Snowbound

Chapters

Chapter 2: Days Gone By
Chapter 3: Through Ice and Snow
Chapter 4: Sanctuary
Chapter 5: Theft
Chapter 7: Unravel
Chapter 9: Interogative
Chapter 10: Onward
Chapter 11: The Low Road
Chapter 12: Shrouded
Chapter 13: Down Under
Chapter 14: A New Direction
Chapter 1: Signals
Chapter 6: Briefing
Chapter 8: Fire and Ice

Chapter 2: Days Gone By

It had been a long evening, a very long evening. The rangers were more than used to staying in less than ideal conditions while operating on what little sleep they could get and Celestia herself was no stranger to staying up passed the setting of the sun, having ruled an entire country for a thousand years on her own. Upon exiting the mine tunnels, she had attracted quite the crowd, having nearly the entire town follow her around everywhere she went. They had many questions, many of which she did not have answers for. Even now, they crowded around outside the small hospital that she found herself in. The window to her room was not spared attention as the ponies peered through to get a glimpse of the princess, the last rays of sunlight now beginning to duck behind the horizon as they did.

Paper chuckled as he motioned towards the window. "You've got quite the following," he pointed out.

Celestia answered with a smile of her own as a doctor took his stethoscope from her chest and began to write down notes. "They are simply curious," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "I can say with certainty that I myself would react in a similar manner if a being who existed a thousand years ago suddenly showed up on my doorstep."

"Speaking of which," Nightfall began from the darker corner of the room. "You were kind of vague in your explanation earlier. We're all a little curious as well."

Celestia sighed as she looked away towards the window, a small frown on her face. The ponies outside were a diverse group. There were unicorns, pegasi, earth ponies, two changelings of blue and green, and a hippogriff. All of them took great interest in her, paying close attention to every move she made. A small sincere smile touched her lips before she looked back over to the thestral before her. "I'm afraid you must forgive my hesitation to share information," Celestia began apologetically. "It's just..." she trailed off before seeming to make up her mind on what she should say. "I find myself in a strange situation now. I am entirely ignorant of Equestria's current state of affairs and I..."

"You don't know if you can trust us," Nightfall finished for her.

Celestia just nodded, as if not wanting to fully admit it. "I know it must seem absurd to you, but when you live as long as I have, you begin to think in terms of hundreds of years if not thousands at a time. I have-"

"Wait a minute. Hold on. Time out," Paper interrupted, crossing hooves into the shape of a T. "Something is not making sense here. Exactly how long do alicorns live to be?"

Celestia looked at the two ponies with a blank expression. Her eyes darted between the two for a moment before she finally chuckled to herself a bit. "You may find it hard to believe, but we are immortal, although I myself believe that all things must come to pass. Only time will tell which is correct."

Nightfall just stood there in contemplation while Paper's eyes grew large and his eyebrows rose to top of his head. "Immortal?" he breathed. "That's crazy. That's... that's..." he ran a hoof through his mane as he tried to comprehend what he had just been told. Suddenly, something seemed to click inside his head. "Hang on a second. If that's true, then where are the rest of you? Why aren't there anymore alicorns in Equestria now?"

"There were only two of us to begin with," Celestia answered. "There was one naturally born later on, but five in total if you count the ascended, although I do not know if they share our life spans."

"So they're dead?" Nightfall asked suddenly.

"Goodness, no!" Celestia answered in a shocked tone. "At least, I pray that they're not. They shouldn't be."

Nightfall thought for a moment before continuing "And were they royalty like you?" he asked.

Celestia nodded. "Yes. My sister and I ruled over Equestria for many years together. Her the night and I the day. The ascended were students of mine. One was originally a pegasus who went on to rule the Crystal Empire in the north. The other was a unicorn who worked to spread Harmony throughout not only our own land, but to others as well. Then there was Flurry Heart who was one of the kindest souls I've ever had the pleasure of knowing."

"Sounds cool," Paper said.

"Indeed," Celestia replied happily. "They were all very..." She rose a hoof to her chin, as if thinking her word choice over. "...cool," she finally said.

"So what happened?" Nightfall asked bluntly.

Celestia looked down toward the ground after hearing the question. She fiddled with her hooves as she thought, before finally looking over at the window. The ponies outside took notice and all greeted her with warm smiles. Celestia couldn't help but give them a soft smile of her own. This seemed to extract some heartfelt joy from the crowd, but the conduit to the outside world was cut off as Nightfall abruptly shut the curtain.

"Doc, is that everything or do you need some more time?" Nightfall suddenly asked. "We're going to need a moment here."

The unicorn at the other end of the room who had been simply watching the three for some time now suddenly snapped to attention, nearly fumbling his clipboard as he did. "Oh, uh. Y-yes. As a matter of fact, there is much to do." He began looking over his notes, but didn't sound too certain of himself.

"Really now?" Nightfall responded with a bemused look.

"Absolutely," the doctor responded. He frantically flipped through the sheets of paper on his clipboard in search of something to do. "There are many tests I still need to run. It's important to her health." Despite this claim, he couldn't seem to find what he needed in his notes.

Nightfall put a hoof on the clipboard and lowered it out of the doctor's face. "Look, I know what's going on here and I get it. We all want to gawk at the alicorn princess, but right now Celestia and I need to have a talk in private."

"But I-" the doctor protested.

That was all he had time to say, before Nightfall rushed him out the door. "But nothing," Nightfall said, cutting him off. "Last time I checked a good chunk of the town's guard force was recovering from being put on ice and we all know that MISA burns don't turn out well when not properly tended to. So, you know, get going." With that, he closed the door.

"That was a bit harsh, don't you think?" Paper criticized.

"I must agree with Paper," Celestia said. "I don't think it was necessary to treat him in that manner."

Nightfall rolled his eyes. "He'll be fine," he replied. "Now, please Celestia. I need you to answer my questions. It's important."

Celestia looked around the room in a thoughtful manner for several prolonged moments, as if trying to decide what to say and what to omit. "Before I begin," Celestia started. "Please, tell me what Equestria is like now. You claim that centuries have passed and I have seen for myself the conditions of the outside world, but I do not yet fully comprehend the entirety of the situation. I suspect an understanding of it may be necessary for me to adequately explain my own side."

Nightfall sighed, but not in agitation. He made his way over to the corner and took a place on a chair. "Geez, where to even start," he said, rubbing the back of his neck with a hoof. "I'm not really much of a history buff. Paper here is far better suited for that. As for current events, well..." Nightfall paused, taking a second to collect his thoughts. "Do you know what a windigo is, Celestia?"

Celestia just nodded in response.

"Well, it's widely believed that they're what's causing all these blizzards," Nightfall continued. "I don't know what Equestria was like back in your time, but we've always known it as a cold and unforgiving place, along with the rest of the world. The windigos make everything worse though, and no matter how many of those damn things we put down, more just seem to pop up."

"I see," Celestia said, a contemplative look on her face. "You said the rest of the world has these issues as well?"

"Yeah," Nightfall answered. "I don't pay much attention to political matters, but I do know for a fact that Equestria works closely with the Gryphon Kingdoms to ensure security. We supply them with magical means for combating the cold and in exchange they craft some of the finest weapons in existence. Most of it has to be adapted for the use of hooves, but you wont find a rifle that shoots straighter in all of Equestria."

"I am glad to see that Equestria still gets along with its neighbors," Celestia said. "What of the changeling hive and Crystal Empire?"

Nightfall and Paper both looked at each other, exchanging puzzled glances before turning back to Celestia.

"That's the second time you've said Crystal Empire. You're not referring to the crystal ponies," Paper enquired, taking notes as Celestia gave her side of the story. "Are you?"

"I am, indeed," Celestia answered.

"They had an empire?" Nightfall responded, sounding more than a little surprised. "The crystal ponies actually had their own empire?"

Celestia nodded. "Indeed they did. In the modern era, they were more synonymous to a city state. The word empire was more of a formality, but they did enjoy self rule for a number of years after their return."

"And what about the changelings?" Paper quickly asked, fully entranced by the stories of the past as he wrote every word onto his notepad. "You said they had a hive. Now a days, they're a minority that's thinly spread across Equestria. My old senior year history teacher was one, but never said anything about there ever being a changeling hive."

"It was on the edge of the Badlands," Celestia explained. "It was ruled by a malevolent queen for many years, but after its liberation, it became a place of great beauty." A sad frown began to spread across Celestia's muzzle as her brain processed the information she was receiving. Her eyes stared down to the floor, before finally returning to the ponies before her. "I do believe I am beginning to understand the broader scope of the situation and Equestria's current state. I have but one more question for you. Then I promise to tell you what I know."

"By all means, ask away," Nightfall said.

"Who do you work for?"

Nightfall and Paper looked at each other for a moment with mostly neutral expressions on their faces, before turning back to Celestia.

"We're the good guys, if that's what you're worried about," Paper assured. "I promise."

"By that, he means we work for Equestria," Nightfall clarified. "More specifically we're a part of the Tundra Recon and Special Tasks Initiative. Although we're not officially a part of the Equestrian Guard, we work closely with them to carry out special missions in the tundra where rule of law doesn't exactly exist. Most just refer to us as rangers. Since we operate outside the chain of military command, we're not bogged down by a bunch of rules and regulations so we're far more adaptable. We basically work for the Equestrian government as a sort of special agency."

"Do you like them?

Celestia's question was simple, but was aimed at extracting a great deal of information.

"I think we're all glad to say that Equestria's government is doing pretty good," Paper said. "If you're afraid that some tyrannical dictatorship took over in your absence, then I can tell you for sure that you don't need to worry about it."

"But do you like them?"

Paper just thought a moment, not entirely sure where he stood on the topic. "I mean, I'm not saying that everyone always likes the decisions that parliament makes or who they appoint into the chancellorship, but elections are held every few years for certain representative seats and for the most part we all get a fair say in how we're ruled. I don't think we could really ask for much more, all things considered."

"I'm inclined to agree with Paper on the matter," Nightfall added. "I've never paid too much attention to politics, but I've never had much to complain about either, so..."

The room fell quiet as Nightfall trailed off. Celestia used to be the leader of all of Equestria. Telling her she was basically obsolete, although not directly, had now made things slightly awkward. "I see," Celestia finally said after a prolonged silence.

"You don't believe us. Do you?" Nightfall replied.

"I don't think I have much of a choice in this instance," Celestia answered. "For now, I must play this by ear. At the moment, that means cooperating with you."

"Good," Nightfall said simply. "Now, about you're side of the story. Go ahead. We're all ears."

For what felt like the hundredth time that day, Celestia sighed yet again. Before she began, she took a deep breath and found her center. "As you know, it was a long time ago," she started. "Equestria was far different than she is now. Back in my day, she was a beautiful land of rolling hills and dense forests, caught between the frozen snow covered mountains of the north and the barren deserts of the badlands to the south. The windigos that have plagued the land in this time were kept at bay by a magical force that we called the Fire of Friendship."

"I take it that something went wrong," Paper said. "With the Fire I mean."

"Yes," Celestia answered. "Tell me, are you familiar with Hearth's Warming?"

Both of the rangers just shook their heads.

"It was a holiday," Celestia explained. "It celebrated Equestria's founding and the original defeat of the windigos by the Fire. You see, windigos feed off of hatred and negativity towards others. The magic of this Fire expelled the windigos when the three tribes, the Unicorns, Pegasi, and Earth Ponies, came together for the first time and founded Equestria. Every year, for thousands of years, ponies would come together in the winter to celebrate and keep the windigos at bay."

"That's great!" Paper said suddenly. "All we have to do then is re-establish Hearth's Warming and we're good. We can get rid of the windigos. Right?"

"Something tells me it isn't that simple," Nightfall countered.

"I'm afraid so," Celestia nodded sadly. "You see, the magic that our very world is founded upon, Harmony, was dying. We didn't know how, but it was. We could feel it. It was gradual and so slow that we thought that it had to be a mistake, but it was confirmed when we found the Tree of Harmony itself had begun to shrivel up. At first, we thought it was a plot by Discord, the Spirit of Chaos. He had been reformed a number of years before and we feared that he had gone back to his evil ways, but upon confronting him, we discovered that we were wrong. Chaos is the direct opposite of Harmony, always in conflict with it. Naturally we assumed that any discrepancy in Harmony was the result of Chaos, but Discord was able to show us that Chaos too was fading from existence. He was forced to isolate himself to his own dimension, lest he fade away completely. It would appear that with the death of Harmony, so too has the Fire of Friendship faded. I fear that without Harmony, there is no way to bring back the Fire."

"How did it die?" Paper asked.

"I have not the slightest idea," Celestia answered wearily. "Perhaps it was just time. As I said, all things must come to pass. Even the things that your entire world is built upon it would seem."

"But you did try to fix it, didn't you?" Nightfall said. "You said something about a spell earlier, something about a focusing crystal if I remember correctly."

Celestia nodded. "Yes, but we failed. We thought we could repair and restore both Harmony and Chaos temporarily by sacrificing a portion of our alicorn magic. It wasn't to be a permanent solution, but it could have bought us time. Twilight spent months working tirelessly on a spell alongside some of the greatest minds of our time. Each of us made further contributions in its creation and Discord provided us with a focusing crystal. We spent another several months testing and perfecting the spell, making sure that everything about it was perfect, but when we finally attempted to cast it something happened. The spell destabilized and began to rage out of control. Then there was a flash and..."

"Now you're here," Nightfall finished. His eyes had grown wide and his mouth hung open slightly. Paper dawned a similar expression, his pencil having stopped moving across his notepad.

Celestia just nodded.

As they all sat there in silence, the atmosphere around them seemed to grow heavy and no one seemed to know what to say. That was until Nightfall finally broke this silence. "Well shit."

The small hospital in the middle of this settlement wasn't much to look at. It was but one floor. A small reception area with a couch and some magazines connected to a short hallway that ran on the right to the back wall. On the left wall of this hall were five doors. One lead behind the reception counter which doubled as a pharmacy. The other four each lead to individual rooms where patients were treated. The equipment here, while perfectly adequate at fulfilling its role, was outdated by several years. All in all, the hospital was simple and affective only enough to help a small number of inhabitants at a time. They would stand no chance if there was a major disaster, like the one they had nearly had.

As an earth pony who had grown up in a small fishing village one the east coast, Bastion more than understood how hard it could be to get proper medical care all the way out here. His father, grandfather, and great grandfather were all fisherman, having to construct large platforms out on the ice without the use of magic in order to perform their trade. It was a hard and often dangerous job. Many inexperienced, reckless, or sometimes just oblivious individuals lost their lives on the ice plains. The hospital there was similar to this one here. It all reminded him of home.

After pushing his way through the crowd, an older unicorn in tow, Bastion was finally able to make it into the small hospital. Upon entering, he noticed that the facility was completely void of normal ponies. Instead, it was occupied only by the medical staff who were now working tirelessly to treat the town guards who had been frozen. His attention was caught when one of the doors down the hall suddenly opened and what appeared to be the head doctor was somewhat forcefully thrown out.

The doctor grumbled to himself for a moment as he returned to the reception area and began to file his notes behind the counter. "Kick me out of my own hospital," he complained to himself. "Who does he think he is?"

"He's a hardcore son of a bitch," Bastion answered jokingly with a smirk as he approached the desk. "Pardon my language."

"You've got that right," the doctor replied absentmindedly, without looking up from his notes. He took a second to finish sorting the files in front of him, before finally returning to Bastion. "Sorry about that," he said. "What can I do for..." The words suddenly died in his throat as he noticed the royal patches on Bastion's armored suit. He silently mouthed the words 'Oh shoot.'

"It's alright," Bastion assured. "I get it. Don't worry. The mayor and I are just here to see the princess."

"O-of course," the doctor stammered as he wiped the sweat from his brow. He gave a nervous chuckle before pointing them to the correct door. "Right through there."

Bastion gave a grateful nod before heading to the door in question. Before entering though, the unicorn spoke with the doctor for a few minutes to make sure everything was going okay. With the guard force currently being thawed and treated, the town's defenses were weakened, and he needed to make sure that their guards were going to make a full recovery. He was relieved when the doctor informed him that they would and that they would be back in action soon enough.

After the short chat, the two finally headed into the small room where Nightfall and Paper sat with Celestia. The three had been sitting in silence, each in deep thought about the current situation and how they were to move forward. Each was pulled from these thought as the two stallions entered.

Nightfall rose from his seat and immediately addressed the older unicorn without hesitation. "I take it you're the mayor?" he asked, but received no answer.

The mayor just stood there, his mouth open slightly to match the astounded expression on his face. "I didn't believe it when they told me," he said as he just stared at Celestia. "But here you are alive, well, and very much real.

"So it would seem," Celestia answered with a weary smile. "To whom do I owe this pleasure?"

The mayor stood there in a dumbstruck manner for a moment before answering. "Gale," he suddenly sputtered, managing to find his tongue. "Mayor Gale. And please, you're majesty. The pleasure is all mine." He suddenly threw himself down before her with a respectful bow. This got an eye roll from Nightfall.

Celestia gave a respectful nod of her own. "I assure you, there is no need for such formalities, Mayor Gale," Celestia said with a friendly smile that nearly made Nightfall sick.

He didn't know what it was, but something about Celestia bothered Nightfall. It bothered him even more because he couldn't quite put his hoof on it. Something just didn't feel right. It almost felt to him as Celestia had done this before. It was almost as if this exact conversation had been rehearsed and now Celestia was simply reading off her lines from a mental sticky note. He waved the thought away as he tried to focus on what was actually being said.

"I do hope you're stay so far has been a pleasant one," Mayor Gale said. "I would like to formally welcome you to our humble town and extend to you any service you may require."

"That is very kind of you, Mayor," Celestia replied, her demeanor remaining kind and friendly. Surely she knew this pony was but putty in her hooves. Nightfall sure did. She could get anything she wanted from him right now. Instead, she simply respected his own authority as the leader of this small town.

"I will not be staying long though, it would seem," Celestia continued. "Come morning, I will be making my way to Canterlot with these rangers. Until then, all I require is a roof."

"Of course," Mayor Gale eagerly replied. "I'm sure we can find you a more than sufficient place for the rest of the night."

"That's actually what we brought you here to talk about," Nightfall informed. "We need a place that's close to the center of the town. Sturdy, obviously, and not too crowded. I noticed you had a building with a stone base near the signal fire pit. Has a emergency bunker and everything."

"Yes, yes. The town assembly hall," Mayor Gale said. "Please, be my guest."

"Thank you," Nightfall said, before turning to his teammates and motioning towards the door. "Go get set up for the night," he ordered. "I've got some things to go over with our friend here regarding security."

Bastion and Paper both nodded casually, both complying without hesitation. They began to pack up the little gear that they had left in the room before heading out the door. Celestia followed close behind, but stopped to address Mayor Gale before leaving.

"Thank you very much for your hospitality," she said.

"It has been an honor, your highness," Mayor Gale replied with a respectful bow. "If there is anything, anything at all that I can do, please, do not hesitate to find me."

With that final pleasantry exchanged, Celestia followed her escorts out of the hospital while Nightfall went to work with the Mayor.

Outside the small hospital, it was now dark. The sun had fallen below the horizon nearly an hour ago and now the moon could barely be seen through the blanket of clouds. Despite the current time, there was no shortage of activity around them. A crowd of roughly thirty ponies had gathered around the hospital and now followed the group curiously as the made their way to the other side of the town.

Along the way, there was no shortage of invitations to dinner and to bunk at a pony's residence. At the moment, there is nothing that Celestia would have enjoyed more than a nice dinner with one of these families, especially after the recent revelation, but she knew that she could not. For now, it would be best to avoid distractions and cooperate with these rangers.

Despite the fact that she had not yet made up her mind on whether or not they were trustworthy, she did note that the ponies around her regarded them highly, not out of fear, but out of respect and some level of what seemed to be admiration. It brought comfort to her. From what she had seen so far, they did indeed seem to be the good guys that they claimed to be. Still, she was not letting her guard down.

When the group finally arrived at the building that Nightfall had spoken of, they quickly made their way inside. The downstairs area was even darker than it had been outside, but upon turning on a light, it was revealed that the room was still a mess. The room was littered with papers from a stack that had been knocked onto the ground and the furniture was toppled in a way that suggested somepony had deliberately thrown it aside to get it out of the way.

"This was definitely an out of control party," Paper joked. "I'm going to check the up stairs." Without waiting for a response he took off towards the stairwell. "See if you can, y'know, clean up."

Bastion just rolled his eyes as Paper disappeared up the stairs.

As Bastion began to pick up the papers and correct the furniture, Celestia looked around the room with great curiosity. Along the far wall was series of picture frames that immediately caught her attention. There had to be at least a hundred of them, each one of a single or several ponies. They seemed to be a historical collection, each depicting something different from the town's history. The most striking of these was the row at the very top. Each picture was of a group of young ponies in their late teens or early twenties. At the bottom of every frame was a small gold plaque that read 'Class of' followed by what appeared to be a date. The picture farthest to the right was dated with the year '937 SE.'

"What does SE mean?" Celestia asked, looking back to Bastion as he flipped a table back onto its legs.

"Uh, southeast?" Bastion replied, not entirely understanding the question.

"No, I mean when applied to year."

Bastion gave Celestia a confused look, before walking over and examining the picture frame for himself. "Oh, that means Snow Era," he said after realizing what Celestia was referring to. "This must be last year's picture. This year is 938 SE."

"Hmm, Snow Era," she said. "That's appropriate I suppose."

"Yeah, but in case you're wondering, the year's number isn't exactly what you would call accurate," Bastion continued. "For all I know, you disappeared another thousand years before they started calling this the Snow Era. Paper would know more about that kind of thing. He's kind of the historian of the group."

"So I have been told."

"What are you guys talking about?" Paper suddenly asked, his head popping out from the stairwell after the mentioning of his name.

"Nothing, you big nerd," Bastion replied. "You find anything up stairs?"

"Actually, yes," Paper answered happily. "There's a couple of couches up here and think one of them reclines into a bed."

Just then Nightfall stepped through the door, looking more than ready to fall down on a sack of hay and pass out right then and there. He placed his helmet down onto a table and began to undo a few of the tighter straps on his snow suit, allowing it to loosen and become much more comfortable. "Settle in, everyone. Tomorrow's going to be another early morning." He threw a few of his tools and weapons down on the table, next to his helmet.

"That was pretty quick," Bastion pointed out as Nightfall began packing the rest of his gear away for the night.

"Yeah, thankfully the guards here are somewhat competent and had the sense to not all get frozen by windigos," Nightfall replied.

"Does that mean nobody has to take lookout duty tonight?" Paper asked as he began to recline the first couch into a bed. Somehow he had managed to fit both couches down the narrow staircase with the use of basic levitation.

Nightfall gave Paper a knowing smile before flopping down on his bedroll. Usually, he was the one to take first watch, but tonight was different. And just like that he was out only a few minutes later and began to snore quietly.

Celestia giggled a little at this. "Well, it certainly doesn't take him long to fall asleep."

Before long the remaining three had for the most part settled in. Celestia had removed her shoes, chest ornament, and crown and set them on a table. Bastion and Paper had both removed their gear and snowsuits the same way Nightfall had. All their equipment was kept together, but was carefully organized to prevent certain parts from getting mixed up between their kits.

Bastion and Paper both agreed to share the bed, believing that it wouldn't have been right to make Celestia share with one of them. This did not prevent each of them from making a joke about the idea of sleeping with a princess though, something that neither of them could resist despite their efforts. What they didn't expect was for Celestia herself to join in on the fun with a joke of her own that was just a bit more suggestive than anyone had seen coming. This caused both stallions to grow red, only bringing satisfaction to Celestia's already teasing smile.

After finding her place on the soft couch, Celestia's mind began to wander. She quickly realized that this was the first time that the four of them had all been together alone after exiting the mine. It had indeed been a hectic evening, what with the navigating of crowds and medical examinations. She couldn't help but feel that despite this confusing new world she was now in, her escorts had now become sorts of friends to her.

The earth pony of the group, Bastion, had quickly made Celestia feel welcome with his kind demeanor and willingness to share a smile. He had a dark crimson coat and a dark brown mane that was so short it was barely visible, but his eyes were a gleaming light blue, that shone with life and optimism. The unicorn, Paper Cut, somewhat reminded her of Twilight with his energy and eagerness to gain new knowledge. He had fiery orange eyes, a cream coat, and brown mane that was just a bit lighter than Bastion's. The primary difference was length. Paper's mane was much longer and actually quite a mess at the moment, having been matted against his head thanks to his helmet. Then there was the batpony, Nightfall. He was far more strict than the others. He was focused and calculating and though he didn't show it, she could see it in his brilliant emerald eyes that he cared deeply for his teammates. His own dark blue mane was of medium length. Any shorter and it could have been considered a military cut. His own coat was of a dark bluish grey. One thing that they all shared, Celestia noticed and actually found quite amusing, was that their coats were much thicker and poofier than the ponies of Equestria she had left behind, clearly an adaptation from the cold.

When everyone had finally settled down, the room was silent. The only sound was that of breathing and the occasional hoofsteps of a patrolling guard outside. For just a moment, it seemed as if everything was normal and there wasn't a raging blizzard outside. Celestia was fully aware that she was in a land that she no longer recognized, but just for tonight she could pretend that she was still home. For now, all was quiet and all was at peace. She could take solace in that.

It was dark and it was cold in the place that Celestia now found herself. The snow swirled around her in a relentless torrent of ice that stung her face and brought only numbness to her hooves. The once endless expanse of sky was now fully obstructed by a thick and intrusive layer of clouds that mercilessly poured more and more snow upon her. That which had accumulated on the ground was well above her knees and encumbered her to the point that she was barely able to walk.

Three dark and mostly silhouetted figures surrounded her, moving slowly through the snow as the group trudged on to Canterlot. They were not at all recognizable through the fog like snow that obscured her vision. For some reason, she could not remember which one of her escorts had taken which position and the blowing wind was far to strong for her weak voice to overcome. Despite this, she too marched on.

In this frozen hellscape, seconds seemed to go by like minutes and minutes went by like hours. Hours were an eternity. It felt like they had been going on for days without any recognizable landmarks to provide them with some idea of how far they had come. Their surroundings were nothing but flat, snow covered tundra. Celestia could not even see beyond a few meters, making her feel as if she was in a void. For all she knew, they had been walking in circles, quite literally going nowhere.

Something suddenly caught Celestia's attention. She had gotten a sudden glimpse of movement on the edge of her vision, causing her to stop and look out in that direction.

"Celestia," a hushed voice that echoed just slightly said from somewhere beyond the veil of snow.

Celestia jumped in surprise at the mentioning of her name. She turned and faced the direction that she had come from, before looking back to see that her escorts were continuing on through the blizzard. She returned her attention back to where the voice had come only to find that a dark figure now stood before her, just at edge of visible range. The figure was that of a pony, but whoever it was did not move nor did they say any other words.

Celestia looked back again, but her escorts had disappeared, having been swallowed whole by the blizzard that they ventured into. She tried to call out to them, but found that yet again her voice had left her. Only the painful vibration of her mute vocal cords came, no matter how hard she tried. When she turned back to the figure before her for a final time, the pony had begun to recede back into the snow.

"Wait. Who are you?" Celestia's voice had not come from her mouth, rather it had come from the sky. It was if her thoughts had been translated for her by some unknown entity.

The pony only continued away from her.

"Wait." Celestia rushed forward, taking several large bounds through the snow.

Suddenly and without warning, the wind picked up, violently blowing more snow into her face. The figure then disappeared, having been blown away with the wind as if they were made from dust.

Celestia was now alone. She took several double takes at where the pony had once stood, but the wind only continued to build. The snow swirled around her, the blizzard raging harder than it had before and the wind began to blow so hard that she felt like she would surely be swept off her hooves. That is when she realized what had happened. She had gotten separated from her group.

The thestral had stressed the point to stay close so many times and yet here she was, all alone like a child that wandered off from their parent at a clothing store. Panic started to set in and her heart began to beat loudly in her ears. She looked around frantically trying to remember which way her group had gone. How could she have been so stupid? How could she have allowed this to happen?

Operating on pure instinct, she began to run, leaping in and out of the snow as she tried to desperately catch up. On her fifth jump, she stumbled and fell to the ground.

Celestia grunted in discomfort as her body came down onto the hardwood flooring of the town assembly hall. She moaned before finally opening her eyes to see that she had in fact rolled right off of the couch where she had fallen asleep that night, the short drop having woken her from her dream.

Seeing as she had become entangled in her blanket on the way down, it took Celestia a moment to make it to her hooves. Upon doing so, she looked around the room. Each of the ponies were just as she remembered. Nightfall was still on his bedroll while Paper and Bastion laid on the bed facing away from each other. All of them were still sound asleep.

Celestia sighed as she crawled back onto the couch and covered herself with the blanket. For now, all she could do was attempt to fall back asleep and hope that the morning would bring a new day. Indeed, in this world, one could only hope.

Author's Note

I decided to release this chapter earlier than expected, because it's done and there really isnt any point in waiting. Hope you enjoy.

Chapter 3: Through Ice and Snow

It was early morning, far earlier than anypony should have been willing to wake and yet here Nightfall stood. He had only been up for a few minutes, but had already begun to collect his gear and put on his snow suit. After spending five years as a part of the TRST Initiative, he had grown accustomed to wearing it for long periods of time. The spots where it felt just a little tight no longer bothered him and he often thought of it as a second coat of fur.

Being based in Canterlot, the Initiative was known for having access to some of the best equipment in Equestria and that extended to the snow suit. It was light weight despite the ballistic weaving in the torso that was often used in heavier military vests. The thick insolation kept the wearer warm in even the heaviest of snow storms and the watertight seal at the neck prevented snow from making its way into the suit itself. A hard-case helmet with extra space for the ears protected from any blunt force trauma that one may acquire in the tundra. Snow shoes that folded up around the legs, plenty of velcro pockets, and a stylish fur collar made the snow suit the prized and most essential piece of equipment in a ranger's kit. The best part was that the Gen V Mark II was standard issue and there was plenty of space for additions should one chose to spend their field credits on such things.

It didn't take long for Nightfall to put on the suit. Unlike the last generation, the zipper was on the front and one pony was able to put it on without assistance. He left his weapons and survival kit on the table though, along with his helmet, instead taking along a fleece winter cap that did just fine in keeping his ears warm.

Paper and Bastion were still asleep, but that was okay. Nightfall was actually up much earlier than usual. Unfortunately for Celestia though, she would need to accompany him outside for a while.

"Princess," Nightfall whispered softly after making his way to her side. "Celestia. Wake up."

Celestia rolled over to face him before pulling her head from the couch. "Nightfall?" she said sleepily as she rubbed the drowsiness from her eyes. She looked around the room to see that it was still mostly dark, the dim light from the windows being the only thing that allowed her to see at all. "Is something the matter?"

Nightfall shook his head. "No," he answered. "Everything's fine. I just need to you come with me. We have some things to take care of before we head out." He motioned towards the door. "I'll give you a second to wake up. Find me outside when you're ready."

"Should we not wake the others?" Celestia asked.

"Nah, let them sleep," Nightfall replied. "This wont take long." He wasn't even to the door yet when he found Celestia trailing directly behind him. "That was quick," he said as he opened the door and a few flurries of snow made their way inside.

"I am used to it," Celestia explained. "Having ruled a country, I've become accustomed to early mornings." She followed the thestral outside. A light dusting of snow was falling within the town, but was not much stronger outside the storm spires. Despite the improved weather conditions, the clouds had not dispersed at all. "Where are we going?" she asked, noticing that a few ponies were already up and about. Most were guards, donning full body coats similar to the one Nightfall now wore.

"We're going to get you outfitted real quick," Nightfall replied as he threw on a heavily tented set of shades. "You'll need a snow suit if you want to survive beyond the walls. Of course, it wont be as nice as the one I've got but it will keep you warm enough that your hooves aren't falling off from frostbite. You'll also need a survival kit."

As the two continued through the streets, Celestia began to take note of everything around her. In the night before, she had had little chance to just take in her surroundings. A mix of confusion, shock, stress, and darkness had prevented that, but now that the dim light of morning allowed her to see, she was quickly making observations about this new world.

The town itself was unlike anything she had ever seen. Of course, the building were nothing strange. Most of the houses were made of stone and logs with wood shingled roofs. They could easily be compared to those of her own time, but they lacked the same architectural style. If anything, they were just plain. It was the way the town was arranged that struck Celestia as odd. Despite its small size, it was very dense in the sense that all the houses were very close together, creating long narrow alleys that served as the main road system. The overhang on most roofs simply ran together in some places. Around the entire town was a small wall, composed of logs and stone, with only a few towers.

The only open space within these walls was from where they had just come from. The small town square, just outside of the assembly hall, housed a large pedestal on which a large fire burned. Around this fire, three large brick smokestacks rose into the sky, a black cloud billowing from their tops. From what Celestia could infer, it seemed that this was the signal fire that Nightfall had spoken of the previous day.

After their short walk, the two stopped at a small building by the gatehouse, where a couple of town guards sat drinking coffee and gazing out into the tundra beyond the storm spires. It was a relatively clear day, and from here Celestia could see that the world beyond these structures was one of ice, snow, and endless cold. She sighed a tired sigh as Nightfall opened a door for her.

Celestia and Nightfall now found themselves in a small cabin, lit only by hanging candles and a large fire from a stone fireplace. There were several guards seated at tables, either eating breakfast, drinking, or playing cards. A staircase on the right that led to a basement seemed to suggest that this was a combination of a tavern, barracks, and, if the crates scattered about were any indication, a warehouse.

Nightfall casually walked up to an older stallion seated behind a desk. The unicorn looked over to the thestral over his book before looking to Celestia and back to Nightfall again. He just sat there for a moment before something in his brain connected and he realized who was standing before him.

"Oh shit," he said, jumping to his hooves and throwing the book under the counter. "You're the alicorn, aren't you. No, no. Don't answer that. I'm partially deaf, not partially blind." He chuckled a bit. "You're probably here for the requisitions order, aren't you?"

Nightfall nodded, before pulling a paper slip from one of his suit pouches and sliding it across the counter to the quartermaster.

The unicorn took the slip in his magic and glanced over it once. "Yep, that's it," he said, before stamping it with a seal and neatly laying it in a stack. He turned and began rummaging through some boxes. "I tell you," he continued, "when I found out that this order was for an alicorn, I didn't believe it. It was horse shit, had to be. Alicorns are just fairy tales we tell the kiddos so they sleep well at night. Of course, when I get an order I make sure it goes through regardless of how ridiculous it sounds. Here you are though. Absolutely miraculous!"

He finally found what it was he was looking for in the organized chaos of crates, weapons, and armor. Using his magic, he dropped two duffle bags on the counter, one being a bit larger than the other. "This is everything you need. We didn't have anything for a pony in her size, but I did manage to get my hooves on something for hippogriffs," he said gesturing towards the larger bag. "Should fit just fine. Had to replace the shoes with something more suitable for hooves, but it was any easy fix. You've even got some extra wing space." He disappeared behind the counter again as he ducked down to grab something, returning only a second later with what appeared to be a helmet... a very strange looking helmet.

Nightfall and Celestia both gave each other skeptical looks.

"I know. I know," the quartermaster said, raising his hoof to keep them from saying anything. "You're probably thinking this helmet is really happy to see you. Well, it is." A large grin spread across his face. "I assure you, though, an extended horn cover is more than necessary. Take it from someone who's experienced it firsthoof, you do not, I repeat, you do NOT, want to get frostbite on your horn. And yes, it is a little top heavy, but it's all for the greater good." He dropped the helmet on the counter with the rest of the gear, before turning to the smaller bag.

"Here, you've got a basic survival kit. Emergency rations, first aid, spare matches, personal heater, you get the idea."

Nightfall took the larger of the bags into his hooves and turned to the door allowing Celestia to take her supplies and helmet. Before leaving though, Celestia slipped off two of her golden shoes and left them on the counter. The ground outside, being frozen, had been quite cold. She had decided to leave her crown and regalia back at the assembly hall, but had worn her shoes to stave off the cold of the stones beneath her hooves. She slid them to the quartermaster. "Here you are," she said with a grateful smile. "Thank you for all you've done. It is very much appreciated."

In return, the quartermaster gave her nothing but a blank stare before finally taking the shoes and feeling them in his hooves. They were somewhat heavy. "Holy hell," he whispered to himself, before looking back to Celestia. "Is... is this real gold?"

"It is indeed," Celestia answered with a satisfied smile. "I do hope that it may help you in acquiring what you need in the future."

Yet again, a dumb look was displayed. "Y-yes," the quartermaster said after finally finding his tongue. "This will do wonders for us. I can afford to upgrade our suites to the next gen. Thank you. Thank you so much."

"You are welcome."

And with that, Celestia and Nightfall were out the door and on their way back toward the assembly hall.

"That was awfully generous of you, Celestia," Nightfall pointed out as they made their way through the streets. "Now that I think of it, those shoes must be worth a fortune."

"These ponies need it far more than I do," Celestia said. "They have been more than hospitable thus far, despite their own hardships. It would be wrong for me not to repay their kindness in some way."

Nightfall did not offer a response, instead favoring silence as he thought things over a bit. Eventually, the two made it back to the assembly hall. Bastion had woken up in their absence and begun to gather his gear. He was halfway into his snow suit when the two entered. Paper Cut on the other hoof was still sound asleep, or at least he was until Nightfall dropped the unicorn's gear on him.

He moaned in clear annoyance, before rolling over onto his other side, causing his helmet to roll off the bed and onto the floor with an audible thud. He sat up and threw the covers off. "Morning?" he groaned, making it more a statement than a greeting.

"Yep," Bastion said as he pulled the last of his legs into his suit and zipped it up. A bit of fur got caught in the zipper and he was forced to adjust the collar slightly. "Get you're breakfast while you can, sleepyhead."

Paper just rolled his eyes before hopping out of bed and beginning to dig through his gear for an apple. "Hey, that looks pretty good," he said to Celestia after seeing that Nightfall was helping her put on her own snow suit. "A little dated, but it suits you." Although it hadn't been intentional, his choice of words caused him to smile.

"Yes," Celestia agreed. "I must admit, it is rather comfortable, but..." she frowned as she took her helmet in her hooves and looked it over. "I'm afraid I fail to understand the geometry of this helmet. How in Equestria is one supposed to put this thing on?" She ran her hooves along the horn cover and snout. "It's impossible."

"Here, let me see," Nightfall said, taking the helmet from Celestia. "Ah, yes. The good-ole Gen IV. These things were standard issue for a year after I got stuck in the Initiative." He fiddled with it for a moment. "There should be a..." With a few cranks of a twisty bit up near the ear, a series of clicks sounded before a satisfying pop. From the rear, the helmet split apart, opening up with the use of a spring hinge at the mouth. "Here you go," Nightfall said, holding the helmet back up.

Celestia lowered her head, allowing Nightfall to place it on her. With it sliding down onto her horn, Nightfall helped her clamp the sides and bottom of the helmet onto the upper plating. Now, the helmet fully covered her head, all the way down to the thick collar at the top of her neck.

"I must say," Celestia began. "I'm surprised by how breathable it is. Somehow, I also expected a strange smell, but it has the odor of a new carriage." She inhaled deeply, taking in the pleasant smell.

"I think I read an article once about the Gen Is and all the problems they had," Paper said, as he too began to gather his gear. "Apparently, the wearers nearly suffocating was a big issue. Saw one in a museum once."

As everyone continued to get ready, Celestia walked a few slow laps around the room, testing out her new suit and getting a feel for the weight. "So, how I do I take this off," she eventually asked, pointing to the helmet that now snuggly sat around her head.

Over the next few minutes, Nightfall gave Celestia a quick lesson on how to use all the features in her snow suit, including a small radio unit that had to be plugged into the back of her helmet, which Celestia simply clipped to her hip to be worn later on. Once everyone was set, the small group headed outside.

The sun was now about halfway up passed the horizon, casting an array of color through the cloud cover. Had it not been for the dreary atmosphere of the tundra below, the scene would almost have been beautiful. Instead, it only served as a reminder to Celestia of her current situation.

Once outside, they wasted little time getting through the town and to the front gate, where a small group of guards had now taken their posts. Along the way, a small crowd had formed in the same manner as before, when Celestia first arrived. There were far fewer of them now, but they took great interest in her.

"Princess," a voice called out, causing the alicorn to stop and look for its origin. Sure enough, it was Mayor Gale, trotting along at a brisk pace. "Hello, Princess," Gale said, taking a respectful bow.

Celestia gave him a acknowledging nod. "Hello, Mayor."

"I'm glad to have caught you," Gale began. "I wanted to say farewell before you departed and wish you luck on your journey."

"Thank you, Mayor," Celestia replied. "I too am glad to have run into you. I wanted to give you something."

"Really?" Gale said, sounding more than surprised at the idea being given something by the Princess.

From her back, Celestia retrieved her large chest ornament that she usually wore. It was much too large for her to wear underneath her snowsuit, and it had become somewhat troublesome to carry around. "I wanted you to have this," she began. "For all that you've done. I know that you think that it may not have been much, but you have been a more than gracious host."

Mayor Gale just stopped and stared at the golden item that had been placed in his hooves. It was large, but not nearly as heavy as he had imagined. No doubt, it was worth a fortune, especially considering that fact that it belonged to an alicorn princess, nevermind the skyrocketing value of gold. "Princess... I..." the words seemed to die in Gale's throat, but he eventually found his voice. "It was only the right thing to do, Your Highness. I cant accept this as payment."

Celestia only smiled. "Then please, accept it as a gift. Though I have been here less than a day, I have seen that your town goes through hardship. This is the least I can do."

"I don't know what to say?"

"You dont need to say anything. Just do me one favor. Continue to be good to your constituents. They are fortunate to have such a kind heart leading them."

"I will, Princess," Gale replied. "I promise."

And with that, final farewells were exchanged before Celestia found herself heading out beyond the city walls, passed the storm spires, and into the frozen lands that she used to call home.

Three hours. The group had been walking for three long and tiresome hours. Nightfall, Paper, and Bastion had all had little trouble keeping pace with one another, as they trudged on through the snow. The storm from the previous day had passed on and the weather was now mostly clear, with the exception of the flurries of snow that fell every so often, making their journey much easier than it had been on the original trip.

Celestia was a different story. Her legs burned and her neck had become sore from looking down so often. She was no where near being used to walking in snow shoes, and found herself having to watch her step every time she lifted her leg. The added weight from her snow suit and helmet made her wish she had done more cardio and eaten far less cake in the past. She hated feeling like she was slowing everyone down, but given the relatively clear weather, nopony really seemed to mind too much.

The worst part of it all for Celestia though, was not the physical exertion or the cold that nipped at her exposed face. Rather it was what surrounded her. All around her was a barren, featureless snowscape of white. As far as the eye could see, there was absolutely nothing and it was everywhere. There were no trees, no grass, no houses. There wasn't even a discarded wagon wheel or some kind of rough evidence that a civilization once existed here. Everything was just white and void of shapes.

Celestia, in an attempt to distract herself, had engaged in casual conversation with her new friends. She was only mildly successful. She had thought it best to bring Bastion up to speed on the current situation, seeing as he was absent during her original explanation to Nightfall and Paper. This subject matter did little to keep her mind off of all that had been lost.

"So you're telling me, that you would raise the sun all on your own?" Bastion asked, after being a given the run down on what had transpired a thousand years ago.

"I did," Celestia answered. "It was my responsibility to do so for over a thousand years, along with the moon until my sister returned from her exile."

"And she did that all on her own as well?"

"Yes, she did indeed."

Bastion thought for a moment, before looking back over to Celestia. "If you dont mind me asking, why did she get exiled?"

Celestia hesitated to answer, but gave one nonetheless, though it was somewhat less than truthful. "She was... corrupted by a dark magic. It took control of her mind, twisting her will into its own, and ultimately attempted to bring about eternal night. Imprisoning her in the moon was all that could be done."

"Wasn't there a cure or a remedy?" Paper asked.

"I'm afraid not," Celestia answered sorrowfully. "Not at the time at least. It would be a thousand years before the bearers of the Elements of Harmony could cleanse her."

"Elements of Harmony," Paper stated. "Most of what I've read about those is just myth and stories. I'll have to bust out the old history book when we get home and get your take on all of it. It'd be interesting to see how much of it is accurate."

"I'd be more than happy to take a look," Celestia replied. "It will be fun to see what has survived the ages."

"Awesome," Paper replied excitedly. "You said the Elements had bearers didn't you? What were they like?"

A small smile grew across Celestia's expression as fond memories returned to her from a time long past. "They were kind and generous. Loyal, honest, and made ponies laugh. Although they began as my subjects, they grew to become my peers and my very best friends. Twilight Sparkle, my own personal student who ascended to become an alicorn herself, was the Element of Magic. I was so proud of her."

"They sound like they were wonderful ponies," Bastion added.

"Yes. They were."

It was warm and cozy inside the diner, a stark contrast to the frozen and unforgiving land outside. It was now the middle of the morning, the sun having now risen well over the horizon and doing its best to shine through the cloud layer.

Each of the ponies of the group now sat around a small table, silently enjoying coffee and preparing for the rest of a long day of travel ahead. Celestia still wore her Gen IV snowsuit and consequently did not draw too much attention from anyone around the outpost that she now found herself in. Of the few ponies who were here, a few noticed that she was rather tall, but did not question it.

After having walked for so long, it was simply nice to sit down and enjoy a hot drink for a moment. All was quiet. There wasn't really much to talk about anyways.

Celestia lit her horn with a golden aura, as she absentmindedly levitated her coffee mug to her lips, before placing it back on the table and continuing to stare at the ponies passing by outside the window. This action quickly drew the gazes of her escorts as she repeated it a few more times.

Eventually, Celestia noticed their stares and returned them with a confused look of her own. "What?"

There were now five ponies in the group. Four of them trudged on through the snow, their snow shoes keeping them from sinking to far into it. The fifth simply hovered along, growing in size every so often as more and more snow was added to the snow pony that Celestia had begun to form with her magic. She lacked any additional materials to make it into a true piece of art at the moment, but it was coming along nicely regardless.

"Okay, okay," Paper began after watching Celestia form her snow pony. "I'm dying to ask. You claimed that you could move the sun, right. Soooooooo..." He looked up to the sky before casting his gaze back to Celestia.

Celestia returned this with a skeptical look. "Are you asking me to move the sun simply for entertainment?"

"Of course not!" Paper defended. "I'm not asking you to do anything, but seeing as you have your magic back, if you wanted to... I dont know... celebrate a little by showing off, I certainly wouldn't mind."

Celestia's expression turned into one of mock offense. "Well, seeing as you've previously informed me that a council of unicorns is now responsible for the raising and lowering of the sun, I do believe that the tampering of such an entity without informing them ahead of time would be nothing short of reckless and irresponsible." A playful smile suddenly spread across Celestia's face.

In one clean motion, Celestia took a stance, raised her head toward the sky, and lit her horn.

...

Nothing happened. She tried again.

...

Still nothing.

"That's strange," Celestia said. "This usually works."

"Well, at least you can still-"

"Everyone down! Now!" Nightfall suddenly whisper yelled.

Without even a hint of hesitation, the three rangers hit the deck, their snow shoes folding up around their hooves and their legs burying into the snow below them so that only their heads stuck out. Celestia mimicked this action, but was several seconds slower due to having to fiddle with the latch on her somewhat outdated gear. "What's going on?" she asked after finally getting herself tucked into the snow.

Nopony replied, but she was able to understand from the looks of her escorts that now was not a time to be talking.

Nightfall had brought a set of binoculars to his eyes and was peering out at something far off in the distance. Bastion and Paper had both gone to work clearing out the snow around them to form a little foxhole as inconspicuously as they possibly could.

"Rifle," Nightfall whispered, before trading his binoculars with Bastion for the flair rifle that he had been carrying.

"What do we got?" Paper asked as he unloaded a few black boxes from his pouches.

Bastion took a look through the binoculars before tossing them over to Paper. "See for yourself."

Paper too took a look, before allowing Celestia to see as well.

"Are those... timberwolves?" Celestia asked, a little confused by what exactly she was seeing. "That cant be. There are no forests here. How have they survived into this age?"

"They probably didn't," Paper answered. "Those are ice wolves."

"Yeah," Nightfall added. "Looks like they got their paws on a caravan too. Poor bastards probably never stood a chance."

Celestia took another look through the binoculars. Downrange was a scene that did not sit well with her stomach. There appeared to be three carriages of some sort, each having been adapted for use in the tundra. Two were toppled over. The third seemed to have tried to escape, but failed to get very far before also being flipped. Around each were several bodies lying in the snow which had been turned red with the blood of the ice wolves' victims.

These creature were large, being about the same size as the timberwolves that Celestia was familiar with. In fact, they appeared to be exactly the same in everyway other than their color. Gone were the colors of brown and green bestowed on them by nature. In their place were whites and blues, their bodies being transparent in some places due to their icy composition. The only other color was the crimson that stained their muzzles and paws.

Currently the beasts were stalking around the site like the predators they were. A few were scratching at the carriage at the front, attempting to get to the cargo inside. Some others were eating their freshly caught prey. Two towards the rear were fighting over a single corpse, pulling in opposite directions until it gave way and burst open, its insides spilling out onto the snow.

Celestia ducked back into their hole as her stomach did a one-eighty inside of her. She grew pale and felt as if she were going to throw up. Her heart raced and despite the cold she began to sweat furiously. "We have to help those ponies," she suddenly muttered.

"I dont know, Princess," Nightfall replied. "There's seven of them and only four of us. Trying to fight them would be suicide. It would be best for us if we moved on."

"What? No," Celestia protested. "We cant just leave ponies to die like this. There could be survivors."

"You don't know that though," Nightfall countered. "Those carriages could just as easily be empty."

"We dont know that either," Celestia pointed out.

"She's got a point, Nightfall," Bastion added. "We cant assume anything either way, but we should at least take a look. Not to mention, if we leave them be, they'll just attack the next caravan that passes through."

"I'm not saying we shouldn't do anything," Nightfall said. "I'm just... trying to figure out how to go about this." He popped his head out of their foxhole for just a moment to further scope out the situation. Two of the wolves were still trying to get into one of the carriages. The other five seemed too caught up in eating to care.

"We might be able to sneak past the ones around the perimeter if we circle back from the rear," Paper said, looking through the binoculars to look for entry routes.

"That still leaves the two at the carriages," Nightfall continued. "We cant take them out without making too much noise, so we'll have to draw them away somehow."

"Well whatever's in that carriage must have quite an interesting scent for them to be scratching at the doors like that," Bastion said as he too joined his squad mates in scoping out the situation.

Nightfall thought for a moment, pondering everything that he had just heard. They needed a distraction, something that could draw them away from the scent of the gruesome scene around them. Scent. Nightfall's eyes widened as he suddenly had an idea, one that he almost wished he hadn't had. "Paper, how good are you at cooking?"

"I cant believe we're doing this," Paper said in disgust from within his helmet, trying his hardest to stave off the pungent smell of death and bleeding flesh. "This is so wrong. This is so wrong. This is so wrong." It was about to get much worse, as the young unicorn reluctantly ignited his horn.

"Keep it together, Paper," Nightfall said, his own insides feeling as if they were doing gymnastics within him. He resisted the urge to gag as he flew up off the ground to raise the torn open corpse by its forehooves.

Since formulating their plan, the group had circled around to the other side of the wolves and had dug themselves into a position not too far away. After that, they were able to drag off one of the corpses without being spotted. Celestia had originally gone against their current course of actions, using words to describe it such as barbaric, disgusting, and unethical. Nopony disagreed with her on that, but this was the only thing they could think to do and time was running out.

Paper lowered his head and conjured up a tongue of fire from his horn. While it did not initially catch to the corpse, it did eventually catch to the uniform the once living pony wore. The fire slowly spread creating a small cloud of dark smoke that smelled of burning hair and cooking meat.

Paper quickly ran off, hopping into the small trench with Bastion and Celestia, away from the repulsive smell.

Nightfall on the other hoof had been elected to do the hard job, being the only one among them with wings other than Celestia, and they weren't about to let her put herself in harms way. He had had to undo a couple of zippers to expose his wings to the elements, but all he could do was ignore the chill and hope they didn't go numb.

As quickly as he could, Nightfall made his way toward the wolves nearest to the carriages. "Hey there," he said nervously as he approached, roasting corpse still dangling from his hooves. "Look what I've got," he continued in a sing song tone. "Big, juicy, delicious-" He nearly vomited in his own mouth.

The two wolves did not notice him at first, until the smell of charred flesh reached them and they began to sniff the air. Then they saw him, the first beginning to walk towards him as the second jumped down from on top of the overturned carriage. They began to approach him, snarling and growling as they split up in an attempt to encircle their new prey. Only now was Nightfall beginning to realize just how big they were.

"That's right, you mangy mutts. Come and get me!" Nightfall took off, away from the carriages as the first wolf jumped out at him. The wolves barked ferociously as they chased him off into the tundra, able to keep pace with him, but not quite fast enough to catch up. Nightfall stayed low, giving the wolves a reasonable chance of catching him so that they would not lose interest.

The others watched from their foxhole in the snow as Nightfall's silhouette grew smaller and smaller on the horizon.

"Let's go," Bastion said, jumping out of the hole and staying low to the ground.

Paper quickly followed behind, but not before turning to Celestia. "Stay here," he ordered. "Don't go anywhere until Nightfall gets back."

Celestia just nodded before anxiously watching the two go to work.

They crept towards the caravan slowly but carefully, using the snow to mask their approach. When they finally reached the first of the carriages, Bastion placed an ear to the side and listened. Nothing. Not a sound. At the same time, Paper peeked around the corner to see, but quickly brought his head back in at the sight of the giant wolves only meters away. Each of their hearts pounded in their chests and sweat dripped from their brows, threatening to drown them in their own helmets.

"Ready?" Bastion whispered to Paper, who replied with a simple nod. Bastion then took his position, allowing Paper to step up on him and climb to the side of the carriage that now pointed straight in the air. With his magic, Paper opened it up and used the door to hide from view, before looking down into the haul. It was empty with the exception of wooden crates full of silk, spices, and other goods.

"It's empty," Paper called back down to Bastion as quietly as he could.

Bastion cursed under his breath before the two moved on to the next carriage, repeating the process from before. It too was empty and yet again Bastion cursed. Then they moved to the third.

"Third time's the charm, right?" Paper whispered. He climbed up again and peered inside.

Nightfall beat his wings as hard as he could. His breathing had grown heavy and the cold air stung at his lungs like a series of freezing needles. His wings burned even worse as the chill of the air seared into his flesh and began to form a thin layer of ice. He had dumped the charred body long ago and was now making his way back to their rally point as fast as he could carry himself.

The wolves had chased him relentlessly, but after dropping the corpse and taking off, they easily favored staying and devouring it, the burning flesh being far too savory of an opportunity to pass up.

As Nightfall got closer and closer to where he had initially taken off from, he began to swear internally as more pain crept into his body. Finally, he found the point at which he was to meet his squad, just beyond the wreckage of the caravan. Sure enough, there were three ponies there waiting for him. He landed, misstepping as a result of his exhaustion and pain, causing him to take a dive face first into the snow. He groaned in annoyance before lifting himself up.

Paper, Bastion, and Celestia all stood there before him. They each wore sad smiles.

"Good to see you again," Bastion said as he helped Nightfall to his hooves. "Paper and I had a little wager going to see if you would make it back in less than five minutes or not. I won... as usual." He chuckled a little, trying to mask grief that was apparent in his tone.

Nightfall looked around them. It was just them. The team that he knew and Celestia. There were no others. "Let me guess," he said sadly. "No survivors?"

Bastion just nodded.

To this Nightfall only replied with a sigh, before tucking his wings back into his suit and zipping up the sides. "Well," he eventually began. "At least we tried. Let's go."

Bastion watched as Nightfall began to walk off. "Nightfall, you're not even going to-"

"There's nothing more we can do," Nightfall interrupted in a depressed tone. "Hell, we just desecrated a corpse. If anything, we've done too much already. Best thing we can do now is get home." With that, he turned and resumed the journey.

"I'm sorry," Celestia eventually said in a seemingly deflated tone after a long moment of silence. "That was an unnecessary risk. I shouldn't have gotten us off track like that."

"You weren't wrong to want to at least try, Celestia," Paper replied. "It was the right thing to do. We just weren't lucky this time around."

Celestia sighed, looking back in the general direction of the caravan. "Nopony was."

The team had now marched on for another day. They made it to an outpost late in the evening where night had fallen and the sun had then risen to begin the next day. A new day, a new snow storm it seemed. All Celestia could see beyond the spires was white. The sight did little to preserve her already failing sunny disposition. During their time at this outpost, Nightfall had used the radio tower to contact Canterlot just before the storm moved in. Celestia had listened in on the call, where Nightfall had informed them that a VIP was currently in their possession, although he intentionally left out the part about her being an alicorn. He had also taken the liberty to request medical personnel to be onsite upon their arrival. Celestia had insisted that there was no need, but Nightfall naturally ignored her, much to her annoyance. Meanwhile, Bastion had taken part in a snowball fight with some of the local children who described his gear as being "really cool" and "awesome." Paper simply sat back on some stairs while writing in his journal.

After the dawning of morning, the team did not stay in the relative safety of the outpost for very long. Instead they opted to head out into the tundra again. It was best to keep moving if they wanted to maintain their current timetable, despite the less than favorable weather conditions. Despite the low visibility and strong winds, the group continued forward as best they could, passing the time with casual conversation.

"So you're telling me that you used a floating city to manufacture your own... weather?" Paper asked, not entirely believing the stories that Celestia had been telling.

"We did, indeed," Celestia answered. "Every region of Equestria was mostly responsible for controlling its own weather, but Cloudsdale played a significant role in coordinating these efforts and producing the required materials."

Everyone just went quiet for a moment after hearing this.

"No way," Nightfall eventually said. "You're pulling our legs."

It seemed as if there was no end in sight of the snow that had been falling for the last day. No matter where they went, it seemed that it followed them. The world had been bleak before, but now it was just an endless expanse of white. It would have been miserable for them had they not currently been on a train headed towards Canterlot. They had made it to the station at a rather large outpost earlier in the evening. Among the much smaller ponies, yet again Celestia had drawn some attention, but the presence of her escorts had dissuaded anypony from interrupting them though she did get more than a few curious stares.

Celestia had never cared too much for trains. Having had a chariot, train rides were few and far between for her back in the old days, though she did have a private train car for the rare occasion in which a chariot would not suffice. Now, a chariot it seemed was completely obsolete. There was no doubt that the poor pegasi pulling would freeze to death.

She leaned her head again the glass of the window. It was cold, but strangely comfortable. She closed her eyes as she allowed her mind to fall in line to the rhythm of the wheels rattling against the rails.

"So, Princess," Bastion began.

"Hmm?"

"I've got to ask. If you're here, do you think that means that the other alicorns are as well... somewhere out there frozen in stone, I mean."

Celestia thought for a moment before answering. "I see no reason to assume that they aren't. It would certainly make some sense. Given the circumstances of how I was found, I do believe that when our spell failed, it discharged a great amount of magical energy to send me where I ended up. It would only stand to reason that the others were sent off in a similar fashion."

"Exactly how many ponies were involved in your spell," Paper asked curiously.

"Just the five of us," Celestia answered. "Twilight, Cadence, Flurry, Luna, and myself. Discord supplied us with a focusing crystal, but he was absent at the time of its casting. More than a few mages helped in the spell's overall design, but only the four of us were required when it came time to use it. Why?"

"Just curious I suppose," Paper said with a shrug.

"What were the others like?" Bastion asked. "If you dont mind me asking."

Celestia thought back to before everything went crazy. Fond memories returned to her as she called upon the times she had spent in the company of the other alicorns. "Twilight was a student of mine ever since she was a little filly. She was brilliant and eager to better Equestria with her knowledge. She was also anti-social and somewhat paranoid until she discovered her destiny as the Element of Magic. Upon her ascension, she was crowned the Princess of Friendship. Cadence was similar, although much more outgoing. She was somewhat of a sister to Twilight, even more so after marrying her brother. I still remember the day she became the Princess of Love. She eventually went on to rule the Crystal Empire with her husband. Flurry Heart was their daughter and did eventually take over. She did well as a ruler, especially for being so young. I think the whole situation worried her the most though. She most certainly took after her aunt in that regard."

"Hearing you say Empire when referring to the crystal ponies still feels weird if I'm being honest," Paper said. "I've never met a crystal pony who wasn't a complete doormat."

Bastion suddenly thumped Paper upside the head before turning his attention back to Celestia. "What about Luna?" he asked. "What was she like?"

Celestia smiled as the memories came to her. "She was my sister and best friend for many years..." Her expression turned to that of a frown. "That was before the dark days. When she did return to me, I was... so happy. She was a much more direct kind of pony than I ever was. Strict. Over concerned in many matters. A bit blunt, but graceful most of the time. It had been a thousand years when she returned from exile. I guess I'm kind of experiencing what she went through." Celestia thought for a few moments in silence before finally turning back to the ponies before her. "What about you?" she asked. "Do you have any family?"

"I do, actually," Bastion answered. "My old man and mother live over on the East coast in a fishing village. I left home to join the Guard in Canterlot. That's where my wife is. We're... um... expecting soon, actually."

