In the Service of the Princess

Chapters

Ponyville Outbound
Crystal Empire Inbound
Epilogue
Bonus - From A Certain Point of View

Ponyville Outbound

I couldn’t sleep.

Normally I’d be out like a light. I always found the rhythmic clickety-clack of the wheels soothing, a lullaby of chugging that never failed to lull me to sleep on these extensive train rides. That—and the clean up assignment we had in Ponyville was enough—should have been enough to send me to dreamland for good few hours. And yet, here I was, wide awake and unable to sink into the depths of sleep.

Maybe I was restless. I preferred to be up and about. Sitting or standing around for an extended period of time was enough to make me crazy. I’d rather walk around and actually do something, like patrol the grand halls of the Crystal Castle, instead of sit behind a desk with loads of paperwork. That’s why I enjoyed patrols during my tenure with Canterlot’s Twelfth Precinct. Better than sitting for hours on a train with nothing to do. Yeah, that was it. I just needed to get on my hooves for a while.

From my seat, I scanned the coach. Unlike modern Equestrian locomotives, lighting for Crystal Empire bullet trains was provided by six lightstones symmetrically embedded where the roof met the wall. As it was past nightfall, the lightstones had automatically adjusted themselves to a dimmer setting, enough to give off a warm gentle glow to the room, but not so bright that passengers wouldn’t be able to get any sleep. It was also adequate enough for night watch to remain vigilant, and by proxy, enough for me to see who was in dreamland and who wasn’t.

Amethyst Stone was situated in the row across the aisle. He was engrossed in a novel depicting a pair of pale hooves presenting an apple on the cover. It was one introduced to him by his niece last week, and ever since Amethyst had been been reading it like it was his day job. I shook my head, amused. How could he find some cheesy romance between a pony and a thestral enthralling? There were better love stories out there with more substance.

The princess was fast asleep in the seat across from me, looking ragged and worse for wear, her steady breathing fogging up the window thanks to her head leaning against it. I cracked a lopsided smile at how cute she looked. Captain Armor certainly was a lucky guy to wake up every morning to the sight of his wife sleeping soundly. And Her Highness certainly deserved a good night’s rest after today.

“Can’t sleep?” asked a watchpony standing guard, a green crystal stallion by the name of Emerald Ray.

“Not really, no.” I told him. “I dunno why. Guess I’m just restless and need to get up on my hooves.”

Ray softly chuckled. “Train rides tend to do that.”

“Heh, no kidding.” I turned around behind me to see nopony watching the door leading to the locomotive. There were supposed to be two on duty. I turned back to the watchpony, curious as to where his counterpart had gone off to. “Where’d Windlancer go?”

“She’s in the can.”

“Ah.” Long train rides tended to have that effect, too. It’s the primary reason guardponies work in pairs.

I took a look past Ray at the rear door. Beyond that was culinary car. Now that I thought about it, I hadn’t eaten anything since before we departed Ponyville. My stomach grumbled in response to that train of thought. Maybe a trip to the kitchen would help, too. “I am kinda hungry. You want anything?”

“No thanks, I’m good.”

“You sure?” I pressed. “I can sneak you a teacake or three.” There were some foods reserved only for the princess, and teacakes were one of them. That didn’t stop any of us from copping a morsel if we had the chance. With all the cinnamon and fruit topping piled on each bite-sized pastry, they were that good.

The green crystal pony pulled out a small plastic bag tucked in his breastplate. Lo and behold, there were a few teacakes nestled inside. “Already earned my quota.”

“Okay.” I replied with an amused smile. “I’ll be back in a few.” I quietly slid out of my seat, taking care to be stealthy and not wake up the princess. Cadance had had a rather stressful day, so it was preferable not to disturb her. Reverting Ponyville into its previous condition in the wake of a dark-magic related crisis was no picnic.

We weren’t exactly there to witness the Bearer of Generosity crank her generousness up to eleven with inspiration manifestation magic, but judging the accounts from the townsponies, it had been a harrowing experience. By the time the Guard had arrived to take over the situation, Ponyville looked like a neighborhood subdivision in the Crystal Empire. Cottages and businesses were crystallized, the roads were paved with gold brick, every square inch of that quaint little town was remade in the Bearer of Generosity’s ideal image of beauty and perfection.

That had included clothing, too. I didn’t like it. Not one bit. Not after seeing First Base traumatized by the foal’s sailor suit that spontaneously materialized on him. Poor kid.

Since the mess was caused by dark magic, manually ripping away at the remnants was not an option; it required a princess’s touch. Or three. Even with their combined magical prowess, the workload for Princesses Cadance, Luna, and Twilight was taxing. Tatzlwurms were one thing, but a undoing the effects of power-crazed fashionista’s beautification spree? That was a whole other level of insanity.

See, that was a downside of the Crystal Guard; it didn’t exactly get much action in the Empire ever since Sombra had been blown to smithereens, and I was bummed we didn’t get any of the criminal scum or big-scary-monster kind of problems to deal with. Which is rather ironic. Us guardponies are supposed to get stuck with the icky jobs while the royals hang back in safety, not the other way around.

Oh well, as they say, life is like a box of chocolates; you never know what you’re going to get.

I exited the coach and entered the dimly lit culinary car. The dining area remained much the same as the other cars in being crystalline inside and out and possessing a bunch of booths like one would find at a diner, but catered more towards the one percent. As if the crystalline interior, warmly lit with varying hues of yellow and orange instead of blue, purple, and pink, didn’t do enough of a job of that.

The kitchen area, however, remained as such only on the outside, while its innards were entirely modernized. State-of-the-art stove, refrigerator, you name it, it was all there. Cooking techniques and sanitation standards have changed a lot over the course of a thousand years, and royalty deserved only the finest in appliances. Though personally, nothing beat a good old fashioned ice box and thundercloud stove.

Grinning devilishly and wringing my hooves with the naughtiness of a foal about to sneak a cookie from the jar, I opened the fridge and peered through its contents. It revealed mostly an assortment of basic ingredients like eggs and milk at the bottom shelves, a platter of ripe vegetables and several drinks on the upper shelves, and most of all, a disturbing lack of teacakes. Not a straggling little morsel that fell off the plate. In fact, there was nothing dessert-y at all in the fridge. Not even waffles or a jar of blackberry topping.

I frowned. So much for that venture. With a roll of the eyes, I decided to go with a bottle of apple juice and a couple of celery sticks. Not what I wanted, but at least they were healthy alternatives.

The fridge door closed noiselessly once I acquired my less-than-satisfying midnight snack. I never expected anything to be behind it, let alone a vampiric pony lurching it’s head at me with an evil hiss. It--she--fixed her sight on me with piercing yellow eyes, baring sharp white fangs in a malicious grin that would send anypony high-tailing away.

I totally didn’t squeal like a little filly, nor did I by cling to the one of the dangling lightstones for dear life and try to stay as far away from that wretched thing as possible. If this was payback for that thought about Amethyst’s book, I sure as hay was paying back.

The demonic mare burst into a fit of giggles that was oddly cute, not distorted. “Gotcha.” she said with a pleased smile, taking off her helmet. In an instant the purple-armored facade shimmered away, leaving behind a young, blue-eyed unicorn in red armor. “You know, for a bonafide bodyguard, you sure are high-strung.”

Ladies and gentlecolts, presenting First Lieutenant Star Kicker of the Lunar Guard. Expert in tracking magic, platoon commander, and up-an-coming prankster extraordinaire.

“What the hay, Star?!” I shot with a glare. My heart was still racing faster than my sister with a tailwind. “You spook me like that, yeah I’m gonna be high-strung!”

The young Kicker’s smile grew prouder at my words. “So I got you good this time. Am I right, fly boy?” She took a bite out of one of the celery sticks that, along with the apple juice, she caught in her magical grip.

“I about had a feathering heart attack!”

Star swallowed her morsel. “Then I’d call that mission accomplished.” Her proud grin met my annoyed pout, and it held for several long moments.

Star was known as much for her pranking pastime as her magical skills through the ranks of the Royal Guard. Time and time again somepony had to deal with simple pranks like a hoof in warm water or a telescope that left two black eyes. Then there were the wackier ones, like meddling with a suit of armor’s enchantments to change the color from standard gold to a hot pink.

I shivered at that particular memory. That was one way of platonically saying Happy Hearts and Hooves.

Honestly, it annoyed the living Tartarus out of me whenever Star and I worked together and I fell for another one of her pranks. But every time, after the initial shock, it was useless to not find it positively hilarious. With that said, Star’s smile grew infectious, and I couldn’t help but match her expression. And then we laughed in the ambiance of a prank well played between friends.

“Okay, you got me.” I conceded. They really were funny in the end. It was times like these I was envious of Star’s pranking ability. Sure, I did manage to pull off a few good ones myself, but in the end, she was better at execution than I was. Ironic, considering we shared a place in the same career field. Still, I was never one to back down from a challenge. No matter how many times I was outpranked by Star, I was ready to make a comeback. “You’d better be careful. Next time when I get you, you better be wearing your brown pants.”

“Not if I get you first. Again,” The young Kicker countered with confidence.

“How about a wager on that, then? Make it more interesting.”

Star gave me a skeptical look, then snerked. “Scare me before I scare you a second time? I wouldn’t bet on it, Flash. You’re talking to the best prankster in the Royal Guard.”

“Then what do you call the last time you visited your sister? Busted?” I wasn’t there in Ponyville to witness it myself, but word from the grapevine told of a prank war between Star and her sister Storm during her visit. Nothing unusual when it came to their sibling rivalry, except it dragged a few unfortunate ponies into the mix, namely Princess Twilight. It lasted a couple days and Luna knows how many outrageous pranks, but it didn’t end well for Team Star.

Just more evidence to show she was as equally vulnerable to the ways of the prankster as anypony else. “I can totally pull one off faster than you can say bazinga.”

“Very funny.” Star rolled her eyes. “And your confidence act would look more convincing if you weren’t hanging from the ceiling like a pussy cat.”

I looked down at myself and realized I was still doing just that. I was surprised the lightstone was even able to support my weight plus the armor. Then again, it and its counterpart were thoroughly embedded into the ceiling like any crystalline stalactite, so that surprise was probably moot. Regardless, I was pretty embarrassed in my current position and, as any stallion would do to preserve a shred of his masculinity, tried to shrug it off. Or at least deny Star the pleasure of hearing me label myself a...pussy cat

“Whatever you say, Snoopy.” I said with a deceptive shrug, then gracefully fluttered to the ground. “So, you up for it?”

“All right.” Star said with a calculating smile as she deposited my snack on the counter. “What are the stakes?”

“If I beat you to the punch, not a word about having a thing for Princess Twilight once we arrive at the Empire.”

She arched a brow, confused. “I was expecting something a little more extreme.”

“You know how much that annoys me and I know how much you enjoy teasing me about it. It’d be nice to not hear anything about that damned rumor for a while, you know?” Rumors have a tendency to spread like wildfire amongst the ranks of the Royal Guard. Some of the most notorious were that I had a crush for Princess Twilight, and that Cadance had used that as a reason to bump me up the ranks.

Firstly, there was no such crush. She just happened to bump into me a couple of times during her first summit, nothing more. Positive the same thing happens to other guardponies and I’m not the only one. Yeah, Princess Twilight was cute, a good singer, even adorkable, but I didn’t see her in that way.

Secondly, the promotion to First Lieutenant was through merit, not through favoritism on Cadance’s part. Otherwise the black operation attempting to uncover a mole prior to the Royal Wedding would've been rendered a moot point for promotion, wouldn't it?

“Okay. If that’s what you want.” Star conceded with a nod. “Now if I win, you have to eat meat. A nice thick, juicy slice of meat.” She paused in thought and quickly added for measure, “Oh, and you have to eat the whole thing, too. Not half, not a third, not one bite; all of it. Keeping it down once you’ve swallowed it all is optional, though.”

Probably should have thought this wager through before going along with it. I mentally slapped myself. Damn my impulsive nature.

Ingesting meat wasn’t unheard of in equine society. In fact, it was common to hunt as a means of survival before the unification of the three tribes over a thousand years ago. More so for the pegasi than the others. However, since the widespread application of agriculture in the following years, it’s been accepted less and less to the point of where anypony who got caught going carnivorous nowadays descended into social deviancy.

Except for oddballs like those of the Long Patrol; everypony in that branch of the military ate it as part of an initiation ritual. For some it’s the one time, while the rest acquire a taste for the stuff. Star’s sister and my dad were examples of veterans who fell into the latter category. Uncle Descent was in on the omnivorous diet too, though he could thank the cuisine in Freeport for that.

Personally, the thought of trying meat to see how it would taste arose once or twice. It does look appealing and even possesses a pleasant aroma, but bringing myself to go through with that line of thinking never panned out. Underlying doubts about being different held me back every time. Amazing how social norms can affect one’s way of thinking.

“Dear Goddess, anything but that,” I said anxiously.

Star took great pleasure in my reaction; her growing grin was testament to it. “Beggars can’t be choosers.”

“I’d rather eat a durian.”

“Sheesh, Flash, you’re stubborn as a mule. You know how destructive that fruit is to a pony’s digestive system.” Undaunted, she prodded at my chest. “Allow me to put it this way: you might enjoy this indulgence and not risk suffering an hour on the porcelain throne if you take it, compared to shitting your guts out with certainty thanks to a spiked fruit. Nothing ventured, nothing gained, right?”

True, there was that possibility. Not like I had a choice in the matter anyways. I set up a trap meant for her and I walked right into it. Only option now was to wait for Star to spring it first. I let out a resigned sigh. “Okay, fine. Deal’s a deal.” I held out my hoof, to which Star shook with gusto.

Satisfied with the set stakes, the young Kicker turned around, opened the fridge and rummaged through what scarce contents it held, “So, what are you doing up?” she asked, genuinely curious.

I shrugged. “Can’t sleep. I figured walking around a bit and getting a bite to eat would help. Looks like that plan failed.” I chuckled. “Anyway, since I’m up, might as well report in for Blue Shift. All members are accounted for and guarding Her Highness in the coach. Amethyst is off the clock.”

“Excellent.” She then let out a defeated sigh and pulled away from the fridge empty-hooved, shaking her head in disappointment. “Scratch that, not excellent. We’re out of teacakes.”

“Yeah, I noticed. I think Ray snagged the last of them earlier.”

“Just my luck.”

“Just have to be quicker next time.” I teased before returning to the subject at hoof. “Everything in ship shape for Black Shift?”

Star put on an air of professionalism. “Present and accounted for. One standing guard on the back platform, the other patrolling her post in the Princess’ car, one off duty, and yours truly is checking in on her subordinates.”

“And Princess Luna?”

“Dream-hopping.”

My head tilted, curious. “Really? I figured she’d be beat after the clean up op.”

“Her Highness insisted otherwise.” Star put on her best impression of Princess Luna, and a rather convincing one at that. “As the Princess of the Night, ‘tis my royal duty to gaze over the dreams of my subjects. Thy reprieve comes second to theirs and still it shall be.”

