Wings of Tomorrow ~ Lament of the World

Chapters

2. Reality shift
3. Gears and Tears
5. The powers that be
6. Homecoming
7. The Prisoner of Canterlot
8. Dust
9. Reunion
10. Family visit
11. Conversations in the evening and morning
12. Fluttershy's decision
13. Grim tidings
14. Teatime
15. The parade
16. Things that go bump in the night
17. Struggle in Canterlot
18. Nightmares and messages
20. Decision time
21. Sleepless nights
22. Departure
23. Journey to the capital
24. In the royal city
25. The deceased Princess
26. Keepers of the Republic
27. A matter of time
28. Age of innocence
29. On the way to a smile
30. Preparing for battle
31. Waiting for the thunder
32. The end of the world as we know it
33. Realities of war
34. Clash of the titans
35. Breaking through
36. The turn of the tide
37. The edge of despair
39. The last gamble
40. Ceasefire
1. Adrift in time
4. To know the difference
19. Admiral Rainbow Dash's request
38. Perdition of morality

2. Reality shift

Wings of Tomorrow
Lament of the World

2. Reality shift

There was a brief moment in which none of the three ponies moved, each of them staring at one of the others. Fluttershy stood frozen, her legs refusing to budge, as she looked at the unicorn mare. According to her eyes, it was her friend Twilight Sparkle, but that was something her mind didn’t seem very willing to accept. Twilight, for her part, was looking from Fluttershy to Grey Helm and back again, a familiar frown on her face indicated that she was doing her best to analyse the situation and come to the correct conclusion. She tapped her chin with her hoof for a moment, then walked up to Fluttershy and trotted around her in a perfect circle, studying her from every angle.

“It really is you,” Twilight uttered softly, disbelief clear in her voice. She came to a halt right in front of the timid pegasus, a happy grin on her face and her eyes shining with excitement.

“Ah, pardon me, Miss Sparkle,” Grey Helm interrupted after he cleared his throat. “But do you know this mare?” He gestured lightly with his hoof at Fluttershy. The lavender unicorn nodded, and lowered her head a little bit, a gesture of submission towards a figure of authority.

“Indeed, sir,” she replied honestly. “This is my friend, Fluttershy. Though I haven’t seen her in years, I must admit. She left Ponyville, not long after I moved here, for family matters. I hadn’t anticipated her return, so you can imagine my surprise when I left the town hall and saw her being escorted by you, sir.”

Grey Helm gave an empathic nod, to indicate that he had understood her perfectly. “That explains why her face was new to me. I found her hiding in a small alleyway in Applecrop Street, in a, ahem, state not well fit for going out in public...” He trailed off slightly, his discomfort and slight blush quite obvious, as he gestured at Fluttershy again, stressing the fact that she was only dressed in his coat for the moment. Grey Helm cleared his throat again and regained his composure. “I am sure one who knows the law like you do, lady Sparkle, understands that I had little choice but to take your friend here into custody. I have to escort her to the guard station now, to take care of this matter. Please excuse us. Your friend will be free to go soon enough, then the both of you can catch up.”

“That won’t be necessary, sir,” Twilight replied, smiling politely. “By your grace, I would pay her fine right here and now, if it is within my budget.” Her horn glowed, and she levitated a coin purse, that had been attached to her hip, into the air.

The soldier pondered this for a moment, tapping his chin with his hoof. His eyes looked at the unicorn, then at Fluttershy, and then settled back onto Twilight. “I do not see why not,” he answered slowly. “Since Miss Fluttershy has no crime record that I know of, this transgression against the law lies within the pardonable. And I do concede that a visit to a friend would no doubt do her more good than a visit to the guard station, especially if this is her first day home in years. Though I hope you remember that by paying her fine, you will be held responsible for her, Miss Sparkle?”

“I do, sir,” Twilight said, still smiling. “And I can assure you that Fluttershy will not give you any further troubles. It wasn’t her intent to commit any transgression, I am certain. I think her long absence from our good society merely caused her to forget the laws and customs of our great Republic. I shall remind her of those as soon as we return home.”

Grey Helm seemed to be convinced. He knew Twilight Sparkle; she wasn’t exactly an unknown face around Ponyville. The unicorn mare was an honest pony, and her crime record was absolutely blank. She worked at the town hall doing paperwork, and her dedication to her job was commendable, so he had been told. The Mayor never complained about her and was pleased to have her working under her. Yes, he decided, a pony working so close under the eye of the law was certainly trustworthy. His commanding officers wouldn’t give him any trouble should he hoof over Fluttershy into Twilight’s care.

“Very well then,” he announced. “Given miss Fluttershy’s blank record and the fact that she clearly regrets her actions, the law dictates that a fine of one hundred bits needs to be paid in order for me to place her into your custody, miss Sparkle.”

Twilight nodded and opened her purse. She fished out twenty coins worth five bits each and handed them over to the guard. Though he had faith in her honesty, the rules nevertheless dictated that he should check if the given sum was correct. As predicted, it was, and he let the coins drop into his own purse, satisfied.

“Thank you,” Grey Helm said and turned to address Fluttershy. “Miss Fluttershy, your fine has been paid. You are free to leave. Please refrain from any further violation of the law, so your life can be without any needless hindrances. Have a nice day, and welcome back to Ponyville.” He tipped his helm to her, as was proper etiquette. “Miss Sparkle, the same to you.” He repeated his previous gesture, and Twilight made a polite bow in return, like a proper lady should. With these formalities over and done with, Grey Helm took his leave and continued on to the guard station alone. He would drop off the bits he had just collected there, give a report, and then continue with his patrol.

Twilight watched him go, and once he was out of earshot, let out a relieved sigh. “That went well,” she muttered, wiping off her brow with her hoof. “Luckily Grey Helm is a reasonable pony.” She turned her attention to Fluttershy, her friend, who stood frozen in place, looking uncertainly at the retreating form of Grey Helm and then at Twilight, all while hiding behind her pink mane. She couldn’t look more lost and helpless if she tried.

Twilight smiled warmly at her friend and patted her gently on the shoulder. The touch made Fluttershy squeak and jump a foot into the air. Twilight winced when she saw how high-strung her friend was. “Calm down, Fluttershy,” she said, keeping her voice low. Ponies were beginning to gather around and stare, and she didn’t want that. “Let’s go somewhere quiet and out of sight first, where we can talk privately and in peace.” She gave another comforting smile to her friend, and gently tugged her along. “Come along now, this way.”

Fluttershy went along quietly, as if held in a trance. Her mind still reeled with everything that had just happened, and she was still being beleaguered constantly by new sounds and sights that threatened to drive her insane with fear. She followed Twilight blindly, the only familiar thing in this strange place. The unicorn was like an island in an ocean of insanity and noises, and she was the shipwrecked pony swimming desperately for that sole speck of dry land.

Fluttershy had expected Twilight to take her to her home in the library, but she didn’t. Instead, she took her friend away from the town square, through a number of streets until they stood before a small house that most definitely did not stand out at all. It looked like any other house around this place, and was squeezed in between two other equally plain houses. There wasn’t a garden, or any flowers, not even on the windowsills! It wasn’t that it looked ugly or dirty, far from it, but it was simply plain and boring.

Back in Ponyville, Fluttershy remembered every house being distinct from each other. Even if the form was the same, there was always something that made each house unique, be it the flowers, or the gardens, or the colours of the paint. And because of these differences, subtle or not, you knew who lived where if you had the memory for that sort of thing. Here, it was impossible to tell. Anypony could live anywhere. The houses didn’t represent the ponies who lived in them. They seemed so cold. So distant. Not at all what she was used to.

If Twilight was aware of her friend’s musings, she didn’t show it. She trotted right up to the front door, levitated a key out of a pocket on her leggings and unlocked her house with. A simple nudge from her hoof, and the door swung open. She turned to smile at Fluttershy once more.

“Well, here we are. Go on inside, Fluttershy,” she said. Twilight took a step back and gestured to the open door with her hoof, allowing her friend to enter first. That was only proper, after all. Etiquette demanded that a guest went inside before the host. Fluttershy was quick to accept the invitation, all too glad to be off the streets. She went inside faster than one could say ‘go’, and Twilight had to blink a few times to make sure her eyes hadn’t been playing tricks on her. Once she was sure that they hadn’t, she followed her friend inside at a more respectable pace and closed the door behind her.

Before her stood the familiar small hallway of her house. At the end was a staircase that led to the small upper floor, where her bedroom and bathroom were, while a doorway to the right led to her living room. This door had been knocked open by a local hurricane, which told Twilight that Fluttershy had already found the way to the living room. After sweeping her feet on the doormat, she entered the room her friend had vanished into.

It wasn’t very roomy since she lived alone, but it sufficed for her. There was a fluffy carpet on the floor, a comfortable couch for herself and one for possible guests, and a coffee table in between those. All that stood neatly arranged in front of a fireplace, which was currently not in use. Above the fireplace stood a picture of Twilight and her parents, and a nice clock that looked antique but was in fact just a cheap copy. She definitely didn’t have the bits to buy the authentic version; she was just a simple office clerk, after all. There was one window in the room that gave a view of the streets outside. It had two sets of curtains, one white and semi-transparent, and a thick red one that didn’t let any light through over it.

Against the wall across from the window Twilight had placed a wardrobe, simple in design, with six shelves. The top three were filled with as many books as Twilight could afford, while the rest of the shelves were filled with more photographs or gifts from her family. Mostly simple trinkets, like a neatly decorated cup, or a nice statuette. Right next to the wardrobe was Twilight’s desk, currently occupied by a few papers scattered across it, which was quite unusual for the otherwise so neat and organized unicorn. But she had had to take a quick look at a couple papers this morning right before work, and hadn’t had the time to put them away again.

There was a door on the same wall that lead to Twilight’s small kitchen, which in turn had another door that led to her even smaller cellar. She looked around her living room trying to find Fluttershy, only to see that her friend had hidden in plain sight under a blanket on the couch. Despite everything, the sight brought a smile to Twilight’s face, though it was one of sadness and rather nostalgic.

“It really is you,” she said, breaking the silence that hung in the room. Now that they were out of sight and in the safety of her own house, Twilight could finally outwardly show how excited and surprised she was. She walked over to the heap on the couch that was Fluttershy, and tenderly moved the blanket back a bit so that she could see Fluttershy’s face. The pegasus peeked from behind her mane, and the eyes of the two mares met.

“It’s really you!” Twilight said again, louder this time, as if she needed to say it aloud to convince herself of what she was saying. “I can’t believe it! When I woke up this morning I certainly didn’t expect to run into you! But it’s really you! You’re really here! It’s really you, Fluttershy! Sweet Celestia, where have you been all these years? I mean, I never really met you in this life but I did remember you from our life in the other Ponyville, and since everypony else is here I always found it strange that we never saw any sign of you, but now you’re suddenly really here, with me! And it feels so right, let me tell you. Oh, it’s as if you’ve never been away at all and–”

“Twilight?” Fluttershy’s timid voice brought a sudden halt to the unicorn’s rambling. Twilight realised she’d been ranting, and smiled sheepishly, as a blush crept up on her cheeks. Her friend couldn’t care less for that, though, even if what Twilight had been saying had made little sense. Instead, she asked the question that had been in her head since she woke up in this nightmare.

“Twilight, what’s going on?”

It sounded more like Fluttershy was begging her friend for the answer rather than asking for it. She had such a haunted look of fright and confusion in her eyes that it made Twilight calm down. The purple mare breathed in and out deeply to compose herself, then smiled gently at her friend. The gesture seemed to make Fluttershy feel a little better as well.

“To be honest, I was going to ask the same thing of you, Fluttershy,” Twilight answered calmly. “Where have you been all these years?”

“Oh, ehm, I’ve never gone anywhere, Twilight. I was in Ponyville, until today at least. I just went to sleep as usual yesterday, and then when I woke up, I was here… where… wherever here is…” She lifted her head from the couch and looked around the living room. Compared to everything she had seen outside, this place looked like a normal pony home, like what she was used to. Even though it was rather small, it still felt much cosier and welcoming than the outside of the house had suggested. She looked at Twilight again, and noticed that her friend had a serious frown on her face.

“Fluttershy,” Twilight began, sounding as serious as she looked. “The Ponyville you came from… did I live in a library there? And was everything more colourful and open?”

“Oh, yes, you most definitely did,” Fluttershy answered, nodding excessively. “And it was much bigger and cosier there than here. If… if you don’t mind me saying so.”

“I don’t mind,” Twilight assured her, the frown being replaced with a smile once more. “Because it’s true, the library was a much nicer place to live than this little house. And I definitely liked having more books than I currently do.”

“T… Then why did you move to this place, Twilight?” Fluttershy wondered, hoping she wasn’t too bold or prying for asking that. “I mean… It’s… it’s so loud and noisy outside. There’s so many ponies out there, and everything looks the same and is squeezed together to so tightly. I… I don’t understand why you would want to move here.”

Twilight shrugged helplessly, smiling sadly. “I never moved, Fluttershy. Except from Canterlot to Ponyville, of course. But that was the only time. I never left Ponyville. Fluttershy, this is Ponyville.”

Fluttershy's eyes widened far more than Twilight had thought possible, and her mouth dropped open in shock. She had a look of pure bewilderment and disbelief on her face, but Twilight understood that perfectly. Disbelief was almost the only allowed reaction to what she had just told her friend. She shook her head and smiled wryly.

“I know, it doesn’t look like Ponyville, does it?” she said, a hint of bitterness having managed to sneak its way into her words. “But things changed, Fluttershy. They’ve changed a lot. And the funny thing is that it all changed before we were even born. So by all means, we shouldn’t even be able to remember that it was once different, because it never was different. But I do remember. And now you’re here, from a time in my life that I remember very well but actually never happened. I’m both incredibly excited and happy to have one of my friends back, as well as so uncertain and confused that I’m surprised my head hasn’t burst open yet!”

Twilight let out a deep sigh and sat down on her rump, visibly frustrated, though Fluttershy knew that it wasn’t directed at her. The timid pony looked down at her hooves, thinking and being totally quiet. She waited for her friend to speak again, but when Twilight stayed quiet as well, she dared break the silence.

“Twilight? I… I still don’t understand. I’m very confused, if that’s okay with you…”

“I don’t blame you, Fluttershy. It is rather complicated,” Twilight admitted. She rubbed her forehead with her hoof, just below her horn and gave Fluttershy an apologetic look. “But I’ll do my best to try and explain. It is a long story, though. So before I start, can I offer you anything to drink? Or maybe a bite to eat?”

As if on cue, Fluttershy’s stomach let itself be heard. Not very surprising, since she hadn’t had anything to eat or drink yet today. She blushed slightly and hid behind her mane once more. “That would be… nice,” she admitted. “If it’s not too much trouble.”

Twilight rolled her eyes. “Fluttershy, you’re my friend, and I haven’t seen you in my entire life here, of course it’s not too much trouble. It’s not any trouble at all.” She patted one of her friend's hooves with her own in a simple gesture of friendship. “So what can I get you? I could serve you a salad, or a daisy sandwich, with a nice cup of water. Or would you prefer some apple juice? I’m sure I have some left, though I just remembered that I really should stock up.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t want to take your last apple juice; a cup of water will be just fine, with a daisy sandwich, if that’s okay.”

“Coming right up!” Twilight said with a grin. Fluttershy expected her friend to call for Spike, like she always did, to do the cooking. But she didn’t. Instead she trotted towards the kitchen herself, an excited spring in her step. “Gosh, I haven’t made dinner for a friend in ages! This is so exciting! Luckily I’m better at it now than I was back when I was precisely the same age living in the other time line.” And with that, she vanished into the kitchen. Fluttershy could hear drawers being opened and kitchen utensils being pulled out. Twilight hummed a soft tune to herself while she worked.

Her pink-maned guest was silent for a while, absent-mindedly rubbing her front hooves together while she waited. Everything was still very confusing and she was none the wiser of on what was going on, but at the very least she had one of her friends here to help her. Despite her odd manner of dress, Twilight acted like she always had, and the familiarity of that did a lot to put Fluttershy at ease somewhat. A question had popped up in her mind, though, and she couldn’t resist asking.

“Ehm, Twilight. Where’s Spike?”

Twilight poked her head through the doorway while answering. “In the Everfree Forest guarding his hoard, I think. At least that’s where he was last I checked. I doubt he's moved.”

Twilight disappeared from the doorway again and continued with her cooking, before Fluttershy had the chance to ask more. She understood that the little dragon wasn’t here, but she didn’t get why Twilight seemed so at ease with the absence of the one being she was both an older sister and a mother to. Not only that, but why would Spike be in the Everfree Forest in the first place? Guarding his hoard? That made little sense to the pegasus. Only big dragons, the kind that scared her, kept hoards in the caves where they lived. But not Spike. He was just a baby dragon, wasn’t he? A sigh escaped her lips and Fluttershy felt her shoulders slump. Another mystery and more confusion. She hoped there would be some answers soon. Her stomach rumbled again, reminding her of how hungry she was. Well, the answers could wait until she had taken care of that little inconvenience.

Luckily for her, she didn’t have to wait any longer, as Twilight entered the room again, using her magic to carry a plate with a delicious-looking sandwich and a nice wooden cup of water along with her. She placed them before Fluttershy on the coffee table. “There, one daisy sandwich and one cup of wonderfully fresh water,” Twilight announced. “Dig right in!”

“Thank you. It certainly looks delicious!” Fluttershy replied, smiling timidly but gratefully at her friend. She shuffled over a bit on the couch, so she could take the plate from the table and place it before her. She picked up her treat with her hooves and took a delicate nibble from it. Her eyes widened slightly as she tasted it. It was really good! She knew she wasn’t really being fair, but it was no secret that Twilight wasn’t as good at cooking as she was at studying. Apparently that was another thing that had changed in this strange place. She smiled apologetically at her friend and thanked her for the sandwich, praising its goodness.

“Oh, it’s nothing,” Twilight replied as her eyes got a look of sad nostalgia in them. “Since I’m on my own here, I didn’t really have much choice but to teach myself how to make a decent meal.”

Fluttershy swallowed her current bite of sandwich. “But why, Twilight? Why are you alone? Why is Spike in the Everfree Forest? Why does Ponyville not look like Ponyville? Why do all these ponies act so different from the ponies we know? Please, Twilight, please tell me! If this confusion lasts any longer I think I’m going to scream!” She gave Twilight the most pleading look she could muster. The unicorn sighed deeply, but surrendered.

“I suppose I can’t delay it any further.” Another sigh left her lungs, and she shook her head sadly. “Well, I might as well get it over with. Mind you, there are some things that don’t make much sense to me either, but I’ll tell you what I know.” Twilight sat down on the other couch and made herself comfortable. For a few short moments, she stared quietly at her hooves. She then looked up at Fluttershy, and began her story. “It all began with a certain pony called Steel Gear…”

End of chapter 2.

Author's Note

Thanks to Raryn for editing.

3. Gears and Tears

Wings of Tomorrow
Lament of the World

3. Gears and Tears

“Steel Gear was a pony from our time. I'd never heard anything about him back in that life, but in this one,” Twilight said, “there’s not a single pony who doesn’t know his name.” She narrowed her eyes and focussed on one of the books on the shelves. Her horn glowed as she picked it up with her magic and floated it towards her. She flipped through the pages until she found what she was looking for. “Here, this is what he looked like,” she said, turning the book around so Fluttershy could see. She looked, but all that she saw was a picture of what appeared to be a normal unicorn, with a gear as cutie mark.

“Oh, ehm… I… I don’t really see what makes him special,” Fluttershy said carefully before she took another nibble from her sandwich. Twilight shrugged, signalling that it was okay to think so.

“I know, he doesn’t look very different from any other unicorn, does he? But appearances can be deceiving. It’s an undeniable fact that he was one of the greatest, most brilliant minds of all time. Even in our time, he would have been considered so, and no doubt would've been placed amongst other great names like Starswirl the Bearded, or Nebulous the Enlightened, just to name a few.” Twilight paused for a moment to gather her thoughts. “Now, I won’t bore you with a full retelling of his life, it’s not really important. What truly matters is what he did.”

“And… that is?” Fluttershy dared to inquire when Twilight didn’t immediately continue. Her friend appeared lost in thought, and was startled when Fluttershy called out to her. Twilight smiled apologetically and blushed.

“Oh... uh, well, as I was saying, Steel Gear was a genius. He was a great inventor, and his special talent was mechanical science. He excelled at it like no other. To this day, our greatest scientists still don’t understand how he came up with some of the ideas he did, that’s how brilliant he was. He developed the first steam engine, worked out how to use magic as an environment-friendly fuel source, discovered the magic-conducting ability of Orichalcon ore, and he drew the plans of the first airship, though he never got to build it in his life. And those are just the most important discoveries he made,” Twilight continued, her voice having taken on the tone of a teacher lecturing a new student.

To Fluttershy it was as if Twilight had said half of her words in a different language. The discoveries of this important pony, especially, just passed right over her, but she thought she got the gist of it. She understood that this pony had something to do with the machines she had seen, the things in the sky. She gave Twilight a nod to show that she understood and urged her friend to continue her story.

“But Steel Gear wasn’t just a great inventor, or good with wheels and gears. He was also a very skilful and very powerful mage. And that’s where things start to go wrong,” Twilight continued. She closed the book and levitated it back to its place on the shelf. “With his great inventions, Steel Gear would have had a big influence on the technological advancement of ponies even in our time. But then, for reasons that I do not know, Steel Gear did something that changed everything. Something that, as I learned firsthoof, shouldn’t be done lightly. Something that can have dire consequences, as evident by the fact that the entire world is now different from the one you and I remember.”

“What… what did he do?” Fluttershy asked, very curious and worried now.

Twilight gave her a serious look, making it instantly clear to her that whatever she would say next was not a joke, but the truth, and nothing less than that. “He travelled back in time, Fluttershy,” Twilight answered. “Five hundred and thirty nine years, to be exact. For what reason? I don’t know. Nopony knows. And I doubt anypony will ever be able to find out. Because nopony remembers that he travelled back in time in the first place. He never told anypony that little fact, so to the ponies from five centuries ago, he must have appeared as just another unicorn genius. Only ponies from the future, where he came from, would be able to remember, but in travelling to the past, he completely changed that future, and thus, all evidence of his trip back in time.

“But… then why do you remember?” Fluttershy wanted to know. It all didn’t make much sense, and the whole concept of time travel boggled her mind. She remembered very well when Twilight had gotten a visit from her future self, and everything that resulted from it. Pinkie had spared no details telling what happened in the Canterlot archives, or the lessons learned there. Do not mess with time, it was as simple as that.

Twilight sighed helplessly. “That’s what I would like to know, too. It doesn’t add up. It doesn’t add up at all and it makes no sense! Steel Gear altered time long before I was born, so I was born in a future that was already changed. I should have no memories of another life in a different future, because that life and future never existed in the first place!” She slammed her hoof on the couch in frustration, making Fluttershy jump up from hers, startled by the display of anger from her friend.

“But I do remember,” Twilight continued. “And so do the rest of the Elements of Harmony. Even the ponies here in Ponyville have some sort of memory from that other time. You’ll see once you go out, Fluttershy. Everypony you knew in Ponyville, they still know you. I still knew you, even though we never met in this life. That’s another oddity, mind you. Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash… I know where each of them is and how they’re doing… but I never found any sign of you, Fluttershy. Not until today.”

“So you can imagine my surprise when I found you suddenly right in front of my nose, having seemingly been plucked from one time line and dropped into this one.” Twilight gave her friend a small smile. “You startled me you know, and added a lot more to the pile of things that don’t make sense. But I’m happy that you’re back. I’ve missed you a lot, Fluttershy. So did the others. Well, the ones I managed to meet did at least.”

Fluttershy answered her friend’s smile with one of her own. “I’m happy to see you, too, Twilight. This place is very scary, it’s a relief to have a friend here.” She put her now empty plate on the coffee table and picked up the cup of water, nipping delicately from it. “But I still don’t understand… How did the future change by Steel Gear going back to the past?”

“Well, it’s not him going back that changed the future. It’s what he did once he arrived there. You see, Fluttershy, when he travelled back, he took his inventions with him. He introduced his discoveries, his ideas, and his machines to the ponies from five centuries ago,” Twilight explained. “By doing so, ponies discovered technology they normally wouldn’t have for another five hundred years. That’s a disastrous change and you can see the results all around you. Because of the introduction, Equestria evolved and developed very differently than it would have without Steel Gear’s intervention.”

“But why would he do such a thing?!” Fluttershy cried out, unable to contain her outrage. Once she realised what she had just done, she blushed a deep crimson, squeaked, and hid behind her mane. “I mean, if you don’t mind me asking that…”

“Actually, I’ve asked myself the same question. But there’s just no way of knowing. Only Steel Gear knows why he did what he did, and he’s, like I said before, been dead for quite a few centuries,” Twilight replied. “You’d have to go back in time to ask him, and thus risk doing even more damage to the flow of time. After my last fiasco with time travel, I’d rather not try.”

“Well, yes. I understand that… But why didn’t anypony stop him from going back? Or… or make him go back to the future all those years ago?”

“Because nobody in the past knew he was from the future,” came the answer. “But if you mean why nobody from the future tried to stop him, I don’t know. Is there anypony who could have? The Princesses, maybe. But I’m still puzzled by how he managed to go back in the first place. The time travel spell I used lasted only a few minutes and could only be used once. Steel Gear went back in time and stayed there. I don’t remember ever reading about a spell that could do that in my other life.”

“And, ehm… If… if you went back now and told him not to give ponies those things?” Fluttershy wondered. She didn’t say it out loud, but she was growing very worried. She might not have been a scholar, or very well-read like Twilight, but she was quite capable of realising what was being implied by everything Twilight had told her so far. Namely, that there was no way of turning the world back to normal. It was a frightening idea that she wasn’t ready to accept, and it was uncertain if she ever would be.

Twilight could guess what was going on in her friend’s mind. Fluttershy was smart, she knew that, and the look of worry in her big eyes told her everything she needed to know. It made it all the more difficult for her to say what she was about to. “Fluttershy, I’m not sure at all if that would put time back on the rails again. The time we remember came to be as it was by a nearly endless list of specific circumstances. Change one of those, and you might end up with a whole different future altogether. Even if we manage to remove Steel Gear from the picture, there’s no telling if something else will happen differently on the path to the time we knew.” She gave Fluttershy an apologetic look.

“And even if there wasn’t, there’s still the problem of going back in time in the first place. I don’t remember any spell that could do it, and I can’t look it up. I’m just a simple office clerk now Fluttershy. I don’t have access to the Canterlot archives here, or to a whole library of knowledge for personal use. I’m not very smart, I just remember being smart. And I’m not a talented magician either… I’m just… me.” Twilight hung her head and sighed once more. Speaking about what she had lost compared to her other life was never a pleasant topic, and it never left her in a good mood either.

“So things… will stay like this?”

The question was asked on a very soft tone, and yet Twilight involuntarily winced. She had never heard anyone who sounded so sad, so utterly unhappy and hopeless. She looked at her friend, but Fluttershy’s face was hidden behind her pink mane. Twilight swallowed hard and smiled awkwardly, feeling decidedly uncomfortable.

“It… it’s not all bad…” she began, but trailed of and stopped. Despite all the studies she had done in her other life on friendship, she had never learned how to comfort a friend who had just lost everything. What words could she say to make Fluttershy feel any better? She had just told her that she could never go back to the home she knew. Twilight had had the luck of being born in this time. Even if she remembered Ponyville like it was supposed to be, she had at least been eased into her new life and grown accustomed to it as the years went by.

Fluttershy, on the other hand, had literally been taken from one time and dropped in the other, with no way to return. And she had told her that; what could she possibly say to make up for that? Nothing, she realised. Any word she said now would only sound hollow. Fluttershy didn’t need words now. She needed a friend, and Twilight considered herself the mare for the job. Without wasting another moment she jumped off the couch and went over to Fluttershy, pulling the timid pegasus into a strong, warm embrace.

Fluttershy returned the embrace without a word. When Twilight felt the shy pony’s shoulder shake, however, she knew that her friend was crying. Her assumption was proven correct when warm droplets fell onto her neck, but she didn’t mind. She just held Fluttershy close and patted her on the back, like any friend would do for a friend in distress. The poor pegasus had every reason to cry, Twilight mused. She had more or less lost everything, just like that.

The ease of it surprised Twilight. One doesn’t lose everything during a dinner with a friend, does one? It seemed far too casual. Too simple for something so important. And yet here she was, holding Fluttershy in her arms as the timid mare wept over the loss of everything she had known.

“It’s not all gone, Fluttershy,” Twilight found herself saying, still rubbing over the pegasus’ back, between her wings. “You… You still have me and Applejack. And Pinkie Pie I guess… And I’m sure Rarity will be delighted to see you again if I inform her of your arrival.” The only reaction she got was a quiet sob.

Twilight bit her lip, uncertain. She wished Applejack was there, the farmer had a heart of gold and was much better at saying the right things to comfort ponies. Though she had to admit Fluttershy was taking it better than she had expected. She was crying, yes, but not even out loud, and she wasn’t screaming or throwing things or doing anything rash. Maybe it was simply the calm before the storm, but there was little she could do about that. She could only be there for her friend, and nothing more.

Gone. One simple word, consisting of just four letters. And yet its impact on her was terrible. Gone. Everything was simply gone. Everything she had known, her whole life, gone. Her house, all but her closest friends, Ponyville, Equestria… all of it, gone. All of it had changed to the point where she no longer recognised any of it. Just like that. From one day to the next. Without any warning, without knowing how or why. It had just happened. Yesterday she was living life like she always had, today everything was gone, taken away. For a moment she had thought it all a bad dream, a particularly nasty nightmare. But the pain in her chest, her tears, and the warmth of Twilight’s embrace, they were all too real. It wasn’t a dream. None of it was. It was real. She was here. And everything she knew had either vanished or changed. And it was here to stay. It wouldn’t go back to the way it was. All that she had known was gone. From now on, it existed only in her head, as mere memories.

How did one deal with something like this? Had anypony ever had to go through a situation like this? Twilight and her friends, maybe, but it was still different. They had had their entire life growing up to grow used to the changes. They were born into them. She had just been dropped into them, just like that, as easily as dropping a rock. What was she supposed to do? She was crying, she was unhappy, her chest hurt, but her head felt empty. Did she have to cry louder? Did she have to scream? At who? Twilight? Why? It wasn’t her fault. She was just as much a victim as she was. Deny everything? What good would that do?

It was clear all of this was very real. Living in denial wouldn’t change that. Unless all of this was one big, elaborate prank, or somepony had put something in her food to cause her to see these things… No, no, she shouldn’t think such mean things. Nopony would be so mean to her. Even Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash didn’t prank her, not wanting to hurt her feelings. They would definitely not do something as mean as this.

But what did she have to do then, now that all of this was real? Fluttershy didn’t know, she couldn’t think clearly. Her brain seemed numb still because of the shock of the revelation. Her head was empty, nothing she tried filled it. It was a terrible feeling, one she didn’t enjoy nor want, but neither did she know what to do about it. Never before had she felt so entirely, utterly, hopelessly lost. It was all too much for the poor little mare, who didn’t know where to take herself. So she simply wept, clinging tightly to Twilight, who was so nice to be there for her and hold her. She was glad her friend was there for her, for it was all she had left, and maybe all that stood between her and a mental breakdown.

Twilight held Fluttershy for a long time, during which not a single word was spoken. There was only silence in the room, save for the occasional sob from Fluttershy and the ticking of the clock. She didn’t mind. She was prepared to give Fluttershy all the time she needed, be it hours or days. When her body began to ache from standing, she merely moved a little bit so she could lay down next to Fluttershy on the couch, putting one leg over the timid pony so their embrace was never broken. Fluttershy was grateful for her friend’s efforts, and snuggled closer to her. Had anypony seen the two friends like that, they might have thought Fluttershy was sleeping, as she laid there with her head against Twilight’s chest and her eyes closed, with the lavender mare watching over her friend like an older sister over her younger sibling. Only the tears gave Fluttershy away as being awake.

Twilight didn’t mind the close contact. She hadn’t seen her friends in a while, and even then there never was much hugging, for various reasons. It felt refreshing and heart-warming to be so close to somepony again, and to comfort them that way. So she laid there, caressing gently over Fluttershy’s back or through her mane, supporting her friend simply by being there. Her kind gestures were much appreciated, and went a long way to calm the timid pony.

Finally, after more than an hour had passed in total silence, Fluttershy opened her eyes again, and wiped her tears away with a hoof. But she did not remove herself from the comfort of Twilight’s presence, finding it… nice.

“Everything is gone,” Fluttershy said, quietly. It was a statement, not a question. Her voice still trembled a bit, but sounded less hopeless. It sounded more like a pony who had begun to accept something.

“Not gone,” Twilight corrected her gently and smiled. “Changed. And well, not everything is different. It’s like I said before: there are a lot of oddities in this world that don’t make sense. But they might help you to feel better.” Fluttershy tilted her head a bit so she could look Twilight in the eyes, silently asking her to clarify her statement. “Well, the library is still the same. For some reason, it hasn’t changed at all. The only thing that’s different is that I don’t live there anymore. And Sugarcube Corner is still the same candy house you remember it to be, as are the Cakes running it. The only thing missing from it is… well, Pinkie Pie, but I’ll get to that later.”

Hearing that two of Ponyville’s most iconic buildings were still the same did manage to lift Fluttershy’s spirits somewhat, even if she had to agree with Twilight that it didn’t make sense that those were left unchanged. It didn’t end her unhappy feelings, but it managed to prevent it from getting worse, and a tiny smile broke through her mask of sadness for a few seconds. Twilight took it as a good sign nevertheless, and gave Fluttershy another hug.

“Sweet Apple Acres is also mostly unchanged. Well, nothing could really go around the conveniences of the new technology, but the Apples have prided themselves for generations on their traditional ways, and kept the industrialising to the minimum,” she added, hoping to further brighten Fluttershy’s spirits. “Applejack and Big Macintosh keep that tradition more alive than ever. They’re really the same ponies you know from Ponyville. Granny Smith is still around as well, often complaining about ‘those young'ens with their fancy machinery’.” This managed to get a giggle out of Fluttershy, and Twilight happily laughed along with her.

“Now, there’s something else that’s entirely unchanged, though it’ll probably need a good cleaning. I’m sure it’ll do a lot to make you feel better, though,” Twilight continued. She smiled brightly at her friend. “Your cottage is still right there where you left it Fluttershy. How it got there when you were never really here until now, I have no idea. Just another one of those oddities that doesn't make a single bit of sense, I suppose. Everypony around here says it’s been around as long as Ponyville itself.”

Fluttershy’s eyes widened considerably upon hearing this news, and she looked as if she barely dared to believe what Twilight was telling her. She noticed it and had to laugh, despite everything.

“It’s true, you can believe me,” she said with a wink. “Though I’m not sure what state it is in. Like I said, it might need a good cleaning. Nopony has ever entered there, as far as I know. The ponies you remember from Ponyville also remember you, even if they don’t remember Ponyville was once different. They always knew it was your house. Around these parts, the general belief is that you had left on a journey, but would come back someday. That’s why nopony ever tried to move in there. That, and Angel wouldn’t allow it. Not sure how long he’s been there, but for the past few years he’s been assaulting everypony that dared come close with carrots. He has good aim, did you know that?”

Fluttershy’s head was spinning as her brain tried to think of a million things at once. Her cottage, her own house, the place she called home, the place where she felt safe… it was still there. And Angel Bunny was there, too, watching over it in her absence. Even though he had never met her yet in this life. And the ponies from Ponyville: Lyra, Carrot Top, Bon-Bon, Colgate, and all the others, they remembered her too! They didn’t remember how it had all once been, but they did remember her. She wasn’t a stranger to them. They would recognise her if she walked up to them. Twilight was right, this news did make her feel better. Even if she had still lost so much, even if the whole world had changed and she had to relearn everything in it, there were still things left to her. The things that mattered the most: her friends, her animal companions, a place to call home.

The realisation brought forth a feeling of warmth to her chest, and relief flooded her senses. For the first time since she had woken up in this altered world, Fluttershy felt genuinely happy and at ease. The tears came back spontaneously, but they weren’t an outing of sadness this time around. They were tears of relief. The kind of relief that only someone who had thought she had lost everything, only to discover something valuable had survived the destruction, could feel.

The feelings were so overwhelming that the timid pegasus couldn’t put them to words, all she could do was embrace her friend tightly. Twilight didn’t mind. She understood what was going through Fluttershy’s head, and how she felt. Fluttershy didn’t have to express it through words, Twilight understood even without those. And so she simply hugged Fluttershy back, happy that her friend had found something to support herself with again. It was a start, a small step forward. Her friend still needed her support, and still needed her help. But for now, Fluttershy felt happy again, if only hesitatingly, as if she was afraid to feel this way. It was a start, and for now, it was enough.

End of chapter 3.

Author's Note

Don't mistake the closeness of Twilight and Fluttershy this chapter as a sign of romantic shipping. I'm not planning on having any ship but friendship in this story.

As always, thanks go to Raryn for editing.

5. The powers that be

Wings of Tomorrow
Lament of the World

5. The Powers That Be

“Princess Celestia was overthrown!?” Fluttershy cried out. The poor pegasus had had to deal with and process a lot of information already that day, each new thing she was presented with more shocking than the last. This, however, topped everything. Somewhere, she could understand ponies using a lot of new machines. If they benefitted from it and made their lives easier with it, why not? She could even accept that society and its customs had changed because of changes in time, that was only logical. But why anypony in their right mind would want to dethrone the kind and gentle Princess, she couldn’t comprehend; she doubted she would even if Twilight explained the reasons to her.

“She was,” Twilight confirmed, though she sounded and looked as if she desperately wished to tell her friend that it was all a bad joke. “Three hundred forty-eight years ago, to be precise, at the hands of the first Court of Nobles. They founded the Free Republic of Equestria after their uprising, and seized control of it. The Nobles’ Court has been the highest authority in Equestria for the past three centuries, and has absolute power.”

“But… but why?” Fluttershy wondered, ignoring the pony politics of the new state for the moment. “Why would anypony want Princess Celestia gone? It… It seems so… I just don’t get it!”

“The official reason for the uprising was to ‘free all ponies from the oppression and tyranny of the princess’,” Twilight explained, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “The real reason was far less noble or selfless. They just wanted power. Because the industry took a high flight thanks to the introduction of Steel Gear’s steam engine, a lot of nobles and business ponies found their wealth increasing exponentially. The new technology resulted in a lot of profit for them, but often at the cost of other ponies, who lost their jobs to machines or had to work harder and faster to keep up with the new speed of the industry. Princess Celestia stepped in and made laws and restrictions that the new industry had to follow, to help the commoners and regulate the profits the bourgeoisie and nobles made of off their workers.”

Fluttershy nodded quietly. That did sound like the Princess she knew and loved: just and fair to everypony, especially to those who didn’t have it as easy as the higher classes. It was simple kindness. It was how she remembered pony society, most of the time at least. Love and harmony, and happiness for everypony, even the less fortunate. How could anypony have a problem with that?

“The high class wasn’t pleased with this decision, to say the least. It’s strange, but it seems that when somepony has a lot, they wind up wanting even more, and are never satisfied with what they have. It was no different back then. They wanted to make their profit with the new industry, no matter what the cost, and Princess Celestia was interfering with that. And when there’s a wrench preventing your machine from running smoothly, logic dictates that you remove that wrench,” Twilight continued. “In this case, the wrench was the Princess. And thus, the twenty most powerful and influential nobles united. Together they brought down the Princess and overthrew her, claiming the reign of Equestria for themselves.”

Fluttershy’s jaw dropped as she stared at Twilight in disbelief. Could somepony truly have done away with the Princess just because they wanted more money? It boggled her young mind. The entire idea seemed to go against the very nature of ponies. She knew, of course, that not every pony was as nice as her friends or the Princess, but those were simply exceptions and nothing more. And even then, none of them had been so bad as to harm other ponies to further their own goals or to fulfil their own desires. It was just downright mean! But even if there were bad ponies like that, that still left another question.

“Twilight… how could just twenty ponies overthrow the Princess? I mean… is… isn’t the Princess the most powerful pony in all of Equestria?” It was a valid question. After all, Celestia was an alicorn, capable of raising the sun on her own every day, and she had the strength and magic of a hundred ponies, if not more. The few times Fluttershy remembered the Princess to be outmatched had all been because of extraordinary circumstances, where she had been faced with extraordinary opponents. But against twenty normal ponies? She just couldn’t imagine the Princess having trouble with so few.

“I don’t know, Fluttershy,” Twilight answered. “It’s one of the few holes in my knowledge. At filly school we’re taught it was a great and valiant battle between the Nobles and the ‘tyrant’ Princess. I don’t really believe that, though. Nowadays, even non-unicorns can become powerful forces in their own right thanks to magicite, but that hadn’t yet been invented back then.” She sighed and gave a hopeless shrug. “But it doesn’t really matter, I suppose. No matter how they did it, it doesn’t change the fact that Princess Celestia was dethroned.”

There was a brief silence. Fluttershy looked uncertainly at her friend as she stared off into the distance, a look of melancholy in her eyes. Finally, she dared to break the silence with another timidly-voiced question.

“What… what happened to the Princess?”

Twilight glanced at Fluttershy, and briefly their eyes met, allowing her to see the sadness in Twilight’s eyes. “After the uprising, Princess Celestia was imprisoned in the deepest dungeons of her own castle, held down by chains and every magical seal you can think of. She’s been down there for three hundred and forty-eight years, leaving her cell only once a year, during the night of the Republic’s birthday where she’s dragged through Canterlot in a parade to celebrate the Nobles’ Court’s triumph over her.”

Twilight winced physically, apparently there were some very unpleasant memories. “I went to see the parade only once, when I was a filly,” she whispered, her voice strained, as if it hurt her to speak the words. “It was the most awful thing I’ve ever witnessed in both of my lives. A grand parade of the military, all those soldiers perfectly in line, and in front, the Nobles’ Court, in all their splendour, dragging a chained Princess Celestia behind them…” A shiver ran down her spine as she shut her eyes to prevent herself from crying. “She looked horrible. Her white coat was dirty; her mane no longer billowing and beautiful, but ragged and lifeless. She didn’t have her regalia, and it made her look so… so exposed… so naked.”

Fluttershy looked horrified, but couldn’t bring out a word, for Twilight went on. “And everypony stood along the streets and… and they cheered! They were happy! They cheered for the nobles and they cussed out the Princess! They even threw things at her, and nobody seemed to mind, as if it was normal! As if it was… right.” Twilight sighed again. “And after that one night, she is taken back to the dungeons, not to leave until the next anniversary of the Republic. She hasn’t seen the sun in three hundred forty-eight years.”

Fluttershy gasped loudly, her eyes wide with shock. Hearing that the Princess had been overthrown for such selfish reasons had been bad enough, but hearing of the treatment Celestia had to suffer through made Fluttershy honestly upset. She couldn’t believe her fellow ponies were capable of such horrible behaviour. Even Discord hadn’t been so mean to the Princess!

“How dare them!” she said, surprising even herself with how angry she sounded. “How can they do that to the Princess!? Why would they even do such a thing!? Didn’t anypony try to help her!?”

Twilight placed a hoof on her friend’s shoulder to calm her down. “You have to understand, Fluttershy. After they overthrew her, the first Nobles’ Court started a giant slander campaign to drag Princess Celestia’s name through the mud and shatter her reputation. They showed documents to the public and the press that said the Princess had been involved in all kinds of horrible things behind the scenes. Secret deals with the gryphons, the removal of political adversaries, fraud and theft, conspiracies against ponykind… Said they found these documents in secret archives of the Princess.” She rolled her eyes as she remembered learning about that so-called ‘evidence’ against the Princess in filly school.

“None of it was real, of course. It was all made up, but the fake documents were very convincing,” Twilight said. “Only a member of Celestia’s personal court would have been able to see that her seal on those documents was fake. The problem is that it was said personal court that turned against her. After all these ‘scandals’ were revealed, it wasn’t hard for the usurpers to get the public opinion to support them and view them as liberators, who had saved all of Equestria from a cold, heartless tyrant.”

Fluttershy felt her spirits drop even lower, her heart went out to her beloved monarch, treated so unjustly. She felt angry at those nobles who had brought the Princess down like that, but could feel only pity for her fellow ponies who were seemingly so easily deceived. Didn’t any of them remember the many wonderful things the Princess had done for them and all of Equestria?

“Not everypony fell for it, however,” Twilight then said, as if guessing what her friend was thinking. “The imprisoning of Celestia divided ponies into two groups: those who supported the new Republic and those who supported the Princess. Already on the day after the forming of the republic did the first protests break out all across the country, with ponies demonstrating for or against the new order, and in some cities it even came to blows. The guards could do little to put out these hearths of unrest, they were in disarray themselves, not sure what to do or who to follow now that Celestia was gone. It seemed Equestria was falling into chaos without the Princess to hold it together.”

“Oh my…” Fluttershy whispered quietly, the thought of ponies really fighting each other making her uneasy and uncomfortable. “What… what happened then?”

“Well, at first it looked as if the Nobles’ Court would quickly lose control of the situation. But it turned out they had planned their uprising better than anypony had expected,” Twilight answered. “They had bought a lot of loyalty using their great wealth, creating a new army separate from the royal guard. Once the Princess was overthrown, they quickly mobilised their new force in every major city, and brought a swift end to the unrest. They restored peace and order forcefully, though a lot of ponies were grateful to the Court for bringing an end to the violence.”

She paused for a moment, making sure she had her historical facts straight before continuing her tale. “That peace was tense, and unrest continued to boil beneath the surface. It couldn’t last, and it didn’t. Only a few months later, when the nobles did away with the law that put a limit to their profits, the situation in Trottingham exploded. There already was a considerable rift between rich and poor there, and support for Celestia was always greater in the eastern parts of Equestria. When the new decision of the court became known, the outrage amongst the common ponies was enormous. Led by members of the former royal guard who had remained faithful to the Princess, they marched through the streets and took control of the city, declaring loyalty to Princess Celestia only.”

Despite everything, Fluttershy couldn’t help but smile a bit. It was nice to hear ponies sticking up for the Princess, after all.

“The uprising in Trottingham pulled the trigger for the rebellion. In no time at all, the fires of revolution spread all over Equestria, from east to west, with Stalliongrad being the farthest west they got. Veterans of the royal guard who had defected from the republic quickly seized control to organise the revolution, to ensure its survival. The Nobles’ Court reacted swiftly, mobilizing the greatest force seen since the fight against Nightmare Moon.”

Twilight thought back to how different this story had been told to her at filly school, and scoffed. She wouldn’t tell such lies. No, Fluttershy would get nothing but the real story from her. Seeing that she still had every bit of her friend’s attention, Twilight hurriedly continued.

“The Republicans were higher in number and they were better funded, but the rebels were led by veteran guards and expert tacticians. Despite all odds, the revolutionaries kept the forces of the Republic at bay, all the way from the north to the south, effectively splitting Equestria in half. The rebels then declared their independence, separating themselves from the Republic and continuing the old Royal Kingdom of Equestria. The unrest that had been brooding in Equestria since the fall of Celestia had now escalated into a civil war, one that has lasted to this day.”

Fluttershy gasped when she heard Twilight utter the forbidden word. “W… war?” she repeated slowly, though it came out as a barely comprehensible squeak instead. Twilight seemed to guess what she had said, though.

“Yes, Fluttershy, war,” she confirmed. She felt terrible that she had to tell her friend this, but Fluttershy wanted the truth, and the truth just happened to be ugly and nasty. “For three hundred and forty eight years, both halves of Equestria have been at war with each other. The Royalists want to reinstate Celestia on the throne, the Republicans want to bring all of Equestria under their full control again, and neither is willing to back down.”

Fluttershy squeaked again, and turned an interesting but worrisome shade of white. Looking that pale was decidedly unhealthy, Twilight knew, and she feared for a moment that Fluttershy would succumb to a panic attack. Luckily, it didn’t go that far, though she did look quite ill.

“T… three hundred years…? O… of fi… fighting?”

“Oh no, if they fought every day for three hundred years straight, why, there wouldn’t be a pony left in Equestria to fight in the first place!” Twilight quickly corrected her, smiling awkwardly. “In fact, most of the time there is no fighting, and both sides just stare each other down, waiting for the other to make a move. Many times, decades have gone by during which nothing happened, aside from a few minor struggles. The longest time that the hostilities have gone on uninterrupted was sixteen years, but that was more than a century and a half ago.” She didn’t add that the hostilities had started to increase again in the past few years.

Hearing that there had been less conflict than she had initially feared was but a small comfort, since the war was still a real and undeniable fact, but it was comfort nevertheless. Fluttershy felt a tiny bit of relief; she didn’t like violence as it was, and she had been in a real battle only once, when the changelings had interrupted the royal wedding. Even then, she hadn’t been of much use, the idea of hitting and intentionally hurting somepony else, even a changeling, scared her and made her very uncomfortable.

Suddenly, she remembered what had brought forth this entire tale in the first place. “And… and Rainbow Dash… she… she fights in… in this war?” Fluttershy asked, though she already knew the answer. She doubted she had misheard Twilight a few moments before. She couldn’t help it, though; she had to ask for confirmation. War was scary enough on its own, but the idea of Rainbow Dash, her friend, actively taking part in it was downright terrifying.

If Twilight had felt bad about informing her timid friend about a civil war before, now she felt even worse. Nevertheless, she nodded, sighing deeply as she did so. “I never met her in person, but she did leave us a message years ago, when we were still fillies. Because she was like us and remembered our other lives, she knew that everything the Republic said about the Princess was nothing but lies. She couldn’t stand to live in a country that was built on lies, and she’s loyal to the Princess. So she fled the Republic and joined the Royal Army, to fight for the Princess and to put her back on her rightful place on the throne of Equestria.”

“That does sound like her…” Fluttershy had to admit, Rainbow Dash didn’t represent the Element of Loyalty for nothing. And even though the very idea of war and violent conflicts was frightening to Fluttershy, she couldn’t help but feel a hint of pride for Rainbow for remaining loyal to the Princess. Despite the fact that she had lived a life where she had never truly met the Princess in person, and technically had no way of knowing the things the Republic said about Celestia to be lies. She only had her memories of a different life, but those had been enough for Rainbow Dash to remain loyal.

“Indeed,” Twilight agreed, and smiled a bit. “Given the fact that she’s wanted throughout the entire Republic, I haven’t really been able to contact her to ask how she’s doing, but I wouldn’t worry too much. She’s made quite a name for herself, to say the least.” Her smile widened as she thought back to the reports of all of her friend’s exploits. That would be a story for another time, though. Fluttershy had enough information to deal with as it was. “She can definitely take care of herself.”

“Oh, thank goodness,” Fluttershy replied, letting out a sigh of relief. “I would definitely worry about her doing something so dangerous… even if it is for a good cause.” There was a brief pause, Fluttershy frowned and tapped her chin with her hoof. “But what about Pinkie Pie? You said her reason for feeling so poor had something to do with all this?”

“Well… ‘all this’ is actually the very reason why she feels so bad,” Twilight answered. Her smile from a few moments ago evaporated like snow under the sun when she thought of the pink earth pony. “The civil war, the injustice that’s befallen Princess Celestia, this society that is all focussed on economy, money, and making profit; it was too much for her. Everypony has to work hard to keep their lives comfortable. Work too little, and you drop out of the system, with almost no chance to get back in. Ponies barely have any time for the simple things in life that Pinkie enjoys so much. No time for a smile, no time for a party, no time to simply be good to each other. You work hard or you join the war efforts.”

Twilight sighed again and shook her head. “Pinkie tried to make everypony smile, but she was rejected every time. Nopony ever has time for it. This hard truth, the state Equestria is in now, and her worry for Rainbow Dash her safety; that’s what's made her so depressed. She doesn’t throw parties anymore because she sees no reason to do so. What is there to celebrate? That nopony has time to smile? That ponies have been fighting each other for centuries? That the Princess is unjustly imprisoned and mistreated?”

Fluttershy remained silent, staring at her hooves and hiding behind her mane. She understood; she understood Pinkie perfectly. Thinking about it, it wasn’t even very surprising. It was merely logical that her dear friend was so sad. Pinkie lived to make ponies happy, so when she couldn’t make anypony happy she couldn’t be happy herself. And if she wasn’t happy, then what did she live for? Fluttershy’s heart went out to her poor friend, and she vowed to go to her and try to comfort her as soon as possible.

“Oh… ehm… Twilight, if… if you don’t mind me asking… But… you… you don’t seem to like this republic very much, and you were so close to Princess Celestia, too,” Fluttershy stammered, dropping the subject of Pinkie Pie for the moment. “So… so why didn’t you go and join Rainbow dash? Not… not that I want you to go fight and hurt anypony! I… I’m just wondering…”

Twilight waited a long time before answering. She looked decidedly uncomfortable about the whole subject, frowning and refusing to meet Fluttershy’s inquiring gaze. “I… I have my reasons,” she finally said. “Of course I want to stop that awful treatment the Princess is getting… but there are personal reasons that prevent me from doing so.” She rubbed her hooves together nervously. “I’d rather not talk about it.”

Fluttershy nodded timidly. “O… okay, I won’t pry…” She had already asked a lot of her friend, and if it made Twilight uncomfortable to talk about personal reasons, then she felt she had to respect that.

“Even if I didn’t have those reasons, I don’t think I would be of much help to the Royalists’ cause anyway,” Twilight added after another brief moment of silence. “Since Princess Celestia has been imprisoned for more than three hundred years, I never got to be her personal student in this life. I didn’t join her magic school for gifted unicorns, since it got never built, so I have little practice in my magic. I remember spells from my other life, of course, but magic more advanced than levitation is outlawed in the Republic, except in the army, so I couldn’t practice by using my memories either.”

Twilight glanced at her horn briefly, then looked at the door of the kitchen wistfully. “That’s also the reason why you don’t see Spike here… I didn’t go to magic school, so I never had to take the entrance test, and thus never hatched his egg. It did hatch, though I don’t know how or when. But since the Princess didn’t raise him, and he wasn’t entrusted to my care as my number one assistant either, nopony really took care of him, or kept his greed under control. He developed like a normal dragon would, with a the natural instinct to create a hoard. And with nopony to stop him from doing that…” She trailed of and gave Fluttershy a sad but knowing look. “Well, you know what happened last time he got greedy.”

Fluttershy nodded. She remembered, all too well. It had taken quite a bit of hard work to fix all the damage caused by the rampaging Spike, grown by the greed that came natural to his kin. It wasn’t really his fault, merely his nature, and in the end he had overcome himself, with the help of his friends, and returned back to normal. But if nopony was around to help him remember who he was…

“Well, like I said before,” Twilight finished with a shrug. “Last I checked, he'd taken up residence in the Everfree Forest, resting on quite a sizeable hoard, breathing emerald flames at anypony crazy enough to venture close.”

Fluttershy knew Twilight very well; they were the best of friends after all. And she could see just how hard it was for her to talk about the baby dragon she had been, pretty much, a mother and older sister to all of her (other) life. Fluttershy comfortingly rubbed Twilight’s back and gave her a friendly nuzzle.

“You miss him terribly, don’t you?” she whispered quietly.

Twilight bowed her head, squeezing her eyes shut. It didn’t stop the tears from running down her face. “Every day,” she replied, just as softly as her dear friend. Fluttershy put her hooves around the distressed unicorn, drawing her into a warm and friendly hug. It helped Twilight considerably, and Fluttershy was simply happy that she could be the one bringing comfort for a change. Given her record for that day, it was a refreshing change of pace.

End of chapter 5.

Author's Note

Thanks to Raryn for editing.

6. Homecoming

Wings of Tomorrow
Lament of the World

6. Homecoming

Fluttershy stared at her reflection in the mirror, shyly observing how she looked in a borrowed dress of Twilight's. The two ponies were roughly the same size, but since Twilight was a unicorn, there were no adjustments made in her clothes for wings. That meant it was a bit of a tight fit around Fluttershy’s shoulders, with her wings squeezed against her body. Still, it wasn’t unbearable, and for now it would have to do. She didn’t have much choice anyway; Twilight had explained to her that in this new age it was illegal to go out in public without at least a minimum of clothing. That was why Grey Helm had taken her into custody before. The idea seemed strange to her, but she was glad she now at least understood what she had done wrong. And wearing clothes wouldn’t be too hard to adjust to.

“It’s really nice of you to lend me one of your dresses, Twilight,” Fluttershy said gratefully, glancing briefly at her friend before looking back at her reflection. The dress was a rather simple affair: sky blue, with ankle-length sleeves for her front legs, and a gown trailing down her back, covering her hind legs, flank and tail. It squeezed a bit around the waist, and her wings were decidedly uncomfortable, but it was… nice. “You’ve done so much for me already today… I hope I’m not being a bother…”

“Don’t be silly, Fluttershy,” Twilight replied with a smile. “We’re friends. What kind of friend would I be if I just left you to your own devices? You can’t go out in public without clothes, but you don’t have any at the moment, so it’s only logical and right that I lend you some of mine.” She gave Fluttershy an apologetic look. “I know it’s nothing terribly fancy, but I’m afraid the rest of my wardrobe is either not your size or made specifically for unicorns.”

“Oh no, it’s… nice,” Fluttershy said hurriedly, not wanting her friend to think that the borrowed dress wasn’t good or fancy enough for her. She didn’t really mind how she looked at the moment, as long as she could go outside and go home without causing any trouble.

Twilight trotted around her friend one last time, inspecting her from every angle to make sure she was presentable. Once done, she came to a halt next to Fluttershy and nodded, apparently satisfied with what she was seeing. “It’ll do,” she declared. “We should go shopping for some proper outfits as soon as possible, but for now this’ll suffice. Ready to go home?”

Fluttershy nodded. “Yes! If… if it wouldn’t be too much trouble.” She blushed a bit and hid behind her mane, hoping she hadn’t been too assertive.

After she had comforted Twilight when she was upset over the loss of Spike, the two mares had spent some time being simply together, supporting each other with their presence like true friends did. Not a lot was said during that time, both occupied with their own thoughts. Occasionally Fluttershy would ask a small question about lighter matters, and Twilight answered it to the best of her abilities. Eventually, though, she had declared that she wanted to go home to see how her little friends were doing. Twilight hadn’t objected, and had taken Fluttershy upstairs to her room so they could find a suitable dress for her.

Now the two friends trotted carefully downstairs and through the hall, Twilight leading the way. She opened the front door of her house and let Fluttershy pass through, before following and locking the door behind them. The streets were still buzzing with activity, though they were noticeably less crowded, given that it was already late in the afternoon. Twilight checked the large clock of the town hall tower, which towered over the rest of Ponyville. It was half past four.

She looked at Fluttershy to make sure her friend was holding up. The pegasus still didn’t look very comfortable or at ease in her new surroundings, but at least she wasn’t stared at anymore, given that she was now properly dressed. It visibly relieved her, and Twilight was glad for that.

“This way,” she said, smiling encouragingly as she began to walk down the street to the right of her house. Fluttershy followed closely, sticking to Twilight like glue. So much physical contact wasn't exactly how things were done these days, but she didn’t mind. If it helped to give her friend strength, it was fine. “You don’t have to be so scared, Fluttershy. Nopony is going to hurt you. Most of them are probably too busy to take notice of you.”

Fluttershy made a soft squeaking sound as she looked around her, taking in all those ponies and the monotonous row of similar-looking houses. “But there are… so many…” she muttered, referring to the amount of citizens.

Twilight chuckled lightly. “You should see Canterlot, or Manehattan. Though it’s true that Ponyville is more populated than you remember.” She stepped aside to let another guard on patrol pass, Fluttershy growing visibly tense as the uniformed pony walked by. “Ponyville is still young, so it still offers many possibilities for ponies hoping to build a good life for themselves. That’s why there’s a steady stream of newcomers almost every day. Every year the village expands beyond its previous borders, and new districts are built on a daily basis.”

“Is there enough room for that?” Fluttershy asked.

“Well, for now at least,” Twilight answered. “As you’ve probably noticed, our houses tend to be smaller than what you’re used to. The architecture in this age is quite compact. The total surface covered by the village is about the same as the Ponyville we remember, but the population is thrice as high, as you can see just by looking around.”

Fluttershy nodded quietly. If there lived thrice as many ponies in this Ponyville than in the one she knew, that explained perfectly why everything was so crowded and small here. It was the only way they could have enough room for everypony! Though she did wonder what the cause of that increase in population was. Was it also a result of the new technology? She wanted to ask Twilight, only to notice that her friend had apparently gone on to explain something again, so she put her question away for now and paid attention.

“Of course, Ponyville is structured a bit differently as well now, to say the least,” Twilight said, seemingly not noticing if Fluttershy actually paid attention or not. “It’s divided in four districts. The town square is the centre of the village, and from there you can easily reach every district. There’s the living district in the east, where common ponies like me live. To the south is the high district, where the few upper class ponies living here have their residence. There’s the market district to the west, where you’ll find shops to suit your every need. And finally, the industrial district in the north, where the train station and the airship docks are, as well as the factories.” She paused briefly to look at her friend from the corners of her eyes. “You’re free to do as you please, of course. But if you want my advice, I’d stay in the market or living district. Unless you have business there, it’s best to stay clear from the other two districts so you won’t get in anypony’s way.”

The pegasus nodded timidly. “O… okay, I… I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Glad to hear it!” Twilight cheered, and she happily trotted further through the maze of Ponyville’s streets, her friend following her quietly, like a shadow.

The outdoors were as great as Fluttershy remembered them to be. The grasslands surrounding Ponyville hadn’t changed, not much at least. The paved road that ran through it, from the town to Sweet Apple Acres, was a bit wider, and the few solitary trees she remembered were gone. But aside from that, the grass was green and high, full of colourful flowers with playful butterflies, bunnies, and of course, cows. Every inch of it felt familiar and trustworthy, enabling her to truly feel at ease and relaxed again. The sky was clear, the sun was shining, and the air was fresh. Everything here was wide and open, so very different from the crowded, claustrophobic streets of Ponyville. Here, she could breathe. Twilight didn’t fail to notice and smiled.

The two ponies trotted at a gentle pace along the road, not really hurrying. Fluttershy was obviously blossoming open like a flower in these familiar surroundings, so Twilight let her set their pace.

In her head, Twilight rolled out her map of the area. They had left Ponyville through the west gate, following the road that ran straight west for now, in the direction of the Everfree Forest, which loomed in the distance. She knew that the road would soon enough take a sharp turn to the south, towards Sweet Apple Acres, where a small path would later branch off towards the Everfree Forest. But that wasn’t their route. Fluttershy’s cottage was to the northwest of Ponyville. A smaller path, similar to the one that led to the Everfree Forest, would deviate from the main road a few minutes before the sharp turn to the south. That was the path they’d have to take. Fluttershy was sure to notice herself, Twilight thought. After all, that road hadn’t changed a single bit. Even though it looked weathered and was overgrown with weeds and grass due to being so rarely used. Nopony ever really had a reason to go near the abandoned cottage.

“Twilight?”

Fluttershy’s quiet speaking of her name pulled her from her thoughts. She shook her head and grinned sheepishly at her friend, embarrassed at being caught spacing out.

“Yes?”

Fluttershy rubbed a hoof nervously over one of the tiles that the road was paved with. She seemed rather nervous again, hiding behind her mane. “I… I was actually wondering about something… I, um, I just thought of it… And maybe you could… If you don’t mind…”

The sheepish grin on Twilight’s face was replaced by a genuine, kind smile. “You know you can ask me anything, Fluttershy, so, ask away. I’d be glad to help.”

Fluttershy nodded, and began to walk again, with Twilight quickly catching up. They trotted side by side, Twilight waiting patiently for the Fluttershy to pose her question. Said mare avoided her gaze, finding the flowers on the other side of the road suddenly very interesting. Finally, her curiosity triumphed over her nerves, and she found her voice again. “I… I was wondering… If… if Princess Celestia is… in a dungeon, then who makes the Sun rise?”

A surprised ‘Oh!’ escaped Twilight’s lips before she knew it. It wasn’t that difficult or sensitive a question, even for her, and given the time it had taken Fluttershy to actually ask it, she had expected something entirely else. “Well, you know that the Princess didn’t always take care of the Sun. Remember the tale of Hearths’ Warming Eve, before Equestria was founded, the unicorn tribe took care of that. So when the Nobles’ took over, the great duty of raising the celestial bodies fell once again to normal unicorns. There’s a specialized group, the Court of Mages, who are responsible for it. Though it takes fourteen of the most talented mages to do it, and three centuries ago it took even more.”

Fluttershy gave another short nod, indicating she understood. But given from how tense she still looked, Twilight guessed there was something else she wanted to ask concerning this subject, and she suddenly realised what it might be. The realisation felt like a hand of ice grabbing hold of her heart.

“But Twilight, I… I know why those awful ponies did… ehm… that to the Princess… But what about Princess Luna? Why didn’t she do something about it?!” Fluttershy asked, her voice shaking.

Twilight felt herself grow cold, and she stopped walking. She had guessed correctly what her friend would ask, and she didn’t like it. For the answer was sure to hurt her friend even more, it would no doubt shock and horrify her. She gnawed on her lower lip nervously, unsure if she should tell the truth or find an excuse to not answer the question. Fluttershy by now had noticed something was off, stopping her trot as well. Timidly, she turned around to look at her friend who had fallen behind.

“Twilight?”

Twilight sighed deeply. There was little choice; Fluttershy had the right to know the truth. And as she had thought before, it might be best if she got all the bad news as quickly as possible, so she could come to terms with it as soon as possible. No sense in delaying the inevitable, it wouldn’t be fair or healthy for Fluttershy. Her mind made up, Twilight met her friend’s gaze and spoke, her voice even and neutral.

“Princess Luna is dead.”

The silence that fell after those four words was so thick one could cut it with a knife. Fluttershy simply stared at Twilight, her mouth opening and closing endlessly, as if she were a fish out of the water, her eyes as wide as saucers. It randomly came to Twilight that Fluttershy’s eyes had had quite some stretching exercise today. She pushed the thought away brusquely. This was no laughing matter. At all. Her friend was visibly struggling with what she had just been told, clearly having a hard time believing that she had heard Twilight correctly.

“D… dead?”

Twilight sighed again – she had been doing that a lot today – and gave a sad nod of confirmation. With a heavy heart, she began to walk again, Fluttershy falling in besides her, visibly shocked and shaken by this latest piece of news.

“You have to understand, when Princess Celestia was overthrown, Princess Luna was still banished on the Moon as Nightmare Moon,” Twilight explained, her voice strained. “But just like in our other life, the stars aided in her escape on the longest day, one thousand years after her banishment. At exactly the same time as we remember. Only, we weren’t there. Rainbow Dash was in the Kingdom, and you were missing. There were only four of us present on the day when Nightmare Moon returned. Only this time, there were no Elements of Harmony to stand up to her.”

Fluttershy wanted to say something as the words and their meaning sunk in, but words failed her. She could manage nothing more but a small squeak.

“When Nightmare Moon returned, I think she must have been as shocked as the guards that day. Neither had expected the other. Nightmare Moon had expected to return to find Celestia on the throne of Equestria, only to find a world without her sister, with airships and steam engines, and the land she wanted to cover in Eternal Night torn in two by civil war,” Twilight continued, ignoring Fluttershy’s small squeak as if she hadn’t heard it. “Likewise, the guards hadn’t expected her appearance at all. After all, most of us thought Nightmare Moon was just an old pony tale, which she turned out to clearly not be.”

Fluttershy nodded shyly. She could imagine that it must have been very confusing for both sides. That still didn’t explain why the Princess had lost her life. “What happened then?”

“In the end, though, the absence of Celestia didn’t really bother Nightmare Moon. In fact, she found it terribly amusing, calling us ponies foals for having taken down the only one who could stand up to her. Now nothing would be able to stop her from making the night last forever,” Twilight answered. By now they had reached the weed-and-grass-covered path that would take them to Fluttershy’s home, and they left the main road, Fluttershy to engrossed in the tale to notice the state of the path. “Unfortunately, Nightmare Moon had underestimated the advances in technology and power that ponies had made in her absence. All forces stationed in Canterlot were dispatched to confront her and bring her plans to a halt.”

Twilight let her eyes drift upwards towards the sky, and in her mind’s eye, she could still see the massive fleet of airships that had darkened the skies above the fields of Ponyville that day. “A great battle ensued between the forces of the Republic and Nightmare Moon. The cannon fire of the airships and the spells of the soldiers meant nothing to her, but the commanders of the Republican Forces were present as well on that day. They engaged Nightmare Moon in direct combat. It is said that that battle was the greatest since the confrontation between the first Nobles’ Court and Celestia, and the Republic suffered many losses. But in the end the commanders were victorious, and Nightmare Moon was…” A short pause. “Destroyed.”

“D… destroyed!?” Fluttershy squeaked.

“Destroyed,” Twilight confirmed coldly with a curt nod. “I was there, Fluttershy. Or rather, I witnessed the battle from afar. Many ponies did. The hairs on my coat still stand up straight whenever I think back to it. It was night, but you barely noticed it, for there were so many spells and explosions that they illuminated the night sky as brightly as if it were day. Thousands of ponies, all fighting against one opponent, who kept them at bay. I'd never witnessed anything like it! The very sky trembled because of the massive amount of power unleashed in that fight!”

Fluttershy noticed she was trembling with fear as she heard the description of the battle. She was glad she hadn’t been there to see it; she probably would have hidden under the couch in her cottage anyway, if she had lived here then.

“Nightmare Moon was very powerful, but at the end of the fight the commanders managed to break through her magic shields, and then she was hit by a barrage of literally thousands of spells and explosions from cannon fire…” Twilight continued, speaking as if in a trance, for in her mind it was as if she was there again, witnessing that historical clash. “There was an overload of magical energy, followed by a massive explosion originating from Nightmare Moon. The shock from that blast was felt all the way to Canterbury, so I’ve heard. On the other side of Equestria!”

She paused for a moment to let that sink in. “Ponyville was right next to the blast and suffered a lot of damage. Not a single window survived, and some houses even collapsed! And don’t get me started on how many months I’ve spent helping Applejack repair the orchard at the farm.” She rolled her eyes as she thought back to those days. “But after the explosion, Nightmare Moon was just gone. There was nothing left, except her helm, which I heard is displayed in the throne room in Canterlot. After they showed it to the Princess to taunt her, of course.”

Fluttershy physically winced after that last sentence. She knew Princess Celestia loved her little sister very much, and that it had always hurt her that she had had to banish Luna. She remembered very well how happy the Princess had been when the Elements of Harmony had freed Luna from Nightmare Moon, and she could only imagine how painful it must have been for the Monarch of the Sun to learn that her sister, even if she was still Nightmare Moon, had perished. To taunt her by showing the only thing that remained of her sister was a very cruel thing to do, and Fluttershy felt very angry at the ones who had done so, and sorry for the Princess.

There was another brief silence as she pondered over everything Twilight had told her. “S… so, Princess Luna, she…”

“She died in that explosion as Nightmare Moon, yes,” Twilight confirmed with a sigh. She bowed her head in sadness as she thought about the Princess of the Night. Even in her other life Princess Luna hadn’t been seen often since her return, but the few times they had met, Twilight had come to know her as a wonderful pony, who wished for nothing more than to do good for her subjects and earn their love and appreciation in return. And it had been her and her friends who had made it possible for the Princess to have that second chance. That had caused Twilight to always feel some sort of responsibility for Luna’s welfare, even if the Princess was far more powerful than she could ever hope to be.

But the Princess had had use for her help, as proven on Nightmare Night, which Twilight still fondly remembered. It had taken a bit of classic trial and error, but in the end Twilight and her friends had succeeded in making Luna feel welcome and helped her adjust to the new social customs, becoming friends in the process. A friend she would never have in this life. The knowledge of that never failed to sadden her deeply. It made her feel as if she had failed somehow, even though there was nothing that she could have done to change things. They hadn’t had the Elements; those were still encased in stone in the Everfree Forest. And even if she could have managed to save Luna from Nightmare Moon, to what end? All that would have awaited her was the same fate as Celestia, and Twilight could live without having that on her conscience. Not that living with the death of the Princess was any easier.

Fluttershy had similar feelings. She hadn’t been as close to Princess Luna as Twilight, and their encounters had been far more brief. On Nightmare Night, she had been frightened by the former Nightmare Moon, because the Princess was so loud and… rather direct in her way of speaking to ponies. But after she had managed to calm down a bit, Fluttershy did realise that Princess Luna had meant well, and was a kind pony at heart, just like the big sister she strived to be like. To hear that the Princess of the Night had passed away, unredeemed, was distressing even for her.

That still left one question that begged to be asked, however. “But, um, Twilight… N… Nightmare Moon… or Princess Luna… She was an alicorn, a princess… How… how could she lose to normal ponies who didn’t have the Elements of Harmony?” It didn’t really seem possible to her. Then again, it had seemed impossible for normal ponies to take down Princess Celestia, too, and yet they had managed that too, somehow.

“That’s a good question. I mean, if I hadn’t seen it with my own two eyes, I would have a hard time believing that an alicorn as powerful as Nightmare Moon could lose to mortals,” Twilight had to admit. “But there are a couple of special circumstances that have to be kept in mind when discussing this.” She cleared her throat, which told Fluttershy that her friend was about to give her a lecture. “First of all, Nightmare Moon had been imprisoned for a thousand years. The conditions of that banishment are something only the Princesses knew, but I think it’s safe to say that Nightmare Moon was, for the lack of a better term, simply out of practice after a thousand years of solitude.”

“Secondly, we have to keep in mind that she returned expecting to find Celestia and a peace-loving nation, instead she came face to face with an entire army of trained and experienced soldiers. She had the disadvantage of lacking proper knowledge or preparation,” Twilight continued her explanation. “And finally, I think Nightmare Moon underestimated the forces she was up against, or the progress ponies have made during her absence in this time line. She probably didn’t think that she could lose to normal ponies.”

“If you think about it, she had the disadvantage on pretty much every field, except for terms of raw magical power. But the past few centuries ponies have managed to cross the gap of power between an alicorn and a normal pony considerably. Individual ponies can gain much greater levels of personal strength, and it is all thanks to one major discovery, one Nightmare Moon had no way of knowing about.”

Fluttershy peeked curiously at Twilight from behind her mane. “And… what discovery was that?”

“The discovery of magicite, of course,” she replied, as if that explained everything. When Fluttershy gave her a blank look of incomprehension, Twilight realised who she was talking to and blushed sheepishly. She hurried to explain. “You see, the discovery of the magical properties of orichalcon by Steel Gear proved the existence of minerals that were sensitive to magic. Though he himself didn’t discover it, it was Steel Gear’s discovery of orichalcon that allowed the pony generations that came after him to discover magicite.”

“That discovery is actually quite recent, it happened roughly a century and a half ago. There are many kinds of minerals and gems out there, as you know, many of which we’ve known about for a long time. But magicite is extremely rare, and very, very, dangerous.”

Fluttershy gave her a puzzled look. “Um, why?” she wondered aloud in her usual quiet, shy voice.

“Because of its abilities,” came the answer. “Magicite is a mineral that scientists have placed in the same category of minerals as orichalcon. Namely, minerals that are sensitive to magic. Orichalcon reacts to magic by giving off heat if it is charged with a sufficient amount. Ponies discovered another mineral they called luminite, which gives off a soft light when you fill it with magic. Both have practical use in our daily lives. Magicite however, has more than just one use when you charge it with magic.” Twilight glanced to her side to make sure Fluttershy was following her so far. When it appeared that she was, she continued her lecture.

“You see, magicite is very mysterious, and its exact workings are still a mystery to everypony. But that hasn’t prevented ponies from finding good, and dangerous, uses for it. It was Ambervale the Steady who discovered that magicite, unlike orichalcon or luminite, doesn’t act as an output for the magic it is charged with. Instead, it’s more like a conductor. When you charge magicite with magic energy, and then have it come in physical contact with any living creature, it will transfer the abilities of the magic within to whatever being it is touching, for as long as the contact lasts.”

By now Fluttershy’s eyes were rolling in their sockets. She was by no means a slow or unintelligent pony, but the great amount of words that had ‘magic’ in them, coupled with the many difficult terms she had never heard of before, resulted in her having become hopelessly lost. Twilight noticed and realised she had been doing ‘that’ again, getting so worked up in her excitement of lecturing that she forgot to keep using normal words. She had to explain it in ‘non-egghead’ terms, as Rainbow Dash would so elegantly have put it. She decided to do so with an example.

“Say that I have a magicite crystal, and I put a simple levitation spell in it. If I then give the magicite to Applejack, for example, she’ll begin to float for as long as she is touching it.”

The light of understanding dawned on Fluttershy’s visage. At least she thought she understood it. “So, um…” she began. “This… crystal… lets earth ponies use magic?”

“Not exactly,” Twilight corrected her gently. “It gives anypony, be it a pegasus, earth pony, or unicorn, the ability to use whatever it is that the magicite is filled with, and only if they’re touching the magicite. If I put a translation spell in the crystal, then anypony who holds it will be able to understand any language they hear. If I put a spell that grows flowers in it, then anypony who holds it will be able to grow flowers, but nothing else.” She smiled slightly at her friend. “Do you understand?”

Fluttershy nodded. “I… I think so. But, um, what does this have to do with Nightmare Moon losing to normal ponies?”

“I’m getting to that. You can also store useful magic in magicite, Fluttershy. Unicorns often put spells in it that increase their strength or stamina, so they can better withstand the strain of higher spells and can cast them more easily or often,” Twilight explained. “You may remember how I took care of that Ursa Minor, and how much that took of me. It sapped away all my strength to use so much magic. With magicite and the correct spell, I could do the same thing almost as easily as lifting a teacup, so to speak. You’d be surprised how much more unicorns are capable of with a bit more stamina, especially if they’ve been training to already have a higher stamina than the average pony.”

Fluttershy pondered about this for a while, then nodded. She was beginning to understand what Twilight meant.

“But that’s not all,” she continued. “Pegasi and earth ponies can also use magicite, but they don’t have the same magic as unicorns do. They often use magicite in different, more raw ways, since one spell wouldn’t be very useful to them. That’s why ponies developed an enhanced form of magicite. They put a specific spell in it, which allows them to fill the magicite with something other than magic. Raw elements, such as fire, or lightning.”

Fluttershy gasped, and Twilight gave her friend a serious look. “Magicite charged with fire or lightning would give the pony who holds it the ability to wield those elements, making them tremendously powerful.” She paused for a moment, thinking back to the fight she witnessed between the Republic and Nightmare Moon. “And that’s exactly what happened. One of the commanders of the Republic uses fire-charged magicite, and it earned her the nickname ‘the Phoenix’. Nightmare Moon could never have expected or prepared for ponies with such abilities, or unicorns with abnormal magical power due to the magical support of their magicite. It gave the Republic forces the element of surprise, and they used it to the fullest.”

“Of course, you mustn’t think every pegasus or earth pony runs around throwing fire at everything,” she hastened to add, giving Fluttershy an assuring smile. “Only the best and most well-trained ponies are allowed to wield magicite, since it’s so rare. And only a very selective few of that group of the best get their hooves on elemental magicite. In fact, I can think of only three ponies in all of Equestria, Republic and Kingdom combined, who do. That’s because magicite isn’t only rare, but learning to properly use and control elemental magicite is said to be as easy as convincing a grown dragon to give away its hoard. It takes a lot of practice and dedication.”

“Oh my, that hard?” Fluttershy asked, not really knowing what else to say. The idea of pegasi and earth ponies wielding fire or lightning seemed pretty strange and surreal to her, and she wasn’t sure what to think of it. It sounded very dangerous, at the very least.

Twilight only nodded in response. Silence reigned between the two mares for a while, during which Fluttershy, just for a change, was busy processing the new information she had been given, while Twilight found herself looking up at the sky thoughtfully, wondering if she had forgotten to mention anything.

“Oh, well, since you know what happened to Nightmare Moon now,” she said carefully with a hesitant look on her face. “You might be wondering what happened when Discord broke free from his stone prison and how he was resealed.”

Fluttershy hadn’t really thought of that big, dumb meanie yet, and frankly she cared little about him, but she had to admit that now that Twilight brought it up, she was indeed curious. The events with Nightmare Moon had changed so much, for the worse. Would the same be true for that other event in which she had stood with her friends to use the Elements, in her other life?

“Since you brought it up… I… would like to know, yes, if it’s not too much trouble.”

“It’s quite simple, actually,” Twilight replied. “There was no need for the Elements of Harmony to reseal Discord since he never broke free in the first place. Just like Nightmare Moon, Discord is…” She hesitated for a second. “Well… he's dead too.”

“Dead!?” Fluttershy echoed, though this time more out of surprise than shock. Unlike princess Luna, she held no love for the spirit of Disharmony and Chaos. The memories she had of him were all unpleasant, and all a memory too much. She felt no sadness or shock upon hearing that the draconequus had passed away, though it did pique her interest in how exactly that had come to be.

“Been for a while, actually,” Twilight clarified. “His statue was smashed to pieces by the Nobles’ Court not long after their uprising against the Princess. Though how they knew that that particular statue was actually dangerous because it was, in fact, a sealed spirit and not a statue, is anypony’s guess.” She shrugged. “Neither do I know what happened to the pieces… But I don’t think it really matters. I doubt Discord survived being smashed.”

Despite everything, Fluttershy found herself wincing a bit. No, she didn’t like Discord, not one bit, but to smash him into pieces while he was incapable of defending himself seemed like a cruel way to depart from this world. It certainly wasn’t something a good pony would do, she thought. But if Twilight was right, it had happened a long time ago, and there was no sense in getting herself worked up about it now. Wrong as it was of her to feel so, she had to admit he would not be missed by anypony.

She was about to ask Twilight something, but it just so happened that at that moment they emerged from between the trees of the forest that the unused path had taken them through, arriving in a clearing where she was greeted by a very familiar sight. Her eyes grew wide again, though for a good reason this time, and the corners of her mouth lifted up in a touched smile. She could feel warm tears welling up and her heart beat faster with every passing second. Twilight had told her that it had remained unchanged, that, even though all of Equestria might be different now, this place had remained untouched by the distortions caused by Steel Gear. And yet despite that, there had been a part of her that had doubted her friend’s words, though it shamed her to admit it. But her eyes weren’t playing tricks on her. She wasn’t seeing things.

Her cottage laid before her, almost precisely as she had left it. She was home.

Twilight couldn’t help but smile widely as she watched her friend stare at her house. Fluttershy had a look in her eyes as if she was dreaming, so transfixed she was by the sight of her cottage, that wonderful, warm, cosy place she called home. There was no doubt that it made her immensely happy, Twilight could clearly see that. What she didn’t see was the carrot that sailed through the air. Her companion did notice, and cried out a warning, but Twilight only had time to turn her head before the thrown vegetable hit her square between the eyes.

Fluttershy gasped.

“No! No, Angel, no! That’s not a good bunny!”

End of chapter 6.

Author's Note

Before all Luna-fans grab their torches and pitchforks and prepare a witchhunt because Luna is dead, please calm down. Though Luna may be deceased, let me assure you that she still has a role to play in this story. Just be patient, you'll see. Furthermore, I'm happy to announce that we should be done with all these 'information' chapters. I know the story may seem to be a bit slow for now with not a lot happening yet, but please bear with me. I have to set up the world first before I can move in it, and I did so by having Fluttershy be informed of it through Twilight.

Thanks to Raryn for editing.

7. The Prisoner of Canterlot

Wings of Tomorrow
Lament of the World

7. The Prisoner of Canterlot

Where had she gone wrong? What had she done that had resulted in this unthinkable disaster? Well, she supposed the answer to that was rather obvious: she had allowed Steel Gear free reign when he had showed up and introduced his wondrous inventions to ponykind. But was that her fault? She had no way of knowing that the inventor had been time-displaced. He had simply appeared to be an eccentric genius. Yes, his inventions were so advanced that it blew the mind of his fellow ponies at the time. But that wasn’t suspicious. Some of the spells Starswirl the Bearded had invented, back in his days, had been ridiculously far ahead of his time as well. And he had most certainly not been a time traveller. She had had no reason to suspect Steel Gear.

At least not until the years began to pass, every day ending with her having gained dual memories. One set of the day that had passed, and another, of the same day but in a different timeline. At first she deemed it but the result of a lack of sleep and the stress caused by dealing with her sister’s duties on top of her own. But it kept happening; day after day her memories expanded twofold. And as time passed, she finally realised the truth. Time was in disarray, history was changing, and thus she was gaining parallel memories. The memories of the day as she had experienced it, and the memories of how that day was supposed to be had time not been tampered with.

Parallel memories were a mysterious thing that even she didn’t fully understand, how could one receive memories of a time that had simply not come to pass? The mere existence of such a thing proved how fragile time really was, and how dangerous it was to interfere with it. The slightest change could have disastrous consequences. At best one could perhaps reach a closed paradox, but far more likely was that the flow of time would veer off-track and begin to run rampant. Which was, of course, precisely what had happened. When was she ever lucky when it came to important matters, after all? She should have seen it, but as powerful as she was, even she couldn’t see the future. But once she had caught on, she should have dealt with the matter and removed the distortion from the time stream.

But she hadn’t. It had taken her too long to understand what was transpiring, and even when she knew that time had been tampered with, she hadn’t immediately suspected Steel Gear. How could she, after all, when the colt did his utter best to remain hidden from her, preferring to pass his work to the masses through apprentices and accomplices? So when she finally had traced the source of the disruption back to him, it was already too late; Steel Gear’s influence had spread too far. The only way she could resolve it was by travelling back on the river of time herself and deal with the threat before it got out of hand. There was only one problem.

She lacked the proper means.

The irony was more bitter than anything she had ever tasted. She, Celestia, Princess of the Sun, ruler of Equestria, an alicorn capable of raising both the Sun and the Moon, the most powerful pony alive, lacked the proper means to deal with this. Despite all her power, all her wisdom, and all her possessions. But the ways of sailing the stream of time were a mystery, even to an alicorn. And she never had had any desire to do so. There simply wasn’t a spell that would let her go back in time. Yes, Starswirl had developed one, but it could only be used once and the time spent in the past was far too short for her to fulfil her mission. Less than two minutes to erase Steel Gear from an era where he didn’t belong. Utterly ridiculous. She would have to do so at the exact moment he arrived in the past, but she didn’t even know when that had been, or where.

No, she had been, for all intents and purposes, powerless.

But her folly hadn’t ended there. Instead of actively pouring research into a spell that would suit her needs, she had let things be. For she saw the wonders of Steel Gear’s inventions, and how her dear subjects benefitted from them and became prosperous. She was their ruler; she was supposed to at all times give them the best. How could she deny them progress when they benefitted so from it?

Words she now utterly despised. How could she have been so lax? She should have remained firm. She had a duty to the universe and its workings. Her love had blinded her, and she had paid for it dearly. Had she done what should have been done, then she would now not be here. Alone, isolated, in near-total darkness and complete silence, in a prison cell deep beneath the surface of Canterlot. Two chains on each leg, tying them down firmly to the floor. A cold, steel collar around her elegant neck, with four more chains, their ends embedded in the wall. Clamps on her wings to prevent her from unfolding them, nearly crushing the fragile structures in the process. Enchanted rings on her horn, and an uncountable number of sealing spells on her persona, ensuring that she would not have access to even the tiniest spark of magic.

A sigh escaped the broken alicorn’s lips. Her once snow-white coat was dirtied and looked unhealthy. The many colours of her once beautiful mane and tail looked muddled and filthy, and instead of billowing without wind due to the magical energies contained within her, they hung lifelessly from her body. Her body ached from being forced into the same position for years without end. Her shackles prevented almost all movement; she could barely turn her head, or move her body a few millimetres as she sat on her hunches.

Only once a year did she get the chance to stretch her legs, when they dragged her like a trophy through the streets of Canterlot, to receive all the spite and slander of her once loyal subjects. And once the torture and humiliation of the parade was over, she was taken back to her cell, and shackled once more. Not to move an inch until the next parade, or until one of the guards wanted to violate her again. Which, sadly, had happened too many times over the course of her imprisonment and no longer even cared when it happened. She was almost even glad to be able to shift her body into a different position for a change. Her physical form was too weak to resist in any case, the long time of malnourishment and lack of physical exercise having taken its toll.

Most of all, however, she missed the sunlight. She missed feeling the magical link between her and the bright day star. Her prison was almost totally dark, the only light being provided by a small chunk of luminite in the ceiling. It illuminated her dungeon just enough so she could see the walls or count the floor tiles. Which she did.

Numerous times.

She had names for all of them.

All six hundred thirty-eight of them.

In every language and dialect she knew.

Her captors assumed that she had lost all sense of time due to centuries of imprisonment in total isolation, without a single stripe of sunlight. But they were wrong. She was all too aware of how much time she had spent living in these shameful circumstances. She knew all too well how long she had been undergoing all the humiliation, be it the parade or having her female dignity stripped from her. Oh yes, Celestia knew. Three hundred and forty-eight years, one hundred and fifteen days, seven hours, twenty-nine minutes and thirty-six seconds, to be exact. Almost three and a half centuries spent in almost total isolation, and constant humiliation. The silence in her tiny prison was one of the most terrifying foes she had ever fought. No matter what she did or tried, it never gave up and it always came back to haunt her. At one point she had even taken to speaking to herself, or counting the floor tiles out loud, all in a mad attempt to keep the silence at bay.

The futile struggles of a ruined mare. She had long since given up the fight against the silence, instead letting herself be consumed by it. She hadn’t spoken for over half a century, made not a sound, aside from breathing or a sigh. It had the unintended but positive effect of unnerving the guards, meaning there had been less unwelcome visitors during her captivity, but even that could not possibly lift her spirits. Her captors saw her silence as a sign that they had finally broken her, that their victory over her was now complete. She resented the very idea, but did little to fight it, for she had little fight left in her. Her spirit was as much a wreck as her body was, and Celestia knew it.

In the beginning she had withstood the injustice by holding out hope that her subjects might yet see reason, that they would come to understand how terrible their actions had been. She had hoped that they would repent, and set her free on their own accord, of their own free will. And she would have forgiven them their crimes had they done so. But they didn’t care for her forgiveness, or for her at all. Too bitterly and cruelly had that been proven true when the only visitors she received came to torment her, be it mentally or physically. Her age long silence had begun to annoy her captors, and they had sought for ways to break it, though all had failed. All, except for the one hanging at the wall right in front of her.

It was nothing but a simple breastplate, more for decoration than protection, not unlike the golden one she had worn when she was still free. But this one was not golden, but silver, with a crescent moon in its centre. It hung from rusted nails on the wall, placed there for the sole purpose of taunting and mocking her. It was one of Nightmare Moon’s regalia, one of the few things that were left of her. She knew the traitorous vermin that held her here also possessed the dark alicorn’s helmet, just as Celestia knew that her corrupted sister would never have parted with the two relics willingly. That her captors now possessed it could mean only one thing.

But when they had come to show their trophies, to boast about their victory and the death of Nightmare Moon, it had not surprised her. In her heart, she had already known. She had felt it when her dear sister left this world, leaving her alone forever. She had felt Luna’s death, though reason bade her to ignore what her heart said to her. A stubborn part of her had refused to accept that an alicorn, even a corrupted one, could have met her end at the hooves of mere mortal traitors. But when they showed her their trophies, the reality of it all had come crushing down on her, and broke, at long last, her age-old silence.

Luna’s death had taken the last bit of life from her, immense grief and sorrow tearing her apart from the inside out. Even now, when nearly two years had passed since her sister’s fall, Celestia’s pain and agony had not eased. A mere glance at the breastplate on the wall was enough to bring forth the tears and make her weep again, which was undoubtedly why they had placed it in her cell. That was just the kind of torture they adored to subject her to. Simple, effective, and completely, mercilessly, and relentlessly cruel.

“Luna, oh, Luna…” she whispered as tears stained her dirty face. The once regal alicorn bowed her head, staring at the floor so she did not have to bear the sight of the relic of her sister. Words could not express her grief. She had loved Luna more than anything. She was her little sister, the one she took care of, the one who held the most special place in her heart. Banishing her beloved sibling to the moon had been the hardest decision of her life, but she had had no choice. The pain of seeing her sister so twisted by darkness had caused her to falter, all those years ago when she had confronted Nightmare Moon. Her connection to the Elements of Harmony had begun to wane, due to her own weakness. She hadn’t been able to wield them properly enough to free her sister from the clutches of the Nightmare.

She had failed Luna then, and she had failed her now. She hadn’t been able to save her little sister. Every single time, she had failed her. She should have seen how Luna struggled with herself, how the neglect of the night hurt the princess of the moon. But she hadn’t, not until it was too late. She had failed to prevent Luna from falling, from becoming corrupted. She had failed to save her from the clutches of Darkness. And now she had failed to save Luna from the cold embrace of death. She had been a terrible older sister, and Luna had deserved none of it.

The younger alicorn had always looked up to her. Celestia had always been her big, shining example. The one the smaller princess aspired to be like. Even her fall from grace had been caused by nothing but a desire to be like her big sister, to be loved and adored like Celestia was. Every misfortune that had befallen Luna was her fault, and Celestia was all too bitterly aware of it. And every time she looked up and saw that breastplate, now cold and naught but a battle trophy, she was reminded of that fact. She hadn’t been able to save Luna. She hadn’t even been able to avenge her only sister. No, she had failed Luna completely.

Big, salty tears fell to the cold floor of the cell. “Luna, I’m so, so sorry… little sister…” the broken alicorn whispered, while she quietly sobbed. “I couldn’t even say goodbye… My dear little Luna… I’m so sorry…”

But her words were spoken in vain, for there were none to hear them. She was alone, as she had been for three hundred and forty-eight years. Alone, wasting away in darkness, silence and maddening isolation.

End of chapter 7.

Author's Note

Thanks to Raryn for editing.

8. Dust

Wings of Tomorrow
Lament of the World

8. Dust

Fluttershy let her gaze drift through her cottage. Everything was exactly as she had left it yesterday, only now there was a considerable layer of dust covering everything, despite obvious attempts of her little friends to clean the house. It probably would have looked even worse if they hadn’t. But regardless of the dust, it was unmistakably her house, her own little home, her personal place, as if she had never left it. Which, in her mind, she hadn’t, while at the same time, she had never set a hoof in here her entire life. But it was home. Not a single thing had been changed, not a single thing had been lost. Even though the entire world was different, the place where her heart lay had remained as she remembered it. The emotions welling up inside as she stood in her dusty living room seemed to squeeze her throat shut.

Her little friends who lived with her inside her house had all gathered around her, welcoming their pony friend home. Those who weren’t allowed inside the house were struggling with each other for a spot near the windows or the open doorway, all of them wanting to get a glimpse of the shy mare who they remembered took care of them. Every single one of them was chattering away, all trying to get her attention, to give her their own personal welcome. The noise was deafening, but it didn’t bother her. For once she was glad to hear it all. For once all that noise sounded beautiful to her, the most wonderful thing she had ever heard in her entire life. It was the sound of home. Of her friends.

The most wonderful of all, however, was Angel Bunny. The white rabbit was positively ecstatic to be reunited with his pony friend, one who he had been waiting for all his life. Fluttershy had almost never seen him as happy and kind as now. He had even apologised to Twilight when Fluttershy had asked him to! There could be no better homecoming. Fluttershy finally managed to tear her eyes from the interior of her house, and looked down at all the cute little critters gathered around her.

“Hello, everyone, it’s nice to be home,” she said warmly. Her words earned her another wave of excited chattering, causing her ears to flatten against her head, and she smiled nervously. “Now, now, not all at once. I won't be able to understand you otherwise.”

The noise died down a little, granting Fluttershy’s ears some rest. Relieved, she turned to the first of the animals, a small grey mouse. She gently patted him on the head with her hoof, earning her a content squeak. “Good day to you, mister Mouse. I hope you’ve been taking care of missus Mouse while I was away?”

The little mouse squeaked something in response, and Fluttershy listened attentively, smiling and nodding as the mouse spoke. “Oh, yes, that’s very nice to hear. And thank you, mister Mouse, I’m happy to be back, too.” She moved on to listen what the squirrel next to the mouse had to say.

Twilight watched her friend from where she stood by the doorway of the cottage, a smile on her face. For the first time today, Fluttershy looked and acted like how she remembered her to, and it made her feel both happy and relieved. Twilight knew that her friend had a lot to come to terms with. A lot had changed in their world, and Fluttershy would have to adapt and get used to it all. And though today was the first time Twilight had met her friend in this life, it didn’t change the fact that she knew her very well. The poor, shy mare no doubt would have a hard time dealing with the changes. So it made Twilight all the happier to know that at the very least, she still had this wonderful little place where everything was still as it was supposed to be.

Well, except for the dust. One couldn’t forget the dust. But given the other troubles Fluttershy had to deal with, cleaning was an almost negligible concern. Satisfied, Twilight left her place in the doorway and moved inside. She cleared her throat, catching Fluttershy’s attention. The pegasus glanced over her shoulder at her friend and then looked down at the floor, as if she had been caught doing something wrong.

“Oh, I’m sorry, Twilight,” she apologised. “I didn’t mean to ignore you.”

Twilight merely rolled her eyes. “Don’t worry about it. It’s perfectly all right. I just wanted to excuse myself for now. You and your friends have a lot to catch up on, and I have a couple of errands to run. You’ll be fine on your own, right?”

Fluttershy let her eyes drift through her dusty home, then nodded slowly. “Yes, I think I’ll be all right… Angel Bunny is with me after all.” She looked at her rabbit friend and smiled as he puffed out his chest with pride. It made her giggle, a pleasant sound to everyone’s ears.

Twilight smiled at that, happy to see Fluttershy relaxed and somewhat confident again. “I’ll do my very best to drop by as soon as I can. You and your animals aren’t the only ones who have to catch up.” Twilight’s smile wavered a bit as she stared at her friend. “I’ve missed you a lot, Fluttershy. Everypony has.”

A sudden hug from the mare in question surprised her, but she quickly overcame that and returned the warm outing of friendship. “Please don’t be sad,” Fluttershy said once she let go of her friend. “I… um… I don’t think you’ll have to miss me anymore, if that’s okay with you.”

“It’s more than okay with me,” Twilight replied with a soft chuckle, while she wiped at the tears that had welled up from her eyes. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.” The two shared another quick embrace, and then Twilight backed away.

“I’ll be going now.” She placed a hoof on Fluttershy’s shoulder and patted gently. “You just make yourself at home, and take a nice, long rest. Sleep will do you wonders. I’ll come back tomorrow morning, since there are a couple of things we still have to take care of.” She paused briefly to look at the dress Fluttershy had borrowed from her. “Like getting you a good wardrobe, for starters. I’d leave it to Rarity, normally, but since she’s not here, we’ll have to manage on our own somehow.”

Fluttershy blushed meekly, feeling suddenly very self-conscious. “I… I guess you’re right. I hope my savings are still were I left them…”

Twilight tapped her chin thoughtfully. “Hmm, now that you mention that, going through your house to make sure everything is still present would be a wise thing to do.” She nodded to herself, smiling. “Well, just another thing to do tomorrow! But for now, just take it easy, Fluttershy, and get some nice rest.”

She nodded, and followed Twilight to the door. The two friends said their goodbyes. Fluttershy waved from the doorway until Twilight vanished from sight. After ensuring all her animal friends who stood outside that she would come to hear their greetings one by one after she had settled down a bit, Fluttershy closed the door. Immediately she let out a deep breath that she hadn’t been aware she was holding.

A few moments passed where she simply stood there, frozen, before the closed door. Fluttershy took another deep breath and moved away from the door, walking over to the carpet in the middle of the room, before the couch, where her critters had gathered. Barely had she made it onto the carpet, she collapsed. All animals rushed to her side, worried for their friend.

Fluttershy lifted her head from the ground and found herself looking in the concerned eyes of the small ones. She smiled apologetically. “I’m fine, everyone. I’m just—” Her words were interrupted when she suddenly sneezed, loud and hard, sending dust everywhere. “Tired,” she finished sheepishly.

She felt a small paw caressing through her mane, and saw that it was Angel Bunny, looking at his pony friend more worried than any of the other animals. “It’s okay, Angel Bunny,” she told him. “I just had a very rough day. Everything is so different. Even Twilight seemed a bit… odd? I’ve never seen her so… um… social? And all those awful things she told me about the Princess and Pinkie and… oh, it was all a bit much.”

The rabbit nodded in understanding, then made a couple of gestures with his paws and head. Fluttershy gave him a grateful look. “Dinner would be lovely,” she said, smiling a bit. “But I wouldn’t want to be a bother, of course…” Angel firmly shook his head. “Okay then, if you insist.” The bunny hopped off towards the kitchen. Fluttershy briefly wondered what ingredients he would use, since nopony had been in her house in years; the fridge couldn’t be stocked. Or if it was, the things inside it must have gone bad years ago.

The worn out pegasus allowed herself to drop back onto the carpet, not caring if it was dusty and would make her sneeze. She felt completely drained, and her head was a maelstrom of thoughts and worries. Being safely inside her familiar, nice, little home made her feel a bit better, but only enough to prevent her from going catatonic with panic. She had kept up a brave face for Twilight, but now that she was alone, there was nopony to stop her from faltering.

Even Angel was acting a bit odd, Fluttershy realised. He was her best friend, but he usually didn’t act so nice, or apologise so easily after she’d asked him to. Usually it took a few tries, or even a Stare, before he did that. She wondered if it was all related to the fact that the world had changed, and came to the conclusion that it had to. After all, it was because everything was so different now that Pinkie Pie had gone from being a happy party pony to a permanently depressed one. It was only logical that her other friends had changed a bit, or a lot, as well. Such as Twilight being more social, or Angel Bunny being nice. She wondered if the same would be true for Rarity, Applejack and Rainbow Dash… Not that it would necessarily be bad. Despite the changes, Twilight was still Twilight… wasn't she?

Fluttershy sneezed again as the dust prickled her nose. She wanted to get up, her nose demanded it, but her legs weren’t willing to cooperate just yet. Twilight’s idea of taking a good rest sounded very appealing. Perhaps her head wouldn’t feel so full after a bit of sleep; she felt as if she had read an entire bookcase in the library. So much new information, so many changes, it was all so overwhelming. She sighed deeply and tried to calm down. Panicking wouldn’t get her anywhere.

She sneezed once more because of the state of her house. Fluttershy sighed and finally managed to pick herself up and move over to the couch. It was also dusty, but at least more comfortable than the carpet on the floor. A few of the small birds she took care of came to sit on the railing of the couch, humming and chirping gentle tunes in an attempt to make her feel better. She gave them a grateful smile. Said smile widened as Angel re-emerged from the kitchen, carrying a bowl containing a delicious-looking salad.

“Thank you, Angel,” Fluttershy said politely, accepting the food from her friend. The rabbit beamed under her gratitude, then looked at her expectantly as she took her first bite. He no doubt wanted to know if it was good. It most certainly was, and she told him so.

She said little while she ate, content to listen to the songs of her feathered friends, or the chattering of the other animals as they told her about their life during her absence. It occurred to her how strange it was that small animals, no matter how smart, remembered her, a pony who up until today had never existed in their lives. And yet they knew her, remembered how she had taken care of them, though technically she never had, if she understood Twilight correctly. She wondered why it was so that her animal friends remembered, as well as Twilight and the other Elements, but not the other ponies in Ponyville, or Equestria for that matter. It was all very confusing.

Fluttershy rubbed the side of her head absentmindedly. This entire situation was simply too complex for her. She was not a dumb pony by any means, in fact she was quite intelligent, but the ins and outs of time and time travel were most definitely a step too high for her. It was something that seemed larger than life, a subject and matter of such complexity and difficulty that only really smart ponies, like Twilight or the Princesses, talked about and understood; not ponies like her. The only dealings with time she had had to deal with until today was making sure her little friends received their care and food on time every day.

Maybe it was best to simply take it easy, Fluttershy thought. She may have been feeling overwhelmed with all that was new, but perhaps it would all turn out to not be so bad, if she just took one step at a time and adjusted to things one by one. And if it all became too much, she still had her home and her little friends to seek refuge in and with. She was sure Twilight and the others would support her, too. They were her friends, after all.

She took a deep breath to calm herself and nodded to no one in particular. Yes, that was what she was going to do. First rest and a good night of sleep, then tomorrow she could begin anew and refreshed. This day had simply begun bad because she hadn’t awoken in her own bed. That probably wouldn’t be a problem again. Maybe she’d even wake up to find it all had just been a dream. That would be nice.

But dream or not, good rest was the first thing on her list now. Tomorrow, if everything turned out to be real, she would start with cleaning and checking up on every single one of her animals, to make sure both her house and guests were all okay and in fine shape. Twilight had talked about buying clothes, too. Since ponies now wore clothes, she would indeed have to adjust. Another thing to take care of tomorrow, but she’d look in her wardrobe nevertheless. Maybe some of the dresses Rarity had made for her in ‘that other life’ were still in them, and then Twilight could tell her if they were good enough to wear in public.

And once she had clothes, she could show her face out in the open again without getting into trouble. Ponyville still appeared very crowded and claustrophobic to her, but luckily, she didn’t have to go there to visit the only two of her friends who, aside from Twilight, still lived in the vicinity. She had told her that Applejack was just like she remembered her, and that was good to know. It put her at ease to know that the earth pony was still one of the most reliable and honest mares around. She was more worried about her other friend who still lived around here.

Her thoughts were interrupted as she yawned. She was too tired to think much more. For now she’d follow Twilight’s advice, and leave everything else alone until tomorrow. The sun was still up, but it didn’t matter, she felt sleepy and wanted to go to bed now, sun or no sun.

She handed the now empty bowl back to Angel, thanking him again for the lovely meal. The rabbit nodded, gave her the bunny equivalent of a smile, and hopped back to the kitchen with the empty dish. Fluttershy watched him go, then carefully got off the couch and on her hooves. She smiled apologetically at all the animals gathered around her.

“I’m really sorry, everyone. I know you still want to tell me so much more, and I would love to listen to it all… But I’m really, really sleepy now, and I would like to go to bed, if everyone is okay with that…”

There was a unanimous round of nodding from the gathered animals, much to Fluttershy’s relief. She thanked her friends and bade them goodnight, promising to truly catch up with them in the morning. Then she made her way upstairs, towards her bedroom. She could almost hear her bed calling out to her, and she gladly lent her ear to it.

Her bedroom was just as unchanged as the rest of her cottage appeared to be, and though she had expected it, it was still very nice and uplifting to have it confirmed. Though she very much would have liked to, Fluttershy didn’t immediately dive into her fluffy, soft bed. She closed the curtains before the windows to dim the light inside the room a bit then pulled the sheets off her bed and shook them as hard as she could to remove the dust from them. Her pillow was subjected to the same treatment, and once she was finished with that, she neatly made her bed again.

She made one last round of inspection through her bedroom, just to make sure everything was fine and that there was nopony hiding in it. Twilight may have said that nopony had been here in years, but it never hurt to be cautious. Luckily, her room, wardrobes, and closets were completely intruder free. Satisfied, Fluttershy finally climbed into her bed, nestling herself comfortably under the covers.

A relieved sigh escaped her lips, and she turned on her back, tugging the blankets as high up as she could. Her head sinking comfortably into her pillow, Fluttershy finally dared to relax. For the first time that day, she felt truly at ease and safe. Happily, she closed her eyes.

Only to open them again quickly when she heard something hopping up the stairs. She tensed right away, but relaxed just as swiftly when she saw that it was only Angel Bunny coming to join her.

“You startled me, Angel Bunny,” she said, smiling lightly. The rabbit merely rolled his eyes, then came over to the bed and promptly hopped in. Fluttershy opened her mouth to protest, but reconsidered. Normally, even though he was her friend, she didn’t let him in her bed. Angel had his own resting place, all for himself, where he was supposed to sleep. But she couldn’t bring herself to remind him of that. He was her closest friend, and she was glad to have him near her while she slept.

Fluttershy didn’t say anything more about the matter. Instead she just made herself comfortable again, letting her head sink back in the pillow, while next to her the rabbit did the same. Smiling, Fluttershy put her arm around the white bunny, pulling him close. Her eyes fell shut, and with Angel in her arms and watching over her, the exhausted pegasus quickly fell asleep.

While Fluttershy was reuniting with her animal friends and eating the wonderful salad Angel made for her, Twilight Sparkle was trotting south down the main road. Just like Fluttershy, she had a lot on her mind, due to the events of today. The sudden reappearance of her friend, appearing as if Fluttershy had been picked from one time line and dropped in the other, completely baffled her. Twilight had a hard time fully comprehending the situation as it was before, but now everything seemed to have become even more confusing.

She had always asked the question of just why she and the other Elements – except for Fluttershy – had these memories of a life that technically had never happened. It made not a single lick of sense, and it never had. Logic dictated that if one travelled back in time and changed events, the future (or present) would change. Said future or present would then go on as if the changes had always happened. A pony didn’t suddenly go about remembering the life of how it would have been had the change not happened. And yet, that was exactly what was going on. It was if the universe went out of its way to say ‘buck you’ to logic. It almost hurt her head simply thinking about it.

Even if she was as skilled in magic and as knowledgeable as she had been in her other life, the current events still wouldn’t make a lot of sense to her. Time travel had never really been part of her studies, and for good reasons. One simply wasn’t supposed to mess with time, it was far too dangerous. Making your past self worry about nothing for an entire week was the least harmful thing that could happen, all things considered.

She groaned in frustration. She was just going in circles and getting no closer to any answers. The only place that might hold the information she required were the Canterlot Archives, and those were out of her reach. The only person who might have an answer was currently imprisoned within the depths of Canterlot Castle and also out of reach. She sighed deeply, cringing inwardly when she thought of Princess Celestia.

In this life, they had never met. But Twilight remembered her. The kind, loving, and wonderful monarch, the patient and wise teacher, the great and powerful mage. The Princess had been nothing if not amazing, and she would always remember her so, no matter what the other ponies or the Republic would say. And she missed her. She missed having that comforting feeling in the back of her head when she knew that, when troubled, she could always write to the Princess to ask for council. No such thing to be had in this life, to her bitter regret. She could most certainly use the Princess’s wisdom and insight now.

Twilight kicked a pebble away, then took a deep breath to calm herself. Getting worked up about her lack of understanding and the frustration that brought would get her nowhere. She had to be calm and collected, and handle the situation as it came, one step at a time. She kicked herself mentally for not bringing her quill and parchment with her so she could make a check list. She’d just have to do it in her head for now, then make a more thorough list once she got home. Regardless, there would be a lot to do tomorrow, and the days after it.

Fluttershy would have to adjust, and that probably would take quite a bit of effort, and a lot of support from her and Applejack. But she was confident they could pull her through. First she would need some proper clothes, there was no getting around that. Sadly, Twilight was not an expert on the field of fashion, and the pony who was, sadly, was not in town. She would just have to help Fluttershy get some basic outfits that were fine to go out in public in, then send a letter to Rarity to ask for her help putting together a proper wardrobe.

Of course, Fluttershy would also need the proper papers to be filled in and added to the archives in the town hall. Fortunately, that was an area where Twilight could help. Filling in papers, no matter what kind, was what she did for a living, after all. She’d do that tomorrow morning, before she left the town to go visit Fluttershy again. She’d first go to Sweet Apple Acres to pick up Applejack though, then they’d go to the cottage together. Filling in the papers came second, visiting the Apples’ farm came third on the list. Both would be done tomorrow, since she wouldn’t be able to visit Sweet Apple Acres and go back to Ponyville before it got dark. And she preferred not to be out in the dark.

The first thing on her list, however, could be done today still. Right now, in fact, as she had arrived at her destination. Before her stretched a field completely barren and devoid of any form of life. There were only rocks, of varying sizes, shapes, and colours, littered all over the wasteland. At the edge of the field, next to the road, stood a small house. It didn’t look like anything more than a tool shack, and a poorly maintained one at that. It was made entirely of wood, the walls slanted towards each other, and the roof bent downwards in the middle. The entire structure looked like it was nearing the end of its life, as if the next big storm could knock it to the ground.

But despite its poor state, this shack was inhabited, and Twilight had business here. The field and the house laid about halfway between Fluttershy’s cottage and Sweet Apple Acres, and she had calculated that she could spare a visit to this place and still make it back home before it got dark. Steeling herself, she walked up to the front door and knocked three times.

It didn’t appear as if anybody had heard her, everything remained quiet and lifeless, but Twilight knew better. So she wasn’t startled when the door suddenly opened, creaking noisily at the hinges. The unmistakable form of an earth pony mare appeared in the doorway. Her coat and mane were pink, but of a shade so dark and dull that they appeared almost grey. Her mane and tail hung straight and lifeless from her body, and the pony’s blue eyes were sad. They held within them the look of a mare who had lost all hope and who would never hope again. The pony said nothing, not even a simple greeting. She simply looked at Twilight with those haunting, sad eyes.

Twilight sighed deeply. She never enjoyed these visits. But she had no choice, and so she lifted her gaze to meet the one of the pony who stood motionlessly before her in the doorway.

“Pinkie, we need to talk.”

End of chapter 8.

Author's Note

Thanks to Raryn for editing.

9. Reunion

Wings of Tomorrow
Lament of the World

9. Reunion

The next day the weather proved to be just as good as on the one before it. The sky was almost completely clear, there was a gentle breeze, and the rays of the sun brought warmth and light to the earth beneath. It was the perfect weather to go for a walk, and that was precisely what Twilight Sparkle was doing. The lavender unicorn trotted through the fields surrounding Ponyville, following the road that led from Sweet Apple Acres to the village. She was in a good mood, if the light spring in every one of her steps was any indication.

She was indeed in quite a good mood, and she had every reason to be. During the morning she had first of all returned Grey Helm’s coat to him, since Fluttershy would no longer be needing it. After that she had gone to the town hall and informed Mayor Mare of the pegasus’ unexpected return, hoping to do all the necessary paperwork to make sure her friend wouldn’t get into any more trouble with the authorities. Luckily the mayor was a good pony, and she wasn’t difficult about the entire matter. Thus, Twilight filled in the required papers, added Fluttershy to the list of the town’s inhabitants, and put the new files in their correct position in the town’s archives. That was one matter dealt with, and another load shoved off of Twilight’s chest.

Twilight hummed a soft tune while she walked, enjoying the warmth the midday sun brought her. She was so relieved that everything had gone without a hitch that morning, that even the presence of the depressed earth pony next to her couldn’t bring her good spirits down. Not a lot, at least. In fact, Pinkie’s presence at her side was also a reason for her to be happy. It had taken quite a bit of convincing yesterday evening, and a lot of patience, but eventually she had succeeded to have the sad earth pony agree to come with her today. She hadn’t told her where they were going, though. She wanted that part to be a surprise.

The cheerful attitude of the unicorn didn’t help lift Pinkie Pie’s, sadly. The pony with her dull pink coat just trudged alongside Twilight, head bowed, eyes fixed lifelessly on the paved road. She was wearing a simple, dirty grey dress, one that Twilight had given her. If it weren’t for the unicorn and Applejack taking care of her and checking up on her, the depressed earth pony would still be going around in a raffled burlap sack. During the entire trip, Pinkie hadn’t said a word. She just dragged one hoof in front of the other in total, depressing silence.

The same, however, was not true for the other pony who walked with the two.

“Now tell me again why you’re draggin’ our tails over to Fluttershy’s, Twi?”

Twilight rolled her eyes. “Applejack, I didn’t tell you the first six time you asked, and I’m not going to do so the seventh time either. It’s supposed to be a surprise.”

“Wut could be so surprising at Fluttershy’s? Ya know Ah dun’ really like goin’ there, Twilight. We ain’t lost nuthin’ there…” the orange pony grumbled in reply. She wasn’t mad at her unicorn friend, of course. Applejack just preferred to stay away from the abandoned cottage. It reminded her too much of the fact that the kind pegasus who was supposed to live there had been missing for years.

“True enough. But yesterday I’ve found something there, and I just have to show you,” Twilight answered, still grinning. She wasn’t usually a prankster, but had to admit it was fun to tease her friend a bit by keeping her in the dark. She was sure that once Applejack understood why Twilight had brought her to the cottage, the earth pony would forgive her easily enough. At least, she hoped so.

“Well, we be almost there, so Ah guess we’ll be seeing this surprise o’ yours soon enough, Twilight,” the apple farmer said. She looked briefly at the silent pink pony that walked in between herself and the lavender unicorn. “But was it so important ya had to drag poor Pinkie here outta her house, too?”

To her surprise, Twilight turned serious, and nodded firmly. “Definitely,” she said. Her expression softened, and she patted Pinkie gently on her shoulder. “Like I promised yesterday, Pinkie, this surprise will make you feel better. Trust me.”

The dull earth pony didn’t give any indication that she had heard her friend. She just let out a deep, hopeless sigh that made her two friends wince. Twilight and Applejack shared knowing looks and then moved on, joining Pinkie in her silence. As they walked, Twilight prayed to the Princess and whatever other powerful beings there were out there that her gamble would pay off.

Fluttershy hummed a gentle melody as she flew from one birdhouse to the next, making sure they were all in a good condition. She had spent most of the morning tending to every animal and its house inside of her cottage, and now it was time for those outside. The weather was wonderful, truly a perfect day for doing chores in open air. Her cosy cottage stood at the edge of a small forest, next to the river that also flowed through Ponyville. Over the course of her life she had built many small and nice houses for her feathered friends, and placed them all over the outside – and inside – of her own house, until she had no more good places to put them, and started to hang them in the tree next to the bridge over the river.

She had been pleased to discover that all those birdhouses were still here, even in this time. But at the same time, one could clearly see that they had not been tended to in years, either. Much of the paint had weathered away throughout the years, and the insides needed a thorough cleaning. Repainting would have to wait until she had done the more pressing chores, and for now she focussed on clearing the houses out and getting reacquainted with their inhabitants. All of them had a lot to say to her, and Fluttershy patiently listened to every single chirp with great delight.

Though it had only been yesterday for her when she had last seen and spoken to them, for her many animal friends it had been literally a lifetime, and they were ecstatic to have her back. Their happiness was infectious, and she couldn’t help but feel happy herself. This in turn meant that she lost a lot of time at each birdhouse simply listening instead of cleaning, and her progress was slow. But Fluttershy didn’t mind. After the hectic, mentally taxing ordeal that was the previous day, doing what she was good at made her feel much better.

A good night rest had also done wonders for the timid pegasus. Though she had to admit that she had been a tad disappointed when she woke up and found that the day before had not been a dream. Because she had woken up to find herself still in her own bed in her own house, however, she didn’t mind so much. The familiar surroundings kept her from panicking, even if everything was still wrong. From the moment of her awakening, things had only become better and better. First Angel Bunny and the other animals had brought her a breakfast in her bed, which was very sweet and kind of them. Usually, it was the other way around. After a delicious meal she had started doing her chores as she was used to doing them, and the feeling of familiarity that the routine gave her could only be described as wonderful. Though it always made her happy to take care of animals, it had been a long time since it had so utterly delighted her.

It was how she dealt with stress, and it worked well enough. There was so much to do around her home and so many animals to listen to, that she simply didn’t have any time to dwell on her situation and all the changes in the world. No doubt she preferred it that way. It was much easier to occupy herself with what she was good at, than to worry about complicated matters that, frankly, went beyond her understanding or scared her. If even Twilight, who was the smartest pony aside from the Princess that Fluttershy knew, couldn’t fully understand the twists in time, the pegasus certainly wasn’t going to try. And as for what had happened to the Princess, and that other, forbidden word Twilight had used, she truly tried her best to forget it. It was too frightening, almost terrifying even.

Truly, she was perfectly content to simply do her chores.

She bade her goodbyes to the birds of the house she had just finished. She moved on to the next, but stopped halfway in mid-air when she heard the clopping of hooves down the path leading to her house. Curious, the pegasus flew down and landed on the solid ground, and she heard the hoofsteps coming closer. Angel Bunny apparently had heard it, too, for he came running out of the house and put himself in front of Fluttershy, carrot brandished menacingly. The yellow mare couldn’t help but smile a bit at so sweet a gesture.

“It’s okay, Angel Bunny,” she said soothingly. “It’s probably just Twilight.”

The rabbit didn’t relax his posture at all, still looking every bit ready to charge at the slightest sign of danger. As it turned out, Fluttershy had been correct in her guess, for the next moment Twilight Sparkle emerged from between the trees. But the unicorn wasn’t alone this time. With her came what were unmistakably two earth ponies. The three newcomers stopped in their tracks when they caught sight of the pegasus, giving Fluttershy the chance to take a good look at them.

One of the two earth ponies had a blonde mane and tail, as well as a few freckles on her face. She had green eyes, and was wearing a simple, white cotton shirt with long sleeves that covered her body. Over that she went dressed in plain, red overalls. They weren’t fancy, but they weren’t supposed to be. Their purpose was to be practical and easy to wear while doing hard labour at the farm. The most eye-catching about the mare’s attire was the brown cowboy hat resting comfortably on her head. A small gasp left Fluttershy’s mouth as she saw the headwear. She’d recognise that hat anywhere.

Between the hat-wearing mare and Twilight walked the second earth pony, and again Fluttershy couldn’t help but gasp, though this one was more of shock – the bad kind – than of pleasant surprise. The mare was pink, but of a dull and dark shade, and her mane and tail were straight and lifeless. The grey dress she wore was little more than a rag, and Fluttershy couldn’t believe there was somepony who would willingly put such a thing on. In her head, she could perfectly picture the reaction of her good friend Rarity should she be confronted with such a dress.

She couldn’t think about it or let the appearances of the newcomers sink in, however, for the next moment Fluttershy had the wind knocked out of her as somepony slammed into her and drew her in the most bone-cracking bear hug she had ever experienced.

Applejack could barely believe it. When Twilight had insisted she come along for a visit to Fluttershy’s cottage because there was something she had to see, the farmer had expected… She wasn’t sure what she had expected to see, but it surely wasn’t the sight of the shy pegasus with her yellow coat and pink mane. Before she had even realized what she was doing, her hooves had carried her forth and now she was hugging the life out of her friend. Applejack usually wasn’t the kind of pony who got all mushy, but now she could not help herself. Being reunited with a pony who had been missing all of her life would do that to anypony. She had to hug her. She had to feel the pony in her own arms, to make sure Fluttershy was really there. To make sure her eyes weren’t playing tricks on her.

They weren’t. Fluttershy was really here. She was back. She was home.

“Fluttershy! You… Ah… Horseapples and haystacks, Fluttershy!” the apple farmer stammered, her excitement and emotion temporarily robbing her of her ability to form coherent sentences. “Ah can’t believe it! It’s really you, sugarcube! Where’ve ya been?! When did ya get back?!”

Applejack felt something wet run down both her cheeks, and she released the pegasus from her iron grip so she could wipe the tears away. The earth pony glared at her friend, but she was smiling at the same time. “Now look at what ya did. Ya made me go all mushy and teary-eyed!”

Fluttershy, who until then had been trying to survive the bear hug that had robbed her of all oxygen and had threatened to break every bone in her body, finally recovered and smiled shyly at the other mare. “I’m happy to see you, too, Applejack,” she said timidly, but the softness of her voice could not mask the happiness contained within it.

The earth pony opened her mouth to say something, but then apparently changed her mind and remained quiet, opting instead to just hug Fluttershy again, less forcefully this time. The timid pegasus returned the embrace, eagerly now since this time Applejack allowed her to breathe. It didn’t matter to Fluttershy that technically she had seen her friend only two days ago. For Applejack it had been a lifetime, and the happiness given to her by this unexpected reunion was so infectious that Fluttershy couldn’t help but be overjoyed as well.

Twilight smiled as she watched the reunion between Fluttershy and Applejack. She hadn’t seen Applejack so ecstatic in ages, and though she had expected it, she was nonetheless delighted that her ‘surprise’ had pleased the orange mare so. When Applejack turned out to be so moved as to actually cry, Twilight, to her surprise, found that her eyes were also leaking. It couldn’t be helped, and she was sure nopony would actually blame them for it. Few would truly understand the reason for their happiness, however. This moment was more than a simple reunion between friends.

Applejack and Twilight had been born with conflicting memories lingering within their minds. They had grown up and lived while knowing that their lives were lies, were not how they were supposed to be, no matter how strange or difficult that was to accept or understand. Throughout the years, they had both tried to make the best of it, each in their own way. The memories of their friendship had brought them and their other friends together again. And most of the time, their lives hadn’t been anywhere near bad. But there had always been things that were absent, things they missed dearly. Such as Spike, or the Princess. What made it worse was that they had to live while knowing full well that chances were slim that those things and people they missed would ever return.

For these two ponies, who had often gone bucked under the weight of their dual memories, to be so suddenly reunited with a friend thought lost, seemed like a miracle. The feeling of pure joy that welled up inside of them because of this reunion was indescribable, and incomparable to anything else they’d experienced in this life. The joy experienced by these mares was one that could only be understood by ponies who shared their situation, of which there were few.

One of those few stood next to Twilight, and the unicorn looked at her. Of all ponies, there was no doubt that Pinkie Pie had gone bucked under the dual memories the most. As Twilight had explained to Fluttershy, the unfortunate earth pony lived in permanent depression. Life in this changed era was challenging enough on its own, but having to live with memories of a better and happier life only made it harder. For a pony like Pinkie Pie it was especially damaging, and mentally taxing. Remembering how she had thrown party for any occasion and how she had made it her life goal to make ponies smile, while having to live a life where she could do neither of those things was terrible. And it was that, combined with the absence of two important and dear friends, that depressed her so.

Twilight hoped that the return of Fluttershy would help to lift Pinkie’s spirits. Inwardly, the unicorn was afraid she was hoping in vain, for unlike Applejack, Pinkie hadn’t moved an inch ever since arriving in the clearing of Fluttershy’s cottage. It was then that Twilight truly took in the appearance of the pink pony, and for the second time in only two days, she felt her heart soar skyward.

Pinkie Pie indeed stood motionless, as if frozen, but it wasn’t her usual depressed stance. She was staring at the sight before her with wide eyes, and her jaw had dropped in shock. It was clear that, just like Applejack, she was having difficulties believing what she was seeing at first. Eons seemed to pass, during which Pinkie said or did nothing, until finally, like the sun breaking through the clouds after a storm, something amazing happened. The dull, dark pink of her coat and mane became lighter. A spark of life appeared in those haunted, sad eyes. But what truly astonished Twilight the most was that the corners of Pinkie’s mouth slowly rose up. The unicorn blinked and shook her head a few times, thinking her eyes were deceiving her. But they weren’t. What she saw was really happening.

Pinkie was smiling.

It was so unexpected as to be almost surreal, and Twilight suddenly realised she’d never actually seen Pinkie smile outside of memory. And though it was far from the happy grin that she remembered the pink pony to have, it was a tremendous improvement over a constantly depressed frown. For Twilight, seeing Pinkie regain at least a bit of herself felt just as wonderful as being reunited with Fluttershy. She was about to reach out with a hoof to tap Pinkie on the shoulder and say something, when she suddenly noticed that her friend was gone. Bewildered, Twilight frantically looked around to try and locate her.

She caught sight of the pink mare just as Pinkie slammed into the still embracing Fluttershy and Applejack with full force, resulting in a loud ‘oof!’ from Applejack and a timid squeak from the pegasus. Not that either of them minded the intrusion, they gladly pulled Pinkie into their hug.

“I’m happy to see you, too, Pinkie,” Fluttershy said softly, and she giggled.

Pinkie hugged the pegasus tighter, to make sure she really was there and wouldn’t suddenly disappear again. “Don’t ever leave us again,” she whispered, surprising both Applejack and Twilight. Pinkie didn’t speak a lot, in fact she did it so little that whenever she did do it, it seemed so sudden and unexpected that it startled everypony.

Fluttershy smiled and ran a hoof through Pinkie’s flat mane, making the earth pony look up and meet the pegasus’ gaze. “I won’t. Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye,” Fluttershy promised, using the unbreakable oath to show her friend that she meant it.

Once more Pinkie’s jaw dropped and she stared incredulously at the pegasus. Aside from her friends, nopony even remembered that special, personal phrase that she had come up with in that other, happier life. And even Twilight and Applejack had rarely found an occasion that warranted calling upon something as serious as a ‘Pinkie Promise’. To now hear it used once more, by none other than a pony who she had been missing all her life, only further improved Pinkie’s spirits and her smile widened a bit.

Twilight and Applejack were speechless. In but a single moment of simply being there, Fluttershy had succeeded in helping Pinkie Pie overcome her depression more than they had during their entire lives. It almost made them depressed.

Applejack, fortunately, quickly recovered from this. “Now don’t go bein’ a partybucker, Twilight!” she called out to her unicorn friend. “Get your flank over here!”

The words of the blonde farmer succeeded in pulling Twilight out of her slack-jawed astonishment, and she shook her head. Blushing, the unicorn rubbed the back of her head with a hoof, a bit embarrassed due to being caught staring. Then, with a speed that would make Rainbow Dash proud, Twilight crossed the distance between her and her friends. The others quickly pulled her into their embrace, and then Fluttershy’s cottage was treated to the heart-warming sight of four friends sharing a group hug.

“I love you guys,” Pinkie whispered, and her three friends felt their hearts flutter.

Later, once they had had their fill of hugging, Fluttershy invited her friends inside so they could enjoy a nice cup of tea and some cookies. The prospect of sugary snacks seemed to appeal to Pinkie Pie, something that pleased Twilight and Applejack. Though the pink pony was still miles away from showing her usual eagerness for eating sugary goods, the mere fact that she showed any interest at all was already an improvement. There was still a long way to go to pull Pinkie out of her gloomy, depressed state, but at the very least they were making progress now. It was a start, a promising sign that gave them hope.

As they enjoyed their tea, Twilight did her best to explain the events of yesterday to the two earth ponies, but her own uncertainties and lack of true understanding hampered her efforts considerably. She could give no explanation, not even a theory, when Applejack asked her why Fluttershy had suddenly appeared and why now, and not at an earlier or later moment. Likewise, when asked how it was even possible for a pony to fall from one timeline into another, Twilight, to her shame, had to admit she didn’t know. She couldn’t deny feeling somewhat frustrated, for even if time and the world had changed, her inner curiosity and thirst for knowledge had not.

Twilight had to admit, though, that there were more important matters at hoof. “We can worry about the how and why of it later,” she decided. “What matters is that Fluttershy is here now, and it’s up to us to help her, for there’s a lot to do.” Her horn glowed and she levitated a scroll out of her saddlebags. It was a checklist, one she had spent most of her night on making. “First of all we need to make her cottage liveable again. The entirety of it needs a thorough cleaning, and that’s a lot of work for one pegasus. Too much, I’d say.”

Applejack nodded and ran a hoof over the face of the table, tracking a trail through the thick layer of dust that covered it. “Ah say. Nopony’s been around here with the feather duster in years, and it shows.” When a lump of sugar hit her on the side of the head, courtesy of a certain rabbit, she quickly added: “Though Ah’m sure lil’ Angel here did his best.”

Satisfied, the rabbit uncrossed his arms and stopped tapping his foot. Fluttershy gave him a quick, disapproving glare and he scurried off. With a silent sigh, she turned back to her friends, looking at them shyly. “Oh… I wouldn’t want to impose… I’m sure you all have your own jobs to attend to…”

Applejack held up a hoof to stop her. “Now don’t go givin’ us that, sugarcube. You’re our friend, and friends help each other. Twilight’s right: this place hasn’t seen a mop in years, cleaning it is just too much fer one pony.” She glanced at Twilight. “What else have ya got there on that list, Twi’?”

“Fluttershy also needs a few sets of clothes, since in our other lives those weren’t required,” Twilight replied, her eyes scanning her list. “Then we have to make the other necessary purchases: food, medical supplies and so on. After that, she’ll need a hoof with taking care of her animals. There’s no more than she had in her other life, but these ones here haven’t seen her in years. If we leave Fluttershy to deal with every single one of their problems on her own, she’ll be busy until Winter Wrap Up.”

The pegasus had to admit Twilight had a point there. There was so much to do before everything was in order and she could fall into a steady, daily routine again. She blushed, feeling embarrassed that she wasn’t capable enough of managing on her own. The smiles she got from her friends helped ease the tension she was feeling because of that, though.

“W… well… A… a bit of help would be nice,” she muttered softly, almost inaudibly. She hid behind her mane as she spoke. “I’ve looked around, and it seems that the years haven’t been too kind on all the houses of my little friends… The birdhouses need a new coat of paint, and the chicken coop could really use a new roof… Amongst other things…”

“That’s to be expected,” Applejack said, and she shrugged. “The years ain’t kind to anypony or anything, and y’all need to constantly make sure yer house is in top shape. But there was nopony around here all these years to take care of all them houses. Thinkin’ about it, maybe we should’ve done that.” The blonde mare rubbed he back of her head sheepishly. “Shucks, now Ah feel guilty about stayin’ away from this place fer so long.”

“Oh, don’t be, Applejack,” Fluttershy said hurriedly, on an insisting tone. “It’s fine… We’ll just have to make everything okay again and then no harm will be done.”

“Sounds mighty reasonable,” the farmer conceded, and she nodded curtly. She shot an inquisitive look at Twilight. “Anythin’ more we’ve gotta take care of, Twilight?”

The unicorn shook her head. “Not when it comes to manual labour,” she answered. Then she gave both Applejack and Pinkie Pie a serious look. “But the most important thing that we, as Fluttershy’s friends, have to do, is to help her adjust. There are a lot of new things in this time that she doesn’t know about, a lot of new machines, tools and social rules. I’ve told her about some already, but there’s no way we can tell her everything. The only way to learn is through experience, to take in the changes as she encounters them. And we have to be there to help her get used to them.”

A comfortable silence fell during which the three other ponies let the words of Twilight sink in. Applejack then suddenly pushed her empty teacup away from her and got to her hooves. “Alrighty then,” she said, breaking the silence while grinning from ear to ear, “there’s a lot to do and time won’t wait for anypony. Let’s get to work!”

End of chapter 9.

10. Family visit

Wings of Tomorrow
Lament of the World

10. Family visit

As it turned out, Applejack had been just a tad too hasty when she had so boldly declared “let’s get to work!”. Certainly, she had meant well, and because there was indeed a lot of work to do it would have been wise to not waste any time. The problem was that Applejack had a job to do and a farm to run. That would not keep her from lending a helping hoof to her friend, of course, but the least she could do was inform her family about the change of plans. Which was why the farmer now found herself, in the company of her three friends, walking down the road towards Sweet Apple Acres.

“Now you don’t worry your pretty lil’ head, Fluttershy,” Applejack said, glancing sideways to the pegasus for a moment. “Big Macintosh is perfectly capable of handlin’ the farm on his own fer a while. Ah just have to tell ‘im where I’ll be fer the next few days so he can plan and organize. He won’t throw a hissy fit over his sister helpin’ a friend. Not Big Macintosh. Kindest and most understanding stallion in all of Ponyville, Ah’ll have you know.”

Fluttershy gave Applejack a timid smile. Now that they were going out in public again, the pegasus had put back on the dress she had borrowed from Twilight, bearing the tight fit around her wings for a while. “I know, Applejack,” she replied quietly. “I know Big Macintosh quite well, I like to think… We have met before, if you remember.” Then she hid behind her mane, hoping she hadn’t said anything wrong.

If it weren’t for the fact that she was walking, Applejack would surely have planted one of her hooves square in the middle of her face. “Shucks, of course ya do, sugarcube.” The blonde mare found herself feeling more than a little bit stupid. “Apologies, ‘Shy. It’s just, havin’ not seen you mah entire life kinda makes this feel now as if Ah’m takin’ y’all to the farm to meet the Apples for the first time, you get?”

Twilight, who was walking between Applejack and Fluttershy, let out a soft chuckle. “It looks like Fluttershy isn’t the only pony who’ll have to adjust,” she observed.

“Sure looks that way,” Applejack agreed. She paused for a short moment, then broke into a smile and elbowed her unicorn friend in the side. “But Ah was just tryin’ to make Fluttershy feel less like the green apple in a bush of red ones. Bein’ a good friend by sharin’ the load and all that.”

Twilight’s chuckles became an all-out ring of laughter. “Of course you were, Applejack.”

“Ah’m serious!”

The unicorn playfully rolled her eyes. “Different times and changed lives or not, you’re still a horrible liar, Applejack,” she teased.

With a huff, the apple pony surrendered, though it was all in good fun and she was still smiling. None of her friends had mistaken her words for anything but. “Just tryin’ to lighten the mood, that’s all.”

“And I’d say you’ve succeeded quite well,” Twilight answered. She gestured at Fluttershy, who was chuckling quietly, obviously amused and happy. Even Pinkie, who was walking next to Fluttershy, wasn’t entirely unaffected. The pink pony wasn’t smiling, but at least she walked relatively normal with her head held high, instead of dragging her hooves over the ground with her head bowed, as if she carried the weight of the world on her shoulders. It was a positive sign, and Twilight took heart from it.

“How are things going at the farm in this time, Applejack?” Fluttershy asked, once she had stopped her giggling.

“It all runs as smooth as Pinkie on skates, thank you kindly fer asking,” Applejack answered proudly. “Of course there’s been a couple of adjustments to all them fancy new machinery, but it all turned out to be for the best. Growing and harvesting the apples is still done with our own four hooves, but we have some machines now to lighten the load of sorting and packing the apples, and to make more cider.”

When she saw that Fluttershy giving her an uncertain look, no doubt thinking about the events with the Flimflam brothers, Applejack quickly added: “No worries, sugarcube. We still pride ourselves at usin’ the traditions of the Apple family. All apples for the cider are hoof-picked by Granny Smith, so we use only the best, as always. But we now have a machine to take care of the squeezin’, so Big Mac won’t have to run his heart out. Princess knows that pony works hard enough as it is.”

Fluttershy nodded in understanding. The changes Applejack spoke about didn’t sound that bad, it just lightened the considerable load of work of the Apples a bit. There wasn’t anything wrong with that.

Next to her, Twilight tapped her chin thoughtfully with her right hoof. “Doesn’t Big Macintosh use a different plough for the fields now, too?”

“Shucks, Ah’d almost forget,” Applejack replied. She gave her friends an apologising look. “Twi’s right, though. We’ve ditched the pony-drawn plough for one of them steam-powered ones. It ain’t tradition, but there’s no denyin’ that it’s easier on mah brother’s back. Everythin’ gets done quicker, so we don’t have to work our manes off every day, not even during Applebuck Season.”

Twilight winked at their pegasus friend. “You could say that the production process of the farm has been… steamlined.” A silence fell in the wake of the unicorn’s joke, and Twilight found all her friends staring blankly at her. She smiled awkwardly and nervously.

“That pun was painful, Twi’,” Applejack teased, elbowing the unicorn in the side again. “Ah say leave the jokes to ponies who specialize in them. Like Dash, or Pinkie here.”

Said earth pony remained quiet, but did spare a brief glance at Applejack. She seemed to savour the praise, though it was hard to tell with her mostly blank expression. There was a twinkle of amusement in her blue eyes, however, a subtle sign that she was amused. Truth to be told, Pinkie didn’t think Twilight’s joke was that bad of a pun. She was certain that in her other life, she’d been laughing loudly and complementing the unicorn for her effort. After all, it wasn’t often that Twilight attempted to practice the art of humour. Not intentionally, at least. Yes, in her other life, Pinkie would surely have appreciated it.

Unfortunately, that life was naught but a collection of memories, and she lived here and now, in this altered and changed Equestria. And though Pinkie had displayed her first smile in years upon being reunited with Fluttershy, that was mostly because the reunion was an unexpected surprise that came right out of nowhere. Now that the excitement and novelty had worn off somewhat, so had the improved mood the earth pony had been in. She didn’t regress back to her utterly depressed and hopeless state, but just as well she didn’t feel inclined to join in the conversations of her friends or attempt any humour. For that, it was still too early, and she still felt far too gloomy.

Still, she appreciated their efforts.

A gasp from Fluttershy pulled the pink pony out of her thoughts, and she, as well as Twilight and Applejack, turned their attention towards the pegasus to see what bothered her. Fluttershy had stopped to look at something, and when Pinkie saw what it was, she suddenly got a feeling of dread in her stomach, as if she had swallowed a brick.

“Oh my…” Fluttershy said, her tone one of horrified awe. She was staring with wide eyes at a ruinous wooden shack that stood at the edge of a barren field of rocks, one that was all too familiar for her friends. “Does somepony actually live in here?” Fluttershy looked back over her shoulder at her friends, questioningly.

Twilight and Applejack rubbed their hooves together nervously, while Pinkie suddenly found the stones that paved the road very interesting again. None of the three mares dared to meet Fluttershy’s inquisitive eyes, and they couldn’t look more suspicious and awkward if they tried.

“Somepony does?!” Fluttershy cried out, gasping again once that realisation hit her. “Who? And how could anypony even allow a pony to live in a house that is in such an obvious bad state?! Why, I bet that when it rains it just falls straight through the roof!” She gestured at the shack wildly, feeling outraged that it was even allowed to exist. “Just look at it! I bet it would collapse if I so much as blew at it!”

“Ehm… Well, you see, Fluttershy…” Twilight began, but she was suddenly interrupted.

“It’s mine.”

The pegasus turned away from the shack to look at the speaker, and her eyes were wide. For the third time in less than five minutes Fluttershy found herself so shocked as to be almost speechless. The pegasus stared at Pinkie incomprehensively. The earth pony merely let out a deep sigh and bowed her head, either out of sadness or shame, it could not be said.

“It’s my house,” Pinkie clarified, obviously not being particularly proud of that fact.

Fluttershy’s mouth opened and closed repeatedly, making the pegasus look a bit like a fish out of the water. It was clear she wanted to say something, anything, but that she was so shocked or outraged by this latest revelation that words failed her. After a few moments of struggling with herself like that, Fluttershy finally rounded on Applejack and Twilight, her face a mask of outraged disappointment. The two mares instinctively did a step back and swallowed.

“You!” the pegasus cried out. “How could you allow one of your own friends to live in something like this?! This is unbelievable! You two should be ashamed of yourselves!”

Her two friends winced as they were hit full-force by the words of a very assertive Fluttershy. If looks could kill then the stare the pegasus was giving them would have reduced them to heaps of smouldering ash ages ago. Twilight was speechless, and sweating profusely in discomfort. Applejack didn’t fare much better, but she did manage to find her voice again.

“Now wait just a hay-picking minute, Fluttershy,” the farmer said. “Ah know what this looks like, and Ah agree that it ain’t nice. But don’t you go accusin’ Twi’ and me of not doin’ anythin’ about it. We tried. We tried very hard to help Pinkie, or convince her to move in with one of us. Ah have enough room to accommodate for one more pony, no problem.” Applejack then pointed accusingly with a hoof at the pink earth pony, who was still occupying herself by studying the ground. “But she wouldn’t have any of it! She refused our help, and she would get out of there no matter what we tried or said!”

Upon hearing this, Fluttershy quit her intense glaring at her two friends, as she turned around to focus it on Pinkie instead. Twilight and Applejack both let out a sigh of relief when they no longer were the target of Fluttershy’s wrath. They did feel sorry for Pinkie, however. The depressed earth pony shrunk back as Fluttershy wordlessly advanced on her. The pegasus radiated assertiveness out of every single cell of her body, and her stare bore into Pinkie Pie relentlessly.

“Pinkamena. Diane. Pie!” Fluttershy said, with a voice that was all the more frightening due to how calm and collected it sounded. She planted one of her hooves firmly on her friend’s chest. “We are going to visit Sweet Apple Acres now. And when we get back, you are going to pack your things and move in with me on the double!”

Pinkie shrunk even more, if such were possible, under Fluttershy’s relentless, merciless stare. She was shivering, but still found the courage to look up and open her mouth to speak. But Fluttershy didn’t even give her a chance to gathered the necessary air to form words. The pegasus leaned in closely until their noses were touching, and Pinkie experienced Fluttershy’s assertiveness from way up close.

“No. Buts,” Fluttershy hissed.

By now Applejack and Twilight were biting their hooves, watching the exchange with rising fear. Both of them were praying to whatever powerful entity was willing to listen that Pinkie would have the common sense to give in. Fortunately, she did. The pink pony let out a meek squeak and nodded quickly and wordlessly. Fluttershy kept staring harshly into the blue eyes of her friend for a few more seconds after Pinkie had surrendered, but then suddenly retreated out of Pinkie’s personal space.

“Good,” Fluttershy said simply, sounding every bit like the kind, gentle and quiet pony her friends knew her to be again. A shy smile grazed her timid features. “I’m sure you’ll like living with me. I’ll have to find a spare bed, but you can use mine until then. I’ll just use the couch. Angel Bunny might be a bit resistant at first, but I’ll take care again. I’m sure the rest of my little friends will be fine with it. Though I hope it’s okay that you’ll share my room with them. Ehm… That’s not a problem, is it?”

Pinkie, who was still recovering from receiving a full dose of assertiveness, could only shake her head dumbly.

After the unplanned short stop at Pinkie’s shack, the four mares continued on their way and soon enough found themselves passing through the gates of Sweet Apple Acres. Fluttershy looked around timidly, trying not to draw too much attention to herself as she took in the sights of the farm around her. To her delight, it hadn’t changed all that much. The farmhouse and the barns looked relatively the same, aside from the obvious presence of machinery. The fields around the farmhouse were still sown with corn or small vegetables, while the hills behind the fields were still lined with hundreds of apple trees. Having seen Ponyville and having barely recognized it as such, seeing the familiar farm still being how she remembered it made Fluttershy very happy.

“It looks lovely, Applejack,” the pegasus complimented her friend, and she gave the earth pony a smile. Despite knowing that Applejack hadn’t done it on purpose, Fluttershy still felt grateful towards her friend for not changing the farm too much. Still having this familiar landmark of Ponyville in a recognizable state would make adjusting easier.

“Thank you kindly, sugarcube,” Applejack replied. “But it ain’t anything special. We just did our thing, as we Apples always have.”

“Oh, but it is special!” Fluttershy insisted. She gestured at her surroundings. “It all still looks like how I remembered it. When I look at this wonderful place, I can see that I’m at Sweet Apple Acres. Un… unlike Ponyville…” She trailed off uneasily and pawed at the ground nervously with one of her hooves. Her three friends gave her sympathetic looks.

Applejack patted Fluttershy gently on the back, a gesture of comfort from one friend to another. “Ah understand, Fluttershy, and Ah’m happy that this lil’ farm can cheer you up like that. But don’t you worry, there are other places that haven’t changed one bit. If you want, Ah’m sure we can go visit ‘em.”

“That would be nice,” Fluttershy admitted, “but I wouldn’t want to be a bother…”

“Fluttershy, we already said it, we’re your friends,” Twilight chided her friend gently. Just like Applejack, the unicorn briefly placed a hoof on the pegasus’ shoulder. “If it helps you to see the places that haven’t changed, then it speaks for itself that we’ll take you there to visit them.”

Fluttershy nodded in understanding. She wasn’t going to argue, or refuse offered kindness. Not when a while ago she had scolded Pinkie for doing the same thing. “Thank you.”

“Think nothing of it,” Applejack said with a grin. With the matter dealt with, the farmer continued on her way to her home. “Now let’s go find Big Macintosh. If my memory ain’t pullin’ my leg, he should be in the orchard bringing in the early apples.”

“He was,” Twilight corrected her with a knowing smile. When her farmer friend gave her a look that asked her how she knew that, Twilight merely pointed in the direction of one of the barns. The three other mares could see Applejack’s brother walking towards it, dragging a full cart of apples behind him. Besides him walked another pony, though that one was still a filly. But even had it not been, the pony would still have looked decidedly tiny compared to the giant stallion. Twilight and the others soon recognised her as Apple Bloom, the youngest member of the Apple family.

The four friends went over to the barn, and as they got closer they heard the sound of grinding gears and machinery coming from inside. It unnerved Fluttershy at first, but when she saw that Applejack was completely unbothered by it, she managed to relax somewhat again. If Applejack wasn’t worried, then whatever machine was in there was probably safe, the pegasus reasoned. Twilight and Pinkie also didn’t show any sign of apprehension, for they had already been at the farm many times before, and knew what to expect.

They entered the barn and were greeted by the sight of Big Macintosh and Apple Bloom hard at work. The young filly was unloading the apples from the cart and putting them on a conveyor belt, which took the fruit through a machine that separated the bad apples from the good ones. The bad ones dropped in a crate under the machine, while the good ones came out and dropped into a crate at the end of the conveyor belt. Big Mac stood there, replacing the crates with empty ones once they were full, and then stocked the full crates alongside the wall of the barn.

Fluttershy found herself rooted to the floor, watching the steam-powered machine with an open mouth. Then she noticed her friends had gone ahead to greet the two ponies that were hard at work, and she had fallen behind. The timid pegasus hurried to catch up as discreetly as possible, and once she had, she took her chance to take a good look at Applejack’s relatives.

Big Macintosh was precisely how the pegasus remembered him to be. He was still massive and red as an apple, with an brown-orange mane and tail, the latter being quite shorter than how ponies usually kept them. The stallion had kept the freckles on his face, and his trusty yoke was still hanging securely around his muscular neck. Only it was now framed with copper plating, which was his own personal way of modernizing. Like any other pony in this altered time, he was clothed, donning a pair of practical blue overalls. Unlike Applejack, he did not wear a shirt under them. Naturally, he had a straw tucked between his teeth, occasionally shifting it to the other side of his mouth.

Apple Bloom was, to Fluttershy’s great delight, just as recognizable as her older siblings. She was still the adorable yellow filly with a red tail and mane, having a large, pink bow tied securely in the latter. Apparently the shift in time hadn’t stopped the young pony from looking up to her sister and aspiring to be like her, for Apple Bloom was wearing an exact replica of Applejack’s ensemble: red overalls and a white cotton shirt. Due to being dressed, Fluttershy couldn’t see if the young filly had earned her cutie mark in this life yet. Given how earnestly and dedicatedly she was helping her brother with his work, it was possible.

“Howdy there, Big Mac,” Applejack greeted jovially, tipping her hat towards her brother in playful proper etiquette. “Ah take it everything ran smoothly while Ah was gone?”

The massive stallion took his eyes off the conveyor belt for a moment so he could look at the oldest of his two sisters. He didn’t immediately say anything, taking his time to move his straw to the other corner of his mouth first.

“Eeyup.”

It was a simple word, consisting of only five letters, but it nevertheless brought a smile to Fluttershy’s face when her ears picked it up. Simply hearing those two simple syllables was enough to tell her that Big Macintosh was the same stallion she knew from her life in that other time. The changes in the world hadn’t affected him. He was still Applejack’s big brother. A stallion strong and reliable, but of little words, who wasted no time saying much when one word sufficed. Fluttershy blushed a bit when she admitted to herself that she had always admired that about him.

“That’s mah brother.” Applejack grinned, giving him a playful swat on the shoulder before turning her attention over to her other sibling. “How about you, lil’ sis? Did ya behave and lend your brother a hoof like Ah told you to?”

“Ah sure did, sis!” the little filly replied. Apple Bloom smiled widely and puffed her chest proudly, clearly very pleased with herself. “Just ask our brother. Ah even helped him with bucking the apples! Ah managed to make five of ‘em drop down with one buck! Ain’t that right, Big Mac?”

“Eeyup.”

Twilight smiled and walked up to the young filly. “It seems like you’re making a lot of progress helping out lately, Apple Bloom,” she praised the younger pony. “If you keep it up Big Macintosh and Applejack will soon find you indispensable around the farm.”

Apple Bloom turned to face the unicorn and smiled. “Oh, hiya, Twilight!” she greeted politely. Then her face scrutinized into a frown, and her eyes were filled with incomprehension. “Indes… Indis… Inda what now?” She looked at the unicorn questioningly, silently asking for an explanation.

“Indispensable,” Applejack answered in Twilight’s stead, while coming to stand next to her younger sibling. “It’s a big word for saying that we won’t be able to run the farm without you anymore, lil’ sis.” She gave Apple Bloom a loving tap on the head. “And she’s right, you know. You’re doing very well fer a pony your age.”

The youngest member of the Apple family positively beamed as she basked in the praise she was receiving from her big sister. “Gee, thanks, Applejack,” she said. Despite enjoying the compliments, Apple Bloom nonetheless noticed how she was blushing a bit because of them as well. She suddenly noticed that Twilight wasn’t the only pony to have come in with her sister.

“Hiya, Pinkie!” she said excitedly, waving at the pink pony. She did her best to be as happy as possible, for Applejack had long ago explained to her that Pinkie was feeling very sad, and that they all had to be happy and positive around her to try and make her feel better. So far, it hadn’t really worked, but Apple Bloom shared the Apple family trait of being persistent and kept doing what her sister had told her to do every time she saw Pinkie.

Great was the filly’s surprise when the pink mare actually looked up from the ground to acknowledge her greeting with a very, very faint and tiny smile. Apple Bloom hadn’t been so shocked since that time when an apple actually fell down from a tree after she had bucked it. She was so surprised that she didn’t immediately recognise the other pony that had entered the barn with Applejack. Having the dress hide Fluttershy’s wings didn’t help much either.

“Um, Applejack, who’s that?” Apple Bloom asked, pointing a hoof at the pegasus.

Applejack merely rolled her eyes and teasingly poked her little sister lightly in the ribs. “Ah come on, Apple Bloom. Are you tellin’ me you don’t recognise Fluttershy?”

Apple Bloom’s eyes widened to the size of small saucers. “Fluttershy?!” she echoed, astonishment plastered all over her face. Then, in the blink of an eye, the little filly had disappeared from her spot next to the applecart and reappeared next to the pegasus. Apple Bloom was walking around Fluttershy in circles, examining her from every angle before tentatively poking the yellow pegasus on the shoulder to see if she was real.

Fluttershy giggled at the filly’s antics. “Hello, Apple Bloom,” she said, giving the young pony a kind smile. If she had expected that to calm the excited filly down, however, she was sorely disappointed. In fact, speaking to her only made the Mount Apple Bloom erupt with boundless energy even more.

“FLUTTERSHY!” Apple Bloom shouted happily on top of her lungs, throwing herself around the pegasus’ neck. Fluttershy let out a strangled noise as her throat was snapped shut and her supply of air cut off. Worse, she was sure she heard her neck starting to crack due to the filly’s iron grip. She tried to tell the eager filly to let go, but no sound would leave her mouth thanks to Apple Bloom’s death grip.

“Now, now, lil’ sis, give Fluttershy some space,” Applejack admonished, coming to Fluttershy’s rescue. “She just came back yesterday from ‘er long trip and she’s still getting’ used to bein’ back in Ponyville and around ponies. Keep it down a notch. You wouldn’t want to make Fluttershy tired, now would you?”

The bow-wearing filly immediately released the pegasus, and Fluttershy gasped for breath. Right on time, too, for her face had started to colour blue when Apple Bloom let go of her. Said filly was now standing repentantly before her sister, her head bowed.

“No sis. Ah’ll be good,” she promised. Apple Bloom then turned around so she was facing the pegasus she had nearly choked. “Ah’m sorry, Fluttershy. Ah was just so happy to see you and all…” Applejack gave her sister a look of approval, and Fluttershy gave the filly an affectionate nuzzle to show that she was forgiven.

“It’s alright,” Fluttershy said sincerely. “You wouldn’t be the first pony to get a bit overjoyed at my return today…” She gave Applejack a knowing look when she said those words, and the orange pony suddenly found the ceiling to be very interesting.

Apple Bloom’s usual eagerness quickly returned upon being forgiven, and she looked up to Fluttershy with shining but questioning eyes. “So how was yer trip, Fluttershy? Did you meet a lot of new animals like mah sis’ told me you would? Huh, did you? What’s it like outside of Equestria?”

The pegasus nervously backed away a bit, looking at her friends and quietly pleading them to help her. None of them had told her yet where all of Ponyville thought she had been during all those years she was absent. Applejack had clearly made up a story to explain Fluttershy’s absence to her little sister. That was just the problem: it was made up. So Fluttershy had no way to answer Apple Bloom’s questions, and she couldn’t lie either. She was almost as bad a liar as Applejack was.

This time, it was Twilight who came to her rescue. “She had an amazing and long journey, Apple Bloom. And she saw many wondrous things!” the unicorn lied smoothly. “So many things, in fact, that it would take too long to tell everything now. But I’m sure that once Fluttershy has settled in, she’ll make some time for you to answer all of your questions.”

Fluttershy’s jaw dropped and she looked at Twilight with wide eyes. “A… all of them?” she repeated, her voice trembling. This caused Apple Bloom to glance at the pegasus with worried eyes and a trembling lower lip. Fluttershy inwardly winced while outwardly putting on her bravest and kindest smile. “I mean, yes, all of them.”

“YAY!” Apple Bloom screamed in delight, and she rejoiced by skipping around Fluttershy in circles.

“After she’s settled in,” Applejack reminded her younger sibling, and her words swiftly put an end to Apple Bloom’s latest attempt to make Fluttershy dizzy. Satisfied, Applejack turned her attention to her brother.

“That’s why we came over here, Big Macintosh,” she explained. “Since nopony ever went over to Fluttershy’s place here while she was gone, she came back to find her cottage in need of quite a mighty cleanin’. The kind of mighty that one pony can’t provide on her own. So me, Twi’ and Pinkie offered to lend a hoof in makin’ that place liveable again.” The earth pony gave her brother an apologetic look. “Ah’m afraid y’all be tendin’ to the farm without me fer a couple of days.”

“Fine with me,” he calmly replied.

“Now Ah know we got a lot to do and some big deliveries to make and all,” Applejack added, seemingly not having heard the reply she had received. “But ya gotta understand that Fluttershy’s mah friend and… Wait, what?” Big Mac’s words finally sunk in and she stared at him, surprised. “Yer fine with it?”

“Eeyup.” The big stallion took a moment to switch the straw to the other side of his mouth again, then calmly continued: “Ah know mah sis. The most friendly and loyal pony in all of Ponyville. She never leaves her friends hangin’. So when Ah saw Fluttershy come in, Ah knew wut time it was.” He smiled proudly at her. “Don’t worry, AJ. Ah can handle it.” And with that said, Big Macintosh went back to work.

“Can Ah help with the cleaning too, sis?!” Apple Bloom asked eagerly, secretly hoping that maybe she could get a cleaning Cutie Mark then.

“Thank you kidly fer the offer, Apple Bloom,” Applejack replied, smiling at her sister. “But Ah need you to stay here on the farm to help yer brother and to keep an eye on things while Ah’m gone. Ah’m entrusting Sweet Apple Acres to you, sis.” To further prove her statement, Applejack placed her trusty old hat on top of Apple Bloom’s head.

The young filly looked up at her sister and for a moment she was rendered speechless. “Really?” she then finally managed to bring out, barely daring to hope that Applejack was serious.

“Really,” the other mare replied. “You think you can do that?”

“Ma’am, yes, ma’am!” Apple Bloom said earnestly, and she gave Applejack a solemn salute. The filly had a frown of determination on her face, and her chest was puffed up with pride. “You can count on me, Applejack!”

“Ah knew Ah could,” Applejack answered proudly. She gestured at Big Macintosh, who was hard at work once again. “Now get to it, lil’ sis. There’s work to be done.” Her younger sister nodded and, still wearing an expression of serious determination, quickly went over to re-join her brother at the apple-sorting machine.

Applejack watched her go with a small but proud grin on her face, before moving over towards where her friends were waiting for her. “Well, that went easier than Ah expected it to. Ah’ll tell Granny Smith ‘bout the change of plans when Ah get back in the evening, if Big Mac won’t tell ‘er when she gets back from the market.” She took a quick glance over her shoulder at her brother, who was carrying another full crate towards the stack of crates near the wall.

“It’s really nice of you to do this for me, Applejack,” Fluttershy said quietly. “You really shouldn’t have, you have your own work to worry about.”

Applejack held up a hoof to silence her friend. “Ah’ll have none of that nonsense, sugarcube. We’re friends, and friends help each other out in their time of need,” she said, on a tone that made it clear she’d tolerate no other word on the matter. “Now, Big Mac and Apple Bloom are back to work, and Ah say it’s about time we all do the same. That cottage won’t clean itself, so let’s get to it. Fer real this time!”

End of chapter 10.

11. Conversations in the evening and morning

Wings of Tomorrow
Lament of the World

11. Conversations in the evening and morning

“Good night, mister Mouse. I’ll see you in the morning,” Fluttershy said quietly, while patting said little creature gently on the head. The grey mouse gave a few squeaks, nuzzled Fluttershy’s hoof affectionately, and then disappeared through the hole in the wall into his nest. The pegasus watched him go with a smile on her face, then rose up from the crouching position she had been in and looked around the living room. The sight that greeted her was very different from the one she had seen that morning.

Thanks to Twilight’s impeccable organising skill, Fluttershy and her three friends had managed to clean out most of the living room already, despite the time they had lost that day due to their detour to Sweet Apple Acres. First they had moved all the furniture outside where it had been washed and cleaned, and then the empty living room itself had gotten its turn. Dust had been swept away, walls, windows and ceiling had been washed and the floor had been mopped. The curtains and the carpet still needed a good scrubbing, but at the very least they had knocked and shaken as much of the dust out of it as they could. All that remained was to clean all the houses of her little friends, and wash the things in her cupboards, such as plates, cups and kitchen utensils.

But that would have to wait until tomorrow, for night had fallen, bringing an end to Fluttershy’s second day in this altered era. To be honest, the day had just flown by. There had been so much to do, and there was still so much left to do, that she simply hadn’t had the time to stand still and think about her situation. She could only move on from one task to the next, with no time in between for worrying. Fluttershy realised it was probably better this way. Time spent on worrying about things that could not be changed was time wasted, after all. That was something she couldn’t afford. She had a house to make liveable again.

Her friends had been a big help, and after one afternoon working hard, Fluttershy was glad she had accepted their kind offers to help. Without them, it would no doubt take weeks to do everything that the four of them could accomplish in a couple of days. Not that she would have been entirely on their own even if they hadn’t been there. Her animal friends had helped out where they could today, too, especially Angel. He had brought them refreshments during their labouring, and made a very tasty salad to serve as their supper. His eagerness to help and please was almost scary. Fluttershy would never have thought her yearlong absence would affect him so.

Her friends had enjoyed the rabbit’s supper together with her, and then Applejack and Twilight had left for their own homes after promising to be back the next day. And thus, Fluttershy now found herself in her freshly cleaned living room, with only her animals and Pinkie Pie for company.

