Dawn of Equestria

by FeatherB

Chapters

Prologue: Where it Began
1: For Lack of Sleep
2: One Final Morning
3: A Decision Made
4: The Paladin's Keep
5: Of Stars Below
6: Fresh Wounds

Prologue: Where it Began

Dawn of Equestria
by FeatherB

this book is dedicated to all those who read it
and find themselves lost within its pages

Editors and Pre-readers

Shadowed Ember - PandOracle - PeaceYinYang - Josh Irvin

Prologue

----

Life in the clouds was easy, simple. It was a safe haven, void of drought or disease, decay or war. You never lost anypony you loved before it was their time, and your only concern was the name you made for yourself. But I never truly appreciated the paradise we lived in. Not until I had sat flank-deep in the hellish mire that was the world below; ruined by the Earth Ponies’ War. It had started quietly, somewhere far in the east, when I was little more than a filly. Over the moons we became numb to it; despite the shortages of food and increased labor. Only one of which, was of any real concern to me. I was privileged to be born into a line of soldiers, and when my brother had refused to carry on our name, our father entrusted me to pick up the sword. To train to become a Paladin, the elite guard of our town; it had been a dream come true.

That’s why on some nights, when I laid awake listening to the distant screams below, I envisioned myself in the midst of it all. I was a hero, locked in combat with herds of dark knights, slaying anypony who came within reach of my blade. I would stare out my window at the blood-red sky that lingered far after the sun had vanished. I hadn’t forgotten the war. If anything, I wanted to be the one leading the charge when we joined it. But the way I ended up there was not at all how I imagined.

Had I known then what I do now— the things I've seen— I never would have set hoof on the ground. I would have pretended to be asleep the night my brother came to me with his absurd notion that they needed our help; that we had to do something, anything, to help end the war. If only we had known the truth.

1: For Lack of Sleep

Chapter 1

----

I rolled over in my bed for the umpteenth time that night, a half-hearted growl of frustration escaping my lips.

Sleep was perhaps one of the most important activities to a mare like me. When I got home from a long day of sparring and standing in formation, there was nothing more that I wanted to do than stretch out my hooves on a downy cloud bed and forget all my troubles. Not that I had many, mind you. After all, I lived in an average home, with an average family, in what I imagined was an average town for Pegasi.

I hadn’t actually been to any other towns, but I was sure they worked the same. Risenbrook in particular, was broken into three classes of living. We resided in the all too exciting middle class. My father’s history as Paladin before the war, assured at least that much. It was also why he expected my brother and I to do the same. Without our service in the ranks, there was a chance we could fall into the lower class; so he enrolled us both into Paladin training. While most other foals were learning about culture and the surrounding landscape, we were playing with wooden swords.

I don’t believe my father actually expected me to succeed. He only wanted me there to find a strong young stallion to fall in love with and carry on the family name. But the old soldier didn’t account for one thing. While I did fall in love, it wasn’t with another pony; it was for the thrill of battle.

I embraced the challenge. I never gave up, no matter the bucking odds. I was determined to be the first mare to become a Paladin, and in just a couple more weeks that dream had a chance to come true.

My brother did not have that chance. Roanheart was not a mare of course, but that’s not what I’m talking about. He dropped out.

It was a long time ago, just a few weeks after training had started. Whatever his reasons, he chose to do peasant labor instead, working at the rain mill with those of the lower class. Naturally, our father was furious, and all his devotion quickly fell to me. But at least my brother seemed happy, for a time.

That changed about a month ago, when the weather had just started to warm up again; tales of the spring soon to come. I would arrive home some days to find him at the cloud edge, staring out over it for hours. Other times he was nowhere to be found at all, only to show up for dinner with nothing to say for it.

He had been up to something, and he probably thought he was being subtle about it. But if my brother was one thing, it was certainly not that. So I wasn’t surprised when a little less than a week ago, he had said he wanted to talk. It was mentioned in passing, right before I had gone to sleep, as if there wasn’t anything important to it.

I knew better, and it kept me up most of the night thinking about it, along with every night after that. My mind was buzzing with hundreds of possibilities until I was tossing back and forth on my bed, with my legs tangled and my mane frayed.

As I said, sleep was one of the most important activities to a mare like me; but thanks to my brother, I could barely even manage that.

I turned onto my back again, facing the rafters in my room. My legs were curled up against myself, as if I was being suspended by them. It was not at all comfortable, but somehow that made it seem as if it were. Maybe it was because it kept my mind on anything other than what my brother had been waiting to tell me.

I cocked my head ever so slightly toward the frameless window that served as my portal to the outside world. The stars were out that night, and it was quiet. There were no sounds of distant battles being fought; no crimson stain from the fires of the knights’ camps. I closed my eyes and tried to envision one instead.

Around the fading light of a campfire, several knights sat in gleaming metal armor. Each one was a Pegasus, bearing the insignia of my cutiemark; a sun rising over a distant mountain range. We were about to head into battle, a nighttime assault that would catch the enemy off guard. I was going over the plan with them one more—

“Dawnfire,” my brother’s hushed voice came from my doorway. “Are you awake?”

My fantasy shattered into a million pieces. I moaned and turned away, nestling deeper into my covers. Some absurd part of me thought he would leave if I just ignored him.

“I need to talk to you. It's important.”

Sleep. That’s what’s important. My training for the Paladins was nearly over. I had been sparring all day, and I needed sleep. What about that did he not understand? What did he have to say that couldn’t wait until morning?

“Dee,” he said, his hoofsteps soft on the clouds as he walked into my room. “You don't have to say anything if you don't want to, but I need you to hear me out.”

I was trapped. With a sigh, I rolled back to face him and stared silently at his shaggy form, his body faintly outlined in the moonlight that seeped through the open door. Perhaps it was a good thing that he was finally telling me. At least I won’t have to worry any more.

“I've been thinking...”

“Don't strain yourself,” I muttered, pulling up my blanket from where it had fallen to the floor.

He muttered something under his breath, but continued undeterred. “I’ve been thinking about the war. It’s already been going on for who knows how many moons now, and what have we done? Or what have the Paladins done for that matter?”

I yawned. “Nothing?”

“Nothing,” he agreed, his face twisting like he had eaten a bad apple.

My stomach growled. I couldn’t even remember what apples tasted like. “Where are you going with this?” As if I had no idea.

He shifted on his hooves but didn’t leave the doorway. “Have you ever considered... maybe helping them on our own?”

I propped myself up on my forehooves, wide awake now. There it was. What I had been dreading for almost a week. Immediately, I wanted to call him an idiot, to tell him that one pony, or even two, couldn’t change a war; that we would die trying. But calmer reasoning prevailed.

I took a shuddering breath, trying to ease my racing heart. I need to be sensible about this. Roanheart was not beyond reason, even if his plans were sometimes suicidal. “Who exactly are you suggesting we help?”

“Whoever needs it,” he said, not meeting my gaze. “Innocent ponies who are just caught up in this mess.”

“Roanheart, we don’t even know what the sides of the war are. How can we tell who’s innocent and who isn’t?”

He shrugged. At least I thought he did. It was hard to tell in the dark when he looked like no more than a red lump.

“I know a place we can go,” he explained. “I can promise you we will only be doing good there. They need our protection.”

Buck him, he’s serious about this! No wonder he was disappearing all those times, I thought. How long had he been planning this? When was he going to leave?

I repeated my last question to him, cringing as I waited for his response. If it was before my training was over, I was screwed.

Roanheart smiled weakly. “I was hoping to leave tomorrow night.”

I’m screwed. Oh Goddess, why is my brother such an idiot. Father will kill him! Which brought another thought to mind.

“Have you told Mom and Dad yet?” I asked, though I already knew the answer.

“No,” he admitted. “I was planning on leaving them a letter when we go.”

“A letter?” I coughed. “They are going to hate you so much for that.”

“I know.” He fell back on his rump, his ears drooping. “But what else can I do? They would never let me leave if I asked.”

That was typical Roanheart, running away to solve other ponies’ problems when he couldn’t even confront his own. My brother was probably thinking he could go down there and talk the Earth ponies into peace. If so, he was undoubtedly in for a big surprise.

“Well?” he asked.

“Well, what?” I growled. Did he really expect an answer right away?

He glanced over his shoulder, as if our parents would trot into the room at any moment. In the middle of the night. When I could hear Dad snoring.

“Will you go with me?”

Of course. My brother, who I once followed into a hurricane to save his flank, and he still had to ask. But this wasn’t a brazenly stupid flight maneuver. He was asking me to throw away my future... after he had already given up on his.

I rolled away and shooed him with a hoof. “Yeah, yeah. I’ll think about it.”

By the lack of response, I knew he wasn’t buying that.

I huffed another sigh. “Fine. Just, give me until midday tomorrow, okay? I’ll have your answer then.”

“Thanks, Dee,” he said, and I didn’t need to see his face to know the look he was giving me.

I’m so sorry, Dawnfire. I wish I didn’t have to do this, but you know me, and I need you. Please forgive me. Cue big mopey eyes.

Ugh!

“Meet me by the rain mill then, alright?”

“Yeah, whatever,” I muttered, pawing at my sheets with a forehoof, and trying to smooth them out again.

His tail swished against something as he turned to leave. “Goodnight, Dee.” And like that, he was gone. Or at least, I thought he was.

“Roanheart?” I whispered.

No answer.

Goodnight he says. As if I will be able to sleep now, I thought, letting my gaze drift out the window to the stars again. Where did he want to go? The world beyond where the clouds ended was infinitely larger than I could imagine. I had never set hoof on the ground before. I had barely seen it, like a painting you could only admire from a distance. I didn’t know what grass felt like, or how flowers smelled. Roanheart wanted us to try and save a place we knew nothing about. A place we didn’t belong.

I fussed with my blanket, and sank deeper into my cozy cloud bed. I could still feel my heart pounding. Why should I risk my life for them? I didn’t have the answer to that, not yet.

2: One Final Morning

Chapter 2

----

Morning came all too quickly, as it always did.

The sunlight was just beginning to slip in through my window, offering a soft golden hue to my room. Outside it, I could hear my family’s barely restrained voices.

At it again.

Stifling a yawn with my wing, I stumbled to the end of my bed, strands of my purple mane slumping over my face. The single flaxen lock was among them. Imagine my surprise when I had found birthmarks could be hair related.

Ugh. If the Goddess had forgotten my brother’s brain, she had also forgotten my looks. Not that I really cared about such things. I would rather beat a stallion to a pulp with my training sword than make eyes at him. That was my gift, after all. Hitting things.

“Dawnfire? Are you up yet, dear?”

My mother. The town called her Starluck. I called her annoying. Sure, she meant well, but there comes a time when you are no longer your mother’s filly. For me, that had been about twenty-some years ago.

“Dawnfire, it’s time for— oh,” she stopped in the doorway where my brother had been, just the night before. Her coat and mane were all properly groomed, clashing with her wide eyes and open mouth. “Dawn, you haven’t even bathed yet,” she griped.

When have I ever bathed?

But like a good little “filly” I got to my hooves and dragged myself over to the wash basin. After all, if my brother had his way, it would likely be the last morning dear Mother got to hover over me. Not that I had made up my mind on the matter or anything.

“Are you alright, sweetie?” She followed me as I stepped into the cloud bin.

Mothers. They never missed anything. It was my own fault though, forgetting to utilize my normal amount of sass and snappy remarks. I wasn’t much of a morning pony, and no, the irony was not lost on me.

“Some privacy, please?” I muttered, looking at her over my shoulder.

She whinnied, “Goodness, Dawnfire, we’ve been over this. I’m your mother, and there’s no reason I...”

I continued to stare at her.

“Fine,” she huffed, backing away. “But I better not see one trace of dirt on you once you have finished.”

Dirt, right. Because the clouds are just filthy as of late. I waited until she had shut the door, then yanked on the rope that dumped a bucketful of water on my head from where it hung on the ceiling.

Dirt, like the kind the Earth ponies lived on.

I stood there for a moment, letting the water drip off my muzzle and suppressing my need to shiver. There was nothing like a douse of rainwater and reality to wake you up. Then jumping out, I carefully avoided the brushes on the floor and rolled on the clouds. A moment later I was all but dry.

I couldn’t imagine how the Earth ponies did it: living on the ground, having to trot anywhere they wanted to go, and waiting for rain. I couldn’t imagine waiting for rain. It was laughable. But yet, there was a chance I was about to find out, all thanks to Roanheart.

Luckily, I didn’t have time to dwell on such things. Training started early, and I didn’t want the Lieutenant in my face, last day or not.

My saddlebag laid by my bed where I had left it the evening before. I bit the strap and tossed it over my back. If I was lucky I could grab breakfast and leave without being stopped, or talked to; by my family or any other pony.

-----

Mother was just scooping out portions of oats when I walked into the room. She cast me a look that scolded without words, her tail smacking me as I went past for a bowl.

“Morning,” I sighed to nopony in particular, plucking a portion of oats away from Mother, despite her glares.

“Indeed it is,” my father replied. “If only your brother could tell the difference.”

That made me stop short. Is that what they had been arguing about? I wondered. Did they know?

I glanced at Roanheart, but he shook his head, looking more than a bit worn out.

My father, meanwhile, continued his rant. “It’s bad enough he threw away his chances at joining the Paladins, but now he’s sneaking off in the middle of the night, for Goddess knows what.”

Mother brought a bowl to the table for the old pony, shutting him up as he stuffed his mouth full of oats.

“As long as he isn’t seeing some mare, I think we should leave him be,” she said. “His time is his own, after all.”