Celestia's expression suddenly lit up from somberness to one of delight. "Congratulations. That is wondrous news. Have you decided on a name yet?"

Bastion chuckled. "No, not yet. But we've still got six months to think about it, so..."

"I'm sure you will come up with a beautiful name for your foal."

"I've already offered suggestions on multiple occasions," Paper pointed out jokingly. "Of course, Bastion here thinks that all my ideas are silly. There's nothing wrong with naming your foal after a fictional character, especially one who wields the mighty weapon, Mulenir."

Bastion just rolled his eyes as Paper continued to smile at him with a troll like grin.

"So why leave the Guard for this?" Celestia asked. "Law enforcement is an honorable enough role."

"Yeah, but it's redundant as all hell," Bastion pointed out. "You solve one problem and another takes its place. Society doesn't really improve and ponies dont change. The Initiative may be extremely dangerous, but I'm actually making a difference out here. With every mission we complete, things get a little bit easier for the ponies living out on the edge."

"I see. What about you, Paper?" Celestia eventually asked. "What is life like for you?"

"Well," Paper began. "There's not really much to tell. My parents own the printing press in Canterlot. I used to work for them, but now I'm over with the Canterlot Times as a journalist."

"How did you end up in the TRST Initiative?"

"It was my own brilliant idea," Paper answered sarcastically. "I write articles about things going on out in the tundra. We have it really good in the city. I dont think ponies understand just how good. From what you've told me about the old Equestria, I'd guess that you'd probably think of life in Canterlot as, quote unquote, normal. I figured that taking field notes would help me shed some light on the daily lives of ponies out in smaller settlements and bring attention to their struggles, maybe even encourage some charity."

"That's very noble of you, Paper," Celestia assured.

"I'm glad you think so," Paper said in a cheerful tone. "There's a few at the Times who think it isn't worth while. They're only concern is where the money is, so to speak. You know how tabloid journalists are."

Celestia stifled a small laugh. "Yes, there were more than a few in my time. You wouldn't believe the things that I would read on occasion." As the group shared a quick laugh, Celestia took notice of the thestral at the other end of the empty train car. Nightfall had fallen asleep nearly an hour ago, stating that one had to catch it when they could. "What is Nightfall's story," Celestia asked in a somewhat concerned tone. "He said earlier that he got stuck in the Initiative, as if he is here against his will."

With the exception of the soft click clack click clack of the wheels against the rails outside, the train car grew deafeningly silent. Bastion and Paper both exchanged nervous looks, each hesitating to finally address Celestia's question with an answer.

"It's complicated," Bastion finally said as he scratched the back of his head. Meanwhile, Paper opted to shut up, allowing his friend to do all the talking on this matter. "If you really want to know, you'll have to ask him yourself," Bastion continued. "It's better that way. Nightfall's had it pretty rough and I dont think it would be wise for us to run our mouths on matters like that... sorry."

"It's alright," Celestia acknowledged, as she looked over to the sleeping thestral. "I understand." She didn't know why, but a thought suddenly came to her. It had just dawned on her that she had never once seen Nightfall smile, not genuinely at least. She had seen a few acknowledging nods and smiles here and there, but every conversation she had had with him lacked the life and vitality of those she had shared with Bastion and Paper. Even now as he slept, Celestia could tell that something was distressing Nightfall. She could just see it on his face.

Celestia sighed softly. She didn't know what it was but her heart went out to him. Clearly there was something there that burdened his very soul.

Bastion and Paper both seemed like wonderful ponies and she was more than happy to be able to call them friends. Though she did not yet know Nightfall as well as the others, she hoped that one day that he too could be called friend. For now, Celestia was content to just sit and talk, until Canterlot finally came into view.

Author's Note

Suddenly, a wild chapter 3 appears.
I'll have chapter 4 out before the end of the month. Chapter 5 should be out within a week after that.

Chapter 4: Sanctuary

Canterlot. The Fortress City. The Heart of Equestria. The Jewel of Pony Civilization. The city had been given many titles throughout history, each one conveying some form of significance. Celestia stared in awe of the city that was no longer familiar to her. In her time, Canterlot had sat comfortably on the side of the mountain. Now, it was as if the city itself had swallowed the mountain whole, engulfing it in a blanket of stone and wood.

From the base of the mountain, massive towers stood, connected to one another by walls that formed a perimeter around the entire mountain. Near the top, where the royal palace once stood, a castle of great magnitude took its place. Gone were the fantastical architectural feats from an age long ago. Gone were the large stain glass windows that depicted Equestrian history. The city had become ridged and ordered. Swirling domes had been replaced with flat topped defense towers and lookout posts. Each tier of the city had its own secondary defense wall. The once free flowing architecture of Canterlot had been replaced with a design that favored security.

There was one thing that remained though. This was color. In a world of endless white, Canterlot was a beacon that called forth every color of the rainbow and beyond. Large banners hung from everywhere and everything. Wondrous works of art expanded across every structure. An entire side of the mountain had been dedicated to creating an expansive port where massive airships of every shape, size, and color transported goods and ponies. Currently, each was docked given the current weather conditions, but the oversized storm spires that surrounded the entire city protected them from being violently thrashed around.

Despite the city's new castle like appearance, it quickly became clear to Celestia that this was indeed a place of culture. The ponies of this era had not only survived, but they had thrived in a way that the old Equestria had not yet seen. A small smile came to Celestia as she looked out on the great city.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Bastion said after noticing Celestia's hopeful look.

"Yes," Celestia answered as their train entered the outer perimeter. "It is certainly a sight to behold."

Suddenly, the train's breaks began to squeal as it passed the last of the outer walls and pulled into a station within the city itself. From the window, Celestia could see several full squads of soldiers marching down the platform in every which direction, each wearing a specialized snow suit similar to those of her own escorts. A small team of three was waiting outside the door of their own train car, ready to meet them. Two of the ponies were what appeared to be medical staff, no doubt a result of the call Nightfall had made earlier that day.

The thestral in question now stood at the door, having been awoken when the train made it through the first of the checkpoints.

When the doors finally opened, they all stepped out where they were greeted by a pony with a tray, four hot beverages sitting upon it. Once the tray was cleared by the small group, he took off to the next platform to meet another team of returning rangers. The drink was hot chocolate, a simple recipe in Celestia's time, but there was something far different about what Celestia was currently bringing to her lips. This drink was incredible. It was if the gods themselves had dropped chocolate from the heavens just so it could be mixed into a liquid for pony consumption.

"It's good, right?" Paper asked, his expression lighting up into pure joy at seeing just how happy the drink made the alicorn.

Celestia smiled gleefully with a few nods, a brown mustache forming under her nose, which she hastily cleared with her tongue. "It has been forever since I last had hot chocolate, even not counting the years I was away. This is far better than I remember though."

"Just goes to show you," Nightfall began. "If you want quality, you go private sector."

"Indeed," Celestia agreed.

Though they were enjoying the moment, they were interrupted only seconds later as one of the medical ponies began to address Celestia. "We're going to need to get you checked out. If you'd please follow me to the aid station."

"Whatever for?" Celestia questioned.

"It's just precautionary, ma'am," the mare answered with a smile. "We just need to run some tests. It will only take a few minutes. Then you can be on your way."

"Sounds reasonable," Celestia replied. She suddenly glanced back at Nightfall who seemed not at all interested in sticking around. "Could you... give me a moment?" Celestia asked the nurse.

"Certainly," the nurse answered cheerfully.

Celestia turned back to Nightfall. "You didn't tell them?"

"They'll figure it out," Nightfall dismissed with a shrug. "I figured it would be best if we avoided a crowd directly out of the gate."

"Are you all not coming with me?" Celestia asked, noticing that Nightfall, Bastion, and Paper did not seem to be following her any longer.

"This is actually where we split up," Bastion informed. "We got to head to debriefing, before we can go anywhere else."

"Dont worry, Princess," Nightfall said. "Someone will meet you at the medical facility. You can reveal yourself to them however you like."

"I see," Celestia began after thinking for a moment. She wasn't sure why, but she felt almost sad at having to part from her escorts. Over the last few days she had come to know them on some level. She would dare say that they were the closest things she had to friends now. No. As a matter of fact, they were her friends. "In that case," she continued somewhat sadly, "it has been a pleasure making your acquaintance."

"Likewise," Bastion replied happily.

Nightfall just gave a nod.

"Celestia wait," Paper suddenly called before the alicorn could take off. "Before you go..." He reached into one of his pouches and handed her a small slip of paper with a ten digit number written on it. "Here. This is the number for the Canterlot Times. It will probably be a while, but once you're ready, give them a call and ask for me. We can have that interview we talked about. That is... you know... if you're still interested."

Celestia smiled down at the unicorn. "Of course I'm still interested," she said. "I look forward to seeing you again."

"Oh." Paper said in surprise, perking up a bit as he did. "Good. I'll uh... I'll see you then."

And with that they parted ways. Celestia knew that what came next would not be easy. There would be much work to be done in the coming days. For now, there was little she could do, but once she got herself acquainted with whoever it was that was currently running Equestria, gears would begin turning very rapidly. The only question she needed to worry about at the moment, was how were they going to react?

Self propelled carriages were something that Celestia had somehow expected to see at some point. What she did not expect was to find herself in one so soon. It was no bigger than a normal carriage from her own time and the overall aesthetic appeared to be mostly the same. The only real difference was the fact that this one ran on rails and nopony was pulling. Instead, a motor of some sort was fixed to the front, quietly humming away as it applied power to the wheels. It was a very simple design, truth be told.

Within, Celestia was accompanied by four guards, two across from her facing her, and another two, one on either side of her. Though she had revealed herself only a few minutes ago, the ponies in charge at the rail station had wasted little time in getting her to where she desired to go, and where she currently desired to go was the palace, or castle as everypony seemed set on calling it. She couldn't help but wonder if her new escorts were aware of who she was, as they remained completely silent and stoic.

She was completely unsurprised to see that their armor had changed quite a great deal since her vanishing. The plating had gone from reflective gold to a matte navy blue with a grey under suit underneath. The geometry was much less free flowing and much more ridged, just like the city they guarded. Each guard had their own personalized configuration of pouches, pockets, and patches. All in all, the armor had gone from a ceremonial design to one of functionality. That was not to say that they did not look good. Though it was somewhat smaller, the crest along the top of the helmet had remained, though it was now full metal without the hair. Celestia couldn't help but to feel somewhat happy about this choice. She liked her guards, and some familiarity was certainly welcome.

As their horseless carriage passed through the city, what Celestia saw only brought a smile to her expression. Life. It was everywhere. From the window, she could see ponies carrying on with their lives as if it were any normal day. It was cold and the way in which they were bundled up reflected this, but she could see that most were happy. There was commerce, gatherings, and smiles. The world around Celestia may have changed, but she knew in her heart that these were the same ponies that she had come to love.

Eventually they did reach the castle at the top of the city, filing out into the courtyard that was surrounded by towering walls and... well, towers. A line of guards had formed on either side of the stairs that led to the front door. At this door, three ponies stood. One was a unicorn guard, though his uniform seemed to be much more ornate than those around him. The other two were earth ponies who wore formal wear, each of them looking quite nervous.

As Celestia made her way up the stairs toward the welcoming committee, the guards began to fall in line behind her, forming a sort of protective barrier between her and the main gate from which they had entered. When she made it to the top of the stairs, the two earth ponies threw themselves before her.

"Welcome, your highness," one of the ponies greeted, bowing far more dramatically than was needed. "We are so pleased to see that you have arrived safely. My name is Lucky Charm."

"And I am Platinum," the other said with an equally dramatic bow.

Celestia simply returned the pleasantry with a nod to each of them. "Greetings, my little ponies. I was told that I would be meeting the Chancellor."

"Yes, yes, of course," Platinum began. "Please, your highness. A thousand pardons, but the Chancellor was quite busy and will have to receive you directly in his office, your most gracious excellency."

"If you would please follow us, your royal majesty," Lucky said, exuberantly bowing every time Celestia was addressed. "It would be our highest honor to lead your most spectacular splendidness to him."

Celestia gave the two a skeptical look. She was beginning to believe that they were going to just keep making up titles at this point. "Please," she said suddenly. "Princess is more than adequate."

From there the two led Celestia through the castle to the upper floors. Despite the complete makeover in her absence, Celestia noticed that the layout of the halls was more or less the same as when she had left, with the exception of a few added halls and rooms every so often. The overall aesthetic had not changed much either. It was a welcome sight. She must have gotten caught up in her own thoughts, because she didn't even notice that they had stopped at a rather large oak double door.

"Right this way," Lucky said, opening a side of the door for Celestia.

"Please, allow me," Platinum insisted, pulling open the other side of the door.

Celestia sighed, and with a roll of her eyes stepped into the large office space. It was dimly lit, the rays from the setting sun and a few candles being the only source of light. At the far end was a large wooden desk with a countless amount of papers strewn upon it. An older gentleman of a stallion was currently making it his impromptu pillow, as he laid his head on it, now fast asleep.

Before either of the earth ponies could say anything, and they certainly were about to, they were pushed out of the way by the unicorn guard who had been following close behind the entire time. He made his way to the desk and gave the stallion a few pats on the shoulder, waking him from his slumber.

The two exchanged a few quiet words, ones that Celestia could not hear over the sound of Platinum and Lucky complaining amongst themselves. Then the guard returned back, grabbing the two by their collars in his magic, and quite literally dragging them out the door, which shut behind them.

"I'm terribly sorry about that," the older stallion began. "I had sent the captain of the guard to receive you, but it would seem those two let their ambition ruin even a simple greeting." He coughed and cleared his throat before continuing. "Please though, do come and have a seat. I sense we have much to discuss." When Celestia had made her way to one of the two seats across from him, the stallion peered through his spectacles at her. "My, you are a sight to behold. Oh, but of course, a proper introduction is in order. Isn't it? I am Chancellor Cobalt."

Celestia smiled. "It is very good to finally meet you, Chancellor. My name is Princess Celestia."

"I must say," Cobalt said, "when I received word that an alicorn had shown up on the city doorstep, I didn't initially believe it." He coughed violently, before pardoning himself and taking a sip of water. "I thought for sure it was another noble pony wasting time with absurd claims, but here you are. Safe, sound, and very much an alicorn. A princess no less. I do hope that your stay thus far has been a pleasant one."

Celestia nodded. "Indeed it has. I had the great privilege of traveling with a group of TRST Initiative Rangers from western Equestria to here. After everything that I saw in the tundra, I feared that pony society had fallen into disarray. I am pleasantly surprised that the case is just the opposite."

"Yes, well, we have had great fortune in the past few years," Cobalt replied. "Now that you are here though, we can begin the process of getting you reinstated. There is so much that you have yet to see if you are to be an effective ruler."

Celestia stopped and just stared at Cobalt for a moment. She somewhat surprised that he had been the one to bring up the matter so willingly. Her arrival certainly implied many things for Equestria's government. "I assure you, Chancellor," Celestia began. "I am not here to relieve anyone of their position. As far as I have seen and heard, Equestria has been ruled quite well in my absence."

Chancellor Cobalt sighed. "You are a blessing unto us, Princess. More than you know it would seem. I am going to be perfectly honest with you. I may be Equestria's ruler today, but my health is declining. I fear what may come tomorrow."

Celestia suddenly felt very sad. "You're dying," she stated, her ears splaying onto the back of her head.

Cobalt nodded. "It would seem my time to leave is drawing near. I have done many good things with this life. Lived it the best I could for the betterment of those around me. I could not ask for a better run, but... I do not know if I can trust that my successor will be able to humble themselves to serve Equestria as I have striven to do so."

"You fear corruption, don't you?"

"Yes," Cobalt answered. "The problem with the parliament these days is that there are too many private interests. I have been able to stave off the worst ideas, but... I dont know what will be unleashed when I am gone." Yet again, he coughed. "What Equestria needs is a guiding hoof, now more than ever."

Celestia thought for a moment about the current situation. "Does anypony else know... about your health, I mean?"

"No," Cobalt answered simply.

"In that case, I am honored that you would share such information with me."

"Thank you," Cobalt replied. "Now. Enough of this unpleasantness. Let us get down to business."

Celestia nodded in agreement. There was much for them to discuss."

The sun had now begun to touch the horizon as it continued to fall in the sky. The Chancellor now knew Celestia's story and she knew a part of his. Seeing as how late it was getting though, they both agreed to meet in the morning and discuss the remaining details over breakfast.

Celestia had been given a vacant bedroom for the night. Despite her own tiredness, she found herself drawn to the balcony.

She leaned up against the balcony railing, looking out as the sun continued to set on the land she had inherited. It was white. Every square inch of it, with the exception of the colorful city below her. She sighed, knowing full and well that this was her life now. The old Equestria was gone. There was no turning back. All she could do now, was move forward. The large puffs of white from her breathing did little to console her.

"Nice night, isn't it?" a voice suddenly asked from the shadows.

Celestia nearly jumped out of her spot in surprise. She was not alone. She looked over to see a familiar thestral leaning over the railing, just as she had been doing. "Yes, I suppose so," she finally answered after composing herself.

Nightfall gave just a bit of a chuckle as he joined her. "Sorry if I startled you. Didn't mean to."

"It's quite alright," Celestia dismissed. She stared Nightfall down for a moment before looking back to the door. It was still closed. Then she looked to him again. "How... did you...?"

"Get in?" Nightfall finished, keeping his eyes fixated on the horizon from beneath a pair of heavily tented shades. "This room is usually vacant. I got here an hour or so before you walked in."

"I see," Celestia said, not entirely sure where to go from here. In truth, she did not much expect to ever see him again and he was the last pony she would have expected to find in her new bedroom. She hesitated, but did eventually break the silence that fell between them. "So, what brings you up here this evening," she asked, curious as to why the thestral was on her balcony.

"I come up here to think on occasion," Nightfall answered. "I'm not really supposed to be on castle grounds, but rules have never really stopped me before, so..."

"Is that why you're here now," Celestia asked, "to think?"

"I guess," Nightfall answered, not sounding so sure of himself. "I'm actually here on "official business" this time though. Some higher ups wanted to talk to me personally since I led the team that found you. Wanted to do a comprehensive debriefing and all that jazz. It basically boiled down to them telling me to keep my mouth shut. I'm just waiting for them to finish the paperwork, then I'm free to go."

"Speaking of official business," Celestia began. "How exactly did you end up with the Initiative. Back in the tundra you said you got stuck, like you didn't want to be there."

Nightfall just sighed before thinking for a moment. He played with the idea of keeping her entirely in the dark on the details and even juggled it with the idea of just giving her false information, but decided against it. It was probably best if he told her himself. "You're gonna hear somethings... about me at some point. I guess I might as well tell you myself."

"It certainly wouldn't hurt to hear your side of the story."

"Yeah, my side... if that's what you want to call it." Nightfall stopped for a moment to take a deep breath, taking in the crisp night air. As the sun finally began to dip below the horizon, he was able to remove his sun glasses. "I made some mistakes a number of years ago. I ended up with the Initiative by court order. It was that or spend twenty something years in a cell."

"What did you do?" Celestia asked calmly.

Nightfall looked over, half expecting to see Celestia recoiling in disgust, but she didn't. Instead, the alicorn simply leaned in, clearly just curious. It was comforting. "I got caught," Nightfall joked, before turning gravely serious. "I took part in a few robberies over the years. Heists, really. Banks, penthouses, mansions, all really high profile stuff. We didn't steal from the poor or anything like that. Of course, we didn't give to the poor either, so..." He trailed off before going silent again.

"How did you get involved with that?"

To Nightfall, Celestia sounded almost like a disappointed mother. It was a weird feeling even talking about this to begin with. He remained quiet for a more than a few moments. He just looked down in deep thought, memories of a long time ago coming back to him. Finally, he answered. "I... um..." He rolled a few words around his mouth, trying to find a way to say what he wanted.

Celestia frowned. She could see it in his eyes there was pain he was not ready to talk about. He hid it well, but still she could see it. It was the same look she had seen in her sister when reminiscing about the past. Because she was experienced in that sort of thing, she called off her question. "Forget I asked," she suddenly said.

Nightfall looked to her, somewhat surprised, but also grateful, before returning his gaze back out into the night. "Thanks."

A silence grew between the two, as they each sat on the balcony, each lost in their own thoughts.

"When do you get out?" Celestia asked. "Of the Initiative I mean."

A smile cracked across Nightfall's expression. "That was my last mission, believe it or not. Now I'm just waiting for them to get finished downstairs so I can head home. It will be... nice... to just be able to relax for once. No more worrying about some next big assignment. No more annoying brass shouting at me. I can finally breath again." He took a deep breath and let it out. "Feels good."

"What will you do now that you're out? It seems to me that you have a very particular set of skills that you can no longer use. What now?"

Nightfall's expression grew thoughtful. "I'm not sure," he answered. "I've got some friends in a few places that could help me out. Nothing illegal this time around though. I think I'm ready to start over. Being out there in the tundra, it's... well, it's given me some perspective on a few things, y'know?"

"What about family?" Celestia pried.

"A few," Nightfall answered.

That was the only answer Celestia got, before silence grew between them yet again.

Canterlot was the same city that Nightfall remembered. Anytime he returned from his travels in the tundra there would always be something new. Either it was road construction, a building renovation, a completely new construction project all together. This time was no different. One of the guard towers on the outer walls had some scaffolding around it as part of a restoration project and one of the mid tiers was getting a new bakery, but it was still the same city.

Nightfall didn't really care to look and see what had changed in his absence this time though. He had a destination in mind and was more concerned about getting there than taking in whatever new sights Canterlot had to offer. Besides, he had spent nearly his entire life in the fortress city and would have plenty of time later to catch up. Right now, he just wanted to get where he was going.

It was a small bar called The Hideout, that was only open from the evening until morning. It was in one of the lower tiers, on the edge of a residential district just above one of the city's main industrial tiers. From the castle, it would have only taken him a few minutes to fly down, but he was tired enough at this point that he instead opted to take one of the cable cars that ran between the city tiers.

After exiting the cable car station, it was only a few blocks down, about a ten minute walk. The Hideout was usually his first stop after returning from the tundra. It was a warm and familiar place where he could grab a drink, greet a few friends, and hopefully meet a specific pony, assuming she was working a shift that night. He had actually been one of the founding employees. In a way, The Hideout was his home.

Upon entering The Hideout, a warm and relaxing wave of air brushed over Nightfall. His nose was met by the smells of food and drink and his ears were greeted with the sounds of a busy kitchen and ponies socializing. The lights in this place were much dimmer than the stark white light that gleamed from the snow outside. There were no actual electrical fixtures here. Rather, the entire place was lit with candles. Each table had at least one and the rest were mounted on the walls. It was all very easy on the eyes, a consequence of being a thestral run business.

Nightfall could still recall back to when they first opened The Hideout ten years ago, back when there were barely any lights at all. Originally, the bar had been meant for just the thestrals here, but as time went on more and more ponies began to show up. It was because of this that they were eventually forced to install these candles.

Business had started out slow. There had only been four employees at the beginning. First there was Scotch. He could make just about any thing into a palatable drink. Even when the stocks ran low, he kept them afloat with his skill for drink mixing. In their marketing sector was Grey. He was a young thestral with little experience out in the real world, but he knew how to sell an idea. His experience as a graffiti artist had come in quite handy when coming up with ways to promote the business. Nightfall's brother, Specter, was considered to be the brains and had spent countless nights over a law book, learning all manners of rules and loopholes that could be exploited to give them an edge. And of course, there was Nightfall. At the time, he was what one would have called a procurement specialist. If there was something that they needed he could get it by any means necessary, legally and otherwise.

The climb to success had not been simple though, or even easy for that matter. There were those in the higher tiers of Canterlot that wished only to see the thestrals fail. It was a common belief amongst the high class ponies that thestrals were all unethical and usually up to no good. The last thing they wanted to see was an organized group of thestrals taking refuge within the city walls. And so they attempted to wage a war on the small enclave that had popped up seemingly over night.

Health inspector after health inspector would show up outside the door, always unannounced, and each time The Hideout had passed with flying colors. Even the fire marshal had been called in in an attempt to close them down, but they had been ahead of the game with renovations that kept the dream from sinking right there and then.

It wasn't long before ponies started catching on to what was actually going on between the thestrals and the aristocracy and as if in an act of defiance the bar began to get more and more business. Occasional customers became regulars and before anyone knew it the thestrals had found solid footing.

Of course, the thestrals recognized what the nobles thought of them and to some extent there was some truth to their accusations. They would only be lying to themselves if they said they never served more than a few ponies who didn't exactly have spotless records, but they were never given any trouble. In fact, the thestrals were now virtually untouchable as their feud had earned them the respect of the common pony. In one final act of defiance, the bar, which had previously gone unnamed, was named The Hideout. It had been Grey's idea, meant as a taunt.

Nightfall always enjoyed hearing the story of how they had essentially told the nobles to 'stick it.' Anytime he entered he was reminded of the events and couldn't help but wear a smile. There had been rumors at a time that the nobles took their claims to the highest levels of the government and been left only disappointed. Nightfall didn't really believe this, but it made for a good story nonetheless.

Nightfall sighed after closing the door behind him, finally able to take off his scarf and remove his sunglasses. This was home for him and it was good to be back. He scanned the room, looking for any familiar faces. Despite the fact that the majority of the clientele were thestrals, there were more than a few other types of ponies strewn throughout the bar. In one of the far corners a group of gryphons occupied a booth, telling jokes and sharing drinks. A few tables down, a changeling played cards with a friends. A zebra couple had taken a table along one of the walls a few tables over from that.

In this setting, non-thestrals stuck out like sore thumbs and of course they were glad to have them, but there was one pony in particular that Nightfall kept an eye out for. He walked over to the bar only to be greeted by an old friend.

"Hey, hey, Nightfall," Scotch called from the other side of the bar in an accent quite appropriate for the setting. "Long time no see. How's the tundra been treating you?"

"Same as always, Scotchy," Nightfall replied with a smile. "It's still cold as all hell and the windigos still try to kill me, so I guess I'm doing something right. How have things been here?"

Scotch motioned Nightfall over. "Things are going great," he said, leaning across the countertop. "Just last week, we got a new contract with the brewery up in the third tier."

"Wow, that's great," Nightfall said. "Look at you moving up in the world."

"Ah, you give me too much credit. You cant forget that you helped to build the old girl. Now she's growing up," Scotch reminded. As their conversation continued, they were forced to walk back and forth along the bar so Scotch could tend to the empty glasses of a few pegasi. "Any chance you'll come back and join us now that you're sentence is over?"

"I don't know," Nightfall answered as he scratched the back of his head. "Now that I'm done, I think I want to try something honest."

Scotch just chuckled. "I'm sure we could put you to work in the back. Maybe you could be a cook."

"I dont know," Nightfall replied with not much confidence. "I'm not all that great at cooking."

"No better time to learn," Scotch pointed out. "We'd love to have you."

Nightfall chuckled. "I'll have to think about it," he said. "Speaking of work, is Meadow on shift tonight? I was hoping to meet up with her as usual."

"Nope," Scotch answered simply. "But, she is upstairs. She took a day shift today. Been waiting for you up there ever since she got off. Now that I think about it, I probably should have opened with that. Anyways, I wont keep you any longer. You two have a lot of catching up to do."

Nightfall had practically jumped off the bar stool after hearing that Meadow was present, a gleeful smile cracking across his expression like the opening of a chest filled with silver. "Yeah," Nightfall said. I... uh..." He fumbled his words before finding his tongue. "I should head up there." After taking a few steps towards the door that lead to the stairs, he
turned back to Scotch for a moment. "Oh, Scotch. Thanks."

Scotch just gave him a nod, before sending him on his way.

As Nightfall opened a door upstairs, he found that the room beyond, despite being furnished, was mostly empty. There was a pony at the far end of the room gazing out the window, waiting for something. The fading light from outside cast her long shadow across the floor and she appeared only as a silhouette from where Nightfall stood.

He closed the door lightly and cleared his throat. The mare at the window jumped in surprise at the sound from behind her. She turned and walked out from the beams of the sun to see the thestral waiting there for her. Neither pony made a sound. They just stood there staring at each other for a moment.

"Nightfall," the mare finally said. She looked tired. Her voice was soft and there were bags under her eyes.

"Meadow," Nightfall replied. He sighed and chuckled a little. "It's over."

Meadow's eyes grew large as she processed the two words that had just been spoken. They were two little words, but they meant the world to her. It was all finally over. For a moment she tried to say something, but the words were never able to come before her eyes filled with tears of joy. She tried to wipe them away and finding that it was no use she darted across the room to receive Nightfall with a hug.

Nightfall staggered back a bit as Meadow practically launched herself into him. He laughed and returned the hug. "Did you wait for me up here all day?"

Even with the tears still flowing from her eyes, staining both of their coats, Meadow began to laugh. She had indeed waited for him here all day long, taking an extra shift just to do so, and the way Nightfall asked made it all sound so ridiculous, but this moment made all the others that she had spent just watching the snowflakes fall and wondering if she'd ever see him again feel worth it. "It's over," she repeated with a smile.

"Yeah," Nightfall said in a voice barely above a whisper as he caressed the back of Meadows neck. He planted a single kiss on her head. "It's over."

The two remained this way for some time, each being content with simply being with one another in total silence. At the moment, they didn't need any words. It seemed as if they could both stay there for an eternity and given the circumstances, Nightfall wouldn't have minded. He was just happy to be with her.

As the hug prolonged for several more minutes, Nightfall eventually found himself looking down only to find that Meadow had, in fact, fallen asleep. She had nestled herself into his shoulder and had fully drifted away. "Poor girl," was all Nightfall could think at that moment. She had spent the entirety of the day working and waiting for him to return and now that he was here, she couldn't even stay awake.

Nightfall took Meadow in his hooves and carried her to the bed only a few meters away. He gently placed her down and sat next to her. She was adorable when she slept. He couldn't help but to wonder how he could end up so lucky. After all the messed up and backwards relationships he had been in, Meadow was a godsend.

She was kind, smart, and she always understood. No matter what, she understood him and even when she didn't, she'd make the extra effort to at least try. He loved her for that. She had the patience of a saint and at times Nightfall felt as if he wasn't worthy of that. He certainly hadn't been as good towards her as he would have liked. That was all going to change come morning. Now that his sentence was over, it was time for him to fulfill his promise to her. It was time for him to be there for her.

As the last of the light faded from the room with the setting of the sun, Nightfall laid down next to Meadow. He put a hoof around her and pulled her in, before grabbing the covers and throwing them overtop of them.

Nightfall was more than happy this way, just being with her. Finally he was out of the harsh cold world and in a warm place where he belonged. As he wrapped his hooves around her and held her close, he relaxed, letting his guard down for the first time in what felt like an age unending. He closed his eyes and let the rest that he so desperately desired overtake him.

Meadow Spring slept soundly on the bed, warm air from under the covers enveloping her in comfort. The mattress was just the right amount of soft and firm. She could have stayed there and slept for an eternity had she not been roused from her slumber by a sudden shifting of weight on the other side of the bed.

"Meadow," a familiar voice whispered in her ear.

"Uhh," she groaned as she rolled over towards the center of the bed, burying herself deeper under the soft blankets. "Nightfall," she moaned without even opening her eyes. "It's too early."

"I know, but I want to show you something," he said from the side of the bed.

Meadow rolled back over and opened her eyes. Sure enough, Nightfall stood there, wrapped in a coat and scarf. His emerald green eyes watching her behind his heavily tented shades. She sighed. "Where are we going?" she asked, sounding less than enthused at the fact that the alarm clock only displayed '5:49'.

"It's a surprise," Nightfall said with a grin.

Meadow returned the smile. "Well," she said, finally pulling her head from the pillow stack. "I do like surprises."

"Good," Nightfall said as Meadow quite literally fell out of bed and slumped across the floor towards her winter apparel. Nightfall just rolled his eyes at her exaggerated exhaustion. "I'll get us some coffee," he said, heading for the door. "Meet me downstairs when you're ready."

Meadow just nodded as she found her way to her hooves. After dawning a coat, scarf, and hat with a little puffball on top, Meadow headed for the ground floor, where Nightfall was waiting. She was met with a cup of hot coffee on the counter. Scotch was behind the bar, serving a few thestrals at the other end.

"Does he ever sleep?" Meadow asked.

Nightfall just shrugged, not entirely sure if he had ever seen Scotch behind the bar since they opened.

When the two were finished, Nightfall called over a unicorn, a pony Meadow recognized as their friend Astral. "You ready?" Astral asked as his horn began to charge with a yellow magical aura.

"For what?" Meadow asked nervously.

Astral looked to Nightfall. "Wait, you didn't tell her?" he asked.

"It's a surprise," Nightfall answered.

"Ah," Astral replied. "Okay don't worry. Just sit still and relax. This wont take long."

Meadow gave a nervous laugh as Astral pointed his horn at her. "Uh, Nightfall. What's going on?" Suddenly, she was hit with a wave of magic that caused her body to jolt slightly, although that may have just been the caffeine. She felt warm and her hooves tingled, but after a few seconds, she went back to feeling normal again.

"There," Astral said happily. "You're good to go. Have fun."

Meadow gave Nightfall a confused look, who thanked Astral and gave him a hoof-bump. "What is going on?"

Nightfall smiled and headed to the front door leading her outside into the city streets of Canterlot. It was still brutally cold. The air seemingly pierced straight to their skin and sent chills through their bones.

"Okay," Nightfall said as he shook slightly, more than ready to get this show on the road. "Relax. Close your eyes," he instructed.

Meadow sat down, closed her eyes, and waited, only to feel Nightfall wrap his hooves around her midsection. She giggled, being just a little ticklish. The more she waited, the more the anticipation grew inside her.

"Ready?"

Meadow just nodded with excitement.

"Oh, and one more thing." Nightfall put his muzzle to her ear and whispered. "Don't look down."

Meadow's eyes opened suddenly and she looked over her shoulder to the thestral behind her. "Wait, wha- HOLY SHIT!" she screamed as she found herself being rocketed up towards the sky.

"I told you to close your eyes," Nightfall laughed over the sound of air rushing passed them.

For a moment, Meadow thought that surely this was all just a joke, like the many they had played on each other over the course of the last several years. But as Canterlot grew smaller and smaller below them, Meadow found herself shutting her eyes and covering her face with her hooves. "You are in so much trouble!" was all she could think to say, as she felt them shoot closer and closer to the stratosphere. Seconds later, she could feel their climb slow and before long, they had stopped. This was no comfort to her though.

"You can open your eyes now," Nightfall instructed.

Meadow shook her head, keeping her hooves clamped over her face. It took several more tries of Nightfall reassuring her before she slowly accepted that she was safe and peeked out from under her hooves. Before her, was a vast cloudscape of white rolling puffs. Though it was still cold, her body began to feel at ease and her adrenaline gradually subsided. She looked up. The sky was still just dim enough to provide an everlasting clear view of the stars, each shining and sparkling in its own way. For a moment, she was speechless. And then, against her protests, Nightfall let go. Her body tensed only for a second, before she found herself sitting on the very clouds themselves.

"Easy," Nightfall cautioned. "The air is thinner up here, so you'll need a second to adjust.

Meadow closed her eyes and with a single deep breath, took in the crisp sky air. "This is incredible," she finally said. "I've never seen anything like it before."

"You haven't even seen the best part yet." Nightfall pointed to what could be considered the horizon. "Sun should be rising in a few minutes." He sat down next to Meadow. The cloud beneath them gave way just slightly as his weight was added. He could feel Meadow shaking just slightly, still somewhat unnerved by the fact that they were currently 6,000 meters up. Of course, this explained why Meadow's breathing was slow and heavy.

Nightfall took her hooves in his own, but before he could say any of the things that he wanted, she nuzzled up against him. Nightfall wrapped his hooves and wings around her, pulling her in closer; their combined body heat more than enough to fend off the chill in the wind.

"I love you, Meadow," Nightfall said, finally breaking the moment of silence. "I wish we could stay this way forever."

Meadow looked up into Nightfall's eyes and for a few moments it seemed as if their hearts beat together as one. "I love you too."

It could not be said who had begun to kiss who first. They had both slowly, but surely, gone for it at the same time, each leaning in and giving themselves freely to each other. This was not the first time they had done this. The words had been spoken before and a kiss had been exchanged on several occasions, but in the past it had always been a casual thing. It was as if it were merely something ponies in a relationship did just because the status demanded it. Not this time though. This time was different. The inflection in their tones was one of pure emotion and their kiss was full of life and meaning, like a spark that had always been there, but only now did it take to its kindling and produce a flame.

As the two continued, the sun began to rise over the clouds, and they were washed over by a wave of warmth. When their lips finally parted, their bodies stayed intertwined on one another. Hoof in hoof. Fur on fur. They were illuminated by the large orange star, that cast an array of colors through the clouds, turning those under them into a cherry blossom red.

"I've never even seen the sun this clearly before," Meadow said.

"Most earth ponies haven't," Nightfall said, a contemplated look on his face. He smiled down at her after a quick thought.

Meadow returned the smile as she placed a hoof on his chest. She buried it into the warm fur, feeling the steady beat of his heart, before running it upward towards his neck. She hooked her hoof under his scarf and pulled down, bringing him in for another kiss. This one was short, not lasting nearly as long, but it was still full of fire and passion. After parting, she nuzzled up against him, humming softly in delight as she leaned in.

Nightfall's wings flared outward before coming around and wrapping around Meadow to keep her close in their own little world, even if only for a moment. Together, they watched as the sun slowly rose into the sky, beginning the first day of their new lives.

Yet again, Celestia found herself surrounded by snow. It blew harshly across her body, chilling her to the very bone. There was something very different about the tundra this time though. Unlike her past experiences, she was not trapped in what seemed like an endless void of white. Instead, large featureless concrete structures arose around her, creating a seemingly infinite treeless forest.

"Celestia," an indistinguishable voice echoed from somewhere.

Celestia looked around her, trying as hard as she could to find the source of this mysterious call. It was for naught though. The storm was blinding as the wind whipped around her, changing directions every so often and blasting her in the face with snow. "Hello! Who is there?" she finally called out.

Suddenly, Celestia felt a presence near her. She turned to see that just beyond where she could see clearly, a tall dark figure stood, staring at her.

"You must help us," the figure managed to say before dissolving with the wind and disappearing once more.

"Wait," Celestia called out. Then, without warning, the storm grew in intensity and everything went white.

It was the dawning of a new day in this strange world that Celestia now found herself in. She still had not gotten used to the sun rising without her, the Unicorn Council going to work to move the star above the horizon while she lay there in bed, her magic still mostly burnt out from the failed spell.

Celestia shifted under her covers uncomfortably as the rays of light shown through the window and began to warm the room. For thousands of years, she had gotten up early every day to raise the sun. There were plenty of times she wished she could just stay in bed and she would only be lying to herself if she said that she hadn't raised the sun a few minutes late from time to time, but now the responsibility fell on somepony else's shoulders instead of her own. For the first time, Celestia was simply allowed to lie there and relax. And yet, she couldn't bring herself to do so.

She slowly rolled her tired body out of her unfamiliar bed, which sat in an unfamiliar room in an unfamiliar castle. Even the sun itself seemed different somehow, as if her absence had caused it to grow even farther away. Or perhaps it was just the layer of clouds that covered the entire sky in a blanket, dimming the sun's light slightly.

Celestia made her way to the balcony where she took a seat, still covering herself with a thick blanket to stave off the cold morning air. She looked out over her once great kingdom that had seemed to fall to ruin. The city below her was far different than the Canterlot she once knew and the land beyond the walls was one of pure white. Gone were the green rolling hills. Gone were the dense forests. Gone were the fertile farm lands. This was Equestria, the land of her ancestors. And yet, she could not recognize a single part of it.

Her head fell into her hooves as she leaned against the cold metal railing. It all felt like a dream to her, a terrible dream. But it was not a dream. It was real. There would be no waking up.

"How am going to fix this?" Celestia muttered to herself as she ran her hooves through her disheveled mane. It was a question she did not know the answer to. She didn't even know how to start going about answering it. Harmony was gone and so too it seemed was any hope of reversing the damage done. Despite this, she knew she had to do something. She wasn't about to give up on Equestria. She wasn't going to give up on her home. Much had changed in the last thousand years, but this was still the land that she loved and these were still the ponies that she cared for deeply.

She sighed. "I wish you were here, sister." Having Luna here with her would have made everything much more simple, or at the very least, far more bearable. This was not the case though. For now, Celestia would have to tough it out. With one final glance towards the sky, Celestia left the balcony and headed back inside. It was time for her to join the Chancellor and go to work.

"I'm really glad you're back, Nightfall," Meadow said as the two walked down the street. "And yes. I do realize I've said that like twenty times today already, but I like saying it."

Nightfall smiled as they continued onward. "Good," he said simply. "I like hearing it. I also like that fact that you agreed to come with me."

"Well, of course I agreed to come with you," Meadow replied. "You just got back."

Nightfall continued to smile happily. He did just get back and things were only going to get better for him. The two eventually made their way out of the main city districts on the mountain, talking about what ever came to mind and enjoying the relatively nice weather as well as each other's company. Then they entered the large residential district at the foot of the mountain, that spread out for a few miles. The area was comparable to a suburb, but was well within the main walls of the city itself.

"Here we are," Nightfall said as they came across a medium sized house in one of the many large neighborhoods that stretched across the land.

"You seem nervous," Meadow pointed out.

Nightfall sighed. "It's been a few months since I last saw them. A lot of things can change in that time."

"So?" Meadow replied. "Your family loves you, Nightfall. That's something that will never change."

"I know," Nightfall admitted a bit bashfully. He let out a breath he didn't realize he had been holding, before hopping up the steps to the front door. He gave the piece of oak a couple of sturdy knocks before stepping back next to Meadow and waiting. There was nothing for a few seconds, before the sound of the lock's mechanism turning met their ears.

The door opened and the two were greeted by the sight of a thestral similar to Nightfall in stature and height. His bright golden eyes suddenly widened at the ponies before him. "Nightfall!" Spectre practically shouted in excitement as he pulled his brother into a quick hug. "It's good to see you, brother."

"You too, Specter," Nightfall replied, letting his brother go after returning the embrace for a moment. "Sorry I didn't call. It's been an... exciting past few days."

"Bah, nonsense," Specter dismissed. "This is your house too. You don't have to call to come here." He looked to Meadow and wrapped a hoof around her. "Neither do you, Meadow. You're practically a part of the family at this point. When are you two getting married again?"

Meadow went completely red after hearing Specter's words. No matter how hard she tried to hide behind her mane and hooves, she just couldn't stop smiling at the idea. Nightfall gave a bit of a nervous laugh, a blush of his own quickly spreading across his face.

"I'm just teasing you guys," Specter said. "Come on in. Get out of the cold. The kids will be happy to see you both."

The small group of three entered the house where Nightfall and Meadow could hang up their coats and scarves. It was warm and smelled of cinnamon inside, a result of breakfast having just been finished. Large sofa, Fillyco cabinet radio, an open kitchen with all the necessary appliances, and a set of stairs that led to the upstairs bedrooms. It was all quite cozy really.

"Doppler, Dimmet, Snow," Specter called up the stairs. "Breakfast is ready and we've got a surprise for you."

The sound of small hooves running two and fro suddenly came from upstairs, as three young ponies began to make their way down to the kitchen. Nopony could resist finding amusement in the rumbling sound coming from above and a few snickers escaped each of their mouths.

"They'll be down in a moment," a female thestral began, as she made her own way down the stairs to join the others. Lullay gave her husband, Specter, a kiss before turning to greet Meadow and Nightfall. "I'm so glad you two are finally able to join us," she said, pulling Meadow into a hug.

The four began to talk a bit amongst themselves before they were finally joined by the children of the family, the sound of their hooves on the stairs alerting everyone to their presence. The first down was ten year old Doppler, followed by eight year old Snow Gloom. Lastly was six year old Dimmet, a stuffed pony by the name of Floof Hoof, firmly clutched in her hooves.

Doppler noticed both Nightfall and Meadow, but waited patiently for Dimmet to get to the bottom of the stairs. The little colt, despite his eager and adventurous personality, was very protective of her and refused to go any further before he was certain that his younger sister was safely down the stairs. Snow Gloom was a different case. "Daddy!" Snow squealed in utter glee with the energy that only an eight year old could muster at such an early hour.

Nightfall caught Snow as she launched herself up to him from a dead sprint, using her wings to slow herself just a bit. From there, he flung her up onto his back where she sat happily before wrapping her hooves around his neck in a small hug.

"Daddy! Daddy! Look!" Snow Gloom excitedly began. "My fangs came in while you were away."

"What?" Nightfall asked with excitement of his own to match that of his daughter's. "No way, Snowy. My fangs didn't come in until I was nine. Are you pulling my leg?"

Snow Gloom proudly opened up her mouth, displaying her new teeth for her father to see. Sure enough there were four sharp teeth at the corners of her mouth, framing the other flat ones. "I'm going to crack open a coconut!" she exclaimed.

"That's my girl," Nightfall replied enthusiastically. "Already eager to take on the hard stuff." Of course, as a thestral himself Nightfall was fully aware that attempting to crack open coconuts at such a young age was a terrible idea, unless one wanted to lose their teeth. Snow Gloom would need a little practice and some growing before she was ready to move on to coconuts. Nightfall was more than ecstatic at the fact that he would get to help his daughter learn to use her fangs effectively.

Meadow giggled at the idea of seeing Snow Gloom crack a coconut in two with her fangs. She was pleasantly surprised though when she found herself being pulled into a hug by the little filly who was just as happy to see her as she was her own father.

At seeing this, Nightfall felt a warmth grow inside him. Despite their differences or even the fact that Meadow was an earth pony and Snowy was a bat pony, the two embraced each other as if they were mother and daughter. And in that moment, it seemed as if they were just that: mother and daughter. Nightfall could feel it in his heart that everything was going to work out for them. He was suddenly pulled from his thoughts as he was ambushed by an overly excited Doppler.

"Uncle Nightfall! Did you kill any windigos?"

Specter suddenly gave a his son a critical glare, but the look that Nightfall sent back his way assured him that there was no harm in asking about his work with the Initiative.

"I sure did, kiddo," Nightfall answered after returning his attention back to his nephew. "We took down three of them on this last mission. They had taken over an entire town too."

"Wasn't it scary?" Dimmet asked, still grasping Floof Hoof.

"Nah, not at all," Nightfall answered. "Dangerous, but not scary." He looked back to the kitchen where Lullay was now depositing a fresh batch of cinnamon rolls on the breakfast table. "How about we get some breakfast and I tell you guys all about it?"

"Cinnamon rolls!" Snow suddenly exclaimed from atop Meadow, whose back she had climbed up to.

"They're more than ready, everyone," Lullay said cheerfully. "Come and get them while their hot." That was all it took to get the kids moving towards the breakfast table.

"They certainly dont waste any time when it comes to food," Meadow pointed out, a playful smile taking over her expression. She leaned up against Nightfall, nuzzling him lovingly.

Nightfall returned the affection, giving Meadow a soft and drawn out kiss, before the two found themselves at the table with the rest of the family. Family, that's exactly what they were. Truly, it was good to be home.

Author's Note

A bit longer than expected, but on time. That's a first. Usually it's shorter and late. Now nobody has to beat me with sticks.

Chapter 5: Theft

White. Celestia was very quickly beginning to get sick of the color white. It was absolutely everywhere she looked. The raging storm swirled around her, sending chills to her very core and blasting her in the face. The wind blew her mane around, but she quickly brushed it out of her eyes with a hoof. Yet again, the alicorn found herself in the tundra, surrounded by the massive concrete pillars that reached into the sky to touch the clouds. This time though, it was different. The pillars were no longer pillars and instead they had taken on detail to reveal that they were in fact building made by the hooves of ponies. They were not familiar to her in any way, but she now recognized that she was in a city, one that had been lost to the elements long ago.

This was a dream, all of it. It had to be. Celestia very clearly remembered going to bed after her conversation with the thestral who called himself Nightfall and she hadn't woken up since.

"Come on out," Celestia called into the storm. She waited a moment, but there was no response. "I know you are here. You might as well show yourself." Still there was nothing. The shadowy figure that had appeared to her in her previous dreams now alluded her and it seemed as if she were alone.

Suddenly, the wind shifted violently in several different direction, nearly throwing Celestia off her own hooves, before it finally ceased. The blinding torrent of snow and ice calmed and settled into a gentle dusting. Then, Celestia felt a presence.

"Sister," a familiar voice called from behind.

"Luna!?" Celestia replied, frantically spinning around to find her sister.

Sure enough, there she was. Standing before her was Princess Luna, but not as Celestia remembered her. She looked tired, her mane having lost all of its magical luster and dark bags forming under her half lidded bloodshot eyes. She seemed more than tired. She looked absolutely defeated. "Hello, Celestia," the princess of the night barely managed.

Celestia rushed forward and met Luna with a hug. "I am so glad to see you again. I've been so worried." Her expression suddenly grew very grave. "Please tell me you are safe! I can-"

"Sister, please," Luna replied, cutting Celestia off. "There is not much time and my magic is beginning to fail me. I believe I am in Manehattan, but everything is wrong. You must come and find me so that we may correct what has happened, but whatever you do, do not trust the Warden. He is-"

Without warning, Luna's body began to evaporate from her hooves upward. "No, no, no!" she sputtered panic clear in her voice. "I still have so much I need to say!" She looked back to Celestia again. "Please hurry! We can still-" That was all she managed to get out before she was gone completely, having been blown away with the wind that now began to pick up.

Celestia was only able sit there as she tried to comprehend what she had just been told. Her sister was alive, that much she was certain of, but Luna did not seem to understand the larger scope of the situation. At the same time, Celestia herself did not understand what it was that Luna was experiencing. She had not had enough time to relay her message.

Before Celestia could even begin to ask herself the important questions, the storm picked up yet again, Luna no longer being around to hold it back. Celestia held her hooves over her eyes to protect them as everything went white one final time.

Celestia practically shot up out of bed like a rocket. Her breathing heavy as her heart furiously thumped away in her ears. She took several deep breaths as she tried to steady herself, soon finding that she was drenched in a cold sweat. She had been correct. It had indeed been a dream, but not a meaningless one. Luna was out there somewhere. Lost, cold, and probably scared.

Celestia sighed after finally finding her composure. She was overjoyed at the fact that she had seen Luna again and that she was alive, but she could not rest easy. Not yet. She did not feel that she could rest at all even. Not until Luna had been reunited with her. Not until she had found her. "I'm going to find you, sister." That was a promise.

Three days. It had been three wonderful day since Nightfall returned from his last assignment with the Initiative. Usually, after coming home, he would have to get in as much of his old life as he could before shipping back out in a week or two depending on his next set of assignments. Now? Now there was no rush to try and live like he wanted. There was no next deployment hanging over his head for him to worry about. Now he could just take it slow and do just that: live.

Each morning he had woken up next to Meadow in a bed that he recognized. He'd eat breakfast with Spectre, Lullay, Meadow, and the kids before taking Snow Gloom to school. Then he'd be free to spend the next few hours with Meadow. Readjusting his sleep schedule yet again would be tedious, especially now that he was back home, but would be well worth it. The true challenge though was finding work. Scotch had repeatedly offered it to him at the Hideout and Nightfall would only be lying to himself if he said he wasn't beginning to consider taking him up on the offers. Working with his old friends and Meadow would certainly be a comfortable position.

This morning had begun like any other. He had woken up at a reasonable time and was now downstairs finishing off a stack of pancakes with the rest of the family. He couldn't help but wear a content smile on his face as he looked around to see everypony at the table. Spectre was telling another story from him and Nightfall's younger days, one that was a bit more on the lighthearted side of the spectrum at least. Snow, Dimmet, and Doppler were all captivated by the tale of the daring escape, which of course had been exaggerated to no end by Spectre simply for their amusement. Over night, Meadow and Lullay had become like inseparable sisters who told each other everything. And Nightfall? He was just happy to be here.

For the first time in what felt like forever, all was right in the world. And there was peace in his life.

Suddenly, a knock sounded at the door.

Nightfall and the guards, who's company he now found himself in, had gone through nearly half the castle on their way to wherever it was he was being taken. He didn't like this, not one bit. Something was very wrong about all of it. He hadn't committed any crimes since he returned and although he was being led around, there had been no effort to restrain him. No cuffs. No magical bindings. No use of force. This was all very strange indeed.

They wandered down endless hallway after endless hallway, passing both castle staff and high profile figures alike. As they did so, Nightfall couldn't help but to wonder just how much gold must be stashed in a place like this, a reflex left from a time now long gone. He had tried to suppress the thoughts initially. That wasn't the kind of pony he was anymore. He was an honest worker now. A loving father and one day he hoped, a loving husband as well. Despite this, numbers were now rampantly running through his mind as his wildest dreams laid just outside his grasp.

Eventually, Nightfall managed to fight these thoughts off and they came to a large oak door. Other than its scale - it was oversized in every since of the word - there was nothing particularly special about it. Large, sturdy, same carvings as all the others. The only difference was that it was the one the guards chose to open for him.

As Nightfall passed through the door and into the large dining room, he couldn't help but feel like someone was about to make him an offer for his soul over dinner, or in this case breakfast. The room was dimly lit with candles and the neo-gothic furnishings made everything seem just a little too medieval for his liking.

"Welcome, welcome," a voice sounded from a pony seated at the other end of a long table, which was covered in all manners of exotic foods and fruits. "Please, do have a seat," the finely dressed pegasus continued, gesturing towards the place at the other end of the table.

One of the guards placed an armored hoof on Nightfall and gave him a slight shove towards his seat.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm going," the thestral snarled. He sat and the two guards took their posts at the door behind him. He looked around for a moment. From the masterful portraits hanging on the walls to the sparkling silverware on the table, the room was loaded with all types of valuables. If it hadn't been for the stiff security, he probably would have hit this place years ago.

"It's a pleasure, Mr. Nightfall," the mystery pony said with a noble accent. "I hope the guards weren't too rough in getting you here."

Nightfall crossed his hooves and leaned back in his seat. "I'm afraid we haven't met," he said with an accusing glare.

"You're quite right," the pony replied. "We haven't met, not face to face at least, but I have read much about you." He pulled out a large yellow file from under the table and began to read. "You've been a part of the TRST Initiative for the last five years now, correct? You have quite the list of commendations. High mission success rate. An impressive windigo kill count. You even made it to a leadership position despite only entering the initiative by court order." He put the file down and just began to smile at Nightfall.

"I'm was good at what I did," Nightfall said with disinterest as he examined his surroundings. " Now, is there some kind of point you're trying to make?"

"Tell me, Nightfall," the pony began. "Who exactly do you think I am? Why would I go through all the trouble of tracking you down and bringing you here?"

"Let me guess," Nightfall said, not looking to excited about his current situation. "You're some noble with connections to the Equestrian chancellery who wants to make me a job offer, but it's something you cant have your little minions do because it's outside the law and you need someone to take the fall incase it all goes sideways. Am I close?"

The pony chuckled and sighed. "Only partially... My name is Solaris Luminis. Perhaps you've heard of me. I currently act as head director of the TRST Initiative and serve on the high advisory council for the chancellery."

"I don't think I like where this is going," Nightfall pointed out.

"Well, that's because you haven't heard the offer yet," Solaris said. "You see, Nightfall, Equestria is in need of your assistance. It is my understanding that you and your team were the ones that found our dear Princess Celestia. We believe that by analyzing the spell along with the runes found in the cave, we can trace the spell and the other alicorns who assisted in its casting can be located."

Nightfall put a hoof up to cut Solaris off. "I'm going to stop you right there, Sparky, because I'm not interested. You can find somepony else for your suicide mission."

"I can assure you, it would be anything but," Solaris countered. "Once these alicorns are located, we'd simply need someone to retrieve them, something I'm sure you're more than capable of. We have both Princess Celestia and our best mages working on where they may be. If anything, you have the easy part. Of course, you wouldn't be working alone and the compensation from taking on such an assignment would be more than reasonable."

Nightfall sighed. "Look, I get it. I really do. You're trying to minimize the number of ponies who know about all this alicorn business. The less ponies who know about this the better, but I'm done. Okay? I'm not going back out there."

"Yes, well. You're also one of our best, Nightfall. There are plenty of others who can keep a secret, but we need someone who gets results."

"Not happening."

Solaris frowned. "You don't even want to consider it? After all this time you've spent out of normal society, don't you think that a large lump sum would go a long way? I know you crave it. The thrill. The danger. And of course, the reward. Back in the old days, you had quite the reputation, still do in some places."

"Yeah, well. That was a long time ago," Nightfall said, looking away uncomfortably. "I've finally got my life back. I'm not going to be doing that anymore."

"Oh, yes. I'm certain of it," Solaris said sarcastically. "I'm sure you've learned your lesson and that you'll have no trouble finding honest work. Be honest with yourself, Nightfall. You need this."

"I don't need a damn thing from you," Nightfall snapped. "Now if there's nothing else, I'll be going." He stood up to storm off, but only made it halfway to the door when Solaris pulled out several more yellow files.

"I guess it's so long for your friends at The Hideout then, isn't it?"

Nightfall stopped dead in his tracks and turned to face Solaris who just wore a smug grin on his face. "What the hell did you just say?"

"I said that it's so long for The Hideout," Solaris repeated. "Y'know, that little bar you and your friends created down in the lower district. With all of it's employees behind bars it will be quite hard for it to remain open. It would truly be a shame. And then there's you're brother, Spectre." He held the stack of files up.

All of what was being said caught Nightfall's attention, his ears perking up and eyes widening in alarm, but he quickly relaxed and casually slumped down in his chair. "You're bluffing," he said, pointing an accusing hoof at the pegasus.

"No, I'm not." Solaris motioned to one of his guards who brought the stack over to Nightfall and dropped it onto the table causing the silverware to rattle.

Nightfall nervously looked over the first few files. Sure enough, they were legitimate. Name after name of ponies Nightfall knew and worked with showed up, some being from The Hideout and others being old friends, each with a different condemning crime listed. It wasn't just a few. There were thirteen of these files in total. He closed the one he was reading and looked up to Solaris.

"I may have had some of my agents keep tabs on your friends and coworkers," Solaris explained with a devilish smile. "You see, I needed a little dirt in case you ever got out of line. I must say though, I am impressed. Your lot is certainly a cut above the common gang of thieves."

"You son of bitch..." Nightfall breathed. He felt his blood boil and began his march down towards Solaris with anger in his eyes. He didn't make it far, before he found himself being restrained by both of the guards in the room. Despite his advance, Solaris continued completely unfazed by the aggressive thestral.

"Forgery of legal documents. That's a big offense," Solaris said. "I cant help but wonder what kinds of things Specter's been doing with all that false information. Without him, your bar wouldn't have stayed open for more than a week. It's been convenient having him around. Especially to watch over poor Snow Gloom while you were away. Tell me, who is her real mother? You and Meadow Spring hadn't met yet when she was born."

Nightfall felt fire rush through his veins. He so desperately wanted to break Solaris's neck, but struggled to get away from the guards so he could do so. The more he fought them, the more they held him in place.

"Ah, speaking of Meadow, did you know there's sufficient evidence to put her behind bars? Turns out she's quite resourceful when it comes those little operations of yours. I guess that's what happens when you hang out with criminals though. With her in prison, I'm sure it will be quite hard for a single father to support his daughter with no employment or previous job experience. And let's be honest. Not many ponies are interested in hiring thestrals."

"I'm going to rip your head off!!!" Nightfall shouted, no doubt waking up just about everyone in the castle.

"Please Nightfall, I'm trying to be civil here," Solaris said. "If pointing out the fact that you'll have to resort back to crime to make ends meet offends you, that's hardly my fault. It truly would be a tragedy if you were caught again. Then little Snow Gloom, with no grandparents to speak of, would be put into foster care. I doubt you'd even see her again after that."

With merely the mentioning of that, something inside Nightfall broke. His willpower to do something only grew, but it did not direct him to fight. He stopped resisting and his body went limp. "Stop," he begged. "Just stop... please."

Solaris gave a wave of his hoof and the guards let Nightfall go, who dropped down to the ground.

"Isn't blackmail a bit far below you," Nightfall asked angrily.

"I would hardly call this blackmail," Solaris answered. "We've had these documents for quite some time now to ensure that you didn't try anything while we let you loose out there in the tundra. If anything, I should be having all your friends arrested right now."

"I don't see how this isn't blackmail."

"Well that's just it," Solaris continued. "If you accept, I'll burn these documents upon the completion of your assignment. Hell, I'll let you be the one to throw them into the fire if you want. All their criminal history will be erased just like that and you'll have nothing else to worry about." He held up a quill and piece of parchment. "All you have to do is sign on the dotted line."

Nightfall just laid there on the ground, looking off in the distance as if in deep thought.

At the thestral's silence Solaris just sighed and his expression faded from one of smugness to one of pity. "Believe me, Nightfall. I take no pleasure in this, but if there is one thing I am more than anything, it's a scout for talent and might I say, you are quite talented. When you joined the Initiative five years ago, I was the only one who saw your potential. They all called me crazy for putting so much stock in you, but look at all you've accomplished. You're one of the most successful rangers to ever join. You're too valuable to go to waste, Nightfall."

"I don't like being someone's puppet," Nightfall muttered.

Solaris shook his head. "I dont want to use you like this, Nightfall," Solaris said with some semblance of sincerity. "But think about everything that is happening. The world is changing and it needs you. Equestria needs you."

