The old world

As the first fingers of sunlight began to wash away the shadows, Cavaliers eyes began to flutter softly. They then scrunched up tightly. His head felt like it had been filled with molten lead, and then smashed against a cliff. The glint of the empty scotch bottle brought back a flood of memories, but it was soon overtaken by the beating drums within his skull. A quick shower helped slightly, but he was far from functional. After drying his fur, Cavalier pulled on a pink collared shirt, before tiptoeing his way downstairs. Luna had yet to attend the day’s meeting with the coalition senators and Cav quickly gave Luna a greeting before exiting. Making his way down the empty street he finally reached his destination, the town’s only café. The bell on the door rang, piecing his mind like a sword through flesh. Shaking his head, Cavalier noticed a young, green stallion; a unicorn with a white mane. His flank bore a number of coffee beans surrounding a small cake. It surprised Cav that an individual of the magical ponies would have found his talent in cooking, but then again, who was he to judge. He was an earth pony who was fond of science. In fact, he was the first non-unicorn to ever become a professor at the Canterlot Royal University. Damn, nobleponies and their ridiculous stereotypes.

“Good morning Sir, how can I help you?” The young pony had a smooth, low voice.

“Yeah… uhh, I had a long night, if you get what I mean.” Cavalier smiled weakly, hoping the stallion would understand. Much to his relief, the unicorn simply winked knowingly.

“I got just the thing.”

About fifteen minutes later, Cav walked out of the café, now able to function somewhat properly. Deciding to make something of his last day, he decided to pay Twilight a visit. He had hoped to explore the uninhabited area of the island, making a start on his documentation on foreign wildlife. Approaching the docks, he noticed that there were a number of ponies guarding the ‘Chalice of Hope’. This surprised Cavalier to a certain degree, but he figured there was probably a good reason. Climbing up the ramp, he then made his way to Twilight’s cabin. A soft knock on the door and it was enveloped in a purple aura, before opening quietly. Twilight greeted Cav with a smile, ushering him inside.

“Sparkling is still asleep. Apparently she had a bit of a late night.” She giggled softly to herself. Sparkling was much more energetic than Twilight, but what goes up, must come down.

“Ahh, I see. It’s good to see you Twilight” Cavalier flashed his awkward grin. Twilight pulled him into a gentle hug, before giving Cav a quick kiss.

“You too.” At first suddenly bewildered, Cavalier soon started to relax, eyes slowly closing, enjoying the moment, until Twilight broke away. To reasons beyond her knowledge, Twilight’s confidence left her. She backed off before smiling nervously. “Umm, would you like to sit down?” Cavalier simply nodded and took his place at the lone table. Once seated, Twilight pulled a chair over, with magic, next to Cav. “So, anyway, um, any reason for your visit?” Cavalier straightened his shirt before answering, slightly confused by the unicorns change in attitude.

“Well, I was thinking, assuming we leave tomorrow, it will be at least another week before we are able to conduct any field research.” Despite her assigned duty, Twilight had completely forgotten about their research, what with the events of the last few days.

“Yes, I suppose that is a long time. What are you getting at?” Twilight was curious to say the least. It showed in her posture, her ears pointed forward and she leaned over the table, raising an eyebrow slightly.

“You may not know this, but I found out, from a couple of the villagers, that most of the island is uninhabited.” This surprised Twilight, as the whole island seemed like it would be perfect for farming.

“What, why? They could be producing so much more food.” Cavalier expected such a response and was quick to explain.

“Well, the Coalition does not have a significant population of Unicorns or Pegasii. In fact, ninety five precent of their nation is made up of Earth Ponies. As such, unlike in Equestria, they are unable to create an artificial storm or, failing that, use magic to return nitrates and phosphates when they are used up by plants.” Although Cavalier had chosen the life of academia, he still had an excellent working knowledge in biology, and as an extension of his field, agriculture. “To maintain fertile soil, it’s important that most of their territory is natural. You know, like a proper ecosystem.” Twilight had suspected that the Coalition was not as diverse as Equestria. Even so, her time meeting all the new ponies had been a huge culture shock.