I snorted and almost dropped my bowl. The only mare he would be seeing is Silverglow, and my closest friend had better not be betraying me for my brother.

“Bless you,” Mother said.

I attempted to tell her I hadn’t sneezed, but holding my breakfast might have garbled the message a bit.

She glowered. “Will you take a seat at the table, or are you going to stand there all morning?”

Here we go again, I thought, while Father rose to my defense.

“Clearly she is going out, Starluck,” he said. “Unlike Roanheart, she has duties she needs to perform. At least she has the dignity to stick around until you’re finished belittling her.”

“Bwha- belittling her?” she gasped. “Like you do our son? Roanheart may not be the perfect stallion to you, but he actually spends time with his family. Dawnfire barely sticks around long enough to say hello!”

“Maybe it’s because she’s tired of the constant nagging!”

Oh my word.

“Nagging? You think motherly advice is nagging?”

“Enough!” I shouted, my bowl clattering to the floor. “Both of you. I know you don’t agree with all of our choices, but wouldn’t it be better to accept them and move on, than argue all the time?”

“Not if they are the wrong choices,” Father said, before casually stuffing his face with more oats.

Unbelievable. For all he praised me, my father didn’t even care what I had to say. “He’s only trying to do what he thinks is right,” I said quietly.

I looked to Roanheart once again, sitting subdued in his place at the table. He smiled, in what I knew was his way of saying thank you.

My stomach knotted and I kicked the fallen bowl from my path, making for the door. Even with the oats crunching under my hooves I could hear my mother’s scoff. But what did it matter? Once we were gone she would realize how much she missed me. Sure, she would miss my brother more, but she would want me back too.

Not that I have decided yet. That persistent voice said, just as I passed outside and into the morning breeze. There was always a breeze. Would there be one on the ground, or would leaving take that from me too?

He’s just trying to do the right thing, I reminded myself, as a bright blue Pegasus passed overhead. The stupid thing, but the right thing.

And what was that thing? Throwing away our lives for ponies we didn’t even know?

Augh! I was tormenting myself. There was no way I would feel better obsessing over it in my head. I needed to hit something, and hard.

My wings snapped out and I captured the morning wind, taking to the air. There was only one place to go when I was feeling that way, the same place I always went. The training circle. If I was lucky, Silverglow would be there. She was that trusted friend you could complain to about everything and they would pretend to care. Except, she actually did. Or at least, I thought she did. At that moment I wasn’t sure of anything anymore.

The town rolled past, looking the same as it always did; white houses settled in the clouds with open doors and windows. Pegasi took to their air in all directions. Some headed for the rain mill or the misty fields, while others left for the Academy or training ring, like me. I recognized a few, ponies who I had flown by several times before, but didn’t know their names. Ponies I would most likely never meet.

Oh well, their loss, I figured. Not as if I was in the business of making friends anyway. Most new ponies I met were in the training circle, and not too many were in the habit of extending a hoof in friendship after being beaten in the face with a wooden sword. But that’s training for you. You learn the hard way, or not at all.

The towering spires of the Circle were a good reminder of that. They put things in perspective. Whether it was seeing them high above the other clouds, or standing under them as the loomed over you. They proved how insignificant you were. That no matter how hard you tried, there would always be challenges bigger than you could handle.

But not for me. I lived for the challenge; the rush of adrenaline, the crowd of admirers who cheered on my highly refined swordplay. And most of all, I did it for my best friend, who never missed a single fight.

That’s who I was looking for when I flew up to those high and mighty spires. A cream-coated pony with a silvery blue mane, dwarfed by the training circle, but devotedly waiting for my arrival.

Goddess, I should write poetry. But that would mean less time for kicking things. And we can’t have that.

Swooping out of a glide, I alighted next to Silverglow and shook the accumulated dew drops from my wings.

“All hail, the hero has returned,” she said loudly. “May the stars bless her as she blesses us with her presence!”

“The hero acknowledges her subjects and delights in their glowing admiration,” I replied, mimicking her theatrical voice.

We both burst out laughing. It was the same routine we had been doing for years, and somehow neither of us were tired of it yet. Little did we know, it would be the last time we ever did.

“But seriously now,” Silverglow said, after containing herself. “Why are you late this time? Practicing all night long, or is there some stallion I should know about?”

“Ha! That’s a good one,” unless she means Roanheart, in which case, yes, he is the idiot who kept me from a good night’s sleep. Just, not like that. “Come on, we better get in there. I don’t want to keep my next victim waiting.” Oh Goddess, what am I going to tell her? Should I tell her? I hadn’t even considered it.

“You alright there Dawn?”

“I’ll tell you later,” I said, trotting off under the arches of the arena. I needed time to think, and I did my best thinking while hitting things.

Silverglow quickly followed after me. She kept her mouth shut, but I could feel her gaze burning through my mane.

I shook off the feeling and kept going.

We were inside the Circle now, not the center itself, but the hidden halls under the stands; rows of doors drifting past on either side. My room was towards the middle, closest to the gate that led into the arena. Most ponies didn’t want a room like that, being able to hear the battles right before theirs in tournaments and the like. I lived on it. The exhilaration of what was to come. And after all, it wasn’t like it was a fight to the death. It was training. Only, I hadn’t known I was training for war. Was I prepared for such a thing?

We reached my room, and I unshouldered my saddlebag, getting a glimpse of Silverglow’s face as I did. That was a mistake. She was squinty-eyed and biting her lip. Perhaps not the leering gaze I was expecting, but sympathy was far more annoying in my book.

“Later, okay?” I said, then shoved my own face into my saddle and dug out the key to my room. She looked the same when I emerged.

“I’m not asking,” she insisted.

I rolled my eyes and inserted the key. Don’t know why we lock these anyway. A soldier’s fitting room was not abundant in valuables. At least mine was not.

Unlocking the room and shoving my way inside, I tossed my saddle bag into the corner and trotted to the weapons rack. My choice of “lethal” objects were all blunt wooden swords. To the amateur they would appear the same, but in reality they were all weighted differently, some even with varying hilts and lengths. I could only hope they were close to the real thing.

“Stop admiring your toys and get over here,” Silverglow huffed.

There was no point in arguing. Not with the pony who was helping me from getting my flank chewed out, both literally and figuratively.

She already had the steel barding out from my pack, and was tapping her hoof. I reluctantly stepped next to her, waiting for the cold touch of the armor’s metal plating.

She draped the first piece over my back, expertly avoiding my wings as she went about the straps, tightening them under me.

Naturally, I could have done all of it myself; most anypony with the scantest of training could, but the helping hoof of a squire was far easier. As long as it was somepony you could trust. One piece fitted wrong or one strap breaking loose could be the difference between living and dying. If we were fighting with real weapons that is.

“That should do it,” Silverglow said, having fitted the flank and chest pieces in their respective places.

I crossed the room to the single standing mirror and made a quick assessment of my majestic armor. I turned back to her where she sat blushing in the spot I left her. Why she always acted so embarrassed by her work was beyond me.

“Perfect as always,” I said, nodding my approval. But even as I moved away and selected my training sword, I felt her concern washing over me, or maybe it was just the cold metal. And maybe it was only my lack of sleep when I heard; “If you trust me with this, why can’t you trust me with one secret?”

I stared at her with my choice short sword in my mouth, the familiar taste of musky wood filling my senses. Silverglow showed no signs of having said a word.

I’m losing it.

“You’re going to be late,” She said, wilting under my gaze.

“Righf,” I mumbled through my weapon, before sheathing it at my side. “I’ll see you out there?”

“Of course,” She said, as I hurried passed her and into the hall.

I looked back, flashing her a quick smile without slowing down, and almost plowed straight into the stallion galloping down the hall.

“Sorry!” He shouted, but did so without taking his eyes off where he was going. His ocean-blue tail disappearing into an open room moments later.

At least I know I’m not the latest of the late, I thought. It was something to be grateful for. That, and the fact our regulation armor was light enough for a full gallop, not unlike the one my fellow soldier had just been doing.

I turned the corner for the gate and was greeted by the morning sun, already seeping over the last stands of the Circle’s edge. A row of youngish pegasi stallions stood at attention just outside on the cloud cover, their flanks to me, and tails swishing nervously. The ranting shouts of Lieutenant Windhelm could be heard from somewhere beyond them.

Slowing down a bit, I made for the far end of the row on my right. I made sure to keep my head low, ignoring the few judging glances of some stallions that caught my act. Thankfully when I got there, the Lieutenant was about ten ponies down the row, his grey muzzle shoved into that of an especially young soldier. The recruit did his best to look his commanding officer in the eye, whilst cringing and keeping his face from the flying spittle, or maybe the sun gleaming off the Lieutenant’s helmet. Which, I have to note, was the coolest piece of armor a Pegasi could get to wear. The way your mane fit through the back and came alive when taking flight was stunning. The only problem was, you only got to wear one once you passed your training and became a full-fledged Paladin.

“And that’s why none of you are ever going to pass your training!” Windhelm yelled ever louder. He stalked away from the freshly berated soldier, apparently content to leer down the rest of us as he spoke. “You’re lazy, sloppy, and have no respect for the Paladin code! Why, I bet my own mother would make a better soldier than any of you, and she’s too old to fly!”

A soldier sneezed, and the Lieutenant whipped around, his golden mane snapping out behind his helmet like a whip.

So cool.

“Do you have something to say, Galerush? Or can you simply not keep your nose from twitching!”

The sea-green Pegasus saluted, though his hoof trembled like a flower. “The twitching, sir!”

Windhelm snorted, as if the very idea disgusted him. Then, he continued down the line, towards me. Our eyes met. His fiery amber gaze locked on and refused to let me go as he approached. A few seconds later and my own violet eyes appeared in his. I felt the slightest pang of sympathy for that first young stallion just then. I knew what it was like, after all.

“Do you see what we have here?” The Lieutenant called out, but not for a second letting me out of his hard stare.

Not this again, I thought. And it took all my effort not to sigh aloud.

“Here we have the one single Pegasus in all the arena that has outshined the rest of you.” He stamped a forehoof with absolution. “If anypony has a chance to make the Paladins, it’s her.”

Lying bag of pony feathers. My mouth quivered, and I ground my teeth to keep from snarling into his arrogant face.

“She is the sparkling example of a true soldier! That is what I tell the Commander each week,” he said evenly, but speaking just as loudly. I could feel the eyes of every stallion in that line on me right then. Either hating me, or drooling at me. It never stopped.

Windhelm gave me the faintest of smiles. “If only one of you could be as good as this… mare.”

Buck off, you sexist pig.

And finally, he broke away, trotting back down the line. “Your training is nearly over! From what I’ve seen, you have learned nothing these past few moons. Today will be your chance to show me otherwise. Pair off to the nearest rings and begin your duels! Paladin Wildbreeze and I will be watching overhead as usual, do not disappoint me!”

With that said, he took off toward an oval-shaped dais that floated at the center of the arena. Another paladin, whom I could safely assume was Wildbreeze, already sat upon it.

“So, want to duel?” A husky voice practically whispered in my ear.

I jumped several lengths high in the air, my wings catching me and keeping me above my assailant. Below, the purple stallion that had been standing next to me grinned stupidly.

Great, a drooler, I scowled, actually searching for some on the clouds beneath him. Then again, drool does not stand out well on cloud cover. After a bit of awkward silence, and the leering stares of other soldiers who saw my episode, I descended.

“Fine,” I snapped, my muzzle as close to him as I dared. The quicker I got it over with this idiot, the sooner I could move to the next. “Follow me.”

“Lead the way,” he said, still smiling at me in a fashion that sent shivers down my spine.

Shaking it off, I started toward one of the raised platforms that scattered the arena, but then I imagined that stallion’s eyes on my flank and decided to fly the rest of the distance.

The platforms were only a few hoof-lengths higher than the cloud cover, designed to create a boundary to remain inside, without constricting your wings, or risking injury if you fell.

And forgot how to fly, I thought, pulling in my wings as I touched down on the nearest one.

The stallion had taken his time, still walking along the cloud cover and looking as content as a bird full of worms. Lots and lots of worms.

I took the chance to sweep the stands for Silverglow. I didn’t have far to look. She sat in the second row, right beside the gate. She saw me find her, and waved with a little bob of her hoof.

I saluted her, which actually got her to smile again. But before we could continue our charades, Drool Face hopped up onto the platform between us and slowly walked to the far end. Which, I should mention, was only about eight pony-lengths across. Both ways, as that is how circles work.

The steam I had built up from my little stare down with the Lieutenant was already fading, and I tried to hold on to the last bit of rage for my spar to come. I yanked out my wooden blade, and planted my hooves in a battle stance; wide and stable, but with enough room to spring. My wings were spread likewise.

Drool Face lifted a wing to reveal his own sword. “Ready?” He asked.

I grunted. What about me says I’m not ready, you dolt?

He seemed to take that as a yes and finally put the hilt in his mouth. That was the best part about combat. Your opponent had to shut up.

The second he took his own stance, I sprung.

I dove straight at him, sword outstretched. He went wide eyed, swinging toward me in a panic. My wings snapped forward, bringing me short of his blade and buffeting him with wind.

He backpedaled a step, raising up his hooves to fend off a second attack, but I jumped to the right instead and swung at his hind quarters. The sharp clack of wood on metal echoed in the open air. From the stands I could hear Silverglow cheer.

“That’s one,” I said, unable to keep the smug from my voice.

Drool Face simply stared at me as I walked back to my side, his sword hanging loosely from his mouth.

