I must contain my anger, or I won't control my power-
But gods! How long I've waited just to see this very hour!
It's just as well I'm not the one who calls the storm of fire---
Or I would turn this battle plain into your funeral pyre!

I watched as the Sirens sang their healing song as a physician pressed a bandage against the gash in Sunshine’s side. Anger boiled in my heart. This was a friend, and she had been sorely wounded. The fight hadn’t seemed real until now. Yes, I had seen massive injuries, but they had been impersonal, faceless soldiers with cuts and broken bones, seemingly painless.

This was Sunshine, quite possibly one of the gentlest mares I knew.

Anger roiled, and I found myself forcing my horn not to draw mana. I was going to be advising Princess Cadence when the actual attack went forth, even though I had insisted Twilight would be the better tactician.

“You rescued us without your magic, Starlight,” she had said. “You are a better tactician than you realize.”

I looked at the tears on my friend's muzzle and doubts vanished in determination.

The priests all say I must not hate--- but I will not pretend.
I saw the wreck you made of her, my student and my friend---
The scars you left in flesh and soul will be so slow to fade---
Oh, would I had your coward heart beneath my naked blade!

I slowly walked back to the Palace. I smelled of smoke and fire, but I didn’t care. The EUP and Wonderbolts that saw me made way after a few salutes or bows. Only Azure refused to dip her head, seeing in my eyes what I had done.

“Get the witch, did you?” she asked. I knew she could smell the smoke in my mane.

“You could say that,” I said without slowing. “But it’s not over yet.”

She nodded. “Oh, aye,” she said. “We’ve not had a shortage of fighting in this, and suren more is to come.”

I barely heard her words. I had to see how my wife was.

I must control my rage, or lose ability to plan,
I must direct the fight from here, not charging in the van.
As you will likewise do, no doubt, for all that you are cruel
And revel in shed blood and pain, I think you are no fool.

But in the name of all the gods, you're all that I despise,
Who planned to take by treachery my kingdom as your prize---
My throne, my child, my people. All, you plotted to despoil---
By tricks that only miracles enabled us to foil.

I couldn’t read the reports any longer. My mane was lank from lack of care. I felt a hoof rub my back between my wings.

“Cady,” Shining said. “Come to bed. It’s late and you can’t do any more from staring at the reports cross-eyed.”

I nodded, too tired to even speak. I looked out the window, seeing the sun touching the horizon, my Aunt doing her duty at the end of the day.

I felt the anger at the injuries that we had sustained. Soarin had born Sunshine back suddenly from a sneak attack, one of her wings missing and a horrid gash down her side. The medics and Adagio assured me she was fine, but I knew the injury would run deeper than the physical.

I desired to lead from the front, to show my citizens I was not the type to order marches without willing to bleed with them.

But I knew that my place was here, keeping the populace calm. There is only one job a ruler has in a kingdom.

To make everything better.

I must control my fury or let slip all that I've sought-
But vengeance would not be enough for all the grief you've wrought.
Gods grant this day you fall beneath the steel of me and mine---
And drink full deeply of defeat, that cold and bitter wine.

I polished the steel of the boots Sunset had made. Jackie and I had decided that we’d fight side-by-side all the way to the end, no matter what. But we had agreed that Sorla was mine for what she had done.

I saw the faces of my parents in my thoughts. Not the specters, but my actual parents, their smiles, their laughter. I kept that image burning in my mind the entire time, building a wall against further intrusions upon my psyche.

Regardless of which of us made it in first, I vowed that she’d feel my hooves at least once, for my parent’s sake.

My crown is on my brow, my naked blade within my hand.
My army like an eager hound lies waiting my command.
With how you tortured, killed and lied revealed to them this day---
By all the stars that ever shone,
By all the gods, known and unknown,
For all my friends and the Princess' Own---
I swear that you will pay!

I looked in on Sunshine after the Sirens tended to her. The injury wasn’t bad, as her wings were manifestations of her magic, but the bolt that had torn the left one off had also scored a pretty nasty wound along her side. They had sedated her until the pain faded.

Anger boiled in my mind, my wings ruffling with the desire to take to the air and do to Sorla and her army what I had attempted to do to Tirek. This was just as much an attack on me as it was on her.

I don’t care if it’s frowned on. I’m going to show them what it’s like to fight with magic, and I knew a certain mare that was going to do the same.

I turned and saw Sunset walk in, her eyes hard and the smell of smoke hung about her, along with another fainter smell I couldn’t place. She looked me in the eyes.

I nodded. No words needed to be passed between us.

The battle was about to dawn.

Author's Note

For a better understanding of the lyrics: