and grunt, which it did while the damaged warjacks returned to Rarity, ready to rush back to battle at her command despite the large gashes in their hulls. The one that had borne the brunt of the war hog's violence had had the pistons in its right arm torn open, and that limb hung uselessly at the 'jack's side.

Rarity looked over at the gang of farrow brigands. The pig-men had apparently figured out the effective range of the Cyclones' covering fire, and were staying clear of it while taking shots at the warjacks. No longer firing wildly, the brigands were carefully lining up each shot, clearly attempting to strike pistons or other vital parts.

Suddenly, the Cyclones stopped firing. Rarity couldn't figure out why for a moment, but then a rainbow-colored streak of light appeared high in the air, lighting up the night sky. The farrow stood transfixed at the sight as Rainbow Dash rocketed towards them. For the briefest of moments, there was absolute silence as Rainbow seemed to vanish, then a massive explosion tore through the night air as a multi-colored mushroom cloud rose from the farrow's location. Rarity looked back towards the train to see Rainbow hovering near Kara Sloan and the Wonderbolts, front legs crossed and a smug expression on her face. As the dust cloud kicked up by the explosion settled, the unicorn saw that not one farrow was left standing. Although she was sure that her pegasus friend was completely insane, Rarity couldn't help being impressed by how efficiently she had dealt with the brigands. She looked back at the war hog, which remained where it lay, its grunts and expression having changed from confusion to fear as it evidently began to comprehend its total immobility. As she watched, Pendrake walked up to the creature and drew his sword.

"It's time to end your suffering," the professor said, "the constant pain you've endured in the time since that madman had you on his operating table is at its end. I pray you find peace at Dhunia's side in Urcaen." With that, Pendrake drove his sword into the beast's neck. The war hog gave one final grunt as life faded from its yellow eyes. Pendrake stared morosely at the fallen hog. "Arkadius, you lunatic, why can't you leave well enough alone?"

Pendrake's Report: Equestrian Military Forces

To: Scout General Bolden Rebald
Cygnaran Reconnaissance Service
Caspia, Cygnar

From: Professor Victor Pendrake
Department of Extraordinary Zoology
Corvis University, Cygnar

Scout General,

While I am sure you and King Leto fully comprehend the merits of having a neighbor-state that isn't desperate to conquer or destroy Cygnar, I am concerned by the possibility that insurrectionist elements within Cygnar may poison Equestria against us, as they have unfortunately done with Madrak Ironhide's trollkin supporters. While I have warned Equestria's leaders against these elements, I feel concern that the nation may still be made our enemy. For this reason, I feel that it is of vital importance that we have at least a basic understanding of how Equestrian ponies behave in combat situations, and I am composing this report for that purpose.

It must first be noted that Equestria has a relatively loose military doctrine. The Royal Guard serves as both police and military, and are trained to focus their efforts on protecting the civilian population. Beyond that, Equestria's overall strategy seems to boil down to 'improvise constantly.' This makes them difficult to predict, as it is difficult to determine how they might respond to any given combat situation. I believe that this doctrine is derived at least in part to the long period of uninterrupted peace enjoyed by Equestria, which has likely had a detrimental effect on the development and advance of military theory among their people.

The Royal Guard is grouped into three general divisions based on the three normal types of pony. These three groups are divided within themselves between Princess Celestia's Solar Guard and Princess Luna's Lunar Guard. Earth pony guards are extremely strong, resilient, and motivated. They are not to be underestimated. During a raid conducted by Steelhead mercenaries hired by an unknown employer, I witnessed earth pony guards endure blows that would even fell the mighty steeds of Khador's Iron Fang Uhlans, and retaliate with armor-crushing and bone-shattering kicks.

While not as strong or tough as their earth pony counterparts, pegasus pony guards are strong, fast combatants. Trained to strike quickly and in close concert, a small squad of pegasus guards can make short work of a full datha of Praetorian Swordsmen despite being severely outnumbered. Pegasus ponies of the Royal Guard are deployed as shock troopers for fast-strike actions, and many of them have training in the control of weather, a skill which I will elaborate upon below.

Unicorn Royal Guards are the nation's acanists and sorcerers. Much of their magic brings to mind that of the Iosan elves, with a strong emphasis on force barriers and energy attacks. Many of them are also able to manipulate light or darkness. Each specific unicorn tends to bring his or her own unique arcane talents to the battlefield, as well, resulting in an unpredictable combination of abilities. Additionally, at least a few unicorn guards may potentially be warcasters, and it might be worthwhile to consider a trade agreement with Equestria involving warjacks or cortexes. Princess Celestia seems eager for any advantage her people can be afforded.

Celestia herself is a formidable enemy, willing and able to take to the battlefield. With spells that shield her guardsponies and the ability to release blasts of searing heat, Celestia is likely the arcane equal of any of Cygnar's warcasters. I have not seen Princess Luna in combat, but I would assume that she is as powerful as her older sister.

In addition to the Royal Guard are the Equestrian Irregulars, which seem to have an extremely open recruitment and retirement policy. Nearly any pony can temporarily become a member of the Irregulars, apparently by merely arriving on the battlefield. I am reminded of the compulsory military service required in Khador and the Protectorate, but membership in the Irregulars seems entirely optional. The open recruitment policies of the Irregulars makes them extremely unpredictable, and they compensate for their lack of formal military training with a surprising ability to improvise. Among the most dangerous of ponies that might be seen among the Irregulars are the members of the Weather Patrol.

In Equestria, weather patterns do not occur naturally. To compensate for this, pegasus ponies have incredible power to manipulate weather, and each town's Weather Patrol is comprised of the best weather-controllers available, all of whom can move clouds, cause rain or lighting, and even create tornadoes and hurricanes with relative ease. Weather patterns that require days-long rituals conducted by dozens of blackclad druids of the Circle Orboros can be brought about within a few short hours by a small team of Weather Patrol ponies. Despite this, the pegasus ponies I have spoken to seem fascinated by the idea of weaponizing weather. I have seen pegasus Guardsponies pushing small clouds across the battlefield to inhibit visibility, but no pony I have met has considered the idea of attacking an enemy with lightning, despite being fully aware of its lethal effects and being able to generate it by delivering a swift kick to a cloud. I imagine that on my return to Cygnar I shall be accompanied by at least a few pegasus ponies eager to discuss such matters with our stormsmiths.

Addendum:

I am writing this while on Captain Kara Sloan's military train, traveling to her next assignment, which will take me closer to Corvis. As expected, I find myself accompanied by a number of pegasus ponies. The train was stopped due to an improvised barricade on the rails and set upon by a sorely-outmatched farrow raiding party. During the ensuing battle, one of these ponies, Rainbow Dash, produced a colorful and brutally destructive shockwave by accelerating to an extreme speed in the air. She refers to this attack as the "Sonic Rainboom", and claims that it was considered a myth, a stunt which was impossible to perform, before she proved able to accomplish it. The Sonic Rainboom was originally meant as a stunt used to entertain audiences, but Rainbow Dash, aware of the force of its shockwave, has chosen to weaponize it. Rainbow Dash is not a soldier, and is in fact employed by the Weather Patrol. Her attempt to weaponize this airborne trick, and its devastating results, are a particularly noteworthy example of Equestrian capacity for improvisation.

In the Frozen North

Despite Victor Pendrake's warnings and her own apprehensions, Applejack trekked north from Canterlot, soon leaving Equestria entirely and entering Khadoran territory. Having found a train track on the first day into Khador, Applejack had elected to follow it on the basis that a rail line had to eventually lead to a town of some description. The climate grew rapidly colder as Applejack followed the rails northward across the hilly, frozen land, making her glad she'd thought to bring her cotton-lined saddle and boots. She had forgotten, however, to pack earmuffs, a fact she was constantly reminded of by her unrelentingly talkative traveling companion.

"Gee, it's cold here, isn't it? I feel cold, do you feel cold? Is feeling cold an absolute or relative state? Could some pony feel cold while another pony in the same place feels warm? By nature, all ponies are different and may react differently to the same stimu- look! Clouds! That reminds me, I want to get Twilight to cast that cloud-walking spell on us to we can go to Cloudsdale again, that'd be neat! I wanna sleep on a bed made of clouds next time, do you think they're comfy? Wait, maybe they're damp because they have water inside so it can rain. Do you like rain? I like rain, I like the sound it makes when it hits the roof! It's so random, there's no pattern to it, and I think that's neat, do you think it's neat? I-"

"Pinkie," Applejack said loudly, "can ya please just stop talkin' fer a bit?"

"Aw, but I like talking," Pinkie Pie protested, "talking is fun, and I like fun things! Like parties! Do you think these Kay-doory whozits like parties? I hope they like parties, I've got my party cannon all ready so we can throw a party as soon as we meet some!"

Applejack had to force herself not to wonder where, exactly, the hyperactive mare was storing her signature artillery piece, which was nowhere in sight. "Ya'll need to relax a mite, okay?" The be-hatted pony insisted.

"I can't possibly relax! I'm so excited! We're outside of Equestria! I've never been out of Equestria before! In fact, I wasn't sure there was an 'outside Equestria!' Wait, is there an outside Equestria on our normal world? What if there isn't?! What if..."

The magenta-maned mare continued her unstoppable monologue for the next hour and a half, veering between random small talk and surprisingly deep philosophy, all while prattling so rapidly that Applejack found herself wondering how her friend was able to emit such a constant stream of words without stopping for breath. Just as the farm pony had begun seriously considering a theory that involved Pinkie speaking while both exhaling and inhaling, the way cats purred, the pair rounded a hill and discovered a tall wall made of tree trunks. The wall had a wide gap to allow the train tracks through, and through this opening Applejack saw what appeared to be a fortified train station, as well as a few large tents and hastily-constructed buildings. Armed men and woman in red uniforms were moving constantly about this camp, and a large, red-and-black warjack stood guard at the wall's southern entrance.

"Oooh, look! They look like a fun bunch!" Pinkie said, "they're wearing red, and red is kinda like pink, and pink is my favorite! Maybe I can get them to wear pink, I bet pink is their fav-mmph!"

Applejack had resorted to jamming a hoof in Pinkie's otherwise-unstoppable motor mouth. The farm mare reflected briefly that she'd been putting her hooves into the mouths of other ponies with disturbing frequency ever since she'd met Twilight Sparkle.

"Pinkie," Applejack pronounced with as much seriousness as she could muster under the circumstances, "I really, really need ya to let me do the talking fer a while. An' whatever ya do, do not, I repeat do not git out yer party cannon. If these guys think it's a real cannon, they're sure ta jus' kill us outright, understand?" Applejack withdrew her hoof.

"I understand perfectly!" Pinkie said gleefully, "I'll be super-duper-extra qui-mrfle!" In went Applejack's hoof again.

"I've got a good twenty feet ah rope in my saddlebags," Applejack said, glowering, "an' Celestia as my witness I will use every inch of it t' tie yer mouth shut if'n I have to. Now, I'm gonna take mah hoof out, and if so much as one sound follows it outta yer mouth, I will git th' rope out. Are we clear on this?"

Kovnik Egor Pitoev had seen many strange things in his long and illustrious career, and knew that many men regarded his steam-powered Man-O-War armor to be quite odd in itself, but the sight that met his eyes as he checked on the firebase's southern guards was... well, probably not the strangest, honestly. But it was certainly on the top-ten list. Two creatures much like small, oddly-shaped, and even more oddly-colored horses approached the firebase from the south. One of these creatures had an orange coat, a very nice hat, and what could only be called a determined look on its face. The other was pink, had no hat at all, and looked rather dejected. This was understandable, as the lower half of the pink one's face was wrapped up in a long rope evidently intended to prevent it from making any kind of sound.

"Menoth's gaze, have you ever seen horses like those, Kovnik?" One of the Man-O-War guards asked, lifting his faceplate to get a better look.

"I cannot say that I have," Pitoev replied. He rapped the arm of the hulking warjack guarding the railway. "Kodiak, with me, " the officer commanded, starting towards the approaching equines. The streams of smoke rising from the Kodiak's six smokestacks thickened slightly as the eleven-ton brute followed its master. As its steam pressure rose, the warjack accelerated, overtaking the kovnik and interposing itself protectively between him and the strangers. The bipedal machine stopped in front of the new arrivals and loomed menacingly over them. The only thing a Kodiak did better than loom menacingly was use its massive steel hands to crush, destroy, and otherwise remove from combat hostile entities of all shapes and sizes, a fact which Kovnik Pitoev was keenly aware. Kodiaks were among his favorite warjacks to marshal, they had advanced cortexes that made them more self-sufficient than other Khadoran 'jacks, along with their high-pressure steam engines and thick armor.

"Well, uh, hi there, big guy." Applejack greeted the machine nervously as it loomed menacingly over the two ponies. Victor Pendrake had drawn quick sketches of many of the commonly-used warjacks in western Immoren, but Applejack was at a loss to identify this one. Its armor bore a large symbol that resembled a triangle with thick lines crossing each corner. This, according to Pendrake, was the offical symbol of Khador. The human had claimed that it was an anvil, or represented one. Applejack had assumed it was either highly symbolic, or the Khadorans had strange ideas about metalworking. The warjack's face-plate had a single rectangular opening from which glowed a bright, yellow light. Pendrake had said that such openings served as a warjack's eyes, so Applejack looked directly into the glow as she addressed the machine, wondering if it could, as Pendrake insisted, understand what she was saying.

"We're, uh, well, we're lookin' fer the folks in charge, we gotta talk t' the most important Khadorans we can find..." Applejack trailed off as the machine turned slightly, motioning towards what she took for a smaller warjack until it removed its helmet. The human was wearing a massive suit of armor with pistons at the joints and a steam engine on its back, his metal-clad hands gripping a very large axe. Pendrake had described these men as well, calling them "Men-O-War". The small flag rising from the Man-O-War's back marked him as a kovnik, which was -again, according to Pendrake- a fairly high rank within the Khadoran military. Applejack thought it likely that this man was in charge of the train station and the base surrounding it. He appeared to be surprised, probably not expecting Applejack to be able to speak.

"And a good afternoon to you," the kovnik greeted Applejack, recovering from his evident amazement, "please forgive my companion his silence, warjacks are not exactly riveting conversationalists." The Man-O-War chuckled at his own joke and continued, "you seem a bit lost, so allow me to say that you have come upon a firebase maintained by the Third Army of the Khadoran Empire to support our southern expansion. Tell me, what prompts two creatures such as yourselves to wander north along our glorious empire's most excellent rail lines?" Many Khadorans, Applejack had been told, loved to heap praise upon their nation and its people, and this man was apparently one of them.

"Well, that's a long story," Applejack explained, "I suppose I'd best start explainin'."

Pitoev sat inside his tent and considered Applejack's story carefully. Just outside, Pinkie Pie chattered endlessly at his Kodiak, apparently not knowing or not caring that it could not reply. The warjack, indeed, seemed fascinated by the pony. The machine watched Pinkie constantly as she hopped and bounced all around it, emitting a constant torrent of words. He found the pink one utterly incomprehensible, and was much more at ease with with the practical and patriotic Applejack. Listening to the yellow-maned pony talk of Equestria and its people made it quite clear to Pitoev that she loved her country as much as he loved Khador. It sounded like a pleasant place at that, he wondered if it was worth angling for a posting closer to the nation. High Kommand would consider border garrisons at the edge of their new neighbor-state's territory an absolute essential, and setting them up quickly meant manning them with soldiers already in the area.

The kovnik's thoughts were interrupted by the clanging of alarm bells. One of his battle mechaniks burst into the tent and shouted, "Kovnik! Trolls!"

Pitoev needed no further information. "Quickly, my armor!" The Man-O-War shouted, leaping to his feet. Trollkin raiding parties were increasingly common in the region. These parties were typically accompanied by larger, full-blooded trolls, and -with distressingly increasing frequency- brutal dire trolls, which were each a match for even Khadoran warjacks in hand-to-hand combat. With the mechanik's help, the officer quickly donned his heavy armor and strode from his tent to assess the situation.

"Just what in the hay are those?!" Applejack demanded, looking down from the wooden wall at the motley throng of blue-skinned humanoids approaching the firebase.

"Trollkin!" A nearby Winter Guard Rifleman exclaimed. The Rifle Corps were highly-trained soldiers drilled in firing their weapons accurately and with great speed to suppress approaching enemies. Dozens of them stood on the raised platform on the inner side of the wall, waiting for the attackers to come within range of their guns. "Looks like there's a few full-blood trolls, as well," the rifleman continued, "and Menoth save us, I see dire trolls!".

Applejack noticed that the approaching horde seemed to be lead by a large trollkin carrying a simple, heavy-looking mace and wearing a tattered cloak with a thick fur collar. As she watched, this troll seized a wooden keg from a waist-high troll walking beside him and tipped it back, downing several gulps of its contents before clumsily pushing the keg into the hands of the pygmy troll and raising his mace.

"LET'S GET THIS PARTY STARTED!!" The fur-collared-trollkin bellowed, leaning slightly to one side. Glowing, blue-white runes surrounded him, floating in midair and spreading out to encompass his party.

"Warlock!" The rifleman next to Applejack shouted, "shoot the warlock!"

As the approaching rabble of trolls charged forward, the warlock used his runic magic to create a barrier of howling wind around himself and the trollkin nearest him, causing the bullets of the Winter Guard to fly harmlessly away from them. A full-blooded troll with a quiver full of huge, crudely-made spears on its back motioned towards a gigantic troll that carried a keg with a rope fuse in each hand. The dire troll's eyes glowed white as it raised its powder kegs, and a pygmy troll riding on its hunched back lit each fuse with a large torch.

"Git off th' wall!" Applejack shouted, realizing what was coming. The pony leaped down without thinking, hitting the ground hard and stumbling as she ran away. Most of the riflemen tried to reach ladders, but were caught in the blast as the dire troll's well-timed throws let the powder kegs detonate mere inches from the wall, which exploded into clouds of lethal splinters. The spear-carrying troll threw one of his great weapons with such force that it slammed a nearby Man-O-War several feet backwards, leaving him sideways on the ground and surrounded by the billowing steam from his ruptured boiler. A large gang of trollkin rushed through the gap, carrying wooden shields and an assortment of swords, axes, and hammers.

Applejack looked around desperately and saw Pitoev's Kodiak walking towards the fight. "You! Big guy! Take 'em out!" Applejack shouted at the machine. To her surprise, it reacted, gathering speed to slam into the crowd of trolls.

Several vents on the Kodiak opened up, and it blasted a cloud of flesh-searing steam from its boiler. The trollkin surrounding it cried out in pain as they were cooked alive by the intense heat. The Kodiak trudged out of the cloud, bashing its fists into any trollkin in its way. The dire troll bomber stopped the warjack just as it reached the gap in the wall, and the hulks of muscle and metal began to batter each other relentlessly. The Kodiak seemed to have the advantage until a second dire troll, this one carrying a massive axe in one hand, gave an earsplitting bellow that was answered by a roar from the bomber, which began to bash the Kodiak with increased brutality, tearing one of the warjack's arms off and bludgeoning the machine with it until it collapsed.

Applejack backed away from the fight, not sure what to do. She found herself next to Pinkie Pie, who also looked confused.

"When the guy with the collar said it was a party, this wasn't what I had in mind," Pinkie said bluntly as the axe-carrying dire troll froze a group of Men-O-War with a blast of frost from its mouth.

Applejack was about to answer when she felt a cold, metal hand on her shoulder. She turned to see Kovnik Pitoev, who looked grim.

"We are in terrible trouble," Pitoev said, "the Kodiak was our only warjack, I was counting on it to eliminate at least one dire troll. My Men-O-War can bring down one. If not for the warlock, maybe both, but he is so well-protected by his men and his magic that we would all be crushed between them and his dire trolls if we tried to kill him first. So I am asking you two, since I can spare no soldiers, to follow the rails north to the next firebase, and tell them of this attack. My soldiers and I will stay, and we will hold this place as long as we can."

"But... these troll guys are crazy," Applejack said, "they'll kill all y'all!"

"Perhaps so," Pitoev said, "but tell me, what use is a soldier who grows too old to fight? Men-O-War, we do not fade away, dying slowly in front of warm fires. Better to be eaten by a dire troll in defense of the Motherland," Pitoev delivered this pronouncement with such conviction that Applejack was sure he truly meant it. "It is likely that my fellow soldiers will need to re-take this base by the time they arrive, please relay that."

"I... all right," Applejack said, "I hate t' leave ya like this, but yer right, yer people have got t' know about this."

"Then you understand. Good". With that, Pitoev gave a battle cry and charged towards the dire troll bomber, joining his axe-wielding fellows in their brutal, coordinated strikes against the great beast.

Applejack turned back to Pinkie Pie. "Le's go, Pinkie, y'all heard th' man."

"I'm not going," Pinkie replied, a look of absolute seriousness on her face, "I wanna see if these trollkin will let me hang around with them for a while."

"What in tarnation are you talkin' about?!" Applejack demanded, "In case you haven't noticed, these here trolls are currently killin' everythin' they lay eyes on that ain't a troll. Only reason we ain't dead is they ain't noticed us yet". Applejack began to walk away from the battle, with Pinkie following her.

"I know, but remember what Victor said about them?" The pink mare replied, "he said they keep getting kicked out of their homes because of all the fighting. I figure, Equestria's got lots and lots of empty space, maybe they can stay there for a while. Besides, you saw that warlock's crazy magic, maybe one of them can help us go home."

Applejack considered this carefully. Amazingly enough, Pinkie raised some good points. A good home and some good friends might be exactly what the trolls needed, and Equestria needed access to as many types of magic as they could muster to stand a chance of going back where they came from. Still it was extremely dangerous. On the other hoof, Pinkie seemed able to stumble her way out of nearly any kind of situation by sheer randomness or dumb luck. On top of that, the trolls seemed as wild and exuberant as Pinkie herself. Applejack sighed.

"All right," Applejack relented, "go join th' trolls if'n it suits ya. But I'm tellin' ya, one sign of trouble from any of 'em, you run clear back t' Canterlot, understand?"

"Clear as crystal!" Pinkie said, hopping away.

Applejack sighed again, turned towards the firebase's rail station, and began her lonely walk north.

Gentle Mare, Huntress, and Sand Man

Dear Fluttershy,

I am deeply and truly sorry, but despite the fears expressed by you and our new canine friend, I have to admit that the cave we saw earlier presents an opportunity that cannot be passed up. Princess Celestia has entrusted us with the task of seeking any knowledge that may help Equestria, and it is imperative that we pursue that knowledge. Even if the places we look for it are pretty spooky. Don't try to come after me, we need to cover as much ground as possible. That big dog-man of yours does not seem entirely natural, I suspect magic was involved in some way in making him what he is. If you can find whoever was responsible for that magic, they might become another valuable source of information. Follow the plan laid out by Princess Celestia: Find out as much as you can, then return to Canterlot with whatever information and resources you can bring with you.

Until we meet again,

Twilight Sparkle

Fluttershy read and re-read the letter Twilight had left her with. For hours, she stared at the precisely-written words while dread and confusion seeped though her heart. She was all alone now. All alone in the middle of a dark, scary woodland said to be filled with dangers beyond the most terrifying denizens of the Everfree Forest. Alone, with no one to protect her but a big, cuddly puppy who seemed far too sweet and docile to mount a defense if some horrible monster attacked either of them.

Finally, Fluttershy realized that she couldn't just curl up on the ground and feel bad. Not in a forest full of monsters. The yellow mare reminded herself -many times over- that most of the 'monsters' in the Thornwood were just woodland animals, the likes of which she dealt with every day at home, just larger and maybe scarier. No doubt she could befriend them as easily as she befriended any woodland creature. Fluttershy tucked Twilight's letter carefully into her saddlebag, stood up, and started to walk. Her fluffy doggie friend remained loyally at her side.

The pony allowed the brown-furred warpwolf to guide her, hoping it would lead her to its friends. Twilight's theory that the beast was a result of magic was probably true, and so was her belief that whoever had done that magic might be very helpful. At least, that was how Fluttershy felt. Magic was not her strong suit -that was the case for any non-unicorn, really- but Twilight was definitely an expert on the subject. If her erstwhile companion said something came from magic, Fluttershy trusted that it did.

After walking for hours, Fluttershy was startled to hear a howl echoing through the woods. Her lupine companion's ears perked up, and it began to turn its head slowly, clearly trying to determine which direction the howl had come from. There was a second howl, closer than the first, and the warpwolf raised its head and answered with a howl of its own, a howl so loud Fluttershy dropped to the ground and covered her ears. Echoing barks began to come from all directions, which abruptly stopped as a single wolf-like creature emerged from the dark woods before Fluttershy. This wolf seemed normal enough except that it had two heads. The only other canine Fluttershy knew of with more than one head was Cerberus, but this creature was clearly not that great beast. It was much smaller, and its heads, back, and legs were clad in ornate armor plates held in place by thick leather straps. A second two-headed wolf announced itself with a bark, and Fluttershy realized that the echoing she had heard earlier was because one head barked just after the other.

Following these two-headed wolves came another, larger wolf. While it was not the size of Fluttershy's warpwolf companion, this canine was still big, easily the size of the timber wolves that stalked the Everfree Forest. It only had one head, and its fur was as white as snow. This white wolf's armor was more elaborately carved and decorated than its two-headed companions.

"What'd you find, Laris?" Came a voice from the trees near the white wolf. The speaker emerged from the shadows, a woman with a long polearm that had a blade on each end, her body covered in a flowing, black robe. All of the wolves looked at this woman with what most ponies would consider blank stares, but which Fluttershy could see was absolute respect and obedience. It was clear to her that although this black-robed human was not even slightly wolf-like, she was the alpha of this pack. The warpwolf next to Fluttershy strode to the newcomer, then lowered its head and, with a gentleness that seemed impossible for such a huge beast, nuzzled her cheek.

"Found something interesting, did you?" The woman asked, patting the beast's head.

One of the two-headed wolves approached Fluttershy and began to sniff at her face inquisitively. "Are you curious?" Fluttershy asked gently, raising a hoof for it to examine. The wolf sniffed her hoof a few times, then licked it experimentally. "Aw, you're a big friendly doggie, too, aren't you?" Fluttershy cooed happily, her fears fading away in the warmth of that special friendship only animals, nonjudgmental and endlessly caring, could provide.

"You seem to like my argus as much as I do," the black-clad woman said, walking up to Fluttershy with a small smile, "I've never seen anything quite like you, but perhaps we are kindred spirits. I am Kaya the Moonhunter, druid of Orboros."

"Oh, um, hello," the pony said meekly, "my name is, um, Fluttershy".

Kaya opened her mouth to reply, but before she could, another echoing howl came through the forest. The warlock cocked her head and listened carefully as the howl was repeated. "The servants of Toruk approach!" The warlock looked at Fluttershy, then Laris. "Laris, lead our guest to safety". Laris looked up at Kaya and gave a small growl, making it clear to Fluttershy that it did not want to leave its master. "I'll join you shortly, but the Cryxians must be destroyed! Now go!" Kaya added harshly. Laris glanced at Fluttershy and ran into the woods. Too frightened and confused to argue, Fluttershy went after the white wolf.

Fluttershy followed Laris to a small cave nearby. Unlike the cave Twilight Sparkle had abandoned her to explore, this one had no eerie glowing light coming from it. The cave floor was covered in fresh straw and grass, making a relatively comfortable place to rest. The fearful pegasus curled up near the back wall as rain began to fall outside. Laris sat at the entrance of the cave, watching the forest outside. As time passed and the rain grew heavier, Fluttershy added the fate of Kaya the Moonhunter to the list of things she was worrying about.

"Um, Laris?" Fluttershy began timidly, getting to her hooves. The wolf gave her a brief glance, then returned to staring into the woods. Fluttershy sat down next to Laris, pushing down her fears by reminding herself that Kaya wanted the predator to look after her. "Do you think she'll be all right?"

"Of course I'm all right". Kaya said, suddenly appearing before the pony. Fluttershy gave a startled squeak and jumped backwards.

"Oh my goodness!" The pegasus pony put a hoof to her chest, breathing heavily. Her heart was pounding. She had thought Twilight's teleportation was startling, but at least that spell had a flash of light for warning. The Moonhunter had appeared in the blink of an eye. "How... how did you do that?" Fluttershy asked, still breathing heavily to slow her racing heart.

Kaya the Moonhunter walked into the cave, swaggering slightly and smirking at her guest's surprise. "Laris and I have a very strong bond. I can appear at his side any time I choose, and he can answer my summons from any distance. This surprises you?"

"Oh, yes, yes it does," Fluttershy admitted, noticing some of Kaya's argus emerging from the forest, along with the warpwolf that had brought her to the druid, "very few ponies can teleport like that."

"The druids of the Circle Orboros have many means of crossing the world," spoke an unfamiliar, rasping voice. Another druid stepped into view from the side of the cave entrance. This druid's hood hung low, hiding his eyes, and a ragged cloth mask hid the rest of his face. He carried a stone-bladed scythe with a wooden handle, and his black robe bore protective metal plates on the shoulders and corners.

"Welcome to the Thornwood, Omnipotent Mohsar the Desertwalker," Kaya said, looking at the other druid warily, "I was not aware that you were in the area."

The Desertwalker gave a small shrug and said simply, "you are aware now. My arrival was quite recent. I am loathe to leave my vigil over the Bloodstone Marches, but the appearance of this... Equestria, as its inhabitants call it, is a unique event. It has been decided that all three omnipotents must meet in person, in or near Equestria, to decide how the Circle shall address its presence."

"In that case, perhaps my new friend here can be of some help," Kaya suggested, nodding to Fluttershy, "she comes from Equestria herself, one of my warpwolves brought her to me."

"Ah, a pony of Equestria," Mohsar stepped into the cave, "what brings you to the Thornwood, young one?"

"I... well..." Fluttershy was thoroughly unnerved by Mohsar. She felt an ancient power coming from him. It was similar to the feeling of immense, overwhelming power that always emanated from Celestia and Luna, but it was harsh and abrasive, and brought to mind both searing heat and bone-chilling cold, "we -Twilight Sparkle and I- we were asked to go into the Thornwood and see if we could find someone who could help us. We -Equestria, I mean- we're, well, from another world, and we want to find out how to go back."

"And where is this Twilight Sparkle you speak of?" Mohsar asked.

At this, Fluttershy began to speak quickly, in order to keep herself from choking up, "she's a unicorn pony," the yellow mare said, "she's very, very good at magic, it's her talent. She was traveling with me, but she saw a strange cave with a scary green light coming from it, and she... she told me to keep going... and she went into it! Into the cave! I haven't seen her in more than a day! I'm so worried, I'm afraid something terrible's happened to her! We have to go-"

"No." Mohsar said flatly. Fluttershy was so surprised that she just stared at him, "a cave emitting a green light? Cryxian. One of the entrances to the network of tunnels they've carved beneath the forest, defiling the very body of Orboros with their unnatural presence. If your friend has been in those tunnels for a full day, she has joined the Nightmare Empire."

Fluttershy gasped, horrified, "she wouldn't! She couldn't!" The pony squeaked.

"She would and she could," Kaya said bluntly, "the Cryxians create walking-dead soldiers from the bodies of the slain, and they do not discriminate among species. If your friend did not join them willingly, they ended her life and used her corpse to build a new slave. I didn't get a clear look, but one of the Cryxians I fought just now had four legs, and it wasn't one of their soulhunters, it had no arms. It was shaped quite a lot like you, though I didn't see any wings. It had a horn, however"

"We cannot have you running off in any case," Mohsar added, "as a pony of Equestria, you are the most valuable source of information available to us, and will help the omnipotents greatly in determining how to deal with your homeland."

The timid pegasus felt a surge of frustration welling up inside her. "I can't just leave her!" She stamped a hoof on the ground, looking up at Mohsar's still-hidden face, "I ask, no, I demand that all of you come help me save her! She must have been forced to join them, there's no way I can leave her behind!" The pegasus narrowed her eyes slightly, letting her fury well up within her and manifest in her eyes as the Stare, as Rarity had named it, the glare that only Fluttershy could give, which struck fear into the hearts of creatures from cockatrices to dragons.

Mohsar just chuckled. "Interesting," the druid said, "you are not just a pink mane and frightened squeaking, are you? At first you seem to have a heart of gold, but I would say there's a sliver of iron in there, as well. However," Mohsar lowered his hood, revealing his milky-white, clearly blind eyes, "even if I saw the world through my eyes, your gaze could not put fear in my heart."

Fluttershy sat down, her anger and fear fading away into an empty, hollow feeling. She had never expected such a thing. The mare couldn't imagine the Stare failing to bow anything -or anyone- to her will. She had assumed that the Princesses would be immune, not that she would ever try it on them, but she had always thought that anything else alive could be pacified by her soul-touching look. She began to wonder what else was immune to the Stare. Warjacks might be, they were machines and likely did not comprehend the fear that the Stare instilled. Undead horrors, like the Cryxians? Probably. How many humans were like Mohsar, filled with an ineffable power that somehow protected them from her gaze? Fluttershy realized that the Stare was her one defensive measure, her only means of stopping something that wanted to do her or someone else harm. Deprived of its power and separated from her friends, the yellow pony was more helpless than she'd ever been before. Then a realization sunk in. The only ones she could count on were Kaya the Moonhunter and this mysterious Mohsar the Desertwalker. If she wanted to stay safe, and hopefully get the chance to return to Equestria and gather stronger, braver ponies than herself to help Twilight, Fluttershy would need to do as the druids asked. Fluttershy lowered her head, feeling miserable. "All right, Mister Mohsar the Desertwalker, I'll tell you and your friends all about Equestria."

Deeper Darkness

"Celestia's in her castle, and all is right in the world," Twilight reminded herself. She started and ended every day with this proclamation, and repeated it frequently throughout the day. It helped her maintain something resembling mental stability, and she was in dire need of that. The unicorn pony had just led her first offensive action as a warcaster, and driving mechanithralls and bonejacks to fight two-headed wolves had proven a disturbing experience. What worried Twilight the most, however, was the single feather she'd found lying on the ground. As much as the mare tried to convince herself that it had come from a large bird of some kind, Twilight had to admit, to herself if not Lord Exhumator Scaverous, that she knew a pegasus pony who was exactly that shade of yellow. Twilight had no doubt that Fluttershy's animal empathy would keep her safe from the wolves, but if Scaverous's forces had arrived just minutes sooner, the timid pegasus could easily have fallen victim to the undead. Twilight tried not to imagine her Ripjaw digging its mouth-mounted circular saw into Fluttershy's legs the way it had expertly immobilized several of the wolves, or carving into the pony's wings to stop her from flying away.

"Well, you seem to comprehend the rudiments of controlling warjacks," Scaverous said, standing next to the pony, "I have only had you in my care for a few weeks, and already you can manage multiple bonejacks in combat. Although, it seems that you do not yet grasp the use of the arc node. We will have to re-do your lessons in channeling spells."

Twilight Sparkle suspected that today's 'test' had been intended to get her killed, rather than evaluate her skills, but she didn't dare say so out loud. She merely groaned inwardly at the thought of once again trying to channel her magic through the strange devices known as arc nodes, which were carried by many Cryxian light warjacks. The unicorn knew that Scaverous himself had stolen the secrets of the arc node's manufacture from the exhumed skull of its long-dead inventor, and that his necrotechs had subsequently discovered corrupt and vile methods of reproducing it faster and at less expense than its Cygnaran creators could yet match, letting them attach arc nodes to cheap, expendable warjacks with little concern for how easily the sensitive devices and their hastily-fabricated carriers were disabled.

"Ah, but first, here is another opportunity for practice," Scaverous commented, breaking Twilight's reverie. The pony looked up to see one of Scaverous' Slayers carrying a large, blue-skinned being in its claws. "A trollkin," the iron lich explained, "very likely a scout."

Despite her ever-present horror at her own situation, Twilight couldn't help but admire the trollkin. Though clearly unable to damage the Slayer, he showed no fear, pounding the machine's claws and chest ineffectually with his fists. "What're you going to do to him?" Twilight asked, dreading the answer.

"I am going to kill him," Scaverous said plainly, "and you, Twilight Sparkle, will harvest his soul. You will then use it, along with his skull and the lessons I have taught you, to determine through forensic necromancy why he was spying on us."

At this, the Slayer put the trollkin on his feet and turned him around, giving him his first look at Scaverous and Twilight. At the sight of the unicorn, a look of recognition and mute horror spread across his face. She had never seen a trollkin before, but Twilight immediately concluded that this trollkin had had previous encounters with ponies. She whirled around to face Scaverous.

"You can't make me do this!" The mare cried, tears forming in her eyes, "killing argus is bad enough, now you want me to rip out an innocent man's soul?!" Scaverous had trained her in the rudiments of capturing souls and using them to empower her magic, which was a fundamental aspect of necromancy. However, Twilight had been so mortified by the very idea of using someone's immortal soul like some kind of battery that she had avoided actually doing so up until this point.

Scaverous triggered Avernus, letting the chain scythe growl to full speed before replying, "do you think you have a choice? It is true Asphyxious wants you alive, but it is also true that he cannot do anything to me that I cannot recover from. My own soul is safe, hidden away where no one can find it. Even if he obliterates my body, I can merely have a new one crafted. Remember that I tolerate you only because you are less inconvenient than Asphyxious's punishments. But you are close to making that no longer the case."

Twilight took a step backwards. This attitude was quite a departure from Scaverous's previous behavior of exasperatedly tolerating her. She thought he might be bluffing, but she knew very well what Avernus could do in his hands.

"NO!" The trollkin shouted, glaring at Scaverous, "go ahead and kill me, if it'll spare the pony!" Horrified, Twilight stared at the trollkin. He didn't even know her, but he was willing to die for her? "It's all right, little pony," the trollkin said, looking to Twilight, "Dhunia protects 'er own. No matter what ya do t' my soul, I'll make my way back to 'er."

"How touching," Scaverous sneered, raising Avernus. Despite her horror, Twilight looked directly into the trollkin's eyes.

"I'm so, so sorry," the unicorn said with tears in her eyes, as Avernus tore into the troll's throat.

Using a set of scalpels and carving tools, Twilight quickly removed the dead trollkin's eyes and stripped the flesh from his skull, using his captured soul to enhance the speed and precision of her telekinetic magic. She found that the row of spines rising from the top of his head were spurs of bone bonded to the skull, and quickly intuited that she would need to remove them in order to properly carve the forensic runes that would let her summon and interrogate his ghost. The small chunks of what appeared to be calcified stone emerging from his chin, however, would not impact her work. The unicorn's mind -and stomach- roiled in disgust at herself as she cut off the spines one by one and began to etch runes into the skull, channeling corrupt power into each one. It wasn't long before a translucent echo of the deceased trollkin appeared before Twilight, looking confused.

"Ah, this must be what th' big guy meant by 'f'rensic necr'mancy'. Pretty sure I'm dead, but I'm here talking to ya," the trollkin observed, glancing around. Twilight remembered Scaverous telling her that the more recently someone had died, the more likely their echoes were to recognize their situation.

"I'm so, so sorry," Twilight repeated, now weeping openly and utterly hating herself, "but I really need you to tell me why you were here."

The trollkin shade shrugged, "scoutin', really. My warband is in dire straits, so a bunch of scouts like me were sent out lookin' to see if we could find any friendly folk. Maybe other trollkin or cooperative farrow. I figured I'd watch yer fight, but I got dumb an' let that killin' machine catch me". Twilight hung her head, tears still streaming down her cheeks. "Ah, now, let's not have n'more of that. Look, I dunno how you got mixed up with these crazy undead types, but it's clear ya'd rather not be. I dunno if the advice of a dead trollkin means much to ya, but I think ya should do yer best t' play along with the big guy until ya find an opening to escape." Suddenly, the shade began to face, becoming visibly more transparent. "Whoops, looks like yer magic's fadin'." He observed, "don't mourn fer me now, ya gotta worry about the ones like you who're still alive."

"Can you tell me your name?" Twilight choked out.

"Vigg. M'name's Vigg," the trollkin answered, "an if'n ya make it outta this, and ya happen to run into her, tell Pinkie Pie I'm sorry fer missin' her 'welcome back' party." With these words, the necromantic echo of Vigg vanished as his soul became too weak to power the runes in his skull.

Twilight retched, mortified. She stared at the skull, now lying on the ground in front of her. She lay down on her stomach. Ignoring the weight and discomfort of her armor, disregarding Scaverous' luminous stare and the aching in her bones, Twilight wept.

Lord Exhumator Scaverous watched silently as the unicorn lay on the bloodstained grass, crying. While he still did not know what sort of results to expect from training so unwilling a student, he felt that it was important for Twilight to get such emotions out of her system. Indeed, breaking her heart in this way was part of the reason he had commanded her to interrogate the shade. Only those who summoned such echoes could communicate with them, so he did not know what the trollkin had said to the pony, but it clearly had the effect Scaverous desired. A few more events like this, the iron lich judged, and the pony's will would be completely broken. She would lose most of the energy and curiosity that seemed to drive her, but she would become much more manageable, and all iron liches knew the value of obedient minions. Scaverous let Twilight cry until she stopped on her own, then calmly led her back to his laboratory.

In the weeks that followed, Twilight accompanied Scaverous on daily expeditions to seize resources and test her rapidly-growing skills. The Lord Exhumator believed that only the crucible of battle could forge a truly great warcaster, a concept he had scavenged from the Cygnaran officers who had developed their nation's journeyman warcaster program. . Her talent for learning and using magic manifested even in her harrowing circumstances, and she continued to learn even as she hated doing so. All the while, she carried Vigg's advice at the forefront of her mind, and constantly looked for opportunities to escape Scaverous's control.

"Celestia's in her castle", Twilight kept telling herself, "and all is right in the world."

Ponies and Elves

Princess Celestia was in her castle, reflecting on how wrong everything was in the world. A team of cartographers had just returned to Canterlot and given her sketches and notes detailing the full extent of Equestria's relocation. Equestria hadn't just been moved to Immoren, it had been moved quite haphazardly. Los Pegasus was now within the White Tail Woods, near the rail line. Dodge City was at the foot of Rambling Rock Ridge, and Appleloosa was almost directly beneath Cloudsdale. The Macintosh Hills, the Badlands, and the Hayseed Swamps were completely unaccounted for, as were the Crystal Mountains. Manehatten, Fillydelphia, and Baltimare remained in their relative places, but were no longer coastal towns.

This cartographical crisis was secondary to the sudden spike in military needs. She had no official communication with the Khadoran Empire, but their soldiers sporadically struck at Equestria's borders, north and east. Skirmishes with trollkin and savage Thornwood-dwelling humans were increasingly frequent. Cryx, despite Victor Pendrake's warnings, had not yet made a reported appearance, but the princess was sure that the disturbing increase in missing-pony reports was at least partially the Nightmare Empire's work. Independent mercenary organizations of all sizes attacked Equestria's border towns at random, serving unidentified masters with undefined goals. All of these problems had to be addressed by the Royal Guard. Fortunately, while some mercenary groups seemed to prefer attacking Equestria, others were more than willing to help defend the nation, and a pair of arcane steamworks had stepped in to give Equestria a leg up on the increasingly-essential industry of warjack manufacturing. From Cygnar came Engines East, who helped launch Engines Equestria's two branches in Canterlot and Ponyville. Cygnar's Fraternal Order of Wizardry had also sent personnel to guide the Royal Alchemists in the mechano-alchemical art of cortex manufacture. From Ord came another steamworks, the independent Black Anchor Heavy Industries, which had salvaged Baltimare's collapsing local economy by founding Black Anchor Baltimare. Engines East and Black Anchor Heavy Industries had both provided finished warjacks, blueprints, and valuable production training -especially in the miniaturization of steam engines and their related apparatus, which in Equestria had never previously been built for anything smaller than a train. Of course, all of this came at a price. Both companies seemed willing to take Equestrian bits, on the logic that coins made of solid gold spend as well regardless of where they were cast, but the royal coffers only had so many bits in them, after all.

