Equestria Liberation Front

by Novus Draconis

Rating: teen
Tags: Tragedy, Alternate Universe, Anthro, Gore, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Cutie Mark Crusaders, Thriller, Adventure
Length: 21235

Insurrection by means of guerrilla bands is the true method of warfare for all nations desirous of emancipating themselves from a foreign yoke. It is invincible, indestructible.

The day the Gyphons fell from the sky was the day life as we knew it ended. Before the sun had set, mighty Equestria had fallen, the Bearers had vanished, the Princesses were locked away, and we went into hiding. We've watched and waited. We've hoped and prayed. Now, we'll fight and die.

We are the Cutie Mark Crusaders and we will bring about the liberation of Equestria.

Cover art by the fabulous MustLoveFrogs. Go and love her.

Published 2016-06-12 15:50:01 UTC
Last updated 2017-03-08 18:03:32 UTC

Quiet Desperation

Scootaloo gnawed on the end of her pencil as she watched Cheerilee mark out lengths of mathematical formulae out on the blackboard. Beside her, Apple Bloom was diligently scribbling out notes. The filly wasn’t the best when it came to reading and languages, but she more than made up for it in math and science. To the other side, Sweetie Belle was doodling hearts in her notebook and staring off into space, probably daydreaming about the newest teenage heartthrob, Pretty-Boy-What’s-His-Face.

With a resigned sigh, Scootaloo slouched a little lower in her chair as the teacher’s voice took on a dull drone. As if it was a magnet, she felt her eyes drawn to the window and the outside that lay beyond. She didn’t want to be in this stuffy old classroom, learning things she’d never use. She wanted to be out there, zooming around on her scooter, making trouble, and risking diabetes at Sugar Cube Corner. It was such a nice day out, too. Spring was on the horizon and the weather was warmer. Fresh buds and bright green spring grass were in abundance along with the scents and sounds of a town coming alive after a long, cold winter.

“Scootaloo!”

She snapped to attention to find her teacher glaring at her. “Wuh?” She mumbled around the pencil.

“Since you know the subject so well that you don’t feel the need to pay attention, perhaps you can explain to the class how to solve for ‘x’.” Cheerilee challenged, crossing her arms.

Scootaloo’s ears fell back and she began to feel a little ill as she was called out. Standing up, she made her way to the board, feeling like a prisoner walking those final steps to execution. As she stepped up to the chalkboard, she heard something. A low thud, almost the sound of thunder. She froze as she strained her ears.

“We’re waiting.” Cheerilee urged, her patience reaching its limit.

“Be quiet and listen!” Scootaloo snapped, earning a harsh glare from the normally easy-going schoolmarm. “I thought I heard something.”

“A nice try, but you’re not going to escape after-school detention that easily. You’re going to be writing ‘I will not disrespect Miss Cheerilee’ until I say otherwise.”

“Actually, Miss Cheerilee, I heard it, too.” Apple Bloom pointed out. “A noise kinda like thunder.”

There it was again, closer and louder. The school trembled slightly and several pairs of eyes, including the teacher’s turned toward the window. From the part of town that was visible, black smoke had begun to rise.

“Scootaloo, please take your seat.” Cheerilee said, a note of urgency in her voice. “The rest of you, stay here while I find out what’s going on.” With that, she hurried out of the classroom and into the hall.

“What do you think it is?” Sweetie Belle hissed as Scootaloo returned to her desk.

Apple Bloom shrugged. “Dunno. Whatever it is, it sure has Miss Cheerilee spooked.”

“Maybe there was a grain explosion over at Sweet Apple Acres.” Diamond Tiara threw in her two bits with a sadistic grin.

Scootaloo flushed as Apple Bloom paled. “Don’t even joke like that.”

“I’m just saying, it’s possible. Isn’t that, like, how her parents died?”

Scootaloo’s nostrils flared. “You’re dead!” She lunged at Tiara, who screamed as she went down. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle worked to lift the infuriated Scootaloo off of Tiara while the pegasus filly tried to throttle the life from the brat.

The door slammed as Cheerilee burst back into the room, slammed the classroom door behind her, and fumbled to lock it. “Everypony get under your desks! Quickly!”

“Miss Cheerilee, what’s happening?” Sweetie Belle asked as they all crawled beneath their thin, wooden shelters.

Cheerilee paused in pushing her own desk against the door long enough to reply. “Don’t worry. Everything is going to be okay.” She positioned the desk against the door and took shelter beneath it. “Everybody stay quiet.”

Scootaloo shivered as the sound of explosions and screams leaked in from outside. She almost wished for the lesson to continue, if only to block out the sounds. The noises grew to a dull roar as whatever was happening approached the school. Occasionally, a whimper from somewhere in the classroom caused her to turn her head, but she just waited in silence. The sounds from outside shifted, becoming louder and clearer. She could now make out words: praying, crying, begging. The rattle of metal on metal marked the rhythmic hoofsteps of whatever was coming.

And if the din was any indication, there were a lot of them.

The door rattled as whoever it was wanted in. With a gasp, Cheerilee jumped out from under her desk and threw her weight against it. Whoever was on the other side chattered back in a foreign language, a harsh, guttural tongue punctuated with chirps and whistles. Both the desk and teacher lurched as the invader threw its weight against the door.

“Leave us alone!” Cheerilee shrieked as she shoved back. Whatever was on the other side shoved again, trying to gain entrance. Cheerilee looked around the room, eyes wide with desperation, before locking onto the window. With a look of grim determination, she sprinted across the classroom, vaulted a desk, and shattered the glass with a hoof. “All of you, outside, now!” She gestured wildly before returning to her post at the door.

Nobody moved.

Whatever was outside doubled its efforts. Cheerilee looked on the verge of tears as she stared at her unmoving students. “Go! Now!”

The door cracked and came partially open. Nothing could have prepared Scootaloo for what she saw on the other side. It was huge and covered in steel armor. The armor hid most of what was inside, but she could see a pair of bright, yellow eyes staring back hungrily. It reached through with a talon, trying to grasp at the door.

Cheerilee screamed and pushed with strength born of terror. The door slammed on the offending appendage as the creature on the other side roared in pain and rage. The wood of the door cracked and began to warp as the creature beat against the door.

“Get out of here!” She screamed.

That broke the spell. Everybody bolted for the open window. Scootaloo was the first out, closely followed by her two friends. The safety outside of the school was questionable, but it left them with easy exits.

The previously clear sky had darkened with clouds, allowing the invaders to surprise and swarm escaping pegasi. Below, ponies were trying to fight back against the onslaught, but were rapidly losing ground. These were farmers and shopkeepers, not soldiers. A few who had done a tour with the Guard were trying to marshall the rest with bellowed commands, but they were among the first to fall.

Scootaloo reached back and grabbed her friends’ hands before sprinting off. “We need to get out of here.”

“But, where are we gonna go?” Sweetie Belle protested.

“Dunno. Anywhere but here.”

“Maybe we should go to Rarity’s or Twilight’s. They can help us.”

“What, back into that mess? We’ll get caught before we make it half way.”

“We can go to the clubhouse.” Apple Bloom suggested. “That way, my sister can find us when this all blows over.”

“I don’t think this is going to blow over anytime soon, but it’s better than nothing.” Scootaloo replied as they turned in the direction of Sweet Apple Acres.

“Wait, what about the others? What about Dinky, and Twist, and Pipsqueak?”

“We can’t go back. It’s too dangerous.”

“We can’t just leave them!” Sweetie Belle cried.

“There’s nothing we can do for them.” Scootaloo replied as they climbed the split-rail fence that surrounded the Apple family farm.

x----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------x

The sounds of battle were nothing more than a distant rumble as Scootaloo pulled the ladder down. Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom were in the farmhouse getting supplies while there was still time. She didn’t know how long it would take the invaders to make it out that far, but she was willing to bet they’d be there soon.

The clubhouse was tiny. It would be a tight fit for three small fillies, but it was hidden and out of the weather. Most importantly, those that mattered knew where it was. When help came, it would know where to find them.

“Hey, Scootaloo, help us up.” Apple Bloom’s voice rose up from below, almost scaring the life from the pegasus filly. She poked her head out of the door.

“Do you wanna keep your voice down? We’re trying to stay hidden here!” She hissed back.

“Sorry.” Apple Bloom replied in an exaggerated whisper. “We got a lot of stuff here.”

She dropped down to the ground. “Whaddya bring?”

Sweetie Belle began to pick through the provisions. “We’ve got blankets, pillows, flashlights and batteries. There’s some food and water.”

“Nothing perishable. We might be out here a while.”

Sweetie gave her a look. “We know. We were in the Filly Scouts. Anyway, how long could it take for them to get to us? I’ll bet the Princesses have already dispatched the Guard.”

Their attention turned back to the town, pillars of black smoke rising up into the cloudy sky. From this distance, the explosions were little more than dull pops. At least, they couldn’t hear the screams. Groups of invaders, now little more than dark pinpricks in the sky, kept descending through the cloud cover.

“What are we going to do do?” Sweetie whimpered.

Apple Bloom turned to face them both. “There’s not much we can do.” She admitted. “We’ll hole up here for a few days, a week at the most, and see what happens.”

“That’s your big plan? Wait and see? Our sisters are down there and who knows what is happening.”

“If you have a better idea,” Scootaloo retorted, “let us know. We have no combat training, no weapons, and no information. If we sneak down there and get caught, then there’s nothing they can do for us. If they’ve been captured, then there’s nothing we can do for them. If we go down there and they come up here, looking for us, then there’s nothing that can be done. Remember Filly Scouts? When you’re lost, you need to stay in one place so you’ll be easier to find.”

Sweetie sat down with a heavy sigh. “I just feel like we need to do something other than sitting around here.”

Apple Bloom knelt down and put a consoling arm around the unicorn. “Sitting around here is about all we can do and it’s got to be enough for now. Tell ya what we’ll do. We’ll give it a couple of days, wait for everythin’ to calm down a bit, then sneak down there and see what’s goin’ on.”

“I guess,”

Bloom looked to the pegasus. “Scoots? Any problems?”

Scootaloo shook her head. “Nothing comes to mind.”

“Alright, it’s settled. Let’s put this stuff away and get some rest.”

“But it’s only the afternoon.” Scootaloo objected.

“Right, but we have most of what we need and we don’t want to venture too far in case somebody comes for us or we need to hide quick. Besides, it’ll be easier to stay hidden and listen for trouble if we stay quiet.”

“We should post a watch.” Scootaloo suggested. “You know, somebody to look out for trouble or whatever.”

“What happens when we run out of food?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“Did ya notice we’re on an apple farm?”

“Yeah, besides, we won’t even be out here that long. Why, I’ll bet Applejack, and Rarity, and Rainbow Dash are already looking for us. Pretty soon, this’ll all just be a bad memory.” Bloom proclaimed with a bright smile.

It took a few trips to get everything into the clubhouse, before they raised the ladder and shut the door. Once inside, each retreated to their own corner and their own thoughts. Scootaloo sat near an open window, listening to the sounds from the town below. Now there was only the occasional boom, but she couldn’t make anything out through the trees. The air reeked of smoke, which created a very disturbing contrast with the omnipresent scent of apples.

x----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------x

Three days.

They had sat around the clubhouse for three days, jumping at every odd sound, driving themselves insane with worry, and with nothing more than low food supplies and frayed nerves to show for their trouble.

“Nobody’s comin’.” Apple Bloom muttered, wrapping her arms around her knees.

Scootaloo peeked out of the window. “The town’s been quiet for a day now. Do you think it’s over?”

“We can only hope, but, if it is, why hasn’t anyone come for us?”

“Maybe they’re dead.” Sweetie Belle suggested in a low, depressed mumble.

“Don’t talk like that.” Apple Bloom chastised. “I’ll bet they’re down there cleanin’ up or lookin’ for us.”

“Then why haven’t they come?”

“Well..I’m sure there’s a perfectly good reason. Maybe the road’s blocked, or they’re needed in Canterlot, or maybe there’re a lot of ponies hurt or trapped and they’re tryin’ to get ‘em out.”

“I understand that, but wouldn’t they want to make sure we’re safe?”

“Well, yeah, but-”

“Then why haven’t they come?” Sweetie Belle cried.

Scootaloo let out a harsh sigh. “Listen, regardless of what’s going on down there, we need to make a move and we need to make it soon. We can’t stay up here forever. Now, what we need right now, more than anything else, is information. I think we should go down to the town and see what’s going on.”

“Ain’t that a little… y’know...dangerous?” Apple Bloom objected.

“Do we have any other options?” Scootaloo raised her hands in a shrug. “We can’t stay up here forever and we need information so we can plan our next move. We’ll need to be careful and quiet to make sure we’re not seen unless we’re certain it’s absolutely safe.”

“How far in will we go?” Apple Bloom asked.

Scootaloo took a moment to think. “Well, I’d like to go as deep as Sugar Cube Corner, but only if it’s safe enough. As far as we know, we’re alone. I don’t want to risk any of us getting caught.”

“And if it’s not safe? What then?”

Scootaloo bit her lower lip. She hadn’t really thought up a plan beyond avoiding capture and surviving another day. “I dunno. I haven’t thought about it. Hell, I’m a school filly, not a general.”