“Ah, you mean like the Everfree forest.” Twilight was pleased to see she had guessed correctly.

“Yes, but, being an island, Marilus shouldn’t have many large predators, if any. The habitat just can’t support that sort of ecological niche.” The mention of Everfree could put even the bravest of ponies in fear, and Cav was eager to dispel any worries that Twilight may have had. “So, I wanted to ask if you; would like to accompany me on a research expedition?” Twilight at first felt opposed to the suggestion, as she did not wish to leave Sparkling in the custody of others. She had not spent much time with her daughter, and Twilight owed Sparkling a bit of attention. But she quickly thought of a compromise.

“Well, would it be alright if Sparkling came along?” Cavalier slowly nodded his head, mulling the thought over in his head.

“I suppose so, since it shouldn’t be too dangerous. I suppose we will have to obtain permission from Princess Luna.” Twilight nodded her head vigorously, now becoming excited about the prospect of field research. It never ceased to amaze the studious unicorn, how much there was to learn in the world. Every time a question was answered, it seemed ten new ones replaced the original. She also noted that Cavalier was becoming restless. “Oh my gosh, Twilight, do you know what this means? We will be the first ponies in Equestria to document a foreign ecosystem. Not only will we be able to learn about all the new animals and plants, we could publish our findings into the Royal Canterlot Archives. We could even excavate some foss…” He was stopped by a hoof covering his mouth, ending his tirade. He blushed slightly as Twilight took her hoof away, herself giggling at the sight of a  full grown stallion, becoming more excited than a filly before their birthday party.

“You go collect all your equipment; I’ll wake Sparkling up and get the Princess’ permission.” Cavalier smiled sheepishly, before glancing down at the table, his face slowly returning to its natural brown hue.

“Ok, I guess I’ll get going then.” Twilight nodded and smiled, giving Cavalier a quick peck on the cheek, before getting up. The pair embraced for a moment before both going their separate ways.

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Shining woke that morning to the sight of his wife, still sleeping soundly. He was sweating profusely, body shaking from his most recent nightmare. He looked down at his hooves, expecting to see them covered in blood, but there was nothing. Shining sighed heavily, the bed beneath him was comfortable, beckoning him to go back to sleep. Cadence stirred slightly, eyes fluttering open.

“Shining?” Cadence whispered gently. She was now fully awake.

“Yes?”

“I think we should check on Clear Sky.” Shining nodded, pushing the covers off his torso and legs. Sliding to his side of the bed, he rubbed his eyes, his vision still blurry. It took a while before he felt awake enough to walk over to the small bed Clear used. He had been hiding under the covers. When Shining lent forward to listen, he heard the colt crying. Magically lifting the covers off the small pony, Clear looked up towards the large unicorn, attempting to hide the tear stained photos of his family.

“Hey kiddo, want to tell me what’s wrong?” Shining knew exactly what the problem was, but felt it would be necessary for the colt to express his feelings.

“I had a nightmare. I-I was hiding in a cupboard, and… and my Mummy was screaming. Daddy was shouting too. And then I heard a noise, like tearing paper and suddenly, daddy stoped shouting. Mummy… Mummy screamed louder.” Clear was, by now, not the only one crying. Shining could hide the tears no longer, but tried to remain strong, strong for the colt now in his hooves. “Then I heard the sound again, just before Mummy stopped screaming.”

“Clear, you don’t have to prove anything to anypony. It’s good to sometimes, let others see how we feel. It is perfectly fine to cry every now and then.” Shining was repeating one of the same speeches which Cadence had given to him. It had been after one particularly traumatic night when he had tried to end… No! he thought to himself, ‘I can’t think about that, not now’.