Nightfall took a second to compose himself. He sat up and got back to his hooves. The two guards that flanked him both seemed to stiffen a bit, preparing to pounce on him if need be. Instead of aggressive actions though, he simply returned to his seat. "Fine," he said unhappily. "I'll do it, but I get to pick my own squad."

"Of course," Solaris said, a satisfied, but in no way sinister smile spreading across his face. "I'm glad we were able to come to an agreement."

Nightfall just sat there for a moment, glaring angrily at Solaris, casting his gaze over to the guards around him every so often. They stared at him right back.

Eventually, one of the guards dropped a sheet of paper in front of Nightfall and handed him a quill.

Nightfall snatched the quill from the guard's hoof and began to read. He knew how this worked. He would sign, perform the indicated task, and then they would pull something out of their asses to keep him longer than agreed upon. It wasn't going to go down that way though. Spectre had taught him about how contracts would often be worded in ways that could often be misleading or interpreted differently depending on the point of view of who was reading. Usually it was something that happened with contracts that used very generalized terminology, but this one was actually very specific in what it indicated.

He made sure to read it thoroughly and as far as he could tell there was nothing in it that would come back to screw him later. Despite this, he froze. He thought about everything he could lose, everything he loved and held dear. He thought about Meadow, Snowy, and Spectre. Images of all the hard work he and his friends had done to open their own business flashed through his mind. The warmth he felt when he was where he belonged instead of the harsh cold of the tundra filled his body, only serving to remind him of all that was at risk. His hooves began to shake and his breathing grew heavy. He hesitated, but finally signed.

He dropped the quill and slid the paper away from him. He sunk down into his seat and just like that he knew, somehow, that his soul was no longer his own.

Solaris smiled triumphantly from the other side of the table. "Excellent," he said, but his expression grew into concern as he laid eyes back on the thestral. "Nightfall, I dare say you look a little sickly. Are you feeling alright?"

"How long do I have?" Nightfall just asked, mostly ignoring Solaris' question.

"A month," Solaris answered. "Possibly two. I was blessed with a pair of wings, not a horn, so I dont know anything about magic. Those were just our current estimates."

"In that case, I'll be in touch." He got up to leave. Neither one of the guards attempted to stop him. They had since returned to their posts at the door.

"Oh, before you go," Solaris called out. "Do see to it that you're friends stay out of trouble from here on out."

Nightfall just rolled his eyes before exiting the room. On the other side of the door were three more guards who began to escort him out. They made their way down hallway after hallway before finally reaching the large oversized doors leading to the courtyard. From there, it was just a small trek to the front gate. As usual, it was snowing, but not very heavily. A light dusting was beginning to accumulate over the already frozen ground.

After being let outside the walls, the gate closed shut behind him with an audible thud. Nightfall took off down the road as quickly as he could. The cold day air stung his lungs and his face felt like it was going to freeze as the air rushed passed him, but only for a few moments as he stopped at the first phone booth he came across. He shut himself inside and caught his breath, before digging out a few bits and putting them into the slot.

"Hello?" a familiar voice answered on the other end of the line.

"Scotchy, it's Nightfall. Call everyone in. We've got a major problem."

There were ten individuals in attendance, not counting Nightfall himself. They all sat around the long table in the basement of The Hideout. Most of them were thestrals who worked there, with the exception of a few day ponies and a rather large griffon who sat in the corner. An emergency meeting had been called and now they all sat around anxiously waiting for Scotch to take the podium and get things moving.

"Is this everyone," Nightfall asked as he slipped in the door at the last moment.

"Yeah, that should do it," Scotch answered, trying his best to look more comfortable than he currently was. The truth was, he was actually terrified. Last time an emergency meeting of this size got called in, things didn't turn out too well for a few of them. "Mind telling me what this is about? You were pretty vague over the phone."

Nightfall sighed. "To put it lightly, I'm being blackmailed. If I'm not careful, it could bring down everything we've built here. It's a bit complicated though. I figured it would be best to let everyone know so that things dont spiral out of control."

"Who's the guy and what does he have on you?"

"Like I said, it's complicated," Nightfall explained. "It's not so much about what he has me as it is about what he has on all of us. I'll explain it on the podium."

"In that case, I'll get us started." With that, he headed to the head of the large table at the center of the room and took his place a small podium that allowed him to stand where he could be seen. "Alright, alright, everyone," he called over the chatter. "Everyone settle down. I know you're all curious to know why you've been called here."

As Scotch started the meeting, Nightfall moved to take his position so he could make the bomb shell announcement that all they were being blackmailed, but was stopped by a pony he was more than glad to see.

"Nightfall," Meadow said, as she appeared out of seemingly nowhere. "What's going on? You were taken away by armed guards and now we're having some kind of emergency meeting. What's happened? Are you okay?" Meadow's tone was frantic, but not frightened. She just sounded confused.

Before Meadow could say anything else, Nightfall took her hooves into his own and brought her into a hug. "Everything's okay... for now, at least. I just want you to know, whatever happens, I love you so much."

Meadow suddenly felt her breath catch in her throat and she looked up to him with a look of pure terror. "Nightfall, you're really scaring me now. What's going on?"

Nightfall sighed, a look and mood of pure anguish overtaking him. Without a moment of hesitation, he pulled Meadow in closer and planted a prolonged kiss on her lips. When they finally parted, Meadow just stood there, sorrowfully staring into his eyes as she failed to find her voice. Then Nightfall let her go and took his place at the podium.

"Okay," Nightfall began, taking a few deep breaths as he tried to calm his nerves. "So, as most of you may know, I've just returned from spending five years serving in the TRST Initiative." There were a few cheers from the group, before the room returned to relative quiet. "As much as I was looking forward to retiring from such a dangerous job, it seems that that wont be happening for a while." He quickly cast a glance to Meadow, who looked at him like she had just seen a ghost, her ears now firmly flattened against her head.

"Earlier today, I was detained by the guards and brought to the castle where I met with the head director of the Initiative, Solaris Luminis. He informed me that there is an operation coming up in the next month or so, in need of extra hooves. He made me an offer. I turned him down. Turns out though, he has dirt on all of us."

Whispers suddenly broke out around the room. The things that had been done years ago to build what they now had was a secret to no one. Before then, many of these ponies had already had criminal records. The Hideout had been their chance to get clean, relatively speaking. Despite this, Nightfall continued.

"As you can probably guess by now, I'm being blackmailed into joining another assignment in the Initiative. He knows about the things we did when we were first getting started and he knows about what we did to get started here and he knows about our projects. That said, if I hadn't accepted, it would have been the end of everything we've built here together. I couldn't let that happen to you guys."

"Damn right!" the large griffon called out, suddenly leaving his dark spot in the corner and stepping out into view. "But that doesn't mean we're just going to let him screw you over. If this Solaris wants to dance, then lets give him a dance. Show him what happens when you try to lock us up." This got a few cheers from the surrounding thestrals.

"Easy there, Galen," Nightfall scolded. "Believe me, I want you to get a chance to crack a few skulls more than anyone, but I dont think brute force is how we get out of this one."

"So what do you suggest we do?" Galen asked as he began to cool off. Nightfall and the rest of the thestrals were his friends, his family, and he wasn't about let some stuck up noble take them from him.

"For now," Nightfall answered. "For now, we lay low. That's the reason I came here tonight, to warn you. The last thing we need is for us to draw more attention. You guys had a right to know that something was going on. That's all I've got for you." With that, he stepped down from the podium, finding himself face to face with Meadow.

She just stared at him in utter disbelief. The expression she wore was as if this was the last time in her life that she would ever see him. Her mouth moved to form some words, but they never actually came. Instead, she just stood there, her eyes glued on him as if she was trying to memorize every one of his features before she lost him. Then the panic set in. "No," she simply said as tears began to form. "No, no, no, no, that's not right. They cant do that. This isn't right. It has to be some kind of mistake."

"It's going to be okay," Nightfall tried to assure her.

"No!" Meadow practically yelled, slapping his hooves away in denial. "This isn't supposed to happen!"

"I know," Nightfall whispered to her after successfully pulling her into a hug. He stroked her back as he tried to comfort her. "It's not fair, but I have to do it."

"There has to be another way," Meadow argued as she tried to rationalize what she was hearing.

"There isn't, Meadow. I know this is hard to hear, but there really isn't." He ran his hooves up to her shoulders, placing his forehead against hers and stared directly into her eyes. "It's just one more assignment, Meadow."

"No," she protested. "No it really isn't. They wouldn't be doing this to you if it was just another assignment. This is the big one isn't it?"

Nightfall sighed as he tried to look away and compose his thoughts, but was stopped when Meadow wrapped her hooves around him again. She buried herself in his chest fluff, running her hoof down his torso, feeling both the old and new scars hidden under his coat. "Every time you come back," she began, "you have a new scar. Every time you go back out, I wonder to myself if this is the time that the bullet, or sword, or windigo comes just a few inches closer and takes you from me."

"That's not going to happen, Meadow," Nightfall suddenly replied sternly.

"You dont know that, Nightfall," Meadow countered. "There's no way you could." It was then that she began to break down and her tears now flowed freely, staining her cheeks and dripping down to her hooves.

Nightfall wrapped his hooves around her to hold on tighter. His dark leathery wings unfurled and covered them, creating their own little pocket of security. Despite the warmth, it did nothing to stave off the wave of guilt that now washed over him. In all the time he had spent with the Initiative, fighting bandits, banishing windigos, and working in all around hostile environments, never once did he ever consider how his own injuries affected the ones who cared about him. To him, it had always been just another bruise, just another scar, or just another broken bone. His world had become one of pain, but he had been far too blind to ever realize that that pain was bleeding into the life of the one he loved.

He rested his head against hers. "I'm so sorry, Meadow. I've been a damn fool."

By now, everyone else had dispersed from the basement in order to take care of whatever business they needed. For now, Nightfall and Meadow were left in relative privacy. The world itself, it seemed, was falling apart. In this empty room, they were all they had to stave off the collapse of all they treasured. Two pillars, each too worn and broken to go on without the other in this moment. One more blow and the roof would come down on top of them. For now though, they stood.

Things had calmed down around The Hideout. It was now noon and most thestrals were now asleep or off somewhere else. Currently, the bar was not open, but that did not prevent the small group of four within from taking care of some business. Nightfall, Meadow, and a younger thestral by the name of Gray all sat at bar stools, while Scotch stood behind the counter polishing glasses. They were all tired. For the most part, they had all grown accustomed to being nocturnal, though Meadow and Nightfall were constantly readjusting their sleep schedules.

Nightfall anxiously tapped his pencil against a notepad as they tried to figure out where they were now at. They had made a list of all the things that could possibly be used against them and of all the ways the fallout could be minimized. Given how much Solaris had, it wasn't looking good.

Gray groaned, rubbing his hooves through his disheveled mane. "I dont have enough bits to pay for all those fines," he moaned, plopping his head down on the countertop.

"Better start saving," Scotch replied. "It's either that or jail time for vandalism."

"I dont get it. Those buildings look way better with those murals. Why cant ponies just appreciate art?"

"Nopony's denying your artistic skill," Nightfall answered. "But from now on, you'll have to limit that creativity to a canvas."

"I feel like saying something about how the world is my canvas and I must be the brush, but all those zeros have more or less killed my sense of humor." Gray's head fell into his hooves again. "I wont even have enough bits to get a drink."

Scotch slid him a small shot of clear liquid. "Here," he said. "Strongest we got, on the house. I think we all need a little something." He began to pour a few more glasses, but Meadow and Nightfall both inevitably passed. Something Scotch just shrugged to, before downing his own share.

After checking over their list several times, Nightfall couldn't seem to take his eyes off of Meadow. Since the meeting, her demeanor had gone from sad to just straight depressed. Her ears splayed back across her head, dark bags formed under her eyes, and she more or less hid behind her mane at this point. She cast her gaze downward, continuously rubbing her hoof against the countertop as she absentmindedly played with a knot in the wood, never once looking up.

Nightfall felt absolutely terrible for her. Why did he have to bring her into this? How could he have been so stupid? When they had first met, he had been the one that introduced her to the lifestyle that he once led. Climbing through windows, sneaking through darkened halls. Picking locks and running down alleyways to escape the guard. He had tried so hard to go legitimate before meeting her, but the excitement, the thrill, it was all so... intoxicating. And now she too was paying for his failures.

In his chest, Nightfall could feel the cracks in his heart grow with every breath that she took. He could feel the bandages that had been there for so long, slowly begin to slip. Meadow had saved his life as far as he was concerned, and now he felt as if he was potentially ending hers. What was he supposed to tell her even, that everything was going to be okay? That there was no need to worry? If only things were so simple.

All he could do now was reach out to her and take one of her hooves in his own. She didn't look up, but he could feel her grip tighten around his own. For now, that was enough.

Chapter 7: Unravel

Paper Cut had never been to Manehattan and was very quickly beginning to realize why this place had been designated as a "dead sector." Nothing lived here. Any and all signs of life had been long covered by the snow that buried entire buildings up to their fourth or fifth story. The buildings themselves were so weathered at this point that they seemed more like natural formations rather than things that were built by the hooves of ponies. The glass that once occupied their windows was gone leaving behind only the dark unseeing sockets of their skeletal remains, towering over the ponies ominously and proving to them just how small they were in comparison.

Dead. That's exactly what this place was. The buildings were dead. The ponies that lived here long ago were dead. The society that had once existed was dead. And yet Paper could not shake that cold feeling that they were being watched, followed, and stalked. It didn't help that Manehattan had been the setting for many horror novels that he had regretted reading late at night.

"You okay?" Bastion asked, noticing his friends shaky breathing.

"What? Yeah! Totally. Just.... nervous is all."

"First time in Manehattan?" Foxtrot asked.

"No! Of course not," Paper answered a bit too quickly. Nightfall and Bastion both knew otherwise. Paper had been a member of their team ever since he joined up a year and a half ago, and they had never come here with him before, but they knew that he'd never admit that this was in fact his first time, especially not to Foxtrot.

Nevertheless, Paper couldn't deny the fact that he was uneasy. Something about this place was wrong. He could feel it in his bones.

"If it's any comfort," Star spoke up, "this is my first time in Manehattan as well." It really wasn't any comfort at all. If anything, it only annoyed Foxtrot, who now felt like he was baby sitting.

"Just make sure to keep an eye on the rear from time to time," Nightfall instructed. "There are plenty of places for something to sneak up on us from."

Yeah, no shit. Thanks for the reassurance. Despite his doubts, Paper kept on trudging through the snow, shaking the excess build up of ice free from his snowshoes whenever they cut through a building. Upon doing so, he couldn't help but stare down into the darkened corners and what was left of stairwells that lead down under the snow. What secrets lied below their hooves, he wondered.

In the time of their construction, the interior walls of these buildings would have been made of wood and drywall, but the elements had seen to it that all of that was swept away long ago. Now all that remained were empty concrete husks, gutted and abandoned.

"I wonder what this place used to be," Paper thought out loud as they made their way through the remains of the fourth floor of a skyscraper.

"There's no treasure hidden in the basement," Foxtrot said coldly. "Let it go."

"That's not what I was getting at," Paper defended. "I'm just curious."

"What is down there?" Star asked.

"Don't know. Don't want to know," Nightfall answered. "Probably nothing good though."

"Official doctrine forbids anyone from going down there," Bastion said before listing off several possibilities. "Windigo nests, feral ice creatures, maybe even wraiths."

The group suddenly fell silent, more silent than anyone would have liked it to be. None of them knew what dwelled beneath the snow. Very few had ever been brave enough to venture down that way and even fewer had made it out alive. The most common stories were those of getting lost, only to either find a way out by some miracle or die alone, cold, and in the dark. What would bring about that death was anyone's guess, but they knew that Bastion probably wasnt far off. What they didnt know though, was what scared them most of all.

"Are we even supposed to be going through here?" Star asked in a concerned tone.

"Probably not," Nightfall answered, "but it's faster than trying to trudge through the snow all the way. Just keep an eye out and we'll be fine."

As much as they hated to admit it, Paper and Star both knew that Nightfall was right. After making it to the far side of the room, the group stopped. Nightfall stuck his head through the window and checked to make sure the coast was clear. It was, but it was a bit of a ways down from their current position, the snow being a floor lower on this side of the building than on the side where they had entered. For this reason, the scanner was given to Foxtrot who glided down right after Nightfall had landed.

One by one, the others jumped down from the window, landing and sinking into the snow a meter. Buried but unharmed, they were helped out before moving on. This process was repeated several times as they moved from building to building. When unable to get inside, they moved low and quickly along the walls, trying their best to minimize their exposure to the outside and anything that may have been watching them.

The sectors that they had been assigned to sweep were on the east side of the city, opposite from where the base had been set up in the west. It had been agreed upon that it would be best to search the sectors farthest out and then work their way back, decreasing the distance they would have to travel each day. They would start at the southern most part of the coast and then head north to the top of their assigned sectors. From there, they would cut inland before heading south.

Nightfall and Paper had been the ones to formulate the overall plan for their search pattern the night before, just after briefing. Paper had been certain that as long as they went down every street, that it would be sufficient enough to get good readings. After going through each sector, they could go back through, heading east to west rather than north to south, if need be.

Bastion had been the one to suggest bringing along extra food, as they would most likely be out all day and didnt want to have walk back every night just to resupply. He promptly went out to raid the MSAD's stock, something that ended up drawing a few mages to their cabin later in the evening complaining about stolen booze. Star had barely been able to contain her laughter when Nightfall told them to go away and slammed the door in their faces.

If there was one thing that the Project knew how to do right, it was how to treat guests. The high standards of the MSAD had only made things better. Breakfast had consisted of eggs, wheat cakes, hash-browns, fueling up the rangers for their long expedition. They had been advised to eat lightly, but temptation had ultimately been the victor of the day. Consequently, the group didn't need to stop when they reached the coast at noon.

From the last line of buildings, the land extended out a good hundred or so meters, before the snow began to decline in depth, ending at the frozen plains of ice that covered the ocean as far as the eye could see and passed the horizon. Bastion had wasted little time racing out of the snow and onto the ice, it apparently reminding him of home. "I wonder what kind fish are down there," he thought out loud.

Nightfall pulled out a small map from his pack and unfolded it, looking it over and figuring out exactly where they were before planting a small orange flag in the ground to mark the southern border of their sector. From there, the group headed north, slowly making their way across the open ground.

Up and down. Up and down. The process was agonizingly monotonous. Conversation had been relatively light, each member of the group focusing as best they could on the hundreds of possible places where danger could be lurking, watching, and waiting to strike. For as long as they were exposed out in the open, an attack never came. Instead, they were simply left with the ghostly silence of the dead city.

A cloud of snow shot forward into the intersection, the wind whipping the white flurries around in a spiral as the spectral forms of the windigos glided wild, yet gracefully along the ground and through the air. Their movements brought the snow, which had remained undisturbed, up into the air where it was surrendered to their whims. Every surface was iced over in frozen crystals as the creatures passed, as they worked to channel their miniature storm through the streets and into a small open plaza. All at once they flew into the swirling torrent and in circular patterns formed it into a small white tornado that suddenly dissipated as it hit the side of a building, much to what seemed to be the creatures' annoyance. And so they tried again and again, each time their little storm growing more and more perfect until it inevitably fell apart.

From a street corner at the edge of the plaza, Nightfall watched through his binoculars as he laid prone on the third floor. Next to him, Bastion had shouldered his rifle, the end of the barrel only a few inches from sticking out a twenty meter wide hole in the wall that completely exposed the room to the elements. On his other side, Foxtrot laid with his own binoculars, watching everything unfold.

"What are they doing?" Paper asked from his own concealed position.

"I have no idea," Nightfall answered, motioning the unicorn over.

Paper dropped to the floor, leaving a majority of his gear behind as he crawled along to join Nightfall. Taking the binoculars from Nightfall, he held them up to his eyes and began to observe the creatures as they continued on with their display.

"I count twenty-three," Foxtrot indicated.

"Make that twenty-five," Paper corrected as two more windigos appeared, another cloud of snow in tow. The two added theirs to the storm, before diving in to form the small cyclone yet again. "Looks to me like they found something?"

"You think it's the crystal?" Star asked, as she too crawled along to join her teammates on the floor.

"Maybe," Paper answered. "When we found Celestia, a small group of them were waiting for us. They had passed over an entire town and raced straight down a mine shaft where she had been buried. I'm guessing with the signal fire out they were attracted to the magical signature from her spell. This might be the later stages of whatever we stopped them from doing in the mine."

"Now if only we knew what it was they were doing."

"All that matters is that we get rid of them," Foxtrot said. "I just don't think it would be wise to anger these things when their in such a large pack."

"Agreed," Nightfall replied. "We should split them up before we start picking them off."

"I don't know, Nightfall," Bastion began with no small amount of concern in his tone. "That's a lot of windigos and there is a lot of room for them to maneuver. If they trace a shot back to us, they'll be on us before we can relocate."

Bastion was right and he knew it. With all that open ground, it would be hard to take down any of them without the others taking notice. Trying to take them all out at once would be near impossible and dangerous, not to mention going loud may attract more. They're only option it seemed was to wait them out, which meant staying hidden until there was an opening and moving fast enough to get in and get out without being seen. Easier said than done, but Nightfall was confident that he could do just that.

"Paper," Nightfall called over his shoulder. "What kind of readings are you getting on the scanner?"

Paper looked down at the small screen, wiping the frost that had accumulated from its surface. "It's not much, but there's something there. I don't know if it's from the windigos or-"

KRAKOOM!!!

The entire city block was suddenly shaken by a massive explosion of orange and red fire, the windigo created cyclone seemingly having detonated out of nowhere when no one was looking. The windigos at the center perished immediately as their spectral forms were incinerated by the intense heat. Those that survived were dispersed in every direction many of them falling to the ground as the sound of automatic weapons fire opened up around them.

The shockwave visibly rushed across the ground, shooting up snow and dust, a light gray cloud forming. The shockwave hit the group head on, their current position doing little to shield them.

Nightfall stumbled to his hooves as the dust cloud washed over the group. Despite his near total loss of hearing, he managed to latch onto the nearest body and pull them up. "Everyone up," he groaned, knowing that every windigo within a mile radius would soon be converging on them. "We have to go."

In his own attempt to gain some sense of direction in the fog, Paper smacked clean into the wall behind him, causing him to stumble back, lose his footing, and drop off into the snow outside.

The group was only barely able to file out the door into another room, racing to the other side where the dust had not yet reached.

Bastion and Foxtrot both collapsed on the ground and leaned against the far wall where they removed their helmets, shaking the dust and snow from their collars. Nightfall looked around urgently after doing an incomplete headcount. His nerves were calmed somewhat when Paper made it in only a few seconds late.

One by one, the others all removed their helmets, rubbing their ears and taking a second before they were forced to move on. Star kept her helmet on, instead simply trying to steady herself and not puke from rapid swaying of her vision. She was unsuccessful, having to unlatch the lower plate of her helmet and throw up over in the corner away from the others.

"What the hell was that?" Foxtrot asked, but too loud, his ears still ringing and in pain.

Bastion took several deep breaths as he tried to calm himself, but the hoof that he held to the right side of his forehead told the others that he was not okay. His helmet had been struck in the corresponding spot and though small the dent may have been, a large area of the helmet's surface had been relieved of the winter camo pattern that was painted on.

"I'll live," Bastion said confidently as the others began to give him alarmed attention. "Scared the shit out of me though." On that, they could all agree.

"That's the reason you wear a helmet," Paper pointed out.

"One of them anyway," Foxtrot retorted. "Now will somebody please answer me?"

"There's no way that was caused by the windigos," Paper began, rubbing out the last of the pain. "An icy explosion, maybe. But that had heavy ordinance written all over it."

"Agreed," Foxtrot replied. "Too big to be any kind of hoof thrown ordinance and an IED wouldn't have exploded that high up off the ground, which means we're looking at an airburst weapon."

"Something with a heavier payload too. Shoulder mounted rocket, maybe?" Bastion speculated.

"More like a god damned missile launcher," Foxtrot said. "I didn't hear much of anything after the initial blast, but I swear there were some secondary detonations in there."

"If that's the case, we need to get back to base," Nightfall began. "If somebody's out here with that kind of ordinance taking pot shots at windigos, there's a large chance that someone is going to get killed." There was no disagreement in the group, but they needed to get moving now. The area would no doubt be saturated with windigos soon and that meant that setting up camp for the night would be impossible. There was still plenty of time left in the day though. If they left now, they would be able to come within radio range of teams in other sectors and pass the message along.

Recomposing themselves, the group dawned their helmets again and quickly found their way outside. In the distance, the shrill cry of windigos could be heard, never failing to send chills down all their spines. The creatures were not upon them yet, but they were somewhere, licking their wounds and regrouping. They may have been feral beasts, worthy of neither pity nor mercy, but saying that they were not clever beings would prove to be a fatal mistake. Unlike many of the creatures that lurked in the tundra, windigos showed some semblance of intelligence. Ice wolves were deadliest when hunting in packs, but windigos were equally as dangerous in small groups due to their crafty and almost organized nature. This behavior had already been on display once today.

Progress was slow and each step came with the knowledge that it could be the last. Crossing the street. Ducking into buildings. Hiding under the snow. Every move was a risk.

They now found themselves in hiding as yet another pack passed by on the streets. It should have been like any other. Stay still. Stay quiet. Stay hidden. The pack would move on and the ponies would be once again to be able to move. How wrong they were though. This pack stopped.

Nightfall internally cursed at their situation. They were stuck, the only way out being through the windigos. They were still deep in over run territory and a fight would no doubt only bring more of the creatures upon them. And so they hid, but not quite well enough.

From under her helmet, beads of sweat poured down Star's face as one of the windigos began to wander too close to where she laid on the floor under the window sill. Icy crystals began to cover her body, the cold threatening to seep into her suit and overpower the insulation that kept her warm. "Please go away. Please go away. Please go away," Star repeated to herself over and over in her head as she slowly unsheathed a curved blade, a fresh fire enchantment ready to go.

The windigo did not leave though, instead drifting closer and closer as it stared into the window with great curiosity, completely unaware that its prey was right below its nose. The windigo finally stuck its head through the window, a film of ice forming on ever surface inside the room.

Star shot up suddenly, her blade hooking the windigo under the chin and piercing up into its head. She yanked back, causing the blade to glide through the windigo's flesh toward its chin where the sharp metal caught, pulling the creature's entire body through the window as Star let herself fall onto her back, bringing the windigo down with her.

Nightfall dashed forward, grabbing the windigo by its tail and pinning it to the ground. Star wasted absolutely no time rolling on top of it and ripping her blade out sideways, before slashing it back across the windigo's neck in two swift and clean swipes that left its head snapped back farther than it should have naturally been able to.

Nightfall let go as he felt the body below him go limp, but quickly grabbed a hold of Star's hoof and yanked her back down under the window sill to hide in the shadows yet again. The kill had been quick, clean, and mostly silent. The windigos outside made no indication that they were even aware of what had just unfolded. Had it not been for a series of firecracker like pops in the distance drawing them away, they surely would have noticed that one among them was missing, given enough time.

On the floor, Nightfall stuck his head up slowly to see that the windigos had moved on. "They're gone," he said quietly, prompting everyone to emerge from their own hiding spots. Underneath him, Star still had her hooves firmly wrapped around his waste and her head resting on his chest. "You can let go now," he said, planting a hoof on her chest and pushing her away.

"What? Oh, sorry," Star apologized sheepishly, a nervous chuckle leaving her mouth.

"Sure," Nightfall replied nonchalantly as he got up off the floor. "Good play."

"By that, he means nice work," Foxtrot said, placing a hoof on Star's shoulder as he passed. "And it was a good kill. Do that more often."

Star looked over her shoulder at what remained of the windigo corpse. The fire enchantment on her knife had gone to work burning away at the ghostly flesh, white smoke rising from the wound that she had left behind. "Thanks."

It had taken the group a considerable amount of time to get out of their sector and into an area that wasn't crawling with windigos. The exact amount of time it had taken, no one really knew, but several hours had been spent hiding or searching for routes to evade detection. There were a few more close calls, but none nearly as close as the first, in which Star had had to get her hooves dirty. By now, the sun was beginning to set, casting the city in an eerie light and lengthening the shadow of every building, somehow making them even more ominous than they had already been.

"Team 2, this is Team 1," Nightfall began over the radio, now that they should have been in range. "Team 2, you there?" There was no answer and he repeated himself.

"Maybe they dropped back into another sector?" Paper guessed.

"Or something happened to them," Foxtrot said.

"I'm sure they're fine," Bastion assured. "You got to have a little faith in the ponies you're working with from time to time."

Star remained silent on the matter, seeming somewhat perplexed by something.

Nightfall looked down the street at the setting sun, before looking back to his teammates and then back to the sun. It was getting late and they would need to find a place to set up for the night. He could see it on each of their faces as well and in their eyes. They were all tired, including himself. And despite his own desire to complete the mission as soon as possible, he was more than ready to call it a day.

The place they found was not the most ideal, as most places in Manehattan weren't, but it had four wall a roof and would be sufficient to shield them from the wind. It was the sixth floor of what was probably an office building, being three floors up from the snow. The inner room they had decided on would conceal them from anyone or anything outside, but as a precaution both Foxtrot and Nightfall had taken a few incendiary grenades and some string to booby trap "ground level" entrances and halls.

"That should be good enough," Nightfall said, dropping the leftover bundle of string onto a blanket where the rest of his equipment laid. Finding his helmet, he picked it up and placed it back onto his head, neglecting to clamp up the lower jaw plate. "Team 2, this is Team 1. Where are you guys?" he tried again. Still no response.

"Give it a rest already," Foxtrot complained as he made himself as comfortable as possible, leaning against his supply pack. "It's already dark and they probably headed back to base to sleep in a cabin."

Nightfall just sighed, removing the helmet and replacing it with a beanie that covered his ears, before finding himself a cup of strawberry yogurt and plastic spoon.

The group was quiet for a while as they each found themselves something to eat, before Bastion finally spoke. "So, any theories?" he asked, referring to the question that currently weighed on all of their minds.

"Raiders?"

"If raiders have access to that kind of ordinance, we're all screwed," Foxtrot told Paper. "My money is on a mercenary group. Probably came out here to test some new toys or got a contract that involved killing windigos in mass. Sure, it might be forbidden to come to this city without official business, but I've never known a merc who didn't have some level of disregard for the rules."

"Don't take this the wrong way, but weren't you a mercenary at some point?" Bastion asked.

"Sure was," Foxtrot answered, seeing no sense in trying to hide it. He was proud of his work and was fond of many memories from that time.

"Why leave to join the TRST?" Paper asked.

"Easy. It's a more stable line of work. As a merc you could go a full week without getting a contract and at times there were jobs that we just couldn't ethically take. Sure, mercenary work may have paid better, but at least with the Initiative you know for certain that you're going to have work and some money on the way. Not to mention the benefits are way better."

"Do you ever miss it?"

Foxtrot just shrugged.

As the group talked quietly amongst themselves, Nightfall stood and took Bastion's flare rifle. "I'll take first watch," he said, not waiting for a response before heading out the door and into the outer hall where the moonlight shined through the windows. He deposited the rifle against one of the inner walls, sitting down and simply staring out the window.

It was a quiet night for the most part. The wind was calm and the snow remained undisturbed on the ground. The far off howling of ice wolves could be heard off in the distance, a sound that was somewhat comforting because it meant that the windigos were not around. Being competitors for food, the two creatures didn't get along very well.

Not even an hour passed, before Nightfall was visited by the one mare of the group. Star Mist took a seat next to him. "You doing okay?" she asked kindly.

"Yeah, I'm alright," Nightfall answered. "Just tired is all." It was the honest truth, even if it was only partial. At this point in his life, the thestral was more than used to living like this. He had done it nearly everyday for the last five years. One more mission wasn't going to kill him... he hoped. More than anything, he just wanted to go home.

"Good... good," Star replied trailing off before figuring out exactly what she wanted to say. "Listen, I just wanted to say sorry about earlier, y'know with the whole latching onto you thing. That was kind of..."

Nightfall let out a slight chuckle. "Dont worry about it. Though I will warn you," he continued jokingly, "I am a married stallion. So don't be getting any ideas."

Star's attention was suddenly caught by his attempt to ease some of the tension. "Really now?"

"Well, sorta. It's not exactly a done deal."

"So you havent asked her yet?"

"No, but I plan to. First thing when I get back." He paused for a moment, pulling his eyes away from the outside for the first time and looking over to Star, before looking away again. He suddenly had a great desire to change the subject. "You want second shift?" he asked, his tone turning from casual to serious.

"Um, sure," Star answered.

"Go get some rest then. I'll come and get you in a few hours."

It was now 1am and Star Mist found herself in the hall, staring out the window just as Nightfall had done before her. The night had been totally uneventful, which was a welcome change of pace after the hectic and tiresome day they had all had. For her, it was nice to just be able sit back and think for a while. And she had been given plenty to think about.

Bastion was nice enough to her, treating her as an equal despite the fact that he clearly had more experience in the city. It was little comfort, but it also being Paper's first time here helped her to feel a bit more secure in her role, especially when Foxtrot would cast sideways glares at her whenever he apparently felt that she was slowing them down. She wasnt quite yet sure how to feel about him, though she hoped that she could eventually earn his respect, even if that meant that he only tolerated her.

Then there was Nightfall. Oh, dearest Nightfall, how she wished he could have just stayed at home. Every part of her heart broke when she saw him taking the daily abuse that their mission entailed. The running. The jumping. The sound he had made when he was hit by that shockwave. All of it took a toll on each of them, but she felt worst for him. Then there were those words he had spoken and the things he had shared with her.

For the first time since arriving, Star removed her helmet fully, running a hoof through her long mane. Though matted and disheveled it may have been, she was perfectly content for the moment. She probably didnt smell that great either, but she figured that a shower was a luxury she would be able to afford once they decided to head back to base, whenever that may be.

She sighed, leaning her head back against the wall, a stupid love stuck smile still plastered across her muzzle. She couldn't wait for this mission to end. She couldn't wait to get home. For now though, she was stuck here.

Meadow Spring placed the helmet back on her head and became Star Mist once again.

Paper stared at the blank screen as he held the scanner down low to the ground, before raising it up higher above his head. He got the same result. All the lines simply stayed where they were. He rubbed his chin before pressing a few buttons, hoping that he had merely forgotten to adjust it or... something.

"Anything?" Bastion asked, his rifle still shouldered as he continued to scan the outer edges of the plaza.

"Nope," Paper answered disappointedly. "Whatever was here, it's gone now."

"Maybe it was just the windigos screwing with the system?" Star suggested, her own weapon shouldered as she kept an eye on the opposite side of the plaza.

This was the first time since arriving in the city that the group had actually been on ground level, the blast having cleared the plaza almost entirely of snow and pushing what remained out to form a large crater. Around them, the snow had been pushed up to the sixth, possibly seventh, story of some buildings. In the center, where they now stood, the ancient concrete that had not seen daylight for centuries was now exposed, a thin layer of ice having glazed over it last night.

"No, windigos shouldn't have had that much of an effect on the scanner," Paper replied, as he tried his best to figure out why the piece of technology wasnt working. "Whatever this was, it was much more in line with what MSAD described."

"But they were still affecting it," Star inquired further, "right?"

"Sure," Paper answered, his eyes still glued to the screen. "It still picks up active magic, but..." he used his magic to pick up some snow, causing a few of the lines on screen to jump up just slightly. "It did the same thing whenever windigos passed too close on the streets yesterday. Something was here, but it's gone now."

"So what does this mean?" Bastion asked.

"It means that someone else is after the crystals," Nightfall said, his tone dripping with annoyance. Of all the things to happen. Of all the things that could go wrong. Of course someone else had to show up and steal the prize right out from under them.

"Why would someone else be after the crystals?" Star asked.

"They're probably pretty valuable," Paper speculated. "I mean, I dont know how valuable, but given what they are, I'm sure someone somewhere is probably willing to pay for them. God knows what they'd use them for though."

"Everything has a market if you look hard enough," Nightfall confirmed.

"I really dont like the sound of that," Bastion said, his leftover instincts from his days in the guard kicking in.

"Me neither," Nightfall mumbled under his breath, before turning to his radio. "Foxtrot, you there?" he asked waving a hoof up towards the fifth floor of a building on the opposite end of the plaza.

"Yeah, I'm here," the pegasus replied, still scanning the outer edges of the plaza through his rifle scope. "You guys got anything?"

"No," Nightfall answered disappointedly. "Whatever was here is gone now. We're thinking whoever caused the explosion yesterday must have taken it." Foxtrot cursed under his breath. "You got anything for us on your end?"

Foxtrot looked down to his team through his binoculars and then up to something he had taken note of a few minutes ago. "Look to your current seven o'clock," he instructed. "In the street at the north end of the plaza, I got eyes on a lot of upturned snow. Looks like someone was moving through there recently, a lot actually."

"Thanks, Foxtrot. We'll check it out."

"You want me to stay on overwatch?"

"If you got an angle, go ahead. If not, come join us. Shouldn't take too long."

"Copy that."

Nightfall watched as Foxtrot began to hop down from his perch, undoing the zippers in his suit and allowing himself to glide down to the others. At the edge of the crater, where the snow had been piled up from the shockwave, the group found that Foxtrot had been correct in his observation. While the snow at the other edges of the crater had been undisturbed since the explosion, here there was clear indication of heavy hoof traffic, the snow being trampled across all throughout the street. There were far too many hoof-prints for a single pony to have been present. Bastion had already begun counting and figured there had to at least be fifteen sets, maybe even more. It was hard to tell.

"Now, what do we have here," mumbled to himself as everyone began to examine the scene before them.

"Damn," Paper muttered. "There are a lot of spent casings here." He enveloped a few of the small brass casings and held them up to show the others. He dropped all but one and began studying it curiously. "Hmm. Standard universal caliber."

"I take it that they were automatic weapons," Bastion commented, taking note of the literal thousands of rounds that littered the ground.

"I dont get it," Star began, picking up a discarded magazine. "Why use conventional firearms? Wouldn't flare based weaponry be far more effective against windigos?"

"Yeah, normal rounds are just about useless. Incendiary works better but they're terribly inefficient. Whoever this was though, had enough firepower that that should have been negligible."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, windigos are spectral beings, right?" Bastion stated. "So killing them is all about exposure rather than physical damage. An incendiary round would move through a windigo's body far too fast for the enchantment to actually work. That's why we use specialized weapons." He pointed to the flare rifle on his back and then to Star's own smaller version.

"I guess that makes sense," Star said.

"Shouldn't you know this stuff already?" Foxtrot asked harshly, shooting the mare an unamused glare from behind his visor.

Star just shrugged. "I dont pay much attention to the science. I know that fire kills them and that's enough for me."

Foxtrot just huffed loudly, not at all happy with Star's apparent lack of knowledge. He went back to inspecting the casing on the ground, finding that they were all exactly the same.

Nightfall looked to his wrist display, finding that it was only a few minutes until 9am. He looked around some more, finding nothing else of significance. Someone was here. The sheer amount of casings and hoof prints made that clear. Not to mention the huge snow crater behind them. Who was here, was far less clear. When the top of the hour came, he made the call. "Well, if there isn't anything else, we should head back. Command still needs to know that someone else is out here and that they might not be friendly."

Everyone in the group agreed and without anymore investigation, they headed out of the street, across the plaza, and back into the western sectors, completely unaware of the eyes on the back of their heads.

From their place in their improvised trench, the group watched as a pack of ice wolves wandered only a few intersections down. It had been several hours since they left the plaza and they had seen very little activity from just about anything since. No windigos, no ponies. The ice wolves ahead were the first things they had come into contact with that day.

"They still there?" Nightfall asked as he readjusted some of the straps on his gear.

"Yeah, they're still there," Foxtrot answered as he watched the pack through his binoculars.

"What are they doing?"

"Nothing."

This came as no surprise to anyone. Ice wolves were known for making their dens in the city from which they would travel to the country side to hunt. It wasnt uncommon to see a pack or two stalking the streets from time to time. This particular pack seemed to be doing just that. The group would only need to wait a few minutes for them to move on. Until then though, they sat quietly in their trench just waiting and watching.

The way they walked. The way the sun reflected light across their bodies. They're was something undeniably beautiful about their icy and predatory forms that no painting could ever truly capture.

Nightfall's ears suddenly shot up and he turned his head to check over his shoulder, having sworn he had heard something moving in the snow behind them. "Paper, check our rear," he said, shouldering his own weapon and watching carefully.

Paper followed Nightfall's lead, unsheathing his sword and preparing a spell. "What do you got?" he whispered, scanning the open street.

"I'm not sure," Nightfall replied. He tapped Bastion on the shoulder, motioning for him to take cover in the building to their right, which he did quickly and without hesitation. Star Mist did the same on the left. Nightfall then continued forward, slowly and silently climbing forward out of the trench and taking a few paces before stopping, his weapon readied. He let out a few nervous breaths, a gut feeling telling him that this was no mere animal. "Who goes there?" he called out.

There was no reply at first, but then slowly yet surely a pair of empty hooves began to raise out of the snow some thirty meters out. "Friendly!" a pony called back as he clambered out of his own trench. He must of felt that there were currently three rifle barrels on him, because he remained still and kept his hooves up high. "Dont shoot."

"Identify yourself," Nightfall demanded.

"Agent Striker, Equestrian IGS," he replied, turning so that the rangers could all see the patch on his shoulder. "I'm with the project, reporting on conditions inside the city. You're one of the ranger teams tasked with securing the crystals, right? I've got intel for you."

Nightfall relaxed lowering his weapon and motioning for the others to come out. He looked back to see that the ice wolf pack was still there and that Paper and Foxtrot were both still sitting in their trench. "Not here," he said, turning back to Striker. He motioned for everyone to follow and they hurried into the nearest building.

Striker took a seat against the far wall, unloading some of his gear and placing his own weapon against the wall. He waved the others over so that he could show them what he had.

"Alright, what's this intel you got for us, Agent?" Nightfall asked after everyone had gathered around.

"So you guys probably already know this," Striker began, "but you're not the only ones in this city."

Everyone just exchanged glances, each of them recalling the events of the previous day. "I think we figured that out," Nightfall said.

"Well, what you probably dont know is that all communications across the eastern side of the city are being jammed. The west side is still okay, but no signals are passing in or out of the city. Someone doesn't want us communicating with the outside world. I've also got some... grave news." He hesitated for a moment, before pulling an envelope out of his bag. "The team tasked with searching this sector is KIA." He noticed the shocked expression spreading across everyone's faces, though the thestral and pegasus both seemed a bit skeptical.

Striker opened his envelope and gave the contents to Nightfall. They were pictures. Pictures of bodies laying in pools of their own frozen blood that leaked out from gunshot wounds. They were passed around.

"Oh my god," Star breathed as she looked over the gruesome images.

Nightfall sighed as he passed the last picture over to Paper who in turn passed it on. "God dammit," he cursed under his breath.

"Now, whoever this is, it seems that they're after the crystals we're currently tracking," Striker continued. "And they're clearly not above using lethal force to prevent us from getting them first."

"Any clue who might have done this?" Nightfall asked.

Striker shook his head. "I've seen them, but havent been able to identify them yet. Whoever they are though, they're heavily armed and well equipped. The gear their toting is high grade."

"Any uniforms or distinguishing marks? Patches, maybe?"

"No, I'm afraid not," Striker answered, sounding sad. After being handed the photos back, he divided them in half and gave one set back to Nightfall. "I need you guys to deliver these photos back to command and warn them about what's going on here. Right now, everyone is at risk."

"We'll get it done," Nightfall assured.

"You're not coming with us?" Bastion asked, his voice taking on a concerned tone.

"No," Striker answered, placing his photos back in their envelope and then stuffing that back into a bag. "I've got to go track down the other teams and warn them before it's too late. With any luck, I'll be able to send them back to base before anyone else is killed." He collected his rifle from where it had been leaning against the wall and proceeded to head to the window.

"You're going alone?"

"I've got a team out there, tracking down leads," Striker assured. "Don't worry about me. I'll be fine. Just get those photos delivered and I'll see you again soon."

Nightfall nodded and bid Striker farewell, also wishing him good luck. With that, the unicorn hopped through the window and back into the snow, making his way up into the northern sectors. Nightfall looked back down at the photos in his hooves, before sighing and placing them securely in a pouch.

"I don't like this," Foxtrot voiced his thoughts suddenly. "How do we know we can trust this guy?"

"I guess we dont," Nightfall said, stepping out of the building and dropping down into the snow.

Foxtrot simply stood there in disbelief as one by one his teammates walked passed him, simply shrugging. Star kept her head low as she passed, more than eager to rejoin Nightfall and get back to base. Everything about this just seemed fishy to him. How were they supposed to know that he wasnt the one who killed Team 2? What if this was a trap?

"He gave us the pictures, didnt he?" Bastion said, as if having read Foxtrot's mind by analyzing his facial expression.

"Blind trust is going to get us killed," Foxtrot scolded.

"So is staying here any longer. We need to go now." Nightfall put his binoculars away, having observed that the pack of ice wolves was now gone. Without so much as another word, he began march to forward through the snow, followed closely behind by Paper, Star, and Bastion.

Foxtrot opened his mouth to say something else, but suddenly thought better of it, instead deciding to catch up with his team.

Together, the group carried on towards base, the city now seeming more dangerous than it ever had. Each window was an eye watching them. Each rooftop was a position from which they could be attacked. A somber mood came over them as they walked on in total silence, each knowing that they were now being hunted and that any mistake could possibly be their last. Manehattan had always been dangerous, but now it was a hunting ground and they were the prey.

Author's Note

I honestly didnt think I'd get done with this chapter as quickly as I did. I thought for sure it would be another week, but I've really been in the mood for writing lately. I hope you enjoyed reading it, because I really enjoyed writing it.

Chapter 9: Interogative

Darkness is a strange thing in the mind of a pony. Many have seen it as its own entity rather than recognizing it as nothing more than the absence of light. There is a certain connotation to the very word. Darkness is grim. Darkness is evil. Darkness is dark. To a thestral, darkness was something else though. Nightfall had never been afraid of it, his own kind having embraced it long ago. Darkness, while obscuring the vision of others, allowed him to see clearly. It brought comfort in a world of blinding white and had been a sort of guide to generations of thestrals before him.

Darkness. That is what surrounded him now, save for the small flickering flame in the center of the room, that provided just enough light for his day dwelling acquaintances to see. Had the candle not been there, the small sphere of light would not have currently been revealing the body that now hung from a crossbeam in the ceiling, suspended by its forehooves, the pony's coat drenched in blood and sweat. In this way, light was much grimmer than dark, for it revealed the horrors that hid within.

From his spot in the corner, Nightfall just watched, completely hidden from view as he lingered out of the candle's illuminative range. Within that light, Foxtrot slowly walked in circles like a shark, eyeing the bound pony with a wicked glare. He hadn't spoken, each question being met with complete silence, only serving to agitate the pegasus further than he already was.

"No one is coming to save you," Foxtrot said, as he made his way to the front of their prisoner again. "Tell us what we want to know."

Still, the prisoner remained silent, his head held low and his dark mane hanging heavily over his face.

It had only been a few hours, since they had captured him. Since then, Nightfall had talked a bit with the other team leaders and the project leads, or at least the few that were left. Unsurprisingly, they were all rattled and with no information to work off of, no one stepped forward to make any decisions. For now, all they could do was tend to their wounded and prepare for the worst. What they really needed was for the prisoner to spill his guts.

They had absolutely no clue who it was that they had been attacked by or what they wanted. All they knew for certain was that they were hurting and that the MSAD mages had been taken.

"I'll admit," Foxtrot continued, finally taking a seat on a barrel across from the prisoner. "You and your friends did pretty good. You caused quite a bit of chaos and you certainly knew how to divide us up." For a second, Foxtrot swore he could see the pony smiling.

He spoke. "It wasnt hard. You're outer defenses sucked."

Foxtrot's expression remained stagnant, the same ridged grimace spread across his face. "I dont think they expected to be attacked by an army when they built those watch towers. I just want to know why you attacked us." That was a lie. Foxtrot knew the answer. They had come for the MSAD mages, that much was abundantly clear, but if he could get him talking, maybe more info would come.

"Because we were paid to," the pony answered. "That's all you're getting out of me." He looked back away from Foxtrot and went back to being silent.

Foxtrot sighed. "We'll see about that." He made a motion to turn around, but quickly snapped back towards the prisoner, driving his hoof into his side where the freshly, and quite poorly, bandaged gunshot wound was.

"Gaaaaaaahhh!" the prisoner cried, the punch sending shockwaves of pain through his body. Every muscle tensed up and every nerves screamed out in agony, before his entire body went limp again, his lungs desperately drawing in air in short exasperated gasps.

Behind Foxtrot, Nightfall just crossed his hooves and readjusted himself in his seat to get more comfortable. He didn't like this. There was no doubt that Bastion and Paper would protest such a brutal method, but this is what had to be done, at least that's what he kept telling himself.

Foxtrot threw his hooves up against the prisoner's throat, causing his body to spasm as his lungs struggled to find air. The pain flared up again all over his body. Air! Air! Air! The lack of oxygen only amplified the pain as his muscles tensed up, squeezing out every drop of agony. Foxtrot finally let go. The prisoner gasped loudly as air filled his lungs once more and his shaking body went limp again. He coughed, before spitting out blood onto the wooden floor below.

"You just going to keep torturing me?" the prisoner asked. "It wont work."

"I know," Foxtrot replied. He smiled in a devious way. "I just find this fun."

Meadow Spring was not a doctor. She wasn't a nurse or even a nursing assistant and consequently she didnt know the first thing about medicine other than the fact that blood should stay inside the body. Of course, having spent four years in the TRST, she was not in any way squeamish about seeing blood. Broken bones that stuck out at awkward angles though, that was another issue all together.

She had spent the last several hours contributing in anyway she could. This usually entailed running to get more supplies or helping a doctor lift a patient onto a table. The actual amount of supplies they had to work with was not sufficient at all and many of the procedures that had to be performed were very impromptu, meaning she often had to get her hooves dirty by holding down on a wound or two.

Much had been lost in the attack and many of the wounded had been placed in the still standing lodges which now acted as small temporary hospitals. Meadow now found herself sitting behind one of these, shaking ever so slightly as she tried to calm her nerves. She had just had to help amputate what was left of a leg that had been blown off by a frag grenade. The sound that the knife made as it cleaved through the flesh was one that would stick with her for the rest of her life, though she wished to sooner forget it.

As she sat with her back against the wall, trying all she could to just relax for a moment, her mind wandered. She hadn't really talked to anyone since the hospital burned down. She was fairly certain that no one knew her secret yet, but given all that had happened, she wasnt quite sure she wanted to keep it that way.

Nightfall. If anyone was to be the first pony to know, it needed to be him. She hated keeping secrets from him like this, not that she was any good at it. Lying was not something she was good at, especially not to the ponies she cared so deeply about. Apparently she had a very obvious tell. Breaking eye contact and ears splaying back. Those were the ones that Nightfall had pointed out to her. Had it not been for the helmet concealing her face, she would have been discovered long ago. The voice changer in the jaw plate certainly helped a great deal as well.

Of course, just because she was getting away with it, so far at least, didn't mean that she didn't feel dirtier and dirtier every second. She sighed as her mind went back to all the times her and Nightfall were open with one another. She and Nightfall practically told each other everything, trust and honesty being two of the few precious pillars which any healthy relationship was founded upon.

She loved him, that was for damn sure, though the more she thought about it, the more she began to realize that that was not entirely why she had come here. She wasn't exactly sure why she had come along if she was being honest with herself. She kept telling herself it was out of love, but perhaps equally so it was out of fear. Fear of losing him. Fear of not knowing if he would come home or not. This was the big one, as they had labeled it when she first found out. The mission was certainly living up to that name.

Meadow was startled suddenly as a voice sounded from her left. "W-what?!" she said with a jump.

"I asked if you were doing alright," Bastion replied, taking a seat beside her. "Sorry, didn't mean to scare you like that. You kind of had this strange look on your face. Thought you might want some company."

Meadow allowed a small humorless laugh, one that was dry and shallow. She suddenly felt very thirsty. "I'm just... thinking about some things is all."

"Anything interesting?"

"No," Meadow answered a bit too quickly, before settling back down. "Not really. I'm just troubled, I think."

"Ah, so you're thinking about the mission and how it's all going to end then," Bastion took a guess. He looked down to see that Meadow was just staring at the ground, absentmindedly dragging the tip of her hoof through the thin layer of snow. "It's okay to be scared," he offered.

Meadow shrugged. "Everything's a mess," she finally answered. "I dont know what to expect out of any of this really. I thought I could sign up for this mission just to be closer while you guys worked, y'know, surprise Nightfall maybe." This was a blatant lie. Her tells would have given it away had she not already been in a glum mood. Her expression grew sour then. "Then everything went to shit."

"Yeah, well, we'll stick together," Bastion replied. "Nightfall always says that you got to keep your head straight and focus. There's often a way out as long as you keep your cool and dont panic. I figure if we're all working together on this, then we'll be alright."

Meadow couldn't help but to allow a small smile to tug at the corner of her muzzle. That part about staying focused certainly sounded like her Nightfall, but it also reminded her that she had business to take care of. "Bastion?" she began, to which he replied with a simple 'hmm?' "How long have you been married?"

"Oh, geez," Bastion said, running his hoof through his mane as he recalled all the happy memories. "Nearly ten years now. Why?"

"I need a second opinion on something is all," she answered cautiously, something he seemed to pick up on. "A while ago, before the mission started..." Another lie. "Nightfall said something to me that got me thinking. The more I've thought about it the more and more I've thought about other things, about how I... how..." She swallowed hard. "I haven't been entirely truthful to him," she finished, looking a bit ashamed.

Bastion gave Meadow a sympathetic look, but was hesitant to say anything. Somehow, a cat had grabbed hold of his tongue and he had to think for a moment before being able to continue. "Okay, hold on," he said, now venturing into uncharted territory. "You didn't... cheat on him, did you?"

"What!?!?!" Meadow cried suddenly, looking in no small amount flustered. "Of course I didn't cheat on him! What kind of mare do you think I am?!"

"Okay, sorry," he replied quickly, every part of his mind rushing to damage control. "I didn't think you did, I just wanted to make sure is all."

Meadow sighed. "No, it's fine. I shouldn't have freaked out. I'm sorry." She went back to staring at the ground. "It's not really so much of me not being truthful as it is me just not telling him something entirely. I've been keeping a secret from him for a while now and I don't know what to do anymore. Things have... changed."

"Changed?" Bastion said with a hint of confusion, his expression growing thoughtful. He suddenly had a instance of understanding. "So he asked you to marry him?"

"No, not properly at least," Meadow answered. It was a proposal that she couldn't wait for and thinking about it only served to make her heart flutter like a little filly. "It's coming, soon. I know that much. It's just that things have gotten complicated and I don't know what to do."

"You're pregnant?" Bastion took a shot in the dark.

"No," she answered, becoming somewhat frustrated. How was she supposed to go about this without revealing to much? "Nothing like that. If that was the case I never would have come here."

"So what is it then?"

Meadow sighed, leaning back against the wall and thinking for a moment. "I can't... I just... It's complicated. I need to tell him before anyone else. I'm sorry."

"Hmm. Well, whatever it is, I think you should go through with telling him," Bastion said. "You two are good together and I know he loves you way too much to be angry if that's what you're worried about."

Meadow only remained silent, looking entirely uncertain.

"Hey, you know we're all rooting for you two, right?" Bastion said, putting a reassuring hoof on her shoulder.

"Really?"

"Of course. I've known Nightfall a long time and I guess you could say he's somewhat of a brother to me by now. I'm sure you dont need me to tell you that under that hardcore façade is a really caring pony. And believe me, you make him really happy. Listen. I know what it's like to go through a rough patch and as long as you're honest and open with each other, you can get through it."

Meadow managed to smile a bit. Bastion was the one pony outside the family that had known Nightfall for as long as she had, which had been half the reason he had been the one she had asked. "Thank you," she said. "I... I needed to hear that."

Bastion nodded and then he started he started to laugh a bit. "You know, it's been forever since we've last talked. It's really good to see you again."

"It's good to see you too, Bastion," Meadow replied, her own smile growing and a sense that everything was going to be okay now firmly sitting in her heart. "How have you been? I heard you and Scarlett are having a foal."

"We are, and believe me, I'm more than eager to get back," Bastion replied happily.

"Congratulations," Meadow began. "Do you know if it's going to be a filly or a colt?"

"No, not yet. It's way too early to know, but we'd be happy either way. The name is what we're still trying to figure out."

"Any ideas?"

"A few," Bastion answered. "We agreed on something traditional. She's a unicorn and I'm an earth pony, so we'll just have to wait in see what that is though. Paper keeps trying to suggest names of mythological figures. You should have heard him on the train."

"Oh, brother," Meadow groaned, her hoof falling against her face. "I take it he's doing just fine then?"

Bastion chuckled. "Never better," he replied happily, as they both allowed themselves to laugh out loud for a bit.

Foxtrot watched with great amusement as their prisoner struggled against his restraints, the rope only tightening and digging deeper and deeper into his hooves. It was funny to him. He had been tied up for hours now, a gunshot wound in his side, and he still had the energy to struggle. It would have been a whole lot more entertaining if he had actually spilled his guts already.

From the darkened corner, Nightfall still watched, having left a few times to see what state the base outside was in. It seemed that the ponies outside were having much better luck than they were in here. Their prisoner was stubborn. That much was abundantly clear and he didnt quite like that look in Foxtrot's eye. While out, he had taken the liberty of grabbing a few special items that would hopefully expedite the interrogation process.

The prisoner suddenly stopped pulling on the ropes, taking a break to gasp for air in repeated short breaths, sweat dripping from his mane into a small puddle on the floor.

"You ready to talk yet?" Foxtrot asked.

"Go to hell," the prisoner muttered.

Foxtrot laughed. "I like you," he said. "I can admire your resolve, but right now it's really starting to piss me off. So why dont you tell me what I want to know and I can make the pain stop."

"There's nothing you can do to hurt me."

Foxtrot stopped pacing and just looked at the prisoner, a malicious grin overtaking his visage. "Are you hearing this shit?" he asked, looking back to the darkened corner where he knew Nightfall was currently sitting. Though he could only see the thestral's silhouette, he noticed a nod.

"I think it's time we tried something else," Nightfall said, grabbing a small jar from beside him. For the first time, he walked into the light, allowing the prisoner to see him fully.

In response the prisoner's expression suddenly grew firm but thoughtful, as if a realization had hit him. Nightfall was a thestral. The thestral.

"You look surprised to see me," Nightfall said, taking note of the pony's strange reaction. "As much as I wish we could be meeting under better circumstances, I get the feeling that you aren't the kind of company I like to keep, so I'm just going to get straight to the point."

Nightfall slowly took out the small jar and placed it carefully on the floor between them. "Do you know what MISA is?"

"Pfft. Magic Induced Suspended Animation. Who doesn't know what it means?"

"Very good," Nightfall replied. "As I'm sure you also know, windigo MISA can be deadly if allowed to persist for too long. Victims are left with severe magic burns. Hypothermia and frostbite often follow in a matter of hours."

"Why are you telling me this?"

Nightfall simply pointed to the small jar on the floor. "Because I have enough windigo essence to freeze you whole and kill you in half the time. Of course, I wouldn't actually let you die. Parts might start falling off, but I'd make sure you were able to talk."

"You're bluffing," the prisoner challenged. As hard as he tried not to, his voice faltered a little and more sweat poured from his brow.

Nightfall made little indication that he had heard the words and instead began to untwist the lid on the jar, allowing a dense white fog to billow from the top and onto the floor.

"You son of a bitch! That's just dry ice in a jar of water!" the prisoner cried out indignantly. That fiery rage in his voice suddenly died and his breaths began to come in short desperate bursts as he noticed the room drop in temperature by several degrees, large white clouds quickly forming from each breath taken. The burning pain suddenly flared up again as the cold began to wash over him.

Nightfall carefully raised the jar from the floor, a protective glove now wrapped securely around his hoof. He raised it up to the prisoner, who struggled backwards against his restraints, doing all that he could to distance himself from the jar.

"This or the information!" Nightfall demanded. "What's it going to be?"

The prisoner remained silent, still struggling to get away.

Nightfall brought the jar closer, a thin layer of ice crystals beginning to form across every surface in the room and the prisoner's coat growing stiff as the sweat on his body began to freeze.

The prisoner's mind raced, searching for anyway out, only finding there to be none. His heart pumped faster and faster as the ice crystals slowly began to crawl up his body and send chills through his whole system. "Okay! Okay! Stop!" he cried out, the ropes around his hooves tightening as he strained against them. "We only came here to kidnap the mages! That's why we attacked you."

"No! You came after us even before you kidnapped them!" Nightfall shot back. "Why are you trying to kill us?! Do not test my patience!"

"I dont know!" the prisoner answered, his eyes now firmly clamped shut as Nightfall brought the jar even closer to his muzzle. "Our orders were to kill the ranger teams and recover the mages! That's all I was told."

Nightfall suddenly lashed out, beating him in the side of the head with his empty hoof. "I'm not stupid, mercenary! Your group seemed very interested in the crystal shards. What are you planning to do with them?"