Captain Shining Armor inspected the trio of Freebooter warjacks provided to him by Black Anchor Baltimare. According to the humans who had sold them to Equestria, these Freebooters were originally labor steamjacks that had been extensively modified for combat with the addition of thicker hulls, stronger steam pistons, and a secondary arcane turbine integrated into the chassis, through which a warcaster could pour a burst of arcane power in exchange for a significant, if temporary, increase in speed. The engineers of Black Anchor Baltimare had warned him against doing this too often, however, as it tended to damage the vital clockwork in the warjack's hip assembly, and Black Anchor hadn't produced very many replacement parts yet. The warjacks had also had modifications made on their cortexes, making them highly aggressive.

The captain had to admit that his inspection of the machines was entirely for show. As an officer of the Royal Guard, he was expected to understand the abilities of every military asset under his control. He had undergone a mostly self-taught crash course in controlling warjacks, but he had yet to mobilize them even in simulated combat. He felt that Freebooters were simple enough to understand, however: Keep the enemy from compromising them until an open charging line to a valuable target appeared. This might be a task for the lighter Talons he had also been provided, which carried durable shields and were relatively nimble. Looking away from the line of former laborjacks, Shining Armor found his attention drawn to the pair of Nomads provided by the Cygnaran Armory. Formerly warjacks of the Cygnaran Army, Nomads had been decommissioned in favor of the newer Ironclad, but were extremely popular among mercenaries for their reliability. The unicorn couldn't help but see a sort of nobility in the warjacks, with their long-bladed swords and simple bucklers, which allowed their left hands complete freedom of movement. His musings were interrupted by the sound of pounding hooves.

"Captain!" shouted a frightened earth pony soldier, "we're under attack!"

"You two, fire up these Nomads!" Shining Armor immediately commanded a pair of pony engineers, "details, soldier, details!"

"Unidentified enemies, roughly two dozen soldiers, four warjacks, they're at the proving grounds!" The soldier explained as the Nomads' steam engines rumbled to life.

"Oh, mother of Celestia, they'd have to attack the proving grounds!" Shining Armor shouted, primarily to himself. The proving grounds were the large expanse of clear, flat grasslands that had once been Horseshoe Bay. Princess Cadance had taken a pair of heavy Mule warjacks there to test their capabilities, as well as her own, by using them to attack wooden targets telekinetically controlled by a group of Royal Guard unicorn ponies. He had been distinctly perturbed by the idea of his beloved wife marching to war, but she had been adamant that as a Princess of Equestria it was her duty to defend her nation. The unicorn waited just long enough to link his mind to the Nomads' cortexes before rushing to the battlefield himself.

Princess Mi Amore Cadenza felt her heart pounding as she mentally guided her Mule warjacks while leading her Royal Guard escorts with verbal commands. The unicorns who'd been guiding her now-abandoned practice targets were moving constantly, while firing bolts of arcane force at the attackers.

Cadance kept her Mules stationary, firing heavy shells at the closely-grouped enemies. Her warjacks were capable of diverting pressurize from their leg assemblies in order to increase the force with which they launched shells from their unique, steam-powered cannons. Given the number of enemies present, along with the highly explosive nature of Mule steam lobber shells, Cadance abandoned accuracy completely, using her magic instead to drastically increase the speed at which the Mules reloaded and pressurized their cannons.

The winged unicorn knew little about her enemies. They wore white armor and moved in close, precise ranks. They were divided into two squads. One squad were armed with large swords, and the one who seemed to be their leader commanded a pair of light warjacks armed with shields and polearms. The shields did a passable job of guarding the warjacks from her forces' attacks, and they seemed to be augmented by some kind of arcane barrier wrapped around their hulls, which was invisible except when struck. Oddly, the snow-white warjacks of the enemy seemed to lack steam engines -they certainly had no smokestacks. This squad advanced slowly, apparently reluctant to commit to a charge. Cadance's warjacks and escorts had already felled a number of them, but this did not seem to bother the survivors.

The second squad advanced behind the first. They carried shorter swords, with rifles integrated into them. Or were they rifles with blades attached to the barrel? The Princess couldn't be sure. Either way, their wielders fired these weapons by pressing the rifle's stock -sword's grip?- against their armored hips and triggering the firing mechanism. They did this with remarkable accuracy, and had struck down one unicorn already by precisely shooting at gaps in his armor. Cadance's magic told her that he was alive, and would probably recover if given medical attention quickly, but his knees might never work quite right again. The warjacks escorting the riflemen had neither shields nor polearms, instead bearing blades that ran the length of their forearms. They also demonstrated the ability to twist their arcane barriers into blasts of raw force, a power their halberd-carrying brethren apparently lacked. Cadance found these blasts remarkably similar to the bolts of force she was firing from her horn -and unicorn magic in general- as well as being entirely unlike the projectile-based ranged weaponry used by the rest of the Iron Kingdoms.

The rhythmic thumping of sprinting warjacks drew Cadance's attention behind her. Watching the steadily-advancing attackers through her Mules, the princess turned to look for the approaching 'jacks with her own eyes. She was relieved to see a pair of Nomads painted in white and cerulean, with her husband between them, rushing towards her. Shining Armor stopped in front of her, while the Nomads broke away to take defensive positions near the Mules.

"Cadance, are you all right?!" Shining Armor asked, clearly worried about her.

"I'm fine, Shiny, just fine," Cadance assured him, "but I can't figure out what these people are up to. They just came out of the woods and started shooting. They got Cinder Sparks, he's alive but not going anywhere. Since then they've just been marching at us, letting us shoot at them."

"Looks like a fairly basic combined-arms assault," Shining Armor said analytically, "but what are they up to? You've already dropped a few of them, you'd think they'd either go for a last-ditch rush or retreat. They don't stand much chance just marching slowly into everypony's lines of fire."

"I really don't know." Cadance shook her head, "I'm expecting them to start running -either towards us or away- at any moment, but they just don't."

Shining Armor considered this for a moment before replying, "either they're trying to lure you into charging them, or this whole attack is some kind of diversion. Regardless, we had better finish them off."

"I'll keep suppressing the troopers, can you manage the warjacks?" Cadance asked.

"I think my Nomads can deal with them, anything I should know about them?"

"The ones with arm blades can shoot magical force bolts that seem to inhibit movement. All four of them seem to be protected by some kind of magic barrier."

"I see. All right!" Shining Armor turned to order the unicorn guards who had been firing blasts of arcane heat and cold from the sidelines, "All of you, with Cadance! Here I go!"

Shining Armor released a pulse of arcane light that spread to envelope himself and his Nomads. Empowered by this spell, the two heavy warjacks charged towards the enemy's halberd-carrying 'jacks. Noticing the bladed warjacks focusing on the Nomads, Shining Armor suddenly created a glowing wall of force between the warjacks, which stopped the energy blasts, then vanished just as the Nomads were about to collide with it. Each Nomad barreled into one of the halberd-and-shield warjacks, punching through the 'jacks' force fields with their heavy battle blades and shearing large chunks of their physical shields clean off. Guided by Shining Armor's will and moving almost completely in unison, each Nomad locked its enemy's halberd with its free hand while continuing to slash and batter the target with their heavy swords. Soon, the white-painted warjacks collapsed under the brutal assault. Shining Armor gave a satisfied smile. His Nomads performed very much as he expected, able to crush their enemies with overwhelming force. All he had to do was deliver them to the enemy lines, and his magic was proving highly effective at that. Still, he was already close to his limits. He found himself envying Cadance -as a winged unicorn, her supply of raw magical power was nearly endless, while he was just a regular unicorn trying to cast highly-demanding spells and use his power to enhance his warjacks all at once. The Cygnaran Armory had given one of the powerful arcantrik turbines used to enhance warcaster magic to Engines Equestria, but the ponies there were reverse-engineering it in order to learn how to fabricate more. For that reason, it was in dozens of pieces and completely useless to him - even if it weren't in Ponyville.

The stallion pushed these thoughts from his mind as he watched the remaining enemy swordsmen fall to magic and shells from Cadance, her warjacks, and the other unicorn ponies. Now all that remained were the riflemen and their force-shooting warjacks. He released another magic pulse to renew the boost to his Nomads' mobility and precision, then sent the warjacks charging at the enemy machines. One of them slammed into its target and began hacking at it, but the other enemy 'jack was able to fire its force bolt before Shining Armor could once again manifest his arcane barrier. The struck Nomad immediately stopped, as if it had suddenly lost all of its momentum. Before it could build up speed again, the man who seemed to be leading the riflemen barked what must have been an order, although in a language Shining Armor didn't understand. In perfect unison, every rifleman raised his weapon and fired it at the Nomad. Eleven bullets pounded the heavy warjack at the same moment, striking exposed joints with amazing precision to puncture the pistons that moved the machine's right arm. Small jets of steam sprayed from half a dozen perfectly-placed holes in the Nomad's arm as the tip of its sword sunk into the ground. Shining Armor realized that the joints in the warjack's hand had seized up - it couldn't even release its grip on the now-useless blade. Unwilling to stop, the damaged Nomad continued to trudge forward, dragging its blade behind it, reaching out towards the enemy warjack. Too late, Cadance's Mules closed to firing distance and began to rain shells on the now-retreating enemies. At a shout from its handler, the remaining enemy warjack charged the crippled Nomad, but was intercepted by its still-functioning fellow 'jack, which staggered the light warjack with a backhanded strike from its buckler before making a ruin of its hull with its sword. Though the remaining enemies were now out of sight in the thick woods, Cadance had her Mules fire several more shots into the darkness for good measure.

One of the unicorns approached Shining Armor and saluted. "Cinder Sparks has already been evacuated, no further casualties on our side, Captain," the pony reported.

"I want Sparks up on his hooves ASAP," the captain replied, "and check the enemies. Bury the dead and imprison any survivors, I want to know who these people were and what they wanted."

"Yes, sir!" The guardspony snapped another salute and began relaying Shining Armor's orders to the others.

"Shiny, I'm not sure these people were human," Cadance said. Now that he could get a closer look at them, Shining Armor thought Cadance had a point. He walked over to inspect the enemy that she was standing over.

"Yeah, their ears are longer, and kind of... pointy. And their hair, Pendrake said humans don't have blue hair, but this guy," Shining Armor nudged the fallen enemy with his hoof, "this guy's hair is the same color as my mane." Suddenly, the enemy in question let out a small groan, prompting Shining Armor to take a step back and create a force bubble around the warrior.

"Looks like we've got someone to answer our questions," Cadance said grimly.

Dawnguard Sentinel Grymvas slowly opened his eyes and began to assess his situation. His arms and legs were present and seemed to work, so that was something. His armor had been removed, leaving only the padded clothing underneath. Neither his armor nor his sword were in sight. He was in a room formed of three brick walls and one wall made of iron bars, into which was built a gate. Clearly a prison cell, the likes of which could be found throughout human lands. The design was crude but effective. On the other side of the bars stood one of the strange, horse-like creatures he'd been sent to attack. It appeared to the the one that had commanded the sword-wielding warjacks that had destroyed his Griffon myrmidons. His unit had been sent to divert attention while other elements of the Retribution of Scyrah made their way through the area on a mission of utmost importance. He had no way of knowing whether they had bought enough time, but he trusted in his fellow believers. The creature outside the cell began to speak.

"You are our prisoner. Your fellow warriors are dead, your warjacks are destroyed," the creature said flatly. It spoke Cygnaran, which Grymvas had some familiarity with, but its accent was unlike any he'd heard before, "your armor and weapon are gone, and you are miles away from the forest you came from, with hundreds of Royal Guard ponies between here and there. Oh, and you tried to murder my wife," the creature said this part much more harshly, "so I am very, very unhappy with you. Now, I'm going to ask you some questions, and if you're smart, you're going to answer them."

Grymvas merely stared at the creature, doing his best to keep his expression neutral. The being's questions were what the Dawnguard soldier had expected, it wanted to know who his people were and why they had attacked its kind. Grymvas knew that the best way to avoid revealing secrets was to simply remain silent, so he did just that, even when the creature asked his name. Finally it rolled its eyes and sighed.

"I guess you're a little too smart," it grumbled, rubbing its head with one of its flat fore-appendages. Grymvas wondered if they counted as feet or hands, the creature seemed to use them as both. "Looks like you think I might guess something you don't want me to know if you give me anything to work with. At this point, I'm angry enough to get out the leather straps and sharp implements, but my wife has a method she wants to try first. Cadance?" Another of the strange creatures stepped into view. Grymvas recognized this one as the apparent leader of the group his unit had attacked. "This," the first creature continued, "is Princess Mi Amore Cadenza. Show some respect."

"I'm honestly not too worried about formality, Shiny," the one called Cadenza replied. It closed its eyes, and a soft glow appeared around its horn. Grymvas recognized this glow, it seemed to appear when these creatures used their strange, runeless magic. A bright, pink glow overwhelmed the Dawnguard's vision, which then faded away slowly.

Grymvas loved everybody. He loved his whole unit, even though the creatures before him said they were dead. He loved Dawnlord Vyros, the brilliant leader that his unit had been assigned to. He loved Ravyn, the brave and uplifting warcaster titled 'the Eternal Light', who had once been a priestess of Scyrah. He loved, of all elves, Adaptis Rahn Shyeel, the imperious master of House Shyeel's battle mages and myrmidon producers, who shamelessly played politics with the dire circumstances of the goddess Scyrah. He even loved the two strange and mysterious creatures who had imprisoned him -quite understandably, he'd attacked them after all- and saw no need to keep secrets from them. He cheerfully explained that he was an elf from the forest of Ios, briefly laid out the history of the Iosans, the vanishing of six of the elven gods, and the current state of the two survivors - Scyrah and Nyssor. He explained that Scyrah and Nyssor were dying, being slowly killed by the use of human magic. The Retribution of Scyrah had been formed to assassinate human arcanists and destroy their mechanika to grant Scyrah reprieve, and possibly the chance to recover. They had added to their goals the retrieval of Nyssor once they had learned that he yet lived, sealed in an impenetrable vault of his own divine ice in order to escape the fate of his fellow gods. He explained that his attack had been intended to divert attention from the Retribution forces that were currently smuggling Nyssor's vault through the area, and that opinion within the Retribution was divided as to whether his new friends' runeless magic also posed a threat to Scyrah. Through it all, both of his four-legged friends listened silently, while a barely-audible scratching sound suggested that someone outside his field of view -someone else he loved, no doubt- was writing down every word he said. It didn't matter. They were all his friends, and he loved each and... every... Nyrro forsake him, what was he doing?! He, Grymvas of the Dawnguard, an elite soldier of Ios, had just told these mysterious creatures everything! He'd revealed the purpose of his unit's attack, he'd revealed that the Retribution was watching these beings, he'd even explained to them the dreadfully vulnerable state of Ios, how open it was to invasion while so many of its people wallowed in malaise or hid from their dire circumstances in mindless entertainment. These creatures might react to his words by mustering an invasion force and attacking the Iosans, and their borders were defended almost entirely by the sinister reputation that the forest had for swallowing up unwanted intruders - a reputation that could not be maintained against a large army. All because of that twisted pink creature and the corrupting light its horn emitted. Such a power could doom nations, Grymvas realized, and it might have just doomed his. The elf fell silent, mortified at what he had just done.

"My spell has worn off," the one called Cadenza said, "sorry, Shining Armor, but it'll be a while before it will work on him again."

"That's fine," Shining Armor replied, "I think we got just about everything we were going to get out of him already. That was clever, Cadance, I never would've thought to use your love-spreading spell in an interrogation."

"Well, after about the fifth date where I ended up telling you a secret I'd never told anypony else, I just realized you could get anypony to tell you anything if they loved you enough," Cadenza explained, "but it wasn't until now that I realized how well my love-spreading spell meshed with that idea. I sort of feel like I should've realized that part a while ago, you know?"

Shining Armor gave Cadance a wide smile. "Well, you know what they say about hindsight. I think your aunts need to hear about this guy's story, in any case." With that, both ponies left Grymvas to his thoughts.

The Long View

"Thank you for your report, Shining Armor. Victor Pendrake had been forced to admit that his information about the forests of Ios and its inhabitants was very limited, so it's a definite benefit to have more. I was amused by my niece's creative interrogation technique, as well." Princess Celestia gave her nephew-in-law a satisfied smile. Shining Armor, like his sister, rarely failed to provide excellent results in any endeavor they attempted. She was glad that her planned inspection of Baltimare's fortifications had been the day after the Iosan attack, as it meant she could get a first-hoof report. However, she wished she could have been there to defend her country personally. Setting that thought aside, she continued, "while I'm sure you and Cadance would like some time to relax, I'm afraid I have to make another request of you."

"I am at your command, your majesty," Shining Armor replied, bowing. Celestia gave a small laugh.

"No need to be quite so formal, Shining, you're my nephew after all. Anyway, I want you to take the salvaged parts from those Iosan warjacks to Ponyville. Ponyville's Engines Equestria branch has fabricated an arcane turbine attuned to pony magic, and they need both a pony warcaster to test it and new mechanika to reverse-engineer. I want you to take command of Ponyville's defenses and give that turbine a test run against anything that threatens the town."

"I understand," Shining Armor said, saluting, "I'll have those warjacks loaded onto the next train headed for Ponyville."

"There's one other thing," the sun princess continued, "I want you to get your old special-operations team back together."

"You suspect another insurrectionist group on the rise? Now? In Ponyville, of all places?" Shining Armor was taken aback, and Celestia couldn't blame him. She'd had him tracking down violent would-be revolutionaries on and off for some time before he married her niece.

"Not this time, but there's a project going on in Ponyville that could use their particular talents," she explained. "The details are all secret, so I'm afraid this isn't the place to talk about it. Just tell the ponies at Engines Equestria that I want you to assume operational command of Project Red River, they'll know what you mean."

Shining Armor saluted again. "All right. My orders are to transport Iosan warjack wreckage to Ponyville and deliver to Engines Equestria, then take operational control of Ponyville defenses and field-test Engines Equestria's new arcane turbine. I'm also to re-assemble my counter-terrorism spec-ops team and take command of Project Red River. I can manage that."

"Good," Celestia replied, nodding, "Twilight Sparkle hasn't returned yet, please keep an eye out for her. Spike is still living at the library in Ponyville, he's my official messenger to the forces there, so if you have anything to tell me, send a letter through him."

Shining Armor saluted once more, making the princess wish her newest nephew would stop doing that, before turning and leaving the room.

Lieutenant Firecracker Burst looked at the rows of barrels filled with freshly-made blasting powder and gave a satisfied smile. While creating fireworks was her finest skill, she was talented in all forms of explosives -for both entertainment and practical use- and was pleased with how rapidly she had become accustomed to the unusual dual-powder system used by the alchemists from Cygnar. The powders were inert individually, but when combined, could produce powerful blasts. Other ponies were already busy using her powders to create ammunition for the few Rover warjacks that the Royal Guard had acquired, as well as their fixed and mobile artillery pieces. The unicorn was confident that Ponyville had enough blasting powder, but she was less sure about the number of actual firearms available.

The sound of her workshop door opening drew Firecracker's attention. She turned to see a fellow Guard lieutenant, Blue October, entering the room.

"Hi Blue, what's going on?" Firecracker asked.

"Just thought you should know, the Captain's on his way, he's got some new items for the engineers to examine," Blue October started without preamble, fluttering her wings slightly, "then he's supposed to take control of the defenses here, as well as getting us involved in Project Red River -but we're not supposed to know about that part yet, so it doesn't leave this room."

"Wait, by 'Captain', you mean..."

"Shining Armor. He's been told to get his old team back together, and that means us. I think somepony at the top was planning this for a while, since we were all mobilized to Ponyville."

"Ha, Airheart bet me ten bits he was gonna retire after the wedding."

"Yeah, yeah, Bursty. You'll have to wait until payday to collect, though". As if on queue, the ever-be-goggled Airheart drifted in, "Blue, I'll never figure out how you find this stuff out. How do you always know our marching orders before they're even official?"

Blue October replied to this question with the same blank stare she gave for every query regarding her information's sources. Captain Shining Armor and the ponies in his command had come to rely on Blue's ability to find out things nopony else knew, even though some of them found it difficult to trust the secretive, serious-minded pegasus. After a minute, she said, "also, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza will be with him, semi-officially the intermediary between us and Canterlot. She seems to be finding a lot of reasons to stick near the captain lately. Could be due to the changeling incident."

"Sounds to me like she's just being clingy," Airheart remarked.

Firecracker Burst, who had begun to clean and arrange the workshop with her magic, commented, "if I could hook up with a fine slab of stallion like Shining Armor, I'd be clingy, too. Especially since three of his four favorite junior officers are mares."

"Speaking of the Captain's favorite flunkies, where's Cherry Cola?" Airheart asked, referring to the forth member of Shining Armor's preferred retinue.

"He took a unit on patrol, should be back soon," Blue October replied.

"I'll keep an eye out for him," Airheart said, flying for the door. As she left, she added, "he'll flip, he's crazy about the Captain." This was, Firecracker Burst thought, no understatement. Shining Armor had recruited the thoughtful Cherry Cola in Dodge Junction, where they had needed his knowledge of fruit and the raw muscle he could provide to root out a conspiracy involving enchanted cherry pies and an exiled griffon. Cola had been thrilled to assist the Captain and his three mares -and even more thrilled when Shining Armor offered him a rank and a commission.

Airheart wheeled in the sky, high above Ponyville. The Weather Patrol's schedule called for clear skies, and those dedicated pegasi had cleared every fragment of cloud out of the air. Suddenly, a flock of crows rose up from the edge of the Everfree Forest, cawing wildly as they scattered into the air. From the thick trees ran a squad of Royal Guard earth ponies, some of which sported deep dents in their armor. The last pony to emerge bore a rent in his croupiere which revealed a pair of cherries on his flank. This pony shouted, "the river, ponies! Not the bridge! Lead it to the river!" Airheart recognized Cherry Cola's voice instantly.

The identity of 'it' soon became clear as a large, black-iron warjack burst from the treeline, thick, green-twinged smoke billowing from its single smokestack. Its hull, shoulders, and large-clawed hands all had wickedly curved spikes on them, and its head -which, like its hands, was larger than that of most warjacks- bore a pair of long tusks which looked like they'd been yanked from the skull of some horrible animal and bolted to the machine. The sinister 'jack lunged forward, barely missing Cherry Cola with a sweeping swing of its claws. The chains wrapped around the 'jack's claws smashed against Cola's armor, but the impact didn't slow his desperate sprint towards the river. Airheart immediately whirled around and sped back to Ponyville. She realized that Cherry Cola planned to force the warjack into the river, which would douse its furnace, but any steamjack could instinctively identify and avoid bodies of water deep enough to endanger them, and she thought she had a way to help. For once, Airheart found herself cursing the diligence of Ponyville's Weather Patrol as she desperately searched for a cloud.

Cherry Cola thought he saw a pegasus in the air as he emerged from the forest, but he wasn't sure. If there was a pony in the air, Cola was certain that he or she would try to help, or get help, but until assistance arrived he assumed his earth pony patrol squad were on their own. His plan as simple, and hinged on the wild, frenzied nature of his enemy's attacks. The warjack swung its claws recklessly, the weight of them shifting its center of gravity of every attack. All Cola and his ponies had to do was lure it to a steep area of the river bank, wait for an opening, and -with a few good kicks- send it into the water. With its furnace doused and its coal wet, Engines Equestria and the Royal Guard could dredge the machine out of the riverbed at their leisure and render the apparently-Cryxian machine to slag.

Acting on instinct, Cola dodged to his right, feeling the ground shaking beneath him as the helljack's left claw dug into the earth. The 'jack released a blast of steam that sounded almost like a roar of animalistic rage and frustration. The thing's hands were as large as Cherry Cola's body, and he did not at all enjoy thinking about what one of his ponies would look like if it hit them. A near miss in the woods had already proven that the spikes on the backs of its hands could tear open Royal Guard armor like it was made of paper.

Cola dodged again, lowering his head, and felt the machine's other claw whipping through the air. The ends of that hand's chains flew briefly in front of his eyes. Cola had gotten a good look at those chains earlier, and they had clearly been broken. Apparently even the Cryxians had trouble keeping this particular machine under control. That made him wonder if it was able to light its own boiler, or perform some other normally impossible start-up procedure. As that thought crossed his mind, Cherry Cola concluded that the first thing they should do after stopping the machine was to remove every single piston in its structure. Then would come the rendering to slag.

The earth pony lieutenant reached the river and turned quickly, narrowly avoiding the warjack's right claw. However, he wasn't quick enough to avoid a backhanded swing from its left hand, which hammered into his side. Even though the machine caught him at the end of its swing, there was still enough force in the attack to crack Cola's ribs and send him flying. As he tumbled through the air, he caught a brief glimpse of a pegasus pony rocketing towards the warjack with a small cloud.

Cherry Cola hit the ground on his right hind leg, on an awkward angle, resulting in the leg producing a stomach-churning crunch as it collapsed beneath him. The agony was intense, but the lieutenant was a self-taught master of pain tolerance. He looked up, at the pegasus, who he now recognized as Airheart. The sight of her brought a smile to his face. As he watched, she gave her little cloud a bucking kick, causing it to fire a bolt of lightning right at the warjack, which arced across its hull as the machine staggered, the sinister green light in its head flickering randomly. Cola got the distinct impression that the warjack was blinking.

"The legs!" Cola shouted, wheezing slightly, "buck the legs!"

One of the enlisted earth ponies obliged, slamming both hind hooves into the upper part of the warjack's left foot, which resembled a dog's hindpaw in shape. The warjack, which so far had been able to keep its balance despite its flailing movements, leaned precariously towards the river. Airheart gave it another bolt of lightning as the fire in its eyes started to brighten, and the terrible machine finally crashed into the river with a great splash and one final, angry bellow -blast of steam, Cola had to remind himself.

"Make sure it's fully submerged, I don't want that thing lighting its furnace on us!" Cola ordered as his soldiers started to run towards him. Most of them returned to the spot where the 'jack fell, some of them even reaching out to try to push the helljack further into the river. Airheart landed at Cherry Cola's side.

"Are you all right, Cherry?" Airheart asked, worry filling her voice.

"Busted leg, cracked ribs," the earth pony replied, "not the best shape I've been in, but I'm not dying."

"Oh gosh, I'm so sorry," Airheart said, "I thought I could catch you, but I didn't want to stop-"

Cola grunted, "don't worry about it. I don't even want to think about what that thing would've done if you hadn't stopped it. Lightning, that's something you picked up from Dash the last time she was in town, right?"

"Yeah, she said the Cygnarans use it to mess up warjack cortexes," Airheart explained, looking over at the wide gap in the still-unfinished wall, through which a Rover and a company of Royal Guard ponies had emerged.

"It sure seemed to stupefy the thing," Cola agreed, "anyway, can I talk you into getting me to a medic?"

Cherry Cola lay on his back on a bed in Ponyville Hospital. He hated being on his back, but his leg needed to be suspended. Airheart stood beside him, which gave him an opportunity to satisfy his curiosity.

"I have to ask, Airheart where'd you even get a cloud on a day like today?"

"I, uh," Airheart gave him a sheepish grin, "I yanked it off Dash's house. When Ponyville's Weather Patrol declares 'clear skies' they darn well mean it. I hope Dash isn't too mad when she comes back".

"Well, if she gets wound up, I'll make sure she doesn't mess with you," Cola said with a grin, "that's what I'm here for, looking tough so nopony gives all the mares a hard time".

Airheart laughed. "Yeah, I'm sure she'll be intimated by your amazing power to talk a lot and grin like an idiot".

"I do not talk a lot," Cherry Cola retorted with feigned indignity, "grinning like an idiot I'll grant you".

"Lieutenants Cola, Airheart," came a familiar voice. The injured pony turned his head and managed a salute to Captain Shining Armor, as he entered the room. "It's good to see you're all right, Cola. I just got here, and was pretty worried when I asked where you were and was directed to a hospital."

"It's good to see you, Captain," Cherry Cola said, unable to hide his mixture of excitement and worry, "I'm sorry you had to find me like this. If you were looking for me, you need a good face-kicker, right?"

"Nah, not this time," the Captain said, "It's that brain of yours I need for this job. I've been told to take command of Project Red River. You know about it?"

"Just that it involves that big-dang building at Engines Equestria that we're not allowed inside, Captain."

"You're allowed in it now," Shining Armor said, setting a stack of parchments on Cola's chest, "those documents are top secret. I want both of you to memorize and then burn them. I'm going to track down Firecracker Burst and Blue October, I'll be back soon. Also, I heard about the attack. Good work dealing with that helljack, you two. Frying its cortex and dumping it in the river was an excellent tactic, I'm thinking of asking the Weather Patrol to always leave a few clouds in the skies in the future". With that, the Captain left.

Airheart picked up the documents, saying, "let me have a look at... oh sweet mother of Celestia..."

"What? What's the -oh," Cola trailed off as Airheart passed him the first page. "That... that's quite a thing".

Engineer's Report: Iosan Mechanika

From: Neon Lights, Chief Engineer, Project Nimbus

To: Prince Shining Armor

Your Majesty,

First, please allow me to once again say that I am truly thrilled by the opportunity you have given us to study Iosan warjacks. Everypony on the reverse-engineering team here at Engines Equestria has worked diligently to dismantle and examine every single part of the warjacks you brought to us, and while there is still much to learn, I believe we now have enough information for a preliminary report.

At the heart of each warjack seems to be some kind of device which is wholly alien to the designs we acquired from the human nations. This device is connected through strips and panels of rune-carved metals to every moving part in the 'jack, leading us to believe that it is the power source utilized in place of steam pressure. This theory is supported by the fact that each device contains a charge of magical energy. We do not yet know how this charge occurs, and whether the device can be recharged if depleted. Due to the difficulty of accessing the device, it seems that it is not meant to be replaced, leading us to believe that it somehow draws power from the warjack's surroundings. We are tentatively identifying this assembly as an 'arcane reservoir.' The small, curved cylinder behind the head connects to the arcane reservoir, and appears to be a means of venting excess magic.

Among the parts that the arcane reservoir connects to are the joint assemblies. These are sets of rune-carved metal vanes mounted on ball or cylinder joints, which move in response to small amounts of magical power, and are capable of locking in place. We have found that unicorn ponies can easily produce enough magic to get the joints to react, although the actual reactions are still unpredictable, and likely will be until we better understand the design of the Iosan warjacks' cortexes.

The cortex is situated inside the hull, directly above the arcane reservoir. Its exterior is drastically different from the cortexes of human warjacks, being closer to a tapered cylinder than the spherical cortexes produced by humans, and its only connection to the rest of the warjack are a pair of metal vanes that are inserted into slots at the top of the arcane reservoir. The cortex apparently regulates the flow of magical energy through the rest of the machine using these vanes. We believe we can learn much more about the processes involved once we manage to break the Iosan cortex locks.

We next come to the force field generator. This device, situated close to the reservoir, is the source of both the protective barriers and the energy blasts observed by you and Princess Mi Amore Cadenza. The generators seem to be unusually delicate for a device built into a war machine, and in fact between the four warjacks you brought us, we have the parts to assemble only one complete generator. These elaborate systems are clearly designed with the idea that they will be the warjack's main form of defense, as their bulk limits the amount of armor that the chassis can carry, in addition to its own aforementioned fragility. Each generator has a large number of intricately-carved arcane runes, far more than the rest of its warjack combined, which clearly create and control its force field and ranged attacks. We are striving to better understand the function of these generators, as we believe that replicating their effects could be extremely valuable.

As for the arcane runes, they appear to be vital to channeling the force magic that drives the warjacks. The Iosans utilize a runic language unlike the arcane runes we've seen from the humans. For this reason, our only recourse for fully understanding them is to copy them, one by one, and test each rune individually. We have made rapid progress in this line of experimentation, and will soon have a working lexicon of every rune in the recovered warjacks. Some of our experts in runic magic have posited that it may be possible to produce rune plates which combine Iosan and human runes, but we are not yet in a position to test the theory.

As a final note, Minuette, our expert on arcane turbines, has embarked on an attempt to fabricate a turbine that uses Iosan force magic instead of steam power to rotate the field generator. She is seeing limited success with some of the already-translated runes and an arcanodynamic accumulator. Admittedly, it is not nearly as effective as the arcane turbine in the prototype warcaster armor you are currently testing for us, but Minuette has high hopes for the design.

In summary, I believe that these Iosan warjacks will prove highly valuable to the defense of Equestria once we are finished determining the fundamentals of their operation and can begin replicating the functionality of their mechanika.

In the names of the Princesses,

Neon Lights

Machinations

Rarity knew Time Turner in passing, Ponyville being the kind of town where everypony knew everypony else. He was in charge if keeping the clock tower and the clocks in the town hall going, and making sure they all showed the correct time. The stallion also had a reputation as acting perfectly normal most of the time, then suddenly saying or doing things that made no sense. This was, to her knowledge, the first time he had entered her shop. Yet she'd come downstairs at the sound of the doorbell to find him there, wandering around as if he had no idea what he was doing but wanted to look like he did, staring at perfectly ordinary objects -such as curtains- as if he'd never seen anything like them before, and giving the dresses funny looks while mumbling analytically to himself.

"Can I help you, Time Turner?" Rarity asked, approaching the clock pony.

"Ah! Rarity! Just the pony I was looking for!" Time Turner said gleefully, "I heard you have a talent for finding gemstones, and was wondering if you'd be willing to enter into a sort of business venture with me."

"A business venture?" Rarity raised an eyebrow. She hadn't figured Time Turner as a businesspony, but then she had to admit to herself that she didn't know him very well.

"Ah, yes, well, what do you know about the Protectorate of Menoth?" The earth pony asked.

"Not much, just that they're rather fanatically devoted to their god," Rarity admitted. Victor Pendrake had mentioned the Protectorate, but had mostly discussed their violent dislike of non-Menites.

"Well, yes, they are. They sort of don't know what to make of us ponies, really," Time Turner replied. "Menoth is a human god, so he doesn't have anything to do with us. On the other hoof, they're mostly willing to believe we're from another world, and as such we weren't created by the Devourer Wurm, who they say created the trollkin, orgun, and so on. Anyway, some of their priests are willing to have us around, and the priests are the ones in charge. I managed to find some work maintaining steamjacks down there -I'm pretty good with clockwork, after all- and eventually I got access to one of their diamond mines."

The words 'diamond mines' caught Rarity's attention. "And you want my help in mining those diamonds?"

"Exactly!" Time Turner answered enthusiastically, "see, the Protectorate has no use for diamonds, but they know outsiders do, so they use them to barter for things they do need. But, see, they don't like having the faithful waste their time mining when they could be fighting, so I got them to let me at one of the mines. I split the diamonds that come out of my mine with Feora, who's in charge of the Protectorate while her bosses crusade in Llael."

"I believe I understand, but exactly what do we need a diamond mine for?" Rarity asked, although she thought she knew the answer already.

"Well, I'm sure you've noticed how much more money the Royal Guard has had to spend lately." Turner replied.

"And you think if the Protectorate can pay its debts in diamonds, Equestria can, as well." Rarity said, "and furthermore, you think my gem-finding magic can increase your mine's output, am I right?"

"Oh yes!" The earth pony confirmed.

"It sounds like you've put a lot of thought into this," Rarity said, "just give me some time to pack. Might we detour to Caspia on our way? I think I'd better let Rainbow Dash know, or she'll wonder where I've gotten to."

Shining Armor had been concerned when Rarity decided to leave Ponyville, but he couldn't really do anything to stop her. She had been the only bearer of an Element of Harmony to be reliably found within Equestria's borders, up until just a few days previous, when she decided to go mining diamonds in the Bloodstone Marches, where the Protectorate of Menoth held sway. He was also worried because he had a feeling Twilight Sparkle would try to contact the other Element bearers before anypony else. Victor Pendrake had said that if Twilight had vanished in the Thornwood, she was likely dead or worse, but the Captain had refused to believe that. He was sure his little sister was alive, somewhere in that dread forest. He'd have marched his entire company into the woods in search of her if not for the dire need to protect Ponyville from what might emerge from that same forest. Cherry Cola's encounter with the Cryxian helljack had proven that Ponyville needed as much protection as it could get. Generating a barrier for Ponyville was easier than creating one for Canterlot, primarily because Ponyville was smaller. The addition of his new arcane turbine helped, as well. Despite these advantages, the unicorn was feeling the first hints of the headaches that came from magic exhaustion, and was looking forward to the completion of the town's physical defenses.

As for the town's physical defense, Shining Armor was standing atop it -a partially-built wall of cement slabs and mortar, separating the town from the forest. The wall would eventually surround Ponyville, with arches over the river and railroad, with its only entrance a reinforced wooden gate set into its northern section. The edges of the wall hadn't even reached the river yet, though, and the structure would present only a moderate inconvenience to an attacking force that decided to go around it instead of through.

Suddenly, the boom of a cannon firing echoed from the forest's shadows, and a large shell pounded Shining Armor's force field. The unicorn felt the impact at the base of his horn, as if he'd been hit instead of the dome of light he created. He intensified the spell, already mentally calculating how many such shots he could stop. He boosted the barrier's power again and turned to find his Royal Guard already assembling. The unicorn jumped down from the wall to address his lieutenants.

"They enemy is still in the trees, we won't be able to get a clear look at them," Shining Armor said. He noticed Cadance approaching with half a dozen heavy warjacks under her control,

"Airheart, get a squad of ponies in the air and keep watch. Whoever they are, they've got some long-range firepower, so stay in the force field. If you see anything, call it out". Airheart nodded, picked a squad of pegasus Guardsponies, and took wing.

"That explosion came from the forest? Shiny, what's out there?" Cadance asked, stopping in front of her husband while the warjacks spread out around the Guard ponies.

"I'm not sure. There's someone out there with either a warjack or a field artillery piece," Shining Armor answered, "either way, it's got the longest range I've ever seen on a cannon, it hit my force field from far enough into the trees that I couldn't even see it." Another cannon report cut off the conversation, and Shining Armor felt the shell slam into his barrier.

"Captain!" One of the pegasus ponies called, "I'm seeing smoke from where that shot came from!"

"Then it is a warjack!" Shining Armor said, "hopefully its master will decide to come in closer. Cadance, let me take those Nomads off your hooves, and hide those Mules behind the wall. If they decide to close in, we can surprise them".

"Got it," Cadance released control of the three Nomads, letting Shining Armor sink his mind into their cortexes. The trio of Mules she stood behind the wall, where they waited close to the sections that were too low to hide them. The Captain hoped his mysterious aggressors wouldn't spot the smoke from their furnaces, but he had no choice. The Mules couldn't match his enemy's warjack for range, but the power of their steam cannons was undeniable, and ponies had trouble causing serious damage to heavy warjacks -he was sure that the enemy's cannon-wielding 'jack was a heavy.

"Captain! They're coming out!" Airheart shouted from above. "I think- I think they're Cygnar! What the-?" A third cannon shot interrupted her, and Shining Armor clenched his teeth at the impact.

"Cygnar? Why would Cygnar attack us?" Cherry Cola called out the question his superior wanted to ask.

"No clue, but those're definitely trenchers!" Airheart replied, "Four heavies, one with that cannon, one with -I think those're chainguns- and two with hammers! Two squads of trenchers-" Shining Armor felt a hail of smaller bullets pepper his magical shield. "-A squad of long gunners," Airheart continued, "and I think that's a warcaster! Yeah, I see his turbine!"

"All right, everypony behind the wall!" Shining Armor ordered, "Cadance, trenchers can throw together earthwork fortifications that'll protect them from your Mules' explosives pretty well, so I want you to start taking shots at the long gunners and the 'jacks. I'll get everypony else in position -if I do this right we'll be able to mash anyone you leave standing." Cadance nodded silently, her Mules already moving into firing positions. Within moments, they were raining steam-launched shells on the attackers, their accuracy and fire rate augmented by the Princess's magic.

Shining Armor considered the situation grimly as he ordered pony squads to their positions and moved his Mules into place. This was only his second combat engagement in the Iron Kingdoms, and his first encounter with heavy warjacks and a hostile warcaster. The Iosan 'jacks had been lightweights, and had been marshaled by the elven soldiers instead of having a warcaster controlling them. He watched through his Nomads' eyes as Cadance's Mules pounded the warjacks, having already eliminated most of the long gunners. The Captain was certain that his best option was to send his 'jacks in a full-throttle charge at the Cygnaran warcaster, but the four enemy warjacks were a problem. Nomads used to be Cygnar's heavy 'jack of choice before newer designs rendered them obsolete, and those newer designs made up his enemy's battlegroup. He recognized two Ironclads, a Defender, and a Cyclone. The Defender seemed intent on shooting at the physical wall despite Shining Armor's force field, while the Cyclone used its chainguns in a futile effort to shoot down the pegasus ponies who were still airborne. Shining Armor felt that if Cadance could take two of the warjacks out of the fight, his Nomads could pound through the trenchers using their sheer mass, disable the remaining 'jacks, and assail the Cygnaran warcaster all at once.

The Captain grinned with satisfaction as a well-placed shot from one of Cadance's warjacks destroyed the knee of one Ironclad, while the Defender lost its arm to another Mule's attack. At this, the opposing warcaster suddenly stopped his march forward. The trenchers stopped as well. A concentrated Mule barrage crippled the other Ironclad, and apparently changed the enemy warcaster's mind about the whole thing. Turning back to the forest, he called a retreat to his trenchers, who followed behind him as his Cyclone moved to block him from the ponies' view, still firing bursts at the pegasus ponies.

The Royal Guard ponies and their Princess all watched as the surviving Cygnaran forces faded into the forest. Then, they went about the grim business of clearing the battlefield. Shining Armor used his magic to tear the patches off of a fallen long gunner's uniform, then began to lead his Nomads back to Ponyville.

"Shining Armor? Where are you going?" Cadance asked, falling into step beside him, her Mules doing the same.

"To the library," her husband replied, raising the patches, "I'm going to write a report to Princess Celestia, but I don't think it'll be about friendship."