“Why are they gone?” The question left Shining Dumbstruck. He floundered for words. Once, he had believed that everything was for a purpose, that Celestia and the other rulers from the past, were looking down on pony kind, helping to shape their lives in meaningful ways. Now, Shining knew, there was nopony looking down on them. Everypony he had lost in battle, the relatives he saw die before his eyes, surrounded in white hospital sheets. They had all passed into the void alone. At first he had struggled to come to terms with this realisation. What was the point in living? Similar questions had plagued him many times during the war against the Griffons. His soul, at the time, seemed to match the battle field; barren, solemn, dark and pockmarked with craters. But when he finally returned home, reunited with the love of his life, he realised the answer. We live, so that we might love those we care about, and seek joy and happiness for the sake of ourselves and for others’‘. This still did not alleviate his current predicament, and Shining was still at a loss.

“They are gone because they loved you.” Cadence walked over, hooves hardly making a sound against the wooden deck. “They knew you were special, that you were worth fighting for. Your Mother and Father… went away, because they knew, deep down, you would always remember them, even if they aren’t here.” The colt began to stand up, shakily at first. He looked up at the two older ponies, both with caring expressions on their faces. Clear nuzzled between the two. Yet another wave of sadness washing over him, Shining wrapped his hooves around the colt, whilst Cadence draped her wings around both of them, warming the trio, in the cold cabin.

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Banners hung from the walls where the different senators and officials of the Coalition sat. The government building which housed the law courts, the Mayors offices and the taxation department had only been a short walk from the town hall. Lavishly decorated, the almost royal looking structure seemed quite out of place amongst the smaller buildings, a benefit it seemed of being a pony with status. Luna knew that, despite the debt that the Coalition ponies owed to the Equestrian’s, the following proceedings had best be taken with care. On order for the morning’s discussion, would be a talk on trade and the possibility of using Marilus as a re-supply station, for ships headed back to Equestria from The Old World. In the afternoon, the senate and Luna would reconvene for an appeal for an alliance between the two nations. Although Luna was hesitant to become too entwined in their politics, it would also be a bad idea to offend them by rejecting an offer of cooperation. As the day steadily wore on, the ponies continued to discuss the nature of the goods they would trade. Being virtually uninhabited, The Old Wold would likely possess a large number of natural resources including food, wood and metal ores. In return for these raw materials, The Coalition would supply manufactured goods and, if necessary, military hardware. Although the Coalition had a significantly damaged economy, due to their war with the Praetorians, they knew that the long term financial benefits of trade would pay off. It was eventually decided that a recess should be taken, in order for everypony to have lunch, clear their heads and then continue with their laborious, yet necessary task. Just before they stood to leave, Luna felt it desirable to make one last fact, one which had been bothering her for a while now, perfectly clear.

“Senators, Mayor, before we exit this session, I think it would be best to explain our situation on the Coalition/Praetorian war. We have only just recovered from the Great War with the Griffon Empire. As such, we will be unable to provide any further military aid in your struggle, unless your enemies attack Equestria directly.” Luna could see a few of the senators eyes darken. However, the majority seemed to be understanding of her plight.

“Your nation has done more than enough in saving the families present on this island, perhaps, one day we may repay the debt, but alas, we cannot. For now, let us rest our minds. I declare this meeting adjourned.” The Mayor struck the anvil on her desk with a small hammer, before all the ponies present stood and made their way to the exit. Having patiently waited for the other’s Luna and her guard were last to leave the government building. The late morning sun felt warm upon Luna’s fur, an odd but pleasant feeling, especially after having been cooped up inside the senate room for, what seemed to her, like days.

‘Cheers Tia’ Luna mused to herself, making sure never to take her sister for granted again. Looking to her famous night guards, with batlike wings and slitted pupils, she made her way back towards the Town Hall for some lunch. Underneath the magical disguise, they were just regular ponies; however, Luna liked the look. It gave them a fierce reputation, added to by the many tales of heroics by their unit during the Great War. Just before she got inside she heard the call of her name in the distance. Tuning to face its source, she spotted the lavender Unicorn, racing up the street from the docks.

“Princess Luna, Your Majesty… I… wanted to ask you a favour.”  Out of breath, Twilight gave a small bow before awaiting Luna to respond.

“Continue Miss Sparkle.” Although the princess loved the mare as she did all her subjects, Luna wanted some time to herself, and with Whitehooves.