Sweetie Belle stood and went to Scootaloo. “It’s okay. We’re all under a lot of stress. We’ll go down to the town, see what’s going on, and come back up here to plan our next move.”

Scootaloo nodded. “Don’t pack much. We’ll be coming right back. Let’s just be quick about it.”

Taking only a few bottles of water, they began the slow and careful trek down to Ponyville. They darted from cover to cover, making sure to limit their exposure. Every odd bit of movement sent them scurrying for what meager shelter they could find, hoping that it wasn’t danger that had finally found them.

Ponyville had changed much while they had been in hiding. What was once a peaceful rural town now more closely resembled a military base. Checkpoints had been set up at each road into town and walls were being constructed around the perimeter. Armed guards marched between the checkpoints while others patrolled the skies.

Parts of the town were still visible through the incomplete walls and what they saw chilled them to the bone. Stallions and mares were being segregated and chained together. Some were loaded into armored wagons and taken away while others were being led off into different parts of the town.

“Sweet Celestia.” Apple Bloom breathed.

“This is bad.” Scootaloo agreed.

A moderately-sized group comprised of both stallions and mares had been gathered in the street. One of the armored invaders strutted back and forth before them.

Scootaloo caught a glimpse of a large tawny wing. “Gryphons?”

“What?” Apple Bloom asked.

“I think that’s a Gryphon up there. I thought we had a treaty or something with them.”

One of the mares managed for fight free of the guards and make a break for an opening in the wall. The Crusaders found themselves rooting for her as she fled as fast as her hooves would carry her.

Which wasn’t fast enough. One of the guards patrolling along the wall drew his sword and swung, cleaning decapitating the mare. Her body slumped to the ground while the top half of her head spun away into a nearby field. Apple Bloom clamped a hand over Sweetie Belle's mouth as she let out an involuntary scream.

“Hoshitshoshithoshithoshit.” Scootaloo chanted under her breath.

The massive guard wrapped a talon around the hoof of the mare’s corpse and dragged it back to the group. He lifted it high in display causing many of the assembled to flinch away.

“Do you see now?” The first Gryphon proclaimed in a hissing voice. “We have liberated you from the yoke of the tyrannical Alicorns, yes, but we cannot tolerate dissent. Obey us and you will be treated well. Defy us and death shall be your punishment.”

A pale Apple Bloom turned to her friends. “I think we’ve seen enough. We need to get out of here before they find us.”

“But what about Rarity and Twilight and all of the others? Your sister might be down there.” Sweetie Belle protested.

“I don’t think there’s anythin’ we can do for them. Either way, we know what’s goin’ on now. We need to get back to the clubhouse in a hurry and figure out what to do next.”

They retraced their steps, moving carefully to avoid detection.

“What do you think happened?” Sweetie Belle asked in a hurried whisper.

“Weren’t you paying attention? We’ve been invaded by the Gryphons. Everypony we’ve ever known is now at the mercy of those...those thugs.” Scootaloo snapped back. “We’re all alone now.”

“Not exactly.”

“What do you mean, Bloom?”

“Think about it. Who do we all know who lives nearby, could help us, and doesn’t go into town that often?”

“Damn it, Apple Bloom, we don’t have time for this.”

She let out a ragged sigh. “Zecora.”

“Zecora! Of course!”

“Will you two keep your voices down?”

“Sorry, but do you think she can help us?”

“Either way, she needs to be warned.”

They changed course, making for the dark and foreboding Everfree forest. The trees appeared even more malicious to the trio now that they knew there was no place for them to return to.

Apple Bloom led them down a narrow path that looked like nothing more than a game trail. They moved in silence, constantly looking over their shoulders for pursuers. The thick canopy of the forest kept most of the evening sunlight at bay and the forest grew gradually darker.

To the East, the moon began its trek through the sky as the sun vanished to the West.

“The moon and the sun are still going. Maybe the Princesses are still free,” Sweetie Belle offered.

“Maybe but I think that, with Ponyville overtaken, they have bigger things to worry about.” Scootaloo stumbled over an exposed root. “I can’t see a damn thing.”

“Don’t worry. We’re almost there,” Apple Bloom reassured them.

In the distance, a Timberwolf let out a howl, which was soon answered by another, then a third.

Sweetie Belle shuddered. “I don’t like this place. I don’t like this place at all.”

“Better than what’s going on in town.”

“Why does Zecora have to live in here? Why couldn’t she live in town like every other pony?”

Apple Bloom snorted. “Count your lucky stars that she does, otherwise we’d be hip-deep in trouble.”

There was a roar and a yelp in the distance. All three fillies froze for a moment.

“Sounded like a Manticore.”

“That sounded like it found a Timberwolf. We should hurry before anything finds us.”

“How has Zecora managed to live so long out here without being attacked?”

Apple Bloom shrugged. “She’s really good about hidin’ her presence and all. She still gets attacked every once in a while, but she’s really good at fightin’. She told me that fightin’s really important in Zebrica on account of bandits and soldiers.”

“Is that why she left and came here?”

Apple Bloom nodded. “Eeyup, and some other stuff. She wasn’t real specific.”

The lights of Zecora’s hut came into view as they crested a hill. Apple Bloom let out a sigh of relief. The trio hurried down the narrow path to where the hut sat, snug against a massive old oak.

Apple Bloom was the first to reach the door and began to knock insistently. “Zecora. It’s Apple Bloom. Are you here? Please, open up.”

The door swung open to reveal the tall and slender zebra, who immediately wrapped the filly in a tight embrace. “My little friend, so good you are here. Your fate was something I had begun to fear.”

“Zecora. We need your help. Somethin’ terrible has happened in town.”

Apple Bloom was hushed. “Quickly, come inside. Danger lurks and there are few places to hide.”

The three fillies scurried through the door and deposited their meager possessions along the wall.

“There’s an army in town,” Apple Bloom hurried to explain. “There’s a lot of ponies in trouble and mah sister’s missin’.”

“Mine too.”

“And Rainbow Dash.”

Zecora let out a heavy sigh. “I had hoped such things I had left in my past. Even still, I did not expect this so fast. I know what has happened in the town, but I do not expect help from the crown. The land of Equestria, it seems, has fallen and is now in the grip of a power most foreign.”

“But who would do such a thing,” Sweetie Belle asked.

“Equestria has many enemies that seek a way in like a terrible disease. The defenses have worked until such a fateful day when, like any illness, they found a way. There is little I can do to repel this attack. I have no power to push these invaders back.”

“So, what are we going to do?”

Zecora’s mouth set in a grim line. “We must be patient and bide our time. Our allies will aid us when the moment is prime. The most we can do now is hope for the best and we must all seek some much needed rest.”

She moved about the room, snuffing candles until the hut was lit only by the fire under the massive cauldron.

“We can’t sleep now. Ponies we care about are in danger, maybe dyin’.” Apple Bloom protested. “We gotta do somethin’.”

Zecora fetched spare blankets from a large chest and distributed them among the fillies. “There’s little we can do save wait and pray, young Apple Bloom. Perhaps, some day, when the time is right. We will strike back with all of our might.”

Evil Ways

FIFTEEN YEARS LATER

Scootaloo was perched in the high bough of a tall tree, surveying Ponyville through a pair of worn binoculars. The town was mostly quiet except for the soldiers that patrolled the streets and fortified walls. Occasionally, she spotted the odd slave pony hurrying to tend to whatever errands their masters had sent them on. The charged collars around their necks kept them from straying too far from the Gryphons reach. If they did, the consequences would be dire.

Everything had gone to Tartarus so quickly. Ponyville was not the only population center struck. Manehatten, Baltimare, Fillydephia, and even Canterlot had all fallen under the yoke of the Gryphonian empire. The princesses had been locked away and the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony had vanished.

Her mouth twitched as she looked over her favorite places from her lost fillyhood. The school had been turned into a barracks for the guards. Sugar Cube Corner was now a butcher’s shop and she could plainly see some of the wares through the window. The park had been turned into a small housing development and Sweet Apple Acres, while still a farm, produced more than red fruit from the hands of its small army of slaves who toiled under the watchful eyes of their masters.

Silently, she dropped down from her perch, having seen all she could stomach. The Gryphons had taken Equestria as their own, destroying everything familiar and forcing their own in. The shift had been sudden and jarring. One day, free ponies roamed the streets and went about their business and the next they were in chains.

And the destruction had been incredible. Cities had been left mostly intact but families had been ripped apart. Those that had fought back, and they had been many, were slaughtered and dumped unceremoniously into mass graves. Those who had submitted were enslaved and many were sent back to Gryphonia.

The pony slaves were treated like livestock. Those that were too old to work were killed. Some of the younger mares and stallions were sent into the barracks as distractions for bored guards. She had even heard of ponies who had been butchered and eaten by the invaders.

Her gear was hidden in a gap in the roots of the tree, where it would be invisible to any who happened to wander by while she was otherwise occupied. Scootaloo always traveled light, carrying only water, a small amount of food, and her bow on her nightly scouting runs. She needed to stay light and swift if she was to avoid the foreigners that now occupied her home. Even her fellow ponies suffering under the tyranny of their winged masters would turn on her in an instant, if only to protect their own lives. She didn’t blame them. Many didn’t see the appeal of what she and the rest of the Cutie Mark Crusaders were doing. At times, she couldn’t see it herself. They fought and worked almost as hard as the slaves themselves for a goal that they might never achieve, but the memories of Equestria’s past and dreams for Equestria’s future kept them going through the hardest of times. It had to because there still wasn’t a light at the end of this very long and very dark tunnel.

When it became obvious that the cavalry wasn’t going to come charging over the horizon, the Crusaders and Zecora had come to a decision. If Equestria was going to be free again, it was up to the four of them. The Zebra alchemist had trained them in all manner of forestcraft. They learned how to hide their tracks and how to move stealthily. They learned which plants could be used for healing, which were poisonous, and which could be safely eaten. They learned bird calls to mask their own signals and, most importantly, they learned how to fight.

While Zecora could only teach them the basics, each filly had developed a combat style that was specifically suited to them. Scootaloo could not best Apple Bloom’s strength or Sweetie Belle’s precision and finesse, but neither of them could match her speed. She depended on swift ambushes, range, and the element of surprise to take down her foes and escape before reinforcements could arrive.

Weapons had proven somewhat problematic. The closest things they knew of that would make decent weapons were the tools in the barn at Sweet Apple Acres. After a very cautious run, they had returned with several items, from axes to scythes, that would make satisfactory weapons. While those had been swiftly abandoned after stealing true arms from a patrol they had eliminated, Apple Bloom kept them around and had come up with individual weapons better suited to their strengths.

Scootaloo’s knife was her weapon of choice. Its small size made it a quick draw with a lightning strike. She could slip it between joints in armor or slam it home in a Griffon’s head with one fluid motion.

The others had scoffed at her preference. Apple Bloom’s own blade, a long curved sword, could be swung by the larger mare with effortless ease to remove limbs and heads. Sweetie Belle’s sword was long and narrow, allowing her to slip the blade through defenses with quick and precise strikes. The longer weapons allowed them to stay at a safer distance from their opponent but she possessed the speed and agility necessary to strike without putting herself in danger.

Her petite size made her a natural scout, able to move swiftly and silently over difficult terrain. Years of training and experience in stealth made her nearly impossible to track, especially in the dense Everfree. As she ran, she avoided the soft ground as much as possible, leaping from trees and rocks and gliding on her stunted wings as often as she could.

She paused on a particularly large boulder and warily eyed the mass of leaves and sticks just a few meters away. It was a Cockatrice nest and a rather large one at that. This was a part of the reason why the Crusaders kept to the Everfree. They knew the dangers and how to avoid them. Manticore territories, Cockatrice nests, and Cragodile waters were easy to move around and provided excellent defenses against Gryphonian soldiers. The Crusaders knew this land. Their enemies did not and rarely ventured into the forest. Those few brave and foolish souls that did often disappeared. If the predators didn’t get them, traps laid by the Crusaders or the Crusaders themselves did.

She came across one such trap that had been tripped, its victim lying on a bed of sharp staves below. Scootaloo pulled a handmade map and a nub of pencil from her pocket, marked the location of the trap for reset, and continued on. Tomorrow, she would return with rope to climb in and relieve the corpse of anything useful. Looting the bodies of fallen soldiers was a grisly task but one that was necessary if they were to survive. Her own leather armor had been taken from a young Gryphonian recruit she had slain by sending an arrow neatly into his eye. He was dead before he hit the ground.

Her trek through the forest was brought to a halt as she came to a fast-moving river. She paused at the tree line and let out a low whistle. The rapids began to slow and diminish, gradually becoming calm. A massive serpent raised his head, eyes just clearing the water. Carefully, Scootaloo stepped onto the banks of the river, revealing herself to the creature. A snort blew water onto the sand as the serpent rose to his full height, towering over her. Sharp teeth glinted in the moonlight.

“Hey, Steven.” She greeted with a wave.

“Scootaloo, darling, you’ve been gone for ages. I was beginning to worry.” The serpent rumbled.

She scoffed. “About what? You know those droopy-eyed wingless foals are no match for me.”

“You’d do well to watch yourself. Confidence is nice but arrogance will get you killed. What news?”

