One Wing, One Heart

Chapters

Log I: Failed Ambush
Log II: Road to Recovery
Log III: Another Possibility
Log IV: Distressed Dinner
Log V: Tension
Log VI: Pyrrhic

Log I: Failed Ambush

As a filly, I was always told that Equestria was a land of peace and harmony. Such claims made sense back then, especially given the bright colors everywhere coupled with the smiles almost everypony wore. And for those who weren't smiling, they ended up adopting a grin the next day or the day after. Not a minute went by without bumping into somepony who was filled with joy, and it wasn't that fake, creepy joy as well. It was genuine, awesome, and among the best moments of my life.

There was just one problem about the first statement, the one about Equestria representing peace and harmony.

That claim was a big, fat lie.

Peace and harmony didn't explain where I'd found myself, stuck in the middle of a deep trench with a warehouse controlled by brainwashed nuts who'd gleefully jab a sword through my throat. Just thinking about meeting the wrong side of a blade or arrow raised the hairs of my coat, my throat tightening on instinct. It's one of those inevitable truths us soldiers in the fight against Sombra learned long ago; while you'd become smarter and more aware of your surroundings, your fears would shine through whether you wanted them to or not.

At least I'm not alone or dying. I don't know what I'd do if that happened.

A gentle tap on my shoulder broke my train of thought. I shuddered for a moment, quickly glancing behind my shoulder to find Lightning Dust with her usual cocky grin. Covering her left eye was a patch and protruding from her mouth was a stalk of hay. Both served no real purpose, given that Lightning never had any vision problems. Whenever pressed by her comrades, she'd brag about how awesome it made her look.

Sometimes, I just wanted to drive my hoof right into her cheek.

"Hey, Dashie," Lightning teased. Her eyebrows wiggled for a moment. "Nervous?"

I groaned; everypony knew I loathed being called Dashie, especially Lightning. "We're supposed to raid this camp, capture it, and bring the supplies back to help with the war effort," I said. "Of course I'm nervous. Ya can be cool and nervous at the same time."

"Don't be nervous." Lightning cracked a slight smile, chuckles leaving her mouth. "You and I are the best soldiers in Celestia's army. We'll kick the asses of anypony who gets in our way. All we have to do is charge right at their front door, punch a few guards or take off their helmets, and replace that ugly looking flag with ours." Lightning excitedly rubbed her hooves together; I just arched an eyebrow and cocked my head. "It's perfect."

"It's stupid," another voice responded.

That voice undoubtedly belonged to Fleetfoot, one of the few soldiers who spent more than a minute's worth of time with me whenever we rested in the barracks. While that was partly due to our tents being only a few hoofsteps away, it was nice to have somepony to share my feelings with. Something about making eye contact with her warmed my heart as well. Maybe it was the aforementioned thing about her being the only one who even tried cheering me up, but I appreciated it nonetheless.

But she wasn't wearing a slight smile at this moment; she had a scowl fiercer than a hydra's on her face.

"Lightning Dust, you know that will get us all killed," Fleetfoot continued. She placed her hoof on the trench's snow-covered wall. "Remember what our spies told us about this place?"

Lightning shrugged.

"Don't tell me you weren't paying attention."

Neither Lightning nor I said a peep. I listened to the reports; I valued my life and my body, and Fleetfoot knew this just by glancing at me. Lightning, however, was different. I couldn't say I was surprised by this turn of events.

A sigh left Fleetfoot's lips. She rolled her eyes. "Great. Now I have to do all of the explaining." She cleared her throat. "See, the stronghold not far from this trench is surrounded by watchtowers, all of them equipped with searchlights. If they spot anything suspicious or hostile, the guards will immediately know and come brandishing weapons."

"And how will the guards be fooled?"

"According to the reports, they don't have the longest memory out there. Something about the spell they're under."

"Yeah," I concurred. "Remember when we captured one of the guards? He had no idea where he was and spilled the beans right there. It was—so weird."

Come to think of it, almost all of the guards working for Sombra were unusual. Everypony we captured and interrogated welcomed us as saviors, almost as though they never meant to join Sombra's forces in the first place. I knew there was some manipulation being involved when it came to the Crystal Empire's army, but never had I expected outright brainwashing. The taste of bitter vomit touched my tongue for a moment; I wish I didn't know or remember that detail. If the war wasn't distressing enough, Sombra found a way.

And we all loathed him for it.

"Well, we should take a page from Captain Spitfire," Fleetfoot continued. "She—"

"Spitfire?" Lightning interrupted, forelegs stretched out. "You want us to follow that weakling's example?"

"Weakling?" Stepping back, Fleetfoot pursed her lips. She tilted her head. "Spitfire isn't weak. She's smart, strong, and one of the reasons we're still in this fight, remember? Her and the Pie sisters are the reason we haven't surrendered yet."

"Yeah, but she's always struggled when it came to fighting. Heck, she's stuck in the barracks because she was knocked out during one skirmish, somehow landing with the other Equestrian soldiers as some dragged her back to the barracks. She was out for a few hours, too. Honestly, if somepony gets knocked unconscious that easily, they're not tough enough for the job."

"But Spitfire's strategies are the reason you're still alive, idiot." Fleetfoot's cheeks flushed, eyes widened. "We had to do a rescue mission to save your sorry hide, and thanks to her planning, we didn't suffer a single casualty."

"Look at you, bragging for somepony else."

"Lightning Dust," I murmured. "Why do ya hate Spitfire so much?"

"It's because I should be captain and not her. She's only there because she was Captain of the Wonderbolts before the war started, and when push comes to shove, the Third Aerial Corps need somepony who can fight, be awesome, and lead Equestria to certain victory. That pony is me, and you all know it." Lightning pressed both of her hooves on the trench's walls and peeked at the citadel. "Watch and learn you—"

Twitching, I grabbed onto Lightning's tail and shoved her back to the earth. My quick reflexes then shifted my hooves around to where I was pinning her, Lightning squirming about with a scrunched muzzle and dilated, bloodshot eyes. My heart was pounding to where it dominated everything I heard, but I still made out Lightning's grunts and mumbled curse words.

"Let me go, Dashie," Lightning said. She clenched her teeth and groaned.

I shook my head. "I'll only let you go if you sit down and stop acting like a moron."

Just like that, Lightning's limbs froze in place. I cracked a smile and exhaled, letting go of her and shaking my aching forelegs. There was another thing I learned during the war, keeping a pony stuck in place was taxing work and something that was far from enjoyable. It wasn't one of those playtime wrestling things some foals did as children back in the day, either. It was a struggle, one that wasn't radical.

"Okay, I'll listen," Lightning muttered as she panted. "But if the rest of the ponies here think I'm smarter, we're gonna go with my plan, okay?"

I paused for a moment. Scanning the rest of the trench, I noticed a few other unicorns, pegasi, and earth ponies with us; they totaled about nine in all, with Lightning, Fleetfoot, and I bringing the complete count to twelve. I never knew their names or met them before, but they all seemed nice and were supposedly seasoned fighters. Well, one requires combat expertise in order for a mission of this magnitude.

"Listen up," Fleetfoot said. "We'll sneak through the trenches and freeze in place should a spotlight approach us. If the spies are correct, there should be a blind spot located at the back of the fortress with a secret entrance located on the ground. Supposedly, it was due to cost-cutting, but we can't be too careful, as it might be a trap." She caught her breath, a white mist leaving her mouth. "However, stealth and exploiting that design flaw might be our best bet in capturing the fortress. There's about twenty guards stationed there, too, all of varying skill level. It shouldn't be a problem if we stick together."

"But we're just fighting them, anyway," Lightning said with her hoof raised. "Why not do my idea and just charge at the place, bayonets pointing right at them?"

"Because that's how we get slaughtered."

Lightning stepped back. She shrugged.

"As I was saying, we can either do my idea or Lightning Dust's idea."

"I'm with Fleetfoot," I said. "She's got the right idea, and this is coming from somepony who loves to show off."

Such a claim was true. I loved displaying my flying skills whenever I could, particularly in the training centers where I'd perform all sorts of feats and tricks, ones that the Wonderbolts would often perform before the war. They always put a slight smirk on my face and I'd blather on about them for hours at a time. I honestly don't know what I'd do without my wings.

"I'm with Fleetfoot, too," a fellow soldier said. "I actually wanna live, you know?"

The rest of the ponies present nodded in unison, all except for Lightning.

"It's eleven to twelve for Fleetfoot's plan," I said, trudging toward Lightning as she crept backwards. "So are ya with us or not? And don't think about doing your own thing." My brow furrowed, muzzle scrunched. "Ya know what the punishment for treason is."

Lightning groaned. "Fine, I'll come along. Just don't come crying to me if my plan was the better one." She paused and her posture perked up. A mischievous smile adorned her visage. "In fact, go ahead and come crying to me once I'm promoted to captain. Then I'll be more than okay with it."

Everypony else, including me, donned a bemused expression. The war had taken its toll on everypony's unity, after all. Some tried getting others to work together while others advocated a different path. Sometimes, I wondered if our greatest enemy wasn't King Sombra, but ourselves.

"Look, let's head out now and watch our steps," said Fleetfoot. She trotted past me and ruffled her wings, then motioned a hoof. "Don't stray too far behind. You know that the watchtowers are quite quick when it comes to surveying the environment, so the sooner we get this done the better."

I nodded, catching up to Fleetfoot and trotting right beside her. Lightning and the others trudged behind us, sploshing sounds as out hooves dug into the wet snow reaching my ears. My wings twitched a little, eager to get flying and cover more ground quicker, though I was more than aware that would be like throwing my life away. I hated sluggishness, but for once, slow and steady would win us the race.

At least I wasn't blushing with a deep frown across my face. The same couldn't be said for Lightning as she gazed down at the white snow beneath her, mumbling what had to have been foul language under her breath. That was classic Lightning Dust, however, letting the worst thoughts leave her mouth and thinking nopony could hear her. If a bat pony were right beside her, Lightning would get a swift knock on the head for what must've been insults.

She'd shut up soon enough.

And I knew why she'd close those dirty lips of hers. It wasn't because of the spotlights.

Trudging through the trenches was about as effortless as napping, though I'd rather be doing the latter than the former. Whenever a spotlight came toward us, we'd all freeze as though our limbs turned to concrete. We held our breaths for quite a long time whenever the spotlights passed by. Yet, despite the copious amounts of sweat dripping down my mane, not once did any of the soldiers relay a signal or activate the alarm.

The loudest thing in the environment wasn't our hoofsteps or the crystal ponies inhabiting the fortress.

It was my beating heart. The thumping echoed into my ears; I thought my chest would burst open at some points. However, I knew fleeing the scene would just get us killed anyway. I bit my lip as I soldiered along, knowing there was no turning back. If the other ponies weren't armed and were actually friends, this would've been fun. Maybe it'd be a special game I'd have played with little Scootaloo if things turned out well.

Though this was the most dangerous game I was playing. Everypony was silent, even Lightning, not a whisper leaving their mouths.

By some miracle, we were all in the blind spot, no spotlights coming in contact with us as the backdoor was just a few short hops away. I took a deep breath, wiping my brow as I looked back at the rest of the unit. The faintest of smiles across everypony's lips told the same story.

"Can we promise each other to never do that again?" Lightning whispered. She trotted up to Fleetfoot and playfully jabbed her shoulder. "Honestly, I thought I was gonna have a stroke by the time this was all over. Well, either that or I'd get shot by a magic beam." She faintly chuckled, though I knew it was forced. "Both sound like bad outcomes."

"So the backdoor should be somewhere around—" Fleetfoot cut herself off, glancing down at a red and gray hatch affixed to the ground "—right here, actually." She ruffled her wings and rubbed her muzzle. "Is it even unlocked?"

"We've got the firepower to fix that."

I thrust my hoof toward Lightning, its tip missing her lips by inches. "Let's not get carried away," I muttered. "We're not out of this yet. Do ya wanna make a scene now of all times or what?"

With pale cheeks, Lightning violently shook her head.

"I thought so."

Fleetfoot grabbed onto the latch's handle, twisting it counterclockwise as a clicking sound pierced the air. Pulling up, the backdoor opened, the creaks emitted from its hinges sounding worse than a screeching cockatrice. I covered my ears and clenched my teeth as the door opened ever so slightly. Any faster and it probably would've alerted the guards.

After a few seconds of agony, the passage was open. Lightning tried to swoop inside, only for Fleetfoot's foreleg to block her.

"What are you doing?" Lightning scolded. She furrowed her brow, steam emitting from her nostrils. "The door's right there, idiot."

"Does it strike you as odd that the door was already unlocked?" asked Fleetfoot. "Why would an entrance to an important fortress be unlocked and unguarded?"

My throat tightened in an instant. Already, I had this tingling sensation in my chest. They always came when I was especially nervous about something, the last time it happened being when news of the war spread throughout Equestria and interrupted our normally happy lives. My gut instinct has a penchant for being right. Sometimes, I wish it'd shut up or be wrong about something for once.

"It's a trap, isn't it?" I whispered. Pursing my lips, I peeked into the hatch. A dimly lit hallway ran toward the fortress itself. Yet there was nothing out of the ordinary as far as I could tell. No clear traps for anypony to step on and no holes for archers to peer through and shoot down anypony who wasn't on their side. In fact, it looked like any old hallway. The only things that were off were the scents escaping its maw.

I couldn't even tell what the scents were, let alone what they smelled like. All I knew for certain was that the inside of my nostrils seemed as though they were lit aflame. I cringed, then turned toward Fleetfoot and Lightning. Both of them expressed varying degrees of disgust, as did the rest of the unit with one unicorn looking like he was on the verge of puking.

"Do we really have to do this?" I weakly asked, frantically shaking my head around for any fresh air.

"Well, Princess Celestia did give the order," said Fleetfoot. She sighed and then trembled in place. "Well, looks like we have no choice but to head on through. It's not like the other routes are any better." She paused. "But even though they may not know we're right at the backdoor, we should watch our step. They might have some soldiers stationed at the end or may learn of our arrival." Fleetfoot stepped on the descending staircase; she motioned to the rest of the soldiers. "Spread out if you can, but don't stray too far behind."

We all nodded together, though Lightning pouted through it all. We then descended down the stairs and into the unknown. The pony bringing up the rear closed the hatch inch by inch until it was secure. With everything in place, our journey into the foe's establishment truly began. My heart was pounding faster than ever.

Nothing came.

The pungent aromas grew stronger the longer we trotted.

Nothing came.

Fleetfoot glanced back at me, looking ready to pass out.

Nothing came.

Nothing after nothing surrounded us. All we had were concrete walls.

That was until a rusted door awaited us on the other side. It looked about ready to fall apart at any moment. Maybe they were doing some disgusting science experiments in there. After all, the door had plenty of warning signs adorning it. And said science experiments were probably more advanced and confusing than the awesome ones I performed in school during science class.

As a filly, warning signs were typically invitations to check out whatever rested behind the door.

But even I knew doing so would be stupid. I just hoped that—

Lightning opened the door without hesitating and trotted inside. Fleetfoot's pupils shrunk to the size of pinpricks while I merely gritted my teeth. If this came back to bite us, I promised myself I'd never let Lightning hear the end of it if we both made it out alive.

"A storage facility?" Lightning mumbled. She scanned the area as did everypony else. "How odd."

Kept hidden from the eyes of onlookers were a long series of metal containers, all labeled with some faded word that I couldn't make out. At least half of them were rotting away and likely to release whatever chewed away at its surface. The desks with flasks and beakers were completely abandoned and notebooks were torn to shreds. Whatever went on must've been sickening. My mind relayed question after question, though as I rubbed the top of my head, only one thought prevailed over the rest.

"Why would King Sombra need this stuff?" I asked.

"Your guess is as good as mine," said Fleetfoot. "Either way, I think we can rule out food being stored in this fortress. I doubt you could even grow anything with this hunk of rotting metal nearby." She glanced down at the tiled floor beneath her, picking up a piece of paper underneath her hoof. "Hmm." She gasped. "Sombra's planning something downright crazy."

"What is it?"

"Written on this sheet of paper is a note to prepare for invading the Changeling Hive."

I cocked my head. "Seriously? Everypony knows the changelings are among the most ruthless warriors in all of Equestria. Their queen loves fighting as much as I love flying. Sombra sending his forces over there as well would totally doom his chances at winning the war."

"Precisely. He'd run out of supplies well before he even made a dent into their borders. In fact, the changelings would decimate his armies if he got careless enough. But Sombra isn't stupid. He has to be planning something, but what?"

"Does it say on the note?"

"No, it just says that Sombra is sending this pony over to the Changeling Hive to commence an invasion. No details are given other than that. It must be how he keeps track of who he sends and who stays behind in the fortress. There is a month separating now from the proposed invasion, so we'll probably have to stop him before then."

Rubbing my eyes, I trotted closer to Fleetfoot. "Do we even have a chance at stopping him?"

Fleetfoot shrugged. "We're already at our limit and so is Sombra. If by some miracle we can put a dent into his operations, we can win the war before then, but at a great cost. I don't like our odds, however. The moment the changelings get involved, their queen will want to bring the fight to us, and we'd stand no chance after all we've been through so far."

"Figures." I gritted my teeth. "Well, since there's no food around here, maybe we should head back to the barracks and let Princess Celestia know what we've found."

"Show yourselves!" a cacophonous voice shouted from afar.

Gulping, I turned toward the voice's source. Approaching us were a group of Sombra's soldiers, all clad in armor with a sinister glow where their eyes were supposed to be. More of them kept arriving until I counted about twenty in all. Why they'd all come to the battle and leave the rest of the fortress unguarded was beyond me, especially since Sombra was known to be pulling the strings on these ponies, but questioning could wait.

I had to fight now.

No other words left anypony's mouth as we charged at each other.

Tackling one of Sombra's guards, we rolled in tandem before stopping near one of the containers. I raised my foreleg up, thrusting my hoof into the foe's jaw. A sickening crack had split the air.

The guard winced, though he pushed me off a second later. I crashed on my back, pushing myself upright as I saw the metallic soldier galloping at me.

I leaped out of the way. The crystal pony barreled past me and narrowly missed one of the containers.

Without warning, two forelegs wrapped around my waist, the armor's cold and sharp texture digging into my coat. I glanced over my shoulder and noticed another soldier behind me. My throat tightened, knowing where this was all headed.

The crystal pony from before had dashed at me like a bull once more. I closed my eyes, only to discover the forelegs around me no longer there and stabbing my waist.

In the blink of an eye, I narrowly dodged the oncoming fighter and bashed the enemy in the back of the head. The armored pony fell to the ground not a second later.

Fleetfoot flew right next to me and our shoulders rubbed against each other for the briefest of moments. We stepped back, both of us planning our next moves as the chaos around us unfolded. I spotted one of Sombra's soldiers doing the same, the green glow in his eyes flashing when we made eye contact.

Without warning, one of Sombra's soldiers fired a magic beam.

The pinkish magic flew across the room and struck one of the containers to the right.

Everything stopped in an instant.

And then, light filled the room. A deafening boom followed, my ears ringing the second before everything turned black.

Aches coursed throughout my body, especially in my ears and my left wing. I felt a wet ooze seeping down the latter. Tears welled up in my eyes as everything was a hazy, orange inferno. The wretched scents from before vanished in an instant, all replaced by the aroma of ashes and burning flesh.

I blinked.

A heartbeat later, I crawled to where Fleetfoot was. Surprisingly, there wasn't a scratch on her, though some of the ashes trickled down on her silver mane. Yet she was motionless with her eyes closed. I stretched my foreleg out to her with every last ounce of strength I had left. Touching her chest, I sensed her heart beating normally.

At least Fleetfoot was alive.

A metal rod narrowly missed Lightning, sweat pouring down her face and her eyes the size of dinner plates. Her chest expanded and contracted at a quick pace. What mattered most was that she was also among the living. The fewer ponies hurt, the better. If the debris ended up a few inches to the left or to the right, she'd be skewered.

Two of our fellow soldiers and a dazed crystal pony also stammered to their hooves, the latter's helmet removed and his cheeks pale. I couldn't make out a word he was muttering, but his pupils were darting around as he scanned the environment. Chances were that he had no idea where he was or even what happened.

Nopony else had luck on their side, however. The rest of them were either crushed or impaled by the debris or had no life in their eyes.

I slowly glanced down at the floor.

I wished I hadn't.

Below me was my left wing, completely sheared off. A large chunk of my ear was there as well, the cries and grinding of metal muffled as they pierced my eardrums. My cheeks turned green at the sight, but I couldn't find the strength in me to throw up. For once, I wanted to regurgitate, just to get the awful taste out of my mouth.

It was the last thing I wanted to see; my worst nightmare was playing out before me.

"This can't be real," I murmured weakly. "My wing is—" The world spiraled out of control for a bit. Rapid heartbeats filled my ears. "This has to be a dream. Please let this be a dream."

The cloudy skies above me were visible once more. There was a clear path toward where the front door used to be, though it too was damaged by the explosion. The more I surveyed the architectural carnage, the more I couldn't help but wonder how some of us were still alive, Fleetfoot especially lucky.

It looked like we were the only ones left.

Lightning tried scouting the wreckage for any sings of medical equipment, but after a minute of searching, she shrugged and came up with nothing. The downcast expression she worse told the whole story. The others were just as unlucky. I closed my eyes and gritted my teeth, hoping my wound would heal up and that the searing pain would vanish.

Hastily picking up the unconscious Fleetfoot, I placed her on my back and trudged out of the wildfire, not looking back at my dismembered wing or the corpses which covered most of the laboratory. All that mattered now was getting everypony back to the barracks. I didn't even care if I survived the trip or not.

My friends arriving safely were most important.

With the crackling flames becoming dimmer the further I crawled away from the scene, I glanced at the snow and visualized our return trip. It was just retracing my steps, simple enough as far as I was concerned, though my injuries exponentially made it more difficult. So much was gone. My heart twinged the more I thought about it.

"Please let this be a dream," I muttered once more.

I knew I was wrong.

Log II: Road to Recovery

Losing my left wing, one of the limbs that defined me, was easily the worst moment of my life. That one day where I lost a race to some punk was now ranked second, but even a day as lame as that was paltry to what I just survived—somehow. Sweat poured down my cheeks as I bit my lip. Flying was out of the question, the fact twisting my chest into a knot. The only option I had was trotting.