"I dont know what you're talking about. I only- GAAAAHH!!!" He screamed in fearful agony as pain shot through his leg, the thestral having poured a small amount of the contents of the jar onto it. The entire limb quickly went numb as it was encased in ice. "Stop! Stop! I swear I don't know about any crystals!"

"I dont believe you!"

"Well, of course you don't!" the prisoner shouted back angrily. "You wont believe anything I say, no matter what!" He took a pained gasp as his wound shot more agony through him. "That's how this works isn't it?" he managed to grunt. "I talk and regardless of what I say you're going to torture me anyways."

Nightfall sighed, placing the cap back onto the jar but keeping it in hoof. "Fine. I am willing to give you one chance to tell me what I want to know. Who sent you?"

"I don't know," the prisoner answered, now hanging his head low and preparing for what was coming.

Nightfall began untwisting the cap again. "You really like to make this hard, dont you?"

"What do you want me to say?" the prisoner asked, rage sparking in his eyes once more.

"I want a name!"

"Fine!" the prisoner shouted. "Nightfall! How's that for a name?!"

Nightfall recoiled suddenly in surprise at hearing his own name leave the prisoner's mouth. He quickly cast a glance to Foxtrot who now wore the same confused and somewhat shocked expression as him. "How do you know that name?" he asked angrily.

"It's not the only one I know," he replied with heavy breaths as he now had room to breath again. He stopped only for a moment though, before continuing on. "Foxtrot. Paper Cut. Bastion. Star Mist. Those were the five names we were given, but all we knew was that you were on one of the ranger teams. Didn't know which one though."

"So you targeted all of us," Nightfall finished. "Hoping that if you killed us all, you'd eliminate your targets in the process."

"Something like that," the prisoner continued. "It pays to be thorough, though I guess we didnt account for you catching on so quickly and returning to base before we could finish the job. We used the old coliseum as a staging area, but I imagine they've moved by now."

Nightfall looked down to the floor as his mind was plunged into deep thought. They knew who they were and they were coming after them. That certainly explained a few things, but there were still some gaps that needed filling, like why. Why? That was the big question to be asked, but he got the feeling that they wouldn't get that from their current prisoner. There was every indication that he was nothing more than a grunt, down at the bottom level of the hierarchy of command. The whys, it was now abundantly clear, were of no concern to him.

"You ever heard of a guy who goes by the name of Warden?"

"No," the prisoner answered simply, his angry stare still leveled at the thestral.

Nightfall just nodded slightly in response, pondering every question that he had just been left with. He turned to Foxtrot and tossed him the jar, which the pegasus easily caught. "Here, do what you want," he said, now making his way to the door to leave. "I don't care anymore." Without waiting for a reply, he pulled the door open and was thrust into the white light of the outside world.

Foxtrot stared blankly at the jar in his hooves and then quickly cast his glance toward the prisoner, who seemed to grow alarmed.

"Hey, dont you be getting any ideas!" the prisoner protested.

Foxtrot just rolled his eyes and stowed the jar in one of his pouches for later, then moved to leave.

"Hey, you cant just leave me here like-"

Foxtrot allowed the door to close behind him cutting off their prisoner from voicing any further dismay. "Nightfall, wait!" he called, trotting after and eventually catching up to the thestral. "What the hell just happened in there?!"

"I don't know," Nightfall answered, sounding more than a little shaken by the previous exchange. He just stood there for a moment, clearly deep in thought as he tried to make heads and tails of what was happening.

"Well, what are we going to do?!"

"I don't know, okay?!" Nightfall exclaimed in frustration. "I have no freakin' clue what to do right now! I just..." He took a breath and let it out slowly, calming his nerves as best he could. "I just need some time to think about this. Go find Bastion and Paper, and if Star Mist isn't dead or whatever, get her too. I'll meet you guys back at our lodge in an hour."

"Where are you going?" Foxtrot asked as he watched the thestral begin to leave.

Nightfall shrugged. "I don't know. I need to think on my own for a while."

The position of Archmage was not one an individual obtained simply through the study and practice of magic. While it was true that an Archmage should be skilled in the arcane arts, it was not the only requirement. An Archmage was far more than a simple wizard. An Archmage was a teacher and a leader, one whom those below them could look up to for guidance. As a result, most were older and wise, usually chosen not because of their skill, but because of their experience overall.

It was an honorable position, one that demanded a certain amount of respect, though from where Mythic Rune was sitting it seemed like all semblance of that respect was lost on the brutes that currently had him tied to a post, a gag in his mouth and a dampener around his horn.

Who these mercenaries were or what they hoped to accomplish by taking him and the mages under him, he had not the slightest idea. He never liked mercenaries much any how. They played fast and loose with the rules and in their society there should have been no room for them. All should be brought into order. It was only natural.

And yet here he was, far from home and in the hooves of the enemy. Despite this, he was confident that his kidnappers would be put to the sword soon enough. It was a shame really. He had observed the unicorns of the group and concluded that they would have made excellent mages had they not chosen a path that would bring them only ruin.

Speaking of ruin, he himself felt absolutely terrible, not simply because he was tied up, but because he had been tied up for hours. He had not gotten a single ounce of sleep the previous night, having been dragged off like an animal and forced to march deep into the city with a bag over his head.

There had been a few of them that had tried to put up a fight when these mercenaries had come knocking on their doors, but it had been a fruitless effort. Most were taken in their sleep, having a dampener placed on their horns before even realizing what was happening. Those that did manage to put up some form of resistance found themselves helplessly outgunned and outnumbered.

Where exactly they had now been taken, Mythic hadn't the slightest idea. It was dark and cold, but there was no doubt that they were somewhere in the city. He may have been bagged and dragged, but this did not keep him from listening. He hadn't reached his position by talking his way up the chain. One had to be an attentive listener as well.

"Why do we need these mages anyways?" one of the mercenaries had asked another, both of them believing him to be asleep at the time. "Wouldn't it just be easier to hold them for ransom?"

"You're kidding right?" another had answered sourly. "This is why no one tells you things. You've always got your head up your ass. The boss has bigger plans. As long as we do our jobs we get paid."

"Well excuse me for finding all of this just a little unnecessary."

"It's perfectly necessary you small minded simpleton. Once we tie up the loose ends in phase one, we can move on to phase two. Then we get paid and we can all disappear across the pond and retire somewhere."

"I'm just saying. All of this seems a little overly complex."

"We aren't being paid to say anything. You want to get rich? Do what you're told and stop complaining."

Interesting. All of this was very interesting to the Archmage. It appeared something rather large was unfolding here. For what purpose he and his colleagues had been taken, he had yet to discover. For now, all he could do was wait and hope that being kept alive was in these mercenaries' best interest.

Nightfall sat quietly with his back against one of the large furnaces that burned the fire crystals keeping the windigos away, the warm stones being only a slight comfort to him as he thought about their current situation. Foxtrot hadn't realized it, but the fact that they were the ones being targeted specifically had told them everything they needed to know, even if the prisoner himself wasnt aware.

Nightfall had spent his entire life planning. When he and Spectre were mere children, they had always had some kind of plan being devised and little had changed as they grew into their adult years. Heist after heist after heist. Making plans was a part of his very identity. And so of course he was beginning to notice how pieces fit together. Someone had made a plan involving all of them. The ultimate goal of that plan he had yet to determine, but if there was one thing he knew for certain, it was that it scared him.

He was scared, more than he ever had been in his life, though he knew for the sake of those around him he could never admit to it and he never would. Instead, he would put on that brave face and march on, remaining the stoic and confident leader that he always tried to portray himself as. Even if the cracks were showing, he would continue on. He barely even noticed Meadow Spring approach, but acknowledged her with a quick motion after seeing her in his peripheral.

Meadow took her place down by Nightfall, her head instinctively tilting to the side until it gently touched against his, his own head doing the same as the silent moment passed. She was shaking, though it was not from the cold. She noticed immediately that he too was shaking just a bit, though not as much as she clearly was. "Are you okay?" she asked, placing her hoof on his shoulder and allowing herself to share more warmth with him.

"I dont know," Nightfall replied in a hushed tone. He placed his own hoof back on hers. "I dont know if anything's going to be okay. I just..." He didnt continue, but Meadow understood. She felt the same way about everything. Well, almost everything.

"We haven't talked since the hospital fire," she finally said, having hesitated several times as she racked her brain for something to open with.

"No, we haven't. Have we?" Nightfall closed his eyes, drawing in deep breath and letting it go once again. The crisp air burned at his lungs just slightly and her sent filled him entirely. It was all so strange and confusing. On one hoof, he liked having her here, close by and with him. On another hoof, she had been put in mortal danger and it would probably be best if she had never come. "Meadow, what are you doing here?" he finally asked, his voice filled with a woeful worry that almost portrayed some level of fear.

"That... that's actually why I came to find you," Meadow answered. She was nervously running her free hoof across the ground, creating a little groove in the thin layer of snow below it. "I really want to say that I came here to be close. I want to tell you that I took a position in the base so that we could see each other while you were on break."

"Why dont you?"

"Because it would be a lie," Meadow said, now looking at Nightfall directly. "I've been lying for so long and I cant help but hate myself for it."

"Meadow, what's going on?" Nightfall asked, not entirely sure what she was trying to say.

Meadow gave a heavy sigh, trying to figure out how to put it to him. "Oh god, where do I start?" She started at the beginning. "When those guards showed up at the house that morning and escorted you away. It scared me so bad. And then when you showed back up and told us all that you were being blackmailed into one last mission, I died a little. I thought I was going to lose you. I couldn't just sit and watch."

Nightfall listened intently, knowing that he was probably not going to like what he was going to hear.

"Those four years that we spent together in the Initiative," Meadow continued. "I spent that first two weeks regretting my decision to sign up. I never imagined that they'd actually put me in the field, but then I met you and slowly things just started to make sense." Tears suddenly began to well up in her eyes. "And then you said that you loved me..." She sniffed, trying her best to hold back the tears that were already pouring down from her eyes. "Nightfall, I'm sorry."

Nightfall took his hoof from her shoulder and wrapped it around her pulling her close into his embrace. His heart raced and his ears splayed back on his head. He could just feel that something terrible was happening.

"I dont know what came over me," Meadow began to confess. "I called in a few favors and spent a little money in the right places. I thought I could... I dont even know."

Night looked Meadow directly in the eye, but it was not a stern or serious look. It was one of compassion and understanding, one that pleaded with her to tell him what was eating her up inside and to let him help.

She finally sighed one more sigh and with a deep breath told him the truth. "There is no Star Mist. It's been me all along." She held her head in shame, waiting for whatever it was that would come next, but nothing came. Instead, Nightfall remained entirely silent, his look growing thoughtful as he contemplated what he had just been told.

The words seemed to roll around in Nightfall's mouth without him being able to let them slide from his tongue. Then his jaw just kind of hung open as he tried to wrap his mind up. Then he just looked at her.

Meadow couldn't help but to give somewhat of a dry chuckle. "Hard to believe?"

"Hell, Meadow, you've always been a terrible liar," he responded, "and yet somehow always play me like a fiddle."

"I'm sorry. It was a really bad idea."

"Yeah, the worst, but I understand... I think."

"So, you're not angry... right?"

Nightfall looked at her with a look in his eyes that could have been interpreted as pure grief. "No," he said quickly, the thought of her thinking that he was angry at her wounding his very soul. "Of course not. I'd never be angry, not at you. I'm just... annoyed?" He sighed. "To be honest, I cant say I blame you or that I wouldn't have done something similar. I just wish I knew from the beginning."

"You never would have gone along with it," Meadow pointed out. "We're both a little stubborn, I guess."

"Yeah, I guess we are," Nightfall replied, knowing full and well that she was right. He wouldn't have gone along with it. He would have told her to stay home and to wait for him, but thinking about it now it almost sounded cruel and cold to do so. They had both waited so long to be together, to be free. He couldn't imagine how much it would suck to have to wait after all that had happened, so of course it made sense that she would do something.

"So you know..."

"Everything," Meadow answered. "The crystals. The alicorns. It's all there," she said pointing to her head.

"Good," Nightfall said simply, much to Meadow's confusion.

"Good?" she responded. "How so?"

"I dont have to bring you up to speed," Nightfall answered. "Look, things are about to get very complicated and there's some stuff you and the guys are going to need to know here in a bit. Now, I'm worried beyond belief at this point. I hate having you in harm's way, but," he took her hooves in his own, "I trust you. We're going to figure this out."

Meadow smiled, her doubts and fears having been put away. There was still a colossal apocalyptic problem for them to face, but at least there was no issue between them. Now she could help focus on the issue at hoof. As Nightfall began to return the smile, she gave him a quick peck on the lips, but it turned into a full kiss as their lips met once again.

"We need to head to the cabin," Nightfall finally said after the kiss turned into a hug. "The others are probably already waiting there."

Meadow nodded. "Alright," she said, knowing that things were okay now. "Let's go."

Bastion began with the receiver of his weapon, being extra mindful to get the residue buildup inside. His rag was quickly darkening as he glided it across each metal component. When one piece was cleaned, he would move on to the next, each one being placed back on the matt that he had laid on the floor. Across from him, Paper Cut did the same. Foxtrot simply lied on one of the bunks at the other end of the room. With how many buildings their attackers had set fire to, it was a miracle that there was still anywhere left for them to stay. Even more so given how many wounded there were.

The room was mostly silent, the little conversation that did spark up focusing mainly on the situation at hand. Both Bastion and Paper had spent the morning clearing debris piles or shoring up defenses in case of another attack. It was good to get a chance to take a break.

"Nightfall should be here soon," Foxtrot said, glancing down at the time on his wrist display. "He said something about needing to be alone so he could think. Not sure what he hopes to accomplish."

"That's just his way," Bastion assured, sounding somewhat annoyed with the pegasus up on the top bunk. "Give him a little time and space. He's got a lot on his mind."

"We all do," Foxtrot shot back.

"Yeah, but he's team leader," Paper replied. "He's got to like, y'know, coordinate things."

"Oh, dont give me that crap," Foxtrot said dismissively.

Much to his annoyance, both Paper and Bastion waved Foxtrot off, not caring to hear any further complaints from the pegasus. They were neck deep in trouble at the moment. They didn't need to be arguing amongst themselves. Instead, they focused on the smaller tasks at hand. There was something about cleaning a weapon that felt therapeutic at the time. It gave them something to take their minds off the disaster they were currently caught up in.

As time wore on, Nightfall eventually showed up, each of their attentions being caught as the door creaked open and the thestral slipped in with a certain mare in tow. "Hey, guys," Nightfall began. "Look who I found."

"Star Mist!" Bastion exclaimed at seeing the helmeted mare trot in, his eyes lighting up with glee and a wave of relief washing over him.

"It's good to see you too, guys," Star Mist managed as she was assaulted with an enthusiastic hug.

"Aha! The family's back together!" Paper cried happily as he too got in on the hug.

Star Mist looked like she had clearly been through the ringer. Her suit was still mostly stained with soot and the softer fabric sections were frayed in multiple spots. Her helmet had clear signs of wear, with several chips in the snow camo patterned paint and more than a few dents.

While the others enjoyed their little reunion, Nightfall gave Foxtrot a quick tap and motioned for him to come down and join everyone. There was still business for them to attend to. Foxtrot begrudgingly hopped down from his spot and took a seat on the lower bunk. Nightfall found his own place on a chair in the center.

"Alright, everyone," Nightfall called. "We have some important things to go over so settle in." As everyone found their spots, Nightfall gave one last sigh.

"Foxtrot and I have finished interrogating the prisoner," Nightfall began. He could see Bastion visibly tense up. "He gave us some information. It's not much, but... well, none of you are going to like what I'm about to say. According to our "friend" the mercenaries that attacked us did in fact come here with the main goal of kidnapping the MSAD mages. He also gave me some information and I've been able to figure a few things out."

Foxtrot looked over at Nightfall for a second, something that the thestral noticed. This was about to be a bombshell of an announcement.

"The ranger teams were not the intended target of the earlier attacks, not initially," Nightfall continued. "Their goal was to eliminate us specifically. The prisoner knew each of our names. Foxtrot, Bastion, Paper, Star, and my own," Nightfall said, motioning to each respective pony. He could see a look of worry begin to grow on each of them. "They were unaware of which team we were on and attacked all of them in hopes of getting us. Everything I tell you from here on is theory on my part, but I've thought it through and I see no other possibilities."

Nightfall looked to each of his teammates. They had all grown silent, a thousand thoughts no doubt going through each of their heads. "These mercenaries are looking for Princess Luna, though I don't believe they are aware that it's an alicorn that they're after. We know that they came for the MSAD and we know that they are looking for the crystals. Both are connected to Luna, but it's the final piece that confirms it. We are the only ones in this base that know the truth about her. If we're gone, there's no one left to stop them from claiming their prize."

"They know our names," Paper stated, sounding shocked.

"Yes," Nightfall confirmed. "There's something else too. If they know our names and they know that we were the only ones who knew the true nature of this mission, it means that someone told them, someone who would have already known themselves."

Bastion froze as the news reached his ears. All of this could only mean one thing. "You mean..."

Nightfall nodded. "It was an inside job."

Everyone was quiet, the haunting silence of the room making each of them even more uncomfortable than they already were. Paper opened his mouth to say something.

"Goddammit!" Foxtrot yelled angrily, knocking over an unoccupied chair and beginning to pace around the room. "What the hell are we supposed to do now!?"

"They know our names," Paper said again, his visage still frozen in shock.

Bastion had also stood up and was now frantically pacing around the room as he tried to figure something out. "We're so screwed," he finally concluded.

"They know our names," Paper repeated, the panic now properly setting in. It never got a chance to take hold though, as he took a deep breath and tried to concentrate. "Okay, so do we tell ponies about this or not?"

"No, absolutely not," Bastion replied, having already made up his mind. "If we tell anyone about this, it only puts a target on their backs."

"So, what, we just do nothing?"

"Of course not," Bastion quickly answered before Paper could take that thought any further. "We're still here to save Princess Luna. That hasn't changed."

"Oh, but were supposed to somehow do it all on our own now?" Foxtrot countered. "Is that it? We dont stand a chance against a force of that size."

"No!" Bastion defended. "I'm not saying that. It's just... I dont want anyone else getting hurt."

"As long as we stay here in this base, everyone is still in danger," Paper began to realize. "We cant stay here, can we? I mean, where are we supposed to even go?"

Nightfall looked to Star Mist, who appeared to be sitting calmly in her place. He couldn't see her worried expression under her helmet, but he knew her. She was probably trying to rationalize all this out. "You okay?" he asked, sounding far more casual than he wanted to be.

Star Mist sighed heavily. "Well, that's a shocking revelation to say the least." She turned to the others who were all still debating on what course of action should be taken. They all still looked a bit panicked. Perhaps now was not the best time to reveal her secret to them as she and Nightfall had originally intended. Soon though. First, they needed a plan.

"I have a plan," Nightfall suddenly announced, catching everyone's attention.

"Oh, this should be good," Foxtrot said sarcastically as he rolled his eyes.

"Shut up," Bastion replied in an annoyed tone.

"For now, I'm inclined to agree with Bastion on the matter," Nightfall continued, drawing further agitation from Foxtrot. "We were sworn to secrecy for a reason. Clearly the information we have is dangerous. We cant just do nothing though."

"What exactly are you proposing?" Paper asked hesitantly.

"Before we decide whether or not ponies need to know about Luna and the other alicorns, we need to investigate further on why these mercenaries are after them."

"I take it we have a lead then?"

"We do," Nightfall answered. "Just after he confessed to knowing our names the prisoner made reference to the old coliseum here in Manehattan. Supposedly, they used it as a staging area for the attack, but have since moved."

"That's it?" Foxtrot questioned. "That's what we're going with?"

"You have a better idea?" Bastion responded.

"Look, it's not much, but it's all we've got at the moment," Nightfall said. "We'll see what we can find out and then play it by ear from there, but this is our only lead. We'd be crazy not to follow up on it."

"So is this impromptu mission of ours going to be a secret too?" Foxtrot asked. "Blundering into an enemy encampment and kicking down the door without back up doesn't exactly appeal to my tactical sense."

"We'll inform the project leads and the other ranger teams," Nightfall answered. "And we're not just going to kick in the door."

"What the hell. I'm up for it," Bastion stated. "No sense in waiting around for them to make the first move."

"I'm in too," Paper seconded. "I'm not too thrilled with what we have to work with, but we've been in tight spots before."

"I'll get my things ready," Foxtrot added lastly. He wasted little time digging into a large duffle bag, producing several pieces of equipment, including several incendiary grenades and enough ammo for an entire siege. As the pegasus went to work assembling his gear and loading his guns, Bastion and Paper both began to tend to their own.

"Good," Nightfall said simply. "Star Mist and I will run this by the project leads. We'll meet you back here in an hour and move out before it gets dark."

"Wait, what if they dont approve?" Paper suddenly questioned.

"Then we do it anyways," Foxtrot called back as if it were the simplest thing in the world.

"Bingo," Nightfall replied. He waved Star Mist on to follow him.

She followed him straight out the door, allowing it to close behind them, before she fell back and pressed her back up against it. "Well then, we're really going to do this aren't we?"

Nightfall sighed, a large cloud forming from his breath. "Yes, I think we are. You up for it?"

"Absolutely," Meadow replied, her heart filling with resolve. She chuckled a bit. "I'm finally getting to put all that tundra survival training to good use. I'll admit though, I had to read through my old handbook to refresh my memory."

"Well, if you ask me, you've been doing pretty good. Don't think I didnt notice the way you took down that windigo yesterday."

"Oh please, that was textbook," Meadow replied, a smile now tugging at her visage. "Besides, you didn't know it was me at the time."

"You're right," Nightfall said. "I didnt, but looking back it tells me everything I need to know."

"Well, I'm just glad I've been able to keep up with you guys. I havent been on a proper expedition in years."

"You're doing fine," Nightfall assured her, placing a hoof on her shoulder. His expression suddenly turned very solemn. "Just promise me you'll keep your head down and wont take any unnecessary risks."

"I could ask the same of you," Meadow replied, dodging his request all together.

"Meadow... please."

Meadow sighed lightly, before taking off her helmet. Her mane was dirty and matted against her head and her fur was still an unbrushed mess. Some traces of soot still clung to her face. "I promise," she said, allowing her helmet to fall to the floor as she took Nightfall in a hug.

He returned it, holding her just as tight as he always had. Every single one somehow felt as if it would be the last, but he was not going to lose her. He wouldn't allow it. She was strong and she was smart, but she was still only one pony. Lucky for her, he was going to remain by her side the whole way. And they had a damn good team to back them up.

Author's Note

This chapter! This fucking chapter, man! I can not even begin to tell you how many times I rewrote this thing from scratch, but it's done. There's probably a few gramatical errors, but I'll get to those later. Hope you enjoyed it, because it was a bitch to write. Some real good shit is going to be going down soon.

Chapter 10: Onward

This building was probably once an apartment, a place where ponies once lived, laughed, and loved. Now, like all the buildings that surrounded it, it was nothing more than an empty shell, a husk of its former self. Inside, five ponies sat patiently waiting as the sun slowly fell below the horizon, the shadows growing long and the streets darkening into night.

Paper sat up on a small pile of bricks from a collapsed interior wall, his binoculars trained on the large circular coliseum in the distance, Foxtrot sitting next to him and using the detached scope from his rifle. Bastion appeared to have fallen asleep just across from them with his back against the wall as he sat just below a window. In the corner, Nightfall sat with a map out in front of him. Star Mist sat just across from him.

It was a large city. If the massive skyscrapers, or at least what remained of them, didnt make that clear then the map certainly did. Street after street ran across the sheet of paper in a crosshatching pattern with plenty of labels to congest it even further. Had it not been for the color coding and grid, one would easily get lost in it. What the names of any of the streets were in their time was anyone's guess.

"So...?" Star asked, not entirely sure what she was looking for. Nightfall had been staring at that damned map ever since they got to this position an hour ago and hadn't said so much as a word since. It meant that he was thinking and she wanted to hear what was on his mind.

Nightfall initially only responded by leaning back out of his hunched over position, a thoughtful look only barely visible through his visor as he tried to relax. "It's not good," he finally answered.

"Oh, you dont say," Foxtrot remarked without taking his attention from his scope. "We're cut off from home, being hunted by the enemy, and the comms are being jammed. And here I thought we were doing just fine."

"We have a lot of hurdles to get over," Star said as more of an out loud thought. She paid the pegasus no further mind and turned back to Nightfall, who was still carefully studying his map. "Any ideas?"

"A few," Nightfall answered simply. He pointed to the west side of the map. "I'm thinking that since we can hear each other in the city, but cant communicate with the outpost, the jammers have to be somewhere here in the west. If that's the case there should be a dead zone, which we can use to narrow down a location."

"And what if it's one of those fancy ones that keeps signals from leaving a certain range?" Foxtrot called over. "You cant use a dead zone if there aren't any there."

"Well then, we're screwed and you can go find a nice cool spot to freeze to death," Nightfall shot back, not appreciating Foxtrot cynicism.

"Very funny," Foxtrot replied. "But I was serious. What if we cant do it? What if there is no way to contact the outside world?"

Nightfall didnt respond, not wanting to entertain such a thought. He had to though. He couldn't afford to not consider every possibility. "I don't know," he finally admitted. "Look, everything I've got so far is nothing more than speculation, but the plan hasn't changed. We'll figure out what to do once we have more information."

Foxtrot just huffed, going back to looking through his scope.

Nightfall's eyes glanced down to the map once more, but only for a second before coming back up to Star Mist. Meadow Spring. "We're going to figure this out," he whispered to her, his hoof falling into hers.

"I know," she replied. "I dont doubt it." It was true. There was no doubt in her mind that Nightfall would figure it all out. What to do and how to go about doing it, but figuring things out wasn't what worried her. It was the execution. You could be the smartest pony in the world and still things could go wrong. They had both experienced that first hoof.

"Speaking of our current goal," Paper spoke up, carrying on their previous conversation, "I haven't seen one bit of activity since we got here, and as far as I can tell there aren't any signs of anyone ever being here."

"Well, we'll know once we get over there," Nightfall replied. He walked over and gave Bastion a nudge, rousing the earth pony from his sleep. "Let's go over the plan once more."

"I'm staying outside to keep watch over the entrances," Foxtrot stated. "I'll get up high and make sure nothing comes in behind you."

"Bastion and I are entering from the east side at the top level and working our way down," Paper followed. "We'll stay in radio contact and meet you and Star at the bottom.

"You and I are entering at the bottom level, east side, and investigating for signs of hostile activity," Star was last to say.

"Good," Nightfall acknowledged. He looked to his wrist display before taking a peak out the window. It would be proper dark soon. "We'll move out in a few minutes. Check your gear and make sure your NVGs are working. We'll approach low and split at the intersection just in front of the main entrance. Good luck everyone."

Everyone nodded in confirmation that they had understood, before beginning to tend to their gear. Bastion let out a short yawn while Paper tightened the NVG mount on his helmet, fixing goggles to it properly. Foxtrot simply went about loading more ammo into his carrier, clearly seeming ready for a fight. Star Mist just sat and watched.

"You alright?" Nightfall asked, noticing her sitting there, seemingly frozen in place.

"What? Oh, yeah," Star said, trying to sound calm and dismissive. "I'm ready when ever you are."

Behind that helmet, Star really couldn't tell if Nightfall was convinced. She was ready. She really was. She was just nervous was all. After that firefight that had gone down the previous night she still felt a little apprehensive about going out and getting into even more trouble, but she'd do what needed to be done.

Nightfall suddenly motioned for her to follow him, which she did, and the two of them both stepped out of the room, rounding a corner so that the others would be out of earshot.

"Everything all right?" Star asked, knowing full well that things were only going to get more tense.

Nightfall removed his helmet, clipping it to his belt. "Yeah, I'm fine," he said simply, despite the fact that he seemed more than a little anxious. "I just wanted to make sure you were ready for this is all."

"Yeah, I'm..." She stopped, a thought coming to her mind. "Can I tell you something?"

"Anything."

"I'm scared," she admitted, hanging her head lowly and fidgeting with her hooves. "Not of being out here with you guys. I've gotten used to it. I'm scared of what's going to happen later. These crystals, the alicorns, it's all so much bigger than us. I cant help but feel like were all falling towards some big disaster."

Nightfall placed his hoof under Star's chin, Meadow's chin, and brought her gaze to his own, before bringing his hoof around to the latch on her helmet. With a slight but firm tug the jaw plate fell open and the collar split, allowing him to slowly pull the helmet from her head.

Meadow's mane stuck to the inside lining and rose up with the helmet before falling down over her eyes. She was quick to brush the dirty loose strands away. Nightfall's own mane was much shorter, but it wasnt in much better condition. They must have looked like a couple of dirty hobos, a thought that Meadow couldn't help but smile a little at.

Nightfall returned the expression. "Turn," he said kindly, taking her mane in his hooves as she sat in front of him facing the other way. "You wanna know something else? I'm scared too," he said as he began working the knots out of Meadow's hair. "There's a lot going on here that we dont yet know about. But that fear is a good thing. It means we understand what's at stake and are taking it seriously."

"I guess," Meadow replied with a sigh. "I'm still anxious though. I want to get this over with and go home."

"I know," Nightfall said, finishing up with Meadow's mane.

Meadow ran her hoof through her mane, the twists and tangles now gone, but having been replaced with a long three strand braid that kept it out of her eyes and neatly tucked away. "Thank you," she said.

Nightfall just smiled, planting a kiss on Meadow's forehead. She replied only with a quick hug before Nightfall handed her her helmet and she took on her fake persona once more. "Let's go get this done," he said and they both went back to the room where the others were waiting.

Each of the rangers were now fully geared up, a set of NVGs atop each of their helmets and fresh ammo loaded into their rifles. While Paper and Foxtrot both continued to stare out the window at their target, Bastion threw Nightfall and Star their respective weapons, which they promptly caught and checked the breaches of.

The walk down the stairs was a quiet one, as they each made their way through the husk of the building, minding the gaps in the ancient concrete and prodding seemingly unstable areas before committing any amount of weight to them. When they reached the fourth floor, they dropped from the windows and into the snow only a few feet below. They then marched on through the street for three blocks, cutting through a few building whenever convenient.

Foxtrot split from the group one block away from the coliseum, checking in with his radio once he had found himself a nice perch from which to provide overwatch. Nightfall, Star Mist, Bastion, and Paper all approached low and quiet, taking care to not make too much noise but also to not stay out in the open too long. Despite it being night, the city was still dangerous in its own ways.

Quickly taking positions along the exterior wall, Nightfall unloaded his gear on the ground while Star kept her rifle trained on their six o'clock, watching and scanning surrounding windows for any threats. From her position, she could see Foxtrot sitting up on the twelfth floor of a neighboring structure.

With his gear deposited on the ground, Nightfall undid his suit zippers and allowed his wings to be free, taking Bastion up to the top floor of the coliseum before returning back for Paper, each of them remaining silent as they were lifted up into their entry point.

Bastion gave a quick whisper over the radio that they were set and all at once, the four entered the building, rifles at the ready and NVGs down, save for Nightfall who simply had the tented layer of his visor slid up away from his eyes.

The bottom halls seemed entirely empty, a hauntingly ghost-like quietness having crept into this places very being a long time ago. One step after another came as Nightfall and Star both made their way down the entry way and into the main floor towards the center of the coliseum. They moved slowly across the interior wall, passed what used to be a ticket booth. Taking the stairs to the second floor, they kept moving, every corner they turned having a chance of concealing a once unseen foe, but with each corner that they did turn they found that there was nothing. Nothing except the concrete and ice that clung to every surface.

They continued onward, eventually finding themselves at the top of the stairs that lead down between the seats of the bowl shaped building. The seats were all still there, the exterior walls having shielded them from the worst of the elements for hundreds of years. They were not immune to time though, as the nonmetal pieces had all been stripped away, leaving only thousands of metal skeletons, watching and waiting for someone to disturb their tomb.

The roof of the building was also still mostly intact, save for a large hole that ran nearly the full length of one side from which an array of faded moon beams shown through. A great pile of snow had built up directly underneath. The rest of the main floor was completely empty and Nightfall and Star slowly made their way down the steps and to the rail and ten foot drop that separated it from the seats.

"Bastion, Paper. You guys got anything?" Nightfall asked over the radio. "We've got nothing down here."

There was a brief moment of static before Bastion's voice replied. "Same here. All clear. We're coming down now."

It only took a few seconds before both Bastion and Paper were visible on the upper level, just above Star and Nightfall.

"How's it going down there?" Paper called from above, giving his teammates a playful smile as he looked down at them. "You look good from this angle."

"We checked everything," Bastion said. "The whole floor is completely empty. Any luck down there?"

"Nothing yet," Nightfall replied. "Haven't checked the main floor yet though. Keep an eye out would you?" Without waiting for a response, he vaulted over the rail down to the floor below. He was followed right after by Star, whom he caught halfway down and dropped onto her hooves. For a moment the two only sat there, looking out in total silence at the empty space.

"Doesn't look like there's anything here at all, not even litter," Star pointed out, beginning to walk along the wall.

Nightfall only remained silent, trying to focus on whatever stuck out. But nothing did stick out. The entire place was completely clean, as if no one had ever been here to begin with. He removed his helmet and placed the side of his head down on the ground. It was freezing cold, causing his ear to hurt, but he kept his head down, trying to find any discrepancy in the smoothness of the floor. Still there was none, and he promptly placed his helmet back on.

While Nightfall began to walk the floor, Star stopped and stood at the corner where a deep dark corridor led down into what would probably be a series of hallways. If her few experiences at the Canterlot Convention Center told her anything, then her best guess said that this was where a sports team would have entered after prepping in the locker room. "You think anything's down there?" she asked when Nightfall inevitably passed by her.

Nightfall replied only by calling to Bastion and Paper over the radio and having them meet them at the corner. The two promptly left their spots on the upper level and found their way down the stairs. Arriving at the entrance of the corridor, they raised their rifles and began a slow approach into the darkness.

Star and Nightfall both began the same approach down the neighboring corridor at the opposite corner. It was slow and quiet. The walls were made from a smooth concrete that quickly turned to a discolored tile, large chunks having somehow eroded away and collected on the floor. Coming to the end of the first hall, they found themselves at a T section. Looking to their left they found only more darkness. To their right, they could see Bastion and Paper looking back at them.

The earth pony waved, to which Nightfall gave a wave of his own, before motioning with a hoof to head the opposite direction. They turned left and took their own path.

Bastion and Paper headed right, away from Nightfall and Star Mist. As they continued on through the dark, they opened any door that wasnt frozen shut. Mostly they were closets or offices, many of the contents having been miraculously preserved.

"Wow, it is really dusty in here," Paper said, taking note of all the particles floating in the air. The center of the room had a desk with several large stacks of blank paper sitting on it. A book shelf sat in the corner and what appeared to be a potted plant grew just across from that. "Fake," Paper noted, seeing that the leaves were made of plastic.

Bastion picked up a picture frame that sat on the desk. Inside was a single photo that had survived the ages, despite being severely discolored and torn at the edges. There were two ponies. A mare and in a stallion. Judging by the white dress and black suit, it was a wedding photo. What he found most interesting though was their coats. They were much shorter than any pony he had seen, their fetlocks being neatly trimmed as well.

He couldn't help but to let a small smile pull at his muzzle, the image reminding him of his own wedding. It was somewhat sad though, to think that these ponies were now long dead. He found another picture just next to that one. The same two ponies appeared, though they seemed just a little older and a small colt and filly were present between them.

He was pulled from his thoughts suddenly when the sound of Paper rifling around in one of the desk drawers met his ears. "What are you doing?" he asked.

Paper shrugged. "I dont know," he answered. "There's gotta be something interesting in here. I mean, this stuff is hundreds of years old."

Bastion sighed. "You're not still hung up on the whole treasure thing, are you?"

"No!" Paper defended. "I'm just curious is all." He suddenly seemed very disappointed when all he found in the drawers was paper and pens. Regardless, he took one that seemed to be in good shape and placed it in his pouch. "Just a souvenir," he assured, before heading for the door.

Bastion just rolled his eyes as he followed Paper out. They searched several more rooms, most of them being either broom closets or some kind of maintenance access ways. They had elected not to mess with any of the equipment in a large electrical room, given how many warning signs were hanging on the walls. They even managed to find a Zamboni, something that they both found quite a bit ironic.

The final room they came to was at the very end of the hall, the walls and floor being made from the same dark green tile and a series of rusted lockers surrounding them. The air seemed much thicker here somehow and almost warmer, though the temperature still remained below freezing. That was not what caught Bastion's attention when he rounded the corner into what had been the showers. "God damn," he muttered under his breath at the sight of three black mounds laying on the floor, long streaks of red running from the bodies towards the frozen over drains.

Paper's expression soured as he just stood there, staring at the bloodied silhouettes, his brain trying to make sense of what his eyes were telling him. As it raced in search of a possible explanation, his hooves moved automatically as he reached for his radio. "Nightfall..."

Nightfall stopped in his tracks at the mention of his name and looked to Star Mist, who kept her weapon at the ready. "Go ahead, Paper," he replied in a hushed tone.

"We've got several corpses here." There was a pause over the radio, but both Star and Nightfall could practically hear the gears in Paper's head grinding to a halt. "It looks like they were executed," the unicorn finished.

"Copy that," Nightfall replied. "Any identification?"

There was no response for a few seconds. "No," Paper's voice eventually came. "It's messy though."

"We'll be right over."

"Team Five?" Star asked hesitantly, fearing that they may truly be alone in this now.

Nightfall sighed heavily, having had his fill of dead bodies to last a life time, though he got the distinct feeling that more were to come. "Let's hope not," he said, walking passed Star and motioning for her to follow.

Star checked their rear more time before finally trotting along to catch up with Nightfall. The two picked up speed as the doubled back the way they had come and briskly made their way to Paper and Bastion's position. They passed their entry point, their faint hoof steps echoing around them.

Chills shot through Star Mist's whole body as she saw a dark silhouetted figure step out into view at the end of the hall, her nerves flaring up and every instinct she had telling her to get out, that something was wrong and that she was in danger. She was relieved when it turned out to be only Bastion.

The two quickly followed him into the locker room, taking their positions around the scene. Their NVGs were put away and replaced with flashlights.

"I don't get it," they heard Paper speak up. "It doesn't make any sense."

The scene before them was a gruesome one. Three ponies laid on the ground in a line, each in a slumped over position that suggested that had just fallen over like dead weights, all life having left them before they even hit the floor. Three bodies. One gunshot wound each. Long splattered blood stains ran down the wall directly in front of them. A mix of blood, brain matter, and skull fragments was present just below them. Each shot had been in the back of the head.

They wore standard snow suits, save for their helmets, but they had been completely striped of their gear. No pouches. No holsters. Not even their vests were still on them. They also lacked any kind of identifying patches. They had been completely looted.

"They're not ours," Nightfall concluded after looking them over carefully. There was nothing to suggest they had any relation to the TRST or Project.

"Still though. This is sick," Paper said, now sitting in the corner and sounding uneasy, trying his best to not look at the corpses. "I mean, combat is one thing, but this... who does this?"

"Evil ponies," Bastion offered, not so sure of the answer himself.

Nightfall hooked a hoof under one of the jaws and inspected what remained of the head. The eyes were looking away towards the other end of the room. He followed the dead pony's gaze to the wall. There was nothing there. "This was an execution alright," he confirmed. "They probably brought them in here because it's out of the way."

"So it's an impromptu kill room then," Bastion said, a look of disgust present across his visage.

"But why?" Star Mist asked. "Why execute them? Aren't they part of the same group?"

"Maybe," Nightfall answered, not so certain about anything at this point. "Could be a rival group for all we know."

"How many mercenary groups are in this city?" Bastion asked in frustration.

He didnt get an answer, as everyone just silently reflected on the little information that they did have. Nightfall was the first to stand and leave the shower room, now carefully taking note of the surrounding lockers, checking the few that could still open for anything of interest. He was followed closely by Star Mist, who now seemed to cling to him just a little bit closer.

Nightfall's ears twitched suddenly as a faint sound met them, one that originated close by. Paper was about to say something when he harshly ordered for everyone to "be quiet."

The room was completely silent for several seconds as everyone just quietly listened.

"Do you hear that?" Nightfall asked, only extracting confused expressions from his teammates.

"No," Paper answered, his rifle now at the ready as he scanned the room.

Nightfall took a few cautious steps as he attempted to get a bead on where the sound was coming from. It was faint and soft. He wasnt surprised that a non-thestral would not hear it, but he could and he now he knew where it was coming from. "There," he said pointing to a large locker at the corner of the room, one more than big enough to fit an entire pony. He gave a few hoof gestures, to which everyone responded to with raised rifle, their sites set on the locker.

"Come on out," Nightfall demanded towards the locker. "Now," he added sternly.

There was no response initially save for a few slight, but still very visible shakes. Someone was in the locker and they were testing Nightfall's patience. "I'm not going to ask you again," the thestral said, shouldering his own weapon and loudly chambering a round. Slowly, but surely, the door opened a little and a grenade rolled out at their hooves.

"Grenade!" Bastion cried as loud as he could, jumping back onto the ground.

The air in Star Mist's lungs was practically knocked straight out as Nightfall tackled her to the ground and into the shower room. Paper wasted no time diving away as well.

!!!!POP!!!!

There was suddenly a deafening noise and a great blinding flash of white as the flashbang discharged, the only audible noise following being the sound of everyone's own ears ringing.

The locker door burst open and the pony within made a mad dash for the exit, sprinting as fast and as hard as he could away from his pursuers. He slammed through the door, out into the open hallway.

"Not so fast!" Bastion yelled as he rounded the corner and followed in close pursuit, having been mostly shielded from the blast. Paper was hot on his heals at first, but stumbled and fell into the wall. He staggered and tried to get up, not at all wanting to leave Bastion to go after the pony on his own. He eventually made it to the door and slowly began to pick up speed as one hoof fell in front of the other and he soon found himself in a dead sprint through the dark corridor.

"Gah," Nightfall groaned in angry annoyance, his vision now one solid blurred color and his ears buzzing so loud that his brain seemed like it was rattling. He rolled over off of Star Mist and onto his back. "Meadow," he managed. "You there?"

There was no reply at first, but before he could even open his mouth to put out more words, he felt a gentle hoof fall onto his chest and another wrap around the back of his head. He reached out, finding a hard rounded surface just a few inches above him. As his vision slowly returned, he found that his hoof was on the cheek of Meadow's helmet. She was saying something. He could tell by the way her head moved, but he couldn't tell what.

"Don't let him get away!" Paper called ahead as he ran as fast as his hooves could take him.

The sounds of three sets of hoofsteps in full sprint echoed through the halls as the three ponies ran, followed by the occasional sound of someone tripping over their own hooves. The pony in front was no exception to this, as he had somewhat flashed himself involuntarily. Rounding a corner, he slid on all fours, desperately trying to gain traction before slipping and careening straight into the wall. He only managed to pick himself up just in time to not get body slammed by Bastion, who had also slid into the wall. Paper came next, colliding with Bastion full force.

Rebounding off the larger earth pony, Paper managed to make it to his hooves rather quick, before falling flat on his face, just as the pony currently running from them just did. He got to his hooves once more and the chase was back on. "Stop," he yelled as he left Bastion in his dust.

Bastion stumbled upwards before beginning to sprint again, Paper and the other pony now seeming much smaller than they had only seconds earlier. He grabbed his radio. "Foxtrot! You there?" Without even waiting for an answer he continued. "Get your ass over here. We got one coming out. North West exit!"

Digging deeper and deeper, the pony gave all he could in his effort to get away. He looked over his shoulder several times to look at those who were chasing him. Paper was getting closer and closer on the straightaways, but with every sharp turn he took he managed to add a few extra meters to his lead. Eventually, he found himself at the exit, just out of reach of freedom where he would be able to lose his pursuers in the snow, never to be found again. Or so he thought.

Clunk! He went down hard, momentum and gravity now being the only thing carrying him after taking the butt end of a rifle straight to the face. He slid on his chest right into the wall of snow that covered the entrance, coming to a stop for only a split moment before being helplessly dragged back into the building and thrown on the floor, a set of hooves on his back and a gun barrel now pressed to the side of his head.

He muttered a few words of disdain towards his attacker, but was unable to lift his head. Instead, he only saw the hooves of two more ponies approaching him.

"Look what I found," Foxtrot said happily, patting his new prisoner on the shoulder before picking him up a few inches and throwing him back into the ground.

Bastion winced, partly from his own bruises and partly from seeing the pony's ragdoll body being slammed against the floor. "That's enough of that," he said, shooing the pegasus away.

The prisoner was relieved of his weapons, or weapon, the only thing on him being a side arm that wasnt even loaded. Despite remaining entirely silent, his mind raced as his nerves flared up, causing him to shake in terror at his current situation.

"Guys, we got him," Paper said over the radio.

"Um..." Star Mist's voice returned. "We're going to have to call you back."

Paper made a confused face, but didn't question it, his attention now solely set on this mystery pony. He appeared to be like any other that would be caught out in the dead city. He wore the same snow suit that one would expect and carried supplies in a set of small saddle bags, along with standard snow shoes and a side arm. Really, there was nothing special about him at all.

"Look, pal, I dont know what you want and I'm sure I cant get it for you," the pony pleaded, rambling the words of rather rapidly. "Please. Just let me go. I swear, you'll never have problems from me ever again."

Bastion could hear the fear in his voice, much of it no doubt being a result of the pegasus currently atop him with a gun held down at his head. "Who are you?" Bastion asked calmly. "What's your name?"

"Red," the pony answered swallowing hard. "Red Fern. Please dont shoot me."

"We're not going to shoot you," Bastion assured Red. He waved off Foxtrot, who only responded by stepping off of Red and putting his gun away.

Red managed to sit up, slowly and cautiously sitting back on his haunches but not daring to move from his spot. He kept his head low to the ground and didnt make any sudden moves, lest he be shot at. His body tensed up suddenly as Bastion reached out towards him to remove his helmet. Underneath the armored plating a normal earth pony was revealed, his coat being a dark red very similar to Bastion's own.

"What are you doing out here, Red Fern?" Bastion asked simply, but sternly. "Why did you run from us?"

Red Fern fiddled with his hooves for a moment, eyeballing the guns and knives that his captures were wielding. "I- I... I..."

"Spit it out!" Foxtrot demanded harshly. "Why are you here? Who do you work for?"

"I dont know!" Red Fern cried nervously. "Look. I only signed on with those guys as an extra hoof. I didn't know they were going around targeting Initiative bases and they made me a decent offer and it all seemed like easy money and I swear on my life I wasnt a part of that attack. I just stayed here and loaded up equipment and then when they got back they dragged a bunch of ponies off with bags over their heads into the tunnels and then when a few protested this guy in a hood had them executed. That's why I hid. I didnt want to get wrapped up in all of that."

"Hold on," Bastion said, stopping Red Fern, who was talking a million miles an hour as adrenaline raced through his veins and his heart thumped away in his ears.

Bastion turned to Paper quickly. "Are you getting this?"

Paper nodded, having produced a notepad and pen in his magic, and was writing everything down word for word.

"What do you mean you dont know who you're working for?" Bastion asked.

Red Fern just stared for a moment, seemingly not so sure of the answer himself. "Uh," he said. He then noticed the pegasus behind him growing angry and rushed to explain. "I'm serious. I don't know who I was working for. We just our orders from the higher ups who were getting them from someone else."

"Higher ups?"

"Yeah, y'know, like an officer or something," Red explained. "They've got this whole chain of command thing going. The ponies you found in the locker room used to be some. Then they started arguing with this guy in a cloak. They weren't happy about the attack or something and then that was the last we ever saw of them."

"And who was this guy in a cloak?"

Red Fern shrugged, but immediately held his hooves over his head to shield himself. "I swear I dont know. Please don't hit me! He- he was a unicorn though, and he kept going on about how plans had changed and there would be a significant bonus for our extra efforts."

"And you didn't feel inclined to take the extra cash?"

"Sure, maybe at first, but then I found out they had just hit the TRST base and then they executed those guys and I got the hell out. No amount of money is worth all that!"

"So I'm guessing you also didn't know that they've been hunting us even before the attack," Foxtrot said is an accusing tone. "Or did you just conveniently forget until it became too much?"

"What?" Red Fern questioned, his heart sinking to the bottom of his stomach.

"We're pretty sure the mercenaries you've been working for have been killing off our guys," Bastion began. "We had five KIAs the same day that we arrived here. Do you know what it is that they're doing here in this city?"

"I thought they were just Divers," Red Fern answered. "I guess I was wrong about that," he added under his breath.

"Divers?" Bastion repeated. "You mean freelance treasure hunters that go down below the snow is search of valuable objects."

"Yeah," Red Fern confirmed. "They hired me on to help maintain their gear. That's how I got a hold of the flashbang grenade. They have this whole tunnel network that connects to the metro lines and helps them avoid the windigos." He suddenly gasped as he realized something, his eyes lighting up and a lightbulb turning on inside his head. "I can show you them. Then you'll know I'm not lying!"

Red Fern stood up to lead the way, but immediately sat back down when he noticed Foxtrot level his rifle at him. "Or not," he mumbled.

"What do you guys think?" Foxtrot asked Bastion and Paper. "Do we trust him?"

"I don't see the harm it," Paper said, looking up from his notepad. He closed it and stuck it securely back in it's proper place. "Might as well check it out and see what we find," he said as he grabbed his rifle.

"Ah, what the hell, Foxtrot replied. He gave Red Fern a hard nudge on the shoulder with the muzzle of his own rifle.

Red Fern responded only be slowly getting up. When he had finally made it too his hooves, another shove was delivered, causing him to stagger forward. Looking back over his shoulder, he now saw that he was three meters out from his captors, the pegasus still keeping his weapon at the ready while the others watched him carefully. He sighed, knowing full and well that he had gotten himself into a real mess. Without any further hesitation, he slowly took his first steps forward, leading them all back into the darkened bowels of the building.

"Oh god, I feel like I just got hit by a train," Nightfall croaked, his ears still ringing and his brain feeling like it was about to explode.

"Um... we're going to have to call you back," Meadow said over the radio, before removing her helmet and placing it down beside her. "Nightfall," she cooed softly, taking one of his hooves in her own. "Can you hear me?"

"Yep. I here you," Nightfall grunted as he slowly sat up. With help, he removed his helmet, his ears still ringing like an alarm clock as he began to massage them. Still, only pain came. "You okay?"

"I'm fine," Meadow assured, despite still having the mother of all headaches. "I want to know if you're going to be alright."

"I'll be okay." Nightfall somehow managed to get to his hooves, but his legs went shaky and he found himself leaning against Meadow for support. Together, they slowly walked to the door, stopping every few seconds as waves of dizziness began to assault them, several drawn out minutes passing as he fought the urge to just fall over. It wasnt long before Nightfall found himself sitting on the ground again, his back against the all and his rifle acting as a sort of support. "Go," he said to Meadow, still feeling like he needed to vomit. "Find the others and meet me here."

Meadow hesitated to leave, but complied nonetheless. "I wont be long," she promised, before racing through the halls. She didnt dare to walk or stop. She ran as fast as she could, having no desire to be leave Nightfall alone, or be alone herself for any longer than she had to. Fortunately, she didn't even have to make it out of the halls before she was among company again.

Four figures appeared in the dark, stepping into view of her flashlight.

"Goddamn, freaking blind us with that thing why dont you," Foxtrot complained, throwing up his NVGs and turning on his own light. Bastion and Paper followed, putting up their own NVGs and turning on their own lights.

Meadow nearly had a heart attack as she realized that there was indeed a fourth pony amongst them and that she had not been seeing things. Jumping back, she instinctively pulled her weapon and aimed.

"Woah, woah there!" Paper cried, stepping in front of Star and placing a hoof atop hers, slowly pushing the weapon downward. "Dont worry, he's with us," Paper assured. He looked back to Red Fern and gave him a look that was both questioning and threatening. "You are with us, right?"

Red Fern responded with the most nervous of chuckles after hearing Foxtrot say, "He better be, or else I'll break his legs and dump him in a windigo nest."

"Of course I'm with you," Red Fern said, sweat still pouring down his face, his nerves not at all calmed by the latest addition to their group. "You guys just say the word and I'll take you to those tunnels I told you about." This was followed by another nervous laugh. Red was currently doing his very best to seem as nonthreatening as possible, but with every move he made he felt like someone around him would interpret it as him trying to fight or escape. Every word that left his captors' mouths, regardless of what it may have been, made him freeze just slightly.

Bastion looked to Red Fern and then to Star Mist. They definitely needed to get moving as soon as possible. There was just one question that he needed to ask. "Where's Nightfall?"

"I'm sorry?" Mythic Rune questioned as a large metal drum was dropped at his hooves. "You want me to do what now?" His tone was filled with shock and surprise, as if he had just been asked to raise the dead.

"You heard us, old man," the mercenary replied. "Fix it."

Mythic stared blankly at the large container before him and then looked to Etcher, who also seemed to share his confusion. "I don't know if that's possible," he said cautiously. "What you're asking... It would take tools, resources, time..."

A large duffle bag was slid to him, the sound of metallic objects within reaching his ears. Slowly, Mythic stood and undid the zipper with his teeth. Inside were tools, far outdated ones by the MSAD's usual standard, but they were adequate for such a job regardless. "I see," he muttered.

"And if we refuse?" Etcher dared to challenge.

"Then we'll shoot your colleagues in the head, one by one, until you give us what we want," the mercenary said simply, slowly pulling his sidearm from its holster. That shut Etcher up.

Mythic gulped as he thought hard on what had been laid before him, before looking up to his horn, the inhibitor still firmly planted around it. He sighed. "I would also need the use of my magic," he said. "Realigning the crystalline structure is far more complicated than simply gluing the pieces together. I'll also need assistance from my fellow mages. I hope that wouldn't be an issue."

"Not at all," the merc assured. He produced two metallic rings, each with the diameter of a pie tin, from his satchel. Pressing a button on his wrist display, arcs of electricity suddenly shot through the center of the rings. "We'll let you have your magic, but if you try anything, we'll make sure that it hurts for a long time." He dropped the shock collars at Mythic and Etcher's hooves.

"Alright, but let's say we succeed in this task," Mythic began. "Let's say we are able to put what pieces we do have back together. You would still be short of a full focusing crystal. What do you plan to do with it?"

"That's none of your business," the mercenary said darkly. "We dont need a full focusing crystal, just most of one. All we need from you, is to make it for us."

Mythic's breathing became heavy and his heart began to beat ever faster. He began to realize what it was that they were going to be doing and how dangerous all of this would be. "I hope you understand the risk you are taking. These fragments are extremely volatile. Without our lab equipment, one false move could mean the end of us."

"Then I guess you have some incentive to not screw this up. Now, are you in..." The mercenary slowly put his hoof over his sidearm again. "Or are you out?"

Mythic looked to Etcher for only a brief moment, to which is fellow unicorn responded only with a nod. "I suppose we are in," Mythic said.

"Good."

And with that, they're shackles were undone, and the collars placed around their necks just before the inhibitors were removed.

"Now get to work," the mercenary commanded, pointing to the large metal drum.

Mythic and Etcher both slowly approached the container, carefully popping the lid off and removing the contents. What they found inside, shook them harder than they already had been before. Inside was a containment unit, a small white metal cube with transparent sides through which they could see the crystal fragment, along with the magical fields currently keeping it stable. That was not what was unsettling, rather it was the label printed on one of the edges.

A1-01

It was the label that a crystal fragment from Alicorn 1 would have been given. Specifically, this was crystal fragment number one, the first one ever found by the MSAD. But if this was truly the case, then it could only mean one thing, something that should not have been possible.

Mythic and Etcher both went deathly silent, before looking across from them where six more drums sat, ready to be opened. For a brief moment, there was only one question on each of their minds. "How?"

Chapter 11: The Low Road

Red Fern was like a sack of fish that had not been properly tied up for shipment, and now there was fish all over the floor. Sooner or later, one of those fish would flop its way across the deck and slide back into the ocean. The only real question was when exactly that would be.

The group, now five ponies strong not counting Red Fern who was undoubtedly their prisoner, was huddled around in the darkened hall, their flashlights being more than sufficient to illuminate their surroundings. Red Fern had told them everything he knew. Why he was here. What his job had been. And of course, why he had bailed last second.

The earth pony had been far too terrified to tell anything but the truth, especially after being forced to his knees before the thestral that just stared at him menacingly, by the pegasus among them.

"Tell him everything you just told us," Foxtrot had demanded, his weapon leveled at the back of Red Fern's head.

Initially Red had stuttered, not knowing what to start with, but his ability to speak was quickly found after hearing the sound of the inner workings of the gun as it was cocked. And so, like the sad sack he was, he spilled his fish all over the deck.

Nightfall stood slowly. The effects of the flashbang were not entirely gone, but he managed. At first he was entirely silent and then he slowly began to pace as he thought. Everyone watched him, all eyes glued to his thoughtful expression. "Show us," he finally said.

Before Red Fern could even say a word, he was grabbed by the shoulder and yanked upwards onto his hooves, before being shoved forward and being motioned to to start walking. He swallowed hard, still fully aware of the gun barrels pointed directly at him, each one capable of taking his life in an instant should he try anything stupid. He elected that he would not and began leading his captors to the tunnel entrance as promised.

The short trek was entirely silent, the only sound present being their hoof steps and the faint barely audible noise that their snow suits made as they moved. At the end, they were presented with the same ugly tile that they had stumbled across only minutes before. It was another locker room, this one mirroring the other exactly with only two exceptions. One was that there was no pile of bodies present in the showers and two was that a large hole had been bored through the wall opposite the entrance.

"Ta da," Red Fern said nervously, hoping to whatever god there was that he wasnt about to be executed. "There's your tunnel. Right where I said it would be. Actually, now that I think about it, I dont think I did actually tell you where it was but you get what I'm saying, right? I did say I would help you guys though. I did say that. And I have."

As Red Fern babbled on, his nerves not allowing him to stop talking, Nightfall and Paper slowly approached the hole in the wall. Bits of dirt and concrete littered the ground around the entrance along with broken shards of tile, all of it having crumbled outward and pushing the lockers aside.

"This would have taken some seriously heavy equipment," Paper noted, running a hoof along one of the tunnel walls. "They started from somewhere inside. You can tell because of the way the lockers are pushed outward instead of in."

As Paper continued to inspect the tunnel, three gun barrels were leveled at the opening, prepared to fire should anything jump out at them. Nothing did though, and they were left only with the haunting silence, a silence that was interrupted by Red and his need to keep talking.

"So, I did good, right? I showed you what you wanted. That counts for something."

"You're right," Nightfall spoke, not even bothering to face his prisoner. "You showed us exactly what we wanted. How do I know this isn't a trap?"

Red Fern went deathly quiet as his breath caught in his throat and his body began to tremble. Nightfall walked up to him and stared him straight in the eye for more than a prolonged moment. "I- I-" He couldn't even finish a thought as the thestral stared him down.

"Let him go," Nightfall suddenly said, much to everyone's surprise.

"What?"

"You heard me, Foxtrot. He's not lying to us. If he was, I'd know."

Foxtrot sighed in annoyance, having very much hoped to be allowed to push the earth pony further. Regardless of his wishes, he stepped back and allowed Red Fern to pass unchallenged.

Despite the surprise of everyone present, there were none more surprised, and by extension relieved, than Red Fern himself. "So... you mean I can go?"

"Yes," Nightfall answered calmly.

Silence fell yet again and Red Fern looked at the ponies surrounding him. "Um... okay then." Before he could even take one step back, he was suddenly yanked forward by his collar and thrown against the wall, his back hooves suspended mere inches off the ground.

"You listen to me and you listen well," Nightfall began in a dark threatening tone that sent a wave of shocking chills through Red Fern's spine. "When you have left, you will go directly to the Initiative base just west of the city. When you get there, you will go straight through the front gates and comply with any order you are given. You will then tell them that you were sent by a thestral named Nightfall and request to speak with a pony by the name of Stalwart Banner. You will tell him EVERYTHING you just told me and then speak no more of it to anyone. Afterwards, if I see you in this city ever again, I will gut you where you stand. Do you understand me!?"

"Yes, yes, yes," Red Fern cried, now trembling like he had been locked in an icebox. "Stalwart Banner. I swear on my life that I'll find him!"

"And?"

"And I'll tell him everything!" Red Fern was dropped and he fell to his knees.

"Good," Nightfall said simply, pointing down the way from which they had come. "Now go."

With little more than a fear filled whimper, Red Fern slowly crawled away from the group of ponies before clambering to his hooves, stumbling several times before managing to run away.

Nightfall let out a heavy sigh, his gaze casting downwards as he leaned against the wall, the sound of Red Fern's quick hoof steps getting fainter and fainter in his ears. A million thoughts raced through his head and a small feeling of guilt rose in his chest. He was quick to fight it off as he grabbed his rifle and motioned for Bastion and Foxtrot to take the lead into the tunnel.

As Bastion and Foxtrot cautiously proceeded forward, followed closely by Paper and Nightfall, Star Mist brought up the rear, keeping her sights on the entrance before turning and catching up with the others.

"You did the right thing," Star Mist whispered to Nightfall after allowing her NVGs to fall over her eyes.

Nightfall sighed. "I sure hope so," he said, as he proceeded head first into the dark tunnel.