Clearly he hasn’t seen me fight before. But then, that was the trouble. The smitten stallions didn’t see me as a challenge and thought they could go easy on me. It was over too quickly with them. I preferred the ones that hated me.

I didn’t bother changing my stance. Crouching low, I waited for him to take his own. Not that it mattered.

Eventually, Drool Face sank down, a semi-fierce scowl plastered on his mug, not wanting to lose again. They never liked being humiliated in front of their peers. Could I blame them? Yes, yes I could.

I charged, but this time he held his ground. The problem was, I’m not a one trick pony. I stayed the course, blade forward and he realized too late I wasn’t pulling back. His sword came at my neck, but with no strength behind it. I batted it aside with my own and plowed into him shoulder first, the force sending him over the edge and rolling on the cloud cover below.

My wings saved me again, pulling me up before I could follow him and lose my second point.

Landing, I dropped my sword at the edge and rotated my forelegs, stretching my shoulders and back. Ah yes, it feels good to hit things again.

Drool Face pulled out of his daze to the sound of Silverglow stamping her hooves in applaud.

“You alright there little birdy?” she shouted from the stands. “Looks like you fell from your nest!”

He shot her a look before picking up his weapon and inching back toward the circle.

I laughed. In part because I was putting another smug stallion in his place, but mostly because of Silverglow. She didn’t like what I did. Crushing my opponents without mercy. Leaving them humiliated. But we both pretended she did. And the fact that my closest friend was willing to support me with the gusto of a true fan made me laugh.

Riding that good mood, I picked up my blade and backed away, smirking through the hilt. Drool Face pulled himself up onto the circle after me, glaring all the while.

As I rounded the edge to my side, I caught sight of that blue-tailed stallion who had nearly killed me in the hall. He had only just then galloped through the gate, his armor clearly put on hastily, and by his own clumsy hooves. The speed at which he must have done so was impressive though.

Unfortunately for him, the Lieutenant saw him as well, and swooped down from the dais, much like an eagle after a frightened rabbit. I turned away from the verbal massacre before it could begin. There were more important matters at hoof, like getting Drool Face out of my mane once and for all. I would enjoy adding another stallion to the list of those that hated me.

I got to my spot and turned around when he lunged at me, his wings scooping the air to cross the distance.

My sword met his not a moment too soon, the force almost jarring the weapon from my mouth. A hoof shot out, clipping my armor as I flew to the side, almost tripping me.

It failed. But he was on me again, exchanging blows and shooting out a hoof whenever he got the chance. It was reckless, not something we learned in training, but effective. I quickly realized his sword was heavier than mine, each strike hitting harder than the last. I needed an opening.

When the next swing came, I fell onto my back, my sword parrying his away from my face. He couldn’t stop his momentum, and as he dove over me, my hind legs connected with his exposed belly.

I heard the air go out of him, and rolling to my hooves I jumped after him, my sword striking his flank as he tumbled to the floor.

I sheathed my weapon and spit the woody taste out of my mouth. “And that makes three,” I snarled.

He groaned in response, but I wasn’t sticking around to see if he was okay. If it really was to be my last day in the clouds I wanted to get as much out of it as physically possible.

Walking off the circle, Silverglow’s usual applause was joined in by a few others. The stands were starting to fill with the normal morning rabble, flying in from all directions. Although it was mostly just young ponies looking for excitement, or ponies too old to work and looking for a way to pass the time. I appreciated their ovation none the less, and graced them with a hearty wave, before setting out for my next duel.

Sadly, my journey was cut a bit short.

“Dawnfire!” The Lieutenant hollered. “Get over here!”

You have to be kidding me, I moaned, but picked up my pace anyway.

Lieutenant Windhelm waited expectantly aside the blue-tailed soldier he had apparently just finished berating. I had to give the stallion credit though, despite what he had just been through, he was still standing tall. Perhaps a little out of breath, but not broken… yet.

“Dawnfire,” The Lieutenant repeated, as if there was a need to address me twice. “I need you to tear this soldier a new flank. Show him how seriously we take training around here.”

“Aye, sir,” I said, with as much enthusiasm as I could muster. Great, now I’m doing your dirty work?

“What was that soldier?” Windhelm stamped his hoof.

“Aye, sir!” I saluted. You have feathers for a brain, sir, and I would like to kick them out through your ears, sir!

The Lieutenant took to the air, shouting as he left. “Well don’t just stand there, get a move on!”

Blue-tail shook himself and gave me a half-hearted smile. “You can never catch a break with the old goose around, eh?” he said, before holding a hoof to his chest. “My name is Trotsky, by the way. Sorry for almost running into you earlier.”

I do believe we have another drooler. “Not a problem, Blue-tail,” I told him, then walked away toward the nearest empty training circle. “Try not to take it personally when I beat you to a pulp.”

I absently noted that only a few other fights had finished. It was easy to tell the winners from the losers. Not because they were bruised or bleeding, wooden swords didn’t leave scars to write home about. But when stallions won a competition they had a way of showing it off, chests puffed out, and heads held high.

“What did you call me?” Blue-tail trotted to catch up, his cream-colored coat was already covered in a healthy sheen of sweat.

“Blue-tail,” I said, climbing onto the circle. Was it really still a surprise to them that I didn’t care who they were or what they thought of me?

“Why would you call me that?” He asked, refusing to follow after me onto the platform.

I would have taken that as a joke had his face not been all scrunched up like he had whiffed his own breath. Instead, I pointed a hoof at the a-bit-past-regulation-length clump of hair sticking out of his rump.

“Because your tail… is blue,” I stated. You couldn’t get much simpler than that.

He snorted and jumped up on the circle, starting to pace around me, and I, him. “No, I’m asking why you would call me some made up name after I told you my real one, as if it didn’t really matter.”

That made me look at Blue-tail in a new light. Of most the stallions I had faced, almost every one could be categorized in two ways; as a glory hound, thinking he was better than all other ponies and I was an insult to his honor by challenging him. Or, as a self-conceited flea bag that thought I should swoon over him because he was a true soldier and I was only pretending to be one. But this stallion was different. It was bound to happen I suppose, a stallion with an actual conscience. The only thing was, I didn’t care. I couldn’t afford to.

“I call you Blue-tail, because whether you like it or not, your real name doesn’t matter. Most of you nameless stallions already dropped out moons ago, and even more of you who do happen to make it to the end of training won’t become Paladins.”

His ears flattened at that, but I wasn’t finished.

“Even if I were to learn your name, I wouldn’t remember it after you’re gone. Fact is, I’ve had moons to learn all your names, but I haven’t bothered, and do you know why?”

I didn’t truly care if he answered or not. While it felt good to rant, I was mostly just stalling so he could catch his breath and put up a half-decent fight.

He chose to answer. “I’m guessing you will tell me anyway.”

Bet your bits I will. “I don’t bother learning your names because none of you care to learn mine.” We had circled back to our places. Just a moment longer now. “I see the way you all look at me. To you I’m just the mare. The mare that losing to, means losing your dignity.” I took my stance and watched him take his. “To you I’m nothing more than an obstacle.” I pulled out my blade and gripped it firmly in my teeth, my blood pumping in anticipation. The monologue felt right, I would have to try it more often.

“Perhaps they wouldn’t think of you that way if you weren’t so bent on making them the enemy,” he said, catching me off-guard.

What? I’m not making them out to be any more than what they are. After all, they are the ones who-

He dove at me faster than Drool-face had ever moved. I didn’t have time to counter, so I rolled to the side.

I felt the air sweep behind me, his sword barely missing my flank. When did he even draw it?

But I didn’t have time to think, only act and react.

His next swing came low, so I vaulted away, spinning to face him while I did.

My sword was up just in time for his furious attack, each blow was different from the last. One high, another low. A thrust, then a full swing. But each one came just as quickly as the last.

I was panting for breath and losing the grip on my own blade. Somewhere Silverglow was yelling her encouragement, but I had lost all sense of direction in our mad little dance.

Another thrust was barely reflected in time, our wooden swords scraping together and our faces sliding inches from each other’s.

He snatched himself away, wings spread, and that’s when I saw it. A loose strap on his chest piece. It would need some help coming undone, but I would only get one chance at it.

I chased after him, going for the throat as he landed.

He batted it away easily, but as I reared away as well, my hoof shot out, catching the loose strap.

For a moment everything stopped, my hoof keeping us locked together. His eyes went wide, suddenly aware of my scheme. He shifted his stance, maybe to try and move closer, or maybe to fly out of it. But in that single movement, it didn’t matter anymore.

I felt it give way before I saw the chest place shift, falling off his shoulder as I fell on my back. The metal hit the platform with a soft thump, but it wasn’t over yet.

I rolled to the side, his sword striking where I had been seconds before. On my hooves again I deflected another blow, and as his blade swung away I pressed forward, aiming for his exposed chest. My sword hit home. It was over.

Immediately Blue-tail’s attitude changed. He stepped away and sheathed his sword, a big stupid grin on his face.

My own weapon hung limp in my mouth. He does know getting struck without armor is a loss, right? Silverglow was cheering from the stands behind me, which meant we had completely changed sides during the engagement. Then I realized, my friend was not the only pony that had seen the duel. Several other soldiers had gathered around the platform, most with looks of frustration or disappointment, though a select few stared up at us with appreciation.

“Well fought,” Blue-tail said, picking up his fallen armor and tossing it on his back. “You are a most deadly obstacle. Let’s just hope the Lieutenant doesn’t kick me out for losing to a mare.”

A hot flash of anger surged through me as the stallions around us laughed. I had to resist the urge to hit him again as he walked past me. But as I hesitated, he stopped and leaned in close.

“Not everypony who is against you is your enemy, Dawnfire,” he whispered. “Oh, and thanks for the breather. Don’t think for a moment I didn’t notice what you were doing there.”

He winked at me, which got a round of whinnies from those watching. Then before I could think of what to say, he left the platform.

I watched him leave, flanked on both sides by Twitchy-nose, and a lanky grey stallion I did not recognize.

You are a strange stallion, I thought, as Blue-tail glanced back at me one last time.

If only I had understood him better then. Perhaps our paths might have intertwined differently. Maybe he would have changed my mind. Maybe he would have saved me from many of my own mistakes. I will never know for sure.

What I did know, was that the large red stallion climbing onto the circle was ready for a fight. I doubted he would be giving me the same reprieve I had given Blue-tail, even if it was training regulations to have five minutes between each fight.

He snorted fiercely and spat on the floor, as if it was supposed to impress me. It didn’t, but it did earn him his nickname, Big-spit.

I turned back to the stands and cast Silverglow a look that I’d hoped said something along the lines of; “Get a load of this idiot.”

I’m guessing it did, because she gestured a noose around her neck and played dead.

I had to smile a little at that, which wasn’t easy to do with a sword in your mouth. I faced Big-spit again, and swallowed my own, working my teeth against the hilt to get a better grip. Finally, the day’s sparring was back to normal everyday stallions who hated me. Now I could mindlessly beat them into a pulp. Goddess, I love being a soldier.

Author's Note

And so our journey begins. Thank you so much for reading so far, and I hope to see you again in the future. After all, this story is going to be a long one, if I ever get around to finishing it. Also if you have any questions for me, feel free to post on my profile page or send a private note. I hope you all have a great week.

Cheers!

3: A Decision Made

Chapter 3

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During the rest of my duels I thought about my brother. Sometimes to contemplate why I would ever even consider leaving my life in the clouds for him. And other times I thought of him as the stallion I was hitting with my sword. Needless to say, I felt far better at the end of those.

But after each duel I looked at the sun, tracking its steady ascent across the sky, and knowing that each passing moment brought me closer to having to make a decision. Training always ended at midday, when the sun was at its highest. It was there now, beating down on us; the sweat covered soldiers hoping to be something more. I figured that most of the soldiers I fought that day were not going to get that chance. With the exception of a deceptively nimble grey stallion, not a single one of them had landed a point on me. Then again, even with my superior swordplay, I wasn’t going to get that chance either. Not that I had decided yet. But that was just it, I hadn’t made up my mind.

I don’t think I ever will, I thought. How could I? How could he ask me to choose between my life and his?

I flopped down on my flank against the circle I had just fought in, panting, too tired to even sheath my sword which lay discarded next to me. I squinted up at the sun. Any minute now, the Lieutenant would call it quits. Any minute now I would have to go to the rain mill and either give my life to him, or let him throw away his. But there was another decision to be made first.

My eyes flickered to the nearly vacant stands. I knew Silverglow would not be there. That she would have left for her own daily training in herbalism and weather patterns. She would be back though, to unhitch my armor, and scold me for pressing myself too hard. What was I supposed to tell her? We had been friends since we were foals. There was no way I was leaving without saying goodbye.

I tried to imagine what I might say, but there was no way to reason it. He was my brother, and she was my closest friend. If I stayed, I would be losing my only sibling. If I left, I would be losing my… I had to be honest with myself. She really was my only friend. I didn’t exactly attract many other ponies.

Silverglow was the pony who kept me sane. The one I could talk to whenever my family infuriated me, or my training, or another pony I bumped into on the street. She was really the only one I never got upset with. At least, for very long. She would just stand there, looking dejected, a bit of pout to her lip, and scuffing the floor with her hoof. How could I stay angry with that?

My image of her was replaced with a far less pleasant one. Windhelm hovered over me, his face beet red after a bit too much exposure. Did I miss his final call?

“What are you still doing here?” He shouted in my face, spraying it with even more moisture than it already had. “Get your flank out of my ring, now!”

You would have already thrown my flank out of town by now, if you could, I thought, snidely. Too bad he might actually get his wish.