When they had returned from Sweet Apple Acres, the pink earth pony had obeyed Fluttershy’s command to pack her things without complaint or enthusiasm. It hadn’t taken long, for Pinkie owned almost next to nothing, much to Fluttershy’s shock. A few ragged dresses, a picture of her family and Gummy, and that was it. Pinkie had left her shack behind without so much as a second glance, obviously not sorry to leave it behind. But at the same time, she hadn’t looked particularly excited to move in with her pegasus friend, either.

Now Pinkamena Diane Pie was sitting quietly on Fluttershy’s couch, staring through the window to the moonlit night sky above Equestria. Fluttershy had insisted that Pinkie use her bed, but the earth pony wouldn’t budge, saying that the couch would do just fine. Feeling that she had already made enough demands of her friend for that day, Fluttershy had reluctantly let it be.

“They’ve all gone to bed,” Fluttershy said quietly, referring to her animal friends, speaking quietly so as to not risk waking any of them up. She moved over to join Pinkie on the couch, her hoofsteps silenced by the carpet on the floor.

Her pink friend didn’t say anything in return. She merely gave a small nod with her head, to indicate that she had heard her. Fluttershy gnawed nervously on her lower lip. Pinkie hadn’t said anything since they came back from Sweet Apple Acres. Though Twilight and Applejack had assured her that that was nothing new, to hear nothing but silence coming from Pinkie Pie was a surreal experience indeed, as far as Fluttershy was concerned. She found it very worrisome, even if such behaviour was apparently normal for this Pinkie.

Quietly, Fluttershy sat down on the couch as well, right next to her friend, and joined Pinkie in watching the night sky. A few moments passed in total silence. Then Fluttershy glanced at the pony next to her, and there was a slight frown on her face. Gently, the pegasus placed one of her hooves on top of one of Pinkie’s.

“Pinkie, what’s wrong? Won’t… won’t you tell me? If you don’t mind, that is,” Fluttershy then asked, breaking the silence. She gave Pinkie a hopeful look. Talking about your problems helped, this Fluttershy knew from personal experience. She hoped the same would be true for Pinkie.

The pink pony let out a deep, depressed sigh. She turned her head to look at Fluttershy, only briefly, then looked back to the starry sky. Pinkie opened her mouth as if to say something, but then apparently changed her mind and closed it again. Her eyes fell shut and her face was a mask of sadness. Then she sighed again.

Her behaviour succeeded in making Fluttershy worry. “Pinkie?” Fluttershy asked again, her voice trembling a bit now. Hesitatingly, the timid mare placed a hoof comfortingly on her friend’s shoulder.

“Everything,” the pink pony said, so unexpectedly that it startled Fluttershy. Pinkie turned her head so she could look at the pegasus again, and this time she didn’t immediately look away again. Pinkie Pie let out a deep sigh for the third time. “I mean, what isn’t wrong? Just look outside and tell me what you see!”

Fluttershy looked, she looked very hard, but had to admit that she didn’t see much. “Um… I can’t see anything… It’s too dark…”

Pinkie sighed for the fourth time in less than five minutes. “I meant Equestria, Fluttershy…” she muttered unhappily. Hopeless, the pink pony hung her head low as she thought of all that had gone wrong in the world she used to love. “Everything is wrong…” She fell quiet after that, not feeling like saying any more. For Pinkie, there were no words to express her feelings, to express the depths of her sadness.

Understanding dawned on Fluttershy, and the pegasus felt a bit stupid for not realising what Pinkie had meant right away. She gently rubbed over the other pony’s back in an attempt to soothe and calm her down, just as Twilight had done for her when she had been saddened and scared by all the changes in the world.

“It’s not that bad, Pinkie…” Fluttershy said, trying to bring some comfort to her friend. “I mean, you still have your friends, right? And… Um… You have me now, too… And Twilight said Sugarcube Corner is still the same as well. And I… I’m sure there are other things that you still have, Pinkie.”

The unfortunate earth pony shook her head slowly. She briefly glanced up to give Fluttershy a look of utter sadness and something else. The pegasus didn’t immediately understand what else was in Pinkie’s eyes, but then it hit her. Pinkie Pie was looking at her with pity! That caught Fluttershy off guard, for she couldn’t phantom why her friend was pitying her. She wasn’t feeling very bad at the moment. Shouldn’t it be the other way around?

The confusion clearly was very apparent on Fluttershy’s face, for Pinkie reluctantly opened her mouth to explain. “You’re still new here, Fluttershy,” she said quietly. “You haven’t seen anything yet. You can’t see how greedy, grouchy and mean ponies are now in just two days. But you will. And then you’ll be all sad like me, because there’s nothing to be happy about!”

Fluttershy gaped at the other pony, stunned and speechless. Pinkie wasn’t a defeatist, she was supposed to be the cheerful, happy pony that always saw the bright side of things. Now she behaved just like that time when she had though her friends didn’t like her anymore, or even worse than then. Regardless, Fluttershy didn’t want to surrender just yet.

“Twilight told me about Princess Celestia and Luna…” she began, trying to show her friend that she did know how bad things were now, and that she could handle it.

Pinkie shrugged lifelessly in response. “But that’s only one thing. There are many more that she probably didn’t say anything about because she didn’t want to make you sad,” she said quietly. Pinkie sighed deeply and laid down on the couch, letting her head rest on her crossed arms.

“Ever since Princess Celestia was taken away, all that matters in Equestria are bits. Even in Sugarcube Corner, or on Sweet Apple Acres,” she continued listlessly. “That’s why I didn’t want to live there. Nopony has any time to smile anymore, or for parties. There’s no time to make friends or to laugh. And having houses look the same like they did in Old Ponyville won’t change that. The ponies living in it will still be from New Ponyville.”

Fluttershy nestled herself down next to her friend and put one of her wings over the pink pony’s body. What Pinkie had just told her was disheartening, that much was certain, but Twilight had already implied a lot of it, so it didn’t come as a big surprise to the pegasus.

“But you still have your friends, don’t you? Twilight, Applejack and Rarity… They were all there for you and tried to help you,” Fluttershy said, speaking with a soft and soothing voice. “That hasn’t changed, so can’t that cheer you up, if only for a tiny little bit? You must know it makes them all very sad to see you so sad…”

Pinkie Pie sighed again. “I am happy to have them with me. And when Twilight came back to Ponyville, I was really excited. I thought she would have an idea of how we could zap everything back to normal, so that we could all go back to smiling and partying again.” The earth pony shook her head sadly, her eyes having fallen shut. “But Twilight didn’t have a plan. All she could do was tell us what had gone wrong, and how we couldn’t fix it.”

The young mare gave Fluttershy a knowing look. “And she was right. We couldn’t… can’t do anything about it. We can’t save the day, not this time,” she stated, and she spoke with the voice of someone who had given up and had lost all hope. “Dashie thought she could change things. She never even came to Ponyville, she just went to join the Royal Guard. It’s been around seven years now… Seven years Dashie has been fighting, but nothing changed. She didn’t accomplish anything.” Saddened, Pinkie laid her head back down on her arms, and Fluttershy could see tears forming in the pink pony’s eyes. “I miss Dashie…”

Fluttershy gave her depressed friend a strong, warm hug. “I miss her too, Pinkie. When Twilight told me she had left to fight, I was really shocked,” the pegasus admitted. “And I really do worry about her safety. But at the same time, I have to admit that when I thought about it a bit more, I had to smile.”

“Why?” Pinkie demanded, raising her head from the couch instantly. She had a look on her face that was a cross between surprise and shock. “Dashie is fighting! She hurts other ponies and ponies try to hurt her. Why would that make you smile?”

Fluttershy’s smile dropped and she looked somewhat uncomfortable and embarrassed. “W… well, I did not smile because of that. That really doesn’t sound… nice,” the pegasus explained. “I smiled because, even if what she does isn’t nice, it is something the Rainbow Dash I know would do. She would never let her friends down, or give up on something that she believes is right. Even if the times have changed, she’s still loyal to Princess Celestia, and she was prepared to fight for that.” The timid smile slowly returned to the yellow pegasus’ face, and she shared it with Pinkie. “And that’s the Rainbow Dash I know and remember.”

Pinkie remained silent, and stared at the floor with a thoughtful expression on her face. She had to admit Fluttershy had a point. If nothing else, Rainbow Dash was the most loyal pony in all of Equestria (both of them). She probably enjoyed hurting and fighting other ponies, even Republicans, as much as Pinkie did. But she was prepared to do it because she wouldn’t betray the Princess, her friends or her beliefs. Fluttershy was right. That did sound like the Rainbow Dash Pinkie remembered and liked so much.

“Maybe you’re right, Pinkie,” Fluttershy added, unaware of her friend’s ponderings. “Maybe Rainbow Dash hasn’t achieved anything yet by fighting. And maybe Twilight is right when she says that we can’t change things. But maybe it doesn’t matter if we can or cannot do it. Perhaps all that matters is if we did or did not try.” She put her arm around Pinkie and pulled her a bit closer. The pegasus wasn’t very sure if she was doing the right thing. She wasn’t good at giving pep talks, that was more something anypony of her friends but her would do. But for this once, it didn’t stop her from trying. She had to try and cheer Pinkie up, no matter what.

“It could be that even Rainbow Dash knows that she can’t change anything,” she continued, a bit uncertain. “But that probably wouldn’t stop her. She’s the pony who once said: ‘If I’m going down, I’m going down flying! ’, after all.” Those words made her think back to the time where they had to move the water to Cloudsdale with a hurricane, and how much Rainbow Dash had supported her throughout those events.

Pinkie smiled a tiny bit. “That does sounds like something Dashie would say.”

Fluttershy noticed the small smile on her friend’s face, and laughed gently. She gave Pinkie a soft nudge in the side. “And now you look a bit more like the Old Pinkie I remember.”

The tiny small vanished as suddenly as it had appeared, and left Fluttershy regretting that she had said anything. “Old Pinkie Pie isn’t fit for New Ponyville,” Pinkie said quietly, and she felt her usual gloominess return as the reality of the state of Equestria settled in again. The pegasus next to her gave Pinkie another gentle nudge.

“Old Fluttershy isn’t fit for New Ponyville either,” Fluttershy replied. “But Old Fluttershy will still have to get used to it. And she has three wonderful friends to help her with that. Just like Old Pinkie Pie does.” She gave her friend another hug.

The pink earth pony chuckled a bit upon hearing Fluttershy’s choice of words, then returned the hug half-heartedly. “Thank you, Fluttershy,” she said, then added sincerely: “New Pinkie Pie is happy that Old Fluttershy is back, but at the same time would have liked it if Old Fluttershy could have stayed in Old Ponyville.”

“Old Fluttershy would also like that,” the pegasus answered calmly. “But now Old Fluttershy just wants to help New Pinkie Pie to feel better so that we can have Old Pinkie Pie back.” She caressed gently through Pinkie’s flat mane. “You have to cheer up, Pinkie. I understand that it is hard for you, but to see you so sad is very difficult for your friends…”

The pink earth pony bowed her head and turned away from Fluttershy, as if ashamed. “I didn’t mean to make them sad… But they’re sad because I’m sad.” Pinkie sighed deeply. “And I can’t stop being sad because I can’t smile. I just don’t know what to smile for.”

“You have to try, Pinkie,” Fluttershy replied. “You’re the pony who lived to make ponies laugh, aren’t you? Even if the ponies from Ponyville don’t have time to smile now, what about your friends? Can’t you make them smile? Aren’t their smiles something that would make you happy, too?”

“It would,” Pinkie admitted, and she glanced briefly at her pegasus friend. “But how can I make them smile? They’re sad because of what those meanies did to the Princess and because time has all gone bad. I can’t do anything about that!”

Fluttershy smiled kindly at caressed Pinkie gently through her mane. “You don’t have to, Pinkie. I’m sure that if you just smiled a bit, they would already be happier, even if everything is still changed and wrong. Because you’re more important to them than even the Princess or all of Equestria.”

Pinkie bit her lower lip in thought and rubbed her hooves together nervously. She knew that what Fluttershy said was the truth. It wasn’t the first time she was told so, either, nor had she ever really believed otherwise. Her friends were and would always be very dear to her. They were a source of support and comfort, and had been throughout most of her depressing life. She didn’t want to make them sad, and would love to thank them for their kindness. But could she truly smile again for them, when there was so little to smile for in the world?

“Promise me you’ll at least try, Pinkie,” Fluttershy pleaded, unaware of her friend’s ponderings. She gave the pink pony a hopeful look.

It was then that Pinkie decided that perhaps, yes, she could smile again. Part of what had always depressed her so was how it appeared that nothing could be done about the mess Equestria found itself in. But that was not true, was it? Fluttershy was here now, unaffected by the shifts in time. It was a change. Perhaps not a big one, but it was a change nonetheless. And maybe it was a sign that things were not as decided as Twilight had said they were? She couldn’t be certain, but it was a hopeful thought, something Pinkie found she could cling to. And she wanted to cling to it, if only to make Fluttershy and her friends happy. To see them smile again.

“I promise to try,” Pinkie pledged sincerely. “Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye.”

Fluttershy smiled widely, and pulled her friend into another warm embrace. “Thank you, Pinkie,” she whispered softly. “I’m sure Twilight and Applejack will be very happy with this as well.” She wanted to say more, but she was interrupted when she yawned. The pegasus blushed slightly. “Ehm… I think we should go to sleep now.”

Pinkie smiled a tiny bit and nodded. “I agree,” she said. Then the smile faded from her face, to be replaced by a very serious expression. “But I’m still not allowing you to let me use your bed. It’s yours, Fluttershy. The couch will be more than enough for your auntie Pinkie Pie.”

Fluttershy frowned. “I’m a year older than you.”

“Good morning girls!” Twilight greeted cheerfully as she came bursting into the cottage unannounced and without knocking. The unicorn looked very pleased with herself for some reason, for she was smiling brightly and moved with barely suppressed energy. Aside from her usual clothes, she was now wearing two saddlebags as well, though what they held within them nopony but Twilight knew. “All ready for a brand new day?”

Fluttershy, to her credit, wasn’t startled by the sudden appearance of her friend. She calmly turned to face Twilight and gave her a welcoming smile. “Good morning to you, too, Twilight,” she returned the greeting. “Just give me a few moments to finish cleaning up our breakfast and put on your dress, and then we’ll be all set to go.”

With that said, the pegasus continued to carry the tray she was carrying towards the kitchen, as she had been doing before Twilight came waltzing right in. On the tray stood two empty cups and plates. Angel had served Fluttershy and her houseguest the best breakfast he could using the limited supplies he had. The rabbit had wanted to clean it up as well, but Fluttershy had insisted on doing that herself.

Twilight nodded in understanding, settled down a bit and let her gaze drift through the cottage. Everything was still looking as neat and tidy as she had left it yesterday evening. The unicorn then noticed Pinkie lounging on the couch. The pink pony had made herself comfortable, her head resting on her crossed forelegs. With a certain amount of hesitation, Twilight Sparkle trotted over to her, giving Pinkie a nervous smile. Great was the unicorn’s surprise when the earth pony actually looked up to greet her.

“Heya, Twilight,” Pinkie said. She managed to smile the tiniest of smiles, though it had to be said that even that took a considerable amount of effort from the depressed mare. Pinkie hadn’t forgotten the promise she had to Fluttershy last night and tried to be cheerful, if not for herself then for her friends. But half-heartedly or not, it was the thought that counted, and Twilight most certainly appreciated it.

“Good morning, Pinkie,” the unicorn replied with a genuine smile. “How was your night? Slept well?”

Pinkie hesitated again, but forced herself to answer, to try and keep that smile on Twilight’s face, for it was a great sight. “Well, yeah, I actually did,” she admitted. The pink pony patted Fluttershy’s trusty old couch affectionately. “I had forgotten how soft a couch could be, can you believe it?”

“I would have given her my bed, but she insisted on using the couch,” Fluttershy added, as she came walking out of the kitchen. She gave Twilight an apologising look and changed the subject. “Angel Bunny was adamant about doing the dishes, so I’ll just go put on my dress now and then we can go, Twilight.”

“Take your time, Fluttershy. We aren’t in a rush,” the unicorn replied warmly, watching her friend flutter upstairs. Once the pegasus had vanished from sight, Twilight returned her attention to Pinkie Pie. “I’m glad you listened to Fluttershy and moved in here, Pinkie.”

The other pony rolled her eyes, a gesture that surprised Twilight yet again. Pinkie was being unusually talkative and responsive today, and the unicorn began to suspect that Fluttershy had something to do with it. She would have to ask the pegasus about it later, and thank her for it as well. It was good to be able to talk to Pinkie again and not get the feeling you were talking to a wall. Though a small part of her couldn’t help but wonder why Fluttershy had succeeded where she and Applejack had failed, and what she and the apple farmer had been doing wrong all these years.

“She didn’t really give me much of a choice,” Pinkie said, pulling Twilight out of her thoughts. The earth pony’s tiny small widened an almost unnoticeably, miniscule bit. “But I think she did the right thing.” Rubbing her hooves together nervously, Pinkie shot Twilight an apologetic look. “Can you forgive me?” she asked, as if out of nowhere. “For being such a sad and sorry cry-baby all these years?”

Twilight shook her head and blinked a few times, not sure if she could trust what her ears were telling her she was hearing. What in the name of Celestia had Fluttershy done to Pinkie last night?!

Seeing her friend was clearly flabbergasted, Pinkie hurried to explain: “Fluttershy and me had a bit of a teeny tiny talk last night… And I told her I was sad because Equestria is full of meany pants-es and sour ponies now.” A brief sigh escaped Pinkie’s lips. “But… Fluttershy made me realise that I should find my reasons to smile not in the big things, but in the small things. Like making my friends happy and making them smile.”

Ashamed, Pinkie averted her eyes from Twilight as she said: “I know that is what you and Applejack and Rarity have been telling me for years… And that I never listened.” Again the pink pony rubbed her hooves together out of nervosity. “But when I saw how Fluttershy could still smile yesterday, even when all of Equestria has gone crazy, because she still had her friends… It was then that I realised… You guys were right the entire time.”

She paused for a moment to sigh again, a much deeper sigh this time. Then Pinkie once again glanced up at her unicorn friend and gave her an apologising look. “So for that… I’m sorry. Can you ever forgive me?”

Before she even realised, Twilight’s magic had lifted her off the couch and carried her straight into the waiting arms of the purple unicorn, who hugged her so tightly that Pinkie thought she heard her ribs crack. “Of course I forgive you,” Twilight whispered in the pink pony’s ear, her voice trembling due to her emotional state. She sounded as if she was about to burst into tears. “I’m just glad that you finally managed to overcome your sadness, Pinkie.”

The two friends hugged, and Fluttershy chose that moment to come downstairs again, now wearing the dress she had borrowed from Twilight again. When she saw her two friends locked in an embrace, she froze on the stairs and glanced nervously at her hooves. “Oh, am I interrupting something?” she asked, sounding worried. “I could come down at a later time, if that would be better…”

The unicorn and earth pony separated and shared a brief glance with each other, before bursting out into soft, joyful giggles. Twilight looked up and smiled at the shy pegasus. “Don’t be silly, Fluttershy,” she said. “This is your house, and you can do whatever you like in here.” The unicorn gave the dressed pegasus a look of approval. “And let me thank you for cheering up Pinkie Pie.” Twilight cast a brief and sly look at the earth pony. “It was about time she listened to somepony.”

“Um, thank you,” Fluttershy replied quietly, as she moved over to join her two friends. “But all I really did was ask her to try and smile for her friends, so that they would be happy again and in turn give her a reason to smile again as well.”

“Well, it certainly seemed to have helped,” Twilight praised, and she placed a hoof on Fluttershy’s shoulder. The unicorn smiled brightly at her friend, a smile that Fluttershy gladly if timidly returned. A brief moment of comfortable silence passed between the two of them, until Twilight once more changed the subject. “Now, I take it you’re all set to go shopping?”

“Yes, I definitely am. I have your dress and my purse,” Fluttershy answered. During supper yesterday, she and her three friends had decided that the next morning, Twilight would take Fluttershy back into town to buy some clothes and supplies to fill up the pegasus’ fridge. This would give Applejack the opportunity to spend the morning on Sweet Apple Acres, and she would then join her friends after dinner to continue their cleaning of Fluttershy’s cottage.

“And I’ve got everything we should need here as well,” Twilight added, opening her saddlebags with her magic. “Checklist, checklist of my checklist, purse with bits in case you want to buy more than you carry the bits for and…” She stopped for a moment as she lifted a brown envelope out of her bag. “Oh, I almost forgot this!”

Fluttershy and Pinkie exchanged confused glances, then focussed their attention on the unicorn and the envelope again.

“What is it, Twilight?” Pinkie demanded curiously. She tapped her chin with a hoof thoughtfully, her face twisted in a frown. “Does it have anything to do with why you were so excited and energetic when you came barging in here?”

“I didn’t barge in!” Twilight objected, blushing a bit. She rubbed the back of her head sheepishly, then cleared her throat and regained her composure. “But to answer your question: yes.” She floated the letter over to Fluttershy and handed it to the pegasus, smiling all the while. “It’s from Rarity, Fluttershy.”

Her shy friend gasped. “Rarity?” she echoed, her voice failing badly to conceal the excitement she felt upon hearing that name. Twilight nodded, her smile only widening as she did so.

“Yesterday morning, before I came here, I sent her a letter in which I gave her a brief summary of your arrival here,” the unicorn explained. “She’s one of our friends, I could hardly keep her unaware of something as important as your arrival here!” Twilight took a brief pause to close her saddlebags again. “I think my letter managed to get on the morning flight to Canterlot somehow, for she wrote that she received it as early as yesterday evening. And then this morning I was woken up by a private courier having urgent mail for me!” She gestured excitedly at the envelope.

Fluttershy looked at the letter she held in her hoof, then back at Twilight again. “Oh, ehm, that’s… nice,” she muttered, not sure of what else to say. “What did it say?” she then asked. She had to admit that she felt kind of nervous about opening the letter. Too nervous, in fact.

“Well, not much, actually,” Twilight answered. “But she did write that she’d be visiting us at the fastest, earliest opportunity!”

Fluttershy’s eyes widened and her heart grew warm. “Rarity’s coming to Ponyville?!” she demanded excitedly, almost not daring to believe it. Rarity was coming! She’d see one of her dearest, most wonderful friends again, one who remembered her and the old life they had shared!

Twilight nodded eagerly. “Unless I’ve suddenly become illiterate and can’t read anymore, she most definitely is.” Grinning, the unicorn put her hoof on Fluttershy’s shoulder again, a gesture of friendship. “So we should definitely go and take care of your shopping list. Rarity wrote ‘the fastest, earliest opportunity’, which could be as early as this afternoon, if she rides an airship.”

The pegasus’ eyes widened again and she gasped once more. “You’re right, Twilight!” she said, and now her voice began to get a hint of panic in it. In truth, Fluttershy was merely mortified by the thought of Rarity coming only to find one of her friends wearing no clothes. Applejack and Twilight had not minded too much that she hadn’t worn anything while cleaning, but Rarity lived in Canterlot now and was used to high class and good manners. She couldn’t let her down!

“Twilight, Pinkie, let’s go!” she declared, and she began to gallop towards the door, only to be halted in her tracks when she heard Pinkie call out to her.

“Wait, I am coming too?” the pink pony asked, obviously confused. That was a change of events she hadn’t been informed of. As far as Pinkie knew, she’d be cleaning the cottage a bit on her own this morning while Fluttershy and Twilight took care of all the necessary purchases. Though she would try and do her best to help her friends and be a bit more cheerful and happy for them, the pink pony wasn’t sure if she was ready to go out there and back into New Ponyville again.

Before Fluttershy’s arrival, she had stuck mostly to her little shack and her field of rocks, her only contact with ponies being her friends or reluctant customers who needed a particular rock only she could provide. She’d almost never gone into Ponyville, not even to do some purchases. Most of the time Twilight and Applejack had supplied her with the necessary things, whether she had asked or not.

Fluttershy, however, didn’t know this. And it was doubtful that even if she had, she would have cared. The pegasus merely glanced over her shoulder at Pinkie, giving the earth pony mare a look that told her there would be no discussion or disagreeing.

“Of course you are,” Fluttershy said. “In your… um, house wearing such a ragged dress might have been allowed, Pinkie Pie, but in my house my friends will wear proper clothes only!” And with those words, Fluttershy walked out of her cottage, followed by a defeated Pinkamena Diane Pie and a slightly amused Twilight Sparkle.

End of chapter 11.

12. Fluttershy's decision

Wings of Tomorrow
Lament of the World

12. Fluttershy’s decision

“Thank you, Bon Bon, those toffees look delicious. I’ll be sure to enjoy them,” Fluttershy said gratefully to the other mare behind the counter of the candy shop. She accepted the paper bag handed to her and placed it in her saddlebags, then dropped a few bits on the counter.

“You’re quite welcome, Fluttershy,” Bon Bon replied, giving Fluttershy a warm smile. “When Lyra came home some days ago telling me that you had returned, I have to admit I found it a bit hard to believe. You were gone for so long, after all. Now how long was it again…” The earth pony tapped her chin thoughtfully with one of her hooves and her eyes stared briefly at the ceiling.

Fluttershy blushed and directed her gaze at the stone floor of the candy shop to avoid looking at Bon Bon directly. She didn’t like lying, but had little choice. It wasn’t as if she could tell the other pony the truth, after all. “Oh, it has been years,” she answered. “I was just a filly when I went on my journey, as were you, Bon Bon. I’m surprised you even remember me.”

“Of course I do, dear,” Bon Bon said, still smiling. “I couldn’t forget one of the kindest, most innocent faces in all of Ponyville, after all.” She gathered the bits Fluttershy had deposited on the counter and put them in her till. “You’ll have to forgive me for being so lost in memory, Fluttershy. I didn't intend to keep you, I’m sure you have places to be. Enjoy the toffees!”

Fluttershy now looked up again and peeked from behind her mane, smiling at the other pony. “I’ll make sure to do so. Though I think I’ll save some for Rarity when she comes visiting,” she said. “Thank you again, Bon Bon. Hopefully we’ll meet again soon.” And with those words spoken, she turned around and trotted towards the door of the shop. There she paused briefly to wave at the shopkeeper one last time, and then she walked out of the shop.

Truth to be told, Fluttershy left the building feeling decidedly happy. Ponyville looked very different, to the point where she could no longer recognise it, but the ponies she knew during her life were still there. Many of them hadn’t even changed much. Bon Bon still was an earth pony with a light yellow coat and a blue and pink mane, running a candy shop. Even if she did wear a blue dress now that covered most of her body. That and the fact that she didn’t remember the old Ponyville were, in fact, the only true differences between the two versions of Bon Bon.

Not that the shopkeeper was unique in that aspect, Fluttershy thought. Twilight had made it perfectly clear to her that it seemed only the Elements of Harmony and her critters had memories of both their lives. The odd thing was that even if nopony remembered the old Ponyville, they did remember Fluttershy in some fashion. It was odd, if not a bit unsettling, for the timid pegasus. A lot of ponies had welcomed her back and asked her how her journey had been. They all seemed to believe that she had just been on a long journey beyond Equestria, just like Applebloom had.

Personally, Fluttershy couldn’t quite grasp how everypony seemed to go with that story, because to her it sounded ridiculous. She had always been a timid and calm pony, who preferred a peaceful life at home to a life of adventure and excitement. And of all ponies, everypony in Ponyville thought she had made a big, yearlong journey to see and explore the world? Her friends had admitted that, when they thought about it, it indeed was quite a silly idea. But since it was the general opinion in the town, they had advised her to just go with it, and she had heeded their words. If only because she couldn’t come up with a better excuse herself.

She let the matter drop and moved on, trotting quietly through one of the crowded streets of Ponyville’s market district. Now that she had bought some sweets from Bon Bon, she had finished her necessary purchases, and could thus meet up with Twilight and Pinkie at the town square. It wasn’t a long walk, but she would still be happy to be out of these claustrophobic streets. She was no longer as intimidated by them as on her first day here, but she still didn’t feel entirely comfortable or at ease. At the very least nopony was staring at her anymore. She blended in perfectly with the rest of them, and that was a good thing.

Fluttershy stopped for a moment to rearrange one of her saddlebags on her back a bit. The added weight of the candy had tugged it down a bit, and caused her green dress to get folded underneath. Nothing major, but it did itch. Her dress wasn’t overly fancy or very special, but that didn’t matter. She still liked it, and her friends had assured her that it looked nice.

The long-sleeved dress had the colour of grass, and covered most of her body from the neck down. The ends of her sleeves were laced, and cut in a floral pattern that looked very lovely. Red and yellow flowers had been stitched onto the hem of her dress as well, and she wore a belt around her waist that looked like a wreath of flowers. Above all, however, was that it was a dress made for a pegasus like her, and so there were openings on the back for her wings to poke through. No longer were they squeezed to her sides as they had been when she had worn Twilight’s dress. The final touches to her new attire were a necklace with a blue butterfly attached to it, which rested comfortably on her chest, and two pairs of comfortable green shoes. The entirety of her ensemble reminded Fluttershy a bit of the dress Rarity had made for her for the Grand Galloping Gala, only a bit less fancy.

She had bought it four days ago, when Twilight, Pinkie and herself had gone shopping for a new wardrobe so she could show herself in public again. Soon enough she would be living here in this changed era for almost a week, and Fluttershy had to admit to herself that she was really beginning to feel settled in. Once she had overcome the shock of all the new sights and surroundings, adjusting to life in this altered timeline was surprisingly easy. Perhaps because there was in fact little to adjust to, as far as her personal, daily routine was concerned. She still took care of the animals at her home and in Ponyville, she just had to wear a dress now while doing it. Her friends were still mostly the same and the ponies of the town still knew her to some degree. In a lot of ways, it felt just like picking up your life again after moving to a new village. Only she had just moved to a different timeline instead of a different town.

As far as the new technology and inventions went, Fluttershy honestly still had had little contact with them. Inside her house everything was still the same as it had always been, technology and furnishing alike. Since she spent most of her days at home, there was no great need for her to work with or adjust to new machinery and tools. Even the occasional shadow of an airship passing overhead no longer made her look up in fright. She was getting used to it all, she was finding her footing again, and it felt good. The support of her friends had helped a lot, of course. They hadn’t really done anything special, just helped her clean her house to make it liveable again, but they didn’t need to do something extraordinary. Simply being there with her was enough.

All in all, Fluttershy could say she felt comfortable again. No doubt there was still a lot of adjusting for her to do and new things waiting for her to discover them, but they no longer frightened her. She would always have her familiar, unchanged cottage to go back to, and her friends to confide in. That was all she needed to make it through, that much she was sure of. The only thing that still saddened her was that she hadn’t seen Rarity yet. The white unicorn’s letter had said she’d visit at the ‘earliest opportunity’, but failed to mention a specific date. It had been four days since Twilight had brought her the letter, and still Rarity had yet to visit. Fluttershy wasn’t prone to impatience, but she really missed the fashion pony’s company.

There was another pony whose presence she missed, but sadly there was nothing that could be done about that. It was a fact she had accepted, if reluctantly. Fluttershy could only hope that Rainbow Dash was doing well.

She arrived at the town square to find it as crowded as it had been on her first day here in this new Ponyville. But now it bothered her less, for the square was wide and open, offering room for having that many ponies packed together, unlike the narrow streets. Fluttershy moved on towards the fountain at the centre of the plaza, where she had agreed to meet with the others. They had decided to take a tour around Ponyville today, to help her familiarize with the new layout of the village and to show her the places that remained unchanged by the shifts in time. Though the prospect of spending so much time in the claustrophobic streets wasn’t very appealing, seeing the unchanged parts was, and so Fluttershy had agreed.

“Fluttershy, over here!”

She heard Twilight before she saw her, and Fluttershy quickly tried to find the source of the voice. She found Twilight and Pinkie sitting on a bench placed at the west side of the fountain. The pegasus hurried to meet up with them.

“I’m sorry, girls,” she apologised once she had arrived there. “I took a bit longer at the candy shop than I had planned, but Bon Bon was just so happy to see me again.” Fluttershy reached back to her saddlebags and fished out the paper bag that contained the toffees she had bought. “She insisted on giving me a small discount, as a gift for my return.” She opened the back carefully and then offered it to her two friends, allowing them to take a piece of candy.

“It’s okay, Fluttershy,” Twilight replied kindly. She smiled while she used her magic to levitate a toffee out of the bag. The unicorn thanked her friend for the treat and then eagerly put it in her mouth. Shifts in time or not, Bon Bon still made excellent candies.

“Yeah, everypony knows you can take all the time in the world to spend at a candy shop!” Pinkie Pie agreed, with a hint of her usual eagerness in her voice. She also fished out a toffee from the bag. “Even if it means letting your friends wait for you at an ugly, based-on-a-total-dirty-sneaky-filthy-lie statue in a fountain.”

Fluttershy timidly took a glance at the construction Pinkie was referring to. She had seen it before, and agreed that it was a hideous thing. Not because it was chiselled in an ugly or distasteful way, but because of what it represented. Standing in the middle of the elaborate fountain was a grand statue showing the victory of the first Noble’s Court over Princess Celestia. The inscription under it read ‘In honour of the valiant braves who freed us from the tyrant’. The entire thing was like a symbol for everything Fluttershy felt was wrong with the world, and she understood perfectly why Pinkie hated it.

Fluttershy rubbed her hooves together nervously. “I’m sorry, Pinkie, I didn’t mean to…” she apologised again. Inside, the pegasus felt bad for making such a foolish mistake. Her pink friend had been making slow but steady progress towards recovery in the past few days, and now she had made her wait at a place that reminded Pinkie of everything that had made her sad in the first place.

Pinkie Pie waved her hoof in a dismissive gesture. “Don’t be silly, Fluttershy,” she said, with a hint of a smile. “You gave us candy, so it’s all alrighty! Right, Twilight?” The pink mare paused for a moment, then tapped her chin with her hoof in thought. “Hey, that rhymed!”

Twilight rolled her eyes, and she patted Pinkie on the head. “You have no idea how relieved I am to see you’re beginning to have your thoughts jump all over the place again, Pinkie.” Then she turned to address Fluttershy. “But she’s right, Fluttershy, we don’t mind the wait. I took the time to read the newspaper.” She lifted said paper up with her magic to show it briefly to her friend, then rolled it up and put it away again.

Next to her, Pinkie shook her head, completely ignoring the conversation about the newspaper. “Twilight, don’t be silly. My thoughts don’t jump all over the place. They’re in my head!” she exclaimed, her face all serious.

Her two friends tried in vain to hide their giggles behind one of their hooves. “Definitely improving,” Twilight said, winking at Fluttershy.

“Oh, yes, for sure,” the pegasus agreed. Then she changed the subject again. “Was there anything interesting in the paper that I should know, Twilight? I’m kind of out of it when it comes to the news these days…” A blush appeared on Fluttershy’s cheeks and she hid behind her mane. Even back in the old Ponyville she didn’t often read newspapers. Unlike most of her friends, she wasn’t subscribed to a daily one, instead being satisfied with having a weekly newspaper instead that told her only the truly most important things.

Twilight shook her head. “Nothing of noteworthy importance. Fear not, Fluttershy,” she said, giving her friend an encouraging smile. “If anything happens in Equestria that you have to know, I’ll be sure to tell you.”

Fluttershy gave her purple friend a grateful look. “Thank you, Twilight,” she said, smiling as well. Suddenly she realised that she still had the bag of toffees in her hooves, and she hurriedly put it back in her saddlebag. When that was done, Fluttershy looked questioningly at her two friends. “So, um… Were we going to see Ponyville now?”

The two ponies on the bench snapped to attention. “Yes, of course,” Twilight confirmed, and she climbed to her hooves. “I know you don’t really like crowds very much, especially not here, so I planned out a calmer route and…”

She was interrupted by the steadily growing sound of humming engines, as well as the gasping and surprised outcries from virtually every pony on the square. All around them, the three friends could see how all activity on the plaza had stopped, with ponies looking up at the skies, some of them pointing at something with their hooves. Twilight wondered what had gotten them all so stunned. She recognised the sound as that of an airship’s engines. That was nothing special, airships flew over and docked in Ponyville on a daily basis. She wondered what could be so special about this airship that it silenced the whole town square.

It was then that she finally caught sight of the flying ship herself, and when she did, her jaw hit the ground with an audible thud. Her eyes grew to the size of dinner plates, and for a moment, she was speechless. When she finally found her voice again, she could utter only three words:

“The Prima Vista?!”

The three friends hurried to the industrial district, to the airship docks where the grand airship would without a doubt touch down. As they ran, Fluttershy was feeling quite confused. She got the impression that she was missing a vital, important detail about the newly arrived vessel, because Twilight and Pinkie looked exceptionally tensed and serious. As she looked around her, she noticed that they weren’t the only ones. Everywhere she could see, there were ponies running towards the docks. Some of them looked excited, others appeared almost frightened.

“Twilight, where are we going? And, um, why are we going?” Fluttershy asked quietly, gasping for breath. It wasn’t easy to talk while running. Next to her, Twilight didn’t so much as blink. She kept running, looking straight ahead and giving no indication that she had heard her pegasus friend.

“That airship that just arrived isn’t just any airship, Fluttershy,” Twilight replied, and she sounded somewhat worried. As she spoke, she still focussed only on the road ahead of her and didn’t look at Fluttershy, not even briefly. “The Prima Vista is the flagship of the entire Republic. It’s the personal vessel of the Nobles’ Court, flying the court nobles to wherever they need to be. If it’s here…”

“It means that one of the great-great-great-grandchildren of one of those nasty meanies who imprisoned the Princess has come for a visit,” Pinkie added, surprising Fluttershy by how angry she sounded. The pink pony even had a nasty frown on her face and looked positively displeased.

“I don’t get it, though,” Twilight said. “There wasn’t any visit planned in the foreseeable future! And I would know, I often have to work on Mayor Mare’s schedule. So why is one of the Court Nobles here now?”

Twilight’s question remained unanswered, for neither of her friends knew the answer to it, especially not Fluttershy. At least she now understood why everypony was so excited and so eager to go see the airship. It wasn’t because they wanted to see the ship itself – though it looked magnificent, from what Fluttershy had seen, almost like a grand, flying castle – but because they wanted to see the pony who would be coming with the ship. It reminded her of when Princess Celestia came for a visit. Everypony had also always dropped whatever they were doing to go watch her arrival, hoping to catch a glimpse of their ruler.

This was no different, and Fluttershy had to admit she was kind of curious to see a Court Noble herself. The Nobles’ Court was, after all, her new ruler, even if she didn’t like what they had done to Princess Celestia. There was nothing she could do about that, however, and she felt some kind of morbid fascination as well. She tried to picture what a descendant of one of the twenty ponies who had taken down the Princess would look like, but couldn’t come up with anything except for ‘scary’. She supposed she would probably see for herself soon, if they managed to get close enough at least.

The three mares took a few shortcuts through some narrow alleyways and side-streets, before emerging on the main road that led from the airship docks to the town square again. The walkways on both sides of the street were packed to the brim with excited ponies, and a long line of guards on each side worked hard to keep these lines contained. They pushed the ponies back to keep the middle of the street free, to give the approaching delegation from Canterlot a clear path to walk over. The ponies drummed, pushed and shoved to try and get a place at the front row, rearing up and looking excitedly in the direction of the docks in an attempt to catch an early glimpse of their ruler. Parents put their foals on their backs or heads, to lift them above the crowd so they had a better view.

As for Fluttershy and her friends, they managed to find a spot on some stone stairs next to a house. This way they had a good look on the street, even if they were located all the way at the back of the crowd. Fluttershy didn’t mind, the thought of standing in that heap of ponies made her nervous. The citizens of Ponyville were packed together like sardines in a can, an experience the pegasus was glad to skip. Next to her, Twilight and Pinkie were doing their best to imitate giraffes, with how they were stretching their necks as if doing so would allow them to see better.

“There they come!” Twilight exclaimed, pointing in the distance. Fluttershy’s eyes followed the direction Twilight’s hoof was pointing at, and settled on the sight of an approaching chariot pulled by no less than eight stallions. Each of them looked identical to the other, all of them having pristine black coats and white manes. They all wore very stylish and ceremonial gear, with red clothes and silver armour. The chariot they pulled was no less marvellous, for it was made of pure gold and adorned with silver and gems. Its occupants were seated on the finest of pillows, red as rubies and with golden lining.

As the carriage came closer, Fluttershy caught herself holding her breath, purely because of how nervous she felt. She could now see the ponies sitting in the chariot clearly. There were four of them, three mares and one stallion, sitting in pairs across of each other. Sitting on the frontbench, with her backs to the ponies that pulled the cart, was a deftly dressed pony that Fluttershy recognised ad Mayor Mare.

Next to her sat a mare wearing a dress that strongly reminded Fluttershy of Rarity’s dress for the Grand Galloping Gala, but she could not see the pony’s face due to the grand hat the mare was wearing. It looked just as chic and high-class as her dress, but it obscured the pony’s face and mane from Fluttershy’s view.

On the backseat of the carriage sat the third mare, a unicorn with an elegant horn that was longer than average, with a pristine white coat and pink mane and tail. Her body was slender and amazingly well-shaped, and her legs were long and graceful. She was wearing the most daring, risqué dress that Fluttershy had seen so far. Given how this new society seemed to be so prudish when it came to clothing, she hadn’t thought anypony would dare to go out in public wearing what that mare was wearing. Not because her white dress was immodest, or showed inappropriately too much. It was simply the design, the way it clung to her excellent figure and accentuated it, that made it so bold.

Fluttershy got the feeling that she had seen the white unicorn before, somewhere, but she couldn’t exactly put her hoof on it. Not yet. She turned her attention to the last occupant of the chariot, the stallion whose shoulder the daring mare was affectionately clinging to. When she saw him, Fluttershy’s eyes widened and she couldn’t suppress a gasp. She recognised him, and knew in that very instant that he had to be the Court Noble.

The stallion was a unicorn with a long horn, white coat and an azure mane and tail, as well as a small moustache. Both were combed in an excellent fashion, and he was wearing a white shirt with a blue gilet over it. Over that he had a black tailcoat, which matched his black pants perfectly. Lastly he wore a purple bowtie around his neck, and a monocle was perched over his left eye.

“That’s the stallion we met in Canterlot when we held your birthday party there, isn’t it?” Fluttershy whispered to Twilight. She threw a brief, questioning glance at her friend before looking at the approaching chariot again. The stallion was calm and composed, sitting regally on the backseat while smiling politely. Every now and then the noble spared a moment to wave at the many ponies that had gathered to see him.

“Yes. That’s Lord Fancypants,” Twilight confirmed with a nod. “Here he is one of the twenty Court Nobles, and he has some of the greatest personal power and influence a pony can have in the entire Republic.” She paused for a moment to take another look at the subject of their conversation. “As far as nobles go, he’s alright. He’s a capable ruler, and one of the few nobles who concern themselves with the fate of the lower class. I heard he funds quite a number of charity projects for homeless ponies and the reintegration of former convicts into our society. If the entire Nobles’ Court was like him, Equestria would be a lot better off.”

“I… I see…” Fluttershy muttered, not sure of what else she could say. The memories of her brief encounter with the noble in the other time seemed to support what Twilight had just told her about him. It relieved her, somehow, to know that not all ponies who stood at the top of this new Equestria cared about themselves only. Not that she thought that his good works and kind deeds were any kind of excuse for keeping the Princess imprisoned.

“The mare at his side is his wife, Fleur de Lis,” Twilight added, completely unaware of the fact that Fluttershy was lost in thought. The unicorn narrowed her eyes and stared intensely at the pony who sat next to Mayor Mare, a deep frown forming on her face. “Though I wonder who that third mare is… Not a member of Lord Fancypant’s usual entourage, that’s for sure.”

The next moment the carriage passed by where they were sitting, and suddenly Fluttershy and Twilight could hear Pinkie gasp dramatically next to them. The two friends glanced uneasily at each other, silently wondering what had Pinkie worked up this time. When they looked at her, however, they saw that the pink pony wasn’t upset at all. In fact, she looked quite happy.

“Oh, wow!” Pinkie exclaimed, while a small grin hesitatingly emerged on her face. “I can’t believe Rarity got to ride along in that shiny cart, having everypony wave all excitedly at her! It must have been fun!”

Rarity gladly accepted the hoof that Fancypants offered her to help her out of the carriage, and gracefully climbed out of the vehicle, which had stopped in front of the town hall. The Court Noble was such a gentlecolt, a perfect example for anypony who wished to treat a lady properly. When her hooves stood safely on the ground, Rarity took a moment to straighten her gown. It was naturally one of her own design, and she had based it on the dress she had made for the Grand Galloping Gala during that other life.

She tipped her hat right, and then curtsied gracefully before Fancypants. “Thank you, my lord, you are most kind,” she said, while keeping her head low and her eyes focussed on the ground. That was the proper attitude to assume before a pony of such great importance.

“Not at all, Rarity, my dear,” Fancypants replied with a kind chuckle. “Helping a beautiful lady such as yourself out of a chariot is any gentlecolt’s duty, and delight!” Upon speaking the last two words, the noble’s handsome features were graced by a small smile.

“Always the charmer, darling,” Fleur de Lis crooned slyly, while wrapping her forelegs coyly around her husband’s neck. “A mare might get jealous.”

“Fleur, please,” Fancypants said, with played exasperation.

“I am certain his lordship was merely being polite, milady Fleur,” Rarity interrupted, and she stood up from her curtsied position to flash a knowing grin at the other unicorn. “After all, a stallion who would give up a mare as wonderful as you would be quite the foal indeed!”

Fleur de Lis pressed a hoof to her mouth in a vain attempt to stifle her giggling. “I would agree, were it not vain for me to do so,” she said, while running a hoof down the neck of her husband. “Bragging is so uncouth, as they say, and a proper lady should not indulge in it.”

“Quite,” Fancypants agreed, before offering his hoof to Mayor Mare to help her out of the carriage as well. “And proper etiquette demands that I apologise for dropping in so unannounced, Mayor Mare. Fleur and I thank you for nevertheless welcoming us to your charming town.”

“Nonsense, your lordship,” the mayor replied, and she bowed her head respectfully. “It is an honour to receive you, both for me as well as for Ponyville.” Her words, while welcoming and spoken with the proper reverence, nevertheless carried a hint of nervosity in them. “Though I fear that you have caught us completely off guard, your lordship, and proper arrangements for your stay have not been made.”

Fancypants held up a hoof and gestured for her to calm down. “Peace, mayor, such things shan’t be necessary. Fleur and I do not intend to stay very long, there were merely some things that I would like to discuss with you about the event coming up in three weeks.”

The mayor’s visage relaxed, and she was obviously greatly relieved. “But of course, your lordship. Do you wish to take care of these matters immediately, or may I persuade you for an early cup of tea first?”

The Court Noble opened his mouth to reply, but was interrupted by the sound of somebody crying: “Rarity!”. The four upper class ponies looked in the direction of the voice, puzzled, and saw a trio of ponies trying in vain to break through the ring of guards encircling the town hall. The guards would have none of it, however, and forcefully pushed the ponies back, despite some heavy protest from a pink earth pony and a lavender unicorn. Fleur de Lis and Fancypant looked onto the spectacle with as much curiosity as their status allowed them to show, while Mayor Mare was devouring her hooves, glancing nervously from Fancypants to the guards and back to Fancypants again.

Rarity, however, reacted in quite a different manner. In another life, at another time, this situation might have embarrassed her and put her in quite a difficult position: torn between acknowledging her friends – who obviously didn’t know that ponies were not supposed to approach a Court Noble uninvited – and pretending to not know them in order to save her social status. This time, however, she felt no such conflict. In fact, her eyes had widened considerably and she had a huge, pleased smile on her face. She felt no conflict because these were her friends, and no matter how they behaved she would stand by them. And she was smiling so excitedly because of a certain shy, timid pegasus who was standing there alongside her other two friends.

Fancypants turned his head to look at Rarity. “Ah, friends of yours, I take it, dear Rarity?”

The fashion pony didn’t deny it, she merely gave the noble an apologetic smile. “Yes, your lordship, they most definitely are. I do apologise for the… ah, commotion, shall we say… But we haven’t seen each other in such a long time, and I’m afraid I failed to notify them of when exactly I’d be arriving. It seems that they thus decided to come to me, instead of me simply visiting them at home.” She curtsied before the Court Noble. “My apologies, again.”

The noble stallion simply stared in silence at the younger unicorn for a few moments, but then he smiled and cleared his throat. “The young mares may pass, gentlecolts,” he called out to the guards, much to the surprise of almost everypony present. Nevertheless, his command was obeyed immediately, and the guards stood down. They parted just enough to make room for the three mares to pass through.

Twilight, Pinkie and Fluttershy on their part found themselves rooted to the ground, uncertain of what to do next. In all honesty they hadn’t intended at all to create a ruckus. Twilight and Pinkie had wanted to go home to wait for Rarity there, knowing that their friend would no doubt do so as soon as she got the opportunity. It had been Fluttershy who had insisted on following the chariot to the town square. When she had seen her friend descend from the vehicle, the pegasus simply hadn’t been able to contain herself anymore and had called out to Rarity, hoping to catch her attention. That it had certainly succeeded in doing, unfortunately Fluttershy had also succeeded in drawing the attention of everypony else.

When Fancypants waved his hoof at them to come over, the three friends hesitatingly and nervously complied. The short distance from the guards to the chariot seemed to take forever to cross, and they were very much aware that the eyes of all ponies who had gathered on the town square were focussed on them. So when they stood before the Court Noble, all they could do was bow as deeply as they could without simply throwing themselves on the ground.

Rarity noticed how nervous, if not frightened, her friends were, and tried to ease the tension. She politely turned to address Fancypants and his wife. “Your lordship, milady Fleur, may I introduce you to some of the finest friends a pony could hope for?”

“But of course, Rarity dear, I’d be delighted,” Fancypants replied casually, treating the white unicorn to another one of his small smiles. Fleur de Lis remained silent, being content to simply hang on to her husband while looking expectantly at the three mares bowed before them. Her eyes briefly met Fluttershy’s, who had dared to look up and take a peek from behind her mane. Fleur smiled kindly at the pegasus, causing Fluttershy to let out an almost inaudible squeak and retreat behind her mane again.

Rarity placed a hoof on Twilight’s shoulder and helped her friend to her hooves. “Mares and gentlecolt, may I present you Twilight Sparkle? A honest and hardworking unicorn who is currently under the employment of Ponyville’s wonderful mayor, if I’m not mistaken.”

“No, that is quite correct,” Mayor Mare confirmed, taking a brief moment to smile and her office clerk. “Young Twilight here has been working at the town hall ever since she’s arrived here at Ponyville. And I couldn’t ask for a better clerk for my office.”

Twilight blushed slightly under the praise, and felt very self-conscious standing there before the four upper-class ponies in her relatively simple dress. She curtsied to the best of her abilities before Fancypants. “Your lordship, it is an honour. My deepest apologies for intruding so insolently.”

“It’s quite alright, lady Sparkle,” Fancypants assured her, sounding nothing but good natured and forgiving. “We’ve all done reckless things when we’re young, and wishing to be with your friends is hardly a grave offense.”

“And even if it were,” Fleur added coyly from where she stood, leaning on her husband with her head resting on his shoulder. “I’m sure his lordship would make an exception for the sister of our well-respected Marshal of the Republic, as well as for her friends.”

Unnoticed by everypony but her friends, Twilight tensed upon hearing Fleur’s words, as if they invoked some sort of unpleasant memory within her. Outwardly, however, the purple unicorn merely forced herself to smile. “You are too kind, your lordship, milady,” she said, remaining polite.

Rarity, who saw that Twilight was growing uncomfortable, decided to intervene by introducing the next of her friends. “My lord Fancypants, milady Fleur, this is Pinkamena Diane Pie,” she said, while helping Pinkie to her hooves, just like she had done with Twilight. The pink earth pony followed Twilight’s example and curtsied before the Court Noble.

“Pleased to meet you!” Pinkie exclaimed on a casual tone, making all her friends wince at the informality. She did keep her head respectfully bowed, however, so she could have done worse. To their credit, Fancypants nor Fleur de Lis were disturbed by it.

“The pleasure is mine, miss Pie,” the Court Noble said. Fancypants then shifted his attention to Fluttershy, who was still pressing herself closely to the ground at the noble’s hooves. She was hiding behind her mane and trembling slightly. The noble stallion glanced questioningly at Rarity. “And who is this lovely mare, Rarity?”

The white unicorn with the purple mane didn’t immediately reply. She was helping Fluttershy to her hooves, quietly assuring her that everything was alright. But as she did so, Rarity was overcome by emotion. She looked at the hoof of her dear friend that she held in her own hooves, and could barely believe she could really feel it, that it was real. Despite all her efforts to retain her composure, the reunion was too much for her emotions and tears welled up in Rarity’s eyes.

“This is my dear, dear friend Fluttershy,” she said, smiling tearfully at the mare in question, for once not caring that she was ignoring etiquette by not looking at a Court Noble while speaking to him. “Who I have had to miss for years!” Rarity couldn’t resist the temptation any longer, and she pulled Fluttershy against her in the deepest, strongest embrace her body was capable of.

“Oh, Rarity,” Fluttershy whispered timidly in reply, hesitatingly returning the hug. She wasn’t sure if it was appropriate to do such a thing in public, with a Court Noble watching, but for some reason felt sure that Fancypants wouldn’t mind even if it wasn’t. “I missed you, too.”

“Ah, so you are the reason why our dear Rarity undertook this trip!” Fancypants said, understanding dawning on him. “She did mention that one of her friends had returned from abroad. I take it she meant you, miss Fluttershy?”

“Indeed she did, your lordship,” Twilight answered in Fluttershy’s stead. The young unicorn looked at her two embracing friends, feeling moved beyond words. A smile was spread on her face while tears of happiness welled up in her eyes at the same time. Twilight delicately wiped those away with one of her hooves. “Though I must admit, your lordship,” she said to Fancypants. “When Rarity wrote us saying that she would come to visit, I hadn’t expected her to use your private airship to make the trip.”

Fancypants chuckled gently. “I fear I am entirely to blame for that, miss Sparkle,” he explained calmly. The noble gestured at Rarity, who was still sharing an embrace of pure friendship with Fluttershy. “You see, during one of Fleur’s tea gatherings Rarity here mentioned that she would be going to Ponyville for a few days. Seeing as I had some business to take care of in this town myself, I gave her the offer to come along. An offer she accepted with both hooves, I must add.”

“But of course, my lord,” Rarity said, finally letting go of Fluttershy. She straightened her dress neatly again and tilted her hat until it sat right on her head once more. “How could I refuse such a generous offer, from a Court Noble no less! I honestly could not refuse, it would not have been proper!”

“Nonsense, you are a free mare with the right of choice, my dear Rarity,” Fancypants corrected her, gently but firmly, making it clear he would have no other view on the matter. “But Fleur and I were nevertheless delighted when you decided to take us up on the offer. You were a wonderful travelling companion, milady.”

Rarity curtsied again before the Court Noble. “You are too kind, your lordship.”

“Now then. I am certain that Rarity wishes to catch up with her wonderful friends, so I suggest we take our leave, Fleur my dear,” Fancypants said, with a tone of finality. He turned to Mayor Mare. “Mayor, you mentioned having some tea before we get to business?”

The mayor appeared startled upon suddenly being addressed again, but quickly recovered. “Oh, yes, of course, lord Fancypants,” she replied. “Shall we move to the lounge room of the town hall?”

“I see no reason to object, milady,” the Court Noble answered. “Please be so kind as to lead the way.” Then Fancypants turned around to address Rarity and her friends one last time. “Thank you again for your pleasant company, my dear Rarity. Fleur and myself enjoyed it greatly. I wish you and your friends a wonderful time.”

“I’ll be expecting you at my next tea gathering, Rarity,” Fleur de Lis added with a smile.

The four friends said their farewells and curtsied as one before the noble pair. They quietly watched as lord Fancypants and lady Fleur de Lis accompanied Mayor Mare up the stairs into the town hall. And only once they had vanished from sight did the four mares dare to rise up from their curtsy and stand up straight again.

“Do you have any idea what this business is that lord Fancypants wishes to discuss with Mayor Mare, Rarity?” Twilight asked curiously. She lifted her glass of water up with her magic and took a small sip. The purple unicorn and her three friends had relocated from the town square to the ‘Golden Clover’, the most expensive restaurant in all of Ponyville. Rarity had insisted on giving her friends this treat, in celebration of Fluttershy’s return.

While it was very generous of her, it did leave her three friends feeling a bit nervous. The ‘Golden Clover’ was truly a place for the high class, and while Rarity herself certainly fit in, Twilight, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie most definitely felt out of place in their more simple clothing. Some of the other guests weren’t even very subtle about their disapproval concerning their presence. That was probably why they had taken place at a table in a secluded corner of the restaurant.

Rarity delicately nipped from her wine before answering. “He didn’t say specifically what it was, darling,” she said. “But I’m guessing he just wants some information about the delegation that Ponyville will be sending for the grand parade. It’s in three weeks, as you know.”

Twilight couldn’t help but grow tensed again upon hearing the answer. She snorted in disdain, not even attempting to hide it. “Truth to be told I had almost forgotten, and I would have been glad to.”

Rarity gave her fellow unicorn a sympathetic nod. “Oh, I know, darling. And I agree completely. I think all of us here agree that we utterly despise that barbaric, disgusting event. Canterlot is always in such high spirits in the days running up to it, though. For them it’s a grand feast. Ugh.” She shook her head in unladylike disapproval. “I’d say it’s one of the few things I don’t like about our magnificent capital. I was thinking of spending the weekend of the parade here in Ponyville, just to be away of it all.”

“That would be super!” Pinkie piped up, and she took an eager gulp from her pint of cider. “We could spend the whole day together again. With Applejack too, of course. It’s a bit sad she’s not here now, otherwise we’d have a complete reunion of the bestest of friends!”

“Nearly complete, Pinkie my dear,” Rarity corrected her friend with a small, sad sigh. “And I would truly not object to having dear Applejack with us here now, though I’d think she would refuse even if we had invited her. I don’t think this fine establishment is up to her… Ah, standards.”

“You’re probably right,” Twilight agreed, and she laughed softly, her friends soon joining in. Once their laughter had died down, Rarity adressed Pinkie Pie again.

“But I must say, it was an absolutely delightful surprise to not only see dear Fluttershy again today, but to also see that you regained some colour, darling,” the fashion pony complimented her friend, reaching across the table to briefly put one of her hooves on top of Pinkie’s to give it a gentle pat. “Not to mention you finally got rid of those horrifying rags. Dreadfully sorry, my dear, but those were painful to look at.” She gave Pinkie’s clean, proper shirt, gilet and pants a look of approval.

“You have Fluttershy to thank for that,” Twilight explained. “It was her idea to drag Pinkie with us when we went shopping for her new clothes.”

“Well, in that case I must thank you for a job well done, Fluttershy,” Rarity said, turning to smile at her pegasus friend. “And I simply must compliment you on your own choice of dress. You look simply lovely.” It was then that the three ponies noticed that Fluttershy was being rather silent, staring absentmindedly at her glass of grape juice as if she wasn’t there. “Fluttershy, darling, did you hear what I said?” Rarity took one of Fluttershy’s hooves in her own, feeling worried.

The contact startled the pegasus out of her trance. “Oh! Um, oh… Sorry, Rarity, I’m afraid I was a bit distracted,” Fluttershy apologised. Her cheeks were tinted slightly red with embarrassment. “Um, you were saying?”

“You really must have been lost in thought, Fluttershy,” Twilight observed. “What had you so distracted?”

“Oh… It… It’s nothing,” came the hesitant answer. “I… I was just wondering… Ehm, Twilight, what is this parade you and Rarity were talking about? Is… is it that parade you told me about before, where… where they… you know, with Princess Celestia…?” Fluttershy looked fearfully at the faces of her three friends, as if she was afraid of hearing the answer. Her suspicions that she had guessed correctly were further fuelled when she saw the expressions on each of her friend’s faces turn grim.

“It is,” Twilight confirmed. “I’d totally forgotten about it, but in three weeks it’ll be the night of the Great Parade in celebration of the three hundred and forty-eighth anniversary of the Republic… And Princess’ Celestia’s defeat.”

“A truly atrocious event, as I mentioned before,” Rarity added. She took another sip from her wine in an attempt to have it calm her down. Talking about the parade and the treatment of the Princess always made her feel upset. “The way they treat Princess Celestia, it is truly despicable. I try my best to avoid any involvement with it every year. It is not easy though, since a lot of nobles commission for new dresses and suits for the occasion. I hardly can refuse, for it would sadly mean the end of my business.”

“But no worries, Fluttershy,” Pinkie Pie said, trying to smile encouragingly at the pegasus but failing miserably. No matter how hard Pinkie did her best to feel better to make her friends smile, she wasn’t quite recovered enough yet to be able to talk about something as terrible and the parade and not have it drag down her spirits. “It’s a Canterlot event. There’s usually a celebration held here in Ponyville as well, but nopony is forced to go. Most actually prefer to go to Canterlot for the celebration of the Republic’s anniversary.”

“Meaning we’ll have some peaceful days here in Ponyville,” Twilight added, and she smiled warmly at the prospect. “It’s one of the few times in the year where Ponyville feels a bit like the old Ponyville again. I’m sure you’ll enjoy it, Fluttershy.”

Fluttershy bowed her head and hid behind her mane. She looked down at her hooves, which she was rubbing together nervously. “Actually, I’d like to go see the parade,” she blurted out, and she dared not look at any of her friends as she said those words.

Pinkie, who had just been taking another sip from her cider, spat her drink back out, not caring that doing such a thing was totally unheard of in a restaurant as classy as the ‘Golden Clover’. Twilight and Rarity were stunned as well, their mouths hanging open in a most unladylike fashion. The two unicorns shared shocked glances, and neither could believe that they had really understood what their shy friend had just said.

“F… Fluttershy… You… what?” Twilight stammered.

“D… Darling, what in Equestria did you say?” Rarity asked, flabbergasted. Her eyes were as wide as dinner plates, and she repeatedly opened and closed her mouth like a fish out of the water, as she tried to say more but no words would come out.

Fluttershy took a deep breath, then let it out as a deep sigh again. She looked up and hesitatingly peeked at her utterly astonished friends from behind her mane. “I said I would like to go to Canterlot,” she repeated, a bit more loud and firm this time. “I… I want to go see the parade.”

End of chapter 12.

13. Grim tidings

Wings of Tomorrow
Lament of the World

13. Grim tidings

The civil war tore the country of Equestria in two halves, the Free Republic of Equestria and the Royal Kingdom of Equestria. The former was governed by the Nobles’ Court, the ponies who had pulled the trigger of the civil war by dethroning princess Celestia. The latter was in theory still governed by the Princess, as the inhabitants of the Kingdom, also known as the royalists, supported her rule and monarchy. However, with the Princess imprisoned within Canterlot, and the capital city of Equestria in the hands of the Republic, the royalists found themselves without both a leader and a capital city.

In response to this, the royalists erected a new city, to serve as the temporary capital of their country until the real capital city, Canterlot, could be reconquered. This new city was named Cantropolis, and it was named and built in memory and honour of the great city of Canterlot. For even though Canterlot was in Republican hooves, it remained an important place in the heart of every royalist, for it was the city where the Royal Palace stood and where Celestia had her throne. To reclaim the city and place the Princess back on the throne in the Royal Palace was the dream shared by everypony in the Kingdom, and though centuries passed since the civil war begun, their dedication to the achievement of their dream didn’t lessen.

To make up for the loss of Canterlot, Cantropolis was built to resemble it, and the architecture with which the city was constructed was nearly identical to that of the real capital. The greatest difference was that Cantropolis was not built on a mountainside, but in a lush green valley near one of the great rivers that flowed through the land. The pride of the city was the Royal Palace, from where the steward of the Kingdom governed in absence of the Princess, waiting for her return.

The palace was every bit as magnificent as its counterpart in Canterlot, with pristine white walls and golden roofs. The building was constructed as a great central tower surrounded by many smaller ones, all connected to each other and the central tower by numerous, beautiful archway bridges through the air. In the central tower was located the throne room, but above it there was another room, one that few ever saw but that was just as important.

It was round and had two entrances, on the east and the west side of the room. The walls were lined with windows that allowed one to oversee the entire city and the lands surrounding it. In the centre of the room stood a great, round table, with the crest of Equestria engraved in it. Eight chairs were placed around it, though two of them were so elaborate and fancy as to be almost thrones. In all the years since this room was built, those two seats had never been occupied. Two of the other chairs were, however.

“It’s almost time,” one of the two ponies at the table said. “I hope she’ll be here by the time the Grand Admiral arrives. I swear if she’s napping again…” The pony trailed off and merely made an impatient gesture with her hoof. She was a unicorn mare with a lavender pink coat, a violet mane and tail with a floral lavender streak. Her eyes were purple, and had a serious – and for the moment somewhat annoyed as well – look in them.

She crossed her forelegs and huffed, sitting back in her chair. The unicorn mare was wearing a double-breasted suit, and her long-sleeved coat and trousers were both coloured dark red. Under her vest she wore a shirt, in a lighter red colour and with an orange floral pattern on it, with the top buttons left undone. On each of her hooves she wore a golden shoe, and on her head she wore a circlet with a strange gem embedded on it, which glowed with a purple light. She wore a white cape with an enlarged depiction of her cutie mark embroidered on it: three brilliant-cut diamonds. The way she postured herself and the expression on her face made her give off an impression of seriousness, authority and power.

Royal Guard Third Division Admiral
Amethyst Star
The Mageblade

“Calm yourself,” the other pony at the table replied. “She knows the situation is grave. When push comes to shove, she is as reliable as you and I in times of crisis. She knows and understands the duty that comes with her rank.” This individual was an earth pony stallion with a black mane and tail and a brown coat. His eyes were green and had a kind and knowing look in them. He was older than Amethyst Star. Whereas the unicorn mare was still young, he was a fully grown adult.

He was sitting at the table with a completely calm and composed posture. He was wearing a suit that consisted of yellow striped vest and trousers. Under his vest he wore a dark green shirt, buttoned up neatly, and a light green tie. He too was wearing a white cape with his cutie mark embroidered on it. In his case it was a sand-coloured scorpion. The stallion did not wear shoes on any of his hooves, though he, too, had a circlet on his head with a gem embedded on it. His gem did not glow purple, however, but white. Whereas Amethyst Star gave the impression of being intolerant to nonsense, this stallion appeared much more patient and calm, though no less powerful.

Royal Guard First Division Admiral
Desert Heat
The Scorpion

Amethyst Star sighed and shook her head. “I hope you’re right,” she muttered. Her eyes glanced briefly at one of the two antique clocks that hung above each entrance of the boardroom. “She has only a few minutes left to make it on time, however.”

“Oh for Celestia’s sake, are you complaining about me again, Sparkler?” a new voice exclaimed, sounding quite annoyed. The doors of the eastern entrance swung open and a third pony marched into the room. This time it was a pegasus mare, with a displeased expression on her face and a bored look in her moderate cerise eyes. She had a light blue coat and feathers, and a rainbow-coloured mane and tail.

Like the other two ponies in the room, she was wearing a proper, dignified suit. The button-up, sleeveless vest and long trousers of her suit were both light grey in colour. Under her vest she wore a dark blue shirt with long sleeves, as well as a yellow tie. She did not wear shoes of any kind on her hooves, and on her head rested a golden circlet. The gem embedded in it gave off an icy blue light. Over her back was draped a white cape that had her cutie mark embroidered on it: a cloud with a rainbow-coloured lightning bolt shooting from it. Her posture and the way she carried herself screamed self-confidence, perhaps even nearing the point of cockiness. Given her immense power, however, she could afford it.

Royal Guard Second Division Admiral
Rainbow Dash
The Thunderbird

The pegasus admiral walked towards the table and climbed in one of the chairs, leaning back with her forelegs crossed behind her head. Behind her, two guards closed the door she had come through, leaving the three most powerful ponies of the entire royal army alone in the boardroom. Rainbow Dash glanced at Amethyst Star from the corner of her eyes.

“You really need to cool it, Sparkler, all that fussing about me isn’t good for your health,” she said, and a cocky smile formed on her face. “Lighten up a bit, why don’t you?”

The unicorn admiral snorted and rolled her eyes. “How considerate of you to worry about my health, Rainbow Dash,” Amethyst Star replied. “Now if only you’d be as considerate for your own health, and more importantly, your rank.” She narrowed her eyes. “And only my friends call me Sparkler.”

“Exactly,” Rainbow Dash grinned. “That’s why I’m calling you that.” Her words dragged a frustrated groan out of her fellow female admiral, making her laugh. When the unicorn glared at her, Rainbow Dash merely held up her front hooves defensively. “Hey, don’t look at me like that. I’m just kidding and trying to lighten up the mood. Given what we’ve been called here for, I don’t think we’ll have a lot of reasons to smile and laugh in the future.”

“I fear you’re right about that, Rainbow Dash,” Desert Heat agreed, and he looked grimly at the two mares, who fell silent. “Things aren’t looking too good at the moment, but we’ll have to wait and hear what the Grand Admiral has to say about it.” The stallion sat back in his chair and relaxed again, having apparently said his piece. Rainbow Dash and Amethyst Star shared a brief look and gave each other a short nod, agreeing on a truce for now.

“Well, I’m all ears,” Rainbow Dash said, while tapping her hoof on the table. “The problem is that she’s not here yet.” Despite the truce, the pegasus couldn’t stop herself from flashing a grin at Sparkler. “And you worry about me being late.”

If it weren’t for the fact that it was undignified, Sparkler would have slammed her head against the table. “Can you maybe just stop working on my nerves for just one tiny moment, you supersonic disaster in pegasus form?!” she growled. “To this day I still can’t figure out what in the name of Celestia got into our superiors when they promoted you to the highest rank in the Royal Guard.”

Rainbow Dash slammed her hooves on the table and sat up sharply. “Hey, what’s that supposed to mean?!” she exclaimed angrily. “I worked and trained hard to earn my place at this table!”

“If you’d trained your attitude as much as your muscles!” Amethyst Star retorted. “Desert Heat and I worked just as hard as you did to get where we are. But at least we take our duty seriously! The command of the entire army and the progress of the entire civil war is placed in our hooves, Rainbow Dash! When will you finally act like a pony bearing that responsibility should?!”

Desert Heat watched with an exasperated expression on his face as the pegasus mare opened her mouth to give the unicorn a firm piece of her mind. However, Rainbow Dash didn’t get the chance to utter so much as a single word, for the doors of the boardroom’s west entrance flew open and interrupted her.

“Will you both cease behaving like foals and start acting like the high commanders of the Royal Guard that you are?” asked the pony who walked into the room, with a voice that was heavy with disapproval and annoyance. The three admirals all turned to look at the newcomer. It was a pegasus mare, with a grey coat and a mane and tail coloured like straw.

She was wearing a double-breasted suit like Amethyst Star, but hers was white. The buttons of her vest were golden, and unlike the unicorn admiral she didn’t leave the top buttons unbuttoned. The collar of her vest also was much higher, reaching almost to her head and making her shoulders look broader. Over her left shoulder to her right hip she wore a dark red sash, adorned with medals. Each of her hooves was covered by a golden shoe.

Just like the three admirals she had a white cape draped over her back, though hers was lined with gold fabric at the edges. The cutie mark that was depicted on it looked like a group of blue bubbles. She also bore a circlet on her head, with a gem embedded on it that glowed black. The most peculiar thing about her appearance, however, was that she wore a brown eye patch over her left eye, leaving only the right of her golden eyes visible.

Royal Guard Grand Admiral
Derpy Hooves
The Strongest Mare in the World

The grey mare glared at the two female admirals, who had the decency to stare at their hooves in embarrassment. Rainbow Dash and Amethyst Star looked like school fillies who had been caught doing something bad, and certainly felt that way too. Satisfied that they looked suitably sorry, Derpy moved towards the table and took a seat. Behind her, two guards closed the doors she had come through, leaving the four highest officers of the Royal Guard alone in the boardroom.

The three admirals turned their attention to Derpy, and each of them had a serious and attentive expression on their faces. These were no longer the ponies who had just squabbled like fillies, or who had been sitting there relaxed and without a single care or worry in the world. No, these were the three individuals who stood at the top of the Royal Guard and had the authority and responsibility over tens of thousands of soldiers each. These were the ponies feared and respected throughout all of Equestria for their monstrous individual strength and power. And now they meant business. The matter they had been called to headquarters for was serious, and so were they.

Derpy noticed the change in demeanor of her fellow ponies, and was pleased, though she did not outwardly show it. The expression on her face remained serious and impassive. “I have just returned from meeting steward Morning Red and briefed him about our situation,” she finally said, breaking the silence that had lasted for a few tensed moments. “Suffices to say that he was both displeased and worried.”

The Grand Admiral produced a scroll from under her cape, unrolled it and placed it on the table. “Three months ago we received a message from our informant in Canterlot that the Nobles’ Court had given their army the order to prepare a great campaign that would earn them a decisive victory over us. Ever since, getting our hooves on the plans of this campaign has been our top priority.” Derpy looked around the table with her single eye, her expression betraying nothing of what she was feeling. “There is no point in denying it: we failed miserably at achieving that goal.”

The three admirals lowered their eyes to avoid the piercing gaze of their superior. “We sent the best infiltrators and spies from all three of our divisions to bring us these plans,” Derpy continued. “Yet despite this, each of you sent me a report to tell me that none of the ponies you sent out returned. Missing, captured or dead, who knows?” The grey pegasus narrowed her eye and the frown on her face deepened. “However, the situation just got worse, my friends.”

The admirals looked up sharply, and in their eyes one could behold a hint of worry. Derpy gestured at the scroll she had placed on the table. “Yesterday I received another message from our informant in Canterlot, and from it I learned that our adversaries are nearing the completion of the preparations for their campaign.” The Grand Admiral forcefully put one of her hooves on the table.

“Meaning that I had to go report to Steward Morning Red today that not only do we have no clue where our enemy will strike, it also will happen in the near future!” Derpy shook her head and let out a deep sigh. “The situation has taken a turn for the worst, my friends. Because the strength of our numbers and power has increased ever since I assumed the position of Grand Admiral, the Nobles’ Court has grown nervous. They fear that if they leave us be, we will soon have the strength necessary to finally overthrow them and free Princess Celestia.”

“And they are right,” Derpy admitted. “Given a few more years, we would most definitely achieve the power required to earn a decisive, final victory in this civil war. The Nobles’ Court knows this as well, and have thus decided to make the first move. They will crush us before we become strong enough to defeat them, even if it will take hundreds of thousands of lives. For them such a loss is a small price to pay if it will keep Princess Celestia off the throne.”

The grey-coated pegasus crossed her forelegs in front of her chest. “We will fight them, we will cripple them, but we will be defeated if they attack us now,” she said. “That is why it is of utmost importance that we learn the details of their campaign! Time is running out. Soon they will be ready to begin, and then it will be too late. We must get our hooves on those plans, no matter the price.” She looked around the table again and sat back in her chair a bit. “I have called you all here today so we can decide on a course of action. Let us hear your ideas to get us these plans.”

An uncomfortable silence fell over the table, which the four ponies spent mostly with bowed heads staring at the surface of the table. “What more can we try, Grand Admiral, ma’am?” Desert Heat eventually asked, while shaking his head sadly. One of his forelegs was propped up on the table, and he leaned against its hoof with his forehead. “These plans seem to be as well-guarded as the Princess herself is. Even our best men could not infiltrate deep enough to bypass the security around them without getting caught. None of the Republic’s officers are sloppy enough to leave them laying around, and only the high command is aware of the plans so nopony can accidentally spill the beans.”

“I truly do not wish to be a defeatist or a pessimist, but I’m afraid admiral Heat is right,” Amethyst Star said quietly, looking grimly at Derpy while she spoke. “Our options are severely limited at this point, and there is little we have not yet tried to do.” She made a dismissive, impatient gesture with one of her hooves. “We might as well barge right into the Royal Palace at Canterlot and steal the plans out of the Marshall’s office.”

Rainbow Dash, who had been listening quietly to the conversation until then, looked up as she heard Sparkler’s last statement. Her eyes had widened and a smile had appeared on her face, as if she had been struck suddenly by inspiration. “Actually,” she began, flashing a knowing grin at Amethyst Star. “You might be onto something there, Sparkler.”

Amethyst Star was not amused. “Are you crazy?!” she exclaimed. “The Royal Palace of Canterlot is the most well-guarded place in all of Equestria! An ant can't crawl inside without the guards noticing! And you actually suggest going in there to steal the plans? That’s not reckless, that’s plain suicidal!”

Derpy held up a hoof and motioned for the unicorn to calm down. “Peace, admiral Star,” she said. The gold-coloured eye of the Grand Admiral looked curiously at Rainbow Dash. “Please elaborate, admiral Rainbow Dash. Do you have an idea?”

The blue pegasus nodded. “I just might, Grand Admiral, ma’am,” Rainbow Dash replied. The grin faded from her face and she looked serious again, to show her fellow officers that she wasn’t joking and truly meant what she said. “The plans of this invasion will definitely be in the palace, no doubt in Shining Armour’s office.” She paused for a moment to glance briefly at Amethyst Star. “Sparkler is right when she says that the Royal Palace is the most well-guarded place in all of Equestria. Except during one night when nearly all of its security is occupied by something else.”

Realisation dawned on the faces of the three other ponies at the table. “Of course! The parade…” Desert Heat exclaimed quietly, and he began to understand where his fellow admiral was taking this.

“Exactly,” Rainbow Dash confirmed with a nod. “The Republican guards and their officers are all either partaking in the parade or making sure there are no incidents during it. All of their attention is focussed on the parade, and there’s only a bare minimum of ponies left at the Palace itself. It’s the perfect moment to sneak in and steal the plans, everypony will be too busy watching the parade to notice!”

“It doesn’t change the fact that we’d still be trying to steal the plans from right under the Republic’s nose,” Amethyst Star objected, planting one of her hooves firmly against her forehead. “I admit that the idea has some merit, Rainbow Dash, but it’s still too risky. It’s crazy, like I said before.”

“Crazy enough to work,” Derpy muttered, tapping her chin with a hoof as she thought it over. Amethyst Star turned her head to look at the Grand Admiral in disbelief, her mouth hanging wide open. She tried to protest, but couldn’t find any words to say. Derpy ignored the unicorn admiral, however, and kept her attention focussed on Rainbow Dash. “Your idea has caught my interest, admiral Rainbow Dash,” she said. “Can you work out a solid plan based on it before the end of today?”

The other pegasus nodded curtly and saluted. “Positive. You can count on me, Grand Admiral, ma’am!”

“Very well. We’ll postpone this meeting until five o’clock this afternoon then. I expect something with even the slightest chance of succeeding by then, admiral Dash,” Derpy decided. “The rest of us should look into other courses we could sail. If anypony has a better idea than admiral Rainbow Dash, I, and the steward with me, will be happy to hear it.” She made a dismissive gesture with her hoof. “That will be all for now. Dismissed.”

The three admirals saluted, and then began to walk out of the room one by one. Rainbow Dash was the first, already making plans for the new mission and weighing out their pros and cons. She discussed them quietly with admiral Desert Heat, who was walking next to her. Amethyst Star made to follow them, but stopped when Derpy called out to her.

“Admiral Star,” the Grand Admiral said, and she motioned with her head at the other entrance of the room. “Walk with me for a moment.” With that said, Derpy turned around and began to walk out of the room. Sparkler hesitated for a moment, but then quickly went over to walk at her mother’s side.

Rainbow Dash pulled her cape off her back and tossed it on the coatrack at the wall with practiced ease. Night had fallen over Equestria and she had just come back from her meeting with the other admirals. She had had her plan done by five o’clock in the afternoon like Derpy had demanded, but working out all the wrinkles in it and convincing the others to support her had taken the entire evening.

The pegasus admiral sighed and slapped the side of her face a couple of times in order to stay awake. Strategy meetings always left her feeling more than a bit drained. She just wasn’t made for sitting still and discussing every single, tiny detail of a plan for hours upon hours. She was a mare of action, who preferred to carry out a plan instead of making it. Regardless, strategy conferences were a part of her duty as an admiral, which she took very seriously, even if parts of it were boring.

Rainbow Dash looked around her office. One of the perks of being an admiral was that she got part of a wing of the Royal Palace all to herself. She had her own office, with a living, bath and bedroom on the floor above it. Her office was shaped like a semicircle, with her desk forming the central focus of it. It stood before two large windows in the southern wall, through which one had an excellent view of the castle’s gardens and the southern districts of Cantropolis.

On the wall between the two windows hung a portrait depicting the Royal Alicorn Sisters, to serve as a reminder to Rainbow Dash of what she was fighting for. A couple of bookcases lined the walls on both sides of the windows, and in one of the two corners of the room stood a mannequin which usually wore her own armour and battle gear, though she noticed it was currently missing. On the floor was a sky blue carpet. The windows were decorated with red curtains, which were currently closed.

Despite it being deep in the night, Rainbow Dash couldn’t rest just yet. There was still a lot of work that had to be done and she didn’t have much time. She walked to her desk and switched on the lamp that stood on it. She also took a sheath of parchment from one of the drawers, as well as an inkpot and a quill. The pegasus placed the items down on her desk, then walked over to the bookcases that lined the walls. Her violet eyes scanned the titles displayed on the spines of the books.

After a few moments, she found the tome she was looking for and took it off the shelf. At the same time she did this, the door that led to her private quarters upstairs opened, and a young pegasus filly trotted into the office. She had an orange coat, greyish purple eyes and a purple mane and tail. She was wearing a pair of black trousers, a white shirt and a yellow sash around her waist. On the back of her shirt a depiction of Rainbow Dash’s cutie mark had been embroidered.

The filly looked around the room, and when her eyes settled on Rainbow Dash, she immediately snapped to attention and saluted. “Admiral Rainbow Dash, ma’am, welcome back!” she exclaimed, sounding just like a well-trained soldier.

The pegasus admiral looked over her shoulder at the filly and smiled. “Oh, hiya, squirt. I thought you’d be asleep by now,” she said. “That’s why I didn’t call for you. I didn’t want to wake you up.”

“I wasn’t sleeping, ma’am,” the orange filly replied, still saluting. “I was waiting for you to come back.”

Rainbow Dash gestured at the younger pony to relax. “At ease, esquire Scootaloo,” she commanded, and the filly obeyed immediately. “You don’t have to wait for me if I’m working overtime, I told you that before.”

“I didn’t mind, Rainbow Dash,” Scootaloo replied, and her young face was graced with a big, wide smile. The filly walked over to the older pegasus and sat down on her hunches next to her. Then she straightened her back and puffed up her chest proudly. “I’m your esquire. It’s my duty to stand ready at your beck and call every moment of the day and night!”

“Well, your dedication to your duty is certainly commendable,” Rainbow Dash praised, and she rubbed affectionately through the filly’s mane. “But you’re still young, and as an esquire you’re not an official part of the guard. So don’t overdo it just for my sake. Besides, you must have been pretty bored around here.”

The orange pegasus shook her head. “Not really. I busied myself with polishing your armour and your lance,” Scootaloo explained, gesturing at the naked mannequin in the corner of the room. “I was almost done with sharpening your lance’s tip when you came back.”

“Well, that’s one thing taken care of,” Rainbow Dash commented with a smile. “I was going to ask you to do it anyway because I’ll be needing them soon.”

Scootaloo frowned and looked up at her personal hero. “Are you going away on a mission again, Rainbow Dash?”

“Yeah, pretty much,” the pegasus admiral confirmed, and she nodded. “Not immediately, but in a few days at least. The Grand Admiral agreed with my plan, so now it’s up to me to see it all done. Should be easy enough. It’s only the fate of Equestria that depends on it, after all.”

The mouth of her esquire formed a perfect circle as Scootaloo let out a deeply impressed ‘ooh!’. The filly looked up imploringly and hopeful at her mentor. “Is there anything I can do to help?” she asked.

Rainbow Dash opened her mouth to say no, but then closed it again as an idea struck her. She rubbed her chin thoughtfully as she pondered it over in her head for a bit, then broke into a grin and nodded. “Actually, yeah, there is,” she said. The admiral gestured at the parchment, quill and ink that stood on the desk. “I need to make a list of ponies from my division that are potentially suitable to send on this mission. Can you write down the names while I look them up in my index here?” She held up the book she had picked from the shelf.

Before her words had even faded away, Scootaloo already sat at the desk, bowed over the parchment with the quill in her mouth, ready to start writing as soon as Rainbow Dash began dictating. The blue pegasus chuckled softly and shook her head amusedly, then opened her book and began to flip through the pages, her eyes scanning the endless list of names.

As she dictated the names for her faithful esquire to write down, Rainbow Dash’s thoughts wandered off to the task that laid ahead of her. If her plan succeeded, then the Royal Guard would have its hooves on the plans of the Republic’s campaign. With those they could withstand the attack, and the Royal Kingdom of Equestria would live on to continue fighting for what was right for just a little while longer. Should her plan fail, then the Kingdom itself would fall with it.

“But that won’t stop me,” Rainbow Dash thought. “I’ll keep fighting until my very last breath. I’ll see Princess Celestia back on the throne of Equestria, even if I have to charge into Canterlot all by myself to do it!”

And with those thoughts in her head, Rainbow Dash, Admiral of the Royal Guard Second Division, grimly continued making her preparations. She wouldn’t fail. She would get those invasion plans and bring them to Derpy…

Or die trying.

End of chapter 13.

14. Teatime

Wings of Tomorrow
Lament of the World

14. Teatime

“Come on in and make yourselves at home!” Rarity said, with a pleasant smile on her face. She made a sweeping motion with her hoof, gesturing for her guests to enter through the opened front door of her residence. The two ponies she was with, Twilight Sparkle and Fluttershy, accepted the invitation and trotted inside. Clearly they both felt just a tad nervous about doing so, however, if their wide eyes and hesitant steps were any indication. No doubt their uncertainty originated from the fact that Rarity’s residence was a spacious, luxurious and very classy villa.

The fashion pony had made a thriving career in Canterlot and earned a more than generous amount of bits, and it showed. The entrance hall on itself was already a marvel. The walls were white and pristine, with colourful tapestries – purple being the most dominant shade – hanging on them to brighten the hall. The floor was paved with exquisite tiles, and from the ceiling hung a great chandelier that must have cost a fortune. The central piece of the hall was a spiral staircase made of wood, in which were carved very beautiful and expensive decorations, covered with a red carpet, leading to the upper floors of the house.

“Why, Rarity, it’s all so…” Fluttershy muttered hesitatingly, while looking around with wide eyes. “Ehm… big?” she finished, a bit lamely, for she couldn’t quite find the right words to express her feelings. She was a normal village pony, after all.

Even though Fluttershy had been to Canterlot and in the Royal Palace before, it didn’t mean she was used to great luxury. This feeling had only strengthened since her arrival in this new age, especially since she’d seen how small Twilight’s house was, and those houses were apparently the norm. To then see how one of her other friends lived in a villa that even the Princesses would be proud of, well, it was quite shocking, to say the least. The contrast between Rarity and Twilight couldn’t be greater, and Fluttershy wasn’t sure how she felt about it.

“I knew you had earned a lot thanks to your career, but I didn’t realise you’d be this wealthy,” Twilight noted, while she looked around as well, marvelling at the tasteful décor and the excellent architecture. “It looks amazing!”

“Why thank you both, my dears,” Rarity replied, feeling flattered. “All the result of honest, hard work, let me assure you.” The white unicorn glanced at Twilight and smiled. “And my offer still stands, Twilight. You’re welcome to move in at any time if you get tired of that small place of yours, no offence.”

“None taken,” Twilight replied, and she returned Rarity’s smile. “But it’s fine. I’m quite happy to live in Ponyville, and frankly I’d rather stay away from Canterlot as far as I can.” As she said this, her pleasant smile slowly faded from her face, to be replaced by a sad and rather dark frown.

“I understand completely, darling,” Rarity assured her friend, and she placed a comforting hoof on the other unicorn’s shoulder. “I apologise if I made you think of things unpleasant.”

Twilight shook her head, and the smile returned to her face. “No, it’s alright. Don’t worry about it, Rarity.” A look of understanding passed between the two unicorns, and Fluttershy got the feeling that she had missed something. The pegasus wondered why Twilight said she’d rather not be in Canterlot. Somehow, Fluttershy knew that it wasn’t just because Princess Celestia was imprisoned there.

“Well then, let’s not waste our time standing here in the hall,” Rarity said, pulling Fluttershy out of her thoughts. “You both must be tired of your journey, so let us retreat to the lounge and enjoy a nice cup of tea. We can catch up in the meantime, it’s been three weeks since my visit to Ponyville, there has to be a lot you could tell me about.” She then turned away from her friends and cleared her throat. “Ahem, Teaspoon!”

A door on the left side of the hall opened, and a young mare dressed in the uniform of a servant maid came out. She had a sand-coloured coat, while her mane and tail were black. “You called, milady?” she asked, bowing her head respectfully towards Rarity.

“That I did, darling. I’m having guests, as you can see,” Rarity replied, gesturing at Fluttershy and Twilight. “Would you be so kind as to prepare the large guest room? And please tell Rose Petal to bring a pot of tea for the three of us to the lounge, yes?” The white unicorn paused for a moment to think. “And yes, have her serve some cookies with that,” she added.

“Certainly, milday,” Teaspoon replied. She curtsied and then vanished behind the same door she had come through again. Fluttershy and Twilight stared at Rarity, their eyes wide once again, this time due to their surprise.

“I didn’t know you had personnel for your household, Rarity,” Twilight remarked.

“But of course, Twilight!” Rarity replied, seemingly confused by Twilight’s words. “Given my busy schedule, how could I ever keep a house this large in order? It would be a disaster, to be sure. So I hired some ponies to help me do that. Generously paid, of course.” She walked towards another door, on the right side of the hall, right across from the door Teaspoon had appeared in.

“Now let us finally move out of this hall. What kind of host am I, leaving two very dear guests standing around here,” she said, while opening the door. Even the doors in her house were exquisite, made from beautiful wood and framed with gold. “Let’s get ourselves comfortable in here while we wait for the tea.”

Twilight and Fluttershy, seeing no reason to object, did as requested and went inside the lounge room.

The three ponies were soon enough laying comfortably on the couches in Rarity’s lounge room. The couches were much like the one she used in Ponyville for whenever she did a dramatic fall, only more expensive. They were gold with ruby-red cushions, and extremely comfortable. Rarity had four of them in the lounge, placed in a circle with a round, wooden coffee table in the middle. The small table was covered by a white tablecloth made of lace, and on it stood a vase with lovely flowers.

All of the aforementioned stood on a thick and fluffy carpet, beige in colour. The floor of the room was made from parquet. The windows had wooden frames, as well as two sets of curtains hanging before them. The first were made of white lace, designed to let light fall through while still preventing anypony from looking inside. The second set was only closed after sunset. These were made of much thicker fabric, and had a beige colour as well.

The lounge also had a fireplace, currently not in use, with a great stone chimney. On it Rarity had placed picture frames of her and her family. It reminded Fluttershy and Twilight both of the fireplace in Twilight’s house. Many closets lined the walls, some having books on their shelves, others having more picture frames, or a particular nice set of porcelain plates that Rarity liked to show off. There were even a couple of antique artefacts. In one corner of the room, there stood a real piano. After sunset, the room could be illuminated by light coming from the lovely chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, which was made of wood as well.

“Well then,” Rarity began, breaking the silence that had fallen. Her words made Twilight and Fluttershy turn their heads in her direction, instead of looking around the room. Rarity smiled pleasantly at them. “How have you been? I trust the journey to Canterlot went without a hitch?”

Twilight nodded affirmatively. “Yes, even though the train was a bit crowded,” she replied. “I would have liked to take an airship instead, it would have been just as crowded but we’d have had to spend less time on it. Fluttershy didn’t feel very comfortable with the idea, however, so we took the train since she’s familiar with that mode of transport.”

Fluttershy rubbed her hooves together nervously and bowed her head, hiding her embarrassment behind her mane. Twilight looked at her with a kind expression on her face and a warm smile. Due to sitting on individual couches, she couldn’t place a comforting hoof on her pegasus friend’s shoulder, but if she could have done so she would have.

“Don’t feel bad about it, Fluttershy,” she said. “I really didn’t mind. What matters is that we got here in time.”

“Indeed,” Rarity confirmed, nodding sagely. She gave her two friends a curious look. “I noticed that Applejack and Pinkie Pie are conspicuously absent. They didn’t wish to come with you?”

“Oh no, they would have liked to,” Fluttershy answered, speaking up for the first time. She looked up and ceased hiding behind her mane. “But Applejack simply had too much work on the farm, and we didn’t think it would be a good idea to bring Pinkie along. She only just started to get out of her depression, after all…”

“We didn’t think it was wise to bring her to the very event that would remind her more than anything of that which depressed her in the first place,” Twilight added.

“Probably not. I think that was very considerate of you both,” Rarity agreed, smiling.

Just then, the door opened and Rose Petal came in. The unicorn maid carried a silver tray in her telekinetic grasp, and went with it to the coffee table. She unloaded a teapot, three teacups with small plates, a small platter with cookies and a pot with cubes of sugar, all made of porcelain, and placed them on the table. Then she took three silver teaspoons and an equal amount of napkins, and placed them next to the teacups. Her task done, the maid curtsied before Rarity and left in silence.

“I do hope you’ll enjoy this tea,” Rarity commented as she poured each of them a cup. “It’s a rather expansive brand, due to it having to be imported all the way from Zebrica. But I have grown rather fond of its unique flavour, so much that I do not mind putting down the extra coin.” She put a cookie next to the teacup and the teaspoon on the small tea plates, and then used her magic to float two prepared cups over to Twilight and Fluttershy, as well as one to herself.

Twilight took over the offered teacup with her own magic, and sniffed in the scent of the steaming brew tentatively. “Hmm, it smells rather spicy,” she hummed appreciatively. The purple unicorn stirred the tea in her cup with her spoon for a short while, then took a small, ladylike sip from it. Her eyes widened in surprise, and a smile appeared on her face. “My, you were right, Rarity,” she commented. “A most unique flavour, indeed! But very good!” Twilight then proceeded to gladly take another sip.

“Why thank you, Twilight. I’m glad you enjoy it,” Rarity replied, while she dropped two lumps of sugar in her cup and stirred it with her spoon. Smiling, Rarity turned towards Fluttershy and gave her an inquisitive look. “What do you say, Fluttershy? Is it to your liking?”

The yellow pegasus shyly stirred in her own cup, then hesitatingly held the porcelain teacup in her hooves and took a sip. A few seconds passed during which Fluttershy allowed the flavour of the tea to grace her taste buds, and then a small but genuine smile graced her delicate face. “Oh, yes, Twilight is right,” she said softly. “It’s lovely. Though I think I would like one lump of sugar in it… If that’s okay…”

“But of course, darling!” Rarity exclaimed, and she promptly floated the sugar bowl over to her shy friend. Fluttershy took one cube of sugar from the pot and added it to her tea. She stirred for a couple of seconds, then took another sip. A soft hum of approval escaped from between her lips and her smile widened a bit. The unique tea tasted even better when it was a tad sweeter.

Glad that her friends were enjoying her tea, Rarity decided to initiate the conversation again. After taking a ladylike nibble from a cookie, she addressed Fluttershy again. “And how has life in Ponyville been treating you the past few weeks, my dear? Are you adjusting well? I am dreadfully sorry for not being there to lend you a hoof with settling in, but I’m afraid my schedule really didn’t have room for any distractions. But perhaps there is something I may yet be of assistance with?”

“Oh no, Rarity, everything’s fine,” Fluttershy replied quickly, not wanting her dear friend to feel obliged or guilty. “Twilight, Pinkie and Applejack were all the help I needed to get my home back in order. And as far as adjusting goes, to be honest, nothing for me personally has changed a lot. The biggest difference for me personally so far is that I have to do all my chores while wearing clothes.”

“That’s wonderful to hear, darling,” Rarity complimented with a smile. She paused for a moment to take a sip from her tea. “But what about the rest of Ponyville? Sadly, it is rather different from the quaint little town we all remember and love so much. Are you getting used to it yet?”

“Oh, yes, it’s fine,” Fluttershy assured the white unicorn. “It was a bit scary at first, and I still feel somewhat locked in when walking down the streets, but it’s getting better. I don’t really have to go to town very much, there is a lot of things to do at home. And since that hasn’t changed, it makes adjusting to the new Ponyville a lot easier.”

“It helps that for some reason most ponies still have some sort of memory of her,” Twilight added thoughtfully. “Most of them seem to be under the impression that she went on a journey beyond Equestria for many years and only now came back. We kind of went with that story due to the lack of a better alternative. Somehow I don’t think a lot of ponies would believe us if we started telling that Fluttershy came back from a different timeline, rather than a long journey beyond Equestria.”

“Doubtful indeed!” Rarity agreed, and she chuckled softly before taking another sip of tea. Then she flashed another smile at her friends. “Well, if it prevents ponies from asking difficult questions, it’s for the best.” Humming cheerfully, the white unicorn levitated another cookie onto her tea plate. “I take it that our dear Applejack is doing fine as always, so why don’t you tell me how Pinkie Pie is faring these days? Does she still live with you, Fluttershy?”

“Yes, she does,” Fluttershy replied, nodding. “I most certainly am not going to let her go and live in that sorry excuse of a shack ever again!” she added, surprising her two unicorn friends with the assertiveness and firmness in the tone of her voice. Fluttershy even had a frown on her face and a determined look in her eyes. Then she noticed that Twilight and Rarity were looking at her in surprise, and Fluttershy let out a soft ‘meep!’ and hid behind her mane. “B… But if she wants to stay with you or Applejack I wouldn’t mind, of course, Twilight…”

Twilight merely smiled and shook her head, while making a calming gesture with one of her hooves. “It’s alright, Fluttershy. I think Pinkie is fine where she is at the moment. Your cottage is a remnant from the old Ponyville, and she misses the old times more than anypony. So I think living with you will help to improve her condition. It already did.”

“Most certainly,” Rarity agreed. “Why, she looked better than she did in years when I visited three weeks ago. It was a most wonderful sight to see a smile on that face of hers again.” Having finished speaking, Rarity lifted the teapot up from the coffee table with her magic and began refilling everypony’s cups.

“I think she’s getting better,” Fluttershy said quietly, while adding her preferred amount of sugar to her tea. “Earlier this week she even took up baking again, and made me some cupcakes.” The pegasus looked a bit nervous and blushed. “Ehm… They weren’t bad… But she was out of practice…”

“I don’t think she even baked anything in this life until then,” Twilight replied thoughtfully as she rubbed her chin. “So if she became interested again, it’s definitely a good sign. Maybe we could encourage her to start working at Sugar Cube Corner again, it might make her feel even better.”

“It certainly wouldn’t hurt to try, I suppose,” Rarity added, agreeing with her fellow unicorn. “Though of course we shouldn’t push her. She’s already made marvellous progress lately, no need to rush now. We must let her set the pace, with only a friendly nudge now and then to keep her going, should such be necessary.” Her two friends nodded in agreement, and all seemed content to let the subject be for now.

After another moment of silence in which they merely drank their tea, Rarity spoke up again, addressing Twilight this time. “And what of you, Twilight? How has life been treating you recently? Quite good, I might hope?”

Twilight merely smiled in reply at first, since she was chewing on a cookie and it was impolite to talk with your mouth full. “Well, aside from helping Fluttershy from time to time, it’s mostly been business as usual,” she finally answered, after swallowing the baked treat. “Nothing out of the ordinary, just doing my household and my job as always. Not terribly exciting or fascinating, but it brings the necessary bits to the table.”

“And here I was hoping you’d finally would have found some time for yourself again, to do what you truly want,” Rarity muttered, and she sighed. “Oh, where are the days when we had to drag you from behind your books and out of your studies so you would spend some time with us? Now I would give half of my fortune, if not all of it, if it would give you the opportunity to do just that again.”

“That’s very kind and generous of you, Rarity,” Twilight replied. She was still smiling, though the expression had a feeling of sadness to it. “But it’s the way things have to be. Studying won’t earn me any bits to live, even if I had all the necessary books and scrolls at my disposal. Even then it wouldn’t really do me any good, since unicorns aren’t allowed to practice magic outside of basic levitation.”

“Oh, don’t remind me of that dreadful law,” the other unicorn said. Rarity sniffed in disdain and made an impatient gesture with her hoof. “Outlawing magic has to be the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard. Why, it would be like forbidding a pegasus to fly! The troubles and pains I had to undergo in order to get the permission to use my gem-finding spell. I even had to pull some strings, otherwise I doubt I would have gotten it, and that would have been truly terrible for my boutique.”

Fluttershy looked at her two friends with obvious curiosity, though she seemed hesitant to speak up, as if she was afraid of the answer she’d get if she asked her question. “Ehm… I actually was kind of wondering about that…” she muttered shyly. “Why would they create such a rule in the first place? I… I mean, using magic is part of what makes a unicorn…”

“It was actually implemented as a safety measure by the Nobles’ Court,” Twilight explained through gritted teeth. The subject clearly didn’t put her in the best of moods. “The only way for a unicorn to practice advanced magic is by joining the army. This way, any strong user of magic will be in their service and can’t be used against them by the opposition.”

“And also, as a side-effect, any talented unicorn who doesn’t support the Republic, such as Twilight here, won’t pose a threat either,” Rarity added, “because they lack any experience or practice with higher levels of magic.”

Twilight blushed nervously. “I’m hardly a magic prodigy here, Rarity,” she objected. The white unicorn held up a hoof in order to silence her.

“Nonsense, darling,” Rarity said calmly, on a tone that made it clear she would accept no other view on the matter. “Shifts in time have no influence on the potential you were born with. And we all know you have it in you to be one of the greatest unicorns of all time, should you be given the chance.”

Twilight seemed to think it over. “Maybe you’re right,” she admitted hesitatingly. “I still have all my memories from my old life, so I remember a lot of what I studied there. But there’s just as much that I’ve forgotten because I didn’t need all that knowledge for my current life…”

“I’m sure it’ll all come back to you should you be given the chance to pick up your books and start practicing again,” Rarity replied. “You could always move to the… Ah… other side, where every unicorn is free to cast whatever spell they like.” Her voice had grown softer upon speaking that last sentence, and her eyes glanced around nervously to make sure nopony was eavesdropping.

“I’ve considered it, to be honest,” the other unicorn replied, who also kept her voice quiet. “But I couldn’t. I’d miss my friends too much, and I’d constantly worry if you were all alright. I’ve had enough sleepless nights with just Rainbow Dash to worry about.”

“You have a point there, I’m afraid,” Rarity agreed, and she sighed. “Even though I’ve heard enough about her to know that Rainbow Dash can take care of herself, a lady can’t help but worry about her friends when they’re absent, it seems.”

“I wish I could see her again…” Fluttershy muttered quietly, while looking down and staring at her hooves. Her face went hidden behind her long, pink mane. “I… ehm… I’ve also spent time worrying about her…”

“That’s perfectly fine, Fluttershy,” Rarity assured the timid pegasus. “How could you not? You’ve been friends since you were fillies. Or you were, rather, but I’m certain Rainbow Dash remembers those old times like the rest of us do.”

“If you want to see her, you could always go to the… ah, other side, like Rarity said,” Twilight added, speaking with a low voice once again. “None of us would stop you. Or blame you, for that matter.”

Twilight’s suggestion honestly seemed to catch Fluttershy by surprise, judging from how the pegasus’ eyes widened and the loud gasp that escaped from her lips. “Oh no, I couldn’t!” Fluttershy said quickly. “I have all my little friends and Angel Bunny waiting for me at home, and I just came back. I couldn’t leave them behind and on their own again. I couldn’t!”

“Darling, please, calm yourself,” Rarity said kindly, giving Fluttershy a disarming smile. “Nopony will force you to go anywhere at all. If you wish to stay, that is perfectly alright, and we fully understand. We all have something or somepony that is keeping our hooves tied to this place, even if we don’t exactly agree with how things are run here.”

“It’s true,” Twilight agreed with a nod, while looking at Rarity. “You have your fashion business, as well as your family. Just like Applejack has her family and Sweet Apple Acres to worry about.” She turned her attention to Fluttershy and smiled. “And you have your home and your animal friends. And as for Pinkie, well, I’m not sure how close she is with her family, but up until you arrived, she was simply to depressed to even consider moving.”

Fluttershy nodded slowly, and looked at Twilight while the unicorn drank from her tea. The pegasus expected her lavender friend to add her own reasons for staying here after she had put her teacup back down, but Twilight remained silent.

“And… Ehm… What about you, Twilight?” Fluttershy asked, once she understood that the purple unicorn wasn’t going to add anything else. “Why are you staying here?”

To Fluttershy’s surprise, Twilight’s expression darkened. The unicorn gritted her teeth and didn’t immediately reply, while doing her best to avoid looking at Fluttershy directly. “Not because I want to,” she finally said, almost growling the words. Having said those words, she crossed her arms and fell silent again. Fluttershy could only stare at her friend in confusion.

“Ahem,” Rarity interrupted gently, scraping her throat in order to draw Fluttershy’s attention. “Please don’t be upset, Fluttershy, dear,” she said on a soft tone. As she spoke, Rarity kept throwing nervous glances in Twilight’s direction, as if she was afraid of upsetting her fellow unicorn even further. “But for Twilight, this matter is more personal than it is for the rest of us, you see?” She gave Twilight a questioning look. “Darling, is it alright if I tell her?”

For a moment a tensed silence hung between the three friends, but then Twilight sighed deeply and nodded. “I don’t see why not,” she said, albeit reluctantly. “Fluttershy’s my friend, she has the right to know.”

Rarity gave her friend a curt but grateful nod, then turned her attention to Fluttershy again, who was by now looking equally confused and worried. “We all have reasons why we stay here, dear, even though we all would like to help with freeing the Princess,” Rarity began. “Twilight is no different when it comes to that. I daresay she would like to free Princess Celestia more than any of us! Unfortunately, there’s a rather delicate problem that keeps her from doing so… It’s… well, how do I put this…”

“It’s Shining Armour,” Twilight finished in Rarity’s stead. Both of her friends winced as they heard the utter contempt with which she spoke the name, and Fluttershy felt a feeling of dread build up inside her.

“Y… your brother?” she said meekly, knowing that it was undoubtedly him who Twilight meant, yet still hoping that she had somehow gotten it wrong. A nod from Twilight smashed all those foolish hopes to pieces.

“Yes, though I haven’t called him that in quite a few years!” Twilight spat bitterly. “Not since he joined the Republican Army, that is!”

Fluttershy gasped again. She had met Twilight’s brother only once, at his wedding with Princess Cadance, but that one time had still left her with a good impression of the unicorn stallion with his white coat and blue mane and tail. She could not believe that such a honourable, fine stallion, who had once been the captain of the Royal Guard and had dedicated his life to protect the Princess, was now in service of the regime that was unjustly imprisoning the same Princess.

Before the pegasus could form any comprehensible word to express her shock, Twilight spoke again. “Do you know what position he holds now?” she asked, before immediately answering her own question. “He’s Marshal Shining Armour! High commander of the entire Republican Army! Beholden to none but the commander-in-chief and the Court Nobles themselves! My own brother is one of the key ponies that keeps those traitorous nobles in power and this farce of a Republic stable!” As she spoke, her expression had grown more and more angry, and her voice louder and louder until she was nearly shouting.

Rarity looked at her fellow unicorn with undisguised compassion, while Fluttershy could only stare with wide eyes at Twilight, who was still fuming and breathing hard after her outburst. The butter-yellow pegasus didn’t know what to say. It had been shocking enough to learn that Twilight’s brother helped keeping Princess Celestia imprisoned, but hearing just how important he was left her completely astonished. At the same time, she couldn’t rhyme this new information with the image she had of the strong, noble Captain of the Royal Guard whose wedding she had attended and helped prepare.

Fluttershy tried to offer words of comfort, but no sound would leave her lips. Twilight didn’t notice. She merely huffed angrily and lay back down on the couch, with her forelegs crossed. An uncomfortable silence fell between the three of them, during which Twilight silently fumed, Rarity busied herself with studying her teacup, and Fluttershy tried to get her voice back.

“Ehm… M… maybe he doesn’t know he’s doing a bad thing?” Fluttershy tried timidly, when she finally regained her voice. “I mean… All ponies seem to think that Princess Celestia is a bad pony who did horrible things… M… Maybe your brother believes that as well, and thinks he’s keeping ponies safe by keeping her in a dungeon?” She offered her friend a hesitant, small smile.

“He was born with dual memories, just like me,” Twilight said tonelessly.

Fluttershy’s smile faded like snow under the sun.

“I don’t know how much he remembers, but at the very least he remembers enough to know that everything the Nobles’ Court says about Princess Celestia is a lie!” Twilight continued, the volume of her voice rising again, and she slammed her hoof down on the couch angrily. “Yet he still went and joined the army, and helps keeping Princess Celestia imprisoned! My own brother!” Fuming, the unicorn took a big sip from her tea in a vain attempt to calm down.

“After Shining Armour joined the army, things grew rather tensed at Twilight’s home, you understand,” Rarity said to Fluttershy, taking over the story from Twilight so the lavender unicorn could calm herself again. “Twilight found it hard to cope with the fact that her brother was now actively helping to torture our beloved Princess, while her parents on the other hoof were proud of their son and didn’t understand why she was so angry with him.”

“My parents don’t remember anything from their former lives,” Twilight explained, the volume of her voice having lowered to normal levels again. She sighed and hung her head in sadness. “And I couldn’t tell them why I was so mad at Shining Armour for joining the army. What could I say? That I remembered living in a different timeline where I was the personal student of Princess Celestia and Shining Armour the Captain of the Royal Guard? That would sound very convincing indeed, coming from the mouth of a filly!”

Rarity, seeing that Twilight’s anger was beginning to well up again, decided to take over telling the story once more. “The changes in time had little effect on Shining Armour’s capabilities as a soldier, apparently, and he began to climb up in rank and make name for himself very quickly,” she said, while absentmindedly stirring her tea. “Then, four years ago, Shining Armour was nominated to become the new commander of the Unicorn Devision, only one rank under Marshal. Naturally, he rushed back home to share this most wonderful news with his family… When the news reached Twilight’s ears, she… ah…” Rarity paused and glanced nervously at Twilight, who was holding her teacup so firmly that Rarity was afraid she’d break it.

“I snapped,” Twilight said bluntly, causing Fluttershy to gasp again. “Seeing him standing there, glowing with pride, as he told us the news… Hearing my parents shower him with praise and compliments… It became too much. All my frustration over my own helplessness for saving the princess, my anger at my own brother supporting the very ponies who hurt and imprisoned her… It all became too much.”

She let out a deep sigh again and took another sip from her tea. “I lost control of myself and all my frustration just exploded. I screamed at him that I couldn’t believe he was helping to keep a government based on lies in power, that I couldn’t understand how he could support the ponies who mistreated Princess Celestia so terribly.” Twilight closed her eyes and saw the events of that evening play out in her mind again, as if it had happened only yesterday. She looked terribly upset and hurt because of it all, something that didn’t go unnoticed by her two friends.

Rarity decided to pick up where Twilight had left off, to prevent the lavender mare from having to relive the events any further. “Suffices to say that Twilight’s parents in turn weren’t very pleased with her outburst, and that there was quite a bit of back and forth shouting,” she said, carefully choosing her words to prevent upsetting Twilight any more.

“He didn’t say anything,” Twilight whispered, hurt obvious in her voice. “Even as I screamed in his face and demanded that he’d explain himself to me, he… he didn’t say anything. He just cast his gaze down and remained silent.” She sighed for the fourth time and looked perfectly miserable. “I couldn’t take it anymore. I couldn’t stand the very idea of being related to anypony who would betray my feelings like that! I…” Twilight shut her eyes firmly, fighting against the tears that were struggling to leak out. “I… I rejected him as my brother.”

“W… what…?” Fluttershy stammered, her eyes as wide as the plate under her teacup. Of all that she had been told so far, nothing had shocked her as much as this. Twilight and Shining Armour had been as close as brothers and sisters could be, back when everything was as it was supposed to be. To then hear that her dear friend no longer saw herself as having a brother left Fluttershy speechless, and her heart ached with sympathy for Twilight.

“She hasn’t seen him since,” Rarity said softly, continuing the story because Twilight was in no state of mind to do so. The white unicorn looked with deep sympathy and compassion at her lavender friend.

Twilight sniffed and nodded, while whipping away the few tears that had managed to break through her defence. “I ran away from home that night. I couldn’t live there anymore,” she muttered quietly. “With nowhere else to go, I fled to Ponyville… I went to Sweet Apple Acres, hoping against hope that Applejack would recognise me and would be willing to shelter me for a while.”

A small smile formed on her muzzle as she remembered that fateful night. “She wasn’t too happy about having to get up due to a runaway unicorn banging on her front door in the middle of the night… But she forgave me the instant she saw who I was. She recognised me immediately, and I had never, ever, felt so relieved and happy before in this life…” Twilight took another sip from her tea, as well as a deep breath to try and compose herself.

“Applejack insisted on me staying with her until I had found my hoofing and a place of my own in Ponyville. I managed to get a job at the town hall, and with the bits I earned there I eventually managed to get enough to pay the rent for a house, where I now live,” she continued, and her voice started to shake less and sound more even. “I later read in the newspaper that Shining Armour had accepted the promotion, and that was the last I heard of him until he became Marshal a year and a half ago. He never tried to contact me, nor did my parents. I didn’t even go to his wedding.”

Twilight shrugged unhappily. “And I don’t mind. I can’t forgive him… Nor can I forgive my parents for supporting him,” she whispered. “I know it’s petty. Of course they support him. He’s their son, and he made a great name for himself. I’m just a silly, lowly office clerk who can’t stop living in the past.” It became too much for the unfortunate unicorn, and she finally broke down crying, shedding silent tears while her body shook with every one of her sobs.

Fluttershy and Rarity’s eyes met, and understanding passed between the two friends. They had had enough. They put their teacups back on the coffee table, then got up from their respective sofas and moved over to their weeping friend to pull her in a comforting embrace.

“There, there, darling,” Rarity said soothingly as she patted Twilight on her back. “None of us condemn you for the decisions you made, and we certainly do not think them petty.” Fluttershy nodded in agreement, and she ran one of her hooves through Twilight’s mane to help Rarity with comforting her.

“It is anything but petty, Twilight,” the pegasus said, sounding gentle but firm. “It is actually very serious, and I understand your reasons completely. You were so close to Princess Celestia, after all. I understand how much it must hurt to see your own family support her mistreatment.”

“We also understand how uncomfortable it makes you to be angry at your parents,” Rarity added, still holding her fellow unicorn warmly in her forelegs. “It’s hard to blame them for their actions when they don’t remember, they’ve simply been indoctrinated like everypony else in this mad version of Equestria. It doesn’t make your anger for their support of Shining Armour any less valid, though, especially since that brother of yours has no excuse for his choice at all.”

Twilight didn’t respond, she was content with simply basking in the warmth and comfort given to her by her friends while she cried her heart out. Their embrace and caressing of her mane and back had a soothing, calming effect on her troubled mind.

As they comforted the purple unicorn, Fluttershy glanced nervously at Rarity. “So, ehm, the reason she didn’t join the… um… other side… Is it also because of…?” she asked quietly, hoping that her question wouldn’t hurt Twilight any further.

Rarity sighed, but nodded affirmatively. “Even if she rejects him as such, Shining Armour is still her brother… And our dear Twilight can’t bring herself to fight her own family, not even for the sake of Princess Celestia,” she explained, speaking in hushed whispers. “Which is what unavoidably would happen were she to join at Rainbow Dash’s side…”

Fluttershy nodded in understanding, and both mares looked down at the unhappy unicorn with pity and compassion. No further words were said, as both Fluttershy and Rarity focussed on comforting the distressed Twilight by embracing and holding her, bathing her in the warmth of their friendship. Twilight didn’t protest, on the contrary, she gave in to it completely and was grateful to her friends for their efforts. It strengthened and warmed her to know that even massive distortions in time had not been capable of breaking apart the friendship they shared.

Eventually, when Twilight had stopped crying, Rarity spoke again. “Shining Armour will be at the parade,” she said, feeling awful for having to bring up that sore subject again, but knowing it to be necessary.

“I know,” Twilight replied simply, and she sat up on her rump, wiping the last of her tears from her eyes. “And so will we.”

“Ah, yes, speaking of which,” Rarity muttered, turning her attention to Fluttershy. “Are you still determined to go, darling?” she asked. “I’ve managed to reserve some VIP seats for us, from where we’ll have a good view of the height of the… ah… spectacle… But I wouldn’t mind or blame you in the slightest should you have changed your mind, Fluttershy, my dear. It truly isn’t something I’d want you to see.”

“Oh, I know I probably will feel very bad because of it,” Fluttershy replied quietly, and she rubbed her hooves together nervously. “And I’ll probably regret it afterwards… B… But I still want to go see the parade. I have to see the Princess for myself… I just… have to…” She made a helpless gesture with her hooves, feeling silly for not being able to explain why she wanted to go see the most awful event in all of Equestria so badly.

Twilight, however, placed a hoof on Fluttershy’s shoulder and looked at her with understanding in her eyes. “I know how you feel,” she said, with a voice that was just as quiet as Fluttershy’s. “I had the same reason for going to see it when I was a filly… I knew I’d be horrified by what I’d see, but I still felt I had to. I just had to see with my own eyes what they made the Princess go through… As if to convince myself that it was real, that ponies could really do such awful things to somepony as wonderful as Princess Celestia…”

Fluttershy nodded wordlessly. Twilight had worded her feelings on the matter perfectly, and there was nothing more she could add to it.

Rarity sighed. “Well, if you’re both quite sure, I won’t stop you,” she said, though she was obviously not too happy about the entire idea. The white unicorn glanced at the antique clock that stood on the chimney. “We’ll get ready at dusk so that we can go find our seats before the streets get to crowded. There’s still a couple of hours until then, so in the meantime, why don’t I show you the house and the room where you’ll be staying for the duration of your visit? You can take a look at the dresses I’ve prepared for the both of you for tonight as well then, while we’re there.”

“I don’t see why not,” Twilight answered, and she looked around the room again. “I’m curious about seeing more of your house, Rarity.”

“Oh, yes, that would be lovely,” Fluttershy agreed quickly, happy to leave the unpleasant subjects be for now.

“Well then, let’s be on our way!” Rarity declared with a smile. The three mares quickly but deftly drank their teacups empty, and then Fluttershy and Twilight followed Rarity out of the lounge room as the white unicorn took them for a tour around her impressive residence.

End of chapter 14.

15. The parade

Wings of Tomorrow
Lament of the World

15. The parade

There were many times when Fluttershy had felt incredibly nervous, but never before had it been as bad as now. Her heart was beating so fast and so loud that she was sure everypony around her could hear it. She was sweating profusely, and at times even found it difficult to breathe. She was so tensed she couldn’t move a single muscle even if she wanted to. All she could do was keep her eyes focused on the street down below and wait for the parade to pass before her. It wouldn’t be too much longer now.

Fluttershy was sitting between Rarity and Twilight, in the grandstand that had been built on the grand plaza of Canterlot. It was a great and elaborate construction, with many rows of very luxurious seats. There was even a roof above their heads, despite the fact that there was no rain scheduled for tonight. The grandstand was draped with tapestries bearing the mark and symbol of the Republic and the Nobles’ Court, and it was a place meant clearly for the elite of Canterlot only. Fluttershy and Twilight definitely felt out of place, sitting between all the nobles and other members of Canterlot’s upper class. That they, as common ponies, had even managed to get a seat here was solely due to Rarity’s status and connections.

Rarity had arranged for the seats to make sure that Fluttershy would be able to see everything. Any normal pony would have found such an arrangement a great honour, but none of the three friends could experience it as such. None of them truly wanted to be here, but Fluttershy still felt that she had to witness this event, even if it would only end up hurting her badly. Rarity had accepted the fact that there would be no escape this year, and carried it with as much dignity as she could muster. Twilight, however, didn’t even bother to hide her disdain or the scowl on her face. It was a small blessing then that their seats on the very last row, where nopony would pay attention to them or their facial expressions. For indeed, wearing a scowl or expressing disdain on such a ‘glorious’ night would be quite suspicious.

“How are you holding up, Fluttershy, my dear?” Rarity whispered softly, with a voice full of worry. She turned her head to look at the shaking pegasus next to her, and placed one of her hooves on Fluttershy’s. “We can still leave if you want to.”

Fluttershy took a deep breath and finally managed to move. She turned her head towards Rarity and succeeded in forming a shaky smile. “I… I’m fine…” she said quietly. “I… I just didn’t expect there to be so many ponies…” She made a weak gesture at the plaza to emphasise her point. There had to be at least a hundred thousand ponies gathered around, if not more. All of them had come to see the parade, to cheer for the nobles and to cry out their hatred for the princess. It was quite an unsettling thought.

The plaza was the heart of Canterlot, where all of its main streets came together. It was decorated with flags, banners and standards bearing the Republic’s mark and colours. Even though it was night, nopony would have any problem seeing the proceedings, thanks to the warm light given by street lanterns and many torches.

“So many guards, too…” Fluttershy added nervously, looking at the guards who stood everywhere. They were holding the crowd back to keep the streets clear for the parade the pass through, and keeping a watchful eye to make sure nopony would try to do anything funny. Fluttershy hadn’t seen such airtight security since the wedding of Shining Armour and princess Cadance. It only served to further feed her nerves.

“Well, that’s to be expected,” Twilight explained, trying to sound calm. “After all, all of the twenty Court Nobles, the commanders of the Republican army and Princess Celestia herself are all taken out into the open here tonight. The Nobles’ Court realised right away how much of an appealing opportunity this would seem to any royalist to try and assassinate the Nobles or to attempt to free the Princess.” She glanced briefly at the guards who stood in the shadows at the back of the grandstand, not far away from them.

“Did anypony ever try?” Fluttershy asked curiously.

Rarity chuckled dryly. “An assassination or an attempt at breaking out the Princess, right under the nose of all of the Republic’s finest warriors?” she said. “Even the most fanatical royalist isn’t that mad. Or desperate.”

“That doesn’t stop the Nobles’ Court from taking safety measures just in case, though,” Twilight added, after which she returned to gazing over the plaza. The unicorn let out a sigh, and could feel how dread filled her being as she watched all those ecstatic, cheering ponies down below. It was just like the last time when she had come to see the parade, only now she had a better seat to watch it all from, something that didn’t exactly make her any happier.

Fluttershy shifted nervously in her seat while glancing inconspicuously at Twilight from the corner of her eyes. She could clearly see her friend’s displeasure, and it made her feel rather guilty. Twilight had come here only because Fluttershy had insisted on seeing the parade, and so the pegasus felt at fault for making her friend unhappy.

She shifted her attention to Rarity, and saw how the white unicorn was doing her best to keep up appearances, wearing a careful, neutral expression. The parade was a celebration of the triumph of the upper class, and was enjoyed by them more than by any other pony. Being a member of the high society herself, Rarity couldn’t afford expressing her disdain or displeasure as freely as Twilight did. Should any of the other nobles in the stand notice, they would definitely raise their eyebrows and get suspicious. Suspicion would get tongues wagging, at best, which would have dire consequences for Rarity’s standing and, as a result of that, her business.

“I’m sorry…” Fluttershy stammered. She bowed her head and hid behind her mane, while shifting uncomfortably in her seat. Her words made her friends turn their attention to her. “Because I wanted to come and see this horrible parade, I forced you both to come along with me and now you’re both feeling so upset and unhappy, all because of me and my selfish wish…”

A white hoof appeared under her chin and gently lifted her head. Slightly startled, Fluttershy looked up into the smiling face of Rarity. “Hush, darling,” the white unicorn said warmly. “There’s nothing to be sorry for. I may not like this little event, but that shan’t stop me from being here to support you. We are friends after all, are we not?”

Fluttershy opened her mouth to say something, but before she could utter any word, she felt another hoof being placed on her shoulder. She turned and saw that Twilight was smiling at her as well.

“Rarity’s right, Fluttershy,” Twilight assured her pegasus friend. “And I don’t think you’re being selfish at all. I understand your reasons for coming here perfectly, and if I’m at all upset, then it’s only the parade itself that I have issues with, not you.” Her smile widened a bit, and Fluttershy could feel the genuine warm that went into the expression. It made her smile shyly as well, and she muttered some words of gratitude.

Silence reigned between the three mares for a while, during which they were content to simply look at their surroundings. The nobles and upper class citizens, whom they shared the grandstand with, paid no attention to them, a fact which Twilight was perfectly content with. She glanced at the night sky above the plaza, paying special attention to the moon, in an attempt to estimate what time it was.

Fluttershy shifted nervously in her seat again. “Will we have to wait much longer?” she asked quietly, for two reasons. The first was that she was rather nervous about this whole event, and she wanted it to pass so she could calm down again. The second was that the sooner it started, the sooner it would be over and then they could go back to Rarity’s home where she could take off the corset that was making it rather hard to breathe.

The dresses Rarity had prepared for her and Twilight both looked lovely, but they squeezed tightly at the waist, because apparently thin waists were in this season in the upper class. Though normally Rarity wouldn’t have any problem with letting her friends wear dresses that actually allowed them to breathe, this occasion was an exception. Since they were seated in the stand of the nobles, it was vital that they all dressed in the current fashion of the upper class, otherwise they would simply draw attention to themselves and look suspicious.

“I don’t think so,” Twilight responded, and she stared at the moon again. “Judging from the position of the moon, I’d say it’s almost nine o’clock. The parade must have left the palace by now.” She smiled comfortingly at her shy friend. “It’ll all be over soon enough, Fluttershy. Just bear with it for a bit longer.”

“I’ll do my best,” Fluttershy responded meekly. “Though it would be easier for me to keep calm if I could breathe…” she added, while tugging lightly at the dress Rarity had given her to wear. Her words made all three of them laugh quietly.

“I do say, I have not even the slightest idea what goes on in the heads of the upper class mares,” Rarity commented. “Squeezing their waists so thin like that with a corset simply can’t be good for their bodies. I hope it’ll pass away again soon.” She pursed her lips in disapproval, then patted one of Fluttershy’s hooves with one of her own.

“Trust me when I say that I would normally never ask you both to mutilate your bodies like this. But for tonight I simply had no choice,” she explained, lowering her voice a bit so nopony could overhear them. “Dressing in the fashion of the upper class makes the both of you look as if you are nobility as well, which I had to ensure in order to get us these seats. Otherwise you both could never get in here!” Rarity placed a hoof dramatically on her chest. “Why, commoners in the stand of the nobles? Oh, the scandal!” she exclaimed in a melodramatic fashion, before giving her two friends a conspiratorial wink.

Twilight chuckled dryly. “I thought it was odd we could get in here, to be honest,” she said. The purple unicorn glanced nervously at the other nobles in the stand, who were still busily chatting amongst themselves. “Are you sure they won’t notice?”

“Quite,” Rarity assured her friend. “We’ve been sitting here left to our own devices for more than an hour by now, after all. We just need to keep to ourselves and act inconspicuous, and we’ll be perfectly fine.” She glanced at the nobility gathered in the rows before her. “They’re too caught up in their own little social schemes and plans to take notice, anyway.”

Twilight nodded in understanding and opened her mouth to say something, but she was interrupted by the sound of trumpets and the rhythmical beating of drums, which seemed to drive the waiting crowd on the plaza mad. A shiver of anticipation ran through the mass of ponies like a ripple on a surface of water, and they cheered and shouted as one. The noise made by the excited masses was deafening, to the point where Fluttershy even clasped her hooves over her ears. The nobles in the stand ceased their chattering and now focussed all their attention on the streets, while trying to look as regal and dignified as possible.

Rarity tried to calm Fluttershy down a bit, while Twilight looked at the road that led to the palace. A giant snake made of torch-wielding ponies was moving down the mountain, towards the plaza. Upon seeing it, Twilight’s expression darkened, and she inwardly steeled herself.

“Well,” she growled quietly, so that not even her friends could hear her due to the roar of the crowd on the plaza. “Here they come.” And with that said, she sank back in her chair and crossed her forelegs, the scowl and expression of utmost hatred never once leaving her face.

Fluttershy and Rarity were now staring in the same direction as Twilight, and each of the three friends felt different emotions course through them as they watched the parade approach. Twilight felt nothing but disdain, Rarity reluctantly resigned to her fate that she had to bear witness to it, and Fluttershy was filled in every fibre of her being with nervousness. She was trembling, and her throat felt dry. Suddenly this no longer seemed like such a good idea, if it had ever been a good idea in the first place. But she had to go through with it. She had to witness this, she owed it to the Princess and herself.

Rarity and Twilight noticed that their shy friend was having difficulties, and each took one of Fluttershy’s hooves in one of their own. The pegasus gave them both nervous glances, and the two unicorns smiled encouragingly at her. Their presence gave her strength. As long as her friends were with her, she could do this. Fluttershy took a deep breath – as deep as her corset allowed her, that is – and held on to her friend’s hooves tightly. Thus seated, the three mares watched as the parade approached.

It was exactly the same as the last time she had watched it, all those years ago, when she was still a filly. Aside from some of the participants, Twilight could see that nothing had changed. Even her reaction and her feelings were the same as the last time. A feeling of dread held her in its grip, a shiver of horror running through her body. She wanted desperately to look away, to flee from this spectacle, but some perverse feeling of loyalty forced her to keep looking, to take in every single detail.

The parade passed right by the grandstand in which she and her friends were sitting, meaning that she had an excellent view of the entire parade. When she had witnessed this as a filly, it had been from afar. Now the parade passed right under her nose, and she could see everything from up close. The procession would run a complete circle around the plaza, and then move on through the entire city of Canterlot before returning to the palace.

At the head of the parade were ponies bearing the standard with the flag of the republic, holding it proud and high for everypony to see. Following them were trumpeters, the sound of their instruments heralding the arrival of the Nobles’ Court, while the drummers behind them added a steady rhythm to the proceedings with their monotonous beating of their drums. Then came the dancers and flowermares, spreading light and flowers on the path, as if without those the streets wouldn’t be worthy of being trod upon by the rulers of the Republic.

Said rulers came next, organised in five rows of four ponies each. Dressed in the most luxurious and valuable of clothes, wearing dazzling and ridiculously expensive crowns and regalia, were the twenty Court Nobles. They were seated upon twenty magnificent thrones, which were carried by four strong stallions each, for they were too great and too mighty to do such a common thing as walking themselves. They sat tall and proud, heads held high, while the masses of ponies that lined the streets went wild and cheered as the nobles passed.

Every now and then, one of the Court Nobles would lower himself enough to wave at the crowd. Twilight swore she could see some mares in the public swooning every time this happened. Any disgust she felt at this display – and she felt quite a bit – was entirely forgotten when her eyes settled upon the next pony in the parade. Twilight felt as if someone had dropped a heavy rock in her stomach, and her blood ran cold. Her throat became so dry that it hurt and, despite the fact that she knew it would look suspicious were anypony to see her, she could not stop the tears from welling up in her eyes and running down her cheeks.

There, passing right before her eyes, only a stone’s throw away, was Princess Celestia.

Twilight felt as if somepony had grabbed her heart and squeezed it when she took in the sight of her beloved mentor and monarch. The great alicorn looked terrible. Her coat, which Twilight remembered as being always pristine and pure white, looked dull and dirty. It had been stained with rotten vegetables and eggs thrown at her by the crowd, and, to Twilight’s horror, even blood. Celestia’s multi-coloured mane and tail, which had once looked so magical and beautiful as they billowed in a non-existent wind, now hung limply from her body. They were filthy and stained, just like her coat, and dragged lifelessly over the ground.

The monarch of the sun had been stripped from her regalia, and they had been replaced by shackles and chains made of cold, merciless steel. On each of her ankles she wore a steel ring, as well as around her neck, and each of the five rings had four chains attached to them. The twenty chains that bound her were a symbolic number, a reference to the twenty members of the Nobles’ Court who had taken her down. The ends of the chains were held by twenty elite members of the Republican army, who formed a circle around the defeated Princess. They mercilessly marched on in the wake of the twenty Court Nobles, pulling at the chains, forcing the alicorn to keep moving.

Celestia made no attempt to resist. She had her head held low and allowed herself to be dragged along as a prize for the Nobles. She didn’t even react when, wherever she passed, the crowd booed and bombarded her with rocks and filth, cursing her name and spitting at her. She underwent the mistreatment in silence, walking along behind those who had struck her down. The princess was limping, and Twilight could see how every single step caused her pain. Celestia’s muscles, which were cramped and stiff from being forced in the same position for an entire year, now had to work again, a task they were no longer fit for. Her entire body cried out in agony, but the alicorn herself remained silent.

And Twilight Sparkle, powerless to help the Princess who had given in to defeat, could only shed silent tears and cry.

Shock. Disbelief. Horror. The feelings came and went, constantly changing, leaving her in a state of emotional turmoil. When the parade had begun, Fluttershy had been rather impressed by the dazzling display of riches, colours and dancing ponies. It was all rather breath-taking, if she had to be fair. The light of the torches, reflected in the gold of the Court Nobles’ thrones, combined with the crowd’s cheering and the rhythmic beating of the drums, was almost hypnotizing. It had entranced her, and she had looked at it all with shining eyes.

Until she saw the Princess, at least.

Nothing could ever have prepared her for what she saw that night. Fluttershy’s eyes were the size of dinner plates, and one of her hooves was held before her open mouth in a vain attempt to mask her shock. She felt as if her body had frozen, as if somebody had grabbed her by the throat and was squeezing it shut. Whatever hypnotic spell the torchlight and music had cast on her had been brusquely disrupted by reality, leaving her with nothing but a feeling of horrified disbelief. Fluttershy could feel how she was struggling to comprehend what she was seeing, she could feel how her brain refused to believe what her eyes were telling it.

She had expected it to be bad, to be horrible. Her friends had all told her time and time again that what she would see at the parade would be bad and horrible. She had never once doubted their words. But now that she could see the heresy with her very own eyes, Fluttershy knew that her friends were completely wrong. This was beyond bad, far beyond horrible. The sight of Princess Celestia, broken, defeated and humiliated, made her feel ill. She could only stare with pure incomprehension as ponies booed and slung insults at their former monarch. She felt herself grow light in the head when she saw the masses bombard the broken alicorn with sticks, stones and rotten filth.

Suddenly, it almost became entirely too much for the timid pegasus to bear. The sight and sounds of the masses made her feel sick. Fluttershy felt dizzy, and she was sure her stomach had flipped upside down. She could barely suppress the urge to throw up, and she felt weak all over. She had become a worrisomely pale, and she grabbed the edges of her seat as tightly as she could to prevent herself from falling.

“Fluttershy? Darling, are you quite alright?!” she heard Rarity call out, before the white hooves of her fashion-loving friend wrapped around her and kept her from falling out of her seat. Fluttershy couldn’t respond to her friend’s inquiry, however, her attention drawn completely by the chained Princess. She couldn’t tear her eyes away from the sight, even though she badly, desperately wanted to.

Fluttershy could not understand how any pony could do such a thing to Princess Celestia, could treat her like that. Even though she didn’t know the Princess as personal and as well as Twilight did, Fluttershy had still nothing but the utmost respect and love for her monarch. The Princess had always been kind and fair whenever she had seen her, always ready to give love or advice to any pony in need of it. How could any pony do this to such a wonderful mare? She glanced at the cheering masses, and felt another wave of nausea welling up.

How could they cheer like that? How could they be happy that their princess was being mistreated as such? How could they celebrate her capture? How could they humiliate her like that, attack her like that, and give praise and hail to the ponies who had unjustly taken her place? These questions ran rampant in Fluttershy’s mind, taunting and tormenting her, and she didn’t know the answer to any of them. The events she was witnessing were so hallucinatory, so absurdly contradictory of everything she had always known, that she could not understand. It went beyond her capabilities to do so, and she doubted any other pony in her situation would have been able to.

She was pulled from the maelstrom of her thoughts and back to reality when she heard Twilight speak, or rather, growl. The purple unicorn said only two words, but they were enough to make Fluttershy finally draw her eyes away from the broken Celestia and see who followed behind the Princess.

“Shining Armour,” Twilight growled, her face twisted into a mask of fury. She was positively seething, nearly to the point where her anger made her body shake. She had been worrying over Fluttershy when Rarity had called out to the pegasus, but then she had caught sight of her brother from the corner of her eyes and couldn’t refrain from looking. She knew it made her a terrible friend, but Twilight couldn’t help it.

She watched her brother march by, and she barely resisted the urge to gag with disgust when she saw how proudly he carried himself and how high he held his head. Shining Armour looked magnificent and powerful, and he wore an impressive, mighty suit of armour. There were a few brightly glowing spots on the suit, and Twilight recognised it as the glow of charged magicite. She could see how enthralled and impressed the crowd and even the nobles were by his appearance, but it only served to fuel her anger and hatred for her brother.

Shining Armour marched at the head of the entire Republican army, keeping watch over Princess Celestia and ensuring that nopony tried to come to her aid. Following him were the three high commanders of the Republican army’s three units, one of which Twilight recognised as Spitfire, nicknamed ‘the Phoenix’. Then came, marching in an orderly, military fashion, the lower ranking officers and normal guardsponies and soldiers.

Twilight knew that the parade was much more than just a celebration of the Nobles’ Court’s victory over Celestia. It was also a display of their Republic’s military might, a show of how much they were in control. It sickened her, and she felt filthy watching the entire event. Finally, she could no longer bear to watch it and, after one last apologetic and tearful glance at the broken form of her mentor, she averted her eyes and turned away.

She focussed instead on Fluttershy, who was being held and comforted gently in Rarity’s forelegs. The poor pegasus was still trembling, visibly ill and upset by what she had witnessed. Twilight reached out with one of her hooves and placed it gently on Fluttershy’s shoulder, hoping to bring some solace to her friend.

“Are you alright, Fluttershy?” Twilight asked worriedly. “For a moment there you looked as if you would faint…” Now that she was no longer looking at her brother, she felt ashamed of having her attention taken like that by him when one of her friends needed her. For a moment, she didn’t dare to meet Fluttershy’s eyes.

The pegasus nodded slowly. “I… I’ll be fine,” she answered meekly. Thanks to Rarity’s comforting embrace, as well as her corset having been untied so she could breathe again, Fluttershy had begun to recover from the massive shock she’d been subjected to. “It… it was just… ehm… I… Oh…” She let out a helpless squeak, still not capable of thinking clearly enough to form coherent sentences to voice her thoughts.

“Don’t trouble yourself, darling,” Rarity shushed her gently, running a hoof comfortingly through Fluttershy’s mane. “We understand perfectly how you feel, you don’t have to force yourself to speak of it. Just focus on calming down. Take deep, slow breaths.”

Fluttershy nodded again, and nervously followed Rarity’s advice. What she had seen tonight would haunt her for the rest of her life, of that much she was certain. The pegasus was very grateful for the presence of her two friends. She wouldn’t have been able to cope with what she had witnessed if not for them. She gave them a tentative, small smile, and they responded with warm, comforting smiles of their own.

After a few more minutes, Fluttershy felt that she had finally calmed down enough again to be able to speak. She looked at Twilight and gestured nervously at the many lines of soldiers passing by. “U… um… W… was that Spitfire behind your… ehm…”

“Behind Shining Armour? Yes,” Twilight confirmed with a nod. She didn’t like being reminded of the sibling she had rejected, but didn’t take it out on Fluttershy. It wasn't her friend’s fault and she wasn’t angry at Fluttershy in the least. “She’s the general of the pegasi unit of the Republican army, only one rank below the Marshall.”

“There are no Wonderbolts here, you see,” Rarity added calmly, still holding Fluttershy in an embrace. “So instead of a career as a stunt flyer, she chose a career in the army.” She tapped her chin thoughtfully with one of her hooves. “I didn’t recognise the other two generals, though, nor did I ever quite catch their names. Twilight, darling, how about you?”

The other unicorn shook her head. “I’m afraid I’m as clueless as you, Rarity,” she answered. “I only know Shining Armour’s name because he happened to be my brother, and Spitfire’s because I recognised her from my other life.”

Rarity nodded in understanding. “Well, we are quite alike then! A proper lady shouldn’t bother with military matters, in any case,” she said. There was a brief moment of silence, before Rarity looked down at the pegasus in her forelegs. “Now then, Fluttershy, what do you say we cease attending this event and head home?”

“Good idea,” Twilight commented. She glanced briefly at the street, where row after row of soldiers were still marching by in a perfectly ordered fashion. The Court Nobles, the Princess and the high officers were already gone from sight. “I think we’ve all seen enough.”

Fluttershy nodded, perhaps a tad too eagerly. “Y… yes, I agree,” she stammered. “L… let’s go… If… if you don’t mind, that is?”

“We certainly do not,” Rarity replied, brushing Fluttershy’s worries off as if they were nothing. Twilight and herself got off their seats and helped Fluttershy out of hers.

The pegasus was still shaken by what she had seen, and her legs didn’t feel very strong underneath her, as if they could barely carry her weight. Luckily her friends were there to support her all the way. Quietly the three mares snuck away, trying to leave as inconspicuously as possible without looking suspicious. They needn’t have bothered, for none saw them leave. The other ponies in the stand were simply too enthralled by the soldiers marching by to pay any attention to them, for which they were grateful.

They left the tribune, the parade and the ecstatic masses behind them, and vanished into a small back alley. With the main roads packed with ponies due to the parade, they would have to take a longer detour to get back to Rarity’s villa, but none of them really minded. A quiet walk would help them to sort out their thoughts, which were a turbulent maelstrom after having watched the parade.

Fluttershy especially had a lot to process and come to grips with. The parade had shaken her to her very core and had turned her view of Equestria, and the ponies that lived in it, upside down. And yet, the thing that had truly shocked and downright scared her, wasn’t the state Princess Celestia was in. Nor was it the cheering of the masses as they bombarded the alicorn with insults, filth and stones. It had been something else entirely, a small thing that she had noticed. Fluttershy had seen it for only a very, very short moment, but it had been enough to make her feel utterly terrified.

When Princess Celestia had been dragged past the stand, she had walked with her head down, her face obscured by her dirtied mane. Yet for a brief moment, a breeze had blown the hair from the Princess’ face, and Fluttershy had gotten the chance to look in Celestia’s eyes. She had been able to see the expression that Celestia had held within them, and the sight had made Fluttershy’s blood run cold.

For the Princess’ magenta eyes, once so kind and loving, had been filled with hate.

End of chapter 15.

Author's Note

For the parade, I drew some inspiration from Final Fantasy VIII. In that game (at the end of disc 1, to be precise), there's a parade for the Sorceress Edea, which gave me some ideas for today's chapter. I listened to the music that played during the game's parade while writing this chapter, and I really feel that it enhances and strengthens the feelings I'm trying to create with what happens during the Republic's parade. If you're interested, have a listen to the music here.

16. Things that go bump in the night

Wings of Tomorrow
Lament of the World

16. Things that go bump in the night

The three mares walked quietly through some small alleyway of Canterlot, slowly making their way to the higher tier of the city where Rarity’s estate was built. The noise of the parade and the crowd watching it had died down to nothing more but some minor disturbance in the distance. In these small streets, the night seemed cool and peaceful, and it helped to soothe their troubled minds. Twilight, Fluttershy and Rarity didn’t speak a lot, too occupied with their own thoughts to be able to form a coherent conversation.

Fluttershy was still struggling with what she had witnessed. So many unspeakable things had been done right in front of her, and the ponies who committed those heinous crimes did not feel an ounce of shame for their actions. Quite the opposite, they were proud of themselves, and the masses praised them for it. It was unsettling for the pegasus to see that ponies were capable of doing such horrible things to another pony.

She didn’t fool herself into thinking that back when time was normal everypony had been polite and friendly. She knew that wasn’t the case. Merchants had tried to abuse her shyness to ask higher prices from her, she had been bullied when she was a filly and the Canterlot elite had always been rather snobbish and condescending to common ponies. Fluttershy knew that Equestria hadn’t been perfect when time was normal, but she never said as much. There were always rotten apples in the orchard.

However, it was the way this kind of behaviour was treated and the scale on which it occurred that made all the difference. Sure, there might have been mean ponies in the old time, but their behaviour was never approved of, and acting like that would have consequences. Here, however, ponies cheered when another pony was horribly mistreated and abused. Ponies living in poverty was normal. The upper class exploiting the lower class was seen as the way things had to be. It was all wrong, and Fluttershy didn’t know how to handle it. It clashed entirely with her view of ponykind.

It made her think about herself and her place in the world. Fluttershy was a timid mare, and she never liked to make herself get noticed in any kind of way. She preferred to live in peace and quiet, undisturbed if possible, except by visits of her friends, those were always welcome. But she was also a very moral pony, with a strong sense of justice that belied her timid nature. She never approved of bullying or mistreatment of the weak, even if she was too scared to do something about it when she saw it happen.

One of her greatest moments of shame was when she had been such an awful pony herself, due to her taking the advice on being assertive from Iron Will far beyond what was acceptable. It made her uncomfortable thinking about it, just as it made her uncomfortable thinking about anypony being bullied or mistreated. To know that Princess Celestia herself was one of those ponies who suffered unjustly at the hooves of horrible, mean ponies, stirred a strange kind of feeling within Fluttershy. A kind of urge to step forward, put her hoof down and end the mistreatment.

Fluttershy inwardly cringed and squeaked timidly. Those kind of thoughts were so unlike her. She really didn’t like what happened to the Princess, and of course she wished that Princess Celestia was free. But what could she do about it? She was just a timid, little pegasus who was afraid of her own shadow. Certainly, she had learned that every contribution, no matter how small, mattered, when it was her help that had allowed her fellow pegasi to transport water from Ponyville to Cloudsdale with a tornado. But there was a big difference between doing a bit of flying and freeing a Princess from being maltreated by an entire nation.

She frowned a bit as she struggled with her emotions. Watching the parade had made her want to put an end to it, to step forward and come to the Princess’ aid. Luckily she hadn’t done that, for there was no doubt that she’d be in a dungeon now if she had. The inner voice that urged her to do something remained, however. Briefly, Fluttershy wondered if her friends heard the call of this inner voice as well. Had Rainbow Dash heard it, too, and heeded its call? No doubt she had. Rainbow Dash was a brave and strong pony, after all, unlike her.

“Fluttershy?”

Twilight’s voice pulled the pegasus from her thoughts, and she glanced sideways to look at the unicorn curiously. Twilight was looking at Fluttershy with worry on her face.

“Are you alright?” Twilight wanted to know. “You’ve been quiet since we left the parade… I know we all haven’t said much, but even so, when Rarity and I did talk, you never joined in any of our conversations…” She bit her lower lip briefly. “I… I’m just worried that it was all a bit too much for you.” Realising what she had just implied, Twilight hurried to add: “Ehm, no offense, of course.”

Fluttershy smiled shyly and gave Twilight a gentle nudge with her muzzle. “It’s okay, Twilight, I’m not offended,” she assured her studious friend. “I… I just have a lot to think about…” she admitted.

Twilight nodded slowly. “I understand,” she said quietly. “Can’t say I feel any different.” The lavender unicorn sighed deeply. “Ever since I saw the parade the first time, I couldn’t get the images of it out of my head. I even had nightmares about it. Seeing it again tonight was…” A shiver ran down Twilight’s spine. “Difficult,” she finished.

“I can imagine,” Rarity chimed in, giving Twilight a sympathetic look. “I feel much the same. Seeing the parade always makes me feel…” The unicorn trailed off and hesitated, then shook her head and made a helpless gesture with one of her hooves. “Well, you understand, don’t you,” she asked, looking imploringly at her friends.

Her two friends nodded quietly, and the three mares walked on in silence for a while. Then Twilight gave Fluttershy a curious look. “So, Fluttershy, now that you’ve actually seen the parade… Do you regret that you went to watch it?” she asked hesitatingly.

Fluttershy didn’t immediately reply, for she had to think deeply about the answer. Finally, she slowly shook her head. “I… I don’t,” she said timidly. “Um… It wasn’t nice and pleasant at all… But… But I’m still glad that I went to see it. At least, I now… know?” The pegasus gave Twilight an apologetic look. She couldn’t find any better words to express how she felt about the event, but a comforting smile from Twilight told her that it was okay, that her friends understood what she meant.

“Well, I for one am glad that your curiosity was satiated to your liking, darling,” Rarity said. “I hope it means that we won’t be doing this kind of excursion again next year, pardon me for saying so.”

“Oh, I definitely don’t want to see it again,” Fluttershy replied hastily. “I just felt that I had to witness it at least once, and now that I have, I’d like to never see or think of it again.” She glanced nervously at her friends. “If that’s okay with you, that is.”

“But of course, my dear,” Rarity assured her, giving the pegasus mare a warm smile as she did so. “It is a rather sore subject that all of us prefer to avoid, so we have no problem with agreeing to Fluttershy’s wishes, don’t we, Twilight?”

“None whatsoever,” Twilight confirmed with a nod. “Though if you feel the need to talk about it because it is bothering you, don’t hesitate to come to us to do so,” she added after a short pause. “We’re always willing to listen.”

“Naturally,” Rarity agreed, “we’re your friends after all, Fluttershy.” The words of her friends made the pegasus smile a bit, and she thanked her friends for their kindness. The conversation seemed to have eased some of the tension that had come over the three of them, and they continued their trip through the small streets of Canterlot in better spirits, while making some small talk along the way.

“Rarity, are we lost?” Twilight asked sceptically, when the group, after half an hour of walking, still hadn’t reached Rarity’s estate. It was hard to say if they even made much progress or not, for at night all the small streets of Canterlot looked the same.

“Why, of course not, Twilight,” Rarity replied smoothly. “What a thing to say! We’re merely taking a bit of a detour to avoid the crowds that the parade has assembled.” The street they were currently walking through led them to a small square, with a tiny if lovely fountain in the middle of it, surrounded by beds of flowers. The white unicorn tapped her chin with one of her hooves, then glanced up at the sky. “Hmm… Was the castle supposed to be this close to the Prancent Van Hoof square?”

Fluttershy let out a soft squeak, and Twilight planted her hoof firmly against her face. “We’re lost, aren’t we?” the lavender unicorn groaned, while giving Rarity a deadpan look. She then moved over to Fluttershy to put the timid pegasus at ease.

Rarity held her head up defiantly. “Twilight, darling, don’t be ridiculous,” she chided, a tad too defensively. The white unicorn crossed the square and walked to the street that bent to the right around the corner. “I know my way around the city I live in, thank you very much. Why, it is just around this corner and…”

That was as far as Rarity got before getting rudely interrupted. Fate had it that just as the white mare rounded the corner, another pony, who was running at top speed, did so as well. Startled by Rarity’s sudden appearance, the other pony could no longer change course or stop, and barrelled straight into her, knocking the both of them to the ground.

“Rarity!” Twilight and Fluttershy exclaimed in unison, while rushing over to their fallen friend. The white unicorn was groaning, but was already trying to climb back to her hooves.

“Are you alright?” Twilight asked, her face bearing a mask of worry, while she helped Rarity up. Once the white unicorn stood on her four hooves again, albeit a bit shakily, Fluttershy began to check her over, looking for any sign of injuries.

“I’ll live,” Rarity replied slowly. Her head was spinning a bit, and she held up a hoof against it in an attempt to steady it. When her vision had stabilized again, she looked down at herself and noticed the state of her dress. With an expression of distaste on her muzzle, Rarity tried to smooth out her gown a bit, to try and minimalize the damage. As she did so, she brushed against her ribs, which made her wince. “Oww… It would appear that my ribs are rather bruised.”

“I’m not surprised, that was quite the blow,” Twilight muttered. She looked around for the pony who had ran into her friend, and noticed the culprit laying sprawled on the street a few steps away, unmoving. Worried, Twilight cautiously began to approach Rarity’s assailant. Behind her, Fluttershy was fussing over Rarity.

“Oh, Rarity, we must take you to a doctor! Such a blow to your ribs can be very dangerous!” Twilight heard Fluttershy say.

“Fluttershy, darling, I am fine, simply a bit bruised is all,” Rarity replied calmly. The pegasus wouldn’t have any of it, and kept insisting that Rarity get some medical care. Eventually, the white unicorn sighed and gave in. “Very well, my dear, if it will make you feel better, I’ll let you take a look at me once we get home, yes?”

Fluttershy began to stammer that she wasn’t a doctor and not at all qualified to provide medical care for her, but Rarity politely ignored her and turned to the pony who had ran her over. “My dear, I am aware that it is night and rather dark,” she said coldly to her assailant. “But that is no reason to not watch where you are going or to run into a lady. The least you could do is help her up!”

“Ehm, Rarity,” Twilight interrupted her from where she stood next to the fallen pony, who had still not moved. “I don’t think he’s capable of helping any pony up. Look.” She gestured at the stallion at her hooves, while urging her friends to come closer. Fluttershy and rarity hesitatingly complied, feeling not at all at ease. Twilight’s had a grim look in her eyes, and the tone of her voice had been dark and serious.

Fluttershy nervously shuffled towards the fallen pony. She could see now that it was a pegasus, a stallion to be precise, dressed entirely in black, formfitting clothes. His torso and head were protected by an armour and faceplate, respectively, both fashioned from obsidian, as black as the night. He had some peculiar kind of shoes on his hooves, which silenced his hoofsteps even when running. That explained why Rarity hadn’t heard him coming before he ran into her.

Fluttershy came a bit closer, and then noticed how a dark liquid leaked from the stallion’s body and formed tiny streams on the street. She realised what it was at the same time Rarity did, and both mares recoiled, backing away from the stallion in shock.

“B… blood?!” Rarity exclaimed, and she held a hoof before her mouth in a vain attempt to mask the horrified, shocked expression on her face. “B… but he only ran into me! That can’t have injured him to the point of bleeding!”

“He was injured before he ran into you, Rarity,” Twilight replied, while checking the pegasus’ body for the precise location of his injuries. His armour had been pierced straight through in multiple places, a feat only offensive magic was capable of. She shared these findings with her friends, then announced the only logical conclusion: “These wounds weren’t inflicted by an accident. This stallion was attacked.”

A heavy silence fell as Twilight’s words sunk in. Rarity looked tensed and worried, while Fluttershy stood rooted to the ground. The pegasus’ eyes wide and her body frozen with terror, something that her two unicorn friends found entirely understandable. The night had been hard enough on Fluttershy so far due to the shy mare having to deal with everything she had seen at the parade. To have a stallion pooling in his own blood, due to an encounter with other ponies, added on top of that would be too much for any pony.

“We have to move. I don’t doubt he ran into you because he was fleeing from his assailants,” Twilight said to Rarity. The lavender unicorn glanced around the small square quickly, checking for any sign of movement. Then she leaned over and placed her ear to the stallion’s body. Relief flooded her features. “Good, he’s still breathing. We should get him to a doctor as quickly as possible. I’ll carry him while…”

A bloodied hoof suddenly reached out and grabbed her dress, staining it with blood. The hoof yanked Twilight down and she unexpectedly found herself staring into a yellow eye with a cat-like pupil. The sudden movement and the abnormal eye startled Twilight badly, and she screamed, tearing herself loose and backing away. The hoof that had grabbed her belonged to the wounded pegasus, whose ears twitched when Twilight screamed, indicating that he heard the noise, or was at the very least aware of it.

Twilight’s scream had startled Fluttershy and Rarity badly, and the two mares recoiled in fright as well, letting out a scream just like their purple friend. They now found themselves staring from each other to the wounded stallion, while their hearts hammered inside their chests at an unhealthy pace. When they finally realised that there was no immediate danger and calmed down again, Twilight gathered what courage she had left and approached the fallen pony again.

She noticed now that the pegasus’ wings were those of a bat, which, combined with his cat-like eyes, made her realise that he was a Night guard. This only served to confuse her further, for the Night Guard had been disbanded a millennium ago, and since Princess Luna was dead in this time, it had never been reinstated. This begged the question where this stallion had gotten the enchantment from that Luna used to cast upon her guards to make them suit her peculiar tastes, when there was no Princess of the Night here to cast it.

The Night guard’s leg reached out in erratic and uncoordinated movements, and his body convulsed periodically. His eyes glanced around wildly, seeing things that were not there. The loss of blood and his injuries had taken their toll upon him, leaving him fevered and delirious. It was a terrible sight, horrifying and heart-wrenching, and it made every one of the three friends realise that he was not going to make it.

When Twilight stood next to him again, his bloodied hoof found her chest once more, but he no longer had the strength to yank her down to eye-level. As she looked down upon him with pity and compassion, the pegasus’ gaze settled upon her, but did not see her. His shocked brain only saw her as a fellow Night guard, a comrade.

“Plans… in saddlebags…” the stallion whispered, his voice raspy and weak. It obviously took a great deal of his strength to speak, and blood began to leak down the corner of his mouth. He futilely tugged at Twilight’s dress, his delirious eyes looking desperately into hers, and Twilight found that she could not break eye contact.

“Bring them… to… to… admiral Rain… Rainbow… Dash…” he whispered, his words and eyes imploring her to heed his request. His body convulsed again, and he coughed up blood, making Twilight wince and feel sick. “Admiral… Rain… bow… Dahh… shh…” A last convulsion wrecked his body, and then his hoof dropped down from Twilight’s chest, leaving only a red smear on her dress. The Night guard had ceased moving, and Twilight averted her eyes and turned her head away.

“I… is he…?” Fluttershy stammered meekly, her voice barely audible. She stared at the unmoving body of the pegasus with wide and panicky eyes, before glancing nervously at Twilight, quietly imploring the unicorn to deny what her eyes were telling her.

Alas, Twilight knew that there was no denying the truth, and she nodded curtly. “Dead, yes,” she confirmed quietly, the word feeling strange and alien on her tongue. The unicorn let out a sigh, then lit up her horn with magic, focussing hesitatingly on the saddlebags that were strapped to the deceased pegasus’ back. She found them strangely resistant to her telekinetic grip, but with an extra burst of power from her horn she successfully managed to pry one of the bags open, revealing a bundle of scrolls that had been hastily pushed in the bags. Twilight wanted to pick them up with her magic, but a hoof on her shoulder stopped her.

“Darling, whatever are you doing?!” Rarity hissed, her face mere inches away of Twilight’s own. The white unicorn glanced around nervously, and appeared to be quite panicked.

“Picking up these scrolls,” Twilight replied simply, briefly looking at Rarity out of the corner of her eyes. “Didn’t you hear this poor stallion? He mentioned Rainbow Dash!”

“Oh, I heard, I heard him quite clearly! All the more reason to ask what in Equestria you are doing, Twilight!” Rarity replied, her voice rising a bit and sounding even more panicky. “Haven’t you realised by now that this unfortunate gentlecolt was a royalist?! He obviously stole something of value from the Republic, got caught by the guards and was injured while fleeing from them! No doubt they are still searching for him, and if they find us here, or with those scrolls, we’ll spend the rest of our lives in the dungeons of Canterlot Castle!”

“All the more reason to let me take the scrolls, so we can hurry up and get out of here,” Twilight said, sounding surprisingly calm. She brushed off Rarity’s hoof and began to try and unbuckle the belt that tied the saddlebags to the Night guard’s body. Rarity stood rooted to the ground, her jaw dropped and her eyes wide with shock.

“Twilight, this… This is high treason!” she sputtered helplessly, finding herself too overwhelmed by her fellow unicorn’s sudden actions to try and stop her. Again Rarity looked around the square, panicking, fearing that every moment somepony would come out and see them. “We don’t even know what to do with these scrolls! Take them to Rainbow Dash?! Celestia knows where she is! We’ll be caught before we can even deliver them! They’ll skin me alive for this, Twilight! You’re putting your friends and my family in danger! Twilight! Twilight Sparkle, are you listening to me?!”

Evidently Twilight wasn’t, for the lavender unicorn was lifting the saddlebags up with her magic and placing them on her own back by the time Rarity was finished with her rant. Rarity was stunned speechless for a moment, then looked around desperately for help.

“Fluttershy, darling, please say something! Talk her out of this!” Rarity pleaded, her panic rising with every passing second. She could only think of how this was not supposed to have happened. The plan had been to watch the parade and then go home to spend a lovely weekend with two of her best friends, not to get caught up in the civil war!

Fluttershy, however, didn’t react in the slightest to Rarity’s desperate plea. The timid pegasus was still staring blankly at the unmoving body of the bat-winged pegasus. Seeing this, Rarity felt as if she was quickly losing it. Everything was going to Tartarus. Her career, her business, her status, but more importantly, the safety of her little sister and her parents, were at risk now all because of Twilight’s actions. She turned around to face her fellow unicorn and give her a firm piece of her mind, but one look in Twilight’s eyes was enough to silence her.

“Rarity, I understand what you’re saying, but I’m not changing my mind,” the lavender unicorn said firmly, her eyes looking grim and serious. “All these years I’ve lived knowing that everything was wrong and that I couldn’t do a thing to change that. Now I have a chance to act, and if bringing these scrolls to Rainbow Dash will help in even the slightest way to free the Princess, then I’ll do so.” Twilight reached out and placed one of her hooves on Rarity’s shoulders, smiling apologetically at her friend.

“But I’m not so selfish as to make decisions for you. If you don’t want anything to do with this, then that’s fine. I understand it completely, and I’m not angry at all,” she said, her voice sounding kind and gentle again. She gestured with her head at the still immobilized Fluttershy. “You take Fluttershy with you and go home, and forget that you ever met me here. I’ll do this on my own. I don’t expect you to endanger Sweetie Belle or to give up everything you’ve worked so hard to get, nor will I ask that of you. So please, for your own safety, take Fluttershy with you and go.”

Rarity gaped at Twilight in disbelief. She couldn’t believe that this was happening, that everything had spiralled out of control so unexpectedly and so quickly. She was entirely not prepared for this, to make this kind of choice. The white unicorn kept staring at her friend, who was still smiling understandingly. Rarity’s mind staggered. Was this it? She asked herself. Was this how she’d lose one of her best friends? She opened her mouth to say something, anything, to try and stop Twilight. Just as the first word was about to cross her lips, however, she was rudely interrupted.

“Freeze!”