One hoof in front of the other. Their progress was slow and cautious, each member of the group feeling as if their next step would be their last. As they slowly followed the tunnel, the dirt eventually gave way to concrete, stone, and the still sounds of standing water. A sewer. Their short trek had brought them into the dark underground sewage system.

Foxtrot looked down at the murky brown water below them in disgust. Thin chunks of ice quietly floated in place, having gone undisturbed for a great deal of time. He complained to himself under his breath as one by one they each jumped down into the chest high water. Though it was freezing, their snow suits kept them warm and dry.

"I dont even want to know what's under here," Bastion whispered after feeling his hooves sink to the bottom. The floor beneath him felt soft and uneven, giving way just slightly under his weight.

"Any organic matter would be long gone by now," Paper pointed out. "This is probably all run off from the snow that melts."

Foxtrot brought one hoof up out of the water, but quickly wished he hadn't after seeing that it was now covered in a black sludge. "The snow... melts?" he questioned, having only ever known temperatures below freezing.

Paper nodded. "In some places it does."

Nightfall remained silent, not bothering to comment his own thoughts. Star Mist followed his lead and remained quiet as well, patiently waiting for his orders, which came in the form of a wave of his hoof, a signal to keep moving forward.

For what felt like forever, the group trudged on through the water, their weapons and gear having been placed on their backs just above the water line. The only thing they were left with was the silence. There wasnt even the faint whistling of a draft. The dark concrete that surrounded them was rough and showed signs of decay and stress. Long cracks ran along the walls and ceiling, and discarded bricks laid in piles on the edge where it was too thin or dangerous to walk.

As they moved on, it strangely seemed as if the water was getting warmer and ice was no longer present. One look at the temperature gauges on their wrist displays showed that this was indeed the case. At first it had seemed like an anomaly, one that they all took notice of, but as they came to a large intersection, this occurrence was explained.

There, in the center of the chamber, was a pole about as tall as a pony with a single red crystal affixed to the top. Despite showing up as a bright white in the green filter of their NVGs, it glowed only faintly, casting an eerie light on the ceiling and walls.

"Is that...?"

"A fire crystal? Yes," Nightfall answered Paper, holding a hoof up to the little red gem. It was still burning hot. "It's fresh," he said, bringing his hoof down and shaking away the heat.

"Which means that someone was here recently," Foxtrot pointed out, readying his weapon instinctively. He was followed by Bastion and Star Mist, each of them covering one of the three other tunnels.

Paper instead joined Nightfall at the pole and took the crystal up in his magic, eyeing it curiously. "They probably put these down here to keep the windigos out. It would explain why there aren't any nests down here."

"Smart," Nightfall commented. He thought for a moment before continuing. "They've probably got this entire sewer lined with crystals just like these. Red Fern was telling the truth. They're using the underground to traverse the city."

"Sewers, maintenance tunnels, subway lines. They could go anywhere they wanted and we'd never be able to find them," Paper said as the possibilities began to run through his head. "How are we supposed to track them? We cant follow a trail of crystals if they're just scattered about evenly."

Nightfall slowly walked to one of the far walls and ran his hoof along it until he reached the corner. At first glance it appeared that the bricks had simply crumbled, but further investigation revealed something else. "We dont have to," Nightfall said, taking a loose brick from the wall. "Look, these bricks have been removed."

Stepping back, a clearer picture was presented to them. "You're right," Paper said, noticing long white markings that had been scratched along the walls. "They used the bricks to carve their route into the walls."

"They're road signs," Star said.

"Exactly," Nightfall confirmed. "All we have to do is follow the trail."

It was not a good idea to stalk the snowed over streets of Manehattan during the night. Windigos and ice wolves were a constant threat, but rumor always had it that much worse things went bump in the night. Wraiths were the common belief and no one ever really dared to try and disprove that theory out of fear. As for Striker, fear was not a quality he was well acquainted with, having never given much mind to rumors that were often spread over campfires. Despite not believing in these fairytales, he was more than relieved to not be traveling alone, something that he had never quite liked.

Grace, a gryphon from far off in the East, whom he had been friends with ever since beginning work for the IGS, accompanied him on this current outing. She had been spending a great deal of time in the southern districts, helping him to find out whatever they could about these mercenaries that currently threatened the Initiative, while he himself had searched the north for signs of their missing ranger team.

Now together again, their search had brought them to the city center where the trail had quite literally gone cold.

"Nothing... again," Grace grumbled, brushing the snow from her bundled up wings. She was getting very tired of chasing shadows. There were certainly signs of activity in this sector, no fresh snow having yet come to cover up the hoof prints. She counted at least twenty sets, but no ponies were around except for her partner.

"Well something happened here," Striker began, taking note of the spent casings that littered the ground. He sighed after finding that they had already grown cold, an indication that whoever was here was far off now and that tracking them would be useless. Not that they really could. All the hoof prints went back into the buildings where the floor was not covered in snow.

Grace took a few more laps around the scene in search of clues, before turning back to Striker. "We're wasting our time here," she said. "It's already getting dark and soon we wont be able to see anything at all. We should find a place to camp before midnight."

"Agreed," Striker said, dropping the casing he held and looking to the horizon. The sun was long gone and only its glow barely remained. The high council that controlled its orbit was right on schedule, just as it always was. No surprise there. He remembered having once requested that the sun be brought up early in order to disrupt a smuggling operation that was active during the night. It was a great plan that would have caught the crooks out in the open with no cover, but his idea had been shot down.

Ridiculous, they had called him. "Such things can not be tampered with," he remembered one of his superiors telling him. He had been as bold to reply with "Why not?"

His superiors had never given him an answer to that question, mostly because, and he was quite certain of this, they themselves didnt even know. As far as they were concerned, he was just that one low level agent who always had some crazy idea.

Grace was the same way, or at least he liked to think she was. Under self-exile from her homeland, she had crossed the sea and fell in with the Equestrian Intelligence Gathering Service, dedicating herself and her talents to its cause. She had spent her entire life as a soldier so it only seemed inevitable that she would end up where she was. It was funny really, how if she had never been dishonorably discharged, she would have never come to Equestria. She wouldn't be here in this city. She wouldn't be trying to save lives of ponies she had never even met before.

"I'm thinking we put some distance between us and this place and then set up camp in the high rises," Grace said, regrouping with Striker.

"Works for me," Striker replied.

And with that, they were off, leaving the scene of... whatever had happened behind them. There were no answers for them there. Tons of spent casings and hoof prints, but nothing to hint at what actually happened. No bodies, no blood pools. For all they know, the ponies who were there were just shooting into the air wildly.

So with more questions than answers, they continued onward through the dark streets of Manehattan. Cutting through buildings where they could and trudging on through the snow that covered everything, until finally they found themselves a place to rest for the night.

The logs crackled as the fire sputtered to life, the flame of a match having taken to the kindling and producing a small campfire inside the building, high up above the snowed over streets. The flames engulfed the room in a bright orange light, that cast long shadows across every wall. They had been careful with their placement of the fire, finding a place where the light would not be visible from outside.

Deep inside this interior room, it was now just warm enough to be comfortable, or at least as comfortable as one could be. The sound of ice wolves occasionally howling in the distance still sent a chill down Grace's spine, her eyes glancing over to the exits suddenly and her body growing stiff, before her gaze came back to the fire before her as she tried to find some comfort.

"Dont worry about them," Striker said suddenly, having noticed Grace tensing up whenever a long distant howl reached their ears. "They wont find us all the way up here."

Grace sighed heavily, before looking up to offer Striker a reluctant, but genuine smile. "You sound pretty sure of that," she said.

"I am," he said confidently. He looked toward the exit as one more howl came. "I'll take watch for the night," he said, gathering his gear and weapons and heading for the door.

Rounding another corner with his weapon drawn, Nightfall kept low, his head just above the water line as he waved the others to follow. They had found three more crystals and were quickly beginning to understand how these tunnels worked. For the most part, they were only normal sewers, with only a few side tunnels having been bored straight through the stone walls and into the subways.

It had been a long and quiet trek, as they slowly mapped out the system. Paper was extra careful to keep his notebooks dry, carrying them in a waterproof pouch and taking them out only when they stopped at an intersection. He was slowly beginning to get a bigger picture, having overlaid a map of the city on his own sketch. They had been walking for hours now and if his estimates were correct, they were somewhere near the east coast, only a few blocks over from the ocean.

In the darkness, they suddenly stopped again as Nightfall raised a hoof, signaling for them all to hunker down.

"Hold here," Nightfall ordered, before taking a few slow steps forward and raising his rifle once more. He was quiet for an extended moment, closing his eyes and listening to whatever sounds he could make out in the distance. "I'll be back," he said.

"Where are you going?!" Bastion exclaimed in a whisper.

"There's someone ahead," Nightfall said simply.

Everyone exchanged blank looks as their thestral friend moved forward and vanished into the darkness, beyond the green haze of their NVGs and through the void.

"What the hell is he doing?" Foxtrot complained, shifting his stance to cover their rear and leveling his rifle down the way they came.

"I have no idea," Bastion whispered.

Paper just stared out into the abyss before them, a terrible feeling coming over him as he watched Nightfall disappear.

"Trust him," Star Mist said, drawing attention to herself suddenly.

"We trust him," Bastion assured her. "He knows what he's doing."

Foxtrot gave them both a skeptical look. "He does know what he's doing, right?"

In a worried tone, Star Mist only answered with, "I hope so."

Further ahead, Nightfall remained low and out of site, being careful not to make too much noise as he moved through the water and minding the thin sheets of ice that floated around him. Had it not been for the waterproof layer in his suite, stalking someone like this would have been impossible. Around him, he could hear the faint sound of voices echoing off the walls, ones that only he and his thestral ears could hear.

Now he was much closer, having left his teammates behind, and the voices were much more clear. It was laughter, no doubt about that.

"Too easy," he was able to make out in the distance.

He dared to venture closer, more voices now becoming clear.

"They dont stand a chance," another voice sounded, this one coming from the next intersection over. "And here I thought windigos were supposed to be dangerous."

With that voice, came a faint light that only grew stronger as it exited one of the side tunnels.

Nightfall quickly dove downward, all but the top half of his head now full submerged in the water as a group of ponies passed.

"Hey now, dont get too cocky," the lead pony said as he stepped out into the intersection, a fire gem lantern attached to his hip. "We had superior firepower that time around. The worst thing you can do is under estimate them."

"Pfft, whatever, old man," another pony said, stepping into view. "We got this."

Six more ponies passed by, none of them in Initiative uniform. Instead, they wore advanced combat rigs, each one being much more personalized that what was usually seen in the Initiative. They were mercenaries, no doubt about it. All eight of them passed through the intersection, none of them aware of Nightfall's presence as they carelessly talked out loud to themselves.

Disappearing down a tunnel, they were gone as soon as they had come, their voices now dissipating back into faint echoes.

It was probably a stupid idea, but he needed to know where they were going. It was too good of an opportunity. He followed them, remaining low and keeping just far enough the whole time. The few minutes that passed felt like an eternity, as he winded down the tunnels and took note of every twist and turn.

He kept low, remaining hidden in the water and watching carefully as the mercenaries continued onward. They talked and laughed amongst themselves, entirely unaware that they were being watched. Nightfall's progress was slow, every muscle in his body remaining tense as the stalked his prey. It would only take one of them to spot him and then it would be all over. He couldn't let that happen. They couldn't even be allowed to know that these tunnels had been found. Despite the cold temperature, he could feel sweat pouring from his brow.

And then, just like that, the group disappeared.

"What the hell?" Nightfall wondered to himself as he stood up out of the water and approached the position where the mercenaries had been. It was a dead end, a brick wall that greeted and told him that there was no where left to go, and yet still somehow the mercenaries had seemed to phase straight through it.

He tested the bricks, placing a hoof against them to find that they were indeed solid. At first, he was confused, but a moment of thought was all it took for him to figure it out. He knew this trick and now it all made sense.

Nightfall returned to his team, all four of them standing close with their weapons drawn in varying directions. Star Mist felt a wave of relief wash over her as the thestral became visible once again in her green tinted view. At first, no one said anything. Then Nightfall spoke.

"I found it," he said, as if the whole situation had been resolved. "Paper, do these tunnels follow the streets exactly?"

"Uh, yeah, more or less," Paper answered, not having expected the question so suddenly. "Why?"

"I'll explain later," Nightfall said. "Right now, we need to get to the surface. Can you show me exactly where we are on the map?"

Paper pulled out two large sheets, one a map of the city, the other an overlay that he had drawn by hoof showing their approximate route through the sewers. "We're here," the unicorn said, pointing to a spot on the map only a few blocks west of the east coast. "Our route through the tunnels took us clear across the city... or at least it should have."

Nightfall inspected the map carefully, before taking a pencil from Paper and making a few marks of his own. "Here, let me see that," he said. He drew a few lines, drawing the path he had taken during his short pursuit, only to find that they lead straight to the ocean, or at least pretty damn close to it. "What's this here?" he asked, pointing to a large building on the coast.

"Looks like a warehouse of some sort," Paper answered. "Probably storage for the shipping yards back in the day." Paper had barely finished speaking when Nightfall had already began to walk off. "Where are we going?"

"Up," Nightfall answered simply, waving for everyone to follow. "Like I said, I'll explain soon. Just not here."

And with that, they began to retrace their steps, exiting out the sewers the way they had come, through the water and tunnels.

"I take it we have a solid objective now?" Bastion inquired.

"Yes," Nightfall confirmed. "There was a group of mercs ahead. I followed them and I think I know where they're main base is. We can discuss it once we get topside."

"Are we going to have to walk all the way back?" Foxtrot complained. "That's going to take too long."

Before anyone could silence Foxtrot, Paper spoke up from the rear of the group. "According to the map, there should be a subway tunnel that runs parallel to the sewer line a block down. They're connected via maintenance and the station should give us street access."

"Assuming it isn't completely snowed over," Foxtrot replied.

"If they're using these tunnels to move about the city undetected," Star Mist began, "then it's likely that they've already cleared out the snow for surface access and there hasn't been a storm in a few days."

"Good."

Grace couldn't sleep. How could she with everything that was going on? She felt as if she was running around in circles, forever chasing something that she could never actually catch. It was these kinds of times that lead only to dreams about teeth falling out or being lost in a maze. And so, she remained awake, the last smoldering embers of their now dying campfire being the only thing to keep her company.

Through tired eyes she stared up to the ceiling, it being barely visible through the hazy darkness. After what seemed like an eternity, she had had enough of it and decided to take a short walk.

"Where are you going?" Striker asked, watching his griffon friend walk past him at his lookout post.

"Out," Grace replied.

"Cant sleep?"

Grace sighed, before doubling back and taking a seat next to Striker, laying her own weapon next to his. "You ever feel like you're running as fast as you can and not going anywhere?" she asked in a somewhat annoyed tone. Before Striker could even give a suitable answer, she continued. "We've been chasing shadows for nearly a week now and what have we come up with? A whole lot of nothing. I came here, because I thought this assignment would get my mind off of everything, but it's been a disaster. I've had too much time to think."

"You want some action?" Striker inquired.

"I want anything that will give me something to do," Grace answered. "I cant stand all this... nothing!"

"Careful what you wish for," Striker warned. "You might get exactly what you want."

"So I've been told," Grace mumbled. She sighed a final time, a long white cloud escaping her beak before she finally decided to stand and head out as she had originally intended.

It was a short walk, one that only took Grace down a few floors, into the empty, quiet stillness off the dead building. She wasnt sure what this place had been in it's time, but the wide open spaces told her that it was likely an office building, much like many of the other structures that surrounded it. Then again, any dry wall was long gone, the insides having been gutted by the elements a long time ago, so there really was no way to know for sure.

She needed this. There was too much on her mind all at once. What had gone wrong. What could go wrong. And most of all, her own failures. She had hoped that this city would take her mind off of the last six months and give her a new purpose. What a fool she had been to think that she would find salvation in the ribcage of a long lost society. Still, being able to study and speculate about what was left was a welcome distraction from her usual worries.

"Don't. Move. A muscle," a voice whispered slowly and menacingly from behind.

Every feather and hair stood on end as Grace felt a cold gun barrel pressed against the back of her head, just daring her to make a move so it could end her life. A chill ran through her spine and cold sweat poured from every inch of her body as her mind raced. Damn.

Unfortunately for her, a distraction was just that, a distraction, something to take ones focus from what they should have been paying attention to. And because of it, she had been snuck up on.

Sitting down, Grace's talons were slowly raised into the air. "Dont shoot," she replied. "We can talk about this."

"I was hoping you'd say something like that," a voice sounded as four more ponies entered the room, "but now that I'm getting a good look at you, I can see there's no need for all this." The pony in front, no doubt the leader of the small band, stepped forward and removed his helmet. A thestral. An outsider like her.

"For the love of god, Foxtrot," one of the other ponies said in annoyance, removing his own helmet to reveal a crimson earth pony. "You can put that away. Can't you see she's with us?"

"I was just making sure," Foxtrot said, much to the irritation of the others, before lowering his gun and joining them.

A wave of relief washed over Grace at seeing the ponies before her. They all wore the same snow camo suites with only slight differences to accommodate for their differing loadouts. That was not the important part though. Rather, it was the patches that adorned each of their shoulders with that unmistakable navy blue lettering.

"Oh, thank god," Grace said, as a great deal of pressure was lifted from her body. "You're TRST."

"And you're IGS, right?" Nightfall responded, pointing to the patch that adorned Grace's own shoulder. "What are you doing out here?"

"I could ask you the same thing," Grace replied. "Last I checked the ranger teams had been recalled. You wouldn't happen to be the fifth, would you?"

"No," Nightfall replied with a shake of his head. "We're team one. We were... dispatched to investigate hostile presence in the city."

"Right..." Grace said, not believing a word that she was being fed. "You snuck out, didn't you?"

"Aw, man," Paper complained. "Is it that obvious?"

Grace only responded to that with a small chuckle. "My partner is upstairs. We can talk about it up there."

"His name wouldn't happen to be Striker, is it?" Nightfall asked.

"That's him," Grace answered. "I'm sure he'll be glad to see you guys. We've had shit for luck on our end."

Reassembling a blown apart focusing crystal filled to the brim with unstable magic was like trying to defuse a bomb. If you weren't quick enough, the timer would hit zero, and if you rushed it you risked crossing a wire and causing it to explode early. In this case, that bomb was capable of doing any number of things. Sending someone through time, teleporting them into a rock, or just straight vaporizing them were the leading theories.

Despite the tedious and difficult work, Mythic's hooves were steady and his magic was strong, the aura of his magic steadily lifting a set of tongs from a work bench and carefully picking up a shard the size of a softball. It slowly began to vibrate with greater and greater intensity as it grew closer to the piece in which it belonged to, small arcs of arcane energy shooting between them every second.

As the shard made contact, two more unicorns quickly went to work, firing thin and precise beams from their horns along the cracks while Etcher closely observed through a series of lenses. "Stop," he said suddenly, holding up a hoof, after they had been at it for several long minutes. The preparation phase alone had taken hours and they couldn't afford for this to not work.

The beams of magic ceased and everyone watched nervously as the fissure cooled, turning from a bright hot orange back into a pearly translucent white. A sigh of relief was let out by all present when nothing happened. Etcher looked back through the lenses at the now connected crystal shards as everyone waited in anticipation. The room was deathly quiet, each one of them knowing that if the shards were not properly aligned, they would have to separate the two pieces and start from scratch, a task that could prove to be even more dangerous.

Finally, Etcher removed his eye from the lenses and spoke. "We're good. We have a clean connection."

Paper Cut scraped the bottom of his boot across the wall repeatedly, doing his best to rid the rubber of the black sludge that was now frozen to it. Little by little it all came off in thin black icy chips, the bits that were stuck in the crevices of the shoe's tread pattern requiring a knife to be picked out, a slow and rather annoying process that Foxtrot followed suit in, but only stopped shortly after starting to give the unicorn a strange look.

"What?" Paper asked, noticing Foxtrot's weird gaze. "Can I help you?"

"You do realize you're a unicorn, right?" the pegasus said, motioning towards the horn that sat proudly atop Paper's head.

Paper initially only responded with a look of confusion. Of course he knew this. What did it have to do with... "Oh," he suddenly gasped as the realization came to him. With a quick flash of magic, the black and unsavory gunk slid straight off his boots. Foxtrot only had to hold up his own hooves before the same was done, the mystery goop now sitting in a frozen pile on the ground, which they quickly swept into the corner of the room where it would likely sit for another hundred or so years.

While Paper and Foxtrot finished up, Nightfall was already at work with the others.

"Underground," Agent Striker said, rolling the word around in his mouth after having heard it several times now. Nightfall had told him everything about how the mercenaries had been moving throughout the city just under their hooves. "Underground," he repeated once more as he inspected the map of the city that Nightfall had spread out on the ground. "Yes, that would certainly make sense. If what you say is true and they did manage to clear the windigos out, that network would be more than capable of taking them anywhere they needed to go in the city." He took out a marker of his own and drew 'X's over a few places. "These are all the spots where we've found evidence of activity. Spent brass casings and explosives residue mostly. There are access points to the subway lines nearby all of them."

"Which is exactly why you havent been able to track them," Nightfall said. "They've been using the underground to mask their movements. Now, I believe their base is somewhere around here." He circled several buildings along the east coast in the shipping yards.

"You still havent explained to us how you're so certain of this," Foxtrot spoke up, joining the rest of the group. There was now seven of them. Foxtrot, Paper, and Star Mist. Bastion, Striker, and Grace. And finally, of course, there was Nightfall in the center, around whom they were all gathered.

"You're right," Nightfall said. And so he explained, where he had gone and what he had seen. "The wall they came to," he said after getting to that part, "was solid, no doubt about it, but I dont think it was real."

"A barrier then," Striker said. "They're often used to hide hidden passages. Look and feel exactly like the real thing, except you can pass right through them if you have a key."

"Exactly," Nightfall confirmed.

"A key?" Star Mist questioned. "Where are we going to get a key for a magic wall?"

"It wouldn't be a key in the traditional sense," Bastion said. "Rather it would be some object with a corresponding enchantment. Most guard armor has a few enchanted strips sewn into the lining. Barrier keys are just one of the things that come standard."

"Except not every barrier can accept the same key," Striker added.

"So... how exactly are we supposed to get our hooves on a key?" Star Mist asked. "Red Fern didnt exactly mention anything about a barrier or a key."

"Dammit!" Foxtrot exclaimed. "We never should have let that bastard go! He played us!"

"Calm down," Bastion said dismissively. "He didnt play us. It's likely that he never knew either. He was a worker, remember? Hired on to do menial labor. He was far too scared to try and pull anything."

"Or," Foxtrot suggested, "we played right into his hooves. He put on an act and we fell for it. Hook, line, and sinker."

Paper and Bastion both gave the defiant pegasus a look of bemusement, before looking to Nightfall and back to Foxtrot. "No, I dont think we did," Paper replied, more than certain that Nightfall would never fall for such a trick.

"It's going to be dangerous regardless of whether you use their secret entrance or not. What exactly do you plan on doing once you're in?" Grace asked. "This is potentially the main base of a well equipped mercenary group that has already made it more than clear that they're willing to kill every last one of us if we get in their way."

"That's why we wont give them the chance," Foxtrot answered. "I say we get every capable body gathered outside, then hit them hard and fast, barrier be damned. We'll attack from every angle and smother them before they even know their on fire."

Grace cracked her talons with several audible pops. "I wouldn't mind getting some payback."

"I dont know if that's such a good idea," Paper said. "Feels like we would just be begging for more casualties. You cant forget that the MSAD mages could be in there too."

"We're going to lose more ponies no matter what we do. It's inevitable," Foxtrot claimed. "This might not be the safest way, but it's the quickest. We've been knocked down. If we dont get back up, they'll have free reign of this entire city."

"I have to agree with Foxtrot on this one," Nightfall said suddenly, causing everyone to look somewhat surprised, Foxtrot most of all. "To an extent," he added, taking notice of everyone's reaction. "Paper and Bastion are right about this. If we go in full force, we risk losing more ponies than we can afford and we have no idea what kind of tricks these guys may still have up their sleeves, but we're also trapped in this city because of them. They need to go."

"Nightfall," Bastion said. "If we commit troops to an attack on this base and it flops, they'll come after us. Not just us, but everyone back at the Project outpost. They think we're crippled. That's the only reason they havent wiped us out already. If we stir the shit, it's going to turn into a real storm and I cant have that on my conscience."

"Which is why we're going to have to do this on our own," Nightfall replied.

"We're so dead," Foxtrot muttered.

"We just need a plan."

"If it's a plan you need," Striker began, making a show of having come up with something. "Then I think I have just the idea you might be looking for."

Grace threw a talon over her eyes, joining Foxtrot in his cynicism. "Oh no."

"Hear me out," Striker pleaded. "We've been scouring this city block by block for any sign of your still missing fifth ranger team and all we ever come across is expended ordinance... spent casings mostly. If they're using mostly conventional weaponry, then it means they have to have a stockpile of munitions somewhere. If you can get in and rescue your people, we can blow their stockpile. We'll need some kind of diversion to draw them out into the city first, of course, but losing them in the snow shouldn't be too hard. That should get us the window we need."

Grace suddenly looked at Striker like he had just solved an unsolvable equation, before sighing. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but, Striker, I do believe that is actually a fairly decent plan." It was true. Given Striker's track record with "grand schemes" she really couldn't believe that she was agreeing with him. "Now if only all your other plans could be as solid," she added under her breath.

"I like it," Nightfall said simply. "But it doesn't get us anywhere with getting the MSAD out."

"I'm always down for a hot extraction," Foxtrot said, seeming more than eager to jump headlong into a firefight, perhaps a little too eager.

"No," Bastion began shaking his head. "Our priority has to be getting them out safe. This isnt a victory at any cost kind of mission."

"It's like Nightfall said, we need them gone, Bastion," Foxtrot challenged. "We save, what, a few mages and our problems suddenly vanish? No. Their objective was the MSAD and they aren't just going to let them go. They only way we stop them from counter attacking is to stop them before they can start."

"Which is why we're blowing their stockpile, Foxtrot," Bastion growled, annoyance further growing in his tone. He sighed and gave the pegasus a deathly serious look. "We are not soldiers, this isnt an army, and we are not at war. We win by living, by getting everyone out."

Foxtrot backed off, realizing that this was not something that could be negotiated. "Fine," he finally said. "But we cant just stop after this is over. We have to keep hitting them or else we risk getting hit ourselves."

"Agreed," Striker said, stepping forward and holding up the map. "Grace and I can arrange for a small scale guerilla campaign. We've got a guy in the north that we can call down to help us keep these mercs off balance for a little bit, just until people on your end can figure out what you want to do. As for the task at hoof, we'll need to do some recon before settling on anything, confirm that the MSAD mages are in fact being held here and that this isnt just an outpost."

"I can get you a bird's eye view on this place," Grace began. "I'll see what I can see from the sky, but we wont know exactly what we're walking into unless we can get someone on the inside."

"I can make that happen," Nightfall said. "Foxtrot, Bastion, Paper, Star. I'll have you guys set up on the outside, prepare to make some noise if things go sideways so I can get out."

"Wait, wait, wait," Star protested, suddenly stepping up to Nightfall. He could see that drastically worried look in her eyes, just behind her visor which hid the color of her irises. It was that same look she had had when he told her that he was being blackmailed and that they would have to wait just a little longer.

"You're going in alone?!" Star continued, a slight amount of frantic panic in her tone.

"We'll go back to the Project and get a snowsuit from one of those dead mercs," Nightfall said as if it were the simplest thing in the world. "We can sew up any holes and wash out the blood and I'll blend right in. With some luck one of them will have a key for that barrier and I should be able to walk right in and find what we're looking for without any fuss. Coupled with any navigational data Grace can get me from the air, this should be quick and over with before there's time to stir up trouble."

"I can go with you," Striker added confidently. "I've been tracking these guys for some time now, but havent had any confrontations yet. As far I know, they're not even aware the IGS has a presence in this city. I can back you up, plus two ponies looks less suspicious than a lone stranger stumbling in. All we need is a cover story."

"See?" Nightfall said, turning back to Star Mist. "Easy as that."

"No!" Star said, stepping out in front of the thestral before he could walk off. "It's not. Nightfall, they know your name. They are actively looking for you and the second they figure out it's you you're dead."

"No one else can do this, Star," Nightfall said calming, knowing full and well the actual mare that was under the helmet and that she was just worried about him. "A griffon would stand out," he continued pointing to Grace. "And everyone else here except for Striker is on that same hit list. This is a risk I have to take."

"You're going to get yourself killed," Star Mist muttered, that look in her eyes now having intensified, her pupils shrinking to pin pricks and strain clearly visible.

"For the love of god, Star. Why do even care so much?" Foxtrot complained, more than ready to get the show on the road by now. They had been standing around for far too long and he couldn't help but feel that they were wasting time at this point.

Nightfall shot Foxtrot a dirty look that the pegasus didnt quite understand, but he shut his mouth regardless and let the thestral deal with it. "I'll be okay."

"No, you guys have to listen to me," Star almost shouted. "There is someone on the inside. You talked to the prisoner back at the Project. You know we dont know who we can trust. What if you run into someone who actually knows you? What if they recognize your voice or... or your slitted eyes? You have to remember, you're not going to have that tinted visor while you're in there." It was very clear to Nightfall at this point that this was no longer Star Mist talking. Meadow Spring was now in full control and she was grasping at straws.

Nightfall glanced upwards, seeing the edge of the tinted visor the was currently retracted up over his forehead. He was the only batpony in the entirety of the TRST and consequently the only one with a special visor. Without it, his emerald eyes, that shown like the moon in the darkness were clear as day, something he had not even considered. He opened his mouth to say something, but was beat to the punch.

"She's got a good point," Bastion said.

"What's this about a mole in the TRST?" Grace asked, having heard the entirety of the conversation.

"We captured and interrogated one of the mercenaries from the attack on the Project," Foxtrot explained. "Long story short, someone in the Initiative is giving them information and they have a bounty on each of our heads."

"It's why they've been hunting down the ranger teams," Nightfall added. "There was some miscommunication and they were never able to determine which team we were in so they went after all of them."

"That's bad," Striker said. As much as Foxtrot wanted to reply with something along the lines of "No shit," he kept quiet. "If they're going after ranger teams, then we need to get this done before they mount another attack."

"We're not so sure there's going to be one."

"What do you mean?"

Nightfall sighed. "We've been doing a little digging. It seems like there was a bit of a power shift within their ranks recently. As far as I can tell, they were originally only after us, but now all they care about are the crystal fragment. It's probably why they took the MSAD mages in the first place."

"Hmm, I see."

"Yeah, this is great," Foxtrot suddenly interjected, sarcasm practically spewing forth like water from a broken fire hydrant. "I'm so glad that we're all getting up to speed on the ins and outs and that we all understand the complexity of our current situation, but how the hell are we supposed to get into that base if our most experienced infiltrator is a no go?"

Everyone was quiet, no one seeming to have an answer. It was all just as Nightfall had said earlier. Sending in any one of them was too much of a risk and a griffon would stand out. With every second of silence, it looked more and more like Striker would have to do this on his own.

"I'll do it," Star Mist said abruptly, drawing several confused gazes her way.

"You'll what?" Foxtrot asked, not entirely sure if he was hearing what he thought he was.

"I'll do it," Star Mist repeated.

Nightfall was about to say something, but never got it out before the straps on her helmet were most of the way undone. With a short series of clicks and pops, the helmet's lower plating fell open before it was lifted up and away and deposited on the ground at the mare's hooves. "They dont know all of us," Meadow Spring said, trying her best to sound confident. She gave only a sheepish smile, before realizing that everyone was staring at her in utter bewilderment.

"Okay, that makes a lot of sense now," Bastion said, remembering the conversation that they had had the previous day.

"Meadow Spring?" Paper piped up. He had been sitting in the corner with his notepad nearly this entire time, opting to write down everything that was being planned and leave the decision making to his more experienced peers. By now, his notepad was a mess, having had to erase several large section before deciding it was better to just scrap the sheet of paper and start over on the next one, especially now that the plan was being turned on its head.

"Hey guys," Meadow said, both happy that she was no longer having to keep secrets from her friends and amused at their reactions.

"Would someone mind telling us what's going on?" Grace asked, now somewhat annoyed by the fact that her and Striker were constantly having to play catch up with whatever all this was supposed to be.

"Striker, Grace. This is Meadow Spring," Nightfall introduced. Grace and Striker both offered the mare a friendly wave. "She snuck aboard this mission." He turned to Meadow and raised his voice just enough for everyone to hear him and know that he was dead serious. "And she will not be going on a recon mission into the heart of an enemy encampment."

"Nightfall, I'm the only one here who's name isnt on the roster," Meadow began. "There's no way for anyone to even know that I'm here or what I look like. I'm the only other pony who can do this without putting everything at risk."

"If she's our best option, then she should be the one to go in," Striker said, not really caring for what reasons Nightfall didnt want her to go. "She wont be alone either."

"I'm with Meadow as well," Grace said. "We cant afford to mess this up."

Nightfall lowered a mildly angry gaze over at the IGS agents and then back to Meadow, none of whom showed any sign of changing their minds. He was outnumbered on this and he knew that she was the only viable option for this mission. Despite that, he couldn't bring himself to allow it. He wouldn't put her in that situation. He would never forgive himself.

"It's decided then," Foxtrot said. "My vote goes to her. If she's been able to hide her identity this whole time, then she should do just fine."

Meadow wasnt entirely ready to hear Foxtrot backing her up for once, but it was appreciated. She could do this. She knew she could. She didnt like the look that Nightfall was giving her, but he would have to get over it. This was their only option.

"Can we talk for second?" Nightfall asked, his expression softening and his tone turning to one only of worry.

To say the least, Meadow had not expected this. She knew how stubborn he was when he had his mind set on something, especially something like this. With just a nod, the two stepped out of the room and into the next corridor over.

"You've got to be kidding me," Nightfall said before Meadow could even compose herself. He placed both hooves on her shoulders and looked her directly in the eyes. "Meadow Spring, you cant just volunteer for something like this. What ever happened to "I promise I'll keep my head down?" Whatever happened to not taking unnecessary risks?"

"What ever happened to "I trust you?"" Meadow countered. "You were about to take the exact same risk and now you're scolding me for doing it?"

"It's different," Nightfall claimed as if it really were. In truth he knew it really wasnt, but the analytical side of him that was in constant control while out on mission was quickly beginning to give way as his emotions took over.

"No it isnt, Nightfall," Meadow corrected. "We both know I have less of a chance of getting caught. It's the smart thing to do."

Meadow had expected the thestral to counter and was prepared to argue back, but he didnt. Instead, Nightfall grew dead silent, a worried frown adorning his face as he just stared at her like it was the last time he would ever see her. His hooves had fallen from her shoulders and now rested lightly on her own, caressing them slowly as his brain grinded away, battling itself as it tried to come to terms with what needed to be done. Finally, he sighed, placing his head on hers. "Be careful," he whispered as their touch quickly grew into a hug.

"I will," Meadow replied. "I promise."

Author's Note

I've hit a point in the story where small details play a very important role in how the story will unfold later on, so chapters are taking a bit longer than I'd like, but I'm making sure everything lines up.

Chapter 12: Shrouded

"How do I look?" Meadow Spring asked before taking several steps in a circular pattern, as if she were chasing her own tail. She had traded out her standard Initiative issued snow suit for one of the many that had been left behind on the dead mercenaries.

"Like you're out for blood," Nightfall answered from his seat on the bottom bunk, simply staring at her with a worried look in his eyes.

The suit was far different from Initiative uniform. Instead of the digital winter camo that came standard, the suit was mostly made of solid greys and blacks. The small first aid kit had been replaced with a bandolier of rifle ammo and the wrist display was now nothing more than a small temperature gauge and watch.

The helmet was also different, with a much thicker sheet of plating over the forehead that ran all the way down the back of the head and formed somewhat of a skirt around the neck, which lacked the thick fur collar. This helmet had been taken from a separate corpse. The helmet that went with the rest of the suit was damaged nearly beyond recognition and scraps of gear had been cobbled together from several others, all to make a single unique loadout.

Meadow sighed. "Good," she said, before doing her best to offer a small smile and moving to join him at his spot on the bed. "You worry too much, y'know."

"I cant help it," Nightfall replied after not saying anything for a few seconds. "Remember how you felt when I told everyone back at The Hideout about being blackmailed?"

Meadow just nodded.

"Well, I think I'm feeling a lot like that," Nightfall finished.

Meadow responded only to this by moving closer and placing her head on his shoulder, her warm breath blowing gently against his fur as she closed her eyes and simply rested, feeling his head lean back into her. They were together and for now that's all that mattered. Him and her against all odds. She could still remember how they met. All those years working together, watching each other's backs, and taking care of one another. It had all lead up to this.

"Better?" Meadow asked.

Nightfall's heart was beating so fast in his chest and his usual nerves of steel felt so fragile that he had been shaking, but now it all evened out, slowing down and becoming steady, his nerves finding comfort in her touch.

"Yeah," he answered looking down to her. "For now."

Meadow didnt reply, just allowing the time to slowly pass by, the heat of the fire in the fireplace creating a warm and radiant feeling. Her mind slowly faded into nothing, no thoughts of the risk or the danger or of how much she wanted to go home taking up any space in her head. It all melted away like a candle made of butter. She was simply present, feeling every breath and heartbeat and for now she knew she was right where she belonged, even if it was only for a little while.

There was suddenly a knock on the door. Without even enough time for a reply, the portal to the outside world was thrust open, allowing a dense cloud of snow to shoot into the room, the wind whipping around like a windigo that had been set loose and now desperately searched for a way back into the blizzard. The fire was snuffed out and the bed sheets were practically tossed into the air as they caught the rampant flow of air.

"God damn," Bastion said as he struggled to close the door, but eventually managed to seal it. He removed his helmet and brushed the frost from his mane. "Sorry," he said, standing back up a chair that had been toppled like a bowling pin. "Storm spires are still down. They're still trying to get someone to go out and figure out what happened."

"Probably a final parting gift from our friends," Nightfall suggested, patting the top of the mercenary helmet that lay on the bed beside them.

"Speaking of whom," Bastion began, "Foxtrot and a few others have been prodding the prisoner for any additional info, but I don't think we're going to get anything else out of him. You sure we have enough to get past their sentries?"

"More than enough," Nightfall answered. "Stalwart got him to spill everything while we were away. Pass phrases, call signs, even what their attack plan was. If he isn't saying anything else, it probably means he's run dry."

"Damn," Bastion said simply. "I dont know what you did to get him singing, but I get the feeling I don't want to know."

"Yeah, well, with what he gave us and what that Red Fern kid spilled, I think we'll be fine."

"I know we will," Meadow said confidently. "I've been practicing for the last few hours. I'll stick to the script and everything will go smooth."

Bastion smiled, very much appreciating Meadow's confidence. It did so much to alleviate his worries. "You look good, Meadow," he said. "If you were wearing the helmet, I dont think I'd recognize you."

"There's just one issue," Nightfall said. He stood up and placed a hoof on Meadow's shoulder, having her turn around so that he could see her chest. He leaned down and gripped a piece of the fabric in his mouth before jerking his head back, the action being accompanied by the sound of velcro. He spit out the small patch, a morale patch that said "F-Bomb" with a picture of an aerial dropped bomb just below. "The fewer identifying marks you have, the better," Nightfall explained.

"Oh, thanks," Meadow said. The only patch that remained was one on her shoulder, a white emblem in the shape of a bear's claw that most of the dead mercenaries outside also had.

"So, you guys ready to head out?" Bastion asked. "The storm is picking up and we'll want to get moving so we can make our rendezvous on time. I'd hate to keep Striker and Grace waiting."

Nightfall and Meadow grabbed their respective helmets and placed them snuggly on their heads. He looked like something official, a soldier that fought for a nation, while she looked completely different, like a warrior that fought for profit and cared not who they trampled over.

"Ready as I'll ever be," Meadow said enthusiastically as she made to follow Bastion outside.

Nightfall followed close behind, simply muttering, "Let's get this over with."

Outside was an absolute whiteout, with the small exception of the barely visible silhouettes of the surrounding buildings and piles of rubble where buildings once stood. Other than that, visibility was at near zero. Had it not been for the street lights, the ones that still worked at least, it would have been nearly impossible for them to find their way out.

"Y'know," Paper began after having joined up with the group at the front gate along with Foxtrot. "This storm may be annoying, but it's actually a really good thing. We'll be lucky if it keeps up like this for the rest of the day."

"What makes you say that?" Meadow questioned. They had only been outside for a few minutes and she was already more than ready to get within some sturdy walls. Anything to get away from the whipping wind that threatened to knock her off her hooves.

"Think about it," Paper replied. "With this storm, it's likely that any mercenary teams out in the city will hunker down. They're looking for the crystals too, remember? If they're out there, then that's less you have to deal with when you're on the inside."

"Couldn't they just go back through the tunnels?" Meadow asked.

"Sure, but it would be a waste of time," Paper answered. "They're much more likely to set up camp and wait out the storm."

"We'll also be harder to detect or track," Bastion added. "If we have to pull out fast, the snow will provide adequate cover for us to slip away."

"I suppose that's a good point," Meadow said, as the group began to make their way away from the base and towards the river.

They would need to cross in order to get into the city. Usually, they would have simply followed the trail that lead straight onto the island and right down main street, but taking the only way in was risky and made their movements predictable. Instead, they chose to ignore the path, walking across the ice plain where no path had yet been marked. Had it been clear outside, they would have been completely exposed, but the blizzard provided good concealment and it only took ten short minutes to cross into the city.

"We really couldn't have asked for a better time for a blizzard to hit," Bastion said.

"Celestia told me in one of our interviews that they were actually able to schedule these things out," Paper began. "Back when pegasi controlled the weather and all. Apparently they could schedule out the weather for an entire year ahead of time and make adjustments when they needed. If we were living back then, we could use the weather to our advantage whenever we wanted.

"If we were living back then," Foxtrot retorted matter-of-factly, "we wouldn't need to be doing any of this in the first place."

"Imagine that," Meadow Spring said, her mind drifting to the image of large pine forests and lush fields of grass with snowy tipped mountains off in the distance, "a world without windigos; where the TRST wasnt needed." Of course, having known only snow and desolate tundra her entire life, she knew that the images that danced around in her head were probably woefully inaccurate. Still, it was nice to dream.

"It's something to strive for," Bastion said optimistically. "With every alicorn we find, we get closer to achieving that goal."

Everyone suddenly went silent, each of them fully aware that this entire mission had gone to hell in a handbasket. Could they even continue after this? Was there any hope that they would be able to find Princess Luna? Right now, they had to focus on the task at hoof, but the thought remained in the back of all their minds. They had come here, to this city, for a very specific reason and now they were reentering it for a different one entirely.

The rest of their trek was quiet, through the snow, over the ice plain, and back into the streets, the harsh winds and dead buildings being the only thing to greet them. The first hour went by slow and without anyone saying so much as a word. They had elected to stay on the streets rather than cut through the buildings. It was slower, but the storm provided them with concealment and they couldn't afford to run into anyone.

By the end of hour two, they had reached their destination, high up on the twentieth floor of a building only a few blocks west of their objective. Sure enough, Grace and Striker were waiting patiently for them, having kept an eye on the target building in their absence. It had been less than twenty four hours and Grace had done several fly overs. While the snow made it hard to fly, it did keep her hidden. From her own angle in the air, it seemed as if the facility was abandoned, though it was hard to tell with the blizzard. Still, Nightfall insisted that he was correct.

While Striker worked his way into his new snow suit, brought straight from the outpost, everyone gathered around to go over the plan one final time. It was simple. It had to be. They couldn't afford for this to go wrong.

"The facility is comprised of several buildings," Grace began, a small map that she had drawn now spread out on the floor. There are several warehouses and a few smaller facilities. Outside activity has been at absolute zero, so we can rule out the smaller buildings. That only leaves the warehouses, which are connected. Plenty of room for a mercenary band to set up an ops center. It's likely that the stockpile is somewhere in there as well."

"Foxtrot and Paper," Nightfall began. "You guys are setting up in the buildings to the North. Bastion and I are taking the South. Grace will be overhead. Remember, we cant afford for this to go wrong, so dont do anything unless the order is given."

Everyone just nodded in silent agreement.

"Okay," Nightfall said with a sigh. "Let's go over everything one more time. There cant be any mistakes."

One by one, each member stated where they were and what they were going to be doing. Paper began. "Foxtrot and I are in the North. We'll stand by and cause some noise if we need to draw some of them away or move in if the plan goes pear-shaped."

Bastion was next. "I'm with Nightfall down South. We're on recovery duty. If all goes to hell and we need to pull our infiltrators out, we're tasked with getting them.

"I'm overhead keeping an eye on things," Grace began when it was her turn. "I'll feed information to the recovery teams and offer support where needed."

Striker was last. "Meadow Spring and I are the infiltrators on this op. We have two objectives. Confirm that the MSAD mages are in fact being held at this facility and locate their munitions stockpile for later sabotage. We'll get in, take a look around, and get out before they even know we were there."

Nightfall took a deep breath, closing his eyes as he found his center and committed his focus to the mission. Still, a part of him worried.

"Okay," he said. "We're ready. There is one more thing though," he added. "We are on our own on this. The Initiative has been compromised, which means we are the only ones who know that we are out here. There will be no reinforcements and no evac. We cant afford to be sending random radio waves through the air either. So it's total communications blackout between the infiltrators and outside teams. As of now, we are rogue. We have one chance at this, so lets get it done right."

"Hell yeah," Foxtrot said confidently, pounding his hooves together. He was more than ready to finally take action.

"Absolutely," Grace said.

The others all just nodded, before heading to their assigned spots, knowing that it was now or never. As they all packed up, Nightfall suddenly stopped Meadow.

"Don't worry, Nightfall," she began. "I'll be fine. You taught me everything I know, remember?"

"I know," Nightfall replied. "I just wanted to let you know that... I'm proud of you for going through with this."

Meadow smiled. "Thanks," she said, before exchanging a quick hug.

"You got your lines?"

"Yeah," Meadow answered. "I've been rehearsing them in my head all day."

"Good," Nightfall said, giving Meadow her helmet, which she placed snuggly on her head. He patted it on the side, a resounding thud echoing as his hoof met the ballistic material. "Go make me even prouder."

The tunnels under Manehattan were dead silent, just as they had been previously, save for the soft sounds of water dripping and slowly rippling as small chunks of ice lazily floated about, disturbed only by the hooves of the two ponies who now slowly and cautiously advanced through the darkness.

Meadow and Striker had come across one crystal already. It shown like a beacon in the darkness, directing them to where they needed to go. They each had a copy of the route that Nightfall had marked down for them to follow. Left, right, and left again, they slowly got closer and closer to their objective.

Underneath her armored suit, Meadow shook like a rattle as her nerves flared up and her thoughts began to race in her mind. Her legs felt heavier and heavier with every step she plunged into the freezing water. Her heart was beating away in her ears. What was she doing? How had she gotten herself into this? It was simple. She was the only one. She had to be the one to do this. At least, that's what she continued to tell herself.

Striker suddenly stopped, noticing that Meadow was beginning to lag behind. By now, they were only a single block away from their target. If anything, this was a bad spot to be having any doubts.

"You okay?" Striker asked, having heard the heavy breaths from under that helmet.

Meadow just stopped, holding her head low and looking away, before snapping back up and trying to look like she was doing just fine. "Yeah," she said as if it were nothing. "I'm okay. Just nervous is all."

Striker put a hoof on her shoulder. "Deep breaths. Stay focused on the mission and everything will be fine."

Meadow followed his instruction, taking several large breaths and letting them out again. She was going to be just fine. Everything was going to work out. "Sorry," she said as she composed herself. "It's been a while since I've done anything like this, but I'm okay now. Promise."

"Good."

From there, they moved on, taking only another few minutes to reach their destination and before they knew it, there it was. Right before them was a dead end, a brick wall that just suddenly appeared before them and seemed so out of place that it was suspicious.

"Well, now I see why Nightfall was so certain that this was it," Striker muttered. He ran a hoof across it, noticing that it was far smoother than any surface made from the rough weathered bricks should have any right to be. On contact, it almost seemed to contort slightly, like still water that had suddenly been disturbed by the lightest of leaves falling, but still refusing to ripple. "Here we go," he said, before dipping his head down and slowly moving through the barrier.

Just like that, they were on the other side, the enchanted strips in their hijacked armor having granted them access to an entirely new section of the sewers. Before them was yet another crystal, burning hot and bright. Just outside its light, came the sound of weapons being raised and rifle actions being cocked.

"Who goes there?" a voice called out, as two heavily armed ponies stepped into the light, each dawning their own sets of armor that made them look like they were more than ready for a fight as they kept their rifles raised at Striker and Meadow.

"Friendly, friendly," Striker suddenly called back, raising his hooves into the air. "Don't shoot!" Meadow mimicked this action.

The weapons that had been trained on them were lowered, but only a little bit, and a third pony stepped forward. "Who the hell are you?" the unicorn who didn't wear any kind of headgear asked. "We aren't expecting any returning patrols until the storm lets up."

"We aren't a patrol," Striker replied, sounding confident and at ease. "We got separated from our group during the attack on the Initiative base. They were sweeping the area so we had to lay low before returning. Unfortunately, we weren't able to make it back to the staging area in time."

"Yeah?" the merc responded. "What's your call sign?"

"I'm Bear Three-Five," Meadow interjected before Striker could open his mouth, her hooves still raised above her head. "This is Bear Three-Two. Group C. We were assigned to take the northern side of the base and then press south to provide interference so Viper and Wolf could extract the targets, but things got rocky."

"I see," the merc said, not seeming to care too much about the details of their escape. "Where's the rest of your team?"

"We're all that's left," Striker lied. "Everyone else got themselves killed in a firefight during the last stage of the battle."

"The pass phrase is November," Meadow added. "Unless it got changed since we've been gone."

"No, no. You guys are good," the merc assured them before cursing out loud. "Dammit," he muttered, clearly annoyed that more had not survived. He sighed and motioned for the sentries to lower their weapons. "Alright, head up and check in. You're not the first ones to arrive, so we're still trying to get a head count. Turn in your weapons for cleaning and get some food. There's plenty of open bunks, so take your pick."

Striker nodded. "Is there anything new we should know about?"

"Not much," the unicorn replied. "Command wants us to double down on search parties so I dont think we'll see any more action for a while. As long as the Initiative keeps to itself we should be fine."

Striker sighed in a way that suggested he was annoyed, all a part of his act. "And if they don't?"

"Then we'll kick them until they stay down," the mercenary answered. "I wouldn't expect any kind of offensive any time soon, but we'll deal with them if we have to. Right now, we're stretched a bit thin, so we're focusing on what we came here for."

And what exactly would that be? Meadow wanted to ask, but instead kept silent. She quickened her pace, trotting up behind Stiker until she had caught up. As she did, the sewer quickly turned into a tunnel with dirt walls on every side as it spiraled up to the surface, before opening up into a large warehouse, the sounds of ponies going about their business reaching her ears as they passed the threshold of a soundproofing spell.

It seemed that they had been correct in their assumptions. This wasnt only a base for this band of mercenaries. In a way, it was its own bustling city, with ponies and impromptu structures, most being shipping containers, all around them. None of the ponies paid them any mind, each set on their own business and any looks that they did receive were weary and only lasted for a moment before those that they belonged to returned to their drinks or game of cards.

"See anyone you recognize?" Striker asked in a whisper as he scanned his surroundings. Nothing of importance caught his eye.

"No," Meadow answered after taking a look for herself. "No one familiar."

"Good."

They proceeded forward, checking in their weapons as they had been instructed in order to not seem suspicious. It was actually a nice little set up they had. A few large oil drums and a plank of wood formed a counter where a pony waited. Behind him sat three shipping containers. From where Meadow stood, the first appeared to be lined with rifle after rifle, easily numbering in the hundreds. The second appeared to be filled with machining tools, the kind used for making and repairing firearms. The third was closed, but Meadow imagined it contained something similar to the other two. Stockpile located, she supposed.

The pony behind the counter was pleasant enough, though he seemed to be mostly apathetic, much in the way that a store clerk was in the last hour of their shift when they just wanted to be done so they could go home.

"What now?" Meadow asked as she joined Striker once again.

"Now?" Striker answered as he removed his helmet. "Now, we get to work." He looked over to where a few ponies had gathered, a long counter with milk crates as seats forming a sort of bar. "I'm gonna get a drink. See what I can pick up."

"Uh. Are you sure that's okay?" Meadow asked, quite a bit of alarm rising in her tone as she pointed to his helmet.

Striker smiled. "It's fine. They don't know me, though it would be best if you stayed hidden. Stay close by and if I give you a signal, be ready to move."

Meadow nodded, joining him as they made their way over to the impromptu bar, where several ponies were at least trying to enjoy their drinks. It was a rough looking bunch, that was for sure, but not in a criminal way. It was in much more of an experienced determined way. The way that was respectable to any seasoned soldier. Everyone present had at least some form of battle wear, whether it be scars, burns, or just that faded look in the eye.

While Striker was bold enough to actually take a seat at the bar, Meadow leaned up against a concrete support just across from him, keeping an eye out and waiting to see what happened. The first few minutes, little to Meadow's surprise, were uneventful and Striker had wasted no time taking a few shots with a few of the mercs and starting up a conversation. He certainly seemed to have a knack for this sort of thing. Meanwhile, Meadow stood guard, nervously trying to look inconspicuous.

"Hey, you," a voice suddenly called.

Meadow paid the voice no mind until it repeated itself, only then realizing that it was her attention that it was seeking. She looked over to see a group of young stallions all sitting at a table.

"Yeah, you," one of them called, waving her over. "Come here. Come here. Come here."

Meadow hesitated, not at all liking the fact that she was being flagged down like this. She cast a sideways glance in Striker's direction. He seemed just as cool and relaxed as he had been only moments earlier. He took a second to glance back at her, winking once before returning to his conversation.

That's right. This entire time that she had been watching his back, he too had been watching hers. This was no different than the old days when she worked with Nightfall in the TRST. All that had changed were the stakes.

Meadow slowly approached the group, not saying a word, but instead listening as they began to run their mouths.

"You're with Bear, right?" the first to speak said, standing and pointing at her.

Meadow looked to the patch that adorned her shoulder, a single white emblem in the shape of a bear claw that clung to her uniform. It was just then that she noticed that each of the mercs before her all had their own patches, similar, but different. Rather than a bear claw, they were patched with the heads of wolves.

"I heard Group C had a hell of time in that fight," the same mercenary continued. "Also heard Bear was wiped out after running into the Initiative security forces."

"Something like that," Meadow replied, not caring too much to continue this conversation. Though they could not see it through her visor at this distance, she was staring at those patches on their shoulders.

Wolf She thought to herself. This was the group directly responsible for extracting the MSAD. Perhaps...

"Well, we're all pretty sad to hear it," the merc continued. His words were accompanied by a series of agreeable nods around the table. "I hear most of our experienced fighters were in Bear. Glad to see some more of you guys actually survived."

"More?" Meadow questioned instinctively, the idea of there being more putting her at unease.

"Damn right," another merc began. From under the table, he kicked a chair out, motioning for her to take a seat as an invitation, before leaning back and calling to another table of two at the other end of the room. "Hey, Bunker," he called. "Another one of yours showed up. Looks like you aren't all alone after all."

Meadow suddenly felt a weight sink in her. This was exactly the kind of attention that she had hoped to avoid. Nevertheless, she was getting it and she would have to improvise.

"What's this all about now?" Bunker asked as he joined the group, bringing the total to seven as another merc followed right behind him. His own uniform was adorned with the same white bear claw.

"This mare's with Bear," the first merc said happily. "Turns out you aren't our soul survivor anymore."

"Really now?" Bunker replied, pulling up a seat and joining the table. "I didnt realize there were any mares in our little band of misfits. It's good to see that you made it. Though, I could have sworn I saw everyone from Bear get taken down in that fight... in the courtyard. Remember?"

Meadow wasnt exactly sure what shootout he was referring to. She had been chased straight into that hospital the second she stepped hoof outside the shower unit, but she did her best to play along. "Yeah, with the security forces," she answered, before staring back down at the table. "How could I forget? I guess you were mistaken."

This answer didn't seem to satisfy Bunker, who just kept his critical look leveled at her. He continued his line of questioning. "It just seems weird to me, y'know? That volley of fire tore through our line like a hot knife through butter." He leaned back in his chair. "I only survived thanks to plane dumb luck. How'd you get out alive?"

"Lucky too, I guess," Meadow shrugged. "Barely managed to slip away from getting caught."

"Sure," Bunker continued, taking a sip of his drink. "I can understand that. You do what you have to to survive. I just don't take too kindly to cowards is all."

"Oh come on, Bunker," one of the mercenaries across the table complained. "What's this all about? Cant we just enjoy some calm without you stirring shit with someone?"

"What exactly are you accusing me of?" Meadow was bold enough to ask. She was fairly certain that her cover hadn't been blown. Something else was going on here and yet this pony scared her half to death. She felt it was best to proceed cautiously, even more so than she had been.

Bunker leaned forward with his hooves planted firmly on the table, no longer in a relaxed position. "What I mean," he began in an accusing tone, "is that you weren't in that fight. I saw it with my own eyes. Everyone one in Bear was cut down. The only way you would have survived was if you either hid or played dead."

Meadow wasnt exactly sure where to go from here. It certainly wasn't what she had been expecting, though she got the distinct feeling that if she didn't handle this here and now, this guy was going to be trouble further down the road. She sighed. "Yep, got me," she said with a nervous laugh. "I played dead."

Bunker just cocked an eyebrow, not seeming too convinced.

"I got hit in the chest," she said, standing up to reveal a burned up piece of uniform where a bullet had struck the chest plating. The original wearer had additionally been shot through the head, but switching the helmets had covered up that little fact. "I wasnt able to retreat with the rest of the teams, so I had to lie low until there was a break in the fighting. It's like you said. Do what you can to survive, right?"

Bunker opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted by the pony beside him. "Hey now," the clearly not-so-sober stallion began, raising his drink in the air. "Enough of all this serious talk. We're alive and we're going to be alright once the money rolls. We should be celebrating while we still got the chance. I know! How about a toast!"

"To one hell of a party when this is all over," another mercenary declared, standing and raising his own drink.

Another mercenary followed suit. "Ah what the hell. And to the fallen! May their souls rest easy!"

"And may each of our shares be larger now that they're gone," another mercenary added, initiating an eruption of laughter as they all lifted their drinks into the air, cider within sloshing around and spilling onto the table below before they each tried drowning themselves in the alcoholic substance.

It was at that moment that Meadow realized she did not have a drink and that even if she did, she would not be able to drink it without removing her helmet. She could already see one of these guys offering to buy her one. She was surprised someone hadn't already, if she was being honest. She figured this would be as good a time as any to slip away.

Before standing up, she looked around the table. It was strange really. Here they were, all ponies, all sharing a common language, and living in the same apocalypse. So then why were they fighting? How could anyone care that much about money that they'd kill innocent ponies and turn against their own kind for it? Was there something more motivating them to do all... this?

She stood, taking her leave as the table became more and more rowdy, the infectious excitement spreading to the other tables. Despite the lively atmosphere, her head was dominated by the sound of her own heartbeat thumping away in her ears. She tried to calm herself, but her breaths were short and her damned hooves wouldn't stop shaking. She had been trembling lightly ever since they arrived, but her close call really amped up the stress. Stop shaking. Stop shaking. You're going to blow your cover and die. Stop shaking.

She rushed over and plopped down in the seat next to Striker, taking her place just a little too hard to the point that a few glasses rattled. She took several deep breaths, trying to steady herself until she finally got a grip on her nerves. She was doing it. She was okay. Just keep going. They dont know.

Meadow was pulled from her thoughts by a nudge on the shoulder. To her right, Striker sat with a drink on the bar top. "Drink?" he asked.

Meadow just shot him a critical look through her visor.

"Right," he said, turning around and leaning back on the bar in a casual manner. He held his bottle up in the air as the mercenaries around them continued their song. "You're squad leader was right," he said under his breath. "They've got jammers in west side of the city. The guy I just talked to was a technician hired on to keep them running."

"What's he doing here then?" Meadow asked, turning around and leaning forward in her seat, attempting to look as casual as possible.

"Apparently he messed up his hoof real good," Striker answered. "Came back here to see a medic. Anyways, I asked and he said that their little attack was successful. The MSAD is being held here somewhere, but he didnt say where."

"You think their in the next warehouse?"

"My money's on them being outside in one of the outer structures," Striker said, taking another drink. "Keeps them isolated and separate from all these hooligans. If they're being forced to work on something, it would also give them room, but the other warehouse would make it easier to keep an eye on them, so that's a possibility too. Also probably just as spacious."

"You want me to check and see?" Meadow asked.

Striker sat up in his seat, turning to the mare as he cocked an eyebrow. "You volunteering?"

"I think I might have attracted a little too much attention earlier," Meadow said, faintly motioning towards the mercenaries that were now caught up in their songs and drinks. "That and you seem to blend in here a lot better than I do. It might be best if I get some distance from this place."

Striker nodded. "Agreed," he said, smiling, seeming very satisfied with himself. "Hanging out at bars is what I do best... Anyways, I'll keep an eye out for you, but once you're through those doors, you're on your own."