“No wonder she’s popular with the kids. She’s quite the role model.” Princess Luna was strong, wise, and intuitive, traits which have grown stronger since rising from the ashes of her past, and she certainly made it a priority to put others before herself, too. If she was willing to sacrifice a day of rest for the pleasant dreams of colts and fillies alike, then Her Lunar Highness was a winner in my book. Yeah, Cadance may be the princess I swore an oath to protect and sacrifice life and limb for if need be, but Luna will always be my princess.

Admittedly that may or may not be biased because of family lineage. I’m not saying our family was a cult of current generation Chargers who were lunar fanatics or anything like that, but when it came to Princess Luna, we held her in high regard and showered her with the utmost respect. Hay, we probably adored her more than Celestia. Uncle Descent certainly did. Mom even more so, even back in the day when it was just Celestia raising the sun and the moon. For one, she would always have me, Lightning, and later Fi, kneel at our bedroom window every night and pray for Luna’s moon to watch over with its ethereal light.

I mentally chuckled. I think I just admitted to being a Luna worshipper after attempting to deny it. Maybe I should stop deluding myself further and transfer to Luna’s escort instead of sticking with Cadance’s to complete the image. Maybe have Star put a good word in, too. With the fanaticism stemming from Mom’s side of the family, it seemed more than fitting to serve under the Princess of the Moon herself. Just so long as she doesn’t go dark side again and embark on a body-jacking spree with me. I already had to deal with something similar with a certain bug queen once, and that was by no means a pleasant experience I wanted to endure a second time.

“Yeah, she is.” Star’s warm tone spoke of fondness and respect. I had to wonder what secret sides she’d seen of Princess Luna, who always seemed rather distant in public. It had to be for more than just her services to Her Highness prior to the changeling attack on Canterlot.

A dull thump resounded from the ceiling, prompting our heads and ears to perk up at the sound. Several more followed the first in quick succession and traveled down the length of the car. The next few moments were tensely spent in silence awaiting any further disturbances, but none followed.

“What the hay was that?” I asked.

“Your guess is as good as mine.”

Our attention warily returned to the ceiling. I wanted to say the cacophony was caused by intruders, but I banished the possibility of a malevolent presence to the back of my mind. If anything that was anxiety and a quickness to make assumptions getting the best of me. There had to be another catalyst, a rational one. The only answer I could think of was a few loose branches or stones. The train had to be passing through the eastern mountains about now. Incidents like that were not uncommon; falling debris were bound to happen during a rainstorm when the earth softened up enough and the wind blew at torrential levels. That was the best I could think of.

I was about to get my hooves dirty--er, wet--regardless. Which I didn’t mind; I enjoyed getting dirty. It was our duty as Royal Guards to assess potential threats and neutralize them, in this case scouting out the roof for obstacles living and inanimate. Be it a few twigs, then I’d just have to warn the others of the conditions the weather created and practice caution from then on out. On the other hoof, if it turned out to be something more dangerous...well, lets just say it'd be in for a world of hurt.

“Whatever it is, I’m gonna check it out.” I told her as I opened the doors separating the kitchen from the dining area. “In the meantime, Star, sit tight and have the others on standby in case things go wrong.”

“Got it.” she replied from behind. “And be careful.”

I looked back to my friend with a soft smile. “I will.” Passing through the doors, I went to the other side of the warmly lit dining area and to the door leading back to the coach. I opened it, letting in a breeze that sent my feathers afluff. Geez, that was chilly! Fortunately, the armor’s insulation enchantment began to activate in response to the sudden chill. In no time I felt more cozy than a cucumber in a parka.

I took a readying breath, eager to do more than stretch out my wings for a topside inspection. Sentry goin’ up. With that, I flew out the door and up to the car’s rooftop where I could get a full sense of the weather outside. And it was a complete mess out there. The first thing I noticed was how dark it was. The moon was blocked out by dark clouds, already reducing visibility considerably. Added on top of that was the thick mist cutting down my range of vision down to maybe a few meters or so ahead. Pity the armor lacked a sufficient night vision enhancement. That was a feature often reserved for the Lunar Guard or night watch.

At least the heavy duty lightstones embedded in the edges of the roof helped improve the situation. Living in a region of the world prone to blinding blizzards, these were a mandatory element in the train’s design. Thanks to their piercing illumination, I could see the train was passing through a forest. Okay, so a few falling tree limbs as culprits behind the sounds we heard was becoming more plausible than the alternative of something worse. Good news, but still we were pretty much in the middle of nowhere. If anything went wrong, help would not arrive for a long while.

For the icing on the cake, the light rain also made the metal roof slippery. Not too slippery if were a torrential storm, but regardless it wasn’t something to take lightly. Thankfully guard armor was enchanted to counteract that hazard; one magnet spell and it was like walking on dry land.

Squinting against the beleaguering weather, I scanned as best as I could for the debris and/or potential intruders. The latter shouldn’t have been difficult; there were only so many places a pony could hide atop a train, even with the thick mist and the darkness of the night serving as favorable methods of cover. Unless an invisibility spell was in play and the intruders were practically trotting right past me. I couldn’t help cracking a smile at the image of one of them making stupid faces in the midst of my obliviousness.

That smile faded quickly as I continued the thorough search. When nothing turned up, I grunted in annoyance. Maybe this was all just a false alarm. It could have been a couple of branches falling and striking the roof, not a hostile force. Yeah, nothing instead of something was the better outcome, but I was kind of hoping for a little action. Princess Cadance was right: life in the Crystal Empire was wonderful but predictable. The Crystal Express was by no means excluded from that observation.

Disappointed with the minimal level of excitement on the trip thus far, I slipped a hoof to my ear and activated the communications crystal embedded within. The crystal earbud was a creation of Star’s that recently saw the light of day after much trial and error. It combined sound and dream magic for instantaneous communication between the wearers by creating a telepathic link of sorts between them. Not like a hive mind, but something similar. The earbuds were difficult to make primarily because of the complex spellcasting involved, so they only saw limited use in her unit and select others, mine included.

Nifty little gadget made by a brilliant young mare. If Star was up to it, I’d do more than buy her that drink I still owed her.

Sentry to Kicker, I contacted, No debris to report here and no baddies either. Looks like whatever hit the roof is gone now. Still suggesting we exercise caution until the train enters northern territory.

Roger that. A brief silence followed before she added, And you can buy me that drink after we RTB.

Woops. That was the disadvantage of the crystal earbud. Any thought was an audible thought once two wearers established an active link. You had to make sure your mind didn’t wander during conversation, otherwise you risk spilling beans you didn’t want spilt in the first place. That included the can of beans that contained a crush for the first lieutenant. But that’s all it was. A crush. We would be forever nothing more than friends. Besides, Star was with somepony she loved very much. As her friend, I will remain on the sidelines for the sake of their enduring happiness.

Crap. I did it again, didn’t I?

You sure did.

With an escaping nervous chuckle, I replied, Will comply. The link went mute after that. Things were going to get awkward later.

I turned to head back inside and finish up that snack before crashing back in the coach. That’s when I ended up face to face with a mysterious figure. Military training took over and I leapt back into a defensive crouch, wingblades spread wide. The figure turned out to be a pony, a unicorn mare to be precise judging from the horn and build. She wore a set of night vision goggles with lenses that glowed a vivid green and a black stealth suit that covered its form in its entirety, leaving the pony’s appearance beneath to imagination.

It was unnerving, like staring at a specter creeping upon those who trespassed the lands it haunted.

“Hello there.” she greeted casually as if we were familiars.

Well, there went the ghostly image. Still, I didn’t budge. “Who are you?”

“Come now.” Her voice was on the deeper side, but did nothing to deter the playful tone she possessed. “It’s only proper to show courtesy to the passengers.”

“Kind of hard to offer courtesy when that passenger is an uninvited guest.” I quipped dryly. “Now I’ll ask you again: who are you and why are you here?

It was nigh impossible to hear over the wind, but she definitely gave an annoyed sighed. “Such a gentlecolt,” the mystery mare said with laced sarcasm. “Fine. If that’s how you will be. First, I am Ponente. As for my purpose, I am on business.”

“Don’t suppose that business involves fixing a leaky roof, does it, Ponente?” I shot back.

She made a sound of amusement. “Not exactly, sweetie.” Ponente lowered her head and entered a wide-legged attack stance. Her horn began to glow a white hue, prompting me to flap my wings and dive forward like a lance at her before she could fire off a spell. A split second later, a blinding flurry of snow and she was gone.

She teleported?! I thought as I made contact with the roof. Not many unicorns were high enough on the scale to be capable of teleportation magic, medium-based or otherwise. Only Alphas and uber-high level Betas had that ability, and ponies like them weren’t exactly a dime a dozen.

I saw the edge of the train car approaching as I skidded and backpedaled a few times to avoid falling off. The magnetic enchantments on the gauntlets were effective when the wearer was stationary or moving at a steady pace. Dynamic actions like diving, however, reduced its effectiveness considerably. At least I had a lot of roof to work with and managed to skid to a stop at the very edge of the car. Anything less and it would’ve been game over.

“Too slow!” Ponente shouted over the rushing wind. I whirled around to see her in the same stance as before, this time a ring of dagger-sized icicles slowly rotating around her. And they were steadily growing in size, thanks to the rain. Fantastic. She was about to go all stabbity-stabbity with icicles and had a limitless supply of moisture to work with in addition to her high-level magic.

I had to warn somepony of the intruder, that way we could initiate emergency protocol and have the security detail lock down the coach. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the option of abandoning my role as foalsitter to our interloper. Which meant the only chance at warning anypony of danger was getting Star’s attention. Somehow.

I mentally smacked myself. Of course, the earbuds! My hoof moved to my ear to establish a link with Star… and was halted by a rattling ding and the cringeworthy sound of metal against shrieking metal. Suddenly, my mane grew heavier, cold, and damp. It took a few moments for my brain to grind back into gear and realize Ponente shot off my helmet. And she was about to fire off another round.

I made an attempt to avoid getting skewered as Ponente launched an icicle. However, she launched it ahead of me, forcing myself to flap backwards to dodge it. Unfortunately, Ponente expected the maneuver, having sent another icicle to intercept the retreat. Too late for me to react, for it nicked the back of my head.

My heart skipped a beat. I gingerly felt what was definitely a bald spot where the icicle grazed me. That was too close.

Okay, I really had to contact Star now. A hoof felt for the bud, but felt nothing obtrusive embedded in the cavity. Crap. It must had been jostled loose with that potshot. Fantastic. How was I supposed to warn the detail now without a communications device?

Star’s head popped out from the lip of the roof. Huh. Speak of the devil. “You alright up here? The link went dead just now.” A trio of icicles answered by threateningly embedding themselves mere inches in front of her. Star let out a startled “Eep!” and dropped back into the car.

I fixed a heated glare at Ponente. She responded with an unsettling, toothy grin that grew from ear to ear. The fact I couldn’t see any of her face beyond her mouth made it all the more disturbing. I shivered, and it definitely wasn’t from the storm. This chick was a cold, faceless combatant. “Seriously, you better quit it.” I warned, trying to hide that lingering fear. “You’re dealing with a hoof-picked member of the elite Crystal Guard."

For added measure, more for confidence than showing off, I flexed my wings to show off the wingblades. "I'm also in the top five of my grad class for wingblade combat.”

“You think you have the upper hoof because of a pair of wingblades?” Ponente shot back, taking a few steady steps forward.

“Yes. Yes, I do.” I answered simply. I would’ve applied lance combat as part of the intimidation tactic. Too bad it was left nestled away back in coach with Blue Shift. There was no reason to bring it along for topside inspection if the main concern was loose tree limbs. Though I regret that now, knowing full well that was not the case.

However, that didn’t mean I was totally helpless without it. Like I said to Ponente, I was in the top five--third to be exact--of my graduating class at West Hoof for wingblade combat. Needless to say I had immense confidence in my abilities with wingblades, even preferred them over a lance. So long as the weather didn’t further complicate the situation, utilizing them efficiently should be no problem.

“Just because you are skilled with them does not guarantee victory. Only a fool trusts her life to a weapon.”

“How about I give you a demonstration to prove you wrong. Blades versus magic.” I flared out my wings again, displaying the bronze segments and curvaceous gleaming blades. More likely than not this wasn’t going to end well, but I wasn’t all too concerned about it. So long as I held off Ponente and bought enough time for emergency protocols to be initiated, that’s all that mattered.

Ponente’s grin regressed to curled lips as she kept going. “Try me.”

I obliged her with a smirk, pleased she was up to the challenge. I charged at the her again, this time keeping my footing in check. I didn’t need another close call to give Ponente an advantage. Or worse, a lethal misstep that left minced pegasus along the rail line. The black-suited unicorn unleashed another onslaught of icicles. Instead of dodging them by moving left or right, I dropped and allowed my momentum to propel me forward along the slickened roof.

Ponente responded by conjuring a wall of ice to impede my slide. I reacted quickly, twisting my body and bringing myself up to my hooves to deliver a swift strike to the obstruction. The blade cleaved through the centimeter-thick wall like a hot knife through butter, but there was nopony behind it. I cursed under my breath. Of course, it was a distraction on top of a defensive tactic. Cheap, but effective.

I turned and hastily searched for my quarry. I took notice of the mist slowly dissipating in favor of heavier rainfall. That improved visibility a bit. Not by much, but at least I didn’t have to solely rely on her night vision goggles to spot Ponente, thank Goddess. Anything to make this job easier was a blessing.

A blur of motion by the edge of the roof caught my attention, followed by two orbs of green emerging from the darkness. Ponente’s head emerged from the lip and, with a lady-like wave meant to provoke, slipped inside the car with the slinky gracefulness of a cat. Damn it, that wasn’t good. Not good at all. For all I knew, the only pony in the car below was Star. She could totally take care of herself, no doubt about it--I have the scars from the Chrysalis goose chase to show as proof--but this Ponente character was a force to be reckoned with.

I made my way over to the edge, dropped down below, and slipped into the car after my quarry. Immediately noted was the lack of lighting in the kitchen. The lightstones must have been shattered. Combined with the howling wind and dull thud of rainfall from outside, it was as if I descended into the darkness of a foreign jungle. Now all it needed were a few barking baboons to complete the vibe.

Anxiety kick-started the pumping of adrenaline in my system. My breathing fell into short, barely audible steady breaths. Soon, all sounds became focused and amplified. I had become aware, cautious, and on my toes, toes that slowly guided me around the perimeter of the culinary car. In this environment, Ponente had to be hiding in wait, a predator preparing for the perfect moment to pounce on her prey.
I had every intention of not falling victim to her attack, whenever it came.

“Into the darkness the hero dove, for the mare he desperately strove, yet little did he know in due time her life would not be his, but mine.” Ponente’s words echoed throughout the car as if she was some omnipresent spirit. I whirled around left and right looking for her, but she remained hidden within the darkened kitchen. I felt more unsettled than I was ten seconds ago.