Moving Forward

Princess Celestia didn't like sentences that started with her name. This dislike stemmed partially from the absurd frequency at which she had encountered such sentences in her multi-millennia reign, and also because such sentences were usually ghostwritten on her behalf at the start of invitations to some royal event or goings-on. One of the greatest mysteries of the universe, the Princess thought, was why the pre-Equestrian unicorns and the pre-Princess Equestrians had invented so many events, galas, expositions, and other pretentious shenanigans. (was 'shenanigans' still a word? The immortal monarch made a mental note to make sure it was in the newest edition of the Modern Equestrian Dictionary. They kept trying to take words out, no matter how many times she told them not to.) A small portion of her fertile mind was already considering schemes by which she could spend the next Grand Galloping Gala at the Crystal Palace, or maybe Twilight's library, with as few ponies as possible aware of her location. The difficult part was that if fewer than about two hundred ponies knew where she was at any one time, malaise, economic depression, and the threat of outright anarchy tended to overcome the principality. She thought that Luna might be willing to provide an appropriate distraction, pushing to the back of the populace's mind the thought that their precious sun princess was briefly not available, and made another mental note to discuss the idea with her sister later.

Sentences starting with 'Dear Princess Celestia,' on the other hoof, were a delight, as they usually formed the beginning of one of the many letters she received from Twilight Sparkle and her friends. Twilight's friends were always entertaining, even (especially) when they wrote to tell her they'd learned nothing at all about friendship. She made yet another mental note, this one to re-read some of those letters when she had some spare time.

The fragment of her mind still focused on ghostwritten invitations pondered the results of adopting a much more casual style of communication. She elected to one day send Twilight a note that read simply, 'Hey, Twi, what's up?' and gauge the reaction. Her faithful, loyal, and (sometimes unintentionally) amusing student would prove an acceptable test subject for a potential relaxation of royal protocol, once she returned from her mysterious and increasingly-lengthy disappearance into the Thornwood. The Princess refused to speculate on this, knowing full well that there was nothing she could do but hope for the best. She did make a mental note to request another update from Cadance and Shining Armor. She was sure that she was pestering them, but she couldn't help it. She was also sure they understood.

Celestia turned her attention away from mail and malaise in order to focus on her destination. Her squad of pegasus ponies was pulling her royal chariot towards the woods at the base of the Foal Mountains. Below them marched a mixed company of earth ponies and unicorns. The earth ponies pulled a set of reinforced, roofless wagons carrying a trio of warjacks, along with barrels of water and coal. They were traveling to visit a group of Circle Orboros druids who had set up shop in a clearing in that forest. She had first been contacted regarding the Circle by Fluttershy, and her previous interactions with them had been carried out using the yellow pegasus as an intermediary -the Circle seemed slow to trust strangers. Celestia had been considering just barging in unannounced, as the druids were in fact on Equestrian land and therefore subject to having the royalty wander into open forest clearings at random, but was concerned that they might react violently. Celestia didn't want yet another enemy if she could avoid it. The issue was rendered moot when Fluttershy arrived in Canterlot with a letter from a druid called Mohsar the Desertwalker, asking the Princess to visit. Celestia had sent Fluttershy back with the message that the Princess would be arriving shortly with the traditional cadre of bodyguards. Admittedly, the company of ponies below her numbered much more than her traditional bodyguard count -not to mention the three heavy warjacks- but she wasn't about to walk into a potential trap without a significant fighting force. Fluttershy said there were only a few druids present, but they all wielded potent nature magic and had tamed many wild beasts for use in battle. The pegasus had even mentioned giants made of stone and wood, which Mohsar seemed to be able to control without words. Celestia presumed that these were some manner of druidic warjack-equivalent.

All the possibilities had been considered, the wisdom of the most ancient and powerful being available had been consulted, a decision had been made. All that remained was to inform the ponies, and secure their cooperation, if possible. Two of the three Omnipotents of the Circle Orboros -namely Lortus the Watcher and Dahlekov the Scouring Wind- had departed to prepare their parts of the undertaking, bringing their various warbeasts and subordinate druids with them. Even Kaya the Moonhunter had left, to Fluttershy's disappointment. Mohsar the Desertwalker and Cassius the Oathkeeper remained, along with a pair of Celestial Fulcrums and their attendant blackclad druids. Mohsar was eager to take his wolds, man-made warbeasts of stone and wood, and return with them to the Bloodstone Marches that were his territory, but he had inadvertently found himself the unofficial middleman between the Circle and the Equestrians. Cassius had positioned himself in a purely advisory role, although his advice was more proactive than the previous Oathkeeper.

Mohsar felt a growing sense of immense sorcerous power approaching. It was a raw and ancient magic, carrying the gentle warmth and searing heat of a distant sun, not even slightly weakened by the distance between that star and its living avatar. The last time he'd sensed such raw power was during the dragon attack he'd witnessed at the Castle of the Keys. The Desertwalker was feeling an emotion that was alien to him. Searching deep into his memories, recalling his early days as a mere wilder, not yet having earned even his black cloak, much less his current rank, Mohsar realized that what he felt was awe. Nearly completely hidden by this overwhelming power was a sense of many lesser magical entities, and what felt like the arcane magics of warjack cortexes.

Princess Celestia was coming, and she was prepared for the impending meeting to turn very bad. Mohsar felt sure that the Princess would find the Circle's plans agreeable, and that violence could be avoided. He didn't like Equestria's reliance on warjacks and other mechanika. They were, in his mind, yet another group of aggressive fools unwittingly increasing the odds of the Devourer Wurm taking an interest in mortal affairs. Too much technological advancement would draw the Wurm to Caen, spreading horrific death and destruction as it viciously re-balanced the scales of man and nature. Mohsar set these thoughts aside as ponies started to arrive in the clearing. He turned to face the approaching Princess.

The pony Princess stood at the forefront of her cadre, which Mohsar took to indicate that she was confident in her abilities. Instead of announcing her presence formally, as he expected, she brushed past the blackclad and went straight for Fluttershy, who had busied herself looking after the health of Cassius's warbeasts, a mixed company of argus, warpwolves, and satyrs. The pack started to circle protectively around Fluttershy as Celestia approached, but calmed down with a few words from the pegasus. Mohsar had struggled to apprehend Fluttershy's connection to living creatures, as had Kaya the Moonwalker. Within the Circle, no one but warlocks -who could bond their minds and spirits to their warbeasts- could control such creatures as easily and completely as Fluttershy did with nothing but words. The Desertwalker knew blackclads who would kill for a wilder apprentice who could control satyrs as easily as Fluttershy.

Mohsar allowed the two ponies to converse while he observed the soldiers who had accompanied the Princess. While Fluttershy seemed to believe that only unicorn ponies could use magic, Mohsar had already realized that Fluttershy herself had innate power, and it was clear to him now that so did earth ponies and other pegasi. Fluttershy had demonstrated her ability to manipulate weather, a power she used apparently by instinct. The earth ponies, Mohsar realized, had a deep, sorcerous connection to the world around them. This underlying power, as far as the Desertwalker could determine, was not viewed as magic by ponies, but rather natural properties of their being. While the ponies believed that only their unicorns could use magic, the truth seemed to be that only unicorns did so consciously. The earth ponies particularly interested Mohsar, for he knew that an innate connection to one's surroundings was a source of great power.

After a short conversation, Celestia sent Fluttershy to join the Royal Guard, a squad of which would escort her to Canterlot. With the yellow pegasus on her way, the Princess turned her attention to Mohsar.

"Heat, wind, sand, and rock," Celestia said, approaching the druid, "I take it you are Mohsar the Desertwalker?"

"You are correct, and you must be Princess Celestia," Moshar replied.

The Princess turned to face Cassius, "and you, with your soul as ancient as mine, what would your name be?"

"I am Cassius, the Oathkeeper-"

"I'm willing to believe the empty husk bound in your roots was once called 'Cassius'," Celestia interrupted, "but he is merely a puppet, and I am asking the name of the puppeteer."

Suddenly, yet as if it'd been there the whole time, Wurmwood appeared at Cassius' side. The ancient, leafless tree appeared to be dead, and had the only features making it visibly different from a normal tree were the skeletons hanging from its branches.

"You speak to Wurmwood, Tree of Fate," Cassius stated with great formality.

"A carnivorous tree." Celestia observed. Mohsar realized that he did not know how the pony had recognized the natures of Cassius and Wurmwood. He was sure that no one had told Fluttershy. "I will be honest, you're not what I would consider an ideal ally, but if you can help my ponies, I would be grateful. Now, Fluttershy informed me that you have a plan for sending Equestria home. Would you care to explain it to me?"

"Yes, the plan," Mohsar said, motioning towards one of the Celestial Fulcrums. "Please come this way, we will explain it in full."

A Celestial Fulcrum, according to Fluttershy's description, was a stone sphere slightly larger than a pony, made of curved, carved stone slabs, with two smooth gemstones set into opposite hemispheres. This sphere was orbited by a stone ring, and carried three mounts upon which wooden poles were attached sideways, each of which held a smaller sphere with a single gem each, which could rotate freely to virtually any position. Every inch of stone was covered in druidic runes, and the whole thing levitated over a ring of uncarved stones. It was possible to levitate this ring of stone as well, though it normally remained stationary, and the rest of the fulcrum would maintain its position above, allowing druids with particular power over stone to move the construct with relative ease. Having now seen one up close, Princess Celestia found this description accurate. The three druids standing on the ring of stones and balancing the fulcrum's energies greeted Mohsar respectfully as the Desertwalker tapped into the power moving the construct.

"This is a Celestial Fulcrum," Mohsar said.

"Yes, Fluttershy described them to me," Celestia replied, "I believe it represents Caen and its three moons, correct?"

"Indeed, it shows us Caen, as well as Calder, Laris, and Artis. We track their movements with utmost care, as their positions relative to Caen's leylines is of vital importance to our magic. Certain positions of the moons can also portend significant events. Now, then," Mohsar paused as the four stone spheres rotated with surprising speed to a new position, "here are the positions of the moons when Equestria first appeared on Caen. This panel," the runes on one of the central sphere's slabs began to glow more brightly, "represents the region that Equestria appeared in."

Celestia raised an eyebrow, "I see. So, you believe the positions of the moons correlates to my nation being brought here?"

"I know it does," Mohsar assured her, "this formation was not previously believed to have any great significance, but on that night, massive amounts of power coursed through the leylines within this region. While we were not able to determine its source, we have been able to imitate it."

"So when the moons are in the right place, you could send Equestria back?" Celestia asked.

"Yes. What we need is a conjunction of moons that will reverse the power of that magic, causing its target -Equestria- to return from whence it came." Mohsar explained.

"The requisite positions," Cassius entered the conversation, turning the Fulcrum's components to a new position, "are thus. When the moons reach these positions, we can conduct a ritual, synchronized at several places of power, to send you home."

"How long before the moons reach those positions?" Celestia asked, although she thought she already grasped the moons' movements well enough to guess.

"Seven weeks," Cassius replied, "We are already moving to the requisite locations and preparing the ritual."

"So, you're confident enough to assume I would accept your help, then?"

"Whether you accept this is not relevant," Cassius replied, looking Celestia in the eye, "Equestria's presence is not natural. Every day your nation remains here, the risk that Orboros will decide that your violation of its body is unacceptable, and in that case, it will send the Devourer Wurm to the mortal realm. The Devourer leaving Urcaen for the mortal plane would result in disaster beyond mortal imagination."

"It was proposed that simply wiping out all of your population would alleviate the problem, but that was discarded," Mohsar added, "though I must warn you that some rogue druids may attempt it anyway. They will be led by Krueger the Stormlord, if they do act. We will try to control them, but Krueger is difficult to pin down."

"I'll keep that in mind," Celestia said, "now then, you mentioned multiple ritual sites. Where might they be?"

"I will show you." Mohsar produced a map from within his robes, "we have identified a number of locations which are vital to success..."

"I am pleased by thy progress, Twilight Sparkle," Lich Lord Asphyxious stated, his voice as sepulchral as ever. His usage of outdated words and phrases remained enigmatically inconsistent. "The time for learning, however, is at an end. You must now be mobilized." The iron lich unrolled a canvas map of Western Immoren and spread it on a low table. Entrances to the Death Below and the cephalyx cave network were marked, as were a few other locations. Asphyxious pointed to one of the marks. "Lich Lord Venethrax was transporting an item of considerable size and vital importance through the tunnels in this area," Asphyxious explained, "When he suffered a cave-in that destroyed a large area of the network. While Lord Venethrax and the item survived, the item's transport was immobilized and the majority of Venethrax's escort destroyed. He has a great need for reinforcements, which are being sent by many paths to avoid detection. Thou are to be among those reinforcements."

"I understand," Twilight said reluctantly. She knew Venethrax by reputation. He was Cryx's master of dragon lore, and was tasked with locating Toruk's children, learning everything that could be learned about them, and preparing for the eventual war between Cryx and the dragons. While all of the Lich Lords were prone to being untrusting and untrustworthy, Asphyxious and Venethrax cooperated relatively well, mostly by staying out of each others' way. It helped that Venethrax didn't involve himself in the Nightmare Empire's internal power struggles. While others in Cryx's elite were uncomfortable or even outright enraged at the level of control Asphyxious exerted over the mainland necrofactoriums, Venethrax didn't care who ran the Death Below, as long as he had enough warjacks and thralls for his purposes. In return for that indifference, Ashyxious kept Venethrax well supplied. It was a relationship built on mutual lack of hatred, which, as far as Twilight had observed, made it as close to friendship as could exist between two Lich Lords.

"Now, then," Asphyxious said, "thou will be transporting a contingent of bonejacks and helljacks, as well as supplies to keep them operational. Come with me, I will show thee the warjacks that thou shall guide." With that, Asphyxious drifted out of the chamber, Twilight following, silently wondering when it was that she last removed her warcaster armor. Asphyxious led her to one of the underground storage rooms, where a large number of warjacks stood idle, with several necrotechs conducting final inspections on them. The room was lit only at the front, leaving the back in darkness, although Twilight thought she saw a faint glow in the shadows. The room carried a strong smell of burning flesh, which Twilight had learned to recognize by the furnaces into which the necrotechs threw useless body parts. Black smoke drifted near the ceiling, although Twilight couldn't see any warjacks producing it.

"Thou will bring all of these warjacks to Venethrax," Asphyxious announced, "six Deathrippers, four Ripjaws, four Slayers, and two Harrowers," the iron lich counted off, "as well as one more."

"The one in the back?" Twilight asked, in spite of herself.

"As thou may have discovered," Asphyxious said, apparently unwilling to answer Twilight directly, "the nature of thy being makes it difficult for Cryxian thralls to recognize thee as one of us." Twilight nodded. Scaverous had made it clear that only her armor caused most thralls to recognize her as an ally, which was why she never removed it. Asphyxious continued, "in order to ensure that thou make no attempts to flee, a warjack has been selected to accompany thee, which shares that deficiency." Asphyxious used a burst of baleful flames to ignite two torches on the back wall, making the last warjack visible. It was massive, over three feet taller than the Slayers, although its chassis was similar. Four tall smokestacks rose from its back, from which smoke poured continually. Its head had a pair of long, curved horns, and massive chains wrapped around its arms which ended in hooks sunk into the earthen wall. The warjack's hull was made of black iron, with the exception of brushed steel skulls on its shoulders.

"What is that?!" Twilight asked, mortified. The machine seemed to radiate hatred, and she noticed that the necrotechs were keeping well away from it.

"It has many names," Asphyxious said, "the Iron Sentinel. The Black Ravager. The Devil in Iron. However, we prefer to call it by its most common title: The Deathjack. It is bound to the service of Cryx, and it will attack any which it sees as not Cryxian. It requires neither water nor fuel, and its powered entirely by the souls of those it has slain."

"Is that why I smell burning flesh?" Twilight asked, wishing she could learn to stop seeking information.

"The scent of souls, burning in the Deathjack's baleful furnace, is similar to that of human or trollkin flesh in more mundane fires," Asphyxious confirmed, "now, the means by which the Deathjack will keep thee honest is simple. Remove thine armor, and it will see thee as prey. Wear thine armor, and I will know always where thou art."

"I understand," Twilight said with a sigh.

"I would have been most frustrated if thou did not," Asphyxious replied. Handing Twilight the map, he added, "thou will leave as soon as these warjacks are ready. Time is of the essence, thou shall not stop before making rendezvous with Lord Venethrax."

Asphyxious had departed, and the necrotechs had started the furnaces of Twilight's warjacks, then left her with them to wait as the horrific machines built steam pressure. The Deathjack demonstrated its readiness to move out by ripping its hooks free of the wall, and spinning the chains around its claws so the ends wouldn't drag on the ground. Twilight wondered why they bothered to secure the hateful machine in the first place. One of the Harrowers snapped its three-pronged perisher claw a few times, apparently testing the arm's pressure. The Ripjaws spun their saws up to full speed, filling the room with a high-pitched wail, then let them spin down to a stop, as the Slayers flexed their claws. Twilight decided she couldn't put off leaving any longer and turned to the door. Before she could open it, however, Lord Exhumator Scaverous pushed it open and stepped into the room.

"Ah, you haven't left yet, good," Scaverous said, "Asphyxious actually took the time to tell me he was taking you off my hands, it was surprisingly considerate of him."

"I was just about to leave," Twilight said glumly, "just waiting for the 'jacks to get to full steam."

"Yes, yes," Scaverous waved a claw dismissively, "tell me of the path you intend to follow." The pony dutifully spread the map out on the floor, and Scaverous leaned forward to look at it.

"I was going to leave through this exit," Twilight said, pointing a hoof at the cave entrance closest to Venethrax's location, "the faster I get to Venethrax, the sooner I can get this over with."

"That won't do," Scaverous said, "try that exit instead." The iron lich pointed to the northern-most exit, which was near Equestria's southern border, "things might go better for you that way."

Twilight looked at Scaverous suspiciously. "Are you... trying to help me?"

"Consider where your loyalties lie," Scaverous interrupted, "this mission to join Venethrax's force is a test of loyalty, but you and Lord Asphyxious don't need to agree on what it means to pass, do you?" Without waiting for a reply, Scaverous left the room. Twilight furrowed her brow, wondering what Scaverous was planning. She decided to take his advice, hoping that it would open up an opportunity for escape.

Sand and Swans

Steamjacks, Rarity was pleased to learn, made excellent laborers. They could follow simple instructions well enough, and required nothing except crushed coal and clean water. The downside was that they did generate a lot of smoke and lacked finesse, two factors that reduced their utility in mining. Still, a pair of Nomad warjacks equipped with over-sized digging tools performed admirably in Time Turner's mine. Work requiring a more gentle or precise touch than could be provided by six-ton iron-and-steel brutes was carried out by a group of ponies that Time Turner had recruited, apparently at random, with the promise of a share of the diamonds they collected. Between the Nomads and the ponies, Rarity and Time Turner were rapidly accumulating a large collection of gemstones, even considering the shares given to the other ponies, and the large tributes collected by the Menites every day. Within only ten days, however, Rarity found herself wanting to leave the mine, so she began preparations for a return to Ponyville. She wasn't yet aware that a surprise visit from a pegasus pony with a distinctive mane would change her destination.

Time Turner's hoof-drawn map had been fairly sparse, but the pegasus following it quickly concluded that this was because the Bloodstone Marches didn't have a lot of things a pony could put on a map. The mine's location was carefully marked, and the compass rose Turner had drawn was accurate, making it easy to find the way from Caspia to the mine's entrance.

Rainbow Dash found Rarity at the entrance to the mine, standing on the sun-blasted ground, conversing with Time Turner as he fiddled with an immobile steamjack. The pegasus always had trouble keeping the names of warjack designs straight, but she was pretty sure this one was a Nomad. She remembered overhearing Shining Armor asking an engineer about production rates on 'those darn big Nomad swords', and the weapon standing with its tip sunk into the ground definitely qualified as a darn big sword. The warjack itself was difficult to look at in the bright sunlight pounding down on the Bloodstone Marches, having been painted mainly in white, with purple accents. This 'jack, Rainbow concluded, clearly belonged to Rarity. Nopony else, except maybe Princess Celestia, would put so much white paint on a steamjack, and nopony but Rarity would bother keep one so clean inside a mine that was itself in the middle of a desert. Rainbow wondered how long it'd be before her unicorn friend began mounting gemstones onto the thing. The pegasus got as far as thinking that turquoise crystals would compliment the machine's purple detailing before smacking her hoof against her forehead and descending to the barren land.

"Hey, Rarity, what's up?" Rainbow asked as she landed. Rarity gave her a surprised look, followed by a wide smile.

"Why Rainbow Dash, I was just preparing for a trip home. Oh, before I forget, this is Time Turner." The earth pony waved a hoof absently without looking away from his work. He had the top of the warjack's hull open now, and seemed to be deeply engrossed in something to do with its inner workings.

"We've met," the pegasus said. "Anyway, I just got a letter from Princess Celestia, actually. I dunno what's up, but she wants everypony with an Element of Harmony in Canterlot. I guess Fluttershy made some friends the Princess thinks can help out. Problem is, the Khadorans keep giving Applejack the runaround, and Pinkie and Twilight are both still missing."

Rarity bit her lip and frowned. "Still no sign of them, then?"

"Not mane or tail of either of 'em," Rainbow confirmed, "I'm startin' to get sorta freaked out about it, honestly. The Princess has ponies out looking for them, but they don't really know where to start. Fluttershy says Twilight's somewhere in the Thornwood, but that's a whole lotta dangerous ground to cover. I just hope AJ knows where Pinkie got to, she said something about trollkin."

"Speaking of Applejack, you said she's still in Khador?"

"Yeah. The Princess just got a letter from her. Apparently Khadoran officers keep promising to introduce her to the high-ups if she just does 'one more' favor for them. AJ's pretty sure they're just using her for free labor at this point, but she doesn't know how to talk her way out of it. Right now she's in Merywyn, in occupied Llael. I figured since you're a smooth talker you can get those reds to let her come home, sound like a plan?"

"I take your meaning, though I'm not sure how to feel about the 'smooth talker' appellation," the unicorn replied, raising an eyebrow, "and I suppose you'll be assisting the search for Twilight Sparkle?"

"Of course. When you meet up with Applejack, head to Canterlot. We're sorta assuming she knows more about Pinkie Pie's deal than the rest of us, so everypony will figure out how to find her from there. Got it?"

"I understand completely. I suppose I'll need to book passage on a riverboat in Sul. I can follow the Black River right up to Merywyn and seek out Applejack from there."

"Right, well then," Time Turner closed the warjack's access hatch and inserted himself into the conversation, "Glam here seems to be in top condition, all ready for a nice long trip. Be sure to take plenty of coal and water with you for her and-"

"Glam?" Rainbow Dash interrupted, "you seriously named that thing 'Glam?' What kind of name is that?"

"Don't look at me, I didn't name it," the earth pony grumbled.

"It's a perfectly lovely name for the most glamorous steamjack in the Iron Kingdoms!" Rarity exclaimed defensively. Rainbow wasn't sure if she should face-hoof or start laughing.

"You couldn't name it, like, Opalescence the Second or something?"

"Absolutely not." Rarity seemed insulted by the suggestion. "That would be entirely uncreative, and far too long a name to call it by in the middle of a battle."

"Yeah, because 'Glam' is the most creative name ever," Rainbow knew she should just drop the subject, but had the uncontrollable urge to argue that Rarity seemed to frequently trigger, "it just sounds silly to me."

"Oh, yes, and you're the Princess of Gravitas," Rarity stated, voice dripping with sarcasm. Rainbow rolled her eyes.

"Anyway," the pegasus said, "I'm gonna fly back to Caspia to take care of some stuff there, then head for Ponyville to join the search for Twilight."

"All right, I'll see you in Canterlot once you find her," Rarity replied.

Rainbow Dash returned to her tower room at the castle in Caspia to find a pegasus in Royal Guard armor waiting on her balcony.

"Rainbow Dash," the Guard said with a salute -something Dash was still getting used to- "message from the Princess. Your eyes only." With that, the Guard passed her a parcel wrapped in brown paper and bearing Celestia's royal seal, then flew off into the clouds.

A few minutes later, Rainbow Dash burst into the office of the most important person she knew would listen to her -the office of Artificer General Sebastian Nemo, who was briefly in Caspia to check the progress of the multitude of projects he was overseeing. She found the elderly warcaster at his desk, which was covered with blueprints, design notes, tools, and other detritus of genius.

"WHAT THE HAY IS THIS?!" The pony demanded before Nemo could even react to her intrusion, slamming a set of patches into his desk.

"I could ask the same question!" Nemo shouted back, "what are you doing barging in like this-?"

"Cygnaran soldiers wearing those patches attacked Ponyville! And I wanna know WHY!" Rainbow interrupted, hammering her hooves on the desk. The General blinked, then looked at the patches in question.

"Fourth Army, Eleventh Division, Hundred-and-Twentieth Rifle Company."

"I don't care who they were, I wanna know why they attacked Equestria!"

General Nemo sat down, deep in thought. "Fourth Army..." He muttered to himself, "but then... No... Yes... It would have to be..." The General ran a hand down his face. "Finch, take Rainbow Dash and these patches to Rebald, will you? He needs to know about this."

"Yes, sir," Nemo's aid, Caitlin Finch replied, "please come with me, I'll take you to the Scout General."

"Fine," Rainbow grumbled, her urge to keep shouting mollified by curiosity. Scout General Bolden Rebald was in charge of the Cygnaran Reconnaissance Service. Rainbow wasn't sure if going to see him meant Rebald knew something fishy was going on, or if something fishy was going on that the Scout General needed to know about. Either way, she followed Finch to his office, where they found him at his desk, examining a map of Western Immoren that had several small, wooden flags standing on various places for reasons the pony couldn't quite work out. She guessed that they indicated military assets. The officer glanced quickly at the pair before returning his gaze to his map.

"Speak your piece," Rebald said.

"Sir." Finch said, "Ambassador Rainbow Dash just received word that Equestria was attacked by elements of the Fourth Army's Eleventh Division."

"The Fourth Army's Eleventh is reinforcing the garrison at Ramarck," the Scout General replied, still looking at the map, "it's not possible for them to have-" He stopped speaking as Dash dropped the patches on his map, right under his eyes.

"Captain Shining Armor took those off one of the attackers." Rainbow said.

The Scout General stared at the patches for a minute. "Finch? You're dismissed." As Finch left the room, Rebald moved one of the wooden flags to a point in the Thornwood, south of Ponyville. "Do you know who led the attack?"

"They couldn't get a clear look at him, but they know he was a warcaster." Rainbow answered.

"That division doesn't have a warcaster attached," came a voice from the doorway. Rainbow Dash turned to see a scruffy-looking man in a blue greatcoat, with pistols holstered at his hips. A short smokestack, visible behind one shoulder, was the only thing that marked him as a warcaster.

"That they do not, Caine." Rebald confirmed, "Rainbow Dash, this is Captain Allister Caine. He's been helping me investigate internal threats."

"Internal threats?" Rainbow asked.

"Yeah, well," Caine said, "I'll put to you like this: Y'know about old Vinter Raelthorne getting overthrown by King Leto, right? Well, there's some folks out there just nutty enough to want Vinter back."

"Wait, wasn't Vinter the Fourth like, insane?" Rainbow asked, incredulous.

"Yeah, but he did a lot of favors to people he thought he could trust," Caine said with a shrug, "some of them miss him. Or his handouts, anyway. Some of those guys seem to figure Vinter'll make a comeback if Leto has a hard enough time running this show, so they try to undermine him."

"And you think some of those backstabbers got into the Fourth Army?" Rainbow asked.

"The Fourth does seem to have more difficulty maintaining discipline than the rest of the Cygnaran Army," Rebald said, "a number of their officers have been court-martialed lately, it's possible that part of the Eleventh has gotten corrupted, as well."

"So, I'm guessin' it's time for me to head up Equestria's direction and see if I can work out what they're doing so far from their post?"

"Yes, I'll have to send you," Rebald said, "I was going to have you pursue rumors that Asheth Magnus had been spotted near Bainsmarket anyway. An unidentified warcaster with connections in the Fourth Army could easily be him."

"Wait, if they're traitors, won't they react pretty badly to a member of the CRS showing up?" Rainbow asked.

"Most people don't know I work for Rebald," Caine said, "they think I get my orders through the normal chain of command, so don't go spreading this around. I had to lurk around in the hall a while, waiting for Finch to go away."

"Plus, Caine's record isn't exactly clean, so troublemakers and reprobates tend to trust him," Rebald added.

"Yeah, I spent some time with the wrong crowd in my younger years," Caine admitted with a roguish grin.

"He lost his Captain stripe two weeks after making full warcaster for inappropriate conduct," Rebald pointed out, "and he only just got promoted back up."

"Could've done without telling her that part, General," Caine grumbled, rolling his eyes.

"Setting that aside," Rebald said, "Caine, you will go to Bainsmarket, cross the river, and seek out the Eleventh Division. They should be easy to find, they tend to draw a lot of attention to themselves. Once you've found them, you need to determine how deep the corruption runs, and if need be, eliminate it. Keep it quiet, though, if Magnus is involved, we don't want him to know you are."

"Yes, sir," Caine said with a salute, "I'm betting you want in on this, Dash?"

"Heck yes!" Rainbow said, "I won't let an attack on Equestria slide, and besides, I have to make sure you aren't planning to just drop the whole thing."

"Well, then, let's go."

Black Magic Mare

Scout General Rebald was right about one thing, the Eleventh Division was easy to track down. They had camped out in the Thornwood, where they had constructed a makeshift fort with high walls made from felled trees. Caine had been able to find out that they frequently sent soldiers to Bainsmarket for supplies, and that those soldiers tended to drink heavily and do a lot of talking. The warcaster had determined almost exactly where the outpost was located just by piecing together what the citizens remembered overhearing in the tavern. Rainbow Dash lurked outside the fort, hidden in the trees, where the deepening shadows of sunset obscured her presence. Caine had felt that the corrupt elements of the division might grow suspicious if a pony walked into their midst and started asking about Asheth Magnus just two days after their attack on Ponyville. Caine himself was inside the fort, allegedly gathering information, although the sound of raucous laughter suggested other activities.

Rainbow kept vigil in the woods until well into the night, flapping her wings impatiently, before Caine emerged from the fort's only entrance, wobbling slightly. He slurringly assured his new friends that he could find his way back to Bainsmarket on his own, and began to stagger into the forest as the soldiers closed the wooden door behind him. After a considerable amount of stumbling around, Caine found Rainbow and flopped down onto the ground next to her, leaning against a tree.

"I hate pretending to be drunk, it's not nearly as fun as the real thing," the warcaster grumbled, his speech no longer slurred, "I'll tell you what, though, it's a great way to find things out."

"So?" Rainbow asked, "what's the deal?"

"That fort's got the Hundred Twentieth Rifle Company, just like we figured. Captain Ian Goddard's in command. He doesn't know where the rest of the Eleventh is, he doesn't know why he was hired to attack Ponyville, or where the guy who hired him is now, and he doesn't know how to pull off a decent poker face. What he does know is that Asheth Magnus offered him solid gold bullion for that attack to happen, and the Cygnaran Army doesn't pay nearly as much money as he can lose with a deck of cards and some guys who can bluff half-decently."

"Wait, that means you have to take out the whole fort?" Rainbow asked, "since they're all in on it?"

"Yeah, and I need to do it without it looking like I did it," Caine said, "Because if Magnus comes back for another run at Ponyville, he's gonna recognize my handiwork no matter what I do. Not that I'd be comfortable with taking on a two hundred-man rifle company with just one pony for backup and the warjacks I left in Bainsmarket anyway."

"Sounds like you need some plausible deniability," came a voice. Caine was on his feet in a blur, his Spellstorm pistols in his hands and pointed in the direction that the voice came from before Rainbow could speak.

"Wait!" Rainbow grabbed Caine's arm, "I know that voice!"

"Yes you do," Twilight Sparkle confirmed, letting her obfuscation spell fall. Rainbow Dash stared at her friend. Twilight's body was covered in crude, iron barding. An arcane turbine was bolted onto the croupiere, which also featured a stylized, skeletal serpent curled into a circle, and Twilight's legs were cloaked by a leather caparison. An equally-crude champron was strapped to her head, with a hole drilled through it for her horn. A thick leather strap was wrapped around her neck in place of a criniere. Twilight's eyes, to Rainbow's shock, were wide and bloodshot, her pupils diluted. Her tail and mane were ragged and grimy, and the iron boots on her hooves were covered in mud. Behind the unicorn, a group of what appeared to be warjacks was barely visible in the darkness.

"So, a pony joined Cryx," Caine said sharply, "give me one good reason not to blow your head off."

"You harm a hair on her mane and I'll snap your spine in four places," Dash said vehemently. Caine did not respond. "Is he right, Twilight? You didn't really join those zombie freaks, did you?"

"Not willingly," Twilight said, hanging her head, "they've had me trapped in their crazy cave network for however long it's been since I left Equestria, teaching me all kinds of horrible things and trying to convince me to be like them, but it didn't work!" Twilight snapped her head up to lock eyes with Rainbow, "I'm not one of them! I never will be!"

"All right, keep it down," Caine said. The warcaster lowered his pistols, but didn't seem entirely convinced, "if you're not with them, why'd they send you out on your own?"

"Oh, they trust me. Or, they trust that I'm terrified of this thing," Twilight said, mentally compelling one of her warjacks to step forward.

"That's the Deathjack!" Caine said, leveling his pistols at the machine's head.

"Don't shoot!" Twilight insisted, "I'm having a hard enough time keeping it under control. Look, the Cryxians can track me down using my armor, but if I take my armor off, this horrible thing will crush me like a bug and eat my soul!"

"It tends to do that to people, yeah," Caine muttered, not moving.

"So, they want me to take these 'jacks to reinforce Lich Lord Venethrax's gang, since he's up to something east of here. I have a map, even." Twilight said, "but when I saw you two, I decided to see if we could help each other."

"Let me guess, you want us to wreck the Deathjack?" Rainbow asked.

"Close. It has to look like I got in a fight, not just forced my warjacks to stand around while someone shot them up," Twilight said, "if they think I'm fighting, the Cryxians will just call it a test and leave me alone, even if I lose. Especially if I lose, because then they'll decide I'm not worth their time. They seem willing to lose the Deathjack, too."

"It wouldn't be the first time it's been wrecked, we're still trying to figure out how it comes back," Caine said, "anyway, you want to attack the traitors in that fort, right?"

"Yes," Twilight said, "They'll probably bring down at least a few of my warjacks while you're fetching the 'jacks you mentioned having in Bainsmarket. You come into the woods with those warjacks, in search of suspicious activity, and just so happen to come across a Cryxian warcaster attacking the fort. You wreck that warcaster's 'jacks, but oh dear, you're too late to save those heroic Cygnaran patriots, and to add insult to injury, the Cryxian fiend vanished into the night. That's the story you tell anyone who asks, anyway. Your traitors get taken out, I get the Deathjack off my back. All I ask is that you let me go back to Equestria once we're done here."

"There's still the problem of your country thinking that attack was official," Caine said, "we-"

"I can get you an audience with Princess Celestia," Twilight interrupted, "you can explain the whole thing to her if you want. I have connections in the Royal Guard, too."

"Let me confer with Ambassador Dash here," Caine said, stepping away. Rainbow gave Twilight a nod before following him.

"What do you think?" Caine muttered.

"I'd trust Twilight with my life," Rainbow answered, "in fact, I already have a bunch times already. She's on Equestria's side, first, her friends' side second, and I'm not sure if anyone else is even on the list after that. Only reason she'd be playing Cryxian is if her life really is in danger. We can definitely trust her to hold up her end."

"How about that offer to get me in to see the Princess?" Caine asked, "does she have that kind of pull?"

"She's Celestia's personal student," Rainbow said, "she's helped save Equestria from destruction and chaos a few times now, and although she's too humble to even realize it, she's probably Celestia's best friend. You want a meeting with the Princess, Twilight can set it up, even if I can't go all ambassador and get you in. Heck, if you want to just barge in the front door of the castle, Twilight can make sure you're not kicked right back out again."

"I see," Caine said. With that, he returned to Twilight. "All right, I'll go along with this. Just be warned, I will take you out if you double-cross me."

"Well, I don't have to worry about you then," Twilight said, grinning maniacally. "All right, you'll go get your warjacks, I'll attack the fort. Rainbow? Can I ask you to fly over to Ponyville and let somepony know what's going on? Wait for me there."

"On it." Rainbow said, taking wing. Caine vanished into the night, heading south.

"All right," Twilight said, "time for a detour."

The first warning any of the soldiers of the 120th Rifle Company had of the attack was when a Slayer burst through the fort's only door, the bodies of the two sentries clutched in its claws. The helljack vented a blast of steam in a high-pitched scream as it dropped the sentries and rushed forward, pounding heedlessly through a camp fire and trampling several drunken trenchers. The least intoxicated of the company's engineers and soldiers struggled to marshal their Defender, Cyclone, and two Ironclads into action as more Cryxian warjacks followed the Slayer. Deathrippers tore at any solder who happened to be too close as the Slayers pushed deeper into the fort. One of the Ironclads charged the leading Slayer, cracking open its hull with a brutal swing of its quake hammer. The warjack staggered under the blow, and the Ironclad knocked it onto its back with a second strike. A Ripjaw set upon the Ironclad before it could attack again, its bone jaws holding it in place while its saw tore through the heavier warjack's knee. The Ripjaw fled as the Ironclad collapsed, only to have a shell from the Defender's heavy cannon tear through its head and into its furnace.

Most of the company's soldiers stumbled to the walls, where many of them had haphazardly leaned their rifles. Suddenly, explosions ripped through the assembled troopers as shells from a warjack-sized cannon phased through the walls, becoming corporeal as they struck their targets. The more sober troopers realized that a warcaster was involved, using the eyes of the Slayers and bonejacks to pick out targets for the ghost shots of a Harrower's mortifier cannon. This was confirmed as a premature manifestation caused a shell to detonate inside the wall, spraying wooden shrapnel at the nearest riflemen and revealing the Harrower just beyond. Hungry for souls, the quadrupedal helljack pressed forward, pushing its perisher through the hole and tearing into the terrified soldiers. Another ghost shot crippled the Defender's cannon as the four Slayers advanced on the three remaining Cygnaran warjacks.

Shouts of panic filled the air as the surviving soldiers attempted to run around the Cryxian warjacks and flee the fortification which now trapped them. The trenchers at the front of the crowd, however, found themselves face-to-face with the Deathjack, which swept its spiked claws in wide arcs, battering and crushing victim after victim as they turned to run away from the necrotechnological horror. One Harrower remained at its hole in the wall while the other circled to the entrance, standing guard should any victims escape the Deathjack's rampage. The Deathjack's eyes glowed brighter as it tapped into its master's mind, borrowing the warcaster's arcane knowledge and using the souls it had gathered to power a number of magical explosions that killed dozens of men even as its claws took more lives and the yawning void in its furnace collected the souls of the fallen. The Cyclone fired a hail of bullets at the Deathjack before being charged by two Slayers, but most of them bounced off harmlessly. A few of the bullets managed to gouge into the Deathjack's hull, but it simply killed more soldiers and rendered down their souls, smoothing out the dents as their immortal essences burned.

The Slayers crippled the Cyclone, although it managed to cripple one with its fists before the others finished it off. A combination of Harrower shells and explosive spells from the Deathjack ruined the Defender as the remaining Slayers and Ripjaw finished the other Ironclad. Knife-wielding trencher commandos, proving that even severe inebriation did not completely disable them, had punched open holes in the leg pistons of three Deathrippers, while the fourth had been crushed under the second Ironclad's quake hammer even as a Slayer had ripped that warjack's other arm off. The Harrowers had moved into the fort proper, joining the Deathjack in feeding their ghoulish hunger for souls. The wood burning in the fort's many campfires had been scattered, lighting grass, tents, and even the wooden walls aflame.

Snapping one last victim in half, the Deathjack peered around, looking for another target, but none of the soldiers were moving. All of them were on the ground, many in rough groups, and all of them bleeding, missing limbs, or crushed and twisted in horrifying ways. The abominable machine turned towards the entrance, following unspoken guidance from its current master, and was about to leave the fort when an armor-piercing shell slammed through its faceplate and ricocheted through several vital internal components before lodging itself in the warjack's furnace. The Deathjack let out a steam-made bellow and tried to fire an arcane explosion into the dark forest, only to discover that its master had cut it off; the warjack could no longer borrow her spells. A high-caliber shell emerged from the shadows and tore into the Deathjack's knee, forcing it into a kneeling position. A hail of bullets and shells of multiple sizes pounded the damaged helljack. With no fresh victims, the Devil in Iron was unable to repair itself, as souls had to be rendered before they entered the machine's furnace. The great machine finally collapsed under the withering hail of lead, which subsequently ruined a Harrower and the remaining Ripjaw.

The other Harrower fired a ghost shot into the woods, but got nothing for its trouble except the sound of a tree being blown apart and a shell ripping straight through its hull and out the back. The Slayers, lacking ranged weaponry, moved into a V-shaped formation and charged towards the trees, but were crippled by precisely-aimed shots before reaching the treeline.

"That's all of them." Twilight Sparkle announced, using her magic to begin removing her armor. As each piece came off, she dropped it into a pit she'd dug, also using her magic. Allister Caine holstered his pistols.

"I have to say, that was an ugly way of doing things," Caine pointed out, "those guys were traitors to the last man, but I just don't know if they deserved to have their souls fed to helljacks."

"Probably not," Twilight said. Caine noticed that several patches of hair were missing from her coat, and her skin in those areas was raw. He realized that the pony must have been in that armor for weeks. "But we did what we had to do. And on that note," Twilight continued, "I remember promising to set up a meeting between you and Princess Celestia, so if you accompany me... to..." the pony suddenly collapsed, and Caine lept to catch her. Looking blearily up at him, Twilight spoke again. "Sorry," she mumbled, "I forgot how long it's been since I've slept. I kept myself going mainly on fear, but I guess that'll only get a pony so far, huh?" With that, Twilight promptly fell asleep. Caine wordlessly lifted her into the hands of a Cyclone, which carried the unicorn with surprising gentleness as it, along with three Hunters and a Defender, followed the warcaster into the night.

Captain Ian Goddard struggled to his feet. He had been crushed under several of his own soldiers, but found himself able to lift their bodies off of him. He didn't care why the attack had come, nor did he care that his entire company lay dead before him, or even that his left leg was quite obviously broken. There was something he needed to do, and it required him to abandon the bodies of his men, force his leg to work by sheer willpower, and walk. The officer seized two large, spiked, skull-shaped decorations from the wreck of one of the Cryxian warjacks, and began dragging them behind him, heedless of their weight. He didn't know exactly where he was going, but he knew he needed a steamjack. Any steamjack. There was something he needed to do.

After staggering through the forest for some time -Goddard didn't know or care how long- he saw the entrance to a cave. The fact that no caves were known to exist in the area didn't bother him, and neither did the eerie green light it emitted. He also didn't care how he knew he could find a steamjack in the cave. There was something he needed to do. Captain Goddard dragged the decorative skulls into the cave.

He followed the green light into a tunnel, which led down into the earth, coming out into a large chamber. The chamber was obviously artificial, and was full of many people who appeared to be Cryxians, but Goddard didn't care. He saw many steamjacks, and there was something he needed to do. The Cryxians moved as if to attack him, but stopped when they saw the skulls. They knew what he needed to do. Reaching the closest steamjack, Captain Goddard let go of one of the skulls, and lifted the other onto the steamjack's shoulder. He didn't know how the skull stayed in place without any bolts or hooks to hold it, but added it to the list of things he didn't care about. He was almost done with the thing he needed to do. He took the other skull and placed it on the 'jack's other shoulder.