She shook her head. “Birds still have Equestria by the tail. The Crystal Empire still sits behind her defenses, and the Crusaders still can’t make any moves. Nothing beyond that.”

Steven tuttered. “I would think that Shining Armor would want to ensure his sister’s safety and freedom as soon as he could.”

She leaped onto the scaly muzzle. “According to him, he does, but protecting the Empire is his top priority. He’s made promises to come and reenforce us as soon as he feels it’s safe enough.”

“Do you believe him?”

“It’s been over a decade.” She replied with a shrug. “I wouldn’t complain if he did but I’m not holding my breath. Do you mind?”

Steven arched his body, allowing her passage across the river. “There’s an itchy spot just between my shoulders but I can’t quite reach it myself. I’d be obliged-”

“Say no more.” Scootaloo found the spot and knelt down, wrapping her hands around the broken shaft of a spear embedded between the serpent’s scales. She gave an experimental tug. “It’s in there pretty good. Gimme a minute.”

“Take your time, dear.”

With a great deal of grunting, swearing, wrenching, and twisting, she worked the weapon free. Glad to see her friend wasn’t injured, she tossed the remains into the water. “Better?”

“Oh, what a lovely filly. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

“Probably live a life in the river and not have to kill Gryphons every day.”

“Oh, I’d still slaughter the beasts with gusto, you can be sure of that. Still, I do hope you and your friends have success in clearing Ponyville in the near future. I’d love nothing more than to return to lovely Aloe and Lotus. I miss my monthly spa treatments.”

“To be fair, Steven, it might be a while before they’re back in business, assuming they’re still alive.”

“Child, I’d dry myself out to help them rebuild their lives. Those two mares have been nothing but kind to me ever since the first day I slithered through their door. They were disturbed, to be certain. It’s not every day that a sea monster comes for an herbal bath. However, they’re nothing if not professional and we managed to strike up quite the friendship.”

Scootaloo reached down to pat the scales at her hooves. “Steven, I promise I’ll do everything I can to bring the Spa Sisters back to you. You need to be patient, my friend. It might take a long time yet.”

“I’m almost five hundred years old, Scootaloo. I am nothing if not patient.”

She trotted across, giving the scales a final pat the moment she reached the opposite bank. “Thanks, Steven. I can’t tell you how grateful the Crusaders and I are for your help.”

“Think nothing of it, dear filly, but be careful. I would hate to lose a friend. I have so few left.”

Back beneath the safety of the tree canopy, Scootaloo heard Steven churn the river back to the white froth it had been before. He was part of their early warning system, ever since they had first moved into their base, and he was indispensable to them.

Closer to the base, the traps became more frequent and closer together. False trails led unwary travelers into Manticore dens and off of cliffs. Because of these, and because they had been incredibly vigilant, the home of the Crusaders had never been discovered. Nobody knew where to find them, not even the messengers from the Crystal Empire.

As she crested the final hill, her eyes fell upon their home. It hadn’t been changed much from the time they had taken over ownership. To any outsider, it looked like a bunch of crumbling and rotting ruins, the same ones that had been there for over a millennium. There were no signs from above of the network of tunnels and chambers that ran through the base of the plateau it stood on. Accessible only by pulling on a specific torch bracket, it was the perfect hide-out.

The only way to access the base from the ground was to go down a narrow cliff-side path, cross a gully, and go up again through a series of caves and tunnels that emerged a few meters from the back of the ruins. They never used the doorway but chose to come in through a broken window, well out of sight of anyone who might be watching.

The stone floor was covered in leaves, grass, and dirt. The floors and walls were still sound despite centuries of neglect. Scootaloo marveled at the quality of construction from the past as she moved through the remains of the admittance chamber. She didn’t care for how more recent buildings were constructed. It was only a short time before repairs and replacements were needed. They were built as quickly and cheaply as possible and were never built to last. She liked to think that, if the war had never occurred, she would have built fine houses that lasted forever.

The torch bracket she sought was next to a tapestry of the old royal insignia. The Crusaders had discovered it during a scavenging run. Apple Bloom had been wanting to take apart the old brackets and melt them down for iron. A quick tug had unlatched the entrance behind a nearly invisible seam. Ancient hinges had worked with little effort and no noise as they pulled the wall away and slipped inside.

She pulled on the bracket, happy to hear the metallic thud of the latch. Gripping the now exposed edge of the wall, she pulled it open on soundless hinges and slipped in. Once on the other side, she gripped the iron pull and hauled the wall shut again, giving a final yank to make sure the latch caught.

Carefully, she made her way down the flight of stairs, keeping one hand to the wall and relying on sound and touch to guide her in the darkness. There were no windows down here and the Crusaders relied on torches and fire pits to light the rooms and halls and the scent of smoke was constant. The underground passages had been built with proper ventilation and fresh air flowed throughout the base, but there was no being rid of the scent of burning.

Once she reached the landing, she followed the faint flicker of torchlight to the first passage that was part of the base proper. The Crusaders’ base of operations was massive and could easily accommodate more than the three ponies that called it home. The Crusaders themselves only used a few of these rooms and hadn’t ventured much past those.

The first large room they had come across had been taken by Apple Bloom as a smithy. She forged their weapons there, as well as a variety of other tools and materials. When she was working, the heat from the room kept the other rooms uncomfortably warm and the noise from the banging often kept Scootaloo awake.

Another large room was kept for training and exercise and it was from this room that the sound of wood on wood echoed. She followed the sound, turning the corner to find Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle locked in combat. They wielded wooden staffs, each testing the other’s skill in two-handed weapons. Apple Bloom had a considerable size advantage on the unicorn and relied on the raw power of her blows to beat her opponent into submission. Sweetie Belle, in contrast, relied on speed and precision, carefully planning and targeting each blow for maximum effectiveness. Sweetie was ever patient as she parried and deflected each of the Earth Pony’s strikes, waiting for the opportune moment to attack.

Apple Bloom kicked out with a hoof, which Sweetie Belle dodged, returning with a strike across Apple Bloom’s back. Apple Bloom’s leather armor absorbed the blow without much damage to its wearer but, by the way she winced, Scootaloo could tell Apple Bloom felt it and would feel it for the next few days.

Sweetie Belle’s small size and constant movement made her a difficult target and the way she moved made her combat style look more like a dance. While the Unicorn lacked the Earth Pony’s strength and endurance, she knew how to build and keep her momentum, making each strike devastating.

In contrast to the Unicorn, Apple Bloom’s movement was more like an ox. She depended on her reach to keep the Unicorn at bay but seemed to have trouble getting a solid strike in. Scootaloo watched as the other two Crusaders sparred, each trying to outmaneuver and overpower the other.

Finally, Apple Bloom managed to land a powerful blow that knocked Sweetie Belle from her hooves. The mare let out a cry as she was knocked back and rolled across the floor. Apple Bloom was on her in an instant and, with the tip of her staff, pressed Sweetie Belle to the floor.

“Ah win.” She declared.

“You always win.” Sweetie Belle complained.

Apple Bloom shook her head as she helped Sweetie Belle to her hooves. “That ain’t true. Ya beat me twice yesterday.”

“As opposed to the five times you beat me today?”

“Ah wouldn’t worry too much about it. Some of those strikes were pretty hard.”

“I certainly wouldn’t want to step into the ring with you.” Scootaloo chimed in.

Apple Bloom dusted off her hands and worked to remove her armor as she turned to Scootaloo. “Ya been there long?”

The Pegasus shook her head. “Just got in. Quiet night.”

“Nothin’ to notice?”

“I didn’t say that. One of the traps, just on the far side of the river, was sprung. I’m going to head back out there tomorrow and see what I can recover.”

Apple Bloom nodded. As the unofficial leader of the group, she held final say on what the Crusaders did and when. She had the most experience with the Everfree and tended to be the most logical and assertive. The other two generally went along with what she said. “Let’s hope he’s got something useful on him. We’re gonna need to go out tomorrow anyway. We’re runnin' low on food again.”

Scootaloo’s eyes narrowed in annoyance. “We’re always running low on food. Sweetie Belle keeps eating it all.”

“I do not.” The unicorn asserted. “Apple Bloom eats more than you and I combined.”

“Ah think it’s safe to say we all need to cut back a bit more if we want to stretch our supplies as far as possible.” Apple Bloom concluded. “Hopefully, this fellow who sprang the trap will have information on supply caravans we can intercept.”

“Maybe we could start a garden?” Sweetie Belle offered.

Apple Bloom shook her head. “Ah told ya last time ya’ll brought that up. It’s too risky. If flyover patrols start spottin’ farmin’ plots, they’ll wonder who’s doin’ the plantin’.”

“Well, we’ve gotta do something. If we keep cutting back to spare supply runs, we’re going to end up starving.”

“Not to mention,” Scootaloo said, “We need to keep our strength up if we intend to retake Ponyville. We can have all of the practice and all of the best weapons but they won’t do us any good if we’re too weak to use them.”

“Don’t ya think Ah know that? Ah’m tryin’ to figure somethin’ out but we can’t retake Ponyville just the three of us. We need to wait for Shining Armor to send reinforcements.”

Scootaloo threw up her hands. “You’re still banking on that? Get with the times, Bloom. Shining Armor is just sitting on his tail behind the Crystal Mountains. It’s been over a decade and we’ll be long gone before he ever gets off his plot to help us.”

“If ya’ll’ve got a better idea, let’s hear it.”

“What if we build our own army?” Suggested Sweetie Belle.

Apple Bloom turned to her and was silent for a moment. “Where are we gonna get the soldiers?”

“We’ve got a town full of slaves just outside.”

“Slaves ain’t soldiers.”

“We’re not soldiers. Think about it, Apple Bloom, we were just three fillies when all of this began.”

“Three fillies that got training from a former soldier and have damn near two decades of experience under our belts. Besides, if they had the will to fight, they would have done it before.”

“Not necessarily.” Sweetie Belle replied. “It all happened really fast. They were scared and didn’t know what to do. They’ve had a while to sit and stew and think about how much they hate Gryphons. We could sneak some of them out in ones and twos. We train and equip them Then, when we have enough for a small force, we could incite rebellion in the town’s slave population and bring our forces in at the same time. The Gryphons have probably gotten fairly complacent by now. Hell, I’d be willing to bet they’re only keeping the minimum to guard a small town in a nation they’ve been occupying for so long. The resulting confusion from both the rebellion and the attack would send them spinning. We’d have to deal with a couple dozen. No more than that.”

“And how are we gonna supply these new forces?”

“Well, the slaves would have to take what they can get at first. Probably Gryphonian weapons and armor. That’s not ideal, I know, but it’s better than nothing. With a larger force, we can have an easier time taking convoys. Besides, taking the town would pull heat from the border and allow Shining Armor some breathing room.”

“And bring heat down on us in a big way.” Apple Bloom concluded.

Sweetie Belle shrugged. “No reward without risk.”

Apple Bloom frowned. “Ah don’t know. What do ya think, Scoots?”

Scootaloo shrugged. “We’re not getting much done as we are. It’s a better plan then sit and wait for help to come. We can watch the town and hide all we want, but if we’re going to ever see a free Equestria again, we need to start taking action.”

Apple Bloom nodded. “Alright, but we’re gonna have to pick and choose which ponies we take very carefully. We’ll need medical ponies to treat diseases and wounded.”

“An army marches on its stomach. We’ll need ponies to cook and grow food.” Sweetie Belle said.

“Definitely some fighters.” Scootaloo said. “Can’t have much of an army with just cooks and nurses. Maybe some construction ponies and engineers to fortify the town.”

“We’ll need ponies who can blend in and gather intelligence. We’ll need them to go to the slaves and convince them to join our cause and become Crusaders.”

Apple Bloom looked thoughtful. “Alright. Ah like it. Scoots, when ya go out tomorrow, keep an eye out for ponies ya think might be good candidates. If ya know ‘em on sight, gimmie a list of their names. If not, write a description. Get me, Ah don’t know, a half-dozen or so and Ah’ll see what Ah can do to get the ball rollin’.”

Sweetie Belle nodded her approval. “Great. I’m going to go and take an inventory of what we have and what we’ll need to stock up on.”

“Ya do that, Sweetie. Ah’m gonna show Scoots here that thing Ah showed ya earlier.”

“Wait.” Said Scootaloo. “There’s a thing? Why haven’t I heard of the thing? What sort of thing is it?”

Apple Bloom wrapped an arm around Scootaloo and began to lead her back around to the smithy. “Ah think yer gonna like this.”

Her furnace sat in the center of the room, underneath one of the vents. Along the walls were racks of weapons while tools in the worst state were piled in a corner, waiting to be melted down and remade. Atop a rough-hewn table, something large was covered in a length of burlap.

“Check this out.” Declared Apple Bloom, snatching away the cover with a flourish.

Scootaloo studied the odd-looking thing of metal and wood. It was pretty huge, nearly twice the length of her arm. The long metal cylinder that sat atop the wood was wide enough that she could stick her fist in it. The wood that supported the cylinder from beneath and behind held all sorts of little mechanisms, like a tiny hammer and an even smaller lever that Scootaloo couldn’t begin to guess the purpose of. “Wow. Look at that thing. That is an amazing thing.” She looked up at the larger Earth pony. “What is it?”