Meadow sighed heavily. "I'll be quick then. Don't take off without me," she said, hopping down from her seat as Striker turned around to order another drink. She trusted him to not over do it with the alcohol, but given that she didnt really know him too well, a part of her was still concerned and held on to the idea as a possibility.

Still, Meadow Spring pressed forward, away from the rowdy bunch of mercenaries at the bar and towards the set of double doors at the opposite end of the room, leading to the second warehouse. She passed by the large group of cots, laid out along the floor where several ponies slept and rested, and passed the series of storage containers being used for a number of purposes. She walked slowly, giving mind to each step in an attempt to not seem like she was in too much of a hurry, despite wanting to get where she was going as quickly as possible.

Just stay calm. You're doing fine. Don't draw attention to yourself. She kept walking until she was finally only a few steps away from the doors. They were guarded, but not very well, only two ponies, one on either side. The one on the left was clearly asleep at his post and the other sat with the back of his head resting on the wall. There was probably no way he was going to let her through, but she could at least check before heading back to Striker to come up with some sort of plan.

Meadow Spring took a deep breath, letting it out and steadying herself. She continued on, only to be stopped suddenly.

"Who the hell do you think you are?" a familiar voice sounded angrily as its owner stepped out in front of her.

"Wh-what?" Meadow asked nervously as a wave of shock and fear shot through her body as the larger mercenary advanced at her.

"Oh dont give me that! What do you think I am, stupid?" Bunker demanded angrily as he continued to march on Meadow. "You aren't one of us! You don't belong here!"

Meadow's mind raced at a million miles per hour. She was caught. It was over. "I-uh..." she sputtered before feeling her rear hit a wall, having been backed straight into it.

"Quiet!" Bunker snapped. "I don't want to hear your excuses. You didn't stay and fight and you know it. You're a liar and a coward. This is exactly why we shouldn't recruit outside help and why we shouldn't send mares into combat."

"Look, I know you think a ran, but I didn't," Meadow shot back, trying to think of anything she could say to get this guy off her back. All she could do was commit to the act and hope she was convincing enough, though her confidence was quickly wavering. "I was in that fight. Why is living such a crime?"

"It's not," Bunker said simply, crossing his hooves. "It's getting paid that's wrong. We all signed on for this op, because we were willing to put in the work. We're getting a second chance. We're fighting and dying for what we care about and -"

Crash! The sound of glass shattering suddenly cut Bunker off as small brown shards rained down, the bottle having hit him on top of the head with enough force that his body slumped forward into unconsciousness, before staggering and falling over sideways.

"Whoa there! A little too many drinks for this one! Am I right guys?" Striker said, calling to guards at the double doors. "Getting a little grabby there." He laughed like it was the simplest thing in the world, casting a quick look to Meadow that said, I got you, before waving back to the guards. "Could you give me hoof dragging my friend here back to his cot?"

The one guard who wasn't asleep sighed as he rolled his eyes. "Yeah, let's get him taken care of," he said as he set his rifle down and let it lean against the wall. As he joined Striker in dragging Bunker away, Meadow Spring saw her chance and took it, quickly trotting over to the double doors and pressing her way through into a short, narrow hallway with a set of identical doors at the end.

She ran to the doors and entered the next warehouse. It was dark, being mostly empty. It all looked much like how the rest of the city did. Cold, damp, and weathered. She noticed her temperature gauge fall several degrees. The conditions here were far less livable than the warmth of the other warehouse where these mercenaries had set up shop.

"You here for a progress report?" a tired sounding voice asked from just behind her. It had come from another mercenary, leaning against the wall next to the door from which she had just entered.

"I am," Meadow said simply. "Go get some food. This will take a few minutes."

The mercenary stood up and stretched, a few popping noises coming form his body. "Yeah, alright," he mumbled. "Thanks." He gathered his gear and left through the doors, leaving Meadow alone with the mages at the other end of the room.

Meadow proceeded forward, finding herself in the center of the room where the light quickly began to fade as she moved away from the set of double doors. This warehouse, compared to the other, was entirely dead with little to no signs of any kind of activity. "Hello?" she called out into the darkness in a hushed tone. "Anyone here?"

There was no reply. Despite the continued silence, further investigation revealed that the site was not completely abandoned. There were some tables at the far end that had initially been out of sight. She clicked the button on her flashlight and continued, the bright circular beam showing her exactly what she was looking at. Tools. All kinds of tools were spread out across the tops of the tables, many she did not recognize as being such.

The ground around the table was littered with discarded metal drums, the tops of which had been pried off and the contents removed. What is all of this? she wondered. It was nothing like anything she had ever seen. The remnants of what appeared to be small containment units had been neatly stacked in the corner.

Her curiosity hit its peak though, when she was presented with an object that had a dark black tarp thrown over it, something she would have never noticed in this darkness had she not turned on her light. What lied beneath, she could only imagine, but knew that there was only one way to know for sure. She stopped suddenly as she heard the sound of hooves on the concrete floor just behind her. She spun around as quick as she could shining her light on whoever had approached.

The two mages held their hooves over their eyes, shielding themselves from the blinding light.

"You think you could point that in another direction?" Etcher complained.

Meadow was quick to adjust her flashlight so that it now longer shined directly on the two mages who looked far worse for ware. They had bags under their eyes that suggested they had gone without sleep for quite some time and their manes and coats were unkempt, though they were not dirty.

"Sorry," Meadow apologized. "You guys scared the hell out of me."

"We scared you?" Etcher said.

"I suppose you're here for a progress report," Mythic mumbled, walking past Meadow and towards the work stations. He pulled a cord, springing a set of overhead lights to life, before dropping his head into his hooves and rubbing the spots from his vision.

Etcher just stood in his place, eyeing Meadow Spring down with a critical glare. If looks could kill...

"We're almost halfway done," Mythic began to explain pulling away the tarp to reveal what lied beneath. "We've assembled as many as we could, but I'm afraid we need more pieces to continue. We cant build off this with what we have," he said, pointing to the complex apparatus that he and his fellow mages had constructed.

It was a series of metal stands and thin strings, curling around a large crystal the size of a grapefruit, that was round and smooth along the bottom and jagged on all other sides. Though it made no noise and gave off no light, reality itself almost seemed to bend and contort around the contraption.

"We've already triangulated a rough location for the other fragments," Etcher added in a tired voice after stifling a yawn.

Meadow was just silent for a moment, entirely captivated by the sight of the crystal. It was unlike anything she had ever seen before and yet she couldn't quite place her hoof on how. It just seemed different, almost unreal and intangible, like a two dimensional object impossibly existing within a three dimensional space. It took her an extra second to come to her senses.

"Actually," she began, removing her helmet. "My name is Meadow Spring. I'm with the Initiative. We're working on a plan to get you guys out."

"You're with the TRST?" Mythic suddenly shot up, no longer seeming as tired as he had been only seconds ago.

"I am," Meadow confirmed.

"So you're here to save us," Etcher replied, also now seeming to be fully awake. "When are we leaving?"

"I'm sorry, but I dont know," Meadow answered, one that she knew was not good enough. "I'm only here to confirm your location recon this place. We are working on a plan though, so be ready to move in a day or two. We'll get you out as soon as we can, I promise. Please, just hold on a little longer."

"Wait," Mythic said, grabbing Meadow by the leg before letting her go. "This doesn't end with us," he began. "It was never just about us. These mercenaries, what they have, I dont believe it's just about the money for them. They're having us reassemble the crystal fragments. I don't know why, but it can't be for any good reason."

"What do you mean?" Meadow asked. "I thought the crystals were unstable. You can actually put them back together?"

"I'm afraid so," Mythic nodded. "The fragments are highly unstable on their own, but when reassembled, they slowly begin to restabilize. If enough are put back together, it will reach a point that the crystal, even in an incomplete state, will be able to be wielded as a weapon. The power, we are dealing with is insurmountable. It could destroy Equestria if it fell into the wrong hooves."

"So you're making it for them?!" Meadow protested, not even realizing that she had raised her voice in doing so.

"What choice do we have?" Etcher asked. "They demand results or else."

"If we havent accomplished at least something by the time they send someone to come check on us, he's threatened to begin executing us, beginning with the assistants," Mythic said. "I am the Arch-mage. The rest look to me for leadership and hope in this situation. I cannot let them die one by one like that."

Meadow sighed. "I understand," she said. Dammit. These mages were powerless to do anything except the bidding of their enemy. She hated that. Powerlessness was a feeling she was all too familiar with. They needed to end this all as quick as possible.

"There's more going on here than just that," Mythic said, "but we can talk about it once we're on the outside. I need to speak with leadership in Canterlot as soon as possible. In the meantime, I have something for you." He returned to the tables where their work had been taking place, fishing around for several seconds before finally seeming to find what he was looking for and returning. "These crystal fragments are all a part of a whole and are thus magically tethered to one another in some ways. We've been able to use this fact to speed up the search process to some degree." He handed her a small slip of paper. "These are the rough locations of where you might find the next fragments. Even if we are saved, there is the possibility that someone else will put them together. You must cut them off at the source."

"Steal the fragments out from under them," Etcher simplified, "but be careful. Once you do, you'll be a target."

"And another thing," Mythic added. "Do not trust anyone until we are able to get back to Canterlot. We have been betrayed from within."

"I understand," Meadow replied. "We've found some evidence to suggest that someone in the Initiative is feeding these mercenaries information."

"I fear that this betrayal may go deeper than just the Initiative. Somehow these mercenaries were able to get their hooves on fragments from our very labs in Canterlot" Mythic said. "Trust no one with this information. Acquire those fragments and save us if you can."

Meadow nodded. "We'll get you guys out. I promise."

Mythic smiled a hopeful smile, handing Meadow's helmet to her and motioning for her to go. "Go," he said. "Time is short."

"Good luck," Etcher added. "We must return to the others and let them know of this development."

And with that, they parted ways. While Mythic and Etcher turned out the lights and disappeared back into the darkness, Meadow returned to the double door, the windows of which the only light now shown through. Out of one darkness and into another.

When she emerged, the guards at the door did not stop her. Either they did not notice or did not care enough. She supposed she looked a bit less suspicious coming out of somewhere than trying to sneak in. Nothing had really changed since her absence. The cots were still lying there in the middle of the room, the gunsmiths were still working away at their impromptu workshop, and the bar was still lively with activity, though it had died down just a little.

There was one difference that disturbed her though. Striker was absent from his usual spot at the bar and a quick look around revealed him to not be anywhere out in plain sight. Regardless, Meadow kept calm. There was no need to jump to any conclusions, even if it did strike her as odd. Any second now, he would emerge. They had each others backs. She just had to trust him.

"Gentlecolts!" someone exclaimed over the racket of the room, as he jumped up onto an empty shipping container in the center of the floor. The pony in question was strange, not only because he wore a cloak that concealed his identity, but because he was what Meadow would only ever later be able to describe as being "hard to look at."

The way he had jumped up and glided onto the container suggested that he was a pegasus, and Meadow was quite certain that she had seen a pair of wings sprouting from his back, but only a split second later, her eyes were telling her that he was actually a unicorn, and now he was an earth pony. The cycle continued in no given order, but it was all happening so fast and with such intensity that it almost appeared as if he were all three at once while also only being one. It was like staring into three alternate realities at the same time and it made Meadow's head hurt like it had been struck with a hammer. His form was fluid and the colors of his cloak were not contained within its outline. Who... what was this pony?

"If I may have your attention please," the pony continued in a thunderous voice that echoed across the warehouse and attracted everyone to the center of the room, gathering around to witness what this pony had to say.

Meadow did not like where this was going. It was becoming far too crowded for comfort. Where the hell was Striker?

"We have all come here, because we fight for a cause that we know to be righteous," the pony continued. "Currently, our brothers in arms are out scouring this city for the remainder of the crystals that shall bring us all salvation! Soon, all our problems shall be resolved and we will be allowed to return to society, not as debtors, slaves, criminals, or outcasts, but as stallions. As men! Dignified and whole, free of the shackles that have been placed on us all!"

There was a roar of applause. The crowd seemed to be quite happy with what they were hearing, and judging by their expressions they seemed hopeful. A few even seemed to be crying.

"But there is a rat in our midst!" the pony suddenly proclaimed. "A worm in our apple! An agent of the TRST Initiative now walks among us. They would see to it that all our work was undone and that you would be robbed of the very lives you sought to restore!"

Not good. A sense of panic suddenly over took Meadow and she looked around frantically for Striker. He had been caught, she just knew it. They had found him and soon he would be brought before the crowd and executed like a criminal in the streets of the medieval age.

Something different happened instead.

"Seize her," the pony said simply, his eyes, those colorless spheres that pierced through the dark of his hood, leveling their gaze straight at her.

"What?!" Meadow yelped as she suddenly found hooves on her and she was thrust to the ground, quickly being stripped of her weapons and helmet. No. No. No! NO! Her mind raced at a million miles per hour as her eyes shot across the room, desperately searching for some form of help that was not there. Striker, where are you?!

Despite her dire situation, Striker was nowhere to be found. Instead, there was a flash and a bang. And then only darkness.

Author's Note

Sorry for the wait. I wanted to have this one out by the end of last month, but life got in the way and I think I rewrote this chapter at least five times just trying to get it right. Hope you enjoyed reading it.

Chapter 13: Down Under

Sulfur. The air smelled of sulfur. Meadow's vision was hazy and dark and she couldn't hear anything except for the ringing of her own ears. Her face was wet. Why was her face wet? She attempted to bring her hoof up to her muzzle, but couldn't, finding only that it would not obey her commands. She tried the other. It came no problem, making contact with her face and absorbing the liquid that adorned it. Red. Then movement, just a little ways out. It was blurry but it was there. Where was she? What had happened?

A voice reached her ears, muffled by the ringing and some other sounds that resembled gunfire, possibly a grenade or two. Then the world got a little brighter as light hit her face. Warm rays. Whatever had been blocking her vision was slowly removed and she found it was now obstructed by dark moving shapes just out of her reach. She tried to grasp at them with no avail until one of them grabbed her back and stayed there for a moment.

The voice came again.

What?

Again, the voice called something out to her.

I... cant... I cant understand you.

She was suddenly thrust upward onto her own four hooves, her balance not initially coming to her and she was forced to use the blurry shape of a pony for support. That same blur spoke to her again suddenly. "Hang in there," it said.

"Nightfall?" she asked, having recognized the voice that now met her ears. Slowly, yet surely, the world came into focus, but her ears still rang like sirens assaulting her brain. One moment, she had been alone and facing her death, but now the familiar form of Nightfall stood before her, his rifle in hoof as he walked her to where both Bastion and Paper were taking cover from sporadic fire.

"Can you walk?" Bastion asked her suddenly, barely giving Meadow the time to recompose herself.

She answered regardless of the fact that she was not ready. "I think so," she muttered, still leaning against Nightfall's side for support. Her hooves wobbled beneath her and she felt as if they would give out on her at any second. Still she stood, defying her weak limbs and pushing herself to keep going.

"Hey, we're getting too hot over here!" Paper cried, popping up and firing three bursts in rapid succession before ducking back down. "We gotta move, quick!"

"Working on it," Foxtrot replied, sending his own rounds down range at the mercenaries they were currently engaged with, before moving behind their firing line and taking up the position furthest to the right. "Popping smoke. Get ready to move," he said, pulling the pin on a smoke grenade and rolling it out into the open space between them and their enemy.

Round after round came at them and slowly whittled away at their cover, the origin of the fire becoming less and less visible as the smoke filled the room.

"Get her out, now!" Bastion yelled, signaling for Nightfall to make a run for the exit, a hole in the wall with charred edges where Paper had burned straight through with a spell, with Meadow Spring in tow. "Cover!" Bastion continued, spraying fire into the smoke alongside his squad mates as they backed up and out of the building.

Meadow suddenly felt herself removed from the ground altogether and found herself lying across Nightfall's back as he carried her off as quickly as he could manage, electing to drop his rifle and leave the extra weight behind.

Suddenly, another explosion rocked the already exploded building, a shipping container jumping from the ground seemingly by its own strength, the sound of twisting metal screeching as the top separated from the rest of itself and slammed down hard on the blackened ground below.

"Hit the deck!" Paper cried, diving to the ground and just narrowly avoiding being hit with the shipping container, which crashed to the ground, tumbling several times before coming to rest in front of their exit, cutting them off from the outside.

"Right, right, right!" Bastion yelled, directing the group to move to the next suitable piece of cover as more fire was thrown in their direction from beyond the smoke.

Settling down behind the rubble, the dust of the torn apart concrete still fresh in the air with hot rebar exposed at awkward angles, Foxtrot fired several rounds into the smoke, dropping each silhouette that appeared within as quickly as he could. Just out in front of them, a grenade exploded in mid air, showering them with more hot dust and dirt.

"We're cornered here!" Bastion declared, pointing out the fact that they now had nowhere left to go. Just as he did, several short bursts ripped through the rubble, more dirt flying up. "Spread out!"

Foxtrot and Nightfall both made a run for it, diving into cover further down and attempting to spread out their line to prevent themselves from getting surrounded by the bodies that were quickly becoming visible through the smoke. Several long, adrenaline filled minutes passed, flooded with the noise and rhythms of the firefight. A grenade here, a spell there, and sporadic gunfire throughout.

Suddenly, the gunfire stopped, and the team was left only with the silence of the now still battlefield.

"Do they think we're dead?" Paper whispered, his head pressed down on the rubble pile, the only thing currently between him and certain death. He didn't dare attempt to sneak a peak.

Another shipping container suddenly launched itself. This one flew through the air much like the one before, with the exception of a magical aura that engulfed one end, hurling it through the air before dead dropping it onto the heads of the rangers below. CLANK!!! The sound of the container hitting the ground echoed through the building and above the gunfire that now started up again, kicking up dust, before falling sideways and echoing once more.

Foxtrot barely managed to avoid being squashed before looking up and seeing another container already on its way. Then another came, and another right after.

CLANG!!! CLASH!!! BOOM!!!

One by one, the shipping containers rained down from the sky, sending the rangers scurrying in a frenzied panic, diving out of the way the best they could while avoiding the hail of bullets also coming their way. Nightfall barely managed to get to his hooves as the third container came crashing down.

And then silence came once again. This time it remained for much longer. Not even the sound of hooves on concrete could be heard and at that moment, everyone, both the rangers and the mercenaries, were all aware of the fact that nobody was going to attempt to move anytime soon.

"Nightfall," a voice suddenly called out from the other end of the room, just beyond the haze of gun smoke and dust that now sat in the air like a thick fog. "I know it's you out there," the voice continued. "Tell your soldiers to lay down their weapons and come out so we can resolve this peacefully."

Nightfall, his back now pressed firmly into cover, looked to his right. Foxtrot just barely peered out across the way, while Paper looked at him, intently awaiting some kind of order. Bastion just shook his head. To his left, Meadow was lying on the ground with her eyes closed, somewhere between unconsciousness and uneasy awareness. Her expression was contorted into one of sickness as she held her abdomen in pain.

"No, I think we're good where we are," Nightfall called back to the voice that now seemed oddly familiar to him. "Why don't you send one of your guys up to us? Nice and slow like, yeah?"

"I'm not trying to negotiate with you," the voice called back immediately, not seeming to have needed any time to think things over. "I'm giving you one chance to save yourselves. If you refuse, I cant do anything to help you. Surrender now or else."

A thousand thoughts went through Nightfall's head. Surrender? No, never. After all the messed up things they had seen in the last day alone, the thought never even crossed his mind. He'd take a chance at survival, of winning, no matter how slim it may have been, over a bullet in the back of the head any day. He was going to fight and if his words alone weren't enough to make that clear, then the grenade he was cooking would have to be.

With that single explosion, the firefight was back on, led flying back and forth and the temperature gauges on their displays ticking upward a few degrees, before suddenly plummeting to zero as the familiar and chilling howl of the windigos met their ears, causing a break in the action as everyone suddenly became distracted by the spectral creatures that flooded in.

They came through the roof, the twisted and torn metal doing nothing to impede their progress as they flew in, the initial explosion having given them unrestricted access to the building. The gunfire was shifted upwards as one by one the windigos came in, freezing who they could as they whipped up a storm inside. The wind picked up and every surface, even the still hot brass casings that littered the ground, began to accumulate a thick layer of ice.

"Back, back, back!" Bastion shouted, firing several flares into the air as he backpedaled to the wall, further away from the chaos that was building.

Nightfall grabbed hold of Meadow, only to realize there was no exit for them, but stacked up with the rest of his team regardless. They were stuck. The only way out was still through the mercenaries and the windigos now only made the situation more difficult. More flares were popped off into the air, a few of them striking their targets and causing the creatures to burst in a shower of sparks and yet they still continued to flood in through the roof until the indoor whirlwind had, in mere seconds, grown to a full blown blizzard, blocking everything from sight other than the pure white of the snow.

Nowhere to go. There was nowhere for them to go and in a final move of desperation, they ran as fast as their hooves could take them into the nearest shipping container and shutting the door behind them, now fully enveloped in darkness.

A spark came next and then a blinding light as a beam shot forward from Paper Cut's horn, melting the two doors together at the middle. "That should keep them from getting insides," he said as the bright orange metal cooled. "At least for a little while."

Outside, they could still here the sporadic gunfire and the howls. It lasted for what seemed like hours, each member of the party not saying a word as they just simply listened in the pitch black darkness. They didnt dare speak, not even allowing a whisper to escape, lest they attract the attention of the windigos that still lingered outside, even after the noise dyed down, and they were left only with the sound of their own breathing.

But the silence could not last forever, eventually, someone did say something. Foxtrot was the culprit. "Well, now what?" he asked in a hushed tone.

"I dont know," Nightfall said simply, a great cloud that only he could see escaping his mouth, having elected to remove his helmet and place it on Meadow Springs exposed head. She was out cold it seemed, but alive, and right now, that's all that mattered to him.

Nightfall sat impatiently on the third floor up from the snow of the building that he and Bastion currently occupied. He nervously looked through a small set of binoculars that he trained solely on the target building that he had just sent the best friend he ever had into. His body trembled slightly as adrenaline pumped its way through his system.

"It's not easy, is it?" Bastion asked from the next window over, sitting on the ground just below what was left of the sill. "I cant imagine how I would feel if it was Scarlett in there."

"Yeah," Nightfall said simply, before sighing and taking the binoculars from his eyes. "It's not easy at all, but... well, I trust her. Doesn't mean I'm not nervous about it all or that I dont hate the idea entirely, but..." He didnt finish. If anything, the silence said more than he ever could.

"Well, hey, trust is good," Bastion replied. "She's gonna do fine in there. Then, when she comes back and all this is finally over with, you're gonna marry her. That much I know for certain."

"Assuming we survive this," Nightfall said, somewhat darkly, not taking his eyes off the building in the distance.

"We will," Bastion assured him. "We have to. You and Meadow got a wedding coming up and I'm gonna be a dad. Paper's gonna write one hell of an article about all this and Foxtrot's gonna... well, he's gonna do whatever it is he does. You get what I'm saying. Dont ever feel like you're alone in this. We got your back just like always."

Nightfall sighed, looking away from the building for the first time since they had taken up their position. "Thanks," he said.

"Of course," Bastion replied.

They had only allowed their eyes to drift away for a single second, but in that single second, all hell had broken loose. The explosion sent ripples across the ground, kicking up snow and creating a cloud that extended up into the sky as large sections of the roof shot off into the sky, before plummeting back down and hitting the ice with loud thuds that could be heard for miles onward.

At that moment, the coldest of chills had run down Nightfall's spine, shaking him to his very core, more than anything ever had before. He wanted to yell. He wanted to cry out in agony, but his throat ran dry and coarse, his vocal cords seizing up as all color drained from his face. The world was ending. That was the only explanation. And until the moment that he was able to pull Meadow from the rubble and see for himself that she was still alive, something inside him had died and remained that way. Nothing else mattered.

That was how it had gone down. A dead sprint to the building. A hole burned through the side. And then a room erupting in the sounds of a full on firefight. Now they found themselves alone once more. Surrounded by darkness between a rock and a hard place.

"Well, now what?" Foxtrot asked in a hushed tone, not entirely certain about anything at this point.

"I dont know," Nightfall answered, covering his ears with a hat and wrapping a scarf around his neck. With the presence of the windigos just outside the doors, the inside of the container was absolutely freezing, though frostbite was the least of his concerns at the moment.

"Grace should still be on the outside," Bastion pointed out. "Maybe try and raise her?"

"Worth a shot," Nightfall said, pulling out his external radio, given he no longer had his helmet. "Alright, breaking radio silence," he said, before pressing the talk button on the radio. "Grace, this is Nightfall. You reading me?" There was no reply and the radio remained silent. "Grace. It's Nightfall," he tried again. "You out there."

"I'm here," Grace's voice suddenly sounded as the radio buzzed to life. "Holy shit. Are you guys alright? What the hell happened?"

"We're still trying to figure that part out," Nightfall answered. "You still got eyes on the building?"

"Affirmative," Grace answered, not sounding too confident, "but, uh, you guys might want to get out of there. The place just turned into freaking windigo nest. Is Striker there?"

In the light provided by Paper's horn, everyone just looked at each other. It was the first break they had gotten since bullets started flying and just now were they getting the chance to realize that Striker was not among them. Where he was was anyone's guess, but given the circumstances, it didnt look good.

Nightfall hesitated, but answered. "Negative," he said. "We managed to hole up in a shipping container, but he's not with us."

The radio was silent again for a few seconds, before Grace finally responded. "I'm coming to you."

"Negative. Negative," Nightfall responded. "Dont come to us. You'll just draw attention."

Again, Grace grew quiet. There was no response and for a moment Nightfall feared that she was already on her way. "He's my best friend," she suddenly said.

"I... I understand," Nightfall replied. "But listen, I need you to stay on overwatch. Those mercenaries are bound to come back for us. You're the only means of warning we have if that happens. We need you to do this, Grace." There was no reply, though he could swear that he could hear some kind of activity on the other end. "Look, once the windigos disperse, we'll be able to get out of this container, and then I promise we'll look for him. Okay?"

"Okay," Grace finally answered. Her voice sounded strained, as if she had a bad case of strep. "I... uh, I didnt see any mercenaries run out of the building after the shit hit the fan, so they probably escaped back into those tunnels you mentioned. I'll... um..." She sniffed, coughing a few times before continuing. "I'll see what I can do."

"Thank you," Nightfall said. And with that, the call was over. He pressed his back into the nearest wall and slid down onto his rear, letting the radio fall to the ground as he did. "Goddammit," he muttered, his head falling into his hooves. Why? Why did good ponies have to die like this? He was so tired of death.

"She didnt sound too good," Bastion noted, taking a seat next to Nightfall, who had repositioned so that Meadow was now resting on him, still somewhere between wakefulness and unconsciousness.

"It's out of our hooves now," Nightfall said, leaning his head back on the wall behind him and closing his eyes. "All we can do now is wait and hope that she gets to us before those mercenaries do."

"Assuming they do decide to come back," Bastion pointed out. "For all they know, we could be frozen in windigo ice right now."

"Speaking of whom," Foxtrot began, not having taken his eyes off the door since they sealed themselves inside, "who was that guy we were talking to? He sounded familiar somehow."

"Probably our traitor," Nightfall said with a sigh. "It doesn't seem too far fetched to think that we've heard his voice somewhere before, probably around base somewhere."

"He kinda spoke like he was in charge of things," Paper Cut pointed out, now dutifully scribbling away in his journal by the light of his horn, the only source of light that they currently had. "You think maybe he's running this whole show?"

"It's possible," Nightfall said. "Now that you mention it, it does seem like these guys have been acting on orders from someone in the Initiative rather than someone just feeding them information."

"So what does that say about what we saw back at the coliseum?" Paper asked. "Red Fern said someone took over and that anyone who objected was executed. We saw the bodies; we know he was telling the truth."

Nightfall sighed. "I dont even know at this point." He looked down at Meadow. Through her visor, he could now see that her eyes were open and she was breathing steadily. "I just want to take these guys down and go home."

Meadow sat up as the room went quiet and everyone just thought for a little. She removed the helmet that she now found on her head, placing it on the ground as the cold reached her face, the chill sending a rush through her system that woke her from her tiredness.

"You alright?" Nightfall asked, looking at her with great interest.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Meadow answered in her own hushed voice, fully aware of the windigos present just outside the walls. She rubbed her temples. "I'm probably going to have this head ache for a while." She looked down at her wrist display, only to realize that she was not in her Initiative issued snowsuit. "How long was I out?"

"About an hour and a half," Nightfall answered.

"So... not too long then..." Meadow muttered. She was hurting, not just in her head. The headache would pass. Rather, her heart hurt. She almost died. Then her friends and family had to come save her, putting themselves at risk. She would have never forgiven herself if something had happened to one of them. Slowly, she found herself leaning forward, wrapping her hooves around Nightfall and bringing him into a hug, which he was quick to return. Her hoof then stretched out further, bringing Bastion over into the hug, which grew as Paper joined in as well.

Foxtrot just rolled his eyes and kept watch at the door.

Suddenly, they were all knocked off balance as the entire room moved, the shipping container they were in suddenly leaving the ground as the temperature fell again. Then it moved again and gravity shifted, causing them to all tumble down to the far end of the container.

"Oh shit!" Foxtrot cried, trying to grab hold of his rifle that hung loosely from a sling on his chest, only for it to whip back and smack him in the face as gravity shifted once more.

"Grace, you read me?!" Nightfall cried over the coms as he managed to set his helmet back on his head, before tumbling backwards as the container left the ground and tumbled haphazard through the air.

"Oh my god!" Grace could be heard over the radio. "The windigos just lifted a shipping container out of the roof! Is that you guys!?!"

"Yep," Bastion answered as he managed to find his balance, only to slide forward with the rest of his comrades as gravity changed directions once more. "It's us! Oof!" The wind was knocked from his lungs as Foxtrot collided with him.

"Hang on! I'm on my way!"

"Take your time. We're having all the fun in the world," Paper joked, only to find a pair of hooves in his face as he was thrown to the bottom of the pile.

The container stopped suddenly and the world shook with a loud resounding crash, casting each of them down to the hard surface of the floor that had been the ceiling only moments earlier. They made to stand up, only to find themselves in the air once more, coming down again to whatever was below them at full force. This repeated several times, the container holding fast against whatever it was being thrown into, until finally a small bit of light began to shine through the doors and the sound of something cracking and breaking met their ears.

They were cast into the air once more, but upon coming down that final time, they did not meet a hard surface.

"Guys!?!" the voice of a panicked Grace shouted over the radio as water began to leak into the container.

"What the hell?!" Paper cried as more and more bone chilling water began to flood in at an alarming rate. "Oh my god! We were right next to the ocean! They dumbed us in the freaking ocean!"

"No, no, no!" Bastion yelled back, as he scrambled around in a panic. "The ice should be at least a few meters thick! There's no way they should have been able to get through it!"

"Tell that to them!" Foxtrot cried, rushing to the doors and attempting to push them open against the massive pressure of the water that was now spewing in, having risen past their knees and nearly to their chests.

Nightfall, Bastion, and Meadow all joined Foxtrot at the door, pushing with all their might as the water continued to rise. It was no good though. Despite the damage, the doors were still welded shut. Their little safe haven had turned into a steel trap, a watery sarcophagus that would be their grave. Still, they pressed on. Second by second, they could feel the cold sapping the energy from their bodies, chilling them down to their bones as the lights on their helmets flashed red, warning them that temperatures had passed what their suits were able to handle.

Then the water made it above their heads, carrying their hooves from the floor as the container filled up, dragging them all deeper and deeper into the darkened depths of the ocean. In a single move of desperation, Paper's horn sparked to life, a blinding light jumping from it to the weld on the door as he attempted to cut through, a storm of bubbles shooting out in all directions. Grace's voice still hollered over the coms, but no one was able to answer.

Each member got one last breath in and then the water filled the container entirely. Their lungs burned and their bodies felt as if they would fade away at any moment, the darkness tugging at the edges of their vision as their systems cried out for air. One by one, their lips parted, no longer being able to hold their breaths. The last thing that any of them saw before the world went black, was the light of Paper's horn going out and his body floating down further into the depths below.

Suddenly, a breath came as Nightfall inhaled loudly, his lungs crying in sweet relief as they were filled with the precious air. This was only followed by a violent fit of coughs and the bitter taste of salt water. Waterproof, my ass, he thought as he threw his helmet from his head, water spilling from it as the lower jaw plate was unhooked.

He was so cold that his tongue had gone numb and his body shook uncontrollably. Where was he? What had happened after the world went black? Where were the others? For only a moment, the pure feeling of panic that rushed through his body was able to stave off the cold, a desperate fire flowing through his veins as he realized that he was alone. Then the cold returned.

Was he dead? Is this what happened when someone died? This was purgatory and it was dark. Below him, the dry cobblestone floor was quickly being covered in a puddle of sea water that dripped from his body. All around him was darkness. It was unlike any other he had ever experienced before though. Try as he might, he could not see through it, even with his thestral eyes. Instead, he was left only with the black of a seemingly infinite void.

"M-Meadow!" he called out into the black, his breath producing a great deal of white fog. "B-Bastion!" His voice returned to him, the words echoing on and on... and on, as if there was no end to the chamber he found himself in. He opened his mouth to call out yet another name, but felt his voice die in his throat. He rubbed his hooves against his shoulders, so cold that he could barely steady himself. Adrenaline. Righteous fury. They were absent as he sat there in the dark. Only fear remained. Fear and the chill of the air that shook him to his very core.

Suddenly, a new voice was present. "Warm yourself." With those words, a fire was sparked in front of the lone thestral, though it did little to tear away the darkness, the void remaining despite the new illumination within it.

As if on instinct, Nightfall scurried forward as fast as he could manage, throwing himself before the fire in an attempt to warm up and get dry. Piece by piece, his weapons and armor were dropped to the floor, the fire providing just enough heat to keep him alive. "Where am I?"

"Below," the deep voice answered.

"Below where?"

"Everything." The mysterious voice began. It must have sensed Nightfall's terror and confusion, because it continued with a single reassurance. "You are not dead yet."

A small feeling of relief rose in Nightfall's body, but it was short lived. He looked around the void for a moment. Other than the voice, he was still alone. "Where is my team?" he ask cautiously, not too sure he was going to like the answer.

"Here," the voice replied. "Alive and well."

The darkness around Nightfall was like a wall, preventing him from seeing anything beyond it, but suddenly that wall expanded outward and the world became just a little bit bigger. All in a row, sat his team. Meadow and Paper to his left; Foxtrot and Bastion to his right, each only being a few feet from each other. They were all in various states of undress, each attempting to get warm at their own personal fires. The flames suddenly converged on each other forming a single bonfire in the center and drawing each of the pony's' attention to each other.

"Nightfall!" Meadow cried, sprinting forward from her place. She was quick to rap the thestral in a tight hug, which he returned without any hesitation, stroking her back as he just held her. Then she threw up all over the ground behind him, the effects of the earlier shockwave still lingering as her body went limp and her full weight collapsed over him. "Worst day of my life," she muttered.

Nightfall didnt say anything, instead remaining silent as he simply held her. She's alive. It's okay. She's alive and she's okay. She's alive. His mind raced, completely dominated by the fear of losing her. His grip on her tightened.

"What the hell is going on?" Foxtrot asked, not entirely sure who he was talking.

"You have been saved," the voice stated simply.

"I see that," Foxtrot replied. "Why, though? What do you want?"

"You are wise to ask such things," the voice returned, this time sounding more grounded, as if it came from a single source in the dark rather than booming from all around. "You have a very important role to play and have been chosen for that very purpose."

"I dont think I like where this is going," Paper whispered over to Bastion who only replied with an affirming hum.

"That's pretty vague," Nightfall suddenly said, still sitting in his spot with Meadow now sitting at his side with her hoof held firmly in his, looking only marginally better than she had moments earlier. "Before we go making deals, why dont you tell us who you are first. I dont much like the idea of bargaining with shadows."

On cue, a single pony stepped forward out of the void, his ashen gray coat and dark black mane becoming visible only inch by inch as he approached. His eyes were a pale gray and yet the seemed so full of determination and resolve. "Very well," the unicorn began. "In my time I was a great king, but since then I have gone by many names. The one you are undoubtedly aware of, is Warden."

The room grew still and deathly quiet as the group simply sat and stared at the pony before them. Warden was indeed a name they were aware of, one they had been warned against dealing with, though it would have been adequate to say that they now had many doubts about the truth of what they had been told.

"Warden," Nightfall repeated, thinking the name over. "We were told not to trust you."

"I'm aware that you were told many things," Warden replied, casually pacing as he spoke. "I'm also aware that you have been betrayed from within. Senior Mage Stone Etcher caused quite a stir amongst the mercenaries when he decided to stage his little coup, but his betrayal is not what brought your order to ruin."

"You mean the Initiative?" Nightfall inquired. "What do you mean?"

"The mercenaries in this city are not a result of Etcher's own plotting," Warden explained. "Not directly at least. He simply repurposed them, using them for his own gains."

"Wait! Etcher?!" Paper interjected. "You mean the guy from the MSAD who briefed us on this mission, is the one who's running the whole show? That Etcher? No way."

"It kind of makes sense," Foxtrot said. "After the MSAD was kidnapped, he would've had free reign to do whatever he wanted. My question is why."

"And how do you know all this?" Nightfall added.

"It is all very simple," Warden answered. "I have simply been watching for a very long time. As to his motivations, I havent the slightest idea. Not even I can see beyond my own eyes. Who is ultimately responsible though, or even why it was done, is of little consequence. Stopping him is the only thing that matters now."

"I see," Nightfall said. "You sure picked a hell of a way of leading us to you."

"I do apologize for any distress that I may have caused you in bringing you here. Perhaps manipulation of the windigos was not the best of methods, but the situation has become quite dire and I am in need of ponies that I can trust to act on my behalf."

"Now hold on one second here," Nightfall interrupted. "We dont even know if we can trust you, let alone who you are. I'd say you have some explaining to do before we agree to anything."

Warden simply sighed the way a normal pony would, despite the fact that it had become quite clear to them that this was no ordinary unicorn that they were dealing with. "Time is of the essence, but I suppose an explanation is in order. Do you know why it is that I have been given this name, Warden?" It was a simple question, but not one that anyone of them could give an answer to. When there was no response, he continued. "It is more than just a name. It is a title. You see, I am the Warden. Warden of this city. No creature that enters here, windigo or otherwise, has ever been allowed to leave. Ponies enjoy safe passage, but all others are my prisoners. It is a pact forged in blood upon the ice, a pact that Etcher has defiled with his treacherous actions. Despite what those mages may have been fooled into believing, I am not Equestria's enemy. That role belongs solely to Etcher and his minions."

"A pact?" Nightfall questioned, unsure of exactly what Warden was referring to. "What kind of pact?"

"It was an arrangement struck many hundreds of years ago, you understand," Warden explained. "Your old government, before the reforms of the last century sought a solution to the windigo question. One of only a few means that were ever enacted was me. I would remain here, ensnaring whatever wondered into my frozen concrete kingdom."

"And in return?" Nightfall asked.

"I got them," Warden answered. "The windigos, the ice wolves, and the dark creatures that your kind calls wraiths, they are all mine to do as I please with. Equestria shaves down the population of potential threats and I get my toys. Though it may seem strange to those who are not as adept at the old magics as I am, I have always found it to be an honorable position. But that mage, that serpent tongue and his coconspirators within the Equestrian government have smeared my name in an attempt to keep me from being of assistance to you. It would seem that the ones who played a part in my undoing are among the few who even know of my existence."

"Oh my god," Nightfall muttered, not quite able to believe what he was hearing. He was right. In his desperate, panicked, and quite frankly rushed attempts to understand what was happening around him, he had figured it out and now it was being confirmed. "I was right," he said. "This all goes deeper than Etcher."

"Indeed it does," Warden answered. "The plan that is currently unraveling was put into effect long before your arrival in this city."

"So then," Nightfall asked. "What is it that you want us to do?"

"By now I am sure you are aware that Etcher and his mercenaries are working towards some ends, but it is not the alicorns that they are after, nor would they be able to get to them even if they tried. I can assure you, that the dear princess of the night is safe and sound at this moment."

"Princess Luna?" Paper said, a bit of excitement rising in his voice. "Where is she? With you?"

"I see you are excited," Warden said, not being able to smile himself. "The elation that I felt upon her discovery, I confess, very much mirrored your own. As much as I wish it was though, I'm afraid now is not a good time to attempt to rescue her, not until the task at hoof has been dealt with."

"May we see her?" Meadow asked humbly, wanting nothing more than to see the alicorn in question. A real live alicorn. Ever since learning of Celestia, it was something that she had secretly had a burning desire to witness. Before the question was even fully out though, the room almost seemed to shift somehow, a sudden feeling of slight motion coming to her body and out of nowhere Princess Luna was standing before them, tall, beautiful, and made of stone, a detail that confused her to no end.

The Warden looked sad as he began to explain. "She was rather frightened when I discovered her wandering aimlessly through the wastes. She did not understand a great many things. After explaining her situation, we concluded it would be best for her to go back into stone, seeing as I lack the means to provide for her needs, until such a time that she could be recovered."

Nightfall eyed Luna curiously. She was much like her sister. She was tall with a slender frame, though perhaps just a bit shorter than her counterpart. Unlike her sister, her pose was different. Celestia had looked like she was shielding herself, but Luna simply sat in place, her eyes closed as if she had accepted her stony fate.

"I suppose we have some work to do then?" Nightfall said, knowing how this likely would work.

"Yes," Warden answered. "What I need from you, are the crystal fragments that both your Initiative and Etcher so desperately desire. Your Initiative is corrupted to its very core and Etcher's own plans are likely no better. And so, they are forfeit. I shall take them and lock them away where that power will never be allowed to be abused. I shall fulfill my role as warden of this city and in return, I shall give Luna to you, but only once her safe passage out of this city is assured."

"You said you could manipulate the windigos. That's how you got us here, right?" Paper spoke up. "Cant you use them or do something to help us?"

"I'm afraid my control over the hoards is quite limited and I have even less power outside this city," Warden responded. "But," he continued in a tone that had grown substantially more optimistic. "There is one thing I can do for you though. I shall grant you my mark. While within the bounds of this city, you shall walk these streets as lions among sheep. No creature of the ice will dare bring harm to you. This I promise you."

"Will it... hurt?" Paper asked hesitantly. The idea sounded awesome, but these kinds of things always had some tradeoff.

"No," Warden answered simply. "I doubt you will even feel a thing."

"Hell yeah!" Paper exclaimed. "Let's do this!"

"We have a deal then, I presume?"

Nightfall looked around to his squad mates. They all just stood around, looking at him and waiting for him to make the call. Of course, the decision did fall on him. Didnt it? He was the leader. All that pressure, all that responsibility now found its way onto his shoulders. He suddenly felt a hoof on his shoulder.

"Hey, we got this," Bastion reassured, seeing how heavily this all weighed on his thestral companion.

"We're behind you," Foxtrot echoed the sentiments.

Both Paper and Meadow also seemed to be on board.

Nightfall sighed. "I guess we have a deal, Warden."

"Very good," Warden said. "Upon the completion of your task, return to the ice plains. I shall meet you personally to make the exchange."

"Just... dont try to drown us this time, okay?" Paper joked.

This comment coaxed a smile from Warden, he chuckled a bit at the idea. "I will be sure to keep that in mind. Good luck, rangers. For Equestria's sake, I do pray that you are successful."

"So, what now?" Nightfall asked, noticing that they were still very much surrounded by a black void, presumably at the bottom of the ocean or underground somewhere.

"Now," Warden said simply. "It is time for you to rise."

Warden suddenly disappeared and the world seemed to fall away all at once, the sound of air rushing past them as they felt their bodies hurdled upwards. Every color imaginable met their eyes and their brains felt as if they would melt as they struggled to make sense of what they were seeing. The experience was over in a millisecond though and with an audible popping sound, they found themselves back in the snow, their once soaked gear now dry and back on their bodies, with all their weapons intact.

They were back in the city. A quick look around was enough to tell them that, and by the looks of it, they were right in the center, surrounded by the dead skyscrapers and howling of the wind.

Nightfall brought himself to his hooves, having landed face first in the snow. He removed his helmet and rubbed at his eyes. "Oh god. I dont think I'd ever be able to get used to that."

Author's Note

I've had that little scene with Warden written up and mostly ready to go ever since like chapter 6. It feels really good to finally get to that part. It required quite a bit of adjusting, but I'm very happy with how it turned out. I've got a few other scenes like this that are pretty much done. I just have to get to that point in the story. There will probably be a double post after a few more chapters.

Chapter 14: A New Direction

Snow. Nightfall never thought he'd be so happy to see it again, having been literally dropped into it after their talk with the mysterious figure calling himself Warden. The sound of his hooves echoing across the cobblestone floor and water dripping from his coat had been replaced with that cold familiar sound of the wind whipping through the streets and the crunch of the snow below him. Somehow, there was comfort in that familiarity.

He clambered to his hooves, looking out across the barren streets and into those ghastly eye socket windows that surrounded them once again, staring them down and letting them know that they were indeed back in the dead city. Behind him, his team found their ways to their own hooves, having landed not quite right and finding themselves stuck in the snow at awkward angles.

"So, now what?" Foxtrot was the first to ask after pulling his head out of the snow, a question that currently pressed on all their minds.

Nightfall gave a defeated sigh. Everything was so far out of control at this point. Just when they thought they had a plan, it all got turned on its head. "I guess we hold up our end of the deal."

"Now hold on a second," Foxtrot started, jumping through the snow out in front of the thestral, keeping him from going anywhere. "What makes you think we can trust this Warden guy? You're not seriously going to let us get used like pawns! Are you?"

"I don't know," Nightfall mumbled as he pushed his way past Foxtrot. "I don't..."

"Excuse me?!"

"I said I dont know, Foxtrot!" Nightfall practically shouted back. "I have no clue what to do at this point. What choice do we even have? Right now, we're still outnumbered and outgunned! It's only dumb luck that we didn't all get killed in that last firefight."

"Which is why we need to go on the attack," Foxtrot argued. "We're hurting right now, I know, but so are they. If we just let those mercs slip away, they're going to regroup and build their strength back up. We're a small group, but we're all together. They're scattered. We have an advantage. If we dont capitalize on it now, they're going to come for us and then everyone back at base is going to be put in danger."

"How many fights do you plan on getting into?" Bastion asked.

"What?"

"How many fights do you plan on getting into?" Bastion repeated. "Cause Nightfall's right about it being dumb luck. How many firefights do you think we can last before one of us catches a bullet? Hell, who's to say we wont all catch one in the next round?"

"This is war," Foxtrot replied simply. "We're just gonna have to keep taking risks."

"No. We're not soldiers," Nightfall countered. "Neither are you."

"Then what are we even doing out here?" Foxtrot asked. "Seriously. Why come out here chasing leads? Why plan on going after these mercenaries if we weren't prepared to take them head on, only to run away with our tails tucked between our legs at the first sign of trouble?"

"It's suicide!" Nightfall shouted angrily.

"So is waiting around," Foxtrot said. "The longer we wait, the stronger they get. We've got too many wounded to let them attack us again."

"I'm not putting my team in danger again, Foxtrot. Best thing we can do is get back to base, rearm, and figure out a plan, preferably one that doesn't put us in more unnecessary shootouts."

"Right, because that worked so well last time. Didn't it?" Foxtrot said, his tone dripping with sarcasm. He cast a sideways glance in Meadow's direction, who had been quietly listening beside Paper as he furiously scribbled down notes and shuffled through his files. "As a matter of fact," Foxtrot continued, "it worked so well, Meadow here blew up the entire goddamned building and got a spook agent killed. Real nice work there, by the way."

"Hey, I had absolutely no control of that situation!" Meadow shot back, not liking how she was suddenly being dragged into the less than civil discourse.

"My point exactly," Foxtrot replied cockily.

"Enough," Nightfall said. "We're out in the open here. We need to get moving."

"I couldn't agree more," Foxtrot said. "But I'm not going that way," he continued, pointing a hoof down the street in the direction that Nightfall was about to go. "I'm not gonna let us waste this opportunity."

"He actually has a point," Paper spoke up. "I've been going through my notes here of everything that's happened, and I dont think it would be such a bad idea to maybe have someone here in the city to try and keep those mercenaries off balance for a little while. Striker and Grace said that they had a guy up north that they were going to try and get in contact with. If one of us can link up with Grace and this other guy, we might be able to buy some time until we get something figured out."

Everyone went silent, looking to the unicorn who suddenly seemed to retreat into himself as he was given the attention.

Nightfall sighed. "Fine," he finally said. "If you want to try and find Grace, you have my permission, but understand that if you do this and cant find her, you'll be on your own and what you do next will be your decision to make and we wont be there to back you up if you stir up trouble."

"I'm aware of the risk," Foxtrot assured. "You dont need to tell me twice. I can handle it. Dont worry."

"Just try to work with them when you find them," Nightfall said, sounding a bit irritated. "I'm trusting you to do the right thing here. You'll end up being our connection between the Initiative and the IGS, so dont screw things up with them."

"It'll be fine," Foxtrot complained. "You're starting to nag like an overbearing parent." He adjusted his gear and checked the breach on his rifle. "I'll stir up some hell for those mercs and then see you in a few." Before he could go though, Nightfall stopped him one more time.

"Foxtrot," the thestral called after the pegasus had already begun walking. "One more thing. I have every intention on getting everyone out alive. So dont die. Or else I'm gonna be really pissed off."

Though Foxtrot tried to hide it, a faint smile found its way to his expression. With that and a simple nod, Foxtrot was off, quickly hopping through the snow and into a neighboring building where he disappeared into the dark.

"Well, there he goes," Bastion said when Foxtrot finally made it out of sight.

"You dont sound too confident," Meadow pointed out, noticing the worried look in Bastion's eyes that she could just see through his visor.

"It's not that I disagree," Bastion began. "This is definitely for the best. Somebody needs to let Grace know that we're still alive and there's no doubt in my mind that keeping the enemy off balance while we regroup is tactically advantageous."

"But?" Nightfall asked, sensing that there was something else.

"But..." Bastion continued. "I dont think I like the idea of us splitting up like this. I dont know. I cant help but feel like it's foreshadowing something. It just seems to me like that's the point when everything goes wrong."

"You say that like things havent already gone to hell in a hoofbasket," Nightfall said. "Though, I suppose our dwindling numbers does make me feel a bit uneasy now that you mention it." He entertained the thought no longer, wanting nothing more than to move on and figure out their next course of action.

"Speaking of foreshadowing," Meadow began as the group started their trek back to home base. "The mages told me some interesting things about the crystals when I spoke to them."

"You mean, you actually found them?" Paper questioned, doing his best to write this new information down in his record the best he could as he walked. "What'd they say?"

"They were afraid," Meadow explained. "Apparently, they think that whoever is in charge, wants to use the crystals as a weapon, by reassembling the fragments. According to the Archmage, they restabilize when they're put back together."

"That sounds really bad," Paper noted. "Assuming they dont blow themselves up, they could really do some damage with power like that. Remember what they said about the guy who got vaporized?"

Nightfall rolled his eyes. "Nobody got vaporized," he said as he stopped and checked around the corner when they reached an intersection. He motioned for the rest to follow and remained silent until they had managed to climb through a window. "They only told us that so we wouldn't try to mess with the crystals," he finally finished.

"Either way, I'd prefer not to take any chances," Paper countered.

"Whatever the case may be, it explains why the MSAD was taken in the first place," Bastion said. "If they're goal is to find and recreate the original focusing gem, then they'd certainly need some kind of expert help. It does beg the question though. How did they know to start in this city?"

"I imagine that would be Etcher's doing, assuming that the Warden was telling the truth about him being our traitor," Nightfall said.

"You still dont entirely trust him, do you?" Meadow asked.

"I dont know what to believe at this point," Nightfall said with a sigh. "When we get back, I'm taking a shower before I do anything else." He thought for a moment before turning back to Meadow. "Did you happen to run into Etcher while you were inside?"

Meadow nodded. "I did," she said, before going silent as the reached the other end of the building they were in. One by one, they hopped down from the window to the snow covered streets below, quickly crossing and getting into the next building across the street before carrying on with their conversation. Meadow took a second to catch her breath from the short run before continuing. "Nothing really seemed strange about him though," she noted. "He told me everything I wanted to know. He did say that the mercenaries had somehow gotten their hooves on the crystals directly from the Initiative labs in Canterlot."

"That's not alarming at all," Paper muttered, his eyes wide as he wrote down the new piece of information.

"Based on what you saw, would you say it's still possible that he's innocent?" Nightfall asked.

"I'm not sure," Meadow answered, still thinking over what she wanted to say. They reached the far end of another building and crossed yet another street before she continued, breaking the silence once again. "He looked about as tired as the Archmage did when I talked to them. It is possible that the Warden is just wrong, I suppose."

"According to the MSAD, Luna was the one who told Celestia not to trust Warden," Paper pointed out. "Dream-walking and all that. Does that prove that the Warden is lying?"

"Not necessarily," Bastion answered. "I doubt they got the information directly from the Celestia herself. It would have had to have gone down a chain of command before reaching their ears. It's possible that they're being deceived just as much as we are, especially if our mole is within their ranks."

"I can say for certain that the mole is," Meadow suddenly said, sounding rather confident with her statement.

"What makes you say that?" Paper asked. They all stopped to listen, the group now being hunkered down near a darkened stairwell.

"It was right after I talked to the mages," Meadow began to explain, finding herself a spot on a step as she told her tale. She told them everything, from the moment they had entered to the very moment that she found herself being pulled from the rubble and into the firefight. She told them about their interactions at the bar and the close call she had had with the one particular mercenary. She went over her entire conversation with the mages and how she had been caught immediately afterwards. Striker had gone missing and the mercenaries seemed rather hopeful while listening to the speech.

"What do you mean by "hard to look at?"", Nightfall asked, not entirely understanding the way Meadow had chosen to describe the cloaked figure.

"I'm not really sure," Meadow answered, instantly wishing she had a better way of putting it. "Uh, I mean, he was like, fluid... or something. It was like looking at something from several different angles, but then mashed together into one point of view. He wore a cloak. That much I could tell."

"Sounds a bit like a masking spell of some sort," Paper pointed out. "Whoever it is, they probably dont want anyone to know their identity, which would make sense if they were in the MSAD."

"So our traitor is adept at magic, has access to high level Initiative materials, and didn't know they had been infiltrated until Meadow made contact with the mages," Nightfall said. "On top of that, Etcher and the Archmage were the only ones you talked to. That's some pretty damning evidence if you ask me."

"We'll have to report this to the project leads when we get back," Bastion said.

Nightfall sighed, standing up and making his way to the far end of the room where the window just gave him a slight view of the outpost off in the distance. "Agreed," he said. "I'll talk to the other team leaders as well. We need to find a way to get back to Canterlot, but if those mercenaries get their hooves on the crystal fragments, that might not be an option."

"You really think they'll come after us again?" Paper asked.

"I guarantee it," Nightfall stated firmly. "We're all loose ends. The second they have the power to sweep us up, they will and that focusing gem, I'm betting, is the perfect weapon for the job. At this point, I really dont think they have any other options."

"Then there's no time to lose!" Meadow cried, jumping to her hooves. "Striker blew up that stockpile so that I could get away, I know that now. We cant let his sacrifice be in vain."

There was no argument from the ponies around her, only confident and determined looks.

"Let's get it done," Bastion acknowledged with a nod.

The city had grown quiet ever since the resounding gunshots and explosions of the previous engagements had died down, to the point that it almost seemed as if it were unnaturally so. The wind still blew and the snow still crunched below their hooves, but the wales of the windigos and howls of the ice wolves had vanished from the city entirely, and the rangers were left with nothing but the stillness of the dead city.

Paper Cut felt even more uneasy than he had upon first arriving in the city and couldn't shake the feeling that they were being followed or watched. Bastion's eyes diligently surveyed surrounding windows and squinted periodically as they attempted to pierce the shadows within. Meadow's own eyes were practically glued to Nightfall as he led the way, several paces out in front of the rest of the team, completely silent as he walked.

They had been walking for some time now and were nearly to the river where they would once again cross over the icy plain. Still though, their progress was slow as recent events weighed on all their minds and seemingly made their hoof steps heavier than they already had been.

"We're almost there," Paper muttered, the comment being directed at no one in particular and aiming more to simply calm his own nerves.

Regardless of the unicorn's intent, Bastion nodded. "This should be good," he replied, knowing that there was much to tell those who awaited their return.

Meadow did not add her own thoughts on the matter, but felt a small warmth of relief flow through her as they reached the edge of the city, where the weathered down buildings gave way to smooth and impenetrable ice. She sighed, before looking up to see Nightfall, who carried on as usual.

Even with his helmet on, Meadow could tell he was a mess. The way he walked no longer portrayed the confidence that he always had. He seemed stiff and slow, with his shoulders lowered and his head further to the ground than she had ever seen it before.

One by one, they stepped onto the ice, leaving the abandoned city once again as the end of the day slowly began. One hell of a day it had been too. Nightfall was right to want a shower. It would certainly do each of them some good, though there were a few responsibilities that they undoubtedly needed to wrap up before they were allowed that luxury.

Meadow was so deep in her thoughts that she didnt even notice that the group had stopped until she bumped straight into Nightfall, who starred longingly at the sky, his weapon raised. Her gaze shifted upwards and shock ran through her body at the sight she saw. Three windigos, their blue spectral eyes fixed on the ponies before them, hovered just over the ice, calmly watching from just out of hoof reach. They made no aggressive moves, the cold that radiated from them not even daring to crawl its way to the ponies as it always usually did. Instead, they simply watched curiously, moving around them in a circle as they silently glided through the air, before finally deciding that this was no place for them and hastily retreating back into the city.

Nightfall let go of the breath he had been holding and lowered his weapon. Before he could say anything though, Paper expressed his own disbelief.

"Holy hell," Paper said, looking at his own hooves and then back to where the windigos had gone away to. "Warden wasnt kidding when he said he gave us his mark." He raised his hooves in the air and prepared to yell out in excitement, but suddenly thought better of it. Instead, he lowered his hooves and settled for a simple "This is so awesome."

Paper let out a long sigh of relief as the group stumbled through the blasted open gates of the outpost where several guards stood, each welcoming them back with an acknowledging nod. The unicorn collapsed to the ground, rolling to his back and taking in the sweet feeling of relaxation. "I need a nap," he said as he laid in a blast shadow, freshly covered with a dusting of snow.

Bastion couldn't help but laugh a little as he pulled Paper back to his hooves. "You might want to hold off a bit, just until we can find a cot," he said, pointing to the dark ash that now clung to Paper's uniform.

As the two carried on, a pony in the same TRST uniform made his way past them until he had come to a stop before Nightfall.

"Stalwart," Nightfall began, giving the stallion a proper hoof shake. "How is it?"

Stalwart shook his head. "Not so great," he said as the two began to walk and talk business. "We got all the wounded properly set up and the medical staff you managed to save during the attack are doing what they can, but... well, all the medical supplies we had, or at least most of it, was in that hospital. We can last a few days, but without things like morphine, bandages, and tools a lot of these poor bastards aren't going to make it."

"What about our efforts to contact Canterlot?" Nightfall inquired, knowing he was probably not going to like the answer he was going to get.

"We sent Team 4 up the tracks to see if they could make contact with the next outpost down the line, but comms are still shot to hell and the long-range was melted with thermite in the attack, so right now, they're all we got."

"What are the odds there's a cut-off force waiting for them?"

Stalwart sighed. "If I had to take a guess, I'd say it's a one hundred percent chance. They're under strict orders to come back if they run into anything. If they only want to contain us, I'm sure they wont pursue. Either way, they'll recon what they can and then we'll have some idea of what's going on."

"You know we're not going to be able to get anyone out of here without help from Canterlot, right?" Nightfall said.

Stalwart didnt say anything, instead remaining silent as he simply looked thoughtful. "There is some good news," he began, seeming eager to change the subject to something not so grim. "We've got most of the storm spires back up and running. I'm sure you saw the maintenance crews on your way in. When the next storm hits we wont have to worry about anyone freezing to death, so... I guess that's a small victory."

"I'll take as many of those as we can get," Nightfall agreed.

"So, how did things go on your end?" Stalwart suddenly asked. "We heard an explosion. Didnt think you were going to hit that place as soon as you did. We would have helped."

"It wasnt really the intention," Nightfall admitted, knowing full and well that their mission had been a total, if not somewhat convenient, blunder. "Things went south, but we improvised. We got the intel we needed and the mercenaries are scattered for the moment. Foxtrot is with the IGS, keeping the enemy off balance for the time being."

"Good," Stalwart said, feeling much more at ease than he previously had. "Sounds like we've got some breathing room."

"There is one loose end we need to tie up, actually," Nightfall said. "We might as well get everyone together. There's... a lot to go over."

Stalwart nodded. "Ops center is set up in the courtyard on the west side. I'll meet you there in a few."

"Yeah," Nightfall said, looking back to where the rest of his team was innocently goofing off by what remained of a burned down cabin. Paper was currently drawing a mustache and monocle on his helmet, much to Bastion and Meadow's amusement. It was good to see that despite their situation, their spirits were still positive.

"Alright, hop to it," Stalwart called out, after giving Nightfall a pat on the shoulder as he departed. "Briefing at the ops tent in fifteen. Get your shit and get situated," he ordered as a few rangers who had been lazing around scrambled to their hooves.