The command was spoken in a harsh, loud voice, startling the three mares out of their skin. There was the sound of steel-clad hooves thundering over the street, and then suddenly eight guards stormed into the square, with two more pegasi sweeping in from above. In no time at all they had surrounded the three friends, who now found themselves looking directly at the sharp edges and tips of the lances and swords pointed at them. Twilight and Rarity nervously stepped back until they bumped into each other. Fluttershy, due to the harsh order from a moment before and the weapons pointed at her, was finally shaken out of her daze. Seeing ten guards glaring darkly at her frightened her terribly, and with a squeak she tried to hide behind her two unicorn friends.

Said two unicorns were glancing fearfully from one guard to the next, realising perfectly that they were in deep trouble, especially given that Twilight was clearly wearing the saddlebags of a wanted fugitive. They couldn’t be caught any more redhoofed even if they tried. The expressions on the guards’ faces also weren’t very hope giving. Twilight and Rarity could see that the guards were breathing hard, indicating that they had been chasing the deceased pegasus for quite a while. All of them looked anything but pleased, most of them having looks of seething rage within their eyes, while a few of them looked at the three mares with undisguised glee.

One of the guards, a unicorn stallion stepped forth from the circle, glanced at the body of the bat-winged pegasus and then at the three friends. He was dressed in the standard red-and-black uniform of the Republican guard, over which he wore his silver-coloured armour and helm. In the telekinetic grasp of his horn, he held a sharp lance, pointed straight at them.

“Well, well, it would appear the intruders have more accomplices than we thought,” he finally said, his voice cold and impassive. He looked at Fluttershy, who cowered under his gaze, and then at Rarity and Twilight, who were sweating profusely. The guard snorted in disdain. “Passing the documents on to spies disguised as civilians, hmm? I must admit, a plan more clever than I gave you royalist scum credit for. I had expected him,” he gestured disdainfully at the fallen pegasus, “to try and escape the city instead.”

Rarity gathered whatever courage she could find. Despite the situation being precarious, she was still an upper class citizen. Perhaps she could use her considerable influence to sway these ponies and convince them it was all an unfortunate understanding. “Ah, if I may, I fear there is a bit of a misunderstanding here, darling,” she began, trying to sound like her usual calm and collected self. “We aren’t…”

“Silence!” one of the other guards barked furiously. He did a step forward and put the tip of his lance against Rarity’s throat. The white unicorn swallowed fearfully. “We won’t hear any of your lies. The nerve of your royalist traitors. First you break into the Marshall’s office, on the night of the parade no less, and then you try to deny any involvement when you get caught? Do you think we are foals?!”

“We aren’t royalists,” Rarity growled, narrowing her eyes. “I am Lady Rarity, and me and my hoofmaidens were simply returning home after witnessing the parade, when that ruffian,” she also gestured at the deceased pegasus, while inwardly apologising for insulting him, “ran into me. He muttered some nonsense and then passed away. We have nothing to do with him.”

A round of low chuckles came from the circle of guards. “If what you say is true, milady,” the first guard said, voice dripping with sarcasm. “Then why is your ‘hoofmaiden’ wearing the fugitive’s saddlebags?”

Rarity tried to mask her fear, not wanting to let the guard know that he had cornered her. Twilight glanced at her friends, and was about to step forward that her friends were innocent and that she had deceived them, when Rarity spoke again. “Well, when that ruffian who knocked me to the floor ceased moving, naturally we wished to learn his identity, so we searched his saddlebags,” Rarity said, having been struck by sudden inspiration. “That’s when we found these documents. Seeing as I knew that the gentlecolt had been running from something, I concluded, correctly I now see, that he had stolen these papers. I ordered my hoofmaiden to pick them up so we could bring them to the guardstation.”

The first guard was silent for a moment, but then he smiled, and the sight made the blood of the three mares freeze. “Likely story,” he said, and then chuckled again. “Let me tell you what really happened here, milady. You and your ‘hoofmaidens’ waited here for your accomplices to arrive from the palace. They would then hand you the documents, and while we continued to chase them for naught, the three of you would vanish into the crowd unnoticed and we would be none the wiser.” He looked at his fellow guards and then gestured at the three mares. “I’ve heard enough. Arrest them.”

Rarity stomped her hoof. “I am a personal friend of Lord Fancypants himself! I assure you that he won’t be happy if he hears how one of his acquaintances was falsely accused of high treason!”

“And I assure you that we will apologise profusely to Lord Fancypants should we be mistaken,” the guard replied effortlessly. He grinned at Rarity again, the feral grin of a hunter who was about to jump on top of its prey and devour it. “If you have nothing to hide, than what are you so afraid of? If you truly are innocent, then that will soon be proven.”

The guards moved in to seize them, and it became clear that they would not listen to reason. Their pride had been deeply insulted when the royalists had broken into the very heart of the Republic on the most important night. Guilty or innocent by this point mattered little to them, they simply wanted to catch whatever suspect they could find, so they would not have to appear before their superiors with empty hooves.

Fluttershy was scared, no, she was terrified. For a moment she had believed that Rarity would be able to get them out of this, but that hope had quickly been crushed. Now the guards were approaching them, pointing their weapons at her, with those terrifying, pleased smirks on their faces. Her body trembled, and she tried to back away from the guards that tried to detain her. She bumped into the corpse of the bat-winged pegasus, lost her balance and landed on her back into something wet. She lifted her hoof before her eyes, and saw that it was now stained red and dripping with a dark liquid. Blood.

A soundless scream escaped her throat and she panicked, trying to crawl away from the corpse and the approaching guards. She was sweating, her heart was beating out of her chest. She was so afraid that she was certain she would wet herself. Her dress had gotten stuck on the Night guard’s armour, pulling her back every time she tried to get away from him. Everywhere she looked there was red, and the rusty scent of blood clouded her senses. She screamed, loud this time, and curled into a ball, shivering and shaking. There was blood everywhere. This was the end. Those ponies would kill her.

“Fluttershy!” she heard both Rarity and Twilight cry. The two unicorns desperately tried to get to their terrified friend. Their voices made Fluttershy look in their direction, just in time to see Twilight get brutally pinned to the ground by four guards. She gasped as she saw Rarity struggling against two guards that had grabbed her.

“Unhand me right this instant, you ruffians!” Rarity snarled. The unicorn was furious, and her anger clouded her senses. The only thing she wanted was to break free and get to Fluttershy, so she could protect and comfort her dear friend. Her horn flashed, and the two guards that held her were knocked away from her. Now free, Rarity stormed towards Fluttershy. She ignored her surroundings, focussing only on her pegasus friend. She ignored the guards’ shouting, ignored their efforts to try and capture her.

There was a bang, followed by a bright flash.

The world seemed to grow silent as Rarity hit the ground, a disbelieving expression on her face. Blood began to flow from the hole in her stomach, where the bolt of magic had gone straight through her. Her mind, in a state of shock, tried to make her body move, but it no longer obeyed her. The white unicorn lay helplessly and unmoving on the ground, while a pool of red began to form around her fallen form.

End of chapter 16.

17. Struggle in Canterlot

Wings of Tomorrow
Lament of the World

17. Struggle in Canterlot

The world had ended, so why had the struggle not stopped? Why were the guards still trying to detain them? Twilight’s thoughts were a chaotic maelstrom, her mind refusing to believe the evidence her senses were giving her. Rarity couldn’t have been shot straight through her body. Rarity couldn’t be laying on the street in an ever-expanding puddle of her own blood. It wasn’t possible, so why were her eyes trying to tell her so?

A surge of pain brought her back to reality. The guards were still pinning her down brusquely to the street, trying to cuff her and seal away her magic. She couldn’t allow that, she had to do something in order to escape, she had to make sure Rarity would be okay. Twilight tried to push herself up, but against four trained guard her muscular strength was worth nothing. With her ribs pressed against the ground, she found it hard to breathe, but ignored that. Her eyes were focused only on Rarity’s unmoving form, while her mind was thinking of any way to escape and help her friends.

It was her fault that they were in trouble now, after all. It was her fault that Rarity had been badly injured. If she hadn’t committed treason and had simply left the dead pegasus and his cargo where they had found him, the guards wouldn’t have had any reason to arrest them. And if they hadn’t, Rarity would never have resisted in order to help Fluttershy, and thus would never have gotten wounded. Yes, all signs pointed to Twilight being the cause of this mess, and she didn’t attempt to deny it. It was the only logical conclusion.

What had she been thinking, she berated herself. Why had she picked tonight, of all times, to get involved in the civil war, when her friends had been with her? How could she so selfishly have put them at risk because of her own stupid decision? She clearly hadn’t thought this through at all, and Rarity and Fluttershy had had to pay the price for it. Princess Celestia would have been ashamed of her if she had known how irresponsible her student had acted. That, Twilight didn’t doubt in the least.

She had to make up for it. It was her fault, her mess, so it fell to her to fix it. She had to give Fluttershy a chance to grab Rarity and make a run for it. Twilight racked her brain for any spell that would help her now. Many came to mind, spells she had cast in her other life, but they were all so hopelessly complicated, while she didn’t have an ounce of experience in advanced casting in this life. It almost brought tears of frustration to the unfortunate unicorn’s eyes.

A panicky squeak from Fluttershy made her brutally aware of the fact that she was running out of time. Every moment she wasted with doing nothing, Rarity was bleeding empty and Fluttershy was getting closer and closer to a terror-induced mental breakdown. She had to act now. Twilight gritted her teeth, steeled herself for what she was about to do and then gathered all the magical power she could find within herself.

With a cry of fury, Twilight reared up on her legs, throwing the guards that were pinning her down off her with the aid of her magic. Her horn glowed brilliantly as she picked up all ten guards at once in her magical grip. To lift such a weight was a feat not many unicorns were capable off. Yet time being in disarray and the lack of experience did not in any way influence the raw magic potential housed inside Twilight’s body. It was that limitless potential and power that she was accessing now, even if she had no idea how to put it to more refined and advanced use.

Her eyes glowed white as she held the guards aloft. She could feel the power of her magic, raw and nearly limitless, coursing through her body, felt it emanating from her horn and heighten her senses. It was exhilarating and breathtaking, and she could only remember one time when she had experienced feelings like these: when she had earned her cutie mark in her other life. Only now she was more in control of her raw power, could in some limited way steer it in the direction she wanted, instead of it controlling her like it had when she had been a filly.

The guards struggled against her powerful, oppressive telekinetic grip, with the unicorns amongst them putting up the most resistance. Spells were fired at her and weapons thrown, but with a second burst of raw magic, Twilight send all ten of them flying, knocking them into walls, disrupting their aim and making their shots miss.

The unicorn maintained her grip on her opponents, but turned her attention on Fluttershy for the time being. Her glowing white eyes were a frightening sight and made the terrified pegasus cower away from her, but for once Twilight could not put up with the timidity of her dear friend.

“Fluttershy, take Rarity and go!” she commanded, her voice empowered by her magic, something that Twilight was not even aware of. It had happened instinctively, and she had no control over her own abilities beyond basic levitation. Fluttershy didn’t respond, the poor mare could only stare blankly at Twilight, paralyzed by fear. Twilight’s patience snapped. She could feel the guards struggling against her magic that kept them pinned against the ground, and she had no idea how much longer she could keep this up.

“TAKE RARITY AND GO!” she roared, nearly knocking Fluttershy off her feet with the sheer volume of her voice. It worked, however, for Fluttershy finally seemed to come back to reality. She let out a soft whimper of fright, and then scurried over to Rarity as fast as her hooves could carry her.

Satisfied, Twilight turned her full attention back on the guards she still pressed against the ground with her magic. Just at the moment she did this, one of the unicorn guards managed to get off another spell. Twilight noticed the magic bolt in time to react, but couldn’t prevent it tearing through her shoulder. She cried out in pain, but managed to maintain her magical grip despite the bleeding wound.

The lavender unicorn gritted her teeth and put more power into her grip. The prolonged usage of such a great amount of power, combined with the pain from the wound and her inexperience, was beginning to take its toll. She could feel her head begin to throb with pain as a massive headache reared its ugly head. It was not at all unlike that time in her other life when she had lifted an Ursa Minor and a milk tank all the way to the Everfree Forest. The headache she had suffered from that stunt had lasted for three days, and that was back when she actually was very experienced and adept at using magic.

But she had to hold on, for her friends’ sakes. She had to buy enough time for Fluttershy to get away with Rarity. Groaning, Twilight poured even more of her energy into her horn as she struggled to maintain her grip.

Fluttershy hesitatingly put her hooves on Rarity’s fallen form. She didn’t even allow herself to grow ill from the sight of blood, she knew that there was no time for that. Rarity was in genuine danger of dying, and Twilight was giving up her own safety to give her two friends a chance to escape. She couldn’t allow herself to be weak now, Twilight was counting on her to help Rarity. Fluttershy couldn’t let the lavender unicorn down. This entire mess was all her fault to begin with. If she hadn’t insisted on going to see the parade, then her friends wouldn’t have been out here tonight and wouldn’t have gotten injured. She couldn’t faint now or be weak and leave it to Twilight to make up for the mistakes she had made.

The pegasus put her ear to Rarity’s body and was relieved to hear a heartbeat. Fluttershy gently rolled Rarity on her side to take a look at the wound. She knew they had to leave quickly, because Twilight couldn’t hold those guards off forever, but at the same time Fluttershy knew that she couldn’t move Rarity like this. If she did, she might accidentally cause the wound to grow larger, making Rarity lose even more blood.

Fluttershy took the part of Rarity’s dress surrounding the wound between her teeth and, with a sharp pull, tore it away. She quietly apologised to her friend for ruining one of her dresses, but given the circumstances she was sure Rarity would understand. Now that the wound was uncovered, Fluttershy could take a better look at it. A steady stream of blood was leaking out of it, and she could barely supress the urge to throw up. Fluttershy angrily clenched her teeth together and shook her head, forcing herself to stay strong.

Using the strip of cloth she had ripped from the dress, she carefully swiped some of the blood away. Rarity groaned when Fluttershy touched the wound, something Fluttershy took as a good sign. At least her friend could still feel pain, meaning she hadn’t suffered too much blood loss just yet. But that would be but a matter of time, that much soon became clear as Fluttershy examined the injury. Rarity had been struck from the side by some kind of magic bolt, one that had gone straight through her and punched a neat hole as wide as a hazelnut in her. The flesh around the hole had been charred black and looked tainted.

Fluttershy knew little of injuries caused by magic. She hadn’t even known of magic that could cause such injuries in the first place, and knew nothing about how to treat them. The best she could do was to try and stop the bleeding, or to prevent as much loss of blood as possible. She pressed the piece of cloth against the wound, and it quickly became soaked. Thinking quickly, Fluttershy took her own dress between her teeth and ripped a long strip from it. This put the problem before her hooves of how she was going to wrap the make-shift bandage around her friend with Rarity laying on her side. The unicorn was in no condition to stand up, and Twilight was busy.

“Fluttershy, hurry!” she heard Twilight call out to her. The unicorn sounded desperate, and Fluttershy worriedly glanced over her shoulder at the brave mare who was still pinning their attackers to the ground. Twilight’s entire body was trembling from the strain her spell put on it, and she had her head held low to the ground by this point, as if it took too much strength to hold it up. The wound on Twilight’s shoulder was bleeding almost as badly as Rarity’s, and Fluttershy knew that the unicorn wouldn’t be able to keep her spell up for much longer.

The pegasus mare swallowed hard, muttered an apology to Rarity, and then pulled the white unicorn up in her forelegs as best as she could. Rarity groaned painfully again upon being moved, but Fluttershy pushed onward. She held Rarity steady with one leg as best as she could and used her other foreleg and her muzzle to wrap the strip of cloth around Rarity’s waist. The timid pegasus ripped off two more strips from her dress and quickly and sloppily put them around Rarity as well. It was a terribly sloppy job, and probably wouldn’t help much, but it was all she could do for now.

Fluttershy’s hooves and dress were stained with Rarity’s blood by now, a fact that normally would have made the poor pegasus throw up, but Fluttershy stubbornly remained strong. She crouched down and used all of her might to pull Rarity on her back. The pegasus slowly pushed herself up on her hooves, grunting under Rarity’s extra weight. Her joints and muscles cried out in protest and tears flew freely from her eyes, but Fluttershy refused to give up. Her friends depended on her now. She had to stay strong.

She glanced one last time at Twilight, feeling absolutely terrible about having to leave the lavender unicorn behind, but she knew she had no choice. With a groan, Fluttershy managed to lift one hoof and put it before her other one, and then slowly repeated the process with her other hoof. She strained visible under the effort and the extra weight, but nevertheless she was slowly moving away towards one of the streets that would carry her out of the small square.

Twilight managed to sneak a look at Fluttershy from the corner of her eyes. The brave young pegasus had managed to get Rarity on her back and was carrying her to safety now. That was the good news. The bad news was that Fluttershy’s pace was terribly slow, no faster than even Rainbow Dash’s old tortoise pet. Twilight knew that her feathered friend was giving it her all and could not go any faster, but Twilight also knew that at this rate none of them would make it. Already she felt weak, her skull feeling like it was splitting due to the agonizing headache she was suffering from, and the wound on her shoulder didn’t help much.

Twilight desperately tried to keep up her spell, but her strength was fading rapidly. She couldn’t hold on for much longer, and Fluttershy had barely made it out of the plaza yet. The guards could feel the strength of her spell fading, and were putting up more of a struggle than ever before, making it even more difficult for Twilight to keep all ten of them pinned to the ground. She urged herself on, forcing herself to keep it up for just one more second, again and again. For Fluttershy. For Rarity.

The weakened unicorn by now had to keep her eyes shut in order to continue to focus on her spell, and as of such she didn’t see how another one of the unicorn guards she held pinned down managed to fire off another bolt at her. The attack grazed her left foreleg and Twilight cried out in pain. Her leg, already weakened due to the strain put on it by supporting the spell, could no longer carry her weight and gave away. With a cry of dismay, Twilight fell to her knees. The pain from a second bleeding injury shattered the last of her concentration, and her spell faded away.

The guards, no longer held back by magic, immediately climbed to their hooves. If they had been angry before, Twilight’s stunt had made them positively enraged. Two unicorns each fired a blast of magic at the same time. Twilight, wounded and exhausted, was hit by the two attacks simultaneously and blown of her hooves. The two spells had struck her square in the chest and the unicorn cried out in excruciating pain. She came to a sliding halt on the street a good few feet away from her previous location, nearly slamming into a wall.

Twilight’s chest was heaving as she desperately tried to suck in the vital air her lungs were begging for. Stubbornly she tried to force herself to her hooves again, but her legs gave away under her and with a cry of anguish she collapsed on the street. She was still conscious, but her body would no longer obey her, and she could only watch helplessly as the guards approached to arrest her.

“Fluttershy…” she managed to croak with a raspy voice. “R… run…”

When Fluttershy heard Twilight’s first cry of pain, she couldn’t stop herself from looking back to see what was going on. Her eyes widened as she saw the lavender unicorn sink through her knees because of her now injured leg. Then the guards managed to get up again and two of them struck her dear friend right in the chest with their own magic. Fluttershy could feel her jaw drop in horror as she watched Twilight sail through the air and fall into a defeated heap on the street a few feet away.

“Twilight!” she called out, torn between fleeing or staying. Fluttershy knew that Twilight had given everything she had to give her a chance to escape, but Fluttershy also knew that she could never outrun the guards now with Rarity on her back. She wouldn’t get very far, that much was obvious. But when she saw Twilight struggle to get up, only to fall down again and whisper that she had to run, Fluttershy knew she had to at the very least try.

She shut her eyes firmly as she forced herself to turn away from the scene and continue walking with Rarity on her back. The pegasus might as well have saved herself the effort, however, for the next moment a blur of grey and red tackled her from behind. Fluttershy cried out as she was knocked off her feet and rolled over her head, nearly breaking her neck. Rarity was flung from her back and landed with a tortured groan two or three feet away from her.

Dizzy and disoriented, Fluttershy tried to climb to her feet, but the guard who had tackled her calmly walked up to her and wacked her in the head with the blunt end of his spear. Fluttershy wanted to cry out in pain, but no sound left her lips as she fell to the floor.

“Stay down,” she heard a menacing voice growl in her ear, but she couldn’t see the speaker. The world was twisting and turning before her eyes, with nauseating black spots obscuring her vision. Vaguely, she could feel blood trickle down the side of her head from where the guard had struck her.

Fluttershy coughed and tried to move again. She couldn’t give up now, she had to take care of Rarity and Twilight. She had to get them home, where it was safe. Whimpering quietly, she tried to push herself up, but her hooves felt so heavy she could barely move them. Her entire body ached and her head wouldn’t stop spinning. Another agonized moan escaped her throat as she collapsed again. Tears flew from her eyes and mixed with the blood from her head wound, and Fluttershy couldn’t help but sob. She felt weak and helpless to the point where it made her cry. This had to be a nightmare of some kind, but if it was, why hadn’t she woken up by now?

She watched how one of the guards began to drag Rarity’s body back to the others, leaving behind a smear of red on the stones of the street, coming from the white unicorn’s body. The sight sickened Fluttershy, and this time she couldn’t prevent herself from throwing up. Rarity would either die from her injuries or be taken from her. She couldn’t let her happen. Crying and sobbing, Fluttershy again tried to get up.

A cry of pain made her look up. The guards by now had seized Twilight, and they weren’t being too gentle with her, taking no heed of the unicorn’s injuries. They forced Twilight to stand on her hooves despite the hideous wounds on her leg, shoulder and chest. The lavender unicorn was weeping as well, tears of pain and helplessness. One of the guards, an earth pony by the looks of it, moved in to fasten a steel collar with a chain around Twilight’s neck.

Fluttershy saw this, and it triggered images of the collar Princess Celestia had been wearing in her memories. She saw the once beautiful Princess being dragged through the streets, chained, defeated and broken, while booing ponies threw insults and filth at her. She saw Rarity falling to the street, shot down by another pony. She saw Twilight being simultaneously struck in the chest by two blasts of magic and sailing through the air, only to land in a bloody heap on the street. Fluttershy saw it all, and it filled her with rage.

Clenching her jaws firmly together, the pegasus forced herself up to her feet, ignoring the screams of protest from her aching muscles and body. She didn’t care about her body or the pain she felt. She only cared about those awful ponies that were hurting her friends, and she wasn’t going to stand for it.

“LEAVE. MY. FRIENDS. ALONE!”

The words, roared on top of her lungs, were accompanied by a fierce glare from her narrowed eyes that would send Discord running away while screaming in fear. The hairs of all ponies present stood on their ends, their manes billowing in a fierce storm wind that wasn’t there at all. The air seemed to ripple, as if it had suddenly become a flat surface of water and somepony had dropped a pebble in it. Fluttershy’s roar echoed a couple of times before fading away, and then there was silence. There was a brief moment during which the world stood still, and nothing could be heard except the gentle flowing of the water from the fountain in the centre of the square.

Then the guards fell over and dropped to the ground one by one, unconscious.

Fluttershy stared in disbelief at the sight before her. The righteous rage she had just now been filled with had vanished entirely. In its place there was only incomprehension. She had not even the slightest clue as to what had just happened. One moment, the guards were mistreating her friends, hurting them and she was shouting at them to stop. The next, they all lay unconsciously on the ground, and all was quiet. What had happened? Had her shouting done this? She couldn’t believe it. She wasn’t Princess Luna, that scary if wonderful Princess who could blow away ponies with nothing but her voice.

Hesitatingly, she made one tiny step forward, afraid that if she moved the guards would suddenly wake up again. When they didn’t, Fluttershy abandoned all caution and ran towards her friends. Figuring out what had happened could wait, for now she was simply glad that it had happened. Her friends were far, far more important.

She checked on Rarity first, since the white unicorn was the least injured of the two unicorns and thus would take the least time to examine. Being flung off Fluttershy’s back and crashing in the street obviously hadn’t done a lot of good to her, but Fluttershy couldn’t find any sign that Rarity’s injuries had grown majorly worse. Pleased with that for now, the timid pegasus hurried over to where Twilight lay.

The lavender unicorn lay crippled and unmoving on the ground, and she was bleeding just as badly as Rarity, if not worse. Twilight’s chest looked especially bad, as if an explosion had torn the skin clean off and ripped open the flesh. Given the nature of offensive magic, that just might have been exactly what had happened. Fluttershy first of all put her ear against her friend, and could hear her still breathing. Relieved, she immediately began to rip more strips of cloth from her dress to have something to bandage Twilight’s injuries with.

The wound on the leg was the easiest, so Fluttershy decided to start with that one. Just as she tied the first knot to secure the bandage, Twilight stirred and opened her eyes. The unicorn’s stamina amazed Fluttershy, who could barely believe that Twilight could still be conscious when her body was in such a state. A wheezed groan escaped the lavender mare’s lips, and her eyes flashed around rapidly in all directions at first, before finally settling on Fluttershy.

“F… Fluttershy?” Twilight managed to whisper, once her vision had become clear enough again for her to recognise the pegasus. Twilight’s gaze drifted around again, and she noticed the fallen guards. The unicorn groaned again and squeezed her eyes shut a couple of times before opening them once more. “W… what…?” she inquired, baffled by the fact that the unconscious guards hadn’t been a figment of her imagination.

“Shh, it’s okay,” Fluttershy whispered soothingly, and she gave Twilight an affectionate nuzzle. “Don’t worry about that for now. Let’s get you fixed up first, we still shouldn’t stay here…”

“Flu… Fluttershy…” Twilight whispered again, moaning in agony as a convulsion ran through her body and caused her excruciating pain. The poor unicorn closed her eyes and began to cry, even though every sob hurt her tortured body. Fluttershy felt her lower lip tremble as she witnessed the sight, for it nearly moved her to tears herself. She tried to remain strong, however, for her friends still depended on her. She lowered her head to give Twilight another nuzzle before she’d continue treating her wounds.

“WHAT DID YOU DO?!”

The words were shouted by someone behind her, and they startled Fluttershy so badly that it nearly gave her a heart attack. In the blink of an eye the pegasus had turned around to meet the speaker. Her eyes widened in panic as she saw that the guard who had mocked Rarity, the one who had appeared like the leader of the group, had climbed to his feet again and was now staring at her with undisguised hatred in his eyes. The stallion’s entire body was trembling, and he was sweating profusely, as if he had seen something terrifying.

Fluttershy squeaked in fright as the guard did one menacing step towards her, and she instinctively backed away one step herself. She felt no rage, anger or sudden strength as she faced down the guard this time. Now there was only pure panic and fear. She had thought that the guards had been taken out, that she could finally tend to her friends, but again fate decided to be cruel and prove her wrong. There was no way she could take down a full-grown stallion who had trained for years to fight. He’d swat her like the fly she was.

“What did you do to my guards, you freak?!” he growled angrily, a menacing scowl on his face as he approached the paralyzed pegasus with wary strides. “I get chills running down my spine simply by looking at you… You, a measly, weak, little pegasus filly, are scaring a proud member of the glorious Republican Army! What sorcery is this?! WHAT DID YOU DO TO ME?!”

Fluttershy was too terrified to speak, and even if she hadn’t been she wouldn’t have known the answer to his question in any case. How could he be afraid of her? She was the one who was paralyzed with fear at the moment.

“I’ll get you for this, you royalist scum,” the guard snarled again. He was now only a few feet away from her, and soon would be upon her. But still Fluttershy was too scared to move. “I’ll make you talk, I’ll make you spill the secret of that stunt you just pulled, and then I’ll rip out your tongue to serve as an appetizer for the gryphon ambassador! I’LL BEAT YOU UNTIL ALL THAT’S LEFT OF YOU IS A WEAK, HELPLESS AND SOBBING MESS!”

Fluttershy squeaked and tried to back away, but she tripped over Twilight’s body and fell on her back. She was too afraid to try and get up, and could only watch as the guard loomed over her, dark and dangerous. In his eyes was a glimmer of insanity and madness. He raised his hoof, ready to bring it down crushingly on the whimpering mare underneath him.

“Hey, pal, don’t you remember the rule which the whole universe agreed to?”

The voice came from a pony who had appeared down one of the streets. The newcomer’s features were obscured by the shadows in the street, and all Fluttershy could see were three icy blue lights glowing on the pony’s body, and the outline of two large wings that were keeping the pony upright and hovering a foot above the ground.

The mysterious pegasus lifted one of her forelegs, pointing her hoof at the guard. Just as the guard turned around to face the newcomer, his brow furrowed in confusion at the sudden interruption, a gigantic blast of lightning burst forth from the pegasus’ outstretched hoof. The attack blasted him right of his hooves and into a wall on the other side of the square. When the crackling lightning dispersed, the unfortunate guard’s body was smoking. His exposed skin had been charred black by the high voltage that had coursed through his body, and the steel of his armour had melted because of the lightning’s searing heat. He was alive, if barely.

His mysterious attacker landed gently on the ground and trotted forward, stepping into the square and into the moonlight. Fluttershy, who was staring with wide eyes at the smoking body of the guard, slowly turned her head to look at her unknown saviour. Once she laid her eyes on the mysterious pony, a gasp escaped her lips and her eyes widened even more, this time with recognition.

The mysterious pegasus was a mare, wearing an impressive suit of golden armour and a white cape with her cutie mark on it: a cloud with a rainbow-coloured lightning bolt shooting from it. The three icy blue lights Fluttershy had seen were in fact the three shards of magicite the mare had embedded in her armour: one in each bracelet on her forelegs, and one in the circlet she wore on her head. Her wings, which already had an impressive span on their own, were further increased in size and strength by a mechanical exoskeleton that was attached to them.

The pegasus stepped forward until she stood right next to the defeated guard, and looked down on him with contempt. “Nopony makes Fluttershy cry,” she growled, as she blew a strand of her rainbow-coloured mane out of her face.

From where she lay, Twilight managed to lift her head up slightly so she could look at the pony who had just saved them. It took a moment for her shaking vision to stabilise, but once it did and she could make out the pony’s features, her jaw dropped in utter disbelief.

There, standing triumphantly over the charred guard, was Rainbow Dash.

End of chapter 17.

18. Nightmares and messages

Wings of Tomorrow
Lament of the World

18. Nightmares and messages

Twilight woke up because she heard somepony insistently call her name. Groaning, she reluctantly forced her eyes open, not at all pleased that she had been roused from what had been a very nice nap. At first her vision was still blurred by sleep, but after blinking a couple of times everything became clear to her again. A feeling of calm and peace washed over her as she recognised the familiar surroundings of her bedroom in her tower in Canterlot. Taking in a deep, relaxing breath, Twilight turned over in her bed and got ready to dose off again.

Then her brain finally registered where she was, and she sat up with a start. She looked around frantically, utterly confused. It really was her bedroom in her old tower in Canterlot, where she had lived in her previous life until she had been sent to Ponyville by the Princess. But why was she here? She had never been here in her current life, and yet everything looked to be in place. That didn’t make sense. Furthermore, what had happened to Fluttershy and Rarity?

She shook her head, hoping in vain that doing so would make everything go back to normal. When that didn’t produce any result, the thought hit her that perhaps she was hallucinating due to her serious injuries. However, when Twilight glanced down at her chest, she saw that it was completely fine. Her shoulder and leg, too, were completely healthy and uninjured. She bit herself, but cried out in pain when she did so. This was all real, then.

Confusion and doubt began to take hold of her. She was back in her old home, where she had lived while being under the Princess’ tutelage. She wasn’t injured. Had everything that had happened in Canterlot last night been just a dream, then? For that matter, had the whole shift in time due to Steel Gear been nothing but a dream as well? It seemed unreal, and yet… Twilight shook her head again, then turned her head towards the window of her room and looked outside. It was still dark, and the stars and moon were shining brilliantly. Everything appeared to be normal, seemed to be like how it was supposed to be.

A part of her was still very doubtful, screaming at her that she was just dreaming. And yet, she had to admit to herself that she wished it wasn’t. She wanted the whole ordeal due to Steel Gear’s interference in time to be nothing but a dream, a figment of her imagination. Scary, but in the end completely harmless.

“Twilight, sleepyhead, are you awake yet?”

The voice called to her from outside her room, reminding the unicorn suddenly that it had been the same voice that had woken her up in the first place. It sounded eerily familiar, and Twilight felt nervous for some reason. Before she could do anything else, however, the door of her bedroom opened and somepony came in. Slowly, Twilight turned her head to look at the pony who had entered, and when she did, her mouth fell open in shock.

“Oh, you are up, very good, my faithful student,” said the new pony, speaking with a voice that was all too familiar to the lavender unicorn. The voice was warm and motherly, calm and soothing, regal and yet so friendly. It was a voice she loved and knew very well, a voice she had longed to hear for her entire life in the time-altered Equestria. It belonged to a beautiful and majestic alicorn, whose coat and horn were a brilliant white. Her mane and tail had many colours, and billowed in a non-existent wind. Each of her four hooves wore a golden shoe, and on her head and chest rested a golden crown and necklace, respectively. The alicorn stared at Twilight with nothing but love and warmth in her magenta-coloured eyes.

There, standing in the door opening of Twilight’s bedroom, was Princess Celestia.

Twilight wanted to shake her head in disbelief, but her body no longer seemed to obey her. She could only stare and gape at the magnificent pony who was walking calmly towards her. It wasn’t possible. Twilight knew now that she had to be dreaming. No matter how much she wanted it to be true, she knew that Princess Celestia could not be here. Despite the fact that it pained her terribly and that she wanted it to be a dream, she knew that the Princess was, at the moment, back in the dungeons of the Royal Palace. She couldn’t be here, in Twilight’s old home, looking so kindly and warmly at her faithful student.

Twilight finally felt that she had regained control over her body, and she immediately leapt out of her bed and backed away from the approaching Princess. “No. No, no, no. This isn’t real. You aren’t here. You aren’t real. None of this is real! This is all a dream!” she stammered, with a panicky tone in her voice, while her wide eyes never once ceased looking at the magnificent alicorn.

Princess Celestia halted and gave Twilight a puzzled look, before understanding dawned on her beautiful face. The monarch of the sun chuckled softly. “Oh, Twilight, my dear, faithful student, that must have been quite the nightmare, to have left you this worked up!” she said, with that wonderful, kind voice of hers.

Twilight’s right eye twitched, and she wildly shook her head again. “No! No! This is the nightmare! You’re not real!” she said again, almost screaming now. She pointed one of her hooves accusingly at Celestia. “You’re in the dungeons of the Royal Palace, as you’ve been for three and half centuries! You were chained and broken and filthy and humiliated and… and… and you were not here!”

The alicorn’s eyes widened in shock for a moment, but quickly returned to their normal size. Celestia pressed one of her hooves before her muzzle in a futile attempt to stifle her giggles. “Oh, Twilight, you have quite the imagination!” she said, good-naturedly. “Why in the world would I be in the dungeons of my own palace? And as a prisoner, no less?” She shook her head and chuckled again.

Twilight looked at her wearily, unsure of what to do or say. She knew that none of this could be real, though she badly wanted it to be. Oh, how she longed to run up to the princess and hug her! But she couldn’t. She wouldn’t. This wasn’t real. It was a dream, a nightmare, all of it.

Suddenly, a great, white and soft wing was gently wrapped around her, and she looked up, startled. Celestia had appeared at her side out of nowhere, and was now holding the smaller unicorn in a comforting embrace. The alicorn smiled down at Twilight, then nuzzled the lavender unicorn lovingly in the neck. “My faithful student,” Celestia said soothingly. “You’ve had a bad dream, nothing more.”

“B… but… Princess…” Twilight sputtered, but Celestia silenced her protests by pressing one of her hooves against the unicorn’s muzzle.

“Hush, calm down. Everything is fine,” the princess assured her student. “Now come along, you wouldn’t want to miss the Summer Sun Celebration, would you?”

Twilight blinked, then looked up at her mentor in confusion. “The Summer Sun… What… I mean… It’s today?”

Suddenly Twilight noticed that she and the Princess were no longer in her bedroom, but standing on a stage somewhere in Canterlot. With a gasp, she recognised it as the same place where she had witnessed Princess Celestia raise the sun when she had been a filly. Only now she was here as an adult, and there were no ponies watching the celebration. Instead, the stage had been surrounded by tall wooden poles. Twilight was puzzled by this, until she trailed one of the poles to its top with her eyes, and saw that a pony had been chained to it. With horror she realised that all of the poles had a pony chained to it, with each and every one of the captives in vain trying to free themselves.

Twilight turned her head to the Princess, to see what her reaction was to this, but Celestia appeared to be unaffected by the sight before her. She looked as calm and composed as ever, and she still bore that same kind and warm smile on her face as she had before, in Twilight’s bedroom.

“Princess… what…?” Twilight began, but she was again silenced by her mentor.

“Please, my faithful student, not now,” Celestia said kindly, looking down at Twilight and giving the unicorn a gentle and pleasant smile. Then the alicorn turned away from her student, and raised her head to the sky. “I must raise the Sun for my subjects.”

Before Twilight could say anything else, the Princess had closed her eyes and her horn had begun to glow with a golden light. Celestia reared up on her hind legs and then rose in the air, carried to the heavens by her great and powerful wings. The Sun rose to the sky with her, the golden glow on the horizon heralding its arrival. It climbed higher, breaking free from its resting place behind the horizon at Celestia’s call. Higher it went, until Canterlot, and all of Equestria, was illuminated and warmed by its glorious light.

A scream of fear tore Twilight’s attention away from the spectacle and towards the plaza, from where the cry had come. What she saw then made her blood run cold and filled her with pure horror and incomprehension.

The wooden poles, with the ponies still chained to them, had been set ablaze by the sunlight.

Twilight wanted to do something, wanted to rush forth and begin freeing the ponies who were crying out in mortal fear as the flames climbed higher and higher. However, once more her body would not obey her, and she could only watch helplessly as the flames began to lick at the captured ponies’ lower legs. The screams of pain that reached her ears felt like daggers in her heart, but still Twilight could do nothing.

There was the soft rustling of feathers, followed by Princess Celestia landing next to her faithful student. The alicorn folded her magnificent wings and sat down on her rump. Calmly she watched as all around her ponies were being burned alive. Even their screams of agony and the smell of their charred flesh did not wipe the calm, gentle smile from her face. Twilight stared at her mentor with wide eyes, her pupils as small as pinheads.

“Princess… What are you waiting for?!” she called out, desperately, even though a feeling of dreadful realisation began to settle in her head. “Please help them! You have to save them!”

Celestia turned her head so she could look down at the lavender unicorn at her side. The alicorn had a puzzled frown on her face, and a confused look in her eyes. “Save them, my faithful student?” she echoed, her voice still kind and motherly. “Whatever for? They are traitors, after all. They must burn. They deserve to burn.”

Twilight felt as if somepony had grabbed her heart and squeezed it. She gaped at Princess Celestia, her beloved monarch, her wise mentor, with horror, no, with fear. She couldn’t believe what she had just heard, she couldn’t believe what the Princess had just said, with such a calm, kind and even face, no less.

“P… Princess…”

The alicorn’s smile widened a bit, and she embraced Twilight with her great, white wings. One of the Princess’ golden-clad hooves gently and lovingly caressed through the unicorn’s purple mane. “You are a traitor too, Twilight Sparkle, my faithful student,” Celestia announced warmly, causing Twilight to gasp and look up at her mentor in fear. But Celestia only smiled, ever gentle.

“But I care for you deeply, I won’t let you be burned at the stake like your fellow, common traitors,” the alicorn continued, still sounding as if she was merely talking with Twilight about the wonders of friendship. The wings tightened their embrace around the lavender mare. “No, you deserve to be burned by me personally, my faithful student.”

Before Twilight could say anything, before she could even scream, Celestia’s kind magenta eyes had turned into two white orbs that burned brighter than a thousand suns. Flames welled up and covered the alicorn’s body, their heat all-consuming and excruciating. Twilight opened her mouth, but no sound would leave it. The princess now was a being of flame and heat, only her head remaining normal, though her mane was pure flame. She was still smiling at the terrified unicorn beneath her, but the Princess’ frown, coupled with her narrowed, blazing eyes, robbed that smile of all the kindness and love it had once possessed. It was a mocking smile, one that expressed only pure hatred.

The entity of wrath and flame then lunged, throwing her forelegs around Twilight and embracing her, pressing the unicorn against her flaming body. The searing heat and flames consumed Twilight, and the lavender mare screamed in terror and excruciating pain as she was burned alive by her beloved Princess.

Twilight screamed and sat up with a start, her heart beating so rapidly that it hurt. She was panting and breathing hard, while her eyes were wide and wild. Cold sweat covered her entire body, a result of the terror she had been filled with. Frantically, the unicorn looked around, and was at first confused to see that she wasn’t surrounded by flames, but by the sheets of a warm and cosy bed. Sunlight fell through a slit between the two thick, red curtains that hung before the room’s window. She could faintly hear the singing of birds coming from the outside. Twilight closed her eyes and let herself fall on her back on the bed again, and she exhaled slowly.

“A dream. It was just a dream…” she said aloud to herself, to convince herself of what she was saying. She wasn’t in the plaza in Canterlot, she wasn’t watching Princess Celestia burn ponies at the stake and she definitely wasn’t in the agonizing embrace of a fiery entity of pure wrath and hatred. She was here, in a room she recognised as one of Rarity’s guestrooms, and she was safe.

Just as she was taking a few more deep breaths to calm herself, the door swung open and she heard the sound of ponies rushing in. Twilight reluctantly forced her eyes open and was greeted by the sight of Rarity and Fluttershy standing at her bedside with worried expressions on their faces.

“Twilight, darling, are you alright?” Rarity exclaimed, sounding slightly panicked. Her eyes looked around the room, as if she was searching for some kind of intruder or danger. “We heard you scream all the way in the lounge downstairs!”

“I’m fine, really. I… I just had a bad dream,” Twilight answered, and she offered her friends an apologetic smile. Then she remembered everything that had happened before she had passed out, with the royalist and the guards in the Prancent Van Hoof square. She sat up with a start again, overcome by a sudden wave of panic and worry. “Wait… What happened at the square after I passed out? What happened to you both? You were injured when I last saw you! How did we escape? How did we survive?! How…?!”

Her onslaught of questions was brought to an end when Rarity pushed her down on her back again. “Calm down, darling, everything is fine,” the white unicorn said calmly. She ran one of her hooves affectionately over Twilight’s head. “We’re all fine, and everything is taken care of. Just be a dear and take it easy, the healers said you need to rest.”

Reluctantly, Twilight obeyed. She breathed in and out deeply with closed eyes a couple of times to calm herself, then she opened her eyes again. “Okay, I’m calm…” she said slowly. Twilight sighed and lifted one of her hooves to rub over her eyes with. As she did so, she felt a certain resistance and ache in her chest. Glancing down, she saw said part of her body was covered in bandages, which only served to raise even more questions in her head. The lavender mare gave her friends an imploring look. “So, please, tell me… What happened?”

“Well, to be honest, I cannot tell you much, since I spent most of last night unconscious as well,” Rarity replied with an apologetic smile, while she pulled the blanket of the bed over Twilight again. “I remember seeing Rainbow Dash, and I’m certain she said something to me. Unfortunately I was too delirious to understand her, so I don’t recall anything of it.”

Once Twilight was nicely under the blanket again, Rarity stood back a bit and looked at the quiet pegasus in the room. “Fluttershy, darling, I’m afraid you’ll have to be the one to indulge Twilight’s curiosity, seeing as you were the only one of us who was conscious during the entire ordeal.”

Twilight glanced worriedly at Fluttershy. Her timid friend looked physically fine, except for the bandage wrapped around her forehead that covered the spot where the guard had hit her with the blunt end of his lance. That wasn’t what Twilight was concerned about, instead she worried about how things were inside Fluttershy’s head.

The timid pegasus was literally afraid of her own shadow on a good day, which made Twilight fear for her now that she had witnessed and experienced such a brutal, terrifying evening. Fluttershy had first seen the parade, followed by a pony dying in front of her eyes, and then her friends had been terribly and almost fatally injured themselves as well. Not to mention the pegasus had been treated roughly and had gotten injured herself, albeit not as badly as her friends.

Twilight didn’t want to think about what such terrible events had done to her poor friend’s mental state. In her previous life she had read about braver ponies being traumatized after going through something as bad as what Rarity, Fluttershy and she had experienced last night. Sometimes ponies had been impressed by what they had witnessed so badly that nopony was able to help them with getting their lives back on track.

Her worries were put to rest somewhat, however, when she saw the expression on Fluttershy’s face. The timid pegasus looked very tired, which came as no surprise to Twilight as she doubted that Fluttershy had gotten a lot of sleep last night, but there was no look of panic in her eyes. Neither did she stare off in the distance, looking at something only she could see, as Twilight had read traumatized ponies sometimes did. Fluttershy simply looked nervous and uneasy, her usual reaction to dealing with stressful and unpleasant happenings. She was fine, Twilight dared to think, and it put her mind at ease.

“Fluttershy? Can you tell me what happened after I passed out?” Twilight asked quietly, doing everything she could to not make Fluttershy feel obliged to respond.

The pegasus didn’t immediately reply and rubbed her hooves together nervously. “Oh, Twilight, it was horrible,” Fluttershy then said, and she took one of Twilight’s hooves between her own, as if she was afraid that the unicorn would vanish if she let go. “I was so worried after you passed out, you were bleeding so much. Even Rainbow Dash looked very grim. She took a strange stone out of her pockets and talked to it before putting it away again. I didn’t understand what she was doing, but I think at that moment I wasn’t really in the condition to understand anything…” She hid behind her mane while saying this, as if her actions shamed her.

Both Rarity and Twilight patted Fluttershy’s hooves comfortingly. “You have nothing to be ashamed of, Fluttershy,” Twilight said, calmly but firmly, and she smiled at her friend. “Anypony would be scared in that situation, and you were very brave. If it weren’t for you, we wouldn’t even be here, but in the dungeons of the Royal Palace, at best.” The lavender unicorn’s smile became more solemn. “We owe you our lives, Fluttershy.”

Twilight’s words made Fluttershy gasp and quickly shake her head. “Oh, Twilight, that’s not true! If it weren’t for me wanting to see that stupid parade so badly, neither of you would have gotten hurt in the first place!” The yellow mare bowed her head. “I couldn’t do anything to help you and Rarity, and if it wasn’t for Rainbow Dash and her ponies neither of you would have survived! All I did was stand there, frozen with fear while they saved you, doing nothing useful.” She turned her eyes towards Rarity and gave the white unicorn an apologetic look. “And I ruined your beautiful dresses, as well, Rarity.”

The white unicorn shook her head and moved over towards her pegasus friend. Rarity tenderly wrapped her slender forelegs around Fluttershy’s shoulders. “Don’t be ridiculous, Fluttershy, my dear,” she chided gently. “Do not think for even a moment that Twilight and I hold you responsible for what happened. It is nopony’s fault but those guards who attacked us.”

Rarity ran one of her hooves sweetly over Fluttershy’s head. “And please, those dresses should be the least of your worries. You may have saved my life by ripping them to stem the bleeding of my wound.” Almost as an afterthought, rarity added: “And they weren’t very comfortable to begin with.” They all shared a soft chuckle at that.

“Rarity’s right, Fluttershy,” Twilight agreed, and she smiled warmly at her friend. “Also, it was you who took out those guards.” A puzzled frown appeared on the lavender mare’s face. “Speaking of which, how did you do that?”

“I… ehm… I didn’t do anything! I couldn’t!” Fluttershy replied uncomfortably, as she thought back to that moment. She herself had wondered about what had happened as well, but no explanation came to mind. She barely even remembered what she had done or how she had felt in that exact moment. It was all a bit of a blur, the only thing that she remembered clearly was a feeling of pure, unwavering strength.

“I… I just shouted that they had to leave you and Rarity alone, and then they all started fainting…” she continued hesitatingly. “Except for that big meanie who hurt you, Rarity,” she said, looking at Rarity as she did so. Suddenly Fluttershy remembered a few more things about the state that single guardspony had been in after the others had fainted. “I, ehm… I remember that he was shivering a lot, as if he was very cold… And for some reason, he seemed more afraid of me than I was of him. And I was terrified.”

Twilight’s frown deepened in thought, and she tapped her chin with a hoof. “Hmm… It almost sounds as if they were intimidated by you to the point that they couldn’t hold up their consciousness in your presence…” she muttered, thinking out loud. “That still doesn’t sound like anything I ever heard of before, though.”

“Intimidated, you say?” Rarity echoed, holding one of her hooves under her chin, and she gave Fluttershy a long and calculating look. “Darling, do you think it may have been… the Stare?”

Fluttershy’s eyes widened slightly. “Oh no! It couldn’t have been. I only use it to keep my animal friends in line if they misbehave,” she said quietly. “It never made anypony faint.”

“Well, whatever it was, Twilight is correct when saying that it probably saved our lives,” Rarity decided, giving Fluttershy an encouraging smile. “So no more blaming yourself for last night’s little mishap, yes? We are all safe now, Twilight is recovering and aside from a bit of aching in my side, I am fine as well.” She looked at the timid pegasus, the expression in her eyes imploring Fluttershy to not feel guilty.

“O… okay…” Fluttershy stammered, and she let out a deep sigh. Truth to be told she felt somewhat relieved now that she knew her friends did not blame her, and did not want her to feel guilty.

There was a short moment of comfortable silence, until the unicorn in the bed could no longer contain her curiosity. “So, Fluttershy, what happened after Rainbow Dash talked to that stone?” Twilight asked, wanting to hear the rest of the story.

The sudden switch of subject caught Fluttershy off guard at first, but she recovered quickly. “Oh, well, she put the stone away again and then she picked up Rarity and lay her down next to you,” the pegasus said. “She talked to me then, but I don’t remember much of what she said, I was still so scared…” Still feeling a bit guilty about this, Fluttershy hid behind her mane when she confessed that last fact. “She then… ehm… she…” The pegasus rubbed her left cheek nervously.

Rarity and Twilight frowned. “She what, darling? Whatever happened?” Rarity wanted to know.

“W… well, nothing she said got through to me, and she needed my help to stem the bleeding of you both, so she… ehm…” The volume of Fluttershy’s voice lowered so much as to become almost inaudible when she spoke the following three words: “She slapped me.” When she heard the dramatic intakes of breath and the looks of shock on her friends’ faces, she hurriedly added: “Ehm, not very hard, just enough to sting and snap me out of it. She kind of had to, so, ehm, I’m not mad at her…”

Reluctantly, the two unicorns nodded. “We understand,” Twilight said. “Continue, please.”

“I was still scared, but at least I know could be of some help… Rainbow Dash apologised for having to hit me, but quickly explained that she needed me to help her with you both. So I ripped more pieces from my dress and gave her some of them,” Fluttershy continued quietly. “She used them to stem the bleeding as much as she could of your wounds, Twilight, while I did the same for you, Rarity.” She paused for a moment to take another deep breath to calm herself. She remembered how much blood there had been, and even if Rarity was fine now, it still wasn’t a pleasant memory. “Then four more ponies arrived.”

“Not more guards, I hope?” Rarity asked worriedly, unable to stop herself from speaking and thus interrupting Fluttershy’s story.

The pegasus quickly shook her head. “Oh no, they were her friends. Don’t you remember them, Rarity? You were awake for a while when Lemon Thyme treated you…”

The white unicorn shook her head. “I fear I still must have been a bit delirious when that happened,” she replied. “Because I can’t seem to remember that.” She smiled apologetically at her pegasus friend. “But don’t mind me. Do carry on, darling.”

“W… well, so, ehm, there were two unicorns, a pegasus and an earth pony, and they were Rainbow Dash’s friends I think. She said she had called them by talking to that stone earlier, though I don’t understand how that is possible,” Fluttershy said. “Rainbow Dash also told me that they were royal guards, but didn’t wear a uniform to blend in with the crowd during the parade… She told the unicorns and the pegasus to help us, while the earth pony had to take care of that poor Night Guard.”

“What about Rainbow Dash herself? What did she do?” Twilight wanted to know.

“Oh, ehm, she took those saddlebags from you, Twilight, and told me to thank you for wanting to help her, since the documents inside that bag are apparently very important for her,” Fluttershy replied. “She said she was going to create a distraction then so her friends could do what she had told them to do. Apparently there were still more guards on the streets searching for that Night Guard.”

She paused for a moment and rubbed her hooves together nervously. Things had moved so fast once the four royal guards had arrived, it had all been a bit of a blur to her, and she said as much to her friends. “I couldn’t really ask or tell her anything,” Fluttershy muttered quietly. “Then those two unicorns and the pegasus took me with them, and I couldn’t really object, I was just so confused.” She glanced briefly at her friends. “I don’t remember much of what happened when we were walking back to your house, Rarity. It felt as if my head was spinning and I could barely put one hoof before the other.”

Fluttershy felt Rarity place a comforting hoof on her shoulder. “Completely understandable, my dear,” the white unicorn said. “What happened when we came home?”

“Ehm, well, those unicorns, Lemon Thyme and Quartz Horn, they put you and Twilight on the couches in the lounge and began treating your injuries then,” Fluttershy answered. “I don’t know how they did that, since the pegasus, Moonlit Pinion, asked me where the kitchen was and took me there. She made a nice cup of tea for me to help me calm down…” A timid smile formed on her muzzle as she thought back to that moment.

“She was very kind and understanding,” she explained when seeing her friends’ questioning looks. “At first we just sat there drinking tea, or rather, she drank tea while I just stared in my cup… Then she started to talk, slowly and very soothingly. She told me the story of the first time she had been in a fight, of how she had seen ponies get injured and hurt… And, ehm… I couldn’t help but listen.”

Twilight felt herself smile. “Rainbow Dash must have known how hard the events had been on you, and have sent a pony with you who could help you come to terms with it.” She reached out with one of her hooves and placed in on top of one of Fluttershy’s. “Even here, in this time, she wanted you to be safe.”

“That does sound like the Rainbow Dash we knew,” Rarity agreed, smiling as well.

Her friends’ smiles were infectious, for Fluttershy could feel the corners of her own mouth lift up as well, and she nodded. “Listening to her story helped me to calm down and be not so very scared. Then she just made a bit of small talk with me, until Lemon Thyme and Quartz Horn joined us,” Fluttershy continued. “They told me that you were both going to be fine and just needed to be put to bed and sleep. I showed them to your rooms, and they carried you there.”

“I was wondering why it was that I woke up in my own bed instead of a prison cell,” Rarity muttered quietly.

“After that they, ehm, they left. They wanted to leave before your household ponies came back, Rarity, to avoid being seen. Apparently, Rainbow Dash had contacted Lemon Thyme somehow and had told them to do so,” Fluttershy explained. “But before they left, ehm, they also gave a message to me from Rainbow Dash that was intended for ‘the Elements of Harmony’.”

Both unicorns looked up in surprise and glanced at their timid friend expectantly. It didn’t really surprise them that Rainbow Dash would have left a message for her friends, but that she had specifically used the term ‘the Elements of Harmony’ indicated that the royal admiral had something to say that concerned all six of them in particular.

“And… what was that message?” Twilight asked, a bit impatiently, when Fluttershy didn’t immediately reply.

“Oh, ehm, yes, the message,” Fluttershy stammered, a bit embarrassed by having been so distracted as to keep her friends waiting. That wasn’t a very nice thing to do. “Lemon Thyme said that Rainbow Dash has asked all five of us to wait in my cottage, and that she’s going to meet us there tonight at midnight.”

End of chapter 18.

20. Decision time

Wings of Tomorrow
Lament of the World

20. Decision time

“You want us to come with you and join the Royal Guard so we can help you with your war efforts?” Twilight asked, being the first to get over the shock instilled by Rainbow Dash’s declaration. The purple unicorn frowned and gave the royal admiral an uncertain look. “No offense, Rainbow Dash, but I’m not really sure what our participation would change. We don’t have the Elements of Harmony, and none of us are practiced for any kind of combat. Judging from what you said, there’s no time to train us to the point where we could be useful, either.”

The other four mares that stood around Rainbow Dash bowed their heads and quietly murmured their agreement. The admiral’s request on itself wasn’t very odd or strange, but it still came as a surprise to all of her friends regardless. Twilight had voiced what they were all thinking, though they each had other reasons to harbour doubts against the idea as well.

“I didn’t say I wanted you guys to join the guard,” Rainbow Dash corrected Twilight calmly, seemingly not really bothered by the fact that her friends hadn’t immediately jumped at the opportunity. She hadn’t really expected that to happen, not even from Pinkie Pie. “Of course I know none of you have had any kind of combat experience, that’s kinda obvious, otherwise I wouldn’t have had to step in back in Canterlot.” She rolled with her eyes for a moment. “I wasn’t asking you to join the fighting, either. I wouldn’t let my best friends march into battle unless I was sure they’d come out of it unharmed.”

Rarity rubbed her chin in thought. “I fear I must admit that I’m not entirely following you, darling,” she said. “If you weren’t asking for us to join the battle, then what is it you requested from us?”

“All I’m asking for is your help. And I didn’t mean help in the military kind of sense,” Rainbow Dash explained, waving one of her hooves dismissively as she spoke. “I meant the kind of help only friends can give: your support.” She let out a deep sigh and sat down on her rump, bowing her head as she did so. “Look, you guys all remember what happened to me on the eve of the Best Young Flyer competition, right?” She glanced around the room and saw them nodding in confirmation.

“That had to be one of the worst cases of stage fright I have ever seen in a pony,” Rarity commented, slightly teasing.

Rainbow Dash just shrugged her shoulders in annoyance. “Yeah, yeah, whatever, that’s not the point I’m trying to make. The point is that I got so nervous that I messed up, even though I had all the skills to pull it off successfully,” she explained, a bit miffed by the teasing. She didn’t like remembering the hours before the competition, even if the hours after it had been totally awesome. “And that was just some small competition for a chance to chat with the Wonderbolts. But soon enough, we’re going to have a war on our hooves, and I’ll be one of the ponies to lead the Royal Army into battle. Now imagine what’ll happen if I lose it because of a bad case of stage fright.”

The other ponies in the room remained silent as Rainbow Dash’s words sunk in and they realized the truth in them. They might not have known a lot about war, but they knew enough to understand that a commander failing to give orders and guidance to his or her troops was nothing short of an utter disaster, one that could decide the outcome of the battle, or even the very war. It was a great pressure and an enormous responsibility, one that had now fallen on the shoulders of one of their best friends.

“I’m not saying I’ll chicken out when push comes to shove,” Rainbow Dash said, pulling her friends from their thoughts, not wanting them to think she couldn’t handle the responsibilities that came with her rank. “I’m an admiral, and let me tell you that a pony doesn’t get that title for free. I’ve trained and worked myself to the bone for years to get myself where I am now. I’ve got all the skills and strengths beaten into me to make me capable of handling this position. They wouldn’t have promoted me if they felt I wasn’t up to the task, either.”

“Regardless, it won’t hurt to be prepared just in case,” she added, after pausing briefly to take a deep breath. “Because despite all my training and all the power I’ve gained, I still haven’t been in a real war. Few of us in the guard actually have. Yeah, I’ve been in real battles and skirmishes at the borders, sure, but that’s nothing compared to a real battlefield, and I wasn’t an admiral back then either.” The cyan pegasus ran a hoof through her mane and sighed. “I’m going to be responsible for the fight that’ll decide Equestria’s fate. I’m going to order ponies into battle knowing that some of them aren’t going to make it back in one piece, or at all.”

She looked up at her friends, and for a moment Rainbow Dash appeared incredibly vulnerable and fragile. “I know I can do it. I have trained to gain the skills and the powers needed to make it through this.” The admiral shrugged helplessly. “But I knew I had the skills to make it during the Best Young Flyer competition too, and I still let my nerves mess everything up. I can’t risk that happening again, not now, when there are lives depending on it.”

Rainbow Dash let her gaze drift through the room and looked at her friends imploringly. “That’s why I’m asking for your help. I’m not asking you to fight; I’ll do the fighting for you. I’m just asking you guys to be my friends, to be there with me and to support me when I’m having a difficult moment. I need you guys to stand behind me.” Again she bowed her head, and again she sighed. “I can’t do it without you guys. There’s just too much at stake…”

A heavy silence fell in the room once Rainbow Dash was done speaking. The five ponies looked at the admiral with serious and somewhat tensed expressions on their faces, unsure of what to say. There was no doubt that Rainbow Dash’s request was sincere, and now that they had heard her tale they understood her plight very well. It was somewhat surprising to them to learn of the high position she held within the Royal Guard, given the immense responsibilities that came with it.

None of them thought she wasn’t capable of handling the task, far from it, but this side of the cyan pegasus clashed somewhat with the memories they had of the headstrong pony who was well known for her lazy streak. After all, finding her on a cloud napping in the middle of the day had been far from a rare sight back in their other life, and they could count the times where Rainbow Dash had gotten up before noon on one hoof. But as they thought more about it, they felt bad for thinking so little of their friend. After all, whenever the situation was serious or when there was a job that had to be done, they, and Ponyville with them, had always been able to rely on her help.

Nevertheless, what Rainbow Dash asked for was not something to be granted lightly. On the surface lending their friend moral support seemed innocent enough in and of itself, but every pony in the room understood that there was far more to that. Should they decide to grant her request, the consequences it would have for them would be great and irreversible. Even if they didn’t actively participate in any kind of fighting, it wouldn’t matter. Simply crossing the borders to live in the Kingdom would brand them as royalists and traitors. Should the Republic then be victorious in the oncoming struggle, their features would be bleak indeed.

Rainbow Dash understood this as well. It had been something she had kept in mind as well, when she had been debating about joining the guard or not, all those years ago. Chances of a royalists victory had always been low, and there was no doubt that the repercussions the Republic would instil upon the royalists should they be victorious would be severe. Had she stayed in the Republic instead, she could have lived her life in peace and with her friends. It had been a tough decisions, but eventually her loyalty to the Princess had won out, and she hadn’t come back on her decision or regretted it ever since. She had made her choice and would stick with it to the end.

This didn’t mean that she would blame her friends if they refused, and she certainly wouldn’t think less of them or hold their choice against them. What she was asking was risky and entirely not without its dangers, after all. Essentially, she had just asked them to make a decision that would determine the course their lives would take until the end. There would be no going back and no second chances. Rainbow Dash understood perfectly that they didn’t immediately say yes and had to think hard about it. That was fine; she had a few hours to spare for them to make up their minds.

“I’m coming along!”

The declaration was made cheerfully and without a hint of doubt, and everypony turned their heads in the direction of the speaker, flabbergasted and startled that one of them had reached a decision so quickly. Pinkie Pie met all of their surprised stares with a confident look in her eyes and a big grin on her face. None of her friends had seen her smile like that before in this version of their lives.

Again Twilight was the first to find her voice again. She shook her head wildly, blinked a few times and then frowned deeply. “Pinkie, are you sure? I mean, have you thought this through?” she asked, sounding not at all convinced. “If you go with Rainbow Dash, you’ll be a traitor in the eye of the Republic. If the royalists lose this coming war, you’ll be in trouble. We’ll all be in trouble.”

“I know!” Pinkie replied, and she gave Twilight a firm nod. Her grin had lessened into a smile, still confident, and the tone of her voice made it clear she was serious. “So that’s why I’m going to go with Dashie, to make sure she’ll win!”

One of the corners of Rainbow Dash’s mouth lifted up to form a half-sided grin, while the pegasus admiral looked her pink friend straight in the eye. “You’re absolutely sure about this, Pinkie Pie?”

“Yes, ma’am!” the party pony replied, and she made a military salute. “Absolutely, super-duper, on hundred percent sure! I’m sticking with you, Dashie, like frosting to a cupcake!”

Hearing this, Rainbow Dash laughed, and she went over to her friend and placed a hoof on Pinkie’s shoulder. “I wouldn’t want it any other way, Pinkie,” she said. The pegasus admiral then turned her head a bit to avoid Pinkie’s eyes, her own eyes staring at the floor. On a softer and more nervous, but entirely genuine and grateful, tone she added: “And… thanks.”

“No problem, Dashie!” the pink earth pony replied energetically. “That’s what friends are for, after all!” It was almost as if her decision had reenergized Pinkie, reawakening the endless pool of joy and laughter within her, for she looked almost completely like her friends remembered her to. Her coat was a bright shade of pink and her eyes seemed to almost sparkle with enthusiasm. Only her mane and tail, though quite wavy and curly now and having regained their true colour, weren’t completely as poofy as they had been in her friends’ memories.

The change didn’t go unnoticed, and Twilight smiled a bit. “In that case, I’ll be joining you as well,” she announced, drawing the attention of her friends to herself. “I already made my decision back in Canterlot, when I decided to take those plans,” she explained when she saw the inquisitive looks she was getting. Twilight’s smile dropped and the unicorn let out a sad sigh, her eyes carrying a feeling of melancholy within them.

“All these years, I’ve known the Princess was being mistreated. All these years, I’ve known that everything around us was wrong. But I didn’t do anything about it.” Twilight closed her eyes and looked as if she was in pain. She felt ashamed of herself, and terribly guilty. “And I just kept making excuses to myself for my own impassiveness. I didn’t want to fight my brother. Or I didn’t have the skills and power to make a difference.” She let out a disdainful snort.

“But they were just that: excuses. I should have done something long ago. I should have left to join the guard when I ran away from home, instead of hiding away here in Ponyville,” Twilight said quietly, so softly her friends had to strain to hear her. “I should have done something to help the Princess, but I didn’t. I’m the most disgraceful student there’s ever been.”

She shook her head and then looked up at Rainbow Dash. “I should have followed your example years ago, Rainbow Dash, when I ran away from home. I didn’t do it then, but now I have a second chance to make up for it, and I won’t waste it,” she continued, her voice having taken on an air of confidence and determination. It became clear, then, that Twilight had made her decision and that nothing and nobody would be able to make her change her mind. She looked Rainbow Dash straight in the eyes, unwavering. “I’m coming with you, Rainbow Dash. I don’t have any skills or power to be of any use, but if simply being there as your friend will make a difference, then I will do so.”

Rainbow Dash held Twilight’s gaze for a few moments, and then nodded curtly, not breaking the eye contact. Nothing was said, and nothing had to be said. She understood Twilight perfectly, and was glad to have her with her.

“Now, Twilight, darling, don’t you think you are being a tad too hard on yourself?” Rarity wondered aloud, and she moved to stand next to her fellow unicorn, who was still laying on Fluttershy’s couch to rest. Gently Rarity caressed Twilight through her mane in a purely friendly gesture meant to bring comfort.

“You have nothing to blame yourself for,” she insisted. “Your reasons for staying were perfectly valid, and even had you joined Rainbow Dash sooner, I doubt it would have made any difference. Regardless of how talented you are, darling, you are still only one pony.” Rarity clacked her tongue in disapproval. “So I do not wish to hear one of my best friends put herself down like this. You have always been a perfect student, and most certainly did not bring any kind of disgrace to the title.”

“Rarity’s right, Twilight,” Rainbow Dash agreed. “Heck, I and the other admirals are some of the most powerful ponies to have ever walked in Equestria, but even we can’t save the Princess just by ourselves. One more powerful pony wouldn’t have changed that, either. This goes beyond what one pony can do, so you have nothing to feel guilty about, trust me.”

Twilight didn’t look entirely convinced, but she didn’t protest against what they were saying either. “I know I wouldn’t have been able to do anything by myself,” she muttered quietly. “But… While the Princess was being mistreated day after day, year after year, I was just sitting here in Ponyville doing nothing. And whenever I realise that, I can’t help but wonder if there wasn’t something I could’ve done to help instead…”

Rainbow Dash shook her head. “That’s just your guilt speaking. Believe me, I’ve been down that lane myself and I’ve seen a lot of ponies doing the same,” she said calmly. “But there’s no point. What’s done is done and, unless you have the spell Steel Gear used to travel in time somewhere in your pockets there, you can’t change the past. So there’s no sense feeling guilty about it. So you didn’t help in the past, big deal. You’re gonna help me now, when I need your help the most, and that’s all that counts.”

The admiral’s words sank in, and Twilight found herself smiling a bit. “Thank you, Rainbow Dash,” she whispered gratefully.

The cyan pegasus smirked and rolled her eyes. “Eh, it was no big deal, egghead. I’ve given this kind of speech more times than I cared to count already,” Rainbow Dash replied, while waving her hoof dismissively. “You’re not the first pony I’ve come across who was struggling with guilt. Getting rid of that is just part of my job.”

Twilight’s smile widened upon hearing Rainbow Dash address her with her old nickname, and she finally looked somewhat hopeful and unburdened again.

Seeing this, Rarity’s lips formed a smile of approval. “Well then, I would say that’s settled,” she said, after which she turned to look at Rainbow Dash. “As for myself, I would very much like to join both Twilight and Pinkie on this endeavour with you. Given what happened in Canterlot, I’m afraid it’ll only be a matter of time before those dreadful guards remember my name. Once they do, I shall undoubtedly find myself being branded a royalist sympathiser at best, or a traitor at worst. Both would make it quite difficult, if not impossible, for me to continue living in Canterlot.”

The white mare sighed dramatically and gave Rainbow Dash a pointed and accusing look. “I hope you do realise, darling, that in a single night you’ve managed to ruin everything I’ve been painstakingly building up for roughly the past decade.” The pegasus admiral opened her mouth to either protest, defend herself, or apologise, but Rarity held up her hoof to silence her brash friend. “No matter, I suppose it was only a matter of time, if not inevitable, since my loyalty lay with the Princess, always, and I never agreed with the manner in which the Nobles govern things.”

Rarity’s face fell and her expression became more grim and very serious. “It would appear thus that I have no choice but to come along, even should I not want to,” she said quietly. “I do want to, however, and I do not mind if I am branded a traitor and am put in danger because of it.” Rarity’s voice quivered a bit and for a moment her mask of composure fell away to reveal the worry that hid underneath it.

“But what about my parents, or Sweetie Belle? I could not bear to see harm come to them because of a choice I made!” she exclaimed worriedly. “They are currently enjoying a vacation in Las Pegasus and have yet to learn of what transpired in Canterlot, but I have no doubt that should the Republic learn I have changed sides, they would find themselves targeted by the Republican Guard very quickly.”

“That sounds like the Republic Ah know, alright,” Applejack agreed, looking none too happy. “Ah mean, Ah still remember what happened to Berry Punch. Her stallion changed sides, he did, but she stayed behind. Them Republic guards found out and arrested her. They let ‘er go after a few days, but only ‘cause she agreed to have her marriage dissolved.” The orange pony sighed and shook her head.

“She loved that colt more than anythin’. Broke her heart, it did. Not to mention that once ponies learned she’d been married to a royalist, she was no longer welcome anywhere.” Applejack shrugged and helplessly kicked at the floor. “That happened ‘bout four years ago, and she ain’t been sober fer a day ever since.”

“Thank you, Applejack, that was precisely what I meant to say,” Rarity said, after a brief silence to allow her friend’s words to sink in. The white unicorn glanced at Rainbow Dash with worry in her eyes. “Being related to a royalist is quite possibly the worst possible thing that can happen to a pony here in the Republic. I cannot let this happen to my parents, and especially not to Sweetie Belle!”

Rarity sighed and rubbed her temple as she bowed her head. “But what am I to do? After what happened in Canterlot, I have no choice but to relocate myself, ‘t is only a matter of time before the Republic comes after me. If they cannot get their hooves on me, they will arrest my family,” she said. “They might let them go, if they renounce me as their relative, but become social outcast in the process! And without my social standing or my considerable fortune to protect and sustain them, their lives would become far from pleasant!”

The white mare became more and more panicky the further she thought about what might possibly happen to her relatives in the future. “And they are much too far away for me to bring them along now! They may not even want to change sides, I frankly have little idea where the loyalties of my parents lie! They might even wish to side with the Republic!” Rarity would have been biting her hoof by now were it not unladylike to do so. “Oh, whatever am I to do?” She cast a pleading glance at Rainbow Dash. “I do hope you understand the dilemma I am facing here due to your request, darling.”

To her credit, Rainbow Dash became neither annoyed or impatient. The admiral calmly waited until Rarity was done fretting, then walked up to her and placed a hoof on the unicorn’s shoulder. “You shouldn’t worry like that, Rarity, it’s not good for your health,” she then said with a small smirk on her face. After this Rainbow Dash’s face turned serious and her words gained more weight. “You’re not the first pony who has no other choice but to flee, and is worried about her family, you know. I’ve been doing this for years, remember?”

The cyan pegasus patted her white friend on the back. “We’ve got agents pretty much everywhere. I’ll give the order for those in Las Pegasus to contact your parents, discretely of course, and to have them informed of your situation,” Rainbow Dash explained slowly and calmly. “If your family wants to follow your example, I’ll make sure they’ll be smuggled out of the Republic safely. If they wanna side with the Republic, I’ll just have my agents keep an eye on them from a distance, and to make sure nopony gives them any trouble.”

Rarity’s face brightened considerably upon hearing this news, though a part of her remained a tad sceptical, as if she found it hard to believe that there was a solution to her problems so easily available. “You’d do that for me?” she asked hesitatingly.

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. “Duh. You’re my friend, for starters, and secondly, we try and do this for pretty much every pony that joins our ranks,” she replied, as if it were obvious. “I said you weren’t the first pony with this problem, remember?”

“I… Well, of course… It’s just that…” Rarity replied, stammering, her brain momentarily unable to make her tongue form coherent sentences. Eventually, she just gave up and threw her forelegs around Rainbow Dash’s neck, pulling the pegasus into an embrace. “Thank you,” she whispered gratefully into her friend’s rainbow-coloured mane.

“Hey, it’s what I do,” Rainbow Dash answered jokingly, a bit flustered by the sudden display of affection from her friend. “In case your parents wanna stay with the Republic, though, it’s best that you write them that they have to report you to the authorities. Past experience has taught us that the relatives who chose to stay in the Republic aren’t persecuted that way, ‘cause it proves their loyalty or something.”

Rarity let go of Rainbow Dash, took a step back and then nodded. “If that is the best course of action, I shall do so. Though I’m not sure if I’ll have the opportunity to send a letter so soon, and by then it might already be too late.”

Rainbow Dash waved her hoof dismissively. “Nah, you can write it once we’re on my ship, and I’ll have it send together with my orders for my agents in Las Pegasus.”

“Very well,” Rarity said, a smile appearing on her face. She was relieved that her worries had been put to rest for now. Though she didn’t doubt that she wouldn’t be able to rest peacefully until her family was safe, for the moment she was satisfied with Rainbow Dash’s promise that she’d do everything she could to assure Rarity’s family’s safety.

Rarity let out a relieved sigh. “I’m glad that’s settled,” she muttered quietly, before looking up and addressing Rainbow Dash once more. “Thus, I shall accompany you and play my part, whatever it may be, darling.” Suddenly, Rarity grimaced a bit. “I do wish you had told us of this beforehand, though, then I could have packed some of my things. Now I’m sure there’s no time to go back to Canterlot to pack, is there?”

“Afraid not,” Rainbow Dash shrugged, while rubbing the back of her head a bit sheepishly. “I wouldn’t fret too much, though, Rarity. I’ll make sure you all get everything you need.” She paused for a moment to glance at Twilight and Pinkie Pie. “Well, for those of you who’re coming with me, that is. Not much I can do for any who wants to stay behind.” Her attention shifted to Applejack and Fluttershy. “So, ehm, what about you guys?”

A silence fell for a little while, as both Applejack and Fluttershy seemed to want the other one to make her decision known first. Eventually, it was the timid pegasus who broke the silence. She had her head bowed, hiding her face behind her pink mane, while pawing nervously at the floor with one of her hooves.

“Oh, ehm… I… I want to come along too, if that’s okay…” she stammered, so softly that her friends had to strain themselves in order to hear her. Before her words even had the chance to fade away, however, the timid pegasus suddenly found herself swept up in a bone-cracking bear hug.

“Awesome!” Rainbow Dash cried out excitedly, while pressing her friend she had in her forelegs tightly against herself. Due to Rainbow Dash wearing armour, the experience wasn’t entirely pleasant for Fluttershy, but she didn’t protest. Instead, she blushed a bit, startled that her answer had pleased the cyan admiral so much. When Rainbow Dash tried to tighten her hug even more, though, Fluttershy couldn’t help but squeak.

The noise made Rainbow Dash aware of Fluttershy’s predicament, and she also realised that every single thing that breathed in the room was staring at her. Her cheeks became red with embarrassment, and she hurriedly let go of Fluttershy, allowing the shy mare to breathe again. Rainbow Dash was grinning awkwardly, desperately trying to find a way to make her friends stop staring at her.

“Ah heh heh… Glad to have you with us, Fluttershy?” she tried, in an attempt to put an end to her awkwardness. Unfortunately for her, it didn’t seem to help much, as the rest of their friends were still giving her the oddest of looks.

It was Twilight who came to her rescue, by ignoring the cyan pegasus completely and addressing Fluttershy instead. “Fluttershy, are you sure?” she asked, and her face was bearing a frown. “It’s your decision, of course, but after what happened in Canterlot, I was sure you’d want to stay as far away from this civil war as possible.”

Fluttershy hid behind her mane once more, and rubbed her hooves together nervously. “Um, well, I don’t like the idea of fighting and ponies getting hurt,” she said meekly. “But I… I still want to come with you and it is actually kind of because of what happened in Canterlot…”

This revelation caused Rarity to cease staring at Rainbow Dash as well, and she glanced at Fluttershy with a baffled expression on her face. “I do apologise, darling, but I fear I am not following,” she said. “How in Equestria could such a dreadful event make you want to go to war? Never mind the fact that we won’t be participating in the fighting itself, I’m sure we’ll still be required to do something. Going with Rainbow Dash means actively aiding in a war effort! Fluttershy, dear, are you sure?”

The butter-coloured pony nodded. “I am, um, if that’s okay with you,” she replied nervously. Hesitatingly, she peaked from behind her mane, her eyes meeting Twilight’s and Rarity’s. The great determination they saw within her eyes surprised both unicorns. “I can’t stay behind knowing that all of my friends are going!”

“You don’t have to feel forced to go just because we’re going, Fluttershy,” Pinkie interrupted, sounding surprisingly grim and serious.

“Oh no, that’s not the way it is at all!” Fluttershy quickly corrected, before glancing down at the floor and hiding behind her mane again. “I’m not going because everypony else is… I want to help free the Princess, somehow. I can’t allow those awful nobles to hurt her or my friends ever again! I want to help! I know I can help, somehow!” To the surprise of all others in the room, Fluttershy’s voice actually rose as she spoke that last sentence. She rose her head defiantly and even went as far as to stomp her hoof.

Realising that her friends were now all staring at her with wide eyes as they had at Rainbow Dash mere moments ago, Fluttershy let out a soft squeak and quickly retreated behind the safety of her pink mane once more, cowering a little. “If that’s okay, that is…” she muttered, so softly that her words came out as barely an incomprehensible mewl.

Her friends, save for Applejack, shared a knowing glance and all of them smiled. Rarity walked up to her timid friend and placed a hoof on her shoulder. “Why, of course it is, darling,” she assured Fluttershy. “If you want to help us and the Princess, then nopony has the right to object to that.”

“Got that right,” Rainbow Dash agreed with a nod. Then something hit her, and she glanced around the cottage, looking at the many birdhouses with uncertainty. “But, eh, will the animals be okay without you to take care of them?” She knew that bringing this up could very well end up being a case of shooting her own wing, by making Fluttershy reconsider, but Rainbow Dash didn’t want to have her friend come with her, only to have Fluttershy panic later because she didn’t think about what would happen to her animals.

The admiral didn’t have to be afraid, however, for Fluttershy smiled timidly. “Oh, I’m sure they’ll be fine,” she replied. “They’ve been living for so long without my help, I’m sure they can manage to do so for a little while longer.”

“Eh, fair enough,” Rainbow Dash admitted, while tapping her chin thoughtfully with one of her hooves a few times. Then she shrugged and turned to the last of her friends to give her an answer. “So, that leaves you, AJ. What do you say? Wanna come and kick some flank with us?”

“Ah would love to, sugarcube, Ah really would,” Applejack replied, but her voice trailed off near the end of her sentence, and she nervously looked down at the floor. Her eyes were hidden by the brim of her hat. “But Ah can’t.”

Barely a moment after she had spoken, Applejack was nearly blown off her feet by a collective cry of “What?!” courtesy of four of her friends. Rainbow Dash herself remained silent, however, opting instead to merely give her stubborn friend a questioning look.

“Applejack… why?” Twilight asked, utterly surprised that of all ponies it was Applejack who denied Rainbow’s request. She wasn’t angry or disappointed in the least, knowing that the orange earth pony probably had a good reason for her refusal, but that didn’t make it any less startling.

“Fer the same reason as Rarity here,” the apple farmer replied, while gesturing at the white unicorn she mentioned. Applejack sighed and reluctantly pulled her eyes away from the floor and had her gaze meat Rainbow Dash’s.

“Ah really feel bad havin’ to be the rotten apple in the basket, and trust me when Ah say that it ain’t sittin’ well with me to not go with y’all. But Ah ain’t got no choice, Ah have a family Ah need to take care of,” Applejack explained. “There’s the farm, too. Even with all them fancy machines, there’s still more work to be done than Big Macintosh can handle on his own. Granny Smith and Apple Bloom do their part, but they can’t do mah chores.”

The orange mare shrugged helplessly. “Ah would love to go with y’all and finally do somethin’ about those darn nobles, but Ah really can’t. If Ah would, I’d be dumpin’ all of mah responsibilities on mah brother, and that ain’t right,” she continued. “Big Mac is a big pony, but Ah can’t expect him to take care of the farm and the family all on his lonesome.” She gave her friends an apologetic look. “So that’s why Ah have to stay here. Though it really breaks mah heart to say so.” Applejack bowed her head again, feeling ashamed. “Ah’m sorry.”

Rainbow Dash held up a hoof to silence her. “Don’t be sorry, it’s cool,” she said calmly. The cyan pegasus grinned when she saw Applejack give her a confused stare. “What? Did you think I was going to be angry or something if you said no?” she asked rhetorically, rolling her eyes. “I did say I needed you guys, but I never expected all of you to say yes. I’m even surprised there are four of you who want to come with me. Also, I understand why you can’t, AJ, and like I said, it’s cool. The Princess is important, sure, but so’s your family, and there’s no shame in choosing to protect them instead.”

The admiral’s face then shifted into a more serious expression. “But if you’re gonna stay, I’m gonna have to ask you to kindly forget that I’ve been here,” she said, the strength with which she spoke making it clear that she wouldn’t have any arguing about this. “If anypony asks where our friends have vanished to, you pretend you don’t know. Can we agree on this?”

Applejack rolled her eyes, clearly finding it silly that Rainbow Dash even asked that question in the first place. “Ah don’t like to lie, but Ah won’t betray my friends. May Celestia herself fry mah sorry hide if Ah do,” she replied. The small smile that had formed on her face vanished again. “Ah’m really sorry. If Ah could, Ah would have been the first to come to yer aid. Y’all know that, right?”

“Of course we do, Applejack,” Twilight answered, smiling kindly at her hat-wearing friend.

“Yeah, we’re not going to be all grumpy and upset because you want to take care of your family. We’d be big, bad meanies if we did! But we’re not meanies, we’re your friends! So we’re not mad!” Pinkie Pie agreed, her face bearing a solemn and serious expression even though she was nodding with full enthusiasm using every muscle in her body.

“Um, I’m kind of glad, to be honest, if that’s okay,” Fluttershy said timidly, not daring to look directly at Applejack as she did so. “Because now I can ask you if you every now and then could come and see if Angel Bunny and everypony else is doing fine while I’m gone… If it’s not too much trouble…”

The orange farmer smiled slightly, relieved that her friends were so accepting of her decision and could even see the bright side of it. “Sure, Ah think Ah can do that, Fluttershy,” she replied confidently.

“In that case, if it’s not too rude of me to ask,” Rarity began hesitatingly. “Just in case my parents for whatever reason decide they would prefer to stay in the Republic, could I ask you to keep an ear open to listen for any trouble that might be heading their way? I’d hate to see anything happen to them, and Sweetie Belle in particular, during my absence.”

“Don’t ya worry none, Rarity, Ah’ll keep an eye on them,” Applejack assured the white unicorn. “Both, if Ah can miss ‘em.”

Rarity looked visibly relieved knowing that somepony she trusted would be looking out for her relatives, and she gave Applejack a hug of gratitude while whispering her thanks. The display of affection even managed to make two red dots appear on the farmer’s freckled cheeks.

Ignoring this, Rainbow Dash turned to address the other three ponies who would be accompanying her back to Cantropolis. “Well then, now that everything’s decided, I suggest that if there’s anything you absolutely want to bring along on this trip, you start looking for it now,” she said, her voice taking on a bit of the usual military sternness she used while normally addressing her troops. “I’ve already delayed my return as much as I can, and Derpy’s waiting for her invasion plans. I want to leave in no later than thirty minutes from now, so say whatever goodbyes you want to, and start packing.”

Of all the ponies in the room, only Pinkie replied to the command, giving Rainbow Dash the best salute and “Yes ma’am!” she could muster. The rest of her friends had already gone off to carry out the admiral’s orders, with Fluttershy rushing from every animal house in her cottage to say her goodbyes, while Twilight and Rarity looked through the luggage they had brought from Canterlot to see if there was anything they wanted to bring along.

As she watched her friends prepare themselves to leave with her, Rainbow Dash couldn’t help but smile. She was glad she had taken this detour, even if it meant the plans not landing in Derpy’s hooves as early as they could have. She had been reunited with her friends, and they had chosen to stand with her in the face of the oncoming storm. They would give her their support and help, and with it she would be able to make it through whatever the Republic would throw at them.

The strength she gained from knowing those simple facts was worth any delay in the world, and Rainbow Dash had never felt more confident that she and the rest of the kingdom would be victorious. Before the year was over, Princess Celestia would be free and back on the throne of a reunited Equestria.

Of this, Rainbow Dash was certain.

End of chapter 20.

21. Sleepless nights

Wings of Tomorrow
Lament of the World

21. Sleepless nights

The flames were everywhere, a sea of intolerable heat from which nopony could escape. A scathing inferno which nopony could survive. The sun and skies were sundered by pitch black smoke and ash, casting a shadow of doom and dread over the land. The city was burning, panicking ponies running through the streets, foals crying for their parents in mortal fear. The air was permeated with the stench of burnt flesh. Burnt and carbonized bodies of ponies littered the burning streets. And in the centre of it all, at the heart of this inferno, in the core of Equestria’s doom, she stood.

The great, white alicorn, her face a horrendous, terrifying visage of pure wrath and all-consuming hatred, and her mane was made of pure flame. Her eyes glowed brighter than a thousand suns, making her appearance all the more frightening. The blazing inferno around her did not hurt or bother her in the least, for no flame could burn as hot as her wrath. Where she went all was incinerated, reduced to nought but ash, stallion, mare and foal alike. None could withstand her, none could stop her, and all he could do was watch as all he knew and held dear was consumed by fire.

Shining Armour woke up with a start, his eyes wide and his heart beating wildly. His body was bathing in sweat and he was breathing fast, still terrified by the images from his nightmare. Even now, when he was awake, the visions haunted him, and the screams of ponies dying as they were burned alive still tormented him. He closed his eyes and clenched his jaw, trying to make the images fade.

“Shining?”

There was the rustling of fabric as something shifted next to him, and then Shining Armour felt a familiar pair of forelegs wrap around him. The touch finally made him realise that it had all been a dream, and that Equestria wasn’t burning. It was a calm and normal night, and he was in his own bed in his room in Canterlot Castle, with the love of his life worrying over him. Slowly, the stallion turned his head to look at his wife, who was staring back at him with obvious concern in her purple eyes.

Princess Mi Amore Cadenza was as beautiful as ever, or perhaps even more so, as her beautiful figure seemed to glow in the moonlight that fell through a slit between the curtains of the window. It didn’t matter to him that her dark violet mane, with its moderate rose and pale gold streaks, was tousled due to sleep, or that the pink feathers of her graceful wings looked dishevelled for the same reason. She was still the most beautiful pony he had ever laid eyes upon, and he loved her more than anything.

Her face was marred with worry and concern for her husband, and it touched him deeply. Far too many times had he woken her up during the night due to this nightmare that plagued him, but never once did her concern for his wellbeing lessen, or did her patience with him run out. She cared for him as much as he cared for her, even if he disturbed her dreams nearly every night with his own.

Gently Cadance reached out with her forelegs, and she carefully pulled him down on the bed again with her. A soft tug of Shining Armour’s magic pulled the blanket, which had slipped off of them when he had sat up with a start, back over their tired bodies. Once they were surrounded by the warm safety of the blanket again, Cadance snuggled close to her husband and embraced him lovingly. Their faces turned towards each other’s, and their eyes met. The concern Shining Armour had seen previously in his wife’s eyes had not yet vanished.

“Was it the nightmares again?” Cadance asked quietly, her voice but a mere whisper, every single one of her words laced with worry. An expression of sadness appeared on her face when she saw, even in the dim light of the moon, Shining Armour give a curt nod of confirmation. The alicorn let out a deep sigh and pressed her head under his chin, the strength of her embrace increasing ever so slightly.

“It wasn’t real, Shining,” she whispered, and she tried her best to sound convincing. However, her efforts were in vain, for Cadance knew that her words rang hollow. It was true that all her beloved had dreamed wasn’t real, just as it was true that what haunted him was more than a simple nightmare. A normal nightmare didn’t come back nearly every night, year after year, for the entire length of your life. Her dear Shining Armour hadn’t known a peaceful slumber since his early childhood, when he had been naught but a new-born foal.

These dreams he had weren’t nightmares, they were a warning. Cadance knew this much, but she wasn’t sure if her beloved had interpreted it correctly. Shining Armour was convinced that his nightmares warned him of what would happen should her aunt be freed. But what if he was wrong? What if it instead tried to warn him of what would happen if Celestia was never freed at all? She had no way of knowing, and she did not voice her doubts either, for her dear stallion was troubled enough as it was. Instead she supported him, by simply being there for him, loving him unconditionally with all her heart, and tried to soothe his fears and ease his sleep in whatever way she could.

Shining Armour sighed, and Cadance could feel how tensed he was. She pushed herself up from the bed slightly, leaning on one of her forelegs, and then reached over her husband’s head to kiss his cheek. “My aunt would never do such a thing, Shining… She is not the monster the Republic makes her out to be. You know that,” she whispered as quietly as she could.

Cadance knew they were alone and that Shining Armour’s bedroom was one of the safest places in the entire Republic, but still she did not want to risk any eavesdroppers accidentally hearing her voice support for her imprisoned aunt. There was little doubt that should that happen, she would quickly find herself in the dungeons to keep said aunt company.

She rubbed her cheek affectionately against his and was glad when she felt him return her affections by kissing her neck. “Have some faith, Shining,” she pleaded. “Everything will turn out fine, we have to keep believing in that. We have to hang on to the Equestria we remember, and have faith that all the good it stood for will find its way in everypony’s hearts again. Even in aunt Celestia’s.”

The white unicorn wrapped his forelegs around his wife and embraced her tightly, holding her very close to him as if he was afraid that she would vanish if he let go of her. “I’ve had, and always will have, faith in the Princess I remember,” Shining Armour whispered sadly. “But how much of that Princess is left after the past three centuries and a half?”

Cadance didn’t like admitting it to herself, but she had pondered over the same question many times herself. It was an extremely valid and important question, after all, not to be cast aside heedlessly. Her aunt was one of the kindest, most wonderful ponies she had ever known, but how much of that kindness was there left in her after eons of being locked away in isolation? How much love was there left in the heart of one who hadn’t seen the daylight for over three centuries, and who breathed fresh air only once a year, when she was mocked and scorned by the very nation she had given everything to?

It frightened her that the answer might be that there was none left at all, but she never once voiced these fears. Shining Armour was troubled enough with his own fears already, he didn’t need her fuelling his worries by adding her own on top of them. And so she pretended to be positive, for he needed his worries to be eased even if it was with lies.

She nuzzled him lovingly and placed a kiss on his lips. “You worry too much, Shining,” she whispered kindly, while caressing his cheek with one of her hooves.

The unicorn stallion sighed and took the hoof that was caressing him with one of his own. His sad, cerulean eyes looked into the purple ones of his wife. “If I don’t worry, nopony will, love,” he replied quietly. “The Nobles, my soldiers, the citizens, they all think that the way things are now is going to last forever. They’re all so confident that we’ll take over the kingdom before the year is over and that everything will be finished then, never realising that the greatest danger to our safety lies not in the kingdom, but right here in Canterlot, in the dungeons of the Royal Palace.”

Shining Armour shook his head, feeling nothing but pity for his fellow ponies, unable to see the true danger because they were blinded by their own ignorance. “Cadance, if I don’t worry, then who will?” he asked the alicorn he had married. “The Nobles think they can hold the Princess captive forever, the Royalists think that if they free her that everything will go back the way it was. They’re fools, all of them, they’re too full of their ambition to think of anything else. So it’s up to me to worry, and to protect Equestria.”

Cadance remained silent for a moment, content to simply stare at him, then she smiled and rolled herself on top of him. She looked down into his beautiful eyes. “Well, you won’t be able to protect anything if you’re not well-rested, darling,” she teased, before placing a kiss on his lips. “Even the great marshal Shining Armour needs his sleep, after all. Don’t forget you have a big meeting tomorrow.”

The stallion underneath her groaned. “So I have,” he admitted with a sigh. “All because of that trice-damned parade.” He clenched his jaw, and Cadance could feel his muscles tighten with frustration underneath his skin.

The pink alicorn on top of him absentmindedly played with his mane. “Does it bother you that much that the plans were stolen?” she idly asked, trying not to sound too curious.

“Not really,” Shining Armour answered calmly, while rubbing the spot on her back between her wings, which caused her to purr in delight. “I didn’t think they’d be daring enough to do it, but I guess I shouldn’t have underestimated Rainbow Dash. It doesn’t matter though, we prepared an emergency strategy exactly for the event in which our plans became known to the royalists.” The marshal sighed again and rubbed his tired eyes with his hooves.

“But there’s still something that’s bothering you. Something that happened on the night of the parade,” Cadance insisted, and she looked inquisitively in his eyes, her face marred with concern and worry. She caressed his muscular chest before placing a kiss on it. “Don’t lie to me, Shining, I know you.”

Shining Armour didn’t immediately reply, and he turned his head aside to avoid the prying eyes of his wife. “It’s just… Maybe it was just my imagination, but I… I think I saw Twiley at the parade,” he finally answered, albeit reluctantly.

His words earned him a soft gasp from Cadance, and her eyes became filled with sympathy. She knew how much it pained him to be at odds with his sister, and not a day went by when he didn’t think about that fateful evening when Twilight had ran away from home, never to return. She hadn’t even attended their wedding, though she had been invited. That had pained Cadance as much as it had her husband, for she had desperately wanted to see the lavender pony.

She remembered Twilight, very well in fact, even if they hadn’t met yet in this life due to the shifts in time. It saddened her to know that the two siblings were at odds, and she had hoped that Twilight would attend the wedding so she could try to get the unicorn and her brother reconciled. Her hopes had been in vain, for Twilight had not come.

“I try not to think about it…” Shining Armour continued, unaware of his wife’s musings. The stallion looked troubled and hurt. “Twiley hates the parade, she hasn’t gone to it since she was a filly, and I really doubt she’s changed her mind. And yet she was there this year, on the same night that Rainbow Dash stole the plans of the invasion.” Shining Armour winced. “I want to think that it’s just an unfortunate coincidence, but… what… what if…?”

Cadance placed her left front hoof on his lips to silence him. “Shh, don’t say it,” she whispered soothingly. The alicorn realised what her beloved stallion had been implying, what worried him so, and it frightened her as well. She did not want to think about the possibility of Twilight, that sweet little filly who she loved to foalsit for so much, choosing a side in the most meaningless, pointless conflict in Equestria’s entire history.

“I know Twilight is upset with you, but I cannot believe that she would fight her own brother,” Cadance continued, trying to sound optimistic and convincing. No easy feat, given that her words rang hollow even to her. “I’m sure it was just an unfortunate coincidence, Shining. She’s been living a quiet, peaceful life in Ponyville until now, why would she suddenly decide to give that up?”

Shining Armour didn’t immediately reply, the expression on his face showing that he still felt torn about the matter. “I hope you’re right, love,” he finally said, and he sighed again. The stallion closed his eyes and relaxed somewhat as he felt the familiar hoof of his wife caress through his mane and rub his scalp gently. “I hope you’re right…”

Seeing how tired her beloved stallion was, Cadance reached down and placed a kiss on his lips while she ran her hooves down his neck and shoulders to help him relax. The past few weeks Shining Armour had been under a lot of stress, as being marshal of the entire Republican Guard meant the preparations and development of the upcoming invasion fell entirely on his shoulders. It was a heavy duty, difficult enough to carry on its own, without worry for his younger sister being added on top of it.

“You should try and catch some sleep now, my sweet stallion,” Cadance whispered in his ear, still massaging his shoulders to try and work the stress out of them. “You’ve been working so hard lately, while having little to no good rest to rejuvenate yourself. Please, try to let your troubles go for now and sleep. I’m worried for your health.”

The stallion underneath her let out a soft groan of satisfaction as the skilled hooves of his wife worked the kinks out of his neck and shoulders. “Anything for you, my princess,” he replied, his eyes closed and his face bearing a small grin. Shining Armour opened his eyes and stared lovingly in those of Cadance. “Be patient a little while longer, love,” he said. “Once the civil war has ended, I’ll resign, just as I promised, and then I’ll take all the rest you want me to.”

Cadance smiled warmly, touched by his words. She leaned in close until their lips were almost touching. “I’ll hold you to that,” she whispered lovingly, before closing the distance left between them and kissing her husband deeply. He returned it just as eagerly, and for a moment they were lost in their passion and love for each other.

As they kissed, Cadance knew, as surely as the Sun would rise tomorrow, that she was in love with this stallion. Even a disruption in the flow of time had not been capable of keeping them apart, and she would have it no other way. Having him with her, at her side as her husband, made it all bearable. It gave her the strength to live through these days in which her status as Celestia’s niece earned her nothing but house arrest, sealed magic, distrust and scorn. It was all worth it simply for every moment she could spend with Shining Armour.

The two lovers broke apart, after which Cadance allowed herself to roll off of her husband and back on the soft mattress of the bed. Shining Armour snuggled close to her, and she embraced him, holding him lovingly against her. Her chin rested on his head, and she caressed softly through the mane on his neck. Shining Armour sighed contently, his eyes closed again, and for the first time since his nightmare had awakened him, he appeared to be at peace and sleepy.

“I love you, princess Mi Amore Cadenza,” he muttered quietly, while drowsiness began to cloud his senses. His words made the heart of his wife flutter, and she smiled.

“And I love you, marshal Shining Armour,” she replied, whispering the words sweetly in his ear. The stallion gave a short grunt, to indicate that he had heard her, but did not speak or move anymore, content with letting sleep wash over him at last. Cadance kept gliding her hoof slowly through his blue mane while he drifted away, back to the domain of her late aunt.

Later, long after Shining Armour had fallen asleep, Cadance still lay awake in their bed, her husband still clutched tenderly in her embrace. Her eyes stared at the moon through a gap between the curtains, while she listened to the sound of Shining Armour’s gentle, peaceful breathing. A few tears glistened in her eyes like tiny, perfect pearls.

“Don’t worry, my love,” she said, even though there was none to hear her but the darkness in the room. Her eyes glanced down at her beloved stallion, and she smiled tearfully. “I am certain that Twilight will find it in her heart to forgive you, eventually.”

Her tears flew more rapidly now as she openly wept, and she struggled to keep her sobs silent so as to not rouse her beloved from his slumber. When she regained her composure, her eyes drifted back to the moon, and she stared at it with an aching heart, as if hoping that the white sphere could somehow take away all of her troubles and burdens.

“But will you find it in you to forgive me?” she wondered aloud. And though she had spoken the question quietly, with little more than a whisper, it still felt as if she had shouted them at the top of her lungs so all of Canterlot could hear her.

All of Canterlot, save for Shining Armour, for he was asleep.

End of chapter 21.

22. Departure

Wings of Tomorrow
Lament of the World

22. Departure

“We’re here,” Rainbow Dash announced, as she emerged from the dense foliage of the Everfree Forest into a clearing deep in the heart of the woods. It was well past midnight, and though she hadn’t slept a single hour that day and had just marched for a few hours with somepony on her back, Rainbow Dash didn’t appear tired at all.

The same could not be said for her friends, however, aside from Twilight Sparkle who had been carried by the pegasus admiral the entire way. The purple unicorn had wanted to walk herself, but Rarity and Fluttershy wouldn’t hear any of it, knowing that their friend had already overexerted herself today and that she hadn’t fully recovered from her injuries yet. Now Twilight glanced at her friends from atop Rainbow Dash’s back, and she felt a bit guilty.

Pinkie Pie looked more energetic than ever, which was odd and thus a good thing, but Rarity and Fluttershy looked beat and tired. Especially Rarity, which didn’t come as a surprise to Twilight, for her fellow unicorn was still recovering from injuries as well. It didn’t help that Rainbow Dash had taken them into the Everfree Forest, putting them all on edge. The cyan pegasus may perhaps no longer fear the forest, but the same did not go for her friends.

“Here?” Rarity echoed, looking around the clearing with her tired eyes. When she saw nothing but grass and trees, she wasn’t impressed. “I didn’t think to ask about how exactly we were going to escape the Republic when we left, since I trusted you knew what you were doing, Rainbow Dash, darling.” She glowered at the cyan pegasus. “So when I followed you into the Everfree Forest, of all places, what I expected at the end of our trip was to find…” Rarity looked around the empty clearing again and frowned in distaste. “Well, something, at least, as opposed to nothing.”

Rarity knew she was irritated and probably being unfair to her friend, but she didn’t do it on purpose either. It was extremely late, she had been up all day, was still recovering from the events in Canterlot and her injuries, and she was tired and exhausted. She practically fell asleep on the spot, and she wanted nothing more but to find a soft place where she could drop down and sleep.

Rainbow Dash looked over her shoulder at the tired, white unicorn. “Don’t forget that for a royalist like me, this is enemy territory, Rarity,” she replied calmly. “Leaving our escape ship in plain sight wouldn’t be a very smart thing to do.” The cyan pegasus flashed her friend a comforting smile. “Our ride’s simply hiding. Don’t worry, Rarity, you’ll be able to rest soon enough.”

This being said, the admiral looked back at the clearing in front of her, and then glanced up towards the sky. None of her friends could tell what she was looking for, or if she could even find whatever it was amidst the black sky of the night. Rainbow Dash tapped her chin thoughtfully a few times, and then turned her head to glance at her back, upon which Twilight was still sitting.

“Sorry, Twilight, but I’m afraid the ride’s over. Can you get off?” she asked on a friendly and good-natured tone, making it clear that she didn’t want her friend to get off because she was getting too heavy. With a curious glance at the pegasus, Twilight climbed off of her back to give Rainbow Dash the room for whatever it was she wanted to do. Once her back was free again, Rainbow Dash reached with one of her front hooves under her cape and pulled a peculiar looking stone from under it.

“Oh, ehm, isn’t that the same stone you used in Canterlot to contact those ponies who helped us?” Fluttershy asked quietly, and she came closer in order to see the stone held by her friend. The rest of her friends followed her example, and they crowded around Rainbow Dash to take a good look.

“Yeah, it is. This is a piece of manufactured magicite, though the quality is nowhere near as good as the natural stuff. But it’s works for simple things,” Rainbow Dash explained, and she held up the stone a bit higher to give her friends a better view of it. The stone had the shape of an egg and looked a bit like a piece of red crystal, only rough and dull instead of smooth and shiny. “The magic inside of this pebble lets me talk to every pony who holds a stone linked with this one. Much easier and practical than sending scrolls, trust me.”

Twilight’s eyes were fixed on the magicite shard and shone with curiosity. “That’s amazing,” she whispered, looking at the stone in awe. “It’s such a simple but brilliant concept, I’m surprised nopony thought of it before! And you said this magicite was manufactured by ponies? I’ve never heard of such a thing! How do they do that?”

“Eh, I’ve got no clue,” Rainbow Dash replied, and she shrugged casually. “I’m not a unicorn, so I’m not involved with all that magic and enchanting stuff. I know how to use my own magicite and that’s all I need.” When she saw Twilight’s eager grin turn into a sad frown, Rainbow Dash patted her friend comfortingly on the back. “Cheer up, Twilight. Once we’re in Cantropolis you can study the ins and outs of magicite as much as you want. Just be patient for now and let me call our ride.”

The pegasus admiral walked to the centre of the clearing and activated the stone, causing a soft light to appear within it. Glad that it seemed to still work, Rainbow Dash held the stone close to her mouth. “This is admiral Rainbow Dash calling the Wonderbolt,” she began, her voice even but firm. The pegasus had slipped back in her role as a royal admiral. “Requesting response immediately.”

There was a brief moment of silence, then a voice of a male pony sounded from the magicite shard. “Chains may bind the Sun, admiral Rainbow Dash,” it said. The words puzzled the four mares the admiral had brought with her, for they seemed random and entirely pointless. Rainbow Dash herself, however, remained serious and unfazed, as if this had been the reply she had expected.

“But they cannot stop the coming of dawn,” she replied firmly, her face set with grim determination.

“Confirmed. Welcome back, admiral, ma’am,” the unknown pony answered through the stone again. “Your orders?”

“I have four civilians here with me who need to be brought aboard immediately. Have some accommodations prepared in my cabin, they’re about to fall asleep where they stand,” Rainbow Dash commanded. “Have the pilot ready the ship for departure and our course set for Cantropolis. We’re going home.”

“Understood, admiral Rainbow Dash, ma’am. Vice-admiral Rose Thorn has been waiting for your return, he will be with you immediately. This was the Wonderbolt, over and out,” came the reply, and then the light in the magicite faded, leaving the stone dull and lifeless. Satisfied, Rainbow Dash put it back under her cape and turned around to face her friends.

“Somepony will be here shortly to teleport us to the ship, where you can rest,” she said, smiling. Her friends were visibly relieved by this news, though Rainbow Dash could see it in their eyes that they were still confused by something.

“That’s wonderful news, darling,” Rarity said. “Though I’m afraid I must ask why in Equestria they spoke about the Sun being chained, and what this ‘Wonderbolt’ is? Tis not a group of pegasus stunt flyers, I take it?”

The white unicorn’s last question caused Rainbow Dash to laugh. “Of course not,” she replied in between chuckles. “The Wonderbolt is the name of a ship. My airship, to be precise. It’s the flagship of the Royal Guard’s second division, under my command.” The cyan mare pushed her chest forward proudly. “You won’t find a faster warship anywhere in the world. She’s as agile as a bird, with an artillery battery of twenty cannons strong, and three steam engines with a thousand wingpower each!”

Twilight frowned curiously. “Why would an airship need that much wingpower?” she asked, a bit hesitatingly. It was obvious that Rainbow Dash was very proud of her ship and its capabilities, and she didn’t want to offend it or her friend. “I’m certain the ones I’ve taken a ride on before were only something between the six and eight hundred.”

Rainbow Dash merely waved her hoof dismissively as if it was no big deal. “Well, duh. Civilian airships only need to carry the weight of their cargo. They’re not armoured and don’t have much, if any, weaponry aboard, unlike a warship,” she explained. “A warship is strengthened with steel plating to withstand cannon fire and has an artillery battery and ammunition aboard on top of its crew and supplies. They’re heavier by design, so they need stronger engines to stay in the air and to attain speed. That’s why I said that the Wonderbolt is the fastest warship, not airship.”

The cyan mare turned her attention to Rarity. “As for that whole ‘chains may bind the Sun’ thing, it’s just a password. It is always possible that one of our talking stones falls in the wrong hooves, so when we contact each other with them, we exchange passwords. If somepony doesn’t know them, that means he’s not one of us, and then we sever the link between the stones.” Rainbow Dash let out a sigh. “You can never be too careful, not in this line of work. Experience taught me that much.”

Rarity nodded in understanding. “That does make sense,” she admitted.

The white mare was about to say something else, but was interrupted when somepony arrived in the clearing with a soft ‘bang!’ and a flash of light. It was a unicorn stallion, with a blood-red coat and a black mane and tail. He wore a light suit of silver armour, and in the bracelets he wore around his forelegs glowed shards of true magicite. Just like Rainbow Dash, he wore a white cape with his cutie mark on it: a thorny rose with black petals.

The newcomer took a second to observe his surroundings, until his gaze finally settled on Rainbow Dash. He turned to face her, adjusted his posture and then saluted. “Vice-admiral Rose Thorn, at your command, admiral Rainbow Dash, ma’am,” he greeted her. He spoke with a quiet, soft voice that was slightly hoarse, but regardless he sounded calm and confident.

Rainbow Dash returned his salute. “At ease, vice-admiral,” she said. “I trust there were no problems during my absence, and that we are ready to depart the moment we board?”

“Yes, to both, admiral, ma’am,” Rose Thorn confirmed. He glanced briefly at the four mares gathered behind his superior. “Are these the ponies you insisted on collecting before our return to Cantropolis?” he inquired curiously.

“Four of the five, yes,” Rainbow Dash replied. She stepped aside and looked at her friends while gesturing at the unicorn stallion. “Girls, meet Rose Thorn, vice-admiral of the second division of the Royal Guard, and my right-hoof pony.”

One by one the four mares muttered their greetings, and Rose Thorn responded in kind with a polite tip of his head. “My greetings to you all,” he said, but he paid them no further heed. Instead, his attention once more went to his superior. “Might I suggest we depart swiftly, admiral? Though they have not said anything, I know the crew is getting anxious due to being in enemy territory for this long.”

“Not exactly unexpected,” Rainbow Dash replied, and she nodded in understanding. “Well, I think we’re all set on this end,” she continued, glancing briefly at the tired forms of her friends. She gave Rose Thorn a confirmative nod of her head. “Take us to the ship, vice-admiral.”

“Understood. Everypony stay close to each other, then this will be done in the blink of an eye,” the stallion announced. He bowed his head and closed his eyes in concentration, and his horn began to glow with a grey light as he charged his spell.

“Hold it! Y’all ain’t goin’ anywhere without me!”

The suddenly shouted words broke the vice-admiral’s concentration, and his eyes shot open in confusion. Around him, Rainbow Dash and her friends were turning themselves in the direction of the voice as well, just in time to see an orange earth pony mare emerge from the woods and into the clearing. Her mane and tail were coloured like straw, and on her head she wore a very familiar hat that obscured her face.

The new arrival was breathing hard and her coat was matted with sweat, as if she had just ran an entire mareathon. Blood Thorn’s training immediately kicked in and he took on a defensive stance, ready to take down this potential threat, but Rainbow Dash held out her hoof to stop him. Confused, the vice-admiral stood down and watched as Pinkie Pie tackled the orange mare to the ground.

“Applejack!” the pink pony exclaimed happily, while hugging the apple-farmer tightly. The rest of her friends rushed over as well, their tiredness momentarily forgotten.

“Whoa, knock it down a peg there, Pinkie, and let me breathe,” Applejack said, managing somehow to squeeze the air needed for speaking from her lungs. “Ah just ran from Sweet Apple Acres all the way ‘till here in one go. Ah need to catch mah breath fer a while.” Nevertheless, she was still appreciative of Pinkie’s hug, and patted her fellow earth pony on the back to return the gesture.

“But why are you here, Applejack?” Twilight asked, puzzled, once Pinkie had gotten off Applejack to allow her to get her much needed air. “I thought you said you were staying in Ponyville to take care of your family?”

The orange mare slowly climbed to her hooves and picked up her hat that had fallen off when Pinkie had knocked her to the ground. She dusted it off and placed it back on her head, taking more time to do so than was truly needed, as if she was trying to delay answering Twilight’s question for as long as possible. Finally, Applejack sighed and gave in.

“Ah was, but Ah felt guilty ‘bout it all the way when Ah walked home. When Ah arrived back at the farm, mah brother was there waitin’ fer me. Now mah bro knows his sis, so he noticed somethin’ was off, and Ah kinda spilled the beans,” she explained, still wheezing a bit. Applejack bowed her head, hiding her eyes behind the rim of her hat. Her friends glanced worriedly at each other, but patiently waited until she was ready to continue.

“Nearly bucked me on the head when Ah was done, he did,” Applejack continued, and she chuckled softly at the memory. “Said he couldn’t believe Ah turned mah back on mah friends. Ah told him Ah didn’t like it either, but Ah couldn’t leave him alone to take care of the family and the farm.” She sighed again and pawed idly at the ground. “He said it was good of me to think of mah family first, but that Ah didn’t think it through. He could take care of the family, and as fer the farm, all he’d have to do was hire some extra hooves to help.”

The orange mare looked about ready to kick herself. “Ah should’ve thought of that mahself, but Ah guess mah brain was already sleepin’ when Ah had to make mah decision,” she said ruefully, and she shrugged helplessly. “Big Mac told me the family and the farm need me, and there ain’t no denying that. But mah friends need me more, he said. If Ah’m not at the farm, Ah can be replaced, if only fer a while. Mah friends, however, can’t replace me as easily.”

Applejack looked up and glanced worriedly at her friends. “Well, at least Ah think you can’t,” she finished quietly.

“Of course we can’t, Applejack,” Rarity replied with a genuine smile. “There is only one of you, and you are irreplaceable.”

“Wouldn’t have it any other way either,” Rainbow Dash added with a grin.

Applejack looked relieved upon hearing their words, and she answered their smiles with a careful one of her own, before continuing her story. “So, Ah realized Big Macintosh was right, and that mah place was with y’all. He’s gonna explain everythin’ to Granny Smith and Apple Bloom, and give ‘em mah apologies fer leaving so suddenly without sayin’ a word.” She turned her head to look at Rainbow Dash again. “We also agreed to do what you suggested, sugarcube. He’s gonna report mah disappearance to the authorities first thing in the mornin’, so hopefully that’ll keep the Republic off their backs.”

“That’s a wise decision, and it should be enough to keep them safe,” Rainbow Dash commented, her expression and tone just as serious as Applejack. The pegasus understood perfectly that the safety of her family was very important to Applejack, and no light matter in the slightest. “I’ll give orders to our contacts in Ponyville to keep an eye out, just in case, though.” She glanced at Rose Thorn, who stood quietly at his superior’s side. “See that it’s taken care of as soon as we’re back on our home turf.”

“Yes, ma’am,” the vice-admiral responded earnestly, with a curt nod of his head. Then he stood back quietly again and waited until Rainbow Dash provided him with further orders.

“Thanks, sugarcube, that’s mighty kind of ya,” Applejack said gratefully, and a look of relief appeared on her face. “Ah mare can’t help but worry fer her kin when she goes away from home, you get.”

Rainbow Dash waved her hoof dismissively. “Don’t sweat it. Like I told Rarity, it’s standard procedure,” she replied casually. “I’m impressed you managed to catch up with us, though.”

“I’m impressed she managed to track us down here in the first place,” Twilight chimed in, who was decidedly impressed with the earth pony’s achievement. “How did you do that, actually? It’s night, and this is the Everfree Forest.”

“Well, it sure was hard, Ah admit,” Applejack replied. “Y’all had a big lead by the time Ah left the farm. Ah ran back to Fluttershy’s place and followed managed to pick up yer trail from there. Though it ain’t easy to do that in the dark while yer runnin’ as if ya got a pack of Timberwolves on yer heels, let me tell ya.”

“But, Ah guess all that matters is that Ah made it in time.” The freckled mare focussed her attention on Rainbow Dash once again. “Dash, back at Flutters’ ya asked me fer mah help. Now Ah’m here to offer it to ya, if ya still would have it.”

A wide, triumphant grin spread across the cyan pegasus, who looked as if somepony had just told her she’d been accepted in the Wonderbolts. “Do you even have to ask that?” she replied with a smirk, and she extended her right hoof towards Appeljack. The orange pony didn’t hesitate for a second and locked her own hoof with Rainbow’s, after which the pegasus promptly pulled her in a friendly embrace with her other foreleg. “Glad to have you with us, AJ.”

“Glad to be here. Wouldn’t wanna be anywhere else right now,” Applejack answered. She looked at the rest of her friends and smiled. “Ah guess that makes six of us, don’t it?”

“It does! We’re all together again!” Pinkie piped up from where she sat, and she looked as if she could barely contain her excitement. “You know what this calls for?” she asked, with a mischievous look in her eyes. Before any of her friends could answer, she loudly exclaimed: “A party!”

A shock went through four of the five other mares in the clearing, and they gaped at the pink mare with wide-open jaws. Twilight, Rarity and Applejack immediately noticed that something about the pink pony had changed. She had the biggest of grins on her face, her mane and tail had turned a bright shade of pink and they were poofy and curly, as if she had put her hoof in a steam engine’s power outlet. Fluttershy noticed the changes as well, and all four ponies realised with a start that Pinkie Pie had regained her usual appearance. She looked normal, like how they remembered her to be from their previous lives.

Rainbow Dash, who knew nothing about the many years Pinkie Pie had lived being permanently depressed in this lifetime, didn’t share the amazement of her friends. To her it looked as if Pinkie Pie was simply being Pinkie Pie, something she definitely had missed but wasn’t worth getting all startled and shocked by. She didn’t understand the reaction of the rest of their friends, but decided to let it be for now. She’d ask about it later, when they were on safe ground again.

“I agree the occasion calls for a party in classic Pinkie Pie style, Pinkie,” Rainbow Dash said with a grin. “But this really isn’t the right time or place for it. It’ll have to wait until we’re back in Cantropolis, so I hope you can hold out until then.”

“Sure thing, Dashie! I have more time for planning this way, since I haven’t thrown a party in a looong time, and I wouldn’t be able to throw one here right away anyway, since I don’t have my party cannon. Hmm, note to self: reacquire party cannon.” By the time she spoke her last sentence, the energetic earth pony was no longer even looking at Rainbow Dash, apparently lost within her own mind as she tapped her chin thoughtfully with one of her hooves.

“You wouldn’t believe how much I missed her rambling,” Rainbow Dash whispered quietly to Applejack, trying to look inconspicuous.

“Ah believe ya, sugarcube,” Applejack replied, just as quietly, while looking at her fellow earth pony with a touched smile on her face. To see Pinkie behave as she always had brought forth strong feelings of nostalgia within her that nearly moved her to tears. “We missed it just as much, we did.”

Rainbow Dash frowned at that last bit, not understanding it, but once again decided to ask about it later. She scraped her throat to gain everypony’s attention. “Well, now that AJ is here, I think we’re all set to leave?” she asked, looking at the faces of the ponies assembled around her one by one. When each of them gave a confirmative nod, Rainbow Dash turned to Blood Thorn. “In that case, vice-admiral Rose Thorn, take us to the ship.”

“Yes, admiral, ma’am,” the stallion replied. He closed his eyes again and began to concentrate. The magicite shards in his armour flared to life and fuelled his magic with extra power, which made teleporting a group of ponies this large an easy feat. Much faster than a normal unicorn could, Rose Thorn had charged his spell and released it. There was a loud ‘bang!’ followed by a flash of light, and the seven ponies in the clearing had vanished.

A few short but loud knocks on the door of her office made Derpy Hooves look up from the papers she was studying. She placed them down on her desk and gave permission to whoever had knocked on her door to enter. Almost immediately, the door swung open and a royal guard, dressed in the attire of the Lunar guards, walked inside the room, stopping at a respectable distance from the Grand Admiral’s desk.

“Grand admiral, ma’am, we’ve received word from admiral Rainbow Dash,” the guard reported, after he had saluted his superior officer. A raised eyebrow from Derpy bade him to elaborate. “The admiral reports that she has successfully completed her mission and has set course for Cantropolis. She’s estimated to arrive tomorrow afternoon, at five o’clock.”

“I see. That is good news indeed,” Derpy said curtly. She gave the guard a questioning glance with her single eye. “Was there anything else?”

“Yes, ma’am,” the guard confirmed with a short nod of his head. “The admiral also reported that she is bringing along five civilians from the Republic who apparently wish to join our cause. She has requested if you could arrange a meeting with the High Chancellor for them.”

“That is a most unusual request,” the grand admiral said, with a deep frown on her face. She could not fathom why Rainbow Dash would ask it in the first place. Nopony, aside from the steward, the grand admiral and the three admirals, were allowed to know the High Chancellor’s identity, let alone meet her. Rainbow Dash knew this, leaving Derpy puzzled as to why she would ask five Republicans, of all ponies, to meet the High Chancellor. The grand admiral focussed on the guard again. “Did she say why?”

“The admiral said the High Chancellor has expressed a desire to meet these five particular ponies to her in the past, and that the Chancellor would be most delighted to see them,” the guard replied. “She refused to elaborate more in a message.”

“A wise decision,” Derpy admitted. “A message may always be intercepted, so it is wise to keep the details vague until they can be relayed in person.” The grand admiral sighed and rubbed her forehead with one of her hooves. “Very well, I’ll see what I can do about her request. I will talk to the High Chancellor in the morning.” She paused for a moment, then looked at the guard one more. “Was that everything?”

The night guard nodded affirmatively. “Yes, ma’am,” he confirmed.

The grand admiral gave a grunt of approval. “Very well. Thank you for the report. You are dismissed,” she said. The stallion saluted and then left the office, closing the door behind him. Derpy kept staring at the door for a while, lost in thought. She was glad to hear that Rainbow Dash had successfully completed her mission. It was the first good news she had received in a while. The civilians the admiral was bringing along bothered the grey pegasus, however. She didn’t like it when Rainbow Dash did things without informing her of them beforehoof.

Derpy shook her head and sighed again. There was no point in worrying now, she told herself. Rainbow Dash was a capable pony and though she may act rash at times, she had matured enough throughout the years to not do anything stupid that could endanger the entire kingdom. She understood the responsibilities that came with being an admiral and carried out her duties well. She wouldn’t bring anypony to Cantropolis that couldn’t be trusted.

The high commander of the entire royal guard tried to return her attention to the papers on her desk, but gave up after only a few minutes. Her eye hurt and she felt tired. A quick glance at the clock revealed it to be more than three hours past midnight. Due to the upcoming invasion, Derpy hadn’t had a good and long sleep in ages, always working from early in the morning till very late in the night, never getting more than only a few hours of sleep.

“Since Rainbow Dash has succeeded in getting the plans, and our agent in Canterlot already confirmed them to be the genuine thing, I guess it wouldn’t hurt to call it a day for now,” she thought idly. She breathed in deeply and exhaled slowly while climbing out of her office chair. She extinguished the candles on her desk, grabbed her cape from its position on the coat rack and left her office.

Slowly Derpy walked through the dark, quiet castle, occasionally coming across a few night guards patrolling the halls, who saluted her whenever she passed them. She always gave a nod of recognition in return, not wanting her subordinates to think that because she was the grand admiral she was above giving normal soldiers a greeting.

Derpy didn’t think herself better than any other pony because of her rank. She herself had come from humble beginnings as well, a simple mail mare in Ponyville. That she had managed to climb to the highest rank in the guard in only a decade simply proved that every pony could achieve whatever they wanted if they worked hard enough. And worked hard she had, and still did. She wouldn’t rest until she had completed the very objective she had joined the guard for, all those years ago.

She climbed a few stairs and crossed some empty halls until she arrived at her private quarters in the castle. There were no guards stationed at her door, not at night at least, as per her own request. Unceremoniously the dead tired pegasus pushed open the doors and kicked them close again behind her. Derpy stood in a small, short hallway, at the end of which was a spiralling staircase that led to the bedrooms on the floor above. She wanted to go there immediately, when she noticed there was still light coming from beneath the door that led to her living room. Shaking her head, Derpy went there instead.

As she entered the room, she immediately found who she was looking for. “It’s late, Sparkler, you should be sleeping,” Derpy said with mild disapproval. Her single golden eye looked at the royal admiral who was laying on the couch, reading a book with barely any interest in its contents.

The purple-haired unicorn closed the book and sat up, meeting Derpy’s stare evenly with one of her own. “Like you’re one to talk, mom,” Amethyst Star said, with just as much disapproval as Derpy had used against her a moment before. She gestured at the antique grandfather clock that stood against one of the walls. “This is the ninth time in a row that you’ve worked more than an hour past midnight. It’s not healthy. If you continue like this we won’t even need the Republic to knock you out.”

“There’s a grand-scale invasion coming up, sweetheart,” Derpy replied with a sigh, looking sadly at her daughter. They had had this conversation before, and she really didn’t feel like doing it again at this moment.

“And a physical breakdown for you if you keep this up,” Sparkler retorted effortlessly. The unicorn sighed as well, rubbing in her tired eyes. “Have you forgotten that I’ve attended all those strategy meetings about the invasion with you? I’m an admiral, mom, I know what’s at stake. That’s no excuse to hack away at my own health, nor is it for you.”

Derpy remained silent and refused to look at her daughter. She knew Amethyst Star was right, but didn’t want to admit it, so she said nothing. An uneasy silence hung between the two of them, until Derpy decided to break it. “Rainbow Dash sent us a report. She has the plans,” she announced, while studying the curtains as if they were the most fascinating thing in the world.

Sparkler scoffed at her mother’s poor attempt to change the subject, but gave up on trying to pursue it. “That’s good news,” she admitted joylessly. “Guess that means you’ll be working overtime even more now?”

“Somepony has to do it,” Derpy replied, shooting a sharp glare at the unicorn. “I’m the grand admiral. The defence of the kingdom is my responsibility. If we withstand the invasion or fall to it will depend entirely on me and the decisions I take.” The grey pegasus snorted. “Suppose I didn’t, and we fail, what would you have me say? ‘Sorry for making us lose the war, but my daughter made me go to bed on time’.”

“That’s no worse than saying: ‘Sorry for making us lose the war because I was too tired to fight’,” Amethyst Star answered, just as sharply as Derpy. She made a helpless gesture with her hooves and sighed. “I’m worried about you, mother, and about your health,” she added on a softer, gentler tone.

Derpy sighed as well and hung her head. She rubbed her tired eye with her hoof, but the fatigue would not go away so easily. “I know, sweetheart, I know, but I…”

The pegasus was interrupted midsentence by the door of the living room opening again. Mother and daughter both glanced at the door opening, to see a young, small filly standing there. She was the spitting image of Derpy, the only difference being that the filly was a unicorn instead of a pegasus, and she didn’t have a cutie mark yet.

“Mommy, were you and Sparkler arguing again?” the filly asked quietly, her eyes fearful.

Derpy managed to give her youngest daughter a tired smile. “No, my little muffin, mommy is just tired, that’s all,” she said warmly, to try and soothe her child. “Why aren’t you sleeping? It’s waaay past bedtime for little fillies.” The grey pegasus suddenly frowned worriedly. “Could you not sleep? Did you have pain again?”

Dinky Hooves shook her head. “No mommy, the new legs the doctor gave me are a lot better, they don’t hurt anymore,” she replied. The little unicorn walked away from the door and towards her mother, moving out of the shadows and into the light so her body became visible. As they watched her approach them, Derpy and Sparkler had to fight hard to resist the urge to wince and look away.

Amethyst Star had to witness with pain how her little sister, only a filly, limped heavily while making her way to their mother. The reason for that became obvious as soon as anypony looked at Dinky’s right side. Her entire right foreleg was gone, and her right hind leg was missing from beneath the knee. Both had been ripped clean off by an explosion caused by Republican cannon fire, when the young unicorn had been less than a year old, almost a decade ago. The filly’s right side still bore many other hideous scars and burns, which would remain there for the rest of her life.

Dinky’s missing limbs had been replaced by mechanical prostheses, skeletal metal legs embedded with tiny magicite shards filled with a spell that linked the prostheses to the filly’s mind. This allowed her to steer and move them. Prostheses such as these were very new and recent, but still far from perfect. They were ungainly and difficult to move, especially for a pony so young, making walking a difficult struggle for the filly. Running was impossible. Furthermore, because she had lost her legs when she had been naught but a foal, she outgrew her prostheses as her body grew up, causing her pain until they could be replaced.

Derpy met her scarred little muffin halfway and swept her up in a warm, loving hug that only a mother could give. “That’s good to hear,” she said with a smile, flying the two of them over to the couch, where they sat down next to Amethyst Star. “But if your legs weren’t hurting, then why aren’t you in bed, my little muffin?”

Dinky crept close against her mother, burying her face in Derpy’s familiar and comforting grey fur. “I had a scary dream,” she mumbled. “There was fire and noise and it was dark and smoky. I called for you and Sparkler, but you didn’t come and I was all alone…”

“Shh, it’s alright, my little muffin,” Derpy soothed, caressing her child comfortingly over her back. “It was just a dream, it wasn’t real. Mommy and Sparkler will never leave you alone. We’ll always be there for you.”

“Promise?” the filly begged, looking up tearfully in her mother’s kind eye.

Derpy nodded affirmatively. “Promise.”

That seemed to satisfy the small pony, and she snuggled closely against Derpy’s warm figure again. The grey pegasus cuddled her little filly, brushing through Dinky’s mane with her hoof. She carefully avoided touching the mechanical prostheses the Republic had cursed her filly to live with, for she would not be able to bear it. The skeletal legs pained Derpy and Amethyst Star as much as they pained Dinky, and served as a reminder of what they were fighting for every time they saw the little filly struggle to walk with them.

The family Hooves sat together like that for a while, Derpy and Sparkler watching the little unicorn in their midst warmly and lovingly. When Dinky opened her mouth and yawned loudly, Derpy couldn’t help it and laughed.

“I think my little muffin is tired,” she teased, poking Dinky on the nose. The small filly giggled, or at least she tried to, but halfway she got interrupted by another yawn. “Let’s get you to bed, little missy,” Derpy chuckled, and she picked her foal up in her legs while spreading her wings.

“But what about the scary dreams?” Dinky protested, suddenly afraid again.

“Don’t worry about those. Mommy and Sparkler will chase them away,” Derpy replied confidently. “No bad dream will dare to enter the bedroom of the grand admiral’s little muffin!”

Her brave words put the small unicorn at ease, and she snuggled happily against her mother again. After a few seconds, though, Dinky opened her eyes again and hopefully looked up at Derpy. “Will Sparkler tell me a bedtime story?”

The grand admiral cast a questioning glance over her shoulder at her oldest daughter. Amethyst Star merely smiled and nodded. “Of course, anything for my little sister,” she said. Then she got a thoughtful look on her face and tapped her chin with her hoof. “What story should I tell you, though?”

“I want a story about Princess Celestia!” came the immediate, eager reply of Dinky. “Those are my favourite!”

“Of course,” Sparkler said, smiling. She trotted slowly behind her mother, accompanying her as the grey pegasus carried the filly up the stairs and back to her bed. It was extremely late, and Amethyst Star longed to go to bed herself, but she knew that would have to wait. First, she had to tell her dear, beloved little sister a bedtime story, and there could be no better reason to delay her bodily needs than that.

Far away from Cantropolis, in the skies above the Everfree Forest, there was another pony who lay wide awake despite the late hour. Twilight Sparkle lay on her back on a small bunk and stared at the wooden ceiling above her. She was tired, to the point of exhaustion even, and yet sleep refused to claim her, despite the fact that she had the most comfortable bed of all of her friends.

When they had arrived on The Wonderbolt, they had quickly been guided towards Rainbow Dash’s cabin, the captain’s quarters of the ship. Though that was the largest room aboard the entire ship, it was still a bit too small to accommodate five ponies. What little furniture there was had been shoved aside to make place on the floor for four makeshift beds, though those were nothing more than a few blankets with a pillow. Given how tired the lot of them had been, however, none had complained. They could have been given just the floor to sleep on, and still they would not have complained, they had only wished to sleep.

Rainbow Dash had surrendered her own bed to one of the friends, saying she wouldn’t be sleeping much tonight anyway. The rest of her friends had unanimously decided that Twilight would get it, given the fact that she was still recovering from some serious injuries. Even Rarity had insisted that Twilight take it, and the lavender unicorn had accepted because she had simply been too tired to argue. Her friends had made themselves as comfortable as possible on the makeshift beds on the floor, and had quickly fallen asleep.

Only Twilight still lay awake. She really wanted to sleep, but couldn’t. She was aboard a royal airship heading towards Cantropolis, the capital of the kingdom. She had chosen a side and was on her way to give whatever aid she could to the royalists. The civil war was rapidly approaching its long awaited climax, and she was going to play a part in it. At long last, she had decided to act, had decided to do her best to aid in the freeing of Princess Celestia.

The injured unicorn looked through the windows of the cabin to the star-filled night sky that was passing by outside. “Don’t worry, Princess,” she whispered quietly to the stars. “From now on, I’m going to do what I can to free you. Just be patient for a little while longer…”

Nopony heard her quiet pledge, but Twilight was fine with that. She let out a deep sigh, and listened absentmindedly to the steady, monotonous humming of the airship’s engines. Her tired eyes kept watching the stars and the beautiful moon, until at long last they closed and Twilight fell asleep.

End of chapter 22.

23. Journey to the capital

Wings of Tomorrow
Lament of the World

23. Journey to the capital

“I should have known I couldn’t make a trip to the Republic and back without running into trouble, ” Rainbow Dash thought grimly, as she jumped aside to dodge a magic spell fired at her by a severely angry Republican. The pegasus admiral immediately returned the favour by throwing a lightning bolt at her attacker. The attack struck before the unicorn even had the time to react, and a moment later his smoking body lay motionless on the deck.

Rainbow Dash had no time to pat herself on the back. Her trained senses picked up a movement in the air behind her and she dropped low to the floor. A sword swung over her head in a wide arc, held by another pegasus. Before he could recover from his missed blow, Rainbow Dash had whirled around and rammed the blunt end of her lance in his side. Her foe’s eyes bulged and his mouth was forced open in a soundless scream of pain. Rainbow Dash reared back one of her hooves and charged it with lightning, before punching the pegasus in the abdomen with it. He fell down, shocked into unconsciousness.

“Once, just once, I’d like to take a trip with my ship without ponies trying to kill me, ” Rainbow Dash grumbled mentally. She’d been in such a good mood, too. She had succeeded in getting the plans of the Republican invasion, her friends had agreed to join her on her mission and their journey back to the capital had gone smoothly. At least until they had gotten near the border between the Kingdom and the Republic, and had run into a Republican patrol ship. Conflict had been inevitable, and the Republicans had opened fire without hesitation.

Not wanting to risk her friends getting hurt, Rainbow Dash had decided to handle this one on her own. Thus it was that she now stood on the deck of the Republican ship, facing its entire crew of fifty ponies strong on her lonesome. Despite being vastly outnumbered, Rainbow Dash didn’t show even a hint of worry.

“Alright everypony, I think it’s safe for me to assume that you know who I am, and so you should also know what I’m capable of,” she said, addressing the enemy crew with a slight grin on her face. The posture and way she held herself screamed confidence. “Luckily for you, I’m in a hurry. So if you kindly turn your ship around and leave mine alone, then nopony needs to get hurt.”

A shiver of unease ran through the Republican, and they glanced nervously from the smoking bodies of their comrades to Rainbow Dash. None of them wanted to be the first to step forward and risk being struck down. Rainbow Dash’s reputation preceded her, and her little display from just now only served to further increase the fear she invoked in them.

Finally, one of the bravest among them nervously cleared his throat and spoke, looking around at his comrades the entire time. “W… we shouldn’t be intimidated! She’s only one mare, we have her outnumbered… We… we can take her!” the stallion stammered.

“Y… yeah! We’ve got forty against one! We can take on any royalist scum!” another joined agreed, and he tried to look brave while he spoke. His rallying cry was slowly taken over by his fellow guards, and their anxiety was replaced with budding courage.

“If we take down ‘the Thunderbird’, we’ll be heroes!” a third Republican shouted, and many nodded or mumbled their agreement. A shiver of excitement ran through the group, and Rainbow Dash could feel that the atmosphere had changed. There was a certain kind of tension in the air, and the Republican soldiers look uncomfortable, as if they could break down any minute. They feared her, as they rightly should, and that fear, coupled with desperation, drove them to near madness.

The Republican ponies drew their weapons and charged their spells, and Rainbow Dash clenched her jaw and her expression was grim. “I can see that this is something that can no longer be solved with words,” she said. The cyan pegasus spread her wings and with one flap found herself hovering a foot or two above the deck. In one hoof she held her golden lance, ornate in design and with a diamond spearhead, while her other hoof crackled with lightning.

“Do as you like!” Rainbow Dash called out to them, before charging straight at them. Her opponents let out their own wordless battle cry and charged as well. The collision was great and terrible, and the air was filled with the sound of clashing steel, magic and sheer power.

“How could you have let her take off on her own?!” Twilight demanded angrily, her entire body shaking with barely contained fury. She gave the pony right in front of her a heated glare, but the target of her anger, vice-admiral Rose Thorn, remained perfectly calm. His lack of response only served to make the female unicorn even more frustrated.

“How can every pony on this ship remain so call when Rainbow Dash just flew off to take on an entire airship full of Republican soldiers on her own?!” she asked again, stomping her hoof. Behind her, her friends nodded in agreement. The entire group of mares was gathered on the deck, having been woken up by the sound of cannon fire when the Republican ship had first attacked.

“Admiral Rainbow Dash said she was going to engage the enemy on her own, and ordered us not to interfere,” Rose Thorn said sternly, meeting Twilight’s heated glare with an even look of his own. “You were all present when she gave her orders, or did you not hear them?”

“She charged on her lonesome at a ship full of ponies who want nothin’ more than to tan her hide!” Applejack objected loudly. The orange mare marched up to the unicorn stallion and planted her hoof on his armoured chest. “Orders or no orders, y’all can’t just let a stubborn pony rush to her death! She’s your captain! She’s our friend! We should be out there lendin’ her a hoof!”

Rose Thorn sighed and gently removed Applejack’s hoof from his chest. “I understand that you are worried about the admiral, who is your friend, but you are letting it cloud your common sense,” he berated the ponies standing before him. He spoke sternly, but not unkind. “As you are now, you cannot help her. You have neither the skills nor the experience for combat, and you would only hold her back and be a hindrance.”

“Though it isn’t pleasant to hear spoken aloud, he does have a point, darlings,” Rarity agreed reluctantly, as she came to stand between Twilight and Applejack. The white unicorn placed a hoof on each of their shoulders in turn, trying to get them to calm down a bit. “Rainbow Dash was trained for this sort of thing, while we’re not. I think our little fiasco in Canterlot was proof enough of that.” She glanced at Twilight with some concern. “Speaking of which, even should we be of any help, you still would have had to sit this one out, Twilight. You are still recovering from your injuries.”

Rarity’s words made Twilight instinctively reach to her chest with one of her hooves, touching the bandages hidden underneath her dress. The memories of that night in Canterlot and the excruciating pain from the spells that had left her heavily wounded came back to her, and Twilight involuntarily winced. She bowed her head in defeat, having to admit Rarity had a point.

Regardless, it still didn’t feel right to Twilight to let Rainbow Dash charge off into danger on her own, injured or not. Judging from the looks on her friends’ faces, they were all thinking along the same lines, though at the same time they realised as well that Rose Thorn had a point, too. None of them had any combat experience. Sure, they had wrestled with a swarm of changelings in their previous lives, but never with experienced ponies trained to fight. It made them feel powerless and useless.

Twilight loathed the feeling more than anypony else, for it made her once again think of that night in Canterlot two days ago. If she had been stronger, if she had her skills and experience in magic that she had possessed in her previous life, then she could have saved her friends and wouldn’t have gotten injured. And if she hadn’t been injured, she could have been of some use to Rainbow Dash now.

“Ah get what you’re sayin’, sugarcube,” Applejack admitted reluctantly to Rose Thorn. “And Ah suppose you do have a point. Buckin’ an apple tree and a pony just ain’t the same. So Ah get why we have to sit this rodeo out.” She narrowed her eyes and gave the unicorn stallion another sharp glare. “But what Ah don’t get is why y’all ain’t over there with her to lend her a hoof! Y’all are trained to fight, so why let her run off on her own?!”

“I, um, was kind of wondering about the same thing… If that’s okay with you,” Fluttershy said softly, speaking up for the first time since Rainbow Dash had left. Around her tender frame was wrapped Rainbow Dash’s cape, the cyan pegasus having given it to her timid friend with a promise to come back for it. Fluttershy held it wrapped tightly around herself, and she was still shaken from the earlier bombardment.

All five of them had been sleeping peacefully in Rainbow Dash’s cabin, regaining their strength after an eventful night, when a loud explosion had brusquely shaken them awake. That explosion was followed by many more, then a soft thud ran through the entire ship as the Wonderbolt returned the fire with its own cannons. It became clear to Twilight then that they were under attack, but how many attackers they were and how big of a threat they formed was impossible to determine from inside Rainbow Dash’s quarters.

The five mares had waited for a little while, but when the artillery fire continued and nopony came to inform them of the situation at hoof, it was decided to go to the deck to find Rainbow Dash. Fluttershy had been reluctant to go, for the cabin seemed relatively safe to her, while on the deck they would surely get caught in the fight. She hadn’t wanted to remain alone in the cabin either, however, so she had followed her friends. And despite them being with her, she had still found the entire ordeal frightening.

The Wonderbolt shook with every explosion that rang through the air, and Fluttershy could barely resist the urge to curl up into a ball every time that happened. The deafening noise of cannon fire tormented her ears, and for a while all she could think about was why she had left the safety and silence of her home behind. How she longed for the comforting presence of her little friends, the calming, assuring familiarity of her home…

Then one of her friends, mostly Rarity and Pinkie Pie, would stop to make sure she was alright. A gentle word would be said, or a warm gesture made, and then she found the courage to go on a little bit further. Time and time again, her friends never losing their patience with her, for which she was endlessly grateful. Timidly and more than a bit frightened, but strengthened by the support of her friends, Fluttershy followed them as they ran towards the deck, to find Rainbow Dash and learn what was going on.

The door to the deck loomed ahead, but Applejack barrelled straight into it, throwing it open, and the rest of them followed swiftly. There were fewer ponies there than they had expected, but it made it much easier to find the pony they were looking for. Rainbow Dash was standing at the railing on the left side of the ship, and vice-admiral Rose Thorn was at her side. She was telling something to four guardsponies, but with the wind in their ears and the explosions filling the air, Fluttershy nor any of her friends could hear what was being said.

“Rainbow Dash!” Twilight called out to the cyan pegasus, while running as quickly towards her friend as her still injured body allowed her. At the same time Rainbow Dash looked up and the four guards left, quickly disappearing below the deck, apparently having received their orders. Only Rose Thorn remained with the admiral to greet the remaining Elements of Harmony.

“What’s going on? Are we under attack?” Fluttershy heard Twilight ask in between breaths. The purple unicorn looked around worriedly. “Have we been followed?”

“No, we just had the misfortune of running into a Republican patrol ship,” Rainbow Dash replied, speaking quickly and in an entirely serious tone that surprised her friends. She was fully in her role as a royal admiral now, and it showed in the way she behaved and spoke. “We’re nearing the border, and it’s always under heavy guard. I knew from the beginning there was a big chance we’d run into one.”

She made a nod with her head to something in the distance, and when Fluttershy looked in that direction, she could see another airship that was rapidly approaching them. Then the Wonderbolt shook when its cannons were fired again, and with a squeak Fluttershy quickly dove underneath Applejack for cover.

“There’s nothing to worry about, everything is under control,” Rainbow Dash said quickly, with full confidence, when she saw the looks of fright and panic on her friends’ faces. The pegasus admiral glanced at the vice-admiral at her side. Rose Thorn met her gaze evenly, and Rainbow Dash nodded. “You know what you have to do, vice-admiral?”

“Yes, ma’am,” the stallion replied calmly. His horn glowed, and an ornate, golden lance with a diamond spearhead appeared out of nowhere.

“Good,” Rainbow Dash said shortly, and she snatched the lance out of the air. She spared a moment to look at her friends, then turned her attention back to her subordinate. “I’m leaving my friends under your protection, Rose Thorn. They’re not to get hurt even the slightest bit, do I make myself clear?”

“Crystal, admiral Rainbow Dash, ma’am.”

Rainbow Dash nodded again. “You girls stick with Rose Thorn, he’ll keep you safe. Don’t try to do anything stupid, and don’t worry about me, I could do this in my sleep,” she then said to her friends. This being said, Rainbow Dash spread her wings and jumped onto the ship’s railing. Behind her, Fluttershy and the rest of her friends gasped in shock.

“Darling, wait, wherever are you going?!” Rarity cried out, not understanding what was going on. Everything was happening so quickly, her brain had a hard time trying to catch up.

Rainbow Dash glanced over her shoulder at the white unicorn. “Well, somepony’s gotta keep those guys entertained while you guys hightail it out of here,” she explained, which caused another round of shocked gasping.

“You’re going to the Republican ship?! Alone?!” Twilight all but shouted, her mouth and eyes opened wide. “Are you crazy?!”

The pegasus admiral groaned. “Look, I don’t have time for this! You girls just have to trust me, alright? I know what I’m doing!” Rainbow Dash snapped, frustrated by the seemingly lack of confidence her friends had in her. They probably thought she was just being reckless again, and she could somewhere understand that they believed that, given how she had been in her previous life. But this was a different life, and she was an admiral here. That rank required ponies to possess certain skills, and not being reckless was one of those.

Rainbow Dash sighed and turned away from her friends again. She had no time to explain how she her life as a royal guard had changed her. That could wait until after she had made sure her friends got past the border safely. She spread her wings and prepared to leap off the railing.

“Wait!”

Before Rainbow Dash could jump off the ship, Fluttershy rushed forward and wrapped her forelegs around her fellow pegasus’ waist, desperately trying to keep Rainbow Dash where she was. “You can’t go, Rainbow Dash, you can’t go all alone! You mustn’t! You could get hurt!” Fluttershy pleaded with a panicky voice, too concerned for her friend’s wellbeing to speak on her usual reserved, quiet tone. At the same time, another cannon ball from the Republican ship was shot down by the Wonderbolt’s artillery, and the explosion made Fluttershy whimper in fright, but she held on.

Behind her, the rest of her friends were giving the timid pegasus looks of both sympathy and approval, and they smiled. Rose Thorn, however, was neither pleased nor touched. He cast a nervous glance at the still approaching enemy ship, then looked at Rainbow Dash. “Admiral, we cannot afford any further delay. Within a few moments the Republicans will be close enough for their pegasi to disembark!”

Rainbow Dash met her subordinate’s worried gaze. “I know that,” she said coolly, before looking down at the pegasus who was clinging to her. Despite the situation, Rainbow Dash couldn’t help but smile. Gently, she removed Fluttershy’s legs from around her waist. The butter-yellow mare squeaked and tried to regain her hold on her friend, but Rainbow Dash gently held her back.

“You don’t have to worry about me, Fluttershy,” she said sincerely, and she gave her fellow pegasus a confident smile while looking down in Fluttershy’s tear-filled eyes. “Really, I know what I’m doing.” When her friend still didn’t look convinced, Rainbow Dash removed her cape and wrapped it firmly around Fluttershy’s trembling body. The timid mare’s lips parted in a soundless gasp, and she looked from the cape to Rainbow Dash in incomprehension.

“I’ll come back for it,” the cyan pegasus promised with a grin. Then, with Fluttershy speechless and the rest of her friends too far to interfere, Rainbow Dash spread her wings and leaped off the ship. The freedom of the open air welcomed her, and she enjoyed the exhilarating feeling that only flight could give her. With swift beats of her wings, Rainbow Dash sped towards the Republican ship, ignoring the worried cries of her friends.

“Rainbow Dash!”

“Dashie!”

As soon as she had jumped, all of her friends had rushed to the railing, in a vain attempt to catch her and stop her from doing what they perceived to be a reckless act. All, except for Fluttershy. The shy pony sat down quietly on the deck of the Wonderbolt, holding Rainbow Dash’s cape tightly around her body, watching as one of her best friends flew into battle.

The sound of Rose Thorn’s voice pulled Fluttershy out of her trip down the memory lane. The unicorn stallion was talking calmly but sternly to Applejack. “We have our orders, lady Applejack,” the vice-admiral said, answering the orange mare’s question of why nopony of the crew made a move to go help Rainbow Dash. “If admiral Rainbow Dash orders us to not interfere when she engages the enemy on her own, then we obey.”

“Since the five of you are going to be living on royal territory very soon, and are planning to lend your aid to our cause, you would do well to remember what I am about to say!” he continued, speaking on a rather harsh and firm tone, like a teacher talking to a disobedient student. “In the Royal Kingdom of Equestria, the authority of the three royal admirals is absolute, second only to the grand admiral, steward and the Princesses themselves! Their orders are not questioned or argued against, only obeyed, by guard and civilian alike.”

His hard words did not fall on deaf ears, and for a moment all five mares were silent, mulling over what Rose Thorn had said. Then Twilight looked up at the vice-admiral, her expression unhappy and troubled. “But you’re letting her go on her own against an entire airship of enemy ponies!”

The vice-admiral’s expression softened, and he gave Twilight the barest of smiles. “Your concern for your friend speaks well of you, Twilight Sparkle, but it is entirely unnecessary.”

“Beggin’ your pardon, sugarcube, but Ah don’t see how it ain’t necessary to be concerned about your friend when she’s outnumbered fifty to one,” Applejack objected. “Those odds aren’t exactly what us farm folk would call fair, they ain’t.”

Rose Thorn’s smile widened the tiniest of amounts. “That, I can agree with,” he said with a nod. The vice-admiral walked calmly to the railing of the ship, and turned his head to watch the battle taking place in the distance. “Only one airship against the admiral can indeed hardly be called faired.”

Before her friends could gather their dropped jaws from the floor and utter weak cries of disbelief at that statement, Pinkie spoke up. “You know girls, he might be onto something,” she said. The pink pony was watching the battle as well, with an almost comically serious expression on her face, and she was rubbing her chin thoughtfully with one of her hooves. “Dashie seems to be doing pretty well over there.”

‘Doing pretty well’ might perhaps have been somewhat of a grotesque understatement, for over half of the Republicans lay unconscious and scattered on the deck. Most of them looked as if they had been struck by lightning, but a select few bore the marks of a well-placed slash of a lance or the bruise of a kick or punch. Rainbow Dash herself did not have so much as a scratch on her, however.

The pegasus admiral dodged another magic spell fired at her by a unicorn, then dove off the ship with rapid beats of her wings. Two of her enemies rushed to the railing and looked down, but Rainbow Dash seemed to have disappeared. “We’ve lost sight of her!” one of them cried out. “Be on your guard! What about the other side?!”

“No sign of her here either!” an earth pony guard called from the other side of the deck, after he had looked over the railing and had found no trace of his enemy there either. “Is she hiding under the ship?”

Before anypony could respond to that question, there was a terrible crash on the left side of the ship. The entire vessel tilted dangerously to the side from the sheer force of the impact, and those of the Republicans who couldn’t fly scrambled to hang onto something. A pegasus flew over to inspect the damage, and saw something had smashed straight into a ship. At the site of the impact was nothing but a gaping hole

“She tore a hole in the hull!” he cried out in dismay, but his words were lost when there was another terrible crash, this time on the other side of the ship. The starboard hull was smashed to splinters when Rainbow Dash barrelled straight through it with the speed of a rocket.

“She smashed straight through the ship!”

“We’ve lost twelve of our cannons!”

One of the soldiers noticed a rainbow-coloured blur pass him by and fly to the back of the ship. His eyes widened in shock as he realised what the royal admiral had picked as her next target. “She’s going for the rudder! Somepony stop her!” He saw the same unicorn from before standing around doing nothing. “Don’t just stand there! Blast her out of the sky already! Aren’t you an unicorn?! Use your magic already! DO SOMETHING!” he thundered, his panic making him unreasonable.

“She’s too fast!” the unicorn snapped back. “There’s no way I could hit her!”

His comrade was about to say something awful in reply, but stopped when a group of pegasi flew past him towards the back of the ship in an attempt to stop Rainbow Dash from further wrecking their ride. When they got there, however, the rudder appeared intact and of their enemy there was no sign. “She’s not here!”

The announcement caused only more panic, and the frightened soldiers looked around frantically, trying to find see where their enemy was. The fear of not knowing where the next attack would come from was greater than their fear of facing the terrifying admiral head on. It had been a mistake to think they could bring down ‘the Thunderbird’ with only fifty ponies, that had become painfully obvious when Rainbow Dash had taken down half of their comrades with only three blows.

After a few tense moments had passed in absolute silence, one of the guards finally snapped under the pressure. He began to walk backwards slowly, while looking around frantically, as if trying to be prepared for an attack from all sides. Cold sweat ran his neck and he was breathing so fast as to be nearly hyperventilating.

“Where are you?!” he screamed, his voice shaking with fear.

“Here.”

The word was spoken calmly and quietly, in a completely non-threatening way, and still it made the blood of the guards freeze in their veins. It had come from somewhere behind them, and when they slowly turned their heads, their fears were confirmed. Rainbow Dash was hovering lazily in front of the door that led to the ship’s bridge, her left front hoof reared back and glowing with lightning.

Before the Republicans could recover from the shock and respond to it, Rainbow Dash struck. With a slight groan uttered through gritted teeth, she thrust her lightning-charged hoof forward, calling upon the terrible power bestowed upon her by the shards of magicite embedded in her armour. A torrent of sizzling lightning burst forth from her outstretched hoof, the attack engulfing the entire deck of the ship.

The lightning flew forth and obliterated all it engulfed, and the prow and figurehead of the ship were utterly destroyed. The entire airship shook violently when the intense heat of Rainbow Dash’s electricity heated up the air until it exploded in the form of a thunderclap. The discharge of pure energy was immense, and could be felt all the way on the Wonderbolt.

Then all became quiet, the literal calm after the storm, and Rainbow Dash finally lowered her hoof. She let herself drop down gently on the deck, and stored her lance away on her back. Her cerise eyes calmly observed the results of her final blow.

The airship’s deck was a ruined mess. Scorch marks littered the place, marking where the wood of the deck had caught fire due to the intense heat of the lightning. The flames in turn had been doused by the sheer air pressure created by the thunderclap that had been Rainbow Dash’s grand finale. Said clap had also levelled most of the railing, smashed in the walls of the deckhouse and broken probably more than a few bones of the ponies unfortunate enough to get caught in the blast.

“… Forty-eight… Forty-nine… Fifty… Fifty-one… Alright, all present and accounted for,” Rainbow Dash muttered to herself, having finished counting the bodies of her foes scattered across the ship. She was pleased to note that none had fallen off the ship to their deaths, for she really would have felt bad if she had killed any of them by accident. Using her powers to enhance her hearing, she quickly determined they were all still breathing and would wake up after a while.

As she overlooked the wrecked ship, Rainbow Dash couldn’t help but sigh and shake her head. She trotted over to the nearest guard and looked down on his beaten form with pity. “You guys should consider yourselves lucky that you ran into me, and not one of the others. Sparkler and Derpy wouldn’t have hesitated to use lethal force,” she said.

The cyan pegasus glanced over her shoulder to the back of the ship, where the engines and propellers were still working fine. “I even was nice enough to leave your ship in a working condition so you’ll be able to get back home once you wake up.” Rainbow Dash turned away from the fallen guard and walked to the edge of the ship. Her keen eyes spotted her belloved Wonderbolt in the distance, and she spread her wings, ready to fly back.

Before she took off, she couldn’t help but look back at the fallen Republicans one last time. They had been so certain they could take her down and become heroes, but in truth they had simply been blinded by their fear. “Stupid foals, did you honestly think you could beat me?” she growled. “If you wanted to take me down, you should’ve brought a war fleet with you.”

Shaking her head sadly, Rainbow Dash leaped off the ship and raced back towards the Wonderbolt. Nothing about her appearance would suggest she was coming back from a battle, for she looked every bit as fresh and relaxed as if she had just been taking a stroll in the Canterlot gardens.

Later that day, Twilight Sparkle was laying on the deck of the Wonderbolt, near the ship’s prow, enjoying the warm rays of the afternoon sun. There was nopony else on the deck, for which she was grateful. She had tried to catch some rest or sleep, together with the rest of her friends in Rainbow Dash’s cabin, but her mind had flat-out refused to settle down. So she had come here, basking in the comfortable warmth of the sun, to think.

The events of the past few days and especially this morning had shaken her more than she would like to admit. The images from the Princess’ broken form during the parade still haunted her, nor had she forgotten the nightmare of the Princess burning her alive. One of her hooves drifted to her shoulder, rubbing idly over the bandages underneath her dress. Her wounds still ached at times, a painful reminder of her failure to help her friends back in Canterlot.

She thought back to the morning. She could still see the state the Republican airship had been in when Rainbow Dash was done with it, and it left Twilight awed as much as it made her shiver. She had seen with her own eyes the incredible amount of power magicite could bestow upon a pony. It hadn’t even been the first time, as she had been there when the Republic had battled Nightmare Moon, but to see one of her own friends wield such power somehow made it all the more real to her. It also made her feel so powerless. Rainbow Dash had been able to protect her friends when the Republic had attacked them, something she hadn’t been capable of. Somehow, that fact stung more than she had thought it would. It wasn’t that she was jealous, far from it, more like she was ashamed.

The sound of hoofsteps pulled her out of her ponderings, and she looked up and over her shoulder to see the same pony she had just been thinking about approaching her. Rainbow Dash wore a disarming smile, an expression that looked kind of odd on her.

“Heya, Twilight,” Rainbow Dash greeted. She gestured with her head at the floor right next to the lavender unicorn. “Mind if I join you for a little while?”

“It’s your ship, Rainbow, I don’t think you need my permission,” Twilight responded, with a wry grin.

Rainbow Dash chuckled softly. “Yeah, I guess that’s true.” She lay down beside her friend, her front legs folded over each other, and for a moment all was quiet. Rainbow Dash seemed content to simply watch the clouds roll by and enjoy the sunlight warming her skin.

Twilight observed her pegasus friend as subtly as she could, even though she knew it was rude to stare. Now that they had a peaceful, quiet moment to themselves, she was able to truly take in her friend’s appearance. The pony next to her looked every bit like the Rainbow Dash she remembered from her previous life. Her mane and tail, with their rich rainbow hues, the sky-blue coat, it was all exactly the same. And yet the golden armour Rainbow Dash was wearing, with the glowing shards of magicite embedded in them, made it seem to Twilight as if she was laying next to a total stranger. It was an almost surreal feeling, and more than a bit unsettling. Especially now that she had seen what the pegasus was capable of.

“Rarity told me you were restless and couldn’t sleep, even though she’s right when she says you should take it easy with those wounds,” Rainbow Dash said, so suddenly it startled Twilight. The pegasus gave her friend a curious look. “Something bothering you?”

Twilight blinked a couple of times and gave Rainbow Dash an incredulous look. “You want to talk about somepony’s troubles?” she asked, surprised. Then, with a teasing smile, she added: “Who are you, and what have you done with Rainbow Dash?”

“Yeah, yeah, very funny, egghead,” the admiral replied, and she snorted in mock-offence. “I’ll have you know that one of an admiral’s duties is to take care of the wellbeing of those she’s responsible for. And I count my friends amongst those.” She tapped her temple a couple of times with her hoof. “So I pretty much had to learn a thing or two about that psychology stuff, since wellbeing means more than just the body being in top condition and all that jazz.” She rolled her eyes. “So darn boring, but I can’t deny it’s true.”

The purple unicorn next to her laughed. “The great Rainbow Dash serving as a psychiatrist, I didn’t think I’d ever get to see that! I could barely get you to read Daring Do, and here you are having studied psychology.” Twilight smiled playfully at her friend. “You’ve changed a lot, Rainbow Dash.”

“Tell me something I don’t know yet,” the pegasus grinned. Then her expression became more serious. “You dodged the question, though, egghead. What’s on your mind? Rose Thorn told me you’ve been looking pretty down ever since this morning.”

“I just have a lot to think about,” Twilight answered. “After everything that’s happened the past few days, can you blame me?”

“Nah, speaking from experience here, that’s pretty normal,” Rainbow Dash replied, and she shrugged. She kept looking serious, though. “Still, it helps if you talk about it. And don’t look at me like that!” she snapped when Twilight gave her that incredulous, disbelieving look again. “Yeah, yeah, I know it’s strange to hear me say that, but that’s not the point, okay? Just tell me what’s bothering you already!”

Now it was Twilight’s turn to roll her eyes. “Very subtle, Rainbow Dash,” she said with a laugh. Her smile quickly died away, however, and Twilight sighed. “It’s just… Well, I can still hardly believe that I’m really here. That I’ve really boarded this ship and am on my way to try and help the Princess, I mean.” She shook her head. “It’s kind of funny how this was all put into motion by Fluttershy coming home. I mean, if she hadn’t, Rarity and I wouldn’t have been in Canterlot in the first place, and then we wouldn’t have met you.”

Rainbow Dash blinked and looked confused. “I’m not sure I’m following you, Twilight. What’s this about ‘Fluttershy coming home’? When did she leave?”

Twilight stared at her friend in incomprehension for a few seconds, and then her eyes lit up as it dawned on her. “Oh, that’s right! You don’t know yet what happened in Ponyville during all those years you were in the Kingdom, do you?”

The pegasus admiral shook her head. “Nope, nothing aside from the occasional report from our agents and spies, and what little news I could gather from Republican refugees that came from Ponyville,” she said. “Why? Did something happen to Fluttershy?” Rainbow Dash asked, suddenly worried for her timid fellow pegasus.

“Oh, something happened alright, but don’t ask me what, because I don’t have a clue myself,” Twilight replied. She proceeded to tell the pegasus admiral about her and her friends’ lives in Ponyville, about how Fluttershy had been nowhere to be found during all those years, only to then suddenly reappear roughly a month ago, and how the return of the timid pegasus had caused them to go to Canterlot for the parade.

“And the rest you know,” Twilight finished, giving Rainbow Dash a small smile. “If it hadn’t been for Fluttershy wanting to see the parade, Rarity and I wouldn’t have gone to the parade, and then we wouldn’t have ran into you, which means we probably wouldn’t be here now.”

The cyan pegasus rubbed her chin with the back of her hoof. “Well, I probably would have sought you guys out anyway, but without Fluttershy to pass a message, I wouldn’t have been able to get you all together in time,” Rainbow Dash muttered thoughtfully. Her gaze darkened. “More importantly, if the three of you hadn’t been in Canterlot, those guards that did such a number on you and Rarity would have caught up with Night Wing before I got there, and then the plans of the invasion would’ve been recaptured.”

Rainbow Dash grimaced. “That would’ve been bad news. We really have to know the details of this invasion the Republic’s planning before it happens, or else we’re royally bucked,” she said. Then a smile broke through on her face and she laughed. “Guess we owe it all to good old timid Fluttershy, huh?”