Apple Bloom chuckled as she lifted the odd thing. “Ah call it the Thunderstaff.” She set the rectangular wooden end on the floor and pulled a long rod from a slot beneath the metal cylinder. “Ah load it with the same powder Ah use for your grenades. Ah load sixty grains directly down the barrel.” She pointed at the cylinder. “That’s this bit here. Ah take some old paper and push it down over the powder with this here rod. Still with me?”

“I think so.” Scootaloo leaned in to look directly down the barrel.

“Ah wouldn’t make a habit of doin’ that, Scoots. Ya know how volatile this powder can be.”

The pegasus jumped back. “Right, right. So, what’s next?”

“After Ah load my powder and my wad, Ah load my shot.” She lifted up a can of steel ball bearings. “About 14 grams worth of this and Ah use the rod to push it tight against the wad. If Ah don’t push it tight, then-”

“-Then the force of the blast won’t be enough to launch your shot but will be enough to blow apart that barrel-thingy.”

“Eeyup. So, after Ah’ve done all of that, Ah open this bit here.” She flipped open a thumb-shaped latch to reveal a small metal platform with a shallow depression in it. “Ah pour only a little bit of powder into that depression, close the latch, and pull back on this tiny hammer.” She pointed at the assembly that sat against the barrel and just before the wooden rectangle. “When Ah pull this little lever, the spring on the hammer releases, striking a spark on the latch, which ignites the powder in the depression. The sparks from that powder go through a tiny hole in the side of the barrel to ignite the powder charge, which explodes and propels the shot out of the barrel and into whoever Ah don’t like. Of course, all this is in theory. Ah haven’t really had a chance to test it yet.”

“Yeah, those explosions could end up being rather loud. Don’t want to run the risk of some bird patrol hearing you.” She took the weapon and hefted it. It was rather heavy, too heavy for her but the larger Apple Bloom wouldn’t have much of a problem with it. “How useful do you figure this would be on the field?”

Apple Bloom shrugged. “Ah figured Ah’d get one, maybe two, good shots in. Takes about thirty seconds to load if Ah’m left alone.”

Scootaloo handed the Thunderstaff back to Apple Bloom, who set it on the table and laid the cover over it. “Not much of a chance of that happening. Why not stick to a bow or, better yet, a crossbow?”

Apple Bloom shook her head. “Ain’t had the knack you’ve got with the bow and a crossbow takes too long to reload for one measly shot. If Ah’m gonna be usin’ some kinda ranged weapon, Ah wanna get one good shot in. This’ll take a few of ‘em down in one go and give the rest a good scare. At least, it should.”

Scootaloo grunted. “I’d test this thing and make sure it does what it’s supposed to without blowing up first. Then we’ll worry about battlefield applications.” She gave a great yawn, stretching both her arms and her wings as she did. “Alright, I’ve been up all night. I’m going to bed.”

“Ah’m gonna keep workin’ for a while, then turn in myself.”

As she headed back down the corridor to the section they had made into a dorm, Scootaloo found her mind turning to the coming days and all of the events that had brought them to this point. Never before had she contemplated an attack against her hometown to free it from the rule of tyrants. She only wished Zecora was still with them. She had a feeling that they could have all used the old Zebra’s advice. Then again, if what had happened that night had not played out as they had, she was willing to bet the Crusaders wouldn’t have made as much progress.

In retrospect, she doubted Zecora ever intended to let her three young charges participate in battle against the Gryphons. The training was slow and there were many key gaps that they had to discover on their own. In all likelihood, the only purpose of the training was as a distraction.

Inside the dorm, Scootaloo found Sweetie already on her pallet, mumbling in her sleep. The war had affected her the worst. While both Apple Bloom and Scootaloo had adjusted to their new reality, Sweetie continued to hold onto the hope that help was on the horizon. She fervently wished that Shining Armor and the Crystal Army would stampede across Equestria and all would be right again.

That wasn’t a sentiment Scootaloo could get behind. She had seen too much bloodshed to think that it would all go back to the way it was. There would be no more sun-soaked picnics on summer days, no more Winter Wrap-ups in Ponyville. The best she could hope for was to simply kill as many Gryphons as possible before she fell under the blade.

She dropped her pack at the head of her pallet and began to remove her armor, stacking it against her pack So little progress had been made in the past few years that she had been afraid that they would spend the rest of their years hiding like rats, fugitives in their own homeland. Now that Apple Bloom seemed to have grown a pair, they’d really be able to make marks against the bird-brains.

Not that it really mattered.

Discord's Daughters

Apple Bloom’s thumb tapped idly on the pommel of her sword as she eyed her nearly-completed shield. She had taken the design idea from the ancient heater shields she had seen in a museum in Canterlot once. It had taken weeks of trial and error with only her memory of how the shields had been built to go off of. There were still bits of destroyed prototypes that hadn’t survived her tests littering her smithy. Despite the multiple setbacks and repeated failures, her perseverance paid off and she now had a satisfactory shield with the right wood, right iron, right leather, and the correct strength-to-weight ratio. Now, all that was needed was for it to be painted.

Despite the danger, she had gone out in daylight the day before to gather what she needed and now had an ample supply of Indigo, Roses, and Dandelion buds with charcoal for darkening and thickening the paints.

Her shield sat on a rack with pots of each paint perched before it. She already had her design in mind and only needed a reference to make sure it was absolutely perfect. She stood and went to her workbench. Underneath it was an old box she had crafted and inside was one of her most treasured possessions.

The dyes in the fabric had faded and it was beginning to mildew in the constant damp but, in her eyes, it was just as beautiful as the day she had acquired it. The sight of it brought on the happier days of her fillyhood, romping with her friends in search of fun and adventure while annoying the life out of every other pony in town.

She ran her rough, calloused hands over the fabric, feeling the texture of the prancing pony stitched into the cloth. That little pony embodied her spirit and the spirit of her friends. Unbreakable, indefatigable, indestructible.

They would need such a spirit now more than ever. It was a long road ahead of them. One that they would, in all likelihood, never see the end of. However, it was a journey they would gladly undertake for their fellow ponies.

That little prancing pony of unbreakable will and indefatigable spirit would be a symbol of hope for all Equestrians. It would be the symbol ponies would recognize long after she left this world and they would know it was the symbol that had broken their bonds and returned their home.

With the past in her eyes, she took up the brush and began to apply paint to the leather.

X--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------X

Scootaloo cinched her rope tight around the trunk of a nearby tree, letting the moonlight guide her back to the trap and the Gryphonian caught within. She perched on the edge of the hole and waited for the moon to rise above the trees and light the interior as she thought about the tasks before her. She had a lot of ground to cover and little time to cover it.
Pulling the map from her pocket, she retraced the route she would take, swinging past Sweet Apple Acres. Those ponies would be in top shape from working the fields all day. She wouldn’t enter the town. The chance of being spotted by a sentry was all but a certainty. Instead, her intention was to select the highest point she could and scan for the next few hours. She wanted to return to the base before sunrise.

The tree that she had been in the night before was as good a spot as any and better than most. The boughs helped to hide her from sharp Gryphonian eyes, provided she remained still, and it was one of the tallest points in the area.

Scootaloo looked up from her map to check the moon, still steadily making its trek across the sky. Despite being locked away and awaiting trial for their crimes, the Princesses still managed both the sun and the moon. That was one of the only things that gave Scootaloo any hope for the future and kept her from simply rolling over and dying. If the Princesses were still alive, there was hope for the future.

Though she couldn’t help but wonder what the Gryphonians were using to coerce the Princesses to do their bidding. However admirable their devotion to their duty was, Celestia and Luna would surely see the extinction of Ponykind as a mercy rather than the fate their subjects currently suffered. Especially since, to the best of their knowledge, there was no help on the way.

With the moonlight finally shining directly into the hole, revealing the corpse of the Gryphonian scout, Scootaloo began her work. She dropped the rope in and followed it, careful to avoid the bed of sharp staves. There was a narrow lane that allowed her a bit of movement while she tended to the body, securing the rope around it. While Gryphonians were much larger than the average Pony and doubly so for the common Pegasus, being bound to the ground for her entire life had led to a well-developed muscle structure in Scootaloo. She wasn’t as bulky as Bloom but her wiry frame granted great physical strength and, with only a bit of strain, she managed to haul both the body and everything attached to it out of the hole.

She knelt over the body and began to pull the various packs and pouches from its belt and slings. For a scout, it was heavily laden and she reasoned it was likely a long-range explorer or, possibly, a courier.

She pulled the Gyphon’s weapon, a small throwing axe, and held it up to the light, carefully examining the fine steel blade. The moonlight glinted along the edge as she gave it an experimental toss. It was light, strong, and well-balanced. Scootaloo nodded to herself as she set the ax aside. She had to hand it to the Gryphons. The bird-brains did make some fine weapons. She’d use it well.

Another pouch held a detailed map of Equestria. While her own map was suitable, it only showed the Everfree and the surrounding area. She carefully examined the parchment, having trouble recognizing the names. The locations of the cities gave away their true identities. Manehatten was marked as Gau Baden. Baltimare was Gau Westmark. Canterlot was Reichskommissariat. The names were meaningless to her but her blood boiled at just how much her home had been changed. It took all of her self-restraint to neatly fold the map and tuck it away. Only the thought of having to deal with an Apple Bloom that was pissed she had destroyed such valuable information kept her from shredding it.

A sheaf of papers were dug from the Gryphonian’s satchel and promptly placed in Scootaloo’s pack. The contents of those papers were for Apple Bloom. Besides, it was too dark to read.

With a bit of strain, she dragged the corpse into a nearby thicket where Manticores or something else would be sure to make quick work of it. With her new ax, she cut branches and vines and set to work rebuilding the trap.

Laying her branches into a grid pattern, she used the vines to bind them together, working as quickly as she could. Grunting, she laid the grid over the pit and began to layer it with dirt and leaves, making it look as natural as she could. Somepony who knew to look for it would notice the irregularities, but any unsuspecting creature that was heavy enough would trip it.

Gathering her things, she made for Sweet Apple Acres. While most of the slaves would be asleep, some would still be working. The farm tended to run on a twenty-four hour schedule now with the slaves working in twelve hour shifts to grow food and tend livestock for Ponyville and beyond.

Scootaloo spotted a fair-sized Oak that would make a decent spotting perch and set her things against the base, piling leaves and branches around them before disappearing into the foliage. Her light weight made moving among the branches fairly easy and silent and she found a suitable perch without much effort.

Straddling the branch, her sharp eyes scanned the fields and buildings, watching for any Equine forms. Near a cook fire, just beyond one of the orchards, she could hear Gryphonians chattering in their disgusting tongue. She raised her binoculars as she spotted what looked like a pony emerging from one of the buildings and let out a quiet chuckle.

“Apple Bloom’s gonna shit.” She muttered, picturing the look on her friend’s face as she scribbled the name down.

She continued to watch for a moment before turning her eyes to another area, spotting a young unicorn using her limited magical ability to scrub down a plow blade.

Dinky Doo, she wrote.

Dinky paused a moment and gestured into the barn. A large Pegasus stallion joined her. Despite what the years of hard labor had done to him, the stallion was easily recognizable.

“Damn, he’s almost as big as Macintosh.” Scootaloo muttered to herself as she took down Featherweight’s name.

Moving on, she returned to the tall pine she had occupied the night before and resumed her scanning, one hand on her binoculars. An older mulberry-colored mare with a silver mane looked miserable as she dumped scraps of skin into a garbage bin behind the butcher’s shop. Scootaloo had to focus hard to catch the mare’s cutie mark: Three smiling daisies. Quickly, she took the mare’s name down.

Behind a house, another mare was taking in the laundry. Scootaloo couldn’t remember the mare’s name but the grey coat and ebony mane were familiar. That mare had been a famous musician. If she had been famous, ponies would be willing to listen to her. She wrote a quick description of the mare, making certain to put emphasis on the lavender Treble Clef cutie mark.

A stocky pinto pony darted down the street carrying a scroll. Despite his short stature and heavy build, he was quick on his hooves. He’d make a decent scout. Scootaloo scribbled Pipsqueak onto her list.

The longer she stayed, the higher the risk she ran of being spotted. Four names were enough for an initial group. Carefully, she climbed out of the tree and began her return journey to the old castle. With any luck, Apple Bloom would still be awake.

Returning to the chambers beneath the castle, Scootaloo wasn’t surprised to find Apple Bloom hammering away at her anvil. The mare lifted the smoldering piece, giving the glowing metal a brief inspection, before dumping back into her furnace.

“Got a bedtime story for ya.” Scootaloo declared, pulling the papers from her bag.

“Is it the one where all the bad guys leave town for no apparent reason and never ever return? That’s mah favorite.”

Scootaloo shook her head. “Sorry. This one’s almost as good. It’s the one where the three dashing heroines find help to fight off the bad guys and the bravest, most-dashing heroine risks life-and-limb to find useful information to help her friends fight the good fight.”

“‘Life-and-limb’, eh? Ah suppose that’ll do.” Apple Bloom took the papers and began to flip through them. “If only Ah knew Gryphonian. These papers would make more sense.” She turned her gaze to Scootaloo.

“Don’t look at me. I never learned it.” She pulled the map out of her pocket. “This might be useful, though.”