“Well, Cavalier and I wanted to lead an exploratory mission into the centre of the island. To document any of the native species would help to keep us occupied on the rest of our voyage.” Looking away, mostly out of fear in case her offer was declined, Twilight almost didn’t see Luna nod before placing a hoof on the unicorns shoulder.

“As long as you are willing to allow a number of my night guards to accompany you, I have no problem with your proposal.” Luna whispered quietly now, “I know there is little to harm you out there, but I do not want to lose you. Although Celestia has prepared for the eventual death of all her subjects, I fear that yours would break her heart, especially if it were unnecessary.” The alicorn raised her head away from Twilight’s ear before smiling. “I think that two shifts of my personal guard will be enough. Don’t you agree boys?” Any other pony would have at least frowned at the prospect of taking longer shifts. Luna’s protectors remained stoic as ever.

“Yes, Your Majesty” The pair replied in unison. Luna smirked. It was always fun to ask the guards questions, trying desperately to get some sort of response now and then.

“If you will now excuse me, Miss Sparkle, I would like to spend some time alone. Your escort will be waiting for you on the main road near the government house.”

“Of course, thank you.” With that Twilight headed back down to the docks, leaving Luna to organise the guard, set her alarm for an hour and then relax in peace.

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“Now, remember dear, The Praetorians in here are very young. They will not have any idea that they have done anything wrong. In their eyes, the ‘attack’ was nothing more than putting food on the table.” Shining Armour walked slowly, keeping a steady pace next to Cadence. “Also, they will be very scared of you at first, so they might not talk straight away.”

“Ok, I guess ponies are as frightening to their kind, as they are to us.” Cadence stopped at the far end of the hallway, waiting for Shining to find the right key. The door slowly opened, revealing the dimly lit room, Marcus and Andromeda huddled up in the back left corner, a make shift bed of straw was the only amenity in the cell, other than a pair of buckets, one for water and the other for waste.

“I’ll wait outside.” Shining looked apprehensive at leaving Cadence alone in the cell, but she had requested a private discussion with the prisoners. The door clicked shut behind the alicorn, who lit the room with the light of her horn. Unsure of what to say, she simply coughed awkwardly to get their attention. The moment that the older Praetorian saw her, he grabbed his sister and pushed her behind him. All that could now be heard in the room was the sound of pleading.

“Please don’t kill Andromeda, please… I beg of you, I am all she has left. I’m sorry for whatever I did, please don’t kill me.” Marcus soon began to cry, incoherently babbling. Cadence simply stood in shock. She was certain that Shining had not received such a reaction. The feathers on the creature’s flanks were completely flattened against his body and his muzzle’s colouration had faded significantly.

“I am not here to hurt either of you, I simply wish to talk.” Cadence smiled weakly, still disconcerted with the strange structure of these creatures. Their serrated teeth unnerved her somewhat. “May I ask why you thought I was going to kill you?” It took at least another minute before the Praetorian was able to reply.

“You are the monster my parents spoke of. They said you killed a hundred Praetorians… all on your own.” This caused Cadence to flinch visibly. She had no knowledge that her spells would have killed the creatures which ambushed her. She had only meant to knock them out.

“K-k-killed?” The Princess had never killed anything in her life, even when the Changelings had attacked Canterlot; the spell she used to banish them did only that, not kill. For once in her life, she had absolutely no idea what to think. How should she feel? How did she feel about herself, sad, proud… angry even?

“Aye, you killed some of my best friends that day. My mother and father were part of the lucky ones.” Marcus eventually stood up, glancing at his sister, before approaching the bars in the centre of the room. “Where is the nice pony?”

“I’m sorry?” Cadence didn’t think she would think of anypony as ‘nice’, if she was in Marcus’ position.

“The one called Shining.” The alicorn gave out a slight gasp. “He was kind; he offered us a clean place to sleep.” The younger Praetorian got up and nuzzled against her brothers forearm. “And he helped reunite the two of us.” When he had finished, Cadence regained her composure.

“Well, you see, umm, my name is Princess Cadence. Shining Armour is my husband.” Cadence stated awkwardly, almost feeling ashamed of herself, especially having learnt what she had done. “So, how old are you two?”