Rejoining his own team, Nightfall gave Paper a questioning look. "Having fun?" he asked.

"Just trying to keep morale high," Paper replied, before throwing his helmet back on. "We ready to go?"

"Yeah," Nightfall answered. It's time we told everyone what's really going on here."

Nightfall let out an annoyed groan as the back of his helmet lightly pressed against the tiled wall of the shower, the sound of water droplets splashing against the hard armored sections of his snowsuit as he sat with his back against the wall, allowing the water to rain down and wash away whatever soot may have still clung to him. The water darkened as it ran off and into the drain below, a little black-brown river that carried away the evidence of the previous firefights.

He sighed, before finally standing and turning off the water. He smelled like shit, the scent of gun powder and sweat still stinging his nostrils. Sitting here and showering in a water proof suit wasnt going to do him any good. Beside him, Paper and Bastion both scrubbed away at the dark residue that had finagled its way in between the plating on their own suits.

Dripping water all the way, Nightfall stepped out of the shower room and into the changing area where Meadow currently sat, spraying out the inside of her old Initiative uniform, which she had traded out in favor of a mercenary set for their previous mission. "I dont smell this bad, do I?" she asked as Nightfall began to undo the straps of his chest rig.

Nightfall raised an eyebrow. "Do you want me to answer that truthfully... or..."

Meadow sighed, before letting out a small smile. Her expression suddenly soured as she caught another whiff of the inside of her helmet, promptly responding by spraying the inside again. "Don't bother," she said in deflated tone. "Of all the things I dont miss about the Initiative," she continued, "this... this right here is easily in the top five."

"The smell?" Nightfall asked as he finished hanging up his suit by the rest of Meadows, already knowing the answer. When Meadow only nodded, he took a seat next to her on the bench. "You doing okay?"

"Yeah," Meadow answered, trying to sound cheerful. She did a decent job, but her visage faltered only a second later. "I'm just nervous is all. We're really going back out, aren't we? We're not even close to being done."

"It's been agreed upon that all remaining ranger teams should go back into the city and try and find the crystals," Nightfall said, recapping everything that had been decided at the meeting that concluded only minutes ago. "If we cut them off from the crystals, they wont be able to make any magic super weapons to attack us with. Hopefully, then they'll be forced to give up the MSAD and let us get out of here."

"They're not just going to surrender though," Meadow pointed out. "Do you really think they're just going to back off?"

"I don't know," Nightfall answered. "You and Striker destroyed their stockpile along with their entire base of operations. As far was we know, they really dont have any means of launching more assaults on us. We might currently be cut off from the outside world, but so are they and if Team 4 is able to make it up the tracks and to the next outpost, the whole Equestrian Guard is going to come running from Canterlot. Without those crystals, they wont have any choice but to give up whatever it is that they're trying to accomplish."

Meadow didn't reply, instead remaining silent as she simply thought. Everything had gotten so complicated seemingly out of nowhere. Alicorns, crystals, mercenaries, shadowy figures, and treason somewhere within the Initiative hierarchy. It all felt like it was spiraling out of control.

"Are you scared?" Nightfall suddenly asked when he noticed the face she was making, prompting her to look back up.

She leaned over, resting her head on his chest. "Yeah," she answered as she closed her eyes and pressed into him, feeling the warmth of his fur. "I'm terrified."

"Me too," Nightfall said, not hesitating as he lifted his hoof and brought Meadow into a long hug.

"No, you aren't," Meadow replied simply, knowing him far better than to believe that. "You're not afraid of anything. You're you. I've seen you stare down a horde of windigos without even flinching." She sighed before a weak chuckle escaped her, her voice coming out shaky and uneven. "Lend me some of that courage, will you?"

Meadow suddenly felt Nightfall's grasp on her grow just a little bit tighter. "I am though, y'know? Not of the windigos, but of losing you. I dont know.... You..." The words suddenly stopped in his throat, but he pushed on, not allowing the emotion to stop him from saying what he needed to say. "You almost died back there!" He vomited the sentence like it would otherwise burn his tongue.

"Nightfall..." Meadow muttered, pulling away for a moment and looking up into his eyes. They were as stoic as ever, no tears present, just as always, but she could see the pain. She could see the doubt and conflict in them. Through his visor, it had been unnoticeable, but now that it was gone, those portals into his soul were open, and with them she could truly see his fear.

"If you didn't make it... If you don't make it," Nightfall continued. "I dont know what I'll do." He took a deep breath, trying to compose himself, but he failed as his shoulders sagged.

Meadow was quick to put a hoof on his chest, slowly running it downward through his fur, feeling the small scars that adorned his body. "I'm going to be okay," she assured him, bringing her hooves up to the back of his neck and reconnecting their hug. "I've got you, Paper, and Bastion. We're going to be okay."

Nightfall returned the hug, but didnt say anything.

The two of them remained that way, in total silence with the exception the showers in the next room over. They were only interrupted when Meadow finally spoke. "My god, we smell horrible," she said. Despite this observation, she kept herself firmly attached to Nightfall, not wanting to move on from the moment.

Nightfall couldn't help but crack a smile and let a small laugh escape. Despite the current situation, he could take comfort in just being present in this one moment, even if only for a little while.

"Alright," Meadow said confidently, feeling that she had remained stagnant for too long. "That's it. We got soap and we got water. Time for a shower."

"Mhm," Nightfall agreed as he continued to stroke the back of Meadow's neck, his hoof running through her mane, which hung loosely down to her shoulders, the three strand braid he had tied earlier now undone.

Still the two of them remained seated, not moving an inch as they continued to enjoy the warmth that they shared with each other. "Okay. Okay," Meadow finally said, sitting up and putting her hooves against Nightfall's chest. She allowed herself to laugh a little bit at how childish they were being, like little fillies who didnt want to get out of bed in the morning for school.

"What?" Nightfall asked, his mouth spreading into a playful smile. "Are you not enjoying this as much as I am?" Meadow began to reply with the first witty thing she could come up with, but he quickly stole a kiss before she could get it out, a look of pure mirth displayed over his visage when they're lips parted.

Meadow flushed, but her wide smile remained as her eyes narrowed and she gave the thestral a knowing look. Before he could do anything, she threw her hooves over his shoulders and brought herself in for another kiss, this one lasting much longer and being much deeper than the short peck she had received seconds earlier.

Nightfall received her fully, the world melting away as she became the only thing that existed. He pulled her in closer, his hooves snaking their way across her back and bringing her further and further into the kiss. They spoke not a word, the warmth that they shared being all they needed in the moment. And yet, Meadow Spring found that she could not get enough. She wanted more of him. She wanted to take everything that could be given and give everything that could be taken. They became further entwined with each other as they continued, Meadow on top as Nightfall fell back, bringing her down with him.

"Psst, Bastion," Paper suddenly whispered. "Should we say something?" he asked after he noticed the display of affection currently unfolding before him.

Bastion thought about thumping the unicorn upside the head, but realized that he had a point. Despite this, he desperately didnt want to interrupt and quickly hung his still dripping suit up on the closest hook, being as quiet as possible and pretending to not notice the lovely couple currently melting all over the bench.

"Oh my god!" Meadow suddenly exclaimed as she noticed the two rangers trying to sneak by. Her hooves shot up over her face as she turned several shades redder. The embarrassment only grew when she looked down and noticed that she was currently straddling Nightfall, who laid on his back.

"Uh... having fun, you two?" Paper asked as he stared at them.

This time, Bastion really did thump Paper upside the head, causing him to stumble forward.

Nightfall sighed. "Well so much for that," he muttered as he sat up.

Meadow now sat a foot away from him, her face currently in her hooves as her body continued to heat up with embarrassment. She had never been shy about how she felt about Nightfall. She loved him. She loved him more than anything in the world and she had no problem expressing that affection openly. But what if they had done more than just expressed affection just then? What if they had gotten carried away and actually gone for it right there and then? What if the guys had seen them having-

Meadow shook the thought out of her head, but her heart still raced and her hooves shook. She calmed only when Nightfall leaned across the short gap between them and gave her a quick peck on the cheek, which caused her body to relax and nerves to calm.

"Come on," he said softly. "Let's go take that shower."

Foxtrot took a deep breath as he lowered his rifle and slowly allowed himself to fall back against the wall. With a final pull of the bolt, the last brass casing flew out, rolling across the floor and into the darkened room as the breach and muzzle continued to smoke. One by one, he reloaded the magazine, pushing each round down as they clicked into place. Beside him, Grace slowly lifted her head up above the edge of their current cover to get a view of the bodies that laid in the quickly reddening snow.

"Nice shooting," she said as she stared down at the corpses several floors below them.

"Thanks," Foxtrot replied before pushing the bolt back into place and slinging the rifle around his shoulder, "but that was only a small scouting party. We'll want to keep moving if we're going to stay ahead of these guys. I imagine we wont see too many more of them on the surface and if we're not careful they'll use those tunnels to get right up on us."

"I know," Grace said half-heartedly, not sounding like she really cared about anything. She went quiet for a moment as she thought, before deciding to speak again. "So, where does this leave you on your mission?" she asked.

Foxtrot shrugged. "Beats me," he replied. "I never really cared about the mission. I'm just here because the pay's good. So whatever you want to do is fine with me as long as it involves going after these mercenaries."

Grace went quiet again as she continued to think. In a way, she was on her own again. Sure, Foxtrot was here, but she didn't know this pegasus, not really. Of course, she had no doubt that she could trust him. They had a common enemy after all and they fought for the same side, but Foxtrot wasnt Striker. No one would ever be able to replace Striker. And so she felt as if she was alone yet again. "What about your team?" she asked. "Didnt they give you any orders?"

"Not really," Foxtrot answered. "Nightfall was actually against the idea of me staying out here originally until the others pointed out that it was a good idea. Not saying he's not a good leader or anything, but I question whether he's really the best pony for the job in this scenario."

"You think you'd be better suited for the task?" It was a question aimed at him, but was not asked unkindly.

"Nah," Foxtrot replied. "I'm a simple guy. I kick whatever ass needs kicking and shoot the shit that needs shooting. I'm sure Nightfall will do fine, but he hasn't really accepted the fact that we're at war here. I know he has what it takes, but he always seems to be holding back."

"So you think you need a more aggressive approach," Grace stated, beginning to understand Foxtrot just a bit more.

"That's why I stayed out here, isnt it?" Foxtrot replied. He finished packing his gear and headed for the nearest set of stairs. "Anyways, you said you had a guy up north, right? You wanna go try and find him?"

Grace looked to the window where the fading light was still seeping in. The day would be over soon and they needed to get as far away from this place as possible before the sun disappeared. She nodded. "Yeah. He should have some intel for us. Then we can see about hunting down more scouts. The more we kill, the less of a threat they are to the Initiative."

"Sounds like a plan," Foxtrot said happily, glad to finally get to put more of his bullets where they belonged. "Let's go."

"Remind me again why we're coming out here right as the sun is going down?" Paper grumbled as him and his companions marched on through the snow and into the heart of the dead city. They had long since finished resupplying and after receiving their new orders headed straight out.

"We cant afford to wait until morning," Bastion answered simply. "The quicker we get this done, the quicker we're all out of danger."

"Yeah, but still," Paper complained as he adjusted his harness, the extra weight of the scanning device that he now had to carry not quite sitting as right as he'd liked it to. "It would be nice if we could have at least gotten a proper night's sleep before coming back out here. Back and forth. Back and forth. All of this is starting to get a little monotonous."

"We can stop to rest when we get to the northern sectors," Nightfall said suddenly. "Until then, let's try to keep quiet. We've gotten this far. I'd prefer it if we could go the rest of the way without stirring up any trouble."

He was right. They had made it about half way through the city in a matter of only a few hours. Their progress had been slow and they had watched every window that a shot could ring out from, but they had gone unnoticed. Either their enemy had withdrawn completely or they were gathering somewhere else.

They continued on in relative silence for what felt like an eternity. The sound of the snow crunching beneath their hooves counted the seconds as they slowly slid past them and the howling wind that resisted them brought the fresh flakes down at an angle as the beginning of yet another storm slowly began to roll in from the ice covered sea. A strange feeling of emptiness festered within each of them as they slowly began to notice the total absence of the windigos and ice wolves usually roamed the streets.

"What do you think happened to these guys?" Bastion asked as he kneeled down and began to examine the scene that they had stumbled upon. Four corpses. All half buried in snow that had become more red than white, but was quickly returning to its natural state as the weather continued to pick up.

"Either there was a freak accident or Foxtrot has been putting in work," Nightfall guessed, not really caring too much what the answer was. He looked over to where Paper had hunkered down and taken a defensive position, carefully scanning the surrounding windows as he kept his weapon ready. Meadow had followed his lead, taking her own position on the opposite side of the street.

"Let's move on," Nightfall said, patting Bastion on the back and standing from his own position over one of the corpses.

As everyone stood up to go, Bastion remained crouched down, eyeing the corpse carefully. A single bullet wound through the neck. The round had entered through the front and exploded out the back, severing the spinal cord and killing the pony before he had any time to suffer. A layer of frost had quickly accumulated right after, freezing the evidence and forever cementing the body in its icy grave. Was this really the only way? Would they reach their goal at the top of a mountain of corpses?

Bastion pushed the thought to the back of his mind and followed the rest of his team. He was just tired, that was it. When night finally came, he'd get some rest and feel more focused in the morning. And then it was going to be another very busy day.

Author's Note

Chapter done. The next few should come relatively quickly if things work out how I think they should.

Chapter 1: Signals

It was cold. It was always cold in this harsh land. The blizzards were seemingly non-stop and each flake of snow stung like a piercing needle until numbness came and finally death overtook whatever poor creature found itself out here. It would be a terrible way to die, no doubt. Lost. Alone. Cold. Those weren't even the worst parts. With each blizzard came a fresh layer of snow, covering whatever was left unattended during the last. To be out here, was not just simply to die. It was to disappear. To be forgotten.

Nightfall had learned this lesson many times before. He'd be out on an expedition and watch as a friend or stranger wandered to far from the group. Visibility was often at near zero and he'd call out into this white void in an attempt to retrieve the pony who had strayed. They wouldn't respond, no matter how many times he or the other group members would call. No matter how hard they searched, the pony would never be seen again.

The unfortunate truth was this. When traversing this forsaken land, it was best to keep moving. There were far worse things than just blizzards out here. Windigos were the most prominent of beings to be wary of, but rumors had it that much darker forces hid in the snow, waiting for victims. For these reasons, it was best to spend as little time as possible out in the open. Anypony who got separated, was ultimately destined to be left behind. This is why many only traveled in small groups.

If you were out here, it meant that you were either stupid or you had a very good reason for leaving the relative safety of the city walls. Nightfall was one of the latters. He had a purpose out here. He had a very important mission. A signal fire on the western side of Equestria had gone out. Each city and town in Equestria had one or several of these fires. They were vital to the survival of the ponies who lived there and if one were to be extinguished, it would spell disaster for the inhabitants.

These fires were important for many reasons. The greatest of these was because of the nature of the fire itself. It was not natural. It did not burn and continue to consume fuel, rather it was sustained by crystals found deep underground. These fire crystals had been nearly worthless in an earlier age, but thanks to their arcane properties they were now immensely valuable. The fires they created had the unique property of warding off the windigos which were drawn to magical signatures. A single bonfire from these crystals could keep an area the size of a city block safe.

There was another great advantage too though. The fires produced smoke, large columns of it. From high atop Mt. Canter, at the highest lookout post in all of Equestria, nearly every signal fire's smoke column could be seen, at least on clearer days when the storms died down. And so from Canterlot, each town was able to be monitored to some extent. The black smoke that rose into the sky universally indicated that everything was all clear. When a fire died though, it was taken very seriously.

Anytime a town went dark, it was handled by a team dispatched directly from the fortress city of Canterlot. Nightfall was the lucky soul given the assignment to investigate. He was experienced in surviving in the tundra, having successfully carried out hundreds of supply runs for the last several years. By now, he was a veteran, one of the best. He was not alone though. Such an idea would have surely been considered suicide. His team was comprised of three ponies: a young, free spirit of a unicorn named Paper Cut, a strong, but kind hearted earth pony by the name of Bastion, and himself, a thestral.

The three ponies now found themselves trudging through snow that was up to their bellies. Their journey had been long, having taken about three days to get where they were now. The trains did not run all the way out into unprotected land and most of their travel had been spent on hoof. They couldn't exactly complain though. Being from Canterlot, they had access to some of the best gear. Their snow suits kept them warm and their helmets sealed water tight with the rest of the suit at the neck. The biggest threats to them here were being attacked or getting lost.

The weather today, was especially bad. A blizzard had blown in from the north and snow now swirled all around them, keeping the visibility levels so low that they would lose each other if they did not stay within a meter or two of one another. The wind blew violently and if it had not been for the snow beneath them that provided some semblance of an anchor point, they would no doubt have been blown away with the storm.

"I'm getting some blips on the scanner," Nightfall said from the front as he looked down at the small hoof held device that now pinged several large objects ahead. Despite the sound of the rushing wind, the short range radios in their helmets made communication quite easy. "Probably a few buildings. Don't think they're big enough to be part of the main settlement though."

"Oh, good," Paper said. "I'm starving. It'll be nice to get out of the wind and in somewhere where I can enjoy a sandwich without it instantly freezing."

"I'll second that," Bastion voted. "I've got this new sandwich combo that I've been dying to try out."

Nightfall chuckled as he rolled his eyes. "Well if Bastion's got a new sandwich, I guess we have to stop. Don't we?" He put away his scanner and checked the time on his wrist display. "Okay," he said after seeing that it was nearly six in the evening. "It's unanimous them. We'll stop up here. Probably a good idea to do so before investigating the main settlement site."

"Awesome," Paper said.

The buildings in question were nothing more than what seemed to be a few abandoned supply sheds and it took several extra minutes for the group to reach the top of the small hill on which they sat upon. When they did though, they were able to walk along the side of one of the sheds to take cover from the wind. Conveniently, the door was on the side away from the wind, keeping the snow that blew horizontally from building up in front of it.

Paper took point when they got to the door only to find it was frozen shut. "Hmph. Figures," he said before tilting his head down. He cranked a small dial on the side of his helmet and the top piece that encased his horn began to glow the same blue color of his magic aura. With a quick spell the ice on the door began to evaporate and turn to steam, before refreezing on the ground. He slowly opened the door and headed inside the darkened shed.

The inside of the shed wasn't nearly as cold as it was outside, providing just enough protection from the wind to allow everypony to remove their helmets. The one window, though it was heavily iced over, provided just enough light for them to see. As the three all cleared a place out for themselves to eat, a shuffling noise was heard from the darkest of the corners. Each of the ponies shot up, instinctively brandishing their guns and swords.

"H-hello," a voice sounded from the darkness. Stepping forward from the shadows was a changeling. He wore a coat, but it was not even close to being as heavy as it should have been to be out in this type of weather. His body shook violently under a thin layer of frost that had accumulated over the past several hours. His eyes seemed as if they were frozen shut.

The ponies put away their weapons and Bastion immediately sprung forward to catch the changeling as he fell over. He was soaked.

"Hey, hey, now. You cant just die on us already," Bastion said. He looked back to Nightfall who was already unscrewing the top of a thermos. After pouring a bright yellow glowing liquid into the cap, Nightfall gave it to Bastion who in turn put it up to the changeling's lips. "Here, drink," he said. "Don't worry. It's ignis... liquid fire."

The changeling drank and managed to open his eyes.

"There we go," Bastion said as he gave the thermos lid back to Nightfall who traded him a knife. Bastion took the knife and began cutting the soaked clothes off of the changeling. When the changeling was completely bare, he was carried over to spot where Paper had used another spell to clear the ground of snow. This time, the intensity of the spell and been increased, charring the ground beneath to create a warm pad of scorched earth for the changeling to sit on.

When the changeling was down, a thermal blanket was thrown over him and he was given another cup of ignis. "T-Thank y-you so mu-uch," he said. "I-I thought-t I was going to d-die."

"You're welcome," Bastion said with smile. It always felt good to save someone. "Happy to help."

"Alright," Nightfall interrupted, wanting to get straight to the point. "I need you to tell us what happened here. The signal fire went out. Why?"

The changeling drank the rest of the ignis and handed the cap back to Nightfall before answering. He had stopped shaking and as a result his speech became more clear. "Somepony made off with our stockpile of fire crystals," he explained. "We were already running low and about to send out a signal to get more, but when we went to the reserves, they were gone. Then the fire died and the windigos showed up."

"Any idea why someone would do that?" Nightfall asked.

"No," the changeling answered. "We're at peace with all the surrounding settlements and there hasn't been a resource dispute for at least a decade or two."

"So basically, someone was just being a dick," Paper pointed out.

"Not so simple," Nightfall said. "There has to be some kind of motivation. You'd have to be pretty bold to steal a fire crystal stockpile and risk getting frozen by windigos yourself... or y'know, completely stupid." He leaned back against the far wall, keeping an eye on what little could be seen from the window.

"Either way, dick move," Paper pointed out again.

"Well crap," Bastion complained. "How long ago did the windigos show up?" he asked the changeling.

The changeling seemed to be surprised by the question. "I don't know," he answered. "It's been at least a day, maybe two. Why?"

Bastion looked to Nightfall. "We need to get moving," he said. "If any of the townsfolk have been put on ice, it's only going to be a matter of time before the MISA wears off and they begin to suffer from hypothermia."

"Agreed. Paper, pack up and get the changeling on his hooves," Nightfall ordered.

Paper simply replied with a casual salute.

"Wait, what's going on?" the changeling asked as he stood from the heated ground only to find that the air above was still much to cold. "We can't just go back there. It's too dangerous!"

"For one pony alone, maybe," Nightfall began, "but you've got us. So don't worry about it. We'll make sure to keep you safe." As he loaded up his gear, Bastion handed him his flair rifle, which Nightfall proceeded to load and cock. "You'll see. It'll be fun."

"Alright, buddy," Bastion said. "There's no way you'll be able to walk through the snow bare hoof so you're going to have to ride on my back. I'm an earth pony, so can handle it. If you feel like you're going to get sick though, lean out and throw up onto the snow. It doesn't mind, but I won't be very happy if it goes all over me."

The changeling was hesitant, but complied nonetheless. After the ponies dawned their helmets again, he was given an extra blanket to further wrap himself up in. Once they were all ready, they headed out into the storm again.

For the most part, the wind had subsided and the snow now only fell diagonally, instead of coming directly from the side. Immediately, Nightfall pulled out his trusty scanner and began to take readings. Sure enough, there were several more blips on the display, each being quite close together. Certainly, it was the town.

Despite the poor visibility, the glow of the storm spires that surrounded the town quickly came into view. These tall structures were essentially enchanted metal rods that stood up from a stone base. Each rod glowed a faint white and was inscribed with a series of runes that ran from the very top, twenty feet up, to the bottom. When a group of these spires were aligned in succession, it would create an invisible barrier between them that would halt both air and snow, creating a sort of safe zone that a blizzard could not affect. Of course, they were mostly useless against windigos.

Upon passing these constructs, the weather immediately cleared up. The snow on the ground, which could have drowned a pony, was now nothing more than a few inches in depth. The wind had nearly completely stopped as well and only a light dusting of snow flakes fell from the sky. It was peaceful again.

This, of course, left them just outside the town wall, which was a small log rampart with only a few exposed watchtowers. The gate, for reasons that were still unknown, was left wide open. Without so much as a word, the changeling was let off onto his own hooves and the three ponies stacked up on the gate. On the count of three, they barged in, guns and swords raised, ready to fight.

"Well that's anti-climactic," Paper said.

"Yeah," Bastion agreed. "There's nopony here."

Nightfall looked around, not entirely convinced that they were alone. "Well, if there's one thing I know, it's that an entire town's population doesn't just disappear. They've got to be around here somewhere. Let's search the houses." And so, they split up.

The town itself was not large at all. It was much more of a compound than a town. There was a sizable courtyard surrounded by several log cabins and a two story building with a stone base that served as a sort of town hall. All together, there was only around fifteen to twenty buildings, each being a couple hundred square feet. At the center of this courtyard, was the pit for the signal fire. Over the course of the last few days it had grown cold. Despite this, residue from the burnt up crystals was still present on the inside and edges.

Nightfall studied the fire pit with great interest while also keeping his flair rifle ready. The fire had gone out nearly four days ago. If the windigos didn't arrive until day two or three, then surely there would have been time for the townsfolk to find shelter. A town of this size should have had at least one emergency bunker that they could have gone to. The only question was where that would be. Nightfall looked to the building with the stone base. It would be a start.

Upon entering, the first thing noticed was that it was empty. The entirety of the downstairs was nothing more than a single room with some tables, chairs, and a stage at the far end. This must have been where they held town meetings. The most notable of the interior's features was the fireplace. The room was a mess. Many pieces of furniture had been knocked over and there was paper strewn about, but the fireplace was completely clear of clutter. It was so clean, in fact, that it almost seemed out of place. Clearly, it had not seen use in years. Further investigation revealed the reason for why it had been kept clear. Inside was a hatch.

"Hey, Bastion, Paper," Nightfall called over the coms. "You guys find anything."

"I've checked five houses," Paper answered. "Nothing. Even the cellars were empty."

"Bastion?"

"Yeah, the changeling and I found a filly hiding in an attic. She's scared, but she'll be alright."

"Okay," Nightfall said. "If you find anypony else, go ahead and bring them to the building with the stone base. I think I found the emergency shelter."

"Roger that."

After disconnecting, Nightfall leaned his flair rifle up against the stone of the fireplace before attempting to open the hatch inside. The handle wouldn't budge and after several more attempts it became clear that it was locked. If the hatch had a keyhole in which to insert lockpicks, such a matter would be trivial. "I guess I should try knocking," he thought. After giving three knocks in moderate succession, he waited. There was no response. "Hey, anyone in there?" he finally called out. This seemed to do the trick, as the sound of grinding metal was heard from the other side and the hatch popped open.

"Oh, thank goodness," the pony inside said at the sight of the armored thestral. There appeared to be an entire group of at least twenty all squeezed shoulder to shoulder inside.

"You guys are safe now," Nightfall said. "Everything is going to be-"

"No, no," the pony interrupted nervously. He shook, not from any cold, but rather from being scared out of his wits. "You don't understand. They're in the mine. You have to search the mine."

"Who, the windigos?"

"Yes," the pony confirmed. "Something drew them inside and they've been there ever since they arrived. We've been terrified that they'd come out."

Nightfall looked around for a moment as he thought, before looking down into the darkened hole that all the ponies were huddled in. "Where's the town guard?" he asked.

"They went in after those foul things," the pony explained. "We have an emergency stockpile of fire crystals down there. They had hoped to recover the stockpile, but never came back. We're not coming out until those things are gone."

"Okay," Nightfall agreed. "Stay here and keep your people safe. I'll be back."

The pony just nodded and resealed the steel hatch without question. Clearly, he did not need to be told twice.

Nightfall grabbed his rifle, slung it onto his back, and walked back outside. "Paper, Bastion," he said as he reopened the com channel. "You guys still with me?"

"Affirmative," Paper replied.

It took a moment, but Bastion also checked in after a few seconds.

"I found the townsfolk," Nightfall began. "They're saying that the windigos came and got drawn into the mineshaft by something. Not sure what, but the town guard went in to retrieve a fire crystal stockpile and haven't been heard from since."

"They probably got frozen," Bastion theorized. "I've got a group of medical staff here in the hospital basement. I'll have them begin preparing the facility to treat MISA exposure."

"You do that," Nightfall replied. "You got anything, Paper?"

"No, just a bunch of overturned furniture," Paper answered. "These ponies may not have been very good fighters, but they sure did gtfo quick."

"Alright. Well, I'll meet you guys at the mine." With that, Nightfall hung up and began to follow a set of rails that ran into the side of a cliff face.

The mine itself wasn't anything special. Really, it was nothing more than a simple hole in the side of the mountain that overlooked the town. It didn't even have a door. Instead, it was simply left open with a set of cart rails running into the darkness. When the other two team members showed up, they wasted no time getting inside. With weapons out and heads on a swivel, they made their way into the darkness.

Both Bastion and Paper had to make use of the night vision goggles mounted on their helmets, but being a thestral, Nightfall had a distinct advantage in the dark. For this reason, his helmet lacked this piece of equipment. Instead, he had a second visor that was much more heavily tented than the first. Without it, any light from the sun would quite literally burn his retinas. The glistening of the snow only amplified this.

"You'd think, being underground, this tunnel would be a bit warmer than it is outside," Paper said, "but my temperature gage says it's freezing."

"That just means we're on the right track," Nightfall replied, his eyes darting around the tunnel to observe the ice crystals that clung to the walls and ceiling.

Paper chuckled to himself after noticing that they were literally following mine cart rails.

The ponies advanced slowly and carefully into the darkness with Nightfall at the front with his scanner. Bastion had repossessed his flair rifle and provided cover while Paper kept an eye on their rear. It didn't take long before the scanner began to ping objects ahead.

"We've got something thirty meters ahead," Nightfall said. "Should be around this next bend."

"You think it's the town guard?" Paper asked as he adjusted his goggles.

"Only one way to find out," Nightfall answered. "Just be ready."

Upon rounding the corner, the group realized that it was exactly as they had predicted. Standing before them were six ponies, all frozen solid in blocks of arcane ice. Each stood in a fighting pose as if they had been in mid battle when suddenly they were turned to ice. Even their weapons had been frozen solid. Some lay on the ground, others in the air where they had previously been held by unicorn magic.

"Well, would you look at that," Paper said as he inspected one of the guards. "Don't even have NVGs. Hey, look at this," he said after looking around on the ground only to find a wooden rod. "It's a torch. What is this the medieval age?"

Nightfall just rolled his eyes. "One of these days you're actually going to have use the torch in your survival pack and then we'll see who's laughing."

"Meh. Until that happens, I'm still going to make jokes about it." He tossed the torch over his shoulder carelessly.

"You know," Bastion chimed in. "He does have a point. These guys are running gear that should have been updated ages ago. Can't say I'm surprised they ended up the way they did."

"Do you think that's all of them?"

"I'm not seeing anything else on the scanner," Nightfall answered.

"So then, where's the windigos?" Bastion asked.

Nightfall thought for a moment, looking over the frozen ponies and trying to determine in which direction their eyes were looking. He stared out deeper into the cave, trying to see just a bit further than his natural night vision would allow. "I think I've got some idea," he finally said. He motioned to Bastion, who just replied with a knowing smile.

Bastion sat back on his haunches and shouldered his rifle. With a single pull of the trigger, a bright red flair was sent screeching down the tunnel, illuminating the darkness as it went. In response, there was a sound from where the flair had finally impacted the ground at the end of its arc. The noise that came next was loud and high pitched. It was something that never failed to send chills down Nightfall's spine. It was something unholy.

From the shadows, burst three windigos. Their spectral manes flowed wildly as they rushed forward from the darkness. Their piercing blue eyes were fixated on the small group of ponies, their next prey. As they flew, the walls around them became covered in an even thicker layer of ice crystals and a great freezing wind blew through the tunnel.

Bastion pulled his trigger once more sending out another flair directly at the lead windigo. It made contact, striking it in the chest and lodging itself deep in the windigo's ghostly body, which reacted violently: twisting and contorting as arcane fire shot from its orifices before finally exploding in a shower of sparks. Despite this display of power, the other two were undeterred and continued their charge toward the group.

"Anytime now, Bastion!" Nightfall said as the earth pony began the process of reloading.

"I got it! I got it!" Bastion exclaimed as he loaded the last cartridge into his weapon.

"Too late!" Nightfall dove, tackling Bastion to the ground as the windigos came mere inches from them. As they hit the ground, Paper sprung up into the air, catching the first windigo across the belly with his sword, before being snap frozen in a block of ice by the second.

Had it been a normal creature, the windigo's insides would have spilled out and left a mess on the ground. Instead, it tumbled to the floor, writhing in pain as the fire enchantment burned away at it.

Bastion instinctively sat up and pulled his rifle trigger. The flair shot out, screeched across the tunnel, and pegged the final windigo in the back of the head before it could escape. It's body went limp and finally burst into sparks after coming down hard on the ground.

"Damn," Nightfall said. "Nice shot."

"Thanks," Bastion replied. "I've been practicing."

The two ponies laid there for a moment, allowing their adrenaline to subside before attempting to stand. They looked over to see that Paper was still frozen solid in a block of ice.

"We should get him out," Nightfall pointed out.

"Good idea."

Both ponies dug into their supply bags and pulled out small paper sacks that they proceeded to tear open. Inside was a finely ground red powder, which they began emptying out onto Paper. The powder, being made from fire crystals and few other materials, reacted as it made contact with the ice, producing a large steam cloud.

"Alright!" Paper exclaimed as he was freed from his icy prison. "Ranger squad: three. Windigos..." he looked to his wrist display as if it had a scoreboard on it. "Oh no. Big fat zero. What is up?!" He stumbled forward suddenly as Nightfall wacked him upside the head.

"Dammit, Paper!" the thestral scolded. "That was reckless and you know it!"

"Hey, I'd rather take one for the team than see us all get put on ice," Paper complained. "Besides, the suit keeps me warm until you guys can thaw me out."

"Yeah, well I'd rather not see my friends get frozen."

"That's exactly why I did it!" Paper countered. "I'd take a bullet for you guys. You know that."

Nightfall sighed. He couldn't help but to lighten up a bit after hearing that. He pressed his forehead against Paper's expressing comradery in a way that only brothers in arms could. "Paper," he said, patting the unicorn on the shoulder. "Good work."

Suddenly, they were ambushed by Bastion, who grabbed them both and pulled them in close. "Group hug!" he yelled.

"Okay, okay. Enough of that," Nightfall said, pulling away. "We still got a job to do."

"Y'know, Nightfall," Bastion began, "you may act all badass when we're out here, but Meadow has already told us all about how you're just a big softy. Plus, I've seen you after downing a few ciders."

Nightfall just rolled his eyes before all of their attention was caught by a rustling noise coming from behind them. The last windigo was still lying there on the ground, mostly motionless, but alive. Paper poked the creature with his hoof, causing it to flinch slightly. Other than this, it did not react or even try to lash out at them. It was dying and it knew it, and clearly it was in great pain.

"Wow, I almost feel bad for the poor thing," Bastion said. "You really messed him up good." He pointed to the spot where Paper's sword had sliced the beast open.

"Yeah, me too."

"I don't," Nightfall said. Without a second thought, he pulled the flair rifle from Bastion's back, shoved the barrel in the windigo's mouth, and pulled the trigger.

Bastion and Paper just stared at Nightfall as he resumed the delve down into the tunnel.

"Well damn, Nightfall," Bastion said, still in shock at what had just transpired. "I take back everything I just said about you being soft."

"Yeah," Paper agreed. He saw his chance and went for it. "Nightfall is what you would call... wait for it... weathered."

Nightfall and Bastion both groaned, smacking themselves in the face with their hooves.

After the small skirmish, among other things, it didn't take long for the group to get back on track. They ventured deeper into the mine and after a mostly silent walk, found a mine cart filled to the brim with fire crystals. Other than that and what they had already come across, the tunnel was empty, and by extension, now secured. Nightfall gave the order for Bastion and Paper to return to the surface with the stockpile and start getting the guards thawed out and treated for MISA exposure.

"What are you going to do?" Bastion asked.

"I want to see what lured the windigos down here," Nightfall answered. "They don't just bypass an entire town and fly down a mine for no reason."

"You think they found something?"

Nightfall shrugged. "Maybe. I'll call you if I find anything."

With that, Paper and Bastion took off back towards the entrance, while Nightfall delved deeper into the tunnel. The mine itself was for coal, which was often used for the heating of furnaces and homes. While not as efficient as the fire crystals used in the signal fires, it provided a perfectly adequate means of producing heat, and universally it was accepted that the burning of coal was much wiser than using the only thing that kept the windigos at bay. Had it not been for these mines, Equestria's fire crystal supply would have gone out years ago.

This mine in particular, was nothing special though. There were only a few tunnels that branched off of the main shaft and none of them went more than a few meters. The equipment here was outdated as well. In Canterlot, sophisticated magic run machines operated day and night to dig up valuable resources from the caverns below the city and deep within the mountain. The ponies here were operating with nothing but pickaxes and push carts. Everything about this place was unremarkably standard.

Nightfall spent a good ten minutes examining the walls only to come up with nothing. He could see in the dark just fine and according to the ranger medical examiner he had 20/20 vision, something that he actually hadn't known. Yet, whatever it was that he thought he was searching for alluded him. Surely there had to be something down here though. Why else would the windigos come down here? They were known for relentlessly hunting their prey, no matter where they had been barricaded or hid. Why had they left the townsfolk alone?

After growing frustrated from a lack of answers, Nightfall finally decided to try something that he hadn't done in quite some time. Being a thestral, he had some unique advantages over other ponies other than being able to see much better in the dark. It was just like how unicorns could use magic, pegasi could cloud walk, and earth ponies connected with the earth, except his ability boiled down to evolution rather than magic. It was also something that had to be practiced many times over and required complete silence to affectively execute.

Nightfall removed his helmet before looking down into the tunnel. He closed his eyes and drew in a calm breath of air through his nostrils. After holding it for a few seconds, he let out a smooth, high pitched, but faint whistle. He held the note for some time, before letting go to listen. The note, which had been barely audible to anypony other than a thestral echoed softly in his ears as the sound waves bounced around the cavern, creating different pitches based on material that they hit. The sound resonated especially within a mine cart that had been cast off to the side of the rails. From just these noises, he could tell that the rock became more and more dense the deeper the mine went, but there was one thing quite strange and out of the ordinary. From the end of the tunnel, a tone returned that seemed to suggest that the rock ahead was indeed hollow.

"Well, hello there," Nightfall said as he opened his eyes and made his way to the end of the tunnel. He ran a hoof along the wall. It was smooth, perhaps some kind of igneous or metamorphic rock. It didn't much matter. To Nightfall, rocks were rocks. He placed an ear to the wall and tapped it hard with his hoof. It was definitely hollow.

He looked around before finding a pickaxe. Replacing his helmet back on his head, he took the pickaxe in his hooves and carefully began to chisel away. Initially, it resisted firmly, but with several more strikes, the rock wall gave way and a new chamber was revealed. With each swing of the pickaxe the hole between the two chambers grew until finally there was enough room for Nightfall to squeeze through.

Upon entering, the sight before him was something that he could not seem to explain to himself. Before him, was an alicorn. Or at least there was a statue of one, a strange one at that. Nightfall had seen depictions of the alicorns who supposedly ruled hundreds of years ago, but never any so lifelike. Usually they were found in books or on the stained-glass windows in Canterlot palace that had been preserved from a long forgotten age. These depictions had always been stylized and artistic, but clearly the sculptor had gone for accuracy in this piece. Truly, it was fine work as well, as if nature itself had carved it.

The alicorn in question was tall and of a slim build. Her main, although long and flowing, was neatly kept. She wore metal shoes and a sort of large medallion around her neck. A crown sat upon her head, signifying the status of a ruler or at least someone politically significant. All of these were covered in a thick layer of dust, but further inspection proved that they were indeed made of gold.

Other than the painstaking attention to detail and the seemingly one to one scale, there was one more oddity. This was the pose. Statues of leaders that Nightfall had seen always showed the figure in stoic or heroic stance. The pose here was entirely different. Instead of standing with her head held high, the alicorn sat back on her haunches with her head turned to the side. Her eyes were closed and she held her hooves up as if trying to shield herself from the blinding beams of a floodlight. Nightfall could only guess what this piece was supposed to be depicting, but without the corresponding pedestal, there was no way to know who had created it or what their vision for it was.

Although interesting, the statue was not the only thing of note. The chamber itself was perfectly spherical and was imprinted with all manners of magical runes all along the walls. The runes ran like tracks all around and in different patterns. Different lines and shapes swirled around these runes, but all met at the very top, just above the statue, connecting to each other via a large circle. At the center was a much larger runic symbol. Nightfall recognized it. It was one of the few that he actually knew: the Old Equus symbol for 'Time.'

After a few more moments of thought, Nightfall buzzed his radio. "Hey, guys. I've got something... interesting over here. You'll want to see it."

"Copy that."

Nightfall wandered around the chamber for several minutes as he waited. Surely, there was a reason for such a statue to be down here. He inspected it closely, searching for any identifying marks or indication of where it may have come from. He wiped the dust from the shoes and medallion. Despite the intricate engravings, there were no clues. The lack of a pedestal only caused his confusion to grow.

Finally, Nightfall looked to the crown. It was more of a tiara really, but it too was made of gold and was adorned with all manners of masterful engravings. As he attempted to wipe away even more of the dust, in search of a signature, he found that it was not even attached to the head it sat on, gravity being the only thing to keep it in place. "Well, how about that," Nightfall said to nopony in particular as he removed the crown from the statue.

Suddenly, there was a flash. Nightfall jumped back in surprise, dropping the crown as he attempted to cover his eyes, allowing it to hit the ground with a clang. His second visor had been up and he now found himself blinded. As he stumbled, the rock melted away from the alicorn's form. Small sparks of yellow magic flowed upward from the statue like bubbles underwater and the chamber was filled with light.

Nightfall fell back onto his haunches as water seeped from his eyes. "Gah!" he exclaimed, throwing off his helmet. For a moment, the world seemed to fall away, blurring into one solid color.

"Hey, Nightfall," Bastion called from just outside. "You in there?"

"Yeah, I'm here," Nightfall called back. "I found a statue, but something happened. I'm blind now. Just give me a minute." He heard Bastion and Paper both enter, crawling over the rubble that had fallen. Then everything went silent. "Hello?" he said, still rubbing the stars from his vision.

"Um, Nightfall?" Paper replied as he removed his helmet and lit his horn to provide greater visual clarity.

"What?"

"That's no statue."

Nightfall opened his eyes, which had been closed for some time now. As everything came back into focus, he searched the room. Paper had indeed been correct. The statue was gone. In its place sat a pony, not one made from stone, but a living breathing pony. More specifically, it was a living breathing alicorn.

Her coat was snow white and her mane was a soft pink. Her mark adorning her flank was that of a sun or some other star like entity. Not a single one of her delicate feathers was out of place and her polished horn would have no doubt reflected the light around her had they not been in relative darkness at the moment. She twisted her body, stretching her aching muscles and popping joints as if she had just woken from a long nap. Meanwhile, the three rangers just stared at her in dumbstruck awe.

Upon noticing them, the alicorn opened her mouth to say something, but the words never came. She looked down toward her snout, as if baffled by her own inability to create speech. She tried again. Still, nothing, but the dry hissing of broken vocal cords. She coughed loudly several times, before finally getting the words out. "Hello," she barely managed to say in a rough voice that strained her throat to no end. She coughed violently again.

"Uh..." Paper droned, completely bamboozled by what he was seeing.

"This is... very unexpected," Bastion added as he too removed his helmet.

"Um, hello?" Nightfall greeted, still confused by what exactly what was happening. "You... uh, you were a statue just a second ago."

The alicorn made a confused face before peering down at her hooves and looking them over with great interest. She looked back at the ponies with the same puzzled expression as before. They just continued staring at her as if she was an other-worldly being so she instead began to observe the chamber she was in, before returning her gaze to them. "Where?" she asked, her voice still scratchy.

"I think she wants to know where she is," Paper whispered.

"I know that." Nightfall finally stood up and collected his helmet. "Okay, okay," he said. "Enough of this standing around with our hooves in our mouths crap. It isn't getting us anywhere. Who the hell are you and how did you get down here?"

The alicorn just blinked, looking even more befuddled than she had before. She pointed to the ground. "Down here?"

"Yeah," Bastion answered. "You're about a quarter of a mile underground, just past the Unicorn Range to the east."

The alicorn seemed to think for a moment, putting her hoof to her chin. Clearly something was off. After a moment of thought, she took a few steps forward, stumbling slightly as her legs gave out from under her. Both Bastion and Paper rushed forward to aide her. When she was up, she gave a smile and a nod, as if trying to express her gratitude. "I don't know-" She coughed, cleared her throat, and tried again. "I don't know what's happening," she managed. "My name is Celestia."

"It's nice to meet you, Celestia," Paper said. "I'm Paper Cut. This hunk of meat next to me is Bastion and that guy over there is our glorious leader, Nightfall."

Celestia smiled. "It is very good to meet you all," she said, her voice returning and beginning to clear. Though it was still scratchy, there was a soft and comforting, almost mother like, tone to it.

"Well, this is just great and all," Nightfall interrupted, "but, Celestia, do you have any idea how long you've been down here?"

Celestia just shook her head.

Each of the rangers exchanged glances, a sudden feeling of dread building in each of them.

"Excuse us for a moment," Nightfall said. He waved his teammates over, away from Celestia for a moment. "Paper, find out as much as you can from her, but don't tell her a thing yet. This might all be a little overwhelming."

"Gotcha," Paper said, before breaking off to talk to the alicorn in question.

Before Nightfall could even turn to Bastion, he was bombarded with a question from the panicking earth pony. "What the hell are we going to tell her?" Bastion blurted out in a yell of a whisper.

"I have absolutely no idea," Nightfall answered. "This is all beyond me. We cant just go up to her and be all like "Oh, hey, you've been frozen in rock for the last thousand or so years. Can we?"

"Sure, if you want to give her a heart attack."

"Well, she's got to find out at some point," Nightfall argued. "It might as well be from us. I just don't know how you're supposed to break that kind of news to someone."

Bastion sighed. "So what's the play here then?"

Nightfall looked over his shoulder, back to where Paper was keeping Celestia occupied. The unicorn, just like he always did, had been taking notes in the journal he carried around. Now though, he and Celestia were exchanging jokes. They both seemed to be taking great pleasure in their shared sense of humor. Nightfall just sighed. "For now, let's just keep it simple. We'll get her back to town and tell her everything she needs to know. Once the storm clears, we'll head back to Canterlot and go from there."

Bastion hesitated, but eventually nodded in agreement. "Let's make sure we can find her a soft place to sit down when we do break the news," he said. "She'll need it."

"Yeah," Nightfall said, turning to the others.

Paper was still talking to Celestia. Despite the fact that they seemed to be getting along, the alicorn wore an expression that showed something was clearly bothering her and it seemed as if Paper was faltering in his attempt to keep her from asking certain questions.

"Well, alright," Paper said as his teammates joined them. "I've got good news and bad news. The good news is that Celestia here is a princess."

"And the bad news?" Nightfall asked, bracing for what would no doubt give them all headaches.

"Her magic may be burnt out."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Bastion asked.

"It means it's burnt out," Paper repeated. "Gone. Kaput. Won't work. Right Celestia?"

Celestia nodded. "I am afraid this is the truth," she said. Her voice had only improved slightly and was still but a whisper. She pointed up towards her horn. Despite being nearly a pure pearly white for most of it's length, there was slight discoloration towards the top that darkened into an ash gray at the tip. "It's complicated," she explained. "I don't entirely understand it myself, but I believe it may be my own fault."

"How so?" Paper asked.

Celestia sighed. "It is a long story, but if I am here, it can only mean that our spell did not work as intended." She took on a sad tone. "Please, tell me. How long has Equestria been without me?"

The rangers all just looked at each other, not really knowing what the answer to the question was or how they should go about answering it to begin with. As the leader of the group, the responsibility ultimately fell on Nightfall and he knew it. He took a second to collect his thoughts.

"Well," Nightfall started, scratching the back of his head. This was going to be bad. He just knew it, but continued anyways. "None of us have ever heard of you. Rumor has it that the alicorns ruled anywhere from one to two thousand years ago. So... I guess it's been quite some time."

The tunnel fell into dead silence. Celestia just stood there after hearing the words. Her expression was not sad, although her eyes had grown wide she looked as if she had simply fallen into deep thought, trying to piece together whatever it was she knew beforehand and what she had just been told. As she thought, her eyes began to dart back and forth between the floor and the ponies before her. It would seem she was about to need that soft spot to sit down.

"I take it you don't know about the blizzards," Nightfall said.

Celestia shook her head. She seemed to know something related, but didn't say anything. Instead, she remained silent, preferring to avoid before jumping to conclusions and overcomplicating things with unnecessary questions.

Nightfall just turned and waved her over as the group now began the short trek towards the surface. It was a quiet one, with only the sound of their hooves making contact with the ground to break the silence.

"How bad is it?" Celestia asked sadly as they neared the entrance.

No one said a thing. Instead, they just showed her. Stepping out of the mine, an evening breeze brushed passed them, the crisp air chilling Celestia to her core and burning her lungs with every breath she took. The puffs of white from her muzzle grew with every second as reality began to set in.

Around her was not an Equestria she knew. The sky was covered in complete overcast, the grey clouds diming any and all light from the sun that sat at the end of the horizon. The snow mixed dirt beneath her hooves was hard and frozen over. No grass, or any plants for that matter, naturally grew here any longer. In the distance, just beyond the storm spires, she could see a seemingly endless, swirling void of white.

Suddenly, Celestia began to feel a bit dizzy and she fell back on her haunches as if she had been knocked down by a punch in the chest. "One thousand years," she muttered.

Nightfall gave a sad nod. "Give or take."

"I'm really sorry, Princess," Bastion said. "I really wish we had better news for you."

"Yeah," Paper echoed. "I'm trying to find a bright side to point out, but..." He didn't finish as he got dirty looks from both Nightfall and Bastion. He responded only with a sheepish grin.

Celestia just sat there, staring up into the sky as if trying to force it to clear with her gaze. "No," she said. "This can't be happening. We were so careful in our preparations. Twilight even checked the list a tenth time to make sure we had everything we needed. This has to be a mistake. I can fix this though. There has to be a solution." She took a second to gather her thoughts, before her expression slowly grew into that of a scowl. "Or maybe that damnable draconequus made us a warped focusing crystal. That's it! Discord, if this is your idea of a joke then you are going to have Tartarus to pay!"

"Whoa there," Nightfall called out as he grabbed Celestia to keep her from storming off. "What are you even talking about?"

Celestia sighed as she tried to calm herself, her long pink mane falling into her face as she held her head low to the ground in grief. "Nothing of any consequence," she replied sadly. "Not anymore at least."

Nightfall stared down at the broken mare for a moment before returning his gaze back to his team. They all seemed just as confused as he did.

None of them had any idea what was actually going on here, but if there was one thing that they could all agree on, it was that an explanation was in order.

Author's Note

12/26/2018: Hey there. Thanks for reading the first chapter of my story. It means a lot to me. I have a quick favor to ask though. As of writing this, the story has 340 views but only 14 ratings (13 upvotes + 1 downvote). I'd really appreciate it if you took the extra second to click on one on of those thumbs. Every rating really helps me to get a feel for how I'm doing. Thanks a ton! :twilightsmile:

Chapter 6: Briefing

Paper Cut and Bastion sat patiently in their chairs as they waited for the briefing to begin. Bastion was currently going through an information packet about their next assignment, an expedition straight into the dead sectors of Manehattan, a practically ancient city lost to the elements long ago. Beyond a location, the packet didn't tell him much more. Next to him, Paper leaned back in his chair, half asleep.

At the far end of the room, an older stallion shuffled some papers at his podium and sipped a cup of coffee as he too waited for the last ponies to take their seats so that they could begin. Beside him, a large white screen hung on the wall, just across from a projector at the back of the room.

Thirty or so ponies had already amassed in the room, a collection of different patches from across several ranger companies within the Initiative adorning each of their jackets. The wide range of rangers present was strikingly odd to Bastion, who was more used to working with ponies within his own company. Even in joint operations, there was some sense of order that was severely lacking here.

A last few ponies filed into the room, the door being shut behind them as they all made their way to their seats.

"I don't believe it," Bastion said to no one in particular.

Paper, who was already half asleep in his chair, was suddenly jolted awake as Bastion delivered a push against his shoulder. "Gah! I'm awake! I'm awake," the unicorn said in surprise. After Bastion didn't say anything, he followed the earth pony's gaze downwards towards the base of the stadium style seating.

Bastion stood up and waved down to the thestral who had caught both of them a little off guard. Nightfall waved back before making his way up the steps and taking a vacant spot next to his friends. He did not say anything initially.

"Uh, Nightfall?" Paper said, trying to wrap his brain around why in Equestria he was here. "What are you doing here?"

Nightfall sighed, but answered without looking at them. "I'll tell you later," he said, sounding somewhat unhappy.

As the last of the ponies took their seats, the older stallion at the podium took one last sip of his coffee and called the meeting to order. "Good morning, everyone," he began. "Before we begin, I'd like you each to look around you. You may notice that our group here today is not comprised of a single company, but several. This will not be a joint operation though. Each of you was picked by hoof for this mission, because you are our most reliable and quite frankly, our best. This mission is heavily classified and you are all expected to perform it while maintaining full confidentiality during and after. Should you wish not to accept it, you may leave now without penalty." He stopped and looked around the room, a satisfied smile forming as everyone remained seated.

Nightfall just rolled his eyes. He was the only one here who didn't have a choice. He always had been and it seemed he always would be. The smile on the pony's face only served to annoy him even more.

"Very good then," the stallion continued. "Now, as many of you may have noticed, the information packets provided are very light on details. Joining us here today is Senior Mage Etcher of the TRST Magics and Special Artifacts Division. He'll be breaking down this assignment."

As the older stallion stepped down, Nightfall narrowed his gaze at the mage from behind his shades. He was a mage alright, sporting the signature robes that everyone in the MSAD wore. Other than the robes, Etcher seemed a lot less fish-out-of-water-ish than other mages who found themselves amongst rangers. He took his place at the podium confidently, looking out to the crowd with a satisfied smile.

"Hello, everyone. It's good to see you all and I look forward to working with you," Etcher began. He suddenly took on a very serious look. "Now, down to business." He pressed a button on the podium, triggering a projector to display images on the wall behind him. He flipped through slides as he spoke. "Two weeks ago, a team of our rangers discovered an artifact of great historical and magical importance in western Equestria."

Nightfall received a few looks from Bastion and Paper, but he simply motioned for them to continue listening to the briefing. Yes, Etcher was only speaking in partial truths, but given what he knew, Nightfall really wasn't surprised.

When Etcher finished making things up about this so called "artifact," he continued. "After extensive field studies, several crystalline fragments were also found near the initial site of discovery. It is our belief that hundreds of years ago a powerful spell caused this artifact to be randomly teleported to its resting place after a focusing crystal in use during said spell overloaded and discharged unexpectedly. Upon attempting to reconstruct this crystal, it was found to be incomplete, leading us to further discover that the aforementioned spell had in fact scattered several artifacts across Equestria. We believe that a small cluster is currently located in the north eastern dead sectors, specifically the old city of Manehattan."

"Now," Etcher continued, a new slide on the projector taking the place of the previous one. "Our ultimate goal in this operation is to locate the exact location of this artifact. This presents a unique challenge, as locating it will be like trying to find a needle in a hay stack. Fortunately, the crystal fragments have an identical signature which can be used to narrow down the search area."

Etcher then went on to explain the scientific process of how they had narrowed the location of one of the other "artifacts" and its corresponding cluster down to Manehattan, along with how finding the crystals would help. This involved many large words that nopony really understood. At this point, nearly everyone in the room seemed bored out of their minds, except Paper who looked more confused as he tried to wrap his head around what he was hearing, scribbling a few things down as the went along.

Despite his limited knowledge on such advanced magics and Etcher's own inability to water down the topic so that the common pony could understand, Paper was able to cobble together a basic idea of what was going on. Essentially, the crystal fragments would be scattered in a circular like pattern with the "artifact" being roughly in the center of this pattern. Finding multiple crystals would give them some idea of where that center area was. The more crystals they found, the better the estimate.

"Be warned," Etcher began, his demeanor growing even more serious than it already had. "These crystals are volatile and are not to be tampered with. If you find a crystal, do not attempt to move it. Physical contact alone is enough to destabilize them and magic manipulation is not advised. The MSAD has already lost one pony to vaporization. We do not wish to see this tragedy repeated."

Everyone sighed a bit in relief when Etcher finally stepped down.

"Thank you, Senior Mage," the older stallion said, trying his best to hold his forced smile as he took back the podium. "Now, if you look in your packets you'll find a roster along with a map of Manehattan. Our friends with the local restorative project, Project Reclamation, have been gracious enough to allow us to use their base of operations as a staging area for our own. This operation will consist of six teams of five. Each team has been assigned to search several sectors within the city. Study this map. Commit your sectors and the ones surrounding them to memory. Furthermore, each team will be provided with a device capable of detecting the unique magical signature of these crystal fragments. Once you receive a reading, you are to mark your location and attempt to confirm the presence a crystal. The mages will take over from there. Any questions?"

Everyone just sat in silence, either reading over the rosters or studying the maps they had been given.

"Good. Get your gear packed and assemble with your assigned teams at the train platform. We move out in an hour. You are dismissed."

"So, I guess they're not going to tell everyone what these artifacts are then?" Bastion said as everypony began to get up and leave.

"I can understand why'd they want to keep it a secret," Paper said. "What I don't get, is why you're here, Nightfall. Aren't you supposed to be retired now? What happened to settling down?"

Nightfall sighed in annoyance. "For now, let's just say Initiative command screwed me over and get on with this."

"You got," Paper assured. "We can just focus on the mission for now."

"Yeah, looks like we all got matched up together in team one, along with Foxtrot and someone named Star Mist," Bastion said as he looked over the roster.

"Who's Star Mist?" Paper asked.

"Beats me," Bastion answered with a shrug. They both looked to Nightfall who simply returned the gesture.

"I'm sure we'll meet them at the platform," Nightfall said. "Let's get our gear together."

Before the three could make their way to the door, they were suddenly confronted by Senior Mage Etcher himself, who was now staring at the group in a cold analytical way that put Nightfall on edge. "Team One, correct?" Etcher began, without even so much as a hello. "You're the ones who found our original *ahem* "artifact" if I'm not mistaken."

"That's us," Paper declared proudly. "It is a real honor to be working with you, sir. I've admired the work that the MSAD has done ever since I was a little colt."

"You must be Paper Cut," Etcher replied. "I'm glad to see that some rangers have taken a proactive interest in magic. Your file made it very clear that your magical ability has contributed greatly to your team's continued success in the field. The Archmage will be happy to know you're on board with this mission."

Paper beamed with delight at hearing the mage's words.

"You read our files," Nightfall stated.

"I did, indeed," Etcher answered. "I must say, I'm glad to have such a diverse set of ponies on this mission. It will be interesting to see how certain..." He looked to Nightfall, "skillsets contribute to this operation as a whole. I'll be sure to keep an eye on you, especially. I'm not exactly fond of the idea of letting criminals in on such delicate matters. I'm trusting that none of our instruments will end up on the black market."

At this point in his life, Nightfall was more than used to these types of jokes. Though it was not appreciated, he would not have been bothered by it had something not clearly been off about the exchange. Etcher's lips did not curl, any trace of a smile being painfully vacant from the unicorn's expression. He was serious. "Well screw you too," Nightfall thought to himself. His own gaze narrowed at the mage. "I'm sure."

Suddenly it seemed as if there was a great tension in the air between the two and for a moment one could have cut it with a knife, but before anything else could be said, Etcher simply smiled. "Well, this has been a pleasure, but I shouldn't keep you any longer. There is work to be done after all." And with that, he took his leave.

Nightfall huffed, before turning and beginning to make his way to the door.

"Something tells me you don't like him," Bastion said to Nightfall, as he began to follow the thestral.

"Yeah, well something tells me that he doesn't like me," Nightfall answered.

"You guys just need to get to know each other," Paper said. "I'm sure once you guys have worked together a little, all those bumps will be smoothed out."

"Pfft," Nightfall replied, blowing hot air. "I know his type. Everything he wanted to know about us was in our files. I hope you like the photo in that yellow folder, because that's what he'll be basing all his judgments off of."

"Oh come one, man..."

"No, Paper," Nightfall harshly refused. "I'm not just going to just "come on." Let's get to the platform and get this over with."

Paper and Bastion both looked to each other as Nightfall took off towards the door. It was clear to them that frustration had already set in and that he needed some space to cool off. Once they got the show on the road, he'd settle into his role and things would be fine. Hesitating only for a second, they each followed their thestral brother out the door to get their equipment.

The group was now on the train platform amongst a few other teams who were preparing to head out as they waited for their train to arrive. Every so often, a train would come and go, dumping off teams fresh back from a completed mission and gathering a new one to take their place. The track that the current group waited at had been kept clear of any traffic so that the train could arrive to pick them up.

All their gear had been gathered in large duffle bags. Guns, ammo, blades, special equipment. It was all there. As they waited, they did some last minute checks.

Bastion habitually and repetitively opened and closed a lighter with an audible click each time. He finally got bored and laid back on his own bag, which made a lousy cushion, but worked fine as a back support. Paper read a copy of the day's newspaper, a small frown forming on his face as he found that there was nothing interesting going on other than the same boring junk that got written when he was away from the office.

"Are you guys team one?" a mare suddenly asked the group, catching each of their attention.

"That's us," Paper greeted happily with a hoof shake. "You must be Star Mist."

"That's me," her happily toned voice came from beneath the hard-case helmet she already wore. It was worn and full a scratches, a testament to the number of assignments she had clearly been on. Her snow suit was equally as worn, but seemed to be well maintained. This was a good sign in each of the team member's books, being a clear indication of experience and discipline.

