And Ever We Fight On

Chapters

Prologue
Preparations
Road to War
Neighagra Falls Base
The Great Escape
Traveling in Style
The Other Side
Light is Green
A Link to the Past
To Serve and Protect

Prologue

Equestria. It was a land of peace and prosperity. Under Princess Celestia, Equestria was in a Golden Era, a unity of the three races: unicorns, pegasi, and earth ponies. But everything changed upon the return of the Crystal Empire.

Located in the frozen north, the Empire was as much a centropolis as was the capital city of Canterlot. But, King Sombra, the ruler or rather dictator, of the Empire, wanted Equestria for himself. Thanks to the efforts of Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, Sombra was destroyed and his very soul sealed away to the darkest abyss.

However, as a last effort on his part, Sombra placed one last curse on the Empire, causing it and it's people to disappear. And for over a millennium, it was never seen again.

Upon its return, Sombra, who had managed to revive himself, wasted no time in building his army, his army of slaves to be more precise, and his sights were once again set on all of Equestria. And so began the Great War that would cause so much destruction, so much loss, and so much despair. So what am I doing here, in a dungeon of all places?

This is not just my story, it's a story of how the unlikeliest of heroes came together and faced against impossible odds, to defeat a tyrant hell bent on turning Equestria into a world of darkness. But I suppose it's appropriate to start from the beginning, to explain how I, of all ponies, was a given a second chance. How could I refuse such an opportunity?

The mare used her magic to scratch another line into the wall. Day seven. It has been an entire week since she was locked up.

She was the only one in the dungeons currently and quite frankly she never felt more alone. However, she was able to keep track of events by the whispers of the guards. Unfortunately none of it was good news.

Equestria was losing badly. The Crystal Empire was already halfway towards its destination: Canterlot. Despite Celestia's best efforts, the Imperial Army was just too much. In a matter of days since she has been here, the end of the war for Equestria went from a matter of months to a matter of weeks.

What's more, Equestria was running of supplies. Food and soldiers were becoming scarce, while the Crystal Empire war machine hardly lost steam. It was only a matter of time before the evacuations would begin.

To the mare, it hardly mattered. She would probably be put to death either way. What she did could very well have been borderline treason so in the end it was either Celestia or Sombra that would end her life.

Suddenly the door above opened and the guard came down. He went to her cell and opened the door. “The Princess has returned and would like to see you.”

The mare stood up, saying nothing but nodded. “And remember, no tricks,” the guard reminded her. Not that she needed it; she never once tried to escape. Maybe it was due to the state of Equestria at the moment, or perhaps because she had nowhere else to go.

She followed him up to the main floor of the palace. Not much had changed since the last time she walked these halls. However, the once jovial tone here was now gone, replaced with a eerie silence.

She thought they would be going to the throne room but after going up another set of stairs she knew they were heading to Celestia's private quarters instead. Once they stood outside the door the guard went to the side and stood at attention while motioning with his head towards the door. The mare hesitated for a moment before going to the door and knocked gently. “Come in.” The mare hesitated again, hearing the Princess’s voice but then opened the door and went inside.

The room was rather dark, except for the dim lighting of a fireplace on the other side of the room. She then saw the Princess resting on her bed, reading a book. She then looked up and smiled. “Sunset. It's good to see you again.”

Sunset Shimmer stared at her former teacher, not sure how to react. Why was she smiling? She should have been at least somewhat angered to see her.

“I must apologize for you being locked up,” Celestia continued. “I was away on the front lines this past week and I believe the Guard was only doing what they thought was right.”

“...I don't understand.”

“Hmm?”

“Why are you being so kind?” Sunset asked. “After what I did, what I said, and you're speaking to me like nothing happened.”

Celestia sighed. “Sunset, if there's one thing I learned in my long life it's that we can't live in the past. I wasn't truly angry with what transpired, but rather sad. I felt like somehow I failed you as a teacher and I took the blame for myself. But seeing you here now, how can I not feel joy?”

Sunset bowed her head in both shame and respect. “You are too kind Princess…”

Celestia went over and lifted her head with her hoof gently. “You were always like family Sunset, and that hasn't changed.”

Sunset finally managed a smile and felt tears forming in her eyes. “Thank you... but what has happened?”

Celestia's smile faded as she sighed and turned away. “Much I'm afraid. The Crystal Empire appeared over six months ago. The scouts who reported it gave us the unfortunate news that King Sombra had returned and had wasted no time on amassing a large army, although these soldiers were merely innocent crystal ponies who were forced, or rather brainwashed, to fight for his Majesty.”

“So it's true... we're losing this war?” Sunset asked.

“I cannot tell my subjects the truth and have them lose what little hope they have left,” Celestia replied. “What we need is a new plan, a rallying force that can turn this war to our side. But we have little time. Sombra is already setting his sights on Canterlot and his army is quickly approaching. This is where I need your help Sunset.”

“A rallying force...my help?” Sunset asked. “I don't see how I can contribute.”

“Despite what happened you were still one of my best students,” Celestia said. “I wouldn't ask for your help if I didn't have confidence in you.”

Sunset was silent for a moment, gathering her thoughts. She then looked at Celestia and the Princess truly saw her former student for the first time in so many years. “What do you need me to do?”

Preparations

Captain Spitfire was staring outside the window of her office towards the blue sky above. She had already been on three tours, which made the return home to Cloudsdale always special. On the front lines, the sky always looked brown or black from the constant smoke, but here, the sky was almost always blue.

“But that could change if the war comes here,” she thought. The Crystal Empire consisted of mostly earth ponies, except for Sombra and his thugs he calls generals and personnel, so what was stopping them from blowing Cloudsdale out of the sky? No, that'd happen over her dead body.

There was then a knock on her door. “Come in.” The door opened and a fellow pegasus with a sports jacket walked in. On instinct, Spitfire quickly saluted him. “Sir.”

“Come on captain, you know with me that's not necessary,” Wind Rider said.

“It's called military etiquette,” Spitfire said. She then grinned. “Plus you are my senior officer.”

“Wow, age jokes. Glad to see the war hasn't gotten rid of your sense of humor.”

“Please don't tell me you're about to ruin my vacation…” Spitfire groaned.

“That depends...I haven't heard anything but I wouldn't be surprised,” Wind Rider replied. “Enjoying the view as always?”

“I'm cherishing every moment I got. Alright, hit me with you got.”

Wind Rider then took out a map of Equestria and put it on her desk. “I've got bad news and more bad news. We just got word that Yakyakistan has fallen to the enemy.”

“You're shitting me.”

“I wish I was,” Wind Rider said, shrugging. “As far as we know, the yaks have retreated deep into the mountains and are waiting for winter to hit, hoping to get an advantage.”

Spitfire banged her desk with a hoof, spilling over her tea. “This is why we needed to be more upfront with the griffins and tell them to get their heads out of their asses! We could've flanked the enemy on all sides and now we've lost that opportunity.”

“And that's where it gets worse...the army that was headed towards Vanhoover is now heading back east, probably to regroup with Vayentha’s group near Neighagra Falls. They could be making a push towards Canterlot.”

“They in a hurry to finish this war?” Spitfire then narrowed her eyes. “...And you're saying I haven't been called back?”

“Like I said, I haven't heard. Bolts honor.”

“Not even Soarin or the others?”

“Like they'd be deployed without you.” Wind Rider then seemed to fidgit a bit. “Spitfire...can I get your input on something?”

“What's up?”

“You know I always respect the talent the Wonderbolts have and now is no exception.” Wind Rider paused for a moment as if hesitant to continue. “But with Rainbow Dash, it's only been four months since she's been with us and you've already made her a sergeant?”

“Sergeant Dash has earned her title in more ways than one,” Spitfire replied. “She's a gifted flyer and unfortunately she went through hell after she lost her wing. It's a miracle we found a replacement, more so that she's able to fly with it. Not to mention I was ready to kick Private Dust off the Wonderbolts completely but Dash urged me not to, promising to make her a better soldier.”

“And you're sure this is nothing personal between you two?”

“With all due respect sir, I think you can trust Spitfire's judgment.” A prism colored pegasus with a metal wing walked in, quickly saluting to her senior officer. “Ma'am.”

“Dash.” Spitfire smiled. “Glad to see your hearing is as good as ever. By the way, don't listen to this old codger here…”

Dash grinned. “If you say so ma'am.”

Wind Rider sighed. “My apologies sergeant. Can we help you with something?”

“Just got a message, from the Princess herself. We're heading to Canterlot apparently.”

Spitfire then glared at Wind Rider. “Hey I wasn't lying, this is news to me too,” he said.

“Well, if Celestia's calling us it must be important, and that only means one thing…” She sighed as she looked around her small but quiet office. “It was good while it lasted…” “Alright Dash, I'll notify the others and we'll be leaving in half an hour.

All together there were seven of them, flying the short distance to Canterlot. Minus Wind Rider, they were known as Alpha Team, consisting of Spitfire, Soarin, Fleetfoot, Rainbow Dash, Blaze, and Lightning Dust. The Wonderbolts used to be one group but due to the high number of recruits and the war itself, some of the members broke off and helped create additional teams. Rapidfire and Misty Fly headed Bravo and Delta Team, respectively.

“Man what a drag, I was going to visit my folks this afternoon considering its been two months since I've seen them,” Fleetfoot said.

“My dad and I were going to go to the annual Apple Pie festival in Appleloosa,” Soarin commented.

“I swear it's always pie with you,” Fleetfoot replied, rolling her eyes.

“Have you ever seen him eat one? It's adorable,” Dash said, nudging Soarin's side with a wink.

Blaze groaned. “Okay Dash, I get you and Soarin are happy and all but constantly reminding us is getting kind of old…”

“Yeah well it's getting kind of old always hearing you and Fleets moaning in the middle of the night,” Soarin replied.

“HEY!” Blaze and Fleetfoot both snapped.

“Alright we don't need to hear about what goes on after lights out,” Spitfire said. “Bunch of horn dogs you all are…”

“Don't even get me started Spits,” Fleetfoot said.

“You do and even Blaze won't be able to make you feel better for a few days.”

“What a lovely bunch we all are…” Wind Rider commented, shaking his head.

Once they descended outside the palace, the group made their way inside. Dash held back for a moment. “You know you've been rather quiet lately.”

Lightning Dust glanced at her and sighed. “I know...sorry.”

“You're not still upset about that are you?”

“When I first joined, I was some hot shot who thought I was better than everypony - even you. And despite that you still considered me a friend. Then Spitfire brought my flank back to earth and well...I'm really sorry Dash.”

Dash looked back at her metal wing for a moment. “Don't worry about it. What's done is done.”

Upon entering the palace, they were quickly escorted to one of the conference rooms. The guard then left, telling them that the others, including the Princess, would be joining them shortly.

“Others?” Spitfire asked. “Guess this is going to be a joint operation then.”

“If it's with Captain Shining Armor we'll never hear the end of it,” Wind Rider commented.

“Hey don't look at me,” Spitfire snapped. “It's not my fault the Wonderbolts and the Royal Guard don't always see eye to eye.”

The door then opened and two earth ponies walked inside. Dash recognized them immediately. “Pinkie? Maud? I thought you two were in Vanhoover?”

“Dash!? Wow, what a coincidence, we were just talking about you guys,” Pinkie said.

“We were informed to return to Canterlot immediately,” Maud explained. “It must be something big…”

“With you two, I don't doubt it,” Spitfire replied. Pinkie Pie and Maud Pie were not your average earth ponies. Their ability to smash through rock and even be able to dig large tunnels made them invaluable. “Well they did grow up on a rock farm,” Dash thought.

“It has been awhile since we last saw each other,” Pinkie said.

Dash chuckled. “Good times huh? That last battle showed me you guys were the real deal.”

Pinkie grinned. “And that's with rock... imagine what we could do to metal?”

“The armor the Crystal Empire uses consists of a metal that is both light and sturdy, for the sake of mobility,” Maud added. “But if you hit hard enough and fast enough, you can dent the armor pretty good.”

“Which can be very painful,” Pinkie said pleasantly.

“Very.”

“I'm glad they're on our side,” Fleetfoot muttered.

The door then opened again and this time Princess Celestia came in, accompanied by a unicorn nopony seemed to recognize. “Oh good, everypony is here,” she said as everyone bowed. “I apologize for the suddenness of all this, especially those who were on leave.”

“It's not a problem Princess,” Spitfire said. “But I'm guessing this has to do with Neighagra Falls?”

“I'm afraid so,” Celestia replied. “With the yaks temporarily out of the way, Sombra is pooling all his resources into striking against Canterlot swiftly and immediately. I'm not sure as to what Sombra’s strategy is, but it appears he wants to put an end of this war soon.”

“So it's true that it's merely a feint?” Wind Rider asked. “I can't see the yaks even considering the thought of surrendering.”

“A feint and an opportunity to regain their strength once winter comes,” Celestia said. “Until then, we are on our own for the next three months.”

“Three months!?” Pinkie cried. “There's no way we can hold out that long!”

“Not to mention if we want to corner the enemy we'd have to take a lot of territory before the yaks begin their assault,” Soarin added.

“And I'll have to try again with convincing the Griffin Council to get involved,” Celestia said, sighing in annoyance. “Make no mistake, Sombra will turn to the East eventually.”

“Actually...about that Princess,” Dash chimed in. “See, I have a friend named Gilda and she wants to fight but considering the circumstances…”

“You want to see if she can join our forces?” Celestia asked. “Hmm...I see no problem with that and I'll try to contact her. What say you Captain?”

“Heh, I always wanted to see how a griffin fights.”

“Now, on to why you're all here,” Celestia continued. “As mentioned before, the might of the Crystal Army approaches Canterlot, meaning we must throw everything we have against them. You are all considered the best that Equestria has to offer so what I'm tasking you all with will be very difficult.”

“Wow...best of the best…” Dust whispered.

“Captain, your air unit has given us advantages in the past,” Celestia stated. “The Pie sisters are skilled at stealth, while at the same time being able to flank the enemy from below ground. Together you maybe the driving force that could win this war for us. As of now, you are all now part of a new unit.”

“So... who's leading this unit?” Pinkie asked.