I eased my way onto my hooves, gingerly picking up my sword and returning it to its sheath.

Fortunately, the Lieutenant had better things to do, and instead of harassing me more, unfurled his wings and soared away.

Without my commander to be annoyed by my slowness, I picked up my pace and headed for the gate. There was still no need to rush, however. The rest of my day did not seem very promising.

Back under the stands, I was once again thankful that I had a room so close to the gate. Even with how light Pegasus armor was, it was enough extra weight after a long day of training to drag a pony down. The hall reeked of musky stallion sweat, and though I certainly added to it, the foreign odor of so many other ponies was enough to make even an iron-willed soldier, such as myself, gag.

For that reason, and because I was simply too exhausted to care, I opted to butt into the door of my room with my head instead of lifting a hoof to test it. Luckily, it was open, and Silverglow sat waiting patiently inside as I stumbled in.

Her ears perked at my entrance, and she immediately closed the tome from which she had been reading.

“The valiant hero returns from her crusade,” she beamed, though her voice lacked the enthusiasm to sell the bit.

I attempted a weak smile, but it was all in vain. I only hoped her mood was from her own day’s problems rather than fretting over what I had failed to tell her the entire time. You couldn’t say I was a completely heartless pony.

“How were your lessons?” I asked, hoping my assumptions would be wrong.

“Not bad,” she said, dismissively. After which she began pacing around me, surveying my armor for any major damage I might have caused it. “Just plants, medicine, and other things you wouldn’t be interested in.”

It was hard to admit, but she was not wrong.

“Your armor looks great,” she appraised. “The hero goes unscathed again, I presume?”

“Eh, one stallion got a lucky swing, but he was the only one,” I said. Call me what you will, but I was not a liar. Not typically. “You should have seen how he looked after I was done with him for that, though.”

She gingerly began loosening the cinch on the first strap around my chest, apparently imagining the stallion in her head, or so I thought.

The strap came undone without pinching me, and the plating fell to the floor. “That was some duel in your second round today,” she said. “It was smart, the way you beat him.”

Second round? I thought. Oh, right. Blue-tail.

“Yeah, he was…” I wasn’t sure how to describe him. Different? “Well, he was wishing he had a squire pony like you after that, I bet.” I gave her a big grin hoping to lighten the mood.

She removed the barding from my back, laying it aside with the chest piece, leaving only my flank to go.

“Seemed to me like he was more interested in having a pony like you,” she said, coyly.

I blinked. That was ridiculous. He may have played it that way, but it was all for show. Wasn’t it? “Please, Silverglow. The only reason any of these stallions would want me is so they could boast how they got with the only mare in training. You and I both know I’m not the most appealing pony around. And I mean that in more ways than one.” As I said, I’m an honest pony.

“Speak for yourself,” she said, having removed the last piece of plating. “I think you have just as much going for you as any other mare up here.”

I shook myself, throwing the drops of sweat from my mane, then rolled my shoulders, before bending my legs into a deep stretch.

“Yeah, well, you’re required to say that as my friend,” I said. “Now, do you have my water?”

She rolled her eyes, muttering something under breath, but obediently fetched the bucket from where she had been sitting earlier.

There was a bathing area provided in the hall of course, but any pony that expected me to go anywhere near that place during training hours was bona-fide insane.

Silverglow placed the bucket at my hooves, then politely stepped back and faced away from me. I really didn’t mind whether she did or not, but telling her so would be an odd conversation. It wasn’t as if I was actually bathing after all.

First, however, I took a greedy mouthful of the water, swirling it around before swallowing it, and enjoying the cool, crisp taste. She must have gotten it fresh from the rain mill. You simply couldn’t buy friendship like that.

Grabbing the edge of the bucket, I tipped it up above my head and let the rest of the water slosh out over me. It was instant relief, chilling tendrils of liquid bliss washing away the exhaustion. I let it soak into my coat, run along my mane, down my legs, and to the floor. Unlike that morning, a bucket of water was the best thing in the sky when you actually needed one.

Moving aside one pony length, I dropped to the clouds and rolled around, doing the best a pony could to dry herself. Well, short of having another pony do so, but that was out of the question.

“Alright, I’m finished,” I said, getting back to my hooves and shaking a back leg to get rid of some particularly stubborn droplets.

Silverglow peeked over her shoulder first, before turning around completely, as if there was something to be embarrassed about.

I stood there, looking into the sad expression she wore, knowing the moment had arrived. There were other options. I could have simply started packing my things, pretending to have forgotten. I even could have told her I wasn’t ready to say anything yet. That it would have to wait for another day. But truly? They were options I would never have taken.

She moved before I could, placing a tentative hoof on my shoulder.

“Is there anything else I can help you with?” she asked, completely unaware of the wing-lock I was about to give her.

The thing was, how much should I tell her? Everything of course.

I started by reminding her of how obsessively compassionate my brother was. How he could never be idle when there were ponies in need. I pointed out the food shortages we were having, and how everypony was overworked, just like Roanheart had done to me. Then I told her about the night before, when he had come to me, forcing me into a choice between him and my own path. I watched her carefully through it all. Her eyes growing wide, before squinting as she tried to understand. Her knowing smile at the description of my brother, then replaced with a thoughtful frown. But finally, when I was finished, even though I hadn’t talked for as long as it felt, I moved on to what was really bothering me.

“I just can’t decide,” I told her. “How can he expect me to choose between his life and my own? I’m going to be somepony here, but I could never let him go without me. He has no idea what he’s getting into. Without me, he will die within a week if he’s even that lucky. What kind of sister would I be if I let him do that to himself?”

The floor became the focus of my attention by then. I didn’t know if I was ashamed of myself for putting my problem on her, or for becoming more emotional than I was credited for. After a few seconds of painstaking silence, she hugged me.

“Dawn,” she started softly, before breaking away. “It sounds to me like you have already made a decision. You should be more worried about preparing to leave than what you are going to tell Roanheart.”

And there it was. I had known from the minute he had asked me, what my choice was going to be. I had simply needed another pony to tell me it was okay. To say it was the right decision. That pony happened to be Silverglow.

“I know,” was all I could say. I imagine most ponies would have broken down then; cried for a while, wailing that it wasn’t fair. Not me.

I gave my friend a smile as her own eyes teared up, and then began packing my barding back into my saddlebag.

The silent unspoken question that remained was one I had hoped to escape. Would she ask to come with us? I certainly did not want her to. There was a chance, a slim one, that Roanheart would change his mind after we left. After seeing just how hopeless the war was, and thinking of our friends and family back home. But if Silverglow was with us? He would refuse to fail in front of her. Then I would be stuck on the ground trying to keep two other ponies alive. Let alone myself.

“So, when are you leaving?” she asked, just as I had finished slinging my saddlebag over me.

I met her eyes for a moment, trying to read the thoughts behind those silver windows. If I told her when, I was taking a huge risk. But as long as she didn’t know where, I figured it was safe. I still didn’t even know that myself.

“Tonight,” I said, watching her wilt a little before me. “We’ll be fine though. I’m sure Roanheart has thought of everything.” That might have been a mark against my truthful pony idealism.

She took a step back. “Dawn, that’s rather sudden. Do you even know where you’re going?”

No I don’t, and I wouldn’t tell you if I did. “Does it matter?” I said. “Wherever we go, it will be to help ponies who need it. Isn’t that enough?”

I didn’t mean to sounds so harsh, but if Silverglow thought for a moment I didn’t know what I was doing, she might try to follow. Heck, I was lucky she didn’t call me out for pretending to care about other ponies.

But she was still far from convinced. She fell onto her flank, sighing. “I wish it were that simple, but you going down there without knowing what you’re getting into…”

We would cause more harm than good. I was fully aware of that risk, and it was one of the many reasons it had taken me so long to accept I had to leave with him. And now my friend seemed suddenly against my doing so.

“I thought you supported my decision to go.” I said.

She refused to meet my gaze. “I support whatever you choose to do. I always do. It’s just I- I don’t want to lose you to some war we’re not even a part of. You’re asking me to be okay with my best friend leaving on a journey without me. What am I supposed to say to that?”

“How about, good luck?” I suggested, leaving the door behind to sit with her. “I don’t know what’s going to happen down there, but I won’t forget that you’re waiting here for me when I get back.”

She wiped a tear off her cheek with a forehoof. “So this is goodbye then... isn’t it.”

My gut wrenched a bit. It was the first time I ever had to say goodbye to somepony, and I already hated it.

“How about, instead of goodbye we say, ‘until we meet again,’ and I promise to come back, no matter what.”

She nodded, her eyes still downcast. “You better get going. Roanheart will be wondering where you are.”

“Right,” I said, getting to my hooves again. Don’t look back, I told myself, trotting to the door. Don’t do it.

I looked back, and my heart hurt a little more. Silverglow was holding in what tears she still had. Her body shivered, and she met my gaze without really seeing me. I tried to think of something encouraging; whatever you say when you leave your best friend behind. But I came up empty.

She faked a smile. “Go be a hero, Dawnfire.”

I saluted, as if making a joke of it would help it hurt any less. Then, shifting my saddlebag a little, I left my fitting room and my best friend behind, thinking I would never see either of them again. I would be right about one.

Trotting through the hall, there were some stallions coming out of their rooms the same as me. They paid me little attention, or far too much. But truthfully, it didn’t matter anymore. I had more important things to worry about.

Drool-face appeared in a doorway near the end of the hall, the noon-day sunlight barely catching him in its glow. He looked pretty bruised, and I made sure to skirt around him. No reason to start anything.

He snorted and muttered something under his breath as I went by.

Bite me. I thought, darkly, and re-imagined our duel, with him lying in a broken pile. It helped my mood, a little.

The hot sun was on me then, and the shadowed halls of the stands were behind me forever. I highly doubted the Paladins would be inclined to let me try again after leaving town for who knew how long. But if they did, I would make them remember the mare who taught them how to really fight.

Risenbrook was in full swing. Pegasi flew in all directions, headed for the rain mill or their homes. Some, I knew, would be going to the market, for what meager supplies they had left to sell.

If anything changes, I hope we can at least get a decent meal for them. I lifted my wings and forced myself into the air, my saddlebag feeling even heavier than before. Regrettably, steel barding was no lighter when folded up and shoved into a bag, even when it was Pegasus armor.

I powered my way into the higher levels of the flight paths, following in the wakes of ponies headed toward the mill. The air was almost as refreshing as the bucket of water I had earlier. I closed my eyes for a moment, letting the thrill of flight take over. As much as I enjoyed fighting, every Pegasus I knew had an affinity for flying, and I was no exception.

The rain mill loomed ahead when I opened my eyes again. Its great spiraling clouds drifted majestically above it, contrast to its menacing grey thunderclouds that rumbled beneath.

I spotted Roanheart on the ledge outside the main entrance, his size and deeply colored coat were hard to miss. The perfect target for whoever might want to kill him. I slipped into a glide, slowly moving down to meet him. For a second, I thought about turning back before he saw me, forgetting the whole thing and spending the rest of the day with Silverglow. But there were just some choices you had to make, no matter how much you may dislike them.

My brother made no reaction as I alighted beside him, only his eyes moved to look at me.

“You’re late,” he said, casually.

“And you’re lucky I came at all,” I said, unshouldering my saddlebag, and stretching my back.

“Well I’m glad you did,” he said, giving me those pitiful brown eyes of his.

It was probably best I didn’t tell him how seriously I had considered not doing so. But now that I was there standing next to him, I knew I could never have let him go alone.

“So where exactly are we going down there?” I asked in my best sisterly ‘tell me you’re not an idiot’ tone. “You do have a plan right?”

He snorted. Stallions seemed to do that a lot. “Of course. Dee, I’m not an idiot, you know.”

My voice had been perfect.

“Well then, how about letting me in on this brilliant plan of yours,” I said. If there was a strategy to be put in motion, a soldier, such as myself, should be at the front of it.

Roanheart glanced suspiciously at a nearby mill worker as he flew past, the wind from his wings ruffling our feathers. I doubted that was the only thing my brother had bothering him. He leaned in closer, as if that made our scheming any less obvious.

“I flew down to the surface last week…” he whispered.

I wanted to be surprised, but I couldn’t. Perhaps a theatrical gasp would have been appropriate. But that was beneath me. Everything Roanheart had done so far, was exactly what I expected of him.

He continued, despite my mute response. “There’s a village just east of us with almost no protection. Their supply caravans don’t show up anymore. They are cut off, easy prey for mercenaries or whoever. I figure we can start there, help them back on their hooves, and find out more about what’s going on. Then go from there.”

A helpless little village in need of saving, and conveniently nearby. Somehow I doubted it was that simple. “Whose side are they on?” I asked, our conversation from the earlier night coming to mind. What were the sides for that matter? “If you want to ‘end the war,’ we should probably make sure we’re fighting for the right ponies.”

He stuttered, as if he still hadn’t considered it. Then again, it was Roanheart, so he probably hadn’t.

“Dee, these ponies are farmers,” he said. “Families that barely know what the fighting is about themselves. We can only do good by helping them. What does it matter whose side they are on?”

Helping a village to supply an army that could kill ponies against them mattered. But we were only two Pegasi with hero complexes. If we swayed the war by protecting some farmers, the other side probably deserved to lose. I supposed it was best to let Roanheart have that one.

“Okay fine,” I said, rolling an already stiff shoulder. “So now what? Do you have everything we need; food, water?” A magical spell that will prevent us from getting shot out of the sky.

He scuffed the clouds with a forehoof and looked away from me.

Oh Goddess, now what? “Spit it out. What did you forget?”