As for continuing the fight in the Crystal War, I figured I'd be moved away from the barracks and forced into somewhere like Ponyville. This was something to avoid at all costs. Not because of any feelings I had toward such towns, but because I'd probably be leaving behind the ponies who helped me before and during the war.

I'd lose regular contact with the friends I've made there. Lightning Dust, Fleetfoot, and so many others were faces I couldn't abandon.

I couldn't let them down. Yet I also knew that being by their side whenever the going got tough was now just a dream; it was snatched away by that stupid crystal pony and his blast. Part of me just wanted to collapse on the snow and wait for the pain to go away, yet that would just replace it with a much sharper twinge. Everypony knew that heartache was the worst.

I needed to get Fleetfoot back to the barracks. She was still unconscious and needed help.

Help was something I also needed.

A muffled voice echoed into my ear. The voice repeated itself, clearer than before.

"Don't die on me, Rainbow Dash!" Lightning shrieked. "You're not giving up now!" Tears cascaded down Lightning's eyes like a waterfall. Never had I seen her cry; I must've been in a parallel universe by this point. Maybe that was why the world was a blur and much of what I recalled was hazy. It was as likely of an explanation as anything else, my gaping wound and the blood tickling it not helping matters.

If that inferno and rotting stench had been ingrained in my mind, it was likely the same story for Lightning Dust.

The searing aches on my left side seemed to never fade away as though a beast dug into my flesh. I clenched my teeth throughout the journey home, though the rest of the details were shrouded in watercolors. Some white, some gray, and some slight hints of red were all I saw. Other than Lightning's panic, the only other things I heard were some concerned whispers by the other surviving soldiers and the crystal pony asking a ton of questions. I think an agonizing screech escaped his mouth upon realizing what he was involved in.

It was all just indistinct murmurs to me.

My lungs burned like furnaces. However, I knew the destination was in sight upon seeing the gray and white watercolors take the shape of a fortress. The fluttering from flags caught in the breeze confirmed it. Whenever I saw Equestria's fortress for this particular front, christened as Fort Ironclad, I used to always gawk at it with widened eyes while gushing about how cool it looked, the battlements and the trebuchets adding to the spectacle.

I mustered a faint smile and a quick breath. Those early days of blissful ignorance were the best, the days where everypony appreciated the unusual sights and wondered what kinds of adventures we'd set out on. Danger wasn't a foreign concept to us ponies, with the occasional dragon or bugbear problem being a thing. I even joked about 'danger' being my middle name back when I was a filly. But this war against Sombra was a much different beast. The abundance of nightmares reported in the barracks just drove the point further into my head.

At least we were almost home—or as close to what a home was for us.

Lightning tightly wrapped a foreleg around me. She and the two guards with her glanced up at the fortress; I followed suit a few seconds later.

"We're almost there," said Lightning. A forced smile ran across her face, cheeks tautened. "Just a few more steps and we'll fix you up."

Perched atop the fortress was a stallion adorned in purple and gold armor, his blue mane standing out among the red sky that hung overhead. His name was Shining Armor, Captain of the Royal Guard. I'd only ever met him once, said meeting before the war when he married Cadance, though he seemed pleasant enough. And while he'd probably seen all kinds of scenes ranging from awesome to appalling, I shivered upon noticing his gaping mouth and pale cheeks.

"Oh, Celestia!" Shining bellowed. "Don't worry, we'll get you in right away!" He frantically waved his hoof, the fortress' front gate creeping open shortly after. Normally, he'd require those approaching the fortress to prove they weren't changeling spies, though I guess my disfigured body and Fleetfoot still being out cold must've been all the proof he needed. Changelings lacked the ability to stick to their forms after an injury and often had trouble copying certain wounds, contrary to popular belief. "Don't just stand there, get moving!"

With the gates opened and the order loud and clear, we all trotted into the fortress, though much of it was characterized by the outdoors courtyard and the myriad of colored tents which adorned the snowy fields. Inside and outside were tens of thousands of soldiers, all representing different ranks. Some were in their own specialized units, most of them were part of the Royal Guard, a few were Wonderbolts, and Princess Celestia occupied the fort with us on occasion.

All of the ponies we passed by shared one thing in common, however.

They all gasped and gazed at me.

"Is she going to be okay?" one voice whispered.

"I didn't even know a pony could live like that," another voice said.

"Rainbow Dash can fight through anything," a third voice muttered. "She's the toughest there is."

"But how do you live with—that?"

I gulped. Of all the times my hearing came back, it just had to occur when listening in on everypony's reactions was the last thing on my mind. At least the constant ringing in my ears had subsided, though it was the first victory I didn't feel like celebrating. For some reason, I didn't see a point in celebrating something so minor.

"You can hear me, right?" asked Lightning.

I nodded. "Yeah, I can hear ya," I replied with the slightest of smirks. The world cleared up a little, too, details such as the tents' textures and the uneven snow becoming somewhat sharper. "Though you kinda sound funny."

Lightning exhaled, wiping the top of her forehead. "Thank goodness." She paused for a moment, her grip loosening a little. "Now, I know a certain unicorn who might know what to do from here. She's almost as awesome as I am, but still has a ways to go before coming even close." She feigned a chuckle; chances were that she was attempting to lighten the mood. I couldn't blame her for trying, even though I saw a damaged mare as I peered into her eyes. Everything that happened before was the worst. "Anyway, do you know Trixie?"

I weakly bobbed my head again. The name was familiar, though the details weren't all there.

"Cool. See, she's the best magician in all of Equestria. Sure, she got embarrassed once or twice before, but ever since then, she's becoming stronger and stronger. Heck, I even wager she might be one of the keys to winning the war."

"Sounds like a cool pony to me."

We then took a sharp right, Lightning pulling me along while the others followed close behind. As my wound healed, the sounds of snow being crushed underneath our hooves became vivider. Its roughness and how it sent chills down my spine slowly returned as well. I glanced back at the others. One kept a stern expression while another clenched his teeth looking back at a thin red line following us for a while.

"Cool?" Lightning blurted out, brow raised. "Trust me, she's the best. She claims that she can do anything."

"Maybe she'll give me what I need."

"She will." Lightning nodded confidently.

Soon enough, we screeched to a halt. Standing before a lavish, indigo tent was a blue unicorn. A stylized hat and cape decorating the mare made her impossible to miss, the brown boots she wore on her hind legs appearing perfect for hiking, though even I could tell there wasn't a scratch on them. A radiant grin adorned her face as well.

The mare lifted her hat, horn radiating a bright aura, as she then fired a small spark at a pile of lumber. The lumber had ignited, orange flames now dancing before her and sending a light gray cloud of smoke into the air. Everything felt warmer as well; I tried creeping up to the fireplace, only for my twanging legs to give in and send me face first into the snow.

"I'm fine," I mumbled into the snow. Without a second thought, I pushed myself upright with Fleetfoot still on my back. "Just a bit woozy is all."

"Woozy?" the mare responded. "Trixie has plenty of dazzling displays to keep you awake." Turning around to face me, Trixie donned a slight smirk and tipped her hat. Said expression disappeared in an instant, replaced with a pale one. Her pupils shrunk to the size of pinpricks upon noticing my wound. "Holy—"

"Yeah," Lightning murmured. "We kinda need somepony who's good at magic like you to fix my friend up. Can you—"

"I-I can't just grow back a wing lickety-split!" Hyperventilating, Trixie placed a hoof on her chest as she kept gazing at my wound. The world was a tad cooler the moment her jaw dropped, my heart sinking further down in unison. Should Trixie be as brilliant at all kinds of spells as she claimed, maybe the road to recovery was too steep for climbing. "I'm not even sure if Princess Celestia can!"

"Stay calm, Trixie!" Lightning stretched her foreleg out, brow sagging. "You've done tougher things than this!"

Trixie shivered and her teeth clattered. "B-but her wing! How can any of us—"

Touching her forehead, Trixie then closed her eyes and sighed, falling onto the snow below with a sickening thud. Snow jumped out of the way at the moment of impact, some of it touching my hooves and specks extinguishing the fireplace Trixie had lit. I winced for a second, then glanced back to Lightning with a puzzled expression.

"She just fainted," said Lightning as a matter of fact. "Don't worry, she'll come to."

Sure enough, as I glanced back at Trixie, she groaned and slowly opened her eyes. Perhaps classifying her as the strongest unicorn who ever lived may have been an exaggeration. If she couldn't stomach what happened to me, I doubt she'd be prepared for the front lines. Then again, her spells may have been top notch for all I knew.

Trixie stood up on all fours and adjusted her hat. "Sorry, I was just—" she crossed her forelegs and blushed "—just stunned that happened to you." Shifting her eyes toward Lightning, she donned a faint smile. "Lightning Dust, I'm glad to see you unharmed, but I worry about your friends. What in the world happened?"

"The mission ended up in a fight," Lightning explained. "We were kicking flank until—well—one of Sombra's soldiers struck something and set off an explosion." She pursed her lips; her wings twitched. "I almost died, as did the rest of us here. Sadly, not everypony made it out in one piece." A sigh left her mouth as she donned a downcast expression. "We managed to capture one of the crystal ponies for interrogation."

"Interrogation?" the crystal pony blurted out. His breathing picked up. "What good is somepony who doesn't know anything?"

Scowling, Lightning shot a glare at the crystal ponies, the two making eye contact. "We'll get to you, mister." She cleared her throat before bringing her focus back to Trixie. "As I was saying, we need your help in fixing up Rainbow Dash over here. As for the mare on her back, she'll regain consciousness soon enough."

Trixie arched an eyebrow. "Are you serious?"

"Of course I'm serious." Lightning trudged closer to Trixie until their muzzles were inches apart. "You're the Great and Powerful Trixie, remember? You can do anything!"

"Being a magician and being a doctor are two different things." Trixie crossed her forelegs, head hung low. "If I could, I'd help your friends in a heartbeat. However, despite the wealth of magical knowledge I have, there's nothing I can do." She sighed, my heart sinking in unison. I was expecting to be informed that I'd be stuck like this forever. "I'm so sorry."

"It's okay," I muttered unconsciously. "You did nothing wrong."

"I know." Another sigh left Trixie's lips. In a flash, she turned her attention back to Lightning and peered into her soul. "However, you do know that Nurse Redheart is stationed here, right? Did you seriously forget something so important, something that could mean the difference between life and death?"

"She is?" Lightning blurted out, head tilted.

If I had the strength, I'd have slapped some sense across Lightning's cheek. I always knew she had plenty of other activities on her mind, most of them related to flying or training, though how anypony stationed in the barracks could've forgotten such a vital detail was beyond me. I subtly rolled my eyes.

As for Nurse Redheart, I knew she was somewhere in the barracks. I could've requested seeing her from the start, of course, though with the world still somewhat blurry and my mind constantly switching from what was in front of me to my twanging wound and back, remembering such a detail became a bit tough for me as well. The blood loss might've been to blame. Lightning hadn't earned any slack from me this time.

Though a scowling Trixie obliged.

"You should've brought her over to Nurse Redheart," Trixie whispered. Her cheeks flushed, eyes widened. "Just because Trixie says she can do practically anything doesn't mean she can." Humility from Trixie, at least from what Lightning alluded to when she said the mare could do anything, seemed a bit odd. I had expected some boasting from her until she realized she couldn't fix me up, then end up asking Redheart to do the rest.

"Okay, maybe that was a better idea in hindsight," Lightning continued. "But you said you could do anything."

Shrugging, Trixie took a quick breath. "Well, I guess Trixie has her limits, too."

"The Trixie I know doesn't have limits."

Trixie grasped onto Lightning's shoulder and glared into her eyes, brow ruffled. "Do you want to help your friend or not?"

Lightning quickly nodded.

"Good. Then go send her over to Redheart—who's a few tents to the right away and has a clinic established outside of hers—then go and give your friends the treatment they truly need, okay?"

Gulping down what looked like a pebble, Lightning bobbed her head once again, cheeks tautened.

"That's more like it." Trixie released her grip with Lightning scuttling away from her in a flash. "Don't waste another second, Lightning Dust."

"Yes, ma'am."

Lightning motioned a hoof toward me and the others, then trotted ahead toward where Nurse Redheart was waiting. Few ponies were outside of their tents at this time, especially with the sky lit a dark orange and the moon looming over the horizon. Of those who were outside, many of their eyes followed our hoofsteps, some of them even glued to when we had our little chat with Trixie. Others kept their gazes fixed to fireplaces or meals, however. My stomach purred and tickled as I stared at one group's loaf of bread.

Despite what felt like bugs crawling on my sore skin and the slushy snow slowing us down, we managed to arrive at what was Redheart's tent a minute or two later. The flag fluttering on the flagpole had her cutie mark emblazoned on it; Redheart herself had drawers filled with what I assumed to be medical supplies within her opened up tent, not to mention how there was plenty of room for beds and other medical equipment. I saw a few ponies already reclining on the beds, light blue blankets wrapping them like a cocoon. It'd be awesome to have somewhere to rest for even a few minutes. Napping was always cool, but it was a dream come true after what I went through.

Lightning crept up to Redheart, the latter's white coat and apron somehow spotless.

"Can I help you?" asked Redheart. She turned around to face Lightning and the two made eye contact. "Is there—" she then noticed my missing wing, her mouth agape. "Oh, dear. This isn't good." Her cheeks turned pale, teeth clacking like maracas. I gulped in return. "We need to cauterize the wound immediately."

"Can you help my friend, too?" I asked. Fleetfoot was somehow still unconscious, my back aching as she still perched motionlessly on it. "She's also hurt."

"That goes without saying." Redheart opened up one of the shelves, procuring a pack of medical tools. Rushing over to a bucket of water, she meticulously cleaned the instruments and squinted at them, likely checking for anything that wasn't devoid of dirt or germs. "But she'll live, even if she's out cold for a while." Placing the medical tools on a table, she moved them over to one of the empty beds, then frantically waved at me. "You need attention right now. The wound will become infected if we wait just a little longer."

I nodded. Lightning then hoisted Fleetfoot onto her back for me; the twinges throughout my muscles somehow vanishing in an instant. As comforting as the relieved tension was, my heart was thrashing to where even the brightest, most positive occurrences would've been blips on my radar. It wasn't lame; it only brought back whatever tension was lost the moment I thought about it again.

Crawling my way to the bed, I gently sat down on the cushions before lying down, my head making contact with the pillow. It was far from the most comfortable bed I touched, the springs and the mattress coupled together more fitting for a smooth boulder than a cushion, but it was almost as awesome as sleeping on a cloud. Fleetfoot was placed onto the bed next to me, her eyes still closed. Everypony else shifted their attention to my wound, Redheart's scrunched muzzle further lowering my spirits.

"Rainbow Dash, we may have to send you—"

"I'm not leaving," I said without a second thought. Cringing, I nudged closer to Redheart. "My friends and all of Equestria need me. I can't let them down."

Redheart sighed. "That's not exactly what I meant, but if you insist." She rubbed her muzzle and hummed for a moment. "You'll be stuck in the barracks for at least a week or two, probably more. However, once we fix you up and perform the necessary tests, you should be back in action if that's what you truly desire. You'll be okay for most training and drills, however."

It wasn't what I desired. Such a claim was miles from the truth.

I wished for the war to end like almost everypony else. At the same time, loyalty urged me to keep fighting until the end.

"Just do it as fast as possible," I ordered, brow sagging a little. "And one more thing."

"What is it?"

I clenched my teeth. Stupid questions weren't foreign to me, if I must confess. As a filly and even at my current age, I always blathered on about the most ridiculous of concepts. Asking if the mythical Sonic Rainboom was real, whatever happened to that Nightmare Moon, whether being a Wonderbolt was simple, and if the war would be a piece of cake were among my more embarrassing questions. Some earned kind answers, others were given laughs instead.

This next question, the dumbest of them all, would likely fall into the laughter category. But I had to ask. I'd keep thinking about it if I didn't.

"Nurse Redheart, can you possibly give me a fake wing?"

I winced.

No laughter came.

Instead, Redheart donned the slightest of smirks. A raised eyebrow was my only response to that.

For the first time since the day began, I smiled.

"Silver Spanner and Moondancer should help with that," said Redheart. "I'll also help with getting it attached and working."

"Thank you," I replied.

"You're welcome." Redheart paused for a moment, then glanced down at the counter of tools. "First, we'll have to put you to sleep for a bit. The operation will take some time, both the cauterizing and attaching the prosthetic wing. However, when it's all said and done, you'll be your old self again." She nodded confidently. "I promise."

"That's a relief. Not being able to fly would be lame." Lame was an understatement. Damaging would've been a more apt word.

"Just take this pill and we'll be good to go, okay?"

Redheart gave me a small, yellow capsule and a small cup of water to go with it. My throat was drier than a desert and I was parched, so the water was more than welcome. The pill was also a welcome addition, it being the first step toward reclaiming my abilities again. I knew it'd take time to get used to the new wing. But if I had survived this long, any challenge seemed possible.

I took the pill and downed the water in ten seconds.

A minute later, the world became hazy once more.

I closed my eyes.

Everything around me turned a pitch black, all of my senses shutting down to where I thought I floated in the midst of space.

At last, I fell asleep.

Waking up was the easiest part of the whole ordeal, at least in my opinion. My eyes were a bit crusty from the hours of sleep I must've gotten, yet despite the tightness in my muscles after snoozing for so long, the aches throughout my left side had subsided. It was as though I was my old self again, which was awesome enough to warrant a slight smirk as I returned to the real world.

Everything was composed of indistinct watercolors again, though such a reaction was expected. Yawning, my vision cleared up enough to where I could see four ponies looming over me. The first was Lightning, the confident grin she loved donning across her face once more. Fleetfoot was also there, still wearing her flight uniform and smiling brightly alongside everypony else. I returned the favor just by noticing her violet eyes. My heart became warmer than an oven.

And with them were two ponies I hadn't met before. One was a brown unicorn mare, her white mane somewhat dirty; the other mare with her was a pale yellow, her large glasses, thick eyebrows, and mane tied up into a distinct knot grabbing hold of my attention most of all when I stared at her. They were Silver Spanner and Moondancer respectively.

"Looks like Dashie finally woke up," Lightning teased, her smile growing. "Glad to see you up again."

"Don't call me Dashie," I murmured without hesitating. A faint chuckle left my lips with everypony else joining in a second later. Stretching my forelegs, I tried pushing myself upright, only for Silver Spanner to end up dashing toward me and placing a hoof on my shoulder. I locked eyes with her, then raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"Try not to get out of bed just yet," said Silver Spanner. She pursed her lips. "We need to run a few precautionary tests before you can trot freely."

I nodded. While part of me wished I could groan while blathering on about how I'm fully healed, I knew it was for the best. Silver Spanner, Moondancer, and Redheart as well were fully aware as to what kind of treatment I needed. Eagerly leaping out of the bed as though it was a trampoline and ruining what must've been a complex surgery was to be avoided.

"We'll need to record some data while you're in bed before testing your motor skills," said Moondancer as a matter of fact. Procuring a small, rectangular instrument with her magic, she brought it over toward me. I grabbed onto its smooth surface a second later, fiddling it with my hooves. "This will take your temperature. As for the other test we need to perform, we're going to manually check your heart rate and see if it's normal."

I bit my lip. "And what if it isn't?"

"We'll keep you in here for a little longer and perform the necessary treatments."

Moondancer placed her hoof atop my chest and closed her eyes while I inserted the thermometer into my mouth. Soon after, I shut my eyes as well. A silent minute passed by, the thermometer's vibrating breaking the quietness that filled the tent. Upon both of us blinking in response, Moondancer gently pulled the instrument away from me and examined the reading. A soft smile ran across her face. The mere sight was enough for my eyes to glow.

"Temperature and heart rate are normal," Moondancer announced. She glanced back at me. "Can you get up for me, please?"

I nodded and obliged, rolling off of the bed and landing on all fours. Something poked my coat for a second. Perhaps it was the blunt edge of one of the tools used in the surgery. However, as I glanced over to my left, my eyes caught what appeared to be a mesh of blades all seemingly sewn together in a wing-shaped pattern. The metallic surface was faded, though devoid of any dirt and free of dents. But as I gawked at the strange sculpture, it moved on its own. I quivered, teeth clenched.

The blades still moved freely. They behaved much like a wing would.

I scanned the mesh from its tip all the way down.

A gasp escaped my mouth upon noticing what was on the other end.

"Is this—"

"Your new wing," said Silver Spanner. "It took me a while to clean up the design and make sure everything functioned as it should, but the results are quite fascinating." Spanner pressed her hooves together, eyes glued to my prosthetic limb. "This new wing has similar aerodynamic qualities to your old one, but with this being the Crystal War and all, I sharpened some of the edges in the original design so that it could double as a weapon. Don't worry, you won't cut or hurt anypony by accident. You need to swing it just right for it to work as a weapon." Spanner rubbed the back of her neck. "It's kinda complicated, but you'll get the hang of it soon enough."

"It's—" I twitched my intact wing, then did the same for the prosthetic wing "—kinda odd. Not the coolest thing out there, but whatever keeps me in the fight." I cracked a smirk. If it was just like having my usual wing back, this chunk of metal wouldn't be such a major nuisance after all. Not the best looking thing, but it'd suffice. "Okay, I'll also admit it does kinda make me look like a dork."

"Are you kidding?" Lightning blurted out as she stormed toward me to get a better look. "That wing is so awesome!"

"Maybe so." Soft chuckles left my lips. "It won't look so weird after a while, I guess. At least it's not something totally lame."

"Knowing you, I don't think you'd even take something you found lame," said Fleetfoot. "But the good news is that you're going to be just fine."

"I'm glad you're okay, too." My heart warmed up. Making my way up to Fleetfoot, I wrapped my forelegs around her in a cozy embrace, my friend doing the same for me. Our forelegs were like scarves for each other in a way, the suit she wore tickling me. A moment later, we released each other from our hugs. The smiles we wore were brighter and wider than ever. "Seeing you here—" I struggled to form the words, my vision wet and blurry for a second "—makes me so happy."

Fleetfoot sniffled and wiped her eyes. "Same here, Rainbow Dash."

