The warfront was beginning to die down. There were more bodies here than even Twilight would be able to count. What brought the sense of certain doom was the absolute forest of Yaks coming over the mountian, maybe even more there than the first wave. The guard was near out of troops, but the Yaks were about to destroy Equestria. Tact, however, wasn't exhibiting the feeling of doom. He was eerily calm and collected for looking death in the face. What was keeping him this way? Possibly the giant black swarm coming up behind them, which turned into millions of changelings. There was at least 10 times more here than when they attacked the castle that one time. Yet, the Yaks kept coming. This would be even more bloody than the first battle. Well, the changelings were sure to win this. They were all completely charged, so each could at maximum turn into a dragon. What came of this would be great. At least, the wall would stand at the end. At most, they would exterminate the Yak army. Win either way, so why worry. Still, something nagged his mind. The Equestrian forces were pulling back, as to allow the changelings room to part the enemy population.

Tact said what they all needed him to. "Let's go. Our job is done." They grouped up, a cart with cushions on it held the injured. Blade said what everyone was thinking.

"It's a wonder all of us are still alive. I honestly expected some of us to die." They took the cart ride back to Ponyville in silence. They were quickly joined by more survivors, and soon every guard who wasn't on the wall during the battle was in a convoy with them. There was 150 alive at very most, and a lot of the injured looked as if it was only a matter of time before death. It was actually not too hard to count how many ponies were walking. 67. The army started off at 5000. This is what a war does to a country. There would be so much sadness tonight, and Hacksaw wasn't sure the population could take much suicides after this. It couldn't be too good in YakYakistan, considering that they were about to get destroyed by what may be hundreds of hives of changelings. Everyone was either crying, emotionless, insane, or unconscious. For the first time since he was 7, Hacksaw was actually beginning to tear up. His team was like a family, and 2 of them nearly died. One of them probably will. It was nearly dusk, and everyone was tired. They were just entering ponyville, and instantly were greeted by medical workers. They took the most severe, and Eyes was one of the first when they saw the blood-soaked back brace and head cast. Rainbow also went. The Inns were full within half an hour or so, so Princess Twilight offered the team the castle, as well as everyone else who didn't get a room, which happened to be many of them. The moon was black that night, even if the mood schedule said otherwise. Hacksaw followed Tact, along with Dagger and Blade, into a relatively large room with 5 beds. He saw the batpony guards take positions through the window. They all just got into bed, wordless. Hacksaw couldn't get to sleep, however. He had never seen so much blood, death, and just horribleness in all his life as he did today. He got up, went over to the door, and grabbed a little circular container. He turned it, opening it, and getting a pill out of it. He had to use this sometimes, and had learned how to use pills without water. He then closed the container, put it back, and went over to his bed. He got back into bed, and swallowed the sleeping pill.

Dagger woke up, the sun piercing her gaze through the window. Her muzzle already hurt. Fucking wonderful. Everything hurt. Physically, at least. Emotionally, everything threatened to kill her. Any normal pony wouldn't be able to take this, but she had a reason to keep going. Not only her husband, Tact, or Eyes, but they all carried the world on their shoulders. There would be time for suicide after the war, if Eyes didn't make it. Life wasn't fair, but it never has been. There was something she had always wanted to do, but she might never be able to. This was her family, she was their family. The fact that it was so bad when one of them faced death might be a good thing. It would make them realize just how much they loved each other. There was something else nagging at her mind, and it wasn't her muzzle. She knew all to well that Tact knew it perfectly well, but the world might come to an end. If the Yaks win, there won't be enough of them to recover, and they would die off. Same for ponies, unless something is done fast. The only option was the most unholy, evil, most dangerous thing that they could do. It in itself might end the world as well. They would have to seek help from Tartarus. Tact obviously had a better plan, however, and she would hear it today.

Everyone was awake. They were all gathered in the middle of the room in front of Tact in a line of three, a space open for a missing fourth. Tact was going to reveal his master plan.

"Now, the obvious situation to come as close to assurance the world will survive is freeing the creatures of Tartarus. However, we are all forgetting a race that lives across the 2nd most unholy place known, if my source is correct. Across the Everfree, is Zecora's mighty tribe of Zebras who could turn the tide of the war. We all know how both sides are just fighting a losing war, and the world is facing an end. This is an operation that only we may be able to complete, but as we all know all to well, we are short a vital member. But I believe in us. We have to do this. For Eyes." Another grim silence, and he led them out of the room, and out of the castle. They left without a word, all armed and ready for whatever may lay in the forest. They reached the edge of the Everfree all to soon. They entered without hesitation, making their way around various roots and plants. They were sure to stay clear of poison joke, and other nearly ironic, comical plants. Any of them could end up being fatal. They reached Zecora's hut, and passed without a word. They spent a lot more time until they came to a cave. They decided to take the night there, until a Timberwolf made it's presence known. Blade drew his ax, delivered a swing into it's core, and the twigs collapsed. There were no more, which was odd. They just set up camp, and crawled into their sleeping bags.