“I didn’t forget anything,” he said, defiantly. “I have everything we need, just not…”

I stared at him, watching him struggle like some foal trying to confess his love, not a full grown stallion admitting what vital item he had failed to procure for our grand adventure.

Unable to bare it any longer, I got to my hooves and made as if I was going to leave.

“I couldn’t get any weapons,” he said in a rush.

That stopped me in my tracks, even when I hadn’t planned on actually leaving. “You’re joking.” Of course he wasn’t.

“I tried to make a deal with a surface pony while I was down there, but apparently they don’t trust Pegasi. And there’s no way the Paladin’s will let me anywhere near the armory.”

“So you need me to get them for you,” I finished.

He nodded rather lamely.

“Well this may come as a surprise to you, but they don’t let regular soldiers into the Paladin’s Keep either,” I said. “We get to see the main hall once, and that’s it, until you make full Paladin. If you make Paladin.” Even saying it to him made me want to hit somepony. It’s not like they had anything worth hiding anyway. Except some dusty old books and a few actual swords.

Roanheart chuckled under his breath and smiled at me. “I remember the time they let you in the hall, you couldn’t stop talking about it.”

Yeah, that was before I knew it was a boring load of crap. I thought. But it also reminded me of something else.

“You were still in training then,” I told him, a smile of my own creeping up on me. “You had a limp that morning because your flank got kicked so hard the day before you could barely walk. I don’t think you won a single fight.”

He laughed again, but all the sincerity was gone. “That’s part of why I left, you know. What good is a soldier who can’t fight?”

“That doesn’t mean you give up,” I said. “Training is learning how to do what you can’t. Think of how proud Dad was then, Mom too. You just had to stick with it.”

“Yeah, well I didn’t, okay, Dee?” He said, suddenly fierce. “You stayed with it, and I didn’t. But I’m not giving up now. Not on the ponies in that village or any others who might need our help.”

I held up a hoof, stopping his approach. “Alright, seesh. You don’t have to get all righteous on me,” I said.

He sighed and backed off, as if he had unloaded some huge burden. My brother, the melodramatic. “Will you at least try, for me?” he asked.

I could have sassed him for a bit more for not being specific, but I knew what he meant, and he knew I did. What will it hurt? I supposed. I’m going to be kicked out anyway. Might as well get it over with a day early. I gathered up my saddlebag once more and slipped it over me, not bothering to look at him as I stretched out my wings.

“Anything else I should know about?” I asked over my shoulder.

“Not really,” he said. “Just meet me back home when you’re done. I get off work soon anyway.”

Home. Where was that going to be down there? I thought, while my wings caught the wind and I leapt into the open air. Wherever it was, at least I wouldn’t have two old ponies fussing over me. That, and we would probably be too busy fleeing for our lives on a consistent basis.

“Oh, and Dee!” Roanheart shouted after me. “Remember to keep this quiet!”

Yeah, sure, Roanheart. And next we’ll keep it quiet in town square, or at the Paladin’s Keep. Perhaps we can even keep it quiet at the Keep’s dungeon, assuming they have one.

I banked left, heading out across to where the Keep would be sitting, looming over the homes of ponies in the upper ring. If they did have a dungeon, I probably would find out very soon.

A weathered orange stallion flew up to my level, his wary gaze suggesting he had heard Roanheart’s declaration of secrecy.

“Buck off!” I snapped, pumping my wings to reach above normal traffic patterns. If I was going to leave my home town that night, I was going to enjoy my last flight over it in peace.

Author's Note

Not much for me to say here. This chapter is all about building characters, and them coming to terms with what has to come next. I do hope you are enjoying the story so far. Please feel free to leave comments on what you think, either positive or politely negative. Thanks for reading.

4: The Paladin's Keep

Chapter 4

----

Flying was the quickest way for a Pegasus to get anywhere. But even a young, fit pony, like myself could get tired.

My wings burned, and my breath was coming in quick wheezing bursts. Even the sweat I had cleared myself of before had returned in force. Risenbrook qualified as a town, but that by no means made it small. I admitted defeat when I was most of the way to the Paladin’s Keep. A slight detour to my house relieved the saddlebag from my back. I placed my training sword there as well, but kept my sheath and barding.

I had sat there a while, gasping for air, in the alley between our house and the neighbor’s. When I had taken flight again, the sun was noticeably sinking, midday already far behind. It would still be some time before it set completely, but I wasn’t going to let those moments slip by wasted.

The upper ring of houses belonged to the “nobles” of our town. They were spaced apart, with enough room to fit an entire home between them. The Paladin’s Keep was among those houses, its turreted walls mimicked that of the stonework you could find from the Earth ponies. At least, so I had been told. And I never believed everything I heard.

A plan had formulated in my mind as I flew. I hated it, as a rule, but there were no other reasonable options I could think of. My wings led me down to the majestic double doors where two Paladins had been posted, and always were posted. Not necessarily the same two, but always two. In fact, I was sincerely hoping they were not the two ponies from when I had first been there. My plan hinged on them not remembering me, which sounded far dumber the more I thought about it.

But there was no time to second guess myself. As I swooped in above them, their majestic armor glinted while they followed my descent with probing stares. They made no move to draw their swords, which was promising, and the stallion on the left stepped forward just as my hooves touched the clouds.

He had a dusty brown mane flowing out behind his helmet like Lieutenant Windhelm’s did. And though it was almost indiscernible under his layers of barding, I was pretty sure his coat was yellow, sort of like the sun behind a cloud. Which was exactly how difficult it was to tell what he was thinking.

“You’re a long way from the training circle, soldier,” he said, his voice rough, but not unpleasant.

Here goes nothing, I thought, trying to catch my breath. Goddess I already hate myself.

“I kn- I’m sorry, sir,” I said, mentally suppressing the floodgates of sarcasm from bursting forth. “It’s just, I was sick when they let everypony else visit the Keep, so I didn’t get to go. And now my training ends soon, so I thought m-maybe I could see it in case I don’t make it.”

My voice sounded so pathetic I sickened myself. Part of me wanted them to call me out on my terrible theatrics just so I could stop the self-torture. But then we would be short any real weapons and I knew Roanheart would still insist on going. Far be it for him to let a little thing like self-preservation get in the way of helping ponies.

“Is that so?” Dusty-mane asked, strolling down the steps toward me.

My legs locked up as he came close. Oh Goddess, am I actually scared? Of course I am. Who knows what the Paladins do to ponies who betray them.

He studied me through the slits in his helmet until I was forced to look away, hanging my head.

Say something, I thought. Something a pathetic, trembling filly would say. But all I could think of was, “bite me,” and I kept that to myself.

The stallion cleared his throat, and I chanced a look at him again. He was smiling.

“Stormdive,” he called back to the other sentry. “Keep an eye on the gate for me. No pony deserves to miss out on a once in a lifetime opportunity, wouldn’t you agree?”

The dark-maned stallion muttered something incomprehensible.

“What was that?”

Stormdive put a hoof to his half-helm. “Of course, sir, as you say sir.”

Sir? I looked over the stallion’s barding again, and instantly found the white braided rope denoting him as a Captain. Had I really been so anxious that I missed it earlier? Next I would be missing a sword swinging at my throat, and then where would I be? Dead, that’s where.

“Come along, soldier,” the Captain said, trotting back up the steps to the gate.

I shook myself and followed his lead, almost forgetting to look timid in the process. What had I been so worried about? Stallions were a pushover for mares in distress.

“Oh, and Stormdive,” the Captain said once I reached him. “Under no circumstances do you leave your post, understood?”

“Yes sir,” he muttered.

“Unless another mare soldier comes along of course,” the Captain laughed. “Then fetch me right away.”

With that, he push open the gate and went inside, still chuckling to himself as he went.

Stormdive just stood there, leering at me.

Now I’m worried again.

-----

The main Hall of the Paladins’ Keep was about as interesting as a history lesson, or a soldier’s medal collection. It was filled on both sides by larger-than-life cloud statues of past generals and commanders of merit. Vast paintings hung between them, depicting battles of epic proportions. Most of which probably never happened.

But the Hall’s décor was not what held my interest. I had seen it before, after all. What was new, was the multitude of Paladins cantering through the Keep. I had always been under the assumption that they were few and far between. Only the elite of the elite were recruited into their ranks. But then, in the Main Hall alone, were at least a dozen Paladins going about their business.

“Not quite like you remember it, eh?” the Captain said, before I could find the words myself.

Crud. I shrunk back toward the gate door. “What gave me away?” As if I didn’t already know.

The Captain gave me a reassuring smile. “You might find it hard to believe, but you’re quite well known around here. We have several young Paladins who go to watch you fight each week.”

They do? I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to be flattered or creeped out. “Why didn’t you just turn me away then? Why let me inside?”

He fell back on his haunches, pulling off his helmet with his forehooves. Underneath was an aging stallion old enough to be my father. Though he was all smiles, I could see a sadness about his eyes.

“We all have to get our fun somehow,” he said, chuckling. “Now I’ll have a story to tell of the day the great Dawnfire groveled before me.”

Uh-huh. “If that’s what you refer to me as around here, then maybe the Paladins aren’t worth my time after all,” I said. I meant it as a joke, but ended up scowling. Something about the whole Keep just felt wrong.

“You might be right to think that way,” he said.

Apparently fun and good times were over.

The Captain sighed, looking back at me where I still “hugged” my only exit out of there. “Maybe you haven’t caught on yet, but you’re guaranteed Paladin material, filly.”

I’m not actually a filly, you old coot. Was what I would have said, had I not been genuinely surprised, and also reconsidering Wildehelm’s antics. “Seriously?”

He didn’t answer that, if he had even heard me at all. “But take my advice,” he continued. “Whatever you’re here for, forget it. Get out while you still can, go home and forget about the Paladins. You will be better off for it.”

It was the best advice anypony could have given me right then. If only I had the brains to accept it when I should have.

Instead, I decided to use that honest pony charm of mine. Mostly because I had no other choice.

“Between you and me,” I said, trotting up beside him in case one of the dozen other soldiers were listening. “I’m already leaving the Paladins. It’s sort of why I’m here.”

It was his turn to be surprised. He studied me again, just like he had outside without saying a word.

I shivered. Definitely creepy.

“I suppose you’re prepared to tell me what that reason is then?” He asked.

I nodded, before realizing he expected an answer right then. Sometimes I felt like an idiot. Not that I was going to admit that to anypony.

“I kind of need a sword,” I muttered. “They aren’t exactly handing out the real thing to trainees.”

“May I ask for what?” he said.

“No,” I said, holding my breath. Can’t something be easy today, just for once?

“And you’re betting on me not to report you?” he said, staring at the reflection in his helmet.

Report me and I’ll break every bone in your fragile old body. “Well you did let me in here,” I reasoned. “So I’d say it’s a fair bet.”

He shoved his helmet back on and got to his hooves. “Follow me,” he said.

I quickly matched his pace, trying to act like I belonged there. Though, my acting skills were definitely not in my good graces at the time.

As he led me down the hall, my heart hammered a little harder in my chest. I was going to see the armory… or possibly the yet unconfirmed dungeon. He hadn’t exactly said where he was taking me. But what really concerned me was the obsessive amount of activity that continued even beyond the Main Hall. Ponies rushed everywhere, most in full armored barding, others carrying large sacks of material, and a few of whom I was sure were in training just a moon ago. Those Paladins I was sure to keep my head down as they went by, but I couldn’t help peeking at the room that expanded before me.

It was massive. The ceiling was so far up I had to tilt my neck just to see it. Wide arches swept across the upper parts of the room, many of which were occupied by at least one Pegasus or more. Thin slits in the walls acted as windows, filtering in natural light than glittered on the cloud-work and the largest banner of our town crest I had ever seen. It hung on the far wall, trimmed in bright blue, with a painted replica of the rain mill in the background, thunderclouds and all. Embroidered over it was a Pegasus wing crossed with a menacing spear.

I shut my mouth, which had become unhinged, and cast my attention to the grand staircase that dominated the latter part of the room, beneath the crest. Each step was slightly smaller than the previous and connected to a flowing bannister that lead to another floor. I could just see the tops of the three gigantic doors beyond it.

But instead of heading for any of them, the Captain turned left, leading me through a normal-sized doorway cut into the side wall.

My heart stopped. I had never seen a more beautiful sight in all my life. Swords, lances, maces, axes, and everything in-between adorned every inch of the walls. Granted the room was not that large, but in that moment I really didn’t care.

I stood there gaping yet again, until the Captain elbowed me out of my daydream.

“Not sure about you, filly,” he said. “But I really don’t need the retribution for taking you in here.”

May my enemies feel the retribution of my mighty sword, the Goddess take any pony who dares interrupt me now.

My hooves led me around the perimeter of the room, weaving around the occasional pony who got in my way. I wanted to run my hoof over each one, feeling the cold steel. Sadly, it was not the time to do so. Instead, I stopped at the short swords, doing my best to judge which would be about the right size.

“Hey what are you doing here?”

I froze up, which I realized was not the appropriate reaction of somepony who is not guilty of trespassing.

A lettuce-green stallion trotted up next to me, an ugly sneer across his face. He wore no barding, but a scar across his cheek suggested he had seen a battle somewhere. Or, possibly, he was extremely reckless during a training duel.

“Who are you?” he demanded. “And why are you wearing that armor.”

“She’s with me, soldier,” the Captain’s gruff voice sounded a second before he appeared beside me.

“C-captain Suncloud,” he stammered. “But, she? She’s a she?” He looked at me again with big eyes.