With the Skulls of Hate in place, Goddard watched blankly as the steamjack began to transform. The paint on its hull disappeared, leaving only black iron behind. The machine grew taller and broader, its claws growing to massive size. Its tusks vanished and where replaced by wicked horns as its head changed shape. Its single smokestack was joined by three others that emerged from the steamjack's broadening back. The 'jack's lower torso became a hollow cage with rib-like iron bars, and within this cage appeared a sickly, green light. Smoke began to pour from its stacks as the helljack's eyes lit up, and chains appeared around its claws.

Captain Ian Goddard had only a moment to realize what he had done as the Deathjack's claws swung towards him, then there was only darkness.

Blessed Sunrise

Shining Armor woke up slowly, to the sound of knocking on his door. He looked over at Cadance, who raised her head slightly and gave him the kind of bleary, half-lidded smile she always seemed to wake up with. Cadance, as the captain had quickly learned, was a slow riser, and in fact had warned him on at least a few occasions not to let her make any important decisions until she'd been out of bed for at least a few hours.

The knocking started again, and Shining Armor reluctantly dragged himself out from under the covers and started putting on his Royal Guard officer's jacket. Taking up residence in the room across from his Ponyville field office at Engines Equestria had turned out to be a double-edged sword. It meant that ponies stood a pretty good chance of finding him when he was needed, but it also meant they could find him when he was trying to sleep.

"Somepony break something important again?" Cadance asked sleepily.

"Either that or Blueblood's trying to make himself feel special with another surprise inspection." Shining Armor grumbled. Shining had received official reports and unofficial seething, complaint-filled rants about his least-favorite in-law's habit of barging into the Canterlot branch of Engines Equestria at random, claiming to be 'inspecting the premises' on behalf of Princess Celestia, ruffling proverbial and literal feathers in every possible way with each visit. Rumor had it that Celestia had placed her self-important nephew in protective custody, but whether the protection was for him or Engines Equestria was a matter of some debate.

Blinking sleepily and trying to look like he thought the pony who'd woken him up had a good reason for it, Shining Armor opened the door. A dark gray pegasus pony with black, leathery wings -one of Princess Luna's nocturnal Night Guard- saluted him.

"Captain, Ambassador Rainbow Dash is looking for you," the Night Guard said, "she has urgent news regarding Twilight Sparkle-"

"She found my sister?! Where? When?" Shining grabbed the guard by the shoulders, his heart suddenly racing, "is she all right?"

"A-all I know is R-Rainbow Dash has n-news about her," the guard stammered. Shining Armor realized that he'd been shaking the enlisted stallion, and let go.

"Where is she?" Cadance asked, suddenly at her husband's side. She showed no trace of sleepiness, though her mane and tail were the chaotic mess they were every morning.

The guard gave a quick bow and answered, "on the wall, above the southern gate. She also-" The pegasus stopped talking as both Cadance and Shining Armor raced to the building's exit.

The addition of a second gate in Ponyville's rapidly-growing stone wall had been a decision that Shining Armor had originally been against. Putting the gate in the wall's southern side had been, he felt, a particularly bad idea, as it gave a potential Cryxian invasion force a large weak point in Ponyville's defenses. However, Luna herself had called for a southern gate, so the wall's plans were modified to allow massive, wooden double doors in a gap that was going to be solid stonework by the time the barrier was complete. Still, he had to accept that such an opening would also allow Equestrian forces to exit the wall and attack Cryxians before they reached it, a logical deduction he hoped was sound. Of course, Princess Luna was vested with the royal power to overturn any of his command decisions anyway, so he had to accept it. This southern gate had been erected just hours after the Cygnaran attack on Ponyville, and while the stonework around it was complete, the wall still had a significant gap over the nearby river.

True to the guard's word, the Captain and the Princess found Rainbow Dash on the stonework above the gate, looking expectantly out at the Everfree Forest. "Rainbow Dash!" Shining Armor said, causing her to turn towards him as he rushed up the steps beside the gate.

"Oh, there you are," Dash said, turning back to the forest, "I guess that guard found you, huh?"

"He said you know where Twilight is," Cadance said, landing gracefully next to the pegasus.

"What happened to my sister?" Shining asked, trying to keep the desperation out of his voice.

"That, uh, that's a really long story," Dash said, seeming uncomfortable, "and honestly? I don't know most of it. She'll be here soon, though. She's helping out the Cygnarans a little, first."

"Helping the Cygnarans?" Cadance asked, seeming confused, "you told her they attacked us, didn't you?"

"Yeah, turns out that was some pack of traitors trying to make life harder for their king," Dash explained, "something about getting us to declare war on Cygnar or something. Twilight's got an actually loyal Cygnaran named Allister Caine helping her with some things, and in return she's gonna help him make sure those guys don't come back for another round. Oh, she promised Caine he'd get a chance to explain all this to Princess Celestia, too. I'd be helping out, too, but she wanted me to come and tell you instead."

"What, exactly, is she getting help with?" Shining Armor asked. He didn't know Rainbow Dash very well, but it wasn't like her to be this vague. Normally, she said exactly what she meant, sometimes a bit more bluntly than she should.

"Well, uh, I dunno how to explain it, but..." Dash began nervously. "Oh look! Here comes Caine now, Twilight should be with him!" She pointed excitedly at the forest. Sure enough, a figure in a long, leather coat had emerged from the gloom onto the moonlit field, with a compliment of warjacks behind him. In the center of the group was a 'jack that appeared to be carrying something.

"Yeah," Dash affirmed, "Twilight should be... with... oh..." She trailed off as all three ponies realized what, or rather, who, the warjack was carrying. Shining Armor leaped off the wall, using levitation magic to break his fall as the princess and pegasus took wing.

Rainbow Dash reached the warcaster and his machines first, landing directly in front of the Cyclone. "Is she all right?!" The pegasus demanded of Caine, "is Twilight okay?!"

"She's breathing and she's got a pulse," Caine answered, "she said she was just exhausted, but I think she needs medical attention." The heavy warjack obligingly lowered its arms slightly so Dash could inspect its charge. Twilight was indeed sleeping deeply, cradled in the machine's arms. Dash turned around as Cadance and Shining Armor caught up to her.

"She's alive, but she doesn't look good," Dash summarized for Shining Armor and Cadance as they caught up to her, "I'll take her to the hospital, I'm the fastest." Without waiting for a reply, the pegasus took Twilight from the Cyclone and flew back towards Ponyville.

"So, you're Captain Allister Caine, I take it?" Shining asked.

"I am indeed," Caine said.

"Captain Shining Armor, Equestrian Solar Royal Guard," Shining introduced himself, "this is my wife, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza-"

"Princess Cadance is fine," Cadance interrupted reflexively.

"Yes," Shining said, "now, Captain Caine, I want to thank you for bringing Twilight back to us,"

"Well, it was her idea, really," Caine admitted, "although Dash made it clear that she was pretty important around here."

"Come with us, Captain," Shining turned around and started back towards Ponyville, Cadance and Caine falling into step on either side of him. "Twilight is my sister, so I'm grateful to you for bringing her back. On a national level, she has saved Equestria from several potential disasters. She's been officially declared a national hero, in fact. On top of that, she's a personal friend of the Princesses Celesta and Luna."

"Rainbow Dash did suggest that Twilight could get me a meeting with Celestia, although I guess I'll have to wait for her to wake up," Caine put in.

"Let Twilight rest," Cadance said, "My aunt Celestia will probably come here when we tell her that Twilight's back, I can get her to meet with you."

"I'd be grateful, we need to hash out this business of Cygnaran troops attacking your country." Caine said.

"Rainbow Dash mentioned traitors to the Cygnaran crown," Shining said. "You'll get your chance to explain all of this. For now, you should probably stick around Ponyville."

Twilight Sparkle stood in the middle of an open field. The sky above her was cloudless, and dominated by a bright, full moon. Not the three moons that orbited Caen according to their own ineffable patterns, but the single moon guided by Princess Luna around Equestria's original planet. Luna's moon loomed large in the sky, and Twilight had the impression that it was much closer to her than usual.

"Twilight Sparkle, at last you've returned," the unicorn immediately recognized Luna's voice.

"Princess Luna!" Twilight bowed, "I... don't know where we are. I remember fighting, Captain Caine promised to take me to Equestria, and then... I don't know."

"It must be that this Caine made good on his word,," Luna said, "you are sleeping, Twilight Sparkle, and if my powers do not fail me, you are in Ponyville."

"Oh, good," Twilight said with a relieved sigh, "oh, Princess, I've had such a terrible time!" Before she could continue, Luna drew her into a tight hug.

"You're safe now, dear Twilight," Luna said comfortingly, "you've returned to Equestria, where my sister and I can watch over you."

"But Princess," Twilight argued insistently, "there are terrible things in the darkness! Their corruption is spreading constantly! It's only a matter of time before they come to Equestria!"

"Then I will crush them beneath my hooves," the princess replied. "For now, Twilight, you must rest. We will speak in person very soon." With that, Luna vanished, leaving Twilight to stare up at the pale moon.

Allister Caine first met Princess Celestia at Ponyville's town hall, in one of the formerly-unused offices that had been converted into an ad hoc command center by the Royal Guard. The Princess had arrived in Ponyville mere minutes after Caine had. He wasn't sure exactly how she had been informed so quickly, Shining Armor had said something Caine hadn't quite caught about a 'letter by dragon fire.' Caine sincerely hoped that Equestria's dragons were very different than those found elsewhere on Caen, and in any case he hadn't seen any evidence of dragon blight in Ponyville -even assuming the town could hide something as massive as a dragon.

Celestia had simply appeared in a flash of light, and had first checked on Twilight Sparkle in the hospital. After receiving a brief report from Shining Armor, the princess had agreed to meet with Shining Armor and Allister Caine, who had explained the situation as he understood it.

"Let me make sure I understand this," Celestia said, "Twilight was captured by Cryx, forced to serve as a warcaster for them, then made a deal with you to eliminate a traitorous unit of Cygnar's Fourth Army in exchange for you destroying the warjacks enforcing her servitude to the Nightmare Empire, am I right?"

"You are correct," Caine said, "I wish we could have nailed Magnus, too, but he was already gone. If Twilight had fed his soul to the Deathkjack, I, for one, wouldn't have lost any sleep over it."

"You're sure it was Asheth Magnus who led that attack?" Celestia asked.

"Sure as I can be," Caine replied, "The unit was led by a Captain named Ian Goddard, and he was proud to say that Magnus had hired him."

"If my memory is correct, Princess," Shining Armor said, "Asheth Magnus is Cygnar's second most-wanted criminal."

"He was number one until we found out that Vinter the Fourth is still alive," Caine said, "we had to drop Magnus to number two so Vinter could have the top spot."

"From what Victor Pendrake told me of Vinter Raelthorne, that seems reasonable," was Celestia's reply. Caine was having a hard time reading the Princess' body language. She wasn't like Rainbow Dash or any of the Wonderbolts, who generally expressed emotion very openly, making them easy to read even though Caine wasn't used to talking to magical pastel-colored ponies. Dash, in particular, wore her heart on her proverbial sleeve. Celestia, Caine concluded, was not someone he wanted to see across from him at a poker table.

"I'm more than a little disturbed by the degree of corruption you seem to think is present in your own military," Shining Armor pointed out.

"For several decades, the Fourth Army has been used as a dumping ground for soldiers we didn't quite trust, but couldn't prove anything worthy of a court-martial," Caine admitted running a hand through his hair, "it got really bad under Vinter the Fourth, whose usual response to reports of military corruption was to ask where his cut was. It's all coming back to bite us now."

Princess Celestia stared silently at Caine for several minutes, making the warcaster wish she would blink. Caine was starting to get the impression that he was out of his depth negotiating with the Princess. He still doubted the rumors that she was a living goddess, but it was clear to him that she was an ancient and powerful being. Finally, she seemed to come to a decision.

"Captain Caine, I am inclined to believe you in this matter," the Princess said. Caine resisted the urge to sigh in relief as she continued, "with that in mind, there is a matter in which I believe we may benefit from Cygnaran assistance." Caine had seen this coming. The implication was clear; Equestria would overlook the attack by Cygnar in exchange for a favor. Probably quite a big favor.

"I'll see what I can do for you," Caine said noncommittally. He had gone to Equestria with the understanding that he would be negotiating a truce, but was unwilling to promise much, given the threats Cygnar faced.

"That would be appreciated. Shining Armor," Celestia turned to the pony at her side, "please take the Captain here to Engines Equestria. I think we'll have to trust him with some of the details of Project Red River."

"Immediately, your majesty," Shining Armor bowed, then turned to Caine, "all right, come with me."

Planning and Railroading

The first thing Shining Armor did, right after sunrise, was check on Twilight Sparkle at the hospital, where he found her still asleep. After being assured repeatedly that he would be informed the moment Twilight awoke, the Captain returned to the town hall to meet with Allister Caine, who he lead to yet another Royal Guard office, this one in Engines Equestria's compound.

"Looks like you picked up warjack production pretty quick," Caine observed, having seen the assembly lines at Engines Equestria, "so what is this 'Project Red River'?"

"We're building a warjack," Shining Armor replied, not sure how much information he should trust his human counterpart with, "a whole new design. A truly Equestrian innovation. Or, that's what we planned on."

"But it's not working out for you?" Caine asked.

"We've hit some snags in actually implementing the concept," Shining admitted, "the warjack is unusually... complicated. We're having trouble overcoming our own engineering limitations."

"And you want the Cygnaran Armory to help?"

"Not quite," Shining said slowly, "I've heard that the Armory had some of its own engineering issues that were resolved with... outside assistance."

"The Church of Cyriss?" Caine said, "they're who you're after?"

"As I understand it, they offered the Cygnaran Armory mechanikal design assistance in exchange for being officially recognized as a religion, am I right?"

"You are, but there's a problem here," Caine pointed out. "We don't control the Church of Cyriss. Our government can't just tell them to send some of their gearhead-priests up here to give you a hand."

"So, you're saying you're not able to help us?" Shining Armor asked. Caine appeared to consider this for a moment before replying.

"I know some Cyrissists with connections high up their hierarchy," Caine admitted slowly. "All I can do is let 'em know Equestria's looking for a little help from their church, I can't promise anything will come of it."

"Well, I guess that'll have to do," Shining Armor said. Suddenly, a thought struck him, "you know, I just thought of something else you might be able to do for us." With that, he got out a map of the Thornwood and the surrounding area. A number of points were marked on the map, three of them in Cygnaran territory. "Speaking of dealing with outside forces," Shining continued, "we have the Circle Orboros working on another project for us, which should -if everything works out- get us home and out of everyone's hair."

"Let me guess, they're doing one of their twisted Devourer rituals at those points you've got marked."

"I'm not sure how much involvement the Devourer Wurm has, but more or less." Shining said with a nod. "Anyway, as you can see, they need to do some work within Cygnar's borders."

"You want us to look the other way?" Caine seemed incredulous.

"I know you Cygnarans don't like the Circle," Shining admitted, "in fact, I've got it on good authority that they deserve it. But, like I said, this ritual is our only real chance to get home, so we'd appreciate it if the Cygnaran Army could just give them a pass for a couple months."

"It won't be a popular idea, but I'll see what I can do."

"Good enough."

Elsinberg was a city that had, until a few years ago, stood on the border between Khador and Llael. For hundreds of years, the Llaelese soldiers at Elsinberg watched the western woodlands for any sign of invaders. It had fallen when the feared attack came, and it was now garrisoned by soldiers of Khador's First Army, who had constructed a fortress nearby. While its personnel had until recently been relatively few in number for an occupied city, the sudden appearance of Equestria had prompted a massive increase in the fortress's roster, as it was once again a border garrison. Rail lines had been hastily laid down and a smaller fort constructed nearer to Equestria, but that was little more than a monitoring station. Elsinberg was the closest Khador-held location with any significant military force, and one day on a military train followed by two more days of marching to the southwest could bring that entire force to the foot of Canterlot Mountain. A vanguard unit could probably shave a day off that time if they brought no warjack support.

Applejack sat in her room in one of Elsinberg's Khador-controlled inns, considering these facts. On the one hoof, she wasn't happy with the general Khadoran unwillingness to put her in touch with anyone of significant importance, and worried that they might be plotting an attack. They certainly didn't seem interested in negotiating peace. On the other hoof, Canterlot was eminently defensible, being accessible only by air and railway. Since none of the Iron Kingdoms seemed to have any kind of aircraft or soldiers who could fly under their own power, this meant that a Khadoran force attacking Canterlot would have to follow the train tracks that wound around and through the mountain. Applejack supposed that such an attack could be halted simply by stopping a train halfway through one of the tunnels and leaving it there. At the very least, it would force the attackers to waste time, coal, and water having their warjacks push the train back out of the tunnel and off the track.

Applejack tried to quell her worries by reminding herself that the warcaster who had recently been transferred to Elsinberg as its commanding officer was Kommander Izak Harkevich, who didn't seem likely to invade anywhere. Compared to the other Khadoran officers she'd met, Harkevich was laid-back and easy-going, at least with civilians such as herself. The mare didn't think Harkevich's superiors would mobilize him as part of an invasion, his bright, friendly eyes lacked the coldness that she'd seen in Khadoran officers elsewhere in occupied Llael. Even though he held his soldiers to the highest standards, Applejack couldn't imagine Harkevich leading any kind of offensive action. She'd heard that Harkevich was usually deployed in defensive positions -holding border fortresses or overseeing reconstruction efforts- and hoped that his presence at Elsinberg was just a move by Khador to prepare for the possibility of Equestrian aggression. Still, she sensed an unease among the soldiers that had nothing to do with their new Kommander's seemingly-endless drills.

The pony's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a train's brakes. Gritting her teeth at the screeching sound that seemed to fill the entire city, Applejack looked out the window. From her inn's location near the rail yard, she had a good view of every train to arrive and depart. It was another supply train -the fourth in three days, a fact that added to Applejack's nervousness- and the train's crew had already begun unloading. Amid the clusters of humans and trollkin carrying crates and sacks was a sight Applejack hadn't expected to see. A pony with a pearly-white coat and an immaculately-curled indigo mane was guiding a similarly-colored warjack as it stepped out of one of the train's steamjack cars. As Applejack watched, Harkevich himself joined the pony and her warjack, no doubt welcoming them to the city. Applejack dashed out of the room and started down the stairs. She was sure that something extremely important must be about to happen. Rarity had come to Elsinberg.

"So, what it all comes down to is, we gotta find Pinkie and git back to Equestria," Applejack said, summarizing Rarity's long explanation. Harkevich had left the ponies and returned to drilling his soldiers. Applejack and Rarity stood near the train and Rarity's warjack.

"Quite right," the unicorn confirmed, cleaning stray bits of grime off of Glam's hull.

"All right," Applejack said, "well, it ain't like they're keepin' me prisoner. Not exactly, anyway. I can up and leave if'n I have to, an' I don't think anyone here'd try to stop me. The part I'm seein' trouble with is finding Pinkie Pie. Last time I saw her, she'd gone and run off with a gang of trolls."

"Really?" Rarity asked, "I wonder if one of the trollkin who work on the railway know where she is. They seem to travel all over, doing manual labor, as you can see." She motioned to the trollkin still unloading the train. Most of the humans who had started to remove supplies from the train had left, leaving much of the work to the trollkin who had traveled with the machine.

"I doubt it, these fellers seem more... civilized, I guess. This bunch came outta the woods, led by a big lug with some kinda crazy fur collar on his coat," Applejack said, not realizing that one of the trollkin had stopped to listen, "never got his name. Had a big ol' mace, and a bunch of bigger trolls with 'im. Couple dire trolls, even."

"Think I know who yer talking about," the trollkin said, "only one trollkin I can think of like that. Borka Kegslayer."

"You've met this fellow?" Rarity asked.

"Nah, but I've heard of him," the trollkin answered, "I'm from up north, an' so's Kegslayer. Sorta famous 'round those parts."

"If that's so, d'you know anyone who could find this feller?" Applejack asked.

"From what I hear, his warband's been wandering around a while. I know some trollkin who came from his kriel, some of 'em have kin in his band."

"Is there any chance one of them might be convinced to relay a message?" Rarity asked, "I'm willing to make it worth the effort for everyone involved."

"Wouldn't be easy, not at all," the trollkin replied, "have to track 'em down, see if any of 'em are still in touch with their kin in the warband, gotta get one to..." he trailed off as Rarity offered him a small drawstring bag, open to show the uncut diamonds that filled it. He took the bag from Rarity's magical glow and lifted a diamond out, examining it carefully. Finally he returned the gem to its bag, which he then slid into a pocket inside of his jacket. "'Course, just because something's difficult doesn't mean it's impossible."

"I'm glad we could come to terms," Rarity said cheerfully.

"We jus' need to let Pinkie know she's needed in Canterlot," Applejack said. "And, what d'you figure, Rarity, should we tell her she can bring her friends?"

"I don't see why not," Rarity answered, "I must admit that anyone going around calling himself 'Kegslayer' is probably rather... uncouth, but I don't think Princess Celestia would object."

"Okay, I'll get the message passed along," the trollkin said, "might be a while, but it'll get to her, no worries. Now, I'd better get back to work, yeah?" With that, he returned to the task of unloading the train.

"Diamonds, huh?" Applejack asked.

"Why yes, diamonds. I recently participated in a highly profitable enterprise." Rarity explained. "While most of the proceeds have gone to funding Equestria's warjack production, my share has proven supremely useful. I'm sure you've had your own encounters with the discommodious bureaucratic tangle one has to venture through to be allowed on a Khadoran military train, and you wouldn't believe how much a well-placed bag of jewels speeds up the process."

"I can scarcely imagine," Applejack said laconically.

Two days later, Applejack and Rarity once again found themselves in Elsinberg's rail yard. Most trains that arrived at Elsinberg turned around there, but on that day a train was coming that would continue to the southwestern outpost. Rarity had secured both traveling supplies and permission for both ponies and her warjack to ride the train to that outpost. From there, they would hike to the foot of Canterlot Mountain and improvise. They hoped to meet one of the Royal Guard air patrols and send word of their arrival. In case they weren't able to do that, Rarity had gathered supplies enough for them to travel to the town of Hollow Shades, where they would likely be able to catch a train up the mountain. Rarity wasn't sure she wanted to rely on civilian transportation, however, as even heavy cargo trains might not have the means of securing a warjack for transport. Most cargo carried in trains could be set in its car and expected to make the trip without issue, so she wasn't sure they'd be able to anchor the chains needed to properly secure Glam for transportation.

Rarity was surprised at herself when she realized how much Glam meant to her. It was, after all, just a machine. A large, brutish, smoke-belching, killing machine at that. Despite the dangers of the Black River and occupied Llael, she had made the trip north without incident, making the warjack little more than an expensive burden; a seven-ton hulk of iron, steel, and underutilized potential. Yet, its loud, sooty presence was comforting, and she couldn't help but feel that having the 'jack at her side was perhaps the reason why she hadn't encountered any dangers while traveling. She was sure that any bandits or thieves who might have otherwise leaped from hiding and demanded her valuables had no interest in brawling with a Nomad over the contents of her wagon.

So lost in thought was Rarity that she didn't hear the train's engine. Only the nerve-grinding shriek of its brakes could have brought her back to the present, and they did exactly that.

"I swear when we get back to Equestria, I shall do everything in my power to avoid riding trains," Rarity told Applejack through clenched teeth. "Pegasus chariots and zeppelins for the rest of my life, if I can possibly help it!"

"Neither of those operate out of Ponyville," Applejack pointed out, "so I don't see how that'll work for ya."

"Well, I don't expect my resolution to last very long," Rarity admitted as the train's crew began to unload it, "and I doubt I could manage Twilight's temporary-wing spell. Still, a mare can dream, can't she?"

"Fine, fine, jus' keep a lookout while ya dream," Applejack said, "they're sayin' at the fort that another warcaster's arriving today, I wanna see if we can... oh my..." The earth pony trailed off as a giant of a man stepped out of the train's front car. He was obviously the rumored warcaster, as the broad smokestack behind his head revealed. Smoke poured from the stack, indicating that his arcane turbine was powering his heavy, battle-worn armor. Applejack wondered if he'd kept the boiler running throughout the entire train ride, heedless of the dangers of combining thick smoke and enclosed spaces. The warcaster stood more than seven feet tall, and in his hands was an axe of nearly that length, with an arcane glow emanating from openings in its blade. For all of this, it was the man's eyes that most stood out. They embodied a dark, seething rage that seemed to radiate outward, suppressing everything around him. The warcaster gave the impression of barely-contained fury, as if at any moment he might lash out with axe, magic, or warjack to murder anyone who crossed him. Or anyone he just happened to feel like killing. A more sinister individual Applejack could not imagine. She had faced enemies before, dark beings with dire intentions, but all of them had had some element, some motivation, that allowed her to at least understand their actions, even when they were directly opposed to everything she stood for. This man, this Khadoran warcaster, was something new. The hatred emanating from him drowned out everything else, and Applejack was sure that his reasons for being a warcaster were no less or more than for the opportunity to calm the bloody-minded rage that lurked just behind his eyes. She could not imagine what could fill someone with such hate.

"Menoth preserve us," said a quiet voice to her right. Applejack started and looked for its source. A Winter Guard trooper had walked up beside her unnoticed. Applejack saw that he, too, was transfixed by the newly-arrived warcaster and his unfathomable, unspoken hatred.

"Ya know that feller?" Applejack asked quietly. She didn't want the warcaster to overhear their conversation as he oversaw the unloading of his warjacks. Applejack noticed that he was as large as the trollkin laborers, and that even they seemed intimidated by him. The concept of intimidated trollkin was novel to the pony.

"You mean you don't know who that is?" The Winter Guardsman asked his voice just above a frightened whisper, "I knew there was another warcaster coming, but I didn't expect him! That's Kommander Orsus Zoktavir, the Butcher of Khardov!"

Hearing Zoktavir's nickname convinced Applejack that her suspicions were correct. Khador hadn't let her near their higher-ranked officers, or civilian government, because they intended to attack Equestria and didn't want her to find out. The High Kommand planned to have the Butcher try to quell his unfathomable blood lust on Canterlot's defenders, then send in Harkevich or someone like him to pick up the pieces and try to convince the citizens that Khador hadn't really meant it. Meanwhile, the threat to the rest of Equestria would be unspoken, but very clear: 'Do as we tell you, or the Butcher will come to your town next.'

"Rarity, I believe we need t' change our plans," Applejack told her unicorn friend, who nodded mutely in response.

The supply train had departed early the next day, and arrived at the Khadoran outpost the following morning. Applejack and Rarity had unloaded Glam and connected him to Rarity's reinforced wagon in the light of dawn, and had the wagon laden with supplies and ready to move before most of the garrison's soldiers were awake. However, they decided to stay and discuss their options from that point. By the time they decided to head southeast towards Hollow Shades, the train had already left.

At least, going to Hollow Shades was the reason Rarity gave the Men-O-War at the gate for their traveling east. Applejack, aware of her limitations, had refused to speak, even when addressed directly. One of the Men-O-War even asked Rarity if Applejack was mute. Applejack also studiously avoided looking at the unmarked crate in the wagon, which had been a last-minute addition to their supply cache. Having left the outpost and traveled for some distance, Rarity took advantage of the rolling hills which now blocked the base from view in order to direct Glam to turn northward. The railway between the outpost and Elsinberg passed through a small stretch of woodland that would serve Applejack's purpose quite well. The trick was in getting there unnoticed.

"You're sure this will work?" Rarity asked as Glam stopped the wagon several feet from the treeline, "I'd hate to go so far out of our way for no reason."

"Don't you worry none, jus' git that big metal friend of yours t' unload our new toys." With that, Applejack grabbed a pry bar and her saddlebags, then hopped off the wagon seat and made her way through the woods to the train tracks. Rarity and Glam followed, Glam carrying the unmarked crate.

"All right, Glam, set it down right here. Careful now," Rarity told the warjack. Glam obediently placed the crate in front of Applejack, who pried it open to reveal that it was filled with sticks of dynamite.

"If they can git us stuff like this," Applejack said with a grin, "maybe diamonds really are a mare's best friend." With that, she and Rarity began removing dynamite sticks and placing them under the rails, pushing aside the loose gravel between the wooden ties to do so. Eventually, they had placed all of the dynamite under the rails. Applejack set about the delicate process of connecting all of the fuses to longer lines taken from her saddlebags, which she would eventually bind to a single primary fuse.

"Are you sure this is a good idea, darling?" Rarity asked, "I'm sure the Khadorans will suspect we're responsible, and they're bound to take it very badly."

"Rarity, you saw that Zoktavir lug too," Applejack said, tying the final secondary fuse to the primary line, "jus' lookin' at him, ya can tell he's all kinds of bad news. And they're meanin' to send him to Equestria whatever we do. Why else would he be in Elsinberg? Zoktavir leads assault forces, it's about all they use him for. So we might as well slow 'im down if'n we can. Besides, I did some askin' around while you were gettin' this stuff. Zoktavir's a homicidal maniac. They say once he gits all worked up t' fight he'll kill anyone he can get to. Guy takes out more of his own soldiers than his enemies do."

"And you believe these rumors?"

"Rarity, when I looked at Orsus Zoktavir, I saw a man who was havin' trouble remembering why he wasn't murderin' everyone he saw. Don't try t' tell me you thought any different. That man is angry, so angry ya can feel it jus' by looking at him, and whatever's got under his skin has him so mad he'll slaughter folks just hopin' it'll make him feel better. That man's gonna kill and kill and kill until somethin' finally kills him. And he's been a warcaster fer twenty-some-odd years now, so killin' him doesn't seem likely."

"Frankly, it's just horrifying to believe that any military would employ such a man," Rarity admitted, "one would expect them to lock him up, maybe even end his life themselves if he's that difficult to handle."

"One of the rumors I heard was that High Kommand is scared that one day Khador'll run outta enemies, 'cause then they won't have no one to send Zoktavir after." Applejack said, double-checking the dynamite fuses, "whether that one's true or not, he's an uncontrollable killin' machine an' I'm not having him anywhere near Equestria. Now, you an' Glam git behind the wagon, I'm gonna light this here fuse and then I'll join ya right quick."

Rarity nodded and made her way to the wagon, Glam following like an obedient dog. A few minutes later, Applejack vaulted over the wagon, shouted "cover yer ears!" and followed her own demand. Rarity barely had time to clap her hooves over her ears before the dynamite exploded. The explosion shook the ground, and the shock wave rattled Glam's armor.

"Yee-haw!" Applejack declared, leaping around the side of the wagon to survey the damage. Rarity's ears were ringing so badly that she could barely hear her friend. She took a deep breath, flinching slightly as her ears popped, then followed Applejack. Most of the trees in the immediate area of the blast had been shattered, and many of them uprooted as well. The rails themselves were curled upward in a slightly absurd manner that reminded Rarity of her own mane-style.

"Well, that was... effective," Rarity commented.

"Yep! No way that madman's gonna git t' Equestria through here," Applejack said gleefully. Rarity felt that Applejack's wide grin would've been more appropriate at a fireworks show than an act of guerrilla warfare.

"I had a thought, while I was hiding behind the wagon," Rarity continued, "will Princess Celestia approve of us demolishing Khadoran rail lines?"

"Uh." Applejack declared, her grin failing, "I had not thought of that. I figure we better tell her, though. Better she find out from us than them, y'know?"

"What say we tell her about Orsus Zoktavir before telling her about blowing up the train track?" Rarity offered, "she might see things our way. Now, let's get out of here, they were bound to hear that explosion at the outpost, and I shouldn't like to be in the area when they investigate."

"Right you are, Rarity," Applejack agreed.

Returns and Designs

Hollow Shades was a small town sequestered deep within the unnamed forest at the foot of the Foal Mountains. Most of its population were nocturnal and reclusive, and most outsiders knew the ponies of Hollow Shades only through their presence in Princess Luna's personal guard. The ponies of Hollow Shades had an affinity for darkness, and were able to move in almost-total silence.

Rarity and Applejack were perfectly aware of all of these facts as they traversed the thick woodlands, looking for either the town itself or the rail line that connected it to the rest of Equestria. The forest had no roads or even hoofpaths, only the trains traveling between Hollow Shades and Canterlot connected the town to the world outside. The pair had struck southeast upon entering the forest, knowing that they would reach one or the other of their goals by sticking to that direction. The going was slow, however, due to the densely-packed trees. Despite the assistance of her telekinetic magic, Rarity's hulking warjack and the supply wagon it pulled hindered them even more, forcing them to look for unusually wide gaps between trees. The unicorn refused to abandon her warjack, however, and Applejack wasn't about to leave her friend behind, so both ponies tolerated their slow progress without complaint.

"Hi!" Pinkie Pie said, suddenly emerging from the shadows. Rarity and Applejack both started, and Glam released an angry blast of steam.

"No no! She's a friend!" Rarity told Glam urgently as the warjack began to advance towards Pinkie with menace in its optics.

"Pinkie!" Applejack said with a hoof to her heart, "ya darn near scared the mane offa me."

"I'll say I did," Pinkie replied exuberantly, "you should see the look on your face!"

"Not that I'm not happy to see you, dear," Rarity said, "but why are you wandering around in the forest?"

"I dunno," Pinkie explained unhelpfully, "I just had a feeling I should be out here. Are you three looking for Hollow Shades?"

"Why, yes, we are," Rarity answered.

"Cool! The train tracks are right over there," Pinkie said, pointing vaguely into the dense forest, "we can follow them right into town!"

"So, Pinkie, where're them trolls you were runnin' around with?" Applejack asked, following the pink mare.

"Well, I hung around with Borka and his friends for a while, but in the end I had to leave them," Pinkie answered, "they were headed back up north, and I had a feeling I needed to stick close to Equestria. Besides, Borka was a lot of fun, and on the surface he seemed like a happy guy," Pinkie stopped and looked Applejack in the eyes, "but there's a darkness in him, Applejack. Right in his heart, and I don't think it's safe to be near him."

"That bad, huh?" Was all Applejack could think to say.

"Yup! So, I went to Hollow Shades!" Pinkie suddenly returned to her usual, cheerful demeanor, "then I thought I should wander around in the woods, and I found you and Rarity and your shiny warjack! But I guess you already knew those parts."

"As a matter of fact, we were able to hypothesize those occurrences, yes." Rarity's sarcasm was completely without impediment as it sailed over Pinkie's head, but Applejack had to suppress a chuckle as she caught it. "Tell me," Rarity continued, "have you been to Ponyville or Canterlot yet?"

"Nope!" Pinkie answered, "I just got to Hollow Shades yesterday, and Princess Luna's there!"

"She is?" Applejack asked, surprised.

"Yes indeedie! Fluttershy made friends with some robey humans called the Circling O'r Above-Us or something. They're doing some kind of magic thing in the woods that had some important point to it but I was kinda spacing out when Luna said what it was." Rarity rolled her eyes as Pinkie continued, "Twilight and Dashie are in Ponyville, so now everypony's back in Equestria! And, I think the Princesses kinda want us to stay in Equestria now, so something important must be happening! Isn't that great?!"

"Yes, I suppose it is," Rarity said, "it would have been nice to get some more use out of that diamond mine, but if we're supposed to stay in Equestria, wouldn't that mean we might be returning to our proper world soon?"

"Say! You might be right!" Pinkie declared. "Ooh! Here's the train tracks! Come on, ponies, follow me!"

The first thing Twilight Sparkle was aware of was pain. A dull ache that seemed to permeate her entire body. On top of that, she was still sore where the straps of her Cryxian armor had rubbed her coat off and her skin raw. She decided that the only thing to do was open her eyes and see if she looked as bad as she felt.

Twilight discovered that opening her eyes was a challenge in and of itself, much less getting them into focus. She was rewarded for her effort with a slightly-blurry view of an eggshell-white ceiling, which was quickly blocked by a familiar and welcome, if also quite blurry, face.

"Princess Celestia?" Twilight murmured.

"You're finally awake," Celestia said, clearly relieved. "Thank goodness."

"I'm not sure what happened," Twilight admitted, "where am I?"

"Ponyville Hospital. Allister Caine brought you back to us," Celestia replied.

"Rainbow Dash said we could trust him."

"She would appear to be correct, Caine proved to be both friendly and helpful. He even managed to secure some assistance in one of our little projects. But I'll explain later. For now, just keep resting. Shining Armor's in town, I'll send somepony to let him know you're awake."

Aurora, the Numen of Aerogenesis, felt entirely out of her element in Ponyville. Word had reached the highest echelons of the Convergence of Cyriss that the ponies were seeking mechanika-related assistance from the Machine Goddess's worshipers. As one of the finest Cyrissite engineers still in human flesh, Aurora was an ideal choice to explore whether agreeing to Equestria's request would meet with Cyriss's approval. So, with a directive of subordinate Optifex engineer-priests, Aurora had arrived in Ponyville.

The need for secrecy within the Convergence meant that Aurora's warcaster armor, along with the armor of the three Optifex priests, had to be hidden within a large, steel case, with an elaborate mechanika lock, which could only be opened with Cyrissite magic. Aurora hadn't even been allowed to bring any of the vectors that the Convergence utilized in place of steamjacks, much less any of their clockwork soldiers.

The ponies, too, were secretive about the nature of Project Red River, forbidding Aurora and her subordinates from speaking of it outside of the office in which they worked. Captain Shining Armor had given them a handful of blueprints and diagrams, and explained that his engineers believed themselves unable to create a movement system that could produce enough steam pressure to make the warjack carry its own weight.

Cyrissites placed more faith in precision clockwork than steam power, but Aurora wasn't about to reveal the means by which the followers of the Machine Goddess induced mechanikal movement. For this reason, Aurora and the Optifex priests focused on the steam-conduction systems, finding ways to increase pressure and improve efficiency. The four Cyrissites trusted the Maiden of Gears to guide their design revisions, and the ingenious alterations they introduced to the blueprints were seen by the worshipers as proof of her approval and blessing.

Shining Armor found the Cyrissites mysterious and inscrutable. For three days they had been in the office that Engines Equestria had provided them, not once leaving for any reason. The night guard reported that they didn't even seem to sleep -at any hour of day or night, the room's lanterns burned, the door remained locked, and the sounds of movement and conversation could be heard by anypony with sharp enough ears. When they finally emerged, they made their way immediately to Shining Armor's secondary office at Engines Equestria. Shining Armor often wondered how many offices the Royal Guard planned on assigning to him, but this one was particularly useful. It was situated within the large, windowless building constructed and used by Project Red River, so he and his lieutenants could discuss the Project freely while they were in it, which was precisely what they were doing with Aurora and her three followers walked in.

"We have finished revising the designs," Aurora said without preamble. She spread out a large blueprint on Shining Armor's desk. "We have increased available joint torque by thirty percent in the shoulders, fourty-three percent in the elbows, twenty-eight percent rotationally in the wrists-"

"All right, we get it," Shining Armor interrupted, "thank you for your help, we-"

"Our time in Equestria has come to an end," Aurora cut him off, "we were given three days, and cannot spare any more time. We must return to our people."

"All right, fine, go," Shining said, wondering if all Cyrissites were so abrupt, "and, thank you. You've all been a great help."

"Gratitude is not necessary, we only followed the guidance of Cyriss. The Maiden of Gears has blessed Project Red River, she desires its success for her own reasons. With that, we will take our leave." Aurora and the Optifex directive turned on their heels and left the room. The ponies in the office waited a few minutes before speaking.

"Captain, didn't we need more of an increase than that?" Cherry Cola asked, flexing his right hind leg. The Captain had noticed his tendency to do so almost as soon as his cast had come off.

"Yes, we do," Shining replied with a small sigh, "almost twice as much in the shoulders and elbows, in fact."

"Looks like they pulled off a pretty big boost in the legs, though," Firecracker Burst pointed out, looking over Shining's shoulder.

"What's with all these weird gaps?" Airheart asked, "I'm not exactly an expert, but it looks like there's supposed to be stuff all over the inside that's just... not drawn in?"

"Maybe they weren't really done, and just hit their deadline," Firecracker Burst suggested.

"Let me see," Cherry Cola said, looking at the blueprints from the other side of the desk. Even seeing the design upside-down, he could see the open spaces clearly. Large gaps had been left on either side of the moving parts at the elbows, knees, and ankles. The shoulder, wrist and hip joints were clearly arranged to accommodate things that weren't drawn in. Cola blinked, ideas and memories emerging from the back of his mind, shuffling into place as they always seemed to do. "What about that Iosan stuff Neon Lights and his ponies are messing with?" Cola asked.

"They have been making steady progress," Blue October answered, "how is that relevant?"

"It's relevant because those shoulders look like they're built around a ball joint," Cola pointed out, "the wrists and hips, too. Didn't those Iosan warjacks have ball joints?"

"Cola, I think you're right!" Shining Armor said excitedly.

"And look, the gaps in the other joints look like you could fit something like those weird vane-joints in them, too!" Cola realized.

"there's even a place under the cortex where we might be able to fit one of those arcane reservoirs Neon's report mentioned!" Shining realized, "Cherry Cola, you're a genius! Let me dig out Neon's latest report, we may have this warjack fighting yet!"

The group was interrupted by the sound of knocking. Everypony looked towards the door as it swung open, revealing a Royal Guard in the armor of Princess Celestia's bodyguard cadre.

"Captain Shining Armor," the Guard said with a salute, "Princess Celestia requests your presence at Ponyville Hospital. Twilight Sparkle has awoken."

"Excellent!" Shining lept to his feet, "Cola, get Neon Lights in here to look at these blueprints! I'm going to see my sister!" With that, the Captain dashed out of the room.

The Battle of Hollow Shades

Princess Luna found herself enamored by the Talon warjacks that had been given to her by Engines Equestria. Standing at nine feet tall and weighing just over three tons, Talons were smaller and lighter than many warjacks, but they were noticeably more mobile than their larger Nomad-chassis cousins. Like Nomads, Talons were originally Cygnaran machines which had been decommissioned in favor of a newer chassis. Also like Nomads, Talons were fairly simple warjacks, each carrying a lance and a shield with a single spike in its center as their standard armaments. The only unusual property of the Talons were that their lances were meckanically augmented, able to stun the cortexes of warjacks struck by it, temporarily stalling their mental processes. This stun lance was the predecessor to Cygnar's modern, lighting-based cortex-inhibiting technology. While Talons carried cortexes as outdated as the rest of the machine, their mental processes were nevertheless sufficient to utilize their armament effectively.

The Princess also appreciated that Engines Equestria had painted her Talons cobalt blue and cyan. This couldn't be counted as a point in favor of the Talons, however, as they had also painted the rest of her 'jacks in the same colors.

"Princess Luna," a bat-winged mare of the Lunar Royal Guard interrupted the Princess's thoughts.

"Captain Spring Rain," Luna turned to face the other pony, who was standing at the entrance of the large shack that housed the Princess's warjacks. "What can I do for you?"