“I guess so,” Twilight admitted slowly. She trailed off and made a helpless gesture with her hooves. “But I just don’t understand it. From what Fluttershy told me, it’s like she literally was taken from one timeline and dropped into another one. But that’s just impossible! There’s not a single spell in all of, well, everything, that can do that! It makes as much sense as Steel Gear being able to travel in time somehow!”

Rainbow Dash noticed how Twilight’s voice rose more and more with every word she said, and she was still going. It appeared as if Twilight was finally voicing all the frustrations that had been building up the past month, now that she had a listening ear.

“Or how about my library, Sugarcube Corner and Fluttershy’s cottage being exactly like they were on the day Fluttershy vanished from our previous lives and ended up in this one?” she continued, without skipping a beat. “Not to mention the fact that all ponies in Ponyville had a memory of her, even though they never met her even once!”

Twilight slammed her hoof on the deck in frustration, but she kept rambling on. She wasn’t even paying attention to Rainbow Dash anymore, didn’t even bother to check if her friend was still listening. Luckily for her, however, the pegasus was still with her, patiently waiting until Twilight was done blowing off her steam.

“And how about us, who remember our previous lives? At first I thought it was because we’re connected to the Elements of Harmony, but that can’t be the case, because Shining Armour also remembers his old life!” Twilight all but shouted. “I know he’s my brother, but I’d find it a stretch to say that my ties to the Element of Magic influence him as well, especially since there’s never been anything in the past to even hint at that! None of it even begins to make sense and I can’t make heads or tails of it! GAAH!” She threw her hooves up in the air to accompany that final cry of frustration, and then at long last Twilight calmed down.

It became silent for a while, for Rainbow Dash said nothing after Twilight was done rambling. The purple mare gave her pegasus friend a nervous glance, afraid that Rainbow Dash had either tuned her out or was upset with her.

“Anomalies,” Rainbow Dash said finally. She met Twilight’s gaze with her own and smiled when the unicorn gave her a puzzled look. “Well, I was wondering why I could remember that kind of stuff, too. The High Chancellor tried to explain it to me as best as she could, but it’s kinda complicated and I didn’t really get it. But all that weird stuff that doesn’t make sense that you mentioned? She called it anomalies. I’m sure she’ll explain it all to you in detail once you get to meet her.”

Twilight frowned. The word ‘anomalies’ was of course familiar to her, but she had never come across it used in a context concerning time. Not in this life or the previous. Still, this was the first time in the seventeen years of her life that she had gotten so much as a hint, no matter how tiny, of an explanation to all the oddities. It was a hopeful sign, if nothing else, though it left her with another question that begged to be asked.

“Who’s this ‘High Chancellor’?” she wondered, giving Rainbow Dash a curious look. “And how can she know anything about these ‘anomalies’ when no book I’ve read in either of my lives has ever mentioned them?”

“I can’t tell you,” Rainbow Dash answered reluctantly, and she smiled apologetically. “It’s not that I don’t want to or that I don’t trust you, Twilight, but I’d be breaking the law if I did. The identity of the High Chancellor is top secret. There are only five ponies who know who she is: myself and the other two admirals, the grand admiral and the steward. I’ve been sworn to secrecy, because so far the Republic doesn’t know the High Chancellor even exists, and we’d like to keep it that way. It’s to keep her safe from the Republic.”

“Don’t worry, though, I’ve already requested to have a meeting arranged with her for you guys,” she added quickly, when she saw Twilight’s disappointed look. “Normally you’d have no chance to get that request granted, but the High Chancellor wants to see you guys herself as well. She’s been dying to talk to you again especially, Twilight.”

“She knows us?” Twilight asked, clearly surprised by this revelation. She couldn’t think of any pony who knew her but wasn’t already known to the world as a high officer on either side of the war. She didn’t know that many influential ponies to begin with – the Princesses aside – and certainly none who could have any understanding of these ‘anomalies’ Rainbow Dash mentioned.

“Yeah, kinda,” Rainbow Dash replied. The pegasus admiral climbed to her hooves and stretched her legs and wings. She could see Twilight was nearly exploding with curiosity at this point, and it made her grin. “Just be patient, Twilight. The wait is almost over, anyway.”

The cyan pegasus walked to the railing of the ship and mentioned for Twilight to join her. Once the purple unicorn stood next to her, Rainbow Dash pointed at something far in the distance. “Look over there, egghead,” she said. “You can already see Cantropolis from here. We’ll make port in less than two hours. We’re almost at our destination.”

End of chapter 23.

Author's Note

I have made a drawing of the Wonderbolt, which you can find view in this blog post. Check it out if you want to, I'm quite proud of the result, to be honest.

I'm also just going to go ahead and say it before anypony accuses me of it: Rainbow Dash is not overpowered. She's a royal admiral, and I want to make it clear right from the start that that means she's an immensely powerful pony now, in the top ten of the strongest, actually. But she is not invincible by any means.

24. In the royal city

Wings of Tomorrow
Lament of the World

24. In the royal city

The boardroom in the royal palace of Cantropolis had seen a lot of usage in recent times, and now was no different. For the umpteenth time in less than a month the head of the royal guard was seated around the round table in the centre of the room. The three royal admirals sat in their chairs, their attention focussed on their superior, grand admiral Derpy Hooves. The grey pegasus was staring at a great number of papers that had been spread over the table, and her face looked grim.

“The plans of the invasion, at long last,” she said, while inspecting a map of Equestria that had been included with the documents taken from Shining Armour’s office. The grand admiral looked up, and her gaze met Rainbow Dash’s, who sat across her at the table. “Thanks to your utterly insane plan, we now know the plans of the enemy. I think congratulations are in order, admiral Rainbow Dash.”

The cyan admiral huffed. “I can’t take all the credit. I just came up with the idea. Other ponies carried it out, and paid the price for it, too,” Rainbow Dash replied quietly. “We lost some good ponies in Canterlot…”

Amethyst Star looked at her fellow admiral with a rare hint of compassion and sympathy. “We won’t let their sacrifice be in vain, Rainbow Dash, you know this,” she said, her voice surprisingly gentle, surprising the cyan pegasus. Amethyst Star so rarely spoke to her with anything other than annoyance or frustration. It brought a hint of a smile to Rainbow Dash’s lips.

“Yeah, I know we will. We owe it to them now to not let things go to Tartarus,” she said, after which her attention shifted back to Derpy. “Easier said than done, though. I’ve skimmed through those papers on my way back here, and from the looks of it, getting the plans seems to have been the easiest part.”

“I’m afraid admiral Rainbow Dash is right,” Desert Heat agreed. The lone stallion in the room was holding one of the documents Rainbow Dash had brought with her from Canterlot in his hooves, and his eyes scanned the contents with ever increasing concern. With a sigh he put the paper back down on the table and looked at Derpy. “Shining Armour has mobilized nearly all forces the Republic has at their disposal for this attack. With this many soldiers against us, they won’t even need all the artillery and heavy weaponry they’re bringing with them.”

“And it gets worse,” Rainbow Dash added. “The attack is less than two weeks away. We’ll be hard pressed to come up with a battle plan and mobilise our own forces in time. Not to mention that us stealing their plans will probably alter their strategy a bit. They might even attack sooner because of it.”

The three admirals looked expectantly at their superior, waiting for her to voice her thoughts on the matter. Derpy looked grim, though not overly worried. “You can put your worries for a swift attack at ease, Rainbow Dash. I’ve already had word from our informant in Canterlot that the theft of the plans hasn’t changed the day of the attack,” she said.

“Well, that’s a silver lining at least,” Rainbow Dash muttered. “I’d hate for all of the effort to get these papers to be in vain simply because we ran out of time.”

“Regardless, Rainbow Dash’s other point remains valid,” Amethyst Star spoke up, and Rainbow Dash looked at her as if the unicorn had suddenly grown a second head.

“Sparkler’s saying I made a valid point? ” she thought to herself, with mild amusement. “Either she hit her head, or I should tell Derpy that her daughter might have been replaced by a Republican spy. ” Inwardly, she laughed at her private joke.

“There is a chance that the Republic will change its strategy now that their plans have become known, or perhaps what we hold here is nothing but a fake to mislead us,” the unicorn admiral continued, completely unaware of Rainbow Dash’s inner musings.

Derpy shook her head. “These plans have been confirmed as the real deal by our informant in Canterlot,” she explained, granting the three admirals some relief. “However, she also confirmed that Shining Armour indeed mentioned that he was prepared for such an event in which the Republic’s plans became known before the attack, however small the chance of such a thing happening was.”

“Then again, we expected this much from the start,” Desert Heat said. “Shining Armour is many things, but a fool was never one of them. The stallion is a military genius if there ever was one, with backup plans for even his backup plans. That he had one in case one of us was mad enough to try and steal his plans comes as no surprise.” He looked around the table, and saw Derpy give a nod of agreement.

“It will not do to worry about all the aces the Republic has in their sleeves,” the grand admiral said calmly. “We would be chasing shadows, and lose sight of what’s really important.” She used her hoof to tap on the map of Equestria on the table a few times. “For now, the defence of Stalliongrad has top priority. That’s where they’ll strike, and that’s where we must stand our ground and drive them back. If Stalliongrad falls, the way to Cantropolis lays wide-open, so we must prevent this at all costs.”

“That does seem like the smartest thing to do for now,” Rainbow Dash admitted. “Still, I think we should keep an ace up our sleeves ourselves, just in case.”

“And we will,” Derpy assured her, after which the grey pegasus began to gather the documents scattered around the table. “But nothing can be decided until I’ve studied these plans thoroughly. This meeting is postponed until I’ve done so,” she announced once she was done. “I will send summons for you all later this evening once I’m done.”

Derpy glanced at her daughter. “Admiral Amethyst Star, you will bring me a full report on the state of our forces,” she ordered. “I need to know everything: how many capable ponies we have, who is sick and injured and when they’ll be recovered enough to be able to fight, the amount of ships in repair, the state of our provisions, the whole mess.”

The unicorn admiral nodded and gave a dutiful salute. “It shall be done, grand admiral Hooves, ma’am.”

“Good. Have it delivered to me at the earliest opportunity,” Derpy replied, after which she shifted her attention to the sole stallion in the room. “Admiral Desert Heat, go to steward Morning Red and inform him of what we know so far. Stalliongrad must be warned and put under martial law at the earliest opportunity. Only the steward has the authority to do so.”

Desert Heat nodded, and repeated Amethyst Star’s dutiful salute. “Consider it done, ma’am.”

“And as for you, admiral Rainbow Dash…” the grey pegasus began, turning to the last admiral in the room. The mare in question gave a wide grin, eager to receive her own orders. “You’ll stay here with me for a moment, there is something we need to discuss,” Derpy continued, causing Rainbow Dash’s grin to falter.

The disappointment on the cyan pegasus’ face was clear, but Derpy paid it no heed. Instead, she addressed the other two admirals again. “That will be all for now,” she said. “You are dismissed.”

Amethyst Star and Desert Heat nodded and left the room. Derpy watched them go, and only when they had closed the doors behind them did she avert her gaze. Her single golden eye was now looking at Rainbow Dash, who was getting somewhat nervous. Derpy didn’t say anything yet, though, and merely walked to one of the windows of the boardroom, from where she looked out over the palace grounds.

“Eh, grand admiral, am I in trouble, ma’am?” Rainbow Dash asked tentatively, after a few minutes had passed and Derpy still hadn’t said anything.

The grey mare let out a soft chuckle and glanced over her shoulder at her fellow pegasus. “Far from it, Rainbow Dash. I just wanted to have a word with you,” Derpy replied, her voice softer and gentler than it had been mere moments before during the meeting. “About the guests you’ve brought with you.”

That Derpy addressed her with only her name and not her rank told Rainbow Dash that this was an informal talk between friends, and not between two high ranking officers of the royal guard. Rainbow Dash relaxed. “What about them?” she asked. “You’re not mad at me for taking a detour to pick them up, are you? I mean, I know it was an unneeded risk, but…”

Derpy held up her hoof to silence her. “I’m not. We need all help we can get, and I have to admit it was a nice surprise to see some familiar faces from Ponyville again,” she replied, and her lips formed a fall smile. Derpy’s single eye gazed into nothing, caught in a brief moment of nostalgia. Then the grand admiral shook her head and smiled ruefully. “Part of me just wishes you’d gone and grabbed the Elements of Harmony, since you were detouring anyway. Celestia knows we could use those.”

Rainbow Dash rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. “Eh, will you believe me when I say that I really didn’t think of that? When I asked them to come along with me, I did so because I wanted their support for during the oncoming fight. I forgot that they could offer so much more than just that,” she answered. “Besides, we talked about this before, Derpy. You know what the High Chancellor said: the Elements aren’t weapons of war.”

“True,” Derpy admitted. “And speaking of which, the moment I saw Fluttershy and the others disembark from your ship, I understood why you asked me to arrange an audience with the High Chancellor. You’ll be happy to hear that the Chancellor will see them at nine o’clock this evening.” The pegasus gave Rainbow Dash a conspiratorial grin. “I didn’t tell her who she’ll be receiving, though. Didn’t want to ruin your surprise.”

Rainbow Dash laughed. “I appreciate that. Twilight and the others don’t know yet who they’ll be meeting either, so I guess the surprise will be mutual,” she grinned.

“Without a doubt,” Derpy agreed. The grey mare paused for a moment, and then gave Rainbow Dash a curious look with her single eye. “I must admit that I was a bit surprised that they recognised me, you know. I am by no means an unknown figure, but it felt as if they recognised me from somewhere other than Republican wanted posters.”

“What’s so surprising about that?” the other pegasus wondered aloud. “We all lived in the same village in our previous life, and each of them remembers those times. So of course they recognised you as if they knew you. As if they could forget Ponyville’s clumsy but loveable mail mare.”

Derpy smiled faintly at the compliment, but didn’t comment on it. Instead, she focussed on the other thing her fellow pegasus had mentioned. “They all remember their previous lives, you say?” she asked, and Rainbow Dash gave a confirmative nod. “You should definitely mention this to the High Chancellor. It seems there are more anomalies than we assumed, though I’m not sure if that’s a good or a bad sign.”

“Eh, all this time stuff just makes my head hurt. It was hard enough to grow up with an extra set of memories in my head,” Rainbow Dash groaned. “Twilight’s interested in it, though. I’m sure the High Chancellor will tell her what she knows, but knowing the egghead, she’ll want to look into it further and study all she can.” She paused and tapped her chin thoughtfully, before throwing a questioning glance at Derpy. “Speaking of which, can you grant her all access to the palace archives?”

“I see no reason to say no,” Derpy replied with a shrug. “I remember Twilight Sparkle’s quite studious and thorough. Who knows, she might even find something useful in those dusty old tomes that could help us.” The grand admiral walked back to the table and sat down on her chair. “I’ve been meaning to ask this as well: did your friends have any plans concerning what they are going to do now that they’re here?”

Again Rainbow Dash rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. “Eh, not really. We didn’t really talk about that sort of stuff, given that we were in a hurry to leave,” she replied. “I just kinda brought them with me because I know I’ll be in need of their moral support, but I didn’t really think of anything beyond that. I know that Twilight will be studying like crazy, though, since she couldn’t do that until now. You know, because she’s not Princess Celestia’s personal student in this life and all…”

Derpy nodded slowly. “I understand, and I certainly won’t stop her from doing so. Like I said, the archives are at her disposal. As for the others, they’re of course welcome to stay here at the palace, given they are friends with one of the royal admirals, not to mention the High Chancellor herself,” she said. “Still, you know we could use every pony we can get. They don’t have to do anything they don’t want to, our situation isn’t desperate enough for forced enlistment in the guard, at least not yet. Regardless, though, try to find out if any of them are interested in doing more than just giving moral support, if you can, Rainbow Dash.”

“Meh, I can do that,” Rainbow Dash shrugged. “I know Twilight will want to help out in whatever way she can, and if I know Applejack, she won’t take well to doing nothing, either. Not sure about Rarity, Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy, though. Not that I think they don’t want to help, it’s just that I’m not sure how they could. We don’t exactly have a big demand for fashion, parties or animal care.”

“Maybe not, but nopony is limited to just one talent,” Derpy replied. “None of us have a cutie mark that stands for a talent in the art of war, and yet here you and I are, at the top of the Royal Guard.”

“Point taken,” the other pegasus replied. “Don’t worry about it, Derpy. I’ll talk to them about it. Just not today, if you’re okay with that. I did kinda overwhelm them with my request to come with me, so I’ll let them get settled in a bit first. Not to mention they have an audience with the High Chancellor tonight.”

“Fair enough,” Derpy said. “Where are they now, though?”

“Unpacking in their rooms, I guess, unless they already left to do some exploring,” Rainbow Dash answered. “I sent Scoots to give them a tour of the palace grounds. I figured a familiar face would be best suited for that task, plus it makes her happy to be given orders.”

The grand admiral smiled as she thought of Rainbow Dash’s personal esquire. “If her enthusiasm remains as big when she grows up as it is now, she could become a very valuable asset to the royal guard someday,” she said, and Rainbow Dash nodded in agreement. Derpy glanced at the single clock that hung in the room, and saw that it was a few minutes past six in the evening.

“I think I’ve about covered everything I had to say,” she announced. “You and your friends have your audience with the High Chancellor at nine o’clock, don’t forget it.” The golden-eyed pegasus scooped up the documents Rainbow Dash had brought from Canterlot, and tucked them firmly under her wing. “Now I have some invasion plans to study. Once I’m done, I’ll send forth summons for you and the others, so I can brief you on what I’ve learned. Until then, I suggest you take some time off, admiral Rainbow Dash. I doubt you’ve had a lot of sleep while on your mission, so catch up on it while you can.”

The addition of her title before her name told Rainbow Dash that the friendly conversation was over, and that the two of them were back to being royal officers. “I’ll be sure to do so, grand admiral Hooves, ma’am,” she replied. The cyan pegasus gave her superior officer a respectful salute, and then left the room.

“Well, I certainly can’t complain about our accommodations. Do remind me to thank Rainbow Dash next time I see her.”

The words were spoken by Rarity, who was investigating her bed’s mattress by selflessly offering herself as a guinea pig by testing out its softness with her own body. To her utter delight, the bed in the palace room was every bit as comfortable as her own bed back in her estate in Canterlot. With a pleased sigh, Rarity sat up and let her gaze drift appreciatively through the room.

Not even an hour ago she and her friends had disembarked from the Wonderbolt and arrived at the royal palace, where they had been escorted to the suites that had been prepared for them on the explicit order of royal admiral Rainbow Dash herself. The room was large and comfortable, reminding her a lot of the suite in Canterlot Castle where she had been allowed to stay in once, thanks to Twilight’s connection to Princess Celestia. Only this one was much larger, and rightly so, for she shared this room with two of her friends.

“I think we all owe Rainbow Dash our thanks next time we see her, Rarity,” Twilight said with a smile. She was standing in front of one of the two bookcases in the room, her violet eyes attentively scanning the titles printed on the books’ spines. The purple unicorn briefly looked over her shoulder to glance at the third occupant of the room. “How about you Pinkie Pie, is everything to your liking?”

“You betcha, Twilight!” came the reply, amidst a fit of giggles and excited squeals. This was probably because Pinkie Pie was using her bed as a makeshift trampoline, bouncing up and down without any sign of slowing down. “My bed is extra bouncy! It’s so much fun! Hey, you should all hop on your beds too, maybe they’re extra bouncy as well!”

“I’d much rather not, if it’s all the same for you, Pinkie, dear,” Rarity answered. The white unicorn followed her friend’s repetitive vertical movements for a while, but quickly stopped because it made her dizzy. “It’s quite unladylike to use your bed as a trampoline, especially if it’s not yours. Added to this is the fact that beds are not made to be jumped on.”

“They’re not?!” Pinkie exclaimed in surprise. The revelation somehow enabled the pink pony to stop her bouncing in mid-air, where she remained motionless for a few physics-defying moments before unceremoniously dropping back down on her bed.

Twilight blinked a couple of times, then shook her head. “I did not just see that,” she muttered to herself, repeating the phrase a couple of times to ensure she believed her own lie.

“I’m afraid not, darling,” Rarity said, and she gave Pinkie a kind smile. “A bed is not a trampoline, and as I said, a proper lady should never use it as such. Even in the privacy of our beds, we must carry ourselves with grace, after all. You see…”

Before Rarity could lecture Pinkie about the finer points of ladylike etiquette, however, she was interrupted by the door opening. Applejack poked her head into the room, and smiled when her eyes settled on her friends. “Howdy, y’all, mind if we join you?”

“Of course not, Applejack,” Twilight replied. “Come on in.”

“Don’t mind if Ah do,” the orange mare replied, and she pushed the door open wider before trotting into the room. She was followed quickly by Fluttershy, who looked around the room nervously.

“Um, we aren’t interrupting anything, are we? If so, I’m sorry, I’m sure we could come back another time, if that’s alright…” she muttered demurely, pawing nervously at the carpet with one of her hooves.

“Don’t be ridiculous, Fluttershy, we always have time for friends,” Rarity admonished her kindly, and she gestured to the timid mare to come inside. “Do close the door behind you, though, if you would be so kind.”

Fluttershy nodded, and did as requested. Meanwhile, Twilight left the bookcase alone for now and went over to be closer to her friends. “So, Applejack, since we were talking about it before you came in, we might as well ask you, too!” she said happily. “Is your room to your liking?”

“It could’ve been a whole lot worse, at least,” Applejack replied with a shrug. “Don’t get me wrong, it’s a mighty fine room if Ah ever saw one, and Ah ain’t gonna look a gift horse in the mouth. It’s just all a tad too fancy for mah tastes.” She pointedly ignored Rarity’s outcries of protest while speaking. “The bed’s much too soft, Ah sank into it when Ah tried it out! Ah don’t get why them fancy castle ponies need so much fluff in their pillows and mattresses. Ain’t nothing wrong with the sturdy bed Ah have back home.”

Rarity couldn’t help but let out an indignant huff. “Really now, Applejack, I hardly think that… mph!” She was interrupted, rather brusquely, by Twilight putting her hoof in her mouth.

“… that you’ll have much trouble sleeping in a fluffy bed, right, Rarity?” the purple unicorn said, who didn’t think now was the best time for her two friends to get in another city-versus-countryside argument. When Rarity huffed again, Twilight glared at her fellow unicorn. “Right?!”

Rarity sighed, but relented and gave a confirmative nod. “But of course, Twilight, I’m sure Applejack will be able to manage,” she said, once Twilight had removed her hoof from Rarity’s mouth. The white mare smiled apologetically at Applejack. “I apologise, darling, I shouldn’t criticize the kind of bed you prefer to sleep in.”

“Shucks, don’t mention it sugarcube, no harm done,” the apple-farmer replied good-naturedly, after which she glanced at the sole pegasus in the room, who stood beside her. “Besides, Ah’m sure Flutters’ here likes our suite just fine, don’t ya, sugarcube?”

Fluttershy was startled by being pulled into the conversation so suddenly, but nevertheless she nodded. “Oh, yes, it’s very… nice,” she said with her usual, quiet voice. When she glanced down at the floor and hid behind her mane a little, her friends realised something was up.

“Fluttershy, darling, is everything alright?” Rarity asked, concern for her friend seeping through in her voice.

“Oh, I’m fine,” Fluttershy quickly assured her assembled friends, once she saw the worried looks they were all giving her. “I’m just a bit worried about Angel Bunny and the rest of my little friends. I only just got back, and I already had to leave them on their own again…”

“I’m sure they’ll manage, Fluttershy,” Twilight said warmly, trying to sound as certain and convincing as possible. She gently placed a hoof on her friend’s shoulder. “Remember, they did fine on their own during all those years you were absent. Angel will take care of them, as he did before.”

“Yeah, don’t worry your pretty little head about it, Fluttershy!” Pinkie piped up, smiling widely in an effort to cheer her friend up. “He’ll be tossing carrots and vegetables at any meaniepants who is foolish enough to try and enter the holy sanctuary of all creatures great and small!”

“The ‘holy sanctuary of all creatures great and small’?” Twilight repeated dryly, giving Pinkie a deadpan look. The pink earth pony remained completely unfazed by it, however.

“Yuppers! The sanctuary where all animals in need are welcomed and cared for by the benevolent queen Fluttershy, and guarded by her valiant knight sir Angel Carrotlot!” she replied cheerfully, causing all of her friends except for Fluttershy to gape at her for a few moments.

Rarity was the first to recover, and she shook her head to rid herself of the dumbfounded expression on her face. “Oh, she’s back to normal alright,” she muttered to herself, before focussing on her dear pegasus friend again. “In any case, Pinkie and Twilight are right, Fluttershy. You shouldn’t worry too much, I’m sure they will be fine without you for a little while longer.”

“Plus, Ah asked Big Macintosh and Apple Bloom to keep an eye out for any trouble, just in case, so they’ve got somepony watching over them, Fluttershy,” Applejack added, giving Fluttershy an encouraging smile. Said smile faltered a bit when she noticed that the timid pegasus didn’t seem entirely convinced just yet.

“You, ah, ehm… You don’t regret coming with us, do you, Fluttershy?” Twilight asked hesitatingly. She didn’t like the question, but she had to make sure. To her great relief, as well as that of her friends, Fluttershy gasped and quickly shook her head.

“Oh no, not at all! I could never leave Rainbow Dash alone, especially since she was so kind and brave to tell us that she really needed us! I couldn’t!” she said hastily, and then her force and excitement died down a little again, and she was once more pawing nervously at the carpet. “I… um, I just can’t help but be worried…”

Her friends looked at her with sympathy and understanding. “Well of course you do, they’re practically your family, somewhat,” Rarity replied, and she moved off of her bed to give Fluttershy a comforting hug. “And you mustn’t think you stand alone in your worry. Truth to be told, I’ve been thinking about Sweetie Belle and my parents quite a bit the past few days.”

“Oh, Rarity, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to imply I was the only one who had something to worry about,” Fluttershy said, worried that she had been rude.

“Nonsense, darling, you have nothing to apologise for,” Rarity assured the distressed pegasus, and she lifted Fluttershy’s chin up with her own hoof so her friend would look at her. Rarity smiled warmly at Fluttershy. “I just wanted you to know that you’re not alone. Why, I’m quite sure everypony in this room has somepony they’re worried about back home. That’s only natural, given the circumstances. But you mustn’t let it get you down. Rainbow Dash promised our families would be looked after, and we should trust her.”

“Rarity’s right, sugarcube,” Applejack added. “Ah’m worried for mah folks back at Sweet Apple Acres too, but Ah try not to think about it too much. There ain’t anything Ah can do for them here, so it won’t do any good to get mah tail in a twist and chew mah hooves off while wonderin’ if they’re alright. They’re all adult ponies, and they all got somepony watchin’ their backs, so we should trust them to take care of themselves ‘till we get back.”

Fluttershy was silent for a little while after that, but eventually she breathed deeply in and out and gave a shaky nod. “You’re right. I shouldn’t worry too much. Angel Bunny will watch over them, I’m sure,” she said, trying to sound as confident as possible. She looked up and smiled shyly at her friends. “Thank you, everypony, I suppose I needed to hear that…”

“You’re always welcome, Fluttershy,” Twilight said warmly, speaking for all of her friends. She stepped forward and initiated a big group hug, the others following her example happily. They stayed like that for a little while, then broke apart again, and Twilight decided now was a good time to change the subject. “So… Here we are, in Cantropolis… Eh… Was I the only one who was surprised that Derpy’s the head of the royal guard?”

“Heavens, no! That was quite the shock, I must admit,” Rarity replied. “Maybe even more so than when I learned how high up the hierarchy our dear Rainbow Dash was. I must admit, it took a while before I stopped thinking that my eyes were deceiving me.”

“I know how you feel,” Twilight agreed. “I mean, and I don’t want to be rude, but this is Derpy Hooves we’re talking about. She’s a wonderful pony, and always has been, but… I never really took her for the military type. Let alone the ‘commander of the entire Kingdom’s forces’ kind of military type, you know?”

“Darn tootin’,” Applejack said seriously. “Ah don’t quite get how a sweet mail mare with a clumsy streak gets to be in charge of all of them beefy guards, let alone our own Rainbow Dash. Ah never thought she had in it her. Though…” The orange mare paused for a moment and tapped her chin thoughtfully. “Ah do remember she vanished from Ponyville when Ah was just a filly, always kinda wondered where she ran off to… Never guessed it would’ve been to the royalists.”

“She was Ponyville’s mail mare in this life, too?” Twilight asked, sounding surprised. “I never knew that. When I arrived in Ponyville she wasn’t there, and I’ve been living there for quite a few years by now, I was barely more than a filly myself. How long ago are we speaking, Applejack?”

“Shucks, Twilight, been a long while, Ah really can’t tell you an exact date,” the farmer replied apologetically. “Must’ve been about ten years ago, ‘cause Ah remember Apple Bloom was still in her diapers when Derpy disappeared.” Applejack cast a questioning glance at Pinkie Pie and Rarity. “You lived in Ponyville by that time, too, sugarcubes, don’t you remember anythin’?”

Pinkie Pie rubbed her chin with a comically serious expression on her face, digging deeply into her memory. “Hmm… I think it was in the year little Dinky was born, and that was the same year in which those Republican meanies nearly blew up all on Ponyville with their cannons. I don’t like those cannons you know, they shoot out cannonballs instead of parties, I mean, how weird is that?!”

Rarity chose not to go in further on the subject of cannons, and instead focussed on something else Pinkie had mentioned. “Goodness, I nearly forgot about the raid on Ponyville ten years ago, since I was out of town when it happened. Come to think of it, I don’t think I ever saw Derpy again after that event,” she said thoughtfully.

“Ah think that sounds about right,” Applejack agreed. One of her hooves vanished under her hat and rubbed her scalp as she racked her brain. “Ah can’t say Ah saw her again after that either, so that must’ve been when she hightailed it out of Ponyville. Can’t say for sure, ten years is a long time.”

Well, if she’s been in the guard for ten years, then she’s had more than enough time to climb up the ranks and make her way to the top,” Twilight commented. “It sounds plausible, at least. Maybe Rainbow Dash could tell us more, we should ask her next time we see her.” After a short pause, she added: “Which kind of makes me wonder how long Rainbow Dash has been a royal guard. I don’t remember her having mentioned it yet. Less than ten years, at least, since ten years ago she would’ve been too young to enlist.”

Fluttershy opened her mouth to ask what this raid on Ponyville had been all about, but was interrupted by somepony knocking on the door. Twilight excused herself and went over to answer the door. When she opened it, however, she was greeted by a surprisingly familiar face.

Before her stood a young pegasus filly, dressed as a royal esquire. Her coat was orange, and her mane and tail purple. She looked up at Twilight with her greyish purple eyes, and a grin of recognition appeared on the filly’s face. “Hey, Twilight! Can I come in?”

Twilight didn’t immediately reply, for she stared speechlessly at the young pegasus. Only when Rarity called out from behind her, asking who was at the door, did she snap out of it. The unicorn blinked a couple of times with her eyes, to make sure she wasn’t imagining things. “Scootaloo?” she asked uncertainly, once she was sure her eyes weren’t deceiving here.

Twilight stepped aside to let the filly into the room, her eyes following the young pegasus as she walked past her. “W… what are you doing here?” she wondered aloud.

Scootaloo looked over her shoulder and smiled at Twilight again. “Oh, Rainbow Dash told me that I should show you guys around the palace, if you want me to,” she replied. The filly walked over to the rest of the stunned ponies in the room. “Hi, Applejack, hi, Rarity! How are Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle?”

“Ah… ehm… They’re… fine?” Rarity answered hesitatingly, still startled by the unexpected appearance of the young pegasus.

“That’s good to hear.” Scootaloo let out a relived sigh and sat down on her rump. Either she didn’t notice the surprise of the older ponies, or she chose to ignore it, for she didn’t comment on it. “You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to hear about them. It’s one of the few things Rainbow Dash couldn’t tell me about.” As she spoke, she waved at Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy in greeting.

“I have to admit, when Rainbow Dash told me you had come back with her, I was kind of hoping Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle had come with you,” Scootaloo continued, and she rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. “I know it’s kind of silly, but it’s been so long, and I really wanted to see them again.” The filly perked up and grinned widely at them. “But now at least you girls can tell me everything that’s happened in Ponyville, right?”

“O… of course, sugarcube…” Applejack replied slowly, still wary.

“Um, Scootaloo, what are you doing here?” Twilight asked again, as she came over and joined the circle on the carpet.

The orange pegasus gave Twilight a puzzled look, not understanding why Twilight was asking her the same question twice. “I told you, Twilight,” she answered. “Rainbow Dash wants me to show you around the palace.”

“No, no, I meant: why are you here, in Cantropolis?” the purple unicorn clarified. She gave Scootaloo’s uniform a long look. “Are you in the royal guard?”

“I’m here with my parents, they both serve in the royal guard, third division, under admiral Amethyst Star. Not me, though, I’m still too young,” Scootaloo replied, and she gave an annoyed huff when she said that last sentence.

“Pardon me for asking, darling, but why are you wearing that uniform then?” Rarity wondered, making the filly glance down at the clothes she wore.

“Oh, this?” she asked, tugging at her shirt. She looked up and smiled proudly at the assembled older ponies. “Rainbow Dash made me her personal esquire when she was promoted to the rank of admiral, so I get to wear the uniform of the esquires.” Scootaloo turned around and showed them her back, pointing at the cutie mark that was embroidered on it. “See? I even get to wear her cutie mark!”

Twilight and the others smiled. It seemed that, no matter how Equestria changed or what life they lived, Scootaloo would always remain Rainbow Dash’s number one fan. “So, then, how long have you been living here?” Twilight asked.

Scootaloo pondered the question for a little while. “Well, I was only a small filly when my parents moved here from Cloudsdale in order to join the royal guard, so I think it’s been about seven or eight years,” she then answered.

“And did you ever go to Ponyville before moving?” Twilight pressed on. The young pegasus had said something a few moments ago that had caught the purple unicorn’s interest, and she wanted to make sure she hadn’t misheard.

“Not that I remember,” the filly replied, shaking her head.

Her answer caused Twilight to frown ponderously. “But if you’ve never been to Ponyville, then why did you ask about Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom? You couldn’t have met them,” she said. “Did Rainbow Dash tell you about them?”

“Of course not, Twilight,” Scootaloo said, looking at the unicorn as if she was crazy. “I remember them from my other life.”

Now this revelation did earn her a round of surprised cries. “Y… you remember that?!” Fluttershy asked. She hadn’t thought it was possible. So far, Twilight hadn’t mentioned anypony who remembered the old Equestria who wasn’t one of the Elements of Harmony or related to them in some way. And though Scootaloo had always adored Rainbow Dash, they weren’t family.

“Eh, yeah… Is that wrong?” the pegasus filly replied, somewhat worried by the reactions she received. “I… I’m not the only one! Rainbow Dash always told me that she and the other admirals do, too! My parents don’t, though, so I never talked about it until I met Rainbow Dash again. I was kind of relieved when she told me that I wasn’t crazy.”

Twilight, however, wasn’t listening anymore. She was tapping her head with her hoof, visibly frustrated by the questions this new revelation brought up. “This doesn’t make any sense!” she groaned, before sharply turning her attention to two of her friends. “Applejack, Rarity, did Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom ever give any indication that they remembered as well?”

Both of her friends shook their heads. “Not that Ah remember, Twilight,” Applejack said, a tad worried when she noticed that the lavender mare looked about ready to start stomping on the floor because she didn’t understand. Judging from the look on her friends’ faces, she wasn’t the only one.

“Oh, don’t worry about it, Twilight,” Scootaloo said with an innocent smile. “Nopony really understands why this happens. Well, except for the High Chancellor, or so Rainbow Dash said. You could ask her, Twilight, grand admiral Hooves arranged an audience with her for you tonight.”

The mentioning of the High Chancellor seemed to calm Twilight down somewhat. “Yes, Rainbow Dash mentioned her before on our way here…” She cast a questioning glance at Scootaloo, nearly pressing her own face against the filly’s when she did so. “Did they tell you at what time this audience is?”

Scootaloo grinned nervously and set a few paces back to put some distance between herself and the unicorn. “I don’t remember Rainbow Dash mentioning an hour. She did say it would be after supper, so that will be after eight o’clock at least.”

Twilight looked at the only clock in the room. It was only seventeen minutes past six. She let out a long groan. Applejack walked over to her and gave her a strong pat on the back. “Chin up, Twilight, you’ll get them answers before you know it. Just be patient for a little while,” she said kindly. “In the meantime, why don’t y’all take little Scootaloo here up on her offer, and have her show us around? Get to know the place a bit?”

Knowing she’d have to wait for her answers regardless, Twilight saw no reason to say no. She had no doubt there was a lot of interesting things to be seen in the palace, and she would certainly not mind being shown to them. So she agreed, much to Scootaloo’s delight. The filly was eager to carry out Rainbow Dash’s orders, but also secretly hoping she might perhaps get a tour guide cutie mark.

Scootaloo had turned out to be a great guide, to the point where Twilight became so enthralled by the palace and whatever the filly could tell her that she was even a tad disappointed when the young pegasus said she had to end the tour to take them to the dining hall. There was nopony else there except the palace servants, and they took their supper with just the five of them.

Scootaloo sat with them, grilling them for stories about Ponyville, asking how Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom were faring, and if Cheerilee still was still teaching, amongst other things. The older mares happily indulged her, though it was mostly Rarity and Applejack speaking. They passed almost a full hour talking pleasantly like this, talking about and reliving old memories of both this and their previous lives. It could have gone on for even longer, perhaps, were it not that a few minutes before nine, Rainbow Dash chose to make her appearance.

The admiral had ditched her battle gear in favour of her light grey suit, and she looked a tad more energetic than she had been when last her friends saw her. Only the fact that her mane looked even messier than usual betrayed that she had been sleeping.

“I hope my esquire here gave you all a good show of the place,” she said, nodding with her head at Scootaloo, who had jumped up from her seat and saluted dutifully the moment Rainbow Dash had entered the room.

“Complete satisfaction, Rainbow Dash,” Twilight assured her, smiling. She then gave her friend a puzzled glance. “What are you doing here, though? Aren’t you supposed to be in a meeting with the other admirals now?”

“All in due time, egghead,” Rainbow Dash shrugged. “Derpy’s studying the invasion plans now, and we can’t decide anything until she’s done with that. She’ll call for me when she needs me.” She gestured at the beautiful clock that hung above the ornate doors of the dining hall. “In the meantime, we’ve got a High Chancellor to meet. So on your hooves, girls, we don’t want to keep her waiting.”

Without bothering to wait if her friends were following her, Rainbow Dash turned around and walked to the exit of the hall. She stopped when she passed her esquire, who was still dutifully waiting for her next assignment. “You did a good job, squirt,” Rainbow Dash said with a proud smile, and Scootaloo basked in the praise. “You’re dismissed for the evening. I don’t think Derpy will take much longer, so I’ll probably be holding council ‘till late in the night once our audience with the Chancellor is finished. You don’t have to wait for me.”

Scootaloo nodded, and gave a perfect salute. “Yes, admiral Rainbow Dash, ma’am!” she said, after which she said her goodbyes to Twilight and the others, and left the room. Rainbow Dash watched her go for a moment with a touched grin on her face, then she snapped out of it and walked out of the dining hall, her friends following in her wake.

The walk to the High Chancellor’s quarters seemed to take forever, as far as Twilight was concerned, even though in reality it was only a few minutes. Perhaps the dark hallways, bathed only in moonlight, patrolled by the eerie, bat-winged Night Guards, had a hoof in making it feel like so much longer. Twilight caught herself being nervous, perhaps even anxious, and the feeling only grew stronger the longer they walked.

Rainbow Dash led them to one of the highest floors in the palace, which Twilight remembered Scootaloo mentioning as off limits during her tour. No palace staff was allowed to enter this floor without supervision, and there weren’t even any guards stationed on the floor itself, only at the bottom of the stairs that led to the floor, to prevent anypony from entering.

Twilight felt as if the five of them were about to made part of some great secret, something that could change all of Equestria were it to become known. The secrecy and security surrounding this place only made it seem more so, and it didn’t help to alleviate Twilight’s nerves in the slightest. Who was this High Chancellor? Who was this mysterious pony whose identity had to be kept secret at all costs, to the point where not even the royal guard, save their highest officers, were allowed to see her? Who was this pony who seemed to understand these strange phenomena caused by the shift in time, something that no other living pony appeared to do?

She studied the faces of her friends, to try and learn how they felt about all of this. Fluttershy looked as anxious and nervous as she did, but that was normal behaviour for her. Pinkie Pie was hopping along, completely unaffected by all the mysteriousness and secrecy surrounding this place. Rarity appeared mostly confused, no doubt wondering who this High Chancellor was they were being taken to see, at such a late hour no less. And Applejack, finally, seemed to be a tad annoyed with all the secrecy. It didn’t help that Rainbow Dash wasn’t very forthcoming with each of her answers to all of their questions.

“Consarnit, Rainbow, why the hay do you have to be so secretive about this pony you’re takin’ us to meet?” Applejack asked, probably for the umpteenth time. “Ah don’t see why you can’t just tell us, especially since you’re implyin’ we know this pony.”

The cyan pegasus rolled her eyes. “Keep your hat on, AJ, and just be patient,” Rainbow Dash answered. “I told you already: I can’t tell you because I’m not allowed to. Just sit tight, you’ll understand in a moment.” In the distance, she could make out the end of the hall, and the great gates that awaited there. “Look, we’re almost there, anyway.”

Applejack grumbled something that probably wasn’t very polite, but she didn’t press the matter any further, content with knowing that the time of answers was about to be upon them.

Soon enough the Elements of Harmony stood before the gates, and all but Rainbow Dash were awed by the sight. The doors were truly huge, many times the size of a pony, and seemed to be made of solid steel. Two alicorns were depicted on them, one on each door, reared up on their hind legs and facing each other, the outstretched hooves of their forelegs almost touching. Twilight noticed that they vaguely resembled the Royal Pony sisters.

Rainbow Dash turned around and gave her friends a serious look. “Before we go inside, you guys have to promise me that you will keep everything you see and hear behind these doors a secret. Don’t talk about it with anypony, not even with me or any of us, unless you’re absolutely sure that we’re alone. If you have to mention the pony behind these doors, always refer to her as ‘High Chancellor’, and never, ever, speak her name. Promise me!”

Her friends gulped, and Twilight felt the knot of anxiety in her stomach tighten when she saw how dead serious Rainbow Dash was. There wasn’t a single hint of tolerance or permissiveness in her voice. She meant what she said, every single word of it.

“We promise, Rainbow Dash,” Twilight said nervously. Beside her, each of her friends muttered their own pledge.

Rainbow Dash wasn’t satisfied, however. “Pinkie promise,” she insisted.

Again her five friends exchanged worried glances. Even Applejack and Pinkie pie seemed to get a tad nervous now. Nevertheless, they all sat back, and as one said the sacred, binding oath: “Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!”.

Finally, Rainbow Dash seemed pleased, and she turned back to the doors. Only now did her friends notice that the gates had neither a keyhole nor a doorknob. The pegasus admiral placed one of her hooves on the gates, and called upon the power of her magicite shards. She let a small spark of lightning flow forth from her hooves and into the gates. The effect was instantaneous: suddenly, a plethora of magical runes lit up on the surface of the doors, after which they slowly swung open, the oiled hinges not making a single sound.

Behind the gates was a small porch, with a single torch on the wall, and another set of doors. These, however, were made of wood like a normal door, and their size was no greater than usual either. Rainbow Dash walked up to them and knocked.

“Your Highness? It is me, admiral Rainbow Dash,” she announced. “I have brought your guests.”

There was a brief moment of silence, broken only when Twilight gasped upon hearing the words her friend had used to address the pony awaiting them. Then, finally, a reply came from behind the doors, spoken by a firm and familiar voice.

“Ah, admiral Rainbow Dash. We have been expecting thee and thine,” the voice said. “We bid thee to enter, we wish to be kept waiting no longer.”

The admiral opened one of the doors, and entered the room, mentioning for her friends to accompany her. Twilight followed, though she was barely aware of it. She entered a great and cosy room, one that reminded her very much of Princess Celestia’s private quarters back in Canterlot Castle. The room was littered with furniture, books, documents and instruments, all of which Twilight in normal circumstances would be very interested in in observing. But now she did not even grant them a glance. All her attention was drawn to the lone occupant of the room, who stood by the window, waiting for them.

It was a mare, tall and regal, larger than any other pony, save for Princess Celestia herself. She had a coat coloured dark blue, and her mane and tail appeared as if the night sky itself had gotten stuck to her scalp, for they carried stars within them, and waved in a non-existent breeze.

Twilight saw it, but could not believe it, and judging from their open jaws and wide eyes, neither could her friends.

“It can’t be…” Twilight thought. “I… I watched her die! She… she can’t be here…”

And yet, her eyes did not deceive her, nor had Twilight been mistaken when she had thought that she had recognised the mare’s voice. There was no mistaking who they were gazing upon.

There, standing before the stunned Elements of Harmony, alive and well, was Princess Luna.

End of chapter 24.

25. The deceased Princess

Wings of Tomorrow
Lament of the World

25. The deceased Princess

Luna smiled kindly at the six mares assembled before her, five of whom were watching her with stunned expressions on their faces. That was to be expected, she knew, since they had no doubt believed her to be quite dead until this very moment. At the same time, she couldn’t deny that she was a bit stunned herself, only she managed to mask it much better. When Derpy Hooves had told her that there were ponies asking for an audience with her, the grand admiral had neglected to tell her who those ponies were. In order to not spoil the surprise, no doubt.

And surprised she was, that much she had to admit. She had wanted to see these six ponies ever since her return from exile, now almost two years ago. Rainbow Dash she had met the moment of her arrival here in Cantropolis, but the other Elements of Harmony had remained sadly out of her reach. Nevertheless, she had wanted to see them again, all of them, and always had during the past two years. Yet now that they stood before her, she was surprised, if not startled, due to the unexpected nature of the meeting.

It didn’t lessen her delight, however, and so she was the first to recover from the surprise. Calmly Luna walked towards her guest, the first pony she approached being the young unicorn to whom she owed her redemption and who had taught her so much. Tenderly, Luna placed her silver-shod hoof on her sister’s protégé’s shoulder.

“Twilight Sparkle, words cannot express the joy this reunion bringeth us,” the lunar Princess said sincerely, smiling down at Twilight, who looked up to her with total bewilderment on her face. Clearly the young mare was having trouble believing what her eyes were telling her, but Luna easily forgave her this. To see one return from the dead was no doubt quite unsettling, and if the looks on the faces of her friends were anything to go by, Twilight wasn’t the only mare rendered speechless. Aside from Rainbow Dash, of course, who was looking quite smug and failing spectacularly to hide it.

Luna moved her hoof away from Twilight’s shoulder and instead drew the unicorn into a warm hug, pulling Twilight tightly against her strong chest. The action managed to shake Twilight from her stupor, and she wildly shook her head a few times before looking up at her Princess with undisguised disbelief and amazement on her face.

“Princess Luna… I… You… How…?!” she stammered, but the midnight alicorn interrupted her by letting go of Twilight and placing her hoof on the unicorn’s shoulder again in order to calm her down.

“Be at ease, Twilight Sparkle,” Luna said. “We understand that our appearance here disturbeth thee greatly, given that thee and thine believed us to be deceased for well-nigh two years.” She spoke these words not just to Twilight, but to the unicorn’s friends as well. “Please, do not be frightened, ye are not seeing an apparition. We assure all of thee that we are quite alive, and we shall explain how in but a moment, if ye would hear us. But let us give you a proper welcome first.”

Rainbow Dash noticed that her friends still looked uncomfortable, as if they had seen a ghost, despite the Princess’ warm words. She had known from the start that this meeting would come as nothing less than a shock to her friends, but as far as she was concerned, there were limits to how stunned a pony could be. Especially given the fact that they were in the presence of royalty.

In the past, Rainbow Dash never was one to pay attention to decorum, but that had changed now, since it was part of what a royal admiral was supposed to know. She still was the most lax of the entire court when it came to this, but there were limits even for her. Continuously gaping at royalty as if said royalty had slapped you with a wet fish was one such limit. It was just rude, understandable astonishment or not. Thus, she decided to try and ease the tension a bit. She hadn’t brought her friends here to stare, after all.

“You’ll have to pardon their lack of reaction, Princess” she said to Luna. “I didn’t exactly tell them whom they were going to meet. Wanted it to be a surprise and all.” Rainbow Dash rubbed the back of her head sheepishly.

Luna released Twilight from her embrace and turned towards the royal admiral. “We understand, admiral Rainbow Dash. There is no need for thee to be alarmed, we are not offended. Verily we say, that even hadst thou told thy friends, it might not have lessened the impact of this encounter.”

“Eh, I guess that’s true, since this is kinda like seeing a ghost for them,” Rainbow Dash admitted with a shrug. She then proceeded to elbow Applejack in the ribs. “At least now you know why I insisted that everything you see in here has to remain a secret,” she told her friends with a wide grin on her face.

Her words seemed to draw her friends from their daze, and Applejack broke off her staring at her Princess to glance sideways at Rainbow Dash instead. “I guess I do, sugarcube. The Republic would be shakin’ in their boots if they knew one of them Princesses is right here, instead of six paces under, like everypony believes these days,” Applejack said.

After this, she turned her attention back to Luna. Applejack took off her hat and made a low bow before her monarch, finally having recovered enough from the shock of seeing the Princess of the Night alive to give her the respect that was rightfully her due. “I was one of those who believed that ‘till now, yer highness,” she said apologetically, her head still held low. “But I can’t say I’ve ever been more happy to be proven dead wrong than Ah’m now.”

Next to her, the rest of her friends joined her in paying her respect towards the Princess, with Rarity, Twilight, Fluttershy and even Pinkie Pie all bowing deeply before Luna as well.

“I couldn’t agree with Applejack more even if I wanted to, your highness,” Rarity said, bearing a tearful smile on her face even if she kept her head respectfully bowed. “It is such a relief to see that you are safe, after all these years. We thought we had lost you, please forgive us.”

“I swear, if I had known… If there had been any sign that you had survived, I would have come to your aid, Princess,” Twilight added in a fearful whisper. She held her eyes firmly shut, bearing an expression on her face that her friends had only seen before when Twilight had thought she had failed Celestia. “I’m so sorry for doubting you…”

“We’re all super-duper sorry for thinking those nasty meanie pants of the Republic had done you in,” Pinkie Pie said, managing to somehow sound solemn and serious even while being her usual energetic self. “If I had known they hadn’t, I wouldn’t have acted so sad and down for so long! I would have come to throw you a ‘so glad you survived!’ party faster than you could say cupcake!”

“We really are sorry,” Fluttershy agreed quietly, keeping her head so low it was almost touching the floor. Her voice was so meek every pony in the room had to strain to hear her. “We should have had more faith in you! Please forgive us… If you want to, that is.”

The five kneeling mares waited, tensed, for their Princess to react. None of them were certain of what to expect from the great alicorn that stood before them. They had all believed that Luna had died two years ago as Nightmare Moon, on the longest day of a thousand years. Three of them had been there to witness it, if from a safe distance on the ground. The memories of that apocalyptic battle were still fresh in their minds, and they had never found any reason to doubt what their eyes had told them.

Now, all of the sudden, Rainbow Dash had brought them here, face to face with the same Princess they had believed to be dead. The same Princess they had given up on, be it with great pain and reluctance, and none of them knew what to expect. Would Luna think they had been unfaithful? Would she be offended that they had not had more confidence in her? Would she be angry that they had not come to her aid? Even in their previous lives, the Princess of the Night had been much more temperamental than her older sister. Who knew how the shifts in time and nearly dying had affected her?

To their great surprise, however, Luna did not chastise them, shout at them or punish them. Quite the opposite in fact, for the Princess of the Moon began to laugh. Warm, heartfelt laughter that came from deep within her and made the five mares kneeling at her hooves look up from the floor to give her bewildered and confused stares.

“My dear little ponies, let yout worries be slain! Verily, there is not a single thing for which ye must ask our pardon, and even if there were, ye would find it given readily to you, for ye are most dear to us!” Luna laughed, the warm gesture making her look younger.

Her laughter broke the last remaining tension that weighed on the five mares kneeling before her. They raised their heads and stared up at their Princess, and it was as if they only now could truly see her as she was. Where the sight before had left them dumbstruck and filled with confusion and fear, it now filled them with unbridled joy and a surge of hope. Once more it flashed through their minds that Princess Luna stood before them, alive and well, but only now did they comprehend the meaning of those words. Only now did they realise that it wasn’t an illusion, a ghost or an apparition. It was real.

Princess Luna was alive.

Briefly, Twilight and her friends glanced at each other, a look of understanding passing between them all as grins formed on their faces. Then, before either Rainbow Dash or the Princess could react, they threw themselves at the alicorn and embraced her like a long lost friend, or perhaps even as a bit more, almost like a mother. It didn’t matter that such a display of affection towards a princess was more than frowned upon by decorum, Twilight and her friends gave not a bit for such things at the moment.

Neither did Luna, apparently, for though the sudden attack had startled her, she quickly recovered and smiled. The Princess was deeply touched by the young mares’ gesture, to the point where she could feel tears sting in the corners of her eyes. She mattered to these ponies, she realised. They were glad that she was alive, and they had missed her. Luna was not used to getting such affection from anyone but her sister, but she was glad for it nonetheless. Warmly, she folded her wings around them and returned the embrace.

Rainbow Dash stood apart a bit as her friends reunite with the Princess whom they had thought deceased for so long. She watched how they shamelessly embraced the ancient alicorn, and she was glad.

“We are glad to see you as well,” Luna whispered to the young ponies who embraced her and showered her with warmth, with a tearful smile on her face. “Twilight Sparkle, honest Applejack, fair Rarity, dear, dear Fluttershy…” She looked at each of them in turn as she spoke their names, before her gaze finally settled on Pinkie Pie. Luna’s smile widened. “Yes, even thou art most welcome, oh ringleader of frightened children!”

Pinkie’s friends laughed at the comment, while the mare in question blushed and cast a hurried and slightly worried glance at her Princess. “I guess I should apologise for that, right?” she said after a nervous chuckle. “It was a bit mean to do since I didn’t tell you it was all for fun and not for real but I didn’t think you would think it was for real because why would anypony be scared of their princess for real, right?”

Luna, still smiling, shook her head and held up her hoof to silence the pink pony. “Do not be alarmed, tis in the past, we spoke in jest…” she said kindly, before wrapping her left wing a bit closer around Pinkie. “We are glad to see thee again, Pinkamena Pie,” she then said, making the pink pony giggle.

The six ponies remained in their shared embrace in silence for a bit longer, content to simply enjoy the warm feelings it brought them, until Applejack spoke up.

“Yer highness, I hope you don’t mind me askin’, but how’s this possible? You bein’ here, I mean, ‘cause all of Equestria thinks you’re gone. Now I’m mighty glad to know that that ain’t true, but if you weren’t dead all this time, then where’ve you been?”

Luna looked down at the faces of the five ponies crowded around her, and she could see that each of them yearned for the answer to the same question Applejack had just asked. Gently she folded her wings to her sides, the expression on her face serious, though she was still smiling.

“We are aware that the majority of our subjects believeth us to dwell amongst them no longer, honest Applejack, but please understand that this is how we wished it to be. Tis for the best, for were news of our survival to become known, it might endanger our sister’s life,” Luna explained. “The commanders of the Royal Guard, with admiral Rainbow Dash being one of them, agreed to this course of action, and thus we have lived here in utmost secrecy the past two years, dead to all but a chosen few.”

“And it wasn’t easy to keep it that way, let me tell you,” Rainbow Dash chimed in as she sat down amidst her friends in a semicircle in front of the Princess. “I’d rather try to convince a dragon to give up its hoard than go through all that security stuff again.” She involuntarily shivered, as if reliving bad memories. “The Princess is right though, it’s for the best, at least for now. If those Nobles were to know that Princess Luna’s still alive and kicking, Princess Celestia might get in danger because of it. We weren’t going to risk that.”

Applejack thoughtfully tapped her chin with one of her hooves. “Well, I reckon that makes sense. Them Nobles would probably panic a mighty lot if they knew the royalists have an alicorn on their side, and there ain’t no telling what they’d do when they’re all scared.”

“Something reckless and drastic, no doubt,” Rarity agreed, after which she turned her attention back to her Princess. “Well, I say that does explain quite well why we didn’t hear anything about you until Rainbow Dash nearly gave us a heart attack by bringing us here, your highness.” She hesitated for a moment and frowned, as if afraid to continue.

“Still, pardon me for asking… But how in Equestria did you survive your fight against the Republic, your highness?” Rarity asked quietly. “I know for a fact that you had nearly all of the Republic’s forces going up against you, we could see the light of the battle all the way in Canterlot. I simply can’t imagine how anypony could survive such an onslaught!”

“I don’t understand it either, princess,” Twilight added quietly, almost as if she was ashamed to admit it. Her ears flattened against her skull, and she shivered as the memories of that night two years ago came flooding back. “I was there, I saw everything! When that big explosion happened… I could feel the strength of your magic fade away into nothing…” She gazed up at Luna with a nearly desperate look in her eyes. “How could you have survived that? All those spells, the cannons…”

There was a short moment of silence as the five mares looked at Luna expectantly, and the Princess met their gazes evenly, the questions of her guests not having come as a surprise to her. Quite the opposite in fact, she had expected them.

“We understand your confusion,” she said. “Answering your questions shall take some time, however, as it is quite a tale. Please listen closely, as we would prefer not to have to tell it twice, it wouldst simply take too much time.” The Princess glanced specifically at Pinkie when she speaking that last sentence, though the pink pony seemed completely oblivious to it. Luna wisely decided to continue regardless.

“The tale which we are about to relate to you shall make many things clear to you. Our survival first and foremost, but also how it is that the mare now speaking to you is your Princess instead of Nightmare Moon, even though ye did not wield the Elements of Harmony against us on that night two years ago,” Luna said. “Regardless, all six of you have played a part in our tale, though unknowingly, as admiral Rainbow Dash already knows.”

Twilight and her friends glanced briefly at Rainbow Dash, who simply nodded, her expression serious. The admiral glanced at Luna, and their gazes met. A look of understanding passed between them, and then Luna focussed her attention back on Twilight and her friends. The revelation that they had somehow aided their Princess in surviving had piqued their interest, and they were watching Luna with undisguised curiosity.

“If we are to tell you what happened the night of our return, we must first explain to you something that is directly related to it. We are speaking, of course, about the changes made to our history, and the anomalies that are the result of it,” Luna began. Once more her gaze drifted over the ponies assembled around her, to try and gauche their reaction. She looked at Twilight in particular, and noticed the unicorn had a peculiar glint in her eyes, as she always had when she was about to gain newfound knowledge.

When nopony interrupted her, for which she was grateful, Luna continued. “We are certain that all of you are aware of the fact that Equestria as it is now is not how it is supposed to be. Admiral Rainbow Dash hath told us before that she remembereth a different life in a different Equestria, and we do not doubt that this goes for the rest of you as well.” Her words were confirmed when the remaining five Elements of Harmony nodded.

“We do, Princess,” Twilight said quietly. “All of us, from the moment we became aware enough to form coherent thoughts.” She chose to hide the fact that Fluttershy had in fact come from a different timeline entirely for now. Twilight’s ears lay flat against her head. “It was so confusing, growing up like that. I remembered all of these events that I knew I had lived through, even though I hadn’t gone through them now. I didn’t understand… I still don’t understand!” She let out a low groan and rubbed her head as if in pain. “It’s so frustrating…”

“We understand, Twilight Sparkle, truly, we do,” Luna assured her sister’s student, with a warm and kind voice. “All of you have proven thyself to be very strong mares indeed, to have lived so long with such conflicting memories in thy heads. Neither do we doubt that the six of you are not the only ones to possess these dual memories.” She paused for a moment, and her expression grew more grim.

“What ye must understand, however, is that this is not an unexpected occurrence. Tis true that this is the first time in our long life that we witness this phenomenon ourselves, but we have always known that it might occur in circumstances such as these.” Luna shook her head and sighed. “Time is a fickle thing, one that we have always been instructed from the beginning not to tamper with, and for good reason. Time doth not allow its course to be changed without resistance. It shall always try to repair itself, to go back to its original state before the interference, such is its nature.”

The Princess glanced at the gathered Elements of Harmony in front of her. “These anomalies, such as your memories or places that remain unchanged, are the result of Time’s attempts to restore itself,” she explained patiently. “How it is decided who remembereth and what manages to resist the changes caused by the interference, however, we know not, and there is none in Equestria who could tell you. Time is not our domain, nor of our sister. It goeth beyond us, and even we are subject to its flow.”

“We, too, remember our lives from when time was unchanged, and we know for certain that our sister does as well. Though we do not control time and are obligated to follow its flow, as alicorns our sister and ourselves are free from its aging effects,” the great alicorn continued. “This nature is also what allowed us to remember our lives even when time changeth the days we have lived through. However, there is one aspect that puts our memories apart from those that you, and other ponies who remember, possess...”

Luna turned her head to look at Twilight, and she smiled. “Can thou guess what it is?” she asked curiously, on a tone that made it clear that she wouldn’t be mad if Twilight could not.

Twilight tapped her chin thoughtfully as she pondered the question, feeling the expectant stares of her friends on her body all the while. She tried not to let those bother her. In a way, Luna’s question reminded her of Celestia. Her beloved teacher would also always ask questions, to give her a chance to figure things out herself.

Suddenly, the answer hit her, and she couldn’t believe that she hadn’t immediately thought of it, for it was so obvious. “Of course!” she exclaimed, with a wide smile on her face. She turned to look at her friends, so she could see them as she explained. “Don’t you see? What is the one difference between the Princesses and us, in the context of how we experienced the changes in Time?”

Her friends shifted nervously in their seats, but none of them answered. Twilight rolled her eyes. “Isn’t it obvious? They were alive when Steel Gear went the interference happened!” she explained eagerly. “None of us were even born yet five hundred and thirty nine years ago! But Princess Celestia was, and Princess Luna was halfway through her…” Twilight trailed off and didn’t finish her sentence, looking nervously at the Princess as she did so. She didn’t know if her exile was a sore subject for the alicorn, but Twilight wasn’t keen on finding out.

Now it was Luna’s turn to roll her eyes. “Do not fret, Twilight Sparkle. Tis not an offense to mention the truth, not even if it concerneth the fall from grace of thy Princess, and the exile we were subjected to because of it,” she said kindly. The Princess lifted Twilight’s chin up with the tip of her wing so their eyes met. Luna smiled, a gesture which Twilight returned after a few hesitant seconds.

“In any case, Twilight Sparkle is correct,” Luna continued once she had folded her wing back against her side. “We and our sister are immortal and because of this experienced the changes in time differently than our beloved subjects.” She paused for a moment to see if they were still following her. “Ye were born with immediate access to all of the memories of your former lives, since the change happened long before ye came into this world. For our sister and ourselves, this is of course not the case.”

“Instead, we believe that we gain the memories of our former life day by day. Every day in this altered flow of time, we gain the memories of how that day wouldst have been had time not been tampered with. Were Celestia here, we are certain she wouldst confirm this.” She paused again, then added: “Tis more complicated for us than that, however, for when the course of history was altered, we were still sealed inside the moon, and at the time darkness and evil still clouded our hearts.”

Each of the mares listening to her story, except for Rainbow Dash who had already heard the tale before, could not prevent themselves from gasping. It hadn’t escaped their notice that Luna’s tone had grown more sombre and her voice more strained as she spoke about her exile. In fact, it was the first time any of them heard the Princess speaking about the time when she was sealed inside the moon.

“Thousand years we were locked away, but truthfully, it was neither long or short to us. The Elements of Harmony had sealed us away inside the moon in a form of stasis, and only rarely were we ever truly awake and aware of ourselves,” Luna continued, albeit with difficulty. Her tone was unbearably sorrowful. “It was as if we were sleeping, and we dreamed dreams of darkness and night eternal. Time was a thing lost to us, for every day was the same as the one before it. Thus, when history’s course changed, it barely affected us, if at all.”

The lunar Princess bowed her head and sighed. Speaking about her thousand year long absence had brought memories to the surface of things she would rather not remember. It made her think about her sister, and how Celestia had not been there to greet her when she had returned in this timeline. Though she didn’t say it out loud, Luna missed her sister terribly.

She shook her head. Now was not the time to dwell on her past mistakes, Luna scolded herself. She had questions to answer. She saw her audience looking at her with both questioning and worried expressions, and smiled to let them know she was fine.

“We tell thee all this both because we know that you have been wondering about the nature of your memories yourselves, but also because these dual memories were vital to our survival two years ago,” Luna said after she had recomposed herself. “Two years ago, on the longest day of a thousand years, the stars aligned and released the seal which kept us bound. We awoke as if from deep slumber and returned to Equestria with all haste, holding vengeance in our heart, for we were still that dreaded creature of darkness, Nightmare Moon.”

The Princess visibly winced when she spoke that name, but carried on nonetheless. “We returned expecting to find a peaceful land, filled with sun-loving ponies grown helpless, lazy and fat under our sister’s peaceful rule.” Luna smiled bitterly. “What we found instead was a land torn by civil war and our sister deposed and imprisoned. To say we were surprised would be an understatement, and we, even as Nightmare Moon, figured that the cause of this could not be natural. We felt that it was off… wrong somehow.”

“Because of your double memories?” Twilight asked quietly.

Luna shook her head. “Nay, Twilight Sparkle. Tis odd, but at the time of our return, though we should slowly have been gaining our memories of our previous life back as time passed on, we did not possess them. We should have gained the memory of our arrival in the town hall of Ponyville during the Summer Sun Celebration upon our return, but we did not,” she explained.

Applejack rubbed the back of her head under her hat. “Pardon me, yer highness, but how can you be sayin’ that you didn’t get yer memories back one by one now, when just a moment ago you were saying the opposite?”

“Allow us to explain. When we said that we gain our memories back day by day, we did not speak untrue. This doth happen to this very day, even now, as we sit here speaking. But when we returned from exile, we were still wholly Nightmare Moon,” Luna replied, while her face gained a sad and thoughtful expression.

“Tis strange,” the Princess whispered softly. “Nightmare Moon was but what we named ourselves after we let jealousy and envy cloud our mind, feeding the darkness in our heart. We never thought of us as two separate beings.” Luna hesitated for a moment and frowned. “But after our return in this time, we have been harbouring some doubts about that. We still do not believe that Nightmare Moon was truly an entity of her own, but perhaps the darkness that we had used to empower and transform ourselves, gained some form of sentience during the long years of our exile…”

“Why do you say that, Princess?” Twilight asked curiously. Though she was worried about these revelations, at the same time she was almost literally hanging on Luna’s lips. Never before, in either of her lives, had she learned this much about Nightmare Moon, and the many mysteries that surrounded the wicked mare of darkness.

This was not very surprising, as there was no book that could tell her more. The only pony who could offer any insight in the dark alicorn was Princess Luna herself, and Twilight had always been too afraid to ask. She wouldn’t dare broach the subject herself with the Princess, and was very grateful that she hadn’t needed to now either.

“Because, Twilight Sparkle, it was Nightmare Moon’s doing that we did not gain our memories upon our return,” Luna replied, causing the young unicorn in question to gasp, her eyes widening in shock.

Luna turned her head to look at Applejack. “When we said that we and our sister both, as alicorns, regain our memories day by day as we live through them, we did not speak false, honest Applejack,” she explained. “However, for us, this process was being interfered with when we returned. Shadows clouded our mind and heart, preventing us from remembering. We can only assume this was the Nightmare’s doing, for what reason could we have to tamper with our own mind?”

“But what reason could the… ah, Nightmare, have to interfere with the memories of the pony it is a part of, your highness?” Rarity wondered aloud.

“Self-preservation, we suspect, fair Rarity, as the rest of our tale shall make clear,” Luna answered. The Princess took a deep breath before continuing. “When we returned, though our memories were kept from us, nevertheless it became quickly apparent that something was off. Even though we were still wholly Nightmare Moon at the time, that didn’t change the fact that we were an alicorn still. When the world cries out in torment, tis the gift of our sister and us to hear it.”

“Hear it we did, but we laughed, for we were wicked still. Our subjects had deposed the one pony who couldst stop us, so we thought, and imprisoned her. They had even been foolish enough to tamper with Time itself! It seemed to us as if they had given themselves and their land to us on a silver platter.” Luna sighed and shook her head. She looked at her captivated audience with sadness in her eyes. “Ye know what happened then. The Republic sent forth their entire military might and we met them directly in combat.”

“We scoffed at them and laughed. Arrogantly we believed that no mere mortal, no matter how numerous and no matter their arms, could best us. Modesty was never a quality we were in possession of as Nightmare Moon, and it very nearly proved to be our undoing.” The alicorn’s face was grim and dark as she spoke.

“We fought hard, but our skills were dulled during the eons spent in stasis, and our opponent had the element of surprise. We had expected to face a reluctant Celestia, or perhaps some frightened royal guards,” she continued. “Instead we were faced with an armada full of battle-hardened ponies, their commanders wielding power the likes of which we hath never before seen amidst mortal kind.”

“Magicite,” Twilight guessed, and Luna nodded.

“We had no knowledge of this marvellous crystal and its mysterious abilities, so the usage of it by the Republican commanders caught us off guard,” the Princess explained. “We bid thee to make no mistake, however, for though the magicite granted our foes great power that allowed them to turn the tides against us, had we been our true self and at full strength, it would not have sufficed to lay us low.”

Luna sighed and bowed her head. “But we digress, for that was not how things were.” She looked up slowly, her sad gaze drifting over the ponies gathered around her, until it finally settled on Twilight, Applejack and Pinkie. “Ye were there. Ye were witness to what occurred, witnessed our fall…”

The three mares in questioned nodded slowly, but found they could not utter so much as a single word, for a big, painful lump had formed in their throat. The memories of that night played out again before their eyes, as if someone had taken them back through time to that very moment again, when the end of the world had seemed upon them.

“I saw how their spells struck true; so many that they lit up the sky… And then, that explosion, and I… I thought…” Twilight whispered hoarsely, and it hurt to speak. Her eyes stood wide but distant, and silent tears ran down her cheeks. She was glad when she felt Luna place her wing on her shoulder.

“Thou art forgiven for thinking so, Twilight Sparkle, for truly it was what we believed in that moment as well,” the Princess whispered, and in her eyes glistened tears as well.

Twilight looked up in the tear-filled eyes of her Princess, until she could not contain herself any longer. She lunged forth and wrapped her legs around Luna to firmly hug the Princess, and wept. Her friends soon came over as well, to comfort both her and their Princess with warm embraces of their own. The comforting, meaningful gestures brought a tearful smile to Luna’s lips, and she gently wrapped her wings around them.

When she saw how Twilight’s grief as well as her own had moved all of Twilight’s friends to tears also, Luna couldn’t help but laugh gently through her tears. “Thou should not weep,” she said kindly. “We survived, and it is wholly thanks to all of thee, my friends.”

Luna closed her eyes and thought back to that moment, which she saw as one of the most wonderful and most dreadful of her life at the same time. Because of this, she did not see how the young mares around her were looking at her in confusion, puzzled by her words. Thus unaware, she continued her tale, but her voice had changed somehow. It was as if she was reliving the moment once more, instead of simply relating it to them.

“When our defences failed and we were struck by the magic of thousands of unicorns all at once, for a moment we truly believed our end had come. Our body was disintegrating under the assault and the essence of our magic was fading. ‘T was then, in the very moment of our agony, that something most wondrous happened.” Luna’s eyes opened, but her gaze was still distant, looking at something only she could see. She smiled, while at the same time there were tears running down her cheeks.

“As life faded away from us, so did the strength of the evil we had allowed to enter our heart. Its hold on us slackened and the haze of shadows that clouded our memories was lifted from our mind.” Luna closed her eyes again and her smile widened. “We remembered. In the moment when death was upon us, it all came back to us at long last. We remembered our sister and her kindness, her forgiveness and her love for us.”

The Princess paused for a moment to gaze upon Twilight and the others, who were hanging on her every word, their eyes wide with astonishment. “We remembered you, how you unleashed the powers of Harmony upon us, taking away our dark powers to give us a second chance.” Luna was now looking directly at Twilight as she spoke.

“We remembered thee, Twilight Sparkle, and even some of thy deeds that had not yet come to pass. We remembered thy kindness and friendship, and how thou aided us in regaining our subjects’ trust,” she said. “We remembered the love of our subjects, and how they were glad to have us and welcomed us back, despite our dark deeds.”

“Remembering the life that should have been ours set our heart aflame with newfound strength. We refused to let the chance to reclaim that life pass us by. We refused to let the evil in our hearts, brought there by our own jealousy and envy, to take us with it to our demise.” Luna smiled at the ponies that she still held within her wings. “The memory of you and your kindness gave us the strength we needed to save ourselves.”

“Our mind was clear again and our heart pure. In that moment, when our demise loomed near, our memories gave us the strength to banish the darkness in our own heart, and we were Nightmare Moon no longer. Luna we were once more, but we were not yet safe,” she continued, her voice now steady and kind. “We might have regained who we truly were then, but our body was still caught in a storm of fiery magic, with life fading rapidly from it.”

“But we did not give up. We called upon our last reserves of strength and used it to invoke an ancient, primal form of magic known to none but our sister and us, for to wield it is our birthright and ours alone.” Luna’s words earned her a frown and a puzzled look from Twilight, but if the Princess was at all aware of it, she chose to ignore it.

“The Republic believeth that on the night of the longest day of a thousand years, we perished as Nightmare Moon at the hooves of their military. Tis not wholly a lie, for part of us did indeed perish that night,” she explained quietly. “In the chaos of the magical storm, our spirit departed from our body and fled to somewhere safe. The pony the Republic believeth died that night, was naught but a soulless body bearing the form of Nightmare Moon, holding within it all of our envy and jealousy, along with our malice and hate, and the power we drew from them.”

A long silence fell, during which Twilight and all of her friends, except for Rainbow Dash, gaped at their Princess in awe and disbelief. They were rendered completely speechless by Luna’s tale, for in fact each of them had a hard time wrapping their minds around it. None of them, however, had as much difficulty to understand it as Twilight did. She could not place the Princess’ story within any magical theory she remembered studying in her previous life, and this bothered her greatly.

“That… that just can’t be true…” Twilight stammered, having finally found her voice again. She was still shamelessly gawking at the Princess, her jaw somewhere on the floor and her eyes as wide as dinner plates. A strand of hair sprang up from her carefully brushed mane. “I… I never heard of any magic that could separate body and soul, let alone split the spirit in multiple pieces!”

“Does this surprise thee, Twilight Sparkle? Did we not say that this form of magic is both ancient and primal, known only to us and our sister? Tis not strange that thou lacks any knowledge of it, for there exist nary a source from which thou could have studied it,” Luna answered, smiling kindly at the unicorn. “Our sister’s protégé thou might be, but she wouldst not have spoken of this even with one she trusts as much as thou. Were it not that it was needed for the tale of our survival, we wouldst not have spoken of it either.”

“But why?” Twilight insisted, looking hopelessly lost. “Why would you keep an entire branch of magic a secret from all of ponykind, especially one that sounds like it could give us so much insight in our very existence!”

Luna looked upon her sister’s student with pity, and placed her wing on Twilight’s shoulder in an effort to bring some comfort to the distraught unicorn. “Listen closely, Twilight Sparkle, and take our words to heart, we beg of thee,” she said, her voice gentle but pleading. “There art some things within the spheres of the world that art not meant to be known or used by everypony. This is one such thing.”

When she saw that her words did nothing to better Twilight’s mood, Luna let out a deep sigh. Using her wing, she pulled the unicorn a bit nearer to her, leaning in so her mouth was right next to Twilight’s ear.

“Even if thou were to study it, the magic we speak of would be beyond even thy skills, for it cannot be harnessed by mortal kind. Tis a privilege beholden for only our sister and us, for our kind,” Luna whispered in Twilight’s ear, causing the unicorn to gasp, her eyes widening in shock yet again.

The Princess backed away from Twilight, and once more gave her a pleading look. “We beg of thee, let it rest and pursue it not. Be content with knowing that it allowed us to defy our demise and return to be the Princess thou so kindly befriended on Nightmare Night.”

Twilight stared into the blue eyes of her Princess, which were like still pools of unfathomable depths and it seemed to Twilight as if she was staring straight into Luna’s soul. She could see the wisdom of the ages that lay there, caught a glimpse of the alicorn’s dreams and of her incredible power. Then, suddenly, Luna narrowed her eyes slightly and her gaze intensified. For a brief moment, Twilight was suddenly aware of something more, something she could not place, but whatever it was threatened to overwhelm her entirely.

She almost panicked, but then the feeling was gone, as suddenly as it had come. Twilight could not supress a shiver and she was more shaken by the experience than she dared to admit. Luna had allowed her to catch a glimpse of something about her, something no pony knew of or understood, but Twilight knew, somehow, that it was not malicious in nature. She saw Luna smile kindly at her and Twilight managed to give a hesitant nod in return.

“I… I’m sorry,” she whispered apologetically. “I won’t press if you don’t want to tell us.” Twilight’s lips formed a wry smile and she chuckled lightly. “Even if it means I’ll be eaten from the inside out by my curiosity before the night is over.”

Hearing this, Luna let out a hearty laugh, shattering the tension that had fallen in the room during the exchange between herself and Twilight. “We should hope not, for it wouldst grieve us greatly, as well as thy friends,” she replied warmly. “We care for thee, after all.” She smiled armly at Twilight, who responded in kind.

Around them, their friends breathed a sigh of relief. They did not know what Luna had whispered to Twilight, but they had seen the flash of panic on the unicorn’s face and it had worried them. Even Rainbow Dash was not sure what had happened between her friend and her Princess, but she was glad that it seemed to be in the past now.

“Pardon me for asking, your highness, but may I ask what happened next?” Rarity spoke up careful, tactfully bringing everypony’s attention back to Luna’s story. “You mentioned that you, ah, separated yourself from your body and fled from the battle. Though this seems quite unbelievable, to say the least, I wouldn’t dare to be as rude as to accuse you of lying. Still, I cannot imagine that the story ends there?”

“Especially since, if it did, that would mean we wouldn’t be sitting here with you now because you wouldn’t have a body!” Pinkie chimed in cheerfully. Then suddenly she rubbed her chin with one of her hooves, a thoughtful frown on her face. “Unless it is possible to talk to souls when they’re not in their body. Oh, oh, would that mean I could talk to my granny? That would be neat! She’s the only one who can decide if I should go with chimi cherry or cherry changa!”

For a moment nothing could be heard but the chirping of crickets as all occupants of the room stared at Pinkie, utterly baffled. Then Luna shook her head and wisely decided not to question it. Hesitatingly, she turned her attention to Rarity.

“What maketh that which we did so unbelievable, fair Rarity? Tis no different from what thou accomplished with thy friends, when thou unleashed the powers of Harmony upon us with thy friends. only our method was more… forceful, shall we say,” Luna explained calmly. “We admit, however, that using the Elements of Harmony wouldst have been far more preferable to using the ancient magic and pure, brute force. Not in the least because the former did not require us to be very nearly deceased.”

Luna laughed wryly and shook her head. “Nevertheless, thou art correct, our tale is not yet wholly told.” She paused for a moment to make sure she had their attention, and continued once she confirmed she had. “After we had severed our ties to both our body and the tainted, corrupted part of our spirit, we used the magical explosion to make ourselves scarce. Our consciousness, now without a body, sought refuge in the ruins of our old castle in the Everfree Forest.”

“There we rested and drew upon the wild magic which floweth through the ancient forest to regain our strength. We used the time while we recovered to ponder our next step. Now that the Elements of Harmony had once again cured us of our madness…” Multiple mouths opened to protest, but Luna held up her hoof to silence them before they could do so. “No, do not deny it. Were it not for you and the kindness ye showed us upon our return the first time, we wouldst not have been able to find the strength to save ourselves in this time. Tis thanks to ye and ye only that we now sittest here to tell our tale.”

Reluctantly the six mares accepted the credit, even though they felt it was not theirs, not this time at least. But they did not wish to argue or speak against their Princess and let the matter drop as a result. In a way, however, they had to admit that it was somewhat flattering to know that Luna thought so highly of them and cared so much about them that the mere memory of them had allowed her to save herself.

Satisfied with their acceptance, Luna continued. “As we rested in the Everfree Forest, our spirit became most troubled. Equestria, nay, the very world was not as it ought to be. The existence of our dual memories were all the evidence we needed to conclude that one of our greatest fears had come to pass. Somepony had done that which should not be done, tampering with Time and changing history itself because of it.” She shook her head and sighed. “For the first time since our return, we were truly afraid.”

“Oh, we feared not for ourselves,” she said hurriedly, upon seeing the looks her audience was giving her. “Nay, our immediate concern went out to our sister. What had happened to her? She had not been present during the battle in which our evil died; her whereabouts were not known to us. The consequences of tampering with time could be dire, this much we knew. There was no telling what the interference had done to her.”

“These doubts gnawed at our heart, figuratively of course, since we were devoid of one at that moment. There was little we could do until we had regained our strength, however. Tearing oneself from his or her body and cutting loose a piece of thy very soul is an exhausting undertaking, to put it mildly.” With a wry smile, she added: “We highly recommend you not to try it at home, or ever. Tis not very pleasant and wouldst not end well.”

Fluttershy and her friends chuckled quietly at the Princess’ jest, and Luna merrily laughed with them. Once the laughter had died out, she picked up her story where she had left off.

“Knowing that there was naught we could do until our strength returned to us, we reluctantly committed ourselves to the task of resting and recovering. Even with the raw magic we drew from the Everfree Forest, it took us seventy nine days before we could call upon the ancient magic once again, with which we rejuvenated ourselves and our body.”

Twilight opened her mouth to protest again, but she quickly remembered her previous exchange with her ruler concerning this matter, and she wisely closed her mouth again and remained silent. Her friends did not question it either, though they were just as confused and baffled as Twilight was, perhaps even more so.

Fluttershy, Applejack and Pinkie Pie were simple, common ponies, and there was nothing wrong with that. They were well educated and not dumb by any means, but none of them had any expertise on the field of magic beyond the magic that was innate to their kind. They weren’t unicorns, and the deeper, complex workings and secrets of it simply eluded them.

Even for Rarity and Rainbow Dash, both knowledgeable on the field of magic due to being a unicorn or wielding magicite, the Princess’ words went completely over their heads. In an effort to understand and clear their confusion, they simply accepted Luna’s words as truth, for they saw no reason for the Princess to lie either. Thus, if Luna had somehow torn her soul from her body, cast of her evil side and then reformed her body through some unknown means, they could accept that, simply chalking it up to that one word known as ‘magic’.

“By rejuvenating ourselves, we regained our body, though it was small and frail, not quite unlike the form we wore after ye unleashed the Elements of Harmony and banished the evil within us,” Luna continued. “During the days of our recovery, our thoughts had drifted often to our sister, but also to thou, Twilight Sparkle, and thy friends, our saviours. Since we could not locate our sister, we figured that any of you would be the most reliable source of information.”

“Sadly, this was easier said than done. When we left the Everfree Forest, wearing the disguise of a common pegasus, it was to find Ponyville a changed town. Though we had expected this to a certain extent, we were nevertheless caught off guard by the immense increase of its populace,” Luna said. “Finding six mares in a town of a couple of hundred ponies is a small feat. The same cannot be said when the populace numbers in the thousands. It did not help our cause that there were many Republican soldiers present.”

“Yeah, I remember that they stationed more of them guards ‘till nine months after yer return, princess,” Applejack replied as she dug in her memory. “Ponyville took a mighty good beating from that big explosion in which we though you died, so they sent a lot of folk from Canterlot to help in the repairs and to keep an eye out fer any sign of you still bein’ around.”

“We did notice that there seemed to be a lot of construction going on,” Luna commented, before giving Applejack an apologetic look. “We pray that thou were not inconvenienced too much by the aftermath of our battle, honest Applejack.”

“Don’t ya worry none about that, Princess,” the farmer replied good-naturedly. “Sure, we had to clean up the orchard and replant quite a bit of trees, but it wasn’t anything the Apple family couldn’t handle. Especially when we had friends to lend us a helping hoof.” She gave Twilight and Pinkie an appreciate glance when she said that last sentence.

“We were glad to be of assistance, Applejack, you know that,” Twilight said with a smile.

“I do, and it makes me mighty glad to have such good friends,” Applejack answered, before turning back to Luna. “So, what happened next, Princess? Did you try to get into Ponyville? I figure that won’t have been easy, what with there bein’ a guard on every street corner and all.”

“Indeed, it wouldst not have been. But in all fairness, nay, we did not attempt it, though we greatly desired to. However, we were not willing to take the risk of becoming involved in another battle with the Republic, so soon after the previous one from which we had not yet recovered fully still,” Luna replied. “We wandered the roads leading to it for a while and spoke to any who happened to pass us by, hearing them out subtly to gain information while trying to avoid raising any suspicion.”

“These good ponies could not answer all of our questions, but their words were very valuable to us nonetheless. Thus we learned of the Republic, the civil war, our sister’s fate and that we, or rather, Nightmare Moon, were thought to be slain during the battle,” the Princess continued. “Though it was not our intent to fake our own death during the battle, we saw no reason to disprove it. Until we knew more of the situation, we could not decide upon any course of action yet. We thought it could very well work in our favour to ‘play dead’, as they say.” She looked at Twilight and her friends and added hastily: “Though we do apologise for the grief this decision caused you.”

The five mares exchanged knowing looks, then turned their attention back to the Princess and smiled. “It’s okay, Princess, we understand,” Twilight said kindly.

“We’re simply happy to know that you are safe and to have you returned to us, your majesty,” Rarity added.

“What did you do after that, though? If you don’t mind me asking…” Fluttershy asked quietly, rubbing her front hooves together shyly.

“We cannot imagine ever minding any request of thee, dear Fluttershy,” Luna answered, giving the timid pegasus a warm, kind smile, which made her blush and hide behind her mane. “We tried to gather any word of thy whereabouts and those of thy friends, but there was little the ponies on the road could tell us without us invoking suspicion. However, we were told one thing that proved to be particularly valuable.”

“We learned that Rainbow Dash had left the Republic to join the Royal Guard and fight for my sister’s freedom. We remembered the name as belonging to the Element of Loyalty and suddenly our course seemed clear to us,” she continued. “We left the lands surrounding Ponyville behind us and travelled east, through the Everfree Forest until we crossed the borders of the Royal Kingdom of Equestria. From there we went in search of Rainbow Dash, one of the mares to whom we owed our redemption, hoping that the changes in time had not affected her to the point where she no longer knew us.”

“She appeared out of the blue one night in my office,” Rainbow Dash chimed in. “That startled me so much I nearly brought down half of the palace.” She smirked at the midnight alicorn. “I still say you did that just to pull a prank on me, Princess. You could have just used the door, or knocked on the window or something.”

“Nonsense, Rainbow Dash, it was vital we remained unseen,” Luna insisted, though in her eyes there was a twinkle of mischief. She smiled and turned back to the others. “We have remained here ever since. It was agreed that it was best if we continued to fake our demise, for our sister’s sake first and foremost, but also, alas, as there was little we could contribute to the war even if it would not endanger our sister’s safety.”

“Why do you say that, Princess?” Twilight asked, frowning. “I mean, even as Nightmare Moon, it took the entire Republican army to defeat you. Wouldn’t that make you a great asset for the Royal Guard? It would probably be a great boost to the royalists’ morale if they knew that they had one of their Princesses backing them, given how the Republic outnumbers us.”

Luna’s face fell and she shook her head. A sorrowful sigh escaped her lips. “While there is some merit of truth to thy words, Twilight Sparkle, thou dost not see the whole picture. Thou knowest me, considers me a friend even, perhaps. However, thou and thy friends are an exception,” she said mournfully.

“Before time changed, we were welcomed back by our subjects because what transpired in Ponyville the night of the Summer Sun Celebration was not widely known,” Luna explained. “Few knew that we had truly been Nightmare Moon, and our sister vouched for us to convince those who did that we had truly been cured by the Elements of Harmony.”

“But in this time, there’s not a single pony out there who doesn’t know of Nightmare Moon’s fight with the Republic. The shockwave of the final explosion could be felt all the way on the other side of Equestria,” Rainbow Dash added.

“Tis true. The Mare in the Moon is no longer a myth,” Luna agreed. “And because the Elements of Harmony were not directly used to cure us now, there are few who would be convinced were we to say that we are Nightmare Moon no longer, not even here, where the ponies are loyal to their Princesses.”

The Princess’ ears flattened against her skull. “If we were to announce our return now, without our sister to vouch for us, the ponies of Equestria would only see it as the return of Nightmare Moon, come to usurp the throne and bring night eternal.”

“I’m afraid she’s right,” Rainbow Dash whispered quietly, confirming Luna’s words.

“But then why haven’t you freed Princess Celestia yourself yet, your majesty?” Rarity wondered aloud. “I am most certain that somepony with your power and skill would be capable of achieving this.”

“We are not as certain of this as thou art, fair Rarity,” Luna replied solemnly. “Certainly, our powers are vast, but were we to call upon them to assault Canterlot and free our sister by force, the collateral damage and number of casualties would be absurdly high. It would only strengthen ponies’ belief that Nightmare Moon hath returned.”

“Not to mention that it is our duty to free Princess Celestia,” Rainbow Dash said, her voice sounding surprisingly serious. “If Princess Luna were to free her, or if the Princess somehow escaped by herself, ponies would only see it as confirmation of the Nobles’ lies that she’s an oppressive tyrant. It has to be us who free her, to show the Princess first of all that we want her back.”

“It’s also the only way to apologise for the crime of overthrowing her in the first place,” she added. “It may have been the first Nobles’ Court who overthrew and imprisoned her in the first place, but common ponies stood by and let it happen. This is our mess, our mistake, and we can’t have Princess Luna or Princess Celestia fix the mess we put them in.”

“I hope it will be enough for Princess Celestia, after all those centuries…” Twilight whispered fearfully. The images of the nightmare she had gotten the night after the parade flashed back through her mind, and she could not suppress a shiver.

“We understand thy fears, Twilight Sparkle,” Luna whispered quietly, her eyes downcast. “But we are certain that our sister, even now, still holds love for ponykind.”

“She’s been unjustly imprisoned and abused for centuries. How can there still be any love for us left in her after that? How can you be so sure of that?” Twilight asked insistently.

“The answer to thy question is quite simple, dearest friend,” Celestia’s sister answered. “Canterlot hath not been reduced to naught but ash yet.”

End of chapter 25.

26. Keepers of the Republic

Wings of Tomorrow
Lament of the World

26. Keepers of the Republic

Deep within the walls of Canterlot Castle, three ponies were holding a meeting. The room they were occupying for that end happened to be the same one where Princess Celestia herself had held council with her advisors, many eons ego. Those times were now past, however, and much had changed since then. The round table, symbol of unity and equality between all ponies, had been replaced by a normal rectangular one, with many chairs lining its sides.

At the head of the table, in the largest chair of them all, sat a familiar unicorn stallion. His pristine white coat was hidden by his impressive suit of armour, purple and gold in colour. His helmet stood to his right on the table before him, putting his well-kept blue mane in plain sight. On the breastplate of his armour was mounted a crest in the form of his Cutie Mark: a blue shield with a purple star emblazoned upon it. The star was more than simple decoration, however, it was in fact a large shard of magicite, expertly cut and brimming with power.

Republican Supreme Army Commander
Marshal Shining Armour
The Steadfast

Shining Armour stood bowed over some papers and maps scattered before him on the table, making gestures at certain points with his hooves as he spoke. To his right, following the marshal’s every word and gesture, sat a pegasus mare with a soft yellow coat. Her eyes, mane and tail all had the colour of fire, which, coupled with the messy way she carried her mane, made it look like there really were flames attached to her scalp. Her cutie mark consisted of three licks of flame resembling an abstraction of a phoenix.

Her clothing consisted of nothing more but a simple blue bodysuit, over which she wore a splendid set of armour. It was of a different design than the heavy, bulky set of armour Shining Armour. Like most pegasi, her armour was much lighter, with only a single layer of plating held together by chainmail, allowing for greater mobility and ease while flying. Every now and then, her hoof would trail to the phoenix-shaped crest on her chest, inlaid with a shard of magicite.

Republican Pegasi Division Commander
Spitfire
The Phoenix

The third pony on the room, seated to Shining Armour’s left, was another stallion, though he was one of the earth pony variety. It was often joked that few earth ponies could look more ‘earth’ pony than him, for due to his colouring he could blend in amidst earth and forest and not be noticed. His coat was coloured like moss, while his hooves and mane preferred the green seen in fresh spring leaves. His eyes were a strange exception to all the green and were bright red instead.

The stallion’s cutie mark, contrary to his appearance, had nothing to do with neither green or forests. It was a yellow triangle with black borders, with the image of a black hoof in it that looked as if it was disintegrating. He was also extremely big and muscular, even for an earth pony, a fact further highlighted by his choice of armour. It was stronger, heavier and bulkier than that of Shining armour and made Spitfire’s look as if it was made of tinfoil. Naturally there was magicite embedded in it, though the gems were not given any particular shape. He was built like a tank and renowned throughout the Republic for being just as powerful and unstoppable as one.

Republican Earth Pony Division Commander
Smaragd Haze
The Ruthless

“So far the preparations have been proceeding according to schedule,” Shining Armour said. He pointed on the map at the entrance of the valley between the Foal Mountains and the Crystal Mountains. “The second to ninth earth pony unit have reported for duty, backed up by the first to seventh pegasi units.” He glanced sideways at Smaragd Haze. “What’s the word on the first and tenth earth pony unit?”

“The first will arrive by train from Mareheim at the ground station of Cloudsdale within two days. Their arrival is estimated at tomorrow evening or the morning of the day after,” Smaragd Haze replied seriously. “The tenth arrived in Canterlot this morning. They’ll take the first train in the morning to Cloudsdale’s ground station, where they’ll wait for and meet up with the first to march to the basecamp together. Both should have reported for duty by the evening of the day after tomorrow, sir.”

“Send word to me as soon as they’ve arrived,” Shining Armour ordered. With his magic he picked up a quill and hastily wrote down some notes on one of the many papers scattered on the table. Once he had set the quill down again, he turned to the mare to his right. “Spitfire, what’s the status of the eighth and ninth unit?”

“They’re both currently stationed in Cloudsdale, sir,” Spitfire answered, pointing to the city on the map. “The eight fleet is still undergoing maintenance and won’t be able to leave for another three days. The ninth fleet is currently loading the supplies and will depart for the basecamp at the first light of dawn tomorrow.”

“Good, I was going to ask about that next,” Shining Armour muttered, writing down some more notes. “The supplies brought by the first to seventh fleet have all been checked and everything was in order. On a similar note, roughly sixty-five percent of our ground artillery has already been shipped. By the end of the week we should have the full artillery in place.”

“We’re making good progress, in that case,” Smaragd Haze noted, rubbing his chin thoughtfully with one of his hooves. “Sir, what of the unicorn units?” he then asked sharply.

Shining Armour touched his forehead, just below his horn, and closed his eyes as if he were in pain. The overworked stallion could not suppress a sigh. “According to the last report I received, the first, second and fourth units are in place. Given how we are at the moment short one number, I’m not capable of giving you an update on that.”

“Surprise, surprise,” Smaragd Haze snorted, unable to keep the disdain from his voice. “Not that I expected anything else from her, of course.” He shook his head, crossed his forelegs and snorted again, but refrained from saying anything else.

Spitfire, ignoring her fellow commander’s remark, looked over a few things on one of Shining Armour’s papers before pointing at the port of Hoofington. “What’s the status of our forces amassing here, marshal?” she asked. “Will they be ready in time for the invasion?”

Shining Armour nodded affirmatively. “The eleventh to thirteenth earth pony units are already in place, together with the tenth pegasi fleet and the sixth unicorn unit. If the eleventh pegasi fleet and the seventh unicorn unit are in place, we only need to load in the supplies and artillery, and everything will be set,” he explained.

“And you are certain the Royalists still have no idea that we’re planning on opening a second front while we stall them at the first at Stalliongrad?” Smaragd Haze wondered aloud, still crossing his front legs.

“Positive,” Shining Armour replied. He gestured with his hoof at Cantropolis and Stalliongrad, drawing an imaginary line between the two cities. “Our intelligence reports make it clear that the Royalists are moving their forces to the area surrounding Stalliongrad. They’re clearly mounting up some form of defence to stall or halt our assault.”

His hoof trailed lower, to the southern part of Equestria that bordered on the ocean. “The rest of the borders show no particular signs of strengthening the defences beyond what’s normal,” Shining Armour continued. His hoof came to a halt at the city of New Saddle, a large harbour city in the hooves of the Royalists. “It’s clear they aren’t aware of our plan to strike by sea at New Saddle yet. I’d like to keep it that way until it’s too late.”

“New Saddle is pretty big and even with most of the army caught up in the fight at Stalliongrad, it’ll be well guarded,” Spitfire noted thoughtfully. “Are you certain it’s wise to open a second front there with less than half the amount of soldiers we’re using at Stalliongrad?”

“If we gathered more forces than what we currently have waiting in Hoofington it would increase the risk of spies finding out what we’re up to. We can’t have that,” Shining Armour replied. “The success of the troops we’ll be sending to New Saddle depends entirely on the element of surprise. With all the attention focussed on the defence of Stalliongrad, attacking New Saddle should catch them off guard long enough to conquer the city before they can recover and mount a serious defence.”

The marshal pointed at Stalliongrad again. “It all stands or falls with Stalliongrad. We need to lure out and engage the full might of the Royalists there. Keep them all fighting there so they won’t be able to send any soldiers to New Saddle. The only way to do that is with a full-scale invasion at the city, bend on breaking the defences and claiming the city.”

“It’ll be a battle hard fought,” Spitfire mused. “The three admirals and Derpy Hooves herself will be at Stalliongrad, no doubt. With those four personally overseeing the defences, we shouldn’t be too sure of our victory there, even if the invasion of New Saddle goes off without a hitch.”

“I’m aware of that,” Shining Armour responded. “But it doesn’t matter in the long run. We only need a hoofhold on either front in order for the invasion to succeed. The Royalists don’t have the strength to fight a war on two fronts, they would have to lower the defences of one in order to bolster up those of the other, which will only hasten their defeat.”

“The key is the three admirals,” he concluded. “Any of them has the power to stop the invasion at New Saddle singlehoofedly. That’s why it is so vitally important to keep the Royalists under the impression that we’re banking everything on Stalliongrad. We need them to gather the three admirals at Stalliongrad and keep them there.” Shining Armour looked up from the map at his fellow officers. “As mentioned on previous briefings, that will be your job.”

“Nice to know we get the easy task,” Smaragd Haze snorted humourlessly. He shook his head and sighed. “Sarcasm aside, that’s easier said than done. Keeping the admirals occupied would mean engaging them directly in combat, but amidst all the soldiers of both sides fighting, that’s near impossible. A clash of powers like ours would cause more damage and casualties than the battle of our colliding armies.”

“He’s right,” Spitfire agreed, looking at Shining Armour while nodding with her head in Smaragd Haze’s direction. “We all remember what happened the last time two magicite users of our level decided to fight it out. I doubt the Royalists have forgotten either. So even if we clash with the admirals, it will be a short skirmish at best, before we break apart again in order to avoid killing our own troops with our fight.”

“Not to mention that both the admirals and us will be overseeing the progress of the battle. We don’t have the time for an all-out battle. So after exchanging a few blows, our attention will be needed elsewhere on the battlefield and we won’t have a choice but to let the admirals out of our sight,” Smaragd Haze added. “They’ll be trying to avoid a direct clash with us as well, only stepping in and confronting us when they have no choice but to do so, for whatever reason.”

Spitfire rubbed her temple and sighed. “Call me old-fashioned, but I’m of the opinion that warfare was a lot more simple when nopony had even heard of magicite. Less complications with commanders being too powerful to move freely on the battlefield and things like that.”

“I’m not going to deny that,” Shining Armour replied evenly. “But there is no point in dwelling on the past. Magicite is an integral part of modern military tactics now and we have to adjust accordingly. No turning back the clock, unless you happen to be called Steel Gear.”

“Ha, that would be the day,” Smaragd Haze muttered. “I could name a few changes I’d make in history.”

Shining Armour didn’t respond to the remark, too busy studying a few of his documents. Spitfire opened her mouth to give her fellow commander a reply, but was interrupted when the doors of the boardroom opened and a new pony marched in.

The newcomer was a unicorn mare with a light blue coat and violet eyes. Her mane and tail had a colour that was somewhere between light blue and grey. Her cutie mark was a crescent blue moon crossed with a wizard’s wand. She went dressed in the ornate, flowing robes of an arch-mage, the title given to those few unicorns who had achieved total mastery of magic.

Republican Unicorn Division Commander
Trixie Lulamoon
The Great and Powerful

Trixie calmly walked towards her seat, holding herself with obvious pride and grace. She looked down her nose at Spitfire and Smaragd Haze and when the latter gave her a heated glare, a smug, condescending smile appeared on Trixie’s face. Smaragd Haze seethed with rage but held his tongue.

“You’re late,” Shining Armour said without looking up from his papers. The marshal had spoken his words calmly and there was no visible sign that he was displeased. He simply turned the page of his documents and started scanning the contents of the next page.

Trixie snorted dismissively. “The Great and Powerful Trixie is never late, neither is she ever early. She arrives exactly when she intends to,” she said, before sitting down next to Spitfire.

“The Great and Powerful Trixie seems to have forgotten that she is only a commander and has to obey the orders of the marshal to arrive on time like the rest of us,” Smaragd Haze growled from across the table. The stallion was unable to keep the contempt from his voice, though it has to be said that he hadn’t been trying to.

Trixie looked at Smaragd Haze as if he was a clump of mud that had gotten stuck to her hoof. “The Great and Powerful Trixie will not be lectured by a lowly earth pony,” she replied, venom lacing every single one of her words.

Smaragd Haze sat up with a start, bringing his hooves down on the table with such ferocity that it cracked, and his eyes were blazing. “Filthy unicorn supremacist!” he snarled. “I ought to do us all a favour and rip that tongue from your mouth and feed it to the griffon ambassador, were it not that doing so would trigger a war as they would think I had meant to poison him!”

Trixie placed her hoof against her chest while faking being astonished. “Dear me, somepony actually taught you to speak two sentences consecutively? The Great and Powerful Trixie is amazed! She did not think an earth pony to be capable of it!”

Things were about to get ugly then, as Smaragd Haze’s magicite shard flared to life as the stallion called upon its power, with Trixie’s own shard lighting up in response immediately. Before any blow could be struck, however, the two bickering commanders were pushed forcefully in their seat by a powerful magic. No matter how they struggled against the light rose aura that surrounded them, neither commander could budge so much as an inch.

“That’s enough,” Shining Armour said calmly, still reading his papers as if nothing important was going on. A silence fell as the commanders watched their sole superior officer with growing anxiety. All of them knew that Shining Armour’s apparent serenity was a clear sign that the marshal was immensely displeased.

Finally Shining Armour put his papers down and looked up, his face unreadable. “I do not tolerate such unrestrained hostility from my troops, let alone from my commanding officers,” he said, his voice calm but cold. His gaze shifted to Trixie, who shifted nervously in her seat.

“Commander Lulamoon, when I say that you are late, it means that you are late,” he berated her. “Unless you received orders from the commander-in-chief or the Court Nobles themselves that conflict with mine, you are to do as I say. Commander Haze had every right to call you out on this. Furthermore, your behaviour towards him was completely unacceptable. I will not tolerate any racial superiority behaviour amongst my troops, and certainly not from my commanders.”

Shining Armour gave Trixie a harsh glare before continuing. “This isn’t the first time this has happened. You should watch your rank, commander, or you might find yourself stripped of it. Rest assured that I will be reporting this to the commander-in-chief when I bring him our status report.”

Trixie squirmed in her seat but wisely held her tongue. The remark of the possibility of losing her rank had obviously made her pause to think, but Shining Armour noticed she wasn’t as worried or nervous as he would have liked. He couldn’t exactly blame her, given who the commander-in-chief was, it was unlikely she would ever get in trouble for racial supremacy. The ‘freedom’ with which she followed her orders would be swept under the rug as a result of her status as a unicorn as well, no doubt.

With a sigh, the marshal turned towards Smaragd Haze. “As for you, commander Haze, it is expected of you to able to control your temper, no matter the insults or taunts used against you. Put yourself above them. If I ever see you attempt to start a fight outside of the sparring grounds, while using your magicite nonetheless, there will be severe repercussions. Are we clear, commander?”

Smaragd Haze was still seething at Trixie, but he respected Shining Armour too much to defy him. Swallowing his anger and his pride, the stallion nodded reluctantly. “Crystal, marshal,” he replied curtly.

“Good, then that’s settled,” Shining Armour said, with a tone of finality. “If you are both quite finished with behaving like foals, I can cease playing foalsitter and we can continue our meeting. In case it escaped your notice: we are on the outbreak of war. There are more important matters to focus on than petty personal differences.”

Smaragd Haze sniffed disdainfully and crossed his forelegs while leaning back in his chair, but he held his tongue. Trixie did not look as if she was about to start arguing again either. Shining Armour gave a curt nod of satisfaction and diverted his attention back to the map and his documents.

“Now then, commander Lulamoon, we’d like to hear your report on the status of the third, sixth and seventh unicorn units…”

A few hours later the meeting had been concluded and Spitfire and Smaragd Haze were walking back towards their offices together. The latter was still visibly seething over what had transpired the moment Trixie had joined the meeting. Now that they were out of earshot of their fellow commander and their superior officer, the stallion had no qualms about spewing his bile.

“The nerve of that mare!” he hissed, his muscles trembling with barely controlled fury. “Not satisfied with coming to a vitally important meeting when she feels like it, she also had the gall to spew her unicorn supremacy in my face!” Smaragd Haze could feel the veins at his temples throbbing. “If I didn’t have so much respect for Shining Armour…” He trailed off, leaving his sentence unfinished, but Spitfire didn’t have any trouble guessing what he had intended to say.

“You’d get into a lot of trouble,” Spitfire deadpanned with a snort. “Attacking a fellow commander and the one of the unicorn division at that? Can’t think of a faster way of losing your rank, aside from shouting ‘hail Celestia!’ on top of your lungs in front of the Nobles’ Court.”

“It’d be worth it if it meant ridding Equestria of that filthy spawn of Discord,” Smaragd Haze growled darkly. He breathed deeply in and out in a vain attempt to calm himself. “Damn unicorn supremacists… Looking down on us earth ponies as if we live in the time of the three tribes!”

“All because of those thrice-cursed Nobles. I hope they all get crushed under a mother Ursa’s backside.” Smaragd Haze let out a short, humourless laugh. “You know, I can understand perfectly why the Royalists want to place Celestia back on the throne. I suppose a tyrant who doesn’t distinguish between unicorns, pegasi and earth ponies while terrorising and enslaving them is better than a group of tyrants who do.”

Spitfire glanced at her fellow commander in surprise with a raised eyebrow. She quickly looked around to make sure they were alone. “I’d keep your voice down if I were you,” she hissed. “Unless you want somepony to overhear you and get you into more trouble than Shining Armour and me can bail you out off.”

The stallion merely shrugged, not looking particularly worried. “As if anyone would have the guts to rat me out,” he sneered. “Everyone in this messed-up mockery of a Republic knows and remembers what I do to snitches and spies.”

“Vividly,” Spitfire agreed, rubbing her temple. She sighed and shook her head. “Mind telling me again why you signed up to serve in the army if not out of love for your country?”

“To protect my family,” Smaragd Haze replied quietly, surprising Spitfire again with the quiet sincerity in his voice and the solemn expression on his face. “We’re a long running family of pureblood earth ponies and you know earth ponies don’t exactly have it easy under the Nobles’ rule.”

“The only way to protect yourself in this land is to make ponies recognise and respect you, so your name carries weight and influence. Also not easy when you’re an earth pony,” he continued. “The parliament was out of the question. Unless you have a blooming business that’s earned you cartloads of bits, you won’t get in. Plus, the life of a politician wouldn’t have suited me in the slightest.”

Spitfire tried to picture her fellow commander in a snobbish, high-class suit the members of the parliament were so fond of wearing, and failed. She silently agreed with his statement of not being suited for such work. For one thing, he was far too short-tempered.

“Then one day there came a group of soldiers from the Canterlot to the cosy little backwater place I call home, looking for new recruits to strengthen their ranks,” Smaragd Haze continued. “I read the notice they nailed to the town’s notice board and learned that the families of all the recruits who actually made it in the army could count on social and financial support from the military. That caught my interest and I started to think that a career in the guard could be a good way to make name for myself, if I managed to climb up high enough. So, I enlisted for duty.”

“Of course making career was easier said than done. My early days as a guard were really tough and I won’t deny that there was more than one time when I wanted to quit. Only the fact that my family really benefitted from the support they got thanks to my service kept me going.” The stallion looked a bit uncomfortable as he thought back to those times. “I’m glad I kept at it, too, looking at where I stand now.”

“Must be tough, though, to serve so closely under the Court Nobles when you’re not exactly fond of them,” Spitfire noted.

“I won’t hide that I’m not fond of them or those imbeciles in the parliament, but I’m willing to endure it for the sake of my family. As long as they are safe, I’ll do what the Court asks of me and I’ll do it properly. It’s worked well so far,” Smaragd Haze replied with a shrug. “Even if it means putting up with the likes of Trixie and others of her ilk.”

Spitfire nodded understandingly, but remained silent. The two commanders continued walking like that for a while, until Spitfire spoke again. “You surprised me just now, you know,” she said with a faint smirk. “Didn’t think you’d have such a noble reason to be here. Thought you were in it for the chance to crack some Royalist skulls.”

Smaragd Haze scoffed. “Oh, that was a part of the appeal for this job as well, sure,” he replied. “I hate the Nobles, sure, but I hate those Royalist idiots even more. The idea that there are actually ponies out there who want to put that monster back on the throne and have her enslave and terrorise us all again makes me sick.”

He spat on the floor in disgust, not caring that it was totally unheard of and unacceptable to do such a thing in Canterlot, let alone in the palace. “What I said earlier about understanding why they want her back was said in jest. I don’t understand and frankly I don’t want to. They’re all sick in their heads and the only cure for that is bashing their skulls in.”

“Don’t get me wrong,” he added when he saw the look Spitfire was giving him. “I know perfectly well that life’s not great under the Nobles. But at least you have a chance to climb out of the shit they dump you into. Sure, you have to work the skin off your bones in order to do it and put up with supremacist unicorns to boot, but at least there’s a chance. Under Celestia, you had no hope, except for an early death.”

“Well, so they teach us at school,” Spitfire commented evenly.

Smaragd Haze gave her a sideways glance and snorted. “Now who’s sounding like a Royalist?” he asked amusedly. “Don’t tell me you think there’s more to their constant clamouring that all the evidence that was uncovered is all fake.”

“Who can tell? There’s nopony alive from those days except Celestia herself. It’s pretty much impossible to say what really happened back then and what’s real and what’s not,” Spitfire replied with a shrug. “I don’t really think it matters either way. We don’t fight for who was right or who was wrong in the past, it’s all about the present and what’s best for ponies now.”

“And what do you say would be the best for our fellow ponies?” Smaragd Haze wondered, looking at his fellow commander expectantly, his face neutral.

“For this damn war to finally end,” Spitfire answered.

Later that day Shining Armour could be found marching through one of the palace’s many halls, looking decidedly unhappy, his face bearing an expression of resignation. He had just finished writing his daily report on the status of the campaign against the Royalists, as well as the results of his meeting with the commanders. Shining Armour inwardly was proud of himself, for he had become so fluent in writing these documents over the course of his many years of service that it no longer took him any effort to write a report of which the length and prose would have made even his sister proud.

As he thought of Twilight, Shining Armour’s face fell. The two of them hadn’t spoken since the night Twilight had run away from home, and the look of betrayal on her face still haunted him to this day. His parents didn’t speak about her anymore. They tried to keep up a brave façade of being angry at her, but Shining Armour knew that in reality they missed her and wanted nothing more but to mend their broken family. It was a desire he shared, but they all knew that unless Twilight conformed her views and behaviour to the present day, there was no chance of doing so without severe repercussions. Left with no other options, they had taken comfort in knowing that she had found her place in Ponyville and was doing fine.

Shining Armour shook his head and scolded himself for getting lost in his thoughts about private matters while he had a job to do. He quickly scanned through his report to make sure the pages were still in order, then increased the pace with which he was walking. Soon enough he arrived at two large, luxurious doors flanked by two guards, who saluted when he stood before them.

“At ease, gentlecolts,” he said after returning the salute. He nodded with his head at the doors while giving them an inquisitive look. “Is his lordship in his office?”

“Yes, marshal, sir,” the guard to his left replied. “His lordship did not leave us with any orders, so you can go right in, sir.” With that said, the two guards opened the doors for their superior. Shining Armour nodded his head in thanks and then swiftly strode through the doors.

The marshal arrived in a small anteroom that was sparsely decorated, aside from a portrait on the wall of the pony he was here to see and a few chairs. Shining Armour took a glance at the painting and snorted, the vanity of it never failed to irritate him every time he came here. He glanced at the doors leading to the next room and was surprised to find them open. Usually they were closed, meaning he had to knock, announce his presence and then wait for fifteen to thirty minutes until he was finally given permission to enter. That the doors were open meant that he did not have to wait and could instead go right in.

It was an odd change of pace for him to not have to waste time waiting in the antechamber, but Shining Armour wasn’t going to complain. Quite the opposite, in fact, he was grateful that he could leave this unpleasant task behind him as soon as possible. Wasting no further time, he walked to the doors and knocked. There came no response, so Shining Armour decided to take a look inside.

The room bordering on the antechamber was a large and spacious office, with cost nor effort having been spared to decorate it as luxuriously as possible. Paintings, tapestries and carpets could be found aplenty inside, as well as many other priceless works of art such as sculptures and vases. In the centre of the room stood a desk that was worth Shining Armour’s wages for an entire year. At said desk, in a seat that was no less expansive, sat a pony who had the questionable honour of being the one who never failed to drive Shining Armour up the wall.

It was a unicorn stallion with a pristine white coat and a blonde mane and tail. His eyes were a clear blue and his cutie mark was a compass rose. The stallion was wearing a spotless and expensive white suit, as well as a ruby red mantle trimmed with white fur. Tucked in the breast of his suit was a red rose and on his horn he wore a golden ring beset with many beautiful gems.

Republic Commander-in-chief
Blueblood
Former Prince of Equestria

Shining Armour waited for his cousin-in-law to notice his presence, but it appeared to him that he would be waiting for quite a while, as Blueblood’s attention was captured entirely by something else. The former prince had nestled himself comfortably in his chair and in his hooves he held an hourglass that could only be described as magnificent. He was gazing at the time-measuring instrument with the same awe in his eyes that Shining Armour had only seen in the pony before when said pony was looking in a mirror staring at himself.

When a minute had passed and Blueblood still hadn’t noticed him, Shining Armour decided he had waited long enough. He scraped his throat and knocked loudly on the door. “Your lordship?” he said, loud and clear, while barely managing to keep his voice neutral. “Marshal Shining Armour, here to deliver his report.”

Blueblood reacted instantaneously, for he nearly leaped out of his skin and had a heart attack when Shining Armour spoke. With frenzied, hurried movements he put the hourglass away while at the same time looking at the doors of his office to see who had the nerve to disturb him. Upon noticing the marshal, Blueblood tried to hide the fact that Shining Armour had managed to startle him by looking outraged.

“Marshal! How… how dare you enter my office unannounced and without permission!”

Shining Armour gave his superior a deadpan look. “The doors were wide open, your lordship,” he replied. “Usually that means anypony is free to enter.”

“The doors were…” Blueblood repeated, dumbfounded. He quickly shook his head to try and compose himself. “Yes, well, perhaps if this was a commoner’s office, open doors might mean free entry. But as anypony knows, this is not the office of some lowly clerk, but of the Republic’s very own commander-in-chief. Anypony who has business here cannot simply barge in here unannounced.”

“I did knock,” Shining Armour deadpanned again. He glanced at the now empty desk and then back at its owner, barely suppressing the urge to roll his eyes. “But it would appear that your lordship was too caught up in his… work to hear me.” Despite his valiant efforts, Shining Armour could not prevent a small measure of sarcasm to poison his words.

Blueblood gave a mock-polite cough while staring down his nose at his cousin-in-law. “You would do well to mind your tongue, marshal. Though I, out of the endless goodness of my heart, may grant you the honour of being my cousin-in-law, I will not tolerate any disrespect, or you might find yourself stripped of such honours,” he said, his words laced with venom, while giving Shining Armour an evil smile. “Are we clear on this?”

“Yes, your lordship. I apologise for my transgression,” Shining Armour growled through clenched teeth.

“Excellent. Let’s hear what brings you here then,” Blueblood replied, clapping his front hooves together while plastering a pleasant smile on his face. In reply, Shining Armour unceremoniously dumped the stack of papers that composed his report on the desk with a thud.

“The report of my meeting with the commanders and the current status of the Stalliongrad campaign,” Shining Armour clarified bluntly, upon seeing the confused look on Blueblood’s face as said stallion stared at the pile of papers dumped before him.

“Ah, yes, the report…” Blueblood muttered dejectedly, looking at the lengthy document Shining Armour had written as if it carried some kind of infectious disease called ‘work’. After pretending to hastily skim through its contents, Blueblood hurriedly shoved the work aside and cleared his throat. “Ahem, I mean, good work as expected, marshal. I shall bring it to the Noble’s Court attention in time for their next council.” He gave Shining Armour a questioning glance. “Was there anything else?”

The marshal gave an affirmative nod and lifted another scroll out of his saddlebags with his magic, depositing it on Blueblood’s desk with far more grace than the report had been. “I would be grateful if you could deliver this personal petition to the Nobles’ Court for me, your lordship. It is a humble plea to slacken the magic confinement placed upon Mi Amore Cadenza, my wife, so she can at least use her magic for basic levitation in daily life again.”

Blueblood scanned the contents of the scroll with far more attention than he had given Shining Armour’s report. “Ah, yes, another request to give my dear cousin back some of her magic,” he muttered. “This is the sixth time you handed in one of these, is it not?”

“Yes, your lordship,” Shining Armour confirmed flatly.

“Most unfortunate, those magic seals. But given how our dear Cadance was touched by the magic of our tyrannical aunt, it is a necessary evil, I fear.” Blueblood shook his head in feigned sympathy. “I shall deliver it to the Court and argue for your case, my dear marshal, but I would not hold out too much hope if I were you.”

“Your lordship may remain at ease, I had no intention of doing so,” Shining Armour replied darkly, giving his cousin-in-law a nasty glare.

Blueblood shrugged it off with a pleasant smile. “Well, if that was everything, I suggest you take your leave, marshal. You have a war to win for us, after all, and a lovely wife to return to. And close the doors on your way out, if you would be so kind?”

“Of course, your lordship,” came the stiff reply. Shining Armour saluted dutifully and then swiftly turned around and strode out of the office, his blood boiling. A small voice in the back of his head was screaming at him to turn back and throttle the arrogant noble, and only through immense self-discipline was he able to prevent himself from doing just that.

Blueblood watched the marshal leave his office, his hateful smile chasing Shining Armour all the way. He didn’t even flinch when Shining Armour closed the doors with enough force to nearly rip them off their hinges. Once he heard the doors of the antechamber being closed with the same tender care, Blueblood looked down at the petition scroll on his desk.

“A petition to give my poor cousin back some of her magic?” he laughed. “As if the Court could be bothered with such trivialities, my dear marshal.” Blueblood shook his head in amusement at his cousin-in-law’s folly, then leaned to the side and opened one of the drawers of his desk. When he sat back up he was holding his beautiful hourglass in his hooves again.

“I’m afraid that the Court and myself think that cousin Cadance and auntie Celestia are right where they should be,” he said with a smirk, “and that it is entirely in our best interest to make sure that they remain there. Preferably forever. After all, what would Equestria be with them? A kingdom with prosperous and happy commoners?”

Blueblood shivered and looked visibly sickened and disturbed by the thought. He shook his head. “That wouldn’t do. Oh no, that wouldn’t do at all.”

Calmly he picked up Shining Armour’s petition with his magic and unrolled it, his blue eyes scanning the contents written upon the parchment. Once he had reached the end, Blueblood smirked before promptly tossing the scroll into the fireplace. The flames immediately began to devour the dried parchment, burning away the emotionally written words until there was nothing left of them but ash.

End of chapter 26.

27. A matter of time

Wings of Tomorrow
Lament of the World

27. A matter of time

“Teleportation… teleportation… Gaah! For Celestia’s sake, where did I put that copy of ‘A quick introduction to near instantaneous, non-physical methods of matter repositioning’?!” a clearly frustrated Twilight Sparkle asked aloud, while running from one pile of books to another in search of the missing tomes. Her quick movements caused the innumerable papers that laid scattered over the tables and floor to fly up whenever she passed.

Finally she noticed the book she was looking for, laying half-hidden under a pile of notes on one of the tables she was allowed to use during her studying. Her magic quickly snatched it from under the papers and placed it on an empty lectern. Satisfied, she sat down at the lectern and opened the book, skipping ahead quickly to the first chapter.

“Chapter one: magical theory of the basic principles of teleportation,” she read aloud to herself, keeping her voice low and soft, after which she lost herself within the pages. The only sign of life coming from her was the occasional glow of her horn when she used her magic to turn a page.

It had been three days since her arrival in Cantropolis, and Twilight Sparkle had occupied the library ever since. When Rainbow Dash had informed her that she had been given access to all areas of the library and its archives, Twilight had ran off after muttering something that Rainbow Dash had barely managed to understand as a ‘thank you’. The unicorn had run straight towards the palace’s halls of knowledge, unwilling to spend even one more minute not being there, and she had not left them ever since.

Three days and two nights she had resided within the walls of the library, and a third night was already nearing its halfway point. During it, Twilight had not given herself even a moment’s rest. She had not gone out when the bell for breakfast, lunch or supper had sounded, surviving on the small snacks the palace’s staff brought her, though even those had not always been eaten entirely. She had not slept, fighting off the fatigue every time it had reared its ugly head. Sometimes she had fallen asleep on top of the book she had been reading, only to awaken with a start, after which she had scolded herself angrily for falling asleep before going straight back to her books.

The nearly uninterrupted, continuous study session clearly had taken its toll on the studious mare, for Twilight looked far from healthy. Her mane was a dishevelled mess and there were bags under her eyes, which were bloodshot. Her stomach was growling, the gratuitous amounts of coffee Twilight had supplied it with by far not being enough to still her hunger. She did not care. All her attention was focused on her books and studying.

“You can’t afford a break,” she told herself every time she nearly fell asleep. “There’s less than twelve days left to go until the war breaks out. Your friends are counting on you to be ready by then. You can’t fail them again just because you were sleeping when you should have been studying!”

Though it was impossible for anyone to relearn in less than two weeks what Twilight had learned during her entire former life, said pony was nevertheless determined to try. Though Twilight retained the memories of all she had learned in her previous life, due to her many years in the Republic during her second life, the knowledge contained within these memories had faded over time. In the Republic the use of magic more advanced than levitation was prohibited for every unicorn aside those who served in the army. As of such, Twilight had not been able to practice or study what she had learned in her previous life to keep the knowledge fresh in her memories. Much of it was gone and could only be regained by restudying that which she had forgotten.

The rational part of Twilight’s mind knew that there was no way she could regain all knowledge on magic, both theory and practical, in two weeks, but the rest of her mind seemed quite determined to ignore that. Every time she thought about taking a break, getting some much needed rest or slowing down the pace of her ravenous studying, the events of the night of the Parade replayed in her head. She could see Rarity again as she lay in a pool of her own blood, Fluttershy beaten down on the ground by vicious guards and herself unable to do anything to help them. She remembered her own injuries, how she had very well nearly been killed if not for the timely intervention of Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash.

“None of that would have happened if you had been the mare you used to be,” she told herself. “The old Twilight would have been able to hold down those guards until Fluttershy had escaped with Rarity. The old Twilight would have teleported herself and her friends to safety before those guards had even had the chance to injure any of her friends.”

Twilight clearly remembered how she had felt during that moment. Aside from the pain of her injuries, she had felt helpless and powerless. It was a feeling she loathed and one she never wished to feel again. She felt that she had failed her friends as well as herself that night, something she was not willing to repeat. She didn’t want a night like the one of the Parade to happen ever again. And thus she studied, relentlessly, desperately, heedless of anything else that went on in the world.

She hadn’t seen any of her friends since she had locked herself up in the library, nor had they come to visit her. Had they known what Twilight was doing to herself and her body, however, there was little doubt they would come over to put an end to her self-destructive studying. But as it was, they all had their own duties to tend to, or preparations to make for the upcoming invasion, that kept them occupied. As of such, Twilight could continue her plundering of the palace’s books for their knowledge unhindered.

Said plundering was not going as well as Twilight wished it to, however. A deep frown had etched itself onto her face and her jaws were clenched together harder and harder the longer understanding of the current subject continued to elude her. She groaned in frustration and rubbed her tired eyes as the words on the pages began to spin before them.

“I don’t understand!” she cried aloud, upset, to the empty library. Her hoof came down hard on the book she was reading. Again she rubbed in her eyes, after which she shook her head in an attempt to clear her mind. She read the page again but ended up none the wiser when she was finished.

“I don’t understand…” she repeated, much more softly this time. Twilight sighed, her eyes closing as her body slumped in defeat. “I know I once knew this part of the magical theory on the basic principles of teleportation… So why don’t I understand it now…?” She felt tears run down her cheeks and realised with a shock that she was crying. Twilight was stunned to find herself weeping over something as trivial as not understanding some magical theory. What was wrong with her?

Wiping the tears away, she sniffed and focussed on the page again. Once more she started to read it from the beginning, slowly this time, trying to let every single word sink in. She had spent the entire day so far brushing up her knowledge and understanding of teleportation, having quickly decided when she began her studying that it was one of the vitally important skills she had to master again before the invasion began. Hours had passed and many books had been read on the subject, but Twilight found herself not a step closer to understanding the principles and workings of the admittedly difficult spell.

Her latest attempt fared no better. She really tried, with all her might, to lock the words in her head, tried to force her mind to understand them, but it was futile. She was simply too tired. Every time she tried to read them, the words would start to spin before Twilight’s eyes, no matter how much she rubbed in them. This only served to frustrate her even more, which caused her to start crying again, due to the exhaustion making her emotions highly unstable.

Finally, Twilight’s body could take no more. Even as she was trying, in vain, to make out the words on the pages through the tears and haze of fatigue before her eyes, she started to slump forward. Her eyes slowly fell shut and Twilight no longer had the strength to keep them open.

She was already sleeping when her head fell down on the book and her body slumped against the lectern.

Twilight was roused from her slumber by the gentle tickling of warm sunrays on her face. A soft groan escaped her mouth as she clenched her eyes; the last attempts of her body to remain at rest in dreamland. The bright sunlight’s assault on her heavy eyelids was relentless, however, and she reluctantly took in a deep breath and stirred. It was only when she did this that she realised she had fallen asleep.

The realisation made her wide awake immediately and she sat up with a start. As she did this, a light-blue blanket slid off her shoulders and fell to the ground. Twilight could not remember wrapping herself with a blanket or even having a blanket in the library in the first place, so she concluded somepony else had given it to her. That same somepony had also removed her guide to the basic principles of teleportation from under her head, closed it, put it neatly aside on the table and replaced it with a fluffy pillow.

“Greetings, Twilight Sparkle. We see thou hast decided to awaken from thy slumber at last.”

The sudden words nearly made Twilight leap out of her skin. She shot up from the floor with a startled yelp and whirled around to face the unexpected speaker faster than one could say ‘book’. She got a second shock once she saw who it was that had decided to nearly give her cardiac arrest.

“P… Princess Luna!” Twilight stammered while hurriedly dropping into a respectful bow.

She could not stop herself from keeping her eyes fixed on one half of Equestria’s rightful diarchy. The Princess was lying on a comfortable lounger, hidden from the rest of the library by a few well-placed bookcases, with a light tome spread open before her. She was watching her sister’s protégé with warm and kind eyes, seemingly not at all perturbed by Twilight’s dishevelled state and quickly rising panic.

Twilight suddenly realised she had spoken the Princess’ name aloud when only a few days ago Rainbow Dash had told her that doing so was absolutely forbidden outside of the Princess’ personal quarters. She was to be called ‘high chancellor’ and nothing else. Twilight looked around the library nervously, trying to see if anypony had been there to pick up her slip of the tongue.

“Calm thyself, Twilight Sparkle,” Luna said soothingly, before glancing down at her book and turning a page. “Precautions have been taken so that thou might speak freely. All who would enter here would see us as naught but an ordinary pegasus, while another spell makes any mentioning of our name pass by unnoticed.”

The Princess of the Night could not help but roll her eyes. “Grand admiral Hooves and her admirals mean well, but their security measures do strike us as somewhat excessive. We are no foal, tis a simple matter for one such as us to make ponies notice us not when we pass by,” she said. “Admittedly, those well-versed in the ways of magic such as thou possess senses acute enough to pick up our magic and notice something be off, but for a leisurely stroll to the palace’s library our precautions are more than satisfactory.”

Twilight was staring at Luna slack jawed throughout the Princess’ entire explanation, and only when Luna went quiet again did she have the state of mind to pick up her jaw from the floor and wipe the idiotic look from her face.

“I… eh… Princess… You… What are you doing here?” Twilight finally managed to stammer. She shifted nervously where she sat and tried to take an unnoticed look at herself and her surroundings. This corner of the library she had commandeered for her studies frankly looked like a shameful mess, while Twilight herself was in a state that would be more than capable of giving Rarity a heart attack. Twice. She bowed her head shamefully, not daring to imagine what the Princess would think of her now that she had seen her like this.

“We were told that thou had taken up residence in the library and decided to pay a dear friend of us a visit,” Luna answered calmly, on a tone that reminded Twilight very much of Celestia whenever the Princess had tried to calm her when her mind was going off into panic mode over a perceived offence or mistake. “When we entered, it was to find thee fast asleep, thy head nestled on an open book in a way that we perceived as most uncomfortable. Thou were sucking thy hoof in a fashion most adorable,” she added with a teasing look in her eyes.

Twilight blushed furiously and tried to look at anything but the Princess, feeling mortified and immensely embarrassed. She felt as if she was a filly in the library of the castle in Canterlot again, when Celestia had found her in exactly the same situation one day.

“I… ehm… er… meep?” she babbled nervously, causing Luna to laugh.

“Tis fine, Twilight Sparkle! Clearly thou were greatly exhausted and we did not wish to wake thee from much needed sleep. We brought thee a pillow and blanket so that thou might be more comfortable. We did not wish to risk waking thee by moving thee to thy quarters,” the Princess explained. She gave Twilight a warm smile. “Our sister once told us that thou could get most… enthusiastic while studying, to the point where it caused her to worry about thee at times. We know now that she had not been spinning us a yarn.”

Twilight bowed her head and closed her eyes in shame, her ears drooping. “I’m sorry, Princess.”

“Tis not a crime to pursue knowledge with great eagerness, my little pony,” Luna assured her calmly. “But thou must learn to temper thy enthusiasm. Tis fine that thou wishes to study, but it should not come at the expense of all else, least of all the needs of thy mortal form.” The Princess’ horn glowed blue as she used her magic to levitate a picnic basket over to Twilight, who looked at it and then at Luna with a frown of incomprehension.

“The palace servants told us that thou had barricaded thyself within the palace’s library and refused to come out, not even for nourishment. Thy absence did not pass thy friends unnoticed either,” the Princess said. “The basket was prepared for thee by the Element of Laughter, who deeply regretted not being able to deliver it to thee in person, but she said something about being occupied with the development of artillery of some sort.”

Twilight glanced inside the basket to find a more than acceptable assortment of baked goods packed with two bottles of juice. Then something the Princess said sunk in and she looked up at Luna in confusion. “Wait, what, artillery?”

Luna shrugged. “It eluded our comprehension as well,” the Princess replied, “something that appears to be the norm when it comes to thy energetic friend.”

“No kidding,” Twilight muttered quietly under her breath. Nevertheless, she was both touched by and grateful for the thoughtful and generous gesture of her pink friend. A loud growl coming from her stomach told her that her body was in full agreement with said gratitude. Twilight caught Luna giving her an amused look, which caused her lips to form an awkward smile. “I guess I was getting pretty hungry…”

“We bid thee to still thy hunger then without further delay,” Luna said kindly, gesturing at the basket with one of her hooves. “After which thou might perhaps reveal to us why thou decided it would be wise to starve thyself.”

Twilight blushed again and mumbled something unintelligible, quickly picking up a cupcake from the basket and biting into it as an excuse to not reply. She ate in silence for a while, Luna keeping herself happy with reading her book in the meantime. Twilight observed her quietly as she munched on her cupcake, trying to be subtle about it and not blatantly stare.

It was strange to be sitting there with the Princess right in front of her, laying comfortably on a lounger and doing something as casual as reading a book, while no less than four days ago Twilight had believed the same Princess to be very much dead and gone. Surreal, almost. For a moment she thought she was looking at Celestia, for the way Luna was laying there, so calm and relaxed while reading in the warm sunlight, reminded Twilight eerily of her beloved mentor. It struck her suddenly just how alike the two sisters were, while before they had always appeared to be truly as different as day and night.

Once the worst of Twilight’s hunger and thirst had been taken care of, Luna looked up from her book at Twilight again, gentle curiosity in her eyes. “Now that thy hunger hath been sated, perhaps ‘tis time for thou to give us a reason for thy most peculiar method of studying?” She asked her question gently and kindly, to make it clear perfectly clear to Twilight that she wasn’t in any form of trouble but that Luna did wish for an explanation as to why she had found the unicorn sleeping on top of an open book.

Twilight bowed her head again, knowing that Luna would take no satisfaction with anything but the truth. It was useless to lie and the thought, it has to be said, didn’t even really cross her mind. It felt just like the aforementioned time when Celestia had found her like this as a filly, and she had not been able to lie or make excuses then either. Something about the way the Princess had asked her for an explanation had made her want to tell the truth and nothing but. Likewise, the way Luna was now looking at her made Twilight want to confess her fears and doubts, to tell the Princess of the perceived failure that haunted her. She just didn’t really know how to start.

“The beginning is always as good a place as any, Twilight Sparkle,” Luna said with a smile, as if she had read the unicorn’s mind.

Twilight opened and closed her mouth a few times before letting out a deep sigh. “When we arrived here, we were told that the Republic’s invasion would commence within fourteen days. That’s so little time!” she finally replied. “Rainbow Dash asked us to help her, but how can I be of any use to her when I have only fourteen days to prepare?”

She bowed her head for the third time, her ears lying flat against her skull. “I haven’t studied anything in my entire life… I’ve forgotten so much from what I learned in my previous one.” Twilight swallowed hard. “I’m not even half the mare I used to be… But I wanted so desperately to be able to do something for Rainbow Dash, for Princess Celestia, that when I finally got the opportunity to really study magic again for the first time in this life, I guess I kind of got carried away…”

Twilight looked up in surprise when she felt Luna’s wing wrap around her and hug her against the alicorn’s larger body. At some moment while she had been speaking, the Princess had gotten up from the couch and walked over to the distressed unicorn. Now Luna was smiling down at her sister’s startled protégé.

“Tis most understandable, my little pony, and thy motives were noble,” Luna assured Twilight kindly. “But surely thou realisest that, even for a mare of thy commendable dedication and great skill, tis not possible to learn a lifetime of knowledge in but two weeks? We are certain that thy friends will think no less of thee for failing this impossible task.”

“I know that,” Twilight admitted quietly, “but it’s not what I’m worried about. How can I be of any help when I can’t even perform anything beyond basic levitation? I’ve seen what Rainbow Dash is capable of in this era, what could I possibly offer her that might be of any use?”

“Thy friendship and thy support,” Luna said calmly. “It striketh us that this much would have been in plain sight for thou to see,” she added with a smile that contained a hint of good-natured mirth.

To her credit, Twilight had the decency to blush at having lost sight of the obvious and she rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. “You’re right, Princess,” she replied quietly. There was a short pause before Twilight spoke again. “I’m sure I can give her that much at least, but, well… I had hoped to be doing a little more than being part of Rainbow Dash’s personal antidepressant.”

At this, Luna laughed aloud, the sound being like the melodious chiming of bells. “Aye, verily we did not expect thee to be content with a supportive role while one of thy closest friends is risking her life for the mentor thou lovest so dearly,” she agreed, as she looked down at Twilight to give her a smile that was both teasing and approving in nature. “For all thy studious tendencies, thou art quite the mare of action, Twilight Sparkle.”

“When the safety of my friends, teacher or country is at risk, at least,” Twilight replied, blushing a bit, more out of modesty this time.

“There could be no better reason,” was Luna’s answer. “Mayhaps we could be of some assistance in regaining thy lost knowledge?” she asked with an unreadable smile on her face, as she levitated the book Twilight had fallen asleep on over to the two of them.

Twilight gaped at the Princess of the Night, aware that it was rude to do so but unable to do anything about it. “Y… you would help me… study? As in: you teaching me? Personally?” she stammered, being more startled by the offer than disbelieving of it.

“Aye, that doth be what we offered,” Luna nodded. She smirked mischievously. “It might surprise thee, Twilight Sparkle, but though we might not be Celestia, we do happen to know a thing or two about magic ourselves.”

“O… of course you do! I didn’t mean to imply that you… I’m sorry!” Twilight replied, after her mouth had opened and closed a few times in horrified shock, as if she was a fish out of the water. She hurriedly threw herself to her hooves as she apologised.

Luna laughed again, softer and gentler this time. “Twilight Sparkle, please, we spoke but in jest! ‘T was but a harmless prank,” she assured the panicky unicorn, after which she gave Twilight another warm hug with her wing to prove her words. “Thou art more than free to refuse our offer, of course. We do not wish to impose ourselves upon thee.”

“Oh no, no! How could I refuse an offer like that?” Twilight said hurriedly. She got a nervous expression on her face and squirmed a bit under the Princess’ wing. “But, ehm… Don’t you have more important things to do than helping me remember, Princess?”

To her surprise, Luna’s smile faltered and she actually looked sad. “It might surprise thee, my little pony, but there is little to do even for an alicorn Princess when she is considered to no longer walk upon this world,” she replied. “Grand admiral Hooves and her staff, as well as steward Morning Red, do seek my council and input for the most important of matters, but until we march to free my sister at long last and we come out of hiding, ending the illusion of our departure, there is not much for us to do. Or could do, for that matter.”

Understanding dawned on Twilight and she felt terribly uncomfortable having voiced her question. It should have been obvious that, being considered dead, Luna could not do the usual work of an Equestrian Princess. She realised in that moment that for all her smiles and kind words, Luna no doubt felt frustrated and hurt inside due to being unable to do anything but wait in her highly isolated room until the Royalists freed her sister. Twilight felt awfully insensitive for having reminded Luna of that.

“I’m… I’m sorry,” she apologised lamely, her head bowed and ears drooped again.

“Nay, do not apologise, thou did no wrong,” Luna replied sincerely, shaking her head. She lifted her wing from around Twilight and folded it again, then gave the unicorn a warm smile. “Let us not dwell on matters of hurt and focus instead on how we can mend them, by preparing thee for the coming conflict by studying together in ‘fun’.” Her smile widened as she looked at Twilight expectantly.

Twilight returned the smile with an affirmative nod, a peaceful expression on her face. “Let’s,” she concluded, now smiling as well.

It was a strange feeling to study with Princess Luna, Twilight decided, because of how much it made her feel as if she was a filly in her previous life again, snuggled against Princess Celestia as the two of them read through a heavy tome on magical theory in the Princess’ private quarters. Those had been some of the happiest moments of hers and the Princess’ life both. She never asked why, but being able to lay there with Twilight at her side as she answered the filly’s questions about whatever book they were reading had always made Celestia look completely at peace and satisfied.

Her experience now with Luna was almost exactly alike, to her great surprise, for she had always thought for whatever reason that, should Luna ever have a personal protégé of her own, her methods of teaching would be radically different from her sister’s. Again Twilight had been proven wrong, being shown once again that the sisters were more alike than a lot of ponies suspected. As she gazed subtly at Luna’s content face, Twilight wondered what went on in the Princess’ mind. What was she thinking now, helping her sister’s personal protégé study the very same things Celestia herself had once helped Twilight with?

Whatever her thoughts on that matter were, they did not influence her teaching skills in the slightest, as Luna calmly and patiently went through book after book with Twilight, looking at all times content and pleased. Whenever they came to a part that Twilight did not understand, Luna helped her along by asking questions and offering subtle hints until the unicorn figured out the answer herself, exactly as Celestia had done.

It was an effective technique, and Twilight was pleased with her progress. Even though there was no possible way for her to even regain a tenth of her knowledge and skills at the pace they were currently going, Luna’s presence and calm encouragement kept her from going into another panicked studying frenzy. Twilight knew that it was better to truly regain her mastery over a few vital spells than to pick up some meagre skill with a great many of them by reading up on only the basics.

However, as they were going through a particularly monstrous tome that taught its readers the advanced principles and behaviour of teleportation spells, Twilight caught her mind wandering to something that had nothing to do with what they were currently studying.

“Princess Luna?” she began hesitatingly. The Princess looked up and gave her a kind and patient smile, but said nothing. Seeing that she had the alicorn’s attention, Twilight nervously continued. “Can I… Can I ask you something? Not about teleportation?”

Luna raised her eyebrows and her eyes widened a bit in surprise, but the rest of her face remained calm and kind. “Of course, Twilight Sparkle,” she said warmly. “Pray tell, what is it you wish to ask?”

Twilight didn’t immediately reply, chewing on her lip as she thought about how to best voice the question that was plaguing her mind, keeping her from her studies on teleportation. “I was wondering if you know how Steel Gear managed to travel through time,” she finally said. “I don’t know of any other spell but the one made by Starswirl the Bearded, and that one allows for only a brief visit to the past, not a long, extended stay like Steel Gear made.”

She paused for a moment, giving Luna tensed look to try and gauge her reaction to the new subject. When the Princess, whose face was now unreadable, did not immediately reply, Twilight dared to press on. She only hoped that Luna’s silence was because she was thinking, not because she was about to blow up in her face.

“When… when Rainbow Dash took us to meet you three days ago and you spoke of the anomalies, you mentioned that time was not the domain of either you or Princess Celestia,” she continued hesitatingly. “But the way you said that made it sound to me as if you were saying that it instead belonged to somepony else.” She paused again and swallowed hard. She wasn’t sure if she liked the look Luna was giving her. “You… you also said that you were ‘instructed from the beginning’ to not tamper with time in any way. Instructed by whom? The one who watches over the domain of time, if it exists?”

A long silence fell, one that was almost painful to Twilight as she waited for the Princess to move or respond in any way. The longer the silence dragged on, the greater Twilight’s fear became that she had overstepped her bounds and gone too far, asking about things she had no business sticking her nose in.

Then, suddenly, a genuine, kind smile graced Luna’s visage, one that instantly eased Twilight’s fears and chased away the doom scenarios that had already begun to form thanks to her overactive imagination. An imagination which, it had to be said, tended to take a huge liking to doom scenarios of the worst and most horrid kind.

“Thou art truly nothing if not perceptive, Twilight Sparkle,” Luna praised, still smiling. “Too clever for thy own good, perhaps. Verily, we finally understand why it delighted our sister so to teach thee! Any other would no doubt not have picked up the words thou now so shrewdly lay before our hooves.”

Twilight swallowed hard and suddenly found the bookcase to her right very interesting. “I’m sorry, please don’t be mad. Forget I ever asked,” she pleaded fearfully, only to feel Luna’s hoof come to rest comfortingly on her chin and turning her head, forcing her to look at the Princess.

“We bid thee to look upon our visage, Twilight Sparkle. Dost thou detect a trace of anger upon it?” Luna asked kindly. “Nay, thou hast displeased us not. Didst thou not hear us praise thy sharp hearing and perception? Thou hast every right to ask us this, and our prolonged silence was merely a result of our own surprise at thou having picked up these implications.”

Luna paused and gained a thoughtful expression on her face, while Twilight nervously waited for her Princess to continue. “To answer thy first question, however, we have to admit that even we do not know,” she finally said. “Like thou, we know that Steel Gear travelled back in time to the past, though knowledge of the method he used to achieve this feat eludes even us.”

“Our words may sound hard to believe, but we assure thee that they are nevertheless the honest truth. We sincerely doubt that even our sister could answer this question for thee,” Luna added when she saw the dubious look Twilight was giving her. The lunar Princess smiled wryly. “It may surprise thee, but there are in fact things that even our sister and us do not know of, though we admit that they are far and few in between.”

Twilight couldn’t prevent herself from looking quite disappointed, despite her valiant efforts to do just that. The mysteries surrounding Steel Gear were one of the things that had been troubling her since childhood. Throughout the years she had never really doubted the idea that Princess Celestia, or her sister, would be able to shed light upon these mysteries. To find out now that her faith had, in fact, been misplaced, was more than a bit of a let-down.

Luna’s voice shook her out of her thoughts. “Do not be disheartened, Twilight Sparkle,” the Princess said kindly. She gave Twilight a warm smile when the unicorn looked up and their eyes met. “We said that we do not know the answer thou seekest, but we did not say that we could not help thee further on thy way to finding it.”

A soft but nevertheless clearly audible gasp of hopeful surprise escaped Twilight’s lips. She gazed up at her princess with slightly widened eyes that held a certain kind of joy in them that could only come from one who had suddenly regained hope after losing it. The sight made Luna chuckle softly, though her expression turned surprisingly serious afterwards.

“Thou also asked us, if time is not the domain of us or our sister, than to whom does it belong, didst thou not?” the Princess asked, and Twilight nodded nervously. For some reason, it had become uncomfortably quiet in the library and a strange tension hung in the air. Twilight could nearly hear the beating of her heart as she looked expectantly at her Princess, who was looking down at her as if she saw her for the first time and was now measuring her up.

“Tis a peculiar question,” Luna said, shattering the silence and tension that had fallen over herself and her temporary student. A small, mischievous smirk formed on her noble visage. “What gave thee the idea that time, if not to us or our sister, has to belong to someone?”

Twilight shifted nervously in place, but nevertheless noticed that the Princess had used the uncommon word ‘someone’ instead of ‘somepony’. It was a subtle difference, but one that changed the meaning of her sentence completely.

“Well, there are a number of reasons, though to be honest I wasn’t sure until I saw you again three days ago, Princess,” she replied honestly. “As I said, the way you said that neither you or Princess Celestia hold influence over time made it sound as if somepony else did.” Twilight bit her lip and then suddenly decided she had enough of dancing around the subject. “I’m right, though, am I not?” she asked boldly, giving Luna a look as if she dared the Princess to deny it.

If Twilight at all expected the Princess to give a definitive answer, she was sorely disappointed, for Luna only gave an enigmatic smile. “Perhaps,” she said. “Tell me what other reasons led thee to this conclusion.”

Twilight huffed in annoyance at Luna’s refusal for a straight answer, but nonetheless wouldn’t even dream of not giving the Princess one herself. “It just appears to me that it would be a logical, given what you told me about the anomalies and how they’re a result of Time trying to repair itself,” she explained. “If time is trying to repair the damage Steel Gear wrought, it means it is not chaotic in nature but instead tries to return to a certain kind of structure, kind of like a living body, or like the weather in Equestria.”

Luna raised an eyebrow at this comparison and with an inquisitive glance implored Twilight to elaborate further on this vision.

“Well, when we get injured, our bodies heal in order to repair the damage caused by said injury, it doesn’t just leave the wound there,” Twilight answered. “Similarly, the weather in Equestria happens following a certain plan. If it didn’t, then Equestria would probably look like the Everfree forest. However, in order for both our bodies to heal their injuries or the weather to follow the plan, it requires something to direct it: the brain and pegasi, respectively. If we follow that line of thought, since time seems to want to return to an organised structure, it makes sense for there to be someone who oversees that process.”

There was a short silence, during which Luna’s face was impassive and unreadable. Then she broke into a smile again and looked at Twilight with undisguised pride. “A reasoning most sound, we must admit,” she said and Twilight glowed a bit under the praise. “Though not without its flaws, we are afraid. Taketh for example magic: we can assure thee that it has no overseer, yet it behaves according to set laws and structure. Admittedly ponykind does not fully understand which ones yet, but that is irrelevant. What matters is that magic is by very nature harmonious and requires no aid to be so. Why could time not be likewise?”

Twilight had to admit that it was a valid point with the potential to undermine her theory entirely, but it was one she had in fact been aware of. This entire exchange so far reminded her a lot of the friendly debates she used to have with Princess Celestia when the two of them had discussed advanced fields of magical theory.

“Because, if time just operates according to a set number of laws like magic, it gets impossible to explain Fluttershy’s case,” she said, with a smirk on her face like that of a hunter about to close the trap around its prey. Indeed, the very next moment Luna’s expression turned to one of bewildered shock, all composure having vanished, and Twilight couldn’t help but smile triumphantly.

“What art thou saying, Twilight Sparkle?” Luna demanded, frowningly deeply. “What doth our dearest Fluttershy have to do with this matter?”

There was an undertone of worry and even a small hint of fear in Luna’s voice, which managed to stir up feelings of worry within Twilight as well. She had thought the revelation of her trump card would simply cause Luna to give her straight answers, not make her worried or afraid. She hurriedly told Luna what she knew: how Fluttershy had seemingly never existed in this timeline, yet was known and remembered by all who had known her in her previous life, and how the young pegasus had suddenly appeared out of the blue in a back alley of Ponyville, lost and bewildered, as if she had literally been taken out of one timeline and dropped into the next.

When she was finished, Luna looked very grim and serious. The Princess mulled in silence about the new information Twilight had provided her with, which had made her visibly upset. “I do not understand… This is most unlike him. Why would he risk breaking our father’s laws…? I cannot make sense of it,” she muttered quietly, clearly speaking to herself only, as if she had forgotten Twilight was even there.

The Princess shook her head in frustration and climbed to her hooves so suddenly that Twilight nearly fell over. “Princess Luna…?” the unicorn asked nervously. To her great relief, the alicorn reacted to her call, turning her head to look at Twilight apologetically.

“We apologise, Twilight Sparkle, we were lost in thought. The news thou has brought us we find quite troubling and giveth us cause for concern,” she said.

Twilight swallowed audibly and rubbed her front hooves together nervously. “Why, princess?” she asked, frightened by Luna’s sudden shift in mood and behaviour. “What’s going on? Did… did I do something wrong?”

Luna gave Twilight a calculating look, before catching her completely off guard by seemingly ignoring the unicorn’s questions and changing the subject. “Tell us, Twilight Sparkle… What dost thou know about Scions?”

The question came so unexpectedly that Twilight had to blink a couple of times to make sure she hadn’t misheard. “Scions?” she repeated, now more confused than worried. “Ehm, not much, to be honest. I… I think I remember overhearing Princess Celestia saying that word a couple of times in my previous life. Why?”

Again the Princess of the Night ignored the question. “Hmm, this surprises us little. Indeed, few remain within the spheres of the world who would have heard of the term,” she said thoughtfully, more to herself than to Twilight. She gestured at the many bookcases that surrounded them. “Perhaps if thou searchest through these tomes, thou might come across the term and some of the answers thou seakest. We fear that we cannot offer to aid thee any further, however, to our bitter regret. We too now have questions, but the answers we seek cannot be found in books. We must take our leave immediately.”

Having said these words, Luna promptly turned away and began to march towards the exit with grim strides. Twilight stared at her retreating form with open mouth for a while, the strange behaviour of her Princess leaving her momentarily too dumbfounded to react.

Then, as if someone had hit her, she closed her mouth and shook her head bewilderedly. “Princess, wait! Where are you going?” she called after Luna, utterly confused. “What’s going on?!”

Luna paused in mid-stride and turned her head to look over her shoulder at Twilight. “Do not worry, Twilight Sparkle. Thou hast not incurred our wrath and we are not upset with thee, verily we are glad thou hast brought this to our attention,” she replied, her voice firm. “We do not know what is going on, but we intend to find out. Until we do, we bid thee not to worry. Continue thy studies and let thy goal continue to be to aid thy friends weather the coming storm! That in itself shall prove challenging enough without thee panicking about matters that need concern only the Annatar! Farewell for now!”

And once she had spoken those words, Princess Luna promptly left the library as unexpectedly as she had entered it, leaving behind a greatly confused and troubled Twilight Sparkle.

End of chapter 27.

Author's Note

An update only a week after the previous one! How do you all like that? =) I'm very excited about this chapter: not only could I write some sweet bonding between Luna and Twilight (in a strictly friendly manner, I assure you), but I was also able to show you all what I meant when I said this story would be about more than just the civil war. Hope everyone enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it!

28. Age of innocence

Wings of Tomorrow
Lament of the World

28. Age of innocence

Fluttershy wandered through the halls of the palace, feeling decidedly lost. Two days had passed since her arrival in the city and meeting with Princess Luna, days she had spent mostly wandering the palace grounds aimlessly. She had visited the castle gardens and had been thrilled to discover that the animals there did not share the same distaste for shy pegasi that those in the gardens of the palace in Canterlot did. It most certainly eased the discomfort and pain she felt at being separated from her little friends at home, but at the same time it made her feel a tad guilty as well.

She had left her home behind and had accompanied her friends to this place because Rainbow Dash had asked for her help, and she’d known full well when she boarded the Wonderbolt that she would not be going towards a picnic. Rainbow Dash hadn’t hidden the fact that war lay ahead of them. Even if they withstood the invasion, it would be but the first battle in a series of many. The Equestrian Civil War was, after three and a half centuries, moving into its final phase, one which would be even more bloody and violent than its turbulent first years.

The Nobles’ Court would not call off the attack this time when the losses were greater than expected, there would be no ceasefire and there would be no quarter. This time would be the battle to end all battles, to finally end a war that had been going on for far too long, no matter the costs or casualties.

The very idea of the coming conflict had terrified Fluttershy when she had boarded the Wonderbolt and it still terrified her today. It would probably never stop doing that, but given that this was about war, that wasn’t exactly unusual or uncommon. What mattered was that she had agreed to come with Rainbow Dash despite her fear of battle, because the admiral had admitted to needing the support and help of her friends, and Fluttershy would never allow her fears to keep her from helping her friends when they really needed her.

It helped that she also believed in the cause Rainbow Dash was fighting for. Like the rest of her friends, Fluttershy wanted nothing more but to have the unjust imprisonment of Celestia to come to an end and see the wrongs committed by the nobles made right. The thought of what the Princess had been put through the past few centuries had appalled her from the very moment Twilight had told her that Celestia had been overthrown.

When she had seen the atrocities with her own eyes at the parade, however, that dismay had turned into pure disdain and condemnation. It was most unlike her to feel so strongly about something, of this Fluttershy was all too aware, but the depravities of the parade had shocked her too deeply. She might be shy and timid and conflict and violence might frighten her, but even for her there were lines that could not be crossed. This wasn’t like a dragon threatening her friends or being mocked by bullies, this was nothing short of pure injustice being approved of by an entire nation – or half of it – and Fluttershy wouldn’t stand for it.

In the face of something so wrong, even she was compelled to act.

At least in theory. The strong feelings were certainly still there, but like many of her friends until Rainbow Dash had picked them up she had no idea of how to act upon them. It was one thing to so strongly disapprove of something that you actually wanted to do something about it, but it was another thing to actually know what that something had to be. When Rainbow Dash had made her request for their help and support, Fluttershy had been convinced that once they arrived at Cantropolis her friend would tell them how exactly they could help and what they had to do.

She’d been mistaken, however. As it turned out, when Rainbow Dash had asked her friends for their help and support, she had been thinking about the moral kind of help. The presence of her friends, their comfort when the pressure began to take its toll on her, their friendship to cheer her up, those kind of things. Simply being here was help enough as far as Rainbow Dash was concerned.

It would be wrong to say that Fluttershy was displeased by this; she was happy that her mere presence managed to make one of her dearest friends feel better. It also was most certainly less terrifying than going out on the battlefield, not that Fluttershy had actually believed Rainbow Dash would ever allow them, let alone ask them, to ever set a hoof there. However, she didn’t think of ‘simply being there’ as making herself appropriately useful. It certainly didn’t make her feel useful, wherein laid the entire problem.

Rainbow Dash didn’t need her to be around all the time, which meant that a lot of time Fluttershy was left to her own devices and fill her time as she saw fit. Which, so far, meant going wherever her hooves took her in an endless and aimless search for something to do. All of her friends had found a way to keep themselves busy and to add their own contribution to the Royalists’ cause. She, however, was at loss of what she could do to make herself more useful to her friends besides being moral support by just ‘being there’.

As far as she was concerned, she didn’t exactly have a great array of skills that she could use to make herself useful. She wasn’t a strong flyer or a great athlete, nor did she have unrivalled magical potential. She was an animal caretaker, which, while as honourable an occupation as any other, was not immediately useful for warfare. She certainly wasn’t going to use her way with animals to involve those poor little dears in this conflict, knowing full well that the thought might come to some soldier’s mind were she to speak of her talent.

She did have some medical expertise, having had to take care of an injured animal more than once, but she was far from being a nurse. Fluttershy didn’t think she could make herself useful as part of the medical staff of the royal guard. She didn’t have any experience in taking care of wounded ponies, for starters, and she wasn’t convinced that she’d be able to stomach the kind of injuries that ponies no doubt would suffer in the coming conflict.

Fluttershy might have been shy, but she wasn’t stupid. She knew perfectly well that ponies were going to get hurt, or even killed. She wasn’t going to risk endangering anypony by signing up to help with medical care, only to flee and abandon a soldier in need because she couldn’t handle the sight of his injuries, the smell of blood or the wailing of the injured and the dying. She wasn’t going to let herself risk being so irresponsible. No, if she was going to make herself useful, it would be in a way that she knew she could handle.

Which sadly led to her current situation of wandering the beautiful halls of the castle in search of a way to be of use, for the second day in a row. Fluttershy racked her more than capable brain for something useful to do, but her thought exercise had so far born no fruit. She spotted an unoccupied bench standing opposite of a window against the wall, bathing in the sunlight, and sank down on it with a sigh. The rays of the sun, their warmth amplified by the glass, felt pleasant on her coat but still did little to brighten her mood.

She wasn’t sure how long she sat there all by herself on that bench in the empty hall, minutes and hours always seemed to slow down to the same crawl whenever she felt down. She stared at the floor, her gaze absent, idly noting that the stitching of the carpet could have been done better in some places, or maybe it was simply becoming undone due to age. She didn’t even notice that she had company until her eyes, which were following the pattern in the carpet, came across two pairs of hooves.

Flustered, Fluttershy looked up to see Amethyst Star standing next to her. The young admiral was regarding her with the usual impassive expression on her face and mournful look in her eyes, hidden behind an icy, stoic glare. She wasn’t sure how long Amethyst Star had been standing there; she certainly hadn’t heard her approach due to being so lost in thought. She shifted nervously in her seat under the admiral’s gaze.

Rainbow Dash had briefly introduced Fluttershy and the rest of her friends to her fellow admirals the day after their arrival, but Amethyst Star’s face hadn’t been exactly new to any of them. They had lived together in Ponyville in their previous life, after all, though she had never been more than a passing acquaintance to Fluttershy. It had quickly become clear, however, that this Amethyst Star had little in common with the one they remembered.

This wasn’t the same mare who had run the Sisterhooves Social with her little sister, held a picnic with the foals in town or helped the amazing mare who had adopted her at home, always with a smile. In her place was had come a young mare who had been robbed of her childhood, marked and haunted by all she had seen and experienced, hardened by battle. She rarely ever smiled and never ‘lightened up’ as Rainbow Dash complained about.

In short, she had become a mare who both intimidated and frightened Fluttershy, even though the admiral had been nothing short of polite during their brief introduction. She hadn’t shown any particular interest in Fluttershy or the rest of the new arrivals, though, making Fluttershy wonder why the young admiral was here now.

When a few more moments passed in total silence, during which Amethyst Star neither moved or spoke, only kept watching her, Fluttershy grew more nervous. Perhaps the admiral hadn’t noticed Fluttershy had noticed her yet, since Fluttershy had barely moved when she’d stolen a glance at the royal admiral.

“Oh, um, I’m sorry,” Fluttershy muttered apologetically, her voice barely audible, as she nervously sat up. She tried to look at Amethyst Star as she spoken, but was too intimidated to manage more than a quick peek before she went back to hiding behind her mane. “I, um, didn’t notice you were there…”

“Evidently,” Amethyst Star replied calmly, her voice neither unkind or friendly. She tilted her head a little bit sideways while looking at Fluttershy from head to hoof. “Lost in thought?” she then asked, a hint of curiosity in her voice.

Fluttershy nodded and barely managed to squeeze out a soft ‘yes’.

The admiral gave a short nod of her own, as if confirming something for herself, before turning her head to look at the sunlit window. “I guessed as much,” she admitted. “I found that this is a pretty good spot for thinking when you’re in need of one. It’s always warm and comfortable, not to mention quiet.” A ghost of a smile appeared on her lips and a moment passed by in silence, one less tensed than the one before.

Amethyst Star broke out of her brief daze and glanced back at Fluttershy. “Spare a bit for your thoughts?”

Fluttershy shifted nervously in her seat again, feeling strangely vulnerable and tiny under Amethyst Star’s impassive gaze. “I wouldn’t want to be a bother,” she said quickly. “I mean, um, I’m sure you have much more important things to do than to listen to me right now.”

“You’ve caught me during one of my rare breaks, actually,” Amethyst Star replied with a flat grin. The grin faded when Fluttershy didn’t give any response but a soft squeak, making the admiral sigh and shrug carelessly. “Tell you what, why don’t you come with me? I’m on my way to pay a quick visit to my sister and I’m sure a familiar face from the olden times of Ponyville will be good for her.”

For the first time since the conversation had begun, Fluttershy managed to look directly at her fellow mare. “Your sister?” she echoed softly, a curious look on her face. “Dinky Hooves?”