Apple Bloom took the map and began to look it over. “Now, this Ah can understand.” She was silent for a while as she read over the map. “Looks like they’ve been minin’ on the western edge of Appleloosa. That’s Buffalo territory.”

“Ain’t the Buffalo friendly with the Apples? Who was the head honcho there?”

“Chief Thunderhooves. His daughter married Cousin Braeburn ‘bout a year before the war. Ah’m thinkin’ if the Gryphons are startin’ to lock horns with the Buffalo, we might want to send a word ‘round to them.”

“The enemy of my enemy.” Scootaloo confirmed. Her face split into a grin as Apple Bloom began to read the list she had made.

“Short list.” Apple Bloom commented. “With Diamond Tiara at the top of it, Ah see.”

“Remember how manipulative she was? I think we might be able to turn those powers to good. Not to mention, if I remember correctly from her bragging, she was learning business from her dad before the war. I think she might be useful.”

Apple Bloom shrugged. “Beggars can’t be choosers, Ah suppose. What about Featherweight? Bit small for the army life. Ya thinkin’ of using him as a meat shield?”

“If only. He’s grown up, Apple Bloom, and he’s big enough to give you a run for your bits.”

“We talkin’ about the same Featherweight?”

“Only one I know of was that twig-sized flutterer that needed to be tied down in a stiff breeze. That’s not the case anymore.”

Apple Bloom frowned. “Ah’ll take yer word for it. Dinky Doo?”

“Still has her magic. The Gryphon’s didn’t take her horn, most likely because her magic was never very powerful. They didn’t think she was much of a threat.”

Apple Bloom grunted. “Maybe we can change their minds. Who’s this pony with the Treble-Clef cutie mark?”

“I can’t remember her name off of the top of my head but I do know she was a famous musician back before the invasion. Figured she’d be good for recruitment.”

Apple Bloom nodded. “Good thinkin’. Having a pony with social graces and clout might be better to steer ponies our way than you or me. Matter of fact, I want to look into her bein’ in the first group we bring out.”

Scootaloo hissed. “I don’t know. She was pretty deep into the town when I saw her. She might be difficult to get at.”

“Let’s keep her on the backburner then. If we can get at her easily, great. If not, we’ll wait. Ah don’t want to take any unnecessary risks this early.”

“Agreed.”

“Pipsqueak, eh? What are ya thinkin’ of using him for?”

“He’s quick on his hooves. Seriously, Bloom, you should have seen him go. I think that, if nothing else, he’d make a decent scout. Once we start making moves, it’s not a good idea to depend entirely on me. Not to mention, his natural coat pattern would give him decent camouflage.”

“Alright. We’ll see what he can do but if he’s going to be a scout, he’s your responsibility.”

Scootaloo shrugged. “Fine.”

“And that brings us to…” Apple Bloom blinked as she read the name. “Is this for real?”

“I saw her with my own eyes.”

“So Cheerilee’s still alive. Much as I love the mare, I gotta ask: what use is she to the army?”

“She’s a teacher. Or, was, at any rate. Teachers have a whole slew of skills not directly related to teaching, like first aid.”

“Ah see where ye’re goin’ with this but we need nurses, not school teachers with adhesive bandages.”

Scootaloo let out a groan of exasperation. “I’m sure she can do more than stick gauze on scrapes. Besides, I have yet to spot an actual nurse or doctor and, in lieu of either profession, she’s better than nothing.”

Apple Bloom frowned. “She’s on the back-burner too. We’ll get her when we get her.”

“No.”

Determination flared in her eyes as Scootaloo faced down her leader. “No, Bloom. We’re getting her out as soon as we can.”

“Scoots, we don’t have any use for her at the moment.”

“I don’t care. She was our teacher. It’s a miracle she managed to survive this long and there’s no telling how much longer she can last. They’re killing her. I don’t care if all she can do is sit on her hands and tweet like a bird, we’re not going to leave her there one minute longer.”

“We don’t have the time or resources to be playin’ foalsitter.”

“Who said we would be? You’re writing her off because she doesn’t have enough of the particular skill set you’re currently looking for. Even if she wasn’t our old teacher, she might be helpful in logistics or recruitment or psychology. We’re going to need somepony like her to gently work with others and keep them on an even keel. Your usual tactic of “Get Over It” doesn’t work in every single situation.”

Apple Bloom opened her mouth to argue but hesitated. “Ya feel that strongly about it?”

“I do.”

The mare let out a ragged sigh and shook her head. “Don’t make me regret this, Scoots. Ah’m tryin’ to build an army from nothin’ here.”

“You and I have the same goals. We both want a free Equestria but not everypony can divide their minds like us. Not everypony is as tough as us. Sometimes, ponies break and somebody needs to put all of the pieces back together. Cheerilee might be the mare to do it.”

Apple Bloom shook her head again. “Ah hear ya, Scoots, and Ah get what yer sayin’ but we can’t help a single pony by takin’ unnecessary risks. Believe it or not, Ah want Cheerilee to be free as much as you do but Ah need to think in the long term if we’re gonna survive this.”

“We all do, Bloom. You don’t carry this war by yourself. You trust me to bring you good information on the outside world so that we can decide what to do next. I need you to trust me now when I say we need to get Cheerilee out of there.”

Apple Bloom leaned against a table and cupped her chin in a hand, deep in thought. “Alright. We need to do this carefully though. Like Ah said before, no unnecessary risks. Ya got it?”

Scootaloo nodded.

“Tomorrow night, when ya go out again, Sweetie and Ah are goin’ with ya. We’re gonna assess the situation and, if possible, we’re gonna start freein’ ponies.”

Another Way to Die

Sweetie Belle’s Indifference charm hid the three Crusaders as they crouched just inside the treeline of the Everfree, examining the wall that surrounded Ponyville. At just over twice the height of Apple Bloom, simply leaping over it was not an option.

“Short of blowing a hole in the side, which would draw too much attention, Ah can’t see a way in.” Apple Bloom concluded.

“What if I flew over the wall and opened the gate from the inside?”

“Is the gate guarded?”

“Yeah.”

“That’s why.” A strained grunt emanated from the unicorn crouched between them. “How ya holdin’ up, Sweets?”

“I’m...I’m alright.”

“Ya sure? The minute your magic falters, let us know so we can pull back.”

“Sure thing.”

“I can take out a couple guards.” Scootaloo asserted defensively.

“Ah don’t doubt that. Can ya do it before they raise an alarm?”

Scootaloo’s ears folded back. “Yeah?”

“That a question or a statement?”

The pegasus hesitated. “Statement?”

“Ah thought so. Ah ain’t sendin’ ya in there alone. No, we’ll have to figure out somethin’ better.” Apple Bloom glanced at Sweetie Belle and noticed the sweat beading on her brow. “Ah think we’ve seen all we can see. Let’s head back to the base and figure out what to do next.”

Apple Bloom heard Sweetie Belle let out a sigh of relief and dropped her charm as the trio retreated into the dense undergrowth. They moved in silence, still too close to the town to risk being heard. Scootaloo took to the canopy, leaping and gliding ahead of the group and making sure the path ahead was clear.

“Ya been practicin’ yer magic?”

Sweetie Belle shrugged. “Yeah. I put in an hour or so every day but it’s really difficult to make any progress without actual instruction. I’m pretty much at the same place I was a year ago. The best I’ve managed with anything new is I kinda levitated a piece of paper. Though, I’m not entirely sure if that was me or an air current.” She let out a sigh. “I just wish I was stronger.”

“Yer gettin’ stronger.”

“I suppose but I’m not strong enough to be an asset on the battlefield. I’m a better duelist than anything else but that doesn’t count for much in the situation we’re in, does it?”

“No. No, it sure doesn’t.”

“And my magic is still so weak. I can’t teleport. I do a halfway-decent healing spell. About the only thing I can do well is that Indifference charm and even that’s limited.” Her ears folded back. “I can understand why you and Scoots leave me behind all the time.”

“Now, hold on. Don’t go thinkin’ that yer useless because yer not that great of a fighter. Yer smarter and more organized than either of us. We need somepony to keep track of everythin’ we have.”

“Oh, great. So that’s what I can do best: counting.”

Apple Bloom slapped her forehead and grimaced. “That ain’t what Ah meant and you know it.”

“Then what did you mean, Apple Bloom? That I’m useless on the battlefield so you give me busy-work to keep me quiet? That you don’t know what else to do with me?”

“That’s enough! Ah got enough on mah plate keepin’ us safe and organizin’ a resistance. Ah don’t need yer bellyachin’ on top of it all. Not every pony’s meant for the front lines. Some ponies need to sit in the back and count the beans to make sure that the army can fight again tomorrow, next week, next year. Yeah, it ain’t as glorious but look at it this way: Of the three of us, yer the one most likely to see the end of all of this. Me an’ Scoots, we’re probably gonna die.”

Scootaloo dropped from the trees above, landing with a heavy thump. “There’s a trade wagon stopped ahead. Looks like they got stuck in the mud. We should go check it out.”

“Yeah, we’ll be right there.” Apple Bloom turned back to Sweetie Belle. “Ya’ll got the best chance to survive this. Ya’ll get to live on and die in a warm bed with yer babies and granbabies all watchin’ over ya. Be grateful for that.”

Apple Bloom took off, hurrying to catch up with Scootaloo. As they crested a rise, she spotted a road carved through the hill. The heavily-traveled route was rutted and full of holes, one of which had caught a wagon. The wagon was overloaded with ore and the exhausted slave pulling it was straining to free the wheels, even as her master bellowed and beat her.

“He’ll beat her to death before she pulls that thing free.” Apple Bloom commented as the driver gave another unrestrained lash of the whip to the silver-coated mare.

“We need to help her.”

Apple Bloom’s sharp eyes scanned the road for any sign of Gryphonian soldiers before nodding to Scootaloo. “Do it.”

In the blink of an eye, the pegasus had her bow in hand and an arrow nocked. She inhaled as she drew the bow back to her cheek and, on the exhale, let the arrow fly.

Apple Bloom tracked the arrow as it flew through the air, easily piercing the master’s thin tunic and finding a home in his chest. The Gryphon let out a startled squawk as he tumbled off of the wagon and to the dirt.

Apple Bloom leaped from the rise, sliding down the dirt embankment to the road. Her patchwork armor rattled loosely as she sprinted to the wagon, vaulting over the load of ores, and landing on the Gryphon. The bird-brain gasped as it struggled to escape her. Without a word, Apple Bloom drew her sword. Contempt in her eyes, she swiftly and smoothly relieved the Gryphonian Slavemaster of his head.

“Bloom, we could use some help over here.”

Leaving the corpse, she went to the front of the wagon, where Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle were knelt over the collapsed slave. Sweetie Belle was doing her best with her limited magic to heal the slave’s grievous injuries. The lacerations from the whip bled profusely but the blood was congealing rapidly under the influence of Sweetie Belle’s healing spell. The Unicorn sweated and grimaced under the strain of maintaining the spell. After several tense minutes, the bleeding halted in the still-gaping wounds.

“Alright, Sweets. That’ll do.”

“W-wait. I...I think...I can...seal th...seal them.” Sweetie Belle panted, the aura of magic fading and flickering around her horn and her hands.

“Nah. Ah don’t want ya overdoin’ it again. She’s outta immediate danger.”

Sweetie Belle sat back on her haunches and massaged her pounding head. “What now? We can’t leave her here.”

“Nah. Yer right about that. Can’t leave her here and Ah dunno if she’s fit to bring into the base.”

“She’s unconscious. If we don’t let her wander about too much when she wakes up, she won’t know where she’s at.”

Apple Bloom shrugged. “Ain’t like we got a lot of other options, eh?” Sheathing her sword, she crouched down and scooped the slave into her arms.

Scootaloo squinted at the filly’s flank. “What the…” Lifting away the tattered tunic, she got a better look. “Hey, Bloom. Check this out.”

Apple Bloom shifted the mare in her arms to get a look at the mark: an elaborately-decorated spoon. “Silver Spoon.”

“I didn’t recognize her without her glasses and braids.” Sweetie Belle commented.

“She’s been through the mill.” Agreed Scootaloo.

“She’s spent much of her life as a slave. Ah think it’s a miracle she’s still alive.” She turned and started down the road, where the embankments were shorter and easier to climb. “C’mon. Let’s head back to the ruins and take care of this. Ya’ll bring that wagon if ya can.”

“What do we do about the driver?”

Apple Bloom turned and leveled a contemptuous glare at the headless corpse. “Check the body for anythin’ useful then leave ‘im for the scavengers. They’ll make short work of him.”

With a few loping steps, Apple Bloom’s long, powerful legs carried her and Silver Spoon up the embankment and back into the forest. She moved as quickly as she dared, mindful not to aggravate the other mare’s injuries. The sun was beginning to dip below the horizon and the forest was growing darker. In the fading light, Apple Bloom had to rely more on sound and touch to find her way but, before long, the ruins came into sight, dark remains silhouetted against the dusk sky.

With ease born of practice, she leaped through the broken window and quickened her pace to find the opening to the base. She was careful on the steps into the base, moving gently once on the stone floor. Gently laying Silver Spoon on a sleeping mat, Apple Bloom rolled her onto her stomach and pulled the tattered tunic away, leaving the mare naked from the waist up and her wounds open to the air.