Other than that, her suit configuration was remarkably standard. Basic utility pouches on her right side, a small med-kit on her lower back with a holster for a standard issue flare carbine, a relatively simple flare based weapon, just above that, and the Initiative patches on her shoulders. She appeared to have seven ammo canisters along her left side. She rounded out her kit with a sidearm and extra magazines. The rest of her molle was left mostly open on the chest and abdomen. All in all, her loadout was a well rounded one, if not a bit lack luster, and despite the fact that she seemed to have no clear specialization in mind.

Nightfall himself tended to focus on versatility in a more close to medium range engagement. Four incendiary grenades, at least twenty something throwing knives, and a few other surprises in his bag of tricks, along with a more personalized version of the flare carbine. Bastion was a completely different story. He was the big man with the big gun and enough ammo to unthaw a city block. The MK-V Flare Rifle was a bit larger and heavier than the MK-IV and most definitely less versatile than the MK-VI or MKVII, but the earth pony insisted that it hit harder and truer than any other version in the armory. Paper preferred to rely on magic, something he had excelled in ever since joining up with the Initiative and getting into offensive spells, though he did carry an arming sword as well. He also carried all the extra medical supplies. Lastly was Foxtrot. As an accomplished marksman, he tended to go relatively light on gear, usually carrying just ammo and a precision rifle. It was very specialized role, but invaluable when needed.

On top of their own personalized gear, each member of the team carried their own med-kit, a comfortable sidearm with extra magazines, and a few other tools. Any and all blades, with the exception their utility knives, bore fire enchantments that burned through windigos like hot knives through butter.

"Welcome to the family," Bastion greeted the new mare. "I'm Bastion. That's Paper Cut, Foxtrot, and Nightfall," he continued, pointing to each respective pony. "Nightfall's team leader, so he'll be calling the shots."

"It's good to meet all of you," Star Mist said.

Suddenly, one of the gates at the far end of the platform opened, allowing flurries of snow to blow in along with a chilling breeze as the train rolled into the station. It was specially marked with long blue stripes, designating it as one of the MSAD's.

"That's our ride," Nightfall began, as he gathered up his bags along with the rest of his team.

"It's about time," Foxtrot complained.

As the doors opened, everypony filed into the train cars, noticing that the inside was nicer than the usual transports. They were much nicer actually. There were actual chairs instead of benches, with enough room for one to stretch out if they wanted to. Of course, this resulted in the train being longer, but it was a welcome change.

Paper smiled. "Now this is what I'm talking about," he said as he flopped down into one of the padded chairs. They were soft too. Working with the MSAD certainly had it's perks. Once everyone was situated and the door finally closed, a few ponies entered from the rear and began handing out fruit and refreshments. "Oh, yeah. I could get used to this."

Not even an hour later, the train was moving at a quick pace, already beyond the outer walls of the capital and out into the frozen unknown.

Before the train had even passed through the first checkpoint, Paper had fallen asleep in his chair. It reclined. The thing actually reclined. They had been doing trains wrong for the entire time they were in the Initiative. This was how you were supposed to travel. As for Bastion, the earth pony was just looking out the window, watching snow as they passed.

There were a few other teams in the same car as them. The others were packed full of the other teams along with the mages and what seemed like an exuberant amount of support personnel. What they were for, Nightfall didnt know, but what he did know was that there were a few too many ears around for what he needed to say.

He looked over to his right where Star Mist was sitting in the seat next to him. From under her helmet, he couldn't tell if she had fallen asleep or not, so decided to give her a pat on the shoulder to get her attention. She hadn't been, and responded accordingly.

"Yes?"

"We need to step outside for a moment," Nightfall said as he stood and grabbed his helmet.

Star Mist suddenly grew tense at the implications at was going on. She did her best to hide her nervousness, but the fact that Nightfall did not notice it did little to put her at ease.

As the two headed to the front of the train car, Nightfall signaled for Foxtrot to follow. He too grabbed his helmet and put it on before stepping outside with the others.

As Star Mist noticed her temperature gage drop from a comfortable 70 degrees down to a frigid -2, she couldn't help but think to herself how grateful she was that she wasnt the one who had to maintain the rails beneath them. The combination of the cold and stress made basic enchantments a must, but recharging those enchantments, or even replacing the rails when needed, was no doubt a tedious job. And that was on top of the dangers that they already faced with being out in the tundra.

The three of them stood there a moment, each fully covered in their snow suits, as the door closed behind them. Nightfall checked the door to the next car to make sure no one would interrupt them. Once he was certain they were alone, he began.

"So what's up?" Foxtrot asked after they had all plugged in their radios so that they could hear each other over the constant 'click-clack' of the wheels against the track.

"Do either of you know anything about this mission beyond the briefing?" Nightfall asked casually.

Both Foxtrot and Star Mist just shook their heads no.

Nightfall swore inwardly, not entirely sure if he should be doing this or not. "You can probably tell by the fact I'm asking that they didnt exactly tell you everything. Hell, I dont even know if I'm supposed to tell you any of this so this stays between us."

"So what is it then?" Foxtrot asked. "This whole operation is some kind of front for something else? I'm guessing we're actually all lab rats and the mages are here to study how well we play scavenger hunt in a dead sector."

Nightfall couldn't help but smile, but shook his head regardless. "No. It's the artifacts. They didnt say what they were during the briefing."

"I noticed."

"Now that you mention it, it would be nice to know exactly what we're looking for," Star Mist added. "Or why they're important."

"That's above our pay-grade," Foxtrot reminded with some annoyance at the secrecy.

"We found the first one," Nightfall began. "Paper, Bastion, and I. It wasn't an artifact. 'It' was a 'she'." He sighed. There was no real easy way to drop this kind of bombshell announcement on someone, so he was just going to say it. "What I'm about to say is going to sound ridiculous, but that spell they mentioned? It didn't just scatter pieces of the focusing crystal, it scattered the casters as well."

"You're saying that this spell shot a bunch wizards forward in time." Foxtrot concluded.

Nightfall shrugged. "She was a statue when we found her, but turned back to normal upon physical contact. So forward in time or stuck in a stone shell for the last thousand years. I don't know which one."

"So this is a rescue op then," Star Mist said. "We're trying to find the other casters."

"Yes."

"I dont see how this changes things," Foxtrot pointed out. "If they're trapped in stone, then finding the crystals is still our best bet."

"Unless they're not trapped in stone anymore," Star Mist thought out loud.

"This whole damn thing better not be a wild goose chase," Foxtrot said somewhat angrily. "How are we supposed narrow down they're location if they're moving!?"

"We dont know that she's been thawed out yet, Foxtrot," Nightfall said. "We're just thinking out loud here."

Foxtrot hmphed, clearly not happy with the current situation.

"She?" Star Mist questioned.

Nightfall nodded. "There were four of them, is what I've been told. They each controlled a different aspect of the spell, but they weren't just normal mages. They were alicorns. The alicorns. Apparently, they were trying to repair some magical cosmic force or something. It didnt work and they ended up here. That's what Celestia told us at least."

He went on to describe the events that had transpired before stumbling upon her in the mine. Both Star Mist and Foxtrot had gone quiet upon hearing this revelation and bounced back and forth between trying to listen and keeping track of the questions that were stacking up in their heads.

"Hold on," Star Mist interrupted. "An alicorn princess? Weren't they gods or something?"

"Yeah," Nightfall confirmed. He swore that in that instant, he could see Star Mist's eyes light up from under her tinted visor. "But with like a lowercase 'g'. Beyond that, I know about as much you guys."

"What was she like?" Star Mist asked suddenly, all too entranced by the story.

"She was generous. Soft-spoken, but she had this authority about her that made just about everypony around her melt like chocolate in her hooves. It was actually kind of unnerving. She was also really tall."

"Are the legends true? Can she can control the sun?"

"She claimed to able to," Nightfall answered, "but her magic was burnt out when we found her. It will probably take a while for her to recover."

"Sounds a little too convenient if you ask me," Foxtrot said suspiciously. "Anyways, I'm freezing my ass off out here." And without so much as a farewell, he turned around marched right back into the warmth of the train car.

"Well, he sure is blunt... and kind of rude," Star Mist said, only to tense up when she realized that he had probably heard her through his headset. Foxtrot made no indication that he had, much to Star's relief. He more than likely had already turned off his radio.

"That's just his way," Nightfall began, "I wouldn't worry too much. He's good at his job and he'll watch your back."

"Yeah..." Star Mist hesitated, but went back to the conversation only moments later. "So, about these alicorns..."

The conversation ended up not being too long of one, seeing as Nightfall himself had little information on what was actually going on. Naturally, the subject matter shifted from being about the job to more personal matters. The two had not yet met properly and now was as good a time as any for them to get acquainted. Nightfall actually found a great deal of enjoyment in this. Star Mist was certainly excited about this assignment, but in a much more calm way than others. She had a relaxing way of speaking and seemed more than comfortable being casual around him. This was good.

They had only stayed outside for a few moments, being able to go back in when the conversation had switched to much lighter and far less secretive topics. Bastion inevitably joined in along with Paper when he finally woke up. In a way, it was strange. Nightfall had actually missed this to some degree. The comradery was only strengthened by the dangers that they all faced together. For now, it was enough of a distraction from the fact that he was here involuntarily.

Manehattan. The lost gem of the east. The city was practically ancient at this point, but many of it's structures still stood tall and true despite the harsh elements. It was clear that the ponies who built this place, built things to last. Though many of the towers were weathered down, their windows having been shattered long ago and their insides gutted by the chilling wind, they still portrayed an image of power. It was haunting though. Like the skeleton of a god still looking down at the world and judging from above.

According to many history books, the city had been in the middle of a technological revolution before its decline and inevitable downfall. Most of this had been destroyed by the weather over the course of hundreds of years. But down, in the depths of the deepest vaults, below the snow, below the ice, it was rumored that treasures and technologies beyond ones wildest dreams lay waiting, beckoning anyone brave enough to claim them.

"Oh, bullshit," Foxtrot claimed. "There's no way any of that stuff could be considered treasure. Outdated junk, maybe. But I don't believe for one moment that some machine that can cure cancer or a bionic microwave oven is hidden away in some vault."

"What makes you so sure, Foxtrot?" Paper asked. "Some of those corporation put a lot of money into research and development and just as much keeping their inventions safe. There could be all kinds of things hidden below those buildings that we dont know about."

"Fifty bits says we dont find anything worth while."

"You're on."

The two shook on it, before going back to simply watching the city grow closer and closer as they approached. A long time ago, the train would have gone over the bridge and straight into the city itself, where the largest of any station in Equestria waited. Now, no sane pony would set a hoof on that rickety old bridge, no less send any kind of locomotive over it. To do so would have been suicide.

The bridge was large and ominous, it's horseshoe shaped supports being a sign of a better time when engineers had the time and resources to pull off such feats. The marvel now barely stood, crumbling and wasting away, letting out terrible wails of rusted iron on rusted iron as loose pieces rubbed against each other under the influence of the wind and hundreds of years of stress. The structure was on its last legs and soon it would collapse entirely, meeting its watery grave in the frozen river below.

Fortunately, the train had been divorced from this suicidal route long ago and the rails guided it away. About half an hour after the city had initially come into view, the train pulled into a station that was disproportionately smaller than the outpost that surrounded it. Most outposts in the tundra were small compounds. The standard setup usually included a TRST station, utilities, greenhouse, and some form of lodging. This outpost was much more like a small town of its own.

From the window, Star Mist could see dozens of ponies going about their business, most being agents for the local restorative project, though there were a few civilians in the mix. If she had to take a guess, she'd say there were about 400 ponies living here, mostly project staff and their families.

When the train finally came to a stop, everypony filed out onto the platform, each of them being more than ready to get out of the train cars they had been cooped up in for nearly two days of travel. From the platform, the ranger teams were directed to an area on the edge of the residential district where a series of cabins stood, seemingly for the purpose of accommodating guests. There was just enough for each team to have their own.

"Tops! Called it!" Paper declared, throwing his bags on the upper bunk of one of the four bunk beds in the cabin.

"No one cares," Foxtrot groaned in annoyance.

Everyone was jet lagged from the trip and consequently they had all been given the rest of the day to rest before their real mission began in the morning. They had an hour to get settled and familiarize themselves with where they would be staying. Then they would assemble to go over the equipment that would help them locate the crystal fragments. It had all been shipped over, along with a few MSAD mages, a few days in advance. After that, the few remaining hours of daylight would be theirs for whatever they wanted to do. Not that there was much to do. The town was severely lacking in recreational activities.

"We could stop by the labs," Paper Cut suggested, "maybe see what kinds of things the researchers are working on."

"I wouldn't mind going," Star Mist replied as she deposited her own bags on the bottom bunk below Nightfall.

The thestral jumped down from his perch. "Oh why the hell not? Not like there's anything better to do."

Nightfall looked over the large scanner that he now held in his hooves. It was similar to the small one that he usually had with him, with the exception that this one had about a hundred more buttons and switches, none of which he knew the function of. "Where's the power button on this damn thing?" he asked, turning it over in his hooves.

"Please, be careful!" the MSAD assistant warned. "This is very sensitive equipment."

"If it wont survive me turning it over, it isnt going to survive out in the city." Nightfall passed the piece of tech off to Paper, who had always had much better luck with these sorts of things.

The teams had all gathered together in the outpost's assembly hall. From there, they were instructed to gear up and head outside where they were each assigned an assistant from the MSAD to teach them how to use the equipment required to locate the crystal shards.

Paper looked over the scanner closely, taking note of each button's position and label. Following the assistant's instructions, he found the power button on the back and proceeded to boot up the piece of tech. It proceeded to make a series of hums and buzzes as the screen came to life, displaying a list of incomprehensible codes that scrolled up across the screen before there was even a chance to read them. Then the screen fell dark for a few seconds before loading up what appeared to be a start menu.

"Very good," the assistant began. "Now, this system is very sensitive, but also very simple." He pointed to an area on the side where several scroll wheels and switches were highlighted in yellow. "Go ahead and flip the first two switches."

Paper did as he was instructed. A series of lines, each with a corresponding number and a unit of measure that he did not recognize, appeared on the screen. The MSAD assistant pointed to another button, which Paper hit.

The screen now displayed several squiggly line that ran horizontally, each vibrating at different frequencies. "This scanner will pick up both active and leftover energies from spells and magical phenomenon." He pulled out a tennis ball and proceeded to levitate it up and down slowly. Each of the lines consequently jumped to different values. When the assistant cut off his magic, the lines all dropped back to zero.

"When your search begins tomorrow, these machines will be calibrated to pick up the unique signature of the crystals, but for now they'll pick up any kind of magic so that we can practice. When you get a reading in the field, you will need to mark your location and write down all numbers on the screen exactly as they appear."

From there, the scanner was passed around the group so that each pony was able to get a feel for it, the last of which was Nightfall. The MSAD assistant seemed to watch him much more closely than the others, which only annoyed him when the unicorn started literally watching from right over his shoulder.

The next few hours after that were spent with each of the ranger team wandering aimlessly around an open area where a few "magic hot spots," as the MSAD mages referred to them, had been created for the rangers to find. Sure enough, from time to time, the lines on the screen would jump around sporadically and the numbers would be marked down before moving on. This was repeated several times by each member of the team until they had all completed the training in a way that the MSAD found acceptable.

It was unanimously decided though that Paper should be the one to take care of the scanning duties once they were in the fields, seeing as he seemed to have the greatest understanding of how all this worked, along with the most interest in getting to hold a machine that he described as "a wonderful little invention."

And so, with some daylight still left to spare, training was completed and all ranger teams were dismissed for the day. That is, all but Nightfall, Paper, Bastion, Foxtrot, and Star were dismissed. Given what they knew, this came as no surprise to most of them.

The MSAD mages waited for a moment for the rest of the teams to get out of range of earshot before continuing. "First off, we are happy to have you with us, Team One."

Nightfall rolled his eyes. Foxtrot didnt care much for the formalities either.

"There are some details regarding this mission that you are not yet aware of. Foxtrot. Star Mist. Have you two been filled in on what it is that we are doing here beyond what you were told in briefing?"

"Yes, sir," Star answered somewhat nervously as Foxtrot merely responded with a nod.

If the mages were displeased with this, they didn't show it. Instead, they simply continued. "Then we are sure there are no end to your questions. Once all is said and done, we will be happy to answer those, but for the time being this following information is all that can be disclosed. You will all want to hear it."

They had all known that something was being hidden from them and they were sure that the other teams were probably picking up on it as well, but now was not the time to complicate things by getting involved in whatever motivations the MSAD had for being so hush hush about it all. They simply listened.

"We know which of the alicorns we are looking for here," the mage began. "Her is name is Princess Luna and we know that she is here in this city because she made contact with Princess Celestia through her dreams."

Dreams? Certainly, no one in the group had expected this and it showed.

"We know it sounds strange," the mage explained, "but in her own time, Princess Luna was a very gifted dream walker. We believe that she used the last of her magic to contact Princess Celestia in her dreams. Knowing this, we can reasonably say two things. One, when you awakened Princess Celestia, Princess Luna was also awoken. And two, finding the crystal shard will not lead us directly to Princess Luna."

"So why use them as reference points?" Paper asked after allowing this information to sink in.

"There is no other option. These crystal shards will lead us to the site where Princess Luna was sent, but there is a chance that she will no longer be there. In her message, the princess made reference to an individual that she believed to be a potential threat, someone she referred to as The Warden. We have done a search and found no information on this name. Whoever this Warden is, he or she is not to be trusted. The princess made this clear."

"You think this guy has Luna?" Nightfall asked.

"There is a possibility. When the princess's original location is found, a team of mages will be tasked in tracking her down. You will provide support during this phase of the operation. Paper Cut," the mage suddenly said, catching the young unicorn's attention. "Given your... personal experiences with Princess Celestia, we would request that you lead this particular phase and act as the greeter for our official introduction."

Paper's ears shot up and his eyes went wide. Sure, he had had several long interview sessions with Celestia, but never imagined that that meant he would be the one addressing Princess Luna on behalf of all of Equestria. "I-I... I'd be honored," he stammered. "But, Nightfall. He's usually squad lea-"

"We'll make sure everything goes smoothly," Nightfall interrupted. "Is there anything else?"

"Only one thing," the mage said. "All this information is to remain a secret. You will carry out the mission as previously instructed and be briefed when the time for the final phase has come. If there are no questions, you are dismissed."

There were no questions and the team left in silence.

"We are putting a lot of trust in that thestral," Etcher suddenly spoke up along side his peers once Team One was out of sight. "I do not feel that this is wise."

"There is little reward without risk," the highest ranking among them answered. "Besides. That one will not betray us. Of this I am certain."

"Yes, of course, Archmage," Etcher replied. "My apologies. I just hope for Equestria's sake that this all goes according to plan."

Author's Note

I've probably written, rewritten, edited, and re-edited this chapter five or six times now trying to get it just right. Chapter 7 will be out before Christmas. I'm hoping to have Chapter 8 out before February.

Chapter 8: Fire and Ice

Paper laid on his back up in the top bunk, turning his helmet over in his hooves repeatedly and fidgeting with the jaw plate. The wait was absolutely killing him and he had already written down everything he could think of in his journal. They had all arrived back at the project's headquarters late, the sun having already set most of the way below the horizon, but given all that had happened, he couldn't figure out how to fall asleep. There was just far too much on his mind. This was a quality shared by everyone else in the team.

Bastion was on the bunk below Paper and though his eyes may have been closed, he was wide awake, the events of the day going through his head. Across the room, Foxtrot sat up with his rifle deconstructed into numerous large and small pieces, a bottle of firearms cleaning solution in one hoof and a rag with increasing amounts of black on it in the other. At the only window, Star sat with her head resting on the sill, looking much like a homesick puppy even with all of her gear and helmet still on.

The door suddenly burst open, allowing a cold draft and a few flurries of snow to enter the heated cabin. In walked Nightfall as tired as ever. He promptly kicked the door shut with his back leg and collapsed on the floor, letting his helmet and backpack drop haphazardly from his body.

"Well?" Paper asked as he sat up, more than eager to know what was going to happen now.

Nightfall sighed. It was one of both relief and of exhaustion. "Teams 3 and 4 just showed up a few minutes ago. Their being debriefed right now. I guess Striker found them in time. As for us, all operations are being suspended for the night until we can get some more solid intel on the situation. Command's working on getting a message to Canterlot to get us some reinforcements, but apparently their having trouble getting it through."

"But the mission isn't cancelled, right?" Bastion asked.

"No, of course not," Nightfall answered. "They're working on revised sectors for us to search. They want all teams operating closer together in case of another attack. When we'll be sent back out is anyone's guess." He yawned suddenly, before practically crawling his way over to one of the beds and slipping out of his snow suit. "Good. Night." he said with a great deal of finality in his voice.

Paper shrugged and laid back down, trying not to think about all that was happening. All he could be certain of was that he was uncertain. "So, did command have any idea what all this means?" he asked after a moment of thought.

"Nope," Nightfall answered, now firmly in bed, laying on his stomach and facing the wall. "The pictures sure spooked the MSAD guys though."

Star Mist left her place at the window. Nightfall wasnt sure how, but he could suddenly feel her standing at the side of his bed, looking at him. He rolled over and returned the look. Why in the world did she still have her gear on? "Yes?"

"Oh sorry," Star Mist replied, apparently not having realized that she was staring at the thestral. Backing away, she found her way over to her own bed, sitting on the edge and just staring at the floor as if in deep thought. "Do you guys think we're going to be okay?" she finally asked.

"I don't see why not," Foxtrot answered as he began to reassemble his weapon. "Windigos, ice wolves, bandits. I've seen it all. Whoever these guys are, they're just the next group of baddies who need bullets in their heads." He held up a magazine for his rifle. "And I've got plenty of bullets."

"Well, sure, but..." Star stopped, not entirely sure what she was wanting to say. "I dont know. We've already lost one team. I just dont want to lose anyone else."

"That's a perfectly reasonable concern," Bastion said reassuringly. "We've been doing this a long time though. We'll watch each other's backs and make sure nothing happens. And if something bad does happen, we'll be there to help."

"How long have you guys been in the Initiative?"

"I've been in for about seven years now," Bastion answered. "Not sure if I'll renew for another four though. Paper up there has been in a year and a half. Foxtrot's been in..." he stopped, looking over to the pegasus in question. "Actually, I dont know. Foxtrot. How long you been in the Initiative?"

"Eight months," Foxtrot answered flatly, as if his time serving was of no consequence. "I was a merc for ten before that though. Those were the fun times."

"Right," Bastion replied. "Oh, and Nightfall's been in for five."

As if on cue, Nightfall let out a faint snore, extracting an eye roll from Bastion. Despite his outward expression, Bastion never failed to be inwardly impressed by Nightfall's ability to fall asleep on demand. He himself had to lay with his eyes closed for a few minutes before drifting off with no way to determine the moment that he actually fell asleep. When Nightfall decided he wanted to fall asleep, he just did it.

"How long have you been in?" Paper asked from the top bunk, not able to sleep and figuring he might as well participate in the conversation. "I dont think I've ever seen your name on a roster or anything before."

"You wouldn't have," Star answered. "I've actually been gone for a while. I was in for four years, but took a break after that. Ended up coming back just for this mission."

"Oh, well in that case, welcome back," Paper replied.

"Thanks. It's good to be back." All of this had only been a partial truth. Yes, she had been in the Initiative for four years, but wasnt exactly in the same role as the ponies she now found herself with. Agriculture and land surveying. Foxtrot would have a fit if he found out that she wasnt actually ever a ranger. Despite this, she had picked up more than a few tricks over the years, though admittedly, lying always made her feel a little dirty. The rest of her just felt plain dirty from not having taken off her snowsuit in at least forty-eight hours.

"Okay," Star began with a bit of a chuckle. "I have really got to go take a shower now." She got up from her spot and began to make her way to the door.

"Hey," Foxtrot called, catching Star's attention before she could leave. "Do us a favor and come in quiet when you get back. I'm probably going to hit the hay pretty soon."

"Well, in that case, I'll see you in the morning," she replied matter-of-factly before turning to Bastion and Paper. "Good night, guys."

Bastion and Paper both returned the gesture and then Star exited the room, the wind carrying some snowflakes through the door during the brief moment that it was open. On the other side, Star sat for a moment, before sighing and attempting to calm her nerves. That conversation had gone well enough she figured, but as she began to think about it, she feared that she might slip and give something away. On top of that, her hooves had been trembling ever since meeting Striker. A hot shower would definitely do her some good.

Meadow had discarded her snowsuit, hanging it on a hook along with her helmet. She now stood with her front hooves against the wall just under the shower head, allowing the hot water to run across her back and trickle down her legs. She felt every muscle in her body relax as the tension from the last few days washed away in an instant. The windigos on their heels. The killer elements. Even the unknown threat that was hanging over all their heads. For a moment, all that weight just faded from her shoulders.

She gave out a satisfied sigh as she ran a hoof through her mane, which had been a tangled and matted mess, but now hung heavily and straight, soaked with water. She no longer shook, the comforting effects of the steam seeing to it that her entire body went calm and loose. She switched hooves, beginning small circular motions across the back of her neck as she found a particularly sore spot, giving it extra attention as she worked her way down.

After all that had happened and with everything that was happening, this was a moment of pure bliss. She was lonely though. She craved the touch of a certain someone else's hooves on her. She wanted to put her hooves on his chest as he explored her body and they gave themselves to each other. It was strange. Together all these years and never had they just gone for it. Now here she was, wanting that more than ever. "Dammit, Nightfall. What have you done to me," she whispered to herself.

She moved her hooves lower down across her frame rubbing at each and every knot, her mind wandering to and fro until she had remained under the hot water's influence for longer than she had intended. Soap came next, the light blue substance turning into bubbles as she worked the suds into her scalp, rinsing it all away when she felt that she had washed it adequately. Next came her coat, which took far longer and only increased her desire as her hooves continued to glide across her body.

She completely forgot whether or not she had originally intended to do a full wash, but god knew that she needed it, even if she was only going to end up smelling even worse in only a few days time. Regardless, she did eventually finish up, allowing the last of her stress to wash down the drain with the soapy water. She found herself a towel and began to dry off, basking in the afterglow of the session.

Finally, Meadow turned back to her helmet and snowsuit, the two things that currently gave her her false identity. She wasnt at all eager to put them back on. She was enjoying the feeling of being clean far too much and she probably would have just sat there for a few moments, continuing to enjoy it had the lights not gone out and the earth not quaked violently, as if hell itself had arrived to collect.

"What in the world?" Paper complained, popping up from his pillow and banging his head on the ceiling. "Gah, son of a-" He had no time to recover before another quake rocked the entire cabin, causing him to fall from his spot, dragging half the sheets down with him. "Ouch," he said in a bemused tone.

Bastion was already on his hooves, his rifle slung across his back as he scrambled to get to his gear in the dark, his instincts from being in the guard going off and telling him that he needed to suit up. Foxtrot quickly followed suit, lighting a flare to illuminate the room after finding that the lights would not turn on. "Quit screwing around," he scolded, yanking the sheet off of Paper and dropping his gear on him.

Paper groaned in annoyance, finding that the entire room was cast in an eerie red light from the flare. "What the hell is going on?" he finally managed as another quake shook the earth. This one was followed by the sound of weapons fire from outside. "Oh my god. We're under attack."

"No shit," Foxtrot said as he clamped his helmet shut.

Nightfall hadn't said so much as a word so far, instead hurrying along as he rushed to gather up his gear. He was somehow already ahead of everyone else, his snowsuit and helmet dawned and his own rifle already on his back. He strapped his sidearm to his leg and headed for the door, followed closely by Bastion who was right there with him. "Hurry up," the thestral ordered, his voice sounding strained as adrenaline pumped through his body.

Paper was the last to join the group and all at once they made their way out the door.

The scene before them was an absolute mess. The night seemed almost like day as fires burned all around them. In the direction of the armory, gunfire and heavy ordinance could be heard going off as large black columns rose into the sky. In the courtyard in front of them, ponies were running back and forth. Some were carrying others on blood soaked stretchers. Others were carrying their comrades off by hoof. In the other direction, the base's security forces ran towards the sounds of chaos. Further down, just across from the groups current position, several ponies were attempting to combat the blaze that had engulfed a large building they recognized as the main ops center, its roof seemingly somehow caved in.

A watchtower to the east suddenly exploded, putting out a spotlight that had been shining down. The sound of bullets impacting against something hard, prompted everyone to dive for cover.

Nightfall looked over to his right to see that a few guards had taken cover just around the side of one of the cabins. The red crosses on their armor designated them as medics. Currently, they were working on one of their buddies who appeared to have taken a great deal of shrapnel and was now unconscious.

"Hey, what's going on?!" Nightfall asked frantically. "Who's attacking us?!"

"No idea, sir!" one of the medics called back. "We just got out here and found everything like this! All I know is that half this place is on fire and that the power is out! No, alarm! No, warning! Just boom and then this!"

"Where's the hospital?!"

"On the other side of that mess!" the medic replied, motioning towards the storm of flames that was quickly spreading and tenting the entire sky orange.

"Okay, you hold here and do what you can for the wounded! I'm going to start sending them your way with whatever medical staff I can find! We need to clear this area and keep it secure so that ponies have a place to go!"

"Copy that!" the medic called back.

Nightfall took off, ducking across the short stretch of open ground and back into cover with the others. "Alright! We're clearing this area and then linking up with whoever we can find! Foxtrot, Bastion, I need you two to rally anyone you can and set up a perimeter! We're going to have a lot of wounded who need attention and the medics cant do their jobs if they're taking fire! Paper, you're coming with me! We're going to try and make it to the hospital and send back anyone we find! If we can clear these streets up ahead, they should have a straight shot! We clear?!"

Everyone either nodded or made some indication that they understood. Just as they were about to bolt from cover, they instinctively dove back down as several shots passed over their heads, wood from their cabin splintering just behind them.

Nightfall and Bastion both popped up, firing several shots back in the direction from where the initial rounds had come, as Paper and Foxtrot both scattered to stretch their line and prevent them from being surrounded.

Several ponies who had been caught out in the open, wounded and able bodied alike, fell as more shots range out, a group in combat gear becoming visible through the smoke on the other side of the courtyard. They were just as Striker had described the ones who killed Team 2. Well equipped and heavily armed and they wasted no time fanning out and beginning to fire on the rangers from as many directions as possible.

Nightfall and Bastion both dropped down as quickly as they could, a volley of rounds crashing into their cover only a split second later.

The enemy hit them hard, the cascading fire of automatic weapons drowning out any other sound other than the grenades that were thrown their way. They did not stay long though, as more and more of the security forces began to close on the courtyard. Teams 3 and 4 also managed to get out of their cabins and into cover only a few of them being struck by fire.

When there was a break in the rounds being sent their way, Bastion leaned out of cover, aimed, and pulled the trigger. The flare shot across the open ground slower than a bullet but faster than a rocket, finding its target on the other side of a pile of crates.

The hostile dropped dead on impact, the flare penetrating the side of his helmet and lodging itself deep into his skull. Sparks shot from the hole in the side of his head as the flare continued to burn. His body went ragdoll, toppling over like a sack of meat that gravity did not take kindly to, and then laying still in the snow that was now stained red with his blood.

"There's one," Bastion said nonchalantly as he dropped back into cover.

Nightfall peaked up, counting as many of the ponies as he could. "There's twenty, give or take a few," he said, before leaning out himself and sending several flares down range. One ripped through someone's shoulder, setting his suit on fire and causing him to stagger back. Another flare went low, hopped off the ground, and came up to catch another pony in the neck.

Several more security force personnel arrived on scene, each brandishing their own weapons and beginning to fire at the invaders, the sound of gunfire growing more and more into a single blurred together boom.

Seeing as they were now outnumbered and consequently outgunned, the hostiles began to flee from their positions, continuing to fire as they did. For many of them, this proved to be a fatal mistake. Recognizing an opportunity, the security forces and ranger teams opened up on the now exposed hostiles as they attempted to scurry back into the buildings.

Bullets and flares from every rifle barrel shot out across the courtyard, tearing the opposite end apart. Wood, metal, or flesh, nothing was spared from the onslaught of fire. Devastation and havoc were wreaked upon the enemy. Their fragile and pathetic bodies were ripped and torn through, nature having never intended for this hellish scenario to play out. All the snow on that side was completely red. Barely an inch was spared from being bathed in equine blood.

Nightfall instinctively rushed forward into the next piece of cover before realizing that the enemy had, for the moment, been routed. "Bastion!" he called back. "Get everything here organized! Paper! You're with me!"

The unicorn and the thestral rushed forward, over the objects that the enemy had used as cover and beyond the field of bodies that laid beyond. They were now joined by another six, all of whom wore the dark navy blue uniforms of the base's security forces. "You with us?" Nightfall asked, after seeing that they were not alone.

"Yes, sir," one of the security guards answered.

"Since when did I become a sir?"

"You're the only one who seems to know what they're doing. We figured you were in charge."

"Right," Nightfall sighed, not too thrilled at all with being given this responsibility. Regardless, he was more than glad to have the extra support. "Okay, listen up. At the moment, we are assuming that this whole town is now hostile territory. This courtyard is our beachhead. We do not lose it or else we're screwed. Send anyone you find back this way. Our goal is to reach the hospital and attempt to gather supplies and evacuate survivors. I want two to a street. We converge on the hospital. Clear?"

Just as before, everyone here indicated that they had understood and promptly spread out across the four streets. Shots quickly rang out again as they found that the enemy had now dug into the buildings further down, at least the ones that weren't on fire. From the courtyard, several more fire-teams joined the fight, having been already instructed to set up a perimeter. Fire was exchanged between the two groups, the hailstorm of lead providing at least some kind of cover for Nightfall and Paper as they worked their way up.

Body after body laid on the ground, the ones away from the fires having already frozen and faces iced over from the wintery conditions. Even with the storm spires, there was no stopping them from freezing. It was a sickening sight, but the two pushed it to the back of their minds as they advanced, returning fire whenever they had the chance and providing cover to civilians who attempted to flee from the battlefield. Their progress was slow, even more so as they became farther and farther away from the courtyard. Eventually, the gunfire did die down and they were left only with ambient sounds of fire burning.

"I do not like how quiet it just got," Paper muttered quietly, scanning the street and alleys for movement. He was correct. Other than the roaring blazes, all other sounds had seemed to cease. No gunfire. No explosions. Only fire and the cracking of logs.

"Oh my god," Nightfall muttered, his ear splaying across the back of his head under his helmet. He rushed forward several times, moving cover to cover, before coming to realize that the only ones around were him, Paper, and the security forces that were quickly retaking the base.

Nightfall left his cover along with Paper, who looked on in horror at the sight before them. The hospital was on fire, the second floor almost entirely engulfed in flames and smoke billowing up into the illuminated night sky. It only took each of them a few seconds to get their bearings before they rushed forward, full sprint towards the entrance, followed by a few security guards.

Through the doors they found that the lobby was clear, save for the few dead bodies of their attackers laying around, broken and bloodied. There had been a fight here, of that there was no doubt, but who exactly had been the victor had yet to be discovered. Nightfall kept his rifle shouldered as he worked his way from room to room, the smoke making it hard to see at times, but his helmet's filter allowing him to breath more easily.

Two security guards followed him, checking corners and keeping guns on the smoked out hall. Paper wasted no time taking three others upstairs with him into the most intense parts of the blaze.

The farther down Nightfall went, the more smoke he found, until finally he was completely blind. He easily would have become lost in the smoke screen had he not had a wall to guide him. Suddenly, the sound of crashing came from above and he dived only just in time to avoid the ceiling collapsing in above him. The fire now lit up the entire hall, setting the ceiling ablaze and casting everything in a bright orange haze. The fire shot across the ceiling like it would dry timber, completely engulfing the panels in the blaze.

Underneath his suit, Nightfall could feel himself sweating, the heat increasing with every passing second. "Is anyone here!?" he called out in desperation, now separated from his team. There was no reply and with that he found himself running through the hall, his head low as fire began to rain down on top of him from the floor above. The entire building shook as something exploded and he was knocked to the ground, dropping his rifle.

The ceiling fell down again, a large ball of fire coming down towards him. He rolled, narrowly avoiding it, but losing his weapon to the inferno as he came face to face with another dead hostile, this one having taken several bullets through his head. He quickly made it to his hooves, tugging at the strap for his secondary weapon, but giving up on it and moving on further down the hall only seconds later. He coughed suddenly, his mouth becoming unnaturally dry. All moisture in the room was gone. Air was quickly becoming a rare commodity.

He couldn't breath. He coughed again, this time much more violently. Another piece of the ceiling fell in front of him and he stumbled back, backing straight into a door. With the building coming down around him, his mind set into panic. How long had he been in here? Which way had he come from? How was he supposed to get out? Another cough came as he gasped for air. The filter on his helmet worked fine, but there was no oxygen. His lungs cried out with pain as he grasped for a doorknob behind him. Finding it, he twisted and barreled into the room behind him where the smoke had yet to invade. He slammed the door behind him.

Finally turning around, Nightfall found himself face to face with at least twenty ponies, all huddled in the corner and staring at him in terror as if he had come end to their lives. He took several deep breaths, opened his mouth to say something, and was immediately smacked in the side of the head with the butt of a rifle.

Crack!

The helmet absorbed the impact, but Nightfall still felt his eyes go all screwy. His vision blurred and the adrenaline rushing through his system instinctively brought him into a rebound, knocking the assailant's rifle barrel away before it could be leveled at him. He found his knife, but was only able to bring it halfway up out before being tackled to the ground. He latched his hooves around the rifle, not letting go and struggling to keep it close to his chest as his attacker hopped up on top of him and attempted to rip it away. He bucked out with his lower legs, but missed several times, unable to dismount the pony on top of him. Instead, he pushed the rifle up, catching them right in the chest, before rolling over several times, their bodies hitting the floor over and over before stopping as they ran into the far wall. The thestral was now on top and finding his knife again he yanked it up, ready to deliver the final blow.

Nightfall stopped suddenly, all sense of rage subsiding as he stared down into a pair familiar blue eyes. "Meadow?" he breathed, realizing just who he had been fighting for the first time.

Meadow Spring laid on her back, looking back up at Nightfall in utter shock, half from figuring out what was going on and half from seeing the knife in his hoof, ready to come down and end her life. "Nightfall," she replied quietly. The mare was completely covered in soot, her pale green coat seeming more of a grey color and her once long and free flowing mane now a tangled black mess.

The knife clattered to the ground as Nightfall's entire body went numb and he realized that he too was covered in soot, covering any patch or tag on his suit that identified him as a ranger. He looked back to the ponies back in the corner. All of them were wrapped up in bandages or standing on crutches. Not a single able bodied individual was in sight. He looked back down to Meadow before throwing off his helmet and falling back onto his haunches, allowing Meadow to crawl out from under him. "This building is coming down," he said, still staring at the mare in disbelief. "I dont know how to get out, not with this many wounded."

Smoke had already been coming through the bottom of the door. Meadow quickly wedged a towel underneath, one that had been there earlier but was dislodged with Nightfall's entrance.

"Everyone up!" Meadow demanded, rushing to a second door that led to the next room over. She opened it and revealed another room, this one still untouched by the fire, but not for long. Acting on instinct and with no other option, the two herded the group into the next room, escaping just as the first sign of fire began to break through the walls.

"Are they gone?" Meadow suddenly asked.

"There was no one outside when Paper and I got here," Nightfall answered. "He took a few others upstairs, but I dont know if he's still up there."

Meadow seemed to think for a quick moment, before responding. "I know a way out. I can lead everyone through, but I need you to bring up the rear and make sure no one falls behind."

"I can do that," Nightfall answered, giving her a confident nod.

Meadow Spring returned the nod and made her way to the door to lead back into the hall. She stopped suddenly though, halfway between the door and Nightfall. She turned and ran back, unexpectedly planting a kiss on Nightfall's lips. It was short, but displayed all the qualities of a long, passion filled act of affection. "Good luck," she said, a look of infinite worry still spread across her visage. She hesitated to go, her hooves firmly in his as they stood there.

"Go," Nightfall said, his expression a mirror of Meadow's own. And with that she left, leaving him standing there, entirely uncertain if he would see her again.

Bastion bolted into the hospital with complete disregard for his own safety, crashing straight through the door after finding that it would not open. Paper followed close behind, still covered in soot and ignoring the cries from the security guards telling him to get clear of the fire.

The lobby was now a total loss, the front desk having already burned up all the way and the fire quickly spreading along the walls and the ceiling. "Nightfall! Respond! Where are you?" he called out over the radio, getting nothing in return but static. Several flaming wood boards fell before him.

"Oh, damn it all to hell!" Bastion shouted in frustration at their gear not functioning. "Nightfall!" he cried into the smoke and flames. "Nightfall, we're here! Can you hear us?!" Still there was no response, but they did not stop. They ventured further into the blaze, the flames surrounding them and quickly beginning to bring the entire building down.

Again and again they called out above the roar of the flames, doing all they could to be heard, while avoiding the debris that still came crashing down around them. The inside of the building was rapidly being hollowed out and it would not be long before the entire structure collapsed in on itself.

Crash!

A flaming door further down the hall suddenly burst open, the large piece of wood snapping in half when it hit the floor.

"Nightfall!" Paper called after seeing a dark silhouette across from him.

"Paper, is that you?" a female voice called back, sprinting through the hall and bounding over fiery debris.

"Meadow? What in the world are you doing here?!"

Without any amount of hesitation, she grabbed the unicorn by his collar and pulled him forward. "I need your help," she said desperately, dragging him down the hall as fast as she could. Bastion asked no questions, following close behind as his teammate stumbled down the hall.

Pony after pony suddenly appeared through the smoke screen, each moving slowly as they tried to avoid the flames. Bastion immediately recognized what was happening and moved to guide them through the burning building and back to safety. There was suddenly a terrible rumbling noise that sounded even over the roar of the flames as a part of the building fell inward.

"Blast it, Paper! Now!" Bastion yelled, prompting the unicorn to jump out in the direction of the exit. He took a stance, his horn lighting up with a raging magic aura as he called upon every ounce of magical energy that his body contained. Hooves planted in the ground, head held low, horn out. He let his spell fly with all his might. A blast of magic shot out, clearing the way down the hall of smoke and debris, but only for a moment.

"Go, now!" Paper yelled.

Bastion wasted little time, hurrying the patients along, trying his best to take into account their injuries, but also quite literally pushing them through the hall. Each one was received by a few brave security personnel who had run into the building themselves after realizing that ponies were still coming out.

Another terrible rumble rocked the building and the sound of collapsing stone, wood, and shattering glass filled all their ears.

Meadow's face filled with horror as she anxiously ran to and fro, realizing that although most of the ponies had made it out, Nightfall was still nowhere to be found. She hastily shot deeper into the building, ignoring the sounds of destruction all around her now. A hoof grabbed her by the leg and she was stopped dead in her tracks.

"We gotta go!" Bastion cried, dodging a support beam that nearly fell on him, but succeeded in taking down an entire wall with it.

"We cant leave Nightfall!"

Bastion stopped, his breath catching in his throat as he looked back to see Paper standing behind him, beckoning them over to get the hell out before it was too late. Nightfall was absent. He firmly placed another hoof on Meadow and dragged her back to safety as several more flaming wooden planks fell, cutting off the hall.

"No! Stop!" she cried out, tears pouring from her eyes as she desperately tried to claw her way back into the inferno.

Every fiber in Bastion's body ached in grief at what he was having to do, but it was the only option. Any second now, the building would collapse and that would be the end. They couldn't be inside when it did. He pulled at Meadow again and again until finally she was back on her hooves.

It was then, by some miracle, that the thestral appeared through the smoke.

Meadow felt her broken heart reignite with hope as the thestral ran through the smoke towards her, his strides coming a bit awkwardly as he avoided patches of fire . "Go, go!" he yelled, waving for everyone to start running. Bastion had stood there, struck by the sight, only for a second before taking off out of the building and into the street where a large assortment of security forces and rangers waited.

The terrifying sound of the entire building collapsing came only twelve seconds after they had all made it out. The roar of the fire. The crashing of the splintering wood and breaking stone. It all came together in a final symphony of destruction as the once two storied hospital disappeared downward, a large cloud of smoke and dust shooting up and out. All that remained was a pile of rubble and flames... and blood. It was not visible, but Nightfall knew it was there. It was just one more thing that would forever haunt his dreams. One more thing to add to the list that already kept him up at night.

"We made it!" Paper yelled as he triumphantly held his hooves upward in the air.

Nightfall made no comment despite being fully aware that this was only a half truth. In that building, surrounded by the inferno, he had made a decision, one that saved his life and yet made him feel like a coward. He wrapped a hoof around Meadow, pulling her into a tight hug. She returned it, squeezing him tighter than she had ever before and never wanting to let go.

"Ahem," Foxtrot suddenly interrupted, much to Meadow's annoyance.

"What is it?" Nightfall asked wearily. "I thought I told you and Bastion to take care of things back at the courtyard."

"You did," Foxtrot answered. "We set up a perimeter and started pushing outwards. We've made it this far without any resistance. Team 3 managed to get some comms up and get through to the security forces on the other side of the base. A few minutes ago, all hostiles broke contact and fled. They're making their way to us now and securing everything as they go. As far as I can tell, the fight's over."

"Any idea how many we might have lost?"

"No," Foxtrot answered, "but they hit us with everything they had right out of the gate and separated us into isolated groups," Foxtrot explained. "It's a classic case of divide and conquer."

"So why didnt they keep up their attack then?"

"Probably didnt have enough firepower," Foxtrot suggested. "Everything about this had hit and run written all over it. Get in, hit hard, and then slip away while the enemy is in disarray. What their end goal was, I still have yet to figure out."

Nightfall thought for a moment "Did we at least, get a message out to Canterlot before the attack?" he asked.

Foxtrot and Bastion both shrugged, both of them looking like they knew it was a definite "no" despite not having any confirmation. "We can only assume we're on our own," Bastion said. "Everything is still jammed up and the ops center went up in flames. We dont have anyway to communicate with the outside world."

Nightfall sighed, before muttering a very frustrated "Dammit" under his breath. He looked back down to Meadow, who he still held in his hooves. "Okay, let's head back to the courtyard then. I need to have a talk with the other teams and figure out what we want to do."

The walk back was a quiet one. All around the group was evidence of the previous battle. Bloodied bodies, most of whom were now being loaded into bags, still littered the street. Entire buildings had collapsed inward, and emergency workers and security forces worked tirelessly to put out the remaining fires. Back at the courtyard, the wounded had all been laid out. The few doctors that Paper had managed to save from the hospital quickly met up with the TRST's own medical staff and joined the effort in caring for them.

Nothing about the situation was for certain. They had no idea who attacked them or why, or if they would be back to finish the job. What had been the goal? What were they after and what did they gain by attacking the base? Had it all been an attempt to scatter them and prevent them from completing their own mission? Were these ponies simply competitors willing to do anything to win? There were far too many questions and absolutely no answers. The only thing that any of them knew for sure, was that it was about to be a very long night.

The remaining ponies all spread out, trying to find something they could do to contribute. Meadow Spring was only able to take a single step before she felt a hoof on her shoulder.

"Meadow," Nightfall began as the mare turned around. "What are you doing here?"

Meadow had to think about her answer at first, not entirely sure how much she wanted to give away or if her cover had been blown out of the water already. "I wanted to come along," she answered truthfully. "Remember what we said, about this being the big one? I didnt just want to sit back and wait, not knowing if you were going to be okay. I wanted to help."

Nightfall sighed, running his hoof across Meadows shoulder and up the back of her neck. "I know," he replied. "Part of me is glad you're here. In any other situation, I'd be overjoyed, but..." He looked around at what remained of the base. Ash, debris, and injured ponies all around. The storm spires still stood and the signal fires still burned. They were holding on, but only barely.

"I know what you mean," Meadow said. "I thought that if I came along, I could at least see you again, maybe help to keep you safe."

"I appreciate it," Nightfall said. "You know I do. I wish you had stayed home though."

"I wish we both could have," Meadow replied halfheartedly. She ran a hoof through her mane. It was still stained with soot and both her suit and coat were caked in the same black substance. "I guess we both got more than we bargained for, huh?"

Nightfall noticed her playing with her mane. Something was certainly bothering her, aside from the obvious of course. "What happened to you?" he asked with great concern. "How did you end up in that hospital?"

Meadow shrugged, not even bothering to look up at who she was talking to. "When the attack started, all the power was knocked out," she began. "I was in the area and figured the hospital would be a place where I could do some good or at least hide out. When whoever those guys were came, I got trapped inside with the patients. When they figured out that they couldn't get to us, they set the building on fire."

"You did a good job of holding out."

"It wasnt much really," Meadow said bashfully. "A rifle and a corridor makes things easy. You taught me that... and how to shoot. We'd probably be dead now if you hadn't found us."

"It was still really brave," Nightfall insisted. "I'm proud of you. I could tell, you were willing to fight tooth and nail to the end. I actually find that... um..." Nightfall's face suddenly grew extremely red as he tried to find what he wanted to say. "Kinda hot," he barely finished, extracting a smile and then a snicker from Meadow as her face too grew red, one that he joined in soon after. Their laughter only grew, a stark contrast to the world around them, then their hooves fell on one another as they embraced in a hug, neither of them wanting to ever let go.

Nightfall's own breathing was calm and controlled, but he could still feel Meadow trembling, her shaky hooves planted squarely against his back in an effort to stop the involuntary movement. He ran a hoof of his own across her back, black soot falling off each of them. He opened his mouth to say something along the lines of everything being okay, a lie that only felt right to say no matter how wrong it was to make that kind of promise, but was cut off.

"I've never done that before," Meadow muttered, sounding miserable.

Nightfall broke the hug, but kept his hooves on her shoulders and stared into her eyes. There was a great sorrow behind them. "Done what?"

Meadow didnt answer, believing that saying it out loud would only make her feel dirty. She was proven right when she found her voice. "Killed," she answered, "a pony, I mean. That was my first time."

"Oh," Nightfall replied, a million things now racing through his mind. "Dammit," he cursed under his breath. He had wanted nothing more than to protect her from the horrors beyond the city walls. She was strong, he knew that. Windigos, ice wolves, and blizzards. They had braved all those things together in the past, but this was new for her and the harsh reality was quickly setting in.

Nightfall finally sighed. "I'm sorry," was all he knew to say.

"Dont be," Meadow said, before planting a short kiss on his lips. "I'm okay."

The corners of Nightfall's mouth lifted only slightly, but it could not be said that he was smiling. She was okay. He was okay. They were okay. For now, that would have to be enough.

The sun was slowly beginning to rise on the new day, one that had begun with smell of the smoldering remains of log cabins and scorched earth. Though the fires were now out, small columns of grey smoke still rose from the large piles of ashen debris, the sound of still crackling embers being the only thing to prevent total silence in many parts of the base.

There had been little sleep for anyone over the course of the last ten hours, most ponies running around the base attempting to do whatever they could to mitigate the effects of their current disastrous situation. The fire department was small, made entirely out of volunteers from the security forces, but they were entirely unable to do anything until the area had been deemed secure enough for them to work. There was also a shortage of medical supplies, much of it having been lost in the hospital fire and the sheer amount of wounded they had was not doing them any favors. Those who were of able body were of insufficient quantity.

Nightfall had had his talk with the other rangers, though it was a short one. Miraculously, Teams 3 and 4 were okay, only two of their personnel having been wounded with non-life-threatening injuries. Team 5 had still failed to show up. Only the worst could be assumed. There had been little time to discuss or debate a course of action. There was just too much to take care of.

Bastion and Paper had spent their time rounding up as many ponies as they could find and trying to get a clearer picture of their current overall status. Foxtrot and a few others were clearing out the dead and trying to secure as many resources as possible. Meadow helped to tend to the wounded. And Nightfall just tried to keep it all from unraveling, many looking to him and the other ranger team leaders for guidance.

Nightfall sighed heavily as he took a seat on a step at the entrance of a burned down building. It had been a storage unit of some sort, but the supplies within were lost to the flames hours ago. "How we looking," he asked Bastion, who took a seat next to him, dropping his helmet carelessly.

"Everything is officially secure," the earth pony began. "We did a headcount too. There were 673 ponies living on this base before the attack. So far, we've counted 43 dead and another 100 or so wounded. There's still a lot of missing, including most of the MSAD."

"Most?"

"We came here with twenty mages plus a large number of auxiliary staff. All twenty of them are currently unaccounted for. A few assistants are all that are left. The strange thing is, their cabins are still standing. As far we know, they just disappeared."

Nightfall grew visibly frustrated. He knew this was a bad idea from the start, but he calmed himself and pushed the issue to the back of his mind for later. "What about Star Mist?" he asked, his voice seeming more concerned than it did a moment ago.

Bastion simply shook his head. "Still haven't found her. The shower unit closest to our cabin is still standing so she probably survived the initial attack, but... Well, what happened afterwards is anyone's guess. I've checked every body bag that's been filled, so I guess as long as we dont know for sure, there's still some hope."

Nightfall didnt reply, instead remaining silent to think.

"I hope she's okay," Bastion muttered sorrowfully. "She really seemed to like Paper and I and I really dont want to bury another friend."

"I'll be sure to tell Foxtrot to keep his mouth shut," Nightfall said somewhat bitterly. "What about the project leads? The ops center looks like it was one of the first places to get hit and we need a chain of command."

"Paper found most of them about an hour and a half ago," Bastion answered. "They're sifting through debris right now, trying to find intel or hardware they can salvage. It's mostly hopeless, but I cant say I blame them. You spend all these years doing archeological work and studying the city only for all your notes to get destroyed in a random attack."

"I'm going to need to have a talk with them soon," Nightfall said. "This is their base. They'll need to start coordinating things if we're going have any chance of getting out of this."

"We're not going to be able to stay here, are we?"

"I dont know. We have too many wounded to just pull up stakes and go somewhere else and even if we didnt, where would we go? As much as I want to just dig in and wait, we're completely cut off from Canterlot. Team 3 volunteered to try and go back, but we just cant spare the manpower."

"Not to mention it would take them a week to get back home," Bastion noted. "A second attack may come before then."

The very idea of a second attack made Nightfall's stomach drop like a rock. They had barely survived the first and now that they were in disarray, a second would surely be the end of them all. He couldn't let that happen, but he was powerless to stop it. There just weren't enough of them to put up an effective defense if another attack did come. Sure, they could arm the civilians, but Nightfall had serious doubts that they would be of any use in actual combat. They were up against a well trained and heavily armed group. Just because a pony had a weapon, didn't mean they were a soldier.

"Do we have any clue who these guys are?" Nightfall asked suddenly, as the thought hit him.

Bastion shrugged. "You could try asking Foxtrot. He and a few others dragged all their bodies off and stripped them of gear. He might be able to tell you."

"I think I'll do that," Nightfall said, standing up and grabbing is helmet and rifle. "You know where he is?"

"Should be at the armory," Bastion answered. "Or at least what's left of it." He pointed a hoof out across the skyline, focusing on a single column of smoke. "Should be that farthest one to the right," he said. "Right next thee signal fire. I'll take you there."

"Alright then. Let's get going."

Foxtrot let out a devious laugh as he dragged the pony by his rear hooves, a long red streak being left behind in the groove that was being formed in the snow. The pony in question writhed in pain as he was dragged along, one hoof pressed hard against the hole in his abdomen and the other desperately clawing at the snow in an attempt to anchor himself to the ground. When he felt his back hooves fall back to the ground, he kicked out, trying his hardest to scoot away from Foxtrot.

"Now where do you think you're going, pal?" the pegasus questioned, his voice dripping with sadistic sarcasm. "There's still a whole lot of fun I want to have with you."

The pony didnt respond in any meaningful way, instead preferring to keep on moaning in agony. He had been shot, the hot bullet still lodged in his left side with a thin line of smoke slowly pouring from the wound. Blood continued to pool below him and stain his hoof, no matter how hard he pressed down. It hurt like hell and he felt like he was going to pass out, but he kept on breathing, his heavy breaths coming out shaky but steady.

Foxtrot leaned down and watched his new friend with a little too much amusement. "Dont worry. You're doing great," he mocked.

The pony only responded with gritted teeth and an angry growl.

"Oh, dont be like that. I had actually fired with the intent to kill you. You should be happy that I was off target. Most ponies aren't so lucky."

As Foxtrot continued to harass the mercenary, several security personnel all stood around, feeling very little sympathy or pity for him. They were not an army. This was not a war. But whoever this pony was with had decided to paint a target on their backs. Most of the ponies in the base were civilians and their entire world had been turned into a war. For what reasons, they didn't yet know, but they hoped to find out soon.

"What's going on over here?" a voice suddenly asked as a thestral and an earth pony joined the group.

"Ah, Nightfall, Bastion!" Foxtrot greeted cheerfully. "I'm glad you're here." He yanked the mercenary back across the ground several feet, extracting a pained yelp from him. "Look what I found."

Bastion felt his stomach twist up in a knot at seeing the mercenary lying there, clearly in a great deal of pain and likely not having long to live. The growing pool of blood was evident of this. Nightfall's own expression didnt change much, other than his eyes growing somewhat wider and seeming more focused.

"Nightfall," Bastion said in a hushed tone, pulling the thestral to the side for a moment. "This guy needs medical attention or else he's not going to make it."

"I know," Nightfall said plainly and somewhat unnervingly. He broke off from Bastion and approached one of the surrounding security personnel, taking a medkit from him before trotting over to the mercenary and dropping it in front of him.

The mercenary looked up at the small red cross that adorned the side of the bag and reached out, attempting to crawl his way to the medical supplies. Nightfall responded to this by simply moving few inches back, just out of reach. "You want this, dont you?" Nightfall began. "I'm going to need something from you first."

"Go. To. Hell," the mercenary spat.

"Nightfall, this guy isnt going to cooperate without a little persuasion first," Foxtrot said, cracking his hooves in anticipation. "Let me knock a few of his teeth out and show that we mean business." He took a step towards him, but Nightfall waved him off, holding up a hoof as if to say "just hold on a second." Bastion felt as if he was going to puke.

"Listen," Nightfall tried again. "I know you think you're tough, but you will bleed out if you try to keep this up. Tell me what I want to know and I can save you."

The mercenary curled back up, clearly not wanting to talk.

Nightfall sighed. "Foxtrot, hold him down."

The smile on Foxtrot's face grew ten fold all of a sudden as he climbed up behind the mercenary and pinned his hooves to the ground. The mercenary struggled for only a moment, before finding that it was useless. His body was far too broken to put up any effective resistance.

Nightfall found a patch of soot still clinging to his snow suit, rubbing his hoof across it unit it was completely covered in black. He then began to smear it across the mercenary's face, rubbing it into his coat, under his nose, and over his mouth.

The mercenary responded with a fit of coughs, each one causing the muscles under his diaphragm to tense up, and each one shooting more and more pain into the already burning wound. Then he sneezed, his jolting body seizing up instantly as his very breath was taken away. He gasped for breath, but found none, his lounges burning and crying out for life giving air, but being too strained to grasp and take it in. His head was rocked to the side suddenly as a hoof struck him.

"Nightfall!" Bastion cried, stopping the thestral from delivering another blow and stepping between him and their prisoner. "What are you doing?" he asked, a look of horror overcoming him.

Nightfall shrugged, looking both ashamed and resolute in his actions at the same time. "I dont know," he answered in a whisper. "This... asshole knows things," he continued, now sounding quite angry. "We need to know what's going on here. Right now, we're completely in the dark."

"We cant just torture him like this though," Bastion pleaded, putting extra emphasis on 'torture.' "We cant do this, Nightfall. It violates every convention of the last two hundred years."

"I know," Nightfall replied hesitantly. "You're right..." He swallowed hard as he ran a hoof through his disheveled mane, before swearing under his breath for what felt like the thousandth time that day.

On the other side of Bastion, Foxtrot waited impatiently, still on top of the mercenary and pinning him down. "What are we waiting for, guys?" he called over, noticing that the others were taking forever to make up their minds. They exchanged several more words as if they had not noticed him there. "Hey."

Much to Foxtrot's disappointment, Nightfall replied with "Patch him up." His ears splayed back and he looked to Nightfall with confusion. Bastion was also giving him the same look that Nightfall now displayed. "Wait, you're serious?"

"Yes, Foxtrot," Nightfall answered sternly. "I'm serious. We can do this later."

"Later? We've got him here right now!"

"And he wont be any good to us if he's dead," Nightfall countered. "Fix him up and bring back to the staging area. We'll go from there."

Foxtrot backed off, removing his hooves from the mercenary and allowing Bastion and few others to take over. This wasnt how you were supposed to do things. The mercenary was never going to talk unless they threatened to let him die. Now that opportunity was gone. "Where are you going?" Foxtrot asked, seeing that Nightfall was leaving.

"I've got to go find space for this and see what the project leads are doing," Nightfall called back. "Do me a favor and dont start anything while I'm gone."

Foxtrot just waved the thestral off. This was a mistake, but there really was nothing he could do. For now, he bit his tongue and went back to being a good little soldier.

Author's Note

Originally, this wasnt going to be out until February, but I got into the mood for writing and just kinda had at it. I really wanted to have it ready for Christmas, but realized that I needed to slow down a bit. I do think though, that I'm pretty satisfied with the way it turned out. I've got a lot of "fun" planned for later chapters.