“We do not know how old we are in years, but I suppose I would still be a young adolescent, if I was one of your kind. Andromeda is about half my age, she still hasn’t been taught to read or write.” Attempting to make a good impression on the pony that stood before him, Marcus retrieved the small drawing his sister had made. “She loves art though. This was drawn for our father a few days ago. The day before…” he was about to say ‘the day before they were murdered’, but thought better of it, “the battle.”

“I’m sorry for your loss. Can you tell me about your parents?” For the next half hour, Cadence patiently sat through the story of Praetorian culture. Marcus spoke of when his teeth first started growing, the sweet songs that his mother sung to him when he was hurt. His father often took him to their private observatory, and, on occasion, to the national observatory. Both he and Andromeda had been fascinated with astronomy, being more knowledgeable about the universe and its workings than even the most educated ponies. Cadence wished to find out whether Praetorian science was similar to in Equestria, but did not pursue the matter. Learning to hunt for the first time had been one of Marcus’ greatest achievements, as it was for all Praetorians. The school he attended, the many friends he had made, being taught the arts of stealth, working with others to bring down prey many times their size. This was a huge challenge for Cadence to accept. ‘Was it possible for predator and prey to co-exist?’ she pondered. Her apprehension must have shown.

“I know you must think the Praetorians are monsters. But tell me, if one day you found out that plants could talk, could feel, fear and hope. If they could do everything you do. What would you be able to change? Would you be willing for all of pony kind to perish because of who you are?” Cadence had never asked such a question to herself.

“I… don’t know.” This brought a soft snort from Marcus.

“No, you wouldn’t. I cannot change the way I am, nor did I choose to be born as a carnivorous individual.” The truth of what the elder brother spoke started to sink in. It seemed to Cadence that it would take a while for her to get used to the young creatures, however, she was confident they could reconcile their differences. For a while the two remained silent, neither sure of what to say next. Andromeda simply looked up, wide eyed, at the towering pony before them. Marcus looked down at her before nuzzling her neck softly, making small chirping noises. It was then, that Cadence felt something she had only ever experienced with ponies. She felt the love between the two radiating from each other. Having studied her special talent, the Princess knew that she could detect love from other species, but never to the same extent as between ponies. This, on the other hand, was one of the strongest bonds between two individuals, she had ever felt. Almost as though he could read her mind, Marcus turned to face Cadence once more. “When I saw Mother and Father killed, I had thought ponies to be nothing but monsters, incapable of love, in any form. Shining taught me that was not true, and I can now finally accept, that… you only did what you thought was right.” He paused to breathe in deeply before continuing. “I can also see, that you thought the same of us. If that is what you still think, I can’t be sure, but in either case that doesn’t matter. If you are not willing to accept my offer of peace, can you, at the very least, help Andromeda? Her happiness is all that matters to me now, and, as you can see, these are hardly the conditions for a child of any race.”

“Listen, you are right that I originally thought of your species as evil. But, I am certain now that just isn’t true. You may stay with Shining, our adopted son, Clear Sky and I. Be warned however, that Clear’s parents were killed by Praetorians and he will likely not trust you.” Cadence then knelt closer. “I can see plainly the undeniable love you share with your sister. If you could try to extend that towards Clear Sky, he may be willing to become friends, after a time.”

“Thank you! Thank you so much.” Marcus beamed radiantly, his muzzle almost iridescent red. “You have no idea what this means. Andromeda, did you hear? We get to stay with the kind pony.”

“The big white one? The one who smiled at my drawing, is it?” Cadence was still surprised at the obvious impression Shining had left on the two.

“Yes Andromeda, yes it is.” Leaving the two alone, Cadence exited the small room to find Shining waiting expectantly.

“They can stay.” That was all she had to say to elicit an enormous smile from Shining. “I just hope you have thought about Clear, he has been through a lot."

“I know, maybe you should talk to him before I introduce them, or possibly even get somepony to sit for him, while we get the Praetorians settled in.” Cadence thought for bit, looking up at the celling, before making her decision.