Yes, I’m a she, moron. How quickly they went from tough to stupid amazed me.

The Captain took another step forward. “You best be about your business. I have everything under control here.”

The Paladin saluted. “Yes sir, of course.”

He galloped away before I could think of an appropriate name for him. Something with cabbage, probably.

“We should hurry,” Suncloud said. “If he doesn’t report to his superior he will at least be telling another Paladin. Word spreads quickly in this Keep.”

I gripped the sword in front me with my mouth and lifted it of its rack. I grunted, the weight so immense I almost dropped it. I quickly returned the blade and looked about for something smaller.

“Why are you helping me anyway?” I asked, picking up another sword that caught my eye. Its cross-guard was engraved to look like spread wings.

“I don’t really know,” he said, laughing to himself. “I suppose you remind me a bit of myself when I was young.”

Young and stupid, I thought. It was quickly becoming my favorite word. Probably because everything could be described as such.

“So?” he asked, nodding at the next sword I had just picked up.

It was still a bit heavy, but I figured it could work for Roanheart. I placed it on the floor. “It will do,” I said, before flying up to the next level of blades.

“Then what are you doing now?” He hissed.

I blinked at him. “Getting another sword?”

He stamped a hoof. “You said a sword, one, not two!”

“Well, I need two. That one’s for a friend,” I said. Duh.

“No,” Suncloud said, picking up the weapon and placing it back on the rack. “I will not give a sword away to somepony who isn’t here. We’re going to need these, and I can’t risk giving a blade to somepony it might not suit.”

Need them? I wondered. What does that- then it dawned on me. (No pun intended.) They were preparing for war. But when, and against who? The Earth ponies?

“Will you pick a bucking sword!” Captain Suncloud flew up beside me. “Try this one,” he said, placing a hoof over a thin, mid-length blade with a naked grip. Its cross-guard was adorned with wings like the previous.

I clamped down on the hilt, lifting up and giving it a test swing. The weight was about perfect, but the balance was off compared to what I was used to. Steel also tasted a lot less pleasant than the rich bite of wood.

“Sheath it, and let’s go,” he said, already gliding toward the door.

I obeyed, but the fit was not great. It stuck out of the sheath a good hoof-length and did not fill its width. Goddess we’re going to die.

We trotted out of the room unhindered, but I could have sworn I heard the green pony’s voice as we left.

I didn’t get to admire the keep again for more than a passing moment, as the Captain did not slow down until we reached the gate out in the main hall. Even then, he opened it immediately and waited for me to catch up.

I hurried as best I could, my new toy rattling in its sheath.

The door slammed behind us, and Stormdive cast me a bored glance as we passed him. Funny, that I remembered his name. Must have been the adrenaline.

Captain Suncloud fell on his flank and let out a long wheeze. “That’s enough excitement for this week,” he said, smiling like our previous conversation had never happened.

If only that was all I was going to have, I thought. I checked on the sun, the real thing, not the pony, and found it was just beginning to dip behind the tallest houses.

“I best get going,” I told them. The sooner I got to put the keep behind me, the better.

Suncloud snorted. I swear they all did it, every single stallion. “Foals these days, don’t even give you the proper gratitude,” he said.

Oh, please. “Yeah, thanks, or whatever,” I said, lifting off once again. I needed to rest, and I wasn’t going to get much of that anytime soon. That or food for that matter. Wait, I almost forgot.

“Hey Captain!” I shouted back to him where he stood post. “Do the Paladins have a dungeon?”

Even at the distance I heard his laugh. “Thank the Goddess you didn’t find out today!”

Dungeon confirmed.

“And Dawnfire!” he called.

“Yeah?” I asked, still hovering on aching wings.

“Be careful.”

Right. I saluted the old pony, and turned away, my stomach growling. There was still one last thing I had to do before I left for good: see my family.

Author's Note

I'm publishing this a little later than I had wanted to, so I apologize to the seldom few of you who are actually keeping up with the story. :twilightsmile:

Even though time flies by for me from week to week, I will to keep the updates going as best I can. As always, any legitimate feedback is welcome, and I wish every one of you a wonderful week. Cheers.

5: Of Stars Below

Chapter 5

----

Home. It was strange to think every day to come, that word would refer to some faraway place. Not somewhere you could go to every night, where ponies you knew were waiting for you. Where there would be a roof over your head and a soft bed to sleep in.

The sun was low enough then to cast long shadows over everypony’s home, mine included. The evening wind had cooled the air considerably. I stretched out my wings, enjoying the sensation, even though I wanted nothing more to fold them and face plant into the nearest cloud for a nap. It was a refreshing last flight, one I almost wished could go on forever. Maybe if I hadn’t been wearing my barding, I would have just kept flying and never stopped. But reality needed handling, and I was ready for it as I could have been.

Swooping out of my glide, I alighted in the alley where I had stowed my saddlebag. I laid my shiny new blade next it, counting on nopony waltzing through anytime soon. Then it was back to struggling with my armor again, biting at the straps and pulling if off piece by piece. I was beginning to think barding was more trouble than it was worth. At least it would have been without Silverglow.

I shook myself, dissipating the mental image of my friend. It was the right decision not to tell her, I thought, stuffing my armor into the saddlebag. But then there was the matter of the Paladins. What if they are preparing to do exactly what Roanheart wants to? It was a long shot, but perhaps I could still talk him out of his crazy scheme.

Raised voices were coming from the house. My father and Roanheart by the sound of it. I couldn’t help but smile a little. Some things never changed.

Shrugging on my bag, I trotted out of the alley and around the corner to my home.

“It doesn’t matter when you saw her,” My father was saying. “She should have been here hours ago!”

I walked into the doorway, but nopony noticed. Father was at the table where I had left him. Mother had her flank to me, seemingly waiting to get a word in on my behalf, or maybe Roanheart’s.

My brother had his ears flat against his head, and stood halfway in the kitchen and half in the hall.

“Dawnfire knows how to handle herself,” he said, without much conviction.

Gee, thanks.

“He’s right, dear,” Mother said. “We shouldn’t worry... yet.”

My Father huffed and shoved a hoof at a partially filled bowl on the table. “She needs to eat, doesn’t she? Where’s she going to get food, or a decent bed? The Paladins won’t accept a half-starved, half-asleep pony.”

“Probably not,” I said, dumping my saddlebag in the corner.

“Dawnfire!” My Mother whinnied and came rushing at me.

Goddess save me.

She embraced me, her hoof running over my back and her cheek nuzzled against mine. I could feel the sticky warmth on her face from recent tears.

I met Roanheart’s eyes across the room and conveyed another of my looks. This one I hoped said something like; “You think they’re a mess now? Just wait until we leave.”

He gave me a subtle nod. I don’t think he got that one.

“Where have you been?” Mother sobbed, finally stepping away.

“Out,” I said, in my usual charm.

Father stood from the table. “It had better been for a good reason.”

I rubbed at my assaulted cheek. “Yeah, I was with the Paladins.” A half-truth is still half honest, right?

He contemplated that, as if I still needed scolding but couldn’t think for what.

Mother shoved me towards the table. “Eat honey, you have to be hungry.”

The whole truth be told, I was famished. I sat obediently and shoved my face in the bowl. Oats, they weren’t the tastiest of foods. I wasn’t even sure the Goddess had intended them for consumption, but it was all we had.

“You final training day is next week,” Father said. “Are you ready?”

Well, father, you see, I’m running away to fight in the war with Roanheart. I’ll probably never see you or the Paladins again, so it doesn’t really matter if I’m ready or not.

I kept my mouth shut. Or rather, full of oats.

“Leave her alone, dear,” Mother came to my rescue. “She’s had a long day.”

“I can see that, you nag,” he snapped. “I’m just trying to understand what’s going on in my own daughter’s life.”

“You could do it without being cruel,” Mother said. “The last thing...”

I tuned out the rest. It had become surprisingly easy to do over the moons. For a few moments the only sound was the crunching of oats, until I hit the bottom of the wooden bowl. I swallowed the last bit of sustenance and left the table, walking right past Mother.

Roanheart was standing in front of my room, watching me closely.

“How did it go?” He asked quietly.

Like they can hear us anyway. “Good enough,” I said, thinking once again of the chaos happening at the Keep. “I think the Paladins are joining it.”

That caught him by the tail. “The war? On whose side?”

No, the oat festival. I rolled my eyes. “I don’t know. It’s not like I’m friends with the Commander, but don’t you think it’s worth waiting for? What if we fought with them, we could do so much more-”

“Like killing ponies?” he said, stomping a hoof. “That’s not what we’re going down there for. I want to stop the killing, not add to it. Besides, they would never let me rejoin, even now.”

“And you would still go without me,” I sighed. “Alright fine, but when all this goes horribly wrong, don’t say I didn’t try to talk you out of it.”

I went on into my room, leaving him behind to chew on that thought.

“I’ll wake you up when it’s time to leave,” he said.

I waved a hoof, letting him know I heard, then waited until his hoofsteps retreated down the hall.

My window still streamed in the last remnants of sunlight, golden and purple hues that streaked across the sky.

What a day.

I dragged my hooves to the cloud bed, loyally waiting for me where it always was. Falling into it was like the Goddess herself holding me. I spread my wings and legs, stretching all the aches out of me from that day. The next one was like a bad dream waiting to happen, but sleep didn’t give a crap, and neither did I.

Bring it on, I thought, groggily.

“Honey?” It was Mother’s voice.

Now I was the pony wanting to cry. “What,” I moaned.

“Oh, sorry, I didn’t think you were sleeping already,” she said. “But, it’s just... you should really get a bath. I don’t mean to be rude, but you really need it.”

I didn’t move. Thanks Mother, love you too. Now get lost.

“Alright honey, well, sweet dreams,” she whispered. “I love you.”

I slowly turned my head around, but she was already gone. I rolled onto my side and curled my legs in, letting out a deep breath.

Yeah, okay... I’ll miss you. I’ll miss all of this. Goddess knows I’ll miss it.

-----

“Dee,” Roanheart’s voice disturbed me like the night before, only this time it came with a prodding hoof in the side.

“Dee, it’s time,” he said.

My eyelids fluttered open, revealing the face of my brother veiled in shadows. I wasn’t even that tired anymore, almost as if I had become accustomed to waking up in the middle of the night. My body, on the other hoof, was still aching from all the fun activities I had exhausted it on during the day.

“You’re sure you want to do this?” I asked him. It was as hopeless a question as any, but I wasn’t giving up without a fight.

He turned away from my bed and carefully picked his way to the door, not even gracing me with an answer.

I stretched out my hooves, letting out an exasperated yawn, and earning a glare from Roanheart. Or, at least what I assumed was one, when all I could see was the faintest glint of light in his eyes.

Standing, I became level with my window, and it seemed appropriate to look out it one last time. The night was filled with stars, a multitude of twinkling lights, covered only by the occasional cloud that blotched them out. At least I would still be able to see them from the ground.

I started across the room when my hoof bumped into one of the several brushes that never left my floor. Perhaps it was a vague sense of loss that made me stop; or perhaps the subconscious knowledge that I still hadn’t bathed and might not for a while. Lowering my head, I plucked the brush from the floor, and continued my way out.

I paused again in the doorway, even though my brother had long since passed it. I wanted to look back, just one last glance, but I couldn’t. I promised myself right then, that I would see it again. That I would see my parents again, and Silverglow. I lied.

Crossing the hall I could hear Father snoring as usual, but looking down it there was only darkness. Not even the faintest outline of their doorway.

It’s going to break their hearts. I knew it for a fact.

In the kitchen, Roanheart was waiting by the door, a saddlebag on his back, and mine by his hoof where I had left it before. The room was eerily still. The cabinets and table sat waiting to be used. There were no arguments being had, no errands to be run. All that was left was to leave.

A note was on the table, a quill lying beside it. I went over to it, causing Roanheart to nicker something I couldn’t hear. Dark as it was, the note was still legible, but I didn’t bother reading it. I thought I knew more or less what it would say, so instead I set down my brush and picked up the quill, singing my name beside Roanheart’s at the bottom.

I would regret not reading that letter.

That’s it then, I thought, retrieving my brush again and crossing over to my brother.

“Grab your pack, and let’s go,” he said, his head pointed toward the hall as if our parents would catch us at any moment.

I stowed the brush inside it first, before sliding the bag on for what seemed like the hundredth time. If I checked, there was probably a bald spot forming under where it sat.

Roanheart huffed, seemingly satisfied, and trotted outside where I followed.

He quickly froze, waiting as a late night flier passed overhead. The glint of his armor in the moonlight marking him as a Paladin.

I had no idea who he was, and he probably didn’t deserve it, but I cast a silent salute to him as he went. There goes the life I could have had.

After a moment, we continued. I fetched my sword from the alley, and then we were skirting along the rows of houses toward the edge of town. I quickened my steps to match Roanheart’s.

“So tell me,” I whispered, but still got a scowl in response. “You are carrying everything we need in that pack, right?”

Roanheart was the thorough type, but not beyond forgetful. The last thing we needed was to go down there without something as basic as food, or some such necessity.

He nodded without taking his eyes off where we were headed. “Oats, water, medicinal supplies, some stuff to trade or sell...”

That seemed satisfactory. At least as far as my muddled mind could think of in the hours before morning.

“Can you believe they actually use currency?” he said, his excited voice betraying the “in-command demeanor” he had been toting. “All this time we have been trading with the Earth ponies, I wonder what they could possibly want from us.”