It was a short, undisturbed sleep. Hacksaw got up first. He woke his comrades, and they were on their way again. Time went by fast, and before they knew it, they came up on huts right outside of the vegetation. They were greeted by a male zebra, armed with a spear, necklace, and a jewel of some sorts.

"Stop right there. What are you doing this far out here, pony?" The large guard inquires, no malice, but genuine curiosity in his voice.

Tact responded. "We request aid from your mighty tribe. Our world threatens with it's end through war, and we need more power. You are our last resort, and we hate to impose. But If we don't, we have to go to the most unholiest creatures we know, and that may end us by itself."

"Come with me, our Chief will have your answer." They followed him, through what must have been the largest metropolis they had ever seen. They then, after a few hours, reached a large crystal ball with a doorway leading within. "This will save us 3 months of travel. Follow." They entered, and were enveloped in white light. They were in what looked like the same place, but the outside was different. They exited, and instead of fortified huts they were faced with 3 to 10 story buildings everywhere. Only the guards and the obvious foreign zebras had very much muscle, the rest were dressed fancily and were dainty in their build. They followed the guard to a giant tower at the center. They entered, and followed him up the insane amount of stairs until they reached a relatively nondescript room at the top. The only thing worth note was the throne with the oddly familiar elderly female zebra in it, wearing a golden crown with a green gem in the center. That, the odd coolness, and the illuminated bars built into the ceiling, providing the light.

"Who do you bring into my presence, guard?" The chief inquired, a certain note of kindness in her voice.

"These are pony travelers from across the Everfree region."

"What is it you need, my friends?"

Tact began to explain for the chief. "We come pleading for military assistance. Our world is bordering militant destruction, as the winning force will not be able to recover from their losses. We truly hate to have to turn to your people, and completely understand if you turn us away, but we beg of you," Tact, for the first and hopefully last time in his life, keeled. "Please, help us."

The chief seemed deep in thought for a moment, then she spoke. "How many soldiers do you need? We have 50 billion currently on duty. For the Everfree, the optimal for us to spare would be 10 million." Tact absolutely beamed. A wave of worry was washed away from them, replaced by a wave of concrete relief. Without hesitation, Tact responded to that.

"That is the best news in the history of our world. Equestria may be just a dot compared your population, but if you ever may possibly need help, we are forever in your dept. 10 million will be much more than enough.

"Anything for those who help my sister, Zecora, with her research."

"Your sister is the rhyming brewmaster of the Everfree?"

"She kept her rhyming habit?"

Tact and the chief, Azurat, were on a first name basis, and Hacksaw could tell that in the future if they ever need help form the Zebras again, it would be them who go to request. There may also be many social visit. They might even get one of those crystal ball things in the base. Well, the chieftan and Dagger were getting along decently enough as well. Before Hacksaw knew it, he and Blade were being escorted to the armory. That was what made them exited. He was going to get a sneak peak at what an extremely advanced technological society. Time to do some electronic dissection. They were lead into a room with some pretty amazing looking stuff. There was what looked like a bow, but there was a contraption that-STUPID! How had he not thought of this?!?! It was a bow that fired automatically. He immediately grabbed his notepad, and wrote down 'crossbow-bow that fires with a button, or trigger.' He then looked to his left, and saw the more complex machines. A projectile launcher that looked like it was supposed to face up, then bring the projectile down. No doubt it was meant for long range destruction, and he was already working on one. Then, he got an idea. He wrote 'self-propelling explosive launcher' Ingenious! Then, a smaller zebra wearing goggles, and giant bags on his back and flanks. Obviously the genius behind this.

"You like what you see?"

Blade, having no appreciation for good tech when he sees it, gave a rude and preposterous responce. "Eh."

Hacksaw managed to salvage the situation. "He's just the berserker. He doesn't know revolutionary terrific technology when he sees it." He received a grin form the inventor, then continued after a slight pause. "Hey, I have to compliment your genius. I also have an idea for this." He gestured to the tube meant for long distance destruction.

"Yes? My mortar?"

"What if, and I'm not saying you should abandon this design, but it gave me the idea for a self-propelling explosive launcher. The ordnance would be a pain to make, but i happen to have a tested version of one on me at the moment." He pulled out the bulky cube he used to get the Yak legion's attention.