"Pinkie Pie has just returned to Hollow Shades," Spring Rain said, "she brought Applejack and Rarity with her, apparently they were in the forest. They're on their way here now."

"Good, I want to speak to them immediately."

Applejack tried not to let her nerves show as she entered the shack, Rarity and Pinkie to either side of her. Behind the ponies trudged Glam, easily fitting through the broad doorway. In front of them stood Princess Luna, and she looked unhappy. Applejack took her hat off as both mares bowed.

"Princess Luna, it is such an honor to-" Rarity began.

"Skip it," Luna interrupted, suddenly turning away. The princess began to examine the faceplate of the nearest warjack, a Rover armed with a warjack-sized hand axe and a shield bearing an integral snub-nosed cannon. "Applejack, Rarity, you just arrived from Khador, correct?"

"Well, yes, yer majesty," Applejack answered. "Y'see-"

"My scouts have informed me that a newly-laid section of train track on Khador's southern border has been, to put it bluntly, obliterated." Luna continued, "the two of you wouldn't happen to know how this came to occur, would you?"

Applejack decided, as she virtually always did, to simply tell the truth. "Yes. I think Khador's High Kommand means t' invade Equestria," she said. "They wouldn' let me talk t' anyone important, and they were buildin' up troops in-"

"Please pardon the interruption, your majesty." It was Spring Rain again. "The scouts have just reported a large Khadoran force assembling at the destroyed rail section."

"Who was leadin' it?!" Applejack demanded before Luna could reply.

Spring Rain stared at Applejack for a moment before addressing the Princess. "The leader appeared to be a large human in warcaster armor, carrying a battleaxe. The damage to the rail line brought him to such a rage that he reportedly killed several of his own soldiers." Rarity gasped.

"I knew it!" Applejack hissed, "they sent the Butcher!"

Slowly, Princess Luna used a hoof to turn Applejack's head to face her again. Staring unnervingly into the earth pony's eyes, Luna made a simple request. "Applejack. Tell me of this 'Butcher.'"

The Khadoran Winter Guard forces bustled about, setting up an encampment as quickly as they were able, watched over by their beast of a warcaster. A rough circle of tents was forming around a central fire pit that was still being dug. far to one side of this circle was a large patch of earth that had apparently been recently dug up and filled back in again -a mass grave for the soldiers whose lives and been spent sating their leader's anger. At the entrance to a large tent next to the fire pit stood a trio of inert Juggernaut warjacks, their bulky frames and ice axes being checked over by a team of battle mechaniks. In the fading light of sunset, Applejack watched all of this from the treeline, accompanied by Rarity, Spring Rain, and a team of Royal Guard scouts.

"Yup, that's him all right," Applejack confirmed, looking through a pair of binoculars. "Orsus Zoktavir, th' Butcher of Khardov."

"If they sent him, they definitely intend to mount an attack," Spring Rain said. She had been thoroughly disturbed by Applejack's explanation to Princess Luna regarding Zoktavir's nature. Spring Rain was even more disturbed to see the man in person -even through binoculars and at a long distance, she could see the rage in his eyes.

"Tch, they got Doom Reavers n' all," Applejack observed, spotting a group of half-dressed men in bronze masks and leg irons. Swords bearing leering faces were shackled to their wrists, and they were watched over by a man in a heavy fur coat who carried a staff carved with similar faces.

"Doom Reavers? Explain," Spring Rain said simply.

"They're convicts, usually fer treason or murder or somethin' like that," Applejack replied, "see them swords? They're called fellblades, an' if you touch one, it'll make ya all crazy and murderous. Makes ya real stupid, too. That feller in the coat can only keep 'em in line 'cause his staff is magic, it controls folks who've got their hands on a fellblade."

"How are they used? Shock troopers?"

"I guess so. That feller controllin' 'em just takes the chains off their legs, points 'em at the enemy, and turns the staff's magic off. After that it's mostly a matter of hopin' they'll mostly kill enemies instead of each other, since th' sane soldiers stay well away of 'em."

"I see," Spring Rain said grimly, "only three warjacks, that's good."

"If I may interrupt," Rarity said, "Khadorans take great pride in the resilience and power of their warjacks, so we should be very careful not to underestimate them, regardless of numbers."

"True enough," Spring Rain agreed. "But I was expecting a lot more. Warjacks are kind of a big deal, you know?"

"I dunno why, but Khador doesn't ever roll out a lotta 'jacks," Applejack said, "I don't think they can, maybe they're short on whatever they make cotexes outta. Anyway, they try t' make every 'jack count."

"You could be right about that lack of resources," Rain speculated, scratching her chin. "Anyway, three's better than four, yeah? Unless I miss my guess, they intend to search the forest until they find Hollow Shades, then take it over and use it as a staging ground for future attacks."

"That or set an example in hopes that Princess Celestia'll just surrender," Applejack said, "they send in the Butcher when they wanna terrify folks."

"Honestly? They could be trying for both at once," Rain replied. "All right, everypony, let's report back to Princess Luna. We've found out what we need to know."

Spring Rain, Rarity, and Applejack met Princess Luna at the town hall in the center of Hollow Shades, where they explained the situation to her. On a desk between them was a map of Hollow Shades and the surrounding forest, with a red flag marking the location of the Khadoran camp.

"Three Talons, two Rovers, and two Nomads are under my control," Luna said, "My warjacks outnumber Zoktavir's by more than two to one. Rarity, can I count on you and your warjack as well?"

"Of course, Princess, Glam and I will stop at nothing to protect Equestria," Rarity replied.

"Then it is eight warjacks against three," Luna said, satisfied, "however, Applejack raises a good point; Khadoran warjacks are stronger and more durable than any machine we can mobilize. In an even fight, I believe our warjacks may be able to overwhelm Zoktavir's, but he will still have a superior number of soldiers under his command. Not to mention his prodigious personal power. We will need a way to thin out his forces, or we could be defeated by sheer numbers."

"Neither Doom Reavers nor Winter Guard have a lotta trainin' in woodlands combat," Applejack said, "Doom Reavers git no trainin' at all, an' Winter Guard are barely taught t' point their blunderbusses the right way."

"You think we can turn terrain to our advantage?" Spring Rain asked.

"All y'all gotta know better how t' git around in forests, if only 'cause ya'll live in one," Applejack answered, "I'm thinkin' hit n' run tactics. We gotta stop as many of 'em as we can before they hit the town proper, right?"

"Applejack has a point," Luna said, "Spring Rain, please meet with Iron Hoof and organize a combined strike force for this purpose."

"If'n ya can take out that Greylord feller, the Doom Reavers'll probably lose it," Applejack said as Rain saluted, "they might even do a lot of our job fer us."

"I'll keep that in mind, thanks," Rain said over her shoulder as she left.

"I have to wonder if the Weather Patrol could give us some well-placed lightning strikes," Rarity pointed out, "I'm told that Cygnar finds lightning to be very effective in stunning warjacks."

"We don't want too much lightning in the forest," Luna said thoughtfully, "the last thing we need is a forest fire. Now that you mention clouds, however, I suspect that a thick fog might further inhibit the Khadorans. Please ask the Weather Patrol if they have the resources make that happen."

The sun was rising, and the Khadoran force was on the move. Ten Doom Reavers escorted by a Greylord rastovik. Three Juggernaut warjacks. Thirty-two Winter Guard, including nine rocketeers, and a standard bearer, all commanded by one Lieutenant Sasha Volkir. Not that Lieutenant Volkir was happy about it. Quite the opposite, she was deeply displeased. No less than nine of her soldiers had been killed by Kommander Orsus Zoktavir, who even now marched ahead of her, axe in hand, guarded by his warjacks. Were Zoktavir not a warcaster -indeed, were he not the Butcher of Khardov- she would have been justified in summarily executing him for the murder of soldiers and treason against the Khadoran Empire. Alas, he was Emperess Vanar's favorite tool for encouraging compliance, a feral hound who walked like a man and had the warcaster talent. The Lieutenant would have no regrets if today's sortie ended in Zoktavir's death, but her hatred of the man was exceeded only by the fear of what would happen if she returned to Khador and Zoktavir did not. The Greylords' Prikaz Chancellery would have a lot of uncomfortable questions for her, as would Section Three of the Ministry of the Grand Vizier.

Sasha Volkir set aside her thoughts to concentrate on the battle ahead. The Butcher and his warjacks had reached the treeline. The 'jacks set about creating a rough path by cutting or breaking tree branches in their way. One of them brought a dead tree crashing down with a mighty shove of its free hand. Her Winter Guard marched behind them, stepping around or over the fallen branches. To their left flank, the Doom Reavers plodded onward, guided by the commands of the Greylord rastovik whose name Volkir could not remember. Just the thought of the Doom Reavers sent chills down her spine, and the Lieutenant felt sure that if she managed to exact her well-deserved revenge on the Butcher directly, she would no doubt be issued a fellblade of her own.

Even in the morning light, the thick forest was dark. The heartfires of the Juggernauts, glowing through vents in their furnaces, provided more light than the few rays of sunlight that made it through the treetops. In this darkness, the power field generated by Zoktavir's warcaster armor was clearly visible. It was not the first time that Volkir had had to fight in low-light conditions, however, so she did not begin to worry until the fog started to roll in. This area was far too warm and dry for fog at this time of year, and the chill that came with it felt somehow unnatural.

"Tighten formation!" Zoktavir called out. He was, Volkir admitted to herself, good enough at playing officer when he wasn't in the throes of unrestrained fury. As her Winter Guard struggled to catch up to the warcaster, the Doom Reavers and their Greylord escort moved in closer. Then, with a strangled cry that was cut off by a sick, snapping noise, the Greylord was dead. He dropped forward unceremoniously, his head limp and his neck clearly broken. No one had seen who or what had killed the man. The Doom Reavers gazed for a few tense moments at their fallen master through their brass helmets, before looking up at the closely-grouped Winter Guard. The Reavers began to breathe in deep, ragged breaths, some of them putting their free hands to their helmets, as each began to hear the voices of their fellblades, sinister whispers that only they could hear which could only be silenced by their now-dead Greylord escort. Against the bloodthirsty madness brought by their weapons, the Reavers could not resist. They raised their accursed swords with insane howls and charged the Winter Guard as a disorganized mob. Two Reavers at the back of the group caught up with those in front, cutting down three of their own just to get them out of their way.

"Winter Guard, to arms!" Volkir shouted, "the Reavers are out of control!" She raised her blunderbuss and fired a grapeshot round into the approaching madmen, but the lead pellets sank into their curse-hardened flesh without stopping the oncoming Reavers. One of her Rocketeers had more luck, sending a rocket straight into the chest of a Reaver, who died along with the Reaver closest to him. Before the rest of the Winter Guard could react, Zoktavir sent a Juggernaut trampling through their group and into the Reavers, who unthinkingly turned their attention to the machine.

"HOLD!" Zoktavir bellowed, "FOR EMPRESS AND MOTHERLAND, HOLD!" Volkir couldn't tell if he was talking to himself or the Reavers, but it didn't matter. The Butcher followed his warjack into the melee, cutting down frenzied Doom Reavers and panicked Winter Guard with total abandon.

"Fall back!" Volkir shouted, unsure if her soldiers could even hear her over the din of the Butcher and the surviving Doom Reavers. Whether they heard or not, her Winter Guard grouped up around her, watching in terror as the Butcher cut down the remaining Doom Reavers. The warcaster stood in a pool of blood, breathing heavily, calming down as the fury of battle left him. After several minutes, he straightened his back and marched to Volkir's position, her soldiers shrinking back as he approached. The Butcher completely disregarded the dismembered bodies he stepped on as he approached.

"Lieutenant Volkir, status report," the Butcher of Khardov ordered as if the bloodbath had not happened. Volkir did a quick count of her remaining forces.

"We have twenty-six Winter Guard remaining, including myself and seven rocketeers," Volkir replied, trying to keep the anger out of her voice, "we have lost our Greylord and all of our Doom Reavers. Your warjacks are still in good repair, however."

"Our enemy is weak and few in number," the Butcher grunted, "twenty-six will do. We march!"

"Looks like Applejack knows her stuff," Captain Iron Hoof said grimly. The gray-coated earth pony stallion stood beneath a large tree, concealed in the fog brought in by the Hollow Shades Weather Patrol. Like many of the natives of Hollow Shades, Iron Hoof's eyes had a way of cutting through darkness and mist, letting him clearly see the Khadoran forces even though they had no way of spotting him.

"I'll admit it, your ponies do good work," Spring Rain said, descending from a branch above Iron Hoof's head, "I don't think they even saw that colt of yours."

"Between this fog and those Doom Reaver maniacs, I'd be pretty ticked if they had seen him." Hoof pointed out, "looks like Commander Giggles is just as axe-happy as we were told, too. Think we can set him off again?"

"Let me see what my Skycrackers can pull off," Rain replied, taking wing. "get ready for a show, Iron." With that, Rain spread her wings and fluttered off.

Lieutenant Volkir was now truly afraid. For the past twenty minutes, the Khadoran forces had been subjected to a series of rapid hit-and-run attacks from enemies they could barely see. She was down to less than twenty Winter Guard, and she could sense that the Butcher was close to another rampage. Only the slightest of noises -often inaudible over the din of the Juggernauts- and blurred shadows in the mist betrayed the presence of their assailants. Their enemies struck at soldiers who strayed too far from the Butcher or lagged behind the formation, attempting to cripple or kill, but apparently willing to accept inflicting even minor injuries. Only five rocketeers remained. Volkir's own standard bearer had fallen, her soldiers too terrified of whatever lurked in the mists to take up his flag. The Lieutenant knew that the only reason her soldiers weren't demanding to abandon the mission and turn back was that they were still more afraid of the Butcher than their unknown enemies. She was sure that if the Butcher even suspected a shift in that dynamic, he would slaughter them all and tell his masters that they were traitors to the Empire. Suddenly, the Butcher and his warjacks stopped, signaling to the surviving Winter Guard to stop as well. Through the thick fog, Volkir could barely make out vague shapes ahead of them. This had been the case since the fog had rolled in, but these vague shapes looked like houses instead of trees. They had reached their destination.

Princess Luna and her warjacks watched the treeline, their eyes uninhibited by the rolling Weather Team fog thanks to Luna's magic. She saw Kommander Zoktavir and his Juggernauts approaching well before they reached Hollow Shades. Spring Rain was frustrated, as the Guardsponies had not been able to start Zoktavir on another rampage since he wiped out his Doom Reavers. Luna didn't mind, as they had significantly reduced the number of Winter Guard following Zoktavir. As the three Juggernauts stepped into the town, flanking their master, Luna had to mentally restrain her warjacks to keep them from charging.

"Kommander Orsus Zoktavir, I presume?" Luna asked. He was exactly as Applejack described, a huge, heavily-armored man with eyes that burned with furious hatred.

"The Empress requires that I accept your unconditional surrender if you offer it," Zoktavir growled in heavily-accented Cygnaran, "that is the only reason I do not kill you where you stand."

"I am Princess Luna of Equestria. Honor dictates that I give you this warning: I wield powers far beyond what most people can comprehend. The moon of my home is my ally, and the night itself bows before me. Given that knowledge, I will allow you to retreat with no further violence. Mine is a power against which you cannot stand."

Zoktavir held out his axe. "Last chance. Surrender to me or Lola's blade will be soaked in your blood."

"It appears that Lola has already drank her fill from your own soldiers," Luna pointed out. Indeed, the axe blade was still covered in the blood of Khadorans. "I doubt she wants to taste pony blood right now. It would be cruel to force-feed her, don't you think?"

Instead of offering a coherent answer, Zoktavir drew his blunderbuss and fired a one-handed shot at the Princess. The shot went wide, striking the shield of one of Luna's Talons. Almost before the round hit, Zoktavir had dropped his firearm and charged, bellowing in rage as his warjacks followed. His remaining Winter Guard troopers struggled to keep up, positioning themselves to defend their warcaster against flanking attacks. Suddenly, Glam burst out of a nearby woodshed, followed by Rarity, and intercepted the closest Juggernaut. Luna's Nomads crashed into the other Juggernauts, and the warjacks traded blows with their respective swords and axes. A well-placed ice axe strike caused a layer of ice to spread across Glam's hull. The warjack stopped dead, its pistons squealing as it struggled to move. Before the Khadoran machine could strike again, one of Luna's Talons jabbed its stun lance into the Juggernaut's shoulder. The larger machine staggered as its cortex was overwhelmed.

As the heat of Glam's furnace rapidly melted the ice on its joints, Lieutenant Volkir sent her remaining Winter Guard squads to back up the stunned Juggernaut. Before they could reach the machine, however, Iron Hoof led a team of Royal Guard ponies charging out from the fog. The fast-moving earth ponies crashed through the Winter Guard squad, trampling several of the Khadorans under their hooves. Immediately following them, Spring Rain's squad descended from the skies, striking down even more Winter Guard. Meanwhile, Glam and the Talon battered down the Juggernaut, which seemed to have been abandoned to its fate by Orsus Zoktavir. One of Luna's Nomads was fairing very poorly, however. Its opposing Juggernaut had struck several telling blows on the machine, and its sword arm had been completely ripped off. Luna had held her Rovers back in case of such an event, and now she mentally directed one to assist her damaged Nomad. It was too late to save the machine, however, as the Butcher reached it and struck the Nomad down with several wild swings of Lola. The axe ripped through the Nomad's hull like paper, but managed to cause severe damage to the Juggernaut as well. Luna couldn't help but be impressed by her foe's raw strength, but she was far less impressed at how little control he had over it.

With a shouted "YEEEE-HAW!!" Applejack vaulted over the charging Rover and rushed the damaged Juggernaut. She spun around suddenly and hammered her back hooves into the Juggernaut's faceplate, neatly crippling its optics before dashing away to avoid the Butcher's reprisal. The third Juggernaut suffered similar damage as Luna's other Rover dealt it a back-handed blow with its shield, followed immediately by a point-blank shot to the face from its cannon. As his warjacks were battered down, Zoktavir roared in incoherent rage, his eyes lighting up with raw arcane power. As glowing arcane runes circled the warcaster, the eyes of his Winter Guard also lit up, resembling nothing so much as balls of fire in their skulls. As the soldiers facing the Royal Guard ponies started fighting back with increased ferocity, the remaining Winter Guard charged Luna's warjacks, putting large dents and holes in the Equestrian 'jacks with their axes. Luna realized that Zoktavir's magic was sharing his madness and hatred with his soldiers, granting them the furious strength that came with it. There was, however, a way to stop them.

Princess Luna took a deep breath, charged her voice with arcane power, and spoke two words:

"BE STILL!!"

The ground shook and Luna's voice echoed through the town as the combination of magical power and sheer volume brought everyone and everything on the battlefield to a complete stop. The Winter Guards' eyes returned to normal as the soldiers turned to face the Princess, whose eyes and horn shone. The noon sun faded from the sky, replaced with a single, over-sized moon as the skies turned dark. Clouds rolled in and thunder rumbled, not quite drowning out the echoes of Luna's Royal Canterlot Voice. Princess Luna herself began to change. Her coat darkened to pure black as her mane changed to a pale blue. The irises of her eyes turned into cat-like slits, and she spread her lips into a wide grin as her teeth warped into sharp fangs.

"Ahahahahahahaha! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!" The Princess laughed maniacally. "I warned you! I gave you your chance! Now face your doom!" Orsus Zoktavir charged directly at Luna, axe ready to strike, bellowing incoherently. He barely slowed down as he was struck by a bolt of raw darkness from Luna's horn, sweeping Lola towards her in a wide arc.

Just before the blade struck her, Luna transformed into a cloud of purple smoke, solidifying behind the warcaster and delivering a sharp blow to his back with her hooves. Ignoring the deep dent in his armor, Zoktavir whirled around, once again swinging his axe through a cloud of smoke. This time, Luna appeared further away, blasting the Khadoran with another bolt of shadow. He responded with a burst of his own arcane power, but once again Luna turned into smoke before his spell struck her.

Zoktavir didn't notice the approaching Nomad until it dug its battle blade into his side. The blade punched through his power field and tore open his armor. Blood spurted from the wound as Zoktavir whirled around, swinging Lola in a mighty, vertical blow that tore the Nomad's head in half. The warcaster staggered forward as the warjack stumbled back. The warcaster tried to raise Lola for another swing, but dropped the axe instead, fell to his knees, and dropped face-down onto the ground.

Luna and the sky above both returned to normal as the Princess and her warjacks surrounded the fallen warcaster. She levitated Zoktavir using her magic and tossed him roughly to the ground amid the terrified Winter Guard soldiers.

"Leave now and we will not pursue," Luna told the Winter Guard flatly. "Tell your superiors that this is the fate of all who would attack Equestria." The Khadorans stared blankly at the Princess for a full minute before Volkir snapped out of her stupor and rallied her soldiers. It took most of the group to lift their leader's heavily-armored body. The only two not carrying the Butcher lifted his axe. Without a word to the Princess, the still-wide-eyed Winter Guard carried Kommander Zoktavir into the woods.

"Captain Spring Rain, casualty report," Luna commanded.

"No fatalities, several minor injuries," Spring Rain reported immediately, having already checked on her fellow ponies in anticipation of Luna's request. "All three Talons and one Nomad are down, however. The functional warjacks will need significant repairs before they're battle-ready again. I strongly recommend acquiring more warjacks, Your Highness."

"Not a single fatality? Excellent!" Luna said, suddenly cheerful, "I think I will take you up on your recommendation, as well."

Despite having a wound that would have killed any other man, Kommander Orsus Zoktavir was breathing, albeit shallowly. When the doctors had pushed his eyelids open, they found his eyes glassy. Knowing he would soon wake, the physicians at the forward Khadoran base hastened to treat his wounds. The base was expecting a high-ranking officer to arrive in a few days to conduct an inspection, but no one knew exactly who the officer was. Regardless, they were sure that whoever it was would want to speak to the Butcher regarding his most recent mission, so they had taken the precaution of chaining him to his bed, in the hopes of keeping him from wandering off in a murderous haze when he awoke, which was always a danger when Zoktavir was hospitalized. While the doctors hastened to treat the Butcher's wounds, the best arcane mechaniks on the base had devoted their attention to the task of restoring his armor. Lola the axe needed nothing more than a good scrubbing to clean the blood off.

Lieutenant Volkir knew that her superiors would not be pleased with the results of their mission. She also knew that Section Three would be asking a lot of questions. Fearing Section Three's unique fact-finding methods, she disappeared into the night. While she was never seen again, a woman of suspiciously-similar appearance subsequently appeared in the city of Ternon Crag, which was outside the territories of any of the Iron Kingdoms. There, the mysterious woman with the thick Khardic accent found her way into the local chapter of the Steelheads mercenary company, which she served for some three years before disappearing late one afternoon. She was never seen again.

The Siege of Canterlot: Part One

Canterlot Mountain's railway tunnels had four entrances, and the railroads entering them converged on a subterranean junction to follow a single line up the mountain to the city itself. Warcaster Kommander Izak Harkevich, Khador's Iron Wolf, could not work out the operation of the rail switches, which seemed to be completely unattended. He presumed that the inexplicable magic used by ponykind was somehow involved. In the larger view, Harkevich decided that it didn't matter. All that mattered was that his forces prevented trains from entering or leaving Canterlot. To this end, he had battle mechaniks and building crews, assisted by his warjacks, constructing a large stone-and-mortar wall on the tracks close to the Canterlot entrance to the tunnels. It left enough room for 'jacks to walk around either side, but completely blocked the railroad. The wall was only five feet in height, but was nearly as thick, more than strong enough to withstand being struck by the small and weak-engined trains used by Equestria. Similar barricades had already been erected near the four entrances to the tunnels, all thrown together in a matter of hours thanks to the power of Khadoran hardware and willpower. Harkevich had made sure that the walls were clearly visible from as far away as possible. He would rather the train crews stopped their engines without colliding with the barricades, as he'd prefer that no civilians came to harm. Kommander Oleg Strakhov had originally advocated simply destroying the railroad at key points, but Harkevich had recommended against such an action, as it was more likely to result in civilian deaths, which would make the Equestrians less willing to accept Kadoran rule once surrender had been secured.

The Kommander heard the screech of train brakes and the shouts of men hastily leaping off the tracks. Izak Harkevich lifted his mechanika club, Minister, and went to see whether the train's engineers had seen the wall in time.

Harkevich was pleased to see that the Equestrian train's engineers had indeed stopped the machine before it collided with the wall, and with a decent amount of room to spare. The train driver and firepony were climbing out of the engine as Harkevich stepped up to the vehicle, which appeared to be a passenger train. Ponies of all ages peered worriedly out the windows at the groups of Winter Guard soldiers. One of the train crew ponies, a pale-green stallion with a brown mane, stomped up to Harkevich.

"What's with this wall?!" The stallion demanded furiously, speaking in strangely-accented Cygnaran, "are you all idiots or something?!"

"I am truly sorry," Harkevich replied in jovial, Khadoran-accented Cygnaran, "I am Kommander Izak Harkevich, serving Khador's First Army. My people and I have successfully penetrated Equestria's border and are under orders to blockade Canterlot." It was perhaps overstating things a bit to claim that the Khadorans had 'penetrated' Equestria's border, which as far as he could determine had been totally undefended. The pony called Applejack had once said that on their natural world, Equestria was bound on all sides by imposing natural barriers, so perhaps border defense was an alien concept to them. Admittedly, his forces had traveled by night, and Strakhov's clever use of large, dark sheets of canvas held up on poles had apparently done its job of hiding them from the eyes of any flying ponies, but it was still quite an accomplishment, given the size and composition of the force.

"What the hay are you talking about?!" The pony demanded, escalating the duel of Cygnaran dialects by using 'hay' as a substitute curse word.

"I have said exactly what I mean," Harkevich offered, "the city of Canterlot, and I should say this entire mountain, is besieged. We have walls like this at all four tunnel entrances below us. No one may enter or exit by land, and I suspect the transport capabilities of your winged cousins will be terribly overwhelmed by Canterlot's need for food and goods from the rest of your fine nation."

"You realize the Princesses will hear about this, don't you?" The stallion asked through clenched teeth. Harkevich was pleased that the pony didn't seem to intend to fight him. Minister was a weapon for soldiers, he detested using it on civilians.

"In fact, if you had not mentioned it, I would have asked you to inform them," Harkevich replied, "please tell them that we will tear down these walls as soon as Emperess Ayn Vanar has been given their unconditional surrender. Of course, I will be more than pleased to escort either Princess Celestia or Princess Luna to Korsk so they may deliver their capitulation in person."

"You're a tomfool idiot if you think the Princesses are just gonna give up like that," the stallion shot back with a snort, "but I'll tell 'em you asked anyway." With that, both ponies returned to their train's engine. Izak Harkevich couldn't help but be impressed by the pony's faith in his leaders as he and the other stallion threw the train into reverse so it could begin its long trip back up the mountain.

"Thank you for bringing this matter to my attention," Princess Celestia said. Her heart burned with a white-hot fury that threatened to break through the facade of serenity she used to mask the fact that her typical genuine serenity was no longer present. "Please go to the rail yard and inform the railmaster on duty that no trains are to leave the city."

"Of course, your highness," the engineer stallion bowed and left, oblivious to his Princess's seething anger.

As soon as the citizen had left, Celestia rounded on the ever-present Royal Guard ponies, all of whom suddenly found the throne room much smaller and more confining than they had ever imagined possible as her veneer of calm shattered and her fury was unleashed.

"YOU!" The princess shouted, pointing at a guard, "send pegasi to every town connected to Canterlot by rail, inform the mayors and the Royal Guard posts that no trains are to come to Canterlot! YOU!" She pointed to another guard, "go find the Generals of the Guard and tell them a war council is convening in the north tower thirty minutes from now! YOU!" A third pony had his Princess's hoof unceremoniously pointed at him, "go to Hollow Shades and inform my sister at once! YOU!" Celestia singled out a fourth stallion, "Assemble a retinue and go tell this Izak Harkevich he was twenty-four hours to tear down his walls and leave this nation before the full fury of Equestria descends upon him! The rest of you!" Celestia stopped to take a deep breath before continuing, "find somepony, anypony at all, who can tell me how hundreds of members of an enemy army could march to the foot of Canterlot Mountain and start building walls WITHOUT! ANYPONY! NOTICING!!" The Guardsponies scattered, nearly forgetting to bow in their haste to obey their furious Princess's commands.

Izak Harkevich was not at all surprised when a flight of white, winged ponies in gleaming, golden armor descended from the sky and started asking random Winter Guard where he could be found.

"I am the one you are seeking," Harkevich informed the nearest of the armored pegasi, interrupting the Winter Guardsman he was talking to.

"You're in charge here?" The pony asked as his fellows joined him in glaring angrily at Harkevich.

"Indeed I am," the warcaster replied. He failed to mention that this was actually a joint operation with Kommander Strakhov, finding it strategically valuable for the Equestrians to believe he was the only Khadoran warcaster present.

"I have a message from Princess Celestia," the apparent leader of the group said, stepping to the fore.

"Does she wish to arrange a surrender?" Harkevich asked genuinely hoping to have the situation done with.

"Quite the opposite," the pony replied, "she demands that you and your people remove your walls and leave Equestria within twenty-four hours."

"And if we do not?" Harkevich asked, even though he had a good idea of the answer.

"The Canterlot Guard will descend upon you. We destroy your forces and grind these walls to dust," the Guardspony said, "when we're finished you won't be demanding that the Princesses go to Korsk, you'll be begging them to stay away -if you're still alive."

"That is quite a boast, my friend," Harkevich cheerfully replied, stroking his thick beard, "but I have my orders. These walls will stand, unless you think your little pony friends can overcome Khador's finest warriors."

The leading Guard spread his wings, the rest of his force following suit. "You don't know who you're trying to threaten, Kommander Izak Harkevich. You have made the very sun and sky your enemies." With that, the ponies took flight.

"Kommander, should we shoot them down?" a Winter Guard rifleman asked in Khadoran as the ponies flew away.

"No, let them go," Harkevich replied, "there is no need to shoot the messengers, as the saying goes. We will be attacked either way, so let us fortify this place."

"Whatever else we can say about this Harkevich person, he's right about one thing; Canterlot will starve without the trains." Earth Pony General Rockrib said grimly. "Even if we commandeered every zeppelin and hot-air balloon in Equestria, we'd only be delaying the inevitable." The oldest of the three Generals of the Guard, Rockrib possessed an analytical mind and a fondness for precisely applied force.

"Not to mention the economic impact such an action would have on the nation as a whole," Pegasus General Thunder Wing added. The only mare General, Thunder Wing was a former Wonderbolt with an eye for talent and a particular skill for logistics.

"That makes our course of action clear," said Unicorn General Bengal Fire. The youngest General, Bengal Fire favored both military intelligence and aggressive action. "We must strike immediately!"

"I believe you are correct, Bengal Fire," Celestia said, "I will hold to my promise and give Harkevich twenty-four hours, so tomorrow is the earliest we can attack."

"I recommend sending scouts tonight," Bengal Fire advised.

"I can have a scouting party down there by sunset," Thunder Wing suggested, "Tomorrow morning we'll know exactly how many soldiers and warjacks we're dealing with. They can corroborate their intel with Applejack, who might be able to give us additional insight."

"See that it's done," Celestia ordered. "And send somepony to catch up to my sister and make sure Applejack is coming here with her. On another note, what is the state of Project Red River?" Thunder Wing's organizational skills had gotten her tentatively placed at the head of Equestria's military research and development.

"They're back on schedule thanks to the Cyrissites," Thunder Wing answered, "but the first prototype is only about half-finished. It can't even stand up on its own yet."

"Well, it was worth hoping," Celestia said with a small sigh.

"Actually, I believe Engines Equestria has produced some other war machines that may prove useful," Rockrib suggested, "mostly as byproducts of Red River."

"Of course!" Thunder Wing said excitedly, "I think you've got your hooves on something there!"

"Ah, I think I know what you're talking about," Celestia added, brightening up, "but they're at the Ponyville branch, correct?"

"In that case, how about a pincer attack?" Bengal Fire contributed, "The Canterlot Guard will descend from the mountain, while the Ponyville Guard, led by Princess Cadance and Prince Shining Armor, attacks from the southwest."

"An excellent idea!" Celestia agreed, "I will personally contact Shining Armor and make the arrangements. I believe we are finished here, at least for now." A scroll and quill manifested in the air, suspended in Celestia's magical aura, and she began to write. Knowing that there was nothing left to be said once Celestia dismissed them, the three Generals wordlessly left the room to set about their work.

She was surprised to realize it, a bit embarrassed to admit it to herself, and absolutely set on never telling anypony else, but Twilight Sparkle was tired of reading. She had memorized both volumes of Viktor Pendrake's Monsternomicon, read, re-read, and re-re-read a Cygnaran translation of Irusk on Conquest: How to Fully Subjugate Your Enemies, and even slogged all the way through the ponderous tome that was Starswirl the Bearded's Confounding One's Self and Other Hazards of Time Travel. Twice. Words on pages were the last thing Twilight wanted to look at, and she was getting pretty bored with the interior of Ponyville Hospital, so Twilight was delighted when Doctor Stable decided that it was time for her to leave. Thus, with no evidence of her Cryxian ordeal save for some minor aches and her own memories, Twilight walked cheerfully out of Ponyville General Hospital's main entrance and made her way into the town proper. While she was tempted to head straight for her library, Twilight didn't expect anypony to be there, and for the first time since her arrival in Ponyville, she wasn't in the mood to be alone with a treefull of books. Instead, she made her way to Engines Equestria, where Twilight knew she would find Shining Armor, Cadance, and Spike. Sure enough, as she approached the entrance to the Engines Equestria compound, the gate opened for Cadance and Spike to walk out.

"Twilight!" both said in unison, running to meet the unicorn.

"Cadance! Spike!" Twilight was overjoyed. While both pony and dragon had visited her daily, it was still a joy to see them outside the staid environs of Ponyville General Hospital. Cadance wrapped her in a tight hug while Spike latched on to her torso.

"We were just on our way to see you," Cadance said, "looks like you were looking for us, though."

"I sure was," Twilight said as Cadance released her. Spike remained firmly attached to her side, "is my brother here too?"

"Yeah, he's inside," Spike said, "he has to do some kind of inspection on some secret thing they're working on."

"Aunt Celestia really doesn't want anything getting out about that project," Cadance said, "Shining isn't even allowed to tell me of all ponies. I mean, I could probably squeeze it out of him if I wanted, but I'm not that kind of mare."

"That's why I let you get away with marrying him," Twilight replied with a grin.

Cadance giggled, "Oh, I think you'd have had to leave me in those caves if you wanted to keep me away from my Shining Armor."

Twilight laughed. "Well, I guess if I want to see Shining, I'm gonna have to wait until he's done with his little secret project for today."

"Probably," Spike said, "but there's some other cool stuff we can show you in here. Come and see!"

"What kind of a warjack is this?" Twilight asked quizzically. The machine was evidently based on the Talon, but instead of the spear and shield normally carried by that light warjack, the machine had a spike mounted on each wrist, above the fist. In addition, four sleek, tear-shaped pods were attached equidistantly around each wrist, and each pod had an egg-sized, silvery sphere embedded in it. Its shoulders carried larger pauldrons than the Talon's, with strange, curved etching in them, connecting smaller silver spheres.

"It's a new design, based on the Talon," Cadance explained, "we call it the Soldat."

"Cadance named it," Spike interrupted, rolling his eyes.

"I certainly did," Cadance said brightly, "we were attacked by a force of elves from a place called Ios, and they brought some very unusual warjacks with them. They weren't powered by steam, they used magic instead."

"Really?" Twilight was curious, "did they hold a magical charge, the way our appliances do?"

"They did indeed, with joints using metal vanes that moved in response to magic. They also generated force fields, and some of them could even attack by shooting blasts of force."

"That's amazing!" Twilight said, always excited to learn about a new kind of magic. "do those silver spheres channel the magical power?"

"Ooh, well spotted!" Cadance confirmed, finding Twilight's enthusiasm infectious, "the ones in the shoulders generate the force field, the ones around the hands create bursts of force that cause additional damage. Soldats are pretty hard hitters for light warjacks."

"Clever!" Twilight said gleefully, examining the machine's arms closely. She had never been much for military hardware, but then she'd never seen military hardware that integrated magic so completely.

"The downside is, the arcane generator takes up a lot of space," Cadance admitted, "that armor's thinner than it looks, so it needs the force field for survivability."

"Well, one would expect that," Twilight said. "Still, it's a fascinating innovation."

"Shining's a big fan of them, but I like my warjacks to have distance weapons," Cadance said, walking over to another 'jack. "Like this one, the Fusilier." The warjack in question resembled the Soldat, but without the punching spikes or wrist-mounted force channelers. Its right hand held a large tower shield, nearly as tall as the warjack itself. The left arm bore what looked like a cannon, but with no discernible firing chamber or ammunition feed. At the back of the barrel was a fairly large metal sphere.

"I take it that sphere houses a larger version of these force-channeling devices?" Twilight asked.

"That's right," Cadance confirmed, "the Iosans got their warjacks to launch bolts right from their force fields, it's impossible tell which ones can shoot and which can't. We're not there yet, we still need a barrel to physically direct the attack."

"Still, outside of Ios we probably have the only warjacks with ranged weapons that don't need ammunition," Twilight pointed out.

"I have heard rumors that Cygnar deploys warjacks with lightning guns, those don't seem to use ammunition of any kind," Cadance admitted. "Still, being able to fire without ammunition is always valuable, even if other people can do it, too. Oh! let me show you the custom warjack they built for me!" Cadance always enjoyed talking about gifts she'd been given, particularly very unusual ones.

"Oh, a personal warjack?" Twilight was even more curious. She was aware that some Cryxian warcasters had modified or even custom-built warjacks. Lord Exhumator Scaverous had a custom-made Slayer named Erebus, which he treated more like a pet than a machine, and she had heard tell that Lich Lord Asphyxious had a centipede-like warjack named Cankerworm that was so sinister that even other Cryxians were disturbed by its presence, but she'd never seen it.

"Yes! Come and see her!" Cadance said excitedly. She lifted a large tarp with her magic to reveal a warjack that vaguely resembled a Nomad. "This is Percuteur! Engines Equestria created this beautiful machine just for me!" The heavy warjack featured sleek, curved armor, with force channels in the shoulders and on the upper leg cowling that were similar to those in the Soldat and Fusilier, but larger and more elaborate. Its fists and lower arms were larger than a Nomad's, with snub-nosed weapons similar to the Fusilier's cannon mounted on the lower arms, above each hand. "She's got short-ranged force bolters and the best field generator Engines Equestria can build! Not to mention a custom-built cortex designed for maximum force control."

"That's great!" Twilight slid into full magic-nerd mode, "I really have to know more about how this force magic works!"

"Doesn't Shining Armor have a special warjack too?" Spike asked, hoping to divert the conversation away from sleep-inducing discussions of arcane theory.

"Yes, Chevalier, but he's not here," Cadance said, "anyway, he's almost a stock Nomad, Shining just took the buckler off and gave him another sword. And added some extra armor plating on the hull."

"That sounds like my brother's idea of a good warjack," Twilight commented.

"Well, the cortex has started to awaken," Cadance admitted, "Chevalier's learning from the skirmishes we've had to run, he's picking up some of Shining's habits."

"Wait, there's been fighting around Ponyville?" Twilight asked, surprised. Now at least the stone wall around the town made sense.

"We've been getting hit by trollkin raiding parties," Cadance explained, "sometimes bands of mercenaries, too. Some anonymous creep keeps hiring people to come try to knock down the walls. It was a real problem, but it hasn't been happening as much lately."

"Well, at least it's slowing down," Twilight said worriedly.

"Twily!" Shining Armor's voice came from a side entrance to the warehouse.

"Shining!" Twilight and Cadance said in unison. Spike struggled not to laugh at the pony-tangle that occurred as both mares attempted to hug the surprised stallion at the same time, resulting in all three of them falling to the floor.

"It's good to see you out of bed, Twily," Shining said, extracting a hoof with some difficulty to pat his sister on the head.

"I finally got permission to leave, so I thought I'd come and find all of you," Twilight replied.

"That's great, kid!" Shining was genuinely happy to see his sister on her hooves. "I'm pretty much done here, so how about-" the Captain was interrupted by Spike belching out a gout of green flame, from which formed a scroll with Princess Celestia's seal holding it closed.

"A letter from the Princess?" Twilight asked rhetorically.

"Spike's become more or less the official middle-dragon between me and Princess Celestia," Shining explained as Spike scanned the letter.

"Uh, this looks pretty big," the baby dragon said, "a bunch of Khadorans are trying to blockade Canterlot!"

"Wait, what?!" Shining grabbed the letter with his magic and started to read. "They walled off the railroads, the maniacs!"

"They did what?!" Cadance demanded, "how did they manage that?"

"Princess Celestia doesn't seem to know, looks like a bunch of them managed to just sneak up to the base of Canterlot Mountain and start building." Shining explained, continuing to read. "She wants us to head up an attack from the base of the mountain, while the Canterlot Guard hits them from above."

"Well, I guess we'd better make that happen," Cadance said with a sigh.

That night, a caravan of flying chariots and wagons arrived in Canterlot, bearing Princess Luna, Applejack, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie, as well as Glam and a pair of Luna's Nomads. The rest of Luna's warjacks had been left in Hollow Shades, in the care of talented 'jack marshals in case more enemies tried to strike at the forest town. Unbeknownst to the Princess and her entourage, and equally-oblivious Forward Kommander Sorscha Kratikoff arrived with a large detachment of Men-O-War to reinforce the Khadorans far below Canterlot.

The Siege of Canterlot: Part Two

Applejack stifled a yawn as she was led into the war room at Canterlot Castle. She had been woken before dawn to examine the sketches hastily produced by General Thunder Wing's scouting team, and provide what information she knew regarding the assembled Khadoran forces. Applejack wanted nothing more than to go home to her family, but Equestria needed her. As she entered the room, Applejack immediately noticed Princess Celestia sitting at a large, round table, and she bowed to the Princess out of habit.

"No need for formality now, Applejack," Celestia said, sounding distracted. General Thunder Wing and her scouts were also present.

"Applejack, I'm told you've seen Khadoran military forces, correct?" Thunder Wing asked without preamble.

"Yes ma'am," Applejack replied, taking a seat as she took to heart Celestia's assurance that formality was not required. She wished she'd put on her hat. Thunder Wing pushed a stack of sketches towards her.

"These are the soldiers and warjacks comprising the Khadoran forces below us. What can you tell us about them?"

"Well, this here's Kommander Harkevich," Applejack said, tapping her hoof on the top sketch, "they say he's good at defendin' places, guess they sent him t' keep us from knockin' the walls down. He's a friendly feller, they were sendin' him around Occupied Llael tryin' to make Khador more popular with the citizens."

"How is he in combat?" Thunder Wing asked.

"I talked to some soldiers who served under him, they say he really looks out for 'em," was Applejack's reply, "they also say he's good with warjacks. Never seen him fight m'self, though."

"And the next one?" Celestia asked. Applejack pushed the picture of Harkevich aside.