“Unless I happen to have another sister that mom failed to tell me about, that’s the one, yes,” Amethyst Star replied, her voice devoid of any humour or mirth. “Life at the palace isn’t really fun when you’re a filly. Mom and I are very busy mares and there aren’t many other foals around, so she’s often lonely and bored.”

The admiral let out a sigh. “She can’t really go out to play either, because of her condition, so I try to pay her a visit whenever I get some free time. It always makes her happy to have someone to talk to, especially if they’re from Ponyville like us,” she continued. “She’ll be thrilled to see you again, I’m sure.”

“Um, I’m not sure, I mean, she’s your little sister and I, um, I wouldn’t want to impose…” Fluttershy protested weakly, rubbing her front hooves together nervously.

“Do you have something else that requires your immediate attention?” Amethyst Star asked, rather icily, and she gave Fluttershy an unimpressed look, one of her eyebrows raised high.

“N… not really,” Fluttershy had to admit, to her shame.

“In that case you might as well come along and make my little sister happy and on the way we can talk about what’s bothering you,” the admiral said decisively.

Fluttershy tried to protest, but before she could mutter even a single word, she was suddenly surrounded by a light purple glow. She squeaked as Amethyst Star used her magic to forcefully lift Fluttershy up from her seat, her legs flailing wildly. The admiral rolled her eyes at the pitiful display, before putting Fluttershy down on her hooves on the floor.

“If you’re quite done panicking over nothing, we should get going. You may have time to waste, but I don’t,” Amethyst Star said while giving Fluttershy a cool glare. The pegasus shrank back, but didn’t dare to protest and quietly followed behind Amethyst Star once the admiral started walking. She made sure to make herself as small and unnoticeable as possible, hoping perhaps that the icy, harsh unicorn would forget her if she did so.

At first it looked as if the admiral would do just that, as the walk progressed in total silence at first, with Amethyst Star’s cold eyes looking straight ahead. Fluttershy’s hopes were dashed when they rounded the first corner, however, as the admiral started to speak.

“So,” Amethyst Star began curtly. “What was so interesting and fascinating to think about that it kept you from noticing me until two minutes after my arrival?”

Seeing that Amethyst Star had no intention of letting her go, Fluttershy resigned herself to her fate and decided that she might as well give her an honest answer. It suddenly hit her that, being an admiral, the unicorn actually was one of the ponies best suited to give her advice on how she could make herself useful. She only wished that Amethyst Star wasn’t so scary to talk to. Her aggressive and cold behaviour made Fluttershy too uncomfortable.

Steeling her nerves, Fluttershy took a deep breath and spoke. “I, um, I was trying to think of something to do…”

“Can’t imagine how that could form any problem,” Amethyst Star replied almost immediately. “There are many ways to pass the time here, it’s just a matter of picking one and doing it.”

The harsh reply made Fluttershy flinch, but she recovered quickly. “I didn’t… I didn’t really mean it like that,” she whispered meekly. “I was actually trying to think of something I could do that would be of help to Rainbow Dash and, um, the rest of you…”

That made Amethyst Star pause for a moment and she cast a quick glance over her shoulder at Fluttershy, her expression unreadable. “Well, I’m not going to say no to any offered helping hoof, no matter how meek or shaky it is,” she then said, shrugging. “Celestia knows we can use every pony we can get.”

“I, um, I thought as much,” Fluttershy replied, feeling a bit more confident now that the admiral approved of her wish. “But I don’t really know what exactly I can do to help. I, um, I really can’t fight, but I don’t think I could help taking care of the injured either…”

“There are many other ways a pony can help besides being a guard or a medic,” Amethyst Star said dismissively. “You could be a courier, help taking care of the supplies or act as a lookout, to name but a few things. It all comes down to what you think you can handle.” She paused to think for a few seconds. “If you really want to go through with this, go to guard office later and ask for a mare called Sharpening Stone. Tell her I sent you and ask for a list of applications. She can give you a more detailed list of things to do.”

“Okay…” Fluttershy said timidly. “And, um, thank you…” she added nervously.

“You’re welcome,” the admiral replied curtly, though not unkindly.

The rest of the walk continued on in silence, for which Fluttershy was grateful. It was hard for her to form an opinion on Amethyst Star. The admiral’s cold and harsh behaviour was certainly far from pleasant, but at the same time Fluttershy knew that it didn’t come from haughtiness or a sense of superiority, nor did she think that Amethyst Star actually disliked her. She wasn’t sure why, but Fluttershy couldn’t shake off the idea that the young admiral was cold and harsh to everyone, including herself. It actually made her feel kind of sorry for the younger mare.

“We’re here,” Amethyst Star announced, pulling Fluttershy out of her thoughts. The duo had arrived at a pair of doors that looked no different from the many other doors Fluttershy had seen in the palace. Two guards flanked the doors and saluted for Amethyst Star, their stoic expression never changing. The admiral gave them a small nod and they put their hooves down again.

“Anything out of the ordinary to report?” she asked, her voice flat and emotionless.

The guards didn’t so much as blink an eye. “Negative, admiral, ma’am,” the first replied calmly. “Admiral Rainbow Dash’s esquire arrived half an hour ago and has yet to leave. There have been no other visitors.”

“Very well. Continue carrying out your duty,” Amethyst Star said, after which she brushed past the guards and opened the door. She glanced over her shoulder to see if Fluttershy was still following. During her brief conversation with the guards, Fluttershy had taken the opportunity to look around the hall a bit.

The doors might have looked the same as all the other ones in the palace, but Fluttershy noticed that the rest of the hall appeared warmer, more homely than most of the other places she had been in so far in the palace. She remembered that the hall where she and her friends had their guest rooms looked like this as well, so she figured it was normal for the living quarters in the palace.

“You coming?” Amethyst Star’s brusque question, which sounded more like an order than anything else, managed to startle her again. Fluttershy squeaked before quickly realising she had just panicked over nothing again and blushed.

“Oh, um, yes?” she muttered timidly, her face half-hidden behind her mane as she avoided looking at the admiral. Amethyst Star merely rolled her eyes, scoffed and went inside. Fluttershy went after her, a tensed bundle of nerves and embarrassment. The guards, to their credit, kept their stoic faces and did not react to the flustered pegasus at all.

They stood in a small, short hallway, at the end of which was a spiralling staircase that led to the floor above. Amethyst Star looked around slowly at first, as if trying to determine where to go next, but when she heard the excited giggling and chattering of young foals from behind the door to her right, she wasted no time and headed over to that one. She gave the door a few soft knocks with her hoof before opening it. Standing behind her, Fluttershy leaned aside a bit to look past Amethyst Star into the room.

The sight that greeted her was that of a cosy living room, with a thick carpet in its centre, on top of which sat two fillies. One was a pegasus, her coat orange and her mane and tail purple, the other a unicorn with a grey coat and a mane and tail coloured like straw. The pegasus, who Fluttershy immediately recognised as Scootaloo, was wearing the official uniform of a royal esquire, while the other filly wore nothing but a big, red bow in her mane.

One of the things Fluttershy had noticed upon arriving in the kingdom was that the attitude concerning clothing was more lax than it was in the Republic. It was not forbidden by law to go out wearing nothing, though most ponies tended to wear at least one piece of clothing, like a loose shirt or a simple dress. Fully-dressed ponies were much more rare. Even the guards didn’t all wear clothes under their armour and for those that did it was rarely more than a snug bodysuit. The royal admirals and grand admiral wore proper suits, as a mark of status, but only at the palace. When going out into battle, even they preferred to wear nothing but their armour, to have as little hindrances to their mobility as possible.

The two fillies looked up from the board game they had been playing, towards the two young adults who stood in the doorway. Their reactions were immediate, though different for each of them. Dinky perked up and smiled widely upon seeing her older sister, while Scootaloo immediately jumped to her hooves and saluted.

“Sparkler!” Dinky cheered.

“Admiral Amethyst Star, ma’am!” Scootaloo said, standing at attention while trying to get her face stoic and serious as was the norm when saluting one’s superior. It was a perfect, proper salute, though it had a certain comical edge to it due to being performed by such a young filly.

To Fluttershy’s surprise, Amethyst Star gave a genuinely kind and warm smile upon seeing the display and her cold expression seemed to thaw out somewhat. “Hello to you, too, little sis,” she said to Dinky, before turning to Scootaloo. “At ease, esquire Scootaloo. You know I’m not your mentor, you don’t have to salute me.”

Scootaloo lowered her hoof and relaxed. “I know I don’t have to, ma’am, but I want to,” she said, smiling proudly. “Rainbow Dash said that it’s both a sign of respect and good practice for later, when I become a real guard!”

“Well, you’ll certainly be ahead of the other recruits then, when the time comes,” the admiral replied calmly. “I should thank you for keeping my little sister company.”

“W… well, that’s not necessary, ma’am,” Scootaloo sputtered, blushing profusely upon being complimented by one of the heroes she looked up to. Though Rainbow Dash would always remain her number one favourite, that didn’t mean that she didn’t admire the other admirals as well. Nor was she the only one to do so, as the three admirals were revered throughout the kingdom to the point where many believed that their glory and might nearly rivalled that of the legendary Princess Celestia herself.

“I mean, it’s not as if I was going to turn down a request from the grand admiral herself,” Scootaloo continued, still flustered. “Not that I wouldn’t be doing this if she hadn’t asked me to!” she hastily added, after realising the implications her previous statement could have. She glanced at Dinky and smiled. “It’s fun to hang out with Dinky, would be so boring here otherwise. Especially now that Rainbow Dash is so busy.”

“Are you done working for today already, sis?” Dinky asked hopefully.

Amethyst Star gave her sister an apologetic smile. “I’m afraid not, I’m just on a small break before going back to work,” she confessed. Upon seeing Dinky’s smile fade and turn into a sad pout, she added: “I brought someone with me who wanted to pay you a visit, though.” Smiling, Amethyst Star stepped aside to reveal a nervous Fluttershy, who had been making herself scarce behind the admiral until now. “Dinky, you remember Fluttershy, don’t you?”

Dinky gave Fluttershy a quizzical look, her eyes narrowing more and more as she wracked her young brain. “I think so…” she said slowly, not sounding completely sure. “She’s the pony who took care of Little Hoof’s pet ferret when it was sick, right?”

“Oh my, you remember that?” Fluttershy asked, looking surprised. She herself remembered that event as well, but she never forgot the face of an animal she had taken care of. She was more astonished by the fact that Dinky remembered it. Did this mean that the filly had retained her memories from her previous life as well?

“Uh huh!” Dinky beamed proudly. “Little Hoof was very happy that Mister Whiskers was okay and I was happy for her.” Then suddenly the young filly frowned and tapped the side of her head with one of her hooves, thinking hard about something. “But I’m not sure when this happened… It happened during one of miss Cheerilee’s classes about pets, but mommy, Sparkler and me left Ponyville when I was just a baby…” She gave her sister a confused, helpless look. “Didn’t we?”

“I think you’re just a bit confused, little sis,” Sparkler said soothingly, smiling at her younger sibling as if nothing was wrong. “After all, you didn’t get a lot of sleep tonight because you absolutely wanted to stay awake until mom came back. I think your brain is still sleeping.” She used her magic to give her sister some light taps on the head, making Dinky giggle.

“I guess you’re right,” Dinky admitted, letting the matter drop. “My brain wouldn’t be so sleepy if mommy just came home on time,” she added with a pout. “Mommy always says ponies have to go to bed on time, so why does she always get to stay up so late? It’s not fair!”

Amethyst Star rolled her eyes in amusement, having heard this argument before. “Mom is a very busy and very important pony, Dinky,” she explained patiently. “Important ponies get to stay up late sometimes, while little fillies don’t.”

“I’m an important pony too!” Dinky insisted.

“Are you now?” Sparkler asked, an eyebrow raised in amusement.

“That’s what mommy always tells me, at least!” Dinky replied. “She always says that you and me are the most important ponies in the world for her. Mommy wouldn’t lie about that, so that makes me an important pony and I get to stay up late!”

“Fillies have to go to bed on time even if they’re important ponies,” Amethyst Star laughed. She picked her little sister up with her magic and the filly squealed in delight, her legs flailing around as her sister’s magic tickled her and made her giggle uncontrollably. Amethyst Star floated her little sister over to her and then hugged her to her chest, her magic fading. “And you’re very, very important to both mom and me,” she said.

Dinky giggled and snuggled against her older sister. “Thank you, Sparkler,” she murmured happily.

Amethyst Star smiled in return and held the embrace for a while, before putting her little sister back on her hooves again. “Now then, I think you and Scootaloo were playing a game, weren’t you?” she asked.

“Oh yes! We’re playing Monopony!” the filly replied eagerly, nodding. “Will you play with us?”

Amethyst Star’ smile turned apologetic. “I’m afraid I don’t have time for that, Dinky. I need to get back to work,” she said reluctantly, already seeing how her sister’s hopeful smile turned into a disappointed pout. “But I’m sure Fluttershy here would love to play with you, and then you can ask her for stories of Ponyville in the meantime,” she added quickly, and she turned her head to look at the mare in question. “Wouldn’t you?”

“What?” a bewildered Fluttershy squeaked, startled by being so suddenly involved in the conversation between the two sisters. Then she saw Dinky’s face and her mind quickly caught up. “I mean, um, yes, of course I would.”

“Yay!” Dinky exclaimed happily, and she went back to rejoin Scootaloo at the game board, limping heavily all the while. Behind her, Fluttershy couldn’t suppress a horrified gasp.

Fluttershy hadn’t been able to take a good look at Amethyst Star’s younger sister until now, due to Dinky being partly hidden by either a couch or her older sister. Any glimpse had always been of the filly’s left side. But as Dinky walked back to Scootaloo, the right side of her body was in plain view and the sight made Fluttershy’s blood run cold. What she saw horrified her, but at the same time she couldn’t look away, despite her mind screaming at her body to do just that.

Dinky’s right side was heavily mutilated, with many patches of her fur having gone missing. In their place were hideous scars and numerous third degree burns. Her entire right foreleg was missing and her hind leg was gone from the knee down. They had been replaced by skeletal prostheses made of steel, which each had a tiny shard of magicite embedded in them that bound them to Dinky’s mind. But even with that link in place, the mechanical limbs were ungainly and stiff, which explained the limp in the filly’s step.

“No matter how many times I see it, it never becomes any easier to look upon it,” Amethyst Star said quietly, as she watched her little sister play with Rainbow Dash’s esquire. She turned her head towards Fluttershy, giving her a sad but knowing look.

Fluttershy slowly put down the hoof she had clasped before her mouth to prevent herself from screaming, though that had been more of an instinctive than a necessary precaution, for her voice seemed to have been stolen. “H… how?” was all she could mutter, once she finally reclaimed her trembling voice.

“She was in the wrong place at the wrong time,” Amethyst Star replied quietly. “Ten years ago, the Nobles’ Court ordered a thorough searching and purging of Ponyville. They had heard rumours of there being an underground Royalist movement hiding in town, and they weren’t going to take any chances.”

“An entire unit of the unicorn division was dispatched to take care of it, and they took care of it alright. Ponies were beaten up, arrested at random or forced to watch as their home and belonging burned away before their eyes,” she continued. “Mom got separated from Dinky and lost her amidst the chaos. We looked for her, but we were too late. A stray cannonball had found my baby sister first and… well, you can see the results.” Amethyst Star lifted her gaze up to the ceiling and sighed. “She was barely six months old at the time.”

Fluttershy swallowed hard, feeling highly uncomfortable. “I’m sorry,” she squeaked, though the moment the words left her mouth she knew that they couldn’t even hope to be an adequate response to what she had just been told.

Amethyst Star looked at her as if she had just grown a second head. “You’re sorry?” the admiral echoed in surprise and disbelief. She kept staring at Fluttershy in silence for a few more seconds, before bursting out in harsh, mirthless laughter that made Fluttershy cringe.

“Sorry won’t give my sister her legs back,” Amethyst Star said with a growl. “Sorry will not give her back her chance at a normal life. Sorry will not take away the injustice done to countless other foals and families, or right the innumerable wrongs they suffered at the hooves of the Nobles.” Her harsh glare burned itself into Fluttershy’s, who whimpered and shrank back as the admiral advanced on her. “Sorry won’t change anything!”

“The only way to change anything is to remove the Nobles’ Court and their fake parliament from power. I’ve been fighting for nearly ten years to make that happen and I will keep fighting for a hundred more if that’s what it’ll take to bring them down!” She lifted her head and sniffed in disdain. “And I don’t care who they put in their place. Celestia, the High Chancellor or even steward Morning Red, I don’t give a flying feather who it is! All that matters is that whoever it ends up being is somepony who is righteous and just.”

Her expression softened a little as she turned her head to look at Dinky. “Somepony who would never let something like that happen to anypony ever again…”

She was suddenly aware of the fact that Dinky was looking back, uncertainty and a bit of fear on her childish features. “Sparkler, are you and Fluttershy having an argument…?” Dinky asked timidly, her voice trembling a bit. She didn’t know why, but ponies arguing always scared her. It brought back strange, hazy memories of screaming ponies, a loud boom and intolerable heat. A shiver ran down her spine.

Amethyst Star opened her mouth, but no sound left her lips. She sighed and bowed her head in shame. “No…No, sis, we’re not,” she muttered quietly. The admiral turned her head to look at Fluttershy, who was staring back timidly from behind her mane. “I was just… explaining something difficult to Fluttershy,” she finished, her voice almost breaking.

All ponies in the room were now looking at the admiral in uncertainty, until Amethyst Star could no longer bear it and stood up brusquely. “I… I need to get back to work,” she said quietly. She hurriedly made her way to the door and left, feeling the hurt and confused look of her beloved little sister burn in her back.

Fluttershy and the two fillies winced as the door fell shut.

For a long moment the room was held in the grip of total silence, until the quiet sobs of a disheartened Dinky set it free. Scootaloo quickly went over to her friend and patted her comfortingly on the back, but remained silent. Partly because she did not want to talk about her superior behind her back, partly because she didn’t want to risk saying the wrong thing and make her friend feel even worse. She inwardly felt very relieved when Dinky’s tears shook Fluttershy out of her daze and made her come over to comfort the unhappy filly as well.

“Is Sparkler mad at me?” Dinky asked amidst her disheartened sobs. “Did I do something wrong?”

Fluttershy felt a pang in her chest as she looked down at the crying filly. It didn’t matter that she really didn’t know Dinky and her family that well; right before her was an unhappy, crying filly in need of comfort and she was not going to deny her that. Gently she unfolded her wing and wrapped it around the little unicorn, pressing her warmly against her in a comforting embrace.

“No, of course you didn’t do anything wrong, little one,” Fluttershy said soothingly, one of her hooves stroking through Dinky’s mane. She looked at the door through which Amethyst Star had fled so hastily mere moments before with pity and compassion. “Your sister just has a lot on her mind right now…”

End of chapter 28.

29. On the way to a smile

Wings of Tomorrow
Lament of the World

29. On the way to a smile

Rainbow Dash knocked firmly on the door of Derpy’s office then stood still and waited for a response. The royal admiral’s usual cool and light-hearted expression was replaced with one of stoic seriousness and she held herself rather stiffly, as if on edge. Though she appeared to be alert and awake, there were slight bags under her eyes, betraying her recent lack of sleep. This wasn’t very surprising; there hadn’t been much time to rest ever since she came back from Canterlot, given the enormous amounts of preparations and work that had to be done.

She heard Derpy’s permission to enter and immediately opened the door and went inside. Her superior sat behind her desk as usual, nearly hidden from view by countless stacks of reports and other papers. The sight would have amused Rainbow Dash, if she hadn’t been so stressed and tired. It didn’t escape her notice that Derpy didn’t look much better than she did, however. No doubt the grand admiral slept even less than she did these days.

“You wanted to see me, ma’am?” Rainbow Dash asked as she saluted.

Derpy glanced up from her endless pile of work, her single golden eye looking tired and slightly bloodshot. Rainbow Dash felt a pang of pity for her fellow pegasus. The past few days hadn’t been exactly pleasant, but she knew just how much worse it had to be for Derpy, who bore the full responsibility for, well, pretty much everything.

“Yes, I did, admiral,” Derpy replied. “I have new orders for you.” She dug in her mountain of scrolls and papers until she fished out the one she was looking for. “You are to join admiral Desert Heat and admiral Amethyst Star in Stalliongrad to oversee and ensure the completion of the final preparations for the invasion. In particular, I’m assigning you to oversee the evacuation of the civilians.”

Rainbow Dash accepted the scroll Derpy gave her and unrolled it, her purple eyes scanning its contents.

“I know the invasion is still a few days off, but as we discussed during our last meeting, it never hurts to be prepared. I do not want us to be caught off guard if Shining Armour decides to start the attack before schedule,” Derpy continued. “Admiral Amethyst Star will oversee the shipping and storing of all supplies, while admiral Desert Heat takes care of the preparations of our defences and our troops. He will also take overall command of the city and the operation, so until my arrival both you and Sparkler are to report to him.”

Inwardly, Rainbow Dash let out a sigh of relief upon hearing that overall command would not fall onto her. She wasn’t sure she could have handled the stress; she was barely coping as it was now, though she’d never admit it. Desert Heat was much better suited for the job. The stallion was the most experienced member of the guard, after all, as well as the oldest. He remained calm even in the most dire of situations, as if nothing could ever faze him, he could certainly handle the pressure of being in charge of the defences against the greatest attack since the beginning of the civil war.

Derpy gave Rainbow Dash a questioning glance. “Any problems with this arrangement?”

Rainbow Dash glanced one last time at her orders before wrapping up the scroll again and putting it away. “None, ma’am, just one question, if you don’t mind,” she said, causing Derpy to raise her single eyebrow inquiringly. “Wouldn’t it have been more logical to put me in charge of the defences and Desert Heat of evacuating the civilians? Since he’s better at keeping ponies calm and at ease than I am, I mean. Don’t evacuations go better when ponies aren’t panicking?”

“They do,” Derpy admitted. “But I think it’s even more important that our soldiers remain calm and free of pressure, which is why I assigned Desert Heat to them. It is them who will be defending our kingdom, after all.”

“I guess that makes sense,” Rainbow Dash replied, nodding in understanding. “Still, why me and not Amethyst Star?”

Derpy gave her a look that made it clear she found that question incredibly stupid. “Admiral Amethyst Star is a strong and powerful commander, and quite capable of dealing with other soldiers,” she said, keeping her voice even and neutral. “But it is no secret that, when it comes to handling civilians, she is less adequate than her colleagues. She… lacks the patience or the attitude to lead a proper evacuation, while you do not, Rainbow Dash. I know that, you know it and Amethyst Star herself does as well.”

“Yeah, I suppose that’s true,” Rainbow Dash admitted, a weak grin on her face as she rubbed the back of her head sheepishly.

“Well then, if you’re quite finished with fishing for compliments, I suggest that you get going, admiral,” Derpy replied, sounding not very impressed. “You’re set to leave tomorrow at dawn. Until then, I’m giving you the rest of the day off. I strongly advise you use it to catch up on all hours of sleep you’ve been missing lately. We need you to be well-rested for the invasion.”

Rainbow Dash nodded again, and she couldn’t suppress a yawn. “Thank you, ma’am. A nice long nap sounds really good right now.”

“You’d best make the most of it while you can, then,” Derpy replied and she made a dismissive gesture with one of her hooves. “You may leave, admiral.”

“Ma’am,” Rainbow Dash said, giving another salute before turning around and marching towards the doors of the office. She had almost made it to the doors, her left front hoof already rising from the floor towards the doorknob, when Derpy’s voice halted her in her tracks.

“It’s almost upon us, Rainbow Dash. All those years you, all of us, spent training, climbing in rank, working ourselves to the bone, it was all so we could be where we are now, in this moment.”

Rainbow Dash turned around and saw Derpy looking at her with a strange expression in her eye. Gone was the grand admiral, in her place now sat the mare beneath the uniform. No longer were they superior and subordinate, but simply two friends who had known each other for a long time.

“All the battles we’ve been through until now, it was all just a prelude to what’s coming. This battle will be on a scale the likes of which hasn’t been seen since the outbreak of the civil war, if then…” Derpy continued quietly. She bowed her head and gazed at her grey hooves. “It all stands or falls with Stalliongrad. Our dreams, our plans and our hopes for the future. If we don’t weather the coming conflict, it’s all over. Then it will only be a matter of time before we’re overrun.”

“I know,” Rainbow Dash replied quietly, trying to keep her voice from trembling. “Puts a lot of pressure on a mare’s shoulders.” She didn’t mention that the mare in question was herself; she didn’t think it was necessary.

“I understand perfectly how that feels, trust me,” Derpy said, for the first time allowing it to slip into her voice just how tired and exhausted she was. “But Rainbow Dash, trust me when I say that you can handle it.” She looked up from her desk again, her single golden eye giving Rainbow Dash a determined stare. “Nothing’s been decided yet. The odds may be against us, but now that we’ve been able to prepare, we do have a chance. We have you to thank for that.”

“You’re a fantastic soldier and a great commander. You have the full confidence and respect of your entire division, those ponies will follow you into Tartarus if you were to ask them. They trust you. I trust you,” Derpy continued. “I know it’s a lot of pressure and responsibility and that you’re afraid of screwing up, but you shouldn’t be. You can handle this, you have all the skill and power needed to do it. Even Amethyst said so.”

That brought a small smile to Rainbow Dash’s lips. It was nice to know that, for all the times they had argued and all the differences they had had in the past, Sparkler was still confident in and respectful of her abilities as an admiral. That gave her a major boost of confidence.

“The outcome of the battle may be uncertain yet, but if there’s anything that I am certain of, it’s that Rainbow Dash won’t let us down out there once the battle starts,” Derpy said decisively. Her eye narrowed and she looked Rainbow Dash straight in the eye. “You’re one of the most powerful ponies alive, the Princesses included, and don’t you forget that, admiral Rainbow Dash.”

Rainbow Dash bowed her head briefly in silence, then looked up and smiled. “Thank you, ma’am,” she said gratefully. “I… I guess I needed to hear that.”

“As long as you remember it, it’s fine,” Derpy said gruffly with a shrug, suddenly back in her role as grand admiral. “Now off you go, admiral. You have your suitcase to pack, goodbyes to say and sleep to catch up on.”

Rainbow Dash merely grinned before turning back to the doors. When her hoof rested on the doorknob and was about to turn it, though, she couldn’t resist one last look over her shoulder. “If I may be so free, though, Derpy,” she said, using the pegasus’ name instead of title in order to indicate that she was talking as her friend, not as her subordinate. The grand admiral gave her a confused look. “I’d try to catch some sleep yourself before the big day is here. Celestia knows you’ve been working harder these days than all of us combined. I hate to say it, but it shows, too.”

Derpy gave a weak smile. “Don’t worry, Rainbow Dash, I plan to. After the three of you leave in the morning, I don’t plan on leaving my bed for the rest of the day. The night too, if they let me.” She paused for a brief moment. “I appreciate your concern, though.”

Rainbow Dash returned her superior’s smile. “Any time, you big old klutz,” she said with a grin, after which she quickly left the office before Derpy had the chance to have her tossed into the brig for that last comment.

Inside the room shared by Pinkie Pie, Rarity and Twilight, a small, pleasant get together was being held by the occupants of said room, together with the rest of their friends, except for Rainbow Dash. They were simply enjoying some tea and cake, while chatting amiably about their doings in the royal capital.

Fluttershy, Twilight, Rarity and Applejack were gathered around the small tea table, with the first three mares having made themselves comfortable on a few couches, while the latter was content with a simple chair that wasn’t ‘too fancy’. Pinkie Pie was sitting in one of the corners of the room, working on what she called her ‘party cannon mk. II’ with a comically serious look on her face. Though her friends had no idea where exactly she had gotten the tools and materials used for its creation.

“… and I actually got to see the place where they create this manufactured magicite Rainbow Dash was talking about once. Just a short peek, mind you, but quite fascinating, I must admit,” Rarity was saying, pausing for a moment to take a sip from her tea.

“It turns out that manufactured magicite isn’t so much manufactured as it is gemstones enchanted with long and complicated magical processes and spells that are outside my scope of expertise on the subject,” she continued, her gaze shifting towards Twilight. “I couldn’t stop wishing you had been there with me, darling, I’m absolutely certain you would have found it interesting.”

“Hmm?” Twilight muttered absentmindedly, reluctantly looking up from the book she was reading. It was a thick, heavy tome that seemed to be quite old, if its worn and yellow pages were anything to go by. “Oh, yes, I’m sure I would have, Rarity. I was hoping to do some light studying on magicite during my breaks, actually, but I ended up looking into something else instead…”

“Shucks, Twilight, you’ve been readin’ that old book the entire time,” Applejack said. “Ah’m sure you said you weren’t gonna study during these little fancy shindigs Rarity insists we keep having.” She looked down at her own teacup with a mild frown, not exactly being a huge fan of the beverage. She preferred a good cup of coffee or a mug of cider, herself.

“I hardly think spending time catching up with your friends counts as ‘fancy shindigs’, Applejack,” Rarity said, her lips forming a neutral, straight line. “What we’re having is just a friendly get together, a tea party with friends, nothing more.”

“You don’t have to worry, Applejack, I’m not studying,” Twilight chimed in, ignoring Rarity’s remark. She smiled wryly. “I know I need to take a few breaks in between, so I just do some light reading instead, to unwind a bit. I’ve been trying to find some information on something princess Luna mentioned to me, but I haven’t had much luck so far.”

“Light reading? Really?” Applejack echoed, looking incredulously at the behemoth that lay opened before Twilight on the couch. She wasn’t alone, Fluttershy and Rarity were sharing subtle glances of disbelief as well.

“Ahem, yes, well, you did mention the princess graced you with another visit a few days ago,” Rarity said, eloquently steering the conversation away from Twilight’s definition of ‘light reading’. “Whatever did she say that is so fascinating you cannot even come to tea time with your friends without a book?”

“Well, I actually asked her if she knew how Steel Gear travelled back in time. That’s been bothering me almost my entire life now and I thought that if anypony knew the answer, it would be one of the Princesses,” Twilight replied seriously. All of her friends immediately perked up, listening more attentively. Twilight’s question was actually one they would very much like to know the answer to as well.

“So it was kind of disappointing when she told me that she didn’t know either. But when I told her about what had happened to you, Fluttershy, she suddenly became very serious, worried even. Then things got even more strange when she asked me what I knew of ‘Scions’,” she continued.

Her friends all looked puzzled. “Scions? Can’t say I ever heard that one before,” Applejack said with a shake of her head.

“Neither did I,” Twilight replied. “Well, I did overhear Princess Celestia mentioning it a few times when she was alone, but I never dared to ask her about it, since then I’d have to admit that I had been kind of eavesdropping on her.” She smiled sheepishly at the memory. “Princess Luna suggested that I’d look it up, though, hinting that if I did, I would get some answers to all of my questions concerning Steel Gear and time. So that’s what I’ve been doing, whenever I took a break, but I’m not a step closer to any answers.”

She paused for a moment and gestured at the book she had brought. “So far I only managed to find a single mentioning of the word in all of the books I’ve searched, but it makes me none the wiser.” She skimmed through the book until she found the page she was looking for. “The word is mentioned in a report detailing an archaeological excavation. Apparently, in 1563 A.F, archaeologists found a tablet engraved with some of the oldest pony glyphs known to us. They eventually managed to translate them, and one sentence in particular stood out for me.”

Twilight cleared her throat and then read aloud the translation written on the pages, her voice low and solemn. “…beware the wanderer whose hooves taketh him to the northern wastes, for an ill fate might ensnare him and guide his hooves to the Frozen Throne, ever-still court of the Scion king over which Winter’s children stand vigilant guard…”

“Not much else is said beyond that, since the tablet wasn’t complete and a lot of what was inscribed upon it had faded away over time. Even so, it doesn’t tell me anything, just raises more question.” Twilight closed the book and gave a helpless shrug, though to the relief of her friends she smiled and didn’t appear too bothered by this fact.

“It does sound very mysterious, I must admit,” Rarity said, as she stroked her chin with one of her hooves. “One must wonder why the princess would push you in this direction if there is no substantial information to be found about it. Not that I would suspect her of ill intent, of course, but perchance she was putting you on the wrong track?”

“I don’t really think so,” Twilight replied, though she didn’t understand why she was so sure of that. “It’s possible that a thousand years ago there was much more information on this subject and that Princess Luna wrongly believed that this information would still be available in this day and age.”

Twilight was about to say something else when somepony knocked on the door. Rarity climbed out of her seat to answer it, a frown on her face as she wondered who could be disturbing them at this unusual hour. It was still an hour until lunch. When she opened the door, her eyes widened slightly in surprise as she came face to face with Rainbow Dash.

“Heya, Rare, the guards told me I could find you girls here. Mind if I come in?” the admiral asked, a strangely nervous smile on her face.

Rarity shook her head to shake of the haze of surprise, before smiling and stepping aside to let her friend pass. “Of course not, darling!” she replied. “I must say, this is quite unexpected, but do come in. We’re just having a little soirée, the five of us, but it wouldn’t be complete without you.”

“Ehm, I’m not planning on staying long,” Rainbow Dash said as she entered the room. “I’d love to, but I’ve got something I really need to take care of soon. Need to tell you girls a few things before I can do that, though.”

“Oh? What things?” Twilight asked curiously. She frowned upon taking a closer look at her friend. “Are you okay, Rainbow? You look kind of nervous.”

“Nah, don’t worry about it, I’m just really tired. Been working myself to the bone lately, and it’s now finally catching up with me,” Rainbow Dash replied, making a dismissive gesture with her hoof. She fell silent and waited for Rarity to return to her seat. When she was sure that she had her friends’ attention, she took a deep breath and steeled herself for what she was about to say next.

“I just got new orders from Derpy. The preparations for the invasion are moving into their final stage, so me and the other two admirals are being sent to Stalliongrad to make sure everything goes okay,” she told them. “We’re leaving tomorrow at dawn, and since I’m planning to spend all of my time until then in my bed catching up on sleep, I figured I’d come and say goodbye to you girls first.”

Her declaration was met by five blank stares.

“Say goodbye?” Twilight echoed, puzzled. “Whatever for?”

Rainbow Dash looked at Twilight as if she had just grown a second head. “Because we’re not going to be seeing each other again until I come back from Stalliongrad until after the battle, given that I survive it, duh?”

“Yes we are,” Twilight said, the confusion in her voice having grown stronger. “We’re coming with you.”

“No you’re not,” Rainbow Dash said flatly, rolling her eyes. Then she noticed the blank, incredulous stares her friends were giving her, and suddenly she realised that Twilight had been serious. “Like heck you are!” she said, her voice so fierce and loud that she was almost shouting. “Whatever or whoever gave you the idea that I was going to let you girls anywhere near Stalliongrad?!”

“Why, you did of course,” Rarity replied, blinking. “You asked for our help. That’s why you wanted us to come with you in the first place, remember?”

“I meant help as in you guys supporting me!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed. “I didn’t mean it literally, as in joining the fight! I would never put you guys into that kind of danger!”

“We’re not goin’ to be doin’ any fighting, sugarcube,” Applejack said calmly. “We ain’t stupid, we know none of us really know how to land a proper blow. Sure, we had a wild rodeo with that manticore and a pretty good brawl with them changelings, but we ain’t soldiers. But there’s other stuff we can help out with. Fluttershy here talked to a mare named Sharpening Stone, who gave her a list of tasks they be needin’ volunteers for. We all signed up.”

“No way! I’m not gonna let you guys put yourself in danger! I’ll be having enough things on my mind as it is without me constantly worrying if you guys are safe or not!” Rainbow Dash said firmly, stomping her hoof.

“Darling, you really can’t expect us to remain here while one of our best friends is heading headfirst into danger,” Rarity insisted, her voice calm but determined. “It would simply be unbearable for us, to sit here doing nothing while waiting for news.”

“But you’d be safe!” Rainbow Dash countered, still not willing to budge one inch. She gave each of them, one by one, a hard look. “You girls have no idea what you’re saying,” she growled. “You don’t know what a real battle is like, because if you did, you wouldn’t be so eager to rush into one!”

She stomped her hoof. “But I have! I’ve been in battle, more times than I could count, and I know what it’s like! You thought the changelings were bad? They got nothing on us! I’ve seen ponies get hurt, maimed, crippled and killed by other ponies, just because they had a different idea of what’s best for Equestria!” Rainbow Dash was shouting at this point, not caring who overheard them.

But just as suddenly as it had come up, her anger dissipated and she bowed her head, looking hurt and conflicted. “I have killed ponies too,” she admitted quietly, staring at the floor. “Not because I wanted to, not because I liked doing it, but because that’s what happens in a real fight. That’s what happens in war.” She sniffled, wiping away a few stray tears that had managed to escape from her eyes. “It’s already hurt me, and I won’t let it hurt my friends!”

A soft wing was wrapped tenderly around her, hugging her gently, causing Rainbow Dash to look up in surprise. Fluttershy had quietly left her seat in order to comfort her distraught friend, holding her in a warm embrace. She didn’t say anything, she simply sat there with her wing draped around Rainbow’s shoulders, while she held one of Rainbow’s hooves between her own and caressed it gently. All the while, Fluttershy was smiling timidly at her friend, her eyes shining with genuine understanding and compassion.

“Sugarcube, we know how tough this whole war business is on ya,” Applejack said kindly. She, like the rest of her friends, had the same expression of understanding and compassion on her face as Fluttershy did. “I talked to that Rose Thorn fellow, he told me the two of you’re good friends and how you stuck together in your early days. Told me he was there when you had to kill somepony fer the first time, in self-defence, how it got y’all hurting inside and feeling bad, that he did.”

Rainbow Dash avoided looking any of her friends in the eye, suddenly finding the wallpaper of the room very fascinating. “That blabbermouth, I’ll have him walk the plank for this…” she muttered darkly under her breath.

“He didn’t tell us anything we couldn’t have guessed for ourselves, Rainbow,” Twilight said gently, giving her friend a disarming smile to try and get her to calm down. “From the moment we learned that you had joined the royalists, we knew exactly what that meant. Just as we knew that you would never do anything to hurt another pony, let alone fatally, unless you have no other choice. It doesn’t make us think less of you, we’re your friends.”

“Which is exactly why we’ve decided to accompany you, no matter what you say,” Rarity concluded, smiling brightly. “You’re absolutely right; we haven’t been in a real battle before and it will undoubtedly be far from a pleasant experience once push comes to shove, though I hasten to add that Twilight and I have a good guess of what to expect thanks to that little mishap in Canterlot.” Her hoof absentmindedly glided to her stomach, where one of the Republican guards had pierced her with a bolt of magic.

“W-war and f-fighting is never nice,” Fluttershy said quietly. Her voice was trembling slightly, but she had a determined look in her eyes. “Ponies get hurt or die in it, just like you said. It’s awful and it hurts, but you still keep doing it.” She looked into Rainbow Dash’s eyes, holding her friend’s hoof a bit more firmly between her own. “N-not because you like doing it, but because you’re trying to do the right thing.”

“It’s no different for us, Rainbow,” Twilight explained. “We didn’t decide to go with you because we want to worry you or because we like the prospect of what we’ll be witnessing, but because it’s the right thing to do. If you’re allowed to go, to fight for that reason even though it hurts you, can you really deny us the same?”

“You asked fer our help, sugarcube, remember?” Applejack added. “You wanted us to support ya, to keep you goin’ when the goin’ gets tough, and we can’t do that from between these walls. You need us to be there with you for that, so that’s what we’re gonna do.”

“Of course, we’ll do our best to keep away from the actual fighting, since, as you were correct to point out, we do not know how to do that and we do not wish to worry you,” Rarity said. “Fortunately there are other ways we could make ourselves useful during the battle, which is why we’ll be helping to carry the wounded, distributing supplies, keeping watch or serving as messengers. The pony Fluttershy talked to made it quite clear that they could use every pony available for that.”

“I, um, I don’t like fighting and I’ll probably get very scared once it all starts, but I still want to go,” Fluttershy muttered meekly. “I… I don’t want to leave my friends and, um, I do want to try and help in some way, mostly for you, Rainbow Dash, but also a bit for Princess Celestia…”

Rainbow Dash still looked reluctant and uncertain, feeling torn and indecisive. She glanced at each of her friends in turn. “Are you girls really, really sure about this?” she asked, hoping quietly that one of them would say no. Her eyes settled on one of her friends in particular. “Even you, Pinkie? Twilight told me how much of a rough time you had just thinking about me doing the fighting. Are you really sure you can handle seeing a war with your own eyes? I don’t want you to get all depressed on me.”

To her great surprise, Pinkie’s wide smile didn’t drop. “Absolutely, Dashie!” she replied, nodding confidently. “I mean, I know that for a long time it made me really super duper sad to think that one of my bestest friends was doing things that aren’t really nice to other ponies and I wouldn’t want to do things that aren’t nice to other ponies myself unless those other ponies were really those mean old changelings posing as ponies again trying to ruin somepony’s wedding and party, then of course I would use my party cannon again to make them go away, like, duh, but only because they were trying to ruin a party and take the cake and nopony takes the cake!”

A long silence fell, during which all of her friends simply stared at Pinkie as if she had just grown a second head, but the pink pony seemed oblivious to it and simply kept smiling.

“Sooo… you didn’t like the idea of me fighting before,” Rainbow Dash finally said hesitatingly, giving her friend an uncertain glance. “And you still don’t like the idea of it now?”

“Yuppers!” Pinkie Pie nodded happily.

“Then why do you want to come along?” Rainbow Dash wondered aloud, utterly baffled.

“Because Fluttershy made me see that sometimes, in order to get to the sweet sugary goodness, we have to bite through the sour crust first!” came the answer, which only served to confuse Rainbow Dash even more. Pinkie Pie giggled and patted her on the head. “Dashie, I was all sad because nopony in Equestria had the time to have fun anymore due to time going all wacky, and I didn’t know how I could change that.”

“I want ponies to smile, that way I can smile too! The only thing that will make everypony really happy and smile again is if Equestria turns back to normal, and we begin doing that by freeing the Princess from those mean nasty Nobles!” she continued. “To free the Princess we have to do some things that aren’t nice and that would normally make me feel all sad inside. But now they don’t, because I know that doing them, even if it isn’t nice or fun at all, is the only way to make everypony smile again in the end.”

Her friends looked at her in surprise. “That’s… a surprisingly sound reasoning,” Twilight remarked, astonished. The others quietly nodded in agreement.

Rainbow Dash had little choice but to go along as well, though it was clear that she was still struggling with her friends’ decision. After a long time, she simply gave up and let out a deep sigh. “You guys aren’t going to change your mind no matter what I say, right?” she asked cheerlessly.

“Afraid not, sugarcube,” Applejack replied honestly, smiling a bit. “We’re sticking with ya till the very end.”

“Fine…” Rainbow Dash groaned, finally conceding. She let out another sigh and rubbed her forehead briefly, then trudged towards the door and mentioned for her friends to follow her. “Come along then, we’ve got lots of stuff to take care of and little time to do it, so let’s go.”

Her friends shared a look of confusion amongst themselves. “Go where, exactly?” Twilight asked, puzzled.

Rainbow Dash looked at her as if she had just asked an incredibly stupid question. “To the armoury,” she answered. “I’m not letting you come along without some form of protection, so we’re going to get each of you a suit of armour and a pair of wings.”

End of chapter 29.

Author's Note

Since there's a lot to say this time around, I have opted to write my author's notes in a blog post instead of adding a lengthy wall of text at the end of my chapter. I strongly recommend you read it, so go check it out here.

30. Preparing for battle

Wings of Tomorrow
Lament of the World

30. Preparing for battle

Twilight fluttered her new wings experimentally a few times, as if she wanted to convince herself that they were still attached to her body and working properly. It was an act she caught herself doing a lot lately, nearly once every fifteen minutes, almost instinctively. Four days had passed since she had gained them, but still she was not fully used to having them. Every time she glanced over her shoulder, she’d be startled to see the pair of extra appendages attached to her back. Moving them was still a decidedly strange experience and her flying was unsteady at best, but good enough to help her get up to one of the airships in the skies above the city, in case she had to evacuate.

Still, it was quite clear that she wasn’t a natural at the whole flying thing. Her only comfort was that she wasn’t alone when it came to that; Applejack wasn’t exactly Wonderbolt material herself. It was clear that Applejack didn’t really trust the wings she had been gifted with and preferred to keep her hooves safely on the ground, and she probably had only agreed to wear them because otherwise Rainbow Dash wouldn’t let her come along.

Rarity had taken much better to flying, no doubt due to having some experience from her former life when it came to wings. Pinkie was a natural though, and had been zooming around like a natural born flyer within an hour after getting her wings. Odd as it was, none of her friends had actually been surprised by this, only seeing it as yet more proof that the energetic mare was back to her usual self.

Twilight snuck another glance at her wings. Though she wasn’t very comfortable using them yet, she did admire the technological ingenuity that they represented. When Rainbow Dash had told them she’d give her friends a suit of armour and a pair of wings, her friends had been suitably puzzled by the remark. Images ranging from magical butterfly wings to somehow being turned into a pegasus or even an alicorn had crossed Twilight’s mind, but had turned out to be more than a little silly.

The wings Rainbow Dash mentioned had turned out to be artificially created, mechanical ones that only superficially resembled pegasi wings. They replicated the form and function of a natural wing, but were made entirely out of metal, with gears, wires and ‘feathers’ that were more like blades than anything else. They were connected to metal plating that was fitted on the wearer’s back across the entire length of the spine, with a slight bulge between the shoulders where the central mechanism was located.

Though mechanical and entirely artificial, Twilight and any other pony with such wings were perfectly capable of moving the wings as if they were real limbs of flesh and muscle, a true marvel of both mechanical and magical science. Within the central mechanism that made the wings function was a shard of manufactured magicite which, through a series of spells and enchantments that even in her previous life she would have found complex, directly connected her mind to her new limbs. It was exactly the same mechanism used in prosthetic legs when the real ones had to be amputated.

As far as Twilight was concerned, it worked well, though admittedly there were a few notable downsides to the whole thing. First of all, it required two needles to be piercing the skin between her shoulders at all times, which, while not a real pain or hindrance, was still not very pleasant. Secondly, while she could fly with them, her new wings were still mechanical in nature, meaning they weren’t as mobile or graceful as natural wings, and their movements were rather stiff. And though she moved them with her brain as if they were a real part of her body, the wings had no nerve-endings to pick up feelings or sensations with.

Still, one couldn’t have everything and Twilight wasn’t going to complain. To be honest, she was more bothered by her suit of armour. She understood perfectly that Rainbow Dash wanted them to wear some protection in what was going to be a warzone, but it was so heavy. She’d been told that the unicorn armour was much lighter than the variant Applejack and Pinkie were wearing, but to be honest she found that hard to believe, since neither of her friends seemed to have any problems with the weight of their armour. Then again, Applejack was one of the strongest ponies she knew and Pinkie was Pinkie.

“Alright, next pony. State your name, family and address.”

The gruff voice of the guard snapped her out of her thoughts and reminded her that she had a job to do. It was no secret to anypony that Twilight was good at organising, from putting the books in a library in their proper place to making sure an important event like Winter Wrap Up ran smoothly and got finished on time. Even in this life, this aspect of her character hadn’t changed, much to Rainbow Dash’s relief. Having been put in charge of evacuating the civilians, the admiral had called upon her studious friend to help her organise such a massive undertaking.

Twilight had gladly obliged, happy that she could make herself useful. She had to admit that when she had started with her task, she had been somehow afraid that she wouldn’t be able to do it, given that she hadn’t organised anything of this size in this life before. Her fears had proven to be unnecessary, however. It was odd, but despite the fact that her organising skills should have been more than a little rusty, everything had gone off without a hitch, with the evacuation running smoothly and even going faster than expected.

She watched as a pony stepped forward from the long line of evacuees waiting to be transported to Cantropolis. He gave his name, family and address, just like the guard had requested, and Twilight checked the long list of names she carried with her. Once she found the pony’s name, she checked it off and nodded at the guard, who returned the gesture and then mentioned to the refugee that he could board the airship that would take them to the royal capital. Once he had passed, the guard called for the next refugee, and the entire process was repeated.

As she continued her task, Twilight couldn’t help but smile as she remembered the praise she had received from Rainbow Dash and even the other two admirals for her work. She realised that it could be seen as kind of vain of her to bask so much in it, but she couldn’t help it. It made her feel useful, made her realise that she had made the right decision to come here. Oddly enough, here, in this city that was preparing itself for war, she felt strangely more alive than she recalled ever feeling before in this life.

She wasn’t sure what made her feel this way. Certainly not the idea of the coming battle, for she understood all too well what such a thing entailed and she abhorred it. Perhaps it was because she was actively working for something she believed in, for the first time in this life, instead of sitting at home mourning all that was gone. But whatever the reason, the feeling was not unwelcome and gave her the strength and conviction to carry on, despite the hard times that lay ahead and were now very close by. Somehow she knew her friends felt the same way.

There was the beating of strong wings and then Rainbow Dash landed next to Twilight. The admiral shook her wings a few times, putting the mechanical skeleton they were enforced and enlarged with in plain view, then folded them. She flashed her friend a grin. “Hey Twilight,” she greeted. “How’s it going?”

Twilight looked up from her list and returned her friend’s smile. “Hello, Rainbow. Things are going quite well. So far, all ponies on today’s lists have shown up, and we only have one more group to evacuate after this one,” she replied.

“That’s good to hear,” Rainbow Dash said with a relieved nod. “I’ve just inspected the other evacuation posts and from what they told me they’re not doing any worse than you guys here. At this rate, the last ship of evacuees is set to leave around sunset. Which is a lot earlier than I thought it would be when we started evacuating, mind you.” She smiled gratefully at Twilight. “So thanks for that, we couldn’t have done it without you.”

Twilight dipped her head shyly to try and hide her blush. “You’re welcome, Rainbow,” she replied. “But I’m sure you would have done a good job even without me.”

“Well, not gonna argue with you there. I am pretty awesome, after all,” the admiral grinned.

“I’d be careful if I were you,” Twilight teased back, a sly grin on her face. “Any more boasting and your head will have grown so big it’ll be impossible for the Republicans to miss it once the fighting starts.”

Rainbow Dash snorted. “As if those slowpokes have any chance of being fast enough to hit me. I could have a head the size of an airship and their shots would still be so poor that they’d make me wonder where the heck they’re aiming!”

“Keep on talking and you just might have to put that theory to the test,” Twilight chuckled.

“Nah, I’ll pass, I really should keep my hooves on the ground,” Rainbow Dash answered, sounding surprisingly sincere. Said sincerity had been faked, however, as the pegasus flashed her friend a mischievous grin the very next moment. “But only because it’d be too hard to get out of my armour with my head the size of an airship.”

Twilight swatted her friend playfully on the head with her list of names. “You’re incorrigible,” she said with mock-exasperation, but in reality she was anything but.

From the moment of their arrival, Rainbow Dash had been doing her best to keep her friends at ease as much as was possible in the current situation. She kept the mood light, engaged in good-natured teasing, and joked at the expense of the Republic to try and still whatever doubts they were feeling about the coming battle. Twilight and the others weren’t fooled, they knew exactly what Rainbow Dash was trying to do, but they were grateful for and touched by her efforts nonetheless. They had not seen the admiral during her entire life until only two weeks ago, yet still the bond of friendship between them was as strong as they remembered it to be, knowledge they all found very comforting.

Twilight blinked and shook her head, realising her mind had been wandering. Luckily, it appeared Rainbow Dash hadn’t noticed, she was too busy checking some of the documents scattered atop the small table that served as Twilight’s impromptu desk.

“Have you seen the others?” Twilight asked curiously, while she unfolded her list again and returned to her job, keeping one ear focussed to catch Rainbow’s reply.

“Well, I spotted Applejack from the air, while I was checking up on Rose Thorn and the others back on the Wonderbolt. She was carrying supplies to the walls, but I doubt she saw me,” came the casual answer, the admiral still browsing through the documents. “As for the others, I haven’t seen them since breakfast. Rarity and Fluttershy should still be helping out at the hospital to get everything ready, and I think Pinkie was scheduled for watch duty at the town hall.”

Rainbow Dash finally finished looking through the papers and stepped away from the desk. “Anyway, I gotta fly. All ponies on your list may have shown up so far, but the other evacuation posts weren’t so lucky. Some ponies didn’t show up in time for their scheduled evacuation, so I sent out guards to look for them, and I need to check on their progress. Oh, and contact Cantropolis to see if the evacuation ships are arriving on schedule. I thought I could just put everypony on a ship and be done with it, who knew evacuating a city took this much work?!”

“I did,” Twilight replied, puffing her chest forward proudly, if not a little smug.

“Yeah, because you’re an egghead,” Rainbow Dash grinned, swatting Twilight playfully on the shoulder with her wing. “A very capable egghead, though,” she added, her grin melting down to a sincere smile. “Don’t hesitate to send a guard to fetch me if you need me, though. They know any message of you guys is top priority for me.”

“Don’t worry, Rainbow, I will,” Twilight replied, smiling as well.

“In that case, keep up the good work, soldier!” Rainbow Dash said, her grin returning, as she spread her impressive wings, the gold of her mechanical exoskeleton glittering in the warm sunlight. “I’ll see you at supper, in case there’s no trouble here or I’m too busy to check up on you again. Later!”

And with that and a powerful flap of her wings, the admiral took to the skies once more and sped off. Twilight watched her go, the warm, satisfied smile still on her face, then went back to work.

Applejack grunted as she carefully put down the heavy crate she was carrying on her back. It would have been much easier and faster to let it simply drop to the ground, but given how the crate was filled to the brim with cannonballs, she didn’t think that to be very wise. Sure, they had told her that there was no danger of the dangerous orbs exploding prematurely, but she preferred to not take any chances.

Once the crate was safely on the floor, Applejack took a deep breath and wiped the sweat off her brow. “Whoo boy, that should be the last one, gentlecolts,” she said, turning around to face the two guards who were working on making a large cannon ready for battle. “Not a crate too early, too, though I don’t wanna sound like I’m complainin’.”

“I doubt anypony would blame you if you did, Miss,” one of the guards replied. “You’ve been carrying supplies to the wall all day, hauling crates that are usually carried by two ponies all by yourself. I think you’ve more than earned the right to complain.” He pushed the newly delivered crate next to the other one Applejack had delivered earlier that day, before kicking off the lid and glancing inside. None of the cannonballs inside seemed to have moved as much as an inch during transport, much to his relief.

“Looks like there are none missing either,” he muttered after doing a quick count of the crate’s contents.

Applejack rolled her eyes. “Don’t rightly see why you’d doubt that, sugarcube,” she said, not sure if she had to be amused or offended. “It ain’t as if I’m stowing away any of those while nopony’s looking. Got no use for them balls.”

“Oh, I’m not doubting your honesty, miss Applejack,” the guard replied hurriedly, not wanting to give the mare the wrong idea. “We simply must check in order to make sure that no cannonballs went missing as they were being stored inside these crates. It might surprise you, but it has happened before.”

“That’s mighty weird,” Applejack remarked, puzzled. “Who’d want to steal cannonballs?”

“Saboteurs, spies, collectors, foals, madmares, take your pick,” the guard replied with a shrug, after which he put the lid back on the crate and went back to helping his partner with readying their cannon. Across the entire length of the great wall that encircled the city, other gunner pairs were doing the same. Everything had to be ready, for once the battle broke out there would be no more time for a thorough inspection of the artillery, to see if all parts functioned properly and to repair them in case they did not.

Throughout the long centuries during which the civil war had raged, Stalliongrad had often been the site of conflict and a constant hearth of unrest. The city had a long tradition of preparing for battle, leading to the city becoming more and more fortified as the war raged on, until it was more an impenetrable military fortress that just happened to have civilians living in it, than it was a real city.

The city’s geographical location was entirely to blame for it being a frequent target of attacks; Stalliongrad was situated at the entrance of the long valley formed between the great Foal Mountains in the south and the Neighara Mountains to the north. When the civil war broke out, Equestria was divided from north to south roughly along natural borders; the greatest being the aforementioned two mountain ranges, as well as the Everfree Forest further to the south. The deep valley was one of the few places were the terrain was passable enough to allow easy and swift transportation of both supplies and soldiers, two crucial factors for any invasion.

Which was why Stalliongrad was of such strategic importance. The fortress-city and its great walls barred the way for any invaders who wanted to pass through the valley to invade the kingdom that lay beyond. For centuries the royal guard had stood atop the walls, keeping a vigilant watch on the valley. A few times there had been an actual attack, but the city’s natural position had always given the defenders the advantage and the invading forces had broken upon the walls like the waves of the ocean against the cliffs.

Never before had there been an invasion of the scale the Republic was planning now, however. Added to this was the fact that the advent of airships and aerial warfare had weakened the defensive advantages granted by the city’s geographical position. The storm that was coming now would be much more destructive than those that had come before. Nevertheless, the guards now stationed all throughout the great fortress were determined to weather it, as they had the storms before, still having confidence in their great walls and strong gates, through which no Republican had ever passed.

As she stood atop of the walls and gazed at the valley floor, Applejack could see numerous guards busy with erecting extra defences. Trenches were dug and spikes of metal and wood were planted firmly into the ground. Confident in the strength of the walls the guards might be, but any second they could delay the enemy from testing that strength would be extremely welcome. It amazed her how fast they could work, too. When she had arrived in the city four days ago, the valley floor had still been empty.

The sight reminded her that she still had a job to do. Applejack didn’t have a lot of knowledge about warfare and setting up proper defences, but she did have a ton of strength thanks to a life of hard but honest work at Sweet Apple Acres. From the day of her arrival she had been putting that strength of hers to good use, carrying crates and other containers full of supplies to wherever they needed to go in the city. A lot of her loads, such as the crate of cannonballs she had just delivered, were heavy even by her standards, and it didn’t help that on top of her delivery she also had to carry a suit of armour of considerable weight around.

Never once did she complain, however, setting herself to every task she received with stubborn but honest dedication. Every delivery she made was one less that had to be done by a guard, giving said guard just that little bit of extra time to work on the defences or to get some extra sleep that might make the difference in the end. And so Applejack gave it her all, knowing that once the fight began there was little she would be able to do to help. Her contribution had to be made now and she wouldn’t waste the opportunity. For her friends, but also for the Princess, so unjustly imprisoned. It wasn’t right, and if there was one thing Applejack didn’t like, it was dishonesty.

She said goodbye to the two guards and began to walk towards the nearest stairs that would take her back to ground level. After a few steps, she stopped when she realised that she didn’t need to take that detour and had a faster way of getting back to the warehouse for her next delivery. Reluctantly, Applejack turned her head to look at her back, and the two new appendages that sat there.

To say that Applejack didn’t like flying would be an understatement. She preferred to keep her hooves safely on the firm, solid ground. The mechanical wings that were now a temporary part of her body felt alien and unsettling and in all fairness she didn’t really trust them. Not that she suspected Rainbow Dash of giving her friends something that wasn’t safe to use, far from it, but Applejack simply wasn’t comfortable with the idea. She was a pureblood earth pony and darn proud of her heritage. Wings and flying was something best left to pegasi, who were born to do such things. She, however, was not.

Regardless, even she had to admit that flying was considerably faster than walking, even for an unsteady flier like her, and time was of the essence. Every minute she saved by getting back to the warehouse faster was a minute that could be used to make another delivery. Looking at it from that perspective, there really wasn’t any argument to be had.

Applejack sighed as she spread her new wings, their golden surface gleaming in the sunlight. She made a few tentative flaps with them, to make sure they were still responding and working right. Once she had done that, she walked towards the edge of the wall and looked down. Sweat tickled down her brow and she gulped, the ground looking so far away and very, very hard. It would be a most uncomfortable landing should her wings stop working all of the sudden.

She stood there lingering on the edge for minutes, reluctant to jump, until she could not handle the pressure anymore. “Oh consarnit,” she grumbled, after which she leaped off the wall. For a moment she seemed to fall, but then the wind caught her wings and made her glide upon them. Her legs flailed helplessly for a moment as she desperately tried to take control of her flight. She flapped her wings a couple of times to stabilise herself and climb higher, just as she had been taught. After a few shaky seconds, she finally had enough control over herself to set course for the warehouse, though her flight was still wobbly at best.

“If Apple Bloom could see me now she’d laugh so hard she’d get a laugh-at-yer-sister-as-she-tries-to-fly cutie mark,” Applejack thought grimly. “The things I do fer my friends…”

“Oh, um, Rarity, I got the sheets you asked for,” the timid voice of Fluttershy said quietly, as the pegasus approached her friend almost hesitatingly, as if she was afraid of disturbing her. On her back she was carrying a tall number of white linen bed sheets, all folded neatly and stacked in a tall pile, which she stabilised with her wings.

“Just a moment, darling,” Rarity replied, not taking her eyes off of her work. The unicorn’s horn was glowing as she making a camp bed, her magic tugging at the sheet and blanket to make sure everything was tucked in properly, with not a single fold or wrinkle in sight. After that, she shook up a fluffy pillow and placed it neatly at the head of the bed, right in the middle. With that done, she stood back a step and eyed her work critically, to make sure nothing was out of place. Once she was convinced everything was in order, she smiled and relaxed, then turned to face Fluttershy.

“So sorry to make you wait, my dear. Let me help you with those,” she apologised, as she used her magic to pick up the stack of bed sheets from Fluttershy’s back. She gently deposited them on one of the beds, then picked one folded sheet of the pile and carried it with her towards the next bed that had to be made, humming all the while.

Fluttershy watched her best friend work for a few seconds, before taking a sheet from the pile herself and moving to one of the camp beds on the other side of the infirmary that were waiting to be made. Quietly she put herself to work, listening to the melodious humming of her friend as she did so. As she spread the sheet over the bed, she couldn’t help but let her gaze drift through the room for a moment.

The two mares were in the hospital of Stalliongrad and were, as they had since their arrival in the city, helping to prepare it for the oncoming siege. Neither of them had any particular skill in the medical field, aside from Fluttershy’s limited knowledge of animal caretaking, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t make themselves useful. The hospital needed to prepare much more accommodations in order to be able to house the swarm of injured guards that would arrive once the battle began. Camp beds were deployed on every available inch of space, and had to be provided with proper bedding, a task Fluttershy and Rarity, along with other volunteers and a few members of the hospital staff, had taken upon themselves.

Making up beds or fetching supplies to be able to make more beds was not very difficult, and after four days of doing nothing but, Fluttershy could practically do it with her eyes closed. It was quite monotonous, but she didn’t complain. She was simply glad she could make herself useful to Rainbow Dash and her cause, even if it was by doing something as simple as making beds.

However, though she didn’t regret her choice to follow her friends to this place, Fluttershy had to admit to herself that it had been getting more and more difficult to keep calm as the days moved on. No regrets or not, the thought of the oncoming fight still frightened her. She tried not to think about it and simply do her job, but it was hard due to the suit of armour she’d been forced to wear constantly reminding her where and in what circumstances she was exactly. She glanced at the golden plating that covered her body, and then at the mechanical skeleton covering her wings that would help to increase her flying capabilities. Both felt alien on her body, almost hostile even and she longed for it all to be over so she could take them both off.

With a sigh she tried to shake the grim thoughts off of her and went back to work, her hooves expertly tugging and pulling the sheet into its proper place. She had to remain strong, if only for her friends. They were depending on her and she couldn’t afford to let them down. She cast a quick glance over her shoulder at Rarity, but the unicorn did not notice, still humming as she concentrated on her work. She didn’t seem to be at all weighed down by the grim reality of the situation, of what lay ahead, an ability Fluttershy envied greatly. She wished she could be as brave as Rarity, humming while she did her job, as if nothing was wrong and this was simply another day in Ponyville.

Ponyville… Her peaceful, quiet life in the quaint little village seemed so long ago now, almost like a distant dream, even though it had been only a little more than a month since she had woken up to find a changed world around her. It felt like it had been so much longer. The new technologies, the changes in culture and norms, all of it felt familiar, as if she had been living in this changed era her whole life. She wondered briefly if this was what it felt like for her friends when they thought about their dual lives.

As she thought of her friends, she couldn’t help but steal another quick peek at Rarity over her shoulder. The unicorn was definitely the same mare that had been so dear to her in the other era, and the same could be said for all her friends. They remembered everything, just like her, every adventure they had been on, every moment of friendship they had shared. When she talked to them, it felt no different from when she had talked to them in their other lives.

And yet she couldn’t deny that there were noticeable differences, too, aside from the obvious ones such as where they lived or their occupation. The difference she was thinking of was more subtle, and probably not noticeable to anypony but her. They had another set of memories, had experienced things she had not, and those had left their marks on them, changed or sometimes even wounded them. Because of this, they sometimes she reacted to something in a way that surprised her, one that felt unnatural or out of character for them. It was made all the more jarring by the fact that most of the time, they acted and behaved in the way that she remembered, making everything appear the same when it in fact was not.

The same could be said for many things in this era, she thought. A lot of things were visibly different, while others appeared to be left untouched, while in truth they had not, their changes were only more subtle. So subtle, that only a time-displaced mare like herself could really spot them. All those changes, so many things lost, all because of a single stallion travelling back in time for reasons unknown.

“Is everything alright, darling? You’ve been staring at that bed for quite a while now. Would you like to take a break, perhaps?”

Rarity’s concerned voice snapped her out of her ponderings with a start, and Fluttershy found herself blushing like a filly caught with her hoof in the cookie jar. She turned to her friend and gave her an apologetic smile.

“I’m sorry, Rarity, I got distracted,” she replied.

“Evidently so,” Rarity chuckled good-naturedly. “Whatever had you lost so deeply in your thoughts, pray tell?”

Fluttershy didn’t immediately reply. She avoided Rarity’s questioning glance and pawed nervously at the floor with one of her hooves, causing Rarity’s brows to knit together into a frown, concern evident on her features.

“Rarity, do you… um, do you ever miss your old life?” Fluttershy then asked quietly, causing Rarity’s eyes to widen as the question caught her off guard. The unicorn stared at her in silence for a long minute, a contemplating expressing dominating her face.

“I most certainly do. Not a day goes by without me thinking about it, I daresay,” she then finally replied, her voice calm but serious. “In fact, if I had even the slightest clue of how I could turn things back to the way they were, I would not hesitate to do so.”

This seemed to surprise Fluttershy somewhat. “But what about your business? Your career? Your lovely home in Canterlot?”

“Well, I won’t deny that I would miss those, certainly. But I would like to think that what I managed to attain in this life, I can also attain in my old one. So if anything, were things to go back, it would merely be a temporary absence,” Rarity replied, a sly smile playing on her lips. “But I would never allow such a thing as wealth or prestige to get in the way of my friends’ happiness, or truth and justice, for that matter. I know what really matters.”

She gave Fluttershy a friendly nuzzle, before stepping back and looking at her quizzically. “What made you ask, though, darling?” she wondered aloud. “Did you doubt my feelings on the matter?”

“Oh no, I wouldn’t dare!” Fluttershy replied hurriedly, afraid that she had offended her friend somehow. “It’s just…” Her voice trailed off and fell silent, unable to continue for a moment. Her gaze drifted away and landed on the half-made bed. She realised in a horrifying instance that tomorrow, or ultimately the day after, a soldier would be lying upon it. Injured, bleeding or even dying. A shiver of fright ran down her spine.

Rarity noticed it and became even more concerned, now certain that something was definitely and greatly bothering her friend. She placed a gentle hoof upon Fluttershy’s shoulder, a simple gesture of comfort, but, judging from the timid smile she received in return, one Fluttershy really appreciated.

“Will things ever turn back to normal?” Fluttershy asked, finally voicing the question that had been plaguing her. She gave Rarity a pleading, almost desperate look. “Ponies are fighting, even though they know they could get hurt, or worse, because they believe things will get better if they win. But will it? What if freeing Princess Celestia doesn’t change anything? What if nothing changes even we managed to do that?”

Fluttershy’s voice had been rising higher and higher the more she talked, until she was clearly panicking. The fears and doubts she had been harbouring ever since her arrival in the Kingdom could no longer be contained by loyalty to her friends, and came bursting to the surface. She stopped, however, when she felt a hoof being gently yet firmly pressed against her chest. Startled, she looked up into the kind and understanding eyes of Rarity.

“I understand perfectly how you feel, darling, and I can honestly say that I have asked myself the same questions you just did more times than I care to count,” Rarity said, her voice soft, warm and kind, her lips forming a genuine smile.

“But please, do believe me when I say that, even if we knew that our fears would come true and nothing would change, we would still be here,” she continued, her voice growing a bit more firm and confident. “Rainbow Dash would still take up arms and fight, and I would still be here to help her in whatever way I could. As would Twilight, Applejack, Pinkie and with them numerous other ponies, guards and civilians alike.”

She reached up and placed her hoof on Fluttershy’s cheek and looked her friend straight in the eye. “And I know for certain, as do you,” she added, “that you would also still be here, afraid or not. Because you know, as we all do, that even if freeing the Princess changes nothing, it is the right thing to do.” The tone of Rarity’s voice grew determined. “It would be so even if it wasn’t Princess Celestia we are speaking about. A mare has been unjustly imprisoned and shamefully abused for centuries, an atrocity which has been tolerated for far too long.”

Fluttershy let out a soft whimper and averted her eyes, but she couldn’t deny the truth of Rarity’s words. Despite all her fears – and there were many – she couldn’t really say that she regretted coming here, a realisation she had come to before. It did make her feel good knowing that she was helping her friends and her Princess, no matter how small her contribution. But on the other hoof, she had never doubted that, nor had it ever been the source of her fears.

“I just wish there didn’t have to be any fighting,” she squeaked, hiding behind her mane.

“As do we all, darling,” Rarity assured her, as she reached out and pulled her friend in a comforting embrace. “But unfortunately, it lies not within our capabilities to prevent the fight from breaking out at this point. The storm clouds have gathered, so to speak, and all that is left to us is to endure it.”

Rarity smiled and gave Fluttershy a purely friendly nuzzle. “I know you are afraid, my dear, and to be honest I am certain almost every pony within the walls of this city is as well,” she said. “There is certainly nothing wrong with that. Just remember that the sun will always break through the clouds and shine again, even after the foulest of weather.”

“Oh, I hope so,” Fluttershy said timidly. Her eyes peeked from behind her mane towards the window, looking at the clear skies outside. “I just wish we knew how long this nasty ‘weather’ will last…”

End of chapter 30.

Author's Note

Originally there was a plan for all members of the mane six to get a little scene, but I really couldn't come up with anything substantial for Pinkie Pie. Instead of writing something half-assed, I simply decided to drop the idea and move on. Otherwise, this chapter might have been delayed for a few more days.

Also, if you're having trouble picturing the mane six's wings, just google "steampunk wings" and pick whatever design you like best.

31. Waiting for the thunder

Wings of Tomorrow
Lament of the World

31. Waiting for the thunder

Evening had come over the world, and in Stalliongrad all but those on night duty were retiring after a day of hard work. In one of the largest buildings of the city, which doubled as both the town hall and the guard station, the three royal admirals where enjoying their supper together in the mess hall. Aside from them, the room was nearly empty, save for Twilight, her friends, and a few other volunteers. They said little and kept their eyes focused on their plates, though from the way their ears were perked, it was clear that they were listening in on every word spoken by Rainbow Dash and her fellow admirals.

“All civilians, aside from those who volunteered to help with the war effort, have been evacuated,” Rainbow Dash said proudly. “Cantropolis has confirmed that all evacuees have arrived safely and are being cared for. So we don’t need to worry about the Republic hitting ponies they shouldn’t.” She scooped up a mouthful of alfalfa from her plate and munched happily on it.

“That’s a relief. The less civilian casualties, the better,” Desert Heat replied, after swallowing a bite of his sandwich. He cast a quick, inquisitive glance at Rainbow Dash. “I hope you didn’t have too much trouble with ponies unwilling to leave. Though I guess not, given that you were able to finish ahead of schedule.”

“Meh, there were a few that we had to throw aboard the ship, sure, and nopony was happy of course that they had to leave their homes behind, knowing that they could come back only to find it destroyed,” Rainbow Dash said, and she shrugged. “But I think even the most stubborn and grumpy ones realised that a house and a city can be rebuild, while a life can’t once it’s been taken.”

She looked to her left to the table where her friends were having their supper. “Though I gotta admit, the credit for everything having gone so smoothly doesn’t go to me,” she added with a grin. “We owe Twilight big time for that. Remind me to nominate for a medal from Derpy once we’re done here.”

The two other admirals also took a quick glance at Twilight, who had bowed her head even further at this point in order to hide the blush on her cheeks that Rainbow Dash’s compliments had made appear. “One can’t deny that your friends have made themselves useful,” Amethyst Star agreed, allowing herself to let some approval shimmer through in her tone. “Applejack did more than her share of distributing the supplies, though of course, all guards from my division and the volunteers under my command worked their hardest.”

“I think we can all agree that all ponies in this city understood the severity of the situation and worked accordingly,” Desert Heat said calmly. “It certainly shows; we’re as ready as we’ll ever be.” He took a large sip from his cider. “Now all that’s left is wait until it all kicks off, but I don’t think we’ll have to wait very long for that.”

“Agreed,” Amethys Star said, nodding curtly. “But long or not, the time ticking down to battle is always the hardest moment of the entire war.” She paused for a moment to take a sip from her own drink as well, then turned her head and addressed Desert Heat once more. “What of our troops? How’s their morale? Are they ready to take on the biggest army Equestria has seen since the outbreak of the war?”

“Their morale’s as good as we could hope for it to be in the face of the odds we have against us,” Desert Heat replied. “They all know what we’re up against and that it won’t be a picnic, but they also know that we have a fair winning chance. The Republic may have the advantage of greater numbers, but our airship fleet is more powerful than theirs, and we have the strongest mare in the world to lead us into battle.” He smiled at Amethyst Star. “Your mother is all the morale they need, you know.”

Amethyst gave a weak grin. “She’ll be happy to hear that, I guess,” she said, shrugging. “It’s always good to know that the ponies you lead believe in you and support you.”

“No kidding,” Rainbow Dash agreed, casting a subtle glance at her friends again. Her gaze lingered on them for a while, before she turned back to her fellow admirals. “Speaking of your mom, Sparkler, what news do you have of her?”

“She’ll get here tonight, though I suspect she’s currently in bed. You know she left us in charge of the preparations so she could catch up on some much needed rest, and because she needed a break from all the stress this whole invasion has been putting on her,” Amethyst Star answered. “Celestia knows it was about time she did that. She’s been working as hard as all of us combined the past month.”

“She’s dedicated to her goal, as we all are, or maybe even more so,” Desert Heat remarked with a fond smile on his lips. “That’s why she’s the one who became Grand Admiral instead of me.” His smile turned nostalgic as he thought back to the days when a successor for the former grand admiral had to be chosen.

“Hey, don’t say that, Desert,” Rainbow Dash objected. “We all know you’re just as dedicated a soldier as the rest of us. You were just as qualified to become Grand Admiral as Derpy was. That you weren’t picked in the end doesn’t mean you’re somehow less than her.”

“I’m not so sure if I really was qualified, Rainbow Dash,” Desert Heat argued softly, to the surprise of the other two admirals. “Certainly, I admit I can hold my own a bit in battle…” There came a snort from Amethyst and Rainbow Dash both that made it quite clear just how much of an understatement that was. “… but I’m not as capable a leader as she is,” he continued, as if they hadn’t done anything.

“I have to kindly object to that,” Amethyst Star said. “You’ve been more than apt at leading the first division all these years, Desert. Heck, you’ve been an admiral longer than me and Rainbow Dash combined. By now one would think you’d realise that they wouldn’t have given you the position if you weren’t capable.”

“I can lead a division, Sparkler,” Desert Heat corrected her gently. “As an admiral, I am in charge of a great number of ponies, that is true. But I still take my orders from higher up, and all the actions I take and the decisions I make follow the course the grand admiral lays out for us. That’s the point where Derpy surpasses me, and why she was chosen instead of me.”

“I’m sure you could have laid out a course for the Royal Guard to follow just fine,” Rainbow Dash argued.

“Perhaps, but not like grand admiral Hooves,” Desert Heat explained patiently. “The both of you know that I’m not a stallion who likes to take risks. I prefer to react rather than act, defend rather than attack, to think before doing. I don’t make big decisions quickly, but after long contemplation. My path for the Royal Guard would have been little different from the path former grand admiral Hammer Strike and his predecessors walked.” He shook his head and sighed.

“But a defensive stance in this war has no chance of giving us victory. It would only prolong the war even more, as it has been for generations,” he continued quietly. He gave Amethyst Star a knowing look. “Grand Admiral Hooves is different. She prefers to take the initiative, to take the fight to the Republic rather than waiting for it to come to us. She fights this war to win, and she will do whatever it takes to achieve that goal. She doesn’t want the status quo to continue, she strives to break it and put an end to the fighting once and for all.”

Desert Heat’s lips formed an admiring smile. “She put the Royal Guard on a path of progress, one that took us forward. Be our destination good or ill, it won’t matter in the end, it was better than to remain standing where we were, which is what would have happened had I become Grand admiral,” he said. “She was simply the better choice. Hammer Strike knew that, as did I. So when he called me to him and told me of his plans to resign and nominate admiral Hooves as the next grand admiral, I didn’t object. I agreed that she was the most qualified for the job and that was that. The thought of nominating myself never even really crossed my mind.”

There was a silence for a moment as the two other admirals mulled over his words. “Well, I think I can kinda see where you’re coming from,” Rainbow Dash then said. “To be honest, if I had been in your shoes, I would’ve done the same. I can’t see myself being the grand admiral, I don’t think I really have what it takes to be that, either. It’s tough enough simply being just an admiral.”

“There’s nothing ‘simple’ about being an admiral, but I agree,” Amethyst Star remarked, a thoughtful look in her eyes. “It would not be a position I could see myself occupying either, nor do I really desire any further promotion.” Her lips formed a small smirk. “If mom ever resigns, finding a successor for her is going to be murder, given how the three ponies most likely to succeed her have no interest in doing so.”

“Well then, in that case, I’d say we should pray that grand admiral Hooves doesn’t get any thoughts of resignation for another decade or two, if only for our sakes,” Desert Heat chuckled.

“I’ll drink to that,” Rainbow Dash said, and she took a large sip of her cider.

The meal continued on for a few more minutes in amiable silence, when suddenly the doors of the mess hall burst open and a night guard stormed inside, coming to a halt before the table of the admirals, panting hard. For a few moments, he was simply too out of breath to speak. His superiors shared worried glances, wondering what had happened to cause such a brusque interruption.

When the guard had finally regained his breath, he made a quick salute and started speaking before he had even been given permission to do so. “Admiral Desert Heat, sir,” he said, his voice raspy. “There are emissaries from the Republican invasion force at the gates, bearing a white flag. They wish to speak to the officer in charge of the defences.”

The three admirals immediately snapped to attention upon hearing the news, and all other ponies in the room gave up all pretences of not listening in on the conversation, simply looking up and focusing their attention on the guard and the admirals.

“How many are there? Do you know who they are?” Desert Heat asked, his voice serious, his face dark, even as he stood up from his seat and put on his cape. Next to him, Rainbow Dash and Amethyst Star were already doing the same, with the former also grabbing her lance from its resting place against the wall behind her.

The guard gave a quick nod. “There are two of them, sir,” he replied. “Commander Spitfire, as well as marshal Shining Armour himself.”

“WHAT?!”

The eyes of the three admirals had widened in shock, but the outcry had not come from them. It was Twilight who had shouted, who was now standing up in her chair, her forelegs on the table as she watched the quarter of royal guards, her face a mask of stunned surprise. Then, with a shake of her head, she snapped out of her daze, her eyes full of fury. Before anyone could stop her, Twilight’s horn glowed brightly and with a flash, she was gone.

Desert Heat sighed and rubbed the side of his head. “Amethyst, please teleport after her and make sure she doesn’t do anything rash,” he said. The unicorn admiral nodded, then promptly vanished in a flash of her own magic. Satisfied, Desert Heat glanced to his right, where Rainbow Dash and the rest of her friends stood waiting. “Now then, let’s go see what they want…”

“So, why did you pick me to accompany you on this little venture, marshal?”

The question was asked by a genuinely curious Spitfire, who was eying her superior with one eyebrow raised and an inquisitive look in her eyes. The commander of the Republican Pegasi Division was wearing an elegant, phoenix-shaped helm and a light suit of armour, underneath it a skin-tight blue body suit, much like her Wonderbolts’ uniform in her previous life. She was leaning casually on her glaive, which had a white flag tied to it. She appeared entirely relaxed, as if she was not at all waiting at the gates of a city filled to the brim with enemies.

Shining Armour turned his head to look at her, his brows held high in surprise. “You mean, besides the fact that you’re the only one who I could trust to behave herself during this?” he asked in return. “Negotiations tend to go better when my partner doesn’t anger those you try to negotiate with by either being incredibly short-tempered or by having an unbearable character, commander. I’d like to leave here without having the entire city on our tails.”

Spitfire allowed herself to grin faintly. “Point taken,” she said, after which she glanced back at the gates of the city, which were still closed. She did notice that there was an ever-growing number of ponies atop of the walls, however, most of them trying to keep out of sight by hiding behind the merlons. She looked back at Shining Armour. “Remind me why we’re trying to negotiate in the first place, though? We both know they’ll never surrender.”

Shining Armoured shrugged. “You’re probably right,” he admitted quietly. “But it is common decency to at least try. Every chance to avoid the loss of lives, no matter how small, should be taken. If they refuse, so be it, but then at least we know that we had no other choice but to fight.”

“Fair enough, I suppose,” Spitfire replied contemplatively. Her orange eyes observed her superior officer as he waited stoically and patiently for anypony to come out and meet them. He seemed so calm and collected now, but she wondered how much of that was genuine and how much of it was an act. It wasn’t exactly a secret that he’d grown more and more stressed the past few weeks. Which was entirely understandable, she thought, given the amount of pressure the stallion was under.

Surprisingly, she wasn’t as stressed as she well should have been under the current circumstances. She didn’t really feel any worry about the coming battle, knowing full well that her chances of making it out unscathed were pretty high. But even if they weren’t, even if it had been certain that she wouldn’t survive at all, she still wouldn’t have worried. She didn’t even worry about the possible outcome. She just wanted it all to be over, no matter who won. It had to end and Spitfire had vowed to see to it that it did just that, no matter the cost.

With a wry smile, she realised that it was that mindset that made Shining Armour a better leader than her. Not that Spitfire begrudged him his position or even had any thoughts or hopes about replacing him someday, knowing all too well that even if she had there was no chance for a pegasus to climb to the highest military office in the Republic. Shining Armour was simply the better choice, even if one didn’t take the fact that he was a unicorn into consideration for a moment.

Even before his ascension to the rank of marshal he had been the most popular amongst the higher officers of the Republic, not in the least because he was fair and didn’t participate in tribal discrimination unlike a certain other unicorn commander. Even his marriage to the niece of the Republic’s greatest enemy hadn’t been able to tarnish his public image. The higher instances tolerated his marriage with Cadance because he happened to be damn good at his job and it would be a nightmare to find someone as capable to replace him.

A subtle shift in Shining Armour’s posture pulled Spitfire out of her thoughts. “On your guard, commander,” he said, his narrowed eyes fixed on the massive gates. “I think we’re about to get visitors.”

“It’s really him,” Twilight muttered quietly, as she was looking down from atop the wall at her brother, while hiding behind one of the merlons. It didn’t look as if he was at all aware that she was here, he was too busy conversing with Spitfire, though she couldn’t hear what they were saying.

As she watched the armoured form of her brother, Twilight caught herself feeling strange, like a mix between nostalgic and sad. With a small start she realised that it was the first time since she had ran away from home that she had been this close to him. Even during the parade a couple of weeks ago she hadn’t been able to get a look at him as good as she could now. But here he was now, completely unaware of the emotional storm his presence invoked within his sister. Completely oblivious to the fact that his sister couldn’t decide whether or not she hated him.

She wanted to. Desperately.

During her self-imposed exile to Ponyville, she had thought she hated him. After all, every time she had seen his smiling mug in the papers when yet another article glorified his exploits in the war, she had been seething with rage, desperate to do something extremely violent just so she could get rid of the ache in her chest invoked by his image. Likewise, when she had seen him at the parade, it had made her blood boil and her head had been full of ideas about kicking him in the groin. Hard. Repeatedly.

But if she had truly hated him, would she have kept the sole picture of her and her whole family she had taken with her to Ponyville? The one she had vehemently told her friends she did not have because she did not miss her brother or her family, but secretly held in her hooves as she cried herself to sleep at night, alone in her bed? The one that showed her parents, her mother leaning against her father, her head snuggled against his chest, as the two of them smiled tenderly at their two foals sitting in front of them, with Twilight squealing in merriment as Shining Armour embraced her tightly and ruffled her mane?

“Probably not,” she thought, swallowing hard. She sighed inwardly. If she had truly hated him, she would have gone to join the royalists the moment she had ran away from home. But she hadn’t, she had gone to Ponyville and stayed there, because she didn’t want to fight her own brother. She had tried to deny it, had done her utter best to hate him, because it would have made everything so much easier.

But she didn’t. She couldn’t. The fact that his actions hurt her so much was proof of just how deeply she cared, how much he mattered to her. She had so many wonderful memories of the close bond they had shared in her previous life, making the lack of it in this one all the more painful. She simply couldn’t understand him in this life.

In his previous one he had been so devoted to his job as Captain of the Guard, to protecting the Princess and her subjects. His allegiance had always been only to what was right. Why was it different in this life? She knew he remembered, just like she did. He knew what the Princess was really like, so why would he actively help those horrid nobles to continue inflicting their unjust actions upon her? She didn’t understand and it made her angry. It enraged her, made her furious… But it didn’t make her hate him. She was disappointed in him, she supposed, but she couldn’t hate him.

He was her brother.

She suddenly realised that she had been staring at Shining Armour for a long time, unblinking and unmoving, which probably looked a tad odd to Amethyst Star standing right next to her. The admiral had teleported right after her to stop her from doing anything rash, but had stood down once Twilight had explained that she wasn’t planning on confronting him or anything hasty like that, she just wanted to see him with her own eyes.

“What do you think he’s doing here?” she asked the other mare, before glancing back to her brother. She bit her lower lip pensively, a worried frown forming on her face. “Do you think it could be some kind of trap?”

“Doubtful,” Amethyst Star replied calmly, her eyes fixed on the two Republican emissaries as well. “Marshal Shining Armour isn’t the kind of pony who likes to make use of dishonest tactics. He’s the type who meets his enemies either at the negotiation table or out on the battlefield.” She shook her head and sighed. “I’m guessing he wants to offer us the chance to surrender.”

Twilight stared at Amethyst Star in surprise, her eyes wide. “Does he really think we’ll do that?” she asked, incredulous. To ask for something so outrageous didn’t sound like something the Shining Armour she remembered would do.

Amethyst Star gave her a sad smile. “Of course he doesn’t. He knows all too well that we’ll throw his offer back in his face,” she said. “I don’t think he expects any different, either.”

This only caused Twilight’s frown to grow deeper. “But if he knows you’ll refuse, why would he even bother trying? It doesn’t seem very logical.” she wondered aloud.

“My guess is that it’s the thought that counts,” Amethyst Star replied, finding it somewhat amusing that she was showcasing a better understanding of the marshal than his sister did. “I think he just wants to know that he tried everything to avoid the war, that he did everything he could to avoid the loss of lives.” Her icy stare seemed to thaw a miniscule amount, and for a moment it almost appeared as if she felt some form of respect towards her foe. “I can respect that, even if it is a wasted gesture.”

“It does sound like something he would do,” Twilight admitted reluctantly. “At least, the Shining Armour I remember would…” she added, her voice growing quieter as she bowed her head, her ears drooping.

“We’ll know for sure in a minute,” Amethyst Star said. Her left ear twitched as it picked up some noise, causing her to look over her shoulder. “Looks like your friends are here, and my colleagues as well.” She clacked her tongue disapprovingly, annoyed that it had taken them this long to arrive. Her gaze returned to Twilight. “You just stay here and watch, while Desert Heat, myself and Rainbow Dash go see what he wants. Don’t even think of interfering, you got that?”

“Don’t worry about me,” Twilight replied calmly, sounding not very intimidated by the powerful admiral. Her eyes were staring at her brother again, carrying a distant and hurt look within them. “Even if I did manage to gather the courage to confront him from somewhere, I still wouldn’t know what to say to him…”

Amethyst Star stared at the distraught mare before her in silence for a moment, her usual icy demeanour thawing slightly. “Maybe he has the exact same problem, every time he thinks he’s found the courage to confront you,” she said softly, after which she calmly walked away to meet up with her fellow admirals.

Rainbow Dash had the uncanny feeling that the whole world was holding its breath during this moment. She was certain that, at the very least, all ponies who had gathered atop the wall to watch were doing just that right now. Not that she blamed them. After all, five of the most powerful ponies in all of Equestria were gathered in the same spot, divided into two opposing groups no less. If any of them decided that talking was a waste of time, things would get decidedly ugly.

It didn’t help that Desert Heat and Shining Armour were facing each other like two alphas of rivalling packs of Timber wolves. Each was trying to stare the other down, and neither of them was willing to step back. It was unnerving, to say the least, and Rainbow Dash shot a worried glance at Amethyst Star, trying to get her attention, but the other mare was too busy having her own little staring contest with Spitfire. Rainbow Dash let out an inwardly groan, hoping sincerely that they didn’t expect her to be the voice of reason here. She was terrible at that.

“Marshal Shining Armour,” Desert Heat began, his eyes still fixed on the other stallion. “To what do we owe the pleasure of this unexpected visit?” His choice of words and the way he spoke them were neutral enough, but the tension in the air was still so thick one could cut it with a knife.

“I came here in hopes of speaking to your superior officer, admiral Desert Heat,” Shining Armour replied evenly, digging into his knowledge of long and eloquent phrasing, as was common practice during negotiations. “I wish to extend an offer to her.”

“Grand admiral Hooves is currently taking a well-deserved rest and is not to be disturbed under any circumstance,” Desert Heat said. “She has left me in command during her absence. You may relay your offer to me, marshal.”

Surprisingly, this seemed to put Shining Armour somewhat at ease and he relaxed slightly, taking on a less confrontational demeanour. “Very well,” he replied. He closed his eyes briefly and nodded to himself, as if deciding on something important. Then he looked at the three royal admirals gathered before him again. “I’ll just get straight to the point then,” he decided.

“I don’t doubt for even a moment that you’ve thoroughly studied the plans you so kindly borrowed from me,” he began, and he shot a quick glance at Rainbow Dash, who couldn’t help but give him a defiant grin in return. Shining Armour chose to ignore her, his gaze settling on Desert Heat again. “You know that what’s coming will be of a scale that hasn’t been seen in a millennium. I know that you have every intention of fighting back. Regardless of the outcome, the battle will be hard fought, leaving countless of good ponies on both sides injured or dead by the time it’ll be over.” His eyes narrowed and he looked Desert Heat straight in the eye. “You know this, admiral.”

Desert Heat inclined his head somewhat. “Indeed I do,” he replied evenly. “Your point being, marshal?”

“It doesn’t have to happen,” Shining Armour said. “You have the power to stop this conflict before it begins. You can put a halt to the hostilities and avoid the loss of many lives for the both of us, if you would but lay down your weapons and negotiate a surrender.” He spoke with conviction but also with a hint of necessity, or even desperation, in his voice.

“Should you choose to accept,” he continued, “I give you my word as marshal of the Free Republic of Equestria that I will do everything that is within my power to ensure that an acceptable and honourable accord is reached, one that is fair to you and the ponies you fight for. Lord Fancypanys has also expressed his desire for a peaceful solution to this conflict, and has given me the authority to negotiate on his behalf.”

Having made his offer, Shining Armour fell silent and stood back, knowing that all he could do now was wait for an answer. He was mildly surprised to see that they did not immediately reject his offer, but neither did the admirals discuss it quietly amongst themselves. They merely exchanged a few quiet glances with each other, then looked at him quietly for a long time, each with a different expression on their face. Rainbow Dash appeared determined, Amethyst Star almost offended and Desert Heat, finally, almost looked sad.

“You have a kind heart, marshal,” Desert Heat said, and he let out a weary sigh. “I respect your desire for a peaceful solution, to avoid the loss of lives. Your loyalty to your subordinates speaks well of you. But you know as well as I do, that we cannot and will not ever accept your offer.” His words were almost kind, compassionate even. “You wish to negotiate, but in truth there is nothing to discuss. The Nobles’ Court will never comply to our demands for an acceptable surrender, and we will never surrender unless they do. Hence, negotiations would be pointless.”

The admiral shifted into a sterner, almost royal posture, and his voice became authoritative and determined. “Marshal Shining Armour, on behalf of royal grand admiral Derpy Hooves, by the authority granted to me by royal steward Morning Red, and in the name of our royal majesties, the Princesses Celestia and Luna, I hereby reject your offer!” He held his head high as he spoke, his words powerful and clear. “Thus we shall meet on the battlefield, and we shall triumph, high though the price of victory might be, or we shall die with sword in hoof, knowing we laid down our lives for a just cause.”

Shining Armour, to his credit, barely so much as batted an eyelid as Desert Heat shot down his peace proposal. He merely gazed at the admiral in silence for a long time, before finally bowing his head and shutting his eyes, a sigh escaping his lips.

“So be it,” he muttered quietly, sounding like a stallion who had at long last resigned himself to his fate. “You have made your choice.” He turned to Spitfire, who had followed the entire exchange in silence, but looked entirely unsurprised by how it had turned out. “We have done what we came for, there’s no more reason for us to be here. Back to camp, commander.”

Then, without even a single last look or word at the admirals, he turned around and walked away, Spitfire following quietly in his wake. They knew that, with the rejection of Shining Armour’s offer, the last chance for a peaceful solution had been wasted, and open war had become inevitable. The realisation was enough to render the both of them silent all the way back to camp.

A few hours later, Derpy Hooves could be found in her office, staring at a lone scroll on top of her desk. Her brow was furrowed, her single eye held a thoughtful look in it, and she was idly rubbing her chin with one of her hooves. She had been looking through the plans of the invasion one last time, to make sure she hadn’t forgotten anything, when a guard had come in and delivered the scroll to her. It was a hastily penned report from Amethyst Star, which gave her the details of the meeting of the three admirals with the Republican emissaries. After reading it twice, the grand admiral had fallen silent and sat down pondering in her chair.

She knew that, with the rejection of Shining Armour’s offer, the invasion would soon commence, no later than tomorrow at most. Perhaps they would not even wait until day and launch their attack tonight, in an attempt to catch the royalists off guard. She didn’t think it very likely, believing Shining Armour would find the idea too risky, but on the other hand, perhaps that was what he wanted her to think.

Whatever the case, it was clear that she couldn’t dally here any longer and had to make for Stalliongrad immediately. She would have been there already, if her daughter hadn’t insisted on her taking some rest before the battle. She’d been reluctant to, but couldn’t deny that she had been in dire need of some sleep and it had done her well. Regardless, Derpy still didn’t feel very comfortable with the idea, having the feeling that she had abandoned her post somehow, even though in truth she had done no such thing.

Derpy shook her head and got up from her seat. “I’d better get ready to depart,” she thought, suppressing a yawn. She put the scroll away in one of the drawers of her desk, to have it out of the way until she could properly classify it at a later time. Just as she was finished with this, there was a noise coming from the chimney followed by a white dove, covered in soot, flying into the office. Upon noticing Derpy, the bird chirped excitedly and landed gracefully atop the grand admiral’s desk. There it sat, looking at Derpy expectantly with its beady eyes.

“Philomena?” the admiral said, surprised by the unexpected arrival. Her single eye narrowed and she frowned. “What are you doing here at this hour? Is there news from Canterlot?”

The dove let out a low chirp and gave a curt nod, then it spread its wings and promptly burst into flames. The light they gave off was so intense that Derpy had to shield her eye for a moment, and once the light and the fire had died away, the dove was gone. In its place sat a magnificent bird with feathers like flames. Her name was Philomena, though at one point in her life, forgotten by almost all, she had been known better as Princess Celestia’s pet phoenix.

In her beak she now held a sealed scroll, which she proudly dropped in Derpy’s outstretched, expectant hoof. Her task done, Philomena began preening her feathers. After a long flight from Canterlot to Cantropolis, under a magical disguise no less, they could use the careful attention.

Derpy broke the wax seal on the scroll and unrolled it on her desk, taking a brief and worried glance at the phoenix as she did so. “Let’s see what she has to say,” she muttered to herself, scanning the words on the parchment. It was all in code, of course, but Derpy’s trained eye deciphered it with practiced ease. When she read the first sentence, however, her face grew visibly pale. By the time she had finished the letter, Derpy had stopped breathing.

She stared at the scroll, speechless, while desperation and panic clawed at the back of her mind, trying to take control of her. She desperately wanted it to be a bad joke, but she knew it was not. Her informant wouldn’t risk discovery just to play a prank by sending false information. Her mouth opened and closed, like a fish out of the water, trying in vain to form words that could give voice to her feelings. When she finally regained her voice, she could only mutter three words.

“Celestia preserve us…”

“We fear that our sister in her current position is fit to preserve nary a pony, grand admiral Hooves. Perhaps we could in her stead, should thou see it fit to tell us what thou needst preserving from?”

Startled by the sudden declaration, Derpy’s reflexes kicked in before her brain could and, believing she was under attack, made her whirl around and lash out at the unknown speaker in the blink of an eye. Fortunately her brain and common sense regained control of her body just in time, as the pony who had just spoken to her was decidedly not an enemy, and she lowered her hoof before any harm could be done.

“High Chancellor,” Derpy greeted, trying to act as if she had not just almost attacked one of her Princesses by mistake. “I did not hear you come in.”

“Evidently so, grand admiral,” Luna said, sounding amused. If she was at all bothered that she had almost been struck by the mare fearsomely reputed to be the strongest in the world, she didn’t show it. When Derpy sputtered and tried to apologise, Luna held up her hoof to silence her. “Peace, ‘t was entirely our fault. We should have announced our presence properly instead of sneaking up on thee. We apologise.”

“It’s fine, your eminence,” Derpy replied, wanting to put the small mishap behind her as quickly as possible. Now that she had recovered from the alicorn’s sudden appearance, she was more concerned about the meaning of said appearance. “Pardon my impudence, but did you wish to speak to me, your eminence? I fear I don’t have much time, I’ve just been informed of a matter most grave and I must deal with it immediately.”

“So we had surmised, given the presence of our sister’s dearest pet,” Luna said, as she lifted one of her forelegs. Philomena saw the invitation and happily flew over to the Princess, landing on her outstretched leg. The phoenix rubbed her head affectionately against Luna’s cheek and received a warm nuzzle for it in return. She squawked contently. Luna focused her attention on Derpy again. “What news be there from Canterlot that has thee in such a hurry, grand admiral? Prithee, tell us.”

Derpy didn’t answer, but instead merely handed Philomena’s message to the Princess, who took it in her magical grasp and lifted it before her eyes curiously. It took Luna a bit longer to decipher the coded language it had been written in, and soon enough she lowered the letter again, her face grim.

“Forsooth, this is most ill news indeed,” she admitted quietly.

Derpy nodded and could not suppress a sigh. “I suspected from the start that Shining Armour was planning something like this,” she admitted. “But without knowing where and when, there was little I could do. They really went all out with keeping this under wraps, our spies and scouts didn’t catch so much as a whisper of this.” She rubbed her temple with one of her hooves, letting out another sigh. “Seems even our informant didn’t know about it until the very last minute. We should count ourselves lucky, though. If it hadn’t been for her, we wouldn’t have known at all until it was already too late.”

Luna gave the grand admiral a pensive stare. “How dost thou intend to deal with this?” she wondered. “Surely, thou didst not expect the enemy to place all their eggs in one basket, so to speak. Thou knowest better, we are certain. What were thy plans?”

Derpy let out a groan. “I’ll deal with it, somehow,” she sighed. “The problem is that no matter what decision I take, it’ll have a negative impact on the defences of Stalliongrad, when that was already going to be a close call before I got this wonderful little piece of information.” She shook her head and rubbed her tired eye, then gave Luna an apologetic look. “No matter, I will find a way to deal with it. My apologies for burdening you with my problems, your eminence. Was there something else you wanted to talk to me about?”

“Thy troubles are not a burden to us, grand admiral. To provide thee with a listening ear and council is a task we take upon us gladly. Verily, we wish we could be of more assistance than this,” Luna replied calmly. “But thou art correct, we had another reason for coming here. A matter has arisen that requires our immediate attention, and we wished to inform thee of this before our departure, so that thou wouldst not be startled by our absence.”

“Your depar…” Derpy repeated, the meaning of the words not immediately sinking in. Once they did, however, her single eye widened in surprise. “Surely your eminence does not intend to leave the palace, not now, of all times?”

“Aye, that be our intent, and we shall not be persuaded otherwise,” Luna said. Her voice still sounded calm, but had a firm, serious undertone to it, that warned anypony of speaking out against her plans. “The timing is most unfortunate and we bitterly regret it, but there is little choice. This matter can neither wait or be ignored, verily we fear that we are late already.” Her voice trailed off and she turned her head to the side, a distant look in her eyes. “We should have spoken him much earlier…”

“Spoken to whom, your eminence? Who are you talking about? What might already be too late?” Derpy asked, utterly confused. For reasons she did not understand, a shiver had run down her spine while Luna had been speaking, as if she was somehow frightened, though by what she could not fathom.

“We fear we cannot say, grand admiral,” Luna replied, her voice genuinely apologetic. When she saw Derpy open her mouth to protest, Luna held up her hoof to silence the pegasus. “This matter concerns only our sister and I, there is no need for thee to burden thyself with it. Thou hast a war to win! Many good soldiers are counting on thee to guide them to victory, and it wouldst not do to distract thyself now with matters that need not trouble thee.”

Derpy sank down on her rump and let out a tired groan. She held her tired, heavy head between her hooves for a moment and rubbed her tired eye. She had to admit that Luna had a point; with the invasion being only a few hours away and the news from Canterlot needing to be dealt with, now was really not the time to start worrying about whatever secret the Princesses were keeping. After all, Luna had said she didn’t have to worry about it, that she was going to deal with it, and the Princess had given Derpy no reason to distrust her. She let out a deep sigh and dropped her hooves from her face.

“Very well, I trust you, your highness,” she said. “But please, at the very least, tell me where you are going and when you will return.”

Luna gave the pegasus a grateful smile. “Thank thee, grand admiral. Tis for the best, we assure thee.” Then she tapped her chin carefully in thought. “Truthfully, we know not where we will find our answers yet, but we will return at the earliest opportunity. We shall take no longer than two days.”

Derpy nodded slowly. “I cannot stop you,” she said. “But I implore you, your highness, please be careful. If the Republic finds out you’re alive, it could put your sister’s life in danger.”

“Thou needst not fear for our sister, she is stronger than any of you could imagine. Her life is not so easily endangered,” Luna replied quietly. “Neither should thou be concerned for our safety. Verily we say that thou should worry more about thyself, as our destination, wherever it may be, shan’t be as dangerous as thine.”

The Princess lowered her head and briefly touched Derpy’s brow with the tip of her horn. Immediately the grand admiral felt as if all stress and fatigue that had accumulated over the course of the past month had been lifted from her. She gazed at the alicorn in silent wonder, but Luna merely smiled.

“Be safe, grand admiral Hooves,” was all the Princess said, after which she turned around and vanished from the room as suddenly and quietly as she had entered it.

Fluttershy’s peaceful dream of bunnies was brusquely brought to an end by a couple of rough nudges in her side. She tried to ignore them and go back to her quiet slumber, but whoever was pestering her was being quite insistent about it and would not relent. Reluctantly, she opened her eyes, her eyelids still feeling heavy with sleep.

“Gaah, this is no time for five more minutes, Flutters!” said the unmistakably impatient voice of Rainbow Dash. “Hurry up and put on your armour, we’ve got no time to waste!” Fluttershy heard the sound of armoured hooves on the tiled floor, meaning Rainbow Dash had moved on to someone else. “Same goes for the rest of you!” she heard her friend shout. “Rarity, this is no time for a beauty sleep! Get out of that bed and into your armour before I force you into it!”

By now Fluttershy had managed to sit up in her bed and rub the sleep from her eyes. Looking around the room, she saw her friends, all in varying state of dress. Applejack was already up and wearing her armour, and she was helping Pinkie with securing the last few plates of her armour. Rarity was still lying in her bed, with Rainbow Dash standing right next to her and looking like she was about to lose her patience. Twilight was nowhere to be found.

Not wanting to aggravate Rainbow Dash any further, since the admiral appeared to be extremely tense and on the edge, Fluttershy quickly climbed out of bed and started to put on her armour. She struggled a bit with the heavy gear, and was glad when Rainbow Dash came over to help her.

“Rainbow Dash, what’s happening?” she whispered meekly. The grim and serious look on the admiral’s face did little to calm her rapidly growing nerves.

Rainbow Dash didn’t immediately reply, as her mouth was occupied by the belt of Fluttershy’s armour she was pulling tight. When she was finished with that, she sighed and gave her timid friend a look that said everything.

“They’re here.”

End of chapter 31.

Author's Note

Well, my dear readers, it's finally here. You've been waiting a long time for it, but now your patience is about to be rewarded. Next chapter, the battle of Stalliongrad begins!

32. The end of the world as we know it

Wings of Tomorrow
Lament of the World

32. The end of the world as we know it
The Siege of Stalliongrad – Part 1

Desert Heat stood atop the great wall, his gaze drifting across the valley. In the distance, he could see a great mass of grey and white, squirming like an army of giant ants, coming his way. In the skies above the marching legion was a great fleet of many airships, their large forms casting dark shadows across the valley floor. It was an army the likes of which even he, in his long career as a royal guard, had not seen before, and soon it would be here.

He turned his head, slowly turning his gaze away of the approaching doom towards the city that lay behind him. The square behind the massive gates was packed with thousands of soldiers, a mass of white armoured in gold, all amassed in orderly rows as they stood still as a statue and waited for a command. His command. His eyes drifted skyward, to the ships of the Royal Airfleet that had formed a protective circle around the city, ready to intercept an aerial attack from every direction.

His gaze drifted a bit higher, past the ships, to look at the very sky itself. There was not a single cloud to be seen and the sun shone brightly and warm. It was a beautiful day, entirely unfitting for the ugliness that was about to unfold. With a sigh, he turned his head again and looked forward, across the valley, once more. The Republican Army was still approaching with the same steady pace as before.

Amethyst Star, who stood to his right, turned her head towards him and gave him an expectant look. “Are you ready?” she asked.

Desert Heat shut his eyes and gave a slow nod. “As ready as I’ll ever be,” he replied. He glanced at Amethyst Star and then at Rainbow Dash, who stood to his left. “The both of you are certain you’re okay with this?” he asked, wanting to be certain.

Rainbow Dash now turned to look at him as well, her face all serious and determined. He could not detect even a glimpse of doubt or worry in her cerise eyes. Rainbow Dash had banned such feelings from herself for now. She had a duty to fulfil, a battle to fight and a war to wage. There was no room for doubt, fears or regrets. Those would come later, after the battle, given there was an after for them.

“Dude, you’re the only one of us who even qualifies to do this, of course we’re okay with it,” Rainbow Dash said without the slightest bit of hesitation.

“I concur,” Amethyst Star added. “Rainbow Dash is right, of the three of us, you are the only one capable of replacing mom and guide us through the fight. We submit ourselves entirely to your command, Desert. All you decide, we will support it and act upon it.”

A faint smile appeared on the stallion’s lips. “Well, good to know you’ve got my back,” he said. He looked at the approaching army one last time, then closed his eyes and nodded, as if he had just decided something for himself. “There’s no sense in delaying it any further,” he muttered quietly. “So… let’s do this.”

He turned his back to the valley and walked to the edge of the wall, facing the amassed guards before him. They looked up at the admiral expectantly, but kept themselves perfectly still and in line otherwise. Desert Heat regarded them all for a moment in quiet contemplation, then straightened himself and spoke, loud and confident.

“I am certain there are many amongst you who are wondering why I am here, talking to you all, when by all rights it should be Grand Admiral Hooves instead of me,” he began, keeping his tone calm and steady. “I see no point in lying to you. Grand Admiral Hooves is not here, boosting your morale with her very presence, because she will not be joining us here today and has relayed command of all troops stationed within this city to me.”

His words had the expected effect of causing quite a bit of a stir amongst the ranks, with many showing signs of panic or worse. Desert Heat was not surprised by this, but that didn’t mean he would tolerate it either. He spread his mechanical wings and reared up to an impressive height on his hind legs.

“Silence!” he bellowed, the volume of his voice carried to even greater heights with a subtle bit of magic from Amethyst Star. The square immediately fell silent, and Desert Heat lowered himself to his four hooves again. “Even as we speak, the Republic is moving to take over the port of New Saddle. They think that all our forces are concentrated here, in the proud city of Stalliongrad, and that Hoofington has been left defenceless. What they do not know is that Grand Admiral Hooves is waiting for them there, to give them a welcome so warm it would make a dragon sweat!”

“Our grand admiral has gone to fight a war on a different front by herself! She has left the defence of this city in our hooves, because she knew that we would be more than enough to handle it!” he added, the fire in his voice burning hotter and more ferocious with every word he spoke. It did not leave the crowd unmoved, for as they listened to the admiral’s speech, they too felt a fire ignite within themselves. “She is counting on us to remain standing firm here! She trusts us to give it our all, even without her, to stop their army right here and send them packing right back to the Republic! Dare we to disappoint her?! Dare we show her that her faith in us was misplaced?!”

“NO, ADMIRAL, SIR!”

The cry, coming from thousands of voices shouting as one, brought a smile to Desert Heat’s lips, and those of his fellow admirals.

“The Republic thinks that we are unprepared to fight a war on two fronts! They believe that we will panic and that their victory will be a swift and easy one!” he shouted, continuing his speech without losing a moment of momentum. “Will we allow that?! Will we allow them to march through these gates and take our city?! Will we allow them to walk over us, so they can take our land and our home?!”

“NO, ADMIRAL, SIR!”

“Of course we won’t!” Desert Heat thundered fervently, stomping his hoof. “Because failing to stop them here would mean surrendering to the Republic! To bend our knee to the Court of Nobles in Canterlot!” He shook his head and stared down at the crowd before him, his eyes blazing with the power only a military commander of his stature could possess. “But I tell you now, my friends, that we will never lower our heads! We will take up our swords and shields, our spears and axes, and fight them at every turn, at every moment, down to the very last man! We will never surrender! We will fight till our very last breath!!!”

“Why?” he asked, and suddenly the raging bonfire of his voice and spirit died down. Desert Heat looked at the gathered soldiers, his gaze solemn and his expression serious. The passion and excitement in the crowd died down and became more subdued. The guards shared puzzled glances with each other, then turned their gaze back to their commander. The square had become so silent you could hear a pin drop. It was as if nopony even dared to breathe, none of them wanting to risk missing even a single word of Desert Heat’s speech.

“Because surrendering to the Republic would mean a return to the time of the three tribes,” he answered softly. “Bending our knee to the Court Nobles would mean a return to the days we now so rightly call the dark ages. Earth ponies working as slaves for the Pegasi and Unicorns as the latter two bicker and war amongst themselves. Foals crying in hunger while their parents slave away on the fields only to hand over their harvest to spoiled, fat queens and warmongering generals.”

“The ‘Free Republic of Equestria’, they call it. They claim that they have no such thing as tribal segregation or class distinction. That in their parliament, ponies of all tribes and all social standing can seat and be part of the governing organ,” Desert Heat continued, his voice still soft and solemn. “It is all a lie, for the true power lies with the Court of Nobles, which consists of naught but unicorns of the highest noble houses! They make all the calls, they decide who gets what! And it doesn’t end there!”

“Who stands atop of their military? A marshal, who has always, throughout the entire life of the Republic, been a unicorn! Look at any important position, and you will see that it is filled always by a unicorn, or a pegasus if one is lucky! They do not even grant their earth pony division the use of wings like we do, even though for years it has been proven that the ability to fly increases a soldier’s safety and heightens their chances of survival or escape!”

“That is reality! That is the truth! That is what the Republic stands for! That is why we fight!” Desert Heat concluded, his voice gaining in strength and his inner fire flaring up once more. “We fight, not for a Princess most of us do not even remember, but for all that Princess once stood for! A kingdom where all ponies are equal, regardless of their race, with a ruler who acts on behalf of and for all ponies!”

He paused for a moment, letting his words linger in the air, before continuing. “I know that each and every one of you has a family waiting for you at home. I want you to think of them. Think of your parents, your brothers, your sisters, your mare or colt, your foals. Think of them, for it is them we fight for!” he declared. “We fight, so that they may live in a world that is not governed by the whims of a handful of elitist snobs who give the rest of their tribe a bad name! We fight, so that they may live in a world of harmony, where all ponies walk together in peace!”

“We fight, so that our loved ones may truly be free!” Desert Heat declared. “In the days long after this one, our children, our grandchildren and their children after them, will be taught at school that today was the day when the world as we knew it ended, when we began the battle to finally settle things once and for all!”

“Today shall be the day when we marched against overwhelming odds and won! Today is the day that will always be remembered as the day when we were victorious!” he cried, pumping his hoof in the air, as if to challenge the very heavens themselves.

The answer he received was an earth-shattering roar of approval, formed by all the voices of the entirety of guards stationed in the city crying out as one. It could be heard far from the city, reaching even the ranks of the Republican army, and the spirited, fierce cry of defiance made even the bravest amongst them waver, if only for a moment. Its message was clear: they were waiting for them, and there would be no surrender.

Once the cry had died down, Desert Heat lowered his hoof again and walked back to the battlements. Through one of the embrasures, he looked at the advancing legion, which had come much closer during his speech. Very soon, the Republican airships would be within the range of their own. It was only a matter of minutes now.

Amethyst Star walked up beside him. “Good speech, a tad longwinded, perhaps, but it was inspiring and gave them hope,” she complimented. “Mom would’ve been proud. I doubt she could have done much better.”

“Yeah, you were great,” Rainbow Dash agreed, coming up on his other side. “And here you were being all worried about not being able to stand in for her,” she added, poking him playfully on the shoulder.

Desert Heat smiled faintly, but his mirth quickly faded. “I only managed to complete the easy part of her job,” he told them quietly. “The real challenge still lies ahead.”

“Just remember, we’re with you until the end,” Amethyst Star reminded him, before looking up to the sky and the Republican airships. Her eyes narrowed. “I think it’s time,” she announced, casting a sideways glance at Desert Heat, who was watching the skies as well.

“Indeed,” he agreed. “This is it, then,” he muttered, before straightening up, as if he suddenly had woken up from a dream. His entire demeanour switched from solemn and contemplative to alert and serious in an instant. “Rainbow Dash, Amethyst Star, to your posts. Keep your communication stones active at all times. I want to be in constant contact with the both of you throughout the entire battle!”

“Got it!” Rainbow Dash replied eagerly, her blood running hot for the oncoming battle. She spread her wings to their impressive full span, before rocketing up into the skies and heading straight to the Wonderbolt. From aboard the decks of the Second Division’s magnificent flagship, she would be guiding the entire royal airfleet into battle.

“Understood,” Amethyst Star said, as cold and impassive as always. Employing only a minor surge of magic, she teleported away without a sound or even a flash. It was as if she simply vanished into thin air.

Desert Heat watched them leave. “Celestia be with us,” he said quietly, before returning his attention to the Republican army.

The Republican legions had come to a halt, on a little less than a kilometre away from the gates of Stalliongrad. At the head of the massive army, staring pensively at the city they had come to conquer, was Shining Armour. Decked out in full battle gear, the marshal made for an impressive sight.

Standing to his right, a little bit behind him, was Smaragd Haze. The earth pony commander, armoured from head to hoof in heavy plate armour, took a glance at the royal city and the airships waiting to defend it, and smirked. Like everypony else, he had heard the deafening war cry that had come from the city a few moments before, and he understood perfectly what it had meant. The royalists had challenged them, and he loved a challenge.

“If that battle cry from earlier was any indication, I’d say our enemies are rearing to go and we’ve kept them waiting long enough, marshal,” he said with barely contained glee, as he addressed Shining Armour.

“So it would seem,” Shining Armour replied quietly. He glanced at the commander out of the corner of his eyes, a warning look flashing briefly in them. “I trust you will behave yourself out on the battlefield, commander,” he said sternly. “We strive for a victory with as few casualties as possible, on both sides, understood? I want no repeat of the Neighara incident, is that clear?”

“I will do what is necessary for us to be victorious, marshal,” Smaragd Haze said, a hint of defiance in his voice.

“That’s what I’m afraid of,” Shining Armour answered darkly, but he did not press the matter any further. Instead he took a few steps forward, then shot a brief look over his shoulder at his waiting troops. He said nothing, having already made his speech before they had marched from their basecamp to the city. He took a deep breath and nodded to himself.

It was time.

Shining Armour produced a communication crystal from a pocket of his uniform. “This is Marshal Shining Armour to Commander Spitfire,” he said, sounding perfectly calm and collected. “Begin your advance.”

The hospital of Stalliongrad was one of the largest buildings in the city, topped in height only by the town hall, surpassed in surface only by the guard station. Atop its wide, flat roof stood a tall flagpole, on which hung a big, white flag with a red cross, that could be seen from almost anywhere in the city. The roof also offered a great view of the city and beyond to anyone who stood on it, making it an excellent spot for anypony who wished to follow the proceedings of the battle down in the valley.

In fact, two ponies were doing just that right now, each having a pair of binoculars and aiming them at the ponies amassed on the square behind the gates. They had seen Desert Heat delivering his speech, but had been too far away to hear anything, which had left them wondering for a moment why the admiral was talking when the enemy was approaching. When the mass of guards had shouted their deafening war cry, however, they understood that Desert Heat had been giving his men a pep talk.

One of the two observers watched as Rainbow Dash spread her wings and flew up into the skies like a rocket. Then she noticed the Republican airships had begun to move again, and gasped dramatically.

“This is observer pink to observer purple!” she hissed, while keeping her binoculars pressed to her eyes. “The enemy has started to move, over!”

“Pinkie, I’m standing right next to you,” said a weary-sounding Twilight Sparkle. She had lowered her binoculars and was now giving Pinkie Pie a long look. When she didn’t get any response, she put her own binoculars back to her eyes and looked at the enemy ships in the sky. “You’re right, though, they are starting to move.” She turned her gaze a bit to the right. “And so are our ships, by the looks of it,” she added, after which she gulped. “I guess this means the war is starting…”

Saying those words out loud made them feel so surreal, but there was no denying the reality that was unfolding before her eyes. She’d been told this was going to happen weeks ago, she had actively helped out to prepare this city for it, but it was as if only now Twilight realised that it wasn’t a joke or a dream, but bitter reality.

Soon, those ships in the sky, those graceful marvels of magic and technology, would start firing their cannons, raining down death and destruction on the enemy ships and their allied troops below. Soon, all those ponies she saw down there would charge at each other, meeting each other in a deadly clash. They would draw their swords, spears and axes and bring them down on the enemy troops, stabbing into flesh, cleaving through bone. Soon, the valley floor, now so peaceful in the sunlight, would be littered with the bodies of the dead, the air filled with the cries of the wounded, the green grass coloured red with blood.

Pony against pony, their only difference the ideology they believed in and supported. One they were willing to fight, kill and die for.

Twilight shivered as she thought about it.

If the battle was now really starting, she and her friends would soon have to get to work. Even if they weren’t going to participate in the fighting, it didn’t mean they were going to sit idle on their rumps and wait for it all to be over. Once the fighting started, so the injured soldiers would be returning from the battlefield. Neither twilight nor her friends were medics, but they could help carrying the wounded inside, putting them in bed or fetch supplies for the doctors and nurses. They had also decided to place two lookouts on the roof to follow the proceedings of the battle, and warn of any incoming danger.

Not that there should be any, at least in theory. Rainbow Dash had repeatedly told them to stay in the proximity of the hospital at all times once the battle started, for it would be the safest place for them to be as long as the war raged on. Hospitals, she’d said, formed a kind of neutral zone to both parties.

Throughout history, whenever it had come to war, there had always been a kind of mutual agreement between the opposing powers to not attack whatever place was used to tend to the wounded, be it in a real hospital or an improvised tent camp. As long as you raised the medical flag, no enemy would fire at you if they had any sense of honour. To attack a hospital was universally seen as an extremely dishonourable and low thing to do, and was considered a war crime.

“Even the Republicans won’t stoop that low,” Rainbow Dash had said. “Not with Shining Armour leading them. He’d sooner chop off his horn than allow such a thing.”

Hence why Twilight and the others were all in the hospital now, with Twilight and Pinkie having volunteered to take the first watch, with Rarity and Applejack relieving them after an hour. They had all agreed it was best for Fluttershy to remain inside, as the pegasus was jumpy and nervous enough already without having to watch ponies slaughtering each other. For a moment they had also feared that the outbreak of violence would cause a regression in Pinkie, back to her depressed self, but the pink pony had been surprisingly chipper the entire time and showed no signs of change.

Twilight snuck a sideways glance at Pinkie, silently praying that it would stay that way. Not that being chipper was the most appropriate mood to be in during a battle that would decide the fate of Equestria, but it was easier to deal with than a depression.

Just then, a weird spasm ran through Pinkie’s body after which her entire body started shuddering. This peculiar behaviour lasted for a few seconds, then disappeared as if it had never happened, leaving Pinkie to give herself a confused stare.

“Another doozy!” she mused, a deep frown on her face. “My Pinkie Sense has been going whacky ever since I woke up. It’s as if it’s trying to tell me a lot of things, but because it’s saying them all at once, I don’t understand what it’s trying to tell me!”

“I think it’s because of what’s going to happen,” Twilight suggested. “The doozy is probably the war.”

“But a doozy means something I would never expect to happen is going to happen,” Pinkie argued, not convinced. “So it can’t be the war, because I do expect it to happen. In fact, I know it’s going to happen!” She was going to say something else, but stopped when her tail started to shake. “Now my tail is twitching! My Pinkie sense is telling me stuff is gonna start falling!”

“And I think I know what that ‘stuff’ is!” Twilight exclaimed, panic seeping into her voice, at the same time the air was pierced by numerous sharp whistles, followed by as equal number of explosions. “Cannonballs,” Twilight finished, wincing every time she heard the soft boom followed by the loud whistle that heralded the approach of another one of the deadly projectiles.

The Republican airships had come within range and had opened fire, with the royal air fleet already moving to intercept them. When she looked up to watch the fight unfold, Twilight saw numerous Republican cannonballs being intercepted and destroyed by bolts of lightning, coming from an airship she recognised as the Wonderbolt, meaning that Rainbow Dash had already joined the battle. Down below, the artillery stationed atop of the wall had also opened fire at the Republican fleet, the only targets within their range.

Twilight watched the events unfold with a grim expression on her face, and saw that Pinkie looked more serious now as well. Inside the hospital, their friends and the medical staff were doing the same, looking through the windows to catch a glimpse of the battle.

“This is it,” Twilight said, and she swallowed hard. “The war… has started.”

End of chapter 32.

33. Realities of war

Attention! This chapter is about war, so naturally there will be violence. Nothing too dark and no gore, but there will be violence, injuries and death nevertheless. Such is war. Again, nothing explicit, but you have been warned.

Wings of Tomorrow
Lament of the World

33. Realities of war
The Siege of Stalliongrad – Part 2

Upon arrival, the armies of the Republic had quickly arranged themselves into a battle-ready formation, a considerable feat given its numbers, one that left even Desert Heat impressed. The Republican troops had been divided into smaller battalions, stationed from one side of the valley to the other. Row after row of soldiers stretched out as far as the eye could see, making a disheartening sight for every royalist who managed to catch a glimpse of it.

Up in the sky, the ships of the Republican air fleet cast long, dark shadows over their earthbound allies. The Republican airships were fewer in number than their Royal counterparts, but the dark forms of the great battleships made for a fearsome sight nevertheless. One ship in particular stood out: a humongous warship that dwarfed all others, coloured in many fiery shades of red and gold. Its prow was shaped like a great phoenix with its magnificent wings spread wide.

From where he stood atop of the walls, Desert Heat could spot a colourful dot atop the phoenix’s head, and he lifted his binoculars to his eyes to take a better look. The sight that greeted him confirmed what he already had suspected: the dot was none other than Spitfire the Phoenix, commander of the Republic’s pegasi division. The mare looked just like she had the day before when she had come with Shining Armour to give an offer to surrender. Only now her expression was grim and serious, and she held her glaive firmly in one hoof, ready for battle.

Desert Heat took his gaze away from her and focussed it instead on the Republic’s frontline down below in the valley. At the head of the formation stood marshal Shining Armour himself, and at his side was a heavily armoured earth pony who Desert Heat recognised as Smaragd Haze, the notorious commander of the Republic’s earth pony division, responsible for the massacre at Neighara two years ago.

Desert Heat scanned the rest of the enemy lines, hoping to locate the last of the Republic’s strongest warriors: Trixie Lulamoon, commander of the unicorn division. However, no matter where he looked, he could not find as much as a glimpse of the incredibly powerful mare. He did spot many other Republican officers, of lower rank and of varying levels of infamy, all of whom stood at the head of their battalion, ready for war.

The admiral lowered his binoculars, but kept staring ahead with a pensive and contemplative look on his face. He realised, in that moment, that he was looking at something that hadn’t been seen since the beginning of the war, all those centuries ago. Surprisingly, he found himself smiling, and he took out his communication crystal, contacting his fellow admirals.

“I hope you two are looking, because we’re the first to see the Republic exert itself this much in centuries,” he said, chuckling softly. “Quite an impressive sight. Terrifying, almost.”

“A force to be reckoned with, indeed,” the voice of Amethyst Star replied coolly. “We have our work cut out for us.”

“That we do,” Desert Heat mused. He picked up some movement at the Republic’s frontline, and he lifted his binoculars to his eyes again to take a better look. Shining Armour was speaking to a communication crystal, no doubt giving orders. Desert Heat lowered the visual aid again so he could overlook the entire battlefield, trying to spot where Shining Armour’s commands would cause movement. A look at the skies gave him the answer.

He was about to activate his communication stone again, only to find that it was already glowing. “Desert, the Republic’s fleet’s on the move,” the voice of Rainbow Dash said.

“Yeah, I noticed,” Desert Heat replied. “I want you to intercept them and keep them out of our skies, but I leave the strategy used for that to you. Just make sure you leave enough ships behind to guard the city, and keep me informed of what you’re doing.”

“Got it.”

Satisfied that that was dealt with, Desert Heat returned his attention back to the Republic’s earthbound troops. They had not moved from their previous position yet, but that did not surprise the admiral. Every military commander worth his salt knew that it was plain stupid to send forth your ground troops while the enemy’s air support was not yet taken out or occupied. To do so meant turning your forces into fodder for the cannons of the enemy’s airships. Shining Armour was not that stupid; he would hold his troops back until his airships had engaged the royal airfleet and kept their cannons aimed at the sky instead of the ground.

It was a logical move, but also one that Desert Heat had entirely expected. The delayed charge of the enemy meant that they had more time to prepare and get in position to fend off the inevitable attack, something Desert Heat was grateful for. Every second they could get to strengthen their defences was welcome and valuable.

“Amethyst, how are the preparations coming along?” he asked, with a hint of urgency in his voice, as he overlooked the valley. A loud explosion momentarily distracted him, and he glanced up to see that the first ships of the two opposing fleets had come within firing range and had engaged one another.

“Nearly done,” the voice of Amethyst Star replied through his communication stone. “The last of our troops are getting into position.”

“Get it done as soon as possible,” Desert Heat said, his narrowed eyes focussed on the sky and the battle there that started to unfold in earnest now. “They’ll give the signal to attack any moment now.”

“We’ll be ready by then,” Amethyst Star assured him.

“You’d better be,” the other admiral replied, his voice having an edge to it that was slightly sharper than he intended. He wasn’t angry with her, of course. It was merely the stress of overseeing an entire war that was starting to take root in him. “We need to keep them as far away from the city as possible for as long as we can. We must make them suffer maximum losses for every single metre they gain. That, combined with a failure of their invasion in New Saddle, is the only way to convince Shining Armour to order a retreat.”

“As we concluded during our last briefing,” Amethyst said dryly. “I know the plan, Desert, do not worry.”

That got a dry laugh out of the older admiral. “My dear, we have the full military might of the Republic deployed against us, while we have to make due without the strongest weapon in our arsenal and our Grand Admiral. And to top it all off, even if your mother was here right now, we’d still be outnumbered fifteen to ten,” Desert Heat replied. “The real kicker, though? Even with those massive odds stacked against us, it is expected of me to lead us to victory. Tell me, Amethyst, how exactly can I not worry?”

Aboard the Wonderbolt, it just so happened that Rainbow Dash was wondering about the exact same thing, even though she hadn’t heard the conversation between her fellow admirals. She was standing on the head of the airship’s dragon-shaped figurehead, from where she had an excellent view of the surrounding skies. Her eyes, however, were not looking at the skies, but at the ground below.

At this height, she could see the entirety of the Republic’s army, and only now did she truly realise how massive it was. There had to be at least a hundred thousand soldiers down there, though she wouldn’t be surprised if it turned out to be another fifty thousand more than that. She had never seen an army so vast; even the changeling swarms in her previous life hadn’t been this numerous. She had always known that the Republic outnumbered them, but only now did the reality of the humongous odds that were stacked against them truly sink in.

She was pulled out of her thoughts when a cannonball exploded uncomfortably nearby; she could feel the heat of the explosion on her face. It reminded her of her current position. Now wasn’t the time to let herself get intimidated by numbers, she scolded herself. Why would she be intimidated anyway? She hadn’t seen anything that she hadn’t expected to see, and even if she had, it wouldn’t matter one bit. To Tartarus with odds and numbers, she had a job to do, ponies who were counting on her, and she wasn’t going to let them down. Not her. Not Rainbow Dash, Admiral of the Royal Guard’s Second Division!

With a huff, she averted her eyes from the depressing sight below and instead focussed her attention on the battle unfolding in the skies around her. The ships of both fleets were exchanging cannon fire without pause, but aside from a bit of superficial damage had not achieved much yet. It was only a matter of time, though. With the distance between them growing ever smaller, the soldiers on both sides were finding it increasingly difficult to block incoming enemy fire. Soon, they would be within range to board, and then the real battle would begin.

Rainbow Dash was determined not to wait until the Republic took the initiative. They might outnumber them on the ground, but here, in the skies, the Royalists had the upper hand. She was not about to let that advantage slip through her hooves. Her orders were to force the Republic’s fleet back, but Rainbow Dash aimed higher. She was going to try and sink as much of the enemy fleet as possible. For every ship the Republic lost, they would gain a ship that could instead provide aerial support for the soldiers down on the ground. Given the odds, such support would be most welcome.

She knew better than to get reckless, however. It was true, she was a risk-taker by nature, but her years in the guard had tempered that recklessness with experience and tactical understanding, and had taught her responsibility. It was a lesson she had learned well, else she wouldn’t have been promoted to the rank of admiral. She was not going to endanger those under her command to achieve a goal that might be unreachable. First, they had to follow Desert Heat’s orders: keep the Republic out of their airspace, force them on the defensive and hold them there. Only when she had managed that would she attempt to aim higher.

She turned to face the deck. Guards worked in pairs to man the cannons, firing at Republican ships and shooting incoming enemy fire out of the sky before it could reach them. Another group of soldiers stood in the middle of the deck, in orderly rows of four, waiting for orders. These were the ones who would leap off the ship soon, taking to the skies on their own wings and engaging the Republic’s ship in battles of pony on pony. More of them were stationed below decks, ready to disembark on her signal.

“Alright, all of you who aren’t busy shooting stuff, show me that those ears aren’t just decoration for your head and pay attention!” Rainbow Dash shouted, making herself heard over the din of cannon fire. “On my signal, we’ll disembark and launch our attack. Remember your training, put it to use and you’ll make it!” Her narrowed eyes glared at the soldiers standing before her, trying to see if any of them batted as much as an eyelid at her words.

None of them did.

“Remember, the Republic may have the bigger numbers on the ground, but the skies are our domain! We have the strongest air force in the entire world, and today the Republic is going to learn just what that means!” she continued. “Once we’re out there in the skies, I don’t want to see any faltering or losing, you got that?! We’re going out there and we’re going to send them packing right back to Canterlot! We’re going to head out and kick their asses so hard their grandfoals will still feel it! We’re going to fight, and we’re going to win! Did I make myself clear?!”

“YES, ADMIRAL, MA’AM!”

“That’s what I wanna hear,” she said, and she smirked. There was a feral glint in her eyes; the look of a mare eager for battle. She glanced down at the pony closest to her, standing at the prow just behind the figurehead. “Rose Thorn, you’re in command of the Wonderbolt while I’m out there. Keep contact with the rest of the fleet and inform me right away if anything comes up. Leave command of the airborne troops to me.”

“As you wish, ma’am,” Rose Thorn replied, nodding curtly. He gave his superior a salute, which Rainbow Dash answered briefly with one of her own. Then Rainbow Dash turned around, facing the skies ahead of the ship, where war awaited her.

“Alright, time to go,” she said simply, after which she casually jumped off the ship. For a few seconds she was falling freely through the air, then she spread her wings to their full span. They immediately caught the wind under them, carrying her upwards to far above the ship. There she hung completely still in the air for a moment, until one beat of her wings sent her forward into a dive towards the nearest Republican ship.

A great swarm of soldiers, coming from every ship of the royal fleet, followed in her wake, and ahead of her she saw many enemy soldiers pour out of the Republican ships as they disembarked to confront this new threat. Gritting her teeth, Rainbow Dash increased her speed and flew into battle.

Desert Heat’s attention was drawn away from the unfolding battle in the skies by a blinding light coming from the direction of Republic’s army. Now that the threat of bombardment from the sky was gone due to the royal fleet being occupied fighting the republican fleet, the numerous battalions of the Republic began to advance. Determinedly they marched forth towards the city, but Desert Heat quickly noticed they were leaving a wide opening in the very middle of their frontline.

The reason for that became quickly apparent: the bright light that had caught his attention was the bright glow coming from Shining Armour’s horn as he charged his magic. The marshal appeared to brace himself for something, then fired a beam of pure, concentrated magical energy from the tip of his horn through the gap left by his troops, straight towards the city gates.

It wasn’t a very large beam, no greater in width than an orange, but its appearance belied its sheer power. Its mere passing, a pony-length above the ground, left a trench three metres wide in its wake. Shining Armour’s attack plunged through everything in its wake, fences, barricades and whatever defences the royalists had thrown up to halt the enemy’s advance, and it seemed nothing would stop it from reaching the gates and destroying them.

Atop the gates, Desert Heat swore. “Amethyst!!!” he cried out urgently, bracing himself as he watched the beam approach at great speed.

Just as the magic attack was about to reach its target, there was a flash and Amethyst Star appeared in its path. The admiral didn’t panic; with an inaudible growl she braced herself and called upon her own magic. A bright shield was conjured up around her and Shining Armour’s beam smashed right into it, but did not go through. Amethyst Star gritted her teeth, flinching slightly upon feeling the impact of the attack, but did not relent. With a cry she reared up on her legs and deflected Shining Armour’s attack with her shield. The beam shot up straight into the sky, where it dissolved harmlessly.

Amethyst Star lowered her shield again, and aside for a few drops of sweat on her brow appeared to be entirely unfazed. For a moment, she and Shining Armour regarded each other over the long distance between them, Amethyst giving a defiant sneer. Then her eyes narrowed and the admiral suddenly vanished, without a trace or sound. She reappeared just as suddenly in the skies above Shining Armour, held aloft by her own magic.

“I’m afraid it won’t be that easy,” she said coldly, after which she conjured up six great swords made of pure magic and fired them at the marshal.

“Would that it was,” Shining Armour replied sadly, giving a sigh. With a flash he vanished and Amethyst’s swords pierced naught but air. He appeared again behind her, having conjured a lance of magic and lunging at her with it. “It would have saved a lot of lives.”

“If you want to spare the lives of your troops,” Amethyst replied, while deftly blocking Shining’s lance with another conjured sword , “you could just surrender.” She created another magical blade and swiped at the marshal with it. Her sword cut nothing but air, however, as Shining Armour had already teleported away again, reappearing far behind the frontline of his troops.

“Thanks, but no thanks, admiral!” he called out to her, a determined look on his face. Then he lifted his communication crystal to his lips and activated it.

Amethyst Star couldn’t hear what he said, but it became quite obvious when the enemy soldiers’ marching turned into an all-out charge. The thundering of their hooves made the very ground of the valley tremble as they stormed across the valley floor towards the city. Cursing, Amethyst turned her back on Shining Armour and teleported back to her side of the valley.

She reappeared on top of the wall next to Desert Heat, and together the two admirals watched as the Republic’s forces thundered through an empty valley. The royalists had dug many trenches and set up fences and barricades all across the valley floor, but there were no soldiers in sight who manned them.

Amethyst Star glanced at the stallion to her left. “Now?” she asked calmly, seemingly not perturbed by the fact that there was a horde of soldiers approaching with nothing to stand in their way except some wooden fences and empty trenches.

“Not yet,” Desert Heat replied quietly. The older admiral observed the situation with a calculating look on his face, and his eyes were narrowed. He looked a bit tense, which did not surprise Amethyst in the least. Her fellow admiral was dealing with a lot of pressure, after all, most of which he had not been expecting to deal with. “I’ll tell you when, don’t worry. Go and get in position, then wait for my command.”

“Understood,” Amethyst Star said, giving a curt nod before teleporting away again. She did not reappear anywhere within sight, but Desert Heat did not need to see her to know her position. He had informed his fellow admirals of his strategy, and they knew where they had to be and when in order for it to work.

He lifted his binoculars to his eyes and zoomed in on the approaching enemy. “Just a little bit closer,” he muttered quietly. Warily, he watched as the distance between them and the true breakout of the battle grew ever closer. He sought out Shining Armour and tried to gauge the marshal’s reaction. Anypony with half a brain would realise that the royalists had some kind of plan when they left their whole valley empty, and Shining Armour definitely had more than half a brain.

So it wasn’t whether or not Shining Armour knew that bothered Desert Heat, it was what he was planning to do about it. The marshal was no fool, a fact Desert Heat was all too aware of. No doubt Shining Armour had some kind of plan of his own, though at the moment he could only guess what that plan was. The plans Rainbow Dash had stolen from Canterlot had detailed the strategy Shining Armour had planned to use, but obviously that one was not going to be put to use anymore. Using a strategy the enemy already knew was the kind of tactical blunder that Shining Armour decidedly did not make.

“What are you planning, I wonder…” Desert Heat muttered to himself as he observed the Republic’s military leader.

As fate would have it, that was the exact same question that Shining Armour found himself pondering about, as he stood on top of a small hill near the back of the Republic’s lines, observing the lone admiral positioned atop the walls of Stalliongrad. Shining Armour didn’t need binoculars to be able to see Desert Heat clearly, a simple sight-enhancing spell produced the same effect and was much less cumbersome. One of the advantages of being a unicorn, he supposed.

The marshal let his gaze wander from his admiral counterpart to the frontlines of his charging soldiers. Since Amethyst Star had teleported herself back behind the strong walls of the city, he hadn’t been able to spot a single royalist anywhere in the valley, save for those unfortunate souls who had fallen from the battlefield in the skies above. It went without saying that he didn’t like it. At all.

“They obviously have some kind of plan, otherwise they wouldn’t leave so much of their territory unguarded,” Smaragd Haze said, standing next to Shining Armour atop the small hill overlooking the battlefield. He had no sight-enhancing spell or binoculars, but he did not need them to see things were off.

“I’m aware,” Shining Armour replied evenly, glancing at Desert Heat again through narrowed eyes. Smaragd Haze opened his mouth again to say something, but Shining Armour cut him off. “I know what you’re going to say, commander,” he said. “No, I don’t think it’s very smart to run into what’s obviously a trap, but we don’t have much choice. In order to proceed to the next step of the plan, we need to lure the enemy out of hiding and get them to start fighting us. If we have to spring this trap of theirs in order to do that, I’m afraid it’ll have to be so. We need to move quickly now that their air fleet is still kept busy.”

“Fair enough,” Smaragd Haze shrugged. “Do you require me to head to the frontlines, to minimise the damage of whatever this trap of theirs is?”

“Not yet,” Shining Armour said, his face twisted into a thoughtful frown. “It could still be a diversion. I want confirmation of Amethyst Star’s whereabouts first.” He paused for a moment and took a good, long look at the walls of the city again. “You are certain that there have been no sightings of Derpy Hooves yet?”

“Positive,” Smaragd Haze confirmed. “All scouts agree that it is Desert Heat who is coordinating the enemy’s war efforts. Grand admiral Hooves has not been spotted anywhere near the vicinity of the warzone.”

Shining Armour’s frown deepened. “I like that even less than I like this empty valley,” he admitted. “It could be a deception, to try and make us believe she’s not here, only for her to catch us unaware and attack our rear or flank or something. It’s the kind of strategy she likes.”

“And if she truly is not here, marshal?” Smaragd Haze inquired.

“Then that’s even worse,” Shining Armour answered. “Derpy Hooves is the Grand Admiral of the Royal Guard, and she knows how important this battle is. She wouldn’t abandon her troops and leave command to one of her admirals, not unless she has a very good reason. The idea that the Strongest Mare in the World is somewhere we don’t know doing something we also don’t know honestly is one I don’t like. Not one bit.”

“Then what do you suggest we do about it, sir?”

Shining Armour cast a sideways glance at Smaragd Haze. “We continue with the plan, and win this battle as quickly as we can,” he then said, his voice hardening with resolve just a little bit. “The moment we are victorious, we don’t have to worry about Derpy Hooves any longer. She may be the strongest mare in the world, but if her army falls here, even she won’t be able to hold off our advance towards Cantropolis.”

“I like the sound of that, sir,” Smaragd Haze replied quietly, smirking.

Desert Heat felt a bead of sweat trickle down the side of his face as he watched the charging Republicans, and waited. They had almost reached the first of the barricades the defendants had built in the valley, but they had to come closer still. He couldn’t risk giving his order too soon, a lot of this trap depended on the element of surprise. Too far, and the enemy would have recovered from the surprise before the blow could be dealt. Too close and his soldiers would not have enough time to deal a proper blow to the enemy.

Thus, he waited and counted, every single second wracking his nerves, but he endured it. He knew what was at stake, and he would not allow it to be lost just because he could not handle the pressure. Derpy had entrusted this operation to him, because she believed he could handle it. Amethyst Star and Rainbow Dash had faith in him, not for a moment they had thought that Derpy had chosen the wrong replacement. All those soldiers of the royal guard trusted him to lead them to victory. He would not let them down.

The Republican army was only five paces away now from the first barricade. In the blink of an eye Desert Heat lifted his communication crystal to his lips. “Amethyst, NOW!!!” he roared, his gaze still firmly fixed on the valley.

For one single, horrible second, Desert Heat worried that his command had come too late, or that his communication stone had malfunctioned somehow, and it felt as if the ground had vanished from under his hooves. But then there was a loud battle cry erupting from the royal side of the valley, and instant relief flooded his senses.

In the blink of an eye, Amethyst Star dispelled the invisibility illusion she had cast over her entire division, and to the Republicans’ horror the trenches in the valley, which a moment ago had still been empty and unmanned, were now filled with soldiers. Immediately the royalists fired a volley of arrows and spells at their stunned adversaries, which felled nearly the entire first row of the enemy’s soldiers. A third and second volley followed, felling many more.

The element of surprise kept the enemy off guard for only so long, however, and the Republic’s officers were trained and experienced soldiers. By the time the defenders readied their bows or spells for a fourth salvo, they had already rallied their troops again and resumed the charge. The royalists fired at them again, but this time the attackers were more prepared. They raised their shields, be they of steel or magic, defending themselves from the attack while they charged on. Only a few Republicans fell this time, and those coming behind them simply continued on unfaltering, jumping over their fallen comrades as if they were not even there.

“Do not panic!” Amethyst Star commanded with a magically amplified voice, her tone harsh and unforgiving. “Ranged units, reload your weapons. Prepare to fire at an arch from this moment on. Everypony else, draw your weapons and be prepared to lose your teeth. I see any pony running, I will toss you at the enemy myself!”

It was hard to say who the defenders feared most at that moment, their admiral or the enemy, but Amethyst Star did not care. She watched as the Republicans drew nearer, and when they were only a stone’s throw away, she fired a brilliant flare from her horn. Its light was so bright and strong that it blinded the oncoming enemy soldiers, who shielded their eyes and cried out in agony. They stumbled and fell, creating the opportunity Amethyst Star had been waiting for.

“Charge!!!” she roared on top of her lungs. Then, after letting out a chilling battle cry, she jumped out of her trench, a look of cold fury on her face. Many other soldiers jumped out of the first line of trenches as well, following behind their admiral. Their numbers were in the hundreds, and they charged at the stunned Republic in a single line, like a wall of armoured steel and muscle.

Their assault was so fierce that they completely overpowered the first few lines of the Republic’s army, trampling over the blinded, panicked Republicans and crushing them as if they were naught but twigs beneath their hooves. For a moment, they actually succeeded in pushing back an army a thousand times their number, and the defenders cheered.

For all their bravery, however, they were still only like boulders trying to hold back a tsunami. The Republican officers quickly recovered from the attack and rallied their troops back into formation. Though they had suffered a nasty blow, the loss of their comrades only made the republican soldiers all the more determined to continue the fight and return the favour. Their counterattack was as fierce as it was swift, and the line of defenders found themselves quickly losing ground.

The royalists fought desperately to try and hold their line for as long as possible, but for every republican soldier they cut down, two more appeared. Their archers and spell casters provided as much ranged support as they could, sending spells and arrows in a graceful arch into the ranks of the enemy, but it helped little to alleviate the pressure put upon the defenders trying to hold the enemy back.

There was a gurgled cry, as one of the defenders’ lifeless body hit the ground and his killers wormed themselves through the gap they had created. The formation wavered as across its entire length similar breaches were made, the exhausted defenders being unable to hold back the ever oncoming flow of enemies. As they saw their comrades fall and the enemy break through, the remaining defenders began to panic and the formation threatened to fall apart entirely.

However, just as the defenders looked as if they were about to be overwhelmed entirely, there was a huge magical explosion that blasted a huge hole in the enemy’s ranks, and for a moment the Republic’s advance faltered once more. Amethyst Star pushed herself forward to the frontline, her eyes blazing with cold fury.

“Reform the line!” she shouted, her magically amplified voice audible above the din of battle, as she rallied her troops around her in a tight formation again. “Nopony take even a single step back, or I will personally toss you at the enemy! Shields and spears to the front! Don’t let a single one of them through!”

Her presence bolstered her soldiers’ courage, and they stood against the oncoming swarm of foes with renewed vigour. Even as their comrades fell left and right, Amethyst Star rallied them to her side every time they wavered and led them forward again. The admiral was as an island amidst a sea of enemies, and where she went the Republicans panicked and her soldiers took heart.

Amethyst Star, for her part, seemed to take little note of the emotions she inspired in those surrounding her. All her attention was focussed on the battle and its course, and her face was like a stone mask, her eyes cold as ice. It is said that war inspires certain feelings of heated passion or love for battle, but for her this was not the case. She viewed it all with a pragmatic mind-set, focussed on making use of her troops as efficiently as possible. Even her own fighting style was like this. There was no flair or grace to it, only cold, merciless efficiency. Every spell she fired was meant to be lethal, every strike with her blades aimed to kill.

In her eyes, emotion had no place on the battlefield. War was cruel and merciless. It made no distinction between the helpless and the powerful, soldier or civilian, the guilty or the innocent. Compassion, emotion and pity during war and battle only led to injury or death. She had learned that lesson the hard way, and she had never forgotten it. Pain and regret could wait until after the battle, for during it they only served as a distraction.

A movement to her right caught her attention, and she reared back to avoid being impaled on a Republican sword. Before her attacker had the chance to go in for another blow, she had already conjured up a sword of magic and rammed it viciously through his throat. Amethyst didn’t even stop to see him drop dead on the ground; she was already moving on to face the next fool stupid or crazy enough to come at her.

The Republican soldiers were not entirely without brains, however. They knew that they could never hope to take down a Royal Admiral on their own, so they came at her with many at the same time, hoping to overwhelm her with their numbers. Without her, the defenders would be leaderless and their formation would fall apart, making it easier to take them out. This strategy did not exactly surprise Amethyst. She knew that, as an admiral, she was a prime target.

A dozen of the braver one surrounded her and then jumped at her all at once. Amethyst Star could barely resist the urge to scoff at their efforts, while freezing them all in mid-air by grabbing them with her telekinesis. Then, as casually as a pony snapping a twig, she utterly crushed their armour as if it was made of tinfoil, crushing their ribcages in the process. She heedlessly tossed their lifeless bodies away and moved on. The war raged on around her, spells exploding, ponies shouting, blood flowing.

The admiral gathered energy in her horn and then fired off a beam of pure magic from its tip, blasting a huge gap in the enemy’s ranks. She broke into a run and charged through the hole she had created. Conjuring a few magical blades, she used them to cut down enemy’s left and right with precise, deadly cuts and stabs. Soldier after soldier attacked her, trying to stop her, only to find death as a reward for their attempt.

Just as she finished slitting the throat of another Republican with one of her magically conjured swords, her eye caught sight of a wounded Republic soldier laying amidst the bodies of his fallen comrades. He lay on his side, but did not get up, and as Amethyst Star came nearer, she could see why. The entire right side of his body was marred by hideous burns, no doubt caused by the explosion of a magic spell or a stray cannonball that had fallen down from the battle in the skies. He was also missing two legs, and clearly in a state of shock.

Amethyst Star looked down on him and for a moment, she saw not a Republican soldier, but little Dinky, her sister, after the purging of Ponyville. Then the image abruptly faded when the admiral brusquely plunged her sword in the Republican’s chest, ending his suffering. Wordlessly she turned her back on him and walked away, seeking out new foes to slay, her expression as cold as ever.

However, she suddenly stopped and glanced back over her shoulder one last time, though she knew not why she did it. Thoughts of her dear little sister, waiting for her return back in Cantropolis, scarred for life, entered her mind. Amethyst Star averted her eyes and gazed up at the sky, to the Sun that was shining as it did on every other day, heedless of the wars and struggles of the ponies that walked in its light.

“For you, little sis, for you…” Amethyst thought, before charging back into the battle.

Desert Heat watched the battle in the valley with mixed feelings. On one hoof, he was relieved to see that his strategy was holding up so far, though he mourned the losses. On the other hoof, he cursed the fact that he could not be out there and fight at his soldiers’ side. His heart longed for it, but his head knew that he couldn’t leave his current post atop the wall. He had to stay in a position where he could oversee the battle, for it was his task to direct its flow, to anticipate enemy manoeuvres and change his strategies accordingly.

It reminded him again why he had never wanted the position of Grand Admiral in the first place. He was not cut out for this. He wanted to be out on the field, amongst his troops. That was where he really belonged. An admiral was much more than just somepony in charge of a division. On the battlefield, they also served as a guiding light and a beacon of hope. An admiral’s very presence inspired hope in his soldiers’ hearts and fear in his enemies’.

Amethyst Star did her best, but she was still only one mare and could not be everywhere at once. Normally, both her and Desert Heat would have been on the battlefield, with Derpy overlooking and coordinating the battle from behind the lines, until such was the time when the war required her to participate. But now their Grand Admiral was absent, and an admiral less on the field. It was a considerable blow to their battle power, and Desert Heat was all too aware of it. Grand Admiral Hooves held the title of Strongest Mare in the World for a reason, and though he didn’t like to brag, he wasn’t too shabby in combat himself, either.

Desert Heat shook his head and berated himself for getting distracted in his thoughts again. He focussed on the battle again. Amethyst and her troops were putting up a valiant struggle, but their formation was growing decidedly thin and soon would become unsustainable. He frowned, thought about the matter as deeply as he could while still being quick, and then reached a decision.

“Amethyst, get yourself and your remaining guards out of there,” he commanded through his communication stone. “Fall back to the second line of defence and take up position there. After that, same strategy as before.”

“Understood,” came her reply through the stone. “About time, too. I don’t think we could have hold out here much longer. Too many already that managed to slip through.”

Desert Heat nodded, forgetting for the moment that the other admiral couldn’t see it at the moment. “Then get to it,” he ordered. “Be on your guard, though,” he added, and a deep frown appeared on his face as he looked out, past the battling armies, to the other side of the valley, where he spotted a white dot that had to be Shining Armour. “The commanders haven’t entered the battle yet, but I doubt they’re willing to let things go our way for much longer.”

From his side of the battlefield, Shining Armour was observing the royalists’ movements with great interest. He had to admit to having been caught off guard by their surprise attack, and was genuinely impressed by the valour and bravery their soldiers showed on the battlefield. Their tactic had certainly been effective, for he his own troops had suffered considerable losses given the number of enemies they were up against. Losses he truly regretted, but he saved his mourning for after the battle. Now was not the time for it.

He had not yet made a countermove; he wanted to fully understand his enemies’ strategy first. Brave as their attack had been, Shining Armour knew that they would never be able to hold off his troops for long with only one line of defence consisting of only a few hundred soldiers. He wanted to see first what they would do once their line of defence had been broken through. Only then, when he knew more, could he decide on the right way to react.

The marshal watched with some surprise how Amethyst Star suddenly erected a temporary magical barrier. Even from this distance, his magically enhanced senses could feel that it wasn’t a particularly strong shield; it would buy them a few seconds at most. Yet seconds were apparently all the admiral needed, as she called upon her magic again and teleported herself and her remaining soldiers away from the front line, leaving the first trenches empty and the way onward wide open.

Amethyst Star reappeared again, only twenty metres further, where they quickly took up position in and behind the second line of trenches and fences the royalists had prepared. As soon as his own troops broke through Amethyst Star’s weak shield and stormed ahead, the admiral signalled to her troops and a barrage of spells and arrows was fired from the trenches at the oncoming Republicans.

“Of course…” Shining Armour muttered, understanding dawning on him. He narrowed his eyes, focussing on his enhanced sight on the lone figure of Desert Heat atop the wall, the admiral apparently conversing with someone through his communication stone. Shining Armour watched him for a few seconds, then dispelled his sight-enhancing spell and called for Smaragd Haze.

The commander came running towards him immediately. “Have you figured out the enemy’s strategy, marshal?” he asked, once he stood next to his superior.

“I have indeed,” Shining Armour confirmed. “It’s certainly clever, though so logical I should have seen it much sooner.” He made a gesture at the battlefield with one of his hooves, indicating the other stallion to take a look. “They know we have the advantage of numbers, so they made optimal use of the fact that we’re in an enclosed space in this valley to get around that.”

Smaragd Haze stared at the frontline for a moment. The Republican army had managed to move past the defence line, only to be halted in their advance again by the defenders forming a second wall of armoured steel and muscle, their numbers no larger than before. He nodded in understanding.

“Ah, I see,” he said. “Due to the terrain we cannot attack them from the side or from the rear, only from the front. So they build up a wall with only the bare minimum of soldiers and have those fight to the very limits of their abilities. It ensures that we lose a great number of soldiers to take down a much smaller number. Then once their formation becomes too weak to hold, they merely need to retreat a few metres, rebuild their wall with fresh troops and repeat the strategy.” The commander looked almost impressed. “With this strategy a small army could take down one that is many times their number, at least in theory.”

“Exactly,” Shining Armour confirmed. “And from the looks of it, it works in practice, too.”

“So what do we do, marshal?” Smaragd Haze demanded.

“We continue on as planned, but Trixie contacted me just now to let me know that she needs some more time to get ready,” Shining Armour replied. He glanced up briefly to the battle in the skies, then looked back at the conflict in the valley, a pensive frown decorating his face. “Until then, we should focus our attention on cutting back our losses in the valley as much as possible.” His frown deepened as another big explosion at the frontline tore a big gap in his army’s ranks.

“We’ll carry out the phase one backup plan,” he declared, then turned his head to look directly at Smaragd Haze. “I will take care of that, but in the meantime something has to be done about Amethyst Star. Can I trust you to take care of that?”

A dark grin crept up Smaragd Haze’s face. “Consider it done, marshal,” he replied, while surprisingly managing to keep his eagerness from spilling into his voice. “Permission to cut down the effectiveness of the enemy’s strategy, too, sir?”

Shining Armour stared in silence at the other stallion for a while, his expression unreadable. Then he slowly turned his head to look at the battle down in the valley. He didn’t need to enhance his sight to see that he was losing a lot more soldiers there than needed. Ponies who had a life and a family waiting for them back at home. He closed his eyes and sighed, before turning back to Smaragd Haze again.

“Permission granted, commander.”

Rainbow Dash soared through the air, darting from airship to airship and intercepting whatever cannonballs fired by the enemy she could. Some she blasted apart with her lightning, others were slashed to pieces or sent off course with a strike of her lance. All around her, the sky was filled with explosions of cannonballs and spells, smoke and fire, and pegasi locked in struggles to the death. So far, neither side had lost any ships yet, but judging from the ferocity with which they both fought, it was only a matter of time.

She herself knew that she was more than capable of taking out an entire ship by herself, but until now she had held herself back to mostly defending her ships. There had been a few braver ones who had tried to attack her, who were now probably laying somewhere down below on the ground, trampled by their own allies. Rainbow Dash always tried to hold back and avoid using lethal force whenever she fought, but she understood that this was war and that compassion had little place here.

A glance to the ground below showed her that her fellow admirals were having the same opinion. Even from this high, Rainbow Dash could recognise Amethyst Star’s magic from anywhere, especially when it was creating explosions that tore a gap in the enemy’s ranks so large that even from the air they looked huge. For a brief moment, she pitied the Republicans down below. Sparkler was many things, but merciful was not one of them.

Rainbow Dash noticed a movement to her left and saw a group of Republican ships break off to the side, trying to encircle one of her own ships. Without wasting a second she took her communication stone from her pocket while casually swatting another cannonball aside.

“Rose Thorn, they’re trying to flank the Swallowtail,” she spoke into the stone. “Assign some ships in the area to take care of it.” As she talked, a small group of five Republican pegasi flew towards her, weapons drawn. Rainbow Dash barely had the time to put away her stone again and pull in her head to avoid being scalped.

She groaned audible, more annoyed than anything by their efforts. She blocked the sword of one who came at her from above with her lance, then used the other end of the same lance to butt another one who had tried to skewer her from below in the face. She adroitly dodged the third who lunged at her, making him fly past her. She hit him in the back of the head with an elbow, sending him falling to his death below.

Going on the offensive, she lashed out and rigged the fourth on the tip of her lance by plunging it into his chest, then turned around and swung him right into the final one who had tried to attack her from behind. By this time the first two had recovered and came back at her, but Rainbow Dash cut the sword of one in half with the sharp ‘feathers’ of the mechanical skeleton fitted over her wings. Before he could recover, she punched him square in the face, breaking his nose and more than a few teeth. While he was still reeling from that blow, she finished the job with a kick to his stomach that could have shattered stone.

She tried to find the last one, only to see he had went and gotten backup. Fear or anger – she didn’t know which – made them forego strategy, and they instead simply went for a direct charge straight towards her. Rainbow Dash scoffed at their idiocy and triggered her magicite. Her left hoof crackled with lightning and she thrust it forward, sending forth a gigantic blast of electricity that engulfed her would-be attackers and fried them to a crisp.

“Idiots,” she cursed under her breath, as she watched their lifeless bodies fall to the ground.

The little skirmish with those unfortunate soldiers did make her realise that she was getting pretty tired of hanging around all defensively, waiting for more fools to come at her and throw their lives away. It was high time for admiral Rainbow Dash to go on the offensive herself, she decided. Looking around the battlefield, she quickly picked out the perfect target. Grinning, she pulled out her communication stone again.

“Rose Thorn, take the Wonderbolt, the Queen’s Cider and the Sonic Snowflake and follow my lead,” she commanded. “We’re going to cripple their morale and take out their flagship.”

“Roger that, ma’am,” came his curt reply.

Satisfied, Rainbow Dash stored the crystal away again, then cracked her neck and rolled her shoulders a bit. It was time for some real action. Calling upon the power of her magicite once more, she summoned up bolts of lightning around herself. She flapped her wings a couple of times to make sure everything was still working perfectly, and then she took off. She burst through the air like an arrow made of lightning, the force of her mere passing enough to send pegasi tumbling from the skies. The speed was exhilarating, but Rainbow Dash stayed focussed, aiming straight from the giant battleship that led the Republic fleet.

At the speed she was going, she could easily tear straight through the ship’s thick, armoured hull as if it was made of tinfoil. She would have done just that, too, were it not for a jet of searing hot flames appearing right in her path out of nowhere, heading straight for her. Rainbow Dash just barely managed to change her course in time to avoid being burned. One of the ships behind her was not as fortunate, however, the stream of fire hitting it square in the middle of the rump, blowing it in half.

Rainbow Dash came to a grinding halt in mid-air, watching in disbelief as the first ship of her fleet was sunken in an instance. She turned around, trying to find the one responsible.

“Sorry, Dash, but I like my ship right where it is. Namely, in the air,” a familiar voice called out to her. Her eyes quickly sought out its source and landed on a yellow pegasus mare with a mane and tail coloured like fire. She was hovering lazily in front of the Republic’s flagship, holding a glaive in one hoof, while her other hoof was wreathed in flames.

“Spitfire,” she growled through clenched teeth, her eyes narrowing.

The two mares regarded each other quietly for a moment, neither of them moving as much as an eyelid. Then, as if on some unspoken signal, they took off, going straight for each other. Rainbow Dash didn’t feel the slightest bit of hesitation as she charged towards the mare who had been her idol in her previous life. Her magicite glowed, her hoof started to crackle with lightning. Ahead, the flames wreathed around Spitfire’s hoof started to burn brighter and hotter.

As the distance between them grew ever smaller, it became clear to the ponies in the skies surrounding them that neither was going to slow down or back out. The two strongest pegasi in all of Equestria were heading right towards each other, and they meant business.

A clash was inevitable.

End of chapter 33.

Author's Note

I would like to say that this marks the first time ever that I'm writing a war, so I'm pretty new to strategies and stuff like that. So forgive me if I make my two warring factions do something that a real war general would never allow. I honestly wouldn't know how it's done in reality. I just write whatever feels right to me.