“So you’re a poet now.”

“When living in a community where that manner of speech is the norm, rhyming couplets eventually become second nature.”

“I’m guessing you’re not a native-born Zebrican.”

“Your guess is correct. Most of my adolescence was spent in Zebrica, yes, but I am not of zebra blood. My family were foreigners on a research expedition.” A yawning silence followed, then she added with deliberate provocation, “But that is all I will tell you.”

A sudden weight slammed into my side, the next thing I knew I was tumbling into the wall. There was enough force behind the blow to bring a throbbing pain to the back of my head. Even in the darkness, I could sense my vision fade in and out. Something coarse and flexible snaked up my side in the stuporous state, steadily wrapping around my wings and tightening like a constrictor. The sudden in decline in oxygen intake forced out pained wheezes and I began to vainly struggle.

“Now I may be generous enough to enlighten you more.” Her voice sounded much closer, practically in front of me, but I couldn’t see the glow from her goggles nor her horn. She had to be using a cloaking spell, it was the only explanation for remaining invisible despite her luminous assets. “That is, depending if chance prefers you to emerge from this alive. But only if you have the strength and skills to survive.”

“Then how about letting me out of this rope?” I gasped through the disorienting haze. “You want a real fight? Then set me loose.” The bonds slackened, but only just and remained taught around my wings and midsection. At least I could breathe easier and start thinking straight again. “Thanks, but that’s not what I asked for.“

Ponente responded with a laugh laced with mockery that emanated from throughout the room, leaving her location more ambiguous than before. It gradually became apparent Ponente was was toying with me, using the near pitch-black darkness and her magic to her advantage and unsettle her prey. “In the wilderness of nature, you play by its rules. Those who adapt leave while it ends the fools,” the foreign unicorn’s voice rang out in rhyme once again, “Fight back in the darkness of night if you wish for your star to remain alight!”

I quickly got up to my hooves, heart thumping rapidly in my chest. It didn’t take a genius to figure Ponente had full reign of the car, meaning I had to play by her rules as she made them. Which was to pretty much fight blind while handicapped wingless and bladeless against strikes with a chance of ice. Or hail, if Ponente decided to get brutal.

This wasn’t going to be easy, I told myself as I hastily rummaged through the kitchen in search of a means of defense. There had to be a way of getting an edge over her. Yeah, a broken bottle or something will help, but only for a short time until I regained use of my wings again. It was pathetic. A pegasus was essentially naked and vulnerable without wings.

I shook my head to disperse the depressing thought. No. Focus on finding something to fight back with.

Rummaging through a lower cabinet, my hoof brushed against something hard and phallus-like, then something circular farther back. Was that what I thought it was? I gripped it, pulled it out, and felt the rest of the object in question. A grin creased my lips.

A frying pan.

Oh yes. I was going to have fun with this. Now if only the place were lit up like a Hearth’s Warming tree--

I grunted in surprise as I felt myself dragged on my back across the floor by some unseen force. Whether it was hooves or magic, it was impossible to tell in the darkness. Once stopped, Ponente’s masked face came down from above, the eerie glow of her goggles paired with that disturbing grin again hovering over my face like a specter, sending chills up my spine.

Primal survival instinct took over, my hooves aiming to grab and/or damage Ponente’s goggles. If she didn’t have them she’d be as blind as I was in this lightless pit in Tartarus. Then I might have a chance in at least putting distance between us and warning the detail. Easier said than done as Ponente managed to put up an admirable struggle in our game of hoofticuffs. Then she decided to play dirty--when did she even play clean to begin with?--by freezing my forelegs to my sides with her magic and effectively restricting whatever remaining free movement I possessed in them.

I gulped audibly, trapped beneath Ponente and at the mercy of her cryomancy, unable to do anything because of the taut grip fear had on my soul. Society stereotypes guardponies as equines who never let emotion get the best of them. If only they spent a day in our horseshoes could they understand we were still vulnerable even with our training and magically enhanced equipment.

Equipment that was useless now. No helmet, no crystal earbud, bound wings, pinned limbs...I was practically isolated and naked. It was a tough situation that left me with few options of retaliation, beyond headbutting Ponente or kicking her underside. On second thought, scratch the headbutting; mine still throbbed painfully from that earlier hit. I guess it’s a shot to Ponente’s abdomen then. Or her groin, if I’m lucky. But even she had to be expecting that, too. If I made a move for either, she would quickly counteract. I was at her mercy unless I came up with some other way to break from Ponente’s hold. Either way, time was running out fast.

They say life flashes before one’s eyes in moments of near-death or intense threat. Sometimes it’s a pleasant experience, sometimes it’s not. As I lay there, I experienced flashback after flashback, though I couldn't help but feel particularly drawn to one of my early days at West Hoof.

“Keep in mind, just ‘cause Blondie and Ginger over there are a couple of cutie pies don’t mean they can’t handle themselves.”

I rolled my eyes, brushing off the foreleg Shephard Pie had around my shoulder. “Thanks for the advice, Shephard, but we are at the most prestigious military academy in the country. It’s mandatory for everypony here to handle themselves.”

The earth pony broke out an amused chuckle. “Oh, we both know that. The question is can you handle one of them?”

Before I could question what he implied by that, Shephard spun me around and shoved me towards the two mares. A wave of nervousness rushed over me as I watched Kicker and Airheart discuss who would be the one to take on Shephard’s challenge. What the hay did I get myself into? All I did was make an off-hoofed comment on who makes the better fighter. Shephard making a show of it was the last thing I expected him to do.

Yet here we were.

“You just gonna stand there all day or are we doing this thing?”

I shook my head, realizing I must have been staring off. Kicker had taken the initiative to step up and was readying herself for the match with some stretches, all the while gazing at me knowingly as if she were witnessing my inner conflict clear as day.

Okay, just play it cool. Couldn’t let her know how nervous I was. “Y-yeah, just loosening up.” I performed a few squats before assuming a low position. "You ready for this?"

"I'm all yours, Sentry." she answered with a sly smile.

I rushed at the cadet, intending to grapple her and bring her to the ground quickly. When I reached Kicker, however, she gripped one of my outstretched forelegs and pulled me close. So close our faces were barely a hoof apart. I could smell the faint traces of lavender emanating from her and--

Her lips pecked mine, and time slowed to a crawl. It was quick and out of nowhere like lightning, and I could do nothing other than just stare dumbfoundedly into her purple eyes with mine of blue while she smiled slyly in satisfaction. As a guy, I couldn’t help but find myself unable to tear aware from such a lovely face. It was as if some invisible force kept me drawn to those beautiful orbs and alluring smile. Was this what it felt like to be in one of those romance novels Mom loves to read?

The moment didn’t last very long, however. One moment we were sort of locked in a grapple, the next the world spun madly and the all the breath in my lungs was gone. Kicker had fallen back, dragging me along with the forelegs she had in her grip, and used the momentum of the fall to flip us over and pin me to the ground. Painfully.

The small crowd of cadets who gathered for the impromptu challenge laughed at its results, some finding it the funniest damn thing they ever saw. My ears fell back in response. Most. Embarrassing. Thing. Ever.

Huh. That day at West Hoof certainly had its moments. Not only did it lead to an intense night with the cute cloudy-butt who flipped me, but I also met the smartass who I would end up best buds with.

It also left behind a seed that ultimately grew into craziest idea ever. I inwardly grinned as wide as I did the day following that hot night. Maybe I wasn’t so helpless after all. If that sort of ingenuity worked for Cloud, it could work for me. Yeah, it was a crazy idea, but maybe just crazy enough to save my neck. And hey, Ponente’s muzzle was right there. Opportunity was practically screaming at me to take a gander at it.

Well, here goes nothing.

With an impish smile paired with a boost of confidence, I arched my neck forward as best as I could and pressed my lips against Ponente’s. I even managed to slip in some tongue after a little prodding. I pulled back to observe the results. As hoped, she failed to react other than freeze up and have her eyes nearly pop out of her sockets. At least, I think they did behind those goggles of hers.

Wow...it worked, I thought with a mixture of surprise and accomplishment.

Then came the buck to the groin, followed by a very high-pitched cry. Sweet bucking Celestia on a spit roast, that hurt like Tartarus!

Without breaking stride, Ponente magically ripped me from my frozen bonds, then thrusted me through the dining room doors. I instinctively made a move to spread my wings and halt myself, only to remember my wings were still bound by rope. Crap, I thought as I unceremoniously crashed and tumbled into the floor.

Ponente strode through the doors and discarded her goggles. Her balaclava soon followed without grace. Beneath was a white-maned mare whose gray eyes coldly glared daggers as sharp as the icicles she was so proficient with. Her nerves were obviously struck. “When choosing your powers, do not take what is ours,” she growled.

A weak laugh escaped. “It was worth a try.” I snarked with a strained grin. Decent, but the cadet was a much better kisser.

Beads of sweat began to form in my attempt to steadily get back to my hooves. It was nauseating, thanks to that kick to Little Bradley. Nowhere near the intended results, but at least I was still alive and out of Ponente’s grip.

Speaking of, I reached out for the frying pan I found earlier and gripped it as if it were a lifeline. It was miraculous I somehow managed to hold on to the utensil after being tossed through a door like a ragdoll. Fate must’ve decided to give me a break and turn the tables in our favor. That rose my spirits. I had a greater chance of surviving and getting help now that I was armed. Better, if I could undo the ropes. We may be in well-lit area now, but Ponente still had her magic while my wings remained bound and useless. I could try shifting them and use the wingblades to cut through, but that would take time, and I doubt Ponente would give me that luxury.

And where was Star? Surely she remembered we have an intruder on our hooves. Maybe there were more of these goons on the train and she and the others were tied up with them. That would make sense. It would also explain the cacophony of thumping on the roof from earlier. It helped piece things together, but it didn’t help raise my spirits about the situation.

I shook my head. No use focusing on the negative. I had to focus on the here and now. We were in danger and we had to do everything in our power to put an end to what these mercs had planned for the princess, lethal force included.

Steeling my resolve, I crouched low as if to pounce, frying pan in mouth.

It was time to end this.

End of Part 1

Author's Note

Up next: Shocking revelations and shaken loyalties.

I want to give a big thanks to Chengar Qordath, Comma-Kazie, Web of Hope, Ponibus, Rodinga, Dusk Watch, Swiftest Shadow, Poptard, and Equestrian Scholar for their patience and time.

Note: This story has no relation to "Another Life" other than borrowing characters.

Crystal Empire Inbound

The dining car had seen better days.

In the ensuing minutes since moving the engagement there, I had regained use of my wings thanks to a timed interception of one of Ponente’s magical attacks to the rope that bound them—attacks she became more and more liberal with the more I attempted to bar her way. The walls were scored with trails of ice that stuck out like a festering infection. Stuffing from the cushions decorated the floor, the seats having been hacked away at repeatedly and without mercy. The lightstones hadn’t been spared either, plunging the car into near-darkness. In short, our unleashed aggression had done a number on the interior that would undoubtedly send the cleaning crew reeling.

I gasped heavily for breath as I focused my sight on Ponente. The prolonged fight had evidently taken its toll on her as well; her movements had become less cat-like and increasingly sluggish with the passing of time, and her magical attacks were more spaced out. In an effort to exert herself as little as possible, she had taken to switching tactics by holding one end of the dining car and utilizing defensive magic to maintain a vast distance between us.

So far, it was working.

It took some time to figure out why she didn’t make an effort to push forward. Ponente’s goal was to wear me out until she could strike when I was at my weakest, and probably get in some sadistic playtime as a bonus. Then she could simply stride right into the coach car and have her way with the princess. That meant abduction, assassination, or Goddess knew what else. Whatever it was, it meant a bad end for Cadance. Hopefully, killing me somewhere in that plan was not mandatory. I was literally the only one standing between her and Princess Cadance’s car, armed with nothing but a frying pan.

The urge to berate myself grew. I wouldn’t be in this situation if I had been more careful. Sure, tread lightly and always expect the unexpected, they say, but one can only accomplish so much if one decided to play it safe. That paired with a desire for adventure and excitement got the best of me. Now here I was without a means of communicating with the rest of the security detail, isolated in the midst of a security breach, and nearing my limits in prolonged combat.

Of course, everypony makes mistakes. I’ve had more than my fair share of stupid ones in the past—ones easily avoidable had I practiced greater care, like forgetting to read a perp’s rights prior to questioning. Granted, that was early on in my tenure with the precinct, but a stupid mistake nonetheless that let a perp walk free and earned me an earful from the captain.

My ears perked at the sound of something slicing through the air, dispersing the thought. Correction, several somethings. Stalagmites of ice raced up towards me in rapid succession, each needle-like tip capable of skewering a pony with ease.

Whatever disappointment I still felt with myself was replaced by survival instinct. My hind legs propelled me onto a table in one of the adjacent booths, the stalagmites rushing up and past where I stood a split-second before. The rush continued on from there with a prolonged cycle of magical attacks from Ponente and table-hopping from yours truly.

As I got steadily closer, she took more and more steps back to maintain distance between us. Granted, that wasn’t much; Ponente had little room to work with, being situated between the first few rows and the kitchen.

That wasn’t to say I was less at an advantage with her. The cramped train car rendered three-dimensional flight nearly impossible, so that limited what wing-based techniques could be utilized. Either way, Ponente had nowhere else to go unless she retreated into the kitchen for another round of hide-and-seek. That was unlikely, though. It would be pointless for Ponente to pull back when she was a hair’s breadth away from the princess.

The double doors to the kitchen burst open behind her, and from them emerged another newcomer who skidded to a halt before the unicorn. A male pegasus, judging from his build and wings. He wore gear more or less in similarity to Ponente’s suit, the notable differences including a hoodie shrouding his balaclava and additional protective padding on his legs.

The ice queen chanced a look at her associate. “You are supposed to be engaging the rear guard,” she chided between breaths.

“We’re encountering more resistance from those blokes than expected,” he replied, his accent Trottish-heavy. “The rear guard’s managed to dwindle our numbers and they’re still pressing on.”

“Then press back!” Ponente snapped. “We did not board the train just to give up and waste our time with this lot! I will not leave here empty-hooved, I shite you not.”

I leapt up high, frying pan held high for a critical blow to the ice queen’s skull while she was distracted. Ponente, however, wasted no time in proving me wrong on that count by side-stepping the strike, which instead ended up dropping the Trottish guy like a sandbag.

I could feel the predatory grin on Ponente’s muzzle as she prepared to launch another round of magic from behind. I took another wild swing at her, but missed again as she jumped back. Ponente retaliated by casting a gust of wind strong enough to blow me back into the wall. Before I could recover, she swiftly followed up with a pillar of ice that shot up from the floor and struck me square in the gut. I hit the ceiling thereafter.

That was new.

I fell to the floor, stunned in more ways than one. That hurt like hay, and probably would for the next few days, and my breath was coming in ragged, labored gasps. The effects of the fight were starting to take their toll, a realization noticed while heaving up onto aching hooves. My limbs felt heavier and my body was lethargic and sore from bruises upon bruises. I urged myself repeatedly to press on, but it was a slow process.