“I think the latter would be more suitable.” Shining nodded, opening the cell door again, to finally release the innocents held as prisoners.

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By midday, Twilight and Cavalier had met up with the four night guards assigned to them. All were still in the specialised Luna uniforms. Even their magical appearances remained unaltered. They wore only light armour, but were heavily armed. Not only did all of them carry battle modified rapiers, they also had holsters for a most peculiar weapon. It was twice the length of an officer’s pistol, and had a pair of barrels, one on top of the other. On a small belt next to the fierce looking pistols were a series of small, cylindrical structures. Upon inquiry, Twilight learnt they were cartridges, each containing many small pieces of metal round shot. When fired they were devastating at close range but less affective at medium to long range.

“Well, I just hope you don’t have to use them.” Twilight was, although a realist, not fond of thinking about ponies killing others, even in defence.

“As do we, Miss Sparkle” The leader of the group replied. He was the only distinguishable pony out of the four, thanks to the crest on his helmet bearing the insignia of a Gunnery Sergeant. The other three were all Corporals. Despite their fierce appearance, Twilight could see, quite clearly in their eyes, the care they had for each other as friends.

“Don’t worry, there shouldn’t be anything to use them on. As far as I can tell, the ecosystem would be unable to support anything above ten kilograms.” Up until that point, Cavalier had remained silent, carefully checking the recorded list of species already identified, thanks to the Coalition.

“Well, I guess we are about to find out.” Twilight pointed a hoof towards the large palisade wall, looming in front of the ponies, as if a warning to stay within its boundaries. “This is the last checkpoint, and then it is just forest.” Nodding his approval, the lone guardpony opened the gate, allowing the six ponies along with Sparkling, who was sleeping on Twilights back, through to the wilderness beyond. It was not until after the expedition was well into the forest, that a pony dressed in a full body black camouflage, dropped from a tree behind the lone guard. Using magic, the assailant levitated a curved knife and shoved it in the base of the pony’s skull, killing him instantly. He then ran off, in silent pursuit of the Equestrians.

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“So, this is where you will be staying, for a while.” Shining opened the door of the cabin, revealing the dimly lit room. “You and your sister will have to sleep on the lounge I’m afraid, it is the only spare spot other than the floor.” Cadence had taken Clear Sky into town for lunch, giving Shining the opportunity to get Marcus and Andromeda settled in.

“This is more than enough. After spending two nights in a cell, an actual cabin is like staying at the Royal Palace at Jupitus.” The look of inquiry was enough to warrant an explanation. “That is the Capital of the Praetorian Nation.”

“Ahh, I see. Now, you won’t be forced to stay in here, but if you wish to go above deck, two guards must accompany us. Also, you will have to stay in here, until I notify my superiors of your new accommodation.” After inspecting the quarters, Marcus turned to Shining, his expression full of hope.

“Thank you, Shining, if there is anything you need, just ask.” Chuckling softly, Shining shook his head, informing the Praetorian that such an offer was unnecessary, although he appreciated the thought. A squeal of excitement quickly distracted the pair from conversation, both looking at the source.

“Look Marcus, I found pencils, and there is paper. Can I draw mister, can I please?” Almost scratching Shining in the process, Andromeda jumped up to hug the large stallion when he gave approval. Before he knew quite what was happening, the young Praetorian rushed back to the small table, picking up a blue pencil with her mouth.

“Wow, she is really quick.” Shining glanced to Marcus, before returning his gaze to Andromeda.

“Yeah, Praetorians are quite fast. In fact, I think we are the fastest of all the civilized species.” To prove his point, Marcus waited for the stallion to blink before sprinting to the back of the cabin. He turned around and smirked. To Shining, it was as if the Praetorian had teleported himself across the room.

“Ok, that was officially amazing.” A question soon occurred to Shining. “Do any of your species have the ability to fly?” Taking a seat at the table next to Andromeda, Marcus sighed heavily before answering.