“That would be me.” The unicorn that accompanied Celestia spoke for the first time. “Princess Celestia believes that this unit should have representatives of all three races.”

“And...who are you?” Dash asked.

“This is Sunset Shimmer, a former student of mine,” Celestia explained. “Her skills will come in handy I can assure you.”

Sunset blushed slightly at the princess’ praise. “Our role may go unnoticed but it is of the most importance. The army will be focused on the enemy while we fight in the background.”

“Oh...like special ops... I'm down with that,” Dash said.

“When do we depart?” Maud asked.

“First thing tomorrow morning,” Celestia said. “Until then, I'll allow you all to get acquainted.” With a final nod, she then left the room.

It was then quiet for a moment. “So uh...nice to meet you all,” Sunset Shimmer said. “The Princess told me all about you guys...it's truly an honor to meet you all since you guys are practically heroes.”

“I'm pretty sure the hero bit is slightly exaggerated,” Spitfire said. “But yeah, we've worked together before so you won't have any issues with us.”

“Okay, but before we get into talking about ourselves I suggest we take this somewhere that involves food,” Fleetfoot suggested.

“Yeah...I'm starving,” Blaze complained.

“You guys go on ahead, I still have things to do here,” Wing Rider said.

“Well...I think I might know a good place,” Sunset stated.

As it turned out, Donut Joe's hadn't changed at all since the last time she went there. The donuts were just as good as well, but since Sunset decided to buy she figured a box of twelve would be enough. It then became two, but soon after Pinkie insisted on getting two more.

Sunset could only watch in slight horror as the Wonderbolts and two earth ponies slammed down four boxes of donuts. At least Maud was eating at a reasonable pace. “Uh...hungry I guess?” she asked. “I can't believe they're going to finish all of those…”

“You kidding, this may be the last time we get to pig out like this,” Spitfire said. “Neighponese buffet would've been good too.”

“Except they would probably kick us out...or probably just me,” Pinkie said with an innocent smile.

“Pinkie could eat all of these boxes by herself no problem,” Maud said. “No joke.”

“...Seriously?” Sunset asked.

“Yeah Pinkie has an abnormal appetite,” Dash replied. “But the better question is where does it all go?”

“...You calling me fat Dashie?” Pinkie asked, narrowing her eyes.

“Pftahahahaha seriously!? I was suggesting the opposite! I mean look at those thighs!”

“I know, rock breaking burns a lot of calories but believe me Maud certainly has more muscle than me!” Maud decided not to comment.

Sunset couldn't help but look at her new comrades in wonder. “Well, this certainly won't be a boring experience that's for sure.” But now that she thought about it, she suddenly felt a bit of dread.

“Am I truly ready to fight in a war?”

Road to War

It felt strange sleeping in one of the guest bedrooms, considering the last time Sunset slept here was… “How long has it been?” she thought, unable to sleep. She thought it had been about four years on the other side but...it seemed as if it had been longer on this side.

She groaned as she was about to give up on sleeping. Was it nerves? Probably, who wouldn't be when you're about to be thrown out into battle? But to have to ultimately kill her own kind, those who are being forced to fight against their will.

Sunset may have made poor choices, but what Sombra was doing was pure evil. And yes, maybe she was doing it in part to make up for her mistakes and earn Celestia's forgiveness. But then again, she wouldn't have asked her to do this if she didn't believe her.

She sighed as she turned over and closed her eyes. “I must make teacher and country proud.”

It was cloudy the next morning, as if a storm was brewing. Sunset hoped that this wasn't foreshadowing anything. She and the others had boarded one of the many airships that were to transport them near Neighagra Falls.

Judging by the number of soldiers, Sunset had to guess there were about five thousand troops. “Would that even be enough…?” Either way, many of them looked like new recruits. Some of the mares looked about her age as well.

“You okay there? You're looking a little pale…”

Sunset looked behind her and saw one of the Wonderbolts addressing her. “Oh, Private Dust.”

“Lightning is fine, no need for the formalities,” Dust smiled. “If it makes you feel better, I was pretty nervous before my first battle too…”

“Yeah well, have you ever been put in charge of a team?” Sunset asked.

“Well no...but look there's nothing to worry about. The generals will handle the infantry and artillery, you just worry about what we have to do. Which reminds me, you need a run down of what we can do?”

“It couldn't hurt…”

Lightning Dust then started floating as she put on a serious face. “Alright, first off, us Wonderbolts are pretty good flyers and because the enemy only has unicorns and earth ponies, we have an advantage. We can outrun practically anything and as Captain Spitfire says, 'We’re generally a big pain in the ass for ground troops and artillery.’

“As for Pinkie and Maud Pie, their ability to break through rock makes them ideal for demolition, flanking the enemy, you name it. The enemy has a shield in front of their base. Not a problem since those two mares could help us make a sneak attack into said base from underground.”

“Not to mention we're really good at sensing the smallest of vibrations.” All of a sudden Pinkie was standing next to Sunset and the latter had to resist every impulse to jump.

“Yeah that too,” Dust said. She then grinned. “So…any questions?”

“I don't think so but... wouldn't it be easier to just let you guys do your own thing?”

“Our own thing!?” Dust looked mortified. “I mean sure we tend to act on impulse but without Spitfire we'd be spinning our wheels. That's why we need a leader and since that's you we'll follow you all the way.”

“Sure we've only just met but if Princess Celestia believes in you so should we,” Pinkie said, patting her shoulder.

Sunset smiled. “You know, I think I feel a bit better now.”

It wasn't much longer before the airships began to take off from Canterlot.

Sunset then made her way to the bridge along with the others. She then saw Spitfire to an older unicorn. “Hey Sunset, come here a moment,” Spitfire said, waving her over. “This is Shining Armor, Captain of the Royal Guard. He'll be the one overseeing this battle.

Sunset bowed respectfully. “A pleasure to meet you sir.”

Shining chuckled. “You're too kind. It's a pleasure to meet one of Celestia's former students, we'll need all the help we can get.”

“Shining, don't pressure her,” Spitfire said. “Anyway, so how's Cadance doing?”

“She's fine. I think she fits the role of diplomat better than a fighter, although she told me she's ready to strangle one of those griffins.”

“Figured as much. And uh...your sister?”

Shining sighed, looking down. “Twily’s with Mom and Dad in Canterlot still. Still in her room reading her books as usual.”

Sunset could tell by the awkward silence that the whole thing was a sensitive subject. “So... Captain, do we have news from the front?”

“Well the bad news is they've already established a base near Neighagra Falls,” Shining said. “It certainly won't be easy that's for sure. Spitfire tells me you're leading this so-called special team. Must be nice being able to give Spitfire orders.”

“Oh shut it,” Spitfire snapped.

“It's...well…”

“You'll be fine,” Spitfire said with a smile. “Whether it's the Wonderbolts or the Guard, we help each other out, carry the burden on all of our shoulders.”

“Wow Spitfire that sounded pretty mature coming from you,” Shining said with a grin.

“You're lucky I can't hit a fellow officer.”

Suddenly one of the Royal Guardsmen came up to the captain. “Captain, the Admiral informs us we'll be reaching our destination in ETA five minutes.”

“Very good, make sure the troops are ready,” Shining replied.

“Oh yeah one thing before I forget,” Spitfire said. She then handed Sunset a small device. “It's a communicator that you fit in your ear. It'll allow us to keep in contact as well as contacting Shining in case something happens.”

“Wow...how much did I miss out on?” Sunset took the device and slid it into her ear comfortably. “Guess we better get ready as well huh?”

Spitfire nodded. “The ships are landing us well outside Neighagra Falls so the enemy doesn't detect us. We want this to be a surprise attack but we'll discuss more once we've landed.

About five minutes later the ships landed about five miles from the edge of the woods surrounding Neighagra Falls. The troops quickly exited the ships, forming into straight lines. “So far so good,” Shining said. “Now then, it's a bit of a hike but we reach the base-”

“Captain!” Suddenly a pegasus was zooming towards them from the north.

“One of our scouts,” Shining explained. “What is it soldier?”

“The enemy's moving quicker than we expected,” the pegasus stated.”They're already on the move, heading this way as we speak!”

“So much for the element of surprise,” Shining sighed. “How many we talking?”

“I can't say for sure but it looked like a small group,” the pegasus replied. “They were coming from the basin when I made my way back.”

“Alright, good work,” Shining said. “Guess we'll be fighting sooner than I thought. What are your thoughts Sunset?”

Sunset looked around at the terrain. Everything was pretty much flat which gave them no advantage. They could meet the enemy head on since waiting here was pointless. Or was it…?

“Shining can those airships provide us with fire support?”

“They could, but considering we're sort of limited on ammunition we were going to save for the base,” Shining replied.

It made sense since the base would be harder to penetrate. Plus firing artillery rounds at brainwashed ponies just didn't seem ethical. But she had a backup plan. “Pinkie, Maud, how far deep can you dig, out of curiosity?”

“Hmm...on average it's about thirty yards,” Pinkie said.

“There isn't much clay here so it'd be easy to dig through,” Maud added.

“Think you can do that along a diameter of say…about a hundred yards?” Sunset asked.

“Pft, easy peasy,” Pinkie said. “But why….ohhh that's clever.”

“We'll get on it right away,” Maud said before the two of them started digging into the ground.

“You're gonna collapse the ground beneath them?” Shining asked.

“Right. It may not get all of them but we can then get the jump on them,” Sunset replied.

“So what about us?” Dash asked.

“Think you can gather some storm clouds?”

“Uh sure, but what for?” Dash looked confused.

“It never hurts to have lightning just in case,” Sunset replied.

Dash stared at her for a moment and then grinned. “I like your style Shimmer.”

“Alright you heard the lady everypony, let's round up some clouds!” Spitfire yelled as the Wonderbolts took off.

“And now?” Shining wondered.

“We wait...and hope to Celestia this works.”

It wasn't long before the Crystal Army could be seen on the horizon. Shining was looking through a telescope and suddenly groaned. “Somepony forgot to mention they're carrying artillery with them.”

“What kind of artillery?” Sunset asked.

“Well there's generally two types: the ones that shoot standard artillery and the others...well they're kinda nasty. Those types use a sort of magical energy that the Crystal Empire developed and since its of course magic it can do things ordinary weapons can't.”

Sunset could only imagine the possibilities. “How the hell did they create something like that?” She then cursed, realizing a huge flow in her plan. “If they have artillery and we're far away enough-”

“Yeah, I know what you mean... there's still time to revise that plan. But even if they do attack from a distance I can put up a shield spell.”

“The entire army?” Sunset said incredulously.

“I've done the entire castle before.” Sunset suddenly had new found respect for the captain.

She thought for a moment. Then an idea came to mind. “Sergeant Dash!”

“What's up?” Dash floated back down towards her.

“Change of plans, we need three of those clouds as big as we can get 'em and we're going to need a lot of electric power. Think you can hover them above the target zone without being noticed?”

“Does a bugbear shit in the woods?”

“I honestly wouldn't know.”

Dash chuckled. “Yeah, we can do it. Get ready for the ultimate light show!”

The enemy was marching closer and Sunset had to admit, the enemy certainly got the idea down of intimidating their foes. But she had full confidence in her plan, and she had to believe in her comrades as well.

Suddenly the ground in front of them burst open and two somewhat exhausted earth ponies popped out. “Well… it wasn't easy but we finished it,” Pinkie said, wiping sweat off her forehead.

“You're sure it'll work?” Shining asked.

“It'll take a certain amount of weight...but as for how many it'll take out, we have no idea,” Maud replied.

“Yeah what she said so don't doubt our efforts!” Pinkie snapped.

If worst came to worst, there was always a spell that could make the foundation give way, Sunset pondered.

The enemy troops then began to charge, closing the distance between the two armies. “Steady…” Shining called to his troops. “Steady.” Pinkie and Maud were both in a stance, ready to attack while Sunset stood in the middle, her horn glowing at the ready.

Suddenly it happened. It was hard to see except where the Wonderbolts were positioned but it was as if the ground was opening up and swallowing the crystal ponies whole.

“It...it really is working!” Shining exclaimed.

“Hmph!” Pinkie looked insulted by the comment.

“Dash! The cannons!” Sunset yelled.

Dash saluted in response and the group formed up before diving into the clouds. The sudden impact caused lightning to appear and crash towards the ground. The sound of the lightning was loud, but upon hitting the artillery the sound went up a few decibels. Dash certainly hadn't been joking about the light show but even she was surprised once she saw it had all been turned to rubble. She looked up. “Maybe a little too much power?” Spitfire just shrugged in response.

“Now's our chance!” Shining yelled. “Charge!” He and the entire Equestrian Army charged towards the enemy, Sunset, Pinkie, and Maud along with them.

The sudden crater they found themselves in, along with their artillery being destroyed certainly caught the enemy army off guard. Those in the front were quickly overwhelmed by the advancing Equestrians; those further in the back probably realized how much trouble they were in and decided to retreat.

“Hey Soarin, what should we do about the stragglers?” Spitfire asked.

“I dunno, I never feel good about attacking a retreating enemy,” Soarin replied.

“Alright, might as well take care of those still willing to fight then,” Spitfire said. “Take it to 'em ladies and gents!” Soon the Wonderbolts joined in on the fighting.

Meanwhile, a unicorn with dark blue and overtones stood on top of her tower over the base near Neighagra Falls, overseeing the battle taking place. [i[]“Very interesting…” /i]she thought, observing everything.

Suddenly one of the soldiers approached her, saluting her. “Commander Vayentha, our forces are being pushed back. Shall we send reinforcements?”

“There's no need,” Vayentha said, taking a sip from a glass of wine. “This was merely a test, to see what those fools would come up with. This commanding officer is different...I almost feel a bit of respect for them. It's unfortunate the only way we could meet is before they go to a guillotine.”

She paused for a moment. “Oh but of course, a gift to congratulate them must be in order! Let's see what our little friend thinks of them…”

“The enemy is retreating!” Shining yelled as cheers erupted among the ranks.

“We...won?” Sunset said, somewhat surprised. “But...that almost seemed too easy.”

“Perhaps...most of their forces will probably be at the base,” Shining replied. “Still, your plan was brilliant Sunset. You're quite the tactician.”