"Rainbow Dash?" Redheart's voice called out. "Fleetfoot?" She entered the tent with a bag of supplies, placing them on the floor whilst refusing to divert her attention from me. It was rather disconcerting, especially with the tautened cheeks and the stern expression across her face, but a meek wave was what I gave in return. "Looks like you're ready to move out from the looks of things. I'm relieved everything is going better than expected."

"I am?" I asked, leaning closer to Redheart.

"Sort of. See, you're not ready to return to combat yet, and it's the same story for Fleetfoot." She made her way toward both of us. "While both of you can move about on your own throughout the barracks as you please, we ask that you avoid throwing yourself into the line of fire too soon. We need to be absolutely certain you're ready again when the time comes. That included drills and such."

Fleetfoot and I nodded together.

"Also, Captain Spitfire has requested to see both of you atop Watchtower Eight. The stairway to the top floor is a bit steep, but I know you two can manage." She patted our shoulders and grinned. "Don't want to keep the captain waiting too long, you know."

"We know," Fleetfoot and I responded.

"And ask if she's willing to give Lightning Dust a promotion," said Lightning, winking at us.

I snickered, blushing. "Okay, I'll keep that in mind."

Nodding and waving, Fleetfoot and I then departed the tent with our heads held high. There was a faint glimmer of hope nestled in my chest, and if Fleetfoot's soft smile was anything to go by, she felt the same as well. The horizon was now lit a shining orange as the sun slowly rose. The snow still rested atop the earth, though some of it had melted away and revealed small patches of green and brown. Not many ponies were out and about, faint snores reaching my ears, but part of me wished they joined us in witnessing such a dazzling display.

"Ready to see Spitfire?" asked Fleetfoot.

I bobbed my head again. "Ready," I said.

We trotted to the left in unison, chills coursing up our legs as we traversed across the slushy snow. As we passed by some of the tents, my ears twitched upon picking up a few muffled voices. Trixie's voice was among those I heard, cheering about how Fleetfoot and I were okay with one of her friends joining her afterwards. It brought a smile to my face. Even if friendship as a magic seemed kind of outdated after all we've been through, it still tickled and warmed the heart like nothing else.

Soon enough, I arrived at the entrance to Watchtower Eight with Fleetfoot, looking up at the tower's top. There was a mare standing atop it, her fiery mane glowing as light shone behind it. She fiddled with the goggles in her hooves, lips pursed from what I could tell, and shot a quick glance at us. It was indeed Captain Spitfire, one of the more unique leaders of the battle against Sombra. Her strategies alongside other ponies' ideas kept us in the fight, so different kinds of thinking were okay by me.

"What do you think she has to say?" asked Fleetfoot.

"Probably some protocol stuff," I replied. I cracked a slight smile and then chuckled for a moment. "Nothing awesome or anything, but I know she'll be glad to see us again."

"Same here." Fleetfoot crossed her forelegs. "I'm just a bit anxious about what the future holds."

Without wasting a second, I gently patted Fleetfoot's back. "We're all worried to some degree. Both Lightning Dust and I are concerned about what will happen next. Heck, while we were heading back to the barracks, I saw Lightning Dust cry for what had to be the first time in ages." I placed a hoof to my chest. "I know we bicker at each other and don't seem to get along that much, but it's moments like that—" I took a quick breath "—that make me glad to have her as a friend."

"And it's this bond that will keep us going." Fleetfoot nodded. "Okay, let's not waste any time."

I pushed the wooden door to the watchtower open. Harsh creaks split my ears, though the noise subsided soon enough. Entering the tower, we began ascending the staircase, counting the different doorways and storage rooms along the way. The whole trip was dimly lit, the occasional openings providing enough light to see where we were going. My hooves ached a tad as well. I'd have flown there normally, Fleetfoot likely thinking of the same thing, though I needed to get used to my new wing first before doing anything stupid.

After a few uneventful minutes, we reached the top floor, Spitfire standing outside and gazing at the sunrise. Fleetfoot was panting by the time we arrived and searing twinges covered my leg muscles. My throat tightened a little, unsure of what Spitfire's words would be. She was certainly aware of our condition and who we were; I hoped she let us continue fighting for our home and our friends, even if for a small role.

"You can both come closer," said Spitfire, motioning a hoof toward us. "I heard your hoofsteps and saw you entering the tower, so I know it's you."

We nodded in unison and did as instructed, making our way up to Spitfire and standing next to her.

"It's not often we get a glimpse of the sun rising," Spitfire continued. "Most of the time, everything is shrouded in clouds or ominously covered in a red tint. But today—today feels normal for once." Her lips curled into a faint smile. "It kind of gives you a feeling that one day, even if it takes everything we have, the world will be peaceful once more. I think we all take nature's usual course for granted, but seeing this after everything we've been through, you—you begin to realize nature's true beauty." She paused for a moment. "You know what I mean, right?"

"I do," I responded while nodding. "I had a similar feeling when I left the tents."

"Then I guess it's something we can all fight for."

Cocking my head, a bemused expression was painted across my face. "That reminds me, what do we do from here? Can we still take part in the fight?"

"Yeah, I was wondering that, too," said Fleetfoot.

Spitfire turned around and faced us with a soft expression. Seeing her addressing us in such a manner was rather disconcerting, especially since our drills with her mostly consisted of shouting and agonizing exercises. Spitfire wanted us to reach the best we could, even if we struggled from time to time, and as she wrapped Fleetfoot and me into a warm hug, I realized there was much more to Spitfire than just a drill sergeant and a captain.

She was a pony.

She was just like me and everypony else in some manner.

And that was totally awesome.

"I-I'm so glad to see you're okay," Spitfire murmured, clearly fighting the tears away. Upon releasing us from her warm embrace, she rubbed her eyes and sniffled. "S-sorry for the unprofessional character." She feigned a snicker. "I'm just so delighted to see you both standing before me with smiles on your faces."

"Same here, ma'am," I said.

"Ditto," Fleetfoot added.

"Anyway, you're probably wondering why I called you up here." Spitfire paused for a second. "I'm well aware of your desires to continue fighting by our side, an admirable feeling. With that being said, I do have a few plans for both of you moving forward. Things will continue as they usually do soon enough, but since flying might be dangerous for both of you while you're still recovering, I've talked with General Limestone Pie about temporarily adding you to the Forty-Eighth Division Corps."

"She looks over ponies of all kinds, right?" I asked.

Spitfire nodded. "Correct. While you two are on the road to recovery, we'll have you joining in Limestone's training regimen for a little bit, maybe a week or two. If things are going well, we'll bring you back to the Wonderbolts' training regimen and continue as usual. We all figured it'd be the safest plan moving forward. Does that sound fair to you?"

"It sure does! Sounds cool to me!"

Fleetfoot bobbed her head, smiling. "Anything to continue helping the cause is fine by me," she said.

"Excellent." Spitfire's grin widened. "Get plenty of rest for today. You'll begin Limestone's training with the others in that unit starting tomorrow. And let me know how it goes, too. I've always been kind of curious about how she handles things. Learning from others can be useful, after all."

"Yep," I said.

"Who knows, maybe in another time, I'd be learning lessons from one or both of you." Rubbing the back of her neck, Spitfire donned a sheepish smile. "Anyway, feel free to chat with me whenever I'm not training with the other Wonderbolts. We'd all love to keep you company. Now, keep on doing the best you can, okay?"

Fleetfoot and I saluted Spitfire. "Yes, ma'am!" we orated together.

And so began the next chapter of my life.

One day, we'd rise together and bring peace back to this once joyful land.

So what if Sombra infamously claimed destiny was on his side? We had hope, heart, and friendship on our side. While it sounds kind of corny, all kinds of allies were welcomed.

Log III: Another Possibility

Even with the day off to rest, part of me wished I had more time for napping once tomorrow arrived. I could've sworn that waking up to my new wing occurred mere minutes ago. My left side still twanged a little, but the sun was already peeking from behind the mountains. It was rather disorienting opening my eyes once dawn arrived, the light shining into my tent. My eyes were still crusty and my limbs were as solid as concrete. Another hour or two of sleeping wouldn't hurt.

However, my ringing ears denied more time for napping. A drill must've found its way into my ear canal for all I knew.

The answer made itself known soon enough, much to my displeasure.

A horn shrieked from outside the tent and polluted the air. It wasn't the same tone that indicated an invasion or intruder, those always had an ominous screeching noise that made my heart race and a flurry of hoofsteps polluting the air. Only twice had the barracks been trespassed on. One instance was by a changeling and the other by one of Sombra's spies, though both were taken care of in a flash.

The horn bellowed again, only louder.

Groaning, I leaped off of the bed and landed on all fours. I noticed Fleetfoot in an adjacent bed pushing herself upright and rubbing her eyes. A yawn escaped her mouth as she stretched her limbs and ruffled her wings.

"Good morning, Rainbow Dash," Fleetfoot drawled.

"Morning," I replied, yawning a second later.

Slowly rolling off of her bed, Fleetfoot then pulled the sheets back up until everything was orderly and tidy. I arched an eyebrow at the sight. It was my first time sharing a room with her, the two of us temporarily assigned to a tent closer to Limestone's training grounds out of convenience more than anything. Fleetfoot was always known as organized, but this was overkill.

If I asked her why she spent so much time cleaning up, it'd only worsen the twinges on my forehead.

"Hurry up, rookies!" a voice shouted into a megaphone. "Sombra's forces don't wait to see your sorry flanks crawl out of bed!" I wished I could've retorted by requesting more napping time, though that was a recipe for a hoof to the face. That wasn't awesome. "All the other fillies are waiting for slowpokes like you to actually show up! War knows no time! You make a turtle look like a sprinting champion in comparison, so get moving!"

The voice belonged to Limestone Pie. Fleetfoot finished making her bed, rushing over to where I stood a second later.

"Let's hurry up," said Fleetfoot. Tapping my shoulder, she then nodded with pursed lips before departing the tent. "There's no time to waste!" My cheeks flushed as I clenched my teeth. Any more delays and Limestone probably would've jammed the megaphone down our throats.

"What are you waiting for?" Limestone yelled.

Shuddering, I darted out of the tent and stepped onto the slushy snow once more. Before me were rows of other tents just like the ones everypony else slept and lived in, all in a wide variety of colors and shapes. Tan still dominated the landscape and a few reds and blues were present as well, though the lime green and pink canvases signaled uncharted territory. A few were the size of the average cottage, but most were rather modest in terms of space.

As usual, everypony who saw me trotting across the snow gawked at my metallic wing. Some were awe-struck and gasped while others rolled their eyes or chuckled.

To my left was a group of ponies, all lined up with one mare pacing back and forth in front of them. Fleetfoot was almost there while I made a beeline toward the ponies in a heartbeat. Most of their faces were shrouded in shadow, the clouds hanging overhead once more and wrapping the world in gloominess.

"You're late, rookie!" shouted Limestone, her visage twisted into a fierce scowl. "Get in line and pay attention!"

I nodded, taking the open spot sandwiched between Fleetfoot and an unfamiliar mare sporting a black suit. The latter's pink coat and blue eyes seemed familiar, though her name was on the tip of my tongue. Even with her grim expression and faded colors, something about her prodded my coat. It was as though she'd break out into song or crack a joke at any minute. However, with her static expression, her mane echoing Limestone's, and the gray mare next to her sporting the same style, expecting anything from her to incite chuckles was impossible.

The thought clung to my mind like a parasite nonetheless. I shuffled my hooves an inch closer to the mare, eyes glued to hers.

"Hey," I whispered. The pink pony shot a quick glance at me, then whipped her tail. "What's your name?"

Her lips were pursed, not a peep coming out of them.

"Rainbow Dash!" Limestone interrupted. I straightened my posture and then saluted her. "I don't know how the Wonderbolts go about training, but let me tell you that when it comes to toughening you up, one of the golden rules is that you don't speak unless permitted! So when I tell you to speak, you speak! Got it?"

"Yes, ma'am!" I orated.

"Straighten yourself out and don't get distracted!" Limestone paused for a second before facing Fleetfoot, the former still adorning a glare that tightened my muscles on sight. "That means you as well, rookie! Understand?"

"Yes, ma'am!" Fleetfoot responded.

"Good!" Limestone resumed pacing in front of everypony, her unblinking gaze locked onto us. "As you may have already guessed, I'm Limestone Pie, and I'll be instructing you from here." She turned around in a flash, faster than anypony I've ever seen to where I flinched, and resumed her slow march. "Some of you've probably heard this a thousand times already, but you know the rules!" She froze in place. "Pinkamena Pie!"

"Yes, ma'am?" the pink pony from before replied.

"Tell these rookies what we're fighting for!"

"Survival, ma'am!"

Limestone nodded. "And how do we fight for survival?"

"We defeat King Sombra, ma'am!"

"That's right! Remember that, everypony!"

I struggled to avoid rolling my eyes. However, the faintest of sighs left my lips. Everypony who spent at least an hour in the barracks knew survival was one of the main goals, if not the only objective, and that defeating King Sombra and the Crystal Empire was the only way to ensure survival. Captain Spitfire told me this, Princess Celestia told me this, Shining Armor told me this, and now I'm hearing the same old stuff for the fourth time. I'd have rather done something awesome instead of playing through the same kind of conversation. Protocol or not, I wished it could've been skimmed over, especially since Fleetfoot and I were anything but rookies.

The prosthetic wing and the scars decorating my body were enough evidence.

Limestone exhaled. Clearing her throat, she then trotted up to the gray mare next to Pinkamena. "Maud!"

"Yes, ma'am?" Maud responded in a monotone voice. I shot her a cursory glance upon her voice reaching my ears. Such a mellow tone was unlike anything I've heard in the barracks before.

"What's the key to ensure survival and victory?"

Maud blinked; her expression was as devoid of emotion as ever. "Mastering combat, ma'am."

"That's right!" Limestone stepped back. She surveyed everypony before her, spending most of the time on me, Fleetfoot, and the other novice fighters whose names I had yet to learn. Chances were that they wore tautened visages or were shaking as if they were trapped in an igloo. The cacophony of clacking teeth rang into the air. "Time to teach you all the basics of close quarters combat! And for those showoffs who already know or think they know the art of this fighting method, time to relearn!"

A bright yellow stallion raised his hoof in the air, biting his lip.

In a flash, Limestone twisted her head to face him, her muzzle scrunched like an accordion. "What is it, maggot?"

"What if—"

"Do I need to repeat myself?"

The stallion quickly shook his head. "No, ma'am!"

"Everypony relearns whether they like it or not! Got it?"

"Yes, ma'am!" we all shouted in unison.

Limestone trudged up to the stallion, lips puckered a little. Sweat poured down the latter's forehead like a rainstorm. His legs trembled; mine were somewhat wobbly as well, but as I took a quick breath, I regained my composure and kept glancing at Limestone and the stallion. Not a word left anypony's mouth during this time, our collective breathing and my heartbeats all I heard. As Limestone gently poked the stallion's muzzle, she ruffled her brow.

"What's your name?" Limestone hissed. "Say it loud and clear so that we can all hear."

"Braeburn, ma'am!" he answered.

"Braeburn, huh?" With a single step back, Limestone then motioned toward him and donned a slight smirk. "So you think you don't need to relearn, huh? If you're so talented in close quarters combat, how about you come up and demonstrate for the class. The rookies and everypony else here must be dying to know how it's done. So come up, face everypony, and do my job for me."

Bobbing his head, Braeburn trotted forward and stood before us. Limestone followed his every step for some reason. And if the smirk that once decorated her face had been replaced by a wide, mischievous grin, the scenario that would inevitably play out took form in my head. A faint smile ran across my face. Even if my dorky wing was still a bit sore, at least I wasn't Braeburn here.

With a deep breath, Braeburn stretched his forelegs.

It didn't even take a second for Limestone's forelegs to slice through the air, turning into blurs for a moment until she wrapped them around Braeburn's in the blink of an eye. He glanced at Limestone, cheeks pale. Limestone hoisted him up into the air, twirled him around like a baton for a moment, and slammed him into the ground.

Dust flew from the earth on impact. A sickening thud echoed in the air.

With nowhere to run, Braeburn's pupils shrunk to a minuscule size as Limestone thrust her hoof toward him.

Only Limestone's jab had paused inches before connecting with Braeburn's cheek.

My mouth hung agape. Something that awesome deserved to be showered in praise, but I couldn't even muster a peep.

The rest of the unit sans Maud and Pinkamena adopted similar expressions.

Tears cascaded down Braeburn's cheeks. Limestone released her grip not long after, the stallion clenching his teeth and scuttling back in line without hesitating.

"That's close quarters combat," said Limestone, straightening herself out. "You want to learn it?"

All of us nodded together. If Limestone's devilish grin was anything to go by, the answer was clearer than crystal for her.

"Listen up! We're going to practice jabs and hoof-to-hoof combat to start out! But first, we'll make our way to the training site on hoof! Got it?"

"Yes, ma'am!" we all shouted.

Limestone turned away from us and trotted ahead, not bothering to glance back. "Then get your lazy butts into gear and get moving!"

I took a deep breath and marched forward. All of us were bundled up together for the first couple of minutes, passing by tents and fellow soldiers as they waved at us, though Limestone glared at each one of them until they averted their gaze from us. Our hoofsteps sounding like an oncoming thunderstorm coupled with Limestone's constant yelling was something that everypony's ears couldn't ignore, however. My ears were constantly twitching during our little hike.

"Get moving!" Limestone shrieked. "I've seen snails slither faster than you lot!"

Fleetfoot, Pinkamena, Maud, and I all kept pace with Limestone. How Spitfire whipped Wonderbolts like Fleetfoot and me into shape was leagues tougher than this, our lungs always burning at the end. Spitfire was also somewhat winded at the end of her training regimen as well, often joining the other Wonderbolts in practicing aerial maneuvers and combat skills. But while Limestone's were mild in comparison, to call them effortless was a big, fat lie. Sweat dripped down my brow as I huffed and puffed. Fleetfoot's panting was audible as well, though Pinkamena and Maud were completely silent.

The others had all lagged behind. I peeked at them from behind my shoulder, all of them struggling to keep up and a few of them wobbled, trying their best to stay upright. If Limestone's march was anything to go by, it weeded out the veterans from the rookies.

"Don't think about quitting now!" yelled Limestone, head held up high. "If you quit, then who'll stop Sombra?" A pause lingered in the air. "We're all in this together, so prove to me you've got what it takes, slowpokes!" She swished her tail like a rope; it was as though she hadn't lost any steam trotting for what had to be miles.

What tickled my chest, however, was her spouting about us being in this together. Spitfire also stressed the importance of teamwork and unity, sometimes allowing differing opinions should an alternative prove more effective or safer, but something about Limestone's demeanor was filled with confidence. Perhaps it was the consistently long strides she took with each step, almost everypony else lumbering along. Maud and Pinkamena adopted the same trotting style, the latter's a bit more jubilant than the rest.

Jubilant. More itches covered my head. I could've sworn I knew this Pinkamena. But the reasons why were still shrouded in a thick fog.

"Halt!"

The four of us ceased trotting, though the rest of the group crawled over to where we were around a minute later. Many of them were desperately trying to catch their breath with a few of them even collapsing on the ground, though still conscious. Fleetfoot nudged closer to me and wrapped a wing around my waist. Both of us cracked the slightest of grins. If this weren't a serious test, I'd have cheered and danced across the snow, boasting about how awesome I was in being one of the first to arrive.

My burning lungs and the dimly lit environment outside forbade me from doing so.

"So only four of you kept up with me, two of them being my sisters," said Limestone. She donned a downcast expression. A groan escaped from her lips as she gently kicked the air. "Oh, Celestia. Why did I have to end up with such a sorry bunch as these ponies? At least the two rookies aren't completely sucking, though they have experience in the Wonderbolts, which means—" Limestone gritted her teeth "—there's only one option with all of them." She groaned once more.

"What's up with Limestone?" Fleetfoot whispered into my ear, cheeks tautened. "Is she okay?"

I shrugged, eyebrow arched. "Your guess is as good as mine," I murmured. "Maybe she's disappointed in our performance." Pursing my lips, I then took a quick breath. Disappointment usually meant extra work, even for those who performed admirably or efficiently. But with our past experience, maybe Limestone likely expected us to overtake her at points. "Let's just hope her idea isn't too intense."

"Since you lot aren't in any condition to fight, I'll give you five minutes!" Limestone announced, head raised once more. "However, whether you're ready for the onslaught or not after those five minutes, you're joining in with us no matter what!" She puffed her chest out and exhaled. "Understood?"

"Yes, ma'am!" we all shouted.

"I expect perfection by the time you're ready!"

Only the wind's howls reached my ears as Limestone turned away from us. Fleetfoot and I surveyed the area; a series of boulders were perched atop the soil in front of us, all having a smooth texture and a pale, gray color. Just staring at them for a few seconds froze my blood, my body shivering. Some of the boulders only reached up to our chests while others loomed above the barracks, casting a shadow on all of the ponies who gawked at them.

Stashes of exercising equipment were placed in woven baskets next to said boulders. I couldn't tell what they were exactly used for, though if the red padding sticking out of one basket was anything to go by, they must've been training gear for close combat. Perhaps Limestone was going to have us train with each other to start out; exactly what her training consisted of was something I knew I'd find out eventually.

However, discovering why Pinkamena seemed so familiar was the first item to take care of. I rubbed my muzzle, humming a faint tune while tapping the ground. Aside from Cloudsdale, the only other town I've visited for an extended period of time was Ponyville, and I never recalled bumping into anypony like her. Most of the town's residents were on edge, always expecting some cataclysmic event to occur. And when the war started, they boarded up their homes and kept quiet, some choosing to join the fight. Eccentric was probably the best word to describe that town.

For some reason, eccentric also defined the aura Pinkamena exuded.

There was something off about that glowing grin of hers as well. It seemed a little too wide to be genuine.

I turned to face Fleetfoot. "Mind if I go and ask Pinkamena a few questions?" I asked.

"Sure thing," said Fleetfoot, nodding with a slight smile. She rolled her shoulders and then took a deep breath. "Let me know if you need anything else, okay?"