“Yes, there are a few of my kind who possess wings, but most of them were killed in a surprise attack by the Coalition. This about two hundred years ago, at least that’s what the history books say. They are called the ‘Aquila Guard’. After the attack, a little under a hundred survived. Their numbers have risen since then to over a thousand, but they are still an extremely small minority.” After finishing his explanation, an uncomfortable silence crept over the group. It seemed to last for an eternity, the only noise produced was from Andromeda drawing; until, there was a soft knock on the door.

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As the Twilight sat in the clearing, drawing sketches of the many birds she saw, Cavalier entertained Sparkling, showing her the many maps and charts which they used to navigate the island. The guards had set up a perimeter about ten metres away from the civilian ponies. They had spent about the last five hours documenting all of the flora and fauna. Surprisingly to Twilight, there were quite literally no mammals on the island except for rats. All other large fauna ecological niche’s had been filled primarily with birds. There were many varieties, some of which were completely new to Equestrian science. One species, which appeared to be a member of the parrot family, was about fifteen kilograms in weight, had a complete inability to fly and made its nest on the ground. It had a green coat and a thick beak, which Twilight hypothesised, was used for cracking’s seeds and nuts. They had also spotted a large herbivorous bird, which was at least two metres tall. It had a silky brown coating of feathers and long yellow legs. Using a thin, elongated beak, the bird stripped ferns of their leaves. The size of the creature had surprised Cavalier, as he did not think such a creature could survive on the limited resources Marilus had to offer. There were also many poisonous and spined plants, having evolved to defend themselves from the feeding birds that inhabited the island. What truly astounded the scientists however, was the huge, mindboggling variety of invertebrates. So many, that they were almost completely out of paper to document them. Just as Twilight placed the last scroll in her a saddle bag, there was a rustling in the bushes behind her. One of the guards went to investigate, illuminating the darkness to reveal a crouching lion, eyes an odd red. Leaping forward, claws out, it tackled the earth pony guard, just after he drew his pistol. There was a flash of light, along with a boom which hurt Twilights eardrums. The lion slumped to the ground, the red in its eyes faded, revealing the creatures natural brown coloured irises. Just as the Earth Pony got up, another of the large predators grabbed him from behind, pulling the terrified stallion who was screaming into the undergrowth. After a few moments the terrible cries for help stopped. Sparkling began to cry, Twilight drawing her into a worried hug.

“Close in” The Sergeant barked. The two remaining corporals bunched together to form a small triangle around Cavalier and Twilight, weapons drawn.

“I’m sorry I got you into this Gunnery Sergeant, I had no reason to expect that this would happen.” Cavalier had his own personal battle hardened rapier drawn. He had received little training with the sword however, as it was simply a customary accessory for noble stallions. The Sergeant only gave Cavalier a quick glance.

“I’ll keep that in mind… when I explain it to his family.” With that the group steadily started shuffling back towards the centre of the clearing, waiting for more of the creatures to attack. “Twilight, can you teleport us back to the colony?” Twilight shook her head.

“I’m only strong enough to send something small, like…” Twilight’s eyes widened as she looked down at her daughter.

“Twilight, we need to inform the Princess as soon as possible.” The Sergeant wrote a quick letter before pushing it into Sparkling’s trembling hooves. She looked at the note, tears streaking down her cheeks.

“Sparkling… Mummy needs you to take this to the Princess.” She looked deep into her daughter’s eyes. “Remember that no matter what happens, Mummy loves you very much, but I need you to do this.” Sparkling’s expression slowly turned from fear to determination. The sound of the guard’s weapons firing rang out again and again, the ponies attempting to keep the lions at bay.

“Yes Mama, I can do it.” Twilight’s horn glowed for a moment, before there was a blinding flash of light, revealing the empty space where Sparkling once sat. Around them, several lions were now circling, just out of range of the guard’s pistols. Whenever one of them tried to charge forward, they dropped like stones, riddled with metal shot. Cavalier moved up beside Twilight.

“Do you think she will make it?” Cav asked, slightly apprehensive at leaving the filly alone to send the message to Luna. Twilight’s horn charged up with energy, preparing for an attack spell.

“Let’s just try and survive this battle, shall we?”