Water; seemed to be the obvious answer, but I was no diplomat. I knew nothing about them, except from what I heard from others, such as their use of bits. Suddenly, I found myself wishing I had paid more attention to the class lessons when I was a filly. But the opportunity for that had long since vanished. Ahead, down the street, the town ended and the sky began.

We trotted quickly past the final homes, our hoofsteps silent on the clouds as we approached the edge. The wind pick up, rushing in from the expanse beyond and grabbing at my mane.

Above, the stars shed their scattered light around the moon, distantly reflecting the glow from the ground below. The ground, for the first time I had seen it at night, was a blanket of nothingness. Only every so often was it lit up by stars of its own, orange and flickering in tiny clusters, huddled together as if they were afraid to venture out into the dark alone. It was frighteningly beautiful.

“Wow,” was all I could say. You could count on me to really put things into words.

Roanheart smiled beside me, keeping his head high to feel the wind. “I only ever dreamed of doing this until a moon ago,” he admitted. “Just think of how much more there is to see out there.”

Part of me, that stupid part, wanted to agree with him. In that moment, the empty void only steps away, made me feel more alive than I ever had in the training circle. But the voice of reason knew whatever was down there was far less beautiful up close.

“Shall we?” he asked, offering a hoof.

What, you think we’re going to hold hooves as we fly? You know me better, I thought. But it wasn’t the absurdity of his suggestion that stopped me. It was the faint voice fighting against the wind at the edge of my hearing. It wasn’t the voice of reason. No, it was a tangible voice, one that I recognized.

My exhilaration quickly turned to dread. Slowly, painfully, I turned around and looked back the way we had come.

Galloping down the all but empty street, was a single, lightly colored mare.

Goddess, no.

I felt Roanheart turning his back to the sky and following my gaze. I didn’t need to look at him to see the surprise written on his face.

“Dawnfire!” she called again, her voice straining to keep quiet, but loud enough for us to hear.

Silverglow finally slowed when she was a few pony-lengths away. She was panting heavily, as if she had galloped the entire distance, and I didn’t doubt it.

Roanheart was the first to find his voice, while I just sat there trying to remember what I had said to her earlier, and what might have led her to us.

“What are you doing here?” He snapped, then quickly lowered his voice. “How did you know?”

It might as well have been a rhetorical question.

Silverglow cast me a cautious smile, still breathing heavily. “My only real friend told me.”

My brother had a knack for pitiful, pleading stares. The one he gave me then was not one of those stares.

Thankfully, I was far less susceptible to intimidation than pity. “What did you expect me to do?” I demanded, my adrenaline still pumping. “She’s my best friend. You were asking me to leave without saying goodbye. How could I do that? How could you ask me to do that?”

I wanted to scream at him, to finally let out exactly how I felt about his ridiculous plan and the situation he had put me in. It took every ounce of will just to keep it all at a snarl.

“I didn’t ask any more of you than I did myself,” he said, his expression quickly changing from anger to remorse. “If we were going to make this happen, it had to be done without telling anypony.”

Silverglow stepped between us, her face calm, at least compared to ours. She looked to Roanheart first. “So you were going to leave me behind, wondering where you had went? You could have trusted me, Roanheart.”

“I- I was going to have the messenger pony bring you a letter,” he said. “I didn’t want to put you in danger.”

But it’s okay with me. Just shove Dawnfire right in front of danger and ask her to make nice. No it’s fine, not like I’m sitting right here.

Silverglow put a hoof on his shoulder. “It’s not fair of you to put yourself and Dawnfire in harm’s way, and expect me to stay here and do nothing to help keep you safe.”

My brother tried say something, but ended up flushed and staring at the cloud floor.

Then my friend turned to me, the sympathy and understanding in her eyes practically crushed any argument I had been forming in my head. “Did you really think you could keep me away?”

Yes, I thought, lamely. But what was the point in admitting that? She was there, and we were still going to leave. My throat squeezed shut and I felt stick to my stomach. We were really doing it. There had been no convincing Roanheart otherwise, even with Silverglow showing up, and I was going with them. “How did you find us?”

Silverglow smiled mischievously. “It was simple. I just went to the nearest cloud edge from your house. Where else would you have gone?”

Great, I’m sure being predictable will help us survive. Not to mention I have to look after two ponies now instead of one.

“What did you bring?” Roanheart asked.

If he thought he could talk her out of coming just by what was in her saddlebag, my brother knew nothing about my friend.

She looked at me sheepishly. I actually knew nothing about sheep, but I imagined it was what she looked like then. “Some food and medicinal supplies. Dawnfire can be kind of reckless, so I thought we might need them.”

Goddess forbid I get reckless.

Roanheart nodded, regaining his composure. “Then if you’re sure I can’t change your mind, we better leave now. It won’t be dark for long and we should try to get to the Earth pony village by morning.”

It felt odd to have my brother giving orders. By nature he was more the, sit quietly and listen type; but it made sense. He knew the ground better than us, at least so he claimed, and with him in the lead it made keeping an eye on him that much easier.

Roanheart lifted off, soaring out over the empty expanse, glancing back only once to see if we were following.

Silverglow stood next to me, close enough that I could feel her mane blowing against me in the wind.

“Are you frightened?” she asked, so quiet I almost didn’t hear her. She was looking over the edge, at the lights I had seen not so long ago.

I’m afraid I’ll lose you.

“We’ll be fine,” I said, gently shoving her with a forehoof. “But you can still stay behind if you want.”

She looked at me. For a moment we just sat there, silent. I knew Silverglow, understood her. She wanted to say something, but couldn’t, I could see it in her frost blue eyes.

Before I had time to think about it, I wrapped my hooves around her and held tight. I could feel her shivering. “We’ll be fine,” I whispered in her ear.

She said nothing, but Roanheart’s voice came out to us over the wind. I pulled away and found my brother hovering some distance off, a dark blotch against the sky, much like the clouds.

I unfurled my wings, catching the strong breeze and sensing the power of it, the challenge of the flying against it. I was not entirely recuperated, but that wasn’t going to stop me.

“Let’s go be heroes,” I said, winking to my friend. Then, just like at my home, I launched myself forward without looking back.

The empty air swallowed me whole. Miles of nothingness above me, and the mirror of it below. Roanheart turned, his huge wings propelling him forward and downward. I looked to my left where Silverglow had flown up beside me. She was wobbling back and forth in the wind like a pony on ice.

“Keep your head down,” I called to her, grinning. Not every Pegasus was a natural born flier.

Roanheart was already several pony lengths ahead of us, heading steadily toward a cluster of flickering orange lights.

I leaned into a downward glide, pumping my wings now and then so I didn’t fall too quickly. In the blink of an eye the air went still, and for the first in a long time, everything really was completely silent. I could hear myself breathing, the ruffle of my feathers, and my mane swishing about behind me.

Goddess, am I actually liking this?

I was. Never before had I felt so free. Not ever. Living day to day growing up, was an adventure. Learning new things as a filly was fun, but it wasn’t this. My first days of training to be a paladin were thrilling. Becoming a soldier was- had been my dream, but it wasn’t this.

Not knowing what was out there, on the ground, or beyond; diving headlong into danger with the two ponies I cared most about, that was beyond compare.

I sighed, enjoying the sound of it in the open air, the warmth of my breath blowing on my face. Below me, Roanheart was steadily moving closer to the ground, only a dozen stories high or so by then.

I pulled in a wing, throwing myself into a roll, losing altitude. My wings extended, leveling out near my brother. I glanced back to find Silverglow still near the wind stream we had flown earlier. I waved to her, beaming.

“Enjoying yourself?” Roanheart asked over his shoulder.

“That’s none of your business!” I shouted, then immediately cringed when I realized it hadn’t been necessary. “Is that the village?” I asked, referring to the lights.

“Yup,” he said, his wings sweeping to gain a little altitude.

I stared at them, marveling at the way they danced and shuddered, as if alive. But something else quickly caught my eye. More directly below us were other lights, only these flowed in a line like a river. At that distance I imagined I could see the shapes of ponies among them. Shadowy figures with glinting armor.

“Hey, Roanheart,” I called, watching as he turned to look at me.

Something flew between us, a dark line whistling through the air.

What the-?

More whistling sounds followed.

Pain exploded through my right wing. I screamed.

Roanheart was shouting something, but my body was limp, falling, tumbling out of the sky. My saddlebag slipped away as another bolt cut past my side, but it was nothing compared to my wing. I watched droplets of my blood float off above me, past Roanheart, his hooves outstretched toward me, but still so far away.

I continued falling, turning towards the rapidly approaching treetops. Something about seeing the ground snapped me out of it. Made me realize I needed to fly, and fast.

I pumped my wings, and immediately more pain coursed through me. My eyes went to my right wing, the bloody metal tip of an arrow winked at me in the starlight.

My left wing continued to beat, but that only succeeded in spinning me in circles, rotating the world below me as it grew vastly closer.

I wanted to scream, to fly, to go back home, but all I could do was fall. Time went so slowly it consumed me, everything in my mind was of the pain and the falling. Until I hit the trees.

Seconds of needles and bark bashing into me, flipping me over, and tearing my flesh.

One last glimpse of the sky through the evergreens was all I got before I hit the ground.

Author's Note

An actual cliff hanger, what-do-ya-know! This post is coming to you a bit earlier today to make up for last week. (And the obnoxious amount of time between posts.) Thanks again for tagging along so far; all of you, I mean it. I do hope you are still liking the story.

In other news, I'm off to Bronycon next weekend. This will not interfere with the chapter updates, but if you are planning on attending, give me a shout out. I would love to see some of you there. Any-who, hope you all have a fantastic week. Cheers!

6: Fresh Wounds

Chapter 6

----

Pain returned first. An all-consuming fire unlike any I had felt before. It grabbed me by the throat until I could barely breathe, ripping me apart from the inside out. Tears flowed freely, hot and sticky. And then there was the smell. The overwhelming stench of the trees, the rich, sickening scent of pine. The musky odor of dirt and moss that I was lying on, mixed with the metallic tinge of blood. My blood.

I turned and coughed up what little was in my stomach, igniting more pain; most of it shooting from my wing and foreleg.

Somepony said my name, but it hurt too much to think let alone listen. I actually wanted to die, just so the pain would stop. Or to wake up in the clouds with a sudden gasp and realization that it had all been a dream.

But none of that happened. It would never happen. I had fallen an impossible distance, and I was alive, for now. It wasn’t a dream, it was real, and that’s all I could process. That’s all I needed to know.

Silverglow’s face appeared in my blurry, tear-filled, vision. Her own eyes were red and puffy, her mane disheveled and covered in pine needles. She held a wooden flask between her forehooves. A second later it was at my mouth, water drizzling out of it and down my throat.

It was sweet relief. The burning inside me was washed away, as I guzzled it down like an infant. When she pulled it back, the droplets trickled down my chin and I didn't bother wiping them away. In all my weeks of training, I couldn't remember ever being that thirsty.

“How is she?” Roanheart asked from somewhere I couldn’t see. Or rather, didn’t want to try to.

“She’ll be alright,” Silverglow said, gently embracing me. I could feel her trembling breath on my shoulder.

I wanted to hug her back, but moving at all was self-inflicted pain. And if Silverglow didn’t have such a soft touch, I would have been screaming as it was. She was soft and compassionate. I was harsh and uncaring. It was a miracle that she was my friend, and I would never forgive myself if I let her die because of me. I tried to speak again, and ended up in a fit of coughing that pulled Silverglow away from me. She quickly administered more water, which I accepted without complaint.

“We... we need to go back,” I muttered, while staring up through the looming trees. The sky was almost entirely covered by them, except for dappled bits of sunlight. Apparently I had been unconscious the entire night.

No pony spoke, but I heard my brother kneading the ground with his hooves to my right. I turned my head just enough to find where he stood. Incidentally, it also allowed me to see my mangled wing, where it was wrapped in muddied bandages and stuck out at an angle it was never meant to bend.

Goddess, help me.

“We can’t go back,” Roanheart finally spoke. “I was already over this with Silverglow. If those soldiers picked us off in the middle of the night, then there’s no way we can go back in broad daylight. We would be easy targets, especially carrying you between us.”

“Then you go back tonight,” I said, my voice still shaking. “Get help... and get us out of here.”

“I think that’s a good idea,” Silverglow added, quietly.

Roanheart just shook his mane. “I can’t.”

Oh, you have got to be kidding me. It was exactly as I expected. Now that Silverglow was with us, he was refusing to back down. He was condemning us, because he couldn’t fail in front of her.

“Don’t give me that crap,” I growled, which was rather pathetic sounding in my condition. “I would love to tell you that I feel great, Roanheart, really I would. I'd love to think that I could stick this out and go on your little crusade. But if we stay here, it’s not going to end well, for any of us.”

He got the guts to look at me then. Stared right into me with those ridiculously pitiful eyes. I could practically feel the conviction flowing off of him. “I can’t go back,” he said. “I left of my own free will, and I took things. Stole them, for our trip. They would lock me up, Dee, for who knows how long. I would never have the chance to help these ponies again.”

“And what about me?” I asked, feeling stronger the angrier I got. “You’re just going to let me suffer down here for some other ponies? I’m your sister.” I was family. You don't turn your back on family.

But he held my gaze. As if he could get me to understand by that look alone. As if being his sister meant I should be willing to suffer for him, so he didn’t have to give up on his dream. As if he was a big bucking idiot who knew I would do anything for him.

Sometimes I really hated him.

I gradually rolled my head back again, so I was looking into the sky, or at least what little there was of it. My will to fight had gone as quickly as it had come. “Silverglow, help me out here and talk some sense into him.” Please.