I bobbed my head in return. Swiveling my head back to Pinkamena, I noticed her mingling with Maud. What poked my nerves was the bright grin across her visage while Maud retained the blank, stoic expression she always wore. A chill coursed down my spine upon making eye contact with Maud; I swore she had the ability to read minds with that stare.

"Hi!" Pinkamena cheered, waving her hoof at me. "C'mere! And bring your pal with ya, okay?"

Arching an eyebrow, I peeked behind my shoulder over to where Fleetfoot stood. She ruffled her wings as she trotted to where I stood. Pinkamena hopped toward us like a rabbit; Maud casually trotted alongside her. They were as different as night and day; the only similarity they shared was the family name and their faded coat colors. I clenched my teeth. Jackhammers pounded my forehead the more I thought about their relationship.

Pinkamena stretched her hoof toward me. The beaming grin she wore clashed with—well—everything around us. The red tint enveloping the land, my prosthetic wing, my wounded ear, and the mere fact we were all embroiled in a war that determined Equestria's fate made such vibrant expressions stick out like a sore hoof. When she was shouting back at Limestone earlier, serious expression and all, I expected a gloomier personality and something about finding joy in a bleak world. But there she was, joy already bundled in her chest, and keeping her chin up through it all.

My cheeks turned pale. Something wasn't right about her demeanor.

Nevertheless, I grabbed her hoof, Pinkamena shaking it violently.

"My name is Pinkamena Diane Pie!" she chimed. I politely nodded even though I already knew her name. "Or you can call me Pinkie Pie or Pinkie for short! Either will do!" She let go of my hoof, twangs coursing through my arm. I immediately massaged the muscles, though Pinkie's legs bounced around to where she couldn't sit still. "And hi to you, too!" She repeated the same ritual for Fleetfoot; her experience a repetition of mine.

"Hi, Pinkie Pie," I said. "My name is Rainbow Dash." I placed a hoof to my chest and then pointed to where Fleetfoot stood. With a soft smile, she slowly waved at Pinkie and Maud. "And this is my friend, Fleetfoot. It's nice to meet ya."

"Nice to meet you!" Pinkie paused for a moment. "So what brings ya here? I heard you were both training under General Grumpy for a bit because something happened." She caught her breath. My eyebrows shot up, ears twitching. Never had I heard somepony gossip as quickly as her; even Lightning Dust would've been impressed. "But you look super-fine from what I can—" Pinkie's glowing, blue eyes caught my prosthetic wing. The metal sparkled for a bit as if it begged for attention. And a loud gasp had left Pinkie's maw.

"Yeah, it's a long—"

"You lost your wing?" Pinkie blinked thrice. "What happened? You're not too hurt, right? Was it a simple accident, or did something super-scary—"

Maud extended a foreleg in front of Pinkie. She ruffled her brow ever so slightly. "Pinkie, remember what I said about conversing?" she muttered.

Pinkie froze in place for a moment. She then nodded a few seconds later.

"Don't get too excited when you're meeting new ponies." Maud patted Pinkie's shoulder. "I know we don't talk to other ponies often, but you might scare them away."

Chuckles left Pinkie's lips. "Okay. I'll try to calm down."

"That's better." Maud then brought her attention to Fleetfoot and I, expression somewhat softer than before. "How did you lose your wing?"

I glanced over to my metal wing, the limb twitching a little. "Well, I lost it after a mission went wrong. Three Wonderbolts, three ponies from the Royal Guard, and six from other divisions tried infiltrating one of King Sombra's fortresses. Problem is—" I held my breath. Recalling the vivid images of melting steel and bright, pungent flames churned my stomach. I cleared my throat. "There were chemicals in the basement we sneaked into. There was a big fight, and while we were kicking lots of flank, one of Sombra's soldiers accidentally ignited one of the chemicals and—yeah."

"Oh, my gosh!" Pinkie blurted out. Her eyes widened to the size of dinner plates.

"I lost a wing and a bit of my ear. Fleetfoot was knocked out." I took a quick breath. "Captain Spitfire recommended we practice with you before flying again, just to be on the safe side."

Pinkie nodded. "I'm glad you're okay." She cracked a smile, pausing for a second. "And welcome! I hope General Grumpy doesn't bother you too much!"

I tilted my head and adopted a bemused expression. "General Grumpy? You mean Limestone Pie, right?"

"Yep!" Pinkie bobbed her head. "She's usually like this, even back when we all lived on the rock farm together. I was quiet before I got my cutie mark, but then I became so much more hyper!" Her grin widened. Less than a second later, Pinkie leaned toward me and Fleetfoot, both of us stepping back a little. "Maud has always been super-stoic, and Marble Pie is the sweetest little angel. She doesn't like to talk much, though."

"Where's Marble Pie?"

"She's working as a nurse in the barracks," said Maud. "Fighting scares her, but she wanted to help out with the cause."

"I can understand," said Fleetfoot. She crossed her forelegs. "Honestly, fighting does get rather scary at times. But I'm glad she's helping out in an environment where she's comfortable. Anypony's contribution is important."

"Don't tell anypony I said this," Pinkie whispered under her breath. She crept closer to me, placing her lips right next to my right ear. "See, Marble might actually be the strongest in the family. Maud, Limestone, and I can really chuck rocks like champs—all at about the same distance, but Marble Pie? She's something else."

"Your secret is safe with me," I muttered back, flashing a smirk.

Pinkie's secret made less sense the more I pondered it; Maud told us Marble wasn't one for fighting, after all. But if I've learned anything about Equestria, it was that almost anything was possible. The party after Shining Armor's wedding proved this for everypony who attended, most describing it as a melting pot of silly ideas, the stench of alcohol filling my nostrils as I recalled it.

I winced ever so slightly. Most who were there tended to avoid reliving the awkwardness of that day for a reason.

"Break time is over, rookies!" Limestone bellowed. "Now get over here and line up in formation!"

"Looks like it's time to get working again," said Maud. As Pinkie trotted over to where Limestone stood, Maud instead approached me, her eyes peering into my soul. We made eye contact. Maud froze in place and pursed her lips. "It was nice meeting both of you. Anyway, there's something I should tell you. It's about Pinkamena."

"Is she okay?" asked Fleetfoot. "Anything we can do to help?"

Maud shook her head. "This is also something we should keep between each other, but since you're among the first ponies that have approached us in a long time, I think I can trust you." She paused and then cleared her throat. "Now promise me you'll only tell if it's necessary."

Fleetfoot and I nodded in unison.

"It's about Pinkie's past. This may seem hard to believe, but she sometimes pretends to be happy. Deep down, she's hurting. If you've wondered why she always nudges close to you and wears big smiles all the time, that's why. It's her own method of coping with the world around her and sometimes, I worry about her." Maud pursed her lips. "So if you could hang out with her from time to time, I think it'd make her glad. Limestone, Marble, and I would appreciate it as well."

Fleetfoot bit her lip, eyes shimmering. "That's so sad," she muttered. A deep frown adorned her face. "I wish I knew how to make her feel just a little bit better."

"It all started a while ago, back when we were fillies. One day, she was certain she'd get her cutie mark. It was a seemingly normal day, too. The rest of the family was cleaning up the house and finishing up work, but Pinkie kept meandering around the rock farm. It was—as if she was expecting something to happen."

"Something to happen?" I blurted out, eyebrow raised. All three of us then trotted alongside each other, my eyes glued to Maud. "What do you mean?"

"She was looking at the sky, waiting for something. She waited—and waited—but nothing came. I asked her about what she was waiting for, and do you know what she told me?"

"What?"

"She was waiting for a rainbow. Nopony had any idea of what she was talking about, but she swore there would be this large rainbow in the sky and a loud noise that came with it. She also said it would come from Cloudsdale. It was all so specific to where we wondered if the rest of the family missed something we should've known." She paused, glancing at my rainbow-colored tail. "Was she referring to you?"

A sigh left my lips, head hung low. "Nope." Without warning, my cheeks tautened. A spark went off in my head. "Hold on a second. Did you say a rainbow and a loud noise would come from Cloudsdale?"

Maud nodded.

"I lived in Cloudsdale as a filly. My father worked in the Weather Factory during that time, and if there was supposed to be some sort of exploding rainbow, I and almost all of Cloudsdale would've known about it." A jolt coursed through my veins. "Wait—" My heart skipped a beat. What Pinkie had described back then suspiciously sounded like the mythical Sonic Rainboom. Everypony who adored flying knew about it, though nopony had ever seen it, let alone tried it. And how Pinkie knew about and expected one made no sense to me. "Maud, can I ask you a question?"

"Sure."

"Have you heard about the Sonic Rainboom?"

Maud shook her head. "No. Why do you ask?"

"Because what you described and what Pinkie said sounded exactly like the Sonic Rainboom, which is the coolest feat ever recorded in all of ponykind. When was this, exactly?"

"Nine years ago."

"Then—wait a second."

I clenched my teeth. Peeking over to where my rainbow-colored tail was, then recalling my cutie mark's design, the pieces slowly fell in place. Was I destined to do the impossible, only destiny changing its mind at the last minute and yanking that opportunity away? What was at first lame was now something that poked my nerves.

That time frame Maud gave was around when I lost that race. It wasn't a typical loss, either. I just stopped moving for no reason; it was as though something held me back. There was a vapor cone forming around me during that race. I never forgot the chills spreading throughout my body when that happened, but I froze in place instead of accelerating.

Hoops, Score, and Dumbbell had little reason to celebrate, saying that they wanted an actual race and not the mess that some ponies called a race. They didn't think they had earned the right to brag without a fair victory. They felt as though something unusual or lame had happened.

Maybe something weird had happened that day.

And had I actually done a Sonic Rainboom back then, would my life have been different?

I shook my head. Sombra's return, Nightmare Moon's sudden appearance and surrender, and everything unusual that happened would've happened no matter what. Life would still be far from awesome. Things didn't work that way, I was certain of it. After all, a Sonic Rainboom would've sent me down the same path, just at a younger age, and Equestria would've been at war no matter what happened. At least that's how I saw it.

That was the past. And while it got me thinking, something so inconsequential couldn't have been so vital, right?

My heart raced nonetheless.

"Are you okay?" asked Fleetfoot. She wrapped a wing around me like a blanket. A grim expression was painted on her visage. "You look like you've seen a ghost. Should I take you to the medical center?"

I violently shook my head, teeth clacking. "I'm fine. I just—" I swallowed a lump in my throat "—I'm just confused."

"Did something happen nine years ago that I should know about?" Fleetfoot placed a hoof to her chest. "If it's something that's troubling you, I'm always willing to listen. Was it something traumatic that happened then? Was it that race you told me about a while ago? Or was it something else?"

"The second one." I took a deep breath. My muscles loosened "Have you ever wondered what life would be like if things played out a little bit differently. Ya think things would've been awesome instead of awful?"

"I think we all do." Fleetfoot paused for a moment, rubbing her muzzle. "Maybe you doing a Sonic Rainboom during that race could've happened. Everypony who has met you knows you're one of the fastest fliers in all of Equestria, so it's definitely a possibility. Plus, you've got the name and the cutie mark."

"I know, but this is kinda different. If Pinkie looked familiar to me and she thought I'd do a Sonic Rainboom, maybe I was—destined to do one, maybe?" Rubbing the top of my head, I scrunched my muzzle and exhaled once more. "But all we can do is guess as to what would've happened if things were different."

Fleetfoot tightened her hug. "Say, do you think that in another time, we could've been at peace? You and I could do stunts as Wonderbolts with our teammates and friends, we'd all have fun playing games and meeting new ponies, and maybe—just maybe—we could've lived a tranquil life? Has that ever crossed your mind?"

I slowly nodded. "Yeah. I'd do almost anything to rewrite history and make things better."

"I feel the same way," Maud added, slowly trotting away from the group. "Also, I'll meet you back where General Limestone is, okay?"

"Sounds fair." As Maud trotted away, I then brought my attention back to Fleetfoot. "Anyway, if I could, I'd stop this whole stupid mess from happening in the first place."

"Maybe we can't do that, but if we keep on fighting for what's right, perhaps we can get as close to it as possible. Who knows, maybe we'll ensure that the future is a world just like that." With her head raised, Fleetfoot puffed her chest out a little and released me from her warm embrace. Much to my displeasure, however, my blood froze almost immediately after that. But she couldn't just hug me forever. "Shall we show General Limestone why we're Wonderbolts?"

I nodded. "We shall. And thanks for cheering me up a little, Fleetfoot. I—" Cutting myself off, I then cleared my throat. "I'm glad to have you as a friend."

"You're welcome."

Friendship.

While it sounded somewhat lame and cheesy, maybe it was the necessary ingredient to make it through this war. Hope was also essential; it'd help us in the healing process should Equestria make it out of this conflict in one piece.

But the thought of what could've been a happier world still lingered. All I could do now was fight for such a world.

Log IV: Distressed Dinner

After my first day of training under General Limestone, everything that followed was repetitive to the point where I smirked whenever a new exercise or activity was announced, even if it was duller than watching paint dry. The social interactions with Fleetfoot, Pinkie, and Maud in between such drills at least provided some variety, but not much.

Despite this, I knew it was all for the best. Between Limestone's constant howling and my muscles twinging whenever the night had arrived, everypony under her command showed some level of improvement. Fleetfoot and I hadn't changed that much; Pinkie and Maud Pie now chucked boulders a few extra meters. But as for some of the other soldiers keeping us company, Limestone somehow metamorphosed them into a somewhat competent fighting force in a week.

Gone were the days of new recruits bumbling around the barracks and tripping over air. Instead, they kept their hooves planted to the snow and only sprung into the air when instructed. While most of my fellow soldiers often had trouble getting used to the lances, bows, and other weapons, at least they could hit the targets somewhat reliably.

Even with our improvements, whether major or minor, there was always much more to learn.

And this was Limestone Pie we were dealing with. Anything short of perfection earned us a scolding; Fleetfoot and I weren't exempt from such stinging words. In fact, Limestone expected more out of us, only ever praising us in order to force an example down some of the clumsier recruits' ears.

Life went on at a lame, glacial pace.

A week had passed since Fleetfoot and I first trained under General Limestone. While we exercised and practiced combat as usual, this particular day was one I eagerly anticipated. Something different was slated to follow this training session, at least according to Pinkie. And as the sun approached the horizon and my muscles ached lifting the weights, I couldn't help myself from smirking.

"That's enough for today, rookies!" Limestone bellowed. "Now get back in line!"

We all made a beeline around where Limestone stood, all of us positioning ourselves in the same configuration we agreed upon last week. Fleetfoot was to my left and Pinkie was to my right. Standing up straight, we assumed blank visages and kept our gazes locked onto Limestone. She paced back and forth, never blinking or averting her gaze from the group.

"It's about time you've shown just what it takes to be a soldier out here," said Limestone. "But that's not an excuse to slack off now, got it?"

"Yes, ma'am!" we all orated together.

"I must also report some news." She froze in place, pursing her lips for a moment, and then raised her head. "First, the good news. Princess Celestia will be visiting the barracks shortly and will keep us company for the next few days. That being said, I want you lot to do your absolute best in front of the princess." She took a deep breath. "Show her you're the toughest around! Show her that you're not afraid of some punks! And don't you dare disrespect her, or you'll answer to both of us! Make her proud!"

All of us hollered and cheered together, myself and a few of the more excited ponies thrusting their hooves into the air. Adrenaline coursed through my veins, the hairs on my coats standing up. It was undeniably awesome; my smile was brighter than it had been in ages.

We were all fighting for harmony, after all.

"As for the next batch of news, the Wonderbolts will be eating with us tonight. My—" Limestone chuckled, faintly smiling "—my enthusiastic sister recommended this, mainly so that two of our soldiers could reliably report back to Captain Spitfire. Furthermore, because of this connection, we may be working together in future drills." Limestone gazed into my eyes. I almost flinched, but the possibility of being berated for shivering froze my limbs in place. "Now, be sure to respect them when they arrive. I don't want to clean up your sorry mess, got it?"

"Yes, ma'am!"

Limestone nodded, brow ruffled. "And before I reveal the bad news, I have a question for everypony here."

One of the soldiers raised her hoof. "Um, does this question relate to the bad news?" she asked.

Limestone slowly turned to face the mare, the former's muzzle scrunched up into a frown. "What do you think, Buzzsaw McColt? You think I'd just ask a random question just because I'm bored?"

"I'll take that as a yes." Buzzsaw swallowed a lump, cheeks tautened.

"And you wouldn't want me to make a fool out of you for my next lesson, right?"

Buzzsaw bobbed her head, lips pursed.

"Good. Let's cut to the chase." Limestone rolled her eyes and sighed. "How many of you are ready to fight?"

I raised my hoof in a heartbeat. Fleetfoot, Pinkie, Maud, and a few more joined in. Even though I'd have no trouble taking down a few of Sombra's soldiers without breaking a sweat, my throat tightened. Whenever such questions were brought up by somepony like Limestone or Spitfire, they were usually followed with the announcement that we'd all be plumped onto the battlefield. The ashes and rotting flesh from my last outing returned to me, my nostrils flaring up. My breathing quickened, though I still kept my hoof up high.

"So that's most of you," said Limestone. We all placed our hooves back onto the slushy snow, my spine freezing at the touch. "Well, guess what one of our spies reported?" Before anypony uttered a peep, Limestone extended a foreleg toward us. "That's right! Sombra's planning an invasion. And to make matters worse, his target is where we're stationed at right now. The spy specifically noted how he's going to trick us into thinking Ponyville was under siege. He'd wait for most of us to leave the barracks so that he could clean up this place."

A few faint gasps reached my ears. I clenched my teeth.

"However, we won't be fooled by his little game. Some of the forces elsewhere have been stationed in Ponyville for precautionary reasons. But as for us, we're staying put, whether you like it or not. The spy also said that, like all of his invasions, it will be purely ground based and will also involve catapults and large boulders. Structural damage will likely be incurred as a result, though we can minimize the damage if we act accordingly." She paused for a second, exhaling. "Rainbow Dash! Fleetfoot!"

Fleetfoot and I saluted Limestone in a heartbeat.

"Captain Spitfire already knows about what's going on, but since you're both Wonderbolts, I need you to ensure cooperation between our forces when it comes to formulating strategies. If we're going to win this, we'll need all of the help we can get." A moment later, Limestone trudged toward us until we were inches apart. "Understood?"

"Yes, ma'am!" Fleetfoot and I shouted in unison.

Bobbing her head, Limestone then stepped back. "We'll discuss this more specifically during our dinner. As for now, get some rest before arriving at the mess hall later today." Silence filled the air for a few seconds, my heartbeats the loudest noise for what must've been miles. Limestone then took a deep breath. "Dismissed!"

Endless chatter polluted the air. My ears twitched as both eager optimism and bone-chilling fear entered my ear canals. Behind me, smiles and energy coexisted with sulking and sobbing, all of these occurring mere inches apart. For me, however, my heart was racing. The pale, wide-eyed expression Fleetfoot donned informed me of everything regarding her thoughts on the matter.

The botched intrusion on the fortress only felt like a few hours ago, not a week. Yet here we were with another battle staring us down. At least we had Celestia on our side. But if the princess was getting directly involved, the report had to have been serious. It was all coming together for once, though there was one small detail tucked in the back of my mind I had to share.

Sombra's plan to conquer the Changeling Hive may have been still unknown to Celestia. But with the memo incinerated and the idea itself so stupid to where even I'd have rejected it whilst drunk, Celestia probably would've just laughed it away. She'd have her reasons to doubt me; I had no proof.

Instead, I needed somepony to back me up.

I glanced over to Fleetfoot, the latter ruffling her wings.

I also knew that Lightning Dust would back me up.

If we all shared the same story, then perhaps Celestia would be more inclined to believe us. It was worth a shot.

"Hi, Dashie!" Pinkie squeaked, bouncing toward me. Maud followed close behind. "Hi, Fleetfoot! Mind if I ask ya something?"

I nodded. "Sure." Part of me wished I could've responded with the question of why she was still so chipper with the possibility of death marching ever closer, even if she was feigning enthusiasm. But before I moved my lips, Maud's words from a week ago rang in my head. I glanced over to her and meekly waved my hoof. "Hey there, Maud."

"Hello," said Maud, her voice as monotone as ever.

"Anyway, what's Captain Spitfire like off-duty? Is she tough as nails like General Grumpy? Maybe she's the sweetest angel like Marble! I'd like to make a great first impression toward your Wonderbolt friends! And maybe we'll all become friends, too!" Pinkie adopted a beaming grin, Fleetfoot and I taking a step back. "What's the best way of talking with her?"

I rubbed the back of my neck, smirking. "Well, Captain Spitfire is quite calm when off-duty, but can be tough whenever the situation calls for it," I explained. "She's intelligent as well. That being said, you don't want to get on her bad side. She's got quite the sharp tongue." I nervously snickered. "Most of all, I consider her a close friend."

"It's a similar story for me," Fleetfoot added, nodding. "She can get a little strict or emotional at times, but I'm honored to have her as a leader and a friend." She placed a hoof to her chest and smirked. "If you don't mind, can I ask you a few questions about General Limestone Pie?"

Pinkie and Maud nodded, though the former bobbed her head at a much quicker rate.

"Okay, and if you don't want to answer, I totally understand." Fleetfoot took a deep breath. "How come General Limestone never hangs out with anypony else? And why does she always look blankly ahead during breaks? I know those are weird questions, but there's something about her that feels—I don't know if I'm saying this right—something that makes her feel distant."

"Well, General Grumpy does talk with Maud, Marble, and me whenever we're in our tent," said Pinkie. She rubbed her muzzle. "But other than that, she keeps to herself. You'd think she knows how to talk with ponies based on that, but even when I try making her come out of her shell, it just doesn't work." As if by magic, Pinkie's color became darker. She sported a slight frown. "And I wish I knew what was going on, but she refuses to tell anypony about why she acts like that off-duty."

A bemused expression decorated my visage. As I noticed Limestone leaning against a boulder as usual, shoulders sagged, something prodded my nerves as I wondered about Limestone's nature. Like Spitfire, she couldn't have been a loud, bossy mare all the time. And even the true rookies of those she instructed had at least one pony to mingle with.

Limestone was different. It was as though she'd rather avoid conversing in public.