"You are a genius, you know that? You bring anything else for me to look at?"

"Never leave home without my blade bombs." He pulled out one of the bombs he used on the team of yaks on their first strike. "Do not, I repeat, do NOT, press the button in the middle. You'll kill us all brutally." The zebra held it carefully eyed it for a moment, then gave it back. He carefully put it back in it's case, then pulled out a smoke bomb. "This one won't kill us all horribly, but it will blind you with a flash, then let smoke all over the place. Also not fun if received or used improperly." He gave it to the zebra. "You can keep that one, I have more and their re-loadable." He dug in his bag, and got the long metal magic projector. Magic projector in the sense that it projects magic, not that it IS magic itself. "Do you have a testing field somewhere?"

"Yes we do. Follow-"

"Bring some heavy firepower. I wanna test this thing's limits."

"Whatever you say. Not my fault if I break something."

"Your on." Hacksaw followed the zebra down the staircase, back to the ground floor. They went through to an insanely colossal coliseum.

"It's a multipurpose pit. Wonderful, isn't it?"

"The room in here is as big as Celetia's castle!"

"Your ruler?"

"Yeah. She tries, she never wanted to war and tried to avoid it at any cost, but she failed. Luckily, I have some pretty wonderful things. Like this!" He flipped the lever at the bottom of the thin pad, threw it about 50 feet away, and made a pink, transparent wall.

"That's what you brought us here to show me?"

"Give it a test, why don't you?" He pulled something out of his bag, and it was one of the crossbows he say, but bigger. It was on a stand, and a large box under the loaded arrow. He set it up, grinning, and aimed it at the way. He then held the trigger down, and a volley of arrows harmlessly bounced off Hacksaw's magic wall. This continued for a second, then he stopped. With a frown, he set the arrow turret aside as Hacksaw made a note, and pulled out a red stick with a wick at the top. He then pulled out a small metal box, then made a fire with it on the wick. It began to burn down, and he tossed it at the wall. It bounced off the wall as the fire made it's way to the base, and blew up with an alarming explosion. It nearly launched the notepad from Hacksaw's hooves, and nearly knocked him over, but his wall still held strong.

"WHAT?!" Came the frustrated exclamation from the zebra, who obviously pulled something he thought would be overkill failed. All Hacksaw could do was prevent himself from laughing. "Okay, okay. It's going to be like that, then?"

"The only thing to ever break through was something called the Bass Cannon. One of my friends, a Dj named Vinyl Scratch, invented it."

"Vinyl? White coat, blue mane, purple shades?"

"Yeah. You know her?"

"If it takes something like that, I'll be right back." With that, the zebra left. It must have been a minute, then he returned pulling a cart behind him. "It's no Bass Cannon, but it should do." He aimed a very large device mounted to the cart at the wall. He connected a very large wire to a green container, then flipped a switch. A large burst of green came from the hole in the device, and stopped at the shield. Hacksaw literally burst out laughing, rolling on the floor. He couldn't even see straight. He just beat an inventor that was at least 10 years ahead of him in the battle of inventions.

"You think it's so funny? Let's see you beat my wall." The laser was gone, and there was a blue wall next to his. He shrugged, grabbed a blade bomb, and tossed it to the other side of the wall. The loud crack of the blades off the wall echoed through the stadium, but it held. He pulled out the explosive launcher he flaunted earlier, and launched it at the wall. It hit his wall, there was a large bang accompanied by a cloud of smoke, and it was still there. The blue transparent wall that he had to break to win this duel. He pulled out a small iron rod with a black box at the end. He pulled out the heavy stand, latched it into the ground, kicked the backup spikes into the ground, mounted the small trinket, and pressed the button on the top. A tiny laser spurted out of the tip for a second, then the blue wall blew up into nonexistence. He threw a grin towards the other inventor.

"Okay, you win. However, can that break yours as well?"

"Yeah, I like the explosions. It's awesome." Blade added his 2 sense into the conversation.

"Of course not, My wall is too good." He readjusted the turret to face his wall, then pushed the button again. It launched the tiny laser, then there was a colossal explosion. Much bigger an explosion, as how it was designed was to put the more power the denser and harder the substance, and his wall was still there. It was faltering, but it held.

"You two done? We're leaving." Hacksaw jumped at the sound of Tact's voice.

Blade responded for him. "So, we get something worked out?"

"We're going to wipe those filthy Yaks off the face of the world."

The resident inventor responded before Hacksaw as well. "Your half of the world, at least. We already handled our Yak problem."

Author's Note

This is where things get not-so-death-blood but still not go-happy-fun-time either,