“Ain’t the best but it’ll do until Sweetie Belle’s ready for ya.” She said.

The unconscious mare let out a soft groan as she shifted slightly, her brow furrowed in pain.

“Sit tight, now. Ah won’t be a minute.”

Returning to the surface, she trotted back out to the road, meeting her struggling comrades halfway and taking up the wagon pull while the other two pushed. Their combined efforts made the pace quicker.

“What do you want the wagon for, Bloom?” Scootaloo asked. “Interested in the ores?”

“Nah. Mah forge doesn’t get hot enough for smelting ore but Ah think Silver Spoon and this here wagon are gonna be what gets us into Ponyville.”

“I see the gears turning in your mind, Bloom. What are you thinking?”

“Ah’ll tell ya’ll later, after Ah’ve had a chance to think about this a little more and talk with Silver Spoon. Meantime, we need to stash the wagon. We’ll take it across the gorge and push it back into one of the caves where patrols can’t spot it. Afterwards, you, me, and Sweets will look after our new friend. Didja get anythin’ good off of the driver?”

“Found some papers and supplies. Enough to keep us for another week. Something that looks like a manifest schedule too.”

Apple Bloom nodded. “Alright. We’ll see if Silver can shed some light on what that might be. If the wagon and Silver are our way in, that might be our way out again.”

“How many slaves are we bringing out?”

“Only one or two at first. Ah want to have words with Diamond Tiara and see if she can organize some kind of uprising.” Apple Bloom cocked her head as a plan began to shape in her mind. “Matter of fact, maybe we can let the slaves to the bulk of the work. Ain’t many we can sneak out before some bird-brain takes notice. Whatever we end up doin’, it’s gonna have to be quick. Maybe the ones we sneak out could go in with us during the uprising and take out specific targets.”

The three mares pushed the wagon into its hiding place and continued on to the base, moving up through the caverns and passages.

“Where’d you stash Silver?” Scootaloo asked.

“She’s in the dorm, resting. As soon as we get there and yer feelin’ up to it, Sweets, Ah want ya to finish the work on her wounds. Not direct healing but suture ‘em up really nice and tidy.”

“I’ll take care of that right away. Our base isn’t exactly the most sanitary place in the world. The longer they stay open to the air, the more likely the wounds themselves get dirty and infection sets in. I want to clean them really well before we do anything else. When we get back, Bloom, I’m going to need you to put a pot of water on to boil and I’m going to give you a few things to put in that water.”

Apple Bloom nodded. “Alright. How long do Ah need to boil these things for?”

“About an hour. Long enough for me to give her wounds a good cleaning.”

Ducking into her smithy, Apple Bloom lit her furnace. “Go and get yer stuff, Sweets. This stuff’ll take a minute to get rollin’. Scoots, grab Silver and bring her in here, if ya would. Be gentle now.”

With the other two gone, Apple Bloom scrounged up every lantern, lamp, candle, and torch she could find in an effort to make her smithy as well-lit as possible. She fetched a pot, filled it with water from the nearby well, and set it over the flames in her forge. She set the lights around the table, taking the burlap that had been covering her Thunderstaff and tossing it over a long table.

“Look who’s up.”

Apple Bloom turned to see Scootaloo helping a bleary-eyed Silver Spoon into the smithy. “Just in time.” She crossed to them, gently lifted Silver Spoon into her arms, and carried her to the table.

“Apple Bloom?” Silver Spoon murmured.

“Yeah, that’s me. It’s been awhile, Silver.”

“Where are we?”

“Someplace safe. Yer safe here.” She set Silver Spoon on the table. “Need ya to roll over onto yer belly, please.”

The mare complied, moving gingerly as Apple Bloom carefully pulled Silver Spoon’s long mane away from her back, letting it hang from her neck. “How’ve ya been, SIlver?”

“Well, I’ve been a slave for I don’t know how long. I’ve spent each day wondering if my family was still alive and where they might be and hoping I’d die and watching fillyhood friends be killed or worked to death but, aside from that, not bad. Are you still a Blank Flank?”

“Lookin’ for another reason to pick on me?”

Silver Spoon shrugged. “Just curious.”

Obligingly, Apple Bloom stepped back and lowered her pants enough to display her cutie mark: a hammer and sword crossed over an apple-shaped shield.

Silver Spoon frowned contemplatively before nodding. “Not bad. What about you, Scootaloo?”

“Check it.” Scootaloo unbuckled her belt and dropped her pants, proudly showing off her drawn-bow-holding-a-spyglass cutie mark.

“I realize you’re excited to see her, Scootaloo, but do you think you could hold off on the sex until she’s healed?” Sweetie Belle asked, wearing a massive grin and carrying her sewing kit. “Hey, Silver. Nice to see you.”

“Ditto. I hadn’t heard about any escapes lately. When did you guys manage to get free?”

“'Get free'?” Scootaloo echoed. “We were never caught. Hid out on Apple Bloom’s farm for the first few days after the invasion. Moved out here shortly after.”

“I see. Wait…” Silver Spoon’s ears stood at erect attention as she looked about with startled curiosity. “If you’re free. That means I’m…”

Apple Bloom nodded. “That’s right, filly. Yer free too.”

A slow smile spread across her face as Silver Spoon let out a sigh of relief. “Wow. I honestly didn’t think this day would come. What about Master Ernst?”

“Ernst?”

“My owner. I don’t think he just gave me up just because.”

“Ain’t like he had much choice in the matter.” Apple Bloom pulled up a chair and sat down. “Scoots and Ah killed him. She took him down with an arrow and Ah finished him off with this.” She drew her sword and displayed it proudly.

“Good.” Silver Spoon’s smile vanished. “He was a mean bastard. Took every excuse and opportunity to put that whip of his across my back. Hope you two made him suffer. Bastard deserved worse for what he did.”

“Don’t they all?” Scootaloo asked.

Silver Spoon shook her head. “I’ve heard some owners are really nice to their slaves and treat them fairly. I guess mine was just the luck of the draw. Seriously, I don’t know how to thank you for rescuing me.”

“Ah can think of a way.”

Silver Spoon looked up. “How?”

Apple Bloom leaned close and whispered conspiratorially. “We’re puttin’ together an army to take back Equestria, startin’ with Ponyville. We’re gonna need yer help.”

“I...I’m not a fighter and I’m not exactly in the best shape to do much of anything.”

Sweetie Belle climbed up onto the table, straddling Silver Spoon and picking up a bottle of rubbing alcohol and a clean cloth. "I'm going to clean your wounds, Silver. It's going to burn a bit but I'll be done as quickly as I can. Okay?"

Silver Spoon nodded. "Yeah. Thanks."

“Ya won’t be doin’ any fightin’." Apple Bloom continued. "Not yet, at least, and we ain’t leavin’ tomorrow. Soon as yer healed, the three of us are gonna hop in the back of that wagon of yers and yer gonna pull us right through the front gates of Ponyville. We’re gonna run around the city fer a few hours while ya put together yer next load, then we’re gonna load up and head back out again.”

“So, all I do is pull a wagon around? What if they ask about Ernst?”

Apple Bloom shrugged. “Tell them he was snatched by a Manticore or somethin’. The Gryphons don’t come into the Everfree. That’s how we’ve managed to stay unnoticed for this long.”

So, while I’m making this delivery and loading for the next, you three are going to…”

“We’re gonna see about freein’ a couple more slaves and have words with an old friend of yours: Diamond Tiara.”

“Tiara’s still alive?”

“Eeyup. Workin’ the farm over at Sweet Apple Acres. We’re gonna see about organizin’ some kind of revolt to free Ponyville in one shot. Once we three finish what we’re gonna do, we load back up into yer wagon and come back here.”

“What if they don’t let me take the next load? It’s a possibility because I’m still a slave but without a master. This could end really badly.”

“If it looks like everythin’ could head south, high-tail it back into the Everfree and try to stay hidden. We’ll find another way out.” Apple Bloom assured her.

Silver Spoon bit her lip and looked hesitant.

“C’mon, Silver. We need you on this.” Scootaloo begged.

“Let me think for a minute. Y’know, I’m not exactly eager to head back into the hornet’s nest without any sort of protection. Ernst may have been a cruel bastard but the other Gryphons left me alone when he was around.”

“If we pull this off, Silver. You won’t have to worry about Ernst or any other bird-brain for as long as ya live.” Apple Bloom urged. “Think about it. Ya’ll get to live your life as ya see fit. Get married. Raise a family. Whatever ya want to do.”

“And if we fail?”

Apple Bloom shrugged. “Then ya’ll get yer wish. They can only kill ya once.”

“They can torture us for a long time before they kill us, you realize that?”

“Better to die fightin’ than to live a slave.” Apple Bloom responded.

Silver Spoon contemplated this for a moment before nodding. “Alright. I’m in.”

Apple Bloom nodded. “‘Atta, girl.”

Scootaloo extended a hand. “Welcome to the club.”

Shaking the offered hand, Silver Spoon looked about. “So, what do you call yourselves? Still the Cutie Mark Something-or-others?”

“What about ‘Crusaders’?” Scootaloo offered.

Apple Bloom shook her head. “Nah. We need somethin’ that all ponies can get behind. A name that makes our intentions clear.”

“Ponyville Freedom Fighters?”

“Liberators?”

“Gorehounds?”

Apple Bloom snapped her fingers. “Ah’ve got it. We’ll be the ‘Equestria Liberation Front’.”

Scootaloo nodded. “Yeah. I like that. Has a nice ring to it.”

Sweetie Belle pulled the pot of boiling water off of the fire. “I’m ready over here.”

Looking about, Silver Spoon asked, “Ready for what?”

“Yer wounds are pretty bad. We’re gonna close ‘em up for ya but it’s gonna hurt. Ya want somethin’ to bite down on?”

Silver Spoon shook her head as Sweetie Belle straddled her and threaded the needle. “I’ve felt worse.”

“Scoots, help me with the light. Bloom, keep her distracted.” Sweetie Belle leaned down and squeezed the first gash shut. “I’ll try and be as quick as I can. Be patient with me and stay as still as possible. The more you move, the longer this is going to take.”

“Take mah hand, Silver. The more it hurts, the harder ya squeeze. Don’t hold back now.”

Find It Down Below

The ringing of metal echoed throughout the base and the bright fires of Apple Bloom’s forge pumped heat to the rest of the stone rooms. The massive mare hammered at a glowing piece of metal, shaping what had been the blade of an old scythe into a weapon of war. She lifted the rapidly cooling metal and gave it a close inspection through the smudged lenses of her goggles before turning around and dumping the piece back into the flames. It was a long process that had her going through much of the night and into the next day but Silver Spoon needed a blade.

Circling around to the side of the forge, she began to spin the crank on her bellows. The fresh air fed the flames, which leaped higher, brighter, hotter. She watched the metal carefully. If it became too hot, it would begin to warp and could undo hours of work.

“Apple Bloom?”

Startled, she looked up to find Silver Spoon leaning against the archway. The mare pushed herself upright and slowly limped into the armory. Leaving her bellows, Apple Bloom rushed to guide her to a chair. With a nod of thanks, Silver Spoon sat down.

“How’s yer back?”

The mare grimaced. “Still really sore. Thanks for helping me out back there.”

Apple Bloom waved away Silver Spoon’s gratitude. “Ya’ll won’t be so thankful when this rebellion gets rollin’.”

Silver Spoon winced as she shrugged. “I can’t help but disagree. This way, I won’t just be waiting until I die.”

“Ah, ya say that now.”

“And I mean it. Seriously, back there, it wasn’t too different. I didn’t get to eat much. I worked my ass off and, while Ernst wasn’t actively trying to kill me, I swear he liked to see just how close he could get.”

“Ya’ll make it sound like the Gryphons are mean or somethin’.”

Silver Spoon cocked an eyebrow at Apple Bloom.

“Ah was bein’ sarcastic.”

“Oh, good.” Silver Spoon responded. “I would hope that you weren’t that dense. So, how many ponies are in this outfit?”

“Just us for now. Figured we’d see if the slaves in Ponyville wanna join.”

“Just the three of you then? I’ve heard rumors of underground resistance activity in the other major cities. Why not try to link up with them?”

“Just in case ya ain’t noticed, Silver, we got ourselves a town full of Gryphons just outside. It’s hard enough gettin’ word out to the Crystal Empire.”

“You’ve been in touch with the Empire?” Hope shined in the mare’s eyes as she leaned forward excitedly.

“Don’t go gettin’ any crazy ideas now. Shinin’ Armor ain’t gonna send us no help until his borders are feather-free. Meanin’ while all’s quiet down here, he’s gotta hold his own. Hence why we’ll be makin’ ourselves a bit of noise here soon.”

“And if we fail?”

Bloom returned to her bellows. “We won’t.”

“What are you doing there?”

“Figured if yer gonna roll with us, yer gonna need a way to fight and swords go a long way towards that.”

“You expect me to fight?”

“Well, ya’ll are part of a rebellion army.”

“That’s all well and good but I have no combat training.”

“That’s why we’re gonna train ya eventually. In the meantime, yer only gonna carry this here knife I'm makin' to slit the throats of Gryphons who get too close. Until we have a large enough force to move on Ponyville, yer gonna be playin’ the part of a slave.”