If her little comment about Pinkie's suggestion about dinner was any indication, however, it was that she still interacted with and cared for her sisters. There was a warm heart underneath all of that concrete. The challenge of breaking through that cold exterior teased me, the awesomeness of cheering up somepony I respected too enticing to pass down. And it'd be more for her benefit than mine.

However, approaching her without being rude or making everything awkward was a much taller mountain to climb.

"Well, do you think we could spend time with her alongside you, Maud, and Marble?" asked Fleetfoot.

Maud sighed. She gently shook her head. "It's not going to be that easy," she said. "Even though we're friends, Limestone has this policy about not inviting anypony over while she's in the tent. Marble tried asking her why she had this rule in place, and Limestone refused to explain. I could try and convince her to allow both of you to come over, but don't expect anything from it."

"Well, I hope things work out for her," I said.

My wings twitched. Come to think of it, Spitfire was also weary of talking with ponies, especially when she wasn't feeling so hot. As for her struggles, I distinctly recalled the moment where we struggled in a mission before the war, and while nopony was harmed and everything ended positively, the sounds of her consistently badmouthing and blaming herself rang in my ears. As it happened a while ago and I haven't heard such words from her since, I wasn't sure if that aspect of hers still existed or not.

"Anyway, let's get all squeaky clean in time for dinner," said Pinkie. Sniffing the air, she quickly recoiled and scrunched her muzzle. She bounced away from us, though she'd never averted her gaze from where we stood. "Dinner is supposed to begin in about an hour, and we can't smell all icky for your pals in the Wonderbolts, right?" Before I even uttered a response, Pinkie blurted out," Right! See ya, Rainbow Dash and Fleetfoot!"

"Bye, Pinkie!" Fleetfoot and I shouted as we waved our hooves.

"I'll see you later, too," said Maud. She turned around, following Pinkie. "Let's meet up before dinner begins."

"Sounds like an awesome plan," I said. "See ya!"

I glanced up at the sky, the sunset coloring it a bright orange. The stars twinkled above us. And as I gazed at them, Spitfire's words from just before my training with Limestone invaded my mind. I hoped that enjoying such sights remained possible after the war, though my pale cheeks wondered if hoping was all for naught.

However, I had to continue marching forward, even if the road ahead was filled with danger.

An hour or two passed by in the blink of an eye. The other recruits and my fellow Wonderbolts were scheduled to arrive in a few minutes. Fleetfoot and I already stared down the mess hall. It was less of a hall and more of a long, tan-colored tent with an array of picnic tables inside, all of them sprawled across the ground. Ponies just referred to it as such out of tradition more than anything. Thinking about the tables had made my flank itch, the seating accommodations about as pathetic as they came. I still arched an eyebrow and checked at least twice more whenever I found no splinters. Fleetfoot felt the same.

"Ready?" I asked.

Fleetfoot nodded. "I'm ready," she muttered, the slightest of smirks decorating her face.

With a deep breath, we marched alongside each other into the tent. However, instead of seeing the seats filled by the usual suspects and the arriving Wonderbolts, air occupied all of the seats but one. Maud was the only other pony present at the moment, fiddling with her mane as she sported the same, emotionless gaze.

Fleetfoot and I glanced at each other and shrugged in unison. Awkwardness permeated throughout the room, my muscles twinging a tad. The dinner could've been cancelled due to Sombra's impending invasion, though it wasn't like Limestone to not shout in everypony's ears about a change in plans. The headaches that followed weren't something I'd forget soon. And Limestone once shrieked a storm of commands after a session on archery didn't come to fruition; the equipment kept snapping like twigs or was more useful for lighting fireplaces.

What replaced it, however, was something everypony would rather not revisit.

Maud glanced over to where we stood. She motioned toward us, still sporting the same emotionless expression.

Making a beeline toward where Maud sat, Fleetfoot and I arrived at the table.

"Sit down for a few minutes," said Maud.

"Sure thing," I replied. "By the way, where is everypony? There was supposed to be this awesome dinner between Limestone's unit and the Wonderbolts. Was it cancelled at the last minute or something?"

"No."

Cocking her head, Fleetfoot then sat at one of the empty seats next to Maud. "But if it's supposed to start in a few minutes, shouldn't there be more ponies here? It's just us."

I nodded, taking the seat beside Fleetfoot. "Well, you nagged me to arrive early."

Blushing, Fleetfoot shot a quick glare at me, though she snickered a second later.

Laughs escaped from my mouth in return. "I'm not one for arriving early, but are you sure it wasn't cancelled?"

Maud nodded. "I'm sure. There's a good reason for this."

"What do you mean?"

"Some of the others are planning to arrive at the last minute ever since the news about Sombra's plan broke." She placed her hooves on the table; a soft clack rang into my ears. "Furthermore, there's still about ten minutes until dinner begins. More ponies will arrive shortly." Maud arched an eyebrow. "Do the Wonderbolts arrive late for dinner?"

"Nope," said Fleetfoot, shaking her head. "We've always stressed the importance of arriving on time." She rolled her shoulders. "Well, at least Captain Spitfire and I have made it a priority."

"Limestone is less picky when it comes to things such as this. If it's important or relates to the cause, she'd probably accuse soldiers of treason if they didn't report on time. For dinners, however, she's much less strict." Maud pursed her lips for a moment. "It's always been like this with her. Months before you both joined us, Limestone kicked one soldier out for being late for training three times."

"Well, ya gotta uphold a standard," I said.

"That's true." Maud nodded. "And as for what happened to him, he was picked up by the Royal Guard and currently follows Shining Armor's orders. From what Limestone told me once, he's usually stuck with the least desirable jobs. He still arrives a bit late to this day." She brought her focus to Fleetfoot, then to me, and finally back at the world before her. "So when your friend urges you to be on time, that's why. Otherwise, you'll enrage Fleetfoot, Captain Spitfire, or General Limestone."

"I gotcha."

"If the Wonderbolts are often on time, then they should be arriving right about—"

"We've made it!" Spitfire's voice hollered. I swiveled my head to face her, immediately giving a salute. Alongside her were other Wonderbolts, all of them unique in their own regard. Lightning was among them as well, her face beaming upon noticing me. "Hey there, Rainbow Dash. Hello, Fleetfoot." She peeked behind me to get a better look at Fleetfoot and then waved. "I'm guessing the others will arrive shortly."

"That's correct," said Maud. "Come have a seat over here."

"Who's your new friend?" asked Lightning. A bemused expression was painted across her visage. "And why does she sound so—monotone?"

"That's Maud Pie," another voice replied. "She's one of Equestria's best soldiers!"

It belonged to Soarin, Spitfire's closest friend and a stallion who devoured pies in an instant. However, nopony received even a slice in the barracks ever since the war began, all of us dreaming for even the slimmest of slices. He also always knew how to liven up the situation, whether through kindness or goofiness. If there was somepony in the barracks I counted on in painting a smile across my face, it was Soarin.

"And how do you know her?" Lightning questioned. My chest warmed up once I noticed her behind Spitfire. "I've never seen you with her before."

"We met at the barracks one day." Soarin shrugged, donning a sheepish smirk. "We don't know each other too well, though I had learned a lot about her from her sister, Pinkie." He playfully nudged Lightning's shoulder. "Pinkie makes you look quiet and reserved in comparison." A giggle left his mouth.

Lightning blushed. "I'm the best there is when it comes to being energetic."

"By energetic, you mean being a braggart," another voice added. It belonged to Blaze, Spitfire's cousin. "Isn't that right, Dusty?"

"Don't call me Dusty."

I couldn't help myself from slipping a slight snicker. With how Lightning's use of 'Dashie' prodded my nerves, Blaze's use of 'Dusty' and how much we yearned to dump those cutesy nicknames always tickled me. For all I knew, Blaze must've had a nickname she wished to abandon.

"Anyway, we'd be glad to join you," said Spitfire. "We can get all caught up on how everything is going, and maybe Limestone and I can devise plans for the future once she arrives." She made eye contact with me. A forced smile ran across her face. "How's your new wing treating you, Rainbow Dash?"

"It's fine," I replied, glancing over to my prosthetic wing for a moment. "Haven't had the time to fly around again, however, but it shouldn't be too awful."

"That's what Silver Spanner and Moondancer told me." Spitfire and the other Wonderbolts all trotted toward me. "It might feel funny for a brief moment, but you'll get the hang of it soon enough if everything works out. Just keep on trying your best for me, okay? The same goes for you, Fleetfoot."

"Yes, ma'am!" we shouted together.

"And one more thing." Spitfire shifted her focus to Maud. "Do you know when General Limestone Pie will be arriving?"

"Limestone will be arriving shortly," Maud answered. "Maybe another minute or two. I don't know what she's doing right now."

"Gotcha."

Spitfire and most of her fellow Wonderbolts all sat at the same table Fleetfoot, Maud, and I were, a few of the others present opting for different tables. Three empty chairs near where I sat awaited somepony; most of the mess hall had plenty of empty seats, however. But for once, I didn't feel so stranded or isolated. Fleetfoot and Maud were wonderful company, but a larger crowd tended to lighten the mood a little in my experience.

"So when does the food arrive?" asked Soarin. Growls echoed throughout the mess hall. "I hope it's something good!"

"I doubt it," Blaze retorted with a furrowed brow. "Honestly, when was the last time we had a large or delicious meal?"

A sigh escaped Soarin's lips, head hung low. "Good point. But the bread isn't bad or anything."

"Well, we can't exactly live off of a diet consisting of only bread," said Misty Fly. She was always one of the more unique Wonderbolts; something about the gentle smile she wore eased some of the tension in my chest. Despite this, slight patches of dirt covered her tan coat. "And on some rare occasions, we get some fruit. Otherwise, it's the same easily made slush that just qualifies as food." Taking a deep breath, Misty placed her hooves on the table. "But given the commotion surrounding this dinner, maybe they'll turn up with something nice."

"There you go again," Blaze teased. She nudged Misty's shoulder. "Honestly, you're more often than not setting yourself up for disappointment."

"Blaze, let's not escalate things," said Spitfire. She donned a slight scowl, eyes glued to Blaze. "Arguing about something like this is one of the last things any of us need. Do you understand?"

"Yes, ma'am." Blaze bobbed her head.

"Good." Spitfire turned her head away from Blaze. "Now don't go stirring up a storm. I can burst those ear drums of yours if I wanted to."

"She can," Soarin added. "My head is still ringing the last time she did it to me."

"Yeah, I know she can," said Blaze. "Ya don't have to remind me."

"Or me," I concurred.

Scanning the other tables and swiveling my head, I noticed more seats were being filled, the rest of Limestone's soldiers and even ponies from other units were trotting into the mess hall. Captain Shining Armor was among those who entered, my throat tightening in an instant. If he was among those invited, in addition to Spitfire and Limestone, something serious must've been occurring. Something foreboding always loomed overhead whenever they were grouped in the same room. It was a law of sorts, one that hadn't been broken.

And as chills coursed through my veins, something poked my shoulder.

Fleetfoot was tapping me, a concerned expression painted across her face. "I'm guessing this dinner is going to be more than just getting together," she said. "Captain Shining Armor is almost always focusing on just the Royal Guard, and to see him here with a few other notable ponies means we're probably getting a briefing. Most likely, it's dealing with the report about Sombra's forces approaching the barracks."

"You're probably right," I replied. "I hope most of the ponies here have some sort of morale left. Even though Sombra hasn't made any gains in about a year, ponies are still claiming that fighting back is hopeless and some are going so far as to say he has already conquered Equestria. But with us still in the fight and Princess Celestia still on the throne, that can't be true." I shuddered a little, then turned to make eye contact with Fleetfoot. "Right?"

"We're still in this. What happened to the confident Rainbow Dash sitting next to me a few minutes ago?" She crossed her forelegs and forced a slight smirk on her face. "Prove those naysayers wrong, okay?"

I bobbed my head and forcibly furrowed my brow. "I'm not giving up now!" I playfully waved my hoof. "Gosh, I'm here for a reason!"

"That's the spirit."

A few seconds passed. Filling in the rest of the vacant seats at our table were Pinkie, Limestone, and Marble Pie. As usual, Pinkie carried a bright smile with her while Limestone furrowed her brow and wore a slight scowl. As for Marble, her glimmering eyes and downcast expression among what I noticed first, she merely twiddled her mane. If there was ever a mare who acted as the polar opposite of Pinkie, Marble was it. Maud was a barrel of laughs compared to her.

"Hi, everypony!" Pinkie chimed. "How are ya?"

"We're fine," I said. The rest of the ponies present all nodded together. "By the way, what took ya so long? I thought dinner was cancelled for a second, and now I see Shining Armor and a bunch of other ponies here as well. Is there something important that we weren't made aware of?"

Marble nodded. "Mm-hmm."

"I do all the talking for her," Pinkie added. She cleared her throat and stood on her hind legs. "Ya see, General Grumpy told me she got a message from none other than Princess Celestia!"

"A message from Princess Celestia?" Maud repeated, eyebrow arched. "When did you hear about this?"

"About a few minutes after you left."

"I got a message from her as well," said Spitfire. "I should've mentioned that a little earlier. And it's understandable why you'd think dinner was cancelled. In fact, only those in commanding positions got the notice due to a shortage of paper to write messages on. As for why the others were late, things sometimes move at a sluggish pace here." She rubbed the back of her neck and donned a sheepish smile. "Was this the first time you were early?"

I nodded, blushing.

"That's why." Soft giggles left Spitfire's mouth. "Maybe I should have you share a tent with Fleetfoot so that you get your flank moving faster."

"Anyway, Limestone told me that the princess was going to be speaking to everypony stationed here, and that meant getting them all in the same place. The mess hall was the perfect spot for this and while not everypony will have the luxury of sitting in one of these chairs, there's just—"

"These chairs are anything but luxurious," Blaze interrupted. Squirming for a moment, she gritted her teeth. A groan left her lips. "The only reason we put up with them is because sitting on snow and rocks is the worst."

"Okay, so maybe they're not the best chairs out there." Pinkie shrugged. "But as I was going to say, there's enough open space in this mess hall for the princess to let us all know what's going on in one convenient space. As for dinner, it'll be provided to everypony present. There will be more than enough for every tummy here!"

"Wait a minute," said Lightning, raising her hoof. "Does that mean we're getting that disgusting vomit for dinner again?"

Pinkie nodded, yet her smile hadn't vanished. Mine would have at such a revelation, my stomach already churning and roaring in rebellion.

"Drat!" Lightning pounded the table and a harsh clack rang in my ears. "And when am I gonna get some cider to wash it all down."

"Cider shipments probably won't arrive for another month if we're lucky," said Maud.

Lightning rolled her eyes. "Figures."

"Anyway, Princess Celestia should be arriving here any minute now," said Limestone. She glared toward Fleetfoot and me. "Remember what I said when it came to manners, rookies?"

"Yes, ma'am!" we replied together.

"Good. I hope the other ponies here follow the same etiquette." Limestone sighed, muzzle scrunched. "You can only scream into their thick skulls for so long. But at least you two rookies are managing just fine. Don't think that gets you a free pass, however. I'm still treating you like everyone else I have to work with."

I nodded, Fleetfoot following suit. Both of us wore the slightest of smiles. Something about pleasing Limestone tickled my heart, my coat warming up a tad. Yet neither of us said a word; we kept our gazes locked to Limestone.

"Well, they are talented ponies," said Spitfire. "They've learned so much ever since they first became Wonderbolts and are still learning more each day. I've even learned a thing or two from them." Slipping a soft chuckle, Spitfire blushed. "But that does get me thinking about the future, and it's a part of why I wanted to chat with you."

Limestone turned to face Spitfire. "What do you need?"

"It's less of something that I need and more of a suggestion."

"Are we gonna be working together in some drills?" asked Pinkie, her face brighter than the sun. "That would be super-exciting and so cool!"

"Close." Spitfire ruffled her wings. "Anyway, some joint sessions together might be useful, especially since we could all learn from each other. Furthermore, I'm betting Rainbow Dash and Fleetfoot are rearing to get back to training with the Wonderbolts, but they're also hoping to have some time interacting with the new friends they've made this past week."

Flinching, I swiveled my head toward Spitfire, eyes widened. "Did you just read my mind?" I murmured. Being lumped into a situation where I had to decide on which group to train with was a question I dreaded; it was an inevitable question as well, especially since I'd have to get back to flying again. I couldn't just abandon the years of awesome skills I've honed. Feigning a laugh, I rolled my shoulders. "Does this mean you have a cool idea?"

Spitfire nodded. "You read my mind, too. I've been around you long enough to know how much you value loyalty. Having you and Fleetfoot train under Limestone was necessary to keep you in shape before flying again, as you've been informed of before. However, while you were snoozing during the night, I've been thinking about ways for both Limestone's unit and the Wonderbolts to closely communicate. Shared drills, closer tents, and other plans are among what I have in mind."

"So I don't have to worry about conflicts of loyalty?"

Bobbing her head again, Spitfire donned a radiant smile. "You've got the right idea."

"When do we get started?" I leaned closer to where Spitfire sat. "You've got the coolest idea in the works, ma'am! If both forces combined their talents, I bet we could be almost unstoppable!" An electric sensation flowed through my veins as I stood on my hind legs, eyes wider than dinner plates. The perfect combination was right there. Maybe such teamwork was the recipe for taking down Sombra.

"Calm down, Rainbow Dash."

I sat back down and assumed a blank expression once more.

"Anyway, Limestone and I have to get approval first, which may take another day or two. If everything works out as planned, we might be able to get started tomorrow."

"That's excellent," said Fleetfoot. "When will you let us know if the plan goes ahead?"

"As soon as possible, obviously."

"Attention, everypony!" Shining's voice bellowed. We all stood upright, our attention glued to the stallion residing by the left corner of the tent. His head was held high and chest puffed out. Even the glowing armor adorning him exuded a palpable power. "Please give your undivided attention to the Princess of the Sun and co-ruler of Equestria, Princess Celestia!"

The mess hall became a chamber of clapping and cheering as Celestia trotted atop a makeshift podium in the back of the mess hall. Her colorful and bright mane somehow flowed much like a calm river. Just gawking at her golden regalia for even a second froze my spine. A magical aura filled the room wherever she went, gently rubbing my coat. And as for why Captain Shining Armor referred to her as a co-ruler, I slightly raised an eyebrow.

"Thank you, Captain Shining Armor," said Celestia. She raised a hoof for a brief moment, then slowly lowered it back down. Everypony, myself included, sat back down simultaneously. "I'm sure you are all aware that King Sombra is planning to attack these barracks. We've managed to prevent him from capturing any additional territory for about a year now, and with such a bold move, it looks like he wants to end this stalemate. According to the reports we've received, all of Sombra's troops are focusing their efforts here. Ponyville will still remain guarded as a precaution, but more reinforcements have been sent from around Equestria to help the fight here."

One pony, a soldier of the Royal Guard, raised his hoof.

"What is on your mind? Please speak loud and clear so that everypony can hear it."

"How many ponies is Sombra sending our way?" the guard asked.

"That's a good question." Celestia pursed her lips for a second. "Reports indicate that Sombra is sending a sizable portion of his current army, estimates ranging from three to five thousand soldiers."

"How in Tartarus are we going to stand a chance?" another voice asked.

"Weather and terrain will be a key component of this battle. Even with his advances, Sombra's army has to trot many miles in order to get here. Due to the lack of resources, not all of his army will make it to the battle. Even more may perish if the snowstorms prove troublesome enough." Celestia raised her hoof, gently poking her lips. "And before anypony asks, the helmets Sombra's troops wear require a host. They're parasitic in nature and won't work if the wearer is deceased."

Misty raised her hoof in the air. "But how many of Sombra's subjects are wearing the helmets? If the vast majority of them are fighters, then wouldn't that mean he only has a limited amount of time before he's forced to surrender? And if he's sending so many ponies out to this one spot, his odds of winning the war will be greatly diminished if he loses."

"I wouldn't be surprised if Sombra took that into account. And even without a large fighting force, stopping him will be far from easy."

I raised my hoof high in the air. "But Sombra is nowhere near powerful enough to carry an entire army by himself," I said.

Celestia shook her head. "Not necessarily. Sombra is far from an ordinary unicorn. Some argue he's something else entirely. Exactly what is currently unknown, however. His curved, red horn is nothing like what most unicorns have, not to mention his sharp fangs and glowing eyes strike fear into most who gaze into them. Don't be fooled, my little ponies. Sombra is not your typical foe. I've dealt with him before. He's—frightening."

"So this isn't the first time he's tried attacking Equestria?"

"In a way, yes. The specifics of Sombra's rise to power have been lost, but when Equestria received a warning regarding his power, he was dealt with as swiftly as possible. However, he was also clever enough to have a backup plan in case things went wrong for him, which is why he's here now." Celestia folded her wings, head hung low. "I wish I could've prevented such an action back then." A sigh left her lips. "But we cannot dwell on the past. He needs to be stopped for good this time, and know that I'll be fighting alongside you."

The mess hall erupted in a hurricane of cheers. Some of us stood as tall as we could while others elected to thrust their hooves into the sky. A few of us merely clapped or donned a slight smile, myself being among the latter group. Celestia helping us directly in the fight against Sombra was definitely awesome, though my nerves twanged enough to where I lacked the willpower in chanting as enthusiastically as some of the ponies present. If Celestia wasn't able to finish Sombra back then, my heart raced at the thought of what he was capable of now.

"Let's not get too carried away," Celestia continued. "Even with my help, we'll need every bit of firepower and muscle we can get in order to win the fight. We don't have time on our side, but neither does Sombra. If the weather is on our side and he has trouble with getting his troops past our artillery, we can drive him off."

Spitfire then raised her hoof, Celestia glancing over to her in the blink of an eye. "Princess Celestia, given how Cloudsdale's pegasi are renowned for how well they're able to manipulate the weather, do you think we could have them plant the seeds for a storm that will barrel toward Sombra's forces? I know it won't be simple, but if we have an inkling of where they've been, perhaps we can make their journey even tougher."

"I've already devised a strategy for the forces in Cloudsdale." Celestia nodded, pausing for a moment. "Later today, they'll create what should become a ferocious blizzard. It'll reach its maximum intensity around where Sombra is, and despite being a formidable foe, stopping the blizzard won't be easy. At the very least, the storm will give us more time to prepare for the incoming invasion."