34. Clash of the titans

Wings of Tomorrow
Lament of the World

34. Clash of the titans
The Siege of Stalliongrad – Part 3

The clash between the two pegasi was as terrible as those watching it had feared it would be. When there was less than a pony-length between them, Rainbow Dash and Spitfire lashed out at the other at the same time. Their hooves crashed together, and the impact resulted in a massive discharge of power, accompanied by a boom like a great thunderclap. Soldiers of both sides who had the misfortune of being too close to them got thrown back like leaves in the wind by the sheer force emanating from the two commanders, as the both of them struggled and tried their best to push the other back with their magicite-charged hoof.

Fire and lightning fought for supremacy, the incredible heat given off by these two elements heating up the air around them rapidly, until the air pressure became too great and exploded with a second thunderclap. Rainbow Dash and Spitfire were both thrown back by the resulting shockwave, but not as far as any of their subordinates, and they recovered almost straight away. Without a moment of hesitation, they dove at each other again, brandishing their weapons this time.

Spitfire swung her glaive with both hooves in a graceful downward blow strong enough to cleave through bone, but Rainbow Dash dodged to the side and lunged at her opponent’s chest with the diamond-tip of her lance. Spitfire also managed to dodge the blow, her agility no less impressive than Rainbow Dash’s. She swung her glaive again, in a horizontal arch this time that could easily chop Rainbow Dash in half, but the admiral parried the blow with her own weapon.

With their weapons still locked together, Rainbow Dash’s thrust her free hoof at Spitfire’s abdomen, sending forth a blast of lightning aimed to fry Spitfire’s intestines. The commander reacted just as swift, using one of her legs to deliver a solid kick to Rainbow Dash’s arm, sending the blast off course. The two combatants broke away from each other, then immediately renewed the attack.

Rainbow Dash was the one who claimed the first blow this time, with a jab of her lance that was sure to pierce Spitfire’s throat, had the commander not swept the attack aside with a strike of her glaive. With Rainbow Dash still recovering from the momentum of her lunge, Spitfire aimed a sweeping kick at Rainbow Dash’s side. Her attack was stopped when Rainbow Dash’s lightning quick reflexes made the admiral grab her leg, and the hoof that held it crackled with lightning. Realising the danger she was in, Spitfire quickly swatted Rainbow Dash in the face with one of her limbs, causing the admiral to let go, but not before a small surge of lightning singed her leg.

The two broke apart again and took a moment to catch their breath, hovering quietly in the air as they regarded each other with wary eyes. Spitfire’s leg stung a bit, the armour on it showing one or two scorch marks. Rainbow Dash did not go unscathed either, as she had a few scratches on her face from where Spitfire’s razor sharp wing armour had cut her. Both were only incredibly minor, negligible injuries, however, and the two pegasi looked no worse for wear than they had before their brief scuffle.

Finally, after a brief moment of silence, Spitfire grinned. “I hope my little warm-up didn’t tire you out too much, Dash,” she said cockily, “because I could do this all day.”

“Only a day?” Rainbow Dash replied without missing a beat. She returned Spitfire’s grin with an arrogant smirk of her own. Then she suddenly launched herself forward with a powerful beat of her wings and lashed out with her lance. “And here I was thinking you were capable of more than that!”

Spitfire remained silent and gritted her teeth. The skies themselves trembled as the weapons of the two pegasi collided, sparks of power emanating from where their blades were locked together. They broke apart at the same time, Spitfire immediately throwing her other hoof forward in a flame-wreathed punch. Rainbow Dash answered with a magicite-powered punch of her own. Their hooves collided as they had before, shaking the skies with another thunderclap that pushed the two combatants away from each other again.

Rainbow Dash immediately went on the offensive. She shot up into the skies to create more distance between herself and Spitfire, and once she deemed she was far enough, she stopped and turned to her enemy once more. She held her two front hooves close to each other, lightning pouring from them into the air in between. Carefully she formed it into a sphere, a ball lightning, which she then threw with all her might at her opponent.

Spitfire, who was flying straight towards Rainbow Dash again, had to swerve to the right in order to avoid the dangerous projectile. But even then, she was not safe just yet, as the ball lightning grew increasingly unstable, with deadly bolts of lightning shooting from it at random until it finally exploded in a great discharge of electric energy. Worse, Rainbow Dash was already throwing more ball lightnings her way, turning the clear skies into an electric minefield.

However, even though she was not a Wonderbolt in this life, Spitfire was still an excellent flier with incredible reflexes. She expertly swerved between the attacks Rainbow Dash threw her way, passing through the minefield unscathed. Pushing her wings just a bit harder, she was suddenly on top of her opponent. Rainbow Dash was already preparing herself to block Spitfire’s glaive, only to see that the commander didn’t have her weapon in her hooves. Instead, Spitfire created a lance of fierce flames in each hoof and threw them at Rainbow Dash at point-blank range.

Rainbow Dash yelped and only just managed to twist her body out of the way, one of the lances singed the tip of her mane as it passed her by. Spitfire was already upon her again, this time she did wield her glaive again, and its blade was covered in flames. The commander swung her weapon and Rainbow Dash’s body was positioned wrongly in order to properly block it. Gritting her teeth, the admiral folded her wings and let herself drop, Spitfire’s weapon swinging over her head and nicking off a few stray strands of hair.

Before Spitfire could follow and attack again, Rainbow Dash pointed both hooves at her, unleashing the full might of her magicite. Bolts of pure lightning blasted forth, one of them singed the tip of Spitfire’s left wing as she swerved out of the lightning’s path. Wincing, Spitfire quickly righted herself and threw a wave of flames at her opponent. Rainbow Dash noticed the danger and quickly covered her wings with lightning, using it to rapidly heat up the air around her. With a flap of her wings she created another thunderclap, the shockwave that resulted from it dousing Spitfire’s flames.

After the skies had settled down again, Spitfire and Rainbow Dash watched each other in silence, quietly agreeing on another short pause to catch their breaths. Unlike the previous pause, when both had looked no worse for wear than before the battle had begun, they now both showed signs of having been in a scuffle. On top of that, their laboured breaths showed that it had actually required them to exert themselves a bit in order to make it through.

“I need to shake her off,” Rainbow Dash thought, as she glowered at Spitfire. “Every minute I spend fighting her is a minute wasted. We can’t beat each other, not unless we fight for a couple of days, and I know she knows that too. She’s just trying to keep me busy so I can’t guide my troops! ”

Her mind made up, Rainbow Dash decided that the break was over. She reached into the power of her magicite and called upon its might. Sparks of lightning began to dance around her entire body, and the admiral looked at her opponent and grinned. “Time to wrap this up, Spitfire!” she said aloud, and her eyes narrowed with determination.

Spitfire, sensing the amount of power Rainbow Dash was calling upon, quickly realised this was serious and braced herself. Her magicite glowed as flames whirled up around her, setting her body on fire, though she remained unharmed. As the two mares faced each other and drew deeper into the power locked within their magicite, their shards flared brighter and brighter, until they shone like stars. The air trembled and rumbled, signs of the oncoming storm.

For a moment Spitfire and Rainbow Dash’s eyes met, and they stared each other down in silence. Then they simultaneously unleashed their attack in the greatest display of the awful power of magicite seen so far during the battle. Lightning burst forth from Rainbow Dash’s body and flew towards her opponent, taking on the form of a giant bird of prey along the way. It was met by a searing sea of flames shaped like a gigantic phoenix, courtesy of Spitfire.

The clash of the two attacks was utterly terrible and terrifying. In the skies between the two mares, fire and lightning fought for supremacy, the intense heat and energy coming from the struggle destabilising the atmosphere, and the air was tortured by explosive thunder. Stray bolts of lightning and blasts of flame erupted from the centre of the clash, a hazard to friend and foe alike. One of the Republican’s ships went down when its engines were fried by such a stray lightning blast, while a jet of flame caught a group of fighting soldiers by surprise, killing them instantly and charring their bodies to the very core.

Finally, the torment of the heavens ended in a massive explosion, which sank two more ships and felled numerous soldiers on both sides; unfortunate souls who had dared themselves too close to the battle of their superiors. Their lifeless bodies fell to the ground below, where they would join those who had been killed during the terrible battle in the valley.

Rainbow Dash had been knocked away by the explosion as well, but her experience in using her powers had ensured her safety, while her trained wings had quickly put an end to her uncoordinated flight. Now she hung back and observed the result of the terrible clash. The smell of ozone permeated the air, while clouds of black smoke hindered her sight. She couldn’t see Spitfire, which was good, as it meant Spitfire could probably not see her either.

“Were the both of you trying to get us all killed?” asked the voice of Rose Thorn, coming from Rainbow Dash’s communication crystal. The vice-admiral did not sound the least bit amused, in fact, his tone was rather icy.

“I’m going to be wrecked by guilt enough as it is already once the war’s over, vice-admiral, so spare me your lectures!” Rainbow Dash snapped angrily. “She wasn’t going to leave me alone and I couldn’t afford to waste much more time fighting her. I had to shake her off! So instead of berating me, tell me the damage and the situation. I was too occupied during my fight to keep an eye on the rest of the battle.”

The other side of the line remained silent for a moment. “We’re down three ships. One was lost during the blast just now, the other two while fighting the Republic. Meanwhile, we took down four of theirs, while your fight with Spitfire ended up costing them two more. As far as soldiers go, we’re still matched pretty evenly.” Rose Thorn fell silent again, but Rainbow Dash instinctively felt there was more he wanted to say.

“What is it?” she demanded, frowning. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, yet,” the vice-admiral replied. “I suspect they’re planning something, though. We’ve been pushing them back for a while now, but it feels too easy. Almost as if they’re willingly retreating back into their airspace.”

Rainbow Dash’s frown deepened. “Okay, that’s definitely suspicious,” she admitted. “This kind of strategy is unlike Spitfire, so I’m pretty sure Shining Armour’s behind this. I’ll contact Desert Heat and ask how things are going down there, maybe he could tell us more.”

“Should we halt our advance in the meantime?” Rose Thorn asked.

Rainbow Dash tapped her chin with her hoof as she thought it over. “No, if they’re retreating, we should take full advantage of it and push them back as far as we can, and take down as many as possible,” she said slowly. “Just to be safe, though, have the ships spread out. That should reduce the effectiveness of any area attacks they decide to pull off.”

“Understood,” the vice-admiral replied.

The communication ended, and Rainbow Dash put her crystal away with a sigh. She glanced at the singed tip of her tail and inwardly winced. Thinking back to her fight with Spitfire, she felt decidedly uncomfortable. She had forgotten how it was to face an opponent who could actually match her, and due to that she had let herself get carried away. Her final attack had been much too powerful and Spitfire had had no choice but to respond with the same level of power. She should have been more responsible.

She sighed again, but then shook her head and pushed those thoughts away. Now was not the time to reflect on the mistakes she made during this war. That would come later, after the battle. Then she would have all the time she needed to feel guilty and to be angry at herself. Now, however, she had a war to win, and in order to do that she first had to figure out what the enemy was up to.

Reaching under her cape, Rainbow Dash pulled out her other communication crystal and contacted Desert Heat.

Down below on the ground, Amethyst Star and her troops were still doing everything within their power to delay the Republic’s advance for as long as they could. Even though they had been forced back to their third line of defence, their strategy still held, for the Republic had paid a high price for that small victory, while their losses were still relatively low in comparison. However, the Republic’s attack was relentless and they never stopped coming, no matter how many of their number were slain.

“If there’s anything that seems off to me?” Amethyst Star asked, speaking into her communication crystal while cutting down Republican soldiers left and right with magically conjured blades. “Not to my knowledge, though admittedly it is hard to keep track of everything amidst this chaos. You have a better viewpoint than I, Desert, so why do you ask?”

“Rainbow Dash just contacted me,” the voice of the other admiral replied through the enchanted stone. “It appears the enemy’s up to something in the air. She mentioned they were driving the Republic back too easily, almost as if they were willingly retreating, though she couldn’t figure out why. Dash wanted to know if there was anything happening with you that might give her a clue.”

“There’s a lot happening here with me at the moment, the kind of things that normally happen during a war,” Amethyst Star said dryly, as she took a step to the left to avoid being gutted by an enemy spear. Her magic took hold of her opponent’s head and twisted his neck with a sickening snap. “I wish they were doing something as suspicious as retreating, Celestia knows we could use a break.”

“Somehow I don’t think Shining Armour will give us that,” Desert Heat replied. “Rainbow Dash’s report only confirmed what I already suspected: they are planning something. I only wish I knew what it was. Aside from their airships, none of their troops are behaving in a manner that seems off or suspicious. That just makes it all the more difficult to predict their next move. Knowing Shining Armour, it could be anything.”

Amethyst Star frowned, then conjured up a protective shield dome around herself, blocking herself off from the war. She rubbed her chin thoughtfully with one of her hooves as she pondered about the situation. “The only thing that’s been off to me so far, is the lack of resistance I’ve encountered,” she said slowly. “I expected one of their commanders to have intercepted me by now, like they tried with Rainbow Dash.” As she spoke, countless of enemies were pounding on her shield, but their efforts were entirely in vain. Their attempts were so pitiful she didn’t even acknowledge them.

“I noticed,” Desert Heat said. “Smaragd Haze has been hanging around Shining Armour this entire time and Spitfire’s in the sky, but I haven’t been able to locate Trixie yet.”

“Now that, I do not like the sound of,” Amethyst Star replied, her frown deepening. “We should be on our guard, Desert. I suggest we have some of our unicorn vice-admirals scan the area and see if they can detect any spells. They might be trying to approach us from a different direction under the guise of an invisibility spell.”

The other side of the line was silent for a moment as Desert Heat contemplated the advice. “A sound idea,” he admitted. “I will put some ponies on that right away. While that is taken care of, I want you to go a bit wild, Sparkler. Increase the pressure, force them to make their move and reveal their plan. It will give us a bit of extra breathing space and buy us some extra time as well.”

The female admiral nodded. “Understood,” she replied. “Consider it done.”

She pocketed her communication stone again and returned her attention to the battle around her. She noticed the Republicans had stopped their attempts to break through her shield, but paid it no further heed, pondering instead about the most effective way to cause as much damage as possible without endangering her own troops. She was so caught up by her thoughts that she didn’t hear Desert Heat’s warning cry until it was already too late.

Something huge and powerful came at her as if out of nowhere and slammed into her shield, shattering it. The backlash of her failed spell sent Amethyst Star flying and a bolt of pain ran down her horn and nerves. She landed a small distance away, sliding along the ground before finally coming to a halt. More startled than hurt by the experience, Amethyst climbed back to her hooves, shaking her head as her eyes tried to locate her attacker.

Said attacker was not exactly trying to hide himself, as Amethyst Star quickly located the bulky form of Smaragd Haze storming towards her at a speed that belied his size. Growling, Amethyst Star gritted her teeth and teleported out of the way just as Smaragd Haze jumped at her and brought his hoof down with tremendous force on the spot where she had just stood. The earth shattered under the commander’s hoof, the impact having created a small crater that spoke volumes about the stallion’s physical strength. If that blow had hit her, Amethyst didn’t doubt her bones would have been pulverised.

With a hiss Smaragd Haze pulled his hoof free from the ground and turned towards her, a dark grin spread across his face. “Taking a break under a shield in the middle of a battlefield,” he hissed dangerously. “The arrogance of unicorns never fails to surprise me. Have you no shame?”

He lunged at her again, but Amethyst Star was ready this time. With practised ease and a bit of magic, she neatly leaped over his larger form and landed behind him. With a flash of her horn, she lashed out at him with her magic, sending him sprawling.

“You’re one to talk,” she replied icily, as Smaragd Haze slowly climbed back to his hooves with a grunt. “For a stallion to attack an unsuspecting mare! So much for the ‘brave’ soldiers of the mighty Republic.”

The commander merely laughed as he dusted himself off, looking no worse for wear than before Amethyst had hit him. “All is fair in love and war, Amethyst Star,” he said simply. “Especially in war.” He looked around himself, at the numerous bodies of Republican soldiers that littered the ground, before turning his attention back to Amethyst Star. The dark smile returned to his face. “Something we appear to agree on, given the amount of bodies surrounding us that you took the life from.”

Amethyst Star raised an eyebrow, looking decidedly unimpressed. “Bold words, coming from the one responsible for the massacre at Neighara,” she said coolly. “Am I to assume that you came knocking merely to discuss war philosophies with me?”

Smaragd Haze’s smile turned into a dangerous grimace. “You should be so lucky,” he hissed, almost whispering. The magicite shards embedded in his grey armour flared to life and started to glow with a sickening crimson light. Almost immediately, a peculiar, crimson smoke welled up around his body, and Smaragd Haze’s grin widened. With a cry, the commander swung one of his arms, and a wave of viscous, crimson liquid burst forth from it, travelling along the ground towards Amethyst Star at rapid pace.

The admiral’s eyes widened slightly in shock, the nature of the attack having taken her by surprise, but she recovered quickly and managed to jump out of the way. The foul liquid passed her by harmlessly, and she paid it no further heed, focussing her attention on Smaragd Haze instead. Her horn glowed as she prepared to launch a counterattack, but she halted upon hearing wails of terror and pain coming from behind her. Amethyst Star glanced over her shoulder to see what the commotion was about, but the sight that greeted her was one that filled even her, battle-hardened and cold as she was, with horror.

Amethyst Star might have been able to dodge Smaragd Haze’s attack, but the soldiers behind her had not been so lucky. At least half a dozen of them, Republicans and Royalists both, had been doused by the foul substance, and cried out in absolute agony. The admiral could do nothing but watch as their bodies were being both melted and eaten away by the corrosive substance. One soldier had been so unlucky to have the liquid hit him in the face, and he screamed as his eyes were burned away, only to stop when the substance seeped through his skull and mercifully ended his life and his torment.

Still shocked, Amethyst Star turned back to Smaragd Haze, her face bearing an expression of disbelief and horror. Her opponent merely smiled and held up his hoof, a drop of the crimson liquid running down it and falling towards the earth. A hiss rose up as it hit the ground, the stuff burning a neat, small hole in the soil.

“Acid…” Amethyst Star whispered, her shock replacing the usual iciness of her voice. Said shock was quickly replaced by anger, and if looks could kill Smaragd Haze would have been reduced to a pile of ashes right there and then. “So the rumours I heard about your magicite are true, then.” She took a breath and then shook her head slowly, her usual cold demeanour returning to her. “It would seem your reputation as ‘the Ruthless’ is quite deserved.”

“I always thought it rather exaggerated, myself,” Smaragd Haze shrugged. “But then again, our fellow ponies have always been the skittish kind, wouldn’t you agree? They condemn me and my deeds, conveniently forgetting that it is because of me doing what I do that they can keep on living to condemn me in the first place. So ungrateful.” He clacked his tongue disapprovingly, then glanced over his shoulder at his cutie mark. “As for my powers… What can I say? I have a way with dangerous substances, so why waste the talent?”

“Out of ponity, perhaps?” Amethyst Star suggested coldly.

The stallion laughed. “Such a thing has no place in war, Amethyst Star,” he replied. “You know that as well as I do. ‘War ethics’ are something that only exists in the foyer of estranged philosophers who have never been in war themselves. Hollow concepts the ruling class likes to throw around in order to make themselves appear morally superior to the ‘lowly’ soldiers who do their dirty work.”

Smaragd Haze rolled his shoulders and cracked his neck. “But we are those ‘lowly’ soldiers, aren’t we, hornhead? We’ve been in battle, we’ve seen war. We know what it’s truly like, out here on the battlefield,” he said, while Amethyst Star braced herself. She didn’t like the tone in his voice at all. “All that matters, is victory. As long as we achieve that, the innocent civilian in his home and the pompous ruler on his throne won’t ever question or condemn the methods their soldiers used. Because all they care about, is that we won!”

With a roar, he launched himself at Amethyst Star again, but the admiral jumped out of the way and hit him with another magical blow that sent him sprawling once more. Smaragd Haze merely laughed as he climbed back to his hooves, then swung his arm at her, throwing another blast of his venomous acid her way. This time Amethyst Star was ready, and she caught the dangerous substance in her magic before turning it into harmless water.

However, the time it took for her to do that was all the time Smaragd Haze needed to cross the distance between them and lash out with an acid-covered punch of his hoof. Amethyst Star managed to raise a magical shield in time to parry the blow, and she immediately retaliated by casting a spell that made the ground underneath him erupt with stony spikes. Smaragd Haze was knocked into the air by the attack, but remained unharmed as the stone teeth couldn’t puncture his thick, heavy armour.

Amethyst Star narrowed her eyes in concentration as she grabbed him with her telekinesis before he could hit the ground, leaving him hanging frozen in the air. She focussed her magic, ready to snap his neck as she had done to countless others before, only to see Smaragd Haze bursting out into laughter. Her eyes widened slightly as she saw him literally ‘grab’ the aura of her magic that surrounded him, before snapping it to pieces, breaking her hold. He dropped to the ground with a heavy thud.

“Figures he would have prepared himself for facing a unicorn,” she thought. “He probably has some kind of enchantment that allows him to physically manipulate magic.” She didn’t panic at this realisation, in truth she hadn’t thought it would have been that easy to get rid of a commander of the Republic. “It merely means I have to try another strategy.”

With a flash, she disappeared, reappearing again somewhere behind Smaragd Haze. She fired a blast of magic at him, then disappeared once again, teleporting all around him in rapid succession and firing her magic, until the stallion had magical blasts coming at him from every direction. With impressive speed and reflexes for a pony his size, Smaragd Haze swatted the attacks away with his bare hooves.

While he did this, however, Amethyst Star appeared right above him and fired a beam of pure magic at him. Smaragd Haze only had the time to glance up before he was hit by the beam and engulfed by the massive explosion that followed the impact. When the light of the magical explosion faded, Amethyst Star could see the result of her assault. Her attack had blasted a sizeable crater into the ground. She carefully landed a few paces away from the edge, still on her guard. The dust and smoke rising up from the crater made it impossible to see if Smaragd Haze was still alive or not.

Suddenly, a ball of crimson liquid burst forth from the smoke and landed at her feet. Amethyst tried to back away, but the moment the acid hit the ground, its reaction to the earth made it generate a great amount of toxic smoke that robbed her of her sight and took her breath away. The gas stung in her nose and eyes, which began to water, and she lifted her hoof to her muzzle in a futile attempt to shield her face.

Coughing, she made a blind teleport to get out of the poisonous cloud, reappearing a good deal away from it, where she gratefully took in deep breaths of clean air. She didn’t have very long to enjoy it, as Smaragd Haze was suddenly upon her and lashed out with one of his hooves. His blow hit her in the shoulder and sent her sprawling to the ground. Amethyst Star grunted as she hit the dirt, her shoulder aching. For her to feel this much pain, even though her armour had blocked most of the damage, meant her opponent possessed a truly monstrous amount of physical strength.

She felt a weight press down on her, forcing the air from her lungs, as Smaragd Haze pinned her down with the full weight of his heavily armoured, muscled body. She made an attempt to teleport from under him, but he whacked her in the horn, sending such a massive jolt of pain down her spine that she was momentarily blinded. Through the haze of pain, she glared up at her opponent. Smaragd Haze’s mane was dishevelled, the tips of his hairs slightly singed, while his armour sported a few dents and soot marks. A tiny stream of blood ran down between his eyes from a small, open wound on his forehead. He looked down on her with contempt.

“So much for the great Amethyst Star,” he said mockingly. “I had expected more. Then again, it is no secret that you hornheads are worth nothing without your magic.” The hooves that pinned her down began to emanate crimson smoke again as acid started to flow forth from them, the corrosive substance hissing as it began to eat away Amethyst Star’s armour.

“Don’t flatter yourself,” she hissed in reply. “I merely decided to give you a free shot out of pity!” With a cry and a burst of physical strength that he hadn’t expected of her, she reared up and threw him off her. A flash of her horn later, she had teleported herself back on her hooves, before clobbering the startled Smaragd Haze with a giant, magical fist. The blow sent him flying into a group of his own soldiers, who crumbled under his bulk and weight.

“From now on, no more games,” Amethyst Star said, her eyes glowing with cold fury, and she spat on the ground. Her horn started to glow and she was lifted into the air by her own magic. A magic circle filled with many incomprehensible runes appeared behind her, spinning slowly as five smaller circles formed along its edge. Amethyst Star cast another spell, and from every of these five magic circles, a great sword appeared, glowing with magic and shaped like the runic blades from a long forgotten era.

The blades rotated around their own axis as they lazily drifted in a vertical circle around her, as if they were rays of a magic sun. All the while Amethyst Star remained floating in the air, her eyes ablaze with power. She watched in silence as Smaragd Haze got to his hooves, throwing off the subordinates that had fallen on him and calling them useless.

“Amethyst, when I said I wanted you to go a bit wild, I didn’t mean for you to bring out your Sephiras,” the voice of Desert Heat said, coming from her communication crystal. The older admiral sounded worried.

“I was left with little choice. That stallion is a monster. He shrugged off all of my blows so far as if they were no worse than the bite of a flea,” Amethyst Star replied quietly. “Holding back was no longer an option.”

“You mustn’t let him distract you,” Desert Heat chided. “You can’t afford to let him do that, every moment you spend fighting him is a moment where our troops are without leadership, and their formation falls apart quickly.”

“But every moment I don’t keep him in my sight is a moment he could use to attack our line of defence instead,” Amethyst Star countered. “Now that I’ve faced him, I know he’s every bit as ruthless as the rumours suggested. I can’t let him slip through my hooves, else our troops will just get slaughtered. We can’t hold any formation with him running around unopposed.”

She heard Desert Heat curse quietly under his breath. “I have to find a way to get over there myself, or else we won’t make it,” he muttered, his voice stressed and on edge. “Do what you can in the meantime. I’m counting on you, Sparkler.”

“Don’t worry,” she replied, her voice firm and confident. “I’ve got this.”

With that, she shut off the communication and focussed her attention on Smaragd Haze again. The Republican commander was charging towards her once more, but this time she was ready for him. With a wave of her hoof she sent forth her swords, which were known as Sephiras and as feared as they were famed, and it was them that had earned her the nickname ‘the Mageblade’.

The Sephira swords flew through the air as if they were alive, heading straight for their target. Only a few paces away from Smaragd Haze, the group of swords split up in all directions. One kept flying straight ahead and went for the stallion’s head, the speed with which it was going ensuring that it would chop it clean off the neck if it managed to land a hit. Smaragd Haze growled and lashed out, his armoured hoof landing a solid blow on the enchanted sword that knocked it off course.

But these swords were not like the simple weapons Amethyst Star had conjured before, which were dispelled easily upon impact or when she no longer willed them to be there. No, her Sephiras were much more durable, not to mention greater in power as well, and they were her deadliest weapon. Smaragd Haze may have succeeded in stopping one, but at the same time another Sephira swung by, delivering a glancing blow to his side that left a cut in his armour. Even as he turned to face the new threat, another Sephira was already coming at him from another angle.

The blades danced their deadly dance, battering Smaragd Haze with blow after blow, their speed being too great for even his impressive reflexes to catch up. His acid could not shield him here either, for the swords were magical constructs and thus unaffected by his corrosive poisons. Finally, he became fed up with trying to bat the annoying pests away, and instead turned his attention towards Amethyst Star himself, knowing full well that all of her sorcery would end the moment he ended her.

He lobbed a ball of acid her way, shrugging off every blow and strike of her swords in the meantime, only moving his head every time one of the Sephiras tried to take it off. His attack never struck home, as Amethyst Star simply vanished and reappeared elsewhere, all the while continuing to direct her magic blades. He tried again, but every time he threw an attack or charged at her, she would simply teleport herself out of harm’s way.

“Not even going to face me directly, are you, you coward?!” he snarled at her, his frustration levels building as he failed to hit her, while her swords just kept wailing on him and chopping at his armour.

A cold smirk crept up on Amethyst’s face. “Why should I willingly place myself in needless danger by facing you under the circumstances you excel at, when I can just as well take you out from afar, with far less risk to my own self?” she asked. “That has nothing to do with cowardice; it is simple, basic battle strategy to face the enemy under your own terms. You said it yourself, after all: all is fair in love and war.”

Her smirk disappeared and was replaced by a scowl, as she momentarily held her swords back to give him a serious look. “You cannot best me, Smaragd Haze. Even if my magic cannot affect your body directly, there are many other ways I can use it to defeat you,” she said. “You’re outmatched. I suggest you retreat, or else I will end your life.”

Smaragd Haze stared at her in silence for a moment, a look of pure hatred on his face. Then, to her surprise, he started to laugh. “Outmatched?” he echoed, shaking his head in amusement. “Now you’re simply being insulting, Amethyst Star.” Slowly, crimson smog rose up from around his hooves and began to enshroud his body. “All is fair, you say? In that case, allow me to even the odds once more.”

Before she could stop him, Smaragd Haze had thrown a dangerous amount of acid in a wide circle around himself. It was the same corrosive substance he had used before to blind her, the reaction of the earth with the acid giving off generous amounts of toxic smoke. The smoke came together in a great, crimson cloud that took Smaragd Haze out of sight. Amethyst Star didn’t like this development at all. She sent her Sephiras into the smog, but due to the lack of visibility, she might as well have been a blind mare trying to swat flies.

“Tell me, Amethyst Star,” the voice of Smaragd Haze said, coming from somewhere within the poisonous cloud. “Have you ever faced a hydra? Have you ever felt the sting of its venomous fangs as they burry themselves in your flesh?” The tone of his voice almost sent a chill down Amethyst’s spine. “Well, you’re about to.”

Amethyst Star thought she saw something stir within the toxic fog, but she couldn’t make out what it was. The very next moment she barely had the time to jump aside as something burst forth from the cloud and lunged at her. It was the monstrous head of a hydra, made entirely out of the acids and corrosive venoms Smaragd Haze had at his disposal. The head balanced on the end of a long, snake-like neck of acid, moving as if it was truly alive.

Only her quick reflexes saved Amethyst Star from being swallowed, and the hydra’s maw closed itself around nothing but dirt instead. More toxic smoke billowed from between its ‘teeth’, as the earth it had scooped up corroded away. The head reared up again on its long neck, retreating back into the cloud that surrounded Smaragd Haze. Then a second hydra appeared, followed by a third and a fourth, all giant monstrosities composed of corrosive liquid, their maws large enough to swallow a pony whole.

The cloud of fog faded, until Smaragd Haze was visible once more. His form was shrouded by his crimson fog, clinging to him like ghostly tendrils and making his already impressive figure appear even larger. Streams of venom and acid ran down his body, as if it was bleeding the substances, and the four hydras emerged from his back. The monstrous abominations loomed threateningly over the battlefield, and soldiers on both sides panicked and grew afraid upon seeing them.

As for Amethyst Star, she was not afraid, though she silently had to admit to herself that she was impressed. What Smaragd Haze was displaying here was nothing short of absolute mastery over his magicite power, and she could scarcely imagine how hard and how much he must have trained to be able to control his venoms like this. She was not an elemental magicite user herself – her shards merely enhanced her magic to exponential higher levels – but she had heard enough from Desert Heat and Rainbow Dash to know how difficult it was to force the raw power of an element contained in a magicite shard into a certain shape.

Yet there was Smaragd Haze standing before her, creating and sustaining four absolutely massive hydras and controlling the acid in ways that made it seem as if it were a real living creature. She scowled, then summoned her blades back to her side with a wave of her hoof. Her eyes stared into Smaragd Haze’s, looking for any signs of weakness, but there were none to be found.

“It would seem your odds have increased somewhat,” she finally admitted dryly. “However, no matter what form you present it in, nothing will ever change the fact that magic remains unaffected by acid.”

“That is true, I admit,” Smaragd Haze readily agreed, at the same time the hydras reared up and focussed their venomous ‘gaze’ on Amethyst Star. “The same, however, cannot be said for the one who casts the magic.”

With a silent roar, one of the hydras lunged towards the admiral again, its stinking maw spread wide open. Amethyst Star sniffed in disdain and scowled, then vanished with only a minor surge of magic. Instead of catching a defiant unicorn in its jaws, the acid hydra crashed into the ranks of soldiers that had been fighting behind her. Corrosive liquid flew everywhere, with ponies of both sides scrambling to get away, tripping over and trampling each other in the process.

Amethyst Star reappeared some distance to Smaragd Haze’s left, and with a command from her magic sent her Sephiras forth once more. The swords spread out again, flying in erratic and random patters through the air surrounding their target. One of the hydras went after one of the swords, trying to trap it within its jaws, but the magical weapon moved too fast for it. Another Sephira approached from the opposite direction and with one mighty hew, sliced off the head. It fell to the ground as a formless blob, where it formed a deadly puddle.

Smaragd Haze stared at it for a moment, then clacked his tongue disapprovingly. “Did nopony ever tell you, Amethyst, that if you slice off a hydra’s head, it simply grows back?” he asked, one eyebrow raised mockingly. Almost immediately, he was proven true, and a new head was formed in the place of the severed one. Smaragd Haze gave her a wicked grin. “I expected you to know better than that, my dear.”

“Who says I didn’t?” she retorted, smirking as well. Said smirk was replaced by a determined scowl, and suddenly one of her swords caught the commander off guard, delivering a solid blow in his side that made him stagger backwards.

Smaragd Haze let out a hate-filled snarl, but Amethyst Star was already guiding her swords towards him for another attack. This time he was ready, though, and one of his hydras intercepted the blades coming for his head. The head was blown apart, sending acid flying everywhere, but Smaragd Haze cared little, already reforming it, while two other heads dove towards Amethyst Star from different directions. It was useless, however, for the admiral had already teleported herself to safety.

This continued much the same as before; Amethyst Star would stay at a safe distance, wailing at her opponent with her blades and teleporting herself out of harm’s way every time one of the hydras came after her, much to Smaragd Haze’s ever increasing frustration. As she reappeared in a different spot after escaping a hydras charge yet again, Amethyst Star couldn’t help but call her foe out on it.

“I fear the odds are still very much in my favour,” she noted calmly. “You may now have the range needed to hit me, but it matters little if I’m too fast for you to hit.”

“Is that so?” he growled in reply. “In that case, perhaps I should go for a target that is less swift on its hooves!” His gaze trailed from Amethyst Star to something behind her. Too late did the admiral catch on to his meaning; the four hydras were already lurching forward in a united attack. But this time, the aim of their attack wasn’t the admiral mare that had eluded them countless times before.

The acidic abominations instead crashed into the defence line of Amethyst’s fellow soldiers that were still fighting hard to keep the Republican army from advancing for as long as possible. Amethyst Star could only watch in horror as Smaragd Haze’s attack tore a deep gap in the defenders’ formation. The hydras passed low above the ground, from one side of the formation to the next, catching dozens of ponies in their corrosive jaws and engulfing them with the deadly acid. Even the Republican soldiers who had been fighting them were not spared, as many of them were swept along into the hydras’ gaping maws.

Screams of terror and inhuman wails of pain permeated the air as dozens of ponies were being melted or mutilated alive, setting Amethyst Star’s heart aflame with unbridled anger. “You filthy, lowlife… bastard!” she snarled, and she fired a powerful beam of magic from the tip of her horn. The attack never hit its intended target, as Smaragd Haze intercepted the beam with one of his hydras, which exploded into hundreds blobs of acid that flew all over the battlefield, but the hydra was quickly reformed.

“Why so angry?” Smaragd Haze asked, giving her a sickening grin. “Wasn’t it you who said a mere moment ago that all was fair in love and war? ‘Face your enemy under your own terms’, weren’t those the words you used?”

A low growl escaped Amethyst Star’s throat and she made to attack him with another spell, but Smaragd Haze ignored her. He sent his hydras towards her subordinates again, leaving her with the choice of attacking him or protecting her fellow soldiers, Republicans and Royalists alike.

“Damn it all to Tartarus!” she swore under her breath, before turning her back on Smaragd Haze and teleporting away. She appeared again directly in the path of the oncoming hydras, with ponies all around her panicking and trying to get away. One stallion saw one of the monstrous head come straight towards him, and he folded his arms over his head and closed his eyes, waiting for the end.

Only it didn’t come, and he heard the sound of the deadly beast crashing into something solid instead. Tentatively, the soldier opened his eyes again, barely believing that he was still alive. Slowly, he peaked from behind his arms, which were still folded over his head, and saw Amethyst Star stand protectively before him. The admiral’s horn was glowing brightly like a star, as it powered a great magic wall that had stopped the four Hydra’s in their tracks.

The admiral glanced over her shoulder and saw how her formation had completely fallen apart. Her soldiers were terrified of the venomous threat that had appeared in their middle, Smaragd Haze’s reputation having preceded him even before the appearance of his deadly hydras. Many of them were too scared to move, a lot of others disobeyed her earlier commands and fled, and even more laid on the ground, dead or dying due to being exposed to a lethal amount of corrosive venoms and acids.

Gritting her teeth, Amethyst Star took a decision, knowing she had no other choice. “Retreat!” she shouted, magically amplifying her voice so it was heard over the din of battle. “Fall back to the fourth line of defence!”

Her troops needed no persuading and hurried to obey her command. She remained where she was, knowing she had to cover their escape and prevent Smaragd Haze from pursuing them. The commander by now had called back his hydras, and Amethyst Star lowered her shield. To her surprise, she noticed how the Republicans didn’t press forward either, seemingly content to stay behind their feared commander. Strangely enough, Smaragd Haze didn’t seem to be ordering them to attack, either.

Amethyst Star inwardly shrugged off her suspicions. If the enemy hung back for now, that just meant that her troops had more time to recover and reform the line. In the meantime, she had a bone to pick with a certain acid user. For the moment she didn’t care what Shining Armour was planning or what his troops were up to. She only wanted to take down Smaragd Haze, and by Celestia and Luna combined, she was going to do it. With her troops safely retreating, she didn’t have to hold back out of fear for their safety.

She called her Sephira blades back to her side, having them circle around her as they had when she had first summoned them. Only this time, she held her blades horizontal, their tips pointing in the direction of Smaragd Haze. Amethyst Star called upon her magic, feeling its pulse, its strength enhanced by her magicite. Her power levels climbed higher with every passing second, while strange magical runes appeared on her swords and body, which stared to glow just as brightly as her horn.

The ground started to tremble purely because of the huge amount of power she was drawing into herself, and sparks of energy began to lace down her blades. The Republicans tried to stop whatever she was doing, realising that whatever it was would be little good, but it was futile. Every arrow they fired at her simply burst into flame and every magic blast sizzled out long before they could reach her. They now began to grow quite nervous, all except for Smaragd Haze.

The commander did a step forward, facing down Amethyst Star without a trace of fear or hesitation. His deadly hydras rose up, there venomous ‘eyes’ focussed on the mare floating in the air before them. With a mental push, Smaragd Haze made his corrosive demons attack, launching them forth towards Amethyst Star simultaneously, their maws gaping wide and dripping toxic acid.

Unlike before, Amethyst Star made no move to teleport herself to safety this time. Perhaps it was because she had her eyes closed at the moment, or perhaps because she simply had no intent of running. When the hydras were only two pony lengths away from her, Amethyst Star’s eyes snapped open, and they glowed white with power. At the same time, the magic energy she had gathered burst forth from her brightly glowing swords in the form of beams of pure, raw magical power.

The five beams blasted the hydras apart entirely as if they weren’t even there and rushed forth, straight towards Smaragd Haze. The ground was blasted apart purely by the force they emanated in their passing. There was little doubt that they could have done some serious damage to their intended target, perhaps even killed him, if they had not suddenly been stopped.

A magic force field rose up from the ground before the Republican frontline, shooting high up into the sky. On the other side of the valley, far behind the enemy lines, Amethyst Star could spot another such force field rising up, the two coming together high above the valley in the sky, forming a protective dome over the entirety of the Republic’s army, even their air fleet. The purple colour of the magical shield left little doubt as to who the creator of it was.

“Shining Armour…” Amethyst Star growled through clenched teeth, as she watched how one of her most powerful attacks crashed into the marshal’s shield. Her powerful beams created visible strain upon the magical dome, but failed to pass through and were instead sent flying in random directions.

Slowly, Amethyst Star lowered herself to the ground, staring with a stone face at the dome that now separated her and her allies from their enemies. A glance to the skies revealed that Rainbow Dash and the royal airfleet were facing the same problem. The whole valley had gone quiet again as the defenders of Stalliongrad took in the sight of this new development. Behind her, at the fourth line of defence, her troops were casting nervous glances at Shining Armour’s shielding dome, uncertain of what would come next.

Amethyst Star’s face betrayed no emotion, though inwardly she was beginning to feel signs of panic. She had known Shining Armour possessed a shield spell that was capable of protecting an entire city, but the magic now displayed before her exceeded even her highest expectations. She could feel how strong and powerful the shield was, evidently so given how even her strongest attack hadn’t been able to shatter it. No doubt the marshal’s magic was enhanced by magicite, just as hers was.

Her eyes drifted from the dome to the Republicans that stood on the other side of it; specifically, to Smaragd Haze. The commander was looking quite pleased with himself, much to her frustration.

“I should thank you, admiral,” he said. “Your order of retreat made the task the marshal had given me of creating a clear division between our troops that much easier. Otherwise, he might have been forced to include some of yours under his shield, or worse, excluded some of his own subordinates from safety! That would have made the next step needlessly more complex.”

The stallion did a step back and signalled with his arm to the army gathered behind him. Immediately, unicorns and archers stepped to the front across the entire line. Horrified realisation dawned on Amethyst Star, as she realised that Shining Armour’s spell prevented any spell or arrow from coming in, but the same did not count for anything that wanted to go out.

She made to return to her troops, but she was too late. Smaragd Haze had already given the signal, to which hundreds of archers and unicorns promptly opened fire.

End of chapter 34.

Author's Note

I debated for a while whether or not I'd have my characters name their attacks, but I finally decided not to in order to make the fight scenes not too anime-esque. Let me know if you think that was a good idea or not.

35. Breaking through

Wings of Tomorrow
Lament of the World

35. Breaking through
The Siege of Stalliongrad – Part 4

The hospital of Stalliongrad was a hive of activity. From the moment the battle had begun, the injured had begun to come in, the rate of their arrival only increasing the further the battle raged on. By now there was a real flood of wounded coming in, and the medical staff and their civilian volunteers had their hooves full trying to tend to every soldier that came in.

Fluttershy had been doing her part from the very beginning, no matter how hard it had been. And it certainly had been difficult at times. Some of the injuries she’d been faced with had been decidedly upsetting to her stomach, and more than once her body had tried to bring up the meagre breakfast she’d eaten that morning. There had been soldiers who were missing one or more limbs, pegasi with all of their bones pulverised as they’d fallen from the sky, ponies that had been perforated by shrapnel, and many more. Some were brought in only for the healers to know upon first glance that there was no hope for them.

Just now, a batch of soldiers had been brought in that were the worst cases seen yet. Their bodies were mutilated or horribly disfigured; skin, flesh and even bone having seemingly been eaten away at places. Fluttershy had overheard one of the doctors say that it was as if they had been doused with dangerous, toxic chemicals. It made her wonder what exactly was going on outside, and if Rainbow Dash was alright, but she was too scared to go and take a look. She had too much to do, anyway.

Fluttershy wasn’t a doctor or a nurse, but she didn’t have to be in order to make herself useful. She understood enough of basic first aid to tend to those who only had superficial wounds. She cleaned wounds and applied soothing balms to burns, applying bandages where necessary. Many of her patients in fact didn’t stay, but returned to the battlefield. Most of the time, however, the injuries just went beyond her skill, in which case she merely helped to carry the wounded soldier to the medical bay where he could be properly treated. She also tended to those who had been treated already, bringing them whatever they asked for, which in most cases was simply some water to drink.

Her friends had been doing the same as her, helping in whatever way they could. She saw Applejack and Pinkie Pie often, for they were stationed in the same area of the hospital as her. Of Twilight and Rarity, however, she only caught the occasional glimpse. Being unicorns, the two mares had been taken aside by the hospital staff the day before and had been given a special task.

One of the greatest problems the hospital staff faced was that many of the soldiers who were brought in died before a doctor could come to treat them. The biggest cause of this was the loss of blood. The injured were either missing a limb, or had been cut open by either shrapnel or a blade, creating wounds that bled profusely. This, coupled with the fact that the number of doctors in the hospital was severely limited compared to the number of wounded, meant that a lot of the injured simply bled dry before a doctor could get to them to give them medical treatment. If the bleeding could be stopped, however, the pony’s survival chances were decidedly higher.

There were many ways to prevent the loss of blood from a torn off limb, like tying the stump off, or to put a clamp on the open arteries and veins. The most effective way, however, the one that gave the highest chances of survival, was magic, and this is where Twilight and Rarity came in. They had been taught how to apply the proper spells to a wound and how to sustain them, and from the start of the battle they had been putting what they had learned into practice.

It certainly worked; Twilight’s natural talent for magic had allowed her to pick up the spell with ease, to the point where she could tend to numerous patients at once, and even Rarity, with her more limited magical capabilities, could more than do her fair share of the work. Together, the two had managed to save the lives of numerous soldiers already, simply by preventing them from bleeding dry until proper help could arrive. However, it also meant that they were faced with the most grievous of injuries.

Fluttershy had seen Rarity’s face only two or three times ever since the battle had begun, but there had been no mistaking the look on her friend’s face. It was definitely unsettling to see that a pony who was naturally coloured white could still get such an unhealthily pale. Rarity’s face had been ashen, and the sights she was confronted whit while doing her duty clearly left a deep impression upon her, one that would last a lifetime.

She was hardly unique in that aspect. The sights in the hospital were taxing and hard to bear for all of them. They didn’t complain, they didn’t even speak of it, but it was clear that all of them were having a hard time. For now, they could mostly ignore those feelings, put them away in favour of focussing on there here and now. There were lives at stake, lives that they could save, there was no time to be sick or shocked. That could wait until after the battle. Only when everything was over would they be able get some time to themselves.

Time that they were going to need, that much was clear. Fluttershy already knew that she would never be able to get the sight of blood and injuries, the cries of pain and the wails of the dying out of her head. Ever. Looking at her friends, she knew they felt the same way. Applejack tried to put up a brave façade, but even she was looking pretty green from all that she’d seen. They were going to need each other badly once everything was over…

Something that had surprised her, however, was how well Pinkie Pie was holding up. Given the state of mind her friend had been in when she’d arrived in this time all those weeks ago, Fluttershy had half expected all these terrible sights, scents and sounds to have a negative impact on Pinkie. As it turned out, her fears had been unfounded, for even though Pinkie’s face was an interesting mix of green and pale, her mane hadn’t gone limp. She was still bravely soldiering on, doing her part and helping wherever she could. It was almost as if she was determined to not let this get her down.

Fluttershy admired her courage and determination, but had to admit she had surprised herself as well. Normally, in a situation like this, she’d be terrified and too scared to move. Yet here she was, facing all these horrors of war without flinching – well, mostly at least – and without even thinking of running away. She hadn’t thought she could be this brave. Or maybe her brain was simply too shocked by all she was witnessing for it to form a proper response to it, that was also a distinct possibility.

She shook her head and sternly scolded herself for even thinking about running away. All of her friends were here trying to help, even if they were scared, and one of them was even out there, fighting. They were all counting on her and she couldn’t let them down. So she put all thoughts about being scared and panicking away and focussed instead on the patient she was currently treating.

It was an earth pony mare who had suffered a blow to the head that had knocked her out cold for a while. Her helm had taken the brunt of the attack, though, leaving only a big bruise and a minor, superficial cut that had bled a bit. Fluttershy took a cotton swab drenched in disinfectant and carefully cleaned out the wound with it. The mare didn’t so much as flinch as Fluttershy applied the medicine, and once the pegasus had securely bandaged the injury, she was ready to return to the fight.

As her patient left, Fluttershy took a brief glance outside through the window and frowned in confusion. Where there had still been blue skies the last time she had looked outside, there now was a great, purple dome of magic, one that appeared eerily familiar. It reminded her of the dome that had surrounded Canterlot when she’d been there for the wedding of Twilight’s brother. She didn’t know if it was the same, but the sight made her uneasy nonetheless.

Once again, she was worried for all ponies who were outside right now, especially Rainbow Dash. Fluttershy and the others didn’t know much about how the battle was proceeding outside. The hospital staff had no way of knowing, and most soldiers who came in were in no condition to answer their questions. Even those who could speak were often reluctant to do so, keeping their answers short and vague. It was frustrating, and more than a little worrisome as well.

Fluttershy took one last glance at the magical dome. “Oh, I hope you’re okay, Rainbow Dash…” she muttered quietly to herself, before going back to work.

As Rainbow Dash zipped through the air like a living lightning bolt, cutting down cannonballs and intercepting spells and arrows left and right, she decided that, no, she was decidedly not okay at the moment. In fact, saying that she was not okay was an understatement of grotesque proportion. She was angry, royally pissed off, to be exact, and not exactly without good reason. Having her entire fleet under heavy, relentless bombardment of the enemy while being unable to retaliate due to said enemy being protected by a shield conjured by arguably the strongest unicorn in all of Equestria tended to have that effect on her.

It was startling how quickly the tables could turn in battle. They had been actively driving the enemy back while suffering only minimal losses. It had all gone a bit too smoothly to Rainbow Dash’s liking, but she knew she had to press the advantage when she had it. So they had continued the attack, until their advance had suddenly been halted by the sudden reappearance of Spitfire.

The commander had made herself scarce after her little scuffle with Rainbow Dash, only to appear again out of nowhere, flames trailing behind her. With swift and precise streams of fire, she’d cut off the royalists’ way of going directly after her troops. The royal ships would have had to approach from above or below to get to their targets, manoeuvres that were rather tricky to execute with heavily armoured warships.

Rainbow Dash, recognising the danger, had of course moved right away to intercept Spitfire, but just as she had come within range to use her magicite, a wall of purple magic had shot up before her, blocking her path. The magical blockade had expanded, forming a protective and impenetrable dome over the Republican fleet.

The appearance of the shield had taken Rainbow Dash and her troops completely by surprise, something the Republic had gladly taken advantage of. The Republican ships, which had been a moment before retreating, had surprisingly swiftly turned around and unleashed the full might of their weaponry. The shield prevented anything from coming in, but not from going out, and the cannonballs, spells and arrows passed through with no problem.

Caught off guard by the barrier’s appearance, the royal ships had practically been sitting ducks and suffered the full brunt of the first attack as a result, leading to Rainbow Dash’s current foul mood.

“Damn it, damn it, damn it, damn it all!!!” she swore loudly, as she intercepted another cannonball and swatted it away. It hit the barrier and exploded without doing any harm. A glance to her left revealed another group of cannonballs flying towards one of her ships. With a swift thrust of her hoof, she sent forth a burst of lightning at the projectiles, causing them to explode.

Some distance to her right, just out of her immediate reach, she saw a jet of searing hot flames flying from the shield towards another one of her ships. A magic bubble formed around the ship and shielded it from Spitfire’s attack, but the heat radiating from the flames still managed to melt the ship’s steel prow enough to bend it out of shape.

Rainbow Dash cursed again. For now, the vice-admirals aboard each ship were managing to protect their vessels with their magic, amplified through their magicite shard. However, she knew perfectly well that this couldn’t protect them for long. Even with magicite powering them, the shields were nothing compared to Shining Armour’s in terms of strength. Eventually they’d break under the relentless assault, and with a pony the likes of Spitfire lending her aid to the attack, that would happen sooner rather than later.

Though she absolutely loathed it, Rainbow Dash knew what she had to do. Gritting her teeth and fuming all the while, she pulled out her communication stone again. “Rose Thorn, come in,” she commanded. “How are you holding up?”

“I can protect the Wonderbolt for a while, even against Spitfire, so for the moment we’re still safe,” Rose Thorn replied through the stone. “What are your orders, admiral, ma’am?”

“You have to ask?” Rainbow Dash snapped back impatiently. “Retreat! Until we find a way to take down their shield, we’re nothing but target practice to them here. So get yourself and the rest of the fleet out of there immediately! I want every available pony focussing on defending the ships at all costs!”

“Roger that,” Rose Thorn replied. “What will you do, ma’am?”

“I’ll be covering your retreat,” she answered simply, a fierce and defiant scowl appearing on her face. “Over and out.” With that said, she put her communication stone away again, followed by her slinging her lance across her back so she had both of her front hooves free. A quick call upon her magicite set said hooves alight with lightning, and thusly armed, she boldly faced Shining Armour’s shield and the entirety of the Republican fleet that it protected.

One thing Rainbow Dash had always thought was that magicite was a peculiar thing, mostly because nopony really ever used it in the same way as somepony else. Of course, this was largely dependent on the power that was placed inside the shard. A unicorn would never use magicite in the same way a pegasus would. The former used it to enhance their magic exponentially, as well as their bodies to the point where they could withstand that power. Because of this, the incredible feats unicorns the likes of Amethyst Star performed were in all actuality more displays of magic than they were of magicite. Hence, since her powers were still essentially magical spells, they required proper time and casting in order to pull off correctly.

Rainbow Dash’s magicite was entirely different. True, she did possess a shard that, like with Amethyst Star or any other magicite user, enhanced her physical capabilities so her body was capable of withstanding the power bestowed upon her by her core shard. But her core shard had been filled with a spark of pure, raw lightning, putting the destructive force of electricity at the tips of her hooves. Whenever she called upon it, the greatest challenge was actually keeping that wild, immense force stable and under control. With enough focus, she could adjust the voltage and power of the lightning to whatever level she desired.

So when it came to unleashing the full power of their magicite, there was one major difference between Amethyst Star and Rainbow Dash. The former had to go through a timely and careful process of properly casting the spell that would release the magic in the form she wanted. Amethyst Star still had to do all the work herself, her magicite merely enhanced her magic. In Rainbow Dash’s case, however, things actually became easier the more power she wanted to use. To call upon her full might, all she had to do was let go.

Which was exactly what she did.

Rainbow Dash thrust her hooves forward, a gigantic blast of lightning bursting from them and flying forth. One billion volts of pure power shot through the skies and plowed straight into the Republic’s barrier. Sparks of energy were emanating from the point of impact, where lightning and magic fought for supremacy. Rainbow Dash gritted her teeth, feeling the resistance she met, but she pushed on, unwilling to admit defeat until she had given it her all.

So fierce was her attack, that it actually managed to put a dent in the shield, and for a moment it looked as if she might actually succeed. But then a magical pulse ran through the barrier, and the shield snapped back into its proper shape. Rainbow Dash’s attack was repelled and dispersed in various, random directions, and the admiral was forced to stall her efforts to break up, lest she wanted to get hurt.

Giving an angry huff, Rainbow Dash dismissed her lightning and glared at the shield that was still in place and entirely intact. It almost felt as if it was taunting her to try again, to tire herself out in futile attempts to shatter it. But she knew better than to give in to such impulses. If one billion volts of lightning wielded by a royal admiral hadn’t been able to break through on the first try, they wouldn’t succeed on the second or third try either. She was simply not powerful enough to pull it off.

“Alright then,” Rainbow Dash muttered quietly. “Time for plan B…” She reached under her cape and fished for her communication stone. There were some fellow admirals she needed to contact.

Down below on the ground, Amethyst Star was fighting a losing battle to protect her fellow soldiers from the unstoppable and relentless onslaught of the enemy. Ever since the shield had been raised, the Republican soldiers of the front lines, mostly unicorns, had been firing one attack after another at their opponents. Spells and arrows emerged from behind the barrier and struck down royalists wherever they fell. With their enemy hidden safely under their shield, the defenders stood helpless and could do little more than retreat.

Only Amethyst Star stood between her troops and total annihilation, but even she was limited in what she could do on by herself. She’d raised up a magical shield of her own, but she knew it paled in comparison to the impressive, protective dome of Shining Armour. That was hardly surprising, shielding spells were simply not her forte, something not even magicite could change. Her field of expertise lay in offensive spell casting, in which she was second to none.

She gritted her teeth and felt her hooves slipping as the continuous barrage of aerial attacks against her shield pushed her back. The spells the enemy employed would, in normal circumstances, be woefully insufficient to cause her even the slightest bit of discomfort. But when they came as they did now, in an endless barrage, hundreds or more hitting her shield at the same time, again and again, that was a different story altogether. Her head was pounding, the strain she was putting on her mind giving her a splitting headache, but nevertheless she kept herself going. There was no alternative to what she was doing.

The next moment, she staggered as if she had been struck a physical blow, when her shield shattered and the backlash of her failed spell hit her mind like a battering ram. The Republic’s assault, now unhindered, flew past her and rained down death and destruction amidst her troops. Groaning, she pushed herself back to her feet, ready to renew her shield again. Before she could even charge up her horn, however, she had to quickly jump to the side in order to dodge the gaping maw of an acid hydra.

Furious, Amethyst Star turned her head to glare at her attacker. Smaragd Haze had joined the attack of his fellow soldiers ever since the shield had come up, attacking relentlessly with his monstrous acid hydras. He would have wrought destruction and death amongst the royalists’ ranks if Amethyst Star hadn’t been there, her magic shield having managed to keep the deadly hydras at bay until now.

“It must sting, Amethyst Star,” Smaragd Haze said cruelly, a deadly grin on his face, as the admiral dodged another lunge from one of his hydras. “For you to possess all that power, and still be so helpless now that you cannot even harm as much as a hair on my head.”

Amethyst Star felt a flare of anger spike up inside her, but she suppressed it and forced herself to remain calm. As much as she longed to wipe that sneer off his face, she knew that a direct attack would be useless. She was powerful, yes, but if her previous attack on the shield had failed to shatter it, then no spell in her arsenal would. She’d have to approach the situation from a different angle, and fast. Her eyes glanced at the sky, giving her an idea.

“Helpless, huh…” she growled, giving Smaragd Haze a cold glare. With a flash, Amethyst Star disappeared and reappeared a good distance above the ground, her magic keeping her aloft. She formed a magic shield around herself to serve as protection, its small size making it much stronger and more durable than her large one. She looked down at the Republican troops below, and at their commander in particular. “I’ll show you helpless.”

Gritting her teeth, the admiral called upon her magic, letting it flow through her. With it, she reached out to something behind the barrier and took it in her grasp. Shining Armour’s shield protected his troops against any attack or spell she launched at them from the outside. The same, however, was not true for things already inside the protective dome.

With this in mind, Amethyst Star looked up at the skies, to the Republican airships that were bombarding the royal air fleet, hidden safely behind their barrier. Gritting her teeth, she picked one and concentrated, throwing the full might of her powerful mind and magic against it. Her horn flared up brightly at the same time the ship became surrounded by the signature pink glow of her magic. She could feel how the unicorns aboard the ship were trying to repel her efforts, but their efforts were in vain. With a fierce cry, Amethyst Star consolidated her telekinetic grip on the ship and pulled it from the sky.

Fear gripped the hearts of the Republican soldiers as they watched a single unicorn fling an armoured warship hundred times her size around as if it was nothing but a toy. To her satisfaction, Amethyst Star noticed that even Smaragd Haze’s eyes had grown wide, and he was no longer grinning. The crew of the ship in her grasp scrambled to abandon their lost vessel, but she paid them no heed, focussing instead on the commander below her.

“Pardon me,” she began coolly, as she lowered the airship in her grasp so it cast a huge shadow of doom over Smaragd Haze and the troops that surrounded him. “But I do believe that this is yours.” Then, without mercy or hesitation and with all the force her magic could muster, she let out a chilling war cry and threw the ship down at her foes at alarming speed.

The Republican formation by this point had dissolved as its soldiers broke into panic, the fearful crowd running and tripping over each other in their haste to get away from the approaching doom. They reminded Amethyst Star of a swarm of ants scurrying about, trying to evade the boot that was about to crush them. The only one who didn’t move was the target of her attack.

Smaragd Haze stood his ground as the thrown airship approached him at breakneck speed, a small bead of sweat that ran down the side of his head the only sign that he was feeling somewhat nervous. He was an earth pony, true, a particularly sturdy and muscular one at that, with his physique even further enhanced by his magicite. He could take quite a beating, but even he didn’t relish the thought of getting an airship thrown on top of him.

He knew that he could change its trajectory easily enough, but that would end up costing them a couple of hundreds, if not thousands, of soldiers. Certainly, he didn’t mind sacrificing as many as was needed in order to achieve something, but letting them get squashed by an airship wouldn’t achieve much aside from making a mess, and that was hardly a valid reason for sacrificing a couple of hundred lives. With a sigh, he realised that there was no getting around it; he’d have to stop it.

With a growl, Smaragd Haze’s acid hydras lunged at the falling behemoth, trying to catch it on their heads in order to slow its descend enough so it could be gently lowered to the ground. It was a wasted effort, as the heads of the hydras were splattered and send all over the place as the falling ship crushed them. Nevertheless, the highly toxic acid of which they were made started to eat away at the vessel, with even its thick steel plating incapable of withstanding its corrosive bite.

If he had more time, perhaps this approach would have worked to devour the ship before it could hit the ground, but as it was, Smaragd Haze had barely five seconds left before the impact. Stopping it and gently lowering it was out of the question, too; Amethyst Star had put too much force behind her throw for that to happen. Thinking quickly, he instead opted to blow up the engines and set off the explosives still aboard, blowing the ship to pieces before it could hit the ground. No doubt that would end up costing quite a bit of lives, too, but less so than if he allowed the ship to hit the ground and explode there.

He quickly summoned another hydra and had it go straight for the back end of the ship’s hull, where the engines were. The foul monstrosity had already opened its jaws, ready to tear into the airship, when it suddenly collided against a magical barrier that blocked its path. Shocked, Smaragd Haze tried to find the one responsible for the interruption, and his eyes caught sight of Amethyst Star who was giving him a triumphant smirk.

“Clever girl…” he cursed quietly, before looking up just in time to see a ton of wood, steel and explosives crashing down on top of him.

Amethyst Star watched as the airship she had thrown fell down on top of Smaragd Haze, together with many other Republican soldiers who hadn’t been able to get out of the way in time. The ship slid along the ground, tearing a wide gap in the Republican’s formation and taking down many more soldiers as they were crushed underneath it, until it finally came to a halt deep within the enemy’s ranks. There it lay still and quiet for a moment, until its beaten engines finally gave out and exploded.

The explosion set the part of the hull that hadn’t been destroyed by it on fire, flames spreading out through the ship rapidly. Within the blink of an eye, they reached the ammunition still left aboard, resulting in a second, much more devastating explosion that utterly destroyed the ship and its immediate surroundings. Hundreds of soldiers within the vicinity of the crashed vessel were wiped cleanly out of existence by the giant blast of heat and fire, with the shockwave of the explosion injuring many more still.

The result exceeded Amethyst Star’s expectations, but she wasn’t about to complain. The Republic’s army had been thrown into disarray and their frontline formation had fallen apart, buying the defenders some much needed time. The Republic’s fierce assault had cost them a lot of lives, as well as ground, and things would have been even worse if it hadn’t been for Amethyst’s distraction.

The admiral pulled out her communication crystal and activated it. “Desert, this is Amethyst,” she began, while her eyes focussed on the Republican army to look out for any sign of a new attack. “Can you hear me?”

“I hear you, Sparkler,” Desert Heat replied, his voice sounding grave and tired. “How’s the situation over there?”

“As you probably noticed, I managed to stop their attack for the moment, but it’s merely a matter of time before they recover, and there are only so many airships I can throw,” she answered, a rare hint of a smile tugging at her lips when she said those last few words. The expression disappeared as quickly as it had come, however, and her face turned serious once more. “That shield needs to go down and fast, Desert, or else we’re history.”

“I’m aware of that,” Desert Heat said. “Can you dispel it?”

“Negative,” Amethyst Star replied almost instantly. “It’s too powerful for even somepony of my level of skill and power. I think mom is the only pony around who would have a chance of taking it down by herself, but it wouldn’t surprise me if it could withstand even a full blow of her. They don’t call Shining Armour the strongest unicorn around for nothing, after all.”

“I was afraid of that…” the other admiral said, and he sighed. “Rainbow Dash, what about you? How are we holding up in the air?”

“Barely, if you want me to be brutally honest,” Rainbow Dash answered. “Sparkler’s little stunt didn’t affect them here as much as it did on the ground, though they’ve slowed down a bit in order to strengthen their magical defences, in case Sparkler wants another airship to juggle with.” There was a pause, during which the other admirals could hear Rainbow Dash give a grunt, followed by an explosion. “We’ve retreated almost out of their range now, but as soon as they start approaching with their shield again, we’ll be pushed back even more.”

Desert Heat let out a deep, troubled sigh. “We have to get past that shield, somehow,” he muttered quietly. “If only I knew how to accomplish that…”

“Well, you’re in luck, Desert,” Rainbow Dash said, sounding surprisingly pleased with herself for some reason. “Because I’ve got a plan that might just be the solution to our little barrier problem.” The other two admirals could feel, rather than see her grin. “I was about to contact you to tell you about it, but you beat me to it. So now, we just have to carry it out.”

“You sound pretty sure of yourself,” Desert Heat noted, an eyebrow raised. “Let’s hear it.”

Shining Armour rubbed the side of his head, as if doing so would ward of the headache he felt incoming. Thanks to Amethyst Star, his frontline was in disarray, and the commander he had assigned to that position had gotten an airship dropped on top of him and hadn’t been seen since. The lower ranking officers did their best to follow his orders and get everypony back in line, but they lacked the firm presence of Smaragd Haze or either of his two colleagues.

Aside from saddling him with a firm delay, Amethyst Star’s attack had also done a fair bit of damage to both the numbers and morale of his army. They had all thought themselves safe behind his shield, but the unicorn admiral had thoroughly shattered that illusion. What safety could a shield offer, when the enemy simply used it as an opportunity to use their own weapons against them? The barrier, which had a moment ago represented safety to them, now seemed more like a prison, its purple walls making them feel claustrophobic.

With a sigh, Shining Armour turned to the lieutenant-commander that approached him, no doubt to give a damage report. “How many did we lose in that crash?” he asked, his voice filled with mournful resignation.

“Six hundred and counting, marshal, sir,” the younger officer replied, looking decidedly uneasy as he delivered the news.

Shining Armour felt as if someone had squeezed his heart, but he didn’t let it show on his face. He merely gave a curt nod, followed by another sad sigh. “I see,” he said. “Has Smaragd Haze been found yet?”

The lieutenant-commander shook his head. “No sir, they’re still looking,” he answered. A look of hesitation appeared on the stallion’s face, and he bit his lower lip as he inwardly debated something. “Sir, with all due respect, wouldn’t it be wiser to have the medics search for survivors, and wait with the recovering of the fallen until after the battle?” The officer immediately bowed his head and averted his eyes after speaking, as if fearing he’d be struck for questioning his superior’s orders.

Shining Armour, however, did no such thing. The marshal merely let out a humourless chuckle. “If there’s anything I know, lieutenant, it’s that it’ll take more than an airship getting smashed on top of him to bring down Smaragd Haze for good,” he said, while looking in the direction of the wreckage. “No, that stallion is still very much alive, and I want him found and tended to if he’s hurt. We can’t afford to lose one of our commanders, not at this early stage of the battle at least.”

The other stallion opened his mouth to say something in reply, but was interrupted by the arrival of another lower ranking officer. “Marshal, sir, one of the royal admirals is on the move at the front as we speak,” he reported, after giving Shining Armour a hasty salute.

The marshal’s eyes widened slightly and he barely could suppress a groan. “Which one?” he demanded quickly, already turning in the direction of Stalliongrad to take a look himself. “Please tell me it isn’t Amethyst Star again.”

“It isn’t, sir,” the officer replied. “She was last seen bringing her colleague to the front, then appears to have retreated to the city walls.” Shining Armour listened attentively, while magically enhancing his eyesight to zoom in on the admiral that now stood near of the defenders’ abandoned trenches. He recognised the pony in question at the same time the officer spoke said pony’s name. “It appears to be Desert Heat, sir.”

Shining Armour cursed quietly as he watched the approaching admiral. “If they moved their leader into the game, they have to be up to something,” he muttered quietly to himself. After the blow Amethyst Star had dealt them just now, his troops could go without another admiral having a go at them. He studied his frontline and frowned in distaste. The recovery was taking too long. He turned his attention to the officer that had delivered the news of Desert Heat’s approach.

“Send word to the frontline immediately. Have lieutenant-commander Summer Breeze take over command in Smaragd Haze’s absence,” he commanded. “He and all other lieutenant-commanders in the vicinity of the front are to resume and lead the attack at once. If Smaragd Haze resurfaces, command is to be given back to him right away.”

The officer gave a quick salute. “Sir, yes sir,” he replied hastily, before scurrying off to carry out his orders. Shining Armour didn’t even wait until he was gone before turning to the other officer still standing at his side.

“Where is Trixie? What in the name of Equestria is taking that damn mare so long?!” he demanded angrily. “She should have already arrived by this time! We can’t delay the next phase for much longer!”

“Apologies, marshal, sir,” the other stallion replied, looking rather nervous. “It would seem commander Lulamoon has opted to take a longer detour for her approach, in order to ensure that it remains unknown to the enemy until it is too late.”

Shining Armour gritted his teeth, part of him wanting to curse the mare’s name, while another part instead approved of her decision. “Tell her to hurry,” he finally said with a huff. The other stallion nodded, gave a very short salute and then quickly made himself scarce. Shining Armour barely even noticed it, his attention having already shifted back towards the front.

He was pleased and relieved to see that the disarray and confusion there was being taken care of, the attack already having been resumed in some places. He was less happy to notice that Desert Heat was still approaching, and in fact seemed to move in a hurry now that they had started attacking again. Shining Armour tapped his hoof impatiently.

“It’s high time you showed up, Trixie,” he muttered nervously to himself. His eyes glanced upwards, to the magical dome that he had erected. Shining Armour narrowed his eyes in concentration, then shot a beam of magic from his horn to his shield in order to ensure it remained stable and strong. With another royal admiral on the way, it never hurt to play safe.

Desert Heat pulled in his head just in time to let a magic spell sail right over him, grazing a few hairs of his scalp as it did so. Regardless, he carried on as if nothing had happened, his gaze still focussed on his goal. More magic attacks came towards him, but he swatted them aside with one of his mechanical wings, silently thanking the creator of the spell that allowed non-unicorns to physically manipulate magic as he did so.

He had taken over command in the valley from Amethyst Star a minute ago, since the unicorn admiral was needed elsewhere at the moment, when the Republic had opened fire again. Desert Heat knew that it had only been a matter of time until they did, but nevertheless he wished they could have waited two more minutes or so, it would have made his task a lot easier. His fellow admirals were about to take down the shield, and he needed to make sure the troops were ready to attack the Republic when they did.

Getting into position and trying to repair or fortify fences and trenches while the enemy is shooting at you is quite a challenge, which was why Desert Heat found himself in his current position. In order to buy his soldiers time, he’d made himself a target for the Republic to shoot at, which they were gladly doing, much to his chagrin. While it was nice to know that he had successfully diverted their attention, that didn’t mean it was very fun.

“I know Rainbow Dash asked for me to distract them,” he thought to himself as he deflected another volley of spells. “but I don’t think this is what she had in mind. I feel like a bullseye on a fairground.”

Still, even though he wasn’t about to admit it out loud, Desert Heat felt kind of glad to be here now. True, being the target of a grand scale attack wasn’t exactly his idea of jolly good fun, but it felt better to be out on the field and actively participate in the battle, than to waste away atop the wall, watching his soldiers die while being unable to help them. This was where he truly belonged: between the enemy and his troops.

Diving in between an endless sea of magic and arrows, Desert Heat managed to get as close to the barrier as he dared. As he shielded himself with one of his mechanical wings, he took another glance behind him to measure the distance he had crossed. “This should be far enough to prevent them from getting caught up in my act,” he muttered to himself. Still keeping his metallic wing protectively before him, Desert Heat turned to face the shield again.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath to calm himself, then proceeded to reach out to his core magicite shard and the power locked within. The crystal, set in the circlet atop his head, began to give off a soft golden light as it responded to his call. Almost at the same time, streams of sand, coloured a soft shade of yellow, began to trickle down his body, pooling in heaps at his hooves.

The admiral opened his eyes again, briefly enjoying the feeling of his power coursing through his body, then slowly lifted his right front hoof, the underside facing the sky. Tapping deeper into his power, Desert Heat’s eyes narrowed slightly in concentration, until what looked like a miniature whirlwind, swirling with sand, danced happily in the palm of the hoof he held up. Smiling, he lowered the wing that was shielding him, completely ignoring the attacks of the Republic. Some of the enemy soldiers even stopped firing in order to see what he was doing.

“Gentlecolts, I do hope you are all carrying proper desert attire somewhere under all that armour,” Desert Heat began, his voice ringing loud and clear across the valley. “For today’s weather is set to be sunny with a chance of very local sandstorms, which have the peculiar tendency to target any and all Republican soldier they happen to come across.”

With those words, Desert Heat gently held the miniature whirlwind, which was still dancing merrily on his hoof, in front of his face and blew lightly on it. The whirlwind began to weaken and fade, dispersing into the air, until it was gone completely and there was nothing left in his hoof but sand. The Republic soldiers glanced at each other in confusion, unsure what to make of this bizarre display. Desert Heat, on his part, simply remained where he was, unmoving, his face bearing a small, expectant smile.

The waving of his mane was the first sign something was off. It waved as if a strong breeze was blowing through it, but a moment ago the air in the valley had been almost completely calm. Desert Heat’s cape began to billow as well, clouds of dust and sand rose up all around him, growing larger and larger as the wind picked up. It began to blow harder and faster, while coming from seemingly every direction at once. The Republicans finally realised what was happening, but by now it was already too late.

In less than a minute, what had begun as a light breeze had evolved into a genuine, fierce sandstorm that ravaged from one side of the valley to the next. Desert Heat had fed his storm winds with generous amounts of sand, which the storm had greedily sucked into the air. Now all that sand was traversing the skies in the form of a gigantic dust cloud, which rose up so high that it nearly reached the airships above. The storm howled and the sand it carried within its embrace pounded against the glimmering wall of the magical shield that enveloped nearly half of the valley.

The barrier shielded the Republicans from the storm’s wrath, but the sight of it nevertheless managed to dishearten and frighten many of them. The swirling cloud of dust and sand disoriented them and left them blinded, making it impossible to determine where the enemy was or where to aim. Any arrow or spell that was still fired simply got swept up by the storm and were blown astray the moment they left the safety of the barrier.

On the other side of the shield, Desert Heat came calmly walking out of the heart of the storm, completely unaffected by the dust and sand that swept over him at dangerous speeds. His small, expectant smile from before had turned into a satisfied grin. Once more he had proven that one did not need to wield lightning, fire or magic in order to make some jaws drop; sometimes, a bit of sand was all it took.

Once he had put enough distance between himself and the storm, he turned around again in order to watch, still appearing to be quite pleased with himself. “Well then, Rainbow Dash,” he thought, amused. “How is this for a distraction?”

High above the battlefield, aboard the Wonderbolt, Rainbow Dash and Amethyst Star were standing together and looking down at the sandstorm that raged below. The sight caused the former to lift herself up with her wings so she could cross her forelegs, and she cast a sideways glance at her companion.

“And you accuse me of being a show off,” Rainbow Dash said dryly, rolling her eyes. When Amethyst Star merely gave her a flat stare in reply, she let out an exasperated groan and made a ‘forget it’ gesture with her hoof. “One of these days, we’re getting you a sense of humour, Sparkler,” she grumbled.

“Save that kind of foolery until after the war, we have a job to do,” Amethyst Star replied, in her usual no-nonsense voice. “You remember what you have to do?”

Now it was Rainbow Dash’s turn to give her fellow admiral a decidedly unimpressed, even stare. “Sparkler, I came up with this plan,” she reminded her, raising one eyebrow. “I’m not as dumb as to forget my own ideas.”

“I meant no offence, Rainbow,” Amethyst Star replied with an innocent smile that couldn’t even fool the blind. “Just making sure, that’s all.” She paused for a brief moment to take another glance at Shining Armour’s shield and the sandstorm that ravaged it. Her smile faded and was replaced by her usual icy impassiveness. “Time to go,” she declared, glancing sideways at her colleague.

Rainbow Dash nodded, her face becoming set with a serious expression as well. She knew that there was a lot depending on what she and Sparkler were about to do. If they failed, things would look quite bleak for the royalists indeed. Her eyes narrowed and her magicite shards flared up with determination, lightning crackling around her hooves. She wasn’t going to let Desert Heat and her fellow royal guards down. She flat out refused to.

“Yeah, let’s do this,” she agreed, giving another nod towards Amethyst Star. “After you, Sparkler.”

Amethyst Star sniffed, then all of the sudden she was gone. The admiral reappeared in the middle of the air, somewhere between the battlefield in the air and the one on the ground. She used her magic to levitate herself and keep her from falling to her death, then took a few deep breaths to steady and focus herself. Closing her eyes, she reached out and summoned her Sephira blades to herself.

With her swords drifting in a lazy circle around her, Amethyst Star proceeded to the next phase of the spell she had to cast. The frown on her brow deepened as she called upon more of her magic, which required more concentration. As her horn started to glow brighter, so did her five swords, her magic infusing every single particle they were made of. As she pumped more and more magic into them, the Sephiras grew in size, until they were twice as tall as even an exceptionally big pony was long.

Her swords thus empowered, Amethyst Star opened her eyes again, which were now glowing white with power. Her blades spun around her faster and faster, and as they danced, she slowly moved one of her arms until she held it horizontal from her body. The Sephiras followed the movement, going from a vertical position to a horizontal one, their tips pointing away from their master. By now they were spinning so fast that their movements were a blur, but Amethyst Star was still not done.

With a grunt, she pushed one of her hooves into the air, and the deadly ring of swords rose with it, until it was spinning high above her like a crown of blades. Amethyst Star felt a small bead of sweat trickle down the side of her head, the complexity and delicate nature of the spell taxing even for a unicorn of her calibre, but she ignored it and pressed on. With another burst of magic, she went on to the final stage of the spell. She held out her arms to her sides, then carefully brought them together until her hooves touched with a gentle clop.

As before, her magical construct followed her movements, and the rings of blades changed form once more, folding up like a beautiful flower that closed itself for the night. Pleased, Amethyst Star watched as her swords came together, one by one, overlapping each other until at last, they merged into one. The final result of the spell was a single, unified blade made of pure magic, its length nearly that of a warship, and the sheer power it was made from causing it to glow brighter than a thousand suns.

While shielding her eyes from the bright light of her new weapon, Amethyst Star praised herself from having the common sense for surrounding herself and her magic with an invisibility spell. If she hadn’t, there was little doubt the Republic would have tried to interfere, which would have made performing the spell much more difficult than it already was. Of course, even invisible, its power could still be detected by skilled enough unicorns, but that was where Desert Heat came in. His sandstorm served as a perfect distraction, while she got everything ready.

Calling upon her magic again, she took the giant blade in her telekinetic grasp and lowered it until she could touch its glowing handle with her hoof. As soon as contact was made, she could feel its power, and how it struggled against the form she had put it in. The sword was in truth made of nothing but an incredible amount of magic, compressed to the extreme in the shape of a blade. The sheer willpower it took her to keep it locked in that form was staggering, and she knew she wouldn’t be able to keep it up for very long. She would have to be fast, but luckily for her, she only had to get in one hit.

Gritting her teeth, Amethyst Star launched herself higher into the air, holding her sword out in front of her. She was forced to let go of her invisibility spell, unable to keep it up along together with her combined Sephiras. Shock and awe rippled through the battlefield as the latest plan of the royal admirals was unveiled, but Amethyst Star ignored it. Through narrowed eyes she focussed entirely on a spot ahead of her in the skies.

“Rainbow Dash,” she called out to her fellow admiral. “Do your thing!” And with those words, she threw her magical weapon with all her might towards the other mare, who was waiting higher in the air.

Rainbow Dash watched for a second as the magical sword cleaved through the air, relieved to see that so far, everything was going according to plan. Now it was her turn. She reached out with her mind to her magicite, calling out its power as she had done so many times before. It responded eagerly, and she directed it towards her right hoof. She reared it back, lightning crackling around it, then thrust it forward in a swift punch at the air.

A torrent of lightning, equally as powerful as the one she had used to try and break through Shining Armour’s shield a moment ago, burst from her hoof and shot straight towards Amethyst Star’s sword. The two attacks collided, but did not seem to try and overpower one another. Instead, they seemed to merge, and the already incredibly powerful magic of Amethyst Star suddenly found itself empowered by the raw energy from one billion voltage of pure lightning. The sword now glowed blindingly white, with streaks of blue at the edges, and constantly emanated sparks of white-hot lightning.

Rainbow Dash inwardly cheered as she saw the result of her idea. The power of two admirals had successfully been combined, but she knew they weren’t out of the woods yet. There was no telling how long this magic construct would hold, and then there was the fact that the Republic by now had probably caught on to their little scheme and would do everything in its power it could to stop it.

“Sparkler!” she shouted atop of her lungs to her comrade. “Your turn again!”

The blade, now made of lightning and magic, which had still been flying towards her, suddenly came to a complete halt. In the blink of an eye, Amethyst Star appeared underneath it, and she grasped the hilt firmly with both hooves. Power and lightning flew from the blade into her the moment she touched it. She could feel her mind and body screaming as they became loaded with more power than they could cope with, but Amethyst Star didn’t let go. She merely gritted her teeth and tightened her grip on the blade.

With a bloodcurdling roar, she hefted the blade over her shoulder, then launched herself towards Shining Armour’s barrier with everything she had left. She soared through the air, dragging her weapon along with her, her body crying out in torment. She coldly ignored the protest of her flesh and pushed on, watching as the barrier rapidly came closer.

From the corner of her eyes, she noticed the desperate last attempts of the Republic to stop her, but she ignored them entirely. She saw Spitfire dive down from her flagship, firing a stream of searing flames towards her, but Rainbow Dash swept in and intercepted the attack when it left the barrier. Soldiers from above and below fired spells and arrows at her, but they came too late. Nothing could stop her now, and all her enemies could do was brace themselves.

At last she came upon the barrier. With a burst of magic she brought herself to a halt, in order to prevent herself from crashing into it. Amethyst Star didn’t waste a single moment. She hefted the magical blade above her head, let out a strained cry, then swung it with everything she had left in her body.

What followed was a clash of powers the likes of which had not been seen since the battle between the Republican commanders and Nightmare Moon, as Shining Armour and Amethyst Star fought each other with everything they had. The admiral pushed herself to the limit, using every bit of magic within her to have her gigantic, supercharged blade pierce the strongest magical shield in the whole wide world.

Shining Armour, on the other hoof, struggled to prevent exactly that from happening. The marshal called upon every drop of magic in his body as he struggled to have his shield repel the incoming attack. His horn glowed like a star, his eyes were clenched shut in concentration and his body shook due to the strain his muscles were put under, sweat running down his neck and flanks. Yet despite not having encountered this much resistance since facing Nightmare Moon, and even with his body and mind screamed at him to give up, he pressed on. If he managed to resist this attack, it would deal a considerable blow to the royalists’ morale.

However, determination and conviction alone were not enough to win a fight, one needed power and skill as well. Shining Armour’s power and skills were renowned throughout the entire known world, and believed by many to be the strongest unicorn alive. Whether that was true or not was debatable, but he certainly possessed the power to be able to face even a royal admiral and win, as evidenced by the fact that Rainbow Dash nor Amethyst Star had been able to break through his shield with their own power.

But now he faced the full might of two royal admirals combined, and in the face of such power, even he could not remain standing. Despite doing everything within his power to resist, Amethyst Star’s blade sank deeper and deeper into his shield, until it started to crack. With a final, mighty push, Amethyst Star completely cut through the barrier, causing it to at long last shatter like glass.

Shining Armour was knocked to the ground by the backlash of his failed spell, his head feeling like it was splitting open and a jolt of white-hot pain running down from his horn to every one of his nerve endings. The marshal collapsed, momentarily overcome by the pain, while his shield crumbled around him.

End of chapter 35.

36. The turn of the tide

Wings of Tomorrow
Lament of the World

36. The turn of the tide
The Siege of Stalliongrad – Part 5

As he watched Shining Armour collapse together with his shield, Desert Heat could not stop himself from feeling a small sense of triumph. Rainbow Dash’s crazy plan had actually worked, and the defenders had a fighting chance again now that the barrier blocking their attacks was gone. The destruction of the shield also had the added effect of boosting the morale of his troops; a fact Desert Heat knew he had to take full advantage of.

With a swing of his arm, the admiral sent his still raging sandstorm forth towards the Republican army. Now that there no longer was a magical wall holding them back, the howling winds and the billions of sand particles they carried swept over the enemy lines like a great flood. The winds of the storm were not strong enough to blow the heavily armoured soldiers off their hooves and on its own would have done little to hinder the Republicans.

Riding those winds, however, were countless grains of sand, and though harmless on their own, combined they formed a threat as potentially dangerous and devastating as any lightning bolt or magic spell. The sand battered relentlessly against the enemy soldiers, getting into their eyes, ears and noses, blinding their senses and making it hard to breathe. The tiny particles also crept under the soldiers’ armour, where it grated and chafed against their skin, making every movement bring great discomfort.

Seeing the weakened state of the Republicans in the wake of his sandstorm, Desert Heat knew the time to strike was now. He could feel the anticipation and eagerness of his fellow soldiers as they lay in wait in the trenches behind him. Many defenders had been lost to the Republic’s attack while the shield was up, and their comrades now longed to return the favour. Thus, many of them were glad when the command they longed to hear was given.

“Attack!”

To any onlookers of the battle, the situation looked eerily familiar, almost like a déjà vu. With a bloodcurdling war cry on their lips, hundreds of royalist soldiers left their trenches and charged in a single line, like a wall of muscle and armoured steel, at their momentarily blinded and weakened enemy. As before, the attack was of such ferocity that the first lines of the Republic were simply overrun and trampled underneath the stampeding hooves of the royalist defenders.

The only one noticeable difference between this attack and the previous one, was the fact that there was a different pony leading the charge. The change in leadership appeared to have no influence on the attack’s effectiveness, however, for Desert Heat was just as capable on the battlefield as Amethyst Star had been.

Running at the head of the formation, the admiral was amongst the first to make contact with the enemy, and he threw himself headlong and fearlessly into the fight. Just before he reached the Republic’s first line, Desert Heat used his powerful legs and his mechanical wings to completely jump over it. He landed in the middle of the Republic’s ranks, crushing a soldier underneath him in the process, surrounded by enemies at all sides.

Before the Republican soldiers could recover from their surprise and attack, the admiral made his move. He swung his arm, creating a crescent blade of sand in its trail that soared towards the soldiers in front of him, who were blown back by the force of the impact. When they hit the ground, they lay still, and their comrades could see that, through extreme and focussed erosion, the sand had sliced through the solid steel of their armour, as well as the soft flesh underneath, leaving a bloody gash on their chests.

Desert Heat was already moving on, lunging at the soldier closest to him and delivering a solid punch to his opponent’s chest that, had it not been for the soldier’s armour, would have broken quite a few bones. As it was, the Republican merely got knocked backwards with a fiercely aching bruise on his chest, the dent in his armour a testament to his attacker’s incredible physical strength.

The other Republicans by now had recovered from their surprise enough to fight back. They attempted to overwhelm the stallion with their numbers, but their efforts were in vain as Desert Heat simply plowed straight through all that came at him. He dodged between attackers with surprising agility for a pony his age and size, delivering kicks and punches that could shatter bone and steel as he went, calling upon his magicite whenever his hooves were not sufficient to take care of his opponents. More than one Republican had taken a swipe at him with their sword or spear, only to discover their weapon had been sliced to ribbons by naught but mere sand.

One after another fell before him, but Desert Heat was relentless and continued his attack. He knew that it was only a matter of time before the Republicans recovered from the disorientated state they were left in the wake of the shield's collapse. Until then, he and his fellow soldiers had to make the most out of the limited time they had, to advance as far as possible and take down as many enemy soldiers as they could.

From the corner of his eyes, he spotted a group of Republicans charging his way, eager for a chance to try and take him down. With almost casual ease, Desert Heat stomped his left hoof on the ground in their direction. A vertical blade of sand rose up and raced in a straight line towards the oncoming attackers, cutting them down before they even managed to get close to the admiral. They had not even hit the ground yet, or Desert Heat already found himself turning around to face the next ponies eager for a try at taking his head.

“There never seems to be a shortage of ponies wanting to take my life,” he noted dryly, as he struck them down with more blades of sand. A sigh escaped his lips. “Such is war, I suppose.” The admiral looked at the fallen with pity for a moment, then averted his eyes and continued the battle.

In the air between the battlefield on the ground and in the sky, Amethyst Star watched as Desert Heat led their troops into battle once more, a move she and Rainbow Dash had made possible by taking down Shining Armour's barrier. The attack had taken more out of her than she liked to admit, however. Even a full minute after the shield had fallen, she was still gasping for breath, despite her physical abilities being enhanced by magicite. Her entire body ached, a reminder of how she had pushed it beyond even her magicite-enhanced limits, and her magic felt faint and weak. She was barely able to keep herself aloft, and was for the moment too tired to go anywhere.

Amethyst Star winced as she felt a throbbing headache come up, causing her magic to flicker and her body to begin dropping towards the hard ground below. Before she could regain her composure and reactivate her magic to keep herself floating, however, she felt two strong hooves hook under her arms and keep her from falling.

“Whoa there, Sparkler, are you alright?” Rainbow Dash asked, looking at her fellow in concern. Her wings beat lazily in order to keep the two of them from falling. “You don't look so good. Did something go wrong while you cut down the shield?”

“Everything went fine, though I admit I've been better,” Amethyst Star replied with a groan. “Don't worry about it; it's simply the price for wielding that much power. Just give me a moment or two and I'll be fine.” She winced again as the pounding in her head intensified. She chuckled humourlessly. “As exhilarating as that was, count me out if you want to do it again.”

Rainbow Dash wasn't amused, and her concerned frown only deepened. Even though she and Amethyst Star often had their fallouts, that didn't mean Rainbow Dash didn't care for her fellow admiral's well-being. They were both soldiers fighting on the same side, meaning they looked out for each other, even if they had their disagreements. “Maybe you should retreat for a quick check up at the hospital, Sparkler,” she said. “No offence, but you look like you need it.”

Amethyst Star turned her head so she could glare at the pegasus over her shoulder. “Are you insane?” she growled in disbelief. “In case you didn't notice, Rainbow, I'm an admiral and we're in the middle of a war here. I don't have the time or the luxury for a medical check-up, not that I need one to begin with. Desert Heat needs me down there.”

“You'd be more of a hindrance than a help to him in your current state,” Rainbow Dash replied stubbornly. “He has enough to worry about as it is without needing to look after you.”

“He won't have to,” Amethyst Star assured her. When Rainbow Dash still didn't look convinced, she quickly began to lose her patience. “I mean it! Stop fussing over me, it's humiliating. I just need a minute or two for my magic to return, and then I'll be fine.”

Rainbow Dash let out an annoyed huff, but finally relented. “Fine. But here's not the best place to do that,” she said. “I'm an admiral too, in case you forgot, and I have better things to do than holding you until you're feeling better.” Her gaze drifted up to the skies above, and she glowered at the Republican air fleet that flew there. “There's a certain enemy air fleet in desperate need of some payback.”

“Just take me to one of our ships,” Amethyst Star replied. “I'll be able to recover there and teleport back down once my magic's heeding me again.”

“Alright,” Rainbow Dash grunted, giving a curt nod. Then, suddenly, a cocky grin appeared on her face, like a ray of sunlight breaking through the clouds. “Hang on, and be taught the real meaning of fast!” With those words spoken, Rainbow Dash flapped her powerful wings and rocketed up into the skies before her passenger had a chance to prepare for the take-off.

The sudden departure took Amethyst Star by surprise, rendering her too stunned to say something. By the time she had overcome her shock and started speaking, they were flying so fast that Rainbow Dash couldn't understand a word of what her fellow admiral was saying.

Given the language Amethyst Star was using, however, that was probably for the best.

Down below on the ground, the defenders of Stalliongrad quickly found the tables turning against them. Desert Heat and his troops had managed to drive the Republican army back and reclaim nearly eighty percent of the terrain they had previously lost, taking out a fair amount of the enemy's forces in the process. But once the Republic had recovered from the shock of losing their shield and the after effects of Desert Heat's sandstorm were dealt with, they quickly regained their footing and brought the royalists' advance to a halt.

In a matter of minutes, Desert Heat and his followers had been put from the offensive on the defensive. Now, as before, they formed a single line, a wall of armoured steel and muscle, to hold back the Republican assault for as long as they were capable. The strategy had worked well under Amethyst Star's guidance and Desert Heat saw no reason as to why it would not under his. With a clear, loud voice, he bellowed his orders above the din of the fighting.

“Hold the line and do not falter!” he cried. “We are soldiers of Equestria, do not let their numbers intimidate you! Every single one of you is worth ten of theirs! Remember what you are fighting for and stand your ground. Every enemy soldier you deny passage is one more who will not threaten your loved ones!”

His words earned him a determined war cry from his fellow defenders, who pushed back determinedly against the overwhelming mass of enemy soldiers, refusing to surrender even an inch of ground without a fight. None of them wanted to be the one to let down their admiral, from whose presence they took heart. Desert Heat's charismatic personality and leadership inflamed their courage and determination in a way Amethyst Star's cold and merciless leadership could not.

It was not a matter of respect, for the members of the royal guard respected each of their admirals equally, but the reason why was different from each of them. They respected Amethyst Star out of awe, but the respect Desert Heat got from his division came out of love. It was said love that drove them to stand their ground as determinedly as they did, and despite the relentless onslaught of the Republic, the line held.

“This is good,” Desert Heat thought, as he struck down a group of Republicans with another blast of sand. “If we manage to hold out here, we might still have a winning chance. ” He ducked his head to avoid having it severed by a Republican sword, then turned and bucked his attacker with all his might with his legs, shattering the unfortunate soldier's ribcage despite his armour.

“What I don't get is why Shining Armour has them come straight at us over and over again in the hope that their numbers will finally run us over. He's far too clever to stick to such a basic and not to mention ineffective strategy…So why does he do it? What is he waiting for? ”

As he cut down another dozen enemies with his sand powers, Desert Heat decided not to linger on it for the moment. If Shining Armour wanted to give them the opportunity to take down as much of his troops as they could in exchange for minimal losses of their own, Desert Heat saw little reason to refuse. As long as the enemy continued their frontal assault, he and his troops had the advantage, not to mention a chance. It was in his best interest then to keep it this way for as long as possible.

A cry to his right shook him out of his thoughts, and he looked up to see that the enemy had finally succeeded in creating a gap in their formation. The Republicans had combined their forces in a focussed attack on one single spot in the defensive wall of ponies, and had managed to overwhelm the defendants and cut them down. Now the enemy was pouring through the opening in the royalists' formation and attacked them from behind, threatening the stability of the entire defensive line.

“Close the gap!” Desert Heat shouted, as he rushed towards the gap in the formation after having traded his place with one of his guards to ensure he didn't create a second hole by leaving for the first. He reared up and stomped the earth with his hooves, firing off two vertical blades of sand that raced in a straight line along the ground towards the gap. The projectiles of sand smashed into the stream of Republicans that fought their way through the gap, nearly cleaving the ones at the front in two upon impact.

His attack threw back the Republican soldiers long enough for him to close the distance between him and them. With his impressive, armoured bulk, the admiral took the place of his fallen soldiers, closing the gap. “To me!” he cried out to his soldiers who made up this part of the formation. They had been scattered by the Republican breakthrough and been caught fighting the ones who had poured through the gap. “Everypony to me! Reform the line!”

Desert Heat gritted his teeth, the shard of magicite upon his brow flaring brightly as he called upon its power and sent forth a flurry of blades that cut down the enemy by the dozens. His arms moved quickly but fluidly, like shifting sand, as he relentlessly threw attack after attack at the oncoming army, trying to ease the enemy pressure on his fellow soldiers for a moment. It seemed to work. His continuous attacks gave them some breathing space, long enough for the other royalists to regain their footing and rejoin the line.

“Take heart, everypony!” Desert Heat bellowed, once the formation had been solidly rebuilt. “Their numbers are lessening! At this moment, we hold the advantage! Let that knowledge bolster you, and stand fast! Fight, come what may, and we will be victorious!” His troops cheered and resumed the battle with renewed vigour.

For a moment, it truly seemed the Royalists' line would continue to hold, and the lack of progress, combined with the many losses they suffered, seemed to make the Republican troops dispirited. All of that changed in the blink of an eye, when suddenly, somewhere down the line to Desert Heat's left, the ground beneath the defenders burst open and created another gap in the formation, even bigger than the first. A massive hydra, made of corrosive acids and poisons, emerged from underground and tore into the rank of the royalists, scooping up many in its deadly jaws and bringing them to a gruesome end.

A cloud of vile, crimson smoke welled up from the earth, blinding Royalists and Republicans alike, taking away their breath and making their eyes water. Three more monstrous hydras sprang forth from the toxic cloud, tearing more holes into the defenders' formation. As the four acid abominations slowly reared back up on their long necks, a large figure could be seen moving inside the cloud of gas, pulling itself out of the ground.

“I really, really hate unicorns,” Smaragd Haze said, as he calmly walked out of the toxic smoke. The commander looked as if he had gone through Tartarus, with a great portion of his mane being singed and his body and armour covered in scorch-marks. His armour was dented and cracked in many places, and covered in dirt and sooth. Despite this, he was smiling wickedly, an expression made all the more unsettling and frightening by the streams of blood that ran down his face, coming from the gaping wound on his head.

Smaragd Haze looked around himself, taking in his surroundings, and soldiers on both sides cowered under his gaze and backed away. With an appearance as if he had come back from the dead, coupled with the hellish, crimson smoke that surrounded him and the monstrous hydras emerging from his body, the commander very much looked like a demonic creature that had crawled from the pits of Tartarus itself. His unsettling, wicked grin did not much to disprove that image.

“Dropping an airship on top of me, very creative, I must admit. Not to mention effective,” Smaragd Haze said, his red eyes taking in the faces of the terrified royalists before him. “The impact gave me quite the nasty blow to the head, which made tunnelling my way underground to escape the explosion that much more difficult than it had to be. I almost didn't make it, as you can see.” He gestured at his singed mane and the scorch-marks on his armour. “But, happy times, I made it! Just in time to hear one of you royalist fools babbling about victory, no less.”

The commander's smile vanished in an instant, replaced by a seething expression of pure, boiling rage. “Victory?!” he snarled. “You simple-minded idiots! There will be no victory for the likes of you! Death is all that awaits you, and I am here to deliver it!”

With a beastly roar, Smaragd Haze sent forth his hydras once again, the foul beasts heading straight for the nearest defenders. Their maws opened wide, ready to close themselves around any pony unfortunate enough to not get out of their reach in time. Panicking, the royalists abandoned the formation and fled, knowing full well that they could not stand against this enemy and hope to win. Unfortunately, their panic made their retreat very chaotic, causing them to run into each other or head the wrong way.

One such poor soul found himself trampled beneath the hooves of his comrades in their haste to get away from the acid monsters chasing them. In pain, the guard now found himself laying on the beaten earth of the battlefield, unable to move, with the gaping maw of a hydra heading straight for him. Like a deer caught in the headlights, the soldier found himself unable to look away from his approaching demise. Only when it was almost upon him did he close them and look away, braising himself for a gruesome end.

Only it never came. A crescent-shaped blade of sand flew through the air and cut off the hydra's head before it could reach the crippled soldier. As the head fell to the ground in a now-shapeless mass of corrosive liquid, all nearby combatants, including Smaragd Haze, found themselves looking in the direction the blade had come from. Desert Heat calmly approached, not a hint of fear on his face, coming to a halt when he found himself face to face with the Republican commander.

“I knew it was too much to hope that you had met your end under that ship,” Desert Heat said, sounding pleasant despite a hint of disappointment in his voice. “Then again, I don't think you can blame me for hoping nevertheless, can you?”

Smaragd Haze scoffed disparagingly. “It only proves how much of a fool you are,” he replied, his voice as toxic as the corrosive venoms he wielded. The commander narrowed his eyes and looked at Desert Heat like a snake seizing up its prey before dealing the fatal blow. “You are always welcome to try and amend my status to better suit your expectations, of course,” he added, a sly smirk creeping up his face. “Provided I don't do the same to you first, that is.”

With a hiss, Smaragd Haze gave a mental command to one of his hydras, which responded by lunging at Desert Heat so quickly that the admiral seemingly had no time to react. The corrosive monstrosity engulfed him entirely, bathing the admiral in a toxic mix of corrosive poisons and lethal venoms. When the hydra retreated, it left behind a pony-shaped blob covered from head to toe in the foul liquids, which gave off a hiss when they hit the ground.

“Admiral!” some of the on looking members of the royal guard cried out in dismay, even as some members of the Republic began to cheer, in the belief that their commander had just managed to take out one of the enemy's most feared warriors.

Their cheers died on their lips when the corrosive waste layered upon the admiral suddenly became entirely engulfed with sand and formed a hardened crust. The sand-covered figure started to shake, creating cracks in the crust and causing it to crumble away, revealing a completely unharmed Desert Heat.

“I'm sorry to say that your acid just doesn't have that 'bite' to it once it has been dehydrated, Smaragd,” he said, while casually brushing some lingering bits of sand off his shoulders.

“It seems arrogance is a trait shared amongst you royal admirals,” Smaragd Haze noted, keeping his voice and expression neutral. “One might begin to suspect it is an actual requirement for one to possess the title.”

“I never actually noticed that, but now that you mention it, it might just be,” Desert Heat replied with a smile.

Suddenly he lunged towards Smaragd Haze, all traces of humour gone from his face. Smaragd Haze reacted just as quickly, one of his hydras lunging forward to intercept his opponent, but Desert Heat sliced it in half with a blade of sand before it had a chance to hurt him. The admiral landed right next to the Republican commander, and lashed out with one of his hooves with the intent of striking Smaragd Haze in the face. Smaragd Haze intercepted the blow with his own hoof, covering it in acid, but the sand that suddenly engulfed Desert Heat's limb dehydrated it before it could do any damage.

Desert Heat pulled his hoof free from Smaragd Haze's grip, before dropping low to the ground for a sweeping kick aimed at his opponent's legs. Smaragd Haze jumped back to avoid the attack, retaliating immediately with an acid-covered punch at Desert Heat's side while his enemy was still recovering from his spin. The admiral nimbly moved out of the way of the blow, before lunging at his opponent again. Smaragd Haze intercepted him, and the two stallions grappled with each other, their arms locked. A contest of physical strength ensued as each tried to throw the other to the ground, with neither of them having a clear upper hoof.

This struggle continued for a while, and probably would have gone on for a lot longer when Desert Heat suddenly head butted Smaragd Haze in the face, hitting the commander's gaping wound. Smaragd Haze let out an agonised cry and let go of his foe, staggering backwards while clutching his bleeding head with one hoof. Blinded by the pain, he didn't see Desert Heat's kick coming until too late, and the admiral used every ounce of strength he possessed to buck the commander square in the chest.

Smaragd Haze was sent sprawling, and the royalists cheered. Their joy was short-lived, however, as Smaragd Haze quickly got back up, seething with rage. With a snarl, all four of his hydras lunged at Desert Heat at the same time, each coming from a different direction. Desert Heat gritted his teeth and jumped back to dodge the first, before quickly whirling around to slice the second in two with his sand powers. He then pressed himself low to the ground to let the third fly over him, before cutting off the head of the fourth. This distracted him long enough for Smaragd Haze to get close to him and hit him in the side of the head with an acid-covered hoof.

The blow sent Desert Heat reeling, the right side of his face stinging like mad due to the acid, though he managed to remove it with sand before it could deal any serious damage. Smaragd Haze went for him again, but this time the admiral was ready. With a swing of his arm, he blew back his opponent with a miniature sandstorm, sending Smaragd Haze crashing to the ground again. Even as the commander crawled back to his hooves, Desert Heat fired one of his vertical blades of sand at Smaragd Haze, which raced towards the Republican in a straight line along the ground. Smaragd Haze barely had the time to shield himself with one of his reformed hydras, sending acid splattering everywhere.

Growling, Smaragd Haze pushed himself back up and called upon the power of his magicite once more. Two hydras reared up on their long necks and 'looked' down on the battlefield with their lifeless 'eyes'. Suddenly, they opened their maws and fired a continuous stream of acid from them, like dragons breathing fire. A great part of the royalist's frontline was thusly doused with corrosive venoms, felling countless soldiers, their screams of agony being audible above the din of the on-going war.

Desert Heat hurried to counter the monstrous attack before it could claim more lives. He took a deep breath and reached out with his mind to the shard of magicite on his brow, which began to shine like a golden star. Even as sand began to run down his body like water, almost as if he was bleeding it, Desert Heat reared up on his legs and raised his arms up to the sky. A massive wall of sand rose up in response to his command, one that was nearly fifteen metres wide and a third as high.

With a forward thrust of Desert Heat's hoof, the wall surged forth like a tidal wave and crashed into the ranks of the Republic. Smaragd Haze's hydras and their acid breath were engulfed by tons of sand, together with their master and many of his soldiers. Desert Heat watched the pool of sand that now stretched out before him for a moment, then slowly dropped his arms and lowered himself back on his four hooves. Though he did not admit it out loud, the fight had required him to exert himself quite a bit, as evidenced by his laboured breathing and the sweat upon his brow.

“I sincerely doubt that it's over, though,” he thought darkly, still watching the pile of sand he had buried his opponent under.

And indeed, barely a moment after the thought had crossed his mind, one of Smaragd Haze's hydras burst forth from underneath the sand, quickly followed by its three brethren and the commander himself. Slowly, Smaragd Haze emerged from under the sand, his bulky, muscular form dragging itself free from the sand's greedy pull.

“If an airship didn't manage to kill me, what makes you think a bit of sand would?” Smaragd Haze asked, while casually brushing some lingering bits of sand off his shoulders. “Why don't you go and build some sandcastles instead, you demented old foal.”

“I just thought I'd scrub the lice off your coat a bit to leave you clean for your funeral, Smaragd Haze,” Desert Heat replied, with an icy smile.

Smaragd Haze chuckled lowly in response, but said nothing. The commander summoned back his hydras to his side, and then calmly walked off the sand pile until he had solid ground under his hooves again. As his opponent approached, Desert Heat's thoughts were racing in an attempt to find a way to quickly get out of this situation. Not because he feared his opponent, but because he knew that he couldn't afford to get caught up fighting him much longer, not while his troops needed him.

Desert Heat reluctantly pushed those thoughts away when he noticed the shadows of Smaragd Haze's hydras looming over him, and he braced himself for the fight. Before either could make a move, however, a powerful blast of magic appeared completely out of left field and blasted Smaragd Haze off his hooves. The commander collapsed in the dirt a fair distance away from his previous position, looking quite roughed up. His already cracked armour had now shattered completely in a few places due to the magic blast, leaving parts of his body unprotected.

“I thought the fact that I dropped an airship on top of your ugly mug made it clear enough that I didn't want to lay eyes upon you here, or elsewhere, ever again,” a familiar voice snapped, coldly. Desert Heat, and many with him, glanced in the direction of the voice and saw that it belonged to Amethyst Star. The unicorn admiral had returned to the battlefield and was now coming to stand beside Desert Heat, looking at the fallen Smaragd Haze with disdain all the way.

From where he lay, Smaragd Haze chuckled upon hearing Amethyst Star's words, though his laughter was interrupted a few times by low groans of pain. “Well, I have always been a hard learner, hornhead,” he spat back in reply, as he slowly climbed back to his hooves for what seemed like the umpteenth time today. He spared a moment to wipe some of the blood of his head wound out of his eyes.

“Good to see you again, Sparkler,” Desert Heat greeted, giving his fellow admiral a curt nod. “I must admit, I don't think I've ever been as glad to have you with me as I am now.”

“Glad to be here, Desert,” Amethyst Star replied curtly, after which she glanced to her right and left to take a look at the rest of the battle. “From the looks of it, I came not a moment too soon. I hope you don't mind that I took the liberty of bringing some reinforcements with me. Our line was getting kind of thin.”

“I feared as much. We lost many to his attack, and would have lost more if I hadn't stepped in,” Desert Heat said, glaring darkly at Smaragd Haze's struggling form. “Unfortunately, he proved to be quite a bit of trouble, which kept me from directing our troops.”

“The line held in your absence, mostly,” Amethyst Star informed him. “But they were simply not numerous enough to keep the Republic at bay forever. I helped reinforce the line and stemmed the gaps the Republic had managed to make, which is what kept me from coming to your aid until now. I wanted to, admittedly, but I knew you could more than handle yourself.”

“You did the right thing,” Desert Heat assured her. He paused for a moment. “What's the word on Dash?”

“With the barrier gone, they've managed to tip the balance back in their favour,” Amethyst Star replied. “Though the enemy is putting up more resistance this time, now that they're not letting themselves get pushed back on purpose. It's made the battle more fierce and the losses bigger on both sides. For now, though, we hold the upper hoof in the air.”

“Then I suggest we try to do the same on the ground,” Desert Heat said, narrowing his eyes in determination, as he turned to face Smaragd Haze again. “If we take out one of their commanders, we can reduce both their morale and their fighting power. The both of us should be able to manage that.” Amethyst Star merely nodded, facing the commander as well and bracing herself for battle.

Smaragd Haze watched the two admirals, standing side by side, for a while, then started to laugh.

“What's so funny, Haze?” Amethyst Star growled, her voice cold as ice. “Has standing in the face of defeat finally stripped you of what little shred of sanity you had left?”

“No, I'm merely amused by the both of you conversing like you honestly believe you have any hope of winning here today,” he replied, trying to stifle his giggles and failing entirely. “I'd be inclined to pity you for how completely out of touch with reality you are, if it wasn't so adorably hilarious.”

“No battle has a certain outcome until it has ended, I'm certain you realise that,” Desert Heat stated calmly, unfazed by the other stallion questioning his sanity. “Just as I hope you realise that you have no chance against the might of two royal admirals combined, something not even your marshal was not capable of.”

“Oh, I have no such illusions,” Smaragd Haze shrugged, sounding bored. “Against the two of you, I'm dead meat, I won't deny that. But then again...” His red eyes narrowed to sinister slits as his lips formed an unsettling smirk. “Somehow I don't think you'll be having the luxury of fighting me two on one.”

Desert Heat looked puzzled by the words, and he suddenly felt very cautious, not trusting the situation at all. Before he could ask what Smaragd Haze had meant, however, he was interrupted by the sound of airship artillery, followed a moment later by a series of explosions. Now, the sounds themselves would not have been odd in the slightest, for both sides had been hearing them the entire time since the war had begun. Slightly more unsettling, however, was the direction these sounds came from. They didn't come from above or ahead, as by all means they ought to, but from behind the royalist lines, in the direction of the city.

All colour drained from his face in an instant, as Desert Heat whirled around to look at Stalliongrad. His eyes grew wide and his pupils shrank to pinpricks as he witnessed the source of the bombardment. Amethyst Star, and nearly every royal soldier with her, looked back at the city as well, their expressions mirroring Desert Heat's in the instant they laid eyes upon the awful truth. Behind the two admirals, Smaragd Haze could not stop grinning.

In the skies on the other side of Stalliongrad, behind the royalists' lines, a fleet of airships had appeared. A fleet made of heavily armoured warships. Warships that flew the colours of the Republic and were now approaching Stalliongrad at rapid speed. Already the city was within their firing range, as evidenced by the column of black smoke rising up from within the walls, a result of the earlier bombardment.

At the prow of the ship leading the formation, stood a unicorn mare dressed in the armour befitting a battle mage like herself. Her coat was blue, her mane and tail silver, and she had the flowing cloak of an arch mage draped around her shoulders. She regarded the city and the battlefield beyond it with her violet eyes, an eager grin on her face.

“Hark, ye members of the royal guard, and tremble, for the Great and Powerful Trixie has arrived!”

“Marshal Shining Armour, commander Trixie has arrived, sir!” an exited republican soldier cried out, as he ran towards his superior. The young stallion was so eager to deliver the news that he even forgot to properly salute or wait for permission to speak upon arriving. He could be forgiven, though, given the fact that any other Republican would hardly have done better at the moment, so relieved they were by the arrival of their allies.

Shining Armour heard the news just as he was being helped to his hooves by a lower ranking officer, the pain of his failed spell only now starting to fade. “Better late than never, I suppose,” he groaned, his legs still feeling rather shaky underneath him. “Remind me to buy her a watch once we're back home. Ow...” He winced and rubbed his throbbing forehead, careful to avoid touching his horn, the magical nerve within feeling like it had been set on fire.

“Are you alright, sir?” the officer supporting him asked, worry in her voice. “Should I get a medic?”

The marshal shook his head, though quickly stopped when it only made his headache worse. “I'll manage, Amber Chip, don't worry. Though admittedly…” He groaned and winced as his brain desperately seemed to try and escape from his skull. “That was quite a blow to my noggin'. I don't think I'll be raising up any shields again anytime soon. I fear that if I get struck by spell failure like that again, my brain would be turned into paste.”

He lowered his hoof, closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths to calm himself. When the headache and pain finally started to recede, Shining Armour opened his eyes again, the light-heartedness from a moment ago gone. The thoughtful frown he had been wearing nearly the entire battle returned, evidence that he meant business. He briefly took in the sight of the second airship fleet approaching Stalliongrad from behind, gave a nod of approval, and then turned to the soldier who had brought him the news.

“So Trixie's here at last. That's good news at least,” he began. “What of the rest of the battle? What's the situation?”

“The enemy carried out a charge, led by Desert Heat, with which they managed to recapture nearly all the ground they lost during our last attack, sir,” the soldier answered, finally remembering his training and saluting. “We succeeded in halting their advance, but were unable to move forward ourselves. All attempts to break through their formation were stopped by Desert Heat.”

Shining Armour let out a barely audible sigh. “Nothing new there, then,” he muttered dejectedly, mostly to himself, before mentioning to the soldier to continue.

“We briefly made some progress when commander Smaragd Haze resurfaced and began destroying their formation, but he faced off against Desert Heat before he could finish his work,” the soldier continued dutifully. “While the commander fought the enemy's leader and kept him busy, we managed to break through the enemy line, but were driven back again when Amethyst Star appeared and brought with her reinforcements to strengthen their formation. She then joined Desert Heat in facing Smaragd Haze and…well...” The young stallion shifted uncomfortably. “The commander received a bit of a beating, sir.”

Shining Armour didn't so much as bat an eyelid at the news. He merely gave the colt before him a long even stare, as if silently contemplating his next decision in the wake of these developments. “I see,” he then said, so unexpectedly that he startled both the soldier and Amber Chip, who by now was no longer supporting him, convinced her marshal was healthy enough to stand on his own four hooves. “Thank you for the report, soldier. You may return to your post.”

The soldier nodded. “Sir, yes sir,” he stammered quickly, giving a hasty salute before running off.

The marshal hardly noticed it, his thoughts and attention already elsewhere. He frowned deeply in thought for a moment, then turned to face Amber Chip. “Lieutenant-commander, try to see if you can contact Smaragd Haze,” he began. “If he's still conscious or sensible enough to respond, tell him he is to prepare for the third phase of our strategy immediately. If he's out, pass these orders to lieutenant-commander Summer Breeze instead.”

“Right away, marshal, sir,” she replied, giving a dutiful salute before going off to carry out her orders.

Shining Armour watched her go for about a second, then turned towards the city he was here to conquer again. He fished a communication stone out of a pocket of his uniform and switched it on. “Trixie, this is Shining Armour,” he said. “It's about time you got here. How are things looking there from your end?”

“The Great and Powerful Trixie apologises for the delay, but she did not wish to risk failing to carry out her orders by being discovered,” came the reply through the stone. “To make up for that, she is happy to inform you that her arrival has caught the enemy by surprise, as we hoped. Defences on our side of the city appear to be minimal, and the city appears to be evacuated.”

“Good, that's the best news I've had so far,” Shining Armour answered. “Proceed according to plan. We need you to lure at least half of their airship fleet to your side. Bombard the city to increase the pressure if necessary, but remember: the hospital and any other medical facilities are off limits. Concentrate your fire on the empty streets or some monuments instead. Under no circumstances are there to be any civilian casualties, is that understood? If I hear of fire opened upon as much as a first aid kit, I will personally drag you before the Nobles' Court!”

“The Great and Powerful Trixie understands,” the unicorn commander assured him. “She would never stoop as low as to commit crimes of war. She is above such barbarism and foul tactics.”

“For your sake, I hope so,” Shining Armour replied, with a dangerous edge to his voice. He let his unspoken warning linger for a moment, then continued the conversation. “Once they've spread their airships across the two fronts, it is imperative we keep it that way. We cannot move on to the final phase of the plan until we've ensured that their air fleet is too preoccupied with its own battles to be able to provide aerial support to their ground troops. I'm counting on you and Spitfire to make sure that happens.”

“You need not worry, marshal,” Trixie said confidently. “The Great and Powerful Trixie is ready to play her part, and do it flawlessly.”

“You'd better be,” Shining Armour warned. “Get to it then, commander, and good luck. Shining Armour out,” he added, after which he shut off the connection and pocketed the stone again.

Wearily, the marshal returned his attention to the battlefield, to gauge the reaction of his opponent to this new development. He knew that he hadn't given them much choice but to act the way he wanted them to, but still he remained careful and cautious. A cornered enemy could be unpredictable, after all.

Once he had managed to get over his initial shock at seeing the Republic attack them from behind, Desert Heat proceeded to invent some very creative and colourful swearwords, not caring who heard him. Amethyst Star hadn't taken the revelation much better, though she had made her feelings on the matter clear by sending Smaragd Haze flying instead of swearing. The admiral didn't really care for where he landed, as long as he was out of their hair for a moment so they could plan their next move.

Desert Heat by this point had taken out his communication crystal and contacted their fellow admiral who was still fighting up in the air. “Rainbow Dash, can you take a look at the skies above the city and tell me if you see what we're seeing?” he asked.

“I'm not blind, Desert, of course I can,” Rainbow Dash snapped back. “How in the name of Celestia did we not see these guys coming until now?! That's another complete airship fleet they have there, or else my name isn't awesome! How did they sneak up on us?!”

Amethyst Star narrowed her eyes and magically enhanced her vision to take a better look at the second Republican airship fleet. Her eyes narrowed further as she focussed on the ship at the head of the formation. “They're being led by the commander of their unicorn division, Trixie Lulamoon,” she announced after a while. “It must have been her. She's well known for her skill with illusion spells, she probably cloaked the fleet like I did with our ground troops.”

“Wouldn't doing that require quite a lot of magic?” Rainbow Dash wondered harshly. “I'm sure any of our magic scouts would have picked up on a spell of the size you're suggesting.”

“I see other unicorns aboard there as well,” Amethyst Star replied. “If each of their ships has a magicite user aboard, they could have been the ones hiding the ships from view, while Trixie instead masked the magic frequency such spells would give off. For an expert illusionist powered by magicite, that should be possible, even for that many spells. Though...”

She tapped her chin in thought, confusion evident on her face. “I do wonder how they managed to get across our borders unnoticed… Did they fly over the Everfree Forest or through the Frozen North?”

“We'll figure out the how later,” Desert Heat interrupted, sounding uncharacteristically but understandably impatient. “We should be deciding on what to do instead.” He cast a dark glance at the second invasion fleet. “Though admittedly, there's not much of a choice to be had. If we don't deploy a unit to meet them in combat, we might as well surrender.”

“Splitting up our airship fleet would put us on the defensive, Desert,” Rainbow Dash reminded him. “If we divide our air forces across the two fronts, both halves will be outnumbered enough to have a really hard time. Our chances of holding out against either side will be seriously low.”

“And if we don't split up, we'll have no chance of holding out at all. Our fleet would be crushed between theirs, and then we'd lose the only thing standing between our ground troops and an annihilating bombardment,” Desert Heat argued back. “Losing our air fleet equals losing the war, which is simply not an option! We cannot afford to lose!”

“That sounds all nice and good, Desert, but mind telling me how we're going to avoid doing that? Because in the current situation, our fleet is bucked no matter what!” Rainbow Dash shouted, finally losing her nerve. “Even if we split up, we're gonna get crushed, it's just going to take a bit longer. So unless you can whip up some magic fix during that time that'll take out all their ground troops, it looks to me like we've lost already! So what do you propose we do?!”

“I DON'T KNOW!” Desert Heat thundered, finally breaking down under all the pressure as well. “Tartarus, I do not know! My plan was to force Shining Armour to retreat by making the war too costly for him to continue, but we can't do that in a war on two fronts! Skies above, I do not know! I'm not Derpy Hooves! I can't make up winning strategies on the fly! I can't just take one look at a hopeless situation and figure out how to turn the tables!”

The exhausted stallion took in a deep breath and opened his mouth to continue his venting, but stopped when a hoof was pressed to his chest. Desert Heat looked up and saw Amethyst Star standing before him, which caused his anger to be redirected from Rainbow Dash to her. He opened his mouth again, to start raging at her instead, but he froze upon seeing the expression on her face. She did not frown in disappointment, grumble with anger or sigh hopelessly.

Instead, she did the most unexpected thing of all, especially for her: she gave him a serene smile.

“Desert, calm down. Breathe,” she gently urged him, not a trace of her usual methodical bluntness or cold indifference in her voice. She tapped her own chest and breathed in, before slowly breathing out again. “Panic will not get us anywhere, you know that.” She proceeded to tap his chest, urging him to repeat what she had done previously. For a moment, Desert Heat looked like he wanted to argue, but then relented and breathed deeply in and out to calm himself.

Pleased, Amethyst Star smiled and dropped her hoof back to the ground. She then took out her own communication stone and switched it on. “As for you, Rainbow Dash, words can't express my disappointment,” she said, her voice and demeanour back to her usual icy self. “When did you turn into a defeatist? 'It looks like we have lost already', truly? Were it not for others having heard it as well, I'd think something was wrong with my ears!”

The other side of the line remained tellingly quiet, and both Amethyst Star and Desert Heat knew their fellow admiral was keeping her head very, very low in shame right now.

“Yes, if we split the fleet up, we'll be outnumbered on both fronts,” Amethyst Star continued sharply. “What of it? Since when did Rainbow Dash turn down a challenge when it appeared before her?! What happened to all that bravado? All that boasting? Where all those words of 'going down fighting' just that, words?! Is the great Rainbow Dash nothing but a bag of hot air?!”

“Hey!” Rainbow Dash snapped back defensively. “Of course not!”

“Then get your act together, you sorry excuse for a royal admiral!” Amethyst Star sneered. “Pick yourself up and send word to the ships from my division and the ships you can miss from Desert's division that they're to head out to face the new threat immediately. Of the three of us, I'm probably the one best suited to take on Trixie, so I'll be leading the attack. When I get up there, I expect to see a royal admiral in charge of the fleet and herself again, and not the snivelling coward I'm hearing right now, you hear me?! Amethyst over and out.”

With those words, she shut off the connection and stuffed the communication stone back in her pocket with an angry huff. “Of all times for her to lose her nerve, she had to pick this one,” she grumbled quietly to herself. She started to say more things about Rainbow Dash that were decidedly not nice, but stopped when she felt the unmistakable feeling of being watched. Turning her head, she noticed Desert Heat looking at her with a smile, his eyes shining with laughter.

“That had to be the worst pep talk in the history of ponykind,” he said, shaking his head in amusement.

Amethyst Star answered his smile with genuine one of her own, the anger and contempt she had been displaying just now having vanished without a trace. “The way she was talking, she was clearly in need of a verbal kick in the rear,” she said with a sly grin. “It was the only one that was gonna get through that thick skull of hers.”

“I daresay I was more deserving of it, but you were too nice to give it to me,” Desert Heat replied. “So you used Rainbow Dash to tell me what I needed to hear instead.” He laughed quietly when she gave him an innocent look that basically told him he was right. Letting out a deep breath, Desert Heat reached out and gratefully reached out and laid a hoof on Amethyst Star's shoulder. “Thank you, Sparkler.”

“Just doing my duty, Desert,” she said, brushing off his gratitude with a smile. “Speaking of which, I think it's about time we both went back to doing that. You have an army that requires your leadership, and I have a Republican commander and her airship fleet to sink.” Amethyst Star mimicked his gesture and grabbed Desert Heat by the shoulder as well, while looking him straight in the eye. “It's not over yet. We'll only have lost when none of us are left standing. Remember that.”

Desert Heat bowed his head in quiet resignation. “You're right,” he said. Then he looked up again, and the determination and confidence had returned to his eyes. “Things may look dreary at the moment, but we never expected things to be easy to begin with. Just means we'll have to work harder.” He glanced at the war surrounding them through narrowed eyes for a brief second, and then turned back to Amethyst Star. “You go and deal with Trixie and leave the rest to me. I'll think of something.”

“Now you're talking,” Amethyst Star replied, smiling in approval. “Contact me when you need me. Good luck.” She gave him a quick nod, an action he mimicked, and then she called upon her magic and teleported away. She had a fleet and a fresh load of enemies to tend to.

In the hospital of Stalliongrad, Rarity and Twilight Sparkle found themselves with a rare moment of reprieve from their duties, an opportunity they used to gaze outside the window to try and get an idea of how the battle was proceeding. With the city currently trembling under the bombardment of Trixie's fleet, their impression was understandably not very favourable, and the two friends exchanged worried glances.

“Ah, Rainbow Dash did say that we would be safe here, didn't she, darling?” Rarity asked, nervously biting on her lower lip and wincing when another explosion could be heard uncomfortably close by.

“As safe as a place can be during war, at least,” Twilight replied. “Rainbow Dash said that any medical facility is considered neutral ground during a battle and that attacking it is actually a crime both in the Republic and the Kingdom. As long as we stay here, we should be safe.” She used a handy little spell she had picked up during her studies to get a better look at the area surrounding the hospital. “They seem to be mostly targeting the streets, for some reason. I don't get it, though, there's nopony out there.”

“At least that way they won't be ripping off any unfortunate mare or stallion's limbs,” Rarity said, a shiver running down her spine as the images of all the horrid injuries she had seen today welled up in her mind again. “The less work for us, the better.”

“Not going to argue with you there,” Twilight answered, her face appearing a bit strained as she tried not to let her discomfort show. The two fell silent for a moment, each occupied by their own thoughts, until Twilight let out a sigh and spoke again. “Still…I can't stop myself from wishing I could do more to help somehow...”

“Now, now, don't you go down that lane, darling,” Rarity chided, placing a hoof on Twilight's shoulder. “I certainly understand how you feel, I daresay we all do, but we are already doing the best we can. I'm not saying I wouldn't want to contribute in a more decisive way than keeping soldiers from bleeding to death, but at the same time I understand that I simply do not have what is necessary to do that. If we were out there on the battlefield, I doubt we would last very long, and our presence would only serve as a distraction for Rainbow Dash as well. She'd be constantly worrying over our safety, while her attention needs to be focussed on other things.”

Twilight let out another deep sigh. “I know that,” she admitted quietly, bowing her head. “I know that, as I am now, I would be nothing but a hindrance to Rainbow and the others. That's what's so frustrating! The old Twilight Sparkle would have been able to do more than just…sitting here while one of her friends is doing all the fighting!” She stomped her hoof in powerless frustration. “It makes me feel so…helpless.” Her head dropped even lower, tears running soundlessly from her eyes.

“Oh, darling,” Rarity said, a small, compassionate smile on her lips, and she pulled her friend into a warm hug. “Didn't I just say to not let your mind go down that lane?” she chided gently, patting Twilight on the back. “Who you were and who you are now came to be by things beyond our control, it's useless to think about it.”

“But I knew!” Twilight insisted, as she sobbed into Rarity's shoulder. “All those years, I knew there was something wrong with the world and with me! I knew it, but I still didn't do anything about it! All those years in Ponyville, I could have studied, worked and trained to bring my skills and my magic back to the level they used to be! “But I didn't!” She shook her head and pounded powerlessly against the white pony that held her.

“I just lived my life, knowing everything was wrong, knowing what they did to the Princess, and I let it be, telling myself there was nothing I could do about it to shush my guilt,” she continued, her chest heaving as she sobbed. “Now look at me, not even capable of doing much to help. I should have followed Rainbow Dash's example and joined the Royalists the day I ran away. She knew the world was wrong and she stood up to fight, so why didn't I? I'm the Princess' personal student! I should have been the first to do something!”

“Begging your pardon, darling, but you are hardly alone in that. We knew everything was wrong, too, but none of us did anything about it either. Goodness, I even went and made career out of it,” Rarity said, looking a bit guilty as she did so, still rubbing Twilight's back in an attempt to help her calm down. “Being the bearers of the Elements of Harmony as we are, we should have been amongst the first to stand up for the Princess as well, but we did not.”

“All of you had families to worry about and Fluttershy didn't even exist in this timeline until a month ago,” Twilight rebuked almost immediately. “You had to take care of them, while I did not. I didn't have anything holding me back, and yet I still decided to do nothing and let Rainbow Dash do what I should have been doing.”

“Now that's hardly true, Twilight,” Rarity insisted firmly, letting go of Twilight so she could lift up her friend's chin and look her in the eye. “You also had a family you were worried about. True, you disagreed with them, quite vehemently so I must admit, but you still loved them, especially your brother. We all know how much you care, or cared, about Shining Armour in the past. It's hardly surprising you didn't want to fight him, and I don't think even the Princess would blame you for feeling that way. Family bonds are hard to break.”

Twilight was silent for a moment, then shook her head and futilely tried to wipe her tears away. “I did love my brother and I didn't want to fight him…Still don't, I guess. But brother or not, what he's doing is wrong, and I knew that from the start. I should have stood up for what's right, even if it hurt,” she whispered tearfully, feeling foolish and useless. “I let my love for him keep me from doing what's right...” She turned away from Rarity, her eyes straying back to the window and looking to the outside world. “I feel so stupid...”

Rarity looked at her friend with pity, feeling totally at loss, not knowing what she could say to pull Twilight out of her haze of guilt and pain. Part of her wondered what had caused her friend to break down so suddenly, in the middle of a war no less, but then she realised that it was perhaps because of the war that Twilight felt this way. Rarity couldn't deny that her own emotions were in flux as well, due to the things she had seen and the stress of her work. In that light, no, Twilight's breakdown suddenly didn't seem that odd or sudden anymore.

Rarity mentally shook her head to clear her mind. She should really be thinking about a way to make her friend feel a bit better instead of wondering about why Twilight felt the way she did now. She opened her mouth to say something, but was interrupted when a shadow gliding past the window pulled her attention away from her friend. Twilight had noticed it as well and was now looking through the window to see what it was, Rarity quickly joining her at her side. Together, they watched as airships passed overhead, flying towards the second Republican fleet in the near distance.

“Hmm, do you suppose it's Rainbow Dash?” Rarity asked, tapping her chin thoughtfully.

“I don't think so,” Twilight replied, sounding unsure. “I think I recognise their flag as belonging to the third division, which is Amethyst Star's, I believe. Rainbow Dash is the head of the second division.”

“They seem to be outnumbered,” Rarity noticed, frowning. “I thought Rainbow Dash said our side was stronger in the air?”

“That's what I thought, too,” Twilight said, looking worried. “Was the information we got wrong, or have we lost that much ships already that the Republic outnumbers us now?” She gnawed on her lower lip in worry. “I wish we knew how things were going out there...”

“Maybe it is better that we don't,” Rarity offered, though she didn't sound entirely convinced of her own words. “If we did, it might wind up making us worry even more.” She tried to give Twilight her best encouraging smile, but it didn't look entirely convincing. She couldn't deny that she was nervous, worried and scared herself, but Rarity did her best to not let it show. She was quite aware that many of her friends were looking at her for support, something she couldn't give if they knew she felt just like they did. So she selflessly pushed out her own fears, for the sake of her friends.

Twilight was not fooled by the act, but she did understand why Rarity did it, and she admired the strength her friend showed for her sake. No matter how much time or their lives changed, it appeared that Rarity would always be the generous mare the others remembered. She wanted to say something; to thank Rarity for simply being there, but at that moment a nurse arrived, saying they were needed. It would have to wait, it seemed. She couldn't linger on her feelings while she had a job to do and ponies' lives depending on her.

As she followed Rarity back to the infirmary, Twilight cast one last glance over her shoulder through the window. The two opposing air fleets had engaged one another in combat, ensuring that she had more work to look forward to. She felt her heart ache at the sigh, and once again wished she was stronger, so she could put an end to all of this madness.

Ruefully, she realised that she could wish for it as much as she wanted; it wasn't going to change anything. She was powerless, only a shade of the magical prodigy she used to be in her other life, and all she could do now to help was keeping ponies from bleeding to death.

Shining Armour watched with satisfaction how the Royal Airfleet broke apart into two smaller fleets, one of which turned around and set course to intercept Trixie and her fleet. He was pleased and more than a bit relieved to see that so far, everything was still going according to his plan. Granted, if it hadn't, he still wouldn't have had to panic. As any good tactician ought to, he had multiple backup plans and strategies in order to steer the enemy back onto the path he wanted them on. The only difference would have been that the next phase of his strategy would have been delayed even further, which would have ended up wasting more lives.

Luckily, he didn't have to worry about that now, as everything had gone as he had hoped. He turned his gaze from the skies to lieutenant-commander Amber Chip, who was acting as his right hoof pony in the absence of one of the three commanders. Upon seeing that his attention was on her, the mare snapped to attention and waited for him to speak.

“Sent word to the special unit that they may begin their approach,” Shining Armour ordered. “We need to strike the crippling blow now, before they get a chance to adapt to the new situation. We can't afford to waste this opportunity.” He took a brief look at the frontline on the ground, tapped his chin a few times with his hoof in thought, then turned back to Amber Chip. “Were you able to contact Smaragd Haze or Summer Breeze?”

The lieutenant-commander nodded. “Commander Haze didn't respond to my callings, but lieutenant-commander Summer Breeze did,” she replied. “He said he will take the necessary steps to proceed to the next phase of the plan.”

Shining Armour sighed and rubbed his forehead just below his horn. “It's good that I know Summer Breeze is a capable stallion, or else I'd be having a small panic attack right now due to the commander of my ground troops being unreachable,” he muttered, shaking his head. He made a dismissive gesture with his hoof towards Amber Chip. “I'll ask around for Smaragd Haze's whereabouts myself, you go and deliver my orders to the special unit.”

“As you command, marshal,” the pegasus mare replied. She gave a dutiful salute, then flew off to carry out her new orders, leaving a trail of dust in her wake.

Her superior returned his attention to the on-going battle. His ground troops were still having a difficult time to get past the defensive formation Desert Heat had deployed to stop them. Shining Armour had to admit he was impressed by the way the other stallion managed to hold back an entire army more than hundred and fifty thousand strong with not even a hundredth of that number, simply by making smart use of the terrain and making every soldier he deployed count for something. He had a lot of respect for the royal admiral, and lamented the fact that, under different circumstances, they probably could have been great friends.

Alas, Desert Heat strove for the very thing Shining Armour wanted to prevent, and so here they were, facing one another on opposite sides of the war. Averting his eyes, the marshal decided that now wasn't the time to reflect on what was and what could have been, not while he had a war to win. He briefly scanned the sea of soldiers laid out before him, trying to find his missing commander, though his efforts were for naught. He might as well have been trying to locate a single drop of water in the rain.

Shining Armour pulled out his communication stone and was just about to try and contact Smaragd Haze with it, when said pony suddenly emerged out of the ranks of his army, heading towards him. It became immediate apparent that Smaragd Haze had seen better days, if the scorched mane, bleeding head and shattered armour was any indication.

“I've been trying to contact you, but you didn't answer,” Shining Armour said by means of greeting, once Smaragd Haze stood at his side again. “Good to see you're still amongst the living, commander, though admittedly, you don't look that good.”

Smaragd Haze merely laughed in reply, though it came out more as pained wheezing. “Yeah, well, you get clobbered with an airship and see how good you look afterwards,” he said. “That, and Amethyst Star didn't take the arrival of our second fleet very well.” He rubbed the side of his head where Amethyst Star had hit him with her magic to send him flying with a smile, as if cherishing the memory. “Sadly, when I came down again I crushed my communication crystal under me, which is why I haven't been answering.”

“That explains it,” Shining armour muttered, giving a nod. He frowned in thought, mulling over something in his head for a while, then gave Smaragd Haze a questioning look. “All preparations have been or are being made and I've just sent Amber Chip to bring word to the special unit. It's time to move things into the final phase. Are you still able to fight?”

The commander gave him a deadpan look. “You're kidding, right?” he scoffed. “These little scratches don't so much as itch. It will take a lot more than this to keep me down.”

“Go and grab a new communication crystal then, and have the medics patch up that head wound,” Shining Armour ordered. “After you've done that, take control of our ground forces again and make sure the special unit can pass through to the front smoothly and unhindered. We can't afford to have things go awry this far into the game. Our next step is crucial, remember that.”

“I know the plan, marshal, don't worry,” Smaragd Haze assured his superior.

The commander took his leave and went to carry out his orders, while Shining Armour returned to follow the proceedings of the battle. He hadn't been lying just now when he had told Smaragd Haze that the next step was crucial.

He had been carefully planning this moment for months, had been closely monitoring the battle ever since it began to make sure everything went the way he wanted it to, he couldn't afford to have it be botched up now. Sighing, Shining Armour closed his eyes and clutched his forehead, feeling a bead of sweat run down the side of his face.

The next few minutes were going to be some of the longest of his life.

Rainbow Dash was overlooking the battlefield, furiously working her brain as she tried to figure out the best strategy to pursue now that her attack power had been effectively halved. She knew that she still had a winning chance and she still felt deeply ashamed of the fact that she had given into panic a moment ago, however briefly. Amethyst Star had been right to be upset with her, though she didn't have to be so rude while saying so. But that was Sparkler, she supposed.

Reaching a decision, she lifted her communication stone to her mouth. “Rose Thorn, have all ships focus fire on the Republican vessel, fourth from the right,” she instructed. “I noticed some damage to its rudder, so it won't be able to manoeuvre out of the way of a concentrated barrage. While they're distracted with that, the third ship on the top left is currently understaffed, so I want the fifth and sixth unit to board it.”

“Understood, admiral,” came the reply through the stone. “Should they destroy the ship in case they are successful in capturing it?”

“Buck no!” Rainbow Dash cried out. “I don't know if you noticed, Rose Thorn, but we're currently undershipped here. And since we can't strengthen our numbers with our own ships, we're going to borrow theirs instead.”

“I highly doubt the enemy is going to let us do that, ma'am,” Rose Thorn remarked.

“I know that, but if we do manage to capture any, there's little they could do about it aside from firing on their own ships, so even if we can't use them, they can't either, so we gain either way,” Rainbow Dash explained. “We're running on a tight budget here, vice-admiral, so we have to make do with what we have and get creative.” She thoughtfully tapped her chin while casually moving out of the way of a stray cannonball.

“They may have more ships than we do now, but we still hold the advantage in terms of soldiers,” she reasoned. “All of ours can fly, even our unicorns and earth ponies, while theirs can't. That makes the use of their non-flyers limited. That's a weakness we could exploit in our favour, if we make some clever use of our unicorns.”

“I'll send word to all unicorns to stand ready for special orders,” Rose Thorn said, already a step ahead of her. After receiving Rainbow Dash's permission, the vice-admiral closed the connection and went to carry out his orders, leaving Rainbow Dash to fly over the battlefield looking for other potential targets and possible weaknesses in the Republic's formation.

As she flew a bit lower to get a better look at one of the enemy's ships, her eye almost entirely by accident took a glance at the ground below. At first she didn't even think about the image that greeted her, but when her brain ran the image of the accidental look at the battlefield below through her head again more slowly, a shock ran through her body. Immediately she looked down again, to make sure she hadn't been seeing things. When the second glance only confirmed the information relayed by the first, Rainbow Dash wasted no time in grabbing her communication stone again, though it was not her own vice-admiral she contacted this time.

“Desert Heat, can you hear me?” she asked, a frown on her face as she kept looking to the ground in order to try and figure out what the Republic was trying to accomplish.

“I hear you, Rainbow Dash,” Desert Heat responded after a brief moment of silence. “What is it? Not to be rude, but I have my hooves rather full here at the moment, so I hope it's important.”

Rainbow Dash wasted no time with arguing that it was, she just told him what she was seeing. “Desert, the Republic's moving rather strangely down there,” she reported. “The troops at their rear are starting to break off to the left and right, opening up a hole in the middle, though I've got no idea why they'd do that. I still thought it was better to let you know.”

“Good of you, Dash,” Desert Heat replied, genuinely sounding grateful. “I can't see anything from where I'm standing, not yet at least, but I'm glad you told me. They've caught us off guard enough already.”

There was the sound of somepony yelling, followed by a grunt from Desert Heat and the sound of hooves impacting against flesh and bone. Rainbow Dash couldn't help but wince. She had no doubt what she had just heard was some poor sod attacking her fellow admiral and winding up regretting it.

“Sorry about that, there was a small disturbance on the line,” Desert Heat apologised, his breathing sounding slightly faster than normal. “What are they doing now? Is there anything else out of the ordinary?”

Rainbow Dash narrowed her eyes to try and get a better look at the valley below. “Not really, except that they keep splitting off left and right, like I told you,” she replied. A movement in the corner of her eyes made her turn her attention to the area behind the Republican lines. “Wait, I think I see something moving at the valley entrance. Let me get a...”

Her voice suddenly failed when her eyes got a good look at what she'd seen. Rainbow Dash's jaw dropped, her eyes grew wide and she nearly dropped her communication stone out of pure, utter shock.

From the start of the battle, the odds had been moving back and forth between the two sides, the tides of war sometimes changing within an instant. The spectacle that had unfolded in the valley of Stalliongrad was of a kind that had not been seen since the outbreak of the civil war, three and a half centuries ago. The full might of the Republic clashed against the entire military force of the Kingdom in a battle that was set to decide the future of both.

And now, approximately two hours after the commencement of the battle, Shining Armour at last unveiled his master stroke.

A column of roughly fifty vehicles thundered into the valley, each carried by six wheels and powered by a powerful steam engine. Thick, armoured steel covered every inch of these new vehicles, even their wheels, which had spikes mounted on them. There seemed to be no opening for any driver to look through and see where he was going, but regardless the vehicles trudged on in an orderly fashion and at a frightening pace. From the top of each of them protruded a long pipe, which somewhat resembled the barrel of a cannon, though it was too small to actually be a cannon.

As the steel monsters approached the ranks of their allies, they used the path the soldiers had cleared in their middle to move towards the front, and the Republicans began to cheer at the sight. The defenders of Stalliongrad, their sight still obstructed by the frontlines of their foes, could only wonder what the cause of their enemies' joy was. Watching from above, Rainbow Dash was the only one who knew the reason, but her brain seemed to have taken a sudden leave of absence.

“Tanks,” she muttered deliriously. “They've got friggin' tanks!”

End of chapter 36.

37. The edge of despair

Wings of Tomorrow
Lament of the World

37. The edge of despair
The Siege of Stalliongrad – Part 6

It was almost comical how quickly things could turn in battle. But a moment ago, the defenders of Stalliongrad had scored a victory with the breaking of the enemy’s barrier, followed by a successful defensive manoeuvre that managed to slow the enemy’s advance to a crawl while thinning their numbers. Hope had surged in the heart of every royal soldier, as it had appeared to them that they might just make it yet.

Now, that hope had evaporated like snow under the sun, as if it had never been there at all. A surprise attack from the back had the Royal air fleet fighting a battle on two fronts, ensuring that next to no aerial support could be given to the troops on the ground. Before the Royalists had even gotten the chance to recover from that nasty wakeup call, the Republic had unveiled their newest weapon and the defenders found themselves facing a threat unlike any they had ever seen before.

The Republican tanks were approaching at a steady pace, in a single line running from one side of the valley to the next, ensuring that there was no chance for the Royalists to do anything but retreat. The mere sight of the monstrous vehicles made of pure armoured steel and steam power sent the defenders into a panic. Swords and arrows were useless against these monsters, and they all knew it. Not wanting to go anywhere near the oncoming destruction, the soldiers tripped over each other in their haste to get away.

Unable to stop them, Desert Heat could only watch as the defence line he had struggled so hard to create and maintain fell apart before the enemy had even fired a single shot. He clenched his jaw and let out a low growl, sending a heated glare towards the Republican ranks. Anger and despair clawed at the back of his mind, trying to overwhelm him, but he pushed it back and forced himself to remain calm. As appealing as panic looked in this situation, he couldn't afford giving in to it. The battle was looking pretty hopeless at the moment, true enough, but it was his duty to try and mount a defence and turn the battle in their favour again.

His brain worked at furious speeds as he observed the battlefield and tried to form a plan of action. A quick glance at his troops made it obvious what had to be done first. Whipping out his trusty communication crystal, Desert Heat contacted the vice-admirals in command of the numerous sub-divisions of the Royal Guard.

“Have all earth ponies and pegasi fall back to the city and get ready to make their stand there,” he began. “Meanwhile, I want every available unicorn move to the front to cover their retreat and try to stop these monsters. Swords and arrows aren't going to do much good, so magic is our best bet for now.”

To his great relief, the vice-admirals and their lower ranking officers were able to regain control over their panicked troops, and Desert Heat's orders were carried out swiftly and effectively. As the earth ponies and pegasi retreated to the relative safety of the city's walls, the unicorns separated themselves from their division and dutifully stepped forward to face the oncoming Republican threat. Desert Heat quickly took control of the situation and guided them into position, casting quick glances at the tank division the entire time.

The tanks were quickly closing in on them, but they had yet to fire a single shot. Desert Heat didn't know if this was because they simply weren't within firing range yet, or because they were waiting for the Royalists to do something first, but he didn't have much time to think about it. He was simply glad for the time it gave him to organise his defences. The unicorns by now had lined up in two rows in a V-shape, Desert Heat standing at the front of the formation.

“On my signal, I want every front pony to raise up the strongest shield he or she can,” he bellowed, while trying to prevent panic from creeping into his voice. “When the shields are up, all back ponies are to light up their horn and start bombarding the enemy with the strongest blasts they're capable of. If we're lucky, that'll puncture a hole in those bastards and ship them off to Tartarus. Do not let up the attack until I give permission to do so!”

Desert Heat didn't wait to see if his orders were understood or not, there was no time for that. He turned and faced the looming tank division, which had neared enough for the distant purring of their engines to become a loud and disheartening rumble. The admiral gnawed on his lower lip, took a deep breath and then raised his hoof.

“Shields up!”

Immediately, a row of shimmering shields spread across the entire frontline, their soft glow bathing their casters in an eerie purple glow. Desert Heat let out the breath he hadn't realised he was holding, then gave a barely noticeable nod. So far, so good. His soldiers might not be Shining Armour, but their shields would protect them from cannonballs or magic blasts, at least for a while. He quickly proceeded to the next stage of the plan.

“Back ponies, charge up your magic!” he commanded, his hoof still raised. The Royalist line became a row of colourful lights as hundreds of horns lit up with magic in varying colours. Desert Heat gave them a few seconds to build up their power, his eyes fixed on their target all the while. The passiveness of the tanks unsettled him and put his nerves on edge. For the life of him he couldn't figure out what they were waiting for. He ignored the rumbling of cannon fire, far away in the skies above. A bead of sweat ran down the side of his face.

Desert Heat dropped his hoof. “Fire!”

A wave of magic blasts surged forth from the Royalists' defence line, heading straight for the Republican tanks. The first blast reached its target, slamming into it at great speed before exploding in a discharge of magical energy. An attack of that power would have been able to put a dent even in the most armoured airship, yet once the light of the explosion died down, the tank was undamaged. More magic projectiles rained down upon the vehicles, but upon every impact the tank would shimmer with the familiar glow of a magic shield and shrug off the attack. The war machines simply drove on through the magical barrage, ignoring the attacks being fired at them entirely.

“Their plating must be enchanted, or they have unicorns inside,” Desert Heat realised, and he cursed. Still, he did not give the order to cease the attack just yet. Perhaps if they battered away at the magical defences long enough, they could break through and hit the vehicle underneath...

A bright glow pulled him out of his thoughts and he ran his eyes across the battlefield, trying to find its source. The source turned out to not be one, but many, as the light came from the end of the barrels of the tanks' cannons. Ever since the new weapons had made their appearance, Desert Heat had wondered what the cannons fired, as they were too narrow for normal cannonballs. The light he was now witnessing told him everything he had to know.

“It cannot be...” he thought, a moment before realising what was about to happen. He quickly turned to his troops, barely having the time to shout a warning. “Shield casters, brace yourself! Everypony else, get down!”

The tanks fired before he had even finished speaking. The fifty vehicles struck in perfect unison, a beam of pure, focussed magical energies bursting forth from each cannon. The blasts went straight towards the Royalists' shields and pierced right through them as if they weren't even there. The magical domes shattered like glass, their casters struck down by the backlash of their failed spell. Still the blasts moved on, utterly pulverising any unicorn that stood in their way, until they hit the ground a few paces behind the defence line, causing numerous, and devastating explosions.

Desert Heat had succeeded in shielding himself and the soldiers closest to him from the explosions with a wall of sand, the outer layer of which had been turned into glass due to the sheer heat emanating from the magical explosions. Dirt and debris that had been blown in the air started raining down around them, occasionally accompanied by the corpses, or parts of them, from the fallen that had littered the battlefield. Only when it was over did Desert Heat lower his wall of sand and climb back to his hooves.

He looked around the battlefield, but his vision was impaired by the smoke and clouds of dust that followed in the wake of the explosions. A soft breeze quickly did away with that problem and the sight that greeted Desert Heat once the air had cleared was one he would remember until the end of his days.

The area where a few moments ago hundreds of unicorns had stood together was now littered with smoking craters, many of which were filled with burning bodies or debris. The corpses – or parts of them – of the fallen laid scattered across the marred valley floor. With only a single volley of a mere fifty tanks, the battlefield had been transformed into a wasteland, a feat that normally took a bombardment of an entire airship fleet to achieve. It was unbelievable. It was horrifying.

But Desert Heat paid it barely any heed, knowing full well that the battle was still raging on and that they were all in danger at this very moment. There was no time to be shocked or horrified. “Everypony fall back to the city!” he commanded, shaking his surviving unicorns out of their horrified stupor. “Retreat and regroup behind the walls! Retreat!”

Fortunately, his soldiers didn't need much convincing and immediately obeyed his orders. Those who could teleport did so, taking as many of their comrades with them as they could. Those who could not fled the old fashioned way, running faster than they ever had before. Desert Heat did not follow them. He stayed where he was, watching as the tank division emerged from the clouds of smoke and dust like horrors out of the mist. One soldier, upon noticing that his superior did not flee, stopped and called out to him.

“Admiral, what are you doing?!” he cried.

“Somepony has to cover our retreat,” Desert Heat calmly replied, not a trace of fear in his voice. “It is my duty as a Royal Admiral to protect my troops and stop these monsters.” He cast a quick glance over his shoulder at the worried soldier. “Now go! Fall back to the city and rejoin the others!” He did not look again to see if the stallion had obeyed him or not. All his attention went to the enemy before him.

As he called upon his magicite and started preparing an attack, Desert Heat also switched on his communication crystal, opening the line between him and his fellow admirals. “Dash, Sparkler, can you hear me?” he called, as he launched a crescent blade of sand at the nearest tank, which was a good stone-throw away from him. His attack, normally capable of slicing even through the armoured steel-plating of an airship, was stopped by the magical shield placed upon the vehicle. “There has to be some way I can slow them down...” he thought.

“I'm a little… ugh, busy at the moment, Desert!” came Rainbow Dash's voice through his crystal, together with the sound of grunts and clashing steel. There was a cry, followed by the familiar sizzling of electricity. Evidently, the pegasus was just as busy fighting as he was. “They really turned up the heat here.”

“I fear I have to echo that statement,” said the voice of Amethyst Star, which went accompanied by the sound of explosions going off in the background. “I find myself momentarily occupied. Apologies, my friend.”

“So no help from your end, then,” Desert Heat replied, giving a wry chuckle. “Can't say I didn't expect that. At least tell me you saw what just happened.” The tanks were almost upon him now. He could see how light began to gather near the end of their barrels as the armoured vehicles readied another volley. Glancing back over his shoulder, he saw many of his troops weren't even halfway to the city yet. He had to do something, and fast.

“Hard not to notice a good chunk of our unicorns getting wiped off the face of the planet,” Rainbow Dash answered with a grunt, and her fellow admirals could hear the sound of hooves smashing into something, followed by the snapping of bones. “In one attack, no less! Did they come up with a new kind of gunpowder or what?!”

“I'm afraid it's worse than that,” Desert Heat replied, as he summoned a second miniature whirlwind on his hoof, intending to summon another sandstorm. He reared back to unleash his powers of sand upon the wind, but he was a split second too late. The tanks were faster and fired first, most aiming at his retreating troops, but one had targeted him.

Desert Heat was forced to throw himself into one of the impact craters and burry himself and the smouldering corpse next to him underneath a thick layer of sand to shield himself from the blast, but even then he could feel the shaking of the earth and the sheer heat of the magical explosion right through his sandy cover. He waited a few seconds, then moved through the sand like a fish through water and resurfaced. He took a deep and welcome breath of air, before looking around to take in the damage.

More of the valley had been turned into a wasteland, but he was relieved to notice that there was much less casualties this time around. The first time around the tanks had caught them off guard and they hadn't known what to expect from these new weapons. This time, they knew what they were up against. When the tanks had fired, many had sought cover in a trench or crater, a move that had saved their lives.

Now that the explosion had passed, they clambered out of their pits again to continue running for their lives. Desert Heat was pleased to notice that unicorns who could teleport and had already reached the city, where now going back to fetch their comrades who could not and were still out on the field. Almost every member of his troops had been evacuated to the relative safety of the city walls.

Desert Heat knew that the thick walls of Stalliongrad would be demolished by the awesome power of the tanks with ease, but to do that they first had to get within range, and he wasn't about to let that happen. He shook off the remaining sand that clung to his body, then quickly retreated a small distance. The tanks hadn't stopped their advance while he was playing mole under the sand, and they had neared enough for him to almost touch them.

“Desert, are you alright?” Amethyst Star asked, sounding worried.

“I'm alive,” he replied curtly, as he started to once again build up a second sandstorm. “Have to stop them before they get in range of the city. One volley of those blasts and our walls will be history.” With far less flair than the first time, Desert Heat set the miniature whirlwind on his hoof free on the wind, unleashing another sandstorm. He was well aware that it wouldn't damage the tanks, but the swirling sands obscuring their view ought to slow their pace at the very least.

“Just what are they firing?” Rainbow Dash wondered. “If it weren't for the fact that blasts of such power take a unicorn with the raw power the likes of which Twilight has, I'd say it was magic. But I refuse to believe there are that much Twilights running around and that they all happen to be inside those tanks.”

“Not magic,” Desert Heat said. “Magicite. I don't have to be a unicorn to recognise this kind of amplified magic.” Around him, the winds were beginning to really pick up, smoke, dust, debris and sand being swept into the air as the storm he had summoned grew in strength with every passing second.

“If the Republic has this many magicite shards, why would they waste it by putting it in tanks, instead of giving it to their soldiers?” Amethyst Star wondered, sounding unconvinced. “A trained magicite user would be much more versatile and useful than a tank.”

“I don't think it's natural magicite,” Desert Heat answered. “If the Republic had found that many shards, we would have known. No, we're up against manufactured magicite here, I'm certain of it. Somehow, they were able to weaponise it.”

“But that would mean their research into manufactured magicite is much further along than the reports said it was, not to mention more advanced than ours!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed. “We're barely capable of making magicite that doesn't shatter the moment we put a life spell in it for our mechanical wings and stuff, while they're putting it in tanks?!”

“Seems that way,” Desert Heat confirmed dryly.

Amethyst Star's side of the line was silent for a moment. “There was nothing about this in the plans,” she said, her voice dark. “Not even a hint. Either this technology wasn't ready to be included yet at the time we grabbed them and they added this plan only afterwards, or...”

“Or they deliberately left it out, taking the possibility of their plans being leaked into consideration,” Desert Heat finished for her. He gave a hapless shrug. “No way of knowing which of the two it was. With Shining Armour, both are possible. But deliberate or not...” He stared solemnly at the shadowy figures of the tanks trudging on through the sandstorm, unbothered and unhindered by the sad. “They got us, and they got us good.”

The silence that followed was dark and ominous, and said more than words ever could.

“So…what do we do?” Rainbow Dash wondered aloud.

“I thought that would be obvious,” Desert Heat replied. “The both of you continue as you are and keep us from being butchered in the sky, while I try to deal with these tanks.”

Amethyst Star wanted to protest, but Rainbow Dash beat her to it. “Desert, did those tanks finally make you snap? Going up against fifty magicite users is suicide, even for somepony like you! It doesn't matter if they're just using manufactured magicite and aren't as versatile as you are, you'll be blown to pieces!” she said, almost screaming. “You should regroup with the others in the city and think of a plan to win there, not out in the field where they can hit you!”

“A plan to win?” Desert Heat echoed, sounding somewhat confused. “Rainbow Dash, this isn't about winning anymore,” he said, shaking his head. His green eyes gazed at the dark forms of the tanks trudging on through the storm. “This is about surviving.”

It was with a heavy heart that Amethyst Star shut off the communication with her fellow admirals and put her stone back in its pocket. Desert Heat was going up against something on his own, something that by all rights required all three admirals' attention. It didn't sit well with her, not in the slightest. Desert Heat was a friend and her heart longed to go down there and help him face off against the Republic's division of secret weapons.

But she couldn't, something she was all too aware of. She was needed here, in the air, dealing the threat of the Republic's second airship fleet. The Royalist fleet, smaller in number, facing the Republic's aerial might needed a capable leader to guide them through the fight. She was that leader. Everypony aboard these ships was looking at her for guidance and she could not disappoint them. She could not abandon them to their own devices to go and help Desert Heat, not with how dire things looked up here.

Her troops being outnumbered was only the beginning of her troubles. Given that they had not expected an attack from behind their lines, not one of this size or nature at least, Amethyst Star didn't have a planned strategy for dealing with this new threat. She was a quick thinker and a good strategist, for sure, but even so not being able to properly prepare for a fight was never a good thing.

Finally, she was simply not as skilled or experienced when it came to aerial warfare as Rainbow Dash was - and Amethyst Star hated admitting Rainbow Dash was better than her at something - making the challenge she was faced with now all the more difficult.

She had little choice but to tackle it head-on, however, which was exactly what she planned on doing. Challenging or not, it was her duty as a Royal Admiral, and she took the duties that came with her rank very serious, even in seemingly hopeless situations. She cast one last glance over her shoulder to the other side of the valley, which was still being ravaged by sandstorm.

“I'm sorry, Desert,” Amethyst Star apologised quietly. She sighed, and then turned her attention back to the challenge laid before her. Her face was a scowling mask of determination, her cold eyes locking onto the Republican flagship leading the second invasion fleet. “Set course for their flagship!” she commanded a nearby crewmember of her ship.

Said crewmember snapped to attention and gave a dutiful salute. “Yes, admiral, ma'am!” he replied, before hurrying off to relay the message.

Amethyst Star walked to the prow of the ship and jumped on top of its figurehead, a prancing windigo, with practiced ease. As the ship began to turn to set itself on its new course, the admiral called upon her magic and summoned her trusted Sephira blades to her side, readying herself for battle. In a hopeless situation like this, she mused, the best defence was a good offence. As far as strategies went, it wasn't exactly her most impressive work, but without Rainbow Dash around to tease her about it, she didn't really care.

With her mane billowing in the wind and her eyes blazing with the fires of war, Amethyst Star flew into battle.

In the skies on the other side of the city, the battle was already well underway again. After the brief retreat while Shining Armour's shield was up and the splitting of the fleet, Rainbow Dash and the remainder of her troops had dived straight back into the fray, with a ferocity that bordered on desperation. Which, given the turn the war had taken, might not have been too far from the truth.

Given that the troops at her disposal had been effectively halved, Rainbow Dash had had no choice but to adopt a new strategy. Before, she had moved her ships in a single front that constantly pushed against the enemy's fleet and forced them back, but now that the Republic was outnumbering them, that formation had become impossible to hold.

Instead, Rainbow Dash had opted to spread out and amalgamate her fleet with the Republic's. There were no clear cut front or specific formations anymore on either side; the two opposing fleets were flying crisscross through each other in a free for all battle. Unwise as it seemed at first glance, Rainbow Dash knew that this course of action was ultimately to their advantage.

Now that the Republic's firepower was greater than theirs, it was important to prevent them from using that firepower in a united assault. By abandoning ordered lines and formation, Rainbow Dash had done just that. With the Royal airships flying through the Republican ranks, the enemy ships had a much harder time firing their cannons, out of fear of hitting their own allies. Admittedly, the same was true for her own ships as well, but with the artillery crippled, the battle had to be fought by ponies, not weapons, and Rainbow Dash knew that when it came to that, they still held the advantage.

It wasn't overconfidence or arrogance, merely a fact. The Royalists had more flyers. Whereas the Republican unicorns and earth ponies were forced to remain grounded aboard their ships, their Royal counterparts could easily take to the skies with their mechanical wings. The separatist laws of the Republic that forbade the three tribes from wandering into each other’s' territory now worked against them, and Rainbow Dash wasn't afraid of exploiting that.

“It's not like I have much choice,” she thought to herself as she soared through the air in search of her next opponent. “With everything having gone to Tartarus like this, I need to press any advantage I can get!”

She dived towards the nearest Republican ship, her body surrounded by sparks of lightning and her mind set on wreaking havoc. With a swing of her left hoof she threw a bolt of lightning at the ship, which crashed into the magical shield the unicorns aboard the ship had woven around their vessel. The crackling of electricity could be heard above the din of battle as the lightning ran across the shield, but despite the power of the attack, the barrier held.

Her attack had drawn the attention of the ship's crew and Rainbow Dash now found herself the target of a barrage of spells and arrows. With practiced ease she swerved left and right, deftly dodging the numerous projectiles, occasionally swatting one aside with her lance. As she came closer to her target, she took note of a whole flock of pegasi rising up around it like a wall of feathers, flesh and steel.

With a gesture of her hoof she mentioned the nearest of her own soldiers to follow her, with a second gesture at the ship making it clear what their target was. Immediately five members of the royal guard fell in line besides her, moving in formation with the admiral like a well-oiled machine, the result of years of exercises and hard drills. When they were almost upon the enemy ship, Rainbow Dash fired another lightning blast to herald their arrival.