I was getting soft, I thought distastefully. Almost two years in the Crystal Empire, and barely anything chaotic happened there. Compared to time spent in Canterlot since graduation, where every day was filled with running, flying, tackling, and everything in between, sentry duty in the Crystal Castle was practically a vacation. A really boring vacation. Maybe I should take Descent up on those extra sparring sessions after all this chaos. Assuming I’m alive to ask him, that is.

I mentally shook my head. What kind of thinking was that? That was the mindset of one ready to surrender. No way was I going to give up and die here—not when there was a princess who still needed protecting, not when I had family to come home to, and certainly not when I still owed a friend a hard drink. Plus there was the opportunity to top Star on a scare and win that bet.

Ponente had by now cleared away the remnants of her earlier attack and was busy planting something on the door to coach. Correction, several somethings: fire gems. It took a few moments to put the pieces together and dreadfully realize she was attempting to breach the door by blowing off its hinges.

The clock was ticking down to the wire now. I had to act fast and stop her, otherwise if that door went it was game over for all of us.
Having gained a second wind with that prospect, I stretched my wings and rushed forward into the air, getting closer to the ceiling as I closed the distance between myself and the ice queen. As soon as I was over Ponente, I tucked my wings in and let gravity do the rest of the work, landing on all fours with a thud. Probably would’ve been a more impressive display had I more height to work with, but that was a fantasy for later.

The loud landing prompted her to turn around in surprise. Before Ponente could react any further, I quickly crossed my blades over throat and forced her against the door. She glowered at me. “Persistent one, you are.”

“I could say the same about you. Now, do us all a favor and just give up already. We’d really like to just go home, have a cold one, and call it a day.”

She responded by placing another fire gem on the door’s handle without looking back.“Do it.” Ponente sneered as if she could sense my inner conflict. “If you want to keep your precious princess safe from us and end this, then strike me down, here and now.” She was trying to put up a front to hide her weariness from the battle. It was a subpar job. Guess I ought to up the ante by implementing a more coercive approach. The idea of bluffing with the threat of toasting the car with Ponente’s own fire gems crossed my mind. If she got spooked enough, her common sense would kick in and she’d back down. But the plan was too extreme and impractical, not to mention Ponente was probably not that stupid to believe the bluff was a viable threat. That, and self-immolation wasn’t exactly how I imagined my end.

Then there was outright killing her right there. Much as I ought to right now, it wasn’t the easiest thing to do. No amount of military training, no matter how thorough or rigorous, could ever prepare me for the reality of taking another person’s life. It’s a burdensome, unforgivable sin no one should ever have to carry.

With Ponente in a state where she couldn’t put up much of a fight, the best course of action was to restrain her. We could interrogate her from there and find out who had the balls to put a hit on Cadance. Whoever hired Ponente needed to be dealt a lesson. Plus, she had said ‘we’, which meant her capture would crumble the resolve of however many cronies were aboard.

I kept up a straight face and brought it close to Ponente’s, all the while pressing the blade against her neck just short of drawing blood. “Trust me, I want to. But only on our terms, them being you laying down your arms and calling off your cronies.”

“I came here with a purpose, and I intend to leave with it fulfilled. I will let nothing stand in my way.”

My patience was wearing thin. “You just don’t know when to give up, do you?”

“Persistence has kept me alive this long, boy” She sent me stumbling back with a kick to the gut. By the time I regained my footing, she had created a blade of ice over her foreleg and held it close defensively. “Succumbing to hesitation only results in bad endings.”
Back to Plan A. “Here’s a bad end for you!” I flared out my wings and—

“CEASE HOSTILITIES!!”

The sudden appearance of a third, thunderous voice nearly sent the two of us jumping out of our skins. Ponente, wide-eyed in shock, chanced a look behind me to see who the new arrival was. I did as well, and my full being was put at ease by a wonderful sight.

There stood the four members of Black Shift, poised and ready to react if things went south. They had certainly seen their share of the action, though thankfully the injuries they suffered were not too serious. Just a couple cuts here, a limp there, or a few noticeable dents in their armor. Thank Goddess they were all right.

However, that voice belonged to none of them; that would be the fifth pony, standing in the center of them. And to my and Ponente’s surprise, it wasn’t one of the kitchen staff brandishing some form of dinnerware as a makeshift weapon either. It was familiar blue alicorn. A very, very unhappy blue alicorn.

Princess Luna spoke again, retaining the edge to her voice, but thankfully lowering her volume to a level that wasn’t ear-splitting, thank Goddess. “I command thee to stand down and cease hostilities, or thou shalt suffer the consequences for thy further disobedience.” When Ponente’s horn glowed again, the princess took several steps forward, each one heavy and firm with the authoritative power her title carried. She soon loomed over her, her height and flowing mane enabling Princess Luna to eclipse the lighting and overshadow the mercenary. I wanted to advise her she was potentially putting herself in harm’s way by being too close to the enemy, but knowing her, she probably wasn’t in the mood to listen to reason.

Her Highness’s expression darkened. “Must I twice repeat myself?”

Ponente relented for a moment, a moment I expected her to retaliate again despite the odds against her. She wasn’t stupid enough to make a break for it, not when she was outnumbered five to one. Right? That number included Luna, too. Sure, she may be a princess, but she was the more battle-y one. She’d been known to stick her hoof into an intense situation if need be compared to Celestia’s passive methods of intervention.

In the end, Ponente chose not to chance facing more ponies than she could handle and dissolved her ice blade. We were on her immediately; I restrained her against the door while two of Luna’s guards secured her, one with an inhibitor ring and the other with manacles. It was a nostalgic moment, one that reminded me of the good old days back in Canterlot when it was just lawponies tackling perps in a crowded street.

It was over. We’d won.

Smirking, I backed off once Aria Frost and Lifeline had her secured and led her away. “Good girl.” Too bad cryomancy couldn’t heal that burn.

“T’would be unwise to poke the bear.”

I rubbed the bald spot on the back of my head nervously beneath Luna’s gaze. “My apologies, Your Highness.” I was still doped on adrenaline from the last … however many minutes I’d spent fighting Ponente. Time has a habit of flying by when you are either having so much fun or fighting for your life. Having survived the encounter, it left me rather excited and a little overconfident.

That’s when I became aware of the adrenaline wearing off. All the aches and pains steadily came back and I felt my legs begin to buckle. Star was quick enough to slip in and support my side before I had a chance to faceplant.

“Are you well, Second Lieutenant?”

I smiled wearily, looking between Luna and Star. “I’m alive, thanks to you. Are Princess Cadance and the others safe?”

To my relief, Star nodded. “I warned Captain Ray about possible intruders when I couldn’t reach you. Guess that was a good move on my part.” She allowed herself a moment of pride before adopting a more stern expression. “As for you… Let me guess, you lost your earbud, didn’t you?”

Oh, right. My helmet was probably nothing more than scrap metal about now. So much for safety first. “Um, yes?” I cleared my throat nervously.

“That would explain why I couldn’t reach you.” She dug into her satchel and fished out a tiny crystalline bead, no bigger than a pea with a length of thin cord stemming from it. Star took the earbud in her magic and placed it in my ear with care, all the while retaining her stern look. “Try not to lose it next time. These things don’t grow on trees, you know.”

“I’ll make sure of that.” Once the replacement earbud was in place and the cord secured, I motioned to my ear, signalling Star to perform a test link just to make sure it functioned right. One nod later and the sensation of our minds connecting manifested in the form of the earbud vibrating against my eardrum.

Alright, back in action.

Oh, you called back? Despite it being a mental connection, I could sense the teasing tone in Star’s thought. And I thought you were too embarrassed to do so after that little tangent you took earlier.

Shut up. I cut the link. A moment passed in awkward silence when an idle thought crossed my mind. I turned to Luna and hesitantly asked, “Er, aren’t you supposed to be dreamwalking?”

Luna’s expression remained neutral. “Indeed I still would be, had I not happened upon Echo’s memories of these events in the Dreamscape. But ‘tis a tale for another time.” She motioned to Echo, the remaining member of Star’s squad. “Come with me. I wish to see how my niece fairs.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Her Lunar Highness turned her attention back to Star and me. “In the meantime, Commander, take yourselves to the rear and have Lifeline tend to thine injuries. Then attend to the prisoners and glean whatever information you can from them.” Her tone grew dark as her night. “Use any means necessary. I wish to know what miscreants dared to bring harm to my niece, and to what end.”

Star looked to me. “You okay to walk?”

I took a step away and wriggled my limbs. The aches were still there, but they were less pronounced than they were a minute ago. It was safe to say none of them were debilitating enough to sideline me, as much as I wanted to lean on Star for a little longer. “Yeah, I’m good.”

Luna nodded approvingly, then looked to the few fire gems Ponente managed to plant. With a wave of her horn, the explosives disappeared to Luna knew where. A few seconds later, several booms echoed in the distance.

With that, Star and I left with our orders and proceeded to make our way to the rear of the train, catching up with one another as we went. “Had a busy night, huh?” Star asked.

“Like you wouldn’t believe.” I felt my ego swell a bit and put on a confident smile. “Takes a little more than a scuffle to keep me down, though.”
She took an eyeful of the damage to the car. “I think your definition of ‘scuffle’ differs from mine, Flash.”

“You know what I mean. Man, I haven’t had any action like this since the changelings came to town.”

Star chuckled. “Trust me, what you went through was nothing compared to what Black Shift put up with. As soon as I dropped down to avoid being skewered by your marefriend, more of them swarmed in.” We entered the still-dark kitchen. I laid my a hoof on a flat crystal next to the door to activate the kitchen’s backup lightstones, bathing the room in a soft white light. “Last I recall, there were a dozen of them at the most.”

I was genuinely surprised at the number. “Dude, how did you hold your own against that many?”

Silence laden with the noise of the ongoing train, albeit a short one, descended as Star reflected over her close encounter with the scummy kind. “If anything, I’d say luck. Those guys were disciplined and well-trained, for the most part. Relentless, too. Even had a diamond dog that threw us in for a loop. I’m surprised we managed to hold them off until Luna showed up.”

“Diamond dog, huh? Sounds a lot like mercenaries."

Star pondered over the information “Maybe, maybe not. Depends on what evidence we gather later. We may just as easily be dealing with a PMC.”

Private military companies, or PMC for short, are essentially armies independent of any nation. They were outlawed in Equestria; we weren’t exactly prime real estate for a company whose militaristic values clashed against society’s fundamental values of friendship and harmony. Then again, neither were crime families, but they possess greater flexibility when adapting to keep the business running. Private military companies? Not so much, which was why they were few and far between compared to the number of dirty-dealing factions in existence. Their chances of survival are greater when established outside of Equestria. Preferably in an area where a high level crime called for a high in demand for security, among other things.

That did not necessarily mean PMCs were out of the question. They may be based outside Equestria, but their business can take them anywhere and be contracted by anyone. A foreign power could well have paid a pretty bit for the abduction of the princesses.

Uncle Descent could tell us more once we got back to the Empire. As a freelance contractor himself with a few years prior experience in a PMC, he had valuable connections with friends in low places. Luckily, he only oversaw training and provided security. Anything beyond those duties was out of the question.

“Ponente—ice queen over there—has to be the squad leader." I said. "You’re lucky you weren’t the one to end up facing her. I’m not saying your magic is subpar compared to hers, but were it you in my shoes, she would’ve given you a run for your bits.” I couldn’t help but get geekishly excited over Ponente’s bag of tricks. “She was like a raging blizzard. Icicles, ice blades, snow screens, wind gusts—she even teleported.”

Star halted our progress and gazed at me incredulously. “Teleportation?”

“Yeah. Ponente pulled it off on the roof. One spell, and poof!” I snapped my wings for effect, “She’s gone in a flurry of snow.”

“Flash … that’s impossible. She couldn’t have teleported that way.”

Excitement dimming, I raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean she couldn’t have that way? I saw what I saw.”

“Free-form teleportation can’t be performed by any regular old unicorn. Only the higher level ones can do that. And by higher level, I mean ‘personal protégé of Celestia’ level.”

“Okaaay, so she didn’t do it that way. What’s the problem?”

“The only other method is medium-based. For example, you’ve heard of Sunbeam Sparkle; she could jump from one location to the other via a source of fire, like a fireplace. You said Ponente did it with snow, right?” I nodded to both accounts, to which Star rolled her eyes. “Then she did it wrong. She needed mirror-flat ice to use as a jump point, not a hooful of snow or something like... that.” She aimed a hoof back towards the double doors to the dining area, where in lay a pool of water that was once a string of icy stalagmites. “Unless she managed to develop a new variation, the teleportation theory is out.”

Then what else was there, if not teleporting? The more I pondered over the matter, the more I wondered if I was overthinking it. Maybe Ponente was simply quick on her hooves and exceptional with utilizing ice and snow to her advantage.

Most of my adolescence was spent in Zebrica...

The words lingered in my mind, taunting me as if it held some hidden meaning I had yet to grasp. If there was one, it was pretty damn elusive. My knowledge on Zebrican magics was very limited, unfortunately. Maybe Star knew? Being a unicorn, magical knowledge came with package. “Could Zebrican magics be involved?”

“Where did that come from?”

“Ponente said she grew up in Zebrica. If that’s true then she may have learned a trick or two from the locals. You wouldn’t happen to know anything about their magic, would you?”

Star shrugged. “Not exactly a common topic at the academy, but yeah, I know a decent amount of info on the subject. The basic thing to know is that Zebrican magics don’t require a horn to use; potions aside, it’s an innate ability, much like the earth ponies and growing crops—”

“—or the pegasi’s ability to walk on clouds?”

“Exactly, but it’s mostly conjuring objects or crafting illusions. Anything bigger than that requires some lengthy dancing and chanting.” Star put a thoughtful hoof to her chin. “The best solution I can think of is Ponente rendered herself invisible the moment she cast the snow flurry spell to keep up the illusion of teleportation. And to psyche you out.”

Ponente certainly did a fine job of doing that. “It’s as legit of an explanation as we’ll get for now, until we start poking and prodding her for information.”

“I’ll inform Aria.” She did the motions and waited for several agonizing seconds, her face growing more concerned with each passing second. “I can’t reach them.”

That wasn’t good. Maybe something went awry with their earbuds? Chances were that was the case with all the punishment they suffered in the raid. Better that than the alternative Ponente using her Zebrican abilities to break ... free…

The look we shared was easy enough to decipher in seven simple words: we had a bad feeling about this.

The door leading to the rear of the car burst open. Oddly, we saw no one step inside as moderate rain blew in, a sight we both found very unsettling. “She’s here!” Star lit up her horn and fired off a trio of fireballs. They each hit their mark, the seemingly empty screaming in pain as if Star had hit a ghost. I followed up with twin jabs with my wingblades. They definitely struck something, as when I pulled back the edges of the blades were lined with red.