"Furthermore, will we have enough supplies to survive such an invasion?" Spitfire rubbed her muzzle. "The last report came in a few days ago, and everything was running smoothly back then. However, given how anything could change, it'd be wise to make sure we're prepared for the battle."

Celestia bobbed her head again. "We've got more than enough food. As for weapons and ammunition for our catapults, we've got enough to slow Sombra's forces once they're within range."

"Excellent. Thank you, your highness."

"You're welcome. Does anypony else have questions or suggestions?"

I kept my hooves on my lap, others doing the same or resting them atop a table. A slight breeze briefly swirled outside, its howls somewhat muffled and all I heard. Celestia then ruffled her wings and raised her head, trudging off of the podium and glancing about the room. Our eyes stayed glued to her, heads swiveling about if needed.

"Rest up and keep practicing," Celestia continued, her tone somewhat mellow. "Equestria is counting on us. Keep your spirits up and even in the face of imminent danger, never give up. Fight until it's physically impossible to do so, even if your mind is urging you to flee for safety. The officials all stationed here have warned you about the consequences of cowardice and betrayal, right?"

We all nodded together.

"Please come and talk to me if you have any further questions." Just before departing the tent, Celestia froze in place, wings opened. It was as though something was standing before her that she hadn't noticed, but from what I noticed, all that faced Celestia were empty patches of snow-covered soil. "And now that I think about it, there's—" she pursed her lips "—there's one more thing I should mention."

Lightning's cheeks turned pale; Fleetfoot and I followed suit. If Sombra's plan to invade the Changeling Hive was confirmed, any time for preparation and training was cut in half. That was the best case scenario. After all, as anypony who'd researched or discussed the changelings knew, it was that their queen was ruthless. She'd be kind of cool if she wasn't so bloodthirsty and insane. My spine froze just imagining her presence.

"It is about the changelings," said Celestia.

Gulping, Lightning bit her lip.

"Reports came out that Sombra had been planning an invasion of the Changeling Hive. After further investigation after the discovery of a now lost note, those claims are—" Celestia took a quick breath and wiggled her forelegs "—those claims are true. We only have three weeks until said invasion. If we expect to survive this, we'll either need to coerce Queen Chrysalis to fight alongside us or prevent Sombra from invading. The first one is virtually impossible."

My limbs tightened as though a python strangled them.

"If we drive him back, we'll focus our efforts into preventing such an invasion." Celestia closed her wings again and then glanced behind her. She surveyed the array of wide-eyed, pale visages all staring at her. Even Maud expressed some amount of dread in the frown she wore from what I noticed, occasionally biting her lip. "Let's do our best as usual, my little ponies."

Even after Celestia left, nopony uttered another word nor moved a muscle. I wasn't sure if I'd ever move again, the tension in the air crushing my bones. Horrifying was the best way to phrase the news, and even if there were some bright spots scattered about, they were mere specks compared to the rest of the future. In an instant, the morale we'd slowly rebuilt was razed again. Sombra was one thing, but the cackling mad Chrysalis was something else.

Luck wasn't on our side.

Time wasn't on our side.

Only our combined efforts and friendships could help us win, and that wasn't enough.

Lightning stood upright, her chest expanding and contracting rapidly. We all turned to face her as her chair scraped against the ground, banshee-like screeches reaching my ears.

"We're done for," Lightning whispered under her breath. She shivered, teeth clattering.

Much to my dismay, I knew that was the truth.

Log V: Tension

The day following Princess Celestia's announcement was complete chaos.

There was no other way to describe it. While Fleetfoot and I had one final day of training under General Limestone before we were brought back under Spitfire's wing, the world around us moved exponentially quicker. The sun's movement may as well have been a yellow smear across the sky and the clouds hanging above us never stayed put. Evening had arrived before I realized how much time I had spent exercising.

Limestone's drills were louder, fiercer, and faster than before as well. It was the same story for Spitfire and the Wonderbolts; the team's aerial maneuvers could've made one of Sombra's goons dizzy and their lightning quick punches were perfect for knocking them over. My muscles ached as everypony moved from one place to the next. Sweat poured down my forehead as I never had more than a few seconds for resting up. We practiced chucking rocks at one moment and shifted to jogging through the snow in a flash.

And even the groups from afar were practicing drills at a blistering rate. I noticed those managing the artillery continuously rushing across the floors or soil while making sure no mistakes were made. Rolling boulders over to where catapults were and checking said equipment was all they did for hours.

I kept chugging along. My heart supported this decision, but my legs argued for the opposite. I may as well have been dragging a ton of concrete wherever I went. Nevertheless, such constant motion was somewhat awesome, my lips curling into the faintest of smirks the longer I trained.

And before I knew it, the sun slowly crept below the horizon. Cloudy skies and the ominous red tint hid nature's beauty once again. With a tightened throat, I couldn't help myself from wondering where Sombra's forces were. Reports came in a few hours ago that the weather strategy was a rousing success, the foe having struggled through the blizzard.

I prayed it was enough.

"Line up, everypony!" Limestone bellowed, head raised.

As usual, we filed up into a square of pastel ponies standing tall and keeping our chins up. Stern expressions decorated our faces as usual, nopony batting an eye. I noticed the Wonderbolts following the same procedure nearby. I wished I could've waved my hoof and hollered at them as well, but Limestone's expression still froze my spine like it did when I first met her.

Some things never changed in the barracks.

Limestone then glared over to Fleetfoot and me without warning. "Rainbow Dash! Fleetfoot!" she shrieked. "Show me you two can fly right now!"

"Yes, ma'am!" we shouted in unison.

Fleetfoot flapped her wings and became airborne without too much difficulty. I spotted her twirling about like a dancer and stretching her limbs whilst flying. It was typical of a Wonderbolt to perform some dazzling feats when getting back to flying. But as I quickly glanced over to my prosthetic wing, I swallowed a lump. My cheeks turned pale a second later.

However, there was no time to waste.

Either I made myself proud or became a laughing stock. And if I refused to even give flying an attempt, I'd have guaranteed the second of those outcomes.

"Please work," I muttered under my breath.

I flapped my wings and gnashed my teeth.

A brief gust of wind swirled past me, my mane and tail flapping about. Closing my eyes, I braced myself for the inevitable crash landing. While some ponies nowhere near as awesome as I was had made stunning recoveries, it'd be unlikely for me to get the hang of flying once more.

I hoped snow tasted good.

But my lips never kissed the snow, the wind still brushing against me.

I opened my eyes.

By some miracle, I was hovering above the air like Fleetfoot was. I rubbed my eyes, but nothing changed. I blinked, wondering if this was some sort of illusion or if I ended up passing out due to exhaustion. Yet no matter how many times I slapped myself across the cheek, I kept hovering.

I'd have believed somepony if they claimed nothing even happened; flying with my new wing felt natural.

Fleetfoot froze in midair and gazed into my eyes. Hers were shimmering, a smile brighter than the sun soon decorating her face. Her grin would've outdone even the most beautiful lakes or fields. It wiped away my twinging muscles as if by magic.

"Let's fly," said Fleetfoot. Rubbing her eyes and sniffling, her grin widened. "We should just focus on having some fun this time. You know, as friends."

"Of course!" I replied, nodding.

Without a second thought, I made a beeline toward where Fleetfoot flew. We swirled around in the air beside each other, slight breezes brushing against my mane. Our wings nearly touched at certain points, but with the added barrel rolls, rapid maneuvers, and acrobatic feats, it was as though we relived life as Wonderbolts before the war.

I wished it lasted forever.

Unfortunately, such joys were only temporary.

What actually lasted at least a minute or two was a few seconds in my eyes.

"We don't have time for dancing!" Limestone shouted at the top of her lungs. She slammed a hoof into the snow and scrunched her muzzle. "Get back down here and pay attention!"

Fleetfoot and I nodded together, descending back to where we were and locking our gazes onto Limestone. My heart sank as I touched the cold, wet snow once more. But despite such an experience being only a flash in the grand scheme of things, I couldn't help myself from cracking the slightest of smiles.

Luckily, I shared it with one of my best friends.

"You're both ready to return to Captain Spitfire's program starting tomorrow," Limestone continued. "Congratulations on escaping my wrath for now." She paced back and forth for a moment, scanning the soldiers standing before her. She ruffled her brow. "As for the rest of you maggots, training will continue as usual—though these fast drills will become the norm for a while."

Buzzsaw raised her hoof in the air. "Excuse me, but when's King Sombra gonna arrive?" she asked. "Are we prepared for 'em?"

"That was going to be my next point." Limestone sighed and turned away from everypony. As silence filled the air, she glanced up at the sky. "King Sombra's forces have been drastically reduced according to our spies, some claiming his army being cut in half. Most of them were partly or fully buried underneath the snow while others perished due to the extreme weather. Unfortunately, that also means Sombra is even more furious."

"What about those buried who survived?" a masculine voice asked.

"Once Sombra's army was far away enough, those left behind had their helmets removed and were taken for questioning. At least that was the plan. We highly doubt that they'll have new information, especially since ponies we've captured in the past have been clueless about what the Crystal Empire has been planning." Limestone cleared her throat. "And according to the letters said spies have sent us, we expect Sombra to reach these barracks in around two days. However, some may arrive early, so always be alert. Understood?"

"Yes, ma'am!"

"Dismissed, but don't get too careless during your break. We'll need all the help we can get in fighting King Sombra."

Limestone trudged away from the others. Making her way toward one of the tents, she peeked inside before trotting inside and vanishing from my sight. Nopony around me uttered a peep, most of them frantically swiveling their heads around and surveying every square inch of the terrain. Other than the occasional pebble and the snow freezing our hooves at the touch, we hadn't found anything. Besides, the myriad of towers adorning the fields were better suited for scouting than a couple of eyes.

However, I was among those studying the landscape. Even if there was nothing worth searching for, I participated in the lame and pointless search nonetheless. Tension kept squeezing my throat. The wide-eyed, pale expressions everypony else wore told a similar story.

"They're not hiding here," said Maud. "We should rest for a bit."

I turned toward Maud. "Sounds like a plan," I replied. "How about you, Pinkie?"

"Okie-dokie-lokie!" Pinkie chimed, forcing a wide smile across her face. Less than a second later, she assumed a downcast expression and sighed. "Let's just be prepared for anything, too. Sound fair?"

We all nodded together.

"Good. I'll see both of you later."

Instead of hopping and skipping as usual, Pinkie merely trotted across the snowy landscape, Maud beside her. My heartbeat quickened. If Pinkie couldn't even feign happiness at the moment, I dreaded what must've been awaiting us. Sure, I've tangled with Sombra's soldiers in the past, but just seeing the usually hyperactive mare becoming a depressed husk had sent shivers down my spine.

I closed my eyes, biting my lip.

"Hey," Spitfire muttered from nearby. Shivering in surprise, I quickly turned to the left and spotted her trotting toward me, the other Wonderbolts all following close behind. A faint chuckle left her lips. "Sorry if I scared you, but I wanted to mention that I highly appreciate your bravery." Spitfire ruffled her wings, smirking. "Sure, it wasn't the best flying you've done by far, but I'd call it one of your most captivating flights. I'll admit, I'm kind of envious of how strong you are. You'll definitely be your old self in no time!"

I donned a sheepish grin. "Thanks. You're awesome, too."

Spitfire nodded. In the blink of an eye, her slight smirk vanished and was replaced by a bone-chilling frown. "Anyway, now's not the time for casual conversation. Sombra's forces are closing in on us, and there's only so much we can do. As such, we need to start planning on how we're going to defend the barracks."

"The artillery should slow the enemy down a bit," said Fleetfoot. "It'll also put a sizable dent in his army, especially since all of his troops are grounded."

"That's true, but we can't rely purely on our catapults to keep them at bay. Eventually, we'll have to directly confront the enemy, but just charging at them won't work." Spitfire rubbed her head, clenching her teeth. "Trust me, we've proven plenty of times that such basic tactics never work. It's a part of why Sombra conquered as much as he did."

Soarin bobbed his head. "I know what you mean," he said. "Weren't you in some argument with Captain Shining Armor about that? I know he's a bit more reckless, but have his strategies worked at times? Maybe we should consider adopting his plans if it's the best strategy."

With a quick breath, Spitfire slowly turned to face Soarin. "Shining Armor's plans are somewhat successful, though incredibly risky. When they work, we plow through the opponent and push them farther back. However, more often than not, it makes us look like fools should the enemies ambush us or take out a chunk of the army in a few blows. With the dilemma we're in, I don't think we can afford such a costly strategy."

"But somepony will have to be the first to come at them," I said, raising my hoof.

"True, which is why it's essential we have as few enemies near us as possible. A direct charge should be the last of our options." Spitfire swished her tail around. A second later, she momentarily pursed her lips. "We'll inevitably be forced to directly confront the foe once they're close enough. But we could play this to our advantage as well."

"How so?"

"Some of us will be on the front lines, galloping toward Sombra's army once they're within range and our catapults are no longer viable. At the same time, some of us will be waiting from within the barracks, only leaping out once enough time has passed as to catch Sombra off guard. They'll swoop in and join the fight, at which point we can force them to retreat."

"Won't Princess Celestia be with us as well?" asked Lightning, arching an eyebrow. "We've been told about her involvement in the fight, you know. And couldn't she just clean up the entire army and make things much easier for us?" She shrugged. "Or is there more to it than just that?"

"Princess Celestia will jump in either when she feels it's opportune or if we're all in peril. And while she is powerful, Celestia cannot do everything on her own. There are simply too many of them and she'd tire herself out before wiping out Sombra's forces. That's why we all need to work together on this."

Fleetfoot nodded. "Makes sense to me."

"That's where we stand so far. Any comments or suggestions?"

Everypony huddled in our group shook their heads in unison. If we had any chance of stopping Sombra, applying Spitfire's plan and hoping fate was on our side was the best course of action. Since Limestone, Shining Armor, and others also had a say in how plans were carried out as per regulations, I imagined they'd cook up something awesome or effective as well. Whether all of their collective strategies were worth anything was shrouded in fog as far as I knew.

Sweat dripped down my brow.

Equestria was on our shoulders.

We couldn't afford any mistakes or arguments.

"Good," Spitfire murmured. Trotting past us, she gazed up at the sky. She gulped, the sound echoing into my ears. "But there's one problem."

"What's that?" I asked.

"Sombra might be arriving sooner than we think. No confirmations on that yet, obviously, but since the possibility is always there, we can't carry on as usual." She stared into the eyes of every Wonderbolt around her for at least a second, her deep scowl twisting my chest into a knot. "I don't think I need to remind you about how unpredictable things can be." Sighing, Spitfire sulked and bit her lip for a second. "He might even be coming today if luck isn't on our side."

Among the worst things I could've possibly heard, that ranked near the top. But as I thought about the gloomy skies and the red tint everywhere, there was no denying that Spitfire had reason to believe our intruders were arriving ahead of schedule. From what I've been told, bleak scenery and anxiety constantly looming above our heads often foreboded activity from the Crystal Empire. Of course, such instances weren't always true and it never foreshadowed the results of upcoming clashes, but it latched onto my mind like a parasite.

Superstitions were always a part of Equestrian culture. The oddities of what defined things like that lame 'destiny' thing must've played a role in that. Heck, Pinkie was one of the most superstitious mares I've ever met. The only difference was that she called hers 'Pinkie Sense' for some reason, often triggered by her tail twitching. Needless to say, we soon all ducked for cover and prodded her with additional questions whenever her tail shook like a rattlesnake's.

"I wonder," I whispered to myself.

Twisting my head to the right, I squinted at where Pinkie, Maud, and Marble were. They all behaved normally—whatever constituted as normal for the Pie family. Marble and Maud were as static as ever while Pinkie bounced around from time to time, but nothing stuck out at first glance.

A deep breath left my mouth. Soon enough, I noticed Pinkie's combed tail.

My blood froze in an instant.

It was shaking much more violently than usual.

Pinkie gasped, pupils shrunk. I noticed her poking Maud as the color seemingly disappeared from Pinkie's cheeks. It wasn't long before she scurried across the ground and placed her muzzle against every chest she bumped into. Her lips moved in a blur with everypony she encountered gasping or cringing once she finished.

"Oh, no," I murmured under my breath. "Why now?"

"Excuse me?" Spitfire responded. She placed a hoof on my shoulder, a grim expression across her visage. "What's wrong? Is there something important I should know of?"

I slowly nodded. While my lips moved, no words came out.

"Rainbow Dash, we're not going to solve this together unless we know what's going on. Can you please tell me what's concerning you?"

"We're in trouble." The hairs on my coat all stood up. My legs quivered and refused to remain still. "I think King Sombra's forces might be coming later today."

Spitfire stepped back and arched an eyebrow. She merely pursed her lips.

While I couldn't blame her for being hesitant, especially given how not everypony knew about Pinkie's weird abilities, the truth was that the Crystal Empire would be knocking at our door sooner than we'd have preferred. The truth was that we wished they were never arriving in the first place, obviously, but now of all days was more fitting for a nightmare.

I cleared my throat. "Pinkie Pie has this weird ability, and calling it weird is an understatement." Making eye contact with Spitfire, my chest tightened a little. "For some reason, and don't ask me how she can do this, Pinkie has this sixth sense and can reliably predict the near future. It—it doesn't always happen and she can't use it when she wants, but when she does get a premonition of things to come, her tail shakes."

"And you expect me to believe this?" Spitfire cocked her head. She tapped her hoof against the ground. "Even though the weather successfully battered most of Sombra's army, there's still a small chance they could arrive today, but luck would have to be with them if they're reaching the barracks before night." As she clenched her teeth, Spitfire rubbed her muzzle and ruffled her wings. "But if they do arrive today, they'll be too exhausted to reliably fight. That's not to say they won't be a threat, especially with those helmets, but the enemy will suffer so many casualties."

"Well, isn't Sombra supposed to be kinda crazy? That's what ya told me once."

"He's insane from what I've heard about him. You've heard about the legends of his first defeat a thousand years ago, right?"

I shook my head.

"To sum up, King Sombra became the ruler of the Crystal Empire after violently overthrowing its previous ruler. When news of the conflict spread over to Canterlot, Princess Celestia and her sister agreed to stop Sombra once the problem became too severe for them to remain neutral. That's what caused Sombra and the Crystal Empire itself to be shut off from the rest of Equestria for a thousand years."

"Wait a second." I raised my hoof. A small itch formed on the back of my head; I kept rubbing it, though the sensation refused to leave me alone. "How is King Sombra even still alive? Isn't he supposed to be a normal unicorn? Other than that stupid looking horn of his, he doesn't have anything that makes him stand out from everypony else, right?"

"Sombra isn't your usual pony. There's a reason why he's so dangerous. And even Princess Celestia finds him threatening."

I shuddered. Chills coursed through my spine. "What do you mean?"

"Nopony knows, but based on his demeanor and how he supposedly can transform into a shadow creature at will, he's unlike anything us ponies have faced before."

The color of my coat turned pale. I shivered violently, teeth clacking together. "Sounds tough."

Spitfire slowly nodded as she donned a grim frown. "Tough is an understatement." Raising her head, she quickly glanced over to where Pinkie was, the latter still scurrying over to different ponies and shrieking about the foe's imminent arrival. As before, her tail twitched. And while some of the ponies merely laughed her away, others immediately rushed to the catapults or collected gear. "Rainbow Dash, I know we've been through a lot." Spitfire took a quick breath. "However, even though I'm not entirely convinced, I'm open to it if you have proof."

I tilted my head. "Proof?"

"Do you have anecdotal evidence of Pinkie's special ability? Do her sisters know about this as well?"

"I've got a few stories about her—" I cleared my throat "—Pinkie Sense, as she likes to call it. She's caught falling objects after her tail shook plenty of times, even in cases where there was no way she could've done it. Vases, exercising equipment, and so on are among the things she has caught like it took no effort. It was kinda awesome, too." I shrugged, feigning a sheepish smile. "And go ahead and talk to Maud, Marble, or General Limestone about it."

"They told you about it?"

I nodded. "That's right."

With her head hung low, a sigh left Spitfire's lips. She paced back and forth for a moment. "Well, I'd hate to be wrong about whether Pinkie truly has this sixth sense. If she knows something the rest of us don't, it could save us a lot of trouble moving forward. And for the record, I do believe you're telling me the truth." Freezing in place, Spitfire brought her attention back to me. "It's just that Pinkie Sense sounds so weird to where it's hard to comprehend."

I crossed my forelegs. "Yeah, I had trouble believing it at first, too."

"Well, I guess there's no harm in preparing for combat now." Spitfire paused for a moment. A quick breath left her mouth. "Better to spend time for nothing than to regret it in the future." Before I even uttered a peep, Spitfire raised her head up and bellowed, "Attention! King Sombra's forces may be arriving much sooner than expected! Whether you're a Wonderbolt or in a different unit, listen up!"

The world fell silent. Despite being used to Spitfire's louder side, I stepped back and shook nonetheless. It was one of those things that always surprised somepony no matter how many times they listened to it.

"All of you have gone through the same protocol the moment you stepped into these barracks, so get into position!" Spitfire exhaled. "Load the catapults, divide the soldiers into different sections, scan the horizons, and stay on guard no matter what we find! Take a few deep breaths and get ready! Don't waste another minute!"

In a flash, a hurricane of voices polluted the air. Ponies galloped all over the place, acquiring weapons, gear, and supplies in preparation for the battle ahead. Even those not involved in the battle such as Marble Pie dashed across the snow with tautened cheeks, preparing themselves for whatever was barreling toward us. Some of my fellow Wonderbolts and a few pegasi unaffiliated with them took to the skies, surveying the snow-covered environment around us. Any relaxation was siphoned without a second thought, shivering or tautened expressions taking its place.

Spitfire gazed into my eyes once more. "Rainbow Dash, you'll be flying with Blaze and Soarin in Squad One. Don't be afraid to use your prosthetic wing if you ever find yourself in a pinch." Rubbing the back of her neck, Spitfire then trotted next to me. I merely made a beeline toward the front wall. "I know having sword-like ligaments for your wing sounds stupid, but they're now a part of you for a reason. Use them if necessary."

"Yeah, I figured as much," I said.