As the blast bounced off the magical shield, a number of Republican pegasi broke loose from their flock and headed out to intercept them. Rainbow Dash gritted her teeth and prepared herself for the oncoming fight, but kept flying straight towards her target. Amidst the flying ships, exploding ammunition and spells, the two groups clashed. The Royalists at her side each engaged one of the incoming Republicans, though one unfortunate soul had his throat slit by a sword after exchanging only one blow.

This left Rainbow Dash to deal with the remaining attackers, a task she was fortunately more than capable of performing. She ducked under the swing of her first opponent's sword, then jabbed her lance upward through his jaw into his skull. As she pushed his corpse of her weapon with her legs, two more Republicans attacked her from two directions, one from the front and the other from behind. A third soldier, armed with a crossbow, hung back and fired a steel bolt at her just as his comrades swung their swords at the admiral.

Rainbow Dash pulled in her head just enough to let the crossbow bolt pass over her, a few of her rainbow-coloured hairs being lost in the process. She blocked the sword coming at her from behind with one of her metal-covered wings, while the other she held back with an armoured hoof of one of her legs. Her magicite blazed as she grabbed the Republican in front of her by the face, unleashing a blast of lightning straight into his skull, rigging the soldier behind her on her lance through his abdomen without even looking behind her.

She let the first corpse drop from her hoof and threw the other one off her lance towards the crossbow user, who was still frantically trying to reload his weapon. He barely managed to avoid being hit by the body of his fallen comrade, but in the time it took to do that Rainbow Dash was upon him and had pierced his throat with her lance. She ignored the blood spilling on her weapon as she pulled it out of her opponent's body, her attention already aimed at her true target again.

Rainbow Dash continued her flight towards the enemy ship, noting that her efforts and those of the guards fighting with her were starting to pay off. There were notably less enemies left defending her target, though two more of her soldiers had lost their lives during the struggle. It pained her, but she forced all feelings of sadness and mourning to the back of her head, where they would have to wait until the battle was over.

Spotting an opening, Rainbow Dash sped straight towards the barrier surrounding the Republican airship, grabbing her lance tightly with her two hooves and holding it out before her. Lightning laced from her arms into her weapon, the magicite shard upon her brow shining like a star as she tapped into its power. Three enemy soldiers saw her charge and tried to intercept her, but she knocked them out of the skies with a quick blast of lightning.

With the speed of a bolt fired from a crossbow, Rainbow Dash crashed into the magical shield, sparks of lightning flying off in every direction upon collision. For a brief moment, the part of the shield around the area of impact bent in under the pressure, then the tip of Rainbow Dash's lance pierced through the magical field. Like a bubble popped by a needle, the shield shattered, flooring a number of unicorns on the ship's deck as the backlash of their spell struck them.

Rainbow Dash was still speeding like a bullet, but she had chosen her angle of approach well and did not crash into the ship. Though she would most likely not get hurt and merely pierce a hole right through the ship, she wanted to avoid damaging it in hopes of commandeering it if at all possible. She spread her wings to bring herself to a halt, the muscles of her wings groaning somewhat under the strain, then dropped safely on the deck, near the entrance to the bridge.

A quick glance behind her revealed that the remaining crew members aboard the airship weren't very happy with the new passenger, as they unanimously began to charge towards her or prepare a spell. Rainbow Dash was not in the mood for another fight, however. Growling, she created a single lightning bolt in her hoof and wielded it like a whip. With one swing she swept the deck clean, a thunderclap accompanying the impact, and the ship's crew was launched over the railing and fell to their doom.

This did not mean the ship was hers just yet, however. The sound of beating hooves from below the deck signalled that more enemies were coming up to greet her, while Republican pegasi approached from the skies surrounding the ship, looking to land on the deck or kick her off it. As she blasted them out of the air with lightning as quickly as she could, the admiral sent a quick signal for help, knowing that she could never take over and hold the ship on her own.

Her call was answered and ten more Royalists approached from various directions of the battlefield. The first three landed just as Rainbow Dash bucked the Republican soldier who'd come from below deck square in the jaw, causing him to spit out blood and teeth. With a few quick gestures of her hoof, she pointed them towards the bridge with the clear order to take it over, to which they hurriedly obeyed.

As she fought the Republicans coming up from below deck, Rainbow Dash noticed five more of her own troops arriving. She opened her mouth to call out to them and give those orders, but before even a single sound could escape her lips a stream of searing hot flames burst forth out of nowhere heading straight towards them. The unfortunate Royalists stood no chance and were burned to a crisp in an instant, their smoking, charred bodies plummeting to the ground below.

Rainbow Dash gritted her teeth, knowing that the stream of flames heralded the arrival of the one pony she'd tried very hard to avoid. After blasting the last few Republicans coming up from below deck straight through the bottom of the ship, the admiral turned to face the only pegasus she considered to be her equal.

“Spitfire,” Rainbow Dash growled, her teeth bared.

“Hi, Dash,” Spitfire replied, her face and demeanour serious despite the playfulness of her greeting. “Ready for round two?”

The tanks continued their approach, ignoring the sandstorm raging around them, which did little to improve Desert Heat's mood. He had hoped that reduced visibility would have slowed the battalion of war machines down at least a little bit. What was even more puzzling was that he had spotted no opening anywhere in the tank through which the pilot could look outside, making him wonder how they even managed to manoeuvre.

“Given how the weaponry uses magicite, it's reasonable to assume they have a unicorn aboard,” he thought. “In which case a see-through spell wouldn't be out of the question. That way they could reduce openings for visibility, meaning less weak points in the design that could be exploited. Risky, admittedly, but clever nevertheless...”

His thoughts were interrupted when the tanks came uncomfortably close and the admiral had little choice but to retreat even further, lest he be overrun. All the while, his thoughts were racing, trying to come up with a strategy - any strategy - that he could use against this fearsome opponent. He knew that, if these steel monsters managed to get close enough to the walls to use their weaponry, everything would be lost. The way to the city would be wide open then, with no hope for any kind of organized defence.

He was not going to let that happen. It was his duty as a royal admiral to protect the city and the ponies residing within it, one that he refused to fail. But while determination was all well and good and he could refuse as much as he wanted to, fact was that if he didn't find a way to stop the battalion of steel monstrosities he was going to fail regardless. It was a stinging truth he was all too aware of.

“Think, Desert, think!” he told himself. “These things must have some kind of weakness you can exploit; you only need to find it!”

The admiral once again let his gaze run across the line of war machines. Nothing he had done so far had slowed down their approach even a bit and at this rate they would reach and level the city's walls within ten to fifteen minutes. Closely behind the battalion of tanks, the rest of the Republican army followed. Shielded by their fearsome vehicles, they could advance on the city without any opposition while suffering not even a single loss. Even if they suddenly lost the cover of their tanks right now, the amount of terrain they had won was still disastrous.

Just as Desert Heat was getting truly desperate, fate willed that his gaze fell upon a hitch in the tanks' formation. As the other tanks continued to advance, one of them appeared to go much slower. Upon closer inspection, he saw that it wasn't going slower, it wasn't going at all. A single glance at the ground revealed the reason why and caused Desert Heat to wonder why he hadn't thought of that sooner.

Over the course of the battle, spells, cannonballs and the magical blasts from the tanks themselves had battered the battlefield with numerous explosions, tearing gaping wounds into the earth. The uneven terrain did not make for an ideal driving ground for the lumbering prototype tanks, but they managed to cross even the pits and craters with only minor difficulty. Some had to increase the output of their engines, sometimes even dangerously so, but nevertheless all tanks continued their advance.

All, except for one.

The crates that littered the battlefield were filled with debris, shrapnel and, more often than not, corpses as well. But one crater had been filled to the brim with sand, the same one in which Desert Heat had sought cover from the magical blasts of the tanks only a moment ago. One of the war machines had attempted to drive across it, but its wheels had found no grip on the loose sand and it soon found itself stuck. The driver's attempts to break free by pushing the engines and making the wheels spin faster only caused it to sink even deeper, the war machine's heavy weight not helping matters much.

If the situation hadn't been so dire, Desert Heat might have chuckled at the thought of something as powerful and destructive as a tank being bested by something as simple as sand. Clearly, whoever had designed these marvellous new weapons had not intended for them to be deployed on a beach or in a desert. He found that he couldn't blame them. After all, even if an enemy found out this particular weakness, it would do them little good, since deserts and beaches weren't exactly commonplace in Equestria.

That little titbit of information, however, didn't bother Desert Heat in the slightest. “After all,” he thought, as he began to call upon the power of his magicite in a manner he had done only twice before in his entire career. “If there's no desert nearby to use, I'll simply make one myself.”

A plan had formed in his head and he wasted no time in putting it into execution. The first thing he needed was more cover, for he knew that the Republic was unlikely to let him do as he pleased once they caught on to what exactly he had planned. His sandstorm was beginning to subside, much to the relief of the Republican soldiers as they trudged on in discomfort through the storm in the wake of their tanks. Desert Heat quickly decided to pluck that sprout of hope before it had a chance to grow.

With a push of his powers, he renewed the storm, but he knew he had to take it a step further. The current storm provided major discomfort to his enemies, but he needed more. The swirling sands hindered visibility, but didn't take it away completely. The sand could blind his foes, but the Republicans by now had learned from past experience and began employing magical shields to protect themselves from the onslaught of the elements. He needed a storm that was so fierce one could not see a hoof if it was held right before his face.

Creating such a thing was definitely within his capabilities, but the problem was that a storm of that magnitude and power could very well be beyond even his control, which was already quite precarious and limited. He could influence the magnitude and size of a storm, as well as the direction it went in, but this became more and more difficult as the size of the storm increased. Certainly he had never tried to create a storm of the magnitude he had in mind. It would be risky, dangerous even.

“But since I don't have a better idea at the moment, nor the time to think of any, it's a risk I'll have to take,” he thought quietly. Still, he was not about to do that without giving some warning. Taking out his communication crystal, Desert Heat quickly send a message to his fellow admirals. “Girls, I'm going to get a bit dangerous, so if you spot any turbulence up there, you know who to blame.”

He could hear gasps of protest on the other side of the communication, but he shut it off before they could say any word, knowing all too well that they'd argue with him not to do it and he didn't have the time for that. The clock was ticking for him and the city he was supposed to keep safe. He had to act, and fast.

Shining Armour winced as the fierce winds raging all around him tugged at his body, blowing his mane and sand into his face and nearly tearing his coat from his shoulders. Shielding his eyes with one of his hooves, the Marshal quickly erected a small barrier around himself and those nearby, protecting them from the onslaught of the elements. His action came not a moment too soon, for the howling winds were growing stronger and more ferocious with every passing moment.

The sandstorm, which had been an irritating but mostly minor hindrance at first, was quickly becoming a real menace to every pony unfortunate enough to be caught in its embrace. Whereas before the storm had done little more than kick up sand - irritating, blinding sand that crept under their armour and chafed their hides, yes, but sand nonetheless - its swirling winds were growing so strong by now that they swept up everything that couldn't get away in time.

Even a fully grown stallion, armoured from horn to hoof with heavy steel was plucked from the ground and toyed with just as easily as a shrivelled leaf. Shining Armour had seen more than one of his soldiers take flight, set to be tossed around like ragdolls by the storm until the fierce winds let them drop likes stones towards their doom. He shivered slightly and tried not to think about it.

He knew he could probably raise another magical shield that would cover the entirety of his army, but he did not want to risk having it shattered again, as unlikely as it was with both Rainbow Dash and Amethyst Star occupied elsewhere. But even the slightest chance was too big a risk, as a second backlash from getting one of his shields shattered would undoubtedly end up frying his brain and knock him out for the rest of the fight. He could not risk that. His troops needed his guidance and leadership. They would have to make do with multiple, smaller shields cast by numerous unicorns instead.

Which, as far as he could tell, seemed to work just as well for the moment. Still, it was better to make sure. “How are we holding up, lieutenant-commander?” he asked, casting a questioning glance at Amber Chip standing at his left.

“All troops are secure, Marshal,” she replied. “The storm is fierce and visibility has been reduced to zero, but it cannot get past our magical barriers. We can safely march on without suffering any further casualties to admiral Desert Heat's attack.”

Shining Armour gave a brief nod. “That's good to hear,” he said, with a hint of relief in his voice, as he stared pensively at the incredible storm raging all around them. The winds had kicked up so much sand and debris into the air that it was impossible to see anything beyond the shields. Before he had still been able to make out the silhouettes of his tanks even through the sand, but when the storm had grown in power that became no longer possible. “What of the tanks? Has there been any sign of trouble?”

Amber Chip shook her head. “Negative, sir,” she answered. “Their advance has continued unhindered despite the storm and there have been no signs that this will change. The enchanted plating and waterproof design is successfully keeping the sand at bay, while the see-through spells of look-outs allows them to navigate despite the reduced visibility.”

“I see,” Shining Armour muttered distractedly, almost as if her answer had upset him instead of reassuring him. A deep frown settled on the marshal's face. “That makes little sense.”

“Sir?” Amber Chip asked, puzzled.

“Think about it,” he replied, turning his head to look at her. “Why would Desert Heat waste time and energy executing a strategy that does not work? His sandstorms no longer pose a threat to us and they never did to our tanks. Yet instead of abandoning that tactic, he does the complete opposite and increases the power of his storm instead. Why? It makes no sense.”

Amber Chip tapped her chin thoughtfully as she mulled over her superior's words. It certainly sounded odd when he put it like that, she had to admit. She glanced at the marshal, who was peering into the storm with a scowl on his face, as if willing himself to see his enemy counterpart.

“See...” she repeated, out loud this time. She glanced down at her hooves distractedly. Something tugged at the back of her mind, a feeling similar to the one she had when something was on the tip of her tongue. Suddenly her eyes widened as the answer hit her. She and Shining Armour looked up at the same time, having both come to the same realisation.

“I'm a thrice-damned foal,” Shining Armour cursed. “Of course he would have known that his sandstorm didn't stop our tanks, but he never intended it to. It's only meant to prevent us from seeing him as he works out whatever plan he has come up with to stop us instead!” If he'd had the time for it, he would have planted his hoof on his face.

But he didn't have the time, so instead Shining Armour turned to the mare at his side. “Send word to the tanks immediately and tell them to be on the lookout for any kind of threat,” he commanded. “Also have them increase their firing rate and their pace if at all possible. If Desert Heat really has a plan to stop us, then I want those walls torn down before he can do it!”

Amber Chip gave a dutiful salute and a curt nod. “Understood, sir,” she said. She wanted to run off and carry out her orders, as she had done so many times before during the battle, but Shining Armour reached out with a hoof to stop her.

“When you get back, I want you to temporarily take over command,” he told her, his face serious. “You know what to do and when, so I am confident you can handle this.”

For the first time in a long time since she'd been assigned as Shining Armour's right-hoof pony, Amber Chip found herself stunned and nearly speechless. “M-me? Take over command?” she echoed in disbelief. “B-but why me? Would commander Haze not be a better choice?”

“Smaragd Haze is currently at the front line, guiding our troops as we advance, and I'm reluctant to take him away from there,” Shining Armour explained. “I'm also not convinced he's the best choice to give overall command to. I need somepony who I can be sure will follow my orders exactly as I stated them, and I know you are that mare.”

“But marshal, sir, what about you?” Amber Chip wondered, still feeling a bit overwhelmed. “What will you be doing?”

“What needs to be done,” Shining Armour replied. “Somepony has to find and stop Desert Heat from doing whatever it is he's planning, and it can only be me. Smaragd Haze would be at a disadvantage in these sandy circumstances, as would Spitfire, and Trixie's occupied elsewhere. That leaves only me as somepony powerful enough to face a Royal admiral.”

He dropped his hoof from her chest plate and turned towards the direction of the city. “You have your orders, lieutenant-commander,” he said. “See to it that they're carried out.” He spared a glance up to the stormy skies. “And have some unicorns and pegasi try to take care of this storm,” he added. “Dismissed!”

And with those words, without even waiting to see if Amber Chip obeyed, Shining Armour vanished with a flash of magic, which carried him from the safety of the shields to the heart of the storm.

Amethyst Star cast a worried glance at the sandstorm raging through the valley on the other side of the city, concern for Desert Heat gnawing at her heart. Even from this distance it was clear to her that the storm her fellow admiral had unleashed was of a magnitude he had never tried before, making it perfectly clear what his message of 'getting a bit dangerous' meant. At this rate, the sandstorm might very well end up becoming a danger to its own creator.

“I hope you know what you're doing, Desert,” she muttered quietly, before turning her attention back to the battle raging in the skies around her. It hurt her that she brushed off Desert Heat's safety as if it was of no concern, but she knew that there was nothing at the moment she could do to help him. She couldn't leave this front to go and aid him, the royal troops here needed her guidance and leadership.

Despite one side outnumbering the other, the battle had still been mostly even until now. Amethyst Star had realised quite quickly that, despite the Republic having greater numbers and more ships, the number of ponies capable of flight in accordance to their total number of soldiers was lower than the Royalists'. It was a minor advantage at best, but given the current situation she was glad for anything she could get her hooves on, and it had allowed her and her troops to hold their ground, at least for the moment.

As was the case with the aerial battlefield on the other side of the city, there were no formations or clear lines to be found on this front. It was a free-for-all battle to the death, with airships and ponies soaring crisscross through the skies with very little semblance of organization. Airships chased one another as they fired their canons, while Republicans and Royalists were locked in hoof-to-hoof fights in the middle of the chaos of spells and cannon fire.

One of those ships giving chase to another was Amethyst Star's very own Ice Wraith, the flagship of the Royalists' third division. Since the beginning of the battle, Amethyst Star had been attempting to attack the Republicans' flagship, knowing the best way to sow confusion and doubt amongst the enemy troops was to take out their leader, but said leader was proving to be very elusive. Every time the Ice Wraith came close to catching up, another Republican ship appeared to block their way, stalling them while Trixie and her ship vanished in the chaos of the battlefield.

Amethyst Star cursed as another one of her attempts to grab the enemy's flagship was interrupted by another Republican airship appearing on the right of her beloved Ice Wraith. It was heading straight towards them at high speed, with the clear intention of ramming the Ice Wraith's hull. Reluctantly, Amethyst Star averted her eyes from her desired target and focussed instead upon the new threat.

“I'm getting really tired of this,” she growled under her breath, as she sent a heated glare at the enemy ship that once again interrupted her chase.

Her jaw clenched, Amethyst Star caught the oncoming ship with her magic before it could come close enough to ram them as had been its intention. The sheer amount of magical power needed to grab and stop an airship going at full speed was so massive, even for a Royal Admiral, that she almost faltered, and for a moment it looked as if the two ships were going to crash still. Then Ameythyst Star's eyes shot open, glowing white with power, the magicite shard upon her brow blazing like a star, and with a cry she solidified her hold on the enemy ship, leaving it hanging motionless in the air.

Even as the Republican ship and its crew were still reeling from the sudden blow, Amethyst Star moved to attack. Still holding the Republican vessel firmly within her telekinetic grasp, she called forth her Sephiras and sent them forth towards the captured ship. The five blades, aglow with might and power, pierced straight through the warship at five different locations, leaving it riddled with gaping holes upon exiting. One of the Sephira swords cut through the ship's steam engine, causing the machinery to explode and destroy the entirety of the stern.

Satisfied with the work of her magical constructs, Amethyst Star summoned up her remaining power and threw the fatally damaged and crippled ship away, setting the smoking and burning wreck on collision course with another Republican ship. Once her magic hold faded, Amethyst Star closed her eyes, let out a deep breath and bowed her head. She was breathing hard, her lungs greedily sucking in air, and she could feel sweat running down her flanks.

Though Amethyst Star certainly possessed a great amount of power, juggling with airships was exhausting and taxing even for a royal admiral like her, and the repeated interferences she had had to deal with while chasing Trixie had tired her out and drained her magical reserves considerably. In all honesty, she could do with a small break right now, if only to catch her breath.

Unfortunately, any hopes for that break were swiftly and expertly crushed by the appearance of another airship. It came up to the left of the Ice Wraith from somewhere below, seemingly out of nowhere, and quickly placed itself alongside the royal flagship. Amethyst Star nearly lost her balance when the entirety of the Ice Wraith was rattled due to the Republican ship crashing against it and pressing their hulls together.

Pushing her fatigue aside, Amethyst Star rushed to the other side of the deck, to where the two ships were locked together, her horn alight as she called upon her magic once more. She reached out with her telekinesis to try and grab the Republican warship that had the gall to ram her dear Ice Wraith, only to stumble and cry out in pain as her attempts were repelled and the backlash of her failed spell hit her like a blow to the horn.

“The Great and Powerful Trixie will not allow her ship to be tossed around like a toy by a piece of royal trash that has sold her unicorn pride!” a voice called out to her over the wind and the din of the battle, causing Amethyst Star to take a second, better look at the new warship she now faced.

It was more than just an ordinary warship. The fact that it was bigger and more heavily armoured would have been proof enough of that, but on top of that the ship was also gifted with a unique appearance to put it apart from common warships. The hull of the ship was shaped to look as if it had been carved from the dead body of an Ursa Major, with the astral creature's head serving as the ship's prow.

Standing atop the figurehead was the owner of the voice that had called out to her. It was a unicorn mare like herself, with a silver mane and tail and a sky blue coat. Her cutie mark was a crescent moon crossed with a magic wand and around her shoulders was draped had the flowing cloak of an arch mage. Even if she hadn't just identified herself while speaking a moment ago, Amethyst Star would have recognised her.

Commander of the Republican Unicorn Division, Arch-mage, magicite user, pure-blood unicorn supremacist, tool of oppression in the hoof of the Court Nobles. Only a single pony in all of Equestria fitted that description.

“Trixie Lulamoon,” Amethyst Star growled softly, sending the commander a heated glare.

“The Great and Powerful Trixie does not wish her name to be spoken by the likes of you!” Trixie snapped back, holding one of her hooves against her chest in a dramatic, theatrical gesture to show she was offended. “A traitor to the superior pony race such as yourself has no right to utter the name of my greatness!” Returning Amethyst Star's glare with one of her own, Trixie put her front hooves a bit further apart to stand more firmly, and her horn started to glow as she readied her magic for the fight.

“Ugh, spare me the supremacist preaching,” Amethyst Star groaned in annoyance. Standing tall, she used her own magic to summon her trusted Sephira blades to her side, seemingly confident and ready for the coming battle. It was all merely an act, however, for in truth she wasn't as confident she could take the commander as she pretended to be.

“Amethyst Star, you're a blundering idiot,” she mentally scolded herself. “She played you like a fiddle and you didn't even realise it until it was too late.” When she had recognised Trixie's flagship as the one attacking her, Amethyst Star had realised in a flash that she'd been tricked. All this time, she had been chasing after the commander and fighting off any airship that had gotten in the way, not realising Trixie had prolonged the chase on purpose until now, when it was too late.

“She waited to confront you until you'd tired yourself out and wasted your magic destroying all those airships, and you didn't even realise it. Nice going, Sparkler, absolutely brilliant,” she continued to berate herself. “If Rainbow Dash hears I fell for the oldest trick in the book, I'll have to listen to her laugh at me 'till the end of my career. That is, given that I survive this encounter.”

Amethyst Star spared the briefest of moments to glance at the other side of the city, where the sandstorm still raged. “But I'm not the only one who's up to her neck in the septic tank,” she thought grimly. “We'll need a bloody miracle simply to survive this, so much so that I'm shocked we ever thought of winning...”

She tried not to think such defeatist thoughts, especially since she'd given Rainbow Dash such a firm scolding a little while ago for doing the same, but in the current situation it was hard not to. She was facing a Republican commander who was still newly arrived to the battle, fresh, well-rested and at full strength, while she had already been fighting for hours, her body suffering from injury and stress, not helped by the fact that she'd been juggling with airships only a moment before, depleting much of her magical reserves. The odds weren't exactly in her favour.

Despite knowing this, the thought of giving up didn't even cross her mind. She had long since decided that there would be no surrender here today. She would fight until she was killed or until victory was achieved. Even now, she stood by that conviction, but for a moment she wondered what good it would do. No matter how many she took down with her, no matter how much of a fight she put up before the end, the Republic would still win in the end, and everything she'd done before her death would be rendered meaningless.

“Was it all in vain?” she found herself wondering. “All those years of training, all the battles we fought, the oaths we've sworn… Did we live through all of that just to see it all come crumbling down around us here, today? Did all of us spend three centuries fighting for freedom, equality, peace and harmony, just to see those things die here today, together with us?”

She could not think of an answer, for Trixie chose that moment to attack and Amethyst Star had no choice but to react. Her body almost handled by instinct as she threw herself into the fight, still as determined as ever to find either victory or death. Yet even as she countered Trixie's magic with her own, Amethyst Star could not deny to feeling despair for the first time that day.

On the other side of the city, despair was the last thing on Desert Heat's mind, as he was wholly focussed on carrying out the plan that had formed in his head. He had to, for there were little more than eight minutes left before the walls of Stalliongrad came within range of the tanks' cannons. If the walls were taken down, then their last defensive position would be lost and the war with it.

Around him raged the fiercest sandstorm he had ever created, a feat he had already decided he would never do again if he could help it. The biting winds carried enough sand with them to fill an entire desert, effectively robbing the oncoming Republicans of their sight, but unfortunately Desert Heat's eyes fared no better in the storm. It was only by using his magicite to sense the sand in the earth beneath his hooves that he was able to orientate himself in the swirling maelstrom and not get entirely lost.

He knew that the storm wouldn't slow the tanks or the army following in their wake, but it didn't have to. It only had to buy him some time, to hide him from their view so that they wouldn't realise what he was up to until it was already too late. He worked his way through the sea of sand and dust until he felt through the earth that he had put enough distance between the oncoming enemy and himself.

After taking a few deep breaths to calm himself and focus his mind, Desert Heat called upon the power of the magicite shard resting upon his brow. The familiar feeling of warmth that flowed through his body as he drew upon the might of the shard was very welcome and slightly eased the pain of his aching muscles. He guided the power of sand to his front right hoof and then jumped with all his might into the air. He landed on his empowered hoof, shattering the earth underneath it and causing numerous, massive blades of sand to erupt in every direction from the point of impact.

The blades of sand cut deep wounds across the battlefield, tearing deep trenches across the ground. The sandstorm, still on top of its might, did the rest of the work, its raging winds, filled with erosive sands, ripping the wounds in the ground further open and turning the exposed earth brittle and loose.

“That was a nice start,” Desert Heat thought. “But the real work still waits, while the enemy doesn't...” He took another deep breath while he pressed one of his front hooves deep into the dirt. “Just remain calm and focus... ”

When, many years ago, he had been granted his magicite shard and had chosen for it to be filled with sand, Desert Heat had raised the eyebrows of more than one pony. That had hardly been surprising; after all, sand seemed decidedly plain and unimpressive when his fellow admirals were throwing around lightning bolts or giant swords of pure magical energy. It had never bothered him, though, and he had always been perfectly happy with his choice, for numerous reasons.

“Maybe I cannot juggle with swords and lightning,” he thought with a wry smile. “But I can do this...!”

With a mental push, he let the power of his magicite flow from his buried hoof into the earth. Many ponies believed that his magicite merely allowed him to create and wield sand, but there was much more to it than that. His sand also allowed him to dehydrate everything he touched, should he so chose, a skill that had saved him during his battle with Smaragd Haze and the commander's deadly acid. Now, he let loose this terrible power upon the very earth he stood upon.

The effects were immediate, as around him whatever grasses and weeds that had survived the violence began to shrivel up and die, all of their moisture sucked right out of them. Like a disease, the drought spread further and further away from the admiral, but Desert Heat pushed was just getting started. His face twisted in a scowl and beads of sweat began to trickle down the side of his face as he drew even deeper upon the power of his magicite.

The shrivelled, dried plants were dehydrated even further until they crumbled into dust, but Desert Heat took it even further. He pushed his hoof even deeper into the ground, targeting the very earth itself and draining it of its moisture. Like the grass that had once grew upon it, the earth grew drier and more brittle with every passing second. The soil, so solid and firm only a moment ago, crumbled and caved in, collapsing upon itself in a cloud of dust and sand.

The pace with which the dehydration was spreading was amazing, as in less than a minute Desert Heat had already dried out an area wider than half the width of the valley, with no signs of it stopping. On the contrary, the more sand was formed, the faster the drought seemed to spread. The many craters, as well as the trenches Desert Heat had cut mere moments before, scrambled and loosened the soil, allowing the dehydration to consume it even faster and reach deeper into the earth as well.

All of this was of course very taxing on Desert Heat, who felt his strength being drained as quickly as the water in the soil, but the admiral pushed himself to the limit and continued his momentous work. By this point his whole body was trembling from the strain it was put under through the continuous usage of so much strength, while his flanks and neck were drenched in sweat. A wave of nausea welled up in his stomach and he fought to suppress it.

“Just a little more...” he told himself. “Just need to keep this up for a little while longer...”

He clenched his teeth together and tapped into his last reserves of strength in order to cross the proverbial last few steps. Only one more minute and then his dehydration would have spread across the entire width of the valley, creating a sea of sand placed squarely in the path of the oncoming Republican forces.

He knew that it wouldn't stop the enemy soldiers, they could simply walk across, but the tanks were a different story altogether, their wheels not at all suited to traverse the loose desert sands. Perhaps the enemy could levitate them across, but his sandstorm, having grown even stronger now that there was an abundance of sand it could feed from, would render them unable to spot the danger until it was already too late.

“And once they are stuck in the sands, it'll be over,” Desert Heat thought, “for the desert does not relinquish its prey once caught.”

All he had to do in order for his plan to succeed was keeping his powers going for just a little longer. He had to make sure there was absolutely no solid ground left for the war machines to use in order to advance. He could sense their presence through the earth, soon the first would hit the sands. He had to be done before that, so that there was no time for them to warn the others to change their course to the ground his powers had not yet devoured. Ignoring the protests of his body and the agonizing headache that tormented his mind, Desert Heat let out a chilling cry and fed the last of his strength into his magicite.

With his body weakened as it was and his mind exhausted and distracted, it was little wonder that when a powerful blast of magic burst forth from the depths of the sandstorm, Desert Heat did not spot it until it was too late. The destructive blast hit the unprepared admiral head-on and exploded, the magical discharge knocking Desert Heat off his hooves and sending him flying. He hit the sand a few metres away with a heavy thud, sliding through the sand for a short distance before coming to a halt in an unceremonious heap. Though his armour had caught most of the blast, a feeling of something wet running down his face told him that he had suffered an injury to the head, one that was bleeding rather profusely.

Groaning, and with his entire body screaming in protest, Desert Heat clambered to his hooves, though he had to try twice before succeeding, as his hind legs had buckled underneath him upon his first attempt. Still somewhat disoriented from the blast, he shook his head a few times to try and stop the spinning of his vision, before looking in the direction the attack had come from. He didn't spot his attacker right away, but quickly could make out a shadow approaching through the haze of sand and dust.

“I'm afraid I can't let you continue doing whatever it was you were doing, admiral,” said the familiar voice of Shining Armour, as the marshal emerged out of the sandstorm and approached his enemy, who was still struggling to remain standing.

“You'll forgive me for not being surprised by that, marshal,” Desert Heat replied with a soft chuckle that was meant to hide his anxiety. His desert trap still wasn't complete and he didn't think he'd have much opportunity to finish it while being confronted by the most powerful unicorn in all of Equestria. Shining Armour truly couldn't have picked a worse moment to attack and Desert Heat felt his heart sink a little bit, cursing his bad luck.

“There's still time, admiral,” Shining Armour said. “We can put an end to the fighting and stop the bloodshed, if you surrender now.” When Desert Heat scoffed in reply, he let out a disappointed sigh. “Don't be a fool, admiral. You've witnessed the power of our new weapon yourself, the destruction they are capable of. Not even your great walls will keep you safe once they are within our reach. Your storm won't stop them.”

Desert Heat's eyes widened slightly upon hearing that last sentence, though he quickly hid his surprise. “He doesn't know what I've been up to,” he realised, while glancing from Shining Armour to the sand pooling around his hooves. “He must think the sand we're standing on is merely the result of the storm... Whatever spell he used to navigate through didn't reveal how deep it goes or how far it reaches.. .” He almost smiled. There was still a chance to complete his plan then, he just needed to buy a little more time.

“I won't deny that your new weapons caught us off-guard,” he said. “We never even suspected that your research into manufactured magicite had advanced to the point where you could weaponise it. It certainly wasn't in the plans Rainbow Dash borrowed from your office, but then again, I noticed today that there was quite a bit that wasn't said in those plans.” While he spoke, Desert Heat, subtly and unnoticed by Shining Armour, began to draw upon the power of his magicite again, but the amount he tapped into was so miniscule it didn't even lit up his shard to signify usage.

“I wasn't born yesterday, admiral,” Shining Armour replied, oblivious to what his opponent was doing. “With Rainbow Dash as one of my opponents, I knew I had to be prepared for everything, even for her breaking into my own office. That's why the plans you got weren't complete.”

“Grand Admiral Hooves suspected as much,” Desert Heat said, as he tried to remain standing despite his legs trembling and shaking as what little strength he had left flowed from his body into the ground. “It's why she told me to be prepared for the unexpected.” He made a weak gesture in the direction the tanks were approaching from, already feeling through the sand that some had finally entered his desert, something Shining Armour still didn't seem to be aware of. “But I'm certain even she wouldn't have expected you to bring tanks.”

Desert Heat felt his body shake and he was forced to sit down. He shook his head and chuckled ruefully. “I have to hoof it to you, marshal, your strategy was one step ahead of mine,” he admitted, looking Shining Armour in the eye. “First you attacked us head-on so we had no choice but to come out of the city to meet you. Then, when you had us locked in combat, you attacked us from behind with a second airship fleet to force our own fleet to fight on two fronts.”

“With our air support cut off and our troops out in the open, your tanks could strike unopposed, taking advantage of the surprise of our troops to attack them and inflict heavy losses,” Desert Heat continued. “Finally, with our troops dead or retreating and our air fleet caught in a losing battle, your tanks could advance on the city unhindered, clearing the path for your own troops following behind them. They would claim the city with minimal losses, earning you a clean and swift victory.” The admiral sighed and bowed his head. “As far as strategies go, marshal, I have to admit you've outdone yourself here today.”

“There's still time, admiral,” Shining Armour repeated, his voice sounding urgent. “Surrender now, before more lives are lost, I implore you. My offer of yesterday still stands, it is not too late yet!”

Desert Heat looked up and, to the surprise of Shining Armour, smiled. “But marshal, haven't you noticed?” he asked. “It's been far too late already!” Then, before his opponent could react, Desert Heat jumped to his hooves and with a swift swing of his arm, threw a wave of sand at Shining Armour.

Even as Shining Armour raised up a shield to block the sand, Desert Heat dug his hoof in the sand and used his last reserves of strength to complete his work. The power of his magicite coursed through the newly formed, miniature desert, flowing through the shifting sands until it reached the edge, where the ground was still solid. The tanks closest to the walls of the valley, who'd changed course to try and avoid the sand the others had gotten stuck in, suddenly found the earth beneath them give away and crumble, collapsing into dust and sand.

Desert Heat had completed his task; the valley of Stalliongrad now sported a brand new desert across a part of its length and Shining Armoured was contacted by every tank officer in his ranks that the new war machines had gotten stuck in the sand. The Republic's mighty war machines had been brought to a halt by tiny grains of dirt. It was almost poetic, and it reminded Desert Heat of a story a zebra had once told him, of how an elephant had been felled by a swarm of ants.

“I fear your strategy has…stranded, marshal,” he said, a smile tugging at his lips.

Shining Armour didn't immediately reply, in fact, he seemed to be at loss for words for a moment. He held his jaws clenched together stiffly, looking not very pleased. “It seems you insist on writing today's history in blood, admiral,” he finally said, his face and voice neutral. “I thought you better than that.”

“If the prospect of losing lives does not sit well with you, marshal, feel free to retreat,” Desert Heat retorted, as he tried to remain standing atop his shaking legs.

“This sand won't stop us for long, you do realise that, don't you, admiral?” Shining Armour asked, his eyes narrowing.

“Please, no bluffing, marshal,” Desert Heat replied, holding up his hoof. “We both know that it will be impossible to free those things in my storm without the help of magic, just as we both know your average unicorn can't lift something that weighs multiple tons, not without magicite. You have only two unicorns experienced enough in the usage of magicite to free your new toys, one of which is currently on the other side of the city being held up by my colleague, and the other is standing before me.”

The two stallions stared at each other in silence for a moment, as if willing the other to break. Finally, it was Shining Armour who looked away first. “Perhaps,” he answered quietly. He cast Desert Heat a sharp look through narrowed eyes. “But one unicorn is all we need.”

Desert Heat's eyes widened as he realised instantly what Shining Armour was about to do. Using strength he did not have anymore, he threw himself with a loud cry at the marshal, landing on top of him just as Shining Armour used his magic to teleport. The two stallions vanished in a flash of magic and reappeared next to one of the tanks, tumbling in the sand. Desert Heat was splayed across Shining Armour's back, but in his exhausted, weakened state, the marshal had no problem throwing him off.

The admiral collapsed on the ground, his mouth getting full of sand, and he barely had the time to roll out of the way before Shining Armour brought down his hoof on the spot where he had been a second ago. With a cry and aching muscles, Desert Heat swung his arm and launched a crescent blade of sand at the other stallion, which got blocked by a magical shield. Before the sand had even started falling back to the ground Shining Armour had already disappeared in another flash of magic. He reappeared right on top of Desert Heat, knocking the admiral, who'd been trying to climb back to his hooves, back into the ground.

Desert Heat had the air knocked out of his lungs by the weight and the impact, and he struggled to get his enemy off of him. Normally, with his superior earth pony strength, it would have been easy, but the excessive usage of his powers had tired him out. Shining Armour wasn't going to make it easy for him either. The marshal raised his hoof and delivered a powerful punch straight between Desert Heat's shoulders, a blow that could have shattered his spine if it hadn't been for his armour. Nevertheless, Desert Heat cried out in pain, but finally managed to escape Shining Armour's hold by sinking into the sand.

The sudden disappearance of his enemy left Shining Armour momentary stunned, but he recovered quickly enough to cast a spell to try and detect the admiral. It wasn't easy, for the shifting sands and the sandstorm made it hard for the senses to detect anything, even when enhanced with magic. He caught a movement to his left and fired a blast of magic at it, so quickly that the few soldiers watching hadn't even had time to blink. His attack did little more that throw up more sand, however, and Shining Armour cursed.

Suddenly, the sand beneath him erupted like a deadly spike, aimed at his chest. Shining Armour managed to twist his body aside just in the nick of time to avoid being impaled, but before he had time to regain his footing, Desert Heat shot forth from the sands like a shark jumping out of the water, coming straight at him. Shining Armour instinctively ducked his head, not thinking of casting a spell, but he was a split second too late.

Desert Heat struck out with his hoof, hitting the marshal in the side of the face and cutting open his cheek with a blade of sand. However, Desert Heat was tired and not at full strength, and his blow, which could normally even shatter bone, did little more than bruise the marshal. This allowed Shining Armour to recover very quickly from the blow and he grabbed Desert Heat with his telekinesis and tossed him away. The admiral smacked against the steel shell of a tank, then dropped to the floor with a thud. Desert Heat groaned in pain, his head spinning, and he spat out blood.

With an inpony effort, he managed to push himself up on his hooves, only to see Shining Armour firing another spell at him. Ignoring his splitting headache, Desert Heat fired a blade of sand in retaliation, the two attacks meeting one another halfway and exploding in a cloud of sand and magical energy. When the dust settled, the two stallions were staring at each other in silence, taking a moment to catch their breath. For Desert Heat the break was very welcome, as he stood at the brink of collapse and risked not getting up again.

But Shining Armour was much less tired than him and as a result also needed less time to catch his breath. Much too soon to Desert Heat's liking, the marshal was once again preparing a spell, ready to continue the fight. He tried to gather enough strength to react, but his body had finally reached the very end of its limits and refused to comply with his demands, while his sandstorm started to slow down as the power of his magicite began to wane. Gritting his teeth, he could only watch and wait for the blow to be struck.

However, before Shining Armour could fire his attack, he was interrupted when his communication crystal received an incoming call, surprisingly at the same moment Desert Heat did as well. The two stallions shared a look, then gave each other a curt nod, having reached an understanding. Shining Armour dispelled his attack and instead used his magic to grab his communication crystal, while Desert Heat reached under his coat and did the same.

“Desert Heat, who's calling?” the admiral asked after opening the communication line, knowing from the different glow of the crystal that it was neither Rainbow Dash or Amethyst Star.

“This is vice-admiral Willow Branch, calling from Stalliongrad Headquarters, sir,” the voice on the other side of the line replied. “A message intended for you has arrived from New Saddle just now, sir.”

“New Saddle?” Desert Heat echoed, feeling his heart start to beat faster simply by hearing the name of that city. “What does it say? Who was it from?!”

“It's from grand admiral Hooves, sir,” Willow Branch replied. “She informs you that she has completed her mission and is on her way here as we speak! She's gone ahead while the Celestial Dream follows behind her at its own pace. She urges us to hang on until she arrives.”

The feeling that flooded Desert Heat's entire being upon hearing this news could best be described as release, as if a weight the size of the world was suddenly lifted from his shoulders. The feeling was so great it nearly moved him to tears, if he hadn't been too exhausted to shed them. Tossing his head in his neck, he closed his eyes and let out a deep sigh of relief.

“She did it, she actually did it,” he muttered with a smile. For the first time in what seemed like an eternity, Desert Heat felt hope. If they managed to hold on until Derpy's arrival, then the war was not yet lost and the tides could be turned in their favour again. If Derpy Hooves was here, it could be done. All he had to do was keep things together until then. He lifted the communication stone to his lips again. “How long has it been since the message was sent?”

“Given the average time it takes for magical scrolls to arrive, it could be anywhere between just now and fifteen minutes, sir,” Willow Bark answered.

“That would set her time of arrival anywhere between fifteen minutes to half an hour,” Desert Heat muttered thoughtfully. “The Celestial Dream will take another hour on top of that. Given the current state of affairs, the enemy will reach the walls within half an hour, where we can hold them off for another hour, if nothing else goes wrong. Anything else after that is uncertain, but that should be enough time for the grand admiral to get here.”

“Pass the message along to all troops,” he ordered. “That should boost our morale a bit.”

“Understood, sir,” Willow Bark replied. “I've already sent word to admiral Amethyst Star and admiral Rainbow Dash, they should have received the news by now.”

“Yeah, and if the look on his face is any indication, so did Shining Armour,” Desert Heat said, looking at where the Republican marshal was standing a stone throw away from him, who looked as if someone had just told him that his wedding had been cancelled and his home burned down.

“The entire fleet has been sunk? How many ships were they up against?!” Shining Armour practically shouted into his communication stone, for the first time that day appearing to have lost his composure. “Just one?! How could one… The Celestial Dream?!” The communication stone almost fell from his hoof into the sand. “How… How did they know we were invading New Saddle?! Only the commanders and I knew about that plan!”

Shining Armour sighed and ran a hoof through his mane. “No, I'm fine,” he said quietly. “Inform the commanders and carry on as planned. We're on a time limit now. I'd say we have half an hour at best until Derpy Hooves arrives and when she does, all hope for a swift victory will be lost. We have to breech the city walls before that time or else we can pack up and go home.” Shining Armour paused for a moment to listen to something Amber Chip said, occasionally nodding. “Yes, do not worry... Shining Armour out.”

The marshal switched off his crystal and put it back under his coat, before slowly turning towards Desert Heat, the expression on his face unreadable. “Since the beginning of the battle, I've been wondering where Derpy Hooves had gone. I guess that answer that,” he said, his eyes blazing with cold fury. “What I want to know is how.”

“How did you know we were invading New Saddle today?” he demanded icily. Nopony knew about that, even the Court Nobles themselves knew only the barest facts. Only my commanders and I knew the full details of today's invasion, and all three of them were sworn to secrecy. They couldn't have told it to anyone even if they wanted to. So how, how in the nine realms of Tartarus, did you find out about New Saddle?!”

“I'm afraid I couldn't answer that even if I wanted to, marshal,” Desert Heat replied, having recovered enough by now to be able to stand again. “It was grand admiral Hooves who learned of your plans and she has sources of information the nature or identity of which she doesn't share even with us admirals.” The admiral felt a smile tug at his lips. “So I do not know how she learned of your plans, I only know that she did.” He took a deep breath and cricked his neck, the news having filled him with newfound strength to continue for you a little while longer. “It seems the tides are turning again, marshal.”

Shining Armour opened his mouth to reply, but was interrupted by a loud explosion as the war raged on, heedless of the two stallions trying to converse. Shining Armour nor Desert Heat paid any attention to it either, for it was simply one explosion of many in the chaos of war. However, when Desert Heat noticed the eyes of his enemy growing wide and his jaw dropping, all traces of anger or fury having left Shining Armour's face to be replaced by disbelief, he knew something was wrong.

He turned around and looked in the direction Shining Armour was staring, towards the city, and felt his heart grow cold. With his sandstorm having dispersed almost entirely, Desert Heat, as well as everypony else on the battlefield, had no problem seeing the giant cloud of pitch-black smoke rising up from the city. Even from this far away, Desert Heat could see the tongues of flame rising up out of the cracked walls and shattered windows of a burning building, one on the brink of collapse thanks to the cannon fire that had set it aflame.

But it wasn't that the fact that somepony had bombarded the city had left Shining Armour and Desert Heat both staring in horror and disbelief. It was the fact that somepony had targeted this particular building. Despite the agreement even between warring factions that declared it a neutral zone, despite Shining Armour's explicit orders to leave it unharmed, despite all of that...

Somepony had bombarded the hospital.

End of chapter 37.

Author's Note

~~And with that, chapter 37 is finished. Now, as I said in the author's note at the beginning of the chapter, I have an important announcement to make concerning the future of the story. Given the extreme delay between this chapter and the previous one, I am as of now looking for people willing to lend me their help. For the details of what kind of help I'm exactly looking for, please read ==>~~ this ~~<== blog entry. Yes, I know it's lengthy, but please bear with me. The reactions I get (or don't get) on this blog entry will decide the frequency and pace with which future chapters will be written and posted, so if you're a fan of the story, please check it out. Thanks in advance to everyone who does.~~

A big thanks to everyone who responded! I think I have enough people helping me now for the moment to get started, but should I ever need more, I'll be sure to let you all know.

39. The last gamble

Wings of Tomorrow
Lament of the World

39. The last gamble
The Siege of Stalliongrad – Part 8

The world had finally stopped shaking, giving Fluttershy the courage to remove her hooves from before her eyes. When the darkness did not part immediately after, for one short but terrifying instant she feared she had gone blind. The moment passed by as quickly as it had come as she realised that there was nothing wrong with her eyes at all, she was simply in a dark place. A cramped, dark place that was growing warmer with every passing second. Her wings were pinned to her sides, an uncomfortable sensation that gave her an overwhelming feeling of claustrophobia.

Pegasi by nature did not like to be trapped inside small spaces and Fluttershy was no exception. On top of that, the air around her was still heating up, making it harder to breathe, and further fuelling her anxiety and instinctual fear. She reached into the darkness in front of her until her hooves brushed against hot stone. The sudden heat made her quickly pull her hooves away, more out of surprise than pain and once she had calmed down a bit she slowly pushed them forward again.

As she felt around with her hooves, it quickly became clear to her that the stone she had felt was in fact multiple stones, a pile of debris that had rained down from above and was now blocking her exit. Gulping, Fluttershy realised that she had to dig her way out and fast. The heat in her little shelter was still rising and if she stayed here much longer, there was no doubt in her mind that she would suffocate. Already it was getting harder to breathe and her face and flanks were drenched with sweat. Desperately, she began to paw away at the rubble, praying to Celestia that the pile wasn't too big.

As she dug, Fluttershy's mind drifted back to only a few minutes before now, when the events had happened that had caused her to be in her current situation in the first place.

She had simply been doing her duty as well as she could, as she'd done since the beginning of the battle. It had certainly not been easy. The wails of the injured, the smell of blood, the noise of the canon fire in the distance, all of it had been very taxing on her mind. More than once she had wanted to run away and hide from it all. Only the knowledge that Rainbow Dash and the rest of her friends were here with her, risking their lives to do the right thing, had given Fluttershy the strength to brave her fears and play her part, like each of her friends was doing theirs.

Despite her bravery, the past few hours had still been some of the toughest of her entire life. The stream of injured ponies arriving at the hospital had grown with every passing minute and the medical staff had been hard pressed to keep up with it. Injuring a pony went much faster than treating one and more than half of the soldiers who came back from the front had suffered wounds that required extensive treatment. The limited numbers of the medical staff, however, meant that many succumbed to injuries that were not necesarily fatal, purely because help did not arrive on time.

Watching the life flow out of those countless soldiers who could have lived if there had just been more doctors had been especially hard on Fluttershy. Never before had she felt so helpless. What medical skills she had from treating her animals had not sufficed for treating the kind of injuries inflicted upon the soldiers out there on the battlefield. There had literally been nothing she could do except to try and provide some meager comfort in their final moments. In fact, Fluttershy had been doing just that when disaster had struck.

She'd been helping Applejack to make some extra, improvised beds to increase the number of soldiers they could tend to, when Pinkie Pie had stormed into the room, a panicky look on her face. Rarity and Twilight had been hot on her hooves, each appearing both tired and concerned. What had happened after that was a bit of a blur, because everything had gone so fast her mind had had problems keeping up.

Fluttershy recalled Pinkie saying that her tail was twitching and that she was sure the doozy was going to happen, followed by Twilight telling everypony to seek cover. She remembered trying to ask what was going on, but before she could utter a sound somepony had roughly pushed her to the floor and shoved her under the nearest bed. Fluttershy thought it had been Applejack, but she didn't know for sure.

What she did know was that the act had undoubtedly saved her life, for the very next moment there'd been a series of deafening explosions, followed by the hospital shaking upon its very foundations. Fluttershy remembered a scalding wave of heat, a cacophony of noise as the ceiling collapsed on top of her hiding place, a cloud of dust that took her breath away…

Then, darkness.

Even now, as she was pushing aside pieces of rubble, Fluttershy didn't understand what exactly had happened. She wasn't a fool of course, she knew that the hospital had been the target of an attack, that much was obvious. What she didn't understand was why. Why would somepony attack a place full of injured ponies? It wasn't as if they were hurting anypony, or that she and the rest of the staff had been doing anything wrong by taking care of them.

Had the attack perhaps been just an unfortunate accident, or was the Republic really that determined to win this war? She couldn't imagine anypony being that depraved, not even after everything she had seen and witnessed since arriving in this changed age. Even Rainbow Dash had been confident that they would be safe in this place during the fight, otherwise she would never have allowed her friends to stay, no matter how much Fluttershy and the others longed to help someway.

Fluttershy's heart ached as she thought of Rainbow Dash. “She was so against us being here. Even though she was going off to fight, she was only concerned about our safety. She was so worried about any of us getting hurt and now this...” she thought. “She must be feeling so bad right now… Oh, Rainbow Dash, please be alright.”

The admiral wasn't the only pony she was worried about right now either. The rest of her friends had been with her in this room when the explosion had happened and Fluttershy had no way of knowing if they had been able to find cover themselves. She could only hope - no, pray - that they had somehow and made it through. Then there were all those other ponies in the hospital, the medical staff and not to mention all those poor injured soldiers, many of which hadn't been incapable of movement.

How many had there been who hadn't been able to do anything but lay there as what they had thought was a safe haven collapsed on top of them? She couldn't bear thinking of it and yet her mind kept conjuring image after image, each more awful than the last…

Fluttershy was so lost in thought that it took her a while to notice that one of her hooves was grabbing nothing but air instead of the next piece of rubble. With a gasp she realised that she had actually managed to make a hole, through which came a very welcome stream of light, as well as, thankfully, some fresh air. Well, the 'fresh' air was still quite hot, but it was a relief after the suffocating heat inside her hiding place nevertheless. She pushed her hoof further through the opening, trying to make it bigger so she could squeeze herself through.

“Hold on, sugarcube, I'll getcha outta there lickety split!”

A gasp escaped Fluttershy's lips and her eyes filled up with tears, while a feeling of immense relief flooded her senses. She had never before been so glad to hear Applejack's voice. She felt her outstretched hoof being clasped firmly in Applejack's familiar, strong hooves, the contact convincing her that her ears hadn't been playing tricks on her and that one of her friends had really come to her aid. The next moment, Fluttershy yelped in surprise as she was roughly pulled out of her hiding place, dust and debris being forced aside as Applejack brought her into the open.

Fluttershy stumbled to find her balance atop the flattened pile of loose rubble, coughing and wheezing as her body tried to remove all the dust she had breathed in and swallowed during her rescue. Her mane and fur were almost grey and the golden armour Rainbow Dash had gotten for all of them had lost its sheen due to all the dust and ash sticking to it, making it look as if she had come straight from a construction site.

“Sorry about that, 'shy,” Applejack apologised as she quickly dusted off her friend with a few rough brushed of her hooves. “I figured it was best to not waste any time by diggin' ya out of there, 'cuz we're kinda short on time here.”

“It's, it's okay,” Fluttershy managed to sputter in between coughs. Once her body had calmed down again, she looked up and gave Applejack a shy but grateful smile. “I'm so glad you're okay, Applejack, I was so worried and...” Her voice trailed off as she took in her friend's appearance as well as the state of the room. Her eyes widened ever so slightly in shock. “Oh, oh my...”

Applejack was covered from head to toe in dust just like Fluttershy, but aside from a small gap on her brow that bled a bit, she looked no worse for wear. The same could not be said for their surroundings. The bombardment had totally wrecked the place; there were cracks in the walls, everything that hadn't been tied to the floor had toppled over and there were numerous fires everywhere. Half of the room had collapsed entirely, blocking the path to the window and a quick escape to the outside world.

The bed Fluttershy had been hiding under had broken in two down in the middle and was almost entirely buried underneath rubble and debris that had rained down from the ceiling, explaining why it had been so dark and confining under there. Smoke and dust reduced visibility, while the residual fires eating away at the walls and furniture drove up the heat and rapidly and greedily devoured the available oxygen in the air. They also provided the only light inside the room, for the bombardment had destroyed the hospital's generators, cutting off all electricity and darkening all light as a result.

Tartarus itself could not have looked less hospitable.

Seeing that Fluttershy was fine, Applejack turned around to address somepony behind her. “Y'all need help over there, Twilight?” she called out, raising her voice slightly to be audible over the din of the fire. Looking past Applejack, Fluttershy felt once more relieved upon seeing a very much alive Twilight Sparkle helping Rarity out of an iron closet that had fallen onto its side.

“We're fine, Applejack,” Twilight called back, as she used her mechanical wings to support Rarity, who stood rather wobbly on her hooves. “I think Rarity's just a bit shaken from when the closet fell over.”

“A bit shaken?!” Rarity echoed, her voice raised in disbelief, after which she gritted her teeth and sent a withering glare at Applejack through narrowed eyes. “Applejack, next time we need to take cover, you'll be the one who gets brusquely shoved into a closet and I get to cower under Twilight's shielding spell!”

Applejack rolled her eyes. “She's fine,” she said to Fluttershy, giving her friend a conspiring wink. Despite the severity of the situation and the fact that they had only just narrowly escaped death, Fluttershy couldn't help but giggle lightly. Applejack scanned the room with a frown. “Has anypony seen Pinkie?”

“Over here,” replied the familiar voice of the pony in question, causing everypony to look in its direction and watch as Pinkie Pie wormed her way out of a bedside table that she really had no business fitting in. Once she stood on the floor again, her friends could see that she did not appear to be hurt or injured, much to their relief. More alarming was the fact that Pinkie's mane and tail were decidedly, positively flat, their colour and that of her coat having turned dull and grey, even though there was not a speck of dust clinging to her body.

“Oh dear,” Rarity muttered, giving voice to what they all were thinking. Dislodging herself from the artificial wing supporting her, she made her way over to her distressed friend, the rest of her friends following quickly behind her. “Darling, are you alright?” she asked, once she stood before Pinkie. Using her hoof, Rarity lifted up Pinkie's chin so she could see Pinkie's eyes, only to see them filled to the brim with tears.

“I know now what the doozy was,” Pinkie said, ignoring Rarity's question. She pushed away the hoof holding her chin and dropped her head. “I never expected this to happen. Dashie said it wouldn't and I believed her...”

“Pinkie...” Twilight muttered, looking at Pinkie compassionately. She moved closer, wanting to pull her into an embrace, but Pinkie brushed off Twilight's attempt using one of her own mechanical wings, her head still held downcast.

“My Pinkie sense was trying to tell me. It knew what was going to happen, but I didn't understand what it was trying to say,” Pinkie Pie continued, squeezing her eyes shut firmly, tears running down her cheeks. “If I had, I could have warned more ponies and then...” She was interrupted by an orange hoof being pressed firmly against her muzzle.

“Don'tcha start doing that to yerself, sugarcube,” Applejack warned, her voice and expression compassionate but firm. “This ain't yer fault, none of it is! You did everything ya could. You realised what yer doozy was tryin' to tell ya and managed to warn as many ponies as you could in the time we had. So maybe those weren't many, but few's still better than none, which is what would've happened if ya hadn't warned anypony at all. Shucks, Pinkie, yer Pinkie sense is the only reason we're alive right now!”

“Applejack's right, darling,” Rarity agreed. “If you hadn't come to warn us, Applejack wouldn't have been able to push Fluttershy and myself under cover and Twilight wouldn't have been around to shield herself and Applejack. You've saved our lives, Pinkie!”

“But… but all those poor injured ponies...” Pinkie sniffled, wiping her tears away with one of her fetlocks. It was a futile gesture, for whatever tears she managed to brush off were immediately replaced by new ones.

“Wouldn't have made it even if you had managed to warn them,” Twilight finished Pinkie's sentence. It hurt her to say it so bluntly, but she knew it was true. “Many were too injured to move and there wouldn't have been enough cover for all of them even if they weren’t, nor could we ever manage to evacuate all of them in time.” She placed one of her hooves on Pinkie's shoulder, looking at her dear friend with eyes that reflected her aching heart.

“I know it hurts to hear this Pinkie, but many were going to die regardless. There wasn't anything you could've done to save them. None of this is your fault.” Twilight's eyes narrowed and her voice turned harsher as she glanced briefly at the collapsed half of the room. “It was the Republic who did this and nopony else.” Her voice cracked at the end and a sob forced its way out of her throat, causing the others to look at her in surprise, only now noticing the tears quietly making their way down Twilight's cheeks.

“Twilight?” Pinkie whispered, the sight of one of her friends crying momentarily making her forget her own sorrow.

“He did this,” Twilight whispered, in vain trying to stifle her sobs. She bowed her head, hiding her eyes behind her mane, but her friends didn't need to see them to spot the glistering tears that fell from her face to the ground. “My own brother gave the order to do… to do this.” She gritted her teeth, her body trembling as she was torn between sorrow and fury. “Shining Armour!”

“Twi...” Applejack whispered, not knowing what else she could say to comfort her friend, so she opted to place her hoof comfortingly on Twilight's back instead.

“I'm sorry, Twilight,” Pinkie muttered, as she flung herself at her crying friend and pulled her in a fierce hug. “I was so busy thinking about my own sadness that I didn't stop to think how hard this must be for you. I'm so sorry!” She tightened her embrace for a moment, before holding Twilight at leg length and looking in Twilight's eyes. Twilight met her gaze and forced herself to smile, but the smile didn't reach her eyes, which remained filled with tears.

“There's nothing for you to be sorry for, Pinkie,” Twilight said as she wiped her tears away with her left fetlock. “We're all shaken up by this; it's alright to be sad… But there wasn't anything we could have done, nor was it our fault it happened. Please don't blame yourself for something my brother did… Don't let him ruin your life too.”

Pinkie didn't reply, opting instead to give Twilight another hug, her lips giving the slightest hint of a smile while her body regained some of its colour. The touching display caused Applejack, Fluttershy and Rarity to smile as well, relief evident upon their faces. A groan coming from above their heads cut the emotional moment short, however, making them all glance up nervously at a crack that was snaking its way across the ceiling, growing wider every second.

“Um, I really don't want to bother, but can we please continue this somewhere else?” Fluttershy squeaked, swallowing the lump that had formed itself in her throat upon seeing the danger looming above her head. “Somewhere safe and not on the verge of collapse, if that would be okay? Please?”

Drying the last of her tears, Twilight nodded and dislodged herself from Pinkie's embrace. Her face now bore a serious expression, while her eyes glistered with grim determination. “Fluttershy's right, we need to leave, this place is no longer safe,” she began, taking charge of the situation purely by instinct, though none of her friends minded. “There might still be other survivors in other rooms of the hospital, we have to help them and try to find a way to get them and ourselves out of here!”

Applejack glanced at the part of the room that had collapsed entirely, before looking back at Twilight. “How do you reckon we go and do that, sugarcube? Even if we suppose fer a moment that the stairways didn't go and collapse on us, it's still goin' to be a long way down, especially if we've gotta carry other ponies. How will we get out in time?”

“We use these,” Twilight replied, fluttering her mechanical wings to draw her friends' attention to them. “We're on the tenth floor of the southern wing of the hospital. I noticed the neighbouring building has a flat roof when we got here. We find a place where we can still access a window, bust it out and fly to the roof on the other side. It's not that far, we should be able to make it even if we're carrying somepony.”

She took a glance at the faces of her friends, waiting to see if they had any objections to her plan. Before any of them could say something, however, a piece of the ceiling as big as a pony's head came loose and missed Applejack by a hair, startling all of them.

“Right, it's a plan. Time to go everypony!” Applejack said, taking the decision for all of them, pressing down her hat more firmly on her head as she glanced at the piece of debris that had nearly fallen on top of her. The others swallowed audibly, looking nervously from the rock to the ceiling before nodding in agreement.

“Let's,” Rarity agreed jumpily. “Staying any longer in this environment would be absolutely, ah, killer for my complexion.”

The five mares hurried towards the door to the hallway. Using her magic, Twilight tried to turn the latch, but she quickly found out that it refused to budge. “It's stuck,” she groaned through gritted teeth, pulling harder at the handle with her magic. “The impact must have damaged the lock or something!”

“Step aside, sugarcube,” Applejack said, brushing Twilight aside with one of her mechanical wings. “This requires the subtle touch of a professional's hoof!” She pressed her ear against the door and tapped the wood a few times with her hoof. She listened to the sound returned for a moment, and then gave a sage nod. Turning around, she braced herself and glanced over her shoulder at her target one more time to measure the distance. Then, with a short cry, she bucked the obstacle with all the earth pony force her hind legs could muster. The poor door didn't stand a chance and was knocked cleanly off its hinges, sailing through the air before coming to an abrupt halt against the opposite wall.

Rarity spared a moment to give Applejack a dry sideways glance. “A 'subtle touch', darling?” she echoed, sounding equally impressed and resigned. Applejack merely gave her a knowing grin, causing Rarity to huff and roll her eyes before quickly following her friends out of the room.

As the five mares emerged in the hallway, they immediately noticed that it had fared no better than the room they had just left behind. There were multiple cracks along the walls and the floor was littered with stone, plaster and other debris that had fallen from the ceiling. Some of it was on fire, spreading a thick cloud of smoke throughout the entire length of the hallway, forcing the ponies to keep their heads low in order to breathe. The smoke, combined with the lack of windows to allow light to come in, as well as the fact that the electricity had gone dead, made it very dark and difficult to navigate, slowing their progress even more.

Twilight paused for a moment to light up her horn, to provide both more light and a guiding point her friends could use to locate her should they lose sight of her for one reason or another. She looked around, trying to figure out which way to go, her eyes watering as the smoke entered them. The room they had been in was located near one end of the hallway, close to one of the stairways that led to lower and higher floors. A quick glance to her left, however, revealed that that part of the hall had collapsed, just as Applejack had feared.

It was clear to her that they had no other option but to take the long way to the other end of the hall. She looked back over her shoulder to her friends. “Girls, try to open every door we come across and look for survivors or a window we could use,” she ordered. “Applejack, if there's a door they can't open, you or myself will try to bust it down, unless it looks like it can't be done or would take too long to do it.”

Applejack pulled the brim of her hat lower and nodded. “Gotcha, sugarcube.”

“We have to try and cover as much ground as possible as quickly as we can, there's no telling how long we have left,” Twilight continued. “But we shouldn't lose sight of each other, we have to stick together. If you do happen to get lost somehow, look for the light of my horn to find your way back to us.”

Her friends nodded, after which the group began to make their way down the hall as quickly as caution allowed them to. Twilight led the way, Pinkie following right behind her, keeping a close eye on the ceiling and her tail in case anything decided to drop. Fluttershy and Rarity were next, each on one side of the hall and trying every door they came across, while Applejack brought up the rear.

As they made their way through the burning building, they repeatedly had to avoid rubble that fell down from the ceiling, though thankfully Pinkie's twitching tail never failed to warn them in time. One time they got the fright of their lives when a piece of the floor suddenly gave away beneath Rarity's hooves, but the unicorn managed to jump to solid ground in time to avoid falling into the furnace of the floor below. All the time, smoke and heat battered their weary bodies, but they pressed on without complaint, knowing very well that the only alternative was certain death.

The repeated attempts of the collapsing structure to take their lives was a constant reminder that they were hard pressed for time, yet despite that they didn't stop looking for other survivors, opening or breaking down every door that crossed their path. So far, however, their search had yielded no results; every door they busted down revealing only more death and ruin. Ponies lay dead on the ground or in their beds, crushed under debris when the building had come down on top of them or suffocated by the heat and lack of oxygen. It was a sight that never failed to unsettle them, a reminder that without Pinkie Pie, their fate would have been no different.

It didn't help that, on top of finding no fellow survivors, they had also yet to find an opportunity to escape. Most of the rooms they had searched had collapsed at least partially, taking the windows and outer wall with it. Even when they found one where the window had still been intact, it was unreachable due to scorching fires or debris blocking the path. Though none of them said anything, it was clear on their faces that they were starting to both worry and panic. They had almost reached the other end of the hallway, with only a few rooms left to search; if those did not offer an escape route, then they had survived the initial bombardment only to die a slow death in its aftermath.

Then, just as they were starting to give in to despair, their ears picked up a noise that made hope flare up in their hearts.

Uncertain at first if it had merely been a trick of their minds, hearing the sound being repeated dispelled all doubts. From bit further down the hall came the unmistakable sound of a hoof knocking against wood. Straining theirs ears to listen now, they could faintly make out a voice trying to be heard over the din of the fire. Sharing a glance, the mares gave a unanimous nod before making their way over to the source of the sound as quickly as their hooves could carry them.

Once they had found the door in question, there was no doubt left in their hearts; somepony was definitely on the other side of the door, rapping his or her hoof against it to try and make him or herself heard.

“Can anypony hear me?! Please, we need help!”

Twilight gasped as she recognised the voice. “Doctor Carehoof, is that you?!”

A relieved sigh could be heard through the door. “Thank goodness, somepony came!” the voice replied. “Miss Sparkle, is it you?”

“Yes! I'm here and so are my friends!” Twilight answered, almost shouting in order to make sure she was heard. “Is there anypony else in there with you, doctor? Are you hurt?!”

“A piece of the ceiling hit me on the head, I can't use my magic without my skull feeling like it's splitting. I fear my horn was damaged, but I'll live!” the doctor shouted back. “I have four patients with me. They're alive, but they're too injured to walk. I managed to douse the fires to put us out of any immediate danger, but the door is jammed. It must have been damaged during the attack, meaning we're trapped inside here!”

Twilight's eyes narrowed into a serious and determined look. “Doctor, please step away from the door,” she warned, before turning around to face her friends, focussing on one of them in particular. “Applejack, I think this situation is one that requires your subtle touch.”

Applejack gave a grim nod before pulling down the brim of her hat. “One door goin' down,” she said, walking up to the door determinedly, her friends stepping aside to let her pass. This time, there was no prior show or fuss; she simply bucked the door with all the strength her legs possessed. The door snapped off its hinges and flew into the room, though Twilight caught it in her magic and let it drop to the ground before it could get very far.

Doctor Carehoof immediately came up to greet them, relief evident in his yellow eyes. His mane and tail were covered in sooth, dust and ash, dulling their usual teal colour. His lab coat had fared no better, the white having almost turned to grey. Only his blue fur and his cutie mark, a splint with a roll of bandages, remained relatively clean. Once he stood right next to them, the five mares could see that he had indeed suffered an injury to the head; there were clear signs of blood and a small crack ran across the length of his horn. Twilight winced upon seeing it. Using magic with a horn in such a shape would be about as pleasant as running a race with two broken legs.

“Miss Sparkle, I'm glad to see you and your friends are unharmed,” Carehoof said as a greeting. “Please, tell me, are there any other survivors?”

Twilight mournfully shook her head. “You were the first pony we found who's still alive,” she replied, her throat aching as she spoke due to more than just the smoke and heat. “There are a few rooms left on this floor that we haven't searched, but I wouldn't hold out much hope. Every room we came across had collapsed or was on the verge of doing so.” She glanced up to the ceiling of the room and swallowed hard as she noticed it sported a particularly large crack that was growing wider every second.

Doctor Carehoof followed her gaze until he saw the threat looming above their heads as well. “I see. Then there is absolutely no time to waste,” he said, lowering his eyes again before gesturing to something behind him. “We have to carry these gentlecolts to the exit while we still can.” Looking past him, Twilight and her friends could see four soldiers lying together on the ground underneath a makeshift shelter to keep things from falling onto them.

“Afraid that won't do much good, doc,” Applejack replied. “Seems like the stairways collapsed when the building took its beating. There's no getting outta here that way.”

Upon hearing this, the doctor visibly paled. “Does this mean we are trapped on this floor?!”

“I'm afraid so,” Applejack answered, for once looking rather uncomfortable speaking the truth. “Now don't y'all go panickin' like a spooked sheep,” she added quickly upon seeing the expression that had appeared on Carehoof's face upon hearing her words. “'Twi said the next building's roof's flat as a pancake. All we have ta do is find a window and use these,” she spread her mechanical wings, “to fly ourselves over to it.”

Carehoof thoughtfully rubbed his chin with one of his hooves. “That could work,” he admitted slowly. His eyes drifted to Applejack's wings and he contemplatively chewed on his lower lip. “Can you fly with those while carrying another pony with you, though? I mean no offense, but you have been given those only recently.”

“Our destination is situated at a lower point than where we currently stand,” Twilight answered in place of her friends. “I'm not denying that we aren't exactly the most experienced fliers in Equestria, but I'm sure even we can manage to at least glide our way to the other side.”

Those weren't the reassuring words that Carehoof had hoped to hear, but he accepted them nonetheless. “With the stairways blocked, we don't have much choice but to try,” he said. “As for a window, I believe I can help with that.” He turned half around and pointed to the wall on the opposite end of the room. In it was a window that appeared to have survived the destruction, even if the glass that had sat inside it had not. The wall itself had only a few cracks snaking across its surface and the ceiling did not seem to be on the verge of collapse.

Everything pointed to it being the escape way they had been looking for, but Twilight wasn't about to take any chances. Before she let anyone near that wall, she wanted to be as sure as somepony could be in these circumstances that it was as safe as something could possibly be in this condition. “Pinkie,” she began, turning her head to look at the pony in question. “What does your Pinkie Sense say? Do you feel any warnings coming up?”

Pinkie Pie narrowed her eyes and concentrated, staring intently at the window. The serious expression, combined with the flat mane and tail, looked fundamentally wrong on her, but none of her friends felt like now was the moment to be worried about such things. After a few moments, Pinkie relaxed again and shook her head. “I don't feel anything,” she said. “No twitchy tail, no itchy knee, no doozy, no anything! I think that my Pinkie Sense is telling me that it's safe to approach that window.”

Twilight nodded, reassured by the answer, and turned back to face doctor Carehoof. Upon seeing the odd look he was giving her, she smiled sheepishly. “Er, don't ask,” she said with a nervous laugh, becoming serious again before the good doctor could start to question her sanity. She gestured towards the four injured soldiers. “We should move them to the window. The shorter the distance we have to carry them on our backs, the better.”

“Very well,” doctor Carehoof replied, who had opted to not inquire further as to what twitching tails or itchy knees had to do with windows being approachable or not. He and Twilight moved over to the nearest soldier, where the latter used her magic to lift the injured pony onto the doctor's back. Rarity and the others came over to help as well, though before Applejack and Pinkie could start to do any lifting, Twilight held out a hoof and pulled them aside.

“Applejack, there were still a few rooms left that we hadn't checked when we found doctor Carehoof,” Twilight said, her face grim. “I don't want to ask you this, but would you be willing to go and make sure there are no other survivors left? I know it's dangerous and I won't force you, but I...”

Applejack held up her hoof to silence her. “Say no more, sugarcube,” she replied. “I understand how ya feel. If it turned out somepony died just because we didn't look fer him, it wouldn't sit well with me either. So don'tcha fret none, I'll do it.”

Twilight bowed her head slightly. “Thank you… I'd go myself if I could, but I have to stay here to oversee our escape. If any of us drops one of those soldiers or they slip off by accident, I might still be able to save them with my magic,” she said, sounding both relieved and grateful. The way her ears were lowered, however, told her friends how she really felt about asking them to head back into danger.

“Pinkie, would you go with her?” Twilight asked, looking positively guilty as she turned her attention to the pony in question. “I'll feel better knowing that she has your Pinkie Sense with her to keep her safe.”

Pinkie Pie gave a quiet nod in reply, causing Twilight to let out a relieved sigh. Upon noticing that her friend was still visibly feeling bad about what she asked of them, Applejack placed her hoof on Twilight's shoulder. “Twi, should the worst happen to Pinkie and me here while we're gone, I wantcha to promise me you won't beat yerself up about it afterwards,” she began, while looking Twilight straight in the eyes. “We went back cuz we agreed to. Whatever happens, it ain't your fault, you got that, sugarcube?”

They stared at each other for what felt like a long time, until Twilight finally relented and averted her eyes with a quiet sigh and a short nod. “I promise. Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye,” she swore, while making the sacred motions to the binding oath. Once it was completed, she managed to look back up at Applejack, a small smile on her lips. “Thank you.”

“Ain't nothing to thank me for, sugarcube,” Applejack replied with a wink. “We're yer friends, after all.”

With those words, they parted ways. The two earth ponies quickly departed from the room, while Twilight hurried over to the window, where Rarity, Fluttershy and doctor Carehoof had just finished moving the last patient. The three ponies gave her knowing looks, but opted to not say or ask anything, for which Twilight was grateful.

“Is everything ready for our escape?” she asked, deciding to focus on what was the most important at the moment.

“As ready as we'll ever be, darling,” Rarity replied, giving a curt nod. She gestured at the window with her hoof. “We were trying to decide how to properly go at this. We do not exactly have much margin for error, after all.”

Twilight's followed the direction Rarity's hoof was pointing at, her eyes narrowing in thought as they settled on the window. As it was currently, it would be quite difficult to climb through the window, even more so while carrying somepony on their back, not to mention finding good footing for a proper jump into the air. She might have learned to fly only a few days ago, but Twilight knew that a proper take-off meant everything. Especially since they were going to have passengers they'd be responsible for.

She pondered about the situation for a few moments before reaching a decision. “Let's start by making ourselves a proper exit,” she decided aloud, positioning herself in front of the window, a scowl of determination on her face. Narrowing her eyes in concentration, Twilight surrounded the entire window - sill and frame included - with the signature lavender glow of her magic. She gritted her teeth and braced herself, then proceeded to rip the entire structure clean out of the wall using her telekinesis, discarding it somewhere off to the side, paying it no further heed.

Only the small portion of the wall, underneath where the window had been, still stood in their way. Using a beam of concentrated magical energy, Twilight sawed out the small portion's form from the rest of the wall, a quick flick of her magic dumping it atop the discarded window. What was left was a hole in the wall roughly the size of a normal door opening, through which entered a welcome surge of cool, fresh air.

Rarity's eyes glanced from the newly made exit to the pony that had made it. “Dear me, I had no idea you were experienced in construction and renovation work, Twilight,” she said, giving her fellow unicorn a sly look.

“A mare by herself has to get by somehow,” Twilight answered smoothly, allowing herself a small smile before becoming serious again. She looked outside through the newly made opening, observing the roof of the neighbouring building, which thankfully appeared to still be intact and a safe place to land. Chewing on her lower lip in thought, she tried to measure the distance and height difference between them and their destination. Her memory hadn't been wrong; the roof on the other side appeared to be low enough for them to safely cross the distance with a long, smooth glide.

Still, that didn't mean they had to be careless. A plan having formed in her head, Twilight turned around to face her companions. “Rarity, you'll have to be the first to try and make the crossing first,” she said, causing the mare in question's eyes to widen in surprise. Seeing this, Twilight hurried to explain. “Fluttershy will go with you without a passenger. This way, should something go wrong, she'll be able to catch either you or your passenger, while I catch the other pony with my magic.”

Rarity let out a deep sigh. “I can't say that I feel much for this arrangement, but I do see the logic behind it and I do realise that we don't have much choice,” she relented. She brushed a hoof through her mane and then gave Twilight a tired nod. “Very well then, I am 'in', as they say.”

Twilight gave her a grateful smile before turning her head towards Fluttershy. The pegasus gave a soft squeak and hid behind her mane, but nevertheless gave her friends a barely perceptible nod. “I'll do it,” she whispered, so softly her friends and doctor Carehoof had to strain themselves to hear her.

In truth, Fluttershy was about as keen on Twilight's proposed method as Rarity was, but forced herself to keep her objections to herself. Though Rainbow Dash had provided her with a mechanical exoskeleton to strengthen her wings, she didn't consider herself to be a very good flier. She knew that if she wasn't fast enough, if she failed to catch Rarity or the injured soldier in case they fell, either of the previously mentioned ponies would pay for her shortcomings with his or her life. The thought of bearing such a heavy responsibility, to have the actual life of one of her friends depending on her, truly frightened her more than anything ever had before.

Nevertheless, she didn't shirk away from it. Each of her friends and Rainbow Dash in particular, was in a similar situation and they all did what was expected of them, despite their fears and despite the heavy responsibilities riding on their shoulders. Fluttershy had vowed to herself that she would do no less and she had no intention of breaking her vow. She'd rather die of fright by facing her fears than abandon and betray her friends. She would fight, just like them. She'd play her part until the end.

“Thank you, girls,” Twilight said gratefully, giving both of her friends a small smile, unaware of Fluttershy's turbulent thoughts. She stepped away from the hole in the wall to get out of their way, and then turned her attention to doctor Carehoof. “I think we'd better get started, there's no telling how much time we have left.” She paused briefly to steal a quick glance at the ceiling. “Doctor, I think it's best if you go first.”

To her surprise, the stallion shook his head. “I'm afraid I have to decline, miss Sparkle,” he replied. “As a doctor, it is my duty to think first and foremost of the health and safety of my patients. I will not leave until all four of these gentlecolts have been evacuated from this building.” He gestured meaningfully at the four unconscious soldiers, the determined expression on his face making it clear that he would not be persuaded.

Twilight sighed, but did not argue. “As you wish,” she relented, after which she turned her head to look at the injured ponies as well. “Which one of these gentlecolts should we evacuate first, then?”

Doctor Carehoof's studied the four patients' injuries, his brow furrowed in thought as he tried to reach a decision. It was not an easy choice to make. Did he pick the one most in need of medical care, or the one with the highest chances of survival? With pain in his heart, for he valued the life of each patient equally, he reluctantly went with the latter. Bowing his head, he placed his hoof on the least injured soldier, a green pegasus with two broken wings and a shattered hoof.

Twilight wisely said nothing, instead mentioning towards Rarity and Fluttershy to come closer. “Girls, if you're ready?”

“Of course,” Rarity replied, giving a short nod. She spread her mechanical wings and then turned her back towards Twilight, making it easier for her fellow unicorn to load the wounded soldier onto her person. Twilight did so very carefully, gently lifting the injured pony with her magic while doctor Carehoof helped to manoeuvre him onto the fashionista's back.

Rarity breathed out sharply once the weight was placed fully upon her back, suddenly feeling very glad for the dreadfully heavy, sweaty armour Rainbow Dash had forced her to wear. To her credit, she uttered not so much as a single word of displeasure or complaint. If it was to save a life, she did not care that she had to perform manual labour or wear something of questionable fashion sense; she was not that vain or petty and had more dignity than that.

She glanced at Fluttershy and gave the pegasus a strained smile. “Well then, after you, darling,” Rarity said to her, gesturing at the makeshift exit Twilight had so kindly provided for them.

Fluttershy squeaked, looking very much like she wanted to be somewhere else right now; nevertheless she dutifully stepped forward. Taking a deep breath, she flittered nervously with her wings and then leaped through the hole in the wall into the open skies. The cool wind that greeted her felt incredibly soothing as it caressed through her mane and feathers, a welcome relief after the heat and smoke inside. The feeling of having fresh air in her lungs again felt so good that she wanted nothing more but to lose herself in it, but she stoutly suppressed that desire and focussed on her task.

A few powerful beats of her mechanically strengthened wings carried her swiftly through the air - a bit too swift to her liking, to be honest - until she was roughly halfway between the hospital and the neighbouring building. There she hovered in place, keeping herself aloft with almost lazy flaps of her wings. She turned around until she was facing the hospital and waited for Rarity to try and make the crossing, the nervosity chasing away her earlier feelings of relief.

“Alright, Rarity, your turn now,” Twilight said to her fellow unicorn, once she saw that Fluttershy was in place.

“Very well,” Rarity replied, laughing nervously as she approached the opening in the wall. Once she stood at the edge and could see how far below the ground was, her chest painfully constricted in fear. She almost did a step back, but caught herself before she could do so, shaking her head to clear her thoughts. “Now is not the time to panic, Rarity,” she admonished herself. “There is nothing to worry about. Your wings are completely functional and better yet, they won't evaporate in sunlight.”

She took a deep breath to steel herself, trying to gather her courage. “There are ponies depending on you to save them,” she continued. “So be brave and show your friends that their trust in you is not misplaced. A lady does not give cause for doubt, after all, and you are a lady, are you not?” Her eyes narrowed in determination and she gritted her teeth so hard one could pulverise granite between them.

Then, after letting out a most unladylike war cry, Rarity jumped.

To her credit, it took her only three seconds before she remembered to open her wings, which was roughly around the same time when Fluttershy managed to stop covering her eyes with her hooves. At first she felt herself falling freely to the ground below and Rarity quickly began to panic, her legs flailing. She needn't have worried, however, for her wings worked as they should. Sailing on the wind running underneath them, the mechanical constructs smoothly carried her across the gap until, with a thud and a few stumbling steps, Rarity landed safely atop the roof on the other side.

Fluttershy quickly hurried over to her friend to make sure she was okay, while back inside the hospital, Twilight let out a sigh of relief. For one terrifying moment, she'd thought Rarity had really been falling, but it had passed as quickly as it had come once she saw her friend gliding safely through the air. Now she watched as Fluttershy helped Rarity to unload the latter's passenger and lay him safely on the roof in the shadow of a chimney.

Once they were done, Twilight signalled for them to come back to ferry the next patient across. Fortunately flying proved to be much easier than gliding with a heavy weight on her back and Rarity made the trip back across the gap without any incident or drama. In little to no time, Twilight and doctor Carehoof had helped the second injured soldier on her back and Rarity was on her way again. There was no hesitation as she walked to the edge this time, she simply took a breath and jumped.

“Twilight!”

The calling of her name drew Twilight's attention away from watching Rarity's flight and she turned her head just in time to witness the return of Pinkie Pie. Judging from how her friend looked no happier than when she'd left and how she wasn't carrying anypony with her, Twilight dared to guess the search for other survivors had been unsuccessful. She waited a second for Applejack's return to confirm her suspicions, then grew worried when her friend did not appear.

“Pinkie, did you find anypony?” Twilight asked hurriedly, her concern growing when Applejack still did not return. “Where's Applejack?”

“Applejack?” Pinkie Pie echoed, a frown appearing on her face. She glanced over her shoulder and only now seemed to notice that she had returned to her friends alone. “She was right behind me a second ago!” she said, giving Twilight a worried look. “She must have gone back, but I don't know why she would do that without telling me, especially since we looked everywhere and didn't find anypony. Should I go look for her?!”

Twilight hesitated, unsure of what to answer. On one hoof, she was concerned for Applejack's safety, but on the other hoof, there was no telling how much time they had left before everything collapsed on top of them. They really could use Pinkie Pie at the moment to speed up the evacuation process; time was of the essence. Twilight squeezed her eyes shut and grit her teeth. Choosing between the safety of her friend or the safety of four injured soldiers who couldn't save themselves, it was an impossible choice to make.

The choice was spared her, however, as fate chose that moment for Pinkie's tale to start shaking. Pinkie's head whirled around, her eyes growing wide in panic as they stared at her tail. “Twitchy tail! Twitchy tail!” she cried out, her head turning in every direction as she tried to spot the place from which things would start falling.

Almost by instinct, Twilight's eyes looked up to the ceiling. During the past few minutes, the crack she had spotted earlier had only grown wider as the ceiling slowly gave away under the weight of the floors above it. Now at last it had reached its breaking point and with a loud groan the entire structure finally gave out. The room trembled upon its very foundations and ominous rumbling rang through the air as the ceiling broke into pieces, some large enough to crush three ponies to paste underneath them. Now those pieces were falling down, ready to bury the pink pony that was looking up at them with wide, panic-filled eyes.

Pinkie Pie knew she had to run. The ceiling was coming down upon her and if she didn't move she would be buried underneath it. With nothing to hide under this time, there was no chance she would survive. She knew this and yet her hooves refused to move. Fear had taken a hold of her body, the fear a pony could only feel when looking death in the eye, and it paralyzed her. She could only stare at the huge slab of plaster and stone that was going to fall on top of her and turn her into a pink, bloody mush underneath it.

Somewhere in the back of her mind, she noticed that the falling debris was actually taking its sweet time crushing her. For some reason, it was coming closer only very slowly, which was odd, as if somepony had turned off gravity or increased the density of the air. Even stranger, the rubble was glowing with a familiar magenta colour. Was her fantasy running wild in an effort to make her smile just one final time?

“Pinkie!”

The cry of her name snapped her out of her fear-induced trance. In a flash of insight, Pinkie realised what was really happening right now. She wasn't being crushed because the debris was no longer falling due to somepony using magic to hold it in place. That was why the pieces were glowing and judging from the colour of the glow, she knew just who to thank for her timely rescue. Turning her head confirmed her suspicions.

Twilight Sparkle felt like she was back in Canterlot again, trying to hold down all those guards with her magic in order to save her friends' lives, throwing every bit of magic she had in her body into the fight. Only this time, the enemy wasn't a group of Republican soldiers out for blood, but a heap of smouldering debris roughly weighing a ton or so. The jury was still out on which of the two was the more colossal feat.

Every muscle in her body trembled, her legs feeling like they could give away at any moment and she could feel sweat running down in rivers over her neck and flanks. Her horn felt like it was made of lead, weighing down her head while her neck muscles strained to hold it up. “If I had a shard of magicite, this would be so easy,” she thought wryly, the realisation randomly passing through her mind.

“Pinkie!” Twilight cried again, her voice as strained as the rest of her body. “Get over here! Take one of the injured and leave!” she ordered, once she saw that she had Pinkie's attention. “Tell Fluttershy she has to help with the evacuation! Agh!” One of her forelegs gave away and the debris fell a step closer to the floor. Heaving, Twilight forced herself back up and pushed back against the debris, driving it back a few hoof-lengths. “There's no time… DO IT!”

“What about you?!” Pinkie shouted back in panic, though she obeyed Twilight's orders and hurried over to doctor Carehoof and the remaining two soldiers, dodging a few small pieces of debris that had slipped Twilight's grasp along the way.

“I'll be fine!” Twilight replied, giving another strangled groan as the colossal weight of the ceiling pressed down on her tender, untrained frame. “I'll buy you the time you need. Just get everypony to safety! Don't let anypony else die because of my brother's depravity!” As she said those words and thought of her brother, Twilight felt a spike of anger flare up in her chest. She let the emotion fuel her magic and with a chilling cry, she managed to push back the falling rubble almost all the way back into the ceiling.

As she struggled with both the collapsing ceiling and her emotions, Twilight kept being reminded of the events in Canterlot, less than a month ago during the night of the Parade. She hadn't been able to buy Fluttershy enough time to escape with Rarity back then. She had failed to hold back the enemy, failed to protect her friends, forcing Rainbow Dash to step in and save them.

“Not this time,” Twilight thought. She didn't care if she had been able to practice and study only a little bit since then, she didn't care that she still wasn't back on the level she had been during her old life. She wasn't going to fail this time, she flat out refused to. She was going to fight, just like Rainbow Dash, even without magicite or her old skill level and she was not going to be defeated again.

It was a battle between a unicorn and gravity itself, with the former trying to desperately hold up the giant weight that the latter was so eagerly trying to pull down; one that forced Twilight to give it her all. She constantly had to fight not only against gravity, but against her own body as well. The strain she was placing on it and the amount of effort she was asking from it was not little. Her muscles ached and the longer she continued, the more her horn began to feel like it was on fire.

Because of this, all her attention went to her efforts to keep the ceiling from collapsing, she couldn't afford to focus on anything else. She couldn't even glance over her shoulder to see how her friends were doing with the evacuation, to give her an idea of how much longer she had to keep this up. She tried not to think about it and focussed only on getting from one second to the next, urging herself to keep going for just one moment longer.

“Twilight!”

The sudden calling of her name startled Twilight so badly that she almost lost control over the debris. To her great relief she managed to recover quickly enough, but her heart was still beating wildly in her chest. Once she was sure her grip on the collapsing ceiling was secure again, she dared to turn her head around to look behind her. The injured soldiers were gone and Fluttershy was hovering in the air before the hole in the wall, doctor Carehoof on her back with his forelegs wrapped around her. How much time had passed? Twilight didn't know.

“Miss Sparkle!” doctor Carehoof called out to her. “Everypony has been taken to safety, you have to get out of there now!”

“I can't!” Twilight shouted back defiantly, turning her attention back to the falling debris. “I have to wait for Applejack! If I let go, the rubble will block her path and she'll have no way to escape the building!”

“We do not even know where Miss Applejack is!” the doctor cried out, sounding desperate. “You are putting your life on the line for somepony who might not even be alive herself anymore!”

“Applejack is not dead!” Twilight snarled angrily. “If she was, Pinkie would have sensed it. She went back for some reason and I'm waiting right here for her! I won't abandon one of my friends to die! I WON'T!” Her anger flared up again, giving her another temporal boost of strength, enough to push the debris a good deal higher. “Fluttershy, take doctor Carehoof to safety and wait for me with the others. I'll be joining you as soon as Applejack comes back!”

Fluttershy squeaked fearfully, but nodded nevertheless. She didn't like the idea of Twilight staying where it was dangerous, but she understood why her friend did it. She wouldn't have been able to abandon Applejack either if she had been in Twilight's place. “Please be safe,” she whispered. Then, after a last glance at her brave friend, Fluttershy turned herself around and began the flight to the other roof where the rest of her friends were waiting with the evacuated soldiers.

“Madness...” doctor Carehoof muttered, shaking his head, but he allowed himself to be carried away without any further protesting. The look in Twilight's eyes had told him everything he needed to know. There was no way in the nine realms of Tartarus that he could have convinced her to escape. She was too determined, too loyal to be swayed by words. He had never seen a mare so foolish and brave.

Twilight herself wasn't so sure about that brave part, but she agreed wholeheartedly with the foolish one. She knew that what she was doing was reckless and would even be called stupid by more than one, just as she knew that nopony would have thought less of her if she had escaped with the rest of her friends. There was no telling where Applejack had gone or how much longer she'd have to wait for her, making the possibility that staying behind would end up killing her a very likely one. Of that, she was all too aware, but she didn't care.

Applejack was the pony who had given her shelter when she had ran away from home because of Shining Armour's promotion, who had helped her to find her footing when she had arrived in Ponyville without a bit to her name. She was not going to let somepony who had done so much for her die in a disaster her brother was responsible for. She wouldn't allow it. She had lost so much already in this altered life of hers and she refused to lose anything else.

“That being said, I wouldn't complain if she came back right now,” Twilight thought wryly, a pained groan escaping her lips as the strain on her body increased. Already, her head hurt like mad, as if somepony was delivering blow after blow straight to her horn with a hammer. “I don't know how much longer I can keep this up...”

One of her hooves slipped, making her stumble and lose her balance. She almost fell over, but fortunately managed to regain her footing before that could happen. The brief disturbance, however, had taken away some of her focus from her magic, allowing the debris to sink further towards the floor. Twilight gritted her teeth and did her best to push it back up, but she had no more strength to call upon to achieve such a feat. Pearls of sweat ran down her face and fell to the ground as she strained to keep the massive weight aloft.

“Come on, keep it together, Twilight, just a little longer,” she told herself, even as the weight of the spell and what she was using it on pressed her head almost against the floor. She was reaching her limits. She'd lose her grip on the debris any moment now and there was still no sign of her missing friend. “Applejack, where are you?!”

Just when Twilight felt that she couldn't hold on any longer, she heard the most welcome sound she could imagine, the sound of running hooves coming her way. Her renewed faith gave her one last burst of strength, allowing her to push back the debris one last time. Not even a second later, Applejack burst into the room, looking as if she'd just taken a walk through Tartarus.

“I'm here!” she cried out, taking a moment to catch her breath, unaware of the danger above her head. Across her back was slung another survivor, an unfortunate nurse who'd gotten buried underneath a pile of rubble. If it hadn't been for Applejack going back after she thought she heard a weak cry for help, that's where she would still be.

“Applejack!” Twilight shouted, waving wildly with her foreleg to try and gain her friend's attention. “Applejack, we've got to get out of here! I can't hold it any longer!” It was true, she could feel her magic slipping away even as she spoke.

Applejack looked up when she heard her name. The first thing she saw was Twilight, whose horn was glowing and who looked utterly exhausted. That's when she finally spotted the collapsed ceiling and the floating pieces of debris, her pupils shrinking to pinpricks as she took in the sight. When she noticed the magenta glow surrounding the rubble and Twilight struggling to do… something, Applejack immediately connected the dots.

Wasting no time, she shifted herself into gear and sprinted towards Twilight, running underneath the looming debris as fast as her legs could carry her. “Let's go, sugarcube!” she shouted once she had made it to the other side.

Twilight nodded and immediately shut off her magic, letting the broken ceiling finally fall down unhindered. By the time she'd turned herself around, Applejack was right next to her. Together, the two mares raced towards the hole in the wall, diving through it just as the room collapsed. A plume of dust and smoke erupted from the hole behind them, the strong wind almost blowing Applejack and Twilight out of the sky.

Fortunately, even with their limited flying skills, the two mares managed to keep their flight stable and safely made it across the gap. Out of breath, their legs shaking, they finally landed on the other roof, their friends rushing up to greet them.

“Twilight, Applejack, oh my goodness, are you okay?” Fluttershy asked, her face pale with worry. She flittered around them, going from one friend to the other to try and look for any visible signs of injury, fussing over them like a worried mother.

“We're, we're fine, sugarcube,” Applejack panted, her voice hoarse and lacking its usual volume and strength. “Just, just hafta… hafta catch my breath fer a spell.” She breathed deeply in and out a few times to try and calm down her breathing, with limited success. “Whoo boy, that was one wild rodeo.”

“I should say so, judging from how you look,” Rarity replied, wrinkling her nose as she smelled the sooth and smoke clinging to Applejack's body. “Where ever did you disappear to, darling? Leaving us waiting without a word, why, I'd be quite upset with you if I wasn't so relieved to see you safe!”

“Sorry 'bout that, y'all,” Applejack apologised. “I was following Pinkie back to y'all when I heard someone cryin' fer help. Pinkie mustn’t have heard 'cuz she'd gone on ahead while I stopped ta listen. I followed the voice and found this lil' missy here,” she gestured at the mare slung across her back, “buried underneath a lot of rubble. Almost couldn't gett‘er out.”

“You'd better take her to doctor Carehoof right away, Applejack,” Fluttershy said, as she examined the unconscious mare on her friend's back with careful and tender touches of her hooves. “She doesn't look very good, the poor dear...”

“She sure doesn't, why just listen to her wheezing up her lungs,” Applejack agreed, as she glanced over her shoulder to take a look at her passenger. The nurse's breathing came out in raspy, laboured pants and she sported numerous cuts, bruises and burns on top of that. “Ain't no tellin' how much smoke she breathed in before I found her.” She shook her head sadly and sighed, then glanced up at Fluttershy. “Well, I'll be takin' her to the doctor now. You comin' with me, sugarcube?”

“Oh, ehm, yes, if that would be alright with you,” Fluttershy replied timidly, wanting to make sure the poor mare was going to make it.

Applejack nodded and together, the two mares walked off towards where doctor Carehoof was tending to the other evacuated patients a small distance away. The rest of their friends watched them go, concern for the injured mare evident on their faces, each of them hoping the innocent pony was going to be alright. A few seconds later, Rarity and Pinkie Pie looked away and focussed their attention on a still recovering Twilight.

“Darling, are you alright?” Rarity asked, feeling more than a little worried when she watched Twilight struggle for breath. Twilight's mane clung to her neck and forehead, drenched in sweat, and she appeared to be barely standing due to how exhausted she was. Given how hard her fellow unicorn had just pushed herself, Rarity wasn't surprised. “I saw what you were doing and I can scarcely imagine how much power it took from you. Your head must feel like it's splitting right now.”

“I'll, I'll be alright,” Twilight tried to assure her, but her harsh breathing and shaky legs didn't make her words very convincing. “It's just...” She paused to swallow hard. “Like Applejack said. Just… Have to...” She let her head drop, too tired to keep it up anymore. “Have to catch my breath for a moment.”

“More than a moment, I should say,” Rarity replied, moving herself right next to Twilight so her friend could lean on her for support, an offer Twilight gladly accepted with a moment's hesitation. “Your magic must be positively drained right now. We should try and find you a safe place where you can rest.” With a sigh, Rarity looked around, the high rooftop providing an excellent vantage point from which she could oversee a good deal of the city. “Good luck finding one in this city, however...”

“There's no time for that,” Twilight insisted, sounding like she had wanted to shout but lacking the strength or air to raise her voice, causing her words to sound more like a pitiful whine. She forced her eyelids open and sought out doctor Carehoof, a tired smile appearing on her face when she saw him tending to the injured nurse. She was glad Applejack had managed to find another survivor. At least they had been able to save six ponies from the aftermath of her brother's vile, cowardly attack.

Thinking about her brother and the horrors he had wrought rekindled the flame of rage in her heart, allowing Twilight to regain some of her strength. “As soon as Fluttershy and Applejack return, we've got to go,” she declared.

“Go where, may I ask?” Rarity wondered, her narrowed eyes critically scanning every facet of Twilight's appearance, as if trying to determine if her friend was in her right state of mind or not. “In your current state, I really don't think it would be wise to go anywhere, Twilight, except to someplace you can rest.”

“Maybe not, but I've got no choice,” Twilight replied, gratefully accepting the glass of water Pinkie offered her. She wisely decided not to ask or think about how or where Pinkie had managed to get such a thing on a flat rooftop next to a burning hospital. “I have to know what's happening and there's only one pony who can tell me.”

Her eyes glanced up briefly to the skies, to where the sun was being hidden by the thick cloud of ominous black smoke that arose from the ruined hospital. For some reason, it felt as if that image represented so much more than simply the destruction of the hospital. A shiver ran down Twilight's spine and she shook her head, determination flaming up in her eyes. She was not ready to admit defeat just yet. With a firm nod, she focussed again on her worried friends.

“There's no time to waste,” she said. “I need to talk to Admiral Desert Heat.”

The ominous cloud of black smoke that now covered the skies above Stalliongrad was a perfect analogy for Desert Heat's own feelings. Just as the dark clouds had blotted out the light of the sun and cast a dark shadow over the city, so too had his feelings of failure sundered the light of hope within him and shrouded his mind in shadows of despair. The admiral had never thought of himself as a pessimist, but right now all he could feel was defeat, the taste of failure laying bitter on his lips.

He had failed. He had failed Derpy, he had failed his fellow soldiers, he had failed everypony who had placed their hopes upon him. He had failed Equestria. All his efforts, all his speeches and promises, it had all been for naught. He had let the initiative slip from his hooves and now everything had gone to Tartarus, turning his war efforts into a total disaster. All hope he had felt upon hearing Derpy was on her way had been snuffed out like a candle flame in a blizzard.

The Republicans were at the walls and he had not the numbers needed to hold them back. The hospital was burning and despite all of their efforts they could not get the fire under control, let alone try and rescue any survivors. Rainbow Dash had gone berserk, leaving her troops without their commander. Yet even with all of that, fate had evidently not found the situation bad enough just yet and decided to drop one more piece of bad news into his lap.

“You are certain?” Desert Heat asked, trying to keep his voice steady while giving the soldier that had just brought him the news a sombre look.

“I'm afraid so, admiral, sir,” the soldier replied, looking decidedly unhappy that he had to bring his already weary looking superior even more bad news. “Our lookouts have confirmed that The Windigo has been sunk. Admiral Amethyst Star was last seen trying to save the ship, but has gone missing in the wake of its destruction. It is possible that she,” the soldier swallowed hard, “did not survive.”

Of all the bad news he had received so far, none had hit Desert Heat as hard as this. The sinking of one of their flagships would be the final nail in the coffin for the morale of his troops, once the news became more widespread, while the Republicans would only grow bolder and more determined now that they had just taken out one of their enemies' strongest powers.

The news hurt Desert Heat not just as the commander of an army, but on a personal level as well. For all they differed in about everything, from personality to age, Amethyst Star was still a close friend of his and one that he cared for very deeply. The thought of her having been injured - or worse - made him frantic with worry and grief. How could he ever face Derpy again, knowing that he had lost not just the city, but the grand admiral's very own daughter as well?

Realising that the soldier was still waiting for him to respond, Desert Heat forced himself to ignore the pain in his heart for the moment. Having lost a friend or not, he was still the acting commander of the Royal Guard and had a duty to fulfil, even if everything now seemed well and truly lost. “You said she was last seen trying to save the ship,” he said slowly. “Have there been no attempts made to find her or retrieve her body, should such be necessary?”

“Pardon me for being frank, admiral, sir, but who could have done so and when?” the messenger answered. “Both aerial fronts have descended into chaos and our troops are quickly being pushed back. The enemy is at the gates and every available mare or stallion who is not here helping to get the hospital fire under control has been sent to the walls to fight them. We simply have nopony left available to search for admiral Star in the middle of this chaos.”

Desert Heat watched as the soldier's ears folded back nervously once he was done speaking, no doubt fearing that he had overstepped his bounds in speaking so frankly to his superior. Desert Heat shook his head and sighed. “You are entirely correct, of course,” he admitted. Closing his eyes, Desert Heat barely resisted the urge to hold his head between his hooves, so at loss did he feel of what to do.

“Send word to vice-admiral Dew Chalice,” he finally decided. “She is to take over command of the Third Division in admiral Amethyst Star's absence.”

The messenger nodded, gave a hasty salute and then hurried off to pass on the orders. Desert Heat watched him leave for a second or two, then tried to bring his focus back to the matter of the still burning hospital. He knew his presence was required at the front, perhaps even more so than here, but he could not bring himself to abandon however many survivors there were trapped inside to a slow and painful death.

He cursed the fact that they had cleared the skies of any clouds in the area, because clear skies made it easier to spot an oncoming enemy. Now he wished they hadn't, for even the smallest raincloud would have been most welcome now. He had used his sand to battle the flames, to limited the success, but he was only one stallion and could not be everywhere at once. There'd have to be at least fifty Desert Heats or more to douse a fire of this size.

“Yet they only have me,” he thought bitterly, the weight of his perceived failures pressing down heavily upon him, making him look older than he truly was. Old and tired. “Derpy was wrong to entrust the command to me. I've made a mess of things. I let her down, I let everypony down.”

The admiral was pulled from his thoughts by the approach of another soldier. Wincing inwardly, Desert Heat prepared himself for the next bout of bad news. Fate truly seemed to be working against him today.

“Admiral Desert Heat, sir,” the soldier greeted, while saluting his superior officer. Once the admiral gave him an acknowledging nod, the soldier lowered his hoof and gestured to the five mares that he had brought with him. “These mares wished to have a word with you. They are some of our civilian volunteers who've managed to escape from the hospital.”

Desert Heat glanced past the guard at the mares in question, a frown on his face. He had simply assumed them to be members of the guard at first, due to the fact that they were wearing the standard armour of the Royal Guard. Now that he took a better look, he couldn't believe he had ever thought so in the first place; they clearly lacked the trained physique one would expect from a soldier, aside from the orange earth pony.

As he studied them, he had the nagging feeling in the back of his head that he knew them from somewhere, but he couldn't recall where exactly. He hadn't exactly had much contact with the civilian volunteers, that part of the preparations had been delegated to Sparkler and Rainbow Dash. He mulled it over, racking his brain, when suddenly it hit him.

“Of course! You're the friends Rainbow Dash brought with her when she returned from Canterlot,” he exclaimed, his eyes widening slightly in recognition. “The ones she never shut up about back when she was still a mere recruit under my tutelage at the guard academy!” Despite the severity of the situation everywhere around him, Desert Heat couldn't help but smile fondly at that memory.

The five mares - Twilight and her friends - shared a look of surprise at the revelation. “You were the one who trained Rainbow Dash to be a guard?” Fluttershy asked, not sure why this surprised her so much. Perhaps it had just seemed odd that her best friend had been trained by somepony she now shared the same rank with.

“One of the many,” Desert Heat corrected her. “Drilling new recruits was one of my duties back when I was still a vice-admiral. By the time Rainbow Dash had made it through the recruitment program and was officially accepted in the ranks of the Guard, I had been promoted and she wound up in a different division than mine. I did not instruct her after that, but I never forgot her. She was one of those recruits that leave an impression, you see.”

The admiral sighed and shook his head. “But as much as I would love to tell you all about your friend's escapades during her years of service, I fear now's not the best moment for it,” he said, his nostalgic smile having once again been wiped away by the grim reality of the present moment. “In any case, it is a relief to know you are all safe.” He gave them all an acknowledging nod. “I know not why you sought me out, but sadly my time is limited, so whatever you wish to say or ask, do it quickly.”

“We merely want to know what's going on!” Twilight Sparkle replied, speaking before any of her friends could. “Why did the Republic attack the hospital? I thought it was considered to be neutral ground?! Did the war go so much in our favour that my brother started to panic and gave up any pretence of morality in order to win?! Please, admiral, I have to know!”

Desert Heat carefully studied Twilight's face as she spoke. Her words were angry, each question being asked more quickly than the last and he could clearly sense her rage. Yet, in her eyes he detected something hiding underneath that fury. She was distressed about something, something that hurt her on a deeply personal level, and it was connected to the attack on the hospital somehow. He tried to recall what Rainbow Dash had told him about 'Twilight Sparkle'. He got the feeling he'd heard that name somewhere else as well...

“Ah, of course… Marshal Shining Armour is your brother, is he not, miss Sparkle?” he asked. When Twilight nodded affirmatively, his expression turned compassionate as he understood what haunted her. Thinking that somepony of your own blood had committed such a moral atrocity would be hard on anypony.

“From what he told me, the Marshal did not order this attack or give permission for it,” Desert Heat explained, keeping his voice neutral. “Smaragd Haze, the Republican commander who carried out the bombardment, acted on his own, so Shining Armour claimed. I know not for certain if this is true or not, though I have little reason to suspect him of lying about something like this.”

“As for the 'why'...” he continued, pausing for a moment to contemplate how to quickly sum up the strategy the enemy had tried to follow. “The Republic was hoping to start a war on two fronts. While their main forces kept our army locked in battle here at Stalliongrad, a smaller force would attack New Saddle in secret.” This particular revelation earned a gasp from the five mares, who were listening to his every word with rapt attention. Clearly, Rainbow Dash hadn't informed them of the unwelcome news this morning.

“Fortunately, we got word of that plan in time and Grand Admiral Hooves has managed to prevent the attack,” he added to quickly ease their worries about the results of the second attack. “The Republic's victory now rides entirely on the outcome of this battle. If their attack here fails as well, all of their efforts of today will be in vain. I'm guessing this is what drove Smaragd Haze to ignore Shining Armour's orders, to ensure that does not happen.”

The admiral shook his head and turned away to look at the burning hospital, after which he let out a deep sigh, his shoulders slumped in defeat. “It certainly worked,” he concluded sadly.

Twilight and her friends exchanged worried looks. “What do you mean by that, if I may be so bold as to ask, sir?” Rarity inquired, the slight trembling of her voice betraying her growing unease.

“I mean that it is over,” Desert Heat replied simply, stunning them all. “Smaragd Haze's gamble paid off. The hospital is beyond saving, we can't treat our wounded any longer and the morale of our troops has been shattered into a million pieces. The Republicans are at the gates and I don't have the troops to hold them back. Admiral Amethyst Star and her ship have been taken down, leaving the Third Division without its commander and with Rainbow Dash having gone berserk over your presumed deaths, the Second Division isn't much better off.”

The tired stallion bowed his head and let out another sigh. “It's over,” he repeated. He sat down on his rump and looked up to the cloud of black smoke that hid the sun from view. “The fall of Stalliongrad is only a matter of time now. I've tried everything I could, but I just wasn't good enough. I've failed.”

Applejack could scarcely believe what she was hearing. “So, that's it?” she asked weakly. “We lost?”

“So it would seem. The battle, for certain and the war is only a matter of time after that,” Desert Heat replied, not even looking at them anymore as he spoke. “You should evacuate the city while you still can. There is no need for you to die alongside the rest of us. We might have lost, but I have no intention of surrendering.” He closed his eyes and gave a resigned nod.

“No.”

The word came sudden and unexpected, causing Desert Heat to look at its speaker in surprise, nor was he the only one.

“No,” Twilight repeated, a strange expression on her face, one that bordered between anger and determination. She was aware everypony was looking at her in incomprehension, but she ignored the stares. “We haven't lost yet,” she said, her voice firm. “Things may look bad right now, but we still have a chance to win!”

If her friends had given her a puzzled look before, now they were regarding her as if she had lost her mind. Desert Heat's reaction was less extreme, though he did appear to be confused and somewhat intrigued as well. “I do not wish to be a pessimist, but I fear I must correct you, miss Sparkle,” he said. “I can assure you that we no longer possess the means necessary to hold the Republic back for long, let alone drive them back or defeat them.”

“That doesn't mean it's over,” Twilight insisted, sounding very sure of herself. “If what you told me is true, if Shining Armour really didn't mean to attack the hospital, then there's a way to force him to retreat!” She did a step towards Desert Heat, her expression grim and serious. “I know I may sound crazy, but I'm not! It's not exactly the most moral of plans, but I do have a plan that might just win us the war!”

Desert Heat's frown deepened and he fixed Twilight with a calculating look, inwardly contemplating what to do and how to react. The mare before him appeared perfectly serious and he didn't have any reason to doubt her sincerity. On the other hoof, it seemed almost too convenient that a civilian with no military background to speak of suddenly appeared before him with a plan she claimed could bring them victory despite the hopeless situation they were in. It definitely sounded too good to be true, but he figured there was no harm in hearing her out.

“Interesting.”

The word was spoken not by Desert Heat, but by a lone mare who had been quietly making her way towards the small group. She wore a grey, hooded cloak to conceal her identity, and carried an unconscious and injured Amethyst Star on her back. Once the mare came up close, Twilight and her friends were able to peer under the hood and spot the straw-coloured mane, as well as the rather striking brown eye-patch covering the newcomer's left eye.

“Please,” Derpy Hooves said, her single eye focussed on a certain unicorn, “tell me more about this plan of yours, Twilight Sparkle.”

End of chapter 39.

Author's Note

My thanks to Barbecue Sauce and popcorn815 for their help in the creation of this chapter.

Don't really have much to say about this one, except that the scene in the hospital took way more words to write than I expected. Twelve thousand words, sheesh, I originally thought it wouldn't take more than five thousand or so. Anyway, next up is the fortieth chapter, in which the Siege of Stalliongrad will at long last come to a close. Who will win and who will lose? Next chapter, you'll know!

40. Ceasefire

Wings of Tomorrow
Lament of the World

40. Ceasefire
The Siege of Stalliongrad – Part 9

The forces of the Republic crashed against the walls of Stalliongrad like the waves of the ocean battering the shoals during a fierce storm. No matter how many Republicans the Royalists felled, more would simply take their place, the sea of soldiers amassed before the walls never seeming to shrink in size. They kept on coming, carrying sturdy ladders with them which they raised against the wall, soldiers already sitting on them even as they were being hoisted up.

One such ladder was being propped up nearby to where Desert Heat was bellowing orders. It was an offence that could not be overlooked. The Admiral pushed his way through the ranks and got there just in time to greet the Republican sitting on top. Before the ladder had even touched the wall, the soldier leapt towards Desert Heat with a ferocious cry, forehooves armed with clawed shoes outstretched and ready to taste admiral blood.

Desert Heat didn't so much as blink as he swung his arm, throwing a crescent-shaped blade of sand that slammed into his attacker in mid-air. The unfortunate soldier was blown back over the wall, landing somewhere on the ground below where he was trampled by his comrades.

Along the entire length of the wall, this event was being repeated, though the end result was not always the same. The Royalists were not always successful in repelling the eager Republican soldiers, who were swarming up the ladders like termites. At this rate, they would be swarming all over the city in an hour. Desert Heat knew this, but he did not panic. He maintained the same grim determination that had been on his face ever since his return to the wall, fighting and giving orders like a pony possessed.

“Focus your defensive positions around the artillery! Do not let the enemy take the cannons and keep firing them!” he shouted, his voice thundering above the din of battle, when he noticed the Republicans were focussing their efforts on the multiple cannons lined atop the wall. His soldiers hurried to obey the orders. Hope had long since left them, yet despite this, they fought on to carry out Desert Heat's every command, spurred into action by the fear the Admiral's terrifying demeanour had instilled in them.

Desert Heat noticed a small number of Republicans had managed to fight their way through the line of Royalists that had been waiting for them, gaining a firm foothold on the wall. Already more Republican soldiers were disembarking at that spot. That would not do. Gritting his teeth, Desert Heat rushed towards them and threw himself into the startled group of enemy soldiers, his massive frame sending them sprawling. Before they could recover, he had already lifted one of them up with one hoof and thrown the pony back over the wall.

He rounded upon the others as they climbed back to their hooves, not even giving them the chance to mount a defence. Desert Heat lashed out with quick and decisive blows, giving no quarter. A second Republican sailed over the wall, his chest fractured by a firm kick of the Admiral's hind legs. Two more had their throats slit by a blade of sand before they could so much as point their weapons at him. The final one lunged at him with her sword, but he kicked it out of her hooves, caught it in his own and promptly gutted the mare with her own sword.

He didn't even blink as he pulled the weapon out of its previous owner. More Republicans were climbing over the wall, but he was ready for them. He threw the sword with deadly accuracy at the nearest one, neatly jabbing the blade through the stunned soldier's skull. The act made the other soldiers hesitate, which was all the time Desert Heat needed to blow them all off the wall with a miniature sandstorm.

Seeing his enemies sail through the air with flailing limbs made for a satisfying sight, but it did little to cool his wrath. He knew he should feel happy with how things were going, or at the very least relieved, given that his troops were holding their ground and keeping the enemy at bay despite the fact that the Republic heavily outnumbered them, but he couldn't. Not while he was feeling so angry with himself.

“How could I give up?” he thought bitterly. “Twilight Sparkle believed her brother had bombarded a hospital full of innocents, including herself, and she still was not willing to give up. A simple civilian mare only half my age and with not even the slightest bit of training kept believing in victory, while I, a royal admiral, with all my years of experience and training, could only think it was over.”

The memory made him cringe in shame, which in turn only made him angrier. “Not only did she not lose her will to fight, she even devised a plan to strike back at the enemy, one that got the approval of the Grand Admiral herself, while I just sat there wallowing in my failure!” The very thought made him seethe with rage, though it was of course not directed at Twilight Sparkle, but solely at himself. “How could I let that happen? How could I sink this low?!”

Those were, of course, questions with no answer and Desert Heat was all too aware of it. It didn't matter how it had happened, anyhow. Be it because of the stress and exhaustion from the fighting or the shock of Smaragd Haze's depraved deed, it was of no importance. All that mattered was that he had done it, regardless of the reason. He had given up and there was no excuse for that, nothing he could do to take it back.

“The only thing I can do is make up for it,” he thought, as he gazed across the sea of Republicans swarming like angry ants before the walls of Stalliongrad. He gritted his teeth and narrowed his eyes in determination.

“I will not fail again,” he muttered. This was not a vow to do better next time. This was a statement of fact. Derpy had given him the task of keeping the enemy out of the city for at least thirty more minutes and as Celestia was his witness, he was going to do it, even if he had to kick every single Republican off the wall himself.

The sound of metal hitting stone pulled him from his thoughts and he looked over the parapet to see more ladders loaded with Republican soldiers being raised against the wall. It was enough to make him stow away his self-loathing for the moment and redirect his anger at the enemy. Reflecting on all his failures and mistakes could wait until after the battle was won; right now he had a wall to defend and enemies to fight.

Desert Heat's magicite flared brightly as he drew upon its power, firing a crescent blade of sand that cut off the top of the nearest ladder, as well as the soldier on top of it. By the time they started to fall, Desert Heat had already turned to his next target, sand flowing from his hooves as he prepared to let loose his next attack. He was interrupted when a hail of lightning bolts rained down from the heavens, their bright light momentarily blinding him.

When he could open his eyes again, the lightning had already taken down a considerable number of enemies. Small craters littered the ground where they had struck the ground, often filled with numerous dead soldiers, smoke rising off their still forms. Aside from the damage in numbers, the attack also served to briefly pull the enemy's attention away from the wall, a fact Desert Heat gratefully made use of to strike down the nearest ladders he could reach.

Once that was done, he took a moment to pull out his communication crystal. “My compliments, Rainbow Dash,” he said, with a hint of his usual calm, composed voice. The knowledge that he wasn't the only pony being angry at themselves made his shame and anger a bit more bearable. “I think your present took out near to a hundred, if not more.”

“Only a hundred?!” Rainbow Dash replied after a brief moment of silence. She was breathing rather hard and Desert Heat could hear the sound of metal striking metal in the background, indicating he had called her in the middle of a fight. “I could've so fried more of the bastards if I'd been able to...” She was cut off by a grunt, followed by a heavy thud and then Rainbow Dash spat out a curse so foul it made Desert Heat's ears lay flat against his skull.

The sounds of a fierce skirmish continued for a few more seconds, until the crackling of lightning abruptly put an end to them and the line went quiet again. “Persistent bastards,” he heard Rainbow Dash mutter, giving him a pretty good idea of what had transpired.

“So, like I was saying, if I'd been able to properly aim my bolts I probably would've taken out more,” Rainbow Dash grumbled, displeased. “I'd try again to do better, but I'm worried that Spitfire will stop avoiding me if I do and I think it's better to avoid any more tussles with her today, for both our sakes.” The last four words almost sounded like a growl, leading Desert Heat to think she'd said them through gritted teeth.

“More so for her sake than yours, I suspect,” he replied. “Nevertheless, I agree. Plus, even if Spitfire steered clear of you, there's still the risk of Shining Armour bringing up another shield should he feel there are too many things coming down on his head. With Amethyst out, there would be no way for us to take it down again and then today's disaster would be complete. Just stick to the occasional lightning bolt, if you can. Just enough to keep them nervous.”

“Got it.” Rainbow Dash's voice trailed off and for one awkward moment she was silent, struggling to find her voice or any words to say. “So, ehm, how… how's Sparkler? Will she be alright?”

“She won't be joining the fight anymore today,” Desert Heat answered honestly, “but she's being cared for. She'll live, don't worry.” Now it was his turn to pause awkwardly as he tried to think of how to word his next question. “What about you, Rainbow Dash? How are you feeling?”

High above the skies of Stalliongrad, Rainbow Dash sat on the figurehead of the Wonderbolt, staring at the communication crystal held in a trembling hoof. Her ears lay flat atop her head and her throat felt dry and raw as she struggled to answer that dreaded question. She knew her fellow admiral was merely concerned and meant well, but it only caused her heart to ache and her cheeks to flare red with shame.

“How do I feel?” she echoed, squeezing her eyes firmly shut to fight against the tears of shame and guilt she felt welling up. If she didn't feel so awful she would've laughed, though it would've been without mirth. “My lifetime idol turned out to be a traitor. My best friends almost died in the building I put them in because I told them they'd be safe there. I flew into a rage, slaughtered every pony I could get my hooves on, endangered and abandoned my own troops, leaving them without leadership or guidance.”

“Spitfire tried to shield them from me,” she added quietly after a short pause. “A Republican traitor tried to protect her enemies from their own admiral!” Rainbow Dash tightened her grip on the communication stone in her hoof so strongly she almost shattered it. Her arm trembled visibly and tears ran quietly down her face. “How do you think I feel?!” She cringed once the words left her lips; she hadn't meant to shout.

“Rainbow Dash,” Desert Heat began, his voice entirely compassionate, but she cut him off immediately.

“Don't,” she begged, sounding desperate. “Please don't, Desert. Don't try to make me feel better. Don't say that it wasn't my fault or that nopony blames me or any horseapples like that.” Rainbow Dash sniffed and wiped her tears away with one of her fetlocks. “We both know you'd be lying if you did. I messed up big time, that's all there is to it.”

Desert Heat let out a deep sigh. “And you think you are the only pony who did?” he asked.

“That doesn't matter!” Rainbow Dash snapped back. “Even if you or Sparkler or anypony else messed things up as well, I still did what I did! Not being the only pony isn't an excuse for that, nor does it make it right.” She bowed her head in shame. “Nothing will do that and nothing you say will make me feel better about it.”

The other side of the line remained silent for a long time. “What will you do then?” Desert Heat finally inquired.

Rainbow Dash didn't answer right away. She gazed at the surrounding skies, where the battle still raged on. “The only thing I can do,” she answered solemnly. “Try and make up for it.” It was her turn to sigh and she bowed her head, her eyes closed. “I don't know if it's possible,” she admitted and took a deep breath. She raised her head again, her eyes opening to reveal the determination burning within them. “But I'm going to try anyway.”

“Then we are of the same mind, you and I,” Desert Heat said, his voice sounding as determined as hers. Immediately after, however, it became more wary. “Be careful, though, Dash. I know you're angry, Celestia knows I am as well, but we can't afford to have you lose yourself to it again. Rage alone won't give Grand Admiral Hooves' group the time they need to carry out the plan and Vice-Admiral Rose Thorn isn't around this time to snap you out of it either. Keep a hold on yourself and find a way to make use of that anger.”

“Don't worry, I won't make the same mistake twice,” Rainbow Dash assured him. “You're right, I'm still mad at myself and I still feel like a sack of rotten apples, but I'm cool, I swear. I'll wait to beat myself up until after we've sent the Republicans packing.”

“Glad to hear it. Self-loathing can wait for the moment, as you said, there'll be more than enough time for that after the battle,” Desert Heat replied. “For now, we need to focus on delaying the Republic. The way things are going down here at the moment, we can keep them from taking the walls for half an hour at minimum, likely for longer if they don't pull out any more surprises. What about you? How much more time do you think you can buy?”

Rainbow Dash bit her lip in thought. “Hard to say,” she answered slowly. “Unlike you, we don't exactly have the upper hand here in terms of positioning and there's no single front line to speak of. We suffered a lot of losses during my…absence, too.” She sighed and ran a hoof through her tangled mane. “I'll do what I can, but given how I won't be able to do much fighting myself if we want to keep Spitfire doing the same, half an hour's going to be pushing it.”

“That's the bare minimum of what the Grand Admiral needs,” Desert Heat muttered after a contemplative silence. “The Second Division is unlikely to do much better, without Amethyst there to lead them. It's going to be close.” Rainbow Dash could almost hear the gears turning in his head through the communication crystal. “If only we had had soldiers to send with Derpy instead of a group of untrained civilians, no matter how determined they are. No offence to your friends, of course, Rainbow Dash.”

“None taken. Don't worry, even if they didn't get any training, my friends know how to get stuff done,” Rainbow Dash said, a small grin of confidence on her face. “Besides, Derpy's got more than just my friends with her. Rose Thorn's accompanying them, too, and he knows better than to let me down.”

“Your subordinate is a more than capable soldier, I admit,” Desert Heat conceded. “Nevertheless, I'll feel better if we give them every possible second we can pry from our enemy's hooves. There won't be another chance after this one, so I hope you're ready to give it your all, Dash.”

The pony in question rolled her eyes. “As if I wasn't doing that already,” she said dryly. “Still, I hear you. Thirty minutes might be pushing it for us up here, but I'm going to get them and more if it's the last thing I do, you can count on that.”

“I expected no less from you,” came the reply. “Tell me if anything comes up, and good luck.”

“Same to you,” Rainbow Dash grunted, giving a curt nod, after which she closed the connection and returned her communication crystal back to its place in a pocket of her coat. Left back to her own thoughts, the Admiral observed the battlefield surrounding her once more, her eyes narrowed in contemplation. She made a quick count of how many ships she had left and estimated her remaining number of soldiers based on that, then did the same for the Republican troops. She had to know if she was to develop a proper stalling strategy.

Thirty minutes, preferably more. That was how much time she had to buy. Half an hour during which she had to keep the Republican air fleet at bay, deal them as many losses as she could while suffering as few as possible herself. Given the numbers her quick estimation had come up with, it seemed like an impossible task. A hopeless venture of a desperate, defeated army. Any commander would've been forgiven for wanting to give up in the face of this mission, but Rainbow Dash had no such feelings.

Sure, she was aware of the monumental task asked of her, but all she had to do was picture the ponies she was doing this for in her mind and all feelings of doubt and defeat were banished like shadows under rays of the sun. Her thoughts drifted back to a few moments ago.

Still wholly lost in her rage and grief over the death of her friends, she had been hacking away at Spitfire like a mare possessed, her mind focussed entirely on getting her hooves on the Republican traitor and ripping her to bloody pieces. Lightning and fire had flown in every direction, the air sizzling and unstable due to the colossal amount of power the two magicite-powered mares had been hurling at each other. Spitfire had tried to show restraint, well aware of the danger she posed to her surroundings, but Rainbow Dash, blinded by her towering fury, had done no such thing.

It was during one such moment, when she'd been readying another devastating blast of lightning to send Spitfire's way, that Vice-Admiral Rose Thorn had suddenly appeared next to her and grabbed her by the arm. After giving a brief nod towards Spitfire, Rose Thorn had teleported away again, taking Rainbow Dash with him. They had reappeared on the deck of the Wonderbolt and Rainbow Dash had immediately turned on her subordinate.

She'd been furious that he had dared to interfere with her fight, let alone drag her away from it. Before Rainbow Dash had been able to do anything she would later regret, however, Rose Thorn had held her in place with his magic, though holding in place such an extremely powerful mare had been absolutely wrecking on his mind. Because of this, the Vice-Admiral had wasted no time in shoving his communication crystal under his superior's nose.

There were few words that could adequately describe the magnitude of the relief and joy Rainbow Dash had felt when she had heard the voices of her friends speak to her through the stone. In an instant, all thoughts of rage and revenge on the Republic and Spitfire had been forgotten, her anger having melted away like snow under the sun. She had openly wept, overcome by the fact that her friends were alive and that she had not sent them to their deaths.

Once this knowledge had sufficiently settled in, however, Rainbow Dash had started to shed tears for a wholly different reason. As the haze of rage had lifted from her mind, the full realisation of what she had done had started to sink in. With that realisation had come the guilt and the shame, feelings she still experienced even right now. She did not regret what she had said and done to Spitfire, but the same could not be said for the members of her own troops she had endangered, injured or worse with her wild, reckless rampage and usage of her powers.

Such actions were unworthy of a royal admiral and there was no excusing them, no matter what Desert Heat and the others might say on the subject. She was immensely grateful towards her vice-admiral, Rose Thorn, for snapping her out of it, as well as to her friends for giving her a chance to make up for her mistakes. She hadn't been exactly surprised to learn that Twilight had come up with a plan to turn the tables. Rainbow Dash knew that her friend would always be smart, no matter the time and the life she lived in it.

It was a good plan, too. The only thing that Rainbow Dash found a bit shaky about it was its morality, which was a bit of a shock given that it was Twilight Sparkle who'd come up with it. Given what the Republic had done to the hospital, however, Twilight had probably considered all bets to be off and Rainbow Dash couldn't fault her friend for feeling that way, not when she found herself to be kind of in agreement with that line of thought.

“It's not as if we're gonna blow up a heap of innocents,” she thought. “Well, hopefully not, but I don't think Twilight would have suggested this if she wasn't certain that Shining Armour will go along with it. She knows him better than any of us, after all.”

All that was left now was to put the plan into motion and that's where she came in. Rainbow Dash knew that she couldn't undo the actions from during her rampage, but she could work to make up for them. Which was exactly what she intended to do. Twilight and the others counted on her to buy them the time they needed to carry out the plan and she was going to do just that.

“Sure, like I told Desert, it's not like that's going to be picnic,” she admitted to herself. “But if redeeming my honour was easy it wouldn't be much of an issue to lose it in the first place, now would it?”

Her resolve hardened, Rainbow Dash retrieved her communication crystal from its pocket and began to issue orders to her troops, having figured out in her head where to move what battalion of her remaining forces. The Republic still outnumbered them, but that no longer mattered. They didn't have to win, they only had to make things difficult for the enemy, and if there was one thing Rainbow Dash was good at, it was being a pain in the neck.

As her cerise eyes observed her fleet beginning to move according to her instructions, she had to remind herself to stay where she was. For the moment it seemed she and Spitfire had come to an uneasy, quiet agreement to stay out of each other's way, which was probably for the best, all things considered. It also meant, however, that Rainbow Dash had to refrain from engaging in combat directly, as doing so would likely force the Republican Commander to retaliate and then the two of them would be locked in another fight for a good while.

It wasn't an arrangement she was particularly happy with, as her heart still wanted nothing more but to plant her hooves in Spitfire's face, but one she understood was necessary. She could not leave her fleet without its admiral again, especially now that Rose Thorn wasn't here to take over for her should she get caught up in a fight.

The Vice-Admiral had always been the more level-headed of the two of them and his tactical insight was definitely a step above hers; both talents she could have put to good use at this moment. Sadly, he'd been given a different task and his absence was most keenly felt. She would have to get by without his aid. It wasn't that she couldn't do without him, far from it, but it was always helpful to have somepony at her back that she could rely on.

Even if she could order him to return to her side, she wouldn't. After all, she'd been the one to assign him a different task in the first place, having sent him away to protect Twilight and the rest of her friends as they accompanied Derpy to carry out the plan Twilight had devised.

“I hope you're keeping them safe like I told you to, Rose Thorn,” Rainbow Dash muttered quietly to herself, “because if you aren't, you're putting not just the lives of my friends at risk, but our very last chance for victory as well.”

The city of Stalliongrad was situated on the eastern end of the valley formed between the Neighara Mountains to the north and the Foal Mountains to the south, the deep gorge being the only way to easily cross between the east and west side of Equestria on foot. The strong walls of the fortress-city spread from one side of the valley to the next, forming an impenetrable dam built to hold back any river or flood of invading forces that passed through the gorge.

The other end of the valley lay far to the west, where it emerged on the great eastern plains of Equestria, which stretched from the Unicorn Range in the south all the way to the Crystal Mountains in the distant north. It was here, at the eastern end of the gorge, that the Republican army had built its base camp. The close proximity of the floating city of Cloudsdale and the even terrain of the plains ensured easy routes by which the camp could be supplied, while the walls of the valley and the mountains that formed them provided the necessary defence.

Though the majority of the Republican army had marched to do battle at the gates of Stalliongrad, this did not mean the encampment had been abandoned. A small detachment of soldiers had been left behind to stand guard, while every soldier injured upon the battlefield was brought back here to the field hospital. There was also a great arsenal of war supplies, ranging from weapons like swords and spears to ammunition for cannons and spare parts for airships.

On one of the many ledges of the valley walls, crouched down behind a couple of boulders and underneath a chameleon spell, six mares and one stallion were observing the happenings in the encampment down below.

“I did not expect there to be this many troops left stationed here,” Rose Thorn muttered quietly, his eyes narrowed as he tried to estimate the number of enemies they were up against. “I'm counting roughly a hundred patrolling the outer perimeter, then another time that number stationed within the camp itself, if not more.” He clacked his tongue disappointedly. “I was hoping they'd spent all their strength on the siege.”

“Shining Armour isn't that sloppy,” Derpy said, her single golden eye never once leaving its target. “He'd never go to war without leaving a minimum amount of soldiers behind to protect their base camp, even when he knows the chances of us being able to mount an attack on it are virtually non-existent.”

“Then it was perhaps for the best that we really did not have any plans - or the forces needed - to mount an attack,” Rose Thorn replied. “If he had so much as suspected a chance to the contrary, the good Marshal would have left a much tighter security behind for us to deal with and that would have made things a tad more complicated.”

“Quite,” Derpy agreed. She fell silent, contemplatively tapping her chin with a hoof before turning to Twilight Sparkle, who was lying in hiding in between her and Rose Thorn. “Well then, Miss Twilight, your idea required us to go to the Republicans' base camp and so here we are.” A hint of a smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. “I hope you don't mind if I take control of this operation from here on out, though?”

Twilight nearly leapt out of her skin when the Grand Admiral addressed her, for she had been fully engrossed in her observations of the camp, and barely managed to suppress a startled yelp. “Oh, ehm, yes, of course I don't,” she babbled, once she meaning of Derpy's words started to sink in. “Mind, that is. I don't mind if you take control.” She could feel everypony's eyes on her, making her feel decidedly stupid and she gave a sheepish smile.

Derpy smiled good-naturedly at Twilight's antics and chose not to comment on them, instead signalling all other ponies present to gather around. They all quickly obeyed and she let her single eye drift from one mare to the next, taking in all of their faces. Applejack, Pinkie Pie and Rarity she recognised from when she still lived in Ponyville, before the Republic had come and destroyed that life. Twilight was obviously the smart friend Rainbow Dash had so often boasted about, and Fluttershy…

In all honesty, she wasn't sure what to think of her fellow pegasus. The first time they had met had been when Rainbow Dash had brought her friends with her upon returning from her trip to Canterlot to snatch the invasion plans. Yet for some strange reason, Derpy's memories kept insisting that she'd known Fluttershy before that, from when she still lived in Ponyville. Only, that was impossible, because Derpy was certain no such meeting had ever taken place.

Even stranger still was that Fluttershy hadn't been the first pony to confuse her memory like that. There had been other instances before, when she'd met a pony for the first time only to feel a nagging in the back of her head that insisted they had met before. It often brought with it images of events that hadn't happened, making her feel as if she was seeing memories from a different life.

The Grand Admiral shook her head. Now wasn't the time to be dwelling on such oddities; she had a job to do. Looking around, she was happy to note that Rose Thorn, Twilight and her friends had all gathered around her and were giving her their full attention.

“Alright everypony, listen up, here's how things are going to be,” she began. “Our first priority will be to cut the enemy's communication with their command. The success of this strategy relies on secrecy. If they get word of our presence here to Shining Armour before we've taken over control of the camp, it's all over, simple as that.” Her single eye glanced at the lone stallion of their small group.

“Vice-Admiral Rose Thorn, the task of retrieving the enemy's communication crystals I will entrust to you,” she continued. “See that it gets done and be thorough. A single one of those pebbles has the potential to ruin everything.”

Rose Thorn gave a curt nod as well as a dutiful salute. “I understand, Grand Admiral, ma'am,” he replied.

Satisfied, Derpy returned her attention to Twilight and her friends and went on to explain her strategy. “Once the crystals have been secured, the next task will be to eliminate the enemy's defences,” she said. “I will take care of the soldiers. I'll lure them all to the edge of the camp and deal with them there. As soon as the camp is empty, Vice-Admiral Rose Thorn will sneak in with the rest of you.”

She paused for a moment to make sure they were still following her. When it appeared they were, she gave a satisfied nod and continued. “Your task will be two-fold. First, you will help Vice-Admiral Rose Thorn taking the medical staff and their patients hostage.” She fixed the five mares before her with a harsh stare that made them nervous. “If any of you should happen to think about getting some payback for what happened at Stalliongrad, don't, for I can assure you you will find yourself into a heap of trouble even Rainbow Dash won't be able to get you out of if you do.”

“You may be civilians and you may be the ones who gave us this chance to win, but by volunteering for this mission you agreed to place yourself under our command,” Derpy snapped, her voice as hard as her stare, as if she was drilling a new batch of recruits. “For the duration of this mission, you will do as you are told and no more than that. Rose Thorn shall be your commanding officer and his instructions are to be followed to the letter, is that clear?!”

Her words earned her a round of audible gulps and quick nodding. Derpy stared them down for a few more seconds, then finally softened her expression. Twilight and her friends quietly sighed in relief, having discovered that being stared at by the Grand Admiral's single eye was quite unnerving and discomforting. Only Rose Thorn had remained unaffected entirely, for he was a trained military officer and used to authority and discipline.

“For your second task, you will destroy the enemy's supply of weapons and ammunition,” Derpy continued, coming back to the actual reason why they were here. “The execution of this will be a relatively simple matter of placing the explosives as instructed. Once they are in place and the hostages are secured, we will regroup and contact Desert Heat to let him know he can initiate the ceasefire. After that, we can only hope Shining Armour will react the way Miss Twilight expects him to.”

“And… if he doesn't?” Fluttershy asked anxiously, her head held low and her face almost entirely hidden behind her mane.

“Then it's all over and we lose, so pray he does,” Derpy answered simply. “In any case, that's the plan. Now, are there any questions?” She looked around the circle of gathered ponies expectantly, but each of the five civilians remained quiet. Whether it was because they were too nervous to speak up or because they truly had no questions, Derpy did not know, but she gave a curt nod nevertheless. “Very well, then let's get started. We're not going to win anything by standing here.”

The Grand Admiral turned around and moved back to the edge of the cliff to take a last good look at the encampment down below, wanting to ensure that nothing had changed and that their presence had not been discovered during her explanation. When it appeared everything was as it had been a few minutes ago, Derpy turned her head over her shoulder and nodded towards Rose Thorn, signalling he could begin.

“Vice-Admiral, you're up,” she declared.

Rose Thorn returned the curt nod of his superior officer and then dutifully stepped forward. The distinctive grey glow of his magic surrounded his horn as he cast a spell that caused his eyes to glow white. Twilight and her friends couldn't see what he did next, but after a few seconds the stallion's eyes returned to normal and a hint of a satisfied smile tugging at his lips. He spared a quick glance at Derpy.

“Five communication crystals located, Grand Admiral Hooves, ma'am,” he reported.

“Shining Armour certainly didn't spare any expenses on the communication front, now did he?” Derpy muttered with a shake of her head, sounding almost amused. After a second or two, her gaze settled on Rose Thorn again. “You know what to do next, Vice-Admiral. I don't think I need to remind you of the importance of your success, so do try to remain unnoticed.”

“I fully understand, ma'am,” he assured her. He distanced himself from the rest of the group a bit, then called upon his magic once more, his horn glowing with a soft grey light as he began to weave some manner of spell around himself. Twilight paid close attention to what he was doing, but he finished casting the spell before she could fully figure out its purpose. One heartbeat later, he was gone, having teleported without nary a sound or trace.

Though she didn't like to admit it, Twilight was rather jealous of Rose Thorn's skill at teleporting. He seemed to have perfected the spell in a way even she hadn't achieved in her previous life. Whenever she'd teleported, there had always been a flash of light accompanying it, making it not exactly the most subtle of her skills. Yet, whenever Rose Thorn teleported, there was no such thing. He simply seemed to disappear; one moment he was there, the next he was gone, vanished without a trace.

“I hope I'll get a chance to ask him about it, once everything here is behind us,” she thought. “I would really like to know how he does it. I hope he can teach me to do it, too.”

Derpy watched in silence as Twilight pondered while the six of them waited for Rose Thorn's return. If the Grand Admiral was at all nervous or worried about the mission ahead of them or the situation in Stalliongrad, she didn't show it. In fact, her face didn't betray much emotion at all. Her expression was perfectly neutral and the look in her one eye was no different, making what she was thinking anypony's guess.

The same couldn't be said for the rest of the group, Derpy noticed as she shifted her attention from Twilight to the rest of Rainbow Dash's friends. Each of their faces was a canvas painted with emotions, the most recognisable ones being worry and anxiety, in varying levels of severity.

Applejack and Twilight seemed to be coping with it all the best, the grim look in their eyes being more one of determination - or was it resignation? - than worry. Pinkie Pie simply looked depressed, her blue eyes staring gloomily at the ground. She hadn't said much, if anything at all, during the entirety of the mission so far and Derpy honestly found it somewhat unsettling. A voice in the back of her head for some reason insisted that this kind of behaviour was not normal for the pink pony.

Ignoring that, the grand admiral instead looked at the last two members of her little group. Both Rarity and Fluttershy appeared to be the most worried and anxious of the all, though it was clear the former was trying to hide it and put on a brave face for the sake of the latter. Fluttershy's face was one Derpy knew all too well. It was one she had seen plenty of times before on the faces of young recruits when they were about to partake in their first mission.

“Feeling nervous?” she asked, giving Rarity and Fluttershy an inquisitive look.

The sudden breaking of the silence that had surrounded the group since Rose Thorn's departure startled them. Rarity looked up and met Derpy's gaze. “Somewhat, yes,” she admitted. “The last time we had a confrontation with the Republic it didn't go very well at all, to say the least.” Her hoof instinctively brushed her side, where the magic bolt had pierced her through and nearly ended her life. “It's not an experience we're very eager to repeat.”

Derpy nodded in understanding. She had learned of what had happened in Canterlot from Rainbow Dash's report of the events and knew about Rarity's injury and how serious it had been. She could certainly understand that the unicorn felt a little more self-conscious about her own safety after an experience like that. That, too, was something she was familiar with from her years as an instructor.

“Yet you came with us, despite your fears,” she remarked. “As did you,” she added, looking at Fluttershy. Derpy regarded them both contemplatively, as if she was sizing them up for the first time. “Why?”

“Well, while I certainly was and am not fond of placing myself in harm's way again, that has and shall never stop me from doing the right thing,” Rarity replied, surprising both Derpy and herself with the conviction and strength she put behind her words. “I did not come here when Rainbow Dash asked me for help to sit around in Cantropolis and let her place herself in danger and do all the work. I did enough of that in Canterlot. If by going into the lion's den to carry out some desperate last attempt to turn the tide of the war I can help my friend in even the smallest way, then fear be damned, I will do so!”

Derpy regarded the unicorn with a measure of newfound respect. “If all of my soldiers had your kind of resolve, we would have won this war years ago,” she lamented with a sad shake of her head. She quickly brushed off regrets about the past, however, knowing them to be useless, and instead gestured at Rarity's armour. “As far as injuries go, you have less to fear now than you did in Canterlot. That armour will protect even against basic combat spells, which is all the soldiers down there should be able to use.”

Rarity glanced down at her armour as well and though she still found its design of rather questionable fashion, for the first time since she got it she seemed truly grateful to be wearing it. “Well, that's comforting to know, at the very least,” she admitted, a small relieved smile on her lips.

Pleased that she'd been able to ease the fears of at least one member of her group, Derpy turned her attention towards Fluttershy. “I take it you are here for similar reasons?” she asked, still not sure what to think of the shy pegasus that confused her memories so.

Fluttershy seemed startled to be addressed and retreated partially behind her mane. “Oh, ehm, yes? I think, maybe?” she muttered nervously, feeling rather uncomfortable under Derpy's one-eyed stare. The Grand Admiral appeared to be an entirely different pony from the lovable, somewhat clumsy mailmare Fluttershy knew from her life in Ponyville, it was hard to accept that they were truly the same mare.

“I actually wish everypony would stop fighting so we could all go home,” she admitted timidly, bowing her head to avoid looking at Derpy entirely. “I don't want to fight, I don't think I could! I don't want to see anypony get hurt anymore.” The images of all the injured and often dying soldiers she had seen in the hospital flew through her mind and made her wince.

Rather than frightening her further, however, she pulled a strange sort of strength from the images, a kind of determination that allowed her to raise her head and look Derpy in the eye. “If the fighting stops, then nopony will get hurt anymore and we can all go home,” she said. “So, ehm, I wanted to help with this so that can happen. If, if you don't mind, that is.”

Her strength faltered near the end, her voice lowering back to its normal volume, and she rubbed her hooves over each other nervously while hiding behind her mane once more. She appeared to be almost ashamed of what she had said, afraid her words would be seen as cowardice. To her surprise, however, the Grand Admiral accused her of no such thing. Instead, Derpy regarded her with a strange look that bordered between melancholy and kindness.

“Wanting to put an end to any kind of violence to avoid harm from coming to anypony is nothing to be ashamed of. It takes a kind heart to want to hurt nopony, not even your enemies,” Derpy said. She glanced sideways to the spot Rose Thorn had vanished from minutes ago and gave a small smile. “And it looks like you're about to get your chance to stop the fighting. Welcome back, Vice-Admiral.”

Confused, Fluttershy and the others glanced at the same spot Derpy was looking at, only to find Rose Thorn standing there whereas a second ago he had not. The stallion had reappeared as sudden and quietly as he had disappeared, with not even so much as a spark or fizzle to warn of his arrival. It was almost uncanny how he could sneak up on them without them even noticing until somepony pointed out his presence.

Ignoring the startled looks he received from his admiral's friends, Rose Thorn gave a nod towards Derpy and deftly placed five communication stones on the ground before her hooves. “Five enemy communication crystals all accounted for, Grand Admiral Hooves, ma'am,” he reported.

“Good work, Vice-Admiral,” she replied as she looked at the five crystal pebbles. “Did you notice anything unusual while relieving the enemy of these? Any potential hidden threats that could endanger the success of the mission?”

Rose Thorn shook his head. “The defences of the camp appear to be as we have observed,” he answered. “The guards appear to be quite relaxed, in fact. It's clear that they are not expecting anypony to attack them here.”

“Excellent, that will give us a much-needed advantage,” Derpy said, pleased.

While listening to the report of her subordinate, she had begun to pick up the communication stones he had retrieved one by one. She held them up in her hoof and a few seconds later, to the surprise of Twilight and her friends, the crystal shattered into innumerable tiny fragments. It wasn't that she squeezed them until they broke, she simply held them until they shattered. None of the five mares noticed the soft glow of the magicite shard Derpy wore upon her brow.

“Now that their communication has been taken care of, it's time to move on to the next phase of the plan,” she announced once she had destroyed all crystals and dusted off her hooves. “As we discussed earlier, I will go and lure the guards to the outskirts of the camp. I will need roughly one minute to get into position, during which you,” she gestured at Twilight and her friends, “will wait here with Vice-Admiral Rose Thorn.”

Her attention now shifted back to the lone stallion of the group. “Vice-Admiral, as soon as the minute's over, you will enter the camp and proceed as planned,” she continued. “Remember to secure the hostages first and destroy the weapon storage second. I will join you as soon as I've taken care of the guards.”

“Understood,” Rose Thorn confirmed, giving a curt nod.

Derpy returned the nod and then turned her head to address Twilight and the others one more time. “As for you girls, just follow Vice-Admiral Rose Thorn's orders as instructed. Don't panic, remain calm and everything will be alright,” she said, giving them one last reassurance. “Don't think of what will happen should we fail, just focus on carrying out your orders and nothing else.”

She looked at each of their faces in turn, her stare lingering on Fluttershy longer than with the others. “Remember what you are doing this for.” Though the advice was meant for all of them, Fluttershy still felt as if it was above all meant for her in particular. She managed to meet Derpy's gaze and give a timid, shaky nod, showing she understood.

Satisfied, Derpy turned around and walked to the edge of the cliff. Gracefully, her wings unfolded from underneath her coat, showing off their impressive wingspan and the gleaming mechanical exoskeleton fitted over them that increased their strength and width even further. A powerful beat of those wings lifted the Grand Admiral of the Royal Guard into the air, where she remained hovering for a second, until she took off with a second wing-beat, flying towards her target at a speed that would leave even Rainbow Dash impressed.

Rose Thorn watched his superior go for a moment, then glanced at the mares left in his care and mentioned for them to come closer. “Ladies, please gather around under the shield I'm going to put up,” he instructed. “It may also be wise to lie down, as firm footing may become somewhat hard to find within a few moments.”

“Why?” Twilight inquired, as she and her friends nevertheless moved to follow the officer's instructions. A hint of nervosity spread across her face. “Is there something wrong? Are we in danger?”

“No to both, Miss Twilight. It's merely a precaution on my part,” Rose Thorn answered calmly. “I've seen the Grand Admiral fight before and let's just say that things tend to become… unstable when she does.”

He said no more, but the look in his eyes was very telling. Whatever he had seen Derpy do before, it had clearly left him deeply in awe of her power. In all honesty it left Twilight rather confused. As a vice-admiral and Rainbow Dash's right hoof pony, Rose Thorn was witness to the power wielded by an admiral on a daily basis and treated it as nothing special or awe-inspiring.

Having seen the power of an admiral herself, Twilight knew that it was anything but normal. That Rose Thorn treated it as such showed just how used he was to powers of such magnitude. Despite this, Derpy had managed to impress him, which, to Twilight, said a lot about the Grand Admiral's power. Just what sort of ability did she hold within her magicite that it made even an experienced officer like Rose Thorn regard her with an almost revering kind of awe?

As it turned out, Twilight didn't have to wait long for an answer to her question, though in hindsight, a part of her wished she hadn't ever asked in the first place. She would never forget the sight of what Rose Thorn had said was the result of Derpy using the power of her magicite once. She had learned then and there that being called 'the Strongest Mare in the World' was not just some kind of title, a boast to inspire fear in the hearts of enemies, but instead a statement of a fact.

Involuntarily, Twilight shivered. She remembered how powerful she had been in her previous life, when she'd been Celestia's very own prized student, yet even with the level of mastery she had held over such a versatile power, she doubted she would have been a match for Derpy. The power contained within that inconspicuous shard of magicite upon the pegasus' brow was simply too great. Too destructive.

She found herself wondering if a pony should have that much power at her disposal at all.

Twilight shook her head and tried to push such thoughts away. Now wasn't the time to think about such things, not while there was still work to be done. Everything may have gone according to plan thus far, but they weren't out of the woods just yet.

One minute after Derpy had gone ahead of them to take care of the guards, Twilight and her friends, together with Vice-Admiral Rose Thorn, had snuck into the camp as instructed. It appeared Derpy had done her part well, for they encountered not a single soldier as they'd made their way towards the field hospital. The taking of the hostages, too, had gone without a hitch, much to Twilight's great relief. Upon learning who it was outside that was taking care of their guards, none of the medical staff and their patients had felt much for resisting.

All that was left now was to take care of the weapons and ammunition stored in the camp, a task that Twilight and her friends were tending to right now. Though most of the supplies were currently being used on the battlefield, there was still a sizeable amount left behind to resupply any ship that ran out of ammo or any soldier that lost his weapon.

Everywhere she looked, Twilight saw stacks of crates and barrels, brimming with cannonballs, gunpowder, weapons and Celestia knew what else. Some crates stood in the open air, others were stored inside tents, in case they contained something that had to remain dry. The only thing she did not spot were any kind of medical supplies. Those, Rose Thorn had said, were stored in a different part of the camp, closer to the field hospital. That was fine and actually made things easier, since it meant they didn't have to worry about accidentally blowing them up together with the rest of the supplies.

For the moment, however, accidentally blowing up the wrong thing was the least of Twilight's worries. Everypony knew that to make things explode you needed a catalyst, which the Republic was certain to have in stock around here somewhere, but they had yet to find it while the clock kept ticking.

“Anypony had any luck in finding their stash of gunpowder yet?” she called out, as she opened another barrel only to discover to her disappointment that it only held another dozen of swords. She discarded the barrel and moved on to the next stack of crates on her path. Around her, her friends were doing the same, running through the maze of storage crates and tents as they searched for the place where the Republic stored their gunpowder.

“Well, wherever it is, it's certainly not in here,” Rarity replied as she emerged from a plain, square tent. “Though I did find a pile of absolutely dreadful rags that I'm sure were meant to be uniforms.” She had even brought some evidence of her discovery with her, holding up a neatly folded uniform with her magic. “I must say, Twilight, though he may be a genius when it comes to tactics and strategy, your brother clearly has no feeling for fashion.”

Twilight groaned and resisted the urge to plant her hoof in her face. Barely. “Rarity, now is really not the time!” she snapped impatiently. “We have to-”

A deafening explosion cut her off before she could finish. She thought at first that one of her friends had found the gunpowder and set it off by accident, but it quickly became clear to her that this was not the case when she felt the earth itself tremble underneath her hooves. Crates and barrels toppled over and Twilight realised that she was witnessing the aftereffects of Derpy's powers.

Looking at the sky, her suspicions were confirmed when she spotted a cloud of dust rise up in the east, in the direction Derpy had gone off in. Evidently, the Grand Admiral and the Republican soldiers were still going at it, though Twilight dearly hoped it would be over soon. She knew that Derpy wouldn't risk threatening the lives of her allies and her hostages, but nevertheless Twilight was grabbed by a wave of terror every time the Grand Admiral unleashed her powers.

“What the hay does that mare think she's doin'?!” Applejack grumbled, pushing her hat back in its proper place atop her head. “Is she tryin' to do us all in?!”

Twilight had to admit part of her had been wondering the same thing, but her attention was quickly pulled elsewhere when she heard her name being called.

“Twilight! Over here, I've found it!”

The cry came from Pinkie Pie, who was standing in the opening of a large tent, waving her foreleg to try and catch the attention of the others. Immediately, her friends abandoned whatever crate or barrel they were searching and hurried over to her location. Once there, they quickly learned Pinkie had not been lying, as a quick glance inside the tent revealed it to be filled to the brim with dozens of barrels, the word 'gunpowder' painted on every single one of them.

“Good job, Pinkie,” Twilight said, sparing a moment to give the mare in question a grateful, encouraging smile.

Pinkie had been quiet and withdrawn for the entirety of the mission, her mane and tail flat and lifeless, though their colours thankfully hadn't dulled yet. To say her friends were concerned would be an understatement and thus it came as somewhat as a relief to them that it had been her to find the gunpowder they were looking for. It proved, if nothing else, that even if she wasn't happy with what they were doing, she was still on board with it and agreed that it had to be done.

It was an encouraging sign, at the very least, but regretfully not one they could focus on right now. They still had a task to complete and a lot of ponies were depending on them to do it. Any concern for the mental wellbeing of their friend would have to wait until after the battle was over. All they could do for the moment was pray that Pinkie would keep it together until then.

Rarity looked at the large stack of barrels filled with explosive powder and tapped her chin in thought. “Well, darling, we found what we were looking for,” she said, turning her head towards Twilight. “I just hope we have enough here to carry out your idea.”

“So do I,” Twilight replied quietly, sounding slightly nervous. She closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths, then used her magic to lift up one of the powder kegs from the top of the pile and bring it towards her. She had been able to recover enough from her efforts in the hospital to use her magic again, though it was noticeably weaker and she tired out much faster. Not to mention it made both her horn and head ache every time she used it.

Applejack frowned, clearly not buying what Twilight was saying, but she let it slide. Instead, she moved a bit further into the tent and gestured at the supply of gunpowder stored within. “So we just take these barrels and place 'em among the rest of the supplies, right?”

Twilight gave an affirmative nod. “Though I don't know if we have enough powder kegs here to place one at every stack of supplies,” she added, casting another doubtful glance at the barrels, “so I suggest we place them near the flammable and explosive ones, such as airship parts or cannonballs, first. On the whole scale, those are harder to replace than swords and spears.”

Applejack nodded in understanding. “That sounds mighty sensible,” she conceded. “Are you sure that one little barrel of this stuff'll be enough to buck an entire stack of crates into next week?”

“Trust me, Applejack,” Twilight answered with a sly, knowing smile. “One keg per stack will be more than adequate.”

No further questions were asked after that and the five mares set to work. Twilight used her magic to help load the kegs onto her friends' backs, who used their wings to keep the gunpowder steady while carrying it to its destination. Twilight wanted to help with the carrying as well, but her friends all insisted that she take it easy. Outnumbered four to one, she relented and stayed with the gunpowder, using the time in between loading to ponder what the best way of igniting the explosives would be.

As she helped Applejack to load up two more kegs, it occurred to Twilight how surreal her current situation was. In her previous life, she had been a magical prodigy, personal student of Princess Celestia herself, living a relatively simple but nonetheless eventful life in a quaint little countryside town together with the five most wonderful friends a pony could ask for. Her biggest concern back then had been to make sure she got the maximum score on her tests, while taking care of an escaped ancient evil every now and then.

The contrast with the here and now could not be greater. Equestria was at war with itself and had been for three centuries and a half. Ponies were fighting and killing other ponies over a mere difference in ideology. She herself was taking part in that bloody conflict, coming up with plans that could cost hundreds of innocents their lives, all in order to defeat 'the enemy', which happened to be her own brother. Not only did she come up with them, she even helped in carrying them out, infiltrating the enemy's territory in order to blow it up.

She wanted to think that it was like looking into a dark mirror, but if she was truly honest she had to admit that that simply wasn't true. Looking into a dark mirror meant that one at least recognised himself. Looking into this mirror, Twilight wasn't sure she did. The mare she was now at times seemed to have so little in common with the mare she used to be. She wondered idly if her friends felt the same way.

Her eyes fell upon Fluttershy as she was placing a keg of gunpowder near a stack of crates filled with cannonballs, handing the barrel like it would explode if she touched it. Seeing her friend like that, Twilight felt guilty mourning over her own life. At least she hadn't been plucked out of her old one and dropped into this one from one day to the next without warning, unlike Fluttershy. Everything, especially what they were doing now, had to be so much harder for her than it was for the rest of them...

Fluttershy's sudden arrival roughly a month ago had seemed like such a big deal at the time, but to her shame Twilight had to admit that, aside from that one time where she mentioned it to Luna, she hadn't thought much about how it had happened or why. At first they had been too busy with helping Fluttershy settle in and find her footing in this new age, then Rainbow Dash had shown up and the oncoming war had claimed all of their attention.

It was odd, but as she sat here, in an enemy camp placing explosives, Twilight felt as if she'd been an awful friend to Fluttershy. Yes, she'd helped Fluttershy settle in, but she never even thought about trying to find a way to get her friend back to the time she came from. From the start, she'd thought that nothing could be done about it and that Fluttershy would just have to accept that. Though, in all fairness, she hadn't been the only one to hold that belief.

Now, Twilight found herself wondering if she hadn't been mistaken. Maybe there was a way they could make things right again. Truly right, that is, to get everything back to the way it was in the life Fluttershy came from. For the moment, the civil war demanded all their attention, but maybe once the war was over, once they had freed Princess Celestia, they could start making things right again.

“Twilight?”

With a startled yelp, Twilight nearly leaped out of her skin, so lost in thought that she hadn't heard Fluttershy approach at all. It was fortunate that she hadn't recovered all of her magic yet and didn't have her skills from her previous life, or she might have fired off a spell entirely by accident.

“Oh, I'm sorry, is now a bad time?” Fluttershy squeaked, mistaking Twilight's startled reaction for one of displeasure, and her ears drooped as she hid behind her mane. “I'll just come back later, if that's okay...”

“No, no, that's alright, you just startled me. My fault, I shouldn't have drifted off at a time like this,” Twilight answered quickly, giving her friend a sheepish smile. She coughed in her hoof and tried to regain her composure as well as some of her dignity. “In any case, what is it you wanted to ask?”

“I just wanted to say that I delivered my haul and I was wondering if-”

Whatever it was that Fluttershy was wondering about, Twilight would never know, as at that moment her attention was drawn elsewhere by the sound of running hooves. She softly gestured at Fluttershy to remain quiet, while her ears tried to pinpoint what direction the sound was coming from. All of her senses were now alert, because she knew that there was supposed to be nopony left in the camp to make those noises. Had some of the hostages slipped past Rose Thorn's watchful eye?

“Stay behind me Fluttershy,” she whispered to her friend, who let out a soft squeak in return before nodding. Twilight looked around and was relieved to see that Applejack was nearby. She wasted no time in warning her. “Applejack, somepony's coming!”

Applejack heard her and quickly passed on the word to Rarity and Pinkie Pie, then hurried over towards Twilight, the two of them standing protectively before Fluttershy, shielding their timid friends with their bodies. Applejack glanced briefly at Twilight from the corner of her eyes.

“You think Rose Thorn let some of 'em get out when he wasn't lookin'?” she asked, unknowingly asking the same question Twilight had asked herself a moment ago.

“I hope that's what happened,” Twilight replied, “because the alternative is-”

Four Republican soldiers came running onto the scene, just as Rarity and Pinkie Pie emerged from behind a stack of crates as well. Spotting the new arrivals, Rarity immediately moved herself in front of Pinkie while shoving her friend back behind the crates with a firm but gentle push of her hoof. Images of what happened during the night of the parade flashed through her mind and she was determined not to let her friends - or herself - get hurt like that again.

Seeing the five mares made the four Republicans come to a sudden halt and they nearly stumbled over their own hooves in their attempts to break off their sprint. Twilight noticed almost right away that they looked very skittish; they constantly glanced over their shoulder and were hopping from one hoof onto the other, as if they wanted nothing more but to start running again. If the stunned looks on the soldiers' faces were anything to go by, they obviously hadn't expected to run into anypony here.

“Who're they?!” one soldier demanded. “Are they with the enemy?!”

“Of course they are, idiot, can't you see the colour of their armour?!” another one snapped back in reply. “Curse it, I knew Derpy Hooves couldn't have come here just by herself!”

“These don't look like soldiers to me, though,” the third muttered quietly, as he regarded Fluttershy and the others with a confused frown on his face.

“Who cares! They're bloody Royalists, that's all that matters!” the fourth cried out, sounding desperate. His eyes were wide with terror. “Let's just kill them and get them out of the way and run before that monster catches up with us!”