"That's Sorscha Kratikoff, I only met her once," Applejack said, "she's downright scary. When she looked me in the eyes, I felt like I was freezin' inside. Ain't sure if that's some kinda magic or just the kind of gal she is, but I hear she likes ice and wind magic. She don't like warjacks as much as a lotta 'casters, they say she only uses a couple-few at a time if'n she can help it."

"There's one more warcaster," Thunder Wing said, prompting Applejack to set aside the image of Kratikoff.

Applejack furrowed her brow at the heavily-armored warcaster depicted on the next sheet. "Never seen this feller," she admitted. "Is that a chain gun? I didn't know Khador even had those."

"He's the only one down there who has one, we speculated that it was custom-built," one of Thunder Wing's bat-winged scouts contributed, "possibly a prototype based on seized Cygnaran equipment."

"Think that's a gas mask he's got there," Applejack pointed to the leather object hanging loosely from the unknown warcaster's neck, "I figure he's got some kinda gas or smoke weapon or somethin'. Those ain't standard issue in Khador."

"We'll be sure to watch out for him," Thunder Wing said, "now, let's move on to the warjacks..."

Captain Shining Armor had concluded as soon as he had been informed of its completion that the worst feature of the military train known as Raildancer was undoubtedly its name. This name, in fact, was the reason why the names of all byproducts of Project Red River now required his approval, which he rarely gave because Cadance always seemed to come up with something better. It was thanks to this policy, as well as his beloved, princessly wife, that the Soldat warjack variant had a name other than 'Punchy-'jack.' That was a terrible enough name for an early design sketch, the fact that it carried that moniker right up to the proving grounds was embarrassing. The Captain shuddered to think what title the main goal of Project Red River would carry had Princess Celestia not named it herself in the early planning stages.

The other aspects of the Raildancer were far more pleasing, at least as far as military trains went. Driven by an incredibly powerful steam engine that would not have been possible without the advances made by Project Red River, Raildancer's cars were heavily armored, and the locomotive itself was essentially a massive steel wedge, based on Crystal Empire train designs. Despite its mass, the train could reach speeds well above reasonable expectations, even when weighed down -as it currently was- by a large number of fully-equipped ponies of the Royal Guard and a significant compliment of warjacks. Shining Armor and his retinue had mobilized with unparalleled speed to answer Princess Celestia's call, and were well on their way to Canterlot Mountain with the intent of striking down the invading Khadorans. Their attack had to be timed perfectly to coincide with the strike from Canterlot's Royal Guard, but Shining was confident that they had more than enough time.

Two lines of Man-O-War Shocktroopers in shield wall formation stood in front of the barricade. On each side of the barricade stood a warjack - a Destroyer towards the precipice on their left, Harkevich's personal warjack, Black Ivan, nearer the cliff face on their right. Black Ivan, like its Destroyer cousins, had a long-range bombard cannon mounted on its left arm, but instead of a standard right hand, Ivan had a custom-built claw. This claw made the machine unable to carry the Destroyer-standard executioner axe, but the bulky hand with its blade-tipped fingers was a formidable melee weapon in its own right. Behind the wall stood Izak Harkevich himself, surrounded by several squads of Winter Guard infantry and riflemen. Interspersed among the troops on either side of the barricade were more warjacks, including Devastators and Demolishers with their shield fists protectively enclosing their torsos, more Destroyers, and a pair of Kodiaks. Almost twenty-four hours had passed since the flying, armored ponies had delivered their warning, and Harkevich expected a mass of undersized, talking equines to round the mountain railroad at any moment.

The ponies that arrived, therefore, greatly surprised Harkevich, so outnumbered were they by his expectations. Four of the winged, armored ponies came around the mountain, pulling a luxurious golden chariot with a red-velvet seat upon which sat a creature who might have called herself a pony, but was nearly as tall as the Pozdyov warhorses favored by Khador's cavalry, although lacking the muscle mass. This pony had a brilliant white coat, wings folded at her side, and a long horn rising from her forehead. The tall pony's mane and tail flowed in a breeze that seemed to blow for her alone, and the golden magical glow of her horn held a flag of truce.

"Hold fire!" Harkevich ordered when he saw the flag. Allowing his Men-O-War to fire their shield cannons at the chariot would not be acceptable, as its rider clearly meant to negotiate.

The ponies pulling the chariot stopped in front of the line of Men-O-War. "I am Princess Celestia of Equestria," the tall pony announced in loud, accented Cygnaran as she stepped off of her glittering chariot. "I would parley with Kommander Izak Harkevich, for I am told he leads this force."

"Very well then!" Harkevich called, "I will be with you shortly." His Cygnaran was less than perfect, but it had served him well enough in his previous Equestrian encounters. He was wary of an assassination attempt, but given the situation, Celestia was in far more danger than he. Harkevich edged between a Man-O-War and a Devastator, wary of snipers on the railway above, but confident that Celestia would not risk her own life for his. After all, Khador had many warcasters, but Equestian Princesses were in short supply. "Tell me, Princess, have you come to surrender?" The warcaster asked jovially, consciously failing to bow as he noticed that the gleaming armor worn by the Princess bore a sleek, brushed-steel arcane turbine. Normally warcasters could sense the presence of others who shared their powers, but Harkevich quickly theorized that pony magic might be so alien to the Iron Kingdoms that Celestia simply did not register to his arcane senses.

"Yesterday my messengers informed you that if these walls and your forces were not removed by now, there would be violence," Celestia said evenly. One of her eyes was hidden behind her mane, but the other met Harkevich's gaze and seemed to bore into the warcaster's very soul. "I feel a need to make one last attempt at diplomacy, however, so I have come to offer a compromise."

Harkevich had only been given limited leeway to negotiate, but he thought that if he leveraged it well enough he could at least secure further discussion. With that in mind, he asked, "and what is the offered agreement?"

"Simple. You leave now, and we will remove the walls ourselves," Celestia said flatly. "I am even willing to provide you with coal and water, should your warjacks and iron-clad men prove unable to make the trip back with your current supplies."

Harkevich shook his head regretfully, "Princess, I am sorry, but we cannot leave until you offer to surrender. Please, for the good of your people, submit without violence. Khador will take good care of your citizens, you have my word."

"I am well informed regarding the conditions of those Khador calls its citizens," Celestia said bluntly, "how many residents of your capitol froze to death this past winter, their coal seized by your dictators for their military pet projects? How many people are murdered in the streets by cruel men with masters who avoid justice by financing your government? And how many of the Winter Guard standing behind you are conscripts who will fight and die for Khador because they were forced to, not because of their trust in their homeland and their willingness to fight for it? If I had my way, I wouldn't even trust Khador's own people to your government's care, much less my little ponies. As long as there is breath in my lungs and blood in my heart, Equestria will not surrender to your tyrant empress."

Harkevich lowered Minister from his shoulder and took up a fighting stance. "I did not appreciate the implication that those sacrifices were without meaning, nor the accusation that Empress Vanar has anything but her peoples' best interests in mind." His voice had lost its jovial tone, "and it would seem that we have nothing more to discuss."

"On that, at least, we can agree. Retreat or die, Kommander Harkevich, Equestria will no longer tolerate your presence." Suddenly, for reasons Harkevich could only assume involved Celestia's magic, the flag of truce burst into flames, burning to ash almost instantly. Just as the five Men-O-War nearest Celestia fired their shield cannons, there was a blinding flash of light.

Harkevich held Minister in front of himself protectively and waited for his vision to clear. After a few moments, he could see well enough to see that Celestia and her charioteers had vanished, though the chariot remained, badly dented by the shells meant for its owner. "Hold position!" Harkevich ordered as some of the Men-O-War made to move forward. The ponies were gone, but something felt wrong.

That was when the first shell struck. The explosive fell on the soldiers behind the wall, detonating with a blast that rivaled the shells of Winter Guard mortars, killing several of the soldiers instantly. "Into the tunnel!" Harkevich bellowed, taking cover behind the Devastator as he looked through the eyes of his warjacks to search for the source of the artillery shell. More shells pounded the Khadorans, striking down Winter Guard and Man-O-War alike, and even denting several warjacks, as the force fell back to the safety of the tunnel entrance. The projectiles fell like rain, but Harkevich's armor and power field protected him from the blasts. His soldiers did not fare as well, and by the time they were safe, more than half the Winter Guard had been struck down, and several Men-O-War were dead or immobilized. Suddenly, a rifleman near the tunnel entrance fired a shot into the sky.

"In the air, Kommander!" The rifleman said to Harkevich by way of explanation as he loaded a fresh round. The warcaster looked to the skies, and saw a sight he could scarcely believe.

The Prikaz Chancellery had information regarding Cygnar's attempts to create a large balloon with a basket that could carry men, but they had abandoned the project due to the utter inability of persons in the basket to steer the craft. Equestria had clearly solved that problem, for above the tunnel floated half a dozen ships, each similar to a small naval battleship, and each borne by a single vast, oblong balloon attached to it by several stout ropes. Each ship had several hatches set into the bottom of her hull, and from these hatches more shells dropped as Harkevich watched.

The sharp-eyed rifleman fired another shot, but it fell short. That the flying ships could not be reached by Winter Guard rifles boded ill, as they were the longest-ranged weapons available to Harkevich's forces. "Kommander?" The rifleman asked, "why don't they cast shadows? It's just after noon, the ships' shadows should be right underneath them."

"Equestrian magic, no doubt," Harkevich said, "they must have arcanists aboard who can cause the sun's light pass through the ships without creating a shadow." The warcaster wondered if this was what the ponies had meant by the sun being his enemy as distant explosions echoed through the tunnels. Evidently the other entrances were facing similar attacks.

The rain of bombs slowed as a large force of ponies and warjacks rounded the mountainside. A trio of Nomad warjacks lead the group, with four Rovers following, the seven of them together forming a wedge. Amid this warjack formation walked Princess Celestia, wings folded and horn glowing. To either side of this wedge marched Talon warjacks, four to a side, shields raised defensively. Behind the battlegroup spread a phalanx of earth ponies with unicorns interspersed among them and pegasi above. Several of the pegasi appeared to be dragging small clouds using their hooves, another mystery Harkevich mentally attributed to inexplicable pony magic. All of the ponies had white coats and gleaming golden armor. The warjacks' hulls were painted a muted off-white, with several details picked out in brass.

"Riflemen, forward!" Harkevich ordered as he willed Black Ivan and the Destroyer to either side of the cave entrance. His squads of Winter Guard riflemen lined up as close to the entrance as they could without being struck by shrapnel from the still-falling explosives. As the Equestrian formation approached, the bombing stopped completely, and the riflemen cautiously moved forward, right to the edge of the tunnel entrance. The Kommander rapidly began weighing every tactical option he could think of in light of the current situation.

Kommander Oleg Strakhov never refused a mission, even when given the option. Be it pitched battles against impossible odds, suicidally dangerous black operations, or anything in between, Strakhov would mobilize with his riot gun in his hands, a few cinder bombs on his bandolier, and whatever warjacks and personnel the mission required. He had rolled out a large force of troops and significant warjack support for the siege on Canterlot. His personal warjack, Torch, had been wrecked in battle recently, and while the machine's cortex had been salvaged, the body had not. It would be some time before the requisite modifications would be finished on another Decimator body for Torch's cortex to inhabit, and Strakhov found himself missing the warjack's wrist-mounted flamethrower and shoulder-borne smoke bomb launchers. To compensate for Torch's absence, Strakhov had brought a pair of standard Decimators, which lacked most of Torch's armaments, but at least shared its rip saw on the left arm. Decimators lacked open fists, instead bearing an unusual firearm called a dozer cannon. The dozer boasted modest range, high firepower, and a pair of barrels for linked fire. Dozers lacked area-effect capabilities, making them less than ideal for crowd control -Torch's flamethrower made it much better at dealing with massed infantry. As anti-personnel warjacks, Starkhov had brought a pair of Destroyers for the explosive shells of their bombard cannons. Also in Strakhov's battlegroup were the Juggernauts practically ubiquitous in Khadoran military forces. These warjacks were arrayed around Strakhov, who stood in front of the barricade on the rail line connecting Canterlot Mountain to Ponyville and, further along the line, Appleloosa and Dodge Junction. While Ponyville had a branch of Engines Equestria, their output was surprisingly small, even for a new steamworks, and Strakhov had reasoned that any response from that direction would likely involve large numbers of soldiers and few warjacks. On the other hand, word of a warcaster in Ponyville prompted Strakhov to watch over the tunnel entrance personally.

Surrounding the Kommander and his warjacks were his own masses of soldiers. While the other warcasters led mixed forces, Kommander Strakhov required only his Assault Kommandos, members of a new combat discipline created by the Kommander himself, most of them armed with a carbine that carried an under-slung grenade launcher and a bayonet. Assault Kommandos loaded their launchers with alchemical grenades that created clouds of choking gas, from which the Kommandos themselves were protected by their high-grade gas masks. The lenses in their masks were even treated with a valuable mixture that gave them a supernatural ability to see through smoke and fog. Assault Kommandos carried heavy, spiked shields and wore leather and metal armor alchemically treated to protect the wearers from fire and acids. The protection from fire was particularly useful in the presence of the Kommando Flamethrowers, who forewent the standard carbine in favor of a large nozzle attached to a sectioned metal hose that fed yet another alchemical agent from a large tank strapped to the Kommando's back. This volatile mixture tended to cling to anything it touched, and -more importantly- burst into flames on contact with air, making Kommando Flamethrowers terrifyingly effective in close quarters. Strakhov had created the Assault Kommandos only a few years previously, in an attempt to counter Cygnaran trench warfare tactics, and already some high-ranking Khadoran officials were suggesting that they represented the future of Khadoran infantry.

It was with equal parts shock and chagrin that Strakhov witnessed a three foot long, oblong metal object fall from the sky in the midst of his Assault Kommandos and explode with incredible force. Resisting the urge to release a five-language litany of profanities with a blasphemy garnish, the Kommander instead called out orders to fall back into the tunnel as more explosives fell. One of them hit a Juggernaut dead center, ripping a hole in its hull and tearing its boiler wide open. The shock wave from this bomb staggered Starkhov as shrapnel and scrap metal ricocheted off his armor's power field. Looking up, Starkhov saw the source of the bomb: A warship inexplicably floating in midair. suspended by a massive, oblong balloon. Strakhov quickly looked around and counted a total of six of these flying battleships, each inexplicably failing to cast a shadow as bombs descended from ports in their hulls. He let loose a comment about the Great Fathers that would have made him extremely unpopular in Rhul as he hastily followed his troops into the tunnel. A well-placed bomb snapped the rip saw off of one of the Decimators as it followed Strakhov into the tunnel.

Strakhov muttered a few curses, one of them in Llaelese just for flavor, as he considered the situation. He had heard rumors that Equestria had flying ships, but never had it even been hinted that the vessels might be armed. In retrospect, it made sense, and Strakhov was already considering the potential of these ships as troop transports. He found himself considering the possibility of capturing one of the ships, but could see no way to get himself aboard one unless the ponies decided to land the ship close enough to the cave that he could blitz it, which seemed an unreasonable hope. While the bombing had stopped now that his surviving forces were entirely within the tunnel, the ponies seemed perfectly happy to keep their flying ships in the sky. Strakhov found himself frustrated. The ships kept his men from leaving the tunnel, and he could only assume that similar attacks had occurred at the other entrances. As he mulled the situation over in his mind, Strakhov heard the unmistakable screech of a braking train.

Princess Celestia spread her wings and ascended to hover just above her warjacks, gazing across the battlefield. She could see a line of Khadorans leveling rifles at her from the tunnel, flanked by a pair of cannon-wielding warjacks. She took a deep breath and activated the Royal Canterlot Voice. "THIS IS YOUR LAST CHANCE! KOMMANDER HARKEVICH, SURRENDER NOW! NO MORE LIVES NEED BE LOST!"

The Khadoran warjacks and riflemen fired all at once, but their bullets and shells fell short of Celestia's forces. The soldiers quickly rearranged their formation to allow a Devastator and several Men-O-War to move forward and take defensive stances.

"VERY WELL!" Celestia declared, "ROYAL GUARD, FORWARD!" She dropped to her hooves and urged her wedge of heavy warjacks into a run. The Talons, encouraged by talented, if inexperienced, 'jack marshals, accelerated to keep up with her battlegroup. Behind and above the machines moved the massed forces of Canterlot's Solar Royal Guard. In front of them, Harkevich pushed his Demolishers into a run as well, sending his great machines to intercept their Equestrian counterparts with shield arms closed protectively around their bodies. The Weather Patrol ponies surged ahead, lowering their clouds to meet the Khadoran warjacks. As the warjacks neared the clouds, the pegasi started bolt bucking, kicking the clouds to sling precisely-aimed lightning at the oncoming warjacks. Some of the Demolishers staggered, their cortexes disrupted, but others continued forward to meet the Equestrian formation. Celestia's lead Nomad hit the lead Demolisher sword first, carving a deep rent in its shield arm, but failing to cause any internal damage.

Anticipating what would happen next, Celestia surrounded the ponies behind her Nomads in a protective aura as the Demolisher opened its shell and used its massive fists to lift her Nomad and toss it into the formation, causing ponies to scatter as the six-ton machine came crashing down. As the Nomad struggled to regain its footing, the Demolisher fired its shoulder cannons into the mass of ponies. The explosions and shrapnel from the shells had little effect against Celestia's magically-shielded troops, and another of Celestia's Nomads drove its blade deep into the Demolisher's now-exposed torso. Elsewhere, Celestia's Rovers and the marshaled Talons were managing to bring down the other Demolishers, with more than a little help from the Weather Patrol's lightning. Three of the Talons and two Rovers were lost in the effort, and the lead Nomad had landed awkwardly, its left knee and ankle crippled. This damage did nothing to discourage the machine, as it lugged itself forward with sword and buckler at the ready. Celestia's ponies rushed the Khadoran line from behind the remaining warjacks, many of them warded by Celestia's golden magic. Harkevich sent his Devastators forward with one of his Kodiaks and the remaining Men-O-War Shocktroopers. One of Celestia's Rovers pounded a Man-O-War with a backhanded blow from its shield, then fired a shot from its shield cannon into the soldier's chest while almost simultaneously sinking its axe into another Shocktrooper's shoulder. Both Men-O-War fell, but the Kodiak rushed in behind them. The Rover raised its shield just in time to block a blow from the Kodiak's right fist, and the Khadoran 'jack caught the Rover's axe arm in its left hand. As the Equestrian machine struggled to free itself, Men-O-War surrounded it and began cutting it down with their axes. The Rover collapsed, but not before firing a shield cannon round into the Kodiak's torso, cracking its thick armor. A Devastator plowed into Celestia's final Rover, opening its massive shield arms to tear the Rover's cannon shield off its arm and batter the warjack into the ground. As several Royal Guard pegasi descended on the Devastator, it fired a series of small grenades from the tubes set into its shoulders, but a glowing aura surrounding the pegasi -courtesy of a nearby unicorn pony- deflected the shrapnel, protecting the ponies as they battered the warjack's exposed arm mechanisms with their hooves. Another Devastator's cortex was disrupted by Weather Patrol lightning, and it was set upon by all three of Celestia's Nomads, which managed to pound through the machine's slabs of armor and bring it down. Yet another Devastator charged forward to replace its fallen brother, destroying the head of the Nomad with the crippled leg, only to be laid low by the remaining Nomads. Men-O-War charged in, their annihilator axes biting deep into the remaining Nomads' armor, damaging vital systems in the process. A blast of raw sunlight consumed the Men-O-War, but not before the Nomad collapsed. Celestia gazed down on the battlefield, watching everything that occurred.

Chevalier charged brutally into one of Strakhov's Decimators, its right blade punching into the Khadoran warjack's hull as its left blade ruined the Decimator's shoulder, crippling its rip saw. Driven by Shining Armor's magic, Chevalier drew its blade out of the Decimator's hull and drove it back in, punching clear through the warjack's torso to puncture its boiler. The modified Nomad stepped back as the Decimator collapsed, holdings its blades defensively in front of its body. Chevalier ignored the Assault Kommando carbine bullets as they riccoched off its hull. A Kommando Flamethrower ruined the paint on Chevalier's left arm, but caused no significant damage. A standard-issue Nomad trampled into the closely-grouped Kommando unit, swinging its blade with wild abandon. Shining Armor mentally chided himself for being so careful with Chevalier, he couldn't help but worry that his attachment to the machine might be impacting his ability to utilize it properly. He did not begrudge himself the Nomad hanging back near Cadance, unwilling to leave her safety entirely to her own battlegroup if the enemy broke through his front line. No pony could deny Cadance's skill as a warcaster, but all of her warjacks were focused on ranged combat, as befit her talents, but most of them sacrificed close-quarters prowess for their long-range power. Shining Armor's evaluation was that Cadance could only rely on Percuteur and her two Rovers in melee combat, he doubted the ability of her Mules and Fusiliers to overcome Juggernauts.

Cadance paid no mind to Shining's Nomad, she was too focused on pouring arcane might into her warjacks. Percuteur was taking time to charge its force bolters between shots, allowing for greater firing range, and had joined her three Mules -standing still to channel steam into their cannons for a similar range boost- in a standing shootout with Strakhov's Destroyers. Cadance knew that if the Khadorans did not intervene, her warjacks would soon claim victory, having the advantage in both numbers and accuracy against their admittedly more durable opponents.

Shining Armor's concerns proved to be well-founded as three Juggernauts rushed Cadance's battlegroup. Shining's protective Nomad intercepted one, losing its left arm to the Juggernaut's axe before one of Cadance's Rovers joined it to bring down the Khadoran 'jack. The other Rover interposed itself between Cadance and another Juggernaut as Percuteur hastened to join it. The third Juggernaut withstood a battering of steam lobber shells and force bolts to close on two of Cadance's Fusiliers, its axe tearing through the power field, hull, and cortex of one of the light warjacks with a single blow. The other raised its tower shield ineffectually, only to have the Juggernaut yank the shield -and the arm- off the 'jack with its free hand before bashing the Fusilier to scrap. As Percuteur and the second Rover brought down their Juggernaut, the third withstood another battering of steam lobber shells. A final shell ripped a hole in the Juggernaut's hull, into which Shining's Nomad drove its sword, ruining the Juggernaut's cortex. Cadance's 'jacks fell back into formation and returned to shelling the Destroyers. One of the machines collapsed under the pummeling of steam lobber shells as Starkhov pulled the other back.

For Harkevich and his soldiers, who knew Princess Celestia only through this battle, the typical Equestrian view of her as a kind and gentle leader would have seemed absurd. They saw her as a four-legged death bringer, flying above the battlefield with her escort of Royal Guard pegasi. Celestia created bursts of searing light within the Khadoran ranks, killing by sheer heat the soldiers who did not simply vanish in the centers of the blinding spheres. Whenever Harkevich tried to bolster his troops with spells of his own, the Princess would release a pulse of light that undid his magic. Occasionally, Celestia would surround her escorting ponies in a radiant white aura and send them at a target, their hooves striking down Men-O-War in one blow or denting and cracking warjack armor. Whenever she did this, Celestia herself would teleport away, issuing commands to the rest of her forces from within their midst before rejoining her escort in the skies. When her final two Nomads were wrecked by Harkevich's Destroyers, Celestia and her pegasi descended upon the offending warjacks like avenging angels. Celestia landed behind two of the Destroyers, which were standing shoulder-to-shoulder, and drove an armored hoof through each warjack's boiler, releasing jets of pressurized steam as the machines collapsed. Celestia tolerated the cloud of flesh-searing steam without so much as flinching. That was when Kommander Harkevich called for his remaining troops to fall back.

Oleg Strakhov's Assault Kommandos withdrew under covering fire from his remaining Decimator and Destroyer, taking potshots at vulnerable ponies with their carbines as they backed into the tunnel. His men and 'jacks had managed to bring down a number of Equestrian warjacks, and the Kommandos had eliminated a large number of ponies, even though many of the unicorns could cast spells which made themselves and their fellows proof against the Kommando Flamethrowers' alchemical weaponry. The Khadoran losses, however, were too high, and Strakhov knew that he would lose purely on attrition if he didn't change his tactics. With that in mind, he set a few squads of Kommandos to blocking off the tunnel with sandbags while his Destroyer continued to fire on the ponies, keeping them from rushing the entrance. Strakhov knew that the ponies' remaining heavy 'jacks could probably withstand the Destroyer's shells long enough to reach the wall, but they would be stopped by the sandbags, hopefully long enough for his forces to bring them down. In any case, the ponies commanding the Equestrian forces seemed unwilling to commit to charging the tunnel, apparently content to back out of the Destroyer's range and wait. Strakhov gave the sandbag barrier a quick once-over before sending runners to the forces stationed at the other tunnel entrances.

Forward Kommander Sorscha Kratikoff was confused. This was a rare occurrence for the veteran warcaster, yet the ponies had managed it. She had taken a large contingent of Men-O-War and Winter Guard to the southeast entrance to the Canterlot Mountain tunnels, expecting significant Equestrian forces, backed up by a large number of warjacks, to come down the rail line from Baltimare. If the Prikaz Chancellory were to be believed -and when it came to the enemy, they usually were- Black Anchor Baltimare released more warjacks each day then both Engines Equestria locations combined, their workforce bolstered by former shipwrights who turned to the 'jack works for employment when Baltimare suddenly ceased to be a coastal city. Engines Equestria's Ponyville branch reportedly produced very few warjacks, even for such a small operation, though the Chancellery suspected that branch of some other activities, as some Greylords had stopped reporting in after informing their superiors that they were investigating something called 'Project Red River'.

Kratikoff had thought that fortifying the entrance closest to Baltimare would be a sound move, and her fellow Khadoran warcasters had agreed. However, while flying ships bearing high explosives had driven her force into the tunnel, she'd seen neither mane nor tail of the ponies themselves, and not even a single Equestrian rivet. She could plainly see the clearly superior Khadoran rivets in the armor of her warjacks and Men-O-War, but the no doubt second-rate Equestrian fasteners, and the warjack armor they were meant to hold in place, were nowhere to be seen. The warcaster looked to her own warjacks, a relatively small compliment of three Juggernauts and her personal warjack, Beast 09.

Kratikoff rarely formed attachments to her warjacks the way other warcasters did, designating each with a number and leaving it at that. She spent her 'jacks with no remorse, replacing them as needed. One of her Juggernauts, 05, was the eighth to bear that number. It had replaced the seventh 05, a Marauder, when that machine was wrecked by Cygnarans in the Thornwood. Beast 09, however, was special. Its cortex had awakened in the heat of battle, giving it a tenacity unmatched by man, machine, or monster. Beast 09 had outlasted all the warjacks Kratikoff had been issued before it, and most of the 'jacks that had been issued after it, though it was likely only a matter of time before those machines fell. At times, Beast 09 continued to fight even when its systems seemed to be entirely compromised, apparently driven only by its desire to win the current battle. Though it still bore its number, it was the only of Kratikoff's warjacks to have a name, and it also had a deeply personal bond with its master that gave it an echo of Kratikoff's power over cold and ice. Due to this bond, Beast 09 was surrounded by an aura of freezing cold while its furnace was lit, its armored shoulders and the ground around its feet covered in a thin dusting of snow -moisture in the air that froze around the warjack. The soldiers under Kratikoff's command quickly learned to avoid Beast 09's freezing aura, as those lacking her near-immunity to cold would suffer debilitating hypothermia in mere seconds. This dangerous aura was considered an asset, despite the threat posed to friendly combatants. Enemies were often unaware of its effects, and even when they were, they had difficulty escaping it if Beast 09 turned its attention to them. The deadly chill could even freeze warjack joints, a more reliable version of the Juggernauts' ice axes. Shortly after Kratikoff granted Beast 09 its name, she had its stock ice axe replaced with a custom-made, far-superior weapon named Ice Breaker. This weapon had its own freezing effects, evidenced by the rime of ice on its blade. She had also had the machine upgraded with a heavier boiler similar to those of the Kodiak, which gave Beast 09 greater mobility to help satisfy its aggressive desire for combat.

It was at the tunnel entrance, next to Beast 09, that Kratikoff found herself deep in thought, occasionally shaking herself from her reverie to telepathically reign in her favored warjack. Beast 09 longed to rush out into the open and find some way to attack the enemy airships. The dent in Beast 09's right shoulder only heightened its rage, as did the multitude of fallen Winter Guard and Men-O-War lying outside on the ground. The warjack found it unforgivable that the enemy would damage its master's valuable military assets, never mind their cowardice of causing such damage from the skies.

"Forward Kommander Kratikoff!" Two messengers, one Winter Guard and one Assault Kommando, interrupted the warcaster's thoughts at the same time.

"You first," Kratikoff looked to the Winter Guard runner.

"Kommander Harkevich sent me. The upper tunnel entrance is besieged by Equestrian ground forces, led by a warcaster!" The soldier replied.

"Kommander Strakhov is in similar circumstances at the southwest entrance," the Assault Kommando said as Kratikoff turned to him, "except he faces two warcasters."

"I will lead a portion of my forces to support Kommander Strakhov," Kratikoff told both runners, "inform your Kommanders at once."

"Yes, Forward Kommander!" Both soldiers saluted, then ran into the darkness of the tunnel.

"Kommander Strakhov, what is your situation?" Sorscha Kratikoff asked without preamble.

"Kommander Kratikoff, I am in dire straits." Oleg Strakhov answered with similar bluntness. "I have lost all but three warjacks, and more than half of my Assault Kommandos. Before the bombs fell, my men would have outnumbered the ponies, but their numbers were superior to mine by the time their train arrived."

"Tell me you have at least weakened their forces."

"I have made them pay a heavy toll in soldiers and hardware for what they've done. They have lost more warjacks than I, and I've reduced their troop numbers to the point that our superior weaponry once again gives us an advantage."

"And yet you do not strike back? Ah, I see, the flying ships are still present."

"Yes, and I'm not convinced they've run out of bombs."

"Such a strange people they are," Kratikoff said, "they claim to have enjoyed two millenia of peace, yet look how ready they are for war. Why do you think they do not attack us within the tunnels?"

"I can only guess, but I think it may be a kind of spite," Strakhov replied, "we laid siege to their capitol city, so now they lay siege to us. It cannot last, however."

"True. Reinforcements could arrive at any time," Kratikoff said, "No forces have even come from Baltimare, but a contingent could be on its way even now. Both of Engines Equestria's facilities continue to produce warjacks, as well."

"And there's this mysterious Project Red River. The Chancellery hasn't even been able to determine what it is, but if Engines Equestria is working on it, but must be some kind of warjack, yes?"

"That seems like a safe assumption. It must be a very special 'jack, given all the effort they've put into concealing its manufacture. Putting that aside, what do you propose we do?"

Strakhov grunted. "I honestly can't recall the last time I've suggested this, but I think we need to retreat. The enemy has the ability to bring in more soldiers, weapons, and warjacks at any time, we do not. They can strike us from the sky, where we cannot retaliate. If we are taken prisoner, we may never see the Motherland again."

"Indeed. I would prefer to avoid further losses. Soldiers are not meant to be spent needlessly. The question is, will they let us leave?"

"The northeast exit is closest to Khador. I do not know whether the airships will be able to spot if we use the same strategy that brought us here. Let's send a runner to Harkevich and see what he thinks."

The Siege of Canterlot: Part Three

"We should use them to spearhead our retreat," Sorscha Kratikoff said, standing in front of a group of warjacks that the Khadorans had held in reserve. "We intended them as a second-wave offensive, but the Equestrian forces are much stronger than anticipated. We will lose them for nothing if we attempt an attack."

"But surely you realize that we will not get another chance to take Canterlot," Izak Harkevich objected, "their monarch fights on the front lines, we have an opportunity to-"

"The window of opportunity has closed, if it was ever open," Oleg Strakhov interrupted, "yes, Celestia attacked your wall herself, but tell me, were you and all your forces able to harm even a hair on her mane?"

"We cannot give up after a single offensive!" Harkevich said vehemently. "She has not yet received reinforcements, her troop numbers are low, and she has no warjacks! The three of us can overwhelm her!"

Kratikoff snorted. "Yes, and their bombs will be as gentle as a summer rain falling upon us."

"They won't bomb us while their princess is on the battlefield!" Harkevich insisted.

"They will if she falls," Strakhov pointed out.

"Then our power fields will protect us," Harkevich said grimly, "and of those fail, then we will die for Khador."

"To die for the Motherland is a fine death indeed," Strakhov allowed, "but my preference is to make the enemy die for her instead, and I cannot do that from an unmarked grave in a foreign nation. We should leave after nightfall, using the same trick we employed to get here."

"This argument needs to end now, while we still have time to act." Kratikoff pronounced. "As Forward Kommander, I am taking operational control of all Khadoran assets here. Harkevich, you will not lead a single soldier against Equestria, I will not see them sacrificed. However, you may take your remaining warjacks, and three Grolars." Kratikoff motioned to the newest of the reserve warjacks. "If you succeed, we will take advantage of the crippling blow to Equestrian morale and strike at Canterlot. If you fail, pray to Menoth your warjacks bring you back before we leave."

"Understood, Forward Kommander," Harkevich said. Battle mechaniks, having overheard the argument while tending to the warjacks, quickly refueled the three Grolars and lit their boilers. Harkevich went to each Grolar, one at a time, and placed a hand briefly on each warjack's head, telepathically bonding with them. It meant going toe to hoof with the most powerful warcaster he'd ever encountered, as well as casting aside his plan of winning over the Equestrian ponies after overcoming their military, but he had no other choice: Kommander Harkevich would kill Princess Celestia.

"What do you make of the situation, Thunder Wing?" Celestia asked, gazing at the tunnel entrance from across the battlefield. Khadoran soldiers and warjacks still held firm at the entrance, but there was no sign of Izak Harkevich.

"They are holding forces in reserve," Thunder Wing said analytically. "likely protecting a central FOB within the tunnels. With this world's sun setting, I think it won't be long before they commit those forces to either a last-ditch attack or a fighting retreat."

Celestia considered her General's pronouncement for a few moments. "I think you're right," the Princess finally said. "What about reinforcements from Canterlot?"

"Already en route," Thunder Wing replied, "A train will be arriving shortly, and Princess Luna is assembling the Lunar Guard. She intends to rotate your forces for hers at sunset."

"Tell me, do you know what my sister plans to do once she arrives?" Celestia asked, "I haven't had a chance to speak to her since her arrival in Canterlot."

"I don't have any official information from her or her soldiers, but if I had to take a guess, I'd suspect that she means to break the siege for good."

"You think she'll rush the caves instead of holding here and waiting the Khadorans out. An interesting idea." Celestia said evenly.

"You know her better than I," Thunder Wing admitted, "but between the two of you, your sister strikes me as more... aggressive."

"I'd say that's an accurate assessment," Celestia said with a small smile, "in my younger years, I was much more like her, but the centuries seem to have mellowed me rather more than my sister. Ah, the Khadoran soldiers appear to be falling back."

"So they are, but the warjacks are staying put." Thunder Wing shot a discrete glance at the phalanx of Royal Guard ponies standing behind her and Celestia, "with our own 'jacks down, that bodes ill. And three of those warjacks that Applejack couldn't identify are here, as well. Looks like Harkevich is controlling them."

Celestia lowered her head slightly, and her horn began to glow. "Let's see what young Izak intends to do."

The Grolar was a marvel of Khadoran engineering. It was a marvel how long it had taken for the Mechaniks Assembly to decide to create a new warjack based on the popular and successful Kodiak chassis, for a start. The Kodiak had been released nearly sixty years ago, and the very first Grolars were only two years old. The improvements that the Assembly had managed to make in the design's boiler and movement systems were also marvelous, as were the machine's advanced -at least for Khador- weaponry. Its left arm had a fist similar to the Kodiak's, but instead of the heavy, shield-like cowling on the lower arm, the Grolar featured a twin-barreled auto cannon capable of rapid linked fire, letting the Grolar fire a terrifying amount of lead at its enemies. The auto cannon's short range was offset by the Grolar's ability to increase its speed in short bursts, surprising enemies with its mobility as it rushed to ideal positions to bring its guns to bear.

The auto cannon was not the Grolar's only weapon, however. The machine wielded a heavy piston hammer in its right arm, capable of delivering brutal force to its enemies. The piston hammer struck with enough force to shatter warjack armor, and was designed to batter aside obstructing enemies to give the Grolar a clear line of fire for its auto cannon. With a specialized cortex able to instantly switch between fighting in melee and at range, the Grolar could smash an opposing 'jack to the ground and bring its gun to bear on second-line troops depending on warjacks for cover. The machine's weakness was its reliance on warcasters. The Grolar demanded intense focus from its 'caster to function at anything resembling maximum effectiveness, draining its warcaster's reserves of arcane power and demanding total attention while it made its assaults. 'Jack marshals were right out for the machine, and few warcasters could manage more than one at a time. Kommander Harkevich did not intend to have his three brand-new Grolars attack Princess Celestia at once. Ideally, they would strike one by one, each machine cutting deeper into her defensive lines until the third reached her with its auto cannon. of course, that plan depended on Celestia remaining on the ground, but the Grolars' auto cannons could easily shoot her down if they could fire before she gained too much altitude. Even if they didn't end her life, such a hail of bullets might convince the Princess to remain on the ground, where she would be more vulnerable to Harkevich's warjacks.

Harkevich stood at the tunnel entrance, watching as Celestia walked towards him, her expression grim. The ponies behind her stood in phalanx formation, allowing their Princess to move further and further away from them. The Kommander wondered if Celestia intended to engage him in single combat. He had no intention of a duel, however. Harkevich waited until he judged Celestia was close enough, then, with a sudden outpouring of arcane power, he accelerated his warjacks into a dead run, focusing his power on one of the Grolars. Looking through the warjack's eyes, he saw Celestia's eyes and horn glow bright gold.

In a flash, Celestia was in the air, almost directly above Harkevich. The Grolar which currently had his attention raised its auto cannon and launched a stream of bullets at the Princess, but she vanished again. Celestia reappeared behind the offending Grolar just long enough to ram a hoof into its boiler before vanishing again. As the Grolar collapsed, its steam venting from the hole in its steam tank, Black Ivan fired its bombard cannon at Celestia. The Princess vanished in another flash of light before the shell struck. Harkevich drove his second Grolar to fire a burst at her just as she appeared behind Ivan, prompting Celestia to vanish again, reappearing behind the warjack. As she raised her hoof to strike its boiler, Harkevich's third Grolar opened fire.

This time, Celestia appeared directly in front of Harkevich and slammed her hoof into his armored chest. Her hoof punched through Harkevich's power field, knocking the wind out of him and causing him to stagger backward. Celestia vanished once more as the Kodiak's massive right fist plowed through the spot she had just been in. Harkevich was still trying to catch his breath, but he was ready for her anyway. The warcaster spun around, swinging Minister in a wide sweep just as Celestia teleported behind him. The heavy, mechanika-augmented club slammed through Celestia's power field and into the side of her head. Harkevich was sure he heard the sound of bones breaking, but Celestia still stood, bleeding onto Minister and glowering at Harkevich. The Khadoran stared in amazement as Celestia slowly raised a hoof and forced her dislocated jawbone back into place. What manner of creature was she, to withstand such a blow without even flinching? Minister could stagger warpwolves and dire trolls when he poured such arcane power into it.

"I'll take that as my punishment for being a one-trick pony," Celestia said as the fury in her expression was slowly replaced with absolute calm. Wordlessly, Harkevich pulled Minister back to deliver another blow even as Black Ivan and the Kodiak rounded on the Princess.

Suddenly, Harkevich's entire world was agonizingly bright, white light. He withdrew his mind from his warjacks' cortexes to avoid seeing through their optics, and was forced to shut his own eyes as well. Just as suddenly, he felt a large, blunt object punch through his power field and slam into the side of his head, and the bright light shining through his eyelids was replaced with total darkness.

Kommander Izak Harkevich lay on his back in the middle of an open field. The sky above him was cloudless, and dominated by a bright, full moon. Not the three moons that orbited Caen according to their own ineffable patterns, but a single white moon that loomed large and full in the sky. It seemed to Harkevich that this moon was somehow closer to him than a moon generally should be. The arcane turbine on his warcaster armor was not powered, but the weight of his armor seemed meaningless. Nonetheless, he found himself unable to move.

"Well, if it isn't Izak Harkevich." A voice said. A dark blue pony superficially resembling Princess Celestia appeared at Harkevich's side, looking down at him. "I wasn't sure I could enter a human's dreams, but here I am."

"What do you want?" Harkevich grumbled. He was completely nonplussed at the situation.

"Quite a bad attitude for a man being paid a visit by Princess Luna herself," Luna chided sardonically, "but I suppose I can understand it. My sister defeated you quite soundly."

"What in Menoth's name happened?" Harkevich asked, speaking half to himself.

"You were warned, you know," Luna replied, rolling her eyes, "you made the sun your enemy, you shouldn't be so surprised that its light blinded you." Luna paused to idly examine a hoof before continuing, "an interesting difference between my sister and I. She felt that since so many Khadorans had already died today, it wouldn't do to end your life. My attitude, on the other hand, was that since so many Khadorans had died already, it wouldn't hurt to end the life of one more. Quite the dictotomy, wouldn't you say?"

"I prefer your sister's way of thinking," Harkevich found that he couldn't help being argumentative. Perhaps that was the nature of the dream.

"I get that a lot, from those forward enough to say so," Luna said flatly, "in any case, I acquiesced to my sister, provided that I could personally lead the forces that herd your little gang out of Equestria. Oh, your soldiers all surrendered after my sister smacked you on the head, I should have mentioned that."

"Then I am your prisoner?"

"Oh, don't I wish," Luna said glibly, "no, some of your loyal engineers came under a white flag and took you and your 'jacks away. They even convinced my sister to give up that lovely black 'jack of yours. I wanted to try to break its cortex lock."

"You don't think enough like a Khadoran to even attempt it." Harkevich growled.

"That was very kind of you to say," Luna said, "unintended flattery aside, your simpering minions are dragging your impudent self and all their dangerous toys back to Khador, and I will personally make sure none of you make any detours. With that in mind, I'll leave you to finish your little nap." On that note, Luna vanished, and Harkevich could do nothing but lay on the ground and stare up at the moon.

Author's Note

Celestia got herself smacked one. The debate over whether she or Luna is a better warcaster can now rage! Or not. Preferably not, in fact. Let's not have raging debates.

Dark Magic on a Dark Night

"Twilight! Twilight!" Spike's familiar voice rasped into Twilight Sparkle's subconcious, and her sleeping mind slowly ground into action. "There's some ponies from the Royal Guard here! They say it's important!"

"Of course they do," Twilight mumbled to herself. Then she called down to Spike, "I'll be right down!"

Still half-asleep, Twilight hurried down the stairs as best she could, finding two Lunar Guard ponies waiting in the main room. "What can I do for you, sirs?"

"Miss Twilight Sparkle, we were told to bring you to the headquarters at City Hall," one of the Guardsponies said, "we have a situation that requires your expertise."

Twilight's mind suddenly kicked into high gear, and she began considering possible scenarios in which the Royal Guard might need her help. "Well, all right then. Let's go, Spike."

"Twilight Sparkle, come on in! Stick around, you two, I may need you again in a bit. And, Spike, right? I might need you to send a letter to Princess Celestia, so don't go anywhere."