Sunset could only blush slightly and wave it off. Suddenly the ground started to shake. “Whoa, an earthquake!?”

“It can't be, we're not near any fault lines,” Maud answered.

The shaking then stopped. “Uh I got a bad feeling about this…” Dash said.

Suddenly the ground in front of them exploded as something big came out, something almost five stories tall and about twenty feet wide. “What the hell!?” Spitfire yelled.

“A sand worm!?” Shining cried. “What's one doing all the way out here!?”

“It sure looks hungry!” Fleetfoot yelled.

The soldiers attacked but even with their weapons it wasn't enough to pierce it's skin. A sudden flick of its tail and many of the soldiers were sent flying backwards. “I think we need a plan!” Dash yelled.

“Lightning might do the trick!” Spitfire said. “Dash, think you can distract it!?”

“On it!” She then flew near Sunset. “Need a lift?”

It was times like these Sunset wished her dream had come true and she'd gotten her wings. For now she'd have to settle. “Alright, let's do this!”

Dash grabbed her from the top, holding her tightly as they took off. Sunset then attacked the worm with a simple laser spell. “Hey, I have an idea, follow my lead okay?” Dash asked.

“Okay but-whoa!” She hadn't expected they were going face-to-face with the creature.

“Hey Big n’ Ugly!” Dash yelled. She then did the goofiest face she could manage.

“You gotta be kidding me…” Well, Sunset wasn't going to argue.

It was certainly going to be a memorable moment.

The giant worm screamed at them before attempting to shoot them with... whatever came out of its mouth. Whatever it was, it was acidic to burn the ground. Thankfully Shining managed to put a shield up in time.

“We're almost ready!” Spitfire called to them. “Just a little bit longer!”

Then Sunset noticed something. “Dash, over there!” She saw one of the cannons was still operational and by the look of it it was one of those magic cannons.

“You can't be serious!” Dash complained.

“You think a bolt of electricity will kill it?”

“...Fair point.” They then flew over to it as Sunset got into the seat. She never used anything like this but after pressing a few switches she heard the sound of energy throughput the machine. “Think you can help move this a bit to the right?”

Dash pushed but it barely budged. “Damn this thing's heavy…!”

Unfortunately, their actions didn't go unnoticed as the worm seemed to still be focused on them. Spitfire noticed this as well. “Crap, we gotta hit this thing now!”

“Can I do the honors?” Dust asked.

“I don't care just hurry!” Lightning Dust zipped off diagonally and then came back like a shooting star, crashing into the cloud. The bolt hit its target and although it didn't seem to kill it, it seemed to paralyze it for the moment.

“Better hurry Sunset!” Dash urgently reminded her.

“Hold on... alright stand back I don't know what's going to happen.” She lined up her shot and pulled the trigger. The recoil almost sent her flying and the sound left her partially deaf. As for the worm...the shot blew its head clean off.

“Holy shit…” Dash, Spitfire, and just about everypony else was thinking the same thing.

“That. Was. AWESOME!” Suddenly Sunset was getting hugged rather tight. “You're awesome!”

“Dash…oxygen…”

“Oh...sorry…” They then landed near the head. “Talk about a clean shot…”

“Yeah, how'd you do that?” Pinkie asked.

“Honestly I just kind of guessed how to operate it…” Sunset replied.

“Ha! You guessed!?” Spitfire said as the other Wonderbolts touched the ground. “Still pretty impressive though.”

“Uh...can we please get away from the giant head?” Shining suggested.

“What, it's not like it's gonna suddenly come back-” Suddenly Pinkie's eyes widened. “Sunset look out!”

The giant worm head opened its mouth as if to crush Sunset. Suddenly a spear came out of nowhere and struck the head through the mouth. It gave one last scream which died off into a whimper. A brown pegasus with a blue mane then floated down next to Sunset. “You gotta strike it through the head to truly kill it,” he said. “Are you alright?”

“Yeah I'm fine.” Sunset then stopped, realizing she recognized that voice. “...Flash?”

“Yes?” the pegasus asked. “Have we met?”

“Oh um…” Sunset now wished she had stayed quiet. “N-No I don't believe so.”

“That was an impressive throw Private Sentry,” Shining complimented.

Now it was Flash's turn to look embarrassed. “Just doing my job sir.”

“So what now?” Spitfire asked.

“I think it's best to wait til nightfall,” Shining said. “Til then we'll have to assess the state of the base and go from there.”

Spitfire glanced over at Sunset, who suddenly seemed distracted. “Agreed. We can tend to any injured as well.” As they regrouped, Spitfire couldn't put her hoof on it, but it almost looked like Sunset saw a ghost.

Neighagra Falls Base

As night approached, Sunset and the others met in the main tent of the camp set up just outside of Neighagra Falls. “Our scouts have confirmed the base is being protected by a shield,” Shining explained. “Since the source is coming from inside the base, we're left with few options. Anypony have any suggestions?”

“Well...we do have two exceptionally skilled earth ponies on our team,” Sunset said. “That shield only goes into the ground so far…”

“But if we go underneath it, we have a straight shot into the base,” Pinkie finished. “I'm all for this plan.”

“You're both volunteering for this?” Shining asked.

“If we get too close to the shield I'll be able to sense it,” Maud stated.

“They'll need my help as well...but I have an idea of how to get us in undetected,” Sunset said. “But... unfortunately it'll have to be just us three. Too many will attract too much attention.”

“That's okay, just save some for the rest of us,” Fleetfoot winked.

“Once the shield is down, we can begin our assault,” Shining said. “Now that that's settled, any other questions? You're all dismissed then.”

Much was on Sunset's mind in the final hours before nightfall, including the approaching mission. She felt so stupid about what happened before. Why was she so surprised about Flash? The people in the other world are the same as she had soon found out.

“It's just my emotions getting in the way,” she thought. “Probably hormones too.” Unfortunately, she wasn't paying attention to where she was going and bumped into someone. “Oh sorry!”

Sunset looked up and blushed slightly. It was Flash, yet again. Sometimes she wondered why fate acted like it did. “So we meet again,” Flash said with a warm smile. “Sunset right? I was trying to remember if we ever met but unfortunately I've got nothing.”

“Oh don't worry about that I was…” Sunset looked down and sighed. “If I told you the reason you'd think I'm crazy.”

“I dunno, I consider myself a pretty open guy,” Flash replied.

“...You sure? Cause it's pretty out there…” Sunset commented.

“Oh well, maybe you're right.”

For the first time in a long time, Sunset genuinely laughed. “A charmer and a funny guy. Pretty brave too. I never did quite thank you for before.”

“Think nothing of it, it's what brothers in arms do...at least that's what Captain Armor says,” Flash shrugged.

Sunset then decided to sit down, glancing up at the sky occasionally. “Was your dream to be part of the Royal Guard?”

“Hmm… I dunno about dream, but I've always been willing to represent and fight for my country,” Flash replied. “What about you?”

“To become Celestia's best student...to become an Alicorn...to expunge my reputation as a disgraced former student…” Sunset was quiet for a moment. “I guess...I just want to be remembered for the good things I did.”

“I can relate,” Flash said. He then looked north. “It's going to get crazy pretty soon.”

“No kidding...hey Flash?”

“Yes?”

“I know this is going to seem out of the blue but... would you want to join our squad?”

“Squad? Oh you mean with those two earth ponies and the Wonderbolts?” Flash then smirked. “Are you using this as an excuse so we can hang out more?”

Sunset returned the smirk. “Well that's one reason... let's just say it's a gut feeling.”

“Fair enough...if you can convince the Captain I have no objections.”

“Well...in that case I'll wait til afterwards once I'm sure he'll be in a good mood.”

“That's a good idea...well we better get prepared. It's almost nightfall.”

“Yeah,” Sunset said, getting up. “Do me a favor... don't die on me out there…”

“Same for you,” Flash replied. “But also try to leave some fighting for me.”

Sunset put on a suit that was given to her by Maud. It didn't offer much for protection but it would help her blend in the darkness. Black seemed to be her color as well.

“Ooh now we're matching!” Pinkie said as the three of them met outside.

“...Yep that was exactly the point,” Sunset replied.

“You three better be careful over there,” Dash said, joining them. “They treat prisoners terribly over there apparently.”

“That's nice to know…” “We'll be fine,” Sunset said. “Just keep an eye out and be ready when the shield falls.”

“Aye aye ma'am.”

“So shall we get started?” Sunset then asked.

“Sure! You may want to put up a shield spell though,” Pinkie grinned.

“Why-?” She had to put it up quick before she was suddenly pelted with dirt. “Oh...right…”

“You might want to hurry up to keep up with them,” Dash laughed.

For the next ten minutes, Sunset provided light as Pinkie and Maud continued their digging. “If you two get tired we can always take a break,” Sunset offered.

“Pft, tired? We'll be fine, this is nothing compared to working eight hours on a rock farm,” Pinkie said, who appeared to be able to dig and talk at the same time.

“That's how you can...do that?” Sunset asked.

“Pinkie likes to say we have hooves of steel...even though there's no metal in our hooves,” Maud said. She then stopped and Pinkie followed suit. She was quiet for a moment and seemed to be listening for something. “We're near the edge of the shield...we should go about five feet deeper just to be safe.”

“If you say so!” Pinkie then went diagonally into the ground while Maud followed her.

Sunset didn't know many earth ponies, but she found the Pie sisters’ skills to be unique. “No wonder they're so popular…” Sunset then continued on, providing light.

“You know it's funny...we don't usually talk about our personal lives so much,” Pinkie said. “I've been a rock pony all my life but when I was younger I used to think time and again some greater calling would call to me...but it didn't so I guess this was the life chosen for me.”

“Yeah...I know that feeling.”

Maud then stopped again. “There's some sort of chamber past this wall...it may be some storage room.”

“I can't believe we actually got in,” Sunset said. “Alright...can you tell if anypony's in there?”

“I don't hear anything so it must be clear.”

The two kept digging until light started to appear. Sunset poked her head out. “Looks clear to me.” They then jumped down onto the floor. “Now we need to find where the shield generator is located. We must be on the bottom floor and that's where it should be.”

She opened the door slightly and peeked outside. The hallway was mostly clear but then she saw two guards coming down. Perfect. She motioned Pinkie over to the door. “On three we're going to nab these guys. One...two...three!”

She opened the door just as the two were coming across and they were suddenly pulled in. They didn't have time to call for help or struggle since Sunset put a sleeping spell on them. “Well that was easy,” Pinkie commented.

“All part of the plan,” Sunset said. “Now, you two are going to put their armor. Don't worry, they'll be out quite awhile.”

“Well... alright,” Pinkie said. The two earth ponies then stripped off the guards’ armor started putting it on. “This stuff is heavier than it looks!”

“...This one smells funny,” Maud said, a hint of disgust in her voice.

“But what about you?” Pinkie asked.

“I'm going to be the prisoner you discovered,” Sunset said, smiling. “The horn will give me away unfortunately. But at least we can get around now.” She then magicked a pair of handcuffs she put around her front feet. “Just to convince them. And don't be afraid to go rough on me if necessary.” Of course, with Pinkie she was wondering if she was going to regret those words.

The Pie sisters then escorted their prisoner out of the room and down the hallway. From the look of it, it was as standard as bases went and the only ponies they saw for the most part were soldiers. Wit their helmets on it was hard to read their expressions.

Sunset was playing her part, stumbling slightly to look as if she had been subdued. “It's gotta be here somewhere,” she murmured. “The longer we look the longer- ow! Pinkie I swear if you poke my flank one more time…!”

“Sorry, I kinda thought guards would do that…”

“Not the female ones…!”

“I dunno...the female guards can be pretty frisky with anypony.” Sunset was about to retort when-

“Hold it right there!” The three of them froze but Sunset stayed still as Pinkie and Maud turned around. The one addressing them was a black unicorn wearing a blue uniform. Maud improvised quickly, saluting the officer as Pinkie followed suit. “Perhaps one of you can explain what is going on here?”

“Sir, we found this mare in one of the storage rooms,” Maud said. “We managed to subdue her and we're taking her to the cells.”

“Oh really? It seems you're going in the opposite direction.”

Panic started to creep inside Sunset as she glanced around. “Too many witnesses…”

“Our apologies sir, we transferred here just recently and are still learning the layout of the base,” Pinkie said as monotonously as her sister. “We thought somepony said they were near the shield generator.”

“Well at least you got one area correct,” the unicorn said. He then sighed. “You'll need to learn quicker in the future. Good work on capturing this intruder though. I will inform the Commander immediately. Carry on.” The unicorn then walked off.

“Nicely done ladies,” Sunset said. “Then we must be close. Be ready for anything.”

They could tell they were getting closer since there was a loud humming sound which grew louder and louder the further they went down. They then opened the door. There was one guard inside but Sunset took care of him quickly.

The generator itself was quite impressive. It stood from ceiling to bottom and was producing an energy similar to the shield itself. “So...do we trash it?” Pinkie asked.

“If you want to blow us all sky high,” Sunset said. “There's an easier way.” She studied it closely and saw a lever. “Well, here goes nothing…” She then pulled down the lever and upon doing so the generator powered down. “I guess that did it.”

Shining Armor was standing by with his men outside near the border of the woods. The base itself was built into the side of the falls, making it difficult to traverse by hoof. For now, all was quiet except for the sound of the airships above them.

Suddenly a pegasus shot out of the woods. “Captain! The shield is down!”

Shining nodded quickly. “Understood. Tell the airships to begin their bombardment!”

Meanwhile, Commander Vayentha was in her officer, enjoying a glass of Pinot Noir while listening to Tchaitrotsky on the radio. One always enjoyed the classics. There was then a knock on her door. “Come in,” she said.

The door opened and the unicorn from before walked in and saluted. “Ma'am, I had just been informed that we captured an enemy intruder inside the base.”

This was interesting. “Oh?” she simply said.

“She apparently snuck through one of the storage rooms but was captured shortly after. She's being taken to the cells as we speak.”

Suddenly the base shook violently, causing the glass of Pinot to fall to the ground, much to Vayentha’s annoyance. “What the hell was that!?”

Another soldier burst into the room. “Commander, we're being attacked by enemy airships!”