Silver Spoon sighed. “At least I have a lot of experience in that field. Who’s going to be training me?”

“Well, Ah figured it would be mahself. Ah don’t really use any sort of traditional style but one of mah own build. Ah’d recommend ya’ll do the same.”

“So, you’re going to teach me the basics of swordsmareship and I’ll develop my own style from there?”

“Eeyup.” Apple Bloom responded, fishing the white hot metal from the fire and returning to her work at the anvil. “What sort of blade do ya want?”

Silver Spoon winced as she shrugged. “I’ve always admired the Saddle Arabian scimitar. Do you know those?”

“Ah’m familiar. Ah can’t quite get the metal to those exact specifications and it’s a little too big for Silver the slave to be marchin’ around with. In the meantime, we’re gonna set ya’ll up with a nice knife to carry under yer clothes. After Ah have some time and new materials, we’ll see what we can do to get ya’ll set up.”

“Thanks.” Silver Spoon cocked her head. “Why are you doing this?”

“Thought we discussed that already. Ah want the Gryphons out of Equestria. Same as ya’ll.”

“No. I mean, why are you helping me? I remember what Diamond Tiara and I used to do to you three as fillies: the bullying and the torment. Why are you helping us after all of that?”

Apple Bloom stared at Silver Spoon for a hard moment before returning the blade to her forge. “Ya’ll said it yerself. We were kids back then. That was fifteen years ago and a lot’s happened between then and now. If Ah was to set back and let ya’ll get slaughtered over some name-callin’ from way back, that certainly wouldn’t make me any better than ya’ll, would it? Besides, we’ve got bigger things goin’ on than some filly-squabble and we need all the hands we can get to help out with this. Let’s be big fillies and put all that ponyfeathers behind us, alright?”

“Certainly makes you the bigger mare of the two of us.”

Apple Bloom shook her head. “Ain’t about bein’ the ‘bigger mare’. Call it a necessity of the times, if ya want. Everypony expects me to lead this group and Ah wouldn’t be fit to if Ah threw ya’ll two under the wagon over somethin’ petty like that. Though, if ya don’t mind me askin’, Ah noticed a few times where you, and you specifically, weren’t all that into makin’ fun of us, so what gives? Why’d ya go along with her?”

Silver Spoon hunched over slightly and her ears fell back. “I suppose you could call it the curse of wealth. Growing up like I did, there weren’t a great many ponies I could relate to. My insight to life was somewhat narrow as I thought everypony had servants and lived in big houses and had lots of money. I once asked my daddy about why everypony had fewer nice things than we did and he gave some half-flanked explanation about being better off than other families because of business dealings and income rates. I honestly lost him about halfway through. But the thing that stuck with me was that we were simply better.

“When I started attending school, I was alone most of the time. I couldn’t connect with the other fillies and colts and they couldn’t understand me. That sort of mutual lack of understanding drove me away. I’d get upset about getting a new dress dirty or possibly breaking my glasses and they’d laugh at me. I didn’t like that so I usually stayed by myself and read or something so they’d call me a nerd and laugh harder.

“Then I met Tiara and that’s when things changed. She was the first pony I could relate to because she came from the same background. Together, we managed to convince each other that we truly were better than everybody else and, because we were better, it was our job to teach them how to be better too. What started out as attempts to push them to greater heights devolved into bullying. I guess you could say we just became frustrated at everypony else for not being as good as us and not responding to what we were trying to do for them, so we took out our frustration on everypony else. Everypony who was different. Not like us, you know? We thought it was justified at the time and it was to our young minds but, as we got older, I began to doubt that. I think she began to have those same doubts, but her pride wouldn’t let her admit to it.”

“So that’s it then?” Apple Bloom concluded. “Ya’ll isolated yerselves and tormented everypony else out of pride and frustration?”

Silver Spoon fidgeted. “It’s a pretty weak excuse but that’s what actually happened, yes.”

Apple Bloom sighed. “Well, Ah suppose that’s probably the only good thing to come out of this situation. No pony’s better off than anypony else.”

“You could say that.” Silver Spoon agreed. “House slaves tend to have slightly cushier lifestyles than field slaves but, at the end of the day, we’re all still considered property.”

“That ain’t gonna be the case much longer but it’s a long tough road we’re gonna be travellin’. Ah don’t want ya havin’ fantasies about easy victory. We might have an advantage here but it’s still an uphill climb.”

“Are you trying to scare me away?”

“Ah want ya to understand everythin’ that’s about to happen. This is gonna take years and it’s likely we won’t see the end of it.”

“So, die a slave or die a warrior. Decisions. Decisions.”

“Mock it all ya want but ya know it ain’t that simple. Life as a slave is pretty horrible, yeah, but there’s a routine to it. If ya learn yer place quick enough, ya’ll can move through it with a minimum of trouble. Ya do the same job, ya eat the same food, ya sleep in the same bed. Not to mention, while yer’re considered property, yer’re also considered an investment. Meanin' that the best thing for ya’ll to do is be in the fields, tendin’ to yer work. The more time ya’ll spend laid up in bed with wounds or diseases, the less time yer makin’ money for yer masters. That’s not a good way to keep an investment so they’ll be inclined to keep ya’ll in a modicum of good health to keep ya’ll makin’ money. In a resistance army, we’re fightin’, we’re movin’, we don’t spend more than a few days in any one spot or we’ll be discovered. There are hunters and soldiers out for our blood. They ain’t workin’ us to death, they’re actively tryin’ to kill us. Scoots, Sweets, and me have lucked out. We found a good spot that’s well hidden in a place where nobody wants to go. That’s the trifecta right there and we’ve managed to keep this good thing goin’ by bein’ ridiculously careful. That’s all about to go right out the window.”

“But if you’re living the life of a warrior, your situation could and often does change. However, the situation of a slave rarely changes and, even rarer still, for the better. Even the prospect of a pony having control over their lives is enough to drive them to do what they otherwise wouldn’t do. Especially for those of our generation and any survivors of older generations.”

Apple Bloom smiled. “It looks like ya’ll really do understand what’s at stake, Silver.”

“I wouldn’t have joined otherwise so stop with all of the woo-babble. I’m not going to cut and run when the time comes for everypony to get serious.”

“That’s what Ah like to hear.” She took a pair of dulled knives from a table and handed one to Silver. “Let’s get ya’ll set up with a bit of basic instruction on knife combat. Nothin’ fancy or stylish, but it’s easy to remember.”

“I don’t really think this is a good idea, practicing combat while I’m still injured.”

“We ain’t gonna be sparrin’ or anythin’. Ah just want to run ya through the basic motions and ya’ll can practice those while yer recoverin’.”

Silver nodded and gently pushed herself upright, taking a stance next to Apple Bloom.

“Now, here’s our first issue: Yer holdin’ yer knife all wrong.” She gently took Silver’s hand and adjusted the grip. “Yer fingers are gonna be grippin’ along the underside of the handle and yer thumb is gonna brace against the top of the handle. That way, the knife ain’t gonna move too much while yer workin’. Keep in mind, yer opponent ain’t gonna be all nice and polite and stand still while ya kill him. He’s gonna be twistin’ and jerkin’ and tryin’ to fight back. Hold yer knife like this and yer less likely to lose yer grip.”

“Alright.”

“Alright.” Apple Bloom took the knives and set them aside. “We’ll come back to that in a minute. Right now, we’re gonna talk about where to strike.” She gestured around her abdomen. “There’s lots of things you can hurt around here: Stomach, Liver, Lungs, Kidneys. All kinds of squishy organs to cause pain. Now, take yer thumb and press against this spot really gently.” She demonstrated, poking at a patch just between her chest and upper abdomen. Silver followed suit, wincing slightly at the dull pain. “That’s the solar plexus. It’s a bundle of nerves and whatnot just at the pit of the stomach. Hurts, don’t it?”

“A bit.”

“That’s also an excellent place to put a blade. If just yer thumb causes that much pain, imagine how a knife would feel.”

Silver couldn’t help the uncontrollable shiver that ran through her at the thought. “You certainly know a lot about this sort of thing. Where did you pick it up?”

“Me, Scoots, and Sweetie Belle had trainin’. Zecora taught us.”

“That old Zebra witch that lived in the forest?”

“She wasn’t no witch. She was a really nice Zebra who knew a lot about herbs and plants and things. She also knew a lot about fightin’ and killin’. Before she came to Equestria, she was a soldier. She taught us how to fight and survive.”

“Where is she now?”

Apple Bloom tensed a moment before forcing herself to relax with visible effort. “She died about ten years ago. A Gryphon patrol spotted her hut and came down to investigate. She managed to run the three of us off before tryin’ to hold them.”

Silver’s ears fell back in shame after bringing back what was obviously still a painful memory. “I’m sorry.”

Apple Bloom waved away her concern. “Don’t worry. It was a long time ago and she did her job well. There were five Gryphons in that patrol and four bodies along with her’s. We followed a blood trail where the fifth one limped off but we never found a body and nobody came after him. Ah’m guessin’ a Manticore or somethin’ caught him.”

“That’s pretty impressive.” Silver Spoon observed as she took her dull practice knife back from Apple Bloom. “That’s really impressive. Gryphon patrols are really good at their jobs.”

Apple Bloom flashed a proud grin. “Not good enough, Ah’d say.” The mare took up her own practice knife. “Now that ya know where to strike, Ah’m gonna teach ya how to strike. There are three basic thrusts in knife combat. First is the forward thrust.” She demonstrated, stepping forward and thrusting into an unseen opponent. “Second is the upward thrust.” Again she lunged forward, stabbing in an upward swing. “Finally, we have the hook thrust.” She swung her arm wide, hooking around into her opponent’s ribs. “Remember, it’s always a good idea to grab yer opponent and keep them from moving too much. Ya’ll can easily control yer opponent by grabbin’ the back of the head. It brings ya close enough to tag any part of their body. When ya grab them, pull them towards ya while steppin’ forward. That’ll bring ya within their defenses and buy ya a second or two before they can adjust their weapon.”

“Only a second or two?”

“One of the first things Ah learned in combat, sugarcube, is that every second counts.” She reached out and grabbed the back of Silver Spoon’s head while lunging forward and rapidly jabbing at her with the practice knife. “One-One thousand, Two-One thousand.” Apple Bloom released her and stepped back. “In those two seconds, Ah stabbed ya five times in three spots. Ya ain’t dead but ya ain’t fightin’ back either. At that point, Ah can either move on or finish ya off.”

“I get the point.” Silver Spoon rubbed at the points Apple Bloom had touched. “You’re pretty good with that thing.”

“Scoots is the knife fighter. She faster and more agile than Ah could ever be. She’d tag ya eight times in as many spots in those same two seconds.” She drew her own sword, the freshly sharpened blade glinting in the torchlight. “Ah prefer this. Ah ain’t gonna mess with multiple wounds and focus points when Ah can just take a limb or spill yer guts and be done with ya.”

“I guess there’s something to be said for that degree of efficiency.”

“It’s all efficient.” Apple Bloom pointed out. “Ya don’t just randomly stab with a knife. Ya go for nerve bundles and organs, somethin’ that’s gonna do lots of damage and create openin’s. Takin’ mah opponent apart bit by bit is just a personal preference. That bein’ said, Ah’d recommend that ya familiarize yerself with multiple techniques and multiple weapons so that ya’ll can be efficient in every situation.” She carefully examined Silver Spoon’s wiry muscle and trim frame. “With yer build, ya’ll’d be pretty good all-around. Ya ain’t bulky like me, so ya’ll be more agile and good at slippin’ past defenses but ya possess more raw power than Scoots so ya’ll can deal in heavier weapons just as easily.” She fished the piece of glowing metal from the forge and returned to her anvil. “Here’s what Ah want ya to do. Practice those knife strikes until ya know ‘em. Practice ‘em until ya can do it without thinkin’, then practice ‘em some more. In trainin’ ya get as many chances as ya’ll want to kill yer opponent and study yer technique. Not so on the battlefield. Scoots has some trainin’ dummies to practice with. Ah’m sure she wouldn’t mind if ya borrowed one to train on. She’s also spent a lot of time watchin’ the Gryphons and she’s certainly killed more than a few. Take a while to pick her brain. She could tell ya a lot more than I could about how to kill those bird brains.”

“Yeah. I’ll definitely do that. Thanks.” Silver Spoon offered the practice knife back.

Apple Bloom waved her away. “Keep it. Yer gonna need somethin’ to practice with. Now, G’wan and see Scoots.”

Silver Spoon nodded. “Yeah. Thanks again.”

Angel of Tartarus

In the torch-lit training room, Scootaloo sweated as she repeatedly drove her knife into the grass-filled training dummy that Sweetie Belle had made. It was one of several in various states of disarray and all looked like the hated Gryphons.

With a flourish, she tossed her knife, catching it with a reverse grip and laid several backhand strikes into the target. She didn’t plant herself but shifted constantly, moving from one side to the other, retreating and advancing. She had enough combat experience to predict the strikes as they came, even if there was no enemy blade to strike in retaliation.