"Um, sorry, do I know you?" Twilight asked.

"We haven't met, but I've heard a lot about you. Lieutenant Firecracker Burst, at your service." Firecracker said with a taut smile, "I'm on Shining Armor's command staff, he put me in charge here while he shows those Khadoran invaders a little Equestrian hospitality."

"You must be something of a historian, nopony's used 'Equestrian hospitality' to refer to a counter-offensive since the Diamond Dog Wars," Twilight observed. "And that was before the Royal Sisters brought down King Sombra."

"Military history, mostly. And pyrotechnics, as you might imagine." Firecracker replied with a shrug, "Plus what they taught us in Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns -you probably didn't know it, but I was just a few years above you there. But I need to get to the reason I had you brought here. We think there's an undead of some kind in Ponyville, and let's face it, you know more about them than everypony in Equestria combined."

"Oh great. Just great." Twilight's expression shifted to a disurbing rictus as her eyes bulged slightly. "All right. Okay. Just, uh, just tell me everything you can, and I'll try to help."

"Well, I don't know much," Firecracker admitted, "one of the Guardsponies saw a human -or so he thought- in a long coat skulking at the southern wall. Then he noticed that the thing's skull was exposed -it had no flesh on its head at all. Right as he realized that, the creature walked straight through the wall like it wasn't even there, then it vanished. The guard reported it to me immediately. I've doubled the patrols and put every Guardspony on alert."

"Definitely undead," Twilight confirmed. "A wraith or spirit of some variety. Either the spirit of a soldier from one of the attacks on Ponyville, or one magically bound to serve a necromancer. If it's a bound spirit, it's likely Cr-" Twilight was interrupted by the sound of a gunshot. Firecracker Burst sprang into action, commanding Guardsponies to investigate the shot. Twilight, however, interrupted, "I know that sound! That shot was from a wraithlock pistol! There's a pistol wraith on the loose, and we have to find it!"

"But-!"

"No buts! It's either here to spy or assassinate, if not both! You need me for this!"

"All right, all right, let me get my team together. And don't tell your brother!"

Cherry Cola, at his own insistence, took point. As the toughest pony present, he was more likely to survive taking a bullet or two than the others. It wouldn't be the first time. Behind him walked Twilight Sparkle and Firecracker Burst, Firecracker's horn glowing to provide light for the group. Blue October and Airheart floated above the trio. Everypony except Twilight was scanning the area cautiously as they moved through Ponyville. Twilight was instead staring straight ahead, her horn surrounded in a sinister yellow-green aura, muttering to herself in a language nopony else understood. Small runes, glowing the same color as her horn, hovered in lazy circles around Twilight's head.

"If I were to take a guess, that magic you're doing is meant to find undead, right?" Firecracker asked Twilight quietly.

"Necromancers use it to locate disembodied spirits which might be useful to them," Twilight confirmed, "if I can use it to find this wraith -got him!" The runes around Twilight's horn flared. "On our left! It's headed for the wall!"

Cola immediately turned, charging between two houses. The other ponies followed through the alley, emerging near Ponyville's southern wall. The pistol wraith was waiting for them, guns drawn. It fired both pistols, the spectral bullets denting Cola's peytral and champron before dissipating. Cherry Cola stumbled, shuddering, as the pistol wraith's death chill took effect.

Firecracker Burst invoked a magical explosion, throwing the wraith backwards. Before the spirit could recover, three rings of green runes surrounded it, followed by a faint bubble of arcane force.

"Gotcha!" Trilight declared triumphantly, "wow, you've been a wraith a long time, you poor thing. Even your name has faded away."

"Spare me your pity," the pistol wraith growled, its voice a barely-audible rasp.

"If you insist," Twilight said. "Now, who are you bound to?"

The wraith snapped off a shot at Twilight, but the arcane field surrounding the wraith absorbed the phantom bullet. "Clever, aren't you?" the wraith hissed, "I'm not obligated to answer your questions."

"Oh, you don't have to," Twilight replied. The runes surrounding the pistol wraith flared briefly, and a symbol reminiscent of a claw grasping a human skull appeared on the wraith's forehead as it produced a strange, rattling hiss. "Ah, the Mark of Scaverous. I thought I recognized his magic. Scaverous taught me everything I know about necromancy, did you know that?" The wraith hissed again, but said nothing. "Hm, all right then. More important question: Why are you here?"

Another hiss. "Fine, then. We'll do this the hard way. You know what else your master taught me? Wait, don't bother guessing, you're about to find out!" Another set of runes appeared, hovering briefly around the wraith's head before searing into its skull. Twilight's eyes began glowing green. "Ooh, Project Red River. That's the trendy and popular thing to talk about, isn't it? Too bad you didn't make it all the way in. You know you're dealing with tight security when they catch someone who walks through walls."

"I will kill you," The wraith said flatly.

"No. No you won't," Twilight's eyes stopped glowing, revealing that her pupils had shrunk to tiny dots. "You know what else I can do to wraiths like you? Actually, don't bother guessing at that one either!" The wraith hissed once more. "Like I said, you've been haunting Caen a long, long time. Isn't it time you passed on?" The runes surrounding the pistol wraith brightened again as the specter began to fade. It leveled its pistols at Twilight and fired again and again as it vanished.

"So, uh, that's that, huh?" Cherry Cola asked, pulling his champron off his head and examining the dent. He had suffered no lasting effects from the pistol wraith's bullets.

"For now, anyway," Twilight said, "he's finally resting in peace, and no Cryxians are the wiser. Although, they might send more spies. Oh, I know! I should've thought of this earlier! Firecracker Burst, I need to brief the Royal Guard on Cryxian military assets! They'll be a lot easier to deal with if I'm not the only pony in Ponyville who knows how to fight them."

"Sounds like a good idea," Firecracker agreed, "I'll start scheduling the briefings."

"For now, every patrol should have at least one unicorn, most wraiths can only be harmed by magic. Wait, those new Engines Equestria warjacks have magical weapons, right? If Shining Armor left any behind, we should mobilize as many as possible as sentries, ideally controlled by 'jack marshals."

"All right, I'll make that happen."

Princess Luna was angry. Not the loud, shouty kind of anger she used when trying to get frustrating subjects in line -a practice she had largely abandoned- nor the fiery, burning anger her sister tended towards, which made ponies fear that their manes might burst into flames if they strayed too close. No, Luna's was a cold sort of anger, like ice slowly forming, freezing and suffocating everything it touched. It was a kind of anger she had discovered herself capable of during her millennium of captivity, when she directed it against the nightmare entity that had wrested control of her very mind. It was a fury that waited for the opportunity to unleash itself upon those who caused it, just as blizzards waited for the winter in regions where no ponies dwelled to control the weather. She gazed down at the Khadorans below from the deck of her air warship, the Fulmen. The flagship of the Lunar Sky Fleet, the Fulmen was the second-largest vehicle of any kind in Luna's Night Guard, second only to the flagship of her ocean-going navy, the Impetus. She had brought a fleet of sixteen ships, the Fulmen included, to insure that the retreating Khadorans actually retreated as promised. Early on, the Gibbous, the ship on the leftmost edge of Luna's formation, was forced to drop a few bombs when elements of the Khadorans strayed too far south. The humans had remained well within the boundaries Celestia had given them since then.

Despite her rage, Luna was content to allow the Khadorans safe passage north. She had other plans for the ponies, warjacks, and bombs aboard her formation. She had a very specific target in mind, one which would make it absolutely clear that no one, not even the invincible Khadoran Empire, wanted to make an enemy of Equestria. And so, while the Khadorans stopped at the border outpost they'd recently constructed, desperate for rest and medical attention, only eight of Luna's ships remained behind, under the command of the Lumière. The other eight, led by the Fulmen, continued northwest. The ponies aboard asked no questions, they knew that their Princess intended to demonstrate for Khador's leaders the folly of antagonizing Equestria. That the Empire had literally no anti-air capabilities only compounded the mistake they had made -a detail Luna intended to clarify in detail.

It was sunset when the ponies reached Volningrad, one of Khador's largest cities. Volningrad was also the seat of their Third Army. The training of soldiers and production of armaments were the two main functions of this great city, and it was home to tens of thousands of soldiers. Volningrad was not Princess Luna's target, she merely believed that it was that city which would be most likely to get a messenger to Korsk ahead of her fleet. Luna did not want this to be a surprise attack. Her fleet turned directly northward as they passed over Volningrad, and the Princess allowed herself a rather sinister grin as shouts of confusion and panic rose up from the buildings and streets below. She stood on the bow of the ship, gazing imperiously down at the citizens and soldiers below.

"Do you think they've figured out what we're planning, Princess?" Captain Spring Rain asked. The thestral mare from Hollow Shades was rapidly proving herself to be an excellent adjutant, something Luna had been needing.

The Princess mentally shortlisted Spring Rain for promotion while replying, "even if they don't realize our goal, they'll want Korsk to know we're in the area."

"I suppose you're right. Korsk is their capitol, after all. Oh look, there goes a horseman. You were right, Princess."

"So it would seem. Would it be improper of me to admit that human cavalry... what's the phrase? Weirds me out? Yes, that is the way I mean to put it. Human cavalry weirds me right out."

"You're not the only one." Spring Rain admitted. "Everything about this world just doesn't feel right to me. And the things I've seen aren't have as weird as the things I've heard about."

"Indeed. Now, I must go to the other ships and impress my orders on my warjacks. Find me if any problems arise."

"Of course, Princess."

Black Anchor Baltimare had invented a device for delivering warjacks from Equestrian airships to the ground below. The basic concept was ingenious in its simplicity, being essentially a massive bomb with a warjack in place of the explosives. Dropping this bomb without destroying the warjack, however, was an engineering challenge that had nearly defeated Baltimare's finest minds. In the end, however, they had managed to devise a suite of padding, chains, and timed triggers that would safeguard the 'jack during the impact, then release it onto the battlefield. The other challenge, guiding the warjacks effectively without direct warcaster or 'jack marshal support, was solved -more or less- by Princess Luna herself. She went to each 'jack bomb before they were closed, and impressed upon their cortexes the most complex set of instructions they could handle. Luna commanded her collection of Nomads and Talons to attack uniformed Khadoran soldiers unless they were fleeing or surrendering. She also ordered the 'jacks to attack anyone else who tried to damage them. While she would try to reunite with some of these warjacks when she personally took to the battlefield, most of them would be on their own for the duration of the attack, and they would be abandoned when Luna's forces left. For that reason, she had left all of her preferred 'jacks in Canterlot. These machines were old, expendable warjacks purchased in Equestria's early, desperate rush for armored support, and they had already been replaced by new machines built to the same designs, but with distinctly Equestrian improvements. These 'jacks did not know it, and weren't capable of caring, but this would be their final battle, so Princess Luna wanted to send them out with a proverbial bang.

Her instructions imparted to each warjack, Luna returned to the Fulmen. Caen's three moons light up the night as Luna's airships reached Korsk and spread out over the city. As Khadoran citizens and soldiers looked to the skies and the vessels they could not comprehend, the 'jack bombs began to fall.

Shouted orders and the occasional panicked scream rang out across Korsk, at least when they weren't being drowned out by gun and cannon fire. Luna marched through the city, followed by a pair of Nomads and four Talons. She neither knew nor cared where the rest of her warjacks were. Given the continued noise, she assumed that they were killing soldiers and breaking military hardware, and that, frankly, was good enough for her.

The magic coursing through Luna's body channeled through her hooves, cracking the main street's stone slabs with every step. There was absolutely no purpose for this other than that the stones would have to be replaced later, but Luna was in a spiteful mood, so that, too, was good enough for her. With her soldiers aboard the airships and the Khadorans either hiding, dead, or otherwise occupied, Luna found herself the only living thing at the gates of Stasikov Palace. Within her magical aura floated a collection of weapons taken from Khadoran soldiers and warjacks that she and her machines had felled, including the mechanika axes and mauls of Man-O-War Shocktroopers and Demolitions Corpsmen, as well as the odd chainsaw-grenade launcher combinations carried by Man-O-War Bombardiers, warjack ice axes and executioner axes, and a massive spear taken from a wrecked Spriggan. Around and between these great weapons hovered the armaments of lighter infantry, including Assault Kommando shields, Iron Fang blasting pikes, and a slightly silly number of Winter Guard axes. The more interesting weapons Luna intended to present to Engines Equestria for reverse engineering, the rest she had picked up mainly because she thought they might come in useful.

Suddenly, Luna felt a presence. An ancient and sinister power had arrived behind her. Luna turned to face this new entity. Thanks to Applejack, Luna knew that there was but one being in Khador that was so aged and so powerful.

"The shadow of winter, the claw of night, a bloody lament, and a dead king's plight," Luna said, quoting a nursery rhyme from Khador's earliest days. "Or do you prefer 'Zevanna Agha,' as you seem to have been calling yourself this century? I have heard rumors about you."

The entity, who to the ignorant appeared to be an extremely elderly human woman, glared at Luna through her one visible eye, the other covered by a thick cloth. Her small, hunched body was covered from head to foot in a large, ragged cloak, from which emerged smokestacks -evidence of an arcane turbine hidden somewhere in the recesses of the witch's cloak. On each finger, she wore rusty, bloodstained metal talons. Or perhaps they were permanent attachments, Luna realized that she couldn't tell. Given the rumors surrounding the Old Witch, either possibility was likely. On her shoulders were pauldrons that appeared to have been hammered from scrap iron, and in her left hand was a wooden staff adorned with carvings resembling a cluster of screaming faces, reminding Luna of the examples she'd seen of Orgoth decoration. From this staff hung human skulls attached by loose chains. A raven was perched on the Old Witch's staff, and several more circled overhead. Behind the Old Witch stood a long-legged, armless steamjack with several canvas sacks strapped to it, and more ravens on its back. The 'jack appeared to have been cobbled together from salvaged bits and pieces of wrecked Khadoran warjacks, although it prominently featured an arc node -an innovation that Khador had never replicated.

"I have learned of you as well, Princess Luna," the Old Witch said, her voice dry and rasping. "You who controls darkness and night, mistress of your world's moon. You threaten these northern lands with your invasion. I will not tolerate your presence here."

"'Invasion'?" Luna asked mockingly. "With only eight airships? Do not insult the Equestrian Lunar Guard. If I meant to invade, a fleet of no less than thirty ships would have arrived, and we would have begun by bombing Korsk's Third Army garrison -as well as this palace- to rubble." Luna neglected to mention the large quantity of Equestrian warjacks that had been dropped on the Third's Army's barracks. "Then the warjacks would have descended, followed by myself and flights of Royal Guard Skycrackers to secure landing zones. After that, transport ships would land and deploy Stalwarts, Battlemages, and more warjacks. We would sweep through this city, crushing any resistance, and take control of all of the city's military production facilities. Korsk would become my forward operating base, and the three armies of the Khadoran Empire would have to besiege their own capitol city. All of that without the participation of my sister's Solar Guard. This is no invasion. I simply came to deliver a message."

"Leave now or I will kill you."

"Zevanna Agha, you are the worst conversationalist on the face of Caen. More to the point, I mean to deliver my message to Ayn Vanar personally, as befits communication of such gravity between two national leaders."

"I will consider those your last words, Princess Luna." the Old Witch said flatly. The Scrapjack charged towards Luna, but was intercepted by a Nomad. The rest of Luna's warjacks rushed Zevanna Agha, and Luna herself vanished.

Leaving her 'jacks behind, Luna strode towards the front doors of Stasikov Palace, the gates of the castle's wall behind her. Her eclectic collection of weaponry floated around her. The Princess had considered simply teleporting into the palace, but she felt that using the front door was only proper and fitting for royalty. Under the circumstances, propriety was the least she could offer.

A murder of crows descended from the sky, cawing and screeching as they joined together to become Zevanna Agha. The Scrapjack appeared at her side immediately after, missing a single talon from its left leg, but otherwise no worse for wear. Or at least no more worse for wear than it'd been when Luna first saw it.

"Nice trick," Luna said sardonically. "I have a cape that can turn into bats, but that was perhaps slightly more impressive." The Scrapjack charged again, this time receiving a blasting pike to its arc node. As the improvised warjack staggered, a pair of ice axes tore its legs off at the hips.

"I seem to have broken your toy." Luna commented idly. "Maybe your Empress will buy you a new one."

"She already has," Agha said, maintaining a similar calm. The ground shook as something extremely heavy took a step nearby. Then another. As whatever it was gained speed, the land shuddered as if a minor earthquake had started. Luna raised an eyebrow as a singularly massive warjack rounded Stasikov Palace, behind which the great machine must have been waiting for Agha's arrival. Luna concluded that the Old Witch had placed it there in anticipation of this confrontation. "Behold the Conquest. It is the pinnacle of Khadoran engineering."

"Massive, slow, and I imagine absurdly brutal, a bulky slab of a machine designed and built by men and women for whom finesse is an alien concept," Luna replied, "yes, it is Khadoran mechanika in a nutshell. Admittedly a very large nutshell. That seems to be approaching me in some approximation of haste." Luna teleported again as the Conquest's left fist slammed into the ground where she had been standing. As the massive warjack removed its hand from the crater its punch had made, a loud clanging sound rang out. Luna, hovering behind the machine, had tried to drive her armored hoof through the warjack's back and into the boiler. However, the thick armor merely showed a slight indentation.

"At least you build them tough," Luna called to the Old Witch, vanishing again as the Conquest tried to swing the back of its elbow around to strike her. This time she reappeared standing on the right side of Conquest's top, next to its main guns. She used her magic to begin battering the machine's hull and cannons with her collection of weapons. The Old Witch released a reddish pulse of arcane power, and Luna's various armaments fell to the ground like a cacophonous metal rain, her magic no longer controlling them. Zevanna Agha dispersed into a murder of crows once more, reforming opposite Luna on the warjack. The Conquest swung its right arm upwards, trying to get at Luna, who it could now see through its master's eyes. However, the machine's limited shoulder rotation prevented it from reaching high enough to even attempt a grab.

"These cannons are the size of a man," Luna pointed out, tapping a hoof on the nearest of the paired main guns. "What are they, naval guns?" The Old Witch suddenly lashed out with her claws. She was faster than Luna had anticipated, but had trouble reaching her over the cannons. Nevertheless, Agha's claws tore deep rents in Luna's peytral. In retaliation, Luna's hoof slammed into Agha's face, knocking her from the Conquest. The towering 'jack caught her in its hand, however.

Zevanna cast a spell, yanking Luna towards her, but the Princess spread her wings and took to the sky, retaliating with a blast of raw darkness, which the Old Witch dodged with stunning agility. Yet more crows appeared from thin air, swarming around Luna and trying to tear at her armor and exposed body with their beaks and talons. Luna ignored the occult birds, however, swooping downward and body-slamming Zevanna Agha off of the Conquest's palm and into the ground.

The resultant crater wasn't as wide or deep as the one left by the Conquest's punch, but it was still rather impressive. Luna spread her wings, but before she could take off, the Old Witch's claws dug into her sides through the gaps between her peytral and croupiere. Luna clenched her teeth, hissed, and brought a hoof slamming into Agha's face again. And again. And again. Even when Zevanna Agha fainted and the Conquest went inert, the witch did not bleed. Zevanna's claws slid from the wounds she had created in Luna's sides, which immediately began to heal.

"Zevanna Agha, I owe you some respect," Luna said to her fallen enemy, "I was taking you seriously and you still managed to harm me. Quite severely, in fact. I don't know whether you're alive or dead right now, but frankly I hope for the latter. If you'll excuse me, however, I have a message to deliver." With that, she gave Agha a hard kick to the chest, trying not to be too satisfied as she finally felt some ribs shatter under her hoof. Then, she seized her collection of stolen weapons and took to the sky, abandoning propriety and resolving to crash through a window and raise as large a ruckus as possible.

It was immediately clear to Princess Luna that Ayn Vanar and her entourage had fled, likely through some secret exit leading to a safe house or bunker known only to a select few. She did, however, locate the throne room, so Luna used powerful lightning magic to blast a simple message into the wall behind the throne:

STAY OUT OF EQUESTRIA

Not quite as eloquent as she would have liked, but lightning was hardly an ideal writing utensil, and brick walls made for a poor medium in any case. After pausing a moment to examine her work and hope Vanar or someone in her inner circle could read Cygnaran, Luna vanished. Moments later, the Equestrian airships all turned to the south and sailed away in the pre-dawn light.

Zevanna Agha stirred. Her one visible eye opened and blinked twice. She pulled herself to her feet, feeling her ribcage reassemble itself. Her cane appeared from nowhere in her hand, and the Scrapjack, the damage it had sustained now completely undone, was suddenly at her side. Agha placed a hand on the Conquest's foot, resetting and reactivating its cortex. It had been a long time since the Old Witch had faced an enemy of such might as Princess Luna. She sniffed at the drying pony blood on her claws. Narrowing her eyes, she wondered just what the source of Luna's power was. It mattered little, she concluded. She would have preferred to slay Luna and bleed her out, fully exploring her nature and magic in the process. Perhaps preserving some of the blood, which clearly carried potent magic. However, the Old Witch had to settle for buying enough time for the Empress to escape.

The Fulmen cruised through the lightening sky, reaching Canterlot just as the sun began to rise. Princess Luna left her quarters, intending to stand on the bow as the Fulmen made her final approach, but was stopped by a brilliant flash of light that resolved itself into Princess Celestia.

"What's this about half your fleet sailing north into Khadoran airspace?" Celestia asked without preamble.

"I thought it was necessary to deliver a message," Luna replied. "So I paid a visit to Korsk."

Celestia closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "You left the city in flames and rubble, didn't you?"

"That would be an overstatement. I merely demonstrated the power afforded to Equestria by our total air supremacy."

"... Warjack bombs?"

"They work exactly as designed. I was quite pleased."

"That wasn't what I meant. In any event, you do realize that the Khadorans will not tolerate this, don't you?"

"Sister, I made it quite clear that any further hostility from Khador would result in Korsk's palace and garrison being blasted to rubble and the rest of the city becoming my base of operations for the conquest of Khador."

"Ayn Vanar is a prideful and cold-hearted individual, Luna," Celestia said. "I can easily imagine her sacrificing her very capitol to attempt revenge for this."

"Then I will crush her next invasion attempt on my way to Korsk," Luna shot back.

"Do you realize, Luna, how close we are to completing the final phase of the ritual?" Celestia asked. "I only allowed you to follow the Khadorans in their retreat to insure that they left our borders. From now on, no pony is leaving Equestria's borders. No pony, no griffon, no cattle or buffalo or minotaur. Every resident of Equestria is now in Equestria, and they are going to stay here until the ritual is complete. Is that clear?"

"Very well, sister, I see your point," Luna acquiesced.

"Good. Now, we still have much to do."

The Clockwork Champion

Engines Equestria's Ponyville branch had finished production for the evening, and the many mechaniks and engineers had gone to their homes to rest and prepare for another day's hard work. The campus was lit only by moonlight and the flashlight spells of patrolling Lunar Guard unicorns, and was as quiet as a particularly introverted mouse vying for Fluttershy's title as World "Shhh" Champion. The only exception was the over-sized building in which Project Red River was being conducted, though the silencing and light-blocking spells on the structure made it seem from the outside to be the darkest and quietest place on the campus. Inside, however, were Captain Shining Armor and his lieutenants, as well as Twilight Sparkle and all three Princesses.

"It's an excellent machine, Shining Armor," Celestia said. "Thank you all for indulging me in my little pet project."

"It's all thanks to this bunch," Shining nodded towards his lieutenants, who were inspecting the prototype, "and the Engines Equestria steamworkers."

"I'll be sure to express my gratitude to the steamworkers as well," Celestia rested a hoof on Twilight's shoulder. "Twilight, I would like you to field-test this machine, as well as the new arcane turbine Minuette has created."

"Are you sure?" Twilight asked nervously. "I mean, Minuette's turbine shouldn't be a problem, but I'm not sure I can handle a warjack like this."

"No pony has yet commanded a warjack like this, Twilight, but I have every confidence in you. We'll get you fitted for warcaster armor in the morning."

There was an air of excitement throughout Ponyville. Given that Princess Celestia was in town, this was to be expected. The general sense of anticipation throughout the town was only increased by the fact that the Princess was present to make an important announcement, and that nopony knew what it was. The rapid assembly of an open-air stage outside of the tall, off-limits building at Engines Equestria had many ponies assuming that whatever goings-on were going on in that structure had reached their conclusion. As the hour of Celestia's speech approached, shops closed, laborers and craftsponies laid down their tools, and Ponyville's entire population converged on Engines Equestria's campus. Pegasus ponies familiar with the off-limits structure noticed holes in the roof that hadn't been there before, through which billowed thick clouds of smoke. The roar of a steamjack's furnace was unmistakable to those who worked with the machines, although many of them suspected that this engine was the loudest they'd heard, even through the building's walls. Celestia stood at the back of the stage, flanked by Luna and Cadance. At Cadance's other side were Shining Armor and his lieutenants, and beside Luna were the small few engineers who had been entrusted to work on the mysterious project going on in the mysterious structure. Spike the dragon stood near Shining Armor, but Twilight Sparkle was conspicuously absent.

The crowd's general chatter died down as Celestia's assistant, the black-maned mare known as Raven, stepped up to the podium. The unicorn adjusted her horn-rimmed glasses.

"Mares and gentlestallions," Raven said in her most formal of formal voices. "Her Highness Princess Celestia, Bringer of Sunlight and Monarch of the Dawn Sky, has come here to Ponyville to personally deliver an announcement of utmost importance. Without further ado, Princess Celestia." With that simple introduction, Raven stepped aside. Celestia, smiling slightly at her assistant's fondness for inventing new regal-sounding titles whenever she introduced the Princess, approached the podium.

"My little ponies," Celestia said warmly. "My dear subjects, as Raven said, I have an announcement to make. I'm sure you're well aware that Engines Equestria has been working on a project of utmost secrecy here in Ponyville. The purpose of this effort was to create a warjack. A warjack of incomparable power and resilience which would serve as a shield to protect everypony from those who might threaten us!" Celestia's horn glowed as she used her magic to slowly open the building's giant double doors. Due to the sun's position in the morning sky, the structure remained largely in shadow, but it was clear that something massive was inside, partially backlit by its furnace's flames. "Fillies and gentlecolts, this is the culmination of Project Red River!" The great machine took single thunderous step forward, its massive foot shaking the ground. Then, another step brought it fully into the morning light. "Upon the steel shoulders of this great machine rest the hopes and dreams of all Equestrians! I give you... the Paragon!" The warjack towered over thirty feet tall, its massive armor was shaped into broad curves and slopes designed to deflect projectiles. Each leg was as wide as a light warjack, and its hands were broad enough for a pony to stand easily in its palms. Indeed, Twilight Sparkle stood in its right hand, clad in polished steel armor with a newly-made arcane turbine on her back. Built into the front of the Paragon's shoulders were a pair of long-barreled cannons. The shoulders, arms, and legs were carved with curved etchings centered around silver spheres that glowed with arcane force. With the exception of its knuckles and wrists, each joint was formed of a ball joint with two long pistons at the front and back. The wrists were ball joints without pistons, while the knuckle joints were moved by metal vanes through which coursed arcane force. Its legs were broad and heavily armored, their structure vaguely reminiscent of a pony's hind legs. The Paragon's armor was painted a muted off-white with a bright red stripe across the left shoulder, above which was painted 'Red River Prototype 001'. The number had been reserved for the first Paragon despite the fact that Red River's work had produced other products beforehand.

There was silence. Then, more silence, followed by silence. After that, there was only silence.

Then the cheering began. Shouts of joy and admiration, thunderous applause, ponies jumping up and down. The kind of thing that Princess Celestia had come to associate with her announcements of good news. She simply maintained a serene smile as the Paragon knelt down, lowering its hand so that Twilight could hop from its palm onto the stage. Twilight bowed low, raising her head only when Celestia rested a hoof on her shoulder.

"Twilight, let's bring the Paragon to the proving grounds. It's time for a demonstration of its capabilities."

"Of course, Princess Celestia"

It was midnight when the attack started. Bursts of steel spikes screamed through the darkness, ricocheting off of Shining Armor's town-shielding force field. Four-legged Leviathan helljacks trudged forward from the treeline, releasing another hail of spikes. Behind them came scores of helljacks of every description. bonejacks bearing arc nodes stalked among the helljacks, and more of them spread out to the formation's flanks, accompanied by bane riders and centaur-like soulhunter thralls. Behind the warjacks and cavalry came mechanithrall hordes with several brute thralls among them, along with bane thralls and knights, bile thralls, and warwitch sirens. Necrosurgeons followed the mechanithralls closely, their stitch thralls prepared to bring them fallen thralls or useful body parts, while several necrotechs scuttled close to the helljacks, prepared to improvise repairs or scrap thralls as the machines were damaged and wrecked. Also among the helljacks floated iron lich overseers, their gestalt consciousnesses entrusted to marshal most of the heavy warjacks.

In relative safety behind this grim horde were the three iron liches of the Withershadow Combine: Maelovus, Admonia, and Tremulus. While highly placed within Cryx's hierarchy, the Combine were present in a support role, as requested by the force's leader: Lich Lord Asphyxious, who stood (more or less) with his centipede-like custom bonejack, the Cankerworm. Also in Asphyxious's support were Wraith Witch Deneghra, protectively loomed over by Nightmare, and Master Necrotech Mortenebra, accompanied by her heavily modified skarlock thrall, Deryliss. Other skarlocks were interspersed among the hordes of lesser thralls, guiding and commanding the mindless undead. Also within the mass were several pistol wraiths, drifting almost idly along, wraithlock pistols at the ready. Behind the warcasters, deep in the shadows, the glow of burning necrotite promised further horrors.

"Thy evaluation of their force field would appear to be correct, Deneghra," Asphyxious said.

"Thank you, my lord," Deneghra rasped gratefully. "I would have preferred to mobilize before the ponies responsible for it returned, but Lord Terminus was late in replying to my requests."

"I am sure his delay was not accidental." Asphyxious commented. "The presence of Lord Tartarus and General Slaughterborn would have been beneficial, but they are not essential. As for the barrier, Admonia will penetrate it."

Twilight Sparkle had been pleased to find that the Canterlot Archives contained spells for seeing through natural and magical obstructions to vision, and was even more pleased with the speed at which she had mastered the spell that now allowed her to see through both the darkness of night and the occluding, anathemic clouds that typically surrounded bane thralls.

"If those things reach the barrier, I'm not going to be able to hold it," Shining Armor told her.

"It wouldn't matter," Twilight replied. "The Withershadow Combine is here. Admonia can break down most forms of magic without even trying. It would only be a matter of time before she worked out how to cancel your barrier."

"Then we'd better mobilize."

As Twilight opened her mouth to respond, a massive footstep shook the wall. "I think Princess Celestia's a step ahead of us on that." Both ponies turned to see that Celestia was indeed rolling out every single Royal Guard pony in Ponyville, and that she, Luna, and Cadance commanded large contingents of warjacks, including the Paragon. Celestia stood atop the colossal warjack, directing the soldiers as the mass of iron, steel, and ponyflesh hastened towards the southern gate.

Celestia had to fly from the Paragon to the wall as it moved through the gate, being barely able to fit through without her on top. "Twilight Sparkle, Shining Armor, what do you make of the situation?"

"What we see is a vanguard force," Twilight said, struggling to keep her tone matter-of-fact. "It's a blitz intended to soften us up." Twilight returned to her binoculars and continued. "There are two warcasters. Wraith Witch Deneghra seems to be communing with the skarlock thralls and iron lich overseers controlling the bulk of the force. Master Necrotech Mortenebra is also approaching, apparently in control of a much smaller force, mostly heavy warjacks. Bane riders and soulhunters are flanking, apparently without oversight. There's a third warcaster. He's past the treeline, so I can't see him clearly, but given that Deneghra is here, we can safely assume it's Lich Lord Asphyxious. He'll be bringing up the rear if he decides this force can't handle us on their own. But warcasters aren't the main issue here -I'm pretty sure you can take Asphyxious in a magic duel, and the others are weaker than he is. The main problem are those three iron liches Mortenebra's escorting. The one with the book can cancel spells, she'll shut down Shining's barrier if she gets close enough."

"I'll make it a point to stop them." With that, Celestia leapt into the night sky.

"Whatever you do, don't let them get a cortex!" Twilight called after her.

"What happens if they get a cortex?" Shining asked.

"They use it to teleport an active Cryxian warjack to their location," Twilight replied flatly. "And then it goes on a rampage. As they do."

"That's bad." Shining flinched as another barrage of Leviathan needles struck his barrier. "I can't fight and keep this force field up at the same time, so we'll form the second line with Cadance."

"Twilight!" Rainbow Dash shouted before either unicorn realized she was there. "What should we do?!"

Trying to act like she hadn't just jumped a good two feet straight up, Twilight realized that the rest of her friends were ascending the steps up the wall. Each was wearing her respective Element of Harmony. Spike came with them, carrying the Element of Magic. Twilight paused, considering the situation. Cannon fire began to thunder across the town as the Paragon's guns opened up.

"I have an idea," Twilight declared. "It's either brilliant or crazy, but we don't have time to lose. Come with me, girls!"

Author's Note

Twilight, what has the fandom told you about thinking your ideas through properly?

Sunrise War

“Princess Luna, all our ships are entirely out of bombs,” Spring Rain reported. She stood beside her Princess on the deck of the Fulmen, surveying the horde of undead below.

“We have depleted their forces, but it seems air support alone will not win this battle,” Luna replied. She was surrounded by her panoply of seized Khadoran weapons, which drifted lazily in her magic aura like weaponized mist. “There are still far too many, and even now their engineers salvage their fallen. Give the signal to release the warjack bombs.”

“Immediately!” Spring Rain turned to the aft of the vessel and called out to a soldier standing next to the banner cable that ran from railing to balloon. “Signal! Wisteria-juniper-bloom-aster!” The flags went up as the crew of the Fulmen, hearing the call, prepared their own 'jack bombs.

The Fulmen's first warjack bombs were followed almost immediately by the first wave from the Lumière. In a span of minutes, the Lunar Sky Fleet had dropped over six dozen rampant warjacks amid the Cryxian vanguard. Princess Luna had given them telepathic commands to offer no quarter and fight as long as even a single piston could pressurize. Nomads crashed into Slayers and Harrowers, carving their black iron armor with heavy blades. Freebooters crushed mechanithralls and bile thralls in their clamps and under their feet, heedless of steam fists and acid alike. Buccaneers trapped brute thralls and Deathrippers in their nets, to be pierced by Talon spears. Still the massed abominations pressed forward. Outside of their master's control, the Equestrian warjacks were limited in their ability to fight. Seethers tore off warjack arms while Ripjaws carved their knees. Leviathan spikes punctured armor and piston alike, felling warjacks as Night Guard thestrals and pegasi took to the skies to guard their ships from winged Scavenger and Shrike bonejacks. Soulhunters and bane riders crashed into the Equestrian warjacks that had landed on the flanks.

“The Night Sky Fleet has played its part,” Luna said calmly. She singled out a Scavenger a hundred feet away and blasted it to scrap with her magic. “Raise the signal to fall back, I will not have my ponies torn apart by those warjacks.”

“Of course, Princess,” Rain called out the signal to the flag pony. When she turned back, Luna was gone.

The Princess of the Night hit the ground hard, just behind the Cryxian vanguard. Without hesitation, she laid into the rear lines of the undead, her collection of weapons becoming a whirlwind of mechanikal death. Necrotechs and necrosurgeons were cut down by the one-pony engine of destruction. Crowds of misguided scrap thralls detonated in chain reactions started by Luna's explosive spells. Warwitch sirens, the only living members of the Cryxian throng, cried out in shock as the lunar nightmare slew them. Stitch thralls were cut to ribbons as they tried to collect the sirens' bodies for masters who had already been terminated.

Princess Luna sensed the presence of Lich Lord Asphyxious in the split second that his teleportation spell was cast. She looked in his direction even as he manifested, Daeamortus gripped in one claw.

“Luna,” the iron lich intoned in his sepulchral voice, not offering the respect of her title.

“Asphyxious,” the princess replied, returning the disrespect. “Tell me, abomination, are you aware of the fine art of the magic duel?”

“Ponies by the dozens have had their every secret laid bare from beyond death by our exhumators. The existence of magic dueling and the meaningless pretense of honor that defines it came as no surprise to us. Others engage in similarly meaningless foolishness with firearm, blade, or their bare hands.”

“And here I was ready to invite you to settle this battle with one,” Luna replied with a sneer.

“Thou are suggesting that I would assemble such a force, plan such an invasion, only to decide it by single combat? The very idea is as ludicrous as it is insulting.” Asphyxious took Daeamortus in both claws and leveled it at Princess Luna. “Still, if thou wishes to add thy soul to my personal collection, I would be fascinated to taste it.”

“You know, I can't help but pity you,” Luna replied. “Even I, at my very worst, was never as tainted as you. You've drifted so far into corruption, I don't think it's possible for you to escape it any more. You've gone so far as to warp your very soul.”

“Escape? Corruption? Pity? Nonsense. In the end, all will serve Lord Toruk, body and soul. Those of us who serve willingly receive glorious blessings proportionate to their value to Him. The unwilling gain an eternity of servitude in mindless undeath. I see potential in thee, so I will allow thee to choose.”

“In the same way that you allowed Twilight Sparkle to choose, I imagine.”

“She was offered a great opportunity. She declined. It is her loss.”

“The worst part is that you believe every word you're saying.”

“That thou dost not reveals thee as the one in need of pity.” Asphyxious rushed forward, gliding above the ground. Luna parried with an ice axe and swept three annihilator blades at the iron lich, but Asphyxious vanished in a burst of runes. Luna vanished as well, just before an explosion of necrotic energy detonated at her former location. Both warcasters teleported back to the forest edge. Daeamortus was a blur as Asphyxious deflected blow after blow from Luna's collection of armaments.

Suddenly, Luna felt a presence behind her. She swept an annihilator blade over her back just in time to deflect Wraith Witch Deneghra's polearm, Eclipse.

“Surely thou thought not this battle a duel, regardless of my words?” Asphyxious asked the Princess.

“A mare can dream, can't she?” Luna quipped. Nightmare charged in, forcing Luna to bring three ice axes around in order to deflect its wicked claws. Attacked from three sides, Princess Luna devoted her entire collection of weapons to stopping the various blades coming at her from the helljack and warcasters. She released a pulse of arcane power, driving her assailants back.

“Deneghra, please entertain the lady a moment.” Without waiting for a reply, Asphyxious vanished.

“It seems that your master has chosen to sacrifice you rather than face me himself,” Luna taunted, turning to face her new adversary.

“Mortals often boast that they will give their last breath for whomever they serve,” Deneghra replied, idly twirling Eclipse. “I gave my last breath for Lord Asphyxious years ago, yet still I serve him.”

“That makes it acceptable for him to throw you at me like a grenade?”

“It amuses me that you show such concern for your enemy's safety.”

“I suppose I'm too nice for my own good. I do seem to have a gift for getting my enemies to talk aimlessly.”

“Perhaps it's your 'special talent,' as your kind enjoy calling it.”

“More likely you've picked up your master's fascination for hearing his own voice. He does tend to carry on, wouldn't you say?”

“Lord Asphyxious has a reason for everything he does. His plans often take decades or even centuries to come to fruition, but in this case we need not wait so long.”

Just then, Luna sensed a dark and twisted presence. This feeling was immediately followed by the sight of Cryx-light from the forest, the glow rising fifty feet off the ground. The corrupted thing glided, incorporeal, through the woods until it emerged from the treeline. It was a massive, hulking machine, with a line of smoke stacks rising from its curved carapace. It moved on a serpentine cluster of necromechanikal tubing, and had long, slender arms. The hateful machine stared at Luna through the eye sockets of its huge, humanoid skull, and the countless souls that the Princess could sense animating the construct resonated in primal, incoherent hate. Suddenly, the machine was much closer to her, and Luna teleported into the sky as it swept its bladed claws towards her. Sensing the activation of several more of the terrible constructs, Luna whirled towards the Equestrian forces and activated her Royal Canterlot Voice.

“WRAITH ENGINES!!”

Princess Luna's warning echoed throughout Ponyville, causing Twilight, surrounded by her friends in the library, to drop her copy of Victor Pendrake's Monsternomicon Volume II with a gasp.

"That's bad, right?" Rainbow Dash asked rhetorically.

"A little, yes." Twilight's eyelid twitched. "I was hoping to have more time to prepare, but I don't really have that luxury if there's Wraith Engines on the loose."

"So, explain t' me what you're up to here," Applejack said. "I mean, ya just said ya had a plan, and then ya brought us all here to watch you read some."

"I'm going to do something that's either absolute genius or incredible idiocy." Twilight offered by way of explanation.

"I was afraid you'd say somethin' like that," Applejack grumbled, flicking her tail.

"Now, I'm sure you're all familiar with Starswirl the Bearded's Omniamorphic Spell?" Twilight asked. Without waiting for an answer, she continued, "I can use it to transform into any kind of creature. Something big and powerful enough to turn the tide of this battle. At least, in theory. The problem is that it demands a huge amount of magical power, more than even I can channel. At least on my own."

"And we come in... where, precisely?" Rarity prompted.

"Friendship is the most potent source of magic in Equestria. We're going to focus the full power of the Elements of Harmony directly into me, giving me the power to cast the Omniamorphic Spell on myself."

"Whoa, hold on!" Rainbow Dash interrupted. "That sounds incredibly dangerous. I mean, I'm cool with putting myself in danger to protect my friends, but this is more like putting my friend in danger to protect myself, and that seems kind of backwards."

"Don't worry about a thing!" Twilight said reassuringly. "The Elements of Harmony are only really harmful to monsters and evil-doers. Worst case scenario is the spell backfires and all the magic is released in a massive shockwave that turns all the Cryxians to stone. Come to think of it, when we have some time to spare we should figure out how to do that on purpose."

"Darling, I really think this is unwise," Rarity said.

"We don't have much of a choice," Twilight replied, her horn and Element starting to glow. The others exchanged nervous glances, but decided to trust in Twilight's arcane wisdom. Each pony closed her eyes and rose into the air as the familiar power of the Elements flowed through them.

Princess Celestia was getting frustrated. The iron lich called Admonia had learned to cancel out Equestrian magic with shocking speed, and was nullifying her defensive spells almost as quickly as she cast them. Unable to rely on their Princess's protection, her soldiers had to engage the enemy much more cautiously than normal, a problem exacerbated by the struggle to keep her warjacks from falling to the Withershadow Combine. Despite Twilight's warning, Celestia had been forced to sacrifice a Nomad to slow the Cryxian advance. The Combine had used its cortex to summon a Harrower, which had broken through the Paragon's force field and gouged several deep rents in the great machine's leg before being crushed under its massive fists.

Celestia perched on the Paragon's curved shoulder and began coursing magic through its cortex to replenish its power field. The colossal warjack fired both of its Hullbuster cannons into a Seether, crippling the machine. Below, Solar Royal Guard ponies stood fast against a wave of mechanithralls, with fire support provided by a pair of Mule warjacks. Then, Celestia heard a sharp, familiar cry. She looked up to see Philomena circling overhead. Celestia raised a hoof for the phoenix to perch on. Philomena obliged, looking to Celestia's eyes. The Princess looked at Admonia, then returned her focus to Philomena.