“And how did they get past our shields!?”

“I-!”

Vayentha then turned back to the officer. “You said there was only one intruder?”

“Y-Yes but they had her under control-”

“You fool! It was a ruse! They were impersonating as guards!” Vayentha then took a deep breath. “Lieutenant, you will rally the troops against the Equestrian forces. I will deal with the intruders myself.”

The Great Escape

The sudden bombardment shook the entire base. “Well, Shining certainly didn't waste any time,” Sunset quipped. “We need to get out of here before the entire place comes down.” The three of them left the room and hurried down the hall amidst the chaos.

“Maybe we should go back where we came?” Pinkie suggested. Suddenly the area in front of them exploded, bringing down rubble and debris that blocked off the way they came. “Or not…”

“There's got to be a way out of here!” Sunset yelled. The best choice was to follow everyone else. Luckily with the two sisters still disguised they were able to blend in.

“Man, how do they see, let alone breath in these helmets?” Pinkie said. Maud stayed quiet. “No Maud I don't need to know why they're built like this.”

Everything that came next happened so quickly. One moment they were running through the base; the next moment they were suddenly standing at the top of Neighagra Falls. “Oh...right I didn't think about suggesting teleportation,” Pinkie said as she and Maud took off their helmets. “Good thinking Sunset!”

“But that wasn't me,” Sunset said, looking around. “And I'm sure it wasn't any of our friends…”

“Oh, I'm terribly sorry…were you in the process of escaping?” A blue and black unicorn appeared behind them. “I'm afraid I couldn't let you do that, at least not before we have ourselves a little chat.”

“And who are you?” Sunset asked.

“I am Commander Vayentha of the Imperial Army,” Vayentha said.

“Don't you have a battle to be fighting?” Maud asked.

“I could ask your friend the same thing,” Vayentha said, smiling. “Sunset Shimmer was it? Don't act so surprised, word travels quick between the battlefield. Your tactics I must admit have left me impressed. It's a shame we couldn't have somepony like you on our side. Why side with inferior races? I, along with King Sombra, have always believed that unicorns were given the powers they have because they are superior to both pegasi and earth ponies.”

“That's rich, coming from a pony who uses slave labor to-” Pinkie sudden went quiet and stiff as her eyes widened in panic.

“Seriously, that voice is enough to give anypony a headache,” Vayentha said. “Well, in the end I knew it would come to this: a battle of wills between leaders. I've been looking forward to this for a long time…”

“I have just one question,” Sunset said. “Just what is Sombra’s ultimate goal and how did he recruit somepony like you?”

“Very well...I will explain the full story...consider it a final gift before your unfortunate deaths.

“A thousand years ago, King Sombra ruled the Crystal Empire with an iron hoof. But like all kings, he had his own inner circle, loyal to the death. He had military personnel, scientists, even aristocrats devoted to his cause. Before his disappearance, he admitted to us the possibility of him being defeated by Princess Celestia and Princess Luna and revealed his plan: he would take the entire Empire down with him in order to preserve his rule. And a thousand years later, here we stand…

“Whether or not you defeat me this day will have little difference on the war itself. Whether it will be in a few months or a few years, Canterlot will burn to the ground, Equestria along with it.”

“Sorry, but we're not going to let that happen,” Sunset declared, using her magic to free Pinkie.

Vayentha chuckled. “Well, you talk a good game anyway. Let's just see how much Celestia has taught you shall we?”

“Pinkie, Maud, you two head back. I'll handle her,” Sunset said.

“What!?” Pinkie yelled. “We're not leaving you behind!”

“The army needs you more right now, I'll be fine I promise.”

“Pinkie…” Maud said.

“...Alright but I'm holding you to it!” Pinkie and Maud then took off.

“How very admirable of you,” Vayentha commented. “But it's for the best, they would've only gotten in the way.”

“Are you done talking?” Sunset snapped.

“To the point I see...very well, I'm going to enjoy this…” Vayentha disappeared suddenly, causing Sunset to look around. “Over here…” she said to Sunset's left. “No, over here!”

Sunset closed her eyes. She knew the mare was trying to mess with her head, but she was no amateur. She put up her shield just in time as a beam of magic came from her ten o’clock.

“Impressive,” Vayentha said, reappearing. “I suppose even novices could-what!?” Sunset had already teleported to one of the taller trees and attacked, managing to hit the mare before she could defend herself.

“I don't think you're taking me seriously,” Sunset said, taunting her. “I'm one of, if not, the best of Celestia's students.”

“You'll regret those words. The kiddy gloves come off now!” Vayentha’s horn glowed and suddenly Sunset's body went stiff. She couldn't move a muscle. “That is only a taste of what dark magic can do. Put enough oomph into it, I could stop your heart from beating and make you drop dead. So I think you should be taking me serious-ow!” She had suddenly gotten hit in the head with a rock.

“Sheesh this mare likes to talk.” By the edge of the falls stood Dash and the other Wonderbolts. “Newsflash: you mess with her, you mess with us!”

“If you're so high and mighty you'd have no problem dealing with all of us at once right?” Spitfire goaded. “So what's it going to be!?”

The sudden distraction was enough for Sunset to regain control of her body and although she was ready to reprimand them for being here, especially Pinkie and Maud who seemed to have been the ones who called them, she could only smile and shake her head. She was also given an opportunity since the commander's back was to her. She braced herself as she launched a powerful beam of energy at her.

Vayentha's response was too slow, as she could only look back in surprise as the spell hit her, encasing her in a green square gem. “Unfortunately the commander won't be able to wiggle out of this spell,” Sunset said. “She's practically frozen in time.”

“So what do we do with her?” Dash asked.

“Even if Celestia had her detained she won't talk,” Sunset said. “Unfortunately she's hardly any use to us alive.” Her horn glowed again and the gem suddenly shattered into diamond dust.

“...Damn Shimmer remind me to never piss you off,” Lightning commented.

“Well... she was a threat so I suppose we didn't have much choice,” Spitfire replied. “But let's not make a pattern of this okay?”

“We might not have a choice,” Sunset rebutted. “Apparently there are others to this inner circle of Sombra’s.”

“Great...more unicorn supremacists…” Dash said bitterly.

“Anyway...how goes the battle captain?” Sunset asked.

“The sudden attack left the enemy in disarray,” Spitfire reported. “It was a complete rout and any stragglers are retreating back north.”

“I guess it's up to Shining what we do next, but until then good work everypony and uh... thanks.”

“Hey we're all comrades here,” Dash grinned. “We look after our own, and unlike those freaks we don't care if you got wings, horns, or neither.”

“...You know I've been thinking,” Pinkie said, who seemed to be in thought. “If they're for unicorns and hate pegasi, does that mean they're for or against alicorns?”

The low groans amongst everyone else told Sunset that Pinkie had these moments of thought constantly.

“Glad to see you all made it back in one piece,” Shining said as they all met back at the camp. “We searched through what was left of the base but didn't find anything of importance.”

“It didn't seem like they had much in terms of artillery and such,” Spitfire stated.

“Sounds like for once we caught the enemy off guard,” Blaze said, grinning slightly at Fleetfoot.

“Well I doubt we'll be that lucky again,” Soarin stated. “Once we go north we'll officially be in enemy territory.”

“Still, this victory will I've us the morale we greatly need,” Shining replied. “As Captain of the Royal Guard you all have my thanks. I'm sure you'll all sleep well tonight after all this.”

“Captain, there's one small request I would like to make.” Sunset had finally spoken up.

“Oh?”

“With your permission, I'd like to add Flash Sentry to my...unit.” The looks she got were certainly understandable.

“Private Sentry?” Shining asked. “May I ask why?”

“I uh...think he would be a great addition...think of it as a way to repay for saving my flank before.”

“Oh I get it.” Dash had a sinister grin on her face. “He's pretty cute isn't he?” Both Spitfire and Soarin seemed to roll their eyes.

“No that has nothing to do with it!” Sunset snapped.

“If he is okay with it, I have no objections,” Shining said. “I only hope he lives up to your expectations.” He then looked around to everyone present. “Savor the moment tonight for by tomorrow we'll be moving out and heading north.”

There was much activity as the evening progressed but nothing too extreme. As the hours passed it got quieter until it seemed there were only a few still awake. Sunset unfortunately was one of those few.

She ended up bunking with Pinkie and Maud which wasn't so bad except that Pinkie was a bit of a snorer. Sunset soon gave up and went out to get some fresh air. She had only quietly slipped out of her tent when she heard-

“Can't sleep either huh?” Sunset looked over and saw Spitfire sitting next to a fire.

“Not really.” Sunset decided to sit next to her. “Are your bunkmates loud sleepers too?”

“Well...no but…” Spitfire looked to the side and once she followed her gaze, Sunset saw one of the tents nearby shaking slightly.

Sunset found herself blushing slightly. “Who's…?”

“That would be Fleetfoot and Blaze,” Spitfire said casually. “I wish they were as quiet as Dash and Soarin though.” They could then hear moaning coming from the tent.

“Wait...so you're not upset by this because…?”

“Look Sunset, in times like these you don't always know if you'll make it to tomorrow so...if Blaze and Fleet want to fuck til dawn I can't blame them.”

“Okay but you need your sleep too,” Sunset pointed out. The moans were getting louder.

“True...then I'll pull seniority if they don't quit within the hour...don't know how Dust sleeps through that…”

“Wait she-”

“Yeah. Fleetfoot, Dust and I share one tent and Dash and Misty share another. Guys have their own tents but I imagine Dash went to Soarin's so...yeah.”

“I don't think I met Misty,” Sunset said.

“You haven't, she just got back from assignment.” Suddenly the moans seemed to reach a climax, as did the ones they belonged to and it soon got quiet. “For fucks sake do they not hear themselves?”

“Well...uh...maybe you can sleep now since they're done?” Sunset suggested.

Spitfire snorted. “You obviously don't know many pegasi. Unicorns may have magic and earth ponies may have strength, but we got stamina.”

“So you're saying…”

“Don't be surprised if they start up again,” Spitfire finished her sentence. “Plus it'll reek of sex in there which I don't need...now that I think about it I wouldn't be surprised if Dust joined in on-”

“Okay!” Sunset said louder than she wanted. “I think I'm going back to my tent now.”

“Oh come on Shimmer I was just messing with you,” Spitfire grinned. “But seriously...you know that Sentry guy?”

“It's... complicated.”

“Well...if you say so…” Spitfire then got up and stretched. “Well... hopefully those two didn't make too much of a mess in there...I could always sneak into Dust's bed if need be. Anyway...see you in the morning Sunset.”

Sunset watched the Wonderbolt march back to her tent and was treated to a show of yelling and then an embarrassed Blaze zooming out of the tent. But even after that was all done there was a lingering question in her mind, nothing of importance but she was curious.

“Is Spitfire gay?”

Traveling in Style

Early the next morning Sunset woke up and left her tent. Surprisingly, she had been the only occupant so at least she was able to sleep decently. Many of the soldiers were currently eating breakfast nearby one of the large tents.

Of course, that is if one called plain cooked oats breakfast. Handed a bowl of the stuff, Sunset was already missing her previous extravagant breakfasts. “Uh...is there any sugar by chance?”

The cook merely squinted at her. “Have you been living under a rock miss? We're in the middle of a food shortage here. Even with the rationing we're slowly dwindling down on food and supplies.”

“Oh...right.” Sunset hadn't realized things were this bad. She remembered reading in history books about previous wars; how limiting supplies and dropping morale was the most efficient way of defeating your enemy. If this was true, how much longer would Equestria last?

“Yo Shimmer!” The yell broke her thoughts as she looked over and saw Spitfire waving her over at one of the tables. Most of the Wonderbolts were sitting there as well as Pinkie and Maud.

“So... how's it feel to be with the common folk?” Spitfire grinned as Sunset sat down.

“C'mon Spits don't start this this early,” Soarin groaned.

“I'm just messing that's all,” Spitfire said. “Hell, the mess halls back home were a lot better than this.”

“It's definitely not five-star, I can say that,” Sunset said as she took a spoonful. It tasted exactly as she expected.

“The whole rationing thing started almost immediately once the war began,” Fleetfoot explained. “Had to save the best for the soldiers to keep them going. Of course, that was something the rich folk apparently forgot.”

“The war hasn't hurt them very much, and they still spend their money at exquisite restaurants and such,” Spitfire grumbled. “Not that we're resentful or anything...and I know in your case you were a student so you got good treatment too.”

“Well...yeah,” Sunset admitted. “French toast sounds so good right now…”

“We usually eat rock cakes for breakfast at home,” Maud stated.

“What the hell are those?” Fleetfoot asked.

“They're exactly what they sound like.” Based on her monotone voice and straight face it was hard to say if she was joking.

“They definitely contain your daily value of minerals,” Pinkie grinned.

“...Anyway, where are the others?” Sunset asked.

“Sleeping,” Soarin said. “Neither Rainbow Dash nor Lighting Dust are morning ponies. I'm surprised Blaze isn't up, he's always up for breakfast.”

“Guess somepony tired him out last night,” Spitfire said casually as she drank out of a canteen.

Fleetfoot blushed. “Don't even-”

“I'm just stating a fact,” Spitfire interjected. “The screaming was a good clue.”

Sunset shook her head and looked to the Pie sisters. “Does this come up a lot?”

“Oh yeah,” Pinkie said. “Of course, they do it a lot but so does Soarin and Rainbow Dash sometimes and one time the captain managed to get a mare and colt in her tent and-”

Spitfire suddenly choked on her oats. “H-Hey that's private!”

“Pinkie, you may want to stop now before the captain attempts to murder you in public,” Maud said, a hint of a smile on her face.

“Oh...right…” Pinkie smiled nervously.

Thankfully the awkward situation was interrupted by one of the Guard. “Sunset Shimmer, the captain wishes to speak with you immediately. Also, you have a letter addressed to you.” He then magicked over an envelope to her.

“Oh...thank you,” Sunset said, pocketing the envelope right away. “I'll be there right away.” The guardspony nodded and left.

“Mission briefing I presume?” Spitfire asked.

“Maybe...I guess we'll see.” Sunset got up and left without another word. She noticed there was some weight to the envelope, as if something was inside. She'd have to read it later.

