Blight Squad

When Luna landed onto the earth in our soon-to-be-vacant campsite, Round Shield shouted, "Stallions! Form up! Two rows! Single file! Midnight and Kwill! You've got the supply carts!"

"Yes, Sir!" we replied, after which Kwill gave out a small grown.

When our troop had formed two more-or-less straight lines, Luna strode along the file giving something of a pep talk. "This night, we begin our march into our first battle! We will make Kekra wish she had never enslaved and kidnapped innocent ponies! We will give no quarter to the guilty! Show no mercy to the slavers! We will win this battle and we will show my sister that you are not the weak, whimpering foals she thinks you are! For we are the Soldiers of the Night!"

The entire troop cried out with a bloodcurdling roar as Princess Luna delivered the final sentence. I merely stared at the ground between my hooves in silence. After about a half-minute, the troop finally died down, and Princess Luna flew into the night sky.

Round Shield, who was at the head of the column with Silver Hooves, shouted, "Stallions! Forward march!" and we all moved as one into the dark forest.

Even though I was with other ponies, I was still afraid of the dark. I couldn't bear not knowing what was hiding in those trees watching us, if there was anything there at all.

What made it worse was my reluctance to fight in this battle. I don't think I could ever bring myself to kill a fellow pony. yeah, I had the potential to fight Changelings--they're not even ponies--but other pony beings? I don't think I could stomach taking the life of a fellow pony.

My brain had decided to split into two parts, one side saying I should fight, the other trying to be more reasonable.

...But they're supposedly enslaving other ponies; that makes it okay to bring justice upon them, right?

Killing isn't justice, it's murder; besides, I think I'm going to have to see if for myself before I can judge whether somepony deserves to live or die.

They're raiding villages, kidnapping innocent ponies, using them for who-knows-what!

Again, I'll believe it when I see it.

When you do see it, and it turns out to be true, then will you be willing to fight...to kill? I shook my head, trying to clear away the conflict for at least tonight.

We stopped when the sun was starting to rise. Because we were going to continue moving the next evening we decided not to set up tents; it would only slow us down. So, we got out our bedrolls and sleeping bags, and set up on either side of the road.

During the day, I was awakened by the sounds of hoofsteps.

I got up to see Princess Luna standing in the shadow of a tree. I decided to talk to her to see if she could help me with my predicament. I walked over to her side, making my presence known with a simple, "Princess."

She responded, "Midnight."

After a few minutes of silence I sighed and began, "Princess, I don't know whether or not I should partake in this battle." She looked over at me with a curious look, and I continued, "I don't think I could bring myself to kill another pony. Changelings I can manage--they're just animals who feed on the love we have for others--but ponies are a whole different smoke. Do you know what I should do?"

Luna stared into the distance for a few seconds before replying, "Midnight, we are sorry, but we don't think we can help thee with this. This is something thou must decide for thyself. We can give thee a nudge, but in the end it's going to have to be thou who makes the right decision."

I lowered my head and said, "I understand, Your Highness."

Just then I heard the sound of carts rolling through the mud. I looked toward the road and saw what appeared to be an exodus: simple, grim-faced pony folk were hauling bags, and carts all loaded with supplies. They were going north toward Canterlot, the opposite direction of where our troop was going.

"Who are they?" I asked.

"Refugees from Kekra's attacks, seeking shelter and protection," Luna answered. I looked at her and noticed something in her eyes: a mixture of sadness and fury, no doubt building up to be released in the coming battle.

"Refugees?" This was worse that I thought! "There are so few of them."

"Kekra leaves little to now survivors."

"What does she do with the ones she captures?"

"Forces some into her ranks, uses some as servants...others she uses for personal sacrifices."

"What?! Sacrifices?!"

"The Dark Ones are a cult who believe that they are the only 'pure' race. Kekra's followers worship her as a deity. They make sacrifices of those ponies they capture who are seen as too weak to be used as anything else."

"You've seen this before?" I asked with rising panic.

She closed her eyes and bowed her head in sadness. "Yes, we have." Her horn began to glow blue and an image appeared before us. It showed some form of congregation of ponies all dressed in black, simple, hooded cloaks. At the head of this congregation was a raised stone dais. Upon this dais was a crying little colt. He was being held down by two ponies, one at each end of the dais. Another pony walked up to the table, an elaborate dagger held between its teeth. A Unicorn in a more adorned cloak, whom I took to be Kekra, was observing from a decorated rock, just beyond the sacrificial table. Another Unicorn raised the dagger with magic, pointed it downward toward the wide-eyed colt...and the image faded.

"That's when we could look no more," Luna explained.

"Stars above," I muttered. Anger and fury which I had never felt before began to well up inside me. If there was one thing I hated more than killing, it was unjust killing for a false deity. "Thank you for the nudge, Princess. I will fight."

"Stallions! Wakey wakey! We've got marching to do! Round Shield's voice rang through the forest after Reveille had signaled sunset.

I wormed my way out of the sleeping bag, put on my armor, rolled everything up, threw it in the cart, hitched myself up, and I was ready to go.

"Well," Round Shield sarcastically observed, "I'd say that was the fastest clean-up I've seen you do yet, Midnight."

I responded with a short, "Sir."

Round Shield looked at me questioningly and asked, "Why so grim? I though I was the serious one around here?"

"Sorry Sir, but after what Princess Luna showed me last day, I think the only thing that will humor me will be the screams of terror from the so-called Dark Ones as we descend upon their ranks."

"What did she show you? Kwill, who was watching a little ways away, asked.

"The Dark Ones apparently make sacrifices to their leader. They believe she's some sort of deity."

"Are you serious?" Kwill asked.

"Yes," I replied, "but we are going to make their all-powerful goddess bleed."

"Oooh," Round Shield said. "I'm gettin' tingles."

We continued marching through the forest all through the night. We ended up marching past a camp of refugees. Having been awakened by the sound of our marching, a few curious, wide-eyed faces peered out of their tents and stared at us until we marched past.

The next morning, we rolled out our sleeping bags and went to bed, but none of us could sleep for the anticipation of the coming battle.

When the sun set, we packed our things in an eerie silence; there were no thoughts to share that had already been said. Tonight was the night we would meet the Dark Ones in the field of battle.

Princess Luna stepped forward and said, "We need a Pegasus to scout out the location of the Dark Ones."

One of the Pegasi who had been part of the trio that brought the fateful news of Everfree Village raised his hoof. "I'll go."

"Very well. We need that report when the moon rises."

The Pegasus replied, "Yes, Princess!" and took off to the south.

Kwill and I sere sparring when the Pegasus returned just as the first light of the waning crescent was visible on the obscured horizon.

"Your Majesty," he panted, "the Dark Ones are on the plains just bordering the forest. We're about a good hour's march away from exiting the forest."

"Good work," she replied. She looked to Round Shield, who stood nearby with Silver Hooves, and nodded.

Round Shield filled his lungs and shouted, "Alright, stallions! Form up! We march for the plains!"