Lightning Dust swooped toward the ground, though I didn't flinch despite almost crashing into me as she landed. "Ready, Dashie?" she asked. "I'll let you know that I'm all for showing those jerks who's boss." She pressed her hooves together. "I'm a part of Squad Two, so I'll be joining you a little later. We'll look out for each other once we're both on the battlefield."

"Gotcha." I bobbed my head. "I'd never leave any of you hanging."

"Fleetfoot will be flying with me, and she also promised to back you up if needed. And while Trixie is among the ground forces, she also told me that she'd provide support with her magic. We've got everything we'd ever need. There's no way we can lose now!"

"That promise extends to the rest of the Wonderbolts," said Spitfire. "But do be careful, Lightning Dust. We can't get too cocky. And I'm joining Squad Two as well. If any of you are in trouble, we're all here to help." She caught her breath, a white mist escaping her mouth. "Defeating King Sombra won't be easy, but I have faith in all of you. We overcame plenty of obstacles in the past. This battle will just be another hurdle for us to clear."

"Thanks, Spitfire," I said. A faint smile decorated my visage. Spitfire's words also warmed my heart a tad; anything that would've helped with the upcoming battle was welcome by me. "I'll do my best."

"Same here."

I squinted at Spitfire gliding around the barracks, shouting all sorts of different orders to those trotting past her. If her clear, concise directions were anything to go by, she knew exactly what the best strategy for dealing with Sombra's forces was, mainly defensive plans from what my ears picked up. And while such a clear path loosened my muscles, tension still crushed my bones. There were no such things as guarantees when it came to serving for the cause.

My prosthetic wing kept reminding me of this fact, never shutting up.

Taking a deep breath, I furrowed my brow and marched toward the walls surrounding the barracks. Caution wasn't cool or anything, but it was necessary to see the sun at least one more day. And if I was ever going to survive the Crystal War, I'd have to balance caution with bravery.

A peculiar tightness gripped my chest.

This was shaping up as tougher than I had ever imagined.

Being assigned as one of the first to dive into the battlefield was something that turned my coat pale.

The blank visages and clacking teeth which surrounded me didn't help matters.

Two hours had passed since Captain Spitfire bellowed the orders, shifting everypony's position until she was satisfied.

Those two hours must've been days as far as I was concerned.

At least standing near the battlements gave me a rare chance at standing next to Princess Celestia. It was admittedly awesome, even if it was like standing next to a ferocious dragon. The princess wore a stern expression, not a shred of light being emitted from her frown. Pursing my lips, I then gazed into her eyes, Celestia turning toward me and doing the same seconds later.

I crossed my forelegs, smiling sheepishly. "Hey, Princess Celestia," I meekly said. Without hesitating, I bowed to her, my gaze glued to her. "Is there anything I can help with, your majesty?"

"You don't have to bow right now," said Celestia. In a flash, she brought her attention back to the snowy fields before us. "Today, we stand as equals. If we're going to defeat Sombra, we must treat each other with respect and work together. I assume Captain Spitfire has told you the same thing."

I nodded. "Yeah, but did she tell ya the same thing?"

Celestia shook her head. "I initially came up with that philosophy moving forward. Spitfire merely tweaked it here and there to where it was easier to apply, as did some of the other captains and generals fighting for Equestria. And if the Crystal Empire being unable to gain even an inch of territory for over a year is anything to go by, the results speak for themselves. As I've also said countless times, friendship is magic. Teamwork follows a similar philosophy, as it shines the brightest when friendship is fueling it."

"But they still control half of Equestria, right?"

"They do, but there's something which they haven't accounted for."

I arched an eyebrow, head cocked. "What's that?"

"Sombra hasn't conquered any of our major cities. More specifically, he has only taken over small towns or places where resources are barren at best." A sigh left Celestia's lips. "While I do regret letting those towns down, the fact that Sombra hasn't made significant gains throughout the war means that he'll soon run out of resources. With nothing to feed his army, he'll be forced to surrender or die trying to salvage the situation."

"Is this why he has his sights on the Changeling Hive?"

Celestia then slowly nodded. "I only assume that's the case. As I've mentioned, allying oneself with the changelings is virtually impossible, especially for us ponies given our—less than stellar history. Since alliances are out of the question, Sombra must be targeting their agricultural areas. Attacking one of their cities would be suicide."

"I guess that puts things into perspective."

I nudged closer to the wall's edge, careful to not topple over or hurt myself. The wilting trees and bushes down at the surface were scale models from where I stood. It reminded me of my home back in Cloudsdale, though the land before the war wasn't covered in snow and colorless. Bright green grass, soothing breezes, and flower petals which occasionally whirled past invaded my mind. Even the rosy aroma tickled my nostrils at the thought.

While I wasn't much for standing around and gawking at nature, those pictures were glued to my chest. It was something a friend of mine during my foalhood introduced me to. Fluttershy was her name, and even before the war brewed, I sometimes wondered what became of her. Most ponies I spent time with when I was a filly called her a butterfly, some also referring to me as a bee. Others just said she'd never fly, which was later proven wrong.

That was how the weird race with those snotty jerks came to be.

I winced.

"Why did I think about that again?" I whispered to myself. "Is there something about it that I'm missing?" Rubbing my forehead, I scuttled away from the wall's edge, eyes widened as I resumed scanning the surface. "It's probably just a coincidence." A deep breath escaped my lips, chest loosening. "There's no way something so stupid could've been the defining moment of my life. It had nothing to do with me wanting to become a Wonderbolt. I've always been Rainbow Dash."

Clenching my teeth, I sat down on the floor, its brick surface prodding my flank.

"Are you okay?" asked Celestia. The grimace she wore was replaced with a softer expression. "You've been talking to yourself for some time and behaving strangely."

I shuddered. Lying to Celestia was one of the dumbest actions anypony could've done, whether it was a white lie or hiding something important. Her raised brow and puzzled look must've been her reading me like a book. And since the rumor about her stopping Nightmare Moon not with violence, but her words was anything to go by, nopony knew the inner workings of others as well as Celestia.

The twinkling rainbows in her eyes caught my attention. Such flashes only grew brighter as time went on.

"It's complicated," I answered, sighing. "Something about a race being interrupted by somepony a long time ago keeps coming back to me. I don't know why, but that's the truth." I ruffled my right wing. Chills coursed down my spine as I noticed Celestia pursing her lips. "Yeah, it's a bit weird to fret about, but I can't shake the feeling that said race was—" I pressed my hooves together "—was important to me. Like, I'd be more awesome or things would've played out differently for me if the race wasn't messed with."

For reasons unbeknownst to me, Celestia flashed the faintest of smiles. "What if I told you that things were destined to play out differently?"

I shivered and my cheeks tautened. "Excuse me? What did you say?"

Celestia rolled her shoulders. "I'm not saying things were going to play out differently, but I've had a hunch that you were always meant to finish your race." Without warning, she stretched a foreleg toward me and gently poked my mouth. "I was informed by a colleague of mine from Cloudsdale about what was going on. It was merely gossip at first, something his child was talking about, though something about it tickled my coat. Rainbow Dash, given your name and the peculiar aura you exude, I think—"

"Enemy spotted!" a voice bellowed from one of the towers. "Enemy spotted at eleven o'clock! All troops, report to your stations! A pack of enemy soldiers is approaching fast! Load the catapults and fire when they're within range! This is not a drill! I repeat, this is not a drill! All ponies prepare for battle!"

I gulped. Those were definitely the last words I wanted to hear.

Celestia sighed, her fierce scowl returning in the blink of an eye. "We can discuss this later," she muttered. "If we're both still alive when this is all over, I promise that I'll tell you the rest of the story." A yellow aura enveloped her horn and electricity crackled around it. A palpable energy was emitted by her horn. The hairs of my coat rose. "Join up with your fellow Wonderbolts. That's an order."

Nodding, I stepped away from Celestia and made a beeline toward where Blaze and Soarin stood. Neither of them uttered a peep as they pursed their lips and stretched their muscles. I soon followed suit, taking deep breaths. Shivering, I then flapped my wings and hovered in place for a moment, wind swirling beneath me.

"Ready?" asked Soarin.

I nodded. "You bet. Let's get this over with as soon as possible."

"Don't go flying off just yet!" Soarin extended a foreleg in front of me, muzzle scrunched. Shivering, his wings twitched. "We'd be ruining the operation if we just stormed in without thinking."

"I know about the order." I stepped back; a ringing sensation pierced my ears. "What I meant was that I hope the battle isn't too long and hard for us and that we kick their flanks. No need to act so offended."

"Oh." Soarin rubbed the back of his neck. "Sorry about that. I'm just a bit nervous. You probably know why."

"I'm nervous, too." Bobbing my head again, I gently landed back on the ground and ruffled my wings. "But everypony is counting on us, and we're counting on our allies to help us in the battle. We've trained and practiced all sorts of awesome things, so let's show them how much we've learned."

"That's more like it!" Blaze shouted at the top of his lungs. He thrust his hoof into the air. "Those armored punks are gonna be crawling back to Sombra with their tails in between their legs. They won't know what hit 'em!"

"Let's hope you're right."

Seconds later, the first boulders were loaded onto all of the catapults. A group of mares squinted at the oncoming army, motioning their hooves left or right as the artillery rotated to face their target. Harsh squeaks polluted the air. My heart skipped a beat, the ponies turning the catapults into position halting precisely at the same moment. General Limestone would've been proud of such synchronization, though as I glanced at her behind my shoulder, all I saw across her visage was a pale expression.

"Ready!" a voice bellowed.

The catapults all clicked into place. Some soldiers wiped their foreheads while others stuck their tongues out, never averting their gazes from the boulders.

"Aim!"

The weapons made their final adjustments; the squeaks returned with them, myself cringing in response.

"Fire!"

One by one, the catapults flung their ammunition toward the foe. The large rocks somehow sliced through the air, all of them hurdling toward the conglomeration of armored ponies. I bit my lip in anticipation, waiting for a cloud of dust or some bodies leaping into the sky.

Seconds passed; they may as well have been hours.

Clouds ascended into the air, their brown colors churning my stomach for a brief moment. The earth beneath me shook as the boulders slammed against the ground.

"Direct hit!" the voice announced. "Load them all up again for round two!"

The same process of loading, listening to the metal's shrieks, and tossing colossal stones repeated itself. Despite getting used to the weapons' medley, I winced as they split my eardrums. Each round went by faster than the previous one until the soldiers loading the catapults couldn't have sped up any further. Brown clouds polluted the sky minutes later, growing in size, though those announcing whether we struck the enemy or not occasionally kept silent. All of us knew what that meant, and my blood froze when the silence lingered.

I thought I'd never hear a confirmation again. And the enemies were still somewhat visible from where I stood, their form like a lake of metal and red cloth.

After what had to have been ten minutes of lobbing rocks and occasionally getting something out of it, the faces of those armored freaks became visible to the naked eye. A few of them carried bright red flags, but the majority of them wore attachments on their armor sharper than needles or wielded spears, axes, and other weapons that twisted my chest.

I glanced down at the armor and clothes adorning me. My hooves were covered with a steel plate perfect for close combat. The prosthetic wing twitched as though it were sentient, rearing to slice up one or two of Sombra's soldiers. And even as the catapults continued their assault, the occasional cheers following direct hits, everypony among the first wave was squirming.

Already, the snow was covered with motionless bodies. The faintest streaks of red revealed themselves and flowed like a river as more ponies were squashed by the boulders. Part of me wished I could've turned away or closed my eyes. My stomach churned.

However, as arrows from the enemy sliced through the air and failed to reach our barracks, I couldn't even bother blinking.

I was committed. I've braved much worse, but something prodding my coat darkened the land.

My throat tightened; I wished I wasn't among those who'd never see nature again.

"Out of ammo!" the commander orated. "We've really put a dent into them!"

I exhaled, chest loosening a tad. Yet anxiety still crushed my bones into dust.

"Get ready," said Celestia. Flames flickered in her eyes as she ground her teeth. With her wings spread out, she trotted up to the wall's edge. "And as long as you all try your best and work together, we can do this. And remember, show them no mercy."

A second later, Celestia extended her foreleg out, scowling.

I jumped into the air, wings beating frantically for a brief moment.

My part of the battle had begun.

Log VI: Pyrrhic

If there was ever a time where I wished this was just some nightmare conjured by Nightmare Moon, this was it.

I was flying right beside Blaze and Soarin. Both of them wore grim frowns, their brow somewhat ruffled, whereas my blood froze just glancing at them.

Below me, a pack of ponies all bellowing cries as they pointed their spears, axes, or any other sharp implement toward the oncoming enemies. The spears' sharpness poked my nerves at the sight, cheeks turning pale, though a few brave souls dived into battle with nothing but their hooves. Such bravery was cool and all, but it was the stupid kind of bravery.

At least the plated armor on my hooves had doubled as a jabbing weapon. It was the same story for Soarin and Blaze's armor as well. If there was something ponies adored when it came to inventions, it was giving things multiple purposes. I figured it explained why Silver Spanner and Moondancer were okay giving me that weird metallic wing.

I shook my head.

I'd be fighting alongside everypony in a matter of seconds.

Now wasn't the time for thinking about something so trivial.

Most of us flying above the action dove closer toward Sombra's forces, myself included, while some of the other pegasi hovered above the action, all of them scanning the area and waiting for an opening. I made eye contact with one of the enemies, his glowing green eyes sending a chill down my spine. But now wasn't the time for fleeing from some grimace under a helmet.

Surrendering at the drop of a hat was dumb to begin with. I hadn't made it this far flinching at my foes.

The groups of ponies barreled into each other and hollered at the sky, blade against blade and hoof against flesh.

I slammed into one of the foes standing before me. The collision was much like crashing into a wall. Clenching my teeth, I dragged the crystal pony across the snow. My heart skipped a beat as the green eyes under the helmet's slits glared into my eyes. I lifted my hoof and drove the blade through one of the openings.

A sickening crack reached my ears, my cheeks turning green for a moment.

Something about the brutal nature of it made the hairs of my coat stand up.

My eyes widened.

Just like that, the green glow vanished. All that remained was a lifeless husk.

With sweat pouring down my forehead, my heart beating faster than it ever had, I swiveled my head to the left and noticed one of Sombra's soldiers charging toward me with a mace. One of those things could've split my head in two, my stomach churning at the thought. But I ducked and avoided the enemy's blow.

I hoisted him up and drove his head into the ground. Snow jumped into the air upon impact.

The soldier's helmet flew off. Clanking sounds echoed into the air as the helmet rolled away, eventually coming to a rest.

As before, I lifted my hoof up for the finishing blow.

I ceased my jab once I saw the exposed head of the crystal pony, the edge of my armor inches away from her jugular. Tears welled in her eyes, the mare's lips moving whilst no words came out. Yet if her expanding and contracting chest was anything to go by, her words were harmless.

Color disappeared from her once pink visage. "Don't kill me!" the crystal pony shrieked, squirming around. My forelegs ached for a moment as I continued pinning her. Tears flowed down the mare's eyes like a waterfall. Her breathing intensified. "I just want to be safe! Please don't hurt me!"

I scanned the growing brawl around me, ponies all clashing with their enemies. Only a few minutes had passed and already the ground was littered with bodies. Most of them were crystal ponies, but plenty of my allies had their lives taken away from them. More of the snow lost its white color as the battle ensued.

Blaze had already pinned a Sombra soldier, stepping on him at first and then driving her metal blade into his flesh. Soarin, on the other hoof, was tangling with a goon wielding a battleaxe. Wincing, he then struck the crystal pony's throat, the latter falling into a lifeless heap less than a second later.

With a deep breath, I glanced back to the soldier I had pinned. "Do you promise that you won't hurt anypony?" I asked.

The mare nodded, cheeks tautened.

"Then do us a solid by either surrendering yourself to Equestria or helping us take down those armored punks."

"Surrendering sounds good!" the mare shrieked. "But will I be safe?"

I bobbed my head, exhaling. "That depends." Last I recalled, there was often protocol involved with these crystal ponies, the instructions flowing back into my mind in the blink of an eye. "First, tell me your name."

"Rose Quartz!"

Arching an eyebrow, Rose squirmed in response and closed her eyes. "Okay, now get over to where Equestria's forces are. Without your helmet, we'll know that you're not with King Sombra, so get your flank in gear and get over there! And if you try running back home or somewhere else, don't think we'll be fine with that."

Rose frantically nodded. In a flash, she sprung up and dashed toward the barracks. While the gate was closed, for obvious reasons, the pegasi still stationed there were most likely willing to give her a lift if needed, though dealing with the few archers Sombra had left might've proved troublesome.

Before I even had a time to reflect on Rose, one of Sombra's soldiers slammed me into the earth. Aches covered much of my body as I clenched my teeth. I turned to face the soldier, those same green eyes gazing into mine. Even after seeing them multiple times, they froze my blood at the sight.

Squirming, I managed to jab his chest.

While the attack hadn't pierced his armor, he flinched and stepped away.

I replied with another jab and stabbed his throat.

The soldier fell to the earth, his body completely static.

My ears twitched. What sounded like a thunderstorm reached them, my limbs briefly shaking in synchronization with the earth.

Another group of ponies fighting on my side rushed into the battle. They were among the second wave, all of the metal jerks freezing for a moment as they noticed the incoming reinforcements. As planned, Lightning, Misty, and Spitfire were among those charging at the enemy. A few familiar faces were among those with them, though as another crystal pony dashed at me with a spear in hoof, I had no time for checking.

We then crashed into each other, dancing around as we pushed and shoved.

Neither of us had an opening.

The enemy dropped her spear a few seconds into our struggle. I wrapped a foreleg around her, though she followed suit and wrapped us into a pretzel.

It was a minor miracle that nopony from either side tried getting a cheap shot on me or the foe, my throat tightening the longer I was entangled with the crystal pony. Never had something on the battlefield devolved into a lame showing like this. General Limestone probably would've groaned and rolled her eyes if she saw me dancing with the goon.

After a minute, we failed to land a single blow, still stuck in our wrestling match.

At least until a blast of magic knocked the crystal pony onto her side.

The enemy twitched for a moment, then remained motionless as her eyes' green glow vanished.

"Rainbow Dash, are you okay?" a familiar voice asked.

I slowly nodded. "I'm fine."

The voice's owner was none other than Trixie's. With her distinct hat, cape, and boots, she quickly pulled me upright and cracked the faintest of smiles. While I hadn't interacted with Trixie since I first met her, my heart warmed nonetheless as she dusted me off and stood by my side. Maybe we'd hang out more often provided both of us crawled out of this mess alive.

If there was a guaranteed method for becoming a friend of mine, perhaps saving my life counted as one.

"Try to force an opening next time," said Trixie. "It's easier that way."

I nodded in return. "Understood."

One of Sombra's soldiers approached Trixie and lifted his hoof up.

"Trixie, look out!" I bellowed at the top of my lungs.

Shivering, Trixie turned around and made eye contact with the lumbering soldier. A bright blue aura enveloped her horn in a flash.

The crystal pony thrust his hoof across Trixie's cheek, a harsh thud ringing in my ears.

A gasp left my lips.

Trixie stood on her hind legs for a moment, though she twisted toward me and crashed into the snow a second later.

I cringed at the sight, my heart sinking. Not even noticing her attacker suddenly receiving an arrow through his neck caused my lips to move. A grim, pale expression was all I responded with. My vision became blurry for a moment, a wetness tickling my cheeks. The world around me even slowed down, the battle raging around me in the back of my mind.

Once the dust had cleared, Trixie remained face down on the snow, not budging an inch.

My pupils shrunk.

"Trixie!" I shouted without a second thought.

Kneeling down to where she was, I placed my hooves on her back. Somehow, I picked up on the faintest of heartbeats and she was still breathing, my blurred vision clearing up in return. Much to my relief, she was only unconscious, though leaving her on the battlefield would've almost guaranteed her death.

My throat tightened.

Either I could sacrifice my life for hers or continue fighting.

Yet if I perished, her saving my life would've been in vain. And I yearned at the chance of returning the favor.

Without thinking any further, I hoisted Trixie onto my back. I flapped my wings and flew through the air, dodging through the myriad of friends and foes that stood in my path, their conflict still raging on like a wildfire. While slowly increasing altitude was possible despite the added weight, the distance was far enough to where I'd be a sitting duck. Heartbeats reached my ears.

At the corner of my eye, I noticed Spitfire and Misty Fly taking down a large group of Sombra's soldiers. Pinkie, Maud, and Limestone made quick work of the enemies that dared face them from what I noticed as well.

We were making progress, however small.

There was still hope.

In a flash, a large blade blocked my path. A chill coursed down my spine as I skidded across the snow and nearly collided with the sword's blunt side. I glanced over to the sword's owner, a crystal pony donned in more elaborate armor. Those added spikes and red tints to the metal were more fitting for a dork. But when he swung his sword and struck the earth, the ground beneath my hooves shaking, my throat tightened.

He must've been one of the Crystal Empire's generals, a title reserved for only the most physically fit crystal pony if the reports were telling the truth. Traditional definitions of what a general was didn't exactly apply to them, especially with Sombra calling all of the shots with those freaky helmets of his.

I shivered for a moment.

The foe flailed his sword about, his blade chopping the wind.

Just approaching him was akin to suicide.

Maybe this was the end for both Trixie and me.

"Wait a second," I muttered under my breath.

My prosthetic wing twitched for a moment. Some of the parts appeared as sharp as some swords and it might've made for a nasty surprise as well. And if Trixie and I were to escape with our lives intact, waiting for an opening and using my wing was essential. My forelegs didn't have the best reach for dealing with the enemy.

I twisted my prosthetic wing around and clenched my teeth.

Stepping back, the crystal pony followed my tracks as he dragged his sword across the snow, metal grinding against the rock. The hairs of my coat stood up in unison, the cacophony splitting my ear drums. And yet, he crawled like a snail with all of those bells and whistles weighing him down.

Showing off with that hideous armor was the worst decision anypony could've made.

I charged at the enemy, my prosthetic wing swooshing toward him.

Holding my breath, I then closed my eyes for a moment.

When I opened them and glanced behind my shoulder, I noticed the crystal pony dropping the sword and crashing into the earth. A harsh thud echoed in the air.

A deep breath left my lips.

One of the more troublesome parts of the battle was behind me.