As she was walking across the field next to a row of tents someone popped out at the last second and Sunset practically ran into them. Sunset looked up and saw it was Flash. “We've...got to stop bumping into each other like this.”

Flash chuckled. “I didn't realize you were a mind reader too.”

“Oh...no it was just a mere coincidence,” Sunset said, smiling. “Sorry, I actually have to go see your captain... although I'm not sure if he's still technically your C.O. now…”

“You talked to him I'm guessing?”

“I did. And surprisingly he was okay with it.”

“Huh...I guess I'm just kind of surprised. I mean, you guys are kind of a big deal, at least as far as the Wonderbolts go, but those two sisters are pretty well known around Equestria these days.”

“Yeah...and I'm just a former student,” Sunset sighed. “But I can be full of surprises so... I'll be expecting things from you Private.”

Flash laughed. “I'll try not to let you down then. But you better get going; the captain hates waiting.”

“You might as well meet the crew,” Sunset said. “Just uh...be prepared for awkward conversations.”

“Uh...how awkward?” But Sunset just smiled and headed for the large tent. It didn't take her long to find Shining Armor.

“Oh there you are Sunset,” Shining said. “Sorry for the sudden summoning but I figured you had to know ASAP. We just got word that a large company from Vanhoover is going to be rendezvousing with us to the north. We could definitely use the reinforcements.”

“So Vanhoover is safe?” Sunset asked.

“The battle there lasted five days and eventually the enemy abandoned that campaign. Of course now we know they're pooling their forces together for a strike against Canterlot.”

“And we're the only defense left between here and Canterlot,” Sunset said, sighing. “You really think we stand a chance?”

“We don't have a choice,” Shining replied. “But I didn't bring you here to discuss chances of winning. You and your team have a new mission, top secret. Unfortunately you'll be on your own this time.”

“Top secret huh?”

Shining then pulled out a map and pointed towards Vanhoover. “Reinforcements are making their way east to our location but…”

Sunset noticed it. “They're encroaching on Imperial territory.”

“Exactly. A good portion of their army was diverted to Yakyakistan so expect anything and I mean anything. Our reinforcements are carrying much needed supplies so it's important they get here in one piece.”

“And how exactly do we, about a dozen of us, take on an entire garrison of troops?”

Shining smiled. “You're making it sound like a suicide mission but it isn't. The only issue is the possibility of long range artillery in the mountains so if you see them, take them out.”

“So demolitions then...that's going to take a lot of TNT though.”

“True but there's a better method. I was going to let Spitfire know-” Suddenly there was a low rumble coming from the south. “Well never mind I guess the wait is over.”

Sunset looked outside and she couldn't help but gasp. There was a large airship approaching, but it was even larger than any airship she had ever seen. The behemoth of a ship landed nearby the campsite.

“It's about damn time.” Sunset looked behind her and saw Spitfire with a wide grin on her face. “Your look of surprise is understandable. You're looking at the newly christened Hurricane, property and mobile HQ of the Wonderbolts.”

“How in Equestria-?”

“I'll explain later.” She waved the others over. The noise seemed to have woken everyone else up. “Come on you guys, this is going to be home from now on.”

“Oh yeah, this is going to be awesome!” Dust said with a grin on her face.

“Don't be stealing my lines Dust,” Dash said, rolling her eyes but smiled slightly. “So, it finally got finished huh?”

“Can somepony tell me what's going on here?” Sunset asked.

“Just hold on,” Spitfire said as they approached the landing ramp. Two other Wonderbolts, most likely recruits, saluted her before stepping out of the way as the group entered the ship. The small hangar inside was almost chaotic.

There was small artillery and what looked like miniature airships lined up in the one part of the hangar and it was there they saw another pegasus with a white and blue mane. Upon seeing the group, she quickly fluttered over. “Captain, it's good to see you! I hope everything is to your liking?”

“No need for the formalities right now Misty.” Spitfire turned to Sunset. “This is Misty Fly, a Wonderbolt like the rest of us. She's been in charge of overseeing this project so we haven't seen each other for awhile.”

“Do we get a tour?” Pinkie asked.

“I'll let Misty do the honors, if that's alright,” Spitfire replied.

“It'll be my pleasure.” Misty then lead them to an elevator which took them up. “Long ago, the Hurricane was a luxury airship, one of the first of its kind. It could hold up to five thousand passengers. Anyway, the ship was decommissioned after about ten years and was almost forgotten about. Once the war began, Spitfire had the idea of taking the luxury liner and turning it into a warship.”

They then reached the main floor and in aspect, it looked very much the luxury ship Misty had mentioned. “We gutted most of everything that wasn't salvageable but we managed to keep the old tile. Of course, adding all the weaponry added quite an amount to the ship so at most we can hold about five hundred.”

“And what's your crew?” Flash asked.

“About…three hundred,” Misty said.

“There's that many Wonderbolts?” Sunset asked.

“Recruits,” Spitfire corrected her. “Unfortunately cause of the war, many were taken out of the Academy too soon. Dash was one such example.”

“Yeah but I turned out pretty good didn't I?” Dash preened.

“That's true…”

“What am I, chopped oats over here?” Dust muttered.

“Moving on,” Misty said. “We also had to put in a new engine for the right amount of power. This ship carries twelve artillery cannons, six on each side. I don't think I need to explain the damage they can do.”

They then reached the bridge and as expected it was full of ponies at their stations. “I'm sure you're going to enjoy this view Captain,” Soarin said.

Spitfire nodded. “It's a great honor... I'll do my best.”

“I think that sums everything up,” Misty said. “I can show you all to your quarters. And captain? I'm more than ready to get back into the fight.”

“I'm glad to have you back Mist.”

For a newly modded warship, the sleeping quarters were quite comfortable and the best part was that they were all single rooms as well. “Gotta say I'm impressed,” Spitfire said. “Now then, we got a new mission so everypony grab your things, we leave in an hour.”

The Other Side

In the Crystal Empire it was almost always cold. In the short summers it had, it was mild at best. In the overly long winters, it was way below freezing levels. But the crystal ponies had been able to endure this type of climate for centuries. However, right now they wanted to be anywhere but here.

It was no secret the crystal ponies had been enslaved to work, but even more alarming was the fact that the unicorns, at least the rich or those in the military, had been exempted. King Sombra no doubt believed in unicorn supremacy and his ideologies trickled down to the upper and middle classes. It is how it was before and after a thousand years.

But not everyone relished the idea. Sombra’s closest followers had no issue spitting venom about earth ponies or pegasi and most others were merely...uncomfortable with the idea. But the King's word was law and all had to obey.

Purple Heart was one of those ponies. His father, Golden Cross, was one of the top generals in the military, which put their family along the ranks of the rich and top brass. But Purple Heart was no spoiled pony, he already finished his first tour, just returning only a few days ago from the campaign in Vanhoover. Of course, it was only a matter of time before he was called again.

He was currently in the dining room eating breakfast while his father was reading the morning paper which mostly consisted of details of the war front. He was, true to his name, purple with a blue mane and his cutie mark consisted of a hollowed out heart. “It seems the media is downplaying the events of Vanhoover,” Golden Cross said. He was white with a yellow mane and his cutie mark matched his name as well. “They say, 'The Imperial Army was on the verge of victory in Vanhoover but was called back upon orders of the King. Equestrian forces were spared for the moment…’”

Purple Heart couldn't help but snort. “Well they were half right. Truth is we just couldn't take the city.” He then sighed. “I'm sure the higher ups were furious.”

“Oh, hooves were pointed, that's for sure,” Golden Cross replied, sipping his morning tea. “Truth is, the whole thing was handled poorly. They predicted Vanhoover would have light defenses at best and then you're all facing artillery fire. To be honest, you're probably lucky to be alive.”

Purple Heart couldn't help but think back to those last days. They had the Equestrians outnumbered but we're getting decimated by artillery defenses and advancing tanks. But they couldn't retreat, they were so close. He was only a sergeant so he was with the other soldiers, the ones brainwashed by Sombra himself. For his first tour, it was an absolute nightmare.

“Is everything alright sir?” Purple Heart suddenly woke from his thoughts and looked over at Cherry Blossom, a crystal pony that was currently in service of his family. She was white with a light pink mane and her cutie mark was a small white flower. “Do you need more tea?”

“Oh...no I'm fine Cherry thank you.” He then smiled. “And seriously, you don't have to call me sir.”

“She can't help it son,” Golden Cross said. “She just wants to be proper. You should eat as well Cherry, it is your cooking after all.”

“Thank you.” Cherry Blossom then sat down and ate as well. She was about the same age as Purple Heart and before she came to this household she was destined a miserable life in the mines like many others. However, Golden Cross had seen her and since she had no parents he asked to take her in.

Many families had servants, some were treated well, others the complete opposite. Both Golden Cross and his son wanted Cherry to feel as if she were family and while she cooked and cleaned, she was treated with absolute respect, including been given the guest room to sleep in.

“So...it's true then?” Purple Heart then asked. “They're pushing towards Canterlot?”

“That's what I heard,” Golden Cross said, putting down the paper. “Sombra's getting antsy I imagine.”

“It's only been six months though.”

“It's not that simple. Even if we take Canterlot, the war won't end until we capture all the princesses. There's a lot of territory in the south...and I don't need to explain the potential concerns if Celestia manages an alliance with the other races. A three front war with Equestria, Yakyakistan and Griffinstone would be our downfall.”

“King Sombra wouldn't seriously try to take over the East? We don't have that many troops to spare!” Purple Heart argued.

“Not now, but if Equestria falls…” He then glanced over at Cherry Blossom and looked guilty. “Anyway...lets change the subject. Since you're currently on leave what will you now?”

“Hmm... I dunno...I guess I could always keep Cherry company while I'm here.”

Cherry suddenly started blushing and looked at him. “T-That's not necessary sir.”

“Well she has been rather lonely since she can't leave the house by herself,” Golden Cross stated. “Maybe the two of you could go out and explore the city.”

“Is that wise?” Purple Heart asked. “I mean, if somepony got the wrong idea…”

“They won't but if they do you have every right to protect her,” Golden Cross said. He then got up. “Well, I better head off now. Another day with the top brass.”

“Have a good day sir,” Cherry bowed her head.

“Thank you.” He then looked to Purple Heart. “If anything comes up, let me know immediately.”

Purple Heart nodded before his father left. It was quiet at the table for a few moments before Cherry spoke. “You know you don't have to worry about me.”

“I know, but we're friends and we look after one another,” Purple Heart grinned. “Besides, I only met you a few weeks before I left.”

“If I may ask...is it as they say? The war?”

He was silent for a moment. “Honestly? Most thought it would be over already. The Equestrians have held out better than we expected and because of that they've been able to mass-produce ships and weapons.” He then got up and put his plate in the sink. “Here, I can help you clean up.”

“Oh no no that's not necessary!” Cherry objected.

“I know, but I still want to help.” He smiled and even though Cherry frowned she couldn't help but smile back.

They compromised that Purple Heart would do the drying. “You and your father have been so good to me,” Cherry then said. “If only the others were so fortunate…”

It was silent for a moment before Purple Heart said, “If you could escape to Canterlot...would you?”

The question must've caught her off guard for she dropped the pan back into the sink. “I...um…”

“It's not a trick question.” Although now that he thought about it, how many times were others asked that question and beaten if they replied yes. “Oh...sorry...just forget I asked that.”

There was another awkward silence before Cherry said, “Actually...if I could...I would.”

“Oh?”

“Yes...but only if you and your father join me.”

If only it were that simple. No one was allowed to leave unless you had the right papers, or if you were going out on deployment. Apparently everyone was so paranoid about defectors they weren't taking any chances.

“That...may not be able to work unfortunately.”

“Then I will stay with you until the very end,” Cherry said as she finished washing. “Hmm...now what else is there to do…?”

“Cherry Blossom, you really need to relax once in a while,” Purple Heart said. “I think we should heed Father's advice.”

“G-Going out?” Cherry asked. “I don't know…”

“You'll be safe...besides it's actually a nice day out.” He then put a hoof on her shoulder. “I'll protect you.”

Cherry suddenly blushed again. “Well...maybe if you put me on a leash you won't attract any attention,” she said somewhat bitterly. She then smiled apologetically. “But if you insist…” Purple Heart chuckled. “What... what's so funny?”

“It's kinda nice to see you be yourself for once,” Purple Heart said as he got his coat. “Hmm...you need something too.” He went through the closet and then pulled out a grayish blue coat. “This should do.”

Cherry gasped slightly. “But that's-!”

“I know.” The coat belonged to his mother, who died almost a year ago. Cherry never got to meet her but had heard much of her from Golden Cross: she was a kind mare with a big heart and unlike many of the unicorn mares she was openly opposed to the crystal ponies being enslaved and subjugated as lesser beings. “We would be a greater country, and a greater role model to the world, if we all worked together toward a common goal,” she had told her husband and son one time. Naturally, she was avoided by most families, although she had her own circles just like her husband. Unfortunately, she left the world too soon due to illness; a condition that ultimately had no cure.

“She would've liked you a lot Cherry so I don't think she would mind you wearing this. I think the color goes with your mane to be honest.”

Cherry sighed. “Alright…” She then put on the coat and it seemed to fit her just right. “Well...shall we go?”

It actually was quite pleasant outside, the temperature being slightly warmer than usual, although in the next few months that would change dramatically. There were plenty of ponies out which was usual this time of day as the markets were quite busy. There was a park near Purple Heart's home that he wanted to show Cherry.

While the area near the palace had a more forbidding aura to it, here it felt more peaceful, as the Crystal Empire should feel. There were fillies and colts playing with one another as their parents chatted with one another pleasantly. It was like there wasn't a war to speak of.

Cherry stared at the foals playing sadly, mostly because they were all unicorns. “It seems unfair,” she said. “They get to play and do things freely wile other foals are stuck inside labor camps.” She then looked to Purple Heart. “Doesn't it bother you that you're fighting an enemy that believes in equality for all?”