She pulled back and kicked out with a hoof, catching the training dummy in the head with a strike hard enough to nearly overturn the weighted stand. She swung out with her ax, pulling the blow just as it made contact so as not to destroy the target. Sweetie Belle would have her pelt if she found out Scootaloo was purposefully destroying the training dummies she had worked so hard to build. Regular wear and tear was fine but wanton destruction would bring about the wrath of the tiny unicorn. A wrath that Scootaloo tried her best to avoid.

After a few more lethal strikes with the ax, Scootaloo took a step back to catch her breath. While she had always been athletic, her endurance had been somewhat lacking. It was a shortcoming the pegasus species had always had and one she worked to overcome.

“Hope I’m not interrupting.”

She turned to find Silver Spoon standing in the archway. “You’re fine. C’mon in.”

Moving as quickly as her injuries would allow, Silver Spoon crossed the room and leaned against a table adjacent to the wall. “Quite the place you’ve got here.”

“Our own little patch of paradise.” Scootaloo set her ax aside, pulled a whetstone from her pocket, and set to sharpening her knife. It was an idle habit of hers. Something for her hands to do while they weren’t otherwise occupied. “What can I do for you?”

“Apple Bloom wants me to practice knife combat and assured me that I could steal one of your training dummies to practice on. She also said you might have some useful information on Gryphon anatomy that you might be willing to share.”

“Yeah. I can help you there. What sort of combat does she have you working on?”

“Just knife combat at the moment but she wants me to become adept in other forms as well.”

Scootaloo nodded. “I can certainly help with the knife combat but I don’t have much in the way of experience in other forms. Between Bloom, Sweets, and myself, we’ve got each other's weaknesses covered but, now that we’re starting to expand, it’s a good idea to get everybody as well-rounded as possible. If you’re wanting to look into slash, smash, and bash; Bloom’s your mare but if you’re looking for efficient and effective swordplay; Sweets is just down the hall.”

“Let’s stick with the knife for now. I don't really have a reason to use anything bigger than a knife until after we retake Ponyville.”

“You might not think so but if you manage to pick up something heavier than a knife, you’d be a fool not to use it and an even bigger fool not to use it properly. You don’t have to be adept just yet but you should be competent. You get me?”

“I see what you’re saying.”

“Combat is all about versatility and adaptation. The more you can do to fight back, the better your chances are of surviving. Even unarmed combat is useful. I don’t know any specific forms like Wing Chun or Krav Pega but I’ve learned some handy strikes I could teach you.”

“I’d appreciate that. When I’ve healed, of course.”

Scootaloo nodded and returned to her sharpening. Silver moved to examine one of the better-looking training dummies. “Who made these?”

“Sweetie Belle. Don’t ask me where she managed to get the fabric but they’re stuffed with grass and leaves. They’re pretty durable so long as you’re not too rough on them.”

“So, let me ask you something.” Silver Spoon turned to Scootaloo. “Is Apple Bloom the one in charge around here?”

“I suppose you could say that. Yeah. She generally calls the shots but she doesn’t order us around like some kind of General. If we’re headed out, we let her know. If we have an idea, we run it past her.” Scootaloo reached inside a pocket. “Listen, if I’m gonna be helping you, you’ve gotta help me. It’s only fair.”

“What can I help you with?”

The pegasus pulled a folded paper from her pocket and unfolded it across the table. “You’ve been inside Ponyville, right? I’ve been trying to make a map of the place to prepare for the liberation but I can’t see much beyond the walls.” She handed Silver Spoon a length of charcoal. “I need to know how much has changed since the town fell under new management.” Fetching a stool, Scootaloo planted it at the table and patted the seat.

Silver Spoon sat down. “Alright. Bear in mind that I don’t spend much time in town as I was a freight-hauler but, as far as I can figure, the street layout and the borders remained fairly constant. There was some expansion towards the east and Sweet Apple Acres isn’t as isolated as it once was but that’s really it. The schoolyard was built up for barracks housing. Town Hall is some sort of command post. Sugarcube Corner was turned into a butcher’s shop.”

“What about the slave population?”

“Most are at Sweet Apple Acres, I’d say fifty to seventy-five in all. Another dozen or two work Golden Harvest Ranch. Most households don’t have slaves at all. Those that do only carry one or two house slaves to do the cooking and the cleaning. All in all, I’d say there are two hundred and fifty slaves in Ponyville. Maybe a few more.”

Scootaloo frowned thoughtfully and nodded. “Alright. What about soldiers?”

“I could tell you less about them. The only times I’ve seen them is at Guard posts or on patrol but I’d wager two or three dozen. If you’re thinking about taking the town, you’ll also want to consider the civilians. They’ve armed themselves and formed an informal militia to defend against what occasionally comes out of the forest. Of the combat-competent Gryphons, I’d wager a hundred to a hundred and fifty.”

“Big gaps in the numbers here.”

Silver Spoon shrugged. “I’m sorry I haven’t had much of a chance to do detailed reconnaissance. Being worked to death kept me a bit busy.” She returned to the map. “Most of everything outside of the center of town consists of small businesses and housing. There are, I think, two apartment complexes and the rail yard has been expanded to accommodate more than just the Friendship Express.”

“The Friendship Express still runs?”

“More efficiently now as a matter of fact. The Gryphons kept as much of the original infrastructure intact as possible. Roads, Rail lines, Shipping Lanes, Communication lines. They’re here for the long haul.”

“Why invade in the first place, though? We have two demigods for rulers with a third with close ties to the royal family. Not to mention that we have the Elements of Harmony and one of the most powerful casters to ever exist. Why take the risk?”

“Resources. Equestria has gems, arable land, fossil fuels, and ores. Things the Gryphons need and the potential for vast resources that were practically untouched by the native populations was well worth the risk of invoking the wrath of the demigod rulers. Not to mention, what happened during the royal wedding of Princess Cadance and Shining Armor isn’t exactly a state secret. Despite heightened levels of preparedness, the Royal Guard was still overtaken and with laughable ease. Even with the threat of Celestia and Luna, Equestria was easy pickings. All the Gryphons had to do was move quickly and take us by surprise.”

“Then why not fight back now? Even if the Princesses can’t raise an army, they’re still Alicorns. They can move the feathering sun and the moon.”

“That’s part of the problem. They’re too powerful. If they were to fight back, especially now, the consequences could be catastrophic. Equestria might be in dire straits now but imagine how it would be otherwise. Imagine if Celestia were to stop guiding the sun? Whoever got caught under it would die while whoever got caught on the other side would freeze and that’s if the entire world didn’t get pitched out into the void or dragged into the sun itself. The Princesses can’t fight back because that would cause way more death and destruction than was even remotely necessary. That’s why we had an army.”

Scootaloo rolled her eyes. “And all the good that did us is obvious.”

“It doesn’t matter anyway. We’re taking the nation back village by village. Door by door if we must.”

“You’re starting to sound like Apple Bloom.”

“She’s got a point. We can’t continue on like this. We’ve got to make a move and soon while we still have ponies who remember the time before and are willing to fight back.”

“Are they?”

Silver Spoon snorted. “Are you kidding me? I’ve been out there. Every time I was in town, I heard the quiet mutters, saw the dirty glares directed at turned backs. There’s rumor of underground movements in Baltimare, Manehatten, and Fillydelphia. Everypony’s ready to fight. They’re just waiting for somepony to make the first move.”

“That’ll be us, then.” Sweetie Belle said as she joined them.

“Why us? Why not them?” Scootaloo shot back.

“Hard to set up a revolution when you’re under surveillance.” Silver Spoon pointed out. “That’s a big part of the problem. Rumors aren’t enough to get the ball rolling. As far as anypony knows, all Equestrians are either locked up or dead and the Gryphons keep a tight leash on the populace. There are mass executions if they even think they smell a revolt.”

“Which is where we come in.” Sweetie Belle continued. “We’re close to the town. We’ have training. We have experience and they’re ignorant of us. We’re holding most of the cards here.”

“The hard part would be that we’d likely have to free Ponyville in one push,” Scootaloo concluded.

“Well, one of the hard parts.” Sweetie Belle amended. “If you’re not busy, I’d like to borrow Silver.”

“I don’t know how useful I can be. I can’t really do much lifting.”

“All I need you to lift is a pencil. I count things, you write them down. Think you can handle that?”

Silver Spoon and Scootaloo flinched, startled by the tiny unicorn’s tone. “Whoa. Somepony woke up on the wrong side of the bed today.”

Sweetie Belle’s ears flattened. “Sorry. I don’t take stress very well and I’m under a lot of it.”

“Hey, don’t worry.” Silver Spoon assured her as she stood. “I’ll do whatever I can to help out.”

“Come see me when you’re done so we can talk more about this map,” Scootaloo called as they left.

“Sure thing.”

The pantry, Sweetie Belle’s domain, was the first room at the bottom of the entrance stairs. It was a fairly large room, large enough to hold what the Crusaders might need but too small to be useful much else.

Aside from the rows of shelves, the only furniture was a battered table and unstable chair. There was a sheaf of paper stacked neatly beside a pencil.

“Welcome to my office. Take a seat.”

Silver gingerly settled into the chair and picked up the pencil. “It’s not bad.”

“Sure, for a bean-counter.”

“You don't seem too thrilled with your position.” Silver pointed out.

“Don't get me wrong, I know how important I am to the group but I wish I could do more. I'm one of the few unicorns who still retain use of their magic but I have no combat spells. I'm pretty decent with a blade but only against one or two opponents. Any more than that and I'm easily overwhelmed.”
“So you're not a front-line pony. Call me selfish but I'd rather be back here where it's safer rather than out there where every second decides whether or not I live or die.”

“It's not that. Scoots and Bloom are out there every day, risking their lives to bring back the things we need while I'm in here, behind several feet of stone and earth, safe, sound, and invisible.”

“So you're feeling a little guilty that you're living the high-life while they do the hoofwork.”

“More than a little.”

“Let me ask you something: Who decided you should be the bean-counter?”

“Bloom. She's not the most organized pony, Scoots does too much that takes her away from the base already and I'm not suited for much else. I know what you're going to say. You're going to say that since they don't have a problem with me doing this, I've nothing to feel guilty about and you're absolutely right but I still feel guilty.” She lifted a sack from the lowest shelf and peered inside. “Sixteen potatoes.”

Silver jotted that down. “What are the plans after liberating Ponyville?”

“I imagine we'll consolidate our position. After liberation, we'll have to fortify and train. We'll have a whole new army that we'll need to equip so Bloom will have her hands full training smiths. We'll need to know who's doing what near the town and set up as much advance warning as possible when the Gryphons mount a counter-offensive. Scoots has a list of ponies she wants to train as scouts. We'll need to spare the farms and get them back into production as soon as possible.”

“That's a lot of work for three ponies.”

“It won't be just three of us. We'll be enlisting every able-bodied pony in the town.”

“So, what if a Gryphon wants to help?”

Sweetie Belle froze and turned to Silver Spoon. “What do you mean?”

“This is just what I've heard, you understand, but there are some...elements...of the Gryphonian army that don't exactly agree with the occupation.”

“Don't agree how?”

Silver shrugged. “I don't know. I haven't had much of a chance to talk with them but word on the roads is that there are some Gryphons who are less-than-pleased with the invasion and occupation. If I recall correctly, Equestria enjoyed fairly good relations with the Gryphonian Empire prior to the war.”

Sweetie Belle sighed. “Even if such elements did exist, we'd have a hard time integrating them into the army. Don't get me wrong, I, personally, wouldn't be against it but there are a lot of ponies out there who resent the Gryphons for everything that's happened these past years. Even if those in question didn't approve of the invasion, they still took part in it.”

Silver idly tapped the pencil against her jaw as she thought. “I suppose you're right.”

“Still, those Gryphons could provide valuable intelligence on what's going on outside of our little corner here. I can't say for sure what would happen until one tries to join, when and if that ever happens.” She dug through another sack. “I think these apples are still good.”

“Are you able to get any supplies from Ponyville?”

Sweetie Belle shook her head. “We've been trying to keep as low a profile as possible and have stuck to raiding merchant caravans. It's been getting a bit difficult as some of the wealthier merchants have been hiring mercenary groups to escort their caravans through the Everfree and we dare not go outside of the forest. So, really, our best option has been to hit smaller caravans and single wagons that generally don't run with an escort. Unfortunately, that means we have to go out more often.”

“Do you forage?”

“As much as possible and we've gotten some pretty good hauls off of the forest itself but the forest can't really support us unless we range further than Bloom's comfortable with. I've been trying to sell her on the idea of a garden but she's hesitant on it. Thinks that's a surefire way of getting somebody's attention.”

“One could say the same of raiding trade wagons.” Silver pointed out.

“Which is exactly why I've been pushing for self-sustainability. No matter how well we cover our attacks, at some point, the merchants are either going to bypass the Everfree completely to avoid the attacks or call on the government to clear out the forest. It's either that or we limit our exposure to the point where we starve to death.”

“Either option bears the same amount of risk of exposure. There's really no ultimately safe route unless you found a way to start subterranean cultivation, which leads to its own set of challenges.”

“Which is why we're moving on Ponyville. The location, the farms, and the small size of the town make it ideally defensible and the fact that we're locals plays in our favor. We're making preparations to start moving slaves out of Ponyville and building contacts in the population we leave behind. We've scouted a few candidates that we think would be useful. The only thing we're waiting on is your healing. As soon as you're ready, we're going to make our move.”