"I hate to ask this of you, but-" Celestia started. Philomena spread her wings and took flight before she could finish. Then, the phoenix burst into flames and shot like a rocket directly at the iron lich. Admonia saw the bird coming, shooting gouts of hellfire from her claw. Streaking through the air with a trail of flames behind her, Philomena avoided Admonia's spells, stuck her steel chest beak-first, and exploded in a blaze of white-hot flame. Admonia screeched in rage as her metal body was reduced almost instantly to slag. From the ashes Philomena rose, soaring back to Celestia.

Maelovus gave Mortenebra a baleful look. "I was not expecting that," he admitted. Tremulus, meanwhile, stooped down and took Admonia's tome, protected by dark and ancient magic, from her still-molten remains. Holding the book under his arm, Tremulus next retrieved her skull, also undamaged.

"She'll want these when her new body is assembled," Tremulus explained to Mortenebra.

"We must fall back," the Master Necrotech replied. "Lord Asphyxious-" Mortenebra was interrupted by a sound like an eagle's call, but impossibly loud, which echoed across the battlefield. A shadow swept across the field as a massive bird, electricity coursing across its lavender-feathered wings, flew over the Ponyville wall. The mighty storm raptor cruised over the front line to slam talons-first into the nearest Wraith Engine. The raptor tore the machine's armor to ribbons as lightning arced from its beak and claws into the swarm of thralls surrounding the giants.

"Run!" Mortenebra ordered, telepathically commanding her remaining warjacks and thralls into a suicidal charge against Celestia's forces.

The Deathjack trampled heedlessly through the mechanithrall horde, eager to taste the soul of this new enemy. Suddenly, the gigantic bird was gone, replaced by a massive dire troll - a mountain king. The gargantuan troll seized the Deathjack in a single, meaty fist and hurled it at another Wraith Engine. As the abominable machines crashed to the ground, Celestia noticed a distinctive marking on the mountain king's upper thigh.

"Oh Twilight, what have you done this time?" The Princess asked under her breath, melting a Desecrator's cortex with a flash of sunlight. Without Admonia to counter her spells, Celestia was able to send her magic coursing through her soldiers, protecting them from the Cryxian onslaught.

Twilight Sparkle had never felt so absolutely powerful. Fueled by the Elements of Harmony, the Omniamorphic Spell had put her in a constant state of flux. One moment, she was a serpentine tatzlwurm, using her arm-length fangs to seize warwitches and worry them like a dog at a bone. Then Twilight was a dinosauroid rhinodon, sweeping her clubbed tail through the teeming mass of thralls. Next she was a slag troll, ignoring the corrosive spray of purging bile thralls while dragging bane riders from their undead steeds. After that she was a dracodile, massive scales deflecting attacks as she released a bilious spray from her huge maw into ranks of bane knights. She thanked any and every deity that might have been involved for the time she'd spent in the hospital, memorizing both volumes of the Monsternomicon. Then she turned into a huge Raevhan buffalo and used her mighty horns to pitch a Slayer into another Wraith Engine. Twilight felt magic coursing through her horns, and was curious. She tried to cast a spell, and was thrilled to discover that it worked - a blast of arcane power detonated in the midst of yet another wave of mechanithralls. Twilight became a frost drake and took to the sky, arcing lightning from her horn into Scavengers and Shrikes. With a little imagination, she became a warpwolf with wings, and swooped behind the Cryxian front to tear apart iron lich overseers and necrosurgeons. Next Twilight was a massive, five-headed desert hydra, five jaws hurling helljacks about like ragdolls while five horns blasted arcane destruction in every direction. She spotted the final two Wraith Engines in time to watch Celestia and Luna bring them down in almost perfect synchronicity. Twilight's other four heads swept their gaze across the battlefield, and the unicorn was confused. All the Cryxian warjacks were wrecked, all the thralls destroyed. She had slipped so completely into the flow of battle that she hadn't considered what would happen when there were no more enemies. Twilight's five heads blinked in sequence: Center, far left and right, then smaller left and right. A small part of Twilight's mind was fascinated by this, and made a mental note to try to find out if natural desert hydras blinked in this way. A somewhat larger part of Twilight's mind realized that the Omnimorphic Spell was wearing off, so she reverted back to her natural form while she had the chance. Twilight took a moment to reorient herself to being a unicorn, then trotted off to assist the medics with the injured Royal Guard ponies.

Warwitch Scylla slowly forced herself to stand up, staring dazedly across the battlefield in the pre-dawn light. That strange, purple tatzlwurm had pushed its fangs completely through her, but Scylla ignored her confusion at the utter lack of agony and bleeding as she made her way to a pile of twisted scrap metal that had once been a Wraith Engine. Surprising herself with her raw strength, Scylla shifted and pulled large hunks of steel and iron aside until she found what she was looking for: The scrapped remains of the Deathjack. The Skulls of Hate caught Scylla's eyes. There was something she needed to do.

Author's Note

This chapter got itself a couple re-writes, that it did.
Also, fun fact: Chrome's spellchecker thinks that Master Necrotech Mortenebra's name should be Master Necrotic Moderateness.

How it Ended

The Monsternomicon, Volumes One and Two. Irusk on Conquest: How to Fully Subjugate Your Enemy. The collected notes and designs regarding warjacks and mechanika gathered by Engines Equestria and Black Anchor Baltimare. Holy texts of Morrow; Menoth; and Cyriss, provided by worshipers of those deities. Information on storm sciences provided by General Adept Sebastian Nemo himself. Painstakingly translated copies of trollkin scrolls and rune stones. Even clandestinely-acquired Thamarite scripture and a copy of The Glorious Rise of the Mighty Lord Carver: In His Own Words, the autobiography (for want of a better word) of the farrow warlord who called himself Lord Carver, Bringer of Most Massive Destruction III, Esquire. All of these works, along with Twilight Sparkle's notes on Cryx and its mechanika; several dossiers on significant people and entities purchased at great cost from a mysterious but quite reliable man going by the (probably false) name of Gavyn Kyle -including a distressingly-detailed account of the life of Princess Celestia herself- and several less noteworthy books and writings were heaped on the table in the center of the Golden Oaks Library. Twilight Sparkle had volunteered for the daunting task of compiling and abridging this massive collection of information to create the Enkhiridion Caenite, a single definitive textbook on all things Caen, so that Equestria would always have a written account of this strange world and its populace.

Twilight had decided to start by eliminating what she absolutely could not include. To this end, she watched calmly as magic fire from her horn burned up her notes on the etching of thrall runes. She would keep every scrap of information that might help a pony fight against the undead, but the knowledge necessary to create them was forbidden. Even if Princess Celestia had not decreed it, Twilight would have been perfectly comfortable being the only pony in all of Equestria's past, present, and future who held the secrets of necromancy and necromechanika. The information on Cryx's unnatural methods of cortex and arc node fabrication would also go. Cygnar had not entrusted the secrets of their arc node technology to Equestria, but a handful of the devices had been salvaged, and the Project Nimbus team was hard at work reverse-engineering them. The few available bits of information on infernalism were included in the pyre of forbidden knowledge. Twilight didn't know if the mysterious, extra-reality entities known as infernals could even be summoned from Equestria's true world, but the horrific crimes required to even attempt it were more than enough to add those rituals to the fire. The information on what small efforts could be made towards protecting one's self from the horrific monsters sent to the mortal realm by the infernals would be kept, however. Next into the flames were a number of Thamar's more morally relativistic writings, most of the scraps allegedly copied from the Librum Mekanecrus, and a few pages of genuinely useless information -some pony had written a five-page essay on the geological implications of the slight differences in colors of sandstone throughout the Bloodstone Marches, which concluded with the declaration that there was no significance at all. Twilight felt no remorse for burning that treatise in the same fire that consumed knowledge of necromancy and infernalism.

With all the forbidden and useless information burned to nothing in all-consuming arcane fire, Twilight dispelled the flames and turned her attention to the infinitely more exciting task of organizing, arranging, and editing the remaining data for maximum readability and informativeness. She set aside Fluttershy's writings on the behavior of Circle Orboros warbeasts, oddly dissonant with its pink ink and heart-dotted 'i's when discussing feral warpwolf packs and the cruel hunting practices of the winter argus. This collection would go into the section on the wild places of Western Immoren, along with Pinkie Pie's surprisingly-thorough collection of trollkin history. The Kalmieri Grimmr would receive special attention there. Twilight wished Pinkie had had the entire Kalmieri related to her, as it was one of the most important events in Western Immoren's entire history, but she was glad to have the story of Horfar Grimmr, which was the most significant part of the saga.

Twilight smiled, rubbing her front hooves together in anticipation of the work ahead. Princess Celestia had entrusted her with this project, and she intended to exceed all expectations.

Princess Celestia herself was visiting the southern-most of the Circle Orboros' ritual sites, checking on the final stage of the Circle's efforts to send Equestria back whence it came. Celestial Fulcrums turned and rotated in the air, watched by their blackclad overseers. More druids surrounded carved stones set into the ground, chanting in low voices as they manipulated the arcane power resonating through the ley line conjunction. Wolds spaced around the perimeter kept watch for any intruders. Mohsar the Desertwalker had returned to watch over the last of the rituals, his sandstone wolds, crafted from the red rocks of the Bloodstone Marches, were scattered among the gray wolds carved from local granite. Mohsar's collection favored wold guardians, which used relatively little wood and rope in their construction. The guardians loomed over the druids and the other wolds, their ram fists at the ready. Celestia herself was flanked by a pair each of Nomads and Talons.

“Everything is proceeding exactly as planned.” Mohsar said. He wasn't making any attempt to assure Celestia, just bluntly stating a fact. “The rituals are being performed satisfactorily, the adjustments are made. Very soon your nation will return to its rightful place, no longer to scar the body of Orboros with its presence.”

“Thank you, Desertwalker,” Celestia replied. “My ponies have found our unplanned visit to Caen enlightening and harrowing in equal measure. The vast majority of them will be truly relieved to be home. Or for their home to be home, I suppose.” Mohsar didn't react to Celestia's weak joke, which amused her. Watching Twilight and her friends glace to one side and chuckle awkwardly never got old, but Mohsar's indifference was a breath of fresh air. Hot, dry, throat-parching desert air, but still.

For a thestral pony, Spring Rain was an early riser. Up at the crack of dusk, she paced the deck of the Fulmen as it drifted lazily over Canterlot. It wasn't long before Royal Guard pegasi started to arrive from towns, cities, and forts all across Equestria, delivering reports on the fighting readiness of their locations. Soon, fewer pegasi arrived, replaced by thestrals. Two of Caen's moons -Spring Rain could never remember their names- rose in the night sky. Princess Luna arrived on her chariot, accompanied as always by rolling clouds and the occasional flash of lightning. The Princess had taken to bringing a supercell everywhere she went, a potential weapon for weather-trained ponies in event of an attack. Given the intelligence failure that had led to Khador's brief occupation of Canterlot Mountain, Luna had the Night Guard in a state of extreme readiness, prepared to engage any enemy the very second they appeared. As a pony who preferred to lead from the front, Luna brought her storm cloud and collection of weaponry everywhere she went.

The Princess approached Spring Rain, her set of magically-levitated armaments diminished somewhat by the donations of mechanika weaponry she had made to Engines Equestria for reverse-engineering.

“Captain Spring Rain,” Luna said calmly.

“Your Majesty,” Spring Rain bowed. “Reports have arrived from all bases. Everything is normal.”

“As normal as they can be, under the circumstances,” Luna commented ruefully.

“Speaking of which, the Circle ritual is proceeding apace. We'll be home soon.”

“I am pleased to hear it.” Luna sighed. “It will be a relief to let these weapons rest. Although I have grown rather fond of my storm cloud.”

“It's grown to quite an impressive size, Princess.” Spring Rain looked up at the cloud with genuine admiration.

“I really should disperse some of it, the Weather Patrol have been complaining.”

“So I've heard. Won't they be the first ones -” Spring Rain was interrupted by a sound a little like the rumble of an earthquake, a bit like a book's page turning, somewhat like the loudest explosion since the world was made, and a lot like a clock tower's bell ringing.

Princess Luna looked up and gave the single moon a gentle, experimental nudge. “Well, that was a little sooner than expected,” Luna said as the moon shifted slightly in the sky.

“Come along, Glam, there's a good steamjack,” Rarity gently prompted her Nomad. It followed obediently behind her, pulling a large cart piled high with gems. “We're nearly back to Ponyville,” Rarity looked over her shoulder. “Goodness, I simply must give you a good scrubbing, you're positively filthy!” Glam snorted steam in agreement, despite only having a thin layer of dust on its lacquered hull.

Glam snorted again as Rainbow Dash dropped from the sky. “Hiya, Rarity! Guess what?”

“Pinkie wants to throw a party for the fourth day in a row?”

Dash gave an exasperated sigh. “Yes,” she confirmed as Glam came to a halt, waiting for its mistress.

“Of course she does,” Rarity said with a sigh of her own. “I understand we've got quite a lot to celebrate, now that Equestria's back where it's supposed to be, but really!”

“Applejack's trying to talk her out of it, so it's the Battle of the Bullheaded over at Sugar Cube Corner. No offense.”

“None taken,” a passing bull affirmed.

“I do believe that Applejack is the less tractable of the two, so perhaps we'll be able to get some work done.”

“We can only hope. Anyway, it's still all hooves on deck for the Weather Patrol, so I'm off!” Without waiting for a reply, Rainbow Dash rocketed into the air.

“You'll get used to her being in a hurry,” Rarity advised Glam. “Have I told you that already? I think I might have told you that already. Oh well, never mind. Off we go!”

“I dunno, I think it's a little anti-climactic is all,” Spike commented, gnawing absentmindedly on a large sapphire. He idly watched as Twilight struggled her way through The Glorious Rise of the Mighty Lord Carver. Not that the book was difficult to read -indeed, Spike made it through the entire thing and only twice needed to ask Twilight what a word meant- but getting through Carver's irrational screed, packed to bursting with his delusions of grandeur, was still not easy. Still, the Enkhiridion Caenite required documentation on the farrow civilization, and Lord Carver's Thornfall Alliance was the most civilized group of farrow there were. 'Civilized' being used in a rather relative way, as it were.

“I don't really know what you were expecting,” Twilight replied, using her magic to create a copy of the paragraph she was reading and stick it to a blank paper atop a large stack of similarly copy-adorned sheets. As an adhesive, unicorn magic was no match for good old-fashioned glue, but the temporary bonds allowed for easy rearrangement.

“Well, maybe some kind of climatic battle against an evil army bent on stopping that magic spell those Circle guys did?”

“Spike, who on Caen would want to do that?”

“Those creepy mecha-zombie guys?”

Twilight's eyelid twitched. “I don't think they knew about it. Besides, I'm pretty sure Equestria's had more than enough battle now.”

“You've got a point.” Spike had not been allowed anywhere near any fighting, but nopony ever seemed happy about it. “What about, like, some dramatic thing where a pony didn't want to come back, or a human wanted to come with us, or something like that? The, uh, heartbreak of obligations to their world?”

“Spike, that is easily the sappiest thing I've ever heard you say,” Twilight said. “Rainbow Dash would scoff.”

“Yeah, yeah, but what would Rarity think?” Spike asked before he could help himself.

Twilight looked directly at Spike for the first time. “You could go ask her if you want,” she said with a small grin.

Spike blushed. “Uh, maybe I won't. I might go for a walk, though. Stretch my legs, get some fresh air. Wanna come along?”

“You know, I think I will.” Twilight set a bookmark into Lord Carver's outstandingly unique book and dropped it unceremoniously on the table. “I could stand to look at something that isn't a book for a while.”

“You're the last pony I ever expected to hear that from,” Spike joked as he opened the door.

“Hardy-har-har, Spike.”

The previous day, Fluttershy had sent some of her animal friends to gather some of their fellow critters for a tea party. The turnout had been most pleasing, as birds, beasts and even bugs had gathered to see their mistress. Angel Bunny, Harry the grizzly bear, and multitudes of fluffy, feathery, and chitinous friends surrounded their butter-colored patron. Celestia and Luna ruled the ponies, but in the animal kingdom, whether she knew it or not, Fluttershy was queen.

“Ah, this is wonderful,” Fluttershy said with a contented sigh. She daintily ate a cookie while Angel munched on a carrot.

Without warning, a gang of wide-eyed, maniacally-grinning Pinkie Pies emerged from the Everfree Forest. “Fun?!” One of the Pinkies Pie asked Fluttershy.

“Fun!” Another declared, gazing eerily into Harry's eyes.

“Fun?! Fun!” Pronounced a third Pinkie as she lunged into the midst of a bluebird family, frightening them into the air. This sort of nonsense went on for several minutes before the herd of Pinkie Pies took their ludicrous rampage in the general direction of Ponyville proper, leaving Fluttershy and the remaining critters to stare in flabbergasted silence at their passing.

Fluttershy was slack-jawed and wide eyed, her wings outspread. Angel quickly enlisted a few quick-recovering ferrets to lift him up so he could push Fluttershy's mouth closed, after which he climbed up to perch on his mistress's snout and look worriedly into her eyes. Suddenly, the pony closed her eyes, raised her head, and inhaled deeply through her nose, prompting Angel to hop atop her head in search of a more stable position, settling with a family of mice into her voluminous mane. Angel knew this clan well, they often found a place in Fluttershy's mane at these sorts of gatherings, and had much respect among their people. They knew well how to avoid Ponyville's cats, and were even rumored to have once escaped the wrath of Opalescence the Great Destroyer.

Angel knew, of course, that only Fluttershy's intervention saved these or any mice from Opalescence, but Fluttershy preferred to keep this quiet out of modestly. For all his flaws, Angel Bunny had no voice for his mistress's secrets.

Fluttershy let her deep breath out through her mouth. She inhaled and exhaled again: In through the nose, out through the mouth. She opened her eyes and looked around at the assembly. In the way she had been taught by Rarity, which was almost as gently as she had done it before, Fluttershy raised her teacup on its saucer. She took a small sip of tea, looked again at her gathered friends, and said simply, “Twilight's problem.”

We would have a brief word about what was going on with Princess Cadance and Shining Armor in the Crystal Empire, but it would be quite rude and very personal.

After all, it's most impolite to go revealing a couple's secret doubles tennis strategies.

And so, we are left with only two words remaining to write and subsequently read:

The End.

Well, okay, except for the epilogue.

Epilogue

Some time and several seasons of television later...

“I still can't believe I was encased in stone for all of this!” Discord complained, having stolen Fluttershy's seat in Twilight's castle. His snout was, as it had occasionally been since his reformation, buried in a copy of the Enkhiridion Caenite. “I would've loved to meet this 'Lord Carver' fellow, he must have been hilarious!”

“I never had the chance to meet him in person,” Twilight admitted, “and that book of his wasn't easy to find. Honestly though, I thought you'd be more interested in the Devourer Wurm.”

“Ugh, gag me with a spoon,” Discord said, rolling his eyes. “Ooh, look at me, I'm the Devourer Wurm! I'm going to break everything and eat all the souls! Boring! Predictable! No creativity at all!” Discord paused in his critique to turn a page. “Just as bad as this Everblight dullard. Who takes a nigh-unpredictable force that warps and twists the bodies and minds of all who encounter it and tries to organize it?!”

“I have to admit, it's eerie that I wasn't aware of any of this happening,” Starlight Glimmer said sheepishly. “I guess that just goes to show how remote my little village was. None of us had even seen a steamjack.”

“I do feel like that little incident might have been resolved more quickly if I'd brought a few along,” Twilight commented.

“The Great and Powerful TRIXIE had no idea what was going on while she was on that rock farm, either!” The obvious pony contributed.

“Celestia really should have asked Fluttershy to reform me sooner,” Discord complained. “I would have been very helpful, you know.”

“Helpful like when you saved us from Queen Chrysalis or helpful like when you betrayed us to Tirek?” Twilight shot back testily. Discord had been moaning all day.

“You're never going to let me live that down, are you?” Discord grumbled. He popped Twilight's horn off and made a show of inspecting its spiral.

“Give that back!” Twilight demanded, flying up to glower at Discord at eye level.

“Fine, fine.” Discord plugged the horn back into place. “Really, though. Nobody's perfect, Twilight.”

“No, they're not.” Twilight arced some magic through her horn to make sure it was still in working order. “But you seem to need reminding of that more than most.”

“I probably do,” Discord admitted without a hint of embarrassment.

“Something just occurred to me,” Twilight said rather abruptly. “Speaking of ponies who weren't around for this. I have to go write a letter, please excuse me.” The Princess of Friendship hurried out of the throne room, leaving her friends to make of her exit what they would.

Sunset Shimmer and her friends, having returned from Camp Everfree just days previous, had gathered at Sunset's summons around the statue in front of Canterlot High School. With the exception of Sunset herself, everyone seemed more than a little confused. Finally, Rainbow Dash asked the question they were all thinking.

“So, what are we doing at school?” Dash asked. “We still have like a month of summer vacation.”

“Closer to a week and a half,” Twilight corrected absentmindedly.

“If I keep saying it's a month, it'll be a month, right?”

“It'll feel like a month, anyway,” Applejack grumbled.

“I'm not really sure,” Sunset admitted. “Twilight's message just she had something important to tell us.”

Everyone looked expectantly at Twilight, who blushed deeply. “I -I didn't-”

“Oh! Not you, I meant pony princess Twilight,” Sunset hastily explained.

“Oh!” Everyone else said at once. Except Pinkie Pie, who said “Well duh! If it was her she would've told us already!”

Some days, it was hard to be friends with Pinkie Pie.

Suddenly, the portal opened and Princess Twilight emerged. In her arms was a large, thick book with a brown cover, so massive that it hid her entire torso with its bulk.

“Good, you're all here,” Princess Twilight said, smiling. “Lookin' good, other me!” She winked at her always-human counterpart, who blushed, flattered and fundamentally confused, at the compliment. She still hadn't quite come to grips with the existence of another world in which a talking, anatomically absurd pony version of herself was an honored member of the royal family. Much less one who thought she was pretty.

“So, what'd you want to talk to us about?” Rainbow asked.

“Well, mostly this concerns Sunset, because it's about Equestria, but the rest of you will probably want to know about it, too.” The Princess shifted the weighty tome in her arms, revealing its title: Enkhiridion Caenite.

“What do you mean?” Sunset asked. “You know what? Let's go to the library and find a place to put that book down. It looks really heavy.”

“Yeah,” Princess Twilight admitted. “I'm not used to lugging things around without my magic.”

“You mean like this?” Twilight asked, lifting the book with her new magical power.

“Whoa!” Princess Twilight was delighted. “Okay, you have got to tell me about this!”

“You first,” Sunset said, leading the way into the school. “What did you come to talk about?”

“Oh that. Well, it's a little embarrassing, but something really crazy happened in Equestria a while ago, and I only just recently realized that you probably never heard about it.”

“I have been out of the loop, but what about the magic books?”

“It, uh, was before we started using the books,” Princess Twilight said sheepishly. She didn't like to directly reference the time Sunset Shimmer had turned into a raging she-demon and mind-controlled the student body into a laughably under-powered invasion force in a doomed effort to conquer Equestria.

“I, uh, I see,” Sunset immediately recognized her meaning. Twilight lowered the tome onto a library table and Princess Twilight opened it.

“I'm going to leave this book with you as a reference,” Princess Twilight told Sunset. “For now, I'll try to keep this to a brief overview. Settle in, girls, I've got a story to tell!”

A week and a half later, the girls once again found themselves gathered at the statue, this time after the first day of class, and at Sunset Shimmer's summons. The orange ex-pony was clutching the Enkhiridion Caenite tightly in her arms and grinning somewhat maniacally. Her friends were more than a little concerned about the gleam in her eyes.

“So uh, what did you wanna-” Applejack began.

“We're going to build a steamjack!” Sunset interrupted with what sounded disconcertingly like a cackle.

How it Began

Princess Celestia slowly dragged herself out of bed and shook her solar-windswept mane out of her eyes. She had been getting up before sunrise for longer than most ponies could even comprehend, as long as she'd been aware of her own existence. She had to be up before the sun in order to bring the sun up on time, after all. Getting up so many hours before dawn, however, was relatively unusual. Her sister's moon held sway over the center of the sky, surrounded by stars. Celestia shook her head again, and began to focus her immensely powerful mind on the source of her unrest; a steady pulse of magical power that seemed to be resonating throughout Equestria. The wards shrouding her private chambers should have prevented any magic from reaching her, yet some arcane force had overwhelmed those protections. What bothered Celestia most was that she couldn't locate the source of the power. Deeply concerned, she left her room in search of Luna.

Luna stood on the castle's highest balcony, staring at the moon. She sensed Celestia's presence and immediately spoke.

"You sense it as well, sister." Luna said, still looking skyward. It was not a question.

"Yes, Luna," Celestia replied, "but I cannot determine its source."

"Nor can I," Luna admitted. She turned her gaze to Celestia and added, "It worries me."

"You're not the only one," Celestia said, "there's only so many things that can call upon this kind of power. I don't know what sort of spell is being cast or who's casting it. I can't even tell where to begin finding out."

"That's not entirely true," Luna said, shaking her head, "As you said, there's not many who can do... whatever is being done. Of the few who could be behind this power, we should first determine who isn't. I've already checked on Discord. He's still bound in stone, no magic will come from him."

Celestia started tapping her hoof on the floor, "well, it's not either of us."

"Well," Luna said slowly, knowing she was raising an uncomfortable subject, "I can name one other pony who might have the kind of raw power needed for a spell of this magnitude."
Celestia closed her eyes, unwilling to believe her personal student, her protege, would be sending pulses of arcane might echoing throughout the whole of Equestria. She could think of only so many spells that would draw on that level of power, and none of them were pleasant. Still, It was vital to eliminate all the variables.

"All right," Celestia said, "I'm going to Ponyville."

Twilight Sparkle paced back and forth, a worried expression on her face. The arcane resonance constantly pulsing in the back of her mind made concentration difficult, but she did her best. She'd gathered together the other bearers of the Elements of Harmony, just on the off chance that the Elements would be needed. She had gone through every book of spells she had, most of them twice, and was, at the moment, trying to compose a letter to Princess Celestia.

Of the others gathered in the library, Rarity showed the most concern. As a fellow unicorn, Rarity was also able to feel the unexplained magic running through Equestria. Pinkie Pie was hopping around the room apparently at random. Spike, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash showed varied combinations of confusion and annoyance, while Fluttershy, sensing imminent crisis, was trying desperately to keep Twilight Sparkle from doing anything drastic.

"Twilight please, you need to calm down," Fluttershy said, hovering in front of her friend.

"Calm down? Calm DOWN?!" Twilight demanded, gnashing her teeth, "There's a SPELL going on affecting aaaaaaall of Equestria and I can't EVEN figure out what it DOES! I can't CALM down NOW!"

"Oh, Twilight, I know it's hard, but please try. If you don't calm down you'll do something foolish again," Fluttershy said, getting more worried by the minute. Twilight had already progressed beyond minor ear-twitching and gone straight into shouting sporadically and rolling vowels at random.

"I am PERfectly in conTROL, Fluttershy!" Twilight insisted, "Besides, WHEN was the last TIME I did anything FOOLish?!"

"Well, there was that time you caused a riot with an enchanted doll" Rainbow Dash cut in, irritated.

"And dear, don't forget that time you didn't sleep for a week because you were trying to avoid a disaster that was never going to happen," Rarity added.

"An' that time ya tried to sneak past th' Gates a' Tartarus in a giant wooden rabbit," Applejack contributed.

"That never happened, Applejack!" Twilight hissed through clenched teeth.

"Sure, jus' like Tom never happened," Applejack shot back.

"Applejack, please," Rarity groaned, "how many times do I have to tell you? Never speak of that again!"

"Not talkin' about it don't mean it didn't happen," Applejack pointed out.

Rarity opened her mouth to retort, but the room was suddenly filled with a bright light, momentarily blinding everypony. The six ponies all turned towards the source of the light and bowed, knowing from experience that such a brilliant glow, indoors and at night, could only mean that they were suddenly in the presence of of the most powerful pony in all the world.

"Twilight Sparkle, my faithful student," Celestia announced herself in her usual fashion.

"Princess Celestia!" Twilight was both thrilled and relieved to see the winged unicorn, "I was just writing a letter to you! Do you know what's causing this... magic pulse?"

"I'm afraid I don't," Celestia admitted, shaking her head, "I don't know who or what is causing this power to run through Equestria, nor do I know what purpose it serves. I was halfway hoping it was you, Twilight, experimenting with some massive ritual you discovered in your studies."

Twilight sighed, "no, Princess, I'm afraid I don't know of any spells or rituals that would require this kind of power, or that would spread throughout the whole of Equestria. I've been trying to find the cause for hours now, and I'm getting really worried."

"Well, just don't go rushing off to the Gates of Tartarus again," Celestia advised with a wry smile, causing Twilight to blush. "In any case," Celestia continued, "we don't know where this power is coming from, and I now have to say that I don't know who's summoning it," Celestia looked around the room, "I want each of you to have the Elements of Harmony with you at all times from now on. Since we don't know what's going to happen, we must be ready for any-"

Celestia was interrupted by a noise unlike anything anypony had heard before. It sounded a little like a clock tower's bell ringing, a bit like the rumble of an earthquake, somewhat like a book's page turning, and a lot like the loudest explosion since the world was made.

Professor Victor Pendrake had been traversing the Thornwood forest for days, along with a team of rangers from the Cygnaran Reconnaissance Service. Rumors of mysterious and potentially dangerous activities near the ruins of Deepwood Tower had reached the highest levels of Cygnar's leadership, and Scout General Bolden Rebald, leader of the CRS, had ordered a unit of rangers into the Thornwood to investigate. Pendrake, himself an accomplished explorer, had been urged to join the expedition by no less a man than King Leto Raelthorne himself. Officially, King Leto wanted Pendrake to participate in the expedition due to his experience in navigating the dangerous Thornwood. Unofficially, Pendrake knew that the leadership of the Church of Morrow had gotten wind of the operation, and had urged King Leto to include an expert in the field of zoology. King Leto was in the habit of calling upon the best and the brightest for any task that needed doing, and Victor Pendrake was widely regarded as the greatest extraordinary zoologist in all of western Immoren.

Pendrake had traveled the Thornwood extensively, had made friends among the displaced trollkin tribes in the area, come to agreements with the enigmatic druids of the Circle Orboros, and even had an understanding with the reclusive, insular gatormen of Blindwater Lake. Despite these allies, the Thornwood remained a hazardous place, full of man-eating predators, cannibalistic Tharn tribes, and malevolent undead infiltrators from the distant islands held by Cryx, the Nightmare Empire. The rangers with whom Pendrake traveled knew the Thornwood well in their own way. They could not describe the biological natures or cultural behaviors of the forest's many people and threats, but they knew which were most likely to try to kill them, and how to avoid actually being killed. The rangers were also masters at observing hostile people and creatures unnoticed, which was their primary duty on and off the battlefield.

Suddenly, a full two days before they should have, Pendrake and the ranger unit found themselves at a break in the forest. To Pendrake's confusion, the ruins of Deepwood Tower were nowhere to be seen. Pendrake furrowed his brow, concentrating. One didn't become as accomplished an adventurer-scholar as he without being an excellent navigator, and the rangers were navigational experts one and all. However, finding one's way in the Thornwood was a constant struggle, and everyone present knew that even the slightest mistake could've put them miles off course. However, none of them had ever seen a place like this in the Thornwood. There was a house there. Not the primitive huts used by the Tharn tribes, nor the tents of constantly-moving trollkin. This house was a large cottage, and was surrounded by a variety of animal enclosures. An unpaved road led from the cottage to what was clearly a town not for away. Pendrake looked up above the cottage, and saw what could only be a low-floating cloud. It was the strangest cloud he'd ever seen, however. This cloud was shaped like a house, and Pendrake could swear that this was intentional -he could even see a door on it. The house-cloud featured many windows, the largest of which produced a rainbow-colored waterfall that gathered in a pool on the front deck... cloud. The rainbow liquid flowed from this pool in two rivulets that fell from the edge of the cloud and seemed to vanish into the air.

Pendrake's powerful mind started working as fast as it could. He was familiar with the various forms of arcane and spiritualistic powers used by the people and monsters of the Thornwood, and he could think of no spell that would make water take the colors of a rainbow or form a house out of clouds. Nor could Pendrake see the purpose. The rainbow waterfall certainly looked pleasant, and Pendrake theorized that it was a decorative choice by the house's residents. What he could not determine was what person or persons could or would live in a house made out of a cloud. Trollkin were not bothered by heights -many of them living on mountains by habit- but they could not fly. Some of the blackclad druids of the Circle Orboros were able to fly using wind-controlling magic, but he could think of no blackclad who would expend much effort into creating a residence, as they traveled constantly. Pendrake mused that a house made of clouds would likely be easy to move, at least to someone who could control wind, but blackclads often preferred to keep a low profile, and this house could only be called eye-catching. Some Cryxians could fly as well, including one of their most influential iron liches, but the idea of any Cryxian living in a dwelling so pleasant-looking as a house of clouds was ridiculous. Pendrake concluded that this cloud-house, and likely the cottage beneath it, belonged to beings unknown to him, likely intelligent people rather than base creatures. Pendrake adjusted his glasses and nodded to Swift Sergeant Aaron Wallace, the leader of the ranger unit. With any luck, the residents would be friendly, or at least willing to not kill them on sight.

Before the group could approach the strange airborne residence and its less-unusual land-bound cousin, the sound of wings flapping came from above. The rangers ducked down and readied their rifles, while Pendrake knelt on one knee and took out a heavy chain bola. All of them looked to the skies, and soon spotted the source of the noise. Standing at the door of the house of clouds, flexing and stretching its wings, the creature had apparently woken from a deep sleep.
The creature was unlike anything Victor Pendrake had ever seen before. Its general physical structure was much like a horse, though the head was proportionally larger. Overall the thing was smaller than a horse -Pendrake estimated that it stood no more than four feet tall at the shoulder. It seemed to be more flexible than a horse, as it stretched its back and legs in an almost feline way. The equine creature's body was covered in what appeared to be a coat of sky-blue hair. Its short-cropped mane and tail were striped in no less than six different colors. The colors of a rainbow, in fact. The creature also had a set of wings, much like those of a bird, which were quite clearly the source of the flapping sound. The wings seemed too small to carry the animal, but Pendrake realized they must, as the creature had managed to get itself up to the house of clouds. Then Pendrake realized that it should be quite impossible for anything to actually stand on clouds. Even as he mentally chided himself for not considering that fact sooner, he realized that standing on clouds was exactly what the winged blue mini-horse was doing.

"Hey, Prof," Wallace whispered in Pendrake's ear, "what in Morrow's name is that thing?"

"I must honestly say that I've never seen such a creature before," Pendrake admitted, "it looks like a horse, but the proportions are all wrong, and I've never heard of a horse with wings in any case."

Pendrake watched the creature intently as it scanned the skies and treetops. It appeared that the thing's vision was quite good. It showed every sign of looking for potential threats, and seemed to make little use of either its ears or nose for the task. Apparently satisfied with its surroundings, the creature opened its wings and lifted itself into the air. Pendrake and the rangers watched as the creature performed a number of aerial maneuvers that should, Pendrake realized, have been quite impossible for a creature of such size.

After flying for several minutes with no apparent purpose, the winged equine landed at the door of the cottage, knocked twice by thumping a forehoof on the door, and entered. Sergeant Wallace silently nodded to two of his rangers and motioned towards the house. The rangers, short, hard-faced men in brown cloaks that obscured their forms, rushed silently to the cottage and began scouting it out, glancing into windows, checking around the nearby trees, and gathering as much information as they could without being noticed. One of them found an open window and took up a vigil under it, listening to the occupants. The other eventually settled near the door, ready to signal his partner and make a retreat if the door opened or other creatures were seen on the road.

After remaining motionless for several minutes, the two left their positions as one and returned to the group at the forest's edge. There, they described what they had learned to Sergeant Wallace.

"Three occupants," one of the scouts began, "blue one, we saw. Another, same type of thing, similar size, also has wings. Yellow coat, pink mane and tail."

"Third is similar, but no wings," the other scout cut in, "black and white stripes. All three have markings on flanks, unable to determine the purpose of those marks, may be decorative, symbols of some rank or group affiliation, or something else. All three speak, we were able to understand them."

"Winged ones spoke normally, striped one spoke in rhyme, not clear why. Stripes and blue flyer not residents, yellow one is. Stripes apparently an alchemist or physician, talked of brewing medicines."

"Residents are apparently citizens of a sovereign nation, all three are worried. A power or powers unknown to them seems to have removed the whole country from its original location and put it here. This happened yesterday, why we didn't notice anything before is not clear. That's going to make a mess of things in any case."

"Blue one talks big, very interested in protecting nation from threats, doesn't seem to know what those threats are yet. Yellow one is mostly just scared."

"If planning to initiate contact, recommend approaching yellow one. Blue flyer may become violent, striped one unpredictable, and seems to be societal outsider. Yellow one unlikely to do anything more dangerous than crouch in a corner and look pitiful."

Pendrake considered this rush of information for a moment, then stood up.

"Well, oddly-proportioned flying horses that speak are not the strangest things I've seen," Pendrake stated, "although they're probably in the top-ten list. I say we go see what they think of Cygnarans."

Sergeant Wallace nodded to his unit, and the group followed Pendrake towards the cottage.

Pendrake's Report: Equestrian Ponies

To: Scout General Bolden Rebald
Cygnaran Reconnaissance Service
Caspia, Cygnar

From: Professor Victor Pendrake
Department of Extraordinary Zoology
Corvis University, Cygnar

Scout General,

You are already aware that I was asked to join Swift Sergeant Aaron Wallace's CRS Ranger squad on their expedition to the ruins of Deepwood Tower, and I feel the time has come to pen a report on what we have found in the course of that venture.

The ruins of Deepwood Tower, and indeed a large section of the Thornwood and southern Khador, no longer exist, or at least are no longer present on the face of Caen. In place of this large section of land lies a nation that has existed for thousands of years, but has only recently appeared in this world. This nation is called Equestria, and it is a curious place indeed.

Equestria's population consists almost entirely of a people who call themselves 'ponies'. Ponies are superficially similar to horses, but smaller and proportionally very different. Ponies, unlike horses, are sapient, exhibiting a level of intelligence very close to that of civilized humans, and far above base animals or even the Tharn or other tribes of barbaric humans. Equestria boasts complex machines, many of which are augmented or powered by magic, not unlike human mechanika. The steam engine is known to them, and they use it mainly to power trains -though Equestrian trains cannot match the size or speed of any Cygnaran freight train, and are used mostly to transport passengers. Equestrian ponies live in houses, form towns and cities, and have an economy and government. I have prepared a detailed report on pony physiology and society.

Ponies exist primarily in three varieties: earth ponies, pegasi, and unicorns. All of them appear to have innate magical power, and indeed the most learned of Equestria's population seem to believe that all things, from simple objects to abstract concepts, contain magical potential.

Earth ponies, as their name implies, carry a strong connection to the earth, as well as the flora and fauna that grow from it. Earth ponies are mainly farmers, handlers of animals, and laborers. They boast strength and endurance well beyond what would appear to be possible for beings of their size and muscle mass.

Pegasi, or pegasus ponies, have wings not unlike those seen on common birds, albeit larger, growing from their backs. These wings do not seem large enough to lift them, yet pegasi are fully capable of flight, and some can perform complex aerial maneuvers with ease. Pegasus ponies are masters of the weather in Equestria. They can stand on, move, or break apart clouds, as well as cause those clouds to produce rain, rainbows, or lightning. Each city and town in Equestria maintains a group of pegasi known as a Weather Patrol, which is in charge of controlling the region's weather according to a strict and inscrutable schedule.

Unicorns are the only ponies able to overtly control magic. Unicorns each have a horn growing from their forehead, which is evidently the focal point of their arcane powers. This horn is sometimes referred to as an alicorn, though this term seems to be considered archaic. when a unicorn uses magic, no runes appear as with most magic known to Immoren, but an arcane glow can be seen surrounding the caster's horn. Unicorns all seem to be able to manipulate objects using magic, although the level of force and precision they can exert in this way seems to vary. Unicorns are typically able to produce other effects using their magic, and this capability seems to be based on the particular unicorn.

Pony anatomy is somewhat unusual. They have four legs, a tail, and head. The average adult pony stands roughly four feet at the shoulder. Their eyes are larger than those of horses, their snouts smaller. Pony feet terminate in what they refer to as hooves, but which are nothing like a horse's hooves. Pony hooves are thick pads at the ends of their legs, which on most ponies will be the same color as their coat of hair. These hooves are not unlike the pads on the paws of felines or canines, but are much more solid. Ponies walking on stone or other hard surfaces will produce clopping sounds much as horses will. I have had difficulty in determining whether these pads are flesh or bone.

The coat of hair on a pony's body, as well as the pony's mane and tail, seem capable of taking almost any color. While I have overheard ponies discussing dying their coats, the ponies that permitted me to examine them shows no signs of any dyes or other unnatural coloration, leading me to conclude that lavender, fuchsia, and cyan, among other colors, are perfectly normal pony coloration. Interestingly, a unicorn's horn will always be the same color as its coat. As an alicorn is essentially a spur of bone protruding from the unicorn's skull, it is at least possible that a pony's entire skeleton matches the color of its coat.

Equestria is a semi-theocratic diarchy. Its rulers are a pair of sisters named Celestia and Luna, who identify themselves as princesses despite being the highest powers in the land, suggesting that the title has a different meaning in Equestria than in the Iron Kingdoms. Celestia and Luna are of a highly unusual type of pony, known as winged unicorns or pegasus unicorns. Pegasus unicorns are extremely rare, and can grow to sizes much larger than any normal pony. In addition, pegasus unicorns tend to boast incredible arcane power. While Equestria has no organized religions, Celestia and Luna are afforded a level of reverence normally reserved for gods, and their names are invoked in a similar way. I have actually heard one pony exclaim, "by Celestia's mane!" in startled reaction to my own appearance.

I have decided to remain in Equestria for some time, as I intend to learn more about these ponies and their culture. I am staying with a pony by the name of Twilight Sparkle (pony naming conventions are absolutely fascinating), who is in fact the personal apprentice of Princess Celestia, as well as a librarian in the town of Ponyville, Equestria's southern-most settlement and the location Sergeant Wallace and his team discovered along with myself. Miss Sparkle is assisted by a small, reptilian individual named Spike. Spike identifies himself as a "baby dragon", but is nothing like any dragon or dragonspawn in Immoren. Indeed, he bears a closer resemblance to a gatorman hatchling. Twilight Sparkle and Spike intend to arrange a meeting between the royal princesses and myself, which I believe will prove fruitful for creating a rapport between Cygnar and Equestria, as well as highly enlightening. I am entrusting this letter to Sergeant Wallace, who plans to return with his unit to Caspia. I hope it finds you well.