For obvious reasons, her words stung. Purple Heart had heard plenty of adjectives for the Equestrians while he was in boot camp but he never quite believed what his instructors said. However, in his first battle he never ended up killing a single enemy, but they came close to killing him plenty of times. He had felt ashamed and useless at the time but now he felt ashamed that he would've been willing to kill someone who was only fighting to keep their freedom. But on the other hand, if the roles were reversed, he couldn't see himself killing an enemy who was merely brainwashed to fight for a king they never would support, although it seemed the Equestrians knew that and were willing to kill them regardless.

“Being in a war and having a general as your father, there's no way I could object to being in the army,” he finally said. “But despite my objections to the war, I still need to follow orders.”

Cherry then looked guilty. “I'm sorry...I have no right to question you like this...I know you're a good pony inside.” She then giggled. “I should be thankful instead for your kindness and generosity since I rarely get to come out here. It may seem different now but it's still home to me.”

They spent the next few hours going around the city. Purple Heart tried not to bring any attention to himself which would consequentially bring attention to Cherry but it seemed most just ignored her. There was a stand that was selling corn fritters and Cherry couldn't contain herself and almost begged Purple Heart to get some. They ended up eating corn fritters before heading home and relaxed the rest of the day.

In the evening, Golden Cross returned home and was quickly greeted by Cherry who was already starting on dinner, much to his relief. He looked tired but managed to have a pleasant chat with her.

“It seems the other generals are more worried about the yaks than I thought,” he told his son. “The yaks thrive in the winter, that's no secret and Sombra thinks they'll try to start a counterattack, which explains why he wants Equestria out of the fight as soon as possible.”

“They'd still need help from the griffins and as far as we know they're staying out of the fight,” Purple Heart stated.

“For now,” Golden Cross replied. “If Sombra attacks the east, he may very well cause the Griffin tribes to finally unite. They're a lot worse than pegasi that's for sure.”

“Have you ever met a pegasus sir?” Cherry asked.

The general chuckled. “Technically speaking, it was over a thousand years ago, but I knew some in my foalhood. While it's not true for all, they have the stereotype of being overly cocky, but they get it done when it counts. I never had an issue with them. Never met a Griffin though...would be interesting to meet them as long as they don't try to claw my eyes out.” He then cleared his throat. “I'm not sure if I told you but the King is throwing a ball tomorrow night and both you and I have been invited.”

“Me?” Purple Heart asked. “I understand you having to be there but I'm nopony important.”

“It's traditional for family to attend as well. Think of it as an opportunity to climb up the social ladder.”

“Too bad I don't have a date…” Purple Heart muttered.

“You never know who you'll meet there…”

“I think it would be a wonderful experience,” Cherry smiled as she set the table. “Dinner is about ready.”

Over dinner, the three of them discussed more on certain topics but Purple Heart couldn't help but notice that his father seemed slightly uncomfortable, and Golden Cross was not a pony who got shaken up easily.

He knew something and knowing the circumstances, it could be bad for Equestria.

Light is Green

Shortly before takeoff, Sunset was in her room. She remembered the letter that was delivered to her and she quickly opened it. It was a letter and she recognized the handwriting instantly.

Dear Sunset,

I hope this letter reaches you quickly. I realize I've sent you head first into this conflict without too much information. As we mentioned before, Sombra has his close circle of commanders who are among the best of the best. You'll have to face them eventually but I would say you can be as clever as they are.

I've enclosed something in this envelope. This pendant was given to me by my mother at a young age and in a way I considered it a good luck charm. I thought it only appropriate to give it to you. Be careful out there Sunset. War takes many things from us so it's important to live each moment to its fullest. Again, you have my thanks and I wish you and your companions the best of luck.

Sincerely,

Princess Celestia

Sunset looked at the pendant, then realizing once it opened that it was a watch. It didn't seem to work however. “A good luck charm huh…?” She put it inside the pocket of her uniform.

She suddenly felt the ground shake slightly as the airship began to lift off of the ground. It was hard to imagine just how much power it took to lift a ship this size. She then made her way towards the conference room.

“Normally I'd give a long and boring speech about our current objective but we're short on time,” Spitfire explained. She pointed towards a map. “Our friends from Vanhoover are currently skirting along the lines of enemy territory and unfortunately they have long range artillery sitting right on the edge of these mountains. Long story short, if they get within range, Vanhoover will get annihilated.

“Therefore, we need to take out that artillery before they show up. There's about eight cannons along a two mile ridge and there are about four or five towers that hold anti-aircraft emplacements. May not sound like a lot but these things pack a punch. If we could, I'd have the Hurricane do all the work but even a ship like this would take heavy damage before the work is done. So how are we gonna do it? Old-fashion...drop from above. The Pie sisters could cut through those towers like butter at the right velocity, and Dash at her speed, not an issue. But as I said, we're on a time limit. Any questions?”

“Yeah, you said four or five towers so who else is going to take care of them?” Flash asked.

Spitfire smirked. “I thought you'd never ask… Private!”

“YES MA'AM!” The large pegasus walked into the room, or at least to Sunset she thought he was a pegasus.

“He looks more like a tank,” Flash whispered.

“The Wonderbolts have always been about style and grace, but times are different now. Ponies like Biceps here gave me the idea of starting a new division for demolition but I digress. Sunset, you and the others will take care of the artillery on the ridge. Nothing a little magic can't take care of right?”

“I'll give it my best shot,” Sunset replied.

“We only got one shot at this so make your marks count. Misty will be taking over command of the Hurricane for this operation so radio her if you need support. Any other questions? Dismissed.”

It seemed as if Sunset was the only one with a parachute on her back. Not that she needed one necessarily, for she was capable of spells that would slow down her descent, but it couldn't hurt. The others wouldn't need any due to having wings or using their body to wreck through inanimate objects. She still wasn't sure how this would work, but if ponies such as Pinkie Pie and Bulk Biceps could handle it, who was she to ask questions?

“You look nervous.” Sunset turned around and saw Flash smiling at her. She had been pacing slightly in the cargo hold.

“Do I? Well... I'm pretty sure I never jumped out of an airship almost ten thousand feet off the ground before.” She smiled an innocent smile. “Besides, this is probably nothing for pegasi.”

“Well, yeah, it's true but honestly, the feeling is exhilarating,” Flash replied. “I mean, you'll only have like twenty seconds to experience it before trying not to get blown out of the sky but it's always memorable.”

“Wow, that totally made me feel better.” She lightly punched his shoulder.

“Perhaps Private Sentry isn't aware that this is the Wonderbolts, not the Guard running this mission.” Spitfire showed up along with the others. “You don't have time to be in la land, you have to stay focused on the target at all times, even if the target is a six story structure.”

“I missed these kind of missions,” Pinkie said happily.

“I understand Captain,” Flash said. “But I was trying to make Sunset less anxious.”

Spitfire shrugged. “So? Anxiety is good, it keeps you on your toes. After this, she'll want to do it again.” She then punched a button on the wall and suddenly an alarm went off as the cargo bay doors opened up, letting in a large gust of air. “We'll be over our target in thirty seconds! All Wonderbolt personnel and the Pie sisters go first! Shimmer, you're last but I promise it's not as bad as it looks!” She then spent the next few moments staring at her watch. “It's time! Go go go!”

Rainbow Dash was the first to jump out, a large grin on her face as she waved to them slightly before disappearing. Then Soarin, Fleetfoot, Blaze, and the other Wonderbolts jumped out before the Pie sisters took their turns. That left Spitfire and Sunset.

“Remember, we got a time limit here! You got the long-range artillery but once we take care of the AA guns we'll help you out!”

“Don't worry, they won't see me coming!”

Spitfire smiled and gave a small salute after sliding down her goggles. She then jumped out gracefully before descending to the earth. Sunset took a deep breath and after clearing her mind she jumped.

It was perfectly normal to feel a strong sense of panic when one was in free fall. Sunset wasn't panicking cause she felt confident in her abilities, although using both a cloaking spell and a spell to lower her velocity would be a little tricky.

Flash was right about one thing: it was definitely exhilarating. She would've enjoyed it more if she wasn't so focused on staying on target. If she allowed herself to drift off, she'd either run into the side of the mountain, or into a chasm.

Meanwhile, it appeared to Spitfire that they certainly had caught the enemy off guard. Being the fastest (at least after Spitfire), Dash had to go first or the shockwave she would've caused would've blown all of them off target.

Needless to say, it was pretty damn satisfying to see the rainbow blur go Mach speed into that stone tower. Like a hot knife through butter, the tower collapsed and upon hitting the ground it erupted into flame. The same could be said about the others as Biceps, Pinkie, and Maud found their targets.

Spitfire closed her eyes and braced for impact, but not before she spoke a few words. “Can you see me now Dad…?”

Sunset quickly applied her cloaking spell, not wanting to risk the chance of someone sniping her out of the sky. There were about eight guns, evenly spaced between each other. There was no way she could take them all out individually, but she had an idea.

As she quickly approached the ground, her horn glowed as she suddenly started slowing down. She was about twenty feet from the first battery. The soldiers were quite aware of the chaos that was now brewing but there was no way they could easily hit a target as small or as quick as a pegasus.

She hit the ground lightly, rolling to absorb the blow. The impact broke her concentration for a moment and she was suddenly visible but she was already on the move. The first soldier didn't see her or her hoof coming as she struck him on the helmet which stunned him long enough before hitting him between the eyes and knocking him out.

The second, with reflexes that were not natural in any way, was already on her and pounced on her, pinning her on the ground. The stallion was much bigger than her and about to knock her brains out before another figure swooped in and collided with the enemy soldier. She quickly got up to see Flash knocking the soldier out with his lance.

He then looked at her and grinned. “Figured you needed some help.”

“Flash…” She then shook her head. “The thanks will have to come later. Help me push this thing.”

The cannon was heavy but they managed to point it towards the right. Flash quickly picked up on her idea. “You think this will take them all out?”

“Not with just this one but one can hope. Have you ever fired one of these before?”

“I wouldn't be here if I have. I'll let you do the honors of lighting the fuse.”

She rolled her eyes as she quickly aimed upwards and lit the fuse. “Fire in the hole!” The two of them braced for cover, making sure not to clench their teeth together.

The resounding explosion almost made her bones rattle and as Sunset looked up, she saw she didn't quite hit her target but the blast did hit the edge of the cliff about three miles down, causing it to collapse and take out two guns with it.

“Not too shabby newbie.”

Sunset couldn't help but grin.

The garrison was a complete mess and even though Spitfire and the others caught the enemy off guard, someone was still able to get an alert out. No doubt reinforcements would be showing up soon. But they were the least of her worries.

“Captain you copy?” She heard the radio go off in her ear. It was a big improvement over the old radios you had to carry around in your hooves or on your belt.

“I'm here Misty, what's up?” She took cover behind one of the fallen boulders.

“You're not going to like this. Scouts have just informed us the convoy is closing in on your position.”

Spitfire was speechless for a moment. It was impossible! “They're here too early! How did they get here so fast!?”

“I don't know, we were certain it would've taken another fifteen minutes at least before they got to where they are now. Some rookie must've made a mistake…”

“I'm going to personally beat the shit out of that rookie…” Spitfire growled to herself. “How long before they're in range…?”

Misty was quiet for a moment. “About five minutes.”

Could this get any worse? “Five minutes…” Spitfire had complete faith that Sunset could fulfill her part of the mission, or at least what was expected but things have changed. “Get those guns in range Misty. I'm not taking any chances. That convoy has to arrive unscathed.”

“Understood.” It would take about three minutes for the Hurricane to get in range. It would be close. She then changed frequencies. “Sunset, this is Spitfire do you copy?” There was no response. “Shimmer do you copy?” Still no response. She knew Sunset wasn't dead and she knew there couldn't be a radio malfunction. She must've dropped hers once she hit land. “Shit!” She looked around cover. Reinforcements were showing up and most of the Wonderbolts as well as the Pie sisters were trying to hold them back. Yep, it got worse.

Luckily she saw the pony she needed. “Dash!”

The cyan mare was quickly at her side. “Yes ma'am!”

“Change of plans. We need to get Sunset the hell out of where she is! We'll-!” Suddenly there was a small explosion where the fighting was building up. “On second thought, I'll take care of our friends here. I'm counting on you Dash!”

“Got it! Dust, you're with me!” Dash zoomed off and Dust quickly followed.

Spitfire sighed as she put her helmet back on. “While you're at it Mist, get me a damn extraction team down here.”

“This isn't good.” Sunset's plan had been working but now they were the ones getting fired at. There were still four guns in place and two were firing at them now. Of course, the ones firing weren't very good shots but they were pinned down nevertheless.

“Well, maybe if we keep them busy they won't see the convoy pass by at all,” Flash suggested.

“No offense, but I'm not sacrificing myself for one damn convoy.” The explosions around here were knocking her off target and she was starting to think that was their strategy. But were they really that unwilling to sacrifice one of their guns?

“Hey! Whoa!” Rainbow Dash had to quickly move out of the way to avoid getting caught in one of the blasts. “Sunset! We gotta get out of here!”

“I'm not finished with these guys yet!” Sunset yelled back at her.

“I know but we're out of time and the Hurricane is about to blow this all to kingdom come!”

“What!?”

“Sorry, no time to explain!” Rainbow Dash grabbed her by the tail and zoomed out of the area while Lighting Dust followed suit with Flash.

“You know I can fly myself!” Flash snapped. Dust merely grinned.

They were able to get away just in time as the Hurricane began its bombardment. It only took a few rounds to completely demolish what was left. Thankfully the small avalanche that would occur next wouldn't be an issue for the incoming convoy.

“Phew...I guess I owe you one Dash,” Sunset said once they were in the clear. “Thanks.”

“It's cool...kinda nice to have one of the fastest ponies on your side huh?” Dash grinned.

“Hey, don't forget about me,” Dust pouted.

Sunset chuckled. “I owe you one too...so does Flash.” Flash didn't respond, his pride and dignity having taken a large hit.

Dust then stretched in the air. “Still, nice to give the wings a good stretch, I'm going to be sleeping well tomorrow-”

Suddenly a shot rang out and everyone hit the deck. “Crap, sniper!” Flash yelled.

Sunset quickly checked herself. No wound; no pain. But she saw blood and to her horror saw who it belonged to.