Fluttershy gasped at the words, but Twilight, Applejack and Rarity merely reacted with a dark scowl. Grimly, the three mares shifted into a more defensive position, their heads held low and their mechanical wings spread wide to appear more intimidating, readying themselves for a fight. The soldiers were armed while they were not, true, but given the panicked state of their opponents Twilight doubted the Republicans would be able to fight properly.

Indeed, when the Republicans charged it became immediately obvious that they did so with no plan or formation in mind. They simply ran towards their targets, weapons brandished between their teeth or wings, like drunk bulls going on a rampage. Twilight, Applejack and Rarity nodded towards each other, understanding passing between them. Though none of them really wanted to fight or hurt somepony, they weren't going to back out of this one.

Before any of them could make a move, however, Fluttershy suddenly shouldered her way past Twilight and Applejack both. She ignored the stunned looks on their faces and marched onward. By the time her friends recovered from their surprise, she had already moved herself directly in the path of the oncoming stallions. She heard the horrified shouts of her friends, telling her to get out of the way, but she ignored them.

Time seemed to slow down as Fluttershy stood there, her head bowed, her mane obscuring her face. Images flashed through her mind, images that made her squeeze her eyes shut as if doing so would make them go away. She saw all those countless soldiers being brought into the hospital, all of them wounded, missing eyes, ears, wings, limbs or worse. She saw them cry for help or their loved ones as life slowly flowed out of them, with her unable to do anything but watch them die. She saw the burning halls of the hospital, its ruined rooms full of charred corpses...

The cries of agony still echoed in her ears, the smell of blood and burnt flesh still filled her nose. Ponies fighting ponies. Ponies killing ponies. So many dead. So much pain, so much suffering, and for what purpose? She had followed her friends out of Tartarus to this place to try and make it all stop, only for the war to try and kill them all again. She remembered that night in Canterlot, Rarity bleeding on the streets, the soldiers beating Twilight…

She gritted her teeth together so firmly she was afraid they'd break.

Fluttershy raised her head, anger radiating off of her like scalding heat from a volcano. Her eyes snapped open and she fixed her gaze on the four oncoming stallions, pinning them in place with the harshest glare they had ever seen. “No,” she growled, so softly that they almost missed it. “No. More. FIGHTING!”

The hairs of all ponies present suddenly stood on their ends, their manes billowing in a fierce storm wind that wasn’t there at all. The air seemed to ripple, as if it had suddenly become a flat surface of water and somepony had dropped a pebble in it, though in this case the pebble was Fluttershy herself. Her fiercely growled words echoed four to five times and then faded away, leaving nothing but total and almost painful silence in their wake. For a brief moment, the world stood still.

Then the four soldiers simultaneously dropped to the ground, unconscious.

Fluttershy stared in disbelief at the sight before her. The righteous rage she had just now been filled with had vanished entirely, leaving only incomprehension in its place. She didn’t understand what had just happened and almost felt as if she was waking up from a daze. One moment, the guards were charging towards her friends, ready to fight and kill them. The next, the Republicans were unconscious on the ground and everything had gone quiet.

This had happened before, she remembered, back in Canterlot during the night of the parade. In fact, the two instances were so eerily similar they might as well have been the same event, only in a different location. How had she done this, if it really had been her? Yes, she had her Stare, but she had never used that on ponies before and it definitely hadn't made any of her animals faint whenever she'd been forced to use it on them.

She had always tried not to think about what had happened in Canterlot, the idea that she somehow had the ability to make ponies faint when she got really angry at them scaring her, but now that it had happened a second time it became increasingly difficult to do so. Fluttershy felt the familiar feeling of panic claw its way into her chest. What was happening to her? What if she hurt her friends with this, whatever 'this' actually was?!

“Sugarcube, are you alright?” Applejack asked, her voice wavering slightly. “What in the name of Equestria was that just now? First you go runnin' off all on yer own, then you make them Republicans faint by lookin' at 'em. How did you do that?!” There was a hint of urgency in her voice, a desperate need for an explanation. It appeared the events of just now had spooked Applejack more than she let on.

“I don't know,” Fluttershy squeaked in reply, making herself as small as possible while hiding behind her mane. “I really don't know. I got so angry and I didn't want anypony to get hurt anymore. I just wanted it all to stop and then it was like my body was moving by itself...” She didn't dare to meet the eyes of her friends, feeling very self-conscious and uncomfortable under their concerned gazes.

“Was it the same feeling you got when you did this in Canterlot?” Twilight inquired, sounding more curious than concerned now that her friend appeared to be unharmed.

“Well, yes,” Fluttershy admitted timidly. “Kind of, I mean. Back then I just wanted them to stop hurting you, while this time I didn't want you to fight, but the feeling was the same. I just felt so angry and helpless and wanted it all to stop...” She flinched as if struck. “Please don't be mad, I didn't mean to do it...”

“Mad?” Rarity echoed, looking at Fluttershy as if the timid mare had suddenly grown a second head. “Darling, why ever would we be mad at you when you ended this conflict without either us or them getting hurt? I mean, I was ready to fight those brutes in order to defend my friends, but I'll gladly admit that I prefer your solution to the problem.”

That made Fluttershy pause and think. When put like that, she had to admit that Rarity had a point. Even if she didn't know how she did it, she did put an end to the violence without having to resort to violence herself. Her friends were safe, the threat had been dealt with and nopony had to get hurt.

“Rarity's right, Fluttershy,” Twilight said. “Better like this than that we had to fight them. A peaceful solution is always preferable to a violent one.” Applejack and Pinkie Pie nodded in agreement.

Before the subject could be discussed any further, the five mares' attention was drawn to the skies by the sound of beating wings. A lone figure was quickly making their way towards them and the five mares were briefly set on edge, afraid that another Republican soldiers was coming their way. That fear quickly turned into relief when the figure came even closer and was revealed to be none other than Derpy Hooves herself.

The Grand Admiral swooped in with surprising speed and landed gracefully on the trampled grass. “Are you all alright?” she asked, giving them all a quick look over with her single eye to search for any signs of injury. Her gaze fell on the four unconscious soldiers and she frowned as she noted the lack of any injuries on them as well.

“We're fine, Grand Admiral Hooves,” Twilight answered. “Their appearance,” she gestured at the soldiers, “startled us, but we managed to… take care of them.” She glanced at Fluttershy from the corner of her eyes, who was hiding behind Rarity and Pinkie Pie and doing her very best to appear invisible.

The glance didn't escape Derpy's notice and her frown deepened slightly. She could feel that there was more to this than Twilight let on, but for the moment she let it slide. She'd ask how five untrained civilians had taken down four trained soldiers in the small minute it had taken her to catch up to them later, for now all that mattered was that the threat was neutralized.

“As long as you're all unharmed, it's fine. Rainbow Dash would never let me live it down if I'd let any of you get hurt on my watch,” she said, keeping her tone even. “Now tell me, where is Vice-Admiral Rose Thorn?”

“He's keeping watch over our hostages,” Twilight replied, the word feeling strange in her mouth. That wasn't very surprising, a part of her was still trying to comprehend that this entire morally questionable plan to win the war had been her idea to begin with. Clearly, she still was Shining Armour's sister, no matter her opinion on him, she thought bitterly.

“I take it then that that part of this strategy has been successfully taken care of?” Derpy asked, and Twilight nodded.

“When they realised who it was they were dealing with, they actually gave up without a fight,” she clarified. “Well, the medical staff did, at least. I'm sure some of their patients would have liked to resist, but they weren't in any condition to do so.” She lowered her head a bit, taking on a slightly more submissive pose. “Speaking of soldiers, since you are here right now, I'm guessing those guarding the camp have been,” she swallowed, “dealt with?”

Derpy gave a curt nod in reply. “Once their number had been reduced to thirty or so, most of them scattered and fled, forcing me to hunt down their small groups one by one,” she explained, then gestured at the four soldiers who were still lying motionless on the ground. “These four were the last, but by taking care of them you finished my work for me.” The question of how they had managed to do so again popped up in her mind and was subsequently ignored.

“In any case,” Derpy continued, opting to focus on more important things than the aforementioned mystery, “the guards and the hostages have been taken care of, which leaves us only the matter of destroying their supplies. How far are you with that?”

“We were nearly finished placing explosives at the most crucial supplies when those soldiers appeared,” Twilight answered. “All that's left is to dispense the remaining kegs and create the powder trails we need to set them all off.”

“Good, then let's get to that immediately,” Derpy said, as she stalked off towards the tent where they had found the gunpowder. “I'll lend a hoof so we can wrap this up even quicker. The sooner we can regroup with Vice-Admiral Rose Thorn and contact Desert Heat, the better. I doubt the Republic has been idle while we were busy here.”

The Grand Admiral was certainly not mistaken in that assessment, as the sea of Republican soldiers swarming before Stalliongrad had continued battering ceaselessly against the city's mighty walls like waves against the coast. The results of their relentless assault, however, were somewhat lacking, as every attack was met with unexpectedly fierce resistance. It was as if knowing that defeat was inevitable only made the remaining defenders all the more determined to fight until the bitter end.

Despite the fact that they had been in vain trying to scale the walls and get a hoofhold on top of them, Shining Armour refused to let himself get discouraged. He knew that the Royalists would not be able to keep up this fight much longer, despite their advantage of having an easily defensible position. The determination with which they kept fighting was commendable, but in the end futile, for the truth of the matter was that they had already lost the battle. By continuing the fight, they were only delaying the moment of surrender, not preventing it.

His only hope was that the Royalists' command would come to realise this as well. He had enough soldiers to kill every Royalist if they truly decided to fight to the last pony, but Shining Armour dearly hoped it wouldn't come to that. He didn't want to kill any more Royalists than necessary to win and as far as he was concerned every one that had already been killed was far too many.

“There's no need for this to become a slaughter,” Shining Armour thought. “So please, Desert Heat, don't let it come to that.”

Whether or not it was because fate had heard his prayers or not, the fact remained that the moment the thought crossed his mind, Shining Armour was approached by a member of his troops. The young soldier was in such a hurry that he almost tripped over his own hooves and in his excitement he almost forgot to salute once he stood before his superior officer.

“Mar… Marshal Shining Armour, sir,” the soldier said, barely able to get the words over his lips as he tried to speak and catch his breath at the same time. “Ad… Admiral Desert Heat is waving a white flag... Says… says he wants to speak with you.”

A slight widening of his eyes was Shining Armour's only reaction to the news, years of training allowing him to keep his expression under control even when surprised. He quickly turned his attention to the top of the wall to verify the report with his own eyes. It did not take long. Admiral Desert Heat was indeed standing atop the railing, holding a borrowed lance in his hoof to which was tied a white flag, held high for all to see.

The same hope and excitement that were evident on the soldier's face were now welling up in Shining Armour as well, but again the Marshal managed to keep the emotions from showing on his face. This might be the moment he had been waiting for, but he'd be a fool to forgo caution now in favour of rushing towards the prize. A white flag didn't necesarily mean a surrender; it merely called for a ceasefire so the leaders of both sides could talk.

He thanked and dismissed the messenger, then called for lieutenant-commander Amber Chip. “Send word to all units that they are to cease all hostilities until further notice,” Shining Armour instructed his right-hoof pony once the mare had arrived. “Desert Heat wishes to talk and I would hear what he has to say. Nopony is to continue fighting unless I give the word. Anypony who tries to interrupt the parley by ignoring this order is to be arrested on grounds of treason.”

Amber Chip nodded dutifully. “It will be done, Marshal, sir,” she replied, saluting.

Shining Armour was about to dismiss her, but stopped when he spotted movement atop the wall. “Tell the commanders that they are to accompany me as well,” he finally said, not taking his eyes off Desert Heat and the pony who had come to stand behind the Admiral. “If my suspicions are correct about what Desert Heat wishes to talk about, I will need them to be there with me.”

Again Amber Chip nodded, receiving her orders without complaint. “As you wish, sir.” Upon being dismissed, the lieutenant-commander gave another salute and then quickly left to do as she was told.

It took a few minutes before the command reached every unit and the fighting came to a halt completely, but before long Marshal Shining Armour stood atop the great walls of Stalliongrad before Admiral Desert Heat. The three Republican Commanders were present as well, standing next to each other behind their superior. Desert Heat in turn had brought Rainbow Dash with him, the rainbow-maned Admiral hanging back slightly while hurling the occasional glare at Spitfire.

Shining Armour and Desert Heat regarded each other in silence, their eyes and expressions kept perfectly neutral, betraying not a single thought or emotion. All eyes in the valley were placed upon them, the soldiers on both sides intently watching their commanders face off, the sight demanding all their attention, daring to make no sound or movement. The tension in the air was so thick one could cut it was a knife and the silence so complete one could hear a needle drop.

Somewhere in the crowd, a pony swallowed hard.

Finally, Desert Heat moved. He turned his head slightly, his eyes falling on Smaragd Haze before settling on Shining Armour again. “You have a lot of nerve to bring that one with you, Marshal,” he said and though his voice was kept perfectly even, the underlying anger could be clearly felt.

Shining Armour breathed out slowly through his nose. “Commander Smaragd Haze will face the consequences of his actions in due time,” he assured his Royalist counterpart, ignoring the snort that came from Rainbow Dash. “For the moment, however, he is still a commanding officer in the Republican Army and proper protocol of parley demands his presence. He is here as an observer, but no more than that.”

Desert Heat nodded slowly, clearly not happy with the situation but accepting it nonetheless. “I shall take your word for it, for now,” he said, making no effort to mask the unspoken threat in his tone. “I propose we skip any further formalities and talk about business instead.”

“As you wish,” Shining Armour replied, relaxing his posture slightly to appear more forthcoming. “I was told you desired to speak with me, Admiral Desert Heat, and I have come to listen to what you have to say. So, speak, you have my ear.”

“Very well, I shall get straight to the point then,” Desert Heat said. “I have called you here, Marshal, in order to discuss with you the terms for your immediate retreat.”

With that single sentence, Desert Heat completely shattered Shining Armour's carefully kept mask of composure. The Marshal's eyes widened and his mouth opened slightly in disbelief. He stared at Desert Heat with an utterly dumbfounded look on his face, thinking for a moment that he had misunderstood, but given that he wasn't the only one looking completely baffled, he was forced to dismiss that notion.

“I… I beg your pardon?” Shining Armour muttered slowly, still feeling stunned.

“I said I wished to discuss with you the terms for your immediate retreat from these grounds,” Desert Heat repeated, his tone and expression deadly serious, mercilessly shattering his opponent's faint hope that he had been joking. He ignored the mocking chuckles that rose from the ranks of the Republican army.

One pony, however, was not amused. “How dare you waste our time with your shameful mockery!” Trixie snarled, stomping her hoof, her eyes filled with murder. “Did the prospect of defeat rob your filthy mud pony head of its brains, what little there were to begin with?! You and yours are standing with two hooves in the grave already, mud pony. One more push of our forces and you'll be no more than an unpleasant stain on the pages of history! Accept your end with what little dignity your kind can have instead of wasting our time with your idiotic demands!”

“That's enough!” Shining Armour snapped and Trixie flinched as if struck. “I did not give you permission to speak! Get back in line and be quiet!” Trixie opened her mouth to protest, but quickly changed her mind upon catching the withering glare sent her way. Meekly, she bowed her head and returned to her place.

Satisfied, though still incensed, Shining Armour turned back to Desert Heat. “I apologise for my subordinate's outburst, Admiral,” he said, struggling to bring his voice back down to its normal level. “However, I must agree with her on one thing. You are facing defeat, Desert Heat. Why would I call back my troops now, when our victory is in sight?”

“I will let somepony else answer that question,” the Admiral replied calmly. He reached into the pocket of his coat and from it retrieved his communication crystal, which he held out for the Marshal to take. “The pony on the other side of the line has been waiting to talk to you for a while now.”

Shining Armour frowned, looking at Desert Heat with newfound suspicion. Slowly, he took the offered crystal with his magic, activating it once it floated before his face. “This is Marshal Shining Armour,” he began. “Who am I speaking to?”

The voice that answered was one that made his and the commanders' blood run cold. “Hello, Marshal.”

He almost dropped the communication stone in shock. Almost. With great difficulty, Shining Armour managed to regain some of his composure. “Grand Admiral Derpy Hooves, I presume?” he asked, aware of the fact that he'd started sweating a lot all of the sudden.

“That would be me, yes,” Derpy replied, sounding uncomfortably light-hearted.

“Where are you?” Shining Armour demanded, not in the mood for games.

“Look to the west,” came the answer.

Tensed and with his nerves on edge, Shining Armour turned halfway. He looked westward, his eyes scanning the valley and the skies, but he could spot nothing out of the ordinary. All he saw were his soldiers, the tanks still stuck in the sand and the valley floor bearing the wounds of a deadly battle. Confused, he was about to ask Derpy what she was playing at, when suddenly the silence was shattered by a loud explosion.

Cursing, Shining Armour looked around trying to see where the attack had come from, only to find that there had been no attack at all. The Royalists were not moving and the valley remained undisturbed. Slowly, he remembered that the explosion, while loud, had actually sounded far off, and thus couldn't have happened nearby. This fact made his eyes widen in realisation and he quickly looked at the western sky only to see his fears confirmed when a massive cloud of black smoke rose up to the skies far to the west.

“As you may have guessed, what you heard just now was the entire collection of supplies you were so kind to leave behind taking a trip to higher spheres,” Derpy provided helpfully.

Shining Armour clenched his jaw. “Derpy Hooves, you-”

“I'm going to make this easy for you, Marshal,” Derpy said, cutting him off, her voice hard and unyielding. “Either you order a full retreat right now and I will release your injured and their caretakers unharmed, or you continue fighting and force me to make them follow the example of your supplies. Your choice.”

Words were barely sufficient to describe the look of pure indignation on Shining Armour's face as he received the Grand Admiral's ultimatum. He did not even bother to try and keep his composure this time. “You will what?!” he growled, daring her to repeat what she had just said.

“Blow every injured soldier and every member of the medical staff tending to them sky high if you don't retreat,” Derpy answered without second thought. The lack of any kind of hesitation made Shining Armour pause and he bit his tongue to keep himself from saying anything rash.

“Let me see if I'm getting this right,” he finally said, after he had managed to wrestle his fury back under control somehow. “After entering our basecamp, you destroyed our supplies and took every soldier sent there for treatment after getting injured on the battlefield hostage, together with the doctors and nurses tending to them. If I do not give up our victory, you will kill them all. Is that the picture?”

“Congratulations, Marshal, you were paying attention to what I said,” Derpy sneered.

“So basically,” Shining Armour continued, ignoring her jab, “you are threatening me with hundreds of innocent lives to get me to do what you couldn't get me to do through military power.” He gritted his teeth together so fiercely he was afraid they'd shatter. Fuming, he spat on the ground, looking as if he had just tasted something disgusting. “I did not expect a mare of your stature to resort to such low tactics.”

“You blew up our hospital,” Derpy retorted. “That was the sign all bets are off, Marshal.”

“Do you really expect me to give in to shameless blackmail?!” he shouted, finally losing his patience.

“If you value the lives of your troops, yes,” came the reply. “I'm not bluffing, Shining Armour. For the moment, I haven't harmed a single hair on the hostages' heads and the doctors have been allowed to care for their patients without interference. If you agree to retreat, I will release them all, unharmed, as promised. Don't and I will not hesitate for even a second. I will kill them, be sure of that.”

A growl tried to work its way up his throat, yet Shining Armour forced it down again. Getting angry wouldn't solve anything, he knew. Taking a deep breath, he tried another approach. “Even if I don't give in to your demands and you kill them, it won't change anything,” he said. “We will still defeat your army and take your city. Nothing you can do will prevent that now.”

“That's true,” Derpy freely admitted, the lack of concern with which she said this again catching Shining Armour off guard. “If you choose to keep fighting, we won't be able to stop you. If the battle goes on, there's no doubt that we will lose it.”

“Then why do this, if you know it won't prevent your defeat?” Shining Armour demanded, his brow furrowed in confusion.

“To force you to make a choice, Marshal,” Derpy answered. “I have stayed my hoof for now, but that will change if you decide to keep fighting. I will join the battle myself and personally command my troops. There will be no surrender. We will fight until the end. We will force you to kill each and every one of us, while taking as many of your troops with us to Tartarus.” A horrified shiver ran down Shining Armour's spine, but Derpy wasn't done yet.

“Eventually, we will all be dead and you will be victorious,” she continued. “Which means you will only have to take care of your own dead and your wounded, of which there will be many, I promise you that. Tell me, Marshal, how many of your soldiers who will find themselves lying bleeding on the battlefield do you think will survive, when there is nopony to tend to their wounds because you let me kill your medical team?”

“If you choose to fight, you will win, yes,” Derpy said, “and once the battle is over, you will go home with less than a tenth of the ponies you came here with. That's not an estimate, it's a promise.” She paused for a few seconds to let her words sink in. “If that is a price you are willing to pay for your victory, then go ahead, continue the battle. Or, you can decide to retreat and prevent the loss of a tremendous amount of lives. Your choice.”

The other end of the line became quiet, waiting for his answer, but Shining Armour had none to give. He was speechless, his mind having gone completely blank. This entire situation was too surreal for words. He had agreed to meet with Desert Heat because had expected conditions for the Royalists' surrender, but instead had all his hopes for a swift end to the conflict utterly crushed. He glanced over his shoulder at his commanders, to see how they took the news.

Smaragd Haze looked bored and unimpressed, no doubt of the opinion that they should just continue the fight. Trixie was harder to read. She didn't look pleased and was glaring at the Royalists as if they were filth to be scraped from her hoof, but if it was because of the choice they faced or because she just didn't like Royalists, he couldn't say. Spitfire, finally, looked as he did, conflicted and uncertain.

Shining Armour let out a sigh and bowed his head, suddenly feeling very tired, as if the weight of the world had fallen upon his shoulders. Derpy had said the choice was his, but what choice did he really have? If he retreated, he would waste the sacrifice of every mare and stallion who had lost their life in this battle, but if he did not, he would be condemning more than hundred thousand ponies to death. Neither option had any appeal.

Then there was the fact that a failure to achieve victory would invoke the ire of the Nobles' Court and Shining Armour had little doubt that they would take it out not on him, but on his wife. Cadance was already placed under house-arrest and had her magic sealed, solely because of the fact that she was Celestia's niece. If he failed now, what more would they take from her?

These thoughts and more ran through his head as he tried to make a decision. The conflict raging within him could be seen written plainly across his face by everypony attending. Finally, Smaragd Haze had enough of his superior's indecision and did a step forward.

“I don't see the problem here, Marshal,” he said with a shrug. “If these traitors are so desperate to die for their city then I say we grant them their wish.”

“You would say that, because you're a bloodthirsty savage,” Trixie sneered, no longer able to contain herself. She looked down her nose at her fellow commander, making no effort to mask her contempt. “In any case, nopony asked for your opinion, mud pony, so get back and let your superiors do the thinking.”

“Will the both of you put a hoof in it?” Spitfire hissed, clearly not impressed by the behaviour of the other two commanders. With the both of them looking sufficiently chastised, she gave them one last disapproving glare before turning to Shining Armour. “Personally, Marshal, I'd like to know who gave the enemy this idea,” she said. “Even taking Smaragd Haze's blunder and the enemy's desperation in account, this is still a low blow. Doesn't immediately strike me as something Derpy Hooves or any of her admirals would think of.”

Shining Armour's eyes narrowed slightly. He met Spitfire's gaze for a moment, then turned and looked the two Royal Admirals that had come to this parley with newfound suspicion. “My commander has a point,” he said slowly. “I know enough about you and your admirals, Grand Admiral Hooves, that in most cases I can figure out which strategy has whose name attached to it.”

“This one, however, does not fit any of you. Desert Heat is too honourable, Rainbow Dash too kind and you and your daughter too pragmatic to opt for mass slaughter.” Shining Armour's frown deepened. “Who came up with this plan?” he demanded sharply. “Who put you up to this?!”

“I don't see why it matters,” Derpy replied coldly. “Nor am I under any obligation to-”

Before she could finish, however, the Grand Admiral was cut off by a voice the Republicans had not heard before.

“I did.”

The new voice had spoken only those two short words, but it was enough to make Shining Armour freeze in an instant. He felt heart stop beating in his chest upon hearing them. Not because the words 'I did' were shocking in any way, but because he knew the voice that had spoken them. His eyes went wide and sweat matted his brow as panic nestled itself comfortably in his mind.

“It can't be,” he thought. “I'm imagining things because of the stress. Yes, that has to be it, it couldn't possibly really have been...”

As if to spite him, the voice spoke again, taking away the last of his doubts. “I did,” the voice repeated. “I came up with this idea, though I do admit it was Grand Admiral Hooves who worked out the finer details of its execution.”

Shining Armour felt the blood drain from his face as his last hopes of being mistaken about the new speaker's identity were mercilessly shattered. Slowly, he sank down on his haunches, having somehow managed to become even paler despite his coat being white to begin with. For a moment that seemed to last forever, he did not say a single word and simply stared at the communication stone floating before him.

Later, Rainbow Dash would be heard telling her friends that she had never seen a pony look so defeated and that the haunted look on Shining Armour's face had been burned deeply into her memory. It was almost, she would say, as if a part of him had just died right there and then.

Slowly, Shining Armour brought the stone closer to him and let it drop in his hoof. His throat felt dry and painful as he lifted the enchanted crystal to his mouth. He swallowed once to remove the lump from his throat. He already knew, he could no longer doubt his ears, but he had to make sure. He needed to hear her say it, to have her confirm it. He closed his eyes and, with the greatest of difficulties, managed to force a name off his tongue.

“Twilight...?”

It hurt to say her name, but Shining Armour knew that what was coming would hurt even more and there was nothing he could do to keep it from doing so. He could only brace himself for the pain he knew was coming. And come it did, just as he had expected.

“Hello, brother.”

He had known the words would come and yet he still flinched as if struck.

“Twily-”

“Don't call me that!” Twilight snapped angrily, making him wince. “My BBBFF calls me Twily and you're not him. You're my brother and nothing more than that.”

That hurt him more than he liked to admit. “Twilight,” he corrected himself, trying to find something, anything, to say. There were so many questions he wanted to ask right now that he did not know where to start. Finally, he decided to go with the one that nagged the most at him. “Twilight, what are you doing here?”

“I was tending to the injured soldiers in the hospital of Stalliongrad,” Twilight hissed hatefully, ignoring the shocked gasp coming from her brother. “At least until a certain invading army thought it a great idea to blow it up!”

For the second time in much too short a time, Shining Armour was rendered speechless and he somehow managed to get even paler. His sister had been in the hospital. She could have died and he wouldn't even been aware of it. He could have lost her forever and never even have known how. As this horrifying realisation sunk in, Shining Armour almost emptied his meagre breakfast on the ground and he was barely able to contain himself.

She could have died.

That single sentence kept echoing inside his head. He could have lost his sister and it would have been his fault. He was the supreme commander of the Republican army. It was his task to make sure his subordinates stayed in line, exactly to prevent such tragedies from happening. Incensed and seething with rage, he looked over his shoulder at Smaragd Haze and sent him a glare that made it clear Shining Armour would have words with him later.

His worry for his sister exceeded his anger towards the commander, however, and the Marshal redirected his attention to the communication crystal in his hoof. “Twilight,” he began, his voice thick with emotion. “Twilight, I'm sorry. I didn't know. I didn't give permi-”

“Don't tell me you're sorry!” Twilight snapped in reply, once more causing her brother to flinch as if struck. “Don't give me excuses! It doesn't matter if you didn't give the order or didn't allow it, the pony who did that was under your command! He was your responsibility! If this Smaragd Haze or whoever acted on his own when he destroyed our hospital, then it's your fault for failing to keep your subordinates under control!”

Shining Armour quietly underwent her anger, offering no resistance as Twilight all but slapped him around the head with the truth. He bowed his head and closed his eyes, letting it all happen, and he remained like that even after she was long done.

Only once he was absolutely certain that no more was following did he look up and his eyes had become pools of deep sorrow. “You're right, Twilight,” he said, his voice so quiet that the surrounding ponies had to strain their ears to hear him. “What happened to the hospital was my fault. I should have kept a firmer leash on Smaragd Haze and I didn't, even though I knew of his involvement in similar incidents. I am to blame for his actions, I admit that.”

“But Twilight, just because I made that mistake doesn't mean you have to as well,” he continued. He was openly pleading now and he didn't care who heard him. “Don't do this to yourself, Twilight, please. I know you're angry at me but don't throw away your morals just to hurt me! The plan you came up with is monstrous, Twilight, I know you know that!”

“After everything you've done you are the last pony in Equestria to lecture me about morality, Shining Armour!” Twilight all but screamed in reply. “Even if I could find it somewhere in my heart to forgive you for what you did here today, I will never forgive how you betrayed me by joining the Republican army! Even though you remember everything as clearly as I do, you still went and joined the ponies who did all those horrible things to Princess Celestia! You joined a cause that you knew from the beginning was wrong! How could you do that to her?! To me?!”

“Twilight-”

“No! I don't want to listen to your excuses! I don't want to listen to you, period!” Twilight shouted, cutting him off before he could even properly begin. “You ask me if I know that my plan was immoral when I came up with it? You can bet your traitorous plothole I did! I knew it all too well, because the only way to deal with filth is to think like filth!”

“Twilight!” Shining Armour said, alarmed and very worried to hear his sister speak like that.

“So if you're trying to appeal to my morality, brother of mine, save yourself the trouble,” Twilight continued, completely ignoring him. “In fact, I'm going to make this easy on you, Shining Armour. If there is even an ounce of the brother I once knew left inside that heart of yours, then you'll do as Grand Admiral Hooves said and retreat right now. If you don't, I will kill the hostages myself and I mean it!”

Shining Armour didn't even attempt to form a response. His mouth no longer obeyed him and his brain could no longer think. He could only listen and stare at the stone that let him hear the words of his sister.

“Retreat now and show me that there's still some good left in you, or don't and make your little sister into a murderess,” Twilight said, laying out his options one more time. “Your choice.”

A silence fell and somehow Shining Armour was certain their conversation was over.

“I believe your options have been laid out clearly enough now, Marshal,” came the voice of Derpy Hooves, confirming his suspicions. “So I would suggest you make your choice now. I'm certain neither of us has all day.”

All eyes now fell on Shining Armour, who sat there atop the wall, his head bowed under the weight of the decision he had to make. Royalists and Republics, all held their breath as they waited for him to decide their fate. Nopony moved or made even the slightest sound as the seconds passed by, each one feeling like it lasted for an eternity. All attention was aimed at that single, lone stallion, who held the lives of all who watched in his hoof.

Then, at long last, Shining Armour stirred.

Slowly, the Marshal of the Republic pushed himself to his hooves. “There really is no choice to be made here at all,” he said with a shake of his head. With a deep sigh, he took up the communication stone once more. “Very well, Grand Admiral Hooves, you win.” He ignored the astonished or outraged gasps rising up from the surrounding ponies and turned towards his commanders. “Send word to all units that they are to commence a full retreat immediately.”

Their reactions were, as expected, rather mixed. Trixie didn't look very happy, but he suspected that was more because of the Royalists' scheme than his decision. For all her arrogance and unicorn supremacy, Shining Armour knew that the unicorn commander still had enough respect for the lives of her soldiers to not throw them away if it wasn't truly necessary to do so. She gave a curt nod to show she understood his decision and did not speak out against it.

Spitfire looked more resigned than outright unhappy, as if she had known from the beginning what his choice would be. Most likely, Shining Armour suspected, because hers would have been the same. She didn't like it, that he did not doubt, but she probably understood, like him, that there would be other chances.

Smaragd Haze, however, didn't take the news as well as his colleagues did. “Marshal, you cannot be serious!” he growled, looking every bit as outraged as Shining Armour had expected him to be. “This battle is ours! There is nothing to keep us from taking this city here today!”

“The price we'd have to pay is too high,” Shining Armour replied sharply. “Continuing the battle now would be a waste of lives. I will not send the near entirety of my troops to the slaughter to take one city. For now, we will retreat, though I tell you now that this is by no means the end of our campaign. There will be other days.” He glanced over his shoulder at Desert Heat and Rainbow Dash. “You can be sure of that.”

“Why delay what we can achieve today?!” Smaragd Haze insisted, pulling Shining Armour's attention back to him. “You would give up the fight because of one stupid mare threatening to blow up our injured?! I say let her, and show that we don't negotiate with cowardly dogs who hide behind hos-”

Before he even realised what was happening, Shining Armour's magic grabbed Smaragd Haze by the throat and slammed him face-down into the ground. The commander groaned and tried to get up, only to feel his superior's hoof press down mercilessly on his head.

“No way,” Rainbow Dash thought, her eyes widened slightly in response to what she had just seen. “That was fast. I didn't even see him charge his magic! I doubt even Sparkler could be this fast.” She nervously licked her lips as she stared at the marshal with some measure of respect. “I never really thought about it before, but I guess they say he's the only one who could match Derpy in combat for a reason...”

Shining Armour looked down on the stallion pinned beneath his hoof, his eyes blazing with cold fury. “My orders, commander Haze, are to be followed, not questioned,” he said, his voice sounding all the more scary because of how even it was, as opposed to the anger showing in his eyes. “If I hear you speak out against them, or worse, ignore them, one more time, I tell you now that you will not be returning to Canterlot alive. Am I clear?”

Smaragd Haze managed to give a nod despite the hoof pinning his head down.

“We will retreat and that is final,” Shining Armour continued and he removed his hoof from the commander's head, allowing his fellow stallion to climb back to his hooves. “Now alert all units immediately,” he ordered once Smaragd Haze had re-joined his fellow commanders. “The battle is over!”

The commanders nodded and departed, returning to the head of their division to pass on Shining Armour's orders. The marshal took one last glance at Desert Heat and Rainbow Dash and then followed their example. Slowly, the Republican war machine began to move as thousands of soldiers began the long retreat.

The triumphant cheers that arose from the ranks of the Royal soldiers, victorious against all odds, followed them all the way back to their encampment.

End of chapter 40.

Author's Note

And with that, the curtain falls on the Siege of Stalliongrad! After almost an entire year of hard work, endless delays and failed deadlines, this mini-arc is finally finished. And what a finish it is, as this chapter has clocked out at no less than 19.000 words, the longest chapter I have ever written. I don't think I'm breaking this record any time soon and frankly I don't want to. From now on, expect the chapters to return back to the average length they had before this arc. That being said, I hope you all enjoyed this mini-arc. I certainly learned a lot writing it.

Now, as you all know, a new year has come around and that means it's time for me to tell you what I have in store for the coming year. I refer you all to this blog post for that. I recommend checking it out, as I'll be talking about the next arc of "Wings of Tomorrow ~ Lament of the World" as well.

As always, my thanks go to Barbecue Sauce and popcorn815 for their help in the creation of this chapter. If it wasn't for them poking me in the rear with a trident to get me to hurry up, this chapter would probably have taken even longer to finish.

On top of that, I want to give special thanks to popcorn815 because this good sir has started a dramatic reading of this story. I refer to my blog again for more details, while the first chapter is up for your listening pleasure here.

Happy 2014, hope you all had some wonderful holidays and see you for the next chapter!

1. Adrift in time

Wings of Tomorrow
Lament of the World

1. Adrift in time

“Now, now, Angel. Be a good bunny and brush your teeth. You don’t want to get cavities, do you?” Fluttershy chided gently, as she nudged the white rabbit towards the water-filled bowl and toothbrush, again.

Night had fallen over Equestria, and the inhabitants of Fluttershy’s cottage were preparing for bed. The birds, squirrels, and mouse family had already been tended to, leaving only Angel. The rabbit was being stubborn, however, standing with his back turned towards Fluttershy with his little paws crossed over his chest. The mare let out a soft sigh. It was important for a bunny to take good care of his or her teeth; both she and Angel knew that. And usually he did as requested without incident. Tonight, however, was not one of those usual cases. She had asked him three times already to start brushing, but Angel still flat-out refused. and Fluttershy knew why.

“I know this isn’t the toothpaste I usually buy for you,” Fluttershy admitted, as she gestured at the red tube that laid next to the toothbrush. “But the shop was all out of carrot-flavoured toothpaste, and I couldn’t come back with empty hooves. Dental care is too important to skip; I had to bring a different kind with me.”

When she got no reaction from her little friend, Fluttershy tried to gently push him towards the toothbrush again. “Please? It’s just for tonight. Tomorrow I’ll go back and buy the right toothpaste. So please, Angel Bunny?”

Despite the so kindly asked plea, Angel still refused to give in. He stubbornly shook his head, paws still crossed defiantly over his chest. Fluttershy’s face fell, her kind expression being replaced by a scowl. She had asked nicely and gotten nowhere with it; it was clear what she had to do next, even if she never really liked doing it. He had forced her hoof with his stubborn refusal.

Fluttershy reached out with a hoof and forcefully turned the rabbit around so he was facing her. When Angel looked up in surprise, he found himself staring right into the stern gaze of his pony friend. Fluttershy leaned in closer to his face, the intensity of her stare only increasing as she did so. “Now, mister!” she commanded, curt- and quietly, one eyebrow raised expectantly.

Gulping, the defeated bunny hurriedly snatched the toothbrush up in one paw and the toothpaste in the other. Before too long he was earnestly brushing away, and he dared not quit, for he felt the unrelenting stare of the pegasus burn in his back. Only when he was done did Fluttershy cease her staring, and her kind expression and smile returned.

“There’s a good bunny,” she praised, as she gave him an affectionate nuzzle. “Now off to bed you go. It’s already way past bedtime for young bunnies like you.” Fluttershy gave her friend a light nudge in the back with her hoof to urge him forward, but she might as well have spared herself the trouble. The rabbit was in no hurry to receive a second reprimanding stare. Without any further trouble, he hopped into his basket and nestled himself comfortably on the pillow that laid in it.

Fluttershy went over to Angel and placed a light blanket over him, pulling it up to his little neck. With a kind smile, she leaned in and gave him a soft peck on the top his head. “Goodnight, Angel Bunny,” she whispered, not wanting to risk waking any of her animal friends that were already asleep.

With the last of the small critters attended to, she finally headed to bed herself. Fluttershy yawned loudly as she trudged up the stairs towards her bedroom. She performed her usual evening rites of brushing her teeth and combing her mane, then tiredly slipped into her waiting bed. With a sigh of delight, she laid down on her back on the soft mattress and pulled the blankets up to her chin. Then she turned her head to the nightstand next to the bed and blew out the candle there. The flame flickered at her breath, then faded to leave the room to the embrace of the darkness.

Tucked safely away in her bed, Fluttershy yawned again. She had done a lot of work today and could use a good night’s sleep. She turned on her side and closed her eyes, her head sinking into her fluffy pillow; her last thought before sleep claimed her was that tomorrow she would have to find carrot-flavoured toothpaste somewhere.

The night was quiet. Luna's Moon had made half its nightly way across the star-filled sky. while Fluttershy slept peacefully. Warm, comfortable sheets, a fluffy pillow, and the quiet rustle of little critters as they stirred in their sleep carried her safely to the realm of dreams, giving her her well-deserved rest. Fluttershy sighed and smiled in her sleep. So deep in her dreams she was, that she did not realize the world around her had begun to change.

At first, the change subtle, as if a fog had begun to form on the edges of horizon. The fog began to spread, flowing in a perfect circle around Fluttershy’s cottage, covering everything in sight. Where the fog went, the fields, the streets, the houses and ponies and critters within disappeared, replaced by emptiness filled with stars.

The fog slowly closed in on Fluttershy's cottage. Soon it seeped through the doors, through the windows, through the cracks in the walls, and before long the entire house disappeared; the only thing left untouched was Fluttershy's bed, which now floated in the emptiness filled with nothing but stars. Yet this did not bother the sleeping mare. No, she continued her peaceful journey in dreamland.

Just then, something in the eternity stirred. A shadow began to take form. A long, scaled body of enormous size, donning mighty wings, coiled itself around Fluttershy's bed. The being's eyes looked at the mare with wonder.

“Yes…” A whisper came. “Your unbreakable will, but above all your kind heart, are what I find myself in dire need for…”

Carefully, it touched the bed with the tip of its tail and gave a push. The bed suddenly plummeted down into the abyss with incredible speed, breaking apart and dissolving into particles. However, Fluttershy remained afloat covered by her blanket. Soon, even that suffered the same fate.

The entity gave the pegasus one last glance and spread its wings.

“The laws of existence dictate that what was made by mortal hands can only be unmade by mortal hands,” the entity proclaimed as the star-filled eternity beneath the sleeping mare began to part into fog. The mist formed a perfect ring to reveal a patch of stone-paved street within it.

“Likewise, all the wrongs wrought by those whose lives are finite can only be righted by them, and no one else. ”

The great entity looked down upon Fluttershy, the expression in its ancient eyes unreadable. “Upon you shall I wager my fortunes, ” it said quietly. Then a ghost of a smile formed upon its visage. “Sleep now, little mortal, and may your dreams be pleasant. Be ignorant for a little while longer, until the waking world calls and your task begins. ”

Gently, the entity lowered the still-sleeping mare into the opening, watching carefully until she touched the ground. Then, the being vanished, dissolving back into shadow. The ring of fog began to rapidly increase in size to reveal houses, streets and fields, ponies and critters, forests and mountains, all to and beyond the horizon.

Things were not the same as before, though.

The noises of a bustling city entered her ears and slowly filtered through to her brain, causing Fluttershy to slowly rouse from her slumber. She groaned and took in a deep breath, willing her eyes to open and failed because her eyelids felt so heavy. Yawning loudly, Fluttershy idly thought how nice it would be to simply roll over and sleep a little longer. The hard cobbled stones of the street were so uncomfortable and cold, after all; and the cool morning air proved to be a truly poor blanket. It really would be nice to be lazy a little while longer, out in the open on the cold street, yes.

Fluttershy’s eyes shot open as she realised what she had thought just now. In an instant she was wide awake and fully alert. Her blue eyes told her that she was, indeed, lying on the ground in a small, shadowy alleyway and not at home in her nice and cosy bed. She did the only sensible thing that came to mind: she panicked. Where was she? How did she get here? She couldn’t remember ever having sleepwalked before, and couldn’t image herself having started doing so last night either. Surely one of her animal friends would have noticed if such had been the case. Angel at the very least would have.

The lost pegasus took a few deep breaths to calm herself. She told herself that she had to remain composed and that panicking would not help. She had to approach the situation with a calm and open mind, like Twilight always did. After a few deep breaths, Fluttershy felt enough at ease to take a good look around. The first thing she had to do was figure out where she was.

She was in a small, narrow alleyway between two houses, a short dead-end street. The surrounding walls were made out of bricks of a dirty sand colour that wasn’t very pleasant to the eye. Glancing up, she could just make out the dark red tiles that covered the building’s roofs. Her eyes widened a bit when, just as she looked up at the sky, something large moved through the air overhead. Her mouth involuntarily dropped; even though whatever it was had to be quite high up, she could clearly see that it wasn’t a bird nor any kind flying animal. It was hard to tell what exactly it was, but from what she could make out, the underside of it looked like the underside of a ship. But why would there be a ship in the sky?

Fluttershy quickly looked back at the ground again, feeling that that would be the safest for now. Worrying about flying ships could come later. She glanced at the end of the alleyway, where it met a bigger street, and saw a lot of ponies walking by. None of them seemed to notice her, but then again, it was rather shadowy and dark between the houses. Slowly Fluttershy moved forward a bit and tried to take in more of her surroundings. Her ears picked up a lot of noise, mostly just the chatter of ponies as they went on their daily business. It reminded her of the crowded streets of Canterlot. Wherever she was, there had to be a lot of ponies that lived here.

There were other sounds too, ones she couldn’t identify or recognise. What worried her even more was that, so far, she hadn’t picked up the sounds of any animals. Normally there would be at least a few birds, even in such a crowded place, and her hearing was trained to pick their songs up even in a ruckus like this one. But here, she couldn’t hear a single bird singing or a small critter squeaking. Only the sound of ponies going about their daily things. Her nose was also assaulted by a myriad of scents, some new, some recognisable. It didn’t escape her how the scent of stone and metal was very prominent, while she could hardly pick up any traces of trees or flowers.

The timid mare began to get the feeling that something was terribly wrong, besides the obvious. Hesitatingly, she leaned against one of the houses and poked her head out of the alleyway and took a quick glance outside the shadowy alleyway. She could see a broad street paved with smooth stones, surrounded on both sides by a row of houses. Fluttershy had never seen architecture quite like it before and found herself quite baffled. Every house looked the same; like a small, compact stone cube with a sloped roof dropped on top of it. That in itself wasn’t so odd, but the fact that they were all squeezed together was. Most of them were touching wall-to-wall, others had only a small alleyway in between like the one she stood in now.

What puzzled her the most though, was how they all looked the same. All were built with the same dirty, sand-coloured bricks, their roofs either dark red or blue. There was no individuality, no personal touch or decorations to make the buildings reflect the ponies who lived in them. It seemed so odd and foreign to her. Even in Canterlot, where almost everything was white, every building managed to be unique somehow. Here, this was clearly not the case. Not a single house was decorated or painted. There weren’t even any flowers on the windowsills to provide some colour.

Fluttershy shook her head as she tried to her clear her thoughts. She was getting distracted and she knew it. It didn’t really matter how ponies decided to build here, and pondering about their curious architecture wouldn’t tell her where she was, either. What she had to was ask somepony for directions towards Ponyville so she could go home. Fluttershy looked around, trying to determine who she would dare to disturb.

Most, if not all, of the ponies ignored her. But given that she was still mostly hidden by the shadows of the alleyway, that didn’t surprise her much. Though she noticed all of them wore clothes of a fashion she did not recognise. Though she wasn’t Rarity, Fluttershy did know a thing or two about fashion. That she didn’t recognise what these ponies were wearing was another oddity that fuelled the feeling of worry that nagged the back of her mind that she tried to suppress. She had to remain calm and focussed; she had to be brave in order to get home. Taking a deep breath and gathering all her courage, she stepped out of the alleyway and into the light.

“Excuse me?” she said quietly, trying to catch the attention of a nicely dressed stallion as he walked by. Her plea went unheard as he simply moved on. Fluttershy rubbed her hooves together nervously. She never did like addressing total strangers.

She saw another pony, a mare this time, approaching, and decided to try again. “Um… Excuse me? I… I’d like to ask something, if that’s okay with you…”

To her great relief, the mare actually stopped to listen to her. She turned to her, a smile half-formed on her lips. “Yes, dear, what can I…” Her voice died away when she took a good look at Fluttershy. The mare’s eyes widened and she let out a scream, while backing away from the pegasus as if Fluttershy carried some deadly disease.

The unexpected reaction she received startled Fluttershy dearly, and the shy pony found herself backing away as well, more out of instinct than out of conscious decision. She yelped and cringed, her head held low as she stared fearfully at the other pony. Fluttershy didn’t understand what she had done to make the mare react in such a way. Worse, she noticed how the scream of the mare had drawn the attention of the other ponies on the street. They stopped to see what the commotion was all about, and once they saw Fluttershy, had formed a circle around the frightened pegasus at a respectful distance.

Fluttershy could feel them staring at her, even though they tried to be subtle about it. She could see how they looked at her with a mixture of shock and undisguised disapproval and disdain. Her ears picked up some of their hushed words and whispers. They were saying things like ‘indecent’ and ‘unheard of’ or even ‘the nerve!’ and ‘call the guards!’. Fluttershy tried to back away, but her body refused to cooperate. She was frozen by fear, her ears laid flat on her skull. What was going on? What had she done wrong? She didn’t understand anything at all.

“What is causing all this commotion!?” a stern-sounding voice demanded as the whisperings of the crowd fell silent.

The ponies moved out of the way of the newcomer to let him pass through, and Fluttershy witnessed the arrival of a guard. At least she suspected he was a guard. He didn’t wear the traditional golden armour of the royal guards, but he did wear armour and some sort of uniform. And as far as Fluttershy was aware, only guards wore armour, so in her mind, this new pony had to be one.

She guessed right on the mark even if she didn’t know it yet. The guard, Grey Helm, looked around the crowd and then at Fluttershy. When he saw her, Fluttershy noticed how his eyes widened somewhat. She was sure he was blushing, too, though it was hard to tell because his helm obscured some of his face.

Quietly, she observed how the mare she had attempted to talk to was now speaking to the guard, every now and then gesturing in Fluttershy’s direction with her hoof. Grey Helm nodded a couple of times throughout the mare’s explanation, and once she was done, he turned to Fluttershy. Fluttershy let out a soft, barely audible squeak and cringed once more as she tried to make herself as tiny as possible.

The guard took a couple of moments to regain his composure while looking at her. Fluttershy had realised by now that something about her appearance had made everypony uncomfortable, but she couldn’t put a hoof on what. When the armoured pony before her cleared his throat, indicating he was about to speak, she shyly peaked at him from behind her mane.

“Pardon me, ma’am, but it is my duty to inform you that your behaviour is unacceptable in this community,” Grey Helm said. He spoke calmly, not accusingly or angrily, unlike some of the ponies in the crowd surrounding Fluttershy. It was the typical way of a guard pony: stating facts only, with no room for personal opinion to cloud their judgement or influence their way of speech. Fluttershy was somewhat familiar with that, and that managed to calm her a bit. Though she was still as puzzled as ever about what exactly she had done wrong.

“As dictated by ‘The Laws of Republican Society, article twelve’, public nudity is strictly forbidden in any settlement of our fair Republic,” the guard continued. “I request that you state your name and accompany me quietly to the guard station.”

Fluttershy looked at him as if he had been speaking a different language. She finally knew what she had done wrong to make everypony so upset, but that didn’t do much to help her. She was clearly still in trouble. She had no idea what a ‘republic’ was, or a republican society. If she hadn’t known she was doing something wrong, was it still a crime then? Fluttershy had no idea. She stared fearfully at the guard, unsure of how to respond.

When she took too long to answer, the guard raised one of his eyebrows a teensy bit, showing his agitation. “Your name, civilian,” he demanded for the second time, only now more forceful and less forgiving. Fluttershy let out a soft squeak of fright and did a step back. This only prompted the guard to take one step forward.

Fluttershy realised that she had best do as she was told. Otherwise, the guard might inform the princess that she had broken the law and committed a crime. Then what would the princess think of her? Or worse, maybe even do to her? Fluttershy didn’t want to think about it. She swallowed hard and managed to force out her name. Only it came out as a barely audible squeak, and judging from how Grey Helm was frowning, he hadn’t understood her.

The guard sighed. “Ma’am, you are making this needlessly complicated,” he told her. “Public nudity is not the gravest of offences. Furthermore, your face appears new to me. Since I never forget a criminal’s face, I feel it’s safe to say you have no crime record yet. If you cooperate now, chances are extremely high that you will be released with a mere reprehension and a small fee. Then you will be allowed to go home.” He paused briefly to let his words sink in. “So I will ask one final time. Please state your name and accompany me quietly to the guard station. Otherwise, I will be forced to take you into custody.”

Go home. That sounded very appealing to Fluttershy at the moment. The guard was trying to be as kind and helpful as his duty allowed him to be, she realised. She really longed to go back home and leave this place where everypony was staring at her angrily. So, after taking a deep breath and gathering all her courage, she finally managed to bring out a few words on an audible level.

“My name is Fluttershy…”

Grey Helm nodded curtly, inwardly relieved that they were finally getting somewhere. He took of his coat and handed it to her. “Here, miss, put this on. I cannot escort you through the village if you’re naked.” Then he turned to address the assembled crowd around him and Fluttershy. “The rest of you civilians, there is nothing to be seen here. Move along, or be arrested for blocking free passage through the streets!”

In no time, the crowd dispersed. None of the onlookers felt like getting into trouble with the law because of a mare who was in trouble with the law. Nevertheless, a few couldn’t resist casting a last, quick glance over their shoulder at the guard and his new charge. When Grey Helm noticed this, he shot them a heated glare, and they quickly scampered off.

Fluttershy let out an inaudible sigh of relief, glad that the crowd was gone. It was one source of discomfort less that she had to worry about. She tried to put on the guard’s coat and struggled with it. She wasn’t used to wearing clothes that had sleeves for the front legs, for starters, and secondly Grey Helm was decidedly a bigger pony than her. The coat was several sizes too large and her small form seemed to almost drown in it. She had to roll up the sleeves, lest she’d trip over them once she started walking.

Once she was finally done with putting the uncooperative coat on, Fluttershy dared to look up again. Since she had learned just what exactly it was that had gotten her into trouble, she had felt oddly self-conscious about her nude form. Strange, considering that until today, she had never worn clothes aside from some dresses for formal occasions. She suspected it was because with the coat on, she’d draw less attention. She didn’t fool herself into thinking nopony would stare at her any more, though. A mare in an oversized coat was bound to get some odd looks and raised eyebrows, and Fluttershy knew it.

“Another day, another bundle of paperwork done.” The mare smiled to herself, walking out of the building and taking a breath of fresh air. Well, relatively fresh air, in fact, for it was not that fresh at all. Still, compared to the stale air in the Town Hall offices, this was a welcome change.

Humming to herself, the mare thought about what she should do with the rest of her day. She didn't need any groceries, so going to the marketplace wouldn't be necessary. The weather was good, though, so maybe she should venture out of town and visit Sweet Apple Acres for some apples. Then again, she still had to do her laundry, because she was almost out of clean shirts, and...

“Ugh, this will never do,” the mare grumbled to herself. “I need to organize my thoughts.”

Before she could do so, however, a conversation between two ponies caught her ear as they walked past.

“Can you believe it? Outrageous! Simply outrageous!” a finely dressed unicorn mare exclaimed, clearly very agitated by whatever the subject of the talk was.

“Darling, you shouldn’t be so cross,” a gentlepony-looking earth pony stallion by her side said calmly. “Perhaps the unfortunate mare was mugged, or even... violated.” The stallion shivered uncomfortably at the possibility. “After all, I refuse to believe such a delicate mare as her would venture into the streets unclothed willingly.”

The unicorn stopped in her tracks. “Delicate...?” the mare hissed, narrowing her eyes at the stallion.

The earth pony blinked, not comprehending what he said wrong, but then realization dawned, and he gasped loudly. “No! No! No-no-no, that’s not what I meant at all, darling! You’re still the gemstone of my heart and the most beautiful mare in my life. Don’t be angry, please!”

“Hmph. We’ll see about that.” The unicorn raised her nose into the air and began to trot away, the still-apologizing stallion following closely.

The silent witness of their conversation blinked. “Huh. Well that’s something that you don't see every day,” she muttered to herself, trotting in the opposite direction. Apparently, a mare had been caught walking around in the nude. Well, she’d be lying if she said that an unclothed pony was a shocking idea. But it was surprising that it had happened here, in this age. She pondered about what could possess a mare to do something like that, but nothing really came to mind. Maybe the poor mare was indeed mugged and or violated. She quickly shook that thought off. She would not think about it. This didn’t concern her at all, and she would keep in mind to avoid the street where...

She was snapped out of her thoughts when she bumped into somepony. The said pony quickly apologized and scurried away, and the mare looked around. It seemed that her hooves had brought her close to the guard station. Which wasn’t surprising, given the direction her thoughts were going in.

“Better not hang around here. The guards don’t like ponies lingering in front of the station if they’ve got no business there,” she said to herself. Her decision made, the mare turned around and prepared to trot of in another direction. Before she could even move one hoof, however, her eyes caught the sight of a town guard approaching, with next to him a young mare dressed in a coat that was obviously too large for her.

The mare felt her eyes widen and her jaw drop as she looked at the pony that the guard was escorting. It wasn’t the fact that said pony was so oddly dressed that startled the mare. No, it was the fact that she knew that pony.

“Fluttershy?!”

When she heard her name being called, Fluttershy couldn’t help but look up and try to locate the speaker. It almost went by instinct. Aside from Grey Helm, nopony here knew her name. Hearing it spoken made her heart soar with hope for a familiar face. Somepony to help her with her problems and get her back home. She would give everything she had – which, at this moment, actually wasn’t much – for that.

Both Fluttershy and Grey Helm noticed the unicorn as she approached from the direction of the guard station. Her fur was lavender, her hair deep purple with a pink streak in it. She was wearing a simple white blouse with long sleeves, fashioned to be a bit puffy at the chest. Over it, the pony wore a dark-brown corset, though this mare didn’t squeeze her waist to impossibly small sizes, instead having the corset comfortably compliment her body. Unlike most other lady ponies on the streets of Ponyville, she wore not a skirt, but rather neat white leggings with a brown-framed triangular cut that showed her cutie mark.

Fluttershy gasped as her eyes focussed on the mark on the unicorn’s flank. If it hadn’t been for that, she would have said the unicorn before her was a total stranger. Even if the colour of her fur and mane were familiar, the clothing she wore made her appear totally alien to Fluttershy. But the mare’s cutie mark, a six-pointed star with five smaller stars around it, left no doubt as to her identity.

She could hardly believe it, and though the cutie mark should have been more than enough proof, Fluttershy still felt doubt seep in her heart. Her mind rapidly came up with a long list of reasons as to why the pony before her could not really be standing there. But there was no doubt about it. The mare who stood there, who had called her name, was real. And so Fluttershy heard herself saying, her voice trembling with uncertainty:

“Twilight?”

End of chapter 1.

Author's Note

An important note on the geography of Equestria that will be used in this story. I started writing this fic before Hasbro released the official map of Equestria and instead based the layout of Equestria on this map. It's a bit too late to change it now, so I apologise for this deviation from canon. I try to follow the official map released by Hasbro where possible, but this is one such case where canon came too late, so to speak. It's a minor detail as far as I'm concerned, but if any geography-lover out there goes nuts about my Equestrian geography not being canon, at least now you know why.

Thanks to Raryn for editing.

4. To know the difference

Wings of Tomorrow
Lament of the World

4. To know the difference

“So, Angel Bunny is doing fine?” Fluttershy asked, after the two ponies had spent a long time simply being together in a friendly embrace, enjoying the comfort and the warmth such an action brought them. Not a word had been spoken, there had been no need for them. Fluttershy had been too overwhelmed by her great feelings of relief to be able to put how she felt into words, and Twilight understood that words hadn’t been what she had needed. But now the timid mare had finally calmed down, and she could ask for more information from her friend.

“Yes, he most definitely is,” Twilight confirmed, nodding as she spoke. “Mind though, I have only seen him once or twice from afar. I didn’t really go near your house a lot. It reminded me of your absence too much, and that hurt.” She gave Fluttershy another hug. Both ponies had lost count of how many they had shared by now, but Twilight couldn’t get enough of it. It was as if she needed the physical contact to convince herself that it was real, that she really had one of her beloved friends back after a lifetime of missing her.

“And… what… what about my other little animal friends?” Fluttershy inquired shyly.

Twilight tapped her chin with her hoof, thinking. “Well, again, it’s hard to say since I didn’t go to your place much. So I can’t speak for the animals that lived inside your house, but those outside seemed to be doing fine. The birds and bunnies and chickens were tending to your garden last time I was there to take a look. Well, they tried to. At least they succeeded in preventing a jungle from growing around your house.” She smiled at her friend again. “So, I’m sure if those outside managed to take care of themselves and your house in your absence, those inside won’t have fared much worse. Angel was there to help take care of them, after all.”

Fluttershy released a deep sigh of relief. “Oh, that’s very good to hear. When you told me that I could still go home, I was worried about those poor little ones, with nopony to take care of them because I wasn’t there. I’m glad Angel provided some help in my absence, he’s such a nice bunny.” Twilight wondered for a moment if she had to tell her friend about those not-so-rare ponies who had gotten a black eye or a bruise thanks to a well thrown carrot, courtesy of said ‘nice bunny’, but decided against it in the end. She didn’t want to put a downer on Fluttershy’s spirits again.

Another moment of silence fell between the two, with Twilight thinking of what else she really had to tell her friend, and Fluttershy wondering how her house and all of its little inhabitants were doing. Thinking about her little friend Angel, however, made her mind wander to thoughts of her other friends. She looked up from the couch at Twilight again.

“Ehm, Twilight, what about our friends? How… how are they doing? And… and you, if you don’t mind me asking…”

“Well, I’m doing okay, or at least I like to think so,” Twilight replied and smiled a bit awkwardly. “As you can see, I don’t live in the library here. It’s public domain now, not meant for habitation and all that. I’m not the librarian there either; some pony who came over from Baltimare got that job for some reason. I just work at the town hall now, doing office work for the mayor. It’s not terribly exciting, but it keeps the bits coming at least. I’m not very wealthy, but I’m not poor either. I could afford this house, for starters. It’s no palace, but it’s enough for a mare on her own. I even earn enough to afford electricity!”

Twilight was positively beaming when she spoke that last sentence, but Fluttershy wasn’t sure she got the meaning of it. She couldn’t imagine for the life of her why Twilight would buy lightning. It seemed… dangerous and not very safe. Twilight must have seen the confusion on Fluttershy’s face, for she began to explain before her friend had even opened her mouth to ask.

“Right, I keep forgetting you’re new to all of this,” Twilight said, rubbing the back of her head sheepishly and looking apologetically at her friend. “It’s quite simple though. Thanks to Steel Gear’s inventions and technology, Equestria developed in a way that pretty much made machines the heart of its society. This can be seen especially in our industry. There are trains and airships everywhere, to send ponies and wares all across the country as quickly as possible. That’s just one example though. Another would be the weather factory. I doubt you’d recognise the place. Machines make the weather much faster, so it gives the pegasi a lot more time to get everything going according to schedule.”

She paused briefly to see if Fluttershy was following her so far. When she nodded, Twilight continued. “Now, most of our machines need steam to work. It’s like the blood in our bodies, without it, we wouldn’t work either. Machines need steam coursing through them, and the steam engine is the part that takes care of doing that. Just like our heart; it’s the heart of a machine. In the engine, water gets turned into steam. But you need heat for that, and a good fuel source to keep the heat going. You could use fire, but then there wouldn’t be one tree in Equestria left standing, they’d all be cut for their wood. And we still wouldn’t have enough.”

The image of all trees being cut so they could be burned for the sake of machines was terrifying for Fluttershy. She could already picture all the poor little critters without a home, because everything green was gone. The mere idea hurt her kind heart, and it showed on her face. Luckily, Twilight knew her friend well and she was quick to put her at ease.

“Don’t worry, not a single tree was cut to be used as a fuel source,” she explained. “You see, Steel Gear must have gotten the same image you just had, and he knew that wood would never be a sufficient fuel source. He was the one who designed the first Steam Engine, and even if inventors have modified or improved it throughout the centuries, they all still use the same basic principles Steel Gear invented. It’s just another sign of his genius. Foreseeing the problems with wood, he looked for other things that could drive his Steam Engines. He discovered that electricity, when put through the right kind of metal, gave off the necessary amounts of heat to turn water into steam. All he needed was a way to create the electricity. Putting a thunder cloud in his engine wouldn’t exactly work, though it's said he tried.”

Fluttershy tried to imagine a pony trying to put a thunder cloud in a machine, and came to the conclusion that it would look ridiculous, as well as dangerous. She wasn’t a weather pony, but she understood weather well enough. Thunderclouds that produced lightning were just too unstable, and had to be handled with great care. You couldn’t just use the lightning in it for any other purpose than to create lightning.

“How… then how did he do it? He couldn’t use thunder clouds…” As she asked, Fluttershy quietly wondered what all this complicated stuff about machines had to do with Twilight buying electricity, but she figured that it would become clear if she let Twilight say her piece. So, Fluttershy patiently waited and listened attentively. She thought that what Twilight was telling her was probably common knowledge to all other ponies. And if there really was no way back, she had better catch on quickly and learn these things.

“Steel Gear poured a lot of time in his research for a good source of power that could provide him with the heat to turn water into steam. He tried a lot of different things and eventually his efforts were rewarded,” Twilight replied. “Orichalcon ore has been known to us for ages, but only as material for jewellery. Steel Gear discovered that orichalcon, if infused with enough magic, gives off a startling amount of heat. It was exactly what he needed. He didn’t need to burn wood or generate electricity through metal. All he needed, as it turned out, was a bit of magic and some orichalcon.”

Twilight smiled widely. “It’s brilliant really, and yet so simple. It’s much better and less devastating for Equestria than using wood, and it’s not as needlessly complicated as using electricity. You just take a lump of orichalcon, charge it, and when the magic has run out, you simply recharge it. Simple and effective.” She glanced at Fluttershy to see if she was still following. She was, so Twilight happily continued. “So now that he had all the necessary elements, Steel Gear completed his engine, and with it, changed Equestria forever. Nowadays, the Steam Engine is used in every machine. Airships fly with them, our industry runs on them. It’s hard to imagine an Equestria without it now.”

“But when it comes to our daily lives, in our houses, machines aren’t that common actually, as you can see when you look around my house,” Twilight said. Fluttershy took a quick glance around the living room and realised her friend was right. Everything inside Twilight’s house resembled a pony house as Fluttershy knew them. There were no strange machines that used steam to work anywhere. “That’s because a steam engine is quite large, as are the machines that use them. Not only that, but what would we need them for at home? We use them to make our jobs easier, but don’t really need them in our houses. There are two exceptions, though. You can use a steam engine to generate electricity for light and heat to warm your house.”

She looked at her friend, and Fluttershy saw the same look of pride Twilight had had when she had told her that she could afford electricity. “I have both,” she explained. Her horn glowed as she used her magic to flip a little switch that sat on the wall, next to the door. Suddenly, Fluttershy could see a light lighting up above their heads. A lamp with a nice-looking lampshade was spreading a warm light through the room. “See? Isn’t it wonderful?”

“Oh… It’s… nice…” Fluttershy said quietly, but she avoided Twilight’s gaze. “But… I don’t really understand why it’s so special… If you don’t mind me saying so. We had lamps back in Ponyville… and other machines that worked on electricity…”

Twilight’s smile dropped immediately, and her eyes widened in shock. “Oh… Right,” she said, slowly, as she remembered that little detail now. Her face met her hoof, and the unicorn groaned. “Horsefeathers… I must look so silly to you now.”

“Oh no, not at all,” Fluttershy replied quickly, smiling apologetically as she pat Twilight on the back. “I would never think such a thing about a friend. I’m sure you have a good reason to be so proud of having lamps.”

“Actually, I do,” Twilight said. She regained her composure and gave Fluttershy a serious look. “You have to understand that not everypony here can afford to have something that seems so simple and common to you. Because of Steel Gear’s interference, our technology developed very differently, and is very different from what you’re used to. In some ways it’s more advanced, in others it’s not. Technology in our daily lives is an example of the latter. Every machine runs on a Steam Engine. Now those aren’t hard to get. But like I just told you, you need orichalcon to make the engine work. And orichalcon is very expensive, because it’s hard to find. So, not everypony can afford to buy a house that has electricity. That I was able to do so means that I’m quite well paid, and believe me, not everypony is as lucky as me. A lot of ponies only have candles and hearths to light and warm their houses.”

Now that managed to surprise Fluttershy, and she stared at her friend in silent shock. Slowly, the implications of what Twilight had just said began to sink in, and they worried her. “Does… does that mean there are poor ponies? Who… who can’t even warm their hooves during the winter, or… or read in bed or take a warm bath?” she asked slowly, a frown on her face.

“Oh no, water is still supplied through the town’s water network, so everypony with a house has access to warm water,” Twilight quickly assured her friend. “But… I can’t deny there are ponies who are… poor… due to a variety of reasons and a combination of unfortunate circumstances.” When she saw how Fluttershy’s face went pale, she hurriedly added to her statement. “Not a lot, though! And definitely not in Ponyville. Everypony here has a house and can take a bath, even if they don’t have lamps. But that doesn’t make them poor! They just… earn a bit less than ponies like me…” Twilight trailed off and smiled awkwardly, feeling decidedly uncomfortable. There were a lot of aspects in this new society that were sure to shock her friend in a bad way.

“B… but how could Princess Celestia allow such a thing to happen!” Fluttershy asked aloud, unable to imagine the kind and wise monarch allowing any of her subjects to live without at least the most basic of comforts.

Twilight only smiled even more awkwardly, and she began to sweat nervously as well. “Ah, yeah, about that… Ha ha… Eh… I’ll tell you later. You wanted to know how our friends were doing, right? Well you already know now that I’m perfectly fine, even if I miss my library and Spike, of course. But aside from that, I’m just great!” she said, speaking quickly so that Fluttershy didn’t get a chance to interrupt. “And Applejack is doing great as well. She has barely changed at all, like I said before. She’s very much the pony you remember her to be, and I bet she’ll be very happy to see you again.”

“It would make me very happy to see her again, too…” Fluttershy replied, taken aback by Twilight’s sudden change of topic. She hadn’t failed to notice how uncomfortable it had made Twilight when she had mentioned Princess Celestia. It was yet another thing that brought her worry, but since Twilight seemed so insistent about avoiding it for now, Fluttershy decided it could wait. She wouldn’t mind to hear about her friends first.

“I’ll tell her that you’re back as soon as you’ve settled in a bit,” Twilight said, smiling at her friend, looking normal again. She tapped her chin with her hoof, thinking of who she should talk about next. Given what she knew about the other Elements, there really wasn’t much choice. “Rarity is doing very well, too. Her boutique is still here in Ponyville, though somepony else runs it. Rarity’s still great with fashion, you see, and it really took off at one point. Her designs became so famous she managed to launch her own brand, and in the end, she moved to Canterlot and opened a second boutique there.”

“Oh, that’s very nice. She always dreamed of going to Canterlot,” Fluttershy said, smiling as well. She was happy to hear that Rarity had managed to make one of her dreams come true, even if it was in a different life. Fluttershy was never the pony to deny one of her friends their happiness.

“Indeed she did. We were all happy for her too that she got this chance. It is not easy to set up a business in Canterlot. It’s even harder than it was back in our other life. Rarity is a… well, a commoner, despite everything. And Canterlot really is the city of the upper class and high society. It’s really difficult to enter its closed social spheres, and without the right support, it’s impossible to set up a business there,” Twilight went on to explain. “Rarity managed it, because she had the support of one of the nobles. Due to that, she really made it, and her boutique became very profitable. She managed to work her way up the social ladder, with her own four hooves, and she’s now a respected citizen of Canterlot. That is really quite the achievement for a pony of common birth.”

“I’m really happy for her,” Fluttershy replied. “But… she… she hasn’t forgotten about us here in Ponyville, has she? I… I would really miss her if she had…” Fluttershy rubbed her hooves together nervously while she waited for the answer. She had spoken the truth; She and Rarity had been very close friends, and their weekly spa day had always been one of the highlights of Fluttershy’s week. It would truly sadden her if that was lost now, due to Rarity’s newfound status. Not that she thought her vain or haughty, but Fluttershy knew the price that came with fame. She had experienced it firsthoof, and it hadn’t really been pleasant.

So her relief was quite great when she felt Twilight wrap a leg around her to give her a reassuring hug. “Don’t worry, Fluttershy. Me and Rarity still frequently write each other, and she visits Ponyville at least once a month to make sure her boutique is still being run correctly. She may have worked herself up really high, but she hasn’t forgotten her roots, or her friends. But she is a very busy pony, that I can’t deny.”

For the second time that day, Fluttershy allowed a deep sigh of relief to escape her. “Thank goodness… that’s very nice to know… It would have been really upsetting if Rarity wouldn’t have time for her friends any more. Thank you for telling me.”

Twilight simply tightened her hug. “That’s what friends are for, right? I’m just glad I can make you feel better by giving you good news.”

“Oh, you most certainly are doing that,” Fluttershy said, nodding as she looked gratefully at her friend. There was a brief moment during which the two ponies simply hugged each other again, then Fluttershy smiled shyly and asked another question. “So what about the others? What about Pinkie Pie? You said you’d tell me later… It’s later now, as Pinkie would say.”

Twilight groaned, and let out a sad sigh. “I was afraid you’d ask that…”

Fluttershy’s smile vanished, replaced by an expression of worry. “Why? Did… did something bad happen to Pinkie? You said she didn’t work at Sugarcube Corner any more… What… what’s wrong with her?”

Twilight looked quite unhappy, torn between simply telling the truth and not telling it for the sake of Fluttershy, who had just begun to feel somewhat accepting towards her situation. Though, in the end, she knew that there was little point in keeping it hidden any longer. Fluttershy would find out anyways, perhaps it was best to get the less pleasant parts over with first.

“Pinkie, she’s … fine. I mean, she isn’t sick or anything,” Twilight answered truthfully, though it was visibly difficult for her to speak. “She still lives in Ponyville. Well, just outside of the town actually, but that doesn’t matter, she’s still considered a part of our community. If you take the path to Sweet Apple Acres, you’ll pass her place. She runs a… a rock farm.” Fluttershy gasped quietly, and Twilight swallowed hard. It would be especially difficult to tell the next part, but Twilight knew she had no choice. “And… as far as I know, she… she hasn’t thrown a single party in her entire life.”

Fluttershy was astonished. She was completely speechless. Twilight’s latest revelation had completely floored her, figuratively of course. She felt how her brain had the greatest of difficulties with processing this new information. It wasn’t possible. Just like it was impossible for the sun to shine during the night, it was impossible for Pinkie Pie to not throw parties. That’s what she had always believed. That’s what everypony had always believed. Pinkie Pie threw parties. It was a simple, universal truth, one that could not be denied. There was that one incident with Discord, she had to admit, but that didn’t count.

Fluttershy felt her mouth open to ask, to beg Twilight for an explanation, but no words would leave her lips. It didn’t matter; Twilight knew what her friend wanted to ask. After another sigh, she spoke again.

“I know, it sounds hard to believe. It’s hard even for us, and we’ve seen her like that all our lives, growing up,” she said, the tone of her voice sombre. “But Pinkie… she’s… well, there’s no going around it… she’s depressed, Fluttershy. Do you remember how she looked when she thought we didn’t like her anymore? That’s how she’s looked all her life now. Just like us, she remembers the other Ponyville. She knows she once threw the best parties in all of Equestria. But not here. I asked her why, once, and she said… She said she simply couldn’t, because she was sad. She’s depressed, that’s all there is. Applejack, Rarity, and I have tried everything, but nothing’s worked. We couldn’t help her.”

“But… but why?” Fluttershy demanded. “Why is she so sad and… and so depressed?”

“She has her reasons,” Twilight answered, remaining vague on purpose. She knew the truth behind Pinkie’s depression, but it was a truth of which she wasn’t she should share with Fluttershy yet. Telling your friend that one of her best friends lived permanently depressed was bad enough, but telling her the reason behind it would be even worse. She didn’t know if Fluttershy was ready to handle that yet. The poor pegasus had a lot to think about and get used to as it was. This new world no doubt frightened her, and telling her about the greatest of all changes might cause her to fear it even more, perhaps to the point where she wouldn’t feel safe in it, or not be able to adapt to it. A possibility Twilight really didn’t like, but one she had to keep in mind regardless.

Unfortunately, Fluttershy asked the question Twilight so feared. “What reasons?”

Twilight bit her lip and hesitated. “I… I really don’t think it’s a good idea to tell you, Fluttershy.” She paused for a moment and swallowed hard. “I… I know it must sound horrible, but I… I don’t think you’re ready for it. There are changes to the world that I haven’t told you about yet… because they aren’t good changes. And… and I don’t want to scare you with them. You have so much to adapt to as it is, so much to take in—”

“Twilight!” Fluttershy snapped, stomping her hoof. “This is one of my friends, our friends, we’re talking about. This is somepony I care for a lot! And if something is making Pinkie very sad and you know what it is, then I want you to tell me what it is!”

Twilight gaped at her friend, stunned by her sudden display of assertiveness. She knew that Fluttershy was right, however, and that put her in a really difficult position. Caught between a rock and a hard place, as the saying went. She could feel Fluttershy’s intense stare on her, making her only more uncomfortable. She tried really hard, and opened her mouth a couple of times, but no words would come out, so she fell silent, her head bowed and eyes closed.

Fluttershy noticed the discomfort of her friend, and after a few more moments of staring at her, she gave up. She didn’t want to make Twilight feel bad. She knew that Twilight rarely did things without a good reason. So whatever reason she had to remain silent, Fluttershy felt she had to respect it. And so, an uncomfortable silence reigned between the two ponies for a long time.

“Twilight?”

“Yes?”

“You didn’t tell me about Rainbow Dash yet.”

“I know.”

“Ehm… so… would you tell me? Please?”

Fluttershy was surprised when Twilight let out another deep sigh, one of sorrowful resignation. She had thought that changing the subject would have made her friend feel better, but she seemed even more sad than when she had spoken about Pinkie Pie.

“To tell you the truth,” Twilight said quietly. “I haven’t seen Rainbow Dash in this life yet. None of us have. I know that she’s doing fine, but I haven’t spoken to her. She doesn’t live in Ponyville. Or in Cloudsdale.”

Fluttershy was quiet for another brief moment. She didn’t like the tone of Twilight’s voice. Finally, she dared to ask, “Twilight, where’s Rainbow Dash?”

At long last, Twilight finally gave up. She couldn’t avoid it any longer; she couldn’t tell Fluttershy that she couldn’t tell her about two of her best friends because she might not be able to handle the truth yet. Fluttershy had the right to know, and perhaps she would handle it better than Twilight feared. And even if not, then it might still be better to tell her everything, good and bad, first, to have all the changes out of the way. But she wouldn’t lie, and she couldn’t remain silent. Another deep sigh left her lungs as she gave her friend a sad but resigned look.

“I’ll tell you. I didn’t want to, not yet… but I guess I have little choice. You do have the right to know. So I’ll tell you all of it. Why Pinkie is so sad, and why none of us have seen Rainbow Dash in this life,” Twilight announced, feeling nothing but deep regret, but knowing she had little choice.

Fluttershy nodded. She was grateful that her friend would be honest with her, but couldn’t deny feeling a hint of fear. What could be so terrible that Twilight didn’t want her to know? She heard her friend clear her throat, signalling that she was about to speak again, so she pushed all thought aside for now and directed all of her attention on listening.

Twilight gathered all of her courage, looked one last time at her friend, then closed her eyes and spoke. “Rainbow Dash doesn’t live in Ponyville because she wouldn’t be welcome here. She… she’s a soldier in the civil war, and she’s joined the other side. She’s fights for the Royal Army of the Royal Kingdom of Equestria. She’s an enemy of our state, the Free Republic of Equestria.”

End of chapter 4.

Author's Note

Thanks go to Raryn for editing.

19. Admiral Rainbow Dash's request

Wings of Tomorrow
Lament of the World

19. Admiral Rainbow Dash’s request

Rainbow Dash marched with a steady pace through the Everfree Forest, her senses alert for any sign of danger, though her face looked relaxed and at ease. Night had fallen and it was rather chilly, with a cold wind that ran between the trees to bring shivers to any living being within the forest. Rainbow Dash barely noticed it, however. The extensive training she had gone through over the course of many years had given her an incredible amount of endurance and stamina, enabling her to withstand a staggering amount of physical hardship and exhaustion. Her pegasi blood gave her further resistance to the elements of weather, and thanks to her magicite shards she could endure the coldest of temperatures with only minor discomfort.

Even the Everfree Forest itself, with its strange wildlife and weather that all worked on its own, no longer frightened her. Once, in another lifetime, even she, for all her bravery, had preferred to stay away from the forest if at all possible. The unpredictable weather was only the least of its dangers. Manticores, Cockatrices, Dragons and who knew what other kind of monstrous beasts made it their home, after all. In this life, however, she felt as comfortable walking through Everfree as she felt when taking a casual stroll through the gardens of Cantropolis.

Ponies feared what they didn’t understand, and the Everfree Forest was a good example of that. The plants and animals lived on their own, without the aid of ponies, and the weather made itself with no visible explanation as to how that was possible. It was only natural that ponies would be wary or even fearful of such things. She had been once upon a time, too, but no longer. The high chancellor had given her an explanation as to why the Everfree Forest was the way it was, and in doing so had given Rainbow Dash an understanding of the unknown, which took away her fear of it.

In a way, walking through the Everfree made Rainbow Dash feel quite nostalgic. She hadn’t been in these parts of Equestria for years, not since she was a filly at least. As she looked around at the dark, ghastly trees, the pegasus admiral wondered idly if Zecora still lived in this forest, or if the Elements of Harmony still rested in the ruins deep within the Everfree. She’d like nothing more than to find out the answers to all those little, nagging questions herself, but Rainbow Dash knew she had no time. She was already delaying her return to Cantropolis solely so she could see her friends.

“Now here’s a question Twilight would have a field day with,” Rainbow Dash thought, a small grin forming on her face. “Am I seeing my friends again now, or am I seeing them for the first time?” She glanced towards the night sky thoughtfully. “Technically, I haven’t seen any of them yet in this life, so this would be the first time I’m meeting them, if we ignore the brief encounter in Canterlot. But does it count as a ‘first meeting’ when you’ve already known the ponies in question for years?” Rainbow Dash winced and shook her head. “Ugh, gotta stop thinking like that, it’s so not cool. How the hay can ponies enjoy this ‘philosophy’ stuff?”

However, the rainbow-haired pony had to admit to herself that she missed hearing Twilight go on a rant about just that kind of stuff, just like she missed that playful rivalry thing she had with Applejack. She even had missed Pinkie’s utter randomness and – she could barely believe she was admitting this – Rarity’s prissiness and tendency towards drama. Of course, she couldn’t forget about Fluttershy either. She had missed everything about Fluttershy, even her being scared of her own shadow. Truth to be told, she had missed everything about her other friends, too.

Rainbow Dash came to a halt and planted her hoof against her face with a groan. She glanced around a couple of times to make sure she was alone. “Alright, alright, so I just miss my friends, and everything that comes with them,” she then admitted out loud to herself. Rolling her eyes, the admiral let out a huff and continued on her way. She didn’t really like thinking about it, because it made her think about how much she actually missed her old life in the old Ponyville, when she had just been the fastest flier in all of Equestria with the most awesome friends a pony could hope for. Thinking like that just made her nostalgic and sad, which in turn weakened her and made her waver.

That was something Rainbow Dash couldn’t allow to happen to herself. She had to remain strong so her resolve would remain so as well. The old Ponyville was gone now, Steel Gear had seen to that and there was nothing she could do about it. Not even the high chancellor knew how the stallion had been able to travel back in time, and if she didn’t then nopony did. So it wouldn’t do to waste time lamenting or whining about the loss. She couldn’t do anything about Steel Gear’s interference. But she could do something about the results of his actions, with freeing Princess Celestia as the top priority.

If she couldn’t bring back the old Ponyville, then she just had to remake it, and to do that she had to restore proper order to Equestria. Naturally that would be far from easy, and it was for that exact reason that she had to remain strong. She was an admiral now. She had an entire division of roughly thirty-three thousand guards who looked up to her for leadership, who were counting on her to bring them to victory and the restoration of Equestria as it should be. That was a great responsibility that brought with it a great deal of stress, and it would break her if she showed but a single moment of weakness or doubt.

She didn’t want that, she knew she wouldn’t be able to bear the shame and regret if such a thing were to happen. Thus far she had been able to manage being in such a vital and important position quite well, but she had to admit that her resolve hadn’t really been tested in all-out war yet. Until recently, the civil war was restricted to the occasional skirmish at the borders. But since Derpy became the Grand Admiral and began to develop the military power of the Royal Guard, the Republic had changed its course and was steering for a head-on collision.

Open war would be upon them soon, and it was up to Rainbow Dash and her fellow admirals to see their kingdom through it in one piece. And despite all of her power, Rainbow Dash knew she was still untested when it came to all-out warfare. Now she was still cool, but once the moment was there she’d probably be quite stressed and nervous. She wasn’t above admitting that she could use some help, if only for moral support.

Which was exactly why she was now standing before a very familiar cottage, knocking on the door.

While she waited for her call to be answered, Rainbow Dash took a moment to look around. The sight of Fluttershy’s cottage made her throat feel dry and raw. She had come here only once before in this life, when she had left to join the royalists. It was as if that had been only yesterday, for nothing had changed. Sure, the lawn was mowed, the garden kept neat and the birdhouses repaired, but all of those things were only superficial. It didn’t change the feelings the sight of the house awoke within the pegasus.

Feelings of nostalgia, of happiness and sadness. This place had withstood the shifts in the stream of time, like a lighthouse in a storm, and simply standing here at its front door flooded Rainbow Dash with memories of her other life. In a flash of insight, she saw some of the happiest moments she’d spend at this place in that life, only to then see what she had done at the exact same time in this life instead: training, fighting and practicing.

She realised just how many wonderful times she had been cheated out of in this life, and it hurt her deeply. Rainbow Dash felt how her tears fought to break free, but she refused to let them. What kind of impression would it give to her friends if she arrived here in tears? However, she could think of it no further, for at that moment the door opened and a familiar pegasus appeared in the doorway.

“Uh… Hiya, Fluttershy,” Rainbow Dash greeted, with a wide and nervous grin plastered on her face. She rubbed the back of her head sheepishly with one of her hooves. “Can I come in?”

The feeling of being embraced by all of her best friends in a massive group hug was nearly indescribable. The warmth it caused Rainbow Dash to feel inside her chest, the familiarity of both the gesture and the feeling, the emotions it stirred within her, it was all so amazing and so utterly welcome. She hadn’t realised just how much she had missed the comfort of her friends until this very moment, where they nearly piled on top of her and held her tightly, as if they were afraid that she’d vanish the moment they let go.

When Rainbow Dash had entered Fluttershy’s cottage, she barely had had the time to locate each of her friends and utter a greeting before the five other mares had thrown themselves at her while crying out her name. Even now they still seemed to have no intention of letting her go, and frankly she didn’t mind. She had wanted to see them every day of her entire life, and she didn’t doubt that the same went for her friends. Now she finally was here with them again, after all those years, and that moment was worth having the life hugged out of her.

As she glanced at her friends, she noticed that all of them had tears in their eyes, and to her surprise she felt how her own cheeks were wet as well. “Celestia damn it all, look what you girls made me do,” Rainbow Dash said with a tearful grin. “You made me cry!”

Her comment caused the entire group to laugh, and then they finally separated, allowing the admiral to at last take a good look at her friends. Applejack was no different at all from how she remembered her, something that didn’t surprise Rainbow Dash in the least. The earth pony was as sturdy and hardy as a rock, it would take more than a bit of time-shifting to make her change. She still had her trusty hat and the same honest, earnest look in her eyes.

Pinkie Pie was a bit more of a shock to her, for the pink earth pony was unusually calm and composed. Sure, Pinkie had been the first to roar ‘Dashie!’ on top of her lungs and hug her to the point of suffocating, but the Pinkie Rainbow Dash remembered would have pulled out her party cannon and thrown a party by this point. The occasion certainly called for one. But she didn’t do this, instead Pinkie merely sat there on her rump, staring at Rainbow Dash with tear-filled, shining eyes, as if she couldn’t believe that the pegasus admiral was really here.

Rainbow Dash also noticed something was off about Pinkie’s appearance. Her coat, mane and tail had by this point regained their usual pink hues, but her mane and tail lacked the poofy style Rainbow Dash remembered. It reminded her of how Pinkie’s hair had gone straight and dull that one time when she had thought her friends no longer liked her, and Rainbow Dash wondered if that was at all related to the party pony’s unusual calmness.

The pegasus admiral turned her attention to Rarity, and was relieved to see that the unicorn appeared to be fine. She couldn’t see Rarity’s wounds because of the dress the unicorn was wearing, but it seemed that Rarity experienced little to no hinder from it, as she was moving around the cottage without any sign of physical discomfort or pain. The admiral made a mental note to give the healers she’d sent with Rarity in Canterlot a just reward for saving her friend’s life.

Aside from this, Rainbow Dash couldn’t detect any immediate change within her friend. Rarity looked and carried herself the same way she always had in the admiral’s memories, a fact that pleased Rainbow Dash to no end. She’d missed her friends and every single one of their quirks, even their flaws, and it made her endlessly happy to know that Rarity was still very big about her appearance and wearing the right fashion. Rainbow Dash wouldn’t have it any other way.

When she looked at Twilight Sparkle, however, Rainbow Dash had to prevent herself from frowning with worry and concern. The purple unicorn didn’t look as healthy as the rest of her friends, in fact she looked tired and exhausted, and quite pale as well. That came as no surprise to her, after all, Twilight had been injured very badly and her wounds had been numerous. It was normal that she still wasn’t completely healed only a day after receiving her injuries, even if the most potent healing spells had been used to save her life.

It wasn’t the state of Twilight’s health that worried Rainbow Dash, though, it was something different. The eyes of the two mares briefly met, and within Twilight’s eyes Rainbow Dash had seen a look of melancholy and grief. Though the purple mare was smiling and feeling genuinely happy due to seeing her again, Rainbow Dash could feel that her egghead friend was struggling with something inside herself. What this was, she couldn’t fathom, not yet at least, but it was definitely something she’d try to approach Twilight about later, if she could.

Heart to heart talks and offering wisdom or comfort had never been her forte, not even in her previous life, Rainbow Dash knew that. But during her years in the guard she had often encountered ponies with similar looks in their eyes, and she had gotten at least a bit of experience in how to treat such ponies, her rank required she possessed concern for the wellbeing of her subordinates, after all. She knew she’d never be as good at being a shoulder to cry on as Fluttershy was, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t try. Especially if it was for one of her friends.

Thinking of Fluttershy’s kindness made Rainbow Dash look at her fellow pegasus. Back in Canterlot, she really hadn’t had the time to see how her friends had or hadn’t changed, or to deal with them properly according to their character and personality. That was why she had been so short and to the point, even going as far as slapping Fluttershy to snap her out of her traumatized daze. Rainbow Dash naturally felt only regret for that, especially since she understood like no other how hard and traumatizing it must have been for Fluttershy to be in the middle of such a brutal situation.

But there hadn’t been the time to be calm and patient and understanding, Twilight and Rarity’s lives had been in genuine danger. On top of that Rainbow Dash had had to worry about the agents she had sent to break in the palace and the retrieval of the plans from Shining Armour’s office as well. She wouldn’t say it out loud, but that night in Canterlot had been one of the most stressing and trying times in her entire career as a Royal Guard. Simply making sure that her plan to retrieve the plans succeeded had been difficult enough on its own, but when she saw that three of her best friends had involuntarily been dragged into her fight and had gotten injured due to her plan, Rainbow Dash had been close to snapping under the pressure, worry and panic.

It all had turned out well enough in the end, however. The plans were safely in her possession, Twilight and Rarity had been saved, and she was finally seeing her best friends again. And as for Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash got the impression that her timid friend was managing fine. Fluttershy’s injury, caused by a brutal blow to the head, seemed to have been healed nicely, with only a minor bruise remaining. She also seemed to be behaving pretty normally, looking genuinely at ease and very happy, almost uncharacteristically so, to see Rainbow Dash again. Fluttershy appeared to be herself, unchanged, just like how Rainbow Dash remembered her.

Glancing around to observe the living room of the cottage, the pegasus admiral noticed that Fluttershy wasn’t the only thing that appeared to be unchanged. Her house was exactly how Rainbow Dash remembered it to be, everything being in place and looking as it always had, as if time had not been tampered with in the slightest. That on itself was odd, but it became even more so when she remembered how, during all these years, she hadn’t been able to find a single trace of Fluttershy anywhere. Even though she had never visited or contacted them, Rainbow Dash at least knew where the rest of her friends had been. But not Fluttershy. There never had been any sign or word of the butter-coloured mare, as if she had disappeared from the face of the world until now.

“It’s probably one of those ‘anomalies’ the high chancellor told me about,” she thought. “I probably should tell her about it once I’m back in Cantropolis.”

Applejack’s voice pulled the admiral from her thoughts. “Ain’t no shame in sheddin’ some tears, sugarcube,” she said, in response to Rainbow Dash’s earlier comment about how they had made her cry. The orange pony was grinning at her friend, a few stray tears still blinking in the corners of her eyes. “Especially not when yer seein’ one of yer best friends for the first time in years.” She walked up to Rainbow Dash and offered one of her hooves, her grin becoming a genuine, sincere smile of happiness. “Good to see ya again, partner.”

“Likewise, AJ,” Rainbow Dash replied, bumping her hoof against Applejack’s. “I missed our hoof wrestling matches.”

“And Ah missed yer lazy hide nappin’ in mah trees,” Applejack answered, her smile wavering a bit as fresh tears of joy began welling up. The apple farmer chuckled, and bowed her head while wiping her tears away. “Now look at me, gettin’ all emotional and stuff.” She mock-glared at Rainbow Dash. “It’s yer fault, too. Couldn’t even be bothered to send a wishin’ card fer Hearths’ Warming Eve, could ya?”

“Yeah, Dashie, that wasn’t very nice!” Pinkie cried out, looking like she was only half-joking when sounding angry. “We were all so super duper worried about you, because you could get hurt while fighting all those meanies and we wouldn’t even know because you never let us hear even a single word of you! Not even half a word!”

Twilight, who was laying on the couch with a blanket draped over her, Rarity standing at her side, made a gesture with her hoof for Pinkie to stand down. “Easy there, Pinkie,” she said calmly but friendly. “I’m sure Rainbow Dash would have wanted to let us know how she was doing as badly as we wanted to hear from her. But it tends to be rather difficult for a royalist to casually contact citizens of the Republic.”

Rainbow Dash nodded solemnly and sighed, then looked up to give all of her friends, but Pinkie in particular, an apologetic look. “Twilight’s right. I would have loved to send you guys a letter or something, to let you know how I was doing,” she said. “But if I did that, there was a chance that the Republic would find out, and then you’d all be accused of collaborating with royalists. I couldn’t risk putting all of you in danger.”

Applejack sat down next to Pinkie and put a hoof on her fellow earth pony’s shoulder. “She’s right, sugarcube. ‘T wouldn’t have been safe, it wouldn’t,” she said, giving Rainbow Dash an understanding look. “And Ah think that it was just as hard fer her as it was for the lot of us.”

Pinkie bowed her head and clopped her front hooves together absentmindedly. “I know,” she admitted, her mane losing some of its curls and waviness as she spoke. “And I’m not mad at Dashie, I’m just sad because I really, really, really missed her and worried about her.”

“I understand, Pinkie,” Rainbow Dash replied, her voice sounding surprisingly soft and vulnerable. “I missed you girls a lot, too, and I swear, if there had been any way for me to safely contact any of you, I would have done so.”

“It’s okay, Rainbow Dash, what matters is that you’re here now,” Fluttershy said quietly, smiling kindly at her friend. She wasn’t sure if it was really okay, given that she hadn’t had to miss her dear friend for an entire lifetime, but it still felt like the right thing to say.

“Fluttershy’s right, sugarcube. What’s important is that ya finally decided to drop by and visit,” Applejack agreed. “Ah must admit, though, me and Pinkie were a mighty bit shocked when Flutters and Rare came home far earlier than expected, supportin’ a Twilight who looked right about ready to drop to the floor like an apple from a bucked tree, with ‘er body all bandaged up. Then they started sayin’ they’d met you and would be comin’ here tonight, and me and Pinkie here weren’t quite sure what to believe or make of it.”

“Their disbelief was quite understandable, I must admit,” Rarity added, looking curiously at the cyan pegasus. “Not that I’m complaining, for it is wonderful to see you again, darling, but why are you on Republic territory? Being a rather well-known member of the royalists as you are, it doesn’t quite seem like the safest or most logical of places to be.”

Rainbow Dash shrugged. “To be honest, my visit to Ponyville wasn’t part of the plan when I left Cantropolis. I kinda added it to the schedule on a whim when I saw you in Canterlot,” she replied. “I realised then that, since I was in the neighbourhood anyway, this was a golden opportunity to meet you guys again, so I took the chance.”

“That still begs the question why you were in Canterlot in the first place,” Twilight mused. “I take it that it has something to do with those plans that Night Guard was carrying?”

The admiral nodded, her expression becoming rather grim. “Hit the nail on the head. We’ve been kinda desperate to get our hooves on those scrolls for months, so I came up with a plan to snatch them while everypony was busy with the parade. Since this operation was so important, I came along myself to make sure we’d succeed,” Rainbow Dash explained. “There’s no way I’d risk myself this deep in enemy territory otherwise, but I had no choice but to take the risk this time. With success, though I lost more good ponies last night than I wanted to.”

She gave Twilight a serious but grateful look. “And all those lives would’ve been lost in vain if it weren’t for you, Twilight. If it weren’t for you stalling them, those guards would have retaken the plans and everything would’ve been for nothing.” Rainbow Dash bowed her head deeply out of gratitude and respect for her friend. “On behalf of myself and the entire Royal Guard, you, Rarity and Fluttershy have my thanks.”

To say it was surprising to hear Rainbow Dash say something like that, on so solemn and serious a tone no less, would have been an understatement, and each of her friends had suddenly lost their jaws somewhere on the floor. Twilight was the first to recover.

“It is us who should be thanking you, Rainbow Dash,” she said quietly. “We didn’t do anything, weren’t of any use at all, and would have been wasting away in a jail now, or worse, if it weren’t for you. You saved our lives.” Rarity and Fluttershy silently nodded their agreement.

The rainbow-haired pegasus dismissed Twilight’s words with a simple gesture of her hoof. “As if I’d let any of my friends get hurt on my watch,” she said. Then, with more concern, she added: “How are your injuries, though? I hate to say it, but you don’t look too good, Twilight.” She then glanced at the other unicorn in the room. “What about you, Rarity?”

“I’m quite fine, darling, rest assured,” the white mare replied calmly, and she gently rubbed the area of her wound through her dress. “It aches a bit when I walk, but nothing serious or hindering.” Rarity glanced at Twilight from the corner of her eyes with worry and some mild disapproval. “Twilight’s condition is not as good, I’m afraid.”

“Rarity, I’m fine, I’m just tired,” the other unicorn said insistently. “I merely overexerted myself today, that’s all.”

“Quite,” Rarity agreed, the expression on her face making it clear to everypony in the room that she was anything but pleased with Twilight’s behaviour from earlier that day. “We told you to let us order a taxi to bring you here, Twilight, yet you insisted on walking.”

“It was past sunset when we arrived at the train station,” Twilight noted. “There are no more taxis in Ponyville at that hour.”

“Be that as it may, I’m certain we could have arranged something for you nevertheless,” Rarity insisted. She sighed and shook her head, before arranging the blanket covering her friend neatly again. “No matter, what’s done is done, so you just take some rest now, darling.” Twilight nodded and did not protest any further, and she breathed deeply in and out a couple of times before laying down her head on her pillow again. Satisfied, Rarity turned to look at Rainbow Dash again, who was still standing in the middle of the room with the eyes of all her friends on her.

“Ah’m not sure Ah follow all this stuff ‘bout plans and risks, though Pinkie and mahself got a recap of what happened back in Canterlot,” Applejack spoke up, after a few moments of silence. She was watching Rainbow Dash with a bit of a thoughtful frown on her face. “But Ah suppose it don’t matter as long as Twi’ and the others are safe and ya got what ya wanted, sugarcube. But what Ah wanna know is why you took the risk to come and see us instead of takin’ them plans straight back to Cantropolis if they’re so important.” She paused for a moment, then hastily added: “Not that Ah’m not glad to see ya, sugarcube, ‘cause Ah am. But ya gotta admit it ain’t fully logical.”

“Don’t remind me, I already got an earful about the exact same matter from my vice-admiral,” Rainbow Dash replied, and she groaned. “But, well, I really couldn’t miss this opportunity now that I was so close to Ponyville. I really wanted to see you guys again, for one thing, but there was also something that I really wanted to ask of you.”

“Something you would like to ask us?” Rarity echoed ponderously.

Rainbow Dash nodded again, and quietly wondered how she was best going to approach this. After a few moments of contemplation, she reached a decision and took in a deep breath to steel herself. “You guys probably don’t know it, but the Republic is getting very nervous as of late,” she began, and immediately the mood in the room seemed to darken somewhat as her friends realised this was going to be something grave and serious.

“The Royal Guard’s growing stronger every day, and at this rate, we’d have the power to take down the Republic, free Princess Celestia and end the civil war in but a few more years,” Rainbow Dash continued, glad to see her friends were paying rapt attention and understanding that her words were no laughing matter. Even Pinkie was listening attentively. “The Nobles’ Court knows this as well as we do, and they obviously don’t find the idea very appealing. So they decided that instead of waiting for us to come and buck their butts to the Frozen North, they’re going to make the first strike and take us down while they still can.”

“The plans that I was ordered to retrieve are so important because they contain the details of the upcoming invasion. We had to know where the Republic’s planning to strike and how, or else they’d defeat us, and then Princess Celestia is going to be in a dungeon forever.” Rainbow Dash sighed and absentmindedly ran a hoof through her mane. “I have the plans now, so we can prepare our defences accordingly and prepare a counterattack, meaning we’ll stay in the game for at least a bit longer. That’s the good news.” She paused a moment to let her words sink in. “The bad news is that with this, the days of cold war and small skirmishes at the borders are over. The Republic means business and they want us out of the way for good. Open war will be upon Equestria very soon, whether we like it or not. Before the year’s over, this war’s going to be over.”

The other ponies in the room could only stare at their friend in shock as she informed them of these facts. In all honesty, the civil war had little impact on the daily life in Ponyville until now. The conflict had gone on for so long that it had almost become normal, to the point where it no longer interested ponies who didn’t live at the unstable borders. Twilight, Rarity, Applejack and Pinkie Pie had been no exception. They didn’t like the way things were, and certainly didn’t like that there was a civil war going on, but none of them had any firsthoof experience with it. To hear now that it was going to escalate, badly, was unsettling to say the least.

“I’m a Royal Admiral,” Rainbow Dash said, after another short pause. “It’s going to be my job to take care of roughly thirty-three thousand ponies and lead them into battle and to victory.” She could hear sharp intakes of breath upon revealing this. “I don’t know what’s going to happen, but I do know that it won’t be easy, and that I could use some help. So when I saw you girls in Canterlot, I planned this visit for two reasons.”

“Ehm… w… what reasons are those?” Fluttershy squeaked, bravely daring to speak up.

“The first reason was that I simply wanted to see you guys again. I’ve missed all of you very badly, and I really couldn’t resist this chance to come and see you all,” Rainbow Dash answered. She smiled a bit and glanced around the room, looking each of her friends in the eye one by one. “But when I thought of visiting here, I realised that it would give me the opportunity to achieve my second reason of coming here.”

“And that is…?” Rarity asked, not wanting the cyan pegasus to keep them in suspension.

“I already said that I could use some help in the upcoming war. More specifically, I could use your help,” Rainbow Dash replied. She took another deep breath and avoided looking any of her friends in the eye. “I can’t do this on my own, I need my friends by my side if I’m going to make it through this mess. I’m asking you girls to come with me to Cantropolis.”

End of chapter 19.

38. Perdition of morality

Wings of Tomorrow
Lament of the World

38. Perdition of morality
The Siege of Stalliongrad – Part 7

Over the course of the past few hours, Shining Armour had, through the strategy he had spent months preparing and planning, given his adversaries more than one nasty surprise. The one that currently held the Royalists forces in its thrall, shocking them to the very core of their being, however, had not been part of the plan. When one of the ships under his command had, against all orders, opened fire on a neutral zone, the marshal had been as stunned as everyone else.

That had only lasted for a few moments, however, the stunned horror quickly making room for cold fury. In the blink of an eye, Shining Armour tore his communication crystal out of his pocket. “Trixie,” he growled through gritting teeth. “Three seconds. Three seconds to explain yourself, before I come up there and personally rip your rank insignia and your horn off!”

Somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew that if he gritted his teeth together any harder they’d shatter, but Shining Armour bluntly ignored said voice, needing a way to release his fury in a manner that was safe for his surroundings. He blessed himself for having a naturally white coat, or else he was sure he’d be looking an unhealthy shade of pale at this very moment.

There was indignant gasp on the other side of the line.

“The Great and Powerful Trixie did in no way authorise this appalling display of barbarism!” Trixie replied, sounding shocked by the accusation. “She is quite offended that one would even suspect her of such a thing!”

“Only your fleet is close enough to the city to be within firing range, so it had to be one of your ships!” Shining Armour snarled back. “I gave explicit orders not to target any neutral territory. If you did not put up one of your crews to insubordination, then who did?!”

“I did.”

Shining Armour’s eyes widened in surprise, before quickly narrowing to slits again as his fury reached its boiling point. He was grabbing his communication crystal so tightly it was a miracle it didn’t shatter. “Smaragd Haze,” he said, his voice trembling with anger. “You… You dare…?” Shining Armour almost lost it for a moment. “Do you realise what you have done?!”

“I did what needed to be done,” Smaragd Haze replied coolly, seemingly not at all bothered by his actions nor the reaction of his superior to it.

“You disobeyed a direct order from your superior and committed a crime so heinous there are no words to describe it!” Shining Armour shouted, the vein at his temple throbbing. “You’ve brought shame to us all and stained any victory we might get with the blood of innocents! I’ll have you court martialled for this act of treason, Smaragd!”

“We have passed the point where we can allow our actions to be guided by such trifling matters as your morality, Marshal!” Smaragd Haze said sharply, speaking as if he was reprimanding a disobedient recruit. “Now that our invasion at New Saddle has failed, we must emerge triumphant on this battlefield, or else all sacrifices of today will have been a complete waste!”

“We have less than an hour before Derpy Hooves arrives on this battlefield,” the commander continued. “Every enemy that we allowed to be taken to that hospital was one more who could return to the battlefield, stall our advance and delay our victory until it is too late! We have to be thorough and strike swiftly and without mercy, while we still have the opportunity!”

Shining Armour opened his mouth to say something, but the words died on his lips and he clenched his teeth together again in frustration. As much as he absolutely loathed to admit it, he couldn’t deny that there was some truth to the words of the commander. If they lost the battle here as well, everything would indeed have been for naught, all the dead would have died for nothing.

In that light, Smaragd Haze’s actions fit in with the thought that victory had to be achieved at all cost now. He refused to admit that, however, for he did not want the commander to think even for a moment that he approved of his actions in even the smallest amount. It did leave him momentarily at loss of what to say to him, however, so he instead diverted his attention to another matter that was bothering him.

“Trixie, even if he had the idea, he still needed a ship to carry it out,” he said. “Can you tell me what happened?”

“The Great and Powerful Trixie apologises,” the commander replied. “It would seem he had one of the unicorns of his division take him aboard one of Trixie’s ships, where he threatened the crew into obedience.”

“That explains that,” Shining Armour muttered, sighing deeply.

For perhaps the first time today, he was at loss of what to do. He could not let his treacherous commander get away with this, yet at the same time, Smaragd Haze was, for all his numerous flaws, too invaluable a force to be withdrawn from the battle, especially at this stage. With Derpy Hooves on her way, the clock for a swift end to the war was ticking; he’d need every force under his command available if he wanted to make it in time.

“So either I lose my face and my honour, or I lose the battle,” Shining Armour thought, mentally cursing Smaragd Haze for the dilemma he now faced. He realised that he had to make a decision; the clock was ticking and every second he wasted now being indecisive brought them all closer to a bloodbath. The image of a burning Equestria flashed briefly through his mind and helped him reach a decision.

“Smaragd Haze, return to your post and see to it that you stay there,” he growled. “I mean it, commander. If you step even a single hoof out of line from this moment on ‘till the end of the battle, then so Harmony help me, you will not be leaving this battlefield alive, understood?!”

“Perfectly, marshal,” Smaragd Haze replied smoothly, sounding not in the least bit worried.

“I certainly hope so, for my sake if not yours,” Shining Armour finished coldly, after which he promptly closed the connection with Smaragd Haze’s communication crystal, his face black as thunder. “Trixie, listen, we need to-” The Marshal suddenly sprang aside, narrowly dodging a blade of sand that would have cleaved him in two. As his hooves made contact with the sand again, he turned to face his attacker.

“It seems I’ve misjudged you, Marshal,” Desert Heat snarled, his face a mask of unbridled fury and utter disgust, as he unleashed a flurry of crescent-shaped sand blades at his opponent. “I thought we could at least expect the common rules of decency to be obeyed, even during wartime, but clearly the depravity of the Republic knows no bounds!”

“I did not authorise this attack!” Shining Armour shouted back, as the sand blades crashed against the shield he had raised to protect himself. With a burst of magic, he disappeared and reappeared to the side of the admiral, but did not attack. “Smaragd Haze acted on his own! His actions shame me as much as they shock you!”

“Don’t speak of shame, you insolent cur!” Desert Heat snapped. With a roar, he turned and threw himself at his adversary. Shining Armour, who had reacted just a split second too late, was tackled to the ground, all air being forced out of his lungs as the heavy bulk of the sturdier earth pony landed on top of him. Desert Heat raised his hoof, ready to bring it down upon the marshal’s head, but this time Shining Armour was quick enough and caught the admiral’s hoof with his own.

As Desert Heat tried to pull his hoof out of the marshal’s grip, Shining Armour locked his free arm around Desert Heat’s neck. Thusly locked together, the two stallions rolled over the ground as they grappled and wrestled with each other, throwing up clouds of dust and sand in the wake of their fight. Eventually they came to a halt, with Desert Heat pinning Shining Armour to the ground again, despite the latter’s valiant struggles to achieve the opposite.

“Don’t you dare deny your part in this!” Desert Heat all but shouted into Shining Armour’s face. “You say you did not authorise this attack, that you shared no hoof in this, but who let that monster become one of his commanders?! Who promoted him to a position where he had the power and the freedom to do these things?! Who?!”

Shining Armour remained silent and turned his head away, unable to look Desert Heat in the eye. The accusation stung, all the more because he couldn’t entirely deny it. “The choice of the commanders doesn’t just fall to me,” he finally said, though he knew it was a poor defence. “My opinion carries weight, but in the end, the decision falls to the Court Nobles.”

“And that, marshal,” Desert Heat said coolly. “Is exactly the reason why we’re at war.”

The two stallions gazed defiantly at each other for a moment, until Desert Heat raised his hoof, ready to smash Shining Armour’s skull in, while the marshal charged up his magic. Before any blow could be struck, however, Desert Heat’s communication crystal lit up, a clear sign somepony wanted to speak to him urgently. The admiral clenched his jaw, his raised hoof trembling, seemingly unable to decide if he should answer the call or beat the stallion pinned beneath him to death.

The decision was made for him, however, when Shining Armour levitated his communication crystal out of the admiral’s pocket and held it out for him. “I believe it’s for you,” the marshal said, giving a weak, awkward grin.

Desert Heat looked very much like he wanted to remake Shining Armour’s face there and then, but finally he relented, blowing harshly through his nose before snatching his crystal out of the marshal’s magical grasp. With a worried heart he answered the call, all the while keeping a close eye on the stallion pinned beneath him.

“Go ahead, Willow Bark,” he said, having learned by the colour his crystal had lit up with who was trying to contact him. He felt Shining Armour shift slightly underneath him and he sent the marshal a warning glare, coupled with pressing his hoof down harder on the other stallion’s chest. “What’s the situation over there?”

“The hospital took a direct hit from the bombardment. There’s fire coming out of nearly every window and the east side was nearly entirely blown away by the attack,” the panicky voice of Willow Bark replied. “Pegasi and unicorns are trying to get the fire under control, but because the whole building can collapse at any moment now, they can’t get near enough to work efficiently!”

“What about the personnel and the wounded?” Desert Heat demanded, his face having turned very grim upon learning the news. “Has there been any contact with the ponies inside? Are there any survivors?!”

“We don’t know, admiral, sir! The entrance has been blocked by debris, preventing us from getting inside,” Willow Bark replied. “Even if we could, the heat and smoke make it impossible for anypony but a unicorn to go inside, but many of them were wounded or killed during the enemy’s last attack!”

The news only served to deepen Desert Heat’s frown. “Is there anything being done in order to come to the aid of those trapped inside?” he asked. “Has anypony taken command of the situation?!”

“Negative, sir,” came the answer. “The situation has descended into total chaos. The soldiers are confused and demoralized, not knowing who to obey or where to go first, with their officers often not knowing either. Attempts are being made to coordinate all responses, but without approval of an admiral it often just escalates into more confusion! Please sir, we need help!”

Desert Heat felt conflicted, something that was clearly visible upon his face. He knew he could not decide what had to be done until he had seen and assessed the situation with his own eyes. In order to do that, he would have to abandon the battlefield, leaving nopony to stand between the enemy and the city. But if he did not go, the situation in the city was likely to turn into a complete disaster, and he’d abandon countless innocents to die a slow and painful death.

Shining Armour, seeing the dilemma his enemy was facing, decided to speak up. “Go,” he said, much to Desert Heat’s surprise. “You may think me an immoral monster, but that doesn’t mean I am. I didn’t approve of this attack and I don’t want the deaths of the ponies inside that hospital on my conscience. I won’t attack you in a situation like this, I swear, so go and help them!”

Desert Heat slowly removed himself from atop his enemy, but did not move any further. He cast a sharp but hesitant glare at Shining Armour, still uncertain of the marshal’s motives or if he could trust his word. That Shining Armour would let him leave unhindered to go and help his troops seemed honourable enough, but on the other hoof, it also meant that he could march up to their gates unopposed.

Shining Armour, who had climbed back to his hooves by now, seemed to guess what the admiral was thinking. He let out a groan and clutched the side of his head, as if doing so would alleviate the stress a little and make it easier to make a decision. “Five minutes,” he said, putting his hoof back down. “That’s as long as I can delay our attack without getting a mutiny on my hooves, so make good use of it and get going!”

Though it wasn’t clear if he believed him or not, Desert Heat finally relented, knowing that going to the aid of his troops was more important than figuring out the marshal’s true motivation. Before he left, he cast one last hard look at Shining Armour. “This doesn’t change my opinion of you,” he warned.

“It doesn’t have to,” Shining Armour replied curtly. “Now hurry and go save your allies.”

Desert Heat averted his eyes and said nothing. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath and, feeling he had recovered enough of his strength, reached out to his magicite. The shard responded, lighting up with a gentle glow, and the next moment Desert Heat was speeding towards the city, riding atop waves of sand.

The news of Derpy’s victory in New Saddle had reached both Rainbow Dash and Spitfire in the middle of their fight, and had served as a perfect excuse for the both of them to take a short break from trying to kill each other. After hearing it, Rainbow Dash had re-engaged her opponent with renewed vigour, bolstered by the knowledge that the Grand Admiral was on her way and that her arrival would mean a turning point in the battle.

At the moment, however, Rainbow Dash was merely hovering in the air, all the determination that had fuelled her every blow but a moment ago having vanished without a trace. Quietly, with open jaw and wide eyes, she stared at the plume of black smoke that was coming up from the city.

Dimly, somewhere in the back of her mind, she was aware that Rose Thorn was calling her on her crystal, but it didn’t really sink in. Nothing did. The war, the battle, the screams of the dying, none of it got through to her. She just hovered there, beating her wings to remain airborne on autopilot, watching the burning wreckage of the hospital.

“No… There’s no way… Not them...” she muttered, her sight blurring as tears welled up in her eyes. “This can’t be happening…” It wasn’t supposed to be like this. It was supposed to have been safe, the neutrality of that place was supposed to have kept them safe, to keep them out of harm’s way! It wasn’t supposed to be attacked! It just… wasn’t supposed to be like this.

Hovering nearby, Spitfire was looking from the burning hospital to the still form of her opponent, worry etched on her face. When she had spotted the result of the attack, she’d been too shocked at first to really comprehend what she was seeing. Now that it had had time to sink in, the idea that somepony had desecrated and attacked neutral ground filled her with fury, but her anger had quickly been replaced by worry upon taking a glance at Rainbow Dash, whose back was completely turned.

She had expected her opponent to be shocked and outraged, as any pony with a shred of morality would be upon witnessing this scandalous attack. That the admiral was instead staying very quiet and merely gazing at the blazing ruins worried Spitfire. A pony only reacted to destruction like this in this way, if it had taken something personal from them. Judging from the way Rainbow Dash was behaving, that definitely seemed to be the case, which meant both sides were probably about to get a problem on their hooves very soon.

Spitfire was no stranger to grief, she knew quite well what normally followed after the state of ‘shock,’ just as she knew that a grief-stricken admiral filled with rage and armed with magicite was very bad news. She hesitatingly moved a bit closer, her glaive held low to show she had no intention to fight now.

“Rainbow Dash…”

A single strand of lightning arched its way across Rainbow Dash’s body. A very sudden, violent explosion of electricity erupted from her motionless form. The blinding brightness and force of the eruption sent Spitfire stumbling back, forcing her block her eyes with a hoof.

Once it calmed, Spitfire caught herself in mid-air, lowering her hoof. She shot a surprised glance at Rainbow Dash, who was shrouded with perhaps the most powerful and seemingly unstable aura of lightning she had ever seen. The crackling of electricity drowned out most other sounds from the surrounding skies.

Finally, Spitfire watched in anticipation as Rainbow Dash slowly turned her head. Upon the admiral’s face was a hideous, vengeful scowl. The sheer hate she felt from Rainbow Dash’s piercing eyes drilled deep into her soul, sending a shiver down her spine. It was only her years of hard training and her own iron will that kept her from backing away. She gritted her teeth and waited, her eyes strained on Rainbow Dash, following the admiral’s every move.

“Rainbow Dash, please, I-”

A bolt of lightning suddenly sailed passed Spitfire’s head, prompting a shocked expression on her face. Rainbow Dash didn’t say anything, she just gave Spitfire a heated glare, her hoof still outstretched from when she had launched her attack from it. The strands of her prismatic mane falling before her eyes, partly obscuring her eyes, made Rainbow Dash look somehow all the more threatening. Every single muscle in her body trembled with fury.

The emotions that coursed through her could scarcely be put to words. The knowledge that her best friends were quite possibly dead and that she, by bringing them here, had put them on the path to their demise filled her with an overwhelming sense of guilt. Countless thoughts of ifs and should haves crossed her mind and were promptly discarded, for none of them could change the fact that it was too late.

It was too late and there was nothing she could do to change that. She had brought her friends here and it had killed them. They were gone, just like all morality had now fled from this battle. There were no more thoughts of right and wrong, of noble causes or reasons to fight. They had died together with her friends, and all that was left was anger.

With a snarl, she glanced up sharply, her seething eyes scanning the skies and spotting Spitfire, her troops and the countless Republican airships. Rainbow Dash’s eyes narrowed. She might have brought her friends to this place, but it had not been her who had fired the cannons that had ended their lives. Other ponies had done that and, as fate would have it, she was looking right at them. They had killed her friends.

And now they would pay.

Her attack was as swift as it was merciless. With a single beat of her wings, she was on top of Spitfire, thrusting down her lance with enough force to puncture steel, in a savage attempt to have it pierce the commander’s flesh. Spitfire nimbly darted out of the way and did a fast somersault to try and bring down the hoof of her hindleg on top of Rainbow Dash’s unprotected head. She realised her mistake a split second too late.

Rainbow Dash caught Spitfire’s leg firmly in one of her front hooves, holding on tight while delivering a crippling, magicite-powered punch right between the commander’s wings. The armour that protected that particular spot where flight muscles and nerve endings came together just under the skin could only absorb so much of a lightning-powered blow, and Spitfire let out a cry of pain, feeling as if every single muscle in her wings painfully cramped up.

Fighting against the pain, she used her magicite to wreath her leg in flames, startling Rainbow Dash just enough to pull her leg free from the admiral’s grip. She twisted her body around, lashing out with her foreleg to try and sock Rainbow Dash in the face with her hoof, but ending up swatting the air when her target pulled its head in just in time.

Before Spitfire could recover from the momentum of her blow, Rainbow Dash wrapped her arms around the commander, holding her in a crushing grip against her chest. Spitfire refrained from panicking and tried to summon up flames with her magicite in order to make her opponent let go of her, but Rainbow Dash was quicker.

Snarling, her eyes wild with fury, Rainbow Dash butted her head directly into Spitfire’s face, nearly breaking the commander’s muzzle and causing it to bleed. Spitfire groaned in pain, but wasn’t out just yet. Gritting her teeth, she reached out to her magicite again and quickly used it to wreathe her body in flames. Rainbow Dash let out a startled cry, but did not let go. In fact, the pain and the searing heat from Spitfire’s flames only seemed to make her even more angry.

Ignoring the flames burning away at her body, Rainbow Dash tightened her grip on her opponent and took off, taking Spitfire with her as she sped towards the nearest Republican airship she could spot. Her wings beat swiftly as she quickly started to build up speed, her raging eyes focused only on the ship ahead of her.

As they flew, Spitfire put up a fierce struggle to break free of Rainbow Dash’s hold, knowing that whatever destination her captor had in mind wouldn’t be pleasant for her. She couldn’t use her forelegs, due to them being pinned to her sides by Rainbow Dash’s, but that didn’t make her helpless. She glanced up to Rainbow Dash’s unprotected throat, and decided that desperate times called for desperate measures.

A moment later, Rainbow Dash's eyes bugged out as she felt Spitfire chomp on her throat. She made a strangled gurgle as the other pegasus bit down harder, trying to make her let go, but Rainbow Dash only tightened her hold on the Republican commander. Just as well, Spitfire did not let go either, shaking her head to tear further at the flesh between her teeth, despite the blood spilling into her mouth making her queasy.

Rainbow Dash bit her lip to prevent herself from crying out again as Spitfire continued to gnaw away at her throat, something she did not appreciate at all. She was lucky Spitfire did not have the sharp canines the Thestrals did, or else she’d be drowning in her own blood at this very moment. That didn’t make the experience of having her gnaw at her flesh any more pleasant, though.

She let go of Spitfire’s body with one of her forelegs and started beating against the commander’s head repeatedly and none too gently, not holding back even the slightest bit. Spitfire tried to shrug off the beating as much as she could, focusing instead on trying to get out of her opponent’s grip now that she was held with only one leg. She clamped down harder with her teeth, while beating at Rainbow Dash’s back with her hooves at the same time, hoping to make the admiral just let go already.

The pain of her throat, combined with Spitfire’s refusal to let go, pushed Rainbow Dash to even greater heights of rage. With an animalistic growl, she released her grip on her enemy, but before Spitfire could even think of letting go herself and escaping, Rainbow Dash used both her hooves to crush Spitfire’s head between them, the armour-clad limbs nearly cracking the commander’s skull in the process.

Spitfire saw white before her eyes and released her hold on Rainbow Dash’s throat, her mouth opening in a silent scream as her entire body was consumed by agonising, white-hot pain. Before she could even begin the long fall to the ground below, however, her body received a second blow when Rainbow Dash kicked her in the jaw, making her spit out blood. Hellish pain assaulted her senses as she felt her jawbone crack beneath her opponent’s hoof.

For a brief second, the world went black before her eyes and Spitfire could feel her consciousness slipping. With her opponent momentarily weakened, Rainbow Dash saw her chance and threw herself with all her weight against the commander, bodily tackling her into the magical barrier surrounding a Republican ship. Spitfire had the wind knocked out of her as her back hit the shield, a spike of pain lacing through her spine at the same time, leaving no uncertainties that, hadn’t it been for her armour taking the brunt of the impact, it would have snapped.

As she struggled to regain her breath and bearings, Spitfire was crudely reminded that Rainbow Dash was still on top of her when the latter put a hoof on her throat and pinned her against the barrier. She groaned in discomfort and desperately gasped for air when Rainbow Dash pressed down on her windpipe. Spitfire, despite being slightly delirious, still managed to open her eyes and focus her clouded gaze on her enemy.

Rainbow Dash stared back, her teeth bared in a silent snarl. The murderous, animalistic look in her eyes and the blood running down her throat made the admiral a vision out of nightmares, but what frightened Spitfire the most was the look of hurt and betrayal upon the younger pegasus’ visage.

Growling, Rainbow Dash leaned in closer, until their muzzles were almost touching. “You killed them,” she hissed, her voice dangerously low and cracking slightly near the end. Still pinning Spitfire against the barrier, she reared back her free hoof, lightning crackling around it as she prepared to unleash her powers at point blank range. “You killed them!”

Spitfire, though puzzled by the admiral’s words, wasn’t about to waste her time trying to mutter a response, not when she was about to get a generous amount of lightning shoved down her throat. Gritting her teeth, she grabbed the hoof pinning her against the barrier with both her hooves and managed to push it off her throat just enough to wiggle free. The commander slid downwards just in time to avoid Rainbow Dash’s hoof as it crashed through the barrier right where her head had just been, eliciting a wail of agony from somewhere aboard the ship beneath them.

The shield surrounding the ship shattered like fragile glass in the wake of Rainbow Dash’s blow, causing cold sweat to run down Spitfire’s neck as she imagined what would have happened to her if the admiral had managed to hit her intended target. The destruction of the barrier did have a positive side to it; as there was now nothing left for Rainbow Dash to pin her against, Spitfire broke free of her enemy’s hold and, with a few swift beats of her wings, put some much needed distance between them.

The crackling sound of electricity and the smell of ozone were the only warnings she received that Rainbow Dash wasn’t about to let her get away without a fight. Spitfire swerved to the right as a whip of lightning missed her by a hair and slashed through the ship beneath her instead, setting off numerous explosions inside the hull where it had passed through.

She watched as the ship caught fire and started to fall, feeling her own anger rise at the sight of Rainbow Dash involving others in what seemed to Spitfire to be a personal matter. She turned around, ready to tell and show the admiral just what she thought of that. However, before any word could be spoken, Spitfire’s eyes shot wide open and the commander was forced to dive to the side as a blast of lighting roared past her. She frantically glanced behind her to see the torrent of lightning plow straight through the stricken airship, riddling it with more explosions as it began to rapidly lose altitude.

A blinding glow pulled her attention back to Rainbow Dash and Spitfire turned her head just in time to see the admiral fire a second torrent of lightning her way. Again she managed to move out of the way, but Rainbow Dash acted as if possessed, firing one giant torrent of lightning after another at Spitfire, forcing the commander to use all of her speed and agility in order to dart between the currents of electricity and avoid being friend to a crisp.

Despite being under constant attack, Spitfire found herself to be more concerned about the state of Rainbow Dash’s mind than the lightning she was throwing Spitfire’s way. The admiral was attacking recklessly, blinded by her rage, throwing her attacks at her opponent without caring what or who else they ended up harming. When she saw with her own eyes how one such lightning blast went astray and nearly destroyed one of Rainbow Dash’s own ships, Spitfire had had enough.

Triggering her own power, she summoned a flame in her hoof and blew on it, firing a cloud of hundreds of tiny embers at the rampaging admiral. Rainbow Dash scoffed as she effortlessly shielded herself with one of her wings and wondered what Spitfire could possibly hope to achieve with such a meagre attack. That opinion quickly changed when a few of those tiny embers got in her eyes and nose. Howling in agony, Rainbow Dash desperately pawed at her face with her hooves, trying in vain to make the pain stop.

With the admiral distracted by her watering eyes, Spitfire moved in, grabbing Rainbow Dash’s forelegs by the wrists and pushing them back, putting enough strain on the limbs to remind Rainbow Dash that if she pushed them any further, they’d snap out of their sockets. Rainbow Dash glared furiously at the commander, but Spitfire remained unperturbed and her grip firm and unyielding.

Once she was sure she had Rainbow Dash’s attention, Spitfire’s eyes narrowed and she leaned in closer until their muzzles almost touched. “Now you listen here, rookie,” she hissed, sounding every bit like an instructor disciplining a disobedient recruit. She was pleased to notice that her reference had the desired effect, if Rainbow Dash’s widened eyes were any indication.

“I know I shouldn’t care about you doing my work for me being killing your own troops, but personally I won’t stand for such reckless, low behaviour, not even from my enemies!” she continued in a low growl. “I once told you that you proved yourself to be a pony who can push her limits and push them in the right direction, but right now, I’m having second thoughts about that.”

Rainbow Dash could feel her jaw drop wide open as she stared at Spitfire with incomprehension. The raging fury, born from agonizing grief, that had been so prevalent in her eyes until but a moment ago, was now gone, having made way for confusion and disbelief.

At first, she hadn’t been certain what the commander was talking about, but a quick moment of reflection brought forth a memory; one from a time long gone, at the Wonderbolts Academy. She remembered how Lightning Dust had been expelled because of her reckless behaviour and she’d been made lead mare instead, all because Spitfire ultimately approved of her and her methods over those of Lightning Dust.

The reason she felt so confused, however, had nothing to do with the memories Spitfire had brought up, and everything with the fact that the commander had done so in the first place. Her memories of her time at the Wonderbolts Acadamy came from her previous life, because she had certainly never been to the academy in this one. The Wonderbolts did not exist in this life in the first place. So there was no way Spitfire could know this, unless…

Rainbow Dash gaped at the Republican commander is disbelief as her brain finally arrived at the only possible conclusion. “It… it can’t be,” she stammered, as she weakly shook her head. “There’s no way you could know that… Not unless… You remember?”

Seeing that the admiral was no longer a threat, Spitfire released her grip on Rainbow Dash’s arms, remaining silent all the while. She took a deep breath, briefly closed her eyes and then slowly breathed out through her nose again. After a small moment that seemed to last an eternity, Spitfire looked to the side, a regretful expression crossing her face, and nodded.

“Everything,” she admitted, her voice quiet and sad. “Since the day I was born.”

Rainbow Dash could almost feel the blood draining from her face as she became a ghastly shade of pale. Her heart skipped a beat, her body trembled and all strength seemed to have been drained from her. She went completely silent and her head slumped, obscuring her face from Spitfire’s view.

Spitfire was concerned by Rainbow Dash’s reaction, but remained where she was and kept herself alert and on guard; she did not want to be on the receiving end of another beating, her head and jaw were still aching terribly from the last one. Despite that, she could not help but feel some degree of worry for her fellow pegasus. It was as if her revelation of the truth had broken something inside of the admiral, which hadn’t exactly been her intent.

Even though they were technically enemies, Spitfire didn’t really have anything as a pony against Rainbow Dash. She respected the other mare’s skill, power and determination both in this life and her previous one. They just happened to be fighting on different sides. Before she could contemplate this any further, however, she was pulled back to the present when Rainbow Dash stirred.

If Rainbow Dash had had a hand, this would have been the moment where she’d clenched it into a fist. “You’re telling me… That all this time… all those years…” she hissed, her breathing intensifying, her entire body shaking violently. “You remembered?!” With an animalistic, vicious snarl, she looked up, her eyes ablaze with pure hatred. Lightning erupted from her body like from an unstable thundercloud.

With a scream of mindless rage, Rainbow Dash closed the distance between her and the former Wonderbolt. Spitfire gave a startled gasp and barely managed to raise her forelegs to block an electrified punch. She flew backwards several metres, her body and especially her foreleg in pain from the jolt of lightning, but she held firm and readied herself for the next attack.

She didn’t have to wait long. Rainbow Dash launched herself at the commander like a vicious manticore, looking every bit as if she wanted nothing more but to rip and tear the commander the bloody shreds. “Traitor!” she roared, while lashing out at her enemy with one of her hooves in an upward blow, lightning trailing in its wake. “You bucking traitor! Damn you! Damn you to Tartarus, Spitfire!!!”

Spitfire moved out of the way of the blow, wishing not for the first time that she still had her glaive. Sadly, she’d been holding her weapon when Rainbow Dash had first attacked and it had fallen from her hooves during the following struggle.

“You’re a Wonderbolt!” Rainbow Dash accused heatedly, not caring that her opponent was unarmed. She advanced on Spitfire while throwing one lightning-charged punch after another at her. “You’re a member of Celestia’s personal flying team! How can you side with those monsters that imprisoned the princess and plunged Equestria into chaos?!” With a growl of pure hate, she thrust her hoof forward, aiming a lightning blast straight at Spitfire’s head.

Spitfire gritted her teeth as much as she could with her injured jaw, wreathed her right hoof in flames and used it to knock the admiral’s hoof to the side, sending the lightning blast off course. “Times change, Rainbow Dash, and so do ponies,” she said, while firing a jet of flames with both hooves at the enraged pegasus to try and keep her at bay. “All I could do was try to do what’s best for everypony!”

Rainbow Dash could scarcely believe her ears. For a moment, she was too stunned to do anything but gape at Spitfire in disbelief, but those feelings were quickly converted into anger, further fuelling the inferno of her rage. Gritting her teeth so hard they nearly cracked, she launched herself at Spitfire again, plunging straight through the stream of flames, her fury making her disregard pain or injury. All that mattered was getting her hooves on her enemy as quickly as possible and throttling her.

“The best for everypony?!” Rainbow Dash screamed on top her lungs, snarling in frustration when Spitfire darted back, just outside of her reach. “Princess Celestia gave us peace and harmony! She was a better ruler than we ever deserved! How is what you’re doing to her the best for everypony?!” Using her magicite, she formed another bolt of lightning in her hoof and lashed out with it like a whip at her childhood idol.

This time, though, Spitfire was ready and a swift beat of her wings carried her higher into the air, the lightning passing harmlessly under her. “You won’t hear me saying otherwise, Rainbow Dash,” she replied, while setting her hooves on fire. “The Princess was the greatest pony I’ve ever known. But after what we did to her for nearly three centuries and a half, how much of that mare do you think there’s left?!”

“Shut. Up!!!” Rainbow Dash roared, as she furiously beat her wings and shot up towards Spitfire. She was too enraged to be able to speak or think anymore, her vision tinted red. Her eyes burned with unspeakable hatred and fury, her breathing was hard and fast as her body was filled with more rage than it knew what to do with. Her mind had gone blank with fury, focussed solely on getting to Spitfire and causing her pain.

Rainbow Dash had always been a bit reckless in nature, even after her time in the guard had tempered that aspect of hers with experience and discipline. Despite this, she had never been a pony who let her anger take control of herself. She had flown into rage or fits or fury before, but never like now, never so far that she could no longer think, never so bad that she was no longer in control of herself.

The tears that blurred her vision, however, were proof that the rage was simply a way to cope with her grief and pain. She had just lost her five best friends, burdening her heart with feelings of loss and guilt. The revelation that the pony whom she had admired since she was a filly in her previous life was consciously aiding the side that had killed her friends had only added to the aching of her heart, until it had simply become too much to bear.

Her desire to cause pain to others, to rampage and destroy, was nothing more than an attempt to escape the pain inside herself. At least when she was taking her feelings out on her surroundings, she didn’t have to think of her friends, didn’t have to think about the ache in her chest. As long as she took out her anger on Spitfire, she didn’t have the time to be angry on herself.

Up ahead of her, Spitfire was preparing to catch the oncoming admiral, her face grim and her eyes showing both confusion and worry. She had hoped that her revelation of knowing her past life would have shocked or stunned Rainbow Dash enough for her to be able to calm the young admiral down, but clearly it had only made matters worse. Rainbow Dash was beyond reason now, lost in her anger that Spitfire did not know the entire cause of.

Clearly, it went beyond feeling betrayed by her revelation, beyond mere disgust and fury at the destruction of the hospital. There was another reason, though what it was Spitfire could only guess. She rubbed her aching jaw, wincing when she accidentally brushed her hoof across the fractured bone, a painful reminder of what an enraged admiral was capable of.

In her current state, Rainbow Dash was a danger to everypony in the sky, not to mention to herself as well. Anger and the destructive power of magicite didn’t go together very well at all, something that Spitfire was all too aware of. Given that she was the only pony currently present who was able to match the Royal admiral in combat, she knew it fell to her to put an end to Rainbow Dash’s rampage.

“Easier said than done,” the commander thought, as she readied herself for the coming struggle. “I don’t want to kill her, but if things go on like this, I may not have a choice.”

As Rainbow Dash charged lightning into her hooves in preparation for another attack, Spitfire braced herself. One way or another, she was going to put an end to this madness.

She just hoped that Rainbow Dash didn’t put an end to her in the process.

On the other side of the city, Amethyst Star and Trixie Lulamoon found themselves in a remarkably similar situation. The two unicorns were engaged in a magic duel, the intensity of which had rarely been seen before. The staggering display of power was matched only by the combatants' viciousness, each trying to provoke the other to greater depths of hatred and anger, something in which they appeared to be as evenly matched as in their magical skill.

It was clear, however, that despite all her ferocity, Amethyst Star was being forced on the defensive. Though she managed to match and counter all of her opponent’s spells, her reaction and casting speed were notably slower than Trixie’s, which was hardly surprising. The Republican commander was still newly arrived to the battlefield, her magic reserves fresh, while Amethyst Star had already been participating in the war for hours.

The numerous battles she had fought and the injuries she had suffered during them had left her stressed and fatigued, her magical reserves reduced to only half of what they had been on the outset of the war. She was immensely grateful for the other magicite shards in her armour passively boosting her stamina and reflexes. Without them, she wouldn't even have enough energy left to run away. It wasn’t that she was no longer capable of fighting, she was just ill prepared at the moment to fight an opponent of Trixie’s calibre. It was simply a fact, one that the rational part of Amethyst Star was very aware of.

The rational part, however, was currently being ignored.

“You deny having any hoof in the commitment of this crime,” Amethyst Star spat, her voice heavy with contempt and resentment, as she send one of her Sephira blades at the commander. “Yet you still protected the monster responsible for it from my wrath. What is that if not proof that you and him are on the same page?! You speak of barbarism, but would not let the barbarian be brought to justice!”

“The likes of you has no right to speak of justice!” Trixie retorted icily, the Sephira sword ricocheting off the light blue shield she conjured. “That filthy mud pony will not go unpunished for his lowly deed, but he shall be tried only by the true justice of Equestria and not by a rabble of traitors to the superior pony race!”

Amethyst Star could barely suppress the urge to groan and plant her hoof on her face, but thought better of it, knowing that even that tiny amount of energy was best saved for something else. It was pointless to try and argue with the other unicorn, Trixie was either too deeply indoctrinated by the Republic’s propaganda of unicorn supremacy, or she actually believed in it herself. Whichever was the case, she was simply a lost cause.

“A lost cause that prevented you from skinning Smaragd Haze alive,” Amethyst Star reminded herself, still bristling at the memory.

When she had spotted what had happened to the hospital, her cold, pragmatic mind had wasted little time being shocked or stunned, instead immediately focussing on trying to find the culprit. It had taken surprisingly little effort, mostly due to the fact that Smaragd Haze had not even tried to hide. When she tried to teleport over so she could introduce him to some of the more creative uses of magic, however, Trixie had intervened and stopped her from doing so, allowing Smaragd Haze to get away.

Now the two unicorns were facing each other atop the deck of the admiral’s airship, with Trixie’s own ship still pressed alongside Amethyst’s, the two ships struggling against one another just as much as their owners were.

The two unicorns circled one another for a while, their gazes locked, until Amethyst Star moved first. With her lowered magic reserves, she knew she had to keep the initiative if she was to make it through this encounter relatively unscathed. Casting a quick spell, she vanished before Trixie’s eyes and reappeared behind the commander, a magic-made sword now held in her grasp. Even as Trixie whirled around to face her foe, Amethyst Star struck, plunging her blade straight into her opponent’s chest.

Immediately, she knew something was wrong, even though her opponent’s eyes were wide in shock, her mouth opened in a silent scream. Amethyst felt no resistance as she pushed the blade deeper into Trixie’s body, nor was there a hole in the commander’s armour where the sword had gone through or any blood flowing out of the wound. Her suspicions were confirmed when the image of Trixie became distorted for a moment and then vanished without a trace.

“An illusion,” Amethyst realised, as she scanned the now empty deck, trying to determine where her enemy was hiding and what direction the inevitable attack would come from. “I didn’t even notice when she replaced herself. Looks like she’s as good as the rumours say she is…” Her eyes glanced left and right, every muscle in her body tensed, ready to move. “Now where are you hiding…”

“Right behind you,” Trixie’s voice snickered. Amethyst immediately whirled around, her blade striking Trixie across the throat. Yet there was no wound, with the image of the commander fading like last time.

A movement to Amethyst’s left caught her attention and she turned just in time to see Trixie firing a blast of magic at her, the attack approaching at a rapid pace. Amethyst Star had just enough time to raise a shield to defend herself, only for the blast to pass right through the barrier as if it wasn’t even there. She had not even felt an impact upon her shield, due to the fact that there never had been one in the first place.

“Another illusion! ” Amethyst Star cursed, just as Trixie reappeared to her right, ready to fire another blast. As she turned to face the potential threat, another Trixie appeared behind her, followed by one in front of her, with many more appearing until she was surrounded at all sides by Trixies. Amethyst watched as the army of Trixies all gave her a haughty grin and a bead of sweat ran down the side of her face. “Any of them could be the real one, if the real one’s even among them at all. This isn’t good. Not good at all.”

All of the Trixies activated their horns, each one charging a spell. Simultaneously, they fired a kinetic bolt of magic at Amethyst. The admiral braced herself, her eyes narrowed, and quickly raised a barrier, only for each shot to pass through harmlessly. The collective group of Trixies all let out a mocking, playful chuckle.

“She’s just toying with me…” Amethyst concluded, snorting irritably. “But maybe I could use that to my advantage.” She lowered her barrier and relaxed her posture, her lips forming a small grin. “Very amusing, Trixie,” she said, with mockery in her voice. “I admit you fooled me for a minute there. Your parlour tricks are very convincing.”

The circle of Trixies collectively blinked. “Parlour tricks?” they repeated, as if they weren’t sure they had heard Amethyst Star correctly. “Hmph! You want parlour tricks? Fine!” One of the Trixies stepped forth, seemingly charging a basic magic bolt. The illusion fired the magenta coloured bolt at Amethyst.

“What? That old trick ag-” The bolt struck Amythest square in the chest, sending her tumbling backwards and hitting the deck. Her eyes wide open, Amethyst climbed back to her hooves, and looked down to see her fur singed where she was struck. She looked back up, glaring at Trixie, who was looking decidedly smug.

“How was that for a parlour trick?” asked the Trixie that had fired the attack, casually brushing a hoof through her mane. To her surprise, Amethyst’s glare turned into a wide smirk and she suddenly found herself swept of her hooves and pulled towards the admiral, courtesy of the latter’s magic.

“Thank you for showing me the real one, Trixie,” Amethyst Star said, creating a sword with her magic and levelling the tip at the oncoming commander. “You saved me the trouble of finding it out myself!” The commander’s eyes widened in panic and she struggled to break Amethyst’s hold, but the admiral held firm. With a final tug of her magic, she pulled Trixie across the remaining distance between them, straight onto her waiting sword, which was buried up to the hilt in the commander’s body.

Trixie’s mouth opened, but no sound left her lips. Her body blurred for a moment, before promptly vanishing. “What the-?!” Amethyst thought, her eyes now growing wide in shock and disbelief. “That wasn’t the real one?!”

Before she could do anything, Amethyst Star was hit in the side by a powerful kinetic blow that knocked her out of the ring of illusions and sent her sprawling across the deck, stopping only when she hit the railing. With a groan of pain, she pushed herself up on her forelegs and turned her head to see the many illusionary Trixies had vanished. Only the presumably real one remained on the deck, looking down on the struggling admiral with contempt.

“Did you really believe that would work?” Trixie demanded. “Ha! As if the Great and Powerful Trixie would let herself be swayed by the words of a lowly traitor!” She made a dismissive and scornful gesture with her hoof. “For the ‘great’ Amethyst Star to have to resort to such petty, foalish tactics! Pathetic! The Great and Powerful Trixie is disappointed.”

“Like you’re one to talk,” Amethyst retorted, spitting out some blood. “Everypony and their mom knows that you rely on your illusions to win your battles because you can’t cast any combat spells worth a damn.”

Trixie raised an eyebrow and smirked. “The Great and Powerful Trixie knows that you are simply trying to rile her up so she would do something foolish, but she is much too great to fall into such an obvious trap!” she gloated, holding a hoof to her chest. “Pitiful is what she calls this!” Her eyes narrowed and her smirk gained a dark edge to it. “But if it is a combat spell you wish to see, the Great and Powerful Trixie shall most generously comply!”

Amethyst Star braced herself as Trixie reared up on her hind legs, her horn glowing blinding white. The glow started to move from her horn down her body to the tips of her hooves and tail, until the entirety of Trixie was shining bright. The light coming from the commander was so bright that Amethyst Star was forced raise her foreleg before her eyes in order to shield them, lest she was blinded by the intense glow. She felt a rush of air suddenly pass her by, as if something had exploded, after which the deck grew eerily quiet.

A few seconds passed during which nothing happened, then Amethyst Star deemed it safe enough to lower her arm. Slowly, she opened her eyes again, only to be both stunned and puzzled by the sight that greeted her.

Caught within an unseen breeze, spread across the deck, hundreds of light blue feathers danced playfully through the air and very slowly drifted towards the wooden floor. Amethyst warily glanced around, looking for any sign or hint of her opponent’s whereabouts, but all she saw were the feathers fluttering lazily around her. The stillness that had followed in the wake of Trixie’s disappearance had remained as well. Not even the ringing of steel, the roar of cannons and the screams of the dying as the war continued could be heard.

It was a strange but peaceful scene, one that carried with it an air of pure tranquillity that did not manage to fool Amethyst Star for even a minute. No matter how much they tried to convince her that they were real, Amethyst knew they were not. It was an illusion, all of it, that much was obvious. Less obvious was what Trixie was trying to achieve with this. The commander had to know that her opponent wouldn’t be tricked by the display, regardless of how convincing and lifelike it looked.

Amethyst didn’t trust the situation and carefully made her way between the feathers, being careful not to touch one. Using her magic, she weaved a spell that would normally allow her to detect areas with an unusually high concentration of magical energies, often used to try and find enemies or spells when one could not see them with his eyes. It had even saved her life a few times during the countless battles she had fought throughout her years of service.

That made it all the more disappointing when the usage of the spell yielded no results. In simple terms, the spell Amethyst had cast was like putting on a pair of glasses that allowed their wearer to ‘see’ the magic concentrated in living beings and spells. Now, however, her usually clear vision was clouded, like she was lost within a thick mist.

“Somehow she managed to almost perfectly distribute her magic evenly throughout the area, blocking my sight. To have this level of mana control…” Amethyst shook her head and bared her teeth angrily. She was a sitting duck and she knew it, upsetting her even more. “If only I was in a better shape right now… I’d show her a thing or two.”

A feather floated down before her face and, in a rush of annoyance, she blew at it, hoping to make it go away. To her surprise, the illusion obeyed, the image of the feather vanishing as if carried away by a strong gust of wind. In its place, right before her eyes, now hovered an orb of compressed magical energy, looking every bit ready to decompress.

Amethyst’s pupils shrank to the size of pinpricks.

In the blink of an eye, the glowing sphere unleashed its magical energies in a devastating, magenta-coloured explosion that belied its size. At the same time, the illusionary scene of tranquillity was crudely shattered as the countless other feathers around the deck revealed their true nature as well. The many spheres of magic released their power all at roughly the same time, causing numerous explosions like fireworks, which engulfed the entirety of the deck and beyond in a cloud of dazzling but destructive colours and magical energies.

When the devastation ended, an absolute silence fell over the ship, together with a thick cloud of black smoke that obscured the entire deck. The cloud was quickly dissipated by the wind, bringing to light the result of the explosions. The deck was in ruins, with fires still smouldering in numerous places in wake of the attack, spreading more of the black smoke. Much of the floor and the railing had been shredded, the wooden planks they were built of having stood no chance against the might of a magicite wielding commander.

Amidst the smoke and ruins, standing behind the cracked magical barrier that had shielded her from the explosion, was Amethyst Star. The admiral looked a bit shaking, but aside from that she was unharmed. She was glad for the endless drilling exercises from during her early days in the guard, which had had her raising magical shields until she could do it by reflex. Had it not been for that, she had no doubt she would be looking far worse at the moment.

She cast a critical look around the deck, taking in the damage. The attack had clearly done quite a number on her ship, with the deck and the hull having suffered the most. To her great relief, the engines and the propellers appeared to be intact, or at least in a good enough condition to keep them airborne, making for one less thing for her to worry about.

With that crucial question answered, the next most pressing matter was the condition of her crew. She’d like to contact them and ask for their status, but she knew she was still in the middle of a fight and couldn’t afford that luxury. She wasn’t sure if Trixie had expected to get her with that little trap, but she very much doubted the commander would leave it at that even if she had. Amethyst knew for certain that her opponent was already preparing her next move, but like before the commander proved frustratingly impossible to locate.

Gritting her teeth, Amethyst dispelled her cracked shield and braced herself. “Let’s see… A sneaky unicorn commander with far too much love for herself, who just had her flashy, big attack fail to hit her target, would probably be…” Her ears picked up the smallest of sounds and she responded immediately, lowering her head just in time for a magic blast that had come from behind her to soar over her head. “There!” Reaching out with her magic on pure feeling, she grabbed her invisible assailant and with a strong pull flipped her overhead, smashing a startled Trixie headfirst against the ruined deck.

Amethyst didn’t stop to gloat, instead she immediately lifted the temporarily stunned commander up again, smashing her down against the deck a second time. However, when her horn was only two inches away from the floor boards, Trixie broke free of Amethyst’s hold and managed to land on her four hooves. She tried to teleport, but Amethyst was quicker this time, throwing herself at the commander and knocking said pony off her hooves.

The two unicorns rolled over the ruined deck, then came to a halt with Amethyst Star on top. The admiral wasted no time in raising her hoof and punching Trixie viciously in the face with it, drawing blood. She tried to do it again, but Trixie blinded her with a flash of light and then promptly blasted her off with a blast of magic straight to the chest. Amethyst was sent flying and collided against of the wheelhouse, all the while pawing at her watering eyes. When she could finally open them again and see once more, her opponent had once again vanished.

Amethyst Star swore. “Getting really tired of that trick,” she grumbled as she climbed back to her hooves. For the umpteenth time, she scanned the deck for a glimpse on her opponent, but like before it yielded no results. “If this cat and mouse game keeps going then me and the ship won't be going for much longer,” Amethyst thought. “There's got to be a way to force her hoof… Think, Amethyst, think!”

Her eyes narrowed in thought as she looked at her damaged ship and then suddenly, it hit her. “Of course! Amethyst you thrice-damned idiot,” she berated herself. All this time she'd been playing along with Trixie's game. She'd let the commander pick the battlefield, let her set her traps and weave her illusions. “No reason to keep doing that. Take the fight away from the ship, let her search for and chase after you for a change. Her illusions won’t be half as effective in the open air.”

Wasting no time, Amethyst Star immediately used her magic to teleport, aiming for the open air a good distance away from her ship. At first everything seemed to go fine, with the admiral vanishing as usual, however, when her magic passed a certain point between the ship and her destination, it was as if she hit a wall. She felt herself being viciously repelled and ended up reappearing at her starting position, her horn feeling like it had been hit with a sledgehammer due to the violent backlash of her failed teleport. Seething, Amethyst glared at the skies, as if seeing something only she could see.

“A destabilising field?!” she growled, her lip curled up in a heated snarl, showing her clenched teeth. Despite the slowly dulling pain, she ran some magic through her horn to scan her surroundings. “Undetectable, of course, thanks to her magic hanging over this place like a cloud of toxic fumes. Very clever, Trixie.”

“The Great and Powerful Trixie thanks you,” the commander replied, as an image of her appeared standing at the prow of the ship. If it was the real one or another illusion, Amethyst could not tell. “Praise to her greatness is the only thing the Great and Powerful Trixie is willing to accept from her enemies.” The glare of icy fury Amethyst sent her way made her smile. “It would seem, however, that the Great and Powerful Trixie's cleverness upsets you. Did you honestly expect her to let you set the rules? Nay, the Great and Powerful Trixie and only her decides where and how she crushes you!”

“In that case, I think I'll cheat,” Amethyst replied, snorting. With a flash of magic from her horn, she vanished.

“Useless!” Trixie cried out, putting her nose in the air. “The Great and Powerful Trixie's destabilising field is still in effect! She will not let you teleport from this ship!”

“Who said anything about teleporting my way out of here?” came the reply, as Amethyst Star promptly reappeared on the other side of the deck, right next to the railing. “Why waste my magic with that, when I can simply do this?” she asked coolly, after which she promptly jumped over the railing and let herself fall. A destabilising field might prevent a pony from teleporting through, but unlike a barrier it could not stop a pony from simply walking, or in Amethyst's current case, falling through.

The admiral wasn’t afraid while falling, while tired her magic was still more than capable of keeping her aloft in the air. Amethyst moved her body so she was diving head-first through the air, her eyes focussed and her horn glowing as she scanned her surroundings of Trixie’s magical taint. As soon as she was no longer surrounded by it, she would be able to teleport again and set the course of the fight to her hoof.

Her fall suddenly and brusquely came to a halt, as the familiar glow of Trixie’s magic surrounded her body and began to pull her back to the ship. Snarling, Amethyst Star twisted herself around so she could look up to her damaged ship and spotted her opponent leaning partly over the railing. Trixie looked almost desperate as she tried to reel the admiral back in like a prize fish, making Amethyst all the more suspicious.

“Why is she so determined to keep me there?” Amethyst wondered, as she used her own magic to fight off Trixie’s. “Is she just that desperate to keep the fight on her terms, or is there another reason entirely?” Whatever the case, it only made Amethyst all the more determined in her efforts to break free of her opponent’s hold.

At first she tried to break the hold itself, similar to how Smargad Haze or Desert Heat were able to ‘grab’ and break the magic aura surrounding them whenever a unicorn tried to lift them. Trixie’s hold, however, was too strong, proving to Amethyst once more just how determined the commander was to not let her go. With that option spent, Amethyst instead opted to give Trixie a good slap across the face with her magic.

Her attack had the desired effect, as Trixie’s concentration was broken by the sudden pain and her hold on Amethyst Star faded. Wasting no time, the admiral immediately teleported to the very edge where she could feel Trixie’s magic and where she suspected the destabilising field to be, then let herself fall again the rest of the way. She could feel the sudden absence of magic surrounding her very clearly, which told her all she had to know. Free of Trixie’s magic, Amethyst Star made another attempt at teleporting beyond the skies surrounding her ship.

She successfully reappeared in the skies a good distance away and above from her previous location, using her own magic to keep herself floating in the air. Now that she was out in the open, she could even the playing field somewhat, despite her drained magic reserves. Since she was no longer confined to a small area, it would be much harder for Trixie to trap her with illusions, as well as much easier for her to escape in case the commander did manage to catch her within another illusion.

Thinking of the Republican commander, Amethyst Star turned to look at her ship to see if her enemy was following her out into the open skies to continue the fight. The moment her eyes fell upon her beloved ship, however, all thoughts of carrying on her battle with Trixie immediately fled from her mind.

The Ice Wraith, her beloved flagship, was not, as she had previously thought, sailing safely through the air despite the damaged it had suffered by Trixie’s attack. In reality the ship was racing rapidly towards the hard, unforgiving ground below, because it was far more damaged than she had been let to believe. Three of its propellers no longer functioned, there was a gaping hole in the hull and, judging from the thick black smoke coming from the ship’s stern, the engines were either destroyed or too damaged to function properly.

As she looked around, Amethyst Star noticed just how much altitude the ship had lost and how much closer they were to the ground compared to before Trixie’s attack. It made it brutally clear to her that they had been falling ever since the commander’s attack had struck and she hadn’t even noticed. All this time, she, her ship and its crew had been falling towards their doom and she hadn’t even been aware of it.

“An illusion,” she realised, cold sweat matting her brow. “She trapped us all in an illusion, making us believe the ship was still airborne, letting us merrily continue on as if everything’s fine while we fell to our deaths.” The realisation involuntarily sent a shiver down her spine, filling her with a fear that she could not easily shake off. “She fooled not just my eyes, but all my other senses as well. She had to, for me to not notice at all that something was off. Just how powerful are those illusions of her? It hardly seems possible…”

Shaking her head, Amethyst Star pushed those concerns to the back of her mind, realising that now was not the time to think about it. Not while her ship and its still oblivious crew were falling to their mutual demise. With a quick glance from the ship to the ground, she estimated she had barely half a minute left before the Ice Wraith crashed into the earth; she had not a second to waste.

Amethyst Star vanished in a flash of magic and reappeared right above her ship, as she could not risk a teleport directly onto the ship when she did not know if Trixie's destabilising field was still active. She let herself fall head-first through the field, then used her magic to slow her decent until she was hovering above the deck. She saw no sign of Trixie anywhere, but the commander was the least of her concerns at the moment. Looking around, she saw that the illusion was still intact, but now that she knew it was there, she could do something about it.

That would have to wait, though, as there was a more pressing matter to attend to. She rushed towards the entrance to the wheelhouse and all but ripped the door off its hinges in her haste to open it. “Everypony evacuate the ship immediately!” she shouted into the narrow hallway, amplifying her voice with her magic. “I repeat: abandon ship right NOW! Use your wings, no teleporting! The Republicans set up a destabilising field around the ship! NOW GET OUT!”

She didn't wait to see if her orders were obeyed, there was no time for that. Amethyst hurried back to a more central position of the deck and quickly conjured up a destabilising spell of her own. While lifelike illusions the likes of which Trixie had created were difficult to create and required a lot of skill and talent in order to sustain, dispelling them was a whole deal easier.

Amethyst Star knew she didn't have to unravel the entire spell. She simply needed to pluck at one thread of the spell, which would disrupt the spell and make it collapse upon itself. After all, if an illusion could no longer trick anypony into believing it was real, then nopony would still believe that it was there. It was this peculiar nature that made illusionary magic such a strange, mystifying branch of magic that even skilled unicorns found difficult to understand. As a result, only a few spell casters dedicated themselves to learning and mastering its arts.

The admiral was not one of them, but she didn't have to be for what she was attempting. Her spell was simple and effective, causing the world around her to shift, blur and melt. With her senses no longer under the illusion's thrall, she could once again see things for how they truly were, though that didn't exactly make her feel better. She was relieved to see that her order to evacuate had been followed, leaving just herself aboard the dying vessel. That left just one thing for her to do.

Calling upon every bit of magic she had left in her, Amethyst Star reached out and pulled the falling airship firmly in her telekinetic grasp. She knew that what she was doing was insane, that she should really just be abandoning the ship like the rest of its crew had and get herself to safety, but she couldn't. The Ice Wraith was not just an airship. It was her airship, her personal vessel that had carried her through countless missions and battles and had brought her home safely afterwards. She could not leave it to its doom, not while there was still even the slightest chance that she could prevent its total destruction.

Amethyst Star had lifted airships with her magic before, but never like this. Because the ship had been falling for minutes before she became aware of the situation, it had built up incredible speed and momentum on the way to its doom. Injured and exhausted as she was from her battle with Trixie, Amethyst did not have the strength required to push and pull such a massive object in the completely opposite direction its own momentum and gravity were pulling it, but she refused to give up.

With gritted teeth and eyes clenched shut in concentration, the admiral pushed herself to the very limit. Sweat matted her brow and ran down her neck as she forced every last bit of magic through her horn and into her spell. She could feel the ship slowing down ever so slightly as her magic began to overcome the pull of gravity, but it wasn't enough. Biting so hard on her teeth she thought they would shatter, Amethyst pushed herself even further. She knew it was foolish, but she did not care.

“Come on, come on! Just a little bit more,” she urged herself on, as she felt the fall of the ship slow down even further. “Got to hold on just a bit longer!!!”

Her skull felt like it was about to burst, her horn burned as if somepony had hit it with a sledgehammer, and Amethyst Star cried out in pain. She was at her limit, drawing upon magic that was no longer there, but she did not stop. Spontaneously, blood began to leak from her eyes, nose, mouth and ears, the last warning of her body that she was killing herself, yet still the admiral blatantly refused to cease her efforts. Her brain was cooking, her blood boiling, every muscle in her body screaming, but Amethyst Star forced herself further.

With a last, inhuman burst of strength, she gave another firm pull on the ship and finally the forces of nature that were pulling it down seemed to relent. The descent was quickly slowing down, if she could hold on for just a few seconds more, she'd be able to-

The Ice Wraith hit the earth with a terrible crash. Despite the speed of its fall having been slowed down by the incredible efforts of its owner, the impact was nevertheless utterly devastating. The once great flagship of the Royal Guard's Third Division slid across the ground for almost two hundred metres, before finally coming to a halt only a short distance away from the walls of the city it had fought to protect.

Only a few seconds later, the ship, tilted slightly on its left side, was ravaged by another shockwave as one of its battered engines finally succumbed to damage it had suffered and exploded. The heat and force of the blast set off the two remaining engines as well, resulting in a second, larger explosion that blew away the entirety of the ship's stern. A plume of searing hot fire coursed through the ship's damaged innards, setting off the remaining explosives inside, followed by a cloud of dust and smoke falling down and hiding the Ice Wraith's death throes away from view.

When the dust finally settled and the ground grew quiet, heedless of the war still raging in the skies above or on the other side of the city, the results of the Ice Wraith's fall at long last came to light. The hull of the ship was still on fire and damaged beyond repair, with in many places only the skeleton remaining. The stern and over half of the ship's quarters had been blown clean away when the engines exploded. Only the prow and the figurehead remained intact, the Windigo still prancing proudly, even as the fire began to eat at its base.

Nearby, half buried under wreckage and debris and bleeding from a large gash in her neck, was Amethyst Star. The immense backlash she had suffered when the collision of the ship with the earth had broken her magic hold on it, had at long last felled the young mare. The explosion of the engines had hurled her unconscious body away from her beloved ship, landing her on the ground a mere stone's throw away from the Ice Wraith's burning wreck.

There she lay amidst the burning remains of her once proud flagship: Amethyst Star, the Mageblade, Royal Admiral of the Third Division, daughter of the great Derpy Hooves. Unconscious. Unmoving. Broken. A breeze blew across the battlefield, tossing her blood-stained mane carelessly.

High above in the skies, the war raged on without her, not caring that one of its mightiest players had fallen.

End of chapter 38.

Author's Note

My thanks to Barbecue Sauce, nobodyreallyimportant and Auren for their help in the creation of this chapter.

I realised that there was some confusion about the magicite used by the admirals and the commanders during the war, so I've decided to write it out clearly here. Now, both Derpy and her three admirals, as well as Shining Armour and his three commanders, each possess three magicite shards. Derpy and the admirals carry their main shard in a circlet on their heads. This is the shard that gives them their powers (such as sand, lightning, etc.).

On top of that, they also have two more shards, embedded in the armour of the wrists of their forelegs. The shards provide them with a passive power boost by enhancing their physical abilities. It grants them greater endurance, greater strength, higher pain tolerance, improved healing rate, etc. For Shining Armour and his commanders, it's just the same. This explains how Spitfire remained concious after almost getting a concussion or how Smaragd Haze managed to tank through pretty much everything the Royalists threw at him.

I hope that clears up some things. Apologies for not making it more clear in the story itself.