The victory was short-lived, however. A piercing chill shot over my face, and my head suddenly felt much heavier than normal, heavy enough to bring me collapsing to the floor. It took a moment to register the ball of ice encasing my head. I began to panic and scrabbled at the damned thing. It was way too cold in there, and I doubted Ponente had the courtesy to leave any air holes.

“As I told you before, nothing will stand in my way.” said a voice muffled by the ice.

Through frozen vision, I watched as the air distorted with a slight green tinge, and Ponente materialized a heartbeat later, marred with our defensive efforts; portions of her mane and suit were singed and blood trickled from twin cuts on her cheeks, but the plastered sadistic smile to her face sickened me.

Ponente made a move towards Star. Anticipating an attack, Star took several steps back and launched more fireballs. Much like the first time, they sailed through the air as they homed in on their target. However, Ponente’s initial move was a feint; she avoided the attack with a nosedive to the floor as she conjured an ice slide. Her momentum propelled her past the fireballs before they could land a hit, and knocked Star off of her hooves to boot.

The young Kicker’s reaction was quick. She unleashed a torrent of water with the strength to wipe that stupid smirk off Ponente’s face. With our adversary distracted, Star quickly rolled to to her hooves again, then cast another fireball to gain more distance. It certainly did that, even if the projectile dissipated once it hit a shield of ice generated by a very, very angry unicorn.

Watching the lethal dance while in the midst of struggling to break free from the icy prison, I wondered how Ponente managed to rebound from fatigue in such a short amount of time. Taking into account the accurate guess of Zebrican magic, it was safe to say she had an herb or potion or something to boost her to full strength stowed away, ingesting it after escaping custody. Sounded legit.

I felt the shock of the ice around my head shattering, and I instantly took in a deep breath of glorious air. Meanwhile, Aria Frost roughly pulled me to my hooves. “Get your act together, Sentry. They’re coming through!”

As if on cue, the kitchen door slammed open again. We watched as a diamond dog that looked more like an overgrown rottweiler stomp through. At this point, it was safe to say everyone invading the train was wearing some form of black clothing, though the sneaking suit was a size or two too small for the big lug and out of place with the light set of armor. A few other ponies, all of varying species and breeds indeed wearing black, poured in through the door behind him.

Star chanced a glance at the newcomers and instantly paled. “Dammit, Aria, I thought you had them tied down!”

“Apparently one of the dogs knows how to break free of the leash.”

“Then put him back on it!”

Aria shot a glare at Ponente. “I was referring to her.”

The ice queen remained unperturbed by the barb. “Sticks and stones, sweetie.” She nonchalantly blasted a spray of ice at Star, then gained her cronies’ attention. “Bruiser, hold them off! The rest of you, on me!” She ran off back to coach, the remaining mercs following her lead.
Aria and I rushed to intercept them when Bruiser lived up to his name, slamming into us and sent us careening into the counter. It took a dazed moment to regain my senses, only to see the big lug towering over us, gauntlet fists held high for a strike. I held my wings up in defense.

The strike didn’t come. Cautiously peeking through feathers, I saw his fists frozen in a ball of ice, much to his confusion.

Cool and collected Aria whipped out her rapier and jabbed it at Bruiser. The sudden onslaught unnerved the diamond dog, and he found himself stepping back to avoid getting impaled. Big mistake for Bruiser; he had forgotten about the ice slide and backed right into it. With a doggy yelp, he slipped and fell flat on his rear in classic comical fashion.

It may have been funny to us, but Bruiser certainly wasn’t amused. With a downward thrust, he shattered the frozen bonds, then narrowed his eyes and growled.

Aria and I got into defensive stances. That’s when a loud clang reverberated through our ears. Bruiser’s eyes went unfocused, and he collapsed into a heap an instant later.

Behind him, Star proudly twirled a frying pan in her magic. “Frying pans. Who knew?”

“Guess you could say things panned out for us.”

Star deadpanned at the cheesy pun. “No. Just no.”

I shrugged nonchalantly. “Eh, worth a shot.” I looked down at Bruiser, who was splayed on the floor like a puppet with its strings cut. “I thought that was gonna last longer.”

“This whole ordeal’s lasted far too long already, Sentry.” Aria wiped a splotch of blood off from her face, though that only smeared it into her coat. Must’ve scored that with that counter to the face. “Let’s just clear these guys out before things get any worse.”

Coach has been breached! shouted Amethyst Stone through our earbuds. Repeat, coach has been breached! Assistance nee— The connection cut.

I grimaced. “Things just got worse.”

“More like out of the frying pan and into the fire,” Aria opined. Clever girl.

With Star leading the way, we mad a mad dash for the dining area of the car, only to find it free of any bodies. I swore under my breath. That wasn’t good. Trottish Guy must’ve came to in time to tag along with the rest of his crew, which meant they were indeed inside coach having their way the princesses. So much for all the effort put into keeping coach merc free…

Entering coach somewhat debunked the visual, but the situation remained severe all the same. Ponente and the remainder of her cronies, three total, had weapons trained on Echo, Ray and the princesses, who were behind them and protected by a defensive bubble. Good, they hadn’t been captured yet.

The relief was short lived, just like every other moment during the whole trip home. Amethyst was slumped against the wall, bound by tanglehoof. Windlancer was down, too. A dart protruded from her neck. I feared the worst when my eyes met the vacant expression she wore.

“...Windlancer?”

No response.

The ice queen noted the presence of three more ponies in the car and smirked over her shoulder. “My my, how the tables have turned. All of that trouble, and at last our prize has been earned. Nopony move another step closer, lest someone else wind up in an unfortunate accident.” Ponente made a show of magically tossing Windlancer’s body to the side.

I shot an angry glare at her callous toying. I wanted to wipe that stupid smile off her face with a hoof sandwich. Or slit her throat. Or jab her repeatedly in the chest with her own ice. Maybe a few other morally questionable things.

Whoa. That train of thought went dark pretty quick. Okay, think positive thoughts. The princesses were still conscious and breathing. There was hope for us yet.

Luna bared her teeth. “If you dare lay a hoof on my niece or anypony else—”

Ponente cut her off. “Congratulations, I have already done so. Now, pray tell, what will you do? You are at an impasse, Your Highness. You can wait, and in due time you will tire and your shield will fall, prompting my associates and me to leave with our hostage once we’ve properly dealt with you. Or can confront us directly as you did in days of old and maybe succeed in thwarting our efforts. That is, if you are not struck by conus venom in the interim.”

The tension between them was nearly palpable as she motioned to the mercs, who kept their sights firmly fixed on the princesses. “Dosing your kind is quite the challenge. Alicorns possess a higher resistance to toxins, but since there are very few of you lot in the world—four, am I right?—to experiment with, it all comes down to guesswork on how much will properly sedate you. For us mere mortals too little a dose brings muscle spasms. Painful ones. Too much, and death comes before you even feel the prick.” Ponente’s gaze briefly settled on Windlancer before reverting back to Princess Luna. “Obviously she did not fare well, but all the more data for us. Now, are you willing to chance luck again?”

Luna remained undeterred by Ponente’s threats. “If I must chance thy luck, then so be it, but know this: your heinous miscreancy shall not go unpunished, and my guards are willing to risk their lives to ensure t'is so.”

“Tell that to the Bishop.” Trottish Guy shot back.

“Your client, I presume? Indeed I will, once I have staked thy heads upon pikes that shall stand proudly atop the Crystal Castle as symbols of our strength.”

I smirked as he took a step back. That’s the Princess Luna I knew and loved.

Cadance managed to retain her sense of humor even through this intense situation. “I appreciate the sentiment, but Shiny and I could do without the heads on spikes. That doesn’t mean your castle isn’t fair game. Or at least, your bedroom.”

“Very well. More trophies for myself.” Luna turned to Ponente. “I think I will mount yours upon the mantle, next to the head of Chrysalis. T’is about time the vacant space to her left be filled.”

Ponente remained silent for a moment before she burst out laughing. “Is that your best? If you knew what I have been through, you would understand idle threats of dismemberment are foal’s play.”

“Then make due on your promise.” When everyone in the room turned to me, I explained, “Back in the kitchen, you said if we survived you would tell us more about yourself. Well, here we are.” Why she even made that promise eluded me, but then again I shouldn’t be questioning an opportunity to learn more about the enemy. Plus, she was the leader. Talk about a bonus.

Ponente arched a brow. “You do realize that was a taunt, right? I never had any intention of sharing anything with you.” I opened my mouth to snark back when she held up a hoof. “But you all are alive for the most part, so I suppose I owe you on that promise.”

With a sedated calm, she turned to one of the vacant seats and leapt onto the top of the backrest with catlike poise. We flinched, expecting her to pull a ploy, but eased up when no attack came. Only a little, though. It was still five versus four in here.

Having found a suitable vantage point to speak from, Ponente seated herself and spoke. “Two words, one name: Prince Ozgur.”

And just like that, unsettling silence fell over the train car. Cadance in particular looked understandably disturbed. The very mention of Ozgur’s name made ponies stop and think back to the chaos in Zebrica years ago. Some were appalled enough to label it genocidal. If there was one thing that could be agreed on, it was Ozgur’s lust for power outweighed devotion to a kingdom.

“Once, I was a normal little filly named Diamond Dust. I had a loving family and I made friends among the locals during our stay in Zebrica. With them, I learned about their culture, their spirituality, their magics. It was a peaceful life we made away from home—one that I thought would never end.”

Ponente’s—Diamond Dust’s—wistful tone grew dark. “Then everything changed when Ozgur’s lackies attacked. They came like a torrent of rain with intention of eliminating supporters to his rival heirs. My parents, favored by Princess Zanza due to their medical contributions to the empire, were amongst them.

“That night I was orphaned. Everything I held dear was taken away from me in an instant, and I could nothing but run at the fearful urging of my parents. From then on I became a wanderer and a street rat, eventually finding a haven with children who also lost their families. From them, I learned to fend for myself; I scavenged, I stole, I fought, I did what I had to be done in order to survive lest I fell to the bottom of the food chain.

“I suppose it was fate for me to survive those tribulations, for in due time I crossed paths with the animals who murdered my family. By now, the scared little girl from the village had grown to be a mare who had the strength to take what she wanted. They took innocent lives, so I took theirs. An eye for an eye, after all.”

She stroked the length of her crossbow as if it were a cat. “Now you see why I must do this. From those who burned down the village that night—” Diamond one-hoofedly aimed her weapon at Cadance, “—to your ‘high and mighty’ aunt, I can at least find peace by knowing all who have done me wrong during that time have had their shining stars extinguished.”

Ah, so that’s what Diamond meant by shining star; life. Not dissimilar to the Selenian Church’s teachings of spirit stars.

“And where do I stand in thy grand scheme?” Luna inquired, still neutral as ever.

“Your presence was merely happenstance, but a bonus nonetheless. I want to see Celestia suffer for her refusal to send aid to Zebrica, and the only way for that to happen is for her to endure loss.” Her eyes narrowed daggers at Her Lunar Highness. “Personal loss. I lose my parents because of her, she loses her dear niece and sister in return. An eye for an eye.”

I didn’t see any this happening. At all. Hay, King Sombra had better chances of coming back from the dead compared to this crazy plan panning out, and those were slim to none. Even if Diamond and her cronies overpowered us, Luna and Cadance could easily take them out. And I seriously doubted Princess Celestia would allow Diamond to take their lives in the off chance they were captured. Either Diamond was obsessed with revenge to the point of flawed rationale, or her foalhood trauma sent a few screws loose.

Ray spoke up. “And this job was just happenstance as well?”

“There are those who hold hostility towards Equestria for one reason or another, our client especially. His need for our services to obtain Cadenza was indeed happenstance.”

“You have to understand,” Cadance pressed, “Celestia felt it was the right decision not to get involved. She had the best intentions in mind for—”

“Do you hear yourself?” Diamond cut her off, barely containing her rage. “Some of the worst things imaginable have been done with the best intentions. Celestia had the power to intervene when she became privy to the calamity in the Zebrican Empire. She could have prevented further loss, but instead she turned her back on us.”

Her voice grew lower, her rage threatening to burst. “That cost too many lives. To Tartarus with the best intentions! I lost my family because of Celestia. I lost my family because she made a crucial error in her judgement.” Her grip on her emotions fractured and she screamed. “I lost everything dear to me because of a goddess-damned technicality!”

A tense silence fell over the train car, save for Diamond’s shuddering breaths in her effort to subdue her emotional whirlwind.

All of this. All of this anger, hatred, and pain because of some heir’s mad scramble for the throne. Poor thing. Diamond didn’t deserve to suffer for Ozgur’s greed. I almost pitied her. Sure, a little torn up inside, but not outright sympathetic to just go easy on her. She was a threat that needed to be dealt with.

I noticed a pinprick aura of blue float over to Diamond’s head. I blinked, and it was gone. Must’ve been a trick of the light.

“Indeed, ‘twas my sister’s ultimatum that left a lasting impact on Zebrica. However,” Princess Luna continued, “the conflict was not hers to intervene. The matter lay outside our jurisdiction and in the hooves of the heirs to the throne. They possessed the power to set aside their differences and settle the right of succession peacefully. In the end, ‘twas their decision to wage war amongst themselves when compromise failed.”

“Spare me your speech, Princess.” Diamond spat, “You have no right to defend your sister. Not when she went against the very values of harmony this country was founded on.”

“Much as these are valuable ideals, friendship and harmony cannot be forced on others. They only apply when ‘tis mutual. Building such a union takes time, patience, and experience—and even then, it may not last. The Zebrican heirs made their choice to discard harmony when they could not set aside their differences.”

Diamond rolled her eyes. “You act as if you have a full understanding of this, yet you were still imprisoned on the moon during the crisis.”

“True, but my point still stands.” Princess Luna placed a hoof to her own chest. “Once upon a time, I much like you: bitter and angry at the world, and jealous of my sister. That jealousy tainted my heart, and the darkness within gave birth to Nightmare Moon. What I had done, I did out of resentment. I wanted ponies to appreciate me and my moon as much as they did my sister. Even years after my freedom from a dark form, I still possess doubts I will be accepted by my subjects after all I have done. But time and time again, I have been reassured that my misdeeds have been forgiven. That alone gives me hope.”

Princess Luna held out her hoof in an inviting gesture. “Come. T'is not too late to end this. You have the opportunity take advantage of the time you have now and start anew. All that must be done is to leave the past behind and move forward into the future, for a pony who carries the weight of her past is burdened by the weight of her misery and anguish. And then, only then, wilt thou find true peace.”

One of the mercs ripped off her gasmask and shot an incredulous look at her squad leader. “You’re not seriously having second thoughts about this, are you?” the white, silver-maned pegasus asked, her accent also Trottish. “C’mon, Ponente, we’ve been prepping for this. We didn’t come all this way just to come home from the job empty-hooved. Some of us here need to make a living.”