Lightning Dust was laying against a boulder, her breathing labored as she put a hoof to her side. “Damn...there I go again showing off...not paying attention…”

Dash was quickly at her side. “Just take deep breaths Lightning...keep your eyes on me…” Her voice was shaking, and who could blame her? “Captain!”

Spitfire had heard the shot and quickly looked around in the distance. She saw nothing. The bastard took his shot and got out of there. She went over to where Dash was and stopped in her tracks. “Shit…”

“She's losing too much blood, we need a medic now,” Sunset said urgently.

“Misty, we have a Wonderbolt down. Where's that damn evac!?” Spitfire snapped.

“It's on its way now, I'll have the medic team meet you when you get back.”

“Dash...I mean... Sergeant...I need to tell you something,” Dust whispered.

“Okay, but no formalities alright? Dash is fine…”

Soarin quietly went up to Spitfire. “We just got word that reinforcements are coming, and they're the big guns too…”

“We'll be out of here by then,” Spitfire whispered. “At least the convoy is safe…” She looked around. “Sniper hit Dust. Even if we hurry, she's lost too much blood…”

“When I first joined...I knew you were the real deal…” Dust continued. “That's why I went out of my way to impress, cause I wanted to show them I was better than you. But I overdid it...and Spitfire kicked me out...but that was before you came and vouched for me. You had every reason to see me go but you gave a chance…”

“You're a damn good flyer and I didn't want your talents going to waste,” Dash smiled. “Besides, we are both passionate about what we do.”

“Yeah...you got that right…” Dust's eyes were half open.

“Hey, don't you dare fall asleep! Look, help's here...just hang on Dust...please…” Dash was now cradling Dust in her lap. Even as they returned to the ship, Dash never left her side.

A Link to the Past

It was quiet on the way back to the Hurricane. Even Rainbow Dash, who had been sobbing quietly, was silent, having never left Lightning Dust’s side. She was still breathing, if only faintly. Even with medical help, Sunset knew she didn’t have long.

Once they reached the medical wing of the ship, only Spitfire and Dash went on ahead to the Emergency Room while the rest of them waited outside. Still no one talked; what was there to say anyway? Sunset kept running the scene in her head, trying to figure out what she missed. She couldn’t have known there even would have been a sniper, that’s what made them so dangerous. And yet…the feeling still bugged her. What was the purpose? Retaliation? Could she have done something?

It was about twenty minutes later that Spitfire and everyone looked at her. She looked forward and kept her head straight but there was doubt she too was shaken by this. “Private Dust passed mere minutes ago. She…she fought hard to keep herself alive so that she would die on a ship she was proud to serve alongside her comrades.”

“Where’s Dash?” Soarin asked hesitantly.

“Still with her,” Spitfire sighed. “It’s only best we give her space to grieve…if you’ll excuse me I have to contact Lightning Dust’s parents and inform them of what happened.” She walked away and everyone else, including Sunset, went their separate ways.

It was only a day later that word was given out that the Hurricane was heading to Manehattan, which apparently was where Dust grew up. Some of the rumors the other Wonderbolts were passing around were that Spitfire was ordered to remain with the other Equestrian forces and Spitfire responded that she “didn’t give a damn”, although some were guessing that was the censored version.

Sunset admitted she felt out of place. Dust was a Wonderbolt and this was a Wonderbolt ceremony so she felt as if she was intruding. Spitfire dismissed the idea and explained that Dust would’ve wanted everyone to be there. She had to borrow a uniform from Spitfire since she certainly didn’t have one for herself. It was a white shirt with a black tie but she opted not to put the tie on.

The funeral reception was larger than Sunset expected. Most attending were military or crew from the Hurricane and others were family or friends of family. There was no doubt Lightning Dust had much support from home.

Both Commander Wind Rider and Spitfire said their pieces but it was when Rainbow Dash got up to the podium that everyone’s attention turned to her. In military dress, she looked more mature than she ever had put off. She quickly took out a note from her pocket and took a deep breath.

“Casualties of wars are something one never gets used to, despite how much you experience it,” she said. “I of course realize that now. We’ve lost many in this war and although I never knew them personally I still grieved for them in some way. Lightning Dust was different however.” She took another breath to calm herself. “When I was growing up, I knew exactly what I wanted to do, what I wanted to be: a member of the Wonderbolts, the best of the best in Equestria. And I got there through the hard work and dedication I had. But I never would have imagined I would have met somepony who had the same drive as I did.

“Dust and I met at the Academy and through our similar views we quickly became friends. Dust wanted to go straight to the top, there was no such thing as second place for her. I found that out quickly about her, but I also found out something about her that could ruin her career: she was reckless. She was so focused on getting to the top that she wasn’t paying attention to her fellow cadets. I admit I was…jealous of her because maybe she was just a little better of me…heh…she’d probably be laughing at me right now as I’m saying this…

“Finally, Captain Spitfire found out what was going on and ultimately kicked her out. I remember how devastated she looked…and realized if things had been different, could that have been me instead? I wouldn’t let her leave and I spoke to Spitfire, almost begging her to reconsider. I think both of them were surprised by what I did. Maybe it was that, and not my flying skills, which got me into the Wonderbolts. Dust felt obliged and apologetic for how she acted. She definitely had to work hard to regain everypony’s trust but hey, she pulled it off.

“My point in all this is that Dust was everything the Wonderbolts needed. Her untimely death is devastating for us all because we all knew she had so much potential and now we’ll never know…I just hope wherever she is now she’s feeling the need for speed.” There were a few chuckles and light applause as Dash took her seat.

Once it was over, members of the Wonderbolts took the casket as the group traveled to the National Cemetary which was just outside downtown Manehattan. Words were spoken as Dust was lowered into the ground, which was followed by artillery fire from members of the Royal Guard.

Afterwards, Sunset saw Dash with who must’ve been Lightning’s parents. She couldn’t but look back to where the former Wonderbolt was now buried.

“You okay?”

Sunset looked over and saw Flash standing next to her. “Yeah…just a lot to take in…”

Flash nodded slightly. “Is this the first time you’ve…?”

“Yeah…it’s just…only years ago it felt like I was in another world, another time…and then this war happens…if I’m having such a hard time digesting this how can I keep moving on?”

“Hey, it’s never easy the first time,” Flash said, putting a hoof on her shoulder. “I’ve lost comrades myself and unfortunately they didn’t get to rest easy like Dust because in some cases there was nothing left of them.”

Sunset winced slightly. “I’m sorry…”

“No…that was probably the worst thing to say at the moment…but what I mean to tell you is that all of us will or have experienced loss and we’ll get through it together.”

“You’re right Flash…thank you. I may need time but…I think I’ll be okay. I certainly feel better after the pep talk at least,” Sunset smiled.

“It’s the least I can do.” Flash patted her shoulder and went off to speak to some of the Royal Guard.

Sunset saw the captain and went over to her. “Captain…”

“No need for that Sunset, Spitfire’s fine,” she said. “Actually good timing…” She then motioned for the other Wonderbolts to come over, Rainbow included. “Hey, you two as well.” Pinkie and Maud joined in as well.

“I wanted to wait til afterwards to say this but…” Spitfire then looked over her shoulder to where Dust was now. “I’m going to be honest…until now I haven’t lost a Bolt under my wing. Honestly, I thought it would be me…or maybe Fleetfoot I dunno…”

“Uh Spits, is this supposed to cheer us up?” Fleetfoot asked uncertainly.

“Just trying to lighten the mood.” Spitfire cleared her throat. “My point is…right now it doesn’t matter who you are; pegasus, unicorn, or earth pony. We’re all under the same banner and fighting for the same thing. We’re a family- don’t you even laugh Blaze I don’t care how cheesy it sounds.”

“Sorry ma’am…” Blaze replied sheepishly.

“We lost one of our own today, but that’s not going to stop us. We can’t let the beacon of hope dimmer in anyway and if it does, we just have to work harder to keep it bright. Dust knew that and despite everything she’s still with us, even now, cheering us on. Let’s not make her actions and contributions be all for nothing.”

“Captain…” Dash said.

“And I can tell you this…if we find the son of a bitch that had the heart to take such a fine flyer from us…do what you want but save the rest of him for Dash and myself, you got that?”

Everyone now was grinning. Sunset had to admit, Spitfire had a unique way of rallying her troops.

“Well…we better get back before Command decides to come by and arrest all of us for insubordination.”

As the ship was returning, Sunset was once again in her room. It was true she felt better after what Flash said to her, and more so Spitfire’s words, but there was that lingering feeling of regret. No, that wasn’t it. She knew what happened was out of her control, but she only wished she could’ve stopped it nonetheless.

She let out a frustrated sigh as she lay on her bed. What was the point of thinking about it? Nothing can bring her back now.

“But what if there was…?”

Sunset suddenly jumped from her bed and looked around. “Who said that?” There was no response. She shook her head. Maybe the trauma was affecting her after all…

“No, you’re not going crazy.” The voice was right behind her and as Sunset turned around she saw a figure was standing near her door. The figure was fully cloaked so she couldn’t see their face but by the sound of their voice, she knew it was a female.

“Who are you and what are you doing in my room?” Sunset snapped. Her horn was glowing green as she was already prepared for an attack.

The figure apparently wasn’t perturbed. “Be calm, I’m not here for trouble. Your heart called out to me and I answered.”

“My- what the hell are you talking about?” Sunset asked.

“You’ve been wondering if you could’ve saved her. The answer to that question has been with you the entire time.”

“…You’ve lost me completely.” The girl pointed her hoof at her and Sunset looked down at the watch she was carrying. “What this? It’s just a watch…and it doesn’t work either.”

“Or does it?” the mare asked. “Haven’t you wondered why Celestia gave that to you?”

Sunset stared at her suspiciously. “How do you-?”

“I know many things about you Sunset Shimmer,” the mare replied. “That isn’t an ordinary watch. It reacts to magic and it will take you back and forth between time, based on events you have experienced.”

Sunset could only stare at her again, this time in disbelief. “You’re telling me this watch contains a time spell?”

“That is correct.”

“Okay…this is either some horrible hallucination or some sort of sick joke. Either way I’m not amused.”

The mare sniffed in disapproval. “I wouldn’t expect you to believe me right off the back. If you really think it’s all in your head, then try it out yourself. What can it hurt?”

Sunset was silent. The mare shook her head. “I will give you time to sort it out but when you do experience it for yourself, you’ll then have difficult choices to make in the future, choices that could change the outcome in this war…” The mare disappeared from her room.

Sunset snorted. “Time spells…they’re considered taboo now and Celestia of all ponies would send me something like that?” Still, the timing of that letter almost seemed odd. She opened the watch, thinking the whole idea was stupid-

She then froze as she looked at it. The watch was now ticking and Sunset wondered for how long. “What can it hurt?” Sunset had never used a time spell. Not only were they now banned from use they were also complicated. She remembered from her lectures that time was never to be manipulated; but ambitious wizards from centuries ago were determined to change that and once they did, it was too late.

There were scrolls in the restricted section of the palace’s library and even then Sunset wondered why Celestia did not just burn them. She guessed they were there as a reminder that as ponies they had to avoid making mistakes of the past. So much for that concept.

Sunset kept staring at the watch and as it kept ticking she then used her magic to stop the clock. Surprisingly, the gears inside didn’t fight against her and as she started moving the minute hand backwards, the second hand followed suit. Soon the watch started going backwards by itself, the hands starting to move faster and faster. She couldn’t help but stare at it but out of the corner of her eye she saw that reality was now distorting itself and suddenly there was a flash of light.

The light blinded her for only a few moments but once her vision cleared, she saw she was no longer on the ship. In fact, she may not even be in Equestria anymore.

She was in a corridor where everything was white, the walls, the ceiling, everything. It was almost as if she was in a plane of nonexistence. However, there were faint blue outlines of doors that went down the large hallway. All of them were the same; there were no numbers or signs that distinguished them from the others.

“What have I gotten myself into?” she wondered. She walked down the large hallway. It was quiet except for her hooves clopping onto the ground. Shortly down the way she saw there was one door that was open, or perhaps it was more accurate to say there was no door at all. She couldn’t see anything inside except a slight blue aura that seemed to beckon her inside.

She looked around. There was no other way out of this was there? She regretted doing this, not even thinking that perhaps it could have been some devious trick, perhaps by Sombra or something else. And yet…there didn’t seem to be anything malicious about this place at all. She took a deep breath and entered through the door.

All of a sudden, she felt her feet on what felt like solid ground. She opened her eyes and saw she was in a familiar place, with Flash, Dash, and Dust with her. She heard the sound of explosions as the cliff nearby completely collapsed.

She looked up at the two female pegasi. “Rainbow…”

“I know, I know…kinda nice to have one of the fastest ponies on your side huh?” Dash grinned.

“Hey, don't forget about me,” Dust pouted.

“You’re not too bad yourself Dust,” Dash said with a wink.

Now Sunset understood. She had really gone back in time to this precise moment. And that meant…

Dust then stretched in the air. “Still, nice to give the wings a good stretch, I'm going to-”

Sunset then recalled what was about to happen. “Dust, get down!” She used her magic and forced the pegasus to the ground.

“Dude, what the-!?” Her words were cut off as a shot rang out. Sunset quickly looked around and saw everyone else on the ground but no one appeared to be it.

“Uh…Shimmer? You can let go of me now…” Sunset looked down and realized she almost had the poor pegasus pinned down.

“Uh…sorry…” Sunset then said, blushing slightly.

“Hey, can you two keep it to yourselves until we’re done here?” Dash asked.

“Oh shut up!” Dust snapped. “Good eyes though Shimmer…thanks.”

Suddenly it felt like she was being picked off the ground and the familiar blue aura crossed her eyesight once again.

She was then in her room, exactly as she left it. It was also quiet. “What…am I back?” She wasn’t sure what happened but it seemed as if she had changed Lightning Dust’s fate. There was only one way to know for sure.

She went throughout the ship until she found one of the crew. “Excuse me,” she said. She then paused, not sure how she was going to ask this. “About Lightning Dust…”

“Oh, you looking for her?” the pegasus asked. “I think she’s down at the mess hall with Dash if I’m not mistaken.”