My friend laid a gentle hoof on my wounded foreleg. “Our first priority should be keeping Dawnfire safe,” she said. “You asked her to come with you, after all.”

He trotted over to us, his face joining Silverglow’s above me. “And I’m still asking. Dee, I can’t guarantee we’ll be alright. But this is the risk we were willing to take to help others. If I go back though, I can guarantee I won’t see you again. They won’t let me. At least down here I can still be with you, doing some good.”

I closed my eyes. There was so much to consider. Too much. No matter how I looked at it, there was going to be a downside. Alright fine. Fine! I wanted to be part of this war, well here I am. Time to suck it up and deal with it.

I inhaled slowly through my nose, letting the overwhelming scents of the forest in. The smell of the trees was still the strongest. Thick and sweet, and not all together unpleasant. My wing still burned like... well like it had an arrow shot through it. My leg hurt as well, but compared to my wing it was barely worth complaining about. Overall, I was pretty sure I could bear the pain. I just wasn’t used to it yet.

“Alright, help me up,” I said, extending my good hoof to Silverglow.

She blinked. “Dawn I—”

“Just do it.”

After a moment’s more hesitation, she took it, pulling me onto my side and then carefully nudging me upright.

With gritted teeth and sheer determination, I was able to support most of my own weight. But what I could not, was on Silverglow. My right foreleg and wing were draped over her back, and I rested my head against her neck. Her cream coat was like a soft pillow that still smelled like the clouds. I wasn’t really sure how to define it, other than it didn’t have much of a scent, unlike everything else around us.

Unlike me. I knew I must have reeked, but Silverglow didn’t seem to acknowledge it.

Roanheart however, kept his distance, studying my wing with a scrupulous eye.

“Well, are we going or what?” I said. If he was going to make me stay down here then he didn’t get to hover over me. He wasn’t Mother... she would have had a fit if she saw me right then.

“I— I have to double check our location,” he said, turning away. “I’ll be right back.” He snapped out his wings and jumped into the space between two pines. I could still see his red body through the branches as he soared to the top of them.

A moment later he landed with a soft thud, pine needles cascading around him. His ears were flat against his head and he glanced off behind him before looking back at us.

“What’s wrong?” Silverglow asked, shifting awkwardly under me.

“Hopefully nothing,” he said, before trotting over to the base of a tree. Two saddles bags were lying beneath it. One of them was my own. I had completely forgotten I had dropped it.

I pulled my head away from Silverglow and looked down at my sheath. The sword was gone as well. But as Roanheart saddled our supplies, the hilt of my blade caught the sunlight from his own sheath. He hadn’t worn the thing since he had quit training, and he hadn’t used a sword for just as long. But now he had to use mine; a blade half the size of what he should be wielding.

We’re so dead.

“Are you alright?” Silverglow asked, turning her head as best she could to face me.

“Uh, yeah,” I said, stepping away from her a little. “Maybe just let me move my hoof, I don’t think we can walk like this.”

She nodded and held still while I shimmied my wounded leg off her back. I winced as a new stab of pain coursed through it. After it had subsided, I gingerly tucked the leg under myself, biting my tongue all the while. There were tears in my eyes and I could do nothing about them. I just had to hope Silverglow didn’t notice.

“Better?” she asked. The concern in her voice was more genuine than a mother with her newborn. And that’s exactly what I felt like; a baby that had to be coddled.

I gave my friend a curt nod, trying to keep my face hidden.

Roanheart waved us forward with both saddle bags slumped over him. “This way. Yell if anything is wrong or we need to stop.”

Everything about this is wrong. But far be it from me to hold you back, I thought.

“Ready to move?” Silverglow asked.

I took a tentative step forward, feeling the soil give under my hoof ever so slightly. It was almost like the clouds, but the ground had grit in it: tiny pieces of bark or stone maybe, which immediately stuck on.

So this is dirt. Baths no longer seemed like such a bad idea.

I continued to walk forward one hoofstep at a time, with Silverglow pacing herself alongside me all the while. It was as embarrassing as it was inconvenient. It also didn’t help that Roanheart kept glancing back to check on us, even though he was all but four pony-lengths ahead. It was a wonder his head didn’t get stuck like that.

The forest, on the other hoof, was astounding. The trees seemed to continue on for miles in all directions, swaying gently near their tops from some wind that couldn’t penetrate their lower branches. But the light could. Everything was patterned in golden hues, illuminating fronds, wild flowers, and mosses that scattered the forest floor. Now and again I would glimpse some small creature or another scurrying among the growth. Probably searching for food or trying to avoid becoming it.

There was so much life and color to be seen. And the smells refused to subside no matter how far we staggered along. It was as if the Goddess intended for the ground to overload a pony’s senses until they burst.

But as there was a part of me marveling at it all, there was an equally annoyed side that was silently screaming. It hadn’t taken long for a piece of twig to get stuck under a hindhoof; an incessantly irritating pain just consistent enough to compete with my throbbing wing and foreleg. The longer we went, the more frustrated I became. To make matters worse, I could barely even see the sun to judge how much time had been passing. All I had to go by were shifting shadows and the rays of light that moved through the trees behind us.

Roanheart led us onward, saying nothing as we went, apparently content to stare at me with his “forgive me” face now and again. I just hoped he knew where we going.

Silverglow was equally silent, but her eyes darted everywhere. She stared at trees and plants; dipped her head to study flowers and bushes, the whole time her mouth hanging open ever so slightly. It was rather amusing. At least, until one time when she forgot I was there and walked toward a particularly vibrant plant so that I stumbled and nearly fell. She apologized profusely of course. And naturally I forgave her, but my wing smarted for a while after that.

Little did I know, staying on all three hooves wasn’t nearly the worst of my troubles.

-----

My stomach had just started gnawing at my insides when Roanheart halted in his tracks, ears perked.

Silverglow and I moved to join him, but he held up a hoof, stopping us in place.

“What is it?” I whispered, but to no avail.

Without a word, he dropped the saddlebags from his back and stepped off to the right, disappearing behind the trees.

That’s when I heard it. The huffing noise of some animal moving through the forest, smelling the air. Smelling us.

Ever so slowly I peered into the woods.

Moving toward us was a thick-furred brown beast. Its head was small compared to its body, which rippled with thick muscles as it moved. Its haunches were higher than our heads, and its forelegs were twice as thick as my own, ending in needle-like claws.

“Silverglow,” I hissed, feeling a mounting dread creep up on me. “What is that thing?”

She shifted her attention from where Roanheart had disappeared to where the hairy beast was now, all but five pony-lengths away.

She stiffened against me. “Bear,” she gasped.

It rose up on its hind legs, growing several times our height. Beady black eyes stared down at us, saliva dripping from its muzzle.

“Bear!” Silverglow screamed, shoving me back. “Go, go!”

The monster roared, showing off rows of pointy teeth before dropping back to all fours and lumbering forward.

I stumbled in my haste to move, my wounded leg making even a canter almost impossible. With Silverglow’s help, I got up again, limping through the undergrowth as she nudged me forward, her panicked breathing hot on my flank. We were getting nowhere fast.

I chanced a look behind us and immediately regretted it. The bear was already sprinting across where we had been seconds ago. It moved impossibly fast despite its size, and it was bent on catching us.

Roanheart slammed into it from the side, his momentum summersaulting him over the beast as it fell. He crashed to the ground in a flurry of tangled limbs and feathers only a short distance away.

I watched with growing horror as the bear rolled upright before my brother could, shaking its head before assessing its assailant with an annoyed snarl.

Roanheart backpedaled, barely on his hooves before he managed to wrestle his sword from its sheath.

I tried to turn back, unable to pry my eyes away from my brother as he took a stance again the beast, his legs shaking.

“Don’t stop,” Silverglow whinnied, still trying to shove me deeper into the brush.

“I’m fine,” I snapped, pressing her back. “Go help Roanheart.”

The bear lunged at my brother, massive paws sweeping the air.

He leaped back, then pumped his wings to dive forward, nicking the beast’s neck with his blade. But before he could fly away the bear swatted him from the air, its claws gouging his flank as he was tossed like a sack of hay.

“Silverglow!” She was still pushing against me, her eyes wide with panic. I whipped her across the face with my tail. “Help, Roanheart!”

She turned, seeing him at the base of a tree where he had collapsed, with the bear shuffling toward him.

She galloped after it, shouting the whole way.

The beast hesitated a few steps from my brother, turning toward the small pale pony that was charging it, unarmed.

“Stay away from him!” Silverglow yelled, circling the bear in an attempt to lead it away.

It rose up but stayed in place, unsure whether or not to follow.

But that was all Roanheart needed. Grabbing his sword, he heaved himself upright and plunged the blade into the bear’s back.

The monster roared, spittle spraying from its open maw. It twisted around clawing at my brother, but he wrenched the sword free and wove past its swinging paws.

The bear ran after him, blood soaking its fur and running down its side.

When he was but a few yards from Silverglow, Roanheart whirled around to face it, putting himself between the bear and the trembling mare.

The beast didn’t hesitate. Rising up, it lunged forward with both wicked paws, aiming to remove my brother’s head.

He ducked under them, twisting the sword so it sank into the bear’s chest moments before it collapsed on top of him.

“Roanheart!” Silverglow screamed before I could.

We both rushed to the fallen animal, Silverglow reaching it first, while I limped as quickly as I was able. As I approached, I could only hope the beast really was dead. If not... well, I didn’t have time to think about it. Roanheart was counting on me.

One of my brother’s red wings was sticking out from under the massive body, but he was otherwise completely covered. And most likely not breathing.

I joined Silverglow where she was throwing herself against the beast’s weight, ramming my shoulder into its thick fur beside her. My three good legs were planted against the ground, while the other wrenched painfully against the body. It hurt to the point I was squeezing back tears, but we didn’t give up. My eyes found the point of Roanheart’s sword sticking up through the bear’s back. I focused on it, gritting my teeth, fighting against the agony.

With our combined efforts the bear slowly began to shift, revealing my brother’s legs from under it.

“Come on!” I shouted, my head still planted against the enormous body. I could feel its sticky blood running onto my face. “A little more!”

The bear rolled, its massive form tumbling off the Pegasus buried beneath it.

Roanheart gasped, coughing as he choked on his own desperation for air.

I threw myself on top of him, my good leg wrapping around his shoulders.

Thank the Goddess.

“Dee,” he sputtered, his chest heaving. “I appreciate that you care, but I’ve been smothered enough today.”

I scrambled off him muttering apologies, but growing angrier by the second.

“Thanks,” he said, gradually getting back to his hooves.

I waited patiently from him to gather himself, his breathing returning to normal before I launched my argument.

“Do you see our point now?” I demanded. Surely he had to. How could he not understand the danger we were in, especially when all it took was a wild animal to almost kill us. “We were nearly killed by the first living thing we can across!”

He ignored me, instead choosing to remove his— my sword from the bear’s chest. A vile squelching noise accompanied its removal, gore dripping from the entire length of the blade. He moved to lay it on the ground, but thought better of it and placed it against the animal’s corpse instead.

Only then did he speak. “If I had gone to get help,” he said. “Then you both would have been killed for sure. If anything, this proves exactly why I can’t leave, not even for a short while.”

Technically Silverglow could have just flown away if she needed, but somehow I knew that wouldn’t help my point. And the sad truth was, he was probably right. That didn’t mean I agreed with it, and I never would. I will always be left wondering what might have happened if I had refused to go further. But at the time any course of action seemed to have as much risk as the other.

Resigned to silence while Roanheart wiped the blade “clean” on the bear’s fur, I cast a helpless glance at Silverglow.

She gave me a sad little smile on quivering lips. My friend wouldn’t admit it, but she was terrified. Her ears swiveled back and forth, changing direction at the slightest noise, all her previous amazement had long since vanished.

Trotting over, I placed my strained leg around her neck. “We’ll get through this,” I told her. But it was also myself that I was reassuring.

Roanheart cleared his throat, grabbing our attention. He had re-sheathed my sword and fetched our saddlebags. “It shouldn’t be much further,” he said. And this time he waited, standing in place while Silverglow allowed me to situate myself against her once again. Which also gave me the chance to remove a certain pesky twig that had been under my hoof.

Using my friend as a crutch was still extremely awkward, and I figured after our ordeal I probably could have hoofed it alone. But if Paladin training had taught me anything, it was that you didn’t overexert an injured limb.

Roanheart watched stoically as we approached him. Whether it was masked concern or simply sheer determination I couldn’t be sure. But when we were close enough to touch him, he turned about and continued the way we had been headed before. As he did so, I caught sight of where the bear had caught his flank. Four ugly red lines glistened just above his cutie mark. One even overlapped it.

I have never given it much thought before; my brother’s cutie mark. The very idea of them always seemed absurd to me. That we had to be defined by our foal-conceived notion of what we wanted become. As if what made us special could always be discovered at such a young age. But then, staring at my brother’s cutie mark, I had to wonder what it meant and why I couldn’t remember what that was. Three golden-brown leaves, bent like they were all spiraling to the ground; one now split by wounded flesh.

Did he know they would lead him down here? Or is he forging his own destiny?

I looked back to the fallen form of the bear, then barely visible in the distance. I half expected it to stand again, its grizzly roar calling after us. But to my relief it really did appear to be dead.

It had only been our first fight, and we already had scars to show it. I couldn’t help but wonder how many more were yet to come.

Author's Note

Here is the next chapter, for better or for worse. As always feedback is welcome, I know there are plenty of ways I can still approve as a writer, and this story should help me do so. Hope all of you have a wonderful week.