“And may I remind you how many were sacrificed just to reach this point?” chimed in the third merc, again Trottish. What was it with Trottish ponies today? “Granted, some off the blame can be put on the inclement weather, but that’s beside the point. You back down now, this job and their lives will have been all for nothing.”

Trottish Guy nodded. “Silver and Wavecrest bring up good points. What’s it gonna be: side with yer mates and get what ya want, or give up to these blokes?”

“Shut your trap,” Ray snarled.

“Boil yer head.”

Silver glared at her comrade. “Able, unless you want to screw us over, just do as he says and shut up.” It wouldn’t surprise me if Able’s mouth had gotten him into trouble before. With a mouth like that, I would not have been surprised in the least.

Diamond averted her gaze from us as she sat in silence, taking Luna’s words into account. At least, I hope she was and not planning a third play on us. If she seriously was considering calling off the raid, that would be fantastic, not to mention surreal. I’ve heard stories of the princesses and the Element Bearers turning their enemies around with nothing more than a friendship speech, but to see it in person… talk about remarkable.

Yet we had to remain vigilant, prepared for things to go south. Free will was free will, and Diamond had the choice to disregard Luna’s offer and continue with the operation. Having seen what she could do, I’d rather we didn’t have to drag this out any longer and further risk the safety of the princesses. Sure, Luna kept the mercs at bay with her shield spell, but with Diamond and her lackies popping up a new trick at every turn, its effectiveness became less and less certain.

Much as I wanted to get vocal and nudge her in the right direction, I repressed the urge to add my two bits. Luna had said what needed to be said, and that’s all Diamond needed. Plus, I was never great at hostage negotiations.

All I could do in the tense silence was pray and hope Diamond made the right decision. For her sake. For her parents. For everyone here on the train.

Diamond at last broke the lengthy silence. “...so I turn around now, and it will all turn out for the better?”

“Yes.” Luna nodded. “Cast your hurt aside. Leave your past behind. Let friendship show you the way. It’s what your parents would have wanted.”

I gulped. Was she going to do it?

A sigh escaped Diamond and she coldly met the princess’s gaze. “It still does not bring them back.”

A dart shot through the defensive bubble and struck Cadance in the foreleg. At once, everyone had their weapons aimed and began shouting varying orders of surrender like a classic Mexicolt standoff. Silver had her sickle in my face at the same time I had my wingblades in hers, our faces contorted in anger and eyes ablaze with spirit. It was an intense, chaotic moment. Obviously, neither of us planned to back down and surrender in favor of the other, which left nothing but dwindling seconds on the clock until someone decided to make the first move.

Damn it, and I thought Diamond had been convinced enough to turn over a new leaf.

“Crivens, yer still standing?”

All heads whirled to Cadance at Able’s words. To our surprise, she was indeed still standing, rubbing the area where the dart struck her. She wasn’t lightheaded, spasming, or a corpse on the floor. In fact, Cadance didn’t look fazed in the slightest. The conus venom appeared to have no effect on her, much to Diamond’s ire.

“Oh no you don’t,” she muttered venomously as she made to reload her crossbow. “I will not have this taken fro—”

One moment I was on the ground, the next airborne and a contrail of blue and yellow streaking behind me as my blades drew a crimson line along Diamond’s foreleg, forcing her to loosen her grip on the crossbow. With a mid-air spin to reorient, I planted myself between Ray and Echo, ready to bar any further attempts at princesses’ lives.

I didn’t have to make a second move, though. Like a bolt from the blue, convulsions consumed Diamond as arcs of electricity danced along her body. For several long seconds we watched in shock as she screamed in agony before collapsing to the floor in a heap.

I blinked. What just happened?

“Anypony else?” Star glared down on the other mercenaries, a tracer in her magic which still sparked with the remnants of a lightning spell.

“Did you…?” Echo trailed off.

“I wasn’t gonna let her have a second shot.” Star returned her attention to the remainder of the mercs, whose varying states of faltering confidence were plain as day. “Last chance. Drop your weapons.”

None of the mercs argued.

End of Part 2

Author's Note

Epilogue

I sat alone on a bench in Empire’s central square, my thoughts and a half-eaten bar of sea salt ice cream as my only company. Crystal ponies trotted to and fro through the plaza as if each and every one of them had to be somewhere on time. Which was exactly the case; the Crystal Empire had the honor of hosting the Equestria Games, and as the venue, the city had to look its utmost best to impress both attendees and competitors from far and wide.

Despite the pressure of ensuring the Empire was perfect both in aesthetics and hospitality, everyone seemed happy. And why wouldn’t they be? The Equestria Games was the first major event the Empire had hosted in over a thousand years. Having suffered under Sombra’s leash before their disappearance beforehand, the Empire’s denizens deserved the honor.

I wished I could share the enthusiasm, but my mind remained occupied with other things.

It had been a couple days since the debacle on the train. Diamond Dust and the other surviving mercs―contractors, thanks for the political correctness, Uncle Descent―were sent to the lower levels of the Crystal Castle for interrogations. Much to our disappointment, we gleaned little from them, even with Aria Frost’s skillset in persuasion at our disposal. Sure, we confirmed these guys indeed worked for a private military company, but they kept quiet about the name. I expected Uncle Descent to be familiar enough with at least one of the contractors to shed more light on their identity, but no luck there either. Just because he worked the field didn’t mean he’d be privy to every player in the game. Still, it would’ve helped immensely if he knew.

Affiliation aside, all we found out was they had a contract with an anonymous party to abduct Cadance and exchange her at a rendezvous. What they decided to do with her after that was beyond the contractors' knowledge—nor was it their concern, so long as they got paid. Except Diamond Dust; someone out there had a beef with Cadance and was well aware of Diamond’s mutual hatred for Celestia to exploit it for his own ends. She had to be privy to their plans beyond the rendezvous, I was sure of it. Otherwise things would have turned out much differently.

Or maybe I was quick to draw conclusions.

“Figured you’d be here.”

I recognized that edgy bass voice anywhere. I turned from my grieving to find its owner, a dark gray pegasus with a dark blue mane, strolling up to the bench. My mood lifted. Not by much, but I felt happier seeing my uncle and mentor. “How did you track me down this time? Intuition?”

Uncle Descent cracked a half smile. “Your bad choice of haircut.”

I gave him a slight smile in return. “Of course.” It then quickly faded and took the last bite of my ice cream, tossing the stick into the adjacent trash bin. Without a word, he settled in the empty spot next to me. I didn’t mind. I needed the company right then, especially someone who could easily be confided in. My mouth opened a few times, but no words came out. I wasn’t sure how to go about the subject.

“If you wanna talk about something, just spit it out. Otherwise it’ll eat you up inside.” Uncle Descent always had an edge to his voice no matter what mood he was in. Anyone unfamiliar with him would assume he wasn’t the friendly type. On the contrary, he was just direct.

After about the fourth time I opened my mouth, I finally said something. “Do you think we caused more problems than we solved?”

He seemed put off by the question, but quickly put the pieces together. “This is about your last outing.” After a silence, he jerked his head towards the edge of the city and slid off the bench. “C’mon, we’re taking a walk.”

I followed him without question, already figuring out what particular destination he had in mind. By ‘taking a walk’, Uncle Descent meant finding a place less crowded. Better to not risk somepony overhearing a conversation laden with potentially sensitive information, especially with rumors of a leak floating around. Yeah, we had our suspicions; it would explain how the contractors just happened to be at the right place at the right time in the middle of northern wilderness to raid the train.

We left the square and took one of the main streets away from the castle, then turned down a side street that lead to a group of houses. I followed my uncle into our house, the door marked with a simple crescent moon. Once past the hallway and in the living room, he took a seat at the kitchen bar. “What’s eating you?”

“It’s just...“ I sighed as I accepted the silent invitation and sat in one of the bar stools. “Diamond Dust was orphaned in Zebrica. She tried to abduct the princess in order to kill her and make Celestia suffer, all because we didn’t send aid in Zebrica all those years ago.”

He gazed out the window towards the mountains with a distant look. “That was a nasty regime change...”

“The Guard could’ve gone in and prevented so much chaos.” I could hear my tone growing more saturated with frustration. “I mean, it’s our duty to protect others, but what’s the point of being a guardpony if we can’t always protect them?”

“Flash, you’re young, and as a guardpony your age it’s still hard to acknowledge the realities of war.” Uncle Descent turned to me with a firm expression, taking a seat in an adjacent bar stool. “I understand you feel we should have gotten involved, but Equestria stepping into a foreign affair was out of the question. Even if we were not bound by international law, our involvement would have made things much worse.”

“How could it have been worse?”

Uncle Descent massaged the bridge of his nose as if he had a migraine coming on. “Look at this from a worldview perspective for a moment: had we intervened by backing one of the other heirs, that crazed bastard Ozgur would have been seen as a true patriot to his country, while Celestia would be branded as a belligerent playing favorites with his rivals.”

I chose that moment to raid his icebox for another sea salt ice cream, both to take solace in my comfort food and do more than just sit. I getting a little stir-crazy.

Uncle Descent continued speaking as I did so. “And that’s only the tip of the iceberg. Post-war relations, political backlash, financial deficit due to military spending, casualties... even if I had fingers I wouldn’t have enough to count off the other issues that would've stemmed from our meddling.”

I took a bite to buy time to think. Much as I wanted to believe to the contrary, he was right. Meddling in another nation’s civil war meant sending our reputation as a neutral nation to Tartarus in a handbasket.

That didn’t mean it was an easy truth to accept. “We still should have done something,” I said, leaning my free foreleg against the icebox. “I mean, what’s the point of harmony if we can’t spread it?”

“What, like strut on in with a friendship speech?”

“Well, yeah. If it works for Princess Twilight, then why can’t we give it a try?”

Uncle Descent shook his head. “Because it doesn’t always work that way.”

“Maybe it’s time we try something different,” I rebutted, “Just think how much it’ll benefit everyone if we pushed others to just accept their differences and live in peace. Magic of friendship, and all that.”

“That depends on your definition of ‘push’. If it's a matter of convincing, sure—go crazy with the friendship speeches. Now if you went around forcing harmony on others, it wouldn’t really be harmony. What do you call that?”

“Oppression. Conformity. An imitation of friendship,” I answered with a raised brow.

He nodded. “Totalitarianism is another word for it if you want to take it to the national level, and definitely not friendship regardless of how you put it.”

“Where are you going with this, exactly?” I asked before taking another thoughtful bite. Was it the way I phrased my opinion? It didn’t insinuate forcing ideologies on someone else, if that’s what Uncle Descent thought. Then again, ‘push’ was probably not the best choice of word. I should have said ‘encourage’.

“The whole friendship speech plan is never guaranteed to work. I witnessed one in Zebrica, and that didn’t play out well. You were there when Princess Luna tried it, and you saw how that went.”

I frowned. “I really thought it was going to work.”

“Like I said, no guarantees.” It was rare for Uncle Descent’s face to have an expression other than a smirk or his semi-permanent stink eye, so it was a genuine surprise when his gaze softened for the second time today. “War’s cruel like that, Flash. It takes some unlucky bastards and changes them for the worse, turning them into something else. Sometimes when you offer them a second chance, they’ll just tell you to shove it.”

A long silence fell over us as I chewed over both his words and my comfort food. Diamond Dust lost the only family she had when she was young, all because of an heir’s desperate play for power. With nothing to lose, she could care less about who got in her way as she sought vengeance for what Equestria did—or rather, what it didn’t do. I ought to call Diamond a monster for what she had in store for Cadance and Luna, and what she did to Windlancer—

My chest tightened at the thought of her. Windlancer’s body would be soon sent home to her family in Vanhoover. It was depressing. She didn’t deserve to go like that, not when she had just graduated from the academy. Such cruelty for a rookie to go so early in her career. For that, maybe I should label Diamond Dust a monster. But was it right to do so? Ozgur was the one who shoved her down such a twisted path. And all of that bloodshed just for a seat on the throne? If anything, he was the monster.

“Still, things could’ve been different.” I mentally cringed for sounding like a broken record. “In Zebrica or back on the train with Diamond Dust.”

“If those speeches worked every time, they’d put us out of a job.”

I almost chuckled at the mental image of my uncle as a hobo, bindle and all. Humor aside, Uncle Descent once again had point. The military’s existence would be impractical if the only thing needed to quell a quarrel was a speech about friendship. Of course, that’s not how the world worked. There would be those who would jump at the chance of friendship, and then some who would turn the other cheek. Guess we can’t all be heroes.

“Right,” I finally conceded, “You’re right, it’s a stupid idea.”

“Typical Flash, always wearing his heart on his sleeve. No wonder some ponies hate you.”

Our heads turned to find Lightning Dust trotting into the living room, in one of those rare instances she wasn’t attempting a suicidal speed record through the Crystal Mountains. I guess she managed to break another record a while ago and decided to crash at the house.

“Guess you heard enough?” I asked.

“Plenty. Kinda hard to get a nap in while you two are talking real life.” She stifled a yawn. “You want my opinion? Forget Diamond Whatsherface. As far as you’re concerned, she’s just another loon who screwed over her team because her priorities outweighed the objective.”

My mouth curved up slightly. “Kind of reminds me of someone I know.”

“Funny. Last I remember, I didn’t tell Spitfire to shove the offer elsewhere.”

Uncle Descent made an amused sound. “Good thing you didn’t. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be in the Reserves.”

“Eh, I would’ve made in somehow. Never underestimate what I’m capable of.” With a quick aerial loop that was definitely for show, Lightning hovered next to me and motioned for me to follow. “Well little brother, time to get off your flank. If you’re gonna win gold in the Games, you’re gonna need to squeeze in as much sparring time as you can get to make sure you’re in top form.”

I felt my ego inflate. “Like there’s going to be any real competition.” I had no clue who would be facing Team Crystal Empire in the Games, but whoever they were better be up to snuff.

“Don’t be too sure about that,” Uncle Descent cautioned. “Rumor has it a few vets from the Guard are taking a stab at the fencing event.”

“Either way, Flash, you gotta be the best of the best.” Lightning took note of the half-eaten bar of ice cream in my hoof. “And that starts with cutting down on the ice cream. Seriously, you stuff your face everyday with it. I can already see a food baby coming on.” She poked at my belly a few times.

“Whoa, hey!”

“We need to fix that.” Before I could react, Lightning swiped the bar from my hoof and took a bite from it with a triumphant grin. A part of me died inside as I watched her writhe in delight at the taste. “Mmm … sea salt.”

“Traitor.” I shot a hoof at her. “If I’m going on a diet, you going on one, too.”

“Flash Bradley Sentry, I’m very disappointed in you. I’ve always been eating right. It takes more than just exercise to keep this bod at an eleven out of ten. I think I deserve a little treat for all my hard work.” Lightning took another bite, which knowing her was done out of spite. “You on the other hoof, not so much. So from now on, fruits, veggies, a monitored intake of your starch, and zero sweets. No exceptions.”

I turned to my uncle, hoping he’d be willing to back up his nephew in this time of crisis.