Looking for her…then was it possible? “Thank you.” She then hurried off, trying to find where the mess hall was. Thankfully there were plenty of signs that led the way for her. Once she found it, she looked around and saw both Dash and Dust eating at one of the tables. Sunset had the urge to go over there and give her a hug…but then realized that would’ve caused too much confusion.

She then quickly went back to her room and crashed on her bed, trying to make sense of it all. She went back in time…and was able to save Dust’s life. To say it was incredible was almost an understatement.

“So it seems you were successful.” Sunset looked up and saw the cloaked mare again.

“What…exactly happened?” she asked.

“I think you know as well as I do,” the mare said. “You went back to that precise moment in time and changed history. You saved Lightning Dust’s life and in a way you’ve probably earned her trust. You should be proud.”

“I’m not even sure what happened next,” Sunset said. “Did anything else change?”

“No…not this time anyway. The mission was a success and the convoy was protected.”

“Wait…what do you mean ‘this time’?” Sunset asked.

“You must know that when you change the fate of one, you change the fate of others,” the mare said. “For example, if the sniper hadn’t hit Dust, they could’ve killed Dash instead. My point is is that the choices you make may still carry consequences so you must be careful.”

“So let me make sure I have this right,” Sunset said. “With this pendant, I go back to any point in time as many times as I want and change history?”

“Correct, although each time can cause a different event to happen. The point is you should limit yourself as much as you can. And before you ask, you can only go back to a point after you got the pendant.”

Sunset’s annoyed look told the mare exactly what she had been thinking. “Alright…fine. So only use it when it’s necessary…”

“One other thing…there will be times where despite everything you can do you cannot change an event…and of course there may be times where you’ll just have to accept the hand you’re dealt. Despite your best intentions, you can’t save everypony who’ll end up dying in this war.”

Whatever excitement Sunset had was quelled by those last words. “Tell me something…who are you and why are you telling me all this?”

“That will have to be another time…” The mare suddenly opened a rift in space. “But to answer your second question…we both want to change the past…” The mare then jumped through the rift and it disappeared after she was gone.

Sunset lay back on her bed, trying to take all of this in. It was almost too overwhelming to comprehend but…she did the impossible. She saved Dust from the jaws of death. And it seemed like there were no repercussions, at least this time. She would have to keep that in mind.

She told herself she would have to limit herself of this power, but she couldn’t help but grin slightly. She hadn’t felt this giddy since she first found out she was to become a student of Princess Celestia herself.

To Serve and Protect

The reports indicated it was going to be a bad winter this year. Of course, it almost seemed that way in the Empire for generations. Purple Heart figured it only appropriate that it reflected the mood of the war.

“You know I don’t want to go today,” Heart said as he adjusted the collar on his uniform.

“You should feel honored to partake in a moment of patriotism,” Golden Cross said across the room. “Besides, it’s not often we actually get to bear witness to the king himself.”

“And while he watches, there’s another pony who goes into a rage and speaks profanities and such against Equestria and its rulers,” Heart said as he sat down in the living room. “Father, are they really as terrible as they’re described?”

“I never got to meet Princess Celestia unfortunately,” Golden Cross said. “But, I have heard she is a fair ruler, though not perfect. But then again, are any of us?”

“I wish I could meet her.” Cherry Blossom came in and started dusting off the furniture.

Golden Cross smiled. “No doubt you would want to my dear.”

“Father,” Heart gave him a look.

“What? I didn’t mean any ill intentions,” Golden Cross said. “Look, the rally won’t last too long. No doubt the generals would want to hurry it up so they can get to the ball and get full on food and wine.”

“Will you be gone long sir?” Cherry asked.

“Til about the evening I suppose,” Cross replied. “We shouldn’t be out too late hopefully.”

“Will you be alright?” Heart asked.

Cherry smiled. “I’ll make sure to lock up after you leave. I’ll be fine.”

Cross chuckled. “What?” Heart stared at him.

“Oh nothing…sometimes you remind me of myself when I first met your mother. Anyway, you have to give the mare more credit. She can handle herself in a fight.”

“Oh?” Heart glanced at the mare, surprised by this.

“General Cross was kind enough to teach me a few tricks he learned in his younger days while you had been deployed,” Cherry said, looking quite proud.

“Oh…I see how it is…” Heart grinned slightly as he got up and once more checked to see that his uniform was smoothed out. “Alright, I guess I’m as ready as I’m going to be. Let’s get this over with…”

They stood outside the palace in large rows. The majority of those there were crystal ponies, but there were others like Purple Heart and the generals such as Golden Cross. Unfortunately, because he was a unicorn, he had the pleasure of being near the front.

As expected, there was another unicorn, possibly one of King Sombra’s Inner Circle, shouting into a microphone that projected his voice to all. General Greer was his name. And also expected, there was nothing pleasant to say about Equestria or Celestia.

“Equestria has become a democracy rotten to its core!” Greer yelled, his eyes looking over all of them. “The rich become richer, and the poor become poorer, and Princess Celestia, their “heroine and savior”, merely watches from her throne without lifting a hoof! But we will set things right! As of now, our glorious and humble king has his eyes on Canterlot. He wishes to liberate the unfortunate from the evils of the aristocrats, to balance the scales for all citizens in this world! But only you, those that stand here before me today, only you can achieve this dream of ours! Every soldier, every citizen sacrifices all for this dream! And now I ask you, will you help me!? Will you help our king achieve his dream of a true Golden Age of peace!?”

The crowd suddenly erupted as many of the soldiers, unicorns and crystal ponies alike, lifted their hooves in support. Purple Heart did as well, but only half-heartedly. He looked over at the king, who was standing nearby and saw that he had a look of self-amusement.

He then walked over to the podium and every body in the vicinity tensed. “I must thank General Greer for his uplifting words,” Sombra said calmly. “I admit I could never be as…energetic as he is.”

Sombra was very good at talking to you, even if he wasn’t addressing you specifically. His deep, calm voice was enough to get you sucked in. “But it is as he said. Canterlot is within our grasp. Equestria may think they are turning the tides, but it is mere propaganda to uplift their morale. Even with Canterlot gone, they may run and hide to fight another day, but their days are numbered. And when they are gone, we will look to the citizens that were left behind and embrace them with open hooves. I know that when that day comes…not all of you may be here…but always remember what you stood there, what you fought for…and I promise that none of you, here now and gone before you, will ever be forgotten.”

The air was still, not out of disrespect but out of amazement. Everyone was focused on their king, entranced by his words. Even Purple Heart admittedly was taken aback. But despite his words, he knew they were lies. Oh, the ponies of Equestria would be taken in alright, but many of them no doubt would be forced into labor camps.

Of course, these labor camps were only a rumor, according to some, but Heart and his father knew better. Compared to those poor souls, ponies like Cherry and those on the front lines were the lucky ones. As much as he wanted to speak out about it, he knew better. They say Canterlot is a rotting democracy…but at least it is a democracy.

The rally went on for another half hour and once it was over and Heart sagged slightly, having to stand at attention for so long. Many of the ponies he passed seemed jovial, though he wasn’t sure if it was because of the king’s words or the fact that appetizers and wine would be enjoyed very soon.

It was dusk by the time Golden Cross and Purple Heart arrived by carriage at the palace once again. The timing between the rally and the ball was only about an hour and it wasn’t long before the Empire’s own aristocrats came in stroves.

“You know, it would’ve been nice if you had brought a date with you,” Golden Cross said with a chuckle. “But then again, I’m sure some mare will approach you before the night is over.”

Heart shook his head. “I do not think there’s anypony who could be interested in a mere sergeant such as me…at least not from any of the rich families.”

“Rank has a lot of weight to it, mind you. But…I think what you’re really trying to tell me is there’s already somepony, correct?”

Heart kept silent but thankfully was saved as the door was opened. “Well, time to make an appearance father.”

By the time they reached the entrance to the palace, they had spoken to three military families and two of the richest ponies in the Crystal Empire. It made Purple Heart think more of the hypocrisy of the words spoken at the rally, for didn’t Canterlot have galas of their own?

Once inside, father and son were quickly given a glass of champagne and they slowly made their way towards a corner.

“Hm. It feels just like yesterday…” Golden Cross mused.

“Is that supposed to be a joke?” Heart asked.

“Not really…it may have been a thousand years since we last stood here, but our bodies and minds never registered it. What I mean to say is your mother and I came here time after time before you were born.”

“Was it always so…stuffy in here?”

“Ah yes…the feeling of smugness and the temptation of showing off…nothing’s changed at all. You may want to enjoy the moment while you can.”

Purple Heart took the time to wander about a bit, speaking to those who chose to address him. Many knew his father and were curious about his son it seemed. Unfortunately, Heart didn’t have much to tell them.

Once he had a few appetizers, he returned to where his father was and saw that he was now speaking to someone, possibly someone of great importance. “Ah, Director, I don’t believe you’ve met my son. Purple Heart, this is Director Perdere of the Special Weapons Group.”

“You make my position sound so important,” Perdere said modestly as he shook Heart’s hoof. “Your father was explaining about the recent Vanhoover campaign.”

“Oh…I see…”

“Don’t be so troubled, you cannot be blamed for such a blunder,” Perdere said. “After all, I believe it was General Vox who led your division who said he had good intel about the defenses there. Obviously he was mistaken. But your courageous acts in that battle did not go unnoticed.”

“I only saved who I could,” Heart almost mumbled. Many of those had been crystal ponies who had been brainwashed to serve. They may have been slaves and cannon fodder, but he couldn’t just let them die. But now that Perdere mentioned it, did his actions impress or anger his superiors.

“Ah, perhaps now is not the time for such memories. This is after all a celebration. Your father is very close to finishing his little project. Did you tell him?”

“I believe I was under strict orders not to mention anything,” Golden Cross said with a forced smile.

“Ah, well, it couldn’t hurt to tell your son. Your father has spent the last few months working on a project for renewable energy. Imagine a source of energy that is not only reusable but safer and cleaner for the environment!”

Heart looked over at his father. “And where would it be used exactly?”

“Mostly machinery and forms of transportation,” Golden Heart said. “Currently our trains use coal, but imagine a fuel source that’s purely magic-based. It can be used but we’ll never run out of resources. Of course, some are not happy about this due to the risk of jobs being lost.”

“Bah, what are a few hundred jobs if we can keep the environment healthy?” Perdere laughed.

“You said Special Weapons Director?” Heart asked.

“Yes, I know it sounds somewhat intimidating but we have to stay one step ahead of Equestria,” Perdere said, his look now serious. “The king doesn’t like to admit it, but we’re currently in a stalemate of sorts. He believes we can push our way to Canterlot but I don’t think we have the current horsepower. With our forces to the west and east-”

“East?” Golden Cross suddenly interrupted. “What do you mean east?”

“Ah, a mere slip of the-”

“You’re not telling me His Highness is looking at Griffinstone is he!?”

Perdere sighed in defeat. “It was something brought up, that’s all I heard. I can understand being upset-”

“I hope that’s all it is,” Golden Cross growled. Purple Heart was surprised to see his father getting riled up. “We can’t pull off an Eastern Front, especially not at this time.”

“Agreed. Still, I tend to speak to the king a lot so I can certainly try to dissuade him if the thought becomes tempting.” Perdere finished off his wine. “Well, it was good to see you again Cross, and also nice to meet you Purple Heart. I know you will serve the Imperial Army well.” He then nodded and walked off to another large group of ponies.

Heart looked at his father. “Renewable energy huh?”

“It’s more impressive than it sounds,” Golden Heart said. “Our group technically works under the SWG but I’m more the supervisor than Perdere is.”

“Dare I ask what weapons are being built?”

“All I can answer is classified.”

“I figured as much. I’m going to get some fresh air real quick.”

He then walked off towards the balcony outside. The somewhat frigid air was welcoming for once. Heart looked up at the night sky. It may very well be the last time he’d see the stars, at least from this setting. It wouldn’t be long before he was deployed again to the front lines, most likely into a hot zone.

“It’s calming, is it not? Strange to think we spend so much of our time during the day that we don’t get to see enough of what’s in the sky at night.”

“There are plenty who are too focused on what’s in front of them to see what’s above,” Heart replied, still staring up.

“Ah…perhaps you’re right. Those are wise words coming from a soldier such as yourself.” Heart looked over and froze, for he quickly recognized the pony addressing him.

The crystal unicorn had a pale, light grayish arctic blue mane with a grayish heliotrope coat. She stared at him with a slight smile on her face as his knees buckled slightly. Heart quickly bowed, for the mare was none other than Empress Radiant Hope. “Your Majesty, forgive my rudeness…”

Radiant lifted her hoof in a calming manner. “Do not worry, you were not. In fact, it was rude of me to interrupt your thoughts.”

Of all the ponies here, he never expected he would be honored by her grace. Radiant Hope was someone more heard of than seen. Officially, she was married to the King and how she earned her current title, although some dispute that. More so, she was a foalhood friend of the king as well.

“Well, if it’s you Your Grace, I can’t possibly complain,” he said with a smile. “I just needed some air is all.”

“Oh yes…your first time at a ball?”

“Indeed.”

“After I became Empress…I have to admit I was somewhat terrified of an event like this. Normally in the palace I had my privacy and could turn others away if I needed to. But here, now, I don’t have that luxury.”

“You feel intimidated by your own guests?”

“Not quite the right word…I only fear what they may say. Of course, if I wanted to, I could make them fear me and one false word would…well you get the idea.”

Heart had the feeling she was trying to make light of it all and yet he felt slightly nervous now. “Well, as royalty you should be respected.”

“You are kind…oh I’m terribly sorry, I never even asked your name.”

“Purple Heart Your Highness. Er, Sergeant.”

“I want you to know that I am very thankful for all that you and your comrades do. Despite everything, every loss hits me as hard as it would a family.”

“We serve to protect. And I thank you for telling me that.”

“But there’s one other thing…patriotism is a great value, but is it the same if you’re fighting for something you don’t believe in?”

“I beg your pardon?”

Radiant shook her head. “My apologies. I’m thinking out loud again. I’m afraid I must go speak to my other loyal subjects but…this was nice. I felt as if I could be more of myself around you without being judged. Thank you again Sergeant Heart.”

She then turned and left, leaving a rather confused Purple Heart behind.