Trudging further away from the conflict, I exhaled and took to the skies. Every inch of progress loosened my chest.

Almost a minute later, I landed atop the wall surrounding the barracks. Sharp aches covered much of my body, my tongue sticking out as I caught my breath.

The first order of business was gently placing Trixie down on the gray bricks. Her hat and cape hadn't even budged an inch last I checked, both still adorning her.

A gray mare dashed toward me, eyes widened. If her familiar manestyle and cutie mark were anything to go by, the mare must've been Marble Pie. Upon reaching where I was kneeling, she froze in place and made eye contact with me. Despite being on my side, there was something about her pale expression that tickled my coat.

Her glimmering eyes must've told a story. I wished I could've asked.

Rudeness was the last thing I wanted.

"Is she okay?" asked Marble. Before I could respond, she gently touched Trixie and nodded. "Okay, we'll get her to the medical center as soon as possible." Pausing, she then nudged away from where I was. "Thank you for bringing her over here. She might have a chance to live once this is all over."

"You're welcome," I replied.

"Now's not the time for accolades, however. I'll take care of her while you keep on fighting." She pursed her lips, then gently lifted Trixie onto her back. "And you should get back out there if you can. I know it's scary and dangerous, but—" Marble gazed into my eyes, hers twinkling "—but your friends and I need your help. Remember, we're all in this together."

I gave Marble a quick salute and straightened my posture. "You've got it!"

Turning away from her in a flash, I gazed back down at the ensuing battle and dove toward it. A slight breeze brushed along my cheeks as I returned to the snowy earth, chills coursing up my legs at the touch. My heartbeats intensified once more, sweat pouring down my mane as I scanned the carnage before me.

Part of me wished I could've just crawled into a hole and waited for the battle to end. Yet betraying my friends would've constricted my heart. Princess Celestia had joined in the fight, tossing some of Sombra's soldiers aside like rag dolls. Most of the pegasi were cleaning up Sombra's forces as well, their flying prowess confusing and outmaneuvering anything the crystal ponies could've thrown at them. The Royal Guard and other grounded units, however, were either excelling or struggling, more of them eventually falling to the earth with emptiness in their eyes.

I blinked.

A shadowy figure loomed in the distance, my throat tightening at the sight. Whatever it was, the figure was approaching the battlefield.

It disappeared.

Replacing it was a tall stallion standing far away from where I stood, electricity crackling through his curved horn. Yet I immediately noticed his vicious smirk and sharp fangs protruding from his mouth. Around him, more and more carnage ensued, yet he hadn't even cast a spell or took an extra step yet.

My teeth chattered.

Trying to rationalize why I suddenly felt this way only produced headaches. I had experienced battles and witnessed destruction before, the mission which saw the loss of my left wing proof of this. But this was somehow different. My shrunken pupils and eyes the size of dinner plates were reactions I hadn't expected.

There was no escaping now.

I took a deep breath, flapping my wings and jumping back into the fray.

Much of the world around me became a blur, everything moving at an alarming rate. Yet I kicked and punched my way through Sombra's soldiers like butter. One by one they fell to my jabs and strikes; I was fighting through the mess without spending a second to think it through.

The screams, grunts, and orders that left ponies' lips became muffled whispers. The surreal nature of it all poked my nerves a little.

My muscles all ached, teeth clenched as I continued smacking around the armored punks that dared attacking me.

Already, there were more lifeless bodies littering the snow than ones standing upright. Buzzsaw McColt was among those I spotted sprawled out and motionless, not a flicker in her eyes. Even though I'd never interacted with her that much, my heart twanged nonetheless.

I blinked.

I wished this nightmare could've ended. I'd just open my eyes in my bedroom and all would be right with the world.

One of Sombra's soldiers charged at me, her plated hooves the only weapon she had.

However, I didn't flinch.

If this was a nightmare, getting kicked would've woken me up. It was either that or I was undergoing what ponies referred to as shell shock. One of my fellow Wonderbolts had experienced this phenomenon in the past. High Winds was her name, and while seeing the once cheerful mare becoming a husk of her former self earned a blank expression from me at first, the unending violence becoming harder than ever to ignore opened my mind.

I just hoped the oncoming soldier didn't do the same if this wasn't a nightmare.

A heartbeat later, Spitfire drove her armored hoof across the foe's jugular, the crystal pony collapsing into a heap with her eyes' green glow vanishing in an instant.

Spitfire grabbed my hoof dragging me toward a nearby hole in the ground, the two of us huddling next to each other. The niche formed was also perfect for hiding, the back of my mind wondering why nopony had thought of using it for sneaking up on enemies and taking them down.

Either way, at least I was out of the battle for a brief moment.

However, whether I could've braved the storm that must've been brewing in Spitfire's thoughts was my next question.

I swallowed a lump.

Yet instead of a ruffled brow or a scrunched muzzle, she wore a concerned frown. Her cheeks were paler than I had ever seen.

"Wake up," Spitfire whispered. She gently tapped my shoulder. "This isn't a dream."

I blinked, rubbing my eyes. "H-how did you know I was thinking that?"

"Because I've been thinking the same thing, too." A sigh left her lips. "Look, I've been through a lot of battles, but nothing like this." She shook her head. "Nothing like this. I think King Sombra has a backup plan in case his invasion fails." She took a quick breath. "He's trying to kill our morale."

"With all the death and destruction?"

Spitfire quickly nodded. "That's why he's throwing almost everything at us."

"And one more thing." I exhaled, the tension in my chest loosening somewhat. "Why aren't you yelling at me like you usually do? You know, captains and the like are supposed to be fearless, always acting awesome no matter what, and always yelling orders. Yet here we are. You've been in huge battles before, so what makes this different?"

"No battle I've ever witnessed has had this much death or this much despair." Spitfire pursed her lips, cheeks tautened. "Just because I'm a captain and have seen plenty of battles doesn't mean I'm immune from fear. You can prepare for just about everything, but some things just break you. And now's not the time to be acting all tough, especially with everything around us."

"And this is different, right?"

"This is different." Sighing, Spitfire then bit her lip. She quivered for a moment. "I'm scared." Spitfire crawled toward the niche's exit. "I don't want to be here anymore. And if we're going to survive, we'll have to fight more. There's no other way." She rubbed her eyes and gulped. "I'm done fighting once this battle is over. If Princess Celestia and I are still alive, I'll tell her to do whatever it takes to end the war. This violence has finally worn me down."

I wiped my eyes. Tears clung to my uniform. "Spitfire."

"Let's go, Rainbow Dash. Our friends need us."

I nodded.

Both of us exited the niche in unison. And in a flash, we both drove our hooves through two of Sombra's goons approaching us, the armored enemies falling over. The green glow fizzled out a second later.

Spitfire and I went our separate ways soon after, though we nodded at each other before splitting up. I noticed a small cluster of Sombra's soldiers up ahead, making a beeline toward them. Misty was busy jabbing one of the enemies without backing off while I noticed Soarin wrestling with another, his face drenched in sweat.

I tackled one of Sombra's soldiers, finishing him off with a swift punch to the exposed neck.

Upon landing, I glanced behind my shoulder and noticed another crystal pony diving toward me. Bracing for the inevitable impact, I slammed my head against the crystal pony. The helmet that once adorned her popped off of her head; the sapphire-colored mare was lying on the snow unconscious.

At least she'd live another day.

I turned toward where Soarin was, though I wished I hadn't.

He was on the ground, clinging to his shoulder as small drops of blood trickled down his body.

The crystal pony who attacked him, however, was a lifeless corpse, his own blade jammed into his chest.

I yearned I could've rushed up to Soarin and provided aid.

A dark shadow above me cut those plans.

I glanced at the sky above, a large boulder being pushed off of a nearby cliff and careening toward me seconds later. Dodging the attack was simple enough, yet my legs were frozen as I gazed at the rock dumbfounded. Time slowed to a crawl as it crept toward me, yet I couldn't budge an inch.

Closing my eyes, I waited for the inevitable.

Only my ears twitched instead, the sounds of hooves cracking through the boulder polluting the air.

A soft plop and then what sounded like two swift punches reached my ears.

I opened my eyes. A quick breath departed my mouth, white steam bellowing out of it.

Standing beside me were none other than Pinkie and Maud, stern visages adorning them. Both of them nodded in unison. I merely did the same a second later, no words reaching my mind.

Spitfire and Blaze landed beside me seconds later, both giving me the same response the two Pie sisters had before.

A soft breeze swirled across the landscape, nothing but snow and dead bodies planted atop it. And in the distance was a shadowy miasma retreating from the aftermath, its bright red eyes freezing my blood at the sight. My heart raced just looking at the black smoke; I could've sworn he'd assault my mind or give me actual nightmares if I wasn't careful.

Cringing, I turned away from the monster.

"Who was that?" I asked, panting.

"King Sombra," said Misty. She approached us with a grim visage, shoulders sagging. Lightning and Fleetfoot soon joined her, both adorned with deep frowns and dirt across their cheeks. "Excluding those whose helmets were removed, he was the sole survivor of those who arrived from the Crystal Empire."

I tilted my head, eyebrow arched. "Seriously? How do you know?"

"The lack of reinforcements and Sombra being the only one retreating should be enough evidence." Misty sighed, sitting down on the snow and burying her face in her forelegs. "But nopony won. There were no winners today. So many ponies perished. I cringed whenever I saw their corpses, and that crystal pony I was repeatedly punching—" Misty took a quick breath "—he mercilessly killed somepony before my eyes. I saved his life only for it to be taken away so quickly. We could've—"

Without warning, Misty began sobbing. She then fell onto the snow.

Tears flowed down my cheeks as well.

We all lost friends today, Misty was no different.

General Limestone then approached us, a wounded Soarin wobbling behind her and clenching his teeth. The former sulked as she trotted toward us, a deep frown plastered across her face. It wasn't one of those furious expressions she adored giving others during drills; her eyes shimmered too much for it to be anger.

My stomach churned, the taste of bile on my tongue.

In the distance, I noticed Princess Celestia gliding toward the barracks, her fierce scowl somehow visible from where I stood. At least she was still alive, her mere presence giving us the slightest glimmer of hope. Then again, the world became so dark to where even the brightest light would've failed in brightening the world. The moon slowly rising only highlighted the ragged path before me.

Eventually, news of how many had lost their life amid the carnage would spread among the barracks.

It was the news we all dreaded. There was no other way to describe it.

The report was worse than I could've ever imagined.

Just over forty of us remained, myself included. And while most of the friends I regularly spoke with were all among those forty due to some miracle, my heart sank into the abyss nonetheless. Some new friends I hadn't had the chance to chat or meet weren't so lucky. To think so many of us came into the battle and so few came out was something I refused to accept. I kept wondering if there were plenty of others like Trixie, though with her still being attended to by Marble and Redheart, I had my doubts as to whether she'd make it.

For once, there was just a point to where I couldn't even shed another tear. It wasn't that I found crying as something to avoid, nor was it that I wasn't depressed at what had transpired, but the sheer melancholy of it all had crushed my bones into dust. Those sitting around me such as Lightning and Maud had similarly blank visages. Most of us hadn't uttered another word since the battle concluded; Spitfire just gazed at the snowy ground below.

And even with Princess Celestia tending to us, hope faded away like a mirage.

While a few ponies out there might've refused to give into despair and anguish regardless of the context, we all couldn't shake it off. Yet at the same time, all of us coped with it differently. Most were silent about it, preferring to keep to themselves, though one look into their eyes told a different story.

Misty recited poems she heard during her foalhood in a vain attempt to cheer herself up. Tears flowed from her eyes instead. Pinkie told stories about her experiences on the farm, Maud and Limestone adding in as we all huddled near the campfire. Fleetfoot reminisced about the days before the war as Wonderbolts, struggling to avoid weeping as she recalled the sights and sounds of cheering fans, their chants and radiant smiles vivid in my memories as well. Soarin whistled as he tended to his wounds, cringing whenever he fiddled with the newly created divot near his shoulder. According to Redheart, it'd heal with the proper care and treatment. Moondancer also noted that no prosthetic attachments would be needed, which was a relief to all of us.

While the blades of my prosthetic wing had saved my life and Trixie's, its sword-like sharpness working like a charm, I still found it tacky. From what I recalled, ponies referred to such designs as function over form. I was relieved that the function part of it actually worked. Washing the stains off of it was setting itself up to be the lamest part, however.

And then there was Lightning Dust.

"We're done for!" Lightning shrieked at the top of her lungs. "All surviving did was just delay the inevitable!"

"Lightning Dust, we can still survive," said Misty. She extended a hoof toward Lightning, the latter shuffling away with pursed lips. "We just have to stick together, use our resources wisely, and possibly migrate to the nearest village or town if needed. It won't be easy, but we can do it."

"Says the optimist." Lightning crossed her forelegs, pouting. "And when you say it's gonna be hard, I take that as an understatement. All we can really do now is pray for another miracle." She stood up, sighing. "I mean, it's a miracle we're still even here in the first place. Us Wonderbolts got out by the skin of our teeth just because we're fancy fliers, and yet Soarin almost died."

I nodded. "Yeah, but he's still alive."

"Only because he got lucky. Heck, we all got lucky. Maybe we could've saved some trouble by just flying over the crystal ponies."

"They brought King Sombra with them," muttered Fleetfoot. Sulking, she gazed blankly at the campfire's flickering flames. Ashes occasionally fluttered past our muzzles. If our eagerness for crawling closer to the campfire was any indication, it provided the best sights, smells, and warmth of anything all day. "Even if we could've taken the entire army by ourselves, which no group as small as ours could have, we'd still be done for."

"Yeah, Princess Celestia only brought him to a stalemate from the looks of things," said Limestone. "You probably didn't notice, but I got a good look at the beast's eyes. Those red pupils of his could've frightened even the bravest of ponies. And I know this is going to sound weird coming from me, but I thought I was a goner when we met."

"How did you survive?" asked Lightning.

"I tried sneaking away from Sombra while attacking with ranged weapons." Limestone sighed. "They didn't work. All he did was smack around those near him, whether they were on his side or ours, usually the latter. I think he referred to his troops as expendable, which doesn't make sense. He's short on them as is."

"That is weird," I said, arching an eyebrow. "And you managed to keep him off of your tracks until Princess Celestia confronted him?"

Limestone nodded.

"What I'm worried about is how we're gonna make it out of this mess," said Pinkie, her tone much less chipper than usual. "The fix isn't like firing a party cannon at his face or anything simple, especially when we're struggling as it is." She paused for a moment, bringing her focus toward Spitfire. "Do we have enough troops elsewhere?"

Spitfire merely said nothing. A few seconds later, she nodded.

"Phew." Pinkie wiped her forehead. "That's a relief. At least we haven't lost yet."

"But when is the answer," murmured Lightning. She sighed once again. "We can't keep going like this if he's got an entire population working for him because of those helmets while we're also running short on soldiers. He's crazy enough to where his strategies are all just throwing enough ponies at a problem until it goes away."

I shivered. There mere thought of that being a strategy sucked the color out of my coat. And with those ponies likely not wanting to be a part of Sombra's army, if all of the crystal ponies captured throughout the war are mentioning the truth, it churned my stomach and boiled my blood in unison.

Sombra was a heartless monster.

And we were all his playthings.

"And what if he runs out of ponies?" asked Blaze.

"It's simple," said Maud. "He does it himself. He has enough power to do many terrible things."

"And does he even have a weakness?" I asked. Rubbing my forelegs, I gazed at the night sky above us, none of the stars visible from where we were. It was just a dark blue blanket overhead with the moon the only object I noticed. Sighing, I lowered my head. "If he doesn't have a weakness, how are we gonna beat him?"

"There might be a way to defeat King Sombra," said Spitfire. "We've tried it dozens of times before with no success, so the plan is as close to throwing your life away as you can get." Pressing her hooves together, Spitfire ruffled her wings for a second. "Anyway, there are two things that it requires. We'd have to sneak into the Crystal Empire's palace completely undetected and reach the topmost floor, all while making sure we're not detected or surrounded by enemies." She paused for a moment. "It's as insane as it sounds. Secondly, only one pony is said to know what we'd be looking for, and that's currently only a rumor."

We all gazed at Spitfire, not a word leaving our mouths.

"Some ponies have tried, but none have come even close to reaching the palace. We eventually found such efforts futile and resorted to trying to best him the old fashioned way. While we've severely weakened his forces as a whole, winning is still far away—if victory is even possible. That's why the plan has been pushed off to the side for the time being."

"Well, what's the pony's name?" asked Limestone. "And furthermore, where is this pony and how did you hear about it?"

"Her name is Cadance. She's residing in Ponyville for the time being. Not much is known about her, but she's romantically involved with Captain Shining Armor. He told me about her one day in the midst of a casual conversation, though it was the words of a passerby that introduced the rumor to me. Both were a year ago, and we eventually deemed such a strategy was impossible to implement at the moment. They may still be too strong to even attempt it in the near future." She caught her breath. "Also, Shining Armor is alive and well. He's just in one of the tents tending to his wounds."

"What happened to him?" I asked. "Will he be okay?"

"He'll be fine. From what I've been told, it's just some shrapnel that got wedged in his coat. It's painful, but nothing lethal or dangerous."

My cheeks turned green, the nerves throughout my body crying out in unison as though they were the ones struck.

"Yeah, it does sound painful when you think about it."

"But how do we know if Cadance is still in Ponyville?" asked Lightning. "I think making our way there is gonna take a lot of time, especially with not much in the way of supplies. And keeping forty or so ponies and one unconscious mare alive will take quite a bit of food and drink." Standing tall, Lightning stretched her wings out and rubbed her muzzle. "Speaking of which, do we have any hard cider around here? I need a drink."

"We can get that once we're done here," said Limestone. She furrowed her brow. "That's an order."

A second later, Lightning plopped her rear back onto the snow and groaned. She pressed her hoof against her cheeks. "Fine, I can wait."

"So we should rest up and head on over to Ponyville before sunrise, right?" I asked. "If that's where Cadance is supposed to be, we should make that our destination. Also, since Shining Armor is with us, talking to her shouldn't be too difficult." A moment later, an itch formed at the back of my head. I raised an eyebrow. "Speaking of which, what does she even look like?"

"She doesn't go out much," said Spitfire. "Though she's tall and pink if that helps. Think of her like a miniature Celestia."

My eyes widened. I leaned closer to Spitfire. "Hold on a second. You mean to tell me that she's an alicorn?"

Shrugging, Spitfire donned a bemused expression. "I don't know. She supposedly wears these shabby looking dresses that more often than not cover everything below the neck. As such, I don't think anypony but Shining Armor knows for sure. And besides, why would you be so interested about that?"

"Couldn't she help us defeat Sombra for good if she was one? With her and Celestia, maybe we can stomp all over Sombra and end this stupid war for good." A surge of electricity coursed through my veins. "It'll be awesome if we have that on our side!"

"She's not one for fighting." Spitfire sighed, head hung low. "And I don't blame her. You know why, Rainbow Dash."

"I wouldn't blame her as well," muttered Fleetfoot.

We all nodded together in agreement. If there was a viable option to bailing on this awful war, we were all for it. Part of me wished we could've formed our own society far away from any conflict, maybe somewhere Sombra could've never hoped to have reached. We'd all coexist and those seeking refuge from the war could've joined in as well. My eyes sparkled imagining all of the amazing, cool things a land of peace might've included. And with most of the Wonderbolts who were stationed where I was still around, maybe resuming what we've always done best was possible.

I kept such a foolish idea close to my chest. Revealing it now of all times wasn't worth it.

"Well, since we're not going to last long staying huddled up in here, perhaps moving over to Ponyville would be for the best," Fleetfoot continued. "Rainbow Dash is right, we should get some rest for the night and start our journey before sunrise. We'll load up as many supplies as we can and march toward the town."

"You and Rainbow Dash always agree with each other," Lightning quipped. She momentarily pursed her lips. "But she's right. Ponyville is the only place we can go now."

"Alright, who's in agreement with this plan?" asked Limestone.

We all raised our hooves in unison.

"That settles it." Limestone propped herself up. "Get some much needed rest, everypony. A few ponies will stay behind until the reinforcements have been moved here while most of us will head on over to Ponyville. We'll load up some wagons before leaving. The trip will be long, so be prepared."

With her mellow announcement, all of us dispersed and made beelines toward the tents, myself included. While Princess Celestia's words still rang in my head, the twinging limbs and the melancholy crushing my chest were enough to push that further back. Such a story could've waited, after all, and I think I'd die if Celestia's story shocked me enough. Chances were it dealt with me doing a Sonic Rainboom or something, which was what she was leading up to before Sombra's forces were spotted.

At the same time, I knew Celestia was planning on informing me of something else. It'd have been something I didn't know of, but that's all I came up with.

I crawled into my assigned tent, Fleetfoot following me inside, though assigned tents may as well have been a thing of the past with so few of us left. The basic necessities and some furniture to give the place a slightly more homely look was a nice sight after all we've been through. It was mainly just a pair of beds, some unlit lanterns, and a makeshift bookshelf and cabinet, nothing too special.

Jumping onto my bed, I allowed my body to sink into the cushions, their ruggedness actually soft for once. It was like sleeping atop a cloud again, the constant twangs throughout my body dissipating by the second.

My mind wandered back to the last session with General Limestone.

Aside from Fleetfoot, the Pie sisters, and myself, only Braeburn made it out of the battle alive among that group. He hadn't suffered any injuries from what I noticed, though his constant shivering ordered me to provide him some personal space. I'd rather not pester him about what went on, especially given that Spitfire, Misty, Limestone, and more survived similar ordeals. I survived such a day as well.

I gently closed my eyes, desperately hoping I fell into the world of sleep.

"Rainbow Dash," Fleetfoot whispered under her own breath.

"Yes?" I replied.

"Sorry if I woke you up, but can I tell you something?"

I nodded unconsciously. "What is it?"

"Do you think there's a possibility we could all come together and form a society of peace? It'd need more fleshing out, but part of me wishes such a joyful, pacifist world could exist. Even if we had to move far away from our homes, it'd be worth it just to see genuine smiles again. You know what I mean, right?"

"I do, and I think that society could work."

"How come?"

"I thought of it, too."

And with that, I finally descended into the realm of sleep.