All I got was a smirk. “You’d have to pay handsomely if want me to intervene.”

I groaned and fell back against the icebox. “You’re terrible.”

“No money, no service.” Uncle Descent grunted as he vacated his seat. “Well, I better go check in with the boys and rattle some more cages. Maybe bring old Sergeant Plum along for the ride. Unless our house guests are in a giving mood, we’re not going to learn anything from them just by sitting around on our flanks.”

Lightning pursed her lip in thought before having an aha moment. “Here’s an idea: bring Sunny Flare in. She might get further with her wiles than you guys.”

“Actually, that's not a bad idea,” I opined after some consideration. Princess Cadance’s advisor could easily be described as many things: arrogant, aloof, tactless, but that didn't mean she was incapable of charm. “If anypony can butter those guys up with a few winks, she can.”

“I’ll drop it in the suggestion box,” Uncle Descent said as he laid his hoof on the doorknob. “In the meantime, keep it tidy in there. I’m not gonna clean after you two again.”

Lightning tapped a hoof to her temple. “Got it memorized. Don’t worry Uncle, I’ll make sure he leaves it spotless once we’re through,” she teased.

“You're one to talk,” I teased back.

A ghost of an amused smirk twitched on our uncle’s face before succumbing to his usual serious look. “And one more thing. Your mother and the others should be here later this afternoon, so don't forget the arrival time.”

Oh yeah, that's right, they were coming in on the train today. With the upcoming Games and the train incident, my mind had been rather occupied. We all could afford to take some time away from work and spend it with the family. The last time the family as a whole came together was last Hearth’s Warming, which was… geez, had it been that long ago? Still, we were plenty eager to catch up with Mom, Dad, and Fi once they arrived. Hay, maybe some of the guys from the Twelfth Precinct will be along for the ride as security for the Games. It’d be nice to catch up with them, too.

I could feel the excitement within me. This visit will be a well-needed distraction from the craziness of the past couple days. Not for just for us, but for the others who had family outside the Empire. Star especially; she seemed out of it since we came back. I ought to check up on her and see how she’s doing. That is, once Lightning and I were done with our training session.

“Fifteen hundred hours,” we recited from memory.

With an approving nod, Uncle Descent left the house, leaving Lightning and I all by our lonesome. She turned to me with that competitive smirk of hers. “So, you ready for another round, little brother? I’m all charged up.”

I matched her expression. “Sure. Just prepare to lose.”

“With that food baby of yours? I’ll drop you right here in ten seconds.”

“Try me.”

She did it in seven.

End

Author's Note

Stay tuned for the bonus chapter.

Bonus - From A Certain Point of View

Wavecrest: The Pony Hanging By A Thread

For what felt like the thousandth time in the past hour, I quietly drew in a breath and slowly let it out. I was nervous, very nervous, and I’d been doing all I could to keep calm and carry on with the preparations at hoof for the mission. Like my dozen other comrades, a length of cable suspended me several lengths above the railway. Thick mist had developed over the course of these late night hours and effectively obstructed our view of the railway below. Thankfully, we had come prepared for the northern forest’s conditions. Beneath my balaclava—a piece everypony in the team wore—I peered through the set of night vision goggles and scanned the vicinity for signs of life.

And just like the last several times in the past hour, there were no bright blotches moving in my vision save for my squadmates. Just trees and mist, as it has been since we got here.

“They should’ve been here by now,” I said, disappointed.

The strike team commander replied with an edge to her voice. “Patience, Wavecrest. A huntress will catch her prey only when she learns to sit and stay. Otherwise, no reward will be the price to pay.”

Easy for her to say. Ponente, real name Diamond Dust, allegedly grew up in Zebrica at a time when a regime change became a power struggle. Like some of those unfortunate to be living there at the time, Diamond Dust lost her parents to the calamity of one of the heir’s rise to power. She was forced to learn how to fend for herself in those dark times, eventually happening upon her family’s killers and butchering them mercilessly.

At least, that’s what the company gossip train brought along. I had my doubts about her backstory—not to say it wasn’t feasible nor believable, but it was highly unlikely for a teenager to pull through a crisis like Zebrica’s alive and relatively unscathed. Unless Diamond Dust really was the huntress the rumors claim and was just skilled at hiding the psychological scars, it was nothing more than a tall tale.

Either way, she had a way of radiating intimidation without even showing off a little metal. It was all in her speech. Her tone may have seemed sweet, but beneath that sweetness lay something that often led me to feel … disturbed. Something dark. Sometimes I find myself wondering how Grigori found a soulmate in her.

“Listen up, gents.” Baseplate’s voice drew me from my thoughts, prompting me and the rest of the crew to face him. “As a reminder, our objective is to take over the train and capture Princess Cadenza. Team B will handle securing the engine while Team A breaches the rear and heads straight for the Princess’s car, where we secure the target. It’ll be smooth sailing onward. Once we arrive at the dropoff point, we bang out and make our way to the rendezvous.

“What about Princess Luna?” I asked. “She ought to be dreamwalking by now, right?”

The green glow from Baseplate’s eyepieces bobbed as he nodded. “Princess Luna is currently dreamwalking, so resistance will be less compared to if she were present. If she does show up for any reason, then shift to Plan B: pop her with the sleepers.”

Silver Striker cast us a smug look. “You’re welcome.”

Right, the neurotoxin. I felt at the crossbow and quiver of darts strapped to my back. Harvesting that toxin from the south cone shell was a task in of itself. The waters around Freeport were relatively safer the closer to the coast you are; cone shell species are smaller and relatively harmless to the average equine compared to their larger brethren further out to sea. Pricks from the lesser ones were no worse than a bee sting, something I learned firsthoof when hunting them. However, get nicked by the larger ones like Conus geographus… well, the initial paralysis will be the least of your worries.

As an alicorn, Cadenza possessed a far greater tolerance to toxins than the other pony breeds. If the math was correct, one or two heavily-loaded darts would be enough to properly sedate her without her suffering muscular spasms. At least, not for too long.

Honestly, I was rather dumbfounded the Striker Clan even had cone shells in their possession, and I had been employed under them for years. Nowadays they were known for tending to their kelp farms, which I personally found a rather tame line of work compared to their ancestors’ warrior past, but it appeared inside information was correct. Such luck was a boon for our business. The more assets Wayward Enterprises obtained, the more innovations in military technology we had the potential to produce in the future. Which, by the way, was our secondary objective in this operation: test the new toys.

“Look alive, gents,” Baseplate advised. “We’re dropping in ten.”

The roar of the train grew louder as the distance between it and us shrank. I felt my breathing quicken in tandem with the beating of my adrenaline-laced heart. Another attempt was made to ease my nerves with slow breathing exercises.

“Brace yourselves...”

This was it. We were going in deep and going in hard.

“Drop!”

Numerous hours of training took over and we rapidly rappelled downward onto the approaching train. Ponente hit first, followed by the first team. Our group was close behind, with Baseplate leading the charge. When I landed, one of my hooves hit the roof the wrong way, a move that neutralized whatever potential grip I had and sent me tumbling along the roof. I’m positive it wasn’t me, but I swear I heard screaming.

The end of the car raced up to meet me. At the least moment before I slid off, a hoof gripped mine. It was miracle, though neither graceful nor silent; the momentum sent me slamming into the side of the car and a pained grunt from my lungs. Hopefully nopony inside heard the impact; otherwise this raid would’ve ended prematurely.

“Hate to lose ya not even ten seconds on the train.”

I looked up to my rescuer. Infrared made it impossible to make out details, but his voice was unmistakable. “Sorry,” I squeaked with laced embarrassment.

Able Yearling heaved me back onto the roof. “Ya gonna live?”

“Yeah,” I nodded as I properly gripped onto the roof. “I’ll hang in there.”

“Ya’d better. We just lost three of our boys because of the damn roof.” He then added solemnly, “Baseplate was among them.”

Oh dear. So that’s who I heard screaming. Barely into a mission and already lost three of our number, one of them the team leader no less. We were off to a bad start.

I quickly regained my composure and with Able regrouped with the rest of the team at the rear. Once together, Silver, now the deputy-cum-team leader, signalled us to stay put. We watched as she lowered herself to the caboose’s door and checked it for security measures. When she gave the all clear, the group followed her inside the caboose.

Silver then signaled us to stick to the shadows and stay put. We did so, and for a lengthy moment we remained still and silent. A guard entered the caboose at a slow pace, his head methodically shifting left and right in his thorough inspection of the train car. After a couple glances, he retreated to the the rear of the car and leaned against the railing. I guess he was taking a break and looking out into the stars. I wouldn't blame him. Guard duty’s monotonous drag threatened to drive anyone stir crazy if on a shift for too long.

Able emerged from his hiding spot and made his way behind the guard with practiced stealth. He slipped his forelegs around the guard’s neck in a stranglehold, one he held for several long moments filled with writhing limbs and pained gasps for breath from the poor bastard before he finally collapsed unconscious.

Silver signaled us and we pressed forward into the next car.

Star Kicker: The Pony Who Goes Through Fire and Water

It took a moment to catch my breath as I leaned against the door. That was too close for comfort. Way too close. Next time I decided to poke my head up from somewhere, I planned to do so with extreme caution. I had plenty of orifices in my skull, thank you very much.

On the bright side, I now had an idea what caused the noises from earlier. We had a tango on the roof, which meant the likely possibility more were aboard. I had better warn the others. If whoever it was up there was after Princess Cadance, the coach needed to be locked down and quick.

Good thing we had the crystal earbuds on hoof. Small, nigh-noticeable, and excellent reception. Hopefully. I spent months of research and development on these with Princess Luna as a newer, more efficient means of communication between units. Considering they worked off of ever-oscillant dream magic, the earbuds had been wonky the first few uses, but I was positive the kinks were ironed out this time.

With a thought, I activated the earbuds and bridged a mental connection between myself the rest of the detail. Black Leader here. We have an enemy tango on the roof and possibly more. Execute security protocols.

Already in the process of doing that. Despite it being his thoughts and not his actual voice speaking, Emerald Ray sounded edgy and out of breath. Repelling three attempting to take over the engine.

Black Leader. That was Lifeline. Echo’s gone silent. Veritable chance of more coming in from the rear.

Shadow’s teats, things were getting bad quickly. Prepare for an assault. I’m on my way.

I cut the connection. We were being pinched from two sides without any idea of how many tangos were on board, and. Worse, Echo could already be dead and Flash might be the next to go. Much as I wanted to lend him a hoof against the assailant that nearly perforated my skull, my team came first, and they needed all the horsepower they could get with what was most likely going to be an intense engagement.

A trip through the chilly wind and rain, and I slipped inside, only to be met with the point of a blade in my face. I quickly held my hooves up to show I meant no harm. Geez, sharp objects seemed to love me tonight, didn’t they?

“Oi, I said I was on my way!” I snapped.

“Apologies, Commander. We’re on edge at the moment.”

“I can see that, Frost.” I looked from her to the magically-gripped rapier back to her again. “You mind pointing the edge of that thing the other way?”

Aria Frost dipped her blade to the side, her hard face not budging an inch. “Black Shift is at the ready, as you have instructed.”

Lifeline had taken up a position between one of the rows further up. He kept his sights on the door as he spoke up. “Not as if there were many of us to begin with.”

“We’re Her Highness’ elite. We’ve been trained to tackle situations like this. This is no different than any previous engagement.”

“Come now, where’s your sense of humor?”

“I’m still on edge,” Aria stated.

I rolled my eyes. “You really need to learn to lighten up, Aria.” Our heads whirled at the door when sparks and embers started to dance along its edge. They were cutting their through. “We’re shorthanded one, so we’ll have to make due with just us. Lifeline, hang back—you’re our only medic, so you need to remain less vulnerable. Aria, you and I will bring up the front.”

“Yes, Commander.”

Shortly after we switched positions, a small explosion ripped the door apart. From out of the smoke and flame charged a crew of black-suited ponies, led by a mustached earth pony with a machete in his mouth. As he closed the distance, he tossed his blade at us in hopes it would embed itself in someone’s skull. Aria gripped the projectile in her magic and tossed it back. However the mustached pony leapt and, having anticipated the return throw, caught the grip, drew it back, and slammed it into the floor where Aria was.

Thankfully Aria had the common sense to avoid getting diced up by jumping back beyond the strike. She delivered a couple swipes of her rapier. The first drew a line up his cheek, earning a hiss from the mustached pony in his native tongue, though he deflected the second as he regained his hoofing. When he came at her again, Aria caught his machete in a blade-lock that brought them almost muzzle to muzzle.

I blinked. It all happened so swiftly as if it were all choreographed for a film. If this were not a critical situation, I’d have continued watching.

That’s when I started dealing with some respiratory problems. One moment I was breathing fine, the next a sphere of water had formed around my head. Now I was trying my best to fight the urge to inhale and fill my lungs with water. I muttered a curse. I allowed myself to be distracted for a split-second, and one of the intruders took advantage of it by casting a water spell around my face.

Remaining as calm as I could in this situation, I quickly scanned the car for the culprit. It was difficult, considering the amount of time I had before my brain screamed for oxygen and the ongoing duel between Aria and the machete pony. At least my ears remained untouched. My gaze finally settled on a unicorn in night vision goggles near the rear, an open bottle held within her magic. Aha, there’s the culprit; now I just needed to deal with her with a few fire spells. That ought to be sufficient enough to break her concentration.

I launched them from beyond the water bubble and watched as they swiftly homed in on the hydromancer. They were mere feet away when the universe decided to thwart my efforts via a diamond dog swatting them to nothing. How did he do that? I glanced at his paws and my mood soured; fire-resistant gauntlets. How convenient.

“Good dog, Bruiser,” said a pegasus with a sickle. The compliment earned her a rude gesture from the diamond dog in return.

Wait, a diamond dog? As a soldier of fortune? That was very unusual, and something worth investigating. However, I could worry about that another time. I now needed to deal with two goons instead of one, and fast. I could vaguely see Bruiser raising his fist in the blackening edges of my vision.

I rolled to the side to avoid the strike. Thank goodness the Crystal Empire’s passenger cars were wider and longer than the standard Equestrian model. It gave me room to maneuver around Bruiser’s attacks as well as other ponies in the middle of this. The extra space was advantageous for Aria, too. By now, she had dispatched the machete pony and took on the sickle pegasus, who seemed to be holding her own rather well against my second-in-command.

The dodging cycle repeated a few more times. I bit my lip in vexation. I could dodge the diamond dog’s attacks all I wanted, but the water bubble followed my every movement, which left me less unable to get a bead on the hydromancer and break her spell. It was ridiculous. A well-played strategy, I’ll give them that, but still utterly ridiculous.

Either way, I was nearing the end of my limits. My strength wavered and I could hear my heart beating loudly in my ears. Panic began to settle in at the realization I had mere seconds to choose between just winging an escape or drowning on dry land. No. Not now. I can’t die here. I still had so much to live for. I still had somepony to live for—Mom, Dad, and Storm. Uncle Tor and Cloud.

And Sparkler. I’m not giving up on you.

Spurred by the thought of Sparkler, I conjured whatever spell came to mind first and hurled it. Whatever it was, it hits its mark and the sphere fell away. I immediately gasped in cool, sweet, glorious air. Never again will I ever take it for granted.

As my brain became reaquainted with its oxygen supply, I chanced a glance at my handiwork. The diamond dog was splayed out against the roof in comical fashion. It was even funnier when he peeled away and fell to the floor to reveal the hydromancer embedded in the roof. The comedy didn’t last long, however; the rottweiler diamond dog quickly regained his footing, having recovered from the surprise counter.

The sickle pegasus took notice of the shifting tide of battle and zipped away from us to take up a position next to her canine comrade and another pegasus. “It takes more than a concussion spell to keep Bruiser down.”

“Maybe I ought to douse him instead?” I snarked back, conjuring a few spheres of water of my own. “Can’t exactly return the favor to your friend up there.”

Sickle pegasus held out her weapon threateningly. Lovely, more sharp objects. “Yeah, you’re gonna pay for that.”

“Enough.” Aria stepped forward. “Your numbers have dwindled, and you are in no position to enact further resistance. In the name of Her Highness Princess Luna, surrender peacefully and lay down your arms or perish.”

I prayed to Shadow they had the common sense to surrender. I hated taking a life as much as the next guardpony.

“Ya can go right boil yer head with that order, lass,” the other pegasus shot back with a heavy Trottish accent.

Aria’s tone went frosty. “So be it.”

Shadow’s teats...

Wavecrest: The Pony Who Counts Her Blessings

For the fifth time in what I guessed was the past hour, I shifted to a more comfortable position to sleep in. That is, as much as my bindings would allow. The tufted seat in coach was better than other places I’ve found myself sleeping in. Pity the scrap of comfort did nothing to help ease my mind. It was hard not to ponder over where life will take you next as you are on a train ride to a cell.

I suppose it was bound to happen, given my choice of career.

For the most part, the operation went as planned: we boarded the train, breached their defenses with a forward assault, and divided their numbers while the second, smaller team took charge of gaining control of the engine. Even if we lost a few on the initial landing, we should have completed the objective with limited difficulty. It was a simple strategy when you broke it down. But it did not matter how many hours you devote to data analysis, formulating strategy, or training. There is always a variable outside your control that has the potential to interfere. In short, anything that can happen, will.

And just like that, something happened: feces hit the fan. Why? There were a number of viable reasons. Perhaps it was because we underestimated Luna’s bodyguards, or maybe her exit from the Dreamscape had an adverse affect on morale. Whatever may be the case, we were overwhelmed. At that point it was best to surrender with what little dignity we had left and conserve our numbers.

Of course, Diamond Dust was not one to give up so easily. Don’t misunderstand me, I admired her persistence, but her personal vendetta against Equestrian royalty were getting in the way. She insisted we make one last attempt at the princesses. I wanted to say no, but I wasn’t in a position to do so. One, she was my commander, and two, we already invested too much in the operation to abort it.

So we fought back. Even if our second wave of attack was less orchestrated, we had the advantage of surprise on our side thanks to Diamond incapacitating her guards before they could warn the detail. Plus, one cold iron-tipped dart should have been enough to render Cadenza unconscious. Perhaps we underestimated an alicorn’s resistance to toxins as well. It was hard to put considerable R&D in a toxin if the intended target was one of four alicorns in existence.

All thanks to Diamond’s stubbornness, our flanks were handed to us. Again.

I groaned distastefully at my ruminations, giving up on trying to sleep and absent-mindedly setting my gaze on the luminescent crystal ceiling. Actually, the luminescence was rather hypnotizing the longer I kept my focus on it. At least I had some form of mental activity to keep my occupied on the trip to our punishment.

“Hey, Wavecrest.” Silver looked to me with concerned blue eyes. “You still playing that game of ‘what if’?”

“No?” I lied.

“Seriously, you need to quit it. Otherwise you’ll be wallowing in self-misery over what could have been.” She jerked her head to a few rows ahead of us. “That mute motherbucker’s got the right idea. Do what he’s doing.”

In his seat, Bruiser sat with his eyes closed, chest rising and falling in slow steady breaths. It was no surprise. He practiced meditation after a mission as if it were a ritual, which seemed to do him well in the long run.

As for me… “I’ve tried, but it can only do so much.”

“You wanna talk, then? It’s not like we have anything better to do while we rot away down here.”

“I suppose...” I glanced at the two ponies sitting opposite us. Able and the pegasus guard had fallen asleep some time ago, both leaning against one another’s shoulder in an almost innocent, comical way. I saw no reason why we couldn’t talk so long as we whispered. “If it had been your choice, who would you’ve put in command?”

“That falls under the category of ‘what if’.”

“Just be honest.” I offered diplomatically. “That’s all I’m asking you.”

“If you think I believe Diamond Dust shouldn’t have had full command over the operation, then yeah. It was too personal for her. That alone ought have barred her from it entirely.” Silver shrugged, though her displeasure was still apparent. “But hey, the boss thought she was ready to command her first mission—though if you want my opinion on that too, I think favoritism for his partner lead him to make a bad choice.”

“Not to mention our client wanted the best,” I added.

Her tone soured further. “Just because our client wanted the best didn’t guarantee the best results. Some of us work separate for a reason.”

I laid a hoof on hers as best I could in our position. “I’m not disagreeing with you, merely stating the facts. But yes, I heard Diamond operates better on solo operations.”

“Yeah, she does. Quick and quiet, just like a predator. I guess she’s more the lone wolf type. Were it done my way, Baseplate would’ve been our guy. He did things by the book and didn’t let personal feelings get in the way.” Silver hung her head as she sighed. “Shame he didn’t live long enough to hear the praises.”

“You were a great leader, too.”

“Heh. You’re just being polite.”

I shook my head at her modesty. “Don’t underestimate yourself, Silver. If anything, you adapted to your leadership role rather well despite the circumstances. Baseplate would be very proud of that.”

That got a small smile out of her, and pinkening cheeks to boot. “Shut up, you’re making me blush.”

I smiled proudly. “Mission accomplished.”

Faint sniffling could be heard from a few rows ahead. I initially dismissed it as someone with a cold; the weather had been rather unforgiving since we had been here, so one of my colleagues was bound to have come down with one in the interim and only now started to show symptoms. When other distressing noises joined in, however, I grew more curious. I looked over to where Bruiser and Diamond Dust were sitting. The former was still meditating. As for the latter...

I arched a brow. “Is she… crying?”

Silver craned her neck to get a better view. “Holy Goddess, I’ve never seen a Zebrican cry before. I always thought they only just got more pissed off.” She bit her lip in thought. ”Maybe she’s crashing from those potions?”

“I wouldn’t put it past it. Zebrican potions tend to have adverse mental or emotional side effects, and Diamond did seem emotionally unstable after drinking one compared to her usual self.” Normally Diamond Dust was cool and collected, not prone to mood swings. The researcher in me made a mental note that such symptoms warranted further research. “I suppose what happened back in coach was enough to break her.”

“Sounds good to me. Er, legit I mean,” Silver quickly amended. “So close to revenge only to have the rug pulled from under her like that. Talk about cruel.”

“Right. Cruel…”

Star Kicker: The Pony With Something to Fight For

“Oh Goddess…” Sparkler gasped as I drew in for another kiss.

Normally, I would have been more wary during these makeout sessions with Sparkler, what with the risk of parents sleeping in the next room or someone walking in on us. With it broad daylight however, Mom and Dad were out enjoying the sights of the Empire while Storm remained on duty, so this was not the case. Plus, we made sure to lock the doors this time; we didn’t need anyone waltzing in on us again.

Didn’t make our alone time any less naughty.

We were in our guest suite in the Crystal Castle, one of few provided to us and the rest of the family at no expense thanks to friends in high places. I had Sparkler pinned against the wall next to a long window with a view overlooking the stadium below, my body pressing against hers as we feverishly made out like the two young lovers we were.

I needed this. Not necessarily the sex, as I reminded my teeth before they had a chance to nip at her neck, but I really, really needed intimacy right then. Between the moment I stepped off the train until Sparkler’s arrival a couple hours ago, all I could think about was how I almost fell in the line of duty and how I just wanted to feel my marefriend’s body against mine, hear her voice in my ears, know that I was still alive.

And here we were, then and there in the confines of the suite, alone, and making the best of what time we had together. I wanted to show Sparkler how much she meant to me. Life is short, after all.

I slipped my lips back up to hers and mashed them together as I wrapped my forelegs taught around her. It certainly got a surprised moan out of Sparkler, but that didn’t stop her from reciprocating the gesture. We held that stance, tongues dancing and hooves gliding along mane and fur for … seconds? Minutes? I’m not quite sure. It’s weird when you lose track of time when you’re playing tonsil hockey. However long it was, the brain’s demand for oxygen won out and we broke away, panting for breath.

“You’re…” Sparkler said breathlessly as she wiped her mouth. “You’re really into it.”

I gave her a playful, equally breathless look. “You saying … it’s too much for you?”

“S’not that, just … you never get this intense when we do this.” When I didn’t respond, her gaze expressed concern. “Something happen?”

I looked away, suddenly finding the Empire’s skyline more interesting. I hadn’t bothered divulging the details with her. Reliving those memories was the last thing on my mind during our visit here for the Games. But I ought to explain things. As her marefriend, it would be best to confide with Sparkler about my problems. I was much better about it with Storm considering the nature of the issue, and would have confided in her immediately were she here, but she was occupied with royalty at the moment.

A soft hoof cupped my cheek. Sparkler gently nudged it so my eyes would meet hers. “You can tell me anything, y’know.”

After some hesitation, I took a seat with Sparkler at the coffee table next to the window and did just that. I explained to her what had happened on the train, from the initial assault to the standoff. Minus the unnecessary details. I wanted to avoid anything too nitty-gritty or militarily sensitive for her ears. When I was done, I gave her a moment to process the information.

“That’s… wow.” She looked almost amazed. “You really duked it out with a diamond dog and a hydromancer?”

I resisted the urge to deadpan. “Not exactly the reaction I’m looking for, Sparks.”

“Sorry.” She flicked her gaze away sheepishly. “Rainbow rubs off on you after a while. If you were telling her this, she’d be fangirling over how awesome that must’ve been.”

“Don’t I know that.” My nostalgic smile didn’t last too long. “The whole time I was fighting, I didn’t think we would make it back home. With Cadance’s unit on lockdown and ours short one, we were outnumbered. The chances of coming out alive were… I thought I wasn’t gonna come home.”

I could feel the trembling as I putting effort into keeping my emotions in check. I had to stay strong for her. “But I did,” I resumed after a brief silence. “I wasn’t going to give up the chance to see you again.” Thoughts of Storm, Cloud, and the rest of the family drove me to stay alive and fight back harder, too, but Sparkler took the spotlight. She was special. She was my light in the darkness.

Sparkler took one my hooves and gave it a gentle squeeze, and I slowly stopped trembling. She didn’t need to say a word. The action alone was enough for the meaning to come through.

It’s okay, Star. You’re here. I’m here. Everything’s okay.

That small smile came back to my face as I squeezed back. There was no reason to worry now. I was alive, I was ... well not quite home yet, but the Crystal Empire was close enough. We were together, family and fillyfriend, safe and sound.

“I never doubted you,” Sparkler said, “and I never will. I know you’ll always come back because you’re a strong pony, Star. Nothing’s gonna take you away.”

I would have loved for the moment to last, but like all good things it had to come to an end. Sparkler’s lips wavered as she tried to maintain a straight face. She failed, and out came the contagious laughs. Still plenty good in its own right, and I was overdue for a laugh.

It took a moment for Sparkler to catch her breath. “Geez, that sounded cheesy. We sound like a couple from a romance novel.”

I giggled. “Still doesn’t make it any less true, nor does it change anything between us.”

“I guess it doesn’t,” Sparkler agreed with a shrug.

Motion just outside our vision prompted a quick peek out the window. Twin contrails of lightning streaked towards the train station. My smiled broadened. Good to know others were fortunate to see their loved ones again.

Sparkler squinted her eyes at the pair, her mood souring. “He wasn’t bothering you again, was he?”

I resisted the urge to laugh again. Being the one wearing the pants in the relationship, I should be the one asking these kinds of questions. “He flirted a little, but no—Flash wasn’t a nuisance.”

She kept her sights on the diminishing dots in the distance, almost as if she was ready to smite Flash if she heard one word of the guy breaching boundaries. He and his sister landed, then disappeared inside the station, much to Sparkler’s disappointment. “Just don’t make the mistake of giving him the wrong idea.”

“Wrong idea? You mean lead him on? Never.” I felt a twinge of offense at my marefriend’s lack of trust, though it quickly faded away. Sparkler felt threatened by his actions. I certainly would be if our positions had been switched. The thing was I had no interest in Flash whatsoever. Sure, he was a gentlecolt and had an optimistic personality, but we were just friendly, nothing more. He knew that too, but as our latest trip proved, that never stopped him from pulling the occasional flirt. Or the naughty thought. Poor guy ought to learn not to let his mind roam with the earbuds on during rooftop inspections.

Yep, I heard every word, and thanks to his blunder I had hard evidence Flash remained genuinely infatuated with me. I shook my head and smiled, amused now that my suspicions were confirmed. When will he ever learn to not lead himself on?

Sparkler rose an eyebrow. “What’s so funny?”

I quickly recovered, casually waving my hoof. “Oh, nothing.” I could easily imagine Sparkler burning Flash a new one if he ever got too close. All the more reason to remind him we were just friends, and the best way to nip that issue in the bud was over that drink and the slab of meat he owed me. Poor guy also had a habit of betting on stakes he knew are against him, the worst offenses in the realm of pranking. Funnily enough, I’ve been a novice at pranks up until my previous visit in Ponyville, which was quite the traumatic learning experience for me and Sparkler. Most anything before that visit Flash gives me too much credit for. Not that I minded his gushing praises, but I think his definition of a good prank differed from mine. That, or he was easily amused by anything. Either way I took pleasure in spooking him.

But I digress. I could further mull over the matter later. My attention was needed elsewhere. “It’s not important. We have the room all to ourselves and that’s all that matters now.” Intent on putting the mood back to how it was in the first place, I gently guided Sparkler to the bed. Together we collapsed onto it and held each other close, our horns crossing as a symbol of our intimacy. I pecked her on the lips, and got a loving smile in return.

“One more,” Sparkler requested.

I obliged.

“One more.”

I obliged again.

End

Author's Note

At last, it's finished!

I want to give a big thanks to Chengar Qordath, Comma-Kazie, Ponibus, Web of Hope, Rodinga, Dusk Watch, Swiftest Shadow, Poptard, and Equestrian Scholar for their patience and time, plus the loads of input regarding Zebrica and Star Kicker. My apologies for the progress and irregular bursts of contact on this one.